Chapter VIII

Death…?

"He… He can't be dead… That wasn't an option, right? Come on now, don't joke like that, please tell me he's okay… He's my roommate, he promised me that he wouldn't mess up. He's not dead…" Akarui began to break down, so distressed that she could not correctly exert just how much she was hurting. She fell to the ground, paralyzed by the sudden news.

"I'm sorry, but he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone but himself. It was a very respectable decision, though, as neither of the people in the trial were guilty to begin with. The best answer would have been to kill the 'voice', though he didn't think that far. Just goes to show how unsuited he wa-"

Akarui punched the man speaking in the face with a chakra-infused punch, knocking him through the small door and into the basement. Slowly, she began to walk in, mentally preparing for the image of her dead roommate.

"Akarui! You do understand that you will have to be apprehended due to these actions, correct?" An Uchiha police force member shakily said to her. She turned around, pointed to him, and began to scream.

"I WILL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!"

The man stepped back, knowing that he stood no chance against her physical abilities, jutsu capabilities, and even visual prowess. He allowed her to continue, running off to get the help of other Uchiha.

"Keiko… you're okay, right? Come on now, let's just go back home. I think what you did was quite amazing. The sheer will you needed for that… Please don't be dead. Please. Please!"

Upon entering the bland and dimly lit room, it was quite clear that he was under some sort of genjutsu. The two hostages were nowhere to be seen. Not even a trace of their existence was left. Keiko was tricked as soon as he entered the testing area. This whole time, their one true goal was to kill him, as they viewed him as a threat to the peace and to the Uchiha. As she began to realize these facts, her fists tightened into two balls of rage, and the anger within her body began boiling to the point where she could explode at any little thing.

"Keiko… Why did they do this to you… You're such a nice person, despite all of the horrors you had to see in your childhood… How could they do this? My own people, who fight the hate of others and simply want to be recognized for who they are, commit the same hate towards others. How does that fix anything? No…"

Tears began to fill her eyes at the sight of his motionless body lying in a pool of blood. Dead still, and dead silent. She approached him, kneeling down to get a better look of his status. The sword lie next to him, blood staining the beautifully crafted blade. Though, something seemed a bit off. The pool of blood was nowhere near large enough to be a fatal wound. And the cuts had already stopped their bleeding as well. Before Akarui could react, Keiko pushed himself up into the air, lunging directly at Akarui with a small blade in his hand. She wanted to do something but simply couldn't due to her emotions. The two of them fell to the ground together.

"Why… WHY! YOU BASTARDS! Was THIS the plan the whole time? I was just simply being played so that my life could be ended prematurely? I respected all of you… ALL OF YOU! And now LOOK! HATRED! It's a constant part of my life… I can't ever find a home. Nobody has any love for a red-haired freak like me. Nobody needs me. But you know what? If they don't need me, then maybe they won't need you either." He pulled the knife to her neck, the icy blade rubbing it.

"W-wait, Keiko… Why are you doing this to me? I only came here because I was concerned. I broke the law to help give you a proper funeral, but it looks like there's no need for that now… I'm so relieved…" She smiled at his glare, accepting the fate that seemed to loom upon her. Keiko grew angry, lifted the knife, and slashed, causing blood to splatter all over the walls.

"Move in! Apprehend Akarui, and make sure Keiko is dead for sure! Remember, this is vital for our survival! Show no mercy!"

A bunch of Uchiha clan members stormed the basement, expecting to find their two suspects. However, when arriving, nothing remained but the bloodstains from the events that occurred behind closed doors. The members looked all around in confusion. This was a closed space with only one entrance and exit. Not even the most skilled ninja should have been able to sneak by them.

"What are you guys doing? Search the premises! They have to be around here somewhere! They couldn't have covered too much distance, even if they were the fastest people known to exist. Go NOW!"

The Uchiha began scrambling out of the basement one at a time, checking bushes, houses, trees, and even holes with their Sharingan. Despite these efforts, no trace was ever found. They had done the impossible. The Uchiha clan had been defeated.

"Hey, Akarui, are you okay? I'm sorry about earlier. That was the only way we were both gonna make it convincing that one of us died. I didn't hurt you, did I?"