Hello, everyone. I am very tired. I'm quite busy.
Okay, here's another interlude. It's short, but the next real chapter will be coming out maybe Saturday or Sunday, when I have time to type it.
Interlude II
Pain. There was so much pain, ripping through his body like fire, tearing him apart, leaving holes and gashes.
There was blood, too, dark red. So dark that it was almost black, seeping into the ground. It soaked up the blood, greedily, hungrily. It loved the taste of his blood, as the creatures loved the taste of his chakra.
His hands scrabbled at the ground as they circled. The void sensed his weakness and slithered forward, intent on making as much progress as it could. They wrapped around him.
He fought them, and it, with dull kunais and fading memories . . .
"You sure he went this way?"
He looked to his friend, in human form now. His friend had filled in on a most-needed mission when his teammate was in the hospital. He shuddered, oh how he hated hospitals. "Yeah, I can sense his chakra. This way!"
They flew through the trees, following the enemy. His sensei was behind, having gotten distracted. His sensei was so easily distracted. He frowned deeply, turning his attention back to the enemy. There was something, no, someone else with the enemy. Another chakra, bright, flaring, fiery. He flew toward it, leaving his friend behind.
"Minato!"
She was there, ducking, dodging, fighting desperately against an enemy much larger than her. He leaped forward just as the enemy attacked her, blocking the incoming weapon with his own. He spared her a glance, saw flaming red hair and intense, surprised green eyes.
His friend arrived, the enemy was defeated. His sensei came minutes later, and was punched hard by the girl. He laughed. She had so much spirit for such a small thing.
". . . small thing," he whispered, coughing up blood. He was going to die now, they had made sure of that. They were all waiting, the creatures, the vultures, the void. Waiting to conquer him.
He died.
The first time he died, it didn't hurt. It was just the hand and the void that scared him. After that, he woke in the darkness, and began to fight and run.
Most enemies he defeated, but some were stronger than him.
The second time he died, it hurt. They all pulled him to pieces, and the void crept in when he was dead, winding itself around him. He died with the thought of her, that maybe, he would leave now, be out of here. He thought that would be nice.
Instead, he woke in darkness again. He stood slowly, confused.
Why was he still here?
He turned slowly, saw the creatures. The ground had his blood, the creatures had his chakra. He was still there.
They began to advance on him again, hungry once more. He was dazed, bemused, uncertain
Why was he still here?
They came to him, and brought the pain again. He died.
The next time he woke, he knew to move soon. They would hunt him again, ravenous. He moved, he ran, he fought. He got better at surviving. They didn't catch him as often. He didn't die as often.
He killed them often, but they would always wake again, like him.
The Realm never died.
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So, that's that. As I said, the next one should be up in a few days. This is just to hold you all over until the weekend. So, please no complaints about the length. Those make me unhappy. :(