"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura looked over at her teacher as they leapt from rooftop-to-rooftop, searching the village. "What kind of danger is Natsumi in?"
Kakashi kept his eyes forward, then glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eye, whose own eyes burned with worry. He stopped, and they stood around him.
"Alright," He started, looking around. "We're postponing training until Natsumi's been found. That's our number one priority."
Naruto remained quiet, and Sakura pressed her lips together. "It must be serious, then, for sensei to say that..."
Kakashi reached into a pouch on his flak jacket and retrieved four sets of earpieces and held out his hand.
"We'll split up from here in order to cover more ground." He paused as each of his students picked one from his hand and place it into their ears. "If you find her, let us know the location and we'll rendezvous there."
They nodded and Kakashi looked over them. "Alright... go!"
The Genin took off in different directions and Kakashi returned to Natsumi's empty hospital room. He looked around for a moment, picking up the bloodied cloth in his hands.
"It's as I suspected..."
He bit his thumb, formed several hand signs, and placed his palm against the bed. A small dog appeared from a puff of smoke and he looked up at Kakashi.
"Yo, Kakashi."
Kakashi held out the cloth to the dog. "Pakkun, I need to track down this girl right away."
"Hm." Pakkun sniffed at the blanket, then pulled his nose back. He jumped to the window sill, sniffing the air outside, then pointed his paw. "I've got it."
Kakashi nodded and followed the Ninja Hound as the trail led outside of the village. Sniffing as he ran, Pakkun shifted course and glanced over at Kakashi.
"She's moving very quickly, but her pace is steady so I don't think she knows she's being followed. Her scent is full of distress."
"Let's try to catch up, then." Kakashi replied, moving faster.
"No sign of her at all." Sakura said quietly through the earpiece. "Has anyone else found her?"
"No." Sasuke replied.
"Not yet." A multitude of Naruto clones responded in unison.
"I've got her trail." Kakashi spoke up. "She's heading North, beyond the village. All of you, stay in the village for now, unless I call you."
"But—" Naruto began to protest.
"I've got her trail now, so just be patient and wait for us there."
Naruto sighed heavily, grumbling. "But, I'm her brother... why do I have to stay behind and do nothing?"
"You heard Sensei." Sakura scolded. "Just do as he says for now. If he's got it handled, then everything is fine."
"Based off of her direction, it seems like she's headed to the border..." Kakashi mused, ignoring his students' squabbling in his ear. "Although it's unclear why..."
"For having lost quite a bit of blood, she's maintaining a fast pace." Kakashi and Pakkun moved through the moonlit forest in silence. "This close to the border, it almost seems as if she's fleeing the country entirely..."
The forest opened onto an expanse of cliff and the sound of the rushing waterfall flooded his ears.
"This is..." He turned and recognized the darkened landscape. "Final Valley?"
Pakkun sniffed the air and pointed with his paw once more. "There."
Kakashi squinted through the darkness and spotted a small figure atop of head of the statue of the First Hokage. The moonlight illuminated her hair and he let out a short breath.
"So, she came here?" Kakashi patted Pakkun's head and pressed the small button of the earpiece. "I've caught up with Natsumi."
"What?! Really?!" Naruto's voice pierced through the speaker, creating a loud squeal that woke Sakura and Sasuke, who began to complain irritably. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, yes." Kakashi nodded as he looked at Natsumi, who continued to stand on the statue. "No need to be panicked. I think she only needed time to herself."
"Tch." Sasuke gritted his teeth, crossing his arms as he listened. "What a waste of time."
Naruto let out a deep sigh of relief on the other end. "Tell her to hurry back, then! It's my turn to lecture her for getting everyone worked up!"
"Yes, yes—" Kakashi's eyes widened as Natsumi stepped forward and plummeted toward the river below. "What the—?!"
"What?! What's wrong?!" Naruto shouted.
"What is she—?!" Kakashi ran towards the waterfall, watching her fall with his brows furrowed. "I won't make it in time!"
A second figure emerged from the forest on the opposite side of the border, leaping from the cliff to catch Natsumi out of the air before gently landing on the water's surface. Kakashi stopped, his eyes wider as they followed the black-cloaked figure. It walked over to the bank at the base of the cliff, then laid Natsumi down gently. Glancing up at Kakashi to hold his gaze momentarily, Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the red mask, and then the figure disappeared back across the border quickly.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Naruto kept repeating as Kakashi had been ignoring him. "What's going on?! Natsumi's safe, right?"
Kakashi sighed softly and descended the cliff with Pakkun in tow, then knelt beside the unconscious girl and pressed his fingertips to her neck.
"She's alive, after all..."
"Heeeey!" Naruto whined. "Sensei!"
"Yes, she's safe." Kakashi responded finally and rested his arm on his leg, remaining seated in a squat beside her. "Although, I don't understand why she..." His eyes wandered back up to the opposite cliff. "...Or who that was."
"Then hurry up and come back already!" Naruto nagged.
"Alright, alright." Kakashi replied flatly and Pakkun sniffed the girl gently. Kakashi reached over gently, examining her forearms and finding it covered in blood that oozed from dozens of horizontal cuts and slashes. "...Just as Kiri suspected, then..."
Natsumi's eyes burst open and she gasped for air, letting out a silent scream until Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder gently. Her eyes widened in recognition and her lip quivered as she sat up.
"I didn't..." She gasped, her eyes watering. "I'm..."
"You're safe now."
"I didn't want anyone to find me..." She confessed in a whisper, hanging her head. "I thought... it would be better if..." She buried her face in her hands and drew her legs in close. "...I didn't think anyone would look for me..."
Pakkun sat beside her, glancing between the ANBU symbol on her shoulder and Kakashi for a moment.
"You must have had a hard time of it..." The dog muttered, and Natsumi blinked in surprise, and then nodded slowly as she bit her lip.
"...that place... what they did..." Natsumi began slowly, shuddering as she closed her eyes. "...all those masks..."
"The Araki brothers..." Kakashi nodded knowingly, but remained quiet.
"...and then Sena... and..." she swallowed the lump in her throat, staring down at her hands, which were covered in blood. "...I was... scary. I killed them. Even the one that was begging for mercy... I... I..." She shook her head and bit her lip as she whispered. "...I cut them into pieces... so many little pieces. I... didn't even think about it. I... it was..."
She swallowed again and shut her eyes tightly. "...I enjoyed it."
She glanced up at the Jonin, who had looked down at her arms, and she hung her head again as if reading his mind.
"...it was an accident, at first." She murmured. "The Kunai slipped... and then... I realized that I couldn't feel anything." She paused and her hands trembled as she stared down at the cuts. "No pain at all... I... got scared. I thought... maybe I was dead. So... I kept cutting and cutting... trying to see if I could feel it..."
Her eyes spilled over and she shook her head, choking as she clenched her fists. "I couldn't feel anything... I couldn't... none of it."
"So, that's why..."
"And Sena..." Natsumi's cheeks ran with hot tears, hiccuping as she cried. "It's all my fault... I tried to make it better... to make it right... but in the end... it didn't make any difference. My friend is still going to... die... because of me."
Kakashi's expression softened, thinking to himself as a familiar feeling settled over him. "This feeling... it's totally consuming... no wonder she went to such extreme lengths..."
"I couldn't feel anything..." Natsumi muttered to herself under her breath repetitively. "I couldn't feel..."
Kakashi placed a finger against one of the cuts and pressed gently down, and she winced in pain.
"What about now?"
Natsumi's eyes widened and she stared down at the wounds.
I can... feel. Natsumi looked up at him as her eyes welled again. "...It hurts." She hiccuped, then smiled slightly as she started to cry again quietly. "...It hurts."
She looked back up at the Jonin, who smiled slightly and patted her head.
"It may be painful, but it's proof that you are alive." Kakashi reached into the pouch on his back, retrieving a small decorated medical kit, opened it, and began to clean off her arms. "As long as you're alive, there's bound to be pain and the feeling of guilt... it can seem hopeless, but they're powerless as long as you can find even just one source of light to chase the darkness away."
Natsumi blinked and watched his expression as he slowly began to bandage her arms.
He's... talking from experience...
"Even though giving in to that darkness may seem like the best option, you've got to find that light and cling to it, fighting to keep it no matter what pain you might be suffering."
He smiled and met her eyes, then returned the medical kit to his pouch. "There. All finished."
She glanced at her arms again, and each of the ugly cuts was covered.
"I'm no medical ninja... but these should do for now."
...Just who did he lose?
Natsumi swallowed and touched the bandages gingerly with her fingertips.
"...Thank you." She whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she kept her eyes turned away. "...For looking for me. And... for listening."
He patted her head again, then handed her a cloth from one of his pockets, gesturing toward her face. She wiped off the blood quickly and pressed her lips together.
I never expected that someone like him would know what it felt like...
"I just..." She swallowed again, then let out a short sigh. "...I didn't want to talk to Kiri about any of this... I know she's been busy and worrying so much about everything else. I didn't... want to be even more of a burden than I already am."
"You're not a burden." His hand moved from her head to rest on her shoulder. "There are many people who care about you. You've made some good friends, so you should try relying on them a little more. There's also Naruto, too. He may be clueless at times, but your brother is someone you can count on."
Natsumi balled her fists and looked down at her arms.
"Naruto..." She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Please... don't tell Naruto about any of this. I... don't want him to know that I... What I..."
She stopped, and Kakashi nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"...I don't... I don't want him to hate me..." Natsumi muttered and Pakkun nudged her with his nose, and she reached out to gently pat his head.
"He would never hate his own sister." Kakashi smiled, then looked up as the sky lightened as the sun started to rise. "Ah... we should head back to the village now. I know several people who will be very happy to see you."
"Ahem." Pakkun cleared his throat, looking at Natsumi. "If you'd like... you can hold me on the way back, if it will make you feel better." He held up a paw. "Or you could touch my paw pads, just this once. They're extremely warm and supple."
Natsumi giggled under her breath, gently touching the pad and smiling. "...Thank you. You're sweet." She picked him up, holding him carefully in her arms.
Kakashi stood and held out a hand, helping her to her feet. She wobbled and frowned slightly.
"...My legs... they're like jelly."
"That's not unusual. You've just experienced something very intense. I can carry you back."
She blushed faintly. "W-What?" She shook her head. "N-No! I'm fine."
Her legs trembled as she took a step, and the Jonin lifted her into his arms.
"It's alright. It's a ways back, so you can rest along the way."
She opened her mouth to protest, then shut her mouth again once Pakkun nodded in agreement.
"I guess I could..."
"Besides, considering how worked up your brother gets, you'll need your energy if you're going to face him."
She nodded slowly and held the dog closer as they left. Closing her eyes, she sighed.
Naruto, I'm sorry for worrying you... I'm such an idiot...
"Hey, Sensei!" Naruto interrupted, shouting again in Kakashi's ear. "You're on your way, right?! I wanna talk to Natsumi!"
"Hm?" Kakashi glanced down at the girl in his arms, then chuckled as he saw she had already fallen asleep. "You'll just have to be patient and wait until we get back."
"Hey! No fair!"
"Naruto, be quiet!" Sakura shouted. "Some of us are trying to take a nap here!"
"Both of you, be quiet." Sasuke muttered irritably.
Kakashi chuckled again, moving quickly through the forest as the first light shone through the trees.
"I was lucky this time... if that person hadn't come along... I could never face you again, sensei."
Kakashi set Natsumi down gently in front of the village gates as the afternoon sun shone brightly above them. Natsumi set Pakkun on the ground, scratching under his chin.
"Thank you for cheering me up." She smiled. "You're the best dog." She lowered her voice to a whisper and giggled. "And I'm normally more of a cat person."
"Stay safe, kid."
The Ninja Hound poofed away in a small cloud of smoke and Natsumi stood slowly, pursing her lips as she looked at the village gates, hugging her arms close and touching the bandages there.
"...Do I have to go back?"
Kakashi patted her head, smiling faintly. "Everything will be fine. Besides, I'm sure Naruto isn't sitting around waiting patiently."
She nodded slowly, feeling her stomach twisting into knots as they walked through the gates together. After some time, Natsumi spotted Team Seven sitting on a bench. Naruto's eyes widened and he ran up to her.
"Hey! Hey! Where did you go?!"
Natsumi let out the breath she'd been holding and managed a faint smile. "Sorry for worrying you again... I don't like being a burden..."
"Hmph." He crossed his arms. "Well, next time you plan on running off to be alone... make sure you take me along! I'm your brother, ya know! We're supposed to stick together!"
"Alright, I will." Natsumi nodded and her body relaxed slightly. "Although... I'm not planning on there being a next time."
"Good." Naruto nodded, and then grinned. His smiled faded slightly when he noticed her bandaged arms. "What happened?! Are you okay?! Did someone attack you?" He cracked his knuckles and narrowed his eyes. "I'll make them regret it!"
Natsumi glanced at Kakashi from the corner of her eyes before she looked back at her brother.
"Naruto, I'm okay. I swear." She hugged him, then pulled away. "It was... an accident. A stupid mistake."
"Huh?" He narrowed his eyes at her, then sighed. "Fine. But if someone does try to hurt you, don't hide it from me, okay? I won't let them get away with it."
She smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay."
Even if the one who hurt me... was me?
"Well, that worked out well." Kakashi smiled and stuck his hands into his pockets as he looked over his students. "Now... who's ready to begin training now?"
Naruto's mouth hung open and he waved his arms. "Hey! Hey! I've been up all night!"
Sakura sighed and crossed her arms. "That's because you refused to rest at all, idiot."
"It's not my fault!" Naruto protested. "I can't be expected to sleep when my sister's in trouble! It's not fair!"
Natsumi giggled under her breath at their bickering, her smile faltering as she touched the bandages again.
I promise, Naruto... I'll get better. I'll get stronger so that I'll never be the reason for anyone else to get hurt... and I'll work even harder so you won't ever have to worry about me.
"Natsumi!"
Natsumi turned just as Kiri threw her arms around her and wrapped her in a tight hug, lifting her off of the ground.
"Kiri!"
Kiri set her down, squishing Natsumi's cheeks in between her hands.
"Never ever ever disappear like that again, got it?!"
"Yes, Kiri." Natsumi nodded, her words mushed together and she smiled, shaking off Kiri's grip. "I'm fine."
Kiri's eyes fell on the bandages and her smile twitched for a moment.
"I'm okay." Natsumi smiled softly.
Kiri sighed deeply and hugged her again. "You just love giving me heart attacks, don't you?"
"How did you know?" Natsumi murmured into her ear. "...You sent him to find me, didn't you?"
Kiri met her eyes, then sighed softly and lowered her voice.
"It's not hard to tell, if you've tried it before." Kiri whispered back, then pressed a finger to her lips when Natsumi's eyes widened slightly. "It was a long time ago, so don't worry about me, 'kay?"
Natsumi nodded and Kiri stood, putting a hand on her hip as she nodded to Kakashi. "Looks like you're still a better tracker than me."
"Hm?" Kakashi shrugged. "I guess so."
"At least I'm still a better swordsman." Kiri chuckled to herself.
"Are you?" Kakashi chuckled, tilting his head to the side slightly, and Kiri crossed her arms.
"See, this is exactly why we didn't get along well as kids." Kiri made a face. "Kakashi the prodigy just couldn't handle competition."
Natsumi smiled and turned to look at a wagon as it passed and her eyes widened slightly.
Is that...?
The wagon stopped suddenly and a girl hopped down and smiled at Natsumi, waving as she approached.
"Hi!"
Kiri turned and grinned. "Oh, Sonoko! You're leaving already?"
It's... that girl from before.
Natsumi froze in place, watching the girl walking toward her as images flashed in her mind from the cabin.
Sonoko stopped in front of Kiri and nodded. "I'm fully recovered now, so my father came to get me."
Natsumi blinked as Sonoko turned to her, bowing deeply.
What is she doing?
"I was hoping to run into you before I left." Sonoko straightened and smiled. "After I awoke in the hospital, Kiri visited me and told me everything. You really saved my life back then... I owe you so much."
Me...? I saved her?
The man stepped down from the cart, patting the horse's back before he stood besides his daughter and bowed at the redhead.
"I was sure that I would never see my darling daughter again... but because of you, she's alive and well, and we were able to be reunited." He straightened and looked down at the small urn he held in his left hand. "Not only that, but my wife's remains were recovered so that she can receive a proper burial, according to her wishes."
He bowed his head. "Thank you, very much. You've done so much for an old man like me, and I wish that I could repay you."
They're... thanking me.
Natsumi blinked again, then quickly shook her head and held up her hands. "N-No, that's not necessary! I really didn't do anything that great..."
Sonoko took Natsumi's hands and squeezed them. "When I escaped... I was so afraid that my life would be over that day... but you came along, and now I get to return home with my father. Kiri told me all about how you got me here as fast as you could, even risking your own life. My father and I will be forever in your debt."
"We don't have much to offer as a reward, but we would be honored if you visited us as a guest sometime." The man bowed his head again. "Whenever you like, just stop by. It's the least we can do."
Did I... Do I really deserve this much praise?
Natsumi swallowed the lump in her throat, and Kiri chuckled and patted her back.
"She'd be honored."
"Oh, of course, you're invited as well." Sonoko looked at Kiri. "The three of you are the reason that my father isn't alone now... and I get a second chance at life. You're my heroes."
"Woah!" Naruto gaped at his sister, then grinned. "My sister's a hero! How cool is that?"
Hero? Am I...?
"Huh?" Sonoko looked at Natsumi, and her eyes widened slightly. "Did... I say something wrong?"
Natsumi sniffed and touched her cheek as a slow, hot tear streaked down.
She's... alive. And smiling. And calling me a hero.
She nodded after a moment, and laughed quietly to herself as she wiped her cheeks.
"I'm just... It's so great that you're alright, and that you can go home with your dad again." Natsumi sniffed again, unable to control her tears as she smiled. "I'm so glad that you're okay."
Sonoko beamed and hugged Natsumi tightly. "It's all because of you!" She pulled back, then glanced behind her at the cart. "I wish I could stay longer, but we've got to get back to the farm in time to plant the next fields, or else there won't be a good harvest this year."
"Just let us know if you need anything, miss." The man bowed his head a final time, holding the urn close to him. "Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts."
Natsumi waved as they left, and Kiri patted her head with a wink, talking softly.
"See? Everything's fine, Natsumi. There's always something good around. You just have to look for it."
"Say, say." Naruto leaned closer to Natsumi before she could reply. "I wanna know about how you became a hero. I'll bet it's an awesome story, right? You gotta tell me about it, right?"
"U-Uh..." Kiri scratched her head. "Well..."
A shadow passed over from above and a large vulture swooped down, landing roughly on top of the blond's head and nearly knocking him down as he screeched loudly.
"GAH! There's a giant bird on my head!" Naruto waved his arms frantically, but the creature only held onto his hair more tightly with his talons. "Get off! That hurts, I say! Go away!"
Kiri blinked and put her hand on her hip. "Keinan? What are you doing here?"
"Keinan?" Natsumi looked at the vulture, who wore a scarf around his neck with the symbol of the Leaf emblazoned on it.
"Aito's Ninja Animal Summon." Kiri explained.
"Aito says to come right away!" The bird screen again loudly, flapping his wings.
"GAH! The bird is talking now!" Naruto waved his arms again and the bird tapped on his head with his beak.
"Quiet!" The vulture's beady eyes rested on Natsumi. "The message is that Sena is awake now, and she's asking to see you."
Natsumi's eyes went wide and Kiri's mouth opened slightly.
"Sena... is awake?" Kiri muttered to herself. "Really?"
The bird nodded and screeched again, pushing off of Naruto as it took to the sky again.
Natsumi's hand rose to cover her mouth, trembling as tears streaked down her face again.
Sena's awake? She's okay?!
Natsumi turned to her brother quickly, opening her mouth as he grinned and crossed his arms behind his head.
"What're you waiting for?" He chuckled. "Go see her!"
Natsumi nodded and ran quickly off, wiping her face.
He was right... there was light...