Grey
Chapter 11
I opened my eyes to the glaring rays of the midday sun. Groaning, I shielded my eyes from the light.
Suddenly remembering the events that had occurred earlier, I sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain in my screaming muscles, and looked around in search of Obito. As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, I was suddenly stricken by a wave of dizziness, and I gripped my temples and whimpered as my chakra levels fell drastically.
My extremities felt cold and numb, and the world swirled before me. It took me a while to realise that my chakra was being directed to my left eye involuntarily. So... this is how the Sharingan feels like...
"Obito..." Suppressing my nausea, I reached out to caress his cheek, praying that he was only unconscious and not dead as my eyes filled with tears at the recollection of his selfless deed.
His skin was ice cold.
And yet he still looked so serene on the dusty ground, his pale bloodless skin as beautiful as polished ivory. Save for a small trickle of dried blood that ran from the corner of his mouth, and the mangled mess that was once his left eye, he looked as if he were asleep.
Fingering my left cheek gingerly, I felt a clean and smooth scar running down my skin. And where there once was a gaping, bloody hole, there was Obito's Sharingan.
Obito... It was just fate that was woven so, just like the threads of you that lie in me...
Tears rolled out of the corners of my eyes and down my cheeks, leaving clean trails in their wake. I let the tears flow freely, mourning Obito's passing. Men hardened by exposure to death were expected to be cold and emotionless, but surely they were allowed to grieve the loss of a dear friend?
A solitary teardrop ran off my cheek and onto the ground, mixing with the dust stained rust-red by Obito's blood. At that moment, I was so stricken with sorrow that I was willing to resort to underhand means, if only they could bring him back to life...
Covering my left eye with my forehead protector to minimise chakra loss, I tried to sit up, but failed. My limbs flopped onto the ground, useless. Tears welling up in frustration, I struggled to my feet, and felt an immense sense of helplessness as my knees buckled under my weight.
My stomach rumbled. How many days had it been since I last tasted food? Three days? Five days? A week? I couldn't say for sure.
A faint rustling in the bushes some distance away caused warning bells to go off in my head. The barely-audible sounds could have been made by a rabbit, but it could also be made by enemy ninjas stalking us. Or maybe me for that matter, since Obito was dead anyway.
Damnit! I cursed, as I forced myself to my feet, the surge in adrenalin giving me the much-needed strength. My trembling hands reached for a shuriken, but dropped the first two I obtained from the pouch strapped to my right leg.
I pulled up my torn and soiled mask, and braced myself for an attack, keeping my senses on high alert despite the weariness that threatened to consume me. I wobbled dangerously on my feet as I forgot about the Sharingan and opened my left eye.
My chakra levels went spiralling downhill, and I dropped the shuriken and fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
This is the end. I would surely be killed. I smiled wryly as I thought to myself. So much for being part of the Konoha Anbu.
I heard voices through the haze of discomfort and helplessness, and shut my eyes in anticipation of the blow that would knock me out.
Wait. Did I hear voices? Ninjas didn't usually talk when they were on missions, especially if it involved killing. Surely they were not my comrades from Konoha?
My heart leaped in joy at the thought, and the last of my fears vanished as I vaguely heard a voice saying, "That one there on the floor is probably Uchiha Obito. Poor guy, his eye was gouged out."
A voice right next to me reassured me gently, "Kakashi, it's all right. You're safe..."
*****
When I next came to, I was vaguely aware of the sensation of being carried on someone's back.
I groaned, as the person landed on a bough, and leapt off quickly. The Anbu team seemed to be in a hurry, and I saw that Obito's body was being carried by one of the Anbu.
I mumbled in a raspy voice, "Anou... Why are we in a hurry?"
The Anbu carrying me turned his head around. "Oh, you've come to, Kakashi." I swore that I could feel him smiling through his mask.
"Well, we have just received orders from the Hokage. Apparently, the Raikage has already launched an attack on our village. And..." He paused here, and gulped. "Have you heard of the legendary Kyuubi no Kitsune?"
I shook my head, and noted that he had said 'Kyuubi' with dread, fear and hate.
"Well, it's the horrendous chakra demon with nine tails. It is said to be able to destroy whole villages with just a swipe of one of its tails..." His voice trailed off into a whisper.
"Uh, so?", I asked, feeling rather perplexed. What did the Kyuubi no Kitsune have to do with the Raikage attacking our village?
I swore the man's face turned a shade paler, but it could have been my imagination. His voice, too seemed devoid of life, and if I had to give it a colour, it would have been a deathly shade of grey.
"There have been reports of the Raikage having signed a pact with the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Apparently, he is able to summon the Kyuubi..."
I gasped, unable to mask my shock. 'Tousan was going to wreck havoc on Konoha! And yet, all this while, I never realised how bloodthirsty and cunning he was, using people as pawns and disposing of them as quickly as he had recruited them. It was impossible that he, my father was such a man!
I had always remembered him to be a strict disciplinarian who always fussed over routine, self-discipline and self-motivation. And yet despite his usually cold and hard exterior, he did display some paternal love for me occasionally. As a child, it was such affection that outweighed the frequent beatings he gave me.
However, this illusion was shattered twice when it dawned on me that he wasn't as humane as I had always made him out to be. The anger that welled up in me caused a surge in my chakra levels, and the Anbu carrying me shuddered.
If not for him, Obito would most probably be alive now. And I wouldn't be in this rut, switching loyalties all the time. 'Tousan--no, Raikage, I will have my revenge.
*****
The village that I grew up in was gone, and chaos reigned. Fallen trees and destroyed buildings were all that met the eye. For an instant, I actually doubted my own eyes, and hoped fervently that this was only a cruel illusion created by one of the enemy.
Ninjas of all ranks were doing their part, evacuating villagers and fighting the ninjas from Hidden Cloud Village. The Anbu carrying me, Dai, passed me to a waiting chuunin, who then proceeded to carry me away from the epicentre of the disaster.
The ground shook, and many people screamed in response. I was acutely aware of the presence of a tremendous presence of chakra that carried an evil ki, and the air was so heavy with fear and the sinister aura that it took a lot of effort for me to lift my head skywards. A foul smelling wind whipped the sand off the ground around us and shook the trees.
Strangely, our surroundings seemed devoid of any animal life.
A large rust-coloured form filled the darkened sky, and it took a while for me to realise that the horrible creature I beheld was the fearsome Kyuubi.
I noticed a figure proudly standing atop the monster's head, and realised it was 'tousan upon closer scrutiny.
Ninjas around me were preparing themselves for battle, armed with only simple weapons and whatever jutsus they knew, every one of them prepared to sacrifice himself to protect the village they loved. I was instantly envious of them, and despite my high and respected rank, I was helpless. Too weak to even stand on my own, I was unable to participate in the fighting.
It was absolutely unfair! I wanted to solicit my revenge on 'tousan using my own two hands, and not let others take revenge for me.
A genin close by was giving out army provision pills to other ninjas, and right then I found the answer to my worries.
Limping pitifully to the genin, I snatched one of the pills from his hands, and waited for the medicine to take effect. Within minutes, I could feel my chakra coursing through my body, and I felt empowered instantly. My knees stopped trembling, and although my left eye was now covered with my forehead protector, my vision cleared significantly. The sense of nausea stemming from my weakness dissipated quickly.
I felt like I could do battle right then.
I wrenched my arm out of the chuunin's grasp, and thanked him hurriedly for his kindness. He stared at me in shock, amazed by my tenacity and will.
"Why?" He called after me.
"I must protect the village I love!" I called out over my shoulder, fully aware of the underlying meaning of my words. I was going to go all out for Konoha and completely reject the cause of my homeland.
I ran off towards the battle scene, my determination to seek revenge driving me forward.
*****
It was a vain and hopeless battle against the Raikage and his newly-found ally, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. We hardly stood a chance against them, for the Kyuubi, being a chakra demon, kept on supplying the Raikage with more chakra whenever he needed any. It also wrecked havoc on our village, apparently on the Raikage's orders.
We had been convinced that they were an infallible, until the Kyuubi suddenly appeared to tire of the Raikage, and turned against him, smashing him to the ground with a gigantic foot.
The Raikage appeared to have died a painless death, and for a moment, I hoped fervently that he had suffered in the moments before he died, to atone for the many hideous crimes he had committed during the forty-odd years he had spent on this earth.
A thunderous roar interrupted my thoughts, and a cry rang out around me. The Kyuubi, now free of its link with 'tousan, appeared to be free to act of its own will. A smirk tugged at the corners of its large and monstrous mouth, baring its yellow and bloodstained teeth. A cruel wind laced with an evil ki whipped around us, causing fallen leaves to swirl madly around us. In the distance, sturdy buildings fell like matchsticks.
We were aware that we were mere humans fighting against a formidable enemy, an untouchable demon we were never fated to win. Right now, only a miracle could save us.
"We must hold out before Yondaime-sama arrives! He will save us all!" Voices around me called out, and others nodded in agreement.
Ninjas around me continued to launch suicidal attacks on the Kyuubi, and few of those who left survived. The occasional body part fell with sickening thuds onto the ground.
I looked up, a sense of foreboding coming over me. Gamabunta glowered before the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Hayato-sensei--no the newly appointed Yondaime no Hokage stood proudly atop his head.
"Yondaime-sama!" The ninjas around me were delighted to see him, and the very sight of him gave us courage. Feeling a sense of responsibility well up in me, I lunged towards the Kyuubi, using trees as stepping stones. Chakra gathered in my hand, and the sound of a thousand birds screaming filled the air.
As I hung in the air, shimmering blue chakra visible around my fist, I began to wonder about death. Perhaps it isn't as bad as people often make it out to be. Perhaps I'll be transported into paradise... and of course, I'll be able to see Obito again...
A small triumphant smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, as I opened my mouth in a soundless cry and buried my fist in the Kyuubi¡¯s right foreleg. Much to my surprise, the Kyuubi no Kitsune roared in pain and rage, and I brimmed with satisfaction, even as I began planning my escape.
The Kyuubi's tails whipped maniacally, stirring up hurricane-velocity winds that howled in my ears.
Meanwhile, Gamabunta stood his ground, and returned the gesture with several chakra-laden balls of water. The giant globes of water exploded upon contact with the winds, and needle-like raindrops stung our skin.
Hokage-sama seemed to have realised that the longer we battled the Kyuubi, the greater the damage would be to our village, for he moved his hands quickly in a series of seals, and a blinding light bathed the darkened land.
A tortured scream resonated in the air, and when the light finally dimmed enough for me to open my eyes, Gamabunta and the Kyuubi no Kitsune were gone.
*****
It was official. No one was to speak of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The infant, which served as its vessel, named Uzumaki Naruto, was the child of the late Yondaime no Hokage, the revered hero who had saved our village from certain doom.
The child lost his mother who had died during childbirth, and hence lived alone, the target of mockery and hatred. The adults hated him, seeing him as the Kyuubi himself, but no one remembered the Yondaime's last words.
"If not for him, our village would have surely been devastated, even destroyed by the Kyuubi. He is a hero we owe our lives to."
-end
A/n: Wait! This isn't the end! There's still an epilogue XD