Chapter 9: A Reason to Die
Kitai walked out onto the plain, clearly out of breath. Three shuriken landed at her feet. She looked up and saw the Hunter Nin sitting in a tree.
"Girls like you should stay in bed," he said after looking at her.
"I need to ask you a favor," she said.
"I don't do favors," he responded indifferently. Kitai didn't move. "You'd better get out of here before that 'friend' of yours gets back, or else I'll have to kill you too."
"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."
It was two o clock when Gaara stepped out onto the plain. He figured that this would be the best place to find the Hunter Nin.
"I'm surprised you came," the hunter was standing in a tree, "I thought you'd run away."
"I won't run from death," responded Gaara listlessly, "Not when I've cause death and pain to so many others." The hunter was silent for a moment. He jumped down in front of Gaara.
"Are you ready to face me, then?" he asked. Gaara nodded and faced him. The hunter flew forward, suddenly appeared in front of Gaara, then hit him square in the stomach. Gaara flew back and hit a tree... hard. He coughed up blood.
"You're not even trying," said the hunter, sounding very bored.
"What's the point," Gaara replied as he stood up, "of trying to live, when you have no reason to live."
"I thought that Gaara of the Desert lived for the sole purpose of killing others."
"Yeah... I did. Until someone showed me that I was just lying to myself."
"Then, shouldn't you live for that person?"
"I can't... she's gone. So, I'll die for her." Gaara charged the hunter, creating sand clones of himself. They all attacked the hunter, but the hunter easily dodged. He quickly eliminated all of the bunshin, leaving only Gaara. Gaara tried to punch him, but the hunter caught his hand. He tried again, but the hunter caught his other hand the same way.
"You know," the hunter said as they stood off, "Love has really made you weak... and pathetic."
"I guess," replied Gaara with a grin, "Or, maybe it made me strong enough to be able to give up my life for her."
"Please, I want you to spare him."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because... I don't want him to die... I guess... I love him..."
"You love him? He's killed hundreds, you know that? And he never gave any of them any mercy, or second thought."
The hunter threw off Gaara, sending him into a bush. Gaara got up painfully.
"Without me," he said as he clutched a pain in his side, "She can live happily. That's what my death can give her."
"I...I know that. But... he's different now... I just wish more people could see that..."
"So, you really think you're strong enough to die?" he asked cruelly.
"Yeah..." Gaara grinned.
"Fine," said the Hunter. He armed himself with needles, "I guess, as a parting gift, I'll let you give the girl happiness." He prepared to shoot.
"No!" Kitai jumped in front of Gaara. "Hey, idiot Hunter, you have to get through me first."
"Kitai, what're you doing?" Gaara asked in astonishment. "I told you to leave! Get out of here before he decides to kill you too!"
"You've got a lot to learn, kid," Kitai looked at him, grinning broadly, "How can I be happy when the only precious person in my life... the one I love... is dead?" Gaara didn't answer. "That's what I thought when I first lost my family... but then I met you... If all else fails, we can go to heaven or hell together..." Gaara's face fell. "Hey, I'll introduce you to them."
"You can't die! Not here! How can I face them if you do?!" he yelled at her. But she wasn't listening. She charged the hunter. She tried punching him, even with her broken arm, but he kept dodging. She kicked him and actually hit him on the side. However, she spat out blood as pain shot through her chest.
"Foolish girl," said the hunter, "You're hurting yourself more than you're hurting me." He grabbed her foot that was still connected to his side, and casually threw her to the side. She coughed up more blood as she hit the ground. She tried to get up, but only collapsed. She lay in pain as Gaara watched her in horror.
"You'll pay!" he yelled as he charged the hunter. Although Gaara's skill improved with anger, he still was no match for the hunter. Another swift punch sent him skidding across the ground. He landed by Kitai.
"I can't beat him..." muttered Gaara as he sat up. "I'm sorry, Kitai..."
"Who're you apologizing to?" Kitai was struggling to sit up. She looked at Gaara happily then she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I'd rather die here with you than in a hundred years. I should be thanking you." Tears formed in Gaara's eyes. He slowly wrapped his arms around Kitai. The first time he had ever held someone...
"If you're gonna kill us," Gaara looked at the hunter in the eye, "You'd better do it now." The hunter remained motionless. He slowly drew out his needles. Gaara closed his eyes and grinned. Dying while holding the person he loved wouldn't be so bad...
Gaara heard needles whiz past his ear. A small cut appeared on his cheek. The hunter turned his back towards them.
"I have killed Gaara of the Desert," he said as he walked away, "I suggest you get out of the Sand country." He disappeared into the forest.
"He..." laughed Kitai, "really isn't that bad..." Gaara also laughed in relief and happiness. The pain in her chest got stronger, and she blacked out. As she left consciousness, she could hear Gaara's voice calling her name...
Kitai walked out onto the plain, clearly out of breath. Three shuriken landed at her feet. She looked up and saw the Hunter Nin sitting in a tree.
"Girls like you should stay in bed," he said after looking at her.
"I need to ask you a favor," she said.
"I don't do favors," he responded indifferently. Kitai didn't move. "You'd better get out of here before that 'friend' of yours gets back, or else I'll have to kill you too."
"I'm not leaving until you hear me out."
It was two o clock when Gaara stepped out onto the plain. He figured that this would be the best place to find the Hunter Nin.
"I'm surprised you came," the hunter was standing in a tree, "I thought you'd run away."
"I won't run from death," responded Gaara listlessly, "Not when I've cause death and pain to so many others." The hunter was silent for a moment. He jumped down in front of Gaara.
"Are you ready to face me, then?" he asked. Gaara nodded and faced him. The hunter flew forward, suddenly appeared in front of Gaara, then hit him square in the stomach. Gaara flew back and hit a tree... hard. He coughed up blood.
"You're not even trying," said the hunter, sounding very bored.
"What's the point," Gaara replied as he stood up, "of trying to live, when you have no reason to live."
"I thought that Gaara of the Desert lived for the sole purpose of killing others."
"Yeah... I did. Until someone showed me that I was just lying to myself."
"Then, shouldn't you live for that person?"
"I can't... she's gone. So, I'll die for her." Gaara charged the hunter, creating sand clones of himself. They all attacked the hunter, but the hunter easily dodged. He quickly eliminated all of the bunshin, leaving only Gaara. Gaara tried to punch him, but the hunter caught his hand. He tried again, but the hunter caught his other hand the same way.
"You know," the hunter said as they stood off, "Love has really made you weak... and pathetic."
"I guess," replied Gaara with a grin, "Or, maybe it made me strong enough to be able to give up my life for her."
"Please, I want you to spare him."
"Why should I do that?"
"Because... I don't want him to die... I guess... I love him..."
"You love him? He's killed hundreds, you know that? And he never gave any of them any mercy, or second thought."
The hunter threw off Gaara, sending him into a bush. Gaara got up painfully.
"Without me," he said as he clutched a pain in his side, "She can live happily. That's what my death can give her."
"I...I know that. But... he's different now... I just wish more people could see that..."
"So, you really think you're strong enough to die?" he asked cruelly.
"Yeah..." Gaara grinned.
"Fine," said the Hunter. He armed himself with needles, "I guess, as a parting gift, I'll let you give the girl happiness." He prepared to shoot.
"No!" Kitai jumped in front of Gaara. "Hey, idiot Hunter, you have to get through me first."
"Kitai, what're you doing?" Gaara asked in astonishment. "I told you to leave! Get out of here before he decides to kill you too!"
"You've got a lot to learn, kid," Kitai looked at him, grinning broadly, "How can I be happy when the only precious person in my life... the one I love... is dead?" Gaara didn't answer. "That's what I thought when I first lost my family... but then I met you... If all else fails, we can go to heaven or hell together..." Gaara's face fell. "Hey, I'll introduce you to them."
"You can't die! Not here! How can I face them if you do?!" he yelled at her. But she wasn't listening. She charged the hunter. She tried punching him, even with her broken arm, but he kept dodging. She kicked him and actually hit him on the side. However, she spat out blood as pain shot through her chest.
"Foolish girl," said the hunter, "You're hurting yourself more than you're hurting me." He grabbed her foot that was still connected to his side, and casually threw her to the side. She coughed up more blood as she hit the ground. She tried to get up, but only collapsed. She lay in pain as Gaara watched her in horror.
"You'll pay!" he yelled as he charged the hunter. Although Gaara's skill improved with anger, he still was no match for the hunter. Another swift punch sent him skidding across the ground. He landed by Kitai.
"I can't beat him..." muttered Gaara as he sat up. "I'm sorry, Kitai..."
"Who're you apologizing to?" Kitai was struggling to sit up. She looked at Gaara happily then she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I'd rather die here with you than in a hundred years. I should be thanking you." Tears formed in Gaara's eyes. He slowly wrapped his arms around Kitai. The first time he had ever held someone...
"If you're gonna kill us," Gaara looked at the hunter in the eye, "You'd better do it now." The hunter remained motionless. He slowly drew out his needles. Gaara closed his eyes and grinned. Dying while holding the person he loved wouldn't be so bad...
Gaara heard needles whiz past his ear. A small cut appeared on his cheek. The hunter turned his back towards them.
"I have killed Gaara of the Desert," he said as he walked away, "I suggest you get out of the Sand country." He disappeared into the forest.
"He..." laughed Kitai, "really isn't that bad..." Gaara also laughed in relief and happiness. The pain in her chest got stronger, and she blacked out. As she left consciousness, she could hear Gaara's voice calling her name...