First Kiss–Chapter 36 (End of book 4 and beginning of book 5 entitled "Kakashi and Pain")

"Standing up to something aimlessly is better than not standing up at all."

Kakashi stood in front of the gates of the bustling city. Kunai in hand, ninja behind him, and the flag of the Leaf firm in his hand, he was determined. For what purpose, for what ideal, was beyond him and the rest of his comrades. The only thing that burned through his fists, through his arms, and into his heart, was the fire that grew as Naruto.

The city's open gates, standing firm and tall, stared down at him, as if it was stretching itself out to try to defend what it could not defend. It's arms, reached out, and the city walls cried as they passed straight through the bodies of these men, and it felt abused as they entered the city.

Fire. Burning eyes of Kakashi reached this city as well, and as he and his men threw the people from their homes, which they in turn destroyed. As Kakashi and the Leaf busied everyone to the center of the village, the only place not completely erupted in flames.

As the tied up villagers cried from loss, moaned from injuries, or screamed in pain, the men started to line them up. He bent down to a crying girl, her shirt ripped and her hair a mess. "Little girl. . .where is the village of Sachi. . .?"

She stopped crying and started to pant, as she looked up at the man, who now looked like a giant. As she clenched her fists, and her hair flew in the wind, she took a deep breath, and confidently said, "Sachi. . .doesn't exist."

Kakashi, obviously not satisfied by this answer, looked around, then bent back down to the girl. "Tell me. . .the truth. . .before you and this whole village dies. Look behind you," the girl turned around, almost at the immediate stop of his voice. A small flag waived, standing tall above the flames of the building beneath it. "That flag is of Sachi. They've been here, and claimed this village. . .now. . .tell me."

"No."

"Kill her. Next!" she started to scream as a ninja took her. The girl scraped and slapped the man, who didn't even flinch at her battering. She kept at it as the people of the village quietly watched her go into the distance, un till the smoke made them invisible. Kakashi walked down the line, to an elderly man.

"You saw what happened, didn't you? Now, I took you from the mansion here, so I expect you to be of some power, now, where is Sachi?"

The man looked behind Kakashi, where he expected the girl to be, then looked down. He sighed as he looked up at the ninja. "You are the great ninja. . .Kakashi. Right?"

"That is correct."

"Even someone as great as you, even if you do find Sachi, will never conquer us." He stood up, eye to eye with Kakashi, who stood, not impressed by him. "We will. . .stand! Even if you push us down, Sachi will bring us freedom."

Kakashi sighed as he shook his head, no, a couple times. He put on some gloves, his regular kind, and reached into a pocket, where he pulled out a kunai. "Old man, if Sachi brings you freedom, if they are your savor, where are they now?"

"In our hearts." The rest of the village started to stand up.

"Sit down! Now!" They stood.

"I said. . .we will stand. Even if you do push us down."

"Then. . .let me push you down." He stabbed the man, blood drowned Kakashi's hand as the rest of the ninja jumped on the village. No scream was heard. No sudden sound of anguish, pain, or hurt was heard. Just silence as they fell to the ground.

Shingen stood, standing on the village wall, his robe flew in the wind, as he watched the bodies fall. "They've come. . .already. . ." he took off his hat, and his hair quickly flew in the wind as well. "The Leaf. . .has come." He jumped off the wall, and quickly started off towards the village of Sachi.

- - - -

As the people spread out, leaving the village square after the speech, Aya walked around inside of it, looking for someone she knew. Person by person flew past her, all seemed in a hurry, even here, through the immense crowd.

Suddenly, a small circle was formed, and no one went through it, only around it, and standing on one side of it was Aya. The other side stood Soonichi. He gave a small, inaudible laugh as he couldn't believe who stood in front of him.

"Aya. . ." he said, through a smirk.

"You're alive. I thought by now someone like you would be dead, not trying to live in a village like this. What are you here for? This village has nothing that you would want." Her point made Soonichi sigh as he bit his lip.

"You're ignorant. I'm not here to destroy this place, I'm here to live here."

"You don't deserve a place here," she said.

"But I do. None of them would be here, none of these people, you, wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for me, and you know that."

"The hell I do. Leave. Now."

"No."

"Leave!" she shouted. A couple people from the crowd, which was half its size now, stared at them, but continued on their way. "Now!"

". . .no."

"Aya?" said Mr. Tao as he walked up to them. "What's wrong?"

"What is he doing here?" she said.

". . ." Mr. Tao looked at Aya, then at Soonichi, and sighed. "Unfortunately, he, is an ally of Sachi, and you must welcome him with open arms." He said, almost reciting it. "Even if you don't like him," he said, using the same tone as her.

". . ." she walked up to Soonichi, then pushed him as she walked out of the crowd.

"Heh," said Soonichi, smiling. "I thought that we were friends, Tao. Seems not."

"You can only be correct, Soonichi. I don't like you, of course, but. . ." he took out a lighter, and stared at a cigarette.

"When did you start smoking?" said Soonichi.

"After I started to kill people," the flame rose up, igniting the cigarette, and almost as soon as it was lit, Mr. Tao blew out. "Don't tell anyone. I do it on spare time, right now no one will notice."

"Alright. . ."

"Want one?"

"No I'm fine. But, you really should quit that, it makes you slower." By now they were leaning on a wall, just casually talking. Most of the crowd had left, and pieces of garbage, and a mountain of shoe prints lined the dirt.

"Slower?"

"Yeah, it hurts your lungs or something, if you keep going, you could get cancer."

"I'll be fine."

"So. . .when did Aya get here?"

"A while ago," he blew out some smoke, sighing. "When Naruto came, then slowly everyone from the Leaf came here, well not everyone, but you know what I mean."

"How many?"

"I don't know, six, I think. All are good, chunnin, maybe jounin level."

"I'm gonna go, bye." Soonichi walked away, as Mr. Tao dropped his cigarette. He started to walk away, when Shingen ran into him.

"Tao!" shouted Shingen, his eboshi falling to the ground. "Get Mr. Taguchi! Now!" Mr. Tao was suprised by this, and his hair flew in the wind as Shingen held his hands steady on his collar.

AN: Yeah. No ending soon. New arc. Weeeeell, I renewed my intrest in the story while writing this chapter, and I really like the first scene, pay attention through the next couple of chappies for me, cause it may get confusing.