Note
Not very long for the first chapter. I'm not writing this in chapters, so I have difficulty separating them, but usually I forget to update, anyway. This is my first Naruto fanfic, and I apologise if some techniques can't be done, or something is technically incorrect. Spelling and grammar mistakes should be reported. This story is based on my Naruto roleplaying character, Takashi Ruaka, and partly about his best friend Itahashi Oreji, maybe his love Naki Kitena, and Oreji's daughter, Kasura. If you'd like to know where I roleplay him and Kasura, you can take a look at my homepage. X3
I realize that I do jump into the story with little explanation, and I'm sorry about that, but I hate writing introductions and what not. If you've seen or read the series, you should understand most aspects of what I have written, and, in Chapter 2, when it takes place. I have written as series characters as best I can. There may be some mild swearing in my work.
I thank you for deciding to check out my story; please review.
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"Heh… You lose."
The silence in the hallway, which could fit five genin shoulder to shoulder in its width, was almost deafening. The white-washed walls and the wooden floor were splashed with fresh blood that should never have been spilled. Sliding classroom doors remained closed. The darkness under the academy roof, and the night, closed in, as if it sensed it prey weakening.
"I can just keep draining your chakra until you die."
Someone sobbed.
"Shut up." The tall genin raised a bare arm and opened his gloved hand towards the weeping girl in the corner. His black eyes, like the lenses in a pair of sunglasses, stared fixedly at her, and he might have smiled, but it was impossible to tell through the loose cloth that hid his hair and lower face. He shifted his sandaled feet slightly, his dark clothing rustling softly. The girl shuddered and made a visible effort to stem the tears as she hid her face in the shadows, trying to draw herself into the corner and disappear.
"No…!" she cried.
"Oh, be a sport and scr –"
A movement caught the ninja's eye and he interrupted himself in order to stare at his current victim. It was a jounin, a man in his early twenties with a rank twice higher than a genin. His brown hair was tied just above his Konoha hitai-ate headband, and the lower half of his face and his neck was concealed by a navy mask. His dark eyes, normally adopting an expression of boredom, were barely open as they looked directly at the other shinobi. His gloved hands were at first forming seals at a subtle pace, but instantly began moving rapidly in desperation at having been noticed.
The genin, an Oto-nin in Konoha disguise, smirked. "Takashi Ruaka, was it? You're more pathetic than I thought." With one hand glowing blue around Ruaka's throat, he slammed his other fist into the man's stomach. The jounin froze immediately, his hands making a slow half-formed seal before rising to clutch at his captor's arm. He coughed, then again, more forcibly. The hand against his neck restricted him badly. In a sudden movement, he grabbed the cloth from over his nose and mouth and coughed once more, this time splattering thick blood over the Oto-nin's arm. His entire body shuddered, and he glared weakly at the genin.
"Akado Yoroi…" he gasped, his grip losing strength.
The girl in the corner whimpered.
"Shut up," Yoroi ordered. "I'll get to you in a bit."
"Yoroi…" Ruaka struggled for breath. "Leave her…"
Yoroi sneered. "Don't play the hero."
Ruaka breathed sharply, coughing again.
"You won't last much longer. To be honest, I'm surprised you're still able to speak."
"Go… Go to hell!" The jounin caught his fingers in the narrow space between where the paint ended and bare wood began and smashed his feet into his attacker's abdomen. As his opponent was flung into the opposite wall, landing lightly on four limbs, Ruaka sagged heavily against the wall. He was utterly drained from the chakra-devouring technique, and he knew he would not last much longer. I… feel so weak… Even his thoughts were broken. Damn… it… But he had to defend little Kasura… not only was she Oreji's daughter, but a student studying the ways of the ninja. And he had to get to her!
Ruaka stumbled, just barely avoiding Yoroi's fist as it smashed into the building where his head had been a split second ago. He pressed his arm against the wall to steady himself, then ran. But Yoroi was faster than him. He moved past the jounin, a devilish grin on his face, heading for the girl, his hand already glowing blue.
"Kasura!" Ruaka gasped, his expression wild. He surged forward, finding a hidden reserve of chakra within himself, and dove to defend her, his limbs outstretched. He wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the next assault. I'm sorry, Oreji. I have no energy left. He had nothing else to protect her with but his own body.
"This is the end, Ruaka!" Yoroi's hand was an inch from his target's back when his head jerked suddenly and he was thrown backwards down the hall. A footstep alerted Ruaka to another presence.
"Ruaka. You've made a mess of yourself, haven't you?" Oreji grinned down at his friend, the curtains of dark brown hair and his headband framing his lean face. "You can stay where you are. I'll deal with him."
Ruaka did not respond. Instead, he slumped over the girl's legs, devoid of stamina. Kasura pulled herself free from his weight and laid a timid hand on the side of his head, which was vaguely facing her. "Ruaka-san…?" she called quietly. But he was barely conscious, and her voice was like a tiny bird's chirp in the midst of a dense forest. He wondered absently where he'd gotten the energy to move so fast. Then he blacked out.
"Kasura?" Oreji said.
She answered, "Yes, Father?"
"Stay with Ruaka and let me know if his condition gets any worse." It wasn't a request – it was an order.
The jounin launched himself forward, pulling four shuriken from the pouch at his side. In the next instant he held them between his fingers and formed the same sequence of seals twice. Two times – Kage Shuriken no Jutsu! He hurled the stars into the darkness, pleased to hear a surprised grunt. But by the time he had reached his target's location, Yoroi was gone. He opened the entrance doors, the only possible escape, but could not find him again. He frowned into the night, still wary. He doubted the genin would show his face too soon, especially now that there was another experienced shinobi on the scene. He briefly wondered how Ruaka had been beaten, and why a Konoha ninja had attacked. Well, he would learn in time.
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Ow… That hurts…
Are you alright?
No, I'm not.
Are you alright?
Well, my head feels like it's about to split open. What do you think?
Are you alright?
Do I have to give you a straight answer twice? No, damn it –
"Augh!"
"Hey, hey, Ru! Be easy on yourself!" Itahashi Oreji's voice struck him like lightning, and he jolted upright. Immediately he felt overwhelmingly dizzy, nauseous, and utterly helpless, and he fell backwards against the large pillow behind him. His eyes closed involuntarily, just glimpsing a clean, wood-paneled ceiling. A gentle hand touched his bare shoulder.
"Just take it easy," Oreji said. "That kid's Chakra Kyuushuu really took it out of you, and you strained a lot in that last sprint."
Ruaka slowly became aware of his surroundings as those words were spoken. If he was correct about the subtle flowery scent in the air, he was at the Itahashi household, and likely in the guest room's white-sheeted bed in the center of the far wall with two small drawers, one on either side, a closet opposite the bed, and a window opposite the door. His jounin vest had been removed, as well as his shirt and mask. And his leaf headband… his sandals, and his weapons. He shifted slightly, suddenly realizing how weak his body felt. He was wrapped in bandages around his abdomen, shoulders, and arms, and – ah – his hair was loose around his head, so the tie had been taken off as well.
"Any questions?" Oreji asked.
"Yeah," Ruaka said, but it came out as a mumble.
"Sorry?"
He just grunted in acknowledgement.
"Whenever you're ready."
"Always," he said heavily. "How long?"
Oreji chuckled. "Yes, you are. Mm… I'd say about two days. You practically expended every last reserve of chakra that you had. You probably shouldn't have woken up so early."
Ruaka grumbled and cracked a dark eye open at his friend grumpily. "Guess I'll just go back to sleep, then…"
As Oreji laughed, Ruaka noticed a black mass appear, then white-ish eyes just beneath that. She peeked in, then ducked out when she saw his gaze.
He tried to call her. "Ka…"
Oreji turned about, curious. "Kasura? It's alright." He ushered his daughter towards the bed, and she clutched the side of it as she looked at its occupant.
"Ruaka-san?"
Ruaka managed a small smile and took a moment to focus on her young face. Man, she's so cute… I guess all little kids are. Because of her mother, no doubt. Oreji's a dork.
"Thank you…" her little voice said.
"Ah…" The jounin touched her hand weakly. "No problem."
"C'mon," Oreji said softly. "Ru-san needs to rest now."
"Ru-san." Ruaka waited until Kasura had left the room. "Damn you." As he fell asleep he could still hear Oreji chuckling to himself.