Chapter 38
It was the only way. I told myself as I fall to my knees pain shooting through me from my curse mark as if it were a thousand knives plunging through me repeatedly. Breathing heavily I look ahead of me at the girl who was now lying in an unmoving heap. Closing my eyes I brush my bangs over them to cover the scarlet hues with shaky hands. Yes, I had decided the best course of action was to block the view of the onlookers so I could move with fewer restrictions. Even brought the spears down in a way they would remain held up by wires so I didn't have to worry about dodging the falling debris. I had even created a clone to stand before them all as the ground filled with my huge smokescreen. I never would have thought that the curse mark would attempt to spread though. I could feel it. The markings that started growing over my body felt like insects made of hot lava.
"At least my jutsu caused an extra screen of protection long enough I could get control of myself." I whisper quietly as the girl slowly opens her eyes to look at me.
"Why didn't you finish me like you claimed you would?" Her breathy question was nearly inaudible below the still settling area, as chunks of spears slip from the hold I had placed up and crash against the ground.
"To kill without good reason… is evil. Those who do so deserve death."
"Leaving me here isn't showing me mercy."
"I didn't spare you to show mercy. Mercy is only an imaginative ideal. To show an enemy mercy is to plague them with turmoil and pain for the rest of their existence. I spared you because even though you work for a pedo. I have yet to see you commit an act of evil that would deserve punishment." As I mentioned the word pedo I watch her eyes widen in shock as an inaudible gasp escapes from her. Silence reigned between the two of us as I watch her eyes slowly drift closed. Her wounds probably having finally taken enough toll on her to yank her from reality.
After I had timed my weapon laced flames with that of another burst of explosions from my paper bombs in order to target her more directly I had almost thought I went too far. Until I had seen the girl before I try and move even when surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Her eyes held defiance even though she knew she had lost. A smirk finds its way to the surface as I remember the last moments of our match. "You really are a worthy opponent Amaya chi. But someday soon, you will meet my judgment for crimes I know you will commit." I whisper silently before I look up towards the balcony as it was coming more into view.
I may not be able to save everyone from the path of darkness but, I think I will try. "Yeah! Kira! You did it!" Naruto's voice was the first to echo through the room just before more incoherent shouts could be heard from other Konoha genin near him. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest as I try to fight to stand before becoming top-heavy from how weak my legs were beneath me. Falling backward onto my butt, I place my hands on the floor behind me. Noticing movement ahead of me I look forward to see the proctor walking up to Amaya. His eyes alone could tell I had won.
"The winner of the first match, Kira Lake." He speaks up to the onlookers just before medics rush onto the field towards Amaya. I watch as one kneels to check her pulse and quietly reiterates her condition to the others. Rapidly they move her to the stretcher they had brought along with them and the two carrying her rush towards the door.
"You should come along too Miss Lake." One of them who remained that wasn't reporting to the proctor speaks to me gently as they look down towards me in order to meet my gaze.
"All due respect. I'm just exhausted. You need to focus on Amaya and the other matches to follow." I try to give him a smile but my eyes seem to try and close on me as my chest tightens restricting my breathing. Feeling like I am going to collapse completely onto my back. A rush of bright blond streaks into view, just before I feel hands grabbing me beneath my arms and lifting me to my feet.
"I've got her from here. Thank you." The familiar soft voice flows around me allowing me to fully close my eyes as I lean into her when she situates herself at my side.
"Good to see you Aphro." I whisper allowing her to lead me in the direction of the doors.
"That was some planning you did." She speaks lightly to me as we walk. I could only guess where we were going... Home. I inwardly sigh contently with a smile. "I don't see why you just didn't finish her off quickly though. What was going through your mind?"
"Kakashi, he had a point. I needed to refrain from being hurt as much as possible so the others didn't notice my abnormal ability to heal. I also figured my eyes would ignite a flood of questions I don't feel like answering."
"Oh, looked like you were trying to avoid using jutsu even when she was keeping you at a distance. It's unlike you."
"I'm drained Aphro." As if to prove my point a yawn breaks away from me preventing me from finishing my train of thought.
"Didn't sleep well?"
"That's an understatement. After my fight with Orochimaru, even my body feels like it's still recuperating." Out of the corner of my eyes, I watch as her eyes widen and she turns her head more towards my direction.
"Did he..."
"Yes, he realized my unnatural ability. Put my body through a hell that would have killed a normal ninja just to prove his theory too." I cut her off looking ahead of me. Feeling a little stronger now I pull away from her to walk more on my own. "Let's just get home. I need to rest." I decided to input so she knew that I don't feel like talking about this right now. Besides, I nearly sigh dreamily as I think about a shower and my bed. I feel like I could sleep for days.
...
"This curse sealing jutsu is only as strong as you are. It derives its power from the strength of your will. If that will ever weakens, if you ever begin to doubt yourself, the curse will be unleashed in all its fury." Kakashi chuckles briefly just before Sasuke collapses completely onto the floor where he had been sitting. "Amazing too tired to even argue."
"My. How you've grown." The chilling sadistic voice echoes in the darkroom causing Kakashi's eye to widen from the startle of it. "To think you've become strong enough to perform the curse sealing jutsu." With a drop of sweat, Kakashi turns to look behind him at the one who was speaking when he slowly moves out of the shadows.
"You... Orochimaru." Orochimaru smiles as he takes on his true form with his hands in his pockets watching Kakashi's actions.
"Long time no see, Kakashi." Orochimaru says as they soon felt a few brief moments of silence fill the air, their gazes locked on each other. "No offense Kakashi but I didn't come to see you. My business right now is with that boy behind you." Orochimaru's eyes shift to the unconscious form on the floor behind Kakashi.
"What do you want with Sasuke?"
With a chuckle, Orochimaru looks from Sasuke back to Kakashi. "You've acquired something new. How I envy your good fortune. I don't believe you had it the last time we met. Did you?" He narrows his eyes on Kakashi still keeping the same smile as Kakashi gives a short gasp. "The gift... The Sharingan in your left eye. It is only fair that I should want it too. The Uchiha power."
"What's your game?" Kakashi asks calmly his eye narrowing upon the strong adversary before him.
"This sound village that everyone's curious about, it's mine you see I created it… I think you understand without my saying anymore."
Kakashi gives a chuckle his eye never leaving Orochimaru. "You and your wild eye ambition."
"Oh yes indeed, as always, but to play the game as you put it I need pieces on the chessboard. Willing pawns to do my bidding."
"And Sasuke is one of your pawns?"
"Oh not a pawn, he's a far more valuable piece than that. As for the others... Well, you know how it is in the game of chess... Pieces must be sacrificed." Orochimaru's tone changes after his pause as he then begins to slowly walk towards Kakashi. When Orochimaru reaches one of the carved circles for the jutsu Kakashi slides into a fighting stance. His right arm extended straight towards the ground with his palm open.
"Stop, don't come any closer." Kakashi growls his warning as his left hand grabs onto his right arm in preparation for Lightning Blade. Causing Orochimaru's movements to pause. His smile changing to that of shock as Kakashi's hand lights up with chakra, and lightning can be seen dancing around a good six or more inches from his hand. "I don't care if you are a Sanin, one of the three Shinobi of legend. I swear, take one more step towards Sasuke and one of us will die here!" Orochimaru's smile returns as he begins to laugh. "Funny is it?" Kakashi growls his glare deepening showing he means to follow through with what he said.
"Poor Kakashi, all your noble efforts all in vain."
"What?!"
"Do you really believe that the seal will hold? Do you think you can keep him? From what he truly desires? You know I'm right a heart like his that only hungers, for one thing, will not be denied. No matter what obstacles you put in his path. He's an avenger isn't he?"
"You think you can take advantage of that?! Not Sasuke."
"You cannot stop it, at some point, he will come to me." Orochimaru says as he turns and begins to walk away. Seeing this Kakashi releases his lightning blade darkening the room once again. "In search of power." Orochimaru pauses in his steps. "Unless of course, you carry out your threat to kill me… Now is your chance. Take it if you dare!" Orochimaru lets his killing intent show briefly causing Kakashi's eye to widen as he sees exactly how Orochimaru would kill him. "Though I am surprised with you Kakashi, sealing Sasuke's without the other one here as well to be saved from the curse. Poor girl, she'll always be ranked of lower importance than anyone else. It seems only I see how intriguing that panther really is." Orochimaru's chuckle echoes as he leaves the room.
Watching him go Kakashi's breathing finally deepens as he begins to shake. "Huh, one of us will die here? I must have been out of my mind." He stands and gives a long exhale calming himself before glancing back at Sasuke. "The other one, huh. So they did survive and they are a fe…." Kakashi's eye widens as it suddenly dawns on him. The sight of Kira kneeling on the floor looking as if she had been the one that should be laying in the pool of blood even though there were no visible wounds to be seen. As if to further prove this thought the image of Sasuke after his match flashes through Kakashi's mind. "They looked the same..."
After having set Sasuke up in the hospital ward with Anbu black ops guarding him Kakashi creates a shadow clone of himself and sends him back to the chunin exams to be there for his other squad members. He was now making his way through the village's trees to Kira's home. She is stronger than Sasuke yes and the preliminary round of the chunin exams ended with her leaving with her cousin. Kakashi had thought she didn't stick around to watch the others was because of how far she pushed herself during the second exam from how weak she seemed, but from what Orochimaru said it was probably because of her own curse mark taking a toll on her. With Sasuke's match, he fought against not only his opponent but the mark as well and having nearly lost to both was left in a weakened state. From how the mark devours chakra and the curse becomes stronger in order to take control of its possessor it's inflicted upon. Who's to say that in the moments she enacted her plan and she was out of sight that she too wasn't fighting her own mark.
Knowing her she hid it from everyone just to keep them from worrying about her. Or as if just having the mark shoved on her like that made her seem weak. Coming up to the house Kakashi leaps down from the rooftops to the second-floor door. Knocking on the door as if hoping that Aphrodite had brought her straight home. Expecting Kira to only wish to rest after looking as fragile as she had. Moments later Kakashi's heart pounded in his chest with joy from being correct as the front door slowly began to open. Revealing a head of long wavy blond hair. "I'm not surprised." She spoke in a little more than a whisper. "Though I expected you here sooner." Before Kakashi could reply to her words the young Anbu walks away from the door and further into the house as if expecting him to follow her.
"Then I'm right." He speaks as he steps inside and shuts the door behind him. "She has a curse mark." Without a word, Aphrodite continues walking. Leading him down a hallway towards the last door on the left. Before she even quietly opened the door he knew what room they were walking into from his visit when the Hokage had brought him. Inside the sight of the outfit, she had just been wearing along with her tool pouch and travel bag on the floor caught his eye. Looking towards the bed where her sandals seemed to have been kicked off. A form lying atop the covers on the bed as if dead to the world. Wearing a pair of white pajama shorts with red stripes down the sides and a white tank top barely viewable by the long black hair covering her form like a blanket.
"Don't worry, she won't notice us yet. She went to sleep with her headphones. Probably to drown out the world." Aphrodite assures Kakashi before walking slowly up to Kira's form and tugging down the hem of her shorts gently just enough to show him the curse mark. The sight of it may have only lasted a few seconds but it was long enough for him to know what it was before Kira shot up off the bed with her hand grasping Aphrodite's neck. An inhuman growl echoes in the otherwise silent room. For a moment Kakashi wondered if he would need to pull his student off of her cousin before her eyes visibly widen as if realizing who had actually woken her.
"A. A. Aphro?" She questions sleepily before stepping away from the blond and removing small white speakers attached to a thin white wire from her ears. Reminding Kakashi of the ranged radios they used on missions.
"Kira, we need to take care of that mark." Aphrodite wasted no time with her cousin as Kira's eyes narrow upon the blond. "You made it to the finals remember. That thing eats away at its bearer's chakra until there is nothing left. You want to be in top physical condition don't you?" Seeing Kira hesitate Kakashi figures out what the blond was using to get Kira to agree.
"You don't want to have another fight like the one you just went through." He adds in watching Kira's reactions.
"Yes, coming out like you were the one who had lost after having to find ways around using your own chakra." Aphrodite finishes for him as he could tell she was fighting not to smirk at the look on her cousin's face. Watching as the words they spoke visibly travel through Kira's gaze.
"Fine... But no hospitals." That is all she said before pulling her hair behind her ears and tossing something onto her bed. Finally turning towards Kakashi himself. Her charcoal eyes for once were not full of emotionless ice. "Where do we do this?"
"Well, we could do it right here on your floor." Kakashi mentions stepping back. It was only when she turned to fully face him and move to the center of her room that Kakashi notices something he's never seen her wear before. A bright-colored pendant that looked like the moon itself hung loosely around her neck from a metal chain with what looked like keys framing the pendant itself. Without another word, she sits down cross-legged on the floor almost as if she was going to meditate.
"Alright, I'll leave you two to it. I still have a report to file before I meet up with my team." And just like that, Aphrodite leaves the two of them alone so Kakashi can concentrate on sealing Kira's curse mark.
