Chapter 2: The Prey

He sat lazily on the ground, his back resting on the trunk of a huge, old tree. His one arm propped against the back of his head as a cushion against the hard wood. His other hand held an orange book up to his nose. A fire crackled merrily nearby. He could smell rain in the air. He was getting bored.

He suppressed a yawn as he shook himself up. He needed to find a place to stay for tonight, before the rain comes. He brushed aside the fine silver hair that covered one of his eye. His eye…the sharingan eye…it was none like the other eyes that ordinary people have, and they feared him because of it. His was of deep red, red as blood. Three orbs surrounded his pupil as it dilated to adjusted to his surroundings. He traced a finger lightly across the scar. The village people called him demon eye, provoking fear in their in hearts. He didn't mind. At least they would stay away and give him peace.

He dropped the book and reached for a borrowed kunai. It was not his. It was from another ninja who had foolishly challenged him to a fight. That ninja is now buried under a pile of earth and rocks. He thought about the young warrior, how the lad fought vigilantly for his mission, and paid the ultimate price. Death.

Kakashi cursed the man who hired this ninja. He refused to kill, as much as possible, but sometimes it was inevitable. Kill or be killed. There are only two choices for a fighter like him, he chose to kill.

He played with the kunai in his hand, spinning it between his fingers. He used to be just like the ninja who owned this knife, a hired hand, an assassin, a weapon used to inflict fear. He was born a ninja, trained since childhood in the art of fighting and killing, and he was good at it. His skill was so good that he soon became the highest priced warrior in the land, until he turned his back on it all.

Now he was a hunted man, ever since he refused to be controlled be money mongering people whose intentions were only to gather more money. He had worked for people with no noble purpose, just plain greed. He refused to kill for them any longer.

Now he fights only for himself.

Now he kills only for survival.

Now they want him dead.

It had been a week since his last fight and he wished that the people who wanted him dead would give up and stop sending these ninjas, or at the very least, send a good one. He would rather kill a worthy opponent than strike down a warrior who doesn't even know what he's doing. He said a silent prayer for the boy and sighed deeply.

He dropped the kunai to his side and stared at the sky, there were no stars and the moon was hiding behind dense clouds. It was definitely going to rain tonight, he decided

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Authors notes: arrrghhh... Kimiko-chan desperately needs to get a life...