Chapter 20: Teacher VS Student
Ryouske charged at Deidara, rage evident in his eyes, and swung The Executioner's blade at him. His attack was blocked by a strange, long, metal object that resembled a scorpion tail and was coming from the short form of Sasori. Ryouske glared at the short man and tried to knock the tail away, but was knocked back when the tail swiped at him, sending him flying back to the group.
Kakashi held Ryouske's shoulder as he looked at him, "Easy, Ryouske. Calm down, getting angry won't get anywhere," he advised the angered man who nodded. Deidara smirked at Ryouske and formed a hangsign with one hand, "Sasori, my man. I'll leave the girl and the old woman to you," he said to his partner as a giant white clay bird appeared next to Deidara, who jumped onto the creature as it picked up Gaara in it's tails and flew off out of the hideout.
Ryouske growled and looked at Sakura and Chiyo, "Sakura, you and Old Lady Chiyo stay here and take care of Sasori. We're going after Deidara." After getting nods of confirmation from them, Ryouske charged forward out of the hideout, chasing Deidara with Kakashi and Naruto following close behind. Kakashi looked at Ryouske, worried that the man might do something stupid in his anger, and called out to him, "Ryouske, remember to keep calm. You're no good if you let your feelings cloud your judgement," he advised.
Ryouske nodded as the three of them picked up the pace, slowly catching up to Deidara. As they neared, Kakashi looked at Ryouske and nodded him for him to keep back as he lifted up his headband to uncover his left Sharingan eye. When he uncovered it, it swirled and became a Mangekyo Sharingan that had a three pointed shuriken pointing right for the pupil. "Kamui," he called as the space around Deidaras arm began to swirl and soon Deidara's arm was engulfed in the swirl, losing it to the vortex.
As the swirl disappeared, Deidara grunted with the pain and looked down at the ruined sleeve of his cloak where his arm used to be, cursing the Leaf ninja that were following him, nodding his head as he went onward. Ryouske was about to close in on Deidara, when all of a sudden, a white haired woman wearing the Akatsuki cloak appeared in front of him, grabbing his arms and throwing him down to a nearby clifftop, where she landed next to him. When Ryouske looked at the woman, his eyes widened in disbelief, refusing to believe it was true...It was Karina.
It really was Karina, although her bandage above her eye was missing, revealing her right eye with a cat like pupil and seals circling the pupil. Her Leaf headband had a scratch going through the symbol and her eyes held a glazed look. Ryouske drew The Executioner's Blade and pointed at her, his hand shaking from disbelief, "K..Karina-chan? Why are you helping Deidara? Have...have you betrayed the village too?!" he asked his teacher, who just gave him an emotionless look. "That is none of your concern, nor do you need to know," she stated as she launched at him, a kunai drawn from her sleeve.
Ryouske blocked the kunai with his blade, gritting his teeth at Karina's strength, and looked at her in the eyes, "Karina-chan please tell me, why are you doing this?" He continued to plead the woman, who merely continued to reply in that monotone voice, "My reasons are my own, now shut up and fight." Ryouske glared at her words but his eyes widened when he looked closer at her eyes, they were glazed over as if she wasn't even aware of things, her eyes showing no hint of the emotions she used to have.
He knocked her kunai aside and jumped away from her, "Karina-chan snap out of it, you're being controlled by the Akatsuki. You have to fight it," he called to her, receiving a snort from the woman in response as she charged forward. Ryouske growled, deciding he had no choice, and sheathed his blade to form handsigns "Lightning Style: Arc Needle," he called as he snapped his fingers and pointed them at her, sending small bolts of lightning shooting towards Karina, who snorted again and duck ed and jumped over them., kicking Ryouske away when she reached him.
Ryouske rolled up from the kick and felt his lip, bleeding from the kick to the jaw, and his eyes widened, he had a feeling Karina had been going easy on him before. He charged forward, swinging his blade left and right to try and hit her, hoping to knock her out, but his swings were either dodged or blocked by the woman, that emotionless look on her face never changing. Just as Karina was about to attack, Deidara called to her that it was time retreat now that their job here was done.
Karina nodded in his direction and looked back at Ryouske, rushing past the boy to grab him from behind, the kunai pointed at his neck. Ryouske brought his blade up to block the kunai, but Karina empowered it with her wind chakra and sliced clean through the sword, knocking the two halves out of Ryouske's hands and off the cliff. Ryouske panted and clenched his fists, knowing that he was at her mercy, "One day Karina-chan i WILL get you back and save you from the Akatsuki. i VOW that i will bring you back to the village."
Hearing his vow, Karina just narrowed her eyes, the only bit of emotion she had shown, and put the kunai closer to his neck, "That weak fool is gone and she is NEVER coming back." As she was about to slash his neck, Ryouske struggled and made her miss, instead slashing down from between his collar bones, down his chest and ending at his waist. Ryouske coughed up blood and fell forward, being kicked by Karina as he fell, and proceeded to fall off the cliff, his hand weakly raising to the sky as the arc of blood from his wound being the last thing he saw as his eyes closed.
He woke up minutes later to find Kakashi staring at him with his Sharingan covered once again. Kakashi helped Ryouske to his feet, using an arm to help support the injured boy, who groaned from the effort, "What about Gaara?" Ryouske asked kakashi as they began to head back to where Sakura and Chiyo was. They found them in a green field not far from the Sand Village, where Naruto had lain Gaara down on the ground, the red head not moving, still dead as they found him.
Ryouske looked down at his friend and clenched his fists, wishing there was some way he could help his friend feel life once more. His thoughts were broken when the whole Sand village soon gathered, led by Temari, Kankuro and Ebizo, all hoping to somehow rescue Gaara. Seeing how everyone gathered for Gaara, Chiyo smiled and closed her eyes, walking to Gaaras prone form, "I can help him, my last duty for the new generation and for the Sand Village," she stated as blue chakra began to cover her hands, which then began to envelop Gaara.
Sakura's eyes widened as she knelt next to Chiyo, offering to help, but was waved away by Chiyo who was smiling sadly. "This is a jutsu that i had created for Sasori, to bring his parents back to life. Only i can do this jutsu and only i will be the one to do it. I am old Sakura, i have lived a long life and now it will be worth it. This jutsu takes the life of the one using it and gives it to the one it is being used on," she explained with that sad smile never leaving her face.
Ryouske's eyes widened as Chiyo collapsed onto he rback, her eyes closing just as Gaara's opened. Gaara looked around and sat up, confused as to where he was and what he was doing here, when all of a sudden, Naruto appeared at his side, grinning, "Hey Gaara, welcome back." "N..Naruto?" Gaara asked, puzzled, then looked to his other side and found Ryouske there, also grinning at him, "Ryouske? The Akatsuki captured me, where am i?"
Ryouske patted his friends shoulder and his grin widened, "You're safe Gaara. Us and the whole village came looking for you, to help you," he explained to his bewildered friend as two Chunin girls ran up to Gaara, asking him quickly if he was alright, making Gaara's eyes widen and such care that was coming from the villagers. Despite his own wounds, Ryouske hefted Gaara to his feet and put an arm around his shoulder to support the kage, with Kankuro taking the other shoulder, and both began to lead everyone back to the village.
Along the way, Gaara looked at Kankuro and Ryouske and frowned, "Why would you both go so far for me? Why come all this way?" he asked them, making Kankuro chuckle at the obvious question and Ryouske shake his head, "You're like a brother to me Gaara, i'll always come after you to rescue you, i'll never abandon you." At that Gaara's eyes widened and he looked ahead, happy inside that he had people who thought of him as important, someone they would cherish always.
The next day, Ryouske found himself entering Gaara's office, having been called there by the kage himself and by Ebizo, both who apparently had important information for the boy. When he entered, Gaara looked at him and rested his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands, "Welcome Ryouske. We called you here because we have information for you...about your parents," at this Ryouske's eyes widened, he would actually find out about them?
Ebizo handed Ryouske a scroll, which the boy eagerly read. As Ryouske read, Gaara continued "Your parents came to us 3 years before you were kidnapped by Orochimaru. They had come from the Village Hidden in the Heavens, a village that was created by ninja who had left the Village Hidden in the Sky." Ryouske raised his eyebrows at that, thinking that he needed to find this Hidden Heaven Village for more answers.
Ebizo continued for Gaara, clearing his throat, "Your parents became Jounin in this village, hoping to hide from Orochimaru who had been chasing them for their Kekkei Tota: The Sky Style. Unfortunately, when you were but 4 years old, they were killed while they were both on a mission, leaving you in the care of the Fourth Kazekage, Gaara's father," Ebizo concluded, making Ryouske's eyes widen as he sat down, holding his head at this new information.
Thanking them both for the information, Ryouske left Gaara's office to be alone with his thoughts, to process this new revelation. Hours later, Ryouske, Team Guy and team 7 were outside the village gates, ready to depart with Gaara, Temari and Kankuro there to see them off. Naruto grinned at Gaara, rubbing the back of his head, "I guess this is goodbye Gaara. I think in these kinda situations people usally shake hands, but i don't think you would be comfortable with-", he was cut off when Gaara reached his hand out to Naruto, who took it with a wide smile.
Gaara then turned to Ryouske, "Goodbye Ryouske, until we see each other again," he said as he offered his hand. Ryouske grinned and grabbed Gaara's hand, pulling him into a hug. Surprised by the hug, Gaara's eyes widened, unsure about what to do, until he wrapped his arms around Ryouske and smiled, ACTUALLY smiled. Ryouske broke the hug and grinned at Gaara, rubbing the back of his head, "Gaara, you'll always be my brother, even if i didn't come from this village. This village will always be a home to me and you will always be my family," he stated, making the three sand siblings smile.
With that, Ryouske and the others turned around and began to head home, with Ryouske's head swimming with multiple thoughts: Where the Akatsuki would strike next, If he would ever get Karina back and just where was the Hidden Heaven Village. Ryouske grinned to himself, looking up at the sun high in the sky, and raised his hand to the sun, clenching his fist tight. No matter where the Akatsuki struck next, they Will be going down. No matter what he had to do, Karina WILL be coming back to the village. No matter where he had to go, he WILL find out about his origins. These things he vowed.