Chapter 12: Determination

"Please, stop this!"

"We have to get you to the hospital!"

"I…I have to…I-I…"

Sakura looked at the door. "What's going on?"

"Is there trouble?" Naruto asked.

"I heard 'hospital'," Sasuke said.

Kakashi turned around. "Something…doesn't feel right…"

Mitsuki came crashing into the room, struggling to breath. As she hit the ground, blood spilled out from her. "AGH!"

"MITSUKI!" The ninja screamed. They ran over to her. "Mitsuki, who did this to you!"

"Ka…" Mitsuki whispered. "Th-They…t-took…"

"What! Mitsuki?"

She dropped a bloodstained locket on the floor. "Ka…bu…ki…" Her eyes slowly closed.

"Kabuki!" Sakura shouted.

"Is she alright!" Naruto asked.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he suddenly felt like he was going to vomit. "Ka-Kabuki…?" He shut his eyes but couldn't stop the tears from coming. He quickly turned away and pounded the ground. "Goddammit!"

X-X-X-X

"Hee hee! Mommy!" Kabuki shouted.

"Kabuki!" Mitsuki cried happily. She scooped up her daughter and embraced her.

"I passed the graduation exams! I'm a ninja now!"

"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you baby!"

"Did you think you could get away Mitsuki?"

Mitsuki whipped around and found Orochimaru standing across from her. "O-Orochimaru…" Her daughter clung to her.

"Big mistake Mitsuki…" He lunged at her.

"NOOO!"

X-X-X-X

"Get away!" Mitsuki screamed as she shot up in her bed. She panted and looked around the room. She received confused stares from Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi. "Wh-Where am I?"

"At the hospital," Sasuke answered.

"Mitsuki, you have to tell us what happened," Sakura said.

"Yeah! And about Kabuki too," Naruto added.

"Mitsuki, where is Kabuki?" Kakashi asked.

Mitsuki just sat there, the events from before playing over in her mind. "…I…I don't know…" She covered her face with her hands.

"Kabuki…" Naruto whispered.

"…No…" Sakura gasped. Sasuke looked away.

"Who did this?" Kakashi pressed.

"…Orochimaru…" Mitsuki responded. Sasuke looked back at her and shivered.

"What?"

I…I promised to protect my daughter with my life but…What…What can I do? I…no…I can't let this go on… She shakily got out of bed.

"M-Mitsuki?"

"I won't just stand by and let Orochimaru take my daughter like that!" She gathered her things.

"Mitsuki, you have to rest!" Sakura pleaded. "Please, you're still hurt and-"

"Stop it! My daughter is my life! She means everything to me! I can't and I won't let her get hurt. I won't let her die!" She left the room.

"Mitsuki, wait!"

XXXX

"Ugh…" Mitsuki pushed the door open to Kakashi's apartment. "He won't get away with this! I won't let him!" She walked into the bedroom and reached under the bed. "If I have to become one hundred percent shinobi again, then I will!" She pulled out a case and opened it. "…If…If I have to…kill again…then so be it…" She grabbed her clothes from it and put them on. She stared at a purple headband still in the case. Her purple Sound Ninja headband. "…Alright…" She grabbed it and tied it tightly around her forehead. She reached again under the bed and pulled out something wrapped up in a grey and dusty sheet. It had the form of a sword, but it appeared to not have been opened for a long time. "…This sword…" She unwrapped the item and revealed a sword neatly sheathed. She took it out and looked at it, then quickly put it back. With everything once as it used to be, she put her katana at her waist and left the room.

"Mitsuki…" Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were standing in front of the door.

"Please move," Mitsuki said.

"We're not here to stop you," Sasuke said.

"We're here to go with you!" Naruto finished.

"Wh-What?"

"We won't let you go alone!"

"But, you guys…"

"Mitsuki, Kabuki is like a sister to us. We care about her just as much as you do," Sakura informed. "That's why we want to help you get her back."

She looked at Kakashi. "Kakashi…sensei…"

"Mitsuki, we will get Kabuki back, okay?" He rubbed her head. "Don't worry."

She blinked back tears. "…Okay then! We'll go get Kabuki back from Orochimaru!"

"And we'll give him the beating of his life!" Naruto shouted.

"Yeah!"