Chapter 31: Rejection

"Would you like something to eat?" Kabuto asked. "I could go fishing or look for-"

"I'm not hungry," Kabuki replied. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Are you sure?"

"…Yes." She looked away. Their campsite was small, but the space between them was so big. She rubbed Fenrir's head and sighed. She didn't want to believe.

"NO!!! STOP!!!" Everyone looked at Mitsuki. "Kabuto, I swear if you kill Kabuki you'll live the rest of your life in regret!! Don't do it!!"

"…What do you mean?" Kabuto asked.

"You'll have to live with the regret of killing your own child!!!!"

He froze. "What…What did you say?"

Kabuki blinked. "What?"

Fenrir whined lightly. He knew something was troubling his master. "…Kabuki…"

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"…What's wrong?"

"…A lot."

"Like what?" She didn't respond. "I'm sorry, forgive me for prying. It's just that, after we got separated back at that place, I've been looking for you. Now that I've finally found you, you're sad. I'm just worried about-"

"I know Fenrir."

Kabuto watched Kabuki the whole time. What was she talking about with that wolf? That's what he kept asking himself. But he had a feeling that they were talking about him.

"That's right," Mitsuki began as tears streamed down her face. "Kabuki, Kabuto's your real father."

Kabuki's eyes widened. "…No…I-It can't be…"

"…You're lying!!!" Kabuto yelled.

"No I'm not Kabuto!! Get it through your head!! Kabuki is your daughter!! Just look at her. She looks just like you. See? She's beautiful, isn't she?"

He was confused. He didn't know what to think. Mitsuki had told him that the girl sitting in front of him was his daughter, but…Kabuki looked like his, but was it the truth? "Hey, Kabuki?"

Kabuki looked at him. "What?"

"Would you like to talk to me? You know, to kill the silence?"

She shook her head. "No thank you. I'm just fine talking to Fenrir." She turned back to her wolf.

"Oh…"

He hesitantly looked back at Kabuki. She was right. He finally saw the resemblance. "…Wh…Why didn't you tell me!!?" He was scared. "Why did you hide this from me!?!" He didn't know what to believe.

"…Why?" Kabuki asked as well as tears began to form in her eyes.

Something rustled in the bushes. "What's that?" Kabuki asked as she got behind Fenrir.

"An enemy?!" Kabuto whispered. Both he and Kabuki weren't in the condition to fight.

"I will protect you," Fenrir barked to Kabuki.

"That sounds like Fenrir."

Kabuki stood up. "Sa…Sakura?!" Four people came through the bushes. "You guys!!" It was Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. "I was so worried about all of you!!"

"Sorry about that!" Naruto said with a grin.

"I'm glad we finally found you!" Sakura said with a sigh of relief.

"Yeah," Sasuke answered.

"Where's your mother?" Kakashi asked.

Kabuto stood up. "She was-"

"Orochimaru took her!" Kabuki cried.

"What?!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison.

"Again?" Sasuke asked.

"Then we have to go after her!" Kakashi said.

"I was so scared daddy!" Kabuki said as she hugged Kakashi.

"It's alright, we're here now and everything's going to be okay," he responded.

Kabuto froze. What…did she just call him? But she's my… He looked away, trying to suppress his anger. He sat back down.

"Oh, Kabuto," Kakashi said. "You're here too. I'm glad Kabuki wasn't alone."

"Yeah, me too," Kabuto said with a glare.

Did we…miss something? Fenrir, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke thought.

XXXX

Kabuki sat by herself in a tree as she looked at the moon. It was already agreed that everyone would go after Mitsuki in the morning. "…Mommy…I need you right now…Are you thinking of me?" She rubbed tears from her eyes. "I don't have anyone except for Fenrir. We're alone without you mommy…"

"You're not alone." Kabuto climbed into the tree. "Can I sit with you?" Kabuki didn't respond, she just moved over. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." He sat next to her and sighed. "I miss her too…" He glanced at the child. "You know, your mother told us that you're my daughter, so that makes me your real father. I don't think you should be calling Kakashi 'daddy' anymore."

"Shut up."

He looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"…I…I don't know you. You've never been in my life before. Kakashi was the one who took care of me. He was always there with me and my mommy. You were never there. I cannot acknowledge you as my father. You're just a stranger to me."

He wasn't bleeding, but Kabuto felt overwhelming pain in his chest. To have his own daughter call him a stranger hurt him. "I…It wasn't my fault…"

"Don't make excuses!! Why didn't you come see me?!"

"Your mother…she…"

"What kind of man can't accept when something is his fault?! I don't want to hear excuses!! You don't know anything about me, do you? You weren't there for seven years of my life. You missed the important years!! What kind of father abandons his own daughter?"

He felt like…like crying. He was being rejected by his own child, his own flesh and blood. "I…I didn't come see you because…I was afraid that your mother wouldn't want to see me…I thought she still…hated me…"

She looked at him. "…What do you mean?"

"…A long time ago…I…I lied to your mother…I tricked her…and because of what I did…she got hurt. She got really hurt and she almost died. I didn't know I was in love with her like she was with me. I asked her for forgiveness, but she didn't forgive me. And then she left me. I told her that I was going to see her again, but I was…afraid."

Kabuki blinked. "Did you get mommy in trouble?"

"…Yes."

She looked down. "…I guess that's why…she never talked about you. You hurt her…You hurt…my mommy…"

"But Kabuki, you have to understand that I-"

"I cannot call you 'father'." She stood up.

"Kabuki, wait, don't go. Let me ex-"

"Please…just leave me alone." She jumped down from the tree.

"Kabuki!!!" Kabuto heard is heart shatter. His daughter…didn't want him. Instead, she…what she did was… "…She rejected me."