Chapter 14: A Dreamer's Wound

"Is it possible, Kakashi, that it was Sayuri?" the third Hokage asked.

Kakashi had come to tell Hokage what had happened right after he had heard the news from Sayuri and her team.

"No," said Kakashi, "There is no possible way. The look in her eyes had told me that. Also she might get a little, out of hand, during battle, but only if provoked. She would not attack someone for no reason. Sayuri has changed,"

"I'll take your word for it Kakashi. You may go," Hokage said.

Kakashi stood up and walked towards the doorway. When he approached and opened the door he saw Raikou standing in the hallway with Sayuri. Sayuri had not been given time to change, she was still in her blood-soaked clothing. She did not look up as Kakashi stepped into the hallway but continued to stare at the floor. Kakashi walked down the hallway and left.

"Stay here and don't listen to our conversation," Raikou said as he stepped inside the room where Hokage was.

"I have heard the story from Sayuri," Raikou said as he took a seat before the Hokage.

"I would assume that you know what's going on Raikou?" Hokage asked.

Raikou nodded.

"Then I believe that there are some things that you need to tell me,"

Raikou nodded again, "Yes I must tell you the truth now I suppose because now that she is free, the village can not sleep peacefully,"

Sayuri stood outside the room. She wished that she could just go home, clean up, change, and get rid of the clothes that she was wearing now. If only she could have saved that girl. Then again maybe it was good that she died. She would only have lived a lonely and tormented life in the end. She would have been consumed by hate and vengeance.

Sayuri waited for a long time before Raikou stepped out of the room finally.

"It's time to go," he said.

Sayuri nodded and they walked back to the house together in the darkness. When they had finally entered the house and closed the door Sayuri looked up at Raikou, expecting him to start telling her what was going on.

"You may go clean and sleep if you wish," Raikou said as he walked into the living room and sat down in his favourite chair. Sayuri walked right in after him. She stopped in front of his chair and gave him a look filled with rage.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

Raikou just looked at her for a moment, "There is no need for you to know," he replied.

"No…no need for me to know?" she said in complete disbelief and rage, "I walk in to this house and there are four murdered people, a little girl dies in my arms after she freaks out and says that I'm the one that killed her family, and if that's not enough my name a threat to kill us both is written on the wall in blood. I have every right to know! And don't tell me that you don't know what's going on because you do," she finished angrily.

"Go clean and then go to sleep Sayuri," Raikou said.

Sayuri screamed in frustration.

"I HATE YOU!" he yelled. Then she took off up the stairs dragging a kunai along the wall as she went.

Sayuri awoke the next morning from a night full of nightmares. The nightmares had consisted of her killing that whole family. The dream continued with her killing Sasuke. After that the next thing she remembered was her standing in front of a mirror, looking at herself. Though the mirror showed her dressed in different clothing, and having a long sword at her side it was still her. Then her reflection withdrew the sword and plunged it through the mirror, which shattered, at Sayuri. The dream was so vivid, Sayuri felt pain where the sword had pierced her and she tasted blood in her mouth. The dream ended with Sayuri lying on the shards of glass, covered in all the blood from her past victims.

Sayuri got up and headed sleepily to the bathroom. She felt the place where the sword had pierced her in her dream stab her with pain suddenly and then she spit blood into the sink. Fearfully she tore open her shirt and looked down at her stomach. There was a mark there, where she had been stabbed. It looked like a thin burn line.

Sayuri felt another jolt of pain and then the world started to spin. What was going on? Her heart was racing and she felt suddenly sick to her stomach. She bent over the sink and puked. When she stood again she was so disoriented, then the world went black. Sayuri passed out and fell to the floor.

"Is Sayuri not here yet?" Kakashi asked as he arrived at the training area, late as usual.

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke just shook their heads. No on had seen her since the night before when Kakashi left Hokage-sama's.

"Maybe we should go call on her?" Naruto asked.

"No," said Kakashi, "You guys continue training with the soccer ball and I will go and find Sayuri"

"Can't we come?" Naruto asked again.

Kakashi just shook his head.

"I will be back soon," he said than he took off.

Kakashi was worried. There was so much that they didn't know about Sayuri and her situation. He knew that Raikou had met with Hokage the night before. Maybe he got an explanation. Even if he did though Kakashi doubted that Hokage would tell them. There was so much secrecy when it came to Sayuri. He must have good reason though.

Kakashi finally arrived at Sayuri's house. He stopped at the front door and knocked. No one answered so he just walked in.

"Raikou? Sayuri?" he called. There was no answer.

He walked up stairs. He saw someone's foot lying outside he bathroom. Fear struck him as walked towards the bathroom's doorway. He hoped that Sayuri was OK.

He looked inside and saw Sayuri lying on the floor. He walked over and dropped down beside her. He put his ear to her mouth and checked to make sure that she was still breathing. Rolling her over, he saw the mark on her stomach. He stared at in fear. Suddenly a moan came from Sayuri. She opened her eyes and looked up at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei? Why are you here?" she asked.

Kakashi looked at her, "Did you have a nightmare last night?" he asked.

'Wha…? I…don't remember. What's going on?"

Kakashi pointed to the mark on her stomach. She looked down at it and than it all came back to her. The rush of all the horrible memories made her breathless.

"I remember," she said.

"Who did this to you in your dream Sayuri?"

"I did…" she replied.

Kakashi looked up at her, confused, "Are you sure?" he asked?

Sayuri nodded.

"What is that Kakashi-sensei?"

"This is a forbidden technique used to locate a person through dreams. Someone breaks into another's mind and invades their dreams. They mark them with a weapon; the mark stays with them when they awake. It is used to hinder the person; the mark will continue to send painful jolts to the person. There is no way to get rid of it, but it will eventually fade away,"

"How long does it last?" Sayuri asked.

"This technique can only be used by very powerful people, so depending on the power of the weapon, and the stamina of the person it varies,"

"What is the shortest lasting case of this type of mark?" Sayuri asked.

"Fourteen years…"

"But, I don't understand…how could I do this to myself?" she asked.

Kakashi just stayed quiet.

"Where is Raikou?" he asked, "If he was here last night than he may be in danger, these things can kill people if the person is not strong. But if he has not awakened, I know a way to stop this from hurting him,"

Sayuri got up and walked to down the hallway until they reached Raikou's door. Quietly she opened the door. She and Kakashi walked in. Raikou was still sleeping. Kakashi approached Raikou and put his hand on Raikou's head.

"He is suffering form this technique in his dream. Wait a moment and I will…" Kakashi as stopped by Sayuri removing Kakashi's hand from Raikou's head and holding Kakashi's wrist.

Kakashi looked at her. Sayuri looked down at her maker. The hate in her eyes made Kakashi nervous. Would she just stand there and watch him die? Sayuri breathed a sigh and let go off Kakashi's wrist. She turned and walked out of the room.

Kakashi placed his hand back on Raikou's forehead and culminated chakra. He was lucky that this was a technique easy to reverse. Slowly Kakashi leaked chakra into the man's body. Raikou went stiff, and then relaxed again.

Kakashi removed his hand from Raikou's head and walked out of the room. He saw Sayuri sitting against the wall.

"I know what you just did there Sayuri. You just gave up your chance at freedom. It would have been easy to just stand there and let him die; you would never have to receive another rule from him again. He has mistreated you, and I'm sure you would have been glad to get rid of him. You have truly grown and changed Sayuri. That was your true strength," he said. Then he walked down the stairs and out the door.

Sayuri sat there and held her stomach. She heard Raikou get out of bed and start rummaging around his room. How easy it would have been…she finally would have gotten rid of him.

There will be no more unnecessary blood on my hands she thought to herself.