Chapter 7: The Willful Slaughter of Hope
He had to save her. Kakashi wouldn't let anyone come and take away his precious Rin-chan – not even Obito. Especially not Obito. Not now. Not ever.
He'd left her back at the hospital, promising to return within the hour. It was time to recruit some back-up. With the ANBU on his side, Kakashi couldn't lose to the Akatsuki. It would be impossible, right? The Jounin stood impatiently before the Hokage, whom he'd just informed of the entire situation. She looked shocked, staring blankly at the man before her. "And...you want to prevent him from re-obtaining Rin?" she asked unsurely after a moment.
Kakashi nodded. "Precisely. I would be most grateful if the ANBU were allowed to assist me. Obito is an Akatsuki after all, so securing him would be an advantageous move for both of us."
"And you say he'll be here at any minute?"
"Yes," he replied curtly through gritted teeth. He already said that two minutes ago! How many times was he going to have to repeat himself? The man thought that Tsunade should be able to understand that time was running out. Hell, – he checked the clock – they only had twenty-some-odd minutes now! "C'mon..." he muttered silently. "I really don't have time for this."
Tsunade hummed and hawed and shuffled through a few papers as she considered all possible options. "I don't see why not," she finally announced. "It would be ill-fated should Obito bring others with him however. And he was alone the last time you say?"
"Yes."
"Well..." The blonde rubbed her temples. "Go ahead then. There are twelve members on border patrol already, so you think five is enough for now?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Preferably, I'd have liked more. However, beggars can't be choosers, can they? Thank you, Hokage-sama. I truly appreciate the favor."
She nodded. "Just go already. I thought he was coming at any moment." She noticed he looked slightly anxious, which was quite unusual for the Hatake. "And don't worry about Rin. I'm heading over to her room right now actually."
"Thanks," he mumbled before taking off. Time to gather Obito's welcoming party.
Tsunade gathered her files with a heavy sigh. That man was incredibly determined to hold onto Rin no matter what. She wondered what he would do when the time came...
"Shizune!" she barked.
"Y-Yes, Tsunade-sama!?"
"I'm going to see Rin. Continue to file all these miscellaneous reports – I'm expecting it done by the time I return, got it?"
The poor woman nodded miserably. "Of course. I'll get to it right away," she complied as her mentor exited.
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Rin's placid stare hardened into a glower as Tsunade opened the door and walked towards her bedside. The last thing she wanted right now was more tests, more questions, more demands. Why couldn't they just let her die in peace? She'd agreed to stay here and keep her memories for the short time she had left. Couldn't they just let things be? The answer was a resounding "No". Of course not. What could she have been thinking?
"Rin, I have a few more tests I need to run through while Kakashi is away, so if you'll kindly comply—"
"Well, I don't have much choice now do I, Hokage-sama?" Her soft voice was saturated with a lethal dose of sarcasm. Interesting.
Tsunade frowned and scribbled something on her notepad. "No. But it would be nice if there wasn't too much resistance, alright?"
Rin rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. What do you need from me then?"
"Tell me about your 'reincarnation' technique. I need to know something. There was clearly a body in your coffin, but it obviously wasn't you. Did you actually kill someone to feign your own death?"
The girl narrowed her eyes in response. "Well, you didn't notice anyone missing from the village did you?"
"Don't toy with me, Rin."
"I killed no one. If you'd checked the morgue, you might have found that a body was misplaced. Perhaps—"
"And how did you switch places?"
"Simple," she shrugged. "I combined a summoning jutsu with a body replacement, followed closely by a Shikon no Jutsu. It's rather obvious that there wasn't any other way to do it, Hokage-sama. Do you really need to continue questioning me?"
Tsunade glared daggers at the younger girl. "Yes," she hissed. "Now, I thought that the Yakushi clan was the only one who knew how to perform that technique properly...or would even go so far as to reanimate a corpse for their own twisted purposes."
Rin's brown eyes flashed dangerously, a smirk playing upon her pretty lips. "Well, you've underestimated me yet again Hokage-sama. In desperation, one is willing to do most anything..."
"It's completely sick." The Godaime continued scribbling on her little pad. "Defiling the dead in such a way..."
The girl shrugged a little. "Just be thankful I didn't actually kill anyone, Hokage-sama. At least I used a corpse, alright?"
"Why are you talking like this?!" demanded Tsunade quite suddenly. "Are you really that cold-hearted?"
"Why, yes..." Rin fingered a loose thread on her blanket, her eyes softening as they ceased to focus on anything. Her superiority began to transform into a distant sorrow – one filled with tortured regret. But what exactly was the girl regretting? "I think I might be..."
"And why is that?"
"Because," she said miserably. "I think my heart must have died a long time ago."
The older woman was taken aback, her own brown eyes widening in shock as she begun to realize what was really going on here. "Who are you?" came the horrified whisper.
Rin could only smile in response.
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"Spread out!"
The group nodded and (quite literally) disappeared from Kakashi's presence. Ah...it brought back memories of the good old days – though the Jounin wouldn't quite describe them as "good". More like...horrible, tragic, dark...
He sighed heavily, his good eye focused intently on the kunai in his hand. Since when had it come to this? He was preparing to fight off his former comrade – his former brother. Did the gods find this amusing? He cursed their twisted sense of humor if that was the case.
"Obito...don't do it," he murmured into the chilling breeze. "Please. For both our sakes. Don't come."
It was already fifteen minutes past time. Obito had always been late hadn't he? Typical. So he was still the same as ever... Kakashi shivered slightly. That fact alone made it so much harder to do this. But it had to be done. He wouldn't let Obito capture his most precious possession with such ease. Never. The Jounin's sharp ears suddenly picked up on a most disturbing sound...
The hospital alarm.
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Rin stood before the Memorial Stone, her gaze locked on the engraved letters with an almost fierce look in her eye. So they hadn't inscribed Sakumo's name on here? Even after they realized how wrong they had been? Ridiculous. Rin was interrupted when she felt a strong chakra presence tug at her own. Oho...So he'd come had he?
The girl stiffened noticeably, turning to address her former teammate with a carefully prepared speech. She could tell he was smiling, even beneath that mask of his.
"Rin-chan..."
"Obito-kun."
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Kakashi forgot all about keeping his post. Rin might be in danger - nothing could be more important than ensuring her safety. Had Obito attacked the hospital directly? The nerve! Kakashi began counting the ways he'd kill this intruder, each method more brutal than the last. Oh, he'd enjoy removing Obito's heart – he'd show him how far the Raikiri had come since their days of childhood. The Jounin would enjoy the gurgling sound spewing forth from the Akatsuki's froth-corrupted lungs, the violent tremors sweeping through his destroyed body. Oh yes, Kakashi would enjoy it very much.
He flew towards the eyesore of a building; the bursts of chakra applied to each step propelled him forward with god-like speed. Upon nearing it, the silver-haired man grew more and more confused. There was no smoke. There was no damage. There was no Akatsuki anywhere in sight. There were only nurses scurrying about like headless chickens – squawking and screaming about some kind of "horror", "atrocity", "escape"...
The last one caught his attention.
Kakashi burst through the doors and made it to Rin's room in (what he supposed) was record time. Then, he halted. What the hell was going on here?
"Kakashi-san?"
He stared blankly at the girl, his own confusion nearly matching hers. "Rin-chan, is something wrong?" he breathed, masking his unease with great care. "I thought that maybe..."
Rin smiled calmly. "You thought I'd left? Kakashi-san, do you really distrust me that much?"
The man shook his head and drew near to her side. "Of course I trust you. I only thought that, maybe, someone else had taken you away."
"Like Obito-kun?"
He nodded.
"Obito-kun will understand. He would let me stay should I request it..." The girl rubbed her eyes tiredly and sat up. "Perhaps you shouldn't be so hard on him, Kakashi-san. He's only looking out for my good you know."
Kakashi pocketed his hands, his lone eye studying Rin with quiet intensity. How could he not be "hard on him"? Obito had merely stood by whilst Rin slowly committed suicide. How could he forgive him for that? He couldn't. He could never forgive this; he could never forgive someone for hurting Rin. Even if it was indirectly, Kakashi believed that Obito had had a hand in her current condition. Unacceptable.
"HATAKE!!"
The screech was enough to give him a little jump. Damn that blonde broad. "Yes, Hokage-sama?" he replied carelessly, not in the mood for a lecture about shirking duties and whatnot.
"Get away from her right now!!" Tsunade hissed, her whole body tensed.
The Jounin only stared at her. What? Had he just heard that right? "Um, Hokage-sama...what do you—?"
The Godaime narrowed her eyes into mere slits. "Get. Away. From. Her."
"But—"
"NOW!!" she roared.
Alright then. So Tsunade had finally lost it, eh? He'd wondered when she'd officially go senile on them. "Alright, alright..." he muttered taking two steps back. "I don't understand why you—"
"Hokage-sama, really now." The sweet voice made him turn back to Rin. Kakashi was rather surprised to see such a...malicious expression on her gentle face. It was cynical...scornful... What was going on here? This wasn't Rin at all. "I think you're overreacting a bit."
The Hokage pointed an accusing finger at the patient. "You shut-up." She turned to Kakashi. "Don't get near it. This...thing isn't Rin."
The Jounin wanted to laugh aloud at this statement. This wasn't Rin? So who was it then? Obito? The chakra frequency was definitely Rin's, so... "Sorry, what?"
"You heard me. It's not Rin."
"Don't listen to her, Kakashi-san. This bitch's purely delusional. I think she's lost her mind, quite frankly."
That did it. Kakashi knew for a fact that Rin would never slander the Hokage so shamelessly – and to her face!? Definitely not. "Rin-chan...?" he said, his good eye questioning her painfully. Would Rin really...would she really...?
Tsunade approached Rin, her strides carrying her swiftly to the girl. The woman reached out and grabbed Rin by the throat (protested loudly by Kakashi), pulling the girl's face close to her own. "Who are you? And where's Rin? I've just checked everyone in the hospital, and she's not here. Tell me!"
The girl smirked – her brown eyes narrowed in a vicious leer. "What if I don't tell you, hm?" she whispered hoarsely. "What's the worst you can do to a carcass?"
Kakashi openly gaped at Rin, disbelieving that he could really be hearing this right now. "W-What...Rin, no..."
The Hokage frowned deeply and shoved the girl to the bed. "I'll find a way to get it out of you then. Kakashi!" she barked.
The man had staggered over to the wall, groping for something to support his weight which was threatening to come crashing down at any moment now. This couldn't be happening...this couldn't be happening. Why? What had she done now? And who was this lying in bed? Rin couldn't have preformed another jutsu – her fingers had been taped for crying out loud!
"Kakashi!" repeated the Hokage.
"Y-Yes..."
"Go out and resume your position in the field. I'm sure that if you find Obito, you'll find Rin. Now, hurry!"
"Yes, hurry-hurry!" sang the thing on Rin's bed. "Better find her quick, 'Kashi-kun!"
He suddenly wanted to vomit. What sick joke had Rin decided to play on them this time? Oh, he was definitely going to get some answers. "I'll bring her back. And when I do, I'll make sure she stays." His voice was dark. It slightly worried Tsunade, but she remained silent as the man disappeared. There was no reckoning with him now, and frankly – she didn't want to. Rin had broken his heart yet again, outright betrayed his trust, and that was perhaps the most horrible sin of all.
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"Obito-kun, why are you here?" she murmured, tracing her fingers along the Stone's coarse surface.
The Akatsuki shrugged. "Isn't it time to go home now, Rin-chan? You saw Hatake-san, so...aren't you done?"
The girl also shrugged, keeping her soft eyes plastered to the various names. "I don't know..." she told him tiredly. "I think I've done something quite horrible this time, Obito-kun...Something I can't ever be forgiven for."
"Oh?" The masked figure drew nearer, latching onto her shoulder with a gloved hand. "And what would that be? You break something?" he sniggered.
Rin smiled and shook her head. "Yes. I'm afraid I might have broken something," the girl sighed heavily. "I think I might have broken his heart..." Did that make her a monster? Why, yes. Yes it did. At least, that's what Rin thought. Vengeance wasn't so sweet at all, was it? Not that this is what she'd been planning the whole time, but still... The girl tugged at the cloth over her heart. It was aching so damn much right now, and she wished it would stop.
"Did he apologize?"
Her sepia irises rose to the fiery mask. "Apologize for what?"
"The Sharingan. He told me he used it on you."
Ah yes, he had used it hadn't he? She'd almost forgotten. "Yes, he did."
"And you're ready to leave now, right?"
The question was heavy. Rin didn't know if she could go away, knowing that she'd left Kakashi with a broken heart. A heart that might not ever heal properly without her care. A heart that she'd mended for a short while, then shattered in one cruel moment. A heart that had been hers and hers alone. Now it was injured...she still had time to fix it. But would she?
"Obito-kun..."
He pulled her into his chest and embraced her warmly. "Rin-chan, I'll stay with you until the end. You don't have to worry anymore. Hatake-san won't ever hurt you again."
The girl smiled a little. "You were always such a good friend, Obito-kun. Thank you for looking after me for so long."
The man laughed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Heh, Rin-chan! Stop it! You're making it sound like this is the end. We still have until we reach the River Country you know. It's at least two days away, so wait until then, alright?"
How was she going to say this? How could she say this to him? To Obito-kun...the man who'd loved her for so long...who'd taken such meticulous care of her... It was so ungrateful.
"I...have to stay..."
He froze. Rin could feel his entire body stiffen up. "C'mon, Rin-chan. That's not a funny joke at all," he laughed, though it was obviously forced.
The girl pulled away from him, her eyes focused intently on his one. "Please, please, Obito-kun. Don't make it harder than it already is."
"But why?!" he croaked. "Why on earth would you choose to stay here? With him?!"
Rin stared hard at the ground, feeling shamefaced and guiltier than ever. "Because..." she started slowly. "I still care about him."
The Akatsuki snorted loudly. He was obviously angry and not afraid to show it. Rin wondered what he'd do or say, but maybe...if she stalled long enough... "You love him." Obito crossed his arms, shaking his head in disbelief. "After everything he's done to you, you love him. Are you mad?!"
"Perhaps," she replied. "But even if I was completely sane, I think I'd still feel the same way."
"No!" Obito's voice suddenly grew dark, dangerous, low. "You can never love him."
Rin took a step back, rather shocked at this change in tone. "Obito?" Her eyes grew wide as they watched him pull out a kunai. "Obito? Wait, what...what are you doing?!" He started to advance on her. "Stop it! This isn't like you at all!" He still came closer. "So you're going to kill me? Is that it? Are you that—!?"
Rin was cut off by this blinding pain in her chest, this pain that was quickly spreading out from her heart to the very tips of her fingers and toes. What happened? When had he stabbed her? Obito was so fast...Rin's vision was now spotting, her breath slowing down. She hadn't even seen him move. Then as he replied, Rin was sure she could hear his heart breaking in two. Why? Why was she capable only of hurting people? Wasn't she a medic? A healer? A comforter? But no. All Rin could do to her beloveds was hurt them. Perhaps she deserved this fate after all, because she was, in fact, a monster.
"You don't have to love me..." Obito whispered beside her. "But you can never love him."
"Obito...kun..."
She felt her body collapsing onto the cold ground, but could do nothing to prevent it. Rin watched Obito stand before her, surveying his morbid handiwork, then turn and leave her lying there. Bleeding. Hurting. Dying there. And she could do nothing to heal herself. All chakra reserves had been used in one final jutsu - one final act in this dark play. Now, she would die without ever telling Kakashi she was sorry, telling her love that she hadn't wanted to hurt him. Everything was so bright all of a sudden, and then...there was only darkness...
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The Jounin prayed that it wasn't too late. He prayed that Rin hadn't left already. He prayed, and prayed, and prayed. "Please...don't let her leave me yet..." He'd been so close (so close!) to finally having her. Finally having the opportunity to become human again. To feel human emotion. To love.
He flew past the Memorial's clearing, only glancing into it for a split second...but it was enough. Perhaps it was too much. Kakashi skidded to a halt, half-sure he was hallucinating. Something lay crumpled into a loose ball of flesh, and hair, and blood. God – there was so much blood! It was starting to pool around her body. This was too close to her first death. Kakashi couldn't bear seeing this horror once again. "No..." he whispered as he staggered towards the stone. "NO!!"
Her body...it wasn't moving, was it? The man sank to his knees, afraid to touch this cold girl before him. A large kunai protruded cruelly out of a crude hole someone had carved into her chest. No...no, this was wrong. This wasn't Rin. This couldn't be Rin. Why would anyone...? "No. NO!!" his mind screamed over and over into the biting silence. "Rin...chan..." He tried to steady his hands, but everything was shaking so badly right now. All he could do was sit and stare, one hand extended towards her in want of comfort. All he wanted right now was for her to get up. All he wanted was to see her chest rise and fall with the replenishing of precious oxygen. All he wanted was to know she was still here. With him. Suddenly, he sensed something behind him, whirled, and blocked a kunai with only the flesh on his arm. "Obito..." he greeted darkly, his voice laced with hostile venom. "So, you're the bastard responsible..."
"Hatake-san, such colorful language!"
The Jounin narrowed his single eye in hatred. "And there's much more to come," he muttered, using his free hand to push the hitai-ate up onto his forehead. Now, he was ready to fight. He was ready to kill this son of a bitch. He was going to send Obito straight to the deepest pits of Hell. "I thought you loved Rin!"
"I do love her!" snapped the other, his voice losing all civility. "She means more to me than the likes of you could ever begin to fathom."
Kakashi gritted his teeth and shoved Obito back, first digging the kunai deeper into his flesh of his arm before suddenly ripping it free. It really did hurt like Hell. "Then why kill her? Why do this?" he demanded hoarsely.
Obito pointed the bloody kunai straight at Kakashi, threatening to slice him open once again. "It's all your fault," he said.
"My fault?!" The Jounin was incredulous.
The Akatsuki's voice hardened to an inhuman degree of coldness. "I've loved Rin since our childhood. She was my best friend, and I was hers! And when she was alone, I found her and cared for her. I've never stopped loving her – not for a single moment. But now...she has betrayed me because of you. Therefore, you must die."
Kakashi stared icily at his former comrade. "What happened to you? When did you lose your sanity, Uchiha?" The man pulled out his own kunai now. "So be it. You killed Rin-chan...our Rin-chan. Now you must die too."
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Okay, so first the thank-you's!
Sakra-chan: Again, I really loved you beta-ing for me. I find it so very helpful! And thanks again for your kindness. Do you really have nothing bad to say?! ;P
Eldr-Fire: I love reading your comments! They're always so encouraging, so thank you! And I just hope Sakra-chan feels the same way... xD
Alrighteh. So some disclaimers I've gotta throw out there for the public...
1) The chapter title, "Willful Slaughter of Hope", is actually a quote from Steven Deitz: "...betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope."
2) Is the ending scenario familiar? If you watched "House of Flying Daggers", it might be. Will it end the same way though? Guess you'll have to wait and see! ;P Oh, and I highly recommend that movie. It's Chinese, so you'll have some subtitlin' to look forward to. Anyways, it's a wonderful plotline and has awesome visual effects/martial arts choreography. It's one of my all-time favorite movies...EVER.
H'okay! So I think that should do it. Until next chapter...
- Hikari