10
Age: 12
Nobody cried. Nobody seemed to actually care. Life went on just like it always had in Konohagure.
Kakashi had managed to survive the fight with just a scratch and a couple of bruises. Other than that, he was fine. Unlike her…
He stood alone in the pouring rain. The funeral had been brief. It had been momentous. All the flowers in the city had been gathered for the event. After all, it was a double funeral. Aru Noa had taken his own life upon hearing the news of his only daughter's fate. He had both lived and died in his liquor.
Despite the massive influence that the city had had in the village. Kakashi stood there aloof. Even Obito hadn't shown.
He was now number one. Nothing standing in his way, but because of one reason or another it didn't feel fair. He had cheated his way to getting to the top. Just like his father he was scum. He couldn't earn his title like an honest man, he had succumbed to taking the life of an innocent twelve year old girl. His guilt and conscience were tormenting him to madness. He was responsible for the death of an innocent person. He was responsible for taking someone's daughter away, for killing his friend.
What would people call him now? Friend Killer?
What type of person was he? Had he no humanity in him?
He had always lived by the rules. It was his life, his code of morals to live by- and what had it gotten him. He had felt his soul split when he killed her. Something snide him had snapped.
Once again he saw her bloody expression. He had killed her. He had intended to and he had done so. What had come over him that he could become infuriated enough to create such a heinous act.
His breathing became shallow. He felt a sinking pit forming in his stomach.
His fist clenched on his sides. Teeth gritting he hadn't yet noticed that his tears had blended with the pouring rain. The last thing he could remember was the blood gushing from her open wound and her ajar mouth. Those wide lemon eyes paralyzed as she starred at him in both shock and fearfulness.
His dark eyes focused on the picture they had used. She was wearing black, her eyes were sharp and focused and her smile was a confident.
"I'M SORRY!" his roar thundered throughout the village. Several nearby ravens cawed as they fled the scene. "I didn't mean for this to happen, I-" He crouched and buried his face in his hands. His elbows leaning on his knees.
"But you did," the familiar voice suddenly resounded in the funeral. It was grim and cold. His eyes snapped up but there was no one.
"You wanted to kill me, and you did!" Then he saw it.
The picture frame it was speaking to him. He saw her lips moving. Was he loosing his mind?
With a menacing look in those green eyes, wild hair and a hollow complexion the picture frame became the one of a monster. Her hand stretched out of the picture and somehow the thing managed to step out of the tiny frame.
"You ruined me so now I will ruin you!" she croaked before cackling madly.
"No, I-I'm sorry! I wish I could take it all back!" he protested.
"You ruined me so now I will ruin you!" The thing repeated furiously.
"No, No!"
In a reflex he jumped to a sitting position. His heart monitor violently beeping. His breathing was ragged and he was covered in cold sweat. Instantly a nurse came rushing in. He instantly felt eh stabbing pain in his abdomen and realized by the look of his bloody hand that he had torn his stitches.
The nurse instantly began scolding him, but he was still shook from his nightmare to realize what was happening.
"Is she alive?" He interrupted. Eyes wide, hands still trembling.
"What?" The nurse blinked twice confused.
"Is Ryou Noa with Life?!" He barked. Eyes turning to two dark, dangerous slits.
Everything was a blur. Blinking twice and focusing in the light the dull, pale lights from the hospital greeted her. The sharp pain in her stomach jolted her awake. She reached down and clenched the wound tightly.
Ryou had never been hospitalized before this was a new experience…
It took a couple of moments for her mind to reboot and for her to remember the circumstances why she was here in the first place.
"First day as a Jounin and you're already causing trouble?" Spoke a smooth voice.
Surprised she pivoted her body only to see Shisui Uchiha leaning against one of the windows cooly. His eyes were sharp and focused on her. She hadn't even noticed that he was here.
Just seeing him slightly smiling at her, being so cool made her cheeks flush and an anxious chill run up her spine.
"S-Shisui," she managed. She looked down at her bandaged body and brought the blankets higher in an attempt to hide her growing blush.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just happened to be around the neighborhood," the prodigy said casually shrugging as he approached her. Suddenly from his back he pulled out a large bouquet of flowers. Almost as if it was magic. They were yellow tulips.
With her eyes wide and her ears burning, the girl felt as if she was going to throw up. With one hand he lifted her bandaged chin so he could see her bashful expression.
"I'm all for a good spar," He leant in closer. "But next time be more careful," he whispered adding a wink and a smile. It seemed to be his trademark, most flirtatious move, and as cliché as it was, it always worked.
"I look forward to our next meeting Ryou Noa," he casually stood up and with a sly smirk and wave, he was gone.
'That Shisui!' Ryou thought flustered hiding under her sheets.
Did he really think that his petty attempts at flirting would have any effect on her? He didn't even know her! Well, he did, but rather shallowly.
She hated how he made her feel, no one had ever made her feel like that before. Crushes were definitely the worst.
'Empathy…'
Kakashi once again opened his eyes. This time his heart was jumping at his throat. His hands were stable and so was his breathing.
He exhaled an exhausted breath and tried to relax against the stiff hospital bed. He was extremely sore, moving hurt. More than half of his body had been bandaged and thankfully his mask hadn't been removed. Knowing that he hadn't been responsible for the death of Ryou Noa brought him a newfound peace. It still didn't make the fact that he had almost killed her any better. Then again, judging from the gaping hold in his abdomen she had had the same intentions in mind.
Now he realized that in those final moments, what she had seen reflected in her thoughtful eyes wasn't feat. It was empathy. She had seen his raw emotion and now knew just how alone he really was. No one had come to visit him and it wouldn't surprise him if no one showed up. Not like he cared. He was alone because he was trash, and he would always be branded with the name of a traitor. And because of this, alone…
He ran his hand through his silver hair feeling a cocktail of emotions stirring inside him.
He never wanted to see that girl again in his life…
He had come to realize that she would be his ruin. In every single scenario he could imagine she was always one step ahead of him, overshadowing him, torturing him. Toying and pulling the strings of his emotionless heart. The creaking of the door opening suddenly caught his attention and he saw that a girl stepped in.
More like limped in. Her lower abdomen was bandaged as well as most of her body, but regardless of this she was still standing.
'How can she still be standing…' he thought.
Once again she had beat him...
"Oi..." She she said in a quiet tone as she stepped in.
He kept his sharp eyes wary of her presence. His look was not a welcoming one, and she didn't look happy to be here either. It was serious with those narrowed, mistrusting eyes and that infamous scowl he knew she meant business.
"Doctor says it's a miracle that we didn't die from exsanguination or an air embolism. I guess we were both lucky that our teammates were there."
He said nothing remaining stoic and bitter.
"I never took you seriously when you said you wanted to kill me- But now what I want to know is why. Why have we been tormenting each other for years? I want to know why-"
"Get out." He interrupted her without wasting a breath. He turned his body away from hers.
"Hatake. I want to know why-" once again she interrupted him.
"Get out!" This time he raised his voice.
"Why are you like this?!" she snapped brutally. "What the hell did I ever do for you to despise me enough to kill me!" She abruptly ripped off a patch that was covering her stomach. "To do this to me!" She showed him the grisly wound that had been formed just above her belly button a nasty slit that stretched almost three inches in length.
"Get out. I don't ever want to see you again." He said coldly, avoiding her enraged eyes. He suddenly felt a heavy weight on his aching legs and groaned at the uncomfortable pain. He didn't even realize when she pounced on his bed. Shocked he turned to see the angry girl.
"I want you to look at me! I want you to see what you did to me!" She startled him as she stood on her bed straight with both of her knees apart.
"Well I have a matching one." He stated in a grim tone as he slowly inched to the head of his bed and away from the girl. Both noticed that his heart monitor had began to pick up speed. Beeping louder and faster each time.
"Why?" She asked for the last time. Her eyes watering her jaw clenched, lips stretched out into a serious thin line.
"You ruined my life," he growled out through gritted teeth finally meeting her eyes.
He just wanted her to be out of his life. Or some place far, far away where their lives would never meet again. Feeling the weight become heavier he looked up and saw that she had collapsed and was actually crying. Ryou hated crying, she had come to see it as a sign of weakness. She always cried when she was at her worst and more than often it seemed to happen when he was around.
"I'm not the reason why you're all alone!" She snapped heaving. He looked at her eyes wide. "And I'm not the reason you always come second, that's your own fault-"
"SHUT UP!" He snapped and threw the closest thing he found that being a book at her. It barely brushed Ryou and hit the wall behind her with a thud. Infuriated she hopped off the bed and in a reflex the girl took the pitcher of water that was next to the bed and poured it on him soaking him wet to the bone. He sat in a chilly puddle on his bed looking at her with menacing eyes, she returned the glare.
Why did she even bother? Why did she care enough to engage in this abusive relationship? It wasn't healthy. She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. He could feel the stress of being in the same room as her weighting down on his shoulders. If he really hated her that much, if he really wanted her out of his life like that-
Without another word she simply walked out of his life.
The room felt lighter, almost more colorful as soon as she left. Kakashi's hands clenched his wet, gray locks tightly.
'What the fuck is wrong with me!' He cringed when he accidentally ripped some strands out.
The anxiety was killing him.
He didn't know what to think anymore, what to do, what to feel…