Chapter 19

The day came. The date marked on my calendar, haunting myself from the minute it was set. I was ready to face the man behind the strongest evil I had ever faced, the strongest anyone had ever faced before Kira. It was truly an earth shattering feeling knowing that the fate of the world partly rested in your own hands. Pressure much? Yeah…just a tad.

The army was ready, Gaara and the others having their own divisions. He was the general of the entire army, all of the shinobi under his hand. He looked as overwhelmed as I was. Beneath him was Darui, Shee, Hibiki and Temari. All competent shinobi, Wakana herself was head of the medical squads along with a few others I had not yet known. Ā-sama, along with Onoki and Mizukage-sama, would watch over the armies. Yumi stayed with the Kages, Ā-sama and I deciding it was too dangerous for her, still only a gennin, to go out into battle. It wasn't very hard to figure out she was mad about that. What mattered more right now was keeping her and Kira away from him. That's all we wanted…and of course to win this war.

The army was each given three antidotes to the poison should they be attacked and infected by the kyonshi. We could only hope that their poison hadn't changed or else, battle would be sure death. The antidote lasts for up to ten minutes, ample time to defeat a large number of them for any skilled shinobi. We were careful to decide on who was going to be on the joint army, those who were thought to not be able to last long enough were kept in their respective villages as guards. Around Yumi we only kept Raidon and the Kages. Raidon was enough for her protection though. The two of them…well…they were one hell of a team. When they worked together of course…

I sat in the open field where I last saw Ikkaku. It was so silent then, so quite. There was nothing but the sound of my feet in the grass, my breathing and the loud rhythmical thump that was my heart beat. I felt no chakra signatures around me, like I was thrown into a time where only animals ruled the planet. But that's exactly what it was like now. Animal versus Animal…Man versus Man….Light versus Dark. The all too familiar tale of good and evil. This could go only two ways today. Either he dies…

Or we both die.

I grabbed the gourd around my neck, remembering how many times that I promised Gaara I would come back. This time…I don't know if I will.

I remembered the old man that gave me a necklace. The necklace his son was going to give to his wife before they died. His words about finding my meaning to fight this man echoed in my mind. Was I doing it as a host of the sage? Or as a shinobi of the joint army? Or…as myself? I'm not sure. I felt alone right then, like I was falling onto a battle field where I was the only army and everyone I cared about was nowhere. Call it overexageration or whatever, I felt like if I failed we would loose this war and there was no way in hell I can let that happen.

"So you came after all." I heard from behind me. I gripped the gourd once more before letting it fall against my chest. Turning around I met the cloaked figure again, all my fear gone from myself as I met his brown eyes. I couldn't help but notice how human they seemed.

"I did." I responded, fully facing him now. The cloak slowly fell from his face, eventually falling to the ground. He was dressed in black and brown, nothing strapped to his sides. It was odd, he seemed like an ordinary shinobi…but what need for weapons would a demon have?

"You really are foolish…coming to face me by yourself."

I stayed silent, not letting myself for a moment let him gain the upper hand. He would not throw me off guard, no way in hell. Nervousness bubbled underneath me as all my nightmares flashed in my brain. I felt the walls that were in my mind slowly breaking. Weakening. He smiled, the same smile I remembered Yashamaru describing when he read the story. I remembered his face, how he would grin at the end when Kira beat Ikkaku. This will be the same ending as before.

"Call me what you want, I'm here to kill you either way."

"But how can you kill someone who brought back everything you've cherished?"

I froze. What? What is he talking about? He grinned again, holding up his hand. I moved to block an attack but nothing came. Instead I found myself being over taken by darkness. I was falling. I found myself in white space where he appeared. Images swirled around us as I saw the battles that were going on right now. I saw Gaara fighting his father, an army of familiar and not so familiar faces. I couldn't move. I had no idea that this was the extent of the war, the extent of what he could accomplish.

"Surprised?" He said, letting the images slowly disappear. "I thought Kira would have informed you already of my powers."

I glared at him, snarling all my hate towards him as the picture of Gaara flashed before us, tears falling down his face. It was the first time I really saw him cry. It angered me to no end.

"Angry?" He asked me, letting the white space disappear. We were on the field once more and I saw him in the same place as before. "Good."

My chakra picked up as I let it swirl in anger around me. "I've had enough of this." I scoffed; my scythe was in my hand then. I held it straight out, pointing it at him. "I'll cut you down."

He came at me then with his own scythe. Each time they hit it was like a spark of life. Our souls were connecting through a exchange of blows, I felt the pure hatred he had towards Kira, towards myself, towards everyone and everything. He was pure evil.

Acting on pure instinct I grabbed his arm when our scythes collided. I threw him back, taking the opportunity to hit him again. Our scythes connected again and then to our surprise we dropped then, making them fly across the field.

"You are strong." He said, grabbing my fist. I snarled at him, bringing my leg up. He grabbed it but I broke my fist through. Yes! This is my opening! I punched him in abdomen, forcing my leg out of his grasp and immediately kicked him up with my legs. He blocked his face form my kick but was still thrown straight up. I summoned a clone, using it to jump in the air. He blocked my first kick but before he could grab the second one I grabbed his ankle, throwing him into the ground with blinding force. I landed in front of the small crater in the ground. He disappeared then, as I expected he had used a shadow clone.

"Shadow clones? Hiding are we?" I called out, not moving from my place. It was silent once more, like had left. But I knew he didn't. I'm too much of a tempting opponent for him to leave. I thought of Gaara then, what he must be going through to have to fight his father. My blood boiled with anger, how dare he!

"Hiding, that I am most certainly not." I jumped back when I felt his breath on my ear. It was warm, human like. I brought my leg up, twirling around to connect it with his body. But he was gone. I let my guard down or a moment when Gaara came into my head.

"Damn-" The breath was knocked out of me when he appeared in front of me, right before my eyes, and threw me into the ground, crushing his foot on my chest. I saw spots in my vision, the lack of oxygen and pain becoming a lot for me.

"The Akina I had heard so much of seems to have become rusty!" He said, enthusiasm in his voice. "How can an entire army rely on someone as useless as you?" I stayed silent, showing no emotion to what he was saying. "You are nothing special; you are just a weak woman."

"You're right…" I said, staring right at him. I grabbed his ankle. "I'm not special…" I made sure I had a firm grip on it. "Which makes it even better when I kill you." I said, then used my chakra to burn him. It was simple chakra infusion, but it can be used as a weapon if needed. He jumped back, the skin on his ankle charred and dead. No doubt in my mind that it was painful. Good, he deserved it. I breathed in the fresh air quickly, regaining what oxygen was taken from me.

"So you do have a few tricks! Well then...shall we take this seriously?"

"Come on, let me cut you into pieces." I said, letting the pure blood instinct take over. Deep down, even I was afraid of this side of me, the mentally insane side. The Id. It was unconscious, amoral, evil and pure instinct. Everyone had it, everyone. I made a hand sign.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" I said, running at him as several clones appeared behind me.

He grinned right back, making his scythe appear in his hand. I already knew there was no point in fighting weapon against weapon when our souls only resonated. There was absolutely no point. Instead I took out a kunai, chakra infusing it, and used it to go head to head with his scythe. The clang of metal sounded throughout the field as we went head to head. My clones surrounded him quickly, wasting not time in covering both of us. I felt one grab the back of my shirt, tossing me out of the pile on.

As I skidded along the ground I saw the clones burst away as he defeated all of them in one hit.

"Die!" He yelled, flying at me with blinding speed. Thinking fast I summoned my scythe, and not a second later we were testing each others resilience again.

"There's no way I'm going to die!" I yelled, pushing with all might against his blade. I let go a second later, falling to the ground so I could swipe him off his feet. He jumped, dodging easily. I smirked, watching from above as my clone came down with her scythe.

"You'll need to do better than that." He said back to me, grabbing my clones leg without so much as a second thought. He threw her straight into me, making us both crash into the forest behind us. My clone disappeared almost instantly, my pain did not though. My back was on fire as it was cut up brutally by the trees and bushes. He was on top of me the next second, scythe pressing up against my neck. "Give up, join me and we can rule this planet." He said. I stared at him, coughing slightly. I felt the sharpness of the blade, the edge that only took a little push to end me.

"Shut up." I spat, kicking sand into his face. He moved back, wiping it away.

"Little wench." He said. "Do you have any idea who I really am? What I can do?"

"I don't care, it is my job to kill you!"

"But if it wasn't…would you still kill me?"

"You have hurt those close to me…those I protect with my life."

"Have I intentionally attacked them…truthfully have I really attacked any of them? You are blinded by your councils and your rules…you have lost sight of what is truly right." He said, lowering his scythe. He raised this hand. "Together we can right all of that! We can be gods!"

I stayed silent. I saw how human he really was. I stood up slowly, letting myself lean on my knees.

"Can't you see? We can be powerful! Nothing can stop us!"

"You poor soul." I said. "You really are blind…" I whispered, standing up fully. He stared back at me defiantly.

"Who are you to call someone blind! You can't even see the truth behind anything-"

"Believe me…I've been there…I know…I was a weapon, I know I still am...for such a time I wanted revenge on them, revenge on Kira for making me the damn Ruranain, revenge on the Raikage for making me leave the one person I loved more than life…"

"Together we can take that revenge! I can help you find the peace you've been wanting! I can give you everything!"

I stared at this man, this so called evil then. I saw what his ambition has done to him.

"You may be able to give anything but you can't give everything…" I replied to him, walking out from the trees. I summoned my scythe holding it up.

"What about your mother and father?" He asked. I froze, looking at his grin. My eyes narrowed dangerously at him. Did he dare bring them back? "I can give you what you've wanted for the longest time…a family…"

This man…this…thing…

I faced him fully, staring at him.

"Ikkaku…" I began, closing my eyes. "There's one thing you haven't accounted for that I'd want." I said.

"And what would that be?" He asked, grinning madly as if he'd one. Even without looking I knew what his face was doing.

"I already have a family. I'm already loved…and that's enough." I disappeared in a flash, using what chakra I had left and came behind him. My answer stunned him but not enough for him to be hit. He spun around grabbing my arms and forcing me to the ground.

"You humans are so stupid." He growled, I felt my wrists cracking from the pressure. The pain made me yelp. "If you don't come with me then I'll just kill you."

"Try as hard as you will I won't loose!" I yelled in his face, smashing my head against his. For the first time I drew blood from him. He stumbled back and I took my final opening, knowing if I didn't do it know I would never do it. I drew my scythe from my chakra and cut him across the chest going through his ribs and lungs. He screamed, grabbing at me. I saw the demon in his eyes then as he realized that he lost. Quickly I grabbed my scythe and brought it straight down his chest, cutting major arteries. He collapsed to the ground before my feet.

"What…how…."

"I told you that I'd cut you down didn't I?" I said, kneeling down in front of him. "You're biggest mistake was fighting for your own selfish wants…I fight for those who have some before me and those who will come after. Surely if you are a demon then you had met Madara Uchiha? He was one that also fell before me for the same reason…you just never learn. Demons are always the same, power is the only they want."

I turned around them, letting him bleed to death. My body went rigid though. I looked down, seeing the kunai from before poking out from my rib cage. I spun back around, seeing him grinning at me.

"You really think I would let you live if I died?"

I coughed blood, seeing my vision blur slightly. I pulled the kunai out, tossing it to the ground. With the strength I had I grabbed a second kunai, wrapping a bomb around it.

"Even if I die you won't survive that wound." He told me as I tossed it at him. His grinning face was the last thing before the explosion.

"Gaara…" I whispered, falling to the ground with a thud. I found a smile coming to my face as I rolled over, looking up at the sky. I noticed how different it looked, the sun gleaming at me. Then I saw the hawk above me, and I closed my eyes as I heard the familiar screech. I let myself fall into darkness then. It was a comforting feeling...

Knowing it was over...it was really over.

忍 -忍- 忍-

Hey guys! So as you can see, The ruranain chronicles will becoming to an end by next chapter, I know it's a quickish ending but it's dragging out too long. Does anyone know what the smybol above means? That's right..it means shinobi! pretty cool ending the chapter after the biggest battle ne?

Oh! AND! I'm currently working on another story for all you ghouls and gohsts fans out there so be on the look out for it! Believe it!