Author's Note: Whew! This is a long one! :P
Seriously, it's like twice as long as my chapters usually are (which I know aren't that long to begin with, but still).
Thanks to MikaUchiha666, A.W.P., XXThistlexFlowerXX, Echo Uchiha, and Autumn's Rain for the awesome reviews! You guys make me so happy. :D
I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It was kind of difficult to write, so I'm sorry if it's not up to par with the other chapters, but epic battle are hard to write! Haha.
As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated. :)

Twenty-Two: Innocence

Red. A color symbolic of the humans' strongest of emotions, from the passion of eternal love, the ache of lustful desire, and the rage behind war and violence. Red is sensual at the same time that it is dangerous; it is sinful at the same time that it is beautiful. But the red that I was seeing was not beautiful or sensual, nor was it prosperous or joyful. No. The red that I saw was blood.

The pool of red under my feet inched outward as the blood spilled from the wound, seeping into the lush earth and staining the grass that once was a bright and healthy green. My eyes mocked saucers, never blinking away from the scene. There was a tightness in my chest that caused a shooting pain throughout my body as my heart pounded frantically, and if my breath hadn't caught in my throat, it would have been nothing other than quick, erratic gasps. My lips quivered, my fingers trembled, and my knees wobbled under my weight. In short, it was a miracle that I was still standing.

What… what just happened?

Gulping down the lump in my throat, I forced myself to at least attempt to process what had happened, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from that growing pool of blood at my feet. Is that my blood? I questioned myself, realizing that, if Koji had in fact impaled me through the chest with my own sword, I actually wasn't in much pain at all. A gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying with it a pleasant aroma of the fresh outdoors mixed with a bit of musk. The leaves rustled together quietly, and I swore I even heard the restless chirping of birds. If I was dying, then death certainly came peacefully.

I forced my eyes to shift downward, expecting to see the hilt of my sword protruding from the left side of my chest. I expected to see Koji's long, bony fingers curled around that hilt, threatening at any moment to jerk the blade downward to disembowel me right before my students' still-innocent eyes. I expected to see the source of that red pool at my feet, slowly trickling out of a fresh and bloody wound. But what I did see instead was something that I never would have expected.

One of Koji's associates now stood where his superior had been, hunched over and clutching his chest with both of his hands. His neck was limp, hiding his face from my view, but I could still just barely see the faraway look in his eyes as he stared endlessly at the ground in front of him. Blood flowed from between his fingers, continuing down his arms and eventually dripping from his elbow, splashing into that same pool of red that I thought had belonged to me just a mere moment ago. Lying on the ground, gazing with terror-filled eyes up at the scene, was Koji. My sword no longer resided in his hands, but rather plunged into the ground a few feet to his left. No doubt, someone had tried to attack the evil man, and his loyal associate felt it his duty to protect him. But who? My students' chakra signatures remained at least twenty feet outside the perimeter, and I highly doubted that Mai, skilled as she was, had the strength to attempt to murder such a dangerous man.

Suddenly I saw a tuft of messy silver hair sticking out from behind the man, and I realized who it was.

"K-Kaka—"

"Master Koji," the injured man standing before me managed to choke from between ragged breaths, "I… I'm sorry…"

And with his final apology, he fell face-first into the bloodstained earth.

I suddenly realized that the strong hold on my ankles had been removed, so I quickly lifted my right leg to perform a back kick straight to the solar plexus of the man who still held my wrists. He doubled over, trying desperately to catch the breath that I had just knocked out of him, and as he did so, I took the opportunity to flip him over my shoulder. Once he had landed hard on the ground, I dropped to my knees, extracted a kunai from my weapons holster, and thrust the blade into his chest. The man gasped for air as he tried desperately to fight away Death, who had already begun to pull his body away from the world of the living. Sensing the sudden tension in my students' chakra, I sighed. I would have preferred to gradually ease my students, who had never witnessed death first hand, into accepting death as simply an outcome of battle, but at this point, I didn't have much of a choice. As I yanked my weapon from my victim's body, which was already growing cold with death, I hoped that my students could understand that in the shinobi world, it's kill or be killed.

Discarding the bloody knife, I jumped away from the corpse, landing beside my katana. As I reclaimed my weapon and returned it to its sheath, I stared in disbelief at the man who had saved my life. He stood in a deep front stance with his left arm, supported at the forearm by his right, held outward. His attacking hand glowed blue as electric chakra discharged from it in quick zaps extending in every direction around him, and I immediately recognized his signature technique: Raikiri. Lifting himself from his stance, he lowered his arms and stopped his chakra manipulation, causing the blue glow to disappear and the sound of chirping birds to fade. He nonchalantly flipped his silver bangs out of his eyes and gave a quick sigh. "Looks like I arrived in the knick of time," he observed.

Somehow, even after a near-death experience, I found myself amused by his statement. Kakashi Hatake arriving on time… who would've known it was even possible…

"Who the hell are you?" a very frustrated Koji demanded, hoisting himself upright. His eyes narrowed at Kakashi.

"Who, me?" The Copy Ninja replied, cocking his head to the side, "Oh, I'm not that important, really."

Kakashi's indifferent attitude obviously angered Koji, for his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, and his lip curled, revealing his yellow teeth. Kakashi placed his own hands comfortably in his pockets and slouched his shoulders. "Don't waste your time trying to fight us now," he said to Koji, "It's one against five. If you have even an ounce of intelligence in you, you'll retreat and give Toshiro over to us."

"Kakashi!" I half-whispered-half-shouted, trying to stop my friend from continuing with his threats. Kakashi had no idea what sort of abilities the man possessed, and I knew full well that Koji would take any of Kakashi's threats as an opportunity to unleash his deadly abilities.

"What?" Kakashi asked, oblivious.

That sinister smile crept onto Koji's face once more, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. "Is that so?" he challenged, "I think I'll take my chances."

With that said, he phased out of view.

After a moment's pause, Kakashi simply averted his gaze to lock with mine. "That was strange," was all he said.

I rolled my eyes at him. "That's his special ability," I told him.

"I see," murmured Kakashi, "would you mind filling me in?"

"I don't know much about it, myself," I admitted, shifting my gaze around instinctively, even though I knew I wouldn't find the man that I was looking for, "I just know that he disappears and attacks when we can't see him. Hana saw him for a split second in the reflection of my sword, but I still don't quite understand what that was all about."

Without a word, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye. He scanned the area, turning his body every which way so as to be sure to examine the entire vicinity. Of course, I thought to myself, the Sharingan can probably see through whatever jutsu this guy is using.

Immediately disproving my theory, however, Kakashi let out a sharp grunt as he clutched his left shoulder with his right hand. The handle of a kunai jutted out from in between his index and middle fingers, and blood slowly trickled out of his fresh wound. "Damn," Kakashi muttered under his breath. He flinched in pain as he gripped the kunai handle and yanked the blade from his skin. "Even my Sharingan can't see past this jutsu…"

Shrill laughter filled the air, and I immediately recognized it to be Koji. "I don't know who you are," Koji said, obviously talking to Kakashi, "but you killed Daisuke, so now I am going to kill you slowly and painfully! And you, Kaeda. You're next for killing Hajime!"

I had to think of something. I had to figure out the trick to this guy's jutsu, and I had to be quick about it. Unsheathing my sword, I held it firmly in both hands and gazed into the reflections of the metal blade. Why did Hana see his likeness in my blade? It had to have meant something. But what?

My katana was suddenly sent flying from my grip. Koji had, once again, kicked it out of my hands. "That sword is a nuisance," he stated, "so I don't think I'll let you have it!"

There was no time to try to retrieve it. I had to keep brainstorming. "Hana," I quickly called to the girl, "Did you only see Koji's reflection in my blade, or could you actually see the real him, as well?"

"Only his reflection," she responded, her voice strained from the pain in her abdomen.

"Agh!" Kakashi groaned, this time clutching his forearm. This time, instead of stabbing a weapon into his arm, Koji used the blade to slice all the way along the length of his lower arm.

Shit, I cursed myself, I have to think, and fast!

If Hana had only seen Koji in my blade, then did that mean that his jutsu doesn't cover up his own reflections? I stared into my metal blade, twisting it in my hands to explore the entirety of the surrounding area. I didn't see anything other than the mirror images of the foliage and rocks around me, so I immediately tossed that idea aside. Besides, if reflections truly were the key, then Hana would have been able to see him the entire time that he was running toward me, rather than for just a split second. So then, what else could have caused him to become visible for that split second? What was different about that blade, as opposed to our own eyes? The only thing that I could think of was that its position was different than that of everyone else…

My eyes widened with realization.

That's it!

"Kakashi!" I shouted at my friend, "quick, make as many shadow clones as you can!"

Kakashi didn't question me. He simply performed the necessary hand seals, and, in a puff of white smoke, about ten shadow clones appeared. I did the same, but I, having more chakra than Kakashi, created fifteen.

I called out to my fellow teammates. "Nikko, Mai, and Hana, if you feel up to it, come join us."

I really hope my plan works…

"What are we doing?" Nikko immediately asked.

"I want everyone to form a large circle around the area! If you see Koji, even for just a split second, I want you to immediately throw a kunai or shuriken at him! But make sure you let everyone else know before you do so, that way, if you miss, we will at least know to dodge the weapon. Does everyone understand?"

With answers of "yes" and affirmative nods, the group dispersed and began aligning themselves into a circle that enclosed the area, just as I had instructed. Koji's shrill laughter filled the air once again, and in a condescending tone he shouted, "Whatever you're planning, just give it up! You'll never defeat me!"

I narrowed my eyes defiantly. We'll see about that…

"Uh, Kae," I heard one of the Kakashis whisper from beside me, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

I didn't know whether or not this was the real Kakashi, but I answered his inquiry anyway. "I think I figured out the secret of his jutsu," I told him, "My theory is, that this is some sort of light-manipulation jutsu in which he refracts waves of light away from his body, causing him to become 'invisible.' But I believe that there is a limitation to his jutsu. He can't refract light from every possible angle all at once, meaning there are certain angles in which he is still visible. Understand?"

"So, we're standing in a circle in order to view him from multiple different angles?" This Kakashi asked.

"Exactly," I nodded, "and if I'm correct, we'll be able to spot him at some point."

"I don't know what you're doing," Koji confessed, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "but it doesn't matter, because I'm going to kill you all! The Kiseigan will be mine!"

"Kakashi Sensei, watch out!" Nikko shouted from the opposite side of the circle, "He's coming!" As I had ordered, Nikko quickly pulled a kunai out of his holster and whipped it toward one of the Kakashis to his right. Obviously a clone, and obviously having been attacked by Koji, he vanished into a puff of smoke. The kunai that Nikko had thrown, however, continued right through newly vacant spot, piercing the trunk of a tree ten feet away.

Nikko missed, I thought, but he saw him, which means that I was right about his jutsu.

"Just a clone," Koji observed, "That's ok! I can do this all day, if I have to!"

A split-second later, I could hear Mai's voice calling out that she too had seen him. She threw a kunai toward the opposite side that Nikko had thrown his. This time, the weapon flew directly in between two of my clones and stuck into the ground. Another failed attempt. One of my clones then dispersed into smoke, obviously having been attacked by Koji. I was thankful that Koji couldn't somehow tell the difference between our shadow clones and our real selves, for that could have been me just a second ago.

"When will you give up?" Koji demanded, "I have the ultimate jutsu! You will never beat it!" His maniacal laughter picked back up, and the changing pitch of his voice alerted me that he was on the move again.

As the minutes passed, there were more sightings, but all successive attacks had failed. Koji managed to take out nearly all of Kakashi's and my shadow clones, and I was starting to think that maybe my plan wasn't going to work after all; however, my eyes befell Toshiro's lifeless body, and a hidden flame had ignited within me. No, I told myself, I can't give up. Toshiro needs me. Hell, all my students are counting on me right now. And I can't forget Mai and Kakashi. They have risked their lives to help me, so the least I can do is keep fighting until there's nothing left to give. I just have to focus…

I took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly, closing my eyes for just a moment. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked at what I had seen. Koji was mere inches from my body, a wicked grin plastered on his face, and a kunai pointed directly at my heart. My eyes widened in surprise. A second ago, I had seen absolutely nothing, and now, all of a sudden, Death himself stood directly in front of me. My heart pounded furiously in my chest, and all connection between my mind and body was lost as I stood frozen in fear. As I stood paralyzed and terrified, I felt the sudden urge to pray. I prayed that Death would be merciful, granting me a quick and easy passage from the world of the living into the realm of the dead. I prayed that my teammates, especially poor Toshiro, could forgive me for letting them down. But what I prayed for most fervently was that Kakashi, who had been my best friend since I was a child, could somehow know the truth. The truth about how I really felt about him.

I wanted Kakashi to know that I loved him more than anything else in the world.

Suddenly, the small flame that had previously been awakened within me burst into a massive inferno, stirring within me a sea of emotion ranging everywhere from passion to rage. I decided that I was not ready to accept death, and I was foolish to have even thought that I was. My fear finally melting away, I willed my feet to sidestep Koji's attack and my hands to simultaneously capture his arm and lock it in a joint-manipulation technique. Catching him off guard, I took the opportunity to drive my knee into his gut, and when I had him gasping for the air that escaped him, I swept his feet out from under him, driving him to the ground.

By the time it was over, I had hardly even known what had happened, for it had all happened so fast. The expression that Koji now wore on his face was a mixture of confusion and terror, and I'm sure my expression conveyed the same exact emotions.

Koji struggled against my hold, so I increased the pressure of the joint-lock, earning a sharp cry of pain in response. "How the… how the hell did you see me in front of you?" He demanded, the threat in his voice quickly dissipating as fear took over.

"It's because your jutsu wore off."

My head whirled into the direction of the new voice, recognizing it but too unsure of myself to trust my identification. When my eyes confirmed my instinct, my jaw dropped as I stared in awe.

With his white ponytail drooping, tiny strands of hair falling into his dirty face, bruises covering his pale skin, and rips and tears in his clothing, I could barely recognize him. But his glowing neon green eyes assured me that this was, in fact, Toshiro Isami.

"Toshiro!" Hana and Nikko shouted in unison, sprinting toward their comrade. The two of them simultaneously engulfed him in a group hug, which Toshiro timidly returned.

Koji, however, wasn't quite so happy to see the awakened Isami. "What do you mean, my jutsu wore off? And how are you even able to move right now?"

Hana and Nikko released Toshiro from their arms so the boy could step forward and explain himself. "I mean that you didn't have enough chakra, so your jutsu wore off at the last second."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Koji asserted, "I should have had plenty of chakra to continue that jutsu for at least another twenty minutes!"

"Don't tell me you forgot already," Toshiro said to Koji, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Forgot what?"

"We fought when you first tried to kidnap me, and I ended up puncturing one of your chakra points."

I smiled at my student. So all this time…

"I've been slowly absorbing your chakra throughout the entire course of this match," the white-haired boy continued, "I only made you think that I was knocked unconscious so you wouldn't suspect it, then carelessly use your chakra to keep that jutsu of yours going."

"You little brat!"

I pressed harder against Koji's pressure points, causing him to yelp loudly and attempt to squirm away from my hold. I couldn't believe how incredibly intelligent Toshiro was. First he led us along with the tiny fragments of his jacket, and now he surprises me by slowly draining away the enemy's chakra without him noticing. Saying that I was proud of him would have been an understatement. Hell, it was because of him that I was still alive.

"You will never have the Kiseigan," Toshiro finally continued as his glowing emerald eyes faded to their usual dark sapphire, "and besides, even if you did succeed in swapping your eyes with mine, you still wouldn't be able to use the Kiseigan to its full power."

"But… the seal—"

"While you were right about most of what you said about the Chains of Eternity Seal," Toshiro interrupted, "the seal is bound to the eyes, not to the soul. Anyone who possesses these eyes is forever restrained from unleashing their true power."

Koji's eyes widened in realization that his whole plan was a failure from the very beginning. His mouth parted as he searched for the words to say in response, but nothing came to mind. He simply lie there in a stupor, waiting for his next big disappointment.

"Kae," I heard Kakashi whisper from beside me. I knew what he was going to say without even having to ask.

"I know," I replied, my eyes slowly making their way toward my three students. They all looked so happy to be reunited. Even after all they had been through, I still saw them as being very innocent, and, though I knew the cruel shinobi world would destroy that innocence eventually, I didn't want them to lose it just yet.

Kakashi knelt beside me, offering me my sword. "They're full-fledged shinobi now," he told me, as if reading my mind, "they're going to have to get used to it."

Sighing, I took the sword from his hands and held it firmly in my hands.

"Please," Koji begged, "Please don't kill me!" But his words had no effect on me. So many times had I ignored the peas for mercy, and so many times had I simply ignored them to kill without even caring. What caused me to hesitate for a moment wasn't Koji, but rather those three Genin that I had grown to care so much about.

"Mai," I finally said, turning my eyes to find hers.

The girl looked back at me, silently urging me to continue.

"Take Hana, Toshiro, and Nikko away from here. We'll catch up with you in a few."

She understood, and immediately did as I said. I waited until they were out of earshot before I finally lifted my katana above the man and plunged the sharp blade into his chest with ease. Koji was killed instantly.

I released the man and rose to my feet. "I just couldn't do it," I whispered, my gaze fixed on the ground in front of me, "I've already destroyed enough of their innocence for one day."

"I know," Kakashi replied, running his fingers softly across my back, "It's ok."

Kakashi pulled me into his arms, engulfing me in a warm embrace. I immediately wrapped my arms around his middle, pressing my face into the crook of his neck and breathing in his familiar musky scent. After such a demanding battle, being in Kakashi's arms felt like Heaven. I could have stayed like that forever, but when I felt his lips press gently against the top of my head, suddenly I remembered what had gone through my mind earlier as I prayed. In that moment, I had realized just how much I loved Kakashi. I realized that, out of everything and everyone in my life, he was the most important. This realization caused my body to stiffen against my will. "What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

I pulled away from him, my eyes instantly focusing on the ground. "We should get going," I lied.

Picking up my sword and sheathing it, I turned on my heel and began to depart, leaving Kakashi to trail slightly behind me. Deciding that I was probably just caught up in the moment, I pushed those thoughts aside for now. I did think that I was dying, after all.

When we finally caught up with the rest of the group, Toshiro turned to me, flashing me big round ocean eyes. "Kaeda Sensei?"

"Hmm?" I urged him to continue.

He hesitated for a moment. "I… I just wanted to say thank you."

I was a bit surprised by Toshiro's sudden shyness, but I couldn't help but smile at him. The boy was always so polite, even when he had no reason to be. "No, Toshiro," I said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Thank you."