うみのイルカ

He'd trained his entire life to prepare for anything, even death. Or so he'd thought. One who pursued the line of Shinobi must work intimately with all sorts of horrors. Yet when twelve year old Umino Iruka found himself at the foot of a massive Demon taller than the mountain overseeing his home and more powerful than he could ever imagine something could be, he could not bring himself to even move to save himself from its slow approach. Such was the fear which bound him.

There was death everywhere, homes shattered, people crushed like insects on the once immaculate village streets. Spatters of blood and ashes, once human, could be seen on various surfaces.

Iruka had never been more terrified in his entire life, not even when his Genin scouting squad had been captured by a couple of Hidden Earth Shinobi. At least then, there had been hope. Hope of being rescued, of the innate humanity that might have existed within the hearts of their captors. But inside that massive beast shrouded in an aura of thick, almost palpable malice, there was no humanity

There was only evil.

And when this demon of evil, its jaws wide and grinning, had turned one of its hellish red eyes toward him, Iruka's legs had buckled under him. He'd thought on his life, thought on how little he'd accomplished, how much he'd wanted to grow up, to make friends. He'd thought on the present he was going to get for his mom for her birthday that was going to happen in two weeks. He'd thought of Hiyomi, the girl he had a crush on, and how he had always felt too shy to even talk to her, how he should have talked to her. Even just a hello would have done. None of that mattered now, none of it seemed real.

His thoughts went as quickly as they came, swallowed by an all-consuming fear. The eyes seemed to narrow in on him, tiny as he must seem to it. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He couldn't breath. Only the fear existed. The fear and the Demon itself, who was lumbering toward him with derisive leisure. Many Shinobi flanked it, doing everything they could to impede the destruction it wrought to everything around it. Iruka could even recognize one of the defenders. There was the assistant teacher at the academy, Chuunin-Shinobi Takeshi, drawing his long katana and plunging it deep into one of the Demon's massive arms. He was slapped like a mosquito, becoming a mere spot on the Demon's pelt. The katana's handle fell away, its blade seeming to disappear into the monster's flesh. Not even a mark remained on the spot where the academy teacher had thrown away his life to inflict damage upon.

Mr. Takeshi had died for nothing, as did many others.

And when Iruka, sitting in the streets right outside his home, watched his neighbor's house being crushed into splinters with Mrs. Hayakawa still huddling inside, he did not move. When those same paws swept through the streets right above his head, tearing through his favorite convenience store and its neighboring apartment complex, he wet himself but remained where he was. His attention was riveted on the monster looming above him, its red, slitted eyes glowing with a malicious joy as it raised its paws to finally free him from his nightmare.

And as he saw the claws swinging down, he finally shut his own eyes, welcoming the darkness, welcoming his death. Nothing happened. When he reluctantly opened his eyes again, minutes later, he had been carried far from the streets of his home. He had been taken to the outer perimeters of the village Forest. The Demon was no longer anywhere in sight, but he could still hear the sounds of its rampage. Its shrieking roar carried by the wind, rung in his ears. He could still feel its aura, and, from within the arms of his rescuer, Iruka felt hot tears stinging in his eyes. The relief which overwhelmed him was so strong he collapsed bonelessly and had to be held up.

"Iruka." His rescuer released him. It was his mother. Her birthday was going to be in two weeks. She was wearing her Chuunin jacket, and her voice sounded strange. It was then that Iruka finally noticed the blood coming out of her mouth. Her hands were cold and clammy as it held onto his shoulders. "Are you hurt?" She asked, as if unaware of her own condition.

"Mother?" He croaked out, the question in his voice demanding to know what was wrong as he stared at her and feared the worst.

"Iruka."

Iruka looked past his mother's shoulder to see his father regarding him solemnly.

"I'll take care of your mother. You need to head to the Eastern Forest. All the young ones are gathered there. It's where you'll be safe."

"No!" Iruka said, the urgency returning strength to his voice. He knew what they really meant to do. He wasn't stupid. "No way! I'll go with you. I'll protect you and mom. I'll-"

"CUT THE CRAP!"

Iruka balked, his voice trailing off into silence at his father's sudden flare of anger.

"Parents are supposed to protect their children!"

"But-"

"Get out of here!" His father bellowed.

Another roar cut through the air, one many times more vibrant than the one his father had just made. It ripped into his ears, and the fear returned. Fear not for himself this time, but for his parents. If they went, they would die. He knew they would die. They would only be stalling the Demon's time. After watching the thing destroy his home and everything around him, Iruka knew that the Demon was only playing along. The destruction and death, it was all a game. His parents would die for the Demon's amusement.

A new emotion bubbled in his belly, one which fought the fear fiercely. Anger, hurt, pain and hatred. A helpless fury grew in him, and he refused to leave. He would fight with his parents, he would protect his mother.

Bur before he could even open his mouth to refuse, a Shinobi, one he did not recognize but who must have been with them the entire time, grabbed him, held him down and then carried him away.

He could only watch as his mother wobbled to her feet, watch as she joined his father. A long gash ran down her back - a direct injury from the Demon's sharp claw, and he couldn't believe she was even standing. It was the last he saw of them before they headed off in the direction of the Demon which he now hated more than anything. He watched, he struggled, and he cried, screaming to be released. Screaming to be let go, to fight with his parents. To protect them.

"You need to survive." His captor said gruffly. "Don't trample on your parents' dying wish."

At his captor's words, Iruka's struggle diminished. So they knew. They knew the risk they were taking. They knew. Yet they still went. There was nothing he could do. His parents were going to die and there was nothing he could do. His home had been destroyed and there was nothing he could do.

A sob tore out of his throat as he began to cry in anguish. He cried at the loss of his parents, at the destruction of his home, and at his own helplessness. He cried for his neighbor and for the convenience store from which he used to buy ice cream. He cried for Mr. Takeshi, and lastly, he cried in self-pity, all the while praying to be woken from this nightmare reality where everyone died and everything is destroyed.