Chapter 20

Toga felt like he was flying. Unmoved and still as he felt like he was floating on clouds, high above the sky. All he could see was darkness, as an alluring light was always in the distance. He felt calmed every time he looked at the light, it's presence calmed him, making sure he wanted to stay.

"Toga," he kept on hearing this sweet voice call out to him, "Toga." For some reason though, he didn't go towards the light. He stayed in that familiar darkness, waiting for something, somewhere to bring him back to be in the land of the living.

Toga's still body lay with a pale white sheet draped over, iv tubes going in and out him, a breathing tube shoved down his throat, barely keeping him alive, as a man sat staring at him. His tired eyes made his face seemed old, as he just looked sadly at his son's lifeless body. The disinfectant began to become on the nose as he stared blankly at it

He could tell his son was fighting, fighting with everything he had, but was it just him being selfish, trying to keep his son alive when maybe there wasn't a chance to keep him. He had two choices, that were tearing him apart.

"Um… Mr Hitachiin," he barely heard the nurse standing in the doorway say as he looked groggily up at her. It must of been late, the hours had ticked by as normal. Time was never on his side.

"Yes," he said with whatever dignity he could do as the nurse bowed. "What is it?"

"Would you like a cup of tea?" the nurse said kindly, "Perhaps go home and get some rest. Some of the nurses can watch over your son, if you are so worried about him."

He ran a hand through his hair as he yawned. He was tired, these last few days had taken their toll, after hearing the news of his son he had rushed to the hospital then hadn't of left since. Any moment he could wake up, or his heart stopped beating. He was determined to see either one.

"No, I am fine. Thankyou for asking," the nurse walked off as tears began to threaten to spill over again. Wiping them away, he continued staring at his son. Waiting for a miracle to happen.

Kakashi and Takashi sighed as they laid draped over each in other in their bed. They liked being together comfortably like that as they embraced each other in warmth.

"I am so tired," Takashi said as he started to snuggle into Kakashi's chest, wanting to feel the warmth as they felt part of their bond broken by Toga. He was gone, fighting for his life as they were just lying there, not knowing whether he might win. Kakashi stroked his hair as he looked out the window, the trees swaying gently as if all was calm in this world.

"I am sorry," Kakashi said. Takashi looked stunned as he rolled off his brother, and sat beside Kakashi. Kakashi looked away quickly, trying to avoid eye contact as Takashi stared with content at him.

"Why are you sorry? It wasn't your fault," Takashi reminded him as he could see tears in his older brother's eyes.

"If I didn't let him go… If…" Kakashi covered his face with his hands, "I saw terrible things… Mr Rito…"

"Older brother, please stop before you hurt yourself even more," Takashi's soothing voice said as he took his older brother's hands and held them together over his own. "You I and miss Toga, but we just have to keep going like good older brothers do. They are going to find Mr Rito before he hurts anyone else, so please stop hurting yourself over what happened with Toga. Please."

Kakashi rolled over on his side as Takashi got off the bed and walked over to his own bed, as he slipped under the covers he heard Kakashi's snores. Takashi smiled as he was lulled into sleep.

Juniper sighed as he put the last rose petal on the old man's old wooden oak coffin. The beauty of death use to allure him, every blemish, every scar, every fault wiped clean by a single natural occurrence. That what Juniper use to love. But now, what did it leave him? An empty house, that only someone who doctors would declare mad to have, as it filled with the dead. But family, friends, it didn't occur to him.

His business was about to be sold to hungry mongrels who couldn't give a damn about the corpse that would go into their funeral parlour. It angered Juniper, he wanted to be happy with his life. Now he had more top priorities in his mind. Priorities that over stayed anything they could throw at him.

"Juniper… The Undertaker," Juniper stood still, stunned and shocked as he slowly turned around. Mr Rito was behind him, a large blade in his hand as Juniper backed slowly at the sight of it. "How it has only been a couple of days ago you trusted me."

"You are nothing but the annoying teacher I had for roll call," Juniper spat at him. "What the hell do you want?"

"It doesn't matter truly, all I want… Is a record," Mr Rito smiled as he took a step closer, Juniper began to panic. This man was insane, Ichigo had looked up his file, it had been covered, changed. Make him look like a different person.

"I have done my research into Mr… Haruka Rito's file. The government has been hiding things that they don't wish other people to see." Ichigo said with regret as he showed Juniper the file. They were in The Host Club room, alone. Juniper has sat down while Ichigo explained everything he knowed about Mr Rito. "His name is Haruka Rito, but he was declared insane. He escaped the high security mental hospital."

"Why would he come here? Become a teacher then…" Juniper head started to spin at the realisation. "Did the Principal orchestrate this?"

Ichigo sighed as he opened up another file on the table. "Haruko Rito, use to belong to the Ootori Police. He served as he was trained, one day. His reality snapped they said. Before he escaped, drugs like Clozarill, Aripiprazole etc was used."

"Anti-psychotic drugs?" Juniper said stunned. "How the hell did an insane psychiatric patient with a history of serving under the Ootori Police. Escape a mental asylum, become a teacher at a private academy? It makes no sense."

"It might not, but back in the day. Haruka was known to be…. Out of sorts."

"Out of sorts?" Juniper raised an eyebrow.

"He said he could read people's mind, he could make people see another person's pain. They labelled it, another form of his… conditions… But with Kakashi's account of it…. Perhaps, it might be true."

"So now what…"

"Just try not to contact him in anyway shape or form please, before…"

Juniper's mind went blank as he felt a sharp pain in the lower half of his body. Juniper looked up to see a smile on Haruka's face as Haruka retreated the bloodied blade and put it back in it's pocket. Juniper coughed up blood on his hand as he stumbled, crashing into what was the old man's coffin. Hurt and in pain he tried to struggle with him, but it failed. Haruka subdued him easy as Haruka picked up Juniper by the throat and smashed him into the wall.

"A man who courted death, is about to join those he served," Haruka laughed as Juniper choked out in pure agony. The lack of oxygen began burning his lungs as he tried getting out of it, but the grip was too tight.

"Indeed, death has always been on my mind. The thought of joining it… it tempting, but I have to refuse your offer," Juniper choked out as he raised his fist, as swiped Haruka's face. Haruka roared, tightening his grip as Juniper could see the lines of his reality fading.

'I am going to die,' Tears formed as the words ran through his mind. 'No, please… No…. I don't want to die. I have never wanted to die.'

"I wonder whether that worthless son of yours will ever cry for Daddy," Juniper's vision began to fail as the last of the breath in his lungs began to leave. Juniper reached out his hand in one last desperate attempt, only to be knocked away by Haruka. Haruka was drinking this in, drinking all of his pain and suffering, it was intoxicating.

"I… am…sorry…Keeto…"

Juniper slumped, tears had fallen on the floor as Haruka released his grip, letting Juniper's body slump to the floor as he heard the phone ring. Haruka shrugged as he went to the office, stacks of paperwork lined up and over the place as he heard a ding.

"Juniper, please pick up," He heard the Ootori brat say. "It is about Haruka. He is loose in your area, he might go after Sakura. Please… pick up."

He didn't know whether it was out of amusement or delight as he picked up to hear Ichigo heave a sigh of relief.

"Juniper…Where is Sakura?"

"It isn't Juniper, he is kind of…dead from what I can tell," Haruka looked and smiled at the sight of Juniper's body. "Though, I guess your fancy hospital staff could always revive him. but I would get here soon if I was you. Time is running out."

"You bastard!" Ichigo shouted as Haruka clucked his tongue.

"Thankyou for the suggestion though. I'm after all of you next."

'You can't do that,' a voice inside his head told him. 'They will kill you for this.' Haruka hanged up as he walked out of the front door, trailing into the back alleyways. 'Why did you kill him? He didn't deserve to die.'

"Shut up!" Haruka yelled covering his ears. The voice laughed at him, he cowered in pure fear.

'I took over you for the short time you wanted it. Now you just have to listen, don't you?' Haruka banged his head against the hard brick wall, blood trickling down as he ran into the back alleyway streets, trying to ignore the voice in his head.

"13… Why did you use him?" 7 mocked from afar, as they both laughed. Pain, suffering was their way of life after all. "He was declared insane by the mortals."

"We needed to get rid of the Manager. Time to clean up," 13 said as it walked off, leaving 7 behind to clean up the mess, at the house of the Undertaker.

End of Chapter

Hoped you enjoyed that chapter. Please R&R