Chapter 29: Control Loss; Power
"Cr...oss," he manages out as I slide down his mask in order to help him breath. "It's good that I got to see you".
"What are you talking about? 'Got?' You make it sound like you're dying," I infer with denial mixed in.
The silver haired man lets a weak smile spread across his face as glazed over mismatched eyes look into my Mangekyou Sharingan orbs. "That's because I am dying, Cross".
"No," I tell him, tears springing to my eyes and overflowing, trailing down my cheeks. "Don't you dare say that. Not you too. Especially not you".
Kakashi sighs, "Stop denying the truth, Cross. You knew that there was a possibility of this happening".
"But that doesn't mean I didn't want it to happen," I blubber pathetically. "I love you! You can't leave".
"But I can," he tells me, a small chuckle coming from him. Still, he lets out a stuttering sigh, "It's a shame. I couldn't protect Rin no matter what I did. I wish I could have. Maybe she'd be alive and well by now". His eyes are unfocused as he says this. However as he pauses and looks to me, they focus again. "What's worse...I didn't get to ask you to marry me. I was going to do that once we had taken care of Pein once and for all".
My heart stops. He was...Going to ask me to marry him? From past lessons thanks to Yugao, I remember that marriage is the legal bonding of a man and a woman during which they become husband and wife. It's basically the human version of two animal mates marking one another. And it's supposed to only happen if you truly, honestly love the person you're going to marry. If Kakashi was going to ask me to marry him then...He wanted to be by my side for the rest of his life. He wanted me to be his mate, his lover, his best friend, the mother of his children...My tears practically drown me as I think this over. "Then ask me now," I whimper out hoping that by some miracle if he does this, then he'll suddenly have all his chakra back as though nothing had happened.
Kakashi's black and Sharingan eyes meet my Mangekyou Sharingan eyes again. One hand takes a hold of the hand that keeps him up against me. The other one takes my free hand and places it to his lips, kissing the backs of my fingers. "Cross...Will you...," however, he doesn't finish his last words. The light in his eyes dims too much for him to handle, and within seconds the light in his eyes is gone. There is no life; I feel no heart beat even as he meets my gaze but doesn't see me.
My world...Is blank. In the background is the sound of crashes and the sound of Rasenshurikens being thrown and connecting with various things. However, my mind doesn't register this. In fact, my entire body registers nothing. Not even the fact that my chakra is rising to visible levels is noticed. My world...Is blank. Kakashi is gone. Why would life be worth living? Why should I continue to live when the one person who matters most is gone? Sure I've got lots of other important people- Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke for example- but if Kakashi isn't around I just...Can't. I cant! Blank eyes stare at the sky and my mouth hangs constantly open. Sadness, sorrow, despair, woe, melancholy. My body begins to shake as tears continuously stream from my eyes. My world...Is blank. Even though I've had my head tilted back to the sky, I know nothing has been coming from my mouth. Until now. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" This is the only thing that comes from my mouth even as two people whose voices I know well come to me. Even though with a right mind I know exactly who they are...Right now...They are strangers.
"Cross? CROSS!" Sasuke calls out, hands on my shoulders. But my mind doesn't recognize it as Ssuke's. Instead he's just a stranger randomly touching me. "Shit! Itachi!" I hear.
My screaming stops, and slowly yet surely my sorrow is being replaced by anger. How...How dare...Pein take away the love of my life! How dare he?! I'll kill him. Fuck the whole 'revenge is nothing but a dead end' bull shit. I'm getting my revenge. Kakashi. "KAKASHIIIIIIIII!" I scream his name.
"What's going on?" I hear Itachi demand as my vision becomes red. As it does this, it's no longer Itachi there, but the very monster who took Kakashi from me.
"I don't know," Sasuke is also the monster who took Kakashi from me. Why are there two? I don't know. Nor do I care. All those who look like Pein need to die. That's all that's going on in my head right now. "I found her screaming...Kakashi's dead, Itachi".
My frame begins to shake, getting Sasuke-Pein's attention. "I'll kill you," I tell him, eyes locked on Sasuke-Pein, "You took him. You took him from me!" My skin burns like it's on fire; it hurts and yet at the same time it feels so very good. I can feel the amount of chakra that I emit on a regular basis and when I try my hardest grow. More and more chakra gathers around me until...Something snaps in me. That roof that had been keeping my potential down...It's broken through by some sort of beast. In my mind's eye, that roof that had once been holding me back is replaced by rubble and some sort of beast. That's the best I can describe it as. Its ears are long and pointed. Talons rest on its hands and claws on its toes, it bears long curved horns on its forehead, a long fur covered tail, and by the looks of things the fangs are much too big for the mouth. It is a silhouette against the sun above me, so I can't see any real feature other than those along with a pair of feathery wings. The only thing I really do see that's not those, is an inverted Mangekyou Sharingan staring at me. It offers me a taloned hand, eyes wide and savage but at the same time...Inviting. Curious, I reach forward with a simply clawed hand. I didn't figure I'd be able to reach the creature from the floor, but apparently in my mind, I can do anything. The moment my claws touch the creatures talons, everything turns black.
THIRD PERSON POV
What Sasuke and Itachi see as Cross jumps to her feet is something truly frightening. As Cross stands there, multiple things happen that neither Sasuke nor Itachi figured she could do. While they knew she could create something similar to Naruto's tailed beast cloak, they didn't know it could be so menacing. While normally looking like a bird when she uses Aoikassai: Jigokuen no Tori, this cloak of blue fire is something different. It frames her form, wings and all. On the cloak's forehead though is a pair of blue fire horns that dance like the rest of the cloak. If they thought her claws were long before, they'd have to correct themselves, as the bone claws that sprout from her wrists push more bone out, making the claws make the fingers three times longer than usual. A blue stripe runs along the center of each claw. On her toes, similar claws are formed, however they're no where near as long as her new talons. They're just long enough to be able to gouge open a throat if need be. Her ears, which are normally lightly tapered, become even more pointed, to the point that the tips are long and stick out from under hair and far from her head. From her spine sprouts a new tail, however this one is covered in black fur, blue fire dancing on the tuft at the end. Her fangs are longer to the point that they stick out of her mouth even with it closed. However seeing as her fangs are currently bared, they bite into her lower gums mercilessly, causing blood to drip down. Her Mangekyou Sharingan is inverted, making her irises black, and the pin wheel pupils red.
"Sasuke," Itachi states lowly as Cross's new form focuses on him, "I want you to back very...Slowly...Away...Very slowly now". His eyes are locked on Cross as she continues to mutter about killing Sasuke, claiming that it was he who killed Kakashi, not Pein. What's odd is...She's not under a genjutsu. Her eyes would have shown her that. The younger does as the older Uchiha says, keeping his eyes on the currently rather dangerous woman.
"I'll kill you...I'll kill you!" She snarls out over and over, slowly following Sasuke as he backs away. The anything left alive- plants, worms- beneath her clawed feet dies from the fire that surrounds her, and the earth becomes charred.
Itachi, worried for his little brother's well being takes a hold of the girl's attention, "Cross, snap out of it. It's Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha! We've done nothing to deserve this level of anger!"
Cross's head whips in Itachi's direction, "I'll kill you," is the only response he gets. Suddenly, her talon covered hands come together and begin to dance in the form of weaving handsigns. However it's not her fingers that cross over like they normally would. Instead, it's her talons.
"Shit...Itachi," Sasuke speaks up, "...We need to end this as soon as possible". The young man's eyes are wide and slightly frightened. He knows well what's going on. It's something Cross had learned to do during her time on the mission to kill Orochimaru. Whether the girl realizes it or not, she's a ninjutsu genius. While the fire is still not on par to Amaterasu, it is incredibly hot.
"I'll kill you..." Cross intercepts before Itachi can ask Sasuke to explain. The talons finish their weaving, "Shirokassai: Ten no Ikari!"
There is a rumbling of thunder above head, causing both Uchihas to look to the sky in wonder. However, neither of them should have. Cross takes that moment to rush forward and at Itachi at full speed. Inverted Mangekyou Sharingan eyes blazing with anger, Itachi only manages to see the back of her hand coming at his face. The only thing he can do is put up his arms to block. However this does little, as he's still sent flying to the side and crashing into the ground. There is another rumble of thunder, and then something happens. White...Balls of fire begin to crash to the ground, burning and obliterating everything in their path. It's not a small scale attack either, hitting the entire village and those that aren't fast enough to dodge.
"Itachi!" Sasuke calls for his older brother, worried for him as fire crashes onto the rubble that Itachi landed in. "ITACHI!"
"Hush Sasuke," Itachi states, thanking god that that had just been a clone, as he appears at the boy's side. "That was just a backhanded slap, and yet it obliterated my clone on contact". They move out of the way as a white fire meteor crashes down where they were once standing. "You're right. We do have to finish this rather quickly. Sasuke, we need to get her pinned down. I'll do the pinning since I have Susanoo, and that fire can't burn him. I need you to distract her until Susanoo is ready. Once I have her pinned, I should be able to get into her mind and figure out just what's going on".
Sasuke pulls Itachi out of the way, the man had been so busy planning and trying to figure out a way to get to Cross that he didn't see a meteor headed his way. "What if you can't get into her head?" He questions as they land out of the way.
"Then we try together. Susanoo won't hurt you if I tell him not to; you can enter him," is the simple answer, "Now go! We have little time to waste before she destroys the entire village or kills the both of us". Something he's sure she wouldn't be happy about at all.
Sasuke nods before heading for the woman, drawing the sword he had learned to use while under Orochimaru's wing. With Sharingan eyes blazing, he rushes for the Fallen Angel, sword now laced in lightning chakra. Sword clashes with fire laced talons on one hand. As Sasuke reaches down to grab a kunai, her tail wraps around him. And just like every other part of her body, it's covered in blue fire. Sasuke throws his head back and screams in pain. Then there's a foot colliding with his gut, pushing him away as her tail releases his wrist. His eyes go to the wrist that her tail had grabbed, a rather nasty sight. He winces as he looks at a bad second degree burn. All up his forearm are lacerations that quickly cover his arm in blood.
"Die! Shirokassai: Tengoku no Senbo!" Cross takes a deep breath before opening her jaws and letting white fire come from her as though she were a dragon.
Sasuke dodges this fire, only for his Sharingan to tell him that he needs to move again. His eyes widen as he sees that the stream of fire is...Following him! Son of a bitch. He grits his teeth before dodging again the fire, only for it to follow him again. And so a game of cat and mouse occurs. The fire envious as he has life and it does not. One more time he dodges, only to find himself getting punched in the gut by a fire laced hand. Upon contact the cutting attributes of the blue fire lash out at his stomach. He goes flying back, blood coming from his mouth not once, but twice. Once for when he was hit, and the second time when he makes contact with unforgiving rubble. He raises his blade to block the blue fire laced talons that come for his face. And, ignoring the pain that will come with touching her, a foot sends her flying away from him.
"Itachi! Are you ready yet?!" Sasuke demands, looking down at the leg that the wind attributes of the blue fire had done to it. That is, tearing up cloth and skin mercilessly. If Sasuke thought that the blue fire that Cross wielded was strong, then he was right. What he was wrong about it is that there actually is cutting attributes to it like that of wind. In his time as a Genin, he never really got to see Cross fight. He never saw the cuts that were crated by the wind attributes. So, when he did hear about the wind element that helps make up the blue fire, he didn't believe it- loving of his angel or not. No way could someone just naturally mix the two attributes before releasing one jutsu and then the other. It had to be a Kekkei Genkai. But when Cross stated that she had none, he decided that the fire just made it seem that there cuts on the victim. And that her affinity for fire was so strong, that it went over the abilities of an Uchiha's affinity for it- let alone his own. However as he looks down at his leg, he realizes that yes, there's definitely wind nature in there. And yes, Cross is doing this without a Kekkei Genkai in her system. Finally, yes, her affinity for fire is higher than an Uchiha's. Yet also, her affinity for wind is just as high. A perfect balance of the two? It's quite possible.
Itachi is silent and then, "Move Sasuke!" With simply just the rib cage and two arms about him, Itachi hopes that this is enough for him to take Cross down and pin her. He honestly hopes that he won't have to take to the full form of his Susanoo, because not only then would he be useless after words, but in this state Cross' urge to fight and harm could get her killed. As Itachi moves Sasuke out of the way by using one of Susanoo's hands to pull him out of the way, Cross' frame crashes where the younger Uchiha had once been. He pulls his little brother into Susanoo's body and places a hand on his shoulder. "Stay close to me," he tells him as he commands Susanoo's arms to lash out at Cross.
The Fallen Angel retaliates with a dome of white fire covering her person with nothing but a gesture. However, as the fire is transparent yet solid, they can see her talons crossing over and over one another in the form of signs. "Shirokassai: Tengoku no Hiai!" Much like three years ago, when Gaara had formed that ball of sand to protect himself, spikes of fire form on the side facing Itachi, Sasuke, and Itachi's Susanoo. With a sudden release of her hands, fingers and talons splayed, the spikes fire themselves at the Uchihas. However, Itachi isn't worried as the fire collides and does little to the incomplete Uchiha jutsu. It's not one of the strongest out there for nothing you know. Cross snarls in frustration as nothing really happens, and therefore takes to the air with a push of fire clad wings. A growl comes from her person, and again her talons weave. "Shirokassai: Tengoku no Fukushu!" The blue shroud is layered over by a white fire one. Much like Jigokuen no Tori, this baby is in the shape of a bird. However, it's much more solid looking. Looking like that of a white falcon, its wings are feathered by white fire, and a pair of eyes that glow a hot blue glares down with Cross at the boys and their chakra made human-esque creature. A growl comes from her, and wings furl before she begins to fall straight for the boys. As she does so, her body spins. Much like the drill beaked bird she fought earlier, her frame spins fast enough that she looks like a fire made drill. She comes in contact with a risen hand of Susanoo's. Upon contact, the spinning stops. And while her talons latch onto a thumb, the white falcon shroud's talons wrap around the entire hand. And then, when she realizes that she can't harm the thumb and that the fire isn't working fast enough for her liking, the jutsu is canceled. She lands low in a crouch before weaving her talons one more time. "Why won't you die?" And now she's crying even though she looks so savage. Both Uchihas agree that it's rather disturbing looking "Why? Either die or bring my Kakashi back! Your choice!" Her talons settle in an odd seal, which looks like half tiger half bird.
"Shit. Itachi, if you're going to catch her, you'd better do it now!" Sasuke tells his older brother. He'd never seen this jutsu, but he's seen the damage it can do. It's a terrifying sight, and something he never wants to be on the wrong side of.
"Daten-shi no Kassai:-" She's cut off as suddenly two hands grab her wrists and separate her hands. Another hand pins her wings down while the last hand holds her head in place.
Itachi walks forward from within Susanoo, his body tired and sore. Sure, unlike Sasuke he hasn't been thrashed around. However, Susanoo is hard on his farm to keep up. It is for any Uchiha. His eyes look down to the inverted Mangekyou Sharingan before him, and he crouches over her, protected by Susano's being. "I'm sorry for this, Cross" he tells her, "Tsukiyomi!" However, when normally he's brought into his own genjutsu to mess with his victim, nothing happens even as he tries again. His brows furrow. Why won't it work? His her mind so focused on Kakashi that it's not registering the genjutsu? Is that even possible? He looks over his shoulder. He doesn't have enough chakra to do this- and Tsukiyomi again. "Sasuke. Henge into Kakashi. Make sure you're battered and beaten, and that you look tired. Make sure you're a perfect copy".
"What?" Sasuke's brows furrow, "Why?"
"I think her mind is so focused on Kakashi, that something- I don't know what- isn't allowing me to use Tsukiyomi on her," the older Uchiha answers.
Sasuke doesn't understand, but doesn't fight nor question the older sibling. Instead, there's a poof of smoke, and standing there in his place is a very worn out, very tired Kakashi. His hair is messed up, his clothing ripped and torn, blood here and there, he even holds himself tiredly. In essence, becoming the perfect copy of Kakashi was easy as pie for the younger Uchiha thanks to his Sharingan. Unknown to all but himself the only reason why he's able to pull off Kakashi's lower face, structure wise, is due to the fact that he now knows what it looks like, having found Kakashi's body not long before Cross went crazy. Catching on to what his brother wants, he walks forward, and kneels directly next to Cross, Susanoo protecting him. "Cross...Cross," he calls, aiming to get her attention.
Cross, whom had been thrashing as best as she could, stops her nonsense upon hearing Kakashi's voice. Her inverted Mangekyou Sharingan eyes latch onto the silver haired man's form, and widen. "K-Kakashi?" He looks exactly the way she left him after he died. Battered and beaten and tired, mask down, hair mused, the whole of it.
"Cross," Sasuke-Kakashi tells her, "I need you to calm down. Calm down for me; you're going to hurt yourself if you keep on going like this".
"But...But Kakashi I thought you were gone! You left me alone! You died!" Cross insists.
Sasuke-Kakashi offers the woman a smile, and brings his frame closer to her own, gently hovering over her frame and placing a hand on her cheek, "I'm okay now. Tired, but okay; medical shinobi found me thanks to Itachi and Sasuke; you owe them one. Now...I need you to calm down. Take away the fire. Return to normal; you're not you when you're like this".
"How can I know you're not Pein trying to confuse me?" Cross's brows furrow.
"Pein is off fighting Naruto and the others. Naruto came back from his training; you'd be proud of him really. He's gotten so strong in such little time," Sasuke-Kakashi answers.
As Sasuke works his magic, Itachi can't help but wonder just how his younger brother is pulling his off so perfectly. The look of love in his eyes as Kakashi...It's so real. Most shinobi can't produce that look as well as Sasuke's managing to do so at the moment. Wait...Don't tell him...Sasuke is still in love with her? Itachi sighs. Why? Why is his little brother so suck on a woman whom has found the love of her life? He doesn't want his brother to suffer heart break and yet...Here he is, playing to be the man he wishes he was. Itachi mentally sighs.
Cross looks to the side, only for her attention to be taken back by Kakashi, "You can say 'hi' when he's done and when you're back to normal. Right now I need you to take away the fire, and relax. Relax, Cross". Slowly, the tenseness in her body fades, fangs going back to regular length, Mangekyou orbs returning to Sharingan and then black. Talons turn back into claws, and then sheathe themselves. The last things to go are the horns, the length of her ears, the claws on her toes and the fire.
When the fire is gone, she reaches up a hand and places it on Sasuke-Kakashi's cheek, which a battered hand presses closer to him. "Come here," Cross commands, using her other hand to lay on the back of his head and bring his face to hers. Their lips touch in a loving kiss, before separating. "I love you, Kakashi".
Sasuke-Kakashi is silent for a moment, and Itachi can understand why, "I love you too, Cross. You don't know how much I do".
A smile spreads across her face and the hand that's still on her cheek rubs a thumb there, "I have a good idea," she tells him. "Where's Sasuke and Itachi?"
"Sasuke is getting medical attention, he did most of the fighting against you so you wouldn't hurt yourself or anyone else more than you did. You did a decent number on him," Sasuke-Kakashi tells her. "But Itachi is here, why don't you say 'hi'?"
Cross nods and looks to Itachi, whom by now has released his hold on Susanoo once the fire was gone. The oldest Uchiha offers a smile to the Fallen Angel as she returns one, "Hey Itachi".
"Hey Cross," Itachi greets. As they meet gazes, he places a hand on her shoulder, "Tsukiyomi". Before she can realize what's going on, she only has time for her black eyes to widen and her jaw to open before she slumps back to the ground where she's been laying. It's then that Sasuke releases the Henge with a sigh. Itachi looks to his younger brother and places a hand on his shoulder, "You hurt yourself too much".
"I love her," Sasuke tells him, "Even if that means that I can't have her, I want her to be happy. I realized this during our mission together. But... I want her so badly...So very badly, Itachi, that it hurts every time I see her and Kakashi close. Even with the resolve I have, it hurts".
"It'll always hurt, until you realize that there is a woman that's meant just for you, Sasuke. And when you find her, you'll realize that Cross wasn't the one for you. You'll see". Itachi assures before picking up Sasuke's frame. "Let's go see if we can't put her somewhere where she'll be safe. I did a real good number on her, so she'll be out of it for a good while.