A/N: Last chapter of 2023! Happy new year! Great way to send off the year bc this is without a doubt the best chp of SWaB so far, character wise. No fighting at all but you'll be getting plenty of that in 2024 :)

ϟ—Chapter Twenty-three —The Weight of Death—ϟ

Another day ended, and again, Ka'rai and Fuu were walking under the sunset toward the hotel. Fuu was entranced entirely by the setting sun, the burning orange that the sun painted the clouds, the deep purple of the sky, the dying light, the reflection of white on the moon behind them.

It was the most beautiful thing to her.

"I think daytime is better," muttered Ka'rai slyly.

Fuu grinned. "Yeah! Daytime is really fucking pretty too! What I really hate is that I get really tired at nightime! I just wanna stay awake forever and live in the sky. Do you get something like that? When something is dead do you just wanna be around it? How do you feel in graveyards?"

"Uh…" Ka'rai cleared his throat. "Well, uh, I don't really… spend a lot of time around dead things."

"But your domain is death? You need to learn to appreciate it if you're going to be a good Jinchuriki. Me and Nanabi talk about how amazing the sky is all the time!"

Slowly, Ka'rai blinked. "Uh… but… I can't really just kill fifty people whenever I feel like it."

"Who's stopping you?"

"I don't wanna make Hane sad."

"If she's holding you back then just leave her dude. You'd be a lot cooler as a mass murder I'd think."

Ka'rai couldn't even respond to that. He was offended, shocked. He didn't even know how to process that sentence… Instead, he let out a sigh.

The silence made Fuu gulp. "Did I say something bad?"

"Yes."

"Oh… Sorry, I guess."

"It's fine," dismissed Ka'rai. From there, they walked to the hotel in silence. Once they reached it, Ka'rai walked forward to open the door. Fuu stayed right where she was. He looked back with a raised brow.

"I wanna appreciate the night. Hopefully I don't get tired too soon…"

Ka'rai's smile was light. "Alright, well, goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" In a blur, Fuu grew her tail and two wings before buzzing into the sky.

After walking into the hotel, he took in the cool, conditioned air. Artificial air always smelled weird to him. He could never put his finger on it but it just did. Well, he ignored it, stepping up the many flights of stairs to the top floor.

Immediately, he was greeted by Kay. She smiled and waved. Without thinking, he waved back.

"Hey, Ka'rai…"

"Hi…" he greeted back, quieter than he intended. Clearing his throat, he said, "Hi!" with all the bass he was used to.

Kay laughed, sighing afterward. Her smile remained but it was joined by a more serious—sincere look.. "About what happened, and about your apology…"

Ka'rai couldn't hold back his wince. Oh no.

"I forgive you."

Oh yay! This time, he couldn't hold back his smile.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain why you shouldn't do that again. But, I would love it if we're to stay friends, y'know." She faced him in her entirety with her arms crossed. It was calm, stern.

With his arms flung behind his head he chuckled. "Yeah… I won't! I really won't do it again. I swear. I've grown and changed from the man I was two weeks ago."

Kay chuckled. "Good…"

"And I really wanna stay friends with you, too. You're really great." Ka'rai grinned harder.

Kay stuck out her hand, a handshake. With a chuckle Ka'rai grabbed her hand and shook it in kind. A large part of him wanted to yank her into a hug, but since he just earned her forgiveness, he didn't want to push his luck.

With a nod, Kay walked off. "Get some rest Ka'rai."

"Believe me, I will!" he assured before walking in the opposite direction where he and Hane stayed. Of course as he opened the door, his lovely lovely most beautiful gorgeous girlfriend was waiting for him there.

She was reading that new volume of Bonesaw Man, still. "I thought you would've finished by now," commented Ka'rai as he closed and locked the door.

Hane chucked, laid out in the bed in half-buttoned pajamas. The pillows made a sort of fort of supreme comfort around her. "I got a bit scared after Gaara came to visit."

"Right…" Ka'rai let out a sigh. "Gaara."

"How did that go?" she asked, brown eyes stirring like coffee as she stared him down. Her manga was closed, all attention was squarely on him.

Ka'rai managed a smile, taking off his headband and throwing it on the nightstand as he walked over. "Not… that bad, actually."

"Really?!" she gasped—her face lit up like a lamp with a grin. Seeing it made Ka'rai's smile grow as he nodded in affirmation. Hane let out a relieved breath, like she'd been holding it for hours. "That is… so great to hear."

"Why'd you send him after me?" asked Ka'rai, sitting on the bed next to her.

Hane pushed him off the bed. "Bathe before you use the bed. There's a chair right there if you want to sit."

Instead, Ka'rai laid himself out on the floor. "Why'd you send Gaara after me?"

"He asked me where you were. I know you beat him once, and that both Naruto and Fuu were there, so I was very sure that nothing bad would happen. Plus, I could sense that he was different," explained Hane, still laying on the bed. Neither of them could see the other.

Ka'rai nodded slowly. "Uh huh…" He yawned. "Well, you're right. He just talked… turned out that he was just really fucked up. Like, his dad was constantly trying to kill him, and Shukaku never let him sleep.

"His experience as a Jinchuriki was really bad… so he killed people as like a coping thing. He calls it 'proving his existence.'"

"...Wow." Hane let out a breath. "That really is fucked up."

"I know, right?! Afterward, we had a fatal four way Bijuu meeting. Nibi, Shukaku, Nanabi, and Kyuubi all together. With the way the Bijuu talk to each other, you can really tell that they're siblings! Well, not that I'd know, don't have any of those. But, I've seen Naruto and Shinrai talk, and the Bijuu talk just like that!"

Hane giggled. "Aww, that's… cute, surprisingly. I never thought I'd call a Bijuu cute in any way…"

Nibi rustled her chakra and Ka'rai's seal rumbled. "Nibi didn't like that."

"Sorry!"

Nibi didn't respond.

"I think you made her mad."

Hane gulped. "Make sure you don't let her take control around me…"

"I'd never do that," said Ka'rai with no hesitation whatsoever. His tone was hard like steel.

Hane giggled, a bit uncomfortably. "Of course…" The bed squeaked as Hane hung off the bed upside down. Her blonde hair splayed across the carpeted floor while her face started to turn red from the increased blood flow. "Rai-rai, go clean yourself off, then when you come back… let's make tonight our best one."

"Oh…" Ka'rai giggled as a tingle danced throughout his body. "But, isn't the last one supposed to be the best?"

"Yeah, but… tomorrow's gonna be a little…" Hane sighed. "Let's just have as much fun as possible tonight."

Ka'rai shrugged before standing. "Well, I'll make sure I'm extra clean then."

Hane pulled herself upright and smiled at Ka'rai. "Good."

Ka'rai smiled back, and walked to the bathroom giggling like an utter madman.

⁑ —ϟ— ⁑

Night passed, Ka'rai wish it didn't… he officially had a tie for the new best day of his life. After night passed, morning rose. He and Hane woke up in each other's arms, not wearing a damn thing. It was about eight A.M.

With her groggy, satisfied eyes, Hane said, "Take off your face-paint…"

"Why," of course he asked.

Hane yawned. "We're going somewhere… it'll make you less recognizable."

"Okay?" he agreed, but he didn't necessarily enjoy it.

They got out of bed, and for the first time in what felt like forever he saw the pure brown of his face, unobstructed. It was… weird. When was the last time he saw his face? He genuinely could not remember. There was never a reason for Ka'rai to remove his face-paint. It was cleaned alongside his face whenever he washed it, and it wasn't like dust and dirt could get under it.

But now he did, all because Hane wanted him to do it. That reminded him of what Gaara said, well, asked. Why listen to someone weak when you're so strong?

That was because he cared about her so much. She was strong too. She was so kind, so happy, she made him think, she made him be better. Who he would be without her… scared him. Ka'rai could've easily ended up like how Gaara used to be. What was worse was that he didn't even have a good reason to.

He just liked to fight.

He enjoyed dominating and being a Shinobi… being strong.

It was almost to the point where he looked over everyone else who wasn't like him.

Not Hane… definitely not Hane.

Where it mattered, really… she was stronger than he could dream of being.

He looked over to her, smiling, mesmerized by her face, by her everything. There wasn't even the smallest part of her that he'd give up.

He couldn't help but say… "I love you, Hane."

She choked on the toothpaste in her mouth. After a coughing fit and Ka'rai hitting her back to help, Hane was able to breathe again. A quick helping of Jinsei later, and the burn of liquid going down the wrong pipe was dismissed.

"Sorry—" spattered Ka'rai.

Instead of accepting his apology, Hane wrapped her arms around Ka'rai, above his shoulders. Sheer joy was exuded into him, all from her. So much emotion, so much elation… it was why he expected her to say, "I love you, too, Ka'rai."

His face hurt from how hard he smiled. He held Hane around her torso and squeezed as hard as he could—without hurting her, of course. Holding each other like this was the most beautiful thing in the world to him. Her chest fell and rose against his in sync. When she breathed in, he breathed out, when he inhaled, she exhaled. Total opposites and yet they were in perfect harmony.

Wherever they made contact, skin to skin, he could feel her pulse. Her heart. Her beautiful bleeding heart. Ka'rai grabbed her back and squeezed just a bit harder, to feel it more.

One day, her heart will stop beating. You'll live to see that day, more than likely.

Shivers and cold overtook him, his grip loosened on her. Hane pulled back to look him in the eyes. Only Hane could see the tremble in his pupils. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Nibi said something fucked up…" he attempted to snarl… he was too scared to be angry.

"What did she say?"

Ka'rai shook his head. "No. I won't say it."

Don't run away from the truth, Ka'rai.

Again, Ka'rai shook his head—this time harder. "Where are we going?"

Hane kept her hands on his shoulders, massaging them soothingly. "To a funeral."

"What?" Ka'rai's brows furrowed.

"To Tenten's funeral."

Ka'rai's heart churned in his chest. Nibi… she seemed really satisfied. "Why?" Pain was palpable in the crack of his voice.

Hane winced, but kept eye contact with him. "To pay our respects. That's why I asked you to take off your face paint, I don't think things would end well if you were recognized."

"Makes sense…" No part of Ka'rai wanted to go. None at all. But if Hane wanted it… then he couldn't really refuse. The rest of the time they used to prepare themselves was a whole lot heavier.

The sun outside was still rising, but Ka'rai couldn't help but see the sunset in it.

It was around ten when they set off. Hane had a black dress. It was the first time he ever saw her in one. To take his mind off of the inevitable, he admired her beauty. Hair like the sun, dressed in the colors of night. The bouquet in her arms were flowers of all blue and white… reminding him of himself.

All he had was a black hoodie, to hide his hair. That also would've been a recognizable trait he needed to hide. No face paint, no red hair, he was just another nobody. To the naked eye, at least… a sensor would point him out immediately.

Of course where the funeral took place had to be close to the hotel. Just a five minute walk. The weather didn't make it seem like a funeral, since Fuu cleared out the sky. Sun, sun, and more sun.

Despite the supposed good mood of the sun… everyone was crying tears of a thunderstorm. Rows and rows of people were sat in front of three altars. A three-way funeral… Tenten, the girl that he killed, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi, the two that Clowui killed. He could've swore that she said three, but maybe his memory was bad.

Both he and Hane found it wise to stay in the back, standing just ahead of the entrance. From there, he could see everything. The people sobbing. Friends, family, comrades. That was why Naruto was there, Shinrai too, as well as Miya, and all of the other Konoha Genin he saw at the Chunin Exams.

Neji and his team were there, too.

Ka'rai needed to hold Hane's hand. Everything was just so heavy. He looked at the people sobbing in front of Tenten's altar. They were hurt because of him. He hurt all of them. He took someone away from them and they'd never come back.

What if someone did that to him? How would he feel?

Ka'rai was too deep in his thoughts to notice the trembling of his frame, the sting of tears in his eyes.

He was a Shinobi, it was part of his job to do this. Tenten, she was the first person he killed, personally. He didn't doubt for a second that when he blew up Orochimaru's base, more than a couple of people died.

Did they have families too? Did they have people crying over them?

Well of course, he didn't think twice about it.

Kinbo, when they fought the second time, he talked like he took someone away from him. Shinrai was protective over that soul in his blade, whoever she was. Was Kinbo the same? Did Kinbo have someone important that he took away?

Did Kinbo truly deserve to die?

He was a murderer, of course he did. There were so many people that he killed, it was only a matter of time before he got what was coming to him.

But, Tenten, did she deserve to die?

As he looked at her family, her friends… the answer was more than obvious.

She didn't.

She didn't at all.

Tenten deserved to live so she could make the people around her happier, make their lives better. Now, she never could again.

It was all his fault.

In two weeks, it would all be his fault all over again. He had to blow up the Chunin Exams stadium. Kill hundreds—maybe a thousand innocent people. They didn't deserve it, not at all. There was no way in hell Shinrai was strong enough to stop him either.

Hane sighed, taking her hand out of Ka'rai's. "I'm not going to make you go up, okay?"

He could barely nod—he could barely stand. Hane winced. "I won't take too long." She set off with the flowers of white and blue.

Ka'rai knew why Hane didn't make him go up. It was because he wasn't strong enough. He agreed entirely. He wasn't, he wasn't at all.

That was why all he could do was cry. futilely wipe away the tears as they came. The grief, the death imminent was barely even a taste to what he was going to cause. This village was going to be destroyed entirely.

So many people. They would all die.

This is the weight of death, Ka'rai. You Shinobi don't understand it in the slightest.

All that made him sob harder.

He just wanted to go home.

He missed mama.

⁑ —ϟ— ⁑

The midnight before the invasion. It was the best possible chance for her to steal from Konoha's Treasury. Kay spent the past month painstakingly mapping out everything in order to find it, and know every single little thing about how and when it was guarded. A night before a gigantic event such as the Chunin Exam finals made it so it was that little bit less guarded.

To an ANBU like her, it made little difference.

Cloaked inconspicuously with her ANBU mask of noon, under a transformation to hide even that… nobody would've thought twice as she walked toward a building, no windows, a metal door surrounded by walls of concrete. It was unlabeled and seemingly unguarded. Even a fool would know that was a lie.

Keeping one of the most important buildings looking entirely innocent was a smart tactic, she had to admit. However, she was smarter.

A flicker and she was by the concrete. With her Earth Style, she sensed for any foreign chakra, anything to trip. She knew where there was and wasn't already, better safe than sorry.

Another flicker and she had to dodge a blade.

Immediately, she identified her attacker as Hayate, the Chunin Exams proctor.

He was never here? What the hell is going on?!

"I know your game, you Kumo dog," spat Hayate, eyes narrowing as his grip on the blade tightened. "Your invasion is going to fail."

His words rang through her like a cracked bell. What. Immediately, she went in to attack. Hayate didn't hesitate to defend. The moment his blade clashed with her mace, Kay brought them sixty feet underground. In a pitch chasm of her making, Kay had the advantage.

No light. Neither of them could see. However, with her chakra, Kay could feel every vibration in her chasm. Her steps were dead silent. It didn't take more than thirty seconds for Kay to crush Hayate's skull.

He was dead.

Kay shut the chasm in its entirety, besides the spot where she resided. Hayate's corpse was one with dirt. How the hell do they know?! The situation was dire—everything was falling apart. Staying underground, she moved to where the rest of Kumo was.

The plan was leaked.

The invasion was leaked.

All Kay could think was, who?

⁑ —ϟ— ⁑

Over the past two weeks, Hane had to hug Ka'rai a lot. Of course, he forced himself to smile as much as he could. He wanted to make the time he had with Naruto mean something. Shinrai was too busy getting ready to fight him to really spend time with him.

Naruto was getting better and better at using Kyuubi's chakra. That just made Yugito angrier and angrier. He was helping an enemy, he understood. He couldn't bring himself to care. Yugito did, obviously. Ka'rai couldn't remember the last time his head didn't hurt.

All that weighed on his mind was death. He was gonna kill so many people. So many more people were going to die because of Kumo. It didn't feel right. It felt so wrong—it was so wrong…

What did death even mean?

Well, he had the answer inside of him.

That evening, the end of the final day before the invasion, he didn't go back to the hotel. Mimicking Fuu, he looked at the sunset. The sun set on a day he'll never get back, time he'll never be able to use again. One step closer to Hane's death, mama's death, his death.

When he closed his eyes it didn't go black. Brightness of the sun itself surrounded him in golden sheets. Yugito was the first to greet him. Pools of water cracked the solid light all over. She didn't face him. She just sat in her pond, away from Nibi and away from him.

Nibi was behind him, he could feel the heat of her fire and the chill of her presence. Ka'rai turned to face her, walking to the cage of light she was sealed in. Nibi's head tilted curiously as Ka'rai sat with his legs crossed.

"You said… that Shinobi don't understand the weight of death," Ka'rai said, grasping his knees with his hands. "I want—need to understand."

Nibi was silent at first. Cobalt blue curled with amusement. Yellow and green glowed hollow, empty. "In order to appreciate death, you need to understand that life is meaningless."

"What?" spattered Ka'rai. He wanted to say that was bullshit, but instead he said, "That… I don't get it."

"Of course you don't," spat Nibi. "Death is the only permanence that exists. The only guarantee is that all will cease to exist one day. Even I and my siblings… though that day is incomprehensibly far. We will cease to exist when this world does… when Kaguya finally decides to give up."

"Who's Kaguya?" asked Ka'rai.

"Life is tied to her, all of existence was created by her. She is the fool who keeps everything alive," Nibi almost snarled. Her flames clenched like fists damning the world… all to keep her in control.

"Life is the suffering you endure to earn your death. Death… is peace, if you live correctly. If you do, you go to the Pure Lands and frolic for eternity. If you live incorrectly then you have your bastardized soul destroyed in Hell."

"If life is meaningless, then why does it matter so much to how you die?" asked Ka'rai.

Her hollow eyes simmered, a subtle glare. "That is how the cycle works."

"So, you think life should have no meaning?"

"I know life has no meaning," corrected Nibi, her glare becoming less subtle.

Ka'rai shivered, but with a hardened gaze he stood his ground. "Why not? Life has… so much good."

"Like what?"

"Love, I love Mama and Hane, different ways… but I think that makes it better. I can't fight when I'm dead, fighting is so much fun. Death… it's just nothing."

"Is that not peace? You're agonizing over the struggles of life. You're confronting the despicable nature that you humans bastardized the lives you're burdened with. There is no suffering in death."

"Doesn't that mean there's no happiness in it either?"

"And that matters because?"

"Because even with all of the bad… I'm still happy. I have Hane, I have mama, Kay, Yowui, Cirru… all of them." Ka'rai's fists clenched harder over his knees. "I have so much to stay alive for, I'd die before agreeing that all I've done is meaningless!

"Death… death is just empty. Life is so full."

"Is that what you think?" asked Nibi. She stood. She walked closer, slowly pressing her head against the bars. Cold flames of Yuurei sent chills down Ka'rai's spine, over his skin, into his core. "And what will you do when it's gone? All you live for?"

"It'll never disappear!" exclaimed Ka'rai—burning in his eyes, light in his mindscape.

"You're avoiding the question," snarled Nibi. Yuurei churned colder. The gold of his mindscape was overcome by black—fire as black as night. "Answer me."

"It's a question that'll never have to be answered," spat Ka'rai, clenching harder on himself as he shivered.

"Naruto, he likely thinks the same thing… and yet… what's going to happen to him? All because of you?"

Golden light blew back the flames of black as Ka'rai growled. "I won't let it happen to him either! Life will never be meaningless! There's a reason why everyone fights against death, why people are scared to die—"

"Are you scared?" questioned Nibi—furious white flames burned from her mouth. "Do you fear death just as the rest of your wretched Uzumaki Clan? They were so obsessed with life, that the end of it was their hell personified.

"It was their obsession with the meaningless that led to the destruction of this world, that which is the closest thing to eternal." Nibi pressed harder against the bars of light, sealing formulas appeared, holding her back. "Do you dare have the same fear, the same obsession that was the catalyst of the world you're trying to desperately to rebuild? Answer me, Ka'rai Uzumaki."

The Uzumaki stood, approaching Nibi. "I don't. I love life, I wouldn't give it up, I never will. I respect death, I respect you, Nibi." Ka'rai's eyes met with the Bijuu's.

Nibi snarled in response. "Mere respect isn't enough. You must revere death to truly understand it."

"Why?" asked Ka'rai, tilting his head. "Why would I revere nothing?"

Nibi outwardly growled, anger palpable as the blue of her cloak burned white like Hell given life. Deafening roars of fire blew Ka'rai back from the sheer sound. It didn't even feel hot, it was pure destructive force.

"So, that's Izanyomi, eh?" asked Ka'rai with a chuckle, watching Nibi return to her regular cobalt blue. "I expected it to be hotter."

Nibi only glared directly at him. Ka'rai turned his back, staring into the endless golden void of his mind. "Thanks for this, Nibi. I know what…" His golden void trembled as Ka'rai shuddered with his own breath. "I know what I need to do now."

Another blink. Black opened back to evening. The sun was lower… night nearly overtook the sky in its entirety. Stars twinkled, fate guiding his path. He walked through the streets of Konoha, headband removed. There wasn't a way for him to hide his face-paint at the current moment, but it didn't matter.

Ka'rai felt something—someone invade his thoughts.

It was followed by the worst migraine he ever experienced. Immediately he vomited from the agony in his head.

Don't you dare follow through, Ka'rai. Yugito's voice was the same as a thousand sirens screaming in his head to stop. If he did it… he would be a traitor to Kumo, no ifs ands or buts about it.

Treason in its highest degree.

If he didn't do it… so many more people would die. More people than he could count—fathom. People that didn't deserve it… people like Tenten. It wouldn't save everybody, not even a majority. But it would still save some people.

That was more than enough for him.

Yugito and every loyalty he had to Kumo battled against every step he took. Ka'rai kept fighting. He pushed even as nausea swayed him closer to the ground. He fought even as clusters of imploding anguish bombed his head from the inside.

His fighting paid off. His battle was won. Ka'rai knocked on Naruto and Shinrai's door. No answer after thirty seconds—he knocked harder. A few moments later and both of them were glaring at him. Shinrai was the first to notice how fucked he looked. "The fuck happened to you—?"

"Tomorrow…" Ka'rai managed though harrowed breaths. "Kumo, Iwa, Suna, Kusa, and Oto are going to invade Konoha."

"...What?" Naruto chuckled. "You're… you're joking."

"It doesn't look like he's joking," stated Shinrai.

Ka'rai would have shaken his head had Yugito not been tearing it apart from the inside out. "I'm not. Shinrai… my match with you… it's going to be the start of it. I'm supposed to detonate the entirety of the stadium… kill everyone…"

Finally, Ka'rai allowed himself to wince. He collapsed to a knee, barely holding back another puke. "Shinrai, you need to try and stop me," pleaded Ka'rai. "You better have trained your fucking ass off."

"I have. I will," assured Shinrai. Even Ka'rai could tell he barely believed that.

Naruto's fists clenched. "Why the hell are you telling us?!"

At that question, Ka'rai managed to smile, even if just a bit. "The Uzumaki… we're a clan of life. That means we need to live, eh? Don't die. Make sure nobody you care about dies. Live… and fucking enjoy it."

"We need to tell Ms. Miya," said Shinrai immediately.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah!" Before he left, he looked down at Ka'rai. "Thank you… so much."

"You're welcome, Naruto."

Shinrai and Naruto flickered back into their apartment, closing the door.

WIth that, everything went black.

Just as soon, everything blurred to gold.

Water shattered his mindscape, it was falling apart. A punch to the face sent Ka'rai tumbling across the ground of the void. He looked up to meet Yugito's foot. It slammed his face into the ground. Blood of his soul spilled.

"You bastard traitor!" Yugito screamed. "How dare you. After everything this village has done for you? After all that I'VE sacrificed to make sure you wouldn't live a life of a hatred due to my actions, you spit in the face of EVERYTHING!"

Yugito picked Ka'rai up by the hair and elbowed his throat. A kick sent him flying. Everything was utter agony. He saw Yugito running toward him. Of course he tried to fight back. Each attack he sent her way was blocked, turned against him, or utterly avoided. There wasn't a damned thing he could do to her. She taught him so much, it was now that their gap in skill was made evident.

The water beneath Yugito's pond churned like a storm—a miniature ocean of rage. Ka'rai's soul was being entirely eradicated by Yugito.

Ka'rai was helpless.

Yugito was going to kill him.

He was going to die—

—Fire roared. Yugtio screamed. Her soul, the vestige in his mindscape, it was pulled in by Nibi's Jinsei. Into the seal. Into Nibi's cloak of fire. The water clustering the gold of his mind evaporated.

Relief Ka'rai never felt before allowed him to calm, especially as Yuurei made the damage inflicted to his soul null.

To his left, Ka'rai saw Nibi. She watched him with a neutral expression. Ka'rai blinked. "What… what did you do to her?"

"I took her back, to where she was before you awakened her," answered Nibi.

Slowly, Ka'rai sat back up. Blinking, he realized… "You saved my life."

"If you die, then I die. I cannot allow that to happen," was her reason.

Ka'rai nodded slowly. "Right…" he agreed. His mindscape felt as if it was falling apart. Cracked golden glow. His hands were shaking… Everything was frigid, heavy.

Shattered gold broke to open eyelids. Ka'rai's head was numb, glossed over from the pain that… Yugito inflicted upon him. His head felt half full without her there. It was odd. A bad kind of odd.

Slowly, the realization of what he did weighed upon him.

He was a traitor.

He was a traitor to Kumo.

What he did didn't save lives, no… it just equaled the playing field. More Kumo lives would be taken tomorrow.

It didn't matter what he did.

How stupid he was… to think he could save anyone.

It was as Nibi said… death was inevitable.

Ka'rai got up from the floor. Nobody had seen him. He couldn't have been unconscious for too long. He ran out. Night was full of all its darkening glory. It didn't matter. He ran. He ran and ran. It didn't take long for him to reach Hane. Opening the door to his apartment, she spoke before he could even enter.

"You were out late tonight—" Ka'rai entered. Hane's eyes widened with worry when she laid eyes on him. "Rai-rai, what's wrong?!" She ran over to him, pulling Ka'rai into her arms.

He could feel himself trembling in her embrace. It was on the floor, in front of the closed and unlocked door when he started sobbing. Hane hugged him tighter, caressing his back and holding his head on her chest.

"I told Naruto… and Shinrai."

"What did you tell them?" she asked, soothing.

"What's happening tomorrow." His voice shattered with his confession.

Hane froze, allowing the shock to get to her for just a moment. She held him so much tighter after that moment.

"You… you did the right thing," she soothed, but even her voice wavered.

"I hope I did. I really hope I did."

Somehow, her grip on him tightened. "You did. I'm proud of you…"

You've lost a friend in Yugito. You've lost the loyalty you have to your village.

Shut up! please… pleaded Ka'rai.

Nibi didn't listen. And when, not if, when you lose everything. When you lose everything that fools you into thinking that life has meaning…

There will be nothing you crave more than death.

ϟ—Chapter End—ϟ