A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccckkkkk :D! I'm a month late, but you're probably expecting that atp- Sorry to disappoint, but this arc is indeed a tad bit shorter than the previous two arcs, but the content, not to toot my own horn is much much much better. It's about... eight or nine chapters and one interlude. Anyway, uh, yeah enjoy
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter Thirty-three — Slither Away ~ ?￢ﾜ ?
Everything was on fire. His torso… My torso… I can't feel… "Half…" Speaking made him want to scream. Poison was injected into his chakra, and it wasn't even the Curse Mark.
"Don't speak," a voice croaked out.
He looked up, his vision was blotched with black spots of half-consciousness, his bloodstained hair covered the line of his sight. He tried to breathe, but shattered ribs stabbed into his lungs. Pain like this, he never experienced it before.
Something wet dropped onto his body. He only felt it because it dug into his wound, making him stifle a scream.
The bit of solace around his torn body flinched. "I'm sorry!" the same voice yelled. A woman's voice. He could barely make out cyan eyes, covered by strands of pink. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so, so sorry!"
Her breathing heaved as her sobs matched the raging fire he could barely make out in the distance. Everything but her was dark. Everything but her was death.
"Please live," she pleaded, the green glow below him becoming brighter. "Ino died, Choji died, Shino died, and I wasn't even there to do anything!" The girl was almost screaming. The girl he was starting to recognize now.
Sakura…
"Now I'm here, and I can barely do anything! You're still dying! Don't! Don't listen to yourself—!" She choked on her own sobs. "Live, don't die, don't die!"
Her words were becoming more and more distant, like echoes in his head. He couldn't even form the thoughts to respond to hers.
The wounds.
The poison.
Was it too much?
"No!" she yelled, her chakra glowing even brighter; just as her cries became louder. "You're right, you were right… I'm nothing… I can't do anything! I just let everyone around me down! There isn't a damn thing I can do! I'm gonna let you down too!" Sakura yelled. He felt her chakra seep into his own even more… were things getting better?
"I'm sorry that I'm just gonna let you die… like everyone else."
Die? Me? Hell no… "I am… Gosei Senju… I'll never die like this…"
Everything went to black… Everything was black, and everything hurt. He groaned. The ground wasn't hard anymore… it was softer… like a bed of leaves.
"Gosei?"
Natsuyo? He decided to open his eyes. Everything was dim. It was night. At the same time, the light above him wasn't the moon. It was artificial, and still dim, a dying yellow like the setting sun. He looked to his left. There was his sister. Beside him and her, there were plenty of injured. The place he was in was recognizable… Gosei furrowed his brows. Classroom?
"You're awake… finally…" Her voice was trembling, so was she. The white and yellow uniform she wore was ripped, burned, and covered in blood, both her own and not. Her skin was riddled with bandages.
Gosei didn't even want to know what he looked like. "How long was I out?"
"A few hours…" She forced a laugh. "Honestly, I'm surprised you're awake already… since…" Horror shot into her face as she shook her head. "Never mind."
"Natsuyo…" Seeing her like this ached his heart. It was the first time… nearly ever that he'd ever seen her smile taken away from her. The smile that was bright like the summer sun. "You should go take a walk."
"What? No!" she refused. "You just woke up! You need… I need… to make sure you're okay. It's my duty as your sister!"
"You're not mother," Gosei shot back, humorless, but not seriously, either. "You don't need to watch over me like some child."
"But you're injured! I can't leave you! I'll never let myself."
Gosei huffed. Arguing with her was a lost cause, not that he wanted to cause her any more stress. "What's happened? Since the invasion." A flash of what happened—Naruto—The Kyuubi—"What happened to Naruto?! Team 7, Hinata, my team—How are you alive?!"
Natsuyo covered her ears. "Keep it down."
Biting his lip, Gosei apologized. Natsuyo let out a sigh. "Uh… Everyone survived. Shinrai had his own Kyuubi Chakra, so it was him who was able to do most of the fighting. I… uh…" Natsuyo let out a small smile. She lifted up her palm and concentrated. A miniature ball of sun formed in her hand, golden and whirling like a sphere. "I fused my Godai!"
Gosei's eyes widened as the heat licked his face. "Scorch Release…" Pride grew Natsuyo's smile, and that made Gosei smile in kind. "That's extraordinary…"
"It is!" Her bit of excitement made the Scorch Ball jump. Just as quickly, she allowed the fire to disperse. As she did, her smile faded. Gosei's did as well. "But, yeah. Sasuke Uchiha did… something. He formed a really powerful fire arrow, and it held the Kyuubi down long enough for Shinrai to seal it away. Afterward, we went looking for you, Hinata Hyuuga, and Haruno. Hinata Hyuuga was out, but she could've managed. Haruno never really got hurt. But you…" Natsuyo's voice went hollow. "Haruno put all of her energy into making sure you lived. And you did."
Gosei pursed his lips. "I remember… I owe her my life."
"Yeah… I guess you do."
"I need to thank her, personally, as soon as possible," Gosei stressed, trying his hardest to not try to sit up. "Where is she?"
Natsuyo shrugged. "She was messed up when I saw her… I wouldn't want to find her."
Gosei hummed pensively. "Alright… go on."
Another heavy breath weighed down on Natsuyo. "The Hospital is just a pile of sand. Half of Konoha is just… a wasteland. The other half is as close as it could be while still being Konoha. We're in the Academy right now, the largest building that's still… somewhat standing. It's going to be the new Medical Center until everything is put together.
"I don't even know how long that's going to be…" Natsuyo sighed. "Mother was fighting The Strongest Man Alive. She didn't win. But she's alive, in a cocoon of vines outside of the village. I have no idea when she'll wake up either. Even worse, Lord Third is dead. There isn't even a Hokage to unite everybody right now. Orochimaru was the one behind the attack, but he escaped."
Gosei grimaced. "I see…" This is damned near the worst-case scenario… "Konoha is in ruin. There's no hope in sight."
"Pretty much… Father is back home with the rest of our siblings." Natsuyo tried to smile again, but it was fake. She was still shaking. There was still horror glossed over her eyes. Despair radiated off of her like heat from the sun.
"Please, Natsuyo, go clear your mind," Gosei advised, looking away, outside the window, out into the night where he couldn't see a damn thing. Just clouds hiding the moon and expansive black on the ground. "Being around me is making you feel worse, isn't it?"
Natsuyo shook her head. "No! It's just… that… everything is terrible—"
"Then remind yourself of what isn't. Look for the life in Konoha. Our village is far too resilient to be taken down by a mere invasion. Even without a Hokage, or infrastructure to live off of… our Will of Fire has yet to have been snuffed out."
"You don't know how bad it is out there, Gosei!"
"Good point… but with how strong Konoha is, it can't be as terrible as it could be. The people of our village have the remnants of Senju Blood running through their veins. It is why we are the most powerful of the Five Great Nations, and why this will be nothing but a setback in our history, but a mere footnote in the history books.
"We will recover, and rebirth ourselves ten times stronger."
Natsuyo tried to speak, but gave up on the words on her tongue. Another heavy sigh, and she grabbed Gosei's hand beneath the covers. She squeezed tight and forced a dim smile. "You're going to get better, brother!"
"I know I will, sister. Now, go clear your mind."
She stood from her seat, giving Gosei one last long, painful look before turning her back and leaving. Gosei was left alone, alone to rest. He shut his eyes and allowed his consciousness to fade.
—⊱✿⊰—
Why did she listen to him? Why? Why? Natsuyo usually preferred the sun, but she was happy that night made everything dark. That way, all the destruction was shrouded. There were things she couldn't see. At the same time, there were things she still saw. Things she wished she didn't see.
The night was silent, cloudy. No wind, not even crickets… at least the sound of burning was gone. What was worse about the quiet was that… it made everything feel dead. She knew it wasn't. She saw people alive.
Alive, but injured.
Alive, but bedridden.
Alive, but crushed to the point where tears were useless.
Alive, but shell-shocked into a frozen daze.
Some people walking were just aimless, staring, in disbelief… Natsuyo didn't want to believe it either. She didn't want to believe that the half of her home she had her back facing was a flattened wasteland—she didn't want to believe that the crumbling buildings, the ash-ridden ground, the blasted surfaces, the wandering lonely, orphaned children, the smell of burnt flesh and blood, the lines of makeshift graves, the cries of mourning, the sporadic scream of anguish, the groans of the injured, the crunch of cremated enemy corpses beneath her feet, the haze of every detail merging together… she didn't want to believe it was her home.
But it was.
It was… sad. Sad to the point where the feeling of her own beating heart hurt her. The sting of tears in her eyes burned her. The scorch of ash in her nose tore at her. What was… it was… just… impossible. How could she wrap her head around all of this? How was this real? Why was it real?
It shouldn't be.
I should just… fix… everything.
She couldn't. She knew it was impossible.
The sting of tears made her flinch this time—she scurried. She scurried from the ash-ridden street. What remained of a forest became her place to sob. It was… a crater. A crater with collapsed trees… by some miracle, it was green. She could tell at least that in the night. Her feet sank into the grass to muddy soil—she didn't care about the stains as she sat down. Mud caked her tattered cloak. It was already bloody. It didn't matter.
Natsuyo started to sigh, but it broke into a muted cry. She covered her face as the tears spilled. The loss of control over her own breathing—whenever she tried, her lungs would fight back just as hard—it made her want to rip her own eyes out.
The moment she let herself cry, she immediately wanted to stop. Wasn't this walk supposed to clear her head? Gosei was so frickin' stupid—No, he wasn't, no; he wasn't… it was just her stupid brain.
If it was up to her, Natsuyo would never cry again. She was supposed to be better than this. She was supposed to be smiling. Smiling so everyone else could smile, too. The last thing she needed to be doing was crying like everyone else was.
What the hell was there to smile about?! Her Fused Godai?! It didn't do anything! It was worthless! Everything she worked for was worthless, because who did it help? Herself?! Was that really it?!
All that she strived for before all of this just was… meaningless.
Surpassing Gosei? Defeating Rock Lee? Being promoted barely even mattered to her anymore. What the hell was wrong with her for thinking so short-sightedly?! She… she needed to be the person to make sure that this never happened again.
Konoha would never know the sun's wrath again… only its benevolence. It would only know her. Finally, finally, she could breathe without her sobs fighting her. The tears slowed, and she removed her hands from her face. Wiping the wetness from her face, she spied something, even as another tear rolled down her cheek.
It was… a flower, barely standing amongst crushed leaves around it. Small, barely the size of one of her fingers, but… it was there. It was alive. White petals with a yellow center. A few petals were missing, but it was… there.
It reminded her of the Senju Compound, the garden there. Natsuyo gulped at the thought of it… what if it was destroyed, too? She bit her lip. There was only one way… to find out.
She got up and walked home.
Even as every step through the ruined Konoha broke her more and more, if she reached home, then… all would be better—or she would be shattered beyond repair.
She wasn't.
The moonlight made the emerald leaves glisten… the bark of the massive tree that made up where she laid her head at night… where she never felt safer. It still remained. It was still there. Natsuyo… finally had a real reason to smile. She let it spread across her face… it was a smile that spread like rays. Rays that'll rise over Konoha like the greatest dawn the world's ever seen.
—⊱✿⊰—
Her brother. Neji. Neji Hyuuga. Kusari'd never seen him so broken before, just like Kusari'd never been so broken herself. His skull and ribs were kept in place by metal, the useless arm that was the victim to the Ingoken, and then Fuu had to be amputated. He was still in the infirmary that was spared from the worst of Ka'rai Uzumaki's attack… somehow.
Just… seeing him. Neji was the only Hyuuga Kusari ever looked up to. Now look at him. Pathetic, broken, weak—barely alive… and here she was, powerless to help him. All she could do was watch him waste away.
The medics said he was comatose, with no sign of waking up anytime soon.
The lights were yellow like sickened skin. That made everything so much more disgusting. When was the last time she moved? Not since she sat down in front of his hospital bed. It wasn't like she had anything else better to do.
There was nothing else she could do. The whites of her eyes stung with a bloodshot red. This was the closest she'd been to crying since her father was killed. Each stray thought was a peep in an echo chamber. As she thought of what put Neji in this state, what destroyed her village… the peeps turned to true sounds, the sounds grew deafening.
Kusari detested Kumo more than she did the heiress. It wasn't even close, not anymore. Those rotted scumbags were responsible for all of this. Their existence was wrong… and Kusari was the one who righted all wrongs.
She was vengeance; she was justice, and Kumogakure was the greatest injustice to ever exist. One day, she would eradicate that village off the face of the earth. Kusari nodded slowly… after she eradicated the Main Branch, she'd lead the freed Hyuuga Clan on a crusade to Kumo and kill everyone there.
That was an idea that made the echo-chamber of her head return to silence. No, not an idea. It was fate. She, Kusari Hyuuga, was the fate of all those who've done wrong. If their actions were unjust, she was the consequence.
It was just that simple.
It was simply… her.
The white streak of her hair took up a fourth of her head now. As her resolve hardened, it felt like the very bones inside of her body shifted and solidified to match it.
Kusari snapped her Byakugan on once she heard the turning of a doorknob. A scowl crossed her face at who entered. Hiashi… With a sigh, she relaxed her face and deactivated her Byakugan, but kept the look in her eyes as intense as possible.
Silently, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan walked beside her. "Hello, Lord Hiashi," she greeted respectfully. As much as she loathed compliance, she would rather not feel the clawing of the Caged Bird.
"Greetings, Kusari," Hiashi replied, not taking his eyes off of Neji. She analyzed him with the corner of her eye… he looked… saddened.
He cares? Kusari scoffed inwardly.
A beat of silence passed.
"How are you?"
How the hell do you think I feel?! "I'm fine."
Hiashi responded with a curl of his lip. "Have you heard about the state of the Hyuuga Compound?"
"I have not."
"It has been destroyed completely. Not even a single building stands. Most of our Shinobi are dead or critically injured."
Kusari felt sick. Her world was rocked as if she'd been struck with a concussion. "No…"
"It is true."
Biting her tongue to calm herself, she asked, "Who?"
"The Chinoike Clan…" Hiashi bit out.
Kumo. A clan from Kumo. Of course it was Kumo—
"I… also learned that it was them who ordered Hinata's kidnapping to the Raikage, and the head of your father. The Chinoike Clan are the ones responsible for all of the Hyuuga Clan's pain in the recent past."
"Did you kill them?"
"I was not able."
Not. Able. So disgrace runs in the Head Family's blood… Kusari let out a heavy sigh—she wanted to drive an Ingoken somewhere. Ugh…
"I apologize, Kusari," Hiashi said, letting out a sigh equally heavy to Kusari's. "It is my failure that is responsible for the state of our Clan, our Compound… our home. It is my failure that is responsible for your state, for Neji's state.
"As your Clan Head and as your uncle, I apologize for what I have not done for you. I am sure Hizashi frowns upon me from the Pure Lands.
Despite his apology, Hiashi didn't bow. His words infuriated her more than anything. Kusari allowed the venom to seep from her eyes as she looked at him in his. "Don't you dare speak the name of my father, Hiashi Hyuuga. You don't deserve to."
Hiashi twitched as he glared down at Kusari. "Watch your tone when you speak to me."
Kusari bit her tongue to keep herself silent. The tense quiet persisted for seconds more before Hiashi sighed, turning his back to walk away.
Kusari let out a breath, shutting her eyes and looking at the floor.
I can't wait to kill him.
—⊱✿⊰—
All Hinata could do was sit. It was where her house once stood. Now it was a pile of rubble that reeked of blood. The house of so many memories… where she was raised, where she danced with her mother, where she helped raise Hanabi, where she remembered the days when her father smiled, where she saw that smile turn into a scowl, where she had to be the one to raise Hanabi almost by herself, where she hid and cried, where she forced herself to stop crying, where she trained, where she resigned herself to a life of mediocrity, and where she smiled because she got it all back…
Where her everything was. It was gone.
Beyond that, the entire Hyuuga Compound shared the same fate.
Rubble and blood.
Splinters and gore.
Tears and bodies.
It was all… eerily similar to her past.
The stories the Hyuuga told of the state of the compound after the Kyuubi's attack. Tattered and ruined. What saved the Hyuuga from their despair? It was her.
And now, she had to do it all again. Without the love of her mother. Without a home. While she was suffering too, while Shino was dead… It… didn't matter. Nothing she felt mattered. It was because she had a duty to the Hyuuga Clan. It didn't matter how many smiles she had to fake, how much she had to risk turning herself to stone by keeping her eyes white, because her love for the Hyuuga Clan far surpassed anything that kept herself going.
Hanabi had to keep smiling. The rest of the children in the Hyuuga had to keep smiling. Again, she had to be the Hope of the Hyuuga Clan.
The prospect didn't make her happy—she hated herself for it. All it brought was a sickening dread in her stomach… the same dread she felt whenever she merely had to walk through the Hyuuga Compound. The dread of facing everyone she hurt every day.
For so long, seeing the faces of the Hyuuga Clan hurt.
She didn't need to fear anymore; the Hyuuga were going to love her again… she hoped.
Nevertheless, facing the expectation of Lady White Eyes made her sick. Could she? Was she capable of holding the weight of the Hyuuga's pain on top of her own? Well, she didn't have a choice. She needed to. The Hyuuga were too important—she couldn't let them all down again.
Hinata clasped her hands and looked to the sky, to the stars shrouded by the clouds. "Mother… I'm—"
A footstep interrupted her. Hinata looked… there was a girl a few years older than her, a cracked Konoha headband strapped to her forehead, with lavender eyes darkened and bloodshot. "Lady Hinata…"
The girl looked familiar. With her fake smile that she put on without even realizing, Hinata nodded at her. "Hello, what do you need?" she asked, as soft and assuring as she could.
"I… uh…" She sniffled. "I met you once… before… years ago. I talked to you about how the Kyuubi killed my parents. I told you how much hope you gave me… I doubt you remember…"
"I do," Hinata responded, faking her smile a bit better. "I remember the hug I gave you, Shireta."
Her eyes widened. She tried to speak, at a loss. "I'm… honored."
"It is my duty to remember all of those in the clan I love," Hinata assured, bowing her head.
Shireta smiled tightly. "I see…" Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath, preparing herself to speak. "I want you to make me a promise, if that's okay."
"Of course it is."
Nodding, Shireta slowly began to express herself. "When you lost your White Eyes, I lost hope for a bit. But I moved on… like everyone else. Now they're back, well, back a little bit." She sighed. "I want you to promise me, the Hyuuga Clan… that you won't fail again. No matter what… we want Lady White Eyes to stay and never leave again."
The fear only grew. The panic of dread only consumed her further. The pathetic, cowardly, selfish part of her wished she didn't have to do this, that she could just live her life the way she wanted to, that she didn't have to let herself deteriorate to put on a facade for those who hate her…
The better part of her activated her Blessing. Angels' wings spread across her face and Hinata's White Eyes beamed at Shireta. "I'll never fail the Hyuuga Clan again. I stake it on my life."
Shireta let out a breath, Bontena's presence calming her as she relaxed. Her smile grew as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Okay. Okay—" she bowed. "Thank you, so much… I'll-I'll spread the word."
"No… thank you."
"Of course," Shireta responded. She stepped toward Hinata, then stepped back and walked away. It was awkward, stiff… but pleasant.
Despite that, Hinata's smile was still fake.
It was only with her Mark that she could believe that the weight of the Hyuuga's pain seemed feasible
The same Mark that turned her concealed fingertips to stone. To prevent the spread, Hinata let her Blessing recede and she let out a heavy sigh.
Sensei, Kiba… I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I can not be there for you while you're hurting.
Lady White Eyes has her duties.
—⊱✿⊰—
Even with the time to prepare… look how little it mattered. Ruin didn't even begin to describe the state of Konoha—it was… was there even a word?! Not even just the village, the people in it… Gai—Miya bit her tongue to keep her composure. A deep, haggard breath rattled her drained body. Gai was killed… right in front of her eyes. She hadn't seen her team since the carnage began—that was why she forced herself to walk through the Academy. The lines and lines of injured, just hoping that they were one amongst them.
Shinrai and Naruto were… okay. Shinrai, surprisingly so… Naruto was unconscious, but alive. Ryu was… alive. She knew that much. It was just Team 8 that was unaccounted for. She didn't even have the chakra to make a single damned clone.
She knew exactly why all of this happened. Because she wasn't enough. If her barriers had been more powerful, then Ka'rai wouldn't have been able to blast through all of them. If she had a better handle on Infinity, then she would've been able to take out Killer Bee. If she was faster, had a better hold on her Adamantine Mode—then Gai would be alive.
That bastard Orochimaru… He was the one responsible for all of this—that thing ruined the life of everyone close to her. Everything just made her…
What?
Made her what?
A storm of dread. It was hot like anger—it made her have to stop herself from swaying with each step. Miya bit her tongue again—harder. She needed to find Team 8; she needed to find Team 8. All of them would be there, alive, all of them would be there, alive, all of them would be there, alive.
She trained them exactly for this, didn't she? Of course they would've survived.
"Wait? Sensei?!"
Miya whipped back. "Kiba!" She rushed over to him and crouched to his level. Hinata wasn't there, neither was Shino. Twin slashes of fear bled cold within her. "Are you alright?"
He was standing, covered in bandages. A quick, quivering nod gave his answer. "I'm… okay. Could be worse…"
"But it's not," she bit back with more intensity than she intended.
Kiba flinched. "Yeah…"
"Where's Hinata and Shino?"
A hollow expression emptied his face. Miya's heart dropped. No, no—
"Uh—'Nata went to the Hyuuga Compound… she's alright."
Miya let out a relieved breath.
"Shino—" Kiba choked over his words. All of Miya's relief died in an instant. Tears fell from the boy's eyes and he could barely push the words out. "We were fighting some Jonin from Iwa… he didn't make it. I delivered his body to the Aburame."
Kiba cried harder. As if she was on autopilot, Miya pulled Kiba into a tighter hug, embracing him as he sobbed into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry!" he wept.
"It's not your fault, Kiba," Miya said, even, empty. It's mine.
She really was a failure on every level. As a friend, a sensei, a caretaker, and a family member. Was this all she was good for? She was just the one to let down everyone she loved and let them shatter on the floor.
Kiba continued to cry. All Miya did was comfort him in silence.
—⊱✿⊰—
Shinrai didn't really know how to feel. He was really just… existing. Konoha was fucked, like fucked-fucked. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have any sentimentality toward the village he grew up in, despite how much it fucking hated him for existing. He spent a lot of his energy healing Naruto. He didn't need to anymore, Naruto would be waking up soon.
He didn't want to think about what would happen when Naruto woke up.
His mind wandered—every nook and fucking cranny of his mind made him want to stop thinking.
Baiko. His brother—his brother by blood. He was alive. He was alive and still suffering under the Snake Sannin. Shinrai could barely handle the two years that kept INVADING HIS FUCKING MIND. Two years? Well… try ten. That was Baiko's life. Ten years. Ten years of torture. Ten years of Orochimaru.
Apparently, that bastard Sannin was the one behind the invasion of Konoha. He killed his own Sensei… Lord Third was dead. Yeah, he didn't get along with Ryu all the time, but killing him was far out of the question.
Every time the Snake Sannin was brought up, Shinrai managed to hate him more and more.
And Baiko was still trapped in his clutches.
Shinrai needed to get him out—
But there was no way in hell that he had a chance of taking down The Snake Sannin—even with the Kyuubi chakra he had. Shinrai needed to train like there was no fucking tomorrow.
Because there wasn't. Each day Baiko was in there, that was a million too many.
If the month of training with Miya was anything to go by, then he could grow fast if he put his mind to it. But, what did it amount to, really… he still failed against Ka'rai. Because of that, Lord Danzo—
—His parents might be taken from him. He closed his eyes to think. Shizu Uzumaki… Hajime Uzumaki… okay, they were still there. Everything he knew wasn't taken from him… yet, or wouldn't be at all, he hoped.
Did Lord Danzo seriously expect him to take down a Jinchuriki all by himself?! Well, he didn't have to win to be promoted, according to Ms. Miya. All he had to do was put on a good performance… did that count as a good performance? Well, considering that he stood a chance, he'd say so.
No matter what Shinrai thought, it would all be in Lord Danzo's hands. Lord Danzo's choice dictated his life. It was fucking infuriating… Shinrai let out a ragged sigh, clasping Yora's hilt. The little comfort she brought made him relax just that little, sitting by Naruto's bed.
Comfort.
Feeling good. It was a funny thing…
He thought of everything that made him feel good. Fighting for sure… Konoha's invasion was honestly just fun as fuck. It was terrible that he thought that, but, well; he was a demon for a reason. Ka'rai really… opened his eyes. Enjoying fights was something he always did… but being consumed by them…
…That was just fucking ecstasy. The thought of his next battle brought a smile to his face.
Another thing he missed, another thing he couldn't wait to have again…
Karin.
It looked like his want to love her scared her off, or something. Did he tell her too soon? Shinrai didn't really… get it, honestly. At the same time, he didn't get why a girl would just kiss him 'because she felt like it.' At the same, same time… interacting with her felt off, every interaction did.
Finally, he had the clarity to really think about. Karin was just off. That didn't really change how he felt about her… but he just wanted to know why. Karin was just like a puzzle to him. A puzzle that, once he figured out, would be the greatest and most beautiful thing ever.
The puzzle pieces were sharp, though. One wrong move and it would hurt…
It was already hurting.
He missed her.
A stir to his left.
Shinrai froze.
Slowly, Naruto yawned—then groaned. He sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning again. Shinrai controlled his breathing as best he could. The cold in his heart opened up like floodgates. There was ice in his veins.
"I should've known that you wouldn't sleep," Naruto muttered with a chuckle.
Shinrai forced a laugh in response. "Someone has to make sure you don't fall off the bed."
"Right…" Naruto's little smile fell, and he sighed. "Shinrai—"
"Do we really have to talk about this?" Shinrai clasped Yora's hilt as tight as he could.
Naruto looked at him. At first there was a flare of frustration… but it melted into a sympathetic gaze. "Yes. I'm not going to give you time away just so you can lie to me again!"
The cold morphed into a spiky ball in his chest. Shinrai couldn't even say anything—
"I…" Naruto began, obviously not knowing where to. "I can't… I have all of your memories and experiences—but I still can't understand! Why… why did you hide all of your hurt from me?! I said I'd always help you like you always were for me! I meant that every time.
"Do you think I'm weak?! Too weak to handle it?! Do you think that I couldn't understand?! Because I never lost anyone—"
"I didn't want to hurt you…" Shinrai's voice wavered like a twig holding up a mountain. "Every time I saw you cry, I wanted to cry, too. But I couldn't because I needed to be there for you. Whenever you told me that you were hurting, I hurt, too. I didn't want you to be hurt because I was hurting, too."
Naruto stared… stared and stared. "It was pointless!" Naruto yelled. "Because now—I'm hurting a lot more! You should've just told me—I would've helped you—!"
"I don't want you to!" Shinrai screamed. He ignored the eyes looking at them. "I was fine—"
"Stop lying to me!" Naruto screamed back.
Shinrai drew him a breath as sharp as the blade he cradled with his hand. "I'm sorry… It's…" It was then that his voice died. The spiky ice ball in chest grew and grew—he was trembling.
"We're supposed to be brothers, Shinrai! You can't just—nothing about this is right, y'know?! I never lied to you! I never hid anything from you! But you hid everything from me?! Yora, Baiko—all of this?!" He shook his head. "This is just so wrong."
Shinrai tried to speak, but he couldn't. He hadn't felt cold like this since Yora died.
Naruto knew. He knew—
One thing… he appreciated about hiding everything from Naruto was that… he could pretend that everything was okay. He could pretend that he was fine, and all the cold would go away. Now, the cold was a thousand times worse because he was next to Naruto.
He felt so much like nothing that he wanted to die.
"Shirnai?!"
He couldn't speak.
"Say something, dammit!"
Shinrai got up. He left. He just walked off. It didn't make the cold any better. He ignored Naruto as he screamed his name behind him.
It was just too much to handle.
It was easier to hurt by himself than hurt with Naruto hurting with him.
So, he would hurt the easy way.
—⊱✿⊰—
He just left—Shinrai just fucking left! Wow! Was—why—? He just… What was there to think about? It was just all so bad. Yora… Shinrai, a girl—she looked like the perfect girl for Shinrai. She was killed by her own dad, right in front of Shinrai.
Naruto never really asked how Shinrai got his Sharingan.
Well, he knew now.
That was how he got those cool swords. The reason he always grabbed onto the black one was because Yora was inside of it… somehow.
Now he knew where he got the scroll about his parents.
Some old dude named Danzo…
All of those times he had to randomly disappear, it was because of Danzo. Naruto couldn't really blame Shinrai for it… he was ordered to keep quiet. The same thing with that… new girl. Karin… she was an Uzumaki? On top of that, she was just… weird. Kissing Shinrai for no reason and disappearing for no reason.
Naruto didn't trust her.
Shinrai did… of course he did.
But… Baiko. Shinrai had a real brother. A brother that was born with him. He was still trapped with Orochimaru… Shinrai told him that he was experimented on by Orochimaru—but he didn't know that it was like that. How would Shinrai even explain that to him? At least Shinrai actually told Naruto about it.
Baiko he didn't.
What?! Was he going to replace Naruto with his real brother when Shinrai freed him?! No… he wouldn't. Naruto knew he wouldn't, but that didn't take away the sinking feeling in his gut that told him otherwise.
Naruto sighed.
For some reason, for some-fucking-reason, he just couldn't understand anyone. He thought he could understand Shinrai, the brother he grew up with his entire life, but no, he couldn't. Shinrai cared so deeply—just like he did, but it was different. They were the flip side to the same coin, the same yet so different. Naruto never really noticed that difference… because he never thought it'd matter. It did matter.
Just like he couldn't understand Shinrai… he couldn't understand Papa Ryu, either. They were both Jinchuriki, they both had Kyuubi inside of them, Konoha hated both of them—then why couldn't they understand each other?!
They had the same pain, the same suffering, but Papa Ryu was just—so hateful. Kyuubi ruined his life too! But because of what Ka'rai said, it was because Kyuubi was just as hurt as both of them!
Papa Ryu was just like Kyuubi.
They had the same pain—but just… hurt differently. Papa Ryu's hurt, Kyuubi's hurt… they were one and the same. It was hate.
At the same time, that hate… it wasn't useless.
Papa Ryu was right.
Nibi, Nanabi, Shukaku… they all did something. That was how he lost control over Kyuubi's chakra—Kyuubi was going to kill everyone. He didn't even know how everyone could stop him… the fact that they did was a miracle.
No matter which way he thought, everything was terrible.
He just…
He wished Papa Ryu was here.
—⊱✿⊰—
Black opened to black. His entire body was a consistent, numbing ache. His head was imploding and each pulse of blood was sheer agony. That didn't stop Ryujin from extending his senses immediately.
Naruto, alive.
Shinrai, alive.
Gosei, alive.
Kusari, alive.
Miya… she was alive, hard not to notice her, even when she was weak.
Aiko, alive.
He let out a breath and sat up, snarling at the pain. In a room, isolated from everyone else. IVs were embedded in his skin, which was intact, surprisingly. Ryujin ripped them out of him. He got out of the bed. The heart rate monitor flatlined. Without a second wasted, a nurse rushed into the room.
A yelp escaped her breath as she saw him standing. She swallowed hard. "Sir, please lay back—"
Ryujin shoved past her to get through the door, ignoring her entirely. I need to see Aiko. Kyuubi's senses allowed him to lock onto her. She was far. It made sense to keep an injured Jinchuriki isolated.
The ANBU guards looked at him skeptically as he walked past. "Were you given clearance?" they asked.
Ryujin simply flashed them under Genjutsu to ignore him. He didn't have time to deal with any of this shit. As he walked out, he expected the sun to blind him, but… no… an overcast night sky. The room he was healed in was inside of the Hokage Monument… the view of Konoha's ruin hurt him.
He felt Kyuubi's glee invade his aching head. Ryujin snarled. He could've stopped all of this if he was better. It wouldn't have even been hard. If he didn't waste time sulking, then he would've been able to hold off Killer Bee by himself, even win. Kyuubi was the master of the other Bijuu, after all.
But that didn't matter all too much, not right now. He needed to see Aiko. He took a surprisingly calm walk through the massacred village. He kept his head down… he didn't need to see anymore carnage. The emotions he sensed crushed the entirety of Konoha with pain. Simply navigating through would've been impossible had Ryujin not been Ryujin, had he not lived the life he did up to this point, had he not been cursed with the Kyuubi.
It was… just another walk through Konoha. Nothing, none of the destruction, none of the tears, the sadness that he felt… it just couldn't affect him.
Aiko was the lone star in the night, guiding him forward.
Eventually, he met that star. He traveled through the Academy; it was turned into a makeshift hospital. The same thing happened after the Kyuubi attack. Aiko was outside, peripheral to everyone else he knew. It seemed that civilians and Shinobi were in separate areas… it made sense.
Eyes were batting at his presence, but he didn't care. He only cared for Aiko's eyes… which he finally saw. She was awake, looking… empty. There was an eyepatch over her left eye, with her right arm in a cast. The way she felt, it was angry. Ryujin pursed his lips and approached. "You're okay…" he greeted, standing beside her.
She shook her head, not looking up at him. "No, I'm alive. Not okay."
Ryujin winced. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you… for saving me, again."
Ryujin shook his head. "You don't need to thank me."
"I don't," she agreed, sounding bitter. "But, I am anyway."
Ryujin pursed his lips, staying silent. The bitterness, the anger, it was simmering inside of her. It almost reminded him of… himself.
"You saved me… I never questioned it, because, well, you're… you. I'm sure you've saved more lives than I can count. But what about all the lives that you've taken?"
Aiko's sneer made Ryujin flinch. What about the lives that he took? "What do you—?"
"All you Shinobi do is take! I've lived it all. You took my father away from me, you took both of my homes away from me, you've taken my life in every way except for killing me." Aiko chuckled, shaking her head as she clenched her fist.
"To think I actually wanted to become one of those monsters. All of this… destruction, what's the fucking point?! All of these people are dead—people who've done absolutely nothing to deserve it!" Aiko took her non-broken hand and brought to her eyepatch—shock and horror slammed into Ryujin's gut.
Aiko ripped it off and finally looked in Ryujin's direction. The right side of her face contorted with pain and fury that radiated off of her like she was the sun. The left side… gnarly, red, scorched with a hollow, melted hole where her eye should've been.
Ryujin'd seen worse.
But never on someone he actually cared for—
"Look at what the destruction that Shinobi caused! This is what it did to me—" she waved her hand to the surrounding village—"This is what it did to your home! How many people have you killed, Ryu? People like me."
He couldn't say a word to that. How many… people have I killed? That number, I can't even—wait… people like… her. Civilians? Innocence—
Oh… this is interesting… The Fox's chuckles radiated in his head like a psychotic echo chamber.
"Uh…" he began, shakily… "I was never a Jinchuriki during wartime. I would never go out of my way to kill someone defenseless… But I can't say with confidence that none weren't caught in my crossfire."
Aiko gave him a dead look, blinking with the working half of her face. "I guess… you can be redeemed."
It didn't feel like it. Not in the slightest.
"Ryujin," she started, taking a deep breath. "Listen to me and listen close."
Of course, it was just that he did.
"You're going to be the Shinobi that ends all, Shinobi. Shinobi are the ones that are tearing this world apart and I'm fucking sick of it." She pointed at him. "You're going to become the Hokage. You're going to be the greatest Hokage, and you'll make a world so peaceful that Shinobi will never need to exist again.
"If you don't want to do any of that… then I never want to see your face again."
It actually took effort for him not to shake. His old dream, what he strove to do as a naïve boy thrown in his face like a brick. Am I even capable?
Look… once again, I'm proven right. Once again, someone you thought trustworthy is damning you for who you are. For once, I'm not even the cause! It's your passion, what you dedicated your life to being… a Shinobi. You are a Shinobi. She hates Shinobi. She hates you.
"Please, Ryu… please say yes."
Ryujin couldn't respond. He felt Aiko—her emotions reached out to him with every ounce of hope because she believed in him. He felt Kyuubi. Its will pulled him into the darkness with the promise that he would never amount to anything beyond its vessel.
When Ryujin spoke, he didn't know what was going to come out of his mouth. "I'm not who I was. I'm not the hero who wanted to be Hokage, not anymore. I'm not… Ryu. He's dead. I can't be who you want me to be… that hero you wished existed. I hope you find them… whoever they are." The weight of the world weighed on him as he looked into her one broken eye, as it welled with tears. "Goodbye, Aiko. Thank you for being my friend… for so long."
Ryujin turned his back, walked away… not looking behind. Not even as he heard Aiko start to cry.
He felt Kyuubi grin inside of him. Good choice, Ryujin.
I don't need your consolation, fox.
Whatever you say…
Kyuubi's chuckle became louder as Aiko's cries became quieter in the distance.
No matter how far Ryujin looked back, looked back at Ryu… he couldn't help but see a deadman.
—⊱✿⊰—
Sasuke had a lot to do. He needed to help his fallen home as much as he could. He needed to follow the tablet, forge bonds. He needed to train. Whatever power that conquered his Curse Mark and allowed him to subdue the Kyuubi… was something that he couldn't ignore. If he could use that against Itachi, then maybe he wouldn't even stand a chance.
That was for later, however. The stress from fighting during Konoha's invasion brought him to the brink of his vitality. It was a miracle that he could walk already. What he was doing now was setting a wrong right.
Tracking Kusari wasn't difficult. She was probably with her injured brother. Who he remembered being in the infirmary, which was intact due to Miya Uzumaki's barrier. Woe and behold, she was there.
He walked to her side… and looked upon Neji's state. It was… terrible.
"What do you want?" asked Kusari.
Sasuke winced inwardly, stepping back. "Is this a bad time?"
"You're here already. Just tell me what you want."
Sasuke cleared his throat. "I'm sorry…" He took a deep breath to compose himself. "I came here to set the record straight, clear the air… apologize for misconstruing your rightful hatred for madness."
Kusari didn't look at him. "Alright."
Silence.
With a breath, Sasuke turned to walk away.
"Before you go…" she continued. "Tell me how you know the name Shivua."
That feeling rose up in him again. That name summoned it. He turned back and asked, "Only if you tell me how you know the name Indra."
The following silence had tension that every interaction they had beforehand carried. Kusari hummed. "It's what Shivua calls you. That's all I know."
Sasuke's brows furrowed. "Okay…"
"How do you know what Shivua is?"
"A… something? I don't know, it's… an odd feeling. It calls you Shivua."
"That feeling is more than likely, Indra," Kusari responded. "Whatever it is."
Sasuke shook his head. "It can't be."
"Well, I know that my feeling is Shivua without a shadow of a doubt. Tell me… that feeling. It's foreign. It doesn't feel like it's yours, but it's such an intrinsic part of you that you can't imagine yourself without it?"
Sasuke drew in a sharp breath. He balled his hand into a fist. "Exactly… that."
"Then, you are Indra, or rather, that feeling is."
Sasuke went dead silent. I'm… Indra? Everyone called Itachi Indra for his unmatched talent, unseen since Madara Uchiha. If he's Indra… then… no—it just doesn't make sense. "Indra, isn't an it. Indra is a he."
Kusari raised her brow, paying more attention to his words than it seemed like ever before.
Why was he telling her this? Part of bonds was… trust. He was trusting her with knowledge of the Uchiha. If she had her own Indra within her, within the Hyuuga… then sharing it with her was worth it.
"Indra was the Progenitor of the Uchiha Clan. His chakra was so powerful that once he died, it simply couldn't be confined to the Pure Lands. Every generation of Uchiha has one blessed by Indra, and that Uchiha becomes the most powerful Uchiha of that generation.
"The one before… was Madara Uchiha. The current one… well, I thought it was him. But, apparently not," Sasuke said, narrowing his eyes on the floor. "Is Shivua the progenitor of the Hyuuga?"
Kusari shook her head. "No, that… is more than likely Bontena."
That name gave Indra a different type of feeling. Not… caution and mistrust. It was disappointment? Something like that. It was… odd.
"I see…" His mind whirled. Bontena? The Progenitor of the Hyuuga Clan, probably? If so… then… "Hinata Hyuuga? The heiress?"
Kusari's face twitched with an intense wrath before she fixed it. "Indeed."
"I see…" Sasuke considered. He looked back up at Kusari. "Then who is Shivua?"
"I don't know."
"Then maybe… we can find out, together."
Kusari raised her brow at him, looking dubious. A moment of consideration, and she nodded her head. "Alright."
That 'alright' was a lot more genuine than the last one.
Sasuke nodded his head in kind. "That's good. I wish your brother a swift recovery."
"Thank you."
With that, he left her alone.
Sasuke was looking forward to it.
—⊱✿⊰—
Sakura was honestly getting sick of crying so much. The past month had been the most fucking pathetic and sad part of her life. Ino—her best friend—died. Choji was killed too. All she did was sulk instead of train. Finally, as the damn cherry on top of everything, her home was destroyed so completely and utterly that it was almost unrecognizable. She tried to go home—but she was homeless! She'd have to sleep at makeshift shelters until the village was rebuilt. Who knew how long that would take.
What could she do about it? Exactly nothing. Why was she so fucking useless… She just let out a haggard sigh. Sakura just lay in the bed in the shelter she was in. It was the one her parents claimed. Luckily, they were both evacuated when the village was under attack. What made this all a million times worse was that Konoha's treasury was ransacked. The village was wrecked and broke.
Again, nothing she could do about it.
What made her think she was worth being a Shinobi again? Ugh, why was she so stupid—?
"Haruno! I've been looking for you for like an hour!"
That voice… Gosei's sister?
Sakura sat up to see Gosei's sister smiling at her… covered in mud, blood, bandages. Despite that, she was smiling like there was nothing but sunshine and rainbows outside the shelter.
"Hi?" Sakura greeted.
She smiled harder. Her energy was almost contagious—it was so warm. "Gosei wants to speak with you!"
Sakura blinked. "He's awake?"
"Yeah! You were the one who, y'know, saved his life! So he wants to thank you personally for it!"
I… actually—he's okay?! If Sakura was being honest with herself, she didn't expect for Gosei to live. But… he did. He was alive because of her. Sakura actually smiled. It was small, but it felt good to actually do something for once in her life.
"Uh—okay! I'm coming!" Sakura got herself up and slid into her sandals.
Gosei's sister grinned and led her to where Gosei was. Sakura exited the shelter and immediately had the weight of the village's pain drop on her. Again, nothing she could do. She was out of chakra from healing Gosei and helping Hinata heal herself. It'd be a few days before she could do anything again.
Luckily, the walk from the shelter to the Academy wasn't too far. A quick five-minute walk before Gosei's sister led her to Gosei's bed. He didn't look… good. But he also wasn't dead! Gosei slowly craned his neck to face her—it looked like it hurt.
"Sakura Haruno…" he greeted, smiling despite how much he was injured. "I'm surprised you're available."
"...Why wouldn't I be?"
"I thought a medic as good as you would be put to work as soon as possible," he reasoned.
Sakura winced. "Out of chakra…'
"I see," was what he said next. "Thank you, Natsuyo—"That's her name!—"for bringing her to me."
She nodded and saluted to him. "Of course!"
Sakura continued to awkwardly stare at Gosei as he gathered his words. A deep, painful breath signified that he was ready. "Sakura Haruno, I don't… words can not express my gratitude for the fact that you were the one that saved my life. I have nobody to thank but you for stopping my destiny from ending prematurely.
"My thanks come from heaven, earth, and beyond. Only somebody powerful could've done what you did to help me. As a woman, you're already strong. Who you are makes you even stronger. One day, you'll be a Shinobi who'll stand side by side with me. I know that for a fact. I know that you will be one of the greatest Kunoichi to ever grace this world, Sakura Haruno."
Honestly, Sakura would've cried if she didn't want to embarrass herself. She sucked in the wetness of her eyes and let out a laugh. What do I even say to that—? "You're welcome, Gosei." She laughed again, fighting herself to stay composed.
How was that exactly what she needed to hear—? Sakura clenched her fists and stared Gosei right in his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I'll be real powerful one day… just you wait."
"Wait I will," Gosei responded with a smirk.
Natsuyo crossed her hands and huffed. "You never said anything like that to me…"
"You've already surpassed me," Gosei huffed in kind. "That goes without saying."
Natsuyo opened her mouth to speak, but groaned instead.
Sakura let out a chuckle. "Well, it was nice talking to both of you. I need to go uh… rest! Regain my strength, y'know!"
"It was pleasant speaking to you as well," Gosei responded.
Natsuyo nodded and grinned. "Yep!"
With that, Sakura walked off. That had no right making her feel as good as it did. But, she wasn't complaining. For Ino, Choji, Konoha… she had to be strong. She needed to be strong enough to stand side-by-side with Gosei, Naruto, Natsuyo, Kusari, Sasuke—all of them.
Never again would Sakura Haruno be useless.
—⊱✿⊰—
Bandages covered the entirety of Orochimaru's decrepit form. They were stained with blood and even breathing felt like a sword slash to the chest. Kabuto did his best to attend to him— it infuriated him. There was nothing he could do to express it. Even just groaning and growling brought him more pain than a severed arm.
The Reaper ripped the soul from his arms and the ever-present agony of a destroyed soul made his arms useless. His flesh was dying because that part of his body simply wasn't living. This damned body was rotting like it was a corpse.
Ryujin's… Jutsu—just thinking about it assaulted Orochimaru's mind with nightmares. The… Bukimina Rasenova. It utterly destroyed the chakra network in his torso. Slowly, that was killing him too. The fact that he managed to escape to Might Gai's body was a miracle.
But… he was alive. It was going to stay that way.
Karin… she should be bringing Shinrai to him by now. She'd heal him when she got back.
Even better… Kakuzu, Hidan. They had three Jinchuriki. What better could repair the damage done by the power of a Bijuu… than another Bijuu? All he needed to do was bide his time.
His loss wasn't permanent. What Sarutobi sacrificed his life for was nothing but a setback to him. He was going to live. He was going to thrive and fulfill his goal, no matter what.
That didn't stop him from falling to hold back his screams as Kabuto healed him.
—⊱✿⊰—
Karin really had to go out of her way to find him. That made every step she took worse. Each time her foot hit the ground, something inside of her SCREAMED for her to turn back. She wanted to let Shinrai be—the feeling of Orochimaru's curse, embedded into her neck, combined with her chakra.
The mere thought of disobeying riled it up. The curse burned. Karin had no choice but to walk forward. All she had to think about was how she'd lie to him, to get him to come to her side. His chakra was much more subdued, weaker, almost melancholy.
Did someone he value die? And she was going to make it worse.
Why was she so terrible? He didn't deserve someone like her… He was a man who wanted to love. She was just a woman consumed by hate.
Karin walked faster. Her senses picked up on every dying chakra, the anguish pulsing throughout the entirety of Konoha, or what was left. Cloaked in darkness, shrouded by the night, she just moved faster.
Over the rubble, she wished that the rocks pierced her shoe into the sole of her foot, gave her the pain she deserved. Shinobi rocketed through the sky to help and aid; those who managed to keep themselves in fighting condition.
She wished one of them found a way to kill her just so she could be put out of her misery.
A stroke of luck was that Shinrai was alone… aside from the faint chakra in one of his Grass Cutters. Though, she'd be hard pressed to call that any sort of company. The longer he was alone, the more she felt his chakra die and die and twist and churn. Feeling it made her sick.
Any wound of the body she could heal, but any wound to the mind, she'd just make worse. It was her own sickening—disgusting nature. What the hell did she even deserve? It didn't matter; it didn't matter; it didn't matter.
Shinrai was within earshot. She could hear his breathing. With a breath of her own, Karin composed herself. He sat on a pile of rubble, overlooking the smoke and the stars of the shattered remnants of his village. Barely a crescent of the moon hid itself away behind the clouds.
Karin sat beside him. Shinrai didn't move.
"Hey…" he said, forcing a chuckle.
"Hey…" she said back, moving closer to him. If not for her meticulous control, her heart'd be racing with dread. Nothing could stop the phantom pit in her stomach from eating her alive.
"You knew about this, didn't you?"
Karin wanted to run away and scream.
Shinrai turned his head slowly. Coal eyes blended with the night in a shrouded gaze. "What else do you know. Karin?"
His tone, it wasn't hostile—Why?!—just questioning. The urge to hide away was immense, but again she couldn't. "I know of your Sharingan. Your past…"
Scarlet bled into the night. Karin shivered… keeping her eyes on the destruction. The death was easier to look at than his face. "I'm sorry… but I'm sure you understand how much of a terror Orochimaru is."
Shinrai's chakra screamed out with panicking agony at the utterance of the name Orochimaru. "Please… don't say his name. Snake Sannin… that's what I use." He stopped to laugh. "Unless I'm trying to make a point."
"I… see." Karin moved closer to him. Shinrai didn't react… she placed her hand on his thigh. "I was… kidnapped by him. The Snake Sannin spoke of you often… so I wanted to meet you." Speaking to him never hurt more.
"That's why I've been so coy, so… off. You… you're…" Karin hugged herself, leaning over to see the ants crawl over the dust blow. "Whenever I see you, I can't help but think of what the Snake Sannin wants to do to you."
Shinrai remained silent.
Karin didn't look at him.
"He's weakened now… heavily. He's a shell of who he was…"
"...So, you think we could kill him?"
Karin paused, staring into the three hypnotizing tomoe of his Sharingan. She gave a stiff nod. "Yes." she grabbed his hand, pulling it to her chest and cradling it. "We could rid ourselves of him. We'll be free… finally. We'll…"
Shinrai hovered his hand over hers. He paused and moved it back down. A wince. It hurt to see that—Why?!
"We're going to go, and we're going to murder that fucker." His smirk was unbreakable. His Sharingan eyes glowed with assurance. It was all on her. When he said it, Karin almost actually believed they could do it.
He brought into her lie completely.
He trusted her entirely.
Even with all her shrouding, even with the falsities she presented…
He was going to die.
He was going to suffer.
It was all because of her.
Karin forced herself to nod, to smile, to enjoy and believe what he said. "We will."
Shinrai stood, bringing her up with her. "So, when do we leave? You know where to go, right?"
All she could do was just watch, look at his face. Look at the longing in his eyes. He longed for her, for her love—that was what he wanted… no… it was what he deserved. She couldn't give him any love. She didn't have any to give.
She was too ruined to love. All she did was hate. Hate herself and hate everyone else because that was all she was capable of.
Even still… there was still at least something she could spare. She would take her time trailing Orochimaru, leading Shinrai to him. Karin would do everything in her power to make his last time the best time.
"Karin…?" he asked, looking at her. Not any part of her, just her.
She sighed. "You… you can touch me, Shinrai."
"Oh!" he said, his face brightening. "So… what made you change your mind?"
"What you said, two weeks ago—"Lie"—Your… your want to love me. It… stayed with me—"Lie"—You weren't wrong when you said that I was hurt… but I know you won't. I won't let it happen—"Lie"—I… I think I want to love you, too."
Fucking lie.
Shinrai grinned. "That's…" He laughed. He grinned so hard it looked like it hurt. "That's really great to hear."
Karin forced a genuine-looking smile. Shinrai walked toward her—Karin fought the urge to step back. "So, uh," he began. "What's… okay?" he asked, pointing to her.
None of it. "It doesn't matter; touch where you want," she said with her fake, enticing smile.
"Oh." Shinrai cleared his throat. "That's fun, isn't it?" he asked to nobody in particular. Slowly, his hand drifted off of the black blade he constantly held. It reached out toward her. Karin kept her demeanor calm. The alarm bells in her head rang out. He didn't see. He couldn't see. She never let him.
He touched her. He grabbed her hand, intertwined their fingers, and clasped tightly.
That's… it?
Shinrai giggled. "Your hands are soft… they're really really soft. I wouldn't have thought you were a Shinobi based off of this."
"...It's because of my healing chakra… I can't scar," she explained, her voice distant. Her consciousness reigned in her mind. He didn't hold her possessively, he didn't grope her, he barely used the availability that she gave up to him…
All he did was hold her hand.
It took everything she had not to tremble with the guilt that consumed every part of her being.
He didn't deserve her. He deserved so much better.
And yet, she was all he had. After her? Well… it was Orochimaru.
For the first time in forever, Karin wanted to cry.
—⊱✿⊰—
Who the hell is she and where is she taking Shinrai? It was a good thing that Kusari decided to be nosey. She hadn't seen Shinrai since the invasion ended—so she went to check on him. He was sneaking out of the village with some girl. Her chakra looked like it was entirely Medical Ninjutsu…
It was suspicious. Why couldn't he have been normal and non-problematic like Gosei? He stayed injured in his hospital bed. Ryujin-sensei was… actually in the village for once in his life. But no, Shinrai had to scurry off like some perverted rat.
Kusari rubbed her temples and let out a ragged sigh. Why was this the second most important person in her life?
With remorse, she looked down at Neji in his coma. She was useless here. There was nothing she could do for him. Her presence meant nothing when he couldn't respond.
So, she decided to make herself useful somehow.
Kusari got up. Then she left the infirmary. Shinrai and that girl were moving fast. What was she going to do? Follow him and prevent that idiot from being an idiot.
A flicker and she trailed them both.
I hate you, Shinrai.
?￢ﾜ ? ~ Chapter End ~ ?￢ﾜ ?