Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Gentle Lesson: The Restoration of the Hatake ❯ Dying of the Light ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WISHED ME WELL FOR MY EXAMS!!!! I THINK I DIDN’T FAIL ANY OF THEM!!!

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I don’t own Naruto. It all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto!

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WARNING: KAKASHI BEATS THE CRAP OUT OF YUKIO!!! But if you don’t like M/M pairing, you might want to turn away NOW!!!! SWEARING!!! SWEARING!!!

“Kakashi, be still.”
Kakashi froze at the stern tone in his father’s voice.

Father never sounds like that.

Never.

Immediately, the white-haired toddler stopped fidgeting and tried his hardest to stand straight and tall like his father. But there wasn’t much to see – and his attention once again wandered.

He didn’t understand.

Why was everybody crying? Why does father look frightened?

Why are people looking at me funny?

Why are we staring at photographs of Uncle Kikyo, Aunt Lin, and my three cousins? Why was Granpa’s photo up there?

“Papa…” Kakashi’s little white hand tugged on his father’s ceremonial black yukata.
“SHHH!!!!” Sakumo glared at his young son.
Kakashi’s wide grey eyes widened and shimmered with barely held tears. His little lower lip quivered.
“Sakumo,” sighed his mother’s voice – barely heard over the citations. “He’s been standing there for twenty minutes…”

With a sigh, Sakumo bent down and whispered.
“What now?”
“Why are we here?”
“We’re here to mourn the death of our family members.”
Kakashi’s little eyebrows scrunched together as the little boy tried to understand what ‘mourn’, ‘death’ and ‘members’ meant.
“Are they away? Is that why you are sad?”
“No. They aren’t coming back.”
“It’s a long mission?”
“No.”
“Then –“
“Kakashi. I’ll explain when we get home.”
“Papa!” pleaded the young boy.
Sakumo sighed and hunkered down beside his young son.
“Some people believe death is when you go into a dark place and never exist anymore. You just – become one with the night… but other see Death as a long journey you must take one day – like everyone does. They believe that when you leave everything behind, your soul leaves your body to become –“
Sakumo stopped.
“Become what, Papa?” asked Kakashi in curiosity as he tried to fathom the idea of leaving his body. Maybe he’d grow wings. It was a nicer idea than being stuck alone in the dark and never living again.
“To become something beautiful.”

To become something beautiful.

Kakashi raised his head and thought about the word ‘beautiful’.

Father said Mother was ‘beautiful’.

My beautiful boy.

That’s what Mother says about me.

Look at the beautiful flowers. Beautiful butterfly.

Maybe I’ll become a flower? Or be born again like a butterfly?

Sakumo stood and looked away.

Plink.

Plink.

Plunk.

Kakashi counted the slowly falling rain as it descended out of the roiling grey sky – faster and faster.

Plink plink plinkplunk pluuunnkkkk….

It came down suddenly in a heavy SHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! And without warning, the servants behind them whipped out large umbrellas for the new heir, his pregnant wife, and his young son.

Kakashi turned his gaze away from the now soggy flowers lying in front of the pictures – the pictures he couldn’t see anymore – they were all fogged and running over with wet. Cousin Aya was drowning.

The heavy atmosphere weighed down on him.

“Mother…” he whispered, turning to his right.

She looked down at him – with no face to be seen – just a blurry pixilated piece of flesh.

“Mother? Mother! MOTHER!!! Wha- what-“

He tried to reach toward her – but his hand kept slipping – it was wet – it was rain – it was – it was -

“Kakashi – be silent!” his father rapped out. “You’re an embarrassment to the clan – behaving like that – like a crybaby! You will BE STILL!”

Then suddenly – he grasped her hand – but he fell backward and down into a wood – his hands covered in blood.

Where the hell is this from? Who did I -?

In his arms lay a pink-haired medic bleeding copiously out of a massive gut wound. Shock hit him and he rocked back and forth, shivering.

I killed her.

I killed her.

I’m a monster. Why was I even around her? Why did I think I could be THERE for her?

I’m useless.

No.

No.

“NO!”

Kaka shi jerked upwards – gasping for breath – unsure and uncertain. His gaze took in two sofa chairs of an indeterminate brown, five family pictures on the wall, a small bookshelf and tape player. One door was shut and the other revealed a kitchen-dining room space. The kitchen was bland – a cream and pale blue. Completing the circle of the room – a dresser below a window and a tiny night table – Kakashi’s gaze landed on the bed – the crumpled bed sheets, the clothes falling off the top onto the floor – and next to him, the warm body of –

Yukio. Damn!

THE FUCKING BASTARD!!!

At the same time, two hands jerked Kakashi down, while a pair of legs attempted to trap his beneath them.

“Heyy..” a husky voice said calmly. “You’re upset. Calm down.”

The feel of flesh on flesh made Kakash feel sick, he leaned over and retched over the side of the bed. Yukio pulled him back when he was done – but the Copy Nin lashed out.

“FUCK YOU AND GET OFF ME!!!! GO FIND ANOTHER BITCH!!!” yelled Kakashi, surprised to find his voice raw already.

He didn’t care.

Any sort of emotional stasis he had experienced yesterday – the memory of his mother – all that had been laid to rest. Bled out of him with the healing hands of –

No. He wasn’t even going to go there.

Just because I’m alone doesn’t mean I have to be Yukio’s lap dog.
Just because I owe him my -

Finding some leverage, he pried Yukio off him and before he could catch his breath, he took a hard blow to the jaw. Without even thinking twice, Kakashi returned it with twice the interest, kneeing Yukio in the groin for good measure.

“You’re a conniving, deceitful bastard taking advantage of somebody you KNOW isn’t in their right mind… you know damn well yesterday was – you fucked me on my mother’s tombstone you – you bastard!!!”

Any chance of thinking rationally about this was lost as Kakashi got swept away in a wave of white-hot anger. Ignoring Yukio’s heavy nails along his back, he pinned the black-haired ANBU down and began to seriously beat the crap out of him.

Yukio only smiled.

It’s a change. Enjoyable but –

Yukio threw himself forward, shoving Kakashi before him off the bed onto the ground.

“They’re always better,” the bleeding ANBU said, spitting out blood – speckling Kakashi’s face and torso. He threw up onto the floor, just missing the Copy Nin’s head. “They’re always better when – hah – when they’re feisty.”
“Get the FUCK off me you psycho!!!” gritted Kakashi, trying to push the pain away as Yukio’s knee buried itself in his groin.

He tried to pry himself off the floor – anything to get Yukio out from between his legs – but already the man had gotten a hold on Kakashi’s mop of grey hair with his left hand, effectively pinning the slighter male down. His other hand was holding down Kakashi’s hips.

And Kakashi, as his head was jerked back to bare his neck, felt the horror – that horror – hot lips making a path down to – that deep dark hole – that pale mask of flesh with no face or hair or eyes – it was himself.

Mother. You can’t watch this.

Inside him, he could feel that part of him which growled for dominance – it surged in white hot flames to his hands – and for a moment, he hesitated, unsure.

He’s my teammate.

He’s sick. Sick. Psychotic. You let him do this to you? Degrade you?

I owe him.

You owe him enough to stop him – to stop him before he hurts himself. You’re only encouraging his dark path.

But I can’t HURT him. I’m not using jutsu on him… Nothing big. Nobody needs to know what happened here. Just –

You know what to do.

I don’t know – let me think –

Don’t think. Feel.

For one moment, Kakashi felt everything drain away in the face of the oncoming voice. All tactics, strategies, jutsus and memories faded from the dark nothingness to a blinding light.

He could here a soft voice – black hair and blue eyes telling him – bending over him – pushing him gently back onto a white pillow –

Don’t think. Feel.

Megami?

Acting on instinct, he focused inward – he let it go

Something he hadn’t done in so many years…

Funny that he should remember Gai now –

“YOUR CLAN IS DYING, FATHER SAYS SO!!!”

It was everybody laughing at him – because he was small. Because he was Hatake. Because he was Sakumo’s son. Because he wasn’t Uchiha.

Because – because –

“It serves you right!”

Kakashi let it go – and ran.

-

“So, what you’re saying is that the talks aren’t going well,” Koharu sighed.

“Not going well?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow, as she leaned back and sipped on her tea. “Not going at all is more like it. Yare, yare… I just – it’s horrible. We’re going to need a plan for this. Scouts – everything. And so soon after the last one!”

Nobody wanted to say it.

Tsunade, her old friend and teammate, Jiraiya, Koharu and the new village elder, Zouba had gathered for a much needed talk – not only to review the financial growth, the political backing and the military strengths and weaknesses of Konoha – but to also consider the more troubling matters of international, inter-village relations.

“So you mean to say,” Zouba frowned, patting his graying beard. “There has been NO response from Rock? I thought that we had been able to end the War because there was a definite cessation of hostilities.”
“That’s correct,” Tsunade nodded. She leaned forward, set her cup down lightly and then turned to her spiky-haired teammate. “That is, if Jiraiya got it right.”
Jiraiya’s eyes narrowed.
“Not funny, princess.”
“Well… then?”
The Toad Hermit shrugged.
“I visited the Daimyo as you told me to. Ahhh!!! That was a good time! Such wine! Such food! Such company!” Jiraiya sniffed. “Better than what you offer me for this meeting.”
“Ji-rai-ya!!!” snapped Tsunade. “This is NO time to joke!”
“Right, right. I went, I saw, I conquered. How could I not? I’m the Toad Sannin!”
Tsunade’s face went red and her fist flamed with chakra.
“IDIOT!!!”
“And he was perfectly willing to be peaceful again with us. I was there when he sent the message to the village.”
Tsunade paused.
“So why didn’t it take effect?”
Jiraiya frowned and set his tea down with a heavy clunk.
“Who knows? Send some men out there! Send messages. You’ve got birds getting fat in the roost – send THEM.”
“I did. I just sent Ebisu and his team out a couple of days ago – they shouldn’t be back until the weekend…”
“Well… maybe it’s just bad communication…” Zouba said hopefully.

Koharu sighed as she stared past the Kage and the Toad Sannin – past their shoulders and the open doors to the place where the wind played. Where the wind played with the leaves in Konoha.

Before her, the town spread out – large, prosperous, getting to its feet after a long hard battle.

The town itself is a shinobi. It is a living thing we all fight for.

Tinted orange and red in the setting sun, the houses looked like the warm place she had dreamed of for years. Even here, she could hear the sounds of the market place, the children laughing and singing, the carousing of healing Jounin in the bars, the heavy beat of that new youngster music in the “underground” clubs.

This place is pulsing with life. This is what is so important. I’ve seen this village go through three wars – my old bones ache for peace. Not just for me – but for all of them. We are bred to fight – but only to fight so that we may live in peace. But it’s so elusive to grasp on this earth.

And no wonder –

“Koharu-sama!” Tsunade yelled, jumping up. “Hurry! Something’s happened!”

Koharu jerked to attention and saw that already Jiraiya was jumping over the roofs in the direction of the hospital. Zouba and Tsunade were beckoning from doorway.

Stiffly, she rose to feet, cursing her aching joints, and shuffled over.

No wonder – there is no time to really sit and be content.

Twenty minutes later, they were watching, through a one-way glass mirror, four medics headed by Shizune heal Moegi’s badly broken arm and leg.

In the next room, Sakura was tending to Udon who was suffering from multiple burn wounds. Somebody had hit him really hard with a katon jutsu. Watching his skin blister, Sakura felt horrified.

It’s been such a short while since the war has ended. Only a few years! I never thought I’d see this again.

“Get a hold of your self, Sakura,” rapped out Tsunade. “We need to heal him quickly before he scars beyond any sort of healing.”
“Hai!”

“Where’s Ebisu and Konohamaru?” asked Jiraiya, bursting in. “I can’t find them!”
Zouba turned and smiled.
“They’re okay. We have them in a quiet room. To wait.”
“We need to talk to them!”
Koharu shook her head, eyes never leaving the operation. “No. Leave them be. They need to know the outcome first.”
Jiraiya turned to watch as Moegi’s skin closed up slowly but surely around the newly set bones.

It is hard to see something like this. I always end up divided. Because there are scars – there are wounds – and that means war, surely. But there is healing and recovery – and that means peace. Hope and despair are entrenched in these walls – even these new ones. I guess… that’s life.

He shook his head slowly and walked out. Hospitals were never his thing.

Sakumo and I would just go to Tsunade for some quick spot on healing… no hospitalization for us, no sirree..

“Jiraiya,” Tsunade’s voice cut into his melancholic thoughts. “They’re going to be fine.”
For a moment, she stood there, watching Jiraiya’s giant back – and wondered.

How it felt for her partner to be here again watching people hurt. Her heart felt heavy just thinking about the implications of this attack. His shoulder’s stiffened and he turned, his smile lighting up the dreary blue-green hallway.
“Great. I’ll go talk to Ebisu.”
“Be easy on him – it’s hard for a man to get over the failure to protect. Especially for one as upright as Ebisu.”
“Yeah. I’ll remember. But, Tsunade –“ Jiraiya paused, as he once again looked over his old friend –

We’ve known each other for so long and here we are surviving – holding each other up as we hobble on – what is that called?

She was tired, but her eyes were triumphant – the usual high from a successful operation.

“I’m afraid.”
Tsunade’s eyes widened.
“What Ebisu might tell us –“
Tsunade hesitated, brow furrowed in thought.
“If it was Rock, you know what that means –“
“Yeah, I do. But do you want to realize that?”
“Jiraiya. I want to hope for the best.”
“So do –“

But his words were never finished as suddenly, an ANBU appeared before the Kage in a billow of smoke.

“Kage-sama. We need your help. Urgently.”

It was one of the young ones. His voice sounded slightly panicked.

“What is it? Is it an attack? It’s Rock, right?”
“R-r-rock?” The boy seemed to hesitate. “Uh… I don’t think so…”
“Somebody’s hurt,” Tsunade turned to leave – but was confronted by the sight of two more ANBU appearing with a fifth one, hastily wrapped in a bluish-green blanket, carried in one of the taller one’s arms. “Jiraiya, find Sakura for me – I’m going to need help. How did it happen?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean? Was it a solo mission – here – put him here!”
“N-n-n-no…” another younger man broke in, stuttering in shock. “I-i-I found him… in his bedroom like that… Yu- that is, um… we were supposed to meet around lunch but he never showed and then it got to the evening and I th-th-thought maybe…”
His high voice trailed off.

“Fine, fine… I’ll check him out… leave… all of you…”
They trailed out into the hallway, Sakura ran in – eyes goggling at the sight of ANBU around an operating room door.

“What happened? Another mission gone wrong? Do you think it’s a combined attack on our bor-“
“No. No. Nothing like that… something, more – domestic, I think…”
“What?”
“Crazy ANBU – they’re completely batshit crazy – but you just have to risk that… now let’s see what this one has got himself into….”

There was a tense silence as Tsunade peeled back the blanket.

She froze.

“What the hell?” breathed Sakura. “That’s not – that’s not self-inflicted… There are scars from previous missions… and some new ones… and some even newer ones – broken ribs – uh – uh – bruising around the neck, the wrists…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“And – uh –“

Two hand prints burned right in – like a brand – into the lower torso.

“We need Shizune,” breathed Sakura.
“No. We don’t. We’ll be fine.”
“What’s up with that? Oh, hell… he’s seizing!”

There were several tense minutes of chaos and scurrying as Tsunade attempted to place the man under heavy sedation while Sakura carefully suppressed various chakra points in hopes of controlling the man’s obviously out of control chakra system. After managing to sedate the shaking body, Tsunade looked up grimly.

“I’ve never sent his before,” Sakura gasped as she fell back. “What’s the reason do you think?”
“He’s reacting to foreign chakra.”
“WHAT?”
“He was given an influx of foreign chakra – all at once.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Improbable but not impossible.”
“You mean – the Hyuuga?”
“Sakura, the Hyuuga aren’t the only ones who are able to extend their chakra BEYOND their body.”
“So then –“
“Don’t worry about that. I know what to do… I just need your help healing the burns and the more obvious wounds while I purge his system.”
“You don’t seem too worried…” Sakura mumbled as she focused on the man’s skin.
“I’d be a horrible Kage to not know my own men. There’s a history here. Trust me.”

Sakura’s last thoughts before her mind became totally enmeshed in muscle and skin were uneasy.

What else, then, does she know that she cannot reveal – or won’t?

She thought back to Tsunade’s acquiescence concerning Kakashi.

She obviously WANTED us to discover him. Damn. She must be worried.

-

The room was small and claustrophobic – grey and dead feeling like one of those crypts that Jiraiya would visit when he had to remember his parents. It wasn’t the best atmosphere for the obviously shell shocked men before him.

Konohamaru still in his rags. Ebisu, looking so fatigued and worn that a toothpick could knock him over, was speechless.

“First of all,” Jiraiya smiled. “I’m here to say that Moegi-chan and Udon-kun are going to be FINE. Tsunade said they are making good recovery and you’ll be able to see them after they’ve been cleaned up.”
“Really?” asked Konohamaru, jumping up and then falling back rather ungracefully into his seat.
“Thanks to Tsunade,” smiled Jiraiya – his eyes darting to the hunched shoulders of the silent Jounin-sensei. “But we need to get some information…”
Konohamaru paled and looked toward his sensei.
Ebisu made no move to comment.
“Sure…” Konohamaru whispered.
“What happened?” asked Jiraiya, trying to keep his anxiety down, to keep himself calm, to sound gentle.
“We were – attacked –“ Konohamaru looked nervously at his silent sensei. “From all sides…”
“Where was that?”
“Ummm…” Another glance at the silent, dark-haired Jounin. “Just as we left the border.”
“On the BORDER?” asked Jiraiya carefully, fighting hard to keep his surprise hidden. “Why do you think that was?”
“I don’t – I don’t know…”
“Do you have any idea of who they were?”Konohamaru shook his head. “I didn’t see. I was knocked out before I could tell.”
“They were Rock,” said Ebisu into the following silence. “Rock…. I don’t understand. I thought the war was over.”
“So did I,” Jiraiya said grimly.
“I managed to fight off most of them – Moegi was wounded protecting me while Udon ran off with Konohamaru…. We managed to get back over the border – we sent up a flair… so they left us alone to die, I guess… heh… they underestimated the ANBU. We’ve got a lot to thank for them…”
“Yes,” Jiraiya nodded, thinking of Kakashi – and –

Damn… that school…

“We do.”
“But why would Rock be so hostile? There is no need for war. Sound is gone and with it, all the contention, right?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”
“NARUTO-KUN!!!” laughed Konohamaru (rather hysterically) as Naruto appeared suddenly out of nowhere. “We just got back from a horrible mission. Moegi and Udon were wounded badly – but we made it. ‘cause we’re tough, right?”
“Absolutely, Konohamaru!” Naruto grinned, hiding the sudden painful squeezing in his heart. “But of course, nobody can beat me! If I was there – I’d have kicked their puny asses into the ocean!!!”
“Yeah, right, bro!” Konohamaru sniffed. “These were Rock Ninjas.”“So I heard. What kind of fight did you pick this time?”
“No fight! I wasn’t even doing your hentai technique! We were just walking along and then – BOOM! We were attacked.”
“Huh… sounds like they want war…”
“I hope not…” Jiraiya growled. “Speaking of war, that’s what’ll happen if Tsunade finds you in here. What are you doing?”
“Sakura-chan was called away from our meeting. We were just sitting down to talk about our findings when you took her away. What’s up with that? You hiding something from us?” Naruto glared at his old part-time Sannin-sensei.
“Naruto. We don’t want to panic the village with unverified information. That’s all.”
“Hnh. Well… this whole Rock thing sounds fishy to me.”
“It doesn’t concern you, Naruto.” Jiraiya frowned. “Seriously. Do you want Tsunade to kill me?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m practically GONE. Just a thought though… wouldn’t it be interesting if it was like – I don’t know… Orochimaru again? That’d be –“
Naruto stopped at the sight of three shell-shocked shinobi.

“What did I say?”
“Naruto –“ Jiraiya sighed. “You’re going to be the death of me one of these days…”
“Naruto-niichan!!!” screamed Konohamaru. “Stop pulling my leg like that. You sound too serious to be talking about things like that!!!”

“Yeah, yeah… You guys are just getting old…”

With a smile and a wave, Naruto disappeared down the hall.

-

The ward was empty and quiet. Sakura – at times – liked it that way. As she paced the dark halls – savoring the moonlight – the gentle glow of dimmed lights, she embraced the warmth. Even though the halls were sparse, bare and Spartan, this was her home – her place.

Sasuke and Naruto had come by to set up a definite – unbreakable – date for the next day.

“We’ll talk then – with No interruptions,” Sasuke had said, his dark eyes shimmering with some unnamed emotion. “We can’t afford to waste ANY time.”

What does he know?

Sakura wondered.

What can be worse than what I know now?

Finding the watering can in the janitor’s closet, she absently watered the few potted plants dying in the hallway – and then, decided to check on her three patients.

Moegi and Udon were asleep – walking the dream kingdom and Sakura wished them well.

Her third charge was in an out of the way room – as she walked down the hall way, voices echoed back to her eerily.

“You shouldn’t have gone to THEM. We have our own medics, Makoto. You should have known better, Neko.”
“We were worried – I wasn’t thinking.”
“Well, THINK next time.”
“Yessir.”
“Ichiro.”
“ ;Yessir.”
“I’ll be going now – you boys get home. Neko, you’ll be relieved in two hours.”

By the time, Sakura made it down the hallway, nobody was there – only ‘Neko’. A cat. Sakura shivered at the sight of the female ANBU’s fierce mask.

They’re just like me though – just like anyone. I know those eyes. The eyes of a dying soul.

I see them.

I see them every day when I work with Iruka. Coming to us for help – to heal something even my chakra can’t reach.

But this –

Sakura without comment, passed the ANBU and walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

But this –

She checked the machines. The chakra pathways – and rechecked the talisman markings. The pink haired Jounin medic surveyed her patient critically. It was a older man – well-built, black hair, lean, animal power encased in a human body – and a wide mouth.

She could see him smiling.

But this –

This is my domain.

As she laid a healing hand on the man’s chest, he shifted restlessly beneath her – as if swimming out of the green-black depths of the sea of unconsciousness.

“Kasshhi.”

Sakura froze.

What.

What was that?

Without further ado, she turned and left the room – more confused than ever.

Does that mean what I fear? I feel so stupid. So blind. I don’t know where to go – but forward. I can’t give up now.

-

Yukio woke up when Kakashi found his way home.

0100 hours.

As he fell bonelessly onto the green comforter of his bed, Kakashi wondered yet again – why?

Why did those memories have to haunt him? Why did they come to HIM in the night?

Why were – blue eyes, pink hair, stubborn mouth – the pictures flashing through his mind’s eye seared him with an uncomfortable light.

Why were THEY there? Still there? Were they waiting for me? Still waiting for him to turn up late on the bridge?

Didn’t they understand?

He buried his face into his pillow in frustration, running his long fingers through the dirty mop of his hair. His hands were dirty – with blood.

His hands.

Kakashi propped up on his elbows considered his hands as they lay against the stark white of his pillow. In the moonlight – they didn’t look so bad. But he could see them – red.

Not like Mother’s soft hands.

Or Sakura’s gentle fingers that brought healing.

Sakura.

She was a cherry blossom – white-pink in purity.

In spring. In growth. In life. In innocence.

Everything that she was – he was not.

She was like the purifying white fire bound deep down inside him by emotion – by fear – by guilt – by self-hatred.

She walked in the light as he did not – in the land of the living – not in the ghost world that he attempted to survive in.

Damn those ghosts all to hell. And Yukio. And Neko and Makoto for that matter.

I don’t need them.

I’m fine on my own.

I can do this.

I need to do this. Somehow. To finish what Father was supposed to do.

To answer to those eyes.

He could still feel those eyes – he wasn’t Jounin anymore – only two years old – just learning how to talk properly. He was the funeral of his grandfather and uncle. Uncle Kikyo.

Great Uncle Kikyo. Who everybody had high hopes for. Who everybody praised. Who Father talked of with great respect and admiration – and envy.

Little Kakashi didn’t understand.

Why? Papa? Why do you have to change for them?
Why can’t you spend more time with me?
Why are you so often away?
Don’t you love me?
Don’t you care?

He chose the dark – so that I could walk into the light.

Kakashi curled up into a ball, his gut growing tighter and tighter at the thought.

I’m failing them. I’m so fucked up – I can’t even help myself.

I’m dependent on – her – pain – Konoha to find some sort of light.

There’s none within in me, Father.

I embrace it – just like you did.

Turning around, to gaze up at the now darkened room’s ceiling, Kakashi shut his eyes and welcomed the dark. The dark was a womb.

A womb to be born out of.

“Become what, Papa?”
“To become something beautiful.”

If only it would rain.

To cleanse it all away.

He closed his eyes and saw the cherry blossoms fall from a blue sky full of branches. They softly fell onto his face and he smiled.

Somewhere in the dark eaves of the scraggly forest on the edge of a desolate mountain – somewhere in Rock, a grey-haired man – with dead eyes and a long scar – stepped into a clearing. And he waited.

Out of the gloom, slowly – with measured steps like an ancient horror – a black coat with red flowers emerged.

A small bell tinkled.

The cherry blossoms bloomed.