Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Shinobi: Pride of Pride ❯ Chapter Seventeen ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Shinobi: The Price of Pride

By: Hanasaki Rikku

Summary: With a clan like the Hanasaki, is it any wonder why Rikku is the way she is? She lost her brother and friend at such a young age, and things with Chizuko have seemed to only gotten worse. What does Itachi want and why does a certain Snake Sannin seem so interested in her life all of the sudden?

Rating: T/M. For violence (poorly written, but still there), language, and some other stuff I can't quite recall at the moment. Just be warned. Oh, that, and my horrible writing.

Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Angst

“If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them.”

((CHAPTER SEVENTEEN))

She was standing in a field surrounded by endless forest, with sky so bright and blue it seemed surreal. There was not a cloud in the sky, and so nothing to shield her from the burning sun, but that was okay, she liked the heat, it was relaxing. And relaxing was something she was in desperate need of. She needed to forget, and she knew it was working, because she didn't even remember what she was trying to forget.

She untied her hitai-ate, retying it around her arm and wiped the sweat from her brow, her eyes narrowing against the glare of the sun. It was so quiet, not even a chirp of a bird; pure, serene silence. As the thought registered, she heard the crunch of grass and turned to face the newcomer, frowning at the pang in her chest that materialized in the other's presence.

But she couldn't remember why.

Her smile was wide, the girl's, as she ran to catch up to her, bright emerald eyes shining in mirth as they came to rest on her, the dark orange hair twisted into two neat braids above her shoulders bobbing behind her. “Ohayou!” She was caught in a sudden embrace, almost catching her off guard, but she righted herself, winding her arms around the girl briefly before releasing her.

“What's up, brat?” The girl's nose crinkled in distaste at the name, but said nothing in retort. She smirked, crossing her arms over her chest, watching with clear amusement as the girl proceeded to bounce up and down excitedly. “What happened?”

The girl's smile widened into a bright grin only she could manage, “I have a mission! My first solo mission! Genma-sensei says I'm ready for it! It's only C rank, but isn't it great!” She nearly squealed in her obvious enthusiasm, giggling childishly. Chizuko blinked, taking in the information, and slowly she felt a grin spread along her lips.

Swinging an arm around the girl, she managed to halt her incessant bouncing, mussing her hair playfully. “This is great, Ayame!”

The girl continued to bound all over the place, squealing, until her eyes locked on some point behind her and she brightened, if that where at even all possible at this point.

“Rikku-nee-chan!” She took off, Chizuko following as the girl dashed to where the Hanasaki girl had just appeared, smirking at the look of shock that appeared on her face as she was tackled into a hug. It quickly dispersed, a frown forming in its stead as a dark feeling overcame her, leaving her bewildered.

What was going on? Why did she feel so strange? So…hurt. These where her friends, her family; why did she feel like she didn't belong?

“What's wrong?”

Her eyes snapped up, locking on the dark amber eyes that could only belong to Rikku, and she felt the sudden urge to punch her but refrained from doing so. She shook her head. Something was wrong; everything was wrong. There was a nagging feeling at the back of her head that insisted, no, demanded that this wasn't right.

She forced a smile, gazing at the younger girl and ignoring the feeling inside herself, to Ayame, who was still having a difficult time controlling herself, Rikku's arm wrapped around the girl's shoulder in efforts to restrain her. “Nothing.”

Rikku frowned, eyeing her curiously for a moment. “Are you sure?”

Chizuko grinned, “Nothing's wrong. Trust me.” The other didn't appear convinced, but she pried no further, nodding. “Anyway. I say we celebrate! In honor of Ayame's mission.” She turned to the girl in question, ruffling her hair again. “What do you say, brat?”

Nodding eagerly, the girl began to bounce up and down excitedly, “Yay!”

Rikku patted the girl's shoulder before dropping her arm to her side, turning to Chizuko. “What do you propose we do?”

She shrugged. “Spar?”

At that, Rikku smirked, shaking her head. “Is that all you ever think about?” Chizuko's grin was response enough. Surprisingly, Ayame agreed, thinking it'd be good practice before she headed out. Chizuko was paired off with Ayame, Rikku leaving to get some lunch for the three of them, which would probably consist of mainly ramen. If there was one thing the three could always agree on, was ramen.

Chizuko settled into an offensive position, and Ayame smiled nervously, following her lead, “Go easy on me, okay?”

Chizuko grinned, cracking her knuckles easily, “Will do. Ready?”

“Yup!” Ayame nodded, and she dashed forward with a kunai in hand. Swiftly, she found herself at the girl's side, and made to punch the girl. Slower than she would have liked, Ayame did dodge, spinning around, kunai in hand. Smirking, Chizuko stepped back, performing a seal as the girl dashed for her.

Having none of that, the girl only stalled for a second before gathering a handful of senbon, spreading them with her fingers and Chizuko caught the faint glow of chakra at the girl's feet and sped up her jutsu. The Katon missed its target just barely when Ayame sped off to the side, issuing out her senbon at an incredible pace. Chizuko cursed, glowering at the girl, nearly avoiding the rain of needles.

When she found an opening, the Niamoshi never one for speed, she broke her pace with a swift kick behind the knees. The redhead caught herself before a fall, but she was too fast, bringing down a fist that only just narrowly missed the girl. But Ayame didn't stand, dropping her senbon and falling forward with a haggard cough. Without another thought, Chizuko caught her, frowning worriedly.

What the hell?

“What are you doing, idiot?”

Ayame didn't answer, a strong shudder running through her and she coughed, stumbling back and away from the Himura. After a while, with the girl staring off into space and Chizuko fretting she'd somehow managed to harm her, Ayame shook her head and grinned. She would have sighed in relief, or scowled thinking Ayame had just played a joke on her, but the girl's grin widened… and widened.

Her lips stretched, splitting and bleeding as the tender flesh ripped. Chizuko gasped, watching with wide eyes as the girl's stomach exploded, drenching her with blood. The entire clearing was covered with blood, the sky itself tainted with the thick red substance.

Ayame simply smiled, eyes bleeding and rolling back in their sockets, then shriveling to nothing. “What's the matter, Chizuko-san?” her voice was sweet, and innocent, dribbling blood and Chizuko nearly gagged.

Her face began to dissolve, the skin melting off her in chunks, falling to the bloodstained grass to reveal decaying muscle. She wanted to look away, but continued to watch in morbid fascination, unable to comprehend what was happening.

“A-Ayame…? What…? What's going on…? Ayame…” She stumbled over her words, shaking her head. This wasn't happening…this couldn't be happening!

Ayame's bloody smile faded, a blank look forming upon her features, the empty sockets of her eyes bleeding, muscle and flesh disintegrating. This wasn't Ayame.

“Nothing's going on, Chizuko-san. I'm dead, don't you remember?” She replied in a deadly calm, her voice monotonous. Chizuko shook her head, inhaling sharply and Ayame continued, “Yes you do. You killed me, remember? You let me die. Why did you kill me, Chizuko-san? I thought we were friends.”

Chizuko shook her head feverishly, “But…I didn't…”

It wasn't Ayame.

It wasn't.

“Yes you did. It's okay, I'm not mad at you. Even if you did kill me, I still like you. You're my friend, even if you hate me. It's okay.” She interrupted, giggling. It was a frightening sound, so dead, so bland and vapid with no form of emotion behind it whatsoever.

“Why did you kill her? What did she ever do to you? You sicken me.” It was Rikku's voice, and she could hear the sneer in those words even if she could not see the Hanasaki.

“Rikku…” Her hands shook violently, an action that started deep within her chest, spreading out along her nerve until she just couldn't control it anymore.

There was a malicious laughter that rang out in her ear, soft and breathy, and so foreign, followed by the voice of her friend.

“I suppose we shouldn't be all too surprised. You are a Himura. And that's what Himura's do, right? They kill. You're just like that bastard Subaru.”

This couldn't be real. Rikku would say that, would she? She would never say that! Chizuko shook her head, willing herself to believe her own words, but they sounded hallow even to her own ears. “But I didn't kill her! I…I didn't! You were there! You saw!”

“No I wasn't. I was fighting. I was protecting the Village while you killed Ayame. You selfish bitch.”

She was crying now, fallen to her knees and sobbing on the grass, on the blood; Ayame's blood. So much blood, just like on that day. Just like on that day she'd tried so hard to forget. And she hadn't killed Ayame. Ayame had died, yes, but it had been protecting her…

She shouldn't have left her guard down, though. Maybe then he wouldn't have killed her.

Maybe they were right…maybe she had killed Ayame…

“Don't cry, Chizuko-san. Please don't cry. I just want to know why you killed me. Why did you kill me?”

“That's right. Why did you kill her? You're disgusting. You can't even be considered human. Piece of shit…”

“…I hate you.”

She awoke with a start, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat and tears. A sob tore from her throat as she kicked her legs over the side of her futon, bringing her knees to her chest and wiping away furiously at the tears.

She shouldn't have been surprised, nor as affected as she was. She was used to hearing this; used to all the anger, frustration and hatred directed towards her. It was only natural. She was Himura. A clan whose name was tainted by fraudulent crimes; a family so broken and fragile it was a wonder how they survived. If not for the brute strength Himura's were so well known to convey, she doubted she'd still be here.

It wasn't as if she had actually known the girl; she'd thought she did, but that was obviously a lie. It was all a lie. Rikku didn't care about anything other than herself. She was nothing but a selfish, contemptuous brat with too much power and money under her control. She thought she could do whatever she wanted; toy with people's lives and emotions just because she held none. She was just some heartless, arrogant creature with no regard for others. All she cared about was power. She wasn't her friend. Friends didn't betray each other. Friends didn't choose one over the other.

And that's exactly what she did. She'd never cared about her. She'd only cared about the kid, the brat, Ayame. She only pretended to be nice out of politeness…Or pity. The latter was more than probable, and did nothing to subdue the growing hatred she began to feel for the younger girl.

Funny how easy it was to change her feelings for another.

Damn you! Damn you Rikku! I hate you! You bitch! I hate you! The tears came, and the choked feeling in her chest grew. I don't need your pity! I don't need you! You're a traitor! I hate you! She should have known. She should have known Rikku was incapable of caring for anyone but herself. Damn her!

She shoved off the futon, stalking to her window and yanking the panes open, jumping outside into the cool night. Winter was still upon them, the Village embodied in the purest white of snow. She shivered, considering going back in if only to retrieve warmer attire. She didn't, leaping up from her windowsill onto the shingled rooftop, plopping down unceremoniously upon the snow, wincing.

So this hadn't been the smartest move on her part, and she could practically feel her tears freeze over, but she preferred this to the secluded room. She didn't care if she got sick, caught pneumonia, or…died.

Damn you Rikku. Damn you to hell.

“You shouldn't be out here in that.”

She startled at the sound of Kakashi's voice, and glanced over her shoulder, diverting her puffy glare to the silver-haired Jounin. She really wasn't in the mood for his…Kakashi-ness. Was it too much to ask for to be alone and allowed to brood in peace? She didn't want him to see her cry, appear weak. Nor did she have the energy to yell at him. She just wanted to be left alone.

Growling, she brushed her hair out of her face harshly, swiping at the tears that'd somehow had managed to come forth even with the insanely low temperature. “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I was just heading to my apartment when I caught you out here. In the snow and in your pajamas.” He shook his head, but the amusement left his eye as he settled his gaze on her. She looked away hurriedly, scowling darkly, hugging her knees to her chest.

“Well then, I'm sorry if I bothered you.” She snapped, her temper getting the best of her. She felt the pain well in her chest, gathering in her throat, and felt the need to cry all over again. But not in front of Kakashi. Never. Damn her…

“It's a cold night. It just snowed, so when everyone wakes up tomorrow morning, they'll find it untouched and clean. It's a shame it won't last forever. Don't you think?” She didn't bother to respond, burying her head in her arms when she discovered he had no intentions of leaving any time soon. Warmth draped around her, and she blinked, lifting her head to find Kakashi's Jounin vest resting over her shoulders. He was still gazing out into the village, a thoughtful expression on his single visible eye. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Her breath hitched, and the swallowing pain returned in her chest tenfold, threatening to overwhelm her. She pillowed her cheek on her arm, refusing to look at the older Jounin, averting her gaze to the snow. “…Not really.”

A pause.

“Does it have something to do with your Hanasaki friend, Rikku?” She scowled at the name, closing her eyes before she began crying all over again. Not trusting her voice, she nodded. There was an extended pause, and she felt herself break just a little more with every passing second. “How much do know about the Hanasaki clan, Chizuko?”

Slowly, she opened her eyes, raising questioning eyes to the Jounin, a small frown touching her brow. “…Not a lot.” Truthfully, she knew almost nothing about the clan. Rikku had never felt comfortable talking about them before. Though, she figured, it had not been the girl's discomfort but her lack of liking for her. The bitch had probably never thought of her as anything more than a comrade; a waste of time.

He shifted slightly, and turned so that he was looking directly at her, a serious look within his eyes and she realized, with a gasp, he was not wearing his hitai-ate over his scarred Sharingan eye. “They are a corrupt clan, Chizuko. They seek power, and will do whatever it takes to attain it. At some point, they even made an attempt on the Nidaime's life. They are an untrustworthy lot. They care nothing of Shinobi values. They believe only in power and knowledge. Their pride will one day be their downfall.”

Chizuko snorted, tugging the jacket tighter around herself and averting her eyes to glare down at the snow darkly. “Sounds like—”

Kakashi's mismatched eyes narrowed, and his tone lowered. “Rikku is nothing like them. It isn't who she is, Chizuko. She was trained into it. For all her life, they tried to change her, taint her, make her into one of them. In the end, they discovered that as long as Tochi was around, they would never achieve that. So what did they do?” He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes for a moment. “They wouldn't kill him, because she would rebel if she came to know of that. No. They banished him. Made her believe he'd left, that he'd never cared. Rikku doesn't have a family, Chizuko. Not a real one.”

Forgetting her coldness, she sat up, frowning, wanting desperately to comprehend the meaning behind his words. “How could she believe he'd left her? Tochi loved her.”

He sighed, running a hand through his wild silver locks. “She was only a child, Chizuko. It wasn't hard to manipulate her into thinking that. But she wasn't stupid either, and she came to resent them despite their attempts. She found out about their role in his disappearance and has never forgiven them.” Turning to her again, she felt herself shiver, not from the cold, but by the intensity of his stare. “Like I said. She doesn't have a family. She lost her brother, and then Ayame.”

Her expression darkened, and the sorrow she'd begun to feel for the girl began to fade. “Ayame…”

“Chizuko.” She glanced up at him, her eyes narrowed to a glare. He sighed, resting a hand on her shoulder. “She's afraid to lose you too. Don't you see? She wants to protect you. Protect you from her clan. You're all she has left.”

The anger and hatred shattered and she felt herself break inside. Her lungs constricted, and she felt her heart burn with pain. Something tightened in her throat, and she felt the burning come as a final warning before her eyes flooded with tears, shoulders racked with silent sobs. She buried her face in her arms, not wanting the man to see her moment of weakness, biting her lip angrily to stop the tears.

She couldn't seem to get enough air, and her mind screamed for some sort of release. She wanted to punch Rikku for being so stupid, punch that damn Hokori for torturing her, and punch Kakashi for telling her. It would have been better if she'd never found out, if she'd lived her life hating Rikku. It would have been easier than knowing the truth. Didn't Rikku know she didn't have to protect her? Didn't she know she didn't need protection? Didn't she knew she wanted to help her? It's what friends did…

She felt strong arms wrap around her, and didn't care anymore that the silver-haired Jounin was more or less a stranger, and seemed to know more about her friend than she. All she cared about was getting rid of this pain, getting rid of the heartache.

Was this why Rikku was so distant? Why she never smiled, never laughed? How could they do this to her? Her own family! It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to her. Why had she never said anything? Didn't she trust her? Didn't she want help? Why did she let them do this to her? How could she take it?

With gritted teeth and teary eyes, Chizuko pushed away from the man, glaring into his eyes. “How…do you know all this?” Her voice was hoarse, coarse from crying. It had helped, though. Crying. She'd managed to calm down, and now was left with only a stark anger. Anger for those who dared hurt her friend. Her imouto.

Again, he sighed, closing his eyes, his arms loosening around her. “I made a promise, the night of Tochi's exile, to watch over her for him. I kept in contact with him for about a month after that, but I haven't seen him since.”

She felt torn six ways, unsure of what to do now. What could she do? Her brow furrowed in anxiety, and she had a miserable feel of defeat settle in her stomach. Rikku… She felt horrible for jumping to conclusions, but what she said had really hurt. “Kakashi…”She turned to the man, pleading with her eyes he tell what to do, help her get past this.

“Give her some time. She'll work it out. Eventually.” He replied, as if reading her mind. After another moment, he released her and stood, brushing the snow from his now soaked pants, resetting his hitai-ate. Chizuko sighed, following his lead, shivering beneath the jacket as a cool breeze snuck its way past.

“I don't think I can wait.” She finally had an idea why Rikku was the way she was. She couldn't just ignore it and play dumb until Rikku got past her inner demons. She wanted to help. She wanted to help her in any way she could. Show her she had family.

Kakashi shook his head, scratching his hair in an indolent manner, stifling a yawn. Hadn't he said he'd been heading home? She frowned, feeling a guilty for having kept him from well-deserved rest. “No. Don't rush her. She needs to work this out on her own.”

Exasperated, she stomped her foot indignantly, momentarily forgetting that her family was still very much asleep within the confines of her warm house. “She's been `working this out on her own' all her life. I think she deserves a little support.”

“No, Chizuko. She needs her space. She has her reasons for doing things. It's worked so far.” He retorted sternly, like a father lecturing a child. At that moment, she felt her stubbornness return, and anger caused her chakra to crackle around her, her Kurushimeru activating in part of the wild frenzy of her emotions.

“So far? She's a mess! I won't let—”

“A mess? Are you blind? Any lesser man would have gone insane with the kind of pressure she's been put through, yet she's managed for this long.” He sighed again, shaking his head in what appeared disappointment. “Have a little more faith in her, Chizuko.” And with that, he was gone, leaving her speechless and consumed with yet even more remorse for her actions.

It wasn't until she'd entered her room, the contrasting change in temperatures leaving her body burning, that she realized she still had his jacket.

((CHAPTER END))