Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Road I Take ❯ If It Weren't For Me.. ( Chapter 2 )

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

She awoke panting, she was in a cold sweat and tears were streaming down her face. She looked over at her clock and found that it had to be almost midday, but the room was still dark. Pulling herself out of bed, she lifted the curtain and stared at the outside world. Grey clouds roamed the sky the rain was pouring down and the wind whistled slightly against the window. Dropping the curtain, she dressed and then made her way into the kitchen, and making some toast. She spied the book still on the coffee table and she spluttered on her coffee, remembering that Iruka-Sensei had wanted her to visit him in the morning. Quickly, she grabbed her keys and flew out the door, racing towards the academy, the toast in her mouth becoming slightly soggy from the rain.

Coming to a stop in front of the sliding door, she pushed it aside and stepped in silently, drawing attention from the children in the class as well as the teacher. She looked at her slightly shocked at her appearance and then walked over to her, letting his students talk among themselves quietly.

“What happened to you?” He asked as she grinned sheepishly at him, wringing out her hair “I woke up late and forgot all about our meeting this morning and of coarse when I remembered I rushed over here as quickly as I could. I neglected to grab a coat on the way out.”

She explained, he looked at her with a worried look and handed her the notes she took the day before. I glanced down at the seeing red pen scribbled on them every now and then and at the top of the first page with a circled red ‘A’. He beamed at her.“It was all very good work. A good way to finish on the last day at the academy”

Ritsuko looked at him wide-eyed. “Ya what now?” She said quickly in her shock. “Today you graduate. That is, only if you can show me the shadow clone technique.” He grinned, knowing full well of her capabilities and she returned the grin, setting the hand seal and calling the name, clouds of smoke appeared all around the room.

“Bunoshin no jitsu!” (Shadow clone technique)

As soon as her words there were about fifty clones gracing the room. Some were sitting on his desk casually, some were scattered though the crowd of students grinning at the socked faces. Iruka expected nothing less of her, the number one rookie right next to Sasuke-kun. Her shadows disappeared as he handed her a shining new forehead protector and she took it from him, proudly, looking down at it in pure joy.

She leapt at Iruka and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a tight bear hug. He blushed a little at such an affectionate reaction and laughed through her constant show gratitude of thankyou’s. She stepped back and was he surprised to see tears in her eyes and was a little concerned from the expression that was held on her fair face.

“A-are you alright, Ritsuko-Chan?” She shaded her eyes from view, silently and moved the protector over her forehead. “Hai. Its just today is the day-…“ She left it hanging, knowing only he could understand just what it meant to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the concern and worry standing out of his face.

“Will you be alright?”

She had looked up then with an expression that made him feel at ease. She was smiling, her eyes creasing into the most sincere smile he had ever seen. He had done the right thing by deciding to graduate her today.

“Hai. Iruka-Sensei. I’ve never been better”


He knew it was stupid, but he didn’t want to take any possibly fatal chances in any case, she had shown him that she was capable but he couldn’t get this feeling off his back. He had tracked him down. It was unusual for the jounin to be eating out for once, but he didn’t care. Stepping into the small ramen shop he slipped into a stool next to the jounin, who was waiting for his meal. He shot a curious look at him.

“Good evening, Iruka-sama. What brings you here this evening?”

A hint of sly curiosity shone in his eyes. Iruka played with a napkin of the bench, uncomfortable, knowing that the jounin was basking in always making him feel this way with anything.

“Actually. I was hoping you would do me a favour.”

He didn’t wait for a reply, he knew the jounin was very attentive and for him to be asking a favour, he knew it would catch his curiosity. But he was deadly serious now. No time for his mind games.

“You know about the girl who was found out in a homicidal tragedy some years ago? The only one left alive out of her entire village and we bought her back in Konoha’s care. The first three years was a nightmare. For three years she refused to even speak, I couldn’t leave her alone by herself at all after the first time when I had left the room to grab her a drink, I returned to see she had punched through the window and had tried to slash her wrists with a piece of broken glass. After that, I requested for a team of ANBU to watch her constantly. She has been in my care ever since they came back from that mission and today is the anniversary of that day.”

The jounin blinked. His face seemed totally expressionless as he processed and analyse the information give to him, trying to figure out his motive for discussing such a thing. Iruka looked at his watch and then to the rain pouring on the outside, his lunchtime was almost up and he would have to leave soon to get back on time.

“What do you want me to do?”

She stepped out into the strong chilli winter wind, the rain pattered softly on the hard rock surface of the road, the cold dampness setting into her clothes as she slowly made her way down the street. She couldn’t help but think about her past. It made her angry. Angry that her past held her back that she couldn’t let it go. It couldn’t be forgiven, she convinced herself, because she knew that it was her fault. She had murdered every one of them. The mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, children, grand children, lovers, uncles, aunties, friends and family had all died because of her. After what was like hours of walking and contemplating, a grin found its way onto her face through the numbingly cold rain that had started pouring. It was empty, she had almost thought that becoming a ninja would solve all of her problems, but had seen otherwise. She came to the intersection right turn to her house and kept going. She was heading towards to the training grounds.

Swiftly the afternoon came, as did the storm. She felt the aching pains of failure, of loneliness and horror. It was so mentally exhausting that it had eventually turned into a physical pain that was coursing through her body. She knew if she was to be successful that she would have to do it before Iruka-Sensei had realised that she was missing, he had foiled her every other attempt, his seemingly calm and sweet sensei with a brute force that she could not have even thought could come from her sensei. Then came the forced sleep jitsu that he had always managed to complete in just the nick of time, which would usually last a day or so. She hated it so much the way she was defeated each time with the one and same jitsu and awakening to the painted animal mask of an ANBU watching over her.

A hand slid over her pouch and she pulled out her kunai and played with it a bit, testing the sharpness on her own skin, drawing blood. She dragged it lightly over the skin of her arm, leaving a thin scratch mark, bringing it down to her own stomach. There had been no warning, no crunch sticks, and no splash from a puddle. Before she knew it, another locked her own arms around her back, and the kunai was forced from her hands. She cursed her luck, how she was forced to keep living like this, in constant pain and torment. Maybe it was meant to be this way. Maybe being left alive in this world was punishing her.

She struggled with all of her strength, but to no avail.

“Let me go!”

The frustration had set in and it was hopeless. She would never be able to die, not until she had made up for her horrible crime. Images of the same feeling of hopelessness from that horrid day flashed though her head and she crumbled in grief, stopping her struggle.

“Tousan… Kaasan… Would you still be alive if it weren’t for me?”

The jounin had recognised from the second he had found her alone in the forest with a shuriken in her hand, sliding it over her forearm, leaving a small line of blood in its wake. The girl Iruka had explained was so much different from when he had first met her on the street with the groceries in her hands. She held it out in front of herself and his heart leapt as he jumped down towards her, quickly disarming her and restraining her while she wailed helplessly for release. He had thought about knocking her out when she suddenly ceased all sound and movement, falling to her knees in the mud. She had mumbled something he couldn’t hear before she turned to face him and found not what she was expecting.

She could feel the dam break and the tears streamed from her eyes, mixing with the water from the rain and she turned to face Iruka-Sensei. But that was not so. She found the person who had not saved her from her own destruction was not the sweet, caring Iruka-Sensei, but the Copy Ninja, Kakashi-Sama. She was startled for a moment and something leapt within her, proving that she wasn’t totally alone in the world because someone she hardly knew had cared enough to stop her.

He hadn’t seen it coming, but in no time he had been tackled by the girl who had instantly wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his chest. She had started crying and he noticed her shivering that from being in the rain constantly for the last few hours that she would get a cold or pneumonia in no time at all if he didn’t do something soon. Taking off his jacket, he put it around her shoulders and picked her up, swiftly making his way back to town.

Iruka had paced the small room of Kakashi’s apartment for what seemed like hours, quickly making his way here after school was out as what was arranged between them both. He was starting to assume the worst had happened when the door burst open to reveal the waterlogged jounin and girl in his arms. She clung from his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. He placed her feet back onto the ground and gently pried her arms from around him, sympathetically looking at the semi-horrified face of the gentle teacher.

At that moment she turned, trying to hold in the sobs and upon seeing Iruka standing there, she ran at him, putting him into a bone-crushing grip of her hug as she continued crying with a new strength. They both stood there for a long time, Iruka just comforting the younger girl just by being there. Kakashi had already left to go get Tsundae to by the request of Iruka to help them with their problem. Not long after he had left, Ritsuko had calmed down and had fallen asleep in his arms. He felt the cold from her water logged clothes get to her and hoped that Tsundae would get there soon.

Tsundae had been swift in completely changing and treating the young girl for any side effects of being out in the cold for such a long time. Leaving her in the warmth of Kakashi’s bed, she went to address the two young men. She had never seen the inside of the sly jounin house before. But not she knew why. It was extremely tiny, with the kitchen, dining and lounge room all crammed into one space with only separate rooms for the bathroom and bedroom. Not to mention everything was a mess. There were piles of dishes, there were clothes on the floor and hell, and there was a medical kit in the god damned pot and pan cupboard. ‘Maybe this could be for the best’ when she had realised just why Iruka had been so concerned about her. She couldn’t live alone anymore. They all knew that she could try to take her own life at any time and it wasn’t something that Tsundae wanted to be responsible for.

-----------------

What are they ever going to do?? Mwhahaha!! i already know! Do you want to know? Well review and i'll post the next chapter as soon as log on and see 5 reviews!!! Ahh, the sweet smell bribery..

Kakashi: But bribery doesn't have a smell..
Rhea: *sweatdrop*
Kakashi: What if i tell them right now?
Rhea: You wouldn't.
Kakashi: *grin* How do you know?
Rhea: Because you want to live, right?
Kakashi: *paincked* Ok! ok. I wont tell.. *turns to the readers* Do as the nice lady says... Please?!