This picture is a little different... it's Miyoshi, but I decided to take a different approach and be a little more... I don't know... artistic? Poetic? Flat out crazy? I'll let you all decide if you like it or not :)
Kakashi pushed me hard in the side, and I woke up with a jolt as I hit the ground.
"Ow," I mumbled, pushing myself up and putting a hand on my aching head. "What was that for?"
"It's the crack of dawn, we can go on your death run now." Kakashi smiled pleasantly. "Also, you fell asleep on me and now I can't feel my arm."
"Oh. Sorry. Have you not slept at all?" I frowned.
"I'm not the one about to fight an S-class criminal," Kakashi pointed out.
"But you still haven't slept. When you get back home, take a day off." I stood up and headed back into the cave to collect up our things.
"When I get home?" Kakashi stood and followed me. "Aren't you coming?"
I didn't meet his eyes. "I might not make it back."
"And you're going to run in there alone and fight him anyway, knowing he's stronger than you and you don't have a chance one-on-one?" Kakashi challenged.
I jammed my sleeping bag back into its bag. "We're shinobi. That's what we do, isn't it?"
"Not alone."
"I'm not changing my mind, if that's what you're trying to do." I huffed angrily, and tightened the strings on the sleeping bag. "You can go home, or you can watch and not intervene. Those are your options."
"Those are pretty harsh options." Kakashi picked up the sleeping bags and sealed them away in the ANBU convenience scroll. "But I'm not going to go home while you fight your brother to the death."
I didn't bother to correct him. I knew that he was probably planning to intervene if the fight went badly, but I could easily counter that.
I had a vague idea of where Hajimaru was waiting, so as soon as Kakashi had put the scroll away, I shot out of the cavern, climbing up the mountain with a speed and elegance only ninja are capable of displaying. Kakashi followed quickly, and although I knew he was curious, he didn't ask any questions so I didn't give him any answers.
The sun was rising over the tops of the mountains, and it made the snow shine yellow and pink. It was freezing, but I kept up the running so that the burning in my muscles would help keep me from noticing.
We were right at the top of the mountain. The view was breathtaking; I could see almost all the way to Konoha. The forest spread across the whole land, dark green and thick. If this was the last view I ever saw... it seemed all the more beautiful to me.
The cave was here. I knew Hajimaru was down there, and I knew that if I went in I may not come out. I was just stalling for time now, hoping that it would help me feel better about leaving Kakashi and all the others. It didn't particularly help.
I took a deep breath to steel myself, then approached the mouth of the cave.
"Took you long enough," Hajimaru complained. He was sat cross-legged on a boulder towards the left hand side of the cave. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."
"Wait here," I told Kakashi, and drew Hokori and Yorokobi.
"Hokori and Yorokobi," Hajimaru said. "Pride and Joy. Ironic. These were Father's blades, weren't they?" He cocked his head slightly, looking at the swords. "I never could handle swords properly. I'm glad one of us inherited them."
"Are you done? I'd like to get down to business," I muttered impatiently.
"You're Kakashi Hatake, aren't you?" Hajimaru said suddenly. "You look a lot like your father. I'm glad I could meet my future brother-in-law before I die."
"What kind of sick joke is this?!" I snapped, preventing Kakashi from responding. "I want to fight!"
"Oh, that's a shame." Hajimaru sighed. "I was just hoping to catch up with my little sister. You've grown up. I think you look a lot like Mother, but I can see Father in you too."
"How dare you talk about them to my face!" I hissed. It was taking an annoyingly vast amount of effort not to break down into tears. It was easier, I found, to channel my sadness into anger.
"Ah, yes. I can see why you'd be upset." Hajimaru frowned. Then he stood up from his rock, black cloak billowing, and approached me. I gripped Hokori's and Yorokobi's handles tightly as he came closer. This close, I noticed that his hair had grown and was almost as long as mine. There was also a slight hint of stubble on his chin.
"Get away from me." I held up one blade so that Hajimaru was forced to stop an arm's distance away from me. "You make me sick."
Hajimaru's eyes darkened. "If that's how you feel," He said coolly. I saw his hand disappear into his cloak, and felt a small thrill. Finally, the fight was here. It had taken him long enough...
"You know I love you, right?" Hajimaru said.
"Hard to believe. You tried to kill me."
"No." Hajimaru closed his eyes, looking almost in pain. "Never kill you. There wasn't any Yūdoku in your food. It was harmless. Miyoshi, I can't kill my little sister."
"But you can kill our parents?" I challenged. "I've had nightmares for eleven years. You shattered my life into pieces. You say you can't kill me, but you effectively killed that little girl that you knew. I don't know who you are anymore."
"You turned nineteen a couple of months ago," Hajimaru whispered. "I was watching you that day. You didn't see me. I couldn't get close, because you were with so many other people. I was able to watch you train, and then I saw how happy you were with your friends... that was enough for me."
"What's your point? I'm going to kill you either way." I scowled.
"Mother used to do that when she was annoyed."
"SHUT UP ABOUT HER!" I screamed in his face.
"You've become an adult. I can't kid myself and say I'm looking after you anymore. I just..." Hajimaru took a deep breath. "I wanted to give you your birthday present before I go."
From his cloak, he pulled out a small sprig of leaves. I recognised them instantly as Lyashinoha, an extremely rare breed of healing plant. If they were genuine - and I knew they were - they'd be invaluable in my healing. Was Hajimaru going to give these to me so willingly? Where had he even got them from?
"Are they-"
"Lyashinoha," Hajimaru confirmed. "I had to travel a long way to get this, and preserving them was difficult... but I'm going to die soon, aren't I?" At this he lifted his gaze from the abnormally bright green leaves to meet my eyes. "You can have them. Do whatever you want with them. It's not like I have any use for something like this."
I was tempted to refuse the gift, but it was too valuable to turn away so quickly. I dropped them into Kakashi's hand.
"Take them back to Konoha. Maybe they'll have a use for them in the hospital."
Hajimaru looked sadly at me. I was starting to get really annoyed at his attempts to make it up to me. "You're really going to do this, aren't you?"
I picked up Hokori, which I'd put down so I could handle the Lyashinoha. "Yes. Defend yourself. I don't want this to be too boring."
"You don't feel like my little sister anymore." He looked genuinely sad, but pulled a handful of shuriken from the other side of his cloak. "Maybe I will fight back."