Naruto held his hands up in defense, but when nothing hit him or exploded he looked at the ground. The girl threw a scroll at his feel. Naruto bent down to pick it up and opened it. His eyes went wide.
"Y-you" he stuttered. Just as he said that the girl fully walked into the light to reveal Chikako with her cloak and veil on. Her body was still in the same eerie position.
"I didn't... I didn't mean..." Naruto kept stuttering.
"What are you doing Chikako? Our mission is to save him and to kill the odd eyed demon! Get yourself together!" Kakashi yelled angrily. He cut off Naruto. The blonde was still trying to process everything.
"You don't understand! You never will! I was right to never tell you! You worthless piece of shit" Chikako yelled and shot her head up to make eye contact with them.
Naruto slowly stepped backwards. He had never been this scared in his life, and of his friend no less.
"What are you doing?" Sakura yelled, alarmed.
"You!" Chikako screamed.
"You're always hanging over Sasuke. Always crying when he's hurt. Well guess what! I was always that person. I was the one crying over my mothers dead body when this monster of a mans father killed her. He killer her because he wanted to! I was the one crying over the ones I loved most. The difference is they never came back. They stayed dead." Chikako screamed. Sakura took a step back and brought her hands to her mouth in shock. She was speechless. The former Kogarashi clan leader had killed Chikako's Mom? And they were supposed to protect him from their friend?
"You. Uchiha. Say something!" She haughtily spoke; ending her words with a scoff .
"I have nothing to say to the likes of you" Sasuke grumbled.
"Just as I expected." Chikako chuckled darkly.
"You want to restore your clan, yet you throw the members away like trash when you feel like it. Itachi is better than you in every way! At least he knows how to treat people" Chikako panted. Tired from her outburst. Sasuke ran at her.
"What do you know?" He yelled as he powered his chidori. Chikako was able to manifest a similar lightning jutsu quicker and stronger. Both attacks collided, but Chikako's jutsu sent Sasuke flying into the wall she had crashed into when Naruto attacked her. The male groaned in pain as he held his injured shoulder.
"I was there when Itachi killed everyone! I ran away from my Mom while we were on a trip to visit Fathers grave. I wanted to know what her clan was like. I saw every single person killed in cold blood. I can still remember the feeling of my uncles blood running down my face. I hardly had any memories from when I stayed there with Mom when I was two, but his face as he died is seared into my brain. I see it every time I close my eyes" Chikako's breathing was frantic. Panic began to overtake the girl. She then looked at Naruto next.
"You out of everyone you should know how I feel. Being kicked out and shunned for who you are. I never asked for these eyes the same way you didn't ask for the nine tailed fox to be inside you. You should know out of everyone here the aching cold of being alone. When everyone around you resents your very existence because of something you can't control. I was tortured in village after village just for my eyes. I haven't stayed in one place longer than six months because of these people. This monster sent his men after me again and again just because his father was killed, and justly so." Naruto was speechless. He know they didn't know much about Chikako, but this? This was crazy. The worst part was he knew exactly what she was talking about. He's felt the cold. Been smothered in it, but he found people that cared for him. She didn't.
"And Hatake. Oh I don't know where to start with you" Chikako laughed and walked towards him. She jabbed him in the chest a few timed before leaning her elbow on the male and hung off of him like a limp corpse. Dead weight.
"He killed everyone I tried to get close to. I watched as every friend I ever made was murdered since I was five. I know what being alone is. Watching everyone die because you weren't good enough. I though you might be the one to understand such a simple thing! Itachi had told me about Rin and Obito. When I heard that you went through something similar to me, I felt relieved that I wouldn't be the only one" Chikako's sighed and leaned on Kakashi. From under her bloody veil Chikako laughed like a maniac before it slowly turned into sobs.
"Oh big brother. It didn't matter how many times I was hurt or tortured. I always held onto the hope that I was going to find my brother someday. The only person I had left. Of course he's not actually my brother, but mother liked to say so. He's really my cousin on my Dads side. I suffered everyday only managing to keep myself alive by a thread just for him! I live for him! And I finally found him. It took me over ten years, but I found him. And when I did, all he was, was a lazy asshole who does nothing but act superior to everyone. He doesn't care for the people around him. Only doing his own thing wallowing in his misery as if he's the only one who could feel pain! If I had know that was who my brother really was I would've just let myself die" Chikako stumbled off of a shaking Kakashi. His eyes were wide, and the amount of chakra Chikako was giving off was physically making his body weak. It wasn't as much as when the seal broke before, but that was a pure kind of chakra. This was black and full of negative emotions. The hurt that Chikako had felt throughout her whole life. The life she lived alone since she was only a child.
Kakashi fell to his knees. Chikako crouched in front of him, and ripped off her bloody veil. . Eyes met eyes. Scared met crazed. The female smile was long and thin. Showing off every tooth. Her face was twisted even as tears poured from her puffy, red eyes. She was a different person completely.
And that scared them.
One of Chikako's eyes held the sharingan while the other was pink with a rose-like pattern. Blood dripped down Chikako's face. Her skin was almost black with dried blood making her eyes stand out even more.
Chikako pushed Kakashi over and walked towards Ryu. All four ninja were frozen in place. They couldn't do anything even while Ryu cried and screamed.
"I'm going to end your miserable like the same way I ended your fathers" Chikako grabbed a kunai from her belt and drove it into his chest. She slowly pushed the kunai deeper and deeper and she twisted.
"You know I still have your fathers sword. The one he used to kill my mother" Chikako spoke absentmindedly. She reached out and stroked the sword at Ryu's hip.
"I think I should take your as well" Chikako ripped the sword from Ryu's person. She stood up and admired her handy work as the male bled out before her eyes. Chikako then strapped the sword to her back, and opened the doors leading outside.
"Bye. Let's hope you never see me again. Oh and before I forget..." Chikako walked up to Kakashi and pat him cheek.
"Goodbye big brother" Chikako let the words dance on her tongue before deciding they tasted bad.
Naruto seemed to snap out of it at the last second.
"Chikako wait!" He yelled. She was already out the door and heading to the woods by the time the others came back to reality.
She ran as fast as she could. Chikako let her feet take her wherever they wanted.
Everyone seemed to snap out of the daze when Naruto yelled.
Sakura was crying and all the males were physically shaking. Kakashi stood up. His legs wobbling and weak and his body shook.
"Let's all go to an inn. We'll discuss this there" Kakashi's voice was deep and troubled. They all silently made their way towards closest inn and checked out two rooms. None of them wanted to sleep alone that night.
They all cleaned themselves off before gathering in Kakashi's and Sakura's shared room. Sakura took out the scroll they wrote of everything they knew about Chikako. Seconds later another scroll joined it on the table. Naruto set the scroll that Chikako threw at him in the table.
"she was never on the same mission" Naruto said quietly. Sakura and Sasuke looked up at Naruto. He just pointed at the open scroll. He couldn't muster enough energy to speak.
D-rank mission.
Land of the moon.
Please help us. People are being thrown out of their houses everyday now because of the Kogarashi clan. They have gone too far. Children are dying in the streets. We're all trying to help each other, but we can barely even get enough food or money for ourselves. We request that a ninja from the village hidden in the leaves come to assassinate Ryu Kogarashi.
There were signatures of all the towns people scribbled at the bottom. Sakura's heart broke when she saw it. Sasuke didn't say anything. He just bit his lip and looked away.
"Itachi is better than you in every way! I saw Itachi kill everyone in cold blood! I can still remember the feeling of my uncles blood running down my face" Chikako's words echoed in Sasuke's head. He bit down on his lip harder, drawing blood in the process as his eyebrows furrowed. She went through the same thing as me, and she was just as alone as I was. She watched everyone get killed, so is it really the same thing?
Naruto found himself running his hands over the scroll he got from Chikako when they went to her house before.
"Out of everyone you should know how I feel! When everyone around you resents your existence because of something you can't control! You should know out of everyone here the aching cold of being alone! Do you think I wanted to be born with my eyes?" Every word Chikako said struck a chord within the blond boy. He was once to drowning in the cold feeling. To think she's been feeling that for over ten years.
"You're always crying over Sasuke. You aren't the only one. I was always crying over the ones I loved most. The difference is They never came back!" Sakura could feel the tears form in her eyes remembering her words. That's right. She was always worried about Sasuke, but he always came back. He always came back, but the people she loved never did.
Kakashi's mind was reeling to the point it almost hurt. "It didn't matter how many times I was hurt or tortured. I held onto the hope that I would find my brother someday! If I had know what my brother was like, I would've just let myself die!" Kakashi didn't bother to remember anything besides those words. The realization that Chikako suffered her whole life just to meet him... it made him freeze. He suddenly felt so disappointed in himself. I was the one she was looking for. I have a sister. When I finally found out that I have family they told me I wasn't good enough. Dammit! I should've tried harder.
All four of her were mentally beating themselves up when a soft knock was heard.
"Um, excuse me. A woman with a black cloak told me to give this to you this morning. I have been searching for you four all day" an old woman stepped into the room holding a box. She lightly set the wooden box down on the table and stepped out with a small bow of her head.
"You really have a caring friend" the woman called as she left. The three genin looked at each other. Who's going too open the box? They all knew who it was from, but they didn't have the heart to open it.
Naruto stretched his hand out to the box, slowly opening it. His breath caught in his throat when he saw what was inside. Naruto reached in and handled the object as if it was his own life.
He slowly lifted it up revealing a ring made of fresh flowers. Daffodil and aster flowers woven together to make the delicate jewelry. There were four in total. Sasuke grabbed his own and Sakura grabber hers along with Kakashi's. At the bottom was a note.
Thank you for understanding me, and becoming my new family. A picture of the five of them together was stuffed into the note along with two pieces of paper.
The meaning of the daffodil is a symbol of a strong family bond. Giving one to someone means they accept you into their family.
The Aster flower is usually used when showing gratitude. It is often given to someone that has given something special to the giver.
Naruto crumpled up the two pieces of paper in his hand. Tear were building in his eyes.
"She trusted us. She had so much faith in us that she made us these. She accepted us into her family. All we did was question her like a criminal" Naruto was choked up when he finished talking. No one in the room could look at each other.
After some time spent in silence Sasuke and Naruto stood up. They placed the flower rings back into the box and closed it with a loud thud resounding as they went back to their room.
The whole night not even a word was shared between them.
They had failed someone who needed their help, and now it was too late.