Keina fell to the ground, exhausted after using more Chakra than she should have for her final attack. She could not move fast enough to make a difference in close range, so she had resorted to another earth technique to compensate, which landed the killing blow against their enemy. Her body grew numb as she sat there, loose rocks digging into her knees. All she could do now was observe.
Atsuo had stayed curled up on the ground after the half-monster, half-human Sochua attempted to fit Atsuo's entire upper body into its demonic mouth. The wounds along his back and arms where teeth had sunk in began to sting with a sensation like frostbite. His eyes wandered over the loose black bones which were all that remained of their enemy, vaguely absorbing the scene. He subconsciously avoided the small body that sat in the corner of his vision.
Kotetsu had only been able to wield his sword for a scant few seconds, after which its weight dragged it back down to the ground. His final act of defiance against their enemy was the largest expenditure of Chakra he had ever endured, sending him into unconsciousness as his body fell limp.
Teruo lay still atop the rough stones of the village road. Blood slowly streamed away from the body, forming a pool that circled out and mixed with dirt and ash.
For what felt like an eternity, Keina sat witness to the carnage their simple mission had led them to. The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality. Shifting her body, she turned with a dark glare that threatened pain on whoever dared approach. She saw the rotund form of Ichita stepping back, fear passing over him. Keina did not drop her expression as she stared down the older man. He spoke after a second's hesitation.
"You… You killed it." Ichita stammered in a low voice. His eyes darted back and forth from Keina to the distant scene.
Keina did not reply for several moments. Ichita felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as the glare in her eyes shifted to something darker. Keina finally spoke after Ichita regained some control of his shaking legs.
"Yes. It is dead."
Keina had almost forgotten how to talk. Licking her dry lips, she forced herself to speak factually. That was the only thing she could think of.
"There are at least twelve dead."
Her voice sounded distant to her ears.
"Two men. Ten, possibly more unknown within the building."
Her Sharingan had let her see the forms, but not much else. She was thankful for that. Her voice began to waver.
"...One shinobi."
Her expression dropped from staring at Ichita to an imaginary point on the ground under his feet. Slowly, the feeling of pain overcame the adrenaline that had kept her from dropping. The horrible searing pain in her chest had reduced to a barely-tolerable throb. A headache from heavy Chakra expenditure bit away at her psyche. She wanted to lower her head on the hard stones, and fall asleep right there. She wanted it more than anything at that moment. Before she could follow through on that wish, a voice from behind cracked through the haze.
"Keina?"
Supported by an arm, Keina turned to find Atsuo. He stood a few meters away, carrying the unconscious form of Kotetsu. His sheath hung empty by his side, its sword now firmly stuck in the ground ahead. Atsuo looked from Keina to Kotetsu. His face held nothing but a vacant expression.
"What now?" Atsuo asked, unfocused eyes seeing nothing. His Sharingan had deactivated sometime earlier. Keina hadn't even noticed that hers deactivated as well.
Keina had no idea what she should be doing. Nothing had gone right, and in the back of her mind, she feared that this was somehow the result of her leadership. She did not want to be the mission leader, but the clan patriarch, Eito, had insisted on her taking the role. Keina's mind roiled in regret and anger at the situation. She silently raged against the monster that ripped their simple mission away. Before she could speak out, Ichita's voice rose up.
"...You don't do anything." Ichita somberly stated.
Keina turned to look at the old man, seeing that his gaze was pointed down at the ground, as hers was earlier. After a few seconds, his eyes snapped up to meet Keina's.
"I don't mean that in a rude manner. My people… They will not be happy with you. Today, we lost so much. As did you." Ichita intended for his words to be soft, but they felt blunt to Keina's ears.
"Most of us expect shinobi to do their job. That's just the way it is. We hired you to 'protect' us. To me, you have fulfilled your duty. But, the rest…" Ichita left the implication hanging over the shinobi's heads.
Keina finished the thought.
"...Those that died. I let them die. I should have stopped it earlier. I should have done more. It's all my fau-"
"Stop it."
Atsuo's voice lashed out, silencing Keina.
"None of us could have foreseen this. It's useless to blame ourselves, Keina."
Keina just stared back with cold eyes. Atsuo could see how heavy death weighed upon her in those eyes. The two stayed like that, staring silently at each other. The silence was occasionally broken by the sounds of boards being pulled down, people slowly making their way out from the darkness of their homes. Neither Atsuo or Keina looked forward to being among the villagers for the next week.
"Your group must stay out of the way. Let my people take care of the destruction, and our dead. You need to take care of yourselves." Ichita spoke out in the midst of their thoughts.
The two conscious shinobi readily took the lifeline. Keina rose unsteadily to her feet, struck by how numb her body felt. Before she could work up the courage to pick up Teruo, Atsuo deposited Kotetsu into her arms, and spoke softly inches from her face.
"I'll meet you at the house."
Then, before Keina knew what to say, Atsuo drifted away toward Teruo.
Keina walked away in silent consternation, carrying the unconscious form of Kotetsu..
—
The night before the group left.
Kotetsu could not sleep. The excitement of having another actual mission kept him from slumber, so he decided to burn his energy by wandering the camp. Generally, it was frowned upon to wander around without notifying anyone. Kotetsu did not get away with it. So, he did the smart thing, and found an excuse to be outside.
Teruo could not sleep. The anxiety of another mission and what could happen kept him up, and so he had gotten up to wander the camp. He pulled open his tent, only to find the smirking face of Kotetsu looking down at him in the dim moonlight. Teruo sighed as he understood that it was hit turn to be the bait tonight.
Walking side by side, the two made their way for the camp entrance, halting at Dan's raised hand.
"Hey, you're on night guard duty? What a coincidence." Kotetsu nonchalantly brought up.
Dan sighed as he looked down at the two mischievous boys.
"What's your excuse tonight?" Dan dully asked.
"Teruo forgot his underwear outside of the camp earlier." Kotetsu lied.
Teruo felt an eye twitch. After a few seconds of not saying anything, Kotetsu elbowed him. Teruo took a calming breath.
"Sure. Underwear. Yeah."
Dan didn't even bat an eye as he let the two pass.
"Be quick." Dan offhandedly warned.
Kotetsu and Teruo wandered out into the cold spring night. They walked silently for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of night creatures around them. Eventually, the two came to a slope, and sat with their backs to the mound, a stream burbling some distance away.
"We get another shot at this, huh?" Kotetsu asked no one in particular, looking up at the stars peeking between the thick pine branches.
Teruo contemplated Kotetsu's words. He knew where his mind had gone. Their last mission had gone about as smooth as gravel, and neither boy really wanted to think about it.
"You weren't exactly helpful." Teruo scoffed.
Kotetsu gave a sideways glare.
"At least I didn't almost get dragged to my demise off a cliff." Kotetsu muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Teruo half turned, arm poised to bat at Kotetsu.
"Nothing." Kotetsu flinched and skittered away.
The conversation lurched between random topics, from arguing what foods were better, to creating a list of the most skilled fighters in the clan. Eventually, the topic of Kotetsu's past came up.
"So…You uh, were with the Hyuuga clan?" Teruo found himself asking. He hadn't been paying attention to Kotetsu's random stream of thoughts, instead opting for automatic nodding when he thought appropriate. His mind had drifted to Kotetsu's supposed background.
Kotetsu ceased talking for a whole five seconds. Teruo almost looked at Kotetsu out of surprise. Usually, his friend would spiral down some rabbit hole of conversational topics. Kotetsu spoke slowly, with intent.
"...It was tough. I had to leave rather suddenly. I wasn't able to… I didn't say goodbye. I just ran."
Teruo found himself surprised again. He had asked some variation of that question before, and Kotetsu simply brushed it off. Now, Teruo didn't know what to do.
"My sister, Emilia, she…"
Kotetsu stopped himself at the realisation of what he had just done. He had promised himself, under no circumstances, would he reveal the names of his family. It always felt too personal. So, why had he just done so? It took him only a second to understand why. It was simple. He trusted Teruo. And Atsuo, for that matter. But, Teruo felt closer. He felt like family.
"...She was tough, too. We didn't get along at first. It took a while before she accepted me. I think she felt… Guilty?"
Kotetsu had never fully processed the emotions from those days, after Solomon died. Now, it crept up and began to swallow him whole.
"If I had been stronger… If I had taken less time, maybe she wouldn't be mad at me. I should have learned faster. If that had happened, then… My brother… He might still be alive."
Teruo had no idea what to do, so he just sat and listened. When it was apparent that Kotetsu was done talking, he silently contemplated his friend's words. After a long moment, Teruo found something to say.
"You don't know that. If he would be alive, I mean."
Kotetsu felt his eyes twitch.
"Your brother- I don't know what there was between you two. I don't know him. Or your sister. Or much about the Hyuuga, really. But… Maybe he fought something so much stronger than him that any training he could have done wouldn't have mattered… Anything you could have done wouldn't have mattered."
As Teruo spoke, he mentally pictured huge black and yellow tusks charging at him. No amount of training could have prepared him for that. In his eyes, you can never fully anticipate any first experience.
Before Teruo could add anything more, Kotetsu shot up to his feet in a fit of anger.
"How would you know? I'm tired. See you later."
With his proclamation, he began to stomp off. Teruo watched Kotetsu's back as he left the clearing. Looking up at the stars barely visible between the cover of trees, Teruo pondered at what his next experience might bring.
—
Atsuo sat with his back against the sun soaked boards of the group's cabin. Keina was inside, tending to her wounds, and watching over the still unconscious Kotetsu. Teruo lay a distance away, wrapped in a thick cloth. Atsuo watched the setting sun and listened to sounds of the village winding down, intermittently interrupted by the barking of a dog.
Footsteps drew near from one side of the house. Atsuo tensed, expecting the villagers to come to patronise his group. From inside, Keina pulled herself to her feet, ready to face whoever approached. The voice of Ichita calmly called out.
"Excuse me? Do you all have a moment?"
Keina opened the door just as Atsuo stepped around the side of the cabin. The two waited with wary expressions for Ichita to continue. Slightly taken aback, Ichita found his voice after a moment.
"We found them. The thieves, I mean. It appears that they met a horrible fate out in the woods… One of our hunters found their camp while covering ground along a trail."
Keina and Atsuo stared blankly at the old man for several seconds before it hit them. The actual reason they were there, to act as a deterrent for a group of supposed thieves. Keina thought of Ichita's words. If she suspected what Ichita was implying, then there was no longer a reason for the group to stay at the village.
Ichita waited to see if the group caught on to his meaning. When he saw understanding cross their faces, he nodded with grim assurance.
"I proclaim that we no longer require your services, shinobi. You are free to leave. We will send the discussed payment as agreed by your clan in due time."
Having spoken what he came for, Ichita turned and walked his way back to the village. People were waiting in the shadow of a building, watching their leader meet with the shinobi, cold enmity in their eyes. Keina's eyes drifted over to glance at Atsuo, who she found watching her in turn. Atsuo had no energy to talk, so Keina kept her words short.
"Let's go, then."
—
Kotetsu did not quite know where he was. It was dark, he was surrounded by trees, and the hum of insects and wind blurred around him. The familiar sight of the Uchiha clan entrance came into view. No one sat guarding the entrance, which he found strange. If not Dan, there was usually someone waiting. But not this time. Kotetsu warily made his way past the wooden posts, eyeing his surroundings.
The camp Kotetsu expected did not come into view. Instead, stable wooden buildings following along a rocky road filled his view. Night suddenly turned to day, and the trees of the forest vanished to reveal a spread of plains surrounding the buildings. The streets were empty. The houses stood vacant, only silence coming from within.
A scream in the distance brought Kotetsu to fall into a run toward the source. Moving with speed, his feet brought him to skid past a building. The scene of a nightmare unveiled itself before him. Just a short distance away stood his ultimate enemy, the monster named Sochua. In his grasp was… Teruo. Kotetsu watched as his enemy forced Teruo's head into the open hole in his chest.
Kotetsu rushed to stop the scene from playing out, but found his feet sinking into a pit of tar. Determined to prevent the disaster in front of him, he prepared to shoot a fireball. Forming the hand signs and taking his breath, he breathed a stream of pure fire at his enemy. The fire hit an invisible dome protecting the monster. Some of the flames splashed back, causing the tar at his feet to catch fire. The burning black liquid licked at his feet, crawling up his legs as he continued to sink.
"KOTETSU!"
Kotetsu awoke with a shout. A form was bent over him, and in the dark, he lashed out. His fist struck something hard like stone. Pulling his arm back, he moved to strike the form again. His fist was once again halted, now held in a death grip that left him gasping out.
"Kotetsu, wake up!"
A slap across his face caused him to sit up from where he laid. His hand was released, and he forced himself to sit still, waiting for his heavy eyes to adjust in the darkness. The form from earlier slipped into view, arranging to resemble Keina. Soft light poured in from cracks in the wall, helping Kotetsu recognise the cabin's interior.
"...Wha..?"
Kotetsu tried to order the memories jumbled in his brain to sit still. They wouldn't listen. He remained seated, forcing his mind to calm down. One by one, the day's events unfolded in his head. He was left with a sickening revelation.
"Come on. We need to leave."
Keina's voice came from somewhere in front of him. He did not look up. He no longer wished to move. From his left, another form in the room stirred, almost sliding out of the darkness. Atsuo approached, kneeling a distance away.
"It's time to go."
Several seconds went by, with Keina and Atsuo glancing at each other out of concern. Kotetsu didn't move, he didn't even blink. His eyes remained unfocused. His lips moved, but words did not come out. Neither Keina or Atsuo really knew what to do.
Then, unprompted, Kotetsu rose to his feet. Standing before the two shinobi, his face maintained a neutral expression, and he moved with mechanical motion to the corner of the room where he slept the night before. He began to pack his few belongings. Keina and Atsuo once again glanced at each other, an uneasiness filling the air between them. The two had packed earlier that night, allowing Kotetsu to sleep and using the opportunity to sleep themselves. Not that they got much. The sun slowly rose outside, and the sound of early village life was barely perceptible from beyond the walls.
Kotetsu finished packing, and turned to the fourth corner of the room. The corner that Teruo slept in just that previous night. Teruo's stuff had been neatly packed and stashed along Keina and Atsuo's bags. Kotetsu did not want to ask the question that tipped his tongue. He could not stop it from leaving his lips.
"Where is he?"
Neither shinobi answered. Kotetsu felt a pit of heat sweltering in the bottom of his gut. His stare grew more harsh as he stared down at the two.
"Where is-"
"Outside." Atsuo answered, eyes pointed at the ground.
Kotetsu quickly stepped, opening and swinging the door shut behind him in one smooth motion.
There he was. Wrapped in cloth, just like it was before.
It was all the same.
Except it wasn't.
The boy, who was the same age as his brother. Two brothers now.
Teruo lay there, unmoving. Flies lazily circled above the cloth. Kotetsu felt the urge to scratch his arm. To find whatever itch bothered him so much, peel it open, and let the pain spill out onto the ground. His fingers came up and picked at a scar. It had taken the scar months to heal up, slowly fading after he finally left it alone. Now, it sat open again, scratched back into existence by the same fingers that caused it.
This wasn't the same. Because he could have stopped it. Teruo was right there, and he could have stopped it all. A rock heaved itself onto his chest, and he collapsed to the ground, panting. Blood dripped down his arm.
As Kotetsu sat staring at the cloth, a morbid curiosity came over him. His fingers, now covered in his own blood, slowly inched out toward the cloth. The circling flies dashed away at the motion. He gently pinched one end, and began to…
The door behind Kotetsu, which Atsuo had been quietly peeking out of, suddenly slammed open and Atsuo stepped out. His hand reached down and firmly grasped Kotetsu's hand, ripping it away from the cloth. Kotetsu's eyes drew up to meet Atsuo's, where he expected to find anger.
Instead, tears slowly dripped down Atsuo's face. Kotetsu froze out of shock. Blinking hard, Atsuo spoke.
"Don't do it… It's not worth it."
After a few tense seconds, Atsuo released Kotetsu. Kotetsu saw two packs on Atsuo's back, and recognised Teruo's pack. Atsuo walked forward, reaching down to pick up Teruo.
Kotetsu did not react. As Atsuo carefully picked up Teruo… No. Atsuo held a body. Kotetsu felt his entire body shake once, hard, at the realisation. Like a jolt of lightning had run up his spine. He stood to his feet. From behind, a hand placed itself on his back. The unexpected contact gave Kotetsu another jolt. Turning, he found Keina offering his pack to him. One half of her face stood solid as stone in the early light of the day, casting long shadows over the other half. She spoke after a moment.
"Before we leave, you need to go reclaim your sword."
Kotetsu hadn't even thought of his sword. The blade would have been left where he tossed it the previous day, after… The fight. He glanced at the empty sheath loosely attached to his pack. Slowly, he nodded his head.
Keina walked up to Atsuo's side, who held the body. Kotetsu forced his feet to move, and step by step, he followed.
—
Eito partook in the celebration of a successful mission by another group of younger clan members. They had arrived just earlier that day, and reported absolute mission success in their task of clearing an abandoned building of rabid creatures. Drinks flowed freely as the older Uchiha allowed themselves the pleasure of breaking into the alcohol stores. But, no one enjoyed a sip of aged blackberry wine more than Eito. Or so he claimed.
The party continued for several hours until most of the clan had gone back to their usual duties. With the day winding down, Eito retreated to the comfort of his personal tent, content to enjoy the evening with his wife.
"So… With this next week, we just so happen to have plenty of time to ourselves." Eito began. He held a half-empty cup of something sweet. He couldn't recall the exact details at the moment.
Fui looked at her husband under raised eyebrows. A teasing smile lifted one corner of her lips.
"Why, I hadn't noticed."
"Oh, well… What shall we do with all of this time, then?"
Her teasing smile turned coy as the pair moved closer.
From across the camp, Tan ordered his son to go get the leader.
"Hurry." Was all that Tan said.
Dan sprinted through the camp, barely dodging other Uchiha and maneuvering around tents. He arrived at the leader's tent in a burst of air, and reached to rip the cloth aside. Swinging to one side, Dan shoved his head into the dark tent, calling out.
"Leader, you're neede-"
Dan paused, mouth open, eyes suddenly trying to find anywhere else to point at but the awkward sight in the tent.
Eito quickly pulled his shirt back over his head as he looked up at the young Uchiha. His face flushed from alcohol and embarrassment. His wife, Fui, sat wide-eyed with a large blanket over herself.
"I'll, uh… Be right back." Eito tried to say, looking at Fui. Stuffing his feet into boots, he half-pushed Dan out of his tent and moved to stand with the boy, sighing as he did so.
"Okay. What is it?" Eito nearly snapped.
"It's… Your… It's Atsuo." Dan blurted. His face twisted into a series of emotions that Eito couldn't quite process.
"His group is back."
Eito felt the light buzz from the earlier alcohol completely vanish as his training took hold. There were only two reasons why their group should be back this early. At least, two he could think of. Either they had succeeded in their mission and definitively captured the group of thieves, or…
He shook his head. Looking down at Dan, he spoke.
"Let's go."
Eito turned and walked ahead, forcing Dan to follow behind. They made their way past Uchiha who stepped out of their path, coming up onto the clan entrance. Eito took a cursory glance at the scene, consisting of over a dozen shinobi. His eyes fell on the small form wrapped in cloth, which sat on a larger wooden crate. His heart dropped into his gut.
Multiple images flashed through his mind, all coalescing into a horrible mental picture. His head felt light, and he swayed. His feet brought him forward slowly, where he glimpsed the rest of the group. What he saw did not calm his thoughts. Their faces and eyes showed only emptiness, even as they relayed the details of their mission. No, he realised, as he looked closer into Keina's eyes. Her eyes held a sadness that reflected an experience overcome, but at a cost. Eito moved closer.
"Everyone leave."
Eito's words were commanding, but made in a requesting tone. Most others ceased their questioning, holding in whatever it is they thought needed to be said. One by one, each clan member left the entrance, until it was the three young group members, Tan, and Eito. Dan stayed close behind, but left at a nod from Tan.
Kneeling in front of the three group members, Eito spoke quietly.
"Tell me… What you can."