The Way Of The Shinobi

Chapter Thirty-One: Separate Ways

(Kakashi's POV)

    Today was the day that Yumiko had her meeting with Lord Kaneko. I could tell everyone's anxiety was on an all time high. I walked through the secret tunnels that sprawled underneath Konoha, looking to see if I could find Mayumi before we headed out on this mission. As I turned the corner I saw Mayumi standing in the hallway with Itachi, who had just arrived earlier this morning with the rest of the Akatsuki who agreed to join our efforts. I smiled politely as I walked over to the both of them.

   "Good Morning you two. It's been a long time since I've seen you Itachi." I stated, having flashbacks of the time that Itachi had attacked Mayumi on our first mission together. Itachi's dark eyes scanned mine for a moment.

   "Likewise, Kakashi." Itachi stated as he kept his eyes on me. This was one of the most awkward encounters I had ever had. Itachi was officially ranked as a rogue ninja and an enemy of the Village and our allies. So, being in the same area as him and the other members of the Akatsuki without there being a fight was a big deal.

   "Itachi was just telling me about a secret blade that my father has in his possession." Mayumi explained as she looked at me. Her emerald eyes always had an uncanny way of calming me down. I smiled slightly and glanced back at Itachi who was still looking at me.

  " What blade?" I questioned as I draped my arm over Mayumi's shoulder, causing one of Itachi's sleek black eyebrows to rise in response.

  "Before I went rogue I was also a part of the Anbu Black Ops. I actually assisted Lord Kaneko with the creation of the Anbu." Itachi explained as he leaned against the stone wall behind him.

   "Okay?" I asked as I looked down at Mayumi. Information like this was common knowledge to those members of the Anbu Black Ops.

   "Well, Itachi explained to me that if I get my hands on that blade, that it may be the key to unlocking a secret technique that is only able to be used by members of the Kaneko clan." Mayumi finished explaining as I rubbed the tip of my chin as I thought it over.

  "Why would Lord Kaneko divulge such information to you, Itachi?" I asked, curious as to if he was actually telling the truth or not.

  "Kakashi, Itachi used to be my fathers right hand man. He knew more about my father than I ever did." Mayumi stated as she softly shrugged my arm off of her shoulder. Itachi smirked slightly behind Mayumi as I sighed deeply.

   "He's questioning my loyalty to the mission..." Itachi spoke softly as he stood up straight and looked down at Mayumi. Great, this is exactly what I needed. Mayumi looked up at me with a look of annoyance on her face.

   "With the terms that Itachi and I set in place.." Mayumi began to speak as she looked up at Itachi. "I know for a fact that he will stay loyal to our side until the end of the mission." Mayumi finished speaking as I watched Itachi and Mayumi looking intently at each other.

  "What terms?" I asked. I had asked Mayumi several times about her meeting with Itachi. Each time I asked she avoided the question and began talking about something else. No matter how hard I tried to get her to tell me the truth, I failed every time. Mayumi looked from Itachi to me, her emerald eyes having a sort of mysteriousness to them.

  "Don't worry about it Kakashi, okay?" She spoke softly. I shook my head in rebellion as I knew I needed to know what these terms were.

  "Mayumi...what did you do?" I whispered. For a few moments there was an awkward silence between the three of us. Itachi took a step forward, the front of his chest practically touching Mayumi's back.

  "I'll let you tell him...I'm going to make sure everyone is ready for this.." Itachi whispered in Mayumi's ear loud enough for me to hear as she nodded slowly. Once Itachi walked away Mayumi grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into the nearest room. She shut the door behind me and sighed as she rested against the door.

  "Mayumi...please talk to me about this..." I muttered. I knew with every fiber of my being that I was in love with this woman. But, she refused to break down her walls and let me in. I walked closer to her, closing the gap between the two of us. Mayumi blushed deeply as she looked up at me. I touched her face softly and sighed as I brushed the side of her cheek with my thumb.

  "Kakashi...It's not that I didn't want to talk to you about this..." Mayumi muttered as she leaned her hand against the palm of my hand.

  "Then what is it Mayumi? I want you to talk to me about stuff like this so I can help you. You're not alone in this okay?" I stated as she nodded.

   "I...I told Itachi that if he assisted us with this mission that I would help the Akatsuki..." Mayumi admitted as my eyes widened. I let go of the side of her face and dropped my hand to the side of my body. Mayumi glanced down at my hand and then looked back up at me, her emerald green eyes now a lighter shade of green.

   "Mayumi...If you do that, it will make you an enemy of the village...it will make you my enemy..." I muttered, feeling utterly lost. Tears streamed down Mayumi's face as she tried to touch the side of my face, but I pulled away.

   "K-Kakashi, please don't...I had no other choice. My father is torturing innocent children in order to assassinate the Hokage and take full control of the Leaf Village. I HAD to do SOMETHING!" Mayumi raised her voice as I looked up at her, feeling like I had gotten punched in the chest.

   "There had to be something else you could have done! YOU COULD HAVE ASKED FOR MY HELP!" I yelled, my emotions finally taking control. Mayumi raised her eyebrows as I took a few steps back, putting some distance between the both of us.

   "What could anyone else have done Kakashi? If you would have gone with me, we would have instantly been killed! I have something the Akatsuki needs, they can't risk killing me!" Mayumi explained frantically as I sighed.

   "It's too late Mayumi... You've made your decision..." I muttered as I fixed my headband and looked at her. "I'll help you with this mission like I promised but, after that I think it's best if we go our separate ways..." I admitted, even though it felt like a blade going straight through my chest. Mayumi's eyes widened as tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. I walked around her to the door, stopping right before I opened it.

  "I'll be with Yumiko..." I stated as I opened the door and left, leaving the love of my life shattered.