I Represent the Yama Ninja Village

Chapter 5. Kazuki

"Keiko!" Tora exclaimed in shock.

"Go to hell!" Keiko yelled again.

"My, my, Keiko..." Kazuki said, shaking his head. "Shouldn't you show a little more respect?"

Keiko stood to his feet and got in a fighting stance. "I said, 'go to hell!'" He repeated. "I would never show respect to a sick bastard like you!!"

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Tora exclaimed.

Keiko's eyes never left Kazuki's, and it seemed like the young man's eyes were locked onto Keiko's as well, bringing the two into a deadly dance of deadly glares.

"This man..." Keiko said. "I hate him."

"'Hate' is a strong word," Kazuki said. "I never did anything to you."

"Yes you did!" Keiko yelled, charging. He whipped out a kunai knife and lunged at the man, but Fudo appeared in between the enraged Keiko and calm Kazuki, gripping onto Keiko's hand and stopping his attack.

"Keiko, calm down," Fudo ordered.

"Let go of me," Keiko growled. He looked up to stare into Fudo's deep black eyes. "Let me fight him. I want to kill him myself."

"That's a little dark for such a cheerful, frivolous little boy, don't you think so, Keiko?" Fudo said, warning him. "We wouldn't want you to be showing any dark sides in front of your teammates... We wouldn't want them being scared of you, right?"

Keiko looked into Fudo's dangerous eyes. "Scared? What do I care what they think of me? I know they already don't like me. You can sense it in their auras, the way they look at me, the way they treat me... It's beyond obvious what they think of me. But right now? I don't really care. I can't let this man live, I have to kill him. You don't understand."

"I do understand, Keiko," Fudo replied. "I was good friends with your father, I know who this man is to you. But you have to understand that he has been fully qualified as a resident in the village, and we have gone through many tests to ensure that it would be safe to let him take lead of a group of our students. I believe that the person you're wanting to seek revenge on is not this man, but someone entirely different... yes?"

Keiko's eyes darkened with malice. "I suppose if you think of it in that way... But I don't personally have anything against Yajuu other than--"

"Enough," Kazuki said with a calm voice. "It's best that his name isn't spoken of, and that organization is nothing a twelve year-old kid should know about. Much less be spoken of. The past is in the past, isn't it, Keiko?"

"Go to hell," Keiko growled. "I don't care if it's in the past... This is personal."

Kazuki sighed. "Keiko, if you promise not to attack me again, I promise you I will explain things to you. You want answers, right?"

"I have the answers!" Keiko yelled. "I know everything about why everything happened back then! It's no mystery! It's so painfully obvious and it hurts every day that I have to continue living on with that damn knowledge!"

"Keiko," Kazuki said. "Stop and look at your reaction. Think about how you're acting. What would your father say?"

Keiko stopped and relaxed, looking up at Kazuki, a new emotion in his eyes: one that wasn't of hate. "What... do you know of my father?" He put his kunai knife away and walked past the two teachers, walking out of the door. "You don't know anything about him." And with that, Keiko walked away.

"W-what was that all about?" Tora asked nervously.

Kazuki sighed, shaking his head. "I wouldn't worry about it."