Lightning In The Hidden Leaf

22 - It Survived

A swarm of dust disrupts the altercation. Calista and Yuri remain still, not just because they can't see. There is an element of surprise that stops the battle from ensuing. It doesn't take long for the dust to settle, which confirms Yuri's fears and Calista's hopes.

"What the?" says Yuri looking back at Kakashi's body to confirm it's still dead, "How the hell are you still alive?"

Kakashi is stood in the center of the battle, his back to Calista and his face to Yuri, a clear indication of who's side he is on. Calista smiles.

"Because you were the one who made a fatal mistake, after all," says Kakashi, his hands in his pockets as if he is just scolding two children for fighting at school.  

Yuri takes a step back and adverts his eyes from Kakashi.

"Interesting that you have no issues pointing out others' fatal mistakes, yet you are unable to see your own. So allow me to enlighten you. The fatal mistake you made was believing that the body you inhabited was my real body."

"A shadow clone would have disappeared the moment I touched it!"

"You're absolutely right. Which is why I didn't make a shadow clone. I made a real clone. That's why I only made one... they take up way too much chakra," he says sighing.

I should have never doubted you, thinks Calista.

"Ok, fine, whatever. It didn't work out exactly as I wanted, but I still got you where I wanted. I suggest, Kakashi, if you value your life, you back away from Calista. She's coming back with me and she's coming back alive."

"You really don't understand, do you?" says Kakashi.

Yuri looks around, feeling cornered and vulnerable, then back to Kakashi. "Understand what?" he says slowly and angrily. 

"You didn't use my clone because you're such a great shinobi, either. I let you."

He had a plan. This entire time, he had this plan in his back pocket, thinks Calista.

"From the moment I spotted that mark on Calista's neck, I knew that I could be dealing with anything. I also knew you were stalking us and that you had a plan for me. So, I let you take advantage of my clone, while I lurked in the shadows, ready to protect Calista at any minute."

"What's the point in telling me all this now?" says Yuri.

"I guess this is the first time someone outsmarted you. You never had someone survive after becoming your pray, so you have no idea what happens in a situation like this."

Yuri shows his teeth, not liking being a pawn in his own game.

"Host bodies and parasites become one. One mind, one body. Ideally, the body can remember all the thoughts and plans of their parasite. The thing is, once you leave their body, they die and are unable to do anything with that information. Have you forgotten though, that clones share the same mind as the person that made them? Yuri... I know everything now. I know that you planned on holding Calista hostage and taking her back to your base. I also know that it's just you here, and that means this is your weak point."

"You son of a--"

Kakashi whistles and within seconds shinobi start to make their presence known. Not just  shinobi though. People that Calista recognizes. Kurenai walks around from behind a house. Iruka and Guy are standing on roof tops. And a few more ninja from the Leaf that Calista has not met yet are here too. 

Yuri motions to move but all he can do is twitch his body.

"Why am I stuck?!"

"Because your in my Shadow Possession Jutsu," says Shikumaru.

"You're not even worth my Sharingan. I'll finish you off without it."

"Wait, Kakashi," says Calista.

He stops and looks back at her. "What is it?"

"I appreciate all of this. All of you. But you shouldn't have gotten tangled in all this. This is my business and I want to finish it," she says with tears in her eyes.

Kakashi steps aside. "I got your back, if you need me."

"Thanks. I won't."

Calista weaves a few hand signs and the sky quietly clouds over and thunder bellows in the distance.

"Come on, Calista, I didn't want to kill you. We all missed you and just wanted to--"

"Enough! You endangered me and my friends and who knows what else. I know you won't stop until you're dead. So... BEGONE WITH MY LIGHTNING!"

Calista's words summoned a bolt of lightning. It comes down in one hard crack and is gone as  quickly as Calista summoned it. Yuri is gone too. All that remains are ashes. 

Everyone stands still for a moment, waiting for Calista to make the first move. Little do they know, she is waiting for someone to make the first move too. Yuri was there for her when she left home. They shared the same clan and the same bed for a while. She is glad he is gone, yet the grief is freezing her. 

She feels a hand on her shoulder.

"That's quite the Jitsu you got there," says Kakashi.

"My brother reminded me of it," she says flatly, still looking at the ashes. 

"Your brother?"

"In a dream."

*************************

"It's a shame about this village," says Kurenai. "We should make Lady Tsunade aware. I'm sure there is something we can all do to help figure out what happened and repopulate it."

"Yes. After we deal with her wrath. We weren't supposed to come here today," says Guy.

"There is no reason for Tsuande to know about this," says Calista.

"What do you mean?" says Kakashi.

"This is my mess. I'm sure I'm the last person Tsunade wants to see, after I attacked her village and to be honest, I can't face her. Now that I know Yuri is dead and that he no longer has control of me, I think... I think I'll stay here. And work on building this village again."

"Alone?" says Kakashi.

Calista shrugs. "I still don't know what all this is about. But I feel it's my responsibility to at least try to understand. And try to fix it."

Kakashi takes Calista's wrist and pulls her aside.

"But you know I have duties at the Leaf. I can't stay here."

"I never asked you too. I've been alone my entire life. I'm use to it. It's fine," says Calista.

Kakashi looks at her sad face and feels a wave of grief for the plans he hopes they would have. He puts his hand to Calista's face and then gently glides back her hair. 

"I don't know if you're alone just yet," he says.

"What do you mean?"

"It was Yuri who put the marking on you right?"

"Yes..."

"Then why do you still have the mark, even though he's dead?"