Rain To Wash The Blood Away (Nagato x reader)

39. The End is Near

With the permission of the five Kage, you were allowed out onto the battlefield to join the other troops. The casualties increased with every passing second, the corpses of shinobi and Zetsu littering the barren land. It greatly reminded you of your previous life when you were a part of the Akatsuki, fighting against those who used Amegakure as a battlefield and created problems for the innocent people that lived there. Even though you weren't from the Rain village originally, you still believed that it was your home. That was why you were so driven to protect it, remembering everything you'd gone through trying to protect that place.

But you were no longer there, you were now on another battlefield. You ducked under an attack from a nearby Zetsu, quickly taking it out with a kunai. Seeing that you were fighting back, they were quick to swarm you. Jumping out of their path, you took out a few more before kicking another harshly back into a larger group. They stumbled backwards, giving you an opportunity to get rid of them fast. They weren't all that strong, the only problem was that there were so many of them. A strong shinobi could be easily overpowered in a situation like this if a big group challenged them.

You slashed and hacked through the thick wall of Zetsu, hating how much energy you were spending on getting rid of them. They were mere pests compared to the stronger opponents you wished to face. This lasted for hours on end, your comrades falling around you as you continued to fight. It felt like wasted energy getting rid of them, hating just how many they'd managed to make of themselves. Even while you were in the Akatsuki, you didn't necessarily like Zetsu. He was creepy and would pop up randomly, taking advantage of his ability to sink into surfaces. It didn't seem like these White Zetsu had that ability though, making it difficult for them to get away, not that they had the drive to run. If anything, they lusted for the violence and enjoyed killing.

Getting rid of the last Zetsu, you looked around to see who else was there. It seemed that a majority of the shinobi had survived, yet there were still a lot of dead and injured. Wanting to be helpful, you were quick to find a few injured shinobi and pick them up to take back to the medical tent. You hope that would win you a little praise as well, being well aware that most people here disliked you. It was difficult to blame them, you recognised your sins and regretted them deeply. There wasn't much you could do to help, you just hoped what you could offer would be enough.

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Sitting beside a bonfire, your companions chatted happily whilst you sat in silence. Naruto was there too, providing as much support as he could to the other fighters. He seemed busy, providing as much help as he could now that he was being relied on so much. You watched as he conversed with his friends, feeling happy that he was still here. You weren't planning on letting Naruto die, wanting to protect him since he'd done so much for you. You were suddenly snapped out of your thoughts by the sound of footsteps nearby. Lifting your head, you noticed that the Jinchuriki was approaching you. Others noticed this as well, whispering amongst themselves as he offered you a wide smile.

"Thank you for your hard work," he smiled, taking a seat beside you. Lowering your head, you felt good knowing that you'd done a lot that day.

"Thanks, you too," you responded, continuing to gaze into the fire. Naruto did the same, leaning forward to enjoy the warmth of the crackling flames.

"They really rely on you here," you brought up, lowering your gaze to the ground. You could say that you felt a little jealous, but overall, you were proud. This boy had done so much for this war, fighting harder than anyone else. And even though he was so important, he was making time to come over and check in on you. Someone who he'd met not too long ago, someone who wasn't even a part of his home village.

You were a criminal that was given an exemption to fight in the war, now at the mercy of those around you. Without Naruto and Tsunade, you weren't sure where you'd be. After Nagato had passed, you didn't know what to do with your life. But Naruto had stopped you, he'd welcomed you into his village. And Tsunade had helped you get here, providing support as a friend of your mentor. Heaving a sigh, you ran your fingers through your hair.

"Tomorrow's the big fight," you reminded him, earning a nod from the seated blonde. He stared into the flames, holding his own hand for reassurance.

"It should be, we can expect a lot more White Zetsus," he confessed, turning to look at you. Seeing that you were looking down, he leaned over to bump your shoulder playfully.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the way you shuddered in pain when he touched you.

"Did you get hurt today?" he asked, reaching for your arm. You dodged his touch, standing up and cradling your arm. He was surprised to see you move so suddenly, staring up at you as you panicked. You didn't know what to say, first offering him a soft, reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a little bruise there. I'll be back, I'm gonna get some water," you told him, heading over to one of the tents. He nodded, waving as you walked away.

As soon as his gaze had left you, you slipped behind the tent and let out a sigh of relief. His touch was only brief, but you'd become a lot more sensitive since Machi's mark began spreading. Pushing up your sleeve, you could no longer see your usual skin tone. Instead, you were met with the sight of skin that looked like it had been painted in pitch black ink.

Next, you began tugging at the neck of your shirt, trying to see how far it had progressed up your neck. But when you looked down you could only see the markings, there being no untouched skin in your line of sight. Pulling out a kunai, you used the reflection on the blade to see how far it had progressed. You cursed after seeing that it had almost reached where it could be visible, making you panic. There was no way you were going to reveal this now that you'd made it this far. Reaching into your pouch, you pulled out some bandages and immediately began wrapping them around your neck. With how far this had progressed, you were sure that tomorrow would be your last day.

It's been so long since I've published anything, I have been doing a little writing but not that much. Had a lot going on but now I've found a bit of time, so happy that I can continue to post here. I'm not giving up on any of my stories. I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)