☆A Flower That Blossoms in Adversity☆

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 6

𝐿𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑘𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒．.

𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐚'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕;

Crickee tosses little twigs into the dying fire in hopes it won't die as I rub my arms and huddle tightly together to keep warm, having put on my shirt I draped the blanket over Khan to keep him warm as well. He walks over to me and sets the blanket onto my shoulders and lies down behind me. Crickee looks at me and jumps over to me and into the blanket.

"I was this close, this close," He says and picks up a broken arrow "to impressing the ancestors, getting a top shelf, my true form." he sighs "Man, all my fine work." he makes a throat cutting motion before sulking over to us and stabbing a dumpling with it and holding it over the fire.

"Hi." He says and I look out into the snow "I should never have left home." I tell Shukaku "Eh, come one you went to save your father life. Who knew you'd end up shaming him and disgracing your ancestors and losing all your friends." The fire dies out "You know you've just gotta," he takes a breath "Gotta learn to let these things go." He voice cracks and he sobs softly.

"Maybe I didn't go for my father," I say and look around as if I was noticing something for the first time "Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right," I pick up my helmet and stare into it "So when I looked in the mirror I'd see someone worthwhile." My eyes start to sting as tears appear "But I was wrong, I see nothing." I throw the helmet away from me and pull the blanket tighter.

"Well that's just cause this needs a little spit that's all."Shukaku says and I hear him spits on the helmet and wipe it off "Let me shine this up for you." He says and I look at him and he holds up the helmet "I can see you. Look at you, you look so pretty hehe." He smiles at me but I look away truly not in the mood for this.

"The truth is we're both frauds. Your ancestors never sent me, they don't even like me." He admits and I look at him as he sets my helmet down "You risked your life to help people you love. I risked your life to help myself. At least you had good intentions." He says and I smile at him when Crickee jumps onto the helmet and begins to cry.

"WHAT! What do you mean you're not lucky?! You lied to me?" Shukaku asks it then turn to Khan "And what are you, a sheep?" he tosses Crickee behind him and Khan glares at Shukaku. "I'll have to face my father sooner or later." I say with dread "Let's go home." I tell them "Yeah, This ain't gonna be pretty, but don't you worry 'kay. Things will work out."

He touches my face "We started this thing together and that's how we'll finish it." He hugs me and I lift a hold and hug him back. "I promise." A shadow flies beyond us unnoticed and I begin packing up.

In the distance a voice roars and reaches my ears, I look to Khan and run over to the mountain's ledge and men start popping out of the snow. Soon five men stood behind Orochimaru: A blonde, a tall man with blue hair, two masked fellow and one with slick back silver hair.

I watch them walk toward the glowing city below and gasp before running back to Khan, picking up my sword, I sheath it as soon as I reach Khan and I mount him and I start leading him off when Shukaku calls out to me "Um, home is that way." He says and points the opposite direction. "I have to do something." I tell him.

"Did you see those men? They're Akatsuki and they aren't like the Oto who died in the avalanche they popped out of the snow," he throws his arms up "Like daisies!" I look down at him and sigh "Are we in the together or not?" he looks down for a minute and thinks when he looks to Crickee who chirps and he smiles "Well, Let's kick them down an octave!" he hoots and climbs up onto Khan with me.

I reach the town not far behind the troops surprisingly as they are paraded through the streets with pride and people cheer them on. "Make way for the heroes of Konohagakure." A man announces and I ride through the crowd, stop to look around and noticed the lowered heads of my comrades.