After The Storm *Kakashi Hatake* (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter 9

            Blood gushed out of the man’s throat as I sliced through it with a kunai. He made a gurgling sound before falling to the ground, blood pooling around him. I looked around the clearing at the bodies. A crazed laugh escaped my lips. I left them there, drowning in their own blood.

            I proceeded to fly away, stopping at a waterfall in the forest. I’d defeated a group of about 15 shinobi. Most likely jounin. Once the adrenalin of the fight subsided I noticed a searing pain coming from my side. I looked down to find a deep gash across my stomach. I tried to heal it, but didn’t have enough chakra, and ended up passing out.

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When I came to, my abdomen was wrapped in bandages and I was lying in a bed, in an unknown cabin. I tried to sit up, but took a sharp intake of breath as a shock of pain went through my body. A blonde haired girl with purple-blue eyes then came into the room and I immediately went for my kunai pouch, but found it missing from its normal place on my leg.

“I took it off when I finished healing and patching you up," she said.

“Who are you," I asked in a parched croaky voice.

“Sakana," she replied with a smile.

“Sode," I said with a threatening grin, expecting her to freak out and run away.

“Nice to meet you," she replied cheerily.

I looked at her stunned and confused for a couple of seconds. But, she just came over and checked on my bandages. I tried to move away, I still didn't know if I could trust her. She pushed a point on my neck and I froze up, unable to move. She'd pressed a pressure point.

“Don’t move around for a while, you might reopen the wound," she said with a hint of authority in her voice.

“Why are you helping me?” I ask after a while, once I could move again slightly. 

“Well, you were hurt… what was I supposed to do… let you die?” She stated looking at me seriously.

I looked away and didn’t answer. She soon left and I fell asleep.

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The next couple of days I spent in bed, she brought me food, and during her healing sessions of the day she would give me tips and tricks on getting the hang of it. My medical skills improved profusely from these lessons. Yet, I was always confused by her kindness.

            When I fully healed she’d told me I could stay… and I decided to, wanting to understand her more. She was being kind to me now… but when she found out what I was… would she be the same?

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We spent time training together, she taught me a lot of new jutsus, and helped me improve in genjutsu and taijutsu. I started thinking of her as a sister.

One day I finally made up my mind to tell her of my true identity, and of my past.

We were taking a break and eating rice balls, then had gone swimming in the waterfall area.

“Sakana…. I… I know this is random, and I’m sorry I haven’t told you yet….” I started off quietly, trying to get the words out, but afraid of the outcome.

“I know Sode, you’re the jinjuriki of the ten tailed eagle," she said with her eyes closed as she relaxed into the water.

“How did you know?” I asked bewildered.

“Well, you heal faster than normal people, plus...you should’ve died from that wound, and you’re wings and tail feathers, or tails were out when I found you," she explained.

I suddenly hugged her out of gratitude for her kindness, she toppled over, and I along with her. We laughed together in the freezing cold water. She pried me off and splashed me with a chilling spray from the natural waters of the mountain. I took on a confident expression and splashed her back. We went on like this, joking and laughing, for the rest of the day.  

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Her face twisted in agony

The pained, saddened look as she said ‘goodbye’

Blood running down her chin.

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I shook my head, not wanting my memories to go to that day, to that moment. I felt warmth on my arm and found that I’d been crying. I rubbed the tears away with my palm and got up, going back to my room.

I sat on the floor in the middle of the room and curled up. I put my forehead on my knees and wrapped my arms around my legs. Silent sobs racked my body. Her anguished cries echoed in my mind.

I didn’t sleep that night.