Yuzuki Uchiha Gaiden ~Book 1~

Chapter 41: The Blaring Reality

A shiver ran down Yuzuki's spine. When she came too, the horrid memories rammed into her and she forced her tired eyes open thinking for a moment she was dead. She lifted her head out of the mud, she wasn't sure if the sun was still setting or if it was rising.

But then she realised the Hidden Mist ninja were all dead around her, some pierced by a growth of wood that protruded around the land. They were brutally killed and mangulated. Who would have done this and left her completely alone?

Yuzuki brought herself to her knees looking around in a daze. Her head throbbed and when she touched the source on her forehead she hissed in pain. Dried blood was running down the right side of her face. She pulled off her head protector feeling relieved with the bloodied fabric left her head.

Yuzuki leant forward off her hands gripping the bloody headband and she took in a deep breath realising the events of what happened.

"Rin." her voice was hoarse. She brought herself to shaky legs stumbling through the pools of blood and maze of wood. She passed one ninja with spikes protruding from his body from the inside out. The look on his face was horror.

Yuzuki found Kakashi laying face first in the middle of a swirl of wood almost like whoever did this was protecting him... but Rin's body was gone. Yuzuki fell to her knee's at Kakashi's side and she rolled him over.

"Kakashi." she managed to say, but he didn't respond in anyway. Tears filled her eyes and she felt sick. The image of him striking Rin with the chidori was burnt on her mind. She hoisted him up and slung his arm over her shoulder and hauled him up.

Yuzuki stumbled out of the mess with the heavy weight of Kakashi on her side. She stumbled to her knees nearly dropping Kakashi. She caught him and pulled herself back up.

Did they just really loose their teammate again? Even after the promise made to Obito. Now the enemy has her corpse and the tailed beast they sealed inside.

Yuzuki cried silent tears while dragging Kakashi's unconscious body threw the woods. She knew making it back to the village was going to take days in their condition. Honestly, she didn't want to return and deliver the news. She didn't want to face her friends and tell them they lost Rin too. She didn't want to face Kushina and Minato and say how incompetent of a ninja she was... how she was unable to protect her friend. Again.

The morning sun was now hanging low in the sky, painting the sky a light pink to wake up the nations. Yuzuki might have been passed out the whole night but that didn't mean her body was strained and tired and in shock. Again she stumbled and this time she fell with the weight of Kakashi. At least in his sleep he couldn't feel the pain.

Yuzuki cried out into the grass. She held a hand over her mouth with a throbbing headache like nothing she's endured before. She was cold, injured, covered in dirt and blood; Kakashi was no better.

It might be a few days before someone realised they were gone far too long. Before anyone would find them. Yuzuki leant back against a tree. She scavenged threw her pouch in search of her med kit. Unzipping it to find nothing that would ease the pain in her head. She couldn't see straight let alone think.

In anger, Yuzuki threw the med kit and screamed. She fell back into the trunk realising she needs the kit she just threw. Running frustrated hands threw her matted black hair she took in deep breaths. I can't let anger get the best of me, she told herself.

"Kakashi." she nudged him in hopes of waking him up. She can't keep dragging him on. "Kakashi, wake up, damn it. Kakashi!" she shook him harder and his eyes fluttered open only to close again. Yuzuki sighed. "Wake up!" she yelled and he jolted awake. He sat up too fast knocking heads with Yuzuki and she fell back rubbing her forehead in pain.

Kakashi looked around in confusion, "How did we..."

"I dragged you here."

"Rin..."

"The enemy have her body. I'm sorry, Kakashi."

He looked down at his dirty hands horrified. "I... I killed her." he said. "She jumped in the way... I couldn't..."

"Stop." Yuzuki firmly placed her hands on his shoulder. "We need to move in case more come." she rose on shaky legs pulling Kakashi with her. She approached the med kit she tossed and leant down to retrieve it.

"Your head." Kakashi enquired to the dried blood running down her face.

"I'm fine." she muttered wiping most of it on the back of her arm guard. "Come on. It might be a couple days before we reach the village." she spoke as though she was winded.

Kakashi felt better when he was asleep. Hell, he didn't feel at all. But still, he kept up with Yuzuki trailing behind her ashamed of himself. Neither unable to come to terms with what just happened.

They walked for what seemed all morning before Yuzuki had to stop. Her body wouldn't allow her to take another step, and Kakashi agreed. They both sat under a tree resting. Yuzuki's eyelids became too heavy and she couldn't keep them open anymore. So she dozed off into a painless sleep leaving Kakashi on high alert, but he also dozed off eventually.

By the time Yuzuki awoke again, the sun was setting. She jolted up to see Kakashi asleep. She pushed him awake and was surprised to see the day was over already. It didn't feel real.

Yuzuki's stomach grumbled, but they were stuck out here with no supplies. They continued a slow walk in the direction of the village under the dark night and stopping regularly to rest. At this rate, they might reach home in two days and hopefully someone might realise something was wrong. She wanted someone to come and get her. She needed someone to.