Shadow of the Night

Chapter 23

Kakashi's POV

Another evening drew in on my lonely apartment. The sun was setting, and I watched it from my windowsill. Not for the first time, I wondered about Hikari. Where was she? Why had she left?

I fiddled with a silver chain around my neck. Pulling the necklace from under my vest, I stared, unseeingly, at the ring strung on the chord. 

Hikari's ring. 

I had bought it the night before she had vanished, to replace the one she had lost somewhere in my apartment. It seemed so trivial at the time, but ever since she had gone, I'd worn it around my neck. It seemed like the last remnant of her, a talisman of hope. She had loved that ring. The black stone winked at me in the last red light of the setting sun. 

I could see her, even after all these years, sitting on this windowsill, feel the cool metal of her ring between my fingers. The last I'd heard from her was around three years ago, when I'd received half of her letter written to me. I hope nothing has happened...

My thoughts were interrupted by a large black bird landing on the windowsill beside me.

Hey there Kakashi, how have you been.

I glanced, shocked, at the golden eyes and translucent feathers. "Yuro? Where have you been? Where's Hikari?" I hadn't seen him since Kari had left, and assumed he was with her.

I've been looking for her. It's a long story, but it doesn't matter right now. You need to come with me, right away. Kari is in danger. It's pretty far away, but she sounded really serious. So we need to go.

I took a second to roll into my room, grab my ninja tool pouch, and leap lightly out the window. 

"Lead the way."

Hikari's POV

Even with a shattered left arm, cracked shoulder blade, and broken ribs, I am not to be underestimated. Hitting Raiden head on, taking him by surprise, we both tumbled to the dirt. I sank my knee into his gut and attempted to fracture his collarbone with my elbow. When I say attempted, I mean I would have, had Raiden not grabbed my right foot (The one attached to the knee I'd just winded him with) with a shadow-gloved hand and twisted it to the left sharply. I felt at least three bones in my ankle snap, sending a fresh wave of agony racing up my leg. Doing my best to ignoring this, I pressed my good hand to his throat. Raiden looked completely unperturbed. He simply grabbed my damaged forearm and squeezed. This had me gasping in pain, blinking black dots from my vision. Raiden rolled me off him as easily as water off a leaf.

I lay, defeated, in a cocoon of pain. I can't believe I've been taken down so fast. Raiden laughed at my nearly unconscious state. He walked slowly to where I lay, and forcefully stepped down on the hand of my good arm. The delicate bones had no chance against his steel-toed work boots. I hardly flinched at the sharp cracks.

Aki was thrashing against his shadowy shackles, screaming at Raiden, calling him a fair few names I'm sure Hidan had taught him.

Katsumi was hanging in the air, suspended my black ropes of shadow. She was staring, her eyes showing traces of fear and surprise. Emotions were hard for Kat to understand, but seeing me in such a beaten state obviously had some effect on her. I still remember when she told me about herself for the first time.

*flashback

Being nine months pregnant was probably the worst thing I'd ever been through. Katsumi helped me pass long useless hours in my room, usually playing Shogi. My sister was nearly always silent, though she had been speaking to me more and more. Today I decided to ask her a bit more about her life with the clan.

"Hey, Kat, what did they do to you all those years? What was living with the clan like?"

I waited for a few minutes. Katsumi avoided my eyes, staring at the Shogi board.

"I wasn't allowed out of my room. I was on a strict regime, and Raiden oversaw my training personally. He beat me if I showed any emotion, told me they were for the weak. I wasn't fed if I cried, and I spent an hour in the closet for every time I spoke to anyone besides Raiden. After so long repressing emotions, I don't seem to have any. And if I do, I don't know how to interpret them."

I had to stop myself staring. This was probably the longest I'd heard Katsumi speak without interruptions.

Slowly, I reached across the game board, taking Katsumi's hand in mine. Pulling her closer, I rested her palm flat against my swollen midsection.

"Kookie is kicking, see?"

I watch as a spark of wonder lit her cold hazel eyes. A tiny smile found it's way onto Kat's face as she felt the small kick of my unborn child. Her nephew. I watch as the familiar complacent look stole over her features. It was the same look I recognized on my own face when I found a home in Konoha. The look of someone who had just found where they belonged.

"We are family, Kat, and I will help you in any way I can."

Katsumi stood, her emotionless eyes seemed softer now than they had before.

"Thank you, sister."

*flashback end

I could see Kat struggling, but she couldn't hope to break through Raiden's shadows. He had crushed me like a bag of potato chips; Katsumi wouldn't stand a chance. I looked up at the sky; the moonlight was illuminating every detail of the large, wide-open clearing. We lay at the bottom of a grassy hill, next to the resident's building. The top of the small hill was silver in this lighting.

Kakashi... I hope I'll see you... someday... in the afterlife...

My eyes were closing, the pain numbing...

*AN

Cliffhanger hehe

If you like this book, make sure to let me know in a comment and vote if you want :) This book is almost at its end, I'm kinda sad. I'm worried that once its done my life will have no meaning; maybe I'll write another book. What do yall think?

Your friendly neighbor

-Hanna