Our Reflection in Each Other's Eyes.

Chapter 24: Time is ticking

Kyoko had fallen asleep after her cries. I carried her to the bed before showering off any remnants of blood that remained on me. I  walked back to her and sat on my side of the bed. I leaned myself back against the wall behind the bed and blankly stared up at the ceiling.

Now, I must find Itachi.

The following day arrived and Kyoko and myself began to pack our things to leave. We are headed to recruit Suigetsu.

Kyoko walks beside me in silence as she looks ahead, avoiding my gaze. She suddenly stretches a hand out in front of me, to stop me from continuing. Her pointer finger is held up to her lips, indicating she wishes for me to remain silent.

Suddenly she pushes me to the side and begins to form handsigns. Her body is engulfed by fire from the enemy. I stood up and began to rush to her in worry when I saw her walk out of the smoke brought by the fire.

She was unharmed as she smirked in the direction of the enemy.

"Darkness: Hands of the underworld!" She shouts.

Multiple dark hands burst through the floor beside her and rushed in the direction she faced. I noticed her face contort with anger before she made more handsigns.

"Darkness: Hands that follow to the end!"

The previous hands returned to the ground and a new set emerged. The new hands emerged, engulfed in a red mist. Those hands burst forward, but instead of passing the sets of trees ahead it appeared to break through the earth in front of us, as if cutting through the air.

Her face showed confusion before she tilted her head up. Her eyes closed and once they opened they were different. The outer layer, where it should be white, was black and the scarlet part of her eyes were burgundy. She scanned ahead with her eyes before she appeared to be fighting against something. Suddenly her jutsu appeared to cancel as the hands disappeared and her eyes returned to their scarlet color. She turned in my direction before sighing, her scarlet eyes downcast before she began walking forward. I moved along with her and turned in her direction. Her eyes moved from being downcast to looking ahead, once more avoiding my gaze. 

"Who was that?"

"The same person from a while back. The one who appeared to disappear into thin air."

"You were close, I'm sure. Thank you." I said while placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Her gaze remained forward, "Close..isn't enough." She replied in disappointment. 

I held onto her hand to stop her and turned her to face me. I placed my hands on the side of her face, "It was enough." I reassured. "But why the disappointment?"

"They were at the tip of my fingers, yet escaped smoothly. It's the frustration to my inability to capture them."

"That jutsu you used, what was it?"

"It appears to be tied with what happened a while back, when we were able to see the dead, in my old village. I came to the conclusion that it involves some form of dark magic."

She explained with uncertainty.

"The odd thing is that these jutsus came to me at random one day when you were gone. I received a pulsing headache and felt as if my eyes were changing, my vision enhanced but what I was able to see were the dead. I see in black and white yet it feels so normal, as if it were my regular vision. Sasuke-Kun, do my eyes change?"

"Yes, they become black on the outer layer and burgundy on the inner."

Her hands reached up to her eyes as she looked forward in horror.