Roses {Kakashi Hatake}

Special chapter #2

#2. Brothers

Aoi and Sora Kobayashi didn't resemble each other very much from an early age, neither physically nor mentally. They both were smart, but whereas Aou used it for shinobi business, Sora used it for gaining more knowledge on flowers.

Their father tried anything just to get his younger son interested in becoming a shinobi, even after he dropped out at the Academy.

However, all his attempts were fruitless, as were Aoi's. In the end, they both gave up and at the time Aoi became a jounin, he was glad his brother never had to live with the things he would have to.

Once, Aoi had a friend and both boys were determined to change the world into a better place. Before the jounin exams, his father was the only one who knew what he would have to do.

Good luck, Yoru," Aoi said to his friend when they both had reached the finale stage, which neither of them were going to like. Only one of them was going to get out alive, despite the promise they made.

The proctor of the exam explained the rules to the two standing in a large arena, the crowd cheering.

Both chunin looked at each other when the older shinobi was finished, fear evident in their eyes. They both wanted to reach a higher rank, but neither of them wanted to kill the other in order to survive.

The proctor gave the starting signal and all chunin in the arena scattered around the area, off to kill the others.

Sora didn't say a single word while he watched his brother fighting off the people he once considered friends and kill them. He would have loved to look away, if only he had been able to.

In the end, there were only three left: Aoi, Yoru and a girl named Emi. Before Emi met her end by being stabbed with a katana by Yuro, she managed to injure the both of them.

Aoi was more reluctant to kill his best friend as he was. After a fight, that looked more like a friendly spar according to daddy Kobayashi, they were staring at each other.

Aoi was the one to end his best friend's life, knowing he would have done the same thing. They both had a family, loving parents and a sibling, it was only natural for them to take any chance at survival.

"I'm sorry, Yoru," he said as a single man tear rolled down his face, looking at his friend.

Yoru looked back at him, his green eyes piercing the Kobayashi with guilt, "Go make this world a better place... for the both of us."

As he dropped on the ground and remained motionless, the proctor took Aoi's arm, raised it and proclaimed him as the winner.

Sora stared at his brother, not willing to believe what he had just done, not willing to believe the boy he considered as his brother's friend would have done the same.

Papa Kobayashi was smiling, unlike his wife and sons. He was the only one who wholeheartedly agreed with the way things were going in the village, hence his high position.

***

"You did great, son," the older man told his shinobi son during dinner, "That Yoru was a bad influence on you anyway, you're better off without him."

Aoi nodded weakly, he knew what his father would do if he disagreed, "I suppose he was, tou-san."

After dinner time was over, which had been full of awkward silences and the oldest Kobayashi praising Aoi's actions that day, Aoi immediately went to his room.

He didn't know how long he had already been there when there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the voice of his younger sibling speaking timidly, "Nii-san, are you alright?"