Characters: Shino and Karin (Oh, fuck....)
The clashing of kunai was heard over any other sound. The cheering, the shouting, it was just me and this Karin person. Clashing again, I jumped back. I needed to end this now. I had to do it for Konoha. I had to restore my village to what it once was. Charging at him once more, I tried to read and dodge whatever counterattack was coming. I have to time this perfectly. Wait... wait...now!! Dodging the punch he threw, I managed to lodge my kunai in his arm. I stopped. I was done. I'd won...right?
"You...fool. I'm not that easy to beat." He growled, whipping around to stab me. Dodge, you idiot! I thought, and moved. Looks like he needed that money as much as I did, but I needed it more. The kunai grazed my arm when I took my own out of his arm. I had to render him useless before he does something stupid or time ran out. He's probably going to aim for your legs, watch closely... I concentrated, and charged again. The other arm has an opening. It's a slim chance, but I could get it if I- Now!! I thought, and swung the kunai.
Screams. Screams filled the air as my final blow landed. My kunai went through the entire arm, leaving a gap in his arm. I took a few steps back, and left, grabbing the money on the way out. Why...? Why do I do this now? What lead to the fall of Konoha...? What lead to me leaving...? Questions raced through my head as I walked to a small cottage on the outskirts of Konoha. I lived there with a sweet old woman who took me in after I fled the village. I normally gave her the money to keep, or bought her something with it, since she reminded me so much of her. She saved me when I was too pathetic to move on my own, as with this old woman, who took me in, no matter what the risk of having a missing-nin would be. I remember...when I was like that...so careless... but not anymore.
"Miss! Miss, are you here?" Silence. Unsettling silence. I cautiously walked through the house, calling out softly, until I got to her room. Opening the door slowly, my eyes widened at the horror in front of my eyes. Her head was impaled on a stake, body scattered around the room. Feeling my stomach twist in knots, I saw the room go fuzzy, and then dark.
"Die, traitor!!"
"Naruto, No!!" That scream... Could it be-?
"Toshiko, wa-" And the same scene over and over again.
"Why...? Why didn't you save me...? Feh, pathetic."
I bolted up to a red haired woman with crimson eyes. She looked over at me.
"You're up. I...I know what happened, with the old woman."
"Who... who are you."
"You don't remember me from the fight? I'm Karin." Okay then!! He's a she, I'm embarrassed. "I'm assuming you're Shino. The.... the old lady told me about you when I'd come over to get my wounds checked up on. We're not so different, you and I...both missing nin with one tie to each other, that old lady. She....she helped me become as strong as I am today, yet I still lost to you..."
"Yet we still couldn't protect her. We both still lost in the end...." I said, fighting back tears. She laughed sadly.
"Yeah.... we've lost quite a bit.....haven't we?" I nod, remembering the nightmare that occured daily. She laughed again, then started sobbing. I moved over by her, feeling an urge to comfort her. She leaned on my shoulder and kept sobbing. I soon felt tears slide down my own cheeks. I might've won our fight, but my destiny is to never win the war we call life, but at least now I have some form of support.
