Because I Met You

Chapter 55: The Path to Revenge

I suddenly get up, panting and drenched in cold sweat. I put a hand on my now bald head. I remember everything... In between my panting I start silently massacred my whole clan... And sealed away my memories to use me.

I stay sitting on the floor for a while, my mind blank. I feel at a total loss as to what to do now. After a long time I finally get up. I turn towards the mirror and stare back at my reflection. I barely recognize myself. I'm completely bald, with my eyes puffed and red. My cheeks are stained with tears and my nose is all runny. The seal is gone, however. I need to clean up all this hair...

I spend the night slowly cleaning, lost in thought. Everything is starting to slowly make sense... Mari's family took me in after my memory was erased. I thought it was out of kindness, but it was just to keep an eye on me. I remember asking Mari how they knew my name. She probably panicked and came up with a random story about me saying "Kiu, get away." I was too young and naive to notice how weird that sounded. It was also strange how the Kazekage agreed to have both me and Gaara attend the academy when he was against it before I showed up. He also put me on that dangerous mission with Gaara's team, probably hoping I might get a few skills out of it. He was just raising me to be a weapon to protect his village. That same village that he massacred my family for. And that jutsu that started the massacre was developed by Kaizo. I am almost certain that's Koji's father. That would explain Koji's strange behaviour towards me after our last mission. And Mari... To think that she was also used to destroy my tribe. At the age of seven, we still don't have a more critical way of viewing the world.

The ones I can't forgive are Kaizo, Matsunoi, and the Kazekage. I'm sure more people than this are involved in the massacre of my clan. I will find them and I will kill them. I'm sure whoever knows about this will react when they see my shaved head. The specialized Anbu won't waste too much time in attempting to assassinate me either. I won't run. I will exact my revenge. And once I'm done... I'll leave the village. There is not place for me here.

"Gaara... I told you before. No matter what happens, I'll never leave you. Not for anything or anyone's sake."

Gaara... Just thinking about him and the promise I made him so many times. Am I going to have to break that promise? I've only been able to keep going because of him.

"I'm sorry, Gaara... Maybe I will have to break that promise..."

I'm sure if I explain things to him, he'll understand. I don't know how long this mission of his is going to last, but I will get some things done while I wait for his return. I'll first go find Koji and get him to tell me what he knows.

I look at my reflection again. Maybe I should hide the fact that I shaved my hair. I don't want any unnecessary attention just yet. I use a transformation jutsu to make it look like I still have all my hair and leave the Kazekage's mansion. Knowing Koji, he'll either be in the library or in the training field.

Sure enough, I go to the training field and I find him doing target practice. He notices me approaching and stops what he's doing to look at me.

"Kiu? Here to practice?"

I shake my head and smile.

"Do you want to hang out for a bit, Koji? I want us to talk for a bit."

He raises his eyebrows in suspicion, but he packs his weapons up and follows me.

"Where to?"

He asks me. I look up at the sky and see the sun almost completely gone.

"Since it's almost night, let's go somewhere where we can look at the stars and the moon."

I say as I lead the way. We go up on the Kazekage's mansion's roof, since it's the highest point in the village. Koji follows me without a word. We sit on the edge of the roof and I look up at the night sky. I feel Koji's gaze on me.

"Is something bothering you, Kiu?"

I stay silent for a bit, feeling the cool night breeze on my face.

"It's a full moon tonight..."

My voice is almost a mumble. Koji doesn't comment.

"Like that night."

I say as I turn my gaze towards him and stare him dead in the eyes. I see his eyes widen slowly in realization.

"You..."

"Yes, I remember everything, Koji."

There's a moment of silence.

"If you remember, then why come see me?"

"I wanted to hear your side of it. You looked like you knew something back when I was in the hospital. You told me you swore an oath of secrecy, but now it's kind of useless, isn't it? Since I remember it all..."

Koji clenches his fists, clearly torn about what to do next.

"Koji... If I was as heartless as everyone thought my tribe was, I'd get that information out of you easily. However, I still treasure you and respect you as a comrade. So please... Just tell me what you know."

Koji takes a deep breath and sighs.

"Alright... I'll tell you. On one condition, though."

I raise my eyebrows.

"What's the condition?"

Koji looks me straight in the eyes and gets close to me.

"I want you to tell me what you remember too. I want to see your side of things. Because... Maybe what I was told was not fully true."

I give him a genuine smile and nod. He then pats me on the head, but takes his hand away immediately.

"You're using a transformation jutsu?"

He must've sensed the chakra flow when he touched my head. I nod.

"If you want me to undo it, we'l have to go inside the Kazekage's mansion. It's too dangerous to do it out in the open."

I whisper to him.

"...Alright, let's go then. It'll be better for talking also."

I get up and lead the way into the Kazekage's mansion.