The tale of Mayumi

Chapter 18: The Attack on Konoha

Days passed, and while Hikaru was pushing himself harder than ever in his training, I found myself diving deeper into the village's situation. Konoha wasn't as peaceful as it once appeared. I learned more about Sasuke from Kakashi, though I could tell there was a deep bond between them. Kakashi clearly cared about Sasuke, and despite my curiosity, I held my tongue. Still, I didn't understand Sasuke—he didn't seem to appreciate the people around him, even though they wanted to help him. But who was I to judge? I didn't know what he had been through.

I also found out more about the Akatsuki, though Tsunade didn't seem to know much about them. All I knew was that they were dangerous, and they were coming. The village had been preparing for an attack, and I had no idea how bad it would really get. I was training just as hard as everyone else. I wasn't a shinobi, but I had made it my goal to be useful, to fight for this village, for the people who had welcomed me. I wanted to protect them, and I wanted to prove that I could hold my own, even if I didn't have the official title of a ninja.

I was heading to meet Hikaru and Genma for some food after an intense training session when it happened. We were under attack.

Everything happened so fast that I could barely process it. The sounds around me turned into a high-pitched buzzing, and the world felt like it was spinning. I couldn't focus. Panic hit me like a wave, and my first instinct was to find Hikaru. I started running, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding in front of me. But before I could reach him, I heard the screams.

The cries of children, of people in pain, pierced through the noise. I saw the faces of terrified kids, and I couldn't ignore them. I ran toward them without thinking, hoping that Hikaru could handle himself. People were rushing to evacuate, and I quickly jumped into action. Using my powers, I cleared a path, lifting debris and pushing obstacles out of the way to make sure the villagers could escape unharmed. I moved from one group to the next, guiding them to safety.

I didn't stop. I couldn't.

The buildings around me were being destroyed, collapsing under the weight of whatever had come for us. The entire village was thrown into chaos, and I couldn't see a familiar face anywhere. My mind raced with worry. I didn't know where anyone was, and the fear of losing them consumed me. But I had no time to think about that. I had to keep moving, keep helping.

I was on my third group when I saw him—Hikaru.

He was fighting, but he was in trouble. The enemy was one of them—the Akatsuki. I could tell from the cloak with red clouds, and the man's appearance was terrifying. He had orange hair slicked back and metal pierced into his face. He seemed to be absorbing Hikaru's chakra, draining him of his strength. My heart stopped. I knew if this continued, Hikaru wouldn't make it. He was already drained, barely standing.

Without thinking, I ran toward them, desperate to stop whatever this man was doing to my best friend.

"Get out of here, I got this!" I shouted, panic flooding my voice as I tried to push Hikaru away from the battle.

"You think I'll just leave you here alone?!" Hikaru yelled back, his voice hoarse.

I didn't have time to argue. I knew he wouldn't back down, but he was barely conscious, barely able to fight back. I needed him safe. With a surge of energy, I used my powers to move him out of the way, pushing him toward a collapsed building where he would be out of the line of fire—at least for a while.

The enemy smirked, clearly amused by my attempt to protect Hikaru. He turned his attention to me, his gaze cold and calculating. He wasn't done yet.

He attacked.

The man's movements were fast, almost too fast to see, but I wasn't going to let him touch me. I stood my ground, my hands glowing blue as I prepared to defend myself. But something inside me snapped. I wasn't just defending anymore—I was angry. He was hurting my friend, draining him of his chakra, and I could feel the fury rising inside of me. My powers surged, and I could see the markings on my face expand as my anger grew. I could feel the energy pulsing through me, feeding my every thought. For the first time in my life, I wanted to hurt someone.

I lifted the man into the air, ready to break him in half, to destroy him for what he had done to Hikaru. My mind became a blur of rage and intent, and I felt like I could crush him with a thought.

But then, just as I was about to unleash everything I had, I felt something on my head—like a hand gently pressing down. My body froze.

I looked up, still holding the man in the air, and saw another figure standing before me. He was dressed in the same Akatsuki cloak, with red clouds, and he had the same orange hair and metal piercings as the one I was about to kill. They looked alike—too alike. His eyes met mine, and before I could react, everything went black.

The man moved so fast, I barely had time to comprehend what was happening. With a single motion, he yanked the very soul out of my body.

And in that instant, everything went dark.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. The world around me disappeared, and I was left in a void, helpless and alone. My mind raced, but there was no way to fight back, no way to escape.

The last thing I remembered before everything went silent was Hikaru's face—his worried, pained expression as I slipped into darkness.

And then, there was nothing.