A Ninja's Path (Kakashi X Reader)

Chapter Seventy Two

You laid on the forest floor motionless, your body in a state of shock and adrenaline. You had been thrown out of a tree and the wind had been knocked from your lungs.

Beside you, a figure laid face down. They shuddered and coughed, dragging themself towards you.

You gritted your teeth, willing your body to move. It took all your effort to drag your right hand down to the kunai pouch strapped to your thigh. You unclasped the pouch and slipped a finger around a weapon just as the figure grabbed you by the shoulder.

They clambered on top of you, pinning your wrists against your sides with their knees. You tried to sit up but they used their arms to hold your shoulders down.

"I don't think so, Phantom."

That voice... it was familiar...

An ivory mask gleamed in the moonlight. Sharp lines meeting to form a beak.

"Hawk..." You said breathlessly. But not the one you knew. The original Hawk was dead, Taeru had ensured it. But this man...

"This is for knocking me out in the archives." The figure said as his fist sailed down.

Pain exploded at your temple and you cried out. Your vision blurred as the impact of the punch clanged through you.

The man above you took heavy breaths as he tried to regain his strength. You were still recovering from your initial fall and had barely gotten your air back when a hand wrapped around your throat.

Your mind flashed back to Hebi's chokehold and you let out a panicked, strangled cry as Hawk's gripped tightened.

No... not again....

You blinked away the dark spots and willed yourself into a calmer state. If you stopped panicking, you might be able to save yourself a couple seconds of breath. Instead of struggling against Hawk's grip, you forced your body to relax.

He laughed. "How quick you are to fall!" His legs loosened just a bit, as if believing you were getting weaker. "Not so invincible now, are we Phantom?"

The edges of your vision began to blur and tears streamed down your face in an effort to not fight Hawk's grasp.

You blacked out, just for a moment and Hawk chuckled. "Fox was right. You may possess one of the most powerful kekkei genkais in existence, but when it comes down to it, you're nothing but a weak little girl."

You let out a strangled broken cry as the kunai between your fingers plunged into the underside of Hawk's thigh.

He yelled out in pain and his grip on you loosened. You took the moment to lurch upright and collide heads with him.

Stars sparked your vision and you knew the same thing was happening to Hawk. You twisted the blade deeper into his leg and he screamed as you wrenched it out and threw him to the ground. The tables turned as you pinned him down.

"Sorry, what did you say? I didn't hear that through your bullsh*t."

He writhed in pain beneath you and you smiled in satisfaction. It felt good to take down one of the infamous Council members. You could only imagine how fulfilling it would be to kill Fox.

Hawk tried to push you off weakly, but judging by the pool of blood forming beneath his leg, he was close to passing out. "You'll... pay... for what you did..."

You laughed. "What I did? Everything I've done has been for our people! The sacrifices I've made, the people I've lost-" You stopped when you realized he wasn't talking about your rebellion.