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Chapter 12: Two Down—Path Chosen
A week has passed since Kagami's coup attempt and death. The Chuunin Exams were postponed due to the incident. Tobirama has been patched up, and repairs to the arena have been made. Chuunin Exam ceremony for the graduating shinobi is now underway in one of the training fields of Konoha. In the training field, the Hokage, Mizukage, and Chuunin Exam proctors, stand in front of seven of the shinobi from the final round of the chuunin exam. Miyagi, acting as head examiner for the final round steps forward to give the announcement to the seven shinobi.
Miyagi “Congratulations to all of you. The seven of you; Haruna Aburame, Cho Akimichi, Hi Hyuuga, Shi Kaguya, Shikashi Nara, Gaara Shirogane, and Takuya Yuki, have all passed this first Chuunin Exams. You are now, officially recognized as chuunin level shinobi in your country and your village. Haruna Aburame, and Takuya Yuki, due to unfortunate circumstances your match was never resolved, so as to be fair we are splitting the reward money, granting the two of you, each 500,000ryo. Congratulations to you all”
Tobirama “You have all done exceptionally throughout these exams, and you all have skills to be proud of as shinobi. You have brought your villages pride. My you return to Konoha, Kiri, and Suna with that pride on your backs”
Chuunin “Thank you Hokage-sama”
With the thanks to the Hokage the first Chuunin Exam ends and the shinobi from the villages begin leave Konoha.
Haruna “So...I guess this is it then”
Takuya “I wish we had finished our match...Knowing you, you still had some tricks up your sleeve”
Haruna “More then you know”
Takuya “Well, lets hope that our two villages remain friendly to one another, although I would have liked to settle our battle, I guess if we meet again as enemies we'll be able to huh”
Haruna turns around and begins walking away. She stops and she turns her head to him.
Haruna “I don't like owing people favors...I'll return the favor for saving me”
Takuya “There's really no need for that~”
Haruna “(Blushes) To me...there is...goodby Takuya Yuki”
Haruna turns and continues on her way and Takuya looks at her as she walks away. With the training field gone, the only one who remains is Miyagi. He stands starring up into the sky with a saddened look on his face.
Tobirama “None of this was your fault Miyagi”
Tobirama comes up behind Miyagi, but Miyagi continues to stare up in the sky.
Miyagi “This is the anniversary of our first training session...10 years just about...”
Tobirama “You could never have prevented this...his decisions were his own”
Miyagi “No they weren't...
**Flashback**
Note: Just before Miyagi starts his training with his new team
Setsuna “Miyagi-senpai, I wish to speak with you for a moment please”
Miyagi “Setsuna if I am correct. Is there something I can do for you?”
Setsuna “You've been assigned to my cousin Kagami...”
Miyagi “That's right, I saw him along with the other graduates at the Academy Exams. He was one of the most outstanding graduates, him and Shisui Uzumaki”
Setsuna “I just wanted to ask you a favor~”
Miyagi “(smiles) There's no need to worry, I'll train him to be a top notch shinobi. I've been told that my methods of training are rather rough but I have no doubt that he'll be able to handle i~”
Setsuna “That's not what I'm worried about...”
Setsuna gets a moderately serious face of worry and Miyagi looks at him with slight concern.
Setsuna “There's...there are some things in our life...my life and his that I can't tell you about...things that make me worry for him. Kagami...he is very precious to me...he's like my little brother, we're all the family we have left. The things that surround us....I can't explain them to, and I can't tell you why I can't other then I just can't”
Miyagi “Calm down...get your thoughts straight”
Setsuna “Kagami is my pride and joy, I was the very first person to ever hold him when he was born and I told him that I'd always protect him...I told him that I would help him make his dreams come true, and protect his dreams with all my life...Kagami...and his dreams mean more to me then my own life. I made that promise to him as a young child...but regardless of how naive I was in those times I meant them and I still do...this world is a cruel one...a cruel one that would destroy the heart and dreams of so many, and...I'm not sure if I can protect him alone”
Miyagi simply looks at the grieving Setsuna. He knows not why the young shinobi is so tense and worried but Miyagi feels in his heat, it is for good reason.
Setsuna “I've heard stories of your father, and of you. You're one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha”
Miyagi “(laughs) well I wouldn't say all that now~”
Setsuna “It's true...You are very strong. You're father was strong too. I know you're very strong and I know your capable of training my cousin to be a great shinobi...that's why I ask this favor...As I've said, I can't relay any details or anything...but there will be a time...when I may not be able to protect him...please, I beg you to protect and take care of my brother...If anybody can do so it's you...Please take care of him...I can't do it by myself”
Miyagi puts his hand on Setsuna's shoulder and smiles at him, reassuringly.
Miyagi “I promise I will take care of him, and whatever troubles the both of you are or will be facing, I promise to protect the both of you. I can tell you two are very close, and it's my job as a sensei not only to just train my students, but to protect and care for them as if they were my own. Don't worry about a thing”
**End Flashback**
Miyagi “There was something...something that happened to him that changed him...and it wasn't his fault. The Kagami you fought wasn't the shinobi who dreamed of restoring honor to his clan. He wasn't the shinobi who was dedicated to bringing peace to his clan and to Konoha by striving to be strong for his village...Instead of fighting for power to accomplish his dreams of peace, he desired and sought out power for vengeance and other motives...I was his sensei...I was supposed to protect him from whatever was making him act this way but I couldn't...I failed him as a sensei”
Miyagi walks away from the Hokage, with regret in his heart. After Miyagi leaves Tobirama looks with slight guilt on his face. Suddenly his face turns serious as his eyes shift to the left.
Tobirama “What is it?”
Kage kneels behind Tobirama.
Kage “Sir...I have good news, bad news, and even worse news”
Tobirama “Just get to the point”
Kage “We've found out the identities of the co-conspirators of Kagami Uchiha, all of them including their leaders, there were a total of over 20 Uchiha involved”
Tobirama “Were?”
Kage “That brings me to the bad news...every single one of them have been killed”
Tobirama “What?! How is that possible?”
Kage “And now that brings me to the bad news...all of their eyes were harvested...not a single eye socket was filled”
Tobirama's eyes widen at the severely shocking news.
Tobirama “Love...”
Kage “From the information we have on him...he has had Sharingan in his possession before his defection...there is no solid proof, but everything seems to be pointing towards him...and there's one more thing...We've checked into Danzo's disappearance, our insiders report to us that Danzo is in recovery from some sort of battle. It was during the Chuunin Exams as well, probably the same time you were fighting Kagami”
Tobirama “*Damn it Love...What the hell are you up to?!*”
Kage “We've sent a squad to follow a trail that we've picked up”
Tobirama “Get me records of all our available resources and report to my office immediately”
Kage “Right away”
Kage disappears and Tobirama heads back to his office.
At the boarder of the Land of Fire and Rice
Two Konoha, Anbu lay at the feet of Love, while he holds a third by the neck.
Love “Pathetic, truly”
Love stabs the shinobi through the heart and then throws him to the side. He steps over the other two shinobi and begins walking. At a pretty sizable distance away, another masked Anbu shinobi walks, staggering, holding his right arm, which is drenched in blood. The top right portion of his mask is gone, revealing his hair, but also revealing a large cut, which drips with blood down the rest of his mask. He pants heavily as he begins to slow down. He trips over his feet and falls to the ground.
Anbu “*Damn...this is the end for me...No...I can't fail my mission*”
The shinobi sits up and makes a few seals and he uses the summoning technique. He summons a small monkey in front of him. He gets out a scroll and uses his blood as ink and wraps the scroll up after he finishes writing. He gives it to the monkey, and it wraps the scroll in his tail.
Anbu “Take this...to the Hokage, at all costs...”
The monkey looks at his dying summoner and it's face gets a worried look.
Anbu “This is the end for me I'm afraid...Don't worry...the Sarutobi clan still lives on”
The monkey complies with his summoner's demand and he makes the rams seal and disappears in a cloud of smoke. The shinobi begins to sigh but all of a sudden a hand on the back of his collar grabs him and whips him violently against a tree. Love stands before and kneels down in front of the shinobi.
Love “You're such a troublesome. I underestimated you but this all ends now”
Anbu “Go to hell”
Love “I want to see your face, I know you're from the Sarutobi clan but I'd feel better knowing exactly who I'm killing, after all you did manage to escape”
Love takes off the mask and it's revealed to be Kazuya Sarutobi
Note: The same shinobi from council
Love “Kazuya?! Well this is a surprise, never did I think you were that strong, well regardless this is where it ends for you. I never understood how your clan's contract with apes could never be used outside the members of your clan. Well with you maybe I'll be able to figure out”
Love stabs Kazuya through the heart and coughs up blood, however before Kazuya dies, with is last ounce of energy he grabs the arm of Love.
Kazuya “You won't get anything from me you traitor”
Love looks at Kazuya with his Sharingan and suddenly paper bomb tags appear on Kazuya's chest and they explode. As the smoke clears Love stands on a tree, outside the range of the blast.
Love “How unfortunate”
At Konoha's Cemetery
It's late afternoon in Konoha, yet the sky is dark and glum, with the sky covered in storm clouds. Thunder roars through the sky gently as a small rumbles of sound. One drop...two drops...three drops...the rain begins to pour down light but almost immediately gets heavy and the sound of several thousand drops of water, hitting the village of Konoha fills through the silent village. Tsubaki stands in front of a grave site. The stone is engraved with the name “Kagami Uchiha”. The water, rains down heavy on Tsubaki but she doesn't move as her body get soaked under the water. Her faces is filled with depression however she doesn't cry. Her eyes stare in a sort of trance as she stares at the stone.Tsubaki “Kagami...”
**Flashback**
Note: This point in time, is just before Tsubaki told Shisui, Miyagi, and Mito that Kagami had left the village. This is the time frame, just after Kagami leaves from conversing with the Uchiha organization and Tsubaki crosses his path on her way back from the mission in Sunagakure, as mentioned in chapter 10.
Tsubaki and Miyagi walk into the village together after returning from the Land of Wind.
Miyagi “Tsubaki-chan, I'll go give the report, you go get some rest, you look horrible”
Tsubaki “(Smacks Miyagi in the back of the head) Idiot, you never say that to a woman, that's why you're still single Miyagi”
Miyagi “I never understood, why you still call all of your former academy instructors sensei and show them respect, yet you abuse me and you no longer call me sensei”
Tsubaki “You're a pervert, and you know nothing about talking to women. I know I look a mess, I'm exhausted, I've been up since 3am today without a wink of sleep, working but I don't need to be reminded of it”
Miyagi “(laughs) Sorry Tsubaki-chan”
Tsubaki “Besides, I've been with you longer...you don't really feel like my sensei anymore, it's more like we're friends, even if we're far apart in age. I always get stuck with you on nearly every mission I go on”
Miyagi “It's really only because Kagami and Shisui were positioned in other sections and we're the only available party...Sorry (laughs)”
Tsubaki “(Smiles) I never said that was a bad thing sensei. I love working with you...I miss the team though...Kagami and Shisui are always busy with their work...Even though I have the academy, it doesn't feel the same as working with the team, I can't remember the time we all worked together”
Miyagi “Don't worry, we'll all work together again, Team Miyagi is still a unit”
Tsubaki “Yeah, I guess you're right”
Miyagi places his hand on his former student's shoulder and smile. He then leaps away and heads to the Hokage residence. A few moments later as she walks through the village, she sees Kagami walking towards her. She gets a joyed look on her face as she sees her former teammate walk towards her and she begins to raise her hand to get his attention. However as she sees him walking she, looks into his chakra and sees a dark, evil chakra inside of him and she puts her hand down and looks, with great worry at Kagami.
Tsubaki “Hey Kagami...”
Kagami doesn't say anything to her, he simply walks past her not even glancing at her.
Tsubaki “Kagami...Kagami wait!”
Kagami stops but he doesn't turn around.
Kagami “Just leave me alone Tsubaki”
Tsubaki “Kagami what's wrong? You're acting different, even your chakra is different”
Kagami “It's none of your business”
Tsubaki “Then make it my business!...please”
Kagami “Listen to me...just stay out of my way and you'll be safe”
Tsubaki “What are you talking about?....Kagami please talk to me I beg you....I can feel it...so much pain bottled up, so much anger and hate...please tell me what on your mind!”
Tsubaki steps forwards, motioning to head towards Kagami but he turns his head with his Sharingan active and stares directly into her eyes menacingly. Tsubaki feels a wave of dark chakra surrounding Kagami and she stops, frozen in her path.
Tsubaki “Where are you going?”
Kagami “Just stay out of my way”
Tsubaki “Please wait Kagami! Whatever it is...it can be solved without leaving the village....please just wait”
Kagami “Will you shut the hell up?!!”
Tsubaki gets a surprised look on her face as Kagami snaps at her.
Kagami “You're constant whining, begging me to stay, asking me what my problems are! You're so god damn annoying! I told you to just leave me alone and stay out of my way. Why can't you listen to me, why are you so damn concerned with me?!”
Tsubaki “Because I love you!”
Kagami squints his eyes, getting angrier looking at Tsubaki. He closes his eyes and turns his back to her.
Tsubaki “You used to scare me...from the moment we were first placed on team Miyagi...but whenever you helped me...when you saved me from Shisui that one time...and everything after, I began to love you. We used to share everything with each other, even after the team was split up...we still used to hang out and every time you were upset you always told me why...recently you've been more secretive and your chakra has gotten darker. Please tell me what going on with you Kagami.”
Kagami “You and I live in two entirely different worlds”
Tsubaki “Then help me to enter yours”
Kagami clinches his fists in frustration.
Tsubaki “Help me enter yours so that I can help you just like I used t~”
Kagami “SHUT UP!”
Tsubaki steps back with a frightened shock on her face.
Kagami “You're so god damn irritating Tsubaki! You've never helped me, you've never done anything that has ever truly helped me or prepared me for anything! You kept hounding me to tell you all my secrets, to let you help me! You are so damn naive it's not even funny?! You know nothing of my past, my troubles, my situation. You could never understand because you lived a perfect life without any troubles! HOW CAN A PERSON LIKE YOU EVER HELP SOMEONE LIKE ME?!”
Tears begin to from in Tsubaki's stunned face. They begin to roll down her face and Kagami begins walking away from her. A kunai goes flying towards Kagami and he shifts his head evading it. He stops and turns around to see the serious expression on Tsubaki's face, however tears are still running down her face.
Tsubaki “You're right...I could never understand your pain...I knew that no matter what happened I couldn't understand...That's why...that's why I dedicated to get stronger...so that no matter what I could protect you from whatever darkness came past you...I know deep in you're heart that you're a good person Kagami...I know your true self and whatever has happened to suppress that heart of yours, I will defeat. I'm not letting you leave the village, and I will get rid of any darkness in your heart”
Kagami “You're an annoying little bitch you know that?”
Tsubaki “Whatever it takes to protect you!”
Kagami “You're pathetic, you're nowhere near the level you need to be to even harm me remotely. You think you have what it takes to steer me away from the path I've embraced?!”
Tsubaki “Yes I do”
Tsubaki makes three seals and suddenly the world goes dark red and Kagami is suddenly bound in many spiked chains.
Note: Magen: Kuro Koto Shuushuku no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Dark Matter Constriction Technique)
The chains that bound Kagami are like heavy weights, drawing him down.
Kagami “You fight an Uchiha with genjutsu?!”
Kagami closes his eyes and then opens them with his Sharingan. Tsubaki's jutsu is released and he turns to see her running towards him with a kunai. He makes a few seals and a current of lightning heads towards her, however as it hits her, several spikes go through Kagami's body and the world turns dark again. Kagami reacts surprised at this.
Kagami “*She layered one jutsu on top of the other...How the hell is that possible?*”
In the real world Tsubaki rushes Kagami with her kunai in hand, him still being stunned in his one position. She gets close to him and swings her blade.
Tsubaki “*I'll protect you no matter~*”
Kagami catches her arm before she makes impact and his gaze is unexpressed. Tsubaki, however is shocked, and suddenly her world goes black and she's impaled with spikes.
Kagami “Magen: Kyo Tenchi-ten (Demonic Illusion: Mirror Heaven and Earth Change)
Tsubaki “*All this time...*”
Kagami “You are strong...I'd even go on to say stronger then most of my clan in genjutsu...but you will never be able to defeat me the way you are...and you're worthless to me”
Kagami takes her kunai, charges it with electrical chakra and stabs her in the left arm. She's released from the genjutsu and she falls to the ground, as she's paralyzed from the lightning. Kagami continues walking out of the village and Tsubaki is unable to do anything.
Tsubaki “Ka...gami...please...”
He doesn't acknowledge her and he eventually leaves her sight...she couldn't stop him...
**End Flashback**
Tsubaki “I wasn't strong enough to stop you...I wasn't strong enough...to protect you”
The rain falls down heavily on her and eventually a shadow appears over her and she no longer feels the rain on her. She turns, her expression still the same, to see Shisui holding an umbrella over her.
Shisui “I'm taking you home”
Tsubaki “I don't want t~”
Shisui “I don't care, standing in the rain, over self pity over something that wasn't you fault, isn't my problem, but you have a responsibility to the village as a kunoichi, so intentionally making yourself sick, hindering your effectiveness on the field isn't showing your dedication to your village now come”
Tsubaki turns her heads back down, complying with Shisui...The two of them walk towards Tsubaki's home, and she is still in a trance about that day...
Tsubaki “I promised that I'd protect him...I said to myself...that whatever it was, I would get strong enough to fight it for him...I couldn't keep that promise”
Shisui “Fine then...you couldn't keep it....it's done with now let it go”
Tsubaki looks up at her teammate, confused and angered by what he said.
Tsubaki “What do you me let it go?! Don't you even care that he's dead?! This wasn't his fault, something made him act the way he did! He was our teammate, our friend. We were supposed to be there for him!”
Shisui “He was a traitor to Konoha, and attempted to kill the Hokage. He made his choice, he accepted the path he went down, and he payed for it, plain and simple”
Tsubaki “What do you mean plain and simple?! If you really knew Kagami you'd have known that he'd never attack Konoha out of nowhere! He wouldn't do anything to harm us or the village because~”
Shisui “Yet he did attack the village, he did attempt to kill the Hokage, and he was part of a conspiracy to take down Konoha's government...”
Tsubaki “But it~”
Shisui “Accept the fact that people some people change. No matter what you'll have to accept people for who they are, whether they change...or they remain the same for the rest of their lives”
As Shisui says that last sentence, his eyes shift to the people around him as they look at him, with the fear and anger they always have.
Tsubaki “People change because of things that happen to them. Because they've been hurt. What do you know about what Kagami went through?! What do you know of his pain?!”
Shisui “I know that I'm able to let go of it for my village”
Tsubaki “Let go of what?!”
Shisui “Let go of everything that hinders me from being the perfect weapon for Konoha.”
Tsubaki's eyes widen and then she remembers what Mito had said to her several months ago.
Shisui “I'm a Jinchuuriki...a weapon...my emotions must die so that I can do what is best for the people inside this village, and protect the foundation as a whole. The only thing that held me back in the past was my emotion, which lingered me to the pain I felt from the way people still look at me”
Tsubaki turns and she notices all the stares directed towards Shisui and notices their chakra to be cold towards him.
Shisui “I don't care how they feel about me, because I no longer feel the pain. I don't desire love, I don't love, I don't hate, I don't fear...I don't feel...To answer your question before, it makes no difference to me that Kagami was killed, I don't care what he's been through, or what has happened to make him change. My mind set is only on defending Konoha from any threats it may face and that's it...I don't even care what has happened to me in the past, I only care about the moment here”
Shisui and Tsubaki arrive at her house and she looks at Shisui and sees that everything he says, he means. She looks into his heart and sees only a tiny sliver of light inside of him. Shisui walks her inside her home and then he leaves her.
Shisui “Tsubaki...this is my path, it's your choice whether or not you accept that”
He closes the door and walks away, leaving Tsubaki struck with aww, which eventually turns into guilt.
At Hokage Residence
Kage stands in front of Tobirama's desk, as Tobirama reads the records Kage gave him. Tobirama “Alright, I think we can spare a few more teams on here...I just need to see who are the best qualifications for this mission is”
A masked shinobi runs down the hall of the Hokage residence.
Kage “#000349, is a medical shinobi and a sensor, and #000734 is strong in three of the five natures”
The shinobi gets closer and closer to the main room where Kage and Tobirama is, panting in a panic.
Tobirama “Yes I see...how's the new recruit doing?”
Kage “He's already passed the academy and has been promoted to Captain status”
The shinobi barges in the door panting heavily
Tobirama “Captain?~”
Anbu “Hokage-sama! An urgent letter from the reconnaissance team!”
The shinobi hands the letter to Tobirama. It contains what the shinobi team was able to recover about Love and about the outcome of their team. Tobirama reads this and his eyes widen in shock.
Kage “Tobirama-sama what's wrong?!”
Tobirama “I want all available Anbu on this case immediately. This is S-class priority mission”
Kage “Are you sure about this?!”
Tobirama “Yes! Now listen to me here is your mission...”
