The Unforgettable Eclipse

---

Long had the incident of the hospital made echoes within the Village of the Sun, but they did not fade away. The events were still fresh in the minds of leaders of squads, doctors, nurses, and patients who had been within the area. A lot of eyes multiplied by ears would make countless mouths speak a virtually limitless number of words about the incident. Villagers would say names in no time and titles were tossed around as if arrows were fired to land where the blame would be placed on. The Moon Village would have a bird fly to their direction in no time with a script filled with contempt, duty, and expectation for them to take responsibility.

Outrage and concern would echo like woe around the Village of the Moon. Hesitant to take action, surely they had posed countless number of questions to the already infamous settlement of the rabbits that lived annexed. True to their words, for once, the clan insisted that they had nothing to speak of. Their visit to the Sun Village was as innocent as their smallest child. The investigations lasted only a few hours as no sign or hair showed that the shinobi in question was hostage, was controlled, or commanded. The headband, stricken with the kunai through the plate which was left in his wake, had told the story along with the damage to the hospital.

It was official: Usagi Hikari of the Clan of Rabbits had gone rogue in his actions.

Hands gestured with sweeps and thrusts of a finger. Some answered with wanting blood for the damage he had done and lives he endangered with his actions that were like an outburst of a child. Others wanted him captured and bound to speak his peace before judgment was given. All the same, it would be met with his life to expire. After all, there was no trust left to someone who smacked away generosity and spat on loyalty. The night afternoon skies would black with the bodies of the Anbu who were expelled from the village gates like a dark flame leaving the mouth of a ferocious dragon. Among them, mixed in, where certain squads of nin who had their own agenda.

They were worries of a single furry beast that was working as hard as she could, weaving a thread through torn flesh.

“Still little bunny, you should be!” Her canines would come as they would clip the threading. “Stitches take time! Time you barely have you see!” The colored apron of the female would take a spool of fresh threading that was sleek and shimmered among the moonlight. The blue shimmering orbs of the figure who was sitting with his back against the tree as a perch. The blanket of lilac hair that had been wildly and moist from his run would be a cushion while his hands would grip the blades of tall grass tightly he laid within.

“Mirah-sama,” He would break his silence. “I am-”

“You will speak no more!” A furious cry left her lips. Her small hands would move once again.

Nothing reached his ears after that cry as they were pumping with chakra lest it was the sound of sweeping furry hands that moved with unfettered fury. The needle swept through his skin like a sword would pierce, but did not rip. The stabs of precision were made regardless of her beating heart. He could not see the tenacious expression the Hare Hand was making as she stood by with fresh limestone and fetched water to sanitize and clean. Herbs fresh from the ravine were used to ward off infection and nothing but spirit and anger would guide her hands.

“A shinobi! A shinobi you said you would be!” She recounted, “Tell me this little rabbit: where in this dream did you see your family? As support or stepping stones? To bring honor or ruin? Funny way of showing things, you have! With eagerness, do you plan to take this blood bath together with us?!”

He gasped so suddenly hearing her words. The melody of the furry summon reaching his ears. “M-Mirah-sama! A-are you to say-”

“Place the blame on me, you shall not!” The woman would cry, “Whatever is the Usagi’s decision! We survive! You should know what that means! You tell me you do not?” It was as if the furry summon would look at a complete fool. Hikari reflected it within her eyes, and he needed none of his vision to realize it. After all, the Usagi were the same throughout history. They took care of themselves and the family stayed close. He knew this, but he did not know how deep family ran, especially when it meant cutting off their own to protect theirs.

“N-No!” Hikari’s voice was almost a silent hush.

“Your family is crossed!”

“No!” His eyes tense as he would whisper once more in a soft cry.

“The Usagi are conflicted!”

“I-I can’t!” He passively pleaded. He never knew how much he hated those words until now.

“Stop fretting! I have not finished!” Mirah’s cry would cause Hikari to bring from his whimper. His eyes that were on the verge of watering would soon clear. “Head from here! East you will! The perfect divide between the Sun and the Moon. In these wilds, what your family left you shall wait there! No more time shall be wasted! Anbu shall catch you if you do!”

Something left for him? It would wait there? Something that helped him survive? It was enough to cause a brisk smile to come across Hikari’s face! The Usagi family were not bound completely after all. Perhaps family members would help him? If they would not, why would they come out here? Risking their lives? He sniffled as he would stand once again. His hand went to his chest that had been bound with the last bandage after a skillful threading as if he was a doll upon being stitched.

“Mirah-sama! I-I thank you!” He would call, “Surely...we shall meet again when I reach my sister...or a mother. Whoever waits for me, yes?” The young rabbit that was nearby would not turn her body a bit. Her nostrils flaring as she would not say anymore.

“Be careful, young rabbit.” She would say, "I hear there is an eclipse tonight, too."

A puff of smoke would expel from where the hand once stood. Her small form vanishing in vapor leaving only the lilac haired boy within the dead of night within the wilderness. Not a sound came from around his immediate person which was perfect for the Anbu to move through. With himself minding the direction, east he would have to go, he knew that whatever was at the end of this path near the border had to be salvation. The Usagi were stubborn, but they valued their children. They would not abandon their own without some shred of hope.

“I cannot turn back now…”

Hikari’s gentle steps would begin to beat the wilderness ground. His pace sped up gradually as he would go into a full sprint which the Usagi Clan were well known for. Trees, bushes, and shrubbery would pass his body swiftly as if the world was speeding by him and he was leaving it behind. He was leaving everything behind for the sake of chasing a freedom that he did not even know existed or not.

“...I have made up my mind! All I have is family!”

OOC Notes: Let’s begin
Now Playing: Light & Shadow by Utada Hikaru

Kannagi's blue hair fluttered around her head as she ran with grace and speed just behind Genkumaru and Sojiro. Although they were both faster than her, she didn't utter a single complaint about needing to keep up with them. She gave greetings to Kenji, surprised to see him and Lingchi at first, and then with a sad smile, deciding that it wasn't so surprising. The rabbit hadn't ever seemed volatile or irrational in her time with him. Something had to be sincerely wrong with him and Kannagi was worried; not that he would hurt anyone but that he would hurt himsef. And based on the injuries Sojiro had described to her, Hikari might kill his own self without healing before any Anbu caught up to him. Her lips were in a tight line, carrying her medical bag and nin pouch, even wearing her flak jacket for once for all the good it would do her if she had to protect the rabbit from an Anbu.

She had told Sojiro that she had agreed with the need to rescue the Usagi but now she commented, "I will go wherever I am needed to assist. Though you should know, I believe Hikari will listen to me." While struggling to keep the rapid pace, the kunoichi called up to Genkumaru and Sojiro as they led the way. "You don't really think we'll have to fight an Anbu do you? If we can calm Hikari down, surely an understanding can be reached. The shinobi of Nikkousato are not so stupid as to ignore three loyal sun shinobi. Might they just arrest us then and give us a chance to defend Hikari elsewhere?" Diplomacy as far as she knew was important enough to not simply kill without thought or investigation. She didn't know much about the Moon Village at all and glanced at Kenji, wondering if he might have insight on what they could expect. Considering that they had all left not far behind their friend, Kannagi hoped that they might catch up to him before anything happened to him.

Kenji was finally reaching the outskirts of the village while playing himself a little song to pass the time on his shamisen when a familiar trio of sun shinobi came rushing down the road. All he needed to know was that Hikari was running from the village and on the verge of becoming a rouge for Kenji to abandon the mission that was supposed to be waiting for him at the sun village. He was certain the higher ups would understand once he told them what had happened and since then he has been keeping pace with Kannagi, too tired to push himself harder and keep pace with the more fit members of their four man squad.

Although once the shock begun to die out, he couldn't help but question why Hikari had decided to abandon the village, the bun was the most cheerful person Kenji had met and yet here Kenji was, chasing him down to stop him from hurting himself or getting himself killed by the anbu. Someone like Hikari doesn't just snap randomly, doesn't just give up on friends and abandon them, no, he had to be pushed away or broken in some way. But who did it? How did they do it? And why? Questions Kenji was eager to ask but there were more important matters at hand, mainly what to do if the anbu did actually reveal themselves and while Genkumaru volunteered to stay behind, he doubted the big guy could hold off an anbu long enough to buy the trio the time needed to calm or capture Hikari. Hopefully it'd be the former.

"Kannagi, you'll go with Sojiro to track and talk to Hikari, Genkumaru and I will stay behind if the anbu do show up and buy you two some time. No telling how long it will take to calm down Hikari so every second we can buy you two could change everything." Kenji spoke with a serious tone as his eye focused on the path ahead of him, determined to find Hikari and bring him home. Or at the very least, ensure he was alive and well. "If you two can talk Hikari down... Then all we'd really have to worry about is what exactly Hikari down before leaving, I imagine you guys didn't just see him running away randomly... " Kenji continued talking, expecting someone to at least answer what Hikari did before he made a run for it, after all Hikari could've just walked out of the village and while on the road, simply take a path heading literally anywhere else than both village and just like that, Hikari would be off the map without even a single trace for anyone to follow.

---

Drip...drip...drip...

The gentle pitter-patter of rain had started as a pepper against the lands. He had not noticed the gray clouds in the sky whether it was day or night. He never would. However, he knew the gentle drizzle that would mark his skin and would soon weigh his clothing as his tufts of white fur that collared his neck, wrists, and ankles would soon be apparent. His waist that was covered by the white pelt would become virtually hard to ignore with time as it would weigh him down. Though if he would have to strip all the way down to his black padded piece of clothing and his mesh, he would.

There was a mixture of feelings as he would kick off and race towards the border with each passing second. He knew not to hesitate lest he would he would feel the Anbu creeping up on him ready to bare down. His ear that raced with chakra now became active as he would speed through the air as he had taken the high ground. The branches of the trees being the perfect perch as he would race through the air like an eagle. He would have gone faster, but each throbbing pain of his chest wound reminded him that he could not move at the full speed of the proud clan of rabbits. He would wince with each moment, and with the very next step, he would find himself falling to the terrain elegantly. His heels digging into the dirt as he would suddenly stop and spin around in a hurry.

“S-someone...is coming?!”

How? He had made sure to move swiftly! The Usagi were one of the fastest clans around! Even with his rests, he knew he could get far while injured and leave them in the dust before they could figure out which direction he went. With a gasp of his breath, he could only try to recall what he learned as a shinobi. That horrid profession that led to this! “N-not by sight or sound...so-” His faux ears would twitch upon his head as he thought. Only when he became aware of the other possibility, it was then he realized, “By scent?” That made sense! There were quite a number of shinobi that tracked by scent if they were not good with observing the terrain. Even if the Usagi were graceful, anyone with nostrils knew their scent of nature, sweat, and a strong body composed of their sweetness due to their diets.

“They are going to catch up...eventually…”

Hikari knew that running at this point was not the best option. He would have only time to set up the perimeter as he would quickly think about his next course of action. His fingers would stop, centering to his chest as he needed to know how far they were from arriving. “Pulse!” His ears vibrating widely as his voice and the seal formed would send chakra rushing through his body like blood would to the heart and throughout. With his hands, he would begin to reach his thumb to his mouth. One bite of his flesh was nothing next to his sewn wound. With a set of seals, he would slap his palm against the terrain as he would feel a rush of chakra expelled from his palm into the Earth.

“My best technique!” He would whisper as if it was his last, “Summoning! Earth Style: Bunny Burrowing!”

With a slap of the ground, the sigils that raced against the terrain would begin to spread along his heels. Eventually, they would soak into the ground. His eyes seeing nothing of the ground, but he could hear what had moved beneath the crust. Hikari would gesture with his hands three distinct symbols that were not seals. “Base...northeast five meters...northwest five meters. Triangle formation.” His hands would cease as he could feel the Earth move beneath. A formula for victory made, or at least to survive. He listened, carefully, to the approaching pursuit and tried to ignore his heart was racing. Like blips on a display, they moved through the darkness as if they were simply small lights. It was not until they became closer...and closer…

“N-No!” Hikari’s lips would quiver as he stood perfectly with his body squared. His rabbit-esque ears would tremble and quiver as if he was hearing the approaching forms that were approaching. “I-It cannot….t-they cannot-”

He told himself that his ears were lying! Ironically, the ears of the rabbits were best when the rain was at its peak. A downpour would wash away any doubt he had as the droplets poured heavily. The image of the figures became apparent as his hazy blue eyes had shown them to be at their most detailed.

OOC Notes: ---
Now Playing: Light & Shadow by Utada Hikaru

The sky began to darken over Nikkousato, black clouds quickly rolled in, replacing what started as a nice afternoon with a gloomy evening. The dark clouds soon brought a drizzle of rain with them, showering the hot desert in a blanket of cool, refreshing rain. For most people in the village it would just be a relaxing end to a peaceful day, but for a select group of young genin, the day was about to get even darker than the clouds the loomed overhead. While most of the inhabitants of the village had just gone about their normal day, a more chaotic scene had unfolded at the hospital. Hikari Usagi, a moon village shinobi, had just caused damage to a wing of the hospital, bringing down a floor and busting a hole in the walls. While no one was hurt, the genin had caused a considerable amount of damage to the building, only to flee moments later without a word to anyone.

Maruka cracked his knuckles, the sound of mechanical wood clicking in the evening air as the Blaze member sped his way through the trees, rain now pelting his black cloak. The mans green eyes pierced through his mask, the white and red hunter mask hiding his real face and the fluffy red hair beneath the hood. He had been dispatched by the village to hunt down Hikari and attempt to figure out what had caused the young boy to act out. Since Hikari was technically a member of Gekkousato, his actions could have been seen as an attack on the village. They wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt though, and attempt to reason with the young man. After capturing Hikari and safely returning him to the Sun village, a squad of Moon shinobi were going to arrive at the village to apprehend the usagi and bring him back.

Normally a different person would have been sent for a simple situation like this, however the intel concluded that Hikari had recently made friends with several Sun Village genin, and that a small group of them had just left the village after him. Regardless of their intention, having a group of genin run rampant outside the village could only make matters worse. So Maruka was chosen for the job, as handling and controlling large groups of people was his specialty. He quickly sped through the wilderness, closing in one the squad of genin who had left to follow the usagi. The mask and cloaked man would catch up with the group in a matter of minutes, coming up behind the four. They were all young, strong members of the two greatest shinobi villages in the world, and was going to be as delicate as he could be with them. But they needed to understand the situation, and realize that their interference could only make matters worse.

His eyes would catch a glimpse of the four moving through the wild, his voice calling out through the rain, hoping to gain their attention. "Sojiro! Genkumaru! Kannagi!" The three genin would have no idea who it was calling out their names, but he knew exactly who they were. Three of the strongest genin, quickly moving up through the ranks and earning a reputation of their own. He understood why they were chasing down their friend, but was still surprised at their irrational reaction. They should have known better. "I know you want to save your friend, but the situation is beyond you at this point. Please allow the village to handle this situation!" He would continue to shout out, his pursuit picking up so that they would both hear and notice the member of Blaze. He hoped deep deep down that they cooperated and did not do anything rash.

There was a lot of talk going around, a lot of arguments. She was surprised by all of it. Sojiro had taken command, made a good call. He admitted he was terrible with words and was relying on both her and Kenji to make good use of their own skills and rapport with Hikari. Kenji had tried to stay and she was unsure of his loyalty to the mission at hand if it went against his own choices. Sojiro had made a joke of Genkumaru's emotional nature, and like a scene from a rotten play, Genkumaru had made it all the more true by his outbursts, suggesting he might even stay alone. It was too much too deal with for Kannagi. All of this social drama was a waste of her time and she knew in her heart and her mind where she was needed. She gave Sojiro a quick bow and tread onward, either with or without another shinobi in tow. She moved as quickly as she was able, starting to wish she had at least paused to get Cirilla from the stable.

Auggie had briefly danced about her shoulders before taking personal flight serious and diving through the wilderness to lead them or her to Hikari. She remembered what Hikari had told her of how they tracked family. She didn't know how much it helped, but if the bunny was really adamant on running, his summons might have been helping him in some form or another. At the least, they might appear to assist him with his wound. Kannagi hoped that she could attract the summons' attention or Hikari, if he weren't so blind to reason that he had kept this hidden route of communication open. She thrust bursts of chakra into her feet as she ran. It took a lot of control, but it was the same idea behind running up a cliff or a tree without one's hands. She was trying to use it to announce her specific presence to her friend ahead, assuring him that she was coming for him and he need not be afraid any longer. Auggie would be the better tracker by sight and smell and so sooner rather than later, Kannagi knew that she would be able to intercept the runaway bunny. "We're coming for you," She softly said, almost as a prayer.

Kenji couldn't help but softly smile to himself as he caught the blade Sojiro gave to him, seemingly to give him a better chance to fight whoever it was that was following them but what Sojiro said next just made Kenji look at the sword in confusion. Instead of doing his job as a tracker, he was going to stay here and fight because he was terrible with words? Kenji could only look at the man he had considered an ally for a few seconds in disbelief. The same man who had just mere moments ago told them that they were going have to do some stuff that they didn't like and no one was going to be a martyr, was just here refusing to do his job as a tracker because he didn't want to talk to Hikari and making himself a pointless martyr.

And he had the audacity to grin at him and call him a friend. A friend who has left him alone in the cold snowy mountain and pretended everything was fine afterwards. A friend who spilled his guts to him so randomly and didn't even speak a word about it. A friend who was now trying to leave him to fight an anbu instead of helping them find Hikari. Kenji didn't even care that Genkumaru grabbed his shoulder, instead his single eye remained focused in a glare at the Inukura. There was no denying these two would buy them the most time, Sojiro and Genkumaru were the strongest and he wasn't about to even try denying it, but all the time in the world wouldn't matter if they couldn't even find Hikari and despite Kannagi's ability to fly, Hikari could dig underground, negating any height advantage. Add in the fact it is both raining and dark out, the only real way to find Hikari was by smell. And the best person for the job was seeming adamant on staying here and hiding from Hikari.

"I don't even have time to tell you how fucking stupid that is." Kenji simply growled as he walked up to the Inukura and roughly shoved the sword into the man's chest. "If we lose track of Hikari because you're too scared to talk to him, I'm holding you personally responsible Shin Inukura." Kenji whispered his threat to the Inukura before turning and running after Kannagi. He didn't have time to argue with the Inukura, he had to find Hikari and as long as that pet was half way decent and Hikari didn't burrow underground, they might at least get a chance to talk with Hikari.

"If Hikari runs, take to the air, I'll follow from the ground. If we lose sight of him, we're fucked." Kenji order Kannagi in a harsh tone as his anger with the Inukura left him enraged that the Inukura would fold so quickly due to the fear of talking to someone he was so close with. Ever since Hikari and the Inukura met, they've been close and no doubt that bond would only continue to grow, when Hikari needed comfort after the mess with Plague, the Inukura was there, so why was the Inukura now abandoning him? What friend does that? Kenji and Hikari weren't friends, even when Kenji was at his own low point, all Hikari could ask was if he was worried about the Inukura too. So why did the Inukura think Hikari cared about him? If Hikari cared he wouldn't be leaving him... Kenji hastily grabbed a candy stick from his pocket and place it in his mouth. He was glad it was raining, he wasn't entirely certain if the wetness on his face was just from the sky anymore.

---

“They are coming.” Ume would warn.

“More than four.” Meron would add.

“More than enough.” Ichigo would sum.

Hikari’s heart jumped hearing the three rabbits that snaked through the Earth. Their ears more than enough to know that they were in danger. The situation was turning dire as the stand Hikari was taking would be akin to a single man facing an entire army. There were few legends where that ended well, and Hikari had a feeling that he was not one of them. Just as he was readying to plant his feet into the terrain and scurry off, he would hear the shift of sounds as they all had seemed to collectively...stop...if for a moment. The pitter patter of rain would make their words inaudible, but it was obvious that they had indeed stopped cold in their tracks.

“What is happening?” Hikari tried to make sense of what his ears were hearing. “A-are they...talking?” The rain would run across his face. A cold feeling that came from his chest but none of it had to do with the running water that caressed his body. It had not taken a moment for him to see what was happening. The larger forms, no doubt Sojiro and Gen, had been confronting the stranger while the other two had closed in on Hikari. Once again, the chase was on, and Hikari would swallow as he could see that the pursuit had not ended as of yet.

“We must go.” Ume urged quickly.

“East still waits.” Meron reminded heartfully.

“Little time remains.” Ichigo warned ominously.

They were right! He needed to get away from here! He did not need to waste a moment fighting. This was a mission about escaping, and the Shinigami’s words still lingered in his mind. He had made a decision about what he desired the most at this moment. His wounds were not as bad as before because of her and his Hare Hands tending to them. The least he could do was not waste their kindness and follow through on what he had decided. His feet moving as he spun on his heel as if to begin a dance. Readily he would start to kick off until-

The Earth...trembled?

No! This was different! This was not a family that would send a ripple through the ground, but rather someone who was doing it with a minor amount of skill. Just as the muscular shinobi had signed for him in the cave, so did this person did it with a little more skill that only a Usagi would notice. Hikari swallowed as it was the closest think that came to a heartfelt cry that would tell him not to go. His feet became heavy and he would turn to where the sound originated from. They drew closer now. Yards were about to simply become feet in a matter of seconds.

“No.” Hikari would finally answer to the summons who moved through the Earth. “Move into position again. Further away from me.” There was silence for a moment as if hesitant but, after a while, the Earth would finally churn as the unseen figures dug beneath the surface away from Hikari. They were eight meters meters away from him and would remain there as Hikari would stand there resolutely. If it was anyone else, he would have not hesitated to leave! Just the movement of them both approaching him, someone he had not a horrid thought of, was enough to keep him there.

Whether it was a night on top of a rooftop racing through his mind or even a charming moment to bandage his wound from his first mission, Hikari was paralyzed with delight. His lips that were parted in horror would soon close as he swallowed. A smile coming upon his face that could have been interpreted as insane was there. The connections he was losing, that she spoke of, were coming straight for him. Whether it was fate or dumb luck, he had his chance to make peace with them. It was a crazy thing as he learned to be shinobi. However, he would have to learn to live as he once did, as she did: following her heart.

“No matter the risk. I-I would...like to hear my friends’ voices.” He breathed in relief. “Even if it is just...one more time.”

OOC Notes: Kanon-chan was right! Muse is way up with this soundtrack! 0_0
Now Playing: Open Your Friend’s Eye from Asura’s Wrath

"Come on, hear me, Hikari," Kannagi whispered, her breath becoming labored. It was getting hard keeping up such a perfect running rhythm beside equal micro bursts of chakra she fed into the ground like a pulse. "Relax, Kenji. Your anger clouds your good sense!" She shook her head and followed Auggie, noting that not once did the creature seem to climb out of reach of her eyes. He was used to being followed, he was used to being helpful. What was this creature? Was he some sort of pet brother to Sojiro? A completely strange sudden thought, but one she needed to sweep away for later. "You'll scare Hikari if you look like this. Love at first sight, remember? Show him your kindness, be smart." Kannagi referenced the first time they met when he wore a smile on his face. She was trying to keep a level voice, a calm and soothing one. The kind she had used as a big sister in a large nomadic family with all the children. Kenji's charismatic and fun loving words had put so many others at ease. Even she had been drawn to his personality. Anger was a hard emotion to suppress, and normally she wouldn't persuade any one to do so, but if this was a mission so important, then he couldn't let his emotions guide him. Over and over she had seen the way emotions put others in danger, selves in danger: Genkumaru being a big example and Hikari being the most recent one. Kenji needed to be his normal in control self for Hikari to recognize his friend as a friend.

"Hikari is in tune with his heart and feelings like no other," It was as if she spoke to nobody but herself then. She was trying to assure herself that they would be able to reach him in time. "We have to connect ours to make this work." If the ANBU caught up, there was no telling what might happen. If at least Hikari could be slowed, returned, healed, and cared for, then the ANBU would have no reason to chase him or threaten him. Surrounded by friends who cared for him, as this mission showed Kannagi he had far more than she had ever had, Hikari would have to see reason. He was smart and kind, and he would trust Kannagi as his friend, and he would listen. That was the only outcome the kunoichi could really consider. If Hikari did not listen.... no, it was impossible. Kannagi could not even consider a single plan or outcome that did not end with her friend returning to the hospital in Nikkousato for treatment and a thorough investigation. After all, a single mental lapse after a traumatic event could be sorted through, but running away made it look like an attack and not an accident.

The pair came upon Hikari soon after, standing apparently alone with the rain falling around them. Auggie ran around the area chirpping and pulling Kannagi to a stop with the sound. A small rainstorm that was easily picking up force as time went on. Kannagi stopped about 15m away and called to him in the dark. No doubt his summons were underground, his fear probably having taken over him. "Hikari, my friend! It's me, It's Kannagi!" She paused, "Are you okay? You look upset, you look injured." She bent down to one knee and held her arms out to him, "Let me check you, I can help."

Kenji didn't even realize he was allowing his emotions to get the better of him, his anger and frustration at the cowardice of the Inukura had left him too blinded. Taking a deep breath, Kenji only focused on his candy stick as he kept following Kannagi, listening to words and trying to think of better times, yet almost all his memories lead to bitterness. His family had been murdered in front of his very eyes, his adoptive father was probably left to rot in the middle of nowhere, the Inukura was a coward and Hikari could care so little that he'd leave. What... What was the point in this anymore? He couldn't even save those kids and that was the only reason he even became a shinobi. The only thing that would even miss him was currently sealed in his pocket and even then, Lingchi wasn't a person. Lingchi, a lifeless puppet he used to cope with his loneliness was the only thing that could even be considered a friend.

The only thing he could even think as remotely positive was his time with Kannagi so far and even then the two barely interacted. Fighting a clam and being at the beach.... Both time he flirted and got shot down all for some jokes. It was fun, even if he ended up not enjoying the clam soup but it was worth eating just for the spite alone. "Thank you Kannagi." Kenji simply said in a controlled yet tired tone. Even those memories were growing bitter, he had enjoyed the times and joked with people often as a way to make light of his life, suppose the light he made for himself was bound to bring others eventually. Yet he knew there was only one way that any friendship would end and that was going to be in death or being forgotten and it seemed his friendship with Hikari was coming to an end.

Kenji simply followed behind Kannagi until they finally spotted him, the blind person Kenji probably thought as a friend. A small smile came to his face as the one eyed puppeteer realized he didn't even realize the bunny was sneaking his way into Kenji's wall after all of this time. A smile that turned to a frown as he knew what was waiting for them and with anbu not far behind... Kenji couldn't help but let out some weak laughter at the thought. "Sorry. Just... Just happy to see you again Hikari." Kenji apologized at his sudden laughter despite the heavy atmosphere. "But really Kannagi, you should let the man breathe. They ran quite a bit, surely they're fine." Kenji tried to ease his companion by grabbing her shoulder and preventing her from nearing the bunny.

"You are okay though, right?" Kenji asked Hikari as his eye looked over the blind one's body, looking for any wounds he could spot in the darkness, all the while his heart was beating quickly with fear despite what his tired yet happy voice told. He knew with all of his heart that this could very well be the last time he'd see Hikari alive, he knew if he couldn't calm Hikari down... If he failed now... It will prove nothing can change. "And I don't mean just physically either... Last I heard, you uh... You are kinda becoming rouge and gotta say, that takes a lot of guts." Kenji added with a small bit of a shrug, still trying to maintain his careless attitude as he done so many times. "Granted those guts will probably be spilled around the forest if the anbu find us, so we might wanna make this quick." Kenji tried to make a joke of the nature of what was going on as he done so much times before, a forced grin coming across his face as he made the joke.

---

"Hikari, my friend! It's me, It's Kannagi!...Are you okay? You look upset, you look injured."

He was moving. Why was he moving?

Before Hikari would notice it, he had already moved a good five meters from a quick jog of excitement hearing the Kunoichi's voice. One more meter and he gained his sanity back. If only for a moment, his eyes lit up brighter than the sun in a day sky just hearing her voice. No doubt he was tormented, tired, and torn! However he was not confused! His eyes that had shown a flicker of light became dim once again as the lids would come to a half close. The rain that dropped would begin to pelt his lilac hair that stuck to his flesh and cheeks. The simple glimmer of the eternally hazy orbs would look to the direction of them both.

“I am...fine.” His voice almost devoid of life. “I-I mean...I am fine, Kannagi-chan. I am stronger than I look. You know that now, yes?”

She should have. At least, Hikari knew she had known so by now. With what they had been through, learned from one another, their relationship had gone simply from a shinobi meeting a pseudo bar maid to actually someone soaking up his culture. She relied on his abilities and saw him through an ordeal just as he did for her. “Kannagi-chan should not worry.” Hikari would chime, “This bunny has changed. Even if just a little.” He kindly would utter ever so lowly, but audibly. His voice as quiet as that night on the roof.

Hearing them drop to the ground and walk up to him would have been good enough. Hearing their voices were better. To know she wanted him close within arm’s range was almost sounding as if it were a siren’s song. Hikari knew why they were possibly here, and it was not to reminisce. He would smile warmly, just hearing the Kunoichi as if her voice was already a pleasant memory and he was not even there. Tears had hidden themselves between the raindrops, and so he could clearly look upon them without fear of them being exposed to the two. The rabbit had placed his hands behind his back, kept his distance, and simply...enjoyed the delusion that this was a nice friendly chat.

“...you should let the man breathe. They ran quite a bit, surely they're fine...You are okay though, right?"

His face would tighten as he would hear the two say this together. All the while, Hikari would stand there as he could only muster tears and his nose sniffled. He could not take this! The concern of his friends? The ones who he had the most memories from? His wrist would lift wiping away what was excessively water and the rest obviously was not. Only after a few seconds, he would breathe in deeply as he would catch a whiff of the condensation within the air. The scent of rain water was refreshing and cleansing! The meeting was only more so as he couldn hear the puppet master’s voice through it all asking about his health and praising him in the most ridiculous way possible.

“Kenji-kun...is worried about me?” Hikari laughed through his labored breaths that came from his crying. “You never say it. You are always...so quiet.” Hikari’s light laughter, like his little giggles if this was any other day, would sound amongst the rain. However, he knew this was not any other day. It was possibly the last day he could laugh with them like this. As if he could do so without worry and a Kunai at his throat. He knew, if the village commanded it so, his throat must be cut as ordered.

That was what shinobi were, right?

“Kenji-kun...is quiet. But...you are always there.” He echoed. “Kenji-kun...do not change.” Hikari could say so much about the situation. However, by his tone, it almost seemed that he was saying good-bye. He knew well that a reason would need to be asked for. He did not await for them to ask, reaching to his chest, unzipping the black one piece mesh that was so blended in with his Usagi Clan’s garb of being exotic that one would forget that it was no different than the padded wear that the shinobi wore. As he did so, it revealed the bandages that had hugged his upper body to shoulder so tightly. His blue eyes could not see it, but he would take his time, unraveling the tight pin that the Shinigami had rebandaged. The massive scar ripping in a slope from shoulder to across his chest and veering away from his torso was apparent, even within the little visible darkness.

“See, Kenji-kun? I-I was...a burden...just like Uzumaki-chan said.” The rabbit’s face would tighten. A delight was there, but it was a faux one. It was one that came from knowing just how ignorant he was at the time. “I-I was careless…just as she said. Even when Sojiro-san was angry with me...he said what needed to be. I gave myself too much credit...that myself living was a bonus...even if I endangered everyone because I lost control of my emotions and thought of him as a friend and not some...leader...or whatever shinobi have.” His eyes lost even more light as his lips hung as if spouting something poetic. Something true enough to move his soul, even if it was somewhere dark and depressing as the rain pelted the stitched massive wound. “So a line has to be drawn...or things like this will always happen...just as he said.”

His face and expression was pained. His grip tightened around the bandages in his grasp. “I-I...was wrong!” he would cry, “I did not become a shinobi to be led by someone! Nor to force me to swallow orders to work with someone who nearly took my life and can laugh it off! I-I-” he swallowed. His teeth clenching. “I just...did not want to be alone! I want to follow my heart! I want to change and...now I cannot imagine doing things now that I know what being a shinobi means! I cannot-....I cannot simply sit on my feelings that Kenji-kun is a target one day like I am to you! Even though...you are my best friend? I cannot...think of having to sit here in agony...and not tell Kannagi-chan how I feel about her of being more...just because of...being shinobi?”

Hikari would take the bandages, soggy now, weaving them around his chest and tightening them once again as he tried to breathe. His eyes needed not look at them as he wound them by instinct. A silence would come over him, but not for them to respond to talk him out of this scenario. He knew well what he must do. His face dipped as it was shadowed by the soggy lilac hair. It would lift again as a mischievous smile had come to play across his lips. It should have been the familiar one that he had as he met the two whether on the first mission or at that bar. It was one that he used as a facade to stay calm and control the situation with his looks and charm.

It was a Usagi’s expression.

“But...Sojiro-san did say something else. Sojiro-san said something wise that I can understand clearly. Much more than being a shinobi. So now...it makes sense! Why these feelings...why my Grandmother said Usagi cannot be shinobi. Why it is dangerous.” A grin would come to the boy’s face as his hands would lift. He did not make hand seals, but made a distinct set of signs that were definite.

“When we separated that cold day,” He would recall with his nose turning to the air. The rain pelted his face. “When Kenji-kun had Uzumaki-chan were searching along the mountain on a different route that day, he told me a story about a Scorpion...and a fox. How appropriate that Sojiro-san would talk about a dog!” Hikari would give a minor giggle, but it was anything less than innocent. He could feel the slightest movement beneath his feet as he would let out a refreshed sigh. “Even though the fox was helping the Scorpion...it stung him and they would die. I thought it was silly, at first, but I see why I am perhaps a Scorpion...in this story...”

Circle...Triangle...Square…

As Hikari told his story, his hands moved, and when he would clap them together, the sound would echo throughout the rain. Soon, there was a shift in the Earth across the terrain as the soil around Kenji and Kannagi would begin to suddenly rise in a wave. It started behind them and would swiftly aim to come crashing down in front of them as a dome was forming. It would threaten to cover them both as the defense Rock Shelter technique would instead be used as their prison.

Hikari’s eyes would gaze at them both as a relaxed smile was on his face. A one filled with great relief to know what he was doing sounded right for once. That it was all sane and he was doing as he was told by his friend. By his supposed “leader” who was trying to teach him with all the advice he had not asked for. But it would make sense as if it was a world that Hikari was trying to ignore since he had been raised amongst his clan. Everyone of the Usagi settlement tried to tell him the same thing, but he did not listen until now as it echoed across from being a Usagi to being a shinobi.

“Sojiro-san is right! I cannot change this.” he smiled as if he heard a really sick and twisted joke that was hilarious! The wave came forth to draw them into complete blackness, “You see, friends? I am a Usagi! This is...my nature.”

The last things he would utter as he tried to enclose them into the darkness of the dome.

OOC Notes: These feels!~
Now Playing: Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

Kannagi had been bent on one knee until she felt Kenji's hand upon her shoulder, encouraging her to let Hikari be. She frowned at the idea, considering they were there to assess his physical and mental health and bring him back to safety. She and the others were worried for Hikari's well being in every sense of the word, but the ANBU that had come after them, perhaps he was not as concerned for Hikari as he was for the village as a whole. Kannagi trusted that the Blaze member had been doing his duty and was doing it with as good a heart as was in her own body, but this member didn't have a personal relationship with Hikari. He would feel no obligation to see to Hikari's needs if he was concerned that Hikari was a danger. Kannagi understood all sides of this and it was why she had gone after the rabbit. He was her friend, and she did care, and he might have been lacking in the experience of a strict shinobi code or lifestyle, but that made him no less important than the other shinobi. They all had things they needed to work on. She could tell that even Kenji, though she knew him little and enjoyed his company much, had deeper obstacles to confront by the simple way he had thanked her on the way here!

The way Kenji joked about the ANBU attacking Hikari and Hikari's perceived bravery took Kannagi by complete surprise. The bunny was frightened; he wasn't running to something, he was running away from something. Kenji was practically delusional if he truly believed that this route was going to be in Hikari's best interest. She started to consider that maybe she was the only one with a clear head out in these woods right now. "I know you are strong, Hikari. I know you are many things, too." Kannagi softly answered Hikari's likely rhetorical question. Hikari began addressing Kenji with a familiarity the kunoichi wished she could relate to. They had a bond there, a bright and strong one. The mere way Hikari had said 'never change' made Kannagi purse her lips together and press her hands together discreetly. It was the sort of tone that reminded Kannagi deep in her gut of 'goodbye'. She could not let Hikari leave with such a bad injury and such painful mental wounds to be on his own in a harsh world that did not love him the way his friends did.

As Hikari rambled on, Kannagi could feel the pain in his words. She was trained like every woman in the Irezumi was: to use empathy, to feel another's pain, and to bring her actions and words to comfort and heal the same way healers did with visible wounds. A broken heart was like a broken bone and it would not heal properly without a healer's guidance. Kannagi felt more needed to take on this role than she had ever before; Hikari was on the brink of doing something. She didn't know quite what he was doing, but she knew of his summons and of his power with the earth. He was about to do something that would force the hand of each of his friends, of the ANBU chasing him down. Like a child fighting a doctor who was trying to reset a snapped ulna or radius, the calm hands of a mother would soothe the child so healing could begin. She was Hikari's friend, she was going to hold him and calm him, to prevent a worse breakage of the rabbit's soul and a vulnerability to mental infection from a depression or fear that he could not by himself escape.

As Hikari began the slow movements of his hands, Kannagi stamped once in place, sending chakra out to him. She wanted to remind him of the things he taught her. When he didn't respond, she finished her own prepared seals and took to the air: large paper wings drew her upwards about 5m where she would be able to see the earth jutsu of a prison close over the place where Hikari had meant for her to be. "I did not learn these things from you, friend." Kannagi declared, pointing down at the rabbit. She slowly circled above in a pattern that would be hard to make out so that Hikari could not perform a jutsu at her well. With the rain coming down harder and the sound of thunder shaking the air, Kannagi expected the weather itself to hide her from the rabbit's ears the same way that he had struggled in the sand.

"Usagi believe in family. Above all, they always know family will come. They always believe, they always hope, they always hold on. The Usagi are strong. You are strong. And here we are: your friends, your new family. We welcome you in our village, we protected you with our lives the way you protected us. Missions and orders can be complicated. I myself have put my friends in danger by ignoring the orders. I myself have doubted my friends, have doubted Sojiro's leadership, putting myself first and using my emotions to build up walls against trust in favor of protecting myself. Running away will not ease your woes, Hikari." She swallowed hard, her voice becoming stronger. She hadn't ever let so much emotion creep into her own words before. "Here we all are for you, Hikari. Sojiro, Genkumaru, Kenji and myself."

"A shinobi must make hard choices and mistakes to get better. To find inner peace, you must forgive others, you must forgive yourself. Let your anger and fears go. Let us help you. Let your new family help you." She opened her arms as if embracing him from afar, though she doubted he could see it through all this rain. Lightning cracked above illuminating the scene in a pale purple and she could see the rabbit's lilac hair but not his face. "Please, Hikari. We have so much more good to do in the world together. People count on us, on you. Let me hold you and wipe your tears away. You are not alone; no Usagi ever is." She used much of what she had learned from him about family, about trust, and about friendship. The rabbit could not deny all of the words she had said. With the confidence in her voice and his relationship with him, he could not doubt her sincerity or honesty. Few were as honest or as blunt as Kannagi was after all.

She hadn't seen what happened to Kenji yet, as her focus was elsewhere, but she was sure he could handle himself. Perhaps even by listening to her words, Kenji might be calmed further from his own fears and rage. The kunoichi could only hope.

Kenji only remained quiet as Hikari pointed out the obvious, that he never really did speak up when it came to emotions... They were complicated things to him because on one hand, he was so tired of being alone, of being the funny guy, being the stupid flirt. He was just tired of pretending everything was okay. But on the other hand, what other choice did he have? Hikari, the only person he could consider a friend was currently in the middle of abandoning him and the village while the Inukura, even if he did turn out to be a coward was the 2nd closest thing he had to a friend for a bit and well... The anger he felt was enough to confirm the Inukura was probably someone he'd avoid from now on. Any time anyone got close, he got hurt. So what was the point in getting close if they were just going to leave anyways?

If he couldn't even figure out his own feelings, what hope did he have in helping others? He sure as hell couldn't help those kids and that was really the only thing he put his all into. He tried to get there as quick as possible yet he was still just a day away. Funny looking back on it, all his effort was just enough to let him know he was so close yet still wasn't good enough. Just like another sick joke at his expense. But what broke him out of his thoughts was Hikari's next words. "Never change". Such simple words yet they hurt so much. He could've done so much more, he should've done so much more... He... He left him to deal with Plague, to deal with the issues and just pretended everything was fine. Just like the Inukura. Kenji could only let out a weak laugh at the realization. He was a terrible friend and he didn't even realize it. "Hikari..." Kenji could only mutter as he looked up at his friend, taking a step forward as if to reach out to him before he stopped himself as Hikari revealed his wounds, covering the upper torso of his friend and Kenji only stared in shock.

Who did this? That was the only question on his mind as his hand clenched into a fist and he felt anger boiling within over who could've done this. The anger only growing as he listened to Hikari blame himself because of the careless Uzumaki believing Hikari to be incapable of combat despite what Kenji witnessed first hand. Before he could even say anything on the contrary however, Hikari kept talking and what was said next only made him lose any respect for the coward Inukura. A friend's life is just a bonus, huh? Or... Did the Inukura even consider any of them friends? No friend, no matter how much of an asshole they could be would ever consider their friends as mere bonuses for a stupid mission.

He didn't realize just how much Hikari was hurting, how much his own friends kicked him while he was down, first was the Uzumaki that looked down on everyone, then the coward Inukura called Hikari's life nothing more than a bonus and of course Kenji himself. The silent idiot who just left him alone... Who just let him go through everything alone despite being his friend. The one who didn't even speak up as the Uzumaki spoke down to him as if Hikari was nothing more than a child that needed protection. That didn't care to check in on him until Hikari was ready to leave not only the him behind but the village as a whole. That one that genuinely thought Hikari was fine and happy. You'd think someone who was used to wearing a mask for so long would be able to recognize another mask.

As Hikari cried out that he only wanted to no longer be alone, Kenji let the candy stick fall from his mouth as he looked at the once so cheerful bunny and saw Kenji could see a part of himself in Hikari. Someone so tired of being hurt from his friends, from people he was supposed to trust, from people that were supposed to be there for him. "I'm so sorry I left you." Kenji could only say with a shaky voice as he fought back some more tears. "I should've been there and I failed you." Kenji continued as he begun to approach the bunny who begun to speak about his time with the Inukura, the time they left him alone in the mountains. But what was more eye catching was the activity with Hikari's hands and Kenji could only assume he was going to make a run for it.

Kenji immediately begun performing the hand signs needed for the body flicker and right as the ground begun to rumbled and close around him Kenji crashed into the ground below just outside the dome, his foot hitting the dome as it formed and he barely managed to roll out of the dome. He looked behind him to see the closed dome and he had thought for a moment Kannagi had gotten trapped but the sound of the woman's voice came above and he was surprised she managed to fly out of the dome in time. As she spoke, Kenji took this time to get back up and slightly dust himself off as he once more looked at Hikari and he knew it was time to fight. Yet as Kenji looked at Hikari, he couldn't muster any will to actually do anything that could harm his friend.

"I won't hurt you anymore Hikari." Kenji declared as he begun to approach Hikari with his arms by his side and his eye locked onto his friend. "But I won't let you go." Kenji added as he lightly shook his head before giving a grin to the bunny. "At least not alone. If you truly believe this is what you want, that this shinobi life isn't for you. I ask only that you allow me to accompany you." Kenji informed his friend as he stopped 4 meters away from Hikari and simply stood before Hikari with a genuine grin on his face.

---

"I know you are strong, Hikari. I know you are many things, too."

Many things were right.

Over the course of the past few days, ever since he had awakened, he had called himself many names. A friend, a shinobi, a fighter, and a guardian! He would give a shield to his friends and be the mischievous rabbit he was to make sure they were safe! However, in the end, Hikari had found that he had been deluding himself. He was nothing more than a child that was hoping for the best as he would ignore the totality of the situation. No matter what he defined himself as an individual, the shinobi world would still try to call him nothing more than a tool. For that, he had blamed himself.

However, that did not keep him from being oblivious.

As Kannagi would take to the air, form dispersed asunder, Hikari’s lips would quiver at her words. It had seemed she learned something else! His ears would catch the sound of paper rattling in the turbulent storm winds! The more pressured the air was, the more Hikari was unable to, himself, listen to anything beyond his ear’s range. His thirty meters had blinded him from what was taking place in the woods with the Anbu and the other shinobi. However, with Kannagi’s words, he was distracted far from beyond listening. His feet would stamp as he would try to follow along with what was happening around him as her voice echoed.

"Usagi believe in family. Above all, they always know family will come…”

Was it not ironic that she was saying such things? Hikari would calm himself as he would no longer search for her. His eyes looking skyward as the rain pelted his face. Her words echoing in his head about family. It was something he had taken granted all this time. Memory flashed not just of himself and his shinobi allies, but also the home he went to beyond the village when the days were over. His time spent within the Usagi Clan’s settlement was more than that of the village that was a whole different world to him. It was a world that he wanted to know more about having friends, laughing, and facing danger together.

How deluded he was!

“Do not sway!” Ichigo commanded.

“Point of no return!” Ume reminded.

“The beyond awaits!” Meron urged.

The rabbits dug through the ground at a swift speed as they had started to ready to reposition themselves after the last attack. Kannagi had repositioned herself away from their reach as had Kenji who avoided his trickery. It made it difficult for the rabbit to repel their words or even their ability. He had shared battles with them and missions. Still, just like every job they took, they would surprise him as he had thought shinobi were so amazing in ability! Fearful in their honor and length they would go through. It was then Hikari knew that he had to show that he too had grown! He had sharpened his abilities so they did not worry about him.

“...You are not alone; no Usagi ever is."

Truer words could not have been spoken. Hikari’s resolve was strengthened. “You are right.” Hikari uttered ever so low before lifting his head with a smile. “Thank you, Kannagi-chan.” Hikari’s hands would move along with his body. It was a painful dance he would have to work through, but his feet movements were precise as he began to code to the rabbits that dug under the ground. Gracefully, he would lower his arms, as if to signify that something would fall. His glassy stare was to the ground, but yet, Kenji was before him.

He was tempted to take his offer! Tempted to not be alone...but-

“Kenji-kun,” He would chime lowly. “This bunny is sorry...but...I cannot allow my friends to be hurt. As I said, these intense feelings I feel for you both....they are my nature. My nature...is going to hurt you!”

CRACK!!!

The sound of the trees within the woods would let out a harrowing cry! It had not been apparent then what was happening, but it had within a few moments. The ground was roaring as the technique had become activated again, the Shifting Earth Core, and would begin to level the ground into uneven portions. Meters away from the dome, there would be a divide beneath the roots of the tree that was furthest from them, but yet, the tallest. Hikari’s fingers would move a hand sign crafting as he would channel chakra for what was to come next. The creaking sound of the tall timber of a tree would begin to fall as it was angled to sweep through the air, crash down with velocity, and scatter Kannagi’s paper-like body with it. Hikari’s form that was beneath it, sunk into the dirt as he dived into the soil as if it was water. His wounds were soothed by the cool dirt, but still, it was not easing the burden on his body as he dug through the terrain swiftly.

It had not stopped there. The woods would still cry in agony as the ground would rise and fall in certain places, shifting shrubbery and woods as it was apparent it was all of Hikari’s doing. Nature was at his command as the terrain would be unkind to the wood life that was towering high and falling from trying to reach to the heavens. Such a sight would make any lover of the woods weep, just as Hikari was within. However, digging carefully and deep within the depths, he was safe as he would allow the woodlands to unleash their rage and blow away his nimble friend from the sky with their large thick trunks and shrubbery from the leaves threatening to entangle her. The rabbit would make one move among the chaos, giving away his position and also revealing an old trick he had not done in ages before his former partner.

“I am sorry, Kenji-kun...”

Cold, soft hands would reach from the soil beneath Kenji as Hikari would lunge his hands forth to grab at the Puppet Master’s ankles. His eyes would peer from the soil for a moment as the blue orbs were clear with intent to drag him into the depths and leave his head up if he was successful. Not a trace of joy or contentment was there within his gaze as he attempted to do so. However, there was not a bit of regret either.

“Kanagi-chan is right! I cannot stop here!” He thought. “My family awaits!”
[/font]
OOC Notes: Nuuuu! T_T
Now Playing: Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

Kannagi watched as the candy stick fell from Kenji's lips. In the light of another strike of lightning, she caught the sight of tears streaming down his face. In typical circumstance, she might have ignored it as rain, but with Hikari being on the brink of departure, she knew it was serious. The man wasn't really one to show his emotions, then again, neither was Kannagi. For that well to open up, Kannagi was compelled into true understanding. Had she finally broken the barriers up around her own heart, she didn't know if her own tears would ever stop. This situation was just getting worse and worse. Kenji and Hikari were putting themselves in so much risk and the ANBU had to be coming up behind them soon. Sojiro and Genkumaru were capable shinobi, powerful, but if they harmed the ANBU then their careers and lives were as good as over. She needed all of these people under full control of themselves, and she needed them to be healed instead of destroyed. Thunder made the clouds above groan in a fearsome aching call for all within range to take shelter. Instead of shelter, this wet turmoil was where the kunoichi had found herself.

It seemed at the least that Kenji was willing to try to stop Hikari, but he didn't seem optimistic about it. At this point, Kannagi began to doubt the loyalty of the man to his own mission of helping the rabbit and bring him back safely. It sounded more like he was desperate to join Hikari, if nothing else, because he didn't want to lose his friend, or maybe because he didn't want to be alone. Kannagi did not know but she could not trust him they way she had several minutes earlier. With Hikari's earth prisons both missing their targets, Kannagi had to set her jaw. When Hikari suddenly proclaimed her words correct, the blue haired woman smiled and almost cried herself. Had she really succeeded? Had her words of love and vulnerability reached her bunny friend? Kannagi lowered her arms and observed as Kenji was addressed once more. Hikari's words scared Kannagi then: he admitted to having intense feelings, which was obvious enough, but to imply that his nature was to harm his friends was a morbid turn of events. It felt threatening even, a disorienting consideration Kannagi had to behold upon looking down at the pair.

The kunoichi heard the splitting crack of trees behind her as they fell, and she was poised and calm, as this was a storm; trees fell in storms. The sound was so loud it hurt, and subsequent rumbles of thunder prevented her from hearing anything else that was said below. What she could see though was Hikari making seals, and what she comprehended was his prevalence with earth jutsu and his summons made him a challenging opponent in the dark. Kenji was blinded by his compassion, hoping his plea to join the rabbit would have impact. Kannagi worried he wouldn't dodge an attack, or even accidentally, might fail to defend himself properly. The emotional turmoil below needed to be dealt with and the rain pelted everyone in the area, making her heart pound as her mind raced through her options. She couldn't let the rabbit go. She couldn't let him run away. She couldn't lose her friend to his own fears. But just as painful, would be to see Kenji lose his friend. In his state, he would not resist the rabbit. Kannagi feared his life could be in danger as well from Hikari's statement, the storm, the oncoming ANBU.. she needed to...

A raucous rending crack from behind her caught the blue eyed woman's attention. In less than a second, a large tree appeared from behind her. To her astonishment and amazement, she thought to herself, how could this situation get any worse... how could she be any more unlucky than this!? The branches broke through her paper wings and she started to descend under the branches and weight of the tree. Kannagi would not be deterred! "I swear... Kenji better hold his end up..." Kannagi growled under her breath, pushing chakra to her feet to perform the step of the wind technique. She stepped off the air as she fell, propelling herself forward to avoid a branch of the tree and get a good sight on Kenji himself. He was much closer to her now, close enough that she could use her next jutsu.

With seals performed in mid air, Kannagi took a deep breath and sent three slashes of wind towards Kenji. Normally, the wind were as blades, tearing holes in the ground, in the herbage, through armor and limbs as needed. Instead of blades, she sent the chakra as blunt bursts. The three strikes of wind aimed at Kenji were meant to knock him backwards and throw him out of the way of whatever Hikari had planned to do. She would not see Kenji closed up in an earth dome or thrust into the air the way the rabbit had done to the scorpion so long ago. Kenji might have been battered by her wind techniques, but at least he would be off the ground and out of Hikari's immediate range.

The jutsus took a lot of concentration, in this storm with the tree still falling behind her, a sound that was as absolute and unbending as Kannagi's decision to protect Kenji and not herself. Her step of the wind had given her a second more's time to assist Kenji but not to come to her own aid. Kannagi plummeted now from the sky, her paper wings long gone and her body flailing amidst the wind and the rain. A splash of purple light from the sky would allow those around to see her as she got tangled in the tree and the shrubs just before slamming into the ground. A second wave of purple lightning would reveal that she lay there pinned under the weight of the tree's broad trunk, and that several more of the broken tree limbs were bloodied and stabbed throughout her body. Three jagged pieces of broken wood from the tree punctured the female; one through her left arm, bent at angle that could only mean the bone was likely broken, one through the lower side of her neck, slashed upwards from her collar, where muscles and blood could be seen torn and ragged betwixt the splinters, and the third and final branch could be seen poking from underneath the right side of her ribs, just below the protection of the pearly cage under her skin.

Kannagi let out a gasp, a choking sound. Her head was foggy and too heavy to move, and when she opened her blue eyes all she was able to see was the stark blackness of night. Was she facing down or up? Had she been hurt? She felt a dense pressure pinning her down. All that she could discern was the aroma of the tree and falling of the rain upon her pale face. So she was facing up then. Had she succeeded? Had she pushed Kenji out of the way in time?

Even as Hikari declared his nature to hurt his friends, Kenji could only stand in place and maintain his grin that grew hollow and weak as he realized what was happening. The forest had seemingly came alive and was roaring in pain, maybe mirroring Hikari's own state or Kenji's, he wasn't certain nor did he care.  He knew he would always be alone, this was a fact he had come to accept so long ago and he knew he should've expected this, should've expected to be hurt and betrayed but he was so alone for so long and was growing so tired of it. He let himself believe for a moment that he wouldn't need to be alone anymore and as Hikari disappeared from sight, he knew any hope of that went with him.

It was just him again. Just like it always was. Like it will always be. Kenji only closed his eye and looked down to the ground, he knew what to expect next. Hikari wouldn't just leave a loose end here after trying to trap the duo before. The trees provided a way to keep Kannagi away but not Kenji. No, instead he was going to be able to chase Hikari down as long as he could move and with Hikari out of sight, Kenji knew what his former friend was going to do to him. He had seen it when the two first met and it felt like it was nearly a life time ago when he first met and flirted with the adorable bunny... Such fun and simpler times... Kenji didn't even care to stop the tears anymore and just waited for the inevitable outcome.

An outcome that wouldn't come as he was suddenly flung backward by three gushes of wind, knocking the air out of him as he crashed against the ground and was surprised at what just happened. Was this a new technique? Kenji only sat up and looked to where Hikari would've grabbed him from and was surprised to see what happened to be Hikari's hands grasps at where he was just at, empty handed. But... Kenji immediately looked to the air and realized Kannagi was no longer flying and he couldn't see her at all in this darkness. Then he saw her in a flash of light and he didn't even think as he got up and ran to her, ignoring Hikari and not really caring about Hikari's next course of actions, right now he could only focus on the fact Kannagi was badly hurt.

"Fuck, fuck fuck..." Kenji muttered as he looked at the tree at that has fallen directly on her, getting a closer look at her wounds and he knew they were serious, more serious than anything Hikari would've done to him. "Why...? Why did you do that?" Kenji questioned as he knelt down before Kannagi and quickly dug out his medical supplies, he'd need to stop the bleeding at the neck area first, muscles seemed to have been damaged. Can't remove any of the branches impaling her right now, not skilled enough to remove them and stop the bleeding in time. "Would've been fine, was going to simply bury me in ground. Why not save yourself?" Kenji further questioned, not giving her time to answer as he placed the gauze around her neck wound, pressing down on it as he grabbed the medical tape.

"Hikari, if you're still here... Please, just get this tree off her and I can take her back." Kenji called out to the blind bunny, not even bothering to look around for him, he was certain Hikari must have some jutsu to let him move the tree, Kenji wasn't skilled enough, didn't train enough, didn't do enough to save her but Hikari could. "We'll leave you alone, as far as I'm aware the tree naturally collapsed on her. Please." Kenji begun to beg Hikari as he finished taping the gauze onto the wound and beginning work on the next one around her arm, choosing to leave the broken limb for now. No medical splints, could make one but setting bone wrong could cause problems if done by someone as untrained as Kenji. He only knew how to stop bleeding, that's all he thought he'd need.

---

Wounds self-inflicted one could say. His fate is in his own hands. This moment was no different.

The moment the trees would come crashing down, Hikari would take his moment to try to bury his friend. He would be safe! He would not be able to move, but Anbu would not suspect him! They tried hard but was bested! That is what the battlefield would say! No one would believe someone like him could do this much damage! An innocent little rabbit that got in the way. A smile was on Hikari’s face, a kind one as he would reach to grab at Kenji as if a dear friend would. Just before he would pull him down-

SWISH!!!

A powerful wind! It had stopped him! It not only blew Kenji away, but Hikari would be tossed along the terrain. His wound was already a pain and his body battered by a wind? It would certainly do much more than just some damage! “N-no!” Hikari’s fingers would reach along the ground. “I-I cannot! Not again!” He had felt the powerful breeze hit his ears! Chikaku was cancelled. He could listen close by, but it was like static beyond ten meters. Was this perhaps as she planned? No! He did not tell Kannagi about any weaknesses beyond the simple ones about how he could see. Sand was a buffeting experience, but direct blasts of wind were devastating!

“Calm down...I-I can still win!” He would think as he breathed deeply, “Everyone is-”

"Hikari, if you're still here... Please, just get this tree off her and I can take her back."

A tree? Hikari could only manage to think, asking himself of this as he would pick up his head. His ears would twitch desperately as he tried to identify his surroundings. The trees were toppled around him as expected. Kenji was kneeling between them. Pinned amongst them? A horror! Hikari actually managed to do more than swat away the paper girl. He actually managed to hurt her and a blow that would be more painful than his own scar. Hikari’s eyes would scream even though they could not see a thing. However, his ears were still strong enough to make out pieces stuck in flex. Her body was among the destruction! Hikari could feel his face begin to cascade with tears.

“I-I am-” His voice pained as he stepped closer to them. His fingers were reaching out but they were so far. “I am sorry.” It was in a hushed tone within the turbulent storm reaching its peak. Yet, Hikari meant it with all his heart. His lips were buffeted by the pain that would weigh him down. Muffling his voice as he would try to force some words that would come from deep within. All he could muster was his hushed voice. His words that went through his head were there, but he could not manage to say them.

“I-I told them!” Hikari’s thoughts echoing. “I warned them. T-this will always happen! T-this...this is my nature.”

What would they say if he drew close and tried to help? Would they forgive it? Would Anbu do so? He knew this was beyond redemption now! He hurt a friend this time! Not a potential risk, not his own life at risk, but this time he hurt someone! He hurt the one person he wished he had not! The memory of Kannagi whisking the Usagi Clan’s girls from the grip of fear along with him was an image he betrayed! An accident? With how the land was twisted and deformed due to the rabbit’s jutsu? No! This was not nature’s blame! Jessie did not do it this time! Sojiro was not behind this!

“N-No.” He disagreed with Kenji’s testifying against nature. “T-this...this was me.”

A quietness settling between them as he could only watch wondering what he should do.

“You should help!” A soft voice cried.

“She helped us!” A mellow voice called.

“Family helps family!” A vicious voice quoted.

Uniformed as ever, the three colorful rabbits that were digging through the Earth would appear. One by one, they would pick themselves up from the dirt, crawling and hopping among the thicket of trees from where they buried themselves. Hikari needed to hear those words, but why now? Why would they say that? “B-but...w-we must go!” Hikari would cry aloud in response. “The clan they are-”

“They are not waiting for you!” Ichigo’s voice bellowed. “They never were.”

“The Usagi do not risk themselves for shinobi.” Ume’s voice drooping. “Including missing ninja.”

“Hope was to carry you to the border to safety.” Meron’s voice disheartened. “That was...the last thing the Usagi left to you.”

A lie? It had to be! Though Hikari knew his family well. The Usagi did not risk their lives for anyone who broke tradition. They defended a family that was loyal and stayed within their ranks. All outside forces? They would stop them before they would start. However, Hikari remembered one thing that was important; that one thing that haunted him to the very end. He was a shinobi the moment he graduated from the academy who was born as a Usagi. No matter what he did from that day on, that did not change from him being a Usagi.

“I-It cannot be?” His face twisting as his teeth would grit. His eyes would begin to water as he felt nothing short of dread. “T-then...what have I been...what have I been fighting for?!”

Hikari’s only true goal was to get to that border. When this world of ninja stamped out the values of friendship time and time again, he had family. The weight of his knees buckled as if the reality weighed him down with the misery it inflicted at this point. No family he was born from? No allies like shinobi who he could rely on? No friends as he had done the unforgivable to them? He only had his sorrow and what he had done. He could not fathom this sensation!

He was alone. True loneliness.

He could not be here! His mind would shout that as he would quickly jump up to his feet and run off going the direction he was heading. Even if no one was there? Even if he was alone? Anywhere was better than here! The ultraviolet rabbit’s whimpers faded amongst the storm as he would retreat into the thickness of the woods. His hearing was still shot as he could only manage to hear only ten meters around him. It was like running through the darkness and making sudden leaps and jumps over shrubbery.

His footsteps were clumsy without his blood limit’s balance. His legs are no longer as strong in their stance. He fell down in the woods. He was still strong physically to an extent. But his mind and body?

Well...in that way, he was truly defeated.
[/font]
OOC Notes: ...defeated. T_T
Now Playing: Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

The two females had been making their way through the wilderness, coming back from a recon mission on the borders of the desert. Their leader had sent them in to gather some information on the comings and goings of the Sun village. It had been annoying as both girls hated being out in this part of the world, but it was where they were needed, so they did as commanded. Luckily for them the mission had gone off perfectly, and they were now able to return back to the hideout, using the cover of darkness and the forming storm to hide their passage. Mei and Tsugama had been friends for a long time, working together back in the Moon village, and now out here scouting for the Odotai, their team work was perfect, and they both knew exactly how the other thought. The walk through the rainy woods had gone as smoothly as they could have hoped, until the sounds of crashing trees and shaking earth filled their senses. Something was taking place just a few meters from their current location, and by the sound of it, it was intense. Both women pulled forth a Kunai and quickly rushed forward, dipping in and out of the trees until they came to a large set of bushes. These bushes looked out over the now cleared area of forest, trees and earth all over the place.

They watched intently as Tsugama picked up on two individuals among the pile of rubble, one pinned down and the other offering assistance. The darkness made it hard to see exactly what was going on, but a battle had just taken place here for sure. Mei had noticed something completely different, another individual scurrying away from the scene as quickly as they could, obviously holding a wound of some kind. Both woman nodded to each other as they tried to figure out the situation, agreeing on the next course of action. The dark haired senju woman would stay behind, hidden among the bushes, while the bright haired Mei Mei would step out, activating a jutsu of hers. The stormy evening air would begin to fill with the smell of lavender and flowers, the womans body giving off a very very strong and distinct aroma. It would smell sweet and calming, soothing to anyone in a 30 meters radius.

The woman would walk up to the fleeing child, keeping her posture tight and her tone stern. Well what do we have here, some one appears to be a little lost. Are those big bad guys over there picking on you? Mei Mei's tone would be a mix of both sarcastic and motherly, stopping directly in front of Hikari with her hands on her hips. She had not yet grasped the full weight of the situation, but had seen plenty of scenes like this one play out. These were either bandits chasing their next victim, merchants chasing a thief or shinobi chasing a target, but regardless of the case, any of them would have made this sopping wet little creature a perfect candidate for the Odotai. Looking back towards her partner, Mei would give a nod and then reach a hand out towards the young boy. "Whatever is going on here, i can help. But you need to decide quick, this rain is messing up my dress. You can come with me my poor child, or be left to the fates, you get this one moment to alter your stars." Her pale dainty hand would stay held out, water dripping off of it as the scent of flowers continued to get stronger, covering this area of the forest in a dense aroma.

Kannagi Irezumi took slow and even breaths as she tried to assess her situation. She felt like she had been hit by a massive caravan cart and trampled by the horses while she lay underfoot. For a moment, she genuinely couldn't recall what had happened. How had she ended up on the ground? Where did these pains come from? Why was she out in the middle of a thunderstorm? Her head ached and pounded, reaching to touch it with her left arm before grimacing hard. Bad idea. Her left arm was broken, and something sharp was poking through the limb. Kannagi hoped it wasn't one of her bones, a compound fracture could be dangerous and easily made worse by moving. She closed her eyes thinking it over slowly, as if she was underwater, thunder rang in her ears and echoed. A concussion also was probable. With her eyes closed, the woman began to remember each step she took and why until it had all come back to her. Hikari. Hikari was in pain and running away. Kenji was about to lose his dear friend and was too broken to function. Sojiro and Genkumaru were facing off an ANBU, and if they survived and managed to find them here, there was no guarantee that there would be any place for any of them to return to. Nikkousato's kage was unlikely to approve of so many going nearly rogue or fighting an ANBU.

But the mission remained. Kannagi had to stop Hikari and by hopefully freeing Kenji from his stupor and Hikari's attack, that meant the puppetmaster could carry out the mission still. When Kannagi opened her blue eyes and exhaled, this time she could see Kenji himself, cursing out the tree. She smiled then; of course he had stopped Hikari and now he would tend to her. Mission success. The woman relaxed and then coughed, the taste of iron briefly on her lips before the splattering of rain drained it away. A throbbing in her neck alerted her to the open wound there: muscles torn and blood draining out slowly, a sharp and splintered branch as carved out a path between her clavicle and lower neck and it would be of no surprise to say the splintered pieces in her neck could do significant more damage if she tried to move without a medic. The pain was so great there that the woman didn't even know she had a piece of the tree stabbed clean through beneath her ribs. She wasn't dying, but her body was in a fairly critical state.

"Is this love at first sight?" She joked looking up at Kenji's sour and distressed face. Her voice sounded garbled and wet and she coughed again, tasting the blood. She closed her mouth, maybe it was better not to talk. "It was worth it to give you a chance," She took a deep breath and then let out a loud cry of pain. The more she came to realizing the damage, the more the agony filled her every thought. "S-sorry," Kannagi said gritting her teeth. She was about to ask where the rabbit was when Kenji asked Hikari to help life the tree. "I have a medical.. I have a bag.." She started to say, dizzily lying there while Kenji had begun to treat her wounds. A blast of the lightning above showed deep lines of concern in Kenji's face, enough that for the first time since she blinked her eyes open, Kannagi began to feel fear.

"We'll leave you alone, as far as I'm aware the tree naturally collapsed on her. Please."

Naturally collapsed? Hadn't the tree done exactly that? H-had Hikari caused this? Had the rabbit done this to her? Kannagi groaned loudly and her heart started to race. Her fears and worries were increasing and she reached up her free right arm to try to grab Kenji's arm. She gripped him as hard as she could, the fear in her growing in her blue eyes, holding him as if she was falling still. "S-stop him. Stop him!" Kannagi pleaded. She would release his arm and try to move her right hand to wherever her left hand was. If she could just make a few seals, she could create a clone. She could try to take care of herself. The mission was incomplete. Kannagi could not be the reason the mission had failed. Her hands desperately tried to make seals, but her fingers couldn't reach each other. Her left arm's injury was too great to allow her to move her fingers in a perfect position, in perfect timing. Anger at her injuries tore through her and she screamed so loud it hurt. Blood spurted forth from her neck as her voice rang out above the pounding of the rain, "Hikari! Hikariii!!"

Kenji only offered a weak smile to Kannagi as she tried to comfort the one eyed puppeteer yet as he looked at the tree that trapped her and all of her wounds, he knew he had to work fast to stop the bleeding and get her free before she bled out. "Save your energy, you'll be fine..." Kenji told both himself and Kannagi such empty words despite knowing that if he couldn't get her proper medical attention, he'd have to watch her bleed out in front of him. He wasn't going to let it happen again, he was done being useless, he was done being a terrible friend, he was going to save her. He cried for Hikari and tried to assure his former friend that they'd leave him alone as he so desperately wanted if he helped Kannagi but the answer he got in return was one of guilt.

Three other voices came as well but Kenji couldn't hear them nor did he care to hear them as Kannagi grabbed his arm while he worked and seemed to plead with Kenji to stop Hikari and the fear in her eyes were heartbreaking to the puppeteer. "Can't leave you. Hurt because of me. My failure, my fault, my responsibility." Kenji sternly told her, he couldn't possibly imagine leaving someone who had risked their life just for him so instead Kenji tore his arm away from Kannagi and resumed his work, his eye falling back to her broken arm that was also punctured so he resumed trying to gauze her broken arm but he immediately noticed that Kannagi was trying to move it, which Kenji was quick to stop. "Kannagi, please. The mission is not worth your life." Kenji pleaded with Kannagi as he tried to get her to stop moving and apply the gauze where he could. Would probably have to apply cloth around the top of elbow and stop blood flow to the arm for now.

His focus was broken by the sound of Kannagi screaming out for Hikari and he immediately noticed more blood spilling from her neck wound, she was going to get herself killed if she kept trying to move and exert herself. He quickly looked around for Hikari, he had gotten to focused on tending to Kannagi he had completely tuned out Hikari so what was said between him and his summons were lost to Kenji who could only look around the darkness and he couldn't even see the blind bunny. Did... Did he really leave them? Kenji kept looking around, especially at the ground for any hint of a hole or some sort of sign of Hikari digging away but he saw nothing. Hikari... Hikari was gone. He just left them here, left Kannagi to possibly bleed out, left Kenji to deal with this alone.

"He's... He's gone." Kenji muttered in disbelief and sadness. He couldn't really believe that Hikari would actually do this to his supposed friends, people he said he cared about... He did say he'd hurt them but Kenji didn't think he'd actually hurt them in this way. Friends don't leave friends to bleed out, they don't hurt their friends to the point of leaving them mangled, trapped and scared in a dark forest. This... This wasn't friendship. What Hikari thought he had with Kannagi and Kenji was sorely mistaken or perhaps twisted beyond repair by the Uzumaki and Inukura. Either way, Kenji knew that the mission to bring his friend back was now finished and the person running away from them wasn't a friend. Not anymore.

"I'm sorry." Kenji could only say out loud, rather it was to Kannagi or Hikari he didn't know but he knew he was the one to blame. All he ever did was simply remain inactive when things got tough, he left Hikari to deal with so much and now he left Kannagi to risk her life over him. All because he was too weak. Too weak to actually do something and help them. Kenji only gritted his teeth as he turned back to Kannagi. He couldn't stop again, he had to focus. He can still save someone, he wasn't going to let her bleed out, he was going to save her. He had to.

Digging into his pocket, Kenji quickly brought out the paper containing the seal for Lingchi and once more brought his puppet out. Almost immediately he'd attach his chakra strings with one hand and bring the tail blade out of the puppet and begun sawing through the lower half of the tree that had pinned Kannagi. "I'm going to cut you free, just remain still and tell me if you feel any pain." Kenji ordered Kannagi as he focused on making the blade move quickly. He couldn't hope to stop the bleeding properly around her torso, not without being able to lift her and properly wrap it around her which was impossible given the tree had her pinned to the ground. "We'll be fine." Kenji tried to assure the female shinobi with a weak and pained smile, trying to remain positive but there was so much blood and the tree was large. "Please..." Kenji muttered as he lowered his head and begun to sob to himself. He had lost so much today, his two friends and now he was losing Kannagi. Someone who seemed to care so much about him and he didn't even realize it. He couldn't let things end like this.

---

The darkness was comforting more than usual. He was truly alone as he could no longer hear the sound of his friend’s voices. Only howling winds and the tapping of the droplets would dance around him. A cleaning of his misery with the sounds that attempted to drown them out. Hikari tried to grip with the new reality that he was living now. His regrets weighed on his heart even though he had decided this was decided long ago. Pathetic, he would push himself up with one hand, the other holding his heart.

“I-I have to keep going.” Hikari gasping as if suffocating. “M-My heart has decided. I-I have to follow.” He would say this while he would pick up his eyes. “But...if you all can hear me...please, save her?” Hikari would hear a distinct sound as he would freeze in utter terror.

Someone had gotten close! Very close! His ears were still distorted from the Wind-Style attack. The chikaku would activate once again as he had recovered. It only now revealed that someone was before him. His body trembling as he could identify the form of the figure. A female who had been within striking range. He had no idea where she had come from. However, he expected that of the Anbu of the villages. His moment had finally come as he would have his fate decided. His fingers dug into the dirt.

“Y-yes.” He would tremble. “P-please...save her.” He would think as his last wish was like a prayer.

“Well what do we have here, some one appears to be a little lost. Are those big bad guys over there picking on you?”

Her words were teasing. Her tone. He could barely tell. Usually he could! Yet, Hikari was not sure what to say about this woman! She was something to be feared as he could hear a great deal of confidence in her voice. Perhaps she was not Anbu. Not honorable and distinct. Was she something else? “Is this...a Missing-Nin?” He had heard stories of shinobi like this. They were someone who lived not within the village. They did not know fear after living it for a while. “Is that why...she sounds like this?” He swallowed fearfully as he was on the verge of tears. Only now, he knew himself to be in a worse situation than in Anbu’s grasp: he was truly prey.

"Whatever is going on here, i can help. But you need to decide quick, this rain is messing up my dress. You can come with me my poor child, or be left to the fates, you get this one moment to alter your stars."

His eyes were wide with fright. It was an unbelievable fright! Even as he could not see, he would lift his face and reveal it to the Missing Ninja. The hazy and blind orbs would stare at her as if she was a blessing. Perhaps? It was hard to tell. After all, there was clear malevolence along with her allure of hope. His hand trembled as he would draw his fingers into his palm hesitantly. There was so much emotion within his chest that the burning of his wound was the least bit of his feelings. It would be a frozen moment as he would stay in the rain.

--------------------------------

In that moment, the one captured like an image on a scroll, Hikari’s prayer would be heard. The forestry around Kannagi would once again creak and roar as an answer. The Earth that was uneven would once again become manipulated. The Earth moving in three sections as the far end would lift slowly and the mid-section of the Earth would drop where Kenji and Kannagi were. The trees were being lifted as the thick trunk’s pressure was slowly relieved. No longer would the tree be allowed to pin her in two. As the Earth would finally stop moving, the ground would crack as three colored, familiar, figures would move about in hops. Their bodies slow and sluggish as they obviously felt some fatigue.

“That was the last of our Chakra. It was his wish.” Ume would inform. “The Usagi have repaid their debt.”

“But no more than that! We left him defenseless!” Ichigo would insist. “No longer do we have strength to help Hikari-chan, neither.”

“The rest of this battle is left to you now. Someone else...not Usagi has reached his side.” Meron would sum. “Our former friends, his fate is up to you. This is good-bye.”

Three puffs of smoke! Explosive as the three creatures vanished one-by-one. The rain would cause the smoke to dissipate quickly leaving nothing but the land being pelted with rain. Their voices leave an ominous tone even though they would no longer be at Hikari’s side. The colored rabbits were no longer a part of the equation and so Hikari’s last defense was gone.

--------------------------------

Hikari was out of options: anbu would catch up to him in no time!

His heart raced as if he had a blade at his throat. So he would do as any hostage would: comply. His fingers that would be trembling would keep doing so, but would do so in this stranger’s hand. His fingers reached, stroking gently as they would move into her palm. Slowly working to her wrist as he would gently grasp her hand and take his time slowly standing and revealing his full stature. His other hand would steady him as he grabbed his wound to soothe the pain. He was able, even if a little, as he would try to stand to not longer be a burden.

No. He would not be a burden like he was to his friends.

“T-thank you.” Hikari would turn a cheek. A nervous tremble in his voice. “I-I...just want to leave here and get away from them. I will repay you back kindly! I do not want to hurt anyone! N-not anymore than I already have.” He had tilted his head slightly. Obviously dropping multiple trees on someone was just “hurt” and not endangerment in this world apparently.

His hand would reach to his wound. The pain coming back as the throbbing was still there. In no time, it would open up after all the intense actions he had taken.
[/font]
OOC Notes: Pact made!
Now Playing: Hurt by Nine Inch Nails