Once Gaara was safely escorted back to Suna and Chiyo’s funeral was held, Team 7, along with Team Guy, headed on back to Konoha.
_
Kakashi was immediately taken to the hospital since he overused his Mangekyo Sharingan. After that, all of them stayed in the hospital with him… All of them except Akashi and Chrono. When asked why they weren’t going to stay, Akashi answered with the following.
“I’m tired”. Chrono gave him a side glance and noticed how the hand, which he had stuffed inside his pocket, was trembling. Nobody argued with him and they let him be on his way. Just as he was about to exit the room, Tsunade appeared on the doorway.
“Akashi! I heard from Guy what had happened, nice work!” She gave him a smile, which he returned with his own, fake one. Not that she noticed it was fake.
“Thank you, Lady Tsunade, I’ll be on my way now”. Without another word, he slipped past her and Shizune, Chrono trailing after him.
As soon as he entered the hallway, Chrono noticed the sudden shift in Akashi’s behavior. His whole form started releasing violent outbursts of shivers, they were so harsh that he stumbled too many times to count. Chrono knew, that the only thing he could do now, was be beside him… and be silent.
He followed the boy out of the hospital, but as soon as they were out, he disappeared from in front of him. Chrono’s heart dropped and he burst into a sprint towards the only place he knew he would find the boy.
_
It was already too late when he arrived.
The small, well secluded, clearing in front of him was smoking…
The boy stood in the middle, body bent over and Chrono could hear the harsh pants that left his body. The blade on his back was no longer in its sheath, but embedded into the ground a few feet in front of him. Chrono felt his body stiffen as they boy straightened up and…
…chuckled…
This was what he had feared…
He laughed and laughed, body quaking with each sound that left his lips. Arms spread out at either side of him, palms open towards the sky and he laughed…
Chrono took a shaky step backwards and felt his fur stand up when the boy shifted around to peer behind himself. The wolf’s molten gold eyes were met with the frenzied violet ones of Akashi.
“Oh? You’ve decided to finally join me? How considerate of you…”. The all-too-wide grin on his face didn’t look like it belonged there… but there it was, stretching the boy’s usually calm features. He fully turned his body around to face the wolf. The tone he used was so unlike his normal one… It sounded too twisted to be his, but Chrono knew…
It was definitely his.
“Akashi…”. The wolf said, his body ready to bolt at any sign of danger.
This was bad… This was very, very bad…
The boy’s grin widened even further when he heard his own name. “That’s me!” He exclaimed, raising a finger to point at himself. “Say my name one more time!” His head tilted to the side, teeth flashing at the wolf.
Chrono swallowed and did as the boy asked. “Akashi”. He watched as the boy almost melted at the reply. He swooned on his feet and closed his eyes in delight.
“Chrono~”. He purred at the wolf, pointing in his direction. “Come here, boy”. He patted at his thighs in a ‘come over’ motion. The wolf could do nothing, but listen to his command.
So, with hesitant steps and a tail lowered between his legs, he approached the boy.
“You’re such a good boy, little wolfy~”. Akashi had crouched down and extended his hand to touch him. Chrono forced his body to relax and brought his head to the boy’s palm. Akashi sighed once the thick, soft fur touched his palm. His fingers threaded through it and he slowly brought his hand back…
… before thrusting it forward and harshly gripping it.
The wolf let out a whimper once his head was forced upwards. “You’re never going to leave me, right? You’ll always be by my side? To the end?…”, his lips curled up into a deranged smile.
“… till death separates us?” Chrono clenched his eyes shut at the question. This is so wrong… Why did this keep happening? Can’t this stop? He was snapped out of his thoughts when his fur was tugged even further. “Answer me”. There was no longer any twisted sense of happiness in his tone.
Only emptiness.
Chrono nodded his head and Akashi released him right after that. He dared not open his eyes. There was a slight shift in the air and when he opened his eyes, he found the boy holding the blade in his hands. Immediate sense of dread filled him when he noticed the bird flying above them.
“Seems like I have a mission~ Too bad, mister wolfy, our fun is cut short”. With an obnoxious wave, the boy disappeared, leaving only a brief flash of red in his wake.
Chrono dropped down, feeling like he could finally breathe in a breath of fresh air. His bones rattled inside his big body from the fear that coursed through his veins.
Something had gone wrong a long time ago…
… and he wasn’t sure it could be fixed.
_
With his mask readied, Akashi appeared in the Hokage’s office. He glanced around and noticed that no one, except Tsunade and him were there. “Oh? Is this a solo mission~?” He grinned underneath his mask and Tsunade shifted in her chair at the tone of his voice.
“Precisely”. She answered after composing herself. She chose a really unfortunate time to summon him for a mission… She had ever only seen him act like this after that mission.
“I’m excited!” He clapped his hands together and she could practically feel the happiness radiating off his form. She noticed his fingers were twitching. Itching for something? She didn’t wish to know for what…
… but she could figure what he wanted…
“An enemy ninja was seen crossing our borders… Uninvited. He had managed to see some things which he was not supposed to, I need you to find him and eliminate him”. She intertwined her fingers on the desk. “He was last seen a few miles Northeast from here, you should catch up with him pretty quickly”. He nodded, already turning to leave. “Akashi?” He stopped once he heard his name. “Don’t make a mess…”. He glanced back and shook his head.
“No promises~”. He raised his hand in a goodbye and disappeared. Tsunade leaned back in her seat and sighed. Maybe she shouldn’t have allowed him into the ANBU, he is indeed very good at what he does… But…
… she’s worried about his mentality…
_
Akashi whistled and reached for his blade. He swiftly pulled it out of its sheath and twirled it in his fingers while running through the forest. “And into the forest I go~”, he slashed across a branch as he burst through the thicket of leaves, “… to lose my mind and find my soul~ And into the forest I go~”, the blade danced across his fingertips as he threw it from one hand to the other, “… to find my soul and lose my heart~ And into the forest I go~”, he glanced ahead of himself as he sensed a chakra signal, “… to lose my heart…”, he gripped the blade in his hands.
“… and… lose… my… mind~”. His eyes centered on the ninja below him and he pulled his arm back.
The ninja didn’t have time to take another breath when the blade pierced through his chest as if through butter.
Blood dripped down the steely tip of the blade and he gasped for air as he looked at it. His lungs couldn’t take in any oxygen.
“You’ve been a bad, bad boy~”. Akashi whispered next to his ear and the ninja glanced to the side. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the crimson hair and violet eyes.
“You’re… You’re the Konoha-!” His throat closed up as the boy behind him twisted the blade to the side, effectively popping a rib out of its place. A distinctive crack resounded through the forest. The man groaned as he felt the sharp end of the broken rib pierce through his flesh and he peered down to find it peeking out of his chest.
“I’m the what? I don’t think you’ve finished?” He ripped the blade out and the man stumbled down, desperately trying to crawl away, but only ended up bleeding all over the ground. “Mister… You should answer once someone asks you a question… It’s proper etiquette”. The man didn’t answer, still crawling away, still trying to create distance between them.
It was futile to try.
He heard faint rattling, before the, so infamous, golden chains of the boy wrapped around his arms and legs. He was forced onto his back and the chains tightened around his limbs. “It seems you lack proper etiquette… Too bad”. He approached the man, not caring that he was stepping into the blood he left behind.
The blood tinted grass crunched under his feet.
“Now, let’s give this another try, shall we?” He tilted his head to the side, sharp teeth flashing in the stillness of the forest. “I’m the what?” He repeated and the man winced as the chains grew even tighter… He could barely feel his limbs.
“You’re the…!” Akashi flicked his wrist before the man could finish.
The greenery around them was stained with crimson liquid as the man’s limbs were ripped from his body.
The chains swirled the limbs around, before they impaled them into the ground around what remained of the man’s body.
“You took too long to answer…”. The chains hovered above him, before they slowly receded back into his body. He flicked the sword down, splashing the blood which remained on it in a long arch in front of him. He glanced at the man on the ground and watched as the blood spurted out from his wounds.
The man’s lips opened up into a single word, before his eyes rolled back into his head.
“… ripper…”. A twisted smile rose on the boy’s young face. One that didn’t belong on someone his age. He shifted the sword into his other hand, before sheathing it on his back.
“Konoha’s Ripper, eh?” He glanced up at the barely darkened sky. “What a lousy nickname”. He closed his eyes and disappeared.
_
Tsunade wasn’t surprised when Akashi appeared in front of her.
Nor was she surprised to find him all bloody.
“I suppose the mission was a success?” She asked, even though she knew the answer. Akashi grabbed his mask and removed it, placing it on his hip.
“Yep~ Full points!” He grinned at her, but she saw no amusement in his eyes.
“Excellent”. He blinked at her words, before crossing his arms.
“Have you heard about it?” She heard him ask.
“About what?” She replied with a question of her own.
“What they call me now?” She shook her head… She did not know. His grin widened and she was partially disturbed by the sight. He tilted his head and she felt her eyes widen as the words left his lips.
“Konoha’s Ripper… Not very creative, eh?” She knew of his grisly ways of enemy disposal… But she didn’t expect the word to reach that far to the other villages. Konoha’s Ripper? She wondered what Minato and Kushina would say if they saw him now… Would they be surprised? Would they blame themselves? Would they be disgusted? Would they be angry at her for allowing this to happen?
If she didn’t let Akashi join ANBU, the boy would have been more mentally stable… Perhaps even happy? Satisfied with his life? And look at what she’d made… A murderer… A child who enjoys the sight of blood… A child who was in a constant state of pain. She knew this was a kind of coping mechanism created because of the things that happened in his life… She was witness to his state after his first squad was ambushed, leaving only him alive… Leaving him all alone…
She grit her teeth, finally arriving at a solution.
There was no other option other than this.
“Akashi, from here on out, you are discharged from ANBU and demoted to a Genin”. She watched as multiple emotions flashed across his features. She watched as he blinked his eyes as if he didn’t understand the words that left her lips. She watched as something clicked inside his mind. She watched as he took a step backwards. She watched as he took the mask in his hand and demolished it in the palm of his hand. She watched as the remaining pieces fell onto the ground.
She watched as his eyes darkened and the air around him shifted. She watched as the space around him ripped open and he disappeared in a crimson flash.
She had watched as the boy fell apart even further.
_
The moment his feet touched the ground, chains exploded from his body. The rocky surroundings in which he found himself disintegrated as the chains pierced through everything in a twenty feet radius. His knees trembled, but he didn’t give into the urge to fall down. His teeth grit in anger as the woman’s words echoed throughout his head.
Akashi, from here on out, you are discharged from ANBU and demoted to a Genin.
From here on out, you are discharged from ANBU and demoted to a Genin.
Discharged from ANBU and demoted to a Genin.
Demoted to a Genin.
The chains rattled as his emotions heightened. How ironic it was that the rain chose to fall at that moment… The same moment he wanted to cry out so much, but couldn’t…
As soon as the drops touched the surface of the chains, they sizzled and disappeared. The chains had turned searing hot, reflecting the emotion he felt the most right now…
Pure, hot, unadulterated rage…
The stones around him cracked even further, the chains going deeper inside them, growing hotter and hotter, getting redder and redder with each passing second.
His skin felt as hot as the chains looked.
“Did you finally have enough?” He heard the fox speak.
“Be quiet and go slither back into the hole you came from…”. He bit back as the rain sizzled on his skin.
“You and I both know I cannot go anywhere…”. It replied and Akashi felt inexplicable annoyance at his words. He despised the fox… He despised it with every part of his body. Even after three years, nothing had changed… “This scene looks awfully familiar… You in the rain with such an expression on your face, with the chains out of control… with blood on your body…”. Akashi clenched his eyes shut.
“Shut up! I’m done with you! You can’t trick me anymore!” He screamed out and the clouds over his head boomed as lightning pierced through the darkened sky.
“Are you sure about that? Why don’t you just give in to me? I’ll make everything better… You’ll hurt no longer… I could even bring back precious Shinya back to you… You’d like that, right?” Don’t believe it. He told himself. He’s lying. He told himself. Dead can’t be brought back to life. Chiyo’s sacrifice flashed inside his mind, but he shook his head to get rid of the image. That was something different. “How is it different? Because it requires a sacrifice to happen? I can do it without that… No sacrifice will be needed”. Akashi’s eyes opened at his words.
“No sacrifice? That’s bullshit and you know it… Everything has a price…”. The Nine-Tails chuckled inside his mind, the all familiar deep, grumbling laugh.
“The one who created me and the other Tailed Beasts used no sacrifice… What makes you think I can’t do the same thing?” It asked, but Akashi shook his head.
“Create? You wish to create Shinya once more? Are you seriously thinking I’m going to fall for that? Even if you manage to do that, that Shinya won’t be Shinya“. He argued back, feeling his patience run thin. He leaned his head back and felt the heavy drops slide against his hot skin. “That Shinya won’t be my Shinya…”. He whispered.
“I can make him yours… Do you really not wish for him? For his eyes? For his hands? For his lips? For his body?” Don’t believe it. He told himself. “His hot skin on yours? His lips on yours? His words being whispered into your ears?” His teeth grit together as he tried not to listen to the fox’s words. “Your late night walks? Your exchanged promises? Your hands in his?” He closed his eyes at the thoughts. “His deep voice in the morning? His stupid laugh you miss so much? The jokes he made? The love he proclaimed?” His heart throbbed in remembrance.
“The love you made?” There it was… The breaking point… And the fox knew it.
“Stop”. He said and the fox grew quiet. “Just stop…”. He whispered, feeling his heart break with each second that passed. “If I say yes… What do I need to do?” The words left his lips, but he found himself not regretting either of them.
“You’ve finally come to your senses… All you need to do is remove the seal from the cage and my full power will be restored…”. Akashi heard it say and he sighed. A moment later, the chains vibrated and exited the rocks which surrounded him. They slowly receded back into his body.
Take the seal off the cage, eh?
He raised his hand in a hand-sign and released his chakra. He immediately felt his surroundings change.
Once he opened his eyes, he found himself in the sewer he hadn’t visited in so long. The water splashed around his ankles as he approached the giant crimson gate.
Piercing scarlet eyes started at him through the bars and the distance between them grew smaller and smaller.
He stopped once he was inches away from the gate. He had never come this close to it. The water beneath his feet spiraled and wrapped around his legs, gently and slowly raising him up. He watched as the giant seal in the middle of the gate neared him and he prepared himself for the inevitable.
The water stopped raising him when the seal was directly in front of his eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath. This was all for Shinya… He told himself. Opening his eyes, he reached forward.
The fox watched as the human’s fingers grabbed the top of the seal and slightly peeled it off the gate. Akashi gripped it tight in his hands and pulled his hand downwards.
At least, that’s what he tried to do.
Something had grabbed his arm before he could do the deed.
“You! How dare you?!” Akashi was pushed away from the gate just as the Nine-Tails slammed into it with all of its strength. The gate didn’t even rattle. “Puny human!” Its growls echoed in front of the boy. Hearing footsteps, he glanced behind himself.
And there he stood. With his white robe fluttering
With his back turned to the boy and the Fourth Hokage written on the loose robes.
“You… You…”. Akashi had no words for the sight before him. Hearing him speak, the man turned around and Akashi felt his breath get knocked out of his chest.
There was no way this was happening. This made no sense.
How was this happening? Why was he here? How was he here? How did he get here?
The questions ran through his mind, but he had no answer for any of them.
“I’m finally meeting you… Akashi”. That was not what he imagined the man to sound like. Who would have thought they would sound the same? Continuous slamming resounded from behind Akashi and the man looked over his shoulder, at the fox. “It’s a little bit loud here, don’t you think so?” Akashi couldn’t even nod. The man raised a hand in the air and snapped his fingers.
The scenery around them changed. They were no longer in the sewer and the fox was nowhere to be seen. Instead, what surrounded them now, was a grassy field on a sunny day and the wind was blowing around them, tousling their hair around. “This is much better, right?” The man glanced at him, a bright smile on his face.
A smile that reminded him so much of Naruto.
“Akashi?” He heard the man ask. “Are you okay?” Was he okay? Was he okay?! He was far from okay! He raised his head and glanced at his father.
“Am I okay?” He asked, letting out a humorless chuckle. “Did you just ask me if I’m okay?” Minato’s brows furrow at his question, but before he could answer, Akashi continued. “Of course I’m not fucking okay!” That had taken the man aback… The swearing. “Why did you show up now?!” He demanded, feeling his throat constrict. “Do you even know what I went through? What happened to me in my sixteen years of life?!” He took a step forward and Minato froze in place.
“I don’t-!”. Minato tried to speak, but Akashi raised his hand in the air, making the man stop.
“Of course you don’t! I suffered! Oh, how I’ve just suffered! You sealed the fox inside of me, inside Naruto! Did you even think about the consequences?! About our lives as the ‘Demon Children’?!” He stepped closer, only a few feet away from the man. “You sealed it inside of your own children! What were you thinking?!” He jabbed a finger into the man’s chest, making him take a step back.
Minato’s heart painfully throbbed inside his chest.
“I’m sorry things turned out this way for you. I’m sorry I failed as a father. I thought-!” A strong push made him stumble back.
“No! You didn’t think! That’s why I am the way I am! You settled this burden on my shoulders and I couldn’t bear it!” The wind grew harsher and the bright sky darkened… The world around them started to mirror the boy’s internal feelings. “I tried, I fucking tried, alright?! With all my fucking might! I tried…”. He lowered his head, but the tears didn’t fall.
He heard the grass crunch in front of him, but he dared no look up.
A hand settled on his shoulder and he instinctively slapped it away. Minato flinched at the reaction. “I tried… To protect myself… To protect Naruto… and this is what I got in return…”. He reached his hand up and pulled the ANBU turtleneck down to reveal the gruesome scar.
The world around Minato spun as the sight greeted him.
“That…”. He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
“This? I got it when I was seven. When two drunkards broke into Naruto’s and I’s apartment, chasing us outside in the middle of a harsh winter’s night… In our sleeping clothes…”. He revealed. “I got it after I killed a man that was about to sexually harass little Naruto. I got it just before I killed the second man and watched as the wound stitched itself back together in a matter of moments“. He shook his head. “I would have thanked the fox for it… But if it never got sealed in me, I wouldn’t have to go through all of that…”. He glanced at the man.
“This was all your fault…”. Akashi watched as the man’s face turned as white as a sheet of paper. “Why didn’t you seal the fox inside yourself and die alongside it?” That question was all it took to make the tears fall from the man’s eyes.
Akashi felt no regret at the sight of them.
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