A Hatred That Will Never Bloom Into Friendship

It was my entire fault; I wasn’t watching out in front of me. How could I have let this happen?

Blood trails from his mouth and drips down my neck into the inside of my kimono.

“Kimina…” he breathes slowly, his voice strained and cracked.

I roll slowly and very smoothly out from under him. I had to heal him, but first I needed to take out all the knives out of his back, so I wouldn’t have to heal him twice.

My heart pounds inside my chest, and I try to keep tears at bay. A few of the kunai’s were lodged deep into his body, and I had to be gentle in pulling them out.

I start with the nearest one to his rear, and tug. It comes out with no restraint, and I pull a couple more out on his side opposite me.

The next one was one that was lodged deep, and it takes me awhile to take it out. I twist it a couple times before I get it, and my stomach churns uneasily from the almost sloshing sound it makes.

Lloyd moans softly, and it takes all my effort to not break out into tears.

Crack

My heart skips a beat.

Rustle

No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. But I should have expected for the goons who set the trap to show them selves sooner or later. I couldn’t wait to take out all the weapons and then heal him. I had to do it now!

I close my eyes and center myself as best I can, and hope that my healing power would work. I feel it stir inside me, and I sigh with relief. I open my eyes and see Lloyd’s breathing was much more shallow. I had to hurry. I place my hand on the center of his back and the green chakra flows from me over his form.

I then feel a presence directly behind me, and I curse mentally. I gasp as the figure grabs a fistful of my hair. The person yanks my head back roughly, and the muscles in my neck strain painfully from the forced movement.

“No!” I exclaim when I feel the chakra disappear from my hand.

The figure tosses me aside with enough force that the wind gets knocked out of me when I land back hard on the tree bark. I glance over at Lloyd and see the blood still trickling down his still form. I had to heal him, otherwise I would lose him, and that was not an option. Problem was there was something, or rather someone, in the way of that.

The lone person steps into my line of vision. I lift my head up more to get a glimpse of him. He had black hair, cut short, and a cocky smile. He wore a blue jumpsuit, but with no shoes, and I note quickly that he also wasn’t wearing a headband.

I sit up gingerly on my knees; my hair falling like drapes around my head. I cough up blood and saliva. I wipe away the remnants of it running down my chin with the back of my hand.

I center myself once more, while keeping a wary eye on the man, who was watching me intently. I feel the power rouse in me, but then I see an expression on the man’s features. Was it surprise? Discernment?

Whatever it was he races towards me, and I hurriedly jump out of the way of his drop down kick. I slide a few inches back, up against the root of the enormous tree.

I knew I never saw this person before. Actually, I was dead certain. So, if that was the case, then how did he know about my healing power? It made sense that he somehow did. I mean, he came out and attacked me when I was about to heal Lloyd, and he came for me again when I was going to heal myself.

“Who are you?” I question.

“My name?” His voice was high-pitched. His face then scrunches up, as if he was in thought. What the heck was going on? Didn’t he know his own name? Finally, he answers. “Ryron.”

Okay, I definitely didn’t know him. I glance at Lloyd and see his eyes flutter open but then close again. Damn it, I was running out of time.

“Hey, we don’t have to fight. If you want the scroll, I’ll just give it to you.” I had no other choice, and hopefully he would agree. He charges at me again. I guess not.

I close my left hand into a fist and with my right hand I snatch one of the two kunai’s in my stomach out, and hurl it towards Ryron. He leaps high into the air out of the way, and I jump to the side, dodging his fist, which splinters the bark of the tree.

I leap back a few more feet from the assailant, giving more space between us.

I swiftly glimpse over at Lloyd again, and then back to Ryron. Whoever this man was apparently didn’t want a scroll, but to fight me. But what for? I didn’t know him, and I guess that didn’t matter. I had to get to Lloyd, now.

And if I had to fight my way through, then so be it.