Salt in the Wound

When I was just a kid in the Academy I had the biggest crush on a boy named Sora. He had unkempt brown hair and the brightest green eyes I had ever seen. And of course, he wanted nothing to do with me. He wasn’t interested in girls then, all he wanted to do was prove to his family what an excellent ninja he could make, but that never stopped any of the other girls from pining after the poor kid. I remember one particular afternoon Sora and I had been grouped together to work on our Jutsu’s and he left momentarily towards the restroom. That’s when those hawks took their chance. Three of them, three of the other girls wandered over to me, standing above where I sat.

“You think you’re something special because you get to work with Sora? Well you’re not.” The tallest one sneered at me. She had blonde hair and brown eyes the color of honey, definitely a pretty girl when she wasn‘t acting so ugly.

“Leave me alone.” I whispered timidly, putting my head down. Back then I wasn’t ever sure how to act around other kids, confrontations weren’t one of my strong points. My eyes widened as she reached down and grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, her face less than three inches from mine.

“You leave Sora alone. If I see you even so much as trying to talk to him you’ll regret it Ishiko.” It was that moment as I sat huddled on the ground when she let go, staring into the faces of three older girls. All of them wanting to rip my throat out for something that wasn’t my fault, it made me realize how some things are just plain unfair. The cincher was, when Sora came back and saw me cowering at the other girls he simply turned away and acted like he never saw a thing. From that moment on, I didn’t talk to Sora. I wouldn’t even so much cast a glance at the guy.

It taught me how not only were some things unfair, but boys were complete jerks.

As I stood up and looked straight into Hihouka’s face I couldn’t help but smirk. I was that child again but this time, I wasn’t cowering. This was my moment and for everyone in my village, I had made it. I was proving my strength now to everyone who could and couldn’t see, watch me show you what I really can do. My hand wrapped around my stomach where Hihouka had gouged through me and my movement was jerky and unnatural. Technically, I shouldn’t still be standing.

I cut my eyes towards the crowd we had gathered, people stood around like hungry birds at a park. Waiting for crumbs, waiting for something to happen. They were all the same. The violent movement of three people caught my sight. “Oh no…” Gaara was trying to get away from what vaguely appeared to be Naruto and Kankuro, they were losing their grip.

Stupid boy, I knew he wouldn’t listen to me when I told him not to act reckless. A weak smile found me as my eyes met Gaara’s. His eyes were wide and he was yelling something at me. Under his frantic condition he couldn’t control the sand well, it was flailing about erratically with no control. He knew this was it.

He wouldn’t wake up tomorrow with me in his arms.

He wouldn’t get a chance to kiss me one last time.

And he wouldn’t get a chance to finally say he loved me back. He knew all of this and so did I. As long as he was safe it didn’t matter. Everything around me slowed down and an overwhelming sense of vertigo took over me. Drifting back, farther and farther I began to lose sight of everything around me.

…Gaara…I’m sorry.

I brought my vision downwards where a faint golden yellow stream of smoke burst through my chest. I had lost my control and Hitsuchi pushed through. I was good as dead. “You did well, this isn’t your time yet Ishiko. Things will be okay now.” The voice of Hitsuchi was almost comforting as I stumbled backwards, allowing the demon to let loose. A snarl erupted from the other demon as he caught sight of the wispy smoke. I felt almost as if I was rushing through water. My pain was slipping and I could feel the darkness tugging behind my eyes like a persistent child. It was almost perfect.

My eyes gleamed in the pale moonlight and I looked around, everything looked silver and seemingly soft. Hitsuchi was almost entirely out of my body and I could feel the fight beginning to raise tension around me. “Keep him…safe.” I whispered at the demon in front of me. I knew he heard me and I knew he would. Hitsuchi’s left head whipped back and snapped at his own tail. My eyes grew wide as I watched him bite through the smoke nearly a foot from my chest and severe the bond. The excess part of the tail rushed back into my chest. Hitsuchi leaped forward, and I was almost disappointed I wouldn’t get to see how this all ended…

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The world stopped moving for Gaara. His voice stopped calling out and his eyes trembled as he watched Ishiko fall backwards, eyes dark. No…he moved his sand just in time to catch her from falling flat back on the ground. She’s fine, Gaara thought, she couldn’t be dead, right? Kankuro loosened his chakra strands and fell to his knees in defeat. Even Naruto loosened his grip and stepped back in shock.

“She’s…she’s dead.” He whispered, hands shaking violently. Gaara ran forward, finally free from the clinging hands that held him back. Hitsuchi looked back at the running boy and quickly leaped at Hihouka, trying to distract his brother from the frail human behind him. Gaara fell to his knees, grasping at Ishiko’s limp body. Her blood was still warm as it ran down his fingers and her eyes, that was the worst part, they were completely empty. Black pools staring aimlessly into the field of stars above her.

“Ishiko. Don’t play this!” He snarled, gripping harder at her small frame. “Answer me!” His chest hurt again. It was a feeling that had stopped months ago and now it came back at full force.

“She’s dead” said a unnatural voice. Slowly, Gaara turned his head and narrowed his eyes over his shoulder. Roka was on his knees, the tip of Hihouka’s tail still protruding from his chest. The only thing keeping him alive. Saliva ran down his chin as he laughed maniacally. “She’s dead!” He screamed at the shaken boy. Gaara stood up, baring his teeth and shaking.

His hand shot forward and a wave of sand flew towards the demon’s vessel. His eyes widened as the sand wrapped itself around the wispy smoke that has Hihouka. Struggling to keep his grasp on the lashing chakra that surrounded the tail, his hand clenched shut and he brought his hand swiftly to the left. Roka’s eye looked down as the tail was forced out of his body and he screamed. In a matter of seconds his body shriveled and fell to the ground in a pile of aged bone. Hihouka lashed forward, scales crawling up his form like backwards water. It was now an even match, brother against brother.

Gaara stumbled backwards, shaking and falling to his knees. He didn’t want to look, but he did anyway. Her face looked so at peace in the shimmering light of the moon, his hand gently closed her eyes and pulled her closer to him. “Dammit Ishiko, look what you’ve done now.”

He waited for a sharp comeback but she said nothing, she didn’t move. Opening his eyes he looked at her, hot liquid pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Stupid girl. You had to be the hero and go get yourself killed didn’t you? Always so stubborn. I guess it’s too late to tell you that I loved you. It’s too late to tell you anything now.” He gently set her down on the sand, glaring and waiting for her to move again and smile at him.

Any minute now.

He heard approaching steps behind him but he didn’t bother moving. “Gaara…” Kankuro placed a hand on Gaara’s shoulder gently, only to have it be shoved away.

“Don’t sympathize for me Kankuro. There’s nothing that can be done now, maybe we could have helped, we could have stopped this.” Kankuro shut his eyes, Gaara blamed him. It was inevitable of course, he knew. But if it made Gaara feel better he would take the fall for now. “Get back.” He growled, kneeling protectively over the girl’s cold corpse. Kankuro’s heart sunk but he did as he was told and stepped back, he turned towards the demons now. The only thing that could distract him.

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There was no doubt Hitsuchi was weaker than before after sealing a part of himself inside Ishiko before she died. He was missing pieces of his soul and that made him a lot less capable than Hihouka. It was a pointless battle, born from hate is all. Hihouka lunged at this brother and it all came flashing back, as if that day they battled for the title was only yesterday.

“You have become weaker brother,” Hihouka growled, “why are you so attached to that mortal girl you have so willingly cut your power in half. Fool.” Hitsuchi circled around him, not bothering to retort back. He owed the girl something. He stole her life now twice, it had been the least he could have done. In a flash their bodies became angry blurs, all that could be heard was the snarling and tearing of flesh.

“How are we supposed to fight this?!” The man turned towards Kakashi, his face contorted, “if we don’t handle this situation now this could get uglier than it already has.”

“I know that. But there isn’t much we can do right now but wait.” Kakashi’s voice was stern and curt. Not bothering to waste his time with petty explanations. “Not too mention, from the looks of it only one of those demons is our target. The other appears to be trying to help, oddly.”

“What do you mean?” The man shifted his eyes towards the blur, squinting to try and see what Kakashi saw.

“One of them keeps stopping the other from advancing over here. It’s as if he’s trying to drag him farther and farther away from the village. Damn, it’s hard to keep track. They look so similar.” His eyebrows furrowed together and he closed his sharingan, shaking his head. The man looked up in wonder, his eyes shifting over to the Kazekage.

“Who was that girl?” The man asked, motioning with his head. Kakashi look over and frowned, feeling his own pain of loss rising up in his throat.

“It almost appears to be his lover...if that’s even possible…” They both turned their head as a loud painful rip sounded through the air. Hihouka hovered over Hitsuchi, his teeth bared into what seemed to be a wicked grin.

“Times have changed, you aren’t the all powerful leader you once were.” The demon’s mouth shot down, again, grazing deep through at least three inches of scales and flesh. The cry of pain shook the surroundings once more. Demons, dragon demons in particular didn’t fight for long, and this one seemed nearly over.

Hitsuchi flipped himself over, shaking his left head as his right head moved about wildly, blood seeping from the throat. “You never were the compassionate one.” He growled and pounced forward, his mouth closing in around his brothers throat while his talon aimed for the other.

Blood sprayed the ground around them like April showers.

Hihouka stumbled backwards, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to inhale, the blood clogging his throat and rising to spill out of both mouths. His eyes flashed forwards, filled with hate for the brother that stood in front of him. Suddenly, he collapsed in a pool of his own blood. Hitsuchi shuddered and limped around, turning his attention to the completely still boy that guarded Ishiko.

Gaara glared upwards as the demon approached, his eyes filled to the brim with pain. “You killed her.” He said lowly.

“She sacrificed herself for a better cause.” The voice rang throughout Gaara’s head and for a minute he though he was going insane. When he realized the voice came from the demon he fell backwards on his hands.

“What better cause?” The boy tensed up and bits of sand rose around him. It was useless and Gaara knew this, it was all over. The war had stopped, people either stood around to watch or were wandering about the field, looking for comrades. It was true that Ishiko died with honor, like she said she would. Everything made sense to Gaara now, she knew the entire time what was going to happen. “Nevermind.” He said, his hand ran over to caress her cold face while the other clenched to his chest. Every time he looked at her it stifled his breathing, but he wouldn’t leave her here.

“Was she your mate?”

A small smile ran across Gaara’s face and he turned back towards the demon, nodding. “Yes, she was.” Hitsuchi growled and set his head down, he knew the pain all too well. With a grunt he pushed away the memories of his clan and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could do but wait, with death coming soon and the amount of blood he had already lost, it would be foolish to move around. He decided to wait there, coiling himself protectively around Gaara and Ishiko.

“She has less than eleven minutes.” Gaara looked up, narrowing his eyes in confusion. He was about to ask what the demon was talking about, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to talk about her anymore than he had to.
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When I opened my eyes I was blinded by the violent blue sky and the shimmering trees above my head. “What is this?” I moved my hands over my ribs and stomach, feeling for any sign of wounds or blood. Nothing.

Slowly, I stood up and looked around at my surroundings. My eyes narrowed, last thing I remembered I was in the heat of battle watching Hitsuchi leave me. Does that mean- “is this heaven?”

“No.” I turned on my heel to meet the face of the voice behind me. Silver eyes met silver eyes and my knees got weak.

“Kimi?” Shaking my head I stumbled backwards with hands out, “No, no, this can’t be real. You-you’re dead right?!” I couldn’t control my breathing and no sooner did I feel light headed and my surroundings began to spin.

“What’s wrong with Ishi?” Another small voice called out.

“I think she’s surprised to see us. Ishiko?” Two pairs of small hands shook my shoulders gently. Out of one eye I peered out, now looking into the eyes of both my younger sisters. They fell backwards as I screamed, shaking them off of me and scrambling behind the tree.

“What kind of sick joke is this!?” I yelled and put my hands up in my defense. “Where am I?”

The little girls smiled, interlocking fingers with each other. “You’re in-between. In your case, stuck between the living and the dead.”