Chapter 72 - When Heart's Collide

PLEASE NOTE: MY VALENTINE’S COUPLE FIC ACTUALLY CONTAINED A HUGE SPOILER FOR TOT. SORRY ABOUT THAT!
-NG

Ekyt leapt down from the balcony suddenly. The two Sannin in his company had felt it, too, and nearly stopped him. But they remembered his words:

‘It’s personal.’

“We have to let him go…damn it, I don’t like it, but- EVERYONE OFF THE FLOOR! JONIN AND CHUNIN, YOU KNOW YOUR DUTIES!”

Naruto and Sakura were escorted away by Gai and Kakashi. In fact, they were hustled away quickly. As chief Akatsuki targets, they couldn’t be allowed to be captured or killed. Kakashi hated the thought that he might be wet-nursing his team, but it couldn’t be helped. They were rushed past Ekyt on the way out. Only he was ignoring the scram order. Instead, he stood still in place, eyes down. Naruto tried to grab him, but Ekyt shrugged it off.

She’s here, too. I can feel it… But who did she bring? I know their chakra, but it could be any of the Akatsuki. It’s not Kisame, his chakra is much bigger. But who…

--

“Are we really gonna let him do this alone? Honor is one thing, but a suicidal battle against three enemies…” Asuma let smoke leak out of his mouth. He didn’t like this at all. Something told him that this was bad, but he couldn’t pick out what. Ekyt could handle himself, but this felt different.

“We have to. There’s no choice, Ekyt was clear. But that’s not Ekyt out there. That’s Ryouko,” Kakashi said mysteriously. The other jonin just looked at him. Kakashi had forgotten he and his team were the only one who knew.
“He’s an ANBU agent. Well, he was. He was supposed to guard my team, and against the very threat he’s facing now. But typical Ekyt/Ryouko, he got kicked by fate- hard. The one he protected us from is out there now. And she meant the world to him. Azami, the bounty hunter- the first girl he admitted loving.”

--

“Ekyt-sensei! To hell with orders!” Yuushi ran out, his sword half-drawn, standing next to Ekyt.

“Yuushi, you have to go. Now.” Ekyt never spoke so harshly to his beloved student. It wasn’t his nature to bark orders. The fact that he just did clued Yuushi in to how serious things were. All the same, this was his beloved sensei- desertion wasn’t an option.

“If I’m a burden, let the command to commit seppuku befall me!” Yuushi shouted in response, ready to turn his blade on himself.

“Your strength isn’t a question. Yuushi, listen to me, and listen well. After this, you’ll be more swordsman than me. I may know more in terms of actual skill, but you’ve surpassed me. This may well be the final lesson I give you. If indeed it is, you must not seek foolish revenge. Revenge is blindness, and leads only to more darkness.”

Yuushi knelt down, never hearing Ekyt speak such strong words before. It was always ‘good, but try this’, or ‘we’ll get through this’. Death was never spoken of, and revenge was taboo.

“There are things a man must consider before battle. In my case- responsibility. I created this threat, and I must be the one to defeat it. For you…” Ekyt paused, putting a hand on Yuushi head. Then he smiled, even closing his eyes, then raised his pinky. “For you, you must think of what you have waiting for you. Such as Kantai. Even more importantly, you have a long future ahead of you. Don’t waste it in a battle that isn’t yours. Now then, I must take responsibility for my actions. And you…you must take care of all those you hold dear. If you might do your teacher one last favor…”

Yuushi bowed lower. “Anything, sensei! Tell me!”

Ekyt picked Yuushi up. “Now, you know this humble stuff doesn’t fly with me! As for my favor- keep an eye on Naruto-dono and Ojou-sama. I can only leave that mission to you. If it comes to that- I’m not dead yet!”

“I promise…now you must make me a promise!” Yuushi gripped his teacher’s shoulder. “Don’t die. Your philosophical reasoning has reached my ears, but you’re saying what a teacher must. You’re a stronger man than I. I only hope I grow into someone like you.”

“Now you’re speaking as a student must. Go on, now.” Ekyt’s speech changed at the end to an order. Yuushi gave him a quick hug, then took Kantai’s hand and ran off to find Sai and Yamato.

-

“That was heartwarming.”

A familiar voice echoed in the arena. Ekyt was instantly on his guard. “Show yourself!”

Azami seemed to materialize from nowhere. Ekyt’s mind told him it was a well-done False Surroundings genjutsu. He braced himself for the worst. But Azami just kept walking toward him. The crowd had fallen silent. They knew that this girl and Ekyt were together- or at least had been. The chief question was Azami’s choice of clothing, and Ekyt’s sudden urgency.

“So…you did join them…” Even Ekyt couldn’t keep the sadness completely out of his voice. He stare wavered for a moment, but he locked eyes with Azami a split-second later, determination plastered on his face.

“I had to. It only made sense. My strength was too much for this village.” Damn it, I hate myself!

Ekyt didn’t break his gaze as he walked closer. “Why? Just tell me why. Money? Infamy? Power? What is it that the Akatsuki had that I couldn’t hope to give you? You know that I would have done anything for you.” Ekyt sounded less like a warrior now, and more like a hopeless boy, wishing that he had control of his life. He hated the sound of desperation in his voice. It reeked of weakness and self-pity. If there were two things Ekyt hated, those had to be it.

“It was all those, and more. Ekyt, I loved you. Don’t think for a second that my feelings for you weren’t real. I would never lead you along like that. I had never been loved before. You made me feel like I hadn’t wasted my life. You treated me like a…person. That’s it. Like I belonged…” Damn damn damn!

Ekyt’s own mind flashed back. Back to when he first came. Back when Sakura treated HIM like he belonged. A small smile reached Ekyt’s face.

“If I gave someone the comfort of feeling like they belonged…the comfort that eluded me for so long…then I’ve no regrets. Except that maybe I didn’t do something further for you. If only I knew what… I would have done anything. If you wanted children, I would have given them to you. I’m sorry…”

Azami suddenly got angry. “Don’t f***in’ apologize like that! You haven’t done anything wrong! God, damn it, I’M the guilty one! ME! Why do you…” Azami suddenly felt tears fill her eyes. She grabbed Ekyt’s haori jacket with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably into his bandaged chest. When she looked up, she looked more like a scared little girl than a heartless bounty hunter.

“…God, why do you have to be like that? Why can’t you be hateful? Or spiteful! Aren’t you human?! I STABBED YOU! I TRIED TO KILL YOU, AND YOU’RE TELLING ME HOW TERRIBLE YOU ARE?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

Ekyt put a hand on her head, patting it gently. “Because it’s my fault, one way or the other. Give me your guilt, Azami. You needn’t live with it. As for myself- I carry my guilt with me as often as my kunai. It’s never away from me. The burden of your guilt is one I would gladly carry.”

Azami’s heart raced wildly. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! I wasn’t supposed to say that! I counted on him hating me, at least a little! But he’s forgiven me! Why?! Why can’t you hate me, Ekyt?! PLEASE hate me! PLEASE! I don’t want to hurt you anymore!

“Azami…C’mon. Look me in the eyes, okay? Thatta girl.”

Ekyt put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. It’s funny to think how far they both were from the personalities that had made them well known. Ekyt would NEVER hold a girl like that, and Azami would NEVER let one of her targets become the source of her passion. But these two knew each other well, personality-wise. To each other, however, their strengths were unknown.

SCHUNK!

Ekyt’s face morphed into a mask of pain as Azami’s Egyptian sword sliced into his gut. She still held him, apologizing for the last time. Until she got a splinter. She looked up so fast her neck cracked slightly.

Ekyt stood across the room, a cigarette in his hand. The look he wore on his face sent Azami’s heart racing. It was as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar by her father.

“I know you’re not alone, Azami. Why don’t your two friends go ahead and introduce themselves?”

Azami wanted to compliment on his resourcefulness. She wanted to tell him that he should have confidence in himself; he was stronger than he thought. Instead, what tumbled out of her mouth followed her plan- a plan crafted out of desperation to keep him at bay. She hated herself for even thinking this.

“Alright. But you won’t be happy to see them. Especially when I tell you one is my boyfriend.”

Azami had to choke the word out, but changed her voice to hide the disgust in it. It had the desired effect on Ekyt, however. His calm, stoic eyes were filled with rage. He couldn’t casually stand there with his cigarette anymore. The cigarette was jammed angrily into his mouth. He couldn’t pretend to be calm, cool, and in-control.

“…!”

Ekyt ducked just as a three-bladed scythe cracked the wall right near his head.

“F***! Missed! What are you, a little mouse?!” Hidan snarled, appearing to float out of the wall. He withdrew his scythe after giving it an experimental swing around his head. Fortunately, he had maneuvered Ekyt to the perfect position. Ekyt seemed to guess that, too, because he jumped just as he landed. Kakuzu’s strings barreled into the ground a split second after his leap. Unfortunately for the flustered Leaf jonin, the strings followed him. Ekyt did a twisting roll in the air, barely dodging the strings. At that moment, Azami took aim with her crossbow and fired off four arrows.

No way he’ll dodge- ?!

Ekyt spun again, kicking off the arrows while dodging the strings. The arrows fell harmlessly to the ground, and Ekyt continued his leap, using his kicks off the arrows to stay in the air. Hidan’s scythe aimed to ground him. As Ekyt was upside-down, it looked like Hidan had the battle won.

-

“Yuushi, we’ve got to help him!” Kantai yelped, tugging at Yuushi’s sleeve. But Yuushi shook his head.

“That’s not my order. And besides that, he’s got this well in hand. Remember, he trained with swords for years. That slow scythe is nothing, even in that position. Put your faith in him. He’ll do what he has to; he always has.”

Yuushi wasn’t sure why he was so confident in Ekyt’s abilities. Ekyt himself wasn’t. But maybe it was because Ekyt had seen a strength in Yuushi no one else had. And likewise, Yuushi had seen a strength in Ekyt that few knew of. There was more to the new jonin than meets the eye.

-

CLAP!

Ekyt’s hands closed around the scythe, uncut by the blades. He held it firmly, so that Hidan couldn’t yank it back. Ekyt’s momentum was exhausted now, and he fell to the ground, the strings following him. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the scythe and cut at the strings.

Azami was beyond shocked. She couldn’t help but stare at the real love of her life as he managed to dodge every attack that was thrown at him. Finally, he threw the scythe back and stepped away, looking from one attacker to the next. His eyes were burning with rage. He was clearly trying to figure out how to eliminate at least Hidan. But outnumbered, with no weapons?

-

“Damn…this is bad. He said not to get involved?”

Asuma’s question earned nods from Tsunade and Jiraiya.

“It’s personal, he said. Still, he’d last longer if he had a weapon…” Tsunade bit her lip in frustration. She couldn’t even say ‘he’d win if he had a weapon’- that was a gross over-estimation of his abilities. The fact was, he was fighting to die.

“Glad you agree. The kid has guts, he just needs a weapon to help keep those guts in place. I didn’t hear him say anything about giving him a weapon…EKYT! CATCH!”

Asuma threw his trench knives down to Ekyt. Asuma was never one to part with his weapon, but a thought hit him:

This IS his fight. He said he’d repay the village, and now he’s going to. He’s down there to die, but to give all of us a chance. What about the children I want to have? The world will be a lot safer without those guys. I wish I was down there myself. But I can’t be. So the least I can do is offer a little help…

-

Ekyt caught the knives, immediately relaxing. But then he saw something that made his very blood boil- Azami running a hand Hidan’s chest, clearly teasing and flirting with him.

Azami congratulated herself on finally cracking Ekyt’s rock-solid determination. So that did it. He’s lost his cool. Now, his ability to fight will diminish. I’m going to burn the skin on my hand off after this. As if this foul-mouthed jackass had a chance with me…

Ekyt made handsigns, whispering to himself. He seemed to be making mathematical calculations in his head, then nodding to himself to confirm them once he decided they were correct. He was going to use one of his oldest jutsus, and one of his newest. He’d never used them combined before. In this case, however, facing a battle he shouldn’t have even a remote shot to win, now was the time to take risks.

“Azami, do you remember the first jutsu I used on you?”

Ekyt spoke as though reminiscing fondly. It belied his furious demeanor and angry eyes.

Azami thought for a moment, but nodded. “Of course. Yang Xia.”

“A good life with a beautiful girl…The closer you get to something, the tougher it is to see it*…how true. FLAMA SUCCENDO! DRAGON’S PATH JUTSU!”

(*Yes, from ‘Closer’, Naruto’s latest opening. And, as you’ll recall, ‘Yang Xia’ is the Chinese name for ‘Flama Succendo’)

Ekyt stomped the floor, sending a burst of fire toward Azami and Hidan. To the shock of everyone in the room, Ekyt jumped on the fire and ‘surfed’ it to Hidan. As Hidan moved to jump, Ekyt slashed his leg with the trench knives.

“AGH! F***!” Hidan landed on his hurt leg. “How the hell?!”

Ekyt’s fire carried him to the wall. He hit it feet-first and flipped backward off it just seconds before Kakuzu’s strings came hunting for him. Still in the air and upside-down, Ekyt threw two shuriken in each direction toward his enemies. Not a major threat by itself, but when coupled with a jutsu the Third Hokage used…

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