Kyoji's Last Trial

Kyoji traveled back to the place he’d called home his whole life. A small shack miles outside of Suna, it was where the sand met the dry grass of a forest. He spotted Toyo swinging his nunchakus, he was definitely the spunky one of the group.  

Toyo was a year younger than Kyoji and had his black hair tied in a high ponytail, similar to Shikamaru’s only with a lot more hair, he also had bangs that came over his Suna headband and almost covered his grey eyes. “Kyoji! Man! Where’s Jun? She just took off to find you, did you see her?”

Kyoji nodded, “I saw her.” He left it at that and went into the small hideout of a home to speak with Katsumi.

Toyo blew some of his bangs out of his face and frowned, “Well that doesn’t tell me where the lady is…”

Katsumi put the scroll she was studying down and turned to face Kyoji as he approached her, “What is it?”

Kyoji couldn’t look her in the eyes as he spoke, “I want to leave for Konoha…early tomorrow.”

“This is much sooner than I expected Kyoji, what was the point of organizing this team that you requested? You’re bored with them so you want to move on?” Katsumi’s eyes seemed to get more narrow as she spoke, “Did I waste my time in finding Jun and Toyo for you? You haven’t even infiltrated the Chunin exams yet.” She was going to continue but Kyoji looked up at her, obviously ready to speak.

“I have made my decision. I can always take the chunin exams later if I want. Besides what’s the point when I’m a rogue nin, having a rank is of no importance to me, nor the others.”

Katsumi smirked at him and nodded in understanding, “So you just consider yourself a rogue?”

“That’s what you are isn’t it? That’s what Jun and Toyo have become.” He nodded, “And that is exactly what I am.”

Katsumi closed her eyes in thought for a moment before cutting the silence with an eerie tone, “You know I have always said you are allowed to leave freely whenever you desire, but that was if you wished to see your real parents, your family.” She reopened her eyes and stared directly into his own, “Unfortunately you’re not leaving for that reason…..If you wish to abandon me and the team I put together for you, you must complete one last task. One last objective to prove you are truly a rogue ninja capable of surviving the life you’ve chosen.”


Kyoji’s eyes narrowed slightly in uncertainty, “And that is?”

Katsumi’s eyes became dark as her face seemed to be shrouded in shadows, “Get rid of Toyo and Jun. Kill your teammates.”

His eyes widened in shock, “What? You can’t be serious….I can’t do that, they’re my friends!”

Katsumi shook her head slowly, “My little Kyoji, have I not taught you anything? The only love that’s real is the love I have for you, family love.” A fake yet sweet smile came across her lips, “Those two are not your friends, you may think they are now but eventually they will turn on you and hurt you. It is best to dispose of them now so they won’t get in your way later on.”

Kyoji took a step back, he could barely breath as his thoughts went wild, how could she ask him to do something like this, it seemed so wrong but at the same time her words seemed so true, he believed every word she told him and feared the pain she so often spoke of. “Aunt Katsumi, you know I love you as my own mother….but I am not so sure I can complete this task, it just doesn‘t feel right to me.”

Katsumi turned and let her back face him, “Then you cannot leave….with your life.”

He dropped his head in shame, “You would hunt me down and eliminate me?”

Katsumi didn’t have to answer, he already knew she would, even if she loved him she was a strong ninja and had learned to push her feelings aside for any mission. Which was exactly what she was trying to teach him to do now, this was his last lesson from her. Whether he liked it or not, deep down he knew this day would come.

His heart began to pound in anxiety at the words that were about to come out of his mouth, “They will be taken care of before the sun rises tomorrow. And I will be gone.”

He tightened his headband around his forehead, he wasn’t considered a real Suna shinobi but he wore the Suna headband anyways, it was the village he was born in and he took pride in that. The headband he wore was Katsumi’s, given to him as a gift when she recruited his teammates.

Katsumi hid an evil smirk as she heard his footsteps leave her quarters, “Kyoji….don’t leave too much of a mess for me to clean up.”

Kyoji’s unsure look changed to a more confident smirk as well, though his heart was still racing in fear, a new feeling was rushing over him, a feeling of excitement. “I will clean up any mess I make.” With that said he left her and shut the door behind him.


Toyo still stood just outside the shack and turned around to grin at Kyoji, “Dude! Watch this new trick I’ve been practicing.” He started to twirl his nunchakus in a strange way.

Kyoji shook his head, “Stop.”

The nunchakus quick movements came to a stop and dangled at Toyo’s sides, “Why? What’s up?”

Kyoji stared straight at Toyo with a look that showed no emotion but almost seemed sad, “Forgive me Toyo.” His fists tightened before his body leapt forward with blinding speed.

~!~

After a while Jun finally calmed herself down and decided to come back to the hideout, her blonde hair swayed as the winds direction changed, “The wind just switched directions….”Her eyes narrowed in thought, “Something doesn’t seem right…”

As she walked into the clearing her eyes shot wide open and she dropped the basket of fruits she’d been carrying. There before her stood Kyoji, his hands tainted in fresh blood, while Toyo’s limp body laid on the ground next to his feet.

Jun‘s voice came out shaky and  horrified. “Kyoji? What have you done?”  

Jun’s feet felt heavy but she took a step back none the less, her eyes darted from Kyoji to Toyo who laid motionless on the ground. Despite the puddle of blood Toyo was drowning in, she still had to ask, “Is he dead? Did you kill him?”

An evil smile spread across Kyoji’s lips, “If he is still alive, he won’t be for much longer.”

Jun’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach in worry as she raced for Toyo’s body, her knees hit the ground and were painted in his blood as she pulled him into her lap, “Toyo! Toyo!”

“Jun…”

She looked up at Kyoji once she heard her name, her eyes ready to spill waterfalls of tears.

“…you have to die too.” Kyoji stared down at her with a look of pure intent to kill, “Toyo tried to fight back, you can too.”

Jun got to her feet and glared daggers at Kyoji, “What the hell is wrong with you!? Are you crazy?! How could you…how could you kill him…how could you even think about killing me?” She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore and they began sliding down her cheeks.

She was covered in Toyo’s blood and couldn’t even stand looking at Kyoji. Her hand flew through the air and Kyoji didn’t even try to avoid it as it slapped firmly against his cheek. Her tears remained silent as she turned and ran from him, it wasn’t in fear of him hurting her but in anguish, he would have scolded her for crying anyways.

Kyoji stood tall and watched her as she left, he didn’t need to chase her, he knew exactly where she was going and besides, he needed to clean up the little mess he’d made with his bout with Toyo.

~!~

Jun ran a ways into the forest until she spotted the small springs, she fell to her knees in tears and immediately starting washing the blood from her hands. Toyo was dead, he was really dead, what was even worse was Kyoji was the one to do it.

She stepped into the water and started washing the blood from her legs, “Kyoji…how could he…?” She was so upset, her mind was reeling with thoughts and questions. After what felt like forever, she was too lost in thought to even hear his footsteps approaching the springs.

Kyoji stopped near the edge of the water and looked at her, she must have been buried deep in her own mind, because she hadn’t even realized he was looking her over. A slight smirk came to his lips as he kicked a small pebble to get her attention.

A loud gasp escaped Jun as soon as the pebble hit the water and she meet Kyoji’s gaze with her own. She continued to stare back at him without speaking a word.

Kyoji’s smirk faded to a look of no emotion, “Get out of the water.”

Jun’s eyes narrowed, “Why? So you can kill me on dry land?” She took a fighting stance in the water and held her palms out, ready to defend herself. In the back of her head she didn’t want to believe that Kyoji would actually harm her, but if he was capable of putting an end to Toyo’s life, there was no doubt he could kill her.

After a few moments of standing ready to fight she noticed he was making no moves, he was just standing there, staring at her. “What’s wrong? Afraid of getting wet?”

As soon as her voice cut the silence his body became a blur. Her eyes widened in shock just before his body collided with her own. A sharp gasp was knocked out of her lungs as he slammed her against a rocky wall.

The lower part of one of his arms was pressed firmly against her collarbone, a little higher and he could have started choking her. Jun had to take a moment to catch her breath, her hands came up and gripped his shirt before attempting to push him away. It wasn’t surprising to her that she couldn’t budge him in the slightest, “Get off of me!” Her eyes snapped open to catch his own in frustration.

Kyoji had his hand ready with his chakra scalpel, he planned on killing her quickly with a blow directly to the heart but the instant her eyes met his, he hesitated.

Tears seeped from Jun’s eyes, it seemed no matter how hard she tried not to cry, it couldn’t be helped. “Well? What are you waiting for? Kill me already.”

Kyoji held her against the wall and continued to stare at her in silence, why did she always make him feel this way? Just looking into her eyes caused him to hesitate, it was like she was a weakness. Katsumi was right, Jun was only a distraction, something that would end up getting him into trouble in the long run, she had to be disposed of.

Despite the thoughts and beliefs he had on this word “Love“, He could only keep lying to himself for so long, even if it wasn’t love he had for Jun, it was a strong enough feeling that caused him to think about his actions.

Jun’s eyes widened once again when his warm breath came over her lips, he was moving in for a kiss. Her hands slid from his chest and fell to her sides as his lips moved even closer to her own. Her mind went crazy with thoughts again, was he just trying to distract her before delivering the final blow? She wasn’t going to risk it and find out.

As soon as his lips were a hairline away, her hand slipped into her kunai pouch and drew a weapon with lightening speed. She whipped the kunai up, ready to slash his chest open. Instead he moved too fast, the blade only cut his shirt and he caught her wrist in mid slash, twisting it and causing her to drop her weapon.

“Gah!” She yelped in pain as her wrist was twisted more, forcing her to turn around as he twisted her arm up behind her back and held it there.

“That was a foolish move Jun.” He pinned her body face first against the wall then he whispered into her ear. “Earlier you said you loved me? Did you not?”

“What does that matter now? You said you didn’t believe in love.” Jun was breathing hard again, trying to catch her breath as her body began trembling. She could easily escape this hold he had her in, in fact that was one of her specialties, she was an escape artist. It was what she would do after she escaped, in her mind she could picture the battle but the outcome was a certainty, he was much stronger and definitely more skilled than herself and even now it seemed like he was toying with her.

“Would you attack someone you love? Would you cause them pain?”

Jun closed her eyes and felt tears burning her again, “Not purposefully.” Her body relaxed completely in his hold, it was a sign of surrender. “But why would it matter to you….if I recall you said you would never love me.”

Kyoji’s grip loosened around her wrist before he turned her around to face him. He looked down at her and stared her in the eyes with a look of sadness, “I’ll miss you Jun.” He backed away from her and turned to walk away. He would never confess it out loud but he loved her and refused to hurt her.

“Kyoji! Wait…what does that mean?”

He stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder, “I don’t want to kill you yet.”

Jun’s eyes narrowed in anger, “Yet? What does that mean?! You’re saving me for later?” Her voice began to tremble, “You killed Toyo and now you’re going to leave me all alone?”

Kyoji saw a tear fall from her eye and glared back at her, “Stop crying, you know I hate seeing that.”

She shook her head and was about to speak but couldn’t as he stepped up to her and pulled her into a tender hug, one that took her breath away and made her heart flutter.

He wanted to say something like, “Wait for me, I’ll come back for you.” but couldn’t, he hated making promises. After feeling her warmth for a few moments he released her and went to take a step back.

Jun gripped his shirt and used it to pull herself up, this time she was going to plant a kiss upon his lips, it would have been a sweet and gentle first kiss for both of them. Sadly he pulled away and shook his head.

“Don‘t do that.” Kyoji took her hands and pulled them off his shirt.

“But you were going to….”

She was cut short as he shook his head again and backed away, “It would have been a mistake.”

Jun felt her anger rise a bit, but it was more out of frustration, he was turning and walking away now, he was leaving again. “Please Kyoji! I don’t want you to go!” Jun watched him walk away and not even falter in his steps, “If you go! I’ll…I’ll never forgive you!”

Her words seemed to have no effect on him, at least he made it appear that way. He didn’t stop for a second, he didn’t look back, he just disappeared into the dark forest. He was leaving her and his home behind.

As he walked he smirked to himself slightly, leaving Jun alive and the way he did would most likely cost him. No doubt she would stay with Katsumi and now he would have two people coming after him, it was only a matter of time.

END???