Shadow of the Night

Chapter 25

Kakashi's POV

I stared at the kid before me. He seemed so serious. I barely noticed the sounds of Katsumi and Teiko fighting Raiden behind us. This kid...

"Did you here me? I said move, unless you want to be killed." I raised my eyebrows at the boy's frustrated tone, and shuffled out of the line of fire, but not too far. If this kid was going to do some kind of jutsu, I wanted to see it.

It was then that things started to go wrong on the other side of the clearing. Teiko was thrown off Raiden, and the Shizuka turned on the boy. I readied my stance as Raiden came at us, but he didn't make it this far.

The woman, Katsumi, appeared in front of the kid.

"You will not hurt him."

The boy' hooded face was still, pointed towards the woman in front of him. "Aunt Kat..." Aunt?

Katsumi didn't look back. "I will protect you Aki. This was my promise to your mother." How does this kid fit into this team dynamic? If the kid is related to this Shizuka, he must be one as well. How is he different?

The boy, Aki, breathed deeply, then turned away from Katsumi. "Keep him busy, I need a few minutes. She usually does this part..." He nodded at the immobile woman beside him.

Hikari's eyes fluttered, and she whispered a few words. "Kashi... help... protect..."

I nodded at her, and Katsumi and I locked eyes. We moved together to fight.

Raiden was no easy opponent. He created three (literal) shadow clones, and fought Katsumi and I each two on one. The real Raiden was slashing at Katsumi with twin shortblades, trying to get past her to Aki and Kari. The shadow clones attacking me gave no opportunity to help her. I wove under the fist of one clone, and sank my chidori into the chest of the other. He poofed out of existence, leaving only one to fight.

I was distracted by a scream to my right. I looked over in time to see Raiden slice one of his blades across Katsumi's shoulder. He then delivered a powerful punch to her gut, and sank the other blade into her stomach. Her scream petered out, and she gave a light cough, blood spilling from her lips.

The clone took advantage of my distracted state, and tried to bury his kunai into my back. I moved just in time, but didn't manage to get out unscathed. The kunai cut a large gash along the length of my arm. Hissing in pain, I punched the clone in the face, then changed targets, running at the real Raiden.

"No! Get out of the way!" Aki yelled at me. I stopped dead and looked over at them. Hikari was up, supported by the small boy. Their hands where clasped in a handsign. Shadows swirled around the pair life a black tornado.

I bent low, scooping up Katsumi, and hurried out of the way. Getting caught in the crossfire was not on my to-do list. I deposited the woman on the ground, and leaned her up against a wall. We both then turned to watch events unfold.

Hikari's POV (Several minutes ago)

I could see Aki mending my fingers as though he were far away, at the other end of a long tunnel. Darkness was closing around me, when I heard a voice. It cut through my mental fog like a sharpened katana.

"Hey there stranger."

I stared at the back of a very familiar woman. "Saki?"

She turned, sending me a big smile. "You know it. How have you been sister?"

My eyes watered, and I ran to her, engulfing my deceased friend in a hug. "I miss you so much Saki. Why did you have to do it?"

She chuckled, and the sound was more relaxed and free than I'd ever heard it in life. "It was my time. I'm at peace now, I'm happy. And of course I've been looking out for you." She tapped my cheek, under her sharingan. "By the way, great job with Aki. He's going to grow into a fine man, and dangerous shinobi."