The Willow Maiden [Naruto]

{6} The Maiden Surrenders

The team, and Ruka, hid behind a waterfall where Ruka would bathe in. It was like another garden, similar to Tatsuya's garden. 

Ruka curled up into a ball, huddled against the rock wall with her head in her knees. She couldn't get over the harsh truth that she discovered. She couldn't think straight. 

Sakura tried to comfort her, but all Ruka wanted was to be alone. "I'm really sorry that you were lied to, Ruka. . . Honestly, I had no idea." Kakashi frowns at the girl. 

Ruka continues to stay silent and turns her head away. "What do we do now, Sensei?" Sakura asks him. 

"We can't let them have Ruka. She will die if she leaves this forest." Naruto speaks up. 

"And they that Tatsuya guy might be looking for her right now." Sasuke added. 

"What does it matter?. . . My mother is gone. . . She's been gone this entire time and I'm stuck here, living in the shadows. . . Maybe it's best if I joined my mother. Let me walk out of this forest, so I can fade into a flower, just like my mother." Ruka lifts her head up from her knees and looks at the team. "I'm the reason why you're in this mess. . . You should go if you value your lives. . ." 

"Don't say that! You're the one who sent us a message to come help you, and that's what we're going to do!" Naruto stomps over to her and yells at her, continuing to shout, "You can't turn back on your word just because you discovered the harsh truth about what really happen to your mother. I know it's bad, and you want to join her, but I know she wouldn't want you to go out like this." 

"But. . . Mama is gone and has faded into a flower! . . . What am I suppose to do now!" Ruka shouts back, crying with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm tired of being alone. . ! I don't want to live in the forest, defending myself day after day. . . I'm so tired of fighting. . . I don't know what the outside world is like, and I am scared, knowing what will happen to me if I were to leave the forest. . ." 

The team frowns as they watch her cry, knowing she is right. She can't leave the forest. She's tired of being all alone in her very home. She doesn't want to fight anymore, and she is very tired of all this. All she wants to do is rest and feel at peace just like the old days when the former Willow Maiden was still alive. 

They didn't know how to help her. 

Kakashi wanted to take her to the Leaf Village so that she can be safe, but as mentioned, she will wither into a flower, and they will fail their mission. 

"WHERE ARE YOU, RUKA!?" Tatsuya shouts throughout the forest. 

At the tone of his voice, Ruka flinches and brings her knees up to her chest, her eyes widen in shock. He sounded close by, which left Ruka wondering how was he able to track her down so quickly. Didn't he flee with the other warriors? 

"Everyone, keep quiet." Kakashi tells the team, putting a finger to his lips. The squad stays silent as Sasuke and Naruto get close to Ruka protectively. 

"Come with me, Ruka! I know that you and I can work this out!" Tatsuya laughs, cutting down the branches, vines, and bushes out of his way. "If you don't come out, then you'll leave me no choice but to do something rash!. . . I'll destroy that flower that happens to be your mother!" 

Ruka's eyes widen and she gets up, ready to shout, but Sasuke grabs her and covers her mouth. She whimpers as fresh tears began to well up in her eyes. 

The flower is the only connection to her mother, and if were to be destroyed, Ruka might loose control. 

"Fine. If you don't come out of hiding, then I will destroy the flower! Your choice!" Tatsuya flees and returns to the entrance of the forest, where the flower was. 

Sasuke finally lets go of Ruka and she takes off running, but Kakashi grabs her arm. "No! You can't go out there! You're done for when he catches you. Don't you see? He's just trying to lure you out." Kakashi tells her. 

"But he's going to destroy my mother! That flower is the only thing that connects me to her! When I looked at the flower, I knew she was my mother right then and there! He can't destroy her! I'm the one he wants!" Ruka tries to pull her arm back. 

"But you'll die if you leave the forest, Ruka!" Sakura reminds her. 

"I don't care! If it means keeping my mother safe, then so be it!" 

"Well, that's not happening. I'm sorry, Ruka, but your best option is to stay hidden and stay by our side." Said Kakahsi. 

Ruka stops her struggling as her hair covers her eyes. "Such fools. . . I'm going to save my mother. . ." Roots from the ground wrap around the leaf shinobi's bodies and hold them against the ground. 

As they were trapped, Ruka took of running to the entrance of the forest to confront Tatsuya. 

She sprints through the forest and sees Tatsuya standing near the white flower. "Tatsuya, don't! Please, wait!" Ruka shouts at the man as she hops down from the trees above him. 

"There you are, Willow Maiden~" Tatsuya smirks at her. "If you want your mother to live on as a pathetic flower, then you know what's best. Come with me, young maiden." Tatsuya holds his hand out for Ruka to take. 

"I can't. . . You know what will happen to me if I were to walk out of this forest. You should know that. Didn't your younger brother tell you. . ?" Ruka speaks in a whisper. 

"You don't have to worry about that, my dear~ I have something for you that can help with that." Tatsuya pulls something out of his GI and holds up a vile that contained dark green liquid. "This will give you the ability to walk beyond the forest. 

Before my bother had given up on falling for your mother, he managed to make this for any Willow Maiden. With this, you are able to live on if you were able to leave the forest. You can finally be free. Just like in your song~" 

Tatsuya grabs the Willow Maiden by her arm and quickly injects the dark green liquid into her arm. Ruka grunts a bit because of the pain of the needle. 

She drops to her knees, while holding her arm, as her body trembles. The dose takes its effect on Ruka and her body stops shaking. 'Did it really work?' Ruka wondered. She was afraid to set foot out of the forest, but Tatsuya wasted no time. 

He grabbed Ruka by the arm and yanked her out of the forest, taking her first step out of the entrance. 

Ruka waited for her body to suddenly become weak and collapse, just like her mother's did, but she felt nothing. Ruka felt the same. 

"It seems it has worked it's magic on you. Perfect~ Now, let's go." Tatsuya drags Ruka all the way back to Grass Village and keeps her prisoned in the sacred garden. 

Ruka was tired of hiding, so she came to a decision that she will allow herself to get captured. For the sake of the leaf Shinobi that have done so much to keep her safe, and her mother. 

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