The Willow Maiden [Naruto]

{48} What's Done Is Done

'Humans are very cruel creatures. . . I am tired of being treated like a slave. . . Maybe next time I can kill the next human who tries to take me. . .' Ruka thought as she walked through the forest, not caring where she was heading. 

After the battle with Killer Bee, and Sasuke using his Amaterasu on her, she fled once Killer Bee was weakened. Yet, she didn't care where she was going. Anywhere to be away from humans. 

In this new evolved form of Ruka, she despises humans with a passion. That's why she almost killed Killer Bee. She fled because she did not want to deal with anymore humans. 

'I want to go home. . . Back to Mother. . . I do not care how many humans I have to kill. I just want to go home. . .' She thought once more. 'If killing humans is what I need to do to stay safe. . . Then so be it. . . I will kill as much humans as needed. . .' 

Ruka stopped walking when she felt movement, beneath the earth, coming her way. She slowly turned around to see nothing, and nobody there. She wasn't paranoid. She was smart enough to know when she was being watched. 

Ruka raised her right hand and a vine sprawled out from the ground, and attacked whoever was hiding. "Who is there?" She questioned. 

"Ruka?!" Yamato came out from behind the tree. He followed her because he thought she was a spy of some sort. He couldn't tell because of her new appearance. He thought she was a part of Zetsu, considering his skin was partly green. "Is that really you, Ruka?" Yamato took a step closer, but a vine wraps around his ankle and flings him to a nearby tree. 

"Anatahadare? . . ." Ruka questioned with a look of no remorse. 

"Ru. . .ka. . . ?" Yamato grunted at his words. 

"Watashi wa anata ni tazunemashita, anatahadaredesu ka?" {I asked you, who are you?} RUka said once more as she tilted her head to the right side. 

"Captain Yamato!" Kakashi gets in front of Yamato and holds up his kunai as he glares at Ruka. 

'Another human. . . Working together. . . What for? . . . To capture me? . . . The brunette was following me just now. . . No matter. . .' Thorns slowly came out of Ruka's body. 'I will kill both of them. . .' Ruka raised both of her hands up and roots from the earth rose up. 

"Those techniques. . . Could it be. . . Ruka?!" Kakashi's eyes widened. 'What's happened to her? She's changed! She's. . . so different!' 

"You know my name? . . . How?" 

'It really is her!' Kakashi thought once more. "Ruka, it's us. Your team. What's happened to you?!" 

"You know me. . . But, I do not know you. Therefore. . . I must kill you." Thorns made their way to both Kakashi and Yamato. Yamato acted quickly by putting a wooden barrier around him and Kakashi. "That will not protect you forever." Ruka informs as she kneels down, then stands back up with her hands out at the side of her, having roots rise up from the ground. 

Kakashi and Yamato make it out of the barrier as thorns try to grab them. As they were about to pierce them in the eye, they were cut in a blink of an eye. This surprised Ruka. In her case, nobody has ever avoided her attacks before. 

"What's going on here?!" Naruto shows up. Him, Kakashi, Yamato, and Sakura are all gathered at one place as they stood a few feet away from Ruka. "Who is that?" Naruto asks. 

"That's Ruka, but something isn't right. She's different." Kakashi answers. 

"Really? That's Ruka?! But why is she-" 

"We don't know. She just started attacking us. She's not listening to a word that we're saying." Yamato adds. 

"Well, whatever happened, is probably the reason why she's like this. We just have to reason with her. If we attack her, she'll think that we're trying to hurt her just like last time." 

"I'm not so sure, Naruto. Look at the way she's changed. Her skin, her hair, and her appearance." Kakashi tells him. 

"I have to try." Naruto placed his weapons on the ground while looking at Ruka. "I'm not going to hurt you, Ruka. It's me. Naruto. Don't you remember?" 

Ruka didn't say a word to Naruto as she stared at him. 'Who. . .are you? . . .' She thought. Her memory was squiggly, like tv lost its signal. 'Why. . .do you have my brethren? . . . Have we met? . . . Try to remember. . .who you are. . .' 

"Ruka, whatever happend to you, it's going to be alright now. You don't have to keep running anymore. You're safe now. You know who I am, don't you? It's me, Naruto!" Naruto smiles. 

Ruka continued to stare at Naruto without saying a word before suddenly appearing in front of Naruto. He flinched at how fast she was, but remained calmed. Ruka gently cupped both of Naruto's cheeks as she stared into his eyes. "Kimyōna ningen. . . . Soredemo, anata wa sōdesu. . ." {Strange human. . . Yet, you are. . .} 

"I'm not letting you go, or out of my sight ever again." That memory replayed in Ruka's mind as it was being cut off like a lost signal. But, it was enough to bring her back to her senses. 

"Naruto. . . !" She whispered out as her skin began to fade and her hair turning to its original color. 

Ruka blinked a few times before hugging Naruto tightly. "Naruto!" She smiled as Naruto hugged her back. "You kept your promise. . . !" 

"Welcome back. Come on, let's get you out of here." 

"Mm." Ruka nods her head. Her, Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato ran back to the village. When they returned to the village, Tsunade had kept Ruka under her surveillance. But, Naruto wasn't going to give up on Sasuke. 

"You have been through a lot, Ruka. It's time you rest as much as you can. Understand?" Tsunade looked at her. 

"Yes, Ma'am." Ruka nodded her head before looking out the window of the Hokage office. "Will. . .Naruto return?" 

"He always does. Don't worry. You really care about him, do you?" 

"Of course." Ruka smiles. "He. . .has done so much for me. . . I wish I could help him as much as he has helped me." 

"I understand. But, you have to understand that you are still in danger. I need you to keep a low profile of yourself from now on. Got it?" 

"Yes, Ma'am." Ruka nods again and closes her eyes. 'I have finished what I had to do. . . What is done is done. . . I've taken back my brethren. . .' Ruka opens her hand to reveal the small seed that she took back from Sasuke when she held her, at the time when she was struck by Killer Bee. 'Now. . . How can I put this seed into use? . . .' 

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