A Ninja's Path (Kakashi X Reader)

Chapter Fifty Eight

As always, darkness was all you knew. The world around you sounded muffled, like you were underwater.

You didn't want to open your eyes, didn't want to wake up in your bedroom and start the day of pain over. You just wanted to lay here in denial.

Then you felt a sharp pang against your cheek, a warm wetness spreading from it...

Maybe you weren't there anymore... maybe this was real... but were you really willing to risk that?

If you got up, it would mean you would have hoped. Hoped for better. You didn't want your hope to be false. Didn't want your hope to be broken.

But hope is what keeps you going.

You again.

I am you.

Shut up. I know already.

Open your eyes.

No.

Open your eyes.

I won't.

Open your eyes or you'll fall back into the world of pain again. Open your eyes or you'll never hope again. Open your eyes.

... Fine.

You slowly opened them, taking in your surroundings. You were laying on the floor of a dark, dirty cell. A small window let you know that night was falling.

And standing over you, staring into space with a concentrated expression and glowing violet eyes, was your Aunt Fuyu.

You sat up, brushing against something cold and distinctly metal on the floor beside you. It was a kunai, just like Fuyu had promised. And outlining its edges was your blood. You touched your cheek, determining that the bleeding had at least stopped. The cut still throbbed, but you were thankful it had been painful. Or else you would have been stuck in that genjutsu forever.

You shivered, thinking about that nightmarish place. Full of pain and suffering. But you had other things to worry about, like your psycho aunt whose fingers were starting to twitch.

She would be returning to reality soon, she was probably coming to the realization that you were gone.

You looked down at the blade in your hand, thinking about what Fuyu had asked you to do.

"In that moment, grab the kunai off the ground and stab me. (Y/N). I need you to kill me."

How were you supposed to kill her like this? When you killed people, it was usually during a fight when the other person was defending themselves. But in this situation... you felt like you were slaughtering a helpless animal. Not that your aunt was helpless, but she really couldn't fight you back at the moment.

You knew you had to do it. For all the lives she had ended, for the all the pain she had put others- including yourself- through. But even so...

"I can't do this." You whispered. You looked at your aunt with an emotion you never thought you would've felt for your sadistic aunt- pity. Pity that her life had been so devastatingly ruined and used to hurt others.

"You're my little puppet now."

Had she been talking about you, or herself?

Fuyu clenched her fist, as if struggling to break free of her own genjutsu. As if something was trying to keep her at bay. To give you more time to finish the job. But you just couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry." You whispered to your aunt before hobbling toward the door. You must not have stood up in awhile, because your muscles were all sore. You examined your arms and legs, surprised to find them unharmed. The only physical wound you had was the cut on your cheek. All that pain...

You chuckled to yourself.

It had all been in your head.

You approached the door, finding it slightly ajar. You pushed it open slowly, peering out to look down the long prison corridor. It was silent.

Wait.

Why was it silent?

Last time you had been here, the screams of rebels had drowned out your days and nights.

Were they all dead?

You felt something buzz through the air and you reacted just in time to slam the cell door shut. The buzzing ceased.

Fuyu growled as she stared you down. "You b*tch."

You smirked. "Oh, so you can talk?"

Your aunt snarled. She narrowed her eyes at you, as if expecting something to happen.

"What? Trying to burn me with Shi no Hono (no, this does not say sh*t no homo)? I guess it only works when that cell door is open." You gestured to the bars Fuyu's fingers were currently wrapped around.

"How did you get out." Fuyu seethed.

You shrugged. "With a little help."

Your aunt's gaze landed on your bloody cheek. She sneered. "So I see. She got herself involved. I was wondering why she was being so quiet."

You cocked your head to the side. "So, you've got some sort of multiple personality disorder, huh? You really should get some help."

Fuyu let out a low guttural sound, sort of like a wild animal. "I promise, when I get out of here-"

"You'll what? Put me under another genjutsu? I'm not falling for that again."

Your aunt, stepped away from the cell door. A long smile stretched across her face. "We'll see, my little puppet."

You winced. Although you'd heard that nickname guttering around in your brain for the longest time, it had been years since you had actually heard it on the lips of your abuser. You clenched your fist, suddenly second-guessing your decision to spare her. But then you remembered the Fuyu in the genjutsu, the one who had shared her love and regret.

"I... have always... loved... you..."

You shook the violent thoughts away. Somewhere, trapped inside, was your real aunt, the one your mother had shown you in your lost memories. Somehow, you vowed, you would find a way to free her. To get rid of this monster she had been replaced with.

"So do we put her on the top platform?"

"Yeah, she gets her own. A special execution for the Violet Phantom. Front and center."

You activated your Hikarigan and blended into the shadows as a pair of Nightmares neared your cell.

You flinched as Aunt Fuyu glared at you, despite the shadows keeping you hidden. As if she could sense you with her own Hikarigan.

She sneered at you, something wicked. "You better start running now, little puppet. Because when I get out of here..."

You didn't even hesitate as you bolted away, running for the exit. You ran straight past the Nightmares but they didn't even notice.

Halfway up the stairs, you heard yelps of surprise coming from below.

"She's gone!!!"

As you made it up the last step, you heard screams of agony.

"Panther, please... NOOOOO!!!!!!"

A moment later, an alarm rang through the building.

Word was out, the Violet Phantom had escaped. And Aunt Fuyu was out to get you too.