he goes to pray at Yukimura-sensei's grave. he brings red poppies and quotes a passage from one of his favorite books
We are the Dead. Short days ago.
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Love and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
he hopes that Yukimura-sensei hears it.
-------
Hotari spends all her time beside him.
His eyes are always full of warmth and an emotion she cannot describe. But it makes her feel warm and tingly and happy.
She wonders if this is love. She has never experienced love in life. All she has ever had were the feelings that are not lessening no matter how hard she tried.
"I love you Ryo-kun."
He looked at her with shocked expression only for his lips to be caught by hers
She ran away while he kept frozen from the shock of that kiss
-------
"Team 18"
Ryo steps in front and waits for the details of the mission.
"This is a high-level B-rank. Your team will infiltrate an enemy base recently established itself near the border; there is an estimated number of ten shinobi. Eliminate all targets if needed and bring back the intelligence."
"Here is the second part of the mission as well"
he grabs the scroll and leaves.
In the end, everyone is expendable.
Even prodigies.
-------
"So what should we do, go in there kill them and get the scroll?" asked Shouji
"No, we must not be seen...fighting on the borders will only kill us like sensei", replied Ryo
-------
infiltrating it should be my job…information gathering should be Hotari's and yours, you can work together with her for extra persuasion," as Shouji suggested that, Ryo replied.
"Shouldn't I keep an eye out on you? You are the one who needs more protection," as he pointed that out, the Yamanaka shook his head
"We've got a lot of terrains to cover. I can infiltrate nearly anywhere, as long as I'm alone: you know that Ryo," the boy spoke quietly
"Alright, before we move, remove your hitai-ate, remove your clothes and wear civilians dresses", said Ryo shocking Hotari and shouji
"Why"
"From this moment onwards we will be on borders, enemies are everywhere, as far as I am concerned we can't be seen to be with Konoha, to avoid conflict with iwa or Kiri or neither should we be with Kiri or iwa, to avoid conflict with Konoha"
"As long as we are orphans running for their lives, we will be safe", Hotari completed the analysis
The three moved
-------
They crossed into the Land of Steam without incident. It wasn't hard to tell what gave the country its name. Within the mountains fringing the country, and even on the plains, there were natural vents that spat forth steam.
As they pass the land after land, Ryo double checked to make it sure that they weren't being trailed, they were leaping trees after trees taking as much as the detour as possible to avoid being seen
Suddenly Hotari stopped, "What is it", asked Ryo as he watches her
"4 enemies coming from the east side, looks like they are just patrolling based on their slow speed"
"Shouji, go, remember the plan do not fight, switch your bodies with the chunnin, bring him out, take the information and kill him", said Ryo and shouji nodded
"Hotari, go with shouji keep an eye out on the field, make sure shouji extract the information without any hindrance", hotari nodded
-------
Ryo was standing on top of the tree, watching the patrolling shinobis, his eyes hold no emotions whatsoever as he made the hand signs
Genjutsu ninja Art: "Feast of the Crows"
The 4 targets are engulfed in an illusion that they are standing in a field surrounded by crows. At Ryo's command, the crows began to attack the targets and pick off the person's flesh until there is nothing left but the bare bones. It seems that the fear this jutsu instills on its target is so great that the person can die.
"KAI", in the end, the tallest of them all break through the genjutsu, only for him to see all of his comrades dead
"GAK", The last thing he saw was a sword sticking out of his chest from behind, he didn't even see his killer
-------
They complete the mission with no losses. Shouji needs stitches and Hotari nurses a bruised arm.
They waited till night.
They found their target, the guy, the village sent them to assassinate, Ryo acted as a bait, enemies ninjas come out to intercept him, Hotari and Shouji moved in the darkness to assassinate their target
-------
The mission ended with zero casualties on their side, they reported back to Konoha
They are sent on more missions and come back successful only to receive more.
he is tired.
-------
Time passes. 16...17...18
He presses a kiss onto Mikoto's lips.
He presses a necklace into her hands, there is a ring dangling on the thin silver chain. He is wearing the matching ring on his neck.
"This will be our engagement ring", he said happily, she agreed happily
-------
"Hotari", his voice was nothing more than a whisper
"Did you give her, the ring i mean"
"Yes, she was happy", he said sadly
"It belonged to my mother"
-------
They receive another mission, this time with another team.
he is in charge of leading the attack on a group of rock-nin situated near one of the bases. he splits the team into 3 groups. he is with Hotari. Shouji is with another member of the other team. And the last two are together.
Blood.
he did not see the ambush coming and Hotari covers him from the barrage of kunai, shuriken and earth jutsu.
His eyes see red and he charges at the other shinobi.
he uses the taijutsu he created using Gentle Fist as a base in a fight for the first time. he is mercilessly and he breaks bone, severed limbs, but he leaves them alive.
His hands go through the signs and he spews fire.
Their screams fill the air.
he holds Hotari's broken body in his arms.
The fire spreads.
-------
"Ryo-kun..... I wonder what would have happened... if I were the one you would have met in the academy.... would you have loved me instead of her?"
he holds Hotari tightly.
"Please, don't die, *Hic* please don't", he begged her crying
"Will you kiss me, I thin-", before she could finish her sentence he kissed her
"Hotari, please don't die" *hic*hic
"I wish… that… I could have… spent more time with you…"
Her eyes begin to dim.
he opens her eyes forcefully and stares into her eyes
he would grant her last wish.
A life.
The first kiss.
The proposal in a blooming field of flowers.
The Hyuuga clan merging into one.
Marriage.
Children.
Lying side by side till the end.
His grip tightens around a kunai.
She takes all the knowledge his mind has to offer.
And....he strikes, fast and strong, plunging the weapon in her heart. Hotari died, he broke down
WAAAAAHHHHH WAAAAAAAHHHH, he cried heavily
-------
Shouji and the others find him later. The fire has subsided and Hotari's body is nowhere in sight.
"Where is she?" Shouji asks.
he stares blankly at his face. There was no trace of emotion on his face
"I burned her and scattered her ashes." It was protocol. If a member of a team falls in the war effort and has a blood limit, their body must be destroyed immediately.
he feels cold.
-------
At Hotaru's funeral, Hotari's father stares at Hotari's picture in disgust.
"Weak till the end," he mutters.
he has to stop Shouji from killing the man.
Even though he wants to do the same.
-------
The Memorial Stone.
he sits in front of the stone, tracing Hotari's name.
His eyes blur and he feels wetness on his cheeks. Hands cover his eyes and he stares at Hotari's name, She would forever remain alive for him
-------
The war did not stop, he alongside Shouji was given more and more mission together, he becomes more cautious as a shinobi, he becomes better nothing catches him off guard anymore
-------
Time passes, just like that, he was 19...
"Nee-san, this is Ryo, my best friend!"
The woman standing in front of Ryo is beautiful with fully developed curves, bright blue eyes like Shouji's and long blond hair. Her name is Keiko.
"Nice to meet'cha Ryo-kun!"
Keiko reminds Ryo of Shouji, warm and bright like the sun.
"This will be our first mission together Shouji and when we get home I'll get mom to make a special dinner to celebrate my little bro's first mission with his big sister," Keiko announces, ruffling Shouji's hair.
Keiko's smile is bright and happy and her teammates join her in taunting Shouji.
-------
The mission ended horribly. Shouji is screaming in his arms, his face and hands covered with blood.
"Nee-san!" Shouji screams and cries and thrashes in his arms.
he stares emotionlessly as Shouji rushed to hold his sister's torn body.
-------
Shouji holds onto her desperately as the funeral progresses. He is broken and torn apart. His mother is lifeless standing next to his father.
"Nee-san…"
Keiko becomes nothing more than a name on the Memorial Stone.
-------
"I am going to become a civilian, goodbye my friend, please remember this, you are my best friend for life"
A lone tear fell off his face, as he watches his best friend walk away
He made his way to memorial stone, he caresses the names of Yukimura sensei, Hotari, and Keiko
He is sad, he is tired, he is broken, no one cares, no one listens
-------
The missions pile up and he is sent on solo missions.
he kills more and more. His skills become better and better, he now by far the best Kenjutsu, and genjutsu user out there, his stamina and chakra become huge, and his speed was even higher than flying thunder god, the famous flash Minato namikaze
The only thing keeping him sane, and alive is Mikoto his light, he made up his mind that he will propose her after this mission
-------
It was his birthday today he was 20....
That night, Mikoto came to his house bearing no emotion whatsoever
He was shocked but he still took her in, she suddenly kissed him, although shocked but he still kissed her back
"Take me", said Mikoto seductively
Filled by the lust itself, Mikoto and Ryo shared the hot and steamy night together
Next morning, he was awake early, waiting in the next room he was preparing himself for the proposal, he was going to make, he kept caressing the ring that hotari has given to him
When he came to the bedroom, he saw her clothed and ready to go
"Where are you going, you know we can ju-", Ryo was smiling happily, he was just happy after so long
"Ryo", Mikoto cut her
"I am getting married today", said Mikoto sadly
The ring fell off his hand, as he only muttered: "Why?"
"I am sorry, I am being forced by Clan council, but", she put a hand on his cheek, "please know that you are the only person, I ever loved, you were my first love, someone who taught me how to love....thank you!!!", said Mikoto as she put his ring on the table, indicating the end of their relationship
-------
He did not attend the wedding, but instead, he watched it from afar, he was shaking and shivering from the pain of losing her, after some time he recovers and made his way to spend his time on the memorial stone tracing the names of his lost bonds
Later that day, he was called to Hokage tower
-------
This is a high ranking A-ranking mission, some Konoha shinobis betrayed the village, eliminate them, just don't let them get into the hands of the enemies
--------
"AAAAA, it's the speed demon save me", came the yelling of a rough nin, who betrayed their village
"Swift release: Soundbreaker", releasing the chakra from his feet tenketsu to create a massive boom, he surpassed the speed of the sound itself, cutting the rough nin in half, as he chased others
-------
"S-Shouji, why", he found shouji along with a dead girl among the ones who were to be eliminated by him
"Shouji was holding a dead and broken girl in his arms and crying heavily"
His eyes filled with nothing but sad emotions asked him to have mercy on him
He killed shouji with a sword, stabbing him straight into the heart
WAAAAAHHHHH, WAAAAAHHHHHHHH, Ryo was holding his heart he was shivering and crying
-------
No one knew Shouji was a rebel, Ryo lied to everyone telling them he died protecting the village from rebels, Shouji was given a name on the memorial stone
-------
Today was his 20 birthday, today he lost his light, his best friend, he was having the nightmares, because of the love that brought him out of the darkness, it pushed him straight into it, only deeper
Just like a broken doll, he kept sitting there, staring at the names of the memorial stone, he didn't move an inch for hours, until he lost his consciousness