Chapter 26 - The Old Way of Life

“You ARE strong…The rumors were true then…” Kabuto said mildly, blocking a vicious roundhouse from Ekyt, then returning with a punch that Ekyt parried, aiming for an uppercut, then walking forward into a crane stance, snapkicking at the knee, then leaping back as Kabuto took a full cut at his head.
“There are times when strength is forced from you. Letting your comrades die…even at the hands of your own “team”, makes me scum. I don’t care what your goal is Kabuto. It’s thankful that Lord Hokage saw through you.”
“What?! He would never assign a Genin to monitor me, he knows my skills!” Kabuto had lost his placidness. It was replaced with a feeling of anger.
“Yes he would. You would know if a jonin was following you. But a clueless genin wouldn’t show up on your radar!”
Ekyt leapt up, catching Kabuto’s jaw on the way up with a front kick, then elbowing his head on the way down. He rolled through and aimed for a leg sweep, which Kabuto leapt deftly over, and followed up immediately with a kick to the chest. He threw three kunai as Ekyt was flying backwards. For his part, Ekyt only had time to put up a forearm to shield the kunai. They stuck in him, but only did superficial damage. Ekyt leapt over the next barrage, throwing two of his own, pausing, then throwing a third. He guessed, correctly, that the change in timing might throw Kabuto off. Kabuto blocked the third one too soon. Ekyt landed in a front hand-spring and narrowly missed Kabuto’s face with an axe kick as he was landing. Kabuto straight-punched, following up immediately with a side kick. He took a page from Ekyt’s book and changed his timing, stopping the kick, then using his foot to push Ekyt backward. At the same time, Ekyt and Kabuto went for punches, and the matched kicks, followed by each attacking with their forearms, which brought on a deadlock. Ekyt broke the deadlock with the red kunai, stabbing it into Kabuto’s quadriceps.


Kakashi sensed the red kunai’s useage. It had been laced with his chakra, so he could tell when it was used. He silently hoped he wouldn’t be too late. There’s no way a genin could hold off Kabuto for long…and Ekyt isn’t going to run if he can help it…


Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were all desperately trying to force some chakra out of themselves. Naruto was fighting with himself, trying to unlock the chakra of the nine-tailed fox. But he suddenly saw something that destroyed his focus.

Just then, Kabuto made a strike that Ekyt KNEW did damage, although he couldn’t tell what it did. He felt like something had reached inside him and squeezed, hard. My chakra…I can’t sense my normal chakra…but my emotional chakra is there…The others can’t run yet…there’s no other choice. I don’t know what Kabuto did to me…but the mission comes first…I just need to bide a little time to well that chakra up…Please (begging himself)…just let me get this one right…

“I knew you couldn’t be trusted. You’re not getting them. Not Sasuke. Not Naruto. Not Sakura. If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!” Ekyt was shaking, partially from pain, partially from his own, reverse-flowing pure-emotion chakra building up. His voice took on a deeper, more strained tone. That was because every ounce of chakra, including the smaller build-up in his throat, was being summoned to his chest, then to his hands. He made a series of hand signs so rapidly that even the newly-arrived Kakashi had a rough time keeping up.

“BLUE FLAME CHAKRA: SWALLOW STRIKE FINALITY JUTSU!”

“What is this?!” Kabuto was actually afraid. He had never seen anything like this. His chakra…it’s solidifying around his fist…but I closed it off! I destroyed his chakra coils, didn’t I? How is this possible?! Unless…he has a secondary chakra…either way…this attack is bad news!

Ekyt launched into a full-throttle punch, aiming to take Kabuto’s head off. Kabuto easily dodged the attack.

“It’s a shame, I was curious as to what this jutsu did…” Kabuto gave a smirk. The smirk flickered, because he didn’t see Ekyt anywhere.
“YOU’RE GONNA FIND OUT SMARTASS!”
Ekyt materialized at his feet in a crouching position. He threw the back of his hand upward, hitting Kabuto under the jaw, launching the silver-haired turncoat backward into a tree. Kabuto slid down it, gasping for air on his hands and knees. All of Kabuto’s veins suddenly glowed a vibrant red, every blood cell was close to rupturing. Slash marks appeared all over his body, and his eyes blackened.
“W-what is…is this…this hell…what did you do to me?” Kabuto coughed out, then vomited blood.
Ekyt managed a smile, despite his leg aching and his arm bleeding. “You thought I missed, didn’t you? It’s a samurai thing (koff): In the swallow form, the first strike is a decoy. The second strike…well, you’re feeling it now… (koff) Your blood is boiling…every emotion I feel, all the pain I feel…that I’ve EVER felt…you’re about to get hit with it…”
Kabuto screamed; he had never [FELT so much PAIN. His brain was sending messages to all of his body. He hyperventilated, his heart raced, his muscles spasmed. His throat tightened up. He fell to his knees, vomiting violently, though there was no blood in it this time. However, he WANTED to die, ANYTHING to end the pain. It ended only when Kabuto blacked out. His arms and legs were broken in a total of twenty places, and he had a major concussion.


Ekyt was panting, on all fours. That jutsu had destroyed him. “Damn you! I’ll see you to hell for what you’ve done to Kabuto!”
Akuhei had lost her control. She hefted Kabuto’s body onto her shoulder, silently cheering that he was still alive. She hurled five kunai at Ekyt, all of them striking him in the back. She wanted to kill him, to slit his throat, but she had to leave, there were too many people, too many witnesses…a few rank genin, she could have handled that. But Kakashi, the copy ninja? She was good, but not THAT good.

Kakashi saw the entire attack in slow motion, thanks to his Sharingan. Another jutsu he’s created…but what damage did Kabuto do to him? He shouldn’t have been able to access that blue chakra until his regular chakra was gone. Wait…I couldn’t sense any…does this mean…

“Kakashi-sensei…don’t tell anyone (koff) who doesn’t need to (koff koff) know.” Ekyt gave Kakashi a hard look before he slumped to the ground.

Sakura leapt down next to Ekyt, feeling his pulse and his breath.
“What happened to him Kakashi-sensei?” she asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. The vibrant green color was dotted with glistening tears within seconds. A few trickled down onto their fallen comrades vest.

Kakashi shook his head sadly. “He’s not dead Sakura. And he will live…but that particular jutsu, after Kabuto’s attacks…it might have cost him a lot more than a hospital visit.”

“What happened?!” Sakura demanded.
“His chakra coils…they’re destroyed. Beyond all conventional repair. Like Lee, he will be unable to use Genjutsu or Ninjutsu…unlike Lee, he has no sensei, no role model, and no one…but himself.”
Kakashi drew himself up. “Summon the medical-nin. You three are sworn to secrecy. The other senseis will know, and Lee will be informed. Other than that, no one is to find out. Understood?”


Ekyt woke up, not feeling the usual warmth of his chakra. He knew what had happened. He got up out of bed, his feet touching the cold floor. He looked around the hospital room. None of it felt familiar. He didn’t know how long he had been out, only that it had been a while. He felt…empty.
“Empty…sounds familiar…I guess this is the price I’ve paid…it was worth it.” Ekyt clenched a fist at the last words. He knew that a nurse would come bustling in any second, telling him to get back in bed. Before that happened, he had to confirm his suspicion.
“Substitution jutsu!”

Nothing.

This is it? All that work…the insane training…all to end. So much…hasn’t happened yet…Gaara and Chakaro haven’t gotten their comeuppance…Kayla left…Linda’s still a dog…and it ends with me, protecting people I care about to the last…just like I thought. I could always go back to traditional martial arts…but there’s no place for a ronin (master-less samurai) in a ninja village. And my other arts are dead around here. I’m not Lee, I’m no master of hard work…I can’t see a bright side to this…I wish…this was all a lie…That this hadn’t happened…not like this.

The realization finally hit Ekyt. He let himself slink onto the bed again, not even minding the fact that he was silently crying. The cold reality had hit him hard.

It’s over…


Lord Hokage listened as Kakashi gave his report.
“I should never have over-matched the boy, no matter how important the mission,” Hokage said with a sigh. His position required him to remain stoic, but inside he was torn apart. All that promise…and I condemned it to death…Even in the name of duty, this feels wrong.
“Kakashi, I’m going to give Ekyt time. I think three days will do it. Then I will visit him. I just pray he can forgive me for this.”
“I think he will Lord Hokage, and I doubt he holds you responsible, even now. He would have been upset if he HADN’T gotten the mission.

Ekyt forced himself up. He was determined to put on a normal appearance, at least until he could disappear for a while, think things out. For once, he didn’t know if he had it in him to continue. Things were pretty much hopeless, as far as he was concerned. He had passed his last mission. The only hitch was that it wasn’t supposed to be his last mission, it was just supposed to be another mission. Famous last words. He got up and left the room, ignoring the protesting doctors and nurses. Finally, he turned around and sadly asked them “Can you cure me?” When they all shook their heads, and tried to explain it, Ekyt put up a hand to stop them.
“Don’t depress me any more. I appreciate you trying. But if there’s nothing you can do for me, I’d rather just go home.”
Ekyt pushed past the medical-nin and headed for home. On the way, he forced a smile and a few words to people he knew. But when he got home, he drew the blinds, pushed the bed against the door, pulled off his vest and shirt, and sat down on the wooden floor.


The chunin exams had been canceled for the time being. With Kabuto and Orochimaru in the area, everyone agreed it was for the best. Jonin and Chunin guards roamed the streets at night. It was easily a horrid time of anticipation for everyone.
Some, however, were nervous for other reasons.
“There has been no sign of him?”
The small group that had been watching Ekyt’s house collectively shook their heads at Lee’s question. Sakura was the one on duty right now, although Naruto and Shikamaru were keeping her company.
“If we could only talk to him, I am sure that we could fix this…” Lee hadn’t told anyone WHY he had taken such an interest in Ekyt’s case. Besides being a concerned friend, Lee was going through the same thing. Taijutsu was Lee’s only weapon, and now it was Ekyt’s only weapon as well. Except for one key difference: It seemed Ekyt had no drive left in him. His emotion chakra that had put Kabuto out of action had eaten him alive.

For a full day, Ekyt sat almost perfectly still. Aside from occasionally taking a bite of food or going to the bathroom to relieve himself or get cleaned up, he had sat still. No matter how he sliced it, things were over for him. All he could do was put his swords up for sale. Ronin did that…but it was hard for him to think of himself that way…it was like being a samurai prostitute, available for anyone who could pay the right price. No…I’ll never whore my sword out that way. There must be some option I’m not thinking of…Maybe I’ll think more clearly when my house isn’t under surveillance. I can’t face them, not just yet…But I DO understand…I can’t be defenseless in this village…that means it’s time to review every martial art I’ve ever done. And I’m going to perfect them.

Day three came. Ekyt still had no will to live, but he had polished his old martial arts so much that he would have been deadly against an opponent…well, one that didn’t have chakra. He knew that, but he kept training. Training meant life, even though it was a pitiful half-existence.
“We’ll need to do this carefully. Lee…Sakura…Naruto…and Hinata. I need all of you to come with me. You all know your respective roles.” Lord Hokage had formed a plan to save Ekyt’s life as a Shinobi, and all the pieces needed to be in place.

The dark, Hayate-like circles under Ekyt’s eyes were even more pronounced than before. The stress was really taking a toll on him. He had just taken a break from his workout when he heard a knock at his door. He dragged the bed out of the way and answered it after pulling on his vest.

Ekyt sat down to listen to the “Sales pitch.” He pulled out his dagger at one point, and had several pairs of hands wrestle it away from him. (I was just gonna peel this apple, I dropped my knife, damnit!)

“There’s no help for me. I’ve got no regrets about that last fight. Mission comes first, always has.”
“But there’s no reason that your Shinobi path has to be a dead end. You showed so much promise…it would be a true shame to throw all that away,” Lord Hokage began, with all the cunning age had brought him.
“There’s nothing to throw away Lord Hokage!” Ekyt protested, sticking his dagger into the table, then pushing away from the table, muttering and pacing.
“Lee, as you are aware, is in the same boat as you and”
“Lee has been training like this his whole life! Ninjutsu and Genjutsu were the only things keeping me alive at times! I’m in no shape for taijutsu, no matter how much of it I’ve studied! Study and application are two different things! And besides, he has had a mentor and a team! I’ve lived alone, and I’ll bet I die alone too!”
Naruto finally grabbed Ekyt by his vest.
“NEVER give up! If I had quit every time the going got tough, I’d still be at the academy! YOU NEVER QUIT! Once you quit, it’s over! You’ll be a loser!”
“Naruto, that eno” Lord Hokage began, but Naruto plowed forward.
“And another thing! The Jutsus didn’t save your life, YOU saved your own life, and I’m not gonna let you throw all this away! This are gonna work, you’ll get back on your feet! Believe it!”
Ekyt looked mildly at Naruto.
“Are you done? Because if this is it, this is all you can tell me, there’s nothing to discuss. And it’s not “quitting” if it’s forced on you. I sure as hell would rather be an active Shinobi, than some mangled, gimped, one-eyed moron who threw everything away!”
Sakura spoke up softly, knowing that it was now or never. It was time to speak from the heart. It wasn’t a gift many ninja had, but Sakura did: A genuine personality.
“That’s not how you’ll be remembered.”
Ekyt stopped pacing, but didn’t turn around. Sakura continued in the same sincere voice.
“You’ll be remembered as the genin who fought against a powerful enemy, and who gave every last drop of chakra in himself to complete his mission and save his friends.”
Ekyt’s hands relaxed as Sakura’s words continued. Her soft voice was soothing somehow, even though she was just saying what everyone else had said.
“And there’s no reason people have to stop remembering you at that point. I know you’re not in it for the notoriety. Why stop when you can save people? Letting yourself fade away…that’s the only wrong thing to do. So pull yourself up, one more time. Remember? Jinsei nanakorobi, ya’oki. Life is falling down seven times, and getting up eight.”
She grabbed Ekyt’s hand, the same as he had done for her so many times when SHE had been the one near tears. She felt his hand tighten around hers slightly. She had always wished this would have been Sasuke. But at this moment, her thoughts were truly with Ekyt.

“We will not let you throw everything away. To do so would be a violation of our Shinobi ways, and yours.” (Lee’s words)
“You’re gonna get over this! You’re gonna get stronger, and you’re not gonna give up! Believe it!” (Naruto’s words)
“This means altering your training. Lee, Hinata, are you up to it?” Lord Hokage asked, already knowing their answer.
Lee gave a crisp salute. Hinata nodded shyly, looking at the ground and playing with her fingers.
“I guess this ends my teaching career.” Ekyt said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“I could only instruct in taijutsu. Tomorrow was the day I could start helping Iruka-sensei with demonstrating jutsus, among other things. Now…Lord Hokage, with your permission, I’d like to start training.”

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