Chapter 19 - The Path of Most Resistance

As they zipped along through the trees, Sakura finally voiced what was on everyone’s mind.
“Are we…are we following Tsunade-sama’s orders? Or…is this different?” Sakura wasn’t sure how to word this.
“Sakura, Naruto, Sai…Yamato and I have discussed this…do you remember what I told you, the first day you became genin? You too, Naruto. What was it I said?”
Sakura and Naruto thought back. The test with the bells, the empty stomachs, the pain, the shame, the pride of winning, and then it hit them, the wisdom:
“People who abandon their comrades are scum!” Naruto and Sakura said at the same time.
“That’s right. I will always put my comrades before the mission…in this case, the mission and the comrade are the same. We need Ekyt alive. If he faces Kisame, he’ll be facing ALL of the Akatsuki. We need to take him home.”
Yamato, who had only worked with Ekyt under ANBU terms, had been briefed on Ekyt’s past. He had, like most jonin, taking a liking to the boy’s work ethic and honestly.
“After I worked with him, I wondered why he was denied the promotion. There IS a reason, and Kakashi and I have agreed to tell you, when the time is right. For now, retrieving Ekyt alive is the priority. At the mission’s end, when we have him with us, you’ll understand everything.”
“What’s there to understand?” Naruto couldn’t resist asking. “I mean, he’s skilled enough, and loyal enough, why SHOULDN’T he be chunin? When I’m Hokage, I’m going to change that!”
Sakura didn’t say anything. But the look of concentration on her face said enough.


Ekyt pushed off the branches, controlling his anger, keeping it bottled up. He would need it to fight Kisame, or whoever got in his way. Now that he had learned to call on his emotional chakra freely, his chakra control had improved, and he had learned more jutsus, and had more ability than before. But he had sacrificed everything to get it. Some people were born with talent, others had to work for it. Ekyt wasn’t blessed with natural ability, and he knew that. But he also knew that Lee was right- hard work WOULD pay off. But it was the second part of that advice that Ekyt couldn’t bring himself to do. Four years ago, when he had first become a genin, maybe he could have, but now, he couldn’t follow through with it:
“Hard work…But it’s useless unless you believe in yourself…I say that makes you an overconfident jackass, if you voice it often enough. There’s something that’s being kept from me, and it’s starting to really piss me off. I thought with hard work, I could do it. And when I saw Naruto wearing a chunin vest, it gave me hope. After all, who was more ostracized than Naruto? But I guess it all comes down to who you have in your corner. Am I as alone as I think? Who’s REALLY on my side? And I owe Master Sarutobi and Lee a lot, I’d never have gotten better without them. After this, it’s back to my exile. I can’t do any missions, not while violating my principles.”
Ekyt was thinking out loud, trying to sort things out. WHY couldn’t he be a chunin? WHAT was the problem, and WHY wasn’t anybody telling him anything? If Master Sarutobi or Lee knew, they weren’t talking. What if it’s something like Naruto…do I have a demon? Or is it my clan, the Kaguya? Or the samurai in me? What could make them stop me from progressing? And why couldn’t they tell me about it? No matter…I swore to serve Konoha, no matter what. And right now, I think getting my self-respect back would be a nice first step. Kisame…this isn’t over!


Tsunade finished the meeting with the council. After Ekyt’s ‘interruption’, it had been all down-hill. But the council had glumly agreed to Orochimaru’s suggestion of a short alliance.”
“We will sign an alliance with Orochimaru for a year, at the longest. That should be time enough to destroy the Akatsuki. Dismissed,” Tsunade said crisply. Only Master Sarutobi remained.
“A criminal, Tsunade? Isn’t that a little…harsh?” Sarutobi said around his pipe.
“You know what will happen as well as I do once he’s outside our protection. If I have to lock him up, I will. He cannot be allowed to…you know. I can’t say it aloud.”
Sarutobi nodded. “He would have understood, Tsunade. You owe him an explanation. He’s shown us loyalty, and devotion. He loves this village with all his heart. More than once, he broke down, crying in front of me, worried that he was being selfish and deserting Konoha while honing his skills. He wanted to know what was wrong with him, why he was forbidden from doing work more worthy of his skills. He put his heart and soul into his training. He never once fell asleep, Tsunade. Every night, for six monthes, he passed out when he had nothing left. Lee reported the same thing. You owe him an explanation…”
Tsunade nodded. “I know. I owe him a lot more than an explanation. But right now, I need him back in the village. If he’ll talk to me, I’ll tell him. If not, I’ve authorized Kakashi and Yamato to tell him, if it will get him home peacefully. Oh man, he is going to be PISSED that he’s under arrest.” Tsunade cupped her hands under her chin, looking more angry, glum, and worried than Sarutobi had seen her since Dan had died.
Sarutobi exhaled in shock. “You’re arresting him on a crime he didn’t technically commit. Tsunade, you know that is not the way to handle this. You’re backed into a corner, between him and Naruto, and Sakura. But understand, he and Naruto have the hardest path to follow. And he could follow that path as a chunin. Or, even more importantly, as a jonin.”
Sarutobi exhaled again, looking at Hokage rock. “To think…he thinks that Naruto Uzumaki will someday be Hokage…it’s uncanny how often his judgment is correct…”



Ekyt landed just outside Sunagakure. He stood there, unmoving, his hat and coat protecting him from the raging sand. After a brief time, he sensed the arrival of someone else. No, someones. Kisame…no, this chakra is familiar. Damnit, I need to move! Now!
Ekyt leapt up and away from the chakra trail. A vine, which grew into a branch, came from the ground and snared his ankle. It hauled him toward the ground.
“Chakra scalpel!” Ekyt cut the branch holding him, then danced away from another one. Then another. Soon, another familiar jutsu hit him.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Twelve Naruto’s were standing around Ekyt.
“Are you gonna come with a quietly, or do I break you in half and drag you back to the village?” the Naruto’s asked as one.
“Why the hell are you following me?” Ekyt didn’t have time to waste with these clones, or chakra. Instead, he threw senbon, laced with explosives. The clones all disappeared with a ‘poof’. Ekyt, who had leapt up and backward, landed back on the ground.
Soon enough, he saw Team Kakashi, with Yamato, staring at him.
“Listen to us. You’re a criminal in Tsunade’s eyes. We need you to come back with us.” Kakashi wasted no words.
Ekyt let his face drop. “A criminal…I’m…no…the one thing I didn’t want to be…damn it, why am I being tortured like this?!” Ekyt just stood there, staring at the sand. It seemed endless, like his problems. But then Ekyt thought of an hourglass. How much sand was left in the one determining his life? He knew that he was young and of good health. But the risks he took…and all in the name of Konoha, or it’s people.
“Wood Restraints Jutsu,” Yamato called. The wood started to wrap itself around Ekyt, who didn’t fight it. He just stood there, head bowed.
“So…that’s it, isn’t it? I’m a criminal? All the love…the effort…the life I’ve given to Konoha…and this is how I’m repaid?” Ekyt’s tears soon stained the wood that was snaking it’s way around his body. It tightened around his ankles, then his midsection, then his shoulders. He could have still escaped, his hands could have touched for a replacement jutsu. But he seemed to be mentally absent.
“All that this village meant to me…And I’ll I’ve been to it…is a burden? Is that it? What will happen to me at the village?” Ekyt asked quietly. He looked up, hazel eyes looking from person to person, searching for an answer.
“Well, you’re A-ranked due to your skill, so you’d be up for treason…and death…” Kakashi admitted.
Ekyt still didn’t move as the wood locked itself in place. Instead, he let his head fall forward again. Then he spoke the most chilling words Team Kakashi had heard from him.
“Then kill me. Use your Lightning Blade, and kill me. I’m not going back to Konoha, and I will fight all of you. You’ll have to kill me to stop me. I don’t want to take any of your lives…so why don’t you save yourself the trouble? You, Kakashi, or you, Naruto, your Rasengan can kill. If I’ve outlived my purpose, and I have no one, I see no reason for me to continue to live a sham of a life. Just, do it now…I can’t face life as a criminal…not least of all for something that isn’t a crime…”


Naruto’s mouth dropped open. He went back in time, to his first C-ranked mission. To Zabuza and Haku. On the Great Naruto Bridge…
Naruto…Please, kill me…that’s what Haku said. Why does everyone want to die when they’ve been defeated? I don’t understand?!
Naruto walked up to Ekyt and looked him in the eyes.
“Why?” he asked quietly.
“Why, what?” Ekyt replied.
“Why do you want to die? Why do you want to give up everything? Why are you so willing to forfeit your life? Because you lost a battle? Because you’re wrongly considered a criminal? Why?”
Ekyt smiled. “You know, it’s nice of you to ask, Naruto. I’ve apparently become everything I’ve hated…a criminal…and even worse…a burden to my village.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to die! Make things right! You damned coward! Death is the easy way out! Don’t you have any guts? Any courage, any honor at all? At least TRY to make things work!” Naruto grabbed Ekyt by the vest.
“Do you think it’s easy to sit here and ask for a death I don’t deserve? It’s not easy, Naruto. But I don’t see any alternative. I’m not spending my life in a jail cell, and I’m not going to be killed by the establishment like that.”


Sakura was in tears, watching this happen.
“Sensei, you know what’s wrong, tell him! Please, don’t let him do this to himself!”
Kakashi sighed. “I really don’t want to tell him. It might not make things any better.”
“He’s asking you to assassinate him! How much worse could things get?!” Sakura asked.
“Sakura…you talk to him. You two have always gotten along…I know you can talk him down. I don’t want to tell him, not just yet. If I do, in the state he’s in, he might put a kunai in his own heart…” Kakashi looked sadly at Ekyt, who wasn’t even fighting. He was just standing there. His hat had blown away, revealing his pale face. Every bit of it was etched with sadness and anger.
“Sakura…don’t forget a kunoichi’s original purpose, if it comes to that,” Yamato reminded her.

(Kunoichi [Female Ninja] were originally used to seduce male enemies into giving away secrets, or to be killed easily)



Ekyt stood still, finally giving up. A criminal…the ones I wanted to stop…now I AM one…I don’t want to die…not like this…not restrained by some branches, and not as a criminal. Naruto’s right! I need to clear my name! But how? It’s pointless, I DID it. I challenged the Hokage’s ruling. It wasn’t a crime to me, but if it was a crime by Tsunade, I’m guilty as charged. I could always plead…but I WILL keep my pride. And that means walking back to the village under my own power…wait, that would mean they would fail their mission. I swore to protect my friends. There’s only one alternative…
Before Ekyt could act on his thought, Sakura approached him.
“Ekyt-kun…you need to know something. Everything has been done for your protection. I can’t say what, that’s not up to me. They sent me over here to act as a kunoichi…but I’m going to act as your friend. Don’t give up on yourself. Konoha needs you, whether you know it or not. Your friends need you, loner or not. You’ve got every right to be upset about this, and God knows what else. But think of all the help you’ve been. The lives you’ve saved…you need to save one more life…”
“Yours.”
Sakura nodded to Yamato, who released the wood restraints. They uncoiled from Ekyt’s body. He didn’t move. Sakura walked forward and hugged him. She felt him return the embrace, his body shaking with emotion. It shook Sakura up, but she closed her eyes and continued her speech.
“You’re brave, Ekyt-kun. It’s unfair of what’s asked of you. And it’s even more unfair you have to go it alone. Naruto…he has a team. You’ve done this yourself. And I know asking you to put your trust in others is a pointless battle. But…well, all I can do is say out loud what I’ve been saying to myself…You can always come to me.”
Sakura didn’t let go of the embrace, and Ekyt didn’t either. She could tell the boy was clueless as to what he was supposed to do. Let go? Hold on? Sakura would have laughed if this wasn’t such an awful situation.
“Sakura…it means a lot…” Ekyt began. I’m going to say it. If they’re going to put me to death anyway, I might as well say it.
“Sakura, I’ve been meaning to say- Oh shoot! Look out!”


Kisame’s sword slashed down into the sand. Ekyt had leapt backward just in time, Sakura still in his arms. He put her down and rushed forward. Permission or not, this fight had just become personal. The others, against their orders, backed off.

Ekyt zipped forward, unimpressed by Kisame or his sword.
“I’m not the boy you fought before! Now, I’ve got nothing to lose!” Ekyt began to attack, his speed reaching Lee-ish levels. Without anyone, save for Kakashi’s Sharingan eye, seeing it, Ekyt used a Shadow Clone Jutsu. Both attack, leaping in and out, crowding Kisame, not letting him use his sword. Kisame could only block, shocked at the boy’s improvement.
“Little bastard! You still can’t win, I don’t care how good you’ve gotten!” He used the butt end of the sword to hit Ekyt in the forehead. Ekyt moved aside kicked the sword. The blade hit Kisame in the leg. While it didn’t hurt him, it threw him off-balance. Ekyt took advantage of that and cracked Kisame in the face with a punch that jarred Kisame’s shark-like teeth.
“You damned coward! Get a set, get some honor! Attacking from behind! You pile of rat shoot!” Ekyt kicked at Kisame with his heel. Kisame rolled away and backward. Ekyt zipped forward, striking again and again. Kisame blocking just in time. Kisame’s ring hand caught Ekyt in the face, but it didn’t even seem to faze him. Instead, Ekyt got in close, forcing Kisame to use his hands more than his sword. Ekyt knew that if you counted on a weapon for too long, you lost some of your touch in other abilities. Hand to hand combat was one of those things, and Kisame was a little rusty. Kisame was surprised, and he knew he HAD to get the kid out of hand to hand combat range. He did so by physically shoving Ekyt. Ekyt slid backward in the sand, already throwing his weight forward. Kisame threw the Samehada at Ekyt. But the boy was gone!
“Where did he go?!” Kisame couldn’t believe it.
BRACK!
Ekyt kicked Kisame under the chin, sending him into the air. He hooked his legs and neck with his arms.
“I’m right here, moron. Thanks for giving me a free shot! Backward Snap Dragon!”
Ekyt drove Kisame into the ground with the attack. Immediately, he knew he had just buried a log with his premier taijutsu move. He also knew that Kisame probably wasn’t alone. He had to end the fight quickly.
“You wanted to see my chakra? Well, I’ve got plenty of emotions to use, and I don’t need your to help me access them. That nasty little necessity is outdated. That’s why you’ve kept your big jaw shut. For now: Blue Flame: Dragon’s Circle!”
Ekyt’s body was outlined with a blue fire. Kisame couldn’t believe it. Ekyt used his “Dance of the Sickle Moon” jutsu again. This time, the speed was so incredible even Kisame had a hard time keeping up. He got cut 12 times. But it was clear Ekyt wasn’t aiming to kill. He wanted Kisame to live, and suffer. After the attack ended, Kisame’s cloak was in tatters, and his face was scarred from the cuts. But Ekyt’s momentary exhaustion gave Kisame an opening. He swung down. Ekyt dodged aside, but the sword still caught him on the arm. Blood dripped off the sword and Ekyt’s arm.



Sai started to draw the scene, but was quickly stopped by Sakura.
“You dumbass, don’t you ever learn?!” she shouted.
Kakashi suddenly narrowed his normal eye. “Ekyt’s…smiling…”



Ekyt was indeed smiling. He was doubled over in pain, and he was bleeding from the mouth, but he was, in fact, smiling. He even chuckled a little bit.
“This match is over. Good fight, freak. But I win,” Ekyt said, smiling.
“You’re the one with a sword in him, not me!” Kisame shot back.
“No, but you walked right into my trap. Did you think all those cuts were for nothing? I wasn’t just playing with you. While my two clones attacked, I put exploding tags all over. Your sword, the ground…your arm. And, funny thing, it only takes a little flame to set them all off. Or a Remote Detonation jutsu- but where’s the fun in that? Dragon’s Ember Jutsu!”
Kisame and his sword went up in a fiery explosion. He rocketed backward across the desert, leaving a trail of blood.
Ekyt followed the trail, looking down at Kisame. Aside from having no chakra and being badly scorched, he was alive.
“Those explosive tags, laced with my emotional chakra…you’re in for a lot of pain. Be thankful your sword didn’t touch my friends…you’d be dead, now. But, as it is, I think I need to take care of you anyway. You’ll live, but I’m going to ruin you.”

(NOTE: IS IT JUST ME, OR IS EKYT GETTING MORE SINISTER? KABUTO-ISH, MAYBE?)

Ekyt held his hand to his heart. The blue flame left his body and seeped into his hand. It extended to Ekyt’s finger tips, where they would use a jutsu that would make ANYONE’S life hell.
“Blue Flame Sealing Jutsu!” Ekyt put his hand on Kisame’s. Each one turned black and became unusable. But Ekyt felt it wasn’t enough. He needed an exclamation point, especially if he was going to jail.
“I’ll just take this with me, as a little trophy. I hope my friends will carry you, because I’m kinda tired…” Ekyt’s speech became slurred at the end, but he still managed to take away something Kisame would have given his life to keep.
Ekyt was now the proud owner of an Akatsuki ring.


Silently, Ekyt dragged Kisame back.
“Let’s make this look legit. Yamato-sensei, I think you should use the Wood Restraints Jutsu on our prisoner. And Naruto, maybe 12 clones escorting me would do it? I don’t want you guys to fail your mission because of me. If your mission was to bring me back alive, as a prisoner…well, I’m turning myself in.”
Kakashi patted him on the head.
“Just stay strong for us, Ekyt. You won’t like what Tsunade-sama has to say, but keep this in mind: We DO need you.”
Ekyt nodded, then slowly felt himself passing out.
“Damn. I’m gonna black out here, just so you know. Used a little too much of the emotional chakra,” Ekyt said, his speech becoming more and more slurred.
Sakura grabbed his hand. “Before you do…thanks for saving me.”
Just before he passed out from pain, fatigue, and having no chakra, Ekyt got a kiss on the cheek from the object of his affection. That left him time for one last thought:
shoot…I never told her…that I was…in l-


Sakura and Naruto both carried Ekyt, after restraining him with chakra strings. They felt him pass out, and breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, he won his fight, and we passed out mission. I guess we all win, huh?!” Naruto said happily.
Yamato shook his head. “Ekyt hasn’t won. The fight, yes. But what Tsunade tells him will either destroy him, or save his outlook on life.”

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