Wicked Little Pieces

Piece 18: One More Crimson Failure

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Naruto.

Author’s Note:

Inspired by the songs of the Rurouni Kenshin OAV soundtrack, especially Seisouhen No. 7: Labyrinth–I think RK has one of the best musical scores... Everything is so haunting and sweet–and by a particular line in Goldberry’s Thursday.

Anyway, before I get rambling and stupid, the piece.

One more crimson failure...

He hurt. Everywhere.

“At least four cracked ribs, one punctured lung, one fractured wrist, four broken fingers, multiple lacerations on the torso and arms...” They read his injuries off simply, like listing the entrees on a menu, without pity or disgust or anything at all. They loaded him gently to the stretcher.

He turned his head, closing his eyes so all he could see was the swirling darkness of his mind.

He failed.

Too weak, too human. He couldn’t do it. Simple as that.

He had his brother on the ground, bleeding, broken, dying, and still... He couldn’t do it.

He let Naruto interrupt the battle, let Naruto push him to the side so that the desperate, last bit of chakra couldn’t mold into Chidori.

He had enough strength to do it, to resist.

But he hadn’t.

Instead he let himself fall, let the broken, crackling animal sob slip from between his lips, let Naruto half drag, half carry him to a makeshift camp where medics were waiting.

A cool touch against his cheek broke him out of his nightmare and he opened his eyes, black and dull like unpolished obsidian. Listlessly, he followed the graceful lift of arm, until he saw her.

She did not hate him. He could see it in her emerald eyes, could see the way the tears–those tears!–form and glisten and not drop. She...

He wanted to push her away. He wanted to push and push until she was too hurt to do anything but avoid him, never again showing him those smiles and tears again.

He hated that he couldn’t make her hate him.

And, he hated that he didn’t hate her either, and could only let her place her hands on his chest and begin pumping her chakra through him, healing, piecing together bone and flesh and skin, loving him again.