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Ch. 151: The Dream That Wasn't
🕑 Added 2024-10-21 22:48:40 +0000 UTC"Hello?"
A faint light flickered in the distance. Without thinking, she moved towards it. The buildings began to blur, melting into indistinct shapes.
The light grew brighter. She turned left and the source of the light finally came into view.
It was Kagami.
As she got closer, she saw him being consumed by the darkness. His skin turned ashen, then black. The darkness ate away at him like a disease. Only his heart remained untouched.
"Kagami! What's happening to you?"
Hana grabbed his hand and the darkness disappeared. She thought she had saved him.
But then she felt it. A presence so cold it made her bones ache. She looked up, and froze.
Above them was an enormous spider. Its body was so massive that she couldn't see where it ended. Its multiple eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence.
This can't be real. Spiders don't get that big!
"Kagami, run!" Hana pulled his arm, but he remained motionless. It was then that she noticed the threads that were attached to his limbs. "Please! Wake up! We need to get out of here!"
Why won't he move?
The spider attacked her with one of its enormous legs. Hana's ninja training kicked in, and she dodged, pulling Kagami with her. But he was unresponsive to her efforts.
The spider struck again, faster this time. Hana felt a sharp, burning pain as one of its legs pierced her abdomen. She looked down in shock, watching as her body began to dissolve, consumed by the same darkness that had nearly claimed Kagami.
As her vision blurred, she saw his impassive and cold face, watching her disappear into the abyss.
Hana woke up and frantically checked herself for injuries. Her hands shook as they touched her body. It took a while until she realized she was in her bed.
"No wounds."
"No spider."
"I'm safe."
---
As Hana made her way to class, her ninken puppies walking beside her, she couldn't help but feel the absence of Kagami.
Everything looks the same, but it all feels different without him here. The classroom feels emptier somehow. Hmpf. Not that I care where that idiot sits. I've always focused better without distractions anyway.
Still... I'll graduate soon and maybe we can do some missions together. That would be nice. No, not nice—just practical. Having a familiar teammate is more efficient.
"Hey, Hana!"
Hana turned to see Saisu jogging to catch up with her. "Ready for Daiko-sensei's tracking exercise today?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
"You okay? You've seemed a bit off lately."
Hana sighed, considering how much to share. "Do you ever think about Kagami?"
"Not really. I wasn't close to him like you were."
"I see..."
"Hana, Saisu, cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" Daiko's stern voice interrupted their conversation.
"Sorry, Daiko-sensei," Saisu replied quickly. "We were just discussing—"
"Kagami," Hana interjected. "Sensei, do you know how he's doing? Has anyone heard from him?"
Daiko's expression softened slightly. "I heard he is chunin now. It's not unusual for a chunin to be out of touch for a while."
"But—"
"Enough," he cut her off. "Class is starting. Take your seats."
The lesson proceeded, with Daiko explaining the complexity of chakra-based tracking. Normally, she would have been fascinated – this was her clan's specialty, after all. But today, she found her attention wandering.
What is he doing right now? Probably training. Does he miss—What am I even thinking?
I'm a kunoichi, not some civilian girl daydreaming during class. Besides, he's so annoying with that smug grin whenever he answers a question correctly. Even if he was actually pretty good at explaining things to me when I—Ugh. Stop it, Hana.
Mother would laugh if she could hear these thoughts. Me, distracted by a boy? Ridiculous. I'm going to be the strongest kunoichi in my clan. I don't have time for... The way his eyes light up when he solves a problem is just...
NO. Focus on Daiko-sensei's lesson. I need to focus.
I'll graduate top of the class. That's what matters. Not his smile or the way he always shared his bento or... Whatever. What am I even thinking...
"Hana!"
"Explain how your clan's techniques differ from standard tracking methods," Daiko demanded.
Hana stood up, pushing her worries aside for the moment. "The Inuzuka clan's techniques rely on a combination of heightened senses and a unique bond with our ninken partners. While standard tracking methods often focus on visual hints or chakra trails, we can pick up on scents and sounds that others might miss."
Daiko nodded approvingly. "And how does this affect your tracking range and accuracy?"
"Our range can be significantly larger. Scents can stay for days, even in adverse conditions. As for accuracy, we can often pinpoint a target's location within a few meters, even in complex environments."
After class, Saisu caught up with Hana again. "That was a great explanation," he said encouragingly. "You really know your stuff."
"Thanks."
"I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About Kagami," Saisu said. "Don't you think it's strange that none of the teachers will give us a straight answer about him? It's always vague explanations about 'special training' or 'advanced programs'."
"You've noticed it too?" Hana realized she wasn't the only one who found the situation odd.
Saisu nodded. "I've got an idea. My dad has some connections in the mission assignment office. Maybe we could—"
"Saisu! Hana!" Daiko's voice rang out, causing both of them to jump. "Unless you're planning to sleep here, I suggest you head home. The Academy's closing for the day."
"Saisu," she whispered, "meet me at the old training ground tomorrow before class."
"Be careful, Hana. Something weird is definitely going on."
---
Her conversation with Saisu had left her restless, and she hoped a walk might clear her head. Her ninken had stayed behind, unusually lethargic after their training.
Something's not right.
"Kagami?"
There, in the shadows between two buildings, Hana saw him.
He walked away, stepping into the fading light. It was indeed Kagami, but something about him seemed... off. His movements were strange, almost puppet-like.
"Kagami!" Hana shouted.
But he didn't seem to hear her and walked towards the forest. So, she followed silently, keeping him in sight while remaining hidden.
What is he doing out here? And why am I hiding from him?
Finally, Kagami stopped in front of a rocky outcropping. With a series of hand signs Hana didn't recognize, he revealed a hidden entrance.
She waited until he had entered the cave before sneaking closer. As she was at the entrance, she heard two voices. One was Kagami's, but the other... she didn't know.
"...a shame we couldn't harvest more corpses from the Uchiha when the extermination happened," Kagami said. "It was a waste of resources."
"You're right. I'll have other opportunities. Hm, I had the strangest dream about Hana last night. I wonder how she's doing? Perhaps I should visit her..."
A dream about me? What's going on here?
But before she could process this, she accidentally kicked a small stone. The sound echoed in the cave.
"Did you hear that?"
Hana pressed herself against the cave wall. She heard Kagami moving, coming closer to the entrance. Then, to her shock, he walked right past her.
"Weird," Kagami muttered. "Maybe the spiders..."
Hana watched as his eyes changed, becoming completely dark. He looked directly at her, but showed no sign of recognition.
How did he not see me? I'm right here!
As Kagami went inside the cave again, she stood frozen in shock. She looked down at her hands. Her body was translucent, ghostly. She could see the cave wall through her own body. She had a bad feeling, so she fled.
As she ran through the forest, she passed through trees and bushes. Then, she realized it: she had never woken up. This was all still part of her dream.
The forest melted away, replaced by an infinite darkness. And above her, was the monstrous spider from the beginning of her dream.
Before she could scream, the spider's leg impaled her; she felt her very essence consumed by the creature. In that final moment, Hana understood. She was never going to wake up.
This was the end.
---
As Kagami walked through the streets of Konoha, he heard a commotion ahead. A group had gathered outside the Inuzuka compound.
"...died in her sleep..."
"...so young..."
"...no signs of illness or injury..."
"Excuse me," he said, tapping the shoulder of a nearby shinobi. "What's happened?"
"It's Hana. She passed away last night. They found her this morning..."
Hana? Dead? Impossible. What's going on?
Danzo? No, why should he? Damn!
For the first time in a long while, Kagami felt pain. It was a horrible pain, and he understood why.
As he stood there, processing the news, a thought occurred to him. Hana, dying in her sleep. His dream about her. The power of beings like Cthulhu to invade dreams...
If what I suspect is true, then this was no mere coincidence. Something had targeted Hana. And I have a feeling I know why.
