== @nxbara: == some of this may not be suited to people who dont like: gore, angst, addiction you have been warned. Manga only: Kara no Kioku ============= “Hey, stay close to me,” Tobi said, his sharp eyes looking at you with a glare. You were the newbie, and by some weird luck, Shadow was hunting you down. You hated being on the run, but Tobi didn’t care. ‘It was for your own good’, he had said when you complained. He was— not exactly your bodyguard, but not a friend either. You two just.. knew each other. He kept you safe, and you.. well, you kept him updated. Currently, you two were running through Yokohama, a place where Shadow had moved to find you. Tobi’s bag (which really, you didn’t know how it worked) slurped the air, Baku wanting to be let out. Tobi grumbled under his breath, despising this a lot. He was SUPPOSED to be in his room, researching about Shadow, or talking with Rei, but NO, he had to take care of YOU. A wind blew through the cold night, surprisingly chilly. You two ran through the city, back towards Chuō, where Shadow couldn’t reach you. For now. “Break,” he mumbled, dashing into a nearby alleyway. You sighed but followed along. “Are you smo!!King again?” you asked, clearly unimpressed. “Why not?” he replied, his eyes dark. You sighed, moving opposite of him. Just as he was about to, Baku grew to full size and snatched it, crumbling it into pieces. “Hey! Baku!” Tobi snapped, reaching towards his pack. Baku snatched that away as well, fiddling with it as if it was some toy. Tobi and Baku fought over the pack, and you sighed internally again. You were concerned for Tobi, with his problem and all, but at least Baku looked out for him. The fighting continued for about 5 minutes, until Baku went dead still, alert. “What?” Tobi grumbled, looking up at them. A scowl formed on Baku’s face, and you heard footsteps. Yuu. “Well well, if it isn’t the dear Tobi and the newbie,” Yuu said, smiling manipulatively. Tobi and you tensed up, readying battle positons. Yuu chuckled and raised his hands. “Oh, don’t worry, Tobi, I won’t hurt you. I just want THEM.” Yuu rushed towards you with inhuman speed, smiling crazily and swinging his fist towards you. You weren’t the best at close combat, and you yelped as his fist connected with your right shoulder. He giggled and reached towards your left, to take you in his arms, but Tobi kicked him away at the last second. He huffed. “Don’t get in my way,” he whispered to you, locking eyes just a second before running to connect his left leg with Yuu’s right hand. Yuu growled in anger and tried to swing again. “Give up, Tobi!” he yelled, going fist to fist. “I just want the newbie! this can be over!” “Never,” Tobi growled, landing a blow to the side of Yuu’s head. “The newbie is under my protection.” Yuu flew back, slamming against the wall. Tobi had won!
Or so you thought. Shadow seeped out of Yuu’s body, possessing him and making him rise again, even though his eyes were closed. It dashed towards you again, flinging Tobi to the side with a laugh. Tobi’s eyes widened. “NEWBIE!” he yelled, running towards you. He was too late. Before you knew it, Shadow’s hand was through your chest. A spray of blood shot out, and you collapsed on the floor. Tobi flung it into the wall, throwing multiple punches. You’d never seen him that mad before. His veins pulsed with anger and he seemed to be seeing red. By the time he’d finished, your vision was already fading. He grabbed you gently, his hands surprisingly soft. “Hey!” he shouted, his voice agitated. “Don’t you dare die on me!” You smiled softly and shook your head. You knew it was too late. “DON’T GIVE ME THAT PATHETIC NO!” Tobi screamed, his voice cracking. “YOU- YOU WEAKLING! STAND UP AND GET BACK TO RUNNING!” Tears dripped down your face from the pain— and the sadness. Tobi clung onto you in desperation, his eyes darting all over your wound, which was darkening in color. He knew, and you knew. “..please..” he whispered, his head lowering to meet your gaze. “..God.. anyone… just save them..” He took his hand, his trembling hand, and placed it on your wound, trying to heal it. Trying to do anything. Just to have you for a second more. Just a second. You smiled at the attempt, moving your hand to place on his. He started to cry, the first time you’d ever seen him cry before. He clenched your hand tightly. “…I’ll never forgive you,” he mumbled. “…never… I won’t stand for you leaving me…” Your eyes started to close, your vision blurring. You felt your body shutting down, your pulse slowing. Tobi felt the weakness in your hand, and he trembled even more. He couldn’t accept this.. this was too much. As you passed, he cried over your body for a long time.. So long that Rei had to go looking for him. Tobi had been forever scarred since that day. He longed for a best friend. He wanted you back. End