A Friendship in Flames

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Prologue
"Juro-san, you're needed at the hospital," The courier had nervously gulped, a look of concern upon her face.

Still going over a large stack of paper work, Juro had briefly raised his eyes, casually asking her why, as his pen continued to glide over the sheets of paper. Upon hearing his reply, he felt his heart freeze as the pen dropped with a dull clang onto the wooden floor.

"It's Senkai-kun...he's been gravely wounded. He's in a critical condition. The woman who brought him here is currently being detained at—"

His eyes had widened in shock as he leaped over the desk and rushed through the doorway, leaving the courier glued to her spot. He had never run so thunderously in his life. What had he been thinking, letting Senkai go up against enemies as evil as Zenith?! How had it gone wrong? How had things ended up this way? He had seen the look on the woman's face, he knew it was going to be really bad. He hurriedly made his way past the sliding doors of Konoha Hospital, skipping four or five steps as he stretched his way up the staircases at immense speeds, and always only one name echoed through his mind, one culprit.

Gekihen.

He was now looking at the bandaged body of Senkai, so feeble and defenceless, the newest victim to Zenith's brutality. He winced in anger as he griped the bed frame tightly, the weak beeping of the heart rate monitor adding a precarious theme to his anger. His injuries were severe, as a blade had literally been driven vertically downwards through his chest next to his heart, and it was a miracle that he'd even survived.

"I messed up Senkai. I should have never let you go in alone, I was so..." His fist clenched tightly into a fist, so tightly that his long nails buried themselves into the flesh of his palm, sending blood dripping down his clenched fist.

"I'll get him this time, I swear upon you. The next act is where Gekihen's tyranny ends." Juro's eyes darkened as a grim determination set in. Dead or alive, Gekihen would be captured. With a gust of wind, the Uchiha had whirled out of the room, heading for the Central Offices where the woman who brought Senkai in would be held for cross examining. Juro thought he knew who she would be.

Golden eyes pierced into a bright light above, slightly closing as a means of shielding themselves from blinding. Slowly adjusting to the light, these eyes saw it to be a mere light bulb hanging on an empty silver room. Slow breaths echoed in the silence, reflecting on the emptiness of the confined figure. She sat on the cold metallic chair, her elbows grinding on the wooden table before them as her hands supported her face, covering it from view. Her eyes blankly stared at the locked door for minutes on end. The waiting, the silence, the thoughts. It was all a massive burdern to bear. She could not handle simply sitting as he fought for his life, it was one of the most torturous things that had happened in his entire life. She stood up, looking at the blood-stained shirt she wore. It made her feel a little nauseous. Calming down her stomach, she slowly walked around the small, confined room. Looking at it, she was brought more trauma than solace within her psyche. She kept hugging herself tight to calm the paranoid and dark thoughts in her mind. A noble, but mundane fight. Regardless, Tsukihime kept on her walk around the desk and the two chairs opposite each other, Senkai radiating within her thoughts and prayers. How she hoped he will survive, grasping and clinching to the memories she made with him.

The eerie silence was broken eventually, as footsteps accompanied the sound of metallic latches being drawn back, as shadows leaked through the yellow light behind the metallic door which separated the young woman from the world. The metal door swung open as brilliant yellow light flooded the room, before a thin silhouette stepped through the blinding light, stepping forward before the metal door closed again. The latches snapped into position with a clang as Juro stepped forward, facing the young woman, his long brown hair hiding his eyes. He gestured to the metal chair opposite the table, gesturing the young woman to take a seat, as he paced forward, pulling the metal chair backwards before seating himself on it. Juro drew his hands across his forehead, sweeping his hair backwards. He wouldn't have much time with her, so he had to make every moment count.

"Tsukihime Uchiha. Branded a missing-nin of Konohagakure many months back after leaving for reasons...unknown. And the next thing you know, Konoha Intelligence submits a report of your suspected involvement with the criminal organisation, Zenith." Juro stated with forced calm, as he struggled to keep his composure. Every moment spent not hunting Gekihen down was a risk, a chance that more lives would be affected by the tyrant's misplaced beliefs, but first he had to get sufficient information from this girl. The very girl for whose sake Senkai left the comfort of the Leaf, venturing into Gekihen's web of murder and mayhem—to save her. Juro's eyes shifted to the girl's blood soaked shirt. He didn't have to be a genius to know whose blood it was, or why she still looked so edgy and fatigued. "I'll cut the chase Tsukihime," Juro's eyes darkened viciously as he prepared to receive confirmation to a question he already knew the answer to. His elbows pressed against the table as he leaned forward, holding the girl's eyes in his own. "Who did this to Senkai?" The question came out as a growl through gritted teeth, testament to the turbulence in the man's soul.

Obeying the man's command, the young woman slowly pulled back the chair, scratching the metallic surface below her. Tsukihime sat down, her golden eyes not daring to look at the man for some odd reason. She simply stared blankly at the table. Minutes passed as she went silent, not uttering a single word, much to the irritation of her company. After a few minutes of silence. "Juro-sensei... You puzzle me. For such an intelligent person, how are you not able to grasp the obvious... Didn't you know that it would eventually come to this?" Tsukihime softly replied, her eyes finally looking at Juro, blankly. The veil of nothingness concealed the hurt that emanated deep within her heart. Try as she might, it was agonizing to ignore the pain, the guilt and the fear that Senkai may not recover. Nevertheless, She still mantained a single thread of composure as she addressed Juro. Her gaze even seemed apathetic, despite the storm that was brewing within. "We both know who it is..."

Juro's strong gaze lowered momentarily. Guilt, for allowing his student to tango with the devil himself. But ever so quickly he turned his penetrating eyes back towards the younger girl. "I always knew Gekihen and his band of vipers were extremely dangerous, S-ranked criminals of a level not seen since the thirty years back. Senkai knew it too, but you've gotta understand the true reason he went in, despite my initial objections and uncertainty." Juro paused for a moment to let his words sink into the girl's mind before continuing. "Senkai's goal was never to shut Zenith down. Even for a shinobi of his calibre, he knew it was wistful thinking to simply march in and dismantle them all on his own. His main goal, was always you, Tsukihime." Juro now lowered his gaze for an extended period. "You're back with us. That's what Senkai had set out to accomplish, with the strict rule to only engage Gekihen if left with absolutely no choice; Gekihen and Zenith were only situational hazards-or landmines, that he'd face while bringing you home one way or another. Apparently our plan failed, and the double game caved in on itself; but in the end, you can say that Senkai achieved his main aim; to pull you out of that abyss." Juro finished regretfully. "You were always his goal, your salvation was his aim."

Juro's eyes quickly darted to the mirror on their side, where officials would be watching them. He'd made it a point to shake all their hands while making his way here in a gesture of false courtesy, on the pretence of a casual visit to see who the captured girl was, utilising his perks as a Jōnin to do so. Of course, entering the room had been all achieved with his touch based Genjutsu, putting the five sentries into an illusion wherein which none of this was happening. Juro's time however was running thin. He had roughly three to four more minutes to spend with Tsukihime before the Genjutsu wore off, there was just one more thing to do.

"Tsukihime, I'm almost out of time here, I've gotta know where to find Gekihen. I've tracked him down repeatedly all these years, but he always disappears the moment he catches wind I'm onto him. This time however I'm convinced it'll be different, especially since I've obtained intel that Zenith runs the Land of Dreams. With all that happened, he'll be busy trying to sniff out other moles while also tightening his own security. It's imperative for me to hit him out, now; in his brief, rage induced paranoia. I'll need his secondary hideout, not the one you held up in prior to this incident. Please, show me." Juro stated, grimly, beseeching the girl to quickly share her experiences with him via the Sharingan.

The young woman went silent for a moment. Her golden eyes were closed. Opening them, they had a crimson color, decorated by three black tomoe in each iris. With just a single glare towards Juro, the landscape virtually vanished. The dim confined room disappeared, replaced by pure darkness. Within the dark abyss, two silhouettes were visible, watching on as the dark world changed into a serene, lush and green environment, with plants and trees lustily growing in wild abandon. A single mountain was in the middle of the massive forestry, whilst the rest were far off. The mountain seemed to inch closer to the two silhouettes, as they approached the entrance. In the mountain, a hidden doorway was placed. Inside was a massive tiled area with bright flames that illuminated the four corners. This large flat surface had a crimson circle around it, where the image of Gekihen could be seen in a deep state of meditation, whilst the rest of the Zenith members stood in pairs beside the bright flames. The young Uchiha began to speak, "This is the hideout in the Land of Dreams. Gekihen is most likely to be here as a means to meditate and relieve the rage. However, be warned that the area is secretly guarded by nineteen of the Land of Dreams' strongest shinobi. Then there is the issue of Zenith members." the images of the 19 soldiers was visible in the back as she spoke. Slowly, she began to explain the bigger threats of the Organization, a picture of each appearing with each word. "The biggest threat other than Gekihen would be his second-in-command, Reikon. He's a former leaf ninja, son of Shizune and Genma Shiranui. He possesses the jutsu of the Second Hokage, as well as the innate and legendary ability to exit his spirit from his body. He is also able to ressurect a soul whilst sacrificing another, but not his own. It is how he revived Gekihen from earlier death... Yes, he died once. Perhaps his deadliest skill is his ability to sever and separate the connection of a target's body and soul permanently, sending and trapping the soul to a place known as 'Purgatory'. However, that is a skill that can only be done in his spirit form, so you may have a chance." Tsukihime continued... "The rest are powerful, but not a threat for one of your calibre. I'll embed their details within you, but you do not need much of a briefing, except their names," as the woman spoke, images quickly showed as she uttered the members. "Rokuro! Takeya Ogami! Fukkatsu! Shikizaki Hyuga! Try to avoid them, cause they ain't whistling dixie..." the illusion began to dissipate as Tsukihime stopped her speech. "Was that... Enough?"

Juro nodded as her illusion dissipated. "Yes, that'll do. Thank you, Tsukihime." He stood up swiftly and slotted the metal chair back in. As he turned to walk towards the doorway, he looked back just has his hand knocked on the door to signal he was ready to go out. "Sarada will be here to see you soon anyway, and a few words could be put to lessen your charges and even set you free soon if you cooperate. Tell 'em what you can about Zenith's plans, and any threats they may pose to parties of interest." He paused for a brief second. "Senkai...got into all of this to protect you, aside from bringing you back. He's a strong lad, but I don't know if strength of will alone will help him pull through his condition." The thud of the unlocked latched sounded, as Juro finally turned to the door, his hand gripping the cold handle lever. "Whether or not he pulls through, from here on out, do me—no, do Senkai a favour. Stay by his side no matter what, and watch over him just like how he always tried to watch over you. I don't know what may lie for him in his future as a shinobi—those wounds may affect his heart permanently and he may never be able to undertake the burdens of the shinobi world ever again; or he may pull through as if this were just a scratch, I just don't know...but what I do know for sure is that you're a part of his future, if his eyes open again." Juro's hand pressed down on the handle as the door swung open. "Please, never leave Senkai again." With those words, the metal door shut with a dull clang which echoed through the small chamber. The Will of Fire roared in Juro as every step he made brought him closer to Gekihen, to their final showdown. This wasn't a battle of revenge, it was a battle to end further battles, one which finally erased the seeds of doubt from Juro's sentimental heart. His old friend had to be stopped, no matter the cost.

Old Friends, Renewed Resolve
Silence engulfed the mountains of the Land of Dreams. Suddenly, one big bang interrupted it, a massive explosion, encompassed by a large mushroom cloud. Dust and debri were raised into the shaky atmosphere. Deep blue eyes. The bearer of such eyes, none other than the infuriated leader of the Zenith organization. His rage was crystal clear within his facial expression. To think that a spy lurked in the organization, and he was not able to see it. It boiled his blood. Losing such powerful allies because of their incapability to truly recognize the good that lied within their ambitions was beyond infuriating. He took deep, slow breath, slowly lowering the massive level of anger within his psyche. Behind him, two figures stood. One of them, with a bright flame in his forehead, stepped forward beside Gekihen as the blue-haired leader spoke. "Find them... Kill them." a whisper crept from Gekihen, dark and malevolent was his tone and the murderous grin on his visage. At once, the man behind him had vanished, leaving behind a breeze and a trail of golden flames as he set his sights on the borders of the Land of Fire. Meanwhile, the blue-haired leader slowly stepped, with him, a new flame was ignited. He felt it. 'He' was coming, and finally, the fearless leader would stand tall and wait. The advent of fate had begun, and he could not help but smile. The feeling of nostalgia helped quell the flames of anger that lied deep within his heart. It was almost time, and he was... He was ready.

"Well, I am Gekihen... I aspire to be the next Hokage of the leaf village and surpass... A certain someone... I like a lot of things, mostly myself and those that share the same ideals for peace as I do... My dislikes? Well...people who ignore me when I speak...and people who keep me waiting even though they can afford a watch..."

Juro chuckled at the thought of that day, the day he and Kenji first met that rebellious, naive yet exuberant Gekihen, as he sped through the trees which rose taller and taller as they led him higher and higher up the mountains. Every step he made on a branch brought a new memory of his time with Team 6, their experiences, misadventures and heroics which cemented their reputation as one of the finest Genin squads of their day. Juro's sensory barrier ensured that no other detection barrier or sensor type could be able to sense his chakra, but despite his skills with stealth, he had still been spotted by two of the nineteen shinobi Gekihen had tasked to guard the borders—both were out cold in bushes, though. With his chakra signature masked, Juro was free to reminisce without the fear of being detected, though he was sure he would stray in range of Gekihen's Byakugan very soon. But that fact faded away in his mind as he made his way to the hideout, somersaulting over a large gap between the trees before landing on a more distant branch and continuing his journey. Another slight smile broke upon his lips.

He still remembered their first mission together; capturing a crazy tabby cat, who was fat but terribly hard to catch. Juro had transformed himself into a similar type of cat as well to attempt to get close to it, but Gekihen had absentmindedly forgotten about their plan and tackled Juro instead, believing him to be the cat they were chasing while Kenji had lost his composure and fallen off a nearby tree where the trap had been laid; making them the laughing stock of the village for a week eventhough they were eventually successful. There had also been another mission where the experienced Genin squad and their were tasked with hunting down a group of bandits (who quickly proved to be dangerous shinobi), where Team Six displayed their excellent skill to somehow take their opponents down and emerge victorious—a mission which was shifted from C-rank to B-rank once it was done. There were also the numerous pranks Gekihen and Juro had pulled on Udon, somehow always dragging Kenji to participate as well—from framing the young Jōnin as a pervert, to hiding his clothes in the hot springs and worse. These were among the many memories that Juro preferred to remember his old team by; the lighthearted, comedic family that made him want to be with them more than with his own biological family.

The smile on the Uchiha's face faded as the first dark memory came in. Those dreadful Chūnin Exams which started this dreadful turn of events and eventually led to the crumbling of Team Six. Their failure, especially Gekihen's and Kenji's close shave with death had resulted in a transformed Gekihen. Kenji and Juro had been powerless to stop their friend's decline; simply because they hadn't expected it to be so drastic. While all three eventually became Chūnin, Gekihen joined the ANBU, Kenji quickly turned into a Jōnin while Juro's love for disputing authority ensured that he stayed as a Chūnin for a long while. The trio eventually grew apart after a few bouts of lunch, compounded by Udon's sudden disappearance a year before Gekihen's defection. When their sensei's name was displayed on the memorial stone a few months later, Gekihen had almost completely grown away from Juro and Kenji. Still Juro had kept an eye on him and on the rare occasion the two met in the daylight, there was nothing more than a curt nod between the two. Juro still wondered if his own inability to open up to Gekihen later on had contributed to the events of the final blow—Gekihen's betrayal. A branch snapped as Juro stepped too hard on it. He quickly grabbed a nearby vine and propelled himself upward again, continuing his journey.

Maybe he shouldn't have just let Gekihen slip away. Maybe he should have forced them to stay together. Juro had slept all these years carrying the guilt of every sin Gekihen committed. He still wasn't sure if that guilt was baseless, or otherwise. It was equally depressing whichever way.