Nagare left his front door with a symphony of unpleasant notes blaring in his mind. What made Gakuto do this? Should I have accepted the task of killing him? Why is it so hard? I've killed other people, before. Each thought rang louder than the previous, and a headache soon found it's way reverberating through his mind among the sea of unanswered questions.

Horui was more halcyon about the situation; he hadn't been as close to Gakuto as Nagare was. He took leveled steps on the solid ground of Kumogakure as they left its borders. The rocky mountains spread outwards at a steep downhill slope, leaving them to almost climb down rather than walk. Nagare turned to Horui during the initial climb down, and thought. Horui, what if we fail this mission? What if we die? What happens next?

Honestly, Nagare, I don't know. There's no surefire way for us to know. The only thing we do know for sure is that if we do fail, the world around us will suffer. So we have to try not to focus on how difficult the challenge, or how painful the situation. We have to focus on the commonwealth of the nations, and not our own selfish desires. Killing Gakuto is the only way out." Nagare knew this already, but it still didn't help the fact that at the end of this scenic and pulchritudinous trek lied a grievous battle, emotional turmoil, and inevitable death. He would either be killed by the stolen eyes of his best friend or kill said best friend who was stolen from him by evil, corruption, ambition.

---

Hours passed, then nights, and days. The two took breaks every so often, to eat, sleep, and think. Mostly to think. Nagare wouldn't allow himself to cry, because if he did, he wouldn't be strong enough to continue. He had to finish this, there was no turning back now. A break in his mental armor meant a break in his will, and a break in his will meant an abandonment of mission. Abandoning this mission wasn't an option. The sun rose and fell many a time, though neither of them kept count. The sunset over the mountains of Kumo was exquisite, as was the sunrise over the forests on the outskirts of their destination. Their surroundings changed slowly, from solid, rocky plains and slopes to even savannas, rainy jungles, wetlands, marshes, fields, and meadows. They neared beaches, and soon reached the rippling waves on the coast of Kirigakure, spattered with foamy coats of white at the tips of the crests. The troughs were clear and marine life flourished under the surface of the writhing blue path. A few chakra-concentrated steps, and they gained steady footing on the waves, coming ever so closer to their goal. The island of Kirigakure was within view, just a mile or two away. It was ironic that such beautiful sights would soon behold such monstrous dispute and bloodshed. Still, it was a bit comforting to know that their potential site of death would be somewhere as breathtaking as this, in the Land of Water.

---

They stood together at the gate of the village, that lived up to its label as "Village Hidden in the Mist". A thick burst of fog was distributed over the area, with no clear end in sight. They were here, and it was here they would find and kill their best friend. It was the beginning of an end, an end to trust, an end to love, an end to normalcy, an end to false innocence.

The end was near.

{Finish, Thread Closed}

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