The Ninja and the Hero Killer
He can never forget the distinct scent of blood.
It had been a constant in his life before, ever since the moment he had found Sakumo's lifeless body.
The cold touch of a corpse and the red, flowing blood become the only things in his life he is sure of.
Everyone will die, including him. That was the lesson he had learned, in the harshest way, at a young age.
This life is different.
His hands are clean, even if his soul is not.
He wants to keep it that way.
He hopes he can keep it that way.
Stain aims to kill.
Many villains don't kill, despite their bad reputation. At least, they do not kill children.
It was an unspoken rule, do not kill hero students that have yet to gain their provincial license.
It was also a matter of pride.
Villains would compare their death counts, killing a child means one is not strong enough to kill a trained person.
But Stain aims to kill.
It was not out of pride, nor was it out of anger.
It is because of his ideology.
Kakashi had learned about Stain before coming here.
He knows that the man would have ignored the hero students if they had not gone against him personally.
Stain had made it clear that he gives students a chance to escape.
If one runs away as soon as they see him, he would call them a coward but not chase after them. The only thing is that he would not give you a second chance when crossing on each others paths once more.
Especially when he deems you as a fake .
Stain aims to kill, so Kakashi did not hold back.
The fireball had come from above.
Shouto knows it is not Endeavor's flames, the style is too different from the man.
The fire is darker, the shape much more solid. It also did not burn him, any of his classmates and Native. It had only been Stain.
Endeavor had no such control.
Shouto never heard a villain scream. Shouto understands though, fire is a painful element.
Something, someone , drop from the roof.
The figure is in front of Iida, in between his classmate and the villain, acting as a shield between them.
"Yo." It was Kakashi .
He appears just as lazy as usual. Slouch back, bored looking eye, and a monotonous tone.
It is as if he is not in front of a villain, one who had killed and was aiming to kill them.
"UA students really like interrupting fights, hm?" Stain did not sound amused. "Such arrogance is unbecoming of heroes."
Kakashi stares at Stain, Shouto can practically hear his sneer. "Interruptions? Shouldn't this be called timely assistance?"
Then he moved .
He was fast, faster than Shouto had seen Kakashi before. Every strike of Stain missed its mark, Kakashi's attacks did not. Kakashi was using a blunt blade, not even unsheathing his sword.
Shouto knows it is blunt. Kakashi has sharper weapons in his person, but he has claimed that he will only use it if needed.
(Shouto has no idea when that would be.)
The sound of metal hitting metal reverbates around the alley. Stain and Kakashi fought in a fierce battle, yet Shouto knows that Kakashi is merely playing.
Kakashi did not use any flashy moves, just his blade. Shouto has no doubt he would have won by now if he takes it seriously.
"Tell me, what do you think makes a hero? You are rather persistent in your beliefs, which makes me wonder about it." Kakashi casually said, dodging an attack. Shouto can feel his eyes widened as the teen jumps on the wall and runs on it before leaping after Stain.
Of course he knows Edgeshot is great at parkour, almost as if walking on walls, but Kakashi appears to walk on the walls.
Adding that to the theory of alien Kakashi. Wait, focus Shouto .
"So many heroes are fakes ." Stain practically hissed, blade barely stopping Kakashi. "Always after fame and money. They act as beacons of justice, yet they themselves are the ones who committed such injustices! Fake, so very fake."
Shouto winced.
His father is an example of that. Honestly, Shouto would be more than fine if Stain kills the man. Kami, he might even help Stain escape.
He knows Fuyumi would turn a blind eye to it.
"Heroes should be like All Might!" Stain stated, Shouto had realised he had missed a significant part of the conversation. "So you should die !"
He always hears the same spiel.
How people should be like this, should be like that. Why can't people act like this, act like that. Why can't people be this image they had wanted?
Stupid, so stupid .
Kakashi of all people knew how unpredictable people are, at how they have their own will.
Their own way, their own image, their own selves.
Asking for people to change is difficult. Forcing people to change makes it worse .
The first change should be done by themselves. They have to be the one to change. They have to be the one to seek for this change.
One can encourage others, can advice them, but they can't change them against their will.
Kakashi does not like Stain.
Respect him for standing to his own ideology? Sure.
Respect him for going so far on following his path? Barely, but sure .
Respect him for forcing people towards his ideals? Hard no .
It reminds him too much of Danzo, of the Akatsuki, of Madara .
Kakashi does not like that.
It would have been fine if the ideal did not involve harming innocents, like Naruto's dream of peace.
But this, Stain crossed the line.
"Don't look." Kakashi's voice is unusually soft, yet it can be heard clearly in the alley.
There is no point in talking Stain out.
Kakashi is not Naruto, he is not someone who, despite seeing the monster that is a person, would do his best in helping them towards a brighter future.
No, Kakashi is Kakashi.
He is Kakashi, a ninja who kills .
He is Kakashi, the friend killer.
He is Kakashi, someone who would selfishly protect his pack, his people .
Even if it means destroying the world.
That night screams rang in an alley, blood flows turning into a puddle, and a villain was stop.
"Don't look."
In this life his hands are clean, even if his soul is not.
He wants to keep it that way.
But,
He can never keep his hands clean. After all, he always has blood in his hands.
{ Don't look, I want to protect you from the darkness. The darkness that is part of me. }