3. Hatred : The Path to Power?

Scarlet walked her way back home. The surroundings now felt familiar to her but it still held some beauty. The animate fire designs on walls made it feel like some of those houses were burning, but now she knew it was the fire paint. The Land of Fire was not only a military super power but it was technically more advanced too.
"hey scarlet!" a voice called her from behind, she turned and saw a girl running towards her, "Sarah!", she replied and smiled happily. Sarah was another slave, she belonged to King Diedara, his favorite slave of the hundreds he had. Over the time She had grown friends with Scarlet being of about the same age.

Sarah came running and hugged Scarlet, throwing out apologies the moment she pulled back from the hug while she was panting, "i am so sorry i could not wish you on your birthday, Lord Diedara kept me busy for days.. i..." She took a break to breathe when Scarlet giggled, "its okay Sarah... relax...i know how the fire king is and i enjoyed my birthday a lot with Kane.. and he said that you may not have been able to make it but your blessings did make it to me and i too think the same"
Sarah looked at Scarlet and her face gleamed with a naughty smile, "oooh! a lonely birthday with the Prince huh? How ROMANTIC!!!", she exclaimed like a tease and was successful in making the blonde girl blush.

"uh... yes, i think.. it was ...romantic," Scarlet admitted feeling the blood filling her cheeks as they turned further red. Sarah like the curios lady she was, was more than curious to know more, "Tell me the details at your home!" she declared and caught hold of Scarlet's hand dragging her along as fast as she could. "wait wait Kane is gonna be back i can't tell it in front of him! Sarah wait!", Scarlet's resistance went in vain and she shook her head. Sarah was like the small girl next door who would be curious about such things and she was a specimen of 'girlishness' and followed all the girly activities like a religion. She always looked her best and did not care who lusts for her for no one would try to harm the King's favorite.

Meanwhile.... 

In the Forest of the Hidden Leaf,   
Land of Fire,

"aaargh! ... huh... huff...You! You're just a kid! and yet you're stronger than Diedara for sure! why are you not the King then?", Zan asked rather annoyed that after fighting for an hour he was still loosing the battle.

"I do not feel the need to answer Zan", Kane replied coldly, "all you need to know is that your time on this land is over. You have taken many innocent lives, it is time you go to them and say sorry" Kane's eyes shined with fire as his body began to glow blue.

Zan laughed, "you are telling me you will revenge the lives of those innocents?" Zan made some hand signs

"as if i care who you killed, your mistake was to think you could kill ME, who paid you pest? this is your last chance to answer!" Kane declared his un-questionable intentions to kill Zan right their as he did his own hand signs

"hahaha...i walk around ready to be buried in the soil anytime, i do not fear death. I.... AM ......DEATH!" Zan ran towards Kane with his broad and heavy sword on his back, "Death style point death jutsu!"

Zan pushed forward his right hand with the death jutsu, all he had to do was get a hold on any of Kane's body parts

"as you wish!", Kane moved towards Zan too with his recently learned lightning style attack, " Chidori !!"

Kane's hand held a blue ball of energy that was generating electricity in the air up to some distance as he approached Zan but suddenly another man from the Land of Death appeared who kicked Kane out of the way sending him straight into a tree.

"what? what are you doing here!! you! i was almost about to kill him!!" Zan shouted at the little man in front of him. wearing a black robe designed with a few red clouds, the collar completely covered the neck and even reached up to cover the mouth just like the one Zan was wearing.

"i can't believe you would work for a King who can't even kill a kid. Let the kid live" the man said and looked at the fallen Kane who was getting up again holding his stomach.

"urgh..! uh! .. this... hurt...", Kane mumbled under his breath as he absorbed the pain while still not believing a kick could hurt him so and looked at the attacker. His eyes widened with surprise and fear, which were soon replaced by the familiar fire and rage...hatred for the man, "Brooklyn..."

"good to see you remember me little brother," Brooklyn said without even showing a hint of any feeling on his face. Zan looked at Brooklyn then at Kane, "ah.. so this is your little brother huh? i thought he would be weak by the way you had always described him."

"he is pretty weak, unfortunately, you are weaker." , Brooklyn said making Zan angry but he never cared what others think. His face had shown lesser expressions than many animals since Zan has known him.

Rain started to fall slowly from the sky when Kane finally got up, "I am not weak! i am strong! and i will prove it tonight Brooklyn! i will prove it by sending you to where you sent our parents! TO HELL!!!", Kane screamed his last two words as he lunged forward, his eyes had a passion, a passion to kill the man in front of him, his elder brother.

"Chidori swarm!!", he used his most powerful lightning style jutsu and moved faster than he ever did reaching his attackers almost in a flash but his chidori was effortlessly caught by Brooklyn.

"huh?", Kane looked up into Brooklyn's eyes, surprised, confused, fearful. "wohohow!" Zan moved back surprised at the ease with which such a powerful attack was caught like a kid's ball.

Brooklyn looked back at Kane as expression-less as one could be. The emptiness in his eyes further scared Kane who was once again feeling like the little kid who was crying for his life. "you are still weak Kane.. remember what i told you? hatred, it is the only path you can become strong. When you have enough hatred, when you have no other feeling, when you will not hesitate to kill anyone no matter how kind he has been, only then you will become as strong as me. I am your brother, a wall that you have to climb."

Brooklyn's words brought back the memories of a childhood, that was destroyed.

*FLASHBACK*

It was a dark alley, in a destroyed village, in a dark night. Kane walked through the alley, looking around at the lifeless bodies. He walked ahead to his home slowly, scared and worried for his family. His mind was full of questions, but the answers did not matter more than his family. He ran to the palace, his home..

"Ma!.. papa!" he called out. The palace had the same scenario like the streets outside, gueards dead, lights blown out, silence everywhere. His voice echoed in the thick air. He had never been so scared. When he ran his way back to the village after training for hours in the forest and learning his new jutsu, he thought he would tell his father of his new accomplishment and hopefully he might this time praise him for his hard work. But what he saw when he reached near the palace shook him. As he walked into the King's room to look for his father, he was more than scared and dumbfounded. "Brother! wha...what are you doing? what is happening? who is this man?" he asked as he looked towards the man. "Brooklyn! no!" Kane screamed as he saw his brother slice his hand equipped with a dark jutsu across their father's neck. Their father's dead body fell on the ground besides their dead mother. "NOOO!!!!!" Kane screamed as his eyes instantly watered and he ran towards his now dead parents, "papa!!", he looked at Brooklyn, "brother....why? who is this man.. our parents,...!", Kane's voice was cold, not finding its way out of his throat anymore as he burs into tears. He did not fail to notice the lifeless eyes of his brother which reflected no mercy, no love.  Since an year now, he had known his brother to be so, he had changed over time. his relation with their father had turned bitter but never in his dreams Kane could imagine he would go this far. Even their loving mother, he killed...

"This is Diedara.", Brooklyn finally spoke and signaled Diedara to move out. Kane watched Dieadara walk out and asked, "why?"

"because i want power. hatred and ruthlessness is the only way. i had to kill everyone to get that power.", Brooklyn replied. "Then i hate you more!", Kane rose up from the floor and ran towards Brooklyn but was punched in the face and thrown back into a wall.

Before he could fall after hitting the wall, a fast Brooklyn caught him by his neck against the wall, watching his mouth bleed, Brooklyn spoke again,

"Kane.. my brother.. i see your love for me dying already. that is good. in time, you will too learn the path to power. I could kill you too little brother. But as always, you are too weak. look at yourself, crying like a girl. I will let you live and die everyday when you remember this night, and realise how much of a weakling you are. but i will leave you with an advice, Hatred, ruthlessness, are the only paths to power, only the stronger has the right to live. Like me, i live because i can, Father couldn't, because he was not strong. i will leave you alive to feel my hatred. When you can hate me with all your heart, when you won't hesitate to seperate my head from my body, that will be the day you can call yourself strong. Until  then, run for your life little brother, so that you do not waste this chance that i gave you. Do not forget little brother, always remember, i am your brother, a wall that you have to climb, when you have eyes like mine, come to me", he finished as a tear rolled down his emotion less eyes which was immediately noticed by the little brother.

Kane listened to every word that his brother had to say and then he fell to the ground as Brooklyn left hold of his neck and walked out. Kane was feeling the hatred for the person he loved the most, his insides were burning with a fire. His breathes were heavy and burning when he hear footsteps approaching. Looking up he saw Diedara walking towards him with a sword, and a grin on his face, "looks like he could not kill his beloved brother so he left the job to me. Kane, i will show some mercy poor child, i will end your pain, because i know this pain. when your father killed my father, i felt so weak, but i will end this for you"

Diedara raised his sword but Kane punched hard on his belly with a burning fist.

Diedara's eyes bulged out in surprise and pain as Kane's fist remained connected for a second. Dieadara fell to his knees and with a kick on his head, Kane ensured his way was clear, he ran out and away far from the reach of Dieadara, crying into the silent streets looking for his brother who was nowhere.

*END OF FLASH BACK*

"Grow up kid, i will not leave you everytime. c'mon Zan, tell Diedara your mission cannot be finished because you have to come with me for an important mission. Killing a kid is not our job" Brooklyn pushed back Kane's hand making him fall back on the ground. "wait!" Kane screamed but Brooklyn and his partner disappeared into smoke.

Kane was left alone in the forest with his horrible childhood, the feeling of weakness that he hated, one moment he was all strong and dominant over Zan but Brooklyn once again brought up the weak Kane. The Kane who feared, who cried, did nothing to hide his feelings. The rain drops made their way down his cheeks along with the tears Brooklyn had left. The strong prince of fire sat their in the darkness, 'crying like a girl'.

Kane's home..

"its so late, Kane said he would be back in two days and the night is almost over too.", Scarlet expressed her concern to Sarah.

"oh c'mon he is the PRINCE of FIRE! what can happen to him? he is fearless and strong, and i have seen many great legendary warriors praise him while talking to Lord Diedara.. now tell me what happened after you were in the boat?"

"umm...okay..", Scarlet agreed but she was still concerned, "so.. we were in that lake in a boat and......."

*FLASH BACK*

"what are you looking at?," Scarlet asked blushing as she felt something happen in her body with Kane's constant gaze at her. "i am watching you" Kane replied normally, his voice held that usual command, "you look very much more beautiful under the moon. now i know why men are after possessing as many women as they can"

"uh..umm... lets not talk about all that Kane.. its just us.. i wanna spend this time with you", Scarlett said it straight knowing Kane is never gonna understand things like a guy should. "hmm...", was all he said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "you like the moon?"

"yes, it is beautiful." Scarlet replied.

"i like it too. it chills me. i like cold", he said.

Scarlet smiled at how unromantic this man could be in such a situation. They were in the middle of a lake, on a boat, the two of them alone under the full moon in a cold night. Scarlet found it difficult to believe this was Kane's idea to bring her here for her birthday, "who told you i would like being in the middle of nowhere with the most un-romantic boy of the world?"

"Sarah.. i told her if it failed i would kill her." Kane told bluntly making Scarlet giggle, "what? you said you'll kill her? really?"

Kane smiled watching her giggle, "yes..i wanted this to be special for you"

Scarlet's heart felt like a butterfly that had just come out of her cocoon, she looked lovingly at him and slowly leaned closer.. closing her eyes just as slowly, "you've made this special already", she whispered before her lips joined his and expressed her joy to him as they danced upon his lips. He kissed her back pulling her closer by her waist and leaning more into her. Time passed but the kiss only deepened with every passing second. Kane's love for Scarlet was resurfacing as her lips pulled out all his love for her. His kiss began to exhibhit the same fire that............

*END OF FLASHBACK*

"...... and i don't wanna give all those small details to you but we made love.. passionate love and i just love him so much!", Scarlet said beaming with pride.

"you are such an actor! you never let me know that you knew it was my plan!..", Sarah giggled, "but if you love him, and it is so certain he loves you so much too then why don't you confess it?"

"is there a need?" Scarlet asked seeming obvious. they already did live like lovers when no one was around. "and besides.. i don't know if Kane knows he loves me and if he does, i don't know if he will accept me.. he is not that normal being from the fire clan and all. he does not even knows that a man can love any woman and not only a woman of his clan"

"yes... that is a fact.. ", Sarah admitted when they heard a knock at the main doors. Scarlet jumped out of her seat, "its him i know!" She ran to the door and pulled it open, smiling like the happiest woman on the planet, she hugged the handsome boy in front of her "i missed you so much,.. what took you so much time?"

Scarlet's smile faded as she noticed the bruises on his arm when he did not speak. He pushed her aside and walked in, "i need a shower.. i am tired" he said as he walked past Sarah. Sarah took it as the signal for her to leave, "i guess i'll leave you lovers alone" she said as she hugged Scarlet and left.

Kane did not talk much that night, Scarlet's dinner was left uneaten as none of them ate. The night ended in thoughts for them, Scarlet was hurt by the way she was being treated, Kane di not like it but if he could not even hurt a slave how could he ever match the strength of his brother? 'Maybe he was right, ruthlessness and hatred is the path to power', he thought., 'it takes a great strength to hurt the people you love. it makes you stronger.. it does...'

the word 'love' in his thoughts brought Scarlet back into his thoughts and he wondered if he was in love with her. Scarlet never left his mind after that until he fell asleep.

The morning rays teared through the darkness of the night. The city of Fire was back to its chaotic state. Kane was ready with his red cape to leave with Scarlet after he had slipped into his dark blue Blue t-shirt and pants that were designed with yellow fire. Soon SCarlet came wearing her robe. They climbed on to his Dranzer, The Phoenix of Fire and left for the Land of Iron. As Scarlet sat comfortably on the bird's back, she leaned back into Kane's chest who was sitting behind her and asked "since you returned, you have been so.. quiet. what is it that troubles you?". Kane tried not to let her know about the humiliating night, "nothing.."

Scarlet turned towards him, held his cheek and looked into his eyes"Kane...trust me.. "

Kane sighed, "ok.. i.. i met my brother.. and.. he beat me.. over..ok?"

"your brother!? you mean.. the one they call Brooklyn?", Scarlet asked surprised, "why did he come?"

Kane clenched his fist, "i don't know..but he will have to pay.. pay for what he has done.."

She hugged him tight, "yes my lord.. he will pay.. don't worry.. we will make him pay for it.."

Kane hissed, "don't act like you understand me.. i don't need any sympathy". His voice was cold. full of hatred... hatred for his brother, hatred for those who thought he was weak and needed sympathy. "i.. i do understand you! we're almost the same.. we both lost our parents.. i know how it feels.." Scarlet was cut off in the middle by Kane, who almost shot back, "no you don't... you never had any parents since you had enough brains to understand this world.. i had them! and then i lost them! my very own brother killed them! you can never know how i feel.."

"uh.. Kane..?", Scarlet felt offended., "i think you need to visit the Suchikage again,..if something is troubling you, he will help guide you"

"i don't need any guidance.. i know what i have to do" Kane replied coldly again," i had a happy family once, The King of the most powerful land was my father, my mother was the most loving woman of the fire, so loving that people thought she was from the land of life, some still consider it a truth. Most of all, my brother.. we shared a bond, but it was broken, My happy world was ruined by my brother... i thought he loved me, but it was all fake, the love, the care, it WAS ALL FAKE! I live only to avenge the death of my people and my parents."


The red Phoenix flew away into the distance and disappeared from the sight of anyone who could see it from the ground below. Flying over the forests and mountains towards the land of iron....




"I am your brother, a wall that you have to climb"