Torn Apart

(A/N: Just after posting my latest chapter to The Rinnegan Maelstrom (literally, about five minutes afterwards), I realized I didn't have any ideas on how to proceed with Kunai. As such I decided to take a break and instead do something with a little plot bunny that had been gnawing on my frontal lobes for most of the day; what were the jinchūriki thinking while they were having their bijuu extracted? This is my thoughts on the matter.)

Yugito landed in front of the large cage that held the Nibi no Nekomata and immediately registered that the cat was pressed up against the bars, evidently trying to keep away from something at the back of her cage. Around the cat's human form (which Yugito had helped her develop under the tutelage of her fellow Kumo jinchūriki, Killer Bee, she could see a hole filled with absolute darkness at the back of the cage which was steadily tearing chunks from the walls, floor and ceiling and sucking them into its hungry maw.

Nibi noticed her presence, "Kitten!"

Yugito ran up to the bars, "What's going on Nibi-chan?"

Nibi backed up even closer to the bars, evidently wishing that she and Yugito had found a way to remove them so that she could have freedom through Yugito's mindscape under the mutual trust agreement the pair had set up in the last two decades, "It's some kind of fūinjutsu, kitten. But I don't know what. I think it's trying to extract me."

Yugito swore, pulling frantically on the bars in a futile attempt to make them budge so that her oldest friend except for Bee could get away, "They can't do this! Just wait, Nibi-chan, I'll get you out of there!"

Unexpectedly, she found herself wrapped in her bijuu's embrace. Pressing herself closer to the bars Yugito closed her eyes, enjoying the contact despite the imminent peril, "Shhh, it's ok kitten. You're not going to remove those bars."

Yugito looked up at the Nibi's grave face, tears starting to prick her eyes, "But… why? Why did this have to happen to us?"

Nibi stroked her hair with one hand, "I don't know kitten. I don't know."

Yugito's voice cracked as she jerked back and began pulling on the bars again, "I can get you out! Don't worry! I can do it!"

She was stopped by Nibi gently putting her hands over Yugito's on the bars, looking out at her vessel with tears in her own slanted eyes, "Don't bother, kitten. There's nothing we can do."

The tears were falling thick and fast down Yugito's cheeks as she yanked frantically at the bars, "Don't say that! There has to be something!"

Nibi looked behind her; more than three-quarters of the room had now disappeared and the gap between the edge and her feet was rapidly diminishing. She turned back to the bars, reaching through them to cup Yugito's cheek in her hand, "All these years, you've been like a daughter to me, kitten. They say the bond between a jinchūriki and their bijuu is deeper than any other, because they are literally one body and almost one mind; together forever and even dying in each other's company. I like to think ours is deeper; more mother-daughter or sister-sister than partner-partner."

Yugito began to cry openly at her bijuu's words. She saw Nibi stumble slightly as she started to lose her footing, before the bijuu leaned forwards and kissed her on the forehead, "Goodbye, kitten. I love you."

Yugito watched through tear-filled eyes as Nibi then let go of the bars and allowed herself to drift backwards into the void. "I… I love you too, Nibi-chan…" she said, resting her head against the bars and crying even harder.

-TA-

Nagato, Madara and the other members of Akatsuki watched, triumphant, as the streams of chakra pouring into the statue faded and the jinchūriki's body hit the floor with a soft thump.

The spark of life in Yugito's eyes was fading fast as she stared up at the ceiling, but she had time for one last thought, "I'm sorry… Nibi-chan… kaa-chan… Bee-kun… A-kun… I'm so, so sorry…"

Her eyes drifted closed, her last breath hissed from between her teeth, and Yugito Nii, ex-jinchūriki of the Nibi no Nekomata and jōnin kunoichi of Kumogakure no Sato, knew no more.

(A/N: Dammit, this is like when I wrote The Fading Spark! Why do I write these things when I can barely keep myself from crying by the time I'm finished! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it; I'm going to go to sleep. This is Leonineus, saying GOODNIGHT!)