Sextuplets in Arms
Chapter 1
The first orange rays of dawn illuminated the remains of a ruined village. Most of the buildings had been reduced to smoking heaps of ash, and the streets were decorated with hundreds of bloody corpses. Among the debris of a particular building, a lone, cloaked survivor sat hidden from sight. It appeared to be a young woman, but most of her face was concealed by her hood. Clutched firmly in her trembling left hand was a rusty metal pipe.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached the survivor's ears, and her grip on the makeshift weapon tightened. Cautiously peeking her head out from behind the rubble, the female bit her lower lip so hard that it drew blood. So you've finally decided to show yourself. A figure sporting a tight black combat suit was approaching her position, seemingly unaware of her presence. Judging from its physical build, it was probably a male, but his face was hidden behind a black helmet.
"I'll send you to hell for this..." The woman hissed under her breath in a sinister manner.
Once the second figure was mere inches away from her refuge, she quickly rose to her feet. As she did so, her hood flew back, revealing her beautiful face at last. Her shoulder-length brown hair was tied up in two curly pigtails, and her brown eyes were filled with hatred. Warm tears streamed down her dirt-stained porcelain cheeks as she raised the pipe, preparing to beat the life out of her victim. However, before she had a chance to strike, a gunshot suddenly echoed throughout the vicinity. An expression of shock appeared on the young woman's face as crimson liquid began to seep from a hole in her enemy's chest. He dropped to his knees and swayed back and forth for a few seconds before falling forward. Moments later, a pool of red began to form underneath his lifeless body. The female released her grip on the weapon, and it made a loud clanking noise as it impacted the ground.
"A lady shouldn't dirty her hands with this type of work." A voice came from behind the bewildered woman, causing her to turn around rapidly.
Standing a few feet away from her was a handsome young man, holding a large rifle. He had short red hair and sapphire eyes, and he was sporting a gray camouflage uniform. His black boots were smeared with dirt and ash, and a small circular canteen was attached to his belt. After a few moments of silence, he slung the gun behind him, and it hung from his shoulder by a thick strap.
"Then again, I suppose you've already experienced plenty of things that no one should ever have to go through." His expression turned apologetic, and the next words that escaped from his lips were spoken in a soft, compassionate tone. "I'm sorry we didn't make it in time."
"..." The young woman didn't utter a single word in response. She simply collapsed onto the ground as though all of her remaining energy had suddenly been drained from her body, and she stared up at her new acquaintance with blank eyes.
The man released a deep sigh, realizing that she was probably too traumatized to reply. Then, he lifted his right hand up to his mouth, revealing a strange communications device that was wrapped around his wrist. Pushing a button on said device, which resembled a watch, he began to speak into it.
"This is Matsu 1. I've completed my search of the northern area. One survivor located. Over."
A few moments of silence ensued, and then static noises briefly emanated from the communicator before being replaced by a deep, muffled voice.
"This is Matsu 2. I've completed my search as well. No survivors. My Itami's were amongst the casualties. Over."
"That's why I told you not to wear designer boots on the battlefield." The man who called himself 'Matsu 1' facepalmed. "Even Matsu 6 has more common sense than that. Over."
"This is Matsu 6." A soft, masculine voice responded. "It's true that I would never wear any of my designer boots out here, but I feel like you're the last person who should lecture others about common sense, Matsu 1. Over."
"This is Matsu 3." Yet another voice escaped from the device. "Could you all please refrain from engaging in unnecessary conversations during the mission? Over."
"Haaai." Matsu 1, Matsu 2, and Matsu 6 all answered simultaneously.
Matsu 3 sighed and continued.
"Matsu 5, how is everything on your end? Over."
"No problems here so far." A cheerful voice rang out. "I can't say the same for the unfortunate villagers though. Over."
"I'm amazed that you can remain so optimistic in these circumstances." Matsu 3 spoke in a deadpan tone. "Over."
"That's my charm point. Over."
"No. While on the remnants of a battlefield, that isn't a charm point... it's just creepy. Over."
"Well, Matsu 4 did mention that Matsu 5 might have a hidden darkness..." Matsu 6 recalled anxiously. "...one that runs even deeper than the rest of ours. Over."
"Please don't bring that up right now." Matsu 3 sounded rather disturbed by that remark. "Speaking of Matsu 4, he's the only one we haven't heard from yet. Matsu 4, please respond! Over."
The only reply was silence.
"Matsu 4! Oi! Can you hear me, Matsu 4?! Over!" The concern in Matsu 3's voice was growing by the second.
More silence.
"MATSU FOOOOOOOOOOUR!"
"Shut up. You're giving me a headache." A deep, annoyed voice finally acknowledged the third Matsu's desperate cries. "I don't understand why we have to check in every five minutes. It just distracts us from the mission. Also, the nicknames serve no purpose."
"Hey!" Matsu 1 snapped. "They're cool... and you're supposed to say 'over!' Over."
"I actually have to agree with Matsu 4 on this one." Matsu 6 added. "The nicknames are pretty lame. The only reason Matsu 1 gave us these designations is to make himself look like our commanding officer. He might be the oldest, but he really has no leadership qualities. He just likes bossing people around. Over."
"Matsu 6!" Matsu 1 roared into his communication device.
"Matsu 3, you definitely should've been our leader. Over." Matsu 6 spoke in a sincere tone, ignoring Matsu 1's outburst.
"I hope you're prepared to be punished for your insubordination, Matsu 6." Matsu 1 growled. "Over."
"All I'm doing is speaking the truth... and there you go still trying to make yourself seem like our leader. Over."
"Tch!" A vein popped out on Matsu 1's forehead.
"Things are getting lively again." Matsu 5 chuckled.
"Whoa, whoa... calm down, brothers." Matsu 2 spoke in a cool, collected manner. "Over."
"I'm perfectly calm." Matsu 6 replied. "Matsu 1 is just getting upset for no reason... and can we stop saying 'over' now? Over."
"I'm smashing my communicator." That was the last straw for Matsu 4.
"W-wait, Matsu 4!" Matsu 3 pleaded. "I promise we'll shut up! Just d-don't destroy the communicator! Do you remember how much those cost?! O-over!"
"Nope. You're the one who paid for them... so it has nothing to do with me." Matsu 4 spoke in a monotonous manner. "Later, Choromatsu-niisan."
"Hold on ju-" Before Matsu 3 could finish his sentence, a loud crashing noise blasted from the device's speakers and was followed by more static... then utter silence. This caused a high-pitched wheezing sound to erupt from Matsu 3's throat.
"I think Matsu 3 stopped breathing." Matsu 6 noted. "Over."
Matsu 1 released a deep sigh.
"Let's just finish up our missions and return to the rendezvous point as soon as possible. Over."
"Roger!" Only three voices replied.
"Did you hear me, Matsu 3?"
The silence returned for a few seconds. Then, it was broken by a low, defeated voice.
"...roger."
Upon hearing his subordinate's affirmation, the red-haired male lowered his arm and turned his head to look at the female once more. She was still sitting on the ground, staring up at him with a lifeless expression. Taking a few steps toward the broken survivor, the young man bent down and held out his hand to her.
"I'm the commander of Squad F6 in the Akatsuka Army... Matsuno Osomatsu." He finally introduced himself, offering her a faint smile. "Feel free to call me 'Osomatsu-kun' if you want. May I ask what your name is?"
The woman quietly stared at the hand that had been offered to her. She appeared to be pondering over whether she could trust him or not. After nearly a minute had passed, she reluctantly reached out and grabbed onto his hand.
"Yowai... Totoko..." She spoke in a barely audible tone.
"Huh?" The commander blinked.
"Yowai Totoko..." She raised her voice slightly. "...that's my name."
"And what a cute name it is." Osomatsu's smile widened as he carefully helped the young woman to her feet. "May I call you 'Totoko-chan?'"
"A-ah..." Totoko seemed to be slightly flustered by the young man's inquiry. After hesitating for a few seconds, she slowly nodded. "...yes."
"Heh, all right. 'Totoko-chan' it is then." He chuckled, but his expression soon morphed into a more serious one. "Would you like to come with me, Totoko-chan? I'll take you to meet the rest of my squad, and we'll help you find a new place to live. There doesn't seem to be much we can salvage here, and you're the only survivor we've detected so far. However, if you really want to stay, we can tr-"
"I'll go with you." She replied in a firm tone, cutting the young man off mid-sentence. A fire of determination had suddenly returned to her eyes. "All that remains for me here is a future haunted by bad memories." She gazed out across the charred ruins that had once been her thriving town of residence. "I want to have a fresh start somewhere."
Osomatsu nodded, impressed by her resolve in the face of such disaster.
"I think I know just the place." He started to walk off in the direction of his squad's rendezvous point, beckoning for the female to follow. "This way, Totoko-chan."
"Okay." Totoko tagged along after her savior, wondering if she would ever be freed from the chains of guilt that those ashes had created in her heart. "I'm sorry, everyone..." As she whispered those words under her breath, a single tear rolled down her left cheek.
On the outskirts of the ruined village stood four young men. They each had a different hair color, but they all strongly resembled Osomatsu. They were also wearing the same camouflage uniforms as the aforementioned commander. The first male had blue hair and eyes to match, and he seemed to be sporting a pair of golden boots... although it was difficult to tell since they were caked with dirt and ash. The second soldier possessed green hair and eyes, and he wasn't as muscular as the first. He also wore a pair of glasses with rectangular lenses. The third young man had blonde hair and blue eyes, and he was just as muscular as the first one... maybe even more so. The last soldier had pink hair and large, brown eyes. He possessed the most slender build of the four men, and he also had a 'baby face.'
"They're late." The green-haired male spoke up with a sigh. "I expected this from Matsu 4, but Matsu 1 should've been here by now."
"Choromatsu-niisan, we're not talking on the communicators anymore. You can drop the nicknames." The pink-haired male remarked in a slightly-annoyed tone. "And speak of the red-haired devil..."
As those words left his lips, two figures came into view, approaching their position. One was a male with crimson hair and blue eyes, and the other was a mysterious cloaked figure whose face was concealed by a hood. Eventually, the pair arrived at their destination, stopping a few feet in front of the four young men.
"What kept you?" Choromatsu asked the commander while pushing up his glasses. "Logically, it shouldn't have taken you forty minutes to meet us here... especially since your search was already complete the last time we conversed via communicator."
"Sorry about that." Osomatsu rubbed the back of his head, glancing over at his new companion. "She was having trouble keeping up with my pace, so we had to stop and rest a few times."
"She?" The four other males uttered that word simultaneously.
"Yeah, I told you I found a survivor, remember?"
"I remember... but for some reason, I never expected it to be a girl." The pink-haired male admitted.
"Probably because you're used to seeing only men on the battlefield." The blue-haired man speculated. "I don't think any of us have even met a female soldier yet... let alone a female survivor."
The cloaked figure slowly pulled down the hood, proving that Osomatsu was speaking the truth. With an uncertain expression, Totoko briefly made eye contact with her four new acquaintances. Noticing her skepticism, the commander gently placed a hand on her head and started to ruffle her hair while a smile returned to his lips. The young female seemed reassured by his actions, and her body relaxed at his touch.
"This is Yowai Totoko." Osomatsu introduced the girl he had rescued. Each of his subordinates offered her a small grin in return, which caused the temperature of her cheeks to rise slightly. Releasing a soft chuckle, the man with red hair continued with his introductions. "Totoko-chan, these are my comrades in arms, and they also happen to be my younger brothers."
Totoko blinked in surprise.
"All of them are?" She couldn't deny that they all indeed looked incredibly similar.
"Yeah, pretty shocking, isn't it? We're sextuplets." Osomatsu explained, turning to face the blue-haired male. "This is Karamatsu. He, Jyushimatsu, and myself are the 'tanks' of this troop. We're the strongest, and we specialize in hand-to-hand combat."
Totoko glanced over at Karamatsu and nodded as an intrigued expression appeared on her face. This was the first time she met a group of sextuplets. Hell, she'd never even met triplets before.
"Heh." Karamatsu smirked, locking eyes with the female. "It seems fate has a cruel sense of humor... bringing us together like this."
"Oi, Karamatsu-niisan." The pink-haired man reproached his brother. "Read the mood."
Completely ignoring his subordinate's pitiful excuse of a pick-up line, Osomatsu focused his attention on the soldier with green hair and proceeded with the introductions.
"Here we have Choromatsu. He's our smartest member, and he comes up with our battle strategies."
"I'm glad to see that you're mostly unscathed, Yowai-san." Choromatsu looked at the young woman with an apologetic gaze much like Osomatsu had done earlier. "I would've said 'It's a pleasure to meet you,' but I feel that wouldn't be appropriate under these circumstances."
"Choromatsu-niisan is actually talking to a cute girl and making eye contact with her!" An expression of complete shock swept over the pink-haired brother's face. "Usually he can't do either!"
"What happened to reading the mood?!" The man with glasses suddenly lost all of his composure.
"Sorry. I was just so taken by surprise that I blurted it out." The baby-faced soldier replied in a genuine tone. Apparently, he wasn't kidding around at all.
"Is it really that difficult to believe?!"
"Now that you mention it, Choromatsu has been acting a little strange recently." Osomatsu added, rubbing his chin. "Did you eat something weird, Choromatsu?"
Choromatsu's right eyebrow twitched, and he cleared his throat awkwardly as he tried to collect himself.
"I consume the same military rations as the rest of you." He spoke in an aggravated tone. "However, unlike my brain dead brothers who lack any sort of common sense, I actually know how to be serious when the situation calls for it."
"I guess we'll leave it at that." Osomatsu shrugged, seemingly unconvinced with his bespectacled sibling's response. Then, he turned to face his blonde brother. "This is Jyushimatsu. As I stated before, he's one of our three 'tanks.' Actually, he's the strongest member we have. Even Karamatsu and I don't stand a chance against his physical prowess."
Jyushimatsu gave Totoko a bright smile.
"He's also extremely optimistic..." The commander added, and his voice took on a faint weary tone. "Almost nothing can bring his spirits down. His cheerfulness keeps the rest of us from getting too depressed out here, but it can also be a bit overwhelming at times."
"You should try being more positive, Osomatsu-niisan." The blonde soldier suggested. "You'll feel a lot better."
"That may be true, but not all of us can think as positively as you, Jyushimatsu... especially in our line of work." The crimson-haired man crossed his arms. "By the way, where does all of your extra stamina come from? You're always so energetic, even right after you wake up."
"It comes from my optimism, of course."
"Well, that explains it." Osomatsu sighed and glanced over at his pink-haired brother. "This is Todomatsu, but we usually call him Totty. He's good with machines and stuff. He can fix weapons, pick locks, arm or disarm explosives, etc."
"I'm happy that you're safe, Yowai-san." Todomatsu's words were bittersweet. "The fact that you survived renewed some of my hope. I thought that we had completely failed our mission and let everyone die, but apparently, that wasn't the case. We did succeed just a little bit... we were at least able to save one life."
"...Totoko-chan..." The young female mumbled.
"What was that?" Todomatsu raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"I said that you all can call me 'Totoko-chan.'" Totoko raised her voice again, blushing faintly and staring down at her feet.
"Okay." Todomatsu nodded, and his lips curved upward to form a tiny smile.
Osomatsu turned away from Todomatsu, opening his mouth once more.
"Last but not least, we have Ichi-" He abruptly cut himself off when he realized that no one was standing on the other side of Todomatsu. Turning his head about in all directions, the commander scanned the vicinity for his missing brother. However, this brief search proved to be in vain. "Ichimatsu isn't here." He uttered matter-of-factly.
"You noticed just now?!" Choromatsu couldn't believe how stupid his brothers could be at times.
"I guess I'll introduce him anyway." The commander once again turned his attention to Totoko, not paying any heed to the soldier with glasses. "Ichimatsu is our sniper. He has the best aim out of all of us. He should be rendezvousing with us shortly, so just be a little patient."
The young woman nodded in response.
"Seriously, what's taking him so long?" Karamatsu tilted his head slightly to the left. "If he makes us wait any longer, we-"
The blue-haired man was cut off by the sound of a gunshot. A tiny metal object flew mere centimeters past his right cheek and embedded itself in a large piece of debris a few feet behind him. Wide-eyed, he glanced over at the pile of rubble that the sound originated from. It suddenly began to move.
"Tch." A young man with purple hair and eyes emerged from the pile, holding a sniper rifle against his chest as he slowly rose to his feet. He looked very similar to the other five men who were present and was sporting the same uniform. "He moved at the last second..." The soldier spoke in a low, irritated voice.
Every muscle in Karamatsu's body tensed up, and he swallowed hard. At this rate, he was going to end up being killed by friendly fire!
"Geez, if you were here, you should've said something, Ichimatsu." Osomatsu walked up to the purple-haired male and placed a hand on his shoulder. The commanding officer didn't even seem to care that one of his brothers was almost taken out by the sniper.
"..." Without uttering a single word in response, Ichimatsu awkwardly tried to push off the hand on his shoulder.
"Since we've all reunited, I believe it is best that we depart from this area immediately." Choromatsu pushed up his glasses. "Some of the enemy's forces may still remain in the vicinity. We shouldn't expose Totoko-chan to any more danger."
"You're right." The red-haired male agreed, finally removing his hand from his disconcerted brother's shoulder. "She's already been through enough. There's a well-protected village not too far from here. She should be able to live out the rest of her life in peace there." Yet again, the commander's blue eyes fell upon the young woman. "It'll take a few days for us to walk there. Is that okay with you, Totoko-chan?"
Totoko appeared to be lost in thought for a few moments before she slowly nodded.
"All right." Osomatsu pushed a button on his communications device. "I'll contact HQ and tell them that we'll be taking a little detour on our way back. I'm sure they won't be happy to hear about our failure, but there's nothing we can do about that now. All we can do is make sure that the sole survivor is taken care of."
After about three days of walking (and resting), Totoko and her six escorts finally beheld a village on the horizon.
"There it is!" Osomatsu pointed ahead with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Totoko abruptly stopped in her tracks, seemingly reluctant to continue on.
"What's the matter, Totoko-chan?" The crimson-haired man stopped as well, wearing a faint expression of concern and confusion.
After a few moments of hesitance, the young female shook her head and began to push forward once more.
"It's nothing."
Once they entered the town, the troop of soldiers began to explain their situation to various villagers. Eventually, they found an old couple who were kind enough to let Totoko stay with them.
"Well, I guess this is good-bye." A bittersweet grin formed on Osomatsu's lips, and he reached out, softly ruffling the young woman's hair.
Totoko clenched both of her hands into tight fists as she felt the commander's gentle touch yet again.
"I... don't want to stay here." She finally voiced the thoughts that she had been keeping to herself.
"Eh? Why not?" With a puzzled look, Osomatsu stopped ruffling her hair. "I already told you, this town is well protected. The opposing army won't approach this place unless they want to be massacred. You'll be safe here, I promise."
"I know that. Deep down, I know that staying here is probably what's best for me... but..." The young woman paused. Apparently, she had grown quite attached to the brothers in the past few days. Her eyes became glossy with tears as she continued. "...I want to go with you all."
An expression of shock appeared on the six soldiers' faces. Clearly, none of them were expecting such a remark. After a brief silence, the red-haired man opened his mouth to respond.
"I can't let you do that, Totoko-chan." He shook his head. "It's too dangerous, and we won't always be able to protect you. Besides, why would you want to stay with the men who couldn't do anything to save your village? We let them all die."
"I know that it's dangerous, and I know that you can't always protect me. I'll find a way to take care of myself... and I promise I won't get in your way." Totoko's vision was blurred from the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes at any second. "You're not the only ones who couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything to save my people either. I'm a medic who was training to become a nurse... but when people started dying all around me, I panicked. In the end, I wasn't able to save a single one of them." She confessed, rubbing her eyes. "I failed them all, too."
After a few moments of struggling with her emotions, the young woman managed to regain most of her composure. She stopped rubbing her eyes and looked straight at the commander once more. "If I go with you, then I can serve as your medic. Maybe I can make up a little bit for my failure. After all, I'd be helping the army that's trying to rid the world of that tyrant and his followers." Her voice became louder and more passionate with each sentence that escaped from her lips. "I don't care if I die... I just want to be with all of you. I want to be with the brave men who saved me and comforted me in my darkest hour." She took a deep breath and then glanced over at each of the brothers, speaking with firm determination once more.
"Osomatsu-kun, Karamatsu-kun, Choromatsu-kun, Ichimatsu-kun, Jyushimatsu-kun, Todomatsu-kun..." Totoko suddenly dropped down onto her hands and knees, pressing her forehead against the ground. "Please let me stay by your side from now on! Until death comes for us, I don't want us to be apart!"
The six soldiers just stood there, dumbfounded by the young woman's words. After what seemed like an eternity from Totoko's perspective, the oldest sibling finally opened his mouth.
"Raise your head, Totoko-chan." There wasn't even a hint of emotion in his voice.
I knew it. There's no way they'd let me come. She thought to herself, slowly lifting her head.
"On your feet." Osomatsu reached out his hand to the female.
Totoko tried to avoid making eye contact with the commander as she took his hand. The young man helped her to her feet, and she started to release his hand. However, before she could completely let go, he suddenly pulled her close and wrapped both arms around her.
"I'll be damned..." Osomatsu's voice softened. "...how are we supposed to refuse after hearing that? This is the first time in my life I've been left speechless."
Totoko's eyes widened in surprise.
"I've never met such a foolish, stubborn... wonderful woman before." The red-haired soldier continued. "...and yet, you seemed so timid when we first met."
"That's how I always act around new people..." She replied, slowly embracing the commander in return. Nuzzling her head against his chest, she could hear his steady, calm heartbeat.
"You really are a fool, Totoko-chan." Osomatsu lifted his right hand and began to stroke the back of her head. "You have a peaceful new life waiting for you right here. You could finish your nurse studies and get married... live a normal, happy life."
"I know... but I still want to go with you." Totoko persisted. Her mind was already made up. "I don't think I could ever be truly happy if I gave up this chance to be with you Matsuno brothers. We haven't known each other for very long, but you've all become irreplaceable to me. Even if our time together from here on out is short, I want to treasure every moment of it."
Once again rendered speechless, Osomatsu held Totoko in silence for a while. Finally, his voice returned, and he slowly released her.
"If this is what you really want, I won't stop you... and I think my brothers are in agreement." He glanced over at his siblings, and they all nodded in response. "I just hope you don't regret your decision later."
"I won't. Thank-you, all of you." Totoko bowed in gratitude. Then, she turned to the old couple that was standing nearby and bowed to them in apology. The couple merely shook their heads and smiled in response. They apparently understood her decision and weren't upset by her refusal of their hospitality.
"Well, we'd better get going." Osomatsu stretched. "We can't be late for our next mission. I don't want any more innocent people to lose their lives because of us. Also, we're running low on rations, so the sooner we return to headquarters, the better."
Upon uttering those words, the commander began to depart from the village alongside his five subordinates. Totoko, on the other hand, didn't move a muscle. She quietly stood there, watching the backs of the six soldiers as they gradually grew smaller. She was mesmerized by the sight of their figures fading into the setting sun. From her perspective, they actually appeared to be moving in slow motion. Eventually, she was brought out of her little trance when Todomatsu turned around.
"Are you coming, Totoko-chan?" The pink-haired man's voice instantly brought her back to reality.
"Y-yeah!" Totoko nodded and started running to catch up with the brothers who had become so dear to her.
Author's Note: I've had this story in the works for quite a long time, but writer's block and reality got in the way... soooo I ended up forgetting about it for a long time. Eventually, my hype for the second season inspired me to finish the first chapter. So here it is. FINALLY.
This chapter turned out a lot more comedic than I intended it to be. It was meant to be a more serious story, but I just couldn't resist throwing in some sibling bickering. I love their bickering so much. Anyway, this tale might eventually become more serious like it was supposed to be... so if you can't handle feels and/or are sensitive to the subject of war, I don't recommend that you continue reading. You've been warned. Oh, and while I'm on the topic of warnings, I just wanted to mention that I'm NOT going to add in any Matsunocest. So if you only came here for Matsunocest, then you should probably leave. I honestly wanted this to be something that all the fans could enjoy, even the ones who aren't into that stuff. (Maybe I'll write another story with Matsunocest later). Also, I know the brothers are all in their "perfect" F6 forms, but I'm still going to make them behave more like they do when they're in their typical potato forms (except Jyushimatsu isn't going to act as... uhh... "special" as he does in his potato form).
On a final note, why the hell did I think it was a good idea to give Ichimatsu a sniper rifle?! Good lord. This isn't going to end well for anyone... especially Karamatsu.