Ok, I wrote this because it's kind of based on an rp, sort of. I just got the idea out of the blue. I knew I had to write something, but mind I warn you, the chapters will be long and you'll know when it'll be done!!! So no complaints! Also title might change…so yeah….this chapter might be a little slow, but get over it. That's all.
Disclamer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach. Kisimoto and Kubo own those. But I own Raidon and Ran.
The Crimson Puzzle
Chapter one
The 1st Piece
"It's been five years to the day…" Terrok Lycan muttered with forlorn. Her bright crimson eyes adverted upwards to the sadly from the ground.
A cool, crisp wind blow through hr black-red streaked hair, Lycan tucked back her hair behind her elf-like ears. The sky looked blurry and distant to her like there was nothing left to see in it. The day had begun gray and miserable. This day always appeared like that to her.
Lycan had to gather all of her sisters. They were just waiting to be picked up. Éclair and Shizuka were with each other in the Akatsuki base, Aiko was coming into town, and Ran was most likely training in the forest. They'd be easy to find, but she knew this day would drag on slowly. Lycan just wanted this day to end.
She decided early on that she'd get Shizuka and Éclair first. Aiko was about 20 minutes away from their village, but Lycan had to do was teleport to the base and the grab the younger two so she wouldn't keep Aiko waiting. Then on the way to the graveyard, Lycan shivered at the thought of this word, they would pick up Ran.
With a flick her wrist, she appeared in the small house all the members shared together. There was a cold, eerie feeling in the house as Lycan shifted into her wolf form. As she turned into the hallway, she took note of the faint glowing light on the ceiling. They sure do appreciate the darkness in this house. Lycan thought twitching her ears sensing any danger. She caught sight of a window, the only thing she saw was rain.
"This is the rain village." Lycan reminded herself as she paced past the window.
Lycan knew that the weather was controlled by Pain, the former leader of Amekagure and Akatsuki. Shizuka had told her various times that he hid in this room, barely showing his face to the other members. Most of the members preferred that.
Her nose flared at the scent of fish and she froze in place. Kisame and Konan walked past her. They seemed to ignore her presence, they seemed more interesting in each other than anyone else. How weird. They didn't seem to notice me at all. Lycan dipped her head upset by this. But then Lycan remembered that the Akatsuki also felt the stung of Raidon's death as well. Well, maybe I'll see Deidara. That'll cheer me up. She wagged her tail cheering up and walked along the hallway again.
After a few minutes of meandering around the hallway, Lycan caught Éclair and Shizuka's scents. She raised her black paw to the door and scratched it whimpering quietly to be let in. Finally the door creaked open which revealed Éclair. The redness in her eyes indicated she had been crying just before Lycan had scratched at the door. Éclair wore a short-sleeve simple black shirt and a pair of black jeans, also very simple and her shinobi shoes.
"Oh," Éclair paused to wipe her eyes before a new batch of tears could emerge. "Lycan, you're early."
Like Lycan, Éclair's had grown out down to her waist, but she cut it back onto her back. Most of the orange tips of her hair had either vanished or the orange crept more into her hair. She grew about three more inches, but still skinny as a stick.
Éclair's light violet eyes glanced back into the room. "Shi?"
Shizuka stepped out next to Éclair. Shizuka's thick dark red hair had grown to her shoulders, but her dark blue orbs were the same. She'd grown a couple more inches, but stopped. Like Éclair, she wore a simple long-sleeve black shirt and long black pants. Shi however added her Akatsuki cloak over those black clothing. She too had redness in her eyes.
"Hey Lycan-ane." She said with a sad smile and kneeled down in front of her petting Lycan's head. Lycan wagged her tail in response.
"So, uh, are we ready to go?" Éclair asked awkwardly staring down at her feet.
"Umm, yeah. We should get going and find Aiko." Shizuka replied feeling uncomfortable as well.
With another flick of her wrist, they appeared back in Konoha right at the gate. There was no one around in sight. Lycan swerved her head around searching for Aiko. Shizuka was staring at the ground immobile and Éclair hugged her upper arms shivering from the present cold air. No one spoke a word or even exchanged a glance with each other.
All three girls gazed up seeing someone approach the gate, an abnormally tall young woman who carried a bouquet of white roses. Shizuka blinked in shock. "Aiko-! Your hair…"
Aiko froze in place and touched of what remained of the results of the anniversary of Raidon's death. She'd chopped her former long flowing black hair off to her shoulders. She bit her lip walking over to them in ankle high black dress, though the color was lighter color of black and she wore knee high boots with hidden kunai knives and under her dress were two sheathes for tonfa blades. Aiko was prepared for anything.
"Yeah, I know. I, uh wanted to try a new look!" Aiko quickly said trying to sound cheery. She clutched hold of the flowers tightly forcing a smile.
"Well, that's good. I like it a lot." Lycan replied wagging her tail rapidly. She ran over to Aiko and licked her hands. Shizuka and Éclair just nodded with weak smiles.
This is an awkward silence. Shizuka thought watching Lycan and Aiko interact with each other. Éclair then coughed into her hands and said. "We should go pick up Ran you guys. She's probably waiting."
"Waiting? I doubt it. She's most likely training with that friend of her's." Shizuka corrected her sighing.
"A friend? Hahaha! I doubt that!" Aiko forced out. Though the fact was true.
The four moved through the tiny forest easily. Their awkward silence was incredibly annoying. After a few minutes, they head the sound of metal hitting against metal, all four girls smiled faintly at this. Overheard they caught sight of another young women. The young woman was just as tall as Éclair, with long thin caramel brown hair tied into a ponytail. She wore a black kimono and the hair tie was a dark red ribbon.
Someone's yelling came out of nowhere and a man came falling from the air and collided his wooden staff against the woman's blade. Both grunted and she pushed him to the ground. The man was tall and bald; he wore a male-sized kimono, however he'd stripped off the top part of it revealing his sweaty chest. He held his staff with a wild smile wiped across his face.
"Yaahhh!" He bellowed launching himself at her. She dodged by flying up in the air, she then spotted her group of friends and muttered a curse.
The bald guy appeared near her and saw them too freezing. Both hit the ground.
Lycan whimpered running over to them, with the others following behind. Once the dust cleared, they realized the man was lying on top of their sister. Ran wiggled under her friend.
"I-Ikkaku-kun! Get off me!" Éclair and Aiko snickered seeing their faces turn red. Ikkaku replied stuttering. "So-Sorry Taicho!"
"We should be sorry. Did we interrupt something?" Shizuka asked with a small smirk. Ran scowled. "Iie, you were not."
"Oh hell yes you interrupted something!" Ikkaku declared scowling angrily at Shizuka's comment. Before he could an even bigger fool of himself, Ran smacked and told him to behave.
"Well, we came to get you, but it looks like…!"
"It looked like nothing." Ran snapped at Éclair and sighed heavily. "Goodbye Ikkaku-kun. See you tomorrow."
"Hai, later Ran-chan." Ikkaku bowed his head lazily and vanished.
Ran grabbed her sheath and sheathed her sword; she tied her sheath to her waist and picked up several white roses. She walked back over to her sisters, ready to go.
They continued their walk to the graveyard. Éclair and Shizuka stood side by side with each other just staring ahead. Lycan whimpered sadly and Ran gave Lycan of her own white roses and she wagged her tail happily. Aiko smiled softly playing with her chopped hair. Fog swept under their feet as they walked through the graveyard. Ugh, I don't want to step on a dead animal. Éclair thought with a look of disgust trying to avoid anything on the ground.
Once they treaded through the graveyard they found Raidon's grave half covered by fog. The four girls approached and sat on their knees in front of the grave. Each girl silently placed down the white roses. Éclair was the last one to place down a flower and felt something sticky on her hands. She lifted her hand and her face turned pale as a ghost.
There was blood on her hands.
She stood up and saw in horror of the grave stone. It was covered in blood.