Chapter One –Regret
Koneko's POV
"Koneko, I'm hungry." If he said one more word, I was going to send him to hell. Literally.
"You said that an hour ago, Kami-kun." I gave him a look and kept walking; the black wolf just followed like a lost puppy.
"I know…but I really am hungry, Mistress!"
"Oh yeah, you only call me "Mistress" when you're begging for something. Besides, how are people gonna react to a Great Dane-sized beast walking into a local ramen shop?" I turned to look Ookami right in the eyes. He didn't seem fazed.
"We won't be in a ramen shop cuz I eat deer and stuff!"
"That's not what you said when I got you those dumplings last night. You practically bit my hand off!" If wolves could blush, Ookami would be doing just that.
"Sh-Shut up! You know I was raised by a psycho!"
"Oh, so now I'm a psycho?! I'm a bounty hunter, Kami-kun! I kill the un-innocent, not people!"
"I can't believe this; you're 21 years old and you're making up words."
"I have a right as someone who can kick your ass to make up my own words…Besides, un-innocent is so a word…"
Ookami groaned. "How about we just get to the village before you need to go out "bounty hunting", ok?"
I nodded. "Yeah, that's probably best."
We've been walking for about 5 hours since our last rest stop to the small Land of Birds, our next rest stop before we continued to our destination: The Land of Sound. Of course, with Ookami around, we've gotta stop every two hours so he can eat. Kami, why doesn't he just eat himself into a fuckin' coma?! Seriously, I wonder where that thing puts it all.
Oh yeah, I haven't introduced myself. The name's Koneko, short for Kurosendo Koneko. Yeah, that name could just drive ya away, but don't' worry. As long as you're not evil, I won't bite. I've been a bounty hunter for almost 3 years now, and most criminals know me. Just walk into a jail and you'll see a bad guy with a grudge against kittens.
You see, I used to be a ninja. A ninja from Konoha, as a matter of fact. Of course, you're probably wondering why I left such a magnificent place, right? Well, it's cuz I was hurting everyone there. Not directly, though, more of me being there hurt them. I mean, seriously, who knew that a Kage lusting after your power would hurt anyone?
Ha, gotcha. Of course it'd hurt people. Because I'm one of the last Kimochi, a clan of elements and feelings. Yup, water, fire, earth and wind, divided into four separate people. Me? I was water, and along with my cousins, Emily, Katie, and Hermione, we were the present generation of the Kimochi kekkei genkai. Emily is fire, Katie is earth, and Hermione was wind. Another one of those "was's" again. Well, Hermione's dead. My fiancée and I killed her because she joined the side of the one who massacred the Kimochi clan. But that's one of the many things I regret doing. A bounty hunter usually has a lot of those.
"Hey Kami-kun, lets rest here. I'll get you some food in a minute." He gave me one of his wolfish smiles and I smiled back. Though it wasn't a full smile though and it hasn't been a full smile since I left.
As I leaped through the trees, I was near tears. Again. That's what I get for mentioning the village. I really miss that place; it was my home for four years, and those years were the best and worst of my life. No, scratch that. These years away from the village are the worst of my life, because I'm not whole anymore.
I dropped down and blinked rapidly before calmly walking into the dumpling shop, ordering 30 to-go. After getting my order, I paid the guy in the white hat and walked out as calmly as I did when I came in. Then as soon as I got back in the trees I began to cry. I jumped higher in the tree I was in and just leaned on it, crying my heart out. Slowly, and with shaking fingers, I pulled out my iPod and turned it to the song "Gomenasai" by T.a.T.u. As their lyrics blasted in my ears, I thought about everyone in the village I left behind and how much I missed them. Then I switched to my pictures, looking at everyone's smiling faces. I focused most on Lee's. I grasped the peridot shard around my neck, and it slowly started to glow green through my fingers. This wasn't the first time it reacted to my fucked up emotions.
"L-Lee…..Lee-koishi….Gomen nasai…" After about 10 more minutes of crying, I slowly stopped and began to hiccup softly. After those were gone, I wiped my eyes and pulled out a mirror; I had to clean myself up before going back to Ookami. I fixed my mascara, which is the only makeup I use, thank you! Though I really don't need it; my eyelashes are naturally full and black; the mascara just makes them look more…dark, if you get what I'm saying. Underneath my eyes were purple circles, because I never get any sleep. I have to work at night. Speaking of night, it was getting late. I'd better get up before Ookami destroys a village.
After cleaning myself up, I brought the food to Ookami, and while he was gobbling it up, I put on my bounty hunter suit: Midnight purple belly turtleneck, same color pants that end above my ankles, ninja sandals, and a long black cloak to hide the sheathes of my katanas. To top it all off I donned my fingerless gloves that had some metal on the top so negate direct attacks. Now I just had to wait for Ookami.
"You done yet?"
"No. I have to wait for you to have some; it's why you bought 30 dumplings, right? 15 for you, 15 for me?"
"I'm not hungry anymore…"
"You're not gonna survive if you don't eat: We've gotta kill that dude with the weird beard that killed his family tonight."
"He won't make me break a sweat, you know that." Maybe it's me, but isn't being cocky just a hair away from being confident? At least that's what I've always felt.
"That doesn't matter. You've still gotta eat. You'll die if you do--" And that's when he stops talking. As soon as the dying thing pops up.
And you'd think he'd remember by now. I want to die. But I'm not gonna be killed by some half-bit criminal. No, that's not who's gonna do it. The ones who are going to take my life are the ones I ended up hurting.
"It's ok, Kami-kun. Let's just fuse now, ok?" I flicked my hair out of my cloak, the cark chocolate, almost black tresses flowing down my back. My hair had gotten longer over the years, but not so much that it wasn't manageable. 'Great, now why are my eyes watering?' Oh yeah, because thinking about my hair makes me think of TenTen, my best friend. I shook the thought away and did the hand signs.
"Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!"
The peridot on my chest glowed again, and this time, I felt another presence coming from its warm glow. The green light was slowly lightening, until it became yellow green. By the end of the fusion, it was becoming blinding. But I ignored that and checked to see if everything was where it needed to be.
Black ears on top of my head check. Slightly bushy black tail coming out of ass, check. Sharper and longer fingernails, a.k.a claws, check. Elongated and sharpened canines and incisors check. Whiskers check. Slightly slanted eyes check. Pointed pupils check. OK, everything's good to go.
"Alright, let's rock."
'Koneko, what's that weird glowing?' Yeah, Ookami is talking to me in my head. Well, he had to be able to talk somewhere; we are sharing a body.
'I bet it's nothing, Kami-kun. Just don't worry about it.' With that, we started off to the place where the bearded criminal was last seen.
But it was something to worry about, alright. The entrance of yellow in the green light meant that a certain someone was trying to find me again. And this time he was going to track me with the glow. He wouldn't stop until he had me in his arms again, that's for sure.
You know who it is yet? Yup, you're right. It is Lee. And right then, I wished that I wasn't sharing a body with Ookami. Because right then, I wanted to cry. So bad, I wanted to cry.
Because while the light's glowing, whether its mine, or his, or both, Lee can see me and what I'm doing. This meant he saw what I did.
'Ookami, I'm gonna stop for a minute.'
'OK, but for what?'
'Umm, I think it's best if you just get out of my body for a second. I'll be back in a second.'
'…I hope you know what you're doing, Koneko.'
I took a deep breath and smiled one of my wolfish smiles. Once again, it wasn't a whole one. 'I know what I'm doing, Kami-kun. You should be worrying about what you're going to do when I'm gone.'
The wolf sighed as he slowly unfused with me. "Alright, but be back in less than 30 minutes. I don't want to wait to kill this guy."
"OK, you can stop being the big man now, Kami-kun. See ya later."
After I gave him a small wave, I ran to the nearest tree and went to the top so I could see the full moon. Holding up the peridot with one hand, I touched it with the other, using my Chakra to track where Lee's Chakra signature was. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my once lover….
In my mind, I saw many images of trees flashing by and an image of the moon. After focusing a bit more, I saw him. Lee, his face, his dark eyes determined to get to me. He hadn't changed at all. It had to have been some sort of dream, because my eyes felt heavy, just by looking at his face again. He looked up; as if I was really there. Then he said something I thought I'd never hear from his lips for the rest of my life.
"Aishiteru, Kenisha-tenshi….I'm coming for you." I was this close to getting the hell out of there, but he said something else, and I just had to listen. I just had to hear more of his voice again. Thus, the impossible dream continued. "Don't forget what you said to me….Yakusoku wa oboete iru no…Wasurete ima nai no…."
Then I just had to do it. I don't even know why I did it, but if the love of your life was talking to you from who knows how far away and you haven't seen his face in the flesh for 3 years, what the hell would you do? So I replied back. "Yo Lee-koishi….it's me." He frowned a little and I noticed he was looking me up and down; I hadn't really been taking care of myself since I left him and the others.
"Kenisha-tenshi…you've…."
"I'll wait for you. Just--"
"Shhh." I could almost feel his fingers on my lips. "Don't worry. I'm already here." He was beginning to fade away, but I didn't notice. I was too busy relishing in the feeling of his warm breath on my neck. My hair shrouded over my face as I buried it in his muscled chest. "Look at me, Kenisha-tenshi, Kenisha, my love. I need to see your face." My eyes widened, and I gripped his shirt.
"I'm not sure if you want to see what I've become…" He smiled, silently wiping some hair out of my face, even though he still couldn't see it.
"It doesn't matter what you've become, as long as you still love me….because I love you as anything, Kenisha, as an angel or a demon. What I need to see are your eyes….I need to be lost in them again…" He clutched me close to him and looked down at my head, his eyes eating my appearance. One of his hands held onto the peridot around my neck, the other held my hand. I was ready; I was ready to let him see me, as I am now. I knew he was smiling, even if I couldn't see him. It's just something that lovers can do.
"Go on, let me see. Let me see what my love has become…"
And sure enough, I look up, only to be met with empty space and a dark blanket of night. No one was there. "Lee?" I looked around again wildly, almost losing my balance. "Lee-koishi?!" I couldn't believe it. It had to have been real; it can't have been only a dream. The peridot was still warm in my hands; I could still feel his warmth on it.
'It can't have not been real….He was there, god dammit! LEE-KOISHI WAS THERE!!'
"Koneko, get down here, I've spotted him."
"Coming!" I dropped down from the tree and made some more hand signs.
"Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!" We fused again and I pulled up my cloak collar.
'So, where is he?'
'He's over in the back of that house, just polishing his weapon before it gets bloody…' Ookami growled, and it felt like a sonic boom inside my head.
"OK, let's bag this sick son of a bitch…." With that, I jumped into the air and in front of the criminal. But, of course, he didn't notice me. That is until the glint of my katanas caught his attention.
"Who's there?" His voice was surprisingly soft for a guy with a beard.
"Kurosendo……." I began to come out of my crouch.
"Black Death? But that means…." He looked at me, glinting in the moonlight, ears twitching at the top of my head and tail swishing behind me. Not to mention my katanas were raised and ready to cut out his heart. He got the picture real fast.
"Kurosendo Koneko…..Kitten of the Black Death….so you're after the price on my head?"
"That's right. You're smarter than you look."
"And you must be tougher than you look, because I'm not about to be bested by a girl…" He gave me a perverted smile and gave me the up-and-down. "I'd rather be besting all of what you have there…"
'Great! The guy wants to rape you while I'm in here! DO YOU KNOW HOW FUCKIN' GROSS THAT IS!?'
'Shut up, I got it.'
"Well, number one, I'm a woman, number two, I'll not be bested by you, and number three…" I smirked at him. Then I disappeared, my speed bringing me behind him before he knew I was there; my own personal version of the Body Flicker jutsu. My katanas were at his throat and his liver, about to be drenched in blood. "Hope you got a good look." His life ended when he turned his head to look at me.
'Well, that was fun.'
'Aw, shut up Kami-kun…'
I jumped away from the scene, leaving my mark behind me. A chibi picture of a kitten with demon horns drawn in the man's blood; I used my tail as a paintbrush.
The night became darker as clouds crossed over the moon, shading my face and making my eyes as dark as my soul. This is my life: killing the evil, bypassing the innocent and living an empty life without anyone. Well, except Ookami of course. But a talking wolf can get boring after a while, especially when he himself is missing his father, who I left with my fiancée in Konoha.
'Hey Kami-kun, do you wanna go somewhere?'
'Depends on where we're going.'
'How about a visit?'
'A visit to where?'
'We're going home…there's something I need to do.' When we were far away enough, I unfused with Ookami.
"So I'll get to see my father? And you'll get to see L--"
"Yeah, Kami-kun, I'll get to see him…" 'Because I regret leaving him in the first place….Lee-koishi….everyone….I regret leaving you….'
Me: Well, that certainly was informative.
Ookami: You don't see me complaining…
Me: That's cuz you got food!
Ookami: (if wolves could blush, he would be) Sh-Shut up!!
Me: I'm jus playing with ya! –Ruffles fur on head-
Ookami: -kicking his leg-
Me: You're just like a dog!
Ookami: No, I'm the ancestor of the dog. Where do you think they got it from?
Me: I'm not gonna continue this conversation…
Ookami: You can't just walk out on me! I'M YOUR DOG!!
Me: Ooo! I made you say it!
Ookami: Damn…
