Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry for it belongs to Capcom. Sadly I also don't own Naruto or its characters for it too belongs to its rightful owner *glares at him*. And sadly I finally do not own any obscure references I may make in these fics. However, I do claim ownership to the OC and any new demons that will be mention in later chapters. If you wish to use this OC or any said demons for future fics, please ask nicely. Thank You
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Demon Speaking"
'Demon Thinking'
"Jutsu"
Location and Time Transition
Chapter 3: Training Begins, Sakura's Ultimatum
Konoha, Training Field 7, that next day
"Alright kiddies, its time that you're training begins!" Dante exclaimed as he pointed Rebellion into the air.
Team Seven tilted their heads to the side, confused by their teacher's sudden change in attitude from the other day. Naruto grinned eagerly as his body seem to vibrate, as he tried his best keep himself still. Sasuke, smirked cockily, having figured that if he could take a head from Cerberus, his teacher should be easier to handle. Sakura on the other hand seemed a little scared, having realized how easily that demon took her out. Doubt poisoned her that night to the point that she wasn't sure if she really had what it took. Dante noted all of their expressions as smirked, stabbing his blade into the ground.
'I wonder where Koora ran off to, He said he had something to get and would be back…' Naruto thought, remembering the absence f their other sensei.
'Hnn…That brat just ran off, I bet you he went to whatever hole he came from and his hiding in fear of the Uchiha might.' A certain Uchiha thought to stroke his ego upon also seeing the brown-haired kid gone.
'It seems you were right Koora, looks like that girl needs to either man up or quit now' Dante pondered as he noticed how frightened Sakura seemed.
"Alright, come at me with whatever you got; don't hold back on me no matter what happens, k?" He told them, getting into a loose fighting stance, and beckoning them with both a hand and his cocky grin.
Sasuke lunged at the Son of Sparda, not needing to be told twice. Naruto raced after him shortly, not wanting to be one-upped by the Uchiha. Dante waited patiently as he danced a bit with his feet. Sasuke finally reached Dante, leaping into the air as he tried to axe-kick the Devil hunter's head. Dante brought an arm over his head, blocking the kick as he pushed up, turning the block into a bouncing reflect. Sasuke used the momentum to flip to the ground and sweep at his feet. Dante leaped back as his eyes caught hold at Naruto. The blonde shinobi had used the crouched Uchiha as a spring board as he made a lunging punch for Dante.
Dante smirked as he moved his head to the side, turning his body as he followed the path of the fist. He grabbed Naruto's arm and spun around, letting go as he hurled the Uzumaki into Sasuke, sending both of them back. They got back up and glared at each other, but quickly turned their attention back at their teacher. He beckoned them again as they leaped into action. One would punch while the other would kick, each strike timed and synchronized. Dante dodged and weaved around their attacks, occasionally taunting them in an instructive manner. The two young genin grew more and more infuriated by his taunts as they're attacks became more desperate and less coordinated.
Sakura watched the spar, too afraid to move or even cheer her Sasuke on. Her mind was too focused on how easily the hell hound, Cerberus knocked her out. She was so out in space that she jumped a few feet when she felt a gloved hand touch her shoulder, spinning around with a kunai I hand to see her other teacher, Koora.
"S-s-sensei? Is...Is that you?" She asked in a shaky voice.
"Who else would I be, Haruno-San?" He replied in his soft, whisper-like voice.
She lowered her guard as she looked down apologetically. Koora raised a brow curiously as he looked ahead to see Dante and the others sparring, or rather Dante beating them senseless while being Dante. Koora sighed in an understanding manner.
"Did being knocked out by Cerberus affect that badly?" He asked her.
She looked at him, "How did you-"
"Guess? How did I guess? Simple Haruna-San….your actions are telling me enough." He replied.
"Oh…", she lowered her head in shame.
Their conversation was interrupted by battered Naruto and Sasuke skidding past them. Koora looked over with his only eye to see Dante showboating, bowing to an invisible audience. The young Senshi sweat dropped as he coughed to get Dante's attention.
"Um…so then Senpai, are you done now?" He asked in a dead paned manner.
He turned around, finally seeing him, "wait what…oh, Koora…bout time you showed up. This party got kind of crazy." He smiled as he pointed his hands into two guns at his young friend.
"I could tell, Senpai, mind if we speak privately?" he asked before being shoved to the side by a furious Sakura.
"WHAT KIND OF TEACHER ARE YOU!" She screeched at Dante as loud as she could, "HOW DARE YOU HURT SASUKE-KUN! WHAT RIGHT DID YOU HAVE TO BEAT HIM SENSELESSLY LIKE THAT YOU WHITE-HAIRED BAKA!"
Koora winced as he felt blood leak out of his ears. Dante simply cleaned out one of his ears, looking bored and annoyed. He bowed down to her level to where his eyes pierced hers coldly.
"Look Forehead girl", He stated calm and coldly, poking her hard in the forehead to make his point, "I don't want to hear any lip from you, k? If you hate to see the Uchiha hurt so damn badly then why didn't you help them, eh? Why did you just stand there like some retarded puppy while your teammates were being beaten senseless by me? What excuse do you have for not participating?"
She flinched under his gaze, her fear evident in her eyes and he could see it, and he saw exactly why she cowered in the distance.
"That's your excuse? You're afraid to fight just because of one fight with a pup like Cerberus?" He laughed as if told a joke, and then stopped upon seeing her lower her head further, "You're serious, eh? Well Sakura, I have one thing to tell you. Learn to man up, so you lost once, big fucking deal. You can learn from it and train to be stronger. Man up or leave, simple. You can step up to the plate, or you can leave, I'll give you the whole day off to think of your answer, either way, I'll find out by tomorrow morning, eh?"
She lowered her head even further, staring at the ground, a shadow covering her face. Without another thought she turned heel and ran for it. Koora turned to Dante and glared at him with his sole eye.
"Was it really necessary to do that Senpai?"
The Devil Hunter shrugged, "Koora, you need to learn that sometime being as kind as you are will not solve anything. In the case of Sakura, you need to lay down reality to her without being kind one bit, less you get taken advantage of it."
"I know that Senpai, but there could've been another way…" Koora muttered in a defeated manner.
"It's how it is kiddo. She will either sink or swim now." He told him, ruffling his brown hair with a hand.
"I guess so Senpai, what should we do with them then? I don't think they can get up after today" He pointed at the battered Genin, watching them weakly get up.
"Your right" He nodded lazily before getting their attention, "Ok listen up kids, that's enough for the day. Rest up and be at your best tomorrow because from then on, its only going to get harder and you will be sparring with Koora here as well" He stated as he patted Koora's back to make him panic.
"S-senpai, you know I hate violence!" the Senshi flailed in a panicked manner, making a certain Uchiha smirk arrogantly.
"Hnn, you probably are afraid to face the might of the Uchiha." He stated as he got up, causing Koora to turn towards him, "In fact, I could beat you with one arm tied behind my back and my eyes shut." He added arrogantly.
With that, Sasuke left the field, holding his injured ribs. Koora glared after him, clenching his fist. Naruto waved good bye to the two and quickly ran back home to his apartment, leaving the two Devil Hunters alone in the field. Dante looked at his young companion as he saw a large, jagged tree of ice form behind him.
"Koora, calm down now kid" He warned him.
"That…Little…Arrogant…Angsty...Selfish …Prick!" Koora spoke, his voice cold as ice as spikes shot out of the tree behind him, "How dare he think of him superior due to something as insignificant as blood!"
"Koora…"
"He better hope he can back that comment of his…Lest he becomes a frozen statue."
"Koora!" He yells, finally getting Kooras attention, "Let's see you grit those teeth!" He slugs him across the face with his fist, sending Koora crashing through the tree.
He skids across the ground as shards of ice follow him, the tree falls apart, turning to water. He gets onto his knees, a hand holding his injured jaw as he stares up at Dante, is sole eye wide with fear.
"D-Dante-Senpai? You…You hit me?" He stutters out afraid.
"Yeah, I hit you kid. You needed it. If you ever get that way again where you are about to break your own vow of peace and defensive combat, I'll belt you one again like I have now, sounds good?" He explained as he offers him a hand..
"Thanks Senpai" He offers him a smile and takes the hand, hoisted back to his feet.
They grin at each other as they sent up camp at the Training ground, deciding to wait on their students. They knew for sure that two would arrive. However it was their final member they were curious to see. Sakura Haruno, yes they were curious how she would answer her ultimatum.
Konoha- Haruno Household, 9:27 p.m.
Sakura sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the wall of her room. Her hands were gripping the edge of her bed as her mind replayed the words her sensei yelled at her.
'Man up or leave, simple. You can step up to the plate, or you can leave, I'll give you the whole day off to think of your answer, either way, I'll find out by tomorrow morning, eh?'
Her hands gripped the bed harder as tears threatened to fall down her face.
'"Give up brats, you can't defeat me, you all lack the power and skill to even get close to me"' her mind replayed also the words from Cerberus, those last word she heard before fully blacking out.
"Why…why are those words getting to me…..Why do I feel so helpless?" She asked herself angrily as she gritted her teeth, tears falling down her face.
She lay down on the bed, fighting her tears as she still hadn't made her decision yet. She closed her eyes shut, angry still at the harsh nature Dante scolded at her, those words repeating in her head in a cycle of madness almost. She curled up, covering her ears with her hands, hoping that his words would go away. The message in her mind continues to repeat, growing louder as if not wanting to be ignored. Finally she snapped, having enough as she got out of bed, grabbing the nearest object, a vase for her flowers and threw against the wall, watching it explode into shards of porcelain and water.
"I FUCKING GET IT ALREADY! LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE ALRIGHT!" She screeched out loud in anger as her window cracked from the sound.
She lowered her head as bitter tears fell down her face. She knew she was weak, or rather she understood finally that she was weak. She never trained because she had figured that as long as Sasuke was there she would be safe because he was an Uchiha. Deep down now she realized just how foolish of a thought it was. She had become a Fan girl; the very thinks she mocked as a child. She got up and packed her miniscule gear and set out for the Training Ground. If her teachers wanted an answer, she would give them one they would hope to never forget.
Konoha- Training Field 7, 7:31 a.m.
Dante remained lazily asleep at their improvised camp. The son of Sparda slept leaning against a tree as his weapons lay around him. He smirked in his sleep as a sad melody floated around in the space of the field. Above him, resting on a tree branch, Koora lay playing a Samisen made of ice. His eye was closed as his fingers swept across the strings slowly, his heart and soul poured into the song. The song was elegant and floating in nature; yet retaining a sad quality to it. A sole tear fell from Koora's scarred right eye socket, a ghost tear as he called it.
Dante woke up quietly as he looked up at his young friend. He had known him for a long time now, ever since Temen-ni-gru to be precise. He was used to the kid's fascination with playing that instrument in the morning, but nothing could ever get him use to how sad and mournful the songs he played were. He looked into his pocket, pulling out a silver necklace wit ha ruby fitted on it, the necklace his mother gave him as a child. The same necklace that was partnered with an identical his brother, Virgil held. He never understood why he continued to hold onto a memento that reminded him that his brother was dead by his hands.
"Dante-Sensei…I have come to give you my answer…" A voice spoke, pulling the devil Hunter from his thoughts.
Koora stop playing his samisen as he glanced downward, curious as to what was going on below the tree. Dante looked at the person responsible of the voice, seeing the pink-haired banshee, Haruno Sakura.
"So you have an answer for me kid, eh?" He asked in his usual cocky and joking manner, "So then, what will it be? You manning up or are you backing out?"
She gritted her teeth in anger as her fist became clenched. Her sea-green eyes burned with utter hatred as she raced at him, her fist trailing behind her as she swung for his face. He grinned at her, catching her fist easily in his hand as he moved his head out of the way as she quickly tried to roundhouse kick him. He let go of her fist and pushed her lightly. She fell over due to her unbalanced body.
"Not going to lie to you, kid. You've got guts, and I think your answer is clear with those actions." He said with a chuckle, nodding lightly.
She looked up, feeling better knowing that she would be able to stay. Koora smiled as he went back to playing, the same song floating gently through the air once more. Sakura looked up, hearing the song and listened.
"Dante-Sensei….That song…why is it so sad?" She asked him as she saw him stare upwards, "and where is Koora-sensei?"
"This song your hearing kid, listen to it well. This song is what I call the very song to Koora's Soul. He plays this song everyday in the morning. I have heard its beauty, but still I can never get over how sad it is…." He explained to her.
"Wait…Koora is playing this, no way", She retorted, not believing it, "Song of his soul, yeah right. I don't believe that one bit."
"Believe what you will, I don't care kid" He stated before sweeping her back to the ground and pinning her with a boot, "But know this, I do not want to hear you or anyone for that matter, insult my friend and his attempt to make peace with himself and the world with his song, got it?"
She lay still there, pinned under his boot, frightened by his glare. She nodded her head rapidly to the point where it looked like it threatened to fall off. She listened more closely to the song, beginning to realize what the Devil Hunter meant. She did notice the beauty in it.
Dante let off her, offering a hand to help her up. She looked up and took it, hoisted up by her teacher. Around that time, the other members of Team Seven had finally arrived. They both craned their necks to find the source of the sad song as they both were plagued instantaneously by sorrowful memories of the past.
And That wraps up this Chapter. Sorry if nothing much had happened in this, but I assure you that things shall heat up as our story kicks up. Join us next time in the next chapter of Ice Reaper Shall Cry.
Till then
Orochi-no-Tsukiyomi