Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter X Hunter.. So please don't sue me..^_^ this story is just a figment of my imagination. All characters belong to Togashi Yoshihiro..^_^
Warning: May Contain Yaoi/ Shounen Ai stuff..
My first fanfic..^_^ expect everything.. Haha... on with the story...
FATE'S CHAIN
Chapter 4:
Lemniscate and Philanthropy
A lone, weeping figure is seated amidst the void. He lifted his gaze and looked around him. He saw nothing but darkness… total darkness. He stood and walked forward hoping to see even the smallest glint of light and find the end of the empty, dark space. He kept walking and walking for what seemed like an eternity already but he was going nowhere. He was so tired that he collapsed on a non-existent floor, and to his horror, the darkness suddenly engulfed him. He felt like falling into the abyss. He squirmed, flipped and turned as he tried to prevent his fall, but nonetheless, he failed. He continuously fell deeper into the bottomless pit. He felt limp. He felt his lungs contract, preventing him to breathe properly. He noticed that his breathing is becoming shallower gradually. He felt like he's dying.
"Hey! Wake up!" A panic-stricken voice shouted as the owner of the voice gently shakes the unconscious Kuruta lying on the bed.
"Danchou, good thing you're here already! He's convulsing again. His fever is even higher today and his breathing is becoming shallower." The panic-stricken voice continued as he placed the back of his hand on the blonde's forehead, feeling the Kuruta's temperature.
"Shalnark, what exactly happened?" Kuroro asked as he hurried towards the bedside mimicking Shalnark's previous action of feeling the blonde's temperature.
"I was busy washing the towel for his cold compress when I heard him groan, and when I turned to check on him, he's already convulsing like crazy. I tried to calm him down but he wouldn't." Shalnark said, still panic-stricken.
"Okay. Shalnark fetch some clean clothes for him." Instructed Kuroro as he got a wooden chair and placed it beside the bed.
"Okay Danchou." The brown-haired man said as he turned the doorknob and walked out of the room.
Kuroro waited until Shalnark's footsteps completely disappeared before he sat himself on the unoccupied side of the Kuruta's bed. He stared at the convulsing blonde for a moment before reaching for Kurapika's right hand. Kuroro held the hand on his left palm and he gently caressed it with his right hand. He absentmindedly drew his head nearer to Kurapika's and started to whisper to the blonde's ear. "Shhh… Calm down… It's alright… I'm here…" Kuroro whispered soothingly. Miraculously, Kurapika's convulsions slowly died down, and after a few minutes, the blonde lay peacefully on the bed once again.
After realizing what he just did and said, Kuroro straightened up a bit as he drew his face away from the blonde. He's still caressing Kurapika's hand while staring into nothingness as he reviewed and evaluated his previous actions on his mind. "Why did I say that? Why am I acting this way?" Kuroro asked himself while shaking his head in incredulity. He imagined what reactions would be drawn from each and every member of his notorious gang when they see him doing what he's doing now.
Kuroro pictured his gang in his mind; Shalnark's brows furrowed while he is scratching a non-existent itch at the back of his head, Machi staring at him wide-eyed, Phinx raising one of his imaginary eyebrows, Kalluto standing on one corner not caring at all, Bonorenof sleeping on one corner of the room, Feitan sneering at one corner, Coltopi batting her eyelashes every 3 seconds, Shizuku reading a book still unaware of what's happening. Of course Nobunaga, the ill-tempered samurai is gawking and his jaws are dropping before throwing his tantrums, while Franklin on the other hand tries to stop Nobunaga before he could slash anything.
He was drawn back from his reverie when he heard a groan. His gaze fell on the figure lying on the bed. A smile played across his lips while he stared at Kurapika's angelic face and brushed a few golden strands away from the blonde's face with his free hand.
"… I must be out of my mind." Kuroro mumbled almost inaudibly as he placed Kurapika's hand back on the bed. He stood from his place and walked towards the window, still sorting out the things that he did a while ago.
Kurapika felt like he's being deprived of oxygen as he fell deeper into the dark chasm. But just when he thought of giving up, he heard a voice say, "Shhh… Calm down… It's alright… I'm here…" as he felt a pair of soft and soothing hands catch him in midair. The voice was tender; full of concern. He felt relieved, relaxed, calm and comfortable under that hand's touch. He looked up to see his savior's face but he couldn't distinguish the owner of the hands because a blinding light flashed before Kurapika's eyes. He narrowed his eyes to adjust his sight to the light. After his eyes were already properly adjusted, he searched for his savior but he found none. Instead, he saw a boundless, lush green field stretching before his eyes. The flora and fauna perfectly complimented the field. The sun shone brightly on the cerulean sky as birds chirped merrily on the tree branches. The air is filled with the scent of vanilla and orchid which made his mind and body relax more.
He sat down on the grass and closed his eyes as he cleared his mind and meditated. For the first time in many years, he felt bliss and solitude. He was detached from all the negativity that life has previously offered him. He felt carefree while he enjoyed his newly found peace of mind. But this train of pleasurable feelings was not bound to last.
After a few moments of gratifying sanity, Kurapika felt like he's drifting fast towards a dark vortex. The darkness swirled madly as he was drawn towards the center of the whirlpool of darkness. He wanted to open his eyes to see the cause of his agitation but he was afraid of what he might see. He thought for a moment and slowly opened his eyes.
As he opened his eyes, he saw again a blinding light. He blinked thrice to adjust his eyesight to his environment. He focused on the source of the light and he saw a small fluorescent lamp attached to the ceiling. He sat up slowly so as not to aggravate his already throbbing headache. He looked to his right and he saw a glass of water, a book, and a lamp on the side table, a chair and a double door. The Mahogany wooden door appeared so exquisite because of its reddish-brown color and its intricate carvings. He slowly turned his head to his left and saw another lamp, a small basin with water and a telephone on top of another side table. He looked to the far end of the room and saw a chair and a sofa. He also saw a large window decorated with rich tapestry drawn to the side. The tapestry was of the color crimson embroidered with exotic curves using gold threads. After marveling at the beauty of the tapestry, his eyes continued to rove around the room and he saw a sliding frosted glass door near the large window.
"Where am I?" Kurapika mused as he tried to remember everything and anything he could. He lifted his right hand and planted the tip of his fingers on his temple and started massaging it with gentle circular motion in an attempt to lessen the throbbing pain on his head.
He was deep in his own thoughts when suddenly the frosted glass door slid open and a figure emerged from the room behind the door. He gazed at the figure for a moment then after realizing what he was seeing, a blush crept up his delicate face. He immediately covered his eyes with his both hands in a very child-like manner.
The figure who emerged from the room was Kuroro wearing nothing but a towel tightly tucked around his waist. His ebony hair is wet and is hanging loosely, partly covering the cross on his forehead. Kuroro's upper body muscles, especially his abdominal and chest muscles were perfectly toned. His arm, leg and thigh muscles were perfectly developed as well. Overall, his body was in perfect shape. His medium build is in perfect harmony with his height.
The Genei Ryodan leader smirked at the sight of the Kuruta blushing and doing something very childish.
"Wh- wh- wha- what a- are you doing here looking like that?" Kurapika stuttered on his question.
"Ah… at last you're awake. How are you feeling?" Kuroro asked as he came closer to Kurapika, his half-naked state completely forgotten.
"Hey! Don't come near me you jerk! Get away from me! Put some clothes on!" The blonde shouted with all the strength he can muster at that instant, as he blindly threw his pillows towards Kuroro.
"Oh yeah I completely forgot." The ebony-haired man confessed as he rushed toward the closet. He rummaged through the closet and found his undergarments, black trousers and black long-sleeved shirt. Kuroro went to the bathroom and put on his clothes immediately.
When he got out of the bathroom, Kurapika was still covering his eyes with his hands. On his way towards the bed, he picked up the pillows that were thrown by the blonde. Kuroro reached the bed and placed the pillows beside Kurapika as he sat down on the empty part of the bed.
"You could uncover your eyes now. I've got some clothes on already." Kuroro said while he folded his sleeves upwards until it reached his elbows.
"No! why would I trust you? Why would I believe you?" Kurapika retorted.
"Suit yourself then." The older man said indifferently as he stood and stared at the childish blonde in front of him, trying hard to fight back a grin, but failed nonetheless.
Kurapika sighed inwardly in defeat as he lowered his hands, rested them on his lap and he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze is darted towards Kuroro who was now wearing a sarcastic grin on his face.
Because of the sarcastic expression on the face of the Phantom Brigade's leader in front of him, Kurapika's brows furrowed in annoyance. He wanted to obliterate that face right there and then and wipe away every expression written on it, but the restrictions he set on himself was preventing him to do so.
"Where am I? What am I doing here? Why did you bring me here?" asked Kurapika almost breathlessly.
Kuroro looked at the blonde with amused eyes, "You've been out for almost 4 days now since you collapsed back there in the hideout."
"WHAT?" Kurapika shrieked as his eyes widened in shock because of the revelation.
"You had a very high fever back then. I brought you here to recover." Said the Genei Ryodan leader, rather indifferently.
Kuroro stepped closer to Kurapika and held out his hand in an attempt to check Kurapika's temperature on the forehead but the blonde Kuruta swatted away his hands immediately.
"Don't touch me and get away from me!" Kurapika said with thick irritation in his voice.
"I have to check your temperature so that I will know whether or not to administer medication to you further." Kuroro said nonchalantly.
"So you are not just a Master thief… you're also a doctor." Kurapika said with thick sarcasm.
"Being sarcastic, are we? So to speak, I had to perform doctor and caregiver duties thanks to a certain someone who passed out for 4 days." Kuroro said as he graced the irritated Kuruta a teasing smile.
"Who told you to do that? You should've just left me there to die." The blonde Kuruta retorted defensively.
"I won't let you die. You are far too useful for us." Kuroro said with much Danchou-ness.
True that Kuroro thought of Kurapika as a useful addition to his notorious group. With the Kuruta's abilities and strength, he is to be considered a great asset for the Ryodan.
Kuroro is known to be the Master Thief. He steals rare and great treasures and artifacts. He adored and revered every single treasure and artifact that he obtains and the Kuruta was no exception. He adored Kurapika because he thought of the blonde as a living artifact; the last remnant of the now-extinct Kuruta tribe. But Kuroro wasn't aware of his own feelings. He's not conscious about his growing fondness for the blonde; no… not fondness… it's more than that.
Kuroro sat down on the empty side of the bed and eyed Kurapika as a mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"Since you're so stubborn, I have no other choice but to do this." Kuroro said as he inched closer to Kurapika. The blonde on the other hand propped up his knees and tugged the blanket closer to his body as he looked at Kuroro with confused and annoyed expression.
"What are you doing?" Kurapika asked uneasily.
"Well…" Kuroro trailed off as he slowly drew his face nearer to Kurapika's. When his head was halfway through, he stopped and smirked at the blonde's expressions; angry, confused, astonished and annoyed. Kurapika wanted to slap Kuroro's face in that moment but he was unable to move. His body was stunned and his mind was not working properly because of the sudden gesture of the Genei Ryodan leader.
When he was sure that Kurapika was too shocked to move, he tucked Kurapika's long blonde locks behind his left ear and continued to draw his face nearer until his lips were about an inch away from Kurapika's left ear.
"… I order you to let me check your temperature." Kuroro gently whispered to Kurapika's ear.
Kurapika shivered as he felt Kuroro's breath on his ears. His face and ears felt hot and his eyeballs are now popping out of their sockets due to Kuroro's action.
The Genei Ryodan leader backed away and gazed at the blonde in front of him. He grinned triumphantly as he reached out to touch Kurapika's forehead. Kurapika winced at the skin contact but he restrained himself from knocking the lights out of Kuroro because that was an order.
"You're still feverish but your temperature is much lower now compared to your temperature when you were convulsing an hour ago." Kuroro informed Kurapika.
"I was having convulsions?" inquired Kurapika as he raised one delicate eyebrow.
"Yes." Answered Kuroro as he stood up and walked towards the door. Just before he turned one of the doorknobs, he glanced back at Kurapika, who was in turn staring at him. He cocked his head and spoke in a gentle but firm manner, "Stay here. I'll get you something to eat."
Before Kurapika could even respond, Kuroro was already out in the corridor, closing the door behind him. Kurapika frowned as he was unable to retaliate with sarcastic comments against Kuroro's words. He picked up the pillows beside him and fixed them behind him so that he can lean back comfortably. As he leaned back and relaxed, he thought of the events that happened a while ago.
Kurapika remembered vividly everything that happened a while ago. He remembered how Kuroro spoke with concern and gentleness. He also remembered how the Genei Ryodan leader touched his forehead and informed him of his conditions. "Strange... Could a man like him be really capable of being concern and gentle? No… that bastard's just keeping me alive because I am useful to him… Damn him!" he thought to himself. The Kuruta also remembered how his nemesis came so close to him and whispered to his ear. Kurapika's heartbeat hastened and he blushed furiously at this thought. He cursed himself for remembering such incident. He closed his eyes and shrugged the thought off and tried to relax himself. He drew a deep breath before opening his eyes again.
Kurapika turned his gaze at the door as he heard a soft knock. He frowned at the door as he sat up straight.
"Damn bastard! Now he's knocking? What's he playing at?" Kurapika thought bitterly.
Instead of answering the door, Kurapika chose to stay silent and stare at the door. The knock was repeated several times more.
When the person on the other side of the door received no response after knocking several times, he turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door. He peered inside the room and saw a wide-eyed Kuruta sitting on the bed, staring at him.
Kurapika was shocked to see a young man's head with short brown hair peering at the small gap between the doors. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he stared at the man's eyes. The man suddenly walked into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The man carried 3 different sizes of paper bags in his right hand. He smiled childishly at Kurapika as he nodded a greeting.
"Oh you're awake!" Shalnark said gleefully.
"Yes obviously." The blonde answered as he rolled his eyes.
"Where's Danchou?" the Spider tech-geek asked.
"I don't know and I don't care." Kurapika said coldly.
"Gee… you're so…" Shalnark paused in mid sentence as he tried to find the right words. Kurapika glared daggers at him and demanded him to continue. "What?" the blonde snapped at him.
Just when Shalnark was about to continue his sentence, the door opened again and Kuroro emerged from the double door holding a tray of food. The tray contained a bowl of porridge, fresh fruit slices, a glass of water and a glass of milk.
"Did you get everything?" Kuroro asked Shalnark as he paced towards Kurapika.
"Yes Danchou I've got everything here." The brown-haired man said cheerfully as he raised the paper bags and shook them happily.
"Thank you Shalnark." As Kuroro nodded at the tech-geek and placed the tray of food on top of one of the side tables. He handed Kurapika the bowl of porridge and a spoon. Kurapika was hesitant to take the bowl thinking that the Spider leader, his sworn enemy, was offering the food to him. His pride did not permit him to take the bowl of delicious-smelling porridge.
"Take it. You have to eat. I didn't put any poison in it." The ebony-haired man said.
Inside Kurapika's mind, war is already brewing. The war was between Kurapika's pride and hunger. The blonde battled within his mind about 'to take' or 'not to take'. His pride was telling him 'not to take' because Kuroro was first and foremost his mortal enemy. While on the other hand, his hunger was telling him 'to take' it because if not, he may not survive and live for another day, and he knows exactly what might happen if he died right there and then; his friends might be hunted down by the Phantom Brigade and he might not be able to kick Kuroro's ass. So eventually, his hunger won and he took the bowl from Kuroro's hand.
"Good." The Spider leader said as he took a chair and settled himself beside the bed. He nodded at the brown-haired man who was standing near the door. Without a word, Shalnark walked briskly towards Kuroro's side and handed his Danchou the paper bags.
"Here you are Danchou!" said the brown-haired man cheerfully, his usual smile plastered on his face.
"Any other orders?" Shalnark continued.
"Disperse…" Kuroro said curtly.
"…And Shalnark, Sell the treasures we've obtained from the last mission and tell the others that we'll assemble in Ryuusei-gai exactly 6 weeks from today." Kuroro continued.
"Oh so it's time for charity work Danchou?" Shalnark asked eagerly.
"Yes." The Spider leader said as he nodded at the tech-geek.
Shalnark's eyes burned with excitement as he turned to the door. He turned the knob and walked out of the room but he left the door ajar. A few moments later, Shalnark's head popped out of the space between the doors. "Hey Kuruta! Get well soon!" He said energetically as he smiled and waved goodbye to Kurapika. With that, Shalnark disappeared from view and the door closed with a soft thud.
Kurapika almost dropped the bowl he was holding when he heard Shalnark. "What's with him?" Kurapika asked nobody in particular as he eyed the door with confusion.
"He's in a very good mood." Kuroro said as he emptied the paper bags given to him a while ago.
"Charity work? What would a notorious, ruthless, cold-blooded group of killers and thieves know about charity work?" it was more of a statement than a question from the Kuruta.
"We know something about that. Occasionally, we do philanthropic works." Kuroro said as he watched Kurapika eat from the bowl of porridge.
"…Yeah right!" Kurapika said as he put another spoonful of porridge in his mouth. He continued to eat slowly. Kuroro handed him the glass of water and said, "Drink." He glared at Kuroro but nevertheless took the glass and drank from it.
"You wouldn't believe anything I say so it's no use explaining it to you." Said the Spider leader as he took the glass of water from Kurapika and placed it on top of one of the side tables.
"Of course! Why would I believe someone like you? Bastard!" Kurapika said as he rolled his eyes.
"Well, I am a killer and a thief but I am not a liar." Kuroro said calmly.
Kurapika found himself lost for words at the Spider head's statement. He wanted to spat harsh comments and words of resentment to the older man in front of him but he found no words. Sure, Kuroro was the brain behind the Kuruta tribe annihilation and other gruesome killing spree events. He is a ruthless killer and a master thief but Kurapika admitted bitterly to himself that Kuroro kept his end of the bargain with him; Kuroro kept Gon, Killua and Leorio alive and he let them go. Frustration washing over him, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. He wanted to punch Kuroro so badly and send him down to the deepest chasm in hell. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He knew better than to endanger his friends' lives. He pried open his eyes, avoided Kuroro's gaze and started to eat his porridge again.
He finished his bowl of porridge after a few more spoonfuls to his mouth. He shifted his position so that he is close to the side table. Kurapika placed the empty bowl on top of the table and leaned back against his pillows again. He turned towards the window. It was already dusk. The sky is beginning to darken. The last rays of the sun were only visible as a thin orange-crimson line at the end of the horizon. Stars started to scatter one by one and a bright crescent light adorned on the velvet black sky. He admired the stars and the moon so much he didn't notice an involuntary weak smile creeping to his delicate lips.
Kuroro studied at the blonde's features. He could only see a small part of the Kuruta's right side of face. He admired the Kuruta's long blonde hair and lithe features. He looked intently at Kurapika's face and saw the corner of the blonde's lips rise in a weak smile. His heart skipped a beat at the sight. He smiled and stared at Kurapika like the blonde was his most priced treasure. "Beautiful indeed. A priceless treasure. No… MY priceless treasure." He thought greedily.
After a few minutes of staring at the starry night sky, Kurapika felt tired; his eyelids are getting heavier by the second. He yawned then blinked trying to get rid of his sleepiness but his tiredness got the better of him. He sighed deeply the closed his eye and the next thing he knew, he was already off to dreamland.
Kuroro watched the blonde's figure go limp after a few minutes of staring at the sky. The Kuruta is leaning on a stack of pillows by the headboard. Kuroro stood from his chair and sat on the bed. He supported Kurapika's head and back as he reached for the stack of pillows behind the Kuruta. He removed the other pillows leaving a single one where he laid down Kurapika's head gently. The Spider leader shifted Kurapika's body so that it lay comfortably on the bed then he draped a blanket over the sleeping blonde. He then sat up, reached for a book on the side table then he paced to the other side of the room where a chair and sofa is positioned. As he glanced back at the sleeping Kuruta, a smile graced his handsome features. Kuroro sat comfortably on the sofa and started reading his book.
"Where's Danchou?" Feitan asked the brown-haired man who just arrived at their temporary hideout.
"Still at the hotel."
"What? Why did you leave him with that brat?" boomed Nobunaga as he paced towards Shalnark and grabbed the tech-geek's shirt collar.
Shalnark didn't struggle to free himself from the samurai's hold. He scratched a non-existent itch on the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Danchou's orders Nobu." Shalnark said.
Nobunaga freed Shalnark and sat on the floor 8 feet away from the brown-haired man. "What's gotten into Danchou? That brat would attack Danchou if he gets a chance!" the ill-tempered samurai bellowed.
"No he wouldn't." Machi's steely voice said.
"Intuition?" asked Nobunaga.
"No. just a simple analysis you idiot! That Kuruta treasures his friends so much so he wouldn't do anything to endanger their lives." Machi said clearly irritated at Nobunaga's stupidity. Nobunaga is known in their group for being hot-headed, foul-tempered and strong. He wasn't really counted as one of the smart members. He is not completely an imbecile; he just lacks a lot of common sense and analysis most of the time. After all, he always preferred brawl over brains.
Nobunaga fingered the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe it anytime but Franklin tackled him and held the foul-tempered samurai between his massive hands. "He's right Nobu." Franklin said as he scurried away with Nobunaga on his hands kicking the air vigorously.
"Right about what? About Nobu being an idiot?" Feitan snickered.
"Shut up you twerp!" Nobunaga yelled angrily as he continued to kick, trying hard to break free from Franklin's hold. Feitan paid no attention to the Samurai's yell and he started to laugh loudly. Moments later, Phinx was already laughing with him.
"What are Danchou's orders?" Machi cut through the sound of laughing and yelling.
"Oh yeah about that. Danchou said we disperse for a while and we assemble at Ryuusei-gai exactly 6 weeks from now. I will be in charge of selling the treasures…" Shalnark announced.
"Oh so its time for charity work?" Shizuku asked.
"Yep!" Shalnark answered gleefully.
"Ugh… my neck hurts big time!" Leorio said as he sat up from his lying position. He managed to stand up and sit properly on the couch while massaging his nape.
"Ha! That only proves that you really are getting old pops!" Killua said with a toothy, teasing grin gracing his youthful features. Gon, on the other hand smiled sheepishly at Leorio while eating small pieces of chocolates.
"Hey! When would you stop teasing me you brats! Maybe you should stop eating chocolates to reduce your being too hyper! Geez. After all the body pain that we've been through, you two are really quick to recover." Leorio said, still massaging his painful neck.
"Because WE ARE YOUNG pops! Hahaha!" Killua said while laughing his head off.
"Sheesh. You wouldn't really stop will you?" as Leorio said this, he was already tackling the silver-haired boy. Both the doctor and the ex-assassin were engaged in a childish brawl. Gon watched them with amusement and he started cheering for Killua.
As the childish brawl came to an end, the tired trio sat on the floor or on the couch. Heavy breathing was audible in the rented hotel room. After a moment's silence, Gon suddenly spoke. "I wonder how Kurapika is holding up?" was the spiky-haired boy's question.
At hearing this, the trio was again engulfed by silence. They were deep in their own thoughts, thinking about their friend who sacrificed his freedom and his will to take revenge, to be able to save his friends.
"It will not be easy for him, but I know he'll make it. He'll come back. We couldn't do anything to save him right now. All we can do is to not waste his sacrifices, and try to live the life he wanted us to live." Killua stated as he stared at the room's ceiling.
"Yes, I guess so too. I don't want to make it any harder for Kurapika anymore." Gon voiced out immediately. "How about you Leorio, what do you think?" the spiky-haired boy asked as he turned towards the doctor.
"Well… with the way you two spoke about your sentiments, I think that YOU BOTH ARE GROWING OLDER! HAHAHA!" came Leorio's answer.
With that, the two children literally dived at the larger man and the three were once again engaged in a childishly-friendly rumble.
Kurapika stood in front of a familiar territory. He looked down from a hill where he was standing and saw a small village settled on a lush valley. The village is quite small. Several houses stood there. The blue sky and the sun light perfectly match the peacefulness of the place.
He started to feel nostalgic; "My home." He mused. He smiled and started to pace towards the village. As Kurapika descended from the hill, he saw trees and shrubs and he recognized that he was entering the forest near the village. The light and warmth of the sun penetrates easily through the thin layer of tree branches and leaves. As he walked by, the birds chirped happily as though they were welcoming him. After walking a few minutes, he stopped on his tracks and looked around. "I'm near the center of the forest." He noted. He turned left and saw a clearing, and just beyond the clearing, a huge oak tree stood; 12 meters high and 2 meters in diameter. He dashed towards the tree and came to a halt just a few feet away from it. He walked slowly and knelt a foot away from the tree. The blonde studied the huge tree as though he was looking for something. He placed his right hand on the trunk and started to feel the bark of the tree. His hand moved towards the right and stopped several inches away from where he first touched the trunk. Kurapika caressed the spot and felt some dents. He tilted his head and saw the intricate carvings on the tree trunk: sun and moon fused together as one and below it is a Lemniscate, symbol for infinity. The Kuruta fingered the carvings reverently as he closed his eyes and prayed silently to his ancestors.
After his prayer, he opened his eyes, stood up and backed away from the tree, his eyes fixed on the carvings. "Father… Mother… Forgive me if I had to do this and I am sorry if I wouldn't be able to do your last wish… My grief is so great that right now, I only seek to avenge our tribe…" he muttered almost inaudibly. Kurapika bowed his head as respect and turned to the path where he came from. He sighed heavily and continued walking down the path towards his village.
Notes: wow it's been soooooooooo looooooooong since the last update.. I'M SOOOO SORRY..:)) needed time to accomplish my academic requirements..^_^ well here it is..:) the chapter 4..:) will try to update once a week..^_^ please leave your comments or suggestions..:))