Transcending Bonds
Summary: What does Sasuke see beyond his blade? That is the question he struggles to answer as he slowly remembers his forgotten past. When the question does really matter and he realizes the answer, to whom will he point his blade to: his new bonds or his old ones? Originally written by Imperialpatty
Translation of Certain Terminology:
Reiryoku: spiritual energy, power
Reiatsu: spiritual pressure
Reishi: spiritual particles
Uchiha Sasuke sat in calm and silent contemplation of the questions he sought answered from the enigma that sat across from him. At the end of the 'spar', Sasuke had fallen unconscious due to the complete spiritual exhaustion he had suffered at the hands of the geta-boushi and had awoken some unknown time later in his fuax body back in his room in the shop. After coming to, he had devoured the food that Ururu had prepared for him and had found Urahara waiting for him in the living room with a work schedule he had written up for him.
Oddly enough, instead of feeling anger or the usual desire to kill Urahara, Sasuke felt calm and only slightly anxious to the explanation that Urahara would, no had to give him. There was so many questions he had stirring in his mind, he needed answers and he found that only Urahara was capable of providing him some small level of closure. Even if the geta-boushi attempted to weasel his way out of it, the raven-haired amnesiac would not let him.
"How do you feel?" Kisuke finally asked after what felt like hours of tense silence.
"Well enough, considering the fact that you tried to kill me." Sasuke said monotonously.
"I see," Kisuke looked up at Sasuke, his eyes hidden behind a veil of shadow emitted from his striped flamboyant bucket hat. "If you're still feeling bitter about the whole thing, we can do this another time if you'd like."
"No," Sasuke said, strongly yet passively dismissing the option. "We can do this now. I need answers, Urahara."
"Okay then," Kisuke cleared his throat and called on Ururu. When the young girl stepped inside, he asked her to prepare tea for both him and Sasuke. As she stepped out, he returned his focus to Sasuke. "Where do you want me to start?"
Sasuke already knew the first thing he wanted answered. "I want to know about my red- I mean, the Sharingan first. What is it exactly and how do you know of it?"
"First you need to understand that there are three fundamental combat concepts. The first one is "power", as in referring to your physical and spiritual strength that are behind your attacks. The second is "technique" which refers to concrete and abstract skills and abilities brought on by discipline and experience, and the last one is "speed" which refers to motion, the ability at which how fast you can strike, defend, strategize, and react to a situation or opponent," the geta-boushi explained. He whipped his paper fan out and began to fan himself. "The Sharingan is an ocular ability which grants you far greater clarity of perception than normal eyes. When within your Sharingan's field of vision, they see fast moving objects and in turn allow your brain to process images faster as well and anticipate your opponents moves and react accordingly. It's almost foresight in a way."
"However, your eyes cannot help but pin its sight on moving objects. As the moving object becomes faster, it becomes harder for the eye to discern it as a concrete object and it steadily resembles a blur. The visual system in the brain is too slow to process information if the images are slipping across the retina at more than a few degrees per second. Your Sharingan would reduce the loss of sight perception but after a while, you'd be able to see a precedent motion before it occurs. Isn't that how it looked during our spar when you became aware of your Sharingan's activation?"
Sasuke nodded; the shopkeeper was right on all counts. "It was like seeing several small translucent images at a time, at least about three seconds in advance before every motion of your attacks."
Kisuke continued. "Furthermore, the Sharingan allows you to accurately judge someone's energy and can give you insight as to what they're about to do with it. For example, my usage of the Hohō."
Sasuke titled his head slightly to the left, to which Urahara continued to explain. "Hohō is a defensive style of fighting which relates to footwork, and it is one of the four basic combat skills known to Soul Reapers. To be more specific, I used Shunpo, which is the ultimate expression of Hohō that only masters of the style are capable of effectively using. To use it, you must partition some amount of spiritual energy to the soles of your feet and then compress the burst of power into steps or you'd be jumping at every step instead of running. Of course, people like us can only sense the technique while it's in motion. However for you, your Sharingan is the ultimate counter of the technique. You were able to deduce my movements ahead of time thanks to your awareness of your Sharingan, and as a result you were able to react. However, the only way I was going to be able to get you to become aware of your Sharingan was to put you in a life or death situation. All of this sound about right to you?"
Once again, Sasuke found himself nodding in agreement with the geta-boushi. It was exactly as he explained to him; if it had not been explained to him it in such impressive detail, then he would have never believed that their spar had not been anything else.
"Oh, and one last thing," Urahara said. "This is purely speculation on my part but I hope that later you'll prove me right when I say that because your Sharingan can do all that I've mentioned before, it allows you to recreate techniques that your eyes have seen firsthand as well."
That particular bit interested Sasuke immensely. "You mean my eyes allow me to copy things?"
"Like I said it is only speculation on my end. The reason why I'm bringing this up and to your attention is because you were able to recreate my Chikasumi no Tate only after seeing it once. What's more, you were able to use Shunpo as well after watching me use it, and its an ability that only masters or at least expert practitioners of Hohō can use successfully, Urahara said. "That destruction spell I cast earlier, Shakkashō... If you can use that technique as well, that will be all the data I need to confirm my theory about your Sharingan being able to copy techniques."
"Why? Are you sure its something anyone can't do?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, the destruction spells are pretty common to Soul Reapers, but the Chikasumi no Tate is a technique which is unique only to my zanpakutō, Benihime, and yet you were able to conjure the technique as well after seeing it being used." Kisuke explained. "Even then, destruction spells are techniques to be learned by practice but if you happen to be able to recreate it without much effort... let's just say your potential as a Kidō master will be a certainty."
Sasuke reflected on the scientist's words and could find no lies within them, since he had witnessed first-hand everything Urahara said. Now it was time to move on to the next question.
"Urahara, I do not doubt your observations but I'm not going to swallow that you were able to deduce all of it just by fighting me. After all, you did give my eyes a rather unique name. In fact, it seemed like you knew what they were in the first place and you only reinforced what you knew by fighting me." Sasuke's gaze sharpened like that of a hawk at the shopkeeper. "That means that you knew about me and my eyes even before we ever met, didn't you?"
A tense silence passed in the room. Ururu returned inside with a platter of tea cups and a tea pot. She knelt at the table, placed coasters down in front them, followed by the cups and then silently poured their tea. Ururu looked timidly at Sasuke, and then to Urahara.
"I-Is everything alright?" She asked with concern.
Urahara smiled. "Everything's fine, Ururu-chan. Thanks for the tea. You can go now."
Ururu nodded obediently and silently left the room. Urahara let out a sigh and took hold of the cup of tea. "I know what you're thinking Sasuke-kun. You thought I somehow manipulated you into coming here and helping me out with my store." He took a sip of the green tea and placed the cup back down. "To be honest... you're partially correct and I apologize for it."
Sasuke was left stunned as he watched the geta-boushi take off his hat, place it on the ground, and formally bow apologetically to him. He had never thought himself capable of being taken aback by such a gesture, nor did he ever believe that Kisuke was capable of offering a serious apology to others. It made Sasuke unsure of himself and he hated being uncertain.
Urahara raised his head off the tatami mat and placed his signature hat back on his head, shadowing his eyes once more. "To start off, when I said you were connected to Soul Reapers, I really meant it. You see, the domain of the Soul Reapers, which is called Soul Society... it once used to be my home. Back then, the Sharingan used to be something akin to a myth. It was said to be a godly ability, once owned by a Soul Reaper that had been granted its power as a boon by the Soul-King himself. To put it in terms you understand, the Soul-King is literally God. However, the Soul Reaper in question was equally acknowledged as nothing short of a myth. He or she never existed within the archives of the military faction of Soul Society, which is located in the Seireitei. In any case, when I lived there I had done research on the Sharingan, since the folktale did pique my curiosity and I wished to ascertain if it did indeed ever exist or was within the possible reach of Soul Reapers, but because I never was able to properly assert its abilities, I dismissed it as nothing short of fiction."
"And so you took me in so I could be your guinea pig, huh?" Sasuke spat.
"Now I'm going to be seriously offended by that. I'm not that much of a cruel person. If I was, I would've never bothered welcoming you here by Isshin's request, who is still waiting for you to go and visit him and his family by the way. Instead, I would've simply made short work of you and then open you up and test your eyeballs on several different faux bodies."
Because Kisuke had said that without doing his annoying facial antics, it sent chills down the amnesiac's spine. "Then why..."
"I'm a shopkeeper for the same reason people work in banks, in schools and hospitals and so on: to help people. Society must work together or they will succumb to economical rot, not to mention other factors such as citizen desertion, social depression, crime and immorality. If we don't help each other, how can we help ourselves? I thought you learned that during your trips."
Sasuke's onyx eyes widened as realization dawned on him. He had completely forgotten the point of his work and had begun to pass it off as routine. Kisuke had already seen that far ahead when he hired him. It was one more lesson to Sasuke. To receive something, one must give something in almost equal value. There was no free pass to everything.
"That doesn't explain why you stabbed me. You actually went on with it and tried to kill me." Sasuke reminded spitefully.
"You are one-third right. I had to stab your hakusui (1), the origin of your spiritual energy and thrust my own reiryoku into you to get rid of the negative energy that was causing a block. This caused a chain reaction to the saketsu (2), or the booster, like a vaccine does to viruses. Finally, your body went under great stress, just like an ill body would when its immune system fights a destructive alien matter." Urahara explained.
"What do you mean by negative energy?" Sasuke inquired, his interest now piqued.
Kisuke then explained how soul bodies work when they're left in the human realm with their chain of fate still attached to them. He also explained to Sasuke although he is a complete soul, Kisuke found traces of encroachment rebirth, a rare symptom that afflict souls that accidentally remain in the human realm for long periods even after being purified by a Konsō (3) and their hakusui remain in frozen stasis, unable to to produce perpetual "plus" energy. The body then supplements itself by absorbing anything it can find by small bits, even if those bits are "minus" energy. A power thrust is then needed to reanimate the hakusui and the rest of the spiritual energy is distributed by the saketsu.
"Then why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Sasuke asked.
"Because for starters, even now you are having an extremely difficult time believing me. Furthermore, it was a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. We could find out exactly how the Sharingan works and at the same time get rid of your symptom. Not that it was lethal yet but it's not a gradual type of sickness where you start feeling the pain and then it gets worse. One day you walk and then-BAM!-you disappear into nothingness."
"Hn." Sasuke glanced at his tea cup and picked it up, staring into the green liquid within before taking a sip to help sooth his mind. Despite Urahara's methods, Sasuke was grateful for what the shopkeeper had done... though he would never admit it. But then there was a lingering question left on his mind.
"Urahara... who exactly are you, really?"
"I thought I already said it, or maybe you focused too hard on how your eyes work. I used to be a scientist working in Soul Society. Oh and before you ask what happened, I just happened to have a change of heart and decided to make Earth my home." Kisuke said as he waved his fan again. "We really need an AC. This is getting ridiculous."
"Really? You just happened to have a change of heart?" Sasuke reiterated. "Just like that?"
"Yes. Any more questions?" The shop manager asked weakly. It seemed like the heat was really getting to him.
"What am I supposed to do now?" Sasuke asked.
Urahara removed his hat once more and ran a hand through his pale grey hair. "I think you already know what you should do, Sasuke-kun. The question is... when and how are you going to do it? And just a head's up, in case you'll be asking in the nearby future, I have no means of getting you into Soul Society."
"I had no intention of going there in the first place!" Sasuke quickly shot back, nearly slamming his tea cup back on the coaster. He then realized how fast he had rejected the idea and decided that he had enough of their conversation.
He stood up. "Let's go test this copying ability of mine."
"Now? But I'm all hot and bothered." The shopkeeper whined, returning to the geta-boushi that made sense to Sasuke. "Maybe if a certain someone got me some jumbo sized popsicles..."
Sasuke sighed in annoyance. He could already see where this was going but he didn't feel like threatening his employer. Or rather, now it felt useless to resort to those measures after witnessing what Urahara Kisuke, the so-called ex-scientist of Soul Society, could really do. "What kind of popsicles do you want? I don't feel like doing two-way trips just because I didn't bring the right flavor."
"Oh, oh, oh, the ones that have strawberry and vanilla mixed together. Those are so goooood. And um, I wanna try the new one in the commercial they showed yesterday. What was it again? Passion fruit or something like that." Kisuke numerated with gusto. Sasuke stared in bewilderment, unable to put the harmless Kisuke now and the serious one all together.
"What? Is there something on my face? Tell me now, because last time, there was this snot that hanged from my nose and I scared this prospective client and..."
Sasuke shook his head in exasperation, drowning out the shopkeeper's embarrassing story. He grabbed his soul candy dispenser, put on his shoes, and then left the store.
(***)
Only after the shoji door closed did Tessai come into the living room.
"Are you sure its all right to leave it like this?" Tessai asked as he brought the mechanical fan on the table and plugged the machine.
"Phew, thanks Tessai-san." Kisuke said as he hanged his head backwards and let the wind cool his upper body. "What do you mean by leaving it like this?"
"I'm talking about the real reason why you stabbed Sasuke. You and I both know there's no such thing as an encroachment rebirth symptom." Tessai said. "And that story of the Sharingan..."
Kisuke lazily glanced at Tessai and then shut his eyes. "That person... said not reveal the origin of the crimson sphere to Sasuke-kun and to make up an excuse for transferring that power to him. You already know that only zanpakutō are instruments that act like a bridge for one's spiritual power and as well as transferring one's power to another via the hakusui in case of desperate situations. I didn't have to shove it all the way, as doing so can damage the saketsui but anything less might have aroused suspicion. And besides, just like he said, that sphere did patch Sasuke's wound up good."
Tessai groaned lightly in resignation which prompted the store manager to give a serious piece of attention to his assistant. "I understand your feelings, seeing how both of you used to live in that time. This is why that person gave me the task of performing that little ordeal to Sasuke because he sincerely believed that you would've been too soft to carry it out."
"I understand it well. It's just... that reiatsu of his... it felt very nostalgic... and incredibly terrifying." Tessai said, shaking off the feeling of chills he had when he saw Sasuke's Susanoo. "What's more, if Sasuke learns of his existence as well..."
Kisuke nodded and returned to his original resting position. "Outsiders have it tough, huh Tessai-san?"
"Indeed." Tessai sighed, crossing his arms over his torso. "My only hope is that he doesn't turn his blade on us when he remembers who he really is."
(***)
Afternoon dusk swept Japan's Shinjuku district and amongst the rowdy sea of people, a bright light unseen by the naked human eye gathered in front of a music store. The light dissipated, revealing a feudal-era architectural gate. The doors opened, allowing a petite woman with dark hair and a single bang parting her big, deep purplish eyes to enter the world. She withdrew a cell phone from her black hakama.
"Oh my, this is the wrong zone. I guess the research and development bureau sent me to the wrong location by accident." She said, snap-shutting her cell phone as she ascended into the air. She took one last look at the multitude of people, amazed at their numbers and then flew off into the distance.
(***)
"Thank you and come again!"
Sasuke nodded to the store clerk and left the establishment, requested items in bag in hand. Normally such an errand would've irritated him to no ends but his mind was too preoccupied with the events that occurred today. He had gained a bit of insight as to what he could do but nothing really as to what he was exactly.
Yet here you are, your chain of fate gone, a sword at your waist-side, slaying hollows on a regular basis and your combat skills worthy of being called a Soul Reaper. Care to explain?
To distrust something or someone, you must have had a connection with that thing or person before, ergo, you have a connection with soul reapers. In fact, it's almost better to say that you are a soul reaper.
The Sharingan used to be something akin to finding lost relics. It was said to be a godly ability, once owned by a Soul Reaper.
Like an endless pool of thoughts, Urahara Kisuke's words echoed constantly in defiance as to what Sasuke did not want to believe. It wasn't that he didn't want to believe the man but when he heard it in his head, it only reinforced why Sasuke had feelings of apprehension towards Soul Reapers. In retrospect, if that distrust was a sign of connection with soul reapers, then it meant that it was a bad connection. What could've happened between him and Soul Society's military faction torn the Uchiha apart. To evade the reason of his mistrust ceaselessly gnawed at his need to know his past. He felt that if he started to investigate this connection, he would go past a point of no return.
Sasuke sighed as he crossed the street. Perhaps the real matter at hand was… what was he afraid to find out? What if by some chance he was someone capable of committing atrocities upon others? Urahara Kisuke had said it himself, that people were the worst examples at upholding the laws of self-preservation because they used it as an excuse to butcher each other up. The holocaust, apartheid, ethnic cleansings, international genocides and systematic persecutions were prime examples of that. To protect one-selves, humans attacked with prejudice because they feared what they did not know and understand and anything from the side of the unknown that tried to get others to understand; the other side would feign ignorance and come up with their own misguided views on what the unknown was.
To be prejudged and then condemned without a say was what Sasuke feared. What if he was that unknown? What if he had committed a malevolent act in such great volumes that he was forced to hide out here? What would happen if he regained his memories and then became the evil person he feared to be? Would he continue to walk a dark path despite everything he had experienced here in the human world? Such a thing would've seemed inconceivable to the amnesiac but the new memory that had played in his mind during his state of unconsciousness had only confirmed his fears.
He had dreamt of four individuals, of a man with a headband covering one eyes and half his face hidden by a mask. The others had a been a young blond wearing bright orange clothing, a young rosette with red clothing, and a young raven-haired boy that Sasuke deduced was himself when he was younger. They all wore the same leaf-symbol headbands and had been asked to introduce themselves to one another, to state their likes, dislikes and dreams. When it had come for the younger version of himself to answer, it had left Sasuke in a state of bewilderment.
"It's not a dream or a goal but more of an ambition. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone..."
Did he restore his clan? Were they searching for him now? Who was he supposed to kill? Had he already killed that person? Was that person a Soul Reaper? If he was, then the clothes the three others, including him, were very different than the standard uniform the psychopomps of this world wore. Then again, they might have all worn faux bodies at that time and-
Sasuke groaned and allowed his hand to rub his face, as if he could wipe away the maelstrom of confusing thoughts. If he didn't stop over-thinking things, he would probably cause himself a nervous breakdown. For now, he needed to focus as to what he should do from this point on.
Suddenly, Sasuke felt a spiritual energy clocking from the direction of the setting sun. He looked high into the distance, expecting to see the Soul Reaper that was in charge of patrolling Karakura Town. Perhaps it was maybe time to completely disregard his foreboding feelings for Soul Reapers and confront the truth that others might know. However, it was not the man he had been expecting. It was a young looking woman apparently being chased by three prehistoric, ibis-like Hollows, resembling the flying dinosaurs Sasuke had seen once in a museum. The three seemed to have the same mindset as they perfectly coordinated their attacks. The Soul Reaper was doing well in evading them but she wasn't retaliating at all. She did not seem afraid to strike back so why wasn't she doing so? As much as Sasuke didn't want to get involved, the mere thought that there was a chance that she didn't attack because she was not able to get the alleged soul reaper to take out his soul candy dispenser and prepared himself for the worst.
(***)
Furtively glancing at the expanse all the while evading the Hollows' attack proved to be more difficult that she envisioned but the best way to take out those airborne creatures was to lure them to the ground. She wasn't the type to get humans involved in her fight so she had been looking for an empty space to duke it out. The area she scouted ahead seemed perfect. All that was needed was to get them to the ground to break up their aerial formation and then strike them individually. Sometimes it felt rewarding to have paid attention in the Soul Reaper Academy.
She finally unsheathed her blade and allowed herself to drop backwards when she abruptly noticed that only two of the three were following her front side. The third one had swooped down earlier and tried to ram its beak against her back. She spun to her left, narrowly avoiding the blow but one of the Hollow's razor-sharp wings grazed her sword-wielding hand. She let go of her zanpakutō due to the pain.
"Damn!" She cried out, preparing to cast a spell when she suddenly felt reiatsu that didn't belong to the Hollows. Another Soul Reaper? Behind me?
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
A pillar of red sizzling energy shot over her head towards the Hollows, causing them to evade and forced to fall back. Stunned, Rukia turned around and her indigo eyes met piercing crimson ones. A young-looking swordsman unsheathed his own blade, knocking her sword into a spin and caught the hilt with his free hand expertly. He then rushed right past her.
"Hey! Where are you-" She stopped herself when she saw the Soul Reaper's dual handed strokes moving at eye-numbing speeds, his attacks appearing like white flashes against two of the Hollow triad. She saw him standing behind them, her blade held in his left hand in a reverse-grip. Both Hollows turned to the other Soul Reapers, and from where she stood Rukia saw the deep cuts at the back of their necks. As they disintegrated into the familiar black ash, the newcomer pivoted on his heel and quickly evaded the last Hollow's attack by flipping backwards while simultaneously deliver a swift kick into the bird-like Hollow's abdomen, forcing it back.
It released an ear-screeching roar and took flight into the pale yellowish skies. Rukia had the Hollow in her sights and raised her right hand, pointing her index finger as she took a knee. "Hadō #4: Byakurai!" (4)
A beam of blinding light shot from her index like a spear and bore through the Hollow's skull. The latter fell to its end, its body vanishing into black dust. Her unannounced comrade arrived at her side and relegated her sword.
"Sorry for taking it without your consent." He apologized. Rukia noticed there was no sign of arrogance or mockery in his apology and was caught off-guard when the piercing red eyes she had once looked into had changed to obsidian pools. She shook it off.
"Do not worry about it. I do not chastise help," she said, taking back her zanpakutō and sliding it back in its sheath. "Although I will admit I am surprised to find another Soul Reaper in this area. I was told to supervise this area for a day since the Soul Reaper in charge here had returned for his monthly report. I really can't fathom the R&D bureau making such a mistake. I mean honestly, sending me here while there is another Soul Reaper already taking care of supervision."
The equally dark-haired Soul Reaper did not utter a word but he was eyeing her strangely. She thought that perhaps he thought she was the strange one. "My apologies I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth Division. And you are...?"
The Soul Reaper she thought he was flicked his sword to wipe the blood off the blade and then returned it to its custom sheath. "Uchiha Sasuke, employee of the Urahara shop."
Author's Note: And thus the predetermined meeting between Uchiha Sasuke and Kuchiki Rukia has occurred. Will Sasuke discover any hints of a past he had in Soul Society? Will he come to trust Rukia, despite her being a Soul Reaper? Will the SasuRuki shippers spring into action with fan art of these star-crossed lovers? Will Urahara Kisuke ever get a new A/C unit?
Find out on the next episode of Days of Our Lives!
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...
Lmao okay okay! All jokes aside, I had fun with this chapter, and I hoped you all loved it too. A few bits of information about Sasuke and the Sharingan have been revealed, and to everyone wondering if he can indeed copy the techniques of Zanpakutō, you now have an answer. Is there a drawback to this? Are the techniques he copies and uses weaker or stronger than the original? Who knows! Only time can answer those questions.
1) Hakusui - the literal translation is Chain of Fate, and it is a chain that binds souls to their living bodies. plays a part in the form a spirit will take on after death. A spirit whose regrets revolve around a person has its chain bound to that person and becomes an "obsessed spirit"; if the spirit's regrets involve a location, or if some incident happened at that location which caused its death, the spirit's chain will be bound to that location and it would become an "earthbound spirit" or Jibakurei.
2) Saketsu - the literal translation is Binding Chain. on a Shinigami is just as important as the Chain of Fate is on a Plus. While there is no chain per se connected to a Soul Reaper, the area where the Chain of Fate was originally is still just as important as when the Soul Reaper was a simple soul. In a Soul Reaper, the Saketsu acts as a boost to spiritual power, in conjunction with the Hakusui the source of spiritual power. These two points are commonly considered pressure points. If they are pierced, they seal up this spiritual power, and the Soul Reaper will lose all their power. The Soul Reaper who experiences this will never be a Soul Reaper again.
3) Konsō - also known as Soul Burial, is the process by which a Soul Reaper sends wandering souls in the Realm of the Living to Soul Society if they are good in life or Hell if their life was full of evil acts (such as murders, theft, etc.). Konsō is performed by using the hilt of the Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō, tapping the soul on their forehead and transporting them to the afterlife
4) Hadō #4: Byakurai - Its literal translation is Pale Lightning. The practitioner gathers high-density spiritual energy, which they discharge from both hands. Alternatively, the practitioner points at the intended target with their index finger and generates a concentrated bolt of lighting to use against the target.
Anyways, I appreciate the support you've all been giving me and I do hope that you all enjoyed this chapter as well as the little cliffhanger that was left for ya. The next chapter will be out hopefully within seven to fourteen days. Please, do me a favor and leave me your thoughts on the chapter, and if there is anything I can possibly improve on. In other words...
Review. Favorite. Follow.
(***)
Wolf's Honour
