edited 7-3-19
This chapter (and the last one as well), special thanks to Arbitraryster for beta-reading and checking up with everything.
I'm working on fanarts to this fanfic, you can visit them here: bonbonpich. deviantart (cut out the space), if it doesn't work, you can go to my author page and click the link from there.
The title of this chapter is taken (again!?) from the song title itself by Dashboard Confessional. It's the main source of inspiration when writing KuroKura fic XD
Chapter 10 Vindicated
By late evening, they reached the inn where Senritsu had booked for them, Kurapika suddenly felt a jolt throughout his body. Leorio stopped and turned his head to check on Kurpaika. "What's wrong?"
It was hurting a little. Something was flowing inside of him, his aura. Slowly and gradually, Kurapika saw something blue. Then bit by bit, Leorio's back came into vision. Green eyes blinking, he began to look around. To his side, Gon and Killua were gazing up at him. With the tips of his fingers, Kurapika touched his own face, right under his eyes.
"I can see now…" He said.
Gon's eyes, as well as Leorio, lit up and they grinned from ear to ear. Killua and Senritsu sighed in relief.
Kurapika couldn't help but mirror their expressions. It was like after D-Road Garden in York Shin all over again. When he thought he'd lost his goal, when he felt most empty, and after the whole ordeal he had been through these past weeks, he never thought the sight of his friends were this beautiful.
"This means Kuroro took care of that Nen-user. That was fast." Killua whistled, but he kept the previous saying between him and Gon.
Senritsu led them to a room to settle Kurapika in. While everyone expected Kurapika to use his Nen to heal all the wounds, Senritsu suggested he might have to wait for a while. It would be better for Kurapika to manage the aura inside him and gain entire control over it first. Kurapika started to focus on doing that.
Leorio nursed Kurapika's wounds with everything he'd got. And with Gon's and Killua's Nen, they tended the broken legs. The least they could do was to alleviate the damage, but it wasn't healed entirely. Kurapika would have to wait for himself to gain control of his Nen and heal them on his own. Meanwhile, he couldn't move anywhere. His friends urged him to sleep, and Kurapika found he was more than eager to concur. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past two weeks, these few last days were the worst.
When he woke up, three hours had passed. Moving his eyes from the clock, he flopped back and tried to sleep again. Three hours of sleep couldn't replenish him for the lack of three days proper sleep. However, sleep was already far from him; Kurapika groggily and grumpily got up. Then he checked his phone, and was astonished that there were no calls. Why was Kuroro taking so long, he wondered.
Seeing Kurapika was not going back to sleep, his friends believed that it was the right time to hear up his story. So Kurapika sat up on the bed while and told Gon, Leorio, Killua, and Senritsu of what had happened to him. He summarized it, well, trimming out the parts that the other four (or just particularly out-of-control-man like Leorio would have burst upon hearing).
Kurapika had to choose his words carefully. He couldn't just lie to make them not to worry about him because Senritsu was there. If his lies (or more like a hidden truth) were known, it would only make them worry.
In the end, what the four found out from him was that he was forced to join the Ryodan and had been with Kuroro for weeks.
The last piece of information had shocked them.
When Kurapika's silence marked the end of his tale, Leorio clutched his head to prevent it from bursting in crazed anger. He yelled hysterically, "This is unbelievable! We should have knownnnnnn! And now look at you-getting battered all over and looking like shit! I say we should take you away from him, to somewhere where he cannot find you!"
Kurapika's eyebrows knotted at how Leorio described him. "Thanks for the visual comment, but I'm not going anywhere, Leorio. And these wounds weren't Kuroro' fault."
"So you're going to wait until he comes and gets you again!?" Leorio stomped closer to the bedside, his hands fisted in an angry gesture. It wasn't surprising, as Leorio was the only one who had urged them to get their asses out and be gone from the Spiders forever while the other three had understood Kurapika's reason to stay put.
"Kurapika," Killua started calmly. "You told us the reason you have to stick with him was because he gave you a pair of Kuruta eyes, right?" Kurapika nodded to him.
"Doesn't sound sensible to me, does it, Senritsu?" Killua leaned back against the chair, lacing his hands at the back of his head. "I don't think you could stand being around them for a minute, let alone live with. A skilled person like you could get away from them if you really wanted to. Or was it that every member of the Spider just sat and kept their watchful eyes on you for the entire two weeks? I think not."
Gon blinked at that, and saw Killua's point.
"A much more likely threat would be the Genei Ryodan leader saying, 'If you run away, then I'll kill your friends, I can do that anytime.' Isn't that more reasonable?" Killua stated after he'd been thinking for quite a while now. He knew for a fact that Kurapika wasn't afraid of dying, the Spiders wouldn't be able to use that against him. Then what else was there?
His friends.
Back there when they first planned to capture Pakunoda, Kurapika's word misled that he would even sacrifice Killua and Gon in order to bring down the Ryodan. But in the end, Kurapika didn't. Instead, he'd put his revenge aside just to bring Gon and Killua back. Which was one of the reason why Killua would risk his life for him when he used to think that he'd only do it for Gon.
Aside from Kurapika's two lifetime goals, there was one more important thing in his life…which the Spiders could use against Kurapika.
Gon and Leorio stared speechlessly, Killua's plausible explanation sinking in.
Then Leorio spoke up. "So that's why you're not going anywhere."
Kurapika went quiet.
"So that's true." Gon's face was angry as he fisted, then saddened. "But we don't want you to be in danger either. What can we do…?"
"That's no need, Gon." Kurapika smiled softly.
"Now, now! You're saying that you're going with him again when he gets back from kicking that Nen-sealer's ass!?" Leorio threw his hands up in the air, exasperated.
"I have no other choice. I don't want to involve all of you, I've already caused a great trouble to you guys back then." Kurapika concluded, closing his eyes.
"Uh…actually we did that of our own intentions." Killua corrected, but upon seeing Kurapika gave him a smile, he looked away, bashful. Senritsu smiled at Killua in secret. Back then Killua had made a face while complaining that he didn't really want to take the risk in helping Kurapika. But Senritsu had heard the sound from his heart that said otherwise.
"You guys already have done a lot in getting me out of that mansion." Kurapika reasoned. When he saw Gon and Leorio stiffened, he continued. "And…I'm kind of…used to him already."
"What!? Does it turn out that the guy isn't really as bad as you thought?" Leorio mocked.
And Kurapika's slow, unsure nod that followed caught Leorio off guard.
"I'll have more chance of retrieving my clan's eyes. Moreover, he still can't kill me or he would be dead as well," Kurapika declared, hoping this would made them understand.
"Wait. That guy knows that he will be free of your Nen if he kills you while your Nen is sealed, right?" Killua asked. When Kurapika nodded, the younger boy continued. "But he didn't kill you. Instead he'd wanted to get you out. Moreover, he let us take you out while he himself ran off to face the Nen-user to unseal your Nen, and it was while he was injured too."
Kurapika had wondered all along why the man hadn't killed him when he had a chance of a lifetime.
'I changed my mind. Let's just say you're coming back with me.'
Kuroro's words were always ambiguous to him, but the man had never lied to him.
"It must be a trap!" Leorio hollered. "That guy must be negotiating with the Nen-sealer to do something. Maybe he wants to lift Kurapika's Nen off of him and then force the Nen to bind onto Kurapika's eyes again."
"Stop making nonsense possibilities, old man!" Killua yelled at him in annoyance.
"Being a Nen-sealer, she cannot be the Nen-lifter as well. The two abilities require a life-time of experience and skill to master. Only the person who seals a person's Nen will be able to lift the Nen binding." Senritsu explained.
"Huh?" Leorio and Gon made a face at the same time. Leorio didn't know much about Nen, and Gon was a little slow when confronting such detailed information.
"That means the Nen-sealer woman cannot lift Kurapika's Nen from Kuroro." Killua made it easier for the two.
Senritsu turned to Kurapika, asking. "Kurapika, are you sure that you want to go with the Genei Ryodan?"
"As I've said, I don't have a choice. I'll be fine, as I've been all along up until now," Kurapika answered.
Listening to the sound of his heart, Senritsu knew her Kuruta friend hadn't been manipulated. It was tranquil; she would like to believe that her former co-worker would really be fine. But Kurapika's heartbeat had always been tranquil, even at the worst moments like when Uvogin was after his life back then.
Then Kurapika looked at Senristu. "Although I had to come up with a reason why I can't return to Nostrad yet. And honestly I don't know when. How are things back there, by the way?" He spared an apologetic glance to his three friends; they understood and walked to the balcony, leaving the two to discuss alone, regarding their boss.
After fifteen minutes, Senritsu beckoned for them to come back inside the room.
Kurapika knew that Senritsu and Killua would understand his intentions. But the problem was with Gon and Leorio, whose faces were still twitching.
"I really don't want you to get involved with the Spiders again, Kurapika."
Kurapika regarded the youngest boy for a long while. Gon was making a pleading face, the very one he'd made months ago when the boy thought the ordeal regarding Genei Ryoden was over.
"Gon, why were you and Killua at the Sun Beach?" Kurapika suddenly asked.
"What? It doesn't have anything to do with-" Gon raised his eyebrows.
"Answer me, Gon," Kurapika urged.
"Well. Killua and I were with the Wild Life Hunters who were tracing new species of insects. We came to the Sun Beach to see one of its body parts," Gon answered, brows knotting a bit as to how this was related to their situation.
"And you guys will go in search of the species," Kurapika finished it for them. "Gon, Killua, you have your own paths. You have to go with it." Then he turned to Leorio. "You too, Leorio. You should be studying for medical exam instead of coming here."
A small nerve made its way to Leorio's forehead, and he started again. "You! Ungrateful brat! I got your ass out of that place and you're saying-"
"I'm grateful to you," Kurapika cut in as he looked directly at the man, smiling. Then he regarded to all of them. "I'm grateful to you all. When I was in that mansion and thought I was really going to die…I thought of you guys, really." He closed his eyes, smile went a little wider. "And now that I've met you again, this is all that's needed."
"Kurapika…" Leorio trailed off, but before he could say anything-
RRRRRR
A phone on the nearby table rang. Leorio had been the one who took it out from Kurapika's pocket when he drifted off to sleep. And now, before Senritsu could reach it for Kurapika, Gon jumped from his seat and snatched it. Leorio was by his side, looking at the LCD screen.
It read 'Kuroro.'
Gon backed away, holding the phone with him.
"Gon, give me the phone," Kurapika stretched his hand out with his palm up.
"Don't give it to him, Gon." Leorio insisted, staying by the young boy's side.
It was one of the few times Kurapika had seen Gon with such childish behavior, real childish, not the usual childlike one Gon usually wore. "Gon!" Kurapika raised his voice.
Killua sighed, while Senritsu looked between Gon and Leorio then at Kurapika, unsure what to do.
When Kurapika tried to get out of the bed, his legs still hurt and he hissed in pain. He looked up at Gon again with an edgy expression, holding his hand out.
"Just give him the phone, Gon. Let him talk first and see how things will turn out. Maybe there's a way we can negotiate and Kurapika might not have to go with Kuroro," Killua suggested. Although he kind of felt that there was only one thing in store for them.
Gon's face looked near crying and Kurapika's expression softened at that.
The ring had gone off. And silence filled in.
Kurapika sighed as he closed his eyes. Feeling that his body had been replenished enough, he conjured his Nen. Slowly, the chain jail slowly appeared at his right hand. Upon receiving a nod of approving from Senritsu, he continued with his task to use the Holy Chain to heal his legs. They were done in seconds.
The blond tentatively stood up from the bed, swaying a little as Senritsu rushed to support him. He moved closer until he was in front of Gon and Leorio. Kurapika reached out and waited for Gon to give it to him. "Gon, I need to talk to him."
"Give it to him, Gon," Killua repeated.
And Leorio interrupted, "Don't, Gon!"
Gon was cornered. And upon seeing Kurapika's stern expression, he tentatively handed the device halfway. Upon that, Leorio snatched the phone and jogged away instead. That made Kurapika's narrow his eyes. "Great. If it's with you, then I don't have to hold back."
Killua chuckled lightly at Leorio's mistake. Said man didn't have time to react when a chain flew over and nabbed the mobile out of his hand. It accidentally (or in Killua's mind, intentionally) hit the man on the face. The next moment the device landed on Kurapika's open palm. Leorio clutched at his face where it was hit and directed an accusatory finger at the blond.
"Was that necessary!?" He yelled angrily.
Ignoring Leorio, Kurapika picked up the line that rang again.
"Guess your friends were running away from you with the phone?" The familiar voice at the other end spoke.
Kurapika made a sound in this throat.
"Where are you?" Kuroro asked.
"Tell me your location, I'll go there myself." As Kurapika responsded, Leorio and Gon's gasp were audible to Kuroro on the other end, but he didn't care.
"No. I'd rather not risk losing you again," Kuroro insisted and repeated. "Tell me where you are." When he heard nothing from Kurapika for a while, he asked, "Are you worrying that I would hurt your friends?"
"…Yes." Kurapika admitted.
"I won't. I promise." The voice sounded firm.
Strangely, Kurapika found that he could believe it. "Fine then…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kuroro put away the device, feeling odd about himself for using words like 'promise' with the boy.
The last thing he heard on the cell phone before the line went dead was yelling and retorting. He knew it was Kurapika's friends, it would not be easy to get Kurapika away from them.
He surmised Kurapika wouldn't act according to their will. The boy would never risk his friends' lives.
Kuroro started to step away from the last man he'd killed in the last mansion he'd attended to.
There had been six in total, the Mafia heads who were in contact with Dolinku and Lucchese. Kuroro was able to draw out enough information from the half-dead Makiya, and then finished her off after having blinded her and broken her two legs. He barely listened to her while she spoke of the death of her family by the Genei Ryodan's hands. Kuroro hadn't spared a piece of his attention on that.
Then he found the list of contacts to purchase Kuruta eyes from.
He made sure to go down to the root of it, including every contacts around York Shin and Mafia main web base to have Kurapika's picture removed, and altered the content to the Kuruta's death, saying that his eyes had accidentally perished.
He was aware of the possibility that many people out there still knew about Kurapika. He'd only taken care those who expressed interest in purchasing the eyes and were in Donlinku's contact list. It was the least he could do now.
At the end of the whole ordeal, the throbbing pain from his injury persisted, after he'd been ignoring it for hours. He scoffed at himself. Once there was a thought of stealing Kurapika's power, especially that healing Nen, to use it at his own will. Now that thought was dismissed.
He just wanted to go back with Kurapika. Then back to his Spider comrades? What would his comrades say…? 'Nobunaga would be so upset about this.'
Speaking of being upset, Kuroro looked at himself that was covered with blood. 'Ah, Kurapika would be so upset about this too.'
He had to do something about it before heading to Kurapika's.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Ahhhhhhh! The feared Genei Ryodan leader is coming this way!" Leorio clutched his head and bellowed.
"Will you shut up and listen to me!? Old man!" Killua yelled back.
They were in front of Kurapika's room. Killua had called the two out so as not to disturb Kurapika. Moreover, he needed to calm down the two and explain things to them more thoroughly.
Gon had been quiet all the while.
Killua cleared his throat, but Gon spoke up before him. "Killua. Why do you think Kurapika would be fine going with Kuroro?
"Yeah, why do you think so?" Leorio added as he pressed a hand down on Killua's head.
"I'm not sure." Killua brought a hand to his mouth, musing. "But…from what Kurapika had told us, which was entirely the truth since Senritsu confirmed it… although she mentioned that he wasn't telling the whole story. Anyways, I think…well, if I'm not mistaken…" The boy cleared his throat again as Gon and Leorio waited impatiently. "Kuroro…was falling…for Kurapika"
Gon and Leorio blinked once and twice.
And Gon hit one of his fists into his other palm. "Ah! You mean this was Kurapika's plan? Kurapika is planning something?"
"NOOO!" Killua's head drooped at the slow-witted boy.
Leorio made a face as if the boy had grown two heads. "Killua. You didn't mean…" He paused.
"What!? What!? What did Killua mean exactly?" Gon looked between the two, eager to know the truth.
"Kuroro could kill Kurapika so he would be free from Kurapika's Nen, but he didn't. At first, I thought he wanted Kurapika's ability, but he could just get Kurapika out barely alive to get it. Why would he have to use Kou to shield Kurapika, and leave his own body unprotected when they were getting out the mansion? Then he himself got injured because of that, I believe..." He looked at the two and concluded, "Kuroro was protecting Kurapika."
Leorio swore he would laugh out so loud if the situation hadn't been so urgent.
"Of why, I don't know." Killua put his hands in his pockets. "But people change according to people they met, don't they? When I met him in the mansion, he was very different than when we met him back months ago. I know it because I was…like him." There was more in his head that it could stretch things out for the other two, but Killua opted to leave it unspoken. 'If I hadn't met you guys. If I hadn't been with Gon all along, I would still be like him back there.'
"Killua…" Gon called out, getting it a little, but still confused.
"Take Hisoka for example." Killua held up one finger. "The first time we met him, we thought of him as only some crazy maniac clown killer that we would never dare go near. But in GI game, we worked together in winning that volleyball game. We were that close to him, Gon. And we weren't even afraid. You were even asking him to come along even after the game."
Leorio's jaw dropped. "You guys did that!?"
"Well, maybe Hisoka didn't really change, but at least we learned that we can communicate with him humanly in some ways." Killua shrugged nonchalantly.
Gon scratched the back of his head, thinking about his friend's words.
"But I know this isn't easy for you two. That's why we have to be sure that Kuroro is capable of leaving with Kurapika without killing him or hurting him in any ways." Killua smiled, which implied he had something in mind.
"Killua." Leorio started, this time he gathered himself to look more serious, rather than yelling around. He had been thinking all along after all. "I don't know what you have in mind, but if I see things not turning out well when that guy comes here, I'm not listening to you and Senritsu, I'm taking Kurapika away no matter what."
"Me too, Killua." Gon added.
Killua chuckled softly. "In that case, I'm with you two, but that's only because Kuroro's injured. We stand a chance of four against an injured one. But first, let's try it my way and hope it works out?" He opened the door to Kurapika's room and told Kurapika. "You will have to play along too."
Kurapika arched his brows questioningly.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kuroro knocked at the 6th floor inn's window just before sliding it up enough for him to get through.
The three people in the room stiffened at his sudden appearance and dropped into a defensive stance.
"Why don't you come through the door?" Kurapika sighed as he looked in newcomer's direction.
"At least I knocked," Kuroro shrugged casually, dusting off his clothes. He studied the other occupants in the room who remained unmoving. He shoved his hands in his pants pocket and smiled nonchalantly at them. "I won't do anything."
Kuroro walked pass cautious Killua and Gon casually and settled himself on the seat near Kurapika's bed. "Is your Nen back yet?"
Kurapika didn't respond.
Kuroro raised an eyebrow as he studied the Kuruta. When he bent closer, the boy whipped his head to face him.
"You've killed people?" Kurapika raised his voice.
'H…Hey, Kurapika! That's not what we have planned!' Killua complained mentally. But it couldn't be helped. He did smell the stench of blood when Kuroro stepped in too, he was sure Gon and Leorio would feel the same way. Killua knew that Gon was suppressing the urge to do something, anything except standing in silence while Leorio was trying his best to compose.
Kuroro looked away. Sure he changed into clean clothes: a black long sleeve shirt and pants like the very one he wore when meeting Kurapika at Attique. That didn't help much though, he already knew. "Save that for later. Now, what about your Nen?"
"It hasn't been back. Did you kill that Nen-sealer?" Killua raised, encouraging Kurapika to rebound back to the plan.
Kuroro turned to Killua, and answered directly. "Yeah, I've killed her. She failed to cooperate with my favor in removing her Nen from Kurapika."
Kurapika's hands grabbed the blanket, a fist tightened on it which didn't go unseen by Kuroro observant.
"But his Nen hadn't returned." Leorio hesitantly spoke. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Right? Kurapika."
Kurapika nodded. "I'm not seeing, Kuroro."
"His sight only returned for a while, but then it turns out that he can't see after all." Killua explained.
"We don't know what happened." Gon added. "But we heard that some Nen have to be removed properly, and won't be removed just by ending the Nen-sealer's life."
Kuroro's expression shifted, but he smoothed back to his usual poker face. Still, that briefest moment hadn't gone unseen by Killua.
The Spider head then moved to seat himself on Kurapika's bed, his back was turned to the other three in the room. Leorio wanted to step in, anxious for Kurapika's safety. But Killua stopped him with a strong shove, which resulted in Leorio's hands balling into tight fists.
Kuroro used gyou, and saw Nen on Kurapika's eyes. They were still there, but they were different. His hands reached to touch the boy's face and peered into the empty eyes.
Gon, Killua, and Leorio were gaping at the man's back, ready for anything that would happen. The only thing that kept them at bay was Kurapika's hand which indicated them not to pull any stunts. So they waited until someone said something.
"You're seeing."
The three didn't know what made Kuroro grasp the truth. It was Leorio who noticed that Kurapika's expression had changed. The Kuruta's eyes had widened slightly when the Spider head peered at him. Leorio thought it must be Kuroro's facial expression that startled Kurapika, and blew the plan.
Kuroro put his palms on the boy's legs, ignoring the slight jerk. "They were healed. That means your Nen was back." He looked up at the boy who now blinked and looked away. Then he turned to Killua. "Sorry, looks like I've blown it off."
Kuroro looked quizzically at him.
Killua smiled and waved it off. "Nah, I think that's enough."
"What?" Kuroro interrupted, this time there was menacing tone to his voice.
"It's nothing. They just want to be sure that you…" Kurapika paused, not knowing how to end the sentence he'd just made.
"That I what?" The man asked.
"That you won't kill him. That at least you are…" Leorio too had the same difficulty putting things into words. "Well, that at least you do bother about his well-being." He managed finally.
Then Kuroro got it and turned to Kurapika. "So…you were using Zetsu to hide your Nen, and using your own Nen on the eyes?"
Kurapika nodded.
Kuroro's eyebrows furrowed and he looked somewhat annoyed. But when his eyes found Kurapika looking up at him, bright ocean green eyes that were free of Nen, Kuroro no longer found any frustration inside of him.
"Sorry about that." Kurapika sighed, surprised at his own apology.
"It's fine, so can we leave now?" Kuroro then took Kurapika's hands and pulled him up to his feet.
"Hey!" Gon started, face angry now. "Kurapika's our friend! Don't take it that you can bring him away so easily!" Leorio and Killua were at his side instantly.
"Like it or not I'm taking him anyway. We're bound to each other. Didn't Kurapika tell you that if I don't get him back, I'll kill all of you?" The man stated out of annoyance. He had had a long day, after all. All he wanted ever since the day before was to have Kurapika back, despite him coming to this realization only recently.
At that, the three felt threatened at the sudden change in atmosphere but they stood their ground.
A second later, Kuroro's eyes were wide when he felt a sharp sting across his cheek where Kurapika's open palm had made contact. It took him seconds to register what had taken place as he eyed Kurapika who had his hand outstretched.
Kuroro was surprised by the hit. It wasn't even that hard, but it was hard enough to slap some sense into him. How could he not know it was coming? Unless Kurapika was fast, then he must have been too unwinded around the boy already.
"Don't mess with them," Kurapika hissed.
Gon's, Killua's, Leorio's jaws dropped. They couldn't believe what they've just saw. Of course, to Leorio, he had seen Kurapika brutally punched the Spider head numerous times till he bled. But this time, it was so…different. What made the three even more surprised and unbelieving was when Kuroro brought a hand to his cheek, they had thought the man would return the gesture, but-
"Understood," Kuroro mumbled, although his eyes were far from dejected.
"I'm coming with you so don't even think of getting them involved in this." The boy glared dagger at the man.
Kuroro would have done otherwise apart from complying. But he also knew that he'd crossed Kurapika's line. He'd crossed it once regarding the Kuruta clan. Now his friends were that last line Kurapika had got. Kuroro had noted that using Kurapika himself against his friends wasn't the brightest idea.
It was then that Gon and Leorio had come to see what Killua had thoroughly explained to them. It was unbelievable, but it was right in front of them to witness.
"Kuroro." Gon called off. "We know and understand that it was Kurapika's decision. But you have to wait a little longer."
Kuroro sighed, looking at Kurapika. "Fine. Do you want to run any more test or experiment with me or what?" He asked, half mocking, half meaning it.
"Kurapika, we're right outside." Killua told the blond as he called Gon and Leorio, herding them to step out of the room with him. Gon followed while Leorio looked between his departing friends and Kurapika with Kuroro.
'Crap, the guy hadn't let go off Kurapika's hand yet.' Leorio doubted if his friend was even aware of that.
"Leorio!" Killua called.
"Go on, Leorio. I'll be fine." Kurapika gave him an assuring smile which didn't reassure Leorio at all.
Leorio gritted his teeth a little while Gon dragged him out. The door was closed behind them.
"You have a bunch of worrywart friends." Kuroro commented. "What are they planning next?"
"Hmm," Kurapika eyed the door where his friends had gone out. The soft smile graced his lips as his eyes remained there.
Kuroro watched the boy. He'd never seen the boy smile with that kind of smile in the past two weeks he was with him, or like ever…
"I can understand why they're your only weakness." He said.
Kurapika was curious about that, but as he saw the man took the seat, he noticed the man swayed. Then he realized it. "Haven't you tended to your wounds!?" The boy stomped in. To the man's surprise, Kurapika reached to pull the hem of his shirt up just enough to reveal a wound at the side of Kuroro's stomach. The blond bent down and studied the bloody wound.
"It's just a scratch."
"A scratch doesn't leave a hole in your stomach." Kurapika then touched the wound and found that Kuroro's Nen was the only thing keeping the blood at bay. He conjured his Holy Chain and demanded, "Lift up your Nen." When the man did, it was cured instantly, leaving only the trace of blood stained.
Kuroro whistled. "Amusing."
Suddenly, Kurapika suddenly went still. Kuroro saw trouble in those green eyes. He challenged. "Are you regretting healing me?"
Kurapika put his hand away, Chain Jail disappearing from his hand. His facial expression still a bit troubled but he shook his head. "I don't know. But…I couldn't leave you wound anyway. You got that shot shielding me after all."
'Ah, right. It's just you guilt-ridden type.'
Shaking his head slightly again, Kurapika decided to change subject. "So, what were you talking about-my weakness? How did they involve my friends?"
The man took on the note that the boy wanted to leave the issue of his emotional turmoil. He silently complied, "Right, your friends are your weakness. Back then, if Pakunoda had known that, things wouldn't have turned out the way they are now."
"My…only weakness? Them?" Kurapika trailed off in confusion. "What are you talking about? What would it be like if Pakunoda knew that?"
"From Paku's memory, all of my comrades had a slight misunderstanding that the chain-guy's weakness was the piece of information that he couldn't use his Nen ability on anyone who's not a Spider. But as a matter of fact, your weakness lies with your friends." Kuroro explained while clasping his hands together and directing a finger to the boy. "If Paku had known about this, she would have let all of the Spiders come with her. The negotiation for hostages wouldn't have happened."
Kurapika frowned. "What are you saying? That time I really thought of killing you should your comrades breach my rules, even if I would have to lose Gon and Killua."
"No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't do anything to lose them." The man disputed firmly.
"That was because-" Kurapika glared at the man with stern eyes and looked away. "Don't act like you know me so well."
Upon seeing a change on Kurapika's face, Kuroro ended the conversation, avoiding the possibility of another argument. "Don't let it bother you; I'm just saying that you won't lose your friends. And as long as you come with me, you won't."
"Enough of that," Kurapika snapped. "Let's focus on things at hand now."
"You keep running away from the important issue," Kuroro pointed out crossly which made the boy grunt.
"Hmm. Then let's see how well you answer my question with your own issue. There's one question I want you to answer." The boy returned.
'…of how many I've killed?' Kuroro mentally predicted.
"Why did you come to get me out of that mansion? Why didn't you kill me when you had a chance to be free of my Nen? And why do you want me back with you now?"
"That's three questions, not one." Kuroro pointed out blandly.
"Just answer me!" Kurapika snapped but his face was far from anger. Then it morphed into an imploring one.
And for the first time in his life, Kuroro felt at a loss for words.
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"Are you all right?" Gon asked, worried.
"I'm fine." Senritsu replied, unsure of the answer she just gave.
Senritsu had been situated outside the room to listen to things that were going on inside. It had been Killua's idea for her to use her ability and interpret things. Listening to the Genei Ryoden leader's heart had been one of her worst nightmares. Still, she complied in order to make sure that things wouldn't be the same as months ago.
"So how is it?" Killua asked.
"He's better than the last time…." Senritsu stated. "He's still in that half in and half out of the grave state. But…" She paused, thinking, and looked up at the three young men. "When he thought that Kurapika couldn't see, his heart skipped a beat. There was this feeling of his that…he was somewhat…bothered by it."
"And I've seen how he had interacts with Kurapika. He wasn't even on his guard." Killua commented, voice filled with amusement.
Gon nodded. "Kuroro's different from before now, I've seen." Then he looked up and thought a little more, his eyebrows creased slightly.
"I say it's all up to Kurapika now, whether he'll go with Kuroro or not. I believe he'll be fine." Killua concluded.
As Gon and Senritsu hesitantly nodded, that left only Leorio who had been quiet all the while.
Leorio scratched the non-existent itch at the back of his head. "You guys really trust them together?"
They nodded.
"But they killed dozens of people. Even if Kuroro's telling the truth that he won't harm Kurapika now, what could guarantee that he wouldn't in the future?" Leorio pressed his palm against his forehead and made a face. "Even if we knew some of the Spiders did things according to Kurapika's rules so they could get their leader back-as if they actually got a heart-they're still a bunch of insane criminals. I really don't know. Maybe we should let Kurapika decide one more time."
'But he's already decided, right?'
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I believed I'd put some LeorioxKurapika there, hadn't I? Did it even look like one?
This is not yet the end! At first I've tried to end it in 10 chapters, but I couldn't squeeze the ending part or it'd be too long so I gotta split into 2. There's one more chapter to go, really last one!
Thanks for all of you again for reviewing and sticking with me up this far.