A/N)
Disclaimer: I hereby claim that I the author of the fanfic below do not in any shape or form own Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, Rosario + Vampire and Rosario + Vampire capu2. However the ideas and storyline are mine.
Important : As a heads up. The next two weeks of my life will be very important to me. I will be very busy with little time on this story. However back to the idea that I have a one or two chapters that act as buffers, this chapter is one of them. There is a good chance that I will not update next Sunday and possibly even the Sunday after that. I do this to maintain story quality as I do not want to rush things and end up with a badly prepared and written story. So I apologise in advance and seek your understanding.
In response to those who say I am bashing Kurumu. I wish to express my thoughts on this matter. I do my work with dignity and I will purposely reduce the worth of my literature just to satisfy a non-existent fantasy of seeing a character be ridiculed. I am not trying to ridicule or reduce her worth as a dignified character. I am instead bringing to front some of her brasher qualities – she has a tendency to be bull-headed, strong-willed, sharp-minded, and open about her thoughts. I am merely playing how she might act under such circumstances. If you disagree with my portrayal of her do tell me why.
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Chapter 10: Twist and Turns
"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
― Bob Marley
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"Err, Naruto, I only have cold food." Mizore stopped, head slightly bowed, and holding her fridge door open as she remembered why she had suggested the school canteen at first.
"That's fine." He helped her with a few dishes and minutes later they had the table set. It was all traditional yuki-onna dishes that she had made – the only dishes she could make. Naruto was however trying to figure out how cold food could have wondrous aromas. Being his usual self, his nose was less than a centimetre from the food, slowly he inched closer. Trying to get all of the scent into his nostrils. Right now, he hated having to exhale. His antics typically brought laughs to all who watched, that included a yuki-onna who had just been pranked. Even as a blush formed on her cheeks as she realised that Naruto liked her food she still managed to creep up behind him, and strategically position her mouth. Slowly, slowly, slowly…
"Naruto!" The results were hilarious. He jumped very high. Sometimes his own strength worked against him. His head collided with the ceiling, cutting off his sharp screech. After a resounding smack, his body comically stilled for a second. Then it fell, right onto a laughing yuki-onna.
Groaning, Naruto furiously blinked the stars out his vision. His hand nursed his sore head, then he noticed the predicament he was in. He could already feel a blush rising from his traitorous body. His body was straddling Mizore, with legs on either side.
"Hey!" Mizore struggled to get him off her. However it appeared more like she was playing. Catching on quickly a devilish smirk played onto his lips. A small hint of fear seemed to show in her eyes. Then he attacked. His hands went for strategic locations. Even as her struggles doubled he kept up his attack. Sacrificing the tickling power of his left hand, he secure her rebellious arms above her head. Repositioning his legs he pinned her swinging legs down. Her torso tried to run from his ministrations but alas, it could only bend so much. Her laughs filled the room as Naruto rolled the sucker in his mouth to the side adding a playful and cute hint to his innocent face.
"Give up! Surrender!" his laughter riddled his words as his right hand went for the age-old spot right under her arms. Her giggles grew louder.
"N…no…" she gasped the words out as she was given no time to rest. His hand trailed up and down her side, with his fingers applying teasing amounts of pressure to strategic points.
"Give or else." The way he had said the last part with the 'darker' tone sent a shiver down her spine. Raising her neck, she could only sent Naruto a look that held her answer. Suddenly he stopped to her confusion. She only looked as his hands came together to form a cross. He did not need hand signs, but it did help to add to the effect.
"Shadow clone jutsu." The pillar of smoke beside him quickly cleared to show a clone. Quickly realising the possible applications of this technique, pure unrestrained horror filled her face. However her renewed effort was quickly proven useless as one of the clone's hands re-secured her hangs above her head as it kneeled facing the original. She bent her waist as much as possible, but it was all for naught. Three hands roamed her body, tripling the tickling power the previous one applied. She pulled on her arms but the clone's grip was true.
"I….give…stop!" she barely breathed the words out in between her laughs, but to her alarm, he didn't stop immediately. Instead an almost cruel but playful grin was pointed at her.
"Five." What?
"Four." She wasn't sure she could take any more.
"Three." How could anyone be so cruel?
"Two." If she could, she would have asked how he could count so pitifully slowly.
"One." A bit..more…
"Zero." His torturous hands stopped. Her chest raised and fell rapidly as she tried to regain her breath. Her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead while her clothes stuck uncomfortably to her skin. Naruto's last laugh was heard by her as he dispelled his clone.
As they calmed down, a mesmerising silence descended upon them. His back and neck were bent, so his eyes met hers directly. The world around them seemed to become unfocused, the only thing in clear view was each other. Mizore's eyes were suddenly drawn to Naruto's lips, and she unconsciously licked her own. They didn't know what was happening. It just felt...right. Yet something at the back of his head gnawed at him, it told him it wouldn't be right. She already had a boyfriend, he was just a friend. Yet their heads moved slowly, slowly their lips and eyes got closer
They never met.
Her room door was suddenly thrown open. With a loud crash, it marked the new presence of a witch. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was heavy. Sweat covered her head and her wand was held tightly in her right hand.
"Mizore, I heard.." she never finished her sentence as her eyes registered the scene in front of her. Her first reaction was to flinch backwards and start to utter every word she had in her vocabulary for gross things. However she was far from senile.
"YOU! Get away from Mizore you creep!" With a flick of her wand, a large silver wash tub appeared over Naruto's head. Broken out of their reveries they reacted. Naruto rolled over to his side and in an instant Mizore had shot an ice shard at the tub. The clang it made with the tub shattered the shard, and sent the tub off course. In another second Naruto had already helped Mizore up.
The witch was already preparing her next wave. With a twirl, three washtubs bigger than the first appeared over Naruto. In a flash of speed most people would never catch, he caught the first two. Then with a graceful spin sent one back at the third one and the other at the witch.
In a brief moment of panic Yukari spawned a few more washtubs. None of them appeared to block the incoming projectile. With the painful forced release of air from her lungs her small frame was sent flying back at the wall. Unfortunately, it seemed she was not the only one hit by the flying washtubs in the room. A second painful cry immediately made Naruto swirl his head, just in time to see Mizore impact a wall with a washtub spin against her torso. Her injuries flared. Mizore curled into a ball as agonising pain wrecked her system.
The introduction of another presence into the room only made things worse. Upon analysing the situation in a few crucial seconds Kurumu unleashed her claws and dashed off at the red haired boy. This time however, she did not have an easy target. She swung her arm out, he bent to his left while sliding his right feet behind him. She threw her other arm at his head. With his right feet behind him he leaned back. In another move, his left leg flew over his right, making him roll.
"Stay still bastard!" her leathery wings sprouted and with a flap of her wings, the reach of her claws extended. To her surprise, her supposed easy opponent braced an arm on the wall and launched himself over her sweep. Not at all faltered, she did the same. She held her claw under her, expecting to see the boy's body cross her nails in a mere second. She missed again, when Naruto's left leg touched the ground, he stuck it in spot with chakra. Then pulling with the rest of his body his body ended up flat on the ground, with the succubus's claws narrowly passing by his abdomen.
"What have I ever done to you?" His question was uttered in one breath as he shot himself backwards to gain some space.
"You know it's not me bastard. I've seen what you've been doing to Mizore!" She puffed out as she tried to calm her laborious breathing.
"What I've been doing?!"
"She…we were fine before you came along. Now look what's happening." Her arms spanned open as she gestured, to the room, to Yukari, then to Mizore.
"She's my friend! I'm just trying to help her!"
"Does it look like you're helping? I don't know where you came from, but if you had been around for even a few months you'd know that she was perfectly happy with how she was."
"Wha…" he realised then, that she was right in a way. Sure he and Mizore had been friends all those years ago, but she had thought him dead for years. She had already found more friends….she had already left him behind hadn't she? Guilt crept up on him as she remembered how close he had come to making Mizore betray her boyfriend. His arms dropped, and he took a few fearful steps backwards.
"Naruto…" his whole body stilled, before his head turned to face the one that had called him. Her hand weakly reached out in his direction. Her eyes locked with his.
"Mizore…I don't know who he is or what he's doing here, but what I do know is ever since he came here we've been getting nothing but trouble. You realise this too don't you? He's affecting you too. You haven't stalked Tsukune even once today, not even try to see him, you're not being yourself. Even with your injuries you would have tried, but you didn't. We're all worried about you, Tsukune is worried." A part of the succubus wanted to kill herself, less competition would have been better.
"Aren't yuki-onna supposed to be loyal to their one true love?" She chided Mizore as she recalled whatever she could about Mizore's race, which coincidently had a few similarities with her.
Mizore's eyes shot over to Kurumu, as her very principles were questioned. Who was it actually? Her mind told her that she should not betray Tsukune, who she had already told her mother that she would 'marry', who she had already chosen as far as her tribe as concerned. Yet against her people's traditions her heart did not agree. Her hand dropped limply, falling lifelessly onto the ground beside her.
Naruto's heart squeezed as her hand hit the ground. "I…I…then" a soft whirl of wind replaced him. His presence left the room, leaving behind an empty void that was filled by the rushing air. He would need time to think, time to recollect.
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A small but fast swirl of wind marked his stop. He had pushed a huge amount of energy into that technique. His muscles protested every movement he was making, the sudden strain exerting too much force on his tissue. Slowly, he forced himself to move. Left foot forward, right foot forward, left foot forward. His lower body seemed to drag his upper body forward, with his arms hanging limply by his sides.
"Where's Mi.." Miyuki's words died in her throat. The look in her grandson's eyes, filled with cold despair, made her pause. Her eyes followed him as he moved, he didn't even seem to notice her.
"Naruto?" she asked. Naruto didn't seem to hear. His feet were still shuffling, almost robotically below him.
"Naruto?" this time Naruto stopped. His eyes slowly rose to meet hers. Miyuki felt her breathing grow shallow. The look on his face…looked wrong. It just wasn't meant to be on his face.
"Is everything okay?" Miyuki almost winced from asking the question. Of course everything wasn't okay! Yet her grandson's eyes seemed to falter for a moment. Then he broke eye contact and started talking again.
"Everything's fine." His soft, reluctant voice made her insides shiver. Almost immediately after he left, her head turned to look at her husband. Kazeshi's face remained neutral – but they could still communicate. She understood the silent message he sent – he didn't exactly know either.
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The night, always brought about darkness. The pitch black sky shrouding everything under. The life sleeping as the darkness took over. Yet, darkness also brought about light. For without darkness there would be no light. The twinkling diamonds that shone far above, promising and giving.
Within the darkness, a pair of blue eyes gazed. The raging storm within her eyes a contrast to the calm and still night. Looking out the window, her eyes were drawn to another. From instinct her eyes locked onto a particular window. A brown-eyed boy slept behind that window. Tonight his name didn't ring in her mind, but images of their times spent together, with the others, flashed by momentarily. Then without even noticing it, her eyes moved. Then they stopped. At another window. This one commanded by something deep within her. Her eyes stared, questioningly, yearningly. She knew it was his dorm room, and she knew he seldom used it- if he had ever used it. However it was still enough to fool her mind, even if just a little bit. She had checked everywhere, it was as though he had never been here. She had tried retracing their steps from his house, nothing gave her a clue. A name was formed, and his name rolled softly off her tongue. She found her memories rushing to the front of her mind. She wasn't just remembered, she was re-experiencing them.
"Mizore! Mizore!" her name was shouted by Naruto. His blonde hair shined in the early sunlight, a dead giveaway to his location behind a tree. A giggle came out of her throat as Naruto clumsily put the lollipop back into his mouth after it slipped his mouth. Naruto taunted her again, his hand in a 'come' motion. Despite her heavy breathing she dashed off again, laughing along with him.
"You missed!" cursing herself as her hand had swiped down, just missing him by a second. Throwing her weight to one hand she bounced to her right, back onto his tail. Their bodies seemed to dance in sync. Every jab of her hand was met with a sharp twist of his body. Once again, Naruto was at least a dozen metres away. His hand once again taunting her.
In a childish fit she crossed her hands together and lifted her head up. She refused to meet his eyes, maintaining her posture even as she could see from her peripheral Naruto slowly inching closer.
"Mizore… Mi..zo..re…" the playful stretch of her name almost made her laugh, but she was determined to maintain her message. With a face set in stone she lifted her head even higher while squaring her shoulders. Forcefully slowing her breathing down.
He was right in front of her now, his hands waved in attempts to make her move again. He repeated her name every few seconds, each time twisting the pronunciation slightly. She barely kept her stoic face up. Her heart raced as the blood in her body rushed throughout her system. Mentally she was waiting.
'A bit more…. Little more….NOW'
With a sudden shocking movement that Naruto never saw, her hand tapped Naruto's and she was off.
"You're it Naruto!" turning back to savour the little moment. She got exactly what she wanted as she noticed the shocked look on Naruto's face, topped off by his widened eyes that stared at her in disbelief. She however, had no time to make any further moves. Letting out a startled yelp, she turned to run. Naruto was right behind her. Twisting sharply she could see his hand just miss her hair.
"No fair Mizore!" blatantly ignoring him she willed her legs to keep going. Again, she missed his hand by a hair's breadth as she swerved her body in the nick of time. Then a devious thought came to her. Throwing everything to the wind, she suddenly stopped. Thinking that she could easily duck and send Naruto flying over her she tried. She didn't get the time. His solid body impacted hers and they were sent flying. The rolled on the ground several times, before coming to a stop. The ground behind her, Naruto on top of her. Their eyes met each other's. The world seemed to blur, as their eyes reflected each other's thoughts and feelings. Their heavy breathing felt by each other with their faces mere centimetres apart. The quick rise and fall of their chests, one after the other. Then to her surprise, he was suddenly gone. Lifting her head up, she stared at his retreating form in disbelief.
"Now you're it again Mizore!" his voice floated, almost mockingly to her ears. Her indignant cry playfully laughed off by him, she threw her legs under herself and once again launched off after him.
She almost didn't recognise herself as a soft, humourless laugh escaped her lips.
Behind the set of windows her eyes were locked onto, a red haired boy stood. His hand absently played with his red hair. He had never thought twice about his hair changing colour. Brought about by his phoenix blood ascending into another stage. There was still the occasional gold strand, and they served to add contrast to his hair, at least that was what he thought. Now it felt more like a mark and a reminder of a stage past, and another starting. His own blue eyes, stared out the window, straight at Mizore. She couldn't see him, but he could. He could voluntarily make his eyes detect light rays that most people couldn't see.
Kurumu may have a valid point, he found himself thinking. He had reserved himself to try and stay away from Mizore for the time being and observe. If it did appear that Mizore was better off without him then…then what?
Now he had gone and come here. He didn't know why he had felt an unidentifiable and uncomfortable feeling nest in his stomach. He already knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He recognised the feeling from his past. When something dug at him so much it kept him from fully letting go and sleeping – will someone kill me when I sleep? Will someone take my food? Now, it was far worse, he couldn't even change his line of thought. All of a sudden alcohol seemed to possess a tempting quality it never had for him. Released a silent sigh, he sat down on the window ledge, back leaning against the wall. Tired eyes occasionally flickering to the night sky. Reaching into his thigh pouch he instinctively took out a sucker. Tossing it into his mouth to replace the one that had melted hours ago he braced himself. Barely holding in a small pained cry, he forcibly relaxed his muscles as much as he could. The pain seemed to be much worse tonight.
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He was right, he knew he would be anyways. Without any bags under his eyes, from built up tolerance, he was already off. With three cloaked clones tailing her she would be safe. For now, he had the urge to redirect all his energy into his projects. Biting back a curse, he shook his slightly deformed hand. It seemed that dismissing a shadow clone while it still had nature energy in it was detrimental to him. The nature energy from the clone would also be absorbed into him. He had tested smaller and smaller amounts of nature energy till his clones no longer turned to stone. It seemed that too much nature energy would deform parts of his body and eventually turn him into a stone statue. Too little of it and it was useless. Rubbing his head tiredly with his hands he turned back to his room. He'd have to rest, nature energy also seemed to mess up his control of his inner energies. It seemed to disturb the balance of his energies. If he tried to do anything now it would more likely blow up in his face.
His hand paused, hovering just above a seal. A storage seal that kept his most important possessions. He had reread them enough times to mentally recite every word in them. He often did that too, when he found himself questioning himself. Tonight he had the urge to go further, to actually touch it. The last time he had done that was years ago. He crave something he could touch, to reassure himself that they were still there. Fighting to keep his hands away, he managed, but just barely. Ripping his eyes from the seal he quickly closed them. He wasn't sure he would be able to resist a second time. Throwing the pillow away he got up with a large groan. He didn't want to think about anything, much less her right now. Even going to class seemed much better right now. He would have to request for a change in class though. He'd stay, to learn more about the current world but more so to protect.
Wearily dragging his body, he clumsily made his way to the kitchen. Almost instantly he regretted it, the faint blue glow from the small amounts of moonlight that streamed into the kitchen served to remind him. To bring a picture of Mizore to his mind. Sucking in a large amount of air, he held it. Then he let go, hoping his troubles would float away, like the air that rushed out of him. They did not. Letting his body fall, his body sprawled in a random fashion as he sat messily on the floor. His back supported by the wall. His eyes lazily watched the swaying trees outside the window. Tonight he found himself envious, envious of how those trees could simply just laze about the whole day. The way they could simply sway with the breeze and enjoy the cool wind. They fact that they didn't have to worry about problems of the heart or mind. Sometimes, things were simply too complicated.
"You know, I never did quite believe in the saying that time heals everything." Mechanically turnings his head slightly, he absently registered his grandfather's presence.
"I've lived for some centuries, and I can easily tell you that there are some things that time alone doesn't heal." His grandfather sat down beside him, his collected and neat manner a huge contrast to Naruto's position.
"It's not alcohol and it's certainly not any other vices either." A small cup, of his special brew was held in his hand. Lifting it up to his rough lips, he took a few sips.
"They certainly help you delay it on the outside though, but they're still nothing but distractions that try to hide your real problems." The strong fragrance of the tea wafted to him. Kazeshi took his time, slowly sipping his tea as he took quick and subtle glances at his grandson.
"Then what does?" his grandson dryly rasped out the words. Hand wrapping around another cup of tea that was offered to him. Kazeshi took a few slow sips.
"It depends, from person to person. For me, it wasn't so much a thing as it was a person." He had to remember to thank Miyuki again, her warm and supportive personality had managed to get to him a long time ago.
"But I can say that trying to bury sorrows under more sorrows only makes it worse, and leaving it up to time is just darn lazy and useless." Kazeshi took his time, making sure that every word was said clearly. A few more sips of his tea, and he got up. Naruto would figure it out and get back up, he had always been a survivor.
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"Erm, Shizuka-sensei. What happened to the new student?" The feline teacher looked dumbfounded for a moment, before a short thoughtful look appeared on her face.
"It seems that he applied to be transferred to another class." Several groans of disappointment came from the class. A small handful however had very different thoughts.
'That coward! How dare he run away!?' Kurumu barely suppressed the urge to bare her claws and go man-hunting.
The thoughts of her friends ran along similar lines. He had made one of them suffer, he wouldn't get away so easily. Tsukune's fists balled tightly as he was reminded again why Mizore couldn't attend class.
"Oh yeah. One more thing, after class the Public Safety Commission requests that every student gathers at the school field." This immediately silenced the murmurs in the class. When the Public Safety Commission requested for something, it was always more along the lines of you either did it or you would be punished. However, hadn't Kuyou been relieved of his post?
The end of lessons that day came too early. Already they could see students hurriedly streaming into the school field. Despite it being ten minutes early. Likely due to the fact that it seemed like the Public Safety Commission (PSC) was still organised. For there were two PSC members at every possible entrance and exit. A stage had also been set up, on it seemed the rest of the PSC was lined up, each fully dressed in uniform. A single loud smack from the stage was immediately followed by complete silence. Even the faculty members who were present seemed to give their full attention.
Then a small cloud of smoke suddenly filled the stage. Within seconds it cleared. A man with jet black hair, dressed in a white tuxedo, stood at the front of the stage facing the gathered crowd. Members of the PSC formed up by his side, giving him a huge aura of power.
The atmosphere was tense as he spent a few minutes to observe the crowd with a critical eye, while the students themselves were frantically thinking of ways to appease their new 'head'. With a schooled expression he began.
"Members of Youki Gakuen, in light of Kuyou's demise due to him being unfit to maintain justice in Youki Gakuen, I am taking over the Public Safety Commission. I am Masahiro, the new grandmaster of the Public Safety Commission." He spoke without aid, but his booming voice seemed to come from all directions.
"As a sign that the PSC will not be what it once was, the PSC shall officially work with the Headmaster to ensure that justice is done in this school." Soft patterned footsteps echoed, as a figure dressed in priest robes made itself known. After a few seconds, there was an applause. More than a small handful of clubs, students and teachers hesitantly clapped, showing their unsure support. Kuyou had never openly worked with the Headmaster, instead he always sought new ways to test his limits. The thought that maybe the PSC was changing for the better filled the minds of many, but there were still a few who were more than sceptical. If the Headmaster, with all his power had no problems letting Kuyou do all that he had done, what would this new agreement do?
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"Deshi." The red haired girl snapped to attention in an instant, her Bo staff still held evenly and perpendicular to the floor and her eyes were glued to a random spot in front of her. It was a picture perfect form.
She couldn't get it out of her head. When a person they had never seen before just marched up to the headquarters of the PSC she had fully expected to see him beaten if not killed. She and Keito had been busily trying to sort out the mess that had landed, after Kuyou was sent to the hospital. It got even worse when they had been informed a few hours ago that all their information on students and themselves, PSC members, had been stolen. That was very worrying as information on PSC personnel was kept under a powerful barrier in Kuyou's room and it was only supposed to be accessible to him. The other two of Kuyou's captains were trying to re-enforce their might around school.
Keito being the more blood thirsty of the two had already left to deal with the intruder. A small buried part of her felt pity for whoever it was, Keito had a tendency to play with her food.
Having quickly removed her attention from the stranger she only felt his attack from the side lines. That and the dismembered spider leg that had suddenly fallen onto her desk. Jumping back she barely held back a short scream as she noticed the new colour that the walls and floor of the PSC headquarters had taken. The new red colour having come from almost all of the PSC members in the room, more specifically those that had tried to engage the stranger.
Locking gazes with the stranger, a chill crept up her spine. The cold hard eyes of the intruder seemed impenetrable and calculating. Steeling her nerves, she tapped her Bo staff on the floor a few times. Then she had launched off at the enemy, fully expecting a squad of PSC officers to be behind her. She had failed to notice the amused look on the stranger's face. Having channelled monumental amounts of youki into her Bo staff, she swung down, hard. The satisfying crunch from a bone in her victim never came. Instead her eyes became wide open in shock as a single outstretched arm held her staff back. Twisting her arm she tried to rip the staff away from him, but it was almost like it had been glued to his hand.
In a brief moment of panic she launched her right leg out aimed straight for his face. However before she could use her weight and his face to rip her staff out of his hands a blinding bolt of pain erupted from her leg. She fell onto her left knee as her right leg fell harshly onto the ground with a rapidly forming bruise right above her ankle. In another second another streak of pain ripped a short clipped scream from her as her Bo staff was ripped from her hands and under his power landed on her left forearm. Hear small frame was sent rolling onto the ground, where she frantically fought to get herself upright. She was leaned slightly to one side as her right hand warped around the blue-black spot, trying to sooth the pulsing pain. Her fearful and dilated eyes looked up, straight at his icy orbs.
His small amused smile on his face only made his presence grow more dangerous. Her breathing was shallow and her fingers were starting to become clammy. Streaming youki into her legs she prepared to bolt, to run as far away as she could. Kuyou couldn't hold a candle to this … being. With adrenaline pumping through her body, her muscles became tensed, ready to spring off together at a single moment. Her eyes had already become unfocused as her body braced to take flight.
Then everything became wasted as her body jumped instead. A scream didn't even make it out as a finger was placed at her lips. Her racing heart thundered in her ears, as the taller being's eyes met hers. She did not know if she should be glad at the smile on his face, she could not tell what kind of smile it was. With his hand firmly placed on her left shoulder, running away was out of the picture. His left hand waved around, making a 'come here' motion. The heavy and hesitant footsteps of the few other members in the room came from behind her. Habitually she counted how many pairs of footsteps were heard.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Four, only her personal squad was left. Everyone else had been killed on the first attack. That realisation made her mind scream. As if sensing her distress, he waved his hand in front of her, to get her attention. With her eyes guided onto his, he let a warm and calming smile form on his face. He had crouched in front of her. Then her whole body jumped again as the doors to the room came flying open and a stream of PSC members rushed in. His smile didn't waver.
"You don't mind if I borrow this for a bit will you?" he held her Bo staff in one hand. Timidly, she shook her head in short frantic moves. Then his other hand gently fell onto her head. Softly, he stopped her shaking, then as if she were a small child he patted her head.
"Stay here and don't go anywhere else okay?" he spoke softly and warmly – as if they had known each other long before today. Somehow, she found herself somewhat calmed. Just nodding, her small gesture made the smile on his face widen, to acknowledge her answer.
Within a second he was gone, for a few brief seconds she laid there, unsure of what had happened, her confused but absent gaze met the many confused looks of the other PSC members that had rushed in.
Then it started, a white flash and the doors to the room became sealed. No one had time to even jump in shock before the first strike came. A muscular member was sent flying wildly at a wall where his body left an imprint. The stranger's stance was still in the position he had used to attack. Her Bo staff held evenly in front of his bent arms. Then he disappeared again and another member was sent to the ground. Absently she noted how he had stopped killed them, but her rational mind was still stunned and shocked at the amount of power and speed her potential killer possessed. In a flurry of movements she caught a glimpse of her staff being twirled around in smooth precise movements, while she noted that there were a few awkward stances and positions occasionally the stranger's form was still more than picture perfect. A sudden lash of her staff outward sent another three members flying towards the door. When they hit the door a short blue screen flashed, her rational mind was at the edge of hysterics as it concluded that a barrier had been set up – there was no escape.
It was over in less than a minute, every member that had rushed in was either in a heap at a room wall or face down on the ground unconscious. Then he was back in front of her, without a single noticeable scratch on him, he was not even breathing hard. Her Bo staff was gently lifted up to her, where he seemed to offer it to her. It did not seem to register to her, instead she was scared of her own staff in his hands. A flinch ran through when he clasped his hand around hers. Her eyes daring not to see what he was doing, for leaving his gaze even for a second did not seem like an option. Her fingers felt the familiar texture of her Bo staff and instinctively clasped around it, he left it in her hands. Almost immediately a small feeling of comfort grew from within her.
"Now, why don't we have a nice chat?" with bubbling anxiety and chilling fear she nodded.
"Deshi." She blinked her eyes again, before rapidly forcing her body to turn and face Masahiro. The strain on her right leg making her flinch.
"Do you think that my speech was apt?"
"Yes sir." She immediately responded, a practiced reply from having to work with Kuyou for so long. His sigh made alarms go off in her head. Had she displeased him?
"Deshi, I'm not asking for a servant." His monotonous statement served to confuse her, but she didn't dare to question anything her superior said. Kuyou had thought her that much, and here was someone that was just as, no more powerful than Kuyou. Another sigh from his sadly amused face made no sense to her. Which only made fear bubble in her. She tensed her legs as much as she could to prevent them from shaking.
"Do your injuries still hurt?" her body reminded her at the same time he did.
"No sir." Those under Kuyou would have learnt very quickly that weakness was quickly removed. Masahiro had a very sharp eye, while he sighed again at the poor girl's trained responses he decided then to fix some of the damage that Kuyou had done. It was not hard to see how she was trying to hide her pain, after all he had done so too many times in the past.
Deshi considered running more than once every few seconds as Masahiro approached her. Then she found herself confused again as his hand was placed on her shoulder – in the way a brother would. She found herself worried as an amused smile made its way onto Masahiro's face, especially when his eyes almost seemed to glint and hide something. She yelped as she was suddenly lifted into the air and carried bridal style. Her mouth opened to utter a few words of protest but Masahiro had cut her off before she even began.
"Do you know, how obvious to me it is that you're hiding your pain?" a rhetorical question that insulted her acting skills, but she had no retort or response.
"Just stay still alright?" he asked it with humour, coating but not removing the concern in his question.
"Ye…yes sir."
"And stop attaching 'sir' to the back every time you talk to me okay?" That made no sense to her. She had always been told to respect authority, especially so with Kuyou. However she did not fail to answer.
"Okay…" she whispered it more than anything, but it was sufficient. Pushed up against him, she could not help but soak in the warmth she felt. She could barely remember the last time anyone held her with such…familiarity?
Suddenly she almost jumped from shock, when had they moved? He had placed her on a bed. Unease sprouted from her belly. She had always known that Kuyou occasionally took girls to bed, and whoever he bedded never stayed the same, more often than not they lost their ability to become mothers. Primitive instincts reared in her as her limbs warped around herself like lightning. Her fearful eyes tracked Masahiro as he moved about.
As soon as Masahiro noticed the way she acted, it cemented Kuyou's fate. He could already feel the irony, Kuyou, a fire type youki would die by the very thing he used and felt safe in. Even his kitsune flames were nothing compared to some of the other fires in the world.
As he got nearer she got smaller as she tightened her arms around her knees. Determined in his plan, he sat himself down on the bed.
"Deshi." Her fearful eyes were still locked on him, weary of his every movement. She had already retreated as far as she could on the bed.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Just relax okay?" She made no noticeable response. Mentally sighing he lifted up his hand. Too quickly she had squeezed her eyes shut and tried to merge herself with the wall. She was already screaming when his hand took hold of hers. Then his other hand was on her other shoulder and around her.
Deshiko Deshi found herself on the receiving end of a hug. Her hands tried to push him away but her strength could not match his. She faintly registered him speaking softly. Her panic filled mind slowly calmed as her body's energy reserves depleted. A few tears fell down her eyes as she blinked furiously. Now instead of the wall, she was trying to bury herself into him.
After the hug had ended she barely resisted his actions. He gently held her left arm as he lightly spread a healing ointment on her forearm. He lightly dabbed and drew circles on her skin as he carefully applied the medicine. Then he smoothly moved onto her right calf. Deshi found herself drifting off, as the sensations her superior brought lulled her senses. He was just applying medicine, but the way he did it was more like a warm message. His deft fingers squeezed certain points just right, while his palm messaged sore muscles and bruises away. Without even knowing it, she had, without her usual problems and worries plaguing her thoughts, fallen asleep. Her features were relaxed and for the first time since joining the PSC, her young innocence showed.
It was ten minutes later before Masahiro finished. As he sat on a chair beside her bed, he held a manila folder in his hand. It was Deshi's file, and he was currently re-reading the sections on her history, the things that Kuyou had done to her and the things he had been planning.
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The silence in the room was much too thick for anything to cut through it. Mizore lay on her bed, awkwardly trying not to fidget as Miyuki attended to her injuries. After the first twenty minutes of health warnings and lectures about her recklessness by Miyuki the tension that they had managed to temporarily push away re-emerged. The only reason she was in Naruto's house was because Miyuki had pretty much dragged her here as her medical supplies were all here. She had yet to meet Naruto since that night three nights ago. Even now, as she was in his house she was sure that he wasn't here. While a part of her was sorrowful and yearned to meet him again, she had managed to mostly convince herself otherwise. After all, if she and Naruto never met again, maybe she would be able to return to her routine. Her usual routine which consisted of too much Tsukune, the same routine that brought her happiness before. It would certainly do so again right?
"So Mizore…how has school here been?" it seemed like a pre-determined question, but the break in the silence was still appreciated by them both.
"It's been… exciting and interesting." She had gone on many adventures with Tsukune and the others. The tiniest of smiles tugged at her lips as a few memories played out.
She couldn't stop herself from saying more. When you are quiet for so long, a lot of thoughts get backed up. Then when you finally get a chance one day, it all comes rushing out. Amazingly beyond her usual self, she traded stories with Miyuki. Them both never once mentioning anything that concerned Naruto. They shared a few laughs and giggles, a few similar thoughts and ideas. Yet what was seemingly an innocent question turned into something else.
"You're 16 years old now right Mizore?" the quick reminder to her age made her pause. She was sixteen now wasn't she? She was going to be seventeen the next time her birthday came along, she was going to undergo her Snow White ceremony. She was going to be married in the eyes of her people. She tried, she really tried, really really tried to think of Tsukune first. Yet, her thoughts had derailed from her intention and within seconds that night was back. The night that she had, in a way proposed to Naruto. She had indirectly asked him to marry her, it did not matter that he did not know, because she did. An amount of emotion, equal to the naïve happiness she felt that night, surged deep in her. This time however, grief made up most of the emotions.
With the amount of emotions that flashed across her face, Miyuki flinched. Then she simply sighed as she saw all her efforts go down the drain. Now, there wouldn't be much of a point in beating about the bush any longer.
"Sometimes, problems are best dealt with directly." It almost seemed like she was telling herself that.
"Naruto and you have been apart for years. The two of you may have been very close friends in the past. But time changes things." Miyuki wrecked her brain for the correct words.
"I've been alive for a long time Mizore, I would know. However I'm not saying that all that time with Naruto was pointless and gone. No, in fact a bond like that doesn't just go away. Cluttered and even possibly hidden, but bonds like the one you and Naruto shared and still share don't just go away." By now, she had already finished her daily healing session. Miyuki had her eyes on Mizore's, carefully watching hers.
"I'm also not telling you to rush into things either. Take the time to think, to clear things up. But never forget that time doesn't wait for any one person." Miyuki could feel herself becoming very old if she had to keep tending to their emotional problems. Putting aside her worries of old age, she lowered herself to Mizore's eye level.
"Sometimes, when people really care for something, they try too hard." With those parting words whispered, she left. Leaving Mizore behind to navigate her emotional storm.
Sometimes, some things have to be done alone.
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"I'm still not sure Miyuki." Tsurara's concerned voice said as she re-read the last letter her daughter had sent her.
"Trust me on this." She had been with Tsurara for an hour already. She let out another sigh as Tsurara failed to respond, her attention still on the letter.
It's been really nice here. Like I told you in my previous letter I've already made friends but this time I think I finally found - my… was heavily scratched out- the one I'm going to attend the snow white ceremony with. His name is Tsukune Aono and he has been my …boyfriend… for a few weeks now.
She knew something did not feel right the first time she read the letter. Now it seemed her doubts were being proven.
He is nice and kind and although I am not fully sure of my feelings yet I am sure that won't be a problem. Though there are two other pesky girls that keep trying to steal him from me.
Her daughter's words, despite being on paper had lacked something. Now she could easily tell that it was feeling. It was almost as if Mizore had been trying to convince herself when she wrote the letter. Tsurara could not bear to read the rest of the letter.
Something had to be done, or else too many things that could go wrong would go wrong. The question was, what was she to do?
"Tsurara? Did you receive the notice about the 'bring your parents to school day'?"
Broken out of her thoughts, she looked dumbfounded for a second. Then she absently nodded her head as her mind re-engaged her previous thoughts, this time including the 'bring your parents day'. Maybe she would personally sort things out then if the whole fiasco did not finish by then.
Miyuki seemed be resisting the very tempting urge to do something…drastic. Especially when her attempts did nothing more than temporarily stop Tsurara from interfering. She understood her though, after all she herself was a mother.
However, personally Miyuki was sure that the current problem between the two had to be sorted out on their own. Maybe they could give a few pointers and thoughts along the way occasionally but this was one of the things that, from her experience, they had to figure out themselves. If their bond was not strong enough to weather this, then maybe whatever would happen because of that would be for the better.
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