Xin felt like she was stuck in one of those freaky dreams again. Like the one she had of Kuraim. She felt like she was physically present. Only this time, she stood in the middle of a very old village. A village with huts instead of houses, beaten dirt roads instead of paved streets, and villagers dressed in kimono. She did a full circle but no one seemed to take notice of the modern girl standing in the middle of their village.
"I expected you to be much taller."
Xin jerked around at the sound of a voice addressing her. She was only somewhat surprised to come face to face with Jun. The long dead woman stood before her dressed in her white and red robes, armed with her bow and arrow and twirling her bō leisurely. She blinked at the sight of her, shifting her weight between her feet. "You can see me?"
"I'm speaking to you, am I not?" Jun retorted with a spark of amusement in her eye. "Come, young one, we've much to discuss," Jun motioned for Xin to follow her towards a bench. At this point, Xin wasn't sure if she was dreaming or hallucinating but she followed after the woman anyway. "Sit, sit, daughter," Jun patted the bench, ignoring Xin's frown of confusion. The younger woman did as she told though, remembering that Jun was quite a force of nature.
"You and your sister are wasting time. Kuraim and Masuyo grow stronger each day and you still know nothing and depend on your friends for protection," Jun said when Xin finally settled next to her. The younger woman instantly bristled at Jun's words.
"He killed you and your sister, didn't he?"
Jun looked disgruntled, having never dealt with a woman quite like Xin before her death. Jun had a short fuse but even she chose her words carefully. Xin was like a rampaging bull, bulldozing through anything that stood in her path. "That, he did. He will kill you and your sister as well. You're wasting your time."
"Yeah, no, I got that. But you're not helping much. We weren't raised to be miko. We weren't raised to fight demons so at least be helpful. This is your mess, after all."
"My mess?"
"You're the one who trusted that demon."
"Do you or do you not fraternize with a demon of questionable background?"
"That's different."
"How so?"
"I…" Xin paused, frowning hard. "Well...Gaara hasn't led me into a false sense of security. And I don't fraternize with him. I barely even like him enough. I know he'd hurt me if he felt the need to. I don't trust him."
Jun took in her descendant's words before nodding slowly, ebony locks falling over her shoulders as she did so. She was quite beautiful, elegantly so, Xin mused. It didn't surprise her that Kuraim fell for the miko. He must have fallen easily for the miko and yet..easily tore her and everything she loved to the ground.
"And you are right not to trust him. I should have listened closer to my sister's fears. But that doesn't matter for we are both dead and Kuraim is not. My power is not what it used to be and I cannot constantly come to your aide—"
"So that was you."
Jun nodded firmly. "You are my descendant, my ancestral daughter and Kuraim running rampant is no one's fault but my own. I want you to live, as I could not. But the only way to do so is to finish what Jun and I could not. You must call upon the power writhing under you before it's too late," Jun stated in a firm and grim tone. Jun raised a hand, wide sleeves falling away to reveal a slender forearm. She waved her hand and the village around them wavered. Suddenly the air felt heavy and reeked of death. The peaceful villagers were no more, instead bodies littered the dirt paths. Some torn to shreds while others lay headless. Screams of agony filled the air, loud sobbing accompanied.
Wild demons roamed the roads, roaring with laughter as they dragged hidden villagers from their huts. Men, women and children, no one was spared. They raped, tortured and slaughtered them all. Jun also shuttered, robes becoming ripped and stained with dirt. Her hair became disheveled and a chunk was missing, creating an uneven choppy hairstyle. A large gash appeared where her shoulder should have been. Blood spilled from it, soaking the white material of her robe.
"This will be your fate if you continue to procrastinate, daughter of mine. Kuraim is a ruthless, terrible being. Even for a demon. Even worse when he allows that mystic of his into his head. Take heed of her, especially. Kuraim is ruthless but only because of her."
Xin's eyes widened but she slowly nodded. She'd have to remember to tell her friends to be on the lookout for Masuyo. "You have to tell me how to do this, Jun."
Jun leaned over, pressing a bloodstained finger to Xin's chest. "You feel it, don't you? It burns when it's needed, you've just never taken a hold of it. It's heavy when it's not needed. Focus on it and manipulate it as you see fit. Guide it to your hand. Let the power out."
Xin's eyes snapped open, letting out a squawk when she rolled out of bed. She heard distant laughter and first assumed it was Hinata. But the laughter was different from her sister's. Older, wiser and more elegant. "Fuck off, Jun," She snapped as the laughter gradually faded. She freed herself from her tangled blankets and managed to stumble towards her door.
Hinata was at the kitchen table, armed with a steaming cup and musty papers spread across the table. She glanced up at her sister, eyebrow quirked. "Another dream?" She asked plainly.
"Something like that," Xin rubbed at her messy head. "I'll explain after a shower," She turned towards the bathroom, silently thinking of a woman long dead. When she returned from the bathroom, she was more awake and fresh-faced. "So, what's all this bullshit?" Xin asked while sitting at the kitchen table with her own mug.
Hinata leveled her with a pointed look but didn't bother scolding her sister for her foul language. "This is a bit of a family history that Neji and I found when we visited Aunt Shiori. She says hello by the way," Hinata explained as Xin reached for her notebook she'd been taking notes down in. It was full of Hinata's neat handwriting, causing Xin to smile fondly at the memory of their lessons when they were younger.
"Did it tell you anything?" Xin asked in an almost distracted tone as she turned to a fresh page. She began quick strokes across the paper, concentrating on the task. "Gaara popped up yesterday. He has a cellphone, it was weird. I mean, he lives in a desert, for Christ's sake. Do they even get reception there?"
Hinata paused and looked thoughtful towards her tea. Gaara and Xin's relationship, whatever it may be, did not sit well with her. Their tempers clashed and it was quite obvious that neither had a problem with being violent towards the other. Xin didn't really seem to care but Neji had shared some of his concerns with her yesterday and he had valid points.
After spending twenty-something years with her, Neji and Hinata knew how to handle the wayward Hyuga daughter. They knew how to deal with her sudden mood shifts, short temper and odd mannerisms. Karin, Suigetsu and Tenten mostly know how to deal with her but even they couldn't handle Xin quite like the Hyuga family could. And now a violent demon with no qualms of killing anything that breathed wrong was instigating a shaky relationship with the temperamental daughter of the Hyuga. It obviously made Hinata quite uncomfortable. Even more when Neji explained a bit of Gaara's warmongering ways in the Demon Realm.
"Nothing really about how to control our energy but it does detail a bit of Jun and Junko's lives before they were killed. They had four younger siblings that survived—"
"Well the Hyuga had to live on some way, yeah?"
"—and they began their lessons to be priestesses when they were young, nine years old. Their instructor was the previous miko, a woman named Katsumi. She was killed in Kuraim's attack on the village as well."
Xin frowned sadly, remembering all the carnage Jun showed her. That could be their future if they didn't stop Kuraim and Masuyo. "Dude sounds like a real asshole," Xin commented in a distracted tone, still quite focused on the notebook.
"Yes, the worst," Hinata agreed shortly. "What are you doing?" She asked, finally realizing that Xin had been drawing something this entire time. She leaned over, twisting and craning her neck in trying to get a better look of Xin's drawing. Xin continued with her drawing until she was satisfied, flipping the notebook around to show Hinata her drawing.
"That," She pointed almost dramatically, ignoring Hinata's amused smile. "Is Jun when she died," She explained simply. Hinata studied the picture of an ancestor only Xin seen. The woman was beautiful in an elegant but sad way. Her face was smudged with Hinata assumed was supposed to be dirt and blood. Her robes were torn and shredded and her hair was too short on one side. What stood out the most, however, was the fact that her shoulder was practically missing, leaving behind a bloody chest.
"Is that what you were dreaming about? Her death?"
"I'm not sure if it could be considered a dream. Jun showed me what happened to her village. It was terrible, Hinata. There was death everywhere...no one was spared. Not even Jun and Kuraim was supposed to be in love with her. She wants us to stop wasting time. Kuraim is getting closer and we...we haven't learned anything," Xin explained, adopting Jun's somber tone. Hinata quietly looked down at picture and slowly nodded along to Xin's words. "Do you ever feel like there's something heavy in your chest? And sometimes it can burn?" Xin continued, voice dropping to almost a whisper. For a moment, Hinata didn't do anything and Xin feared Hinata that Junko's power hadn't been passed to her sister.
"I have. Neji described his energy as feeling the same. He said it didn't really burn though. I'm guessing that's the purity," Hinata explained shortly. Xin's sour look brightened considerably. It would have been so much harder if Hinata hadn't felt any of Junko's power.
"She said we had to guide the power to our hands and let it out. Why don't we try that? Just concentrate on the heavy feeling and try to coerce it out..?"
Hinata pushed her hot cup of coffee away and placed her hands on top of the table. Xin mimicked her motions, settling her hands on the table, facing outward. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Concentrating and meditating was quite easy if she likened it to the breathing exercises Gai taught her when she first started boxing. It helped her, especially with her very short temper.
She found the heaviness nestled deep within her rib-cage, small and docile as it was unneeded at the moment. It glowed an eerie purple and burned when she cupped the power between her hands. The burn didn't harm her at all, it almost felt comforting. Like sliding an old forgotten, but favored, jacket back on. Xin's eyes popped open and her mouth fell open as well. Nestled in her hands, flickering and somewhat weak, was a ball of purple energy. Her energy. Pure energy that filled the room with the scent of snow and moon dust.
She looked up, hoping she wouldn't lose her concentration and nearly cheered at the sight of Hinata mirroring the progress. Her ball of energy was much bigger than Xin's energy, teeming to nearly her her fingertips. It looked more controlled and didn't glow eerily like Xin's energy did. It more so...shined and was a light lavender, almost pink, color instead of Xin's deep purple.
Hinata's eyes finally opened and she smiled at the sight that she was greeted with. "Xin," She whispered, as if she was afraid that any loud noise would disrupt the energy. "Look, look, we did it!" She exclaimed just as her energy flickered out. She didn't seem to mind though, smiling so wide it might have hurt her face. She reached across the table to grab Xin's hands, disrupting Xin's concentration.
The energy sizzled out but Xin didn't care. The sisters wrapped their hands up, grinning and squealing all the while. For a moment, they both felt like children again, succeeding in a problematic task.
"Next time Gaara tries to choke me out, I'm straight up purifying his ass."
"Xin."
Hinata was only partially surprised when Naruto ambled into Mad Batter some afternoons later. Neji warned her that she'd probably see more and more of Naruto and Gaara around as they helped in controlling the sudden outbreak.
And really, he couldn't be all that bad if he was helping control the problem, could he? He seemed like such a nice person but Neji was firm in his words and insisted that Hinata be more on guard. They already had to worry over Xin's safety. But even so...Naruto seemed awfully nice. But then again, so did Xin until she opened her mouth to spew out explicit yet creative words. Hinata was, by nature, a kind person. Naruto had yet to give her a reason to be afraid of him. He'd been nothing but nice since they met. She kept Neji's warnings in mind but decided she'd let Naruto determine her actions towards him.
"Hinata!" He chimed excitedly, blue eyes sparkling as he nearly laid across the counter. His eyes darted down to the display of desserts, missing Hinata's amused expression. "How's work, Moon Pie?"
She started at the nickname but Naruto didn't even seem like he realized he said anything at all. "Work is fine, it's a bit slow today," She replied instead of fussing over a simple nickname. "My shift is over in about three minutes."
"Great! You can join me for lunch then," Naruto grinned with teeth, showing off freakishly sharp canines. Hinata smiled nervously at the sight of such a frightening but cute smile, all she could do was nod in agreement. Seemingly pleased, Naruto stood off to the side to wait for Hinata to clock out for the day. Anko raised her eyebrows at the sight of the Hyuga leaving with an unknown man but didn't stop them from leaving. What went on in Hinata's personal life was not her business but she decided to shoot Xin a quick text, just in case.
"Would you like to go to Dragon's Way?" Naruto asked as they blended into the afternoon's crowd. He knew the human was somewhat wary of him, not that he blamed her, and figured she would feel better in an area she was familiar with.
"Sure," She readily agreed. She'd be safer under Xiourong's watchful eye and if anything went wrong, she'd protect her until Tenten or someone else came to her aide. But then again...there was the option of purifying him if it came down to that. She doubted she was strong enough to kill him but it would buy her some time.
Oh but she would hate to do that to him…
Naruto ambled pretty close to her, she wasn't sure if it was because of the crowd or if there were demons nearby but it didn't exactly unnerve like it should have. People parted for them, which Hinata greatly enjoyed. She supposed that had to do with his intimidating height. They were seated almost immediately by a smiling Xiurong upon arriving at Dragon's Way. There was some confusion in her older eyes but she decided to let it be. Naruto wasn't bad company to have, he was quite pleasant so she didn't worry that he'd force his company onto Hinata.
"So, Moon Pie—"
"Moon Pie?"
"Yeah, you know, cause you smell like moon dust and you're sweet like a pie. So, moon pie. Does it bother you?"
"Well...no.." Hinata trailed off, stirring her ice tea with her straw. It really didn't bother her. It was actually quite nice. People usually tended to give her nicknames that she could share with Xin. It was nice to have something that her sister didn't share with her.
"So, Moon Pie, how old are you?"
Hinata blinked at his question, wondering what the point was. If she were Xin, she'd say exactly that. But luckily, she had a bit more sense than her sister and only smiled at Naruto. "I'm twenty-one, twenty-two in December."
"God, you're just a baby."
Hinata frowned, slightly insulted, "well how old are you?"
Naruto looked up in thought. "Physically, I'd say about twenty-six or twenty-seven. But in actuality…" He trailed off before his gaze found her again. "Couple hundred years. Give or take," Naruto shrugged rather leisurely, nearly snickering at the surprised look she gave him. He asked her a series of questions and Hinata answered them all, finding it quite odd but not unwanted. As twin sisters, others often lumped her and Xin together as a whole, as if they were one person. And not that her sister was terrible or anything but the two of them had completely different personalities, likes, dislikes and interests.
"As nice as this is.." Hinata trailed off after telling him a bit about her college classes. "I have to wonder why you decided to take me out for lunch," She stated, cringing at how rude she sounded. "Not that I'm not enjoying myself, I am…"
Naruto didn't seem offended at all. In fact, he grinned at her. "You seem like a nice girl, Moon Pie, way too nice for the shit that's bound to go down," He began to talk, idly pushing his food around on his plate. "But I have a feeling you and your...lovely sister will be seeing more and more of us, even if Neji and Rin' aren't too keen to the idea. Not that I even blame them, Gaara and I are a special kind of trouble."
Hinata let those words sink in, rolling them around in her head. Neji mentioned that Gaara and Naruto were more dangerous than the average demon. The type to start and finish war. Demonic wars. Naruto barely even seemed like a demon, he was just so nice and optimistic and bright. It was hard to believe he was a demon.
"You know you're nothing like Junko," Naruto said practically out of nowhere. "I mean, you have some similar traits and shit but barely. She was the more polite sister, if I'm remembering correctly," Naruto rubbed at his chin, eyes squinting in thought. Hinata slowly smiled, interest piqued. Karin and Suigetsu didn't often talk about what the sisters were like. The miko twins seemed like a sore topic for the two so Hinata didn't bother asking about them.
"Really? You knew Jun and Junko?"
Naruto shrugged a shoulder. "I wasn't friends with them but Rin' hung around them enough. They weren't too fond of me, understandable since I was a warmonger back then. Peaceful miko and warmongering demons don't exactly mix, feel me?" He shrugged, seemingly not bothered by admitting of his dark past. "Jun was a violent miko but Junko was a fuckin' nutcase with her damn arrows," Naruto pulled at the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a nicely toned bicep.
Hinata wondered where that random thought came from.
Tarnishing the nicely toned bicep was a twisted scar of flesh. "The first time I met those psychos, Junko shot me with me an arrow and Jun cracked me over the head with that damn stick of hers while I was writhing in agony on the ground."
"Junko shot you and you didn't die?" Hinata asked, studying the distorted flesh.
"Nope," Naruto dropped his sleeve, hiding away his nicely toned bicep. She really needed to stop zeroing in on that. He didn't show her so she could ogle him like a piece of meat. "I don't know why but it just left this ugly ass scar. Your sister left one on Gaara when she stabbed him with that knife. That should have told me right there that she was a priestess. Just our luck that you're both descendants of those nutcases."
"They weren't nutcases. You're a demon, they were miko. They were just doing that jobs by protecting their village," Hinata felt the need to defend her ancestors. Maybe if they double-teamed Kuraim and Masuyo like they had done to Naruto, Hinata and Xin wouldn't be in their mess some five hundred years later.
Naruto held up his hands, as if to surrender. "I see you share a sharp tongue with that sister of yours," He said with some mirth in those blue eyes. Hinata flushed, shockingly not so annoyed. "Is that like a running theme with you Hyuga? Sharp tongues and cold gazes? You people have got to be the scariest humans I have ever met in my life."
"We are not scary."
"Oh, really? You got Jun and Junko, willing to team up and beat the crap out of my unsuspecting ass, you got your sister ready and willing to stab a demon with a knife as her only line of defense and then there's Neji, an even bigger psychopath ready to stab a motherfucker with his energy. Ever been stabbed with energy, Moon Pie? It hurts. Not as much as being shot with a pure arrow but it's up there."
"Sounds terrible," Hinata chuckled, balancing her chin in the palm of her hand. "How could I ever rectify my family's slights against you?"
"Well, joining me for lunch is a start."
She couldn't possibly help the blush that smarted at her face but hell if she didn't try. A shy smile pulled at her lips and her eyes found her plate of food freakishly interesting. Naruto grinned at her shy nature and leaned back into his chair, clearly happy with himself. He meant it when he said he had a feeling they'd be seeing each other often. Unlike Gaara, who seemed to have some sort of violent fascination with Xin that he wasn't willing to admit to, Naruto was quite interested in Hinata. She seemed like such a nice, but quiet, young woman often overlooked because of her more rowdier sister. Despite that, Hinata didn't seem to hold that against Xin. In fact, they seemed to get along quite well despite Xin always having the attention on her.
It was weird but he wanted to know this woman. He wanted to know how far her kindness went and if she would ever crack under pressure. He wondered if she would pick up a knife like her loony ass sister if she was pushed far enough.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse that such a demon found interest in her, Hinata would never know.
A tall woman paced back and forth in the middle of a dark forest. Her thick silver hair spilled wildly over her shoulders and down her face, glinting as the sun reflected off of the silken strands. Her dark eyes shuttered angrily as she bit her bottom lip in agitation. With each passing day, the seal was growing weaker and weaker. Soon enough, Kuraim would be free from his prison. And yet, those damn twins were still alive.
She couldn't understand how those damned twins managed to stay alive. She'd gone through the trouble of opening portals right in front of them, unleashing rampaging demons on them and they still weren't dead. If Kuraim got loose and those two were still alive, she had no doubt he would devout his every waking moment hunting them down.
Well, she wouldn't have it! She had done nothing but stand by and watch as he agonized over that damn miko. And then for five hundred years, she worked tirelessly to break the seal imprisoning him. If those reincarnated miko weren't dead by the time he was fully released, he'd obsess over them just as he'd done five hundred years ago.
Something in her bag shuddered, causing the woman to stop short. Reaching into the bag, she carefully removed a handless mirror. It was made of black lacquer with odd symbols carved into the edges of it. It shuddered even harder until a scarred face appeared in the reflection. "Masuyo, my dear," Kuraim grinned at her, skin pulling taunt against his skull. "It's been quite some time since we last spoke. You aren't avoiding me, are you?"
Masuyo smiled, dark eyes sparkling against the backdrop of the forest. "Don't be silly, Kuraim. Why on earth would I even forget about you? After all of this time?"
"It has been quite some time, hasn't it?" Kuraim chuckled. "How are my miko? Have you been treating them kindly?"
Masuyo's smile instantly dropped at the mere mention of those damned miko twins. "I haven't the chance to meet with them. But Kuraim, darling, you do understand that these girls are not Jun and Junko, yes?"
"Haven't met with them yet?" Kuraim's wide shoulders sagged. "Well, that simply won't do. You have to meet with them and let them know I haven't forgotten about them," Kuraim insisted while shaking his head. "They have their souls, Masuyo. They are Jun and Junko. I don't care about the shells that's housing them at the moment."
Masuyo frowned tightly before slowly nodding. "Of course, Kuraim. I'll...find the miko immediately…" She promised in a tight voice, mood dampened by his obsession with those girls. It just wasn't fair. He'd been so in love with Jun and she rejected him without a thought and yet she was all he could think of. Even though Jun attacked him along with her sister with the intention of killing him. She disfigured him and if that wasn't enough, sealed him away with the help of her sister. So why in the seven hells did he insist on reuniting with them? They weren't even the same women he knew all those years ago.
The mirror shuddered and the image of Kuraim's face shimmered away. Masuyo closed her eyes and concentrated, muttering a quiet garble of dark words. The mirror in her hands shook for a fourth time before a murky image appeared. Xin's grinning face along with Hinata's more demure smile stared back at her, silently mocking her. She was going to kill those twins! She was going to make sure they perished and that whatever semblance of Jun and Junko's souls that remained would be permanently extinguished. She would not go through this heartache once more because of two human girls!
Xin's grin suddenly dropped only to be replaced with a look of mixed amusement and confusion. There was suddenly two more figures sharing the mirror with the two girls. Masuyo frowned slightly and squinted, trying hard to make out the new figures. A tall redhead along with an equally tall blond appeared with the girls. Masuyo watched in odd fascination as their accompanying auras seemed to mix and mingle with the aura from the twins.
Well.
That was an unforeseen development.
"I..I know those boys…" She muttered as the fog seemingly cleared up enough for her to put names to the demons. "Is that..is that Rasa and Minato's boys?" She asked herself incredulously. Her heart sank to her stomach. Oh, that was not good.
Not good at all.
"I think you might be overthinking this," Xin intoned blandly as she ambled next to Tenten one sunny afternoon. "You don't have to look for an apartment so close to ours, you know that, right?" She asked while keeping a firm grasp around Tenten's arm. The crowd was beginning to thicken out and she didn't feel like getting separated from the leggy brunette. "Why can't you just move in together at the apartment you're already at?"
"Because my lease is up, my landlord is a douche and that apartment is too cramped. If Neji and I are going to move in together, I want to be as comfortable as possible."
"Neji threatened your landlord, didn't he?"
"Wel, he is your cousin."
Xin rolled her eyes but didn't fault Neji. Tenten's current landlord really was a douche, a perverted one at that. They rarely gathered at Tenten's apartment because none of them wanted to deal with the asshole.
"I want to be close to you guys though. Neither of you can afford a car right now and it's too dangerous to be too far."
"Yeah, I get that and everything but you shouldn't base it off of that alone. We don't live in the best part of Tokyo and I'm sure the two of you could afford better."
"Perhaps," Tenten shrugged and turned down a street that wasn't even five minutes away from Xin and Hinata. "But we talked about it and it's what we agreed on. You know it's hard to change my mind and damn there impossible to change his so just suck it up."
Xin rolled her eyes but quietly followed her to the next apartment she wanted to look at it. It was a nice apartment and had a similar layout to Xin's apartment. The living room and dining room was one open area along with a humble sized kitchen. The bathroom was a decent size and clean, which impressed Xin. Two bedrooms were available with the master bedroom being much larger than the second room.
"Well, I like it," Xin decided after a long pause. But the final decision wasn't up to her so she obediently followed after Tenten as the brunette made several rounds. She didn't blame her for being so thorough, this would be her living space and she'd be pissed if something was wrong that she hadn't noticed beforehand. Tenten stood in the middle of the living room, looking quite thoughtful. Xin stood at the large windows overlooking the street, eyes lazily watching Tokyo's citizens as they went about their day. She wondered who was a demon and who was not. It was odd to know that some demons intermingled into their society. She was glad they were mostly the ones who had no interest in consuming human flesh.
"I think I like it as well. Stay here and I'll go talk to the landlord about it, okay?"
Xin waved the brunette to handle her business, not really minding that she had to wait around. Tenten had been happy to help her when she was in need of an apartment, it was only right that she return the favor.
Five minutes hadn't even passed when something odd started to happen. A large ripping noise tore her attention from the window, causing Xin to frown. A rip in the air appeared, causing her stomach to sink, and expanded downwards and outwards. It stopped short before it could become an actual portal. Instead, it was about the size of a circular bathroom mirror, confusing Xin.
Although she knew it would have been wise to keep away from it, Xin slowly approached the would be portal. She held a small hand up towards it, leaning in towards it. Instead of going through it like she assumed, her fingers pressed against the surface of the portal. It felt and looked exactly like a glass mirror. Nothing happened for a good couple of seconds before the mirror violently shuddered. Xin snatched her hand away immediately and asked herself if should nope the fuck out of there.
A woman suddenly appeared on the other side of the mirror. She had long and thick silver hair that spilled messily over her shoulders and glittering black eyes. She looked familiar but Xin knew they'd never met before. "Finally," the woman hummed in a shockingly deep voice. "So the infamous descendant of Jun. You're much smaller than her."
Xin nearly bristled but kept her mouth shut. This wasn't right. Anyone making a reference to her relation to a miko that's been dead for over five hundred years wasn't a good thing. Couldn't be.
"Where's your sister, miko? I would prefer the two of you to be together. I hate repeating myself," the woman cooed at her like Xin was some child.
"Who the hell are you?" Xin demanded hotly instead. She didn't like this one bit. This woman, whoever she was, was giving her a bad vibe.
The woman sighed heavily. "How rude, you don't even remember a woman you tried to kill?" Masuyo shook her head and tutted in disappointment. Xin was steadily growing tired of whoever the hell she was.
"I didn't try to kill anyone."
"Liar!" the woman's calm mood snapped like a fine thread. She suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. A tight smile stretched her lips out but Xin wasn't buying it. "Forgive me, that was uncalled for," She laughed but Xin didn't join in. "I forget that you're only a vessel for that whore of an ancestor of yours."
"Fuck you," Xin snapped before she could really think things through. Okay, sure, it was Jun and Junko's fault she was in such a predicament but she wouldn't let some random woman in a random ass magical mirror to slander her for no reason.
The woman seemed amused if a little annoyed. "You're more temperamental, I see," She commented in seemingly good nature. "Seems like your tiny human brain can't recall my name so I'll just tell you."
"I can't recall shit that didn't happen to me."
"Masuyo. I am Masuyo."
Xin's blood ran cold as she recalled her meeting with Jun, which was still hard to get over. She mentioned Masuyo as being the mystic responsible for Kuraim's ruthlessness. She was the one to watch out for. Oh this was definitely not good. She should have just left when the damn mirror popped up in the first place. She was really bad at making snap decisions lately.
"I don't quite understand the obsession Kuraim has for you and your sister but I do know that I won't stand it for longer. I was here first. I was there for him when no one else was. You don't deserve his attention."
"I don't even want his att—"
"So this time I'll do it myself," Masuyo scowled harshly, twisting her face up into something that wasn't pretty. "I'll finish what Kuraim couldn't before he breaks free from his seal. If you're dead before he breaks free, he won't agonize over the two of you. The perfect plan, wouldn't you agree?"
"No. Hell no I wouldn't agree. You're a fuckin' basket case and if you think I'm going to let you kill my sister over something that had nothing to do with her, you've got another damn thing coming."
Masuyo tutted once more. "It's fate, accept it," then she tilted her head to the side in thought. "But you'll let me kill you? You only said you wouldn't let me kill your sister. Are you resigned to your fate?"
If it meant protecting Hinata….
Hinata hadn't done a damn thing wrong in her entire life. She'd always been a sweet girl. She damn sure didn't deserve anything Masuyo had planned. But as for herself? Well...she wasn't a terrible person but she'd been far from the type of woman Hinata has grown into. She didn't deserve whatever was rolling around in Masuyo's head but she'd give herself up if it meant protecting Hinata.
"You're an interesting little one, aren't you?"
"Is that like a rhetoric question or…"
Masuyo shifted around before smiling once more. It didn't ease Xin at all. "Time is up, little one, but remember what I said. I'll kill the two of you. I'm not sure when and I don't know how but it will be soon and it will hurt. Until then," Masuyo waved with that creepy smile still in place.
The mirror quivered once more before receding inwards. Xin watched quietly as it closed in on itself before vanishing all together. Xin stood there with a disturbed expression about her. She was left speechless. Not only did she have to worry about that psycho Kuraim, she now had Masuyo blatantly gunning for their heads.
Fuckin' perfect.
Jura ambled along down the street, somewhat at ease but still a little paranoid that either Matsuri or Gaara would find out where he was heading. Not that it was any of their business what he did in his spare time but he doubted the estranged duo would approve. He took a turn and almost grinned when the quirky bakery came into view. So he liked the weird little human, so what? There wasn't any rules forbidding him from being her friend. It wasn't like she belonged to anyone so she was free to pursue, platonically and romantically.
A large grin overtook his face when he spotted the human in question. She was standing in front of the bakery, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket with a slouchy beanie. She was focused on her phone, a small frown on her face. "Yo, shorty!" He exclaimed a safe distance away, fearful that she might sucker punch him again if he surprised her. Her eyes flickered up towards him before she tucked her phone into the phone of her jeans. "Good to see you," Jura greeted cheerfully, deeming it safe enough to step within range of her hands.
"Hey," Xin smiled slowly, eyes sweeping the area. "Where's your partner in crime?" She asked rather casually. He could see a bit of frustration lingering in her gaze.
"Partner?"
"You know, that whack job, Matsuri."
Jura snorted and shook his head. "She isn't a whack job. She's just a little stressed out," He shrugged his shoulder. "Anyway, should you be out here by yourself?"
Xin's shoulders suddenly slumped. "Probably not," She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I was about to call someone to walk me home. Last time I was almost killed trying to walk home by myself and they won't let me live it down."
He almost sounded giddy, "I can walk you home?"
Her eyelids flickered to an unknown beat. "Um, really? You wouldn't mind?"
"Course not. I wouldn't have offered if I did mind," He pointed out in good nature. Xin quietly stared up at him, craning her neck to look him in the eye. She seemed somewhat unsure, probably wondering if her friends would approve of his company or not. He doubted her friends would approve of any demons hanging around her. Not that he really blamed them.
"If you're sure," She finally agreed with an air of casualty hanging over her. Jura only nodded firmly, following obediently following after her when she set off into the direction of her apartment. "So, you and Matsuri been friends long?" She asked in a relaxed manner, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. She seemed mostly at ease but there was a certain tightness to her shoulders that worried him.
"Childhood friends," Jura answered truthfully. "And Gaara. My older brother and sister are good friends with his siblings so it worked pretty well."
"Oh, so you're old as fuck too."
Jura let out a loud laugh. "Maybe to you. What're you? Eighteen?"
Xin visibly looked offended. "Eighteen? Are you kidding me? That's how old I look to you? Oh my God, I'm actually offended," Xin ranted in good nature. "I'm twenty-one, goddammit. I'm an adult."
"That barely makes a difference to me."
"Oh, well, we all can't be damn there immortal fossils," Xin snorted in a joking manner. Jura's smile dimmed down just a bit. If only she'd been born a demon, things would be different. They chatted lightly during the walk as if they'd been friends for years. He was almost surprised that he was so relaxed with her presence. He hadn't felt this at ease with another woman in what felt like a long time.
"So what's the deal with this Rasa guy?" Xin asked when they were about three minutes away from her apartment. She wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask about Rasa since Gaara didn't seem like he wanted to talk about him. But then again...it wasn't like Jura was his son. She was a nosy little shit and she doubted Jura would try to choke her out for digging into someone else's business.
"What about him?" Jura asked carefully, wondering where she was going with this.
"I don't know, he seems kind of like an asshole."
Jura snorted and moved closer to her with his hands shoved into his pockets. "That's a nice way to describe him, I guess. He's not the nicest guy around and he's pretty much the reason why Gaara is the way he is."
Xin nodded, soaking up the little bit of information he offered. "My cousin and Karin don't like Gaara hanging around me. They say he's too much of a danger. Do you think so too?" She asked slowly, seemingly frustrated once more. Jura didn't answer immediately. For the most part, he tried to avoid talking about Gaara. Xin just seemed a little too interested in the man for Jura's taste. He watched her from the corner of his eye, watching as she waited for his answer.
"He's...he isn't the safest to be around but he's better," Jura replied slowly. Gaara was one of his oldest friends, he wasn't the most savory man around but he was much better versus his younger days. Her interest in Gaara stabbed at Jura uncomfortably but he wouldn't lie about him or even slander him in an attempt to get close to Xin.
"I stabbed him with a kitchen knife," Xin suddenly stated coolly, nearly grinning when Jura let out a strangled gasp.
"You stabbed him?"
"He was choking me."
"But you stabbed him? Oh my God, how are you still alive?" Jura fretted, seriously wondering about her state of mind. Either this woman was batshit crazy and didn't care about life or she just had balls made of steel. "Demons have died for less offenses and you actually got away with stabbing him?"
Xin only shrugged. She really had no answer as to why Gaara hadn't killed her just yet. Sure, he choked her and constantly threatened her but that's as far as it went. Their last few encounters were even civil, with him rescuing her stupid ass and looking out for her. Jura paused in front of her apartment building, shifting uneasily. Nothing could hold Gaara's attention for too long and he killed in an almost mindless manner. Xin, with her short temper and sharp tongue, should already be dead. It wasn't by the Grace of God or some higher power that was looking out for Xin. She was only alive because Gaara allowed it. He witnessed demons being killed for simply looking at him wrong. And here comes this vertically challenged harpy, brandishing a damn kitchen knife against him.
Something wasn't right.
What went on in Gaara's personal life usually wasn't any of his business. What type of relationships he harbored didn't really interest Jura. He didn't even really get involved in the train wreck of a relationship between Gaara and Matsuri. But now that Xin was wiggling her way into Gaara's life, Jura felt the need to step in. Not that he would warn Xin away from Gaara, he was positive she wasn't the one actively seeking his friend out. Besides, she said that both Karin and Neji warned her to stay away. No, he would have to speak directly to Gaara.
He wasn't looking forward to it.
Xin swayed to an invisible beat, arms folded behind her. A genuine smile pulled at her lips and for a split second, Jura felt like he couldn't breathe. "I really appreciate you walking me home, Jura," She thanked him graciously. She honestly had no idea just how nice his name sounded rolling off her tongue. "For a demon, you're a really nice guy, it seems," She continued, unaware of his heart fluttering against his ricage.
Oh no. Definitely not good.
TeeBeMe: I feel so bad, like yall are deadass cheering for Xin and Gaara to happen and don't even give two fucks about Matsuri. What have I done? This is my fault, lmao. She deserves better. I know Gaara didn't pop up in this chapter but hopefully yall enjoyed Naruto and Hinata interacting. They're cute, I think but Naruto isn't all the way innocent, it seems. And Jura! My poor baby Jura. I created him for the sole purpose of loving Xin even though she wouldn't love him back. Something is wrong with me. I torture my OCs waaaaayyy too much.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the update. We're going forward with changing the rating to M so I hope that's okay with everyone. There's definitely going to be some dark themes taking place in this story. Dark themes and black humor seems to be my specialty. If there's any lemons, which I think there will be, I'll be sure to put a warning beforehand. Thank you for the support and see you next update!