A/N: AHH! SOMEONE COMMENTED AND IT FILLED ME WITH MOTIVATION!
PREVIOUSLY:
Standing to his feet he placed a hand on his hip while looking over to the intrigued kunoichi. "There is much more I could tell you, but it is night time, so sleep for now, and we may pick this up another time"
Yuyake makes a pouting face. She wanted to hear more! How could he just stop there? That's so mean...
Regardless of her mental protest, the masked man leaves her to her rest, and she huffs into the plush material of the mattress.
Well, she supposes she should sleep, for her sake and her Gara's...
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Chapter 29: The companions
It's been a bit since the whole cloud village thing, about half a year, and Yuyake had been outside a couple times since. Sometimes for the same reason: she keeps out growing or breaking her bras and chest wrapping. It's getting old to the masked man with an agenda and, to postpone any further visits to the outside world, he is prepared to pay more than usual for a more sturdy and adjustable solution. "Try not to run," he informs her and the girl gives her usual silent huff.
She's grown dormant in her escape attempts in favor for an obedience the captor believes is to lull him into a false sense of trust. Knowing this, the male allows the girl to remain outside even after they've purchased her garment. Despite how feign her loyalty is, if he can show her acting as he pleased is far more rewarding than going against his wishes, he might be able to forge her obedience into one of truth.
During their outing, she, of course, wants to get her hair done again as her genes make it grow back so fast. She continues to change the design, though it's always a reference to her team, but as of recent, she's remain monotonous. Now she always gets the character for '7' and the character for 'Love'.
When it's finished he treats her with some sweets because he's kept her on a strict dieting regime since the beginning. She's more than pleased to cheat, and she devours her meal. Nothing interesting happens until they are about to leave. They exit the lands and head for a more remote area.
On the way, Rouge ninja zip past after a blur of of gold. When they past, the Bokuso-chi and Uchiha are frozen in contemplation. The taller being's neck is twisted to stare after the scene, and there's quiet.
"Go help,"
The girl's shoulders jerk. Say what now? Her head turns to focus her hearing on his words. She must've misheard. "Go, help the situation, I'll keep watch from afar," he speaks once more as his physical form is swallowed by the closed mouth of the earth. Wow... he really means it.
It's not like Yuyake didn't want to help, it's just that, she hadn't been expecting to be allowed to...
Oh crap! They're getting far!
Her feet bite into the dirt to fling her forward, and she's off with stamina that shocks her. Whoa she has gotten fast! A grin stretches her lips. It can be hard to gage how much she improves since she always fights the same guy and has such monotonous scenery, then when she finally fights someone new, she has to pull her punches to show her lack of wanton.
"Ooooh! Now I get to use some of my new strength! So exciting!" her thoughts are an extra kick in her step, and she pulls herself closer to the rouges' backs.
Like a butcher she descends on her choice of meat with such gratefulness for her job. She destroys the body of the three pigs before her with bloody cuts, and she damns their minds by allowing them the chance to understand how hopeless their situation is. They attempt to distract her by destroying her self proclaimed charge, but it only results in the lost of their limbs. As She picks up the frightened gold and tucks it under her protection, it's out of harms way.
She rips away their security by denying them entry to their chakra-homes and they're doomed to bang at their own doors as the wolfish-butcher converges on their inevitable life's end. It's a sadistic display, the way the girl handles the lot, almost worryingly so. Her cheek has a splat of blood and she peers down to see who she actually saved. They sure are light, a child maybe?
The bundle unravels a fluffy tail and large triangular ears to reveal its foxy lineage. It's a tiny kit! It yawns and spreads its paws to loosen joints before turning to peering up at its savior. The large blue eyes it possess along with its brilliant gold fur is a nostalgic combo, and it pangs in the girl's heart.
"Hi! Thank you for saving me!" the babe speaks to her, and she gives a welcoming smile. When her eyes reopen, the fox is astound by her as well. "Whoa! those are some wicked eyes!" he's on his hind legs with his front paws sinking slightly into her bosom.
bloop!
It's a simultaneous ear flick as the girl covers the babe and tumbles away from a huge bubble that's no doubt infused with Chakra. The girl is frightened slightly, wondering exactly what the bubble technique is capable of. She comes up with a few scenario, and neither one is to be taken lightly. The pup pushes his mussel between the base of her breasts and her arms, and he peers at the contraption fondly.
"Put the kit down, and leave," a man makes himself known. It shocks the heiress when she can't help but feel his draping blue rob is exactly like her mother's, except his showed way more chest and isn't as flowy towards the bottom. His hair is a brown drape and he holds an intricate pipe.
"Mister six!" the pup in Yuyake's grasp calls and the name makes the man frown hard before charging forward. "No! Stop! She's a friend! She saved me!" and the man's advancements halt. He looks from the fox in her arms to Yuyake's face, and she attempts to exude a soothing demeanor. It appears to work when the male calms.
"I apologize... thank you, for helping him," he tells her, and she merely nods. Her approach is calm, and she tilts her head in a polite question.
"I ran into mister six on my way home! and he was ever so nice enough to protect me while I made my way home!" the golden fluff reintroduces itself into the conversation!
His statement seems to make the stranger's brow twitch, "It was more like he was lost and decided he'd follow me despite my clear request to be left alone..." the clarification forces a silent giggle from Yuya. "As a matter of fact, now that you've found someone else to watch you, I'll be leaving," with an about face he returns to the foliage he emerged from.
"What? Noo! Mister 6 come back!" the kit pounces out the kunoichi's arms, landing on the bubble wielder's head with a soft plat! If he his hair wasn't flat before, it's flat now.
"Not the hair!" he peels the little creature from his scalp; his eternal patience suddenly becoming finite, but she couldn't! It was like if Naruto was Sasuke's pet!
The male jolts at the quiet joy emitting from the third party.
...
He pauses in his comedic rage. Something tugs at his gut. Is that child... sparkling?
...
Maybe it's the way the light hits her at this angle? Strengthening his back he tilts his head in his scrutiny of her glimmer. It doesn't falter; she shimmers with glee, leaned back into her euphoria with the largest smile he's every seen.
He squints suspiciously.
Who is this girl?
His instincts ramp up. Something about her is.. off.
"Thanks for looking after him. I'll take care of it from here," he insists, and he's surprised by the pang that strikes through her at the proclamation. Before he can ponder further, the little bugger pounces from his arms to Yuyake's.
"No Mister Six! She's good! Come on! Can she come hang with us?"
He looks from the bundle to her face to see the most disappointed look he has ever seen... I really doesn't trust her... But as long as he stays on guard, he should be able to keep him and the kit safe, right?
...
..
.
He sighs and nudges his head for her to follow, and he leads her into the woods for a clearing he'd been relaxing in before he caught wind that the fox babe was in trouble.
The yellow fox stands on its hind legs and plays with Yuya's face cheeks while rambling about his minor adventures with the still unnamed male. Meanwhile, Yuyake frowns in contemplative thought. She feels it, wafting off this guy, a sense of unbridled paranoia. Who hurt him? After all, someone has to have; no one is naturally this mistrusting.
Something bounds about in her heart. Is it weird that she wants to use her connection thing to find out?... No! She can't keep relying on that for basic human interactions... Though she can tell from the baby blue sparkles splashing from his cranium that he has a problem, and with how rapid they run... it happened extremely recent and that wound is wide open... His brainwaves wont even come near her... they make sure they die before they reach her, no matter how close she gets to him.
"Here," He takes a seat on the emerald grass and places his back against the bolder, and she snaps to back to reality. It's a tiny little forest clearing basking in the richest rays of light. A content sigh leaves her lips and she watches the white that bounces amongst the grass and falls from the skies from animals.
Beautiful...
She curls up against a majestically knotted tree trunk of a weeping willow. Looking up to the leaves reaching down to her, she smiles, her shoulders relaxing beyond a point she knew possible. This is it... This is what he needs. He needs a moment of normality among the chaos. He needs to know that even though it feels like everything is completely different and will never return to what they once were, that they will.
Even if he is a jinguriki...
Or at least she's assuming he is. She feels the Shikkaku chakra coursing through her calling for him... so yeah... Unfortunately she had no idea what his name is... Countries try to play it close to the vest who their jinguriki are... Even though they're easy to pick out if everyone is a freaking prick to them.
blebleblebleble!
The male brings his intricate pipe to his lips and starts blowing little dancing bubbles of iridescent liquid into the air, and though he can't see it, they partner with the sparks of thought already in the air.
Taking a stick, she leans forward a bit, slightly disrupting the now napping babe,and starts doodling in the dirt. She gets engrossed in her drawing, being precise with each curve and each corner. The world simmers in the background, putting her, and her art on a different plain than everything else.
Across from her the man takes her distracted state as an opportunity to survey her. How can she relax so easily around a stranger? It must be nice to still trust so blindly.. to not have the person closest to you show you how little you really mean to them... and yet... thinking about it now he is suddenly not nearly as angry or upset as he was an hour ago... Narrowing his eyes at the girl's drawing, is this her doing? Is there someway she's stealing his emotions?
Taking a glance at the sleeping and peaceful animal in her lap, he takes a moment to calm his nerves. He is being ridiculous, the trained animal would have picked up on any funny business. Perhaps... this is just an eye in his life long storm?
...
Subconsciously, blue eyes drop down to busy brown digits. She's scraping little people into the ground but their adorable chibi like versions of a boy with spiky hair and whiskers standing on top an eager boy with a gord on his back and a symbol on his head who stood on top a grumpy and reluctant boy with a fan shape on his shirt.
Maybe she really is just some girl...
"Utitake,"
Yuyake snaps at attention.
...
Uti-what now?
"My name is Utitake, I realize I never told you my name," he tells her, and the smile she blesses him with is just that, a blessing.
Who's freaking child is this?!
"Yuyake is my name,"
POP!
All of the bubbles disappear simultaneously...
Yuyake giggles a little, "Sorry, My normal isn't your normal,"
...
He stares at her a bit longer...
Well... she isn't wrong?
So she talks in people's minds... lovely.
Yuyake falls back into her dirt art, pouring her love and emotions into chibi versions of Shikamaru, Sakura, kakashi, her mom and others,
Drip..!
KLACKAH!
The heiress drops her stick, and hurriedly retreats from the world around her, scaring the fox babe from her lap and gathering Utitake's attention once again as she viciously rubs at her eyes.
The hell is she doing!?
Crying in public like this!? What is wrong with her! She's a ninja! She was taught from an early age to hide her emotions! So why is she letting them spill out now!
Ugh! What the hell is wrong with her!
"I... sorry, I'm just fucking stupid"
She almost growls at herself.
When she finally stops the tears, she holds her eyes closed for a while longer before reintroducing them to the world. Yuyake nearly jumps, when she sees the male sitting beside her with his back against the tree and now the little blond pup is in his lap.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who was in need of this moment of peace,"
Something in his tone. Maybe it's the familiarity he fills her with, or the common hurt from a close person they share, or maybe even the fact that neither one of them realized just how badly they needed this moment to themselves.
It's ok if she cries a little... right?
"Hey Sick six... I'm gonna cry a little ok? I just kinda need it..."
She warns him, cause apparently emotional teens bother some silly people, regardless of how normal it is.
"Yeah... sure kid... go ahead" he struggles to keep the words clear of the salty murk in his eyes.
Yuyake takes a deep breath, and she cries. She does the ugliest cry she's done since she was a baby, smashing her face up as she releases a quiet scream like sob. Her tears fall plentiful and fat, but she just keeps going. at her side, her companion has his hand over his eyes, but it doesn't stop the droplets from slipping from underneath nor does it hide how his mouth is clenched so tight and his lip is trapped between his teeth.
Why?
Why had this been done to them?
The tiny fox feels their intense emotions second-handly, and makes it his business to go between each one and nestle their elbows in emotional support.
~X~
When Yuyake has calmed down, she feels dramatically better, ready to take on the world again with her can-do attitude!
Her sunset eyes catch the sight of the dying day and she stands to her feet, cradling the new born kit.
Utitake turns to her and pauses in his bubble blowing.
"Oh? Leaving? And you're taking the pest with you?" Utitake regards her fully.
Yuya nods, before looking from the sky to him.
"Well, Maybe we'll meet again... Yuyake," he speaks his parting words, and she smiles gently before taking off.
"Don't worry Lady So-chi! I know exactly where to go!" the kit informs her
"Do not! Let him out of your arms," Utitake yells his warning after the two.
Yuya takes his advice and allows the babe to guide her verbally without leaving the comfort of her embrace.
He tells her where to go like a living GPS. Passing over streams and short cliffs and even one tall cliff she has to walk down. It's pretty since she at least got to walk along side a waterfall. After a while, she is certain they're lost until he reassures her with a,"We're here!"
Yuyake stops in her tracks and before her is a... stone? It's tilted rectangular shape reminds her of either a tomb stone or a plaque.
On it, is a simple fox stylistically engraved and a frown winds upon her face.
Without warning, the kit pounces from her grasp into stone, curling up as if he intends to nap there. In a blinding flash that pisses Yuyake off more than it should, the stone is gone and an elegant earthy stair case entices her. The kit bounds down the steps without wonder, but Yuya is pondering her options...
the area below is clearly made of that mind-wave-blocking material, so she has no idea what she's walking into.
Hmm... well, she did find that the realm of waves allows her to by pass that, but it requires her to take the time to meditate... But why go through all that? If this is the kit's home, then she can just leave him to it!
Yeah... maybe she'd-
"What are you waiting for! Come meet master!" before she knows it, that little shit of a fox rams his adorable little head into her back with enough force to send them hurling down the stone stairs "OH SHIT!" Yuya's trained instincts allow her to messily slap a step with enough strength to avoid head to stair collision as well as grab the pup responsible for this shit!
She gets enough time to see that they're heading for a thick, red fluff at the base, and she hurdles toward it back-first.
POF!
She is pleased by the comfort that hits her instead of pain.
Thank Goodness...
"Naaaay, I told you t' stop jumpin' on me lil kit!" the fluff speaks, raising its fox head to regard the blond being in the mute kunoichi's arms.
"OhhH! You brought 'nother one?" she snarls. "You might want to turn back now!" she insists.
Yuyake blinks.
A what now?
Yuyake gets up from the large pelt of the red fox and turns to face her, offering the tiny fox babe whilst bowing her head.
"What's all this now?"
TING!
Startled, Yuyake spits a kunai at the source entering the room, but it's immediately blocked by.. a cane?
"What the fuck? Who's this child spittin' kunai's in ma house? At ma face?" Yuyake takes in the silver dreaded hair and elderly form before her... He kind of has the whole wise look about him with the draping whites and purples. Even the green spouting from his head seem to gush with wisdom.
SQUISH!
The kunoichi jumps again and attempts to retreat from the elderly digits smashing her cheeks. Whoa this guy is strong! Why wont he let go! And how did he move her bandages from in front of her mouth with one move?!
"Come now, if 'n you're gonna show off somethin' like that. Ya gotta at least let an ol' coot take a look behind the curtain!" the elder speaks, swatting her hands with his cane when ever she tries to fend him off.
"Come on, open up," he coaxes. Wanting the pain to stop, Brown lips part and out rolls her tongue so that he may see the 'magic' behind her kunai spitting trick.
"Ooooh! You got a weapon's summoning symbol tattooed on your tongue, clever girl..." he tilts her head side to side, noting that she also has summoning symbols on her cheeks. "All you have to do is by your tongue or cheek and you can spit weapons from you mouth," letting go of her, the man straightens his posture and nods approvingly.
"And you manage to bring the mischievous rascal there back in one piece," said golden pup pops out the crevices of Yuya's clothing to pronounce himself.
"Master!" he pounces, "I'm home!" the man allows the infant fox to cling to his chest before scuffling up to rest upon his dreads.
"I see... and you brought someone, are you supposed to be choosing them?" the guy asks the babe who yips excitedly in agreement.
"I'm assuming you're saying yes up there..." he grumbles before looking to Yuyake.
"Pronounce your words when you speak to me youngen, the old hearers aint worked since i was born," he taps his ears. the brown kunoichi's eyes widen.
she connects her brain waves to his green ones; then she explains her excitement she feels for his disability, and details her own in his head, but he just stares blankly.
"... Now look, I'm an open minded fellow, but that right there was the weirdest shit I have ever experienced," he tells her, face unbearably stoic. "I get the feeling you're a telepathic mute?" he tilts his head.
Yuyake nods.
Yeah, The teen had a feeling it would be different with him... he's never heard a voice, not even his own, so he probably doesn't 'hear' one in his head. So he just kinda thinks the concepts she 'speaks' to him.
Interesting.
"Well... I've gotten used to a lot of things in this life. What's one more? Though it's going to be annoying being the more talkative one for once" he shrugs. "Come on, let's see what you got." the old man starts to turn, but stops as soon as shock envelops the girl's face.
"What's with that look? Oh. come the fuck on, the little furry shit stain didn't even tell you why he was away from home when he clearly knew how to get back?" an aged brow of silver twitches with agitation.
A head shake.
"Ok, I'll make this quick cause I aint no long winded old fart. I'm the fox sage, but I need to pass it on soon. New foxes are not born often, but when they are they have to bring as many as possible candidates in their first 6 years of life. Yata yata- He brought you, but you aint shown me anything to impressive," he gags. he's talked too long. He hates that shit.
Gosh darn foxes not explaining things.
"You got a summon animal?" he looks to her.
a head shake.
"You want one?"
a nod
"Do you want it to be foxes?" he watches her.
An eager grin spreads upon her cheeks before giving another nod.
"Then you got a minute. May seem too long to some, and too short for others. But that's all you're getting. One minute to impress me,"
A minute?
Oh man, she got this!
With all her training, certainly something in her arsenal would peek his interest.
The fox sage picks a classic stance of hands folded on top his cane, eyes uninterested and posture unassuming.
"Go"
The Sage takes note of her incredible speed when she bounds around their surroundings to find his opening. He's pleasantly surprised by the force behind each blow she delivers, and he floods with acute admiration of her logical methods of attacking.
But the confident look in her eyes lets him know she is aware of how amazing she is, even though he can tell she has so far to go.
So he decides to show her. He hates to tear down the youth, but he had to deflate her head before she was out of reach.
"Is this really all you have? You only have 20 seconds left," he drawls, and his heart aches when she looks so disappointed. Oh dear, the child just wanted to impress him and he has to be a dick about, but it's too late to turn back down.
When she approaches him for some flashy trick he pins her beneath the dullest edge of his cane.
"Huh... 15 second and you're already pinned and disgraced," he starts. He's telling her about herself, yet he's hurting. Is this what parents mean when they say it hurts them more than it hurts the punished?
"Your attack pattern is based off logic, which makes it subsequently predictable. You have speed, but what's that if I know where you're going? You have strength, but what is that if I know where you'll strike?" he lets her up.
"Think more outside the box! Come on! You're a kid! That should be your strong suit! In order to have made it this far, you must have ended all your battles quickly," he states and Yuyake nods, cause it's true.
"Welp," he straightens his posture, leaving her on the ground as he ventures deeper into the jewel freckled cave. "I'm feeling generous, so bring your ass, let's start the training," he grumbles.
A beam of excitement enters Yuya's eyes as she hops up and sprints after Fox sage.
A/N: Thanks for reading! feel free to comment!
