Thanks to: kyoandyuya (Thanks for the back-to-back reviews! Fubuki is going to obtain someone but it won't necessarily be Yuya. Also, don't worry, Bikara and Kubira probably wont last beyond the next few chapters. Glad you like Kyoshiro's reaction to the news about Kyo being a daddy. He'll be more like the silly Kyoshiro we know and love in the sequel.), Azure Shine (I'm happy you liked the little bit of fluff. Yuya doesn't let Kyo get away with being a brat which is why I like her so much. Also, I agree. I really love Antera's story with her dad. It made me so sad when he died), Harlett (Sorry I update when you are at work. ;-) Also, Hotaru is really adorable. I'm not sure he'd kill a small animal since he is such a wild creature himself but he can be scary when he wants to be), magicalnana (Thanks. Antera is a good character even though we only see a little bit of her. I like that she is actually a very sweet person), ThunderxShadow (Bikara is just...yeah. I always loved the fact that Yuya was the only one Kyo would allow to get that close to him. It showed a great deal of trust on his part.), Rinfantasy (It's a long ways off but they will eventually get to the point where they are, sort of, friends again), Alyce DreamEater, lmamc, and abattles2 (Yup, Yuya did get to slap Kyo upside his head once in the manga. It was when she found out that he had hidden Muramasa's death and it showed just how much he let his guard down around her. I like older Sasuke too although he isn't part of the Juunishinshou - you might be thinking of the Juuyushi AKA the Sanada Ten),
Japanese Note: The Japanese word for mouth is "kuchi". It was beyond awkward when my Japanese teacher told my high school class that and couldn't understand why we laughed. We didn't have the heart to explain what the English slang version of that word meant. With Kyo's sense of humor and colorful past, it seemed to fit the situation.
Midori no Me
Chapter Forty-Seven
Overwhelming Power and Past Rivals
By unspoken agreement, Bon slowly slid Yuya from his back and handed her over to Benitora, placing himself between the young man and Bikara since he instinctively sensed that the effeminate brawler was too strong for the other two. Sasuke sighed and calmly drew his sword, pointing it at the smiling young girl and grumbling something under his breath about being paired off with another kid just because he was twelve.
He fixed Benitora with intense cat-like eyes and said softly, "You'd better take care of, Nee-San. These guys are on a different level than what we've fought so far and if you are as useless as you look, I'll kill you myself."
Tora scowled and replied, "Worry about yourself, brat. I won't let a hair on Yuya-Han's head be harmed."
They exchanged a long look before Sasuke nodded slightly and said to the girl, "You've got the strength, let's see if you can back it up with the skills."
Antera was positively sunny as she smiled and said, "Okey-dokey," before leaping into the air and throwing a hammer at Sasuke.
The young Shinobi leapt out the way but was caught off guard by the second hammer she threw right after the first to catch him in midair and he had to perform a quick Utsusemi to avoid having his skull crushed. As the girl landed and pulled her weapons from both the ground and the block of wood he'd used as a replacement, he moved in for a lightning quick sword strike and attempted to cut her in half but she blocked his blade and tried to smack him with the other hammer in her hand. He hated to do it, but the speed of her attack forced him to use his replacement technique a second time and he relocated to the top of the golden wall.
The girl pouted and stomped her foot as she demanded, "Hold still already!"
Sasuke cocked a brow and said, "Yeah, right."
The boy examined her closely as she took a small step and threw her hammer yet again but this time he knew her pattern of attack and when he dodged the weapon, which collapsed the portion of wall he'd been standing on, he twisted in the air to dodge the follow-up hammer. He kicked the iron ball on the end as it passed by with one well placed foot which sent it spinning away from it's twin, forcing her to go farther to retrieve it if she didn't want her attacking power to be halved.
He'd figured out by now that, while strong, Antera wasn't the fastest unless she caught you by surprise and her hammers had a limited range. As gravity pulled him back to the earth, he reached into the folds of his shirt and let fly a series of shuriken towards the girl to keep her from going after the hammer that had pulverized the wall. She leapt back and attempted to go for the other one that he'd knocked away but he sprinted forward the moment his feet touched the ground and overtook her easily.
Her eyes held a panicked look as she threw a punch at him which he avoided. Even disarmed, Sasuke couldn't afford to let her get a single hit on him and he nimbly evaded her blows before swinging his sword at her again. She gave a little squeak and clumsily hopped backwards to avoid his long blade but it wasn't quite far enough and the tip of his weapon caught her across the ribs, drawing blood.
The girl stared at the red liquid on his sword, like she couldn't believe he'd actually cut her and, to his surprise, tears welled up in her eyes.
"You hurt me," she said, her mouth a wide "o" of shock.
"What did you think I would do?" the shinobi responded snarkily as he tried not to roll his eyes.
"Don't be such a meanie," she said, glaring at him but not advancing.
Sasuke sighed and said, "This is a life and death battle. Don't be such a kid."
"I am not!" she exclaimed fiercely and rushed him, recklessly swinging her fists now.
The boy just kept dodging, letting her spend her energy on her wild attack and starting to get annoyed by her clumsy attempts to hurt him. By the time he stepped to the side - pulling his kendama from his wais, skillfully looping the string and ball around her foot, and tugging so that she fell flat on her face - he'd had enough. He didn't even feel like wasting his time killing her and sheathed his sword before flicking the string of his kendama from around her ankle.
She rolled over and glared at him as she said angrily, "Don't underestimate me."
"I'm not, but your weapons are all over the place and you're still such a brat that it just isn't fun to fight you anymore. But, since I can't leave you as is," he flicked the ball on his kendama up and caught it on the tip of the toy.
She stared at the device with wide eyes and he took advantage of her surprise to snap the sphere forward so that it flew towards her at high speed and nailed her between them, knocking her out cold. Sasuke stared at her prone form to make sure she wasn't going to get back up anytime soon before striding over to Benitora and his charge so that he could watch the other two battles raging on.
Yuya was dividing her attention between Bontenmaru and her Husband and Sasuke kept tabs on her out of the corner of his eye, noting that her breathing had improved but her mouth was still taut from pain. He moved a little closer to her and she smiled, understanding the kindness he was offering.
"Thank you Sasuke-Kun," she whispered and he grunted softly in acknowledgement.
Further down, Bontenmaru was facing off against Bikara and he tapped his bokken against his shoulder as he waited for the other man to make his next move. So far they'd been exchanging blows as they measured each other's strength but the fight hadn't begun in earnest.
"I've got to admit that even though you aren't as cute as Kyo, your strength is turning me on," Bikara said, lightly biting the tip of his right index finger and giving Bon a flirtatious wink.
"Yeah...you aren't my type," Bon said with a grin, "I prefer something a little curvier with the boobs to match. I've been around enough girlie men to last me a lifetime."
"Ooh, I'm so jealous," Bikara said as he slid one of the discs on his arms down and began to twirl it around his finger.
"Don't be. The last one was a demon straight outta' hell and if I never see him again, it'll be too soon."
"Mmm, sounds like someone I'd like to meet," the giant said as he flicked a disc at Bon who deflected it with his wooden sword, listening as it whistled to the side and embedded itself into the wall. Considering that the surface was made of gold, the circular weapon had to be extremely sharp and the One-eyed Dragon kept his eye peeled.
"Y'know, we can stand here jawin' all day but what say we get to fighting for real. Ready to dance?"
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask," the other man said, batting his lashes before disappearing.
'So, it's a contest of strength and speed, huh?' Bon thought with a grin as he ducked his head, dodging the fist that was aimed at his blind spot and elbowing the man in the ribs.
"I should probably tell you that I'm used to people angling for that side so if you're thinking of catching me up there, this is going to be over a whole lot sooner than you think," he said.
"I'll keep that in mind, big boy," Bikara said, rubbing his side briefly before swinging his fist at high speed and hitting Bon in the gut.
The former Emperor planted his feet and absorbed the punch, flexing his muscles to halt the impact and listening in satisfaction as Bikara grunted in pain from the effects of his Ishi Suji. It was a technique that very few martial artists had mastered but it was tremendously useful for utilizing the force of an opponent's blow and turning it back on them. He'd even been known to block swords with the ability and he wouldn't have been surprised if the other man had broken a few bones in his hand from the impact.
Bikara stepped back and his smile turned deadly as it finally dawned on him that he was being toyed with. Bon could see the wheels turning in his thick head and he grinned, waiting for him to figure out just how badly he was outmatched. He didn't want to go all out since the surrounding area was unlikely to survive the full force of his power but he didn't want to draw it out for too long either when Yuya's life was hanging in the balance.
Deciding to taunt Bikara into making another move, he stuck his wooden sword into his sash and said, "I thought you were supposed to be strong and I'm just about ready to fall asleep. Kyo's girl over there hits harder than you do."
It was the right - or wrong, depending on how you looked at it - thing to say because, in an admirable display of speed, Bikara balled up his uninjured fist and slammed it into Bon's stomach again as he yelled, "Bikara Beautiful Iron Fist!"
Bontenmaru actually felt his punch this time and, while he stepped back just enough to soften the brunt of the blow, he finally found himself interested in the fight.
'So, not quite as weak as I thought,' he said to himself as he grabbed the thick wrist digging into his solar plexus and twisted it to the side before kneeing the man in the stomach and sending him sliding across the ground, tearing up pavers in his wake.
He followed it up by closing in on the feminine man with a hard punch that he dodged and the glint of sunlight off of the weapon in his opponent's hand was the only warning he got before he had to yank his head back to dodge the two discs Bikara sent his way.
"Don't underestimate me, big boy. I'm going to make you pay for bringing that nasty little girl into the conversation. I can't imagine what Kyo sees in such a tiny, weak thing," he sneered, jealousy written all over his face.
Bontenmaru lazily dodged the fist that was thrown his way before saying, "Eh, she makes him happy. Something you could never do unless he was running you through with his sword."
"Then," Bikara lunged at Bon with a right hook, which he dodged, and followed it up with a spin that brought his other arm around to slice at his throat with the discs encircling his wrist, "maybe after I'm done with you, I'll snap her dirty neck for ruining a perfectly good man."
Bon avoided the blades by a hairsbreadth and used the man's momentum to catch his elbow, pulling back and dislocating his shoulder in one smooth motion as he replied, "Yeah, ain't gonna' happen. You'd have to get through me first and then Kyo and he really hates it when people mess with his girl."
The giant knew it would piss the guy off but he was ready for the fight to be over already and he poured salt on the wound by yawning and saying, "Tell you what, let's attack at the same time. I don't have the time to put up with you throwing hissy fits 'cause Kyo is taken. If you can't handle me, then he's going to going to tear you apart."
"Shut up!" Bikara yelled, getting madder by the minute because, even with a dislocated arm, he'd been trying to land a fist on Bon and the older man dodged him like the speed he'd carefully honed for years was nothing. He'd always been proud of his fast and powerful attacks and the thought of fighting someone, who looked at him like he barely rated above a mild annoyance, was beyond infuriating.
"This is getting old and I can see right now that letting you live would be a mistake," Bon said, taking his bokken out again and jabbing Bikara so hard in the stomach that he made the other man cough, spattering flecks of blood on the ground from the internal damage caused by the blow.
"You get one more chance to land a hit on me before I put you down for good. I suggest you make it count," Bon said and Bikara stared at him, admitting defeat, if only to himself. He'd been fighting seriously since the man taunted him about Kyo's little hussy and his opponent wasn't even breathing hard.
He was thoroughly outclassed and they both knew it.
Still, he grasped at the last chance Bon was giving him and reached up to pop his shoulder back into joint with a sickening crack before crossing his arms, concentrating all of his ki in what was sure to be his final attack. He smirked as the air in front of him shimmered and his ki became visible. It took him a few seconds but he was fully powered up when he took one delicate step forward before rushing the other man as he yelled the name of his strongest attack, "Super Beautiful Bikara's Victory!"
Time seemed to slow as he ran towards his opponent, even though a normal person wouldn't have been able to see him at the speed he was going. As he neared Bon, he had a split second to see a serene smile cross that grizzled face before its owner's ki flared up around him so brightly that Bikara was almost blinded by it's brilliance. Not once in his life had he ever encountered such raw, elemental force and as he brought his arms forward, intending to slice the other man to ribbons, he knew he was going to die.
Bikara of the Juunishinshou briefly thought he'd never seen anything so magnificent as Bon with his aura illuminating him. As two massive fists swung towards him from above and below, he heard a voice say, like a quiet benediction, "Kosoga."
And then he knew no more.
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Kyo sensed it the moment his companions had finished with their opponents and decided that he needed to up the game if he wanted to get a move on. Kubira wasn't strong but his puppets were freaking annoying. No matter how many he cut down, they kept coming and he was sick of wasting time on the obnoxious fool in front of him instead of getting his wife to where Shinrei awaited them.
He wasn't quite ready to summon a Suzaku yet, not after having to break through the Hell Gate, but a Mizuchi would do just fine against a low-level opponent like the puppetmaster. Swinging his sword and clearing a path in front of him, he raised it to eye level and met Kubira's arrogant gaze with deadly intent.
There was a good forty feet between them and the other man smirked, thinking himself safe by virtue of distance as he said, "What do you think you can do from there, Kyo? Face it, unless you can get to me, my puppets are going to wear you down eventually."
Kyo grinned as he summoned the power needed for his attack and Tenryo vibrated as it absorbed his ki. He was a little slower than he'd like about gathering the necessary energy but it couldn't be helped given the events of the past few hours and it was immaterial anyways. Kubira was going to die and they were going to get through this accursed village.
Kubira raised his hands, thinking to take advantage of Kyo's immobility and his toys rushed the Thousand Killer all at once, swords and wooden limbs flailing with the intent to kill.
Fangs gleamed as their owner swung his sword and yelled, "Mizuchi!"
A gentle wind blew down the road, almost pleasant in it's warmth as it danced through the crowd of puppets and headed for their master. It barely ruffled the man's short, dark hair and he shook his head.
"Is that the best you have, Kyo? Blowing wind?"
Kyo's eyes met his and he couldn't resist the smug smile that tugged at his lips as he said replied, "Didn't you hear it?"
Kubira frowned as he asked, "Hear what?"
"The sound of the wind."
The puppetmaster would have replied if he wasn't so busy falling to pieces along with his precious dolls. The onmyoji puppet that he'd been holding clattered to the ground and lay there, silent and useless while it's owner collapsed into cleanly divided halves.
Kyo stared at Kubira's body in the aftermath, noting the lack of blood and wondering if the man had escaped his attack after all. He was just about to walk over to the "corpse" when Akira reappeared from around the corner behind the body. The blind man paused when his foot encountered one of the fallen puppets and he kicked it, listening to the wooden sound it made to confirm what it was.
"It looks like you have encountered Kubira, Kyo," he said, a secretive smile playing about his lips.
"Among other people. Are you the real Akira or another imposter?" Kyo asked, gripping his sword tightly.
"Oh? I'm real."
"Prove it, then."
"You took me to brothel when I was thirteen and laughed when I ran away from the whore you hired for me, after which you and Bon got drunk and decided to arm wrestle."
"Yeah. And what was the name of the whore?"
Akira sighed and said, "Her nickname was Kuchi because she was apparently very talented with her mouth," he blushed and that, more than anything else, convinced Kyo that it was the real Akira standing in front of him.
"It's you," he said, sheathing Tenryo once more.
"Before you continue, let me take care of one thing," the younger man said as he picked his way over to Kubira's body with pinpoint accuracy, drawing one of his swords and stabbing it down through the onmyoji doll.
Kyo was about to ask him what he was doing until he saw blood oozing out from the doll's joints and surmised that he probably wouldn't have to worry about the puppetmaster showing up again. Akira punctuated the stab by encasing the puppet in a thick layer of ice for good measure before inclining his head in Kyo's direction and saying, "Kubira was such a pain. You saved me the chore of fighting him."
"We agree on something for once," his former master replied before frowning and continuing, "but what I want to know is where you disappeared to?"
By this time, the rest of the group had gathered behind Kyo and he took a moment to check on Yuya, who was mostly standing under her own power again as she supported herself on Bon's arm. The former Emperor had always had a soft spot for females and it was clear that he had accepted the job of alternate protector for his wife. She gave him a small smile to let him know that she was alright and he dipped his head in recognition of her status.
"I was just out and about," Akira said in answer to his question, "trying to clear my head while you fawned over your wife."
Kyo let his mocking tone pass without comment and listened as his pupil said, "If I didn't respect Yuya, I'd probably be angrier at you for growing soft but since your power is still acceptable and she is an exceptional woman, I am inclined to overlook your display of emotions."
"I'm so happy to have your approval," the Thousand Killer replied sarcastically.
"You should be," the other man said, ignoring his tone, "I met the most interesting person while I was away, by the way."
He didn't like the way Akira spoke, as if he were laughing at his own private joke, and he was about to comment when he sensed a presence that he hadn't felt in a long time. His reaction was instantaneous as he drew his sword, raising his killing aura and zeroing in on the corner from which Akira had emerged.
"Akira, I swear I'm going to kill you one of these days," Kyo ground out between clenched teeth.
"As long as it's a good fight, I'm fine with that. But, do please try to control yourself. Your old friend isn't here to look for a fight," the young man said and Kyo wanted to punch the fake smile off of his face.
He was regretting taking in the problematic brat all those years ago when a man he knew very well appeared from around the corner and halted, staring at him with those blue eyes that he despised so much. The last time he'd seen him, the other man had tried to kill Yuya after murdering her adopted brother and had almost succeeding in killing him.
Now that his memories were back, he couldn't stop bitter resentment from welling up in him. Kyoshiro's sins went even deeper than the events of a few months back. He had stolen four long years of his life away because of his self-righteous meddling. There was no deeper betrayal than his former rival turning him over to the Mibu - people he hated - and allowing them to seal his memories with Sakuya's help.
Kyo felt such a strong surge of anger towards the other man that he kept himself from attacking on sight only by sheer force of will. Tenryo throbbed and shook in his hand, panting for a fight as it sensed the presence of both a strong fighter and the other Muramasa his adversary held in his hand. For the second time that day, he heard a distant howl and he wondered if his sword was trying to tell him something.
Kyoshiro bent down slowly and laid his sheathed sword - Shibien by name - on the ground before taking a step back and watching his old friend with an expression that was surprisingly open. His body language said that he wasn't there to start trouble but Kyo wasn't about to let his guard down. Not after everything he'd done and certainly not when his wife was just a few feet away.
A slight breeze cooled the sweat on the back of his neck as he took in the changes time had wrought on his former friend. His hair was shorter now that he'd lost the ponytail he used to sport. And since his face wasn't covered, like it had been the last time he saw him, he could see signs of strain about his eyes and mouth.
Gone was the cheerful young man who could play a joke in one breath and force him to fight for his life in the other. Instead, he saw a solemn warrior who looked as if he were being haunted by demons only he could see. He thought the man would have gone off and lived happily ever after with his treacherous lover but it was obvious that whatever happy dreams he'd had after abandoning him to the clan, they had not come to fruition.
Kyo could practically smell the bitter stench of unfulfilled expectations wafting off of Kyoshiro and his lips curled into a cruel smile of satisfaction. The misery of others usually meant nothing to him but knowing that Kyoshiro hadn't gotten what he wanted from his betrayal warmed his cold heart.
"I should kill you," he said once he was finished analyzing the younger man, who had grown stiffer by the minute while he waited for Kyo to speak, or move, or do anything to break the silence.
"I didn't come here to fight, Kyo," Kyoshiro replied, lifting his hands up in a placating gesture.
"An execution doesn't require you to fight back," his voice was almost conversational as he lifted Tenryo up, enjoying the way the other warrior squirmed as he fought his instinct to grab the sword he'd laid down in order to defend himself.
"I was hoping that we could talk."
"No, you were hoping to get something out of me. I'm sure you aren't insane enough to believe that I would sit down and have a chat like the good old days. That leaves you wanting a favor from me and, for some reason, I suspect that Sakuya has her meddling hands in this."
'Nailed it,' Kyo thought as he saw Kyoshiro flinch and run a nervous hand through his hair.
"I didn't even want to approach you because I knew you'd just as soon kill me as look at me. Yes, I came to ask for your help but I...well I...," he swallowed and Kyo took a great deal of pleasure in his discomfort, "...I also came to apologize. I never should have done what I did. I should have worked with you on a plan to save Sakuya. Instead, I made things worse and now I've trapped us here."
Kyo wasn't particularly moved by Kyoshiro's apology and he was about to draw his torture out even more when Yuya's softly spoken words broke into the conversation.
"I remember you," she said and Kyo turned to see his wife picking her way slowly over the ground until she stood next to him, resting a trembling hand on his arm. It was for support but also served as a gentle nudge for him to stay his sword. Only out of deference to her position in his life did he hold his tongue and wait to hear what she had to say.
Green eyes met blue across the long yards separating herself and her husband from the man who had taken her brother away. Kyo watched as Kyoshiro flushed beneath Yuya's weighty regard and saw guilt written all over his face as he waited for her to condemn him for what he had done to her.
"That night," she began, "why did you kill Nozomu Nii-San? And why didn't you finish me off?"
Apparently surprised that she was calmly asking him questions instead of screaming at him for killing the only family she'd even known, Kyoshiro blinked and said without hesitation, "Because I was ordered to. I did not realize at the time that the person I was to assassinate was Sakuya's brother until it was too late. All I knew was that someone who was a threat to the clan needed to be eliminated and that he had a sister. You were an extra and I was to leave no witnesses."
Kyo could feel his wife's hand tightening on his arm as she listened to Kyoshiro's matter-of-fact explanation but she remained quiet, allowing him to finish.
"I didn't kill you because you reminded me of Sakuya when you put yourself between me and Kyo. She always kept the peace when we were together and she is one of the bravest people I know even though she isn't a warrior."
There was no missing the way his face lit up at the mention of the miko. Once upon a time, Kyo would have been envious of his relationship with Sakuya, coveting it for himself, but he felt nothing now. The attraction he'd once held was long gone after what had happened years prior and he was more than happy to let Kyoshiro have her.
Yuya tilted her blonde head to give her spouse a searching look, probably trying to ascertain how he reacted to the mention of Sakuya, before looking at Kyoshiro and saying plainly, "You are in love with her."
His old rival tensed up and Kyo enjoyed his discomfiture as he replied stiffly, "Yes. I want to get her out of here and away from the Mibu. She said that I should speak with Kyo and enlist his aid."
"And what," she gripped Kyo's arm even tighter and he could tell her water wyrm was acting up again, "do you think...my husband...can do...for you?"
His wife swayed and her breathing grew labored again. Kyoshiro took a step forward with a concerned look on his face but stopped when Kyo snarled at him and raised his killing aura to warn him away from his woman.
The assassin sighed and said, "I heard from Akira that you were in a bad way but I didn't realize to what extent. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she grit out even though her face was turning red and she was trembling again.
"Bon," Kyo said and his companion came over and scooped Yuya up, moving to to step back again but the young woman stopped him.
"Wait, let me say something else. Kyo," she looked at him with eyes that were wise for her age and he knew he wasn't going to like what was going to come out of her mouth next.
Sure enough, he scowled as soon as she caught her breath and said, "Let him come with us for now. I know it's hard for you but I don't think he means us any harm and we are losing time...so much time."
The note of sadness and the weakness in her voice made his heart wrench. They had lost close to an hour fighting the remaining Juunishinshou and getting answers out of his rival. His wife was in pain and dying and he was wasting minutes of her life on an idiot who fancied himself some sort of martyr.
"The two of us know from personal experience that he is strong and fighting him right now will only delay us further. Hate him or pardon him but we need to move," she punctuated her words with a downward flick of her eyes in the direction of her abdomen, reminding him that their child's life hung in the balance as well.
"And as for you," she gave Kyoshiro a hard look that pinned him to the spot, "I have not forgiven you. I am still deciding whether or not I want revenge for Nozomu Nii-San's death and if you desire any sort of help from us, you'd best behave. I know you came in peace this time and that is why I will tolerate your presence for now. Do not make me regret it."
The words were softly spoken but the steel underlying them left no room for argument and Kyoshiro stared at her with an expression of faint admiration on his face before meeting Kyo's eyes and nodding in acceptance of her terms.
No further words were needed as Kyoshiro retrieved his sword and the group turned as one to head towards to castle once more. There were still more questions than answers but it would have to wait until after Yuya was safe.
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Phew, that was actually kind of hard to write. Hopefully it didn't put you to sleep. As always, please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much for sticking with this story and your constant encouragement. ^_^
