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Arc 4, Chapter 2
-Nadeshiko Village-
(Forest)
"Hm," Ken glanced up at the sprawling village atop the mountain he was standing beneath. "I've never been this close to your village," he looked back towards Shizuka and sweatdropped at the blush on her face. "Shizuka… Hey idiot, stop looking at me like that," he flicked her in the forehead snapping her out of her lewd thoughts.
With a pout, Shizuka nursed her head and looked between Ken and the path engraved in the mountain that led to her village. "You… You can't enter the village with just that!" she exclaimed pointing at the Senju with her head faced away from his scarcely covered body. "They'll rip you apart up there unless you claim to be my husband, that is!"
"I'm not your husband," Ken dismissed her concerns with a wave and began his way up the stairs carved into the mountain. "Besides," he looked at the Nadeshiko over his shoulder, "I doubt anyone atop this mountain is strong enough to beat me. Let's hurry and save your mother."
He smirked at her flustered expression no doubt because he called each of her fellow Nadeshiko Kunoichi's weak. "Hurry up, before I change my mind," he hastened his stride up the stairs eager to fight the man who bested Shizuka's mother.
"Fine," Shizuka sighed, forcing down her frown and fell in step behind Ken, with her gaze peering at his back. 'You better not screw this up, it's bad enough that I'm coming back with you instead of the Yellow Flash.'
XxLine BreakxX
Enrichened with a fresh salty smell, the draft of wind that brushed against a cloaked figure in all black, caused a few strands of red hair to flutter out from beneath its hood. "Finally," a feminine voice muttered seeing an island with two enormous mountains acting as makeshift beacons.
She stopped walking, standing still on top of the ocean's surface. Another salty gust of wind blew by stronger than the last, sending the black hood the person was wearing flying back revealing a redhead with red-rimmed glasses, and bright red eyes.
A scarlet blush lingered on Karin's face as she inhaled the powerful and lingering scent that she knew could only belong to Ken. His chakra was overwhelming and bottomless, tuning out even the salty chakra that rose from the waters below her, or the earthy chakra that resonated from the island itself.
"You've gotten stronger," she mumbled with her blush spreading, "Ken-kun."
XxLine BreakxX
-Nadeshiko Village-
"Who is that with Shizuka-sama…?"
"The Namikaze is blonde, I've fought him and lost before. Does that mean that Shizuka-sama lost to this guy?"
"Me too, it's too bad that none of us could drag Namikaze back here…"
"Whoever he is, he's kind of cute don't you think?"
As Ken and Shizuka strolled through the village, more and more women; all dressed in the same shinobi outfits as Shizuka, showed themselves and in a not so sneaky manner shot them sly looks as they gossiped.
"Do you think that's the man Shizuka-sama has chosen to be with? I hope not, cause I'd like to have him for myself."
Shizuka stiffened hearing one of the many lustful whisperings of her people and glanced nervously at Ken. She reached for Ken's hand, only to flinch when he slapped her hand and grumbled, "Quit it pervert."
The warrior women were now slowly approaching them, eying Ken like a piece of meat. "Ken, by the laws of my people your now my husband, it'll save us a whole load of trouble if you just pretend," Shizuka begged her glaring partner.
"Hmm, no," Ken responded whilst glaring at a woman who was smirking teasingly at him. His glare deepened when her smirk widened, and she suggestively licked her lips with her gaze never leaving his. "I don't give a damn about your land's perverted laws Shizuka. Just point me in the direction of this Kokuyo guy." He shifted his glare to a group of five or so women who pointed and giggled in his direction.
Sighing at Ken's stubbornness, Shizuka snapped her head behind her only to nervously meet the gaze of her fellow Nadeshiko's. She shuddered at the hunger in their eyes, 'They're going to attack us- no him soon…' she mentally panicked and snatched his hand into her own. Ignoring the defiant grunt that escaped from his throat, she dragged him behind her as she broke into a sprint- the Nadeshiko's behind her running after them.
She guided him to the bridge in hopes of making it to the Leader's hut, where her mother and Kokuyo would be no doubt. But much to her frustration and dismay, the other side of the bridge was surrounded with a mob of battle-ready Nadeshiko Kunoichi's.
"What's the big deal stopping like that!?" Ken exclaimed and snatched his hand out of her grip when she abruptly came to a stop causing him to slam against her back. The footsteps of the group of women behind them came to a stop- They were surrounded on both sides of the bridge.
Ken scoffed with his arms crossed and allowed some of his chakra to leak out, 'She didn't tell me that her entire village would want to fight, no-biggie though just more idiotic weaklings.' He was broken from his thoughts when Shizuka jealously nudged him in the side and hissed, "Stop making that face pervert, you're giving them what they want."
The women blocking the side of the bridge that he and Shizuka needed to pass erupted in a fit of giggles and began conversating amongst one another as Ken's chakra quickly overtook the entire bridge.
Shizuka stepped in front of Ken effectively covering his lower regions from the aroused crowd's view. "Don't hurt them, they're just… hungry," she said lamely and yelped when Ken flicked her in the back of the head.
"Hungry or not," Ken pushed past Shizuka and leveled his intense glare on the excitingly chatting women, "I'm not backing down to a fight," he cracked his knuckles and increased his chakra output.
Shizuka's worry skyrocketed when each of the Nadeshiko's turned a deeper shade of red and squirmed in pleasure at Ken's chakra. She didn't blame them too because she also was feeling the desire to try to dominate him. Attraction to power was a common trait amongst Nadeshiko's after all.
She cringed in slight disgust and uneasiness when one brave kunoichi walked out of the crowd and slowly approached them, with her thighs rubbing against one another and her breathing short and heavy. The advancing Nadeshiko held a spear much like her own in her shaking hands and pointed it at Ken challengingly.
Seeing Ken take a step forward to no doubt engage the girl in combat Shizuka panicked and yelled, "As my husband, you can't go around accepting other women's challenges, you stupid nudist!" She let out a sigh of relief when the approaching Kunoichi halted her movements and looked frightened at her rather than at Ken.
Shizuka glanced warningly at the other Nadeshiko's, silently daring any of them to try anything. She smirked proudly when none of them did and they each backed up a step. "Ouch!" she suddenly cried out and pouted at Ken's raised finger.
"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me your-"
A brief series of clapping interrupted Ken, "Well picked Shizuka-sama. He's not the Namikaze, but for such a young man to hold such an intense aura…" Tokiwa, Shizuka's sensei pushed past the silent crowd of women and smiled proudly at her student.
"Oh," Shizuka blushed at the praise. "Um, thank you," she mumbled timidly, suddenly regretting her declaration of Ken being her husband.
"Oi, dummy," Ken continued after Shizuka glared at him, "Is this that Kokuyo guy you were complaining about?" He asked glaring at the gigantic person who now stood in front of him and Shizuka. 'Sure is the manliest person I've seen here… Everyone else has been cute girls-' he grunted when Shizuka hit him in the side again. "Why?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"I didn't like the face you were making… besides," Shizuka punched again disregarding how his eyes narrowed even more, "You need to tone down that chakra of yours!" she crossed her hands and bitterly glared into his own glaring eyes.
"Haha," Tokiwa's amused laughter broke the two from their staredown. "Already acting like a married couple," the brutish woman turned around and began shooing away the crowd.
"I'm going to kill him, Shizuka," Ken mumbled darkly.
"She, Ken," Shizuka corrected.
Ken sweatdropped.
"That's my Sensei," she continued and looked up at him, only to blush and push him away from her upon realizing how close she was to him. Releasing a sigh, she turned to her sensei who had just finished dispersing the crowd. "I wish to speak to my Mother and Kokuyo at once, Tokiwa," she ordered.
Tokiwa gave Ken a strange look before nodding and waving for the two teens to follow her. "You intend to strip your mother and Kokuyo-sama of their leadership, correct?" she asked while they shadowed behind her.
"Yes, and once we do our first order will be Kokuyo's immediate banishment and the annulment of my mother's marriage to him," Shizuka answered sharply.
"And is your husband strong enough to defeat Kokuyo-sama's machinery?"
Shizuka frowned and looked away from her sensei's back to Ken. She sighed seeing his disinterested gaze narrowed at a few women giggling outside a kunai shop they were walking by. "Yes… he's more than strong enough," she replied confidently.
Ken was a monster that she was lucky enough to stumble upon, right outside her home… She was still confused about why he stayed all on his lonesome within her island's dense forests.
The confused frown adorning her face twisted into a glare upon seeing one of the Nadeshiko's outside the Kunai shop taunt Ken with a waved kunai. She stopped walking and got on her toes to pinch his ear when he looked just about ready to take the woman up on her challenge. "Stop paying attention to them you naked pervert!" she hissed and stormed off after her sensei.
Ken stood still rubbing his sore ear with his eyes burning holes through the back of Shizuka's head. He regretted agreeing to help her already…
Hearing the woman on the other side of the street giggle he groaned and followed after Shizuka. "I'm not the pervert, they are," he shot a glare over his shoulder at the leering woman and smirked when a branch shot up from the ground causing her to trip on her face.
"Hurry it up, Ken!" Shizuka shouted.
"Oh my, what control you've got over him Shizuka-sama," Tokiwa applauded proudly to her student.
Ken's eye twitched, but followed after Shizuka, nonetheless.
XxLine BreakxX
(Leader's Hut)
"Mother…" Shizuka said, breaking the tense silence that took over the small room they were located in. She picked up the cup of tea that her sensei placed before the four of them earlier and took a sip. "Ah, I'll keep it short," she lowered the cup from her mouth and looked into her mother's slightly shaking eyes, "My husband and I are here to relieve you two of your positions as the leader."
Shizuka's mother looked identical to her daughter although more mature and gentler. "Um," she paused and gulped when Ken's gaze shifted over to her. She flinched and looked downwards, an action her husband; Kokuyo was already doing.
She didn't love, care for, or even sympathize with him, but she understood why he was shaking in fear alongside her.
"C-Can I," she immediately stuttered. "Can I h-have the name of yo-your husband Shizu-chan?" the nervous woman asked.
Ken leaned forward to speak causing her and Kokuyo to flinch back in fear.
"His name is Ken, mother," Shizuka answered for him and ignored how her father in law's eyes expanded before squinting back in fear when Ken looked at him. That was weird… "His name doesn't matter though; will you give up your half of the joint leadership to me… I'd rather not fight you." She whispered the last part.
Ken huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms.
'Now he wants to act like a brat!?' Shizuka mentally shouted in her head, with a perfectly ordinary expression on the outside. She would've told him to tone down his chakra since it was terrifying her mother, but… Getting to see Kokuyo quivering in his seat like an even bigger child than how Ken was currently acting made it all worth it.
"Heavens no, I won't fight you for it, dear," her mother said without a stutter for the first time since their visit. "You can have it, I only inherited because I had no siblings…" she smiled at Shizuka with a soft motherly smile.
"Hmph," Ken rolled his eyes at the heartwarming scene and glared at Shizuka's pitiful excuse for a Father in law. "What about you? Shizuka told me that she can't beat you, so I take it your strong right?" The cowering man nervously perked up with a sudden burst of confidence. "How about it old man, do you wanna fight me?" Ken continued, leaning over the table waiting for the coward's response.
He was curious to see what made this weakling so respected and feared in the all Kunoichi village. Surely his robotic weapon or whatever wasn't that powerful.
Kokuyo gulped and peered into Ken's piercing purple eyes. His heart skipped a beat when the nude teen's eyes narrowed. There was something strangely familiar about the kid. He knew for a fact that he's never seen him in person, but… He knew him.
Everything within him was telling him to just give up the title, that it wasn't worth the pain that he would no doubt suffer from the brat in front of him, but his pride was on the line along with his future. He needed his position as leader here. "That's right, I beat that little slut wife of yours," he smirked mockingly. "And I'll beat you to brat." His face lost all of its color and he gulped when Ken merely grinned at him.
That was not the response Kokuyo was hoping for… He silently cried on the inside. 'Who in the world is this kid!'
"Great," the pressure in the room deepened as Ken looked away from his pale-faced opponent to Shizuka. "Can I fight him now? I want to test my strength against something, even a weakling like him" he demanded more so than asked.
"No."
It was Tokiwa who answered with a small blush on her face from the chakra Ken was releasing. "You will be fighting as Shizuka's husband against Kokuyo-sama within the arena I will be constructing outside."
"Would you stop calling me-"
Shizuka slapped her hand over Ken's mouth preventing him from speaking furthermore. "Okay Tokiwa, go and set up the arena for Kokuyo and my husband," beneath the table she pinched Ken's thigh. "Mother, pig," Kokuyo's face faulted at the blatant disrespect she showed him. "We'll meet you two at the arena, I just need to have a brief conversation with Ken," she released her hand from Ken's mouth and stood up, dragging him out of the room with her.
Ken's irritated expression halted when he saw how lovely Shizuka's mother was looking at her daughter's turned back. For the first time since leaving Konoha, he thought about his mother, if what his grandmother told him about her was true. That she didn't love him, that she's moved on and replaced him and his dead father.
"Good luck Shizu-chan, I can tell that you're really happy with him."
"Tch, you should be cheering for me! Your husband! Besides, there's something strange about your daughter's little boyfriend-"
That was all Ken was able to make out before Shizuka dragged him completely outside the hut and slammed him into the wall of the neighboring hut. His eyes were narrowed, not because of the nasty glare Shizuka was shooting him, but because of Kokuyo's words before he left the house.
"Stop denying our marriage Ken," Shizuka whispered and ruthlessly jabbed her finger repeatedly into his chest. "I need to free my mother, and the only way is for you," she jabbed harder. "To beat him and become the joint leader of this island with me." She glared seeing that he wasn't looking at her, but rather her mother and Kokuyo who had just left the hut with Tokiwa guiding them away.
"You said that I could trust you, that if I asked you to free my mother that you would," she regretted not going to Konoha and trying to obtain Minato's help rather than Ken's. "So, man up, and at least pretend to be my husband and after we boot Kokuyo off the island! I don't care what you do next. You can disappear for all I care!"
With every word that she spoke she advanced closer and closer into Ken's chest until she was practically hugging him. She peeked up, hoping to see that he was looking at her, listening to her. But to her disappointment, he was still glaring forward, at where her mother just was.
She suddenly got angry.
"Do you understand me, Ken!?" She grabbed his cheeks and dragged the slightly taller boy's view down into her own, just noses apart from her face. Her green eyes stared into his jaded purple eyes; her gaze slid down to his lips as he opened them preparing to speak.
They looked soft, but not like a girl's lips. She wanted to…
"All right… I understand the situation Shizuka, I'll save your mother," Ken responded knowing how much she loved her mother, and how much her mother loved her. The way her mother looked at her earlier made him realize the importance of what Shizuka trusted him with.
"You're not pulling my leg are you," she questioned seeing that his grim expression wasn't matching his comforting words. "I swear if you are and that you somehow mess this up-" She stopped panicking when Ken's hand plopped on top of her head and softly patted it.
She leaned into his touch.
She didn't know when- But sometime between the three days that she has known him, she found herself liking the thought of her and Ken being married. As he continued to rub and pat her head she hoped that maybe he would stay with her once all was finished.
She was surprised, but she didn't mind the thought of spending the rest of her life with him…
When she looked up into his eye's however, all of her hopes and dreams of a future with him came crashing down. He was looking at her, but his eyes were still narrowed and filled with a flame that she knew didn't have room for her. They didn't soften like how they did that day in the forest when she asked him why he was all alone and if he was lonely.
She wanted to be looked at by him with those eyes.
Why didn't he look at her with softened eyes like that? What could have made him so numb to her feelings? What made him made him soften up like that anyway?
She held back her tears and simply rested her head against his bare chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart.
"Shizuka, we should get going…" Ken trailed off when he felt wet droplets drip down on his chest. "Hey Shizuka-" he raised a hand to place on her shoulder but stopped when she pulled back from him and tearfully grinned at him.
He wanted to cringe and turn his head away because he didn't see her, but rather Karin and Naruto. However, he didn't, he didn't look away from her nor react negatively like he did last time when she reminded him of Naruto.
The Nadeshiko wiped her tears from the corners of her eyes with her grin still in place. It was a sad grin, filled with a pain that he didn't understand. "Shizuka, what's wrong," he continued again, firmly grabbing ahold of her shoulder.
"You're the strongest person I've ever met," Shizuka ignored his question and took a step back while brushing his hand off from her shoulder. "One day, I know that you'll be the strongest man alive, and I'm fine with just being able to say that Ken Whatever his last name is, saved me and my mother from a dirtbag named Kokuyo!" She shouted towards the sky causing a few Nadeshiko's to look at the two of them worryingly, before scurrying off after Ken glared at them with some of his killing intent sprinkled in the mix.
"Thanks, I guess," Ken scratched the back of his head with a small almost un-seeable blush lining his cheeks. The only people who have acknowledged his dream to one day become the strongest was Minato and Haku. And now her.
Shizuka smiled dazzlingly taking notice of his thin pink blush, "And just knowing you is fine with me." She tried to crush her own dreams of having a future with him. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would, in fact, she felt great.
"…" Ken closed his eyes seeing the trail of tears stream endlessly down her eyes and gently took her smaller hand into his own. He was never good with girls, he always made them cry one way or another. All except Hinata at least- "Come on take me to the arena so that we," he squeezed her hand, "can save your mom."
Shizuka silently nodded and squeezed his hand back.
XxLine BreakxX
The walk to the makeshift arena that her sensei constructed from the ground with a simple Earth manipulation technique was too short to her liking, but the way Ken held her hand without letting go for even a second pleased her immensely. She wondered if the two of them really did look like a married couple.
The arena was small, housing a few Nadeshiko kunoichi's who stood protectively in front of her mother. Her sensei, who was standing next to Kokuyo and his robot, and now herself and Ken.
She smiled when Ken's eyes glinted with anger upon seeing her oddly enough smirking father in law, who was standing next to the robotic machine he used for combat. "Get him, Ken," she knew that he didn't need her encouraging words but imagined that they would help. When Ken nodded and walked into the arena standing on the opposite side of Kokuyo she instantly missed the warmth resonating from his hand.
"Are you two ready?" Tokiwa asked the two fighters. She received a stiff nod from Ken and a gloating thumbs up from Kokuyo from within his chakra powered robot.
Shizuka walked over to her seated mother and sat down into the seat next to her. She sighed and stared at Ken's focused and expressionless face. She'd much rather see him glaring and sulking than staring emptily at nothing. She wished she knew more about him. Like why he was making the face he was making right now.
She froze realizing that she hardly knew anything about the man she wanted to marry and found herself being okay with that. "Ken," She gulped. She had a terrible feeling about this fight.
"Shizu-chan is everything okay with you and K-Ken-kun? You can tell me anything dear." She ignored her mother's concern and leaned forward when her sensei shouted, "Begin!"
Ken didn't move and neither did Kokuyo. After a brief staredown between the two, Kokuyo did something nobody expected. He opened the hatch to his robot and jeered his body outside of it with a small black book in his hands.
"You thought that you could hide from a genius like me!?" Kokuyo sneered with his eyes widened with mirth. "I ask you this," he turned to Shizuka, her mother and all of the Nadeshiko's around them. "Do you intend to place a missing ninja into the position of leadership of this village. Forget all of your alliances, for he is wanted by nearly every single one of the five great major villages and sought out by many of the smaller ones for his bounty."
Ken remained silent, neither surprised nor effected by being exposed.
The Nadeshiko kunoichi's who were previously blushing and shamelessly eyeing his nude form glared and pointed their weapons at Ken. Kunai's, spears, swords, each aimed for a vital spot on his body.
"D-Dear, is it true that Ke-Ken-kun is such a notorious ninja?" Shizuka's mother asked fearfully grabbing ahold of her daughter and looking over her for any injuries. She knew that Shizuka was desperate to get rid of Kokuyo for her, evident by her carelessly seeking out Minato, but to marry such a missing ninja just to save her… She cried and hugged her shocked daughter. She was the one who was supposed to be making the tough decisions, not her daughter.
"Ken," Shizuka stared at his still emotionless face. "It must be a lie… He's so nice… err nice and kind enough…" she stammered out, denying the words of the least likable person she's ever met.
"It's outdated, by two years I believe, but there's no denying it. Your husband," Kokuyo chuckled at Shizuka's troubled expression, "Is Ken Senju, the infamous and rebellious Senju heir who took the world by shock when he attacked and almost killed not one, but two Daimyos!" He threw the small book to Tokiwa's feet and grinned scornfully at Ken.
"Shizuka-sama… This is…" Tokiwa started.
"Give it to me Tokiwa," Shizuka demanded, cutting her sensei off. "It's really Ken… he looks so cute…" she whispered looking at the picture of a younger and less developed Ken. "I don't care about my husband's past," she smiled when Ken didn't flinch or complain about her calling him her husband. "The fight goes on," she announced.
"Shizu-chan!" her mother cried out, forcing her daughter to look her in the eye. "That boy is no good, even if you save me from my marriage, you'll be trapped in one even worse than mine. Call him back, he's more of a monster than Kokuyo could ever be!" she dropped her jaw in shock when Shizuka slapped her hand across her cheek leaving a bright red imprint. The slap echoed throughout the arena. The only one amused by the skeptical was Kokuyo who elatedly laughed at his now sobbing wife.
"Ken might be a nudist, a jerk, a train-aholic, and easily irritated, but he's not a monster like Kokuyo," Shizuka glared into her mother's tear-filled eyes and groaned when she simply began crying even harder rather than listen to what she had just said.
Why did she have to have such a weak mother? It was ironic really, she was the strongest Nadeshiko, while her mother was the weakest.
"She's right Shizuka," Ken finally spoke up. His face was no longer expressionless, he was smiling at her. "I am a monster." He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to refute his claim. "I tried killing my grandmother and my grandfather just because of a stupid grudge I had against them."
"It's not stupid!" Shizuka immediately replied making Ken go stiff. "It couldn't have been a stupid grudge since it made you want to kill them! Besides, you didn't even kill them, so everything's fine. You're not a monster!"
He wanted to believe her words, that "he wasn't a monster," but knew that if Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto didn't interfere, then he would've killed them without a second thought.
Some people needed to die after all. And if that made him a monster for trying to kill somebody who's life only did the world harm, then so be it. He'd become a monster who kills other monsters.
"I was going to try to turn that little bitch against you, but whatever," Kokuyo shrugged and entered his robot, closing the hatch behind him. A series of lights glowed from it and along with a slight buzzing. A moment later Kokuyo's voice came out from it, "I'll just kill you and deliver your corpse to the nearest bounty station! I'll be filthy rich!" he laughed.
"Here he comes Ken," Shizuka warned.
Ken sneered unbothered by the chakra building up within the cannon attached to Kokuyo's robot. The amusement and possible joy he felt at the prospect of fighting Kokuyo was gone, replaced with irritation.
He'd make this quick.
Kokuyo's laughter was tuned out by a loud and massive laser beam that exploded out from his robot's cannon. The explosion slammed right into Ken causing a cloud of smoke and dirt to kick up, then another laser, and another. After his fifth consecutive shot, Kokuyo popped open the hatch to his machine and let out an exhausted sigh. He's never used that much chakra behind a shot in the robot, let alone five in a row.
"Phew," he wiped away a bead of sweat from his head as the smoke slowly cleared up. He was confused as to why none of the Nadeshiko's, especially Shizuka; the brat's wife, wasn't sobbing at Ken's no doubt mutilated corpse.
"Can't wait to get loaded off of you kid… Maybe I can return to that poor excuse of a village Sunagakure-" he paused when the smoke cleared away revealing a wooden gate that had no scuff or burn marks adorning its wood. "Huh?" he suddenly panicked when the gate fell revealing Ken, untouched and as impassive as he was a moment ago.
He shuddered at the way Ken's eyes looked at him like he was not even a spec of dirt. What was he going to do to him!? He was out of chakra and couldn't defend himself if the kid wanted to attack. "Now, now, hold up there…" he grinned and held his hands up in the air hoping that Ken would let him off easily.
"Ken…?" Shizuka questioned when he bent down and plucked something up from off the ground. It was a small, pencil length splinter of wood.
"Look at his eye's Shizu-chan! Nothing good will come out of you staying married to him," Her mother shakily pointed a finger at Ken.
She knew what Ken was going to do and didn't look away when he flicked the splinter at Kokuyo. Her mother looked appalled when Kokuyo fell forward with his nervous expression softening into a hollow one that only a dead man could wear.
His body impacted the ground with a loud thud.
"…" Shizuka stared speechlessly at Ken's turned back. He didn't shake nor exude an aura of shame or guilt; he was very much the same as when Kokuyo was still alive. "Why Ken…?" She finally managed to ask.
"Why did I kill Kokuyo?" he asked himself more so than her. "Simple, because he was a terrible person." He answered smoothly while stepping on the fallen gate. "Or why did I try to kill the Daimyo's?" he inquired, although not following up with an explanation.
Shizuka nodded.
"They indirectly," he thought of his grandfather, "And directly," The Earth Daimyo. "Killed hundreds of people, someone I respect being one of them. They gambled with not just those everyday citizen's lives, but also turned around and did it again with Naru… my Sensei's life. People like them shouldn't lead countries, let alone control shinobi villages."
Shizuka sighed, taking in the butt load of information Ken had just dumped on her. To her, it seemed like he thought he could do better than them as a Daimyo…
"He needs to leave Shizuka," She was brought back to reality when her mother addressed her without her cute nickname. "I will not allow him to marry or rule our village alongside you. Denounce him as your husband or I will challenge you to a fight for leadership."
Shizuka stared in shock at the fury in her mother's usually gentle green eyes. She's never seen her look at her like that, not when her father was killed, or when she lost to Kokuyo and had to marry him. She opened her mouth to exclaim, "That isn't fair," but Ken beat her to the punch.
"She's concerned for you Shizuka. If I were you, I'd appreciate your mother's love for you more," He looked past Shizuka and smirked at her mother's trembling glare. She was afraid of him, of what he could do to her daughter, but she was still ready to fight him. He envied Shizuka. "Think about it from her perspective, what would you do if your daughter's husband could and would kill again without blinking an eye?" Ken cocked a brow at her conflicted frown.
"I… I would… I…" Shizuka scratched her head trying and struggling to find an answer. She paused and looked at Ken when he shook his head at her, waving his ponytail over his shoulder.
"Thanks, Shizuka, for the past three years I've been asking myself if it was worth it over a stupid grudge," Ken took a glance at Kokuyo's unmoving body. "But you're right, it wasn't stupid. I'd try to kill them again if it meant avenging all of the lives the Fire and Earth Daimyo's toyed with in Kusa." A fire ignited in his eyes as the air grew heavy with his dense chakra.
"So that's it, you're going to run away and leave me here?" She asked allowing her mother to wrap her in a hug.
"You know where to find me, anyways didn't you tell me to disappear once this was done with," Ken responded cheekily turning his back to her. He didn't tell her that once Haku came back, he planned on leaving this island for good…
"Shizu-chan, let him go. His presence here is a threat to our island and village," Shizuka's mother whispered into her ear.
Shizuka tightened her eyes refusing to cry again and nodded. "You're strong Ken and will one day be the strongest. Just take away the Daimyo's power, and when you're the one in charge… maybe take me away too. So, you better not lose or die out there!"
"Losing? Impossible," Ken replied with an arrogant smirk. He's never considered stripping the Daimyo's of their power, he supposed Shizuka thought it up on the spot because they just did the same to her mother and Kokuyo. His smirk broadened as he slowly sunk into the wooden gate, he liked the thought of him being the one to ensure the people's peace. "I'll be back when I accomplish that Shizuka. Stay away from opponents stronger than you, you idiot."
He had something besides strength to strive for now, and he had that foolish Nadeshiko to thank for it. 'Thank you, Shizuka.'
Shizuka stared at the spot where Ken was just standing and softly pushed her mother off of her. "That jerk thinks that I'm just going to sit around and wait for him," she fumed covering her blush with her hands. "I'll show him how much stronger I will have become next time he comes back!"
"Shizuka-sama, congratulation's on becoming the head of our village," Tokiwa along with the other Nadeshiko kunoichi's performed stiff and rigid salutes towards Shizuka.
"Dear, about Ken…"
Shizuka nervously looked at her mom, still slightly taken aback by how she was willing to fight her over her marriage to Ken. Was she changing her mind after all…?
She gulped seeing her mother's eyes steel again.
"I have to inform the other villages of his presence here on our island and about what he's done to…" she looked at her former husband's dead body and sighed sadly. "…I.. I won't send the letters until tomorrow so; he has until midnight to leave our island." She knew her daughter loved the boy, but their village came first. That was one of the many burdens of being a leader. Putting one's happiness and pleasure after the Village.
The sooner Shizuka learned that, the better.
Shizuka widened her eyes in fear for Ken's safety, "But… Kokuyo said that he's wanted by everyone… They'll hunt him down like dogs mom!" she shouted, standing up and running out of the arena.
"Shizuka-sama!" Tokiwa shouted and made a move to run after her student-turned leader.
"Let her be Tokiwa-chan, this is something Shizu-chan needs to settle before she officially takes the reigns. Ken Senju, thank you for helping my daughter grow up a little faster."
XxLine BreakxX
The Leaf exercise technique was the first thing Naruto ever taught him; whenever he was performing it, he never felt as alone as he really was. It reminded him of the brief time he spent training with his blonde sensei… Interacting with Shizuka for the past three days brought back feelings he tried to bury and leave behind.
She was way too similar to Naruto and Karin for his liking. It was painful, but it was also refreshing and soothing.
He sat huddled in his blanket of leaves that each stuck to his form without him even needing to focus on them. He mastered the technique a long time ago… Instead, he was focused on what he should do next now that he planned on dethroning and replacing the Daimyo's or at least his grandfather, Fire Daimyo Kenji.
He needed Haku, first of all. And Haku was in the Land of Water looking for any lost members of his clan. That was going to be his first destination, and then he'd figure out the rest after he retrieves his best friend.
The sound of a twig snapping under the weight of somebody shocked him. 'Who the hell here is good enough to sneak up on me!?' He mentally questioned standing upright and readying himself for a fight.
A smirk grew on his face as the footsteps slowly approached him, to be honest, he was upset with how things ended back in the Nadeshiko village. He wanted to punch something… Anything… Shizuka's shitty father in law wasn't nearly enough to soothe his bloodlust.
His chakra oozed out from him causing the leaves surrounding his body to flutter around him and the grass beneath his feet to sway under him menacingly.
"K-Ken-kun…? Is that you?"
The dark and ominous chakra spilling out from him vanished as the redhead that plagued his mind and dreams on the daily strolled through the thick shrubs in front of him. "Ka-Karin-chan…" the leaves clothing him fell to the ground in shock as her slow-walk turned into a full-blown sprint.
She glomped him into a hug with tears flowing down her eyes. He fell to his knees taking her with him and hugged her back tighter than she was hugging him.
"…Why did you leave… After you and H-Haku-kun left, Naruto-baka left me too… I was so lonely."
XxLine BreakxX
Running like a mad man, or rather woman through the dense woods that she spent almost half a week traversing she smiled seeing the green circular patch of grass that Ken was bound to be in. She quickened her pace putting more gusto in her step.
Her bright smile wavered seeing the object of her affections within the clearing; he was kneeled over as if in pain with his back turned to her. She quickened her pace believing that something or rather somebody had hurt him.
She stepped into the clearing and shouted, "Ken!" to gather his attention, but when he did turn towards her… much to her dread she saw a redhead smothered beneath his arms rubbing her head contentedly against his chest with a blissful expression.
To caught up in watching the redhead snuggle against her love interest, she suddenly forgot why she had come into the forest after Ken. The only thing she could think about was who the hell the redhead thought she was rubbing herself up against her Ken.
She wasn't apart of her village; she'd remember someone with such bright red hair…
"Shizuka," Ken greeted with a small smile and an eye happily peeking down at the now drooling redhead. "Got lonely already," he asked Shizuka in a tone she's never heard him speak in.
Shizuka blushed, not because of Ken's words, but because of how honest and relaxed his smile was. She averted her gaze away from his face too afraid to look him in the eye, and instead looked down at the redhead with a glare slowly forming on her beautiful face. "I thought you didn't like perverts Ken? Who is this," her eye twitched when the redhead's eyes drifted down to the lone leaf covering his nether regions. "perv…?"
"This is Karin, a friend of mine from before… you know the assassination attempt."
She was glad when Ken scratched his head and plucked the redhead up to look at her instead of his crotch.
"Ken, who is this hussy? Were you cheating on me and Haku-kun again!?"
Shizuka felt her already broken heart shatter into a thousand more pieces when Ken apologetically bowed his head to the pouting and fuming redhead. She wanted to leave… To leave and never return to this clearing ever again.
"This is Shizuka, she's a very important friend of mine Karin so don't be mean." Ken reprimanded Karin.
Shizuka watched as Ken rose his head from his bow and glanced at her. She felt some of her heart repair itself when she saw how bright and most importantly softened his eyes were. Not towards Karin, but her. For the first time since their meeting, she had his full and undivided attention.
She felt her blood rush to her face, heating and making it as red as Karin's hair and eyes.
"She's helped me work past some things that were eating me up on the inside for a very long time and helped me find a new goal. She's an amazing friend who I owe a lot to Karin." Ken's smile laxed and his eyes glistened as though he had just got something important off his chest.
It was overwhelming, the amount of affection she felt for him at that very moment… She was sure that her heart was fully back intact, wishing and wanting for Ken to stay with her. Too bad the stupid pervert ruined her good mood…
"Boy's and girl's shouldn't be friends Ken-kun. It makes things complicated…" Karin rubbed a circle against Ken's chest with a deadpan directed at Shizuka.
Shizuka wanted to hit the mysterious redhead, but… she couldn't… not with the way, Ken turned his focus away from her over to Karin with a shocked and panicked look. He began listing off names with, "What about Naruto," being the last and the one with the most devotion behind it.
Karin frowned and crossed her arms beneath her budding chest, "Ugh, especially Naruto." Karin glared at the setting orangish-red setting sun.
"And where do you fall on this list of girls Ken can't have as friends Karin?" Shizuka spoke up interrupting Karin before she could make Ken more anxious. "He went through a load of names," she spitefully glared at Ken, "But didn't say yours… so I'll ask for him. What about you Karin?" Shizuka glared into Karin's scarlet eyes.
"I'm not his friend."
Shizuka reached for her spear ready to gut the smirking redhead when Ken's expression turned from confused to devasted. She knew that she felt Karin wasn't telling them something.
"He's harem member number two! Right after Haku-kun!" she cheered, shooting two fingers in Ken's face and her other hand teasingly smacking against his lower back; awfully close to his rear. "Cheer up, it was a joke… for leaving me behind…" she slapped his back a tad bit harder and faster.
"That reminds me Karin!" Ken piped up stopping her hand from descending any lower. "I'm going to go and pick up Haku from the Land of Water before I start my journey, do you want to come with?" he asked wiping away the trail of blood that slowly ran down her nose with his finger.
"Hey, that was already my plan! Don't go stealing what's not yours Ken-kun!"
"Sorry, sorry…" Ken offered her an apology.
"Let me see your…" Karin's head flew back when two streams of thick red blood, shot out from her nostrils at the lewd request she was about to ask.
Earlier Shizuka would've most likely been frustrated by him not focusing on her, but she could tell that he was having a blast having his friend back. Her brow shook some when she saw Karin openly ogle his body right in front of her, but let it go. Ken wasn't her husband any more… But she definitely wouldn't give up now.
"Ken," she announced getting his and the redhead's attention. "You two need to leave at once before it gets dangerous." She sighed and held up her hand when Ken looked at her with a dubious expression not taking her claims seriously. "My mother has decided to contact each of our village's allies to let them know that you are present here within our island's jurisdiction… Konoha being one of them." She suppressed a giggle when both of their unconcerned faces turned pale, although unbeknownst to her- for different reasons entirely.
'Come back for me one day Ken…'
'I'm not ready to face Naruto again, I can't imagine how upset she'll be this time…' Ken mentally panicked.
'Granny Tsunade is gonna kill me for leaving mom all alone like that out of nowhere…' Karin pulled her hair imagining the pain that Tsunade would inflict out to her.
"We need to go!" The two of them shouted at one another picking themselves up from the ground.
"Do you need this junk Ken-kun?" Karin asked pointing at the legendary Kubikiribōchō while nervously hopping from one foot to the other with a sealing scroll held in her hand.
"Yeah, seal it up for me while I get some food for the road… Hey, where'd Shizuka go?" Ken asked with an apple in his mouth and two other apples in his hands. He looked around the clearing, it was empty sans himself and Karin. He wanted to thank her one more time before he left.
'Guess I'll see her next time when I return as the strongest,' Ken smirked at the top of the two mountains that peeked over the forest. He could just barely make out the bridge that connected the two hills and a few buildings that housed the rowdy Nadeshiko's. He looked down when Karin hugged his chest with her eyes closed in a smile.
"Come on Ken-kun we should leave before enemies come for us… Eeep," Karin shrieked in fright when she suddenly found herself high up in the trees being held by Ken in a bridal position. "Ken…?" she asked when he stopped and stood on top of the tree facing the ocean she had come from.
"She really is an idiot…" Ken mumbled in amusement. "If she would've just climbed one of the trees she could've found her way out," he laughed causing Karin to blush and jealously shove against his jaw. "Idiot Nadeshiko… I'm ready now Karin, let's go and get Haku." He dashed atop the treetops heading straight for the unending blue ocean.
An: I think I read to many rom-coms while writing this. I ended up loving my version of Shizuka way too much for my own good lol :| Anyways hope you enjoyed the update :D