Warm.

It was warm.

Narumi yawned slightly and snuggled deeper into the soft and cozy cocoon. The heat around her moved and a deep, vibrating chuckle rumbled through the air.

Instantly wide awake, she tried to move away, but a strong arm snuck around her and pressed her tightly against a firm chest. "Relax," a male voice muttered, and Narumi froze when she recognized the voice.

Uchiha Akio.

Abruptly the memories returned.

The chunin exams.

Her refusal to fight.

The punishment.

She trembled when she remembered the prisoner's screams and the blood-stained kunai.

She had killed.

Killed.

Red.

Blood.

Death.

She was breathing heavily.

The world shook beneath her but suddenly a heavy, grounding hand rested on her head and fingers carded through her hair.

Narumi was torn between leaning into the touch and flinching away.

It was terrifying and comforting at the same time.

She did not understand what was happening to her.

Why was Uchiha Akio comforting her?

Was he not supposed to be as cruel as her master? He had beaten her up and called her pathetic.

Why was he suddenly so nice?

Was he playing with her?

But why was his hand so warm?

Narumi was suddenly filled with the frantic need for answers. "Why?" she whispered, hating herself for sounding so desperate. "Why are you doing this?"

The hand on Narumi's hair stilled. A strong palm moved to the back of her head and firmly guided it forward until her face was pressed against the man's collarbone.

A strand of black hair brushed past Narumi's cheek, and she caught a whiff of something sweet.

Lily of the valley.

Was he using a floral-scented shampoo?

The man hummed and absently carded his fingers through her hair, delighting in the shivers his action elicited.

"There is something beautiful about broken things." Akio's voice was barely above a whisper and yet his words echoed loudly through the room. "They are shards of shattered perfection. You can try to mend them, to make them whole again. But the result will never be the same. Repaired objects are flawed because they have been birthed by destruction – and that makes them unique. It gives them a story to tell. I adore hearing those stories. I adore creating them."

Akio's other hand moved and curled lightly around her neck.

"You, child, you looked so beautifully broken kneeling there on the ground. Punished and abandoned by your master. I wonder, what would dear Ryo say if he knew that you had been crying yourself to sleep in my arms? Ah, maybe we should ask him?"

He chuckled when she froze in his arms and patted her head. "Do not worry, little one. I was just joking." He inclined his head slightly into the direction of a fully set table. "I believe it is time for some tea now. You look famished, dear child."

Strong arms lifted her up as the man rose and Narumi suddenly realized that they had slept on a couch together.

This realization was quickly followed by another one.

She was not covered in mud anymore.

Her bruises were gone, too, and she was wrapped into a long red shirt that was so long she could have fit into it twice.

She was horrified.

Had he bathed her…?

Narumi resolutely shoved that thought away. It was not something she wanted to even think about. The sheer idea was deeply unsettling.

Akio smiled down at her. It looked wrong and one-dimensional. Like a painting missing its shading - and Narumi could clearly see the cold detachment in his eyes.

She shuddered. "Maybe…I should leave…," she ventured carefully, desperate to put some distance between them.

The air suddenly cooled, and Akio lifted her up until his face was almost level with hers. "Leave? Dressed like this? Without eating anything?" He clucked his tongue in condescension. "No, child, I am afraid I cannot let you go like this. It would be terribly discourteous of me."

He had not exactly threatened her, but Narumi had the distinct feeling that it would not be wise to press the issue now.

Uchiha Akio was as dangerous as he was unpredictable. She had no idea how to behave around him. His similarities with Hyuuga Ryoko were plenty – and yet they had none.

Both of them made Narumi terribly uneasy. But she felt way more unsettled around Akio than around her master.

Hyuuga-shishou was easier to deal with. Narumi knew by now what set him off. Unpunctuality and showing weakness in public were two things. Disobedience was another one - and then there was the fact that he absolutely hated wasting his time.

As long as Narumi performed well enough and did what she was told, she could mostly avoid punishment.

Uchiha Akio, however, remained a closed book.

Besides…

She eyed the shirt she was dressed in.

He was right.

Going out dressed like this was a bad idea.

Narumi nodded quietly.

The man's dangerous aura subsided. "Such an obedient child," Akio commented easily, his voice a mixture between amusement and mockery. "I wonder, have you always been so pliable, or was it Ryo-chan who brought you down?"

Narumi's eyes widened.

"He always had a talent for forcing people into submission," Akio continued in a conversational tone and lowered her on top of a chair; causing the hem of Narumi's shirt to brush over the floor.

Teacups clinked slightly as he filled their cups with steaming hot beverage and for a moment only the soft sound of running water could be heard, accompanied by a subtle herbal fragrance.

Akio moved around the table and sat down with graceful, predatory grace. "Everyone always assumes he gained it because of his icy nature, but do you know the real reason they are calling him Ice King?"

Narumi buried her hands in the oversized red cloth and shook her head slightly.

Akio's glittering eyes met Narumi's petrified gaze over the brim of his cup. "Up until three years ago, Ryo-chan used to be part of ANBU. One day his team had been tasked to quietly…take care of someone plotting a coup against the daimyo. But when they had reached the target's home, they had only found the mark's son. Naturally, he was quite… reluctant to give his father's whereabouts away. Once dear Ryo was done with him, however, the former rebellious child had suddenly become quite docile. In fact, the boy had even fallen to his knees and had begged to be allowed to sell his father out. Affable as he is, Ryo-chan had kindly allowed him this privilege."

Narumi shuddered.

ANBU.

Her master used to be one of those scary masks.

He had tortured a child.

It was a terrifying thought.

She remembered her master's cold eyes - and somehow, she had no trouble believing this.

Hyuuga-shishou was the kind of man who could easily warp one's perception like that.

Akio put his cup down, and Narumi flinched; the barely audibly clank rung loudly in her ears.

"Are you not hungry, child?" Akio inquired mildly. "You should eat something. Ryo-chan would be very displeased if you fainted on him."

Narumi stared at the rice cakes on her plate.

She felt sick.

"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why are you telling me this? "

She stared at the chair Akio had been sitting on.

It was empty.

"You are caged, little one," his whispering voice suddenly sounded right behind her.

"Cornered." Akio placed his hands on the tabletop, trapping her between the table and his body.

"I can make you stronger." Narumi felt his breath brush against her ear when he leaned in. "I can set you free."

It was tempting.

So tempting.

She swallowed. It felt like she had just gulped down a razor blade covered in thick honey.

"How?"

Akio chuckled and embraced her from behind. "Let me be your teacher. I cannot promise you to be gentle or compassionate. I will not be kinder to you than Ryoko. But I can promise youunlike him, I will not leave you broken. You may weep as much as you need - and whatever solace you require, I shall give it to you."

Narumi's mind told her that it was a bad idea to agree.

A very bad idea.

But the little girl inside her, the child she was, craved the warmth his arms provided her.

She leaned her head against his chest.

It felt like a surrender.

"Poor child," the man murmured softly, drawing her even tighter against him. "Be at ease. I have you."

Narumi shuddered.

Green eyes met intense red.

The world tilted.

She was floating inside a void.

There was no beginning.

There was no end.

But suddenly a strange melancholic tune was carried through the air.

Something sparkled in front of her.

And out of the shadows something tall emerged.

It was a mirror.

Narumi stared at her pale image.

The reflection stared back.

Then a wicked expression settled over the image's face.

Fire erupted inside the mirror and Narumi saw herself being engulfed by sea of flames.

"Now I am strong," her mirror-self whispered, smiling through a mask of blood.

Narumi flinched back in horror.

No.

That was not what she wanted to become.

She turned and ran.

Suddenly a crack appeared in the void in front of her, and the darkness fell away like pieces of shattered glass.

Her terrified eyes met Akio's spinning gaze.

A crimson tear was dropping down his right eye.

"Ungaikyō," he whispered quietly. "The mirror beyond the clouds. It shows your deepest and darkest desire. Even if you are not aware of it."

A pleasant smile settled over his face. "I can make your wish come true."

Narumi stared at him, her mind still reeling from the terrifying image she had seen.

Akio patted her head. "Think about it." He straightened and smirked slightly. "Good morning, Ryo-chan. You are early."

"I would appreciate it if you released my apprentice, Akio." A cool, familiar voice answered, and Narumi felt a sudden sense of dread.

What was her Shishou doing inside Akio's house?

Wait.

She glanced at the snow-covered ground.

This was not the room she had been in only moments before.

This was the training ground.

Had Akio moved her while she had been trapped with the mirror?

Her confused musing got interrupted when strong arms lifted her up as Akio rose from the strangely dry rock he had been sitting on.

Narumi froze when he casually sauntered to her master and literally pushed her into the Hyuuga's arms.

Her master's arms automatically closed around her.

For some strange reason it felt like his grip was lacking warmth.

"Of course, Ryo-chan," Akio agreed readily and lazily rested a hand on her head. "But I suggest you take better care of her. I found this poor thing passed out on the cold forest floor. She might have frozen to death, you know?"

Akio patted Narumi's head and tuned to leave. "I hope you do not forget our… agreement, Ryo. Personally, I think things are going quite well on my side." He threw them a lazy backwards wave and vanished between the trees.

Agreement?

Narumi was puzzled.

What had he been talking about?

A harsh jostle broke her out of her bemusement.

"What have you been doing with him?" Hyuuga-shishou asked sharply and pierced her with his unseeing eyes as if trying to look through her.

"I don't know," Narumi answered. It was not a lie. She had no idea what Akio's intention had been. "He…found me," she added quickly when her master narrowed his eyes at her. "He took care of me."

Somehow her last sentence sounded more like a question than like an answer. She was not really sure if Akio's actions could be described as caring for her.

To her surprise her confused tone seemed to be answer enough for her master. "Uchiha Akio is a dangerous man. I do not know what he has told you, but when you are dealing with him you should always keep his specialty in mind."

"His specialty, shishou?"

"Uchiha Akio is very proficient at infiltration, reconnaissance and assassination. However, there is something else he is even better at."

"What is it?"

Hyuuga-shishou smiled darkly. "Seduction."

Narumi stilled.

She stared in the direction Akio had left in and for a moment she could almost hear the cool morning breeze carrying the echo of temptation.

"I can make you stronger. I can set you free."

A/N

So, sorry for the late update. I was quite busy with exams and hardly had time to write. :-/

Now we had an entire chapter filled with Akio being his scary and unnerving self - and we got to see a Mangekyou ability. I wonder how this Ungaikyō works. Does it really show the hearts desire?

I am really curious. What is your opinion of our scary Uchiha antagonist?

By the way: happyclover drew a nice picture of Narumi and Yoru. If you are interested, you can find it on unwinked. tumblr. com. There's a character relationship chart over there, too, in case you are curious about Narumi's relationship with other characters. =)

Important side note: There is nothing sexual about their interaction. It's purely about emotions and emotional dependency. Akio is a master manipulator and very adept in mind games. Seduction is also defined as "a tempting or attractive thing." (Or leading someone astray)