A Recca no Honoo fic
By Tenshi no Ai
I still don't own Recca no Honoo. Or else Yanagi would've had a backbone.
Ch. 2: Ask for a Favor, Watch what you Ask.....
(Yanagi and Kagerou's POVs)
(Yanagi's POV)
I walk over to the Hanabishi house, which is conveniently on the other side of the school from my house. It's Sunday, and a beautiful day as well. I see little kids all around, heading over to the park or out with their parents. A couple recognize me and tell me to come over to the kindergarten with Flame Man' next Wednesday. I smile and nod. Of course I'd love to take Recca-kun with me, and I know that he would throw himself at my feet if I ordered him to. Even though we're back to being high school students, Recca-kun still keeps up this game of the hime and her faithful ninja. My smile fades. Yes, the game of hime and ninja.
What about the realities of Yanagi and Recca?
I carefully arrange my blouse and skirt as I near his house. The skirt is a little above knee-length, a little shorter than I would've liked, but it was looking like such a nice day today that I couldn't resist. There's something about being with Recca-kun, even after a year, that makes me want to dress up when I'm planning to go out with him, to pay extra-special attention when he's talking about his day or his hobbies, to throw all the hints that I can without appearing to be loose that I wouldn't mind having his lips touch mine.....
Ah! My face feels so hot all of the sudden, and I'm nearing the house. Oh, so embarrassing!
Whenever Fuuko-san or Domon-kun start teasing me about Recca-kun, I get so flustered and embarrassed....it's really quite funny when I think about it in hindsight, but it always overwhelms me so much to be considered as Hanabishi Recca's koibito. Fuuko-san always said that it would be inevitable, that she knew it as soon as she heard that Recca chose me to be princess to his ninja.
I reach the door to his house and press the doorbell. I just wonder....does Recca-kun see me in the same way that I see him?
I can't say that I think he does, so I know that he'll prove me wrong......
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(Kagerou's POV)
DING-DONG
CRASH Oi, Hime's here! And, with this being said, my son proceeds to run into the house from the backyard where Hanabishi-san is working, dash through the kitchen which he had so thoughtfully cleaned today, jump over the TV in the family room, and land perfectly at the front door. I smile and shake my head. Definitely a ninja, my son is. Konnichiwa, Hime! I hear his enthusiastic greeting. A soft murmur, shy and melodious at once, echoes my son's words.
I turn back to the snacks I was making for those two, just in case they got hungry. Sakoshita Yanagi.....from the first time I met her, when she jumped in front of an injured Recca to protect him from me, when she, bleeding from the knife wound I had made in her arm, still reached out to heal my son's leg injury, then up to now, healing Team Hokage countless times and always staying by their side, no matter how dangerous........she has always been compassionate and kind. Honestly, I would love to meet her parents someday, just to thank them for setting such a wonderful example of a child.
I feel wistful. I....maybe it's because I wasn't able to do the same for Recca. I'm thankful to see him now, almost a man and already a man at the same time, but I've always wished, wanted throughout the ages to have seen my child grow up.
I hear on the news stories of parents abandoning their children, just because they didn't want the responsibility of taking care of another life other than their own.
I look down at my hands suddenly. It seems like I've been molding a rice ball for sometime now. Silly me, 422 years old and I'm still prone to just staring out into space and thinking......
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(Yanagi's POV)
I'm not really happy right now.
Hime, look at this new sword I picked up ! It belonged to the Kasumi clan during the Oda Nobunga raid, and it's called the Yotoden. See, look! And with that introduction, Recca-kun pulls out this legendary sword and carefully holds it out horizontally in front of me.
Like I can't take care of myself, that I must be shown everything.
Like I'm too fragile to hold a sword of obvious might.
Like, like, like.
Oh, Recca-kun...ano, do you mind if I go down to the kitchen? I'll bring back the snacks you said Kagerou-san prepared for us, okay? I ask, glancing at the bedroom door. Recca-kun jumps to his feet.
Don't worry about it Hime, that's what I'm here for! You want something, I'll get it for you, okay? he beams down at my sitting form.
I clench my hands. No! Show some backbone for once! How can you possibly want to learn how to protect yourself......if you can't even stand up and do something by yourself?
I stand. No, Recca-kun, I'll get the snacks, okay? I stand very close to him, almost to where I can feel him next to me, and look up into his stunned face with a smile . From personal experience, I know that Recca-kun gets very flustered if he feels very close to me physically, except when he's patting me on the head like a pet. Come to think of it, so do I, but seeing Recca-kun's cherry-red face helps me not to blush. Okay, then it's settled? I murmur, then hurry out of his bedroom before he gets his senses back.
Oooh, Yanagi-chan, you're getting more devious all the time!
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(Kagerou's POV)
I'm bustling around the kitchen, getting things ready for dinner. It seems like, at this rate, Yanagi will be staying for dinner, so I must prepare for her as well as Recca, Hanabishi-san, Kaoru and myself. Thankfully enough, Hanabishi-san seems to make a comfortable amount from his homemade fireworks to actually feed all of us as well as pay off the house we live in.
I hear soft slippers scuffling to the kitchen, and then I see a blushing Yanagi step in.
Konnichiwa, Kagerou-san. I just wanted to bring the snacks from the kitchen.
I nod, and turn to the rice ball and other goodies that I had left on the kitchen counter, as well as a kettle of tea and 2 cups. Recca invites Yanagi over so many times that Hanabishi-san bought a new cup especially for the girl since she was one of the family. As I turn to give the tray of snacks and tea over to the girl, a sudden thought flashes through my mind. excuse me for asking, but why didn't Recca come to get the snacks, Yanagi-chan?
All at once she looks embarrassed, sad, and determined. I-I wanted to ask you for a favor, something that no one else may know about.
Interesting. Yanagi asking for favors? From me? I carefully set the tray onto another counter and turn to her. Well, I don't know if I can complete your favor, but I'll certainly try, I smile at the young girl, trying to ease her mind. Yanagi shyly smiles back.
Kagerou-san, I would like.....to learn how to protect myself.
I blink. That's not what I was expecting. I was expecting something to do with my son, but...
I know it sounds odd, coming from me, but..... she seems to be struggling for words. Her head is lowered, and her hands are clenched into fists. Her head suddenly snaps up, I don't want everybody to have to protect me! I want to be able to help myself, not just screaming for Recca-kun! I, her voice drops to a whisper, don't want to just be the healer of Team Hokage. I don't want to be just the gift either, she sighs. I can see the beginnings of tears forming at the corners of her eyes, I want to see what Sakoshita Yanagi is like, not what Hime is like.
I stare at the girl. I had never known.....never even guessed......that any fiber of Yanagi's body would've wanted to learn how to fight. She's doing this just to protect her friends from having to protect her? To protect my son?
How utterly noble of Sakoshita Yanagi.
An idea pops into my mind. Along with my madougu, I have been carrying one other from Hokage village. One other relic from my past.....I reach into my robes and pull out a thin silver choker with a clear ball in the center of it. Yanagi-chan, this may be the answer for you, I smile, It's a madougu that I had taken during the raid of Hokage village.
Yanagi seems at a loss for words.
The reason why I thought of it for you is this, I say, and flip the choker over. There is an inscription inside, just like I remembered, see? It says Only for the Kind-Hearted'. This would be perfect for you.
Yanagi stutters a bit, what does it do?
Actually, now that I think about it, I don't know. Yanagi sweatdrops. Somehow, I don't think my answer was good enough. But, here, I'll help you with it. I fit it on her, then step back, it looks nice on you!
Yanagi, blushing, looks up at me. I hope this works, Kagerou-san. Arigatou gozaimasu, and she bowed very deeply.
That madougu.....I wonder why it's only for the kind at heart? And what can it do?
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(Yanagi's POV)
I lie in bed wide awake, this time not frustrated or worried, but anxious.
I wonder what this madougu will do for me? I hadn't expected to get one, but maybe with its use, I can learn what it means to be a madougu user. Mikagami-sempai.....Fuuko-san.......Domon-kun.......they've all seemed to learn something from using their madougu.
They've all attained something special through it.
What will I get?
Okay, second chapter done! Yay! I would like to thank the following people who have reviewed my fic so far, you can't imagine how much I appreciate it.......I figured that, since Yanagi's not an especially liked chara, no one would even bother to read this fic, so to even get reviewed at all, not to talk of reviews with praise, is just amazing for me, a beginning FF.net writer. So arigatou gozaimasu yo to SaiyanGirlGenius (hey, can I be a beta reader for your Yanagi fic?) and fried rice () (cool name by the way!)! Oi, and thank you to reccagirl too, I just got your review as well (trust me, you'll find out more about this madougu than you ever expected....ominous music plays in background) The way I'm planning this fic, it seems like it's gonna be a long ride, so hang on! Oh, and I love emails, so go to my authors page and e-mail me from there, or include your email address in your review (I hope to get more, y'know!) See ya next chapter!