Yo folks, Sherra here. This is my first attempt at a FoR fanfic, so enjoy
(or not. but I hope you'll enjoy!). It is a snowday today and with extra
time on my hands I figured that I'd get some of this out. Got the idea a
few days ago while chatting with my sis'. For those who didn't read the
summary, this is a Raiha-Fuko fic. The anime pretty much ignores their
relationship but the manga has much more of their interactions, much to my
joy. Oh, and I have no idea when this takes place. Sometime after the UBS
but Kurei is still alive. There you go, now read!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * Raiha rolled sideways to avoid the katana swing, slashing upwards and bringing down his foe. He detected movement to the left and the purple- haired ninja easily dodged another blow. It was almost too easy, not a challenge for the most powerful of the Uraha. That is, it wasn't a challenge until the attacker he thought was dead made a surprise attack from behind. Raiha didn't feel the pain of the wound as the katana slashed into his shoulder but knew the warm blood trickling down his arm was his own. With a whirl and a few well-thrown shurikens this enemy too was dead.
Those who weren't now deceased had fled, his job was done. It was only now that Raiha took the time to look at the injury that the last attacker had left. It was a shallow wound but was bleeding nastily and would need a few stitches. Raiha sighed as he wound a piece of torn cloth around the spot. Kurei-sama wouldn't be a problem, but her. Well, maybe she wouldn't notice.
* * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * *
Raiha waved merrily at the Recca-gumi as he approached, wide smile on his face. He was greeted with the usual expressions, Domon's scowl, Tokiya's cold glance, Yanagi's nervous smile, and Recca's indifferent shrug. They still weren't quite used to the idea of him hanging out with them, after all, he was Uraha and they were Hokage. Even though there weren't any current plans from either group to annihilate the other hostilities still remained. Not to mention other difficulties. Domon didn't understand why Fuko would like Raiha when he had been available to her all those years and Raiha doubted that he would hesitate if given an oppurtunity to bash his skull in with the Saturn Ring. Today Raiha was wearing long sleeves to hide the bandages extending half-way down his forearm but if the Hokage noticed anything different they weren't commenting. Not even Fuko.
Raiha blinked. "Where's Fuko?" he asked as his smile gave way for disappointed regret.
The Hokage's expressions turned mischevious as once again Raiha failed to detect someone lunging at him from behind. "Raiha!" shouted the Fujin master right before she vaulted onto his back.
He had really hoped that she wouldn't notice.
Raiha was usually sure-footed enough to handle Fuko's flying jumps but today was different. The weakness due to his recent injuring combined with the momentum of her leap and her elbow jabbing directly into his shoulder was enough to make him stagger. He couldn't quite keep the pain out of his expression as he regained expression and Fuko let go immediately when she saw it.
"What was that, Raiha?" she demanded as she circled around to face him.
"What was what?" asked Raiha with his composure returned. That was right. You didn't see anything. You didn't see-
"That 'ouch' look. What was that?" Fuko glared fiercly at Raiha as he desperately tried to think of an excuse. She couldn't find out about this.
"Pulled muscle?" he ventured to her unyielding expression. "Its nothing, really. I was just." He trailed off as he saw her eyes widen, staring at the spot on his shoulder that she had jabbed him. Apparently she had torn a few stitches. Red was seeping through the blue cloth and now there was no escape.
"You're hurt." It wasn't an expression of sympathy or a question, it was an accusation.
"Uh, Hime wants some ice cream," said Recca quickly from the group. "So we're just going to go get some for her."
The Hokage beat a quick retreat, leaving Fuko and Raiha alone. They had seen this before. Fuko and Raiha would be blissfully happy together for a while then something like this would come up. Recca and the others had learned a long time ago that it was best not to be around when Fuko got that look in her eye and it was the unspoken rule that they retreat until it was over. Raiha watched them leave and wished that he could be heading off with them. He didn't like doing this anymore than they did, not saying that Fuko enjoyed it either.
"Fu-chan," he said, using his pet-name for her. "Let me explain."
"Explain what? Why you showed up here bleeding today?"
"Well, it wasn't bleeding until you jumped on me."
"You know what I mean," hissed Fuko. "You were off following his orders and you nearly got your arm chopped off. That is all the explanation I need."
Raiha fought to keep is temper down but some of his irritance managed to leak through into his voice. "You're making too big a deal out of this. I was careless and paid the consequences. In a few weeks it will be gone and- "
"And what? You can go off again and maybe get yourself killed next time? How does that make this any better?"
"I'm not going to get killed! Yesterday I was fighting with mainly my katana. If things got bad enough that I could get killed then I'd use Raijin and-"
"And what if that wasn't enough?"
Their voices were starting to get loud enough to disturb other people in the area. When an old woman "shh"ed at them Fuko yelled back at her with enough ferocity to send her running. When she turned back to Raiha he was shocked to see tears glinting in the depths of her eyes. Tears of anger and maybe. something else?
"Why do you keep doing this, listening to his orders? He doesn't care about you as anything other than a tool. You think that he would care if you got yourself killed one day? Yeah, he would care because he had to replace his best fighter. Do you know what that would mean for me though?"
Raiha's anger melted away as he saw Fuko fighting against her rising emotions. She had never been happy about him being part of the Uraha but she always tried to keep her reasons hidden. He drew her close in a hug and held her as she glared up at him with tear-gleaming eyes.
"Why don't you just quit? Why do you have to work for him anyways?" she asked as she rubbed roughly at her eyes.
* * * * * * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * **
"And I want it done quietly, Raiha," continued Kurei. "This man is well- known to the public and his death will not be ignored. The less evidence of assassination there is the better."
"Yes, Kurei-sama," said Raiha. "Will that be all?"
Kurei watched Raiha through his mask as he nodded. "Yes. You may leave."
Raiha turned to depart but paused at the door. It was a breech in protocol, but. "Kurei-sama?" he ventured as he turned back around to face his master.
"Yes?" Kurei's voice hung in the air. Raiha knew that he risked Kurei's displeasure with each further word that he said, but he had to ask.
"What would you do if I asked permission to leave the Uraha?"
Kurei's eyes narrowed, his bangles clinking as his hand shifted on the table. "And why do you ask this, Raiha?"
He had gone too far. Raiha bowed his head in apology as he took another step towards the door. "Forgive me, Kurei-sama. I shouldn't have asked." He could feel Kurei's eyes on him as he left, shutting the door quietly behind him. He was Uraha. Quitting was not an option. Raiha thought of his Wind- goddess and couldn't help but to feel a little sad. If only things had been different. But, there was no use brooding upon them now. He had other duties and time was wasting while he was standing around. Raiha set off at a brisk pace down the hall. He had work to do.
* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * **
This was going to be interesting. Raiha looked up the tall structure of metal and glass. His target was somewhere on the 24th floor, or at least would be. Somehow he had to get in undetected and back out again. That would probably mean that he couldn't use the elevator. Raiha sighed to himself as he thought about his problem. He really didn't want to walk up all those stairs but he didn't see a way to avoid it. No one would be using the stairs in such a big building and even if someone did come then he was sure that he could find somewhere to hide. But. 24 flights.
Under the cover of darkness he ran to the one door that the Uraha intelligence said was un-alarmed. He would have to work quickly, the building had guards who patrolled back and forth at night to watch against possible intruders, like him. Raiha bent down to pick the lock and slipped into the door when he had unlocked it. A quick glance around the room told him that it was unoccupied and he quickly made his way to the stairs.
Silent as a ghost he climbed, spiraling upwards into the building. As he climbed his mind began to wander again, fluttering back to the purple- haired member of the Hokage whose spirit and fierce personality had caught his admiration. Fuko. She wouldn't be happy until he was no longer Uraha, he knew that. To her his position in the Uraha was nothing more than a job, something that could be quit and forgotten at whim.
It was much more than that, however. Raiha shared a bond with Kurei equal in strength as the one that he shared with Fuko. He had sworn to serve Kurei until either death or Kurie released him and it was an oath not lightly broken. He would die for Kurei if he had to and it had come close to that on several occasions. Raiha hoped that it would never come down to a choice between them. If he did then he couldn't be certain which he would choose. There was so many different forms of loyalty.
"You there!"
Raiha heard the gunshots and swung off one level of stairs to a lower one as the bullets screamed through the air, piercing the silence of the night.
"Get him! He must be an assassin after Hasu-sama! Don't let him get away!"
As more guards poured from doors from all sides Raiha leapt over the railing once more. He curled in a somersault and landed ten floors below on the ground level as bullets rained down around him. The alarms in the building began to screech as he ran back out through the door that he had come in through, tearing off into the surrounding forest and becoming one of the shadows. Once again he had been careless but this time it had been because he had been lost in thought, not because of overconfidence. Kurei- sama might not have minded the wounding of his last mission but failure was something that he could not tolerate. He wouldn't be happy about this, no, not happy at all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * *
"Raiha, what is the meaning of this?" asked Kurei in a cold tone as he regarded the ninja. "Your performance has been dropping recently but you have never allowed yourself to so utterly fail a mission."
"I am sorry, Kurei-sama. I was careless."
Kurei's eyes darkened beneath the shadow of his mask. "Or perhaps you are caring about the wrong things."
Raiha hadn't bothered to keep his visiting Fuko from the other Uraha but Kurei had never outright denounced it. When Raiha didn't say anything Kurei continued, his voice dangerous and low. "I allowed you to pursue your infatuation with the thought that it would not interfere with your work. I was obviously mistaken, proved by your recent ineptitude. As a result of this, you are no longer allowed to consort with any member of the Hokage, especially not her. Any failure to obey this command will result in her immediate termination."
Termination meant death. Raiha nodded, his face in the soft glow of light coming in from the windows. "Kurei-sama," he began before being cut off by the flame-master.
"That is enough, Raiha. This is not up to discussion. If you see that girl again I will have her killed. You are dismissed."
Raiha felt his arguments die before he even had a chance to speak them. When Kurei said something was final it was final. He left the room, his mind futily searching for a way that he would ever get to see Fuko again. Failing in its quest, he allowed a dullness to spread over him. He wouldn't even be able to tell Fuko what had happened. For all she knew he was dead, killed on one of Kurei's missions. Maybe it was better if she thought that. Then she wouldn't hope. Hope had always been useless in the Uraha.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * ** * * * Raiha rolled sideways to avoid the katana swing, slashing upwards and bringing down his foe. He detected movement to the left and the purple- haired ninja easily dodged another blow. It was almost too easy, not a challenge for the most powerful of the Uraha. That is, it wasn't a challenge until the attacker he thought was dead made a surprise attack from behind. Raiha didn't feel the pain of the wound as the katana slashed into his shoulder but knew the warm blood trickling down his arm was his own. With a whirl and a few well-thrown shurikens this enemy too was dead.
Those who weren't now deceased had fled, his job was done. It was only now that Raiha took the time to look at the injury that the last attacker had left. It was a shallow wound but was bleeding nastily and would need a few stitches. Raiha sighed as he wound a piece of torn cloth around the spot. Kurei-sama wouldn't be a problem, but her. Well, maybe she wouldn't notice.
* * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * *
Raiha waved merrily at the Recca-gumi as he approached, wide smile on his face. He was greeted with the usual expressions, Domon's scowl, Tokiya's cold glance, Yanagi's nervous smile, and Recca's indifferent shrug. They still weren't quite used to the idea of him hanging out with them, after all, he was Uraha and they were Hokage. Even though there weren't any current plans from either group to annihilate the other hostilities still remained. Not to mention other difficulties. Domon didn't understand why Fuko would like Raiha when he had been available to her all those years and Raiha doubted that he would hesitate if given an oppurtunity to bash his skull in with the Saturn Ring. Today Raiha was wearing long sleeves to hide the bandages extending half-way down his forearm but if the Hokage noticed anything different they weren't commenting. Not even Fuko.
Raiha blinked. "Where's Fuko?" he asked as his smile gave way for disappointed regret.
The Hokage's expressions turned mischevious as once again Raiha failed to detect someone lunging at him from behind. "Raiha!" shouted the Fujin master right before she vaulted onto his back.
He had really hoped that she wouldn't notice.
Raiha was usually sure-footed enough to handle Fuko's flying jumps but today was different. The weakness due to his recent injuring combined with the momentum of her leap and her elbow jabbing directly into his shoulder was enough to make him stagger. He couldn't quite keep the pain out of his expression as he regained expression and Fuko let go immediately when she saw it.
"What was that, Raiha?" she demanded as she circled around to face him.
"What was what?" asked Raiha with his composure returned. That was right. You didn't see anything. You didn't see-
"That 'ouch' look. What was that?" Fuko glared fiercly at Raiha as he desperately tried to think of an excuse. She couldn't find out about this.
"Pulled muscle?" he ventured to her unyielding expression. "Its nothing, really. I was just." He trailed off as he saw her eyes widen, staring at the spot on his shoulder that she had jabbed him. Apparently she had torn a few stitches. Red was seeping through the blue cloth and now there was no escape.
"You're hurt." It wasn't an expression of sympathy or a question, it was an accusation.
"Uh, Hime wants some ice cream," said Recca quickly from the group. "So we're just going to go get some for her."
The Hokage beat a quick retreat, leaving Fuko and Raiha alone. They had seen this before. Fuko and Raiha would be blissfully happy together for a while then something like this would come up. Recca and the others had learned a long time ago that it was best not to be around when Fuko got that look in her eye and it was the unspoken rule that they retreat until it was over. Raiha watched them leave and wished that he could be heading off with them. He didn't like doing this anymore than they did, not saying that Fuko enjoyed it either.
"Fu-chan," he said, using his pet-name for her. "Let me explain."
"Explain what? Why you showed up here bleeding today?"
"Well, it wasn't bleeding until you jumped on me."
"You know what I mean," hissed Fuko. "You were off following his orders and you nearly got your arm chopped off. That is all the explanation I need."
Raiha fought to keep is temper down but some of his irritance managed to leak through into his voice. "You're making too big a deal out of this. I was careless and paid the consequences. In a few weeks it will be gone and- "
"And what? You can go off again and maybe get yourself killed next time? How does that make this any better?"
"I'm not going to get killed! Yesterday I was fighting with mainly my katana. If things got bad enough that I could get killed then I'd use Raijin and-"
"And what if that wasn't enough?"
Their voices were starting to get loud enough to disturb other people in the area. When an old woman "shh"ed at them Fuko yelled back at her with enough ferocity to send her running. When she turned back to Raiha he was shocked to see tears glinting in the depths of her eyes. Tears of anger and maybe. something else?
"Why do you keep doing this, listening to his orders? He doesn't care about you as anything other than a tool. You think that he would care if you got yourself killed one day? Yeah, he would care because he had to replace his best fighter. Do you know what that would mean for me though?"
Raiha's anger melted away as he saw Fuko fighting against her rising emotions. She had never been happy about him being part of the Uraha but she always tried to keep her reasons hidden. He drew her close in a hug and held her as she glared up at him with tear-gleaming eyes.
"Why don't you just quit? Why do you have to work for him anyways?" she asked as she rubbed roughly at her eyes.
* * * * * * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * ** * * * **
"And I want it done quietly, Raiha," continued Kurei. "This man is well- known to the public and his death will not be ignored. The less evidence of assassination there is the better."
"Yes, Kurei-sama," said Raiha. "Will that be all?"
Kurei watched Raiha through his mask as he nodded. "Yes. You may leave."
Raiha turned to depart but paused at the door. It was a breech in protocol, but. "Kurei-sama?" he ventured as he turned back around to face his master.
"Yes?" Kurei's voice hung in the air. Raiha knew that he risked Kurei's displeasure with each further word that he said, but he had to ask.
"What would you do if I asked permission to leave the Uraha?"
Kurei's eyes narrowed, his bangles clinking as his hand shifted on the table. "And why do you ask this, Raiha?"
He had gone too far. Raiha bowed his head in apology as he took another step towards the door. "Forgive me, Kurei-sama. I shouldn't have asked." He could feel Kurei's eyes on him as he left, shutting the door quietly behind him. He was Uraha. Quitting was not an option. Raiha thought of his Wind- goddess and couldn't help but to feel a little sad. If only things had been different. But, there was no use brooding upon them now. He had other duties and time was wasting while he was standing around. Raiha set off at a brisk pace down the hall. He had work to do.
* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * **
This was going to be interesting. Raiha looked up the tall structure of metal and glass. His target was somewhere on the 24th floor, or at least would be. Somehow he had to get in undetected and back out again. That would probably mean that he couldn't use the elevator. Raiha sighed to himself as he thought about his problem. He really didn't want to walk up all those stairs but he didn't see a way to avoid it. No one would be using the stairs in such a big building and even if someone did come then he was sure that he could find somewhere to hide. But. 24 flights.
Under the cover of darkness he ran to the one door that the Uraha intelligence said was un-alarmed. He would have to work quickly, the building had guards who patrolled back and forth at night to watch against possible intruders, like him. Raiha bent down to pick the lock and slipped into the door when he had unlocked it. A quick glance around the room told him that it was unoccupied and he quickly made his way to the stairs.
Silent as a ghost he climbed, spiraling upwards into the building. As he climbed his mind began to wander again, fluttering back to the purple- haired member of the Hokage whose spirit and fierce personality had caught his admiration. Fuko. She wouldn't be happy until he was no longer Uraha, he knew that. To her his position in the Uraha was nothing more than a job, something that could be quit and forgotten at whim.
It was much more than that, however. Raiha shared a bond with Kurei equal in strength as the one that he shared with Fuko. He had sworn to serve Kurei until either death or Kurie released him and it was an oath not lightly broken. He would die for Kurei if he had to and it had come close to that on several occasions. Raiha hoped that it would never come down to a choice between them. If he did then he couldn't be certain which he would choose. There was so many different forms of loyalty.
"You there!"
Raiha heard the gunshots and swung off one level of stairs to a lower one as the bullets screamed through the air, piercing the silence of the night.
"Get him! He must be an assassin after Hasu-sama! Don't let him get away!"
As more guards poured from doors from all sides Raiha leapt over the railing once more. He curled in a somersault and landed ten floors below on the ground level as bullets rained down around him. The alarms in the building began to screech as he ran back out through the door that he had come in through, tearing off into the surrounding forest and becoming one of the shadows. Once again he had been careless but this time it had been because he had been lost in thought, not because of overconfidence. Kurei- sama might not have minded the wounding of his last mission but failure was something that he could not tolerate. He wouldn't be happy about this, no, not happy at all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * *
"Raiha, what is the meaning of this?" asked Kurei in a cold tone as he regarded the ninja. "Your performance has been dropping recently but you have never allowed yourself to so utterly fail a mission."
"I am sorry, Kurei-sama. I was careless."
Kurei's eyes darkened beneath the shadow of his mask. "Or perhaps you are caring about the wrong things."
Raiha hadn't bothered to keep his visiting Fuko from the other Uraha but Kurei had never outright denounced it. When Raiha didn't say anything Kurei continued, his voice dangerous and low. "I allowed you to pursue your infatuation with the thought that it would not interfere with your work. I was obviously mistaken, proved by your recent ineptitude. As a result of this, you are no longer allowed to consort with any member of the Hokage, especially not her. Any failure to obey this command will result in her immediate termination."
Termination meant death. Raiha nodded, his face in the soft glow of light coming in from the windows. "Kurei-sama," he began before being cut off by the flame-master.
"That is enough, Raiha. This is not up to discussion. If you see that girl again I will have her killed. You are dismissed."
Raiha felt his arguments die before he even had a chance to speak them. When Kurei said something was final it was final. He left the room, his mind futily searching for a way that he would ever get to see Fuko again. Failing in its quest, he allowed a dullness to spread over him. He wouldn't even be able to tell Fuko what had happened. For all she knew he was dead, killed on one of Kurei's missions. Maybe it was better if she thought that. Then she wouldn't hope. Hope had always been useless in the Uraha.