A/N: Thank you reviewers, Tanuki-chan, Scarlet7, Kat-gurl1, MoonPhoenix, RequiemKei, and Recca-chan. I update very lazily, I knew that. I really, really need a beta reader… any volunteers?

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Vol.23 chapter 222: 3 days before final battle 4:

=Kirisawa Fuuko=

LEVEL MAX!! (Part 1)

Threw in a bunch of Uruha in a quiet little villa at the outskirts of Tokyo, and we've set our new base.

Our master didn't complain about the shelter I provided to Tsukino. He acted indifferently when I told him the news of his mother's survival, but couldn't stop the tears welling in his eyes when he saw Tsukino's breathing figure right in front of him. It was the second time I saw Kurei cried in front of people – the first time was when Kurenai's existence was robbed from him by a detonator in her chest.

As I saw him saying "I'm home," to his mother after removing his mask, Tsukino rushed over to him, not bothering to say "Welcome back." She wrapped her arms around her son, buried her face in Kurei's shoulder, and wept in Kurei's arm.

Joker grinned and slapped my back. I looked at my comrade's face, and I knew I was smiling too.

Kurei, after all, is still human. Right now he's probably enjoying a nap that he never tasted for the years he spent under Mori Kouran's oppression.

Three days were given to us to prepare for the final battle with Tendou Jigoku. Now is the best time for me to leave. Nobody will notice me leaving, I thought. Then a voice called out from my back, "Where are you going?" - destroying the chance of my well calculated decision.

Probably not.

"Someplace…" I replied, not turning around to face him. "I have some unfinished business."

Joker sighed. I could feel that he's scratching the back of his head. "You're gonna leave Kurei here?"

He made me feel bad about it.

"Kurei-sama will be all right. Besides, you're here to protect him."

"Come back soon, okay?"

"All right."

"And say hello to Fuuko for me."

I spun around, but Joker already went inside the house. Only God knows if he'll report my conduct to Kurei or not, and only our master can be the judge of my acts. Leaving him for several days under Joker's and Sanba Karasu's supervision while I left to train a former enemy or a former friend might sound treacherous in Kurei's part, and I pondered for a while. A stray breeze tousled a lock of my brown hair, pulling it free from under the constrictions of my headband, and the second thing I knew my feet was carrying me to my next destination.

Nagogiri.

Hokage's town.

Kirisawa Fuuko's place.

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I never really understand how girls think.

Knowing about Neon's unconditional love toward our master, she was probably trying to revive some ancient Madougus to aid her in the battle against Mori Kouran. Aki and Miki will undoubtedly be there by her side, since they are as faithful to her sister as Neon to Kurei.

Fuuko, instead, spent some quality time with her 'sister', and learned that Video Game was a bad choice of entertainment for her the hard way, so eventually they ended up in the nearby park for a ball game.

Then I found out that she also doesn't have the necessary skill of deceptions that the Uruhas do.

I watched Fuuko carefully from my hiding place, and noticed how her face involuntarily fell and her fist clenched when Ganko left her to buy some drink. I fought off the urge to come near her, take her in my arms, and offer her some bit of solace in my part. It won't do me any good to perform such act, since the only thing I'll receive in exchange is probably a nice stinging feeling on my jaw, or if I'm luckier, on the cheek. So I gripped my palms firmly and waited until Ganko appeared in front of her, two freezing cans in her tiny hands.

I, instead, chose to dress in a black cloak and prepared some bit of fortune telling equipments, in hope to buy myself a way to set up a civil conversation with her. I checked my reflection on the crystal ball for the last time and took a deep breath. "He---llo. You two over there!!"

The girls turned their head to my direction, and Ganko's juvenile eyes turned even bigger as she walked closer to me.

"It's such a great weather today! It's lifted my mood! For that, I'll give you free fortune readings," I chuckled when I said that, ignoring the ticklish feeling of my fake mustache.

Fuuko tilted her head a bit. "Our fortunes?"

"Coo---l!!" Ganko squealed and showed her palm to me. "Look, look---!!"

So I did it. "Umu! Oh---!! This is good!! Your life line is long!! Also...in the future, you'll be a beauty with many boys. Plenty of money! You're blessed with good health...etc..."

Ganko ran off to the direction where they came, squealing about the crooked lies I just told her. It was too soon to feel guilty about how Ganko's eyes shone when I lied to her, since the older Hokage eventually shoved her palm under my nose. "Not too suspicious..." she said, "This time, look at my future!"

Just as I expected.

"Of course, of course…" I pulled my left arm free from the robe's loose sleeve, and proceeded to trace the line of her hand with my index finger. "Signs of death…" I trailed off, ignoring the feeling of Fuuko's tensing fingers beneath mine.

"I can see "death"!" I exclaimed, "Miss, I don't know what you're in to... but it would be a good thing to be rid of those thoughts!!! Within people's eyes, there is a light which emits. That is the light of life! Right now, your light...has dimmed, been blurred!!"

My words were harsh and carefully chosen; but I didn't enjoy the way verbal could be twisted to a ruthless style, one that could cause others to become intimidated. She stared doubtfully at me first, digesting the meaning of my words while Ganko and several children were twirling their arms in the air above their heads.

The empty swings hung suspended and watched us both, until Fuuko pulled her hand abruptly from my grasp and turned her rigid back at me.

"Ah! Do you understand, miss!?"

"Very well…" She replied, "Don't say you should forget good fortunes and keep the bad fortunes in mind! I act the opposite," She gave me her famous confident smile, hitting me with realization. "I've already forgotten it. Sorry…"

It sounded more like she was apologizing to herself than to me. She's more than ready. To die. I fought off another urge to tell Fuuko that she'll never save Yanagi that way.

"...Even so...You face against your fate. ...For that---" I gave her a fortune paper which she took without a question. "Read this once you got home."

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The night view of Nagogiri town from the height is somewhat spectacular, but I cared none of it.

Fuuko will come, I assured myself. She always answers immediately to challenge.

But you'll never know, another voice in my head said, you saw how down she was inside Soukakousai's cauldron. She told you she was ready to die, right?

And I'm the one who told her about her death.

Eventually, you're the one who'll also deliver it to her.

I shook out of reverie when sounds of breaking twigs and rustling grass disturbed the still air surrounding the forest, and a voice called out. "Hey! Where are you?"

Fuuko emerged from the darkness, wearing a blank tank top and rigged shorts that perfectly revealed the linings of her body. Her bangs were free from the braids which had fixed them before. My expectation, which was drowning at my gut just now, suddenly seemed to be floating up. Just then, another voice probed at my senses, sending a chill down my spine.

/My, oh, my… just look at what you have pulled yourself into this time./

I ignored it. Raijin seemed to be disturbed when I did that, since I felt him shifting uneasily beneath my ninja garb, rattling its tail in an uncaring attempt to break free. The Wind seal is completely broken now. The Wind will go back to its rightful place, freeing the Thunder. The thought made my skin crawl and an uncomfortable sting settled on my throat, reminding me of something I dreaded so much that I eventually preferred my Shinobi skills rather than using its ghastly force.

/Are you doing this for Kurei or for yourself? Or is it… for her?/

I finally chose to respond it mutely. 'You should know the answer.'

/Humans are really pathetic… ready to commit themselves to such a delusional feeling, and they're ready to send themselves to their death./

'What are you talking about?'

/You should know the answer…/

Love. Is that it? It wasn't the exact feeling I wanted to undergo for her.

Then I saw Fuuko produce the small piece I gave her earlier, shouting carelessly. "Come out! Aren't you waiting for me here?"

I jumped down from the branch I've been perching on for the last few hours. "Thank goodness, thank goodness.
I didn't know if you would come," I said, meaning every word.

"The 'Kirisawa Fuuko-sama' words got to me. What is your real name? Who are you?" She asked, her tone indignant and her eyes flashing with speculations.

"A time for friends is at hand… for the time of enemies is here. Don't consider it mysterious... our meeting is fate."

I pulled up my cloak, erasing my assumed identity in a timely manner. Fuuko fell down from the revelation, but she picked up her momentum at the right time, and slapped me several times before I was able to avoid it. "What are you trying to get away with?!"

In return, I raised my katana between her eyes with a murderous intent. She immediately stopped dead track, sweat starting on her temples.

"Didn't I tell you … signs of death will appear?" I found my words were filled with sheer intimidation. "It's not a lie. Like this, against Mori-sama...fighting with us, you will die. Fuuko, Right now, you are of a lower level! Or....tell me that you would risk being pushed over the line of death for power-"

And you might as well die in my hands.

"Please show me your proof. Please, show me."

I missed out the fact that she was trembling under the fury of having a katana pointed to her face. I missed out the fact that she has her madougu on her hip while I was begging her to attack me. She replied my challenge with a slash from her trusted Shinryo Shintou, and I managed to escape the hit, much to the surprise she caused.

"Shove your signs of death!" She yelled furiously, sending me another blow. "You show me proof that you don't want to die!!"

"Yes… That's right..."

Fuuko took the liberty of drawing a fist to my body when she finally cornered me to a tree stump, but I escaped at the last moment. I made sure that she realized I've missed her hit with a light strike on the back of her neck.

I chuckled as she reached up to rub the flesh irately. "You… Bastard!!!" she seethed.

Again, I parried her next rage easily with my katana and I saw Fuuko gritted her teeth.

Fuuko
You have every reason to prepare yourself
I, for these three days… for that reason will harden your strength

I ducked, avoiding her Kunais by an inch and they stayed at the tree stump.

Your strength to face death- Don't block what's before your eyes
You mustn't forget the strength of fighting for your life.
You still need to become stronger
Please, become stronger,

Kirisawa Fuuko.