Be the Prince

Setsuko felt warm. Someone was holding her. Correction, some people were holding her. Setsuko felt her mind drift back as she tried to remember what had lead up to this. Suddenly, all the memories came flooding back to her. The clay doll. Bensha. The fight. Those words. Her eyes snapped open as she tired to sit up. However, the several lumps of bodies on top of her stopped her from doing so. She took a moment before her eyes adjusted to the light. She was under a comforter while several other people were on top of it. Naruto hugged her in his sleep. Seung had rested her head on Setsuko's stomach in her deep sleep. Robin had grabbed Setsuko's hand and held it against her face as her legs were draped over Seung and was next to the little Akira who had snuggled in between Robin and Setsuko. Tenshi was laying beside Naruto, drooling alittle and was sprawled out over Naruto and herself. Setsuko smiled as she looked a them all.

"They've been like that all night." She looked up to see Yoko with a basin of water. She finally noticed that there was a sleeping Kakashi in the chair next to her bed. Yoko smiled when she saw Setsuko looking at Kakashi. "I think he was too embarrassed to sleep on the bed with everyone else." Setsuko smiled at Yoko but before she could say anything else there was a slight mutter from Seung as she sat up all bleary eyed. She looked at Setsuko and lit up. Everyone else woke to the sudden change shift of weight on the bed as Seung threw herself towards Setsuko. Before Setsuko turned blue from all the hugs she was receiving, Yoko ushered everyone out of the room. Except the still sleeping Kakashi. Yoko smiled at Setsuko before closing the door. "I'll let you two talk when he wakes." Setsuko tried to object but Yoko closed the door. She looked down at herself to see her gray pajamas and bandages covering her most of body.

"Tsunade-sama said that we were lucky you didn't fight anymore than you did." Her head snapped up towards Kakashi. "You used up almost all of your chakra. Anymore and you would run a huge risk of dying."

"What good am I if I can't protect anyone?" She whispered hoarsely.

"Don't worry." She glared at him in anger.

"Don't worry?! He threatened everyone and I couldn't do anything!" She nearly yelled.

"Almost no one can!!!!!" Kakashi snapped. "Setsuko, you don't realize it, but I can't even fight Orochimaru. He's too far out of my league. And you were able to stand toe to toe with him."

"No, he mere toyed with me." Setsuko sighed. "Kakashi, I am not the best fighter. I an not good for a ninja. I have little skill in genjutsu, my ninjutsu is limited, I do not understand taijutsu, and when it comes to sensing enemies I have no skill."

"Setsuko, you didn't grow up as a ninja. You don't know things that most ninja know. But you can shake off any attack better than anyone I know. And even though you don't know taijutsu, you can fight hand to hand with the best of them. You use your own blood as a weapon Setsuko. And a 12 Blades of Death is at your disposal. Yeah, you can't sense a lot of things and you only know some ninjutsu and can only do low level genjutsu, but you are just starting."

"Kakashi, every time I try with genjutsu I fail miserably. Henge is all that I can really do. Taijutsu is beyond me. And ninjutsu . . . all I can do is out of my family's scrolls."

"So learn out of those scrolls. There are ninja who master their family's bloodline and nothing else." Kakashi argued. Setsuko sighed as she sat up weakly. "Tsunade-sama said you should stay in bed and rest. You probably can't even control any blood." Kakashi stood up to stop Setsuko as she tried to get out of bed.

"Stop it!" She hit his hands away from her.

"What?!" Kakashi demanded.

"Stop acting like you care." She hissed as she stood on shaky legs.

"I do care." Kakashi snapped and stopped Setsuko from walking by picking her up and forcing her back into her bed. He held her there to stop her from get up again.

"How?!" She choked out. "You saw me like that. I have no mercy. I kill and kill. I don't care about mercy like that. That is the true me. The me without constrictions. When I stop trying to hold in my anger and fear. That is-" Kakashi cut her off.

"You lose control, so what?!" He demanded. "I'm willing to bet that if I lose control I would be the same."

"Would you lose control so many times?!" She yelled. "Would you kill like that? You've seen me as I have been. I'm just some monster. I'm not a human being." Tears began to form in her eyes.

"Dammit Setsuko!!!! This again! How many times do I have to tell you, you are human."

"I can't be!!!"

"Why not?!" Kakashi yelled.

"Because!" She snapped.

"That's not an answer! Why not?!" He repeated.

"I don't have to tell you!"

"If you are gonna say you're a monster, then yes!!!!"

"You don't care, you just want to laugh!!!" Kakashi glared at her.

"Why should I laugh?! I love you Setsuko!!!!!" Setsuko stared at him in shock.

"No, you can't!" She shook her head.

"Why not?!"

"Because you can't love a monster!"

"I don't! I love you and you are human!!!!!" Kakashi yelled.

"NO! I can't be!!!"

"Why can't you be?!"

"Because people don't do that to humans!!!" She snapped. "They don't do what they did!" Kakashi felt his eyes widen as he realized what she meant. Her past. All the pain and hate. "And I'm not!!!! I can't be. Because it will hurt!!!!!" Setsuko felt the tears pour down her cheeks as Kakashi pulled her up and hugged her tightly. "Because then I'll feel the pain they meant!!!" She sobbed into his shoulder as he hugged her. "Because if I'm human, then I will be able to do so!"

"What will you be able to do?" Kakashi soothed as she sobbed in his shoulder.

". . . be in love." She sobbed. "Be in love with you!" Kakashi didn't say anything as she sobbed. He just held her while she cried for one of the first times she had known him.

Yoko, Naruto, Tenshi, and Seung all had their ears pressed against the door. Robin came up behind them.

". . . what are you doing?" The four jumped before turning to her like children with their hands in the cookie jar.

"Umm . . . making sure there aren't stains on the door!" Tenshi supplied. Robin sighed while Yoko smacked Tenshi for the excuse.

"Get out of here!"

"But they just started to fight." Tenshi whined.

"Go!" Robin hissed as she pointed her finger towards the stairs. The four sulked off while Robin made sure they didn't linger while Setsuko and Kakashi began to shout at each other.

"Dammit Setsuko!!!! This again! How many times do I have to tell you, you are human." Kakashi yell was heard through the door as the four were shoved downstairs by Robin.

Tsunade tapped her fingers patiently on her desk. She was deep in thought, trying to sort a few things out.

"You wished to speak to me?" Yoko entered the room as she spoke.

"Hai. Since Setsuko is currently recovering and Naruto has no ability to deal with these things yet, I want to speak to you about Robin and Akira." Yoko nodded as she sat down in her chair. "Well, it took longer than we wanted because of Orochimaru but there will be a chuunin selection exam soon. I'd like for Robin to take the exam. She could be on team 8, they need a member. Akira will probably have to be in the academy."

"Of course Hokage-sama." Yoko calmly replied. "I think those two are the only ones who might consider being shinobi."

"The others?" Tsunade asked as her curiosity peeked.

"I myself will perform any duties a meiko would. Masaru is not a ninja. He is a samurai. Yukio will probably become a cook somewhere in town."

"What of Tenshi? What will he do?"

"She." Yoko corrected. "It is better to refer to Tenshi as she. Tenshi will have to speak to you about her duties here."

"What do you mean?" Yoko smiled at the memory.

"Well, Tenshi has several areas where she might like to expand. Tenshi is a good doctor, yet she has no real expertise in that field. More like a family doctor that you go to with a cold. However, as you might have seen with the snake, Tenshi is an expert in genjutsu. However she has no real strength nor does she have much chakra for ninjutsu. She is very fast though." Tsunade nodded to herself as Yoko spoke.

"I'll see what I can do. Please send Tenshi to me once you get back." Yoko smiled.

"Very well." She bowed before leaving.

Kakashi gently tucked Setsuko into her bed. She was worn herself out from crying. He passed Robin when he left the room as the young girl entered. She spared him only a glance as they passed and she sat down in a chair. She sat there for several minutes before the silence was broken.

"Robin-chan . . ." Setsuko whispered. Robin blinked a few times before looking at her.

". . . I see . . ." Robin sighed. "You told him." She smiled slightly. "What did he say?"

". . . ano . . ." Setsuko refused to blush. She was tired of being some girl with a crush.

"I see." Robin smirked as she tugged on a braid. ". . . demo . . ."

"Nani?"

"Has he seen the real you? Or have you been put up a facade to get him to like you?"

Yoko paused briefly as she came to an abandon shrine. She looked to the side as she felt a presence. She pulled a piece of paper with kanji written on it out of her sleeve as she slowly turned.

"Akuryo Taisan!!!!!!" She yelled as she threw the paper towards a shadow. A scream was heard as she banished a demon from the old temple. Yoko walked over to the fading shadow and knelt down. She clasped her hands together and prayed for the old spirit as it left.

"Honestly, I do not know." Setsuko sighed as she leaned back into her pillows.

"What are you going to do about it?" Robin asked quietly.

". . . . I have no idea." Setsuko turned her head to Robin.

"I do not think I have your answer. I myself have never felt for a boy. Not like you are feeling for Kakashi-san. Now, get some sleep and you'll be out of bed faster." Robin made her way to the door after making sure that light was gone from the room. "I'll see you later." She whispered before move to the door to leave. Setsuko thought for a few moments before making up her mind.

"Wait." Robin turned to look at her.

"Nani?"

"Robin . . . I've made up my mind. I want to be the prince." Robin tilted her head in confusion.

"I . . . I do not understand." Setsuko smiled as determination filled her.

"I don't want to be a princess. I am not going to be someone who will be rescued. I want to be the one running off and rescuing others. I want to be the one protecting everyone, not the other way around." Robin smiled to herself as things became clear.

"I see. You want to be the one to slay the dragon and be the hero. Not just some girl. I am the same way Setsuko-chan. I do not want to be rescued. I want to fight for myself, not let someone fight for me." Setsuko nodded with a smile.

"Hai! I won't cry anymore. I'm done with that. I'm going to be who I want to be. Not who others want me to be." Robin smiled as she opened the door and stepped out.

"We will both be the prince. We'll rescue everyone else. We will slay the dragon of our fairy tale. And then, we shall find the one our heart desires, if there is one at all, and we shall get our happy ending." Robin smiled gently as she closed the door after Setsuko nodded.

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Kanji- Japanese writing

Akuryo Taisan- Japanese Phrase used to exorcise demons.