Sakura: Well, chapter five:)
Hiei: Ahem. Tell them Sakura.
Sakura: (innocently) Tell them what?
Hiei: (whaps Sakura)
Sakura: Ow! Fine! I might not update until Monday...
Hiei: Why?
Sakura: Because I'm busy bieng an ass an enjoying myself! Gawd!
Hiei: Much better.
Sakura: Hmph. I'm sort of happy with how this chapter turned out. Hiei may be a little OC, but I'm trying ladies! (and gents...?)
Hiei: Sakura owns not YYH, if she did... well it would suck.
Sakura: (sighs) This chapter is dedicated to Konoko-Chan! (Hitokiri-of-the-shadows)
Hiei: And... why again? (looks angry)
Sakura: Because... why are you angry? She only gave you back to me! She's just as crazy as I am! (glomps Konoko chan)
Hiei: Anyways, on with the fic.
Sakura: RIGHTO! Let's go eat us some knickers and have brunch! Cheerio then! (XD)
Chapter 5
I reached Genkai's temple in a matter of minutes, glad to back in my second home. I thought it best to leave her and let her think of a new test.
I ran to my room and grabbed my first-aid kit, checking to see if it was fully stocked as usual. I took it and walked leisurely back to where they last were and found no one.
After walking around for about a half an hour, I finally found five people gathered around towards the center. It had been lowered from what, eight? To five? Wow. Grandma gets it all done fast!
I saw Kuwabara and another walk towards me and saw Yusuke and another weird guy stay in the center. I run to catch up with Genkai and spotted a worried Botan. As I approached she smiled at me, a sort of a half-sided smiled.
"Hey Botan, what are you doing here?" I walked over and stood beside her, wondering why she was so nervous.
"Oh, nothing, it's just- I'm worried about Yusuke and this next fight," Botan confided softly.
"Not enough juice for another shot?" I asked, and she looked at me, shocked.
"What? How did you- what are you-"
"Spirit energy, Reikai, you know! Genkai's temple is my second home- of course I know about Spirit Energy!" I smiled at her.
She nodded, looking confused but relieved. Now I was confused. We watched the fight, and it seemed as though the freaky ninja dude was winning, getting in all the shots and those stupid suicide shooting stars thing. The end of it all? Well, let's just say I finally got to see Yusuke in action, AND finally realized what Kurama meant by Yusuke's little 'plans'.
All in all, turns out this little guy is really powerful and Kuwabara tried to defeat him, got smashed bad, and Yusuke beat the little guy- who randomly turned into this tall, buff guy with long hair.
The only reason I'm going over this so non-descript is because I'm still confused.
However, it's a good thing I brought that first-aid kit, I had to set Kuwabara's broken arm and mend Yusuke's scrapes.
I stayed for about half of his training, doing all the tasks alongside with him until I finally decided that I was bored and left in the middle of the night. I traveled the whole way back home on foot. It was very early in the morning when I got back and it was way too early to go back to sleep.
So I stood outside Kurama's room. Until I heard him stir, then I snuck in. VERY sneakily, might I add. And he STILL caught me. He just turned and smiled at me. I stuck out my tongue at him and waited until he sat up to crawl over to him.
His wounds appeared to be healing nicely and his trial was over, community service mostly. Neither Hiei nor Kurama mentioned me, for the better he said because then I'd owe Spirit World community service. I left the room so Kurama could change.
I went to my room and decided to take a shower. I nearly fell asleep! Once I was dressed again, I was informed by Kurama that it was grocery shopping day and that Mom was coming home in two days. Woah, too much loaded on at once! But I wasn't about to let my brother down, so I put on a strong front and followed him as we made our way to the grocery store.
Luckily, we didn't need much. In the time of my absence, he noticed less food had been missing. I had to smile at that, I was a little embarrassed truthfully! I picked out some random things like ramen and some delicious looking raspberries, and Kurama picked out the rest. I was too tired to notice anything else really.
We walked up to the cash register and began to put what little food we had onto the moving counter. We packed the food together and paid for the food.
When the two of us walked outside, I realized what a gorgeous day it was. And it truly was. It was just the right temperature, a few clouds in the sky for cooling off if the sun was directly upon you, and trees lined up against the large grocery store for calming comfort.
Kurama swore and handed me the three bags we had managed to fill to run back inside the grocery store, leaving me to my comforting trees.
THIRD PERSON POV
Sakura sat down in front of the trees, placing the three bags on one side and scrunching her knees up to her face. She smiled softly into her jeans, content in the perfect temperature. It was so perfect for a nap that she just couldn't resist. Sakura fell asleep. Before falling totally asleep, she heard footsteps walking towards her, and smiled. For some reason she felt safe.
:3 ------------'O'-------------- :3
Hiei stepped towards Sakura, his footsteps unsure but steady. He wasn't quite positive that she had forgiven him for his little 'escapade' shall we call it.
He sighed and stooped down to her level, wondering why it was she was sleeping and if her lacerated arms had begun to feel better. He lifted a fragile looking arm in his hand, looking at the light bloodstains upon them and sighing in relief, hoping once more that they would not be scarred because of him.
She was his first true friend. The only one he could rely on and speak his secrets to.
Sakura sighed in her sleep. It awoke Hiei from his past thoughts and he sat himself beside her, leaning his head against the tree as well.
He heard the sliding doors open and close many times before Kurama finally came out.
"Hello there, Hiei," Kurama said, nonchalantly but a little worriedly.
Hiei nodded and looked quickly back at Sakura. He turned his eyes back to the fox and followed as he moved in quick steps to the other side of Sakura, placing his newest bag near her side and leaning over to slide her over his back, her arms draping over his shoulders and falling across his chest.
"Hiei, would you- please?" Kurama shifted Sakura's weight on his back and nodded towards the grocery bags.
Hiei sighed, reaching to drape the four bags across his arms. With a short, slightly angry glance at Kurama, the two walked on.
Kurama smiled the whole way home, he was good at forgiving and wasn't all too well at holding a grudge, unless you threatened one he loved. But since Sakura forgave Hiei, Kurama concluded that he would as well.
Kurama turned around and began to walk backwards to chat with the disgruntled Hiei, his smile growing as Sakura buried her face into his rosy smelling hair.
"Well, Hiei, thank you for carrying the groceries! I'm sure you are wondering why it is that Sakura is sleeping near afternoon," Kurama waited for an answer, thinking perhaps that he would not receive one.
Hiei nodded curtly, watching as Kurama stepped out of the way of random things while not looking.
"Well, she was over at Genkai's for quite a while, in case you hadn't noticed her disappearance, and has been training alongside Yusuke. Judging from her reaction to all the training, we can assume that Yusuke will be just as tired but much stronger." Kurama watched his friends face for tell-tale emotions, finding none.
Kurama and Hiei continued walking that way until they reached the Minamino residence. Kurama talked some of the time, and Hiei listened all of the time, whether it was to Kurama's words or Sakura's soft breathing.
Kurama opened the door, kicking it open and stepping inside, kicking off his shoes. He turned around to tell Hiei to take off his shoes, but found only four shopping bags and the sigh of the wind.
Kurama smiled slightly, stepping over towards the living room, where a futon was located. He lay Sakura on the folded futon and turned back around to get the grocery bags.
'All that training must have been intense!' Kurama thought as he picked up the bags, 'And it's hard for her to train so hard, I suppose, considering that she has lacked in the use of her demon powers since we were born in ningenkai. I mean, I have used my powers, but they do differ slightly from hers… and not to mention that the most she does to display her demonic lineage is her little transformations. Oh, here I go again, off on a tangent and talking to myself!'
Kurama shook his head and dropped the grocery bags on the counter. His mother was to be released in two days, his sister would be tired those two days to save up her strength so as to seem her usual elated self for his mother, and him still partially healing from his stomach wound, although it had completely scabbed over and started to grow skin once more.
Sakura was a great kid, if only their demon mother had truly realized all that…But at least their human mother did. Sakura was that kid in everyone's family who was talented, pretty, unique and a total cutie.
Kurama thought through all that as he stocked the refrigerator and cabinets with fresh food, trying to get the slightly melting ice cream into the freezer before it was too late.
He rolled up the plastic bags and put them underneath the sink, where all the bags were kept. He turned toward the living room and sauntered over there. He walked in front of the couch, leaning over to pick up his sister once more.
Cradling her in his arms, Kurama stepped cautiously up the stairs that led to their conjunctional rooms. He kicked open the door leading into Sakura's room and stalked over to her bed, laying her softly down upon it.
He took off the sandals she had been wearing and put them beside her bed. Deciding his work was done, he began to walk out the door.
Not all scars show…
Kurama turned towards her computer. A curious message displayed across it's black background in bold red letters, chiller font.
Not all scars show, not all wounds heal, sometimes you can't always see the pain someone feels.
Kurama sighed and sat down at the computer, he would be hitting himself later, assuredly, but something about the message just chilled him, and made the curious fox want to see more.
He swirled the mouse, watching as the screen turned from dark to bright. He closed all the messages that had suddenly popped up from her AIM account, and signed her off. Kurama smiled at her computer background: it was a picture of when Sakura, Hiei and Kurama had gone to the beach on a rampant hooky day.
Sakura had been so happy that day. He remembered her sitting on the beach, oblivious to the scorching hot sand, then splashing around in the salty ocean, having the time of her life. It was good to see her smile after such tragedies that had befallen her.
He looked through some of her document, knowing something was calling him. Kurama assured himself that this was a brotherly thing to do, normal ningens did it as well, going through their sisters things.
MY PHOTOS!
Kurama clicked on that, feeling an emotion leaking out from each image, resonating from each smile or tear.
Sakura as an infant, holding hands with Kurama. Sakura on her bike, Kurama on his bike, Sakura looking sulky in a dress and Kurama looking handsome in a suit.
He laughed softly, Sakura would be sore when she heard that she would have to wear a dress for the next wedding- their mother's! She had met a kind man, Sakura had met him and liked him well enough, but usually wasn't all too well with strangers, and he was another reason that Kurama had been ready to sacrifice his own life for his mothers.
Shiori Minamino, luckiest mom in the world. Her son would have given up everything for her to make up for the hell she had had to deal with during his infantile actions in his younger years. He knew it must have been hard to have lived with a son who thought his mother was inferior, and the shyest girl in the three worlds.
But even if Kurama had died, Shiori would have had Sakura, her fiancé and his son. He shook his head, such thoughts were not good. Not only would Shiori have been heartbroken over the loss of her son, but Sakura at the loss of her brother. And he knew she wouldn't want to lose him once more…
He looked through the rest of the pictures, the ones in the beginning had more of Kurama and Sakura, Shiori and even some of their father, but very few. He recalled that she had downloaded every single picture on their mothers computer the day after her father passed away, knowing their mother would go through the files and delete anything that would invoke memories of him.
As he looked through the pictures, he suddenly realized that there weren't as many of Sakura as there were of Kurama and Shiori, and he quickly deduced that it was she who was taking the pictures. He clicked through most, none catching his eye until he reached one picture.
It was the first picture of Hiei on her computer. Most of him was covered in leaves, considering he was in a tree. Kurama glanced down at the title.
'The funny dude in that tree.'
'So Sakura had seen Hiei before I had', Kurama thought, glimpsing the date.
Kurama jumped as he heard Sakura stir in her sleep and quickly closed the documents program, jumping up from the chair. He quietly snuck out of the room, hoping she would remain unawares of his little search-and-find of her pictures.
'O'-------------------------
Tap tap
Sakura sat up lazily to greet the awkward tapping, a sleepy look in her eyes. She crawled out of bed, not realizing quite where she was. She looked in the mirror quick, noticing she still had her clothes on and her hair was a mess.
She scowled at her reflection and nabbed an elastic, putting her hair in a quick, messy but effective ponytail.
Sakura walked over to her window, looking outside before opening it. It was a large window, one that greeted the day with open arms that had a bench inside the room.
She opened the window wide, feeling cool air rush in all around her. Sakura quickly turned and saw Hiei standing near her desk, shuffling his feet slightly.
"Good evening, Hiei!" Sakura smiled and yawned.
He nodded to her welcome, sitting down upon the floor once he knew she wasn't too mad at him. He sighed and put an elbow on his knee and placed his head in his hand.
"What's troubling you Hiei?" Sakura kneeled down in front of the imiko.
He looked shocked a minute, lifting his head out of his and looking her in the eyes. Hiei thought a minute. Sure, something was bothering him, more of a lot of somethings. Mainly his past, sometimes the present, maybe the future.
"Hn." Hiei tried not to glare as Sakura playfully poke his small nose.
"Come now, Hiei! You know very well that doesn't work anymore!" Sakura smiled and sat back, her arms extended behind her.
"Nothing," Hiei muttered.
Sakura smiled, "Much better! Even if it wasn't the truth…"
Hiei looked at Sakura. She was always smiling. It made him want to smile at times, but pride got in the way of such feelings.
"Anyways, guess where I've been these past months!" Sakura pressed, putting her hands together in a soft clap.
Hiei watched as her smiled grew and awaited her answer.
"You're not going to guess?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.
"I don't have to guess, I know already. Genkai's, right?" Hiei answered her, knowing she would not stop until he had supplied an answer.
"Aw! Kurama told you didn't he?" Sakura pouted slightly, but brightened as she got back on track, "It was so much fun! All that training really wore me out though! I'm still tired, and sore all over!"
Sakura threw up her hands as she explained all the meticulous training she had gone through, not to mention slacking off with Yusuke. Hiei looked slightly pained when she spoke of Yusuke, guilt flooding his eyes briefly.
When she finally stopped talking about her experiences while training with Yusuke and Genkai, she let down her bandaged arms and lay them across her legs. She hardly noticed that Hiei had been following them around more than her story.
Hiei took a breath, watching as Sakura smiled at him, and reached forward, taking her arm and caressing it in his hands.
"I'm sorry," he said, words cold and rough, but melancholy.
Sakura closed her eyes as a gust of wind blew all around her. When she opened them, Hiei was gone and her window was open once more.
She paused a minute, thinking of how she would have to tell him that it wasn't his fault, and that it was fine.
Everything was going to be alright.
'O'-------------------------------------------
Sakura: It's over! Gotta go! Sorry to all my reviewers but I've got a train to catch:)
Hiei: Bai.
Sakura: Love you!
Fin Chapter Five