Chapter 4: To Great Heights

They all looked past Kyo curiously. On impulse Kyo, as well, turns around to see Kureno walked towards them. There he was, just as they finished talking about him. What had been the point of those five being told to go into the forest and wait for him to arrive? Kyo stares at Kureno questioning his movements towards them. His expression showed his quickly revealing determination. "What d'you want!" Kyo yells at him basically demanding an answer.

Kureno shakes his head blankly. "There is no need for a beast like you….to be here. Go back to the rat hole you probably live in." He replies, his voice quiet as he spoke.

Kyo glares at Kureno and stays in the same spot. He gets shoved away by him and he hits a tree. Feeling a strange, stinging sensation run up and down his spine. His left hand automatically goes to his back and rubs around quickly, and then he pulls his hand back in front of him. On his red, burning fingers, were specks of blood, but he wasn't too badly hurt that he would be in pain for more then a few moments. He staggers quickly to his feet and stands up straight, watching Kureno stop, leaving only a few feet between him and the other five members of the juunishi. Muttering every swearing type of word under his breath angrily, Kyo begins to look as though he is ready to strike back at Kureno.

His eyes were scanning across the line of Haru, Rin, Momiji, Hiro, and Kisa slowly as if to make sure they weren't objecting to anything. "Now… I have something to tell all of you…" he says softly, pausing as his eyes glued to Haru as he grabs Rin's hand as if he was thinking of being with Rin during the whole talk. "Privately…" he adds firmly. Haru and Hiro appear to glare at Kureno. Letting go of her hand, Haa-chan grins a little. "First…I'd like to speak with Kisa." He says her name delicately, his voice gentle.

Nodding slightly she comes towards him. None of them could remember a time where Kureno acted in such a forceful manner. He was treating them like dirt, in a way that they had never seen. Gripping her hand tightly in his own he walks off fairly deep into the forest. Out of nowhere he grabs both of her hands and shoves her backwards, she falls onto a tree stump, sitting now, her bottom that hurt a little. "Kure…" he quickly cuts her off as he begins to speak over her gentle, soothing voice.

"Look!" He says sounding very angry. Kureno was normally very calm and such, so Kisa was taken aback by his booming voice. "You! Are not permitted to love anyone on the 'inside' or 'outside'. Not one person!" He grabs her wrist and pulls her up to her feet. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? KISA SOHMA!" Kureno bellows. His voice was like a large thunderstorm passing overhead. It frightened her quickly and took major affect. When they went back to the rest of them, she kept her distance from Hiro, so instead, she stood beside Hatsuharu.

Hiro, seeing this, became angered and decided to insist upon being the next person to go with Kureno for their little 'private' conversation. But as he walks forth, Haru puts his arm in his way and he falls down. Haa-chan walks with Kureno to where he had take Kisa. "What did you say to her you little, good for nothing suck up?" He exclaims questioning him. "She looks like she saw a God damn ghost!" Hatsuharu had looked as though he had blown a fuse. And…well, that's cause he did. He was now Black Haru. Kureno sighs and stares at Haru. "ANSWER ME YOU DAMN FREE LIVER!" He swings his fist at Kureno.

Catching his fist quickly, he trips Haru, and pulls his arm behind his back. His knee rested on his pulled arm. "See here, you are not permitted to make any kind of physical contact with Isuzu! Okay?" He says in annoyance. Kureno knew he was being commanded by 'The God' to do what he is doing, and he couldn't help but feel bad suddenly for Haru's concern. Although, of course, he worries about everyone except himself and Akito. "You are not to touch, hug, kiss, sleep with, or talk to her." He orders. Haa-chan tries to wriggle around in an attempt to get Kureno's knee off his back so that he can take him down.

"MAKE ME YOU BASTARD!" He spat in anger as he tried to grab him with his free hand. Kureno merely grabs his other hand, and puts it under the same knee.

"I will tell you one thing Hatsuharu….you disobey what I have ordered you to do. Akito will unleash her fury upon Rin in front of you." He informs him, feeling a joyful feeling of power surge through his veins. He knew he has changed, but it was all for Akito's pleasure. "Tell me that you will not go anywhere near her! Tell me that the only times you'll ever speak with her is during the Sohma New Year's party!" Kureno was demanding the answer to be 'yes' to both questions.

Swallowing slightly, Haru could feel a lump materialize in his throat. He couldn't answer. He didn't want to. He had to. Pulling his head to the side to glance at Kureno he spits at his pants and replies, "Fine…" in a defeated type of tone.

Getting to his feet swiftly and kicking Haru in the chest, Kureno looks down at him. "Leave and go back to the Main House." He commanded, grinning proudly. Once more, the feeling of raw power ripped throughout his body like a cheetah that was trying to catch its lunch. It was eager and brought the need of more. As Haru gets up and runs off in the correct direction of the Main House, he laughs smugly.

Rin had found her way to the area Kureno and Haru were located. She found Kureno by himself. "Kureno! Where is Haa-kun!" She questions charging up to him. Swinging her open hand, Kureno clenches his hand around her wrist tightly, twisting it down so that she felt great pain. Letting out a yelp of pain tears fall down her cheeks. It was unbearable. "How…. What's wrong with you!" She yells out trying to fight against the pain. Rin began blinking a lot as she made a futile attempt to fight back her tears. "LEMME GO KURENO!" She shouts and then gets released, leaving the momentum of her pulling away to push her to the ground. Looking up at him slightly fearful, Isuzu cowers, crawling backwards only to be caught against a tree.

"These orders are simple." He says softly as he eyes Rin. "You are not to go near, touch, kiss, hug, or even speak to Haru, ever again." Kureno sounded as if he were laying down laws, which he practically was. Isuzu glares back at him, biting her bottom lip. She couldn't ever be away from Haru again after they had finally gotten on the same level and were finally together in all ways. "If you do….you will suffer consequences at the hands of our God." Finishes Kureno making a good attempt at sounding cruel. Not that he really had to try because the way he was acting was good enough.

Tears began to stream from Isuzu. She couldn't believe her ears. He sounded so proud of what he was doing. Kureno actually looked as though he was enjoying tormenting the few he has so far seen. "Oh, and I forgot to add that the only times you can speak with him are when you are at the Sohma New Year's party." He kicks her ankle and walks back to the remaining four people, only two that he had to inform: Momiji and Hiro.

He got there and grins gently. "Hey!" Kyo exclaims furiously. "Where is Rin and Haru?" Kyo asks roughly as he stays planted beside Kisa. She, surprisingly, was clinging to his arm in fright of just seeing a glimpse of Kureno.

"They went home, beast, and you should too!" Kureno shot.

Kyo grins and shakes his arm loose of Kisa's grip. "Now, see here, uncursed boy! Just because you are Akito's damn puppet, doesn't make you any damn different! Akito's messed up, and so are you." He was shouting as he stomped closer to Kureno. Snapping his fingers Kyo startles Kureno. At the sound of the snap, Kisa, Hiro, and Momiji went running. Clearly they had sorted out an idea incase something -such as this- were to happen.

He smirks and places his foot at Kureno's throat. "You may have gotten into Haru's and Isuzu's heads, but the rest of us can do what ever we damn well please, got that!" Kyo pushes his foot down harder, forcing Kureno to attempt to gasp for air. His hands were clenching Kyo's ankle trying to pull it from under his chin. He was clinging to dear life as he attempted to free himself. Kyo, by choice, pulls his foot away from Kureno and begins walking, the pauses shortly, turning his head to look at him. "Don't ever…set foot near me…" he notifies Kureno and then continues on his way back to Shigure's house.

Walking into the house after sliding the door open he spots something that, on any usual un-normal day, would piss him off. Sitting in the living room, squeezed onto the couch were: Hiro, Kisa, Momiji, and Tohru. All of them were chattering away like crazy, until they notice Kyo. Tohru's face gets a little red as she shoots to her feet and runs to him. "Your home!" She exclaims happily. On sudden urge, she almost flings her arms around him as she had almost done when Momiji and Hiro walked up to her. Kisa she hugged lovingly once she set foot on the porch. Momiji almost clung to Tohru. And, Hiro, well, he went straight to the living room, sat down, and demanded orange juice. She looked especially excited to see Kyo as the others had told her how Kureno was, mostly according to Hiro, 'A man who enjoys manipulating little children in agreeing with things that they didn't want to not have to do.' Which was awfully confusing to Tohru, Kisa, and Momiji, so they just agreed that Kureno was 'off his rocker'.

He smiles at Tohru and looks to see Shigure staring at all of them. "My, my, my!" He exclaims coming into the living room.

Kyo stomped off away from everyone and charged up to his room; irrationally tossing his shoes out the window only to realize he had no other shoes.

Shigure claps his hands together and rubs them up and down. "Now, why have I been blessed with the likes of you three?" He asks referring to Hiro, Kisa, and Momiji. Two of them usually resulted in Kyo getting angered and engaging in fights that end up tearing apart his magnificent house.

Hiro stares at Shigure. "Do you not want us here?" He asks. Shigure flails his hands around in front of himself. He couldn't help but get confused and annoyed by Hiro's little rants on how they are implying this, and saying that. "You expect us kids to be outside, all alone, after being offended and harmed by a friend, a family member of some sort?" Hiro questions trying to act insulted. Shigure slaps his forehead realizing that it has begun and he couldn't ever figure out a way to stop it. "You want us to go around, without chaperones? Are you expecting that we know everything? Is it to my attention that you are implying that we are not a lovely blessing that has been set upon you, so that you can take care of us?" Hiro was almost full of psychological questions that can either: Make you think, annoy you, piss you off, or hit him. The last three seemed to all be in the same category, which was, 'Hatred Of Manipulation'.

Sighing Shigure walks up to Hiro and leans forward to look at him eye-to-eye. "I am not implying anything my dear boy…" He says gently, and waves his left hand in front of them as if he were in disbelief of Hiro's accusations. Turning and walking back to the threshold of the kitchen he mutters, "That kid is gonna be the death of someone that doesn't have much brain power." He groans, "That means he may end up talking my dear Tohru to death," his eyes grew a little wide and he shakes his head.

Yuki stood in front of him and appeared a little irritated. "Watch what you say, Shigure… some stupid things you say will land you in a nuthouse beside Ayame's shop.." he mumbles then shoves past Shigure. "And don't refer to Honda-san has 'my dear'. It's not right." He waves to Tohru and sits down with them in the living room as they all begin to play Dai Hin Min (Rich Man, Poor Man).

Kyo lie upstairs in his bed quietly. One foot firmly planted on the bed, his knee in the air a little, and his other leg outstretched. His left arm was behind his head, his right hand rested on his stomach. His attention was set on the window in his room since he was gazing out it. He knew that for the next two days he would be going to stay at Shishou's Dojo as he was to stay their for three days a week. He sighs a little. His mind was on so much now. The start of the upcoming school term: Which he considered to be his last chance to have a real life after it. Then his mind was on Tohru and how he felt about her. Of course there was the thought of Shishou and staying with him as often as he did. Some much was racing through his mind, he felt like he couldn't keep up with all of it. Then it came to him, there was also the matter of having to find out what Akito, Kureno and -who he has always expected- Shigure. She was going to great heights just to ensure that she got something her way. Was Akito afraid of something happening? Did she sense something leaving her power? Kyo couldn't pinpoint it and he knew he'd have to think some more later.

He could hear the cheery voices of everybody downstairs. Even Hiro sounded as though he was having fun, getting to play a game with everyone that he could attempt to enjoy. Kisa was always yelling in glee as she won for the first time in the fourteen games they had already played. He sat up completely and then got off the bed. Walking out of the room he hears loud, charging footsteps. His eyes grew extremely large as he skid to the window. Fiercely he began pulling up at the window, sadly he had forgot to unlock it, and he could hear the running getting closer. "OH NO! KA-GU-RA!" He yelps hearing the door slam open. Kyo begins to viciously punch at the window. "Not now!" He exclaims pleadingly. The locks on the window eventually unlatch themselves and he manages the pull the window up. He goes to jump out and Kagura takes hold of both of his ankles. Kyo was now hanging upside down, barely out the window, by Kagura.

She whips him back in with a quick snap and he smashes through some of the wall. Spotting the scratched up, back of his shirt she throws him into the air in sad hysteria. Catching him, she spins him around as she twirls in circles, holding him by his ankle and hand. "YOU STILL DON'T CALL ME KYO-KUN!" Her voice sounded so evil.

"I SEE…. AHHH! YOU THREE TIMES," pauses in incredible pain, "A DAMN WEEK!" She drops him on the ground then jumps on his back and examines the scratches and slight trickles of blood that was spread across his back from various small scratches when Kureno shoved him earlier. Probing at his little scratches with her finger, Kagura soon grabs Kyo by his hair and pulls his head back.

"So…you…" tears were slowly dripping from her eyes now. She was so upset, "You just don't care about me Kyo…I love you, and you treat it like it's nothing!" Kagura shouts sorrowfully.

He glances at her from the corner of his eye, trying to put up with the pain. Opening his mouth to speak, she slams his head into the ground. A cut opens up just to the right of his right eyebrow. She gets off his back and stands, her hands intertwined behind her back. "Can't you just….just this once…be happy that someone loves you like I do…" she whispers quietly.

Kyo stands up and stares at her, her back was to him. He sighs and grabs her hand and turns her around. "Kagura….I appreciate how you feel…but," he stops and gulps a little, "I just don't feel the same way, you know?" She nods tears still dripping down her cheek. He smiles gently and then pulls her to him and hugs her. "You try really hard, you know that…." He whispers softly, "I'm happy to have you as a friend but, only as a friend, okay, Kagura?" Kyo asks pulling away from their embrace.

She sniffles and nods, rubbing her eyes to wipe away the tears. Kagura really did love Kyo and took his promise from when they were younger to heart. She remembered him pleading and yelling for his life, "Fine! Fine! Kagura! I'll marry you! Just don't kill me!" She laughs seeing this in her mind's eye.

Kyo pats her on the head and walks passed her and out of the room. His footsteps echo throughout the house as he came down the stairs. "Dai Hin Min?" He asks trying to sound surprised at this.

Tohru smiles. "Yes! Come on Kyo-kun, we're starting a new game, you can join in if you like…" She offers politely.

Seeing the annoyed face on Yuki, he grins. "YEAH! I'm in! And when we play I'm gonna beat…" he pauses pointing across the table they were all sitting at to Yuki, "YOU! DAMN RIGHT RAT BOY! Watch me wipe the floor with your pretty boy face!" He shot insults left and right during the whole game whenever he had the advantage over Yuki.

To Be Continued…..in Chapter 5.

So far I've really enjoyed typing this fanfic, as I try to type a chapter a day for many of my fanfics that I try to keep updated regularly. I just started indenting...cause...well, I didn't know how to edit the chapters...(don't ask,lol)

What's that in Kyo's hand! Oh yes, it's the next Chapter of Aikyou! Lol, Couldn't resist, they always have that on the back of the manga at the end of the summary.

Please R/R

Thanks:

Luna-Starr- Thank you for the review, as your review is the only one so far. In response to you being surprised that Akito, is in fact, a girl. Its revealed in the manga and the anime creators didn't know about that until after the first anime season was finished. I think it's volume 11 they reveal he's actually a she….:twitches: I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this fanfic.

K40Sohma- Thanks! And I wonder why Ppl don't review my story too,lol. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story to come.