dna- srry i havent updated in a while. this chapter took a lot longer than expected so i apologize for the long wait. for those who are interested, i have a bleach story up now, so feel free to check it out if u want. enjoy!
Run Away Forever Chapter 22- Judas
"… …Aki… ya… …" Kurama said, still overwhelmed with shock and disbelief.
There was silence as everyone tried to convince themselves that this was just an act, but she was dead serious.
"Wha… what're you doing?" Kuwabara asked, breaking the silence.
"Don't misunderstand. My job was to bring you here," Akiya replied as she joined Shiburi's side.
"You had this planned from the start! All those years ago when we took you in!" Imaru growled.
"Ninjas are deceiving," she replied. "You should know that yourself old man."
Genkai still couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had known Akiya for a very long time now, and she never seemed the type to throw someone's trust away so carelessly. But her shock was nowhere near Hiei's shock. He did a decent job hiding it, but truthfully, he was more shocked and betrayed than anyone else was. However, Akiya saw through him and smirked.
"We could've had something Hiei," Akiya said. "But you just moved too slow."
Everyone turned towards Hiei who had a stern look hiding what he really felt inside. What had Akiya meant when she said that they could've had something? What was going on? However, no one asked anything.
"If only you'd swallowed your pride, but you couldn't even do that much for me," Akiya continued with her smirk. "Instead, you tried to deny everything. I gave you so many chances, but you threw them all away."
"Wait… Akiya…" Kurama said. "This is unreasonable…"
"Is it?" she asked as she performed a series of hand seals. "Ground Hold Technique."
The detectives and Jiruma and Imaru all glanced down to see that their feet had sunk down in the sand.
"I-I can't move!" Kuwabara shouted.
"And you think anyone else can!" Yusuke asked, trying to find a way to get out of Akiya's attack.
"Akiya-san! Please stop this!" Jiruma shouted.
"There's no being reasonable with something like that!" Imaru replied angrily.
Hiei was still speechless. He hadn't even attempted to escape from the attack even though he could have.
"Shiburi-san," Akiya said as she stepped next to her.
"Of course," she replied as she took a step forward. Particles started to flow out of her body as the detectives nervously watched. "Compression Technique…"
The particles surrounded the detectives and bonded together, forming a huge translucent wall. It closed in on them, and then suddenly, it smashed shut.
"Barrier! Activate!" they heard Imaru shout as a bright blue barrier blasted the wall of particles away, also freeing their legs from Akiya's attack, surprising her and Shiburi.
"Impressive," Akiya complimented. "I didn't think you'd be able to think clearly enough. Obviously, I underestimated you."
"I still don't believe this…" Kuwabara said, trying to convince himself as well as everyone else that this was all an act. "It's not true… I mean, c'mon… I know we didn't talk much with each other, but I know you enough to know that you'd never let us down… Akiya?"
"What are you? A drama queen?" she asked emotionlessly with the same smirk on her face. "You should listen to yourself. It's too pathetic."
"Akiya-san," Shiburi interrupted. "It seems they think you're not serious. Should we show them they're wrong?"
"We should," she replied as they turned their attention back to the detectives and the others who were paralyzed from shock.
"Prism Technique," Shiburi said after taking her time performing the hand seals.
A hexagonal box suddenly appeared around each person, trapping them inside. Genkai snapped back to reality first as she tried to break out of the box.
"Don't waste your time," Shiburi said. "This technique traps your spirit energy inside your body, and physical attacks are useless. There's no way to get out unless I set you free."
"You seem to have forgotten, we are ninjas as well," Imaru said from behind them. The box had merely captured a clone that disappeared.
Akiya and Shiburi turned around to see Imaru and Jiruma.
"Pit Hole Technique!" Imaru shouted after swiftly performing a series of hand seals and slamming one hand into the ground.
The ground beneath Akiya and Shiburi quickly began to collapse. In a matter of seconds, the solid dirt turned to quick sand and disappeared. However, the two of them easily dodged the attack.
"Spirit Seal!"
It was Imaru again. He was already behind Akiya and Shiburi. The two of them prepared to jump out of the way but Jiruma prevented them from doing so. While they were distracted with Imaru, she had quickly placed a Movement Sealing Talisman on each of them. Imaru hit them each in the stomach with his glowing red hands.
Shit! Akiya and she and Shiburi both fell to the ground.
"It's no use now Akiya-san," Jiruma said as she returned to Imaru's side. "You can't use your spirit energy anymore. Please stop this now!"
Shiburi took out a kunai as did Akiya.
"Hmph," Imaru snorted as he and Jiruma also pulled out their kunai knives.
Akiya jumped in first but abruptly stopped short when Shiburi fell to her knees. The detectives were suddenly released from her attack.
"Shiburi-san!" Akiya said alarmed as she teleported next to her. Shiburi seemed to be gasping and holding the side of her stomach in pain. "The Rose Whip!" she remembered. The poison must be spreading through her body fast by now! "Shiburi-san," Akiya said again as she helped her stand up. "Hold on just a bit!"
Akiya gently slung Shiburi over her shoulder and jumped back. The others stared at her, slowly registering everything that had just happened. Akiya reached back and grabbed a smoke bomb. She threw it on the ground as it exploded, all of the detectives coughing and blinded. When the smoke finally cleared, they looked up to see that she was already gone.
"She… she really went…" Kuwabara said.
"Great… what a pain in the ass," Yusuke replied in a serious tone. "Now we've got one more person to bring back…"
"Stop complaining and move it!" Genkai ordered, putting on a tough front like she always does in these kinds of situations.
She walked ahead of everyone as the detectives soon followed behind. Jiruma was about to follow but stopped when Imaru didn't make a move.
"Imaru-sama," she called quietly.
"That girl…" he replied, sadness clearly sounding in his voice. "She's not that kind of person…"
Jiruma kept quiet and listened.
"We're going Jiruma," Imaru said as he followed the detectives, his assistant right behind him. "We're going to bring her back…"
-----Shiburi and Akiya-----
"Shiburi-san, please hold on a bit longer!" Akiya said as she rushed to Rejuko's palace carrying Shiburi on her shoulder. "We're almost there!"
Sure enough, they both arrived within the next five minutes. The guards let them both through as they entered the palace and headed straight to where Rejuko was. When he saw them enter, he went to their side.
"This is surprising," Rejuko replied calmly as he looked at Shiburi. "What happened?"
"I apologize. It was my mistake," Akiya said bowing respectfully. "Imaru-san and Jiruma-san have come as well. I was fighting against Shiburi-san to catch them off guard, but I was a bit too careless…"
"Is that so?" he replied calmly like the last time. "Well, it's okay either way. The injury's not a problem."
Rejuko's hand glowed bright blue as he held it over Shiburi's wound. In less than three seconds, she seemed perfectly fine again.
"I apologize for my carelessness," Shiburi replied. "Should we confront them again?"
"No," he said. "You two have done well. Shiburi, rest. I will need you later.
"Yes sir," Shiburi replied as she exited the room.
"Akiya, you go out and deal with them for now. Make sure they are where they need to be for our plan to fall into place. And then come back. Do not do anything more than that. If they start to attack you or you feel you are in danger, come back immediately," Rejuko ordered.
"Yes sir," Akiya replied as she too exited the room.
Rejuko sat back down in his chair and stared absentmindedly ahead of him.
Where did you go… Moriko…?
-----Ten Years Ago-----
"Otou-chan?" Moriko called, tugging on the sleeve of her father's shirt.
"What is it?" Rejuko asked as he looked up at his daughter.
"Look! I scored first in the kunai and shuriken target competition! All my teachers were really proud cuz they said that I was the youngest person there!"
"That's my little girl!" he replied happily as he picked Moriko up and hugged her tightly. "Go show Okaa-chan too!"
He put her down as she ran into the kitchen.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Rejuko spun around.
"Moriko!" he called as he rushed to the kitchen. His eyes widened as he stared at his wife on the ground, laying in her own pool of blood with three kunai knives sticking out of her back. "A-Anji!"
"Okaa-chan! Okaa-chan!" Moriko cried.
"Anji!" Rejuko shouted as he quickly tried to heal her. "Anji! Hold on!"
"Re… juko…" she said, barely above a whisper.
"Don't speak!" he ordered. "Moriko! Hurry! Call a medical squad over!"
"Scared… I'm scared Otou-chan!" she replied trembling.
"Moriko!" Rejuko said sternly, trying to stay calm. "Be strong for Otou-chan and Okaa-chan, okay? Go call the medical squad. Hurry!"
Moriko nodded weakly as tears streamed down her eyes. She turned around and ran out of the house to get help.
"God dammit!" Rejuko cursed. "Don't worry honey! I'll save you! Just hold on! You'll be fine!"
"It's no good… it's too late dear…" Anji replied quietly.
"No! No it's not!" he assured himself as he tried desperately to heal her. "I'll save you! Somehow… I'll do it!"
"Moriko… don't lose her… Rejuko…" she whispered. "Please look after our child…"
"Stop it Anji! Stop saying those things! We're going to look after her together!"
"Rejuko…" Anji said, sliding her hand into her husbands hand as it stopped glowing. She smiled weakly.
"Who…?" Rejuko asked as tears started to escape his eyes. "Who the hell did this to you? Honey…? It was them, wasn't it? Those goddamn ninjas from that village… that old man, Imaru…"
"Stop… don't go after them…" she replied. "Promise me you won't…"
"But Aniji!" he objected.
"You have to look after Moriko!" she said as sternly as she could in her condition, coughing up blood in the process.
"Okay, okay!" Rejuko quickly said, concerned for her health. "I promise! Anything you want, I'll do it!"
"Thank you… Rejuko…" she said, barely even a whisper anymore. "Be a good father like you've always been to Moriko… don't ever let her go… protect her… with everything… you have…"
"Anji…!" he called as he squeezed her hand tightly, tears flooding from his eyes now.
"I love you… dear… …"
"Otou-chan!" Moriko called as he heard her dash to the kitchen with the medical squad. "Otou—"
She cut herself off. Rejuko was holding the limp and lifeless body of his wife in his arms, crying… wishing that there was something he could've done to save her. The little girl fell to her knees.
"O… kaa… chan…" Moriko whispered as the medics rushed to her mother. "Okaa-chaaaan!"
-----Two Years Later-----
"Moriko!" Rejuko called with a huge smile on his face.
"What is it?" she asked as she went over to him.
"Close your eyes!" he said, Moriko doing what she was asked. "Okay, open them now."
Moriko felt something around her neck and looked down at the necklace that her father had just given her. It was sparkling a beautiful deep blue. A happy smile grew on Moriko's face.
"Otou-chan! This is… so beautiful!" she replied, staring at it in awe.
"I knew you'd like it!" he said.
"Thank you so much!" Moriko exclaimed as she hugged Rejuko tightly, him hugging her back.
-----Couple Months Later-----
"Where're you going?" Rejuko asked, seeing his daughter packing quite a few things up in a small bag.
"Oh, I have a mission today Otou-chan," Moriko replied as she slung the backpack on her shoulders.
"Where?" he asked again.
"Over in the next few villages to the south," she answered, her father giving her a concerned look. "Don't worry Otou-chan. I'll be back in a few days."
"Be careful Moriko…" he said.
"I will," she replied as he watched her walk out of the door.
That was the last time I saw her… I should've stopped her from going, but I didn't do anything. I had already lost Anji… I didn't want to lose you too Moriko… you were the most important person to me.
Later, I found out that the village you went to was the one Imaru was at. The old man who mercilessly killed Anji… but when I went to get you back, you weren't there… where did you go… Moriko? I was determined to find you, but no matter what I did… nothing helped. It was like you had disappeared.
I trained myself like a madman. If I had to be the strongest guy in the universe, I would become that strong just to find you. It wasn't only because of the promise I made to Anji… you were the only thing I had left… the one thing that made me look forward to living each day… the one thing that made me feel alive. Even though you were that important to me… I let you go so carelessly…
Those asses who gave you the mission didn't even give a damn what happened. "You daughter was a ninja! Ninjas are only tools for people to use!" That was their excuse. They didn't have to go out there and fight. They didn't have anything to lose at all. They just sat on their asses and watched as everyone else kill or got killed.
Since the day I lost you, I swore to change the way ninjas were looked upon. I swore to make everyone else feel the pain that we had to deal with. Not only you and me, but everyone else who was like us… and I swore to get revenge, not for Anji's death, but for taking away Moriko… I knew you weren't dead… I believed with my whole being that you were still alive somewhere.
But then, I started to lose confidence. As more time passed, I started to doubt myself. I found myself… telling myself that you couldn't have been alive after all of those years. And that was when I heard about the talismans… "If one were to know how to use its true powers, one could do the forbidden and resurrect the dead with it." That was what I heard… and also… it would be able to find anyone as well… I went through the trouble of finding them, but what I hadn't expected was that the Light Talisman was inside a girl…
Moriko… Otou-chan hasn't forgotten about you… I will find you no matter what… even if the world stands in my way, I will find you… for Anji and for me… it was a promise I made to myself…
For that, I threw away everything…my pride… my humanity… I became a merciless demon. I killed everyone in my way, whether they were just villagers or ninjas or humans… it didn't matter to me. I became the thing I promised not to become… all for you Moriko… come back to Otou-chan… tell me where you are…
-----Detectives-----
Everyone walked in silence, not uttering the slightest noise. Suddenly, Genkai stopped.
"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked.
She didn't reply. Yusuke looked up to see Akiya. Everyone else did as well.
"Akiya!" Kurama called in surprise.
"I see you're all doing well since I left," she said.
"You're back!" Kuwabara cried. "You're back with us again, right!"
"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Akiya asked with a tired sigh. "That wasn't an act. I told you, I was never on your side. Why can't you get that through your head?"
"How long has it been since you were on his side Akiya?" Genkai asked.
"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time," she said. "I was never on your side."
The two ninjas were silent.
"Is that all you came for?" Genkai asked again.
Akiya smirked and teleported away.
"Hey! Wait up!" Yusuke shouted after her as Hiei followed her quickly.
Akiya looked back at Hiei and smirked, abruptly stopping.
"This is unexpected," Akiya remarked sarcastically. "You gonna keep coming after me?"
Hiei stared at her.
"So it's really true," he said, completely masking his true feelings. "You were never on our side. Everything was a lie."
"Someone finally gets it," Akiya replied.
"You had this plotted from the start," Hiei said. "Everything since the beginning didn't matter at all. It didn't mean anything."
"Instead of worrying about all of this junk, why not worry about your sister more Hiei?" Akiya asked emotionlessly. "It's come to that time where you have to choose between family and friend."
Akiya walked away from Hiei, but after a couple steps, she stopped and turned her head to him, looking him in the eyes.
"But you know… what we had wasn't a lie…" Akiya said, her voice soft and gentle as if regretting everything. "I don't know if that's something that mattered to you or not… but I thought you might've wanted to know regardless… at least not everything was a lie."
With that, she left, leaving Hiei where he was as Yusuke and the others had finally caught up.
"Aw man! Did she already leave?" Kuwabara complained.
"Hn," Hiei replied, ignoring Kuwabara as he walked in the opposite direction.
Kurama eyed him, knowing that something had happened. Genkai too, could also sense something had occurred. However, neither spoke up.
"Great… now whadda we do?" Yusuke asked.
"What the hell do you mean?" Genkai remarked. "We're going to bring her back too."
"I meant that!" Yusuke shouted with a vein on his head as the others finally noticed that they were surrounded by copies of themselves…
-----Next Chapter's Preview-----
Run Away Forever Chapter 23- The Dark Talisman
While the detectives as well as Jiruma and Imaru are fighting their clones, the kids retrieve the Dark Talisman for Rejuko. With the Dark Talisman in the hands of their worst enemy, the detectives are in for some major trouble, especially when Rejuko has collected information on their strength without even meeting them…