R&R longer note at the end
Homura continued to stare at the girl in front of her the shock slowly beginning to pass, it felt like time stood still as the two girls looked at each other Homura could see the hidden hatred behind the girl's green eyes. She saw the small twitch at the corner of the blonde's lips as time seemed to return to normal, as if on instinct Homura jumped backwards as a wooden doll flew into her direction drawing one of her katana's she quickly dispatched of the creation landing on the grassy floor below as her eyes fell onto the tree's to her left there was only one person she could think of who used dolls to do her dirty work.
"You might as well come on out" Homura said as the figure of another woman formed against the blackness of the forest, she stepped into the clearing her honey blonde hair curled up at the ends above her shoulders where a long white lab coat hung neatly, the glint of test tubes shone through as she walked.
"Still as sharp as ever I see" the new comer replied a sadistic smile on her face as she walked to stand with the blonde "It makes me happy to see your still with us, it means I haven't been denied the gratification of taking your life". The tanned girl's eyes scanned her surroundings, she knew better than to let her guard down her life in that hell scape of a school and her life as a renegade had taught her attacks could come from anywhere.
"I assume you're expecting our other two team mates?" the blonde asked as Homura's eyes darted back "Well don't worry they won't be joining us".
"What does that mean?" Homura asked as her eyes darted between the two, she noted the surprisingly sad looks in their eyes "Yomi, Haruka. Tell me, they were my team mates as well".
"Team mates stick together" the honey blonde called Haruka shot back her voice ringing with sadness and anger "They don't abandon their team and become renegades, especially not the leader, I knew you weren't fit for the role but I let you have it".
"If you must know former leader" the shorter blonde Yomi said her voice full of venom at the mention of leader as Haruka fell silent "They died, they died because of you". Homura took a step back as her katana fell from her shaking hand, they died because of her? There must be some kind of mistake, this must be a ploy to make her loose the will to fight, her eyes darted to Haruka who looked away.
This was no ploy it was real she felt her knee's give way as she fell to the floor as the faces of her two former team mates flooded her frozen mind, the shortest member her long black hair and arrogant attitude had always kept the team on their toes never sure what she would do next, however it was her long range fighting and aiming skills that they admired most and had earned her a spot on the elite team. Since then she had always pushed herself hardest being the youngest member she wanted to prove she belonged every day always fearing she would be replaced or left behind at any moment.
Next was their green haired member she always claimed to not have any emotions but even they could see the signs of it being just something she said, her skills with the knife and poisons made her one of the deadlier of the members, even Haruka was impressed with her always discussing different venoms and toxins they could mix together to make her even more deadly.
"H-how?" Homura asked through numb lips as she looked up at the two girls in front of her, neither one looking like they would answer "How!?" The two looked over unable to ignore the shout from their former leader, they looked to each other before Yomi nodded her eyes returned to the tanned girl in front of them.
XXX
The purple haired instructor walked the familiar halls of Hebijo academy, her destination the elite class dormitory she sighed as she thought about what she had to do, as their instructor the task had fallen on her shoulders. She stood at the door listening to the sounds of laughter and arguments, slowly she slid the door open as she entered the girl's eyes fell on the tall figure of their instructor as the room went deathly quiet as they lined up.
"One of you is missing" The instructor said as the girl's exchanged nervous glances, the older girl stepped forward as the instructors red eyes fell on her, her honey blonde hair curled at the ends above her shoulders, her ample chest was hugged by her black school uniform as she tugged nervously at her short black skirt.
"Our leader is resting instructor Suzune" the girl lied "She hasn't been feeling well today".
"Is that so?" instructor Suzune asked with a raised eyebrow as she rolled her eyes over the other girls who nodded "Seems her recovery was quicker than expected, I have just spoken with your leader at the docks". The girl's fidgeted a little more as they knew their lie had been exposed, the purple haired woman's red eyes rolled over them as she saw the cracks in their composure forming rather quickly.
"Lesson one, learn to lie better" She continued "Lesson two, never drop the lie when it is exposed. Understood?"
"Yes instructor" the girls said in unison as they continued to look to their instructor, a short green haired girl locked her emotionless yellow eyes on the instructors cold red ones, she could feel there was more but felt it best not to pry.
"You won't need to worry about polishing your lies for your leader any longer if you're interested" she said as the girls looked on confused, taking a moment to find the words the instructor continued "She took a mission and killed the client and his men, therefore she has been removed from the school and labelled a renegade". The girl's stood in silence as the news washed over them, the purple haired woman watched quietly before making her exit.
XXX
"This has to be some kind of mistake" the blonde said as the group slowly sat down processing the news "It can't be real right?" The rest of the table was quiet they couldn't help the glances at their leader's room almost expecting her to jump out grinning revealing the whole thing to be just a prank, the youngest member kept her head down quiet as the girl's fell into silence once again.
"I can't believe she would do this" the honey blonde girl said slamming a fist onto the wooden table causing the other girls to jump "We're a team, if she was going to pull some stupid stunt like this she could have took us with her".
"What happens now?" the youngest member asked quietly as she raised her head looking at the older members "Will we be forced to disband?" The blonde girl tried her best to look reassuring but she couldn't help the feeling in the pit of her stomach, what was going to happen? Would they be disbanded? Would a new leader be assigned? All these questions raced through the groups minds as the green haired girl stood, the other three in the room looked up wondering what she was thinking.
"It's late" she said as she yawned heading for her room "Time to sleep".
"We are dealing with a crisis here!" the younger girl yelled as she jumped to her feet as the girl looked back "Not that you would care, Hikage the emotionless". The green haired girl called Hikage looked at the younger girl, it was true she didn't have emotions but that didn't mean she didn't understand the situation but she knew there wasn't much that could be done. Ignoring the younger girl, she turned her back on them yawning again as she continued to her room closing the door behind her.
"Relax Mirai" the platinum blonde girl said trying to calm her friend "I know Hikage cares about this just as much as we do but for now we must keep calm and trust in the instructor to resolve the issue in her own way". The long black haired girl began to slow her breathing calming herself as she walked away to her room, slamming the door behind her looking at her room. They didn't understand, this was everything to her, years of hard work could be taken away due to a selfish act from someone she had looked up to, losing her place here would be like losing her family.
XXX
The elite class sat in the common room waiting for the verdict of what would happen to them next, it had been three days since their former leader Homura had been labelled a renegade, their purple haired instructor had been in front of the governing board of the school to plead the case of keeping the elite class as one today was the day their decision would be reached.
The honey blonde haired girl stared deep into her cup of green tea her mind spinning, she had been hit hardest by the news of Homura's betrayal, the elite class had started with them both she had respected Homura the day they had met. Her never back down attitude had been something to be admired, as the other girls had slowly filtered in she had always been herself, brash and unapproachable with the heart of a caring leader.
When the choice had been forced on them to pick a leader the governing board had informed her they wanted her to do it, the girl had turned it down demanding the leaders position be placed on Homura, the glue that held them all together. Slowly she looked up seeing the faces of Hikage, Mirai and Yomi, these three girls where the only ones she had ever considered friends she looked to the empty spot that her best friend Homura should have been filling. She couldn't help feeling a tightness in her chest as the betrayal she felt began battling with the feelings of friendship, she was snapped out of her thoughts as the door slid open the tall figure of their instructor was framed in the doorway.
"You don't need to stand for this" She said her voice calm and cool "The board have reached their decision the elite class will remain on one condition". The girls couldn't hide their joy as Mirai smiled, Hikage however continued to look on unlike the others she had made sure to note the last thing the instructor had said.
"What condition?" She said her voice emotionless as the other three girls looked towards her before returning their gaze to the instructor, the woman's red eyes locked on the green haired girl's yellow snake like eyes.
"A new leader must be assigned by the end of the day" she said as the girls went quiet her eyes slowly found their way to the honey blonde "The board have chosen you Haruka to fill the role, of course you can refuse if you wish and decide your own leader from within however if a choice is not made by the end of the day the elite class we have now will be disbanded and a new one will take its place, chosen by the board". The three girls looked to the honey blonde named Haruka as she let her mind wonder, she knew this would happen, as the longest member of the elite class it was the right choice to have her as the leader, slowly she stood a decision reached in her mind.
"With all due respect, I decline" Haruka said simply "I will not replace Homura, no matter what she has done I can't live up to the standard of leader she stood for". Yomi looked to Haruka with a small smile, she couldn't deny she had felt the same way she had always admired Haruka's way of thinking, how she toyed with people to get what she wanted but when the situation called for her to be serious she held nothing back.
"Then decide someone among yourselves, you have until the end of the day" Instructor Suzune said before leaving closing the door behind her, she had expected this would happen as she walked back to her office Homura had been the glue for the elite class now she was gone, she could only hope they could continue to hold the pieces together without her.
"I'll do it" Mirai said standing proud her hand on her small chest as she looked to the other three girls "I said I would be leader". The three continued to stay silent, they couldn't deny her skills as a shinobi however her cocky and arrogant attitude wasn't what they would consider the correct way for a leader to be.
"I say let her do it" Hikage said with a bored tone as she finished her drink "She will only be noisy if we say otherwise". Mirai's eye twitched a little at the comment, she had always felt the other girls had looked down on her because of her age treating her like a kid but this was the last straw as the girl glared down at the other shinobi.
"Fight me" She said simply as Yomi and Haruka's eyes snapped to them both in confusion of how this had escalated to such an extent "You have looked down on me from your high horse for the last time, fight me if you win I'll let you be leader if I win I'm leader and you will bow to me". Hikage looked up to the girl as she sighed standing up as she reached up cracking her neck a little, Yomi stood as she made to stand between the two girls before things truly took an ugly turn. Haruka's eyes instinctively darted to where Homura would sit as the tightness returned, the bitter reminder that her former best friend and leader was no longer here.
"Let them do it" Haruka said finally as she looked to the three girls "We are shinobi and we settle it with a battle so settle this with the fight, I'll referee".
Longer than usual chapter honestly I was so into writing this one it was longer than I'd planned. I was hoping to clear everything up in one chapter but when I got to the moment of Haruka agreeing to referee and I saw how long it had become it felt like a good stopping point, so the next chapter will wrap up Yomi's explanation of what happened between the other two