Disclaimer: Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto, not me. However, Kosu and Hiro are mine. Warning, possible themes of a dark, violent or suggestive nature and use of mature language as the story progresses… They're ninja after all.

Chapter 8

Darwinism

"Well you certainly managed to create a lot of drama." Mito didn't look up as she poured two cups of tea. Kosu's brow twitched and she took her focus from the written seals in front of her and narrowed her eyes at the elder woman.

"It wasn't-" Kosu checked her rising tone, took a breath and forced her brow to relax. "They had no business being out there." She frowned, tuning back to her work. Yet her mind struggled to refocus on the text. "They were going to get themselves killed." She let go of the scroll. Kosu turned to Mito once more.

Mito sighed, her eyes softening. So advanced yet so stunted. Mito replaced the teapot on the fire between them, their source of light and warmth in the dark night.

"I can almost hear your thinking from here." Mito stated as she handed one cup to Kosu.

"I don't understand why they would leave the village." Kosu frowned. "They were helpless out there. They would be dead if I hadn't of shown myself."

"They would not have left the village if you did not." Mito said. Kosu paused mid sip, lowering the cup from her mouth.

"I am not responsible for them. And I did not kidnap them."

"That is not what I meant." Mito's voice was soft. "They were concerned for you, so they followed you." She said slowly, watching carefully as Kosu shifted uncomfortably.

"… I'm not anything to them. Why- They shouldn't be concerned." Kosu all but spat the word in disgust.

"You said you showed yourself to them last night. That they would be dead if you hadn't. Why did you?" Mito asked. Were you concerned for them too?

Kosu nostrils flared and her jaw tightened. The young girl glared at the fire as silence descended between them. Mito simply sat and waited, sipping her tea. Kosu swallowed thickly. Why did she do that? She and Hiro had hidden from struggling travellers before. It could never be trusted who's suffering was genuine. Kosu herself had pretended to be blind and lame to lure do-gooders in before pick-pocketing them. So why aid those brats so willingly?

"I don't want to talk about it." Kosu stated. She abandoned her tea and turned her attention fully back to the scroll. "I'm already behind from missing last night."

Mito sighed silently, knowing not to push it any further. It was progress at least. Surprised she didn't get up and walk out.

It took until Mito finished her tea for Kosu to finish decoding the long and intricate seal on the scroll. Her nose had screwed up a couple of times as she read the clunky symbols, having to glance up at Mito to check if the elder woman was looking unwell.

"Did you write this?" Kosu asked. Mito inclined her head, eyes gleaming as she watched her pupil glance back to the scroll.

"Go on."

"It's-" Kosu sighed. "It's clunky and overly complicated for what it needs to do." Was it to test her? Or to give her a headache reading it as punishment for missing the previous training?

"Very good." Mito smirked. Kosu raised an eyebrow. So she was being sneaky. "You're ready for the next stage of training." Kosu blinked in surprise. Mito smiled as she took the scroll from her. She teared off the badly written seal and began drawing a new one. "Fūinjutsu isn't like ninjutsu. Ninjutsu requires specific handsigns to channel chakra to create a specific effect. Fūinjutsu uses kanji to channel chakra to create a desired effect. Various combinations can be used to create a single type of outcome. It's down to the kunoichi's choice as to what combination she uses." Mito finished the seal and placed it side by side with the original. "Fūinjutsu is an art form." Kosu's eyes widened as she looked over the new sleeker seal compared to it sloppy brother. Both yielded the same result but the newer one was just better. It felt right.

"So, you purposefully wrote it badly to test me."

"I've written the last few badly. You were either going to see it or not." Mito revealed. "It's the difference between a ninja who can seal and a ninja who can use fūinjutsu." Mito took away the over complicated seal and placed the newer one square in front of Kosu. "For the next stage I am unsure as to how much guidance I'll be able to give." Mito sighed. "This is a training seal. In someone with a fully functioning chakra network they gather their chakra and feed it into the seal, activating the symbols in the designated order." Kosu watched as Mito demonstrated as she spoke, the seal glowing a soothing white once correctly activated. "Feed it in the wrong order." The seal turned red. "This seal turns red. In reality, the repercussions on the shinobi of botched fūinjutsu can be disastrous."

Kosu nodded, lips drawn into a thin pensive line. Mito didn't need to state it. The problem was loud and clear. Kosu inhaled, gathering her chakra, letting the warmth grow and spread from her stomach. It collected in her hand, dancing beneath her skin. She pressed her small palm to the centre of the seal, face turning red with concentration and she trained to force the chakra from her body. Her control slipped instantly, the chakra bleeding out of her with no control. It flowed through the seals with a mind of its own and the red glow of failure illuminated her face.

Mito sat back, turning to brew another pot of tea. She could do nothing but watch as Kosu threw herself at the seal over and over again. The veins bulged in her neck as swear broke out on her brow. She didn't complain once, or screw the paper up in anger and curse every God she knew. She wasn't Kushina. Which was both a benefit. Red light again. And a hinderance.

X

Shikaku ran his hand over his goatee beard. He loved his wife, honestly, he did, but she was completely and utterly the reason he was late to meet his team at the bar. He closed the door behind him, welcoming the faint smell of sweet alcohol and the low-level chatter of the patrons in the warmly lit room. He spotted Choza at the bar and headed straight for him.

"Couldn't decide what shade of beige vest to wear?" Choza smirked as his teammate joined him. He belly-laughed at the look of disdain Shikaku shot him. He clapped him warmly on the shoulder as he flagged down the barman and added another drink to his order.

"Thanks." Shikaku said. He looked to their usual table, raising an eyebrow at its three occupants. A very excited Inoichi and shocked Daiki were listening, transfixed with whatever Sakumo was telling them.

"Deerstalker." Choza chuckled. Shikaku looked at his friend to see him gesturing his head of the booth. Of course it was. Naturally, he'd already caught wind of the incident. Most of the upper ranked shinobi had and by the following day it was likely that even newly qualified genin would know. The two gathered the five drinks and joined them at the booth.

"Shikaku!" Inoichi grinned, eyes glinting. He received a series of welcomes from the others. "Come listen to how Sakumo's morning went."

"Inoichi, this isn't something to be excited over." Daiki snapped. "Children were hurt." His children were hurt.

"They were minor injuries." Inoichi rolled his eyes, repeating Sakumo's earlier claim.

"It could have been worse!"

"Let's focus on the fact it wasn't." Sakumo placated, eyeing the two wearily. Sakumo sighed, staring pensively at the top of his drink. "Honestly, I think once the other four were picked up by Kosuke they were safe." He looked between them. "He had them in shelter, triaged their injuries, kept them warm. He was even leading them back to the Village…" Sakumo frowned, Kakashi's words echoed in his head Kosuke didn't hesitate.

"I love this kid." Inoichi proclaimed. Daiki shot him a glare.

"What happened?" Shikaku asked, reading the evidence of unspoken words across Sakumo's face.

"Before we got to them, they were attacked by two wolves." Sakumo stated, all of them, even Inoichi sobered. "He killed them both. Completely clean kills, no hesitation… And wanted to field dress them both." Daiki's face paled and silence passed between them. Inoichi's lips turned down into a frown.

"What exactly happened to this kid before we picked him up?" Choza asked gently.

"He and his younger brother are refugees from a ransacked mining village on the South-east border of the Land of Earth." Shikaku replied. "That was at least a year ago."

"That's a long time to be alone." Daiki murmured. He couldn't rid his mind of the image of Kosu and his brother struggling through the forest, cold, wet, hungry… He shook his head. "Why haven't they been counselled?"

"The younger one didn't display any triggers or warnings." Shikaku sighed. "And you know full well why Kosuke hasn't received intervention." Daiki's fists clenched, the knuckled blanching. Kosuke was to be a shinobi. The village didn't care if he was psychologically damaged so long as he could perform. They definitely didn't care if that damage made him a better shinobi.

"This isn't right." Daiki growled. "He's just a kid."

"I think Kosuke stopped being a child a long time ago." Inoichi sighed. "His body just hasn't caught up with him yet."

X

Kosu was early to the academy the following day. She took her usual seat in the darkest, furthest corner from where any of her classmates sat. She placed the seal in front of her, raking her eyes over the symbols that had been seared into her memory. Her training with Mito had proven fruitless, nothing but red. Kosu ran her fingers along the seal. She understood it perfectly… just… it flashed red again. There has to be a way. She'd faced seemingly impossible situations before, had more at stake before and there had always been a way around.

Her attention was stolen from the scroll at the sound of approaching footsteps. Knowing that her peace and quiet was about to be broken she tucked the scroll away and sat back. The door opened and the rabble flooded in. The same loud chatter every morning and it never stopped setting her teeth on edge.

"Morning Kosu!" Obito all but leapt into the seat next to her. What the fuck? She turned to look at him, words failing her as he beamed at her from behind his tinted goggles. Her head snapped around as she was surrounded on all sides by Rin, Kurenai, Genma and Ebisu. What the fuck?

"… Hello." She replied stiffly. She looked to Rin, the normally diplomatic and reasonable one of the group. Rin was already staring at her. As soon as she was caught Rin's cheeks brightened and she quickly turned to face the front. Was this genjutsu? Kosu took a deep breath and focused inwardly. Everything felt normal. She turned back to Obito who had been speaking the entire time.

"-and show everyone that I am the greatest ninja of our generation." Kosu could only blink and nod.

"You say that every time Obito." Genma rolled his eyes. Kosu glanced down, seeing him rub his bandaged arm. She looked up as Kakashi entered the room, to her relief he went and sat in his usual space, far away from her and the lunacy that surrounded her.

"So Kosu, they were telling me about how you leave the village." Ebisu pulled her attention from staring at Kakashi's profile. Both Ebisu and Kurenai were leaning forwards in their seats, eyes almost unblinking as they looked at her. She nodded. Kurenai gasped.

"Is it true-"

Ebisu was cut off as Daiki entered the classroom. He looked up and blinked in surprise. He caught Kosu's gaze and managed, just about, to not laugh at the startled deer expression on her face. Daiki hid his smile behind the register. Maybe you've not stopped everything about being a kid Kosuke.

Daiki quickly rattled through the attendance and led them to the sparring hall. As always, they were split male and female. A concept Kosu still failed to grasp. Did they expect men to only fight men and women to only fight women? Gender doesn't matter when you're fighting for your life. Kosu watched as the pairs before her sparred, her eyes carefully following their movements. Kakashi, who'd normally be doing the same found himself glancing towards Kosu.

Rin and a civilian born girl finished sparring. Rin having locked the girl in a takedown fairly easily.

"Excellent job girls." Daiki praised, marking notes on his clip board. "Right, Kosuke and Ebisu." He called. She ignored the 'good lucks' from her classmates, assuming they were for Ebisu. The two stood opposite each other and got into ready stances.

"Begin."

They clashed in the centre, a series of striking limbs and fast dodges. They landed glancing blows as they danced a violent game of chess, both trying to trick the other into making a fatal mistake. After a particularly athletic dodge Kosu's eyes widened at the surprise fist coming towards her. Her brow drew in and she danced to the side, the fist missing her by inches. She let his motion carry him past her before sweeping him up and throwing him down hard. Ebisu cried out and he landed flat on his back a sickening crack echoing in the wooden room. In one fluid motion, she completed the movement and drove her fist towards his neck. Kosu stopped an inch from what would have been a killing strike to his wind pipe and blood vessels.

Daiki released his hitched breath, knuckles tight on the clip board. He'd dashed to stand over the pair, the cold whisper of doubt only just starting to fade. Did Kosu know how to stop?

Ebisu stared up at Kosu with wide eyes, his glasses having been thrown from his face. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why were you pulling your punches?" She lowered her striking hand and he gingerly sat up.

Daiki crouched as his side, gently feeling the boy's ribs. At least cracked. He looked up wearily at Kosu.

"I-I…" Ebisu fumbled, each breath sending sharp jolts of pain across his chest.

"You've never done that before." She stood. She recalled how vicious Ebisu's strikes could be, threatening her consciousness on a couple of occasions. She looked down at him. That was pathetic. Do they want to be weak? Are they trying to make her weak!

"We're not going to go all out on our friends." Genma said. Kosu turned to look at him, her jaw tightening.

"Then don't" She said. Make each other weaker. "But you will for me." Her statement was met with wide eyes and slackened jaws. Not friends. Even Daiki found himself unable to speak.

"…Kosuke?" Rin muttered. "They were hurting you." Kosuke looked over each of the boys in her class. She'd sparred and lost against all of them multiple times and received the bruises to prove it, still bore some of them. They glanced away from her, unable to hold her gaze. Her chest seemed to grow hot and cold at the same time causing her fists to clench. They were trying to hurt her. Of course, they were… that was how this worked. It was how it had worked since she arrived. Why was there an issue now?

"And I'm trying to hurt them." She shrugged. Ask Ebisu's ribs. The class gasped, staring wide-eyed between Daiki and Kosu. Their eyes quickly narrowed in anger.

"You ass!" Genma shouted jumping to his feet.

"Genma!" Daiki stepped between them.

"We're being nice and you're acting like a jerk!"

"That's enough Genma!" Daiki silenced the pair. Genma huffed, not once wavering in his glare. "I want you and Kakashi to take Ebisu to the medics."

Between the three of them they eased Ebisu to his feet, the rest of the class whispering to each other, glancing around the scene in front of them. Genma threw another glare at Kosu as they three boys left the training room. His face reddened when he saw the apathetic, disinterested look in Kosu's face. Did Kosu not care at all?

"Alright, quiet down." Daiki called. "Ne-"

The academy bell rang announcing their lunch break. Daiki exhaled slowly, he could feel his blood pressure rising.

"Come back here after lunch." He ordered. "Kosuke," dull eyes turned to him. "A moment."

"Stay away from him."

"How could he do something like that?

"He's a monster."

"They have to kick him out!"

Kosu ignored the whispers, keeping her gaze fixed on Daiki. At least something was getting back to normal. Daiki sighed as the young child stood in front of him, rubbing his hand over his jaw.

"Kosuke I need you to listen, very carefully." Daiki crossed his arms over his chest. "You hurt Ebisu, intentionally, during a training exercise. That. Cannot. Happen. Again."

"Why?" Kosu asked.

"Because this is a training exercise between comrades." He tried to stress.

"Why is it an issue now?" She rephrased. She'd been trying to batter them since day one, and they her. Daiki's face grew grave and she narrowed her eyes. Only one factor has changed. "It's an issue because I can hurt them now." His silence confirmed it. Kosu inhaled slowly. Daiki allowed her to be hurt, to be pushed beyond what was 'fair'. Yet Kami forbid she damage one of his precious Konoha-born.

"I'm sorry Kosuke…" He crouched in front of her. His eyes circled her face desperately, unnerved by her silence. Why is he sorry? Her skill had improved rapidly, harsh environment stimulated rapid growth… the alternative was injury and death. Soft environments bred stagnation and stupidity, look at domesticated animals… Look at her class mates. She would not be like them. Konoha-sheep.

"Ebisu weakened himself." Kosu said, interrupting the rest of Daiki's apology. "Why would he do that? Why would anyone do that?" She spat. Daiki swallowed thickly, his chest aching.

"He… it's…" Daiki struggled. "They see you as a teammate now." He frowned. At least they did until you cracked his ribs on the floor.

"I don't want them to." She growled. They'll only weaken her.

"Kosuke, friendship and teamwork do not weaken you." He stated, punctuating each syllable in the hope it would penetrate her thick skull.

Kosu's nostrils flared. Ebisu just proved otherwise.

"You worked together outside of the village."

Kosu's jaw clenched. She should have left them out there.

"They didn't weaken you then did they?"

"They were no good to me either!" She snapped, Daiki's eyes widened. Kosuke had never raised his voice before. "I was fine with or without them. They are loud and uneducated and unprepared and useless." She growled. If friendship and teamwork made you stronger then why wasn't she gaining anything from them? "If that's your example of teamwork I want nothing to do with it."

Daiki lips drew into a thin line and he stood. Kosu eyed him wearily, her muscles tensing the longer he stared down at her. Daiki sighed, finally breaking his gaze.

"Go and eat Kosuke." He ordered softly. The anger drained from her face leaving a ridged mask behind. She nodded and Daiki was left watching the small back of the child disappear behind the sliding door.

X

Daiki knocked on the Hokage's office door.

"Come in." Hiruzen set aside the paint brush. For a small child Kosuke was causing a lot of stir. Daiki would be the second meeting he'd had that day regarding the child. Hiriko had already visited him earlier to express her own concerns regarding the brothers.

He looked up, surveying the chunin in front of him. His lips drew together as the weight of the world seemed to press down on Daiki's shoulders.

"Hokage-sama." Daiki inclined his head. Before he could continue the door to the office opened and Daiki blinked in surprise. "Mito-sama." He greeted politely. She smiled warmly back at him. "I can wait, if…"

"I believe we're both here for the same reason." Mito reassured him.

"Kosuke." Hiruzen said, looking to Daiki.

"He is improving well in his taijutsu." Daiki then frowned, that's about all that has improved. "However his ninjutsu and genjutsu, anything that involves chakra, are well below average. Scores that, if he were any other student they would be advised to leave the academy."

Hiruzen laced his fingers under his chin. If he were any other student… He studied Daiki, his brow furrowing.

"Something else bothers you." Mito said, Hiruzen glanced to her. She's seen it too.

"I've taught students who have disagreed and fought with each other before. But Kosuke, I've never encountered a child so against any basic relationship…" Daiki sighed. "I had hoped the incident two nights ago would have helped, but it's done the opposite." His jaw tightened, reluctant to admit. "So much so he's not completely stable in the academy dynamic." And he wasn't completely stable before.

"We always knew his time at the academy would be brief." Hiruzen said. He stood from his desk and turned to look contemplatively out of the window.

"Yes. But he's not physically skilled enough to leave." Daiki said.

"Kosuke is not as behind as you believe." Mito said. Both men turned to her. "I have been working with him for a while now."

"You've been training him?" Daiki raised his brows.

"Is that so hard to believe?" She raised her brows back at him. Daiki flushed and coughed quickly.

"Kosuke continued in your class to integrate him. To try to encourage him to form relationships with those other than his brother. And in the longer term, learn the value of teamwork." Hiruzen said. The end goal was always to place him on a shinobi squad.

"But that seems to have broken down." Mito said. She paused, tilted her head in thought. "That being said, he has demonstrated on multiple occasions that he can work with others. He has used teamwork with me without even realising it and reaped its benefits. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to teach him the values of the shinobi squad surrounded by a good example of it." Mito suggested. Daiki glanced between them, his stomach sinking at the thoughtful 'hmmm' from the Hokage. They're going to take him from the class.

"He still has a lot to learn." Daiki stressed. "His ninjutsu-"

"Let me think on this." Hiruzen assured them both.

"Hokage-sama-"

"Look at all of the factors." He interrupted Daiki. Daiki exhaled slowly, his stomach settling slightly. "And decide where best to place the boy."

X

Kosu shoved her hands in her pockets. Daiki had been late to their evening training claiming he had a meeting. Not that she minded, he'd set her a series of hard drills to perform in his absence. He was a little strange when he returned though. Likely still sour she insulted his precious teamwork. Screw that. Screw him. She shook her head. The training had still been its hard, unyielding, usual set up. He was still useful.

She rolled her shoulders, the ache already settling in. Instead of focussing on that she let her mind roam back to the challenge set by Mito as she ambled back to the orphanage. She just couldn't manipulate chakra away from her body. It was like there was nothing to anchor it to and it just flittered away. There isn't anything to anchor it too… She held her palm in front of her, surging the chakra beneath her skin before letting it ebb away. It is there though.

Her mind was pulled from her problem when she recognised the silver haired, masked figure of Kakashi stood a little further up the path. Kakashi was quite obviously waiting for her.

"You stay late." He said simply, falling into step with her. Kosu glanced back at the academy, just visible over the shops.

There's a lot to improve on. She could feel his stare as they walked side by side down the path. Strange boy.

"Why did you wait for me?" Everyone was being strange. And he was supposed to be the best of them. She recalled the four of them in the cavern, wet and muddy. Even when they had been out running in the storm like the idiots, Kakashi had been the relatively calm one. The most likely to survive.

"I wanted to talk to you." He said eventually. You and everyone else today. She frowned. "I thought you were pathetic the first time I saw you." Kosu's eyes darted to him. Kakashi was relieved that Kosu wasn't like Obito and didn't start screaming. "In class, you were so weak, are so weak compared to me… But… in a way you're stronger than all of us… even me." He winced as he admitted it.

The pair stopped outside of Kakashi's house and he could only watch as Kosu's face screwed up. She clenched her fists within her pocket and glared at the ground.

"Why are you saying this?" She turned her glare to him.

"… I" Kakashi blinked owlishly at her. Isn't this what Rin said they should do? "I'm to say thank you and err, sorry." Kosu snarled, her upper lip curling in disgust.

"I don't need or want 'thank yous' and apologies or any other verbal bullshit that the rest of you are so fond of." Kosu declared. These Konoha-sheep are obsessed with this apologetic bullshit. She could see her reflection in his dark eyes. She was reminiscent of a pissed off cat.

"What do you want?" Kakashi asked. Kosu's face relaxed as she circled Kakashi's face with her eyes, her fists unclenching.

Kakashi had to admit his interest piqued, everyone else in the class had declared their goals, their reason for becoming ninja. Some more than others. Obito-future-Hokage-Uchiha. All except Kosuke.

"I want to be smart enough and strong enough to keep me and my brother alive." She murmured. That's all she'd ever wanted. Kosu met his gaze. She swallowed thickly, he was looking at her the same way Mito did. Patient, non-judgmental. "Going easy on me in sparring and wasting my time with idiotic chatter won't help me do that." Kakashi nodded.

"Fire forges the blade… pressure produces diamonds." He murmured. Kosu's eyes widened slightly. He gets it. "Daiki-sensei won't let you continue sparring the way you did today." Kosu's jaw twitched. Stunted development by the sensei trying to develop her.

"But if you train with me, outside of the academy, you could." Kakashi suggested, Kosu narrowed her eyes. He was more skilled than her… But…

"… And what do you want?" suspicion laced her tone. No one gives for free. Kosu was sure even the Hokage had an ulterior motive for her being there.

"… I need to know how to survive out there." He said, nodding in the general direction of the main gate. "We're pathetic shinobi if nature can kill us before we even get to our mission." He watched the debate rage behind her eyes.

"… Okay." She finally said, her get twisting unnaturally. It sounds mutually beneficial… No obvious tricks. "I'm going hunting in 6 days' time. Meet me at the main gate, sun-up with weapons and rope." He brightened at her order.

"Meet me here tomorrow evening, after you've eaten." He said.

"Why here?"

"It's my home." He shrugged. Kosu's brow rose slightly. The house was large and neatly kept. She and Hiro could fit in there fifty times over.

X

"Kosu!" Hiro greeted her with a warm hug around her middle. A soft smile claimed her face as she ran her hand over his hair. "How was your day?" He released her, following her into the kitchenette. He recognised the sounds of her preparing food and took his seat at the table. It always smelt so good when Kosu started cooking.

"…Odd." She admitted. Hiro grinned on hearing the faint smile in her voice. "… But, it had its benefits. How have you been?"

"I had an odd day too." He giggled. Kosu glanced over her shoulder. "Hiriko had us all downstairs, playing like normal. When Orochimaru-sama came to visit!" Kosu stopped her chopping. The Sannin? "He was an orphan too and Akira says he gives lots back to the orphanage, to help us. He's so kind!" Kosu slowly started chopping once again. No one gives for free.

"What did Orochimaru-sama do?"

"He spoke to us and made sure to not miss anyone out, that wouldn't be fair." Hiro chattered. "You should try and meet him next time. He wants to meet everyone here." Hiro paused, his head tilting as he frowned at the table. "But I know you're really bust with training."

Kosu closed her eyes, pained. Fuck. She inhaled slowly and joined Hiro at the table, taking his smaller delicate hands in hers.

"Hiro… about that." She began. "I need to train more. I'll be leaving earlier in the evenings, after dinner."

"…Kosu…" He whispered, voice cracking. Alarm shot through her as tears welled in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. She open and closer her mouth, no words coming out. All she could do was wrap her arms around him. "…I'm not hungry anymore." He sniffled. Her chest ran cold as he pulled away from her.

"Hiro." Her voice cracked.

"I'm sorry. I know you're preparing dinner." He mumbled as he disappeared into his bedroom.

"Hiro…"

She sat there, heart pounding, eyes wide on the bedroom door. This was all for him, it always had been for him. But to hurt him in the process. She shook her head. That wasn't allowed. Not ever. There had to be time to do both…

Okay, so if you're still here THANK YOU! and you deserve a medal and prizes and goodies. That… was an unexpected hiatus, but here I am… back(ish).

My updates are likely to be irregular and sporadic (warning you now) but I have a very good idea of Kosu's story and I really, really want to tell it. So this fic will get finished… eventually.

So for anyone who has stayed with me thank you! Especially those who reviewed, your words of support and constructive feedback are incredible. I genuinely can't describe how motivating and heart-warming your words are and I'm so thankful!

For anyone new, welcome and hopefully enjoy!

XScouseLondonerX