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Chapter 30: Flashback Arc Part 3
SOME TIME LATER, FLASHBACK YEARS AGO
"Big brother, what is this?" Came the words of Naruko who was holding a clear white tag while looking at her older brother digging through the pile of very old tools such as clothing, weapons, furniture, and all sorts of things. Naruto stops digging through it when he found an old wooden box much to his confusion while he examined it. The box had two locks on it while showing the design of a yellow star on it. Naruko gets closer so she could look over her brothers shoulder while her tail was waging.
"Big brother, what is that?" Naruko questioned her older brother who was staring at it before quickly breaking the locks and opened it up to reveal seven tags. Naruto began reaching for one until the two siblings heard a voice as well as a hand passing by there heads too grab the case.
"Naruto and Naruko, I've said it many times the basement is off limits." Hearing that, the two turn around to find a man wearing a suit while wearing a black, skull-like mask with angular pipes at the top, a collar-like life support system around his neck, and his suit.
"Sorry dad." The two apologized while the man's fingers run across the box.
"I see you found my old Exorcist Talismans, have I ever told you that was how I met your mother?" Hearing that, Naruko immediately brightens up while Naruto tilts his head.
"Mom...but I thought you said you met her in a scary place?" Hearing that, he just received a pat on the head.
"Of course I did, it's just I was involved with an organization before I met your mother." He told Naruto who was curious.
"What Linda organization?" Hearing that, the man crosses his arms at trying to think of a way to explain it.
"I'll tell you another time." He told the two kids who were surprised.
BACK TO THE PRESENT AT ROKURO AND BENIO'S NEW RESIDENCE
Currently a surprised Naruto sat on the couch in front of both Rokuro and Benio who sat on another one facing him while Mayura was the only one standing in absolute shock.
"MARRY AND HAVE A CHILD?! YOU TWO AGREED TO THIS?!" Mayura shouted with a deep blush evident on her face. Hearing her, Rokuro immediately stood up in defiance.
"Of course not! Not with her!" When Naruto heard that, he just sighs at knowing that Rokuro once again started a fight from hearing Benio agree but the opposite.
"Then why are you living together?!" She questions the two of them.
"I told you, we're being forced to!" Rokuro told the girl with Benio being the one to give the two more information at what he meant.
"By the Chief Exorcist, Arima Tsuchimikado-sama." Hearing that, Naruto's eyes widen a little while Mayura herself was surprised at hearing that.
"Yeah, that Percy underpants guy just decided-" Rokuro was stopped by Mayura reaching out to grab his sleeves, surprising Naruto again along with the other two.
"Rokuro, I'm sure I'm wrong, but... You're not thinking of being an exorcist again, are you? You're not going to fight Kegare again, are you?" Hearing the worry in her voice, Naruto found this situation to be quite curious most likely involving something having happened in the past.
"Well..." Rokuro said, avoiding eye contact with the now realizing Mayura.
"Wait, have you already been fighting?" She questioned her childhood friend who only stayed silent.
"Why?! After all the pain you went through... You said you didn't want to fight anymore. I don't want to see you end up like that again! You're still in middle school, you know! You're still just a kid! Can't you leave the danger to the-" She was cut off by Naruto placing a hand on her shoulder after standing up.
"Mayura, it's his choice and besides...he has the power to save lives. Are you telling me you would rather let him not save people that fighting again even if he feels that pain again?" Hearing that question, Mayura only looks down.
"Even the strong have weaknesses and troubles within there past. Most like a scar that doesn't heal no matter what you do...all you can do is live with it, having it become apart of who you are. After all, in order to save you I had to rely on a power that I hate more then anything." When he said that, he could clearly see the shock that turns to sadness now being unable to speak due to finding out and remembering she why he had to resort to using a power that most likely has caused a great deal of pain in his past.
"Look at it a different way, if you took exorcism from him, he'd have nothing. Much the same as Ohagi without red bean paste or mochi rice." When she said that, Naruto had started too sweat drop at seeing Benio was basically insulting the bow downed Rokuro who felt the jabs at his emotions.
"That's not true! Rokuro has lots of things going for him besides being an exorcist." She said, clearly not staying what those are.
"Such as?" She questions the blonde who answers in a way that makes Rokuro even more depressed.
"He's so accepting that he believed Santa was real until recently! He keeps asking girls out, no matter how many times he's rejected! He even knows the multiplication-" She was cut off by Naruto placing a hand over her mouth with beads of sweat falling from his face.
"You do realize you make it sound he's even more pathetic then Benio makes him out to believe." He told her before pointing down at the crying Rokuro who was crouching in a corner.
"I'm sorry...and please stop..." He told the two girls who weren't looking at the sighing Naruto.
"How do you feel, Rokuro?" Hearing that, he turns towards Mayura while he stood up.
"What do you really want?" Mayura asked her long time friend.
"Let's clear that up right now. Do you want to fight as an Exorcist or not? Which is it?" Benio questioned her future husband who looks down at trying to find the words. Naruto himself wanted to clearly hear what Rokuro had to say for it may help him out with his own problems.
"I thought all this time that I shouldn't be fighting, but... If this power can be used to protect people, I want to do that. No matter what may happen to me if I fight, it's all right with me." Hearing that and seeing the resolve in his eyes, Naruto could only look away and at Mayura.
"Rokuro... Fine... Do what you want!" She shouted in sadness with tears being seen falling from her eyes as she ran past Naruto and put the door with it being slammed shut behind her.
"I know this has nothing to do with me, but what exactly happened in your past?" Hearing that, Rokuro only looks down sadly.
30 MINUTES LATER AT THE SEIKA DORMITORY
"So why didn't you tell Benio?" Naruto asked Rokuro who stood on his right while they were staying at the door.
"I told you I don't want too-" He was silenced when they heard a yell from the garden behind the gate of the house which immediately the two go into to find a guy who had a red streak that runs down his brown hair as well as wore a jersey and pants.
"ATSUSHI?!" Rokuro shouted in shock while noticing Benio's grandmother Kinu Furusato who was a short old lady with a bob cut style and and old man Zenkichi Otomi, an old skinny man, with almost waist-length hair kept in ponytail as well as wears big circle glasses and have a long beard and moustache.
"Welcome back, Rokuro-oh and who might this lad be?" Zenkichi questioned the confused Rokuro who entered with Naruto and were met with seeing a sweating Ryogo on his knees. He was a tall young man with dark brown spiky short hair and a braid in front of his right ear.
"What are you doing?" Rokuro questions one of his closest friends.
"Well, uhhhh...where should I begin?" Ryogo said until Naruto noticed the one who sat on the couch in front of Ryogo and immediately he starts too sweat for it was Seigen Amawaka/Mayura's dad. He always seen wearing a suit without the jacket. He has long multi colored hair and dead looking blue eyes along with eye bags under them.
"Yo twerp, you're still the sane shrimp as always, huh." Seigen said at Rokuro who only showed a smile before making a break for it as fast as he could out of the gate soon enough followed by Seigen who appears too be pissed off. Seeing this, Naruto just sweat drops before hearing Zenkichi speak in realization.
"Wait, red spikey hair and three whisker like markings on each cheek; you just be Naruto!" Zenkichi said to the young man who faced the smiling old man that places both of his arms on his shoulders.
"It's an honor finally meeting my future grandson-in-law!" Hearing that, Naruto simply froze while others were confused.
"You know him?" Ryogo asked Zenkichi while he stood up and the old man simply nods.
"He's the one that's staying with my daughter and granddaughter as a guest due too not having a home. Just some time ago I heard he saved my granddaughter from a group of Kegare with the help of one of the heavenly commanders." Hearing that, the four were quite surprised from hearing that.
"Who exactly is that person by the way?" Shinnosuke Kuzaki questioned the old man, having long purple hair in a bob cut style but being cut right in front of his eyes just below eye level. He wore a blue jacket and a red-white stripped shirt under it along with having light brown pants and darker brown shoes.
"He's my Daughter'a Ex-Husband. Seigen is Mayura's father and of course he's quite skilled. Because Seigen is one of the "Twelve Heavenly Commamders"." When he said that, the ones who didn't know were very shocked.
"They're named after the Shikigami that Abe No Seimei-sama is said to have used. Excelling in martial arts. Enchanted powers knowledge and battle experience, they're the strongest, most supreme ranking Exorcists "The Twelve Heavenly Commanders". Seigen is one of the twelve and is also crowned the evil commander "White Tiger"." Just after saying that, they heard Seigen's voice.
"Enough of that already old man. Also who said you could stop kneeling?!" Seigen said to Ryogo who immediately went on his knees in fear.
"Putting that aside, Seigen. What did you come to town for this time?" Zenkichi questioned Seigen who held the unconscious Rokuro's neck collar tightly.
"Two reasons, one was to clean up my idiots disciples mess and the other involves a call I received." Seigen said with an annoyed look on his face before in only a few minutes, Rokuro found himself kneeling in front of Seigen while the other stood with the two oldest behind Seigen.
"Hey, twerp. You have something to tell me, right?" Seigen questions his old student closely who began too speak.
"Something I have to tell you...? Uhhhhh... IT'S BEEN SO LONG! YOU ALWAYS LOOK SO YOUTHFUL, MASTER!" Rokuro said but Seigen didn't by it one bit and decided too stick both thumbs into Rokuro's mouth and pulls while pinching him.
"OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW! EH! WHY?! DID I SAY SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU MADE?!" Rokuro shouted with the annoyed Seigen speaking while letting go of Rokuro.
"If you keep messing around, I'm seriously going to beat you down...! I heard from Arima." While he said that name, the commander stood up so he could tower over Rokuro.
"You...the "power" of that arm, it seems you're going around, using it however you please. Hey, Jii-San. The "Celestial Charm" I left with you, what did you say as you have it to him?" Seigen questioned the old man who looked very serious while the other thought of the one charm Rokuro uses the most.
"If it's to protect yourself or there's no other option, and you use it one or two times, I wouldn't say anything, but... The story changed if you use it multiple times of your own free will. Right, twerp? I doubt it's likely, but you're not going to blurt out that you want to be one an Exorcist again, right?! Well, what is it?" Seigen questions the kid who slowly stood up.
"I... I don't plan to fight, as an Exorcist... The world, the future... I don't have the right to fight for anything big anymore, but... If a person is getting hurt right in front of me... I just can't let that go...! Even if it's this arm, if it can reach out to someone right before me, I want to be sure to reach it out to them...!" Hearing that, Seigen goes to hit Rokuro when his arm was grabbed tightly, causing him to look at the one who caught it to find Naruto standing behind him with his hand holding tightly onto his arm.
"So you are an asshole, have too admit I thought you would at least be nicer if you were Mayura's dad but I guess I'm wrong." Hearing that, Seigen's eyes only narrow at the young man and who he electricity sparking from his body.
"In case you're wondering, I'm the guest that is currently sleeping in your daughters home." When he heard that, his eyes widen a little at the fact he had the guts to say that right in his face but more so the look in his eyes showed he didn't care who he exactly was. Seigen quickly pulls his arm away before walking out into the garden.
"Come on. That look in your eyes shows you want too fight so I'll give you a demonstration of why you shouldn't act so high and mighty in front of me. Twerp, you come along, too." Seigen said to the both of them before taking out a charm and throwing it forwards, creating a gate the swallows all three of them up, disappearing without a trace.
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NEXT TIME, ABSOLUTE DEFEAT. LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU COULD AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK.