A/N: I'm not dead! :) Happy Martin Luther King day! If that's not what today is.. Well... Don't judge me XD I don't really go outside much.
Anyways, I apologize for the long wait - I finally gave myself a deadline c: So, I will try and make the wait periods shorter!
I hope you enjoy! :D
Maybe it was because she was suicidal. She didn't know, and no one else seemed to. She was so angry all the time and she kept showing up, but no one else could see her. It was like she was hallucinating, but it was all so tangible. She could hurt her. She hurt her all the time.
When asked about her scars, she tried to explain that she had hurt her.
No one believed her.
-:-
Hiromi had woken up very early the next morning. Her stomach was churning as she brushed her teeth and she anxiously stared into her reflection, seemingly spacing out. When she realized toothpaste foam was spilling from her mouth, she rinsed before sluggishly dragging herself to her bedroom, hoping she would not go back into a blank staring contest with her mirror.
The petite blonde sat at her vanity and began to brush her locks instinctively, her mindless state eliciting thoughts to swim through her mind. What had Kotone seen? What had Shikamaru found? Where was he taking them?
Glancing fretfully at her proximate alarm clock, the glaring red numbers broadcasted that there were still six more hours until time to meet up at the gates. The superfluous spell was such an overwhelmingly large amount of time that Hiromi thought about going and taking on a few individual missions from the Hokage to occupy some of the interval.
After her fair hair had been combed and braided (a tucked Dutch braid, she had decided after many minutes of contemplating), Hiromi promenaded out of her room, knowing that if she stayed any longer, she would surely fall back into her bed.
The thought made her mind foggy with sleep and the flaxen-haired girl just about tumbled down the staircase, clutching the wooden railing just in the nick of time.
Her ambitious entrance caused her father to look up from his black coffee, his twinkling sapphire eyes shooting up to his daughter and warming.
"Good morning," she said, taken back slightly by how melancholy her voice was.
Mr. Sato nodded in response, returning to blowing uselessly at his beverage. Hiromi took a seat across from him after fetching some cereal for herself.
Eventually the only sound in the room was the crunching of the sugary treats in her mouth. The man with the russet mane did not glance up from his cup.
"Why are you awake so early?" Hiromi asked.
Mr. Sato peeked up at his daughter, replying quietly, "I could ask you the same."
His little girl seemed to snort, "I just couldn't sleep."
They fell back into a pleasant silence for who knows how long until Mrs. Sato came tumbling down the stairs in the same fashion as her daughter, her hair in a disarray around her and drool still on her chin.
"Good morning, everyone!" She sang, "How are you all?"
Hiromi answered for her father, saying, "Good. And you?"
"Amaaazing!" The elder woman laughed, pouring her steaming coffee down her throat haphazardly.
The other Sato's watched in silence as she breathed loudly in hopes of cooling the burning sensation in her mouth now, knowing she was perfectly fine considering she did it every morning.
When the blonde mother had settled down, a friendly conversation struck and the family was laughing and talking agreeably.
"So, Hiromi," Mrs. Sato said, a sparkle in her chocolate eyes, "what in the world are you doing up?"
The blonde teen leaned back in her chair, sipping at the tea she had prepared herself (Black tea to wake her up a little), "I couldn't sleep very well. I was too nervous to fall asleep."
"Thinking about what?"
"Shikamaru-kun is taking Hanako-sensei, Kotone and I somewhere tomorrow. It seemed very urgent."
"Oh," Mrs. Sato grinned, "sounds like fun."
Suddenly, she reached over and swatted her husband's arm softly.
"Doesn't that sound like something you'd read in a novel?" She asked.
Mr. Sato nodded before returning to his half-empty cup. Despite his lack of a response, he was actually paying close attention, possibly more than Mrs. Sato, for he was nonetheless a book fanatic, mostly sticking to mysteries and adventures.
"I guess so," Hiromi responded with a sigh, "I better get going. I have a few errands to run."
"Errands?" Mrs. Sato looked confused, "for whom? It seems like you've developed your own life and kicked us out!"
The younger blonde chuckled, "No, no, mom, I'm going off on some missions to kill time. I don't need to be anywhere until twelve."
Before any tears could be shed (Mrs. Sato was very sensitive about the thought of her daughter growing up and so was Mr. Sato but he would never admit it), she strode back to her room, dressing appropriately. She held her bright red Konoha hitai-ate in front of her, scrutinizing it closely for a while before tying it as a belt around her waist and exiting her household. There was little to do before their meeting up at twelve.
-:-
Kotone woke groggily, having to blink a few times to become accustom to the lack of natural light. Slightly confused, the waxen girl examined her surroundings for a moment before realizing that she was snuggly tucked in between Akio and Aiko. The trio's white manes seemed to blend together around them, the only difference being the variation of waviness and straightness (Kotone's being the straightest and Aiko's being the waviest).
When she realized just how close she was to her companions, she felt her face become very warm. Usually, she had no problem with sleeping beside Aiko, the proximity of their closeness varying on how Kotone was feeling, but the thought of being so near to a male was slightly.. embarrassing.
The princess was raised in such a way that she believed interacting with the male race in such an 'intimate' fashion was unpardonable. Inexcusable! Indefensible! Unforgiveable even. Feeling marginally bothered by the disobedience to her long since dead parents, Kotone struggled, attempting to remove herself from the bosom environment.
"Milady?" Aiko mumbled groggily.
The two bodies on either side of the princess shifted and Amaterasu's stomach felt tight from either discomfort or hunger.
"Has something happened?" The tan girl asked, yawning.
Kotone responded very slowly, "Nothing has happened."
The two Akivi immediately got to work, either oblivious or ignorant of their leader's behavior. Aiko began scavenging for food in the natty kitchen and Akio began to rearrange the pillow fort back to its original form of a sofa.
When he realized the princess of the Nishi no Sabaku was unmoving, he took her hand very gently and made small symbols on her arm.
Is something bothering you, Milady? He drew a tear drop on her forearm.
"No," she responded blandly.
Akio hugged her shoulder kindly, his expression very soft (he didn't wear his mask to sleep), the symbol meaning, I'm here if you need me.
Kotone tilted her head in the slightest of nods and the bronzed outsider went back to setting back the pillows. The noblewoman left her posting in the nest of bedspreads, making her way to the kitchen to see that somehow Aiko had conjured up a meal for three.
"Aiko," Amaterasu voiced, "Let me take the tray."
The blind Akivi obeyed and eventually the triad sat at the table, dining in a gratified manner. Kotone nibbled at some of the things on her plate, too indulged in glimpsing at the time.
By the time the snow-white princess had finished her breakfast, it was ten in the morning. She had two more hours until she was required to meet up with the remnants of Team Fourteen and Shikamaru.
"What is on our agenda for today, Milady?" asked Aiko warmly.
Amaterasu responded banally, "The remaining five percent of our paperwork must be completed. Then we must go to the gates of the village at noon."
"Ah, yes," Aiko recalled, "he needed to show you all something, correct?"
White eyes dance down towards ashen skin and colorless eyelashes dance across her face lightly as she thoughtfully kept her eyes closed. That's right. It was about Maiko, too, wasn't it?
The wan damsel stretched slightly before nodding at the door with an intense stare. Surely, what he had to say was going to be astonishing.
-:-
That morning at the Hatake household, there was a plethora of hotcakes. Hanako dreaded getting out the gluey syrup, watching her daughter closely in case of any spills. She had promised Haru, though, and she wouldn't go back on her word.
The dark-haired lady's sharp gaze kept on Haru as the meal went on, a soft smile tugging on her lips when the little creature had to push away some of her bangs so that she could see.
"Not hungry?"
Hanako twirled around to see her lover, his distinctive silly book in his hand. His hair was messy from sleep, but strangely enough looked nearly the same as it usually did. The woman with the dark hair chuckled and turned back to the table to stab her pancakes.
"Just busy making sure she doesn't spill any of that," she waved towards the tall, brown bottle at the center of the table.
Kakashi sat himself across from Haru and served himself.
"Daddy!" Haru exclaimed, finally taking note of his presence, "Gewd mowning!"
"Ah," he smiled to her, "good morning, Haru."
The little girl straightened herself in her seat before continuing to wolf down her food. Kakashi and Hanako began a light conversation before the brunette mother noticed the time.
"Oops," she said with a sigh, "I better get dressed."
Before her husband could ask where she was going, the woman had escaped to the bedroom the two shared. When she reappeared, she was dressed in a kimono.
"What's up?" Kakashi asked with the raise of an eyebrow.
Hanako brushed her hair with her fingers as she responded, "I'm heading out to meet with Shikamaru, Kotone and Hiromi; apparently, Shikamaru needs to show us all something."
The silver-haired jounin seemed to tighten his grip on the fork in his hand.
"I should come too," he said in a firm manner, "Could be dangerous."
The other jounin glared at him, "I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
Kakashi sent back an adamant look of his own, his eyes flickering down for a single moment, to her stomach. Hanako's eyes seemingly burst into flames of fury and she slammed her fists down on the table; Haru picked up her plate appropriately, unfazed by her mother's anger.
"YOU IDIOT! I TOLD YOU I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"
Putting on a very calm (and pleasant) expression, the woman's lover waved a hand at her, "But who knows what might happen; if I come, it'll guarantee everyone's safety."
"YOU THINK I CAN'T PROTECT THEM?!" Hanako jabbed her thumb to her chest, "I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF PROTECTING THOSE THREE! JUST BECAUSE HARU'S BEEN TAKING UP THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME DOESN'T MEAN I'M JUST AS STRONG AS I WAS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER!"
"I never said that," Kakashi corrected, "You say that you can protect all of them, but aren't you forgetting something?"
Hanako flared up for a moment, before simmering and thinking about her partner's words.
"All four of us," she said sharply, "Including myself."
Kakashi stared intensely at her before she was mentally hit by a wave of realization. Her temper dissipated and she seemed to shrink a tad bit.
"All five," Hanako corrected softly.
Noticing his partner's demeanor, the silver-haired man stood and wrapped her up in a soft embrace.
"Just be careful, alright?" He uttered tenderly.
"I will," Hanako promised.
The two released one another and Hanako left. As she closed the door, she sent a smile to her family. Haru waved back, grinning, and Kakashi nodded with a gentle expression.
For some reason, Hanako felt a very tight knot in her stomach.
-:-
All of the paperwork was complete, all the errands had been run, and now all Shikamaru, Kotone and Hiromi had to do was wait for Hanako. The residues of Team Fourteen were used to her unpunctual arrivals, so they stood patiently, though Shikamaru seemed calm as well, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his back. Aiko and Akio stood high above on a tall structure, keeping a close eye on the surroundings.
"Ah, I apologize for being so tardy."
Shikamaru, Hiromi and Kotone searched for the source of the voice, their eyes falling upon Hanako, who looked as pristine as ever. Her hair was tucked behind her in an elegant bun and her kimono flowed like a river of beauty. Hiromi was a little jealous that she always looked so spotless.
"You're fine! We haven't been waiting long," The blonde teen honestly replied.
Kotone nodded to her sensei before turning to Shikamaru, "Since we are all present, I presume that you are going to lead us onward, with haste?"
"Right," the genius nodded, "it's not far from here."
So, the trio followed him, each of them in an assessing silence. Aiko and Akio took to the tree tops, each using their specific skills to scan the area.
Hiromi cautiously eyed her surroundings. She had never actually been to this part of the woods surrounding Konoha. She suspected that they wouldn't run into anyone, but she was still alert.
After an interval of thirty minutes, the group stopped upon Shikamaru's command.
"What happened? Are we here?" Hiromi questioned.
The dark-haired male shook his head, "Nah, but we're close. See that building right there?"
The three girls eyed a bland-looking facility carefully.
"What about it? Looks normal enough to me," Hanako observed, resting a hand on her hip.
"That's what it's made out to look like," Shikamaru explained, "If you look closely, you can see the damage we caused the other day. This is where Asuma-sensei was killed."
Hiromi blanched and looked down at her feet. Hanako seemed to tense, scrutinizing the building with intensity.
"Is this what you wanted to show us?" Kotone deadpanned.
"No," Shikamaru responded, "but it's nearby."
The group continued on.
-:-
Her family was slipping from her fingers, like when you snatch a handful of sand. No matter how tight her grip was, the little grains spilled out from every little crevice in her defense. There had to be a way to save them!
Desperately, she picked up a shard of glass and looked down at her wrists.
-:-
The terrain was extremely different. The ground lacked any grass, and was hard with the lack of nutrients. The trees were impossibly tall, dead, and black, with thin branches like bony fingers reaching out to strangle someone. The sun strangely gave it more dreadful feeling.
There was a green forest nearby, with lush green trees, seemingly overflowing with life, and the contrast between the two areas was unnerving.
Upon further studying, it seemed like a battle had occurred, due to the damaged trees and craters in the earth. Hiromi tried not to dwell on that fact for long.
"This is where we fought and killed the Akatsuki members."
Shikamaru had an arcane expression as he looked upon the area, particularly the forest.
Kotone leaned against one of the monster trees, the dissimilarity of her white appearance and the black bark was uncanny.
"Why did you lead us here?" She asked.
Hanako sat herself upon an enormous root and leaned forward, while Hiromi sat lamely upon the earth, her eyes filled with curiosity, prepared to absorb whatever Shikamaru had to say.
He seemed to be thinking about what he may say. His dark eyes seemed to be glazed over as though he was in a trance of thought.
-:-
"That's just it, then?!" She yelled.
No one took note of the blood still dripping morbidly from her sleeve.
"You're going to leave him to rot?!"
Someone responded very dully, "Why go back? The fact that he was defeated is enough reason to leave him."
She barked, her sharp teeth glistening, "You (curse.)ing (curse.)!"
Another person seemed to step forward, prepared to scold her, but she simply snarled and ran off.
It didn't matter if they wouldn't do anything, because she would.
-:-
And he didn't say anything. Hiromi looked at him carefully, wondering if something was wrong.
"Shikamaru?"
Hanako stood and gently waved her hand in front of his face.
"Ehhh? Is he okay?" She asked, shaking him.
Before any more comments could be made, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground resounded behind the group and Kotone turned swiftly, her senses vigilant.
"Aiko! Akio!"
The two Akivi twins were covered from head to toe in injuries, varying from bite marks to freshly inflicted cuts. Kotone felt very sick.
Hiromi swiftly dove to their aid, rolling them onto their backs and beginning to heal them.
"What's going on?" She asked, scared.
Hanako yanked out her fans, the blades on the ends of the items catching the light appropriately, "Something's here."
Kotone gripped Shikamaru's shoulder and was prepared to shake him roughly, when she saw something strike the ground near her feet.
"Paper bomb."
The group dispersed nearly immediately, with Hiromi grabbing Aiko and Hanako grabbing Akio, diving out of the explosion's path. Kotone snatched the frozen Shikamaru and leapt to safety, as well.
"Where did that come from?" Hiromi inquired, her whole body shaking nervously.
Hanako wiped some dirt from her usually unsoiled visage, dropping Akio unceremoniously near the trunk of a tree, "I don't know, but I have a feeling someone doesn't really want us here.."
Kotone unraveled Shikamaru from her arms and struck him across the face. He sputtered and coughed, as though awakening from a terrifying dream. The genius looked up at her questionably.
"We're under attack," Amaterasu explained bluntly.
"I should've known," he said softly, grunting as he sat up.
The debris surrounding both groups began to settle.
"Well, looky here.. We're all together again."
If Satan had a voice, Kotone just heard it. The sound to her ears was like nails on a chalkboard, and whoever spoke, spoke with venom on their tongue. The choice of words did not even faze the group as they leapt out of the dust from the paper bomb and into a clearing.
"Did you hear that?" Hiromi asked Shikamaru and Kotone.
Her entire body was quaking in fear. Behind her, the Akivi twins were recovering slowly. Hanako looked around sharply.
"We did."
Hiromi was prepared to respond, but her eyes flickered to the top of the tree before them, and she fell to her knees promptly. Her pupils seemed to shrink, and her trembling hand went to her quivering lips.
"Hiromi?" Hanako questioned, kneeling beside the girl.
She did not respond. The brave outer shell of the ninja crumbled and she was just a wobbly child, tears springing to her eyes.
Shikamaru and Kotone followed her gaze and raised their hands to block the sun, nearly blinded by its brightness. As they grew accustomed to it, they too froze in shock.
At this point, Hiromi spoke a single word that sent shudders down all of their spines.
"Maiko."
-:-
Her hair had grown long, but still retained its unstable choppiness. The way some pieces stood up made her look like she had horns. Her body was still lanky and bony, though not much could be seen through her black cloak. On either side of her waist was a sheath, two twin swords no doubt.
The paleness of her face was shocking, its color rivaling Kotone's. Her eyes though are what definitely caused the fear in Hiromi. They were the color of night, completely black and lacking the white outlines that used to balance her Dragon Eyes. Her sharp teeth were like an animal's, just like Sakura described.
"Team Fourteen.. All gathered together... just like before."
Her voice was threatening, filled with malice and spite. It was definitely the chilling voice from earlier.
"Maiko," Hiromi repeated in a quiet tone.
The tall, skinny figure acknowledged the girl, with seemingly supersonic hearing.
"Hiromi," the demon smirked, her expression the definition of volatile, "You're still the blubbering baboon I remember. You're probably just as weak, too."
The words penetrated deeper than any sword could and Hiromi lowered her head in shame, hiding her hot, fat tears.
Maiko didn't acknowledge Shikamaru as her shadowy eyes scanned the group. She showed her teeth again in an erratic grin again.
"Your faces," she hissed, "mean nothing to me anymore."
There was no time to think. Kotone drew her sword as Maiko leapt down from the tree, her own twin weapons drawn as well. In a freakish action, the green-haired demon snapped one of swords into two, thin spears, throwing them at an expert speed.
The pale princess dove out of the aim of one of them, deflecting the other with her blade. Shikamaru seemed to have snapped out of his frozen state and dove forward to Kotone's side, while Hiromi sat on the ground, like a doll.
"Aiko! Akio!" Amaterasu called, praying that her teammates were alive and well.
When there was no response, the teen tried not to look away from Maiko, who had landed and was approaching at a terrifying quick pace. When she suddenly stopped, Kotone knew it was for no other reason than Shikamaru's shadow technique.
"We need to think up a plan," he said hurriedly, "and now."
The insipid damsel nodded and turned to face the remains of the group. Aiko and Akio were still unconscious. Hiromi had gone into a state of shock and it seemed as though Hanako had collapsed to the ground, her torso turned away from Kotone's view. It seemed as though it was just to Shikamaru and Amaterasu to face the skilled creature.
When she turned back, Maiko was nearly already out of Shikamaru's shadow, the dark hands attempting to trail up to her neck failing horribly. She was advancing and Kotone didn't even have a vague idea of what to do.
She tightened her grip on her sword and looked towards the Nara. His eyes were filled with turmoil at seeing his old best friend in such a state.
"Release her and try and help the twins," Kotone said, expressionless, "Hiromi and Hanako have gone into a state of shock, it seems."
Shikamaru frowned, ignoring the insane laughter of the demon, "Are you sure you can handle her?"
Amaterasu's unsmiling visage did not reassure him as she replied, "Yes."
The shadow technique dispersed and immediately, Maiko's sword was connecting with Kotone's. Being so close to the lost teen caused Amaterasu to grimace slightly. The stench of blood was strong.
Shikamaru rushed to Aiko and Akio, shaking them both roughly, glancing back at Maiko and Kotone, who clashed their swords at nonhuman speeds.
"Wake up! Come on! We're under attack!" He tried to explain, "Kotone is in danger!"
The magic words caused Akio's eyes to flutter open, the blue orbs shaking in realization and anticipation.
Not quite knowing how to communicate with him, Shikamaru motioned towards Maiko and the tanned male stood, yanking out a curved dagger.
"Be careful," the genius explained, "she's extremely dangerous and not to be underestimated."
Akio nodded before leaping into battle. Kotone felt relieved at his revival but was unnerved by the fact that Aiko was not moving. Surely she wasn't… dead.
Maiko growled at the Akivi as he approached his weapon in front of him and his eyes scrutinizing her expertly.
The green-haired demon quickly snapped her other sword into two, thin pieces and smirked, using them as swords and slicing proficiently. There was no sign of mercy in her black orbs.
Akio did a backflip, avoiding two thrusts from Maiko, and Kotone lunged, swinging her sword with the strength of her two hands. The imp with the jade-colored hair spun out of the aim of the white katana, laughing ruthlessly.
Before any more attacks could be placed, Maiko performed a roundhouse kick and sent Akio backwards quite a ways. She turned towards Kotone with a malevolent grin, charging at the princess with her two swords.
The intrepid teen raised her katana to defend herself. The two thin swords were blocked, but Maiko slipped a blade and cut the other female's cheek.
Shikamaru had given up on Aiko, who had yet to move, and raced to Hiromi, shaking her brutally, but receiving no response.
"Hiromi! Come on! Snap out of it! You've got to help Kotone fight Maiko!"
The girl did not respond, and so Shikamaru cursed and moved on to Hanako. She seemed to be trembling...
"Hanako-sensei," he proclaimed, "get up! Hurry!"
Kotone fell to the ground, the force of one of Maiko's attack too vicious for her to dodge or block. As the white-haired teen prepared to stand and attack, the inhumane teen hissed and lunged at her, aiming to decapitate. In a flash, Akio appeared and held his arms in an X-shape in front of himself.
"Out of my way!" Maiko barked angrily.
Her attack gained a violent surge of power and Akio was sliced deeply. As he recoiled, blood beginning to seep from his wound, Maiko appeared before him in a flash and delivered a blow to his stomach that sent him back into another tree, the sound of the impact accompanied by the breaking of bones.
Kotone didn't even have time to worry for her teammate, as Maiko reappeared, ready to slice her down as well. The insipid maiden leapt to her feet, performing an array of hand signs.
"Kaze no ha!"
A powerful gale hurriedly made its way to Maiko, who leapt up into the air to avoid the attack. The blow was proved useless and the demon laughed cruelly.
"What was that supposed to do?" She mocked.
Kotone ignored the provocation and charged, gripping her katana with both hands. The instant before she could land the blow on Maiko, the imp disappeared. The sword in Amaterasu's hands was knocked a few feet away and left the woman weaponless. Before she even had time to react, searing agony coursed through her body, and Kotone was pinned to the ground by the two swords the pierced her forearms.
"Eh..? Did that… hurt?" Maiko mocked, mercilessly digging in the thin blades further.
Amaterasu did not respond, for she felt as though if she did, her arms would be torn from her body.
"Maybe… This does?"
The green-haired monster twisted the blades and Kotone let out a small yelp. Maiko's grin grew and she squatted in front of the suffering ninja, pulling her small blades towards herself, slicing through the two pale arms before her, dyeing them crimson with blood.
Halfway through the painful torture, the imp stopped. Kotone watched her carefully, noticing how her black eyes seemed to ripple, as though a stone had been dropped into the dark waters.
As quickly as it had occurred, it fled, and the demon had returned, prepared to cut the two limbs in half. Before she could do so, a kunai flew past, cutting off a piece of Maiko's mane.
Shikamaru stood nearby, his expression fierce and another kunai already in his hands. Maiko glared at him fiercely before yanking her swords out of Kotone, who fell backwards, lying in the dirt, unconscious from the pain.
"Oh... It's you, again." The green-haired creature deadpanned, looking entirely uninterested in the Nara, "I'll end this quick; I don't want to waste my precious time on you."
The two engaged in a callous battle, filled with the raw malice and emotions of both opponents.
'Ehhh?! You idiot! I need the answers for last week's homework! Iruka-sensei is gunna kill me!'
'Oi, Shika! What are we doing today?'
'You're my best friend, Shika. You know that?'
Shikamaru glared at the demon before him.
"Midori wa baka hikii," he said sharply, "I'll defeat you and return you to Konoha."
The nickname pierced Maiko's heart and she stumbled backwards. She recovered hurriedly, glaring bitingly at her opponent.
"You are no match for me! I'll kill you slowly and make you suffer!"
The sound of steel against steel resounded through the area. Hiromi was still unmoving, her heart shattered by the reappearance of her best friend in such a state. Such a thing was unbearable.
She wanted to help them! She really did! But.. She was weaker than Akio and Kotone. And.. well..
Hiromi glanced at her fallen teammates. Akio looked completely worn, and Kotone had collapsed in agony, her arms bleeding excessively. She knew some medical jutsu, but what could she do? Even Maiko recognized how weak she was… Someone would come and help them, right..? What about Hanako?
The blonde-haired teen squinted towards her sensei, who had been turned over onto her back by Shikamaru. Something was glittering.. What was it..?
The dark-haired genius leapt backwards, dodging another strike from Maiko, who was like an animal with her instincts and senses. She had turned into a beast.
As he reached for another kunai, Shikamaru received a swift kick to his face, causing him to fall and recoil. Maiko appeared behind him, placing her foot on his back, pushing him down.
"You're going to like what I have in store next.."
Using the kunai that Shikamaru had once been reaching for, Maiko positioned his hands one over the other and smirked. He screamed in anguish as she stabbed the weapon through both of his hands without a single care.
"Now that you won't be bothering me anymore," Maiko sneered, "Who should I kill first.. Or should I say.. next?"
Tears overflowed from Hiromi's eyes. No.. No.. It wasn't possible.. No.. It couldn't be! It couldn't! It couldn't possibly be true!
The blonde girl regained some control of her body and fell forward, catching herself and simply sitting there, staring into the earth. She was too afraid to look back. She was too afraid to look and see.. if it was true, but she needed to know. She needed to know if it wasn't some sort of sick dream.
Hiromi turned her head very slowly. When her blue eyes met the motionless figure of Hanako, she followed the glistening light of the spear sticking up out of the woman's chest, directly where her heart was locating.
There was a lump in her throat, and she choked, trying not to notice the pool of blood, or the tears building up. She didn't have the strength to scream, and she didn't have the will to move. Hanako-sensei was gone.. And so was her unborn child.
Hiromi's face was jerked up and she met the black orbs of the eyes that she used to seek comfort in. Maiko's grip on her chin was tight and merciless.
"Ah, did you see?" She whispered viciously, her tongue looking forked as she spoke, "I wasn't really aiming for Kotone that time.. I was aiming for sensei."
There was a hot feeling in her stomach, and Hiromi's face was released, causing her to hide her expression and cry out loudly. It felt so unreal, like it wasn't supposed to be true. It was like a story that she had been sucked into and couldn't get out.. Like a bad dream that you recognized but can't tell yourself, "Wake up!"
"I should just kill you now.. End your misery." Maiko leered.
'You are pretty clumsy but when you put your mind to something, you do awesome!'
"No.."
'You're the strongest out of us all. The only person who doesn't realize it is you.'
"No.. Maiko-chan.."
The green-haired imp frowned.
Hiromi stood up very suddenly and her expression caused Maiko to gape in shock and in fear. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, but she did not look sad or grievous, but fierce and intense.
"I don't care if I have to beat you senseless.."
Maiko took a small step back.
"I don't care if I have to break all of your bones.."
Another step.
"I don't care if I have to rip off your limbs.."
Hiromi took a step forward.
"I'll defeat you! I'll bring you back to Konoha! I swear it!"
Maiko regained her malice and simpered, "Don't you want to avenge your idiotic sensei..?"
Strolling over to the body of the lifeless corpse of Hanako, the imp kicked the woman with vexation. Hiromi clenched her fists.
"She was your sensei, too!" She exclaimed loudly.
I'm the only one now who can defeat Maiko.
"Was. And now she isn't.. So.. are you going to defeat me.. Hiromi Sato?"
I'm the only one.
Hiromi put her fists out in front of her.
"I don't care what it takes," she said, her voice wavering in ferocity, "I'll defeat you.. If it's the last thing I do!"
Maiko held her thin blades out in front of her, an invitation to begin.
"Then come."
Hiromi cracked her knuckles before charging into battle. With power she never knew she had, she threw punches and kicks, keeping a stern expression on her face the entire time.
All of my training.. couldn't have been useless!
Maiko did a swift backbend, avoiding a blow from the petite blonde girl. Where did all of this strength come from? She wondered, swinging her blade down to no prevail.
Hiromi socked the demon directly in the face, causing blood to flow from Maiko's nose. She looked furious.
Swinging her sword with a renewed vigor, Maiko cut into the blonde's knuckles, causing her to yelp in pain. But it did not stop her.
"HYAAHH!" Hiromi let out a cry as she delivered a bone-breaking blow to Maiko's stomach.
Somehow, she had such drive that she knew she couldn't give up now. She had to defeat Maiko. She had to.
As the imp recoiled, Hiromi delivered another sock, and began a chain of attacks, putting every last bit of her vim into her hits.
I can do it! Only I can!
Suddenly, in a final attack, the girl kicked Maiko in the stomach and watched slowly as she landed a few feet away.
In a release of held breath, Hiromi began to pant. That was all she could do.. That was it?
The blonde felt disappointment flow through her body as Maiko stood up, her limbs wobbling for a moment before assuring her strength. Hiromi could not see her face, but watched her clench her fists.
"You.." the fiend barked.
Maiko turned around and Hiromi blanched. The devil was clutching her right eye, and out of it there were tendrils of some sort of dark energy, like wisps of black magic.
"Stay away from me!" Maiko roared.
Hiromi stepped forward to stop her, but the tendrils grew monstrous and swallowed the green-haired teen up, before disappearing into the ground. The jutsu registered in the blonde's mind, but she suddenly collapsed to her knees, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
Maiko was alive.
Tears flew to her eyes. Happy tears.
But Hanako was dead.
And suddenly, she let out a whimper and she began to cry sad tears.
End of Chapter 8.
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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Thanks to..
{Reviewers}
[tsuki-shinigami] - (Christmas Special) - Thank you :) Kyaaaa XD Kiba and Hiromi are kinda cute! They haven't interacted in a while, so they deserved it v.v Thank you c: Yes, snow is pretty fun! I can't imagine living in the Nishi no Sabaku where they don't even know what snow is :c It doesn't snow much here either :O Hehehe! I've made one snowman in my entire life, and it didn't last very long - my brother knocked it down -_-
(Chapter 7) - Hehe c: no problem.
Thank you sooo much! :)
;) Wish I could tell you but I cannot..
That sounds just like me! :D And whenever we have guests I just kinda hide in my room and play Pokemon c:
Me too v.v except not the family part XD My family is kind of small but we do visit every once in a while D:
Awww thank you so much :D Oh dear :o I hope your neck feels betterrr! And I hope you did well on your exam c:
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
[PsychoIdiotLady] - Thank you very much c: I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
[Animefangirl95] - Idk X)
Thank you c: I was scared that I hadn't portrayed it correctly but you have relieved me :)
:c his crying scene with his dad made me cry.
Hehehe c: ISN'T IT THOUGH.
Poor thing :(
She has grown up a lot v.v She grew up even more in this chapter, I like to think c:
In my head, I had a really elaborate plan but then I was like, 'Wait she's a ninja what am i thinking' XD So I picked the transformation thing
TTnTT
:D
Yeahhh... I'll try not to be all secret agenty now XD It's just ninja are uber sneaky too!
TTnTT
I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
[ShadowBloodNinja] - Me too . I just don't like them very much. When I went skiing all those years ago, I did the same thing c: Except no one looked at me weird cuz I was a really little girl with my girl scout group XD Happy New Year! :D I also have made the mistake. Aw man, last Christmas I made my brother give me figurines of Sasori and Naruto :D HEY. I LOVE PEWDIE. I'm gunna go watch it right after I publish this XD Sounds great :) I'll be sure to read it if you publish it c:
Thank you :D I apologize for the wait - Here is the newest chapter!
[Namikaze1200] - Oh, no it's fine XD My social life is pretty funny, or rather, lack thereof ;D I have no idea yet ._. Cuz honestly, I like both Sasugay (;D) and Gaara a lot.. I'll make a poll or something :o I'll definitely make alternate endings though. Awww XD To be honest, since I don't really go outside much, I'm on the fence about if I like those two :O I mean, their music is okay v.v but I wouldn't listen to it everyday of my life.
Anyways, thanks for reading c: Hope you enjoy this new chapter!
/Followers\
{tsuki-shinigami} - Thank you very much! :)
{Dreamer010102} - Thanks! :D
[Favoritings]
/tsuki-shinigami\ - Thank youuuu c:
/Dreamer010102\ - Thanks v:
/xXYuseiXAkikoXx\ - Why, thanks soooo much :D
/xxRyokoxx\ - Thank you v.v
A/N: Thank you for reading! :D
I STILL HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO THAT ONE GIRL (OR DUDE) WHO WANTS ME TO WRITE THAT STORY FOR THEM I AM SATAN HEAVENS I AM SO SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL MEE I'M JUST SO SOCIALLY STUPID
Anyways, though I'm still anxious about THAT, on a more positive note, a friend of mine is Homecoming Queen of her grade! :) I am very happy for her! And you, if you were nominated! I am proud of all of you for being ANYTHING. DO YOU UNDERSTAND AND FEEL MY LOVE FOR YOU.
Peace, ya'll.
Please look forward to Chapter 9! :)