Interlude: A beautiful web
The first time Koyuki saw her entering her father's bar, she couldn't help but notice how graceful and out of place the younger girl was.
Her father's store was popular enough, she supposed, at the very least, it allowed the man to cover his basic needs and fuel his love for alcohol. But one look at the girl's face as she lowered the hood made it evident this teen probably belonged to a different status most of their clientele did. Pale skin and long black hair that fell in waves only made the bright azure of her eyes stand out more. With a worried gaze, the brunette woman couldn't help but glance around the tables. The crowd that gathered in this place wasn't always the nicest one, and as young as the girl that had calmly taken a seat on the corners of the dining area, they could try and start some problems...and there was also a chance her father would try to get involved into.
Hurried steps took her to the table the delicate-looking girl was reading a scroll at.
"Uh...hmmm..." Her voice trailed off as those blue eyes turned up towards her.
"Good afternoon,"" The voice that reached her was softer than she'd expected. "Well, it's a little too late for afternoon, I guess."
"A-ah, yes...umm, are you lost?" Blood drained from her face as she realized just how rude the question sounded. "Not that you can't be here, or anything, it's just...!"
"This is not doing much to help me blend in, I gather." A soft laugh escaped the unknown customer.
"This place is not really all that safe if you need directions or something..." Again, she couldn't help but trail off.
With a shake of her head, the younger teen laughed once more. The unexpected reactions to her concern made her stumble; this was not really what she had in mind for someone who sounded every bit the elegant lady from a wealthy family as she looked. If this girl was lost, she certainly wasn't acting like it.
"I'm not lost. Honestly, I'm just passing by on my way back; please do not worry." A gentle smile softened her delicate features. "Thank you, however, for worrying...that said, would it be possible to get something to eat?"
"Y-yes!" Flustered fingers almost dropped her tray as she moved to grab her notebook. "We still have some stew, nabe, karaage, kushiyaki, and grilled fish."
"Kushiyaki would be good; if you happen to have green tea, that would be excellent too." A sigh almost escaped her at the lack of alcohol in the order.
Giving a quick agreement, Koyuki rushed back behind the counter and went to the kitchen side of it. Even after placing the meat and vegetables on the grill, her eyes couldn't help but wander back to the calm girl who'd gone back to her reading. It was a slow night, with only half of the seats occupied. Which meant the city outside was likely calm as well; if this young teen could finish her meal and leave soon after, it should still be safe enough for someone like her to be able to move around without getting herself into danger. Muscle memory kept her from burning up the food while her thoughts circled around the unusual guest. It may be true that she knew her way around this place, but the waitress couldn't help the worry that kept growing inside her. Would it be annoying if she were to offer directions once more? No, even if it was, anxiety would eat at her if Koyuki didn't try once more.
Another kind smile was given to her as she placed the steaming food in front of the girl. The shout of "more sake!" forced her voice to die inside her throat. With a wary glance, the waitress rushed to the other tables.
Maybe, if one of the regulars she trusted Koyuki could ask them to escort the unnamed lady?
"Oi, girl," A shiver ran down her spine at the familiar slurred voice of her father. She thought he'd stay at home tonight. "Get me some shochu."
"R-right away..."
Worried that her looking to where the younger teen was sitting would have her father notice their unusual guest, the waitress made sure to keep her gaze down. Her wrists felt heavy as she lifted the alcohol to give her father.
A drunken yell of "more sake!" was all she needed to use as an excuse to try and place some distance from her father. Unstable steps attempted to run, sake bottle on top of the tray.
The sound of breaking ceramic registered before the pain of her fall managed to make it through her brain. Underneath her, the clear liquid quickly got absorbed into her old kimono. She had to pick it up. Hurry and pick it all up. Clean this, and...and her hands weren't moving. Why wouldn't they move?
Why were they shivering so much?
"...hey..." Above the sound of her panicked breathing, her father's voice sliced through the bar's noise. "The fuck you think you're doing? Clean this shit up...now!"
"R-right!"
She just had to move first. As soon as her finger obeyed her, she'd clean it up and...
"Here," It was almost a whisper, soft and as tender as the hint of a touch on her hand. "Let me help."
Hazle eyes snapped forward only to look into bright azure that shone with gentleness. Her panic must've shown in her face because the lingering touch on the back of her hand became a kind grip followed by words of reassurance. A faint warmth seemed to spread from the place her skin touched hers.
"It's okay; I finished my meal already anyway."
This girl that was younger than her smiled once more. Her graceful motions as she quickly placed the broken porcelain on the tray were a stark contrast to her own jerky movements that had her cutting herself almost as soon as she tried to help. Stupid.
"Shh..."
Delicate hands took a hold of her own bleeding limb. There was a sly grin on the gentle stranger's face as warmth once more seemed to flow into her for just a second, taking away the stinging pain with it.
If not for the lingering crimson on the pieces of porcelain, Koyuki would've thought it the teen that vanished with a wave, nothing more than a fantasy.
"Is it safe to be out at this hour?"
Jumping almost made her drop the bucket of water she'd been using to clean the blooming bruises on her arms. Turning as she heard the somewhat playful voice, Koyuki's mind seemed to struggle to comprehend what she was seeing. Unlike last time, there was no cloak to hide most of the unknown stranger that had visited her father's pub two weeks ago.
Her clothing was just as high quality as she'd expected, the style of it, however...it was something completely different. Shortened skirt and bare shoulders that were out of place with typical high-end families.
"I wondered about it the last time I passed through..." Her gaze was locked on the dark marks around her arms, cursing, the waitress rushed to bring down her rolled-up sleeves. "You know, I wouldn't complain about being wrong every so often."
Not caring about how dirty the lid of the well was, the younger girl sat next to her.
"Say, can you keep a secret?" the stranger asked, another enigmatic smile on her face as she leaned closer to her.
""H-huh? I-I mean yes." Koyuki had to be making a fool of herself here.
"I can heal you."
Her sleeves were quickly being rolled up once more, slender fingers barely giving a hint of a touch while the younger teen explored her father's gifts. Despite the smile never falling from the girl's lips, something darkened within her eyes.
"You see, I'm a shinobi..."
Shinobis?
Those were ninjas, right?
Killers for hire.
"Are you scared of me now?" The brightness on her azure gaze seemed to dull.
"No!" The words escaped her before she could think better of it. "But isn't it dangerous?"
"Hmm, a little, but I've learned how to keep myself safe." Ahh, it was back again, the brightness in her eyes...it was quite pretty. "So, can I heal you?"
An embarrassed nod was the best she could do. Really, this was pathetic of her, unable to even reply and taking comfort in a younger girl's actions. But the warmth she felt when a soft pink-glowing hand went over her wounds was too soothing for her to pull away. Ninjas were supposed to be dangerous. And yet, out of all the 'normal' people that lived here, it was only this unknown killer that cared.
"So...what's your name?" The gentle question startled her once more.
"Koyuki...Koyuki Shi..."
"Koyuki-chan then, I think it suits you." Blood rushed to her cheeks at the innocent praise. "Ummm, it wouldn't be safe to give you my name, though..."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well, there are some people who are looking for me," The girl's voice remained soft, but she could see her expression falling a little. "Knowing my name could place you in danger, I'd hate for that to happen..."
"It's fine, then! I don't need to know."
"Koyuki-chan...you are really kind, you know?" Kind...maybe she was kind, but at the end of the day, it didn't matter. Because she was still stuck here being helped by someone else without being able to return the favor. Useless. "Would you mind if I show up around here every so often?"
"N-not at all...ah, but the pub is not really that nice of a place..." And if this was her usual attire, there would be people who tried to take advantage of the younger girl.
"It's alright, it's alright. Koyuki-chan, there's no need to worry about me." Delicate fingers moved to brush a lock of brown hair back. "Rather...will you be alright?"
For a different reason, this time, heat went to her cheeks.
Ahh, how much more embarrassing could she get? She was supposed to be the older one, the more mature one, but instead, she was the one causing worries. Shameful as it was, though, the teen found herself hoping to get a little more of the kindness shown.
"I'll be...but more importantly, can I help you?" Her sentences were barely coherent. Such a mess "I-I mean if there is any way..."
"Oh, no, no. That would be too dangerous..." The older teen shook her head, determination shining in her eyes, willing the unnamed stranger to trust her with something. "Well...there may be something."
"It's okay. I want to repay you."
"You see...I'm looking for someone, a group, actually." The girl trailed off, worry in her gaze. "They're not someone you should approach, though; just keep an eye out, or if you happen to hear about them...about people in black cloaks with crimson clouds on it...also...I don't want to ask too much, but if you were to hear the names Uchiha, Higurashi, Itachi, Kagome, or Sasuke, please do let me know."
"Alright, I can do it!" She would, definitely... "Ah, wait, contact you, how?"
A soft laugh escaped her as she waved one of her hands, a small slip of paper between her fingers. With a soft pink glow, a bright azure butterfly was now fluttering around them.
"If you hear any of the names I mentioned, just let it know, and I'll feel it." Waving her hand seemed to be all the unknown girl needed to do to order the butterfly to land on Koyuki's shoulder. "Also, if you ever need any help, tell it the same. I don't know how fast I can get here, but..."
The implications were all that was needed to say. The markings on the brunette's arms were not a novelty, and it was evident the shinobi knew it well. She should be ashamed. She was, but the waitress still felt touched.
"Ah, I should be going; otherwise, he's going to start worrying about me." Standing up with a graceful motion, the shinobi offered her another warm smile. "Oh, right, Koyuki-chan, this might sound strange, but by any chance, are you the one who's actually running that Izakaya?"
"Huh? Y-yeah, father stopped caring for the details of the bar some while ago, so..."
"I see, Koyuki-chan, you're amazing, you know."
Blood rushed to her cheeks once more. In front of her, the girl seemed to vanish in a swirl of butterflies. It felt like a mirage, under the light of the moon, a beautiful illusion she wouldn't have believed true if not for the bright azure wings that lazily flapped on her shoulder.
Shinobis were dangerous people, she knew that, and yet...Koyuki would make sure to listen on in as many conversations as possible. With light steps, the young woman made her way back to the shop; it seemed something good could come up from that hateful place, after all.
A/N: So, so sorry about the delay, having to deal with problems with my schedule was a time consuming mess. Dealing with official paperwork is a bitch. Ergo, here's a small interlude that didn't really fit in anywhere else in the story, but I did wanted to show a little how it was that some of the preparations were made. And yes, Kagome is very much manipulating people as she goes along, that said, I do think she'd have helped even without having too much to gain, although probably not to the same degree. Next week there will be a proper chapter, I swear.
As always, thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/criticism/comment is greatly appreciated.