Chapter 06 | The Last Guardians
Mio, Yayoi, and Nako gathered around Saori after the Amamori brothers had been booted out for having been rude to Takuto. Saori had demanded they apologize, Takehiko in particular, and they had, but she had decided not to entertain them that morning in favor of seeing her friends.
Mio needed to be surrounded by light conversation because her mind had been in chaos since Saori's accident. Being with her and knowing she was recovering made her anxiety ebb, but other worries rose to take its place. She worried about what Amamori Akihiko had said about the Ishiki clan being allied with Mikazuki Rikuto, but she didn't want to think about it. She'd already been yelled at by Madara for not believing it to be a possibility, but she'd had a gut feeling that assured her he had nothing to do with it. Intuition was not proof enough.
"So, what is the deal with those two idiots?" asked Yayoi, referring to Akihiko and Takehiko.
"Akihiko is the man I was telling you about," Saori answered, her voice raspy. "He asked me to marry him about three months ago."
"Oh, right," Nako said. "You told him you didn't think you loved him and broke his heart."
"Obviously not well enough if he's here. He and his brother have caused nothing but trouble," Yayoi stated.
"I saw you staring quite fondly at Takehiko," Saori teased, smiling.
Yayoi's face turned a deep scarlet. "What? No!"
"Did you forget even Mio said she would disown you?" Nako reminded. "You're practically undressing him with your eyes every time he passes in front of you, just marry him already."
"Shut up, Nako!"
Saori smiled at Mio, who mirrored the gesture.
"It's the truth!"
"We're not talking about me, we're talking about Saori!" Yayoi snapped, then turned to Saori. "I remember Sachiyo mentioning you also got a proposal from a member of the Sarutobi clan as well."
"Yes, but I haven't decided who would be a better match," Saori admitted. "I would also like to give myself a chance to fall in love with one of them, but…"
"Well, you should just enjoy the flattery and have fun with them for a bit," Yayoi suggested. "You should take a chance with other men, too. It wouldn't kill you."
"Well, I've already had my fair share of experience with men, so I think I'm good," Saori replied, surprising them. She laughed a little softly.
"Doing what?" Yayoi blurted. "Knit?"
"What makes you say that?" asked Saori, thoroughly confused.
"I'm sorry to say, but when I look at you, I don't exactly imagine you doing anything improper," Nako responded.
It was true.
"Oh? Thank you."
"Okay, spill it," Yayoi said. "I can't imagine anything you say is true, but I need someone to shatter the current image I have of you."
"What image is that?"
"Of some pathetic woman hopelessly in love with Izuna."
"Yayoi!" Mio chastised.
"It's not like I'm lying," the priestess continued. "I remember that stupid face she'd make whenever Izuna was walking by. He was just so completely oblivious to her. It was literally painful to watch."
"I imagine it was," said Saori, grinning fondly. "I had to tell him how I felt for him to realize it."
"You told him?" asked Nako. "And then what happened?"
"Well, I was rejected," Saori answered, then looked at Mio. "He has been in love with you for quite some time."
"I'm sorry," Mio said. She couldn't think of anything better to say in response to that and she didn't want to stay silent.
"There's no need to apologize," Saori said dismissively. "His rejection helped me move on. I eventually realized I wasn't as in love with him as I thought I was. One day, it just felt like I woke up from a really long dream and it was very bittersweet."
"Is that when your conquests began?" Yayoi asked with keen interest.
"You can say," Saori replied. "I finally took my eyes off Izuna and noticed there were some eyes on me. It was nice."
"And you went onto sample these men with these looks?" asked Nako excitedly.
Saori chuckled. "You could say I did."
"You need to say more than that," Yayoi told her.
"Why? I'm certain you have a lot of experience with men, you don't need any of my advice," Saori said. "I believe you have this handled."
"I don't have that much experience!" Yayoi admitted. "Nobody I like ever likes me back!"
"I'm pretty sure Taiga liked you back. I saw the way he kissed you, I had to cover Tobirama's eyes, he just wasn't ready for that sort of action," Nako recalled. "Too much love."
Mio looked at Nako and sighed, seeing the Uzumaki shrug in response and say, "What? It's been three years."
"You know, Taiga was very hard to read," Yayoi said pensively. "I don't think it's right to assume anything from a kiss."
"The sentiment was there," Mio said. "He wouldn't have entrusted your safety to me had that not been the case."
Yayoi slouched. "Can I just say that I am very disappointed with life and its proclivity for killing every man I've ever loved? Remember Katsura? I loved him."
"Wasn't he married?" asked Mio. Katsura had been one of Madara's father's most trusted shinobi.
"Yes, and he's dead now. And remember that one man I was seeing a year ago. The one Madara killed?"
"He was a spy, Yayoi, he was trying to get information out of you about the Uchiha clan," Mio reasoned. Yayoi had been inconsolable when he had turned up dead even though it had been proven that he had only approached her to gain information.
"I have no luck," Yayoi ranted. "Worst of it all is that Takuto is too young."
"I thought you were sleeping with him," Saori said, quick to add, "in every sense of the word."
"No, we tried it once—"
"What?" Nako and Saori cried simultaneously.
Yayoi seemed unfazed by their reactions as she casually flicked her hair over her shoulder. "It was a long time ago," she said, her eyes falling on Mio. "Why aren't you shocked?"
"Takuto tells me everything."
"What did he tell you?" asked the priestess, alarmed. "Did he give you the dirty details of our attempt? Oh no! What did he say about my body?"
"Nothing," she said calmly. "He only said you both tried it. Once. Or twice. Maybe three times."
"Anything else?"
Mio shook her head.
"Moving on, now that it's established that Saori is the queen of the futon and that every person I love dies, Nako, what do you have to offer this conversation?" Yayoi asked, looking at the woman in question directly.
"Why do I have to go first? What about Mio?" Nako protested.
"Well, Mio's the only one that's been married here. First to that psychopath and nobody needs to be reliving those demons, and now to Madara," Yayoi explained. "And we would be fooling ourselves if she told us anything about Madara."
"It's not that interesting to talk about," Mio said in her defense.
"Please, Mio, please deny that you and Madara are having a lot of intimacy in that house," Yayoi said sarcastically. "Please, tell me you're not doing any of those evil deeds together. Tell me!"
"We aren't," Mio said honestly.
"But you have that whole house to yourself," Nako said.
"What have you been doing?" asked Saori, worried.
"Well, I did spend several days feeling down," Mio answered.
"Oh no! Did he get drunk again?" Yayoi started, scandalized. "Did he take you while he was inebriated? Mio, you need to do something about this! It's a terrible habit!"
"You're misunderstanding, I was down because of what happened," Mio said quickly. "I was worried for Saori and he respected that."
"I'm sorry for making you worry so much that you have not been able to enjoy your time alone together," Saori said apologetically.
"That's not important," Mio assured. "I'm happy that you are recovering."
"Yes, so don't let my health burden you any further. Takuto and Yayoi have been taking good care of me," Saori said, smiling. "You should enjoy your new husband."
Mio nodded. "We will try to enjoy our time alone."
"Doing?" Yayoi asked, grinning.
"Playing Hanafuda, I believe. He owes me a game."
"Why are you two so boring?" asked Yayoi. "You have the potential to be so much more than that lame couple that spends their mornings playing Hanafuda. You should be in there showing him what heaven looks like and he should be introducing you to all the pleasures in life."
"Yayoi, stop, it's like you're talking about my parents," Nako said, grossed out.
"I am sure Madara does his duty and keeps Mio pleased," Saori said, chuckling when Mio's face started to redden.
"I bet you just sleep through the night," Yayoi complained.
"We have to wake up early every day," Mio reasoned.
"You two seriously need to get started on all those daughters you promised Sachiyo," Yayoi said. "You're not going to get anywhere sleeping through the night."
"Oh, right? So, when do you plan to have Shinra?" asked Saori kindly.
"When I have some guarantee that he's going to be a girl," Mio responded.
"And when is that?" asked Nako.
"I have no idea yet."
"Oh well, no rush," Yayoi said. "You've agreed to come to the Sun Country, right?"
"Has Madara found a way to travel there safely?" asked Saori.
"He has a plan, but it depends on whether or not Mio will agree to it," Yayoi replied.
"He said he would tell me once Arata returns this afternoon," Mio said, getting to her feet. "You'll have to excuse me, but I have to make sure Keigo isn't getting in trouble."
She bid farewell to them all and left to find the boy.
Keigo was sitting alone with a bowl of stew in front of a campfire within the encampment. He was blowing cold air on the steaming soup when Mio came to stand in his periphery. The boy stared up at her with amazement in his green eyes.
"Mio-san! Good morning!"
"Mind if I sit with you?"
Keigo slid closer to the edge of the log where he was seated to make room for her to sit. Once she did, she leaned forward, close enough to feel the heat of the flames reach her.
"Would you like some?" he asked, raising his bowl in her direction. "I just made it."
"No, I already ate."
Keigo took a tentative sip of his soup, searching the area with his eyes. "Your husband and your Guardians were asking about what you were doing visiting my grandparents' village a year ago."
"I imagined," Mio said. Madara had been acting strangely, which meant he had his suspicions.
"You haven't told anyone?"
"I almost have, several times, but"—she paused—"the time is never right." She didn't know how she would talk about the events of that trip. She'd pieced a few things together, bits that made sense and discarded the ones that didn't. It'd explain everything, but she didn't think anyone was ready to understand that she had taken the risk she thought necessary to achieve her goal.
She'd done nothing but heal after that.
Nothing had been fixed and nothing had been determined. She only had her secrets. That had been the only thing that piled on.
She wanted to confide in her Guardians, but she predicted they would disagree with her decision. She didn't want to put a damper on their lives by giving them something to worry over. It was enough that she had one Guardian asking after her, knowing what she did, she couldn't imagine the others.
"Soup is good," Keigo said. "It's pork."
"Thank you for lying."
"Well, I don't want to get on your bad side."
"I don't have a bad side."
"That's a funny joke, Mio-san."
Mio set her hand on his shoulder and stood. "I will be going to the Sun Country with Madara and I want you to accompany me."
"Yes, ma'am." Keigo took another gulp of his broth. "So, does that mean I can be a Guardian now?"
"No," she said immediately.
"Why not?" cried Keigo, the soup in his bowl sloshing.
"Your father would kill me."
"So?"
Mio glared at him. "So?"
Keigo tensed. "And that would be very unfortunate, forget I asked," he said nervously. "But I'm not going to give up asking! You have extra artifacts!"
"None for you."
"That's not fair, Mio-san!" Keigo chased her down. "Mio-san! You have to say yes!"
She ignored him, quickening her steps, but Keigo jumped her, dropping her flat on her face over the snow. She lifted her face, her nose dripping blood. The ruby droplets sizzled as they hit the ice-cold snow beneath her, melting holes into it.
Keigo peered over her shoulder. "Mio-san, ple—oh, hey, why is your nose bleeding? Are you having perverted thoughts? Isn't it too early? You know, it doesn't matter, you can do what you want, so you should go find Madara-san and jump his bones—"
Mio grabbed a handful of snow and smeared it across his face, silencing him. He fell on her side coughing out the snow she managed to shove into his mouth.
"Mio-san!" he complained between coughs. "That was cold! My head is cold! My face is numb!"
She heard the sound of snow crunching under someone's feet and lifted her eyes to meet Madara's while Keigo was swaying back and forth on his back with his hands covering his face.
"Why are you on the ground?" asked Madara, eyes narrowing in silent judgment. She could only imagine how ridiculous she and Keigo looked on the ground. "And why is your nose bleeding?"
"Oh, Madara-san, you don't have to worry about her nose," said Keigo, polite and obviously cheerful, "She was having perverted thoughts about you and felt she needed to cool down."
Mio took another handful of snow and threw it at Keigo's face, making him whine.
"I just got that out of my mouth!" he cried.
She scrambled onto her feet, seizing hold of Madara's arm when he jerked away suddenly. His face was red.
"Madara?"
"Do what you will," he said bluntly, leaving them.
Mio stood there stunned. What happened? She didn't understand. She was going to explain and then his face was red. She didn't get a chance to say that Keigo was lying and that she wasn't having inappropriate thoughts because it was too early for them and she wouldn't be able to act out on them, but she couldn't because he practically stormed away.
"Madara!" she shouted, choosing to go after him.
Keigo burst out laughing behind her.
Madara ushered everyone inside the sitting room to continue what sounded like a private discussion. She had learned that he had approached her earlier to inform her that Arata had returned from his scouting mission, but he had suggested she go rest instead of accompanying him to debrief the young spy. So, she had done that.
She had not expected for Madara, Izuna, Arata, Jouji, and Yayoi to show up while she had been sitting at peace sharpening the Vision Sphere's blade. She tried to make herself scarce as none of them had made a move to acknowledge her any further than a passing glance, as they had been so engrossed in their conversation on the way in that they must have stumbled across the one sitting room that had been in use inside Sachiyo's gigantic house. She pretended to be oblivious, focusing completely on her current task, but she caught snippets about a lord, some land, and a shinobi clan attempting to invade.
"We need a woman," Arata suggested, rather stiffly.
Mio tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, conscious of the silence that fell. She lifted her eyes catching everyone in the room staring at her.
"What?"
"Would you be opposed to a small infiltration mission?" Izuna questioned, giving her a pleading look that she'd be stupid to ignore.
"Do you have other plans other than invade the Sun Country?" asked Mio, curious.
"It is very minor," Madara dismissed, "so we wanted to get it out of the way before going to the Sun Country."
She didn't like the way everyone seemed to be on edge.
"Okay," she said, watching the small group suspiciously. "Well, what would this small infiltration mission entail?" She paid particular attention to Yayoi, who sat at Madara's left. If there was anything she needed to learn, the priestess would give it away, but Yayoi avoided her eyes. "And why did no one suggest Yayoi if you need a woman?"
Yayoi frowned. "What gall you have?" She scoffed, gaze glued to the floor. "You would have a lady like me take on this sort of mission? It would be disgraceful!"
No. She would never have the dainty priestess go anywhere near a serious mission.
"I hope you are aware that there are dozens of capable women within your clan that are as much a woman as I am," Mio said pointedly, facing Madara, who inclined his head as if in confirmation of her observation. "So, if you are aware, why is it that when Arata suggested a woman everyone immediately fell silent and turned to me?"
"Simple, they are not you," Madara answered. "You are guaranteed to see the job completed to the utmost perfection."
Mio sheathed the dagger in her hands and expelled a breath. She started to understand the stakes of the infiltration mission. "This involves a man, does it not?"
"A tyrannical one," Arata said in immediate agreement.
"The absolute worst kind of man," Izuna added, nodding his head.
"That poses a threat to the Uchiha," Madara said, attempting to keep the serious atmosphere afloat.
"And has a proclivity for beautiful and talented women," Yayoi finished, cheery. "Seeing as you are a beautiful and talented woman, you are the ideal choice."
She wasn't interested in infiltration missions. They needed to hurry and clear Mikazuki Rikuto's name and remove the remaining members of the Motou clan from the Sun Country.
"Doing this mission could prove beneficial to you," Jouji began. "Seeing as you are not the most beloved person among a great portion of the clan, it might help ease your bad reputation."
Mio grimaced, gathering her things and stood abruptly. That struck a nerve. "I know what you are doing," she retorted, "and I am not here to please anyone that disapproves of me, nor do I see reason to prove myself worthy of them."
She stormed out of the room, throwing her small whetstone and Vision Sphere into the bag where she kept them. She understood they meant to help, but she didn't care if the Uchiha clan approved of her relationship with Madara. She married him, not the entire clan.
"Too much!" Izuna yelled. "That was too much Jouji-san!"
"Mio! Wait!"
Madara caught up to her quickly, taking her by the wrist and turning her around. "This is about the Sun Country!"
"What?"
"Eishirou is the only lord with known connections to the Sun Country, but thanks to Izuna, he hates the Uchiha clan and wants nothing to do with us," Madara explained.
"Yes, thanks to me!" Izuna shouted from the doorway. "You should all be thankful."
"That's nothing to be proud of, you idiot," snapped Yayoi.
"The good thing is that he's a pervert," retorted Izuna. "That's our key."
"And you want me to seduce this pervert?" Mio asked, completely baffled by the request. "You? You've killed men that looked at me wrong."
"We covered that! He promised not to kill anyone!" Izuna shouted.
"I won't," Madara assured. "I promise."
Mio saw his honesty and sighed. "I'll listen to the plan, but I have not agreed to infiltrate anything."
"That's fine."
Mio returned to the sitting room, retaking her seat. "So, what do we know about this man?"
"His name is Eishirou and he's the lord of a coastal province in the Lightning Country," Jouji explained. "He gains most of his capital by mediating a trade system between the Lightning Country and several small islands off its coast. He's not well liked among his peers for his bad personality, but nobody wishes to upset him either as he seems to hold a lot of power within the country."
"Why do you need me?" asked Mio.
"Eishirou frequents a pleasure house called The Thousand Cranes," Arata began, unable to keep his eyes on her. "And…"
"He picks out a girl, takes her back to the castle, and keeps her there until he gets bored of her," Izuna finished. "We need you to be that girl."
"Because you are certain he will pick me?" Mio challenged.
"We attempt to work at an angle where he's weakest. He enjoys a challenge and has no respect for other people's authority," Jouji said. "Izuna angered him greatly some time ago and we believe that if Eishirou believed you were his woman, he would take a special interest in you."
"That only guarantees that he will want to sleep with me in the pleasure house to rub it in Izuna's face, not that he will be so fond of me that he would take me away to his castle."
"We thought we should leave that up to your charm," Yayoi said. "Hoping that you have enough to tempt him."
"Let's say that works," Mio said, deciding to humor their idea. "What do you want me to do? Am I supposed to search for confirmation that he has connections with the Sun Country?"
"No, we know he has connections to the Sun Country. We only need you to distract him long enough for us to seize his castle," Madara replied. "We won't leave until he agrees to take us to the Sun Country."
If she had to admit, the job didn't seem difficult. Going through with the mission to invade the Sun Country would be beneficial to her in that it would ultimately distract Madara from asking all the question he wanted answers to, which she wanted to continue to avoid. It would also guarantee their safe passage to the Sun Country if they take hold of his castle in a way that doesn't rouse suspicion.
"I'll do it," she decided, seeing everyone breathe and look at one another excited that she had, "but you best have a good plan to get me inside that pleasure house."
"I thought I could just leave you there," Izuna said, shrugging.
"That would be too suspicious."
"I will think of a plan," Jouji assured.
"And there will be no unnecessary killing," Mio said, looking directly at Madara. "We don't need to face any consequences for having played a role in the death of a lord."
"I won't kill him," Madara repeated, earning dubious looks from everyone else. "I won't!"
"Good." Jouji got to his feet and inclined his head respectfully in her direction. "I shall enjoy working with you once more, Mio."
"I'll be in your care," Mio replied.
"Arata, let's go. We have work to do."
Arata bowed and exited after Jouji.
"Now, Madara and I have a sparring match to get to, so, we'll be leaving you," Izuna said, standing. "Shall we go, brother?"
"I'll see you for dinner, Mio," Madara said, getting to his feet and following Izuna out of the house.
Yayoi crawled over to Mio and hugged her. "Thank you for doing this for me."
Mio nodded, patting her shoulder gently.
"After so long," the priestess started, drawing back to look at her directly, "it feels a little surreal that I could be able to go back to the Sun Country. It feels like I haven't been there for many decades…" She smiled lightly. "I try to imagine it in my head, but nothing comes up. That's how long I feel it's been."
"Are you sure you want to be going?" asked Mio, worried that whatever lay in wait for them in the Sun Country. The reason she was safe before was because Ayuka welcomed her and Rikuto defended her against everyone. She wouldn't find the same courtesy extended to her a second time, not with the circumstances with which they would be visiting the Sun Country. "It will be dangerous."
"I have to go," stressed Yayoi. "There is no way I cannot go. I felt terrible that Ikki and I were separated that day, that I couldn't take him out of the Sun Country and that I let Ayuka use him against me. "
"Then you will be reunited," assured Mio. "I will make sure of it."
Yayoi hugged her again, squeezing her tightly. "Thank you, Mio."
"You don't have to thank me until you are with your brother again."
Mio stepped into the first room to her right after entering the Uchiha clan's compound where Madara, Izuna, and Jouji were waiting. She joined the three men at the small round table, knowing the time had arrived to learn whatever plan Jouji devised to have her successfully infiltrate The Thousand Cranes, the pleasure house Lord Eishirou frequented.
"Would you like tea?" asked Jouji, gesturing to the teapot in the table's center.
She refused gently. "So, what do you have planned?"
"Arata was lucky to find that the pleasure house has a bit of a history in buying girls from a sleazy merchant—"
"I don't have to seduce him, do I?" interrupted Mio, looking from Jouji's face to Izuna's and Madara's, aware that they were avoiding eye contact. "Madara!"
"No," Madara said quickly, "you don't. Eishirou is enough."
"We considered it," Izuna added.
Jouji shrugged in response, pushing his glasses up. "We were thinking it would be best for us to intercept this man on his upcoming trip to The Thousand Cranes. We could easily knock him out cold. I would take his place with a Transformation Jutsu and deliver you as merchandise to the establishment. The problem would be convincing them that you are a profitable purchase. They won't take just any girl into the pleasure house."
"You can leave that to me," said Mio, "but you will have to play your part in that as I tell you, else we might have to find a different way to enter the pleasure house."
Jouji nodded. "Then, I leave it in your hands. Once, you're in it will be up to Izuna to become your patron."
Izuna grinned. "I'll show up in a day or two and buy you for the rest of the week." He turned to Madara. "This place is expensive—"
"How do you know?" asked Madara, arching an eyebrow.
"I heard this place is expensive," Izuna correct. "We are going to need a lot of money."
"Is that where you and your team have been wasting your money? Have you been throwing it at pleasure houses?" demanded Madara.
"No! I was chaperoning them, well, mostly!" Izuna admitted, looking to everyone staring back at him blankly. "I mean, this was a long time ago! Like years ago! I don't do this anymore—"
"This is his private life," said Mio in his defense.
"We don't have the luxury of throwing away the payment we receive!" snapped Madara.
"I wasn't throwing it away, it was those guy—"
Jouji turned his complete attention to Mio. "We don't have much time to waste. The merchant is currently on the way to the Lightning Country to present his most recent crop. Eishirou is overdue a visit as well, so the time to strike is now."
Madara and Izuna continued arguing with one another in the background, but it no longer had any relevance to Izuna's excessive spending. She tuned them out, devoting herself to the current task.
"When do you suppose is the best time to leave?" asked Mio.
"In a day or two, that way we would have ample opportunity to ambush him. Madara is also going to need plenty of time to move several shinobi into the coastal provinces without drawing attention from any occupying shinobi clans. We also need a method to communicate once you've infiltrated Eishirou's castle." Jouji scratched at his chin. "If we had the time, we could have planned this more thoroughly, but…"
"We can't waste any more time," finished Mio. "The faster we make it into the Sun Country, the faster we can help the remnants of the Motou clan, and prove that the Mikazuki clan has no affiliation with the Ishiki clan."
"Have you decided on what to do about the Ishiki clan?" asked Jouji.
"Takuto agreed to take shinobi to find their village and is currently in talks with Akihiko about requesting the aid of the Amamori clan," answered Mio. Ultimately, Takuto agreed that if they sat back and did nothing, they would continue to be targeted. Others would think it would be quite simple to attack them, to steal the artifacts, knowing the Kuronuma clan was to pacifistic to do anything in retaliation. After Saori, how terribly frightening that had been to endure for all of them, they couldn't afford staying put. For that reason, Mio agreed to help them gain access into the Sun Country. She wanted to prove the information the Ishiki clan used to get to her Guardians and their artifacts did not come from Mikazuki Rikuto. "You should start making all preparations necessary to leave within a day."
Mio rose from her seat and walked up to Madara, placing her hand on his shoulder, silencing him. Izuna quieted as well, his eyes lifting to meet her face.
"I'm going to borrow him for a bit," Mio told him. "You can resume arguing once we're speaking."
Madara watched Jouji exit the room. "Where's Jouji going?"
"I asked him to make preparations to start this mission," she informed. "We're leaving in a day." She smiled at Izuna. "Would you mind helping with Madara's end of preparations in his absence?"
Izuna nodded.
"Let's go, Madara."
Mio walked to the door where she waited for Madara to come up beside her. Izuna left his seat as well, pushing apart the doors on the opposite side to take the back exit.
"You know who to gather," Madara said in parting, stepping out after Mio.
"I got it," Izuna called back.
Mio was halfway to Sachiyo's house when Madara matched her stride. "What are we going to do?"
"Preparing for the mission," she answered. "I need help."
Mio led him inside the house and waited for him to slide the shoji screen shut. She took his hand and pulled him close, reaching to touch his face with her free hand. She held his gaze, watching his eyes narrow, perhaps in recognition of the emotion in hers.
"This is preparation?" he asked lowly, his fingers twining with hers.
"We won't have the time to be together like this for a long time," she said, guiding him to her lips, "and I want you."
She pressed her mouth against his, parting her lips to teasingly nip at his lower lip. Madara's hands came up to the nape of her neck, his fingers twisting through her hair, and he closed the small distance between their bodies. He slanted his lips and deepened the kiss, making her body strum with excitement.
He broke the kiss, lingering close to her lips. "We should go upstairs," he said, leaning forward to loop an arm under her backside. He hoisted her body onto his shoulder.
Madara took her up the stairs to their room where he pulled out a futon from the closet that he messily threw across the ground. He set her down on her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning forward to kiss her firmly. He guided her back and laid her down atop the bedding, not breaking their kiss.
Mio grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, jerked him forward, and flipped their positions, straddling his waist. She pinned him down and resumed the kiss her actions had disturbed while unknotting her sash. She felt his hands join hers as their mouths molded to one another, their tongues meeting with slow, teasing strokes that made her skin warm and prickle.
They were fumbling to remove her sash, but their joint efforts only tightened the knot that held it all together. The frustration of finding themselves unable to release the knot broke their kiss as she straightened only to be jerked forward by Madara's tugging.
"I'm ripping it," he threatened.
"No!" she objected, pushing his hands away. "Stop pulling at it, you're only making the knot tighter."
"You were the one that started pulling at it first," he retorted.
"I said stop pulling at it! I'm trying to undo it!" The knot was tight and difficult to pick apart. She struggled more because Madara kept trying to help her with it and grew more and more frustrated. "Madara!"
"Here, stop. I have an idea," he said, pushing her onto his lap as he sat upright. "Squeeze out of it, you can unknot it later."
She stared at him exasperated. It was wrapped around her waist tightly. "I can't squeeze out of it."
He kissed her face.
"Give me a second."
"Just rip it," he suggested gently, pressing his lips to her ear. He moved his mouth down, opening it against her neck and sucked on her skin. His hands ran down her sides and slid under her clothes to tug at her trousers. She squirmed when his cold fingers brushed against her skin.
"Madara, wait, let me unknot this," she complained.
"Untie it," he said huskily against her neck, pulling her pants and undergarments down to expose her ass. "Lie back."
"But—"
"Focus on untying it."
Mio abandoned her task to lie on her back and set both of her feet down to his right.
"Lift your hips," Madara said, grabbing hold of the top of her pants. "Keep trying to unknot that."
She raised her hips and allowed him to strip her bottom half naked, throwing her trousers to the other side of the room. She kept her knees closed as she wrestled with her knotted sash, trying to hurry with the process because she didn't want to let Madara do whatever he wanted until she succeeded.
"Do your best," Madara encouraged, offering her a devilish smile.
Mio picked at the tight knot as he parted her knees, leaning forward to press an open-mouthed kiss on her thigh, his warm tongue searing against her skin. He continued kissing further down, distracting her from her task. She grabbed a handful of her shirt's fabric and watched his head dip lower as he drew a line to her inner thigh with his tongue. A shudder pulsed through her and she made a tremulous noise in protest when she tried to call for him, her head starting to grow hazy.
He lifted his eyes up, black and smoldering. She tightened her grip on her shirt, biting down on her lip when his teeth scraped lightly over her inner thigh, moving teasingly slow.
"Don't slack," Madara murmured, his cold fingers firm against her thighs. "Focus."
"I can't." She gasped when his teeth briefly sank into her thigh. He kissed and sucked on the tender flesh. Her body quaked and her back arched. "M-Madara."
She heard him chuckle, his mouth sucking the soft skin of her inner thighs and his hands moved to cares her hips.
Mio whimpered, her hands balling into fists. "Don't..ngh…don't leave marks."
He met her eyes briefly, the amusement clear in them.
"Madara," she mewled, her breath hitched. Madara spread her lips and pressed his tongue flat against her sensitive flesh, making her shiver. She wasn't paying attention to her sash any longer; her gaze was steady on his actions, watching him as he moved his tongue in slow, agonizing circles. He pressed wet kisses against the tender flesh between her legs, spreading her swollen lips to taste her directly. She felt the tension in her muscles dissolve with every long stroke she felt across her slit.
His thumb gently brushed her clit, the slight touch made her body stiffen with a wave of pleasure, eliciting a loud moan. His tongue delved inside her and she pushed against him. He used his other hand to press a finger through her slick folds, moving it slowly as he lifted his mouth to the throbbing nub above her entrance. He avoided touching it directly, instead he stroked the area around it with his tongue.
He continued fingering her, dipping one inside before adding another. She moved her hips to match the thrust of his fingers, a dozen little knots tightening as her pleasure started taking control of her. He sucked lightly on the little nub and a moan escaped her. She reached, grabbing a handful of his shirt. Oh, she was close. A little more and she would—
"Yes," she breathed.
Madara kept to the steady rhythm and her voice grew louder, the pleasure rippled through her, curling her toes and arching her back. She writhed, the tremors that took hold of her prickled her skin, and she urged him to keep going until she felt sweet release pulsing through her. She continued to moan, still feeling his tongue lapping at her sensitive flesh.
She didn't think to speak, let alone move. Her body quaked in the aftermath of her orgasm. The sweat that beaded her forehead slithered down the side of her head. Her remaining clothes were too stuffy.
Mio tugged the two layers out from underneath her sash and removed them as Madara rose on his haunches, licking his lips. She could see his erection pushing against his pants and she shuddered in anticipation. She wanted to feel it thrusting in and out of her. She tossed her clothes aside and ripped her sash off, no longer interested in preserving it.
Madara smirked. He pulled his shirt off, throwing it atop the pile of her clothes and pushed his trousers down, exposing his erection, the tip beaded with precum. He didn't offer her the time to admire it as he slid his hands underneath her knees and dragged her closer. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, staring into her eyes. She could read the emotion in them and her skin flushed.
He guided himself inside of her, spreading her apart slowly, feeding it to her inch by inch. She shifted underneath him, splaying her hands across his back, feeling his muscles taut beneath her fingertips as he burrowed deep in her.
Mio raised her head to kiss him, the way his lips moved against hers was intense, and his tongue rolled over hers in a tantalizing dance. He raked his fingers through her hair, gripping the strands at the base of her neck when he began to move, thrusting shallowly. She moaned. Her body was too sensitive. The slower he moved, the more it stirred her up. He lowered his lips to the corner of hers, brushing them against the side of her face.
She listened to his uneven breathing, burying her fingers into his back, touching it she felt the way his muscles tightened with every measured plunge and the sleek layer of perspiration starting to form on the surface of his skin. His buried his face in her neck, tightened his grip on her hair, pulling enough to make the back of her head throb. She closed her eyes, groaning when she felt his other hand slip between their bodies, fingers inching between her legs. She knew he wanted to press against the small nub above her slit as he quickened his rhythm, but it was too soon. She didn't want any more pleasure. It would be too much. She wouldn't last long when it was still throbbing from his earlier attentions.
"No," she panted, "don—" She felt a jolt of electricity crackle through her. She let out a loud cry, eyes opening wide. "Mada—" She couldn't form words as he applied the slightest bit of pressure, her body arching into his, molding against his powerful frame. She bit her lips to keep herself from screaming, digging her nails into his shoulders as her lower body accumulated heat and her insides clenched around his hardened length. "Nghh!"
She heard a deep grumble from Madara's throat. "Fuck."
Mio sobbed with pleasure, her legs were weak and quivering beyond her control. He continued drawing deliberate circles around her clit, brushing against it every so often to elicit louder cries and plunging into her with his throbbing cock, working her to a fever pitch.
"Madara—"
She inhaled sharply and stared up at the ceiling, her eyes blurred with tears. She didn't feel she possessed any control over her body. No, she lost that a while ago. She transformed into the receptor of Madara's desire and she sensed in his actions, his movements, and his expressions that his passion could very well be bottomless. She'd gladly let him have her as many times as it took to satisfy him because as things were, she expected it would be about the same amount as her own gratification.
She stopped fighting the overbearing pleasure. She gave into it and it felt like falling, falling endlessly. Her insides began to spasm around his cock. She whimpered, body overcome with satisfying shudders. Her breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling quickly. Her Time Sphere sat beside her head, having rolled off her torso where she last saw it's glow brighten when the light hit it, the black cord draped loosely over her neck.
Madara withdrew himself from her with a wet sound; her kissed her lips chastely and brushed her hair away from her forehead. "I'm close," he husked. "Ride me."
He sat back to strip off his pants and reached to pull her onto his lap by her elbows. She lifted up her body, taking hold of his slick cock, and pressed the head against her slit. She sank down onto it, taking him in to the hilt. She was stunned to silence, the new position allowed him to penetrate her deeper and it took her a moment to adjust.
His hand slid down her waist to her hips and moved his own upward, pushing further inside her. Her own groan startled her. She draped her arms over his shoulders and started to rock on top of him. New sensations mingled with the shudders still running through her from her last orgasm, intensifying her movements even more.
She could move in a way that stimulated her clit and the built up to her next climax seemed imminent. She was hypersensitive. Even a ghostly caress had the power of making her writhe and cry out.
Madara covered her breasts with his hands, massaging them and rolling her nipples between his fingers. She groaned, leaning back to undulate her hips. He moved forward, using one hand to push one of her breasts up to take her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard against it, and the other to pinch at the other. The tingling in her body made the sensations that much more intense, his tongue tracing a circle around her nipple felt ten times more pleasurable than if he would have started there. His teeth scraped over it, making her body quiver and her voice betray her, before releasing it to pay the same attention to the her other, though not for long. He lifted his face to kiss her, but as his lips were so close she could feel his breath caress her own, he cursed lowly and groaned her name. His hands went to her hips, pushing her down harder against him.
Mio inhaled sharply. His rigid cock pulsed inside her and she held onto him tightly, drawing her closer to her into an intimate embrace. His breathing hitched, his body shuddered and he crushed her body against his. He dug his fingers into her hips, alerting her in that split second that he was coming before he did. She slowed down, riding him at a deliberate pace, elongating his pleasure as he filled her with new heat until she started to squirm in the wake of her next climax. He moved his hips underneath her to ride out the waves of their joint gratification.
Madara kissed her hard, releasing her mouth as the last spurts of his orgasm filled her. She slumped against him, resting her chin against his shoulder. She slid her arms underneath his and rested them on his sweat-slicked back. She closed her eyes. His breathing eased, matching her own.
He reached for something behind her, but kept his arm around her, moving her as he did. He unfolded the soft blanket and wrapped it around their bodies, needing her help to secure it across his back.
Mio admitted it was stuffy to be covered in a blanket, but she didn't mind it in the current circumstances. She enjoyed being close to him. She was aware they wouldn't have another opportunity to do any of these things because they would be going to the Sun Country and there was no telling what they were going up against. It could be more dangerous than they anticipated.
"Madara?"
"Hm?"
"If undertaking this mission bothers you, I won't do it," she said, moving back to look at him. "We can ask someone else to help. I don't want you to be uncomfortable knowing that I am seducing a man."
"Do you feel uncomfortable doing it?" he asked, eyebrows knitting.
"No, I don't," she assured, lowering her eyes briefly, ears burning with embarrassment. "I just wanted you to know that I don't want any other man to touch me this way, only you."
"Good, you're the only woman I want."
She smiled.
"But if you have any doubts about the mission, let me know."
"I will."
Mio returned her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes again.
"We should probably clean up and help the others make preparations," suggested Madara.
"Not yet." She yawned, the exhaustion taking her by surprise. "I want to stay here."
He obliged her.
"You ripped it after all," he pointed out, lacing his fingers together behind her lower back. His eyes flickered towards the torn sash lying with their clothes.
Mio murmured a complaint and left his lap, stealing the blanket from him and wrapping it around her tightly. She would have to explain the ripped sash to Yayoi, as she had borrowed it from her a few days ago because its beautiful plum color looked striking against her white clothes. Yayoi practically shoved it on her that morning and explained her actions by saying that that was what friends did, they borrowed each other's clothes.
She was so embarrassed. How would she explain it ripped?
Madara crawled over her, wrapping an arm around her, his weight bearing down on her side. "I can get you a new one."
"It was Yayoi's."
"We need to get her jewelry."
"Expensive?"
"Very expensive. She needs to forget that sash existed."
Mio laughed.
He jerked at the blanket, trying to pull it off her. "Let me inside. The room's too cold."
She pulled apart the thick blanket, letting him slip in beside her. He shuddered against her, his body cold, and closed his eyes.
Mio watched his face smooth out save the deep creases underneath his eyes. She reached out to run her thumb against one, her red string bracelet's beads clanking softly near his mouth. He opened his eyes and took her by the wrist, shifting slightly to look up at the bracelet he had given her.
"You never take this off, do you?"
"I'm afraid I'll lose it."
He kissed the inside of her palm and sat up. "I'm going to help Izuna."
He rose from the messily lain futon and walked to the basin of water they kept atop a three-drawer dresser. She kept her arms folded against her chest, eyeing him with interest.
"I asked Keigo to accompany us to the Sun Country," she told him.
"Do you think he will be all right?" he asked, cleaning himself with a damp washcloth.
"He's a talented swordsman, he could be useful."
"I'll ask him to prepare for the journey." Once finished, he pulled on a new set of clothes. "He'll be accompanying me to the coastal provinces."
"Keep him safe. I don't want anything to happen to him."
"Perhaps, you should leave him."
"No," she said. "He needs to be there."
Madara shot her a dubious glance. "Why?"
"Because he wants to be a Guardian."
"Why don't you just give him a sphere? You have two."
"Because they already have Guardians," she answered.
"What? Who?"
"Murakami Keishuu and Izuna."
xl: Was that too much?
Okay, so officially, the starter arc of the story is done. The next arc is called "Sunburst in the Deep" and it is one of the ones I'm most excited to write about because Yayoi is going to get some good character development and that's basically all I ever wanted, to give her the character development she deserves. However, everything is going to be so serious for a bit, which is why I sort of decided to push the beginning of the arc to the next chapter and to give Madara and Mio some peace and happiness.
So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please look forward to the beginning of "Sunburst in the Deep" next chapter. Actually, I think the next chapter will be a little humorous because Mio is going to try her hand at seducing a tyrant. Let's see how successful she is.
As always, thank you Loteva, FlameCore, Ninjagirl2211, and blob80 for reviewing. :) I also want to say that you all came up with some real interesting ideas about what Mio is hiding! Keep it up! I've been leaving clues left and right, haha!
- On a somewhat unrelated note, in case you don't visit my livejournal. I'm going to write Valentine's Day specials! You can read about that on my profile and find a link to take you where to comment. Please, check it out if you're interested.
Thank you for reading! I'll hopefully see you next week!
