The Kitsune's Heart
Chapter 9
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It was a few days of silence, Sanji never receiving another word of Jyabura or Lucci's location, knowing that they were close but the lack of knowledge of where they were in general was nerve-wracking. He took the time of peace to rest and recover from his near scare of being sold off to the pompous Tenryuubito but he had a good feeling that it wasn't going to be the last time he saw the man. He started to wonder of revealing his presence to the swordsman he stayed with was more detrimental to him than the scale of problems that he has suffered with since his birth.
The man was living peacefully before he showed and ever since then, he has been driven out of his peaceful life to either protect himself or the kitsune. But even with that fact, he didn't want to ever forget the man's kindness and those glorious looks and sculpted body that drew the fox to him in the first place. But even with those thoughts, he wished that old man Zeff or even his father would give him a helping hand to make things so much easier.
"But there are no shortcuts on the road of life, I suppose..." he whispered as he stood, donning a simple yukata as he left Zoro's room to head downstairs. The other was outside, practicing his katas with his bokken and Sanji watched wistfully from the window, admiring the man's strength. As a proud creature, he was one to point out people's shortcomings but now he was the object of his own harsh words. He had let Zoro do most of the grunt work and surely it was unfair to the man. Probably infuriating at best.
He felt like the damsel in distress for not taking care of his own problems, especially the recent escapade with the slave trade. Everyone that knew of kitsune trickery and magic knew he could've easily escaped but doubting the swordsman own power was his downfall. He had the biggest feeling if he ever did tell Zoro the reason for his capture and not escaping would probably have him out on the forest floor and threaten with a blade the next time he came close to the man.
With a sigh, he turned away from the window and bound up the loose sleeves, ready to prepare a nice meal for the man that he had fallen hard for and would do anything that will protect him.
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Zoro wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he set the bokken down on the ground. He could feel the eyes watching him, knowing the kitsune was watching him closely like he always did. He didn't know what to do with that animal right now. He still pondered and griped over why he had to be the one to save him when he could've easily saved himself. 'But the stubborn animal won't tell me. Guess I'll never figure him out.' he thought before he decided to continue his training, knowing it probably won't be long before he's either threatened or fight with to get inside and eat one of Sanji's specially prepared meals.
He never spotted the wolf that watched from the brush. Said wolf continued to examine him, trying to remember what Lucci told him about their esteemed target. 'That dumb bird said he was staying with a human. Could this muscle-brained idiot be the one he was talking about?' he wondered before giving a snort. "The hell it is. That stupid fox always goes for the pretty ones. Maybe that bird is getting just as kooky as his master." he muttered to himself before running off to scout the surrounding area.
The black blur didn't go unnoticed and Sanji gulped softly as he moved away from the window, collapsing into a seat as the skewers cooked over the flames. 'By Inari, that was too close. I should be grateful that my scent was covered over by the scent of food so Jyabura bypassed here for now.' he thought and ran a hand through his hair shakily. "I need to deal with them soon. The longer they scour around here, the sooner they'll put two and two together and attack Zoro and I can't allow that to happen..." he whispered as he buried his head into his arms to think and plan while the meat slow roasted, Zoro still training outside and completely oblivious to the pain the fox inside was going through.
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Ace flew into town, looking for his kid brother since he hadn't had the chance to talk to him since the slave auction fiasco. His eyes caught a more favorable target and a grin pulled across his beak as he dove down towards a very familiar dog. Below, Smoker was doing his usual rounds to make sure Luffy wasn't terrorizing the people again, although he had a bigger thought on mind right now that seared through his very soul.
He was warned by the very spirit of Okami in his dreams that a poisoned creature that has been banished from under his name had returned to the fair home of the kitsune. He was told to keep a close eye out but not to interfere. It wasn't in his nature to let something dangerous not be dealt with by his hands but listened nonetheless.
The akita/wolf mix continued his rounds, completely unaware to the bird zeroing on him until he yelped as it landed on his back. "Ace! If that's you, get off!" he growled as he tried to chase the bird off by snapping at him which proved to be futile. Ace trilled happily as he held on to the old dog's back. "Not likely, Smokey! I need someone to bother and you were the first I saw!" Ace quipped with a grin and Smoker growled before giving up on the bird and started walking once more. "What are you doing here in town anyway?"
"I came looking for my kid brother. Want to see how he was after the slave auction incident." he murmured and Smoker stopped at those words.
"What do you mean 'slave auction incident'?"
"Well, apparently one of these lousy humans that you take the honest time to guard with your life decided to shanghai our beloved kitsune with his naivety on his lack of knowledge of the dear swordsman's real power. He gave himself up to keep Roronoa safe so my kid brother and his friends tried to rescue him but got into quite a pickle before I showed up to give them the opening they needed to get out of there." Ace explained and Smoker nodded.
"Why didn't you come to me? As much as I hate it when you show up, if someone is in trouble, especially a lore creature taken in against his will, I want to know these things. That secret slave auction irritates the hell out of me but we can't do a thing to it due to lack of evidence and a decent cover-up that keeps the police away from it." he muttered with a growl. Ace pouted at learning his ookami couldn't do anything about that horrid slave ring.
"I promise you, Smoker. We'll do something about that place. Those who are evil don't deserve to know about our legends and do what they did to Sanji. None of the beasts would be happy if they learn that all their close followers were always taken in by some filthy human not worthy to even be in their presence." Ace murmured and Smoker stopped, amazed by the seriousness in Ace's voice.
"Well, if that's a plan, Tashigi and I will be behind you one hundred percent."
Ace smiled and nodded before hugging the wolf spirit with a feathery wing. "Now, how about another proposition..." he started and Smoker already had a guess where this was going and loped off, causing Ace to lose his hold on his back. He ruffled his feathers before chasing after him.
"I'm not going out on a date with you!"
"Come on! It won't be so bad, Smokey!"
"No!"
People watched in amazement as the dog ran though the town, barking at the bird that seemingly replied back to him as they ran.
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After finishing up the skewers within the hour, setting the table and making a few little rice balls for snacks, knowing the swordsman enjoyed them, he went outside to call him in. "Hey, marimo! Get in here and eat something! I'm sure you're hungry by now!" Sanji called. Zoro huffed but can't deny the delicious smell wafting out the house made his stomach groan with hunger. Setting Wadou back into her saya, he made his way into the house, Sanji following behind him after doing a thorough check of the surrounding area to make sure Jyabura wasn't sniffing around again. Satisfied, he closed the door and joined his would-be mate at the table. The meal was filled with silence as the two ate, Zoro devouring his meal with an unrefined grace which made Sanji pout. He slaved over a hot fire only for the meal to be disregarded as common village swill when the swordsman ate.
"At least savor the flavor, marimo." he said as he ate another piece of meat from skewer.
"Why? Meat is meat no matter how delicately you prepare it."
"Well how nice. You reminded me of the damn monkey saying it that way." he grumbled as he took another sip of the sake before he continued eating without uttering another word to the man across from him. He just couldn't figure out how to get it into the swordsman's head how much he wanted him. The man was being stubborn and frankly, it was starting to piss him off. And he was running out of time now since it won't be long before Lucci was roaming around to find him and he was a much sharper tack than his ookami partner.
He sighed as he finished up first and waited for Zoro to finish before taking the dishes and moved over to the sink, tying up his sleeves before immersing himself elbow deep in dirty dishes. Zoro listened as dishes clattered at the kitsune did his homely duties before standing, sake bottle in hand, and moved over to him.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked softly.
"Nothing, marimo. Don't you have something else to do?" Sanji growled as he placed another dish on the drying rack before starting on another. "You're as emotional as a girl. What's up now?"
"Shut up, damn it!" Sanji hissed as he glared at the man with his visible eye before turning back to the dishes. "I just wanted to get a compliment for my food. They're always nice to hear and it lets me know that I'm improving at least. My old man is a well-known kitsune chef when our kind used to stay in packs. Everyone loved his food. After I was left alone by my mother and placed into his care, I always wanted to learn from him." he murmured as he set another dish on the rack before letting his hands rest in the sink. "He taught me but it was a hefty burden on my shoulders. He didn't tolerate mistakes and would kick me for anything that I did wrong..."
Zoro was silent as he listened, surprised to hear the fox going into his life story but didn't interrupt him as he spoke once more. "After he acknowledged me, that's when he decided to leave me to fend for my own. Since I didn't have him around anymore to tell me whether my food was good or shit, I confided in the compliments of others." he finished before looking to Zoro. "So would it kill you to tell me how my food was?"
Zoro gave a sigh but can tell how much the compliments meant to the fox. Taking another swig from the bottle as he stepped back and move towards the den, he stopped and looked back to Sanji. "It was good. Better than average." he complimented before making his way to his room. Sanji smiled; it was better than nothing. With that lightening his mood, he went back to washing the dishes with a smile on his face.
'Maybe there's still some hope for me yet.'
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Jyabura returned back to where he and Lucci were hiding out for the time being until they found their prey. Hattori chirped, rousing Lucci from his sleep before looking over to the ookami. "Did you find him?" he questioned.
"No. I checked the place your stupid bird told us but I didn't see him." Jyabura spoke but was quieted at the glare given to him by Lucci. "Watch what you say about Hattori. And apparently you've failed to look any closer. How far were you from the house of the swordsman?"
"I was still hidden in the forest. If I let that guy see me, he probably would've killed me on the spot. He did have a sword out and ready to go."
"Forget about the swordsman. He's the least of our problems unless he decided to put up a fight for our prey. If that is so then he is to be killed." Lucci said as he stood, stretching languidly before glaring at the wolf. "Now, get your ass back to that house and look for that damned kitsune. The quicker we find him, the better off we'll be to make this forest ours." he growled and Jyabura jumped before running off, knowing if he wasted even another second would leave him with another scar left by his esteemed leader.
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After taking care of the dishes, he settled down in the den, reading a book to himself while Zoro was upstairs. The swordsman drew some water from the nearby river to get himself a bath inside since he didn't have the time to get one while he was out during the day. The idea of water sluicing down that strong form made him whimper with desire. 'Damn that bastard for being so stubborn!' he thought angrily in his mind as he indulged himself in the book once more to get his thoughts off of the swordsman. But he froze as he heard a howl in the distance. 'No...it can't be. Not now.'
He jumped up from his seat, book forgotten on the floor as he moved over to the window and looked outside, seeing the moving gray shadow and cursed as he moved away. "Damn it. Jyabura's out there and I can't let Zoro get involved or he'll be targeted too." he murmured to himself before steeling himself for what he was about to do. He had a feeling he won't be able to win like he was hoping but he wasn't going to let him think he was still frightened of the two of them. Even if he didn't win, at least he'll go down fighting. With a growl, he ran out from the house, drawing Jyabura's attention to him. "Ah, there you are, you stupid fox." he growled.
Sanji snarled angrily before smirking. "If you want me, you're gonna have to chase me down, wolf." he hissed as he shifted into his fox form and ran off into the forest. Jyabura growled before he took chase.
They ran briskly through the forest, Jyabura keeping close on Sanji's tail and not letting him get a chance to lose him in the dark of the forest. Sanji got to the place he wanted to get too before turning and growled as Jyabura came into view. "You know, it was hell finding you again after so long. Lucci will be happy once he has your head." Jyabura spoke.
"I'm not the same frightened kitsune as before. I'm gonna beat your ass and leave you dead for Lucci to see and know what he's up against." Sanji growled and Jyabura only laughed.
"You! A wimpy little fox like you is gonna take me down! Oh this is rich! Please, let me see exactly how that's going to happen!" Jyabura snarled as he leapt for the fox, fangs bared. Sanji snarled as well as he readied himself. Before Jyabura could land his attack, he leapt into the air, stomping down on the wolf's head as he moved behind him. The wolf yelped, stunned by the hit before growling as he stood once more, turning to face the fox.
"You'll pay for that." he growled as he leapt for him once more. "Same move again? If I knew fighting you was this easy, I would've finished you off before." Sanji teased as he readied himself for the attack. As Jyabura lunged for him again, he jumped but yelped as his tail was grabbed and swung around to hit the ground hard.
Jyabura grinned, now in half wolf, half human form, hand still gripping tight to Sanji's tail. "Wanna try that again?" he whispered as he raised his other hand, fingers flexed and claws bared as he readied to stab the fox in the side. Sanji gasped before shifting as well, grabbing a nearby leaf and casted his fox magic onto it. When Jyabura stabbed down, he realized that it was nothing but an illusion that faded from sight the moment his claws tore into it. He growled before looking around.
"Where are you, you damn thing!" he snarled. "Don't make me sniff you out!"
"Puh! Like I need that ugly mug of yours sniffing me out!" Sanji spoke as he stood before the wolf, clothed in more comfortable and maneuverable clothing than the yukata he was so accustomed to wearing while walking in the vicinity of the swordsman. He now sported some common pants and a vest, a pair of sandals on his feet that were ready to tear into the wolf before him. A pipe in hand, he took a drag and blew out a stream of smoke before looking to the wolf. "Give me your best shot, furball."
Jyabura growled before getting into his stance. "Tekkai Kenpo: Don Porou!" Jyabura shot forward fast, nothing but a blur of movement but Sanji kept up with his quick speeds and ready to retaliate. Bracing his legs, he waited for Jyabura to get in range. "Collier!" he growled, sweeping his foot up just in time to catch the wolf in the neck before he could reach him. Jyabura choked, stumbling back and reached up to hold his neck, leaving him open for what was to come. With a smirk, he dashed forward and started the next chain of attacks.
"Epaule, Cotelette, Selle, Poitrine, Gigot!"
As each hit connected, it left the wolf stunned, pretty much amazed at the sheer power the fox now held since the last time they met. 'The old man must've taught him a few new tricks...' he thoughts as his back met the trunk of a tree, gasping for breath before glaring at the fox. "Those petty kicks are nothing..." he hissed and Sanji huffed. "Oh yeah? You haven't even seen the grand finale yet." he whispered before leaping up into the air, twisting his body before landing a strong kick to Jyabura's face before the other could react.
"Mouton Shoot!"
Jyabura gagged, body shattering through the wood, causing the tree to fall as he hit the opposite side a few meters away. Sanji landed, smirking softly. "Never underestimate me, wolf. I might surprise you." he whispered as he stood. "Now if you don't mind. It's late and I have better things to do right now than to mess with you." he spoke, turning away from the downed animal and headed off back towards his temporary home. Jyabura snarled, grasping the tree in his hands as he stood.
"You should know better than to turn your back to a wolf."
Sanji turned to retaliate with a comment of his own only to cry out as he was slammed brutally by the tree Jyabura decided to use as a weapon on the unprepared kitsune. Sanji coughed, feeling blood dribbling from his lip and growled as he moved to stand. "Tekkai Kenpo: Rouba no Kamae." Jyabura whispered, moving down to all fours before lunging forward at high speed. Sanji growled, watching the wolf and braced himself once more for at attack to, hopefully, throw the wolf off balance. The hit from the tree was painful so he didn't want to hang around any longer to give Jyabura a lead over him. "Tekkai Kenpo..." Jyabura started, landing on his hands before swinging his legs up, colliding with Sanji's chest forcibly. "Matenrou!"
Sanji was flung into the air, coughing out more blood before twisting his body in the air to get himself into a working position to launch another attack before gasping as Jyabura appeared above him. "What the..."
"Lucci will be pleased to know that even with your strength, you're still as weak as ever! Gekko Jushigan!" he snarled, shooting down with both his claws flexed and impaled Sanji in the back hard. A pained howl left the fox as his back was torn into by the claws as both were brought down by gravity and the force of Jyabura's attack. Sanji whimpered, trying to crawl away but hissed as he felt a foot step upon his back.
"Still a gullible fox as always. If you really want to challenge us, get a little better. But until then, I'll take this to make our job much easier." he murmured, turning to the barely moving tails, seeing the hoshi no tama glowing and reached down, taking one forcibly and Sanji cried out, feeling a part of his power ripped from him with the taking of the glowing orb, leaving him considerably weaker even moreso than the fight itself.
Jyabura tossed the little ball up in the air with a grin before moving away from Sanji. "See you later, fox. Next time might be your last." he jeered before tossing the orb up into the air, shifting into his wolf form and caught the item in his jaws before dashing off into the forest. Sanji growled, ignoring the searing pain in his back before he stood and limped his way back to Zoro's, knowing that he need to wrap up his wounds and sleep off his passing weakness before thinking of a new plan. With one of his hoshi no tama lost, it would make things much harder.
'I got to get it back...I can't let them hold onto my hoshi no tama...worse enough if I lose anymore...'
Reaching the house, he walked inside and collapsed on the floor, too tired to continue on. Zoro heard the thud from upstairs and made his way downstairs. "That fox better not have done something." he mumbled but when he came to the sight downstairs, he moved over to the kitsune quickly. "What the hell happened?" he questioned as he lifted up the fox, seeing the blood pooling on the ground from his back.
"Shit, he got ripped up pretty good. What the fuck happened to you..." he murmured, seeing the kitsune was unconscious so questioning would have to wait til tomorrow. With a sigh, he left Sanji on the ground temporarily, not wanting more blood to be spilt through the house, as he went to get the medical kit. Coming back, he set it on the ground and removed the shirt Sanji was wearing before he got to work cleaning the wounds.
He wondered what could've happened to the kitsune but whatever happened, he had a feeling he was going to be dragged in the problem before he knew it. "Isn't as if I'm not already dragged in with this shitty fox trying to make me his mate already." he mumbled as the wound was cleaned and examined the wounds. They looked nasty for puncture wounds and from the way they looked, they weren't done by a gun or arrow either.
After cleaning them, he took the bandages and lifted Sanji to be braced on one arm as he wrapped the bandages around his torso and tied it off. "Shit-fox, whatever the hell you did, you better have a damn good explanation when you wake up." he muttered as he stood with the kitsune in his arms and took him to bed so that he could clean up the blood and medical supplies off the floor.
Throughout the entire time, he never noted that one of Sanji's hoshi no tama was missing from his tail, said tail having a dramatic loss in luster compared to the other four...
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Zypher: And done. A long chapter for you all and now we're getting to the good stuff. Yeah, originally a fight scene wasn't going to be in the chapter but it kinda found its way in there and hopefully I did good for it [had to do a ton of research on their moves again since it's been a while and YouTube sucks in the case of proper footage that isn't an AMV]. And before people question it, yes Lucci and Jyabura will have their Rokushiki abilities throughout the story. As for Tekkai, I may not make it the muscle hardening ability like it is in the manga/anime but it will make an appearance in mention mostly for Jyabura's attacks. Rankyaku is still an in-process idea [since it might be needed since neither of the animals that Jyabura and Lucci are mentioned to really have iconic abilities like the kitsune but have their characteristics based of various folklore so I have to improvise] but other than that, more fights are to be seen, hopefully a little better each time.
And last note before I end the chapter, if people do wonder [or question me about OOC elements], yes Sanji lost a fight he could've have a clear advantage in but it's needed for the plot. There's still a long way to go so there is still much more planning for this little kitsune in terms of fighting. There could be a much longer explanation on this but we'll just get into more of that within the next chapter. Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter and keep my hopes up on this being a good story in the end. Still love how much support you guys are giving me for my first One Piece fic.