Chapter 9 – Deception leads to disgrace

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A/N sorry it took so long, I got myself banned from the pc… blame my dumb ass of a little brother!
im still not meant to be on it... but i had to give you guys something xx

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"We need to talk"

"What do you need" his tone mimicked mine, dead and ready for business, that is until he saw the slowly healing split on my lip, anger took over his voice, his face a mask of poorly concealed rage.

"Who did that do you" he demanded in a venomous hiss, looks like they still care about my wellbeing, score 1 to me, death sentence of Reo.

"Well that's the reason I'm here, the one who did this is nothing I can't handle, but he works..."

"You mean the one that hurt you is ALIVE. MIKAN WHATS GOING ON?" he looked almost pleased …sadistic old man.

"Well if you stop interrupting I'll get to that, the man I have been LETTING hit me, works for the Koizumi's" I went over and sat on the monstrous desk within the offices, force of habit as my father used to give me a pretend mission, I would report back to him while sitting on the desk, although this time it's a real mission, and I'm not reporting back to my dad but a room full of shocked faces. I smirked at the way some of their mouths were hanging open. "Did you really think I had opted out? What type of head would that make me…" I said given them the evil eye (Koko taught me how to do it, I think I look stupid, he said I look ready to torture someone) and from the looks on their faces I'm guessing I need more confidence in myself. "Over the past 5 years I have been investigating the Koizumi's, and right now I can tell you 3 main things:

1. My father lives.

2. The Koizumi's want him… badly

3. WE HAVE A RAT!"

I waited for the chaos to ensue, funny how stupid most people look when shouting, my uncle was trying to calm everyone, while one man stood in the corner, looking impassive and completely calm. I knew him very well, his slick black hair and deep set amethyst eyes reminding me of a dear friend, and although he seemed impassive I could tell he was calculating all the uncertainty's and possibilities, he looked up to see me staring at him and flashed a week smile, before the emotion disappeared and he went back to scheming. I slid of the desk and over to him, avoiding the mass of shouting morons.

"How is she?" I whispered

"Pissed off… at you no doubt" his monotonous voice replied.

"I find that hard to believe, her not only showing emotion, but towards something I do, it's too implausible." I tried not to laugh at the very idea, of her with an annoyed face,

"Oh really" he rose his eyebrows. "Well allow me to clarify just how bad it is. 2 days ago, she slammed her door and last night she hit a plate against the table. It cracked." His eyebrows fell, and his face went blank again, it's so weird how they can do that.

"That bad" I winced I know it doesn't sound like much to a normal person, but when it comes to Hotaru Imai it's the equivalent of a violent tantrum seriously that girl is more stoic than her father, hell even her mother can't compare, she only cares about money… and apparently me!

The only reason I didn't send her a report is because I figured I could do it in person today.

I was about to say more when my uncle was finally able to achieve calling the room to order.

"Mikan tell us everything"

So I did… well kind of, I told them every suspicion, all the recorded phone calls and photos from hidden camera's the only things I kept hidden were Koko, and the places my dad maybe hiding.

The few faces that I could only faintly recognise, or didn't know at all – must be knew to the family – didn't know what to say, whereas those closest to me, my uncle and Mr. Imai included wanted to rip Reo to shreds.

I couldn't tell if the 'sheep' was among those here, I could only hope that they weren't.

I didn't feel the need to rush back to Kyoto, after all with the family on side I only had to catch a train and one cab back to that hell. Instead I plotted in the office with my uncle and the branch heads for hours, I wanted to see Hotaru and Natsume, but that's seems impossible right now, although I could use Hotaru's intelligence and information gathering abilities every time I tried to sneak out someone would stop me with a question or a possible infiltration plan.

I had an idea, but for it to work, I would have to die…

Let's just say the others weren't very pleased with that notion, but right now it seemed like the only option, so while the others were busy formulating plans that would never work, I talked with the only two people in the room I trusted with my life, quite literally.

The fake plan was to send me back along with Hotaru; there we would wait for the signal that meant the family was in place, at all of the meeting spots that had belonged to the Koizumi's which had been found over the years, it didn't matter whether they were active of not, mainly its was to keep them out of the way, without them realising, but they hoped to kill or capture most of the Koizumi's that way, once the signal was given I would spring my own attack, capture Reo with Hotaru's help then wait for my uncle and Mr. Imai to arrive to haul his sorry ass off for interrogation, it wasn't a bad plan, but it wouldn't reach the root of our problem, and the Koizumi's are like weeds, you can pull as many leaves as you like, but without removing the base they grow back stronger than ever.

So I'm heading back to Kyoto next to my now stoic best friend, I say now, because when she first saw me she tested all of her latest inventions on me, she promised more when this was over as well, and it was only coming later because I couldn't fulfil my part of the plan with broken limbs, this time I made sure to find Natsume before I left, and when I finally got to see him, he spoke a handful of words to me. No really I put so much though into what I wanted to say as well…

Flashback

I have to find him this time, I already searched the house for him, and was now running around the garden in search for the only person I truly let push me around, sure I let Hotaru hit me most of the time, but that's her way of showing affection, and it normally only occurs when I've done something moronic, but Natsume was different, he shouts, belittles, knocks me over and even looks at my underwear yet I don't reprimand him really, sure I shout back and insult him too, but if I really wanted it to stop I only had to order him to, instead I look forward to our meetings I like it when he smirked at me, or tossed his raven hair around. So this time I WILL say goodbye, I don't care if he is sulking, or is angry at me. I just want to see him one last time.

Finally I reached the place I subconsciously knew he must be, as it was where my feet headed once I reached the grounds… the Sakura tree, our sakura tree. And I was right he was standing beneath the branches looking towards the sky.

"What ya doing?" I had crept close enough to him that he jumped before turning a furious glare at me, only for it to be replaced by shock, and then a small smile pulled at his lips.

"Waiting for you." Was his reply, I almost shivered at the sound of his voice, it had deepen slightly, if that was even possible, and that wasn't all that had changed he had grown taller, it was almost annoying that he is still taller than me, his body was lean and muscular, not overly so that he looked scary but enough for me to know that he trains every day, for a long time, and that he was strong, incredibly so. I wasn't sure if I could take him out in his current form.

His hair had naturally grown of cause, but it had been trimmed so it framed his face nicely, yet messy enough to give off the; I don't give a damn look.

"Hey polka, if you keep staring so hard your eyes might fall out." His characteristic smirk graced his face and my heart skipped a beat. So I stuck my tongue out.

"I was just seeing how much more fox like you had become." I pretended like his gaze didn't bother me, it was so good just to see him, I forgot just how much I missed him over the years.

"Hn. It's good to have you back" those words must have been so hard for him to say and my heart stilled, because I had to leave again, and this time I really didn't know if I was ever coming back and I have to tell him… I have to say good bye, a lump forms in my throat it's hard to speak to even breath, yet somehow I managed the words.

"Not for long I'm leaving again, Natsume I have come to say goodbye." His eyes narrow and he grabs me by the arms and pushes me against our tree.

"WHY? WHY DID YOU COME BACK IF YOU ONLY GOING TO LEAVE AGAIN?" his questioning eyes felt like fire burning into my soul.

"Because I have to, there are thing I need to do to keep this family safe, that's the price which comes with my blood." I answer with just as much power in my voice as in his.

"Then take me with you, you don't have to face this all alone." How I wanted to, so much, but I couldn't put him in danger like that.

"I can't, ok I just can't" I whispered weakly to him.

"So the ice bitch gets to be involved but I don't, she got letters I didn't even get a farewell, why don't you trust me!" I knew he was talking about the last time I left, but I looked and he was gone. I searched and searched until there was no time left. And I trust him with my life, hell with my heart, yes I worked out many years ago that I liked Natsume as more than just a friend.

"THE REASON I DON'T INVOLVE YOU IS BECAUSE I'M GOING TO DIE, AND I CAN'T LET YOU DIE TOO." I blurted out the words before thinking properly, vividly aware how close he was to me. I broke his hold on me while he was still in shock, and ran away before the tears fell.

Flashback end.

Now it's unlikely I will ever see him again, but I have to focus on the job at hand not think about the what if's and maybe, we were pulling into the station in Kyoto, Hotaru was to get a cab after me, as to not arouse suspicions from anyone who was watching now we were closer, which gave me time to inform Koko about my plan, and to give him a choice.

I arrived in my room only minutes before Hotaru jumped through the open window, and nodded telling me it was almost time and to be ready. Unfortunately we didn't plan on Reo opening my door with a gun in his hand, aiming it towards my head.

"Well what do we have here, a Yukihara princess and a brat, why don't we move this little party downstairs." He motions for us to leave the room. "Arh, but I want your hands up in the air exactly where I can see them, that includes you, brat number 2." He waited until both our hands were up before continuing. "Oh and Mikan, I'm pretty sure you can dodge some bullets but what about your little friend, make any moves at all, and I'll be sure to shoot her first." We walked in silence down the stairs and into the living room, my mother wasn't here, which either meant he had already killed her, or she was just out shopping completely oblivious to the danger we were in.

He bound our hands and legs with duct tape then strapped us to the wooden chairs from the dining room, I always wondered the point of having such sturdy chairs, in this rickety excuse of a house. Now I know why, they are hard to brake, once in a bound state. I hadn't quite figured Reo's plan for us yet, but I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. And I was right to think so, once he started getting out his interrogation equipment. He started to sharpen the knife, checking the blade every now and again, by running it across my arm, leave thin but deep line which blood trickled out of, I had several by the time he decided it was ready.

"Now princess I have some questions on your fathers whereabouts which I would like you to answer, and every time you don't, your little friend gets a little cut, every time you do you get a little cut, either way you get hurt, you just get to pick how… mentally or physically." My mind was reeling what could I do, how was I going to get us out of this, just as he was about to ask the first question an alarm went off "seems we have company why don't we play a game."

He grabbed his gun while pulling out another and stood behind us one pointed at each of our chests, just as he finished positioning himself the door burst open, and Mr. Imai came rushing in. gun out and ready to kill.

"Well what do we have here? Yes the resemblance between you and brat number two is amazing. Oh why don't we play a game? You kill one the other survives, yes that does sound like a fun game, doesn't it" that's it Reo has completely lost his mind, why not just kill us both and use our bodies as shields. Why all of this messing around, he must have finally lost it. I guess prepping yourself to mutilate little kids will do that to you, no matter how many people you have killed.

"Mr. Imai, do it, shoot me!" I said without hesitation, no way was I going to let Hotaru die, not for me.

"I'm sorry Mikan, but I can't kill my own daughter" he clicked the back of the gun.

"NO DAD! Don't do it don't kill Mikan!" was my best friend crying… I can't see that, or I might regret my decision, instead I turned back to Mr. Imai if I was going to die I was going to stare death in the face.

"I'm sorry Hontaru, I can't kill you and Shiki is a good head, Mikan is not necessary to the family, or me" and with that he pulled the trigger.

I awoke it a dark room, two people's shadows could just be made out, a candle flickered to life as Koko emerged from one of the murky shadows. There other was Jii-san the temple owner. Slowly I sat up. And Koko smirked.

"Welcome to the world. Ichigo Hana."