A/N: Suddenly, a random update appears! It's been what, two or three years? If you are interested in why exactly I am updating all of a sudden, head on over to my LJ for Nabari no Ou. The URL is nyanja14(dot)livejournal(dot)com . In fact, you should head over there anyway, because if you read my fanfic on there you get to see the ~~pretty images~~ I have accompanying it. One more update will be appearing tonight or tomorrow, and once I hit 20, 016-020 will be up on my livejournal as well.
All of these are un-beta-ed and most were written late at night. So please let me know if you spot errors!
The anime deviats from the manga a little for this portion of the story. For clarity sake, this drabble follows the manga's canon. Also, I was totally thinking about xxxHolic the whole time I was writing this...
019: VISION (2/3)
Yoite had never tried to look through another's eyes with kirabefore, but it had been mentioned in the technique's scroll by a previous user. There was no reason to believe it wouldn't work. Still he was a bit startled when he closed his eyes, reached for the thread tying him to the Shinrabanshou bearer, and suddenly found himself staring through the fingers of a small hand.
My hands used to be that small, he thought. And then, This is the hand that will free me.
But only if he was careful. So Yoite watched.
The connection was too draining to maintain continuously, so he let the vision fade in and out. Even those flashes were enough to determine that the boy was not safe. When the bearer was not staring at his textbook or out the window, he was catching quick glances of a weathered-looking man with hungry face.
Yoite couldn't allow the Shinrabanshou to fall into some stranger's hands.
As the bearer climbed stairs towards a family restaurant, Yoite climbed aboard the last bus running to Banten. By the time the boy was packing his backpack for another day of school, Yoite was lurking in an alley, ready to tail him. His body was tired, but his mind was so, so awake.
Who was that man? He had to be a ninja if he had an interest in the Shinrabanshou, but from what tribe? Some traitor in Banten? Iga, Fuuma? Or had the other tribes also learned the identity of the Shinrabanshou bearer?
Yoite didn't know. He didn't like not knowing; going into battle was never a good idea when you had zero information.
Then the hungry man made his move and Yoite's anxiety transformed into anger.
He was seconds away from bursting into the gym when the girl with the katana crashed down from the ceiling. The strange, white-haired boy emeraged just after with a pair of kunai to the man's neck and Yoite knew the immediate danger had passed. But the rage that had rushed through him at the sight of the bearer's blood refused to be still.
He was almost glad when the ninja escaped.
Yoite followed the man. He was a panting, stammering mess, but just moments ago he had threathened Yoite's only wish. Maybe he would be a threat again. Maybe he would not. It did not matter to Yoite or his angry, pounding heart.
He approached the man from behind, then raised a finger to the back of his skull.
"The Shinrabanshou is mine."