A/N- SO SO SO SO SO SORRY about the long wait! School is already starting to take its toll on me and my free time has been cut down drastically. Again, I am typing this at 1:30 am when all my creative juices that don't bother to show up in the morning have appeared =_=. Anyway, I hope you like it :D!
The stunning view of the blooming cherry blossoms blurred together slightly as the train sped past the green fields. It was an unnaturally perfect day, with small puffy white clouds occasionally punctuating the striking pure blue sky.
The beauty of nature never fails to amaze me, thought Tsunade in awe, staring absentmindedly out the window with her chin propped up on her arm, the intricate patterns of the natural environment usurps any possible man-made creation. Even so, she turned around for a second to look at their train compartment, some man-made inventions are still pretty breathtaking.
Again, she was marveling at the amount of money that must've gone into this whole trip. Somehow, Reborn had managed to reserve a private cabin on the train, which was significantly nicer than the other compartments, complete with a solid mahogany table in the corner and soft leather seats lining both sides. Kureko, Keiko and Reborn were sitting at the table, apparently discussing plans for the rest of the week they had off.
Tsunade sighed and turned her attention back to the window. Though she was trying to distract herself, she couldn't completely silence the nagging thought in the back of her mind.
That ominous aura…
Just thinking about it made her wince. She still remember the way it had robbed her of her breath of an instant, her head feeling like millions of razor sharp needles were being violently shoved into her skull. The intense hatred had seemed to fill every corner of the room, sending chills down her back.
How can anyone hold so much anger and hate inside of them? thought Tsunade, especially if it's…Leoko.
Since the release of emotion had only lasted for a second, she didn't have time to pinpoint exactly who the aura belonged to. However, through the haze of pain, she was able to find that the feeling was the strongest around the table in the corner—the one where Leoko had been standing at.
When Leoko told them that he had more things to do in Hokkaido and would take a later train, Tsunade couldn't help but feel even more uneasy. His behavior had seemed normal, (He even tried to get a goodbye kiss from Keiko, a request that was met by murderous glares from Kureko) but someone that could hold in so much fury for so long was bound to be a good actor.
Tsunade fiddled with her necklace. I really don't want to believe it was Leoko, she thought sadly, Though he's been a bit too straightforward, I really have come to think of him as a friend. But…they say only a person himself knows his true intentions. Is it possible that I've profiled him wrong?
While she was pondering these troubled thoughts, she felt a familiar presence approach her. She smiled and put the thoughts away to deal with later as Reborn took the seat next to her.
"I didn't know admiring the scenery required such intense concentration," joked Reborn. His grin faded a bit and was replaced by look of concern. "Something on your mind?"
"It's nothing," assured Tsunade, "I was just thinking of Leoko. He seemed a bit—off."
"Ah," said Reborn, a sad smile on his face, "So you noticed." He leaned against the window and let out a small sigh. "Leoko has been my friend ever since we were young," he said distantly, as if he were looking back into the past, "His father's company had gone bankrupt, so he moved into my family manor to work as a servant. It was Leoko who convinced me to walk my own path away from the expectations of my parents." Reborn's eyes softened and he looked at Tsunade. "And even if our paths diverge, I'll eternally be grateful to him for allowing me to pursue what—and who—I want."
Tsunade blushed. "So, is Leoko also of mixed heritage then?" she asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Yeah," said Reborn, "His father was Japanese and his mother was Italian. That's why his name is so unusual, it's like a Japanese twist on Leonardo or Leo."
Tsunade was about to respond with a comment about how Leonardo was actually a name of Germanic origin when Keiko walked over.
"Hey there, lovebirds!" said Keiko cheerfully, "We'll be arriving at our next station in thirty minutes. From there, we'll transfer trains again and then it'll be a straight trip to Tokyo."
Tsunade stood up. "I probably should call Iemitsu-kun and tell him when we'll get back," she said, pulling out her cellphone and walking out into the aisle. As she went into the private compartment, she felt her heart lurch guiltily as she thought of what she had to tell Iemitsu.
I've made my decision, thought Tsunade sadly, I just hope he'll understand.
Iemitsu smothered a small cough as he drove over to Tsunade's apartment.
Well, most of my cold is gone now, thought Iemitsu, though I know Tsunade will freak out if she hears me cough or sneeze once.
He chuckled fondly as he remembered the call he got from Tsunade a few hours ago. She had spent three-fourths of the call fretting over him and only a few minutes asking him to come over to her apartment when she got home at 10:21 pm (She always had a thing for calculating when exactly she would arrive somewhere.) to discuss something.
Iemitsu parked his car and began walking up the stairs, wondering what Tsunade could possibly want to talk to him about.
She could've gotten more evidence against Reborn, thought Iemitsu, Knowing her, she probably wouldn't have wasted such a huge opportunity to collect information. However, there was an undertone in her voice that sounded almost…guilty, as if she had done something wrong.
Iemitsu stopped in front of Tsunade's apartment and let himself in with the spare key she gave in. He stepped in and took in the nearly-empty room, the only item that had not been provided by the landlords was her keyboard set up in the corner. Iemitsu looked at his watch. It was 10' o clock, 21 minutes left until he could see her again. Walking over to the couch, he paused next to a small table that had a single photo frame on it. He picked it up and smiled. It was a picture of him and Tsunade together when she was 16 and he was 17, the first picture she let him take of her. She wore the beautiful smile that still took away his breath today. Holding the picture frame, he sat on the couch and thought back to when they first met—
And when he had first fallen in love.
The first impression that 16-year old Iemitsu had on the girl who was now his sister was that she seemed horribly secluded.
Dark and secretive, Kudo Tsunade had kept to herself, silently analyzing her surroundings while staying hidden in the shadows. Iemitsu had tried talking to her, but he had only gotten distant, cold responses. Their foster parent (and Tsunade's great-aunt) had told him to be patient and gentle with Tsunade because she had been through a lot, but Iemitsu couldn't help but feel put off by her stiff attitude, never talking unless it was absolutely necessary. Iemitsu was extremely outgoing and was very good at getting people to open up, but Tsunade's icy shield around her heart seemed impenetrable. He was nearly going to give up on her when the event happened.
They were walking to school one morning, with Iemitsu was trying to engage Tsunade in a conversation that lasted longer than five words as usual. Iemitsu was talking nearly one-sidedly about a new fencing club at school and how she would be great at it when they arrived at a street crossing. Iemitsu had stopped when he saw a car driving towards them—but Tsunade didn't.
"Look out!" shouted Iemitsu. He leaped forward and yanked Tsunade out of the car's path, earning a loud honk from the driver. Tsunade toppled onto Iemitsu.
"What were you doing?" snapped Iemitsu, "You could've gotten yourself killed!"
He was about to say more when he heard a soft sob. Surprised, he looked at Tsunade and saw tears running down her face.
"If I had gotten hit, would I have felt what they felt?" asked Tsunade softly. Another sob escaped from her lips as she looked towards Iemitsu, her normally blank eyes suddenly filled with anger. "Why didn't you let me get hit?!" she yelled, "Why didn't you let me feel what they felt?!" Her shoulders slumped and she looked down, the tears streaming down uncontrollably. "It's all my fault, all my fault."
Iemitsu's eyes softened. She still blames herself for her family's death, he realized. He remembered mourning his mother's death, blaming his dad for never being there, blaming the fugitive who had stabbed her on the street in desperation, blaming the people that passed by the alleyway without hearing his mother's faint pleas for help, and most importantly, blaming himself for not being there. He had loved his mother more than anything, and when she died, he felt like there was nothing he had to live for.
But he did.
"Tsunade, listen to me," he said gently, "You may blame yourself for your family's death, but that's not a reason to join them. When they died, they left you with their hopes and dreams for you to accomplish. Most importantly, they left you to write the future of the family for them. You have to keep forging on for them."
"It hurts," cried Tsunade, "It hurts so much."
Iemitsu wrapped his arms around her. "I know," he said softly, "so don't hold in all that pain. Share it with the people that care about you. Share it with your onii-chan."
Slowly, Tsunade's sobs subsided, and she looked at him. Iemitsu felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed that she was actually very pretty. Her golden-brown eyes glistened with the last remnants of tears and her soft hair fell in random locks that seemed to perfectly frame her face. Standing up, he offered his hand to her. Tsunade reluctantly accepted it and stood up next to him. Iemitsu looked at her in a new light, and felt something deep inside of him stir. It was then when Iemitsu knew things wouldn't be the same between them.
Four years later (pre-Tokyo)…
"Onii-chan!" exclaimed Tsunade, warmly embracing Iemitsu.
"You know you can't call me that anymore," said Iemitsu, chuckling at her enthusiasm, "The adoption contract is nullified."
Tsunade stuck out her tongue at him but said nothing. Iemitsu knew that she was still angry at him for canceling the adoption contract. He decided to change the subject.
"So, have you gotten our new mission yet?"
"Yep," said Tsunade, waving a manila folder full of papers, "We'll be going to Tokyo to take down a major criminal organization dealing in weaponry. The leader of the organization is actually quite young, about your age." She handed the folder to him. "He is actually very skilled and hasn't lost a single customer yet, not to mention that there is almost no proof of his involvement."
Iemitsu skimmed through the documents and let out a low whistle. "These achievements are quite impressive for such a young leader. But then again," he looked up at Tsunade, "he hasn't met the Black Rose Huntress yet."
Tsunade broke out into a huge grin. "You got that right," she said happily, "I might just shorten it the Black Hunter for this mission to lose the feminine edge. The Black Rose Huntress is growing in fame, and I don't want too many people to suspect a girl. Besides, it's a mouthful to say."
"You'll be posing as a waitress and majoring in Criminal Profiling?" asked Iemitsu, still reading the contents of the folder.
"Yeah, it's easier that way," said Tsunade impatiently. She grabbed Iemitsu's arm and pulled him in the direction of the car. "You can read the rest on the jet, so let's go," she pleaded.
Iemitsu laughed and relented. He watched her fondly as she walked quickly in front of him.
She's finally opened up to me over the last four years, he thought. After joining the Interpol, Tsunade had become more comfortable around Iemitsu as they travelled the world together as the greatest Interpol agent pair. She had decided to pursue her brother's dream and was determined to accomplish what his brother left for her to do. Iemitsu was concerned for her health, but he strongly believed she could complete her brother's fate, because to him,
She was perfect.
Tsunade's trust in him wasn't the only thing that gradually grew over the years. Iemitsu's small feeling that he had felt after the incident four years ago had blossomed and grown into something bigger. He had cancelled the adoption contract after he realized he could no longer control his feelings when he was around Tsunade all the time as a sibling. She had been upset, but he knew it was the best choice.
After all, wouldn't she find it strange that her own nii-sama was in love with her?
Iemitsu assessed Tsunade for the hundredth time. She had grown even more beautiful, her awkward teenage years of growing tapering off into a lovely young adult. He could feel his own longing to tell her how he felt, for her to know of his true feelings. But he knew that it wasn't the right time yet; he still had many secrets in addition to his feelings—one that would affect her to the core.
He loved her so much, but he could tell that she only loved him in the way that siblings do. Still, he couldn't stamp out a small ember of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could one day stop looking at him as a brother, but as something more.
"Iemitsu-nii!" yelled Tsunade, "Hurry up!"
She seems very eager today, thought Iemitsu, but of course, this organization actually has pretty strong ties into the mafia. Landing a blow there would get Tsunade a lot closer to completing her life-long goal, and I'll be with her,
Every step of the way.
Iemitsu put his thoughts away and hurried to catch up with Tsunade,
Heading to Tokyo,
Where everything changed.
A/N- Next chapter, Tsunade gets home and things will change :D! Thanks to smileysparklea for reviewing!
R&R PLEASE!