Hey everyone. As promised, Chapter 25. I do make a few mistakes here and there, so sorry about that, but I'm human. Unfortunately. I got a review talking about how Sasuke is significantly weaker in this than in canon. I agree. I also agree to the fact that Kuroki's interactions with other males would strain the relationship with Sasuke. So, you know. Draaaamamamamama.
I was really tired when I finished this, so yeah. It's kind of a...it's not really a filler chapter is it? Anyways, thank you for your evergrowing support. I'm going to go completely off topic and say; HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 IS COMING OUT! AHAHAHAHAHA~!
Anyways. I hope you enjoy.
"Stop hiding, Taidana. You know I know you're here." Neji's stern voice called out to me, who was currently hiding lazily up in the trees. Sighing, I jumped down, rustling the leaves and landing silently on the dirt. Neji stood in front of me, the typical frown on his face.
"When are you going to stop pushing me away, Hyuuga?" I asked, frowning in annoyance at his reluctance to make up. His eyes narrowed, but I refused to look away. After a minute of intense staring, he finally sighed, closing his eyes and breaking contact.
"You just keep pushing back, don't you?" He commented softly, opening his eyes and revealing a more soft gaze. I grinned at him, shaking my head lightly.
"I wasn't going to let you sulk and ignore me for more than a day."
A small smirk formed on his lips as he raised his hand, reaching into my hair. I waited in confusion as to what he was doing, and soon found out that he was pulling leaves out of my hair.
"You have no femininity, Kuroki." He voiced, his smirk widening. I snorted, further supporting his analysation.
"Would you rather I acted like a lady?" I asked poshly, causing him to chuckle slightly.
"No, because then I'd have to treat you like one." He replied wittily, causing me to reel back in amused surprise before laughing.
"You wouldn't treat me like one even if I did." I laughed, playfully punching his shoulder.
"You punched me in the face, ladies don't do that." He defended, I waved a dismissive hand at him.
"Do you remember who threw the first punch?" I asked, feigning innocence. His face darkened. "Yeah, that's right; you."
His violet eyes shifted to the left, and he suddenly looked uncomfortable. I waited, because he looked like he wanted to say something.
"I apologise for that. You were right," His eyes soon connected with mine again. "I was being blinded by my own feelings and took it out on you."
I tilted my head at him, a small smile forming. "Looks like you grew up a bit. I forgive you. Just don't expect me to apologise for punching you in the face. I enjoyed that."
"Kuh." He huffed, shaking his head with a small smile. "How are you going to fight Ino?" He suddenly asked, bringing my memories back to the chuunin exams.
"She's good at ninjutsu, but she lacks some skill in taijutsu so that's my advantage over her. If she wants to use her mind technique that she has, she'll have to pin me down first, but I don't plan on that. Even if she does, I'm pretty sure my will can force her out of my body." I explained briefly, my lips twitching in amusement when I heard a familiar wispy chuckle.
'She's probably already sensed my chakra...'
Neji frowned in contemplation. "She's a sensor type, isn't she?" He looked up at me. "She must've felt the chakra of that being you bonded with. It might discourage her to use her technique on you if that's the case."
I nodded, it was definitely a possibility.
"Are you going to have fun getting your ass kicked by Naruto?" I questioned, changing my smile into a mischievous grin. He made a face of contempt.
"Why are you so adamant that that loser will be able to beat me?" He asked instead, disliking the fact that Naruto; someone weaker than him, would beat his genius ways.
"I should probably go train." I stated, brushing past the Hyuuga and intent on leaving. I was stopped when he swiftly grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I made a small sound of surprise before widening my eyes to see Neji's face closer than I was used to. I couldn't read the emotion in his eyes.
"I'll prove to you that he is a loser, and that he'll stay one." He announced determinedly, his eyes never leaving mine.
"He'll change your way of thinking." I told him softly, turning my body to fully face him again. I didn't fail to notice that he still had a firm grip on my wrist. "You can overcome destiny, Neji. You just need some influence." I smiled at him. When he didn't say anything, I tilted my head at him, but he continued to simply stare. Was it just me, or did I seem to be having a lot of people stare at me recently? "Neji?"
He seemed to snap out of his thoughts, blinking in mild surprise and releasing his hold on my wrist, also stepping back and looking away. "We'll see."
Luckily for me, I could hear him even if he was mumbling, and I laughed before jumping back up into the trees.
"You already made up with him?" Sasuke asked, annoyed that I forgave Neji on the same day we fought. I yawned as we casually made our way back home.
"Yes, I did. Don't be so angry about it, it's not like I've never been punched in the face before." I waved a dismissive hand towards him. He sighed.
"I don't care, you're...you're important to me and I don't want anybody hurting you." Sasuke muttered, his face turning away from me as he spoke. I leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of his most likely blushing face.
"That's sweet, Sasuke. But we're ninjas, I'm tough, alright. We can protect each other." I reassured him, hooking my arm with him. He sighed.
"I feel like you're the only one doing the protecting." The Uchiha mumbled under his breath. I nudged him, gaining his attention.
"Stop self-pitying. You want to protect me? Focus on getting stronger..." I smiled at first, but then I suddenly fell into a serious tone. "And watch out for the snake and Kabuto. I foiled their plans, so they're obviously keeping an eye on us now. They're stronger, and a lot better, who knows when they could appear."
"We should tell the Hokage about it." Sasuke advised, also taking on a serious tone.
"The Hokage knows Orochimaru's around." I replied, looking down. "I'm not sure if they know about Kabuto though." I added.
"We need to be on our guard," Sasuke murmured. "Not only would they be after me, but the fact that you purposefully ruined their plans would grant you a spot on their hit list."
I groaned, face palming in exasperation. "I know. It's so much fun when a fucking sannin is out for you."
"At least you were able to do something when he did." The Uchiha's tone was bitter, causing me to sigh. He wasn't going to let it go, was he?
"Stop being so broody, Uchiha." I frowned at him. "You're no fun when you are."
He raised a brow at me, before returning a frown. "I'm serious, Kuroki. If something like that happens again, I don't want to be useless."
We both fell into silence as we walked, both now preoccupied with our minds. I had realised that...Sasuke wasn't as strong as he was in canon. Perhaps that's the repercussion of him not becoming an avenger and trying to become as powerful as possible.
Various thoughts plagued my mind, but I was thrown out of them when Sasuke's voice drew my attention. "We're home."
I looked up, and found out that we were. "By the way," I turned to him after unhooking my arm. He frowned and looked at the ground. "do you mind...not spending so much time with other guys?"
"What?" I blurted out, obviously taken by surprise at his request. He immediately looked away and stepped forward towards the house, not allowing me to see his face.
"Forget it." He bit out, opening the door and walking in. I stood there, watching his retreating form before a bark from a beautiful dog brought me back. I just about ran into the house to greet the sprinting silver dog charging at me from down the hall. He barked loudly as I scooped him in my arms, lifting his huge form as he licked my face senseless.
"Ahaha! Did you miss me, boy?! Did you?" I laughed as he barked in affirmation, resting his paws on my shoulders. He affectionately rubbed his cheek against mine.
"Sasuke-kun! Welcome back!" Aonami's voice exclaimed happily from the kitchen. I lowered Shiruba, placing him on the floor and turning to close the door.
"Sasuke. Welcome home." Kuroi's chill voice welcomed the Uchiha. I walked into the lounge, seeing Kuroi sitting on it as usual and seeing Aonami and Sasuke in the kitchen area.
"Kuroki." Kuroi acknowledged, nodding at me with a small smile. "Welcome back." I grinned, jumping up and landing on the empty part of the couch.
"Thank you." I thanked him with a happy grin. I heard Aonami laugh as Shiruba tackled the Uchiha to the ground, also licking him senseless as the raven head laughed, trying to make him stop.
"Welcome home, Kuroki-chan." Aonami smiled at me. I leaned back, waving at her.
"Hey, mum."
"How did you two go in the exams?" She asked curiously, gently nudging Shiruba to get off Sasuke, as they were in the way. The silver dog listened, getting off and making his way over to me. I began to pet him lovingly as Sasuke stood up, wiping his face.
"We got into the third round." Sasuke informed Kuroi and Aonami, the latter jumping in excitement.
"You did?! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations~!" She congratulated us, hugging Sasuke who awkwardly hugged back.
Kuroi ruffled my hair affectionately. "Congrats, Kuro." I looked back at him, seeing the pride in his eyes for me. I leaned forward and hugged him with a grin.
"I'd never be able to get this far if I didn't have you and Kakashi teaching me how to be a ninja." I replied modestly, finding the statement incredibly true. Without them, I wouldn't be nearly as strong as I am now.
"When is the tournament?" He asked as I leaned back, crossing my legs as I faced him.
"In a month. I'm going against Ino Yamanaka and Sasuke's up against Gaara of the Sand." I informed him. It was barely unnoticeable, with his bangs covering nearly all of his eyebrows, but I saw one of them twitch at the mention of Gaara.
"Gaara of the Sand, huh?" He repeated, glancing to Sasuke who was currently being suffocated in one of Aonami's bone-crushing hugs.
"There's something I want to tell you, dad." I frowned, putting myself into a more serious demeanour. Kuroi noticed this, and nodded, standing up and leisurely placing his hands in his pockets before beginning to walk out.
"Meet me on the roof." He told me. I nodded, standing up and making my way to my room. Sasuke seemed to be ignoring me for the moment, so I didn't bother to tell him what I was doing, and went up the stairs. Shiruba followed me to my room as I took a moment to breath in the lovely scent of my room.
"Yup." I sighed in content. "Still smells like bacon, huh, Shiruba?" I smiled down at my dog, who barked.
I went to my bed, crawling over it to get to my window and opening it. I went out as Shiruba jumped on the bed. "Wait for me, okay?"
Maneuvering my way up to the roof, I saw that Kuroi was already there, sitting lazily whilst the wind ruffled his hair. He glanced at me.
"How many fangirls did you have when you were younger?" I randomly asked, sitting next to him and crossing my legs. He chuckled softly.
"A few. They seemed to find my aloof and lazy nature 'cool', and so they used to try and get my attention." He explained simply, poking my head soon after.
"But that's not what you wanted to talk about, is it?"
I smiled up at him. "No...do you know the three sannin?" I asked him, tilting my head.
Kuroi nodded, looking ahead. We could see the village and the lights, but it wasn't as beautiful as when I was on the hill.
"Orochimaru came after us in the forest of death."
Instantly, Kuroi's eyes darted to my form, an intense look in them that wasn't usually there. "What?"
I took in a deep breath, before explaining what happened, what I knew and all that. Kuroi stayed silent during it all, taking it in.
"I also know that...in a month..." I began after explaining everything else, "there will be an invasion on the day of the chuunin exams." The thumps of my heart beat were much more noticeable to me, the risks of telling Kuroi this...
Kuroi was quiet for a long while, and I didn't bother to speak as I waited. As I expected, he did speak after most likely much contemplation. "Orochimaru and Sunakagure...they're planning it?"
I nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid...that the Hokage will die during the invasion." I all but whispered, knowing that he could still hear me.
A sigh escaped him as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to him. "You're so strong, Kuroki..." He whispered. I was surprised by his behaviour, but quickly relaxed in his arms, leaning against him and closing my eyes. "I don't know how you know all this...but, I know you wouldn't lie about this...you know we're going to have to go the Hokage about this."
This time, I was the one who sighed. "It's unlikely that they'll believe me..." I muttered, slowly opening my eyes to stare at the roof tiles. "But it's worth a try, anyways."
"We'll go tomorrow. If you're still allowed to train after we explain things, I'll make sure to put you through hell." I slumped at his words.
"Way to motivate me." I replied sarcastically, pushing off him and sharing a small smile with Kuroi. I was happy that he supported me so strongly. It was...a relief, really. "Also, I might have to make a few white lies so things are more convincing..."
"I'll always be there for you, Kuroki." He said with such seriousness, that it nearly took me by surprise before I felt my smile widen.
"I love you too, dad."
I stood in front of the mirror, my form completely soaked after just having a shower. My hair stuck to my face and my back, and I took a moment to look over myself again. My weights on my arms, legs and stomach were still there, weighing me down but making me stronger. I closed my eyes, focusing so I could put my chakra into the weights.
I sighed as I felt my body become heavier, attempting to pull me down. I opened my eyes, seeing the weights' glow just die down. I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection. My dead eyes stared back at me, before they began to glow into a light brown. My pupils became the slightest bit slanted, like a cat, and the mark on under my eyes began to jag.
A familiar yet not grin found its way to my lips on the reflection. I felt the slightest of smirks form on my face, but I knew that the mirror was now reflecting the monster within me, so I couldn't see it.
'Do you think you can make a difference, Kuroki...?' He asked through the mirror, using my voice as I stared at the mirror.
"Make a difference..." I muttered, shifting around as I felt my muscles adjusting to the new weight. "This is my home now...I have to do what I can to protect it."
'I can sense the darkness...' My eyes focused on the light brown ones in the mirror. 'It's growing in Sasuke...it's only small now, but...something is eating at him...'
I frowned at the news, curling my lip. "That's exactly what I need..."
Jin chuckled with my voice. 'Do you plan on fixing it...?'
Another sigh escaped me as I pushed off the sink to grab my towel and dry myself. My Jin-influenced appearance remained in the mirror, watching me.
"Unfortunately, there are other things I need to focus on..." I responded finally, now drying my hair. "Besides, what person doesn't have a little darkness in them?"
'You know that it could become a problem...if you leave it for too long...'
"I think that I'm holding Sasuke back." I admitted, wrapping my hair in the towel and grabbing my underwear to put on.
'Oh...?' Jin tilted his head. 'Do tell...'
I gave him a look as he feigned ignorance. "You already know what I'm thinking." I told him. His grin widened. "Maybe if we put some distance between us, he might be able to just focus on himself for once and become stronger. He's strong, Jin, but he's not strong enough. I'm the same way. We have to focus on training for the next month, that's if they don't lock me up for interrogation tomorrow." I frowned, putting on my shorts and baggy top.
'What happens if that has the opposite effect of what you intend...?' Jin questioned, causing me to sigh.
"We'll just have to deal with it, then, won't we?" I responded, opening the door and walking out of the bathroom. I walked to my room, and was mildly surprised to find that Sasuke wasn't there. I looked to the door next to mine, seeing it shut and the light leaking from the small gaps.
I felt a small tug of hurt in my heart, but I ignored it, walking forward and closing the door as Shiruba jumped on the bed.
"Hey, boy." I greeted the silver dog, who looked at me with wise eyes, seeming to sense the small sense of sadness in me. He whined, his ears flat against his head as he placed his paws on my shoulders and rubbed my cheek. I smiled softly at his way of comforting me, petting him before moving to unwrap the towel from my hair.
Shiruba barked when I grabbed my brush to brush my hair. I glanced at the dog. "Sasuke's not sleeping with us tonight, Shiruba..." I looked at the desk, noticing how most of his stuff was gone from it. "He might not be for a while." I whispered, crawling onto the bed and onto my side. Shiruba curled up at the bottom of the bed, where he usually slept.
I stared at the empty space where Sasuke was meant to be, grabbing his pillow and hugging it. It smelt like him, a small smile formed when I could smell tomatos. It was strange, really.
He was only next door, but I felt like he was so much further away. It hurt, really.
But I guess...that's my fault.
I couldn't get any sleep that night, so I stared at the moon all night long, seeking its comfort.
Sadly, it did little to numb the growing pain in my heart.
I twisted in the air, looking up at the clouds in the sky before landing on a roof, bending my knees and jumping up again.
Kuroi and I were on our way to the Hokage. I was trying my best to calm my nerves by staring at the sky, but it wasn't doing much.
Finally, after a few minutes, we had reached Hokage tower. I stayed silent as Kuroi requested to see the Hokage.
We waited for at least fifteen minutes before being able to see him. I placed my hands in my pockets so no one could see how much I clenched and unclenched them, as well as preventing myself from fiddling with them.
When Kuroi and I stood in front of the Hokage, he nodded at us. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Kuroi-kun?" He asked, eying Kuroi then me.
"Hokage-sama." Kuroi acknowledged, nodding his head. I did the same, although a little more awkwardly. "My daughter has important news that I'm sure you need to hear." He stated in a serious voice, looking straight at the Hokage, who shifted his gaze onto me after hearing Kuroi's words.
"Is that so?" He took a puff from his...cigar thing. "Please, explain to me what this news is, Kuroki-chan." I nodded at him, stepping forward.
"This may come as a shock to you, but the information I have is something that will be hard to believe, but I have no such intention of lying to you." I stated seriously, keeping my gaze connected to the Hokage's. He seemed to be searching for something before he finally nodded.
"Continue."
"I'm sure the fact that Orochimaru, one of the three sannins attacking my team and I during the second test of the chuunin exams had not escaped you." I started, seeing the slight widening movements of his eyes. "Luckily, I was able to prevent Sasuke from gaining the curse seal that Orochimaru had intended on giving him."
"So, you're the reason why he doesn't possess the curse mark..." Hiruzen commented softly. I nodded. "How were you able to prevent that?" He inquired, and I cringed slightly, knowing that question was to be asked, but I was still unsure of what would happen if I were to reveal such information. I took a deep breath.
"I...used the abilities of the being I'm bonded with." I stated with a volume slightly lower than previously. Hiruzen's eyes widened more noticeably, looking to Kuroi, who I saw nodded out of the corner of my eye.
"It seems that you possess that unique ability of the Taidana clan."
I blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
The Hokage smiled slightly at me. "For generations, your fallen clan had been able to communicate and 'bond' with spiritual beings. Whilst it was still uncommon, a Taidana had more chance of being in contact with a spiritual being than someone outside of it. It seems you are one of those who are capable of doing so." He explained to me. I looked back at Kuroi, giving him a 'What the fuck?' face. He shrugged at me.
"I had suspected it the moment you came home one night, with the different chakra mixed in with yours." Kuroi stated.
I raised my hands, signalling for them to hold the fuck up. "Okay, okay. Before I become overly curious in my heritage, shall I continue with the whole Orochimaru stuff?"
The atmosphere abruptly tensed, causing me to tense up. "Yes, of course. I apologise for the distraction." Hiruzen apologised, allowing me to continue on.
"Well, anyways..." I closed my eyes, before opening them again. "Hayate Gekko died last night, didn't he?" I asked boldly, feeling a frown on my face as Hiruzen gained the same expression as he looked at me.
"How do you know of this...?" He asked cautiously, causing my heart to quicken.
"I...apologise for not being able to give you a straight answer...but...you could say I have something like...being able to tell the future?" I elaborated unsurely, looking up at the ceiling with a confused expression.
The room was soon surrounded by silence, and I was beginning to feel awkward.
"Do you support your daughter's claims, Kuroi-kun?" The Hokage asked with a tense tone all of a sudden, and I clenched my fists due to nervousness.
I glanced at Kuroi, who never removed his eyes from the Hokage. "I do, Hokage-sama. Ever since she was a little girl, Kuroki has been able to know various things that she supposedly shouldn't, and she has come here today to warn you of the impending danger Konoha is in, despite the risks." Kuroi's strong voice as he explained nearly brought tears to my eyes.
I looked back at the Hokage, who put me under his scrutinising gaze. "Is it a kekkai genkai?" He asked. I tilted my head.
"I suppose so, something like it." I looked out the window that was behind him. "Though I only see one future, and...it's not a good one. For the sake of Konoha, I've revealed abilities I've tried to hide for so long to you, and I understand how hard it must be for you to believe me, but..." I stopped when Hiruzen raised his hand.
"What's the danger we face?" He asked with the utmost seriousness. I decided to respect him and do the same.
"An invasion." I responded, watching how his eyes narrowed. "Orochimaru and...Sunakagure have planned to invade Konoha." I closed my eyes as I elaborated further. "Orochimaru has manipulated them into helping him...I've seen...your death, Hokage-sama." I was reluctant to use honorifics, but it was the Hokage for god's sake.
The silence filled the room again, and I focused on my breathing.
"It seems there is much to discuss." I opened my eyes. "I believe you, Kuroki-chan. You hold honesty in your eyes, and I commend you for coming forward to warn me." I sighed in relief at his words.
"Thank you, sir." I bowed, truly grateful that he had listened to me.
"You plan on continuing the exams?" Kuroi asked the Hokage, frowning.
The Hokage nodded. "With the information Kuroki has revealed, we will increase security and keep an eye on the Sand Nin. Kuroki has clearly stated that she only knows one future, and that is the future she has told me. Going about things differently would be risky, as we wouldn't know what their next plans would be. They don't expect us to know that they're planning an invasion on us." Hiruzen closed his eyes. "I know that the Fourth Kazekage will actually be Orochimaru...but I won't run. If we are to fight, then I will fight."
I stared in awe at the Hokage before me. Guts, man. He has guts. "We will keep Kuroki's abilities a secret, and will have forces watch over both you and Sasuke, since they are most likely targeting you both." I cringed at that.
"Fun. Privacy. Gone." I mumbled under my breath, looking to the side in obvious dislike of the whole thing.
"I'm sorry that is has come to this, but for your own safety." The Hokage spoke. I sighed, nodding in understanding.
"I know, it's such going to take a bit to get used to being watched by multiple people. I would never know if one of them was Kabuto or Orochimaru." I commented, expressing my true opinion.
A sigh escaped the Hokage. "I'm getting too old for this." He muttered, causing me to smile slightly.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Hokage-sama." Kuroi thanked, bowing deeply. I did the same.
"I should be thanking you informing me of this dire news."
We conversed for a few more minutes before beginning to take my leave. "Kuroki." I stopped, glancing back at the Hokage, waiting for whatever he was going to say.
"Good luck." He smiled. I smiled back at him.
"You too." And then I left, waiting outside for Kuroi as he was asked to stay back.
I stared up at the bright sky, stretching before sitting down on a nearby roof, a place where Kuroi would easily be able to see me. I was relieved that it actually went well. Like, really well. I was expected Ibiki to come in and interrogate me.
I already felt the unnerving feeling of being watched, which was incredibly unpleasant. Incredibly. I just wondered how Sasuke was feeling. A shadow formed over me, and I leaned back to see that it was someone I was not suspecting. At all.
"Gaara?" I asked, standing up and turning to him. He had a dark look in his eye as he creepily stared at me. "Uh...what's up?"
He took an intimidating step forward, and I frowned, my body tensing. I was still getting used to the weights' new weight. "I'm going to kill Uchiha Sasuke." He announced with a deadly serious voice. I instantly growled at him, stepping forward and closer to his face.
We had an intense stare down. His heartbeat was starting to become easier to hear, and I knew that meant Jin's influence on me was acting up. "If that's all you came to say, Gaara..." I half-growled, taking a deep breath and stepping back.
"Have you given up on being friends, Taidana Kuroki?" He asked in a somewhat mocking voice. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"No." I responded immediately, throwing him off guard, but I grabbed his collar, pulling him close. His eyes soon narrowed at me. "But remember that if you piss me off, it's demon against demon." I warned, hearing the way his heartbeat quickened.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue as I released him. There was a lot of killing intent between us, but we seemed to be able to restrain it.
After giving me one last glare, he disappeared in a whirl of sand. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"So, that's Gaara of the sand?" Kuroi's voice startled me, making me snap my head towards him like a bolt. I heard my neck crack and I swore in annoyance.
"Isn't he charming?" I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. Kuroi chuckled. "You're done speaking with the Hokage?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I think it's time that we get started with training."
I groaned. "Hell. It's going to be hell."
"Hell yes."
"Ugh..."
"Fuck!" I swore as my head smashed against the ground, causing my head to spin. I held it, but felt a shadow blocking the sun over me. I opened my eyes to see Kuroi's incoming figure. I yelled in alarm, spinning away just to have a cloud of dust in my face. I coughed, waving my hand wildly to get rid of it.
When the dust cleared, I cringed at the creature Kuroi's foot left in the place I was at only moments ago. "Oh, god."
"Come on, Kuroki." Kuroi taunted, his hands still leisurely placed in his pockets. I snarled at him as he smirked smugly at me. "You're doing horribly."
"Since when did you suddenly get a demon's boost of strength!?" I demanded, standing up and dusting myself off. My eyes widened when Kuroi was suddenly in front of me.
"You know I was always holding back." He stated before he kicked me in the gut, winding me and a throwing me into a tree, breaking it.
I groaned in pain, rolling on my side as I felt some of my ribs broken. I spat out some blood, too exhausted to wipe it away. "Fuck this shit..."
"If you have time to curse, you have time to get up and try to hit me." Kuroi commented, he stood on the fallen trunk I smashed into. I gave him the finger, causing him to chuckle.
"I suppose that's enough for today." Those words were heaven's song to me. I cheered tiredly, slowly getting up so as not to strain myself. My muscles ached like all hell. Kuroi forced me to put more weight onto my weights, and I felt like I was dying.
"You were really holding back all those years?" I inquired as we leisurely walked back to the house from the training ground. Well, Kuroi was leisurely walking. I was stumbling around like I was drunk.
"Of course I have." Kuroi replied, glancing at me in amusement. "I still am."
I'd have attempted to kick him, but I was in no shape to. My body was dragging me down. "No stopping or I'll make things even worse for you tomorrow."
I snapped my head up at him, a threatening frown forming on my face. "You wouldn't..."
"I would." He retorted, turning and walking. I groaned loudly as I nearly crawled after him.
Fuck this shit, seriously.
When we came home, I completely ignored my surroundings, stumbling up the stairs and walking into the bathroom.
I didn't even bother to take off my clothes as I walked into the shower and turned on the cold water. Cold water splashed onto me, immediately soaking my clothes and I. I breathed deeply as I adjusted to the temperature.
I leaned against the wall, soon sliding down and just letting the cold water soothe my muscles.
'Don't fall asleep, Kuroki...you'll catch a cold...' Jin's voice whispered to me, but I frowned.
"I can't get sick anymore and you know it." I replied, half-asleep. It was one of the things Jin explained to me before we bonded. I wouldn't be able to get sick because of his influence.
Jin chuckled.
After was felt like an hour, I finally decided to strip and properly shower, muttering curses every time I felt pain in my body. I got out, wrapping a towel around my body and walking out of the bathroom, forgetting to get fresh clothes before hand.
My eyes widened when I saw a frozen Uchiha just at the top of the stairs, his eyes roaming over my body. I looked down, seeing that my towel ended at my upper thigh and realising I hadn't dried myself off either.
His face went up in red, before he covered his crotch and sped to his room like a bullet, his door slamming shut behind him. I blinked, processing what just happened.
"What just happened?" I repeated aloud, looking from the stairs to Sasuke's room. Sighing, I walked to my room to dry off, get dressed and go to sleep.
I carefully laid myself down on Sasuke's side of the bed, in too much pain to go any further. Sleep came easier to me that night.
My eyes instantly opened, looking to the window to see that it was around four or five in the morning. I sighed, sitting up and feeling that my ribs were healed. Courtesy to Jin. I still felt like shit, though.
I yawned, throwing the covers off me and getting ready for the day. When I left my room, I seemed to have left the same time as Sasuke, and we looked to each other.
"Morning." I greeted him, turning and making my way to the stairs.
"Morning..." I barely heard him mutter, following me to the stairs. I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the fatigue as I entered the kitchen, where Aonami was already cooking breakfast.
"Good morning, you two." She greeted us happily, throwing bacon onto the frying pan. I listened in content as the sizzling sound it made.
"Morning." We chorused, trudging to the table. Instead of sitting next to me, Sasuke sat across from me. When I took a closer look at his face, I saw the unusual bags under his eyes.
I slammed my hand against the table, still wanting to sleep.
"Are you training with Kakashi-kun, Sasuke?" Aonami asked the Uchiha. I listened absently.
"Yeah..." He replied.
"I wonder if he's as ruthless as Kuroi-kun is." She wondered. "Honestly, always being too hard on Kuroki during training and making her gets all sorts of cuts, bruises and all that."
Sasuke didn't speak for a while, and I was convinced that he wasn't but he surprised me when he did. "She's still beautiful...always."
I felt the painful tug of my heart when he whispered those words. I turned my head, still leaning on the desk but looking at the Uchiha across from me. He was staring at me, and continued to do so when I made eye contact with him. I felt my face contort into something mixed with pain and happiness at his words.
He frowned, making a face that said that he was hurting too. I looked away, turning my head.
"I love you..." I whispered, closing my eyes.
I was happy when he muttered a few words.
"I love you too..."
God, what is wrong with me?
I seem to be really good at mushy mushy endings. Ah, well. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I also hope it wasn't too far fetched. I was a little worried about that, but at least we get things going. I don't want to make things incredibly serious with the story, but it's going to have to happen. Merh.
Your reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm off to sleep at 10 in the morning. The nocturnal life, yeah~. Probably explains why I feel delusional.
Love you all, see you in the next chapter. Oh, by the way. How do you feel if I reset the poll so you guys can vote again, if you have changed your preferences or something. I'll even add a few more people, but it's up to you if you want me to reset it anyways.