Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter, much to my dismay
Story so far: The duo bumped into Gon and friends in Hanzo's country. Kuroro then made a proposition to Killua, for Kurapika's sake. Killua accepted it with an unusual condition, but it appeared that he had a plan. How would things turn out?
Chapter 17
FESTIVALS
"What is this?" She asked with her brows furrowed.
"They are called yukata." He answered calmly.
"I know that. What I mean is: why are you giving me this?"
Kurapika said that demandingly and with grumbles as she picked up the said yukata gingerly with her hands. It was a bright blue yukata with the patterns of yellow and red butterflies. Somehow, the colour reminded her of her tribal clothes.
"We are going to the festival this evening."
"Why?"
Kuroro did not answer it straight away. Of course he could not tell her the real reason why he told her to go to the festival with him. If he did, she would definitely flare up and refused to go, jeopardising his plans.
"Don't tell me that it's one of your fancy, whimsical ideas of having some random fun." Kurapika asked him with suspicious eyes, interrupting his recollection of his deal with Killua.
"If it is?" He challenged her as he folded his arms across his chest with an amused smile.
Kurapika sighed and looked at the yukata in front of her. She traced a yellow butterfly pattern with her thumb, feeling the unique fabric of the yukata thoughtfully.
"I guess going to a festival in a foreign country isn't such a bad idea. After all, Hanzo has gone through the trouble of getting us here during the festival season."
Kuroro raised a fine eyebrow. It was so rare that he could get away easily with her pressing, demanding questions. It looked like she was really in a fairly good mood.
Well, maybe lady luck is really on my side this time.
"Uum…Danchou?"
"Shalnark. How goes the investigation?"
"It's alright, but before that…Why are you dressing up like that, and standing in the middle of the corridor like this? Where's Kurapika?"
"She's the reason I'm out here; she chased me out of the room since she's changing into yukata as well." He answered as he gestured his head to the closed bedroom behind him where Kurapika was in. "As for your first question, we are going to the festival in the downtown area. Then, what do you find?"
"Festival?"
Shalnark had only blinked in confusion when a feminine voice answered in his stead.
"As expected, they station Ninjas all around the National Museum. It's impossible for us to break in quietly. Although not all of them are Nen users; in fact, hardly any of them are, I think they are still more capable than those Mafia goons that we usually face."
Machi appeared out of nowhere and landed right next to Shalnark. She raised a fine eyebrow ever so slightly, but asked nothing regarding what she saw. There, standing before her, was her Danchou dressed in a very dark blue yukata. It was the colour of midnight, and it had pale blue geometric patterns on it.
"Hmm…" Kuroro, out of habit, covered his mouth with a hand. "Tell Nobunaga to keep the Ninja Hunter busy during that day, he is the most troublesome one of all. There will be slight change in the plan; her friends are also participating in the operation."
"Friends? As in, those kids?" Machi's brows contracted as she remembered Gon and Killua.
"Yes."
"But why would they want to help out?" Shalnark piped in, not understanding the new development of the situation.
"For her sake, but she doesn't know about it, and shouldn't know. She'll stop them if she knows."
Just then, Kuroro noticed Machi frowning. He had grown accustomed to notice the meaning of her frowns; there were some of her frowns that indicated bad intuitions, and Machi's intuition was peerless.
"Bad intuition, Machi?" He asked curiously.
"No…" She answered slowly. "I'm fine with them participating, but…"
"But?"
"Actually, since the beginning I have felt that something is amiss."
Kuroro raised an eyebrow, the signal for her to elaborate further.
"Yes. It's as if… there is something else that we need. Not that it will jeopardise the plan, but…if we have that 'missing thing', everything will be even better." She slowly articulated her intuition, but still it did not sound right.
Kuroro weighed Machi's words and mulled over it. Machi's intuition had always been accurate, more accurate than anything else. It had never been wrong before, and it was never a fallacy to trust her intuition alone. So, all he needed to do was to find out what the 'missing part' was before due time tomorrow noon.
"By the way, does Kalluto know of his brother being here?" Kuroro suddenly asked.
"I don't know. Should I tell him that?" Shalnark said with an easy shrug.
"Yes. Also, tell him that he is free to visit his brother anytime he wants, as long as it does not affect our plan." Kuroro said with a nod.
"Understood." Shalnark sang as he playfully made a salute.
The younger Zaoldyk boy might be a very new addition to the Genei Ryodan family, but he was already considered a Spider. He even lent a hand in finding the Nen exorcist for him. Kuroro had vowed to himself to take care of his subjects, and he was not going to abandon that self-proclaimed duty. The sliding door behind him suddenly slammed open, revealing Kurapika with her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
"I've been hearing suspicious things." She stated as her eyes bored piercingly to Kuroro. The man, however, still had his back towards her. She turned to look at Shalnark and Machi. "And why are they here?"
Machi only regarded her coldly and said nothing. Shalnark, however, took his sweet time admiring Kurapika with slightly open mouth. Kurapika was wearing the bright blue yukata as if it was tailored just for her, the maroon obi hugged her thin waist pefectly. Her golden hair had already reached her shoulders. Shalnark had already opened his mouth to say something, but Kurapika glared daggers at him.
"What?" She snapped crudely.
Shalnark froze in his track and did not do as much as a flinch. Machi raised an eyebrow, and Kuroro was intrigued by their responses. He turned around and when he finally saw Kurapika in her brand new look, he was stunned. He stopped halfway and widened his eyes. He scrutinized her from her head to her toe. Kurapika raised an eyebrow, and at the same time she could feel the blush stealthily crawling its way up to her face.
Kuroro opened his mouth to say something, but Kurapika pointed a warning finger at him with her eyes glaring at him. Kuroro then raised his arms in a surrendering manner and wisely zipped his mouth. Machi and Shalnark widened their eyes in a disbelieving manner. That was the first time they had ever seen their Danchou so humble and making a give-up attitude. They exchanged incredulous looks towards each other.
Kuroro Lucifer had definitely changed.
"You look cute."
Kurapika stopped dead in her track, as if Kuroro had paralysed her with some paralysing poison or the likes. She snapped her head towards his direction and widened her eyes so wide they reached their maximum sizes. Kuroro, who was one step ahead of her, stopped and turned his head to throw a glance at her. A thin amused smile was plastered on his handsome face.
"What?" She hissed disbelievingly.
"It suits you." He rephrased his words and turned away from her.
He began walking again and Kurapika was dragged on. She blinked repeatedly, trying to register the meaning of Kuroro's words although they were one of the simplest vocabularies that ever existed in any dictionaries. They took the quiet road from the Ryokan down to the festival in the downtown area. They walked side by side in peaceful silence as the evening wind brushed past them gently. Both were used to being in silent companionship, and they revelled in it. After a while, Kurapika finally could not contain herself and had to ask THAT question.
"Back then…" She started, reluctance obvious in her voice, "what were you planning to do?"
"Back then?"
"In the onsen…" She muttered in small voice, embarrassed to even say it.
"Ah..." A small smile tugged Kuroro's lips as he came to understand of what Kurapika was hinting about. "Nothing."
"No—nothing?" Kurapika blinked disbelievingly.
"Nothing. I was just fooling around." He shrugged nonchalantly, but nonetheless the smile was still on his face. It was, however, unseen by Kurapika.
"You? Fooling around?" Kurapika frowned. It was very unlike Kuroro Lucifer to do such childish act. "You never fool around."
"You looked so gullible, I couldn't help it." Kuroro threw her a sideways smirk, but he said nothing more.
"Gullible? I'm not your toy!" She protested and started to incoherently grumble with a pout.
Seeing her response, Kuroro chuckled softly. That gesture only served to make Kurapika grumbled even more fiercely. As soon as they reached the entrance to the festival, they were both greeted by unexpected and expected people.
"Kurapika!"
Kurapika looked up and upon seeing the person who had just called her name, she froze in her spot. There, standing with Killua, Gon, and Leorio, was Senritsu. The melodious voice from earlier unmistakably belonged to her. They were all dressed in the local yukata, ready to have some fun. Kurapika, however, looked as pale as ghosts. It was as if the blood was drained from her face, leaving her face ashen pale. She stopped in her tracks, and so Kuroro automatically stopped as well. The man raised an eyebrow upon laying his dark eyes on the small woman. He knew her; she had been there when Kurapika caught him ages ago in Yorkshin City.
Kurapika turned violently to Kuroro and glared daggers at him. If looks could kill, he would have been gruesomely mutilated by Kurapika's deadly glares eons ago.
"You liar! I thought you said it's just one of your whimsical ideas of having fun."
"I didn't say yes, did I? I just said 'IF it is?'" Kuroro retorted. "However, I didn't know of her involvement in this." Kuroro gestured at Senritsu.
Kurapika gritted her teeth in annoyance. He was correct. In a way, he did not lie to her since he did not answer the question. She was just being distracted and so she did not really pay attention to the fine details of the manner in which he answered. That was, as she often told herself sarcastically, an art that she obtained after travelling with the irritating man for too long. If she got too easy and laid-back around him, she would end up getting tricked by him, again and again; although it was never harmful, still it was vexing.
The sly man! She cursed inwardly.
Nevertheless, She knew that Kuroro was telling the truth when he said he knew nothing of Senritsu's involvement in this. She did understand as well; from the way he spoke, that the whole thing about going to the festival was devised by her friends. For what purpose, she had no idea. With a sharp turn of her heels, Kurapika faced the quartet and glared at the trio behind Senritsu. Leorio seemed to have shrunk when her deadly glare landed on him, and the corner of his mouth twitched uneasily.
"What is going on?" She demanded fiercely.
Killua exchanged meaningful glance with Kuroro. They had then unanimously agreed not to tell Kurapika of their deal. Killua had told the others beforehand that Kurapika was not to know of their coming participation in stealing the Scarlet Eyes.
"Let's have some fun together, Kurapika!" Gon said enthusiastically. Killua once again thanked Gon's naïve innocence that served to divert Kurapika's focus away from the 'what is going on' topic.
"With him around?" Kurapika hissed with sceptical tone.
"Don't mind me." Kuroro said flatly.
"How can I?" Kurapika whipped her head to reward him with a super annoyed look. "Your presence is a thorn in my flesh!"
"Kurapika."
The said girl flinched when a hand gently took hold of her hand. Kurapika turned to look down at the small woman standing before her. Senritsu had never changed. She still radiated the same motherly kindness and gentleness that Kurapika had subconsciously craved for. If anything, Senritsu was perhaps the closest that she had as a mother figure.
"Senritsu…" Kurapika's face was contorted into that of a sad expression. "I'm so sorry…"
Senritsu shook her head. She knew what Kurapika was apologising for; for abandoning her and faking her death, and thus deceiving her. Senritsu understood the burden and torments that the young girl had to go through.
"You are still you, Kurapika. But you are now more in control of your self." Senritsu threw a quick glance at Kuroro, who was standing not far away from them (because of the bind, of course). "You are more emotionally mature and composed now." She added while glancing at Kuroro all the while.
Kuroro raised an eyebrow at Senritsu's bold action. He knew the underlying meaning behind her statement; that he was the reason why she had grown up. Kuroro decided to say nothing return and pretended that he heard nothing. It would be wiser to keep it to his heart.
"Why are you here?" Kurapika asked as she held on to Senritsu's hands. It felt so reassuring to hold the woman's hands. They were kind and gentle, and she missed them so badly.
"There is something I need to tell you." Senritsu suddenly turned very serious and looked at her directly in the eyes. "Nostrad is hunting you down."
That one statement grabbed the attention of five of them. Killua, Gon, and Leorio gasped in unison. They only knew that Nostrad was Kurapika's former boss, and was a member of the Mafia. Nonetheless that information alone was enough to gauge the direness of the situation. Being hunted down by Mafia was never a good or easy thing. Kurapika held her breath as the information sank into her brains. She had anticipated it, but to hear it directly was still a shock for her. Kuroro narrowed his eyes slightly. He had seen it coming, but he never expected that he would be that displeased to hear it.
"He discovered that your corpse was a fake. He also knows now that you are a Kuruta. I guess he will try to make you his prize. For him, you are a living artefact worthy of billions of zenni, who can generate enough money to pay for his debts and to help him climb the social ladder." Senritsu continued with the frowns on her worry-stricken face.
"I know…" Kurapika replied with weak voice.
"I hope you really do, Kurapika. Stay as low profile as possible. Fortunately, Nostrad still doesn't know that you are in fact a girl. As long as you declare yourself a girl and never show your scarlet eyes, you should be fine."
Kurapika turned her head a bit and her oceanic gaze was met with Kuroro's dark one. They both agreed on one thing: their list of troubles had just increased by one.
As they walked around the bazaar, testing many different kind of foods (rather hesitant on Kurapika's part), and trying out many local games (with a reluctant Kurapika), Kurapika was updated with whatever the other three had been doing during the time she was stuck with Kuroro Lucifer. Gon was still searching for his father; Ging, while Killua still kept him company. Leorio was still wrestling with his medical study, but finance was never a problem anymore with the help of the Hunter License. Senritsu quitted the bodyguard job the moment she heard of Nostrad's plan to capture Kurapika. So did Bashou. They both agreed to split up and search for Kurapika to inform her about it. Since Senritsu managed to find her first; with all due respect to Killua's unprecedented call to her, she would inform Bashou later.
"I have caused so many troubles for the two of you." Kurapika said with her head hung low in embarrassment. She looked at Senritsu and gave her a small smile of gratitude. "But I am really thankful of you."
"Don't mention it, Kurapika. You have saved our lives many times, and besides, that is what friends are for." Senritsu said with a beaming smile.
As Kuroro listened to their trivial stories, he kept his eyes on Gon.
Where have I seen that face before? No, not exactly the face, but those eyes. Those amazingly determined look was uncommon. Not to mention identical ones, he pondered. The memories were like grains of sands; the more he tried to grasp them, the more they slipped through his fingers. It was as if the person in his memories was from very distant past.
"By the way, Kurapika, your Hunter License is practically useless now, right?" Gon chirped in.
"Oh. Yeah…" She turned to address Gon and his question. "Previously it was because I was supposed to be dead, but now it's because Nostrad may be able to track me down through my License."
"Then why don't you take mine?" Gon took out his License and offered it to Kurapika.
Kurapika was clearly taken aback by Gon's generous gesture, but she shook her head.
"Thank you, Gon, but no. I can't trouble you more than I already did."
"Don't worry, we still have Killua's License." He reasoned.
"No, I can't accept it. It rightfully belongs to you. It's not right for me to use it." Kurapika firmly said.
"But I am lending it to you willingly!" The spiky haired boy insisted.
Again, Kurapika shook her head solemnly and put her hands behind her back; it was a gesture to show that she would never take Gon's offer no matter what. Gon pouted deliberately, openly showing that he was disappointed by Kurapika's rejection. Leorio then attempted to save the day by cooling down the awkward atmosphere.
"Hey, Kurapika, you should get yourself a phone. That way, we can still get in touch with each other." He suggested.
As Kurapika was distracted by the phone issue, Gon turned to Kuroro; who had been standing by Kurapika's side all the while and observing the whole event. He raised a fine eyebrow as he noticed Gon's intense stare directed towards him. Instead of saying anything, Gon held out his Hunter License to Kuroro. This time, Kuroro blinked to show his failure to grasp the meaning of the little boy's gesture.
"Please keep it for Kurapika." Gon simply said.
Killua frowned at Gon's conscious action. In other words, Gon's action was saying that he trusted Kuroro enough to keep such an important article for Kurapika's sake. Killua's hands were getting very itchy to knock some senses into his brains. Gon seemed to have completely forgotten Kuroro's notorious reputation as the leader of the Genei Ryodan. That, or Gon had decided to ignore that little fact.
"What makes you think that I will accept it?" Kuroro finally answered after a while. "As much as I am an opportunist, since she has declined the offer, I will comply with her wish. Besides, with or without a Hunter License, it will make no difference to me."
Killua narrowed his eyes. What a conceited bastard…He begrudgingly thought.
"Besides, shouldn't you respect her decision?"
Kuroro smiled at Gon, and that smile was so amiable that Gon could not help but to feel, in the fleeting moment, that Kuroro Lucifer was really a genuinely kind person. He did keep in mind that the man was a criminal, but it was just so hard to imagine that a murderer and thief like him was capable of such expression.
"I see…" Gon muttered as his shoulders sagged in defeat and dejection. So much as he felt sad that his good intention was rejected by Kurapika, he understood that she had her own reasons.
Killua, meanwhile, had been looking at Kuroro with a hard expression on his face.
"The expression of the motive…It's not my thing. But honestly, or rather "evidently", that's where the key to self-consciousness lies."
Killua remembered Kuroro muttering about that when Gon asked him why he could kill people with no connection to him. Somehow, it disturbed him. Why would the leader of the infamous Genei Ryodan say such thing? He had expected to hear something grand, but that was just too simple and cryptic. Also, what the man had been doing recently was really a big question. When Killua had asked him of the reason why he had been helping Kurapika a great deal, he could not answer him properly. It was as if he had no idea on why he was doing what he was doing. His expression of the motive, as Kuroro dubbed it, was completely vague and obscure.
The key to self-consciousness…He says it as if he is still trying to find self-consciousness. He sounds as if he never questions his motives; no, it was as if he has no motives behind all those plans. This is confusing. He is supposedly a smart guy, since he is able to draw plans that utilise the abilities of his subjects to the maximum. I'm sure he is also the one who plans all those escape plans without leaving behind any evidence. Like a phantom… Then what's with that statement? I thought he's a selfish, greedy bastard, being a thief himself…
Killua threw a furtive sideways glance towards Kuroro. The said man was now talking with Kurapika, or rather bickering with her, in a very normal way. Outsiders might never expect that the two had once tried to hunt down each other for the sake of killing each others. What an irony; and here they were dressing up in yukata and strolling down a bazaar lane in such ease that they looked more like a couple than bitter enemies.
Key to self-consciousness… Killua frowned. He glanced to Senritsu, who had joined the conversation with Leorio and Gon. Senritsu described him as someone who lives side by side with death…Someone who accepts death so readily…
"Is this your student Identity Card, Leorio?" Gon innocently piped in as he looked at a piece of card.
"Yeah. All of us have to have it as a proof of us being a student there."
"Eeeh? So is your school really prestigious?"
As the two chattered on about Leorio's medical school, an idea popped in Killua's head after he overheard a piece of their conversation.
Identity…? Death…Self-consciousness…The reason why he willingly helps Kurapika… Oh! Could it be?
Killua looked up as a thought crossed his mind, but then that thought disappeared from his mind as fast as it had appeared when his keen eyes caught a familiar figure. Despite having only seen that figure in a fleeting second, he recognised that person and it raised his alarm. Hurriedly, Killua turned to Kurapika.
"I saw Tompa just now! Hurry up and go!"
"Huh?" Leorio scratched the back of his head "You mean that annoying old man from the Hunter Ex—"
"Heeey! If it isn't Gon and companies!"
As if on cue, Kurapika grabbed Kuroro's arm upon hearing that dreaded voice and hugged it like it was her lifeline Not only that, but she was also able to make Kuroro turn around and away with an unbelievable strength. Leorio, Killua, and Gon hurriedly formed a barricade to cover Kurapika from the view of the dreaded man. Kuroro stared at Kurapika with wide eyes; the girl was practically pressing her body close to his, just like how a lovey-dovey, romantic couple would do. That was very unlike her; in fact, that was something that he would never expect her to do with him of all people. He also noticed the odd behaviour of her other friends, and all these bizarreness started because of a particular man called Tompa, if he heard correctly.
Bemused and curious, Kuroro stole a quick glance over his shoulder. There, behind him and facing Kurapika's friends, was a short, fat man with a nose that looked as if it had been stung by a bee. He was much older than they were all, even older than Kuroro. It seemed that he was an old acquaintance of them from the Hunter Exam days, and they were most reluctant to see him for some reasons.
"To—Tompa!" Gon smiled, but the corner of his mouth twitched nervously; and so did the others.
"Are you all invited here by Hanzo? Ooh, what a reunion we have here. Hm?"
The three stiffened when Tompa leaned sideways to get a glimpse of the girl behind them. He frowned when he saw her, especially when he noted the golden crown of her hair. It reminded him of someone he knew.
"Say, isn't that Kurapika?"
Tompa pointed to Kurapika, and the said girl froze on her spot and squeezed Kuroro's arms out of panic. Kuroro raised an eyebrow upon seeing this so un-Kurapika-like behaviour, but he was too curious to see what would happen next that he postponed the numerous questions that he had in his mind at that very moment.
"N—No! No, no, it can't be, Tompa." Leorio exclaimed while he moved to get her out of Tompa's view. "You see, that is a girl. Kurapika is a boy!"
"Ye—yeah! That's right!" Gon nodded vigorously.
"Well, you're right. So where is he now? I thought he'll be with you, since you guys are always together." Tompa shrugged.
The four started to chat lightly, but what the other three were doing was really to get the conversation out of the Kurapika topic. Meanwhile, Kurapika was listening to their conversation and was blissfully unaware of her hugging Kuroro's arm close to her chest.
"Mind telling me of what is going on?" Kuroro finally asked, since Kurapika had appeared to be drowning in her own little world. He conveniently forgot to remind her of the little fact of her hugging his arm.
"Tompa is a troublemaker. He is notorious for being the newcomer-breaker in the Hunter Exam. Basically, his aim is to destroy the newbie Hunter candidates."
"Hmm…" Kuroro nodded, and suddenly a brilliant idea popped up in his mind. "Does he know that you are a Kuruta?"
"I don't think so. Why?" At the last sentence, Kurapika turned to give Kuroro a sharp look. If anything, she was still somewhat wary of any Kuruta-related issues, especially when it concerned the two of them.
"Well…I was just thinking…" Without even finishing his sentence, which was very rare for Kuroro Lucifer, the man fished out his cell-phone from the sleeve of his yukata and began rapidly typing a message.
That I have found the missing piece, he added in his mind.
Kurapika frowned at Kuroro's attitude. Only when she looked at Kuroro's right hand, which he used to type the message, that she realised that she had been holding on to Kuroro's left arm for a very long while. Rather too hastily, she let go of her hold on his arm as if it was plagued. Kuroro only gave her a sideways glance, but said nothing of it. He only let out a soft chuckle of amusement before he returned his attention to his phone again.
Feeling awkward and out of place, all thanks to Tompa's sudden appearance, Kurapika decided to finger her ring; the one given by Ishtar, and absentmindedly scrutinised it. She looked at the sapphire, which symbolised the natural colour of her eyes. Come to think of it, Kurapika realised that the circumstances had become very strange and peculiar indeed. Just several months ago, they were having some wild cat-and-mouse chase with the Genei Ryodan; and now they were going to some festivals together.
Kurapika's reverie was suddenly broken when a firefly floated by her face. It hovered around her head, before it drifted away and disappeared among the throngs of people. It surprised her, because fireflies rarely went to a crowded place. Dismissing it as just an insignificant phenomenon, Kurapika was about to return her attention to her ring, when another firefly caught her attention. It was headed towards the same direction as the previous one, she noted. She frowned at the uncanny coincidence.
Over a short while, she began to notice many fireflies around her, and strangely enough the people around her did not notice it. They all went to the same direction, and it could not be a mere coincidence. When Kurapika took a quick look at her ring, true to her suspicions, it glowed dimly red like an ember.
"It's over that hill." A voice rang velvety near her ear.
With a jolt, Kurapika spun on her heels only to find her face a mere inch away from Kuroro's. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing Kurapika caught off-guard; it was very rare of her. Dismissing that notion, Kuroro pointed at a certain hill.
"There. Someone is waiting for us, and that person is the one sending all these fireflies." He stated.
When she looked up, true enough she saw a faint glow at the rim of the forest that sat on top of the hill.
"Come on." Without further ado, Kuroro briskly made a beeline for the hill. Kurapika, having no choice whatsoever, got dragged by Kuroro and thus she had to trail after him forthwith.
A man was already waiting for them under the shade of a tree, as Kuroro had predicted. His attire was conspicuous enough that both Kuroro and Kurapika could not help but to spot him just as they were climbing up the hill. The man had crimson, silky hair that he tied into a high ponytail. An elaborate golden oriental headdress sat on his head, and it was adorned with many precious gems, which were mostly rubies. Bead of various colour dangled from the headdress, his hair was parted in the middle, and they fall perfectly along he sides of his face. His face was pale yellow, and his narrow eyes were bright golden in hue. His oriental attire was the auspicious colour of red, as in accordance to the Chinese belief, with embroidery of golden threads decorating the robe. He was, described in simple words, majestic in appearance.
"Hello." The feminine-looking man greeted them amiably. Even his voice was soft and gentle like a breeze. "Kuroro and Kurapika, I presume?"
"Yes, and who may you be?" Kuroro asked cautiously as he stepped forward so that he was slightly in front of Kurapika.
"I answer to the name of Suzaku, as christened by the ancestors of humans eons ago." He politely answered with a short bow. Even his manner of speech gave the impression that he belonged to some royal families.
"Suzaku…" Kurapika frowned. "So you are related to the Phoenix?"
"You are not mistaken. She is my distant cousin." He smiled gently at them. "And I am here on her behalf. It seems that she has forgotten to pass something to you." With that, he opened his palm and revealed a tiny egg. It glowed dimly, like a kindling ember.
"And what is that?" Kuroro inquired.
"Exactly as it looks like; an egg. For what purpose it serves, I cannot tell you. I was only given the duty to deliver it to you."
Suzaku stepped forward and handed the pebble-like egg to Kuroro, who accepted it in silence. He observed the egg for a while, but upon sensing no malice from it he pocketed it into the sleeve of his yukata. If anything, the egg emitted a kind of serenity from it.
"I assume that Phoenix had already informed you that a child will be born from it, and that you are to bring the egg to Ishtar when the time comes?"
"WHAT?" Kurapika bellowed in indignation as soon as the words escaped Suzaku's mouth.
Surprised, Suzaku only managed to blink in confusion while Kuroro gave a slight frown of displeasure.
"She only told us to bring the child to her when it is born, and she mentioned nothing about egg! So I thought—" Kurapika exclaimed furiously as her face turned beetroot. All her worries and anxiety were for nothing. She had been tricked! Kuroro, despite his calm demeanour, was equally pissed off in the inside.
"Oh? That is not how it is supposed to be." Suzaku seemed surprised by it, but he chuckled with amusement. "I see that my cousin has been playing pranks on you."
He laughed softly at Kurapika's expression.
"But then again—" He started, but abruptly stopped mid-sentence when he seemed to realise something.
"Then again?".
"No…Nothing." He smiled apologetically.
While Kurapika grumbled furiously and was vowing to get even with the Phoenix someday, Kuroro frowned.
"You said 'when the time comes'?"
"Yes. You will know it by heart, so do not ask me because I know not."
He watched their retreating backs in silence as they made their ways towards the crowds in the bazaar, while arguing about something. Really, when they were dressed in such plain, common clothes, they looked like nothing but a perfect couple.
"It's very unlike you to give anything to a human, Suzaku. A protective charm, no less." A deep voice came from behind the Oriental Phoenix.
Suzaku did not even bother to look at who was speaking, since he already knew who it was.
"Seiryuu."
The owner of the deep voice was a tall, lanky man with ridiculously long, straight hair with dark tint of deep blue hue. He wore azure oriental dress with dragon embroideries decorating the luxurious dress. He wore a headdress that resembled the carving of a blue dragon, with a sapphire embedded on his forehead. He descended from the sky and landed next to the man in red. When compared to Suzaku, Seiryuu seemed to look more youthful than Suzaku was, while the latter looked more sagacious.
"That girl…" Suzaku muttered. "She is very prone to nightmares. She will be a perfect prey for Nue."
"Nue, huh?" He looked towards the direction where Suzaku was looking at. "I see. Is that why you gave her a Baku charm?"
"Yes. With that kind of nightmare from her past, she will require various aids against it. She needs more than self-retrospect; she needs a very long interval to recover from it. The scar is too deep."
"And to think that she is travelling with the man that scarred her soul." Seiryuu chuckled in amusement upon the irony of the situation.
They stayed in silence for a while, observing the festival from distance away.
"By the by, you almost slipped a little." Seiryuu said.
"Yes, but by good fortune I remembered just in time," Suzaku closed his eyes, "that piece of future is so confidential that it must not be told to them no matter what."
"Actually, it's not like it's up to us to decide how their future will evolve. Even if we told them, they might or might not change. It's not our right to decide which path is to be taken to reach which future. There are countless different futures that lie ahead of humans. Whichever future they choose, it won't affect us."
"But is it a sin to have a preference on what future they choose? I cannot help it…"
"You are too soft, Suzaku." The youthful celestial man grinned.
"They say that when a person hates someone so much, that hatred can turn into love. Do you think that will be the case for them?"
"Who knows?" Seiryuu shrugged offhandedly. "You are asking the wrong person. You are Suzaku, the one gifted in the art of divination in this land. You should know better than I do."
"I'm just asking for opinion, Seiryuu. Is that so hard?" Suzaku gave him a hard glance.
"If it's personal opinion you want, then…" The dragon-man looked up and observed the duo again. "I guess that's the case."
"All you need to do is simply to stand and watch," was what Kuroro told Kurapika about the plan of stealing the Scarlet Eyes. Even without her asking him, Kurapika knew that Kuroro was really going to employ his Spiders to do the dirty work. She was against it, but what could she do? It was practically impossible for her to claim the Eyes with honest method. If she was really determined to collect all pairs of the Eyes, she had no choice but to resort to dishonest works.
And the Genei Ryodan was exactly the right group to do that dirty job. After all, they were specialised in it.
On the Grand Opening of the National Museum, they all went as a group but Senritsu did not come as she had other things to attend first. She promised Kurapika that she would catch up later, though. Kuroro deliberately took Kurapika into an exploration tour around the Museum, separating her from her friends. It would be too suspicious if they immediately perched themselves around the Scarlet Eyes. When they finally got into the hall where the Scarlet Eyes were showcased, Kurapika's friends were already there.
Kuroro briefly reviewed the situation in the hall. There were some Ninjas posted there as guards, and so direct stealing would be imprudent. Besides, he was sure that a handful of them were bound to be Nen users as well. When he felt that everything had fallen into the right setting, he turned and his gaze met Killua's.
The night before, Killua had slipped him a piece of paper that contained his phone number. Incredulous as he was towards the Zaoldyk boy's bold action; considering his initial wariness, Kuroro understood Killua's intention of making plans with him. The plans had been formulated, and now it was time to turn it into action.
Kuroro gave Killua a short nod, which Killua responded with a mischievous grin. He turned to Gon and Leorio, who both nodded very slightly in response to his unspoken order. Without wasting a word, they parted ways and pretended to inspect various things: Leorio stood by the Scarlet Eyes, while Gon and Killua parked themselves on other random artefacts. As Killua saw that Leorio was already in his post, Killua whispered very lowly:
"Senritsu, now."
Outside the grand Museum were Senritsu, who was standing with Shalnark.
"Killua said it's time." She relayed the message to Shalnark.
"Roger." The youth nodded in enthusiasm.
He turned to his modified phone and pressed a single button: Send message. In less than a second, a message reached the phones of the Spiders who were already standing-by in their own respective positions. There were only two words in the message:
MISSION INITIATED.
Answering to their cue, the Spiders made their moves.
"It seems you have begun to accept that man. Your heartbeats tell me so." Senritsu whispered so to Kurapika a moment before they parted ways in the festival last night. Kurapika denied that statement vehemently, but Senritsu only gave her a knowing smile.
Since when…? Kurapika pondered as she stole a furtive glance at the said man, have I begun to accept him?
Suddenly, an explosion broke Kurapika from her reverie and shook the entire building violently. All the guests screamed in horror as they saw debris of walls tumbling down from the upper floor down to the hall. Torrents of bullets showered the upper floor, and shadows broke into the building. The Ninjas responded to the chaos fairly quickly; the leapt from the hall up to the upper floor, but what they were really doing was to deliver their souls to Death. The ordinary Ninjas were, in no time, either hacked into pieces by unseen Nen strings, or turned into a honeycomb due to the barrages of Nen bullets, or mutilated by passing small shadow, or had their heads twisted into some strange angles, or any other equally gruesome methods.
From below, Kurapika could see the passing shadows in black mingling with the dark blue-clad Ninjas. For the ordinary citizens' perspective, it might look like airborne clashes of black shadows, but for Kurapika's trained eyes she could clearly see the Genei Ryodan pummelling the hoards of Ninjas like swatting away some flies. What she did not understand was why the Spiders were all dressed in black and had their face covered. That was not like them.
"Your friend has seen them with us in the airport. In order to alleviate suspicions, I have them conceal their appearance." Kuroro explained to Kurapika in a very low voice; one that could be heard only by her.
That explained everything. Still, Kurapika was highly displeased by the fact that so many people were dying. In no time, the hall was dirtied by the gore and corpses of the fallen Ninjas. Most of the guests, at least those who had sufficient strengths in their legs, had made their escape towards the entrance gate. Some were just too shocked that all they could do was merely to sit like a fool on the marble floor as they watched the massacre with horror-stricken eyes.
A fleeting shadow dashed into the hall and a petit figure landed just next to Leorio. The figure of a thin boy leapt to the stand where the Scarlet Eyes were perching, and was about to dash away when Leorio intercepted.
"Hey, you! Stop right—"
It was only an act, really. Leorio was supposed to act surprised and tried to follow the boy in pretended act to take back the precious artefact. However, he was either too serious with his job, or too taken aback by Leorio's harsh bark, that he kicked the poor man square on the cheek and sent him flying and crushing into the wall.
"Leorio!" Kurapika bellowed as she made her way to unfortunate Leorio, dragging Kuroro all the way by the means of their invisible bind.
Kuroro flashed a look at the boy and with a timid nod, the figure dashed away to continue with the plan. Killua, however, caught a glimpse of the figure's uncovered eyes and recognised him.
"No way…" Killua muttered in surprise. He recovered from his shock quick, and without sparing a single word to Gon, he took off to run after the figure.
"Killua!" Disregarding everything, Gon also dashed to follow Killua out of the building.
Kuroro saw everything as he stood next to Kurapika, who was busy tending to the bruised Leorio. He could not care less about the lanky man who unluckily got kicked by one of his subjects. A small smile of satisfaction tugged at his thin lips. Everything was exactly as planned.
"Is the area cleared?" Phinks called out at his comrades.
The ones doing the killing and distracting job were Machi, Phinks, Coltopi, Bonolenov, Shizuku and Feitan. Franklin's job was only to blow the wall and made the entrance for them, while Shalnark was on the lookout outside. Nobunaga was off to distract Hanzo away from the Museum. Machi looked down and upon seeing the Scarlet Eyes were gone, she gave him a curt nod.
"Then we have nothing else to do here." He casually said as he took hold of the head of one of the Ninjas and, with a sickening crunch, twisted the head and consequently sending the man to make his maker.
"Let's get out of this place. These people are really boring. Is this what the famous Ninjas are capable for? Nobu should be ashamed." Feitan snorted derisively while dispatching another Ninja down to the Hall, which had turned into some Ninja-dumping site.
"Well, some of them aren't so bad, you know." Shizuku chirped innocently as she pointed at the gash on her arm.
"Here comes the better one." Phinks announced as a Nen-user Ninja dashed towards them. "He is mine!"
"No. Mine." Feitan swished past Phinks and was about to cut the Ninja's abdomen with his thin sword when the Ninja's body twisted into some strange deformation to avoid the lethal attack.
"What?" Feitan raised an eyebrow.
"My turn!" Phinks exclaimed and after turning his right arm a few times, sent a super-mega-deluxe-hard blow to the chest of the Ninja.
Instead of scattering into unrecognisable pieces of flesh, the body was merely dented like clay. With a huff from the Ninja, the body turned back into its former glory.
"No way!"
"Transformation type. Looks like he applies the property of clay unto his body." Shizuku piped in.
"Gah! I hate Transformation class. They remind me of that traitorous creep!" Phinks yelled.
"You, heathens! How dare you defiling our proud Museum! You will pay for it!" The Ninja exclaimed and he charged towards Phinks.
Before he could claim any glory by inflicting any damage on Phinks, his outstretched arm fell down from his shoulder, and blood gushed out of the open wound. As the poor Ninja screamed the air out of his lungs, Machi stood casually on the balcony with her hands holding to the invisible Nen threads of her.
"Even clays can be sliced with strings." She said coldly. With a flick of her wrist, the Ninja was reduced into minced meat, and fell down to meet the same fate as his other comrades down there in the Hall.
"Hoo…Scary." Phinks whispered to Coltopi, who said nothing in return as usual.
"We are off." Machi announced with her voice as piercingly cold as any ice stalactite. She turned and began to walk away into their make-shift entrance made by Franklin.
"And don't forget to leave IT behind."
"Leorio, are you okay?" Kurapika asked as she briskly inspected the wounds that he might have gotten.
"Do I look okay?" Leorio snapped. "Shit, it really hurts. I thought some wild horse has kicked my face."
"Your face looks just as usual." She said flatly.
"Excuse me? This is the second time you've said that!" He bellowed in indignation. The first time, of course, was during the Hunter Exam.
As they bickered incessantly about it, Kuroro observed the upper floor. His Spiders had gone, which meant it was about time that they discovered the scapegoat that he had prepared. True enough, as an army of security guards and more Ninjas made their ways to the upper floor once the Genei Ryodan had retreated, one of them called out from above.
"We've got one of them! It's this man!"
A Ninja landed on the Hall soundlessly, much like how Killua usually did. The commotion grabbed the attention of both Kurapika and Leorio. When they turned around, they saw the Ninja rudely dropping a burden from his shoulders onto the floor. Kurapika was befuddled and disbelieving, for she could not believe that a Spider let him or herself get carelessly captured. Upon laying her eyes on the man, however, Kurapika knew that her incredulity had not been wrong.
"Tompa?"
Author's Note: If you read Fushigi Yugi, you may be familiar with Suzaku and Seiryuu. So, Suzaku is a Phoenix, and Seiryuu is a dragon. They are members of the Shishin or the Four Guardians of the Four Compass Directions. Interested? Google them =P Nue are a kind of Japanese chimera that sometimes to curse people with nightmares, while Baku is a creature that devours nightmares. You'll hear more of them in the coming chapters since our main characters here are going to stay longer in this Japan-like country. Expect to see more Japanese mythical creatures! XD For any Ninja-lovers out there, I'm terribly sorry if I had undermined the capability of your beloved Ninjas. I just thought that we are talking about the Genei Ryodan here. Who else can stand up against them except for Kurapika, and the senior members of the Zaoldyck family? =P They even pummelled down the Injuu like they were nothing.
Next: Just suddenly, Tompa was deemed as the one responsible for the commotion in the National Museum! Just what had Kuroro planned that Tompa got dragged in it? Also, why did Killua suddenly follow a Spider? Aside all those, it seemed that Killua had just figured something about Kuroro.
