Disclaimer: Minato: I see you had cut it already—
Rei: Kyaaaaaa! *heart eyes* Minato-sama! *love love love*
Kushina: Hey! Minato, where've you been? I can't find Naruto and Sasuke-kun…
Minato: Masashi-san asked me to read this out loud… *girls stand by beside him*
"To Rei Haruno's dear readers, Naruto is still mine and will remain in my ownership.
However… feel free doing and reading more and more of fanfictions!"
Warnings: Kushina: You have been warned before… don't make me repeat it.
Rei: Ooooohhhh, scary~
Minato: Come now… why is there tension anyway?
Kushina: *points at Rei* She kidnapped our son! And his bboff—best friend!
Rei: Just go on with the story, Kushina-chan…
…
Tears of a Mermaid
…
The clock has ticked 9:00 PM and some of the customers of the resort are out hunting the mermaid.
Minato is at his room, painting the dark-haired mermaid that he has seen earlier that day.
Her unaffected smile, her intimidating gaze, her milky complexion and her long nails… and a feature that he hasn't recorded earlier…
The peculiar blue pearl necklace she is wearing.
'A mermaid has accessories? That's quite fascinating…' Minato finishes the painting in no time since he is greatly concentrating and the picture is imprinted well in his head.
He sighs and looks outside the window…
Stray beams of flashlights are roaming around as if a search and rescue operation has begun.
He sighs and looks at his painting. 'It would be a bit off if I can get to paint the mermaid without even seeing her. I think I should at least go out there.'
With that, Minato covers the painting carefully as the paint dries on its own.
He takes a flashlight from the emergency box at each room and walks out to the beach.
To be honest, someone must have seen that head he run away from… and discovered that the big rock is a good place for investigation.
He stops at the shore near the big rock to see what's up ahead.
His deductions are correct and the man with glasses and some assistants are setting something at the big rock and Minato watches them prep up for an exploration.
The man with glasses looks at him and asks despite the distance, "Can I help you with something, young man?"
"Nothing really." Minato answers and gazes at the waters… the moon is starting to shine an oddly-bright light.
He gazes back at the now uncaring individuals at the favorite spot… and he has to walk off to somewhere else. He reaches the other boundary and the sea seems much lonelier there.
The chilly wind seems to whisper voices and creepy noises as he listens closely.
He remains standing and decides to clutch his jacket closer, the chilly winds breathing a peculiarly strange freezing wind.
A faint presence stands behind him and he has a feeling of hesitance as to facing the person behind him.
But he does anyway.
His eyes widen as he see a naked brunette with only a unbuttoned dark blue work shirt and blue pearl necklace standing behind him.
Yes, the mermaid herself.
…
Tears of a Mermaid
Rei Haruno —Sakura no Imooto
Part 2
…
But unlike the last encounters, she is glaring at him. Her fists are clutched tighter every second at her sides as the chilly winds gently blow on her raven mane and dark shirt.
Her nudity doesn't make him stare… it's the fear he feels as he gazes straight at those angry onyx orbs.
Cold sweat starts to roll down his forehead and his throat is dying to gulp down the fear.
His eyes blink to distract himself from the silent torture but the woman won't budge.
Minato then starts talking, "You… you shouldn't be showing yourself… when everyone's trying to… get you."
"Fear not, mortal. I am here to claim an exchange."
Her voice, emotionless and deprived of hesitation and a drop of glee.
The sound of vengeance resounds in his head and it seems that the lady is not there just for her own entertainment.
He frowns at her and she walks to him… realizing this makes him back off at every step she makes.
Grave fear starts to build up within him and there's no way to stifle it.
"Confess, mortal. You knew of his fate." She starts to threaten and Minato starts to be thrown into confusion.
'Whose fate?' "I don't know what you're talking about." He answers and the mermaid takes it as a confession.
She is about to whip Minato with her weeds when a light suddenly shines behind her.
She turns a bit and the owner of the light yells, "I FOUND THE MERMAID!"
Then loud chatters echo around and the mermaid gets bewildered by such malice within the humans.
Her tears. She knows it very well that they all wanted her tears… but the blond man before her.
She then flings to him and stares at him… only to dash the sea behind him. She jumps off to the waters and her legs transform into a fish tail.
It makes a flip and the mermaid goes deeper, disappearing from the eyes of the newcomers who haven't got a glimpse of her at all.
The man who found her points to the sea, "She went back to the sea! We can still catch up to her!"
"Are you sure she's the mermaid?" Someone asks and then the man lights at Minato who shades his arms before his eyes to prevent momentary blindness.
"You were taking with her a while ago, right? What did she say? Can she even speak?"
Minato hesitates to answer as everyone's eyes shifts at him. Their eyes of doubt and suspicion make him gulp.
He looks at his classmates and they are giving off the same gaze… then the man with glasses speaks, "Have you been meeting with the mermaid, young man?"
He steps closer, "Do you have a drop of her tears? Do you?"
"I… I don't…" Minato says but everyone regards it as a lie. Someone who has been meeting with the mermaid doesn't have a single drop of her tears?
Ridiculous.
Plain ridiculous.
Inuzuka says in a strange tone, "Namikaze, come on, man. I know you're not serious."
Minato twitches and then he makes an outburst, "Why don't you believe me? I don't have her tears! She said she will be—"
A weed whip shoots out from the water and wraps around Minato's mouth and neck. He gets pulled offshore and deep into the sea.
The people grow wild and they start diving… chasing after the mermaid that pulled Minato.
…
Tears of a Mermaid
…
When your dreams waver and when your sight goes blur
Look straight at the seas of blue and I'll be there for you
I will console a poor soul and I will sing to you
Listen to my voice and let me take you, too
When your dreams waver and when your sight… goes blur…
Remember those days that you don't have a clue
Of everything that happens that seems to concern you
Try to get closer, scoot to my side
Let my lap be your pillow and my voice your guide
I will take you with me in my heaven and there you shall be free
So remember those days when all you need is me…
So rest and let the days be done, care not of what happens next
As long as you stay by me… you can be free…
Minato opens his eyes, recognizing the voice that he yearns to hear…
He sees the red mane from where those red threads must have been woven from… and he sees a breath-taking beauty that he has been looking for all his life.
That smooth milky complexion comparable to the mermaid's, the red hair that covers her breasts and tickles the blond's face, and the magnificent voice that has taken his heart away…
The red-haired maiden is right there. His red-haired mermaid…
She then looks down at her lap, seeing the cerulean orbs that seem to fascinate her as much her hazel ones fascinate him.
Minato then remembers about the pursuers… and the dark-haired mermaid. He abruptly sits up to a formal sitting position and grasps at the woman's shoulders, "You should hide. They're going to—"
"You don't have to worry, Minato. She said she'll handle them." She smiles and Minato blinks in disbelief.
The heavenly creature smiles at him and her eyes do not carry an intimidating gaze but something warm and friendly.
And she knows his name.
Minato twitches and is about to ask and when she shakes her head, "Uhm-hm. We know what humans desire the most just by merely looking at them."
Minato blushes and looks away, "…I see." Her hands then cups at his cheeks and she makes him look back at her as she smiles.
"Don't look away. I like gazing at your eyes…"
Minato blushes madly and his hand finds its way to hers and she smiles some more. She then kneels before him and nears her face to his, her nose touches his and her breath kisses Minato's lips.
Her eyes are locked at looking at his orbs and his body seems to respond to such distance and gaze.
Her hands slides down from his face to his shoulders and she presses herself against the blond more, her breasts piercing against his vulnerable chest.
His heart starts to beat faster and her lips curls higher and higher, as if liking how he responds.
One hand slips down his chest to his lap, the tempting warmth radiates from her hand to his thigh.
His blood starts rushing… so fast that a tent is already forming.
She pushes him backwards and his arms shoot out to support himself. His leg that she isn't touching extends at her side and bents itself somehow.
The other one follows as she raises her hand back to his face, putting her knees between his legs.
He starts to huff and sweat… the tent getting higher as she slides her nose to his cheek, her lips brushing against his.
A naughty hand then finds its way to the tip of the tent and Minato twitches at the sudden unwanted contact.
"You're quite easy to arouse… unlike the other guy." She chuckles and Minato looks at her with his eyes alone, "Other guy? There's another guy?"
"Uhh… but he's no longer around. He is like you. Both of you never wanted the tears." She answers as she shifts to face his neck and start nibbling.
Things with Minato and the other guy are different but both of them have something a mermaid would like.
Avarice and hunger for power… never existed in their heads.
Minato moans softly as her teeth brush against his neck and her tongue licks the sensitive skin, "Minato, give me a name." She huffs for a while.
"D-don't you have a name?" Minato then bits his lip to stifle further moaning. She agrees with a hum and the male says, "Do you want a name of a deity?"
"Uh-huh. Anything. Just give me a name." She continues licking his neck and the male whispers, "She's the wife of the Shinto deity of thunders and storms. She's a very beautiful maiden. Her name is Kushinada."
"Can we cut the 'da' off? I think that would be quite too long." She then nibbles at his ear and whispers flirtatiously, "Kushina is a beautiful name. Thank you…"
With her finger at the tent, she makes its sole foundation move side to side, pleasing the male as he tries to control himself. "At least, you didn't name me with 'beautiful' or any other adjective."
She nibbles at his ear some more, "And to think about it, our names are connected to deities."
Minato seems to not give attention anymore by then… concentrating on stifling his erection.
Both of her hands then clutch at his shoulders as she then sucks at his neck, more pleasure creeping to Minato's sensation.
She keeps on sucking and sucking, the male oblivious of the consequence.
Then a flashlight loudly hits against a rock nearby, taking the two's attention.
The mermaid looks at the girl that is staring at them with grave fear in her eyes, her lips trembling while trying to call the male, "Na-Nami-Namikaze…"
Minato turns to his classmate but then a sudden surge of pain strikes his neck. He then abruptly falls to the side and clasps his hands at the pained part.
He feels a sticky liquid and the open flashlight gives his eyes enough light to tell… blood from saliva.
He then gazes at the Kushina's face… her soft lips fail to hide the toothy well of a mermaid's mouth.
His blood is covering her lips and chin… her hazel eyes now glaring at the girl.
Minato continues to squirm in pain and Kushina stands up from her kneeling position. The girl runs off but Kushina uses her whip to take the girl to her arms.
The girl pleads as she stretches her arm to him, "Namikaze!"
But Minato can't move in pain and it's quite too late to speak out. The mermaid hops to the sea taking the girl down with her. Her tail flips and they are lost in sight.
Minato manages to sit up, his hand heavily pressing against the wound. He takes the flashlight and beams at the dark water, "K-Arghh… KU… Fuck… Kushina!"
Blood oozes from the wound and Minato crashes at the shore, groaning in pain.
He raises his head and sees no Kushina at the water to come back to him. He yells once more and this time, blood drips from his mouth as well, "Ku… Kushina!"
"Namikaze!" Inuzuka's voice makes the pale and weak Minato fling at him to see his some of the classmates and other customers.
He coughs out some blood and says, "She got Morimoto… and me." He falls to the side and the last word he heard is, "NAMIKAZE!"
…
Tears of a Mermaid
…
Light kisses Minato's eyes and it is the fluorescent lamp overhead.
He seems to be lying at the couch and he can feel mild suffocation from the tight bandages at his neck. He runs his hands over it and hisses as he triggers pain again.
"Never touch a recovering wound." It is the man with glasses and Minato asks, "What time is it?"
"Seven in the evening." He says and then Minato struggles to sit up. There are also some more spectators around the place and Minato asks, "Have you found Morimoto?"
"Wide opened and most of her flesh is taken." Inuzuka answers and Minato can't help but to look away.
"These killings will be stopped if you help us catch her." The man with glasses puts his hands on Minato's shoulder, "You are the only one who has seen her that isn't dead yet."
Minato looks at him… and then he hangs his head…
...
Tears of a Mermaid
…
"Here." Minato has presented them his painting, the dark mane mermaid, "That's what the mermaid looks like plus the work shirt that she's not wearing when I first saw her."
'Where'd she get that anyway?'
"How beautiful." The man says and he raises the canvass from the stand, "Truly beautiful." But then he frown at something, "That pearl necklace… does she really wear such accessory?"
Minato nods and re-points out, "As I have said, the work shirt is the only thing that is new. And everything is real. I didn't add up anything."
"My son has a pearl necklace like this. It was a memento from his mother." The man says and Minato asks, "That… uhm, guy in a—" 'Fuck, wait…'
Recalling back the attire of the brunet… he does wear a dark blue work shirt. Minato places his knuckle against his chin. Claim an exchange, his fate, the pearl necklace and the dark blue work shirt…
Vengeance.
Everything must mean something… why would the mermaid go after people who know of his fate?
And to think about it, the brunet hasn't show up…
Another guy? Gone? Them?
Minato looks at the man with glasses as he awaits for his addendum…
A father who is obsessed with mermaids, the greed for the tears…
"Where is your son, anyway, mister?" Minato says and the father looks away and fixes his glasses, "You need not to find him. He's just a big burden anyway."
Fate? Gone? Disposal. The answer is found…
Minato then excuses himself, "Sorry, I have to go to the toilet." He squirms through the crowd and then he runs off to the beach.
…
Tears of a Mermaid
…
He holds against his wound and yells, "Kushina! I need to talk to you! Kushina!"
He is standing atop the big rock and he impatiently waits for the arrival of the red head mermaid that caused him that wound.
He huffs and sits down… and then lies at his back. Giddiness has once again conquered him.
His weak eyes start to close and his lips mumble a name, "Kushina…"
"You're getting very accustomed to calling me by that name." A voice speaks, "More used to than I am."
Minato smiles but his eyes are still closed and then he feels his bandages getting unwrapped.
He opens his eyes and sees Kushina un-wrap the bandages. She takes them all off and she licks his wound. He hisses in pain and then she runs the back of her hands at his cheek.
"I'm so sorry…" She caresses his face and a tear rolls down her face. Minato stares at it… the shining liquefied crystal at her cheek.
She jerks a little but a smile remains, "Oops, I'm not supposed to cry. Believe me I didn't mean to bite you."
She takes the tears with her finger and let it drop at Minato's wound. The blond feels a little hurt but the pain of exposed inner skin seems to vanish.
He wonders and touches the wound… which is not there anymore. He feels as if it is never there to begin with.
He sits up as Kushina pulls back and sit beside him. He looks at Kushina and recalls some words…
"Acquiring tears from a mermaid could mean both influential power and immortality. A single tear can defy science and death. Tears are like elixirs."
Kushina runs her hands at her hair covering her breasts to get rid of some tangles, "You seem to be fascinated by the tears' power…"
"My wound disappeared. Now I know what that guy is talking about…" Minato absently says and Kushina twitches, "You know that man?"
"He's the other guy that you are meeting with, isn't he?"
"Miko-chan has always yearned for that guy. Now that he's gone… she's—" Kushina then twitches and suddenly jumps off the rock.
"Wait! Why did you…" Minato grasps at the edge seeing nothing else but ripples on the water.
"OI! Namikaze!" Inuzuka yells from afar and Minato hurriedly wraps the bandages back around his neck. The guy calls from beneath, "Oi, Namikaze! Dr. Uchiha is calling us for another raid!"
"Yeah, sure." Minato secures the bandage and looks around… only to pick up a hair strand… "Kushina…"
…
Tears of a Mermaid
…
It is already morning and there are some people who haven't been back from hunting. Minato is at his room, painting Kushina as what she appears after she healed him.
The modest smile, the kind eyes and the cute blush.
Mermaids are incomparably beautiful. The two of them are very different…
He looks at the finished painting and then to the dark-haired mermaid's painting…
Those two mermaids… I wonder how long have they been there. I wonder how long they have been waiting for certain people…
He looks around his room… and then walks to the drawer beside his bed…
The world beyond the beach… I wonder what it seems like…
Sirens are heard and the customers and students are attracted to meet at the center of the resort shores. Minato goes and sees the scientist walking around excitedly a big covered square thing.
He then speaks to get everyone's attention, "People of KWB… I am Uchiha Homura… a humble scientist that has come to this place in pursuit of my studies concerning mystical creatures."
The people stay quiet to listen. "As we all know, there are rumors about the existence of a mermaid in the waters of this beach." He then laughs out, "But those are rumors no more!"
"Behold! The mermaid of the Konoha West Beach!" The brown-haired scientist unveils a cage … the raven-haired mermaid has been held by chains.
Minato's eyes widen in surprise as everyone cheers at the capture of the other mermaid.
"Now, now… mermaid-san, look this way." The scientist chuckles but she shifts to further cover her face with her hair.
One man is holding a switch and flips it… only to electrocute the mermaid to make her scream.
The people get amazed and awed as they watch her squirm in pain… but her milky complexion never changing.
"Mo… mortals." She whispers and then gazes at Minato's direction, "You are the most despicable beings… the world has ever crafted."
"Huh? She talks… the mermaid talks!" The scientist laughs and the people seem to get enticed by her voice.
But Minato feels otherwise… her anger and resentment echo around as if getting engraved deep within his skin. He gulps and breathes heavily.
His eyes blink as he witness the torture of the dark-haired mermaid… as he gets planted at the ground for not moving that much.
He wants to help her… but why? For what reason he can even justify? The electrocution stops and the raven woman starts to glare at the scientist.
"I am very sorry, mermaid-san. But I will be taking you to a more beautiful ecosystem for mermaids." The scientist kneels near her and then she scoots nearer… as if pleading.
But Minato knows otherwise.
The scientist reaches for her face… her ever beautiful and smooth skin. But the mermaid suddenly gets aggressive enough to reveal her horrid teeth and chomp the scientist's hand off his wrist.
The man screams and the crowd goes on hysteria as the switch gets flipped on again. The mermaid screams while on her horrid form of big black stone eyes and circular well filled with teeth.
Her smooth hands have become scaly and clawed… and she tries to claw her way out the cage. She then gazes at Minato with a plea disguised as a glare.
Minato hesitates to reach his hand out and help her break away… only for the scientist to yell, "Stop it! You're killing her!"
The mermaid then grows her tail and charges at the cage… only to make a dent on it. She then throws out her weed whip towards Minato…
Only to get electrocuted again. She finally falls unconscious and the people start to calm down.
The switch gets flipped off and the scientist covers his bleeding wrist to check up on the mermaid who stays on her scary form.
He then yells, "At last! I have a real mermaid within my reach!" Minato twitches and then whispers, "No…"
As the scientist gazes back at the cage, another whip from the coast comes to take the cage with such strength. The cage gets dragged through the sand towards the water.
Seaweeds are also shooting from the waters to grab some people to drown and be eaten. The switch gets flipped on and the whip gets electrocuted as well.
And since the people are getting restless, Minato takes the chance to grab the cord which is under the sand.
He then grabs a stray rock and tries to rip the cord with it. Inuzuka then sees him and yells, "What are you doing? Let's get out of here!"
"I need to free her." Minato whispers as he continues on… getting grounded by the open live wire at times. Inuzuka looks around furiously and then grabs the other edge, "Pull! Namikaze!"
Minato nods and does what is said. The cord breaks and the cage along with the other half of the cord gets dragged away in so much speed but it's good Inuzuka has let go.
The two watch the shore revert back to its original blue color and the seaweeds have stopped claiming lives. Bodies float along the waters and there are some who are just struggling to get onshore.
The scientist blinks his eyes since he didn't have the chance to even move during the commotion… and then he screams, "How many mermaids are there?"
The operator of the switch then grabs Minato and his friend for the scientist's on the spot interrogation, "How many!"
Inuzuka then says, "I don't know! There must be tons of them by the shore a while ago! Believe me, it's my first time to even see one!"
Minato stays quiet… trying to glare at the man despite the maniacal gaze of the scientist. Homura then notices the look and asks, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"… You killed your son, didn't you?" Minato whispers and everyone seems to hear it. Homura frowns and smirks, "He was stopping me from taking the mermaid. And no one stops me from getting my fucking mermaid!"
He then draws a gun from his jacket and points it at Minato's chest, "And you are replacing him, aren't you? I thought you're cooperating with us to catch them…"
"…" Minato glares at him and then Homura removes the bandage along the blond's neck, "What happened to your wound? Did you make the mermaid heal this for you? Is this why you're making them escape!"
"I won't let someone like you take one of them." Minato whispers and then scientist grins and yells at the other people, particularly at the resort owners, "We're locking down this place! No one leaves and no one goes in! Understood?"
The resort owner nods hastily as the gun gets pointed at his forehead. The scientist then commands the big guys, "Tie that man and throw him at the ocean. Everyone, prepare the cages… I'm not losing my mermaid."
The big guys do what is told and then the classmates start to cry as Minato gets tied and then other guy runs away towards his other friends.
But the scientist shoots the guy in the head and yells, "You should have known more than to interfere."
"Inuzuka!" Minato yells and then he screams in anger, "You monster! You won't get away from this!"
"I don't care. I just want my mermaid." The scientist grins maniacally and Minato was taken near the shores…
…
End of Part 2
…
There will be one more part and to think that it has taken me this long to update. XD
Thank you for reading and please review.