Chapter 24

Law of the Jungle

A/N: This took me so long to put together and publish. I. Am. So. Sorry. I was so lost and I needed to go back and find my own plot holes and make plans to patch them up. I've also been trying to find a full time job as a designer seeing as I now have my degree. So my fanfic writing and actual writing took a severe hit. I've been delving into writing for TV and Movies as well, not just anime as I prepare to start my novel. So much to do and so little free time and energy.

"I need to apologize to you."

Celty turned away from her computer to face the blonde teen behind her. He bowed deeply, "I'm sorry. Nai would be disappointed if she'd heard how I spoke to you."

The dullahan waved her hands in front of her, "No no! I understand how you were feeling. We're all worried…and I should be sorry."

He shuffled his feet awkwardly. Her disembodied voice was slightly unnerving, "Still…"

"Nai will be ok Masaomi."

The boy wasn't so sure. He bowed again, "There's a car here for me. I should go."

"Mikado and Anri?"

"I don't think I should get them involved. Nai is my family, so this is my problem."

"O-ok…"

The boy turned, pulled up the hood on his hoodie and left the condo. Celty turned back to her computer and her resting head.

"What's up Celty? I heard the door close."

"Masaomi is going to the funeral. A car was sent for him."

"He's a tough kid, but there will be a lot of Yakuza there."

"Nai isn't going to let anything happen to him. He said so himself, she's his family."

Down the hall the spare bedroom door closed and Mikado eyed Anri warily. That women may be his family, but they hadn't had any reasons so far to trust her. The girl's eyes turned red and she spoke evenly, "Protect Masaomi."

Several solemn gangsters seemed to stand slightly more at attention, catching Nai's, now extremely sensitive, attention. The men, each from different families, turned their dull red eyes to the car arriving at the bottom of the hill, just as the priest began to speak.

Masaomi Kida felt very much out of place amongst the black-clad gangsters. All hiding between varying styles of dark sunglasses and umbrellas, which made little to no sense in the absence of rain or even sunlight for that matter.

It was a pretty bleak day.

His heart thumped in his chest as he made his way to the front of the crowd, sticking out in his jeans and hoodie.

Nai stood with Izaya on her right and her cousins trailing to her left; Shiki, little Akane, her father Mikiya, and his father Dougen. All of Nai's extended family, her remaining men, and supporting families stood at her back to honor her uncle.

The woman smiled and beckoned the blonde over to her. She lent down and whispered in his ear as she slipped off the hood of his jacket, "Thank you."

He nodded and stood with his back pressed flush against her. Nai draped her left arm over his shoulder and across his chest protectively, feeling him relax.

The funeral dragged on and further down the right of the front row Shizuo Heiwajima fidgeted where he stood. Nerves getting the better of him as the girl he felt pretty strongly about stood on the other side of what seemed to him like a sea of obstacles, seemingly unaware of the threat to her life. Daifu glared at the taller young man and piddled with his cellphone, agitated, and waiting for something. He looked to his left, at his daughter, who hadn't cried or looked in his direction since they all arrived.

Nai could feel eyes on her from every direction and she was very aware of how this funeral was going to go. For you see, her father wasn't ware that Izaya had the houses tapped before the death of Tezuka and his father. The informant let Nai listen for herself as her father explained the plan to kill her and her cousins.

As this would be the only time the Awakusu and remaining Hagane would be in the same place at the same time. The woman handed Shiki an envelope addressed to 'Mikiya-Nii', and the man handed it down. Mikiya Awakusu looked to his little cousin as she continued to face forward, a knowing smirk on her face; he squeezed his daughters hand as he tucked the envelope in his breast pocket.

"If the family of the deceased has nothing to add…" the priest trailed off.

Daifu stepped forward and Nai matched his movement, maneuvering around Masaomi. She pointed at her father, "You're not his family anymore."

"Excuse me?"

"You forfeit the name, you abandon this family."

The man smirked, suddenly no longer nervous, as his phone buzzed in his hand. He slipped it in his pocket as he raised both hands in pitiful surrender, "You're right. I have no right to speak at my own brother's funeral."

His sarcasm was matched, "Usually the murderer isn't invited."

A murmur rose in volume amongst the gangsters gathered. Those heads of the remaining three families stayed silent as those from other territories questioned what the young woman meant. Dougen Awakusu, a gentle man by nature, addressed his niece, "What do you mean by this Nai?"

She squeezed Masaomi's hand before releasing it to face the families, "I have been wronged by the remaining families and as acting Ojo for the Hagane clan I hereby declare war."

Daifu rolled his eyes, "Don't be stupid."

Black smoke creeped along the graveyard grass towards the man, almost making him step backwards, "Scared?"

"I have nothing to fear from one little girl."

"You forget that behind this one little girl are three generations of Awakusu with claim to Ikebukuro."

The man smirked darkly as he raised a hand, signaling, "Oh no my dear, I didn't forget."

Chaos erupted as bullets ripped through umbrellas and subsequently through people.

Black spheres enveloped the Awakusu family and Mr. Shiki, Masaomi was swallowed up with two men who oddly leapt to his side to protect him, but Nai didn't question it. She honed in on her father and made her way to him. A firm grip on her wrist stopped her.

Shizuo looked over his glasses at her, his eyes deeply apologetic. She shoved the blonde and he wasn't expecting the strength behind it. A bullet whizzed past her ear, only missing her head as she'd heard it coming.

"Oh Shizu-chan! That could have killed you!"

"IZAYA!"

Shots rocketed from her gun as she shot at her father who moved between the tombstones. Another bullet came at her, this time tearing through her shoulder and she didn't flinch. Instead she huffed and black matter spread over the hill. All the gunshots stopped at once.

Everything was quiet for a split moment as she walked back to her Uncle's casket, a few stray bullet marks littered the wood but his body was otherwise undisturbed. Nai closed the lid and turned to the only member of the five families who hadn't run away.

Oishi held his glare even as he was strangled by the dark aura coming off the woman. Her protective shields fell away from her family and she put her gun on his forehead, "Shibuya belongs to me."

"What the hell happened?!"

Nai fell onto the couch and threw back her head, Masaomi was immediately at her side, "How are you not feeling that? How did you do that thing? That black smoke was coming from you!" she put a hand on his head and wiped some blood from her face with her sleeve. "Shinra there's a bullet in my shoulder, please take it out."

Shizuo clenched a fist as the doctor ran about looking for his supplies. That bullet meant for her would have hit him had she not shoved him. He was told to pin her, distract her just long enough for the men to get a clear shot…and he'd actually done it…

But here she was, staring into space as Shinra dug a bullet out of her shoulder. For him that was normal, for her– she should be screaming. "What happened to you?"

Nai looked past Shinra to the small office behind him. On the desk was Celty's head, floating harmlessly in pale green liquid, in a fresh reliquary. "Celty happened to me."

"What?"

"Masaomi!" the other two teens joined their friend, relieved to see him ok.

The gangster addressed the girl, "You told those men to protect him."

It wasn't a question but Anri nodded anyway. The woman smiled at her, "Thank you."

She blushed.

"Please tell me what happened." Shinra finished stitching the hole on her left side.

"My father…" she looked at the blonde, "and Shizuo, tried to kill me."

"Dammit you can't put that on me!"

"Why not? Did you not hold me still so they could get a clear enough shot to shoot me in the head?"

"Shizuo!" Shinra shouted.

"I was protecting myself."

"No." Nai interrupted, "I was protecting you. Or I could have let that bullet hit you. I love you Shizuo, but like my father pulled out of you, you don't love me and couldn't die for me."

He stormed out and Celty followed after him.

The room fell silent. Nai stood and collected her jacket and gun, "My cousins are safe, but I have to go or none of you will be. There's a war I started that I have to finish."

"We can help."

"No." she stopped the teens, "I can't let you help me."

"You can't stop us." Masaomi grabbed her free hand. "We can help you. You need us."

In the span of a few hours the freshly appointed Ojo buried her predecessor, enacted war, and acquired a new territory… it didn't seem as though she needed any help. But looks could be deceiving and they were right. She couldn't stop them, nor did she feel the want to.

"Keep your phones on. I'll be in touch."

"Where is she going?" Shizuo watched as Nai exited the apartment building and walked across the street.

It was eerie, she was clad in black, an aura followed her, and her usual proud walk just seemed that much more daunting.… she looked at Shizuo and Celty. The dullahan shifted uncomfortably, "I did that to her."

The blonde felt his heart clench tight as she disappeared, enveloped in a dark smog. "No, I did."

"Shizuo."

"Her father did ask me to hold her. I can't even imagine what I would have done if it was successful, what if she'd actually been killed?"

"You really can't put this on yourself."

"But I can." he lit a cigarette, "I'm strong Celty, always have been, and she pushed me down with one shove. And I could see in her eyes that she did it out of the need to protect me and still save herself."

"Instinct…" Celty trailed off.

"Every time I think I understand her, something changes. I thought I understood why she did the things she did; for herself, to save her own life. But today, she made me question even that."

Smoke puffed from Celty's neck, "Shinra thinks my head has plans for Nai when this is over."

The man dropped his cigarette and stepped on it, "And you Celty? What do you think?"

She crossed her arms, "I don't think. I'm just scared. My head forced me to attack Nai and I don't even remember what they talked about or how I got to where she was. She understands what she is more than I understand what I am."

The blonde could only light another cigarette and smoke quietly. Celty uncrossed her arms, "How are you not disturbed by what's happening?"

He exhaled slowly and looked up at the sky, "I've seen too many things to be bothered."