A New Leaf
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. They're really helpful when it comes to writing chapters. Anyway, happy reading.
Chapter 8
Rin wasn't sure what she expected to happen to the paper when she touched it, but for it to turn into dirt and crumble wasn't it. Had she done something wrong?
That thought makes her panic as she dares herself to look at Sasuke. "Was that bad?" He didn't seem angry though.
So maybe, that was normal. Was the paper just supposed to crumble like that? She didn't know. There was apparently much that she didn't know about Sasuke's world, it seemed.
"No." Sasuke shakes his head. "That just means that your primary chakra type is Earth." Oh. Well that didn't really surprise her.
She had always felt a special affinity for flowers and the ground underneath her feet. It was why she often ran around barefoot. This was much to the annoyance of Lord Sesshomaru, but the demon had given up on trying to get her to wear sandals regularly.
"Oh. Well that's good." She smiles.
Sasuke nods at her and then pauses. "I can use all the chakra natures, but Fire and Lightning are easiest for me." That did explain a lot.
"So can you still teach me?" She tilts her head.
He knew all of them, but specialized in different elements. Then again, it wasn't as though anyone else was going to teach her. Maybe, that didn't matter.
She had to get stronger though. Rin could throw a dagger, but that was really about it. Well that and she was fast, agile, and had good endurance. Some of that was natural and some had been earned by following Lord Sesshomaru about the Japanese Countryside.
Sasuke smiles at her. "Yes, I can." His eyes might be mismatched, but they were beautiful.
"Alright." Well at least they were beautiful at the moment. "How do I start?" They had been rather terrifying when they were going up against Midori.
Her instructor frowns at that. "Well I've never actually taught someone who presumably hasn't used chakra before." That didn't sound promising. "Though I'll just teach you like my parents and brother taught me before I enrolled in the Academy."
He was a scholar then? Hmm. He had the body of a warrior though. Then again, Lord Sesshomaru was something of a scholar in his own right as well. So one didn't necessarily have to choose between being a warrior or a scholar.
It was a bit disappointing to realize that by Sasuke's standards she was still a child when it came to magic. "Alright." Naturally, Rin wouldn't let it show.
Lord Sesshomaru always said that sulking about one's deficiencies was a waste of time. You either improved or you accepted your faults for what they were. Idly, Rin wonders if Sasuke had a similar philosophy.
"We'll start with the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Rin wasn't really sure what that was, but she nods her head anyway. "It's a basic technique at the Academy. Unfortunately, Shadow Clones can only take one hit before they disappear, but they are very good at confusing the enemy." He smiles at her.
"You mean I use the clones to confuse them as to which one is the real me as I get away?" Rin smiles pleasantly at him.
Sasuke nods approvingly. The simple action makes Rin feel as a colony of butterflies had snuck into her stomach. It was a strange sensation, but a pleasant one.
Midori was seething. Her injury had been treated to the best of her healer's ability, but she was still blind in one eye. Not only that, but Tenji was being most unreasonable.
"My Lady, you've already lost an eye." Why did he insist on pointing out the obvious? "Perhaps, it would be unwise to continue our campaign in light of that."
She had thought him to have more spine than that. Honestly, what was the matter with this demon? Had he gone and transformed into a Jellyfish Demon overnight?
Her snarl surprises even her. "No. We will continue on." She wouldn't be defeated that easily, especially by some human bitch.
Midori had her pride. This wasn't the end. This was only the beginning. One way or another, she would make Rin pay for what she did and Sesshomaru as well.
She had come away from the encounter utterly humiliated. In hindsight, Midori should have planned for such a thing. Any demon who would take a human as his ward, obviously was not all there and the same could be said of any human who lived with a demon.
"It must run in the family." That was the only logical explanation.
Tragic. That's what this was. It was tragic that Lord Inutashio and his eldest son both shared a taste for humans. Honestly, their compassion for these wretched, bloodthirsty creatures was their greatest weakness.
"I need to leave this place." She shakes her head. "The medic tent smells of blood and decay."
Midori was being treated inside a tent that had been sent up. Along with a few other demons who for one reason or another, had gotten injured or sick on the way to Japan or while they were here.
Tenji sighs and shakes his head. "My Lady, it is not safe to move you." It was perfectly safe.
She had stabilized herself and the sight of at least half a dozen demons laying around ill or injured was driving her to madness. Some of formerly green grass was now stained red. Blood red.
To make matters worse, most of that blood was her own. It was infuriating. She wouldn't allow such a thing to happen again though. Sesshomaru and his human pet had gotten lucky once. Midori would make sure that it didn't happen again.
"You will move me because that is my order." Her fangs were growing longer in her irritation.
Honestly, how dare he defy her? The man should know better than that. And to think, she used to believe that Tenji was intelligent!
"Yes, My Lady." He sighs and has her moved.
Where she was going, Midori didn't care. All that the noblewoman knew was that she desperately needed to escape the scent and sight of her own blood.
Sesshomaru didn't know what to make of it as he watches the pair of them through a window in one of the towers. It seemed as though Sasuke was attempting to teach Rin magic.
"Well I think she may have finally found a Mate." Soft feminine laughter starters him from his observations.
Naturally, he didn't show it. Demon Lords were expected to maintain a certain image after all. His father had been good at that. Well until he took a human Mate anyway.
Speaking of Mates, Kagura might have a point there. Sasuke could be suitable. He was strong for a human, but he didn't have the lifespan of a demon. The perfect compromise in that respect.
He glances over at Kagura as he chooses his words carefully. "He has potential." The last thing he needed was for the Wind Demoenss to get any ideas into her head before Sesshomaru decided on what he wanted to do about all of this.
Of course, he'd have to prove himself worthy, Sesshomaru taps his fingers lightly on the windowsill as he ponders that matter. Sasuke had come to Rin's aid more than once. That was a good sign.
"That's glowing praise from you." The raven haired beauty smiles slyly at him.
Perhaps, it was. Sesshomaru wasn't the type that was prone to such things. Be that as it may, Sasuke had earned some acknowledgement. Acknowledgement of a positive kind. Which was not something that the Inu Lord gave out lightly.
That didn't mean that he wanted to indulge in Kagura's games. "I'm glad that he is training her." He might have to start doing something similar.
Sesshomaru should have done it long ago. It was just that Rin was human and he had always been able to protect her in the past. The thought of Rin actually fighting had seemed almost like blasphemy.
The way she had thrown that dagger though, that showed that he had been wrong to some extent. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was clearly going to have to revisit his decision not to train Rin in the Art of Fighting.
"As am I." Kagura smiles. "Admit it though, you're proud of her." In a strange way, yes. "For half blinding that, bitch."
The dark beauty's language certain left something to be desired though. "Refrain from using such language around Rin." She would never be a Noble Lady of the Court.
Kagura just didn't have it in her to follow social convention. Not unless he forced the issue. Over the years, she had gotten better at it. Rarely, did she outright scandalize people these days. That hadn't always been the case.
"Alright." She sighs and smiles at him. "You need to loosen up, Lord Fluffy."
That ridiculous nickname causes Sesshomaru to twitch again. Oh how he hated being called that. It was the most ridiculous title that anyone had ever given him and yet, Kagura refused to abandon it.
"You will address me as Lord Sesshomaru or Sesshomaru." That or My Lord would be sufficient. "You forget yourself sometimes, Kagura."
She smiles slyly at him as she brushes her fan against his face. "Perhaps, you do not forget yourself enough." And perhaps, the woman was asking to be struck on her backside.
Her behavior was outrageous. "Come. I suggest that we watch their training session more closely." He states and turns around, knowing that she would follow.
Kagura nods in agreement and follows him. Well, if nothing else…Sesshomaru knew that the Wind Demoness would follow him. That was something.
As they were making their way down the massive spiral staircase, Sesshomaru sees Jaken racing towards him. The imp was also clearly carrying something. He was carrying something and panicking.
That probably did not bode well for himself or the West at large. "Jaken, what is it?" The Inu strides towards him quickly covering the gap between them.
After all, he was a Demon Lord. Jaken was a toad demon. It was only natural that his much longer legs would cover the distance between hima dn the imp than Jaken's shorter ones could.
"A letter, My Lord!" Yes, sesshomaru could see that much.
He sincerely didn't understand why people couldn't be more concise in their communication. "Who is the letter from?" It was irritating and a waste of time. Though at least Kagura voiced the question that he shouldn't have needed to.
Sesshomaru sighs at that thought as he looks around him. The stately walls were adorned with torches and beautiful paintings. There were several statues here and there as well.
Most of that had been his mother's doing. His father had certainly never had a head for that certain of thing. Admittedly, such a thing tended to be more interest to female demons than male ones, anyway.
"Lord Sesshomaru's mother!" The imp quickly hands Sesshomaru the letter and the Dog Demon reads it just as hastily.
Dear Sesshomaru,
I have heard of Lady Midori's attack on your castle. Rest assured that I am mobilizing my army to join with yours. I have left my castle in the care of my Second-In-Command and I shall be at yours shortly.
We need to neutralize this upstart once and for all. China may be large, but it is not invincible and we know the terrain better. Those will be our greatest advantages.
Sincerely, Your Mother.
Sesshomaru sighs and shakes his head. He loved his mother in his own way of course, but the woman still thought he was a pup. That and well, it had taken her quite awhile to get used to Rin.
That last part was understandable, given how her marriage had turned out with Inutashio. Still, it hadn't been a pleasant time. She did care for him though. The woman had brought Rin back for him when the human had died briefly years ago.
"My mother is coming to join us." He turns his gaze towards Kagura. "Please inform the chefs to prepare her favorite dishes."
Kagura nods and swiftly heads off towards the kitchen. It was a mark of just how much of an Alpha his mother was that even the raven haired woman didn't argue with the order.
"Things will be better now, right Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken looks up at him with his big eyes.
His unnaturally big eyes. Some demons were just more blessed than others when it came to physical appearance. Still, that wasn't the measure of a good servant. If nothing else, Jaken was certainly loyal and loyalty was the most important quality in a vessel.
"Yes." He states simply as he continues down the stairs and swiftly heads out of the castle.
His footsteps were absolutely silent as he took each step. This was both because that was the way the demon walked and because Sesshomaru wanted to observe Rin's training without influencing her progress for a few moments.
If she saw him, the girl would alter her behavior. He knew that much. Despite all that, he found himself rather surprised to see two Rins in the gardens.
"What sort of sorcery is this?" He blinks as he watches the two of them train together.
Sasuke smiles at Rin as she successfully produces her first clone. The woman was a natural. Well at least with that Jutsu. Granted, he doubted it would be enough to stop someone like Midori, but it was a start.
"Very good." A very good start.
Had she the temperament for it, Rin probably would have been a fine ninja. Not that she needed to be a ninja. The woman seemed to be doing well enough as a healer of sorts in that village she lived in before this Lady Midori came along.
"You said it can only take one hit though?" She gazes at him with eyes that remind him all too much of chocolate.
Dark chocolate. The luxurious kind of chocolate that he actually liked. Sasuke hated sweet things, except for Rin for some reason. Then again, he supposed it would be impossible to hate someone like her. (Unless she threw a kunai in your eye, of course).
"That's right." She was also good at retaining information.
That would serve her well and so would the gardens. They would make for excellent training grounds. Though Sasuke did feel more than a little guilty about using them.
This was clearly meant to be a place of beauty. Beautiful flowers, lush grass, expensive fountains, and other gorgeous scenery surrounded them. Scenery that they were likely going to ruin with their training.
"We're going to work on some basic hand signs and summoning your chakra in your hands as that's the easiest place to manifest it." The easiest, but far from the only one, Sasuke thinks to himself.
He smiles at that thought and places his hands on top of Rin. "Some basic tiger, ox, and rat." Memorizing the signs for different Jutsus was often one of the most confusing things about being a young Academy Student.
Sasuke wasn't worried about that with Rin though. She seemed to have a good memory and the fact that Lady Midori wanted to kill her, well that should make for some excellent motivation.
"I think I can do those." She smiles at him.
He really needed to teach her some basics and get out of there. Sasuke still had to return to his world, if such a thing was even possible. It should be with his Rinnegan, but he would need to figure out where he was relative to his own home. That wasn't going to be easy.
Surely, there had to be a clue somewhere though. "Yes, you can." He'd just have to find it, but for now Sasuke would focus on teaching Rin.
As he feels her soft skin under his fingertips and the palm of his hands, Sasuke couldn't help but remember how he met her. She had treated a complete stranger. Would she still have done it, if Rin knew exactly how much blood was on his hands?
She probably would have. Few other people would have done the same, but Sasuke suspected that Rin would have treated him no matter what the circumstances. She was a natural born medic in his mind.
"He's correct about that much." Sesshomaru's voice interrupts Sasuke's train of thought for a moment.
The last Uchiha would call him overprotective, but that wasn't accurate. With Lady Midori lurking out there, the man had a reason to be watching Rin like a hawk.
Midori was a demoness. Rin was not. Even being half blind, the other woman had every advantage in a Taijutsu and Ninjutsu fight. The fact that this world probably didn't call them that, didn't matter.
Rin and her clone both beam as they race over towards Sesshomaru and hug him. It was at that moment, that Sasuke realizes Rin was more than a little crazy. Anyone who would embrace Sesshomaru like that without any concern for their safety, they were clearly openly courting an early demise.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" The happiness shining in her eyes was a beautiful thing to witness though. "Sasuke taught me a new trick."
Sesshomaru's lips twitch ever so slightly. Just enough for Sasuke to notice that he was actually smiling. Well apparently, he was smiling Sesshomaru Style, anyway.
Of course, Sasuke wasn't really happy about the Shadow Clone Jutsu being called a trick, but that was irrelevant. It was a 'trick' that may very well save her life from that evil bitch. So he wasn't going to quibble about the label.
"Yes, I see that." He raises an eyebrow. "You will have to teach me this strange magic." Strange magic? Well that was one way to put it. "If Rin can learn it, I presume that I'll also be able to do so."
Alright. That was fair. The flower lover didn't exactly seem like she was brimming with raw power and Sesshomaru did. The man would likely have a far easier time accessing his chakra and he was certainly intelligent enough to pick up on things quickly.
"Alright." Sasuke nods. "I'll teach you."
The last Uchiha never expected his life to turn out this way. He never expected to end up in a different world or dimension and to be teaching Jutsus to people who had only the vaguest idea what they were. He never expected to run into a woman named Lady Midori who was a slightly more sane version of Kaguya and he certainly never expected to be falling for civilian, but he was.
That was why as he shows Sesshomarut the Shadow Clone Jutsu, Sasuke resolves once again to get out of there as soon as possible. This place was offering him something very tempting. A chance to start over with a completely clean slate, but he couldn't take it.
"Naruto." There was still Naruto and everyone else back in the Land of Fire who depended on him.
He couldn't just up and disappear again. That wouldn't be fair. Not after everything that he had done.
"Who is Naruto?" Sesshomaru raises an eyebrow.
Sasuke sighs at that question and shakes his head. "He's my best friend." Because how else could he possibly describe Naruto? The man defied all logic and now, Sasuke had to do the same and find a way back to the Leaf.