Chapter 23
"Relax your hips more. Move them along with the flow", Itachi instructed, casually placing his hands on Raiju's hips to help guide the movement.
She gasped at the weird feeling, fighting to regain her balance.
"Spread your legs more", he advised.
Raiju did so. He was right, the movement was easier this way and her limbs didn't feel like they were getting in each other's way.
She was sweaty, her limbs felt heavy and her lung burned from the strenuous activities of the last few hours, yet… she could still continue. She smiled happily as she performed the movement yet again, fluidly turning and swinging her leg up in a low roundhouse kick. She may or may not have imagined kicking a certain Marine's most precious parts as she did so.
This was surprisingly fun.
"Good. Now we try a higher one. I'll guide you through it first. Pay attention to the bala-"
*knock knock*
The unwelcome sound of someone Knocking on the door to their room interrupted his remarks, hand already around Raiju's calf, leaving her stuck in a weirdly off-balance pose as he stopped to turn around towards the door.
"Itachi? There's another challenger for yo-"
"Busy."
"-u… Got it."
With a sigh, Zed turned back around and walked away, mentally preparing to kick the annoyingly insistent man out.
'Since when have I become his secretary anyhow!?', he thought angrily.
Well, who had told him to agree to lend them a room without clearing it with his old hag first? The old woman had been understandably upset, so she promptly assigned them a room in the furthest building from the exit.
They could hardly just let any random challenger from the street into their compound, so it was now his job to let their new renters know about anyone wanting to see them. His mother could be truly petty sometimes. She hadn't even allowed him to just send them all away from the start either, no, he had to make sure with Itachi first.
This also doubled as her passive-aggressive way of making her disapproval of their presence known to the siblings.
Though he suspected that was mainly because the teen hadn't agreed to spar with her. And neither had his sister.
Hah, jealous old hag.
Time had flown by after their arrival and in the blink of an eye, a month had nearly passed already.
Itachi did accept the occasional challenge, enough so as to not lead to him being looked down on by the populace of the island. His public defeat of Zed had made him a rather favoured target to challenge for those seeking to test their power. If he had rejected them all, it was likely he'd soon be denied service at public training facilities and boycotted by the merchants.
Yet, his sister had never accepted a single challenge at all. This caused a lot of resentment towards her, especially from her female challengers who had wanted to let off steam and show their love interest that they were way more worthy of being with them.
Not that Raiju had ever shown any interest in anyone since she was here.
Women were scary, Zed reaffirmed once more to himself as he shooed off the indignant man who
"Itachi", the strained voice of Raiju reminded him as she wobbled dangerously on one foot, "I kind of… can't stay like this much longer, so…"
Nearly unnoticeably, Itachi's cheeks coloured in embarrassment as he quickly released his grip. He'd been too busy cursing his past self for winning against the man so easily, causing the Taijutsu nuts in this place to be unwilling to leave him alone. The worst part was that all the ones who were challenging him weren't even stronger than Zed! They should beat that guy first before bothering him.
With a sigh of relief, Raiju righted herself and shook her limbs out, expertly uncoiling her strained muscles.
"Are you okay?", she asked carefully. Being so lost in thought as to forget about his surroundings really wasn't like him.
"Hn. Just remembered someone."
"Oh?", she asked.
"It's not important. Sorry."
He didn't want to talk about it, huh? That could just mean it was someone from his home then. She'd recently asked him for more information about their other team members. And she had to say, she was looking forward to meeting them. Apparently, in 8 more months, she'd get to see all of them.
After that, their journey would truly start.
That's also why he was putting her through the wringer so much and why she didn't complain except when she felt that something was wrong in her stomach area.
She was determined not to hold her comrades back once they set off together. Even if she wasn't capable enough to really contribute, holding them back was out of the question. The fact she'd bring a toddler along would already be enough of a burden to the travellers, she wouldn't stand for adding even more.
"Let's continue", she said instead of digging further.
"Hn"
In a few days it'd be too risky to really push Raiju during training and they could only work on exercises to keep her current level as much as possible.
The little ball growing inside her seemed to flourish just fine regardless of her stress and hadn't made any more trouble after the whole nausea phase. She was still planning to have another check-up soon, since the strenuous exercise of the last few weeks may have changed something. Rather be safe than sorry.
She had scheduled an appointment for tomorrow, after which they'd leave the island.
Itachi had already gathered all the information he had been after and had told her of rumours about a kingdom close by that appeared to pride itself in its advanced medicine, offering to make a stop there on their way to his next target, some kingdom named after a dessert she'd forgotten the name of.
She had been too excited about everything she could possibly learn at such a place of medicine. Don't blame her, ok?
Meanwhile, a certain black-suited Marine was blinking down at a small piece of paper in his palm, confusion evident on his face.
This is the item he'd asked for a few days off to look for. To ascertain whether he had inevitably broken the promise he'd given his long-time rival or if there was still a chance to keep his word.
The paper was completely empty except for a messily scribbled 'Rouge' in the middle.
What he was looking at, was the Vivre Card of one Portgas D Rouge. Still whole and unsinged and slowly shuffling in a certain direction, indicating the location she was currently at. Roger had had it made at one point and handed it to him so he could find her and offer his help.
"Bwahahahaha", he suddenly started laughing as he carefully tucked the card into his chest pocket, "It seems you've underestimated your girl, my friend. Bwahahaha"
Yes. Not only had she convinced the doctors at their top-notch medical facility that the child couldn't be Roger's, but had also escaped the unfair and uncalled-for execution attempt of a petty admiral.
He really shouldn't be surprised. The woman the pirate king had fallen for couldn't be ordinary after all. Turns out she was a crafty one, not content to simply sit around and wait.
And she had succeeded.
He did feel sorry for the sod that had died for that to happen though.
Well, he'd better make sure the little fox was truly doing as well as the card suggested. His vacation wasn't over yet, after all.
.
"So, ye wanna leave, eh, brats", the old woman sitting in front of them said grumpily.
"Ye didn' even spar wit' me once!", she then accused, anger surfacing on her face, "how could ah le' ye leave just like tha'?"
"Hn. Raiju is pregnant. Can you guarantee not to damage something important?", Itachi blandly revealed, stunning everyone currently in the hall.
Zed sputtered incoherently and the old lady raised her brow in surprise, the other disciples merely gaped as if never having met a pregnant woman before. For a moment the hall was dead silent before the old woman could process that statement
"Well, wha didn' ye just say so!? No wonder she nev'r accept'd any challenge. Congratulations, dear! Who's tha lucky guy?", the lady ignored the rest of his statement completely and jumped up excitedly, rushing over to gush over Raiju as if meeting her own granddaughter-in-law.
"Thank you, ma'am. Well, we didn't think to, honestly. I mean we weren't planning to stay here for long and showing it off to strangers is a bit…", Raiju explained awkwardly, "We got to know you guys a bit, so I don't really mind letting you know about it but it's really nobody else's business. Especially since the father… he isn't around anymore. They already bad-mouth me enough as it is, I didn't want the little one to be a target as well."
"Aww, sweetness, ye should've said somethin' sooner, ah could've helped yeh with those crapmuffins"
"That's really sweet of you. I appreciate the thought, really. But we still have a few more stops to make before the time I'm due and we can't make those if we stay any longer."
The old lady then grumbled something about irresponsible brats and strain on the baby and on her and how in her day they'd have tied her to the hospital bed if she had dared to even suggest travelling long distances when pregnant.
She did back off though.
"Ah get it, ye've got yer own problems and circumstances ta deal wit'", she finally admitted, if reluctantly.
"Then, ah won' bug yeh 'bout it anymore. Jus' wai' a bit la'er, ah've got somethin' for yeh, alrigh'? Don' disagree wit' me on tha'", she said before turning back to Itachi with a glint in her eyes, not waiting for a reply at all.
"But ye! Ye brat, that don' explain wha ye havn' sparred wit' me! An' don' gimme some crap bou' not figh'in old women or somethin'"
Itachi merely stared back at her for a moment, unperturbed as she shook her finger in his face.
"I don't spar with injured warriors."
Right. Sparring was like training. One didn't train with the kind of injury the woman was hiding. While he hadn't said anything before since it wasn't his business, at the same time he wouldn't support her decision by actively training with her, potentially worsening her injury.
She froze at the pointed look he gave her waist, the hall going deathly silent once more as her son and the other disciples looked on in honest confusion. Their Master wasn't injured, was she?
That… that brat, how did he know? Nobody but her was supposed to know about that.
"Hn. It affects your movements more than you think.", he volunteered at her shocked look.
Not a psychic then. Just ridiculously observant. That kind of gift in observation should be punishable by law though. Even her own son hadn't noticed, yet an underaged stranger had spotted it right away. Here she'd been proud of her acting, too.
"Mom… you're injured?", her son finally asked. The fact he addressed her that way showed her just how worried he was.
"Ain' no a big deal", she grumbled, suddenly uncomfortable with the normally familiar scrutiny of her pupils. Even Raiju's gaze had sharpened in on her. Apparently, her brother hadn't told her about it. That… relieved her actually. It meant he likely hadn't told anyone at all. Lovable idiot.
The young woman turned accusing eyes to Itachi.
"Hn. It's her business", he merely said. It wasn't his place to lecture her about it or point it out. She was old enough to decide what she wanted to do herself. She had known Raiju was studying medicine, yet had never asked for help or advice.
Raiju knew this as well, of course, she just… couldn't help but want to assist if someone she knew was hurt.
"Stop makin' a fuss, ye idiots", the elderly lady finally snapped, "Ah went ta the clin'c mahself. Ain' nothin' tha docs can do. Din' wanna worry ye, since ain' no changin' things."
"Would you like me to take a look?", Raiju offered, "I've studied in many places and may know something they don't."
Zed gave his mother a pointed look, as in implying she had better take the offer, or else.
The old woman still grumbled and opened her mouth as if to reject. The looks from her son and disciples stopped her though.
"Oh, fine. Gives me a chance ta get yer presn't too. Come along then, Raiju."
At Itachi's nod, his sister happily straightened up and went after the lady, presumably to her private quarters. Since the doctors here couldn't do anything for the woman, that could only mean it was a rare condition or something they just weren't equipped to handle. If she could solve it, that meant her studies were more likely to come in useful. It'd also help to cement her self-confidence as a practitioner of medicine.
While Itachi was being besieged with questions by the other pupils they left behind, questions he ignored for the most part and just silently sat there waiting for Raiju, hands properly resting on his lap and eyes closed, she followed the old Master to her room.
The short old lady quickly strode inside and started rifling through her things, before pulling out a particular box in triumph, carefully wiping off the dust it was covered in.
Satisfied with her find, she cheerfully handed the box to Raiju, who had been indulgently waiting for her to finish.
"Ah hope ye'll find it useful", she simply said, looking at Raiju expectantly.
The young woman merely accepted it gratefully and put it to the side though.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm sure it'll come in useful."
She then remained silent, not moving to uncover what was inside, only pointedly looking at the old lady, who was very obviously trying to distract her from giving her a check-up.
Having been caught, she could merely huff and take off her dress and under-shirt, revealing a bandaged torso.
Raiju carefully unwrapped the bandages. A pungent smell spread throughout the room as she worked until finally, the wound was visible. It was an open gash that was slowly but steadily oozing pus and blood. The edges were an angry red colour, speaking of inflammation and painful infection, and the inside of the wound was filled with white and yellow matter that seemed rooted to the flesh below. No healthy flesh was visible at all.
The worst of it was the nasty smell that the wound radiated, causing a feeling of nausea in whoever came in contact with it.
The cut itself wasn't large or particularly deep, it was merely a graze, really. It was surrounded by small red points where it'd been stitched up previously, but the stitches had been removed and cream was spread along the edges instead, in an attempt to help the wound heal.
The problem was that the weapon that had inflicted it, had obviously been poisoned. And not any normal kind of poison either, that'd have long since been spread through the body and consequently killed her. No, this was something that stayed rooted in the wound and made it fester, slowly eating at the vitality from the inside.
"They didn't cut it out. Why?", she asked.
"Tried bu' tha thin' spreads ta newly cu' areas too fas'", the old lady said sadly.
Raiju narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at the wound, carefully feeling the edges and sniffing the cream that'd been put on it, rubbing it between her fingers to identify it.
"Do they know what kind of poison it is?"
"Yea, somthin' about a sea cow ah think"
"Giant Dugong toxin?", Raiju asked in surprise.
"Ah! Tha's tha one!"
"In that case", Raiju said with a confident smirk, "I can cure it."