It wasn't long before the fight, which for a moment seemed to be one of normal girls, began to escalate beyond the point of merely pulling each other's hair and having fists full of malice being thrown around with enough force to punch holes in the concrete of the floor.
Without Aura to protect themselves, a blow like that could shatter a person's skull into pieces ten times over.
These two were strong enough to make the entire floor of the building shake under their fury. Considering that they were in a hospital, if this went on like this, it could result in something bad, and that couldn't happen.
"All right, that's enough." Sasuke was quick to grab Winter and Neo by the collar of their clothes and force them apart. "Is it too much to ask for you two to get along?"
The reaction they had was more than enough answer to his question that suddenly felt stupid after everything that happened.
"I refuse!" Winter ignored Sasuke and the disapproving look on his face as he held her suspended in the air like a child being scolded. "Not only did she almost kill me, but she's also taking advantage of you!"
And she would never allow that!
As if that wasn't enough, Neo was trying to steal her beloved right in front of her after she had just been responsible for two potentially traumatic events in Winter's life and she didn't intend to go through a third!
Because of this little hussy, Winter had almost crossed the line of no return called murder before closing her eyes believing she would never open them again!
Now, Neo was trying to sabotage her possible relationship with Sasuke and force her to experience the pain of a broken heart right after falling in love!
That wasn't something that could be ignored, let alone forgiven so easily!
This woman's indifferent attitude, bordering on mockery, only gave reason for Winter's stubbornness.
"Actually, I tried to kill Sasuke," Neo made a point of remembering this detail while feeling relieved to be out of reach of this resentful woman's arms. "You just happened to get in the way."
For the majority of that fight, she tried to focus only on Sasuke, but Winter kept getting in the way. So in the end, when Neo was out of options, she actually tried to kill this annoying woman.
In other words, killing her was never her goal but a momentary necessity.
As for taking advantage of Sasuke, that was the purest truth, but she didn't intend to admit any of it for obvious reasons.
"See?!" That was proof enough that Winter was right! "She doesn't regret what she did!"
Only ten years locked up in a cell would make her start to reflect on her actions!
"As if you were one to talk!" Neo knew very well what she had done, but that doesn't mean that this princess was innocent. "You almost killed me too!"
Her neck still ached and her heart heaved with fear just remembering that fight!
All because of the traumatic memories of her childhood that resurfaced as the darkness known as death tried to take her!
Even Sasuke couldn't make her feel that scared!
Winter said nothing in response, guilt was there to prevent her from saying anything that might refute the truth of that moment of despair she had experienced. However, this did little to quell the hatred in her heart that still shone in her eyes.
"I understand why you hate each other," Sasuke really did, but even so, in his eyes, these two women were behaving like children when it came to what mattered most. "But I need you two to get along or this won't work."
Teamwork was that important. Otherwise, what would be the point of offering them power?
Except, Sasuke forgot that not everyone was like him and Naruto, where they had almost killed each other more than once and still managed to work together as if nothing had happened...when necessary.
Besides, there were feelings to consider, where one of these women loved him and the other probably hated him. So, as much as he didn't like to admit it, the situation at hand was different and almost unknown to him, if it hadn't been for Ruby and Yang.
That and he was too dense to see the mistake he'd made without even realizing it.
"Why does it matter, anyway?" Winter looked away after Sasuke had let her go, her voice sounding weaker than she wanted it to by revealing what was really bothering her. "It's not like you needed me to begin with..."
While she had grown stronger after being healed by Sasuke's divine power, reaching a new level that she had only believed possible after receiving the Winter Maiden's powers, it clearly wasn't enough.
In this little fight just now, Winter was easily put under pressure by facing Neo, someone she could have easily defeated before if she hadn't had to divide her attention and power protecting someone else.
This woman had not only closed the huge gap between them in such a short amount of time but had surpassed her as well.
Her potential was that great, justifying Sasuke's choice despite everything that had happened.
Suddenly, that inferiority complex grew stronger inside her, and with good reason.
"Winter..." Sasuke was beginning to understand where the resentment that prevented them from working together came from and part of it was his fault. "Do you really believe that?"
No, that wasn't quite what was happening. It was Sasuke who made Winter see herself that way, by offering power to other people and not mentioning anything about her.
It was an unconscious but not unfounded mistake.
After all, Sasuke had defined in his mind that he could only create five more Six Path Marks without harming himself when that wasn't exactly true.
While yes, he believed that he could only create five more, that was valid when compared to the one he had made for himself; in terms of power and efficiency.
However, Sasuke was forgetting that these girls were not demigods like him.
In fact, they weren't even Chakra users.
A Six Path Mark of the same level as his would be too much for them to handle and control.
Even if it was under a very specific situation and reason, Sasuke almost succumbed to the corrupted power of the mark on his neck.
With that in mind, the chances of the same thing happening to the girls were immensely high, so he would have to dilute and lower the level a little of the marks to be gifted to them.
That way, by using less genetic material, he would be able to create at least one more mark; six in total.
All things considered, this would result in something good.
Not only would Sasuke get another ally, but he would also reduce the chances of something bad happening to them.
After all, there was the mortality rate behind the mark to consider, where he would have to increase each girl's affinity as much as possible before trying anything.
Something to think about later.
For now, Sasuke had to deal with the problem his ignorance had created by forgetting to offer power to the woman who had done so much for him and was clearly conflicted, to the point of not being able to say anything.
It wasn't without reason.
His lack of recognition was making Winter feel less than she really was and it couldn't go on like this.
"Don't you want to help me save this world and mine too?" Sasuke rephrased his question as he approached her, his hand resting on her surprised face. "Be a hero like my brother, and fight alongside me and your little sister?"
Words that rekindled the fire in her heart, if only for a moment.
"Of course I want to!" Nothing would make her happier than that! "It's just that..."
For the first time, Winter was afraid of not being enough, where she was even questioning the motive behind the General's actions in dismissing her; whether her ability as a Lieutenant and possible Maiden was beyond her.
"I thought you didn't need me," she couldn't look into this boy's enigmatic eyes as she confessed her fear, feeling pathetic. "Even more so now that you have Neo."
The girl who had her worth recognized even after everything she had done wrong.
"Neo may be the strongest in this world right now," the girl in question perked up at his revelation, where she could hardly believe it as she looked at her own hands before smiling and it did little to appease Winter, "But that doesn't mean that the fight to come is going to get any easier." Sasuke would be honest about that; about the challenge that awaited each of them in the form of Kaguya. "Besides, part of the reason I chose you and the other girls is not just because of your strength, which you all have along with the potential to grow even more, but because I can trust you." He was smiling now, at finding himself admitting something he'd thought he'd never be able to do again; at understanding that he really had changed more than he'd expected. "Trust that this power won't be misused or..." he focused on a Neo who was no longer as happy as before at being the target of criticism this time, "to try to kill me"
Something that inevitably, to a certain extent, applied to a girl other than Neo.
Yang's feelings fluctuated like that every time she looked at him, reflected in the lilac color of her affection and the red of her resentment.
Ironically, the ability of these two to be willing to get blood on their hands without thinking about the consequences was one of the reasons he wanted Neo and Yang in the first place.
"So..." Winter couldn't help but have a smile forming on her face as her heart beat harder. "Does that mean?"
"Yes," Sasuke nodded, again finding this woman's reaction similar to that of a child, but in a good way this time. "Just as I offered it to the others if you wish, I also have power for you and..."
He couldn't finish speaking, Winter wouldn't let him. In the blink of an eye, she almost knocked him over with her enhanced strength and speed, all so that she could steal his lips again and again. Just like before, although surprised, Sasuke just accepted everything because he had no right to refuse and... deep down, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he enjoyed receiving her affection.
Honestly, there was hardly a man alive who would reject this woman, especially after how far she was willing to go for someone who had won her heart, to the point of almost dying and killing, if necessary.
"Thank you, Sasuke!" Winter finally said after she had kissed him enough...for the time being, and held him in a tight embrace that was motivated by more than just her gratitude; to hide her flushed face and dreamy smile. "I'll do everything I can to help you!"
That was a promise she would honor with her life! For she would literally fight to protect much more than before and this time, she could make a difference on levels she couldn't even imagine!
Best of all, it will allow me to walk alongside Sasuke, as well as fight with a power that hopefully doesn't depend on a sacrifice. The idea of becoming the Winter Maiden on the basis of someone else's death never appealed to Winter at all. That and securing my rightful place in his heart. Her eyes fell on a Neo who had that hatred from before in her multicolored eyes; an expression that completely turned the tables and signaled her victory. "You are my beloved, after all."
As for Sasuke, he found himself in the middle of this dispute that indicated his potentially miserable future when he remembered that he now had six girls to deal with.
Fortunately, their actions were still reminiscent of those of a child, bringing back memories of Sakura and Ino's rivalry, and Sasuke preferred to continue feigning ignorance, especially about the part where Winter called him 'her beloved'.
He wasn't ready to venture further into this unknown and dangerous territory.
"Now, if that settles it," Sasuke was quick to try and shift the focus before anything else happened. "Can you two hold hands and do the Unison Sign?"
A hasty request, he would admit, but a necessary one.
"Unison Sign?" Winter turned away from him just enough to see his face again, confused and a little annoyed that he insisted on keeping this other girl around. Why couldn't it just be the two of us?
Because the enemy was dangerous like that and for the first time that day, Winter blamed that goddess, Kaguya, for it and not Neo.
"It's a gesture; a symbol of reconciliation used in my village after two opponents face each other and proof that there is no grudge between them." Sasuke did this several times during his time in Konoha, mainly at the academy, and it was only with Naruto that this gesture resulted in even more conflict, more often than not. Let me guess: the same thing is going to happen with these two, isn't it?
It would be too easy otherwise.
"No." Neo snorted and looked away because that was the only thing that seemed to calm her down about the scene unfolding in front of her. "I refuse!"
It might have been irrational or stubborn of her, but Neo hated Winter even more than before.
Just when I was winning, this bitch in white goes and does that! Neo hated losing, especially now that she was really into Sasuke. That's so unfair!
It felt like everything had a price, and she couldn't have anything she wanted!
Obviously, Neo would admit that she'd done a lot of bad things over the last few years, but only because it was basically her only option to escape the hell that was her life and get some freedom!
"What now, Neo?" Sasuke was starting to get a headache. As usual, my choices punish me in one way or another.
If possible, this time no one would end up dead as a result.
"I'm part of your harem too and if I'm going to risk my life fighting a hungry goddess, I want to be treated the same as the other girls!" Neo could hardly believe herself, where not even the princess seemed less surprised, but that didn't matter! "I want a kiss!"
The text expressing her frustration hung in the air without disappearing, accompanied by silence that seemed deafening but was nothing compared to the answer Sasuke had for her.
It was like a bomb.
"All right," he said, his voice sounding rather casual. "If that's what you want."
Which was fair and a small price to pay compared to what he was asking of her, but there was a catch behind it.
The problem was that not everyone shared this logic or knew about his trickery.
Winter turned away from him in shock, her blue eyes opening to their limit next to Neo's multicolored ones before the two of them had the same reaction.
"What?!" they exclaimed together, one with words and the other with texts; both believing they had heard wrong!
"Why are you surprised too?!" Somehow, this made Winter even more indignant than she already was with this little thing!
"Because I didn't expect him to agree!" And that made Neo's heart start pounding like crazy in her chest! I-I'm not ready for this!
Which was really weird!
Like, why the hell was she nervous about something so...trivial?!
While this would be her first real kiss, it shouldn't be something that could mess with her this much!
Hell, it was feeling even worse than when she was planning to sleep with Sasuke to have a chance of killing him in his sleep!
As if all that wasn't enough, Neo had forgotten that this divine boy, who was messing with her head and heart, was just like her and had a thirst for revenge!
"But before that, you need to apologize for trying to kill me and for hurting Winter." Sasuke couldn't help but have a twisted smile adorning his face as this girl looked at him in disbelief. "What? Am I asking too much?"
Whatever it was, if she wanted to get something from him, she would have to start listening and obeying.
This bastard! Neo wanted to kill this guy for teasing her so openly like that! Still... She ended up smiling and did so even more when she saw Sasuke's expression falter. You're trying to win against a master of the art of illusion? Wrong move!
Neo might not be able to talk and lie like a normal person, but she had spent a lot of time with a professional like Roman!
Thanks to that, lying would be as easy as breathing!
You're mine, you playboy! She could already taste his lips and was sure it would be as sweet as revenge! "I'm sorry for trying to kill you and hurt Winter!"
At this, both Sasuke and Winter were dumbfounded, not expecting her to actually do as he asked, even more so while bending over.
However, Neo was only lowering her head to hide the sadistic expression on her face.
As always, she would have the last laugh!
Neo won!
Or so she believed.
"Very good, Neo," Sasuke was not speaking lightly, being impressed. However... it wasn't enough. "Now, thank Winter for saving your life."
"What?!" Again, the two girls in the room had the same reaction.
"Why are you surprised?!" This time it was Neo who was outraged by this turn of events. "And how exactly did she save my life?! By almost breaking my neck?!"
He couldn't be serious! His expression, however, said otherwise.
Is this... some kind of test? Neo wondered, especially if she thought of the insinuation from before, where he'd said he didn't trust her. To see if I can really be useful to him?
Whether she would be able to listen and obey.
Except that wasn't the only reason.
"Because not only did Winter do nothing wrong in exercising her role as protector; as a Huntress, but she also spared your life," Sasuke explained as he looked at the girl in question to see her recover her smile and shy away under his gaze. "Besides, if I really had been in danger, I would have reacted somehow, even in that state." Considering that his mother, or a subconscious representation of her, let him go the moment he wanted to, it wasn't wrong to assume that he would have regained consciousness before any lethal damage could be inflicted on his body. "As a result, you'd be dead...and that would have happened in a rather unpleasant way, I must say."
Probably burned alive by black flames, but she didn't need to know that.
"That..." Neo didn't know what to say, highly doubting these claims based on what she'd seen. I literally grabbed him by the hair and pointed my sword at his face. If it hadn't been for Winter's meddling, he would have been dead. I don't want to believe him, but...what if it really is true? That means this woman actually did save her life. Dammit. Neo hated being trapped in a damn dilemma! But what choice do I have? That of being rejected and discarded. "Winter..." she began to write with her Semblance, gaining the attention of her supposed savior whose expression said everything about how unexpected her own actions were. "Thank you... for saving me and for not killing me when you had the chance."
Because if she wanted to, Neo would be dead and that she would admit was true.
"I..." Winter began and then stopped, conflicted about this unexpected development, but only until she looked at Sasuke and saw the expectation in his eyes. He really wants me to make peace with her... How should she feel about this? Especially when she didn't understand if this was all because he needed Neo or because this girl was part of his supposed harem. Regardless of the answer, Winter felt that if she didn't give in now, her beloved would be genuinely disappointed in her and that couldn't happen. "It...was nothing."
Which wasn't exactly true but that was beside the point, where Neo's shocked expression and Sasuke's smile were all that mattered.
Winter just scored some points and that had to come with a reward, preferably in the form of several kisses!
"Hn," Sasuke nodded, pleased that things were going well for the first time between these two. "Now, hold hands and do the Unison Sign."
Before they could protest, he took each of their hands to complete the gesture unknown to this world, using the index and middle fingers in a similar way to a pinky promise.
"With this, I hope you'll put your differences aside." Sasuke released their hands and was pleased to see that they kept the gesture while looking at each other in silence, both clearly having mixed emotions about it. "So that we can work together for the greater good of two distinct worlds that are only separated by space and time."
In other words, this peace was about much more than the relationship between them and this boy.
The mere fact that they agreed to work together could be the difference between salvation and destruction.
What's more, the boy they wanted seemed genuinely happy that they could understand each other.
With this in mind and with much reluctance, they decided to make a truce without having to say or write a word.
"How about letting me see a smile?" Sasuke asked just to test the waters and they glared at him. "All right, I'll stop."
Better to turn back now than to push the limit and spoil this little moment of peace born of hate and love that he had managed to create.
Seeing this god in human form back down like that made Neo and Winter smile for the same reason.
A man would always be a man and he knew better than to get on a woman's bad side... or two, in this case.
"Since we're almost finished here, I think this is the right time to return this." Sasuke touched his storage seal and brought out two weapons that these girls knew very well; a colorful parasol with a hidden blade and a saber that shared the same feature by coupling a small rapier. "Nothing could be fairer, I suppose."
As well as being a fitting reward for the efforts of these two.
"Hush!"
"White Moon!"
They had their weapons in hand at the same second, one happier than the other because of how much these weapons meant to them. Soon after, they moved together to hug Sasuke in thanks.
Great, he almost rolled his eyes at this unexpected development. Now, of all time, they decided to work together. He didn't know whether to be angry or proud of them. A doubt that disappeared after focusing on these two girls who were almost fighting for more space in his arms and remembering the other ones. There are six of them...
How the hell was Sasuke supposed to deal with that?
He probably couldn't.
At least, not in a conventional way and that was what gave life to his conflict; about what to do.
Accepting all of them seemed as wrong as rejecting all of them, where he could hardly make them happy.
What other choice do I have? It's not like I can undo everything... Sasuke paused, his eyes opening wider than he would have liked at what just occurred to him; at finding a third option that aligned with his original flawed plan for revolution. Maybe... if necessary, as a last resort?
It would be something capable of solving the whole situation without hurting the girls, where only he would be affected and that wouldn't be something new, considering the life he had lived so far.
At the same time, however, if possible, Sasuke didn't want to have to suffer like that anymore.
Therefore, he would keep this option in mind for when the time came to make a decision.
Until then, a lot could happen and all he would do was make sure that no more girls could leave a mark on his life and heart.
For now, Sasuke would deal with the problem at hand; one that couldn't choose a worse time to try and gain some attention.
"So..." Neo had a mischievous smile as she felt déjà vu by repeating a familiar scene, only this time she had the weight of a promise at her side. "Can I have my kiss now?"
And she almost got one straight away, but in the form of the tip of Winter's sword, if Sasuke hadn't stopped her.
"You couldn't have picked a worse time for this, could you?" he sighed as he held Winter closer in his arms, indirectly being an extremely effective method of calming her down. Well, it could have been worse.
Or so he wanted to believe, as he imagined what the situation would be like with Blake and Weiss in the mix.
Sasuke would literally have to multiply himself to keep them all under control.
"Hey, I kept my end of the bargain!" Neo wasn't taking no for an answer, where her heart was pounding in her chest non-stop. "Now, come here and keep your word that you value so much!"
Two could play this game of submission and this time, Sasuke had nowhere to run!
Unless Winter did something drastic, but fortunately, she was more concerned with her beloved's response than killing Neo.
That and imagining what it would be like later with the other girls.
The fact was that Winter was the last to arrive, and that made her as much of an intruder and threat as Neo. As such, she couldn't simply try to attack the other girls as she was doing with Neo.
She needed to be more open-minded and understand that she wasn't the only one... as disappointing as that was.
"I should give you a snake to kiss," Sasuke said after noticing Winter's unexpected behavior, where she was no longer reacting in an extreme way. "Considering that the snakes I create are a part of me, it would be the same as keeping my promise, wouldn't you agree?"
Ironically, this had already happened earlier.
"Not again!" Neo shivered at the memory of being trapped by those things and the taste of blood that theoretically belonged to Sasuke! Wow, that's so weird! At the same time, though, if she thought about it, they were similar like that. "That's so evil, I'm starting to love that about you~"
If it had been a different situation, he would have been sure to follow through with his threat, but a promise was a promise and she was right about the value Sasuke placed on his word.
"All right." Luckily, this agreement didn't come with specific instructions, so Sasuke could take some liberties as to the outcome. "You Won."
This time, he wanted to say.
As for Neo, she never expected him to give in so easily!
Now that he was walking towards her, her heart was dancing inside her chest!
Why?! It didn't even make sense!
It was just a kiss!
Just to get a taste of a god's lips and win his favor!
Nothing more!
Even so... Neo couldn't help but be frightened for reasons she couldn't even understand.
When Sasuke stood right in front of her, her only instinct was to run away as if her life depended on it, but her legs seemed to have turned to jelly and were no longer responding to her commands.
It wasn't long before Sasuke rested one of his hands on her face, in such a tender way that it sent shivers down her spine and warmed her entire body!
When he began to lean towards her, everything she felt had escalated ten levels and Neo closed her eyes, unable to do anything other than wait for what felt like much more than her first kiss!
Unconsciously, she even had her lips stretched out in anticipation, but to no avail because the kiss happened somewhere else...on her forehead, the same place he had hit her with his fingers earlier.
Soon after, Neo had her hands covering the spot, her face reddening endlessly to leave her without action for what seemed like an eternity.
How should she feel about this? Happy or relieved? Perhaps disappointed?
Somehow, she felt all of that and more!
One thing, however, Neo knew for sure: This boy wasn't good for her mental and emotional health!
Sasuke had kept his promise and destroyed her at the same time!
"That's enough, right?" he asked and this girl could do nothing but nod shyly in a way that could only be described as genuinely cute. The point I reached to start thinking like that...
At least this was the result of his victory, so it was all right... probably.
"If there's nothing else, I want to take a shower and get some new clothes." Sasuke no longer wanted to walk around half-naked and covered in blood. Maybe I can make some?
After all, he had half the power of creation in his possession. While he couldn't make things out of thin air, as long as he had something to use as a base, he could do just as he had with those Shurikens used to destroy the Grimm.
"If you want, I can get some for you?" Winter offered after breathing a sigh of relief, where she also needed some and... Maybe for her too. Her eyes were on Neo's shaken and embarrassed form, which, regardless of what happened, was fun to watch. I was acting like that earlier, wasn't I?
Just thinking about it made her self-conscious and blush a little.
Still, it must be even worse for Neo. After all, earlier, this same girl was willing to die fighting Sasuke and now, after receiving a kiss on the forehead, something Winter was grateful it wasn't on the lips, she was acting like a lovesick pre-teen.
Even though she was a potential rival and definitely an enemy, Winter couldn't help but sympathize a little with the sentiment.
"I don't think you need to, I can make new clothes for myself," probably, he wanted to say, but it was worth a try and Sasuke didn't want to impose anything on this woman. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get cleaned up...as soon as I find the bathroom," the last part was said quietly, being sure that the doctor could help with that. Before leaving, however, he stopped and looked at them. "If it's not too much to ask, try not to kill each other while I'm gone."
Hopefully, they should be able to handle such a simple task.
With that, Sasuke left and only Winter and Neo remained in the room.
"I must admit; I'm surprised," Winter didn't let the silence linger for long, gaining the attention of...whatever Neo was to her, right after the door closed behind her beloved's back. "I was sure you were going to offer to wash his back or something indecent like that."
Not that she hadn't thought of that herself, but no one needed to know.
"I'm sure you'd love to see me do it and be rejected," Neo replied on the same note of sarcasm, trying to put on a strong persona even though her body language said otherwise, where she almost thanked this woman for helping to change the focus of her mind and finally manage to calm her restless heart, but not without realizing something. That's right, he rejected me...
Normally, most men in Remnant would pay for the chance to lick the boots of a woman like her and this stupid god had deliberately thrown away the opportunity to kiss her!
It made her consider herself inferior to Winter who had done it so many times without being visibly shaken; being much more of a woman than Neo was.
If it weren't for the fact that Sasuke had other extremely beautiful girls in his harem, as much as she hated to admit it, Neo would even begin to question her own attractiveness.
Damn him for making me feel this way! Never before had Neo been through so much turmoil in one day! But it's not over yet!
Sasuke might have won this round, but the fight was far from over!
Neo would have her revenge, a very different one from before, and she would be sure to make that little god eat out of her hand!
That was a promise!
I bet you didn't expect to see me updating so quickly, let alone on my old schedule. Well, here I am. I'm not going to lie, this year has been complicated for several reasons, but I'm getting myself together again and finding the time to write.
Anyway, I'll be posting again at the end of the month, or if you want to read more, right now, for free, take a look at my P t r & on (slash) Bertoti.
That's all for now, so don't forget to Review and I'll see you all on the next one.