#well you can also count ryo but ryo is in another branch so you can say hes my ds fav

[floorpancakes]

what do you mean remesho saki is real now and theyre the world's most precious little baby creature dressed in trans pride colours

[sennokami]

Parallelism - Ch.2

Summary: Madara is not an easy man to have - or keep. Hashirama fights that in his own way.

In which Madara nearly enters an arranged marriage of his own.

-

In another lifetime, where their lives lined up better and the timing was right, maybe he could have reciprocated the truth of Madara’s secret – to love him as he deserved to be loved. But they’d still been at war when he married Mito. That was how it always went: like their friendship had a leak that couldn’t be fixed and any goodness they had just spilled out. Their relationship was just a series of closing doors. Word count: 3,583 AN: This is available on ao3 in its entirety under the same title under the pseud selwyn. I also have a twitter, selwynsalt.

-

Hashirama didn’t see Madara again after that. He didn’t even get a letter from him again. He didn’t know if he was disappointed or relieved.

His lips had healed within the night but not before a few drops of blood got on the sleeve of his haori. Instead of washing it or changing, Hashirama continued to wear it. It was in a discreet spot, only visible if the sleeve was straightened out, so no one but he noticed it. And he did. The two little spots of blood always winked at him throughout the day, reminding him of what happened.

Madara wanted him. The abstract had finally become physical. The truth that’d lingered on the outskirts of his awareness had blazed to the forefront and like Madara himself, it refused to be ignored. He thought about it when he walked down the village streets, when he sat at his desk, when he ate, when he breathed. He couldn’t stop himself. Every time he did, he looked down at those two blood spots and wondered.

Had the violence been for him or was that just Madara’s way? He suspected both. Wasn’t that just so typical?

It wasn’t the first time that someone wanted him. But the intensity of this was new.

The knocking on his door interrupted his reverie. “Come in.”

Toka entered and Hashirama immediately perked up. She’d gone out with Tobirama in a mission to court the Hyuuga in the north. If she was here then his brother wasn’t far behind. She knelt. “Hokage-sama.”

“Toka. My brother?”

“Tobirama-sama is on his way back to Konoha. He asked me to go ahead with his message so you can begin preparations immediately. The diplomatic envoy was successful but the Hyuuga have new demands."

“Go on.”

“They want to meet the founders of Konohagakure in person. And they want to be on neutral ground.”

He frowned. That wasn't how he'd imagined it. Konoha was willing to host everyone interested in joining, to let them have a taste of what was possible. Even the skittish Shimura had finally relented once they experienced it. “Their safety is guaranteed."

“We told them that. But bloodline clans have always been jumpy."

Hashirama sighed. Of course. The infamous jealousy of the two doujutsu clans in Fire was the one joke everyone else could agree on. Not that it wasn’t unwarranted. If one knew the right buyer, a single Sharingan eye could easily go for five hundred thousand ryo. God only knew how much a Byakugan went for.

“Is that it then? They want me and Madara to meet them on neutral territory before they’re willing to discuss this further?”

“Essentially.”

Well… it would be a welcome break from the drudgery of the office – an opportunity to go out, stretch his legs, and do what he was actually good at.

With Madara.

God. With Madara.

There it was again - the appearance of dread where there should've been none. Just a few months earlier, Hashirama would've been giddy at the prospect of traveling with Madara to negotiate the involvement of another clan. Now, he couldn't help but feel a brief flare of nervous anticipation. After weeks of complete non-communication and whatever that day was, they’d need to act as one team. He could already hear Tobirama in his ear: get your act together, you’re both leaders and you need to act like it.

Easy for him to say.

“- kage-sama? Are you listening?”

He blinked. “Ah, what?”

“I was saying that this should happen pretty soon,” Toka said. She stood up, grunting. “They’re jittery. They’ve been moving south lately. I think it’s because of that new village that’s supposed to be forming in Cloud. They want the Hyuuga. A lot.”

He gestured for her to elaborate.

“It’s unconfirmed but some of them might have been picked up. For their eyes. We don’t know a lot but when we offered to help, they said they already had it handled and the eyes were safe again.”

It wasn’t a lot of information to go on. The Hyuuga were as tight-lipped as the Uchiha were. At least Madara could offer some additional insight since he and his clan were in the same boat. Maybe they’d even get along - that was a nice thought.

“Then we should begin immediately,” Hashirama said, his mind made up. His inner Tobirama was right. Their duties as leaders came before the heart. He and Madara would just have to adapt.

-

Madara didn’t answer his summons until it was late. He appeared just as Hashirama was on his last candle and considering going home. The only sign of his arrival was the whoosh of hot air and the heaviness that he always carried around with him. Hashirama cupped his candle to protect the flickering flame and looked up.

“You came.” He sounded surprised to his own ears. A part of him had been nervously expecting silence. It would be bad. But it would be Madara.

From the window, Madara unfolded like a bird of prey. His eyes swept over the entire office before settling on Hashirama. It was the strangest thing – a part of him acknowledged him but the rest of him was firmly locked away. It was like being on the other side of a battlefield with him again. Being seen, but not accepted.

Greasy queasiness coiled inside Hashirama. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know. But it felt like he should’ve known. Or that he should’ve handled it better. Or anything other than this.

“The Hyuuga are coming.” Madara slowly stepped closer. Hashirama made no moves. Madara stopped next to the corner of his desk. He looked ready to leave if anything happened. Hashirama could imagine what was going through his head. Probably the same thing he was thinking.

Do we talk about that?

“They are,” he confirmed. The Hyuuga were somewhat safe to talk about. And hey, when they were still fresh from the truce, Hashirama built his friendship with Madara back up using the village as their common goal. Maybe the Hyuuga could be that common goal this time.

“They want us to meet them.”

“They do.”

“I think it’s a bad idea,” Madara said. He slowly settled on the edge of the desk. It was subtle but it was his version of an olive branch. If he was still angry, he would’ve refused to come closer. “They’re not one of ours. We don’t know how they think. They could be planning something, maybe coordinating an attack with another clan.”

“Or maybe they are nervous about meeting us and want to feel more comfortable.”

“They should be nervous.”

“That’s not a good way to set up negotiations.”

“Do we even need the Hyuuga?” Madara questioned. He crossed his arms. “Their doujutsu is the weakest there is. Their clan is fractured. For the trouble we have to go to get them, it’s not worth it.”

“It’s not about worth,” Hashirama reminded him.

Madara’s face turned sour. Then smoothed out. “It’s not,” he begrudgingly agreed. “Alright, say we go to them. Say we agree to their ridiculous demands. What then?”

“We listen to what they have to say. Toka told me that they’re nervous about the clans in Lightning. If we offer them protection from them then they might be more pliant.”

“And who goes?”

The question caught Hashirama off-guard. It’d always been the two of them before. Why ask now? “...us?”

“Not Tobirama?”

He disliked the challenging glint in Madara’s eye. That always spelled trouble for someone. “Tobirama will be handling the village in our absence. Do you want to do that instead?”

“...no.” Madara slid off the desk with a thump. “I’ll come with you.” He headed for the door.

Hashirama had half a mind to call out to him. Ask him to stay. It felt like the right thing to do. They needed to resolve whatever thing they had before they met the Hyuuga, so it wouldn’t get in the way, so they could be a team again –

The look that Madara shot him as he stopped at the door made him freeze. It was a cutting look. A hungry look. It was a look that made Hashirama feel like prey.

With a flash of long black hair, Madara was gone. Hashirama stared after him as the door slammed shut, his thoughts scattered.

That wasn’t a fighting look, he was sure. But that hadn’t been a return to the days of easy friendship either. That… had been a challenge. A gauntlet thrown.

-

Traveling to the neutral location went in silence. With only the two of them, they made good time. That didn’t mean it was any easier to endure the pressing silence from Madara’s end. He was impossible to ignore too – leaves curled up from the heat of his passage and his footsteps left scorch marks on the wood. Hashirama registered every flash of heat with a shudder, like he was next to a fire that could easily catch him.

It was Madara who stopped first. Hashirama caught himself on a tree branch as soon as he did, turning his head in askance, and Madara jerked his head east. “People coming.”

Hashirama immediately got down. He kept his hands visible, his posture relaxed, and his chakra carefully pinched small, and after a moment’s hesitation, Madara followed suit. He was still a hot presence at his shoulder but he wasn’t nearly as searing now.

They didn’t have to wait long. Five white-clothed Hyuuga materialized from the forest, staring uncannily at the two of them, their faces blank and cautious. They were like the Uchiha in the sense that they all resembled each other, all of them dark-haired and white-eyed. Two Hyuuga stepped forward from the five-man squad, visibly older than the rest.

“Senju-sama, Uchiha-sama” one said, taking the lead. When he bowed, his scout followed suit. He was a tall man, maybe even taller than Hashirama, and his brown hair was swept back into a severe ponytail. As he watched, the bulging veins around his eyes relaxed and disappeared back under his skin. “I am Hyuuga Hotaru. Our scouts noticed you were coming and we were sent to escort you to our encampment.”

“Good to meet you, Hotaru-san.” Hashirama smiled. “Is Hitomi-san doing well?”

“Hyuuga-sama is well as can be expected. Will you follow us?”

“Lead the way.”

At Hotaru’s nod, the rest of the his squad went forth. Hashirama and Madara followed them at a more sedate pace, not speaking up when they were led in a few circles before they actually approached the encampment. Considering Madara’s sensory abilities – and the fact that they were in a forest – made this a fairly moot point, but Hashirama didn’t fault them for doing what they could. The Hyuuga were skittish. This was expected.

When they came upon the encampment, however, Hashirama frowned. It was… not what he expected. The Hyuuga were a big clan. An old clan. The Senju had even clashed with them in the long past. Their doujutsu bred strong and they usually had the numbers to keep their territory. What he saw here, however, wasn’t that clan. The encampment was still sizable, sure, but it was smaller than what the Uchiha and Senju encampments had been like in the early days of the village. There were more guards posted than was efficient and there were no children in sight.

This wasn’t a clan that’d traveled out of curiosity. These were people on the run.

Tobirama and Toka’s initial estimates looked to be depressingly accurate. Hotaru led them through the encampment quickly, towards a larger tent that’d been set up on the eastern edge. As they went, Madara suddenly pressed up close to him.

“Something’s off with the chakra in there,” he muttered into his ear, his voice so low that his words were barely there, and then he was gone, walking ahead in a dark flurry of hair and mantle, leaving Hashirama behind with warm, prickling ears. He shook himself a little, reminded himself to focus. This… thing… with Madara, that could be handled later. Right now, this took priority.

Hotaru came to a stop outside the tent. He glanced back at them briefly, bowing his head a little. “Please wait,” then he disappeared inside. Hashirama caught the low murmur of voices before Hotaru reappeared. “Please, come in. Hyuuga-sama is ready to see you.”

His curiosity about why Hitomi didn’t come out to greet them was quickly explained as soon as he entered. The smell of infection hit him like a wave, thick enough that his stomach turned briefly. He resisted the urge to press his sleeve against his nose.

Hyuuga Hitomi sat inside the tent, clothed in the white yukata of the sick and dying. She looked older than he remembered her, with thick lines of gray shot through her brown hair, and her eyes were obscured by a thick band of bandages. 

She briefly dipped her head when they entered. From her side, a young Hyuuga clansman who must have been attending to her carefully edged out of sight. Next to her was another Hyuuga, another woman but much younger than Hitomi. She wasn’t anyone Hashirama recognized but she must’ve been important to be here.

“Senju. Uchiha. It’s been a while since our clans had a chance to meet outside of a battlefield.”

“Hitomi-san. You’re ill.”

“Thieves will be thieves,” she simply said. Hashirama grimaced.

It’s unconfirmed but some of them might have been picked up. For their eyes. We don’t know a lot but when we offered to help, they said they already had it handled and the eyes were safe again.

So this was the secret that the Hyuuga had been so nervous about. Their clan head lost her eyes to bloodline thieves. Who else had also lost their eyes? How many? When? To who? There were so many questions, so little time. Hashirama raised his hands a little. “I can heal you.”

“No need,” Hitomi said. She sat up laboriously. “Even when I had my eyes, I had a sickness of the bones. This is just speeding up the process. No, right now, let’s simply talk. Drink with me.”

The Hyuuga boy who’d been tending to her rose up and went to the corner. He pulled out a low table and sake cups, carefully and quietly arranging them. Once he was done, he retreated back to Hitomi’s side.

They shared a solemn drink first. Only when the last drop in their cups was drained did Madara finally speak.

“The Hyuuga are in danger.” Madara’s face was carefully blank. The lack of emotion made his stern face all the more severe. “I don’t think you would’ve come to us at all if you weren’t. It can’t just be thieves anymore. You know how to deal with those.”

For Hashirama, this was the first time that he saw this side of him. Oh, sure, they shared a few turns on the same side of the negotiating table – impossible not to when Konoha was their shared project. But even then, Madara had never been like this. He was completely expressionless, his chakra reigned in so tightly that the air around him was cold, as still as a hunting cat waiting for the right time to pounce. Seeing him like this, Hashirama could understand why even the allies of the Uchiha tread lightly. It was like looking into a cold fire.

“Blunt as ever, you Uchiha.” Hitomi chuckled. It was a sickly sound. “I assume you know that this isn’t the only village being made.”

“Clearly.”

“The clans in the north are building up. They have someone up there calling himself the Raikage or Kumokage or something similar. He wants to consolidate all the clans in Lightning, build a fighting force like there is in Fire. He also thinks that, since the Uchiha are already taken, his new village should also have a pet bloodline.”

Madara’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Hashirama put his hand on his before he said anything rash. Immediately, Madara went very still.

“We’re not recruiting with force. Every clan who comes to Konohagakure, comes willingly. If the Hyuuga need a place to go, they’re welcome with us.”

“Your first messengers were abundantly clear.” Hitomi gestured and the boy immediately refilled the cups again. “I won’t lie – we need allies. But that’s the word, isn’t it? Allies.”

Distrust was everywhere. Hashirama knew this intimately well. But sometimes, all that was necessary to dispel it was one gesture of good faith. “Not just allies,” he said. “A village. Somewhere where we’re not divided by clan lines anymore, but by common goals, shared beliefs. A place where shinobi don’t have to fight each anymore.”

“A lovely idea,” Hitomi replied. “Good words. Pretty thoughts. But ideas and words and thoughts aren’t good barter. Can’t eat them, can’t use them, and easy to forget. What I want to know is – what is Konoha willing to do for us?”

“There’s food, land, and safety,” Madara said. “What more can you need?”

“A guarantee.” Hitomi tilted her head a little. “Something that tells us you are earnest and this isn’t a trap.”

“What do the Hyuuga want?” Hashirama said baldly.

Hitomi was silent for a few moments. Even though she had no eyes, Hashirama had the peculiar feeling of being seen, something that reminded him of Madara or Tobirama whenever they read his chakra like a book. Was she a sensor too?

“...our clan has always been more traditional than most,” she said. “We believe stability. In solidity. When we want something, it has to be tangible. I understand that you, Senju-san, are married to the Uzumaki. A good clan. Powerful. Old. Good match. But you, Uchiha-san, you’re not.”

Hashirama blinked.

“You want me to marry into your clan?” Disbelief edged into Madara’s tone.

“Not marry in, no. That’d be unreasonable when you’re the clan head. But perhaps a marriage for alliance, where the children can be divided up between our clans – that is something that makes us feel safe.”

There was a long, perilous silence. Hashirama glanced at Madara and suppressed a wince. That stare could’ve squeezed blood from stone.

“...this is new,” Madara finally said. His previous disbelief was wiped clean again, leaving his face as unreadable as the mountainside. “I’ll need time to consider this before I decide.”

“Understandable.”

“Do you already a match in mind?”

“My daughter.” For the first time since they came here, Hitomi acknowledged the other woman in the room. “Hisae. She’s not set to inherit, her older brother, Hiroshige, will. But she’s a good match.”

Madara looked at Hisae. In return, she lifted her bowed head and made eye contact with him. To her credit, she didn’t flinch.

She bore a resemblance to her mother – they shared the same steady eyes, small mouth, and pointed nose – a pretty woman. Or maybe girl. Nothing about her could be divined from her face and Hashirama couldn’t stop himself from examining her in closer detail. What was she thinking, sitting there, looking at the face of the man her mother proposed to become her husband? Was she afraid? Nervous? Or was she eager? Did she maybe like what she saw in Madara? He was a good-looking man, a powerful man. A good man. The kind of man that any kunoichi would be pleased to call her husband.

“As I said, I’ll need time.” Madara looked entirely too long at Hisae, his dark eyes unreadable, before he looked back at Hitomi. “And a conversation with Hisae-san. That is all I will say now.”

That wasn’t the answer that Hashirama expected. He’d hoped for a cordial denial but had been prepared for a blunt no but not… not a careful evasion. It wasn’t that he had no faith in Madara’s negotiating skills, or else he wouldn’t have brought him along, but this was just so unlike Madara that his entire skull was left buzzing in the aftermath of that brief, cool exchange, suddenly more awake and upright than he had been this entire time.

In all the years that Hashirama had known him, Madara had never expressed any kind of interest towards a woman. Not even as boys, back when that was something they talked about, had Madara breathed a word about a girl he liked. Or even what kind of girl he liked.

During wartime, there’d been no time to discuss it and, after the peace, Hashirama had privately assumed that marriage wasn’t something Madara would ever do. There were some men like that, men who didn’t get married for any reason. They didn’t like marriage. Or they didn’t like women.

Sometimes, when he was alone and a little into his cups, Hashirama wondered if it was the latter; whether Madara specifically had no taste for women – or for people as a whole, in that way. Before, when they were talking, he could’ve asked. Now, after everything, it felt too fraught to risk.

Now, he would’ve gambled everything he owned just for a glimpse inside Madara’s head. When he looked at her, what was he thinking? Did he see just another shinobi with whom he might have to tie his life to? Or did he see someone he could like, someone he could even want? Someone to invite into his home, his bed, his life… someone who’d be allowed to learn his language.

Someone who would have a claim to him.

I’ll need time to consider this before I decide. That wasn’t a no. An answer like that – it left enough space for a yes.

[les7saisons]

7Seeds Gaiden - part 2

Part 2 of 3.

Ryo asks Hana to forgive Ango because he thinks if she does everyone will magically accept Ango amongst the group. When Hana mentions Ryo’s own attempted murders he says he has nothing to do with it, he’s just there to tell them to forgive Ango. When Hana doesn’t comply, he pulls out his knife to charge at her. She tries to stop him, then Ango appears between the two and pushes Ryo away, telling him to stop this or he’ll never forgive him. Ryo tells him it’s for his own good then leaves. Matsuri, who was looking at plants not too far away, has seen everything.

Ango turns towards Hana and apologizes about his attitude and assaulting her, bending his head. After a moment of shock and reflection, Hana thanks him for helping Arashi many times, says she think she did also not deal well with everything during the stay in Summer A’s camp and wished they would have had a calm talk, now that she knows more and understand better the situation between her father and Summer A. That she’s not looking for apologies nor wants him to die or anything, only that she’s still scared of him (and Ryo).

She describes how bad seeing them makes her body feels, how she can’t forget that time he assaulted her, that those feelings may never disappear and so she wish for him to stay away from her. Momota and Chisa, looking for Hana who wasn’t coming back, find them together and while Momota runs to Hana in fear of Ango, Chisa grabs a branch to keep Ango away. When Hana says it’s okay and he just came to apologize, Chisa says that many people like that only do so for themselves (to make themselves feel better/good). Hana tells Ango that Momota too is terrified of him and won’t feel good if he’s near him. Saying he understands, Ango goes away after telling he’s sorry to Momota too.

Hana is hit by a fever from the emotions+the rain pouring down. Everyone learns about what happened, Haru and team Fall are all getting frustrated about Ryo/Ango, and try to get some rest too. Arashi hugs Hana till they feel asleep while repeating he’s sorry. Hana doesn’t really understand why but she enjoys his sea-scented hugs ;)

I liked the part with Natsu feeling bad about having thought that if only Ango talked with everyone, they would all get along without any trouble. She adds “even though I’m a woman...” because despite that, she didn’t think about how it would make Hana feels, which sadly can ring true to life as even other women won’t always understand victims of sexual agressions or will undervalue their hurt and feelings.

Remembering the things Ryo said, Hana wakes up and learns about the other resting from team Summer A, who don’t seem to perfectly understand the concept of taking a break for the sake of one’s mental health. She goes to see Matsuri and Natsu, who both apologize (leaving Hana puzzled as to why everyone is apologizing to her today lol), then talk with Matsuri about Ryo’s attitude, saying she thinks he didn’t want to seriously attack her but faked it to have Ango save her. Nijiko and Koruri both join the conversation to talk about how Ryo try to do things furtively, Koruri even saying he’s ~secretly kind~ and that it was probably him that saved her from drowning back during the mill accident in their studying days.

Nijiko has apparently come to make fun of Ryo because she then pretends that he rarely talks because he has a stutter... Learning all that Matsuri runs to Ryo to hug and kiss him, saying his way of doing things is wrong and he’s stupid to act like that but she loves him and that she’ll interpret things for him if he has trouble talking (Ryo is like wtf are you talking about)... then they share a passionnate kiss which is the moment Ango choose to come back and get embarrassed about them.

Ryo asks him if he was able to talk to Hana and Ango says that he did, thanks to him, and that he won’t let him do anything like that again. That he forgot his “problem child” nature for a while but now he’s watching him. Which kinda goes with a previous remark of Ryo about Ango going back to his good student nature. 

I’m quite torn about that whole part of “let’s talk about how Ryo is ~not that bad~” because what he intended was pretty obvious, so the reveal made to Matsuri doesn’t come as a surprise/relief. And I find his “acting bad to make Ango looks good” shtick annoying with how manipulative it is. Fake-attacking people is not only still dangerous, it also still counts as an attempt to force Hana’s hand in the matter of forgiving Ango, by trying to have him “save” her to change her opinion of him. If he simply wanted to make them talk, he could have as well pretended to Ango that he had found something he wanted him to check out and then lead him to the place Hana was so they could have a talk. That would be pretty underhanded, sure but way less traumatic for Hana and assholish. He just had to go for the worst plan ever! (or is it just because it’s more dramatic that way narratively?)

It’s not like it’s anything surprising coming for Ryo but I’d wish it would be talked about more clearly for what it is, instead of going on about how much he secretly care a lot about some people (and thus doesn’t hesitate to fuck up those he doesn’t give a shit about?). At least Matsuri and Ango both seem down with having him stop that stuff!

Aramaki was checking around because he was wary of Ango and Ryo, he has a little talk with Hana about what happened in Sado and how he’s trying to work on understanding himself better. As they fist-bump, they are stopped by Arashi, who was looking for Hana, saying that sick people should be resting! (fist-bump jealousy!)

Since that night, Matsuri is in a much better mood and starts her beauty salon again, while Ango angsts while looking at everyone having fun/working together about not being able to be with them because he lost himself.

The rainy season is coming back and some parts of the island get flooded, including the one Ayu warned them against. She guessed that the seeds of the fruits from the trees would get carried away by the water and sink under the ground far away to make new sprouts. Some of the characters compare it to what their parents did for them (“being separated so they could live”) but Arashi isn’t so sure, because he felt his father was a very cold person, especially after the death of his mother, that he drank and kept to himself, neglecting Arashi. Semimaru wonders if knowing about the world ending and having to give up his son to the government but not being able to talk with anyone about it may have perturbed him. This makes Arashi remembers the last night he saw him and his father seemed to want to tell him something but asked about his exams instead and then wished him to do his best.

It’s nice to have a bit more of Arashi’s feelings about his home life, since it was hinted that he was not on the best terms with his dad.

The rain keeps on pouring against their predictions, leading everyone to gather their belongings and go for the heights. Ango wants to destroy a big rock near the new home they’re building, to protect it from the risk of flooding if the water level keeps rising. He's planning to make it explode, which makes Ryo complains about the fact that they won’t have any more gun bullets. Ango says that they don’t need those anymore! And Ryo goes ~well, maybe we would need them if we go to another country~ because of fucking course he thinks like that.

But as they evaluate what they need to do, someone comes up to them asking what they need to do to help. It’s Karita. He’s like “thanks for the firewood, though we didn’t ask you for anything" and then say they’d like to do something to protect their own home themselves, showing he has come with other teammates. They all dig a hole to put the explosives in it while the rest of the characters are carrying tents, food and other stuff up. Ango lights the explosive and they all run away, with the chapter ending on the rock exploding.

[danganphobia]

Number 3 and/or number 11 for the first-sentence writing prompt please :)

Send me a number and I’ll write you a prompt for ryokira!

[3/11] “How exactly did you manage to get stuck in there?” / “It’s sticky.” 

Ryo was unsure how many times he was going to have to repeat himself in one night. At this point, he’s lost track of count. It’s probably been more than over hundreds of times.

Demon hunting was a daily - rather nightly task between the two of them and usually they had their days where it went miraculously smooth. Ryo had plans after these things, and Akira had school in the morning. Ryo settles with them going out to see how fast they can handle the task of killing demons, currently, the shortest is an hour. You punch, I shoot. Why did they do this? It’s because Ryo was incredibly tired and wished to go home as soon as possible.

Luck just wasn’t on his side tonight. Stalking into the dark woods just to encounter a peculiar demon, nothing out of the ordinary for these bloodthirsty creatures - aside from the fact that it shot out some kind of icky goo substance which isn’t all too different from what slime would look like. Other than the fact that it may be ichor but a little more vile. It wasn’t only tiny amounts, either. It was enormous chunks at a time.

They’ve managed to successfully dodge each of it’s attacks, but Ryo had to warn Akira of this demon’s capabilities and that he shouldn’t be too reckless. Tear it to shreds the second Akira catches it off guard and they’ll be done for the night. Except during the skirmish Ryo went for the demon’s weak points to put it at a disadvantage and next thing he knew Akira was shoving him out the way to get blasted by the gunk and midst the act of shielding Ryo, Ryo scrambled up to his feet to take the demon down then and there firing multiple shots at once.

That’s when he had noticed Akira was gone. Leading up to this: Akira weakly calling out to him from a distance and Ryo panting madly as he stumbled his way over to see the devilman - now slowly transitioning back to his human form - covered in a web of ichor slime. Lots of it. Pondering on how the Hell someone as big as Akira in his full demon transformation can manage to get stuck in a pile of gunk shit.

“It’s sticky.” Akira manages, laughing nervously.

“Yeah no shit.” Ryo replied crossly. 

“You were about to be demon yuck if I hadn’t pushed you out of the way!”

“I could’ve easily handled it.” Ryo wasn’t exactly bluffing. “I told you multiple times not to be reckless and get attacked by gunk and as you can see, you definitely did so, which is just lovely.”

“Easily handled it my ass I saved you from being in my current situation.” Akira argued. “If you ain’t gonna thank me then would you mind helping me the fuck outta here?”

Ryo sighed deeply, shoving his gun into his coat to step into the sticky mess and try to heave Akira out of there. But it became extremely difficult. It’s as if it pulled Akira’s body and Ryo himself further inside the more he tried to pull Akira out. Ryo grunts, his eyebrows knitted together. 

“What on Earth is this substance and why is it so strong?”

“Well, it came from a demon. So I’m guessing it’s some powerful demon slime shit.” Akira tries to joke as he’s being hauled back and forth. It’s like Ryo was having a battle with the goo itself.

It somehow solidified and Ryo isn’t sure how something can become so firm if it’s nothing but liquid so rapidly. As he tightens his grip on Akira’s waist, the dirt making dents under his feet from how the goo keeps pulling it in Ryo ends up jerking forward face first into Akira’s chest, falling back into the web along with Akira.

“Looks like we both got ourselves into a sticky situation, heh?”

“Akira,” Ryo breathed, pushing himself off as Akira - feeling his blood boil and his teeth grate together. “Now’s not the time to be joking around when we’re literally stuck in guck.”

“It could be worse.” Akira sympathized.

“At least lend me a hand in trying to get us out of here. We will make another attempt.”

A few tries does result in them being successful. Though with Akira’s help, the both of them catapult midair far away from the web of goo and while their screams echo in the air they bump into a tree branch before landing hard on the ground. The leaves and grass crunching beneath them.

Ryo expected the fall to harm them both, but he doesn’t feel the impact. Feeling the strong arms wrapped around him to protect him from the fall. He opened his eyes - not even realizing they were closed.

“Are you okay?”

Big blue eyes blink up to meet a shade of amber, soft and concerned. Noticing the close proximity, how Akira’s nose was almost touching Ryo’s - how close Akira was, Ryo finds his cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

He sits up, ignoring the fact that Akira was covered in demon goo, ichor - whatever the fuck it was and leaves that are now stuck to his hair.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” Ryo refused to return Akira’s gaze, his tone timid and nearly inaudible. His flustered state seemed to fly over Akira’s head.

“I’m glad.” Akira’s smiling warmly. Ryo hated how fond of those relieved smiles he’s become.

Akira reached to pick something off Ryo’s head. Ryo finally looked at Akira, stunned by the action.

Akira held up the single leaf that landed atop Ryo’s head. “You got a little somethin’.”

Ryo blinked, and Akira grinned. 

Ryo sighed deeply. 

“We should get going already to wash all of this off.” Which was going to be a pain in the ass, might he also add, unfortunately.

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Kakuzu

Name:Shizuka (quiet,summer/fragrance) Uzumaki Nickname:Red Death,Crimson Assassin,Fire Hunter. Age:25 Kekkei Genkai:Enhanced sensory type,Prison-type Genjutsu,Sense-sealing Primary role:Ex-ANBU strategist,Genjutsu master. Secondary:Bounty Hunter

---------

I was sitting upside down on a tree branch,enjoying one of the books from the A Song of Fire and Ice series (aka Game of Thrones) and while I was deeply buried into the narration,I felt 2 people approaching me,but I made no move.It was no ill intent,just a passive one.

-1-:Ne,Kakuzu,are you sure about this? -2-:Yes.She is the one Leader requested. -1-:But how the hell even?!She's so small and frail and....!Gaaaah!Can't I just use her for my ritual or something?! -2-:Leader won't be too happy about it.She's the one they call Red Death. -1-:Screw the Leader!We'll just tell him she was dead already! -2-:Or not. -1-:Loosen up,old man!C'mooon! -2-:You're lucky you're immortal,otherwise you'd have been dead the second you decided to speak. -1-:*sulks*Daaaamn,Kakuzu....Jashin-sama won't be too happy about it... -2-:Why don't you sacrifice yourself?You'll do a good deed for both him and I,like the good Samaritan. -1-:Fuck you,Kakuzu... -2-:You wish. -1-:Ewww,no way,you relic! -2-:Remember never to stitch you again.Ungrateful pest.

Woaw.Such a nice team.The first one,a silvery haired,purple-eyed,foul-mouthed tall Jashinist,carrying a red scythe,and the other one,an even taller one,with a white hood and a black mask,green eyes,having a...suitcase?Oh well. I poof on another branch going upside down,facing the green eyed one,my long fire red hair falling down like a velvety curtain.

me:*clears throat*As you might have not noticed,I am well aware of your existence.Not that you were too discreet,by any means.So,if I may ask,what would your business be with me? -1-:None of your concern,bitch! me:As I was being the subject of your conversation,I do believe that it is,in fact,MY concern. -2-:Excuse him,miss,his brain doesn't work properly.Our Leader requested to see you.We are supposed to escort you to him. me:Leader...?Who exactly is your Leader?And,for common courtesies,since you already know my name,I suppose...ahem.I am Shizuka.And you? -2-:I am Kakuzu,and this brain dead idiot is my assigned partner,Hidan. Hidan:Will you stop insulting me already?! Kakuzu:No. me:Right...Nice to meet you...both. Kakuzu:Our Leader told us to tell you one specific name,and you will know the person. Me:And? Kakuzu:Uzumaki Karin.

My eyes widened and my book feel out of my grasp as I heard that name once again,after almost more than 1 decade.Karin...My long lost poor little sister... It was like the time stopped,as I was staring dead ahead,and as I snapped back to reality,I looked deep into his eyes,in disbelief.

me:Uzumaki Karin,as in,a red haired young girl,with redish-pink eyes,glasses,a cool regenerative body propriety and sealing jutsus? Kakuzu:Uh...yes.That is her,great description. Hidan:Eh...So the stupid Leader knew her...still can't think why we couldn't just say she had died prior to our arrival... me:Hidan,I advise you shut up,or else you'll wish you never blinked.Anyways,let's go.

As I jumped off the tree,Kakuzu handed me my book back,we headed in (almost) silence to the HQ.Obviously...Hidan couldn't stop talking.

me:Is he always like this? Kakuzu:Unfortunately. me:Can't you kill him? Kakuzu:He's immortal. Hidan:That's right,bitch!I sacrifice idiots like you to the great Jashin-sama,for my immortality! me:You know that I can make you shut up,right? Hidan:No,you can't! me:Wanna bet? Hidan:Yeah! me:How much? Hidan:All of Kakuzu's money!It's in his suitcase! Kakuzu:Don't bet what's not yours,idiot! me:*smirks*I accept. Hidan:And if you lose,I get to sacrifice you! me:Deal. Kakuzu:Stop this infantile bet. me:You'll thank me,Kakuzu~

As I said that,I raised 2 fingers to my eye level,I channeled my chakra to my palm,and said 'SHIRU'! (Seal) as I slapped his mouth with great force,making him fly away into the distance,making me smirk.

me:That should make him stay away,for a while,and make him unable to speak.You can thank me later. Kakuzu:That reduced a great deal of stress and rage.Thanks. me:Don't worry.He was getting too irritating anyways.

In a few hours,the 3 of us got to the HQ,situated near the border with Amegakure,and as I entered alone in the Leader's office,being greeted by a girl with blue hair and a man with orange hair and the Rinnegan.

girl:Welcome,Shizuka. me:Um...hello. man:My name is Pein and I am the Leader of this peace-bringing organization called the Akatsuki. me:Okay,but what does it have to do with my sister? Pein:Figured you'd be interested in information regarding her existence status,in exchange to your loyalty to our organization. me:Where do you have intel from? Pein:Your sister is the subordinate of an ex-partner of one of the group members.His name is Akasuna no Sasori. me:Akasuna no Sasori...So,you're telling me,she's working for Orochimaru,then? Pein:Precisely.For more information,go ask him. me:Thank you. Pein:Also,Uzumaki Shizuka,welcome to the Akatsuki. me:Thank you.

With that,Konan showed me my room,gave me green ring with the word 'Fox',gave me the Akatsuki straw hat and cloak,and with a smile,she left,leaving me alone,with my thoughts. Peace...Such a heavenly utopia.We all wish for it,yet nobody acts to achieve it.Such a pity.

I got my book and went to the living room,where other Akatsuki members were gathered,chatting or doing something.

I spotted Kakuzu on the couch,with the suitcase on the floor,counting money and I sat near him,saying a soft greeting.He nodded,acknowledging my existence,not breaking the count of the money.

Kakuzu:I suggest you make acquaintance with the red eyed one and shark face.They are the only decent ones. me:Okay...By the way...are you in charge of the money,in this organization? Kakuzu:Certainly. me:Then here.My share of productivity from the last bounty hunts. Kakuzu:You're a bounty hunter? me:Didn't really have what to do after leaving my village.And I never settled in one for real,so I had to live off something. Kakuzu:What for? me:Couldn't kill the current Kazekage...he is a great friend of mine... Kakuzu:Having emotional bonds is a weakness for a shinobi. me:May be so,but I don't care.It's a strength for me. Kakuzu:You were kicked out of your village. me:I left.But even So?I had no ties with the village.And I didn't appreciate being mocked,thrown around,and being used.But with having an emotional bond with someone,it gives you a reason not to give up,and to keep on fighting. Kakuzu:If you say so...

Suddenly,the red eyed male with long black hair,tied in a pony tail,having a calm,passive expression on his face approached me,asking about the book I was reading. I found out his name is Itachi,and his partner's name is Kisame,and so,we started chatting about books and other philosophical subjects.All was well,and I felt like I belonged here,until a certain Jashinist decided to barge in the room with his sky the and an angry expression,glaring and pointing at me.

Hidan:YOU!YOU,BITCH!HOW DARE YOU?! me:You're polluting the air,Hidan. Hidan:SHUT UP!I'll so Kill you right now! me:I want to see you try.

He charged forward,throwing his weapon at me,while I was happily sipping from my cup of tea.Was I worried?Nope.Why?Because I knew the outcome.What was it? Kakuzu dashed forward,caught the scythe handle before it touched my neck,and with his detachable fist,he punched Hidan.

Kakuzu:Leader prohibited the use of weapons or any kind of damage. Hidan:Fuck Leader's orders! me:Kakuzu,don't bother with someone like him.I'll solve it.

I went near him,stepped on his neck and made him look me in the eyes,muttering "Shirugan",imprisoning him in my Genjutsu Jail,making him shut up and cower in fear,away from here.

me:Done. Kakuzu:Can't you be my partner instead? me:Gladly.

After that,I found out that the others' names were Deidara,Sasori,Tobi and Zetsu,and we got along quite well. I even managed to briefly get across the surface of the subject regarding Karin,with Sasori. And tomorrow,was my first bounty hunt with Kakuzu and Hidan.We were supposed to hunt down a monk called Chiriku,in the Land of Fire. Thankfully,Hidan also decided to accept me as his partner,and is only bothered with making countless sacrifices to Jashin-Sama,and Kakuzu doesn't find me annoying enough to want to kill me.All is well~ We arrived in front of a huge iron wall,that was separating the outside world from the temple.

me:Okay so...How do we proceed? Kakuzu:Allow me.

He used his steel release on his left arm and punched the Wall,fully breaking it.I whistled in surprise,watching the wall pieces fall around. Impressive~ What was also impressive was how all the monks started scattering around frantically,calling for their leader,Chiriku.

Hidan:It doesn't look like these guys want to convert to the Jashin religion.None of these guys do... me:All the more sacrifices for you. Monk:That cloak...It's the rumored..No doubt about it!It's the Akatsuki! me:Oh hey,you're right.

Just then,a serious looking monk,Chiriku,started descending on the stairs.

Hidan:We have another virtuous looking one... Kakuzu:He's not just virtuous.He's also got a 30 million ryo bounty on his head in our Bingo Book. me:*whistle*Now that's a lot of money. Hidan:Hey...You're not after money,are you?You'll go to hell if you kill a monk for something like that. me:Wasn't it obvious though? Kakuzu:Money is the key that opens all doors.That's just what I want. Chiriku:I don't know what you guys want,but please leave quietly. Hidan:No meaningless slaughter,huh?But it doesn't work like that in my religion. Kakuzu:The Temple of Fire is the greatest Shinobi Temple in the Land of Fire.And it is said that all the monks control the special power known as the Gift of the Sages.And the 30 million ryo man is a Ninja who was once chosen as a member of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve who protected the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.And the proof is the breech-cloth with the Land of Fire emblem on it. me:I think I saw it before... Hidan:Oh,really?Is he that incredible? Kakuzu:Don't get careless.You'll die. Hidan:Don't give me that...!

With that,Hidan started charging forward,Kakuzu following his lead,as I stayed behind to observe his mysterious jutsu. As they approached the monk,he went in his stance,creating a huge holy aura that resembled a golden Buddha with infinite arms. The waves of holy light and chakra were radiating around him so much and in complete balance,that it hit me,being left awestruck at his technique. What is this exactly?!It's leaving me so confused at its holiness,it's amazing!

Kakuzu attacked first,going to punch Chiriku's face,but he got parried twice,and the holy Buddha suddenly became demon-like,as the infinite hands transformed into fists and started attacking him,making him fly and fall to the ground with a great thud. Same happened to Hidan. With a sigh,I approach those 2 and looked at their collapsed bodies.

me:You may be the immortal duo,but you sure don't like to analyze things.But it's good for me,I don't have to get beaten to a pulp,just to test the ground,like you guys do.

The monks started to chant happily "Lord Chiriku Won!" as the Demon Deity became peaceful once again,then fading away.The great monk maintained his fighting stance,while staring at me,trying to think of my future intent,as I smirked

Chiriku:Leave,and I will make their funeral. Hidan:Who would accept a different religion's funeral?I'd receive divine retribution from Jashin-sama...Now I'm mad...Hey...If this guy isn't a Jinchuriki,I can defend my commandments,right? Kakuzu:Do as you like,but his body is worth money.Don't go overboard,make sure his recognizable... Hidan:Exchanging life for money isn't something for people to do.Hey Kakuzu,stay out of this! me:I'd like to hear more about this faith vs money war,but I'm busy. Chiriku:Chiriku of the Temple of Fire will not lose to wicked man like you!*activating his Demon Buddha jutsu* me:Sorry but~I'm no man.

With that,I started throwing random kunais around the monk with a certain seal on each of them,so that I can travel in an instant to their location,and avoid the Buddha Punches. I'm not called the Red Death for nothing.All you see is red,before you die. Fast and swift,I take advantage that he doesn't move his position,and I travel from kunai to kunai,and throw explosive seals embedded with different elemental chakra power. Explosions have amazing destructive power,but what's better?Elemental explosions!

I create a Kage Bunshin and start to do different combos with her,like Fire and Wind or Lightning and Water. And since the immortal duo decided to fight too,in a matter of minutes,Chiriku was dead,the temple was in ruins and most of the followers were sacrificed to Hidan's God. Soon enough,we left for the Bounty Exchange Point closest to us,to get our well-deserved money. Although,that couldn't have been done without those 2 fighting over nothing...Both with words and with fists,but Kakuzu just can't be bothered with it.

At the Exchange Point,I was greeted with the familiar corpse smell and Hidan went out,annoyed with it.It might have gotten to his clothes... Oh well,it's not pleasant for sure. There,the man gave us the money suitcase and advised us to get rid of Hidan.Well,it'd be a wonder if we could. Before he could open the door to go outside,I stopped Kakuzu,by grabbing his wrist.

me:Better be careful,outside there are lots of shinobi outside. Kakuzu:Like that could bother us. me:Just saying...

He nodded at me,and when we got outside,Hidan was already in the midst of the fight with some Konoha shinobi. With that,he went to destroy the platform where the Shadow User was sitting,to break his jutsu,and as the other one with the Breech-cloth same as Chiriku came,also known as Sarutobi Asuma,high in the Bingo Book as well,told the other 2 to fall back,I jump next to Hidan,twirling around,making red Genjutsu butterflies appear around me as I giggle mischievously and I pull out the weapons from his torso.

me:Man,they hit your vital points on fleek~!Lucky you're immortal,or else,you wouldn't stand a chance.No wonder Konohagakure has the best strategists in the 5 countries~ Hidan:Man,that sure hurt like a bitch!Godamn,you're so going to pay for this! me:Too bad~!Good luck in this fight. Hidan:What?!You 2 idiots won't help? me:Nope.*twirling around to Kakuzu*Too bothersome,dealing with them.The boy is a genius,and Sarutobi Asuma is really strong.As you see,they work well together.Also...seeing you struggle is quite fun~! Kakuzu:You mess too much while fighting.You'll get killed. Hidan:Eh..!Like that's gonna happen!

They started fighting again,and Hidan didn't even bother to dodge the shurikens. Asuma managed to use his jutsu to catch Hidan in a great explosion. But it was too late for him.Hidan licked his blood,and most likely transformed.

me:Hey,Shadow user boy. boy:Huh? me:I'm sorry for your leader.It sure is a pity,this senseless fighting.This world is messed up.Fighting,killing,making wars,in their false pretext of gaining peace.There is no peace through war,there is only destruction and sorrow.Unfortunately,the Akatsuki is no different. boy:You sure remind me of someone I know... me:Who is it? boy:Uzumaki Naruto. me:*shocked*Wh-who...? boy:You know him? me:I-...I'm not sure...But we share the same surname... brunet:Oh,that's right.You're Uzumaki Shizuka.High on the Bingo Book,but also a well known assassin and bounty hunter. me:I do what I can to survive.Regardless...I'd love meeting an unknown relative. boy:*muttering*So there are sane people in the Akatsuki too...

After this,the smoke cleared,revealing a transformed Hidan,in his ritualistic circle,unharmed.Unfortunately,the jutsu backfired on Asuma,and now he has great burns on his body. Ouch...

Asuma's team wondered how did he get burnt,and I explained to them how the ritual works.Kakuzu started saying how this is going to be 35 million ryo more...I can't let him get his body too...not in this conditions... Hidan used his sharp metal pole and stabbed himself in the stomach and left leg,making Asuma fall on the ground. The other 3 were trying to figure out what to do to stop the tragedy from happening,and I see t he smart boy using a shadow jutsu,and I sent a butterfly above it,making more shadow for him to use and sent another to circle Hidan's ritualistic circle.Hopefully,this way he'll understand what to do.Concentrate,boy...

Kakuzu:If you don't kill them already,I'm going to do it myself.I'm not letting this money go. Me:Nooow now,Kakuzu...let's give Hidan a chance...right?Don't be rash... Hidan:Fuck off,Kakuzu!I can deal with these pussies on my own! me:You masochistic,ritualistic freak...

Come on,kid.Figure it out already.I know you can. His eyes widened and started slowly moving backwards,then his teammates asked him what was he doing,and he started explaining it all. That's it!He got it!I'm so glad...Kakuzu wasn't as happy though.Just thoroughly impressed by the boy's cleverness. He managed to get Hidan out of the circle,immobilized him,and Asuma cut his head...but in vain. Despite Kakuzu and I making fun of him,he wasn't done for.Just a talking head that surprised everyone.Kakuzu went to grab the talking head's hair and he kept complaining about the pain and other garbage. Please don't attack anymore... But just after trying to tell Kakuzu to go back to the HQ,he jumped faster than the eye could see and attacked Asuma really badly. Godamn...

me:Now,Kakuzu,don't bother to stitch him together...he's just going to be a pain.Let's just go.I can carry his body,no problem- Kakuzu:I'm not leaving without my bounty. Hidan went to finish his ritual and Kakuzu attacked the other 3.Me?I can't do anything.If I help the boy,I'll be called a traitor.Otherwise,I won't get the chance to see the Uzumaki boy. me:Kakuzu...Let them live.Hidan's already got your..um...bounty.Let's just go. Kakuzu:That heart of yours...is going to be the death of you. me:I'm fine with it.But please,let's just go!Let them mourn their leader in peace!

With that,more of their team mates started flooding the place,and we had to retreat. Finally. Kakuzu and Hidan weren't too happy about it,but whatever.And back at the HQ,I had a long talk with Kakuzu that ended in me promising not to get in with their 'meaningless slaughter'. But promises are made to be broken.And hopefully,Kakuzu doesn't hate me.He said he doesn't.He said I'm the only one he can really get along with. Sharing some common views,despite our differences,exchanging war stories and so on. He's like...90 years old,so he has really interesting stories to tell.Like how he was kicked out of Takigakure because he wasn't able to kill the Shodaime Hokage,Senju Hashirama. I also told him about my sister,Karin and how I had to run away from that village,because they were exploiting my mum thanks to the family jutsu,which contains being able to regenerate a person's health back,if they bite our flesh. Our mother died because of this,during war time.But I pride myself with letting being bitten only once,and that was to save a friend's life. In vain,though. From the information that I've gathered from Sasori and other reliable sources,he promised to help me get in contact with my sister and save her. Maybe he doesn't understand or feel it,but the 2 of us managed to form a bond that I haven't had since I met Gaara.

##########

During the last months,I managed to sneak out of the HQ

(being called the Akatsuki Ambassador by the Leader)

and met up with the Konoha and Suna shinobi,discussed fiery about alliances and mutual helping,I confessed my condolences for the casualties that occurred,like the Kazekage kidnapping,the death of a Suna elder and of Asuma.

It was a lot of negotiation,but I managed to make some sort of agreement between Konoha,Suna and the Akatsuki.

Glad that Tsunade and Gaara are more open-minded.

We offer them protection when needed,and they come to us for the most difficult missions and so on.More work,but also,more money and relations,which is crucial in these days.

One of the missions we had to do was kill some shinobi at the border of Kusagakure and Takigakure. Reason? Intel gathering. My partner? Kakuzu. Since Amegakure is a neighbour of Kusagakure,we arrived to our destination soon enough,without wasting much time,and chatting here and there. Target-spotted. No enemies in the next 5 km.I prepare myself for the Silent Kill Assassination,making my Genjutsu butterflies fly around the target,then sent a silent seal kunai behind the victim,teleported in a blink of an eye behind the target,and slit his throat,blood falling silently as he fell on the ground and I put the target in a transport scroll,handing it to Kakuzu.

me:Mission accomplished.That was quite easy,don't you think?I bet even a Chunin could handle this... Kakuzu:Too easy indeed...Behind you!

I turn around quickly and in the next second,I was flying away,hitting the tree that Kakuzu was in.Ouch,that hurts so much... Kakuzu:Shizuka,are you okay? me:A-alive...But that was a... -?-:A decoy indeed,dear sweet and smart Shizuka. me:Who...?How...? -?-:Already forgotten me?That's just plain sad. me:You are...! -?-:Indeed.Your team's squad leader. me:But how...?!I thought you were dead!I saw you die... Yuzuki:That power of yours that you have sure is amazing,Quite like your mother and sister,right?Like any Uzumaki,you have a tremendous life force,but that can also be stopped.Just like your mother did. me:She died for Karin... Yuzuki:Yes!Not for you!Because you abandoned them!You abandoned us all! me:I didn't mean to!I didn't want to die!I had to get them out of there,and I returned to get them back- Yuzuki:But it was too late.Your mother died,having her life bitten out of her.And your sister?With Orochimaru now.Nobody can get ahold of you.And now,there was you.Greatest bounty hunter,relations everywhere,then got involved as an Ambassador of the Akatsuki,making ties with Konoha and Suna...You were unreachable as well. me:That's why...You planned this mission...to capture me...and use me like they used her...? Yuzuki:There are so many wounded in the village,you couldn't begin to imagine.Your poor sister had bites everywhere.For such a small child,I was surprised she hadn't died the next day. me:No...I'm not tied to that village anymore...I'd rather die then let you do that! Yuzuki:*tsk tsk*But dear,you don't have choice.And not you,nor your partner can help you get out of this mess.But you should feel great.Kusagakure's martyr,dying to save the lives of so many others,so selfless,sacrificing her body... me:NO!NEVER!SHUT UP,YOU BASTARD!THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! Yuzuki:Watch me,kiddo.

With that,hundreds of shinobi started crowding my vision,but how?!I was sure I sensed no chakra in this radius!At this rate I'm really going to get captured...dammit! Kakuzu...even if I don't make it..he has to run away! I used my butterflies to explode around,dealing massive damage,then used lighting chain seals on people,and one little pink butterfly made its way to Kakuzu,telling him to run away and save himself. That was it. Despite our strength,there were way too many people to deal with.Accepting my fate,I tried commit suicide,but even that was in vain,as I felt a huge blow to the back of my head,letting me fall on the ground,motionlessly,darkness taking over me.

~~~~~2 weeks later~~~~~

How did Karin survive this pain?With each bite,it hurts even worse...to endure such abuse...poor mum...and to think I was foolish enough to fall in this trap...HIS trap...

Pain is the only feeling surging my whole body,arms,legs,neck...everything is pain and depression.

Everything is blurry,I can barely sense any presence,but I can hear them coming in the room,and feel their dirty hands and bites,and then they just leave me there,on the cold ground,my hands shackled,humiliated,the bottom underwear being the only cloth covering me.

The rest of my body is covered by bites anyways.

But it's fine. I can feel it.

Life is being drained away at a fast rate,and I will pass away soon enough.No more pain,no more sorrow,no more...friends...and...no more Kakuzu...

No,don't be so vain.They'll be fine without you.Comrades,friends,they all die,somehow,no big deal.And Kakuzu is immortal and has Hidan.He won't miss me.

I didn't realize how much I was wallowing in misery and self-pity until I heard war cries,shouts,explosions and other sounds from outside. It doesn't concern me much,since I'm in here,waiting to save those idiots once again.Maybe this time will be the last? Hopefully. With a sigh,I let the dizziness and half-consciousness take over me once again,as I let my head hang,my long red hair covering my face. Slowly,the door to my cell room was opened and I heard a thud in front of me,but I couldn't see or sense who it was. In a matter of seconds,my shackles were opened,and as I was falling forward,a pair of strong warm arms brought me close to them,letting me lean on their chest.

-?-:What have they done to you...

It was Kakuzu. Wait,am I dreaming? Is this true? Or did I die? Genjutsu? What is reality and what is dream? I cannot differentiate anymore...

Kakuzu:Shizuka...I let them do this to you...for so long...Don't die on me.Not today.I'm taking you back home and Tsunade will save you.I promise..

Having heard this promise,I managed a small smile and tried to mutter "Thank you",as darkness took over me. When I woke up,I was in a room full of light,making it difficult to open my eyes and see properly,this room seems familiar... That is the symbol of Fire... Konoha's Hospital room?

-?-:Good grief,I thought you wouldn't make it.Im glad you're awake. me:Sakura....chan...? Sakura:You can talk?That's a great improvement.But please don't force yourself,or the vocal chords might malfunction,or the muscles may strain. me:O...kay. Sakura:Also,you have a visitor.He hasn't left your side this whole time.Until...he had to chase the other one away.He was making too much noise...

Smiling at me,she left,letting Kakuzu enter back in the room.Unlike usually,his hoodie,mask,cloak and forehead protector were removed,letting the stitched face and brown long hair be shown.

Kakuzu:Finally awake,I see.*sitting on the bed* me:Thank you...Kakuzu... Kakuzu:No need for that.It was my fault you got caught.I couldn't save you. me:Shut up.

I put 2 fingers above his nose,where the brows meet.

me:Stop frowning.You'll get wrinkles,old man.

His face relaxed,letting a low chuckle,but then got serious again,one hand tracing me,from my face,my neck,to the waist,then let a 'tsk' sound.

me:20 years I thought so that I wouldn't have all these humiliating marks on my body,and one small mistake,and I almost die. Kakuzu:Tsunade said they will disappear in a week. me:So I'm going to hide for a week.Sounds fair. Kakuzu:You need to go out.Fresh air,the sun light and warmth...You need those. me:I can't go out like this.Plus,I can't walk on my own. Kakuzu:Mask or a scarf,jacket and regular pants.Those should do,should you feel uncomfortable with your body at the moment. me:I do... Kakuzu:I am here for you,until you get your full health and strength back. me:And after that?Will you still be here for me? Kakuzu:If you want me to,then yes. me:Then I do.I want to have you by my side.Always. Kakuzu:Then so it shall be.

manage to pull enough strength to raise myself and hug him weakly,having a small smile on my face,muttering another 'thank you'.He embraces me lightly,trying not to hurt me,and playing with my hair.

Kakuzu:If I ask you to,will you also stay by my side? me:Yes. Kakuzu:Why? me:Because I love you. Kakuzu:...What?

I smile bashfully,blushing and looking away,nodding softly.With a low chuckle,he put his hand on my cheek and made me look at him,then he smiled softly.

Kakuzu:That's good,because I love you too and I don't intend to lose you ever again.I don't want to outlive yet another youngster. me:Oh,dear-!Come one,don't say that!It makes you look like a paedophile...*giggles*But,you look great for someone your age,old man~ Kakuzu:Glad to know my appearance is to your liking. me:Not only your appearance,but you,in general. Kakuzu:If even someone like me can find love...you must truly be an angel. me:D-don't flatter me...I'm noone special... Kakuzu:You are.For the villages,for the Akatsuki...and for me,especially. me:Then...I'm glad. Kakuzu:Your loving heart and caring self is what makes you,you. me:You said it will be the death of me. Kakuzu:I was wrong.It will be the death of me.My cold self. me:So...you found something more important than money? Kakuzu:Not something,someone.Someone special,worth fighting and protecting.Someone I love.You.

Letting me slowly back on the pillow,he started kissing me softly,his hand still caressing my cheek,and mine in his hair,when I heard a gasp,followed by a curse,then yelling and a great thud on the ground.Looking out,we found out that Hidan wanted to see us,and was greatly surprised by our act of kissing and fell on a bush of roses with lots of thorns,all while cursing furiously.Well...That is a great sight to see.At least he won't bother us anymore~

Dear Kakuzu, I love you.

[curedeity]

Burning Aries

Summary: Hyoma watched a fragment of a star fall from the sky, and knew he had to leave the village again. (Hyoma in season 3)

Pre-Notes: If you know anything about me you can probably guess where this is going. You’re all in for a wild ride, so enjoy!

    The sky was too vast to ever count every star in it. It wasn’t like they could all even be seen from Earth anyway. There was a certain beauty then, in star maps that attempted to capture the nighttime, even though they’d never be completed.

    It wasn’t a beauty Hyoma could naturally recognize, he’d always liked finished things. Clear directions in which to go, a role to play. If life was a series of chance encounters that every individual person could influence, then shouldn’t they fall into predictable patterns, predictable roles? Shouldn’t life already be complete, always, in a way?

    Hyoma liked looking at the twilight anyway. Mostly for constellations, the most complete part of the sky, the one with stories weaved into them. It was a common pastime in Koma Village, with a certain outcropping of rocks always available to whoever couldn’t sleep and wanted to count the stars instead.

    Nothing interesting normally happened when Hyoma stared at the tapestry of space. After all, most of these things were too far away for him to see their movement. This night was different.

    As he stared out, he saw a blinding streak of light cut through the sky, and suddenly it was falling towards him. 

    Bright.

    So bright.

    He felt like he might burn up inside, and then rise again, like the phoenix Ryo pretended to be.

    The heat tore at his skin, and he was surrounded by its brilliance.

    And it was gone, in the blink of an eye, before his lips could even part to scream.

    So Hyoma went home, and went to sleep.

    Hyoma wasn’t one to disbelieve his own memories. He had lived in Koma Village for all his life, and had never doubted that there were supernatural forces in the world. Weird things happened, all one could do was accept them and maybe try to rationalize them. Denial did no one any favors.

    The next day, Hyoma went over to the house where Hokuto lived. It was nice that people were returning to Koma Village again, it meant that he didn’t feel so weird living alone in his house in the middle of the town. 

    Hokuto’s house was filled with old texts that the elders of Koma Village had collected over the years, and as the new protector of the village, Hyoma had full access to them.

    “So, it was a light you saw falling from the sky,” Hokuto mused from where he was perched on the table as Hyoma looked through the rows of books for something that could help him. Though, perhaps looking for a specific text when the idea he had in mind was so broad wouldn’t be that helpful. He barely even knew what he was trying to figure out.

    “Yes, I’m sure it must mean something,” Hyoma said. He knew what a story about a star falling from the heavens sounded like, which was why he refused not to take this seriously.

    “I think I have the answer for you actually, let me grab a book,” Hokuto jumped off the table and padded over. Hyoma took a step back in surprise, that was very fast. He had expected to be spending the next week reading these old tomes.

    This would either be very good or very bad. Though, Hyoma had already recognized that. He had received a sign from the cosmos, so whatever happened next would surely be dramatic.

    “Take a look at this,” Hokuto grunted, pulling over a book. Hyoma picked it up and flipped through the pages to the one Hokuto directed him to.

    And then he stared at it.

    And stared.

    He opened his mouth and no sound came out. He closed it, then opened it again, but same result. 

    He had recognized the similarities, but had never expected anything like this.

    “Yes, this seems to be the new foretold star fragment,” Hokuto nodded gravely.

    Hyoma had been told stories of the star fragment since he was a small child. It was the most common tale in all of Koma Village, and every child could recite it by heart. Hyoma had always been a bit obsessed with it though. He had loved going to the Green Hades, and imagining what it must’ve looked like when the star fragment had first landed, molten earth. He dreamed of the star fragment some nights, and it always was in his daydreams.

    It was the reason he had first begun stargazing. He had always hoped that someday he might also see a phenomenon like the one that had ended up creating beys.

    And now he had.

    As Hyoma finally recovered enough to continue reading the page, he felt his heart sink. Of course, the coming of a new star fragment couldn’t just be good. That was how things worked, in balance.

    Hyoma’s role as guardian was primarily to protect Koma Village. As the birthplace of beyblade, Koma had many secrets that could end up changing the course of history. It was his job to make sure people like Doji could never receive that power again.

    And sometimes, protecting those secrets, protecting the art of beyblade, meant that he would have to leave Koma Village.

    Hyoma loved his home, more than he could put words to sometimes. He had memorized practically all of the mountain range surrounding Koma, and he felt such peace traversing it every day. He liked saying hello to his neighbors when he woke up. He liked bringing back fish and passing them out to the other families. 

    When Hyoma had left to go compete in Battle Bladers with Gingka, he had missed home every day. He had looked up at the night sky and saw how the city lights had obscured the constellations he was so used to. How tree branches hung covering up different areas. How everything was different to home.

    And all he had wanted to do sometimes was return.

    But he couldn’t have returned, not until he had supported his friend, not until they had retrieved L-Drago.

    And now, Hyoma had another reason to leave home. And once again, he couldn’t deny it, couldn’t argue. He packed his bags, bid Hokuto goodbye, asked his neighbors to look after his house, and set off.

  �� If the world was going to end, then it was Hyoma’s job to stop it. He was the protector after all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The train station was only a few hours away with all the paths through the mountains Hyoma had learned, but Hyoma stretched it into a two day journey.

    Sue him, he was clingy!

    He couldn’t procrastinate in the forest forever though, and eventually he brought his train ticket. He kept himself from looking out the window as the train rolled away, away, away from the home he held so dear.

    Metal Bey City was his destination, of course. If there was anyone who would be able to help him deal with the end of the world it would be Gingka. 

    The last time Hyoma had received a call from any of his old friends, it had been to go find Ryuga. He couldn’t blame them, from the sounds of it the next few months had been a mess of activity. But, he couldn’t deny that he was excited to see Gingka again.

    And the others of course.

    As the train rumbled into the station, Hyoma found it harder and harder to breathe. He probably should’ve called ahead of time or something. Why did he consider it appropriate to just show up randomly, what if they were busy?

    Well, he was a bit distracted by the end of the world.

    He got off the train subconsciously, his bag slung over his shoulder, and stared out into the city that he had gotten to know so well during Battle Bladers.

    It felt unfamiliar.

    He missed home, he missed certainty. But at least his role to play was still clear. He was here to inform his friends about the end of the world, to lead them in a charge to stop it. He could do that.

    First stop, the Beypit.

    He used to have the way there memorized. Madoka was always quick to invite them into her home, and Gingka seemed to practically live there. It was nice to have a place where Hyoma knew he could go to meet his friends back then.

    He had forgotten the way now, and had to pause multiple times to consult the map for directions.

    It was weird, Hyoma could have an entire mountain range memorized, but the path to one shop had slipped his mind. That was just how time worked, he supposed.

    Finally, he managed to find the old store. On habit, he reached down and tried to pull the doors open. They had never seemed to be closed whenever he had visited, Madoka always seemed willing for company.

    The door didn’t budge.

    Hyoma took a step back and looked at the store. There were no lights on, and there was a closed sign up. He rapped his fist against the door three times, waiting to see if Madoka would answer him, but there was no sign of life inside the shop.

    What was Hyoma supposed to do now, the certainty that was the Beypit had crumbled beneath him. Everything had changed, and it had been so long, how could’ve he expected everything to be the same?

    Wait!

    Hyoma turned around and looked at the WBBA tower looming in the distance. That’s where he could, Ryo would be able to help him connect with his friends, and maybe even give him some advice.

    Ryo had been one of the adults that had taught Hyoma to blade, teaching him alongside Gingka. He had spent multiple nights over at their house eating dinner, and Ryo always seemed willing to listen to Hyoma’s problems.

    It was easy to forget sometimes how imperfect Ryo was as an adult, and when recognizing those imperfections it was hard to remember how much Ryo could be helpful.

    “People are imperfect creatures constantly trying to better themselves, failure or not, what makes a good person is the effort they put in,” one of Hyoma’s favorite books had once said.

    Hyoma had always found it hard to forgive imperfection when he recognized it, but maybe so long as he kept working at it he himself was a good person.

    Hyoma had never been inside a government office before, and he found himself lost. How did he find out where Ryo was? There were so many people bustling around, probably more people than even lived in Koma.

    He walked up to a desk, with a person just a few years older than him sitting behind it.

    “How can I help you?” They asked.

    “I’m looking for Ryo Hagane, I need to talk to him,” Hyoma responded. Maybe they could just tell him which room Ryo was in.

    “You’re here to speak with the director?” They checked, and it took Hyoma a moment to nod. It still seemed a bit surreal that Ryo had become director of the WBBA. It was definitely not something Hyoma would’ve ever been able to predict him doing, the man had always been a bit too goofy and free spirited to imagine him sitting behind a desk, away from the forest, as Hyoma was now. “Can you tell me your name?”

    Hyoma didn’t know why they would need it, but he responded anyway, “Hyoma.”

    The receptionist nodded, and grabbed a phone, speaking into it so softly that Hyoma couldn’t hear it over the background chatter of dozens of people walking through the building. He fidgeted uncomfortably, he wanted to be back in the forest with its quiet, recognizable sounds.

    “Alright, take the elevator down this hallway, first one on your right, and go up to the top floor. After that two doors down on your left will be the director’s office,” the receptionist directed him, and he thanked them before getting on his way.

    The elevator was clear, so Hyoma could look out while it brought him to the top floor. He watched the city grow smaller and smaller beneath him, and he could almost see the mountain range that was his home in the horizon.

    It was his favorite view here so far.

    The elevator dinged and Hyoma exited, counting the doors (well, door) to reach Ryo’s office. He knocked on the door only to have it swing open at his touch, and he was met by Ryo rising to greet him.

    “Hyoma, it's been a long time!” Ryo smiled at Hyoma and wrapped him in a hug. Hyoma could only return the affection, he had missed Ryo as well.

    Though, Hokuto was probably a better adult influence on his life in general.

    “It’s good to see you too Ryo,” He greeted, and gave Hikaru who was standing at the sidelines a small wave. She worked for the WBBA now, wasn’t that right?

    Good for her, he felt bad that he hadn’t been there to support her during her battle with Ryuga.

    “So then my boy, what brings you to the city?” Ryo asked, directing him towards a couch to couch to sit down while Ryo leaned on his desk. 

    Hyoma paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to explain the situation without more confusion than necessary, before finally settling on, “Well, a new star fragment appears to have fallen to earth, and a prophecy says that might bring about the end of the world.”

    He expected more questions, or some denials. He hadn’t expected Ryo to respond with, “oh, so you saw the fragment as well?”

    “Uh, yes,” Hyoma stumbled through his response.

    Hikaru coughed from the wall she was standing next to. “Sir, it appears that we forgot to call Koma Village when we were researching the star fragment and legendary bladers.” She sounded… so embarrassed. Hyoma had to swallow down the hysterical laughter bubbling in his throat.

    Ryo buried his face in his hands. “Sorry Hyoma, we do know of the situation and have been trying to manage it, but it seems like we’ve been missing a few steps,” He laughed awkwardly.

    So, they already knew about the star fragment, and the world ending, and… possibly more than Hyoma did. That was…

    Hyoma had come here expecting to be the bearer of this information, and now he found his arrival was never even necessary. It kind of stung, that he had done this for nothing.

    “So, you know about the prophecy then?” Hyoma checked.

    “Yes,” Hikaru nodded. “With the end of the world at the hands of Nemesis possible, we are looking everywhere for the legendary bladers needed to stop them. Gingka, Madoka, and some others have gone off in search. Both Kyoya and Gingka have awakened as legendary bladers as well.”

    Of course they had, of course. The universe seemed to have the same ideas as Hyoma sometimes. If anyone would be able to stop the end of the world, it would be Gingka. Gingka who left the village to retrieve L-Drago. Gingka who stopped Hades City. Gingka.

    “Well, that’s something,” Hyoma mumbled.

    That something, right now, was awkward.

    “Hyoma, I have to ask, how did you know about the star fragment?” Ryo asked.

    “Well, I saw it one night, streaking across the sky. The next day I discussed it with Hokuto and he managed to direct me to the prophecy. Those old books do have everything,” Hyoma responded. He supposed he shouldn’t have assumed that Ryo also wouldn’t have known this, the new star fragment would’ve been visible in many countries, and Ryo had also had access to the same tomes Hyoma had.

    “I’m pretty sure there’s an old recipe book hidden among them,” Ryo grumbled, obviously remembering the hell that was trying to dig through the collection of knowledge of Koma Village.

    “Such knowledge must be protected,” Hyoma nodded seriously, and couldn’t help but smile as Ryo cracked up.

    Some things didn’t change, and one of those was that his best friend’s father had the worst sense of humor.

    He spent another half hour there, Hikaru and Ryo making sure they all had the same information. They each managed to add a bit to the other’s repertoire of knowledge, so this trip wasn’t a whole waste.

    If only Hyoma knew what to do now. 

    He exited the WBBA building and sat at a bench outside as he thought. Should he just go back to Koma Village? Leave this situation up to Gingka to solve? Gingka was always the one who seemed to solve these problems, Hyoma could only watch from the sidelines.

    “Hey,” A voice snapped him from his thoughts, and he looked up to see Hikaru standing in front of him. “Want to grab a coffee with me?” She offered.

    “Sorry, I’m gay,” Hyoma deadpanned, and couldn’t help but cackle at the eyeroll that earned him.

    “And I’m a lesbian Hyoma, you know this, you know what I was really asking,” she sighed. Hyoma had never interacted with Hikaru a lot, but they had always got along at tournaments. He loved trading barbs with her.

    And it wasn’t like he had anything better to do than get a coffee with an old friend, so he stood up and let her lead him to a cafe.

    They sat at a table and waited for their orders to be ready. Hikaru leaned her cheek in her hand and seemed one second away from falling asleep. He really couldn’t blame her if for the past week she had been having to deal with this situation and Ryo at the same time.

    “Are you enjoying your new job?” Hyoma asked. It had surprised him a bit that she had chosen to get a desk job, she had always been such a good and active blader. But if it was something she enjoyed, then he couldn’t judge.

    “Yes, it’s very fulfilling,” Hikaru responded, her voice perfectly flat. “Two weeks ago I had to order the director a replacement desk because he stood on it out of excitement and it broke.”

    Yeah, that was something Hyoma could imagine Ryo doing. Gingka had inherited a bit of his father’s wacky ideas, and lack of impulse control. Hyoma had gotten used to having to keep a hand on Gingka to keep him from running off into a dangerous situation without thinking.

    Now, Gingka was running into more dangerous situations, and Hyoma wasn’t even there.

    “So, do you want to tell me why you seem so gloomy?” Hikaru asked, fixing him with a piercing stare that should not have been allowed to come out of eyes with that many bags beneath them.

    Hyoma had forgotten that Hikaru was probably the most observant of the group, outside of Madoka. He had doomed himself. “There’s nothing really to discuss, I’ve just been thinking about how to stop the apocalypse,” he flashed her a quick smile.

    “Bullshit. That’s not all,” Hikaru accused him, but he was saved by their drinks being ready. Hikaru stood up to grab them, giving Hyoma a minute to recenter himself.

    Why didn’t he want to talk about his feelings in the first place? It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Hikaru, she had been a very good friend for all the time he had known her. Maybe it was just him.

    Either way, when she sat back down, he had a new batch of lies ready at his tongue. But before he could even speak one, Hikaru interrupted him. “Listen, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I’m not going to force you. But sitting on a bench outside the WBBA for ten minutes looking lost is not the sign of someone who is currently healthily managing their problems. I should know, I’ve probably done it before.”

    He hadn’t realized it had been ten minutes.

    Hikaru sat there waiting for him to respond, slowly sipping at her over-caffeinated coffee. Hyoma kept his face carefully blank, not letting his thought process show on his face out of practice. “I just, don’t really know what I’m supposed to do now,” Hyoma finally admitted.

    “Well, what were you expecting to do?” Hikaru asked.

    “I don’t know, what Gingka is doing now I suppose,” Hyoma shrugged. He had expected to be the hero, so of course he had taken cues from Gingka.

    “And I’m guessing you were expecting to be with Gingka too,” Hikaru teased, a small smirk tugging her lips.

    Hyoma instantly denied it, glaring at her as his face flushed. Hikaru giggled and covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she tried to repress it. It was nice to see her happy, at least Hyoma’s embarrassment served a reason.

    “At least you have a job to help out, I’m just stuck here now with Gingka already having left on adventure,” Hyoma complained, swirling the coffee in his cup.

    “You could go join Gingka,” Hikaru pointed out. “We know where he is, we could fly you over there.” It would be so easy to just agree, to go get to see his friend again.

    “It sounds like they already have it covered,” Hyoma admitted. Gingka and Kyoya were already legendary bladers, they were the ones fated to protect the world. Not Hyoma. “Seems like everyone is more prepared to deal with this than me.”

    Hikaru hummed and took another sip of her own drink. “Feels pretty much like shit, doesn’t it?” She asked, an ironic smile twisting her lips.

    “What do you mean by that?” Hyoma raised an eyebrow at her, hiding his surprise at her cursing.

    “Feeling useless. After all, Gingka and the others are so strong, amazing bladers, what could you even do to help?” Hikaru was no longer looking at him, but rather at her hands. Hyoma still repressed a flinch at her words. “You didn’t even make it past the first round of Battle Bladers, and the threat now is much bigger, what could you even do to help?”

    “I-” Hyoma started, perhaps to defend himself, perhaps to agree, before the meaning of her words reached him. “You’re talking about yourself.”

    Hikaru finally looked up and gave him a small smile, “you’re not the only one who feels useless Hyoma, I get it.”

    “But you’re actually helping, you’re working for the WBBA,” Hyoma countered. She was the one who was helping Gingka and the gang from the sidelines, not him.

    “Most of what I do is send messages back and forth among people actually doing stuff. I sit in a chair, I take notes, I organize files, I wait for someone to do something,” Hikaru argued back, shrugging a bit at her self-depreciation. He found himself shifting uncomfortably, and he supposed that was Hikaru’s point.

    “You could’ve gone and fought with them if you’d wanted.” Because that was the crux of it, wasn’t it? Hyoma hadn’t been here and no one had remembered to contact him. He wasn’t even given the option to help.

    Yet Hikaru flinched, and Hyoma couldn’t help but feel he’d trespassed in a place he wasn’t supposed to. “I don’t battle anymore,” Hikaru muttered.

    “Because you joined the WBBA?” Hyoma knew she didn’t participate in tournaments anymore, that would’ve looked bad as a WBBA employee, but that wasn’t the only form of battling.

    “No, I don’t battle anymore, at all,” Hikaru bit out.

    And Hyoma understood. He remembered facing off against the serpent, watching it chip off his bey piece by piece. Remembered how his spirit had shattered along with his bey.

    But he’d put himself back together and gone back to battling.

    Hikaru had put herself back together in a different way.

    “I’m sorry for pushing,” he apologized.

    “It would’ve come up eventually,” Hikaru shrugged, meeting his eyes once more and sharing an apologetic smile with him. “But you get the point right, even if we feel useless, there are still things we can do.”

    Hyoma could only nod, because he couldn’t deny the truth. “If only I knew what those things were.”

    “Well, I could use someone to go check out a tournament tomorrow. Gingka took everyone with him, so…” Hikaru smirked at him.

    Hyoma registered for the tournament the next day, waving to Hikaru as she walked away to watch from an observer’s booth. It was his job to challenge these bladers and see if any of them awakened as Legendary Bladers. He only hoped he was strong enough to give whoever they were a challenge.

    He was a bit surprised by how much fun he had during the battles. He couldn’t just pass through them easily, every blader here was giving it their all. Hyoma had forgotten how amazing the tournament atmosphere could be sometimes, when the roar of the crowd was almost drowned out as he focused just on his opponent.

    It was exhilarating.

    Before the third round Hyoma wandered out to get some food. He kept an eye on the other battles as he ate, taking notes of all their strategies. Aries would have a bit of a harder time against the stamina type of another, but it didn’t seem to have the best balance, so if he could just push it enough, driving it into the ground should work.

    As he made plans for each opponent, he almost missed Hikaru running towards him. “Hyoma, we have an issue here,” she said, not sounding out of breath despite the fact she must’ve run all around the stadium to get to him.

    “What is it?” Hyoma asked, his back straightening as he listened for any danger.

    “See the guy on the left screen, with bey Lynx?” Hikaru asked, pointing at the blader. Hyoma nodded, that blader had seemed like they might’ve given him a bit of a challenge. “That’s Johannes, he works for Nemesis.”

    Hyoma raised an eyebrow. “What’s he doing here?”

    “Probably the same thing we are, searching for legendary bladers.” Hikaru shrugged.

    “Do you plan on kicking him out?” Hyoma asked. He was sure that kicking people out of tournaments must’ve become one of Hikaru’s favorite powers granted by being a part of the WBBA.

    “Well, that’s up to you,” Hikaru stated. “You’re the next person to battle him, assuming he wins this.” At that moment, Lynx hit the opposing bey out of the stadium. “So really, if you want to beat him, he’s all yours, but if not I’ll just kick him out.”

    Hyoma hummed as he looked at the guy on the monitor. Hyoma wasn’t the best blader, he knew that, but if this guy was working for Nemesis, well then… “I might as well try my hand against him.”

    Hikaru nodded. “Good luck.”

    Hyoma made his way out to the stadium, wiping his face clean of any emotion. This was a challenge he would have to rise to, if he wanted to fight against Nemesis. This wouldn’t turn out like his fight against Reiji.

    Johannes stood at the other side of the stadium. He looked at Hyoma with complete boredom in his eyes, and Hyoma met his gaze. Without any comments, they waited for the match to start.

    “3!”

    “2!”

    “1!”

    “Let it rip!” Hyoma yelled as Aries spun into the stadium, rocketing around to deliver a devastating smash attack to Lynx.

    “And Hyoma comes out of the gates swinging! How will Lynx respond to this ferocious attack!” Blader DJ yelled.

    “No problem!” Johannes yelled, Lynx straightening up as if Aries’s attack had done nothing, then rising even more as Lynx’s spin track lengthened. “Beat Lynx!”

    And Lynx crashed into Aries, driving it further and further back. Hyoma gritted his teeth and watched his bey be pushed closer and closer to the edge of the arena.

    “Aries is a tight spot, how will Hyoma get out of this? Is the battle over already?” Blader DJ screamed

    “This isn’t even a challenge,” Johannes scoffed, and Hyoma grinned.

    “Now Aries!” And Aries’s spintrack spun, sending Lynx shooting right past with all the momentum it had built up. Hyoma had to admit, he didn’t like being underestimated, but it did come in handy sometimes, especially because he seemed to have fooled Johannes into thinking he battled like an attack type.

    “No Lynx!” Johannes panicked, and Lynx balanced itself at the edge.

    “Aries, Horn Throw Destruction!” Hyoma commanded.

    “Dodge it Lynx!” Johannes screamed, and Hyoma’s attack missed by a whisker.. The beys rocketed around the stadium, nearing the center again.

    Well, if plan A didn’t work, then Hyoma would just move onto plan B.

    “Just give up, you’re no match for my Lynx!” Johannes called as the beys approached to clash again.

    “If you think I’m going to surrender to a servant of Nemesis then you ought to think again!” Hyoma responded, and smirked as Johannes’s concentration snapped at the reveal that Hyoma knew who he was.

    Aries pushed Lynx back and drove it into the stadium wall. Hyoma smirked as Lynx’s spin strength was chipped away.

    “Lynx, beat it back!” Johannes howled, and Lynx pushed Aries away. “I suppose if you know who I am, then there’s no holding back.” Hyoma looked up to see Johannes giving him a wide smile. Hyoma could almost count his teeth. “Lynx!”

    And Lynx changed, delivering attack after attack onto Aries. Aries could barely even react or dodge, everytime he pushed an attack aside, another one came rocketing in.

    Hyoma gritted his teeth as his eyes flicked around the stadium, trying to find a way out of this barrage attack. 

    “There’s no hope for you, why even continue to fight?” Johannes gloated.