Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Shi Jin no Miko ❯ Distress and Dangers ( Chapter 3 )

Wow, another chapter up. Go me! Thanks to everyone so far for the reviews (I really appreciate them, guys!) It seems that most of the romance fics involve Tasuki (O_o) I'll have to keep up with competition, he he… anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

Key/Legend:

Italics-Thoughts

Bold AND Italics- Flashbacks

Shi Jin no Miko

Chapter 3- Distress and Dangers

The sun took its place in the sky soon enough, but neither Kumiko nor Tasuki got up to leave. I wonder if he's sleeping, Kumiko pondered. She knew that it wasn't likely, but Tasuki could probably find a way. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Just like the day before, her head ached with pain. "So much for more rest," She mumbled. "Hey Tasuki, you sleeping?" There was no answer. Kumiko blinked. She could have sworn he was there. She stood up and looked around. "Ha, wouldn't leave me here my ass." She clenched her fists. If this was his idea of a joke, it wasn't funny.

But then a thought hit her: What if he had been captured or taken while she was trying to sleep? Someone could have easily come and try to kill her again… Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She grabbed their arm and flipped them over her shoulder and onto the ground; as she had seen on a TV special on women's self defense. "Ow." Kumiko let go and put her hands over her mouth. "Oh Tasuki, I'm SOOO sorry! I didn't know it was you and I was a still a little jumpy, I really-" But he started to laugh. "Kumiko, you're an idiot. I knew that. I didn't mean to scare you. Man, if I were an attacker, you'd probably kick my ass."

Kumiko grinned and said, "Yea probably." She gave him a hand up. "My back's gonna be sore for a while, I'll tell you that much," he said, rubbing his lower back. Kumiko gave a small smile. "Sorry. Hey, did Kouji know anything about where the Kyoto temple is?" Kumiko had totally forgotten to ask him the day before. Tasuki nodded, "Yea, well a little bit at least. He gave me a pretty accurate map." Kumiko replied, "Ok, but if anything we can always try to contact Tai Itsukun."

Kumiko's stomach gave a groan. "Well, looks like it's time for breakfast. Tasuki, will you go get some food out of one of the bags?" He nodded and did so. Kumiko sighed and said, "I wish I had some toast. Or cereal. Or eggs with soy sauce." Tasuki, who had no clue what she was talking about, ignored her sulking and handed her some food. "Thanks." She ate quickly. "Well, I'll give you one thing, you don't eat quite as quickly or as much as Miaka." Kumiko laughed, "Yea well, whenever we went to a restaurant, she was the one who brought up the bill." Tasuki didn't say anything, only nodded.

A thought suddenly occurred to him as he turned to Kumiko. "Hey, how's your arm?" She looked down. "Oh that. It's fine. Feels better already." She lied slightly, even though she could tell it was healing, it still gave her pain. "Are you sure?" He asked her, eyeing the wound. "Yes Tasuki, I'm sure. After all, I'm the one who's hurt, right?" Kumiko didn't want him to worry; that would keep them off track. They would lose time if she stopped to get it treated. "Well, I think we should head off. We don't want to lose time, Y'know." Tasuki nodded. "Okay."

"Hey Kumiko, what are you supposed to do when you get to the Kyoto temple?" Tasuki asked. Kumiko thought back to what Tai Itsukun had said. "Once you reach the Kyoto temple you must light a holy fire and chant prayers to the four gods," She told Kumiko. "But how will I know what to say? I don't know any prayers." Tai Itsukun smiled. "The words will come to you in due time. Do not worry your head over such small things. The gods will appear to you in turn to tell you which senshi will be the guardian. Except of course Suzaku, who you've found." "Okay. I'll do my best, Tai Itsukun…" Kumiko turned to Tasuki. "I have to light a holy fire and try to make contact with the gods. They'll show me who my other three guardians are."

"I see." It was silent for a moment, then Kumiko stopped abruptly. "What is it-" Tasuki began, but Kumiko interrupted with a soft "Shh." The listened. "Someone's near by." She got down from her horse and drew out her bow and arrows. She knocked one and put it in ready position. Tasuki gripped his tessin. They could hear soft footsteps approaching; stalking footsteps. A small sound came from behind Kumiko and on instinct she whirled around and fired an arrow.

A man, dressed in all black caught the arrow as if it were a ball being tossed. Kumiko gasped. How could that be?! I fired that thing so fast he could have missed it with a blink of an eye! The man dropped the arrow and smirked.

"I am only a messenger." He turned to Kumiko and said, "And the message is this: Give up your title or die." Kumiko furrowed her eyebrows and gave a small smirk. "Well you may tell whoever your working for to shove a stick up their ass and leave me alone. I'm not going to give up my duty for anyone! Now, go: Before your employer never receives word from you again." But he was gone before Kumiko could take another breath.

"Well, that was weird." Tasuki blinked at looked around. The man was nowhere to be seen. "What an ass. If they think I'm gonna give up, they've got another thing coming." She once again packed her bow and arrows away and climbed back atop her horse. Tasuki laughed. "What's so funny?" She asked him. "Well, you use pretty vulgar language for a woman." She raised her eyebrows. "Well you use it too." She pointed out. Tasuki shrugged. "Yeah, well I'm a guy. I have an excuse." She gave a small smile. "Okay, I'll clean up the language a bit if it makes me a more PROPER woman." Her smile grew into a grin and they both laughed.

"Sometimes I wonder what'd be like to actually live here forever. It'd suck." Tasuki looked at Kumiko, surprised at her comment. "Well, not that this place is horrible. It's actually quite gorgeous compared to our world, but there's no…. technology. At least compared to where I come from. It's just-" "-Not your home," Tasuki finished. Kumiko nodded. "I guess. I'd never be able to settle down and get married either. God, I'd run away." She looked at Tasuki and realized what she'd just said. "Oh, that's not what I meant! There's nothing wrong with running away! I didn't-" She stopped and saw that Tasuki was laughing. "Well, what's so funny about that?" She asked him. "You're so self conscious. Does it matter?" He laughed more, and Kumiko only thought about it.

Does it matter? Was the past just gone, and never to matter again? No, Kumiko told herself. The past DOES matter. It helps shape who you are…doesn't it? "Is that one of the reasons you ran away?" She asked Tasuki. He shook his head. "No. I…I just couldn't stand my mother anymore." Kumiko nodded. "I know how that is. I hate my mother." He looked at her in amazement. Though she may hold grudges, Kumiko could never have the heart to hate someone…could she? "What do you mean?" Kumiko bit her lip and said slowly, "After my father died, my mom pretty must lost it. She didn't go crazy or anything, she just…didn't want to live anymore, I guess. She's an alcoholic. I'm guess I'm sorta lucky I go to Seikoro. Otherwise, I wouldn't really have all that nice a home to live in." "What's Seikoro?" Tasuki asked. "Seikoro Prepatory School for Adolescent Females. In Kyoto. I go there and learn stuff…I guess you could say it's a place for really smart girls." "What about boys?" He asked. She shook her head. "No boys. It's an all girls academy."

Tasuki didn't ask. Kumiko's world sure does sound odd…but interesting at the same time. "You don't have school, do you?" She asked him. "Well, there is. I just don't go. I did. Up until I ran away," He said, almost heedlessly. Kumiko `tsked' at him. "You're closing doors Y'know." "Huh?" She laughed. "Never mind. My sensei continually says it to me. But then again, he doesn't know how to teach a modern day class." "You're weird, Kumiko. You do know that, don't you?" Kumiko nodded in answer to Tasuki's question. "Yup. Well, some of the time. I can be normal. That's just…less fun."

He gave a small smirk. "True." Kumiko decided to voice a thought that was bothering her. "Hey Tasuki, why don't people live out here? I mean, this place is really nice. In fact, it's beautiful. Why wouldn't they settle it?" Tasuki shrugged. "Well, bandits, like myself, inhabit this mountain. Many people don't want to deal with it. Outlaws frighten people." He looked at the reaction on Kumiko's face and quickly said, "Oh, you didn't know…did you?" "That you were a thief? Oh, I knew that, it was pretty obvious. Everything about you pretty much spells it out. It's just…you'd think people could fend for themselves and keep bandits away." Tasuki shrugged. "Well, they don't. Guess they don't know what's good for them." Kumiko was silent.

She would never be able to steal from others for a living. So how could he? It made her wonder if Tasuki had a conscious, or if he just did what he wanted whenever he wanted. "Look I know you think it's wrong. At first I did too. But then again, before Emperor Hotohori, people were outlawed all the time. They had no choice but to become thieves and bandits, or they'd die of starvation." "And you were dying of suffocation," She said aloud, without realizing it. "Yea, I guess you could say that," Tasuki said, slightly shifting uncomfortably. "I know how it feels to suffocate. Metaphorically speaking that is. You can't live that way. You have to rebel. I guess that's why I got a tattoo. To…rebel against my mom."

Tasuki didn't say anything. He knew, although it didn't seem so, Kumiko was a lot like him. He felt a strange kinship with her, although he barely knew her. He thought it odd how two or three days ago he hated Kumiko and wished she'd leave him alone. She really does have a lot of sides to her, Tasuki thought. "Hey, do you hear that?" Kumiko suddenly asked. "Hear what?" He asked in reply. "Running water!" She took off and followed the sound of rushing water. Tasuki laughed nervously. "Great. Water." He took off after her.

"Wow, this is awesome! It's soo clear!" Kumiko had gotten off and stopped at a river, which was sparkling in the mid-afternoon sun. "Yea, guess so." Tasuki said, staying as far away as `casually' possible. "Should we stay the afternoon? I think this'd be a good place to rest a while." Tasuki shrugged. "I dunno. I guess. But don't you want to keep going? This slows us down…" he told her. "I don't care. Getting to the temple a little later is worth it for this. I'm sure it's sanitary," She dipped her hand in and took a drink of the cool water.

She found it didn't taste like water, but much more than that. From the second it touched her lips it sent a sensation through her. "Wow, this is the BEST water I've ever had!" She exclaimed. She ran her fingers through the water softly, enjoying the feeling of the water's resistance. "I'm going to swim, how `bout you?" Tasuki shook his head. "Nope. This is the only pair of cloths I have, I'd rather not," he lied through his teeth. Kumiko shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself." She took off her shoes, socks and jacket and left them in a pile. She then dove into the water, almost gracefully, not splashing a thing. The water was refreshing and Kumiko felt at ease under the water. As if there was no such thing as the past, present or future: there was just being.

She came up to the surface to breath. She grinned at Tasuki, who was leaning up against a tree watching her swim. "You really don't know what your missing Tasuki!" She dove back underwater. "Oh trust me, I do," he told not only her, but also himself. When Kumiko finally felt that she had swam enough, she got out. "Um…are you gonna travel in wet cloths?" Tasuki asked the soaking wet girl. She shook her head, causing her hair to shake water. "No, I'm going to find that silk Kimono. And a place to change into it." Tasuki raised his eyebrows. "What, did you think I was going to change in front of you?" She asked, half joking. "I pray you don't," He said flatly.

"Okay, that's it I'm kicking your as- uh, oops. Sorry, um…butt. Oh never mind! Just…stay here and um…make sure nobody peeps at me." She ran off in search of a way to block her from view. Tasuki rolled his eyes. "Women." Kumiko came back a few minutes later in her Kimono and her hair in a very wet bun. "I put it up so it wouldn't leave water stains on the kimono," She explained. "You should probably worry more about leaving bloodstains on it," Tasuki commented. She raised an eyebrow. "Your shoulder," He pointed to it. "Oh! I forgot! That water could have easily infected it! I should wrap it up again," She pulled down one sleeve and unwrapped the bandage. But to her, and Tasuki's, surprise, there was no wound. The bandage was no longer blood-soaked and her arm was without a mark.

"It's…gone," She stammered in disbelief. "Uh, what do you mean by `it's gone'?" Tasuki asked, walking closer. "I mean it's not there anymore. It's as if it never happened. I have no wound." Tasuki looked at her bare arm, which was indeed bare. "That's strange," he looked at Kumiko, then at the river. "The river!" They exclaimed. "It must have some healing properties of some sort," Kumiko pulled her sleeve back up and went close to the water. "Must have something to do with being so clear and incandescent." Tasuki looked at her. "Do you even know what that word means?" She looked back at him. "Well do you?" He shook his head and replied, "Nope." "Well, I guess that makes two of us," She concluded. "I think we've spent enough time here, we should go." Kumiko nodded, and they went on their way.

Later that evening, Kumiko got terrible pains in her stomach. "No fair! I shouldn't be having cramps! I just finished my frickin' period!!!" She complained in anger. "Uh…am I supposed to know what that means?" Tasuki asked. She shook her head. "No. I'm just…" Kumiko never got to finish, because at that moment, she started to rock back and forth and fell off into the dirt road. Tasuki got on his knees immediately. "Kumiko, are you okay? What is it?" Little beads of perspiration started to appear on her forehead and she said, "My stomach. It hurts…I need…help." She could barely breathe much less get the words out. "Don't worry, I'll find somebody."

He carefully picked her up and put her on one of the horses. He climbed on the back of it, with the other horse's reins in the tight grip of his right hand. The sped off, searching for anyone nearby. Kumiko occasionally whimpered in pain, almost unable to bear it. Tasuki suddenly saw the candlelight from a cabin window, and lead them towards it. He knocked on the door frantically. A middle-aged woman answered the door.

"Do you need something?" the woman asked. "It's my friend, Kumiko. She needs help, fast." Tasuki cautiously took Kumiko down and put her inside. "We stopped by this river and-" "She drank from the water," The old woman interrupted. Tasuki nodded. The woman sighed. "You wouldn't believe how many people come to us in need for help because of that river. It has great healing powers, but is very deadly if it ever reaches the drinkers lips." "Is it fatal?" Tasuki asked her. "It can be. This young lady would have died if you hadn't acted quickly.

She went to a cupboard in her kitchen a retrieved a small flask. She poured it into Kumiko's mouth, which swallowed consciously. A man, who was sitting by the fire, went to get a cold washrag, which they placed over Kumiko's head. She breathing became less choppy and a look of tranquility spread over her face. "You may stay here, if you would like," the woman said kindly. Tasuki thanked her, but didn't sleep. He stayed up to watch over Kumiko and make sure she was safe. Miaka's words kept replaying through his mind. "Do it for Konan," she had said.

Tasuki finally understood the meaning of being a guardian to Kumiko. Though he was away from his own priestess, he was doing this for the greater good of not only Konan, but also the whole world. Near early morning, Tasuki head Kumiko say things in her sleep. Mostly they were things like, "Pass the maple syrup" and "Prep school bites it", but there were a few times when Tasuki heard Kumiko mention her father or mother. When the sun rose across the sky, Kumiko finally awoke from her sleep. Her vision was blurry and her head was spinning, but her pain was gone.

"Kumiko, can you hear me?" She blinked a few times and found herself staring up into Tasuki's eyes. They no longer looked malicious, as they had the last time she had looked into them closely, but instead they were shining, like gold. "I can hear you well enough." She sat up and looked around. "Uh, Tasuki, where are we?" Tasuki sighed. "Long story," he warned her. The woman came out into the room and said, "Ah, you're awake. I'm glad to see it. You tell me, I hear your name is Kumiko." She nodded. "Yup. Kumiko Inoai. Thank you very much for saving me." She shook hands with the woman. "My name is Saimarou. And really it's not me you need to thank. It's your friend here. He was the one who brought you to us. He stayed awake all night, and never left your side." Kumiko looked at Tasuki in incredulity. He looked away and blushed slightly. "It was nothing."

Her husband came inside with firewood, which he placed in by the fireplace. "This is my husband Pechui." Kumiko shook hands with him as well.

"So, are you two married?" he asked them. Both Kumiko and Tasuki blushed furiously. "No no no, we're just friends. We're traveling out of Konan to the Kyoto temple." Kumiko, realizing what she had said, covered her mouth. Tasuki gave her a dirty look. Saimarou nodded. "Ah, I've heard of it. It is a great temple for prayer is it not?" Kumiko nodded, and realized she had not blown their cover yet. "Yes. That's what we intend to do. Or at least I do, I don't know about my companion here, since we don't really know each other all that well and certainly aren't getting married."

After a quick meal, the two thanked the couple and headed off. "Y'know, you should have just stuck with the `we're married' story. It's a little more believable," Tasuki pointed out. "Well I'm sorry, but I just don't want to think about that kind of thing. Especially when I'm 15 years old. Almost 16." Tasuki had forgotten. She had told him that she when she was going to be 16 soon. Her birthday was in two days. "Sorry. You're right." They were both silent. "Tasuki?" She said. "Yea?" He called back to her. She smiled slightly and said, "Thanks. Once again, you saved my life. Now I owe you twice." He shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. Nobody who knows you wants you dead."

Kumiko rolled her eyes. "Ha, you should see some of the girls at my school, they know me and they want me dead." Tasuki didn't say anything in reply. Why was she so Irritable? There was an awkward silence between them until Kumiko couldn't stand it. "I'm sorry. I know I'm a hassle. Look, I think you should go back to Miaka. She NEEDS you, you're her senshi, not mine. I'm strong, I can make it on my own." Tasuki shook his head. "No. Miaka would want me to stay with you." "Miaka said you were determined," Kumiko mumbled. "Well that's good to hear." Tasuki said.

A feeling of unease filled Kumiko's stomach, although she wasn't sure why. To some extent, she felt uncomfortable with the fact that Tasuki had saved her life twice and she was unable to repay him in any way. She had nothing in return. Furthermore, she felt as if she didn't deserve the treatment. But it wasn't the first time. She closed her eyes and tried not to think.

"Kumiko, before you leave…" Kumiko could still remember the way her father sounded. She turned around. "Yea, dad?" He placed a small box in her hand. "I want you to have this, since I won't see you until December," He gave her a hug. "What is it?" She inquired, excited about what could be in the box. "Open it and see." She opened it and took out a shining gold necklace. "Oh daddy," She ran her fingers across the engraved letters, `Kumiko'. "Dad, I don't deserve this. I don't have a present for you in return."

Her father shook his head and said, "Being my daughter and making me proud is present enough. And besides, I'm going to miss your birthday." Kumiko embraced him tightly, along with her mother. "Goodbye, I love you both," She smiled and got onto the bus, luggage in tow. "By Kumiko! See you in December sweetie," her father called.

"Make us proud!" her mother exclaimed as the bus drove away. Kumiko waved out the window at her smiling parents.

Kumiko exhaled quickly, as if to get rid of the memory as well. That was the last she saw of her father. That was the last time she saw either of them smile. Kumiko found it hard to believe that she could remember her father's voice, or his face. She fingered at the necklace around her neck. It was the last present she would ever get from her father.

"Kumiko, are you okay?" Tasuki looked at her, a perplexed look plastered on his face. "Yea," Kumiko was slightly out of breath. "Doesn't seem like it," He muttered. "Well maybe I just don't wanna talk about it, okay?" She snapped. It was silent. "Sorry," She mumbled. "It's okay." She sighed and said, "No it's not. I really am a bitch sometimes." Tasuki rolled his eyes. "Okay, I know I we just met a few days ago and I don't know you all that well, but for one thing, you've gotta stop being so damn literal."

She sighed. "Maybe you're right. I'm too literal." She squinted. "Hey, is that a town?" Tasuki looked to where Kumiko was staring. "Sorta looks like it," he said. She grinned. "Well, finally a glimpse of one since we left." "Uh Kumiko, we left, like four days ago." "True. But time passes real slowly here. I'm not so used to this, I live a fast paced life." Then she laughed. "Well, if you could call running frantically to get to class without being marked tardy fast paced."

They slowly made their way down the valley to the village. It was a steep slope, and they were careful not to slip. At one point it was so dangerous that the two got off of their horses and led them. "We're almost there," Kumiko said, out of breath. When they had finally made their way down the hill, the road got easier and they got back onto their horses.

The town was fairly small, mostly made up of houses and a few other buildings. The two didn't attract many stares, instead the people continued to talk amongst themselves. Hmm…guess I'm blending in better. This Kimono works well. Just as long as Tasuki doesn't do anything completely stupid, She thought to herself. Tasuki began to look around at the buildings. "Watcha looking for?" She asked him curiously. "Bar," he answered. "Oh come on Tasuki. This is a pretty small village, they probably won't have one," Kumiko tried to insist. The entire truth was that she didn't even want to go to a bar in the first place. Especially if she was going to get the same comments she did last time.

They tied their horses near by. "Tasuki, do we have to?" She asked. He gave her a pleading look. She sighed. "Ok, fine." The inside of the building wasn't as dingy as Kumiko would have expected. Instead, it seemed nice, almost like a restaurant. "Tasuki: Only two, then we leave." He raised his eyebrows. "Only two? Oh come on Kumiko!" She rolled her eyes. "Alright. Three but that's IT. I do NOT want to have to drag you out of here after you've gotten your ass kicked by everyone else."

"I'm not going to get my ass kicked," he retorted. "Well, Tamahome got you pretty bad," she grinned. "How did YOU hear about that?" He looked at her in slight amazement. "Miaka." He clenched his fist and said, "She's Sooo gonna get it when I see her again." Then he went to the bartender to order drinks. He came back with a grin on his face, with two drinks in his hand. "You're not going to drink both of them right now, are you?" He shook his head. "Nope. One's for you." "Uh, Tasuki, I don't drink." He shrugged. "Well, then, I'll just have to drink it myself." Kumiko rolled her eyes. "Tasuki no baka."

They sat down at a wooden table. Kumiko knew this was going to be a while. Tasuki went on right ahead merry making with other people while Kumiko sat and looked around. Suddenly she heard something that made her ears perk up.

"Yes, and the girl was wearin' a funny looking outfit. Had six men and another girl with her. Odd bunch they were-" Kumiko blinked. Could they be talking about Miaka or Yui. She turned around and faced the person who had spoken. "Excuse me for intruding on your conversation, but I couldn't help but overhear. What was this about a group of odd looking people?"

The man looked her over, as if he was checking her normality, then said, "Oh yea. This girl, `bout your age. She had brown hair, up in buns. She had some sort of ugly short dress on. Pretty odd. She had about seven comrades. All very strange. Purple haired guy, sorta looked like a girl, a funny man who looked like he had a cat's face, small child, tall burly man with a cat-" Kumiko interrupted, "Did you ever talk to her?" The man shook his head. "I didn't, but my buddy did." He nudged his friend, who was sitting next to him.

"I asked her name. She called herself Miaka, and said she was the Suzaku no Miko-" Kumiko's heart lightened. Miaka! She's here, I can't believe it! Kumiko tried to keep her excited emotions under control as she casually said, "And this other girl? What did she look like?" "Well, she was odd looking. She was taller than the one called Miaka, and she was wearing all black. It was sort of an oddity, her cloths. She also had her hair up in buns, but it was somewhere between a red and a black. I believe they called her `Mischa'. She's supposedly the Genbu no Miko. But I don't know what she's doing in these parts."

Kumiko was puzzled. Genbu no Miko? There were three priestesses? The last that she had heard from Tai Itsukun, the only ones were Miaka, Yui and herself. "Hmm…that is strange. Genbu is the guardian for Hokkan, but its priestess would have no reason to be here in Konan." The men looked at her strangely. "And how's a woman know so much about this?" One asked, almost suspiciously. "Oh well, my grandfather is quite the storyteller, and he always told me stories about he four gods when I was young," She lied through her teeth. Her grandfather was a architect, much less a storyteller. "Ah, I see. Make's sense," one said, then took a huge swig. "Well, I best be going. Thank you." She turned back to Tasuki and grabbed him by the ear.

"Ow! What was THAT for?!" He asked, rubbing his ear with his free hand. "Well I had to get your attention one way or another." "Well another would be better." She shushed him. "We don't have time for this. Miaka's here." "What? What do you mean?" He looked around. "Not HERE in this room. Here in this town. I just heard the two men next to us talking. They said they came in just before we did. There's no way they kept going." "So, where do you think they are," He asked. She shrugged. "I don't know. But our best bet is to find them soon." Tasuki nodded.

Kumiko turned to ask the two men if they knew where Miaka was staying. They told her they didn't know, but that there was a small residence at the end of town where someone was letting travelers stay with them. The two left the bar to find the house. "Well, it's good we can see everyone." Kumiko said cheerfully. Suddenly she shivered. "Oh come on Kumiko, it isn't that cold," Tasuki told her. She shook her head. "I'm not cold. Look." She pointed ahead, to where the moonlight bathed a person standing on a cliff top. They seemed to be dressed in black, and slightly dangerous. "Who do you think it is? Another assassin?" Tasuki asked her. Kumiko shrugged. "I don't know. They're obviously following me. Whoever's sending them really wants me dead."

"Hurry, let's go." Tasuki grabbed her hand. She turned to look at him. "No. I'm going to take care of them. All they'll do is follow me to the end of the earth if they have to. I'll kill them before they kill me. "Kumiko, aren't you overacting a little? How do you know that's an assassin?" He asked. She pointed to their fingers, which held four Shiruken Stars held tightly. "Ok, I believe you." "Wait here, I'll be right back," She told him, as she took her sword from it's sheath and quickly, yet quietly headed up the hill. Bathed in darkness, Kumiko waited for a moment to strike.

~*~

So did you like it? If so, review! If not, stop reading. Doesn't bother me. Just don't flame. It's discouraging. Thanks!

Lola-Gurl