Naruto Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Kurama in Narutoland ❯ Chapter TwentyOne ( Chapter 21 )

Kurama in Narutoland

Chapter Twenty-One:

"Many, many things…" Kurama said, trailing off mysteriously.

Neji finally gave into the urge and rolled his eyes. "Sure."

Kurama grinned and dragged an ann yed and reluctant Neji off to the n xt game. They found a fun looking one rather quickly, in Kurama's opinion. It was the type of game that required speed and reaction time to win. Neji was the first to try it out.

"Okay, kid. What you need to do is this: I'll drop the ball into the spinning wheel. What you're aiming for is a number in the range of 1-10. The wheel will stop the ball as soon as you press the button. If you get a number in between 1 and 10, then you get a prize. If not, then you get nothing. Ready?" the man asked, holding up a ball over a horizontal spinning wheel.

Neji nodded his head. Numbers from 1 to 100 were painted randomly on the wheel. It was spinning so fast that they were hard to read. However, since he was a trained shinobi, it was easy to read the numbers as if they were moving in slow motion. Smirking he watched the ball rolling around on the wheel. When it landed on `3' he hit the button with his incredible reflexes. Instantly, little nails shot upwards to hold the ball in place. The wheel stopped spinning and it was revealed that Neji had one.

"Great job, kid. Not many people managed to do that on the first try before. Here's your prize," the man said, handing Neji what looked like a chibi version of Tsuchikage.

Kurama couldn't help but snicker at how `well-endowed' the chibi was. It was kind of cute.

Neji scowled and gave the chibi to Kurama, who accepted it and looked around for a kid to give it to. He found a young little girl staring at the prizes in the booth and, with his incredibly thieving skills, snuck the chibi into her small obi.

The two of them walked away, listening to the happy squeals of the young girl, whose mother had discovered it. Kurama had a pleasant smile on his face, and Neji was smiling softly as well.

`He truly is a kind person,' Neji thought to himself, smiling.

They played a few more random games, each time giving the prize to a child who was looking up at prizes with hopeful eyes. Near midnight, Kurama and Neji snuck away to find a nice spot to watch the fireworks. They found a tall building with a nice view of the sky, and settled down on the roof.

The first flash of colour went up with a whistle-like sound, and exploded into red, orange, and yellow. It was amazing to watch, and both Kurama and Neji found themselves staring in awe.

"I've never really watched fireworks since my father died," Neji whispered suddenly, causing Kurama to stare at him.

"Why not?" Kurama whispered back, smiling slightly at the fact that Neji was opening up to him.

"Because I no longer had someone precious to share it with…" the white-eyed boy said so quietly that Kurama wouldn't have heard it if he didn't have animal-sensitive ears. "But now I do, and I'm glad…" Neji said, smiling a full and true smile for the first time.

Kurama leaned over Neji and kissed him delicately on the lips. "I'm glad that you do…" he whispered into Neji's ear, giving it a little lick. The Hyuuga smiled again, and Kurama thought to himself, `He's so relaxed and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous when he smiles…' Kurama rewarded him with another tender and loving kiss. "I love you…" he whispered into Neji's ear, causing the boy to freeze.

"W-what?" Neji asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Kurama smiled gently down on Neji and said again, "I love you, Hyuuga Neji. I love everything about you. Your hair, your eyes, your talents, your strengths, your weaknesses, but most of all, I love your beautiful smile and your personality." He smiled at the shocked look on Neji's face.

"You love my bad points?" The Hyuuga asked softly.

Kurama smiled beautifully, "Of course. Loving a person is loving everything good and bad about them. That's the way love works."

"Would you still love me, if I showed you this?" Neji asked, taking off his headband and revealing the `Bird in the Cage' seal. "This is the seal that the Hyuuga main house mark all those of the branch house with. When forming a certain seal, it causes great pain and can even kill the branch member. It can instantly kill the branch member, deactivating their Byakugan as well, stealing away the branch member's birth right even at death. This is how the main house controls the branch, and we cannot do anything about it. Can you still love me even with this curse?" Neji asked, bitterness coating his words.

Kurama stared at the seal on Neji's forehead. He touched it absently, feeling the power of the seal thrum beneath his fingers. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss upon the marking.

Neji stared at Kurama with wide and surprised eyes.

"It is only a marking, Neji," Kurama explained tenderly, "And even if you think that it belittles you and makes you feel like your destiny is out of your control, I will always love you."

Tears of joy began to well up in Neji's eyes as he smiled at Kurama. "I love you too, Kurama," he whispered, before flipping them over and kissing Kurama with such love that the youko found himself drowning in it.

The night ended with the two curled up together, watching the last of the fireworks go off in the starry sky, smiles of content and happiness on their faces.

---Later That Week---

"Another mission? It isn't washing ANOTHER cat, is it? Those scratches took a while to heal," Kurama mumbled irritably. That cat's cuts had become infected, and that's the only reason why it didn't heal within the hour like any normal wound would have. He WAS a demon, after all.

"No, we're not washing another cat. This mission is…" Gai paused for effect. "FINDING a lost cat!!" he shouted heroically.

Both Kurama and Neji promptly sweatdropped. Kurama sighed and grumbled, "Then lets get it over with.

+I'm closing in on the prey+ Lee said into his microphone.

+I have you backed up+ Neji said.

+Prey in sight+

+Okay… NOW GET IT!+ said Gai.

The three of them jumped at the cat at the same time. The poor unsuspecting cat jumped out of the way, causing Lee and Neji to almost collide. Kurama, however, curved off after the cat and disappeared from sight.

+Kurama! This is a team effort!+ Gai shouted into the microphone.

+Sorry, but I really want to get this mission over with+

+That's not an excuse! Now trace the cat and wait for your team to catch up!+

+[sigh] Yes Gai-sensei+

Kurama followed the cat with an annoyed expression on his face. This was so DULL. Usually the D-rank missions were more exciting than THIS. Like gardening, for example… (only Kurama would think that more exciting)

+Target spotted, waiting for backup+ Kurama muttered into the microphone, hidden in the foliage.

+Good job. Stay put until the others arrive+

+Yes Gai-sensei+ It was so utterly boring, chasing after a cat…

Kurama smelt something funny on the air. His ears twitched when he the slightests of movements right behind him. Before he could react, hands covered his mouth and nose. Kurama tried to breath and took in some sort of chemical. `You idiot, Kurama…' he thought to himself before he descended into darkness…

(What would you do to me if I ended it here? [evil laugh])

+Kurama+ Gai said, +We have surrounded the target. Are you ready?+

Silence.

+Kurama?!+

Silence.

+Kurama! Answer me!+

Nothing but silence.

+Kurama! Can you hear me?!+

+Kurama?!+ Neji asked.

+Neji! Use Byakugan!+

+Yes+ Neji immediately activated his Byakugan and searched his surroundings. He caught no sight of red hair. +Gai! He disappeared!+

+Lee! Capture the target and end the mission!+

+Yes Gai-sensei!+

The cat was quickly caught and put in a cage they had taken along with them.

"Gai-sensei? Where is Kurama?" Lee asked, getting worried as they met in the middle of a clearing.

"I don't know, Lee. I will be right back to search for any sort of evidence," Gai said, completely serious for once. He disappeared, leaving an afterimage in his wake.

"What are we going to do now, Neji?" Lee asked, getting more worried by the minute.

Neji shook his head. "I don't know…" he said quietly. `Kurama, where are you?!' he thought to himself, panicking slightly. `Okay Neji, calm down. If you aren't in the right state of mind, finding Kurama will be impossible.'

Gai returned a few minutes later with a serious face. "I found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Kurama is incredible to hide his presence so easily in the forest, I couldn't even find his trail. The only thing I found was presence of another shinobi, a skilled one, to be able to capture Kurama like that… The shinobi left behind only the chemical residue of a gas. It knocks a person out instantly."

Both Neji and Lee's eyes were wide.

"I think its safe to say that Kurama has been kidnapped right under our noses."

---In the Stone Village---

"Tsuchikage-sama!" Gai said, his expression utter seriousness. "My student Minamino Kurama has been kidnapped during a D-rank mission. The kidnapper left behind no evidence aside from the residue of a knockout gas. I request that a team of ANBU recover my student immediately."

Tsuchikage's eyes widened slightly before narrowing. She became serious and thought over what had just happened. "I agree to your request. An ANBU squad will be sent out immediately to locate Minamino Kurama," she said, a deadly edge to her voice. After saying so, she gave orders to a messenger to retrieve an ANBU squad for her.

Gai turned to his two students. "There is nothing we can do until Kurama is located. We will return to the Akachi manor and wait for news," he said gravely.

Neji and Lee nodded their heads. Lee's expression openly showed his fear and worry. Neji's face had become stony cold.

They remained at the manor until late that night. Only then did they receive some news, and it wasn't pleasant.

"Tsuchikage wishes to see you," a messenger said.

The two genin and the jounin didn't wait for the messenger to say anything else before they shot off in the direction of her office.

"I have some bad news, Gai," Tsuchikage said. "My ANBU came back heavily wounded. At the moment they are unconscious. Kurama was not found, and the ANBU were ambushed in the forest by one man, they say. Things do not bode well…"

"What are you going to do now, Tsuchikage-sama?" Gai asked.

"I will send out three ANBU quads to locate and recover Minmino Kurama. This has now become an A-rank mission, possibly an S-rank. Kojii! I want ANBU squads 7, 6, and 2 to report to my office immediately!"

"Hai Tsuchikage-sama!" the messenger squeaked out before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

The three squads of ANBU appeared in the office with puffs of smoke, their attention focused solely on their kage.

"I want the nine of you to locate a missing person. His name is Minamino Kurama. He is 5'8" and has vibrant blood red hair and green eyes. He was kidnapped at approximately 10 AM. Find him and retrieve him."

"Wait! Tsuchikage-sama!" Gai exclaimed.

"Yes?"

"I request that we go with this ANBU squad. He is my student, and I am responsible for him as well as you are now. Please, will you allow us to go with them?" Gai asked.

Tsuchikage looked thoughtful. "Very well, you may go with them. I want the twelve of you to work together and stay together. Now, get going!"

Gai bowed to the Tsuchikage before the twelve of them left the office and ran across the village.

"Excuse me, Leaf jounin," the leader of the three squads said, running alongside Gai. "Where was the last place the target was located?"

"Follow me. Neji! If you can't keep up, follow us at a slight distance, okay? Lee! Take off your weights!"

"Hai Gai-sensei!" Lee said, stopping in his tracks to remove his weights. He was done quickly, and caught up with the group in an instant.

The ANBU were shocked at his speed.

"Let's go!" Gai shouted out, running through the forest to the place of their last mission.

"We were completing a D-rank mission. The objective was to capture a cat. Kurama went ahead and I ordered him to wait for us. He did so. When we were about to capture the cat, I asked Kurama if he was ready. I received no answer, and when I tried to find him, I only found the chemical residue of a knockout gas. Kurama has incredible stealth, and even I couldn't track his path. The same goes for the kidnapper," Gai explained."

"How could a genin have this kind of stealth?" one of the ANBU muttered to herself. "What is his history? Does he have any bloodline abilities that could help with his stealth?"

Gai frowned. He knew very little about his student just because of the fact that he wasn't in the village before the last year at the academy. "Kurama is a mystery to us all. He was a lost child out in the forest, and one of our ANBU found him and brought him back. He chose to become a shinobi, and I don't even know if he has a bloodline limit. He lost his memory, you see."

The ANBU who asked nodded her head and went back to trying to locate their target.

"Kai, use your ability to look back and locate the child," the leader ordered one of the ANBU.

"Hai."

Gai and his students stared at the ANBU as he went into a trance, although you really couldn't tell because of the mask on his face.

"The child… was waiting, watching a cat. A man dressed in black wearing a face mask snuck up behind the boy with a cloth in hand. The boy detected the kidnapper at the last moment, without any time to do anything before the cloth was put over his nose and mouth. He ran out of air and breathed in. Fell unconscious and was taken away…" the ANBU said in monotone before he started chasing after the unseen man, following where he went.

They were lead through the forest by the ANBU in a trance. Eventually, they came to what appeared to be only a clearing. The ANBU snapped out of his trance at the edge of the clearing.

"Eniwa, the target was taken into an underground establishment," the ANBU named Kai said.

"Good job

---With Kurama---

Kurama slowly opened his eyes to come face to face with a dark room. Attempting to move, he discovered that he was chained to the wall of what seemed to be a dungeon.

`Where am I?'

"You are probably wondering where you are, Kurama-kun?" a voice said from the shadows.

"Yes, as a matter of face, I am," Kurama said pleasantly. "Who might you be?"

"My name is…"

Cliffhanger! Mwahaha! I'm still in Vancouver right now, and I'm not on my road trip yet. Man, both chapter 20 and 21 in one day, nice, ne?