Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ Chapter 24

"You are... like a bitter pill... that I had to take... against my will!" -Tokio Hotel (Breakaway)

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It had been two days. Two terrible long days... The tension in the hotel had been nearly unbearable to all three occupants living in the large hotel. The three had only spoken to each other when it was absolutely necessary. The two ninja of the three pretty much stayed in their rooms for these two days. The foreigner, for one, was getting quite tired from the intense, uncomfortable atmosphere. She supposed that the Uchiha was still angry with her after what she had told him. She and he usually got along, too... It was a shame, really. Mayu... She had not been involved directly, but she still felt the effects of the high tension between her friends. It relatively put her in a foul mood as well.

Yasmine sighed wearily as she made sure she had everything she needed once again. Satisfied, she zipped up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She walked towards the door. Before exiting, however, she turned and glanced back at the silent room. She opened her mouth, but then closed it again. What was the point of announcing that she was off to work when no one would respond? With another sigh, Yasmine turned and closed the door behind her. She knew that until Sasuke stopped his sulking, Mayu would not come out of her mood either. Sometimes it was such a pain that the two ninja were in sync.

Yasmine frowned as she walked out of the Uchiha district. “I guess it’s my fault, too,” she thought. She had yet to even try to apologize to Sasuke for her rude comments. “I guess I have to make it up to him somehow…” How she was going to accomplish this task–she had not a clue. Sasuke was barely talking to her as things were. “Kidnapping seems to be my only option,” the foreigner murmured. The teen suddenly heard a noise. It sounded much like something crashing against the ground.

She whirled around, looking for the source of the noise. Her brown eyes fell on a tree. She saw a strange shadow behind the tree. She tilted her head, and then smiled. Yasmine turned back around and continued her walk. “Did she notice…?” The man behind the tree sweated lightly as he took a peek. He saw that the foreigner had continued to move away. He released a soft sigh, and then continued tail after his gaki.

True, the Hokage had been ordered him not to follow the girl around any longer. His mission to watch the foreigner had long since been over, but… he just couldn’t stop. “She seems happier. Did she make up with Neji-kun?” he silently wondered as he watched her back. “But what could she mean by kidnapping?” The porcelain masked man carefully stayed a safe distance away from the foreign person. She had not looked back since the last time, so she must have assumed that the noise he’d made was an animal. Pretty soon, the teenager would reach town and he would have to stop following her.

The ANBU operative frowned as he watched her from behind another tree. He wished that he could speak with her–if only for a moment. The last time that had encountered, he had practically made himself an enemy to her. She probably thought of him as a stalker now. The very thought brought tears to the man’s eyes. “And to think I just got Neji-kun to make up with her! I hope Yasmine doesn’t hate me!” he thought.

“Just talk to her, you dolt!” a new voice whispered in his ear.

Shivers went up and down the man’s back. He released a startled cry as he moved away from the tree. Luckily, Yasmine was too far away to hear by now. The man glared at the porcelain wolf mask in rage. “Shigeru-kun…! Quit sneaking up on me like that!” he hissed. Shigeru merely crossed his arms and leaned against the tree.

“Not my fault you’re an idiot, Jano-chan,” the man replied.

“Don’t call me that!” Jano could tell right away that his comrade was smirking at him, just by his posture alone. “And quit following me while you’re at it!” The ANBU operative turned his back to his comrade.

Shigeru pushed himself away from the tree and walked beside Jano. He was taller and had a bigger build than his comrade, hence why he referred to Jano with a ‘chan’ at the end of his name. He had also been smaller than any other member of ANBU. Really, everyone in his squad called him Jano-chan, something that irritated the man to no end. “You really have no room to say that. After all, it is you who is following that girl,” Shigeru stated. “I thought your mission to follow her was over. Don’t tell me you have fallen in love with the foreigner!” The bigger man gave a hearty chuckle.

“She’s half my age, you ass–almost the same age as my younger brother! Why would I fall with love with such a gaki?” Jano tried to speed up, but the taller man only matched his pace with ease. He grumbled angrily. Being shorter than most men had its disadvantages. “She’s just someone I used to know, that’s all!” A hand landed on his shoulder, preventing him from moving any further. He turned back to his comrade with an angry expression. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He noticed that Shigeru had taken off his mask. His short, messy, platinum blond bangs nearly covered his pale Hyuga eyes. This man was a member of the Branch family, and to show his resentment to the Main family, he cut his hair and dyed it. He also worked hard to gain the muscles that he has now, since the Hyuga clan were known for their lightweight bodies.

“You really think you can just waltz into town looking like you belong to ANBU? The Hokage would have your head for sure,” Shigeru stated. “ANBU don’t normally walk around in broad daylight with their uniforms on.” The man released Jano’s shoulder, and then formed the proper hand signs complete a transformation jutsu. Instead of transforming his face, his clothes changed from his uniform to normal clothes.

“Oh… I forgot…” Jano murmured, slightly embarrassed. He pulled off his porcelain falcon mask to reveal a feminine face for a man. He blinked–not used to the amount of sunlight–and then pulled off his black hood. He took off his cloak, revealing his ANBU armor. He folded his cloak around his mask, and then put the items into his bag. He then carried out the transformation jutsu. “How is this…?” he asked, turning his greenish black eyes to his friend and comrade. His high ponytail swayed in the gentle breeze that came.

Shigeru flushed at the sight of his companion in regular clothes. Jano took a wary step back. The taller man suddenly leapt at him, causing his eyes to grow wide. Quickly, Jano jumped up and kneed Shigeru before he could ‘glomp’ him. The bigger man fell to the ground, rubbing his forehead. “Aw, Jano-chan, I can’t help it if you look so much like a woman! You’re so cute!” Shigeru explained. He took up and tried to hug his friend again. “How about a kiss?”

“How about I beat you senseless…?!” Jano screamed, raising his fist, threatening to hit him. A stress mark had appeared on his forehead.

The well-built man put his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright…! Don’t bite my head off. It was just a joke!” Shigeru protested.

“A joke that you seem to like using a little too much! And I don’t look like a woman!” Jano nearly hissed. Shigeru chuckled lightly. It was so much fun teasing his friend like this. “Anyway, anyway…!” The man jogged ahead, and then turned. “Don’t follow me anymore!”

“Ah, so you’re finally going to speak with her, are you?” Shigeru asked. “It’s about time.” Jano blushed in embarrassment.

“Shut up…! It’s none of your business!” he shouted, and then turned on his heel. His comrade smiled, before heading after him. “Why are you still following me?!” Jano screeched. Other villagers stopped what they were doing and looked at the two.

Shigeru shrugged, and then shoved his hands into his pockets. He continued walking even as Jano stopped. “I guess I want to meet the foreigner as well,” he answered. Angry, Jano moved faster to catch up.

“It’s none of your business!” he repeated. Shigeru stopped his walk. Jano did not notice this and bumped right into the man’s back. He stepped back, grabbing his head. “Itai… Why did you-” he opened his eyes to see his comrade staring down at him with an intense look. Jano stood paralyzed under his stare. Normally, Shigeru didn’t give these kinds of looks. He was generally a laidback person.

“None of my business…?” he narrowed his eyes. “How is it not my business when I had to watch my friend drink to cope with the departure of this foreigner? How is it not my business when I had to drag my drunken friend home every night and watch him cry in his sleep about some Yasmine girl?” Shigeru bared his teeth as he remembered those certain memories. “How is it not my business when I had to stop my friend from killing a four-year-old because you just knew he had something to do with the foreigner leaving? How is it not my business when my friend got demoted by the Third Hokage because he had become a drunken fool who couldn’t carry out the simplest missions?” With each repetitive question, Jano’s head sunk further and further down in shame. He had no idea how his behavior had effected his friend.

“Ano… Go-Gomen, Shigeru-kun… I didn’t know you felt that way…” he murmured.

Shigeru stood up straight. He blinked in surprise. Tears were welling up in his friend’s greenish black eyes. He put on a bright smile. “Now, now, it’s okay! It’s all in the past! You’re better today and the Fifth Hokage promoted you, so that’s all that matters!” he exclaimed. Jano rubbed his eyes.

“But I obviously hurt you…” he said. “I was ignorant of this the entire time. I guess you can come along with me then.”

Shigeru smirked. He tapped his left cheek lightly. “But to call it even for all the pain I went through for you, how about a little kiss?” he asked. Jano gave him a flat look. Shigeru waited in anticipation with his eyes closed. Instead of kissing him, Jano reared his arm back, and then punched the cheek that his friend was tapping. Crying out, Shigeru fell to the ground. Jano forcibly stepped on his stomach and continued walking to Kitty Paradise. Shigeru turned over, holding his stomach. He reached out for his friend, tears streaming like waterfalls down his cheeks. “Matte, Jano-chan…! I was kidding, kidding!”

“I changed my mind! You can not come with me!”
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Dark eyes scanned over the ID before peering up at the newcomer. His eyes continued to look back and forth between the stranger and his ID. “Your name is Kazuhiro Zai…?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Nodding his head, the dark green eyed man gave a small smile. “Hm… And why is it that you’ve come to Konoha?” They were all routine questions for any person trying to enter the Hidden village. Not many non-ninja entered a Hidden village, so when one did, it called for suspicion.

“I am here in Konoha to open up my own business! It is my dream to-” the guard interrupted Zai before he could finish.

“I didn’t ask for your whole life story. Frankly, I don’t really care,” the man said. Zai frowned at his words. He didn’t have to be rude about it… “Now, what village do you hail from?”

“…”

“Okay… whatever… I don’t care,” the guard handed Zai’s ID back as well as a pass. “Please enjoy your stay in Konoha.” The man sighed as if he didn’t care whether or not his stay was pleasant.

“If everyone in Konoha is like you, then I certainly won’t enjoy it,” Zai muttered as he walked away from the stand. The man narrowed his dark green eyes as he placed his hat over his hair again. “I’m not even here to enjoy Konoha. I’m here for strictly business,” the man thought. He pulled a picture from his pocket. His informant managed to snap a photo of the person he was supposed to deliver. His green eyes focused on the snapshot as he walked. His cheeks turned slightly pink as he continued to stare. “What a cute girl… What could Akatsuki want with someone who looks so innocent?” Zai sighed, and then pocketed the photograph. It was really none of his business. His green eyes scanned the surrounding area. It was time to start scouting. He was on a time limit, after all. He had to find the girl, follow her, capture her, and leave the village all before nightfall.

This assignment would prove to be especially bothersome. Not only was his working for the Akatsuki, but he was also delivering a young girl to them as well. He mind as well have been a common criminal, no different from those bandits. That certain thought made him feel guilty. His past assignments never involved an actual kidnapping. Usually, they involved lost or stolen items. With his abilities, it was easy to get back the items.

The price for his services was much cheaper than what ninja were paid, which is why he was never unemployed for a long period of time. But it was also because of this that he had no place to live. Someday soon though, he would have his own house–some place where there was a lot of open space. It would be thanks to this assignment that his dream seemed closer than ever. For this one girl, those two men planned on giving him a hefty amount of money. With that much money, it would only take a few more jobs to get the right number in order to buy a house. And afterwards… Zai could finally focus solely on finding himself a good woman to settle down with. A slight smile appeared on the man’s face as he thought about it. “I wonder… if there’s a woman out there for me,” he thought.

Suddenly, Zai felt as if he was getting bowled over. He fell to the ground in surprise. He sat up, coughing. A cloud of dust had appeared. Finally clearing his throat, he looked up to see what had caused such chaos in such a much amount of time. What he saw was the back of a young girl. She was running at a quick pace away from him. “Hey…! Where’s the fire?!” he shouted. Hearing his shout, the girl turned her head, not ceasing her run. Zai’s dark green eyes expanded at the sight of her face.

“Go-Gom-Gomennasai…!” she apologized as she continued to run further and further away. Zai blinked twice before standing. He dusted himself off, picked up his hat, and then smirked. He could hardly believe it. He hadn’t even really searched for her, and she had come, literally, crashing into him! This job was going to be too easy. He’d have his dream life in no time at all.

“Now, I just have to follow her around until she’s alone. I might even have her before noon at this rate,” Zai thought. He placed the hat back on his head, and then moved in the direction he had last seen the foreign person go.
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“Ah…! Well if it isn’t Jano-san…!” the receptionist chirped, smiling at the two people who had come into the building. Shigeru half-heartedly glared at the ringing bell that had alerted the woman to their presence. He was used to getting into places without being detected. “Haven’t seen you in a long time. Planning on getting a massage?” Jano shook his head.

“No, I’m here to talk with my sister. Is she in?” he asked. The receptionist tapped her lip and looked towards the ceiling in thought.

“Hohoho… You didn’t tell me we were going to speak with your hot sister!” Shigeru said with a grin. He slicked his hair back, ignoring the fact it went back to the way it originally was. “How do I look?”

“Like a damn fool,” Jano answered, not looking back at his comrade.

“You’re so mean, Jano-chan!”

“Yeah, she’s in…” the receptionist finally answered, sweat dropping at the bizarre conversation that went on between the two males. “But she hasn’t had her tea yet. Are you sure you want to talk with her?”

“Yes, this is an emergency!”

The receptionist nodded, stood, and then disappeared by the door, leading to the back. Jano’s eyebrow twitched. He could practically sense that his friend was still grinning at the thought of his older sister. “I can’t wait to see her again,” Shigeru chuckled. “And she hasn’t had her tea yet. She’ll be more feisty than normal. Hohoho…!” Jano sighed heavily, and then turned to face his friend.

“Why must you feel the need to flirt everyone in my family?” he asked.

“I do it because everyone in your family is so cute. Hell, I would flirt with your father if he didn’t give me broken ribs every time he sees me,” Shigeru answered, truthfully. “And he only does that because I hit on his wife when he was in the room. How was I supposed to know they were married? Talk about overreacting, ne?” The man laughed, ignorant of the flat look he was receiving from his friend. An unidentified object suddenly soared pass his head. Shigeru immediately stopped laughing. He cracked his pale eyes open to see that a heel had been embedded into the wall right beside his head. Had that impact been closer, Shigeru surely would have needed medical attention. Pale eyes moved over to the person responsible for throwing such an object. “Ju-Junko-chan… Always a pleasure…!”

“Indeed,” the woman replied, impassively. Her red lips frowned as he green eyes shifted over to Jano, who chuckled nervously at the severe look he was getting.

“Ane, I see you haven’t had your morning tea yet,” he remarked.

“Hm… What is it that you want, otouto?” Junko asked, narrowing her eyes. Jano cleared his throat before speaking. His older sister could be very intimidating with or without the tea.

“I wish to speak with one of your employees!” He spoke with a clear and confident voice, something not many would think of doing in the face of a disgruntled Junko. The woman stared long and hard at her younger brother. Her face remained emotionless.

“No,” she finally answered, causing Jano’s world to shatter.

“Ane…! I beg of you! I have been waiting for this meeting for a long time! You can’t do this to me! I’m your brother for crying out loud!” Jano nearly screamed. Junko merely scoffed at his protests. She folded her arms, and then smirked.

“The girls here are much too young for you, my dear otouto. Perhaps, it is time for you to get an older woman to settle down it?” she said.

“It’s not like that!” Jano shouted. “Just let me talk to the foreigner! Just a moment is all I ask!”

“Hm… When you’re this way, you look so much like okaasan when she’s PMSing,” Junko responded. Shigeru snickered while Jano looked about ready to explode. “The foreigner…?” she thought. “How very specific… What does he want with Yasmine?” Junko rolled her green eyes at the sight of her younger brother blubbering in front of her. Her eyes sudden grew wide as realization hit her. “She’s not… her, is she?” Junko asked out loud.

Jano sniffed but nodded his head. “Yes, she’s my gaki! Please let me see her!” he ordered. Shigeru rolled his eyes.

“Teh…!” Junko closed her eyes in thought. “To think Yasmine was the girl who had twisted his life upside down!” she thought. “I can hardly believe she was with me this entire time!” Her brother never really told her the name of the kid he had to take care of twelve years ago.

“Are you going to let me see her or not?”

“First of all, stop crying. You’re a thirty-two year old man–act like it!” Junko commanded. Jano frowned at his sister’s words, yet did as he was told nonetheless. He wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. He couldn’t help it he was a bit sensitive! “Second of all, she’s not even here yet, so you’re just going to have to wait fo-”

The bell rang, signifying that someone had entered the business establishment. The sound of a panting girl reached the three adults’ ears, causing them all to turn towards the door. She was breathing as if she had just run a marathon. In her hand was a closed container. “I… I ha-have it! I have her t-tea! We-We… We’re all saved!” the girl wheezed.

“I am not that bad!” Junko grumbled. She walked over to the shocked foreigner and snatched the container away.

“Master Junko…! I didn’t know you were–you’re usually in the back!” the girl exclaimed. “Pardon me for my inso-”

The older woman waved off the foreigner’s words. She took the cap off and sniffed the contents. “Good, it’s still hot,” she murmured. A slightly annoyed looked appeared on Yasmine’s face.

“When will you stop making me get your tea for you?” she asked. Junko sipped a bit of the tea before replying. Her green eyes looked to Yasmine, full of mirth.

“Whenever you bring in morning customers, of course… Your normal clients don’t come in until noon. I can’t have you doing nothing, now, can I?” Junko asked. “But I have nothing more for you to do today, I’ll let you leave. But you must be back in time for your clients. Also, don’t even think of changing out of your costume.” Yasmine began to protest, but Junko had already disappeared by the door. It was then that she noticed the two men in the room. One was smaller than the other, and his back was turned. The bigger of the two, however, was looking at her with interest.

“Hyuga eyes…” she thought, blinking. “Are you clients? Which ‘kitten’ does your massage? Maybe I can help…?” Yasmine asked out loud. The bigger man smiled. The foreigner tilted her head in confusion. The muscular man’s smile grew bigger.

“What a cute foreigner you are!” Shigeru said. Yasmine blinked again. What a weird guy, she thought. “I almost can’t believe you know her, Jano-chan!” Yasmine’s body tensed when she heard the name. The other man… Her brown eyes slowly shifted over to the smaller of the two males. His back was still turned, but she did notice that he, too, had become tense.

“Ja-Jano-san…?” Yasmine whispered. The man seemed to flinch. He, at a snail's pace, turned to face the foreigner. The teen’s brown eyes widen at the sight of his face. She backed up almost as if she couldn’t believe it. “Kaasan…? Is it-” Jano smirked.

“What did I tell you about calling me that in public, gaki?” he asked, pretending to scold the teen. It was silent for a few moments. A smile spread across Yasmine’s face. Jano smiled as well. For a moment, he saw the little foreign girl, that he used to take care of, running towards him with open arms. He extended his arms, allowing the teen to leap into them. “Gaki…!” Jano breathed, more thankful than he had been in years.

“Kaasan…!” Yasmine cried, hugging the man tighter. Her legs were wrapped around him as well. Shigeru pouted, feeling a bit left out from the touching moment.

“How come you never let me glomp you?” he asked. Jano sent his friend an evil look, telling him to shut his trap. “I’m just saying…” he grumbled.
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Dark green eyes slowly moved across the page, pretending to read the words of the novel. In actuality, he was listening to the conversation that was happening in the next booth behind him. Zai had discreetly followed three people to this restaurant. One of the three had been his target, the other two he had no idea who they were. He assumed that one of them was a Hyuga, based on his eyes, but he looked so different from an average Hyuga clan member, so he wasn’t sure about the observation.

Although Zai didn’t know who the two were, judging from their encounter at ‘Kitty Paradise,’ he guessed they the young girl and the womanly looking male had been separated and had just met again after many years. He couldn’t quite figure out the relationship. She had called him ‘kaasan’ as if he were actually her mother. He could understand if she got words mixed up, after all, she was a foreigner. But why would he keep allowing her to call him that. “It’s a strange term of endearment…” Zai thought, narrowing his eyes. He flipped a page in his novel, still pretending to read. He pressed his back against the back of the seat, straining his ears to listen to what his target was saying.

“Jano-san, you look almost exactly the same as before!” Yasmine chirped over in the next booth over. She was sitting across from two men that accompanied her to the restaurant. Earlier, the foreign teen had suggested they go somewhere to catch up. The man smiled lightly.

“And yet you’ve grown up so much. It’s almost hard to believe that you were as tall as my knee twelve years ago!” Jano commented. Yasmine grinned, and then turned her eyes to the other male.

“Forgive me, I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Yasmine Dalton,” she stated. She bowed her head lightly. “And you would be…? A friend of kaasan…?”

“Oh, Shigeru-kun, he is my-” Jano began, but was interrupted.

Shigeru forcefully grabbed his friend’s chin and brought his face closer to his own. “I am his partner,” he announced, moving closer. Yasmine’s eyebrows furrowed. “Jano-chan and I are very close. I am his seme!” Shigeru was knocked out of the seat caused by a punch to the stomach. He wailed in pain on the floor. “Jano-chan’s so mean to me!” The smaller male frowned, turning his full attention to the foreign teen, who looked very much confused. She had no idea what a ‘seme’ was…

“Don’t mind him, Yasmine. He is only a fool,” Jano said. The teen hesitantly nodded her head. She turned her eyes away from the injured man. Her former caretaker smiled at her, completely ignoring the gasps of pain from his comrade. “So tell me… Where did you go? Where have you been all this time? Did you go to another village? How did you get back here? Why did you wait so long to return?” Yasmine’s smile dropped slightly. It was an action that did not go unnoticed by the ANBU operative.

“My departure and return to Konoha… it’s all very complicated. I do not know the cause of my arrival to this village when I was four. I also do not know the cause of my leaving at the same age. However, I do know that it was a jutsu that brought me back,” she explained. Jano gave her a confused expression. He had never taught her how to mold chakra so that she could use jutsu. There was no way that she carried out a transportation jutsu. “You found me hurt and in the rain, didn’t you?” Jano nodded his head. “Well, the last thing I remember before that was my uncle. He cut me with a beer bottle, which is why I have this thing on my back.” The man’s eyes grew wide. What an inhumane thing to do to a four-year-old! This uncle of hers–he must be dealt with. “When I left this place, the last thing I remember was running. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was running. I fell off a cliff. I thought I was going to die, and yet, I ended back with my violent uncle. He was absolutely infuriated. He-” the foreigner stopped and turned her eyes to the table. “Well, long story short, I ended up with Mayu and her grandmother. Her grandmother became my caretaker, and I became Mayu’s precious friend. Mayu is originally from this village, so when she decided to come back, she brought me along with her, using a jutsu that her real mother used.”

“I… see…” Jano sweated. Even though he said this, he did not fully understand the words his gaki was saying. He could tell that she was not giving the full story. But remembering seemed to upset her. He didn’t want that to happen just when they were finally reunited. “Yasmine, what about your friendship with Neji-kun? How was your reunion?” The teen grinned.

“To tell you the truth, I smacked him across the face. I suppose I was angry with him for what he said to me all those years ago. I guess I overreacted. I actually thought about killing him! And our next encounter after that… well, let’s just say it got a little violent,” she answered. Jano had a sweat drop sliding down his head as he chuckled nervously. He had experienced the same rage when he found out Yasmine was gone. Perhaps, the girl had picked up on his behavior when he took care of her… “Demo… It’s okay, now. Neji Meji and I are friends again.” She held up her hand to show the cut that had been made. “I got this from that glass bird. Neji Meji has a similar cut on his hand, too. I might have never forgiven him if it wasn’t for that bird.” Yasmine gave a big smile. “You repaired and kept it for years. Arigatou, kaasan…!”

Jano stared, open-mouth at the foreigner. Yasmine looked confused at his expression, yet continued to smile. “Ga-Gaki…! You’ve gotten so…” The man suddenly lunged at Yasmine, who accepted the gesture with open arms. “KAWAII!” The teen only smiled as the man hugged her. I was a little weird that his lower body was still on the table while his arms were around her neck, but she didn’t mind. Jano released the girl, and returned to his position.

“What about you, kaasan? How have you been?” Yasmine asked. The ANBU operative frowned at her question. “What is it…?”

“I made a lot of bad decisions after you disappeared,” Jano confessed. “I… tried to attack Neji-kun when I realized that you weren’t at the apartment.” The man bowed his head. “After I was stopped, I searched for you everywhere. I looked for you for days, and yet you were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t find you. I kept telling myself that you were somewhere, and that I would find you, and yet I didn’t. Months went passed, and I couldn’t cope with the reality that you were gone. I started drinking a lot. I wouldn’t stop. I wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t do much of anything, anymore. I would just drink and drink. Eventually, the Third took away my rank and demoted me. I had officially become a drunken fool.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “It wasn’t until my little brother wanted to become a ninja did I start to straighten up. I wanted him to view me as a… superhero–something you called me. So I began to pick myself up again.”

“I’m glad, kaasan. If I ever came back earlier than I did and saw you in that state, I probably wouldn’t like you very much,” Yasmine commented. Jano looked up in surprise. “My uncle drank excessively when I lived with him. Ever since I left, I wanted nothing to do with anyone who drank too much like he did.”

“Well… then… it’s a good thing you came back so late! But I’m happy you came back at all,” Jano said. “I’ve missed you, gaki.” Yasmine smiled, showing her teeth. She noticed that the way Jano showed affection then was different from the way he showed affection now.

Yasmine had heard about something like this in her Relationships class. Normally, the attachment between a child and caregiver is the primary source of safety and stability in a child's life. Lack of a secure attachment can result in a loss of core capacities for self-regulation and interpersonal relatedness. Children exposed to complex trauma often experience lifelong problems that place them at risk for additional trauma exposure and other difficulties, including psychiatric and addictive disorders, chronic medical illness, and legal, vocational, and family problems. Jano must have also gone through the trauma of losing her, just as she had gone through trauma. The effects of his trauma must’ve been reversed. He had regressed back to younger mentality, while she had gotten a mature mentality. “The mind works in strange ways,” Yasmine thought. “But I’m glad that Jano-san has come back into my life.”

The teen opened her brown eyes. It was then that she spotted a hat. It was the same hat that she had seen earlier. She, however, couldn’t remember where she had seen it. She found it very odd to see a characteristic of an extra twice in one day. It had never happened before. Wait… it did happen before. That Sora kid kept appearing for days. Yasmine had assumed that he was a filler character. She had never really watched the Shippuden episodes. She had only read the manga, so she wasn’t sure. Yasmine narrowed her eyes. “But why do I have a bad feeling about it,” she thought.
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Sasuke silently moved through the hotel. After taking a quick shower, he had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast. Currently, he was sneaking upstairs again. It was a shame that he had to sneak around his own place, and yet it was vital. Mayu could not be awakened from her slumber while his task was incomplete. Despite that, he still went towards her room. He had done this yesterday, why not today as well?

Quietly, he opened her door. As usually, the teen was still sleeping. Whenever they didn’t have missions for a few days, she always slept in late. When she did wake, she usually eats, and then trains for the rest of the day. She would come home exhausted, staggering into bed. Only if there was an interruption in her routine would she do something different.

Sasuke walked over to her bed. Mayu was lying on her side. Her arms were wrapped around the pillow as if it were a stuffed animal. The Uchiha teen smiled at the expression on the teen’s face. When she wasn’t fighting in her sleep, she was actually quite cute. Sasuke moved her hair from her face with his fingers. He leaned forward until his lips were centimeters away from Mayu’s ear. “I’ll be done soon,” he whispered, and then pulled away. Mayu’s face scrunched up, but then relaxed again. Sasuke took one last glance at the kunoichi before heading out. He silently closed the door behind him. He sighed lightly. “Just a few more things and everything will be finished.”

He began to make his way downstairs. The preparations he had started were finally coming to an end. And it was all thanks to his friend’s help. Speaking of the loud mouth blond… He was currently giving him his trademark grin. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes. “How did you even get in here?” he asked.

“The door, how else?” Naruto responded, standing from the couch. “Ready to finish this?” Sasuke nodded his head. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a keychain. There were several keys on the chain. He tossed them to Naruto, who effortlessly caught it. “You want me to go on ahead?”

“Yeah, I have to go into town to get a few things,” Sasuke answered. “Try not to break anything this time.” Naruto suddenly turned angry. He was about to start shouting at his friend, but was interrupted. “Need I remind you that if you start yelling, I will cause you to go through the most painful experience?” The blond instantly shut his mouth. He had already been warned not to shout while Mayu was asleep. Once when they were younger, Sasuke was just watching Mayu was she slept. Unknowing of this, he had burst into the room, telling him that it was time to spar. Sasuke had not been merciful at all. The beatings Sakura used to give him were nothing compared to what Sasuke had done. Naruto visibly shuddered. The Uchiha only smirked at the scared look he was getting. “Well, I’ll meet you there, dobe.”
***********************************

The Uchiha teen walked down the street at a slow pace. He wasn’t worried about being late. Chances are Naruto would get bored waiting, and then start using his Shadow Clones. If that happens again, the project would be done sooner than expected. At this rate, it would be finished before the sun sets. Sasuke smirked at the thought. He would be able to put everything on the table. Mayu would have no choice but to- “Sasuke…?” The Uchiha teen stopped walking and turned his head. Coming towards him with a smile on her face was the foreigner, who was living with him and Mayu. “I thought that was you! You’re the only one with this hairstyle.” Sasuke twitched, but allowed the foreign teen to catch up with him.

“Why are you so happy?” Sasuke asked, continuing his walk. Yasmine followed after him, trying to match his pace. The Uchiha wasn’t making it easy for her, even though he knew he was taller. Still, the smile remained.

“Oh, I just got finished speaking with Jano-san!” she answered. Sasuke looked slightly confused. “He was my caretaker when I was four. It’s been so long since we last talked.” Sasuke made a sound. He wasn’t even aware that she lived in Konoha before, but then again, she and Neji stated that they used to be friends when they were young. Perhaps it was that time–twelve years ago–that all this went down for those two–no, three. “But enough about me. I really wanted to talk to you.”

The Uchiha teen raised an eyebrow. Normally, the two of them rarely talked with one another, yet they were comfortable in each other’s presence. There was really no need for the two of them to talk. “You want to talk to me? Something about Mayu…?” he asked. The foreign person shook her head. She grabbed his hand, pulling him in the opposite direction. “Wh-What are you doing?” Instead of answering, Yasmine continued to drag him down the street. She didn’t stop until they were in front of a familiar building. “Why are we here?”

“To talk, of course…!” Yasmine finally answered. She pushed opened the door, waved to the receptionist, and dragged Sasuke to the back. It wasn’t long before they were in Yasmine’s very own room. She pushed Sasuke towards the bed. He glared at her, annoyed. “We’re alone now.”

“Thanks for stating the obvious, but why are-” Sasuke’s dark eyes widen in surprise. Yasmine had just suddenly hugged him. His confusion turned into a sudden fear. A shiver had gone through his body. His eyes slowly moved towards the door. What he saw was a very annoyed looking Hyuga Neji staring back at him. His left eye was twitching every so often. “It’s not what it looks like!” Sasuke exclaimed, pushing the foreign teen away.

Perplexed, brown eyes also turned to the door. Yasmine blinked, and then smiled. “Neji, you’re here earlier than I expected. I didn’t think that messenger bird would reach you so quickly,” she remarked. Yasmine moved towards Neji, pulled him into the room, and the closed the door.

“You are not supposed to use messenger birds for this type of situation. I thought it was an emergency, which is why I ran here,” Neji said, keeping a glare on Sasuke. The Uchiha was visibly sweating.

It was no secret that the Hyuga was especially protective of the foreigner. That is the reason why most young males were very much wary of Yasmine, or just flat out avoided her. That was also a huge reason why she had so little customers. Sasuke turned his eyes away. “I think my life as been shortened…” he thought.

“Now that we’re all here, we can talk,” Yasmine stated. “In case you’re still wondering, I’m talking about the party I had.” Both ninja tensed. “I wanted to apologize. I knew things would get out of hand with you two in the same room, but I still wanted you both to be there. I was selfish, and so I ask for your forgiveness.”

Sasuke scoffed. “It doesn’t matter. It was Hyuga’s fault,” he said.

“Yaya-chan, you don’t have to feel guilty for him,” Neji said at the same time. The two turned their eyes to each other and glared. “I dare you to say that again, Uchiha.”

“I’ll say it five times more if that’s what you want!”

Yasmine watched the two with a sweat drop sliding down her head. Things had escalated in a matter of seconds. This Uchiha/Hyuga rivalry has way too much tension. This competition wasn’t healthy at all, in her opinion. Even Sesshomaru and Inuyasha’s rivalry wasn’t this bad… She sighed loudly, gaining the attention of the two shinobi. “Why do you two always fight?” Yasmine asked. “I get along with both of you, and that’s because you two have similar characteristics.”

“Nani…?! I’m not the same as him!” both ninja exclaimed.

“I didn’t say the same. I said similar characteristics.”

“But we’re totally different.”

“No, I don’t think that’s correct. And please do not speak to me in that manner when I’m trying to apologize,” Yasmine requested. Sasuke frowned, yet did not speak again. “I’m not saying you have to like one another… I’m just saying that I don’t want what happened to happen again. I think as long as you two don’t talk about the other’s family, then everything would be fine. I will also try my best not to bring up sensitive subjects… unless the situation calls for it.”

The two shinobi stared at the foreign teen, bewildered. They did not know what she meant by ‘unless the situation calls…’ This only added to their opinion that she was weird. “I have no problem following this,” Neji was the first to speak.

“Like I said before, it doesn’t matter,” Sasuke responded. Yasmine gave a big grin.

“Great, I’m glad that everything’s settled!” she said. The foreigner dramatically pointed a finger at the Uchiha. “Now, Sasuke, I want you to strip!”

It was quiet for a full minute. Yasmine slowly dropped her arm, suddenly feeling awkward. The looks she was getting from both Neji and Sasuke were intimidating. “She definitely meant for a massage,” Sasuke coughed. “Right, Yasmine…?”

“What else would I mean?” she asked, tilting her head a bit. Neji’s eye twitched.

“Yes, she is definitely naively mature,” he thought.

“There’s no need for that,” Sasuke said.

“Nonsense…!” Yasmine slapped a hand down on his shoulder. “This is to further apologize for the things I mentioned that night. If you and I continue to have this strained relationship, Mayu wouldn’t be very happy… as you’ve noticed. You don’t want to make her unhappy, do you?”

Sasuke’s eyebrow jerked at her words. She was definitely using blackmail against him. The foreign teen wasn’t as innocent as one would initially think. Grumbling, Sasuke began to undress. Yasmine quickly turned away to give him some privacy. “Neji Meji, thanks for coming today,” she smiled at him. The Hyuga nodded his head, keeping his eyes on the foreigner. “Sorry if I interrupted training.”

“No, I was only taking a break,” Neji replied. He leaned in closer. “Will you be alright?” he whispered. Yasmine cupped a hand over her mouth and whispered back.

“Don’t worry, Neji. Sasuke is much too in love with Mayu to runaway from this. Besides, before he gets too far, I’ll take him down and bring him back! I usually have to use this against a perverted customer, but with Sasuke–he’s an exception.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Neji said in a flat voice. “And what do you mean perverted customer?”

Yasmine snickered, and then shoved Neji towards the door. “Now, out you go! Come back anytime!” She closed the door after the Hyuga had exited. She turned to Sasuke, who already had a towel wrapped around him. He was also already lying on the bed. “That… was only a diversion, Sasuke… I’m not giving you a massage. You’d have to pay for it. Heck, I think I’d be killed if I was the first to touch you.” Sasuke glared at the foreigner. “But I really do need to talk you about what I said.”

The Uchiha teen sat up. Yasmine had such a serious look on her face. Rarely did he see that. Actually, he had never seen her with such a serious expression. He had seen happy and angry, but not serious. “What is it?” he asked. Yasmine moved closer.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been had enough for Mayu and myself to move out of your hotel,” she said. Sasuke’s eyes grew wide. “I haven’t said anything because I can see how much you care for Mayu, so I wanted to give you a chance to tell her how you feel. But… you haven’t taken the initiative at all. Was I right, Sasuke? Are you afraid to tell her how you feel?” Sasuke did not respond. “You and Mayu are so indecisive when it comes to your feelings. I was hoping you would man up by now, but you’re being so hesitant. It’s gotten annoying, really. I’m getting tired of you two dancing around each other.” The foreigner crossed her arms as she continued to give Sasuke a piercing look. It was something that she had obviously, yet unknowingly picked up from Neji. “Do you want your dream to be postponed over and over again?”

“No, I-”

“Then you have a decision, Sasuke,” Yasmine interrupted. “Where I come from, most people are very blunt, so here’s me not beating around the bush… You have a very limited time period before I tell Mayu about the apartment that I found for us to live in. If by that time, you and Mayu are not closer, I will take her away from you. And if that’s the case, I will view you as not good enough for her. I will no longer see you as a person that she will marry, but rather as another guy trying to have a one-night stand with her. Mayu may put on a strong act, but it is her that is in need.”

“I know…” Sasuke bowed his head.

Yasmine stared at the Uchiha for a moment before smiling. She pushed his hair from his face, causing Sasuke to look at her in surprise. “You’re lucky that I like you, Sasuke,” she mentioned. Both of her hands touched his shoulders. She smirked. “Otherwise, I would take her away without any notice, so good luck in your pursuit, onii-chan!” Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows together at the foreign teen’s strange behavior. He watched her walk away. She smiled again at him before closing the door behind her. “You can change now.”

“Onii-chan…?” Sasuke repeated in thought. “Isn’t she older than me?” The Uchiha teen frowned. “Damn…” he murmured. The foreigner’s sudden ultimatum certainly couldn’t have come at a worse time. “I guess… I have to change some things, then?” Sasuke stood up and removed the towel from his waist.

A smirk appeared on his face.
*****************************

Mayu stared up at the hotel. From what she could see, the lights were off. Sighing, she stared straight ahead before pushing the door open. As she thought, she was welcomed once again by dimly lit room. Nothing but the setting sun guided her towards the kitchen. Mayu sat her bag down on the countertop and headed towards the refrigerator. She had just finished her daily training and was thirsty, not to mention hungry. Her stomach grumbled in agreement. Mayu grimaced as she placed a hand on her stomach. “Yeah, I hear ya,” she muttered, opening the door.

Instantly the coolness hit her hot skin. Mayu’s face dropped. There were no more leftovers from the spaghetti! Mentally, the kunoichi was crying a river. “I wish Sasuke could have made something!” she thought, reaching for a water bottle. With a sigh, she stood up straight and closed the door. Frowning, she opened the bottle and took several gulps. She knew that just water wasn’t going to satisfy her vicious stomach, but it would have to do for now. She didn’t want to wake Sasuke up and demand he cook her something. She didn’t want to disturb him.

The kunoichi finally stopped drinking and turned. She was… surprised to see her roommate a few feet away, staring at her. The water that had not been swallowed flowed from her mouth and ran down her chin. “You’re back,” Sasuke stated. Mayu coughed and sputtered out something the Uchiha couldn’t quite understand. “Gomen… I didn’t mean to startle you.” Mayu gave a half-hearted glare as she wiped away the water.

“I thought you were sleeping,” she said.

Sasuke shook his head. “I’ve been up all day,” he said. He leaned against the countertop and continued to stare at her. Mayu felt sweat run down the side of her face. It was not from training. The intensity of Sasuke’s stare was… nerve-racking. Mayu shifted her weight. She rubbed her arm and uneasily looked away from his eyes. “You tired…?” Sasuke asked. His eyes did not leave her.

“No… I’m a little bit hungry, though,” she answered. A chuckled entered her ears. She mentally released a sigh. She liked hearing his small laughter. Mayu laughed as well. “But that’s normal, isn’t it?” Sasuke nodded and moved towards her. The kunoichi blinked in surprise when he grabbed her forearm. “What is it?”

“Have you been… unhappy these last few days?” Sasuke asked. Mayu’s eyes widen. She then pulled away. She looked at her housemate, yet turned her eyes to the floor a second after they met his dark eyes.

“Why would you ask me something like that…?” Mayu asked. “Why would I be unhappy?” She noticed his frown right away. Sasuke dropped his arm to his side, yet his eyes never left her body. He opened his mouth to breathe in, unconsciously causing Mayu to return his gaze. “Do you think I’m unhappy?” The Uchiha breathed out through his nostrils.

“It’s just… I don’t like not seeing you,” Sasuke murmured. “It seems like we haven’t seen each other in awhile. Today, Yasmine and I spoke, and she said that it was because you thought we were fighting.” Mayu hesitated before speaking.

“I admit that I have been worried, but there’s no need to get alarmed by my actions,” she said. She then smiled. “You said you talked…? Then you two made up, right?” Sasuke nodded his head. “I see… I’m glad.”

The Uchiha stepped closer to the kunoichi again. She only looked up. Had Sasuke always been this tall? Mayu opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, she was swept off her feet. Sasuke was now carrying her. One of his arms was held underneath her knees, while the other was pressed against her back to keep her upright. Sasuke pulled Mayu closer to his chest. The kunoichi tried to fight back the blush, but eventually lost. It had been awhile since he had done this.

“I want to show you something,” he whispered in her ear. “Hold your breath.” Before Mayu would question his words, she noticed sparks emitting from her teammate’s body. Her blue eyes widen in surprise. Quickly, she shut her eyes and held her breath. What she heard was a sound similar to when Sasuke was using his Chidori. Warmth had also spread throughout her body. This lasted for a couple more seconds before the noise faded. The warmth she had felt earlier was now replaced by body heat and… a cool breeze. Slowly, Mayu cracked open one of her blue eyes.

The first thing she observed were Sasuke’s dark eyes staring down at her. “What did-” Mayu looked around. They were now outside instead of the kitchen. “You-”

“Yeah, I’ve been working on my very own transportation jutsu,” Sasuke stated. He set Mayu down, but because of the numbness in her legs, the teen fell against him. “I can only move a short distance, though.” Mayu didn’t respond. “Are you alright? I felt dizziness the first time I did it.”

The kunoichi swallowed as her grip tighter on Sasuke’s shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe normally. “I’m… I’m fine,” she whispered, although her head was spinning. Mayu waited a few moments before opening her eyes. Again, she waited before step back. She looked up at him. “Electrifying…” she murmured, causing the Uchiha to smirk. Mayu blinked, not expecting her heart to beat faster from that simple action. She mentally shook her head. “Where are we?” she asked, craning her neck to see behind Sasuke’s form. Her mouth dropped open in shock. “Sasuke…!”

“Hn, this is the place… where I used to live,” the Uchiha informed her. He turned to face his former home. Of course she had already known before he spoke. Mayu stood beside Sasuke and gazed at his face. It was… blank, and yet she knew what he must be feeling coming to this place. “I’ve fixed it up again, so that it’s a suitable place.” Mayu’s eyes turned to the entrance of Sasuke’s childhood home. She had expected it to look old and abandoned, but it was just the opposite. From what she could tell, there was not a trace of dust. Sasuke must have really worked hard to restore it. Mayu turned to him again.

“Suitable for what?” she asked. Sasuke slowly turned his eyes to her. Mayu chuckled nervously at his intense and slightly annoyed look. “Okay… dumb question…” His expression lost its intensity as he turned his attention back to the door. He walked forward and slid the door open. Mayu, confused, only watched him go. She looked to the left, and then to the right. It was getting darker. “Matte, Sasuke…!” Mayu followed him in, taking notice of his shoes. She hurriedly took off her own, and then stepped up. The smell of the home also surprised her. It smelled as if someone had just finished cleaning it. “Smells lemony…” Mayu muttered, and then walked towards the place where she had last seen Sasuke’s back.

Locking her hands behind her back, Mayu continued to move down the hall. As she walked, she also observed her surroundings. Although it looked the same, it was still different from when she had first seen parts of the inside of Sasuke’s house. Back when she was ignorant and thought that it was apart of a made up story–she didn’t really care for the way buildings looked, but that didn’t mean she didn’t remember. Perhaps the lack of furniture is what is causing the feeling of emptiness and–strangely enough–curiosity.

It was almost hard to believe that anyone had lived here before. But, of course, that was not the case. After the massacre, Uchiha Sasuke never returned to this place… until now. Mayu suddenly stopped. A sudden thought had struck her. An image of that man–Uchiha Itachi–had appeared in her mind. “What could you be feeling right now, Sasuke?” she thought. The teen suddenly took off running. “Why did we come here? I could only imagine the emotional pain you’re going through!” Her footsteps pounded against the floorboards as she ran. Sweat slid off her skin as she moved. “Why would you willingly put yourself under this stress, Sasuke…?!”

A door slid open, causing Mayu to freeze, one foot off the floor. Her head was turned towards the open door. Sasuke stared back at her with a raised eyebrow. “Why… are you making so much noise?” he asked. Mayu blinked, and then flushed in embarrassment. She straightened herself.

“I got lost…” she lied.

“Sure you did,” Sasuke replied. Mayu gapped at him. How could he possibly know?! “Anyway, come in here.” He turned around and walked back into the room. Mayu had no choice but to follow. “This used to be my parents bedroom.”

Mayu had to refrain from choking on her own spit. Instead, she let out a cough. “Oh,” she barely spoke. She noticed that Sasuke’s eyebrows were furrowed. His eyes remained focused on the floor of the room. “You cleaned the place up because you wanted to do it early, right? You didn’t want to wait until the last minute, huh?”

“No,” Sasuke responded. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been putting this off for awhile. I kept putting this place in the back of my mind, telling myself that I would eventually get to cleaning it up. It didn’t happen. I was satisfied with living in a hotel of all things. Yasmine was right… I’ve been hesitant this whole time.” Mayu frowned. Just how much did the foreigner and he talk? It almost made her twitch, thinking about it. “At that party, I began realize that I can no longer act like a child. I must become an adult and face a childhood fear, which is why… at the end of our next mission… I will begin to move my things into this place. I will live here from then on.”

Mayu’s eyes expanded in surprise. He wanted to move back in–this soon? Without her mind even telling her to, Mayu grabbed Sasuke’s with both hands and pulled it down so their eyes were locked. A shocked expression appeared and remained on the Uchiha’s face. “I understand what you’re saying, but that doesn’t mean you have to hurry into adulthood this quickly!” Mayu nearly shouted. “You used to do that all the time, and look what happen! I understand your feelings, but please just take things slow! Don’t–I don’t want you rush anymore!”

They stared into each other’s eyes. Sasuke frowned and brought his arms up. He grabbed her wrist. “Damn it, Mayu…” he started. He pulled her hands away from his face. Not expecting that reaction, the teen only let him. “You always do this… Seeing this face, hearing these words–they make me become indecisive when you make them. I can’t let this happen again. I must not be cautious anymore!” Mayu’s back slammed against the wall, causing the teen to wince. She felt Sasuke’s grip around her wrists soften, but her arms were still pinned above her head. She slowly looked up to face him. “Gomen… I can’t do this–I can’t handle it anymore.” Mayu opened her mouth to protest, but Sasuke silenced her with his lips. The kiss was so short that the teen had barely comprehended that it had happened. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear. Mayu’s blue eyes went wide.

“S-Sasuke-”

“My feelings for you are of that of a man. As I grew, my feelings for you grew as well,” Sasuke continued. “But I made a mistake. I let you get away before. I hurt you immensely–I know I did. And so when I saw you again after we were separated, I felt that I didn’t deserve to have you so quickly after what I had done. I gave you time, but all you did was tease me. I wanted you so badly, but I knew that I deserved that treatment. It’s been months since your return, and I can’t–won’t put up with it any longer.”

“Na… Nani…?”

“Our next mission starts tomorrow. By the end of that mission, I want to hear you tell me to my face… I want to hear you say ‘I love you,’ or ‘I don’t want to be with you.’ If those words are not spoken directly to me, then I will assume that you are unable to make up your mind again,” Sasuke carried on, ignoring Mayu’s stunned look. “If you are indecisive or choose not to be with me, I will move in here alone and pursue another woman. You will still be allowed to live in that hotel with Yasmine until you find your own place, but you two will have to pay rent once I move out. I believe that is fair.” Sasuke finally released her, allowing her arms to fall limply to her sides. “This is my ultimatum, Mayu. You say that I shouldn’t rush into adulthood, but you should keep in mind that you cannot remain a child forever. It’s time to take some responsibilities and make decisions on your own.” He backed away from his teammate and turned away. “I don’t want to do this to you, Mayu, but… I have no choice,” he thought as he began to walk out of the room.

He left, not noticing the tears running down Mayu’s face.
***************************

Yasmine walked cheerfully down an empty road. It was a few minutes after eight. It was almost completely dark outside, but the half moon did help to light the path. Her shift had ended hours ago, and yet Junko, her boss, had invited her to talk. In the beginning, the talk was about how she had let Uchiha Sasuke get away without giving him a massage. Somehow, they ended up talking for hours about Jano. She had no idea that her boss was related to her former caretaker! It came as a shock to her that she was the older sister. “Though… I wonder why she kicked me out when I called her ‘obaasan.’ I thought it was appropriate…” the foreign girl thought, tilting her head.

She continued down the path, lost in her own thoughts. So much had happened all in one day. First, she had met Jano again after many years. Second, she had managed to get Neji and Sasuke to reconcile–at least for awhile, anyway. Third, she had given Sasuke an order that involved himself and Mayu. She had not been telling a lie when told him that she liked him. This order had been for the best for the both of them. Perhaps now the two would cut the drama from their lives. “But then again, I might have caused more drama,” Yasmine mused. She let out a nervous chuckle. She mentally shook her head. “No, it’s definitely for the greater good!”

I can’t feel
The way I did before!
Don’t turn your back on me
I won’t be ignored!
Yasmine hummed along with the song that was playing. One of her earphones was in her ear, while the other was hanging loosely. The song was coming to an end. Soon, the next one would start. It usually took about five songs to get home. Why did she count the songs? The answer was definitely curiosity. She now knew that it took about nine songs to get ready for–and make it to–work. It was a random thing to do, but then again, she was as random as she was clumsy.

There was a rustle in the trees beside her, but it was disregarded. It was most likely an animal. Many small animals had made the trees their home. Once, she had even seen an albino squirrel. It was a rare sight, indeed. She heard the sound again. “They’re usually asleep by now,” Yasmine thought, narrowing her eyes. She didn’t have much time to ponder the noise, though because she tripped and fell face first. She lied there for a few seconds, cursing her clumsiness.

“Ah… You avoided me,” a voice made her pick her head up. She turned her head to see who had spoken. There was a man behind her. His arm was held out before him. There was some type of cloth in his outstretched hand. Yasmine pushed herself from the ground and turned to face him.

“Ano… Who are you?” the teen asked. The man put his arm down, yet he did not speak. “Are you looking for something?” Finally, the man spoke. He also stopped looking down so that now she could see his eyes. A pair of dark green eyes looked back at her.

“No, I’ve definitely found what I was looking for,” the man said. He began to walk forward. “Now, be a good girl and don’t make a fuss. It’ll be over quickly.”

Yasmine watched the step towards her. He wore dark boots and pants, a dark blue shirt, dark green long coat, and a hat to match the color of his shirt. Judging from his movements, he was trying to intimidate her with just his eyes and height alone. Although, they were fierce, they were nothing compared to the eyes of the many emo anime characters she had come across. His height seemed to be around six inches. This man had made no effort to put his guard up. This man was underestimating her, she realized. Granny Theresa told her of people like this. The old woman had told her that people like this were the easiest to take down. The logic that Theresa had taught her corresponded with the logic that Jano had taught her. Brown eyes narrowed as a left leg went back.

The man lifted his hand again–the one with the dark cloth. Yasmine assumed it was some sort of chemical that would cause her to faint, or worse, if it was inhaled. The man came closer. “What type of request is that?” Yasmine suddenly shouted, startling the man. He stopped his movements. “Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? The least you could do is ask me nicely! What if I had a heart condition?! You scared the crap outta me!” The man blinked, and then rubbed his hat covered head.

“Gomen…” he murmured. With an indignant huff, the foreign teen turned on her heel.

“Now, if you excuse me, I have to get home,” she stated.

“Ah, yes…” the man nervously replied, watching her go. He stayed rooted as she moved further away. He felt guilty because he had not meant to startle her.

3…

2…

1…

“ Hey, wait a minute…!” he called out, slightly angry. Realizing that she had been figured out, the foreign teen took off running. “Come back here!” The man ran after her. Mentally, Yasmine was crying a river. Why did this always happen? It was usually Yasume’s doing that males chased after her for various reasons.

Yasume: Just keep running, stupid! Quit blaming me for everything!

“But it is always your fault!” Yasmine yelled at her alter ego. The man was quite surprised by the teen’s shout, but did not stop running. He suddenly jumped up and flipped over the girl. He landed in front of her, causing the teen to slide to a stop. “Who are you?” she asked, stepping back.

“That is not important, but my name is Zai. I will be your transporter,” he answered. Yasmine tilted her head.

“I saw that movie. It was kinda cool,” she stated. Zai blinked in confusion. She was definitely a strange one, he thought. He shook his head, and then raised his hand. Quickly, the foreign teen grabbed the man’s wrist before it could come any higher. Surprised, the man didn’t stop the girl from lifting him over her shoulder and slamming him onto the ground. His eyes widen in shock as his brain recognized the pain from the impact. He also felt the pain of his arm being twisted. Again, Zai screamed, not used to such pain. Who knew that a non-kunoichi could cause such pain?

The foreign released the man, and then continued down the path. “Please don’t bother me, Zai-kun. I’m pretty sure you’re trying to kidnap me, and I don’t think that’s a good idea. Mayu wouldn’t like that, and I’m pretty sure Neji Meji and kaasan wouldn’t either. They’d probably kill you,” Yasmine advised with a wave. “See ya around, filler-san.”

“Filler-san…?!” Zai seemed to be offended. He jumped up and ran after the teen again. This time, before she could turn around, he wrapped his arm around her upper body, restraining her arms to her sides. Before she could make a sound, Zai placed the cloth over her mouth and nose.

Yasmine’s blood felt cold as she felt herself loosing strength. Still, the foreign teen struggled against the man’s hold. Her thrashing was futile. Soon, her body became heavy, and her eyes rolled back into her head before her eyelids closed. She was now in a state of unconsciousness. Zai waited a moment before removing the cloth from her face. With a grunt, he lifted her off the ground, carried her bridal style over to a tree, and then set her down.

Zai took a small scroll out of his pocket, and then laid it out in front of the unconscious teen. He carefully unraveled it as he dropped down to his knees. He began to perform hand signs and chant. He repeated this chant several times as he did the hand signs. Yasmine’s body began to glow with an eerie white radiance. “Hebi…!” Zai shouted, slamming his hands on the scroll. The teen’s body suddenly faded away, leaving the white glow behind. The glow hovered over the scroll before it seemed to sink into the paper. “It’s finished,” the man whispered, taking his hands from the scroll. He sighed heavily, and then proceeded to wrap the scroll back up. He stood and pocketed the small scroll. “Soon I will have what I want…”

His task was almost complete.
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…

 230;

… I’ve got nothing…

Author’s QOU:

“Do you want your dream to be postponed over and over again?” –Yasmine Dalton

Beta’s QOU:

Still pending…