Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Assassin's Story ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Allies? Such a foreign concept, Akria thought as she watched the two demons leave the clearing. She watched as Kurama sat in the clearing with his eyes closed in thought. She tried to understand what could be troubling him. She heard Hiei's remarks. They gave her much to think on. Though she'd been following Kurama for over a month now, she didn't know much about the others of the group except what she saw when they were around him. She decided to follow Hiei for a while to see what she could learn about the Jaganshii that Kurama claimed to be like her in solitude.

 

The two headed towards Kurama's house and they both entered. It was rare for the Jaganshii to enter through the door, but not unheard of. Hiei was known to Kurama's human mother and would on occasion eat with the two of them. He usually left soon after the meal only to reenter the house through Kurama's window after the redhead had gone up to his room for the evening. Tonight, the pattern was repeated and Akira made sure she was close enough to hear what would be said in the room. To her surprise, however, the other members of the team arrived. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Genkai all arrived soon after Hiei left the front door and reentered the window. Shirori believed that Genkai was instructing the boys in religious matters and would not disturb them while she was around. Akira was sure that she would be among the topics of discussion and made sure she was close enough to hear through the windows of the house but not near enough to be seen or felt.

 

“I met with Akira this afternoon,” Kurama began after pleasantries had been exchanged. “I asked her to join us openly, to be our ally, our friend. She said she would think about it.”

 

“She would make a strong ally,” Genkai commented, “but it will be difficult to convince her that you are sincere in your desire for friendship.”

 

“If she's as intelligent as she appears, she'll understand that. And she spies on us,” Hiei added, repeating his earlier comments and Kurama's information.

 

Kuwabara looked around the room in surprise. “She spies on us? How does she do that?” Akira had trouble not laughing from her hiding spot.

 

Yusuke knocked Kuwabara upside the head, “She's a demon, idiot. She can hear us.”

 

“Oh,” Kuwabara muttered, rubbing his head. “Is she spying on us now, you think?”

 

“Probably,” Kurama answered. “She probably suspects that we're talking about her. I'm sure she saw you arrive tonight.”

 

Akira pondered entering the room and joining the conversation when she heard Genkai ask, “Why don't we inviter her in?”

 

Kurama looked at Genkai, “Do you think she'd come in?”

 

Akira moved to the window and replied, “There's one way to find out, isn't there?”

 

Kuwabara let out a yelp of surprise and Yusuke laughed. Hiei looked at her blankly as Kurama recovered from his surprise at hearing her behind him.

 

“Please, do come in, Akira,” Kurama offered.

 

“You would do well to keep your window closed, Fox,” Akira pointed out as she sat on the sill.

 

Kurama smiled at her, “With you and Hiei outside my window, what do I have to worry about?”

 

Akira cocked an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms, “You'd rely on an assassin and a thief?” She shook her head.

 

“I trust my friends.”

 

“Friends? Not allies? Not partners?”

 

“Friends, yes. Allies and partners because we are friends. We work together because we prefer it that way.”

 

“Prefer it that way? Prefer it to jail, perhaps?”

 

Kurama gave her a small grin, “At first, yes. But we've been through a lot together.”

 

Akira looked at him thoughtfully. She turned her gaze onto each one of the room's occupants in turn. They sat silently under her scrutiny. Finally, she looked again at Kurama. “I see,” she said simply.

 

“And what is it you see?” Genkai asked.

 

Akira turned her gaze to Genkai. “I see that friendship is a thing that it mutually self-serving relationship. You do things for each others because it benefits you individually and as a group. You know this and you continue to do it because the other person's self-serving actions benefit you as well.”

 

Kurama chuckled, “I can't say I've ever thought of it that way. You do have a different view on things, don't you?”

 

Akira shrugged and refrained from further comment. In the brief silence that followed, she began to feel that she was being watched from outside the room. Judging by the reactions of the others in the room, they did not feel it yet, so she remained silent, feeling out the disturbance.

 

“So,” Kurama continued, “will you join our self-serving group?”

 

Akira was sure that she was being watched now. The person watching her was another assassin, intent on taking out her in order to take out Kurama. She could feel the barely restrained death wish directed at her. The feeling was vaguely familiar, as if she'd known this person once. Looking at Kurama, she answered, “Sooner than you'd think.” With that comment, she left through the window.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Yusuke complained.

 

Kuwabara began to look vaguely uncomfortable and stammered, “Uh, I think there's another demon or something outside…”

 

Genkai frowned, concentrating, “Well, that explains why she left.”

 

Hiei began to stand, reaching for his katana when Akira's voice echoed in the room, “Stay there, this is personal.” Hiei remained standing, but relaxed his stance from that of one ready to rush into battle to one of waiting.

 

Outside, Akira faced the other assassin, her own sword in her hand. The one across from her was a male almost twice her height. Aside from the size difference, he had similar features to her, blonde curly hair, blue eyes.

 

“Well,” Akira spoke aloud, “it's been a long time since we've seen each other, brother.”

 

The face across from hers sneered, “I'm surprised you remember me, Akira, with as long as you've been a disgrace.”

 

“You have a strange definition of disgrace, Ken'ichi.. I am a disgrace because I choose to be an assassin. You choose to follow me and you are not a disgrace?”

 

“I follow you to remove the disgrace from our family's name.”

 

“You plan to remove my disgrace by disgracing yourself as well? And why are you trying to remove me. Father already disowned and buried me. What will you trying to kill me accomplish?”

 

“It will finish what Father started but lacked the resources to finish.”

 

Akira shook her head. “Enough of this stupidity. Either draw or die.”

 

Ken'ichi drew his sword, another blood sword, almost as dark as Akira's. “I will not be the one dieing today, sister.”

 

He ran at her, sword sweeping from the side to cut across her midsection. Akira blocked the brutal strike and jumped back from her brother. She was surprised at the strength behind her brother's sword. She jumped and brought her sword over her head, aiming at his head, hoping to end this battle quickly and relatively cleanly. Ken'ichi dodged to the side and again swung his sword across, attempting to half his sister. Akira barely managed to dodge the blade, though her shirt was now slit open across her stomach.

 

“You're going to have to do better than that, Ken'ichi,” she taunted.

 

“You're the one wearing rags now, Akira.,” he returned.

 

Akira ran toward him, leaping and slashing across his body, attempting to decapitate him. He dodged back and swatted at her sword with his own, sending a vicious recoil up both their arms. Akira was carried sideways by the momentum of the contact. Ken'ichi, having the benefit of mass, managed to remain in place. Attempting to take advantage of his sister's being off balance, he ran at her, bringing his sword down over head. Akira brought her sword up to deflect his blade, the force of the impact causing cracks to appear in both crystalline blades and chips to fly from Ken'ichi's.

 

“Tell me, brother. Do you know what happens when your sword breaks?” Akira asked viciously.

 

Ken'ichi merely glared at his little sister.

 

“Your life is bound to your sword. An assassin lives by this blade and dies by this blade. If it breaks, brother, you die.” Akira ran at her brother again, savagely swinging her damaged sword, hoping it would hold up long enough to break her brother's sword. Ken'ichi was left with no option other than to be on the defensive. Each strike Akira landed rang through both swords, stressing the damaged blades. She continued to attack, not letting up even when chips began flying from her own sword.

 

Finally, Ken'ichi's sword cracked and broke in two, unable to withstand the unrelenting stresses any more. The blood the sword had absorbed drained out onto the ground as the tall man fell to his knees. With his last bit of strength, he swung what was left of his sword at Akira. Reflexively, she blocked and her sword broke from the impact. Ken'ichi smiled wanly, the strength leaving his body, “I have rid our family of shame.” With that, he collapsed on the ground, no longer breathing.

 

Akira was in shock. The pain of her sword breaking resonated in her body. She could feel her strength draining out of her body. Unreasonably, she had a strong desire to return to the group in Kurama's room. Slowly, painfully, she made her way back to the window sill, clutching her ruined sword.

 

The group looked at her in shock as she arrived. She smiled in their general direction, unable to fully focus her eyes anymore. “I am sorry to leave so soon after we've met, my friends,” she said as she slumped just inside the window.

 

“Who did this?” Kurama asked, worried and beginning to feel traces of fear.

 

Akira faced the general direction, lifting her hand as if trying to touch him. He took her hand in his. “Don't worry, Fox,” she answered, “I have not failed you.” Her voice trailed off as her head dropped. She could feel the darkness slipping over her mind and no longer had the strength to fight it. Slowly, completely, oblivion embraced her.

 

 

A/N: Depressing, no? Sorry, my muse won this battle. This chapter was worse than the last to write, but it does end the story…rather effectively….ugh! Thank you to my reviewers. And sorry this took forever to finish, but it wasn't easy to write…and there were many times I didn't want to finish it, but it wouldn't leave me alone…now it will. I really hope the next time my muse attacks, it'll be more fun to write.