Happy Chapter Day everyone!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
More Chapters & New stories Incoming:
Special thank you to all my seedlings who have made it possible for me to continue writing and add more stories to my schedule. Including original writings that are in works.
You can get updates on all of that on my Tumblr. Or type KATSURA369 (Find my socials)
I also got to start studying again, and have you all to thank for that.
CHAPTER 50
Koumei was laughing, he was laughing so loudly that people walking past his chamber doors pulled faces of confusion and curiosity, wondering exactly what it was that made the prince with the typically gloomy aura produce such a cheerful sound.
Inside his chambers, lounging on a bed of pillows on the carpeted floors under a dim light, surrounded by scrolls, were Koumei and Sakura. Sakura had just finished explaining to him what had happened two nights ago, with his brother Kouha attacking her and then bumping into Hakuyuu, who caught her wandering around the palace. Of course, she didn't mention her eavesdropping. Apparently, Koumei found it hilarious when she told him she believed Hakuyuu might have formulated a very narrow-minded conclusion as to why Sakura was wearing Kouen's robe.
And he hasn't stopped laughing since then.
"It's not funny," Sakura frowned at Koumei, who was wiping tears away in the corner of his eye.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help it, to catch yourself in such a predicament and for it to be Prince Hakuyuu of all people."
Sakura tilted her head to the side, a habit often done when she was confused or curious. "What do you mean?"
"Well, nii-san has always had a deep respect for Prince Hakuyuu and Hakuren, so if he heard about this, I'm sure he'd become frantic." Koumei said and then paused before asking her, "Have you told him?"
Sakura shook her head, "Of course not! Kouen's already hard enough to deal with."
"You call my brother by his first name. I didn't know that melee brought the two of you so close."
Sakura coughed nervously, her eyes trailed to the closed windows, and the light barely made it through the drapes. "We've come to an unspoken agreement to withdraw all formalities."
She assumed that, after all, they just started calling one another by their first names after that time, but it still gave her an odd sensation when she thought about it.
Koumei chuckled, "Oh, I see, and is there a reason for you avoiding my brother now?"
"I'm not avoiding him…You know you really should open a window up in here."
Koumei shrugged, "You were the one who wanted to sit and have lunch with me, well, this is where I eat. Nothing better than the comforts of your own room."
Rolling her eyes, Sakura plucked a grape from the fruit bowl on the floor. "I wanted to ask you a few things about your siblings."
Leaning on his side, hand on his hand, Koumei gestured for her to go right ahead and ask. Koumei gave her a sense of comfort that Kouen, with his byzantine behaviour, didn't.
"I suppose I could do that. My youngest brother tried to kill you in your sleep after you beat my eldest into a coma for a fight he demanded. So a bit of compensation is in order."
Sakura's sweat dropped at the blunt statement, "Right, well, starting with Kouha. At such a young age, he's got an incredibly violent nature, according to Kouen, his mother has some kind of mental illness, right?"
Koumei nodded, his expression turning serious. "Yes, she behaves like a child, and Kouha is extremely protective of her. He attacks anyone who comes near the estate."
Sakura caught a certain shine in Koumei's face when he continued, "In fact, it was only last year that we found out about Kouha's existence, Kouen and I went to see him, and he came at us with a blade."
Containing a gasp, Sakura crossed her legs, listening attentively. "He rambled on about how he was going to 'pummel' us and then see how our father would 'leave us to rot' because we have become useless. I assumed he was quoting our father at the time."
The way Sakura's heart clenched with pain and sympathy for the poor boy caused her to grab the fabric near her chest. So her analysis was right.
"You should have seen the way my brother reacted, though. He allowed Kouha to cut him and then told him that he just needed to prove his worth; then he and his mother would have a legitimate place to live."
Sakura frowned, "He actually said that to a five-year-old?"
Koumei shrugged, "Kouha is incredibly intelligent for his age."
'And sadistic,' Sakura added as a side note, the way Koumei spoke of his brother was as if this was the norm; she wondered what else was going on with this family.
"So what happ-
She stopped when she realised Koumei's eyes were shut and he was snoring softly. Without thinking of consequence Sakura lightly smacked Koumei on the back of his head.
"PRINCE KOUMEI WAKE UP"
Koumei yelped, clutching the back of his head, "You certainly have a hard hand, don't you?"
Leaning back, crossed arms with a slight pout on her face, Sakura spoke, "I told you before prince Koumei, just call me Sakura, and secondly, please don't fall asleep."
"The way you bash my head reminds me of my brother."
Sakura looked at him in disbelief, but at the same time, her eyes gleamed with curiosity, demanding satisfaction, "Kouen actually hits you?"
"He does a lot more than that." Koumei said "Like when we first met with prince Hakuyuu and Hakuren, big brother really wanted to make a good impression, but when I greeted I fell over, prince Hakuren rushed to me and I told him it was due to my chronic disease and that if I didn't get back to my room to feed my pigeons and laze around I would die. Of course, it was a joke, but Prince Hakuren got into it quickly enough and played along while Kouen was continuously bowing and apologising, completely flustered. Then, when we were alone, he wrestled me to the ground and kept me in a choke hold."
Sakura had to do her best not to laugh; she couldn't really imagine Kouen having any sibling quarrels, but somehow she managed to create an image of him actually wrestling with Koumei, who probably wouldn't put up much of a fight, was too much.
"Kouen must really admire Prince Hakuyuu and Prince Hakuren." Sakura leaned against her hand
Koumei nodded, "He does, he fought with them and their father emperor Hakutoku in order to unify the Eastern Plains."
Sakura listened as Koumei began explaining to her a little about the Kou Empire. It started out as a small kingdom in the Far Eastern central plains until the current emperor Hakutoku Ren managed to unify the two neighbouring kingdoms, Kai and Kou.
"That's impressive," Sakura wondered if Koumei knew of his brother's apparent desire to unify the world (she now knew where the ambition might have come from) and rule it on by himself. She chose not to bring it up; some things were better left unsaid.
"Alright, can I ask you something else?"
"Of course, but on one condition."
That was unexpected. Koumei didn't seem like the type to ask for favours, but she shrugged, "Okay, what?"
Koumei smiled, "Since you dropped the formalities with my big brother, you can with me too."
"Huh?"
Pointing to himself, he spoke, "Call me Koumei too!"
Sakura looked confused before she smiled back, "Alright then….Koumei."
They talked for a while longer about anything and everything they could think of before Sakura said she needed to go and see his sister Kougyoku, in which she found out then by Koumei that he has never actually met his sister but she remembered he told her that it was only last year they found out that he and Kouen had a younger brother so it wasn't as much of a shock.
'It's like someone doesn't want them to interact with each other.'
..
..
..
Kougyoku clapped her tiny hands in delight as she watched the water floating in the air begin to coil around Sakura, never actually touching her as Sakura moved her spear around in a graceful manner, the water seemed to be attempting to take the form of something but every time Kougyoku was barely able to make out some features of the animal like it's scales, claws or eyes then it would vanish before she could identify anymore. Then the water splashed around Sakura, some droplets falling on Kougyoku.
With soft pants, Sakura fell down on the grass. "That's enough for me,"
"Not bad, my king, at this pace, you may yet master my djinn equip," Gaap said
'Yeah, maybe in a year, why are you so difficult?'
Kougyoku ran over to the pinkette, scrunching up the end of her dress so she wouldn't fall. Her messy dark pink hair got in her face, so Sakura swept the long bangs out of her way.
"You're going to fall either way if you don't do something about this."
"I-I don't think I can do that."
Sakura's head shifted ever so slightly to the side. "Oh, why's that?"
When Kougyoku didn't reply, Sakura didn't push for an answer, continuing to smile, "You know, you can't hide behind your hair."
"How-how do you know that?"
Placing the child beside her, Sakura crossed her legs and began to speak with a far-off look in her eyes, "See my forehead?"
Kougyoku nodded
"Tell me what you think of it?"
The princess became flustered and began stuttering; whether or not it was due to embarrassment or naïve youth, she couldn't find the words.
"It's um…uh…"
This was what Sakura expected, "It's huge, right?"
Kougyoku turned away, obviously not wanting to say something that would drive away the one person who was giving her attention without obligation. Sakura laughed and gently began stroking the girl's head to reassure her of any worries.
"It's alright, I know it's big. In fact, when I was a little girl, I was teased a lot because of it."
There was a look of surprise when Sakura said that. Kougyoku couldn't picture Sakura in a predicament where she had been victimised and bullied. There was a certain light that gave Sakura the impression of someone who was untouchable-at least in Kougyoku's eyes; completely unaffected by the rules of the world, going on in an uncaring manner that gave her a certain power many lacked.
"Really?"
Sakura nodded "On the playground I was always cornered and teased till I cried, I didn't want to go outside anymore and would try to hide away from everyone."
Despite the tone of the story, Sakura had a smile on her face as if she was reliving a happy memory; her fingers ghosted over her forehead. "I'd hide it with bangs, sort of like how you hide your face. I blamed myself for being born like this. Then one day, a girl came up to me when I was crying. I thought she was going to make fun of me, but instead she asked me my name. Then she looked at my forehead and called me stupid for trying to hide it with my bangs, she said it made me look like a sheep dog."
Kougyoku's eyes widened. "What-What happened next?"
Leaning to the side slightly, Sakura craned her neck in Kougyoku's direction as if to whisper, "The next day, that girl gave me a ribbon and tied my hair up so that my bangs were no longer in my face. She told me how much better I looked, but I didn't believe her. I still wanted to hide it, but she told me the more I tried to hide it, the bigger deal I made out of it. She also told me I didn't have a bad face either and that all I needed was confidence."
"Confidence?"
"Yes," Sakura said in a gentler tone, she began plucking the grass from the ground watching it blow away with the wind, her eyes followed "She became my very first friend, my best friend in fact, she protected me and I idolised her but at the same time I felt inferior, like I couldn't compare to her in anything. I felt like nothing."
Kougyoku's face scrunched up, her eyes glossed "You felt like nothing….?"
Sakura nodded in confirmation, seriously, "I did, like a dull flower that only complemented the main flower. You know what she told me after I said that?"
Kougyoku shook her head to the rhetorical question.
"She said, 'I don't think you're a flower at all, Sakura, but a bud still waiting to bloom.'" Sakura laughed a little, tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. "It really hurt to hear that. Then I asked her why she gave me the ribbon and what it meant, she told me she didn't want me to wither away as nothing but a bud because it was so sad when flowers didn't bloom. I was so happy because for the first time someone saw something in me that I couldn't. She gave me a goal to strive towards, and it's because of her that I've lasted this long." Sakura looked at Kougyoku, "You remind me of my old self, you know that, you're a bud waiting to bloom."
Sakura reached out, gently cupping Kougyoku's face in the palm of her hands. "It really is sad when flowers don't bloom because at the end of the day, they might become the most beautiful and strongest of all."
Kougyoku didn't know why, but she was crying; silent tears slid down her face, but she wasn't sad; she knew that she was feeling nothing but complete happiness. Years of isolation and solitude are diminishing slowly.
Before Sakura knew what was happening, Kougyoku had launched herself at Sakura, wrapping her arms around the older girl's shoulders. Sakura saw the fluttering around the girl wildly, in happiness.
"Thank you, Sakura."
Arms wrapped around Kougyoku, returning the girl's hug, "You're welcome, Kougyoku."
..
..
"Would you stop that!?" Sakura hissed, glaring up at Kouen, who was watching her with an intensity that burned. She was currently healing his broken ribs, and while she was trying to stay focused on the task, she felt uncomfortable under Kouen's gaze.
"I am not doing anything, merely observing."
"Well, cut it out, it feels like you're trying to burn a hole through my skull," she snapped before pointing to the window. "Observe the outside!"
Kouen scoffed but turned his direction away from Sakura. "You're supposedly a medic, yet you're becoming flustered by someone looking at you. Is it really so foreign for patients to watch you while you work?"
Letting a soft growl pass her lips, Sakura began rewrapping Kouen in bandages, making sure that her fingers didn't so much as graze his skin.
"Of course not, but my patients don't usually make me feel like some freak show on display,"
"So only I do that?"
Sakura narrowed her eyes as she secured the wrappings and stepped back. She crouched down to check on his legs-she had broken one ankle and nearly shattered his kneecap. She didn't miss the arrogance in his tone, and that annoyed her. Times like this, she preferred when he showed less emotion.
"How much longer will I be forced to endure this?"
She knew he was referring to her prescription of bed rest. "Well, actually, you're more than capable of walking around now, just nothing strenuous. If you want, you can go for a walk right now."
'And get out of my hair,'
Kouen stood up immediately to Sakura's sudden surprise and relief until he stopped to turn back to her and gestured with his head towards the door. "Let's go then,"
"Damn"
..
..
Kouen and Sakura walked beside one another through the veranda overlooking the courtyard; while the passages seemed to be completely silent, there was the undeniable sensation of eyes following the pair. Sakura didn't miss the blurring figures that dashed out of sight every time she or Kouen turned their heads.
"I see it's not just you who has the starring problem." Sakura muttered to Kouen, "Can't you do something about this?"
"You wouldn't last a second in royal court."
Sakura's head snapped to the side. She scoffed, raising her head, "Well, it's not like I'd ever go there willingly."
"No one ever goes there willingly." Kouen countered, "It's merely expected."
Her arms behind her head, Sakura cocked an eyebrow curiously. "Hey Kouen, I wanted to ask you something."
He glanced her way before turning his attention away again. "Then ask."
For a few seconds, she thought about how to frame her question until finally she settled, "Well remember when you told Gaap about your ambition?"
"Yes," Kouen answered.
Now she was thinking very carefully about what she was going to say next because it would be considered a touchy subject, even for Kouen.
"How exactly do you plan on doing that?"
He looked at her, arching an eyebrow, and she didn't think he was going to reply-at least not the answer to her question. She was actually expecting a snippy remark, but instead all she got was "I don't know yet."
She nearly fell over after he said that and couldn't help but lose her composure and splutter, "W-what? You don't know?"
"Is that so surprising?" Kouen asked
"Coming from you, yes."
She didn't even bother to sugarcoat it. He sounded so sure of what his goal was and what he wanted, and he gave the impression he actually knew how he was going to accomplish this goal. He was the eldest son of the emperor's brother, so he would have a long line if he was aiming to try and use the Kou Empire, which wouldn't be possible unless something happened to the current emperor.
She shook her head, mentally scolding herself for even thinking something like that. 'My imagination must be working overtime from that last time.'
There were times when she wanted to go back there, back down that dimly lit hallway with the pillars and peer through that door one more time; her curiosity was an itch she could not scratch without arousing suspicion.
'And I do not want to run into Prince Hakuyuu anytime soon-
"Lord Hakuyuu."
Sakura mentally cursed under her breath. The forces in this world were not kind, at least not to her.
"Kouen." Hakuyuu greeted his cousin before glancing in Sakura's direction, igniting a small flame of panic; their brief meeting before left an odd taste in her mouth, many questions left unanswered, but seeing him again made her want to leave.
"Prince Hakuyuu," she greeted back in a tone as cold as lard. She didn't miss the crimson eyes flashing her way before looking back.
"How are you feeling, Kouen? Are you nearly recovered?" Hakuyuu asked, attention removed from Sakura, allowing her to breathe a little easier.
"Nearly, Lord Hakuyuu, thank you for your concern."
"The soldiers miss their general and pray for your recovery."
"I will be in full health soon; there is no need for concern."
"Of course, you could never stay down. By the way…."
Sakura almost openly gaped at Kouen, not only in awe of his polite manner but also of the respect he had for the first imperial prince and for saying 'thank you,' and while they were talking, Kouen's expressions seemed to shift into something almost bashful. Sakura might have been informed of Kouen's 'admiration' for his cousins by Koumei, but to hear something and see it gave a completely different feeling.
"I need to take my leave now, Kouen," he then turned to Sakura, "Haruno."
Hakuyuu graciously left without another word or glance at the two while they remained in the same spot, Hakuyuu's presence still hung thick in the air-such a powerful aura he had. There was actually a physical shift that Sakura felt, and it was only confirmed when she heard the familiar fluttering around Kouen that seemed excited, despite his calm demeanour. She wondered if he picked up the brief familiarity in her greeting with Hakuyuu that even she failed to realise until after he left. There was a fragment that wished he would call her out on it right now to get it off her chest, but instead, he just started walking and turned when he realised she was not following before speaking.
"Aren't you supposed to ensure I don't further injure myself?"
That was all he needed to say to get her feet shuffling along the hallway until she was walking beside him again.
..
..
..
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The nervousness in Koumei's voice did not go undetected. He was standing a few paces behind her, looking at the compound on the far end of the palace. They were the only ones around despite it being midday; the whole area was eerily quiet.
"If you're so afraid of your own brother, then why did you agree to come along?" Sakura asked, her tone lowered
"Nii-san will not like it if he knew you came here on your own."
Sakura rolled her eyes; she didn't believe Kouen would be concerned about her well-being. Carefully stepping up to the front, she opened the door to a dark room. There didn't appear to be anyone around. Looking back, Koumei was looking around very cautiously.
"The last time nii-san and I came here, we were cut and pummelled by Kouha,"
"Then go back," Sakura repeated without glancing behind her, her eyes kept darting around till she caught the sight of a dark pink vanishing around a corner and made a run for it, but had to immediately step back as a glistening silver object flew through the air and became embedded in the wall just inches away from Sakura's head. Koumei let out an audible yelp of surprise and nearly fell over his robes while Sakura eyed the knife, and then her eyes travelled back as if the knife had left a trail, leading all the way back to a tiny figure readying another knife.
Reaching behind her without ever taking her eyes off of Kouha, Sakura removed the knife from the wall with one swift tug.
Koumei, who was standing at a considerably safe distance, looked between his brother and Sakura. A sense of nervousness enveloped him. "Um….hello there, Kouha, long time no see. Why don't you put the knives down?"
"Shut up, you stupid mop!"
Taking a couple of steps back, Koumei muttered something under his breath that neither Kouha nor Sakura could identify. Sakura, on the other hand, remained firm and spoke with an even firmer voice, "That isn't a very nice way to speak to your brother."
Kouha's attention returned to Sakura. He held up the knife with a vicious sneer, "Go away!"
He threw another knife in Sakura's direction, but it went off course after a 'sshhng' sound and ended up on the floor, far from its target.
Sakura held up the knife in her hand. "I don't think so, it's dangerous to be playing with knives."
Frowning, Kouha lifted his arm up and bent it, ready to throw another blade. "Get out of here now, you stupid harlot!"
Sakura had to hold back from marching over to Kouha and giving him a smack upside his head for his bad language; the only way young children tended to pick up bad language was by listening to someone else use it.
"That isn't any way to treat visitors, as a prince you should know that."
This only seemed to further enrage the young boy; he began throwing the knives that littered the small table beside him.
"NOT AGAIN," Koumei screamed before running behind a corner to shield himself from what he knew would be a storm of sharp objects being hurled in their direction.
Sakura didn't move an inch.
Kouha watched as the knife once again struck Sakura, once heading straight, but then bounced back after clashing with the swipe of the knife Sakura held. Her expression was calm, and her body was lax; she stood up straight instead of crouched down in a defensive position; her arm was only slightly angled after deflecting the knives.
"This is very unruly, you know," Sakura said, her voice scolding, placing her free hand on her hip before deflecting another knife away from her body. Kouha didn't seem to give up.
"The boy has spirit, my king," Beleth said
"Yes, and quite a temper," added Stolas
"That just makes him all the more interesting, wouldn't you agree, my king?" Gaap said
Sakura smirked 'I'll say, I've dealt with individuals with certain psychotic tendencies before, but never this young.'
"Then he should prove a worthy challenge," said Stolas
"Though I would not encourage accepting my king," Beleth said; of course, he already knew his efforts would be fruitless, as his king had already made her mind to accept the challenge the moment she entered this house.
"YOU'RE ANNOYING," Kouha shouted while he continued his assault, and what some would call attempted murder. He was now throwing blades using both hands in hopes of rising difficulty for the kunoichi so she could not deflect him, but it was as if the blinding speed of the knives was equivalent to the pace of a snail, as the single knife Sakura held deflected all of Kouha's.
Sakura's entire form, from body to mind, remained entirely composed while she deflected the blades and while she spoke. "So I've been told."
A few short minutes went by before Kouha had run out of art artillery, only one knife remaining, tightly clutched in his small hand. He was panting from the excessive attacking, barely taking a second to rest, which left him sweaty, but his fury did not deplete with his stamina, and Sakura believed that was what kept him standing. She herself, of course, was far from drained, her body specifically trained to endure longer, punishing paces of physical strain. The knives were no longer dancing around Sakura but stood embedded in the floors and walls on either side of her, almost appearing as a path.
"Give up already?" A hint of taunting was evident in her words despite her fairly neutral tone.
"NEVER," Kouha screamed, pushing on the soles of his feet to spring forward, clutching the knife with both hands.
"SAKURA" Koumei was alarmed when his younger brother reached the pinkette, who hadn't moved out of the way.
Kouha smiled when he felt the blade hesitate and then slink forward past the fabric of clothing and waited for the thick warmth of blood meant to flow from the wound, but when nothing came, he realised something was not right, and his brief suspicions were confirmed when he was suddenly surrounded by white smoke-Sakura gone.
"W-What?" Kouha's eyes darted around, but there wasn't any trace of the pinkette. Koumei joined in the search as well, looking around and then back to where Sakura had vanished like a phantom. They stopped when they heard giggling and then two figures emerging on the other side of the house-A perfectly safe and uninjured Sakura holding hands with an older woman with a lax face and a smile of complete ignorance.
Koumei was gaping, holding a shaking finger at the two, but mostly in reference to Sakura, "H-How, y-you."
Throwing her head back, Sakura laughed, "Stunned really doesn't suit you, Koumei."
"How did you get there!?" Koumei asked
Hand on her hip, head up, Sakura explained, "Isn't it obvious? I was never here from the beginning."
"That other you was a fake?"
"A clone," Sakura corrected. She then turned to look at the woman beside her "So this must be your mom huh?"
"Eh Sakura…." Koumei could see his brother's face turning red "Wait a second Kouha don't-
"AAARGH"
Kouha didn't listen and charged ahead, the floorboards creaked under the pressed of his heavy yet quick footsteps but at the same time Sakura moved with blinding speed you couldn't see even without blinking she was in front of Kouha, her arm stretched out grabbing him from the front and then manoeuvring behind, planting the both firmly on the floor Sakura then wrapped her legs around the small boy from behind to restrain his movements, despite her strength she could feel the stubborn determination he had to get out of her hold-not that it was doing him much good.
Koumei moved a little closer not because he felt any safer but because he just wanted to make sure what he was seeing was actually real. "When onii-san hears about this he's gonna…" Koumei shook his head, he didn't even want to think about it. He wasn't even sure if it was going to be Sakura to endure the consequences or him for not being sensible enough to prevent her from coming here in the first place.
"I'm not letting go until you calm down." Sakura's statement only agitated Kouha further, he opened his mouth and bit down hard on the dainty yet firm arm around him, so hard little springs of blood began pouring down Sakura's arm and onto the floor.
'Damn! Now I know how that guy I bit in the forest of death felt,' Sakura thought wincing as she felt the six-year-old's sharp teeth dig into her skin.
"I hope you plan on soaking that when this is over, my king." Gaap warned, "You might get whatever he has."
"I don't believe insanity is contagious, Gaap but my king I must agree."
"MY KING LET GO OF THAT SAVAGE CHILD BEFORE HE TEARS YOUR ARM OFF." " Cried Beleth
Sakura's lips curved up with strain, her upper lip quivering slightly "Nice try, I'm still not letting go."
"Um, Sakura, perhaps you should reconsider…" Koumei said looking at the blood and back to the two "It might be best to release him and then run."
Sakura's head shot up, her eyes shining almost as savagely as Kouha's "NO he's in a time out and I won't be letting go until he calms down!"
Koumei stepped back, his hands held up as a sign of surrender. "Aren't you worried he's about to tear your limb off?"
"And what do you think he will try to do if I let him go?" Sakura asked and then looked back down at Kouha, his fingernails now also digging into her arm, scratching and then simply holding as if he was trying to throttle someone (of course it wasn't too hard to imagine who).
"Alright mister," Sakura's voice was as strong as her hold-no one was going to break it "Listen here; you cannot think that you can just kill everyone that annoys you and not expect any consequences. You need to pick your fights more carefully or you're going to end up in situations a lot worse."
Kouha kept struggling, though he was quickly running out of energy. Sakura sighed "If you get yourself killed, who's going to be there to look after your mom?"
That caused the child to cease his struggles, though he didn't remove his nails or teeth from her skin.
"My king…" Beleth began warily
"Perhaps you shouldn't" Stolas said
'Don't worry,'
"You're the one who protects her from everyone, right? As admirable as that is you can't deny this fact; you're still a child; you can't fight properly."
Kouha finally leaned his head back to send Sakura a hateful glare, the small indentations revealed without doubt how she had been wounded on her arm. "SHUT UP YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING."
"I know a lot more than you," Sakura countered "You think talking like that and acting like this makes you a grown-up? You think it makes you strong? If anything it makes you look more like a child because you don't have the strength to back up that attitude of yours."
"My king he is a child." Beleth reminded "I don't think understands what you are saying."
'He is a child who carries a burden and pain some adults never have to shoulder; he understands every word I'm saying.'
"This woman in front of us, your mother." Sakura looked up at Kouha's mother, who was sitting down, a smile on her face. She wasn't happy, she wasn't sad, she wasn't trying to hide anything; she just smiled. As innocent as a child. "You cannot protect her from the world, not as you are now….and no one else wants to do it because you drive them away."
"LET ME GO," Kouha's struggles weren't as strong as before, but he was pushing harder than before, though Sakura could see it…he was cracking. Only a few more pushes, and he would either fall off balance towards insanity or a new view and perspective that she wanted to show him.
Leaning down to his ear, she whispered in a voice of nothing "You're weak."
Koumei was expecting something big from Kouha, a stream of angry shrieks that rattled the floors and cracked the windows, a burst of hate-filled energy that would cause him to break free and allow him to murder Sakura; anything along those lines, but instead what happened next was something he found even more surprising and terrifying than his initial ideas.
Kouha's shoulders were trembling so much that Koumei could see it from where he was standing, and when he walked around to get a better look, he was shocked to see large tears streaming down his brother's face, gathering at his chin and falling into a puddle on the floor, mixing with Sakura's blood.
Koumei was struck speechless; he had only seen Kouha cry once when he and Kouen went to see him and Kouen said something that moved Kouha to produce a single tear while he smiled but this wasn't the same; these tears weren't the same, there was much more and they were filled with nothing but sorrow and pain. Kouha's face had turned red, choking down sobs that would come out anyway, his mouth slightly open, it was the first time Kouha had made an expression like that and it was the first time Koumei saw what Kouha really was-a scared child.
"I-I'm weak…." Kouha sobbed, his eyes filled with fear "U-Useless…..ca-can't live…too weak…."
His voice wouldn't permit him to speak further and voice all the ugly thoughts that were swimming in his mind about him.
Sakura released Kouha knowing he had lost the will to resist further, she then rewrapped her arms around him, firm but far more gentle, one hand crossing diagonally from his shoulder to his waist stomach and the other on top of his head giving soft caresses.
"It's okay," Sakura spoke, her voice no longer empty but filled with the softness of a feather, "You can cry as much as you want, never be afraid to cry."
Kouha couldn't respond no matter how hard he tried, he wanted to scream at her but his voice refused to work, he wanted to take one of the many blades lying around them and just plunge it into one of them, he wanted to hate her and yet-the way she held him, the way she spoke. A sense of comfort enveloped him; something he had never been able to experience before; yet there was only one thought that came to mind to define this feeling, this warmth-the warmth of a mother.
When he finally regained the strength to speak again, his words were bitter, more vulgar than any curse words he had ever used, and made his immobile form feel nothing but pain.
"I-I am weak…"
Sakura smiled "Because you're crying? No, never."
"I…I'm useless, useless people have to die because they are weak."
"And yet here I still stand," Sakura said, her voice clear and unwavering.
Kouha didn't turn but he sounded surprised. "What do you mean?"
"I am so weak, weaker than anyone realizes, and I always will be, because I wasn't able to save the ones I care about." Sakura said, her voice now begging to fill with melancholy, "But I am also strong, because no matter how weak I am, no matter how hopeless things seem, I will never give up. I will run, I will cry, but I will never give up."
Shifting Kouha so that the boy was now facing her, "You've endured a great deal, and yet here you are, still breathing, if that isn't true strength, I don't know what is. You just need to learn to harness that strength and become even stronger; you can believe going on in solitude like this is going to help anyone, not you or your mother."
Kouha began wiping his tears, sniffing softly every now and then before looking at Sakura, any sense of hostility gone.
"What do I do then?"
Sakura smiled, placing her hand on his cheek. "Make yourself stronger, crawl out of this solitude and show the world you are not scared; hiding only spurs on misery and dismal."
"How do I do that?" Kouha asked, fresh tears readying to fall, tears of frustration.
"Now that you've cried a river, it's time to build a bridge over it. Grow strong by proving that you are not weak-prove it to yourself, not those around you. In turn, others will see."
Coming up behind Kouha with unbalanced steps, Kouha's mother crouched down, causing him to turn and look at her. She was no longer smiling, her lips curved downwards; awkwardly, she reached out her hand and began rubbing her son's cheeks with the back of it. Kouha was stunned.
"It doesn't take a stable mind to love someone, but a strong heart."
Kouha's tiny arms wrapped around his mother's shoulders as far as they could go while his mother remained perfectly still, responding with soft hums, but Kouha knew that it was her way of comforting him.
"That was quite a speech, my king," Beleth said
"You are truly unlike any other, my king," Stolas praised
"Yeah, I have to admit you are pretty amazing," Gaap said, "Although I can't help but wonder, are you a sadist by any chance? That was rather harsh.'
'I only broke him down to build him back up. If he had continued as he was without finding true inner strength then he would remain vulnerable while living in ignorance.'
'You certainly seemed to know a lot about weakness though." Gaap pointed out
'I was one of its biggest contenders.'
Sakura saw a fluttering around them and she knew, she had done something to make a difference. A tear rolled down her cheek 'I wish I could've done this for you two as well. Sasuke, Naruto.'
As Koumei watched the scene unfolding before him, standing from afar, having viewed each person in a different light, his eyes remained on Sakura, and he wondered....
'Onii-san, what exactly have you brought into our home?'
..
..
"Sakura!"
"Haruno-san!"
Sakura barely stumbled when two small figures ran into her, bumping at her waist. She smiled down at Hakuryuu and Hakuei. They had come running up to her from the end of the gardens when they saw her walking through the veranda, and they weren't alone.
"Wow, why hello, your highnesses." Sakura greeted gently petting their heads
"We haven't seen you in so long!" Hakuryuu said, his voice exaggerating the time.
"We thought you had left," Hakuei added.
"Can you come play with us?" Hakuren asked
"I wish I could, but I'm afraid I have to go and see your cousin Kouen now."
Hakuei's expression turned grim. "We heard he was hurt."
'I wonder if they know how,'
"Don't worry," Sakura reassured, crouching down to their level, her hands on her knees, "He's going to be just fine, and if you want to play, I should be free for a bit later this afternoon."
Hakuei and Hakuryuu's eyes shone; they nodded eagerly before turning around when another voice called, "Hakuei, Hakuryuu don't run off like that!"
A young man came rushing behind the two siblings; it was someone who Sakura was familiar with yet unacquainted. She had only seen him from a distance before sparring with his brother Hakuyuu, and the other time after her battle with Kouen, but as with Hakuyuu, they had never actually spoken before. The second prince of Kou finally seemed to recognise her presence when his eyes landed on her and didn't seem to look right through her and pretend she wasn't there, which was a part of her hoping would happen since her encounter with his older brother.
But then he did something that surprised her-he smiled and in that instant his face changed, a familiar flash of a boy with bright yellow hair and an even brighter smile appeared.
'Naruto?'
Just like that, he was gone, and she was back in reality, standing in the courtyards of the Kou palace, in front of the second prince Hakuren. Getting her barring's Sakura put her hands together as she had seen many do when greeting the Kou royalty.
"Prince Hakuren,"
"Lady Haruno," Hakuren replied with a slight bow.
'Again the lady thing?' Sakura wondered, slightly irritated
"Please prince Hakuren, just call me Sakura, believe me, I'm no lady, as you've witnessed during our last meeting."
When Sakura began treating Kouen within the castle, she may have shown a little less than graceful part of her that shouting at all the physicians and other staff that got caught up with their own curiosity and worry that they threw caution to the wind because of that she had to get a little forceful; like grabbing them by the back of their necks and tossing them out of the room like rag dolls.
"Not your most dignified moment my king," chided Gaap "But damn funny,"
Shaking off her djinn's comment she turned her attention back to Hakuren who started speaking "Okay, Sakura. I actually wanted to talk to you for a while."
"Huh?" she sounded more surprised than she meant to.
"Well after the way you fought Kouen, why wouldn't I?"
Sakura raised an eyebrow and wondered if he remembered the part where she almost killed a member of his household.
When she didn't respond to what seemed to be a rhetorical question he continued "I actually wanted to ask you something."
Sakura stared at him, Hakuryuu and Hakuei watching them with big, curious eyes.
"Yes prince Hakuren?"
Taking both of her hands in his, pulling her a little closer to him; looking her right in the eyes causing her to feel a jolt of nervousness.
"Um….prince Hakuren-
"Will you train with me sometime?"
"What?"
"It's just that I know you spar with Kouen but I really want to see what you can do for myself!"
"Sure."
Hakuren pulled back, a grin spread across his face, eyes shimmered with a child-like excitement "Really?"
"Of course." Sakura smiled, though it was blank. She felt as if she had just fallen deeper into the pit that was the Kou Empire, and it was going to take a while to climb back out.
"Great!"
Sakura didn't know what it was that reeled her in to agreeing to this, they were strangers after all.
'He's optimism and cheerfulness must be what did it,'
"And yet another royal has joined the ranks," said Stolas
"As if she wasn't busy enough with the other Kou children." Beleth sighed
"Well, she did need one more to complete the set."
..
..
..
"Well, it's official; you're healed," Sakura stated removing her hands from Kouen's form before gathering up the bandages on the floor.
"It felt official three days ago."
"Yes, well I'm saying you're fully healed now." Sakura snapped gathering up the rest of the supplies in her arms. "You can now go back to your usual routine, training; translating scrolls, and being a complete ass."
Kouen didn't comment on her insult; he began slipping on the white robe over his torso "You're going to leave."
"Yes."
"When?"
That was a question Sakura wanted to answer for herself, since recently she had gotten into a new routine around the palace. Her days revolving mostly around the children who wanted her company; Kougyoku, Hakuei and Hakuryuu-and there was now also Kouha-yes, recent events took an interesting turn for them and now she was getting requests for visits from the boy; the first time he sent for her one of the maids said he threatened to skin a cat alive and mix its innards in her food if she failed to get Sakura to go see him. So of course she went but she reprimanded him for threatening the messengers; even so he seemed happy to see her. He even said he wanted her to teach him how to use blades like hers; which she reluctantly agreed to.
"Was it really necessary to take on yet another 'project' my king?" Stolas asked
"Yeah, you've got enough kids to take care of and I don't think you'd like one who threatens to put leftover animal innards in food." Gaap grimaced
That had been her djinn's complaints but at the end of it, she agreed.
"Soon,"
"That does not specify."
Sakura shrugged and started moving again, heading towards the door, but Kouen's voice echoed through the room causing her hand to freeze mere inches away from the handle and out of the unpleasant-to-be-in-area, also known as Kouen's room.
"You're staying."
It wasn't a question nor an order, it was a statement of observation; a realisation, and while it would have made Sakura a little more comfortable for Kouen to rather not say it, the damage was done.
"Yes,"
She was staying, she didn't know how long, but she could not leave things the way they were. During her stay she had involved herself-possibly a little too much with certain individuals in the palace and she would need to take responsibility for it. In the same way she took responsibility for Kouen.
Of course she wasn't going to tell him that.
"At least until I find a boat to take me to Reim."
PRIVATE MESSAGING: Available on Tumblr ONLY! I love when you guys reach out to me but it's hard to respond to everyone especially when I need to hop onto different platforms. If you want to reach out personally with questions or messages please do so via Tumblr. THANKS Loves!
Check out the SCHEDULE POSTS On Tumblr, and if you like my stories, want to give me some extra support to help the creations of new stories and can't wait for the latest chapters consider joining me as a special member of my seedling troupe:
TYPE: Katsura369 into the Search Bar Or www. Tumblr . com / blog / katsura369
EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter (102, 103, 104, 105, 106)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (46, 47, 48)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter (38, 39, 40, 41)
-Through the Looking Glass chapter (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: (4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
THANKS FOR TUNING IN BUT NOW I'VE GOTTA TUNE OUT