☠ ᗷᗩᗪ EᑎᗪIᑎG?! TᕼE ᖴᗩTE Oᖴ TᕼE ᑌTᔕᑌᖇI’ᔕ, ᗷᑌᖇᑎEᗪ ᗷY ᖴIᖇE! ☠

[14]

Gaara

It's raining now. Gaara thought as his sand made a mud covering above his head. He would need to find shelter for the night before it grew worse. Without having anyone by his side the Jinchuriki had made quick progress and had already made it to the Land of Claws. The night all around him spoke of many spirits, and he paused to listen to the air current. "The storm will be near her," he remarked aloud. Near Utsuri Nikko.

The teen jumped into a rather large tree which boasted enough leafage so as to make a nice place to stay until the rain subsided. He put a hand to his forehead and touched the kanji [Ai].

(What a surprising human she was. Don't find many of those around anymore.) Shukaku reminisced.

Gaara had to agree. And he'd left her without even uttering a word of goodbye. Of course he wanted to tell the girl goodbye. He simply couldn't manage to summon the nerve. What right did he have, anyway? After all that he'd done... Besides, Nikko was in good hands. Naruto would assure her safety even at the expense of his life, Gaara knew.

Still....

[I wish to share in Gaara's pain.]

She'd said to him.

He grit his teeth in self hatred. She'd taken the blame for his misunderstanding and traded it for something quite precious to a girl. Yet despite that, Gaara's body ached with a deep longing.

Nikko's groans for more of him brought his dick alive. He sighed in defeat and allowed the fantasy to overtake him, imagining how nice a virgin pussy was. Tight, wet, and...

Gaara sighed and began to pump himself, needing to relieve the massive boner. He bit his mouth hard enough to draw blood, suckling as he imagined it were Nikko's virginal fluids.

[Gaara!]

It was over too soon. He gazed down at his hand with self deprecation before washing himself in the rain. How shameful; how...how wonderful.

He needed to do that more often.

Nikko

"Wait! You're going too fast--ha---ha--ha!"

"We can't stop now! Almost there--! Ah, Nikko-chan, you doing okay?"

"No...! Ha--ha--ha--I can't breathe!"

Nikko coughed fire in her lungs as Idate drug her further and further through the pouring rain, no doubt losing them both within the massive forestry. She hoped he knew the way back out. That is...if they ever came back out.

Where they being chased? Was that mad samurai the only one after her? Nikko didn't know and that unknown factor spurred her pace.

Idate was fast. Too fast for her; she fell in the mud repeatedly trying to mirror him. Idate eventually stopped long enough to haul her up onto his shoulder like a sack of feed before continuing his cross country marathon. "Sorry about this beautiful! Just hang on to me, okay?"

"@.@"

Slosh

Slosh

Patter, padder, pat

Finally Idate stopped. Nikko swallowed bile as he righted her and did what she could to observe where they were. The girl noticed the outline of a shack of sorts, some run down hobo abode long forgotten and reclaimed by the surrounding trees. Vines ran in and around the cracks in it's structure, thatched roof bare in spots.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Explain later. For now let's get out this rain."

She followed him, wet tights and all into the abandoned house. Idate made sure they weren't being followed before shutting the door behind him. Nikko glanced around and was unable to really make out much of anything; mostly wrappers and discarded cans of food with their lids still half on.

The girl sank down to the moist dirt floor. "Are we being chased?"

"Not that I can tell. Damn..." Idate sighed and sat down beside her and pulled the girl to his drenched self. He was cold to the touch as his hand found hers. "I can't wait for this to be over with."

Nikko shook her head sorrowfully. For her, it wouldn't end, ever. Not until....

"I-Idate-kun, d-do you love me?"

Her blunt words made the teen Idate flinch in shock. "All of a sudden...." He laughed, it's sound echoing around the room, "...damn right I do. I'd be a crazy guy not to."

Nikko looked around and still saw her monarch's hovering. Her heart ached, knowing the truth now. "...I wish---" she held her head in her hands and began to cry into them, wanting Idate to be her true love more than anything.

"Hey hey, don't cry. I'm here okay? And that crazy straw head is out there fighting for you too." He tucked her to his chest. "It will be okay. I'll never let you go Nikko-chan. You're safe with me."

His words only appeared to sharpen the blade already in her chest; Nikko was stricken with heartbreak. Her sobs didn't cease until Idate lifted his index finger, "Shhh...I hear something."

The girls tears dried back up into her eyes. Nikko stilled, also listening for any sounds. Above the rain smashing against the roof like a hurricane she could hear rustling. She tugged Idate's sleeve and pointed to the door. He nodded silently and crept closer to it as if the door were a startled animal.

"Hime-sama! You need to leave!" Aponi suddenly shrieked. Nikko jumped out of her skin before grabbing the nearest butterfly and smacking it to the floor.

Idate stood by the doors frame with his back against it, waiting. He signaled for Nikko to move away and she obeyed, going to the furthest corner. That's when he opened the door---and all hell broke loose.

For on the door was a smoking paper bomb.

"Nikko-chan hit the floor! NOW!"

She tucked into herself like an insect as the bomb went off, screaming for Idate. The first thing to happen was her loss of hearing, dulling down to an annoying ringing. Her vision shook momentarily as she tried to see what was happening. Fire had erupted and rose despite all the rain coming inside.

"Idate! Idate! IDATE!"

He didn't answer, and as the flames began to waft over into Nikko's corner she stood on newborn legs and used the wall to stay upright. The heat burned her skin like a nest of fire ants had invaded her clothing. Still, she braved the firesof hell and swam through them. "IDATE!"

"*Cough* N-Nikko--g-get outta he--hak!"

She could hear him. He was still alive!

That prompted her to say 'to hell with it' and use jikan henko no jutsu again. She knew it wouldn't last long, but Nikko hoped it would just be enough to save the one she loved.

Everything froze, flames and all. She took a moment to pause, no longer feeling the heats effects melting her flesh and clothing. The flames had risen above the door. Nikko spotted rain drops hovering, waiting for gravity to return to them. Then the moment passed and her senses returned.

Idate was kneeling down by the door, in the midst of hellfire itself. If she hadn't used the jutsu the girl knew he would die. She grabbed him onto her shoulder and drug him out of the burning shack and to the forest. Just in the knick of time.

Shizzz

The rain fell again and startled all of her senses alert at it's loud welcoming. Idate fell forward and looked around, "Wha--? I was, we were-- Nikko-chan?"

"No time! Let's get out of here!" She grabbed his hand and together they ran sloppily away from the burning shack.

Neither one spoke until Nikko grew too tired and sagged into the nearest trunk. "I can't go anymore!"

"Ha..ha...yeah, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to go there."

"What was that place anyway?"

Idate sighed. "...My old home. When I ran from the Hidden Leaf...I found that place. Even back then it looked crappy. Man am I glad Jirocho-san came by that day. I'd...kept myself fed by stealing, pickpocketing, you name it, I did it."

"Idate-kun..." Nikko sympathetically touched his hand. He brought it to his lips and pecked it softly.

"I know I may sound crazy, but I think that winning the race changed me Nikko-chan. I...want to do what I can, help who I can."

"..."

He stood up and gazed down at Nikko. "Will you...wait for me?"

Her mouth parted to utter the words, 'I'm sorry,' when Idate's eye grew wide. He fell forward as something warm spritzed her face.

Why is...what's wrong with Idate-kun? She asked herself.

No. She knew--could see what was wrong, but couldn't get her brain to come to terms. A blade had pierced him through his chest, it's tip shining brightly as though proud of itself.

Idate slid forward and held the tree to stay standing as fresh crimson poured from his chest like someone had stepped on a ketchup packet. Behind him was a different enemy, this one brutish and orge like. He smiled, showing a row of flat teeth. "One down...one ta go," he said cockily.

"I-Idate-kun...?"

The teen smiled down at Nikko. He knew his fate had been sealed, but he told her, "Nikko-chan---I--even when I die, I'll never forget you--hah--hah--please, survive! Go to Naru-...." he slid down and fell dead at her feet.

As the ogre menace stood proudly, slinging her love's blood away like it were cobwebs, Nikko trembled violently.

"No--No! Idate-kun! You can't die! Please!" She ignored death's door and grabbed Idate, putting her hand over the hole in his chest. "No! Idate-kun! You have to hang on! Don't leave me!"

It was all for naught; his eyes rolled back in their sockets.

She pulled away and looked at her hands, spying the fire engine color that had stained them. Her sadness then began to change, wavering until it grew into a righteous fury. "You!" Nikko shook with anger, "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Heh heh heh...look at yew, pipsqueak! What 'chu goin do 'bout it, wee babe?" He chuckled and propped his sword up on his shoulder as though he had all the time in the world. "Yew don't know who yer dealin' with lass. Me name's Mateo...Takei Mateo. 'Member it lass, for its the last name yull eve' ere!"

Nikko looked from Idate's fresh corpse to the towering samurai Mateo. Her vision spotted red as the girl faded into insanity. She pulled her mouth back in a snarl and spit out: "I'll FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Mateo paused from his unwanted self introduction and took a step back.

She took a step forward.

"Wha? Wha's with 'at look in yer eye?" He stammered. "Yer a mad buggar!"

Nikko's green hair lifted away from her shoulders as though a static charge had taken over. Her self preservation fled and in it's place a blind, venemous creature. Though she didn't know it at the time, Aponi had temporarily given her some of Ichikashima's powers--and they flowed through her veins.

She slowly walked over to her prey and spread apart her right hand, splaying the fingers. Then, as Mateo swung his katana in a would be fatal blow, Nikko allowed the blade to slice into the side of her hand, grabbing the blade and pulling Mateo towards her. His bulging eyes grew even more bolbus.

Mateo's brutish force couldn't overpower her ethereal aura; Nikko shoved her hand into his large chest and out the other side, yanking his innards outwards.

"D-Damn yew! Curse yew, monster!" Mateo snarled, his hands shaking with the effort to force the blade against the girl.

A truly cruel and twisted smirk Nikko wore as she grabbed his heart and squeezed it until the thing burst. Blood spurted and sprayed everywhere, including her once beautiful kimono.

Mateo went slack as foam fell from his large orifice. He landed onto the wet grass with a large thud.

Dead.

**

Nikko looked down at the two corpses as her sanity returned. "I...I...Aponi, what happened? Why is?"

"Hime-sama! You did it! You avenged Morino-san!"

The girl saw for herself that her hands had been bloodied, could feel the grit of flesh underneath her dirty nails. She promptly vomited and fell down, shaking with post traumatic stress.

"I...I really...killed him..." she whispered.

The rain grew even heavier as though the heavens mourned. Nikko looked up at the dark sky numbly, a hull of herself. It would take more than a few moments to process her first kill, but she wasn't given the chance.

Another enemy appeared; this one with two short knives. He stepped out of the woodwork and looked down at Mateo with a disgusted face. "Gross. I always thought he was weak. Soo....you're Utsuri Nikko. The one we've combed this damn place to find. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

She barely registered the man, too lost in a daze. He could have been a clown for all she knew.

The newcomer stepped over Mateo's innards and laughed. "Come now, where's all that pizaz you just had? Surely it's not run out." He leaned down and snapped his fingers into her frozen face. "Hello? Anyone in there? Tch. Fine. I'll give you the peace you seek!"

As his short blades lifted to attack, a shadow with a blue glowing ball came forth from nowhere and shouted:

"RaSENgan!"

The attacker twirled through the forest as Uzamaki Naruto pummeled his chest with the air attack. Numerous trees split apart in the wake of his Rasengan. It's loud effects even woke Nikko enough to gaze up at her rescuer. "..."

"Nikko-chan, you okay?" He spared her a glance, "There's two more of these goons on their way. C'mon!"

She didn't budge. To Naruto, Nikko appeared to be a porcelain doll among a bed of blood. He shut his eyes a second as Idate's corpse became clear. "Dammit...I was too late. Idate-san..."

When the girl clearly wasn't responding to him, Naruto watched as rain mixed with the blood and tears on Nikko's face. He set his jaw firmly and unzipped his jacket. "Here! Put this on!"

Still Nikko remained in her spot. Naruto growled, placed it around her shoulders and grabbed the girls cold wet hand. "Forget about it for now! I made a promise, and I never go back on my word! That's my ninja way!"