Chapter 93 - Arc XIII: The Real World- Chapter 2

Yuji ate little, though Azami had done an excellent job on the food. Everyone knew about the break-up. Azami and Sakura had known in advance, as Shiroko had made sure that Yuji would be okay with one more ‘shock’.

It was hard, at first. But even with a couple hours, Yuji knew he’d be fine. At least with respect to Shiroko. With his other fantasies in his mind, he was much more pre-occupied at the people at the table with him. He’d had a fantasy about Azami, Miko, and then Ino. They’d all seemed so real. Rather, maybe he just wished they were real, as opposed to the reality he was now facing. No point in putting off the discussion any longer, he decided.

“…There’s something we need to discuss…”

The clacking of chopsticks against bowls stopped. Yuji hadn’t spoken to anyone since the break-up. No doubt no one wanted to light the fuse that blew up the emotional powder keg that Yuji was right now. They let him make the first move.

“…My suicide attempt was fueled by pure frustration. I should have talked to someone first. But I didn’t, and that’s that. I won’t try to take my own life again. And I’m sorry…beyond sorry…for the worry I’ve caused you. So it pains me to cause you further worry, but it must be done…”

Yuji bowed his head, making eye contact with each person in turn.

“My mental sanity will now be in question. Lady Tsunade will likely tell me to take a good, long break. However, I find it difficult to sit still when someone else has made an attempt on my life so recently.”

Yuji’s eyes stopped on Sakura and Naruto.
“For all my power, I was helpless against Sasuke and his group. I refuse to believe that it was a fluke. Modesty aside, few people would give me such a fight as Ten no Kishootsu. But the fact is, I was unable to fight as Ten no Kishootsu. He effectively removed ‘Heaven’s Temper’ from the equation quickly. He has no reason to change that strategy. And there is no counter that I can think of. However, I can make his life more difficult. I can ruin Sasuke’s ambitions… and, I believe, keep him alive. But it will only work if you extend to me your greatest trust…Master, Mistress…”

The change in title was surprising to Sakura and Naruto. But Yuji’s words had intrigued them.

“The one counter move I can make is to put together a group to face Sasuke. And not just ‘face’-”
Yuji paused here, his face grave.
“-declare war.”

Naruto and Sakura immediately volunteered.
“We’re right behind you!”
“We’ll make him see reason!”

But Yuji shook his head. “No. Master, Mistress- I was unable to fight last battle because I was preoccupied. My job is, first and foremost, to protect you. Because of that, I could not fight with the…abandon necessary to win. It’s no fault of your own. It’s mine…for caring too much. Maybe that’s why this idea hurts so much now, when it wouldn’t have bothered me just a short time ago…”

“What idea?!” Naruto demanded. “Tell us!”

“The group to face Sasuke. The idea isn’t so much the problem, I guess. It’s the process. It means alienating myself from the village. It means becoming a ‘criminal’ in the eyes of the Leaf. It would just be a formality…but I need to establish that I’m an outsider. Otherwise, the Leaf will be facing a war. A war I’m not positive we can win.”

“How’s that again?” Naruto asked.

Sakura understood better, having spent so much time with Tsunade. “If you attack them while part of Konoha, then Konoha has an alliance with you and is subject to attack from whatever forces Sasuke has gathered. Then anyone who helps us might be attacked as well. But if you separate yourself, we can keep all our allies. And if you fail…then we deny you.”

Yuji nodded grimly. “That’s about the size of it. The Leaf can‘t afford another war in terms of cost, manpower, or morale.” He looked to his hosts. “Azami; Kojiro. I considered you both. But you’re just starting your life together. I also thought of Kakashi-sensei, but his position is too important. And Sasuke is personal to him as well. I can only think of one other person at the moment. But for the moment, secrecy is most important. Can I trust you all to keep this secret? Knowing that you hold in your hands the lives of myself and others…can you do this?”

Azami and Kojiro exchanged glances. They nodded as one.

Kojiro said, “Yuji, for what you did for us, Azami and I are at your side. It’s no sacrifice- not compared to yours,” said Kojiro, wincing a bit as he recalled Yuji‘s rampage after he lost out to Kojiro for Azami‘s love. A man who wielded that much power was scary, and the slightest breach of control that Kojiro had seen had left a mark. But Yuji put that aside and became a friend, and for that Kojiro realized that Yuji had been able to quell his anger and become the bigger man. “I used to be pretty good with a hammer. If that’ll do…I’m on your side.”

“You need strength, kiddo? You know that I can match you. And besides, my memory is good. Very good. But more to the point- Sasuke knows you’ll have come to us. If he’s going to come calling, I’d rather not have to kill him and mess up your prophecy thing. My strength is yours. Direct it as you will,” Azami added.

Yuji gave a small, tired smile. He looked so weak now. But even as you thought that, you could feel his chakra bubbling up. A forbidding rush of heat and power. A power that was restrained; not defeated.

“Thank you both. I think one more and our group will be rounded out. Give me two weeks to recover and find a fourth. Then I’ll make my move politically. It won’t shock anyone- actually, it’s a failsafe plan Lady Tsunade and I discussed.”

Yuji turned back to the last two. Naruto and Sakura had been listening quietly. Clearly, they were unhappy at being excluded.

“Master, Mistress- if my plan succeeds, Sasuke will be yours. Alive. And the prophecy should be fulfilled. If my plan fails, you must resolve yourselves to attack. Gather who you can and finish Sasuke. The boy you knew…I’m going to drag him out in our fight- If he still exists, I’ll make him vulnerable to you. It will be up to you to strike. To end this threat. But if the boy you knew doesn‘t exist, I‘ll at least manage to weaken him. Then you must finish him. He‘s no longer just your problem. His alliances are proving more and more deadly and devious. If you want to save him, at least in name- end this threat.”
--
--

Yuji returned home that night a bit later than usual. He had taken a good, long walk around the village, taking in all he could. He had other business as well that was germane to his cause.

He still found himself fatigued after his suicide attempt. His body simply refused to recover completely while his emotional state was so unstable.

Maybe that was why he tripped over the black and white bundle just inside his door. He landed painfully on his face, biting his cheek.

“Ahh! What the hell? Kuroko?!”

Indeed it was. Laying by the door was Kuroko. She was asleep, apparently. Or maybe passed out. She seemed to be a bit drunk. Why else would she have passed out just inside Yuji’s door?

Smiling, Yuji moved to his bedroom. Something so normal could exist in this tumultuous world. Getting drunk and having a good time…so normal. So real.

Yuji gently draped a blanket over Kuroko’s sleeping form. Perhaps in the morning she’d be okay to talk.

As soon as Yuji thought that, Kuroko stirred. So Yuji paused, waiting to see if she would wake up.

“Blegh!”

Yuji winced.
I hate vomit. Well, at least it’s not mine.
--

The next morning, Kuroko woke up and immediately slapped a hand to her aching head.

“Shiiiittttt! Overdid it…ugh. Where did I wind up, anyway?”

Yuji entered the room, holding a cup of coffee.

“Hey, you alright?”

Kuroko got to her feet unsteadily, falling into the wall in the process of righting herself.
“I’ll let you know when the headache stops. Owww…”

Yuji rolled his eyes and made his way over to help her.
“C’mon, up we get. Thattagirl. Okay, let’s get you sitting down with some coffee.”
-

It took a while, but Kuroko was herself again after a cup of coffee and a healthy dose of Eki-Kyabe. Although she seemed troubled. She was a mess, though Yuji would never say as much. Her make-up was running and her clothes were rumpled.

Wait, the make-up…it looks like she’s been…crying.

“YOU BIG ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL YOURSELF!”

Yuji flinched back instinctively as Kuroko’s hand seized the front of his shirt, drawing him close. Her teeth were pulled back in a snarl and her voice had a hard, angry edge to it.

“SHIROKO SHOWS UP HERE AND TELLS ME THAT YOU- I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA, ANY AT ALL HOW WORRIED I WAS?!”

“I’m sorry.”

“OH, YOU ARE SORRY, ALRIGHT! DAMN IT! I CAN’T BELIEVE I FOUGHT SO HARD FOR YO-!”

Now there was an awkward moment. Just ambiguous enough to make Yuji wonder about her meaning; clear enough to make Kuroko sure that Yuji knew exactly what she had started to say.

“Look, Shiroko and I talked. I decided to back off of you, but I really didn’t want to. You’d already rejected me, but…”
She was in tears again. Yuji leaned forward to comfort her, but the power of her voice knocked him back again.
“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE YOU LOVE REJECT YOU?!”

“YES!” Yuji shouted back. “YES! I DO! WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE ME GIVE UP?!”

“…”

“…”

“Sorry.”

“Me, too.”

Yuji ran a hand through his hair, trying to get his bearings.
“Look, I didn’t reject you. Not you personally. I just didn’t want a one night stand.”

“And Shiroko…she wanted a relationship…is that it?”

Yuji blushed, nodding. “Yeah. Pardon me if I’m a bit bitter, but I’m fresh off getting dumped…”
Then Yuji made a show of looking over the table.
“I am kind of distracted. What are you dressed like that for? Not complaining, believe me. But I’m curious…”

Kuroko looked down at herself. Understanding suddenly dawned on her.
“Oh, the uniform! I forgot! Give me two minutes!”

With that, she skipped into the bathroom. Yuji just stared, wondering what in the hell the human whirlwind that was Kuroko was doing. He’d seen her in some sexy get-ups, but this one had to take the cake.

Kuroko emerged from the bathroom, her hands on her hips. Her make-up had been fixed, her hair straightened, and her clothes adjusted.

“Right! As of today, Lady Tsunade has assigned me to be your adjunct. My job is to take some of the stress out of your personal life.”

“And that’s why you’re dressed as a maid? Again, not complaining, but I can’t believe Lady Tsunade would make you…”

“Oh, no. She didn’t ‘make’ me do anything,” Kuroko told Yuji, smiling widely. “She simply advised. See, I’ve decided to pursue you, Yuji. Lonely boys like you tend to get all hot and bothered around girls dressed like maids…pledging their service…”

Kuroko crawled across the table, her hands on Yuji’s shoulder so she could whisper in his ear.

“…no order that cannot be obeyed…”

Smiling even wider, Kuroko withdrew and sat back down properly.

“Now, while I’m on duty, please call me ‘Isae’. ‘Kuroko’ is a nickname and not appropriate for work.”

Yuji just blinked. How did one react to this? Conventional means failed him, and he just stared.
She must have been pretty smashed to think up this maid thing off. Not that I don’t appreciate it.

“Lady Tsunade warned me you’d be a hard one to break, even like this. Perhaps if our roles were reversed? I can stay a maid, but maybe you’d prefer to be given orders? Lady Tsunade did peg you as a masochist after all…tell me, Yuji- was she right?”

While Yuji tried to process that, Kuroko laughed. She couldn’t help it. The look on Yuji’s face was priceless.
“Okay, seriously now- I’m here to be a companion. To keep an eye on you. Whatever that means to you,” Kuroko/Isae explained. “Your suicide attempt was worrisome to a lot of us. Lady Tsunade feels responsible to some degree. She thought that perhaps you needed someone who could keep an eye on you. A friend that you could speak openly to. Say things to that you could not speak of to your masters. The maid outfit…well, I just wanted to send you a personal message.”

It made sense, Yuji decided. And he would thank Lady Tsunade. The first night without Shiroko…he thought he’d understood the depths of loneliness before, but that had been a new kind of pain.

But remember, it’s darkest before the dawn. And dawn is just about here…

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