Even before the rise of Yomi, Mukuro was building a great force that divided the Demon World into two with Raizen. However, few people knew her true appearance. Eventually, Hiei's presence brings her a change of heart.
【Opposing Forces】 (hostile)
Yomi
Mukuro prefers the current chaotic state of the Demon World. Yomi seeks order in the Demon World. The two are like oil and water.
Raizen
Although they were opposing forces, after Raizen's death, she took actions such as offering flowers to his grave.
【Subordinate】
Hiei (trust)
She bared her soul entirely to Hiei, even her abominable past. It was a behavior that would be unthinkable before.
【77 aides】
Kirin and Shigure
Apart from the lower ranks, Mukuro has a carefully selected entourage of 77 aides. Shigure was also the swordsmanship master of Hiei.
【Father】
Chikou (affection (?))
He is a slave trader in the Demon World, and a parent who raised Mukuro. It is not known whether they are blood related or not. She held an intense grudge and a faint affection for him.
Special Note - The True Appearance
Mukuro's words "it'd be difficult to move if my true appearance were known", may have been more like an excuse.
Raised as the daughter of a slave trader, Mukuro was a beautiful looking girl. She is Chikou's favorite and lives hellish days facing his twisted display of affection, but on her 7th birthday, she burns her own body to gain freedom at the cost of half her body. However, her father's existence also restrained her life afterwards. The days of confusion, mixed with feelings of resentment and longing for Chikou, will give her immeasurable power.
Source: Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book Reikai Shinshiroku. Spirit World Record Part 2 - Mukuro. p.121, 2005. Credits to @jupiterprincesshouou for the photos.
This photo from Mukuro's Personal History was taken a while ago. I found interesting the notes they wrote about Chikou's paternity and Mukuro's affinity with Raizen. So, I wanted to add it to this post.
Source: Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book Reikai Shinshiroku. Spirit World Record Part 2 - Mukuro - Personal History. p.122, 2005.
↓ "Is Chikou her real father, or was she bought from somewhere? Children can't choose their parents..." (volume 19, tankoubon, p.96)
↑ "Many scars are carved into her body and mind every day. She lived her life thinking only of breaking free as soon as possible." (volume 19, tankoubon, p.96)
↑ "Raizen persisted in an awkward way of life, and even though he and Mukuro were on opposite sides, deep down, they had something in common?" (volume 18, tankoubon, p.135. Mukuro asks Yusuke to put the flowers in front of Raizen's grave)
↑ "Whenever Mukuro harbors any intent to kill Chikou, imprinted memories are automatically recalled. They were actually not real, but fabricated memories." (volume 19, tankoubon, p.97)
Please, also check Togashi's comments about Mukuro:
Pairings/Characters: one-sided!Hanamura Chigusa/Matsuoka Kou, Iwatobi, Amakata Miho, Matsuoka Rin, Nitori Aiichiro, & Mikoshiba Seijuro (w/a side of implied Goushiba)
Rating: K+
Words: ~780
Summary: Chigusa meets Mikoshiba. Oh, how she hates him. *Chi/Kou/Sei triangle.
Kou was cheerier than usual. She was still in a bit of a shock that Chigusa had wanted to come today. "You didn't have to, you know," she repeated when the Iwatobi Swimming Club arrived at Samezuka Academy for a joint practice.
Amakata-sensei pulled into the school and told everyone to get out. "I'll be back for you all later. I have an errand to run," the teacher said.
The boys didn't mind, but Chigusa saw Kou wink conspiratorially with the teacher. "Getting pizza this early in the evening, sensei?"
Amakata-sensei blushed. "Matsuoka-kun!" she scolded. But she didn't deny it as she pulled away.
"What was that about?" Chigusa asked her friend as they headed in after the swimmers.
"Remember Coach Sasabe, whom I told you about?"
"Oh, right. The punk-ish old guy."
"Chigusa-chan!" Kou couldn't fight a small laugh. "He delivers pizzas when he's not coaching the club in his free time."
Chigusa nodded and smiled. "I see. Cute."
The girls caught up in no time, though Chigusa had wished the walk to be a little longer. She liked it when she and Kou could talk like normal girls, about romance instead of rippling muscles.
The club members had already headed into the locker-room, so Kou and Chigusa made their way to the pool. Samezuka's members were already in the midst of practice, though not everyone was in the water, Chigusa noted. She saw Kou's brother, Rin, holding on to the pool edge while a gray-haired boy knelt to talk with him.
"That's Nitori-chan, my brother's roommate," Kou stated. "He's the only one who can stand rooming with him."
Chigusa watched them laugh like childhood friends. "I don't think 'stand' is the right word for it…"
But Kou either didn't hear her or ignored her comment, because she turned to introduce Chigusa to someone else. "Ah, Chigusa-chan. This is Mikoshiba-san, the Samezuka captain."
And there he was. This was the guy who Kou grumbled about way too much for Chigusa's liking. …crap, he was huge. He towered over the two of them—wait, was he taller than even Tachibana?! He had golden eyes that reminded Chigusa of a cat, and his flame-red hair was so borderline it was almost Yankee. Chigusa inwardly groaned. Did Kou even realize that she had a crush on a guy like this?
"Nice to meet you, Gou-kun's friend," Mikoshiba said, and he held his hand out for her to shake.
Oh, god. Now what? Was she really expected to be polite, to be civil to this guy? She'd never met him, but she'd disliked him from the first moment Kou had blushed when "complaining" about how he called her "Gou-kun." Chigusa didn't want to make friends with yet another guy who took up space in Kou's mind and—Chigusa feared—in Kou's heart. She didn't want to, she didn't want to, she didn't want to!
What she wanted was to grab Kou's wrist and drag her out of here. Either on a date or home, Chigusa didn't care. She just couldn't stand being here for one second longer.
But then she thought, and her eyes flickered to Kou's face.
Oh, right. She would have to do this. She would have to be friendly and play nice. She would have to do this, for Kou's sake. (For her own sake, if there was even the tiniest hope that she stood a chance with Kou.)
"Hanamura Chigusa," the blonde finally said, and she shook his hand. Wow, he had a strong grip.
"Well, I'll catch up with you girls in a bit. Gotta go heckle the slackers," he said, and he left them as Kou got out her whistle and clipboard with notes about Iwatobi's swimmers.
"He's…different from other guys. A bit floaty, I think," Chigusa mumbled to her friend.
Kou snickered and rolled her eyes. But, dammit, her cheeks were pink. Adorable, but pink. "What do you think?" Her voice was soft, and it was almost as though she was waiting for Chigusa's approval.
But what to do? If Mikoshiba got her approval, then Chigusa could be set back even further. If Mikoshiba got her rejection, then Chigusa might not be as favored herself by Kou. What to do, what to do… For Kou's sake. (And her own sake, of course.)
The words were heavy on her tongue, but they weren't untrue:
"I like redheads."
Kou laughed and swatted at Chigusa's arm. "Chi-chan…!"
Well, it wasn't a lie. And that's what got Chigusa through this practice and the next and every one she attended after. It was so far from a lie that it was painful…but, if Kou stayed happy, maybe she could deal with some pain.
ANGST. Oof. X0 Sorry, Chi-chan! Urgh. I love Goushiba, but I really wanna write a happy, mutual ChiKou fic… I just need to have an idea… These two are so good for one-sided angst, it's not even funny… ;_; Also, this is prolly set sometime after s1ep12…? I guess… And I think that might've been a hint of Rintori besides Amasabe, *lol*. I wanna see more ChiKou…! Dx
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this! And check out my other Free! fics if you liked this!
Summary: Chigusa listens to Kou drone on day in and day out. She wishes they'd talk about something else, something more interesting. *Set at the summer festival.
Chigusa fixed her hair for the umpteenth time. "Gou, let's go. The festival's going to close before we even get there!"
The redheaded girl to her side puffed up her cheeks. "Chigusa-chan, what did I say—"
"Kou, Kou! Sorry!" But Chigusa said it with a laugh. Kou was too funny about her name. It was almost to the point where Chigusa called her "Gou" to tease her, kind of like how Hazuki-kun did.
"Besides, I'm all ready." Kou grabbed a small purse and tugged on Chigusa's arm. "And I'm the one who's keeping us? Your hair looks great, Chi-chan. Hurry!"
Chigusa let Kou tug her out of the Matsuoka house. It was sweet how Kou jogged and pulled Chigusa along with her, despite not being athletic in the least bit. It meant that Kou was focusing on Chigusa for once, and not—
No. Nope. She wouldn't think about them tonight. Just one night, she'd like not to think about the Iwatobi Swimming Club.
Inwardly, the blonde cursed. Darn it. By swearing not to think about them, she had. Her green–blue eyes darted to Kou.
"I want fresh takoyaki as soon as we get there," Kou said, completely distracted now that she was excited. She glanced back at her friend. "Your treat, right?"
Chigusa grinned. "The first one's on me, of course."
Kou smiled and slowed down so they could walk together. "It really is great, you know."
"Oh?"
"Going someplace like this," she elaborated. She tugged on her sleeve. "Wearing something like this. I don't remember the last time I wore a yukata."
"We look great tonight," Chigusa confirmed.
Kou giggled—no, Chigusa noted, it wasn't quite a giggle. Kou didn't giggle. But she did something halfway between a giggle and a chuckle. She was a cool, sweet girl. "It's nice to take a break from managing the club," Kou added.
The blonde had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. That stupid club…! They were on Kou's mind nearly one hundred percent of the time…! At first it had just been a little annoying, Kou never shutting up about the guys and about the bodies of fit guys in general. Then it grew more tedious once Kou kept going to meets with them and was present at every single practice they had. Now she was spending many of her weekends with them or worse—talking about them.
It wasn't that Chigusa couldn't appreciate the lovely male physique. But she was so sick of it. Besides…
Her eyes flicked to Kou's profile as the redhead kept babbling on, unawares. She wouldn't mind talking about the lovely female physique. Rather, she'd love to talk about Kou more.
But, ah, crushes were simply meant to be unrequited, weren't they?
Chigusa blinked when she realized Kou was waiting for her to respond. "Oh, sorry?"
Kou was beaming at her. It was stunning to Chigusa that another girl could look so beautiful to her… Kou was pointing. "I see Makoto-kun and the others!" She laughed, happier than before.
And Chigusa inwardly scowled. Maybe "crush" was not the right word, considering she had such a negative reaction to seeing the club at the festival, even if Tachibana did compliment their yukata. They laughed and talked and all decided to roam together, but all Chigusa wanted to do was—was—squash them! Like…like a bug! With her zori!
Ah, yes. Kou's constant male-appreciation chatter was not the only annoying thing around here.
XD Funnier than I'd thought it be. I really want to write more for these two, and I was surprised to find there's basically nothing for them on FFN! :O Unless someone knows—then please tell me in a review or message me! I ship slash, het, and femslash equally, which is why you'll find all three from me, especially in the Free! fandom. -w-
Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this! And check out my other Free! fics if you liked this!
18: “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”
[Words: 444, SFW]
“Shit,” Rin groans, hiding his face in his hands.
“What’s wrong?” Nagisa asks, looking around. He spots the problem almost instantly, which is good since Rin isn’t answering his question. Across the club he watches as Kou and her friend (what was it? Chigusa?) are led to their table by a tall man in a glitter mini skirt and go-go boots.
Rin keeps his face strategically covered, never looking directly at them. “How the hell are we gonna get out of here?”
“We could, I dunno, just get up and walk out.”
“Without them seeing us, Nagisa!” He practically whimpers into his hand. “Look, I’m not ready to explain what I’m doing at a gay bar, okay?”
Nagisa pats Rin’s back. “I get it, it’s okay.” He taps the table with his fingers, thinking, glancing around for inspiration. Another waiter walks past with a fresh round of drinks for the table next to them- he’s in heels and a turquoise dress that matches his eyes. Nagisa’s seen him before. “I have an idea,” he mutters in Rin’s ear, turning to get the waiter’s attention.
*
“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had,” Rin sighs. He scratches the back of his neck, staring at the pile of clothes Sousuke’s brought out for them.
Sousuke crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, heel tapping the floor. “Out or in, Matsuoka? I’m really not supposed to bring customers backstage, so you better pick one.”
“Of course I’m in.”
“Yes,” Nagisa squeals, pouncing on Rin with a lacy black dress in his hand. “Let’s do it!”
*
“Oh, wow,” Chigusa breathes, watching another waiter go by. She hadn’t ever dreamed it was possible for men to look so pretty. Kou seems too starstruck to comment at all, eyes fixed on the blond beauty walking past. He’s slender with hips that look more gorgeous in his white booty shorts than Chigusa’s ever would. He winks at her and makes a peace sign before his friend drags him away, and if the blond is the male equivalent of Marilyn Monroe, his friend is the Audrey Hepburn, eyebrows cocked elegantly in an impatient expression, the slits in the skirt of his dress showing long, smooth legs that seem to go for miles.
“Amazing,” Kou whispers after they pass by.
“You could totally pull that look off,” Chigusa tells her, running her hand through Kou’s ponytail and piling it into a bun. “Just a couple bobby pins, the right make-up, a pretty dress...you would totally look just like him. You had the same face shape and everything.”
Kou leans over to peck her lips. “Whatever you say, babe.”
((Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain Chikou IS Mukuro's father.
Look at the faces. Same eye shape. Same brow shape. It's also kind of hard to tell in this picture so here's another one where you can REALLY compare their noses. Also, I'm pretty sure they got the same big ass ears.
So Mukuro just looks more like her dad. (Also Yusuke looks like his mom so you can't call me out on bullshitting you.
This is actually even worse if you look at her design in the anime. She looks straight up like him... This is freaky, man. I don't wanna play anymore.))
