Pale Scarlet (Hanabi x Kagura)
Tags: angst and fluff, mild violence, jungle diff, festival dates, nursing, girls being gay
Rue filled eyes faintly gaze upon the wretched shinobi. Laid down in a pool of her own blood. Her hands tremble, yet manages to keep a tight grip of her blade.
His laughter echoes in her ear, rippling till the edge of her mind.
She desperately tried to crawl away but it was futile. Darkness began to cloud her vision almost as dark as the night. She could hear the grinding of the sword on the ground as it was being dragged by her attacker.
She turned her head over her shoulders and saw a silhouette of a man that attacked her. She hates to admit it but he was stronger than she was.
The clouds that engulf the full moon slowly faded creating a light that shone upon the earth. Slowly revealing the features of her attacker.
The shadow of her attacker loomed over her fragile bloodied body.
Pale blue eyes that pierced her silver ones, large horned pauldrons that sat atop his shoulders, his face was covered by a mask that smiled upon her, and his crimson locks that could’ve been mistaken for dried blood consumed the gleam of the moonlight.
“Hanzo” she hissed his name, the Ancient Demon of the shadow faction, the nemesis of both clans stood before her beaten body. His pale blue eyes glared upon her tracing every inch of her blood soaked body. He didn’t speak a single word but she could tell from Hanzo’s gaze that he was mocking her.
She gritted her teeth in anger as there was nothing she could do but wait for her inevitable death. She hates it...She hated that she could not do anything. She hated this feeling, the feeling of helplessness. The feeling of being at someone else’s mercy.
He laughed at her pathetic sight. Hanzo’s inhumane laughter sent a cold shiver down Hanabi’s spine; all traces of her anger were replaced by fear. It was amplified when he saw Hanzo raise his gigantic sword that could easily tear her body in half if he wishes.
“Hanabi....I’ve seen the fear in your eyes” She did her best to strike him down one last time pouring all her strength into a single strike. It was futile as Hanzo swatted her weapon away like a bug.
“As a Scarlet Shadow you merely collapse.... Pathetic.. Let’s finish it now!”
Hanzo brought down his sword to end the pitiful woman’s life. Hanabi could only stare as she was seconds away from death, everything felt slow as her life flashed before her silver eyes. She saw everything from her childhood, training, the day she met Hayabusa, how her chest tightens when she saw him with Kagura.
An image of Hayabusa appeared in her mind and the moments she had with him. And an image of Kagura also surfaced from her mind, she wonders why.
She closed her eyes embracing her death...But she felt nothing instead she heard the sound of the blade hitting something hard.
She slowly opened her silver eyes and saw her white hair that reflected the moon light and her sky blue kimono that matched her baby blue eyes perfectly. Kagura the Soryu Maiden. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Hanabi thought she saw a goddess when she was pulled back to reality by a pair of warm arms that embraced her tightly.
She looked up to see her rival. Hayabusa The Shadow Of Iga. Hayabusa brought Hanabi to a safer distance to keep her safe.
Hanzo was surprised and confused on what material the umbrella was made to be able to block a demon infused sword. His thoughts were cut short when he heard the sound of a shuriken cut through the air. He pulled Ame no Habakiri to block the incoming danger. The sword opened its mouth and devoured the filthy metal that entered its jaws.
Hanabi watched from the sidelines. A cloud of darkness slowly enveloped her vision. The last thing she saw was the sight of Kagura running towards her. She heard her utter something she couldn’t quite make out before she was completely submerged in darkness.
The birds chirped happily as the sun shone in the Land of Dawn. A certain raven-haired beauty was stirring in her sleep, she slowly fluttered her eyes open her vision meeting an unfamiliar ceiling.
She jolted promptly giving her body an unexpected additional strain, she groaned in pain clutching her throbbing sides.
She turned her attention to the sudden opening of curtains as she was greeted by the sight of Kagura’s baby blue eyes “I see that you’ve woken up, Hanabi-san” Said Kagura with a small smile plastered on her cute face.
“W-what the hell happened?” Hanabi questioned the silver-haired beauty still clutching her side ”Well as soon as we heard that you were going after Hanzo we immediately searched for you a-and...” She bit her lower lip and clutched her kimono, preventing the tears that formed at her eyes to stream down her rosy cheeks.. She clears her throat.
“If Haya-kun and I were just a bit late you would’ve been” She fell silent not wanting to declare what could’ve happened.
Hanabi could remember the horrors of her battle against Hanzo, how she was of no match against him; he was leagues way above her. She remembers his inhumane laugh, how she almost died in so many ways like being cut to pieces, and what he said “As a scarlet shadow you merely collapse... Pathetic” His voice echoed inside her repeating like a broken record damaging her pride.
She clutched the blanket that covered her fragile injured body to the eyes of many. She was mad... She hated how she got her ass handed to her, She hated how she needed to be saved.. All because she was weak...How she wasn’t strong enough. She released her grip and sighed, calming down her nerves.
Remembering what Kagura said ”Haya-kun?” She raised a brow and questioned the silver-haired beauty before her with a hint of jealousy present in her eyes... Her cheeks brighten to a pink hue “A-A-A y-you s-see I used to call h-him H-H-Hayabusa-san but he said that i-it makes h-him feel like an old man s-so” Embarrassed she desperately tried to explain to Hanabi as she shook her hands in front of her face like a madman.
“Speaking of Hayabusa, where is he?” The silver-beauty finally calmed down “He went after Hanzo” Losing her once cheery voice. The room went silent and the mood went down.
“Heh it’ll be fine I have higanbana now I’ll catch up to him” She snickered and thought of how she would catch up to Hayabusa and beat Hanzo restoring her shattered pride and maybe just maybe at that time He would finally notice her.
“Uhhh about that” She lightly scratched her cheeks as a bead of sweat ran down her natural rosy cheek “They secured the Higanbana and added more protection than the last time because someone stole it” She explained avoiding the eyes of the raven haired girl.
“They what” the tone of her voice was so dangerous that Kagura wanted to bolt out of the room immediately, she averted her gaze somewhere away from Hanabi’s gaze.
“D-Don’t worry Hanabi-san y-you’re not in t-trouble I spoke to your clan’s elders a-and they were glad that it wasn’t used in unsuitable purposes” She tried to calm her down as beads of sweat ran down her forehead and just in time Hanabi’s stomach growled.
“Thank you Kami-sama!” She thanked the gods in her thoughts whereas. Hanabi’s anger was quickly replaced by a look of embarrassment her cheeks lit up a rosy color “Oh my Hanabi-san it seems like you’re hungry let me get you some food real quick, I’ll be right back” The silver-haired maiden stood up and left the room leaving an embarrassed Hanabi.
Hanabi thought about what she could do now that she was back from where she came from but then Hanzo’s words echoed in her mind “I need to get stronger” She thought as determination filled her body, she slowly sat up and looked around. All clear, a small smile curved upon her face and a slight glint of mischievousness shone upon her eyes, standing up she quickly vaulted over the window and dashed to the training grounds.
A clack sound from the planks getting striked by shurikens. She throws another, and another. Arms swift and eyes focused. His words once again rang inside her head as every single shuriken struck the bulls eye but it wasn’t enough she needed to hone her skills even further. Frustrated, she threw once again and again. “Hanabi-san!” A familiar voice broke her focus, missing her target. She turned her head to the direction of the voice and spotted a certain silver haired woman.
“Don’t be like that Hanabi-san, I was looking everywhere for you” She answered while catching her breath.
“And besides why did you run off like that?”
She simply responded “Really while you’re still recovering and on an empty stomach?” She pouted and crossed her arms underneath her chest, enlarging her bust. Hanabi unconsciously took a glance at her chest. “I’m not hungry,” Hanabi said as her stomach disagreed.
Hanabi diverted her gaze away from Kagura while she giggled at her cute reaction ”Your stomach says so otherwise. Here, Hanabi-san” She handed the bento over. To her surprise it was mochi. She gave Kagura a puzzled look waiting for her explanation “What you don’t like it, Hanabi-san?” She questioned “No. It’s not that I don’t like this... How did you know I like this?” She responded with a question “Well I didn’t know what food you like. But I saw you the other day buying mochi so I figured you like it” She explained with a warm smile that made Hanabi blush in embarrassment.
“After you finish eating, let’s go back to your room and take a rest, okay?” Hanabi was pulled back to reality by her words “No, I can’t afford to waste time” She returned the bento to the Soryu Maiden. Positioning herself on the ground, she placed her warm soft hands upon the dirt below her slightly wider than her shoulders, she straightened her legs and arms, lowering her body and pushing herself back, performing a push up. The mage couldn’t help but frown upon her stubbornness and yet she shamelessly gaze at her body rising and falling. Watching her muscles flex from her movements while she was covered in sweat from all the training. Beads of sweat fell to the ground as she watched her train her well built body. She was quite attracted to her body.
Licking her lips unconsciously she shook her head. Her face slightly turning red “I’ll leave your mochi here Hanabi-san” she placed it right beside her and left. After her departure, Hanabi took the bento and proceeded to eat the mochi. After devouring her flavorsome mochi she went back doing push-ups. Beads of sweat poured upon the dirt below her but a tingle of sharp pain on her stomach followed by droplets of red liquid mixing on the once brown earth below her.
She gasps in pain. Touching her wounds she felt a warm fluid flow in her hands she took a glance at her hands. Her once soft delicate hands were covered in blood,her bandages were soaked in blood, tainting her clothes. She felt lightheaded, shakily standing up and wobbled her way to her room followed by a trail of fresh blood behind her.
Kagura patiently waited for Hanabi to return “Where is she? I should’ve stayed by her side” She thought, concerned about her Raven-haired friend “I’ll check on her” preparing to leave she was halted by a loud thud outside the door. “What was that?” She questioned herself. Slightly afraid she nervously reached for the door and opened the door. What she saw petrified her. Laying on the floor with a small pool of blood is Hanabi, she immediately carried her to the bed and searched for the doctor.
Darkness that’s what enveloped her vision. Everywhere she looked it was black but mysteriously she could see her own body...As if it was glowing. A sudden gust of wind and the rustle of leaves startled her frail body. Everything was still dark so she couldn’t recognize her surroundings. In the distance she saw a source of light. She sprinted towards the light source escaping her gloomy prison.
Rest of the fic is in ao3.
