VIII

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Arc VIII Chapter 4

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Asami gazed at the girl in her arms. Her tender heart felt pity, tormented by sadness and sorrow. It pained Asami to watch the girl suffer in the cold. Such a poor weak creature.

Asami wouldn't abandon her. The girl had such lovely fluffy cheeks.

Asami pinched the girl's cheeks while the victim of her affection was unable to resist her nefarious attacks.

Her silken hair. Her chubby face. Her adorable cheeks. The resemblance was uncanny.

Her appearance screamed doll, reminding Asami of much simpler, much happier times.

Asami mustered a weak smile. Equally alone, equally helpless, equally vulnerable, but Asami was here to protect her. She wouldn't surrender her to the dark icy cold. Her kind heart didn't permit such injustice.

Asami tightened her hug. Hugging was beneath her dignity, a little bit of cuddled was allowed. The girl was hers, hers alone.

"A girl." Tobi tilted his head. “Curious find ...“

"Senpai, why are you staring at me like this?" Tobi gulped. Her malicious smile sent a shiver down his spine.

Asami beamed. "The girl needs help. So would you please lend me your coat, Tobi?"

"My coat?" Tobi blinked.

Asami nodded.

Tobi hesitated before relenting. Senpai would never take his whole coat and leave poor Tobi freezing in the cold ...

Asami snatched his coat out of his hands and wrapped the girl in it, turning her into a living fluffy cocoon. The girl needed every layer she could get.

Tobi's teeth shivered in the cold. "Asami ⁓ senpai, I am freezing ..."

Asami remained unmoved by his plight. "Stop this farce. You didn't freeze before. You won't freeze now. Take it like a man."

"But ... But ... But ..."

"I doubt it would be a tragic loss anyway."

...

...

...

"You are mean, senpai. Your words hurt Tobi. Tobi has a heart too." Tobi sobbed.

He cried. "Nobody liking Tobi."

This cheap trick wouldn't work.

"Tobi unloved and forever alone."

It didn't work.

"Life has no meaning. Tobi jumping from the nearest bridge."

It worked.

Asami sighed in defeat. "Don't make things complicated for both of us. Tobi. Please don't jump. I would miss you. "

Tobi regained his hope. "Really?"

Asami nodded. Tobi annoyed her most of the time, but his presence was nevertheless ... appreciated in these dark times.

Tobi's lit up in joy. "That is the nicest thing Tobi ever heard. Asami ⁓senpai, you are the best."

Tobi raised his arms and assaulted her with a hug, but Asami merely sidestepped. "It's still too early for a hug."

"Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm." Tobi mumbled with his head stuck deep into the snow.

“Hmemlmpm mem, smenpmami. I am dying!" His nonsensical rambling continued, but Asami ignored him. Tobi would survive. He was a stubborn fool.

Asami scanned their surroundings, the Land of Iron, a barren land of eternal snow and little hospitality.

Day turned night and a snowstorm approached. They needed a place for the night, a warm place. The girl was cold, her limbs frozen, her pulse weak ...

...

...

...

Tobi escaped from his snowy grave. His lungs inhaled the fresh air. He survived. "Finally free. Tobi nearly suffocating ..."

"Tobi ... Silence ..." Asami admonished him. "We have got visitors."

Asami narrowed her eyes. Ninja arrived. Judging by the appearance, they hailed from Konoha. What were they doing here in the middle of nowhere?

The ninja noticed their presence and surprise was written over their faces. Suspicion and distrust met Asami.

Kumanosuke didn't waste any time. His harsh voice lacked any sense of friendliness. "Who are you?"

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"I ask again, who are you? Answer me! Immediately1" Kumanosuke studied the strangers, a girl in a thick fur coat accompanied by a shivering man. He was freezing.

The girl glared in their direction with a hint of annoyance. "My friends, what's the rush? No need to be so aggressive."

Kumanosuke readied his kunai. "I don't like to repeat myself, lass. So who are you? Identify yourself!"

Asami despaired. "Oh my, such dreadful times. The youth these days. So bold and quick with their kunai. No manners. Threatening a defenceless and innocent maiden in open sight. Has Konoha foregone any sense of honour?"

Tobi blinked. Defenceless? Innocent? The little demon was neither.

Kumanosuke clicked his tongue. "Stop your nonsensical rambling. Stop wasting my time, lass. We are way older than you!"

Asami tilted her head. "Do you think so? Appearances can be deceptive, my friend."

"What if I am an ancient spirit that feeds on the tasty souls of foolish humans? Delicious humans who trespass their boundaries in their infinite hubris."

Kumanosuke's eyebrow twitched. The girl got increasingly on his nerves. "Listen, lass, my patience is limited. So answer my questions!"

Asami pouted. "You are boring. You guys have no sense of humour."

"What do you even want from me?"

Kumanosuke gritted his teeth. The girl disregarded his question, but they finally made progress.

“We are searching for a certain girl. Said girl is apparently in your possession. We ask you to hand her over. We need her."

"Which girl?"

"The girl in your arms."

"You mean my cute little sister?"

Kumanosuke nodded. "Indeed, your cute little sister ... What?“

“I think you got something wrong here."

Asami tightened her protective hug. "I don't think so. You want to steal my cute little sister, but nee-san will protect her.“

"She ... is ... not ... your ... sister!" Kumanosuke protested.

Asami ignored him. "Doesn't matter. I found her first, so I will keep her. She is mine, my cute little sister."

Kumanosuke fumed. "What kind of logic is that? Don't be absurd ..."

Asami narrowed her eyes. "You are being absurd here! You threaten me and demand to hand over my sister to a bunch of asshole ninja I neither know nor trust."

Kumanosuke clenched his fist. "Lass, don't make things more complicated than necessary. Hand over the girl and we will leave you in peace."

Asami refused. "No."

Kumanosuke restated his demand. "Hand ... over ... the girl!"

"Only over my dead body!"

"That can be arranged." Kumanosuke attacked, but Asami struck first. A sudden pulse of light his squad dogded.

Kumanosuke ducked. and the blast passed over his heads, hitting a mountain range. The bitch missed.

Kumanosuke grinned. "Nice try. Try to aim next time."

Her miss displeased Asami. A cruel joke of fate.

Asami clicked her tongue. "Annoying, but ultimately irrelevant."

Kumanosuke raised his eyebrow.

Asami giggled. "My friend, are you familiar with the proverb, the unaimed arrow never misses?"

The earth trembled and Kumanosuke sensed the danger. He turned and froze. Endless masses of snow rolled down the valley to bury them all.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck!

"Avalanche." Kumanosuke ran.

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