Troublesome Love (ShikaTema)

~Chapter Thirteen~

"What a surprise."

"Ryo, why would you do this," I growled. The man froze in his step and laughed loudly. He kept laughing for a while, so long that it had become awkward.

He sighed and took a few steps closer.

"I'm not that asshole Ryo, I'm nothing like him," As he came closer, I realised he was definitely not Ryo, but shared similar features. "That bastard ruined everything, just like all those worthless people who abandoned our home."

Tenten and Kimiko were in front of us, and closer to the enemy. Tenten had one arm supporting Kimiko, and her free hand holding her knives.

Kimiko was slightly more awake than Temari. She coughed blood, and then spit it in the man's direction. "You don't deserve to be related to Ryo," she snarled. The man looked at her with an amused expression and then walked towards them. Tenten held the knife up in self defence, but practically carrying a person and also to defend them was too much for her to do at once.

I slowly walked to a side, and put Temari on the ground, leaning her back to the wall.

"You've got it wrong, little girl," the man said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "Ryo doesn't deserve to be related to me."

"What have you done to him?" I asked.

"He's in my private office, all chained up, where I can slowly cut him and torture him till he dies."

Tenten, Kimiko and I all stared at him in horror and disgust, and he started laughing again. "No, I'm not that cruel, not even to him. He is chained up there though, and I'm gonna keep him there till her redeems himself."

Neji can free him.

"What did he do?" Tenten said.

"He abandoned our home." He repeated. "When the Land of Rain was finally free of war, he and so many abandoned us, and sought shelter in the very lands who destroyed the Rain. It's repulsive, really." In a lightning fast strike, the man snatched the knives from Tenten's hand, and Tenten was so startled that she fell backward, Kimiko's weight pulling her down as well.

"We've never been a peaceful nation, and as soon as we get the chance to flourish, everyone deserted us, and all the dreams of a stable, thriving nation were crushed before our eyes." The man coughed. "And Ryo, he forced me and his sister to leave as well, even if I strongly opposed him, he took us to that blasted Sand Village and settled down there."

I heard Temari gasp from behind me. She held a quivering finger pointing at the man. "You're related to Ryo, and only three people from Ryo's clan are still alive. That mean's you're his cousin, aren't you?"

"Yes," he snarled. "I'm Kuragari Genji, and I will restore the Hidden Rain's glory!"

"It never was really glorious was it?" Tenten snapped.

Kuragari glared at her, and then threw one of the knives at her. Tenten had put Kimiko on the floor too, so she could fight freely, and she easily caught the knife.

"Ryo was a fool," Kuragari continued, ignoring her. "And it was so ironic that he was chosen to protect this brat from the sandstorm which I created."

"Wait what?"

"And now you all are in my radius, and look around us," Kuragari gestured. "This entire building. It's all iron. I control everything here."

"Wait." Kuragari looked at me with an annoyed expression.

"If everything in this building is iron, then Ryo should be able to escape with no problem," I said.

"We of the Genji clan have a very powerful gift, but it has one weakness," Kuragari smiled at me. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but he didn't.