Third Person POV
It didn't take more than a second for Akira to throw her arms around Kyle. She didn't care if this was a dream or if her mind was playing games with her. Akira just wanted to live in the moment. Kyle chuckled and returned the hug with a huge grin on his face. After a moment, they pulled back to observe each other with bright faces.
Akira didn't know what to do - one side of her was so confused about how Kyle was still alive when she remembered clearly, how he had died in that explosion. She was skeptical about this, and she couldn't ignore the possibility of impersonation. But the other side of her couldn't be bothered about why he was here; all that mattered was that he was alive.
But she knew she had to figure it out soon. Akira sighed and grudgingly took a step back. Her eyes narrowed towards the green eyed boy as reality slowly came back to her. That's right, this probably isn't actually Kyle. There's no way he's still alive. What was she thinking? Just throwing her arms around a random stranger who was impersonating Kyle. Or, falling for a genjutsu again.
"If this is one of Itachi's tricks again, I'm gonna murder him," Akira muttered angrily as she put her hands together to form the ram hand sign, "Release!" She tightly shut her eyes in fear of what she would see but slowly peeled them open.
Her mouth fell open when she saw Kyle blinking at her in confusion. It wasn't a genjutsu or a transformation jutsu, so how is this possible? "Um, Aki?" Kotetsu asked, and I faced him in question, "Yea?" Izumo sighed, "I don't know what you're thinking but this guy right here is as real as your foot. So.. no need to do a release."
Kyle shook his head in realization. That's right, Akira wouldn't believe it was actually him that easily. He got down on one knee and lowered his head, "Princess Akira, I know this is confusing right now, but I survived. We have to get going now, but I promise I'll explain everything on the way."
He got up to step closer to me and lowered his voice so Izumo and Kotetsu wouldn't hear, "And I promise it's me, Kyle Suzuki. Only I know of the time you snuck out during your 9th birthday ball to visit your secret hideout with me. Which by the way, is the most prettiest place with all the glowing stones, and beautiful stream, and various flowers. Only I know of your pet cat that wasn't allowed in the castle. I promised you that I wouldn't tell a soul about it. I really would continue to spill all your secrets, princess, but I'm afraid we can't stay here for much longer."
Akira stared at him for a moment. He was right. Those were things that only Kyle and herself knew. She hadn't even dared to write about it in her journal, afraid that other people would find out if they ever got their hands on it. Trust me, the cat and my secret place was that precious to me. This person could only be Kyle if he knew about that. She gulped, "Gimme a minute." She really didn't know what to do.
Kyle had grown significantly - his former short frame now replaced with a towering height over Akira. She noticed that his hair was a bit shorter than the last time she had seen it, but it was still long and came over his face like bangs. Akira almost laughed when she saw that he still had those leather finger-less gloves that she had bought him on his birthday a few years ago. She had to admit that it was a bit big on him back then, but now, it was perfect. He wore a white shirt with the two top buttons off with a semi-formal black sweater over it. He looked well prepared to fight, as usual, with his sword held in his belt and black combat boots on his feet. He definitely changed, but so did Akira.
Akira eyed Kyle's mischievous green eyes that looked down at her. She had forgotten how unique his eyes were. She could swear that no one had the same shade of green. His eyes seemed like it had a tinge of brown and blue too, but you couldn't really see it unless you closely observed.
She watched as the boy's face feigned innocence. "Princess..." Kyle started with a thoughtful expression, "Is it just me or did you grow shorter..? Outdid science, eh?" Kyle smirked as Akira brought a hand to her face and sighed in playful disappointment, "No matter how much you grow physically, you will always be a child." Both stared intently at each other in fake annoyance until they couldn't anymore and burst into laughter.
Kyle stopped to catch his breath and smiled at his princess. He had finally found her, and contradictory to what he said before, she did grow taller - and not just taller. Her hair now reached to her mid-thighs and she looked mature. She didn't seem fearful in the slightest. He had seen her converse with her friends and it seemed that they respected her a lot, and it was not because she was a princess, but because she did something to deserve that respect from them. He couldn't wait to hear how she coped with everything. He knew he was going to be proud of her journey.
They shared a moment of contentment before Akira's smile dropped slightly - much to Kyle's confusion, "How is Kurisutaru doing?" Kyle shook his head and smiled at her before heading towards their awaiting carriage that was parked outside the gates in a hidden area, "No need to worry at all. We're coping just fine, we just need our princess back." Akira creased her eyebrows as she followed Kyle, "Are you sure they want me there?" Kyle tilted his head in confusion, "What could you possibly be talking about?" Akira's eyes dropped to the floor as she slightly fidgeted.
A look of understanding crossed Kyle's features. He pursed his lips from trying to explain, he knew he could do little to help her in this situation. She'll have to see it for herself. He nodded in greeting to the coachman as he opened up the door to the carriage and bowed to the princess. Akira nervously smiled at the unfamiliar face before freezing when she looked at the carriage. How do you get on a carriage in a royalty manner again? Akira most definitely blanked her head out.
You're thinking too much. Just get on.
But there's a coachman from Kurisutaru watching me. I need to make a good expression.
Oh God, what does getting on a carriage got to do with this?
EVERYTHING!
Fortunately, she didn't have to decide how she should act. Kyle moved beside her and smiled, "You are welcomed in the country - that I know for sure." With that to calm her nerves, Kyle lowered his head and offered his arm, "Shall we get going then, princess?" Akira took a deep breath and placed her hand in Kyle's before hopping onto the carriage.
"We shall."
Akria's POV
My leg wouldn't stop shaking when Kyle woke me up to inform me that we were nearing the gates of Kurisutaru. I peaked out the window to see the river that trailed up to and into Kurisutaru. The familiar surroundings put an ache in my heart. I was finally back after years of wondering if I was wanted here. I looked back at Kyle to see he him smiling warmly at me. My mouth instinctively stretched into a grin.
It was a strange journey, to be honest. Kyle had told me that when he made it to the 'ninja' world, he wanted to keep track of where he was going. But he realized that there were strange markings on some of the trees, and it led to the leaf village - not all the way, but close enough. When I told him that it was probably the marks that I made when I arrived there, he told me he knew.
Flashback
"I thought as much," Kyle agreed, "I mean, who else came from our world, you know?" I nodded with a smile. He turned to me and took a deep breath, "I promised you that I would tell you how I survived." My face lit up, "Yea. Please do tell." He gave a small smile, "I didn't get obliterated - and I'm not saying that the d2k bomb had no effect on me - I just managed to survive. The d2k bomb isn't that strong. It did burn me up completely and without Konohagakure's help, I would've surely stayed dead." I scrunched up my eyebrows, "Stayed dead?" He gave a pained smile, "Yea, I did die. I had felt the most excruciating pain and then I just had to give up. I couldn't hold on anymore.
"But Yuki had found me, and gave me CPR. She later told me that it took a full thirty seconds for her to get my heart beating again. It was the most scariest thing she ever faced. Not only was my life counting on her, she was on battleground where anything could happen in thirty seconds. I couldn't be more thankful to her. She really did save my life. She had taken me to her family's underground safe house and her mom - who was a doctor - tended to my wounds.
"Yuki had secretly informed the council of my condition and they had got a hold of Konohagakure. They sent a few of their skilled doctors and nurses, and honestly we owe Konohagakure everything. It was really hard to hide them from the government but we managed and it was worth it.
"Without them, I'm certain that more than half of our population would've been wiped out. Of course, there was a lot of death, probably a quarter of the population, but Konohagakure's skilled ninja's used their techniques to save quite a lot of people. And that includes me. They completely healed all my burnt skin, barely any scars left. Still, I couldn't move for two years. Two years where I was kept hidden from the government that had started to rule the kingdom of Kurisutaru."
I gulped, "They took over?" Kyle looked at me with flaming eyes, "That's right. One of their admirals was placed there to have temporary reign until Kurisutaru council could find someone more worthy of taking over the kingdom. No matter who the council brought up, the government would not accept. The council couldn't even fight for it because no one else had Kurisutaru royal blood in their veins. And that wasn't even the worst part.
"The admiral treated us terribly. There wasn't much around since almost everything was burnt up, but the government didn't fix it at all. Food was scarce, and hospitals were always full for a little more than a year. He wouldn't bat an eye to anyone no matter how much they begged for him to give them more supplies. He was heartless - the guy kicked a child and almost killed her for being in his way while he was on his horse!" Water had pooled in my eyes. I can't believe my country suffered that much. Kyle took a deep breath and let his clenched fists relax.
"I'm going to bare you the distressing details. The only reason Kurisutaru survived was because of the other four great nations. They were a huge help. They couldn't give us food and supplies in huge amounts but enough to keep most going. We really were lucky that the king and queen built good relationships with the great kingdoms when they were alive."
I smiled at that. Thank goodness they helped. I couldn't be more grateful towards the great kingdoms. "What about you?" I asked curiously. Kyle nodded, "Like I said earlier, I was hidden from the government and the rest of Kurisutaru other than the council. This was because they didn't want the government coming after me in my weak state. It was too risky to let anyone else from Kurisutaru know either. After two years of the admiral's unsuitable rule, I was finally a lot better and I knew it was finally time to stand up for the country. I was going take the country back from the government.
"I studied law for four months, and I knew that was enough for me. Staying with you all those years taught me a lot so it didn't take long for me to know everything else. When the council brought me up to the government, they accused me of knowing about the treasure and helping the royal family to betray them and what not, and I was so close to snapping. The council warned me not to open my mouth about that at all.
"It was really hard, but I managed to make it. I was the closest to the royal family so the government didn't have a choice after I proved I didn't know any of the royal family secrets. Absolute no offence to their royal highnesses, the King and Queen. I don't believe any secrets they had would've been bad for the kingdom. And even if they did. I'm sure they took extreme measures to make Kurisutaru well protected, because that's how strong and kind-hearted they were."
I nodded and looked down at my hands, "Yeah. It wasn't their fault. They didn't want it to get into the wrong hands, that's all." My voice cracked as Kyle watched me sadly. "I only hope that whatever they were protecting is still safe and not with the government." I closed my eyes and let out a choked sob, "Yes.. my family protected it with their lives, and it was not in vain."
Kyle looked at me for a while, hesitating. I knew he wanted to ask but wasn't sure. I nodded at him to show that it was okay to ask anything. "..You know what they were protecting?" he asked unsure. I sighed softly, "Back then, no. I had no idea what my parents and brother died for. I was frustrated and I couldn't understand why they would do that. Why they would sacrifice everything. I didn't know for a while actually. Only when I arrived at Konoha, got into a team, became a ninja. I went on a mission and everything changed. I was about to die, but something saved me. I found out that what my family was protecting was-"
"NO!" Kyle exclaimed with wide eyes. I stared at him in confusion but he just shook his head. He took a deep breath, "As much as I would like to know, I don't want to disrespect the king and queen's wishes. I don't need to know." I stared at him for a second before breaking out into a grin, "You don't need to do that, since I trust you a lot, but I appreciate it. It's rather complicated to explain anyway. I'll tell you about it later when everything's over." Kyle nodded and rested his head against the seat.
"So right now, you're ruling Kurisutaru?" I asked with a grin. He looked at me and chuckled, "Yes. When I got the kingdom back from the government, I knew it wasn't going to get any easier. It took all the effort I could muster up to build what Kurisutaru lost. It was possible, though, because every single citizen used their gifts and talents, and helped me.
"I decided then, that I would bring Kurisutaru back up again. And when Kurisutaru was stable, I would find you. I really wanted to know your whereabouts but I didn't know how. If the government couldn't find you, how could I? But a few months later, a couple came to speak with me. They went by the names of Kuro and Midori. I instantly recognized them as the people who had last seen you."
My whole face lit up in happiness then worry, "You spoke with Kuro and Midori??? How are they? What happened to them? I hope they weren't hurt!" Kyle gave a half smile, "They spent a year in prison for sheltering you." I frowned and buried my face in my hands. "But they're okay now. They're actually in Kurisutaru as of now, you can meet them again." I grinned at him, "Thank you, Kyle. Please continue." Kyle grinned back before continuing his story.
"Right. So they told me that they were ex-ninjas, and you don't know how happy I was to find out that they were former citizens of Konohagakure. They told me they led you to the 'ninja' world and were hopeful that you would find your way to Konohagakure. I immediately sent a letter to the Hokage, and soon I got one back that assured me that you were safe in their village and was actually on your way to becoming a chunin. Apparently, you were doing the chunin exams.
"I learned about that stuff later on. I waited for a few weeks after that, and then recently, I sent a letter again, to inform them that we needed our princess back. I found out that the former hokage had died and you almost did too. I freaked out when I heard that. But it seems that the new hokage knew everything about us from a letter that was written by the former hokage. Lady Tsunade then proposed a deal where she would be sending you for a week, and then you would come back with new papers to re-sign our treaty. And then, the choice belonged to you of what to do afterward. I agreed, and here we are today."
Flashback End
"Is there a reason you're staring holes into my head?" Kyle asked without averting his eyes from the window, the corners of his lips curving up. I rolled my eyes and looked back out the window, observing the familiar surroundings. The carriage slowed down and soon came to a stop.
"Stay here. Let's not ruin the surprise before the big announcement," Kyle chuckled before stepping out and moving towards the guards at the gate. They were unfamiliar faces. I tugged the little curtain to cover the opening for a window. I bit my lip in nervousness and wiped my sweaty hands onto pants, freezing for a second when I looked down at my choice of clothes. My head rolled back on the seat as a sigh fell from my lips. Really, what was I thinking this morning when I decided to wear my ninja outfit to Kurisutaru?
"Nervous?" Kyle asked with a teasing smile as he hopped back in the carriage. The corners of my lips quirked up as I peeked through the curtains to view the scenery. "Understatement of the century," I replied honestly with a glance at his curious expression. His mouth parted to say something, however he must have decided not to because he looked away without saying a word. "I won't bother with consolation," he muttered as I eyed him in confusion, "You'll see for yourself, princess."
Then the carriage stopped and with every second that went by, my heart beat faster and faster. The buzzing of the crowd outside was incredible but it did no avail to calming my heart. Kyle grinned at me before stepping out and extending his hand to me. I gulped and placed my hand in his, taking a long breath and closing my eyes for a second. My eyes open with determination and I showed confidence on my face. Finally, I step out and lift my chin up.
"People of Kurisutaru, your princess has returned."
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Published: 11/10/18
Edited ✔
3319 words
~Lydiafer11