#m1kos

“Heh. I guess even shrines have standards now.” His gloved hand brushes back a strand of hair as he surveys the surroundings, the weight of silence and history folding neatly into the solemn air between them.

“But no—I’m not lost.” His voice lowers, more thoughtful now. “Places like this… they remind me that beauty and sorrow are often intertwined. You of all people must know that.” He meets her gaze then, quiet strength behind his eyes, like the earth waiting beneath cherry blossoms.

“Still… I’ll take the compliment. Even if the shrine disapproves.”

Kakashi responds to the question with an agonizing groan. He had exhausted his chakra reserves again, didn’t he? That much was obvious since it would appear he had been discovered lying prone in the grass, but when had he blacked out? Either way, he’s grateful for this young woman’s help. 

“ Would it be snarky of me to say everywhere? ” He softly chuckled, wincing as even the act of chuckling made his body ache. His single-eyed gaze looks toward the sky.

“ Where am I? ”

They're already on the ground before stepping proper foot into the OR.

              Leona sprawled out on the earth, feeling the tickle of grass blades pressing against every patch of exposed skin. He drifted in a half-dream beneath the dappled shadow of an old tree, sunlight flickering across his face in shifting patterns. Even as he rested, his ears stayed sharp, picking up the flurry of birdsong overhead and the faint rustle of something— or someone, moving through the undergrowth. The brittle snap of a twig cut through the quiet, a sure sign that someone was drawing near. Still, Leona didn’t stir; he listened, trusting the shade and the rhythm of the world around him.

Ikuto let out a low breath, a slight wince betraying the pain he refused to vocalize. His sapphire eyes flicked up at Kikyou, half-lidded and unreadable, but sharp with defiance.

“…Tch. You really think tying me down would work?” he muttered, a faint smirk curling at the edge of his lips despite the blood on them. “You’ve got guts… I’ll give you that.”

His gaze lingered on her hands pressing against him, not in aggression, but… restraint. Protection. “…But if you’re gonna be that insistent,” he added with a reluctant sigh, “fine. I’ll stay still… for now.”

Then, quieter—almost like he didn’t mean to say it aloud, “…But don’t think I’ll forget this.”

" Thanks. "

a quiet hmph echoes past her lips, a cynical glint cast in her eyes as she glances at the miko from the corner of her eyes. the woman is a mystery kagura has yet to unravel - why naraku seeks her out so much? why the obsessive, almost humane desire to have her? not to destroy her; naraku just wishes to possess her, like a piece of gold, like a precious emerald.

there must be something else about the woman that escapes kagura's knowledge on human nature.

"you assume you've got him in the palm of your hand, just because he wants you," almost like a human man would want a human woman. it's sickening, albeit curious, "don't be naive enough to believe you've got the final say in this. whatever it is you're scheming, you won't win. not you, you're barely a bag of bones by now - you can't outsmart someone who has already killed you once," and maybe, kagura is warning kikyo because she wants her to win. but excessive pride will forever remain humanity's biggest flaw.