The wind sailed through the forest and the trees all dance along, it brushed off Shinra's hair from his face as the white haired boy stood there in astonishment.
*Huh* Shinokaze look down and was slightly confused,"(a scale?)", he raised his head and saw Sora crouching in front of him facing the opposite side, his kunai was on his right hand a there was blood stains on it while his left hand had a cut with blood oozing out,"(this feeling, why do I feel as if...)", the dust slowly subsided and there was a gigantic snake with brown scales mixed with yellow and black, it was around one hundred meters long, they were on it's head,"impossible", Shinokaze gasp.
Kaguya was out of words as she watch in bewilderment, her mouth was slightly ajar, the snake was staring down at the orange colored haired kōjin who was just grinning.
"This snake, it looks just like...", Shinra was staring at the giant creepy creature.
(Flashback)
"I wasn't talking to you Shinra", Sora opened his eyes.
This made Shinra to frown," then who are you talking to? ".
A snake crawl out of Sora's shirt and rest on Sora's head, "I was talking to her", Sora said with a closed eye smile," It's not just any snake, it's a Habu", Sora informed.
(Flashback fadeout)
*Ah!!!* " Was that not the snake in the restaurant the other day? ", Shinra point at the snake while yelling at the creepy creature, the snake moved his eyes and his gaze dropped on the white haired boy, "hey, why is it staring at me that way?".
"She has no interest in you, just hop on already", Sora yelled at him.
" You must be kidding, there's no way on earth will I get on top of that thing ", Shinra point like a maniac.
" What's up with him, why is he hesitating? ", Kaguya ask almost in a whisper.
" What if the snake eat me? I will be stuck in it's stomach till nothing will be left of me, I'm not even up to eighteen yet and haven't spent time with much girls, your plan of killing me won't work Sora, I thought you were a friend, only if I knew you were keeping me as dinner for one of your maniac beast", Shinra was accusing the brown haired boy.
"Stop acting like a moron and get on, this is no time to be fooling around", Sora growl.
"Maybe he truly is not your friend".
*Ugh* Shinra gasp upon hearing the kōjin's voice, he felt a cold metal pressed against his neck.
"Move an inch, and I won't hesitate to cut out your throat with this kunai", Hayate threatened.
" (How did he get behind me, I didn't even hear a sound)", Shinra thought.
" Damn that brat, sometimes I wonder if he has any brain in that head of his ", Sora growl.
" What should we do now? ", Kaguya ask.
"Dammit", Shinokaze grit his teeth.
*Huh* both Sora and Kaguya look down at the blue haired boy who pushed himself from his lying position to knee on one leg and use his hand to support himself.
"I'm going to kill that bastard", Shinokaze clenched his fist.
"You stand no chance against that guy, the only thing we can do is to retreat", Sora explain.
"Silent, you don't have the right to tell me what I can or can't do ok? You dimwit", Shinokaze point at Sora," and I don't run from a battle ", he bragged," (all I need to do is look for a way around and launch the perfect attack)".
" I don't care about your blabbing, my top priority is to get Shinra off the hook and leave this place, leaving you behind is not a problem to me ", Sora said flatly.
(Flashback)
Shinra led Sora up the stairs to his apartment," so this is were you live?", Sora ask, Shinra was trying to open the door, the sun was now disappearing into the mountain around the village.
" Yeah... Come on", Shinra wrestled with the door for a while before a click was heard," yes", the white haired boy grin in success, he push the door open and went in with Sora following behind without hesitation, "feel at home".
His TV was on and a news about a recent kaiju attack on one of the cities was on, Sora inspect the living room area which had two couches and a table, then two doors, Sora suspected that one lead to the dining and kitchen area then the other to a bedroom or more.
"It seems your parents are not at home yet", Sora said.
*Huh* "nah, I live alone", Shinra informed.
"You do? Man you are one lucky guy to have a parents who let you live alone, mine are a pain in the ass", Sora grumbled.
"Not really, I'm kind of an orphan, I've been living alone since I was two when my mom passed away", Shinra's face became saddened.
Sora was just standing there staring at Shinra who was soaking in sadness, Sora move his gaze to the TV and saw a card on top of it *hm* he walk over and pick it from it's resting place, "wanna play a card game?".
*Huh* "yeah sure", Shinra smile widely.
*Hmm* "(he sure do know how to fake a smile)", Sora thought.
"Come on what are you waiting for, let get on with this, I'm so tired of playing that thing all by myself, come on come on come on!", Shinra was being hyperactive.
"Cool down ok?", Sora frown at him.
"Come on don't ask me to cool down, I'm about to explode", Shinra grin widely.
(Flashback fadeout)
"(The day I walk into his life, that day I learned a lot, I felt his pain and loneliness, to think I would stay over that night was unbelievable yet I did, even when I knew my parents won't be glad that I didn't show up)", Sora expression harden.
" Hey kid, should I chop you down first then go after the others, or, I should go after them first then come back for you? What do you think? ", *eh* Hayate ask, Shinra open his mouth but they just closed, he was motionless and speechless, even his breathing was coming inch by inch," maybe I should toy with you guys for a bit, that's right, since I don't have a mission till next week, I should keep myself busy a bit ", Hayate grin evilly.
" What are we going to do? ", Kaguya asked Sora.
" We don't have a choice... We need Shinra, and we need to knock some sense into him, I think he is the only one who can go head to head with this guy ", Sora said.
*Huh* " really?", Kaguya could not believe her ears as she looks down at Shinra who was as terrified as a rat in the same cage as a snake.
" You seemed to believe in that dumb guy a lot", *hm* Shinokaze scoffed.
"Shinra is not dumb, he's my best friend, and the only dumb one I see here, is you", Sora said without a care.
"What did you just say?", Shinokaze growl.
"You heard me right", Sora said.
"Damn you...", Shinokaze started but was cut off.
"Hey, what wrong, I thought you guys were about to take me on, or wasn't that the reason you attacked me? Shinokaze ", Hayate look up at the blue haired boy," or you finally realized that you are a chicken? ".
*Tch* " you!!! ", Shinokaze growl furiously.
" Hey, he is only trying to get you on edge, don't fall for it ", Sora informed.
" Really? ", Hayate ask," and come to think of it, how is a child like you able to summon such massive snake? Not all jōnin of the Nosuke clan can do it ", *hahaha* " that's right, I have heard about the kid from the Nosuke clan who can weld his reiketsu to a vast level, the level that jōnin fight to reach, you must be a prodigy being the son of the chief of the Nosuke clan ".
" I wasn't bragging about being the son of the chief ", Sora said lazily.
" Yeah, and it wondered me how you lack the Nosuke clan arrogance... Hey Shinokaze! ", Hayate called out," now I have seen a kid your age who is for beyond your level ".
*Huh* smoke exit Shinokaze's ear as he glanced at Sora as if trying to eat him up, "are you the one, did he just compare the both of us?".
*Um* Sora was about to say he was not the one when an idea struck him *hmm* "No, he said I am more better than you", Sora smile, "(I hope this work out well)", Sora's smile grew wider, "I think he's right, or you want to prove him wrong? ".
" (What is Sora doing, that guy doesn't think before he acts, saying something like that might lead elsewhere )", Shinra thought, Kaguya was just staring from one to the other.
"Is that so, I will prove it by destroying that bastard!", Shinokaze launched off the snake and dive head first at Hayate.
"(What!? This guy is insanely crazy)", Shinra's eyes and mouth were ajar.
" (Yes, now to move forward)", Sora smile.