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"Something's wrong. There are more buildings in the area than before,"
"That's likely the work of a Conjurer,"
"This has to be Nen."
"It's safe to assume that they are rigged somehow,"
"Yeah, that tells us they're still using this place as their base. The problem is these new buildings make it difficult for me to know where I'm going and there's a lot of blind spots,"
"And moving aimlessly hoping to stumbled across their base is too risky,"
"I know, believe me, I'm not tempted to. I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly heard their voices behind me,"
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"Voices….huh? Go back to your original position for now. I'll call you back in five minutes,"
Sakura watched Kurapika press the button to hang up on Killua before pressing again and bringing the device to his ear, "Who are you calling?"
"A work colleague of mine, she should be able to help us,"
"I'm surprised you're calling in someone else," said Leorio. His eyes looked through the rain-stained window of the car.
"It's necessary for increasing our chances of success," He waited only a moment before the call was answered, "Melody,"
Melody was a bodyguard who was working for the same family as Kurapika. Because of her ability, she managed to realize Kurapika's true intentions and identity and he was closer to her than any of his other fell bodyguards. He trusted her well enough to let her in on their plan as well. Kurapika knew the depth of her ability, which granted her exceptional hearing and more so and that was what they needed right now to get the upper hand against the spiders.
"We're going to have to wait until Killua calls us back before we can make a move," Kurapika said.
Leorio leaned back into his seat, feeling the sweat run down his collar despite the cold weather. "Hope we don't have to wait too long,"
Kurapika shuffled, brushing a piece of white hair out of his face from the wig he wore. In case his identity was revealed to the Troupe, he decided to wear a disguise to get the drop on them. "I know how you feel,"
"Just don't jump off the handle," Sakura warned him. "If we see the Troupe, Gon and I have to step in first. The best case would be to do this fast without them even seeing you,"
"I agree," nodded Kurapika, "Though that's, unfortunately, the best outcome,"
A few minutes passed before Killua called Gon's cell phone. The Phantom Troupe had left their hideout, and he and Melody were following after them. Their target Pakunoda was a part of the group that left the hideout, along with Nobunaga and four other members, one of which Killua did not recognize.
"There's someone who wasn't here before. I'm betting that's the leader,"
"What does he look like?" asked Gon.
"He's wearing a black cloak with an inverted cross. He has slick-back black hair, I can't see his face. And they're too alert! I don't want to get too close"
Kurapika held out his hand for the phone and waited for Gon to give it, "Where are you now?" he asked staring at a map in his lap.
'In front of the Motoba Building. They're walking West on Continental street."
"There's a station nearby, can you follow them by train?"
"It's going to depend if it's busy probably,"
"Alright," Kurapika turned to Leorio and told him to take them South. The tires screeched, gliding on the slick road with its passengers quietly sitting with tense excitement.
Due to the weather, the trains were full enough for Killua to trail close to the Troupe without them noticing, although he kept a careful distance so he wouldn't be spotted. Killua told them they were heading towards Castor, which happened to be where the auction site was as well as the hotel where Kurapika's charge and the other bodyguards were staying.
When Killua called again and informed Kurapika that the spiders had gotten off at Liber station and were heading towards the Soloma Department Store exit, he called another one of his work colleagues to inform him of the Troupe's movement, just in case it wasn't a coincidence they were heading towards the hotel. The Hunter website gave vast information to anyone with a license and the money to access it. That was how the Troupe closed in on them the last time.
The windows were ready to fog inside the car with the level of tension that was trapped inside as they neared the station, keeping a sharp eye on the entrance.
"Shouldn't we get in closer?" asked Leorio. There were several cards ahead of them, blocking the roads. The distance seemed too much to him.
"No, if we get any closer they might sense my animosity,"
Sakura tugged at her collar, 'So that's what I've been feeling,'
"The distance I should stay is from here to the station for an attack. It will take about 0.5 seconds to land, that's plenty of time for them to evade unless they are distracted,"
Gon nodded, "Right,"
Leorio glanced over at them, "What exactly are you going to do?"
Sakura crouched a little forward, "I think if we can land a surprise attack of our own just to distract them, then that should give Kurapika an opening. But this has to be timed perfectly,"
The plan seemed as stable as it could be, given it was balancing on a thread of estimation. However that thinned when the Troupe members stepped out of the station into the rain with no regard. Gon and Sakura recognized all of them except for the one in the middle, but he fit Killua's description. It was difficult to see through the rain, but it was impossible not to sense, that trigger of danger set off when they looked at the Troupe members.
Sakura swallowed heavily, "Where is Killua right now?"
"He shouldn't be too far, but you need to get ready," Kurapika instructed with a sudden spike of animosity.
"Right,"
In an instant, they were no longer standing in front of the station, after taking barely a minute to talk they took off in the direction Kurapika knew.
"They're heading to the hotel!"
"Oh crap, now what!?"
"Can we get there faster by car?" asked Gon, standing on the seats.
"It's rush hour, so running is faster," hissed Leorio, glancing out the window.
Sakura tried to reach out over the seat when she saw the Kurta boy's hand on the handle, but he had already pushed the door open and took off with barely a sound. "Kurapika get back here!"
Jumping out, she followed after him, with Gon close behind and Leorio trying to call them back, knowing already that it was futile.
Against the wind, the drops of rain were like pelts against their skin but coupled with the night sky, it was hopeful that it would provide enough cover from the spiders. They traveled along the side of the building, avoiding the crowds that got in their way. It was clear that they had a target in mind and it must have been close.
Sakura and Gon continued to chase after Kurapika. There were crowds to get
"This is not a good idea. Kurapika we need to stop!" Sakura called but he refused to turn back.
"We can't lose them now!"
"Then let us follow him, but if you get caught-
The spiders who had been focusing on running ahead, suddenly came to a halt, three at least while the other three ran ahead. It was Machi, Shizuku, and the dark-haired man who came to a halt. Skidding across the road, Sakura and Kurapika dived to the right into an alleyway while Gon went left, ducking behind a dumpster.
Without needing to look back, Sakura could feel their eyes in her direction. It was becoming uncomfortably hot despite the weather. They neared, weapons ready for a fight. And Kurapika was preparing as well, his chains summoned and his eyes red behind his glasses.
'No!' Sakura silently begged, lowering Kurapika's hands, which she found to be harder than expected. It wasn't just his strength that was holding them high but his determination and her hesitance. He was willing to jump into a fight against all three of them, but Sakura and Gon understood the severity of that move. If it becomes a three-on-three match, general skills and combat power wouldn't go to them.
Kurapika's eyes continued to glance over his shoulder as the spiders started to move towards them with their defense fully up. He wasn't afraid to face them and that was what made this encounter so dangerous.
Sakura understood this. Hatred and anger were like armor that made reason and logic difficult to penetrate through. It wasn't just his life on the line and he needed to remember that he wasn't alone here.
A damp fabric gripped Kurapika's skin, the coarseness diverting his attention forward to the source. Sakura pulled his face to her so their eyes met Kurapika attempted to pull away, gripping her wrists hard enough to stain them red but she didn't relent. Then there was a flash of lightning giving him a proper glimpse of those sharp emerald eyes, vulnerable and begging. He almost couldn't turn away.
'I understand,' Kurapika's chains vanished from his hand and his fingers were no longer digging into her wrists.
A soft sound of a cough caused them to break apart, as Killua emerged from the alley. He pointed behind him, gesturing for Kurapika to go. Gon quickly caught on to what was about to happen, and with his heart in his throat, he jumped out of his hiding spot as the Troupe neared.
"Sorry!" He called sheepishly "I'll stop following so can you let me go?"
"Him again?" asked Machi, lowering her Nen string.
"This is the boy you mentioned?"
While the members were distracted by Gon's familiar appearance, Kurapika was pushed to move away from them. He didn't have a moment to protest, realizing that this would be a devastating chain reaction if he stayed to get caught and left. Sakura and Killua watched him turn around the corner, where Melody was waiting.
Sakura grinned at Killua, 'Nice work,' but the boy didn't seem to acknowledge her and turned his head away. It was disconcerting, despite the circumstances but there wasn't time to dwell.
"The other ones are here too, show yourselves."
'No choice now,'
Sakura and Killua stepped out of the ally together.
"What do you want? The Mafia canceled the reward,"
There was a fear of getting caught lying, but it didn't exceed the consequence of the truth. They chose to stupidly and bravely feign naivety. A role both had to play already at some point in their lives.
"What really?"
"Why would they do that?"
They couldn't help but observe the leader of the Phantom Troupe. His onyx eyes stared at them with an unwavering motion that it was impossible to tell whether or not their act was believable or not. It also did well to unsettle them.
This was Chrollo Lucifer.
Sakura narrowed her eyes, 'So this is the leader…..'
She was starting to see why Hisoka sought to fight him. He wasn't what she expected, and yet an instinct told her that this was someone to be extremely wary of. It was like walking into a forest at night, too dark to see the dangers but knowing it was there.
"What do we do boss?" asked Machi.
"Tie them up," His voice was the same as his expression, void. He then took out his cell phone and dialed, "Phinks it's me. I need you to come to the Beitacle Hotel,"
The three didn't resist when Machi tied their hands behind their backs. If they ran now and were tracked, it was possible they could lead the spiders back to Kurapika.
"Shouldn't we just kill them now?" Machi asked.
"No, I trust your instincts. If they are somehow connected to the chain-user, we should keep them alive,"
While Killua and Sakura kept to themselves, they forgot that there was someone who didn't concern himself with the consequence of his curiosity.
"I have a question for you," Gon addressed Chrollo. All eyes turned to him. "How can you kill people who have nothing to do with you?"
He didn't answer immediately, just observed the young boy. "You look pretty hostile, considering you just surrendered," t.
Instinctively, Sakura forced Gon behind her, shuffling so she was in front.
"Now those eyes are hostile," Chrollo commented, "This is the one with that healing ability?"
"According to Nobunaga,"
Sakura hissed, "He asked a question. Why do you kill those who have nothing to do with you?"
Chrollo looked into the rain, "Why indeed? Because they have nothing to do with us? No, on second thought it isn't that simple. How to verbally express our motives….I'm not fond of it. But oddly enough or perhaps not…Is that the key to understanding myself?"
None of them were certain about what the leader of the Phantom Troupe was now murmuring to himself, but evidently, there was nothing they could do about it. However, this became irrelevant as small talk easily was forgotten when they began heading to the hotel. Chrollo gives the order to kill all three teens if either attempts to escape.
Kurapika and Melody were likely following them close behind, but it was impossible to get close to them now since their senses were more pronounced to their surroundings after being trailed the first time.
The rain was light discomfort compared to having their hands tied behind their backs with Nen threads. Made to look as if they were simply walking in a disciplined manner like school children, the humiliation ran deeper. Machi kept guard over Killua, Shizuku over Gon, and much to her misfortune, Chrollo over Sakura. Eye contact was avoided, breathing shallow, hearts heavy, stomachs churned and steps tried to be soundless.
The walk felt endless. Going through alleyways and shadows to avoid crowds, there was only one stop and it almost made the friends lose their masks of indifference.
"Pakunoda did you find the chain user?" Chrollo paused, listening to the other end. "Alright, we'll be waiting in the hotel Beitacle lobby,"
Sakura, Gon, and Killua heightened their hearing, narrowing it on the sound of the speaking, hoping to catch the conversation all the while remaining conspicuous.
Chrollo ended the call, "It looks like we've got the identity of the chain user,"
Sakura held her breath. A reaction with a certain reason merited problems if she was caught. Gon and Killua were also holding straight faces with hostility in their eyes.
"He has three more allies, let's go,"
The spiders had split in half at the station, it seemed likely that they were tracking a colleague of Kurapika. He had made a call to someone before they got there to leave the hotel.
'Oh….' Sakura clenched her teeth till they ached. They were likely going to target everyone involved with Kurapika, but since they weren't mentioned, it means that they were still safe for now.
If Kurapika's identity was revealed, there was no point in taking down Pakunoda anymore.
'What is he going to do now?' Sakura bristled when the answer came to mind. All he had to do was switch targets and he would achieve his revenge. Go after the boss instead. He was right here and unaware of their connection to each other. It would be perfect if they could just figure out when Kurapika wanted to attack, then they could cause a distraction, but it would have to be precise.
Or they were all going to pay a price heavier than what they could carry.
Bright lighting, open space, and shiny tiles reflected the image's near-perfect replication and created an echo of steps, heavy with presence but not crowded enough to lose someone. The exit has clear insight, but a distance, like a painful temptation. That was what they were introduced to when they entered the hotel.
This really couldn't have made for a worse ambush location.
'Kurapika, come on,'
"Do you realize what time it is!?" Gon, Killua, and Sakura lifted their heads in the direction of the familiar shrill voice. They didn't see him because of the paper in his face, but he threw it down on the table, holding a phone to his ear, "It's Hotel Beitacle!"
'LEORIO' Relief filled the three. There had to be a plan if Leorio was doing something this reckless just to get their attention. He even called them out when he caught them staring as if he didn't know the three. Just to confirm they were strangers.
"Damn, my future is dark, because of the failures working for me! Listen up this once I'll close my eyes like nothing happened. One more mistake and I'll get you good," Leorio continued to rant, knowing that his friends were listening closely, "Now listen 7 on the dot. You better be at the hotel by then!"
It was so easy to decipher the code. Dark. Close eyes and 7. The clock high on the wall of the reception area was suddenly very fascinating. Without words, they already knew what to do. This was their chance to create the opening that Kurapika needed.
Killua was already working on dislocating his joints to get free from the thread. Sakura was wondering what she could do to get out.
'I can probably use my chakra scalpel,' She concluded. But this wasn't an ordinary thread, it was made of Nen. Could she cut it? Cautiously raising a finger, her chakra focused and became sharp and Sakura attempted to break through the threads just a bit. She stopped as soon as she started.
'What?' Sweat gathered on her forehead as she realized the chakra scalpel was…bending. Every time it touched the thread of Nen. It was similar to what had happened when she attempted to break the recorder on Whale Island. Her chakra was redirected due to the Nen.
'What can I do?' She needed to free her hands somehow. She couldn't do much with her own Nen yet either, she was still on the basics....except. She exhaled softly, 'Hope this works,'
Three minutes were left on the clock, but the other members who had split from the group entered the lobby, spotting them. Including Nobunaga and Pakunoda. Nobunaga laughed when he saw the three again.
"Did you kids get captured again? Oh, wait, you changed your mind and decided to join after all?"
Sakura scrunched her nose, "If that were the case, we wouldn't be tied like this,"
"We didn't know that the reward was rescinded," said Killua.
Nobunaga stood in front of them, smirking, "You got caught stalking us again? But this must be fate at work. Well, let's be friends what do you say?"
"No way," they answered together.
Killua turned away, closing his eyes, "I wouldn't even want to look at your faces,"
Gon and Sakura turned away as well, with two more minutes, their palms were beginning to sweat and they didn't want anyone to catch onto any changes in their behavior. Nobunaga tried to sell them to Chrollo again, admiring their courage, which Machi pointed out was due to their age, not experience.
"Anyway, Paku, describe the chain user to us," said Machi.
Chrollo then interrupted, "Just a moment. First things first, Pakunoda. Check these kids again,"
The three stilled when Pakunoda asked what their boss wanted her to ask them.
"What are they hiding?"
'Crap,' Sakura bit her tongue hard she almost drew blood. They were at the most critical part of the plan and their minds were freshly painted with secrets and information on Kurapika, and that women touching them to dive into their minds would be as easy as ripping off a thin sheet hiding the canvas. Exposing everything.
Since she only had two hands, and Gon and Killua were right next to one another, she was reaching out towards them first. With Sakura, that question would trigger a lot more than just Kurapika's secret, but her own-though it wasn't her priority at this point.
'Just one minute!' Sakura silently begged Gon and Killua to stall for time.
Killua did that as Pakunoda neared him, "It's no use," he gave a small grin, eyes still closed to elude them from the truth they were hiding, "Your power lets you draw out memories from those you touch right? We aren't hiding anything and we know-
Sakura winced when she saw Killua's feet rise from the ground as Pakunoda grabbed him roughly by his jaw and raised her arm. Gon attempted to stall in turn since Killua couldn't.
"Even if we did know something, we could think about something else and hide it from you!"
Those words pushed him into the same position as his friend. Sakura pressed her foot on the ground, cracking the tile under her sole, "Hey get your hands off of them right-
Her neck was cold and she could hardly draw in air to her lungs, she heard Chrollo's voice close to her, "If you attempt to move again, your friends will die,"
It was not a threat, nor a promise. It was an assurance of the worst kind. This man already knew her weakness.
"Careful boss," Machi said, "She beat Phinks arm-wrestling. She's stronger than she makes you think,"
"Yes, but she can't do anything when her friends are at risk, she'd rather lose her life first. So if she does anything, kill one of the boys,"
"Right,"
Sakura hissed for air, glaring back at the Phantom Troupe leader. "Yo-You won't get anything…out of them, we-we'll think-
"It doesn't matter what you try to think," stated Pakunoda "I don't browse through images of the mind. My question stimulates memory, stirring up the dirt collected in its depths, like throwing a stone into a pond. The dirt represents your pure, unaltered memories. I simply scoop them up,"
The radio broadcast that had been playing called the time for 7:00 pm on the dot. Sakura, Gon, and Killua stopped whatever struggles they had been making, even the briefest, and waited.
"Now, what are you hiding?"
Expecting everything to turn dark, Sakura had already rehearsed her movements and memorized the positions of the Phantom Troupe. Killua had already set himself free from the binds and a sickening crack was heard through the dark near his side, as well as Pakunoda's gasp of surprise when Gon attacked as well.
Sakura had moved quickly too, freeing herself from the threads her heel spun, chakra focused in her fist drawing towards its target, landing a powerful blow to what she knew was either Chrollo's chest or stomach, and then she heard the briefest rattling of chains and made her next move….
Gon was still being held captive with the Nen thread binding his hands together, but he managed to land a hard kick to Pakunoda when Machi pulled him back. Killua's nails sharpened, he attempted to pierce through and kill her so he could free Gon but she grabbed him instead, so tight his bones creaked from the strain.
"Killua!" Gon called out.
"Cha!"
The ground shook, and dust could be tasted in the air, small shards of tile hitting everyone and the entire lobby began to panic assuming it was some kind of attack when it was Sakura's fist attempting to hit Nobunaga. But he had activated En and was able to get out of the way in time. He grabbed the pinkette by her arm, twisting it and slamming her body onto the floor.
"Really? Well, that was a good shot,"
Gon was still free and jumped to take action but Machi pulled him back by the thread once she stomped Killua to the ground, keeping his hands behind his back and grabbing Gon with her other, holding her arm around his neck.
"Either of you moves, and I'll snap his neck,"
Nobunaga thought that was the end of the attack, but he barely missed the blade that came flying in his direction, landing in what was left of the pillar they had been gathered around.
"It came from the entrance?"
"The guy with the radio was working with them huh?" Shizuku said unhindered.
"Forget him! We still have these three! Our eyes will adjust soon,"
"You're right," Shizuku was the first to realize what was off, "Where's the boss?"
A flash of lightning from outside illuminated the room enough for the rest of the members to see that this wasn't a false alarm. Their leader was no longer in sight. Nobunaga rushed to look at the note tied to the dagger that was thrown, telling Shizuku to watch over Sakura, although the pinkette had become docile quickly unmoving from her position on the ground.
"You guys, this is going to shock you," Paku started, "These kids-
"Wait!" Nobunaga called after reading the note, "Pakunoda, this is for you,"
The message was handed to her and she read under the almost non-existent light, the warning.
Discuss their memories and I'll him.
It was like finishing a test and then having the answers laid out in front of you after already turning it in. Pakunoda realized many things, the chain user Kurapika had disguised himself as a female receptionist in the hotel and waited for the lights to go out before capturing their boss, who was to his understanding a valuable hostage and the center object of his revenge. At the time she had questioned his friends about his identity, they didn't know who was the chain-user, which brought her to the conclusion that he was intelligent, secretive, and level-headed. This demeanor also meant the note was no psychological scare.
He had every intention to kill their leader if she strayed from the note, and he would also sacrifice his comrades.
'That also makes them valuable hostages,'
"Paku!" Nobunaga's voice brought her back to bleak reality. "Don't say a word,"
She nodded, but couldn't help thinking back to when the Phantom Troupe was first formed and Chrollo asserted the position of leader. He called them the legs of the spider, and himself the head, but while this was a position of power, it was no one of immunity. Orders were absolute, but life was not.
'Boss….'
"Since he left us a message, he'll contact us again. These kids are valuable hostages right now,"
Sakura sighed softly, looking over Gon and Killua. 'What happens next….depends solely on loyalty. For both us and them,'
There was a crack in the spider's armor, now it was a matter of prying it open.
Despite the rain and heavy winds, it would have been preferable to roll down all the windows just to let some of the tension escape. Leorio in the driver's seat, Kurapika's comrade and co-worker Melody in the passenger, and in order from the left, Chrollo wrapped in chains with Kurapika beside him and the clone Sakura had made in her moment of freedom to escape with them.
Darkness had provided the best cover for her to move and she did not hesitate.
Leorio had to look in the mirror to check behind them, only to see an empty road but it still left him unsettled.
"It's okay. A number of them were injured, they won't move without reinforcements," Kurapika looked at Sakura's clone, "You'll vanish if something happens to her right?"
Slightly startled the clone nodded, "Yes, she's the original. Also if you want a message sent to her or want to make any change of plans you need help with, tell me and when I undo the jutsu, I can go back to her and she'll receive my memories. But it can only be done once,"
Kurapika nodded, "I'll remember that,"
Melody looked over her seat at the pinkette, "Would it not have been better for the original to have escaped?"
Clone Sakura shook her head, "She can't abandon them-our feelings are the same,"
"What are you looking at?" Kurapika turned to Chrollo and the entire car turned cold.
"Nothing," he answered looking back at the road ahead, "I just didn't expect the chain user to be a woman,"
"Did I say that I was?" Kurapika removed the wig revealing his blonde hair, "You shouldn't let appearances deceive you,"
Chrollo smirked slightly, "Could I have avoided that punch then I wonder?"
The clone glared back at Chrollo when their eyes met. Sakura had given Kurapika enough time to attack and her punch landing had left him injured as well, at least hard enough to crack a few ribs.
"You should watch what you say since it might be the last thing that comes out of your mouth,"
"You won't kill me," stated Chrollo, "You left your friends behind,"
"I'm not so composed that I will ignore your taunts!"
The clone put her hand on Kurapika's shoulder, "That's what I'm here for. Don't let him get the better of you,"
Chrollo was still incomprehensibly composed, "To me, this situation is the same as an afternoon coffee break. A peaceful outing,"
It was in an instant that Chrollo's head almost bashed into the passenger window before Kurapika was pulled back, "Cut it out!"
"Calm down Kurapika!" Leorio called back, "We're on equal footing now!"
"He's right," the clone said, "Don't allow yourself to be provoked! It's not just you that will end up paying!"
Chrollo scoffed softly, "If you were so worried about that, it should be the original that's here with us instead of a clone. We're not on equal footing. I have no value as a hostage,"
Kurapika's jaw ached as his teeth were grinding against each other, "If you keep lying-
"He's not lying," Melody's soft voice interrupted, "He's telling the truth,"
"There you have it. It's you who are on the ropes,"
Kurapika whispered to Melody, asking what Chrollo was implying and she explained, with much disdain "His heartbeat is normal. He isn't worried or frightened of death. I can hear that he's accepted death. I can hear that he walks with death every day. How is he capable of producing such a sound?" Melody began to feel distraught, pulling her cap over her head, trying to block out the noise, but it only seemed to be getting more apparent. "I can't take it anymore!"
"Calm down!" The Sakura clone exclaimed, "It doesn't matter whether or not he believes he has value as a hostage. It's what the other members think. And considering that the original Sakura is still alive, that means they're at least still debating what to do. Otherwise, if they were going to come after us, Pakunoda would have told them and if that were to happen Sakura would undo the jutsu and I'd disappear as a single but she's still alive, that means Gon and Killua are as well, and that Pakunoda hasn't revealed anything,"
A light chuckle left Chrollo who was still tasting iron in his mouth, "Super strength, healing, cloning, transformation, level-head, decisive…..I'm beginning to understand why Nobunaga wanted you to join the Spiders. Perhaps I should consider it more carefully,"
"Bastard….." Kurapika hissed, ready to throw another punch but he was pulled back again, "Cut it out! Or if you want revenge so badly, just end it!"
Kurapika stopped, "What?"
The clone looked down, "Sakura and I are one and the same, I'm just a replicate of her image and I hold her memories; at the same time, I have my consciousness and can think independently from the original but my actions are based on her behavior patterns and this is how she feels….. She's ready to die and accept that outcome if it means you, Gon, Killua, and Leorio will keep living. So at the very least, do your best to get them back,"
Kurapika was like a fire ready to spread across everything in his path. He wanted to stop being provoked on one end and then coaxed and soothed on the other and destroying everything would do just that. But that was in the darkest part of him. One that he had to shut out or else it could cost him everything.
Because Kurapika knew this for certain.
He did not want to have everything taken from him again.
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Phinks, Shalnark, and Feitan joined the rest of the Troupe members, now totaling eight. They arrived very shortly after Nobunaga called them in and explained the situation. Gon, Killua, and Sakura could already sense they were coming around to the hard part of this plan, which was going to depend on the Phantom Troupe members and where they stood on the conditions Kurapika had set in that moment of darkness. Already, Feitan and Phinks were prepared to tip the scales of this game.
Phinks then received a call, "It's the boss,"
Everyone looked at him, listening.
"Hello?"
There was no waste of time, "I have three demands. The general rule is that my demands are absolute. If you don't obey I will kill your leader immediately. First, do not follow me. Second, do not harm the three hostages. Third, put that Pakunoda woman on the phone,"
"Can I ask you something first? It's about the second demand. The hostages put up a struggle, so we had to break a few bones,"
Phinks smirked, ready to endure a bit of pain to his earlobe just for the satisfaction of provoking, but he received a swift and rather harsh response.
"Then we're done here,"
All he could hear after was the dial tone and called back immediately, "What?"
"Sorry, I was lying. They're all unharmed,"
'This is your last chance. Do not fool around. Put Pakunoda on the phone,"
Pakunoda moved away from the ground, onto the higher level of the lobby, but they were still able to see her.
'Kurapika told her to move away from the group….' Sakura straightened herself, hands tied behind her back again with a lot more thread than she thought necessary. Not that she could make any attempts now, they were deliberately keeping her a distance from Gon and Killua, so if she tried anything then they were the ones in danger.
The clone Sakura listened to the demands Kurapika made for Pakunoda after confirming that she was away from the ground. He had forbidden all forms of communication ranging from verbal to gesturing and eye contact. He also wanted her to meet him at a location of his choosing to discuss negotiations. He then told her to get another member besides Phinks and told that person about his plans to meet with Pakunoda, ordering the rest of the Troupe members to go back to their hideout. And no one could be missing from the count.
He then asked for Pakunoda again, "Come to Lingon Airport. You have until 8:00 and you must come alone,"
The clone squirmed in her seat. Kurapika had threatened to kill their hostage at least three times if his orders were not followed exactly, but he was counting on them all following his instructions and that's where the problem lay.
'They all need to bite the bait,'
However when she looked at Chrollo and saw his resolve, and indifference about dying. She had doubts that all of the members would be fighting to get their leader back. At least if this was the truth.
If she vanished without warning, then Kurapika would have no reason to keep his rage restrained. Because it meant that there was no longer anything to lose.
Pakunoda walked passed the group when she returned from upstairs, ignoring them as they called for her, and left the building without so much as looking at anyone.
"Let Paku go by herself," Nobunaga instructed. "We're returning to the hideout, orders from the chain user,"
Sakura wanted to return her clone just so that she could know what Kurapika was planning, but if that happened she had already set in her mind that if her clone vanished without a previous warning then it meant she was dead and he could go ahead and kill the leader.
Phinks was not willing to move so easily to the demands, "What's your point?"
"If we disobey him, he'll kill the boss!" Nobunaga exclaimed.
"Are you an idiot? If that happens we kill the chain user,"
"It's what the boss would tell us to do," stated Feitan.
"We have to follow Pakunoda now!"
Shalnark chided in as well, "I agree. There's no point in letting Paku go alone,"
There was a rising bloodlust as the spider's argument started to become heated. So much so that it was beginning to burn Sakura, Gon, and Killua. They were dividing, Shalnark, Phinks, and Feitan siding to follow Pakunoda, disobey Kurapika's orders, and kill them, while Nobunaga, Machi, Kortopi and after a bit of debate Shizuku voted to keep them as hostages and listen to Kurapika's orders for now.
Despite being outvoted, Phinks did not want to give in, "I'd love to kill you right now but following Pakunoda comes first,"
"Wait!" Nobunaga called as his comrade turned around. His aura surged with a warning, "Take one more step and I'll cut you down,"
Furious, Phinks turned back slowly, "Go ahead and try,"
There wasn't a chance to see the two members class as Shizuku conjured what looked like a vacuum with a mouth at the end, a row of small sharp teeth, and a long tongue at the nosal. She used it to knock Nobunaga out.
"Spider's not supposed to fight amongst themselves,"
"Aren't you on Nobunaga's side?" asked Phinks
"That's what my heart says. But the rules are absolute. If you reject the rules you reject the spider."
The scene was scary for Sakura but for different reasons that one might assume. The formation of the spiders was the legs followed the head, but even if the head was gone the spider could keep going. But if all the legs were gone, then the spider could no longer move. That's why there were such rules so that the spider would be able to keep moving. And that's why this plan should be difficult if not impossible, but there was a deeper commitment running through them. And that was a personal attachment to individuals rather than the spider.
'Abandon the rules or abandon their comrade….'
It was only after Kurapika had called again and given them thirty minutes to return to the hideout that they decided to comply with the orders. This should have felt like a win, but it was a very thin line they were grasping right now and it only took one wrong twist to break it.
Pakunoda had arrived alone as ordered. Kurapika had wrapped his chains around Chrollo's mouth before they went to meet with her so he wouldn't say or order anything, and he brought along Melody to ensure that there was no deception and Sakura's clone in case she needed to pass on any information to the original.
To ensure no one would interrupt their meeting, once she arrived, Kurapika called and ordered her to board one of the airships they were already waiting on and once she had come through the entrance, the ship took off into the sky.
"Are you Pakunoda of the Phantom Troupe?"
"I am,"
Kurapika turned to the Sakura clone and Melody for confirmation and they both did.
"I will present each of you with two conditions. I will begin with the leader," Kurapika's Judgement hung loosely on his side, "First, you are forbidden to use Nen. Second….."
Despite everything that was agreed upon, what he had shared with his friend, and what had been revealed about them, there was still a deep-rooted hatred for the Phantom Troupe that he would never be able to cut out of his heart as long as they lived and he had the leader right here in front of him. It could take one order and he would be able to stab him through the heart just as the Troupe had done to him.
The Troupe would keep moving even without a head though. He couldn't think of anything that would get him out of this.
Before starting his final command, he glanced at the clone of Sakura and remembered her words to him. And he could feel the necklace pressing against his skin.
".…I want you to do what he hasn't and look at what's right in front of you and realize that as long as you have people who care about you you haven't lost everything,"
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"She's ready to die and accept that outcome if it means you, Gon, Killua, and Leorio will keep living. So at the very least, do your best to get them back,"
There was no longer a reason to feel doubt or hesitate.
"Second, you may not contact any member of the Troupe," Pakunoda conceded to the conditions and Kurapika threw the dagger harshly into Chrollo's chest.
"You're next Pakunoda. In the first release, Sakura, Gon, and Killua were unharmed before midnight without any tricks. Second, you may not speak a single word about me. If you have no objections, I will use my chain on you,"
"Okay,"
Again Kurapika struck his blade into one of the spider's legs.
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Cross-legged on the floor with bulking chains wrapped tightly around your body and chained to a boulder on the opposite end of your friend's wasn't a pleasant experience for Sakura. She especially wanted to be near Gon and Killua when Pakunoda returned to the hideout and informed the rest of the troupe that she was taking the three of them and that she was going alone.
Despite complying with his demands thus far, the opposing side of the spiders was still opposing, especially now that they realized they were at a point of no return.
"Tell us where he is Pakunoda. We'll kill the kids, then deal with the chain user," said Phinks.
"You're insisting?" asked Machi.
"Yes. If you don't tell us, I won't let you leave,"
Pakunoda stared blankly back at him, "I refuse to tell you where he is, and I'm taking the kids alone. Don't interfere,"
"Don't interfere!? Whose the one interfering with our plans!?"
Machi's often passive expression hardened at her comrades, "Go Pakunoda. We'll stop them,"
Feitan stepped in, "Stop us? Are you trying to insult us?"
The aura and hostility were smothering and it was easy to convince anyone that they meant to kill each other.
"I bet they were defeated by the chain user before we arrived. They're probably under his control,"
Unlike Sakura and Killua who were able to maintain their composure and hold their tongues, Gon had passed a threshold before he could think.
"You don't understand why Pakunoda wants to leave without a word? You don't understand why Machi is stopping you?" Gon asked, pressing his eyebrows together, "You think they're being controlled? They just want to rescue your boss! Is it that hard to understand the desire to save a friend!?"
"Shut up kid!" Ordered Phinks, "Are you that desperate to be spared?"
Expanding his arms, clenching his muscles Gon ripped the chains off his body in an instant and stood up, "I'm not doing this for my sake! Take back those words!"
Sakura wanted to smile and hit Gon at the same time. Killua also broke free. 'He's a knucklehead,'
"I refuse. If you've got a problem, come over here. I'll rip your head off!"
Gon stuck out his tongue at Phinks, "I'm not budging an inch!"
Sakura snapped the chains around her with the meta sheets and started walking over to her friends while keeping an eye on the troupe. Her eyes darkened with growing hostility and bloodlust, "If you so much as attempt to lay a hand on either one of them, it'll be your head that rolls,"
Phinks cracked his knuckles, "What was that? You want to try saying that again?"
She stood in front of the boys, "What can't you hear from over there? I'm not letting you lay a hand on them. Also, don't go drawing your conspiracy theories about Kurapika and think it fact,"
"Yeah, Kurapika isn't like you!" exclaimed Gon, "No matter how much he hates someone, he wouldn't lose control and kill them without mercy. If he makes a promise he will definitely keep his word. After meeting him in person, Pakunoda knows this. If you follow his conditions, he'll return your boss,"
Pihnks had veins bulging on his forehead, "That's enough…Don't think you can say anything you want!"
Franklin had been sitting silently on the side listening to the banter between the spiders and hostages, but he felt like now was time to step in. "That's enough. Let, Paku go with the kids,"
"You're siding with them?" asked Phinks in distaste.
Franklin looked to Shalnark, "Shal, what would the worst-case scenario be?"
"The boss is already dead and the others are being controlled, we can't find the chain user and the kids escape…."
"No. The worst-case scenario would be we all die and the spider perishes. If the troupe falls apart, that is the greatest betrayal you could make to the boss. If we keep bickering, that could happen. Cool off. Let them have their way…,"
It wasn't the members of the troupe that mattered, it was the troupe as a whole. The spider. It was the cause for turmoil and also what Sakura realized, their weakness. She just couldn't comprehend how much the spider meant to each member.
"Pakunoda can take the kids and if the boss doesn't return, we kill the members being controlled and start to rebuild the spider,"
Machi agreed easily to it but Phinks was not able to voice his concerns before he received another phone call from Kurapika and was ordered to hand it over to their hostages. He angrily threw it at Gon.
"Are you alright? Are they all there?"
"Yeah, they're all here," Gon then passed the phone back to Phinks just as aggressively as he had received it.
"We're following your orders," Phinks finalized. "Pakunoda is getting ready to meet you with the two hostages,"
"Fine, then we're done,"
The call ended quickly, and Phinks seemed prepared to crush the phone in his hands, "Well what are you waiting for? Leave already,"
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Gon, Sakura, and Killua walked in front of Pakunoda, they left the Phantom Troupe's hideout without looking back. Hoping that this would be the last time they encountered them. All the while they made their way to the meeting point, the three stayed close, and unwavering under the storm. It surrounded the entire city in cold with its strong winds and hard rain but this would wash the pavements and roads so there would be nothing in the morning to remind of the night before.
"Why don't the three of you run?" Pakunoda asked the question that had been hanging on her shoulders since they left.
"Huh?"
"Given my injuries, you should be able to escape quite easily. This is nothing more than a stroll for you," Pakunoda said looking directly at Sakura. "If you did I would lose my leverage and the chain user could kill the boss,"
Sakura frowned, "Of course we know that. It's the very reason we aren't trying to escape,"
Pakunoda couldn't mask her surprise then.
"It's because we're his friends," stated Gon, "We don't want him to kill,"
"So we'd prefer this be to settle with an exchange," said Killua
When they reached the airport, they didn't know Kurapika, Leorio, Melody, and Sakura's clone were watching from the air already on a ship. Kurapika called Pakunoda when he saw her coming and told her to board with them on the only waiting airship with his three friends.
Things seemed to be going as planned until a fifth figure was spotted through the rain. Hisoka.
Kurapika received a call from the magician at that moment, "Hi,"
"Did you sneak out?" The Kurta hissed, not bothering to move when Sakura's clone pressed her ear near the phone on the opposite side to hear as well.
"No need to worry, I left a dummy behind. Allow me on the airship with them. If you refuse, I'll kill, Sakura, Gon, and Killua,"
"Bastard!"
"My target is the boss. Once he's released, I'll get off the airship,"
Kurapika felt he had no choice but to comply, they all boarded without any issues and the ship took off, following after them. The airships landed in a remote location further from the city, an area surrounded by nothing but an empty mountain area.
When the airships landed they were on opposite sides of each other, so when everyone came out they were all facing one another. Sakura, Gon, Killua, Pakunoda, and Hisoka on one side, Leorio, Melody, Kurapika, the clone Sakura, and Chrollo on the other side.
Melody checked Killua's heartbeat to ensure he was not being manipulated and Kurapika called for the exchange to begin.
"Alright, time to go," the clone Sakura vanished in a puff of Sakura, allowing the original to receive her memories. She made no indication of emotion as she walked along with Killua and Gon to their friends, passing Chrollo without a glance. He walked right passed Pakunoda as well, without a word and she knew why.
She was certain that Hisoka was going to be very disappointed when he discovered that his efforts to grasp the opportunity to fight the leader of the Phantom Troupe had already slipped out of his hands without realizing.
But she couldn't care less, but it was enough to make her chuckle to herself.
"What's funny?" asked Leorio.
"I like the thought of the magician getting tricked for once," she shrugged.
Kurapika looked at the three, "I'm sorry for putting you in danger,"
Gon shook his head, "You used your chains on the boss right?"
"Yeah, but…." Kurapika looked at the passing clouds "This isn't the end,"
And that sounded like a promise.
THAT'S ALL MY LOVELIES! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Remember to stay strong! I'll see you soon!
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- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: exclusive chapters (Sneak peek on Tumblr)
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- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
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-Crossroads of Fate chapter 26, 27, 28, 29
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 31, 32. 33, 34, 35, 36
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
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