The Fox and the Raven

The Guide to Hell

NOT MY COVER PHOTO!

*WARNING: MENTION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, ABUSE, VIOLENCE, WEAPONS, BLOOD AND GORE, SEXUAL ACTIVITY*

--- We have skipped time to 7 years in the future, dear reader. I am 19 years old and my hair reaches just below my shoulder blades. I am about 6 feet tall. ---

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"Do come on now, Kimi-chan. You don't want to be late for your first assignment." Fukumura-san said to his student.

Akimi had been playing with his throwing knives, twirling them effortlessly atop his fingertips like a basketball before flipping them up into the air and catching one in his mouth. He made a graceful flip backwards on his hands and kicked the rest of the falling blades towards his mentor in less than one second. He was smirking to himself as he landed, taking the single knife out of his teeth and licking the edge. The boy placed a hand on his hip, running his fingers through his silky straight hair.

Akimi watched the knives soar straight towards the back of Fukumura's head, as they had so many times before.

'Maybe Ill make the shot today!' He thought to himself briefly before watch his mentor turn around, wave his hand directly in front of his head, and catch all three blades instantly. The mentor then threw all three back like bullets towards Akimi's head. His red-pink eyes widened and his instincts reacted before he could gather his thoughts.

Akimi fell flat on all fours like a cat, pressing his fingertips into the bamboo floor as his white hair covered his eyes. He heard the knives sink into the fusuma wall behind him, slicing the paper with ease.

"That was too slow. I almost caught your carotid artery, Akimi. Where is your head today?" Fukumura asked in a worried tone, staring into Akimi's eyes.

"I don't want to disappoint you." Akimi said, getting up and turning his head to the side, sighing lightly in nervousness and placing his hands behind his back.

Akimi had been trained for assignments such as this since he had been adopted. He was very capable of achieving his goal with no difficulty, he just didn't want to disappoint the old man. Over the years he had become like a father figure.

Fukumura stepped closer to Akimi, making the white haired boy step back once and turn his face up and away a bit more. 'Please don't touch me.' He thought instinctively.

"Kimi...you have been training for this work since you were 12 years old. You have become a different, stronger, truer version of yourself and shown tremendous potential. By the age of 14 you had already chosen your preferred weapon of choice and mastered it entirely. Do not doubt yourself. And you don't need to step back from me dear boy, you know that. Come here." Fukumura's tone was calm and promising.

Akimi felt mildly emotional for the first time in a while and his face turn a light shade of red at the praise he had just received. He looked into Fukumura's eyes before stepping closer and letting the man embrace him. Fukumura wrapped his arms around Akimi's shoulders and picked him up playfully, whipping his body from side to side and laughing.

"OI! MURA! PUT ME DOWN!!!" Akimi protested as he was being squished.

"Fine! Fine-"

Fukumura set him down softly before placing his hands on the boys shoulders and smiling at him lightly with a reassuring expression. Akimi nodded in response.

The two of them along with their 4 body guards made their way out of their large traditional Japanese estate and into the car parked out front.

Akimi was always being guarded. Fukumura being aware of his abusive childhood, didn't take any chances. It put him at ease to know the boy was being protected.
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"We are here, Boss." The driver said.