𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 𝕊𝕖𝕒 (FEM! Reader X Arataki Itto)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ³⁰

Everyone was chatting and laughing around the fire, celebrating the success of their mission. Despite the hiccup, everyone came out mostly unscathed. Though it was still odd that Kujou Sara was there when she was.

Mamoru told them of how it was while he was in the slammer and Arataki asked him if he saw the carvings he left behind when he was there in the past. "The one with your name and 'The Greatest' next to it? Yeah, I saw it..."
"No! The one with my name and 'The Awesomest'!"

Everyone enjoyed the stew and other food Arataki made and he was happy to receive praise. But what Mamoru said earlier bothered Arataki now as he was chatting with Y/n and she was happily laughing along to whatever joke he said.

"I don't care..." Arataki mumbled to himself out loud. "What was that?" Akira asked when he overheard. "Nothing..." He mumbled while swirling the contents of his bowl though his eyes kept drifting to the two everytime she laughed.

He watched her smiling and joking with Mamoru and Genta, a view that made him irritated for some reason. He stared at her smile, remembering her bloodied up face from when she fought Kujou Sara. He needed to still ask her about what he saw...

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Earlier...

The two ran towards the mill that was powered by water, it was situated on the edge of the city by the sakura tree. They ducked under the wooden trough thing that carried the water and were about to be home free.

"Where's Shortie? She said she would be right behind us." Arataki turned around and his eyes scanned the city for any signs of the girl. "Boss, I'm not sure we have the time..." Mamoru answered. Arataki felt conflicted, he didn't like leaving her behind like this. He would just be repeating what happened to Mamoru.

Making up his mind, he turned to Mamoru, "You head back. I'm gonna go find Y/n." Before he could protest, the part oni had already ducked beneath the water-carrying structure and was running back towards the city.

"Those two are so reckless." Mamoru muttered, remembering that Y/n did something similar. Mamoru turned around but his eye caught on something hanging on the wall of the house next to him. He squinted to see a photo of Y/n. "Wait." He tore it off to read it, his face falling as he did. "Boss..."

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Arataki ran along the grass, behind Domon's dojo. "Where is she, where is she..." He kept to the shadows and remained hidden while he searched for the girl. His heart was racing at the various possibilities that could've happened to her. The more he thought about it, the more negative scenarios he thought of, and the more he frantically searched.

He was about to run over the small bridge behind the smithy when he heard an all too familiar voice say, "Y/n L/n." As if the voice had summoned her, he spotted the h/c haired girl ahead of him. The one he's been searching for.

Relieved, he snuck up beside the building towards her. He opened his mouth to say something but remembered the other voice. He peered around the corner to see three more figures. One of the figures was a woman he wouldn't have thought to show up tonight of all nights. Kujou Sara. The other two were soldiers who accompanied the general.

He was glad he didn't say something just then or he would've been seen.

"You must have a death wish, coming back when a warrant was issued for your arrest. It hasn't been a full week since your uncle was murdered."

'Wait, what was she talking about?' He looked at Y/n who was practically trembling, but not from fear. Anger. He's never seen her like this before.