stuck to you

i.

(author's note) this is a oneshot related to my story "desolate minds" on ff.net — so i wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're familiar with said story. the cover photo is a heavily edited version of an artwork by oshio from tegaki.pipa.

thanks for reading, so without further ado... here's a murai/kyojin oneshot!

× × ×

Murai Niijima was ten years old when he fell in love for the first time.

Though young and (somewhat) naive at the time, the only thing he could think was: I hope this will be the first and last time I fall in love with someone. Because there was no one else he could see himself falling for; no one else he could see himself thinking of all the time.

Murai wanted to love Kyojin for the rest of his life.

Loving someone hurt, especially when it was your cousin who had taken to them first. Jin had her eyes set on Kyojin since their first year at the Academy, and being raised to be her unofficial aid, Murai had no choice but to put his feelings aside and allow things to play out for themselves.

If he had any say in it, Murai would have wooed Kyojin for all that he's worth. Doing anything and everything to sweep the brunette off of his feet and into Murai's awaiting arms.

Until Jin lost interest, however, Murai would be doing a lot of waiting. He didn't worry though, because his outstretched arms would never falter or tire. Someone would have to cut them off if they wanted him to truly let go of Kyojin.

No one ever did.

× × ×

Being on the same genin team as Kyojin was a blessing in itself. Not much changed, seeing as they trained and worked together a lot when they were in the Academy. There wasn't much they needed to work on when it came to teamwork. This left their sensei at a loss, that is, until they gushed about what they wanted to specialize in.

Jin and her ninjutsu, Murai with his genjutsu, and Kyojin with his poisons/traps.

Any enemy they came across wouldn't know what to expect; Team Zero was just that unpredictable. They could infiltrate bases, prepare the battlefield with traps, and blow foes away with extensive techniques.

That was their goal anyway. For now, they were only mere genin. Too cocky and arrogant for their own good. They would learn someday...

Someday came too soon.

× × ×

Ambushed while performing a simple escort mission, or well, it was supposed to be simple.

A C-Rank turned into a B-Rank, which then turned into an A-Rank... S-Rank... Mission Failed.

A group of rogue ninja had been the perpetrators, targeting the noble that was their client. Their sensei had told them to stay in formation around the civilian —keep him protected at all costs— while he took care of the large group of three... no five... six— ten.

Once their sensei was incapacitated (taking three of the ninja down with him), Jin tried her best to do away with the ninja with her most powerful ninjutsus. She managed to snag two, leaving only five left. Her chakra was low now, however, she was tired and slow.