Heart of the Infiltrators

Chapter 29: Crushing Setbacks

Heart of the Infiltrators

(Senran Kagura x Male Reader)

Chapter 29: Crushing Setbacks

Watching the young man stumble along the sidewalk from far behind, Sato Hazuki continued to trail after him with a faltering resolve. Though she knew that her penultimate goal would be within reach if she had just dragged him into an alley to do away with him, she was suffering from a terrible anxiety attack due to the rising anticipation of her offense and the perceived stares from the crowd of people along the sidewalk. While the young man certainly had most of the attention, with many people turning their heads to get a look at the ugly bruises covering his face, Sato couldn't help but feel as though some eyes trailed toward her. Even if she never did anything noteworthy, there was always a feeling that someone was scrutinizing her at every turn.

When she caught sight of a police officer on the other side of the street enjoying an early lunch at a local café, Sato had to resist against every one of her instincts' as they screamed for her to run away. After all, she was being deliberately truant for one of the first times in her life. But the rarity of the opportunity demanded that she kept moving to intercept. When the young man didn't show up for first period, Sato overheard Miss Osatani talking with Takatsukasa Sugiyama that he'd called in sick. From there, after reminding herself that the young man hadn't called in before despite past injuries, Sato decided to take a risk and moved to head him off at the residence she tracked him to.

While she didn't know why he was absent, she believed that it meant he was either knee-deep in shinobi business or on the verge of death. Her bet paid off in the fact that it appeared to be a mix of both of those things. From the disgustingly purple bruises on his cheek and above his eye to the open wound he had on the back of his head, it looked like someone had beaten him with the intention to kill. When Sato took one final look at the police officer to see if he'd taken notice of the young man's injuries, she was relieved to find the cop talking with a waitress that he appeared to be intimate with.

The girl turned her attention back to the young man, who was discreetly slinking into a pharmacy. Not wanting to lose track of him, Sato held her breath and quickened her pace around the surrounding crowds. If anyone tried to make eye contact with her, she never saw it. Her eyes remained glued to the concrete while her legs powered forward. It wasn't until Sato realized she had almost passed up the pharmacy that she decided to take a moment to calm down. After a few minutes, she turned around and peered through the window to find the pharmacist and clerk frantically running around the counters to treat the young man's wounds against meager protests. But, after the old man spoke some passionate-looking words, the boy ceased his fussing and allowed them to clean him up.

Sato's eyebrows fell low with envy upon catching the scene. Just as the young man was the center of attention when he was with the girls or Miki, even random strangers were going out of their way to give him affection. She wanted that. After taking a breath and reminding herself of what she was going to do at the right opportunity, Sato sat herself by the edge of an alley and waited for the young man to come out.

Soon enough, she would have what she'd been pining for. Just as it was when Sato realized that the young man was an infiltrator, it just boiled down to a game of patience. She was the hunter... and the boy who'd associated himself with the shinobi was the prey... All she had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity... No. She would take a few minutes to prepare and then set about waiting. All that really needed to be done was scour the surrounding area, find a makeshift weapon, and formulate a plan of attack.