The Assassin Within

Part 7~Grooming Failing

First period-Mathematics

"No matter how hard you try, you're always left with this number! So what do you do?" Koro-sensei looked around but when no one answered he turned back to the board. "Don't worry! I'll show you. Let's solve it together."

Nagisa looked towards Karma, the red head was clearly bored and ready to attack. Karma was always ready to attack.

"Now... Add these all up together, and then to our surprise... Tadah! Your answer! Way too slow, Karma . I mean really... I had enough time to do your nails too. You like them?" Koro-sensei used his tentacles to pull Karma's finger away from the trigger of his gun.

Second period-Home Economics

"Has your group finished Fuwa?"

"I don't know... It's too bitter..."

"Let me try it." Koro-sensei lifted up a small spoon of the soup, about to test it.

"I know... Why don't you make it again? Get rid of this batch first." Karma slammed his fist down on the table, sending the pot flying through the air. Using a knife, he swiped towards Koro-sensei- hoping to hit the target.

Of course it didn't work.

Koro-sensei was gone and Karma found himself in a pink apron and hat.

"Always wear an apron in the kitchen, Kara. And don't worry about the soup. I got it all with an eyedropper. I even added a pinch of sugar." Koro-sensei handed back the saucepan, Fuwa smiling gratefully.

Nagisa shook his head. Karma was being reckless again. He wasn't learning anything about his target. Koro-sensei has a ton of weakness. He messes up a lot and when he panics his reaction time slows way down. Karma needs to learn how to use that.

Fifth period- Literature

"'And even as those thoughts passed through my mind...'" Koro-sensei pushed a tentacle against Karma's forehead, stopping the attack Karma had planned. "'The red frog failed and returned. I began to grow bored so I picked a couple pebbles off the road and...'" Koro-sensei parted Karma's hair, spraying it to keep it in place.

Nagisa watched, a twitch in his eye. Assassination is like a never-ending game when he's on guard. Karma needed to understand that, then maybe things could be different.

Karma sat on a tree branch stretching over the edge of the cliff. Nagisa walked closer, noticing that Karma was chewing on his finger.

"Karma... There's no rush. We'll kill him together, eventually," Nagisa said, sitting down at the edge of the cliff. He hung his legs over the edge and leaned back. "Once Koro-sensei's on to you, it's impossible to kill him by yourself. No matter what you do. He's no ordinary teacher, after all."

Karma's eyes darkened, thinking back to his old teacher. He said that he would back him up. That he would always support him. He didn't. "Hell no, I wanna kill him myself. I don't want him dropping dead anywhere else."

"Sure... You know this is why he didn't let you join us."

Karma growled at the statement, a dark aura surrounding him.

"Karma... I sure did a lot of work on your hair today. But if you want to keep on trying to kill me ,I have plenty more hairspray and nail polish," Koro-sensei teased with green stripes on his face.

"Heh. Can I ask you something? You're a teacher, right, Koro-sensei?"

"Yes. I am."

"And teachers protect their students with their lives, yeah?"

"Of course. That's what teachers do."

"That's good to hear. Then I've got you..." Karma pulled out his gun, pointing it at Koro-sensei. Leaning back, Karma fell over the edge. "...Teach!"

Nagisa ran forward, his heart pumping but Karma didn't care, he was too lost in his thoughts. 'Come help me and I'll shoot and kill you. Let me fall to my doom and you're dead as a teacher. Freaky, your life really does flash before your eyes.' Karma remembered his teacher, the one that promised he would stay. After Karma attacked a 'prize student' he stopped caring for him. He died inside. Now, Koro-sensei had to choose which death he wished to die.

But before he could choose, Nagisa moved. He reached out, grabbing the gun and jerking Karm up. Nagisa was able to grab a hold of Karma's wrist and they were snapped to a halt. One of Koro-sensei's tentacles was wrapped around Nagisa's stomach, safely out of Karma's view and aim.

"You're a real idiot, you know that right? I'm not just going to let you die," Nagisa said with a laugh. "I hate you. I hate the way you go about things. You mock what we do. You don't care about our art. But you are still my friend. I will always be there to catch you."

Karma growled a little, annoyed that Nagisa had saved him. This wasn't how it was meant to go. It was meant to be different.

"Plus, Masahiko would kill me if I let you die. So stop jumping off cliffs, will you."

Slowly, Koro-sensei pulled up Nagisa, panicking over the two. "What were you two thinking?! If I hadn't caught Nagisa in time you both would be dead! I could have caught Karma without that, you just put yourself in more danger than what was necessary!"

Nagisa let out a laugh, slightly pushing the grapple hook back into his waist coat. "I was sure you could catch us. I still can't believe you thought that was a good idea, Karma."

"It was the best plan I had yet... okay... maybe not the best," Karma corrected himself, looking away dejectedly.

"Out of ideas already? That's a shame... Oh, look at all the products I haven't had a chance to use on you yet. I guess you're actually more of a slacker than I thought," Koro-sensei teased.

"Huh, would you look at that. I finally get what you mean... I'll kill you, tomorrow or so," Karma claimed, slicing his thumb across his neck. "Let's go home Nagisa. We can get a bite to eat on the way." Karma pulled out a wallet, throwing it up and down in the air.

"Hey! That's my wallet! Yeah? Well you shouldn't leave it lying around the faculty room."

"Give it back!"

"Sure."

"But it's empty!

"It was just nickels and dimes. I threw them in a donation box."

"What?! You, you... Robin hood!"

Nagisa couldn't help but smile, Karma was finally getting it. Understanding the art. Maybe Koro-sensei would be killed tomorrow... or the day after that...

Stopping, Nagisa couldn't help but frown at the ringing phone in his pocket, clicking on the accept button, Nagisa pushed the phone away from his ear. "Nagisa! Why didn't you tell me Karma jumped off a cliff!"

"How did you even find out about that, it happened thirty minutes ago?!"