Hanami, the Beautiful Flower (105)

Akasan woke up not too long after he fell out. He lifted his head up, feeling his wounds open up again and winced in pain. He laid his head back down.

Yukio noticed him move and called out. "If you cross that orange ring there you'll die." he warned.

Akasan had just noticed it. He looked at the ring. He was hurting too much to care.

Fumiko soon came back with someone else by her side. It was the brown-haired assassin girl that was with King Dabi before.

Hanami.

Hanami looked down on Akasan. "Why are you protecting him? He's our target."

Fumiko turned to her. "I don't want to kill him. He's special."

Hanami frowned. "Fumiko. We don't have time for this. Remove the circle."

Akira slowly stood up. "I agree... with Fumiko. Leave him... alone."

Hanami sharply looked at Akira. "I at least thought you were better than this. As a Bloodhound, our job is to kill the target, nothing more, nothing less. And for you of all people to suggest such a thing..."

Akira glared. "We just had a battle... not as enemies, but as men. I can't let you step on that pride."

Akasan managed to sit up. Hanami was slightly taken off guard by the wounds in his upper body.

Akasan was taking slow, deep breaths. "Fumiko, Akira, it's alright." He stood. "Remove the ring."

Fumiko looked a bit worried. "But, you're not in a condition to fight anymore. You've lost already. If I let you out, you'll die."

Akasan smirked. "Sorry, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I still have to... change the world someday. I can't do that if I die here without doing something about this country... I told Aimi and Sara that I'd do it..."

Fumiko sighed. "Fine. If you say so."

The ring vanished from the ground.

Hanami quickly outstretched her hand, pointed at Akasan's neck. It was so fast that no one saw it even move at first.

It looked like Akasan had gotten stabbed in the throat, but he suddenly was to the side, dodging her.

Hanami narrowed her eyes. "What is that technique?"

Akasan jumped back. "Shadow Movement." He winced in pain from his open wounds.

Hanami was unbothered. She raised her hand, then held it out towards Akasan. Giant tree roots came out of the ground and chased after him. They were moving faster than Akasan could run in his condition. His Eye of Creation turned on in one eye as he formed his Kuroba once more. He aptly countered the gigantic roots that were coming out of the ground to kill him.

Hanami raised another arm. Vines shot out of her arm and raced towards Akasan as well.

Akasan blew out a ball of crimson fire. The vines ignited and wilted away.

Hanami frowned. "They burned?!" She clapped her hands together.

The ground began to uproot, as a tree grew out of the ground, rotating as it formed its trunk out of various large branches.

Thirty large tree roots shot upwards at Akasan, who was mid-air now. He sliced most of them in half, then one caught his arm and knocked his sword away. Another root shot straight at his chest. He caught it with both hands. He yelled out in pain as the tip of the root pierced him in one of his wounds. Steam rose from Akasan's hands. He was using only crimson fire right now. The underside of his hands were glowing red. He was clearly struggling.

Hanami looked up at him. "Stop struggling. It's pointless."

Akasan yelled out again as the root pushed deeper. "It's not pointless!! The people in that town were being treated like crap!! Places like that shouldn't exist in this world! If I don't struggle for them, who will?!!"

Akasan's markings turned bright purple. He started to pull the root out of his chest. Veins pulsed on his hands and forehead as he squeezed as hard as he could. Purple cracks tore through the entire root and shot through the tree. It slowly shriveled up and died.

Hanami was shocked. Then she frowned and got angry. "Don't pretend like you care about them!! All of you are the same, you come here looking for ways to take advantage of them!!"

Akasan continued to struggle against the weakened tree root. He cracked it even more. The markings on his arm quickly ran over half of his face. "You really think I'm up here risking my life to steal from the unfortunate?!! Don't give me that!!!" He crushed the tree root. It shattered into pieces and fell to the ground with each fragment causing a heavy thud.

Akasan caught his breath. His Nil left again. "All of you are strong. Just everyone here individually could take out several armies alone!! If you were so concerned then why haven't you done anything!!!!"

Hanami's eyes watered. "BECAUSE WE CAN'T!!!!"

A short silence followed.

Hanami fought back tears. "The king owns us, we aren't able to rebel against him if we wanted to!! If we did, then innocent people will die!! We're just a group of mercenaries!! We kill who we're told to kill, nothing more!! If you understand that, then just die!!!"

Another four roots shot out of the ground and flew at Akasan.

Almost instantly, they were all cut off.

Everyone looked at Akira. He held out his hand, and his sword came flying back. "That's enough."

Hanami shivered. She seemed almost scared. "Why did you do that?!! You know what happens when you help the target!!"

Akira sighed. "We'll all be punished, right? Let's just say I'm taking a gamble. If we're all getting punished then there's no reason to kill Akasan anymore is there?"

Akasan fell unconscious suddenly and started falling to the ground. Akira jumped over and caught him. He carried him on his back. "Hurry up and heal him Hanami."

Hanami stomped her foot. "I will not!! Are you insane?!!"

Akira gave her a disappointed look and started walking back in the direction he came. "You really changed over the years Hanami. We became assassins by force, not by choice. We're still a team, don't forget that. This man spared me in a fight where I aimed to take his life. He's no longer my enemy. He's one of us. And if one of us goes down, we all do."

Fumiko, Koji, and Yukio followed Akira back to town.

--

Sara was sitting down inside her house with Aimi when Akira kicked open the door. They were startled at first, but then Akira laid Akasan down on the floor. "He needs medical attention. Is there a doctor nearby?"

Sara shook her head. She quickly got up to look at Akasan. She gasped upon seeing his injuries. "This is...!! He's going to die! We don't have doctors... the best I could do is bandage him up, but..."

Akira nodded.

Aimi started crying. "Is-Is Akasan dying?"

Sara left the room and came back with some bandages. "Honestly, I told him that it would be too much for him. He should've left like I told him to." She looked up at Akira and the others. "I thought you all were after his life."

"We were." Akira said. "But I determined that he's worth keeping alive."

Fumiko knelt down near Akasan. "Wait before you put those on." she told Sara.

Fumiko took her finger and traced the lines of the wounds on Akasan's body. They softly burned and sealed shut. She chuckled. "That's gonna leave a mark."

Sara bandaged him up. Akasan was laid down on a straw mat to rest.

Akira and the other assassins got up and left the house.

Koi met them outside. "So? Planning on filling me in on why our target is being nursed to health here?"

Akira scratched his head. "It's complicated. I'll fill you in later."

Koi turned around. "Regardless, you do know that *he's* coming right?"

Akira brushed it off. "Let him come. I'll chop him to bits."

Fumiko chuckled. "If we kill Don then Dabi won't be happy with us."

"He's already not happy with us." Koji said.

"Good point." Fumiko said.

In the distance, Hanami could be seen walking up to them. She said nothing and walked past, going into the house.

Akira was about to stop her but Koi held his arm out, shaking his head.

Hanami gently opened the door and closed it back. She sat down on the mat by the table. She stared at the unconscious Akasan.

"Worried?" Sara asked.

Hanami shook her head. "He's an idiot."

Aimi jumped up. "Take that back!!"

Hanami's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I said, take that back!! Akasan is not an idiot!! He's very sweet and kind!!"

Sara calmed Aimi down. "Akasan gave Aimi some food when he first arrived here. It was the first time either of us ate in days. He defended her against one of the officers and walked in here asking us if we wanted him to change the country. I've never met anyone like that."

Hanami gazed back over Akasan. "*He* did?"

Sara nodded calmly. "I know that you're worried about us, and I do appreciate the things that you've done for us Hanami. I know that we aren't related, but I still see you as if you were one of my own sisters."

Sara smiled softly. "I still remember the day you were taken away to become an assassin. You were so cheerful back then. Your smile brought color and sunshine into this bleak, dark world we live in. Like a beautiful flower. I know that you've probably been through hell and back since then, but you don't have to feel like you're alone. Maybe it's time to put your trust in someone else for once."

Hanami started to tear up, but she blinked them away. "The last time I put my trust in someone, I got betrayed. He'll probably do the same. I've given up on that dream."

Sara looked down. "Don't. There's still hope for us all."

Hanami stood up, a new determination in her eyes. "And it'll be me who makes sure that it's still there."