In Japan's feudal era, noble families often had retainers. Other families of lower rank, solely devoted to serving their masters. Today, such family ties remain, though often less formal, or otherwise forgotten. But one girl in particular will meet her retainer for the first time, and it'll turn her life upside down.

 

Kurai-chan, post your character and I'll build off of that and we can begin

"Yes...I suppose so..." Akise stated.

Had Sasuke stayed here sometimes during his childhood?

Edited November 11, 201311 yr by Neko-chan

"'Kay. I'll be right there." Ayano hung up. Minutes past. How far away did she live anyway? And how was she getting there? Sasuke's phone buzzed again.

"Would this phone stop ringing for once?!" Akise complaint, picking up the phone.

"Yeeess?" She asked.

"Me again." Ayano said. "I'm at the back of the shrine right now and don't see anything. Where are you two specifically?" Still no concern.

The bushes before Akise began to rustle.

"We're on the side of the road near at the bottom of the forest near the shrine!!" Akise yelled.

"And I would hurry." She snapped, starting at the bushes before her.

"Right, right." Ayano exasperated. She hung up.

A bear emerged from the bushes. It seemed rather beat up on one side. It sniffed at Sasuke and growled.

(NUUUUU)

 

"Sasuke!! Wake up!!" Akise yelled before having to grab him (somehow). She started running.

Her running with an unconscious guy and a hurt leg was a bad idea. If only this could be the other way around. This entire situation was completely ironic. She started running up the stairs to the shrine.

Ayano nearly ran into the girl carrying her brother. "Woah there!" She said, grabbing onto the Akise. She let her go and took Sasuke's unconscious body from her and set him on the ground. "What's the rush anyway?" The bear had gone.

"THERE WAS A BEAR CHASING AFTER US!!!" Akise yelled.

"That must have been what happened to Sasuke....he got chased by a bear trying to find me..." She said after a bit, rather quietly.

Ayano sighed. "I don't think I've ever seen him beat up like this since he was little." Sasuke's sister had a faint air of concern finally. She leaned down and checked out his wounds. "Nothing too bad, it seems." She observed. "Though he may have a concussion. Probably fell." He didn't even ask for Akise to confirm everything. She pulled out her cell phone. "Let's get him to the hospital."

"The hospital?!" Akise said with a snap.

"It's THAT serious?!" She yelled.

What was she going to do with Sasuke....

"Better safe than sorry." Ayano replied. "I can diagnose injuries, they can treat them." She held her phone to her ear. "Hello? Yes, I've got a boy with me, tumbled a few dozen feet downhill. Looks like a concussion too." She listened to the response. She told them their location. "All right, thanks." She closed her phone. "Let's get him down the stairs." She told Akise. She noticed her injured leg. "Leave him to me." She corrected, picking up her brother and beginning her slow descent. "God he's gotten heavy."

Akise slowly followed Ayano. Were they going to drive? Were they going to walk? Would Sasuke be okay? Is her father worried? Did Sasuke really mean what he said? So many questions ran through her head...

"Alright!" Ayano grunted, setting Sasuke down. "Give me a few moment's rest." She sat on the stone stairs and sighed.

"So what happened to your leg?" She asked.

"I tripped running up these stairs...because Sasuke was running after me...because I ran away....because dad told me...that mom died." Akise's voice became quieter as she continued speaking.

"Oh... The wreck on the other side of town." Ayano had watched it. She was almost involved in it. An ambulance came blaring down the road at the bottom of the stairs. "Come on." She said, picking up Sasuke, let's load him up." The doctors/nurses unloaded from the back and took Ayano's brother from her, placed him on one of those wheeled beds and rolled him into the vehicle. "You should probably go too." Ayano said to Akise. "Get your leg checked out."

"You're not coming? Akise asked, a nurse helped her into the ambulance.

"He is your little brother you know...." She said seriously.

"I'll meet you there." Ayano replied, waving Akise off and climbing back up the stairs. The back of the ambulance closed. Sasuke lay on the wheeled bed just a few feet away from her. What would he say when he woke up? One of nurses approached Akise and got down on one knee.

 

"Let's take a look." He said, rolling up Akise's pant leg and observing the wound.

(EXAGGERATION)

 

Akise clenched her teeth and clenched her eyes shut. Even though Akise had been walking on it and making it appear like it wasn't that big of a deal, it was actually really bad. Almost severed to the bone.

"Sasuke is going to be mad at me when he wakes up..." She muttered.

"Looks like some major bruising." The nurse said. "We'll have the doctor take a look at it." He left her pant leg rolled up so the material of her jeans didn't cause any irritation. "So this's Sasuke?" He asked. "Your boyfriend or something?"

"N-No! He said he liked me though...so kind of...." Akise stuttered.

"Sasuke...Sohma I think. He's spoken of Sohma a lot so I figure that is his last name." She said.

"I don't know any more then his name." Akise said, looking at Sasuke.

"And he said he liked you?" The nurse inquired. "Ah it's none of my business." He added quickly.

"Though for his sake could you tell me what happened?"

"We were walking home from school, I came inside, talked to my dad, and figure out that my mother had died. I ran out of my house and away from Sasuke. He brought me to that shrine yesterday...so as I was running up the stairs I tripped and fell a bit. Despite it hurting like hell, Sasuke was on my tail. I ran through the forest, and towards the road. To my understanding, Sasuke tried to fallow me but had to get through a bear, and he reached he road, but fell....down the hill." Akise said seriously.

"Oh..." The nurse fell silent. "You have my deepest condolences."

He glanced to Sasuke. "A bear, eh? Miss, I think this boy really cares about you."

"A part of me knows he does...." Akise.

"But....I just don't know what he's going to say or what I should say...." She muttered.

"But you don't have any say in this." Akise snapped.