Bonus Chapters every 200 Power Stones
"Normal Dialogue"
'Inner thoughts'
[Year X791]
~ With Shisui ~
The campfire burned softly in the forest clearing as Shisui relaxed and sat cross-legged on a fallen log. Seven dark guilds in seven days, one per day. Each takedown had been silent, yet public and unmistakably his work. The kind of statement that would spread through the magical world like a wildfire, carrying one simple message.
Shisui the Teleporter has returned, and he remembered every slight against his guild.
But the hunt had also served a second purpose. Drawing attention. Making himself visible to a very specific group of people. He reasoned that it would be easier for them to find him than it would be for him to find them.
Three pairs of eyes watched him from the darkness beyond the firelight. They'd been there for nearly an hour, hidden among the trees. Most people would never have noticed them. But then again, most people weren't Shisui Uchiha.
He poked at the fire with a stick, sending sparks spiralling up into the night sky. The observers remained perfectly still, but he could feel their tension all the way from where he sat. They wanted to approach. They were afraid to approach. The contradiction amused him.
"I know it's been 2 years…" He said casually, not bothering to look up from the flames. "But did you really think you could hide from me? Why else would I make such a spectacle in my return?"
The words drifted through the clearing with gentle mockery. No response came immediately, but Shisui felt the shift in their positions. Recognition. Perhaps relief. Definitely hesitation about what came next.
Minutes passed in silence. Then, finally, the soft sound of footsteps on forest floor reached his ears. Slow, deliberate steps. Three figures emerged from the treeline, their exotic appearance contradicted by the expressions they had on their faces. Shisui stood and turned around.
Meredy stood at the front of the group, though her usual confident posture was nowhere to be seen. Her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and her entire body trembled with the effort of holding herself together. Tears gathered in her eyes but refused to fall, as if she was afraid that blinking might make the moment disappear.
Behind her, Ultear's expression was unreadable largely due to her bangs casting shadows on her eyes, but Shisui could see the telltale signs of emotional strain in the rigid set of her shoulders and the way her own hands had formed fists at her sides. She was fighting for control.
Jellal hung back slightly, understanding without being told that this reunion belonged to the three of them first. His presence was acknowledged and appreciated, but the bonds between Shisui, Ultear, and Meredy ran deeper than friendship or alliance.
The silence stretched between them like a held breath as Shisui studied Meredy's face, seeing the war between joy and pain playing out in her expression. She wanted to speak, wanted to move, wanted to demand answers and explanations and promises that this wasn't some cruel dream. But fear held her frozen in place.
He'd also expected anger. Accusations about leaving them behind, about making them think he was dead, about the pain his absence had caused. He'd prepared himself for harsh words and righteous fury.
What he hadn't prepared himself for was the sight of Meredy looking so fragile, so afraid to believe what her eyes were telling her.
Before he could find words to bridge the gap between them, movement caught his attention. Ultear had stepped forward, moving past Meredy. Her expression remained unreadable, but something in her stride made Shisui's instincts flare with warning.
She was walking too fast. Too focused. Her hands were still clenched, and there was a set to her jaw that he recognized from their sparring sessions years ago. Ultear had always been the most physically direct of their group when emotions overwhelmed her usual approach.
Shisui closed his eyes and braced himself, forcing his body to remain relaxed despite every combat instinct screaming at him to dodge or defend. He'd hurt them by disappearing. If Ultear needed to hurt him back, he'd take it without complaint.
The impact came faster than expected, but not in the way he'd anticipated.
Instead of the sharp crack of a slap or the solid thud of a punch, he felt arms wrap around him in desperation. Ultear's momentum carried them both backward, and Shisui's eyes snapped open in shock as they tumbled to the ground together.
He landed hard on his back with Ultear pressed against his chest, her face buried in the fabric of his shirt. For a moment, neither of them moved. Shisui stared up at the star filled sky above the forest canopy, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Ultear Milkovich, the Time Witch who faced down enemies and stared death in the face without flinching, was clinging to him like a lifeline. Her carefully maintained composure had shattered completely, leaving behind something raw and vulnerable that made his chest tighten with emotions he couldn't name.
The first sob reached his ears as a whisper, barely audible above the crackling fire. Then another, slightly louder. Then her whole body began to shake against him as months of suppressed grief finally found release.
"I thought I'd lost you…" She managed to whisper between tears, her voice breaking on the words.
Something shifted inside Shisui's chest. All the walls he'd built around his own emotions, all the careful distance he maintained to protect himself and others, crumbled at the sound of her pain. His arms came up without conscious thought, wrapping around her trembling form and pulling her closer.
"I'm back." He said softly, his own voice rougher than he'd expected. "This time, I'm not going anywhere."
The promise settled between them like a sacred vow as above them, the stars bore witness to a reunion that had been months in the making.
~ End of Chapter 97 ~
You can read advanced chapter on p@treon.com/The_Editor982