Cheers luvs

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Midnight was talking with the last from ANBU group, who were on a mission together with them. He shared all the known informations about current situation, so it could be delivered to village as soon as possible.

Scarlet took this time to go check on others, especially Breeze. He got to door of other room but it opened before he knocked and Crimson came out- smile on his face insantly made fire-nin feel a bit better and drop some of the worries.

'Hey bro. How's Breeze?'

'All good. She woke up with headache but Azure said she's all fine now. Just need to rest. So, worry not, heh.' he patted arm of smaller boy, making him suddenly jolt and hiss from pain.

'Ouch...' Scarlet grabbed his right arm, feeling as sharp pain spread up to his shoulder.

'Owww man, sorry... didn't know you are hurt there. Didn't Azure patch you up yet?'

'She did, a little. But somehow... it hurt more now.'

'Be quiet, boys!' blue-haired girl hushed them, popping head out of the room. 'Shoo, shoo- we will talk in other room, let her sleep. And what's wrong, Scarlet?' she asked, closing door behind her and frowning for a grin of pain on boy's face. 'It shouldn't hurt so much, wasn't even such deep cut.'

'Oof!... It passed a bit now.' Scarlet sighed with relief, massaging shoulder slowly. 'it's ok, don't worry.'

Azure tilted head, staring at boy, who wwas trying to smile now.

'You are very pale, Scarlet. Are you sure it's ok?' she asked but instead of waiting for reply, she grabbed his other arm and pulled closer to window, for more light.

'Take shirt off, I will check it up.'

'Oh my... well, I can't argue with someone so cute wanting me to strip down.' said Scarlet with sly smirk but regretted it immadietely as Azure pressed fingers on his right arm.

'Owww... ouch, sorrrrry...'

'Hahaha! Better don't joke like that with ladies, Scarlet- they can be dangerous!' laughed Crimson.

Fire-nin took off shirt and threw it on friend.

'Yo, ladies expert, go to your sleeping beauty.'

Crimson grinned at smiling Scarlet and went back to other room.

Meanwhile, Midnight finished report and turned to rest of group, when ANBU member disappeared.

'Ok guys, plan for now is that I will go back to robbers' base to retrieve that chest, if it's still there and then-' he paused suddenly, noticing something on back of other boy. He tilted head then went closer. Scarlet... since when you have those markings?'

'Huh? What are you talking about?'

Midnight stared at weird symbols and curved lines on back of his shoulder. 'Here...' he put hand on markings, which were barely visible but seemed to glow a little bit. He then gently moved fingers down, almost to the center of his back, where it was turning into some circle pattern.

Scarlet jolted.

'Holy ****! Get that deadman's hand off me! Sooooo cooold...' he cried.

'It's not my hand that's cold- you are so hot.'

'Wow...thanks man. You're too but really not the best time for date invit-'

'I MEAN that skin on your back is so warm near these symbols.' growled Midnight.

His mind clicked after a moment, when words of Scarlet passed his "ignore" filter, making him lose the cool for a few seconds. Azure saved him (or more like saved Scarlet) when she also stood behind fire-nin, to check it.

'What is this...' she also did run fingers over the markings. 'So warm... I never saw anything like this...'

'Wait- look at this one... and that here.' Midnight pressed fingers on two points. 'Looks like sets of symbols from seals we were learning last year but... mirrored?'

'You are right... this...' Azure frowned. 'it does look like some curse seal...'

'Guys... can you stop with all the touching... it feels a bit unconf- owwww!... *...' Scarlet cringed, cussing under his breath from sudden wave of pain, spreading over his arm and back.

Azure put hands, glowing with healing chakra, on his back but very fast she realized it doesn't have any effect on boy's body.

It actually turned worse after few minutes when more symbols appeared on his skin and Scarlet fell on knees, currling and groaning from pain.

Midnigth and Azure exchanged worried looks, while helping him to sit on chair.

'I don't know much about things like this... I remember some curse seal but this doesn't look like anything I learned so far...' Azure touched his arm gently. 'I think we have to go back to Konoha after all.'

'Man... can this day get any worse... ughhhh!' Scarlet pressed forehead to the surface of wooden table and focused on not screaming, while another, stronger attack of pain pierced his back, like if kunai blades covered in flames were cutting his body, leaving him panting and with tears in the eyes.

'Actually, it can turn much worse.'

Voice of stranger, who appeared out of nowhere in the room, in front of them, made them all flinch. Midnight recognized face of a man and in a split second, he moved with lightning speed, close to him, placing blade of katana at his neck.

'Ok...' man swallowed slowly. 'I know how does it look but please...'

'What you did to Scarlet!!' yelled Azure, pointing her blade on his stomach, when she also realized it's the same man who attacked them in the morning.

Scarlet lifted tired head and gazed at stranger, who this time was giving out completely different feeling- not a shade of confident, dangerous man, who's voice he still heard in his mind. he stood there looking somehow scared and tired.

Door to other room opened and, alarmed by the noise, Crimson and Breeze walked in for the scene.

'Hey... isn't that...' blondie girl pointed at a man but he didn't let he finish.

'Listen to me, we don't have much time- he doesn't have much of it.' he said, looking at Scarlet, fighting with pain again. 'I know, you don't have any reasons to trust me but I came here to help. I did some huge mistake... but I can turn it all fine and help him.' He tried to move but Midnight's blade got even closer to the vein on his neck.

'What are you plotting? Don't you dare to touch him.'

'It's a bit complicated... but really let him go with me- I can remove the seal. If it won't be done fast- he will die.'

Group looked at eachother and then at Scarlet, crying from pain.

'Then do it here.' Azure lowered he short sword.

'Can't. I need Seed... that crystal orb for it- but it's at my home and I can't move it from there now... told you, it's complicated... That's 3 hours of way from here but I can get there instantly.'

'Then we will go with you too.' said Midnight, also backing katana a bit.

'I can only transport one more person with me. But i will leave you information how to get there.' Man looked straight into electric blue eyes lightning ninja. 'he won't survive travel to Konoha and they can't even help him. That curse will destroy his nerves and chakra system, then kill him... it can be in less than 2 hours. You can trust me or risk his life.'

Midnight's face didn't change much, even tho he had a mess in his mind. Was this guy really worth trusting?...

'Why do you want to help us, out of sudden anyway?' asked Azure, moving back to Scarlet, who was half- unconscious already.

'Because that boy and me- we are family. Both belong to the Red Lotus clan. And please, we really don't have time for explanations now...' he add, looking at surprised faces of everyone.

'I will go.' Scarlet broke the silence of room, filled with hesitancy. he slowly got up and walked to the tall man, with help of Azure. 'I have... few questions.'

Azure hugged him gently.

'Be careful . I don't trust him... we will get there as fast as possible.' she kissed Scarlet's forehead, burning with fever now and let him lean on arm of the man, who was giving instructions to Midnight and Crimson on how to get to his place.

'Thank you and see you all soon.' he wrapped one arm around smaller boy and made few hand signs with other.

Young ninjas were observing, with tension, when air around got crossed with kind of slow wave of energy coming from inside him, forming big circle around them both, then going back fast to the center, while man's dark brown eyes turned it's color into blood red. And then, both of them disappeared, like if wave of energy erased their image.

'Did you see it?... That wasn't sharingan, right?' asked Azure, looking at Midnight who s* head in response.

'It was the same as Scarlet's.'

'I... I just hope he will be ok...' girl whispered, while Breeze hugged her.

Midnight was looking at Azure for a moment, then turned face to Crimson- the two who were always close to Scarlet, since the beggining of team. Looking at their worried faces made him realize of how much also he wishes for him to go back fast and safe.

Heart of the family...

'Ok guys.' he finally spoke out. 'Breeze, are you fine now? Can you run?'

Girl nodded.

'I'm fine. Let's get moving. No time for waste.'

Meanwhile, Scarlet and stranger still holding him tightly, appeared, without a sound, in a silent, dark and empty house- in a big room that could possibly fit whole wooden house from forest in it.

At first man swayed a bit, closing eyes shut. When he opened them, it slowly turned color back to dark brown. he sighed loudly and lifted boy a bit then lead him to the crystal orb, lying on floor, in center of the room.

'Try to stay awake.' he said, helping Scarlet to sit down. Boy groaned and looked at him with half-closed eyes, then at orb near his feet. Before another wave of pain made him cry and curl on floor, he noticed that crystal changed- cracks inside it formed a clear shape of a flower.

'Just a bit more- do what I say and it will stop, I promise.'

Scarlet could only nod in reply.

Man told him to put hand on orb and channel chakra into it. In same time he sat down behind the boy, with one hand on his back. After a minute or two, Scarlet started to feel calming and soothing cold on his skin and pain getting less terrible with every breath.

'Ok, seal is almost gone and Seed closed back too, wheeee~' sound of relief in his voice made Scarlet ask.

'What exactly happened with.. all this? Or... what was going to happen? And why?'

'This need a lot more explaining but well... I did mistake because I didn't have all the informations about this thing. It supposed to be used by certain people after getting unlocked and awakened by Akiri but I missed the part saying that only person who awaken it will eb able to use it if it's not finished. And that... there's sort of security curse in case of not successfuly doing that. And I got to know it all after I tried to use it too... a bit late... and seems I can't really do anything else but reading message from it. Couldn't even touch it after getting that info... Anyway- it was said there that in such situation like this- failed master would die because of curse and Seed would get destroyed... probably with some bigger part of nearby scenery. Luckily- I got it in time. And just, you know... uhm... sorry for all that.'

Scarlet was staring at him with mouth opened a bit, feeling as if words of fast speaking man were hitting his head but not really comming through.

'Ooook... I don't get much of it.'

Man sighed, hearing that and messed his own hair with hand. Scarlet was still staring at him.

Is it really the same person as before?...

Fire-nin rubbed eyes with back of fingerless glove on hand.

'Let's start with... your name. Yeah, that will be good for now.'

'Oh, yeah, forgot to introduce myself- my name is Shiyo and from what I know- we are cousins.'

'Aha.' Scarlet replied, not fighting anymore with emptiness in his head. 'Okay... Shiyooo... you own me hella lot of explainings, dude. But- slowly...'

'Want some tea first?'

'YES.'

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