18

That night the heavens cried in Kiri. A fitful rain pattered against the grave of Tsuna and Sanka. Only a handful attended the funeral of those two remarkable shinobis of Kiri — both dead by a single demon. An assassin who only goes by a single word Ghost. Mei was not one of them.

On a beautiful cliff covered with verdure stood somewhere within the village where many natives comes to gather wood or fruits. The view from that place is one of the most marvelous spectacles in the entire nation; the cliff was bare that night, and the wind had carried the rain far away. She drinks wine, eats beef, and is all alone as she gazes at the great river of Kiri.

Ghost appeared far behind her out of nowhere like the shadow of death. His eyes similar to twin orbs of darkness stare at her back for a long time...

Her face lit with a smile for some reason as she remembers their past; but her lips are curled in a peculiar way — as though about to say something. He looked closely at her as her smile fades away into an expression that can only be described as crying.

He stayed behind for as long as possible before he vanished into the thick mist as silently as he came. She cries the whole night, not sleeping even once before falling unconscious.

The next morning she awoke early and left without seeing anyone else. For the first time in ages, she went to Mizukage tower to meet the bane of her existence. Yagura Karatachi.

...

That night after returning home, Mei's face was a bit brimming with anger and despair, their killer is living in this house, with her, for an entire year. Her dream to be with him while living in an era of peace shattered to pieces when she found out who really killed Tsuna and Sanka. She stared at the ceiling thinking of all the ways she might kill this Ghost.

"What's the matter, why are you so angry, here, I was making tea for myself, you can have some if you're feeling cold", Raizel brought a cup of tea to Mei.

She turned around and directly brushed it with her hand and flipped the water cup out. The hot tea poured onto his face.

Crack!

The cup shattered and fell on Raizel's forehead...

Raizel's forehead got burned, it should have been extremely painful for an ordinary person, but to him, it didn't matter, his forehead was still red and swollen at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"I am sorry, I... I was thinking of something else and didn't see you there. Are you okay..?!"

He wipes his face with a dry cloth, "It's okay, It's just a scald, it will be fine in two days", Raizel said with a smile, "Don't be angry"

"Yeah!!!", She said with a forced smile as she calmed a bit... She can't do it, she can't let him figure her out, not now.

"That's good, Otherwise you will grow old sooner", Raizel turned and walked towards the bathroom, talking as he walked.

"You punk", she said, as Raizel entered the bathroom and close the door.

Seeing Raizel go into the bathroom, Mei could not help but put her smile down, "Why. Just why", She uttered. As Mizukage earlier said, Ghost needs to be taken down immediately. If this continues, the entire Kiri shall perish.

She turned around and left. Inside the bathroom, Raizel leaned on the bathroom wall sensing her presence and the emotions that she was feeling.

He stares at the walls with blank eyes, "Do not stand at my grave and weep, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow; I am the diamond glints on the snow. When you wake up in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and weep...", He then smiled sadly and looked back at the bathroom door...

"For a heart that lets nothing in and has nothing to give", He finished his poem and closed his eyes for a moment before leaving the bathroom.

...

After Mei went to sleep. Raizel knew that this would be his very last night here. Mizukage's men are around the house. Mei was awake too. Her men monitor his every action.

But how could they... There is no person alive in this world who could monitor him without him noticing. Making sure that his clone is in everyone's sight. He sits in front of the mirror, removing the fake skin, and the fake hair on his body, as he slowly disfigures his real face, placing scars all over his face with a knife making it irrecognizable.

It was painful but what he was about to do would be a hundred times worse.

After an hour or so, a hideous face, made of flesh and blood appeared in front of the mirror. He did the same with his body as he takes the highly poisonous pill that would damage his voice and change the color of his eyes.

After shaving his hair to make himself go bald. Raizel was ready for tomorrow. He put the makeup over once again.

...

The next day before departure, Terumi Mei proposed the idea of ​​going out for a walk.

Raizel smiled and nodded with a bit of a blush. She looked at him with complicated eyes. He held her hand through the entire walk. She let him do that. Because they both knew this would be the last time.

...

Along the way, both of them kept strangely silent and walked aimlessly on the street.

Although the streets are hustling and bustling, and people come and go, Mei and Raizel did not reply to anyone. They just kept walking...

Mei's hands were no longer as soft and smooth as they were in the past. These are the hands similar to his— the palms of a killer.

The two of them kept walking like this, making a circle around the entire Kiri and ending their journey on a cliff with a heavenly view. There they gazed at the vast ocean of water for a long time.

Before coming here he already sensed everyone around him. He is surrounded but didn't care. He just wanted to stay in this place as long as possible, saying nothing fearing that this moment will end once and for all.

Mei does not speak either. She just hold his hand tight, looking at the river, with complicated eyes...

He was ready for today. It was a farewell that could not be repeated as he worked hard to imprint Mei's appearance in his mind, the woman, he could never forget.

After a long silence, Terumi Mei finally spoke, "This is where Tsuna and I first met. This hill is the most beautiful place in the entire Kiri", She paused for a while then continued, "He always liked this place"

He looked into Mei's eyes.

"I don't understand", He said with a smile.

"I know who you are... Ghost of Konoha", She said with pain apparent, "You killed Tsuna and Sanka. I know..."

Raizel was startled and then just laughed frustratingly, "Damn. I thought I was exposed because you were acting weird but still hoped that I could use you further. Very well, It's time I let go of this character anyway"

He turned towards her with a mocking smile, "What do you want to hear princess? Yes, I had my orders, and I played my part"

"..."

"Charming and seducing a naïve girl like you was quite easy actually. I bedded far more difficult woman than you are. Ah, before I forget, I should thank you really, because of you I was able to enter Kiri with relative ease and accomplish my mission without raising much of an alarm"

She took a deep breath, he is right; he managed to enter Kiri and do so much is because of her, she was the one who was responsible for their death...

"Well, I was done with my job anyway, it was already my time to move on. And yes, I killed those pathetic guys called Tsuna and Sanka among a few others. Just like I was about to kill you too", He laughed mockingly while looking at her pitiful self. Disdain was apparent in his eyes.

She just closed her eyes and opened them soon enough...

She looked into his eyes and made her decision right there, as she came in front of surprised and stunned Raizel, her lips are close to his face, she just move her head a little, and his lips touched hers.

And after 5-second pin drop silence, he took her upper lip between his lips and she took his lower lip between her lips at that time. He closed his eyes. Chakra flared as she stabbed his guts.

He roughly separated her, as he vomited blood with a bloody jaw. The chakra-embedded knife has dug deep inside.

He stumbled a few steps back, only to have countless shadows coming and immediately putting him in chakra-sealing chains.

"Good Job", Mizukage came in smiling, as he stop by Mei's side.

She saw him dying. She did not shed any tears. Her lips were stained red and her heart was still beating hard in her chest.

Stabbed Raizel on the other hand was forced to kneel, his skin was torn, his hair taken off, the lenses off. His clothes were ripped apart.

What came in front shocked everyone, a body, and a face covered in scars all around making it near impossible to see beyond this horrible ugly thing.

"The marks are fresh", An Anbu said

Mizukage smirked, "You disfigured your face and body to this extent? I must say I am quite impressed by your tenacity", Mizukage turned around, "Kill him"

Arui Gobetsu, the head captain of Anbu stared at the man, "Why? He can give us a lot of information. It's our luck that such a character is in our hand"

"What if he escapes? We are talking about him after all"

"From our prison?", Arui Gobetsu smirked, "Is that even possible"

"Very well. Get him to prison then. Interrogate him. Do not, I repeat, do not get the chains off his body at any cost; increase the protection around the prison", Mizukage ordered

"Yes"