Standard disclaimer in effect.

My usual note: Flashback and thoughts are italicized (It is still applied on thoughts even though this is written solely on Raiha's POV). Conversations are separated in paragraphs, depending on the person talking.

Harooo~ I'm so sorry for being MIA for yeaaaarrrrsss. T_T Please don't hate on me because I'm back with the next installment!

Big thanks to Tin, januarylightsphere, Obsessed Dreamer, Clovergirl100, Mia Fitzpatrick, TuckingFypo, Grey Wolf4, Anne Raven, Scarlet7, Guest (I don't know if you just forgot to put in a name, but still… thank you), and Gamma Cavy for the reviews. :] Despite the lack in activity in the FoR section here in , I'm glad that there are still people reading Flame of Recca fics. :] You guys definitely made my day, and inspired my to write the second part of this short fic.

Anyway, here's Chapter 2 of Storm. Enjoy! :D


A loud cry pierced through the entire room.

"D-don't kill me.." I heard my opponent plead as he half ran, half dragged himself towards the door. At times like this, I would've just let my opponent escape, but I wasn't Kurei-sama's right-hand man for nothing.

I slowly raised my arm once again and called my Raijin to lend me its power.

I watched my opponent as my Raijin slowly electrocuted him until he was toasted. Just then, I felt my Raijin resonate and the door slowly opened.

"Raiha!" I heard a feminine voice called, and I felt my body tensed. "You really did come!" she added, dashing towards me.

Yes, I know that voice. That presence, it all seems familiar to me.

But… why?

Of all the routes to take, why did she have to take this one?

"It's like no matter where we are, we always seems to end up seeing each other!"

Gathering myself together, I turned to face her with a weak smile on my face. "So you really did come, Kirisawa Fuuko."

She must have expected me to go around jumping and yelling 'Fuuko-chama!' like I used to when she halted a few feet before me, her eyes full of questions.

I felt my Raijin resonate again, a common response to the presence of Fuujin. It's time, I told myself and I drew out my katana.

"H-hey.." I heard her cried, "Th-this is a joke, right Raiha?"

I wish it was. But…

"Why did you take this route, Fuuko?"

"STOP!" She pleaded, "You're my enemy.. But you've saved me so many times.. I don't want to fight you! I don't want it!"

I felt my grip on the katana tightened…

and my heart break into a million pieces.

..but I have to remind her and even myself that I am Kurei's ninja, and I will kill anyone who goes against him, be it Mori Kouran or…

Be it Kirisawa Fuuko.

I know I would regret this soon, but I have sworn my life for Kurei-sama's protection. Equipping myself with my Raijin, I have definitely decided to go along with destiny and fight the only person I have dedicated my life to, next to Kurei.

My eyes flew open as I heard a rap on the door.

"Uncle Raiha! Uncle Raiha!" it was Ryoichi, "Are you there?"

A smile crept up on my face as I opened the door for him, "Anything you need, young master?"

He scowled at me. "Stop with all the formalities," he demanded as he stomped his way inside my room. Running a hand through his hair, he turned to me and looked at me straight in the eye, "I am not my father. My father has been long gone. I hope that you stop treating me like him."

It would be an understatement to say that I was stunned by the young boy's words. At the age of eight, Ryoichi does talk like he holds the wisdom of a 20-year old man. As much as his words sounded like he resents his own father, the determined look in his eyes indicated otherwise. The little kid in front of me grew up in a peaceful world, where no evil demons such as Mori Kouran or the Tendou Jigoku exist anymore. All he ever wanted is to have a normal life as a boy, a life he knows his father never had.

My train of thoughts was suddenly put into a halt when I felt a tug on my shirt.

"Earth to Uncle Raiha!"

Looking at the pale tiny hand tugging my shirt, I noticed Ryoichi's purple eyes staring at me questioningly. Then all of a sudden, I found myself laughing at my own foolishness.

"I am really sorry, Ryoichi-chan," I said while I ruffled his hair, "you just reminded me a lot of your father."

"Naw," he denied, "I'm far more good-looking than my father." And he flashed me a fanged grin.

I felt myself laugh at Ryoichi's slight hint of arrogance and ruffled his hair once more. "Yes, you are."

The boy only stuck his tongue in reply. Ryoichi then turned around to take a good look at my room. A little while later, he flopped himself on my unmade bed.

"Why, Uncle Raiha? Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you listening to X Japan's Endless Rain!?"

"Eeehhh?"

"It's raining cats and dogs outside, yet you're locked up in your room listening to X Japan." I heard Ryoichi exclaimed as he paced towards the window. "That's so emo, you know!"

My eyebrows rose. "Emo?" Ryoichi nodded. "No, it's not. It's a rock metal band."

Ryoichi just smiled at me as he gestured towards the radio.

And then it hit me.

Days of joy, days of sadness slowly pass me by
As I try to hold you, you are vanishing before me
You're just an illusion...
When I'm awaken, my tears have dried in the sand of sleep
I'm a rose blooming in the desert

I turned my gaze back to the young boy and he shot me a knowing smile.

If only the law doesn't prohibit hitting kids, I would've strangled this kid and thrown him on the remote islands of Japan. For a boy his age, he knows too much. Way too much.

"Ne, Uncle Raiha," he called and I pasted another smile even though I know my left eyebrow is twitching, "are you busy right now? I've brought a friend home with me, and I was hoping you could play with us." Taking a glance at the raging storm outside, I realized I got nothing else to do, and I don't want him to think that I'm moping around, so I just nodded in agreement.

I later found myself being dragged to the young man's room, where another young boy, about a year younger than him, was waiting.

"Uncle Raiha, meet Raiu-chan!" Ryoichi said, as he gestured a hand from me towards the other boy, "Raiu-chan, meet Uncle Raiha, my father's best friend."

I was slightly taken a back when Raiu smiled. It sure does remind me of someone but I couldn't figure out who.

"Ne, Raiu-chan! Uncle Raiha here also knows a lot about swordsmanship and Mom said he's really good at it." I heard Ryoichi boasted.

"Ah, hontou desu ka?" Raiu glanced at me, "Uncle Raiha, can you please teach me how to use the sword?"

"Anou.." was all I could mutter. I shifted my gaze towards Ryoichi. Luckily, Ryoichi seems to have understood what I wanted to say but couldn't: Help!

"I think Uncle Raiha would prefer that you ask for your parents' consent first."

"But that is just so unfair! Okaa-chan always tells me that Ottou-chan was a really good swordsman, but Ottou-chan wouldn't want to teach me at all." I saw a pout formed on the younger boy's lips. It wasn't even a minute later when he suddenly blurted out, "Maybe I could ask Ottou-chan to spar with Uncle Raiha"

"Oh! That's a great idea! Aren't your parents coming to pick you up today?"

"Mn! Ottou-chan is coming with Hanabishi-sensei and their other friends."

Other friends? Could it be…?

I glanced at the younger boy once more. This time, I took a better look at his physical features. Pale complexion, silver hair and blue eyes.

Mikagami? Impossible. The Hokage were barely adults when I last saw them. Rasen? I highly doubt. The kid seems to be full of energy, there is just no way either of the two is Raiu's father. He must have been just one of Yanagi-san's colleague's child. Plus, silver hair is quite common these days.

Watching the two kids play reminded me of Kurei and I. Despite the fact that we had a completely different childhood compared to the kids before me, I could definitely see that the closeness they have amounts to the closeness between Kurei and me.

A loud crash of thunder disrupted my thoughts as Raiu screeched in surprise and ducked his head. A few seconds after, Raiu finally lifted his head, and flashed us a rather embarrassed look. Thinking that he was gonna cry, I braced myself, and started rummaging my brain for empty promises like about teaching this kid about swordsmanship or treating him to the nearest amusement in the city.

All of a sudden, a faint laugh filled the room.

"I'm sorry," said Raiu, "I'm not really the type who gets easily scared of lightning nor thunder." He shifted his gaze to the light storm outside, "in fact, I like it. I was named after it after all."

My eyebrows shot up. Raiu is written as kaminari and ame. Lightning and rain.

Raiu. Thunderstorm.

"But seriously, who would name their children after a weather disturbance?"

I was about to shove my foot into my mouth when I realized it wasn't me who said it, but Ryoichi.

However, Raiu didn't seem to have taken any offense from Ryoichi's sudden outburst, as Raiu only flashed a grin at us.

"I remember my mom and dad always say that storms happen due to a disturbance in the earth's atmosphere, and that the first signs of an upcoming storm are strong winds, thunder and lightning." Once again glancing at the light storm outside, he continued, "I was born in the middle of a very strong storm six years ago. My parents intended to combine their names since I am their first child, but they said that Raiu fits me better."

The past two hours were spent with me just watching over the kids as they play and talk about school, their friends and a little bit about martial arts.

From their endless chatter, I learned that both of them are attending the same school and are also enrolled in the same martial arts class. In addition, Raiu, being only 6 years old, is already in Grade 3 just like Ryoichi. Apparently, the kid's intellectual ability surpasses kids his age.

A rap on the door, once again, disrupted my thoughts as I saw Aki peaking her head in. "Raiha-san," she called, "our guests have arrived."

I felt my heart skipped a bit. When a book suddenly hit my head, and hearing and immediate 'sorry' from Ryoichi, I got up from my seat and motioned the kids to fix themselves up and head downstairs.

It's time, I thought to myself.

"Did the kids give you a hard time, Raiha-san?" I head Aki asked as we walked together around the mansion.

I pasted a smile on my face and shook my head in reply. "Iie, I think they're really adorable."

"Aa, Ryo-chan might look exactly like Kurei-sama but his attitude definitely came from Neon-oneesama"

"There is no denying on that one." And we both laughed. "I still can't believe none of you told me about Neon-san being pregnant 8 years ago!"

Aki chuckled even more. "Well that's because we thought you knew! Neon-onesama was pretty much pregnant when you left."

I felt my eyebrows rose. "Was she?" I stopped on my tracks to try recalling my last meeting with the rest of the Uruha before I set off to a different country. A few minutes later, I said, "Still no idea."

And I saw Aki do the anime drop. "Are you really serious, Raiha-san? Think! That day at the airport!"

I once again tried recalling back to that day when Neon and her sisters drove me to the airport to bid me farewell and good luck. Eventually, it all dawned into me and my eyes grew as big as saucers.

"You got to be kidding me. All this time, I thought Neon was just depressed at that time."

Aki shot the same surprised look back at me. "Why would she be depressed when she's pregnant with Kurei-sama's child? Being pregnant with Ryo-chan was all she ever wanted since Kurei-sama went back to the past."

"But she's fat!"

Aki's eyebrow twitched.

Oh shit. I wasn't planning on saying that aloud. I slowly and awkwardly distanced myself away from Aki, with high hopes of escaping. I may be Kurei-sama's right-hand man, but a woman's wrath is deadlier than all assassins combined.

"Y-you bastard," Aki said with clenched teeth, "you're lucky Neon-onesama isn't here right now or else she would have had your head cut off right now."

I found my palms raised in surrender, as I said, "Please calm down, Aki-san."

I might have looked like a complete idiot when all of a sudden Aki bursted out laughing. "You haven't changed one bit, Raiha-san."

I smiled at her and nodded with all enthusiasm. "Hn!"

We continued walking around the long corridors of the mansion when I suddenly remembered my encounter with Raiu earlier. "Has anyone of you met Raiu's parents yet?"

Aki shook her head. "Is there any problem with the kid?"

I jerked my head upwards and immediately said. "No, nothing! Hehe. It's just that I was taken aback with Raiu-chan earlier. He seems really smart for his age."

"Oh is he?"

I nodded.

"Well "This is the very first time Ryo-chan brought Raiu-chan home, actually. So you're the very first person to actually meet him, next to Ryo-chan, of course."

"I see," was all I could mutter.

I guess, I'll find the answer myself soon.


Author's Note/s: Ohohohoho~ I'm so sorry. I was supposed to end the entire fic with this chapter, but I also wanted to give Ryoichi a better introduction (though I think this chapter was more about Raiu than Ryo-chan). Besides, I'm loving the suspense in here. Bahahaha! XD *dodges tomatoes*

A quick Japanese lesson from a girl who has forgotten all her Japanese vocab and is now unable to make any decent Japanese conversation XD

Katana - sword

Kaminari – thunder/lightning

Ame - rain

Okaa-chan - mother

Ottou-chan - father

Hontou desu ka? – Is it true?/Really?

Anou – "Uhmm…"

Sensei - teacher

Anyways, the flashback part at the very beginning was taken from the manga (Vol. 30, Chapter 292). I purposely wrote that part for those who haven't read the manga at all, giving them a little bit of info about how the so-called "destined bout" between Raiha and Fuuko transpired.

Also, I've edited my notes at the end of the first chapter where I said this is not a RaiFuu fic. I mean, yes. This fic is Raiha-centric but we all know that there's a whole lot of scenes that calls for RaiFuu. As I've said in my edited note from last chapter, I might change my mind and make this a real RaiFuu fic. We'll see… *smirks*

I am also really sorry for the delay of this chapter. I have actually written this one 4 years ago, but I haven't really posted it because I wanted to finish the next chapter before uploading. Apparently, that didn't end up well. The next few chapters for R&B are also done, which should also be up as soon as I got over with my writer's block, and, also, get a free schedule full of inspiration to write.

Next chapter: Raiha finally meets the Hokage after eight long years. What could possibly happen?

Tell what you guys think! Go on, fill that box below with a review and show me some love. *wink wink*