บท 585: Freeing Anko from Orochimaru's Grasp
Earth Land ,Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
May 27, x788.
"So, I just left him with the Hokage in his office." Alfonzo said, wrapping up the retelling of his encounter with Orochimaru.
Currently, Alfonzo, Saeko, and Miyuki were gathered in the temporary residence's living room. Meanwhile, Laki was on her way back to the house, as well. Wendy and Carla, on the other hand, were at the hospital for Wendy's shift.
As for the reason why Laki was on her way back to the house, it was quite simple. Kakashi, after getting news that his Genin had completed the second part of the exam, had to rush to the Forest of Death, or rather to the tower in the center of the Forest of Death to congratulate them. So, Laki ended up being left all alone.
Despite that, Alfonzo, Laki, and Saeko all had Kabuto within their range of [Magic Power Detection]. So, no matter what he did, they would be aware of his movements. Even Wendy, who was focused on giving treatment at the hospital, had a small part of her attention on Kabuto, as well.
"I can't believe those kids were able to do that well against Orochimaru." Saeko said with a measure of pride in her tone. "and to think Sasuke is already using the [Flying Heaven's Sword-Style] so proficiently. I might have to teach him even more soon."
"I don't' think you should." Alfonzo said while shaking his head gently. "He needs to have his pride completely broken first. Otherwise, he'll let it go to his head."
"You're probably right." Saeko said after thinking about what Alfonzo had to say for a while.
"Master Alfonzo, it's almost time for lunch." Miyuki said after there was a lull in the conversation. "Do you think we should start preparing?"
"Yeah, probably." Alfonzo said as he looked towards the direction of the Hokage Tower. "Besides, I think we'll be having a guest this afternoon."
"We will?" Saeko asked in a curious tone. "Who? The Hokage?"
"Nah, he's probably too concerned with trying to get information out of Orochimaru's [Clone]." Alfonzo replied with a smile. "It's Anko. She probably has the idea that I may be able to get rid of that [Curse Seal] on her neck after I mentioned it casually while I was in the Hokage's office."
"*Sigh* If you do, there will be another one throwing herself at you." Saeko said while shaking her head and smiling wryly.
"You know, Bedlam said the same thing." Alfonzo said with a smile.
"Well, it's kinda obvious, isn't it?" Saeko asked. "I mean, you'd basically be saving her life, right? I know that had a big impact on how I fell for you, too."
"Well, I guess there's a reason why the damsel in distress trope is so common in stories, huh?" Alfonzo said as he stood up from the couch. Then, he started walking towards the kitchen as he continued. "Anyway, let's get started on Lunch, Miyuki. I'll make enough for Wendy and Carla, too. Then, I'll ask one of you to take it to them at the hospital."
"Yes, Master Alfonzo." Miyuki replied with a polite bow before she followed Alfonzo into the kitchen.
Shortly after Alfonzo and Miyuki disappeared into the kitchen, Laki returned. And although it was not evident, anyone who knew her well enough could tell that she was not happy about having her time with Kakashi interrupted.
Then, shortly before Alfonzo and Miyuki were finished cooking, Anko arrived and knocked on the door.
"Oh, good afternoon, Anko." Saeko said with a smile as she opened the front door. "Alfonzo said that we should be expecting you to show up. And you're just in time, lunch should be ready any minute now."
Hearing that last part, Anko's eyes lit up like torch lights. It had been a long time since she had Alfonzo's cooking. And to say that she was missing it would be an understatement.
Like that, Anko joined Alfonzo, Laki, Saeko, and Miyuki for lunch. Then, as soon as the meal ended, Laki and Saeko left the house. And there were two reasons for that. First, they headed to the hospital to deliver lunch to Wendy and Carla. And second, it would be easier to intercept Kabuto if they were out and about, lurking close to where Kabuto was doing whatever it was that he was doing.
Meanwhile, Anko was sitting in the residence's living room with Alfonzo, where Miyuki had just served some after-meal tea.
"So, I can guess why you're here, Anko." Alfonzo said after taking a sip of his tea. "but just for shits and giggles, why don't you tell me anyway."
Smiling at Alfonzo's choice of words, Anko also took a sip of her tea. Then, she set the teacup down on the saucer.
"You know, the more time I spend around you, the more I can understand why Yoruichi fell for you so hard." Anko said casually. "The fact that you're so unrestrained in both your words and actions is like a breath of fresh air."
"Well, that's just what happens when you grow up in Fairy Tail." Alfonzo replied with a shrug.
"I guess so." Anko replied with a smile. Then, she raised her hand to the side of her neck and pressed the spot where the [Cursed Seal of Heaven] was located as her expression turned solemn and she continued to speak. "Anyway, to answer your question, I was wondering if you could do anything about this [Curse Seal]. I mean, I never even told you about it, yet you knew it was there. You even know that Orochimaru was the one that put it there."
In fact, even if Alfonzo did not have the meta knowledge from his past life, Alfonzo would have been able to identify the [Cursed Seal of Heaven] and the one who placed it thanks to his [magic Power Detection]. He would not have known what it was called, though. Even so, after all the training he did with sigils, the research he did into the soul, and all the knowledge about the [Sealing Arts] he had absorbed, he was close to sure that he could remove it.
"Honestly, I don't have one hundred percent certainty that I can get rid of that thing." Alfonzo replied in just as solemn a tone as Anko. "but I'm willing to take a look at it. And if I do that, I can guarantee that you won't be hurt, at the very least."
"Not a hundred percent." Anko muttered, picking up on the crux of what Alfonzo said. "That should mean that you at least have a level of confidence that you could get rid of it, right?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't give you a number until I actually take a look." Alfonzo replied with a nod.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Anko said as she stood up quickly.
In response, Alfonzo only looked at her dumbfoundedly. He could not understand why Anko trusted him so much. Other than that month he spent at Mermaid Heel, they had only met less than a handful of times. And that should have, in no way, been enough to foster such trust.
"I know what you're thinking." Anko said with a somewhat gentle smile. "And you're right, I really shouldn't trust you so much. But since Yoruichi, my best friend, trusted you so much, then I decided that I will, too."
Shaking his head, Alfonzo still didn't think that was enough. Still, since Anko gave him her trust, he decided he would live up to it the best he could. So, he, too, stood up. Then, he started walking towards the living room's exit.
"Alright, then, let's go." Alfonzo said as he strode out of the living room. "Miyuki, I'll be putting up a silencing barrier in the room I'm working in. So, I won't be able to hear anything going on outside. I'll need absolute concentration for this."
"I understand." Miyuki replied with a bow. "I won't let anyone enter that room until you give the order."
Nodding his head at his personal maid's quick wittedness, Alfonzo led Anko to the room he was using as his makeshift work shop. Then, upon entry, he cleared off the workbench and covered it with a sheet he picked up along the way. At the same time, he created the silencing barrier by covering the walls, floor, and ceiling with metal etched with sigils.
"Okay, I'll need you to get naked from the waist up." Alfonzo said.
Before he could speak any further, Anko started undressing immediately, clearly unbothered by the fact that Alfonzo would see her naked, leaving Alfonzo dumbfounded once again.
Quickly turning around, Alfonzo pointed at the workbench.
"When you're ready, lay down face first." Alfonzo said.
"Aww~, are you embarrassed?" Anko asked in a teasing, sing-song tone. "To think a modern day harem king would be embarrassed about seeing a half-naked woman."
Hardly." Alfonzo replied, his voice not shaking in the slightest. "but you're neither my fiancée, my girl, my woman, or my wife. So, I'm not gonna take advantage of the situation to sneak a peek."
Knowing that Alfonzo would react that way, Anko respected his conviction to his own principles. Still, she was a little disappointed that he did not lose himself at the thought of seeing her body. She was rather confident in her looks and figure, after all.
"Tch! You're no fun." Anko said grumpily as she finished undressing the upper half of her body.
Then, without trying to tempt Alfonzo any further, she walked towards the work bench, climbed on top, and lay down, face first.
"Okay, I'm ready." Anko said while lying down with her arms folded under her head.
""Alright." Alfonzo replied as he turned around.
Seeing that Anko was lying down obediently, Alfonzo strode towards the work bench. When he arrived, the tip of his right index finger was glowing with the light of his magic power. Then, he pressed it on the center of the [Cursed Seal of Heaven], which took the shape of three tomoe positioned to make a triskelion,
Immediately after Alfonzo pressed the center of the [Seal], it unfolded, covering all of Anko's neck and most of her back and chest. And despite not being able to see the portion of the seal on the front of Anko's body, Alfonzo could sense it just fine with [Magic Power Detection].
"Damn, this Orochimaru is a really piece of shit." Alfonzo spat in disdain. "Just on the surface, I can see at least nineteen nodes in this [Seal] that would have killed you if they had been even a little off."
"What?" Anko shouted in a combination of anger and disbelief. "Nineteen? Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Nope, not at all." Alfonzo replied. "Honestly, I don't' even know if I can call this a [Seal]. I mean, there's little to no technique. It's more like he just mixed and matched until something worked."
At that moment, Anko remembered that she was only one of many that Orochimaru tried to put this [Seal] on. However, she was the only one who survived. After that, Orochimaru basically threw her away, as if he had gotten everything he could out of her.
Just that memory made Anko grit her teeth. However, she was brought out of her recollections when Alfonzo spoke once again.
"The good news is that I have about ninety percent certainty that I can remove this thing." Alfonzo said in a serious tone. "And the better news is that even if I fail, it won't affect your well-being at all."
Hearing that, Anko knew that she had made the right decision. Even Jiraiya, who was considered to be a [Seal] Master, did not want to mess with the [Seal] on her neck in fear of killing her should something go wrong.
"Then, like I said before, what are we waiting for.?" Anko asked in a clearly more positive tone than before. "Regardless of whether you can remove it or not, I'm gonna give that Orochimaru [Clone] at least a thousand times the pain I've had to live with for the past twelve years."
Smiling momentarily, Alfonzo switched his expression into a serious one as he got to work. First, using his [Metal Magic], he fastened Anko to the work bench with anti-magic restraints, just in cased her magic power activated instinctively. After that, using the knowledge about the human body he learned from Porlyusica and several precisely placed needles, he numbed Anko's pain receptors.
Once all the preparations were made, Alfonzo finally started removing the [Cursed Seal of Heaven]. And over the next three hours, he worked diligently. He even unsealed Riot and Bedlam for a good part of the procedure. That way, while he was overwhelming the magic power Orochimaru left in the [Seal], his [Armament Spirits] would be able to destroy the piece of Orochimaru's soul that was present within the [Seal], as well.
As a matter of fact, Anko's version of the [Cursed Seal of Heaven] was an incomplete version, as it did not have the ability to strengthen the one it was placed on. However, it did have the primary function that Orochimaru intended for it to have. And that was a piece of his soul. That way, he would be able to resurrect himself should he die at some point. On top of that, the [Cursed Seal of Heaven] was a necessary component for his body swapping technique, as well.
After three hours passed, Alfonzo, who was covered in sweat, not from over exertion, but from mental fatigue, finally retracted his magic power, resealing Riot and Bedlam, and dispelling the restraints holding Anko in place, as well as the needles he created to numb her pain receptors. Then, he took a few steps backwards before creating a metal chair behind him and flopping down tiredly.
"*Sigh* I'm finally done." Alfonzo said in an exhausted tone.
Hearing that, Anko immediately stood up from the work bench. Not bothering to get dressed, she started moving her body. And after a few minutes, she realized there was no pain when she moved. On top of that, she could no longer feel that unpleasant magic power that she had been living with for twelve years.
So, after confirming that Alfonzo had indeed removed the [Curse Seal], she smiled so brightly that she could give the sun a run for its money. Then, she flung herself at Alfonzo, knocking him and the chair to the floor, and wrapped him in a tight hug as she buried her face in the side of his neck.
For the next few moments, Anko stayed silent. However, Alfonzo could feel her body, that was pressed against his, trembling. On top of that, he could feel the skin on the side of his neck getting wet. Then, with a gentle smile on his face, he raised his right hand and gently patted her back to help calm her down.
"It's okay." Alfonzo said in a soothing tone. "Now you're free."
With Alfonzo's caring tone, Anko could no longer hold back, as she cried loudly, letting out all the negativity that had piled up over the years.
Eventually, after crying for nearly five minutes, Anko's tears finally dried up. Then, she spoke quietly without raising her head from Alfonzo's neck.
"Alfonzo, thank you…" Anko said with her voice trembling with emotion. "Seriously, thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me."
Instead of responding verbally, Alfonzo just continued to smile while patting Anko's back. And they would stay in that position for a while longer, at least until Anko had control of her emotions again.
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