Hello! As I said in my profile, I was planning to write chapters for this story and 'The Phantom Heir'. My school has finally finished, so I should be able to update more frequently for the rest of the month. I do have a few classes during the week though, so I might be a bit busy, but I'll try my best!

Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed, as well as those who just read silently! Now on to the reviews!

Reviews:

AkaneShiro: I'm glad that you find it exciting! I hope you have enjoyed the story so far, and that you like this chapter as well!

BabyNightmareLady: Thanks for always reviewing! I'm glad that you like it, and don't worry, Akashi and Kuroko will end up together!

Erza B: Sorry for the confusion! Now that I look back on it, my sentence was kinda confusing. _ I meant that I didn't let them meet in in that chapter. In this chapter though, they will be meeting! As for the arcs, I was planning to have 3, although that may be extended to 4 if I decide to make the tournament a separate arc...

PandaTrash: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! The GOM and Akashi will be meeting with Kuroko in in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

Random . Girl: Yes don't worry! There is more! I'm glad you read my story!

Shiroshi.2: Sorry for keeping you hanging for so long! I hope you're still reading this story and that you enjoy the chapter!

Now then, on to the story!

The Shadow's Duty

...

Chapter VIII: Lost Friends & Broken Hearts

*~Rooftop, Gold Tier Academic Building~*

"Chiakicchi~ I'm tired." Kise whined for the umpteenth time. The group had finished their food a few minutes ago, and were now awaiting the arrival of Atsune and the girl's fiancé. However, it seemed like their resident blonde was getting bored already. At least, that was how it seemed. In reality, the only thing that was going through Kise's mind was to get his former captain was far away from the rooftop as possible. But the question was, how? Kise racked his brain for any possible solution to his current dilemma. Before he could come up with one however, the door to the rooftop creaked open, and everyone's eyes focused on the two at the door. Kise heard a sharp intake of breath that came from the direction of his former captain. There, standing by the door frame was an ashen hair colored and emerald eyed girl, with the Gold emblem on her uniform shining proudly in the sun.

The reason that everyone was startled, however, was the person standing next to the girl, with his teal hair being caressed by the breeze, and his normally blank eyes widened with shock.

"Tetsu?!" Aomine was the first to say what was all on their minds.

"'Tetsu'? Who's that? Could that be you Tetsuya?" Atsune inquired, turning her head towards the teal-haired male. In the background, a certain redhead began silently fuming at the way the girl had addressed his tealnette. The people around him, sensing the dangerous aura, slightly scooched away, praying that their former captain wouldn't quite literally burst into flames and attack the poor girl. Before anything could progress any further however, Chiaki quickly intervened, eliciting a quét sigh if relief from the rest if the GOM.

"Of course not Atsune, I'm sure that my friends just mistook Lord Kuroko here for someone else. Right guys?" Although her voice was cheerful and assuring, her side glare at the GOM told them the real meaning behind her last question.

"Yeah! Absolutely. Aominecchi here has reeeeaaally bad memory-su! Sorry about that Milord. He probably mistook you for our friend back home. You look a lot like him!" Kise spoke for the rest of the group, but he could feel the glare his former captain was giving him. Obviously the redhead still remembered Kise's teensy weensy lie about the 'Tetsuya' they heard about earlier that day not really being Kuroko Tetsuya, their friend. And now that the Atsune and Tetsuya, who the crowds had earlier claimed were the perfect couple, had appeared, and the 'Tetsuya' of that couple had turned out to be the Kuroko Tetsuya...well.

"Ah...It's no problem…." Kuroko looked at Kise expectantly, encouraging him to keep up the act. Kise, catching on, replied perhaps a bit too quickly.

"Kise."

"It's nice to meet you Sir Kise." Kuroko responded coolly, as if it truly was his first time meeting the overly-enthusiastic blond.

"And I you, Lord Kuroko." The tealnette seemed to flinch at the sound of his title. After that, the group's lunch passed by quite uneventfully, excluding the redheaded ex-captain's occasional subtle glares at the one and only Mayuzumi Atsune. Five minutes before the next class would start, Kise called out to the tealnette, effectively stopping the boy in his tracks.

"Yes, Sir Kise?" Kuroko and Atsune were both already at the door, and the blonde only smiled, before voicing his question.

"Would you mind staying back for a while Lord Kuroko? My friends and I would love to have the chance to talk to the student who aced the exam so easily." Kise instantly regretted his words once he felt the burning stares in his back, and was internally beating himself up. 'A chance to talk to the student that aced the exam? Are you an idiot Kise?!' Was what was most likely going through the minds of all his friends at the moment. But it was the best thing he could think of! Now just to see if it worked…

At that moment, he looked over towards Kuroko, only to see the male whisper something in Atsune's ear. Once he pulled away, he smiled at her, earning a slight blush from the silver-haired girl, who then made her way down the stairs quickly, but without losing any of her ladylike grace. Once the girl was out of sight, the tealnette made his way over to the group, and sat down with them, the atmosphere tense and heavy with unanswered questions. The silence was eventually broken by Chiaki's voice.

"Lord Kuroko right? I'm Takao Chiaki. I don't believe we've been formally introduced yet. I've heard a lot about you from Atsune." Chiaki smiled and extended her hand in greeting. Kuroko returned the gesture, which spurred Chiaki on, causing her to continue the conversation. "So, Lord Kuroko, what exactly are you doing here?" The world seemed to still as she asked that question. Silence draped over them for a few long seconds before the tealnette finally answered.

"I don't believe that I quite understand your question Lady Chiaki. The only reason the come to a school would be to study no?" Both the GOM and Chiaki were stunned by his response. Really? That was it? He left all of his friends without warning for something like that..? It broke the GOM's hearts, and it was at this point that their resident redhead seemed to have reached his limit in terms of patience.

"Cut the cr*p Tetsuya! You can't seriously expect us to believe that right? Can you honestly tell me that you would have just left all of your friends in Seirin, and all your friends that came here after you for something as trivial as just studying somewhere else? If so, then you truly aren't the person I thought you were." Before the tealnette even had a chance to respond, Akashi stood up, and with gritted teeth, clenched fists, and a broken heart, he ran off, leaving the rest of the GOM and Chiaki on the rooftop with Kuroko. The rest of the GOM quickly snapped out of their shock from Akashi's outburst, and chased after their friend, shooting worried glances at Kuroko before proceeding. As Midorima was the last to leave, Kuroko quickly grabbed the greenhead's arm, making the male turn around to face him, emerald orbs clashing with teal ones.

"Wha-Kuroko?! Now isn't the time nandayo! I need to go help the idiots find Akashi and-"

"Midorima-kun, I know this isn't the right time, and that none of you can really trust me right now, but please believe me when I tell you that I have something that I need to do here, and that all of you need to get home as soon as possible."

"...I'm sorry Kuroko, but I'm not sure I can believe you after what you said earlier. I think I'm speaking for all of us when I say that you hurt us all." Midorima's expression was one of hurt, his emerald orbs filled with sadness and disappointment, shocking Kuroko, loosening his grip on his friend's arm, allowing the greenhead to go back to finding his friend.

As the door to the rooftop door creaked shut once Midorima had left, Kuroko was left alone, the afternoon sun beginning to be covered by clouds that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Suddenly, the boy felt water on his cheeks, and said boy raised his hand to his face, only to find that he was crying. Before he knew it, the boy was on his knees, and began to laugh, but it was one made up of only pain and sadness, one that contained the boy's regrets for his words.

'What have I done…'

*~Schoolyard, Gold Tier Academic Building~*

While the rest of the school was in class, a certain redhead was in the school's resident forest, hidden from the rest of the world's prying eyes, as he tried to organize his thoughts.

'Why did I do that? It's Tetsuya's life isn't it? I shouldn't care about what he decides to do with it and yet…'

'Ah, poor Seijuro, oh my dear heartbroken Seijuro...'

The new voice in his head shocked Akashi, causing to open his previously closed eyes, seeing no one.

'Did you hear that you Rai?'

'No, Akashi. Did you hear something?'

'Then…'

'It was me brother. Don't tell me you forgot about me already.'

'Bokushi!...'

'That was a bit hurtful Seijuro, surely you would think that after 2 long years together you would have come up with a better way to call me. But, no matter. Since you have yet to come up with a name for me other than "Bokushi" I will have to decide on my own name. Hmm...how about Seiji? Yes, I quite like that name. From now on you shall call me Seiji, brother.'

'What are you doing here?'

'How rude Seijuro. Months of not even talking to each other and you want to get rid of me as quickly as possible? As for your question, aren't you the only one who knows the answer to that?'

'What? What do you mean Seiji?'

'You're the one that left an opening for me to talk to you just now. Obviously it must mean that you need me for something.'

'I don't need you for anything, leave!'

'Are you sure? You're obviously hurt Seijuro. I knew nothing good would come out of chasing after Tetsuya.'

'Stop acting like you know me Seiji! We may share a body, but nothing else.'

'No need to be so defensive brother. Everyone knows about your little crush on Tetsuya. But it seems like that affection wasn't reciprocated. After all, look at that Atsune girl was it? That smile he gave her earlier was beautiful wasn't it? He never looks at you like that anymore does he?'

'SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!'

'Come now brother, you simply must accept the truth, and move on.'

Before Seijuro realized it, tears began escaping his eyes, and he slumped to the ground next to a tree, surrounded by a field of teal irises.

'Ah, Seijuro, don't cry, it's okay, I can help you, don't worry. Just let me handle things alright? You don't have to worry anymore. Just rest. I'll take things from here.'

All of a sudden, the tears stopped, and the redhead's expression changed to one of a smirk. The redheaded male then stood up and stretched.

"Ah! It's been a quite a while since I've been able to move around like this." The boy's eyes opened to reveal one the color of the red of dawn, and the other the shade of gold. "Now then, I suppose I should be getting back to class.

As he left, he snapped his fingers, and suddenly, the field of irises was set aflame, and the beautiful flowers slowly wilted and turned black, before disappearing altogether, leaving behind nothing but a pile of ashes, which were soon blown away by the wind.

Writing this made me really sad! I almost cried! T^T I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully I'll be able to update 'The Phantom Heir' today and another chapter of this story tomorrow! See you all later!