Welcome brave reader!
Just a few things to know...
This writing project is actually a spin-off from my main one. Since it's taking me forever to complete that one, I'm releasing this one first.
This will have three part, focusing on Kiba's dad and how he was there all along until Tsume "scared him away."
Going to use the name Shippo for Kiba's dad since there isn't an official fandom name and saw it used in another story I enjoyed.
Tsume.
To Inuzuka Shippo, this name alone was capable of invoking such great love and hate. Shaking his head, he tried to fight down the memory of the feral woman attached to it, but he was helpless against the flashes of teasing eyes, wild brown hair, pointed fangs, and red tattoos.
Shippo chose to ignore the pitied look he got from the large white wolf beside him. Instead, he focused on the campfire before him. With more force than necessary, he poked at it, sending sparks of ember flying upwards.
'I wonder what the bitch is doing right now…'
Try as he might, he couldn't remember a time where Tsume did not matter to him.
"Moro. What do I do?"
The wolf in question laid a paw on his knee; the tips of her claw prickled his skin. 'Grieve for now.'
He frowned. "Inuzukas don't cry."
Moro rolled her eyes. 'Shouldn't cry easily,' she corrected.
Shippo rose to his feet, dusting dirt off his white fur cape. "Forget her. I don't care anymore."
'And yet, why do I smell salt on your face?'
"Enough." Giving Moro a dark look, he bore his fangs at her. "Don't follow me."
Walking away, he continued until he found himself by the edge of the river. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension build as his anger did.
'She didn't deserve me. Thirty years… For thirty years, I loved the bitch. I didn't run away. She left me no choice.'
He pushed back his unruly hair from his face. "Kami, I hate her," he yelled. Even without his keen hearing skills, he knew how weak and untrue his words sounded.
He turned to the river, catching his reflection and prompting him to trace the edges of the red triangular tattoos on his face. His fingers lingered over the one on his forehead. 'Should have made Kiba get this one too, just to piss her off.'
Shippo shook his head, 'No, he would only stand out more in a clan that already gets too much attention. He needs to blend in…somewhat.'
His forehead tattoo was a physical reminder that while he was an Inuzuka, his loyalties were not to the village. It was often said an Inuzuka with no ties to a settlement was equivalent to a pack of raiding wild dogs.
'I never belonged there. Maybe I was just playing…human…?'
Shippo felt the fight go out of him. 'Grieve, eh?'
As if on cue, Moro's howl pierced the night sky. Hauntingly alone. Her sorrow was palpable.
'Gomen, Moro. I've been acting as if you didn't leave people you love behind too.'
Chills raced down his arms when slowly one by one new howlers joined Moro in her grieving.
'The pack is responding to her distress...'
Despite his own inner turmoil, a faint smile graced his lips as Moro's howls were encouraged. It soon became difficult to distinguish her howls from the others.
Drawn by the comfort of the pack, a gut-wrenching moan tore through Shippo's chest, acknowledging the severed ties to his own pack in Konoha.
When Tsume was one and Shippo was five years old, he found himself unimpressed with the sight of her.
For such a small thing, she was often passed like an explosive tag amongst her relatives when their patience had run thin with her constant touching, chewing, and hollering.
Shippo's eyes widened when one of Tsume's older brothers dropped her unceremoniously on his lap.
"Hey, watch her for a second. I gotta stop the twins—Oh give me a fuckin' break! MABUTA! MATSUGE!" Atama yelled, his face flushed with anger. His red facial tattoos were almost indistinguishable.
He watched as Atama struggled to keep the two eight-year-old boys from shedding any blood and their dogs from snapping any major tendons. "Cut it out! NO! NOT LITERALLY. Kinnomaru! Kiiromaru! HEEL!"
Shippo shook his head, grinning nonetheless. These fights were nothing compared to the ones back at home. His Konoha clansmen were such puppies. Not that this stopped him and his wolf pup Moro, who was resting on the top of his head, from enjoying the chaos.
He laughed when Atama punched Matsuge on the side of his face and continued his attack, flinging Mabuta across the yard with Kinnomaru whimpering after him.
Pat. Pat.
Startled, he tilted his head down just in time for a small hand to hit his mouth.
He frowned at the babbling girl in his arms. Her slit-like brown eyes stared at him intently, mischievous even.
In an attempt to scare her, he snapped his growing fangs at her. Shippo was rewarded with two more slaps and squeals of delight.
"Stop that!"
Tsume only smiled at him, her hands reaching up to grasp and yank his necklace. Without her tattoos, she looked normal. He would have said civilian-harmless until he saw a tiny flash of white by her gums. Curious, he grabbed her chin with his free hand and forced her mouth open.
"Ah, so you are one of us," he teased. Her fangs were coming in. He let go and slipped a finger inside to touch the little pointy tips.
"They're so small…" he said before the biggest mistake of his young life occurred.
Shippo learned very early that Tsume was not all bark and no bite.
It was the faint smell of blood and not his cry (which happened often in the Inuzuka compound) that drew everyone to them.
One of his cousins managed to yank Tsume from his finger and his lap, while poor Moro whined from her fall onto the ground.
His mother knelt before him, examining his bleeding finger. "Shippo. You know how I feel about tears. Inuzukas shouldn't cry easily," she reminded him firmly.
Shippo bit his bottom lip, willing the tears at bay. "H-Hai!"
She smiled at his attempt, chuckling at how bright his eyes grew. "She got you good, ne?"
He nodded stiffly, embarrassed.
She licked the blood off his finger tenderly and then re-examined the wound. "No stitches, but I believe this will give you your first scar."
Scanning the crowd for the culprit, Shippo found her watching him again. At his scowl, she giggled and stretched out her arms to him, as if asking him to carry her again.
He clenched his non-injured hand into a tight fist.
Without a doubt, he absolutely hated her.
When Tsume was eight and Shippo was thirteen years old, he was forced to be a part of the welcoming committee for her and her family during their diplomatic visit to his home.
This was her first time out of Konoha and she was blown away by how different her fellow Inuzukas were beyond the walls.
The two obvious differences were the extra red triangle tattoo on their foreheads and their massive canine companions. The dogs at home rarely grew large enough to ride.
Tsume also couldn't believe the amount of terrain they had access to since there weren't any competing clans and boundaries to avoid. There were countless of trails to explore.
"You've got to take me running out there," she begged. Her dogs Burakkumaru and Kuromaru barked eagerly at the idea.
He smirked. "I would, but it's too dangerous for a house-trained puppy like you."
Placing her hands on her hips, Tsume raised a brow at him. "Is that what you really think of me?"
Shippo shrugged. "Pretty sure you wouldn't last one night in the forest."
In retrospect, he should have known something was up when she merely smiled at him. Yet, he didn't. It wasn't until Moro woke him up in the middle of the night that he felt something was wrong.
His heart quickened when he got a whiff of her scent heading away from the complex.
"Shit! Moro, we have to hurry."
Without a second to lose and a burst of chakra, they sprinted off. They didn't stop until they reached the clearing, surrounded by Tsume's scent.
"Kami, did she hug every tree here or something?" he yelled. He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds and then exhaling it. His eyes widened by the faint aroma underneath it all. He was surprised he almost missed it.
'So, you smell it too?' Moro's lips curled upwards, incisors fully exposed. Shippo took note of how her fur bristled.
"It's after Tsume."
'We haven't much time. Since it's a full moon tonight, the pack will not be able to help us.'
His eyes took in the scratch marks on the trees, the snapped branches, crushed leaves, and prints on the ground. "She did it on purpose," he reasoned. "Her scent goes further into the forest in three directions. She probably split up from her dogs."
'Making her more vulnerable.'
"Let's go!"
When the duo finally found her, it wasn't the scene they were quite expecting. Shippo had hoped to find her hiding within the crook of a tree, alive and extremely grateful. Not like this. Not clinging onto a kunai lodged into the back of a tiger triple her size.
Shippo's felt his breath hitch as Tsume narrowly missed the sharp swipe the tiger made, desperate to get her off in chunks if necessary.
Without realizing it, his body was already charging forward, Moro's barks ignored.
He didn't have a plan. He didn't need one.
The loud drumming of her fanatic heartbeat, the smell of her fear, and sight of her slipping grip on her kunai was all the information he needed.
"Tsume, let go!" He yelled as he closed the distance between him and the rabid feline.
Recognizing his voice, Tsume gave a pained smile, relief flowing off her body in waves. When she did, Shippo's fist made contact with the tiger's jaw, sending it crashing into the nearest tree trunk. The animal went still.
Knowing this bought them some time, he teleported beside her.
"Can you walk?"
"I think I sprained my ankle," she gritted her teeth when she tried to move it.
"It can't be helped then." In a single motion, he lifted and placed her on his wolf. "Moro will carry you."
Suddenly, Moro started growling threateningly.
Shippo and Tsume stiffened as the tiger got back on its paws. Its body language – ears erect, teeth bared, tail straight out, and claws fully extended – did little to hide its fury. The air grew heavy with its killing intent. The tiger's yellow eyes glowed almost supernaturally in the night, gaze locked on the Inuzukas.
"Damn cat," she whispered. "What do we do? We can't outrun it. I tried."
Shippo cursed his current strength. If he was lucky, he can hold it off, giving Moro time to escape with Tsume.
Shippo kept his eyes focused on the slowly creeping tiger, which paused when Tsume's dogs burst from bushes on opposite sides, growling warningly.
Tsume cast the Inuzuka boy a concerned glance. "This betters our chances, but it won't be enough, right?"
Shippo gave a curt nod but remained silent. He was only sure of one thing: Tsume and her dogs would make it home. He would not shame his family.
He stepped forward, hands already positioned in a sign formation.
"Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique!"
Engulfed by his chakra, Shippo felt his body adjust to the jutsu. He didn't need a mirror to know how he physically resembled his canine ancestors. Feral. Untamable. He ran a tongue down his newly enlarged pointy teeth, his claw-like nails itching to tear into something. Slowly, he got on all fours.
"Moro. Get them out of here." Even his voice felt different, coarser.
Before his wolf could even turn to flee, Tsume jumped off, hissing when her ankle came into contact with the ground. She limped closer to him, unwavering determination in her narrow eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. I still have my arms to fight."
Shippo watched as the tiger advanced forward, ignoring Kuromaru and Burrakumaru's barks. They were still too small to be a real threat.
"I mean it, Tsume. GET LOST!"
He could see the tiger's muscles begin to coil. 'It's about to charge forward.'
"Tsu…" he pleaded.
Ignoring him, she copied his stance.
Shippo only had time to throw himself in front of her when he saw the tiger spring forward, claws out.
However, the tiger never reached them, frozen in place by the sudden howls and presence of white wolves.
Moro's tail wagged excitedly, while Shippo and Tsume stared awestruck as the Pack appeared all around them.
More than ten wolves as tall as horses circled the hissing tiger. With its ears flat against its head, tail tucked, and darting eyes, the tiger didn't look even half as threatening as it before it lost its advantage. A wolf's strength alone paled in comparison to the full strength of its pack.
Shippo wasn't surprised when the tiger finally understood its predicament and ran away, with five wolves at its heels.
He released the jutsu and bowed reverently when the Pack's leader moved to stand before him. "Thank you, Alpha-sama."
The wolf's golden eyes turned to the younger Inuzuka beside him. Shippo rested a hand on her shoulder. "She says you're foolishly brave."
Tsume beamed at the compliment. "Thank you. I hope my mother feels the same way when she finds out about this."
In response, the Alpha wolf nuzzled Tsume's cheek. Shippo watched as the girl smiled, running her fingers through the soft white fur.
"She says you remind her of one of her pups. She hopes to see you again if your mother doesn't kill you."
Tsume's smile crumbled, her skin ashen.
The two Inuzukas and their dogs watched as the Pack retreated back into the shadows of the forest. Silently, he lifted Tsume onto his back and headed in the direction of the village. Their companions followed behind, Moro keeping the two black ninken dogs in line.
After a few minutes of silence, Shippo murmured, "What you did was pretty reckless…?"
"I know."
"But…"
"But…?" she echoed.
"You have my respect...for a puppy."
She flicked his ear. "I won't be a puppy forever."
He nodded, "I believe it. Kami, you're heavier than you look."
A twist of his ear was her spirited reply.
When Tsume was fifteen and Shippo was nineteen years old, he found himself staring at her more often than he liked one evening.
The two Inuzuka clans had come together to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the birth of their founding mother, San. Legend had it that wolves raised her since infancy. Taught in their ways, she grew to hate humans, despite being one, for their cruelty and exploitation of nature. However, after a fateful encounter with a Prince, together they created a peace that put an end to the struggles between the villagers and the forest inhabitants. Eventually, San and the Prince became lovers, but she still chose to remain in the forest. Their first child marked the beginning of the Inuzukas. Decades later, when the Inuzukas were great in number, a portion of them decided they wished to dwell among other humans and followed Hashirama Senju to Konoha.
Unlike in other clans, this division did not create tension amongst its members. An Inuzuka was to love, fight for (and even with…), and support another Inuzuka unconditionally. It was their first and most important law. For this reason, there were few discords among the Inuzukas.
Shippo prided himself in being in the direct lineage of San through his mother. She currently led the Inuzukas of the forest, while Tsume's mother, Tsumasaki, took charge of the ones in Konoha. Rumors were already circulating that a marriage proposal between him and Mimi, her eldest daughter, would happen soon.
He frowned. While it was true he was of marrying age, he wasn't too thrilled at the idea. While Mimi was no exception to the Inuzuka name, she lacked something he needed in a mate. He needed someone with a hint of…savagery.
Someone with a sharp tongue and claws when words were not enough. Shippo was looking for someone with an absolute zeal for life and he knew Mimi would eventually bore him. She just wasn't his San.
His brown eyes glanced at Tsume again. It surprised him how much she changed since the last time he saw her.
'Not a drop of baby fat on her.'
At fifteen, Tsume was becoming a rare beauty despite her rolled-down-a-hill-and-survived appearance. There was rarely a time when she wasn't covered in dirt or had leaves in her untidy hair.
He watched as she got up to help feed the dogs. The smug black tank top and tiny shorts she wore did little to cover up the fact that she was now a Kunoichi. With her long, lithe, and toned limbs, she was a weapon in itself.
'You're beginning to attract observers.'
Shippo smiled sheepishly at Moro.
'Are you attracted to her?' The wolf wagged her tail playfully.
He felt his face grow warm when a glaring Tsume suddenly appeared before him, preventing him from answering.
"Hey pervert, quit checking me out."
"Ah…I…"
She tapped her nose. "Don't even try to deny it. I can smell the surge in testosterone in you. Stop it before people get the wrong idea. Last thing I need is more gossip."
Shippo's face grew redder as her full lips smirked at him.
"Here, Moro. Brought you some food," she said, placing the plate down before the amused wolf.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dance."
Shippo frowned at the sway of her hips as she walked away from him. 'She definitely did that on purpose.'
He jumped to his feet, watching Tsume as she joined the dancing group of Inuzukas. He smiled at the sight before him. There truly were no better partyers than his people. It made sense considering how Inuzukas were comfortable in their own skin, unashamed and unaffected by what others thought of them. They knew how to maximize life's moments and without a doubt, Tsume did it best.
He crossed his arms, watching as Tsume gracefully danced with one of his nephews. She looked…amazing. And he wasn't the only one who thought so. Many of the clan members had made a circle around her, cheering and edging her performance on.
Ignoring his nerves, he made his way to her, extending a hand to her. Tsume stopped to stare at him uncertainly, trying to gauge his behavior.
"I'm a great dancer," he yelled above the music.
She gave him another suspicious look, but slowly placed her hand in his. Shippo felt his insides constrict from the contact, reveling in her soft skin.
"You're doing it again," she growled. Changing her mind, she tried to break free from his strong grasp.
"Just try to keep up," he taunted as he spun her, catching her against his frame.
"Fine!" She barked at him, but Shippo saw her lips twitch, a telltale sign that she had fought off a smile.
As they moved to the tempo together, he noticed how relaxed she became despite how physically close they were.
Tsume laughed when he lifted her off the ground by her waist, twirling her. As he finally put her back down, she grinned feverishly at him. "You weren't kidding!"
"I rarely do."
Shippo heard the roar of his heartbeat when she let the music guide her closer to him, grinding her body against his.
He swore when the men around him howled, grinning slyly. Atama and the twins were the only ones who gave him pitied looks.
'Kami help me.'
He stepped back from her, his breathing labored.
At the new distance between them, Tsume frowned. "Why did you stop? Are you okay? You look…off."
Embarrassed by her effect on him, Shippo reach out and cupped her face between his hands.
She went still, her face hot. Shippo hoped it was from his touch and not just the dancing.
"Your fault," he snarled before he kissed her.
His lips curved against her surprisingly soft ones when she didn't recoil immediately. He was able to open his eyes and pull away to see her stunned expression just before it turned into murderous one. Then she swung her fist. With chakra.
Despite his sprawled-out position on the ground, Shippo couldn't help but be proud. She definitely broke his jaw. The lower half of his face was already numb.
"You son of a bitch! I hope it was worth it."
He sat up, holding the side of his face. His heart skipped a beat at the rabid sight Tsume made. Her brown eyes were glowing, almost begging him to give her a reason to claw his lips out.
Any sane man would have played dead.
Shippo did not. In fact, he gave her a thumbs-up since speaking was impossible at the moment.
They locked eyes for a long moment, but Tsume lunged forward. By the flare of her nostrils, he knew Tsume also got the message that he planned to do it again once he was healed.
Luckily for Shippo, she was blocked by Mimi.
"The next time you put your lips on me again, I'll rip them off and feed them to my dogs. Then after they shit them out, I'll force feed them to you."
With her back held straight by pride, she stormed away from the crowd.
Shippo said nothing as Atama helped him up and handed him a bag of ice.
"I wouldn't. She'll do it," Atama warned him.
Shippo locked eyes with him, his expression softening when a realization occurred to him. 'He has…her eyes.'
"Shit. You're royally screwed."
He tilted his hand in question, causing Atama to grip his shoulder in comfort.
"She broke your jaw... and yet you're smiling."
'...Well...fuck.'
When Tsume was eighteen and Shippo was twenty-three years old, he stood beside her when Mimi demanded her birthright.
Tonight, Tsume's parents had gathered everyone together in order to coronate the upcoming Inuzuka heir as part of their matriarchic tradition.
Yet, for the first time in Inuzuka history, the cycle hit a road bump. Tsumasaki had three daughters: Mimi, Tsume, and Mayu. Born in that order.
The clan had believed for years that Mimi would follow her mother and had called her their Mistress-in-training. This changed when Tsume learned to draw chakra to her nose at the age of three, making her a prodigy amongst her generation. As the girls grew under the scrutiny of their elders, it was eventually decided that Tsume's dominance was greater.
However, there were still a few who remained unconvinced that Tsume was the right choice. They argued Mimi was less frightening to approach and quicker to cool down than the two. Despite this, no one said anything when Tsumasaki took Tsume under her claws, teaching her what it meant to be the Alpha Bitch and how to exercise her power justly and efficiently. Everyone had thought all was well since the two sisters remained as close as ever.
That was until Mimi stepped before the two current Alphas, his sister Shione, and Tsume, challenging her little sister for the title.
Shippo and the clan members remained uncharacteristically silent. There was no denying the hurt in Tsume's eyes.
Seeing the why-now question in her mother's eyes, Mimi answered with, "I wanted the entire clan to serve as my witness. When I beat her, there will be no doubt that I am better."
"Very well. Kuromaru and Chairo, step aside." Tsumasaki motioned Tsume forward. She then turned her hardened eyes to her family, addressing them. "My brothers and sisters…We will stand as judges of this match. Whoever remains standing will be our next mistress, who we will pledge to follow unwaveringly. May San empower the Chosen One amongst you two. Whenever you are ready, my children."
At Tsume's pained look, Mimi flashed her a feral grin, her fangs gleaming under the moonlight. "You're not going to win that attitude, little puppy."
Tsume jerked back as if slapped. "Onee-chan…"
A burst of chakra from Mimi blew Tsume back a step. "Enough talk. Show me you want this."
Shippo could only watch helplessly as Mimi charged forward.
"Don't worry. Tsume-chan will win."
He ripped his gaze from the fight and stared into his sister's shrewd eyes.
"I know she will, but…" 'Something's not right about this.'
"You see it too then. If it wasn't for her scent, I would swear that wasn't Mimi."
Her concern did not go unnoticed, especially when Tsume's roundhouse kick sent Mimi's body into the ground, creating a new crater.
It was the smell of iron that finally drove the girls' dogs crazy, forcing those closest to them to restrain them from aiding their respective masters.
Everyone held their breath when Mimi got back on her feet, locking solemn eyes with her sister. A small nod from Tsume indicated an unspoken agreement had passed them. With a burst of chakra, they both sprinted at each other, bodies twisting into the clan's signature rotating-fang technique. Each point of collision between their tornado-like spins of destruction sounded as if someone were using two boulders as a pair of cymbals.
A few clan members narrowly missed being injured by the falling trees, which could not withstand the strong wind and shifting terrain.
In the end, Tsume's rotation was able to overpower Mimi's, sending her body skidding across the ground. Tsume landed on her feet, heaving and covered in lacerations. Her walk towards her sister was not an easy one. The blood coming out of her ear explained why she lost her balance a few times, but she continued on.
Unable to stand, Mimi remained on the ground wheezing, trying to force air into her lungs.
Shippo was no medic, but even he knew that her several of her ribs were fractured.
"Stop her," Shione voiced to Tsumasaki, who does nothing.
They watched as Tsume grabbed Mimi by the front of her bloodstained jacket, lifting her onto her knees. "You… lost," she growled.
"H-Hai," Mimi gasped. "But…I still…have strength…to do… one last thing." She snaked a hand behind Tsume's neck, drawing her face down so she could lick her cheek. Mimi's split lips curved upward as she lost consciousness in her sister's grip.
"It has been decided. Tsume will be our next leader upon my retirement," bellowed Tsumasaki's voice. "Now let us celebrate."
This prompted the audience to chant Tsume's name, with howls mixed in the background. While they celebrated the triumph of their prodigy, they also mourned the defeat of one of their own. The air reeked of unshed bittersweet tears.
Brushing aside those who tried to congratulate her, Tsume remained by Mimi's side, even as the healers stabilized her for transport. Despite being reassured multiple times that her sister's injuries were not fatal, she refused to move away.
Moving to stand beside her, Shippo grabbed her wrist, his thumb resting over her pulse point. Her heartbeat still reflecting the effects of the adrenaline from the fight. He gave a small tug, bringing her attention to him.
"You are needed with the Alphas and council. I'll go with her," he volunteered.
With her throat suddenly tight with emotion, Tsume could only nod in gratitude.
"I'll let you know when she's awake." Using his free hand, he brushed his fingers along the gash along her forehead. "Congratulations, Tsume-sama," he whispered before he followed the healers carrying Mimi and Chairo back to the compound.
Mimi didn't awaken until the next day. The moment her eyelids opened, it took all of Shippo's strength from keeping Chairo from crawling completely on top of her, trying to lick her face from sheer relief.
"Oi, Chairo! Calm down! You're going to hurt her."
Mimi smiled weakly at her dog. "Gomen, Chairo… I didn't mean to worry you." The dog moved to curl by her side, content by her caresses.
For a few moments, the two young adults said nothing, staring at how the dog's brown locks slipped between Mimi's bandaged fingers like silk.
"Your scent's different," he said finally. There was a peace in her eyes that Shippo had never seen before.
"Mimi-san, you never truly wanted the position."
Shocked brown eyes bored into his.
"I just don't understand why you pushed Tsume that far. Why did you take on that offensive role?"
"I forget how observant you are, Shippo-kun."
"You wanted Tsume to beat the shit out of you."
"I got in some good punches," she snarled, her pride still recovering as well.
"Yes. If it makes you feel better, she looks like all of the dogs in the village trampled over her."
He saw a flash of guilt in her eyes. "She is much stronger than I anticipated…"
"Why did you challenge her?"
She turned her gaze to the open window, where the faint sound of children and dogs barking could be heard.
"If I didn't, there would always be voices speculating that I would have ruled the clan better. I want Tsume to be the official undisputed leader. Now, everyone will know that she is second to none but Okaa-san."
"You humiliated yourself for her?"
Mimi smiled, her eyes glistening. "Yes. I love her. She's my sister…my best friend. She is exactly what our clan needs."
Shippo was at a loss for words.
"I'm no saint though. Now, I can be what I want most."
"What is that?"
"A veterinarian," she confessed out loud for the first time in her life.
Shippo tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "It suits you."
Mimi's smile grew brighter, then mischievous. "Now that I'm no longer going to be the Alpha Bitch here, guess we don't have to get married anymore."
Shippo chuckled. "Your loss."
"And my sister's newest problem?"
He gave her a solemn look. "I intend to marry her."
She rolled her eyes. "Almost the entire clan knows this."
"Good. There shouldn't be any secrets among the Inuzukas."
He frowned, noting Mimi's mood change. "Out with it."
"Guard your heart, Shippo. Tsume has…male friends outside of our clan. You may be in for a long battle."
He shrugged. "Nothing with Tsume is ever easy. I will never stop pursuing her and if I have to sink my fangs into anyone to prove it…then so be it."
Mimi grimaced at the visual. "Gosh, Shippo. Could you be any less Inuzuka about this?"
An exaggerated howl was his reply.
When Tsume was nineteen and Shippo was twenty-four years old, news that Tsume gave birth to a bastard child finally reached the Inuzukas of the forest.
Shippo did not take the news well at all.
"Who's the father?" Shippo all but screamed at his sister, who stared at him with an unreadable expression.
"That is not important."
"The hell it isn't," he snapped back.
"Tsumasaki-sama and Tsume do not wish for the clan to know his name. It has been declared forbidden to discuss it."
Shione's wolf suddenly moved to stand before her, emitting deep guttural sounds. "Steady, Ayame. He's not thinking straight. Shippo, I need you to calm the fuck down."
"So, he's not even an Inuzuka then." His voice trembled with barely controlled rage.
"No, but he comes from a powerful family. One with strong political ties." Shione made her way towards him, approaching him slowly as one would do to a cornered animal. "If his name is released, a civil war will occur, endangering many lives. You know better than anyone that once wronged an Inuzuka will never stop seeking justice."
"There should be no secrets among our people."
"Only if it does not conflict with the First Law."
Shippo's clenched his fists at his sides, knuckles white from the pressure. "To hurt another Inuzuka is to hurt one's self," he recited automatically.
"His identity puts the child at risk, Shippo. This is no ordinary child." She cupped his grim face, her thumbs softly stroking the fang tattoos on his cheeks. "It's Tsume's child."
Shione kissed his forehead and walked away from him, Ayame following close behind her.
His response made her pause.
"I'm going to Konoha."
For a few heartbeats, there was only silence.
"Earlier today, I wrote to the Third Hokage and asked for you to be granted citizenship." He didn't need to see his sister's face to know she was smiling. He heard it in her voice. "It'll take some time for the papers to come, but it'll help you in case you decide to extend your visit…indefinitely.
Shippo could only bow in thanks, his thoughts miles away, sprinting towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
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