~~**~~And, the final in the series of old Akatsuki stories Nikkias and I wrote together so long ago. This one is the longest out of all of them because we kept coming back to it and adding pieces onto it XD Now, there are a few things I need to explain with this one before it starts off. One: there are a few words that some people may need translated. A "girou" is a "brothel" which, for those of you who don't know, is a whore-house lol A "ryokan" is an "inn" and we all know what that is. A "genkan" is basically the entry way in a Japanese house or business. Its the, usually concrete, space that you stand in to take your shoes off and your coat off before stepping up into the house. "Tabi" are the white toe socks Geishas wear. "itaino itaino" is something you do for a child, usually, when they're hurt. You rub your fingers over the wound on the child while chanting the words in a soft cooing voice "itaino itaino...donikai!" my spelling may be a little off, but it basically means "pain pain, go away!" All of that said, I'll explain more in the next piece ;3~~**~~
"KoiZora Girou"
"We can't stay here, it's too close to the village, un. They'll come looking for us here."
"No they won't, we'll be just fine. The closer we hide to them, the safer, you know that."
"I don't think that applies this time, Danna. We really need to head for another country,un."
"Shut up, brat. Don't argue with your elders."
"He's right, Deidara, this seems like a perfectly good spot."
"But...I don't even think it's an ryokan. Even if it is, don't you think they'd turn us in?"
"We'll make sure they don't."
"Wait...is that what I think it is? In the window?"
"A red cloth...You don't think this is..."
"It can't be. That would be too lucky for us."
"It's too far from a village, it wouldn't make any money if it was something like that."
"I don't know, with travelers coming and going over this path..."
"Mostly ninjas with a mission and no time for side stays."
"Still...Why else would that be there?"
"Let's just go inside. We need to get off the road, those anbu were tailing fast."
"As per usual."
"KoiZora...what kinda name is that?"
Neji sighed as he glanced around the prettily decorated room. The long table in the center was made of a beautiful black lacquered wood with a mahogany red center, a pretty vase of artfully arranged flowers decorating the center. The cushions set around the table were plush and ornamented with lavish silk threads, designs of sakura blossom branches scattered over them in different colors. The tatami mats gleamed, lined with black, so new seeming they were spongy beneath your feet and gave off the pale scent of freshly cut bamboo.
A small window sat to his high right, showing him the branches of a beautiful artificial pear tree. On that same wall was a back door, slid closed for the time being, but that led out to a lovely courtyard. The wall to his left was one long mural, painted in rich colors, the door to the main building in the center of it. The mural was old fashioned, geishas standing near koi ponds with fans and flowers, smiling and laughing softly as they walked beneath trees and around flowers of all kinds.
An incense burner of gold hung near the door, a dragon gripping onto the burner plate beneath it, a stick of rose flavored incense sending pink smoke curling up around him and into the room. Soft lanterns of beige and red lit the area with calming light from different points in the room. On the plain beige wall in front of him hung a calligraphy scroll with pretty tassels hanging off its edges, deep red plum blossoms scratching down one edge of the creme colored paper, stark black ink flowing across the other side, spilling a poem down the scroll. A folding screen at the back of the room broke the beige color of the left and back wall apart. Its ornately carved black frame adding curve to the room.
His cup was smooth porcelain in his hands, no handle to get in the way of the round design on its perfect surface. A gray and white bird sat amidst sharp thorns, beautiful pink blossoms blooming amongst them. A thorn jutted through the bird's breast, spilling red down its white front, in stark contrast to the hues around it. All the china was a creamy white with this same pattern on it. He felt at home here, it was so set in deep tradition and beauty but, he felt out of place as well. This was certainly no place for a ninja, especially a man.
"Neji, dear, are you alright? You got so quiet all of a sudden." A soft hand was placed on the table near his own as they encircled his cup. He blinked and glanced over at the beautiful face next to him, giving his most placid of smiles.
"I'm fine. I simply got lost for a moment." She nodded kindly, then picked up the tea pot, refilling his cup for him. "Thank you, Usagi, you're a gracious host." She waved him away after setting the pot down, a rose tint picking at the round of her cheeks.
"You have no need to thank me, dear. You know you're welcome here any time and for as long as you want. We were so glad to have you drop in today." She patted his arm gently and he looked at her nails, though shorter, they were narrow and womanly, glossed over with a beautiful lilac. Her hands were smooth and pale, soft to the touch, unmarred by battle of any kind.
He took a sip of his tea, setting the cup down on the table once more with a soft click. "It was unexpected, but we thought, since we were out this way, we would check on you girls. We all worry about you being so far out and by yourselves." Here he looked at her seriously and she gave a quiet laugh. Always polite and lady-like, he rarely saw her as anything but the epitome of a woman.
"There's no need. You know that. As long as Hotaru-chan is here, I'm sure we'll be fine." She giggled again and he gave a pale smile, shaking his head and glancing at the greenish water in his cup, watching the white steam rise from it.
"She's a good fighter...but, one woman can't protect you if a group comes in." He had thought of the scenario a few times. She gave that same, gentle and forgiving smile, placing her hand on his arm once again, this time leaning a little closer. He looked into her charcoal colored eyes, immediately feeling her serenity transfuse to him through the touch.
"We will be fine. We have been for this long." He nodded and opened his mouth to say something when the door clacked open, breaking the quiet peacefulness.
"Kiba, you're a fool! I swear you're cheating!" Hotaru laughed loudly, beaming as she lightly nudged Kiba and he stepped into the room, letting her close the door behind herself with another loud clack. They seemed unaware of the other two's presence yet.
"I beat you, so doesn't that make YOU the fool, Hotaru-chan?" He grinned and muffed her hair, making her cry out and swat at his hands playfully. Usagi smiled and turned a little to face them.
"You two are so loud! What in the world could you be playing to get you so riled up?" She giggled gently and Neji found his eyes on her again. Nothing had gotten the two friends riled up, that was the funny thing, Kiba was just naturally loud and brash and Hotaru got that way whenever she got around him. Usagi knew this, but refused to let them know it.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors! He keeps beating me! Look what he did to my arm, Usa-chan!" Hotaru ran over, falling to her knees in front of Usagi and pulling back her kimono sleeve, whimpering and pretending to be severely hurt. Kiba snorted and waved it off, walking around Neji to sit on his right side.
"Please! She left her fair share of marks on me too! I was only getting her back." He grinned, leaning on his elbow on the table and grabbing the sake bottle, pouring himself a glass and knocking it back in a quick swig. Neji eyed him carefully as Usagi "itaino itaino"ed Hotaru's arm and she looked away, hand to her forehead, milking it for all it was worth. The inside of her pale arm was very red, there were even little whelps in the pattern of two fingers showing up.
Finally the girls turned back to them, giggling to themselves as they settled their kimonos over their folded knees. "Just barely, you bastard! You left whelps on me!" Kiba laughed and knocked back another glass of sake.
"You're fine. Do you want me to kiss it better?" He leered at her with a flash of his sharpened canines and she blushed, putting her hand over her mouth and shaking her head, giggling.
"Kiba-kun! So rude in front of the others!" He leaned on the table, making kissy faces at her as she swatted him with the long sleeve of her kimono, giggling happily before leaning forward and kissing him softly. Usagi smiled lightly, then glanced at Neji, who glanced at his cup again. Kiba drew more of a kiss out of Hotaru than she had intended, causing her to sit back and look at her lap in embarrassment as he laughed and sat back again too.
"We should be going...We cannot afford to jeopardize the mission." Kiba looked up at Neji as he said this, looking as if he had been struck.
"Aww come on, Nej! Let's stay a bit longer! That stupid scroll will be fine if it gets there a few minutes late!" He waved it away boredly before letting Hotaru pour him some more sake. Neji took the glass from him as it neared his lips, causing him to growl.
"I need you to at least be coherent on this mission." Neji grumbled, then stood up and looked down at Usagi, his eyes softening a little. "Thank you for your hospitality, again." She rose to her feet, gently taking his arm in her own and leading him out of the room.
"Once more, you don't have to thank me or Hotaru. Our doors are always wide open for you. We love seeing you and the boys." Hotaru was laughing happily in the background and before they knew it Kiba was jogging past them and towards the front door with Hotaru holding tightly onto his back, her kimono flying behind them like streamers.
Usagi giggled, walking down the dim hallway with Neji, seeming to move a little slow at the thought of him and Kiba leaving. They stopped at the genkan, Hotaru having been let down off Kiba's back and already gotten their shoes. She was knelt down, helping Kiba slide into them as he told her to quit treating him like a customer, but she only laughed in return.
Usagi knelt too, helping Neji into his own sandals, his features softening completely now. They only seemed to do it around Hinata or her; perhaps because they were both so close in spirit. "Usagi...You know I hate it when you do that sort of thing...We all do." He glanced up at Kiba for support, but he had Hotaru pressed into the front wall and was kissing her deeply again. Usagi never noticed, just kept helping him with his shoes and ignoring his comment.
Finally she rose to stand beside him, staying on the upper polished walkway rather than step down in the genkan and get her starch white tabi dirty. He understood, he always did; she was a lady, after all. He looked up at her now, only a few inches, and smiled, taking hold of her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Send Hinata my best, tell her to come visit with you some time, I've got some lovely arrangements to show her and a beautiful recipe for mochi she would love." She brushed hair behind her ear with her free hand and he nodded.
"When I get home I'll tell her. We may stop in on the way back, but we can't be for sure." She nodded now, understanding that completely. They stood in silence for a moment, listening to Hotaru and Kiba play one more round of Rock, Paper, Scissors before they had to leave. Hotaru cried out, then began to whine for him to go easy on her; Neji knew she had lost again. Though he and Usagi both figured she was forgoing the games simply for the attention, even if it meant a little pain.
Kiba grinned and breathed on two of his fingers, holding her arm tight by the wrist, her sleeve jerked back again to reveal the reddened skin beneath. She whimpered and they heard the slap, the small cry of pain, the laugh of victory, then cooing as he hugged her to make her feel better and finally, silence as they kissed once more. You would think they were first time lovers with the way they acted.
Neji shook his head a little, then glanced back at Usagi, "Take care of yourself." He released her hand slowly, turning and tiredly walking out of the door, dragging Kiba by the back of his collar as he did. Hotaru followed them out, grinning and waving wildly at Kiba, blowing him kisses as she laughed.
Neji glanced over his shoulder, then paused, "Hotaru...! Don't you think you're shaming the village with the way you're acting? Don't you ever think of coming back to it all and restoring honor to everything?" He had this conversation with her every time he visited and he had almost forgotten this time. Kiba was standing at his side now, glaring and punching him in the shoulder. Neji cut him a side glare, gripped the spot on the arm he had punched, then looked at Hotaru as she stood across the dirt path from them.
Her hands were on her hips, her hair slightly askew from its up do, and her kimono was lose on her body, one fishnet clad leg visible. "Neji-baby, you're cute, but you know you shouldn't push your luck!" She called out and Kiba laughed.
"I'm your elder! Treat me with some respect!" He shouted back as she pulled at her eye and stuck her tongue out at him. He was half joking and half serious, as he always was when they had this conversation. It had become a bit of a game for them. Though he hoped she would take his words for what they meant, one day.
"Bye y'all! Good luck!" She blew another kiss at them, then turned and headed back inside, shutting the door gently this time. They both slid their masks on and started off, each feeling lighter, yet heavier than before.