The Heir…and the Spare?

How will the potential birth of Shin and Kumiko's second child affect the Kuroda line of succession?


"Ohhhhh my God!" Kumiko gasped, tightly clutching the soft sheets beneath her as her tense body violently convulsed.

Raising his head from between her legs, her husband smirked up at her, licking his wet lips as he savoured her essence.

"You're gonna wake the entire house if you don't quiet down." Shin cautioned, kissing her silky inner thigh.

"Ummm…so good." She absently moaned, his warning barely registering in the aftermath of her explosive orgasm.

"I aim to please." He grinned, squeezing her thigh affectionately.

Eyes still slightly glazed over, she smiled and reached her arms down to pull him back up.

He readily complied, working his way back up her body, pausing to cup a pert breast and circle his tongue around a taut peak. Her hands slid into his hair as he closed his mouth around the tight bud, suckling softly.

With a soft sigh she wrapped her legs around his waist. He groaned as she moved her hips against his, the slick folds of her warm, welcoming sex pressing insistently against his rigid length.

"Hurry Shin," Kumiko whispered urgently in his ear, raking her nails over his spine where an *irezumi style tattoo of fierce, roaring red and gold lion was emblazoned across his back.

While it would be flattering to believe that his wife was so completely enraptured in the bliss of their love making that she simply couldn't wait to have him inside her, they were both well aware that her urgency was due to practical reasons as well. Sex had become a luxury since Kanako had made her debut kicking and screaming into the world. Now approaching six and half months their baby girl was up almost all of the previous night, moody with the discomfort of teething, meaning that they were, of course, also up for most of the night. However, despite their lack of sleep his wife was clearly in the mood this morning…and Kumiko Sawada's mood was always infectious.

Shin glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table, 4:30 am, meaning their daughter would be up in roughly 30 minutes.

"Hmm, I dunno," he teased, slowly sucking her plump lower lip, "we've got a little time before the morning chaos, maybe I want to go…" he paused to kiss her deeply, feeling her shiver against him as his tongue repeatedly slid against hers in a sensual caress, "…slowly." He finished, grinning as he ended the heated kiss.

He barely caught the sinister flicker in her eyes before he found himself flat on his back with his wife straddling his waist.

She ginned down at him, her long dark hair unbound and wild from twisting and turning against the pillows, her eyelids heavy with the remnants of sleep and pleasure and her lower lip red and slightly swollen from kissing. She'd never looked sexier to him.

He inhaled sharply, his heart rate accelerating as she gripped his erection and skilfully caressed his entire length. Their eyes locked in an intensely lusty gaze as she slowly leaned down and ran her tongue over the pre- ejaculate fluid leaking from his tip.

"It's been almost three weeks; if you drag this out one minute longer, I might actually kill you."

"Well we certainly wouldn't want that." Shin easily acquiesced with an amused grin, running his hands over the smooth globes of her firm posterior.

She returned his grin before quickly repositioning herself over him.

He closed his eyes in pure ecstasy as she lowered herself onto him with a broken moan. He gripped her hips and thrusted upwards, pushing deeper into her clenching muscles. Their increasingly laboured breathing was the only audible sound as she braced her hands against his toned abdomen and began riding him smoothly.

"Holy shit..." He breathed, filling his hands with her breasts and squeezing gently.

She gasped, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as his thumbs grazed repeatedly over her sensitive nipples.

He moved his hands over her sides, from the curves of her waist to flare of her hips and clamped them over her thighs, taking the time to appreciate the perfect view of his dick, glistening with her natural lubrication, sliding out of her slick passage before once again being buried to the hilt in her tight, wet heat. It was a sight to behold, even in the extremely dim morning light. She was a sight to behold, back sensuously arched and pale, smooth skin dotted with a slight sheen of perspiration as she moved over him. He moved his thumbs down to her nether lips and between her slick folds, before finally gliding his damp fingers over her clit. Her mouth fell open in a gasp as he rubbed the sensitive bud.

"Shin!"

"Shhhh." he whispered with a breathy laugh as she whimpered none too softly. Although his wife's very vocal gratification stirred nothing but the deepest masculine pride in the very depths of his soul, she really would wake the house if he didn't take control.

He sat up and pulled her against him, kissing her into silence even as he adjusted his position so that he was kneeling with her sitting comfortably over his thighs, giving them both leverage to move.

Kumiko immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his kisses enthusiastically as the pace of her movements increased. Shin matched her pace, his head falling back in agonised pleasure as her inner muscles squeezed down on him mercilessly.

"Nghh…babe…you're so tight." He panted.

With a strangled cry, halfway muffled into his mouth she completely froze, fisting her hands in his hair as his words sent her careening over the edge. He held her hips steady against his, thrusting a few more times before releasing inside of her with a long, deeply satisfied groan.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing followed by slow, sensual kisses, Kumiko eased off his lap and lay on the bed with a content sigh.

"Remember when we started every morning like this?" She grinned up at him, stretching her arms above her head.

He lay on his side and leaned up on his elbow, running his hand over her stomach, "You mean when we didn't have to stay up half the night with a cranky baby?"

"Poor baby, at least she didn't have a fever this time." Kumiko frowned.

"Small mercies, she was miserable enough." He agreed, "You know, she might sleep a little longer since she was up so late…" he hinted with a sly grin.

Catching his drift she instantly perked up.

"Oh yeah? You wanna go again?" she smirked, tracing his firm pectoral muscles. His once lanky frame was now leanly muscled. He was such a damn gorgeous specimen of a man.

"Hell yeah."

"Well too bad." She whispered smacking a noisy kiss on his lips, "Get your ass out of bed cause I'm about to kick it!"

"You better watch that cocky attitude," he replied as she energetically sprang out of bed and dashed into their bathroom to clean up, "today's the day I'm finally gonna put you on your ass."

His combat skills had improved considerably over the years and at 23 he could proudly claim to be stronger and certainly more skilled than over ¾ of the Kuroda kumi and its branch families but he had yet to best his wife. Although they were often joined by Kyou, Tetsu and Minoru, fierce sparring battles between himself and his wife had become commonplace during morning training sessions. She constantly raised her own skill level every time he believed he had improved enough to finally defeat her. He seriously wondered sometimes if Kumiko was even human.

She came back into the room, quickly pulling on some workout clothes.

"Hmm, we'll see about that." she winked, sliding on her glasses with a devilish grin. She laughed as he smacked her ass on his way to the bathroom.

"Just warming it up so it's not too painful when it hits the floor." He cheekily clarified.

She shot a covert glance filled with pure pride at his retreating form. She'd never tell him but he'd come closer than he'd thought to beating her on multiple occasions. She'd found herself having to think at least five steps ahead to keep him at bay. The hundred years she'd once told him he'd need to catch up to her seemed so laughable now. He challenged her in every way possible and that made their marriage unbelievably thrilling.

A high pitched wail came through the baby monitor breaking her train of thought.

"I'll meet you outside." She called to Shin, leaving to attend to their daughter.


Later that morning Shin snapped his briefcase close after a short meeting with one of his non-yakuza clients. It was an important client, an international business mogul, hence his coming in to the office on a Sunday morning at said mogul's request. He kept a modest office in the centre of Kamiyama city for the purpose of meeting with such clients but his base was his office at the Kuroda compound where he tended to the family's business dealings.

His decision to take on ordinary civilian matters was made with the intent of moving easily between both worlds. He certainly made far more money than any young lawyer could dream of due to working for the yakuza but it was certainly handy to keep up the guise of normal civilian life especially when questions were asked about his business. It didn't hurt to establish his own professional contacts either, in both worlds. One never knew when a favour would be required. This client for instance, was certainly interesting. He'd wondered why a man who could afford a platoon of high profile lawyers would seek the services of a young starter lawyer. Apparently he had millions that he wanted to keep hidden from his wife, in the event of a divorce, and so he sought a new lawyer unknown to his inner circle for advice regarding discreet ways of "concealing" his assets. Legal ways, of course, albeit some just barely.

Shin ran a hand though his hair, now back to black for professional reasons. When the time came to succeed his grandfather-in-law, and take his place as the *Yondaime, he would have to cease his operations in the civilian world. He would cross that bridge when the time came. The Kumichou hopefully had many years yet left on this earth.

He absently rubbed his arm. It still throbbed where his wife had punched him while gloating about her continued winning streak over him this morning. He grinned just thinking about it. The fact that it turned him on made him grin harder. As much as he wanted to win just once, he was constantly in awe of her and unbelievably proud to call such an amazing woman his wife.

He frowned as someone briskly rang the buzzer for his office, situated on the second floor of the building used exclusively for businesses. He wasn't expecting anyone else today.

"Yes?" he politely inquired into the intercom.

"It's me!"

He immediately let his wife into the building and stood to open his office door. Instead of using the elevator he heard her footsteps pounding up the staircase. She rounded the landing and he smiled as he saw her carrying their daughter against her chest, snuggly wrapped up in a sling.

"Hey," She greeted, "no clients right?"

He frowned as he detected a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"No. Is everything okay?" he asked, carefully removing Kanako from the single shoulder, dark blue carrier. She was dressed in a pastel yellow onesie with a matching hat which he slipped off to reveal her dark hair. Her large, brown eyes shone with glee as he kissed her soft, rosy cheek and bounced her lightly. She squealed happily, chewing contentedly on her teething ring.

"Umm, I guess it depends." Kumiko muttered, smiling at the adorable pair.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Shin asked. Really what could have happened in the last four hours that they'd been apart?

"Well breakfast was great! Minoru and Tetsu made enough to feed an army. I saved you a plate since you had to leave so early and…"

"Kumiko." Shin firmly emphasized her name to indicate that he knew she was stalling.

She sighed and pulled out a pink rectangular container. She opened the case and slapped what appeared to be a card down onto his desk. He finally recognised what it was on closer inspection.

"Your birth control?"

"Yesss…" Kumiko replied slowly, looking at him carefully to gauge his reaction.

"You haven't taken the pill for today…" he noted, tapping his finger against the small pack.

"No."

"…or yesterday." Shin concluded, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

Approximately five awkward seconds passed before she finally reacted.

"I forgot!" she suddenly exclaimed, slapping a hand against her mouth and turning away from him dramatically.

He was too used to her passionate outbursts and unpredictable moods to be startled by her sudden revelation. Kanako giggled in amusement as her mother began to frantically pace around the office like a caged animal.

"I completely forgot yesterday morning! I was so absorbed in that stupid meeting…"

"You mean the very important meeting with the Tsuruwa clan's Kumichou?" Shin asked highly amused.

Kumiko waved a hand dismissively, "I can't stand that clan, and I'll never forget that their Ojou abducted you!"

"That was almost five years ago dear and maintaining peace between clans is vital." Shin chuckled, although her outrage on his behalf, so many years after that incident, flattered him greatly.

She scoffed in annoyance but carried on, "Anyway, then Kana started fussing in the afternoon and we hardly slept and I was about to take the pill after breakfast today like I usually would but the one for yesterday was still there...and this morning…"

"Was a great morning," Shin chuckled.

"Shin!"

"Alright I get it but is it really that big a deal?" he asked, effectively stopping her frenetic pacing as she turned to stare at him disbelievingly, "I mean, we haven't really discussed trying for more kids but I don't mind having another one if you don't."

"It's a big deal." Kumiko firmly stated, shaking her head and resuming her pacing. Some strands of her hair escaped the hurried ponytail she'd pulled it into, "Having multiple children in a family like ours could cause an all-out war to succeed the Kumichou."

Shin frowned, looking down at Kanako, the newest Kuroda princess whose choice of husband would determine his successor. Her tiny fingers gripped the lapel of his suit jacket tightly as she looked back at him with adorably innocent eyes. How far would any potential siblings or their spouses be willing to go to usurp? An internal clan struggle was a definite possibility. Especially…

"If we have a boy, I think the whole line of succession could change..." Shin contemplated out loud.

"Yeah a boy would be nice, or another girl which would be so convenient since we'd already have so many of Kana's things and…" She suddenly spun around to face him with wide eyes as the full force of his statement finally registered, "OH MY GOSH WHAT IF WE HAVE A BOY!"

"Your reaction time is excellent as always." He grinned, holding his free hand out to her.

"A boy would change everything." She stated, leaning into him as he pulled her into a cozy one armed hug, "I mean, I didn't even really consider a boy…" she trailed off, getting lost in her own thoughts for a minute, "because we don't have boys in our family."

"I'm sorry, what?" Shin asked disbelievingly, "What do you mean you don't have boys?"

"Exactly that." She replied, tapping Kanako's tiny nose affectionately. Kanako grabbed her mother's finger and pulled it towards her mouth, seeking to substitute it for her teething ring.

"It's just the way it's always been." Kumiko continued, "Every generation has always given birth to one girl."

It was true, Shin realised, as he quickly did a mental scan of her family tree. Torakichi Kuroda, the first Kuroda Kumichou, eloped with Tae, the daughter of Shuuzou Takatou who initially owned what would come to be known as the Kuroda Kamiyama family land, after Torakichi and Tae inherited it. They had one daughter Fukiko. She married Isojirou Yamamoto, the *Nidaime and they had Kyouko, Kumiko's grandmother. She of course married Ryuuichirou Inaba, their current Kumichou and had Kumiko's mother Yuriko. Then came his wife and now their daughter Kanako.

"Okay, but that doesn't mean you can't have a boy." He reasoned.

"It could happen," she agreed, still sounding somewhat unconvinced, "I suppose there might have been boys if they'd all had more children." She shrugged.

Shin contemplated the irony of the situation. In such a powerful yakuza family where a direct male descendent would be highly prized as the next Kumichou, it was instead the sole female descendants who had been selecting the clan's leaders for years.

"Wow, we might have a son!" she smiled up at him, suddenly perking up at the prospect.

"We might have a son in the next nine months." He replied, laughing as her face flushed tomato red, likely at the memory of how they'd spent the early hours of the morning. He held her chin and fondly kissed her lips before handing her their daughter.

"So, knowing that a son may take precedence over Kana, succession wise, you'd be okay with that?" Shin enquired as he grabbed his briefcase and car keys.

"She may not care." Kumiko reasoned, thinking back to her own reluctance to head the clan in favour of pursuing her chosen career as a teacher.

"She might." Shin responded, guiding her towards the door with a hand on the small of her back.

"Yes she might." Kumiko softly conceded, kissing the top of the baby's head as they stepped into the elevator, "I think we should talk to grandfather about this." she suggested.

"I think that would be best." Shin agreed.


Later that evening Shin was on his way to the kitchen to see how dinner was progressing. Some members of the Tanukibara kumi were joining them on short notice and they'd enlisted the help of a few more Ooedo clan members to ensure that all the food was prepared on time.

He left his bedroom, quickly adjusting his black and grey haori. While traditional dress wasn't his usual style, he'd gotten used to it and actually enjoyed it on the occasions where it was required. He more so enjoyed the sight of his wife in a kimono. There were few sights more dazzling than Kumiko in traditional Japanese dress.

He glanced into his daughter's room where she was taking a nap and stopped short. His wife was standing over the baby's crib, intently watching her sleep. She wore a black kimono with white and pink flowers, her hair pulled back into an intricate bun decorated with a simple yet elegant band of white and pink beads.

Kumiko squeaked in surprised as someone hugged her from behind.

"You look so beautiful." Shin whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek lightly.

She smiled and turned around in his arms, soothing her hands over his collar as she observed him, "Thanks, and you look gorgeous." She grinned, "What?" she asked as he gave her a bored look, "Calling you handsome is really such an understatement." She teased, lightly patting his cheek.

She laughed softly as he rolled his eyes at the remark. She turned back to the crib, pulling a light blanket over the sleeping child with a tender smile.

"You want another one don't you?" he asked, correctly detecting her mood and thoughts as usual.

"Yes." She admitted, "I never even really considered having more than one until this morning…but I do."

"Grandfather helped to settle your anxiety then?"

Kumiko laughed, "He did."

Earlier that Afternoon

"Oh are you expecting?!" The Kumichou asked excitedly. To say that Ryuuichirou was an enthusiastic great grandfather would not be sufficiently accurate. He doted on Kanako, spoiling the baby girl absolutely rotten.

"Maybe," Kumiko said, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Shin rolled his eyes as Kyou winked and flashed him two thumbs up from behind Kumiko.

"But we were wondering how that would affect the clan, as in who would be next in line." She stated.

"We're pretty sure that if we have a girl, nothing changes right?" Shin continued.

"No, Kanako remains the heiress," Ryuuichirou firmly responded, "Another daughter will simply be second in line."

"But if we have a boy…" Kumiko began.

"Ha! Oh it'll be his world and we'd just be livin in it." Kyou grinned.

Shin chuckled at the older man's phrasing, "That just about sums it up really."

"The Kumichou is traditionally male." Ryuuichirou agreed, "While females can assume the role, as Kumiko briefly did during my convalescence, they do so only rarely, when illness or death eliminates the male successor. Indeed most do not wish to assume the position; certainly none of our ojous have ever been so inclined. A son would be the natural choice for our leader."

"Even though he's not the first born?" Shin asked, needing the confirmation.

"Indeed. Every clan has their own method of succession but as you all know, from the time of our family's formation, the long standing tradition has been that our ojous select the next clan leader through marriage. This means that since our ojous never actually take on the role of Kumichou, they have always been in a sense the 'heir presumptive' until their future husbands enter the picture. If we follow our tradition, Kanako's husband should become the *Godaime. A son however, would change things. As a direct Kuroda descendant, he would have a stronger claim to the position."

"Yes that makes sense." Kumiko admitted tapping her finger against her chin pensively, "But it's not exactly reassuring. Imagine if both Kana's husband and our son wanted it. What a mess that would be… the clan would obviously side with our son as the rightful heir but what if they decided to fight it out, winner take all!" she eagerly exclaimed, jumping to her feet with fists clenched. Her eyes held a faraway look as if imagining the non-existent men locked in a ferocious fight to the death.

"Try not sound so happy about it Ojou." Kyou snickered.

Kumiko stuttered in outrage as her grandfather and husband joined in with Kyou's laughter, "Wha- what?! I'm just saying, it could happen!"

Shin sobered and nodded, "Well anything's possible, that's the problem. We can't really be sure what will actually happen. What if Kana wants the position herself…"

"She might. Especially if she's as skilled as this troublesome one." Ryuuichirou stated, his eyes sparkling with pride as he motioned with his chin to his beloved granddaughter.

"Grandpa!" Kumiko protested but her eyes were shining with laughter, "But seriously, what if she hates her brother? What if she tries to fight him herself over this?" Kumiko continued with a deep frown, clearly distressed at the notion that her children could ever despise each other.

"You worry entirely too much." The Kumichou remarked, waving a hand dismissively, "Do not allow fear of the future to control you. Have as many children as you like and let them choose their own paths. They may embrace this life or they may not. You can only love and guide them...but fate always has a way of working things out." Ryuuichirou winked.

Presently…

"Whatever happens, we'll deal with it." She smiled up at him.

"Well alright then." Shin nodded, beginning to undo the intricate knot on her kimono.

"What are you doing?! This thing isn't easy to get into ya know!" she whispered loudly.

"We want another baby so let's get naked and keep trying to make it happen, well, if it didn't already." Shin calmly explained, the lust in his eyes betraying his calm exterior.

"Well sure…but not now! We have guests coming!" Kumiko said completely flustered as she batted his hands away. She knew he was pulling her leg about engaging in sex right that minute but how easy it was to forget everything when he looked at her like that.

"Okay," he grinned fully aware of the effect he had on her, "but you should know," he leaned in closer to her and whispered in her ear, "I'm wearing a *fundoshi."

She gasped, her mouth forming a perfect O and her eyes already glazing over in a trance like state at the thought of her husband donning that manly piece of cloth, "Are you really? To hell with dinner, let's go." She said grabbing his hand and attempting to drag him back in the direction of their bedroom.

"Nope, you missed your chance, let's get ready to entertain our guests." He said pulling her towards the kitchen.

"Fine," she pouted, "but as soon as they leave…"

"You have work tomorrow, Yankumi", he teased, "dinner's definitely gonna run late and Kana'll be up at the crack of dawn once we get her down by seven. It won't do for you to be exhausted at school."

She opened her mouth to argue but closed it with a huff. He was absolutely right. She couldn't let her precious students suffer.

"You can't just tease me with a fundoshi and not follow through you know." She muttered moodily.

"Yeah? Well I promise to wear it the next time but for tonight you'll just have to settle for some eye candy." He smirked.

She laughed and punched his arm before letting him guide her out of the nursery.


One year later

Shin lifted Kanako up unto Kumiko's hospital bed to see her new baby sister who was sweetly snoozing in a pink blanket in her mother's arms.

"Isn't she cute Kana?" Kumiko beamed shifting the blanket away from the baby's face so that Kana had a clear view.

The usually rambunctious toddler was fairly calm as she pursed her lips and leaned in closer to inspect the new addition before nodding vigorously.

"Do you remember her name? It's Sayako. Can you say Say-a?" Shin clearly and slowly pronounced for his older daughter.

"Sayy-aa!" Kana repeated, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Very good!" Kumiko praised, kissing Kana's forehead.

Twenty minutes later Shin was headed back to Kumiko's room after seeing Kanako safely off with her great grandfather and the other numerous visiting clan members. He chuckled as he side stepped the enormous bunch of pink helium balloons tied to the door handle. They were from Kumiko's current students and so ridiculously large that the nurses forbade the rowdy boys from cramming them all into the room.

He gently pushed the door open and paused, silently observing his wife with their new daughter. He could only describe the look in her eyes as "that" look as she stroked the baby's soft cheek.

"You want another one." He stated. She was always so transparent to him.

Kumiko looked up slightly startled but immediately grinned.

"Yes." she admitted almost guiltily, "And soon, maybe in a year or two, I'm not getting any younger."

Shin snorted, "Seriously? You're 30."

"Whatever." She stuck her tongue out at him then grinned happily, "What about you?"

"I think a couple more would be nice." Shin shrugged.

"A couple?" she asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"Uh huh. What's stopping us? Let's have a huge, noisy brood." he smiled, touching his daughter's tiny hand. She closed her fingers around his index tightly.

He quickly looked up from the baby as he heard sniffing.

"Oh no no no don't cry." he pleaded, frantically searching for a handkerchief as tears began to escape his wife's eyes. He always felt so helpless when she did this, why was a handkerchief never close by when she did this?!

Kumiko laughed as he quickly handed over a tissue from a box of them he'd unearthed from her hospital bag.

"I'm just happy. You make me unbelievably happy. I love you." She smiled up at him.

Shin exhaled, slowly relaxing as she dried her eyes. I love you, three simple words that could never truly convey the depth of feeling he had for her but they would have to suffice. He held her chin and softly kissed her lips, "I love you too."


Author's Note:

Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone has a bright and prosperous 2018!

This fic is based on chapters 35 and 36: "An arranged marriage for Kumiko…" I was especially intrigued by Shinohara stating that Kumiko was the only one with Kuroda blood and whoever she married would become the 4th successor, a role he was unwilling to assume. I really liked all the information about the Kuroda family history and its methods of succession. You usually hear about bloody wars and yakuza underbosses killing the current kumichou to take over leadership the clan so I much preferred the Kuroda way of doing things lol.

Fun facts:

After randomly searching the first names I'd chosen for Shin and Kumiko's kids, I found out that there's a Sayako Kuroda who used to be a princess before she married a "commoner" and also a Sayoko Yamaguchi who's a Japanese model and actress. There's also a Japanese actress named Kanako Yamaguchi.

Terms:

Irezumi- The Traditional Japanese Tattoo "Irezumi" is the decoration of the body with mythical beasts, flowers, leafs, and other images from stories, myths and tales.

Yondaime- Fourth.

Nidaime- Second.

Godaime- Fifth.

Fundoshi- Traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males, made from a length of cotton.