Kuragari chapter 2

Unexpected homecoming

Keitaro was still asleep completely unaware of the turmoil that was about to explode within a short time. Kitsune having been properly embarrassed and humiliated had quickly informed Naru of what had happened. To say the brunette was pissed would be an extreme understatement as the air around the young woman seemed to be radiating an evil red aura. She stalked back into the changing room and as such with her mind set only on one thing neglected to change into her clothes as she stormed towards the hallway leading to the rooms. Probably the only thing that saved her hide and dignity was Haruka and Granny Hina walking in at that time. Seeing the inn owner and tea shop owner Naru changed her tactics and quickly rounded on them.

"Kitsune was just assaulted by a male who was also in the hot spring peeping on me!" The young brunette was sure that after mentioning that such a supposedly vile transgression had occurred the two owners would storm off and hunt the bastard down that had dared to peep on her.

"Ah you met Keitaro my grandson." Hina felt a smile tug at her lips at the shocked expression on the women before her but she decided to take her granddaughters advice this time if nothing else then to give Keitaro a break. "Haruka advised me on telling you since more than likely she was worried something bad would happen considering where my grandson was." Haruka smile at her grandmother.

'You old bat your enjoying this way to much. I just hope Naru decides to heed your warning instead of losing her cool.'

Kitsune was stunned it was hard to believe that the guy she ran into was the grandson to granny Hina as the tenants called her. She heard the underlying warning having been around the towns dirtier side. Naru was clenching her fists to the point her knuckles were turning white. "So your going to let this peeping bastard go unpunished?"

Haruka shook her head. "Naru listen and listen good my cousin would never peep on a girl even now I doubt he would knowingly have peeped on anyone." She saw Kitsune nodding to herself. "Kitsune I take it my cousin didn't do what Naru is accusing him of now did he?"

Kitsune straightened up realizing that she had been put on the spot. "No he didn't attack me he was coming out of the hot spring while I was undressing he didn't even seem to pay attention to me till I teased him. The only thing he did was touch my cheek and say I was a beautiful girl and then he put a towel around me saying that it took away from my beauty that I was willing to give it up so easily." She felt her cheeks reddening at the last part.

Hina started to laugh as Haruka smiled softly to herself. 'If nothing else my cousin seems to have grown a pair since I last saw him.'

Naru rounded on Kitsune and glared at her friend before storming off up the stairs and a resounding slam from her door made everyone wince. Kitsune sighed and quickly moved back into the changing room planning to apologize to Naru later. Haruka shook her head and left to attend to her tea house customers leaving the giggling Hina behind praying that her grandmother knew what she was doing.

…..

The sun was just setting when Keitaro slowly opened his eyes. Laying perfectly still he let the events of the previous night and early morning surface in his mind. Stretching as he slowly stood up he looked around taking in the room where he had crashed. He gently slid the goggles up off his eyes and found he rather liked the room sparse yet comfortable. His gaze was drawn upwards when he heard a soft rattle a small crack of light could be seen. Deciding to play it safe he slipped the goggles back on before moving to the door. Sliding it open he carefully stuck his head out and listened to the sounds surrounding him. Hearing a bit of commotion coming from the kitchen he decided that maybe he had better let his presence be known in order to avoid any more unfortunate encounters with any other young women in the inn. As he neared the door to the kitchen he began to hear the conversation as it drifted through the door. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he heard the voice belonging to the woman he ran into in the changing room.

"Naru he didn't do anything to me except touch my cheek and put a towel around me. He could have done worse but he didn't."

"Kitsune it don't matter he was there he saw you naked and who knows what he will do he might just be bidding his time before he decides to attack one of us to satisfy one of his male urges." Keitaro felt a grin slide across his lips at the voice belonging to Naru he surmised. 'Obviously this girl has problems with guys.'

Deciding that he had heard enough he slid the door open and slowly stepped inside. The conversation stopped instantly and Keitaro was sure if it were possible he might have burst into flames from the intensity of the glares sent his way. He smiled in what he hopped was a disarming way as he pulled a chair out and took a seat away from the two girls at the other end of the table. "Come now ladies no need to stop because I have entered the room I could have just sat outside and listened in but that would be eavesdropping and obviously I don't need to have any other things yall can hold against me besides the fact that my organs dangle and yours don't." He chuckled softly. "Well not right now anyways but maybe in 40 or 50 years you have something hanging down because of gravity."

Naru of course couldn't let this jab at her anatomy pass. Clenching her fist she rushed the impudent bastard in front of her planning on cold cocking him with her feared Naru punch. Keitaro smirked as he saw the young woman coming at him using his foot he kicked out the chair next to him and watched in satisfaction as the charging brunette so blinded by rage didn't see the chair till it connected with her legs casuing her to fall over the piece of furniture. Said girl was only aware that her intended target disappeared from view as the floor rushed up to greet her as pain blossomed along her legs. Kitsune stared in disbelief at the sight of her best friend laying on the floor and young man seemingly unfazed by what just happened.

Keitaro stood up and moved to the young woman and squatted down near her. "You know I might think you don't like me but then again in this short time I don't think you like anyone outside of your own sex. My guess is something bad happened to you involving a guy and you decided that all guys are the same and you will not pass up an opportunity to pummel any guy because of whatever happened in your past." Deciding to drive his point home he grabbed the young woman's arms and hauled her to her feet and leaned in real close. "Now I am going to make this perfectly clear to you I don't give a fuck what happened in your past but I didn't survive 10 years in hell to just let some little spoiled bitch think she can take out her petty vendetta out on me."

Naru shivered as the meaning came clear her anger vanished realizing that if he had wanted to he could have killed her before she had gotten up off the floor as a cold chill slide up her spine as she stared into the goggles of the man before her as she struggled to find her voice. "What are you going to do?"

Letting her go he took a step back. "Me well I am going to go into town and get a few things I know I smell bad and I only have the one change of clothes and if I am going to be in the company of the ladies then it would be in my favor not to smell like a dumpster now wouldn't it." He nodded to Kitsune before walking out the door leaving the two women behind as he made his way out into the night.

…

Haruka was closing up her shop when she saw her cousin coming down the steps she prepared one of her fans. "Hello Aunt Haruka." Keitaro knew what was coming but it had been 10 years since he was able to tease his cousin he had a lot of time to make up for as he ducked under the thrown fan plucking it out of the air. Flipping the fan open he struck a girly pose and began to fan himself and got the desired reaction when Haruka started to laugh. Flipping the fan shut he gingerly tossed it back to her. "You are going to have to get better if you want to be able to hit me with one of those you know."

Haruka slipped the fan back into her belt and felt her spirit ease at hearing Keitaro laugh hoping that not all of her cousin was lost to that hell hole. "I take it you have met some of your room mates." Hearing the sigh she knew she had guessed right. Keitaro suddenly straightened up. "Wait what do you mean roommates?"

Haruka could have smacked herself for letting that slip. "Granny Hina wants you to take over the dorm as manager." She was expecting Keitaro to blow up or faint but when he started to laugh she was stumped.

"Oh that is a good one Haruka what's next that Hina turned the inn into a all girls dorm." Keitaro chuckled expecting HAruka to laugh but as he saw her nervousness he felt his humor starting to fade. "ummm your making me nervous here Haruka I thought you were just messing with me."

Haruka shook her head. "Sorry Kei I am not joking Hina really wants you to run the place. By the way how did you know that she turned it into a girls dorm?"

Keitaro just stared at his cousin unsure whether or not she was yanking his chain deciding to fall back on his hard earned tricks he lifted his goggles to reveal his eyes. Haruka took an involuntary step back at the sight of Keitaro's eyes it felt as if the two toned eyes were staring deep into her soul. "Dear cousin I hope this isn't a vain attempt at humor because it isn't funny there is no way that Granny Hina would put me in charge of an all girls dorm. I know she is getting up in age but there is no way she is that senile."

Haruka swallowed her throat feeling suddenly dry. "Yes she might be going senile but I am not trying to pull one on you. She filled the paper work already I am just waiting for the official copy to get here but as of this time you are in charge of the Hinata Dorm."

Keitaro let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled his goggles back down. "From one hell to another type of hell I wonder what the fuck I did to piss of the cosmos to have deserved this."

Haruka sighed and reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of money and tossed it to him. "I don't know what you did either but I figured you might need to get a few things from town since you didn't have anything when you came here." With that she turned and walked back into her tea shop leaving her flabbergasted cousin standing out in the darkness.

….

It was close to midnight when the door to dorm slid open startling Kitsune from her relaxed position on the couch. She stared as Keitaro slowly walked into the common room and dropped several bags on the floor before flopping onto the couch across from her. Not knowing what else to do the vixen gestured to one of the sake bottles sitting on the coffee table. Keitaro reached out and took one of the unopened bottles and nodded his head to the young woman as he broke the seal. Kitsune watched in interest as he tipped the bottle back and took several long swallos before putting the bottle down with a pleased sigh.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier and I apologize if I came across a bit harsh." Kitsune wasn't sure what to think but her thoughts were interrupted by the tv when a breaking news cast was being displayed reaching out she took the remote and turned the tv up a bit more to hear what was going on. "A young woman who called and reported the attack says that she was saved by as of yet unknown male wearing goggles. She claimed that she was attacked and dragged into an ally way by several men who in the process of stripping her were ambushed. The hero as it may seem then told the young woman to run before launching himself into the gang. When police arrived at the location they found four dead bodies along with two unconscious individuals who upon running a check were wanted for rape and murder in Okinawa. While the police may frown on Vigilante activities the victim in this case I am sure is thankful for the actions of this vigilante." Kitsune muted the tv and stared at the young man across from her.

"What? "

Kitsune just shook her head and took another drink of her sake. "I take it you are going to be staying with us for a while?"

Keitaro shook his head and sighed. "Oh how I wish but it seems my senile relative has decided that I am going to be running this place. Though what that old bat was thinking is beyond me."

The young woman across from him choked on her sake and started coughing trying to clear her airway before she started laughing. "Oh that is rich you had me there for a minute Granny putting you in charge of an all girls dorm."

Keitaro was grumbling as Kitsune barely kept herself from falling off the couch with her laughing he stood and made his way to his room flopping down on his futon as his sake binge claimed him.

….

The morning air was split by a scream so loud it sent the roosting birds into flights of terror dogs howled and people looked up trying to figure where the sound had come from. Haruka bolted up the stairs towards Hinata Sou she had been preparing to open for business when she had heard the scream she knew instantly and she acted instantly. Slamming the door open she turned the cornor leading down the hall and slid to a stop outside the managers room without any preamble slammed the door open only to catch Naru as she fell on top of her. Shoving the trembling brunette off so she could stand up and stepped into the room sliding the door shut behind her, she heard a small whimper and turned to see Keitaro propped up against the wall both hands holding his groin as his body trembled in either controlled rage or extreme agony she couldn't tell. Looking up she saw the wooden board leading to Naru's room was open and she looked at her obviously tormented cousin.

"She jumped didn't she?" A nod was her only response as she heard Kitsune laughing from down the hall.