Hey everyone! I'm sorry I'm late. I know I promised but I was kinda blank. So this is to express my apology.

Aging & Assurances

Misao was having one of those days again. She felt the years crawling up to her, ever so slowly. No matter what Omasu and Okon said, nothing never worked.

"You are only 20! For kami-sama's sake, Misao!" Okon tried to comfort the said aging girl.

"20! Girls get pregnant twice at twenty!" Screamed a sobbing Misao. Omasu's even-we-didn't-find-our-man-at-20 didn't work. That usually calmed her down. But today, was an excellent exception.

"Today I'm 20! Then I'll be 21 and then I'll be 50!" Misao was inconsolable, or so it seemed. But nobody dared question that 50 never came after 21. "Look, I even have grey hairs!" Young maidens didn't, but neither of them questioned that either as they tried to find the grey lock that disturbed the youngest shinobi so. Failing, Omasu chirped,

"Where? I cant find any."

"Its because your eye-sight has gone weak, YOU OLD WOMAN!"

Omasu shot back instantly. "Who are you calling an old woman you OLD MAIDEN!." At least she was married now. Ooops! the wrong thing to say! Misao had already broken into dramatic sobs .

"I'm never going to find love! I'm already an oldie! Aoshi-sama's never going to look at some grey-haired, fat, ugly grandma like me! I'm ruined! Whose going to marry an obaasan like me!"

"I will." The reply came from a monotone, male voice. Apparently, Misao's sobs had reached the Okashira's office from her quarters.

"You will, Aoshi-sama?" Misao blew her nose, and wiped her tears as she asked again, while Aoshi tried not to be disgusted by the nose blowing. Not that she didn't believe him, she just wanted to be sure.

"Aa.." With that Aoshi returned to his office. And once, again, Misao had burst into violent sobs. But this time, they were tears of happiness.

Downstairs, Aoshi groaned as he bitterly thought, not again.

...

Aoshi hated going to the market. He absolutely despised it. You want to know why? Because he didn't like it when people said,

"Its such a shame that a hunk as Shinomori-san has aged so fast." A teenager whispered to her best friend as they eyed the accused.

There you go again. In the above said circumstances, his only place of comfort was his wife's warm embrace. So, he did.

"C'mon Aoshi-sama! You are not that old!" Misao tried to comfort her distressed husband.

"What do you mean by that old?" Came Aoshi's muffled reply from within Misao's arms.

"I mean , you're old but not that old." Clarified she. Aoshi instantly pushed away from her and glared at his young wife. "Oh! Aoshi-sama!" Misao lovingly pulled him back. "No matter how old you are, I will always be only ten years younger than you!"

There, she did her best didn't she? But may be her hubby didn't agree as he muttered, none too assured,

"Did you really have to say that?"

Heroes & Hide-outs

"AOSHI-SAMA!"

Aoshi to the rescue. In a moment Aoshi was by Misao's side who was bellowing from the kitchen , at present hanging by the window panels.

"What happened, Koishi?" Nothing can ever hurt his wife in his presence. Umm, or without it. He reminded himself to add it.

"Make it go away! Please! Please!" The only thing that was left for Misao to do was climb out the window to the roof. Aoshi's trained eyes searched for the culprit. Oh! There it was.

Aoshi determinedly stepped towards the enemy. You little eight legged freak! You dare to scare my wife? Shinomori's wife? Today is the last day you will see the light of this world...of this kitchen he corrected , as he threw the small spider out the other window.

He turned towards Misao with pride

"Oh! Anata! You are my hero!" Misao jumped down and rewarded him with a heated kiss.

Aoshi gloated mentally. After all, he'd saved the day again.

...

"AOSHI!"

Aoshi flinched as he tried hard to disappear within the shadows of the store house. He might be the Okashira of the Oniwabanshu, but he was just a husband to his young wife.

"AOSHI! I know you are here. Come out, now!" Misao commanded. Her eyes were on fire. She was furious.

"Please, Misao try to understand...I.." Aoshi tried to reason weakly.

"So, you are here, in your secret hide-out. Come-out, young man! You have a promise to keep." Now, Misao was getting impatient.

"But Misao I never said..." Aoshi was frantically search a way out of this. None but Kami could save ! His merciless wife. How had she coaxed him into this!

"Now, now. Anata, you don't want to upset me, do you?" Finally, Misao tried a different route.

No, he didn't. Last time he had, Misao hadn't let him touch her for 17 whole days and nights! So, defeated he gave up and tiredly surrendered to his smirking wife.

"That's my good boy!" She patted him affectionately as they walked to their bed chambers.

That night, the world barely survived a sever heart attack as they witnessed Shinomori Aoshi visiting the festival dressed in a pink and purple silk kimono accompanied by a over-joyous Shinomori Misao.

Tata!

Pls review!