One of my first attempts at writing an OC/Shikaku story. I scrapped it because it would need to be slow burn, and I didn't have the motivation for that.
"It won't work, they will remember you."
"Oh no, they won't."
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Because you and sensei are suns, and I am in your shadow. Very few people care about shadows, Minato, even among ninja."
"That's not true. Sensei, tell her."
"As much as I'd like to make some poetry about her being a moon, she has a point Minato. If she dies now, no-one will remember her, no-one else than us. She'll be just another young chunin killed in action."
"It's for the best, Minato. I'll miss you, but to help you I have to die today, alongside Hideki."
oOo Twelve years later oOo
The daimyo arrived to Konoha with great pomp and his usual retinue. While Shikaku had to be present, he stayed in the background for most of the proceedings and used the opportunity to watch the poisonous ants swarming around the leader of Hi no Kuni. While most of them were the same old schemers he had learned to know, he noticed a new face during one of the evening celebrations.
She was drifting around the room, seeming at ease among the Daimyo's wife and her friends who treated her like their own, or among the ministers who welcomed her like a high profile geisha. She had the grace and countenance of one incidentally, and yet was dressed like a noblewoman. She also carefully avoided any ninja mingling among the crowd. Some people even went out of their way to stay between her and a shinobi.
Shikaku caught Inoichi's eye and waited for his best friend to join him, following the lady from the corners of his eyes.
"I see that Lady Chieko caught your attention," Inoichi murmured, putting his back to the woman so their attention wouldn't be noticed. The Yamanaka always knew everything about everyone: gossip was one of his hobbies and information gathering his specialty.
"Who is she?"
"The tutor of the daimyo's youngest daughter. Minor nobility, great mind. She has been a favorite of the court for three years now. She has the Lady Shijimi's ear. Having successfully tried her hand at marriage counseling, she got upgraded to private tutor six months ago. One of the best matches for ministers and noblemen, but she's a widow and using it to her advantage."
"Widow?"
"Her husband was killed in one of the last skirmishes with Kumo. She was saved just in time by a team of ours and moved to the capital thereafter. Fearful of shinobi since, she's known as a pacifist, and the Twelve Guardian Ninja themselves have orders to leave her alone."
"How convenient."
"Well, to her credit, the last time one touched her she had a panic attack. It made quite a fuss," Inoichi noted, but he was frowning and watching his friend intently. "Something wrong?"
"She looks… familiar. Like I met her before."
"On a mission?"
"Maybe," Shikaku murmured, but he didn't think so.
A young jounin passed by. Inoichi gestured for him. Asuma stopped by with a casual smile. "Inoichi-san, Shikaku-san. What can I do for you?"
"Lady Chieko. You met her, didn't you?"
The former member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja blinked, voluntarily didn't look in the lady's direction, and nodded. "Sure thing."
"What can you tell me about her panicking around shinobi?" Shikaku asked.
"You're asking if her phobia is real? Well, if it isn't, she's the best actress I have ever met. She startled every time she caught sight of me. It dissuaded me to be seen, that's for sure."
"Her panic attack?"
"Definitely real, although the circumstances were special."
"How special?"
"She had been threatened just before, of rape, and Jiro could be scary when he wanted. I told him to let Tou deal with it but too late."
"I see. What's your opinion of her?"
"Kind and wise. Independent and educated. She's not really the ambitious kind. She just wants men to leave her alone, mostly. I liked her, she was one of the good ones. She doesn't despise shinobi despite her fear. She's aware we're necessary. She just doesn't want us anywhere near her, which, you know…" He shrugged. "Fair enough, I guess. She never made our job harder on purpose, which is more than I can say for some."
"I see. Thank you Asuma."
Comforted that nothing foreboding would come from this woman anytime soon, Shikaku redirected his attention on more pressing matters.
o
The next day, their paths crossed in the gardens of the Hokage's mansion where a lunch party was organized. She spread out her fan as soon as she noticed him, hiding the bottom of her face and looking down at the ground rather than at the flowers as she had been doing.
Shikaku kept walking calmly until they were a few meters away from each other. He was watching her intently. She wasn't unforgettable. Her long black hair was tied in an ornate bun in the way currently in fashion at the court. She was tall and a little curvy but nothing out of the norm. She could be confused with many others from the back. Her face — pretty but plain — was covered in layers of makeup smoothing her features, and yet…
When they were closed enough, he stopped and moved to the side to let her pass. He bowed his head.
She slowed down, just enough to bow back before quickly leaving, but she had looked up for a second and their eyes met.
He watched her leave silently.
He knew where he met her.
o
Later that day, Shikaku took advantage of the first moment of peace they had to corner Minato, look him in the eye and asked: "Is Reiko truly dead?"
Minato looked back calmly. "She warned me that if anyone might notice it would be you."
Shikaku breathed in sharply and took a step back. "So it's her. Lady Chieko, it's her. Your teammate."
"And your first kiss, yes."
"Not so dead after all, is she?"
"Not so much, no."
"She's spying for you. She has been spying for you, or rather Jiraiya-sama, all along, didn't she?"
"She's the apple of his eye. For years, she didn't want anything to do with espionage, and when she caved in… he was right… she was the best there ever was. Tell me, would you have noticed anything wrong if she hadn't seemed familiar to you?"
"No."
"Asuma never did either. No-one ever notice. Very few remember her as my teammate."
"She grew up… and there aren't any pictures of her anywhere, not at your office, not at your house," Shikaku realized slowly. "On purpose."
"Yes. You're right, years and a lot of makeup do wonders, but she isn't as banal as she pretends to be."
"Banal isn't the word I'd use," Shikaku agreed. He wandered in the room, smoothing his goatee. "She has been infiltrating the court for three years. What did she do before that?"
"That's confidential information, Commander," Minato replied calmly.
