A/N: Here it is - a little longer than most so far. I know they're short so far (I've gotten soooo many complaints about that), but they will get longer! Have faith! Things have got to develop and time will skip as appropriate. I am thoroughly impressed with the amount of reviews I've gotten on this fic - and the amount of folks who were avoiding it who are now on board - I love you guys! Keep the input comming and let me know where you would like to see the fic go - cause I still don't know either! Enjoy!
Chapter 8
6 months later
Ruri age 7
And so Ruri learned to dance. He also began learning the intricacies of conversation and etiquette as well as a multitude of other things that, while not officially 'lessons', were vital to the role he was learning to play.
Hikaru was stunned at the boy's aptitude; he soaked up all she had to teach him like a sponge. He was always eager, even when the lessons were mere repetition of the days and weeks before; he was unbelievably flexible, more like most young girls were at his age but the strength of his sex.
She had been very careful in their lessons to stress that while the skills he was learning were traditionally associated with females, he was not female and should not act as if he were.
The Kazekage had been very specific in his instructions and she knew he checked up on her and Ruri frequently. The boy was to project an air of femininity but not present himself or refer to himself as either male or female.
The Kazekage wanted an honest deception.
She could almost pity the boy and road he was on – not a Shinobi but with all the skills; all the knowledge of a woman but not one. He was becoming a collection of 'almosts' and she hoped the strain of such an existence didn't break her little pupil.
And today…
Today Ruri would meet the Council of Elders of Suna – the Village Hidden in the Sand. The Kazekage had scheduled it such that most of the Elders would be present but it would be a short interview due to a meeting with the Leaf village representatives shortly after – rumor had it that they had misplaced their own Jinchuriki.
It was an excellent gamble – not a long enough amount of time for the young boy to trip and expose himself, but with enough members present that it didn't appear as if the leader of their village was hiding something.
Now they just had to hope that Ruri could pull it off.
Ruri entered the council chambers silently; sending an unspoken prayer to whomever paid attention to such things to let him get though this without embarrassing himself or his sensei, who he knew was watching from some hidey-hole in the room.
Kneeling on the cushion provided he managed to get the wide sleeves of his black and white kimono to spread just so. Bowing his head made the bells and white wisteria blooms hiding his still too short hair rustle and jingle softly.
He rested his hands on his knees, fingers spread wide to display the green enamel on his fingernails that matched the green shadow over his eyes.
Hikaru hadn't wanted to do much with makeup for him due to his gender and, luckily, his restriction to the indoors had made his complexion so white that he was able to skip the white face paint most Oiran had to use. Hikaru had merely applied a light dusting of white powder, the eye shadow, black mascara, two small dots of blush on his cheeks and a coat of pink lip gloss.
He was glad he hadn't had to go through the normal Oiran makeup ritual - what he already had on itched and he wanted to wash it off as soon as possible.
Hikaru watched the meeting via a peephole drilled though a portrait hanging in the room. It was a secret niche for an Anbu special-ops guard to use when delegates from other villages visited and only when the Kazekage ordered it…
Well at least she was an Anbu - the best, actually, in the Seduction and Espionage unit.
No one would ever know she'd been spying and she needed to observe how well Ruri handled himself under pressure.
Lord Okudara was the only elder missing and that was perhaps a blessing. The man was the lead medical specialist in the village and if any of them could pick up on the fact that Ruri was not what he seemed it would be him.
The men laughed at something Ruri said and Hiraku was glad to note that there was actual amusement in there and not merely the indulgence of an adult to a child. She wished she was close enough to hear what was said but it was not a guards place to hear the business of his betters and so the peep hole was placed accordingly.
She could tell though that the six Elders were responding to the boy as an adult, exactly the outcome they were trying to achieve – well except for Lord Iwata. Hikaru noticed the dangerously lustful spark in that one's eyes and vowed to keep watch. That kind of look led to unhealthy obsessions.
Ruri didn't need any more trials in his life.
Hikaru was proud of the fact that she was a Shinobi – a Shinobi that had managed to talk herself out of every confrontation she'd ever found herself in. Oh she'd killed people, but those were planned assassinations and on her terms. Strategy, planning and a silver tongue were the truest skills of an Oiran and watching little Ruri interact with the most hardened men in the village cemented her decision to train the boy as her protégé.
She watched Ruri rise gracefully to his feet and leave the room. She couldn't hear their words but she could make out a few words and read their body language, the men were happy with Ruri and with the Kazekage's decision to pair the child with Gaara.
Ruri had the gift. He would be her successor. She just had to figure out how to teach him her more deadly skills without Yashamaru and the Kazekage finding out…
