AN: Thanks to everyone for the reviews (Over 100!), story alerts, favorite story and favorite author adds. Was having writers block so I hope this came out fine.

"Otouto – younger brother"

Important at end note.

Chapter 10

"Say it, say it, say I'm a genius." Kitsune laughed quietly as she drank her fifth glass of sake. "I spent the whole of last night with Naru, listening to her complain about Kanako. Naru gave me all the ammunition I need."

"Should you be drinking that much, It's only ten in the morning and we need to carry out our plan soon." Motoko was worried that Kitsune's alcohol problem would ruin the plan they worked on.

"Oh please, it's night time somewhere in the world." Kitsune chuckled as she struggled not to burp.

"Let us revise the plan again." Motoko said wanting to make Kitsune's mind was still intact.

"Fine, you're going to go and rile up Naru while I get Kanako angry at our favorite red head. Then we just sit back and watch the magic happen." Kitsune slurred but Motoko understood.

"You have a serious problem, you know that." Motoko sighed.

"Me? Problem? I think not." Kitsune sneered as she poured another glass.

'This is bad. Kitsune's drinking has reached a new level of ridiculousness. She needs to get help but if she continues on like this there's no way that Keitaro could fall for her unless she becomes really easy when she's drunk in which case she and…' Motoko thought before shaking her head to remove the mental images.

"Are you okay?" Kitsune asked looking at Motoko who looked crazy.

"No I'm fine. We should get ready." The kendo girl answered.

"Get ready for what?" Su asked as she barged into Kitsune's room.

Motoko was frozen and didn't have an answer.

"Get ready to transfer ownership of that banana plantation when you fix Seta's PDA." Kitsune answered.

"Bananas." Su drooled.

"Was there a reason you just walked into my room without knocking?" Kitsune asked.

"Oh I almost forgot. I'm almost done repairing it. I just need a few parts that will be delivered in two days." Su smiled.

"So we'll be able to find Keitaro in two days." Motoko exclaimed as she grabbed Su by her shoulders.

"More like three. It's going to take me an entire day to wield each individual part back together." Su replied.

"You haven't told anybody else about our little deal have you?" Kitsune questioned.

"No one. I don't want to share my bananas with anyone." Su answered.

"Good, very good." Kitsune laughed before she started coughing.

"All that sake is not good for you." Motoko said.

"Well all that sword stuff is not good for you either." Kitsune countered.

"Su would you excuse us. Kitsune is not feeling well." Motoko ushered the foreigner out and closed the door.

Kitsune stumbled around her room before she dropped onto her bed.

"You need to pull yourself together. This is not the time for you to get drunk." Motoko scolded as she tried to snap Kitsune back to reality.

Keitaro stood in the middle of the lobby with broom in hand feeling really uncomfortable as Tohsaka stared at him. At first he thought it was his imagination, then he figured she was just watching the door but it became clear she watching him.

Konowe came down the stairs and walked over to Tohsaka. She had a large duffle bag hanging off her shoulder.

"I won't be coming home tonight. I have a tournament and we're going to be staying there for the next two days." Konowe said as she turned to leave.

"Konowe before you go let me ask you something. Is it me or does Keitaro only have two sets of clothes that he alternates." Tohsaka asked quietly not wanting Keitaro to hear.

"Well actually I do." Keitaro answered shocking Konowe and Tohsaka. The women didn't sense him join them.

"You've been spending too much time with Mizore. You're picking up on her habits." Konowe laughed as she left.

"Keitaro, am I not paying you enough?" Tohsaka asked.

"It's not that. It's just when I first got here I didn't think I'd be staying for so long so figured the clothes I had would be enough." Keitaro answered.

"So how long do you intend to stay here?" Tohsaka questioned.

"I'm not sure but I do want to stay." Keitaro tried to answer but really didn't.

"Good morning." Tohsaka said looking past Keitaro.

Keitaro turned around to see Takeru in his usual jogging suit about to head out. Just like he did always he just nodded to Tohsaka and growled at Keitaro.

"Morning Takeru." Keitaro waved.

"..." Takeru responded with a grunt as he walked towards the door.

"Why do you always treat Keitaro like that otouto?" Tohsaka asked.

"Wait, otouto?" Keitaro said shocked.

"Yeah, so what of it?" Takeru stopped. "She only calls me otouto when she wants to annoy me."

"So you're his older sister." Keitaro affirmed.

"Yeah, by five whole minutes." Tohsaka smiled.

"That means you are…" Keitaro struggled to remember the right word.

"Don't hurt yourself, we're fraternal twins." Takeru filled in the blanks for Keitaro.

"Takeru hates it when I call him otouto." Tohsaka snickered.

"If you're Tohsaka's twin does that mean you have the same gift as her?" Keitaro was curious.

"Yeah but compared to me, my sister is little less than a novice. She likes to only see the good in people where I prefer to see everything. I saw your entire soul when we first met that day." Takeru answered.

Keitaro remembered the piercing dark black eyes that struck fear into his heart when he first saw Takeru.

"I didn't like what I saw." Takeru said as he left.

Once Takeru was gone Keitaro was left thinking what Takeru saw inside him that was so bad.

"Don't worry too much about it. Takeru has a habit of only focusing on the negative and ignoring the positive." Tohsaka tried to cheer Keitaro up.

"What's wrong with him?" Mizore asked as he appeared from nowhere.

Nobody reacted because with Mizore this was normal.

"Takeru told him he didn't like what he saw in his heart." Tohsaka explained.

"Don't let Takeru get you down. He doesn't really like anybody. That happens when you only fixate on the bad." Mizore picked up where Tohsaka left off.

"I guess so. I just want to know what he saw." Keitaro sighed.

"I have some really good news." Mizore informed Keitaro.

"Good news. I'd like to hear some good news." Keitaro tried to crook a smile.

"That's one of the fakest smiles you made yet but anyway, the regular restaurant critic is sick and they needed someone to do the restaurant he was scheduled to do and they picked me." Mizore exclaimed.

"Wow that's great. This is what you've been waiting for, a chance to show the editor you got what it takes." This time Keitaro had a real smile.

"I need a favor from one of you. The restaurant suspects that some will be there to review it so if I show up alone they might catch on to me and treat me differently and then I wouldn't be able to write a fair article. Could one of you go with me? Konowe is going to be out of town and Asuna has her shift to cover tonight." Mizore clasped her hands together and made her eyes as big as possible.

"I'm going to be really busy. I have a lot of work to catch up on tonight." Keitaro apologized.

"I can't leave this place; it would fall apart without me. You should ask Takeru to go with you. He should be free tonight." Tohsaka suggested.

Keitaro began to think about Mizore being at the same table as Takeru. He just couldn't picture Takeru being sociable.

"You know what, don't bother Takeru. I'll work twice as hard to catch up on my work before tonight and I'll go with you." Keitaro smiled.

"Really? Thanks Keitaro. Be ready at about eight, I'll make a reservation for eight-thirty." Mizore squealed as she left for work.

Once Mizore left Keitaro sighed as he prepared and left to finish all the work he accumulated while his body was still stiff from Konowe's fitness tests.

Kitsune stumbled into the Hinata café with a terrible headache as the midday sun shined brightly. There four other people in the café that were being taken care of by Shirai and Haitani who were really taking to their new jobs. Kitsune found herself a chair and sat down with her head in her hands. Just like the fox planned Kanako was one who arrived at her table.

"What do you want? If you're here to try and get information on my brother you can forget about it." Kanako warned.

"Huh, I just need a coffee. We're all out upstairs." Kitsune played the dumb drunk.

With the smell of sake all over Kitsune, Kanako easily bought the ruse. The adopted Urashima left the table and came back with a cup of black coffee.

"Thanks Kanako, you're actually really nice despite all the things Naru's been saying." Kitsune mumbled as she tried to sip the hot coffee.

"What has that witch been saying?" Kanako asked as she sat down across Kitsune hoping to get information from the intoxicated fox.

"I couldn't say. I don't know if I should. She said it to me in confidence." Kitsune moaned.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Kanako smiled slyly.

"She was going on about you being crazy, irrational, ridiculous, irrational and unreliable." Kitsune said purposely repeating irrational hoping she would get a reaction but she got nothing.

"Is that all, just meaningless words." Kanako grinned.

"I'm glad you feel that way." Kitsune hiccupped.

"Why? Did she say more?" Kanako's grin disappeared.

"More? I had to stop her from talking so she could breathe." Kitsune laughed. "She said the only reason you're so concerned with your brother's love life is because secretly you're trying to sabotage him."

"Why did she say that?" Kanako asked wanting a reason.

"She said because of the way you act you're never going to get a proper man to fall for you and you're going to be alone. She said you don't want to be alone so you'll make sure your brother ends up alone as well. Then you will have each other. I think Naru is just being the crazy one." Kitsune whispered.

"How dare she say something like that? I love my brother and I just want him to end up with someone who loves him back, not someone who thinks of him as a possession." Kanako replied angrily.

Kitsune smiled on the inside as her plan was working. "Naru was being crazy last night, after a few glasses of Sake she tore in Keitaro as well."

By now Shirai and Haitani had joined Kanako and Kitsune, Shirai to be next to Kanako and Haitani to try and peak at Kitsune's cleavage.

"Well it was more like a rant. She kept saying how much effort she put into beating the perversion out of him and that's she's not going to allow another woman to steal him away. I think it was the sake talking." Kitsune chuckled as she finished off the coffee.

Kanako was angry but Kitsune needed to push her over the edge.

"Oh yeah, she also called your mother a bitch for saying that another girl could be a hundred times better than her." Kitsune said as she rested her head on the table.

That was the catalyst that Kitsune needed as Kanako woke up from the table in a rage.

"I'll destroy that red headed witch!" Kanako growled.

"You might want to wait till Hina goes out. Granny has a meeting the town elders at nine." Kitsune pretended to sleep talk.

"Fine, nine tonight." Kanako smiled.

Motoko was pacing outside of Naru's room she was unsure about what she was going to do. Kitsune had an easy job. All Kitsune did was repeat what Naru had said. Motoko's job involved lying and saying the right lies to invoke the right response from Naru.

Naru opened her door and found Motoko pacing outside.

"What do you want?" Naru asked eyeing the kendo girl suspiciously.

"Nothing, nothing." Motoko panicked and tried to leave.

Naru grabbed onto Motoko's shoulder and held her in place. "There's something you're not telling me. What are you scheming?"

Motoko shrieked and pushed Naru away before quickly dashing away. As she tried to run she felt a dark presence willing her back towards Naru's room. Motoko knew what this was; it was the spirit of the house. She wanted to reach for her bokken and try to repel it but this darkness was giving her new found confidence.

Motoko turned around and began walking to Naru who was still standing in her door way. Motoko then started staring down Naru. The red head felt intimidated looking into the focused kendo girl's eyes.

"You don't deserve Keitaro." Motoko stated plainly.

"What? Are we starting this again?" Naru asked as she took a step back.

"I don't know but I do know if you really wanted to find Keitaro you should have tried harder." Motoko began to make her point.

"I really don't understand what you are saying you crazy kendo girl." Naru was starting to lose her patience.

"Clearly Kanako knows something about Keitaro's whereabouts. If you really loved Keitaro you would have fought tooth and nail to get his location out of her." Motoko shouted.

Naru lost all her in anger in one instant. 'Maybe she's right. I should have, I should have been more insistent. That gothic witch knows where my Keitaro is. She has to know. I have to get the location from her.' Naru thought.

"Are you even listening me? Why didn't you make her give you his location? Is it you don't love Keitaro enough?" Motoko questioned.

"NO!" Naru responded loudly. "I tried but granny Hina stopped me. If I try again she's going to stop me again."

"Looks like you will have a chance to prove yourself tonight. Granny has a meeting with the town elders at nine; you know one of their secret meetings. If you truly care about Keitaro you'll make Kanako tell you then." Motoko said as she walked away.

Naru didn't respond instead she just slammed her door shut.

Both Motoko and Naru thought the house was empty with Su, granny and Shinobu gone shopping. What they didn't realize was that Shinobu had returned home early from the shopping trip because she was feeling under the weather and was in her room. The young cook heard the entire thing and pieced together that Naru was going to fight Kanako that night at nine.

"I have to tell granny." Shinobu sat up in her bed.

"Why?" A voice in her head asked.

Scared and panicked Shinobu looked all over her room.

"Don't be afraid, I'm your conscience." The voice stated.

"My conscience?" Shinobu said confused.

"Why must you tell granny?" The voice asked.

"So she can stop Naru and Kanako from fighting." Shinobu tried to rationalize.

"Why?"

"So Naru sempai doesn't get hurt." Shinobu continued.

"Get hurt? Sempai got hurt when Naru punched him. Why didn't you stop her then? Don't stop this fight. Naru needs to learn that violence is not always the solution. If you stop this fight you will be robbing her of this important lesson. If you rob her of this lesson when sempai returns Naru is just going to continue beating him. You should let Naru get a taste of her own medicine so she can grow as person." The voice argued.

"My conscience is right. I shouldn't stop this." Shinobu said as she went back to sleep.

"That's a good girl." The voice said as bodiless shadow left Shinobu's room.

Keitaro walked through the second floor completely exhausted after rushing to complete all his work so he could accompany Mizore on her first restaurant review. Then a thought hit Keitaro, what Tohsaka had said this morning. He didn't have a nice outfit to wear. He grabbed his hair in frustration and pulled.

"Are you okay?" Asuna asked as she exited her room and gave Keitaro a confused looked.

"I was just thinking about tonight." Keitaro admitted.

"Oh the big dinner. This is Mizore's first big break." Asuna smiled.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to go. I have nothing to wear. I only have …" Keitaro was about to explain but Asuna finished for him.

"Two outfits that you rotate." Asuna completed.

"You've been talking to Tohsaka." Keitaro chuckled.

"Yeah, she asked everybody if they noticed." Asuna laughed.

"What am I going to do for tonight?" Keitaro went back to being depressed.

"You could buy a new outfit; God knows you need some new clothes." Asuna suggested.

"But I want to look presentable and I know I have a terrible sense of fashion." Keitaro admitted.

"Hmmm, are you busy now?" Asuna asked.

"No, I just finished up all my work." He answered.

"Great." She said as she clapped her hands. "Get your wallet, we have four hours before you need to be ready and I'm going to take you shopping." Asuna smiled.

Before Keitaro knew what was happening he found himself following Asuna into a shopping mall. Even though it was four in the afternoon there still large crowds and bright store signs. Keitaro kept an eye for sale signs in display windows and on clothing racks, he had cash but he didn't want to spend it all. He was so busy looking for a store he almost bumped into a group of teenage girls who were walking and texting but Asuna pulled him away.

"There!" Asuna exclaimed as she pulled Keitaro into a clothing store.

She led him past clothing racks, shelves and displays to the formal clothing section. There she began rummaging through the different outfits looking for one that would suit Keitaro. He just smiled as he joined in her in searching for an outfit.

"Tonight try and keep Mizore calm." Asuna said as she looked at different shirts. "She's going to making a lot of mental notes and she might just stress herself out."

"I understand. If she does well it could mean a lot towards getting a proper column in the paper." Keitaro replied as he wondered who wears the clothes that were on shelf he was going through.

"Perfect!" Asuna said as she held a white dress shirt with thin vertical black lines on it against Keitaro to get a measurement.

"I could pull this off." Keitaro joked earning a genuine laugh from Asuna.

Asuna pulled Keitaro to a rack of jeans and asked to pick a cut he felt comfortable with.

"Are you sure jeans are okay?" He asked.

"Trust me. For a dinner like this jeans will be perfect. You should go with a light blue." Asuna said as he picked his size.

With the shirt and jeans in hand they moved onto the shoes. Here Keitaro didn't even say anything other than his size. Asuna grabbed a brown derby dress shoe and they were moving again.

"This will put the whole outfit together." Asuna smiled as she showed Keitaro a collection of sports coats.

He slowly walked and examined each one. He wasn't sure until he found a light brown that reminded him of the one his father used to wear.

"This one is perfect." Keitaro said as Asuna nodded in agreement.

It was almost eight and Keitaro was waiting in the lobby dressed in the clothes he bought earlier. He was unsure whether he had used too much cologne and was nervous. He didn't know why he felt so nervous, it was just dinner, right?

Tohsaka sat on the front desk looking at him and making comments loud enough so he could hear and take note. Asuna had already left for her night shift. As Tohsaka giggled Mizore came down the stairs wearing a red cocktail dressed that finished just on her knees.

Keitaro wanted to say something but didn't know what.

"The editor said I should wear this. Apparent Asuna suggested I should wear it to appear normal." Mizore smiled.

"Say something." Tohsaka whispered loudly snapping Keitaro out of his state of dumbness.

"You look really amazing, b…b…beautiful." Keitaro stuttered as Mizore blushed slightly.

"You two should get going. Mizore good luck and just relax. Keitaro take care of her." Tohsaka waved good bye.

A taxi took the two from the inn to the restaurant. It was a really good restaurant, one Keitaro wouldn't normally visit. As soon they entered Mizore brought up her reservation and they were shown to their table. Once seated Keitaro got over the initial shock of how fancy the place was and fully checked it out.

Near the entrance of the restaurant were benches along the wall near the hostess stand for people waiting for their reservation or an opening. On the center of the roof was a chandelier while each table had candles inside unique flower centerpieces.

Keitaro could hear the other people talking and laughing but yet he couldn't think of anything to say to Mizore.

"I don't why this feels so weird." Mizore broke the silence.

"I'm actually feeling nervous, haven't pick up on the weird as yet." Keitaro smiled.

"I guess it feels that way because you were kind of forced to join me." Mizore looked at the table.

"No way, I wasn't forced. I wanted to spend time with you but I don't know." Keitaro tried to explain but failed.

"I guess it's hard for both of us to explain how we feel about his night." She laughed softly.

"I think you're right. This atmosphere here has the sense of a first date." He said.

"I know what you mean. Things would make more sense if this was a date." She replied.

"Hmmm, you're right." Keitaro grinned as if he just had an idea.

Mizore looked at him waiting for him to say something.

"Ahem, Mizore would like to go out with me on a date to the fine establishment we currently are in?" He asked

"I'm so flattered, yes I would like that." She answered. "Wow, I suddenly feel a lot better about tonight."

"Yeah, but now I'm under a lot of pressure to make a really good impression." He joked.

"Pressure? I have to juggle a first date and restaurant review so I win." She countered.

Keitaro leaned back on his chair and stared at Mizore for a few seconds before sitting normally again.

"What was that for?" Mizore asked a little self coconscious.

"Truth is this like the first proper date, without feeling scared that I've ever been on. I just wanted to take it all in." He admitted.

"You something, me too." Mizore confessed. "I was really hoping you would take the lead here."

They both started to laugh.

"I don't much about dating but I would really like to get to know you better." Keitaro revealed.

"That sounds like a good place to get things going." She smiled back. "You seem like someone who has a lot to say."

"Yeah, I have a lot but it's all mostly boring." Keitaro shrugged his shoulders getting Mizore to laugh. "Let's save me for another time, I want to hear your story since you already know so much of mine."

"Fine, just remember you asked for it."

It was just after nine and Naru was making her out of the Hinata to confront Kanako down at the café but was surprised to see Kanako waiting outside of the Hinata. Behind Naru were Motoko and a visibly drunk Kitsune with sake in hand while Kanako had Shirai and Haitani.

"Kanako, think about it. You might do something you regret. Naru has no training what so ever. You'll destroy her in an instant." Shirai tried to talk Kanako out of it.

"Here's your chance to prove yourself." Motoko whispered to Naru.

The two women involved step away from their friends and closer to each other.

"YEAH! CAT FIGHT!" Haitani shouted out of excitement.

"Seriously, now?" Shirai looked at his friend.

"You used to be fun." Haitani complained.

"Go Naru; put your mouth where your money is!" Kitsune babbled while taking a swig of sake.

"Oh you are pathetic." Motoko mumbled while looking at Kitsune.

"It's not too late Kanako. We can still walk away." Shirai called out.

"Naru, Naru, give her; give her one of your, your, whatever you call them." Kitsune laughed drunk.

Naru and Kanako completely ignored everyone else as they stood two meters away from each other. Their eyes met and if looks could kill they both would have died on the spot.

"I'm going to enjoy beating sense into your thick skull princess." Kanako broke her knuckles. In her mind she was fantasizing the fight, building it up far beyond its reality. Her tongue slowly left her mouth to wet her lips as her body tingled all over from the anticipation.

"You're dead wrong; I'm going to enjoy beating Keitaro's location out of you." Naru balled her fists. Her chest felt tight as her mind replayed Kanako's past displays of physical dominance over and over. A groan escaped her mouth as she began sweating but it was too late to back down now.

Kanako vs. Naru in the next chapter!

How did you like the chapter? Should Keitaro's and Mizore's date work out?

Now for the sad news. Its exam time… which means no update till mid June. Really sorry.