NINE
She just stared up at him, confused and unsure if she heard right, and with it she was also a bit shocked. Bee was a bit shocked with himself as well. What could've possibly gotten over him to blurt out something like that out of nowhere? And to a woman he had just known for a few hours, no less. She must be thinking of him to be insane in some way, more than just being shocked of his words.
He let go of his hold and brought that same hand to the back of his head, attempting a laugh to make it seem as if he had just made a joke, as he stepped away from her a little.
"So we can celebrate, yo!" he laughed. "What's with that look?"
The samurai-girl doubled back and seemed to have remembered herself. "Oh. I thought…" she trailed off, not sure if she should voice out what exactly she had thought the jinchuriki meant at first.
At her words Bee mentally kicked himself from behind, while still grinning from ear to ear as though wanting to convince – both her and him – that his intentions were to humor her other than focus on the fact that he acted out without thinking it through. He was very much relieved when Arashi finally took this as a cue to step in between them.
"Well then, why don't we celebrate some other time?" the blue-haired kunoichi said, looking over from Bee then to Chitose. "For now, I think it's about time you come and see your new home."
"New home?" Chitose's brows met in a confused frown, allowing Arashi to take her by the arm and lead the way.
"You'll need a place to call your own now that you'll be staying here in the village," Arashi explained, as they started to walk away from the dojo. "It's nothing extravagant, just a small apartment I managed to obtain with A-sama's help."
Chitose simply nodded her understanding, while Bee followed the two women from behind just as before. He thought it best to hang around in the backgr0und behind them this time, and perhaps even stay that way until all this is over.
Eventually the day ended with them having accompanied Chitose to her new apartment with Arashi showing the fridge filled with the groceries she bought prior their tour around town. Bee had watched on with interest as Chitose repeatedly thanked his sister-in-law, promising she would soon repay the kunoichi in whatever way she could possible. Arashi on the other hand just kept insisting that it was nothing and that she did it as a favor to a friend. Not for the first time that day did Bee wondered how much these two women could get along quite well, despite the fact that they've only known each other a few days. Also, Arashi seemed rather happy.
When they finally decided to retire for the day to and leave Chitose to herself and settle in at her new residence, Bee couldn't help but give a fleeting glance around to check if the ANBU were still around. Though he couldn't see them, he knew that they were near, and he assumed some of them would be posted around the area to keep guard. Another precaution measures on his brother's side, no doubt, and Bee still questioned if this was necessary at all.
"They're going to keep an eye on her all night, aren't they?"
Bee snapped his head towards his sister-in-law, walking beside him with her gaze kept forward.
"I don't have to be a Sensory Type to know," she said, lowering her head for a moment before looking up to him with a small smile. "My husband is the Raikage after all."
Bee nodded. "Brother is still not okay with you being friends with this ronin," he offered. "I still think he's being paranoid."
When she looked away, her smile broke into a grin. "I'm sure he means well. I could almost adore him as a wife could for worrying over me."
He mostly kept his thoughts to himself that time, for as Bee looked down at his sister-in-law from another country, he wondered if it was possible for "Ara-chan" in getting close to adoring his brother just as a wife could, and perhaps more.
Just as soon as the newly hired help left, Arashi turned to her husband and took this moment to voice out her thoughts.
"There was no need for you to get some help around the house, A-sama," she stated, straight to the point. "Really, I could still do the chores. It's just as simple as washing the dishes and cooking our meals, and keeping the house clean and tidy."
"Except that you shouldn't be moving around too much nowadays." A walked over to his wife, encircled his one good arm around her waist, and led her to their room. "Come, it's about time you get some sleep." He had pulled her so close to him that, he could feel her warmth through the fabric of his Kage haori.
The sudden closeness of their bodies sent a fluttering feeling to her chest, but Arashi managed to ignore it to be able to give a reply, as she looked up to her husband's face. "I can still manage to do the little things, even walk around the village. You need not worry too much about me, A-sama. Not when you have other things to worry about."
He glanced down on her before removing his arm around her waist to reach for the door knob. "You mean the up-coming Chunin Selection Exams?"
"I heard this will be the first Chunin Exams where all Five Shinobi Nations would be attending." She entered their room, now so very familiar to her, from the very sight of it to the subtle unique scent it had.
"It is," he confirmed, watching her as she sat down on the bed. "But that's why I have an assistant, and people to help around."
"I wish I could at least have a part in it," she sighed, half sad and half hopeful. "Even if it were just a little part, or maybe at least see the exams." She beamed at him. "I would surely want to see how the finals would go about."
Her smile seemed so bright it was as if she was glowing with her own inner light. Or perhaps it was because she was indeed glowing? Was this what they meant about when a woman is pregnant and has this glow about her? But somehow that did not matter to A, what he understands is he likes seeing his wife smile.
"We should get some sleep." He looked away to prepare the futon, else he feared that his lips might tug at the corners and cause him to smile in response to the pregnant woman seated on his bed.
"Perhaps it's about time you stop using the futon, A-sama."
Looking up, A stared at his wife as if he wasn't sure what she meant.
"Don't you think it's high time we" – she patted the covers – "shared the bed?"
The Raikage blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Are you sure? We don't have to hurry into it."
She smiled at him reassuringly. "It's alright, after all we would have to, eventually. I think it's about time."
When her husband said nothing and still stared at her, Arashi was just about to think that he was not yet ready, until he started to move towards the bed. Towards her.
"We might as well, then," he said as he took his side of the bed.
They slipped under the covers, awkwardly at first, until they were both settled in. None of them moved for a moment, as both tried to become accustomed to each other's closeness, their mere presence while lying on bed together. A took in some air, carefully breathing in, before releasing it in the same manner. He felt ridiculous for feeling a bit unsettled the way he did that moment. He was simply in bed with a woman who had been his wife for quite some time now – a woman he had consummated their marriage with in the very same bed – and he still felt unsettled with simply sharing the bed with her. What was happening to him? He's the Raikage, for crying out loud! Was it him, really? Or this woman, who was lying in bed not less than a foot from him.
Suddenly he felt movement to his left. Arashi had scooted over towards him, carefully placing her hand on his amputated left are, and buried her face into the very same arm. He could feel her warm breath against his skin, sending a strange chill coursing through his body. And he wasn't sure if it was a good kind of chill, or bad. But he found that he liked it for some reason. Just like many things about her.
He stared at the top of her pale blue head, her face hidden from his view, and felt every bit of fiber in him going soft in the most peaceful of ways. Slowly he felt his eyes grew heavy, before eventually closing them completely and surrendered to sleep, comforted with the fact that his beautiful young wife was beside him.
She was all set and ready to go. Chitose have had a rather good breakfast, the first meal she had eaten which she had prepared for herself and had rather enjoyed cleaning up the table, even in washing the dishes. She had wiped the newly washed dishes dry and had placed them back on its storage. And just as she was about to turn and start towards the door, she heard a knock. There were three knocks, actually.
Wondering who could it be, Chitose moved to open the door and found herself quite surprised.
Standing outside her apartment was the jinchuriki of the Eight Tails, who smiled at her as soon as he came into view.
"Ohayō!" he greeted her with a grin, making a quick casual but also, a respectful bow with his head. "Ready to go?"
She blinked up at him several times. Then remembered herself. "O-Ohayō gozaimasu, Bee-dono. Of course, I was just about to leave." She closed the door carefully, with a hand to the inside pocket in her kimono-like upper garment, making sure that she had her keys with her. They fell in beside each other and started to walk their way to the dojo.
"Did Arashi-dono send you to accompany me?" Chitose asked, partly out of curiosity, partly out of the need to fill the silence she knew would stretch if she keeps quiet. "She should have not, though admittedly it is rather thoughtful of her."
Bee was looking over the few buildings around to his side, doing it in the most subtle way as best he could, aware that the ANBU were still watching Chitose and were following them at that very moment. He didn't want to alarm the ronin and would rather keep her oblivious about it.
"Ara-chan really likes you," he said. "At least that much I can see. But no, she didn't send me." He looked over to the ronin walking beside him, gazing upon those golden amber orbs of hers. "She doesn't know I came to accompany you on your first day to go to your job."
She stared at him for a moment, a slight frown forming between her brows. "You have come on your own accord?" she asked him slowly. He simply nodded. "Why would you do that, Bee-dono?"
That moment, when he looked into her eyes, something compelled him to say, "I wanted to see you."
She became even more confused. "You wanted…to see me?"
Only having realized what he had said, Bee quickly looked away. Suddenly he found he couldn't hold her gaze. "W-Well, I just wanted to make sure you're alright. B-Besides, my brother wants some eyes to watch you."
While Bee thought of how lame his explanation was, Chitose actually believed him and nodded her understanding of what she thought he meant. "I see," she said, "so you are here on duty of making certain that I would not be taking any suspicious actions. I understand."
There was just a hint of sadness in her voice that found he did not like to hear from her. "It's not like that," he said. "Not really." But the ronin only shook her head to him.
"I've always known from the start that Raikage-dono could not come to trust me enough to be left alone here in the village," she supplied. "And with Arashi-dono involved, it is quite understandable. So if you must keep watch of me I have no right to complain."
Bee felt like explaining to her that, though she was right about his older brother not trusting her, he wasn't there out of orders or of duty. He was there because she was the first thing that came to mind when he woke up that morning. That for some reason, he suddenly felt like going to see her. In fact, he wasn't even sure she'd still be in her apartment and had gone and went to her place on a whim. But he realized that he couldn't simply tell her the truth. Because for some reason, he was afraid of how she would take on the truth if he really did tell her.
They continued on their way in silence, neither one of them dared to utter a single word to the other. Meanwhile, the villagers cast curios looks towards them, some just a glance, others looked at them a little longer. But only Chitose took notice of this, who chose to ignore it, while Bee was completely oblivious, lost in his own thoughts.
When they finally neared the dojo, Bee stopped within a few feet from the entrance. "This is my stop."
"Oh, I see. Thank you for accompanying me." Chitose bowed.
"Can you find your way back home on your own?" As soon as the words escaped his lips, Bee was silently praying she would say no, as if in hopes of escorting her back to her apartment and be with her again no matter how short a time. Though he was still not sure why.
Chitose looked around as if surveying things around her. "I'm quite certain that I've come to familiarize myself with the walk from my apartment to here. I should be able to retrace my way and make it home on my own, Bee-dono. Thank you for your concern." She offered to smile. Despite having been slightly disappointed of her answer, Bee returned the smile with one of his own.
"I like that. You should smile more often," he said. "Smiling makes you look prettier."
She blinked and stared at him for a moment, not sure what to make of his comment. And just as Bee was about to take back the last thing he said, she smiled once again, but she took her time with it, now and made it so that it was a much sweeter smile. Bee felt as if the air was knocked out of him.
"If you say so, I'll be certain to do just that." She thanked him for another time, and bowed to him respectfully before turning to enter the dojo and meet the dojo master.
"I'll take it to mean that she likes your compliment," said Eight Tails out of the blue.
When one member of the small band of Kumo ANBU that A appointed to keep watch on the ronin in his village came to his office that morning, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear about Bee in the report.
"No, I'm quite sure I didn't give any orders to Bee about keeping close to that woman," he said over his desk. "Are you sure about what you saw?"
"Positive, Raikage-sama," confirmed the ANBU. "Bee-sama came to her apartment and escorted her all the way to the dojo. Also…"
A's eyes narrowed upon the ANBU's hesitation. "Also what?"
"We still have yet to confirm it, Raikage-sama. It's still just a suspicion."
"What is?" A made an effort not to scream out the question, but his irritation was quite apparent in his voice.
"We…suspect that Bee-sama have some kind of interest in the woman, Raikage-sama."
A wasn't sure if he liked what he heard. He dismissed the ANBU, and made it clear that his orders still stand. The samurai woman would be watched. Just as soon as the ANBU disappeared from the office, he went to contemplating about his brother.
Bee, what are you up to?
"Raikage-sama?"
A didn't look up to the owner of the voice, and instead kept his gaze forward and said, "Find Bee. Send him here. Immediately."
Fusa bowed. "Yes, Raikage-sama."