"You look ridiculous." Lang said, chortling. The three had not gotten far before the geisha bunny had apprehended them and practically dragged the three back into the restaurant, chattering in constant Japanese none of them understood in the slightest. Then they had set upon Su and Wing with avengeance.
The result was a pair of white-faced, red-cheeked, grinning assassins with elaborate hats placed over their ears. Lang had also donned a hat, purely to keep out of sight of Jin.
"I really wish I could stop smiling right now. I'd look even stupider if I started tearing your guts out." Wing growled.
Lang laughed harder and pounded the table with his fist.
"At least Wan is safe." Su mumbled, while Wing kicked the lupine from under the table.
Hei Zei's stomach growled loudly. The raccoon turned to the restaurant once more. Nobody said 'no' to him and got away with it.
"I told you it's couples-" The raccoon's fist cut short the repeated phrase, and a moment later he walked in as if nothing had happened.
Chibiki chuckled. He had wanted that to happen for years.
"I think you look beautiful!" Jin exclaimed loudly after Wan's own Geisha makeover was complete. Considering her smile wasn't fake and that it hadn't taken three rabbits attacking her face to do it, the fox's statement wasn't too far from the truth.
"Aw, thank you Jin! I think you're very beautiful too!"
"I think you're always beautiful!"
"Me too!"
"D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" Chorused the restaurant.
Except Hei Zei, he gagged. Then spotted Jin and let his jaw drop and his eyes widen.
Jin spotted him too, and suddenly seemed flustered. "H-Hei Zei. W-what are you doing here?" His paw scampered wildly and sent a poor teacup off of the table.
Wan spun around as well. Her eyes wide with fear. Everything had been going perfectly...
The raccoon barely registered her. "J-Jin I was j-just-" Following you like a suspicious parent. You have a girlfriend. Of course you have a girlfriend. You were just hiding her from me. The raccoon glanced briefly at the disguised Wan. She looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place her. "Do I know you?" His eyes narrowed at her. He did know her.
Wan took the first idea she could think of. "Hugefangfang chingchong changchang guan Jin-sama ha?"
Hei Zei blinked. A Japanese girl. Who didn't understand what was going on. No wonder she looked slightly frightened. He sighed deeply, dragged his paws over his face and looked Jin right in the eye. "Look Jin. I'm sorry. I figured you were hiding something from me and I got worried. Really worried. I thought you were a-" Killer. I thought Jin was a killer. How am I the smart one? "I thought you were doing something... I thought... I thought you were a killer Jin. I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just th-that- can you just forgive me?" I really suck at apologies. This one is way too soppy.
Jin felt guilt tear at his heart. Here I am, lying to my brother. Well... What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? "Of course I forgive you!"
"D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" Chorused the restaurant.
Except Chibiki. He gagged as he marched towards his and Buruto's table. He hated Waterfall Into Bed, and one day, he was going to tear the stupid romantic restaurant apart.
Inwardly, Hei Zei breathed a sigh of relief. His suspicions were false, thankfully. Jin had just not wanted to get him involved in romantic and personal affairs. That was perfectly understandable. "Well... I'll just-" he pointed a claw at the door indicating that he was about to leave-when he caught sight of Lang laughing at two grinning girls. "Lang!?"
Chibiki ate the stupid heart-shaped sushis, chewing hungrily at them. Where was Sutoaraiki? Where was Izumi? Surely the shapeshifter wasn't capable of taking them both on. Why if the raven hadn't been there he'd have crushed the little thing into dust!
Lang's laughter died in his throat, and he spun around to face Hei Zei.
"Lang?" Jin asked confused.
"Su?" Wan asked, before adding. "Wingchanglangaifeichangkukukelou!"
"Su?" Hei Zei asked. "Su... Su..." He let the name roll off his tongue before looking directly at Su. "Su Wu?"
All were silently watching the little raccoon as his paws clenched into fists that shook with anger.
"This is not what it looks like." Lang started, but the wolf shut up at one look from Hei Zei.
Then Su had a great idea. "Chincha gua fen hug?" She said, looking at Wing.
"Figugugu guatamela!" Wing said instinctively, nodding her head ferociously.
Hei Zei blinked. What the hell was going on?
"Su means 'I love you' in Japanese!" Jin screamed the words the second his mind conjured them up.
"D'AAAAAAWWWWW!" The restaurant echoed, clearly believing that Jin was confessing his love to Hei Zei. One old man even had the audacity to stand up and clap.
Chibiki gagged. He needed to get out of here! "Buruto finish eating now! I'm going to be sick if this place 'd'aws' one more time!"
"I-it does?" Hei Zei wondered aloud.
"It does!" Jin insisted. Then gave a loud (forced) laugh. "Su Wu? In Japan? Honestly Zei-that's just ridiculous!"
Lang joined in, as did the three japanese girls. Laughing uproariously, so that soon the entire place was laughing their heads off. Except Hei Zei, the little raccoon was torn between feeling stupid and hating the Wu sisters, who were standing in front of him... Or were they? They certainly looked like the Wus, except the make up. Wing at least would never have put on that Geisha outfit. And Lang? Lang had nothing to do with the Wus. He hated them almost as much as he did. But it made sense. Jin had been with Wan and Wan had escaped. Lang had been with Wing and Wing had escaped. Had they truly escaped? Or was there more? Jin had always liked Wan more than he should have...
"It was an honest mistake Zei." Jin said with a casual smile. Please, just leave it at that. Don't dig deeper. Please!
Was that smile lying to him? Jin wasn't a good liar. Or was he? He was lying. He was definetly lying. No he's not! Stop being so darn suspicious! "Right. Just to clear this up. I'll count to three. At the end of it, both of you tell me her name."
Jin and Lang traded one, brief, petrified glance, which Hei Zei did not miss. The raccoon's paws curled into fists once more.
"One." He said, hoping they would stop looking so tensed. It did not ease his suspicions.
Yin sounds nice. Thought Lang. I'll say Yin.
"Two." Why were they still so rigid?
Mei Li is the most common girl name ever. Jin thought. Lang should say that too!
"Three." Hei Zei finished with a low growl as beads of blood dripped from his paw as his claws dug into his own flesh. He had already figured it out.
At the same time both Jin and Lang said 'Mei Li' and 'Yin'.
Hei Zei growled deeper, his fists shaking. "You lying-"
"Yin!" Yelled Jin, backtracking wildly.
"Mei Li!" Lang said at the same time.
Hei Zei glared angrily. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't be beating you both bloody!"
"Mei Yin Li!" They both yelled in desperation.
"Fugaka gutree gumpa gaga!" Wan said dramatically, pretending to faint.
Hei Zei was boiling with rage, growling loudly as he raised his paws. Then suddenly the whole restaurant got between him and the others.
"BURUTO-SAMA HAS JUST EATEN AN ENTIRE TABLE! THE ENTIRE TABLE! THE ENTIRE TABLE!" Everyone rose up, clapping proudly. And the Wus and Lang and Jin disappeared from view.
"You hit him too hard you idiot." Sutoaraiki said scowling.
"He'll come round! And when he does we'll shove that down his throat!" Izumi snapped back, indicating the hornet's phial.
Buruto carved his name into the wall in a massive heart with the names Chibiki, Izumi and Sutoaraiki.
The black bear ignored the chatter and 'aws' of the company, already threatening to loose his breakfast.
If it wasn't for the bustling and cheering crowd, Hei Zei would probably never have come face to face with that heart. Chibiki, Buruto, Izumi and Sutoaraiki. The Brotherhood of Bloodspilt Hands.
He remembered the large, black bear and found him in the crowd, staring right back at him.
The recognition was instant.
Saras woke up. Two blurred figures were standing over him. "Am I in heaven?" He asked, dazed.
Izumi opened his mouth wide and Sutoaraiki let the liquid drop into the fox's open mouth.
"I told you he'd come back round." The bobtail said in a smug voice.
Something fell into his mouth and a moment later he swallowed it. It tastes like water, but it was clearly not water. Then a moment later he felt energy shoot through his body while his mind went numb.
Recognition painted the raccoon's bandaged face, and Chibiki knew the game was up. In a blindingly fast manouever he drew his katana and charged the smaller mammal. Hei Zei hopped into the air and out of the way of the blade, which skewered a table. The black bear recieved a pair of lightning fast kicks to the face, in return.
By now the customers were gasping in awe and shock as Hei Zei was flung across the space, landing in the fountain. Chibiki was upon him in moments and sliced the fountain apart, spraying cherry sauce everywhere. One of his swings sliced the smaller mammal at the chest, blood sprayed gruesomely from the gash. Hei Zei scrambled to his feet, tossing a teapot at the bear as he tried to put some distance between him and his opponent.
Unfortunately he ran into Buruto, who lifted him by the throat, squeezing tightly at the raccoon's windpipe. Desperately, his claws tapped at the ape's arms, but he could find no nerve point. The gorilla threw him to the ground. The air flew out of him and Chibiki was bringing his sword down when a crossbow bolt sent the attack off course.
"I don't think so!" Jin said, grinning as he pointed his other crossbow at Chibiki's head.
Dazed, Hei Zei watched as Wan sprung from out of nowhere, her roundhouse kick catching the ursine on the nose. Jin then flung his entire crossbow at the bear's nose.
"Aw! You hit him in the same place as me!"
"I aimed for the same place as you!"
"D'AAAAAAAAAW!" Said everyone.
Except Chibiki. He roared and drew his kusarigama, which he spun around his form with elite precision.
Buruto grabbed an entire table and hurled it at Jin and Wan, who, lost in the moment, wrapped one another in a deep hug, like two doomed lovers. The table exploded into splinters as Su and Wing tore through it with their vortex. The chunks of candy scattered across the restaurant like delicious rain. The two sisters split up to either side of Jin and Wan. Lang pounced into the group pose as well, holding up a stool he had acquired.
"Zei, are you okay?" Lang asked cautious.
Hei Zei grunted and stared at his chest. Blood had soaked away most of the bandages and the cloak as well. He tried to push himself to his feet, but the sudden pain dropped hinm back to the floor. "No..." He finally spat.
Jin looked stricked and Lang too looked pained, but above all Su noticed the compassionate glance Wan had sent at Jin. Loosing Hei Zei would destroy Jin and destroying Jin would destroy Wan. She had to help this... She tried very hard to hate the little mammal, but he looked so helpless, bleeding on the floor, even if he was glaring hatefully at her. It was hard to hold a grudge after ten years.
"I can fix him." She said, as nonchalantly as possible. She wondered how stupid she looked with her ridiculous forced smile.
"No... Not you..." Pitifully he tried to writhe away.
"I don't want to save you." She snapped, still grinning. Gods she hated those Geisha girls. "But you're imortant to my sister's boyfriend. I'm not doing it for you, or Jin. But for my little sister."
"D'AAAAAAAAAAAAAW!"
He tried to complain more, but eventually relented with an extremely stiff nod.
"Right Jin and I will take the bear. Lang, Wing just take your rage out on that ape and we're good to go."
Footnote: This chapter had multiple title options. 'Waterfall Into Bed' was one. 'A Confusing Crisis' was another. Though I think 'D'AAAAAAAW' sums it up best it couldn't beat 'D'aw, Gags and the Brotherhood'. Next chapter we see what happens with Sutoaraiki's 'truth serum', we get to see the Brotherhood work with the Sisters against another Brotherhood. The next chapter will be a big'un. Though I can't promise we'll see Han Guan, Reidak or Denko XD