Reunion
Sonnie
"Good, he's finally got a name to go with the face."
"Huh?" Tenten glanced at the young blond boy in front of her. "What are you talking about?"
"All Asazaki has talked about this entire week is 'blah, blah, blah, hot brunette, blah, blah, blah' et cetera." Shukuchi muttered. "Honestly, it was like he'd never seen an attractive woman before."
Tenten smiled at the tiny patches of pink creeping into Asazaki's face. "Jogging hottie in the flesh, huh?"
"You told her?" Asazaki groaned, glaring hard at Rikichi and Chiie.
"Tou-chan's got a big mouth," the little blonde girl that had been standing next to Shukuchi grinned, shrieking as Rikichi scooped her up. The action had Chiie clinging to his neck for dear life.
"Wait, you're her dad?" Tenten blurted out.
"Yeah, this is my oldest daughter, Sachi-chan," Rikichi showed her off proudly to Tenten. The girl was about six, a few years younger than her teammates. She was, however, quite tall for her age.
"You have more children?" Tenten asked the pair.
"Well, Rikichi does, but I sure don't." Chiie laughed as Rikichi dropped her gently on the ground. At Tenten's confused look, she smiled playfully. "You didn't think we were a couple or anything, did you?"
Tenten blinked. "Actually…"
Chiie and Rikichi laughed as if this were the funniest thing in the world. Sachi laughed too, her young voice as dulcet and clear as a bell.
"What is going on here?" Sakura asked to no one in particular.
"I have no clue," Shikamaru sighed.
Neji was carefully observing Tenten around this Asazaki fellow. The latter was clearly infatuated, that much was true; his demeanor was completely different than before.
It seems she has that effect on people, Neji noted dourly as Tenten's smile made Asazaki smile back.
"This little reunion is nice and all, but aren't we scheduled to be somewhere?"
Kenji's bored drawl sapped a great deal of cheer from the group. Rikichi rolled his eyes, Chiie ignored him, and Tenten was about to snap back before Asazaki put a hand on her shoulder. After a few hurried whispers between the four, Chiie, Rikichi, and Tenten were off, heading towards some unknown destination.
"Where are they going?" Neji was somewhat relieved Sakura asked the question that he'd been thinking too.
"They're going back to the hotel to get changed and they're going to meet us at the conservatory tonight."
"Why? None of them are involved in any of the official proceedings." Kenji's dismissive tone made Sakura bristle.
"Well, I thought that after the talks we could take advantage of the beautiful recreational facilities." Asazaki's smile was placid as he rejoined the group.
"You sound really cheerful all of the sudden." For the first time, Shukuchi's dark-haired teammate spoke.
"That's because I just scored myself a racquetball match with Jogging Hottie, Amaya-chan." Asazaki stretched leisurely; Sakura was reminded of a black panther the way his sleek muscles rippled. He patted Amaya on the head, something she shrugged off with practice ease.
"Now that you know her name, I think it's best you use it," Shukuchi muttered. "At any rate, we've allowed ourselves to be delayed too much. We'd best hurry there or Takayori will be left waiting."
What a bossy kid, Kankurou thought grumpily. He glanced over at his brother, who was observing the child stoically. He noticed Mura was doing the same thing.
Those two reason along very similar lines, he noted. They're really well-suited for working together.
"What's the big deal about this conservatory?" Shikamaru asked.
"It's the most prestigious school of music in the country," Shukuchi replied. "It's not only a music conservatory; recently, facilities have been added to accommodate art and dance. Chiie is a teaching assistant to the head ballet instructor and Asazaki helps teach several painting courses."
"You're a painter?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
"I actually wanted be a tenor saxophone instructor, but Yoshida-san said I wasn't skilled enough yet," Asazaki shrugged good-naturedly. "I don't feel that bad about it, other than the fact he's been practically begging Jou to teach piano there since she was fifteen. Every other music instructor is at least thirty."
"The only thing stricter than the requirements for students is the requirements for instructors," Shukuchi added.
The sudden flare of chakra was immense but the next words spoken were soft. "Ojichan always demanded the best."
Where the hell did he come from? Shikamaru stared hard at the figure who suddenly appeared beside a rather unruffled Shukuchi. The boy merely glanced up at the dark-haired man, the same man that Kankurou recognized from the antique shop.
"Shikami-sensei, it's impolite to startle people," Shukuchi told him simply.
"I'm sorry, Shukuchi-sama."
Shukuchi raised an eyebrow. "That's doubtful."
Shikami smiled at the boy's rather ironic look. "Are you saying you don't believe me?"
As the two bantered back and forth, the ninja teams from both Konoha and Suna were puzzled. Izari had painted Shikami out to be unstable and dangerous, yet here was, joking around with a kid.
Considering that the man killed her husband, she'd understandably be biased against him, Mura thought. But he doesn't seem that unusual at all.
"This is too weird," Sakura whispered to Shikamaru and Neji. "He's too…normal…ish."
"We've only known him for forty five seconds," Shikamaru pointed out.
"I don't think any of us expected this," Neji said quietly.
Any reply to that was cut off as Asazaki took off towards a lone figure running down the street. The woman wore a green coat, black pants, and a red hat.
"Jojo!"
Asazaki scooped Jou up in his arms, twirling her around until she was dizzy and begging him to stop. She laughed as she fended off his bear hug, a rather futile effort.
"Asazaki!" she grinned, messing up his thick, black hair and giving him rather silly kisses on both cheeks.
Wow, this guy's pretty popular with the ladies, Shikamaru noted drolly.
"Jojo, I left, like, three voicemails on your machine. You really need to change your message…I think you hit record because I hear a bunch of talking in the background…"
Kenji sighed impatiently; he made no effort to make it discreet. Asazaki looked affronted as he lowered Jou to the ground. She glanced at Kenji and then at Shikami – something that wasn't quite recognition passed between them before both Shikami and Jou's eyes traveled back to Kenji and Asazaki. Kenji's gray eyes met Asazaki's blue ones for one very harrowing, tense moment before Asazaki turned casually away and faced Jou again.
"I know your birthday was a few weeks back…wanna go out and celebrate?"
Jou laughed, her feet slowly leading her away from the group. Her smile was genuine but her body language was anxious. "The last time I partied with you I ended up with a tattoo."
"But it's a really great tattoo!" Asazaki called after her, throwing up his hands in confusion when she saw she was walking away.
"Call me later and talk me into it; I've got to go! It was nice running into you!"
"Yeah, you too," Asazaki's frowned when she was out of sight, something about her behavior was a little off. He saw the odd looks he was getting from his audience. "Jojo's a sweetheart."
"So that's the girl that Yoshida-san wants me take lessons from," Shukuchi said after a moment. He resumed the walk towards the conservatory. "She doesn't look like much."
"It's unwise to judge based on looks," Shikami told him solemnly. His eyes were still fixed on where Jou had run off. "If Ojichan thought she was good enough to teach at his school, then you can be sure that you would learn things from her that you couldn't from him."
"What could she possibly teach Shukuchi-sama?" Kenji asked archly.
"Well, I know Jou-chan could teach you some manners," Asazaki said breezily, smiling at his former teammate sweetly.
Amaya rushed forward and grabbed her brother's arm, steering him away from Asazaki and what was looking to be a fight.
Wow, things are more than a little tense between these guys, Kankurou observed.
These guys are lucky they can keep it together, Shikamaru thought grimly. Why on Earth were they trusted with such a delicate mission?
"What's up with you?" Asazaki prompted Shikami, who hadn't resumed walking with the rest of them.
"That woman looked a little familiar," Shikami muttered distantly. "What's her full name?"
"Rock Aijou. But I didn't tell you that."
"Aijou?" Shukuchi crinkled his nose in distaste.
Asazaki laughed. "Yeah, her name means 'true love.' "
Shukuchi looked positively disgusted. "How utterly…sentimental."
"She's never gone by her full name," Asazaki reassured him. "She dislikes it just as much as you, kid."
"Did you really give her a drunken tattoo?" Sachi asked him curiously.
Asazaki shook his head and grinned. "I was lucky I could stand, let alone hold a tattoo gun. I passed out before it happened, to be quite honest. It was Yoshida-sensei that did it."
Shikami stopped mid-step. Sakura barely managed to avoid a collision.
"What did you say?"
"I said that your uncle was the one who did the tattoo. He did a nice job, too," Asazaki pointed to Gaara's forehead. "It kinda looks like that, only it's right here." He gestured to the left side of his ribcage. "It's the kanji she always drops from her name, and Yoshida insists that even if she doesn't like it, it's still a part of her. Naturally, he decided to 'gift' unto her a permanent reminder."
"What a nice guy." Sachi's tone made it quite clear she didn't view it as such.
"Hey, your dad's got about five or six tattoos, so I wouldn't knock 'em, girly." Asazaki nudged her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with a little ink…even if it's done while the recipient is under the influence of alcohol."
"Sounds like quite a party," Kankurou smirked.
"Well, it was Jou's eighteenth birthday, and eighteen is the legal drinking age here in Yukimura…"
"Translation: you're lucky you woke up with all of your money and clothes on," Shukuchi grumbled.
"You are one jaded kid," Asazaki muttered. "I'm glad I wasn't like you when I was your age."
"You're just jealous because I'm on a team with two girls."
"So? You're too young to appreciate them as women anyway. Kids these days think they know everything."
"You're only twenty years old. I'm pretty sure Yoshida-san would consider you a kid."
As the two bickered, Shikamaru leaned towards Sakura and whispered, "I can't believe the old hag thought we'd be the ones causing problems here."
Sakura nodded, relieved when she saw a sign for the conservatory. It was like stepping into another world – Konoha and Suna had no architecture or plant life like it, nor where they covered in a layer of pristine snow. The grounds were immense; Yoshida had deep pockets, proof was before her.
"Ojichan had this building fixed up and added on to," Shikami told the group. "The conservatory has actually been around for a long time, but many changes accompanied his arrival, the most extreme of which are not visible on the outside."
This place is fucking huge, Kankurou thought.
The exterior of the building was an unusual white stone that Kankurou had never seen before. The ceilings were high and vaulted; as he stepped through the entrance he glanced up and noticed that the even the rafters were immaculately clean. The foyer alone was massive – Shikamaru estimated that it was larger than his apartment. Several of the students nodded to Asazaki respectfully as he walked past. While Kankurou sensed they were curious about the foreign nins, the children didn't stare.
"Sensei!"
A fourteen or fifteen year old boy carrying a cello hailed Asazaki.
"Asazaki-sensei, Takayori-sama is waiting upstairs in Yoshida-sensei's office."
"Has he been waiting long, Hajime-san?"
The teen shook his head. "He just arrived a few minutes ago."
"How's Tomiko holding up?"
"She's doing well, at least as well as can be expected. She's spent all day preparing for this meeting; I'm glad that her preparations weren't in vain," Hajime's pale eyes scanned the group casually but briefly. "I have to get ready for tomorrow's concert. I hope to see you there, sensei."
Asazaki smiled and nodded as his student hurried off with his cello.
"What floor is this office on?" Mura inquired.
"The tenth," Asazaki replied.
Kankurou barely managed to stifle a groan before he realized that the glass enclosure they were headed towards was actually an elevator.
This guy had some serious cash, Shikamaru noted tightly. All twelve people in their group would fit comfortably in the elevator, something that he was starting to half-way expect when it came to this Yoshida guy.
"Shikami, where are you going?"
Shukuchi had paused to question the older man, who stood a slight distance away from the elevator.
"I remembered a matter that needs attending to."
"You're not going to participate in the talks?"
"I'm not even here in any official capacity," Shikami reminded him gently. "I'm only here because of Ojichan."
Shukuchi seemed to accept this response and boarded the elevator. He gave Shikami a courteous nod goodbye before the doors closed. He didn't behave like any child Sakura had ever seen, not even a shinobi child.
"Did Yoshida-san ever serve as your ninja sensei?" she asked him when the elevator started to move.
"He was primarily a music instructor, but he had some very valuable insight to offer on being a shinobi," Shukuchi replied cryptically. The tiniest smirk that twisted the corner of his mouth sent chills down Sakura's spine.
Maybe it's a good thing this Yoshida guy's not around for us to deal with, Sakura ventured. Someone with this kind of money as a possibly enemy is not someone I'd like to think about. But since he's dead, his money is probably going to his nephews, one of which is a total asshole.
"Not many people outside the conservatory ever see Yoshida-sensei's office," Asazaki said quietly. "In fact, most people that attend don't even see it. This will only be my second time up here.
"Are we supposed to feel honored?" Neji's tone was icy.
Asazaki raised a brow; he hadn't expected him to be so directly confrontational.
"Yes, you are."
The elevator doors slid open. The long hallway was decorated with various black and white photographs. One was of Asazaki, Kenji, and Chiie, obviously a genin portrait based on their ages – none of them looked older than eight. Gaara recognized nearly all of the ninjas as Lighning nins they'd met earlier. His eyes lingered on one of Rikichi and what must have been his other children: Sachi and two dark-haired twin girls were smiling happily. It was the kind of family photograph that Gaara had never experienced.
"Things are never as good in real life as they are in pictures," Kankurou muttered, probably thinking the same thing.
"Pictures are records of perfect or not-so-perfect moments," a man replied from the end of the hall, "and occasionally, of perfect or not-so-perfect people."
Sakura felt her jaw drop when she saw the speaker. It was the shinobi from the medical conference. He smiled at her. Sakura would be hard pressed to deny that Asazaki had a blatantly sexual allure, but this man had an intensely euphoric but oddly serene effect on her. His chakra wasn't directly influencing her, but it seemed to infuse the air. And while she could put her finger on it, she knew that others present were meeting him for the first time and trying to explain the tiny shift in the atmosphere.
Takayori opened the door and gestured for everyone to walk inside. The first thought that jumped into Sakura's head was that something was wrong with her eyes; she realized that there wasn't a speck of color in the room, only black and white. The large windows only revealed acres of snow covered trees and a large, frozen lake, hardly the vibrant jolt of color she'd been hoping for.
This room is so…cold, Mura decided neutrally. Even the furniture is colorless. I recognize the glass from the table as a Suna export…it not only costs a small fortune, but the amount of money it must have cost for the shipping was probably just as much.
The ninjas from Suna, Konoha, and Kumo filed in slowly, taking seats at the table that both allowed them to remain with their parties and study their opponents. Even the Lightning nins were studying the room carefully, out of habit or curiosity or perhaps a bit of both.
The absence of color didn't surprise Neji one bit. The Hyuuga household was bereft of color for similar reasons. Colors can be a distraction, as they make it just a little bit harder for doujutsu users to concentrate, especially when their abilities are developing…or waning.
"Tomiko-san, what are you doing?"
A rather harassed-looking woman (Yoshida's secretary, Sakura assumed) was busy struggling to carry a stack of framed pictures out of the room.
"This artwork is…inappropriate for a political meeting," she sniffed, shooting Asazaki a disdainful look; a nude charcoal drawing of him was on top of the pile.
"Tomiko-san, that's not necessary. They're all very tasteful portraits."
"But half of these people are in this room, or at least in this town. It isn't proper."
"You may remove them if it makes you feel better," Takayori conceded. "But please put them back when you're done. Yoshida doesn't like his things moved without his permission."
This guy's dead, Kankurou thought dryly. They're acting like he's going to come back from the grave and punish them for moving things in his office. Geez, this place is huge. I don't even think the council room is this large back in Suna…
"Good afternoon. My name is Ikonji Takayori. I'd like to thank you for coming all this way; it will be worth the trip, I promise. This conservatory is far more comfortable and personable than a hotel; I thought it might be a welcomed change."
He's very…diplomatic, Shikamaru observed. But he's sincere, and he's right about one thing…this office is a lot better than some conference room the hotel could have cooked up. But it also serves to show us how much wealth the country possesses, even someone who fled it eight years ago.
"Kazekage-sama, would you please introduce the other members of your group to us?" Takayori requested politely.
"This is my brother, Kankurou, and my attaché, Mura."
"And Sakura-san, would you please do the same?"
"Hyuuga Neji and Nara Shikamaru."
"This is Nii Asazaki and Kotabe Kenji," both men nodded in turn as Takayori introduced them. "And this is Yuu Sachi and Kotabe Amaya."
There was a slight pause.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Shukuchi asked.
"You're quite capable of introducing yourself, Shukuchi."
"Very well. I am Zan Shukuchi, the daimyo of Lightning Country."
-O-
"I've never played racquetball before," Tenten admitted to Chiie as they traveled back to the hotel.
"You'll do fine, judging by how well you did on the slopes today," Chiie said easily. She was about to continue when she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Shikami, it's not nice to sneak up on people," Rikichi sighed.
"It seems I've been accused of that a lot today," the man said quietly. He gave Tenten a very intent look; she remembered she was wearing his skiing clothes and blushed.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have borrowed these without your permission."
"Oh, it wasn't a big deal that I let Tenten borrow your jacket and pants, was it, Shikami?" Rikichi asked sheepishly.
"It doesn't bother me. I must say, they look better on you than on me," Shikami gave her a small smile, which she returned. No one had ever complimented her in quite that way, almost as if his observations were purely objective.
"Thank you."
"So what's up with you?" Rikichi asked him. "You look a little preoccupied."
Tenten got the feeling most people wouldn't dare say a thing like that to him. She noticed that Chiie was unusually quiet and tense beside her, her green eyes fixed on Shikami as he answered the question.
"You play in a band with a woman named Rock Jou, don't you? Have you seen her recently?"
Rikichi raised a brow in surprise. "Um, I saw her a few hours ago, but that was before we went skiing. What do you want with her?"
"I just wanted to ask her some questions about my uncle, that's all."
"Oh, well, sorry, man, but I can't help you out. You might want to try the other side of town…she's renting a place there."
"I thought she usually stays at Ojichan's house."
"Eh, it probably feels weird to stay in your dead friend's house, wouldn't you think?"
"Of course. Thanks for the information." Before Shikami departed, he smiled at Tenten. "It was nice to have met you."
"Thank you, it was nice to meet you too," Tenten replied automatically. And while she certainly hadn't told a lie, there was just something so different about him.
As Shikami walked off, Chiie's tension seemed to melt away. Only when he was completely gone did her normal energy and spunk return.
"He was a little off, don't you think, Chiie?" Rikichi asked her after a moment.
Chiie shrugged. "He's always kind of off, if you ask me."
"You think he'll be able to find her with those very vague directions you just have him?" Tenten asked Rikichi skeptically.
"Yeah, I think he was just humoring us when he told us who he was looking for," Rikichi told her. "He's perfectly capable of finding her on his own."
"Really?"
"Yeah. The Samura family breeds all kinds of birds; they're known specifically for their raptors."
"Hunters." Tenten's voice was flat.
"Yep. Trust me…if Shikami wants to find her, he will. She should just be glad that all he wants is to talk. Most people aren't so lucky."
"Are you sure she'll be okay?"
"She'll be fine, I promise."
-O-
Daimyo? He's an eight year old child, Shikamaru scoffed, staring hard at the blond boy disbelievingly.
This is Izari's son, from what Mura told me, Kankurou thought. I guess he kind of looks like her—
"I promise that I'll still be around after our talks conclude. Feel free to stare all you want later, right now we have business to attend to."
–He certainly does act like her, though, Kankurou finished dryly. This kid has grown up thinking his mother is dead, and she's spent the last eight years of her life thinking he's dead, too. No wonder she's a little on the frosty side.
"I assure you I have the diplomatic authority to do whatever I wish, and what I desire is open communication with Wind Country and Fire Country. I do not presume to ask for an alliance; such assumptions are dangerous to make after so many years of silence. I do, however, want the path to be open to us in the future."
"Why?"
Shukuchi didn't flinch at Neji's very flat, unfriendly tone.
"I'm sure you've heard all the rumors about our Country. We're in the middle of a civil war, I won't lie to you."
"What do we possibly gain to benefit from becoming involved, especially with what could be the losing side?" Neji persisted.
"Money, what else?" Shukuchi returned coldly. "It 'makes the world go 'round,' does it not? And for as much as you might not want to 'get involved,' I'm sure you would for the right price. Everyone does."
Shikamaru sighed. "You're just—"
Before he could continue Shukuchi held up a hand that stopped him mid-sentence. "Before you go any further, let me tell you something. Being a child does not make me a kid. Do not treat me like one."
There immediate and very tense, very awkward moment of silence that followed was thankfully brief.
"Are you proposing that you pay us to participate in the chuunin exams, because as it sounds now, that's the only way we're going anywhere near your country," Sakura told him coolly. "I don't think there's enough money in the entire world that would convince us to go if things are as bad as I hear."
Shukuchi took a deep breath to calm himself before answering. "Hidden Cloud has lots of old money. This conservatory is only a tiny fraction of the wealth that Yoshida had before leaving Lightning Country. His country home alone employs ninety one workers and the wealth of his estate has been supporting them for the past eight years, despite the fact he has not returned home once in that time period."
Even the Kazekage's office has had to make cutbacks, and this Yoshida guy's still paying a bunch of people he doesn't even see to run a house he doesn't even live in? Kankurou frowned. How the hell does this guy have all that money?
"Yoshida-sensei left all of his money back in Lightning Country, yet so soon after arriving here he amassed the funds to transform this prestigious conservatory into something even more amazing. He has the rich and famous eating out of his hand here in Yukimura; it's certainly not the poor who can afford to attend concerts and plays and operas."
"Charming the rich, an admirable trait," Shikamaru muttered.
"But it's a valuable one," Asazaki said tightly, his expression unreadable.
"Now that my uncle is dead, his money is being distributed as per his last will and testament," Kenji explained. "All of his wealth from this region is staying here in the conservatory; there's no way around that. But the money he's got back in Hidden Cloud will be split between my siblings and myself."
"And the rich keep getting richer," Kankurou muttered.
Kenji shrugged. "That's just how things are."
"Back on topic, I have a very simple, straight-forward proposal for you all," Shukuchi began in earnest. "I'm not going to pay you, not to come and participate in a chuunin exam. I refuse to pay shinobi to basically come into our country and spy on us. But it is in your best interest to come. If we become allies we have the funds and the desire to employ shinobi from your respective countries. Business is business, as they say. But if we do not become allies and power switches hands in our country, you can bet that they'll turn their sights on you. If Hidden Cloud falls, you're all in danger."
"This wasn't quite the proposal we were expecting," Sakura admitted grimly.
"I don't have time for some flimsy veneer of civility or decorum," Shukuchi told her gravely. "I'm telling you exactly what is going on and exactly what to expect. I can't have you backing out half-way through."
"I can't believe your Raikage has agreed to all of this." Gaara was eying the boy distrustfully.
"I'm the daimyo, he hasn't got a choice."
"I heard a rumor that daimyos in your country aren't quite the revered figures that they should be," Neji said icily.
Shukuchi raised an eyebrow. "I should have expected this attitude from you, but you're correct. My father, the former daimyo, was murdered eight years ago by Shukuchi."
"You two are awfully friendly despite that." Shikamaru's voice was low and even.
"Well, it's not as if I knew him. He died before I was born. Shikami undertook the assignment from the Third Party leader."
"If he's working for the other side, then why do you trust him?"
"Because I have my reasons, reasons that need not be discussed here. He's on our side—"
"—But he killed your father—"
"—And my mother, Shikami killed them both, but he didn't kill me. Yoshida-sensei was there and helped deliver me. Before he left Yoshida-sensei was the most prominent neo-natal surgeon in the country. He arrived in time to save my life and departed Lightning Country shortly afterwards. Shikami took me to my uncle Takayori."
This Yoshida guy's been keeping a lot of secrets, Shikamaru mused. He, along with Jou, have been hiding Izari's presence from these Lightning nins for the past eight years. That's not an easy feat.
"Shikami convinced the Third Party leader that killing the daimyo was in his best interest. That was a lie; when it became known that Third Party was responsible for killing the daimyo, a great deal of their support fled. It's been slowly rebuilding since, but my father's death bought our hidden village another eight full years to regain strength."
"And you're sure that Shikami's loyal to you?" Gaara asked.
"Yes."
"Why?" he persisted.
"He told me he was."
Kankurou snorted. "Great answer."
"You don't have to believe in my reasoning, but I do ask that you believe me," Shukuchi said firmly. "Shikami doesn't harm people out of spite. In fact, there are people that he would die to protect, and I know for a fact I am one of them. He's got a notorious reputation for what he's done, but despite being known as a monster, a man is still a man. It doesn't make his heart any less human."
What an odd thing for anyone to say, much less a child, Sakura thought. He's not as serious as say, Neji or Sasuke, but Shukuchi is definitely on the sober side for an eight year old. He doesn't act like a kid at all…
Takayori stood. "I suggest we take a recess. This is a lot of information to digest. If you need anything, feel free to ask myself or Tomiko-san downstairs. We'll reconvene in one hour, how does that sound?"
-O-
Oh God, Oh God, Oh God…
Jou fought to retain consciousness, clutching at her mangled arm, her right hand covered in blood. She stared up at Shikami weakly, eyes wide, as he approached. Just as he reached out to touch her, her world went black.
-O-
"Damn, I forgot something back in the room," Rikichi stopped in the middle of the street, grimacing in irritation. "Why don't you and Tenten just head right over to the conservatory without me? I'll be right behind you."
"What did you forget?"
"My new wrist band!"
Tenten blinked. "You're going over twenty blocks back to the hotel for a wrist band?"
"It's a present from one of my daughters. I told her I'd use it in my next racquetball game."
Tenten realized that Rikichi just wasn't the type to lie about anything, so she wasn't particularly surprised at his reasoning.
"Sure, just hurry back, alright?" Chiie grabbed Tenten's wrist. "I'll race you to the conservatory!"
-O-
Izari stared longingly at the stack of books beside her. Since her address in Yukimura wasn't permanent, she was not permitted to check out books overnight. Yoshida, when he had been living, had repeatedly told her that he could get her any book she wanted; bothering with a library wasn't necessary.
Yoshida-sensei, you never understood that sometimes I just want to do things the way that everyone else does, Izari thought wistfully. Money can buy you a lot of things, but it can't buy you that wonderful feeling of normalcy. Not that you ever knew what that was, sensei.
Sighing, she put her books back on the shelves where she got them; she never liked putting them on the cart for the librarian to put back. It was getting darker outside, even though it was only five o'clock in the afternoon.
Poor Jou-chan's probably wondering where I went. Tenten kind of rattled my cage just by mentioning Kankurou. The last thing I need is to grow attached to more people. Jou-chan's bad enough…I'm just glad that touring with the band is over.
Izari always enjoyed the relative anonymity that Yukimura offered. There wasn't much of an audience for pop music; the conservatory and the Yukimura Philharmonic Orchestra were the only musical establishments with any credibility. Classical music was the only music in Yukimura, at least as far as public appeal went.
I guess this means I have to dust off the old viola, now that the Green Dragons are no longer a group, she thought wryly, the wet, chilly air a welcome change from the hot and dry library. She took a deep breath, pulling the air into her lungs evenly and pushing it out slowly until she felt a familiar presence. She gasped, almost falling to her knees.
Shikami…
Izari clutched her chest in an effort to slow her racing heart. She was starting to hyperventilate, something she hadn't done in years, not since she'd been a shinobi. She never handled surprises well and this was no exception, aside from the fact she felt much worse.
I knew it was too perfect, I knew I wouldn't be able to come here without seeing one of them, without one of them seeing me, Izari thought dismally, waving off the aid of people who bent down to help her.
"I'm fine, thanks, I just need some air," she gasped brokenly, planting her hands firmly on the icy sidewalk as she forced herself to breathe deeply. She felt Shikami's presence hovering just inside her range, just enough for her to detect him.
Ah, he wants me to come to him, Izari thought, smiling darkly. She climbed to her feet and stumbled off, much to the shock of the pedestrians around her. The air was no longer cold and the ground no longer icy…everything outside his presence was suddenly rendered meaningless. She turned onto a relatively unoccupied street and saw a familiar figure at the end of it.
I'm not ready for this, Izari thought dismally, wanting more than anything to throw herself on the ground and cry. Her strength was waning with every step she took towards him. She didn't dare look into his eyes, not until she was close enough to really, really see them.
"Izari."
"Shikami."
Silence stretched on between them as their eyes took in every detail.
She's so thin, Shikami thought distantly, even thinner than when she got promoted to jounin and her mother had just died.
Just as grim as ever, Izari thought wryly, at least on the surface…
Shikami cleared his throat. "Before you say anything, I have to apologize for—"
"For killing my husband and my son? I'm sorry, an apology isn't going to cut it."
"I wouldn't dare apologize for that; I don't want forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. It's about something else. You see, I was alerted to your presence here when I visited an antiques store. I eventually found a woman named Rock Jou, and…"
Izari tensed when he reached into his pocket. What he pulled out was hardly the kunai or shuriken she'd been expecting. It was much worse.
A frighteningly strong, unreasonable rage filled her. Without giving a thought at all to the fact she'd barely done any shinobi training since she'd left Hidden Cloud, she charged him. The brown stains turned red as the sliver of metal that he'd been holding fell on the snow.
"You bastard, what the hell is wrong with you? She's a civilian. I bet you just fucking ripped that thing out without a thought at all, didn't you?!"
"I didn't know what it was," Shikami insisted. "She startled me; that doesn't happen very often, so I reacted instinctively. When I detected the metal I assumed it was a weapon, civilian or no."
"So you just yanked it to you like a magnet, am I right?"
Shikami's silence confirmed her suspicion. She grabbed the front of his jacket.
"Goddamn it, Shikami, you might have screwed up her arm permanently! She's a musician – what is she going to do with a busted arm?"
"She'll be fine," Shikami assured her, in the straightforward and honest manner he always had with her. It pissed her off that he wasn't ever condescending, that he never really tried to make her act the way she did, that it was her own fault.
"That's more than you can say," Izari felt the distantly familiar sensation of her arm hair rise as the lightning built up in her palm. She felt the energy pour over her hand and prepared to send her clenched fist into Shikami's right eye.
"Izari!"
Izari paused midair at the sound of a familiar voice. The lightning currents died around her palm as she straightened up. A choked sob escaped her throat as she turned in anguish to face the speaker.
-O-
Kankurou paced the empty studio that the Suna delegates had decided to meet in and discuss their progress. It had been Yoshida's personal music room and was completely lined with a large fish tank.
It'd take a small fortune just to heat these tanks, Kankurou thought. What a waste of money, mporting all these silly fish…
"The head delegate is a pretty cool guy," Kankurou stated, referring to his demeanor rather than his social status. "He's a lot more relaxed than anyone else in that room."
"The daimyo is very emotional, I think, though he controls them well for someone his age," Gaara observed. He was in the dead center of the room; water made him uncomfortable, and the fact it was being used in what he considered a distastefully frivolous and wasteful way, he wanted to avoid close proximity to it.
"I can't believe he's Izari's son," Mura muttered. "If those Lightning nins find out that she's still alive, that she's here…"
"Shikami does know," Kankurou said absently, remembering what happened at the antiques store. "Apparently when she first arrived here eight years ago, she sold something very unique. He saw it in a shop earlier today and recognized it."
"That's why he isn't here right now, I'm betting," Mura said. "He's probably looking for her."
"The only connection she still had to any Lightning nin was Yoshida," Gaara said. "But he was killed almost a month ago."
"The only person that knows about her would be Jou…" Kankurou trailed off, not liking where this was going. "She was in an awful hurry when we saw her last. She was probably on her way to deliver a warning."
"Against a shinobi, especially one as strong as Shikami, she probably didn't make it that far," Mura said quietly.
"He seems to genuinely admire Yoshida," Kankurou reminded them. "I don't think he'd go killing one of his uncle's best friends, do you?"
"I don't buy Shukuchi's story about Shikami intentionally sparing him," Gaara said gravely. "It just doesn't seem…logical."
"Well, if Izari knows her former teammates as well as she says, and I'm venturing that she knows a lot more than we think, and she says that the man is really unpredictable, maybe he did intentionally spare the kid. But that would mean that he was against Third Party and Izari seems to think that he's a member…"
"We need to gather more information on what really happened that night," Gaara advised. "I get the impression from what Mura has told me that Yuu Rikichi and Chiie are quite forthcoming with information."
"Did Chiie ever give her last name?" Mura asked.
"Well, it's possible she doesn't have one," Kankurou said. "I mean, Gaara and I don't, and neither does Tenten. It's not that uncommon."
"At any rate, she and Rikichi will definitely talk. Nothing strictly classified, but they're more than willing to share a lot of personal information about shinobi if you ask."
"I can't believe that guy's a dad," Kankurou muttered. "The man's not ugly, but he's so skinny and goofy."
"In Izari's report it's obvious she's rather fond of him," Mura recalled absently. "And he does seem like a nice guy."
Does Izari like nice guys? I'm certainly not a nice guy…
"That brother of hers is very difficult to get a handle on," Gaara said. "At the end of the meeting he didn't appear to be in a hurry, but he definitely had a destination in mind when he left the room. I wonder where he was going."
Mura shrugged. "It's probably not that important. Things are tense, but honestly, I expected much worse."
-O-
"It's the girl from before, the one we met on the streets," Shukuchi told his uncle as he bent over the dark-haired woman. Her blood had stained his pristine white shirt a violent red. He moved to check the wound and her hand, surprisingly strong, moved to stop him.
"I'm a doctor, it's alright, you can trust me," he told her soothingly.
She shook her head violently. "No, that's not it. Shikami—"
"He was the one that sent me the message about you. This was an accident."
"I know, I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but you have to listen to me. Please."
Takayori looked into her dark eyes earnestly. "I'm listening."
"You have to bring him back here. He's somewhere still out in the city – if he wanders around enough he's going to run into her."
" 'Her'?"
Jou slipped back into unconsciousness again and his question remained unanswered. "Shukuchi, I want you to find your teammates and summon them here. Then I want you to find Shikami and bring him back here."
Shukuchi nodded. "Yes, Ojichan." A few hand seals later and he had disappeared.
Takayori's eyes lingered on the puff of smoke before returning to Jou's face. She wasn't beautiful, not in the way that he had imagined. Yoshida had often described her as being so, and from someone who could be as superficial as Yoshida, Takayori hadn't expected someone that looked so…
I wouldn't say ordinary, but there's plenty of people I see everyday that are more striking.
Takayori cleaned the wound and proceeded to mend the shattered bones with chakra. He was impressed that she had stayed conscious long enough to give him what she considered a piece of critical information.
It would be a shame if the injury impeded her ability to play musical instruments, he thought sadly. I have to admit, I'm rather curious to discover what it was my rather finicky friend saw in her. He was always very selective about who he spent his time with.
Amaya and Sachi rushed in, the latter staring in horror at Jou.
"Oh no, what happened to her?" she asked, approaching the bed.
Amaya closed her eyes. "My brother…"
-O-
Izari stared at Rikichi blankly.
"Hi, Rikichi."
Rikichi waved back numbly. Without a word, he walked forward until he was less than an arms length away. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him in a fierce bear hug.
"Izzie."
Izari didn't have the energy to bristle at the hated nickname. She felt like she was fifteen again, the night before her sixteenth birthday and wedding. Shikami was silent just as he had been, observing his two teammates as Rikichi blathered on and on as he attempted to sort out his feelings. He still held her hands as he drew back to study her.
"Oh, Izzie, you're still so skinny…Shikami and I were hoping you'd round out a little after you had your baby, but I guess your genes are hard at work, the bloodline burning the midnight oil. I got married too, less than a year and a half after you left. I've got three daughters, and I'm going to have a son soon, I'm so excited! I married Ayase, and you said I couldn't, no way in hell, remember? You said you'd buy me dinner at any restaurant in Hidden Cloud and Shikami bet me the same thing…you should have seen the place we went to. It was the most expensive place in town. I've only been there once and I'll probably never be able to afford it again…"
Rikichi trailed off as his voice caught in his throat. Izari felt uncontrollable tears run down her face and saw that Rikichi was crying too.
"Izzie, we both thought you were dead." He said finally, hand clapped over his mouth. He carefully reached out and placed both hands on her shoulders, almost as if reaffirming that she was really there. They slid down her arms after a few moments and grasped her hands. Rikichi shot a small smile at Shikami.
Izari tensed. Her gaze darted to Shikami before returning to Rikichi. "How can you still talk to him after what he did to me?"
"Izzie, listen, you don't know the whole story—"
"He killed my son, Rikichi!"
"Um…actually…" Rikichi trailed off and his persistent silence irritated Izari.
"What?"
"He's still alive, your son, I mean."
"Goddamn you." Izari recoiled from him as if struck. She twisted her hands away from him violently.
"Izzie, please, I'm telling the truth!" Rikichi made a grab for her hands again.
"That isn't very funny." Izari backed away from him, her red-rimmed eyes regarding him in a new light.
"I'm not making it up! When have I, or even Shikami for that matter, ever lied to you?"
"Stop it! I know you're probably mad at me for leaving, but—"
Izari paused mid-sentence as she felt another presence approach. The chakra was familiar, even if the person was not. Her breathing stilled and time seemed to stretch on infinitesimally as she tensed, and in one concentrated and euphoric moment she realized that Rikichi had been telling the truth.
The footfalls crunched the snow behind her in an even-tempered step. Tendrils of a calming, relaxed presence filled the air like a warm, comforting smell. She breathed deeply, relishing the sound of silence before he would inevitably speak. And when he finally did, she felt every ounce of air leave her lungs.
"Shikami-san, Takayori asked that you return to the conservatory immediately."
Rikichi winced as he looked at Izari's face register the voice behind her. All the color leeched away from her skin, her eyes were distant. She turned from him abruptly, body shaking as she grew more taut than a bowstring. With a strangled cry, she did what any woman would do after realizing her dead son was, in fact, alive.
Rikichi's voice was alarmed as he dashed forward after her. "Izari!"
-O-
"Mind explaining a little family history to me?" Shikamaru inquired of Neji lazily. "Because if there's anything, and I mean anything that you know about these people and aren't telling us, I swear to God I'm never going to work with you on a mission again."
Despite not liking each other too much, the two ninjas had a long history together. Neji had a tiny bit of grudging respect for Shikamaru, for having the skill and insight necessary to become a chunnin, despite the fact Neji had had considerably more power and experience at the time. Taking a deep breath, Neji decided to tell them something that, so far, no one outside the Hyuuga clan and the former Hokage had known.
"Shinobi Gashir, the ninja they sent to 'collect' my cousin Hinata all those years ago, wasn't their Head Ninja."
Sakura, Shikamaru, and Neji didn't move for one brief second until all three erupted into violent motion.
"Goddamn it, Neji!"
"When were you going to tell us?"
"It's nobody's business, not anymore! This is a Hyuuga affair!"
"No, this is a Konoha affair," Shikamaru corrected angrily.
"How did you know he wasn't the head ninja?"
"In Lightning Country, from what we could determine, there was a Raikage and a 'Head Ninja' title, basically someone who served as a liaison between the Kage and the Council. But the Head Ninja is always a member of a noble family, of a different family than the Kage; he serves as a means of checking the Kage's power. But Gashir was not a member of any noble family. He worked for the Head Ninja's family, the family responsible for the plot to kidnap Hinata-sama."
"Who is this guy, then, the real Head Ninja?"
"Monomori Ryoshi, Monomori Ayase's father."
"Isn't that the lady that Rikichi had a huge childhood crush on?" Sakura asked.
Shikamaru snorted. "Everything's connected, as the saying goes."
-O-
"I wonder where Rikichi got off to?" Chiie murmured listlessly, fiddling with the handle of her racquet. Tenten wasn't so sure she'd fare too well – Chiie had been swinging it around effortless just a few minutes prior, every stroke perfectly level and controlled.
"I don't know…we could check upstairs again," Tenten suggested.
"I didn't really think he'd take his sweet time getting here," Chiie said absently. "Something must have happened in town."
"You know, you could have had me fooled earlier about you two being a couple," Tenten admitted.
Chiie grinned lopsidedly. "If you'd have seen us growing up, you'd know. Sometimes girls just have really good platonic male friends. Doesn't happen a lot, but I think he and I are soul mates…the non-romantic kind. We just…get each other, completely and perfectly. But I'm not what he wanted in a wife and he's not what I want in a husband; we can talk about anything and everything because nothing is complicated. It's one of the most important relationships I have."
"Have you ever been in love?" Tenten asked her after a moment.
Chiie was spinning the racquet in her hands listlessly. "Once. I thought I was in love this other time…maybe I was, but nothing ever came out of it except pain. Though now that I think about it, that's all that I ultimately got out of the other one, too," Chiie looked up, her green eyes locking with Tenten's. "You told me that you had an amazing genin team. Don't make the mistake that I did and grow apart from them, because once you do, you'll never, ever get that back."
It felt like something sharp was stabbing Tenten in the chest when Chiie uttered those words. The phrase "too late" echoed loudly in her head, and she quickly spoke up to drown it out.
"But you and Asazaki work here, together…"
"Yeah, but not together, not really. He has his friends, I have mine. Jou is closer to each of us now than we are to each other. Since the three of us and Rikichi perform together as The Fermatas, we stay close through that, but if that wasn't there, Asazaki and I would barely say anything to each other."
"Asazaki seems like a nice guy," Tenten ventured slowly.
Chiie gave her a knowing look. "He and Kenji used to be neck-and-neck for everything. They're competitive because they each want to prove that they, and by extension the way they choose to live, is the right way. Kenji came from money and Asazaki came from nothing…still doesn't have a whole lot, at least as far as family goes. He had an adoptive sister named Yugito but she was killed almost five years ago."
Yugito…wasn't that the name of a jinchuuriki? Tenten thought.
"He has no other family?"
"Nope. He's like a stray cat that just showed up at the edge of the city limits with Yugito taking care of him. And while he grew to be very popular and well-liked, she was always an outcast. She was lonely, but she lashed out at people sometimes. I felt sorry for her, but I didn't really know what to do. She never acted like she wanted friends or needed help…and then one day, she was gone. Asazaki hasn't been the same since."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's been on a five-year mean-spirited bender. She was the only person that gave a damn about him before it came out to the rest of us how brilliant a ninja he was, so naturally he cared a lot for her. I take it you don't know him too well; he's not someone to take lightly, no matter how much he acts like he doesn't care. He's not nearly as easygoing as he pretends. He's very protective of people he cares about; he was crushed when Izari died, even though he didn't act like it…it was even worse when he lost his sister a few years later. And while he's never viewed me in the same light, I can say for certain that he'd be really upset if I died, too."
Chiie sighed, drawing the top of her racquet along the ground in meandering lines. "I miss the way things used to be between us…I guess I'm just remembering it all because after Izari got married, Yoshida served as our genin team's instructor for a year. He was temperamental, petty, superficial, and well…kinda prissy, but he cared for all three of us. It's funny, because he and Jou were so, so different but got along kind of like how Rikichi and I do, except with a lot more bickering. He could literally kill her in one hit and even with that knowledge you'd find them somewhere and they'd be arguing over how he needs color in his office or something stupid like that."
Chiie laughed, eyes reminiscent. "Geez, Yoshida's personality was so high-maintenance and she never gave him any of that. He was so egotistical and selfish and spoiled and she basically treated him like a little kid until he realized he was acting like one."
"He sounds like a pain in the ass."
Chiie smiled fondly. "But he was so charming. People liked him; he was a great guy."
Tenten rolled her eyes. "I keep hearing that."
Chiie smirked. "Well, maybe this is one case where you should believe what you hear." The tiny redhead leaned her racquet against the wall. "I'm going to look for Rikichi…want to come with me?"
"Yeah, beats waiting alone," Tenten shrugged. "I wonder what he's up to?"
-O-
Author's Notes: The world's roughest draft ever. I'm trying to crank out chapters while I have motivation.
Please review and if you choose to, please be nice.