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Dec 10, 2011 : Format fixed
Speech – Thoughts / Dream sequence
Speech - Memories
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Hello! Before you start throwing sharp stuff at me for the long time between updates, I'd like to defend myself. First of all I had the first half of this chapter written for almost two months. However, due to personal problems, I couldn't find the inspiration to finish writing it until recently.
Dedicated to my father, who now rests in peace (25/05/04)
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Chapter 20
o-o-o-o-o-o
Ryo walked leisurely amid the crowd. For some strange reason, even if the market place was as busy as ever, he hadn't bumped into anyone yet. Which suited him fine. No interruptions for his grumbling spree.
The words 'old man', 'undeserved punishment' and 'I want to sleep, dammit' could be heard if you happened to be close enough to him. Not exactly in that order, and mixed with quite an impressive array of really explicit terms in several languages.
Ryo Kuronami was NOT a happy man. Mainly because of several things: First, he had woken up with one of the worst backaches in human history, and had promptly decided the floor was NOT the best place to sleep in. And Persian carpets be damned. Secondly, he had been forced to wake up just as the sun was coming out, too pretty bloody early by his standards. Thirdly, his grandfather bellowing his name was not his idea of an alarm clock.
*flashback*
The young, very asleep man rolled onto his belly. The warm light coming through the widow prickled at his eyes, but he wasn't ready to wake up, not yet. Unconsciously, he turned his head on the opposite direction, and continued to sleep, blissfully unaware of the world.
"RYO! WHERE ARE YOU BOY?" A shrill, annoyingly LOUD voice rang along the halls.
*WHAM*
The hall's door banged open, and whirlwind Miyamoto entered the scene.
"Boy! What are you doing here?" Ryo was unceremoniously lifted by the back of his collar. Please allow me to remind the fact that the guy was lying on his stomach.
"ack!"
"The Okashira must be waiting! Do you have any idea how LATE it is?" Miyamoto, king of dramatics, asked while shaking his favorite (and only) grandson.
"ack!"
"Of course you don't" The old man said in a resigned voice. "What did I do to deserve such a grandson?" Now came the theatrics. By Ryo's experience, there wasn't much longer until the tears came, followed by wailing and whatnot.
"Ack!" Of course, there wasn't much Ryo could do at the current moment to prevent that.
Fortunately for the poor turning-blue man, it was his silence that saved him. With a sigh, Miyamoto released him with a dull thud sound. Ryo's nose hurt like hell, but at least it was capable of inhaling again. Painfully, but breathing nonetheless. That was a definite plus.
"What are you doing lying there? Hurry!" The words of doom. Next thing Ryo knew, he was being dragged up the stairs. He felt dizzy and maybe a little… cold?
Ryo looked down just in time to see his shirt flying.
"Hey!"
His dear grandfather didn't seem to hear his protests, not that he ever did or would ever do it anyway. So he was stuck with being pushed around half-naked. But he had to be grateful his grandfather hadn't decided to take off his pants too. Ryo looked at the staircase from the corner of his eye. Yup, he was EXTREMELY happy the old man hadn't decided to do that yet.
"You take a bath right now! And make it quick! Oh dear, it's so LATE!" Ryo was faintly reminded of Alice in Wonderland's white bunny. What was the big deal with the hour? Hell, the sun wasn't even warm yet! It had to be 7 in the morning, tops. Of course, Miyamoto had the habit of blowing things a little out of proportion (understatement of the century, if you ask me). Ryo shook his head a little.
His amusement, however, faded quickly when he was pushed into the already full bath.
"Oops….. sorry Ryo" Miyamoto apologized, not really meaning to. But he thought it better to placate the angry green stare directed at him, barely visible from underneath the wet bangs. Mmmm… he hadn't thought of that when he had prepared the bath the day before… It had seemed a good idea at the time….. that way they wouldn't lose too much time in the morning…. It seemed there had been something missing form his calculations.
"Oh, stop grumbling my boy! What's a little cold water when you're about to meet the Oniwabanshu no Okashira? Why, when I was a trainee….."
Ryo took a deep breath and tried sinking into the freezing water.
The old man started absently scrubbing his grandson with the aid of a cloth, because he sincerely doubted the guy would do anything in his current chattering-teeth state. Youngsters these days…
Ryo suddenly resurfaced, as his grandfather scrubbed a little more forcefully.
"ITAI! Grandpa! I'm NOT the dirty laundry!"
Miyamoto continued his scrubbing.
*end of flashback*
The grumbling continued for quite a while. Ryo sighed. Fine, he had a meeting with the so-called okashira. For what little he knew, the man was the head of a quite famous group called Oniwabanshu. His grandfather had babbled something about ninjas or samurai or something. Of course, being his grandfather, it might be that this Oniwabanshu group was just a bunch of fishers, or swordmakers, or whatever. One could never be too sure with Miyamoto.
Still, he had about an hour to kill before the meeting. And since he was in the market….
Ryo made a beeline for his favorite place in Kyoto. "Chocolate, here I come!"
o-o-o-o-o-o
Uncomfortable.
There was no other word to describe last night's events.
After finally realizing what was wrong with her perfect plan's picture, Misao had had NO intentions whatsoever of spending any time near Aoshi. Namely: training. Which put her between a rock and a hard place. She HAD to train if she wanted to be at least a somewhat good at being Okashira. Which she very much wanted, by the way.
But how was she supposed to look at Aoshi after realizing that she still had feelings for him?
Actually, that wasn't exactly what she feared the most. Misao had no problems with co-existing with the man, feelings or no feelings. Well, feelings, since it seemed they hadn't wanted to leave after all. What she was afraid of was of her own reaction to his closeness. After kissing him… who knows what she could do before stopping herself. And she preferred avoiding jumping his bones if possible, thank you very much.
Now the question had been: how?
She felt a little cheated. By herself no less. How ironic could that be?
*thud*
Of course she had to continue her training, so she had, if anything, a few hours to get her mind under control.
And then, the proverbial lightbulb had appeared over her head.
*thud* *thud*
Misao remained with her face squished against the low table. How on earth had she come up with that idea? "Ask Sou-kun for help? WHAT kind of IDIOT am I?"
*thud* *thud*
Such a BRILLIANT idea. And yes, I'm all sarcasm here.
*THUD* *THUD*
Ouch, that would leave quite a nasty bump. And…. Was that a dent on the table's surface?
Yes, she had foolishly asked happy-go-lucky Sou-chan for help. No, wait. Misao shook her head against the table. Sou-kun HAD helped. It was just that….
*flashback*
"Ok then…One, two….Now!"
Misao's eyes darted from side to side. A swish of air here, a rustle of clothes there, but…
"You're not supposed to look" A voice right behind Misao's left ear breathed. Sure, easy for him to say, he was the one with God-speed and all that. Nevertheless, she obediently closed her eyes and tried to FEEL.
"Not working"
"Because you're relying too much on your senses" Soujiro said, this time from behind her right ear. Just for fun, and since she couldn't see him anyway (thus diminishing his chances of getting creamed) he made a few funny faces at her and, just to annoy her a little (more), he tugged at the end of her braid. Almost immediately, Misao whirled around, almost taking off his eye with that same braid.
"Grrrrr! Then how am I supposed to…!"
"You know me, look for me!" Happy voice. Oh, how she HATED the happy voice. She frowned and tried again.
"Not working" Misao said in a flat tone.
"Not trying" Soujiro replied in an equally flat voice. Damn, she was rubbing off on the guy. Next thing she knew, he would start throwing sharp objects at people. She was creating a monster here, people.
"You DO know that it's almost impossible for me to actually HIT you with one of these stones, don't you?" Misao said, while throwing one of said stones at some place by her right.
"Yep!" Oh, he knew. And he wasn't about to let last time's scene repeat itself. Besides, that time had been a total fluke.
While running in circles around Misao, Soujiro let his mind wander a little. She had asked to train, for him to distract her. Frankly, there were times he really couldn't understand this girl. He tugged at her braid once more and dodged a stone just in time. Actually, she was doing quite well. The only reason she hadn't actually hit him was the fact that he had more experience at this game than she.
Misao had asked him to help her relax and forget. Relax maybe, distract her he was doing right now, but….. forget? What? Who? Shinomori? Yeah, right. Soujiro had to roll his eyes at that last part. He was a nice guy, good friend, ex-hitokiri and part-time kitchen slave, NOT a miracle worker.
Misao's frown increased (Soujiro was starting to fear her eyebrows might actually reach her nose at the rate she was going). Let's think rationally for a second here. There was no way for her to actually hit him, because of his God-like speed. By the time the stone reached its mark, Sou-kun would no longer be there. So…. What was she to do? Obviously he wanted for her to realize something, or else he would have given her more clues than the stupid 'look for me' thing. Wait a second…..! What if she aimed for the place he WOULD be instead of the place he WAS? That might work….. little disadvantage though, how was she supposed to know where he would be?
This was becoming frustrating, and it definitely wasn't doing wonders for Misao's mood. She sometimes had flashes of Sou-kun, but nothing that could help her predict where he would be next. Predict where…and what if…..?
Misao narrowed her eyes and aimed.
"ITAI!" Misao blinked. Soujiro would have too, if not for the fact that he had both hands clutching his left eye.
"YATTA!" For the first time in his life, Soujiro found himself in the receiving end of a glomp. A ninja-sized, cannonball full glomp. He was debating whether to keep his hands on his eye or use them to clutch his now aching stomach.
"Your happiness is severely harmful for my health Misao-chan. So? Did you notice?" Soujiro said while rubbing his eye with one hand and stabilizing Misao with the other.
"You know, if you would have just TOLD me I had to predict your moves, this would have been so much more easier"
"Now, really? I know you already knew that. Everyone who can fight does, in different degrees. But YOU, my dear friend, have just predicted the moves of an opponent you couldn't see. Not by normal means, anyway" Said that, Soujiro disappeared again. Misao somehow managed not to fall face-first onto the floor and whirled around just in time to stop her happy friend from tugging at her braid once more.
Soujiro openly smiled. A little sloppy, yes. Also too slow. But it was nothing training and experience couldn't fix.
"That was SO predictable!" Misao laughed. Soujiro pouted. This had an interesting effect on his face, with his left eye all swollen and red.
"Let me see that" Misao reached for his face.
"No, really! It's fine! I'll just wash it" Soujiro fervently hoped Misao wouldn't want to play nurse. Not even his training with Shishio-sama hurt that much.
Misao calmly put a kunai below his Adam's apple. Soujiro closed his mouth. Smirking at the small victory, the petite ninja blew on the painfully red eye. That had really been a lucky shot. She had heard Okon say that a cloth drenched in green tea did miracles for swollen eyes. Wait, wasn't that time when she had cried her eyes out after finding out Aoshi was gone? She had cried so much that she had had trouble to even closing her eyes later. Oh! Never mind that.
Sighing, she reached for Sou-kun's hand and started hauling him towards the door. Only to find it blocked.
"Misao"
The girl risked a look at the sky over the garden. Was it that late already?
"A…Aoshi-sama" She had completely forgotten about training. Almost compulsively, she tightened her grip on Sou-kun's hand, cutting his blood circulation. Thankfully, that was more than enough for the young man to get a clue.
"Shinomori-san! Misao-chan here has just learned how to sense ki!" Soujiro almost gulped when Aoshi's eyes encountered his.
Inner Aoshi smirked at seeing Soujiro's puffy red eye. So they had been training uh? Oh, why couldn't the eternally happy idiot just volunteer for kunai throwing?
Gathering his breath, Soujiro continued. "Though I would really appreciate she stopped maiming me. I'm dead tired. I'm sure she is too" He ripped his eyes from the staring competition with Aoshi's and found Misao's.
"I think it's enough training for today, ne? You better go to sleep" Misao nodded slightly at his words. She was tired, that much was true.
Aoshi looked from one face to the other. "I didn't know you were now in charge of her training" He said coldly.
Misao's throat went dry at that statement. His words had been cold. Almost too cold. But there was something in his eyes that just didn't fit with his tone.
Soujiro laughed nervously. "No! Of course I'm not! I offered to teach her ki-sensing, as a way to say thanks for letting me stay here. She did quite all right for someone mostly self-taught"
If Misao's throat had been dry before, now she was suffocating. As Aoshi's eyes narrowed, she squished Soujiro's hand before letting go of it (and thanked the Gods above that Aoshi hadn't noticed that small movement).
Soujiro bit back a cry and a pained expression at the feel of her nails biting his skin. Those things were sharper than kunai! Fine, fine, so he had overstepped his bounds for a moment there. But there had been an open challenge in Shinomori's eyes. And Soujiro, after having seen Misao cry, was not about back out without at least giving him something to think about.
"I'll go tend to my eye" with that, he parted.
Aoshi returned his eyes to Misao the second he couldn't feel Seta around anymore.
"You were mostly self-taught" It was a question, more than a statement. His eyes were not as cold now, and there was real inquiry in them. Misao took a deep breath. Talking she could handle. Just don't come any closer! Please!
"After you went away, Jiya refused to teach me anymore. He said that we were no longer living in the warring times, that the ninjas were no longer needed, and that I could have a normal life. From the ones left behind – Inner Aoshi cringed at that phrase- only Kouga used kempo the way you and Hannya did. He helped me at first, but then he got sent to that place in Kyushuu for his own training. But before leaving, he told me that, if no-one wanted to teach me voluntarily, then I had to make sure they did, involuntarily"
Aoshi raised an eyebrow. That sounded like the Kouga he remembered, the mischievous boy that used to get drag him into trouble, so long ago.
"So you hid and observed their training"
"Hai. It was almost too difficult at first, because none of the ones left – Inner-Aoshi cringed again at the phrase- were even close to a beginner's level but somehow I managed"
And even so, she had turned out a good ninja. Okashira, even. She had made herself into what she was. They all had, hadn't they?
"Hannya and I never taught you how to fight against an opponent. And I doubt you had someone to practice with if they refused to teach you" Aoshi said, finding an hole in her story.
"Ah….. you just had to ask that, uh? I….. " Misao said, while willing the floor to open and swallow her whole. "I-went-out-and-got-into-fights" she mumbled as fast as she could.
Aoshi's eyebrows shot up. He had abandoned her, and even so, she had tried to go look for him. And where was he at the time? Looking for his title of the 'strongest', almost not even remembering the small girl that had once considered him her entire world.
"You should go to sleep. Okina told me you have appointment with Miyamoto tomorrow" Aoshi turned around to leave the room. Misao's eyes got wide.
"Aoshi-sama. Tomorrow, when the sun sets?" Something had just made her say those words. Even when she had been the one who hadn't wanted to spend too much time with him just hours before. But she couldn't let him go just like that.
Aoshi stopped on his tracks. Even after everything, she still wanted to train with him? Something inside Aoshi stirred, and a warm feeling invaded him. "Aa" and with that, he left.
*end of flashback*
Even now, she had no idea what exactly had made her tell him that. But she was sure he was feeling guilty. She knew that his him training her was somewhat of an apology for all the time he was away. Aoshi really hadn't known it was the first time since he left that she had trained properly.
Sou-kun's words had cut him deep, Misao knew that. Way to go, Sou-kun. But she couldn't really blame the guy. Not after she had bawled her eyes out on his shoulder just a short time before.
"Misao-chaaaaaaaaaaan! You have an appointment today, don't you forget!" Okina's voice came though the shogi, effectively snapping Misao's thoughts. The old man had been pestering her to dress as nicely as she possibly could, to cause a good impression. Good impression on whom? Miyamoto? No way!
Her thoughts were once again interrupted as her shogi door opened a crack and a kimono was flung on top of her, followed by an obi and a pair of shiny, wooden black geta.
"Itai! JIYA! That HURT!"
o-o-o-o-o-o
"And also give me a couple of those, they look really fresh!"
Saitou Tokio, also known as Fujita Tokio, thanks to her husband current alias, smiled as she received the vegetables she had just purchased. She liked to go shopping in the early morning. Since her dear wolf of a husband insisted on training before going to work (and waking at insanely early hours to do so, the big oaf), she had become used to that little routine. Though it usually began with Hajime waking her AFTER he was done training (Any second before was an absolute no-no. She appreciated every second of sleep she could get, and would behead her loving husband herself if he interfered)
Still, it wasn't THAT early. The marketplace was already bustling with life, loud noise filling the streets and a thousand different items were waiting to be sold.
Re-arranging the items in the big basket she was carrying, Tokio mentally checked her shopping list. Rice, noodles, fruit, fish, noodles, tofu, noodles…. Soy sauce…. What else? Oh yeah, the noodles. It seemed she had everything.
But it was still early to return home. Tokio shook her head a little at this. It was always the same thing everyday. There was only so much you could do in a small house besides cooking, washing and cleaning. Hajime wouldn't return until nighttime and she really didn't like being alone. At least he would return at night. She had THAT to look forward to.
She hadn't realized she had been standing in the middle of the street until something bumped into her and almost knocked her to the ground. She somehow managed to regain her balance, but the basket wasn't so lucky.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I was distracted, it was my fault…!"
The young man helped recover her vegetables and noodles while excusing himself all the while. Tokio couldn't help but notice it seemed he had just drowned himself in a bottle of perfume. Not that it was a bad smell, it was just that…. well…. He REEKED of it, to put it simply.
"Here you are" The man said while handing her the basket. Tokio couldn't do much more than nod her thanks. The man just looked at her. And groaned.
"I still reek of the stuff, uh? Explains why the people stay away from me this fine morning" This last bit was said with a groan and some hints of sarcasm.
Tokio tried to control her giggles. Not exactly polite to laugh at someone you've just bumped to.
The young man looked at her and her silently shaking shoulders. He sighed. "You can laugh lady, Really it's perfectly okay. I would too if it wasn't myself in such an…. Smelly situation" He said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner and winking at her.
As Tokio dissolved into laughter, Ryo decided it just wasn't his day.
His grandfather had managed to douse him with a fair dose of perfume (meaning almost half the bottle) over his head before Ryo had somehow been able to escape. Now he was just looking for some river to plunge his head into.
Tokio looked at his resigned face and decided to help the poor soul. "The owner of his store is an old friend of mine. Maybe she has a bucket or five of water to spare" She said while pointing to the store just ahead of them.
A big, wooden sign written in bold black kanji proclaimed the best chocolate in all Kyoto. Ryo looked at Tokio in adoration and followed her dutifully like a lost puppy.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Okon sang under her breath as she made a few roll buns. Next to her, an equally happy Omasu cut the tofu into little pieces. Suddenly, Okon stopped singing.
"Hey, Omasu-chan…. Have you seen Kouga lately?"
"Kouga-kun? No, I haven't seen him in days, now that you mention it. Why the question?"
"Well, he's usually here when I make roll buns. It's kind of strange making them without having to stop him from stealing them"
"You know, there's really no need to try and tempt him with roll buns for him to help us with the plan" Omasu said, grabbing one roll bun and munching lightly on it.
"That coming from the one person he can't say no to" Answered Okon with a sly smile.
"You know that's just because we used to bully him as kids" Said Omasu, as she returned to her tofu chopping, with a little more force than necessary.
"We bullied Shiro too, and he's having no such problems"
"Not for long, you mean"
Both women exchanged grins over the cutting table.
o-o-o-o-o-o
*knock, knock*
Ryo stared at the big door in front of him. Not that he was happy to admit it, but he was a bundle of nerves right now. For all he had dismissed his grandfather's ramblings, they had finally managed to get to him. Such a nice time they chose, too.
Maybe he shouldn't have eaten all that chocolate at the store. But it had turned out Tokio-san was as fond of chocolates as him, and after seeing her buy almost half a dozen of cute wooden boxes with various 'white chocolate', 'bitter chocolate' and 'pure chocolate' carvings, amongst others, he just hadn't been able to resist.
The door opened, and to Ryo's surprise, a young man using an apron and a happy smile appeared behind it. The smile was soon replaced by a confused look. "Yes?"
"Erm…. I have an appointment with the Okashira. I'm Akira Miyamoto's grandson" Ryo said, while trying his best not to stumble with the words. Not an easy feat, considering the young man's apron was violet. He had to be pretty sure of himself to use such a thing, open the door, find a complete stranger and still be smiling.
Soujiro recovered his smile almost immediately. Miyamoto-san's grandson, uh? Well, well…. Wasn't this about to become interesting…
"Come on in" Soujiro said, opening the door wide enough for Ryo to enter.
Ryo looked around. The place was a traditional Japanese house, though a lot bigger than the one he had seen before. The garden was obviously carefully tended to. The young man found himself almost smiling. He liked the Oniwabanshu's headquarters already.
"This way please" Trying not to look like an overly eager tourist, Ryo followed the guy-in-apron, almost forgetting to take off his shoes. However, no matter how much he was trying to remain calm, he couldn't help but stare when he saw a man training by himself in the far back garden. His movements were awesome, and he couldn't help but feel fascinated by the way the sun reflected on the nude twin swords he held in his hands as he cut the air with them.
A polite cough made him return to the real world, and he followed the violet apron once again. And he was supposed to meet with the leader of this group? Now there was no doubt his grandpa had actually been saying the truth (a total shock in itself) when he'd said the Oniwabanshu was formed by ninjas. His only hope now was that the Okashira had rheumatism or something and wasn't as crazy as his grandpa to even suggest a 'friendly spar'. Fat chance his subconscious mocked The leader is supposed to be the best of the best, even if he's an old pile of bones And even if it wasn't the case, even a five year-old ninja kid could wipe the floor with him, there was no question in his mind about THAT.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Aoshi looked at the blades of his kodachi. Nodding to himself, he swung them around once more. Yes, they were sharp enough. That decided, he picked up the sharpening stone and put it away. Now, time to train a little. And after that, he and Seta would have a little talk.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Soujiro laughed to himself. Maybe he would stay around Misao-chan's office during this meeting.
Reaching their destiny, he knocked lightly on the door. Not giving Misao time to answer, he decided to make the young man even more nervous than he already was (poor guy was shaking like a leaf, how funny!)
"Okashira, Miyamoto-san couldn't make it today, so he has sent his grandson in his place" Knowing that would stun Misao momentarily (mainly because of him calling her Okashira, if nothing else), he turned towards the visitor with the most serious face he could manage, given the fact he was trying to hold back his laughter.
"You may come in. The Okashira has been waiting for you" Ryo blinked. Waiting? But it was still early! Had he really taken that long in the market? Maybe the Okashira shared with his grandpa the obsessive attitude towards time and had been waiting since sunrise for him. What a lousy first impression! And he knew those were even more important in Japan than in Europe. Great, just great.
Nodding to the apron-boy (who suddenly seemed so much older than him without that smile on his face), he opened the shogi and entered the office.
To his surprise, it was a blend of a western and Japanese office. The big chair behind the desk was turned around, so he couldn't see the Okashira. The door closed silently behind him, giving Ryo the uncomfortable sensation of being trapped.
o-o-o-o-o-o
Misao took a few calming breaths. She had been expecting Miyamoto, who she knew how to deal with. Come to think of it, the old man HAD mentioned his grandson a few times. Misao could only hope he wasn't one of those obnoxious gaijins (she vaguely remembered having heard he came from Europe) that thought women couldn't do a thing. Slowly, she rose from the chair and turned around to look at her visitor.
Ryo's face was a comical sight, and Misao would remember it until her dying day. Thankfully for her, she had been readying herself for any kind of reaction, just in case Miyamoto had conveniently forgotten to mention the Okashira was a woman. Or else, she would had shown more reaction than her wide eyes and open mouth.
"Mi…. Misao-san?" Ryo all but squeaked. "Y….you….. Okashira….. ninja… I….. what?"
Misao did the only thing she could think of doing. She started laughing until she had to sit on her chair in order not to fall to the floor.
"YOU're Miyamoto's grandson? I was scared to death here!" And she kept laughing.
Ryo got out of his stupor at seeing his presence was the sole reason the woman in front of him was gasping for air between laughs. Having been scared to death of an old prune challenging him to a duel, he could clearly see the irony of it all. So he started laughing too.
Behind the shogi, Soujiro blinked a few times. Loud, merry laughter filled the air and, yes, there was no doubt it came from Misao-chan's office. Did they know each other? The man had clearly said Misao-chan's name.
Damn. He had been expecting a battle of wills. Specially knowing Misao-chan's stubbornness and having guessed the guest had no idea of the Okashira's identity or, more importantly, her gender.
Soujiro sighed. Shaking his head, and grumbling about the unfairness of it all, he went back to his laundry.
o-o-o-o-o-o
"You know, I was expecting a bald old geezer with no teeth." Ryo said, once he had regained his breath.
"And I was ready to fend off a stuck-up gaijin with no manners" Misao said smiling.
"Then you really are the Okashira? Why do you work at a restaurant then?" Ryo said, still a little shocked. For what he knew, and what he had heard for Misao herself, it wasn't exactly common for a woman to occupy such a high position, above a bunch of men, and in such a notorious male environment as a fighting group.
"Believe it or not, I am. The one and only leader of the Oniwabanshuu" She could tell him later she had had no other option at the time. But for now, she was openly enjoying his awed face. "The restaurant is just that, a restaurant. Ninjas DO have to eat, y'know"
"So you're really… ninjas? And here I thought my grandpa was being delusional again. Though it DOES explain the knife-thingies you're so fond of throwing at me"
Misao smiled and took out a kunai from her obi. "They're called kunai. So you're really Miyamoto's grandson, uh? Now THAT is a scary thought"
"You tell me? He woke me up at God knows what hour, almost drowned me in freezing water, literally drowned me in perfume and kicked me out of the house at an hour no normal person is on the streets"
"Perfume? You too? I was almost suffocated by this kimono and virtually knocked down by a pair of geta" Misao said while tugging at her outfit to emphasize her point.
"You know what? I have the impression, and knowing my grandpa it's almost a certainty, that we have been set up" Misao blinked at that. Knowing Okina and Miyamoto, that explained a LOT. She groaned.
"Well, at least you're not a raisin without teeth" Misao laughed at Ryo's wiggling eyebrows. Well, yes, it could have been so much worse.
*knock, knock*
"Come on in" Soujiro obeyed and carefully balanced the tea tray he was carrying in his hands as he opened and closed the shogi. This time he was without Omasu's apron (which he had just, to his infinite mortification, realized he had on. Oh, the unfairness of it all) and had his smile firmly into place.
"Hey Sou-kun, you remember I told you about Kuronami-san?" Soujiro blinked at that. He put a cute thinking face, complete with index finger at his chin.
"The guy who was attempting to achieve the feat of turning you into a lady?" Soujiro absently grabbed the kunai thrown at him. "Yep! I remember!" He said finally, smiling his happy smile.
Misao just sighed, and calmly pointed at Ryo. Soujiro was now the one with the wide eyes. Ryo waved while laughing lightly.
"Ryo Kur…. I mean, Kuronami Ryo. The guy attempting such an award winning feat. Nice to meet you" Soujiro smiled at him while grabbing another kunai in mid-air.
"Seta Soujiro. Yoroshiku" Ryo blinked at that.
"I thought your surname was Sou" Now Misao and Soujiro blinked. "Well, that's how Makimachi-san called you. Though I still have no idea what –kun means" Ryo clarified. His grandfather had told him to call the people by their surnames, attach a –san (which he assumed was a sign of politeness) and…. Well, that was about it.
This was followed by an abridged version of Japanese lessons. At the end of which, Ryo decided he liked Ryo-kun better. It took a while for Misao to convince him it was not right to tell people he liked that form better and that no, he couldn't introduce himself as Kuronami Ryo-kun. In the end, she was refrained from pinning him into the chair by a smiling Soujiro, who took upon himself the task of explaining the reasons why.
"Because I say so is hardly a reason, Misao-chan" That small comment gained him another lengthy explanation.
Finally, after Ryo had understood no one would chase him with a katana for calling someone –kun or –chan unless it was a complete stranger (The notions Miyamoto had raised him with were definitely curious), and being laughed at because he called his neighbour's six-years-old niece 'Tachibana-san' , he settled for calling Misao 'Misao-san'. Not –chan yet, she decided, better not to give Okina ideas. Ryo had just pouted until confronted with a kunai.
"Oh, yes! I completely forgot!" Ryo said suddenly, while rummaging through his pockets. "The preliminary blueprints for the Tokyo restaurant" he said, while placing a slightly rumpled at the edges piece of paper on the desk.
Misao blinked. "Blueprints? Already? Miyamoto works fast, uh?" She said while looking at the paper.
Ryo shrugged. "I told him he was rushing things, but he never listens to me. He said you had to see them first. They look good to me though"
Misao smirked at him "Good enough for a restaurant maybe. But for a ninja base? That's another thing completely"
Soujiro laughed merrily at Ryo's incredulous look.
o-o-o-o-o-o
End of Chapter 20
o-o-o-o-o-o
Longer chapter to make up for the long wait. I hope you liked it! Ah, yes! I finally published the Spanish version of this fic. I called it 'Como seguir adelante y no morir en el intento" (kinda like 'How to go on and not die while you're at it'". Since it's mainly just translating, it's a lot easier to update n.n
Life sucks. I quit my job and am struggling to maintain my damn scholarship, I HATE my Spanish teacher with my whole dark, poisonous and putrid heart and I haven't been able to buy the Playstation II I have been saving for months for.
On the bright side, after I take my stupid Spanish make-up exam, which I really shouldn't take, I'll have vacations! Almost a whole month to myself, yay! That means update! (I KNOW I said that last year, but this time I really mean it, honest!)
ChocolateEclar: I'm glad you liked that little Yumi side-story. Who knows, maybe I'll write it once I'm done with GOWYL (though that might take a while….)
Zila Kaelar: You're a teacher? I hope you weren't offended my comment to my Spanish teacher, es solo que es dificil respetar a una profesora que llega 8.30 a un examen parcial que es a las 8 o que llega a las 9.30 a una clase de las 8 porque se estaba arreglando para el aniversario de la universidad y encima llama para avisar. Si es que desaprueban el curso 35 personas de las 40 que son en el salón, quiere decir que ya hay algo mal con la profesora, no?. Enough ranting, I agree with you about the learning thing, exactly the reason I hate my Spanish teacher so much. Oh! You're right, we're kind of neighbours n.n
Laura517: Yep, I'm feeling better, though I preferred being depressed *sigh* But I'm slowly returning to my genki self, and these 11 pages prove it!
Sweet Chaos: Don't die! *helps you up* Wow, I accomplished quite a feat, uh? I'm so proud of myself! Personally I think Yumi is quite an interesting character to work with if analyzed in depth. Maybe someday I'll try it.
petite: Yeap. Yumi also made me think a lot while watching Ruroken (specially some of the things she said before dying). Thanks!
Orlando-Bloom-fangirl: *wearing a pot upside-down on her head and* NOW you tell me? She almost chomped my arm off! Hyperactive squirrels, who would've thought. Doesn't Maddy have a switch or something to turn her off? She's like the energizer bunny! *looking at Maddy jump around*
Digibaka: *in the full-body cast resulting of the crushing Okina-hug* I know there wasn't much, if any, A/M development in this one. But it's better not to rush things. Besides, the time wasn't right yet. Light hearted chapter here! I really wasn't in the mood for much seriousness this time around, and I think Ryo, Sou and Misao are a good combination in those cases, ne? Just be patient my dear, it'll all come in due time (or when I find a way to fit it in, whatever comes first n.n)
Wolven heart: Things are about to get a little more complicated for Misao. Aoshi is finally starting to wake up, it seems (though I suspect he's one of those people who take forever and a day to wake up -.-). I was tempted to use your title for a while, I really had no idea what to name the Spanish version n_-
Nekonomiko: Mwahahahahaha! What's there to complain about? You're trapped with a poster of his drooliness Aoshi-sama himself. Nope, Kodachi's laugh is definitely worse, that's for sure. Though Tomoyo's, from Card Captor Sakura is also freaky. Aw! Cheer up! *gives you a stony-faced Aoshi plushie*
Bonessasan: Well…. Considering how long I take to update…. It's no wonder you forget what you say in your reviews. I also love romance, though I'm not much of a romantic myself (in real life, I mean). Hey! You really should start writing, just for the heck of it, it's a really good stress-reliever, torturing characters, that is ;) I'm still trying to figure out how to increase the 'intensity' of A/M moments without making them seem too OOC. I'm getting impatient with those two too ¬¬.
Mako-Kigue: It's ok. Even if you haven't reviewed lately, it's enough that you've been reading and pop out of nowhere once in a while to tell me what you think. Add the little no-scythe bonus, and I'm happy n.n
tesuka-chan: Yay! Vacations are coming! I'm so happy you liked the development. Really means a lot coming from one of my favorite authors, though I want to bash Aoshi's head in 'Mission: Frustration'. Well then, there's no need to strap you to your writing table anymore, is it? *sighing and taking the chains off tesuka-chan*
Airen2: No wolf yet. But is Aoshi walking in on them enough? *evil laugh*
VenusDeOmnipotent: The road to happiness for those two is full of bumps, courtesy of yours truly. I've been neglecting Inner-Aoshi a little… that'll be fixed next chappie, don't you worry.
Kitten Kisses: yep! Sou-kun is just too lovable, isn't he? YAY! A HYDE PLUSHIE! You're spoiling me Amanda *hugs stuffing out of plushie* I have 3 new L'arc-en-ciel cd's, but I want the real thing! *wails* TETSU! T.T
lebleuphenix: They're both too frustrating. And too stubborn. The women are too scary, and Sou-chan is too cute. You see a pattern here? ;)
Lychee2: Tae, Okon and Omasu (and it's becoming almost impossible to separate them) are not the kind that easily take a no for answer. No matter if it's screamed into their faces. Scary, simply scary, those three are.
mouse64: You brother may have interrupted you review, but it's obvious that at least he read part of the story to do so. However, he obviously didn't read enough to make a valid point. I'm glad you like it! Keep on reading!
mad-makito: Mako-chan! T.T tu y tus cosas raras….. jajjaja. Como veras, me llego la inspiración de golpazo de vaya usted a saber dónde, asi que posteo antes de ponerme a estudiar para ese maldito examen de castellano. Apenas terminen tus exámenes tenemos que salir a algún lado! Toy estresada amiga! T.T
Sirens Muse: I really don't think we adults are supposed to go crazy over anime characters. However, there are sometimes when I look through the window and simply wish there would be more bishounen out there. U.u
blahness: Hahaha. I know it has been a long time, sorry about that. But it's here now, aren't you happy?
I don't quite remember…: Missing half of chapter 10? That might be your computer out to annoy you. I know my writing is not the best there is, but I'm working on it, honest! About the weapon's concealment….. that thought crossed my mind. Misao will be a little TOO creative about it, that much I can say ;)
Sinnymun: Thanks! After a close moment, there always comes awkwardness, doesn't it? Don't worry, they'll come out of it. Somehow…. 9.9 Keep up the hope my friend, it'll pay off in the end!
Luly451: Gracias por la ayuda para el título en español! Me gustó mucho hablar contigo en el msn, ojala nos volvamos a encontrar pronto! Shiro está a punto de sufrir un colapso nervioso y las chicas no se piensan rendir hasta salirse con la suya. Pobre hombre *risa malévola*
jbramx2: If you ever do those pictures, remember to tell me! Crazyness seems to be a constant in this fic, ne? I really love your long reviews, make me feel all happy n.n As you could see, Miyamoto is really Okina's match. And poor Ryo is suffering because of it. A/M is full of missed opportunities, I'm afraid. Yes, I want to hit them both too. Yes, Aoshi did notice the endearment between them, and he wants an explanation. Lol, poor Sou-chan!
cyjj: Update's here, update's here! I'm glad you like my fic, even if I take long to update. I hope you liked this chapter too!
Did you like? Tell me if you did!
Verito-chan