TimeShifter: The ANBU are entertained by Naruto 'cause, let's face it, the boy's just entertainment wrapped in a neat package! The political stuff is for clearly defining some future events. It's as important as it is boring! Kakashi asked me to add the last part. Anyway, Madara's plans for Sai will slowly reveal themselves. For now, he cackles evilly in the corner. Ugh, that's some annoying laughter... It seems we both enjoyed cutting a cliche moment short. Now you have me imagining some odd moments between the energetic if shy Momiji and lazybones Shikamaru... Remember, Hachibi isn't a Gyuuki in this story. Also, thanks for understanding how difficult it is to write in verse. It's a talent that I, sadly, sorely lack.
RasenShuriken92: Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy!
Chapter 33:
Birth
"Well, that's your mission. You leave immediately." Kakashi's eye curved as he smiled. Neji and Tenten stood before him as he closed the mission folder. While Neji stood confidently with eyes closed and back straight, Tenten couldn't keep the confused expression off her face. "What? Is something wrong?"
"No, no…!" Tenten waved her arms in front of her, hands flailing. "Just…" Her arms stopped, crossed in front of her chest. "…well, um…" She gathered her thoughts carefully as she tried to think of the right things to say.
"It seems odd that they request a two man cell for the return escort." Neji paused as his partner nodded her head vigorously and grunted in agreement. "Where is Hinata-sama?" He wanted answers, and he wasn't leaving anything to chance.
Kakashi tilted his head to one side. "Well, he always was observant. I think it's better to just give him what he wants." With a sigh, he reluctantly reached a decision. "Actually, you…" He indicated the Hyuuga prodigy. "…were originally requested for the retrieval mission. You weren't available, so we sent Hinata. Now, Hinata was requested for a different mission, and you are available."
"You still haven't answered my question, Kakashi-san." Neji addressed his superior coolly to match his calm demeanor. He knew lesser men would take offense to inappropriate honorifics, but the man before him stood less on formalities than most he knew. "The first mission only requested a one man cell, and Tsunade-sama sent Hinata-sama. Why are the mission details so different this time? Also, where is Hinata-sama if she is not here to return Demons-sama to her land?"
Kakashi shrugged. The Hyuuga were never a clan to leave well enough alone, and their prodigy was no different. "Shion-sama has seen enough death and destruction. Truthfully, it was Mizukura who suggested an enhanced detail for heightened security. Like last time, we doubt a shinobi raid, but we oblige our clients with whatever they request and pay for."
With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair to buy a little time to think. As the young adults grew anxious for his answer to the next question, he started. "My, my…" He inwardly chuckled at their startled reactions. "I can't tell you where Hinata-chan is. I can tell you that Kanaeru-san hired her along with Naruto-kun, Sakura-chan, and Shikamaru-kun for a series of extended missions. Other than that, details are classified on a need-to-know basis."
Neji narrowed his eyes. "Hinata-sama is safe?" He only needed to see his superior nod to be satisfied. He turned to Tenten without even taking the mission folder. "We should hurry, Tenten. It's a long mission with civilians slowing us down." He left the tent, barely giving her time to sputter her affirmative.
Once his pace slowed, Tenten quickly caught up and grabbed Neji by the shoulder. When they both stopped, she tugged to indicate he should turn around. Face to face, she looked at him curiously. "That's it? You're not going to press for more information? That's not like you, Neji." She tried to read his eyes for the small hint of emotion she knew was usually there. She was hard pressed to believe the confidence she found.
He spoke to alleviate her fears. "Actually, our talk was quite enlightening." She blinked, slightly confused, but nodded for him to continue. "Kanaeru-san, who has the respect of both Hiashi-sama and Tsunade-sama, paid for a series of extended missions. She either belongs to a wealthy clan or is acting as a middleman to clients requiring shinobi for missions. Either way, Kakashi trusts her enough to agree to the proposition."
Tenten nodded. Konoha needed money, but the most important aspect to sending ninja on missions was trust. Neji continued. "Naruto is also a part of the mission. He has never allowed one of his precious people to come to harm during a mission, and I believe Hinata-sama might have become someone more precious, in spite of what he might say or do to the contrary."
He held up a finger to stall any questions or arguments. "At the very least, we can trust Naruto to do whatever is necessary to keep everybody safe. In addition, Sakura is there to take care of any injuries. She also isn't afraid to discipline Naruto if she feels he is being…" He paused to collect the right word. "…inappropriate."
She nodded and licked her lips. "What about Shikamaru and Gayt? I mean; I get that Kanaeru-san seems trustworthy, and I know we can trust Shikamaru. Just, how exactly do they relieve your worries?" She wasn't exactly sure how to voice her concerns.
Understanding, he turned around and started walking. Hearing her grumble and catch up, he decided to answer her questions. "Shikamaru is a strategic genius, so I trust him to best use the resources available to him. Gayt is a difficult subject to read, but he is fiercely loyal to Kanaeru-san." His lips twisted into a confident smirk. "He'll do whatever is necessary to defend Kanaeru-san and carry out her will, and she seems…interested in Hinata-sama."
Tenten smirked and shook her head. She was worried for Neji for nothing. He was confident and observant. "However, Kakashi's also hiding something." The Hyuuga prodigy continued without preamble. She looked at him, startled. "We still don't know what Kanaeru-san's exact relation to the village is. Her clan and loyalties are a mystery, but she's keenly interested in Naruto. Since he didn't reveal that, he doesn't want us to know. What we don't know, we can't leak willingly or not."
She swallowed audibly at the thought. If Kakashi didn't want the information getting out, whatever was being held back just might be big, big news. She knew they weren't privy to a lot of the village's secrets, but she had hoped she could keep informed on her friends at least. The weapons' mistress realized it was harder for the prodigy. He was being kept in the dark concerning family, his cousin.
"Hey, Neji…" He looked over his shoulder and was about to reply when she ran past him. Grabbing his hand, she turned slightly with a bright smile on her lips. As he blinked dumbfounded, she pulled him along. "We can't be late for our meeting, now! Come on, we should meet with our client!" She was glad for a change in atmosphere, and he willingly allowed himself to be dragged along.
It was a quiet day in the Hyuuga estate. The large clan compound had survived most of the damage from the disastrous invasion. The outer walls were a little worse for wear. Some sections had fallen, but only cracks marred most of the surface. A loud chorus of children laughing and playing disrupted the supposedly peaceful scene. After all, Hinata had given permission for ninja academy lessons to be given within the secure confines of the grounds.
"Iruka-sensei…" Naruto's academy teacher turned to see Rikka approaching. Curiously, he smiled and waited for her to continue. "Where'd Naruto go?" His eyes widened in surprise. "I can't sense him anymore, so I know he's outside the village." Though her abilities were severely limited, she could still focus in on one person enough to tell if they were within Konoha's radius. It was a bit of a strain, still.
"Rikka-chan…" He hesitated as he thought of the best way to explain the situation. "Naruto can't always be in the village. He has missions, just like any other shinobi. He's probably just left to go on a mission. He'll be back." He smiled warmly; glad to see the young girl's concern.
She sighed in exasperation. "I'm not a little girl!" She lightly stomped her foot. Though she pretended to be young girl around Konoha's academy youth, her instructor was one of the few who knew the truth. "Nobody else can hear our conversation if we hold it privately, so just tell me the truth." Her eyes were serious and promise retribution.
He knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulder like he would any other of his students. She flinched away for a moment, but she relaxed when he showed no ill intent. "You shouldn't do that. ANBU has to be able to trust you, and it's not good to keep things from your classmates." He shook his head when he sensed she was about to respond. The experience was different with somebody who could get into your head. "Even if you think they're immature, you should still think of them as important friends."
She sulked but acquiesced. She stopped concentrating and reopened her thoughts to anybody in 'listening' range. "Ah, but I really want to know where Naruto is!" The students that heard her approached with equal curiosity. "I didn't even get to see him between Pein attacking and him leaving! Now he's gone, and I don't know when I'll see him again!"
Iruka smiled. Rikka was like a spoiled little girl who wanted to play with her older (younger?) brother. "Don't you mean Naruto-niichan?" He teased her and earned a crowd of giggles from the gathered children. She pouted, but he continued tenderly. "Naruto has to go out on missions, same as everybody else. He's a strong and valuable asset to the village, and I'm sure you'll get to see him when he returns."
Rikka was about to pretend to open her mouth to say something when a thought caught her attention a split second before it was spoken aloud. Her jaw slackened just before the words reached Iruka's ears. "Will Naruto-niichan come see all of us?" "Yeah, Naruto-niichan is cool!" "My kaa-san hasn't said anything mean about him in a while." "Hey, neither has my tou-san!"
She just stared at her sensei as he took in the words around him. His face was alight with mirth, pleased for his student. No, there was something else. She realized as she studied him. He was proud of Naruto like a little brother. Her mind reeled as she tried to grasp the situation. She was witnessing something her mother adamantly declared to be impossible.
The children around her weren't lying. She tried to stretch out to their parents, but her chakra limiter forced her to stop. She didn't dare go beyond the feeling of pins-and-needles to pain and eventually unconsciousness. Instead, her classmates' fresh memories were enough for her. She knew many genuinely celebrated Naruto's return and victory, but she never let the belief that anything had changed entertain thought space.
She was witnessing a paradigm shift. Her classmates were sincerely excited at the prospect of Naruto visiting. They no longer feared punishment from their parents for saying something positive about the outcast. Like sponges, they soaked up the sudden acceptance he had gained. Some of the boys looked up to him like a boss while some girls cooed his name.
Rikka smiled a heartfelt smile. Though she loved her mother dearly, everything she ever taught her and her siblings was wrong. Positive things could come from the positive actions of an individual or group. Things could change for the better. She was bearing witness to such a phenomenon.
She didn't have her answer. She didn't know where Naruto was. She couldn't sense him, and she couldn't tell which direction he was traveling in. Nevertheless, she felt warm inside. It was a strange feeling, one her adolescent body didn't understand. Past experience tried to tell her what the feeling was, but she ignored it in favor of feeling more like her immature classmates.
Iruka clapped his hands, cutting short everybody's reverie. Rikka, as most of her classmates, instinctively snapped to attention. "All right class, we have a lot to get done and not a lot of time to do it. On today's agenda…" As he continued, the class listened. Some intently hung on his every word. Others flicked pebbles as they tried their best to ignore him. The rest continued to think or try to hide conversations about Naruto.
Karui, Omoi, and Samui were walking along in a rare moment of peace and quiet. Samui kept looking between her companions to see who would break first. She knew it was only a question of time. One enjoyed practical jokes, and the other had a hot temper easily sparked by even the smallest things. Well, the reasons might not exactly seem small really.
"Ugh, why'd you have to go and lose him?!" Karui snapped. Birds flew from the canopy to escape the echoing, noisy disturbance. She turned to face the male of the group, fuming and foot tapping. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Her temper seemed to solidify into waves of killing intent.
"Ah, it wasn't my fault." Omoi defended himself. "We're tracking an Uchiha, after all. Besides…" He looked her up and down. "…if you weren't so noisy and foul mouthed, you might have used your feminine wiles to woo that young brat." He dodged when she threw a punch. "I mean; he is just a brat after all." He dodged a sweeping kick. "He doesn't know how to resist physical temptation like us adults."
"You're just one big idiot!" She yelled as Samui palmed her face. "You like this? You think it's a game?!" She kicked a small pebble into the air and caught it. She threw it with all her strength as she yelled. "Idiot!" He dodged, and it sailed past him. "Idiot! Idiot! Do you even remember who we're looking for?!" She took a solid stance and set her hands into the first of several hand seals. Samui held up her hand and opened her mouth too late to stop Karui. "Doton: Iwawaku!"
Samui sighed and palmed her face again as a pile of rocks formed before her female comrade. She shook her head as her male comrade ran as fast as he could from the chakra controlled rockslide. "We're in Fire, you idiots. You never know when you're being watched!" She straightened when she heard something drop behind her. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "See?"
She raised her arms disarmingly and allowed the leaf ANBU to detain her. Her comrades followed suite as they stopped running around. They observed how many ANBU there were and decided there were more in waiting. They didn't know if any captains were around, but they already knew they were expected in Konoha. It was better not to raise suspicions any more than necessary.
As they gathered, one of the ANBU seemed to take charge and speak up. "I hope you have good reasons for being here. Otherwise, your presence in Fire could be considered an act of war." The three cloud nin tensed instinctively. "What are you up to, and why were you throwing around ninjutsu so close to Konoha?"
Samui glared at her comrades, and they tightened their jaws to stay silent. "Good, you two have already caused enough trouble." She forced herself to relax slightly and look into the apparent leader's eyes, or at least eyeholes. "Hitohana-sama should have announced our visit some time ago. He was to negotiate terms, and we are to trade information. We've also been given permission to hire a tracker from Konoha if necessary."
The gathered ANBU looked to one another and nodded. "All right, you're coming with us then." They pushed harshly, but the three cloud nin cooperated easily enough. Karui and Omoi grumbled, but a quick glance from Samui kept them quiet. As they walked, they did not test their restraints. If Karui or Omoi looked like they were about to cause trouble, Samui shot them a glare that could freeze flame.
When they arrived at their destination, they were flabbergasted and froze instinctively. The ANBU tried to force them to move, but Omoi turned to Karui with accusation in his eyes. "She did it, not me!" He pointed to the rough stone faces, and ANBU looked to his mysteriously freed hand. "See what you did?! That rock you threw must have done this!"
Omoi was quickly tackled to the ground by a very angry, insulted Karui. ANBU, again, looked to see mysteriously freed hands as she grabbed her male comrade by the collar and shook him violently. "You can't blame this on me! I only threw a small pebble! Pebble!" She made sure to draw the word out to force her point. She was not going to be blamed for whatever had happened.
"Oh, would you two shut up!" Samui stood over her comrades, arms crossed under her chest. By this point, ANBU gave up trying to figure out how they escaped their restraints. They were already preparing to fight. Seeing their reactions, she shook her head in her palm. "You two really are hopeless! There's no way a pebble could do this!" She swept her hand to indicate the state of the entire village.
Omoi looked and blinked. After a moment of dumbfounded staring, he snapped his fingers in sudden realization. "Oh, it must have been her Doton: Iwawaku!" He nodded his head as if arriving at a genius realization. His latest joke only earned him a swift, powerful fist to the top of his head.
"All right you three, you're going to have to calm down. If you don't stand down, we're going to take you down." To prove their point, several more ANBU appeared and easily surrounded the three man cell from Kumo. Samui raised her arms in surrender and glared at her comrades. They slowly stood with their heads hung in shame. They mirrored her surrendered stance.
"Oh, this isn't your fault." ANBU and cloud nin alike jumped when Kakashi showed up in the center of the crowd. He lazily flipped a page in Jiraiya's last masterpiece and continued to read even as he explained the situation. "We just had a little disagreement with Akatsuki. I think you've, uh…" He paused as if gathering his thoughts. "…talked with them previously. You're here for that, right?"
The ANBU were already used to Kakashi's antics. They were only reminded once again why he was called a prodigy even among prodigies. The three man Kumo squad could only nod dumbly. They had no idea how he had gotten so close to them without even noticing. They knew the ANBU squads were there, but they wisely chose to ignore them. The silver haired shinobi appeared out of nowhere reading some hardcover as if they were nothing to him.
They got the distinct impression they were nothing to him.
He stood with poise even with a seemingly lazy stance. They couldn't find any openings even without any apparent stance. To an amateur, he appeared wide open and easy pickings. They couldn't even move under a scrutinizing gaze they could only feel not see. They swallowed hard and tried not to break.
The pressure was gone as quickly as it came. Their knees buckled, but they forced themselves to remain standing. They tensed as Sharingan Kakashi approached. He pocked his book with a smile. "Yo, interim Hokage Kakashi-sama at your service." His voice was light and inviting, as if he didn't really care for honorifics. No matter how little he stood on formalities, they could tell he was serious.
They humbly bowed their heads, and Karui and Omoi wisely decided to remain silent. Samui raised her head and placed her hand over her breasts. "We are honored to meet you, Sharingan Kakashi, interim Hokage-sama. As you may be aware, Raikage-sama sent us here to gather information. We lost track of…our quarry and decided to spend some time in Konoha getting to know him."
Inwardly, Kakashi sighed. "Timing couldn't be better. I just sent Naruto and Sakura out of the village. It'll be too traumatic to open old wounds. Besides, Tsunade-sama already agreed to give our full cooperation." He also knew he had some bad news to officially give them. Though, they probably already knew. "Okay, we have some other business to discuss as well. ANBU, you're dismissed."
They bowed and disappeared as quickly as they had come. Karui, Omoi, and Samui knew at least a few of them remained. They didn't mind. It was standard operating procedure. When their gracious host started walking away, they followed without being told. There was no point being rude.
Kanaeru's jaw nearly hit the forest floor. "You expect me to believe that you used to be the jinchuuriki for Hachibi no Ushi?" Kira Bii nodded, confident grin adorning his features. She snickered, and his head jerked back in surprise. Soon, she erupted into hearty laughter. It wasn't long before she regained control. "Oh, good one. There's no way you survived loosing Hachibi no Ushi."
Again, his expression merely changed. His confident grin morphed to a confident smirk. "Oh, that's why the Kira Bii owes that cute little miss such a huge debt! If I'd let Akatsuki get their hands on me, I'd be dead. She's the reason the Kira Bii is alive, and I'm here to return the favor. If the Kira Bii can't protect her, at least accept my information."
She sighed and looked to Naruto and Momiji. The young girl was still using the blond genin as a shield, but she wasn't actually scared. She also called him 'nii-nii' upon seeing him. She scratched her head in frustration and rolled her eyes. "Well, she seems to remember you, so I'll believe you for now."
"Who said anything about her remembering me?" About to say something, she stopped at his revelation. "I don't even recognize her. I just sense that tormenting Hachibi. Every fiber in my being is telling me to run before it wakes up and decides to devour me, but I know that cute little miss has that beast under control. Nah, I doubt she remembers me at all. It's the Hachibi that remembers me."
Kanaeru crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes with a sigh. She tilted her head in thought. "It's entirely possible. The bijuu are slow to forget, but Hachibi no Ushi should still be asleep. Maybe it's instinctual… This idiot might feel familiar, and his presence is awakening emotions." She shook her head and looked over his relaxed posture.
"If she doesn't remember you, why'd she call you nii-nii?" Naruto's question drew everybody's attention. Half conscious, Momiji nuzzled into his back. She seemed ready to doze off again.
Kira Bii shrugged. "Dunno. The last thing that ungrateful bijuu told the Kira Bii was 'thank you', which was a surprise. If she's just feeling what the Hachibi remembers, she might be simply expressing that gratitude."
Kanaeru sighed. "Okay, things have gotten off track enough." She eyed the former jinchuuriki warily. "The bijuu can't be removed without the jinchuuriki dying. Tell me, how did you survive? Who could possibly remove Hachibi from you without killing you? More importantly, why choose that girl?" She knew for a fact Momiji was the jinchuuriki for Hachibi no Ushi. She wanted to know how the man before her could make such outrageous claims.
He chuckled. "Are you sure you don't want the Kira Bii to accompany you, so…?"
"You're not accompanying us." She declared adamantly. She glared at him to get her point across. "We don't want any more trouble." She made it obvious that she was not backing down, and he could say nothing to change her mind.
With a shrug, he decided to give her the information. "Well, the Kira Bii came here to help the cute little miss, so the Kira Bii will answer your questions. The clan that helped the Kira Bii called themselves Irikim." He closed his eyes and nodded, never noticing her look of surprise. He simply continued his tale.
Three years ago, Demons was a land stricken with poor crops. Kumo, as other villages, sent multiple teams of shinobi to help out. Also like the other villages, at least one team was dedicated to inspecting Demons for treaty violations. Kira Bii, along with his old genin squad and sensei, were assigned to look for clans or villages raising shinobi. Under the treaty and non-aggression pacts, they were required to hire shinobi from one of the great nations and never raise their own.
"Hey Kira Bii, I told you to keep up! How are we supposed to carry out our mission if you keep falling behind? Look, Yugito Nii is listening to me. Why can't you?" Their old genin sensei looked over his shoulder to see that Kira Bii had not increased his pace at all. In fact, he seemed more intent to observe what he just picked from his ear. "Honestly, how does Raikage-sama expect me to babysit his 'precious otouto-chan'? He's just some perverted idiot."
He turned around to see Kira Bii in his face. He tripped and tried to regain his balance. With his footing restored, he found he had instinctively taken a few steps back. As short as he was, his former genin student towered over him even as he bent at the hip disappointedly. "Eh, you were thinking negative things about the great Kira Bii again; weren't you Fugui-sensei?" He stood erect and shook his head. "Disappointing, disappointing…"
Fugui gulped. "I-I-I was doing no such thing!" He gathered himself before standing his ground. He stood straight and brought his face nearly nose-to-nose with his taller former genin student. His hazel eyes betrayed his lack of confidence, and his knees nearly buckled in fear. He was following orders, but his body was honest. "Raikage-sama would be disappointed if I let him push me around, but he's still a monster…"
"Che…" Kira Bii spat angrily. "Some people never change." He turned and calmly walked to catch up to his teammates. He stood especially close to Yugito Nii even though she shot him an angry glare and even kicked him when he got too close. Even still, they shared an amicable conversation and kept moving forward. It was their sensei's turn to play catch up.
When he did, he fell into step with them. He was fuming as he reset his hitai-ate on his brow. His messy, dark hair fluffed out slightly from some left over static electricity. "Just who do those monsters think they are?! If we had our former Raikage-sama, I could discipline them as I saw fit! They serve Kumo, not the other way around. Che, Kira Bii thinks he's some hot stuff, and Yugito Nii just likes playing with people. The only normal one is their teammate, and they're slowly corrupting her!"
Their teammate stood next to them. She walked tall and proudly without any hesitation in her steps. Her lips were slightly drawn into a smirk as she conversed with her longtime comrades. No matter what her sensei said, she still enjoyed being around them. She wore glasses high on the bridge of her nose just in front of her bright brown eyes, and her auburn hair was styled similarly to her female teammate.
Even with the short dispute between former master and apprentice, they soon arrived at their destination. Far removed from any villages of the land, the unknown, humble clan estates rested atop very fertile ground. With such a bad season of crops, many rumors floated around about the unusual occurrence. While the rest of Demons had to rely more heavily on agricultural trade, the clan living remotely from society seemed well enough off.
The first thing they observed was the clan symbol etched elegantly onto the archway. A spiral was the central pattern, but it was within a circle held aloft by wings. They felt strangely unnerved by the symbol. Kira Bii and Yugito Nii responded most strongly, even growling at the symbol and being unable to explain why when asked.
As they crossed the archway onto the compound, they were surrounded by a dozen men. Surprisingly, half of them had vibrant red hair and stunning emerald eyes. The rest were a more standard mixture. However, they had made their point. The cloud nin were unwelcome. More importantly, they revealed they had skills in the ninja arts.
"If you're here to take our harvest or negotiate for it, you can just leave now." One of the redheads stepped forth. His piercing green eyes spoke volumes for his anger. "Which village was it this time? How many times do we have to tell them that we only have enough food to feed our family, no more, no less? Besides, we have you outnumbered." He remained confident even as he inspected their hitai-ate and obvious jonin ranks.
"We are not here for your crop harvest." Fugui stepped forward, purposely pushing past Kira Bii. "We don't care how you managed to maintain fertile fields when others in Demons could not…" He paused to make his next point abundantly clear. "…unless it's in violation of the treaty between this land and the five great powers." The apparent clan leader and Kumo's representative stared each other down, waiting for one or the other to back down.
"Hmph…" The clan leader practically spat in disgust. "I'm Irikim Shintake, current head of the Irikim clan. What are your names, so I know who I'm negotiating with?" By his confidence and posture, he wasn't backing down. He stood tall over Kumo's representative and dared him to question his order-like request.
Fugui swallowed nervously. "Monsters! They're all monsters! They act like war is just some game they can play. I'll just have to show them, for Raikage-sama!" He forced a smile on his face. "I'm Fugui, jonin of Kumo. These three are also jonin." He indicated them one by one as he mentioned them. "My companions are Keai…" He hesitated to continue. "…Kira Bii, and Yugito Nii. We're here to protect the treaty between our lands."
"I seriously doubt it." Shintake started. "Our clan holds and ancient vow to Demons. We remove ourselves from the affairs of the land, and, in return, we are allowed to live here freely." His angry glower only intensified as he looked over the cloud nin. "We have no business with Shinobi. Leave us. Now."
"Dear, don't be so rude to our guests." A pregnant red haired woman waddled down the stone paved path from a nearby greenhouse towards them. As she approached, she seemed to radiate calm. With exception of the clan head, the Irikim men bowed and cleared the way for her. Even humbling themselves, their guard seemed to go up. She seemed important.
"Sumire-chan, what are you doing here? The midwife would kill me if she thought I let you outside the house." He looked over her shoulder as she stopped and happily giggled in front of him. "Were you gathering medical herbs in the greenhouse again? What did I tell you? If you need something, I'll send somebody to get them."
She only giggled again and wrapped herself around his arm. "Ah, I just wanted to find you. You and the men were acting so serious." She smiled happily and extracted some leaves from a pocket hidden in her sash. "I want to make some tea for everyone. It's been so long since I've been allowed to!" She pouted; though, her face still betrayed merriment.
Shintake sighed. "My dearest, you are so very delicate and kind. Allow your volunteers to serve you as they promised." He shook his head and stood sternly. "You are being rude to your own family. Now, let me take you back to the house. We'll have the midwife perform her check up and leave these ninja to…"
He stopped at Sumire's equally stern look. "Must we continue this feud? Maybe, just maybe, we can alleviate their fears if we just show them some hospitality." She placed a finger over his lips to gently hush him. "I promise; I won't stress our baby too much. I'll only prepare the tea and let the volunteers serve me. Now will you grant my selfish request?"
Though he scowled, he turned to the other men and began issuing his orders. "You heard her. These ninja will be honored as guests tonight." He pointed to a group of three; one had red hair. "You prepare the onsen for our guests. We don't want to seem rude. The rest of you, keep your eyes on them." His wife clapped happily beside him. He shook his head in disbelief. "Oh well, her inheritance is strongest among us."
Her smile only seemed to brighten when she turned to the visiting ninja. As she looked over them, her mouth shaped an 'o' as she looked at Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. She grasped her husband by one shoulder and pulled his ear down to her tiptoe height. As she whispered something in his ear, his expression changed to one of surprise. He looked at them as if analyzing, but his expression showed no fear or hate.
Shintake gently stepped away from Sumire. She tucked a stray strand of her red hair behind her ear as she watched him walk towards the cloud nin with growing curiosity. "If you don't mind, we'd like to discuss something in private with you two." He watched them patiently for some reaction, and he seemed to acknowledge them in a way they were not used to.
Kira Bii looked to Sumire. He raised an eyebrow as he tried to figure out what she said. Whoever she was, Hachibi no Ushi was quieter than he could remember. He looked to his similarly cursed teammate. She also seemed more at ease than he could remember. "Okay…" He turned to their gracious host. "…you're got the Kira Bii's interest. Feel grateful, for the Kira Bii will see what you have to say."
Ignoring his ego, Shintake turned to Yugito. She looked accusingly to her egotistic teammate before returning her attention to the clan head. She didn't even bother looking to the disapproving glare of her former sensei. "Yeah, that'll be nice." She was also interested to see why she had felt at peace since Sumire arrived.
"You will do no such thing!" Fugui yelled scornfully. "Raikage-sama gives you too much leeway, but I will not let you ruin this mission for some selfish whim." He turned angrily to Sumire. Realizing he couldn't maintain his angry glower, he instead turned his ire towards Shintake. "Kira Bii and Yugito Nii are of none of your concern. We'll talk to you as a team and negotiate to ensure the terms of the non-aggression pact have been maintained."
Shintake sighed. "I don't think you quite understand. Sumire-chan is extending a very gracious invitation. You are on Irikim clan grounds. Besides, it seems, to me, that you are outnumbered on the decision even among your team. Your fourth member hasn't said a word, but she's disappointed in you."
Fugui turned to Keai. She openly glared at him even as his questioning gaze demanded an answer. Without hearing what he had to say, she answered his very obvious question. "Neither Kira Bii nor Yugito Nii are the type to sell out secrets. Even hating the previous Raikage, they did as he asked." She stepped menacing closer to him. He shook slightly and tried not to back down. "You hate them, but we still follow you. You can at least let them sate their curiosity."
He seethed at her defiance. Though he hated to admit it, all three of his former genin students had succeeded in surpassing him. He knew Kira Bii and Yugito Nii would. They had the chakra capacity for it, and they were the village's pet monsters. Keai, though, was little more than a bookworm from a family that produced few ninja and fewer that excelled.
"With that decided…" Shintake purposely interrupted his seething, and he smirked in enjoyment when the hateful man only grew angrier and red in the face. "…you should clean up before dinner. Come, I'm sure the onsen's been prepared by now. We have volunteers to help cleanse you."
He easily turned to lead them towards the onsen. As one of the men that had intercepted the cloud nin with him separated to escort his wife back to the main house, a satisfied smirk crossed his face. Even if he had to let them into his house to sate his wife's curiosity, he got to talk down a very arrogant ninja. He looked over his shoulder when he felt one of them approach."
"Excuse me, I'm Keai. I apologize for Fugui-sensei's spiteful behavior." She glared at him for a moment before returning her attention to their gracious host. "He is embarrassing. If he hasn't insulted you too much, may I ask a question concerning something you've said?" He simply nodded, and she continued. "I noticed you said volunteers would help cleanse and cook. You look like a rich clan. Tell me, why not call them servants?"
The question didn't seem to surprise him as he continued walking at the same pace. He answered without skipping a beat. "We are not affiliated with Demons. It is difficult to hire traditional servants. Instead, we ask family members to willingly serve. They have volunteered and can cease their services at any time." He finally looked at her. "I hope my answer is acceptable."
She nodded, and he looked away. Behind them, Fugui grumbled. He didn't notice Shintake stop until he ran into him. As he rubbed his nose, he set his angry glower on the clan head. "I'm being rather gracious here. Even if you think it was merely Sumire-chan's suggestion, I'm still letting you onto my clan's property. I recommend not talking about your hosts under your breath."
Left stammering, Fugui was left behind as his former student genin walked away embarrassed and shaking their heads. He remained silent until they walked into the main house. Though he felt refreshed from the onsen and wearing more luxurious dining robes than he could afford, he was still holding a grudge. Even when he saw the impressive spread, he forced a neutral expression to his face.
When he looked to his former student genin, he was disappointed to see them talking amicably and laughing with the clan head's wife. On the other hand, the clan head seemed quite satisfied. Obviously, he was pleased with whatever he learned interviewing Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. "Che, it's all so irritating. I'll make sure to tell Raikage-sama about this violation! Demons can't get away with this."
"The Kira Bii is very impressed with the Irikim clan. I'll put in a good word for you with Raikage-sama." He ignored the hateful glare from his former sensei. "Don't trust everything Fugui-sensei threatens." He returned his former sensei's glare with equal spite. "He's on the wrong side of Raikage-sama's trust. We're here to keep him straight. He's here to be thorough."
Fugui fumed, but he remained silent. If Raikage's own younger brother sided with Irikim, there was little he could do without extensive evidence. The only proof he really had was flimsy at best. A dozen members of some unknown clan snuck up on them and confidently stared them down. They acted like they could have actually won in a fight against ninja. Unless they were ninja, he highly doubted it. He also wasn't buying that they weren't affiliated with Demons somehow.
As dinner came to a close, Shintake turned to Kira Bii and Yugito Nii. "Well, have you thought about our offer?" He waited patiently as they finished chewing and wiped their mouths. His neutral expression didn't change even as they looked at each other and seemed to silently communicate. Though it always unnerved and annoyed their former sensei, the Irikim clan head didn't seem the least bit put off.
"The Kira Bii is definitely interested. We talked to Keai, and she agrees too." He pointedly eyed Fugui. "She contacted Hitohana and the rest of the Kumo no Juunihana. They've agreed." He returned his attention to the clan head. "However, I'd like to make a request." Receiving a positive nod, he continued. "Let Yugito Nii go first." Receiving a negative shake, his eyes went wide in anger. "Why not?!"
"That's not the way it works." He held up a hand to stop further complaints. He indicated the former sensei. "Since you're representing Kumo, I don't think it's fair to keep you in the dark any longer." He pulled his wife into an affectionate embrace. "Sumire noticed something I didn't when she emerged from the greenhouse. She told me Kira Bii and Yugito Nii were jinchuuriki."
Fugui stood, looking purely indignant. "You…!" He pointed to the jinchuuriki. "What did you tell them?! That's an S-rank secret! You weren't given permission to tell any outside forces! Thi-This is treason! I swear; even Raikage-sama won't be able to cover this up for you!"
"Oh, would you be quiet?" He stared at Sumire dumbfounded. "What? I can't be angry? …indignant? You've been hostile since you got here, and it's starting to wear on my last nerve! Now, your Raikage already knows what's going on. The most elite shinobi in your village already know. Tell me, how exactly are you supposed to have room to complain? Besides, they didn't tell me anything. The bijuu told me."
Fugui looked questioningly to his former student genin. His hostility wasn't gone in the slightest. Each of his former student genin rolled their eyes at him. Their disappointment was palatable. Yugito Nii finally responded calmly and detached. He could tell she wasn't playing as she exuded serious calm. "We don't understand ourselves. When she brought it up, we were of course surprised. However, our bijuu seem to…like the Irikim."
"However, we did not make a hasty decision. We discussed it with Keai, already knowing your decision. You were outvoted, so we contacted Hitohana to reach a final decision." She practically growled at him as she lowered her face condescendingly. "For your information, they know more about the bijuu than you do. As hateful as they are to us, they are calmer than they've ever been, and I haven't had to fight the Nibi since I got here."
Fugui sat, but a visible tick clearly defined how he felt. With the team episode over, Shintake continued. "We have agreed to take the…volatile bijuu off your hands while not hurting your military strength. We have a method of saving Kira Bii and Yugito Nii from daily torment while keeping their strength at exactly the level it is now. We can't go into details, but we have a lot of experience with jinchuuriki and bijuu."
Keai readjusted her glasses. "To be more accurate, you have more experience with bijuu than any of the great powers. You know things that should be impossible. You identified exactly how my teammates are feeling, and you even identified things they didn't even realize without thinking. No, it's almost like the bijuu are some part of your clan. You just won't say what part."
Shintake just smiled and nodded. "No, you haven't earned the privilege. Though we benefit from this exchange, your Raikage actually believes Kumo benefits more. As such, you'll be our honored guests until Sumire-chan gives birth. I expect you…" He indicated Fugui. "…to follow your orders and stop investigating us." He stood, gently helping his wife up.
"Now, I have clan business to attend to. You are free to explore as you wish, but two of my clan are to follow any one of you at all times. For tonight, do whatever you ninja do at night. We have training grounds for you to use, and your rooms are prepared. Sumire-chan will interview the jinchuuriki to determine the best candidate to go first."
"Excuse me." Keai spoke up politely. When attention was fixed to her, she continued. "Do you have a library? If possible, I'd like to read any scrolls you possess. Of course, I will not delve into anything you forbid me from." She politely straightened her robes and awaited the answer as the clan head deliberated.
He finally nodded his head. "Fine, I can agree to that. Your escorts will know what you can and cannot access. Now if you'll excuse me, I promised the midwife I wouldn't stress Sumire-chan." With no more questions, he left with his arm around his wife. She hummed happily as she walked beside him. All signs of her earlier ire were gone, and she even waved them goodnight.
The next morning, Sumire interviewed Kira Bii and Yugito. First, Yugito Nii saw the clan matriarch. The room was filled with laughter as they talked. They seemed to get along famously. When Kira Bii entered, he asked what they talked about. Sumire merely placed her finger over her lips and shushed him. "That's a secret between ladies."
Kira Bii rolled his eyes but let it go. As they sat and talked, he felt his chakra behave erratically. His eyes widened when he saw strangely clear chakra envelop their hostess. He stood and backed up quickly until he nearly slammed into the wall. She smiled and stayed in place. "You don't have to fear. Hachi-chan is only being friendly. He's quite attached to my precious child." She gently rubbed her swollen belly.
He blinked. "Did you just call that hateful bijuu…'Hachi-chan'?" He stared at her in disbelief. He nearly fell to his knees when he heard something like a purr from his inner thoughts. "Did Hachibi just like being called 'Hachi-chan'?" He looked up again in surprise when she simply giggled.
"I'm afraid you'll have to be first." He tried to argue, but she would not suffer any arguments. "I told you before, that's not how it works. Unfortunately, Ni-chan didn't respond to my child like Hachi-chan did. You have to be the one. Don't worry; we'll help Yugito Nii as we promised."
Licking his lips, Kira Bii finally agreed. He knew, knew he might be chosen to go first. The interview was to determine which bijuu was best suited for the soon to be born child. With a heavy hearted sigh, he stood. "Okay, I'll abide by your decision." He chuckled. "No, I guess I don't really have a choice. I'll inform Yugito Nii of your final decision."
The next day and a half was relatively calm. Keai read to her heart's content, and she honored her promise to read only what she was allowed. Yugito Nii took the news well, and she ended up flirting with a few of the unmarried men while she wasn't practicing. Kira Bii mostly meditated and practiced his swordsmanship.
The only problems arose when Fugui repeatedly contacted Hitohana. He was obviously enraged, and he tried his best to reverse the Raikage's decision. He grew so loud and, to his former student genin, embarrassing that Keai wouldn't allow further contact after only a half dozen times.
When Sumire went into labor, the Irikim clan went into an uproar. Fugui was only as anxious because he knew what was coming, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The screams of a healthy born baby caused a new uproar. Kira Bii, Yugito Nii, and Keai even joined in the celebrations.
The healthy newborn was named Momiji, and Kira Bii was lead to a dark room lit by ancient writ. He didn't recognize the ancient glyphs, but Hachibi no Ushi seemed to. The bijuu actually seemed to squirm with excitement, and the jinchuuriki was hard pressed to contain the volatile chakra.
As runes and glyphs were painted on his body, he observed the Fuuin masters carefully paint runes and glyphs around the hours old baby and on her belly. He didn't know if he liked the idea of giving such a heavy burden to a child. He was worried she would face the same hardships he had, but he wanted to believe in the confidence of the Irikim clan.
"I don't remember much after they started the procedure. I woke up a few days later feeling a little worse for wear, but I was alive. They said I tried to resist screaming, but I couldn't resist the pain." Kira Bii spoke without his usual narcissism. "However, I didn't feel the bijuu's influence any more. For the first time in my life, I was free."
Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and it only has two more months left! If you want to make your voice heard, make sure to take part! I will honor whatever the final vote says. I'm a man of my word. Also, do think to visit my forum. The link should appear in my profile. As I've neglected updating my "Writer's Block" section in my profile, I'll be adding/updating a few of my opinion words on various anime and manga. Do enjoy, and please don't kill me!
Wow, I'm getting later and later it seems... Well, the site was acting a bit weird with uploads, so that's most of the reason. My new class seems to focus on essays more than anything else, and writing essays for even normal topic discussions is time consuming. Here I was hoping it was going to concentrate on programming... Oh well, I'll get through it as best as I can.
I couldn't resist the gag section. Really, Kakashi appearing out of nowhere and making everybody scared!
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,026
Story Page Count: 16
Terms and Jutsu:
Doton: Iwawaku - Earth Release: Rockslide: A medium-level technique, Iwawaku piles up rocks from around the user and pushes them outward like a rockslide. It doubles as a defensive maneuver.
Irikim - mikiri spelled backwards, mikiri means forsake.
EDIT: As I said, I had problems uploading. I have absolutely no idea how one section got duplicated...