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Chapter 7

Knowing your ropes

A week passed and Sachi had practiced daily with her chakra. She had improved greatly upon both repressing and using her chakra to sense her surroundings. Kai-san had been invaluable in her practice. As she improved with each task separately she tried to combine them with surprising success. Kai-san would be an indicator as to when her chakra became too noticeable for his species and she would attempt to correct it.

This very morning on her day off would be another big step. She shook herself both physically and mentally.

"Okay, Kai-san. We can do this right?"

One chirp: yes.

She stole herself and walked confidently out of her home, without her cane in hand. She knew this would be a true test of her sensing abilities. Walking around town without her cane would be a challenge but it was one she was confident she could accomplish.

Despite her confidence, she still carried her folded cane in her jacket pocket. She was blind, not stupid. It was there just in case she wasn't ready or if she ran out of chakra on her walk.

She walked the familiar road to the bookstore and into the busier part of town. Her ears and chakra sense were working overtime to compensate for the lack of her usual method of getting around. Everything was going surprisingly well. Kai-san hadn't made a sound, indicating she hadn't yet screwed up.

She was very nearly strutting down the road with overflowing confidence when she heard the familiar buzz of an insect user outside of her sensing range.

"Kai-san, who is that?" she whispered to the insect under her hat. "Is it Shino-san?"

Two chirps.

"No, Shibi-san then?"

One chirp.

"Oh," she said pleasantly. "Maybe we should go say hello."

She walked toward the restaurant he sat in right up to his table where he sat alone.

"Hello, Shibi-san. Eating by yourself today?"

"Not eating it would seem," he answered. Sachi could detect a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Why would you be sitting in a restaurant and not eating?" she asked.

"They seem to have forgotten that I am here. I have been waiting for over an hour," he clarified.

"You have been waiting that long?" Sachi asked in surprise. "Has it been really busy?"

"No."

"That's awful." Sachi thought for a moment and sat down opposite him with a smile. "What did you order?"

"The sukiyaki," he answered with curiosity.

"I hope you don't mind a little white lie." She brought out her cane from her pocket and held it close to her as she flagged down a waitress.

"How may I help you?" the woman asked.

"Would you mind checking on our order? The sukiyaki plate for two? We have been waiting for over an hour and our tea was never delivered either."

"Oh, goodness. I'm so sorry," the waitress gushed politely. "I'll check on it right now."

Sachi smiled as the waitress left in a tizzy over their bad service.

"There are some perks to being blind. I rarely go unnoticed or forgotten and I rarely get bad service. I don't usually take advantage of the situation but I didn't want them to forget you out here."

"Thank you. How are you?"

"I'm great," she said with a face splitting smile. "After Shino-san taught me to sense things with my chakra I've been getting better. I can sense a little over a foot in front of me. Today is the first time I took a walk without my cane and Kai-san was there to make sure I was safe."

Shibi could almost see the confidence rolling off the young woman in waves. It was peculiar to see how his son had changed her life so much in such a short time. His accidental loss of her 'Kai-san' had helped her in more ways than the optimistic and independent woman would care to admit.

He worried over her attachment to the insect. He would let Shino deal with that in time.

The waitress appeared again with a tray of tea. "I'm so sorry for how long you had to wait. Your tea will be removed from the bill."

"Thank you very much," Sachi returned with a smile.

"How did you and Shino-kun meet?" Shibi asked after a sip of tea.

"Well, the first time we met was on the street. I heard his insects buzzing and I was worried I was going to walk right into an angry bee's nest. He was just the closest person so I asked him if there was one nearby. We didn't even exchange names until a week later when we met at the bookstore I work at. He ended up walking me home and the rest is history."

Shibi considered her for a moment. This girl was different. It was rare to find someone so unabashedly true to themselves. Her personality was far from what he expected his son to be interested in. Despite this, it was quite clear to Shibi that the two made an excellent match. Her penchant for living in the moment, asking questions and her general forward nature was one that drove the two together. She was quite the compliment to his son's reserved manner.

They seemed to attract each other based on qualities neither knew they were looking for. They say the flower doesn't dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes. She certainly was a vibrant flower attracting her bee.

"Shibi-san, do you think I have gotten better at hiding my chakra from the kikai?"

He did not have to check. The simple fact that his kikai had not reacted was indication enough that she had improved.

"Indeed, you have. Quite a quick turnaround especially for a civilian unaccustomed to using chakra."

"Shino-san said I have a natural talent for it. But he also said the techniques he taught me weren't very hard. So, I guess he doesn't expect much else."

They happily tucked into their food when it was delivered. Sachi remained quiet, recognizing that Shibi was not one to appreciate space filling conversation. She was more than content to occupy herself by stuffing herself full of her share of the sukiyaki.

"Sachi-san?" Shibi intoned some minutes into their meal. She hummed, indicating he had her attention, she wasn't about to talk as she was currently mid-bite. "What do you think of my son?"

Sachi cleared her mouth slowly, taking the time to mull over the question. She wondered why he was interested in her and Shino. Parental curiosity perhaps? Her own mother had displayed such feelings before now. It was only natural Shino's parents would ask their own questions.

"He's a good friend." She thought that was as good a place to start as any. "He's nice and smart and-"

"I am well aware of the facts," he interrupted calmly. "I wish to know how you view him."

"Uh, well," what exactly could she answer with that was not a fact? "I like how thoughtful he is. He always thinks before he speaks and he seems almost endlessly patient. He was able to handle meeting my Kaachan the second time we met. And let me tell you, she's quite the trip." Sachi stopped to laugh good-humoredly. "He has been nothing but kind and generous to me since we met. He's a little lacking on conversation unless I can get him onto a topic he is interested in. Shino-san is just a great guy, I guess."

This seemed to garner his approval as he did not ask her to clarify her words nor did he ask any other questions.

When they had finished their meal and Shibi had paid upon his grateful insistence that he wouldn't have been served without her. He offered one last cryptic line before leaving.

"Sachi-san," he began to ensure she was paying attention, "you are always welcome in our home."

I enjoy writing Shibi.

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