Vocabulary:
Nukenin - Rogue ninja, traitor to their clan.
Aibyouka - Cat Lover
Koneko - Kitten

Chapter 6: Sohma House

They were talking about her now. Hakuma could feel it. Haruki wouldn't have anything else to talk to the Head of the Family about. She wondered what Akiko was like, would he be anything like her Grandmaster, a fearsome brute that could break a man in half? She had been instructed to stay outside the main gate into the Sohma complex until she was called upon. It was there she knelt. She had changed out of her costume, and into the plain blue and gray kimono that she wore when attempting to blend in with the populace. Even with her white hair she drew little attention here. Those who passed by whispered that she must me a Sohma, but little more.

As she sat there, the smells of cooking food tantalized her. She gauged it was nearing dinner time. However she could only reflect on the overwhelming feeling of fear that was brewing within her. She had been a stranger to the feeling for so long it was hard to identify for a while. She hadn't felt like this since she was ripped from her mother's side. Hakuma remembered that moment in her life with surprising clarity. She remembered the feel of her mother's hair, the scent of burning incense. Her mother had still been warm, even though her soul had departed for the next life long before.

She had begged her father to let her stay by her side a little longer, her grief making her bold enough to request kindness from a man that had never shown her any such mercy before. She had been the twin of a brother, she knew. Her brother had been weak, and she strong. It wasn't her fault she had lived where her brother had died. That didn't stop her father from resenting her. With his wife gone, he had plans for his daughter.

That night was blurry to her after he tore her from her mother's corpse. Her life had changed so rapidly it was hard to believe that she had ever been innocent of the ways of the world, that she one time had a person in the world that loved her. Was it the realization that she was alone that made her cling to her mother so? It had been her mother that told her the stories about the zodiac. It had been Hakuma's favorite story. Like her mother, her favorite character in the story was the poor forgotten cat. It hadn't been his fault the rat lied to him, or that the rat pushed him off the Ox's back in the alternative version of the story. She had found a kinship with the Cat as a child. So much so she soon began telling her mother stories about Cat. In each story the unwanted Cat became wanted by a girl who lived in a house with her mother and her father that wished he had a son instead of a daughter. When her mother became ill, she continued to tell her mother the stories. She had just finished one when her mother slipped away.

Her father brought her to the Dancing Ox teahouse, where the proprietress of the establishment bought her; thus taking her under contract to work and live at the teahouse. For the first months she struggled with her thoughts, her anger at her situation. How could a father sell his daughter? Weren't fathers supposed to love their daughters too? The thoughts eventually faded, Maruko and the other girls at the Teahouse soon became her family. She thought she would be there forever, it was a pleasant change to become wanted.

Forever was never to be. It wasn't a year after she came to the teahouse that the Shikyo-te came and bought her contract from the teahouse. She had always wondered if Maruko thought that the girl's future would be something other then it turned out to be. Had she known she was sending her 'Aibyouka' to become a kunoichi? Had the woman even cared?

It wasn't until she had become older that she came to be grateful for her father's actions. He had probably saved her from a life of squalor and hunger. She fully believed that the man had only been thinking about himself when he sold her that night, she had been to scarred by the man to entertain the thought that his intentions had been in her best interest.

This time her fear wasn't directed at herself alone. She feared for the men that had become so close to her in such a short time. The Shikyo-te would have labeled her a Nukenin, as soon as they discovered her gone. Her former clan mates would be sent after her, with instructions to bring her back dead or alive. She would be hunted to the ends of the Earth, and those associated with her would be at risk as well. The attempts on her life would start soon. The one action that might protect the young Sohma men was for her to disappear.

She found her desire to be selfish out weighing her desire to protect. For the first time since she was a child, Hakuma had people in the world that cared for her. She didn't want to wake from this moment. Even if it only lasted for a little while, Hakuma wanted to hang on to this dream, the Shikyo-te would come to shatter it all too soon.

oxoxox

"Of course you are welcome to stay here, I told you that before. I'm not happy about what you did, but I understand." Maruko said in a soft tone. He always looked so sullen it pulled on the woman's heart strings. She supposed he had a right to look like that with all the things that had happened to him lately. "You should probably be grateful you were prevented from taking that woman's life. Taka was not one to advocate revenge, he wouldn't have been proud of your actions. And you'd have to live with the blood on your hands for the rest of your life."

"You are right. Doesn't make it hurt any less though." Nekai replied, his eyes never meeting hers.

"Nothing but time will make it hurt any less. You should know that, you've already lost so much, "she made the effort to try and comfort him. If anyone knew about loss though, it was Nekai. He had lost his parents in a fire when he was nine, he had barely survived himself. The situation had caused him to transform into his second form, the strength in that second form was what he owed his life to. The fire had not been Nekai's fault, but he was blamed all the same. It had been the Curse of the Cat, many whispered. Only Master Taka had dared to take the child in after that. Master Taka was the son of the previous Cat, and had an instant connection with Nekai.

"At least this time I found strength. In an unexpected place, I met a woman. She learned of my Curse, she learned what I was. She was so happy to discover the Cat existed. She loved the Cat before she'd even met me." Maruko caught the flicker of hope in his voice. It wasn't a quality she was used to hearing from him.

"A woman?" Maruko grinned. "You might be inexperienced in the game of love, but you have me to help you. Together we won't-"

"It's no use. Haruki has her attention now," He interjected.

"Ah, so she is the Shikyo-te that helped you get those pretty new beads you showed me earlier then? You didn't mention it was a woman. I wonder if she is the girl Akiko forced me to sell nine years back. It tore my soul out to do it, poor child used to tell stories to the customers about a girl and the Cat from the Zodiac. It was cute, I always suspected the girl in the stories was herself. When I asked her about them once, she told me they couldn't be about her; she didn't have a cat." Maruko laughed, remembering the serious expression on the girl's face when she told her that. "Then out of the blue Akiko gave me orders to sell her contract. Never knew what happened to my poor Aibyouka, called her that because she was so fond of cats. Didn't help her given name was Koneko, it was the name the father gave me at any rate. It was after I sold her contract that I bought Fumiko's." She sighed, "Can't any of my girls be normal."

Nekai seemed to absorb the information readily. Maruko gauged it was probably a difficult concept for him to grasp, that some one could love the Cat so, and by proxy him. "She did mention that she used to live at the Dancing Ox. It was why she didn't come after Smiling Fox herself."

"I had always hoped to introduce her to you, but you had enough to keep you occupied" It had been the same year as the fire, so Maruko had let him be. "She was gone after you were ready to meet anyone new." It was then that Maruko began to understand what he was getting at before. "You aren't just going to give up are you? Going to let Haruki have his way with her like one of the gullible maid girls up at the Main House? You know as well as I do how promiscuous he is."

"Hakuma isn't gullible." He defended her.

"How much experience do you honestly think a kunoichi gets in a secluded village? She is going to have come from a very sheltered environment, everything she knows has been told to her and skewed."

"It still doesn't matter, I could never compete with Haruki. He's the Rat."

"You never see a cat dangling from a rat's mouth do you? In the end a cat only has to win once, Haruki can't keep winning forever. Are you going to give up the one person in the world that loves what you are? She could be the one person in the world that can make you truly happy? Would you give that up without a fight?"

"I don't know," he said pushing himself up from the table. Maruko shook her head, hoping desperately that he would choose happiness.

oxoxox

Hakuma bowed low, like she probably did when she was in her Grandmaster's presence, or so Akiko wagered. He had been taken by surprise when Haruki had come to him with a request. Haruki wasn't the type to ask for anything, he was content with what he was given. Akiko was considering letting Haruki have his request, if only to keep his house maids from growing large with his seed. It would also distract his close companion from the issue of Akiko producing an heir. Akiko enjoyed his life, and wanted to continue enjoying it. He wanted to continue waking up next to his wife, and seeing her smile. An heir would mean his death, he knew it. It was how his legacy would be passed.

"Do you know why I was named Akiko?" he started, and watched the woman pull herself from the bent over position to a kneeling one. She was a striking woman, he could see why Haruki would be taken by her.

"I do not Akiko-sama." She answered, her voice was respectful. It was a notch lower then the reverence he was used to receiving, but he forgave her. She had yet to learn of his importance.

"My father before me carried the name Aki, autumn. Both he and I were born sickly, born to die young. You see, the Heads of the Family are born into the autumn of their lives, where others are born into their spring. I am but twenty-nine, and I have outlived my father by four years." He paused to observe her expression, and was surprised it didn't flicker. She didn't look at him with pity, a fact he was grateful for. He was weary of pity. "It is the price of being God."

Her eyes widened. "From the story." She stated.

"Very good. The Juunishi exist to be near me. We are bonded, it is something you could not understand; so I'm not even going to try and explain. Just know that none of them can ever go against my wishes, they will always choose me. As I will always choose them, I love them all. I want most for my Zodiac to be happy. That is the only reason I am considering Haruki's request. You make him happy. I need something from you however."

"What can I provide you, Akiko-sama?"

"I will allow you to live Inside with my Juunishi, if you lend me your strengths when you are called upon. You will serve me the same way the Shikyo-te have in the past. You will also be responsible for teaching martial arts and swordsmanship to those in the family that want to learn, taking the place of our departed Master Taka. As an added bonus I will ensure that the Shikyo-te do not come looking for you. For that I need something from you to prove your own demise. Your hair would do, a long braid of it. With my backing and that evidence, they will believe you are dead." Akiko pulled a short blade, a wakizashi, from his sleeve and slid it across the floor to her.

She pulled her hair over her shoulder, braiding the long strands. She tore pieces from her kimono to tie the ends. She carefully picked up the blade, pulling the weapon from its sheath. "I agree to silence those that learn of the Sohma secret, and to teach those that want to learn swordsmanship and martial arts. Would that be all I'm responsible for?" Akiko nodded. She pulled the blade through her hair, carefully. When she was done she threw the severed braid towards Akiko. He looked at it, it touched his knee where he knelt.

"You are dismissed. I will send someone to you to take you to yours accommodations. I suggest you go thank the man that convinced me to accept you." Akiko told her.

"I shall go see Haruki immediately, Akiko-sama."

oxoxox

Living in a real house was a change for Hakuma, and living in it by herself was even more of one. In the week following her meeting with Akiko, she had been getting acquainted with her new surroundings. Haruki had taken the time to help her with the transition. There were only a few moments in the day where Haruki was somewhere else but by her side. Now was one of those times. She was grateful towards Haruki, but she was starting to miss Nekai. She hadn't seen him since they parted ways on the way to Sohma House. She wondered if there was a reason he hadn't come to see her. Where could he be if not Inside?

She smiled, finally knowing what the terms Inside and Outside meant. The Zodiac lived inside, and while she hadn't met any of the other Juunishi yet, she was hoping to poke around soon for them. She was curious as to whether they were anything like Nekai or Haruki.

Hakuma looked up and caught a small face peeking at her from behind a building, a small face with golden hair. Not simply blonde, but metallic gold. The face quickly disappeared behind the building, Hakuma got up to follow. "Wait, I'm not going to hurt you." She called, rounding the corner of the building. She saw three people, whom she assumed had been chatting, were all looking in one direction; the one opposite of Hakuma. It was the way her mystery person had gone, so she continued on in hopes of locating them.

From amongst the group, a well built man with bright red hair called to her. "You'll never catch Kaida. She doesn't come out of the Main House very often. Must have come to see the stranger Haruki brought home," He smiled widely, were all the Sohmas so handsome? "We've all been curious."

Hakuma bowed to him formally, introducing herself. "I am Hakuma."

"I am Sorano Sohma." He said, falling into a similar more relaxed bow. "These two lovely ladies are Nozomi and Ami Sohma." The first woman he introduced as a very thin woman, with dark gray hair that she wore down. The second was a cute young woman that wore her black hair in ponytails on either side of her head.

"Are any of you Juunishi?" Hakuma asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"All of us are in fact." Nozomi answered, her voice was low and husky. "I am possessed of the Snake."

"Dog for me," Ami said. She moved closer to Hakuma, yet Hakuma didn't turn her attention away from Sorano as he talked.

"Take a guess," he said, putting his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest. He turned his head to the side so his profile was visible. Ami reached out and pushed Hakuma towards Sorano. When their chests bumped, the man disappeared in a poof of smoke; revealing a white chicken.

Ami laughed uncontrollably. "It's going to be fun having you around," she said to Hakuma in a whisper.

"Could you be the Rooster, maybe?" Hakuma asked. She stepped back from the bird. She couldn't help the wry smirk that appeared on her face.

"I don't think it counts at this point." The rooster sulked.

"Why don't you honor us with a visit. I'm not needed at the moment," Nozomi offered, later she would reveal that she was the Sohma Family doctor.

"I would be grateful for the chance to get to know you all." Hakuma replied.

"Sorano can join us once he is a mammal again." Ami teased. She pulled Hakuma by her sleeve, leading her to another house on the Inside.

Yes, Hakuma was going to like living with the Sohmas. She could tell already.

oxoxox

Hakuma took a long swig from the skin Sorano had given her. The other women had long since gone to bed, they hadn't lasted long after the 'super sake' was brought out. Hakuma hadn't ever had anything like it before, and even Sorano was impressed with her fortitude. Hakuma was enjoying the way it made her feel. For the last hour or so, it had only been Sorano and herself drinking and talking.

"Ha-chan, where have you been all my life," Sorano said, becoming more loving the more drinks he consumed. She was matching him drink for drink so far. It was a feat he'd remarked on, saying only Torasuke could match him. After which he muttered something about him not being allowed to drink anymore, and something else about a wife.

"The Cat dragged me in," in her impaired state, Hakuma thought she was being hilarious. Sorano laughed, in his impaired state he must've thought the same.

"Did he get you to pity him? Tell you how badly the Sohmas treat him?" he asked.

"No, I've always loved the Cat from the story. I couldn't believe he was real, I'd finally found my Cat! I hadn't been happy in a long time, then Nekai came along." Hakuma became more talkative with the more drinks she consumed. "Every Sohma I meet only increases that happiness."

"It only a matter of time . . ." Sorano said darkly.

"Why do the Sohma's hate the Cat? He doesn't seem bad to me."

"It's hard to explain, its something in our core that won't let us accept him. Part of our bond. It isn't a conscious choice to hate him, but all the Zodiac do. Most of us can manage to treat him like a person. It isn't his fault he is the Cat any more then it is mine I'm the Rooster. Akiko-sama doesn't, never uses his name. What ever Akiko does, Haruki copies. It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins with those two." Sorano explained as best he could. "Poor Maruko has even taken him in, even with her business on the edge of ruin. She is going to lose her teahouse if she doesn't find another Fumiko soon."

"Maruko? As in the Dancing Ox Maruko?"

"One in the same, more so then meets the eye. She is Juunishi as well."

At this, Hakuma laughed. All her life Sohmas had made her happy, perhaps that was the destiny Mercy has whispered about. Maybe she was meant to be with the Sohmas. What ever her destiny was, she made a promise to herself. She would go see Nekai tomorrow.

The girl had finally found Cat, and she wasn't going to let him go unwanted any longer.

oxoxox

Haruki gave Rini thanks as she left him outside Nekai's room. He slid open the door, and spotted the orange haired young man through the window. He was laying lazily on the roof. Haruki closed the distance between himself and the window, and leaned on the sill. "Hakuma is living Inside now." He addressed him.

Nekai jumped up, the unexpected voice catching him off guard. "I know that!"

"I commend you on your selflessness. Not coming to see her has been a good action on your part. I didn't think you capable of such forethought. I'm starting to find respect for you," his voice told other wise. "With you going away soon, it wouldn't be fair of you to draw her close, take advantage of her love of a fictional story, and then leave her alone. It would only cause her pain. Seeing you properly isolated from respectable people would hurt her, she wouldn't understand. You are her 'Cat' after all. Do you want her heart to break, the pain of such is torture I hear."

Nekai looked away, he was obviously thinking something he was keeping to himself. He remained silent.

"I just came by as a favor to Hakuma. She wanted to come to see you herself, but Sorano kept her up drinking last night. She didn't know what a hangover was until this morning. Shikyo-te do not drink." Haruki grinned. "She's been very sheltered, and will need guidance in the real world."

"Good thing she has an expert like you to teach her, huh Haruki?" Maruko said from the doorway behind him. "Since when did Sohma House become the real world?" she shook her head. "I knew you wouldn't be here doing any good. You'd best leave before I throw you out." He could tell that Maruko was very serious. She was a big enough woman to back her threat.

Haruki looked back to Nekai, leaving him with something to linger on. "You should continue to put her interests ahead of your own. Prove you have a shred of honor." Haruki turned around gracefully, bowing to Maruko respectfully. She walked past her. While he didn't look back, he could feel her eyes on the back of his head. There was no reason to push his luck. He had accomplished what he had set out to do.

Hopefully the Cat would listen to reason.

oxoxox

Nekai couldn't sleep that night. Thoughts battled in his mind. What he wanted and what was best for Hakuma opposed each other. Was Haruki right? Should he just let her go? Or was Maruko right? Should he fight for her? One thought stood out amongst the chaos. "I want her to be happy." He murmured to himself, light peeking into his open window.

He couldn't imagine her being happy with him for very long. Perhaps there was something Haruki could provide her that he couldn't. Haruki could offer her good standing socially, and security. Haruki could offer her everything that a woman could want, everything that Nekai could not.

What exactly could Nekai offer her at all if they became close? Could he guarantee her anything besides pain? Nothing but a broken heart waited for her, she would be devastated to learn what fate awaited him. She would ache as it was simply because it was happening to the Cat from the story.

This wasn't a story, this was real life. He knew she would fall for him, it was only a matter of time. She already adored him for what he was. He wasn't oblivious to her admiration of him. It was something that warmed him when he thought about it. She had spent her whole life caring for his welfare, she didn't even know he existed and she had devoted herself so.

She could easily fall for Haruki, he thought. It pained him to think about her with Haruki, but the rat had been right. He needed to think about what was best for Hakuma.

Nekai forced himself up, and pulled his clothes on. He walked out of his room and down the stairs. His destination was the Dancing Ox's back lot, it was fenced off from the street. From a stump he pulled an ax. He pulled off his shirt and started chopping wood. After the first few pieces, he could feel his frustration dissipate. By the time all the wood had been chopped, sweat poured down his face and body, making his skin glisten. He was also feeling more centered, set for what he had to do. He hadn't had such a workout since he was training under Master Taka. With the swings of the ax, he had let everything go; including his fantasies of being with Hakuma.

He planned on staying away from her, let the other Sohmas on the Inside comfort her and befriend her. Let Haruki become her lover. Perhaps then she wouldn't notice that he was gone, locked away from respectable people. He would be only a fleeting memory to her, not enough to cause her pain.

"I was told I could find you here. Maruko told me I'd like what I saw." His heart skipped a beat. Already she was here to test his strength. He wouldn't be weak here, he couldn't. It was the only way she would get what she deserved. Did she know what she did to him? "You do look good sweaty, Nekai." This she said low, playful. She laughed at the end, it was an awkward sound from her. It was always like that, like she hadn't used it much in her life.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, keeping his voice emotionless. He had a duty to her, to protect her; even from himself.

"Came to tell you I'll be working at the Dancing Ox, Maruko seemed to think the arrangement would make you happy."

"I don't know about that," he turned, catching the first glimpse of her since she went with Haruki to Sohma House. "What happened to you, why did you go and hack your hair off?"

"It was a price I had to pay to start my new life . . . my life with you." Her awkwardness came across clearly as she laid herself vulnerable to him. She had so much trust in him. He wanted to swept her up, comfort her. Tell her that he wanted nothing more then to get to know her better, to live a life with her.

He looked away, so he wouldn't have to see her reaction to what he said next. "That was a silly thing to do," his voice cold, unfeeling. It hurt him to say it, but it was for her own good. He pushed past her, picking up some pieces of wood to stack in the pile behind her. "What gave you the idea I wanted a life with you." He walked into the teahouse. He couldn't be there if she cried, or even if she just withdrew into herself. He couldn't trust himself to be strong then.

He had to be strong now. He needed the only person he gave a damn about to have some hope of happiness. He couldn't bear her worrying for him when he was locked away.

This chapter took a while to get right, there was so much I wanted to cover, and I couldn't get it any shorter, apologies. I hope you enjoyed the insight. I wanted to show what it was like in our characters' minds. Next Chapter is going to be the New Year's Banquet, if you want the next chapter make sure you review and tell me you are enjoying the story. I'll send an e-cookie to everyone that reviews! This was the hardest chapter so far! Who is rooting for Nekai? Any Haruki Fans? Any questions? Thank-you for reading! I truely love this story.