Caranril: For those of you who have been following along on my attempt at an OC fanfic, I shall be moving into my university dorm this weekend. Which means I may or may not have time to update later next week. I know there isn't a wireless connection in my dorm, but there may be ethernet, which means I could set that up for my laptop and everything'll be hunky-dory. So...we shall see. Just so you know, I have the next ten chappies written, just in case I run out of time. That'll last me the ten weeks of fall quarter if needed. : D
disCLAIMER: While I do not own Naruto nor any affiliated subjects therein, Kishimoto-sama does and therefore he owns my soul.
Chapter 13: Poker and Payback
Kaori knew they were up to something. Izumo's face was a hard mask to read, but Kotetsu's revealed everything in his heart. That evil expression meant dire deeds were about to be done, particularly to her. And she had nothing on them. No secret to back her up, and she was running out of time. Damn, she wasn't going to make it.
"I fold," she sighed, slamming her cards face down on the table. Her few chips scattered, only adding to the sound of Kotetsu gathering the kitty. He was positively gleeful.
"You're not good at this game at all, are you Kaori-haisha?" Kotetsu chortled.
"Shut up, you punk," Kaori grumbled, handing her cards to Izumo. "One more round, and that's all I've got." She gestured to her sad pile of chips. This only made Izumo and Kotetsu more irritating. Izumo shuffled and dealt.
"So, what are you guys doing for Shogatsu?" she asked as she picked up her hand and anted up.
"Party of course."
"We'd invite you along, but we figured you'd be doing something with Iruka."
"Argh, how many times do I have to say-"
Izumo laughed. "We know. We're just screwing with you."
"Besides," Kotetsu added, "Iruka's coming with us anyway."
"He's...oh."
"We're not disappointed are we?" Izumo asked with mock concern.
"Oh, no!" Kaori said quickly. "That's fine. He deserves to get out and meet some people and have fun. He spends too much time as a teacher he doesn't really live as a ninja."
"True, true." Izumo nodded. "Now, how about this game?"
Kaori returned her attention to her hand only to use every ounce of her being not to freak when she saw her hand. She glanced at the other two. This was a stud hand, so she wouldn't have to bluff about needing different cards. Oh, this was going to be good. She bid a little at a time, only upping Kotetsu's bid by a small amount. And then she went all in and called the hand. She got a raised eyebrow from both Jounin, but they matched her bid and showed their hands. Izumo had nothing, but Kotetsu had two pairs, aces and queens. He reached for the pile.
"Ah ah," Kaori said sternly. She revealed her own hand. Straight flush. Hearts. And the reddening of Izumo and Kotetsu's faces was priceless. She was back in the game, and they'd have to wait just a bit longer to see who would be buying the round of drinks for the next poker meeting. If there was to be another. They might be too shamed if she won to have another game. Men.
She stacked her newly accumulated chips neatly. Oh it was so very nice to have small towers next to her.
"So..." Kotetsu said conversationally. "How long have you been bonking Iruka?"
There was a moment before the comment registered in Kaori's brain. Then with a startling cry she launched herself over the table right at Kotetsu. He yelped and fell to the floor. Izumo laughed as Kaori smacked his friend around, taking the opportunity to steal some of his chips.
"Izumo! Don't just sit there laughing, help!"
"Sorry, but it seems Kaori-haisha is owning you."
With a vicious growl at the nickname, Kaori went back over the table to get Izumo, who tried pinning her to the table only to get a ferocious fight. Izumo tried holding her legs but couldn't get a hold on both at the same time. She kicked mightily, her heel connecting with Kotetsu's nose. He fell back into his chair, blood oozing from his face. Izumo pressed one leg over Kaori's chest to keep her still, while her hands yanked at his hair.
"What the hell is going on in here!" a frighteningly familiar voice screamed. The trio looked at the door, which framed a pissed Tsunade. Izumo released Kaori, who fell off the table. Kotetsu had taken the blood-soaked cloth off his face and was trying to stem his nosebleed. There were cards and poker chips everywhere.
"This is a public place, and you three are using it to gamble and fight. Is this the meaning of Shogatsu to you?" Her fiery hazel eyes pierced through the men and Kaori. Then she righted an upset chair, sat down, and pulled out her own deck of cards.
"Have room for one more player?" she said, her eyes now twinkling. Izumo sat down again, Kaori remained on the floor, unsure of what to do. Kotetsu touched his nose gingerly, deciding that he would be fine, then picked up his own chair.
"Five card draw?"
Izumo and Kotetsu agreed, while Kaori gathered chips off the floor and tossed them on the table. Once the cards had been dealt, the chips redistributed, and the poker faces more or less on, Tsunade glanced at Kaori and said casually:
"So, you and Iruka, huh?"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"I'll bet it was Kakashi," Kaori grumbled, sitting on the bed and watching Iruka get ready for his night out.
"These things happen," Iruka sighed. "I'm often the subject of many rumours, and will no doubt be the subject of more after tonight. It's not everyday you see a teacher party his heart out on Shogatsu. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Nah, I have to do...plans."
Iruka gave her a look, knowing full well she didn't have plans, but Kaori avoided his eyes.
She snorted. "Plus I totally lost to Izumo and Kotetsu at poker and owe them drinks. I don't have any money right now."
Iruka straightened his collar. He brushed a fuzzy off his shoulder, gave himself one more look, then turned and held his hands out.
"So? How do I look?"
"Like you're ready to lose virginity," Kaori said. Then after Iruka's shocked expression, "Your party virginity."
"I've been to parties before," Iruka said huffily.
"I don't mean reading parties."
Iruka threw his Chuunin jacket at Kaori. She caught it and slipped it on, then stood behind Iruka to look in the mirror.
"What do you think? Chuunin? I'd say Jounin." Kaori twirled around, deciding if it weren't for the colour, the jacket was pretty cool. That olive green made her look sickly.
"Just because you can beat up Izumo and Kotetsu doesn't make you Jounin level," Iruka said wryly, only to be caught between the shoulder blades with a slap.
"I gotta go." Kaori took the jacket off and hung it up neatly. "Have fun tonight, Iruka-sensei."
"You too," he called as she left hurriedly. He doubted her claim to have plans, but he wasn't going to pressure her to go to a party. He knew she was uncomfortable in crowds and had been proud that she had gone to Naruto's birthday and Hinata's Christmas Eve parties. Especially after the latter incident. Damn that Kakashi.
A knock brought his attention to the door, which held Izumo and Kotetsu. Kotetsu's nose was swollen and his cheeks puffy. The dark rectangular marks on his cheeks seemed foreign, for he always had them covered by a cloth.
"What's the matter, Kotetsu? Have a run-in with someone's fist? Or foot?"
Kotetsu grimaced at this, only to wince at the pain it caused. "I can't wear the cloth because it hurts too much. She's so gonna pay."
"Yeah she is. For our drinks," Izumo reminded him. Iruka shook his head and grabbed a coat as he followed the pair.
"Where is the party?"
"At Genma's house. He's got the coolest rec room ever seen! That's what happens when you get the good missions, I guess," Izumo said mournfully.
"Yeah. We get stuck with filing most of the time," Kotetsu complained.
"Hm, can't say I get your problems," Iruka said. "Of course, I understand the whole money situation."
"That's why parties like this are good, because then you don't have to pay for your own sake," Izumo said with a glazed look in his eyes.
"Free sake," Kotetsu added. "And hot women."
"Oh yes. Iruka-amai," Izumo grinned wickedly. "Lot's of hot women. And one of them's bound to fall for a hot Chuunin such as yourself."
"Bring it," Iruka said with mock fierceness.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"You're going to Genma's party too?" Kaori asked, finding it difficult to hide her disappointment.
"Yup. Hinata and I are going together." Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. "You're not going?"
Kaori shook her head.
"But everybody's gonna be there!"
"Precisely. I'd rather not be were everybody else is."
"Kaori, it's Shogatsu. You really shouldn't be alone."
Kaori looked at Naruto's big blue eyes, filled with concern. She chuckled nervously.
"I'll be fine. I've lived all my life alone. What's a holiday that I've never celebrated in the first place?"
Naruto suddenly threw his arms around her. Kaori stiffened, surprised by his tight embrace. She squirmed for a bit, but he wouldn't let go. Then all of a sudden she felt herself relax. Like it was so natural for her to be hugged. It was when she finally relaxed that Naruto let go.
"I can't force you to go, but you really shouldn't be alone." Naruto placed his hand on her arm with a tenderness strange for him. This meant a lot to him.
Kaori smiled genuinely, patting his hand. "I won't be alone." He smiled back, then returned to mussing up his hair.
"It never works so I have to keep it messy," Naruto complained.
"You know what I decided?" Kaori said suddenly, an evil thought coming to her head. Naruto had the biggest mouth she knew. If she wanted the revenge she so longed for (that Iruka also warned her against), what better ninja to use than Konoha's noisiest ninja?
"What?"
"I know Kakashi's the one who started that rumour, which is not true. Yet he seems to be a very observant sort of person. So how could he mistake something like that situation to be juicy gossip material? My thought is he's jealous."
"Jealous?" Naruto gave Kaori his full attention. "You think he wants you? But you said he probably hates you!"
"Of course he does now. I mean, he saw me and Iruka." Pause. "Together." Pause. Subtle wasn't going to work. "I'm sure he wished he was in my place."
Naruto's face contorted. "Ehhhhhh! So when Kakashi-sensei said I wasn't his type..."
This Kaori hadn't known, but it only fueled the point she was trying to get across.
"It meant that he preferred the academic type."
"Heh, time to go pick up Hinata," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head with a nervous grin. "Have a good night, Kaori-chan." He ushered her out the door and took off in his orange coat. Kaori felt an evil smile spread across her face. Naruto was going to a party that had nearly every ninja in Konoha attending. Kakashi's "secret" would be out before midnight. All the better to ruin his holiday. It would only be sweet revenge.
She pulled her coat tighter around her as she wandered through the mostly-empty streets. People were wisely celebrating the new year indoors. It was very cold out, the sky still withholding any snow yet more than willing to let everyone freeze their fingers and toes off. But Kaori didn't mind the cold. It was heat she couldn't stand.
Her wandering led her down paths in the woods. It was more of a park, really, for the real woods were outside of the village walls. She knew she'd get lost on those paths, and what better time than tonight when she wouldn't be missed? It would be like an adventure...
Of course, if she was hopelessly lost she could always travel through the trees. That was an advantage to being a Shinobi. Or a Shinobi-in-training.
Everything was dead. Even the dirt paths seemed faded with the colours of nature. There was some light from the moon, but it seemed too sleepy to put much effort into it. Kaori liked the moon. She would sleep on the fighting top on warm nights just to be underneath the clear night sky. Plus it would get her out of the smelly, cramped fo'c's'le.
Hitanichi. She could still feel his long blond hair between her fingers. Phantom memories of him lingered within her. Sometimes she even thought she could smell him. He never smelled like a sailor. He smelled like the sun. He loved the sun, but she taught him to love the moon too. Underneath its waxing light, they had made love on the fighting top. She'd never loved anybody in her life. But she could have. If Hitanichi was still here, she could have...
The moon was high in the sky. Kaori figured it was close to midnight. Time had flown while she wandered the park, yet she felt she hadn't gotten herself lost yet. Perhaps her thoughts kept her grounded. She'd have to lose herself later, because her fingers and toes were quite cold now.
She found a large path that would lead her right out of the park. She approached the bench she had sat on when she first met Sakura. Just for a moment, she sat down, remembering her panic at having just told Iruka she couldn't read or write. He'd been so wonderful to her. She never would have dreamed of making such a good friend from an instructor.
"Have you heard the latest?" a deep voice rumbled behind Kaori. She jumped straight in the air and whipped around, prepared to defend herself. Kakashi squatted behind the bench, tilting his head.
"Apparently I have a major crush on your lover."
Kaori straightened up but remained on guard. She couldn't help but growl. "He's not my lover."
"So I've heard." He stood and walked around the bench. He stalked closer to Kaori, who felt a strange desire to run. She was a fighter, but right now her common sense told her to be terrified. Yet she stayed put, her pride shoving those fears down and forcing her to face this dangerous and angry ninja.
Kakashi slowly circled her, like he would his prey. "That was a fine trick you pulled. It took just a couple of days for the word about you and Iruka to get out, yet you managed to accomplish the questioning of my orientation in just a few hours. And telling Naruto, of course. That was my plan first."
"So...you know your news wasn't true. How do we know my news wasn't true?" A part of Kaori told her she should keep her big mouth shut. She froze as strong hands suddenly seized her arms behind her back. He held her wrists with just one large hand. The other hand came up to her neck, which made Kaori stiffen even more. But instead of enclosing her exposed throat, fingers stroked it gently.
"I could show you right now..." Kakashi's voice was husky in her ear, "...exactly what my orientation is." She felt his warm body draw near hers. As frightened as she was, a heat flushed through Kaori's entire body. And despite the cold, she felt very hot. And then the heat was gone as he released her.
"But that's not really my character," Kakashi shrugged, now standing a meter away. "And somehow, I sense it's not yours either." Kakashi held out his right hand. "Shall we call this a truce?"
Sensing no tricks and still warm from her encounter with him, Kaori took the hand and shook it.
"That sounds reasonable," she said steadily.
"Now," Kakashi said, unclasping his hand and sticking both in his pockets. "Seeing how you are apparently alone on this fine evening, as am I, and midnight's in about half an hour, may I buy you a drink?"
Kaori blinked, unsure of what he had just asked.
"After all," he continued nonchalantly. "I should really get to know my future student before the training starts."
It was a brief moment before what he had said sunk in, but Kaori realized what he was saying and couldn't hide her smile.
"Certainly, Kakashi-sensei. You may buy me a drink."