Chapter 7
Goodbye So Soon? A Christmas of Farewells
§
Early to Mid December XX, 1998
|The Hinata-sou, at night|
Keitaro and Naru have just returned to the dorm after a long session at the cram school in Sasaki. When they arrived, they saw that the nearby evergreen tree was decorated with Christmas ornaments for the holiday also known as Seiya (Holy Night). Kitsuné, Shinobu, Kaolla (who wears a fake moustache), Motoko (who personally looked ridiculous), and Ruto were present.
They were asking why the examinees have less time off for Christmas. Then Keitaro pulled out his test score out of his coat pocket. It shows that Keitaro's grades have improved for the better.
"I've been doing well, lately," Keitaro said to the girls who were stunned (with a sweatdrop) at Keitaro's score.
"No duh, doofus," Naru sarcastically remarked, "You've done it with my help and Ruto-kun's."
"This is with assistance‽" Motoko gasped as if she was anticipating her own exam.
"Well, like they say, 'This is just the darkest before the dawn'," Kitsuné jokingly quoted.
"Hey, come on!" Keitaro exclaimed, "Tomorrow's the mock test for Todai. I will use this chance to make the grade."
(Kitsuné)» "Mock test?"
(Keitaro)» "It's a practice test that is based on the actual exam required for the admittance to get into Tōdai."
(Naru)» "You see, Kitsuné, our study group is well renowned in this mock test. In other words, if you do better than the average in the test, you could stand a good chance of making it into the university."
(Keitaro)» "Yeah, what she said!"
Then Kitsuné has a splendid idea, "Ya know, the test score will be ready on Christmas Eve. If Keitaro does well on the test, then we'll really have a party to really celebrate!"
"Then I'll help bake a cake," Shinobu suggested while holding an ornament.
"And I'll help make some Indian-style food-ya!" Kaolla declared, but Motoko…
"Forget it, Su." Even the serious kendo master can't withstand Kaolla's cooking.
"Kaolla-chan, I think I should handle it," Ruto said with sweatdrop, "Remember the last time you tried cooking on a hot stove?"
-Flashback-
One time, Kaolla tried to make a cuisine known as curry rice. (Ruto was in charge of preparing rice, in rotation, as part of his duties.) Everybody, except an anxious Shinobu, ate some of the food, but then their faces turned red and their mouths and tongues were on fire from the intense heat from the spices, including the curry powder. It was so disastrous, the victims ran to the sink and grabbed nearby cups from the cabinet and drank water to try to cool off, which only made things worse, due to the high capsaicin value. And they fainted from eating the fiery dish.
As they got back up, they noticed that Kaolla and Ruto actually enjoyed eating the curry, the traditional way (no utensils and using right hands). The spicy dish inspired Ruto to try out a few Katon (Fire-style) jutsu as he enjoys the meal. The residents sweatdropped from wondering how Ruto handled Kaolla's cooking.
(Or the better question is how did Ruto manage to endure the spiciness in the first place... but that's another story.)
-End Flashback-
"I think the problem was that Kaolla-chan used too much spices, even though it's a great looking dish, 'ttébayo," Ruto said and Kaolla gave him a cute, mischievous look from that unforgettable event. That's when he got an idea; combining the best of both worlds of curry and ramen, and topping it off with a special drink.
Then the residents decided to give Naru and Keitaro good luck and a sendoff for tomorrow's test, and the ronin landlord is determined to try (even though Kitsuné, Motoko, and Naru have serious doubts).
But then, Haruka Urashima, the teahouse cafe owner, appeared from the front entrance of the dorms and said, "Hey, Keitaro! Your mother is on the line trying to call you."
"Alright, I'll be right over," Keitaro replied.
"It's the phone on the front desk," Haruka added while puffing a cigarette in her mouth.
-LNH-
|Hinata-sou Front Desk|
Keitaro picks up the phone and it was Mrs. Urashima on the phone trying to contact him as he says, "Moshi moshi?"
〝Keitaro-chan?〟
"Kaa-san‽ Why did you call me so suddenly? I had just returned from cram school, you know?"
〝phone talk〟
"Ano... I'm doing fine if that's what you're concerned about. Ruto-niisan's doing okay, too."
〝phone talk〟
(Naru and the others just walked into the dorm and saw Keitaro on the phone.)
"Yes, yes. I plan to take the Todai exam this year."
〝phone talk!〟
"What‽ Come back home? You kicked me out months ago! What are you saying?"
〝phone talk!〟
"Don't worry about it! I'm doing better than before, especially with Nii-san helping me out."
〝phone talk〟
"Seriously, Kaa-san, I'm doing my hardest trying to make it into Todai this year!" (exaggeration)
〝phone talk〟
"What is that, Kaa-san? Ruto-niisan? Okay, I'll get him."
Keitaro asks Ruto to answer the phone.
While Keitaro is busy being a fool of himself and should have listened to his conscience, Ruto speaks on the line (with a few unwanted ears eavesdropping on the conversation),
"Hello, Kaa-san."
〝phone talk〟
"I've been doing well."
〝phone talk〟
"We're planning to have a party on Christmas Eve at Hinata-sou. You're welcome to come, if you want."
〝phone talk〟
"What's that? You can't come‽"
〝phone talk〟
"Man. That's too bad. I have friends over here that want to see you and Gifu-san. And we got news from Obaa-chan and Kanako-neechan that they are in France in the middle of the day. Just wished that they would come here for Christmas, too."
〝phone talk〟
"Yes, Kaa-san. My friends have treated me well and I the same to them."
〝phone talk〟
"*blushes* "Ka-ka-kaa-san‽ Wha-what are you getting at, 'ttébayo?"
〝phone talk〟
"No, I wouldn't dare cross 'that' yellow line. I've heard about what happened with this... "epidemic", dattébayo."
〝phone talk〟
"Ka...Kaa-san, I take care of the Kaolla-chan and Shinobu-chan and the other tenants, since I'm their neighbor. I did make good on my promises."
〝phone talk〟
"All... alright. I'll take good care of the Hinata-sou. You want Aniki back on the phone?"
〝phone talk〟
"Alright. All I want to say is that we wish that you, Gifu-san, Kanako-neechan, and Obaa-chan were here this Christmas season and possibly New Year's. I'll get Aniki. Bye-bye." Ruto turned to Keitaro and asked in a deadpan manner, "Are you done 'hating' yourself?"
Keitaro exasperatedly sighs as he takes back the phone from Ruto and answers, "Yeah, Kaa-san?"
〝phone talk〟
"Yes."
〝phone talk〟
"How about this? Tomorrow, there's going to be a two-week long test for the exam and if I flunk it, I guess I'll come home for now. I still have responsibilities as the landlord, you know."
〝phone talk〟
"Alright, Kaa-san. I understand."
〝phone talk〟
"Bye."
*Click* *boop boop*
::Heh, I'll show you people the new me!:: Keitaro thought to himself as he headed for his room.
The girls and Ruto are getting worried that the ronin landlord is starting to lose his determination for Todai. Ruto then decides to check on his brother and clean the dorms at the same time. "Kagé Bunshin! (Shadow Clone!)" Naruto uses his katas and 10 doubles are formed and the original barked out his orders while he checked on Keitaro.
"Ho!" the doubles obeyed and they scattered.
"Does this happen a lot, Naru-senpai?" Motoko asked with a sweatdrop, for she was a bit out of the loop on how the dorms were kept spic and span.
"When you hang around with a boy like Ruto, nothing is what it seems," Naru answered.
"He helps me with my homework and the cooking," Shinobu mentioned.
"And Ruto is good with different projects-ya!" Kaolla added.
"Mm-hmm," Kitsuné agreed.
"Okay... I'll just have to take your word for that," Motoko begrudgingly obliged.
-LNH-
|Later, in the dining room|
Keitaro is sporting a bandage on his cheek from trying to check on his upstairs neighbor Naru. He unintentionally peeked in on her getting dressed in her leggings, hence the incident.
This time, Keitaro was joining the residents and Ruto at the dining table. While Naru is still mad from the earlier scene, Kaolla asked the landlord about the bruise on his cheek.
Kitsuné answered to Kaolla with a chuckle, "Must've been from peeping on Naru."
"It was just a simple accident! Honest!" Keitaro begged for mercy,
But Motoko... "Aren't you being too frequent in having accidents?" She was aiming to slit the landlord's throat with her blade, however Ruto protested, "Hey, Motoko-chan! Put that apple-slicer away! Are you trying to ask for more trouble, 'ttebayo‽"
Motoko sighed as she obeyed without question and sheathed her weapon. Then she asked Naru, "Senpai, why didn't you fix that hole?"
"Because that room below used to belong to Hina-obaachan," Naru answered, but then she gave it some thought and then turned to Keitaro and asked, "You're the manager, Keitaro, you go fix that hole up."
"Hey! I tried a few times, but you just kept… well, interrupting me," Keitaro explained, "Besides, don't you think that the hole is really convenient?"
"Not for me, it's not!" Naru exclaimed.
Then Kitsuné has a strange theory, "This means the only thing separating the rooms is a piece of wood - -" The vixen is thinking of a rather raunchy idea and suggested, "...you don't suppose that you make 'unusual' moanings in the middle of the night are you?"
"What unusual moanings‽" Naru and Keitaro exclaimed while Motoko, Shinobu, and Ruto sweatdropped and blushed like a sailor; Kaolla just didn't quite understand the politics of embarrassment.
-LNH-
|A little later, en route to the local supermarket|
While Keitaro was busy with the hole between his and Naru's rooms (and inadvertently read his upstairs neighbor's diary), Ruto decided to go to the store to pick up a few things, along with some much needed food supplies. While he was going there, his senses were tingling, feeling danger as a suspicious man tried to tail Ruto as he was recording through his camcorder (with an infra-red lens). Ruto decides to outwit the half-wit by hiding in the grocery store and playing it cool and preparing a Shadow double to draw his attention.
Just when the man incognito was trying to confront Ruto with ill intentions, the man had him right where... the boy wanted him. The blond Urashima then said, "If I told you once, I had told you a thousand times. Tell your damn boss to leave me and my friends alone, Mizuki, you traitorous, contemptuous swine!"
The disguise didn't fool Ruto, since he knows the man now named Mizuki Ichiyarou, former teacher substituting for the class 1-3, who was caught in the act of trying to sabotage the students (preferably against Ruto) while PAIN-sensei and Konan-sensei were away tying the knot and had a brief honeymoon together for a week. The teacher was not only fired, the alerted Hiruzen socked the disgrace in the face for his complete and utter insubordination. Now he is hired by Danzo to try to blackmail Ruto and his friends for the admittance of cheating (which is an absurd thought and a front), but more importantly, for trying to make the boy give up his secrets to his success.
"You think you had me, demon?" Mizuki begins to bluff in his deranged, befuddled, little peabrain, "You and that "Dubhe" bitch are nothing more than nuisances to society! Danzo-sama and Orochimaru will kick you all out of business and turn your places into parking lots!"
This makes Ruto's blood boil that some bigwig is trying to raid the sanctity of his family's land and Motoko's family's property and want his own secrets that were justifyingly given to him by his deceased biological parents. So Ruto said to the scurvy scum, "If you dare to come at my family and trusted friends, I will be waiting. And don't you ever call me that awful name like I'm a demon, you lowlife." And he made good his escape.
Just when Mizuki thought he had the evidence, he checked the camcorder for the tape but much to his chagrin, the cassette was gone! Instead it has a message and it addressed:
Okay, Mizuki. You asked for it!
P.S. - This message will self-destruct. Have a nice life.
Then the letter exploded, blackening him from the blast and destroying the tapeless camcorder. The noise also attracted the attention of the police. The big fool tried to escape, but then he felt that both his shoelaces were tied together, tripping the lout down to the ground. The police managed to capture Mizuki for his outstanding warrants for the suspicions of espionage, blackmail, and the A-class murder of Iruka Umino. It'll be a cold day in hell for him to get acquitted.
[Mizuki Ichiyarou, former teacher. Arrested. 再起不能 (RETIRE)]
And Ruto went about his business getting the groceries, with the assistance of his doubles.
-LNH-
|Meanwhile, at the headquarters of a mayoral candidate building|
Danzo Shimura (sporting a sling on his right arm and the bandaged right portion of his face due to old radiation burns... or so it seems) is trying to gain candidacy for the next mayor of Hinata City, is sitting in his office chair and got wind of the news that Mizuki got careless and was arrested. His mission to capture Naruto Uzumaki has hit a snag. He puffs a big stogie and curses, "That miserable scurvy brat! I'll get his secrets and take the Urashima land if it's the last thing I'll do..."
And he will, too.
-LNH-
Orochimaru (47), the candidate for the parliament, also wants Naruto for his own sick pleasure, and his subordinate of a doctor Kabuto Yakushi (18), secretly plans to push the young community into heinous acts such as doing drugs, barbiturates, and unprotected sex among minors to flush out Naruto's hiding place. Their plans are starting to hatch real soon...
-LNH-
|The next morning|
Keitaro is up and ready for his mock test. Naru went on ahead while still mad at him for looking at her diary, Kitsuné and Shinobu wished the landlord luck, while Kaolla and Motoko gave their regards in an Asian cultural fashion - namely a flint rock. Ruto gave his brother advice to not flunk the mock test, or else he'll really be begging for mercy and be crawling back to the dorms, but good.
|At the Sasaki Preparatory School|
Keitaro manages to find his seat behind Naru. He was greeted by Shirai and Haitani who still gave the Urashima a hard time as they found their seats, but he's onto more important things. Keitaro knows that Naru is still mad at him for reading her diary, but when one of the entries mentions "First Love", could it mean a special somebody? However, those plans were put on hold as Naru passed the test papers. Apologies to Naru will have to wait.
So from sunrise to sunset the tediousness of the mock test begins...
|Meanwhile, Back at the Hinata-sou, Roof Access|
Shinobu is hanging the laundry out to dry, Ruto and Motoko are practicing their kendo routine, and Kaolla is on the rooftop playing with the birds. Kitsuné walked up the stairs and asked where Naru and the landlord went.
"They said that they are grading their own exams at the cram school," Shinobu answered.
"Grade their own exams?" Kitsuné asked.
Ruto replied while swinging his shinai, "Yeah. They are checking all of the answers on the preliminary exam and how they perform for what schools they applied for."
"But after studying so hard, It'll be terrible if they can't take just the Tōdai exams," Shinobu worries about the situation.
Ruto, too, was getting anxious about those long and arduous tests.
-LNH-
|Two Weeks Later, At the Shopping District|
Keitaro is buying some gifts for his dormmates, but he hasn't been able to talk to Naru during the stint. He also felt that he sort of whited out from his fear of failure from reading the results. It was a D rank; at least it wasn't a score of anything lower than 49. But how will he face the girls and Ruto for this disaster of a test? And worse? It's beginning to snow and his corn in his foot hurts.
|At the Hinata-sou|
The residents are in their winter and festive fashion enjoying the sight of snow falling outside. They got their wish for a white Christmas, but it's not the same without Keitaro. Naru thinks that the loser has probably fallen down into a sewer somewhere.
Keitaro who stopped short of the Hinata-sou decided to say goodbye for now and head back home. But he forgot one thing... Okay, a lot of things. The goofball forgot to take his belongings such as his ID, the insurance papers, the photo sticker album, and his diary that are back at the dorm. So Keitaro puts on a typical thief's hood (a hand towel around his head and being tied between the nose and upper lip). That's when he heard Shinobu worrying about the missing landlord must have gotten into an accident.
(Kitsuné)» "He must have gotten a bad score, he's probably too ashamed to show his face, more like."
(Shinobu)» "You mean he didn't make the grade?"
(Kitsuné)» "I bet he bombed it! Totally blown it!"
(Motoko)» "Of course. No one like him gets into Todai."
(Kaolla)» "He'll be an applicant for life-ya!"
Keitaro felt insulted by Kitsuné's and Motoko's words and he secretly managed to enter his room. But unfortunately, Keitaro didn't get to hear what Ruto had to say, "Girls! Listen! This is no laughing matter at all, 'ttébayo. You have to remember that Naru-senpai has her hand on the test as well. Besides, I'm sure that Aniki, as boneheaded as he is, will probably be dragging his sorry butt back here and begging us to take him in, believe it. Or have you forgotten that the real test is not until the next few months? Well?"
The girls stopped laughing and realized that Ruto was right. So they decided to go to their respective rooms to get things over.
-LNH-
|At the Landlord's Room|
Keitaro hastily packs his valuable belongings in a makeshift pack. He makes up his mind on leaving the wacky, screwball dorms and lets his brother in their mercy. He makes his movements as quiet as a mouse to not attract any attention... It's just that he didn't count on Shinobu coming through the halls.
Yabai (Uh-oh)...
Shinobu screamed in fear of Keitaro's shady appearance, thinking that he was a burglar. Motoko, who was half-dressed, instinctively attacked the so-called burglar with a Zankuusen attack from the swing of her bokken; Keitaro shoved Shinobu aside and both people dodged the slash as it busted part of the walls. Then Kitsuné commanded Kaolla, who carried a bazooka (Just don't ask how she got it...), and fired on the hapless Keitaro. The girls, except Shinobu, kept attacking throughout the halls until Keitaro ran into the unsuspecting Naru. Unsure of what to do, Keitaro ran outside the open window, but he accidentally dropped his diary and the test results.
Ruto joined the group when Kitsuné said, "Dammit, that guy sure can make his getaway..." He picked up the books and papers and asked, "What happened? What's going on here?"
"It's Keitaro," Naru answered as she looked at the test scores first and the group was utterly shocked.
"I'm not surprised," Ruto commented with a sigh, "I knew that this would happen, 'ttebayo."
"Keitaro-senpai had all his things!" Shinobu exclaimed, "He's not planning to run away, is he?"
"Uh-huh. He probably did so poorly on his exams, he didn't make the 'beheading' (kubikiri)," Kitsuné commented.
"That's 'cutback' (ashikiri)," Shinobu corrected, "I'm gonna go look for him!"
"Shinobu-chan, wait!" Ruto commanded, "We should leave Aniki alone for a minute. If he decides to give up on his dream of getting into Tōdai, then there's nothing we can do about it."
"Ruto-kun..." Shinobu said concernedly.
"'There's nothing you can do about Keitaro's dreams,' huh?" The group turned and saw Haruka just passing by during the commotion. She then turned to the main culprit (Naru) and said, "Naru, remember the time you were just like Keitaro almost 3 years ago. Your grades were so bad, you worry that you didn't stand a chance of reaching to Tōdai."
"But... I studied with Seta-sensei, and I..." Naru argued.
(Haruka)» "Then you should have understood how Keitaro feels. It is a bit heartless to just leave him like this, don't you think?"
Naru begins to understand how to treat her fellow neighbor and landlord better.
(Haruka)» "Besides, we don't want to find out if he'll be freezing to death."
Kaolla decided to go search for Keitaro, with Shinobu right behind her. Motoko then followed the younger girls, worrying that they'll catch cold in this wintry weather.
"Oh, well. It's not like we have Ruto-kun or another manager being lined up so soon," Kitsuné remarked as she found a present on the floor that Keitaro also dropped and gave it to Naru which said, "I'm sorry", and then, she left.
Ruto then disappointingly said to Naru, "Well, I'm very certain that you are proud of yourself for your lack of action, Senpai. Because I'm not." And he shunshins off in the distance. And Naru decidingly follows her roommates, though not as fast as Kaolla, Motoko, and Ruto. And Haruka? She's standing watch to see that the tenants have learned their lesson.
-LNH-
|Hinata City|
The Hinata-sou residents searched far and wide and anywhere in between for their lost landlord. So far, they have had no luck finding Keitaro. That's when Ruto suggested the one particular location they hadn't tried.
|Tōdai, Kanagawa District|
(There are 5 known locations where Tōdai is located. The Kanagawa Prefecture is the closest location to where this whole thing started.)
Keitaro looks at the studentless building and location; it was a huge place. Just as he was about to leave the place with the promise unfulfilled, he turned and saw Naru a few feet away. ::How did Narusegawa know where I'd be?:: was his question. It takes about an hour to get from the Hinata-sou to the Tōdai campus grounds.
As Naru steps closer to Keitaro, she says to him, "I didn't think you would really be here."
"No kidding," Keitaro remarked but was hit with a thrown diary with the test results inside as Naru explained, "You dropped that. Now close your eyes."
Keitaro did, with a bit of doubt, at first. Then Naru takes a deep breath and smacks Keitaro with the right jab, sending the hapless victim flying across the snow, giving him a much needed wake-up call.
"I feel better now," Naru said with a slightly sore wrist, "Now I'll forget that you read my diary."
"Sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose. Honest!" Keitaro explained as he brushed the snow off.
(Naru)» "It's okay. Isn't it, Ruto-kun?"
"Yes," Ruto replied as he made his snowy appearance, "We know that you did your hardest in the dorms and the test. But I have a favor to ask of you. Would you kindly bend over for a second?"
Hoping that it's not a trick, Keitaro bends down and Ruto gave his brother a *boot* to his pants, sending him skidding on the snow and saying as he got a loose, thick branch in his hand, "You dope! Don't you know that running away like that can make us very angry..." Ruto snaps the branch in two with ease, with the two older residents gasping, "...and we would do terrible,... *snap!* *snap!* ...horrible things to you?" The blond stowed the pieces of wood in his scroll and then said, "Now I want you two to make up for your mistakes and put the past behind us. What do you say?"
Keitaro and Naru finally agreed to Ruto's proposal and then they talked about the events that happened nearly 16 years ago. The trio then went to the nearby sweet potato stand and bought some for themselves and the girls and just when they finally got back to the Hinata-sou, they get a sudden...
"Surprise! Merry Christmas!"
Shinobu reheated the food, Ruto had delayed preparing the ramen part of his dish long enough to get it ready instead of letting the noodles sit in the curry mixture. The residents enjoyed the dishes that Shinobu and Ruto prepared. And the curry ramen was 'HEA-VEN-LY!', almost as if they tasters have lost their clothes for a moment and went into a 'food-gasm' moment (a form of orgasm from the sense of taste); even Motoko, Kaolla and Shinobu felt this new sensation that is perfect for the winter season. Even his Lassi Yogurt Drink complemented the palette.
Then the girls promised their landlord to not do that again and then Kaolla started a snowball fight that is rather enjoyable to play, even at night.
§
To be continued…-»
Omaké
Consequences at the Hinata-sou Christmas Incident
The girls responsible for wrecking the second floor area were later fined and disciplined for their actions by the Urashimas. Motoko's training is forcibly re-doubled for a week because of nearly injuring Shinobu and ruined the floors and walls, Kitsuné will have to surrender some of her booze to the kitchen to be used for cooking reasons (and to make some much needed saké vinegar) for her participation of her actions, and Kaolla will have less allowance to pay for repairs (so that means no online buying merchandise for a few months) and will have to work harder in her studies because of her unnecessary use of explosives inside the former inn.
But in the end, Ruto forgave them.
Omaké
The Results of Mizuki's Trial
On January 2, a trial was held in Dept. XXX, Supreme Court of Japan at Chiyoda; in and for the Prefecture of Kanagawa.
The suspect, Mizuki Ichiyarou, was tried and found guilty of A-Class Murder, Espionage, Blackmail, Sabotage of Education, and Conduct Unbecoming of a Teacher. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in Yokohama Prison, Yokosuka Branch in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
Upon his sentencing, however, he confessed to being part of the big racketeering ring that was involved in the drug wars that started 13 years ago. But during that time, the tattoo on his arm began to glow when Mizuki tried to mention the name of the perpetrators and caused him to envelop seizures until he died from a delayed poisoning from viper's venom within the tattoo.
The investigation of the tragic event is still continuing...
Extra Story
Motoko's Birthday Gift
(Warning! Contains descriptive nudity that may be disturbing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.)
November 30, 1998
|Hinata-sou, Room 302|
It's nighttime at the Hinata-sou. Motoko Aoyama checked her calendar and sighs that tomorrow just has to be that milestone in her life. She didn't want to talk to her friends down at the onsen today and residents are wondering what's been eating her. Motoko decided to take the Corner Bath Hall to have her privacy. (What she didn't know is that Motoko forgot to read the sign that the corner bath hall is under maintenance. And it had to be Ruto that's in charge of the duty for this week.)
Ruto, in his cleaning clothes, hears footsteps coming from the hall as he is finishing the last section. Its sounds are too soft for his brother to make. He was about to leave when Motoko bumped into him and then she asked the young man a favor (with the power of Dubhe), "Alkaid-kun, I need some assistance in the bath. You see, lately, my body muscles and joints seem to be a little sore. Can you give me a massage session?"
Ruto reluctantly agreed, but then, Motoko said with a wicked grin, "And you must bathe with me, little man..."
"Eh‽"
-LNH-
Ruto is stuck in a rut; his rival is totally all-nude in front of him. While Motoko was busy admiring at the boy's physique (even though it's covered by a towel around his waist to help Motoko from trying not to freak herself out again), and Ruto (still a head and a half shorter than Motoko) is still trying to steady his nerves as he sees Motoko's slim curvatures and her long ebony hair. He also was blushing from seeing Motoko's low, firm C-Cup breasts from her athleticism (plus her pantone pink nipples), her hourglass figure, her Upsilon-shaped (Υ) pubis with black, soft hairs covering her womanhood (just not enough to completely cover the bikini line), and a thin, but visible 'forbidden isosceles' that defines her legs.
Both students went into the tub and Ruto was facing Motoko's back as he asked this all-important question, "Is this really what you wanted, Motoko-chan?"
"Yes," the kendo girl agreed.
Then Motoko told Ruto to start with her shoulders, to which he did. Then he slowly goes to her elbows, then her back, the lower part of her thighs, the calves, and then her feet. But all the while, Motoko begins to experience a strange and unusual sense of pleasure flowing through her body. She hasn't felt that sensation before. Maybe this is the kind of feeling that her older sister has with her husband.
Just as Ruto was finishing her feet, Ruto stood up from the water and got out of the tub. Unfortunately, the knot that the towel that hides his manhood came undone and inadvertently exposes in front of the relieved Motoko and she started to panic from her "turtle" fits again and then blushes madly and has a bit of a nosebleed and she fell forward on top of Ruto's body, almost to where her mouth is near his manhood.
"I knew it's a bad idea, 'ttébayo," Ruto sighed as he carefully moved the naked woman away from his body and she's surprisingly light for her stature. He puts the bathrobe on Motoko's body and he carefully uses his Kage Bunshin to use his double to help with her laundry. While he was carrying the fainted Motoko, his mind was busy hatching a way to help the Chelonaphobic to stop being afraid of turtles and man's penile structure. But so far, he has had no luck. If only the Hinata-sou had a turtle in the house; a kind and a very gentle turtle...
The next morning, Motoko woke up and found herself naked under the bathrobe and utterly embarrassed from her fears again. As she was fully dressed, Motoko then went into the dining room and...
"Surprise! Happy Birthday Motoko-chan!" Everybody cheered at the unsuspecting Aoyama.
There was a cake with Motoko's name, the residents wore party hats leftover from Shinobu's birthday, and gifts for the now sweet 16 year old Motoko. Among the cards that the swordswoman was reading, she got a card written by Ruto, and it read,
"It's like that song from the Americas, "Hold on to 16 as long as you can, because changes will come real soon that will make us women and men out of ourselves." Have a sweet 16th birthday, Motoko-chan."
from
Naruto Urashima
Along with the card, Motoko was given the Turquoise earring and necklace set. For the first time in forever (to the other residents), the serious Aoyama finally cried tears of joy as she hugs Ruto in return. (Maybe the shrew known as Motoko Aoyama can be tamed, after all.)
A/N: I bet you noticed the references from many shows and songs I personally selected.
Just gotta love how I tossed them in sometimes.
Also, I nearly forgot to mention that Mizuki already off'd Iruka Umino instead of the unnamed character in the filler of the animé scenario. Forgive me for putting that tragic section in this alternative story.
And the plan for having a turtle in the Hinata-sou will be shown at a later date.
That's all... But the heat will be on!
- blukmage19
