I feel like there was something I was going to say during the AN, but I really can't remember it and I have a preorder waiting to be picked up so I'll keep this short.
The first scene, as many often do, got away from me and took the chapter with it, but it's not too far off from what I had planned and lets me wrap up with the spies. [Though I do wonder if I would have been able to stretch their story over several chapters...]
The last two scenes I hadn't planned but I like how they turned out. They were originally to be a scene involving either Inoichi or the assembled Konoha council but I suppose there's always next week.
Thanks goes to ncpfan for all his help.
Let's begin.
The dense fog felt more like freezing smoke as it danced to avoid the light drizzle of this exceedingly dreary country. He had to choke down a shuddering breath of frigid air lest he break down into a fit of coughing at the unsettling feeling of the moist air. Too used to the warm, dry air of the eastern forests they were, and thus had been caught off guard by just how horrible this place felt.
The cold darkness enveloped this land, constantly pushing inwards with great banks of fog and gusts of mist. Rain was a constant companion and it was a rare day indeed one could hang their clothes outside to dry. The perpetual moisture played havoc on supplies and structures alike, forcing the people to adapt or lose everything to rot and decay.
And yet, as far as they could tell, those people were happy. Perhaps it said something that the conditions of the country brought them all together and made the contrasting light of the shipping town shine even brighter. Despite the cold, the village proper actually seemed warm, though they all knew it wasn't.
Still, sitting in the light surrounded by people happy to escape the land in which they lived sounded better than crouching amongst the bushes and hiding behind trees. Unfortunately he didn't have much choice and neither did his companions. There was little they could learn within the town proper, the cocoon of light still playing host almost exclusively to the civilians. It would be a few years yet, they suspected, before the town grew large enough that they might be able to infiltrate it and gather information in the preferred manner- Sitting in a nice, warm bar with a bottle of heated sake and plenty of beautiful women to keep one's eyes busy.
Now he was just setting himself up for misery. There was no limit to this mission, it could stretch on for years if need be. They had already been here for a few days as it was and he couldn't imagine staying for more than a week. Well, actually, he could, just not the way they were now. In a rented room- which would be chosen based on its proximity to the bar he had been dreaming of earlier. If the two were part of the same building all the better- he could probably stay here indefinitely.
The dreary weather made the town seem rather small and cozy, a refuge from all the world around it. Despite it being a shipping town and, if what they had observed was any indication, one that was well on its way to reclaiming its place as the trade capital of the world, it felt isolated- a Shinobi's dream retirement. The fact that it was going to be back to its former glory somewhat subtracted from its attractiveness as a prospect, but it was still better than a lot of places.
The crowds and large amount of people constantly fluctuation in and out would also provide some cover even if it increased the chances of running into someone hostile. You'd be surprised just how many enemies a man could make on a mission gone awry as a rookie Chuunin.
Thoughts like that were kept fairly quiet, however, as adrift in a sea of fog and pelted by the continuous drizzle of midnight rain the town was looking more and more like salvation, a port to escape a storm. Actually, it was very much a safe harbor, he supposed, both for incoming ships who usually had to go all the way from Northern Kaze no Kuni or Southwestern Kaminari no Kuni and around the continent to reach it and for weary travelers who had found themselves within these dreary lands.
A sigh escaped his lips, sending small tendrils of warm air through the scarf wrapped tightly around his lower face. There was no use thinking about it now, it would only make things seem worse out here. Bringing his binoculars back to his face, he scanned the far edges of the shore across from them. The waterway wasn't that large but it served as a natural barrier between the main area of Nami no Kuni and the outlying borders. As such, patrols tended to focus on the inner side leaving little more than border guards around the country.
They could probably get closer- they had tested the inner patrols earlier and it proved to be possible, though difficult- but there was more security to be had with the increased distance. In a mission like this it was absolutely critical to minimize the chances of being discovered. As it was there were already risking the wrath of two countries and a hidden village not only upon themselves, but upon their families and loved ones- the same loved ones who would believe them traitors should they never return and might still depending on how long they were away.
It was unthinkable to add to that belief with two angered Daimyo and a furious Kage. Or, possibly two Daimyo. No one knew what happened to the last one and as far as they had heard there wasn't another yet. Still, one Kage and the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni was more than enough deterrent to ensure they take every precaution they could to avoid being caught.
Speaking of the Daimyo that may or may not exist, however, there was word of an acting ruler within the town. Enough had been overheard from passing groups of traders to confirm that someone- a woman, from what they heard- had been placed in charge. Unfortunately, that's where their luck with information ended. No description aside from 'attractive' seemed to be available. A few had commented on a young age, but that could be anywhere from twelve to twenty and perhaps a bit further. Even a name escaped them completely, referred to only in the impersonal third person as the Governor.
Then again, they really didn't expect to get even that much listening to visiting traders. It wasn't like they were in a position where they would meet this new leader but it did shed a little bit of light on the countries situation. The guards of this land- confirmed as Wolves- wouldn't be answering to whatever governor had taken position here. Either their leader was working alongside this governor who would be managing civilians as cover for the military operations of the Wolves or this governor was appointed by the Wolves. It wouldn't hold long without a Daimyo, but it would serve to buy them some time and that mean the Wolves were working on getting someone into that position to secure their control.
It wasn't much, but it was something.
A flash of lightning in the far distance caught the corner of his eye as the binoculars began to fall with his weary arm. With an annoyed sigh he returned them fully to his eyes just as the crinkle of thunder reached his ears. It must have been a great distance away, judging by the volume alone, probably a storm over the ocean. A sudden gust hit him, pelting the group with even heavier raindrops that felt more like metal pellets than water. A storm- the same one out to sea, no doubt- was moving closer.
From what had already been observed it would probably hit the town within the next hour and it was likely to clear no sooner than noon the following day. It would provide excellent cover for them but it would also kill their sight and make navigation near impossible. They were going to have to call it quits soon or they had as much chance or returning to tonight's camp as they did walking headlong into a group of patrolling Wolves.
With that in mind- and dreaming of the warm sleeping bag he had splurged on before the trip- he returned to the task at hand. They needed more information for the night to have been worth it and he'd rather not have wasted his time out here in the rain when as it was he was only going to get a few scant hours of sleep before they had to move camp again.
He briefly scanned through the town to his left before moving to the northern forests but he paused, returning to the town. Previously they had seen movement in the forests, primarily villagers working at the makeshift dump where they stored the waste from their restoration projects to be shipped out by one of the few boats that was allowed under the bridge, so it held most of their attention tonight in hopes of seeing something that might not otherwise be visible during daylight hours, but a familiar sight in the town caught his attention.
Three men and three dogs walked together down the street, not something that would normally draw attention. Bu these men were drunk, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders as they staggered away from a bar and the three dogs walked in step with each other to the side, perfectly synchronized and keeping a constant distance from the men.
They were trained dogs but, more than that, they possessed an abnormal intelligence. Dogs could be trained and quite well, but these animals were adjusting their paths to heard the three men to safety without once breaking from a group that moved together too perfectly.
Ninken.
It had to be, there was no other plausible explanation.
But why were they in Nami no Kuni?
A quick peek to his right showed one of his partners still peering out into the darkness of the forests. The third and last member of the group was between them both and farther east behind them, keeping a lookout for oncoming patrols. Contemplating a moment he decided that they weren't getting much from the forests with the fog where it was and spoke for the first time in hours.
"Inuzuka." It was more than sufficient to gain the attention of his fellow and even the lookout turned his head to see.
"What?!" The response was practically hissed as his companion flew to his side to confirm for himself. He understood how much of a shock it must have been, he was still trying to wrap his head around it. A part of him wryly noted that it was only natural that the dogs be allied to the Wolves but another didn't want to believe one of their fellow Konoha clans was allied with the group they couldn't think of as anything but the enemy.
Unfortunately, it was an undeniable truth. There was no other reason for there to be Inuzuka clansmen here in Nami no Kuni, a land controlled by the Wolves, so soon after Gatos' demise and just after Kakashi's team returned.
Even if they were trying to take advantage of the country- which didn't seem their style- it couldn't explain the fact that the Wolves were letting them. They had to be working together in some capacity.
He couldn't quite make out what his companion muttered under his breath but by the tone alone it was some sort of curse. He felt the thought matched his own opinion on the matter rather well. Another peak through his binoculars caught the reflection of neon lights upon the brow of one of the men, a headband proudly displayed. So, they weren't hiding it, then. If he could get a better look it might show a scratch declaring them rouge Shinobi, which would fit, but they could have had a mission nearby- though the chances were slim- leave was a possibility, though the location chosen still suspicious.
None of those felt right though, they only stopped upon meeting another group and even then nothing came of it. That pointed to it being not too out of the ordinary, which meant they were accepted here. That was more than suspicious. The two groups went their separate ways, the Inuzuka down a side street as the pother group moved to the north, light reflecting off headbands.
He froze in shock before leaning forward as if it would dramatically enhance what he was seeing. Yes, he hadn't imagined it. Three men- much like the group of Konoha Nin they had passed- all wearing headbands. Was Konoha doing something here? Was this a bid for control on behalf of the Leaf that was being kept under wraps?
The three paused outside a shop, two standing out in the rain as the third went inside. If only he turned just a little- there! It wasn't a Konoha leaf but a musical note. Hadn't there been talk about a new village of sound? But that was supposed to be further north, wasn't it? The borders were pretty close, he supposed, they could be trying to make connections or muscle in on the newly freed country.
But like the Inuzuka, the Wolves weren't pushing them out. It was odd.
The third came from the shop, bag in hand, and the three continued northwards to the forest. They passed the junkyard and the few still working there with casual waves and continued into the darkness. Another gust of wind- stronger this time- began dissipating the thick blanket of fog that hung over the chopping waters between them and the opposite shore. In the moonlight, what little forced itself through the blanket of black clouds, and the occasional flash of lightning- was it getting closer?- he could just barely make out the tops of trees. One in particular rose above the rest, oddly shaped and slightly cubic in its growth-
That wasn't a tree, it was scaffolding.
A break in the clouds allowed just enough additional light to provide a proper glimpse at the structure- a lattice of beams securely arranged in a circular manner, one point reaching higher than the others- but it only lasted a few seconds before the light vanished once more and the majority of the structure was consumed by the night.
Those few seconds were plenty of time to identify a tower in the making and that made him pause. It couldn't be, could it? No, that was absurd. Wave still wasn't fully stabilized, they wouldn't be trying something so soon, and certainly not with the Shinobi of other villages-
Unless they were trying to stabilize by creating their own hidden village.
It was a risky move, but it was possible and if pulled off could help them immensely. They had resources enough to support a Shinobi village- a small one for now, but they could probably support Konoha without too much trouble sometime in the future- and it would be a simple matter of enticing those of other small countries to send promising youth to learn here.
He shook his head at the thought, that still didn't fit- there were Shinobi of two villages here. If Konoha was really supporting another hidden village in an effort to gain favor or even some influence within Nami no Kuni more of their own Shinobi would have been informed. Having just one clan- and one known for their brashness at that- representing Konoha in this was far too suspicious. A mission like this would be considered primarily diplomatic and would be made of those who could arrange things in Konoha's favor as much as possible.
Unless Konoha was hoping to earn goodwill through brutal honesty, there was no reasonable explanation for the presence of Inuzuka clansmen.
A lighthouse was unlikely- it was too far north for that and would serve only to draw ships into the relatively narrow waterway that separated the main body of Nami no Kuni from the rest of the world- but a guard tower was still plausible. It was hidden from view, which was odd, but it didn't seem to be too far inwards. The trees might remain only until the tower's completion, hiding the construction and removed later to provide a better field of view, but it was also possible that they wanted the tower as hidden as possible and it would serve only to watch the distant shores, leaving the home shores to the many patrols that prowled them.
Of course, that was assuming it was a guard post, or that it was intended to only be guard tower. It could just as well serve as the new home of the Governor or barracks for the Wolves- though why they might need a tower eluded him- and it could even be a station for receiving messenger birds for all he knew. They would have to get closer if they wanted to discern its purpose, but that wasn't an option at the moment.
A crack of thunder split the air, much closer than it had been earlier. The storm was nearly upon them. Already the fog that snaked around their feet was being beaten back by the rain that was rapidly gaining weight. Some would survive, he knew, the cold would see to that, but most of it was going to be gone soon, even that which had blocked their view for so long. Unfortunately, the heavy rain served much the same purpose and kept them from being able to take advantage of the soon to be fogless night. A damn shame that, it would have been the perfect opportunity to learn more about the building.
Yet another rumble of thunder sounded around them, the mutterings of an angry god, and he took care to put away his binoculars. It was about time they called it a night, the fog wouldn't hide them any longer and they weren't used to operating in the heavy rain. It was just another disadvantage they couldn't afford at the moment.
He turned to relay his thoughts to his companions but his body was already bolting away.
There were some sounds one never forgets, sounds that have you reacting before you've even realized it. Most Shinobi knew this, it was a trait they all shared, and it was one of the many little things that truly showed one's experience in the field.
A blade to the throat made one such sound.
A civilian would never be able to hear it, an inexperienced Shinobi wouldn't recognize it for what it was, but he- he was far too familiar with it not to know exactly what it was, not to act immediately upon hearing it. Had the rain been even the tiniest bit louder, had thunder rumbled just half a second later than it did, he would've never known.
Even as he dashed down towards the chopping waters before him he turned his head to take stock of the situation. Their lookout had been captured, surrounded by three Wolves- a fourth nearby serving as their own lookout- and they didn't hesitate to start on him. Evidently they weren't taking any chances, grabbing the first one they could rather than silencing him and moving for the other two.
A fifth and sixth Wolf were on either side of his other companion, one removing his blade and the other pulling away the body to confirm the death, and he could feel a seventh Wolf speeding towards him.
'He struck to early.' He noted wryly. 'Lucky me.'
Sometimes it was hard to remember that opponents were human too, even when one counted on such during plans. They weren't really human in that case, just numbers and information that reacted as such. There was always that separation, them and us, and it worked to your advantage just as often as it failed to.
He was painfully reminded of that fact now, he owed his life to the fact that a single mistake had been made by assailants he had been completely unaware of.
It was a humbling thought.
Only because the first Wolf acted before his companion was in position did he even have a chance of escaping with his life and, more importantly, bringing the information they had gathered back to the clan. But just as the Yamanaka would gain information from their actions, the Wolves had a chance to gain the same from the captured member of their team.
Yamanaka were good at resisting torture, but even they couldn't last forever and any sort of leak was unacceptable on a mission that didn't exist.
His eyes met that of his captured clanmate and only the slightest of nods was returned. It looks like there was no choice. Reaching under his shirt he tore away a slip of paper even as his other hand came into a half-ram seal. With a toss over his shoulder and a pulse of chakra three explosions lit up the clearing just as he dove into the water.
He had to get back to Hi no Kuni, back to the safety offered by Konohagakure no Sato, or their sacrifice would be for naught. It was a good thing the Wolves had stuck close to his companions, he knew he didn't have a chance of escaping them but even they couldn't have gotten away from the tags before they went off.
The short fuses had been chosen deliberately for this mission and even a Kawarimi wouldn't have been fast enough once they realized what was happening. He supposed that was their second mistake, and it would keep his clan form being tied to this event. He couldn't help but recognize how much lady luck had contributed to his 'success' tonight, despite them being caught off-guard.
Skill helped one predict and adapt but, as tonight demonstrated, skill wasn't everything.
With the apparent favor of Luck's Goddess he thanked the divine for his good fortune and the opportunity to salvage the mission.
Not once did he look back to where his clanmates had fallen or where the corpses of Wolves- or what remained of them- would be found before morning.
Perhaps that was his big mistake of the night, for it meant he never saw those who survived.
Those who still knew.
The water might wash away his scent, but the they already knew the location of his den-
And the Wolves were not known for their mercy.
The smoke hadn't fully cleared before the lookout started digging through his back, his ears still ringing from the explosions and his balance shot to hell. He slumped against a tree as the rain pounded against his bruised body. Already he could hear Wolves in the distance, all of them trying to find the source of the disturbance. Well, most of them, anyway. The chance of it being a distraction was too likely for them to all abandon their posts but the majority would have.
Idly, he wondered about bringing that up with the Commander. It might behoove them to have designated response teams for incidents like this, it wasn't good to weaken the other patrols any.
Then again, maybe that was a concussion talking, he didn't really know how bad he had been hit yet.
Fortunately he still knew which direction up was and the trigger of his flare gun was easy enough to understand. With a pull it screeched into the sky in a trail of red, drawing all those that had been alerted by the explosions. They were cautious, naturally, but still quick, a gathering of assorted groups that had all come together in this country under the command of Tsukiyomi-Sama.
Sober Inuzuka and their Ninken had paired up with the Wolves immediately as they began a search while the Shinobi under Orochimaru's command had taken combat positions around the complex they were building until they saw the emergency flare. As they were just across the waterway from his position they were some of the first to arrive en masse, only one patrol of Wolves having been closer to the position.
Working with surprising cohesion- perhaps due in part to the similarities between their masters, or so he had heard- the area was quickly secured and in under a minute there was a medic hovering over him. From the corner of his eye he could see another one- marked only by the thin fur trim on his armguards- kneeling by a lump near the water. If the yelling- which he couldn't quite understand yet- was any indication there was another survivor though his condition seemed much more severe than his own.
The medic next to him had removed his mask to better see and said something, frowned, and tried again right next to his ear. Still, he couldn't understand what was being said, it was just a jumbled mix of sounds around him, one not aided by the cacophony of Shinobi mobilizing around them nor the symphony of the storm.
Orders were barked out and he felt himself lifted up by two other Wolves- when had they gotten there?- who started towards the village without hesitation. Several other Wolves took up position around him, knowing he was the best bet of learning what had happened and unwilling to risk an attempt to silence him.
He didn't pay much attention to that though, focusing more on how fluidly everything moved together to do what needed to be done. Behind a shattered mask he smiled lightly, the Wolves really did come across as professionals, didn't they? They must be an impressive sight.
Some part of him realized he had never actually witnessed the Wolves at work because he was always a part of it while another wondered why he didn't quite feel like one at the moment.
A part of the pack, yes, but certainly not a Wolf.
Right now, he felt far more like an injured pup.
And with that in mind, he decided to take a nap, blissfully unaware of the panic he caused in the medic.
The temporary medical center was just about what one would expect other than the fact that it was proving to be less than temporary. For all intents and purposes, it had become Nami no Kuni's hospital but she still hesitated to call it such.
With cement floors and sheetmetal walls, it felt a bit too flimsy to her. It was quite solid, she knew, but it just didn't give of that firm sense of foundation the Konoha hospital did. Of course, that was to be expected, this building was one of the first done and the goal had been getting it done as soon as possible. It wasn't meant to be a proper hospital, just something to hold its place until a proper building could be procured.
And for such a basic structure it did its job well. The inside was sealed and insulated, kept painstakingly clean in a country where mud was as common as dirt and until recently the majority of the populace had lived on the street. Lighting had been strung from the roof, keeping everything bright for the Wolves with the most medical training and the few doctors they had managed to poach from nearby minor countries.
Supplies were plentiful thanks to Gato's stores and what they didn't have was easily acquired with his fortune. The equipment was dated but functional and would be kept until a proper hospital was built. After that she suspected Tsukiyomi would have the best available brought in.
Guards usually outnumbered the medical staff two to one- though specialized classes for Wolves with the aptitude were slowly changing that-but at the moment the number of guards had almost doubled. She understood why at first, he was one of two survivors and while not the one in charge- though he had been the other survivor, coincidentally- he was the only one available to give them a report at the moment.
Why the guards remained after that, however, she didn't know. The lookout- as many had actually started calling him for his fortune in being little more than an observer of the event- had been debriefed by commander Sai earlier that morning when he first awoke so even if someone were to come for him they wouldn't gain anything.
That's not to say she wanted something to happen to him, but the increased guard seemed unnecessary.
Nodding to two such sentinels at the front of the building she nearly gagged at the sanitized smell of the sterile building. It certainly had that part of a hospital down well enough. She and her kin had always hated hospitals in equal parts due to the fact that they were stuck there and because the awful smells were greatly increased by their own advanced senses.
The building was small and easy to navigate so it wasn't' hard to find the room she was looking for. With a nod to the guards posted right outside the room she stepped in uncontested.
Being the governor had some perks.
Having been appointed by Tsukiyomi himself had even more.
The patient rested on a small bed in the middle of the room, looking for all the world like someone had taken a random person off the street and placed them in the bed. At a glance there was no evidence of injury and according to Sai he only had some mild bruising. He had been disoriented by the blast but the medics could find no further evidence of damage to his head.
Despite this, he was being kept for observation just in case.
Something that pleased neither the patient nor the doctors who had to keep him from running out of the building.
Maybe that's why the guard hadn't been reduced.
"Good afternoon, are you feeling alright?" Her voice seemed to startle him and he quickly turned from the wall he was staring at. With medium length brown hair and brown eyes, he looked perfectly average for anyone living in the east of the elemental nations. Even his skin tone fell into an even balance between that most common in Kaze no Kuni, Hi no Kuni, and Tsuchi no Kuni. If she didn't know he was Konoha born and raised she could have been convinced he hailed from anywhere on this half of the continent.
"Ah, Governor, my apologies, I didn't hear you come in."
"That's fine, I just wanted to check up on you." He seemed a bit puzzled by that.
"Really? Why?" She frowned, but could see why he found it odd. After all, he was just one of the many Wolves and she was managing the civilian parts of Nami no Kuni.
"While I'm not Commander Sai, I'm still responsible for Nami no Kuni as a whole in Tsukiyomi-Sama's absence. The Wolves are just as much a part of Wave as anyone else."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense."
"Of course it does." She smiled. "So, how are you feeling? The medics said you didn't take much damage but they wouldn't keep you here if they didn't have a reason." She knew the reason, they both did, but it was Sai's job to deal with the information and management pertaining to the Wolves. It was for the human side of them that she was visiting now.
"Pretty good, considering." He admitted with a shrug. "Just a bit sore."
"I'm glad to hear it, you did good out there."
"I got lucky."
She shook her head.
"Even so, you paid attention to what your teammates were doing, if you hadn't we wouldn't know anything about the spies." It felt weird to be so detached from the situation when the spies had been from Konoha. The one they had captured was confirmed to be a Yamanaka before the explosion and while the other two were unconfirmed as being Mindwalkers they were almost certainly from Konoha too.
She loved Konoha, but she found herself growing more attached to Nami no Kuni with every passing day. She had to wonder if she really wanted to return to Konoha to take up leadership of the Inuzuka. Maybe she could split the clan, starting a branch here in Wave while her brother carried on the line back in Konohagakure.
"I guess you're right. Still, some lookout I was, didn't even have time to shout."
"Neither did theirs."
He gave a lopsided grin. "That's a good point, Governor, but we're supposed to be better than them."
"So long as you're equal to them rather than lesser, I think you're fine. And, please, call me Hana. Save the Governor stuff for when I'm doing my job."
"You're here doing your duty as the Governor now, aren't you? Checking up on those who live in your town and all that, no?"
"I suppose that's true, but still, I would prefer Hana. Sai's already taken care of the formal visit as the commander, I'm here for the visit as a concerned boss."
"Alright, Hana-San, I'm Yūto."
"See, that wasn't too hard."
"No," He laughed. "It wasn't. Just don't let the Commander know, he'll have my ass for being so informal with Tsukiyomi-Sama's chosen."
She frowned slightly at that, but it was more in thought than displeasure.
"You all really hold him in high regard, don't you?"
"Sai?" Yūto joked. "Not at all, he's still short and he's absolute ass at managing finances. Were it not for his sister we'd have gone bankrupt years ago."
It earned him a grin but she continued with her question.
"I meant Tsukiyomi-Sama, you all seem to look up to him. It's almost like he's your father figure."
"Father figure, Huh?" Yūto scratched his chin in thought. "I suppose you're right. He's quite literally the father of our organization, but he's also been looking out for us while we grow. I think most leaders have a goal they use their forces towards, but everything he does is usually related to providing for us."
"It's a rather admirable trait for a leader to have."
"That's Tsukiyomi-Sama, he's the best."
"That so?"
"Yeah, though I guess you're a close second after this."
She laughed again.
"So long as you don't start calling me mom, I think I'm fine with being second best in this case."
"Heh, I think there's a line looking to fill that role and I'm pretty sure Mai-Sama's at the front. You'd have to fight her for it."
"I think I'm good, I don't plan on being a mother in any sense for at least a decade more."
"No? I'm sure you could assume that role for some of the younger Wolves pretty well. Tsukiyomi-Sama does a great job but he's kind of distant because he's always busy looking out for us. Having someone else to look up to would do them good."
"In that case, they'll just have to look up to me as their older sister."
"Haha, you got it, Governor Hana Nee-chan."
"Sush, you." She swatted him gently on the arm. "And stop it with the Governor, we're all siblings under Tsukiyomi Tou-san."
"Tsukiyomi Tou-San? Heh, I like it. I'll have to spread that around."
"Fine, but if he doesn't like it you're taking the blame."
"And if he does?"
"I get the credit of course."
"Ha! You sound just like a Wolf, Tsukiyomi-Sama did well choosing you."
"I'm glad he did." Her mother had always said an Inuzuka had two families, BloodKin and Pack, and while you couldn't choose your BloodKin you could choose your pack. In this case, however, the pack had chosen her and she didn't regret being adopted into it in the slightest.
Now, if only she could find some way to combine the two.
I look forward to seeing you all for the next act.