I've never heard the Iga sheep be so quiet. They're usually always rambling on about something- and when they're over here, it's usually something about wolves. I mean, I know my clan is descended from wolves from the west, but…
Yayoi-chan and Itachi-san were over here, learning about iryojutsu with me from Kagome-san when Yayoi-chan collapsed without much more than a sudden sigh. It was like she was going to say a word- say something, before it got caught in her throat. Itachi was concerned and gathered her up into his arms- and that's when I realized that, even as her whimpers and thrashing drew blood from his skin, even as the sheep told us that her- seizures, and choked off screaming was not, in fact, dangerous. Even as her tears fell like rain- that's when I knew the truth about Yayoi-chan and Itachi-san.
Apparently, the Iga clan has something that isn't exactly a kekkai genkai- it's a combination of learned skills and a skill carried in their blood. The way it was described to me- the Nara clan are best at strategizing when given a number of facts and a goal. The Iga are best at discerning fact from fiction, true intentions and motivations from false ones- and determining which goals, if any, are worth pursuit.
Yayoi-chan is undergoing a… a metamorphosis. When she comes out of her fevered state, she'll be… herself, but moreso. I don't know what that means.
I do know that Itachi-san will never look at anyone like he does Yayoi-chan. So I should stop fooling myself that he'll ever look at me. He won't. He's holding her in his arms like something impossibly precious- even while she screams and whimpers, thrashes and bites. Blood runs down his pale milk skin, thin red lines on his skin- I can smell his coppery tang, the stink of iron.
I don't realize that I'm crying until one of the juvenile rams- Kinoko, I think—starts licking my cheek. Are they really juveniles though? His shoulder reaches my waist…