8 Clear as Mud

The Four Finally Rest, and Kotori Explains the Problem.

The Konoha quartet was excusably wary as the cook brought their breakfast the next morning, the girl steering clear of a vaguely puzzled Kotori. After placing the trays on the table, the cook bowed deeply to the mats and murmured, "I promise you on my life that this food isn't drugged or poisoned in any way, so please enjoy it with my apologies for all that's happened."

Giving Kotori a shrewd look but not saying anything to her, Takeshi awkwardly patted the cook on the back and replied, "That's all right. Kotori here explained everything to us, and we're willing to chalk it up to a simple misunderstanding – just make sure no one else bothers us today and we'll call it even, okay?"

"You're too kind." With one more bow, the girl then scuttled away to the refuge of the main house.

Once she was out of eye- and earshot, Takeshi turned to his niece with a glare that clearly spelled out his demand for an explanation. "All right, Kotori, spill. What happened last night that she's so sorry about? I mean, other than drugging us – which I still don't know why that happened."

Scooping some rice into her bowl, Kotori then took a meditative bite and sat back to consider her answer as she chewed. "I told you our attackers were from the Mist Village, yes?" Nods all around. "They came under the guise of Grass shinobi so that their task would appear legitimate – the task of retrieving the manuscript and eliminating anyone who got in their way. One of the few things I was able to get out of their jounin was that it wouldn't pay for the Leaf Village to learn the Mist Village's secrets by obtaining the manuscript."

Takeshi's expression turned thoughtful. "Then that means there's something more to this manuscript than our scholar friend let on in the first place. I'll have to have a word with him when this is all over."

"You mean you're still going to go through with this, after all that's happened?" Kotori wondered, astonished. "This could very well be a B-rank, or higher. Nothing for a group of genin to take on."

"For once I agree with her," Naeko interjected. "There's no dishonor in survival, Master. We could always send a message back to the village that the mission was mis-ranked and have them put someone else on it."

Takeshi acknowledged this with a patient nod and turned his gaze on Taiki, who at this point was scowling into his breakfast with a glare to rival that of his mentor or Kotori at their worst. "Well? What have you to say about this?"

"I say to hell with the Mist Village," the brown eyes snapped over to Naeko and Kotori, the first letting out an alarmed squeak and the other merely lowering her eyebrows in unspoken challenge, "and to you two, pardon the crudity, but grow a pair!" His cheeks flushed and he muttered "Figuratively speaking" before continuing. "What I mean is that you need some self-confidence. We've come this far – granted, not without setbacks, but those can be chalked up to lapses in judgment that won't happen again. We've learned from our mistakes, now let's move on and show everyone that we really can do this. No matter what happens, if we can pull this off as a team, then the chuunin exams should be a pinch!" Both girls blinked at this, and Taiki grinned. "Bet you all forgot about that, didn't you."

"So you're saying we risk our hides, simply as a teamwork exercise?" Naeko sighed and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Tai-kun."

"Yes," echoed Kotori. "Whatever."

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After reminding them to be on their guard – "Usually a pointless admonition, but under the current circumstances…" Takeshi had muttered afterward, not bothering to finish the sentence – the three genin had been set loose to their own devices for the rest of the day in an uncharacteristic show of leniency by their mentor. Naeko chose to take a nap, inviting Taiki to join her but as usual being politely rebuffed. Kotori disappeared into the forest without explanation, and Taiki went into the center of the settlement to see what he could find in the way of medications to soothe his throbbing face, Takeshi accompanying him to gather supplies. When at last they took a break for lunch at the seemingly omnipresent noodle shop, Taiki ordered his favorite kind of ramen and wondered how best to broach the topic on his mind.

He didn't have to think long, as Takeshi sideglanced him and muttered, "You look like you've got an upset stomach or worse. If something's up, you've got to be more subtle – no woman's going to look at you twice if you sit around with a face like you just swallowed something nasty." The jounin gave the waitress a winning smile, getting a giggle and a blush in return before she went back to the kitchen to get their order. "See what I mean? That's the way you do it…" He glanced back down at his trainee and sighed when he saw that the young man still wasn't smiling. "So what's bothering you?"

"It's just that…" Taiki paused for a moment, then plunged ahead. "What's up with Kotori? Last night I noticed that she was something… other than human. And there's no way she could have taken on that guy the way she normally is. When I asked her about it, she told me to ask you because she had no clue what was going on with her."

"And you're asking me this now?" Takeshi smiled dryly, then said in a slightly louder voice, "And that, young man, is not a topic for polite conversation. Where are your manners?" with a muttered aside of "Ask me somewhere else, like back at the house."

Acting appropriately shamed while the rest of the clientele laughed quietly around him, Taiki mumbled, "Apologies, Master. I've overstepped my bounds."

The jounin let out a bark of mirth. "That's quite all right. I forget that the academy isn't exactly a charm school."

After finishing their errands, the two made their way back to the guest house and settled themselves around the table in the main living area, Takeshi with a news circular and Taiki with a certain pink-covered novel. A half an hour passed in uneasy silence, until Takeshi cleared his throat and said off-handedly, "Now would be the time to ask."

"Oh. Right." Taiki blinked and put the novel down. "So tell me exactly, what's wrong with Kotori, and why wouldn't you answer my question earlier?"

"What I'm about to tell you…" an idle page turn "… none of those people need to know. It would scare them unduly to find out they have a second demon vessel running around in their home territory – the idea of one Jinchuriki bothers them well enough."

In spite of himself, Taiki made a surprised noise. "You mean that Kotori has one of those spirits inside of her, just like the Uzumaki kid?" When this was met with a nod, Taiki made a musing noise. "So that's how she's able to tote that big sword around, and to do some of the other things she can do. She's got a big pool of demon chakra to draw on…"

"And, as in other cases, strong emotion can cause the seal to slide a little bit, letting the demon's influence seep through. I'm guessing that's what happened when she was fighting the Mist jounin – he pissed her off, she cracked, and then with a little help from Hell-kitty she tore him apart. Sound about right to you?"

"She told me that he insulted her and her parents. I guess that'd do it." Taiki then realized what his mentor had said and chuckled under his breath. "Hell-kitty?"

Takeshi grinned over the top of his newspaper. "It's a nickname for it among the few that know of Kotori's situation. The demon's actual name is Nibi no Nekomata – the Two-tailed Cat – but considering its origin and temperament, Hell-kitty seems a bit more fitting."

"You could say that," Taiki muttered, still chuckling. "So who all knows that she's a demon vessel?"

"In Konoha, you could count them on the fingers of both hands, if that many. Myself, Iruka, the Hokage of course, maybe a few others. It's treated as an unsubstantiated rumor if anyone else asks about it…" A pointed look this time at his student, enforcing a silent order.

"Right. I'll treat it the same way." Getting up from the table, Taiki moved for the door. "I'm headed out for a while."

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The forest surrounding the small clearing where Kotori practiced seemed to tremble as if sensing the immense gathering of power within the girl, focusing in her petite frame with a shivering intensity and clamoring for release. Now she turned her attention on the tree in front of her, visualizing an enemy in her mind as she lunged forward with the zanbatou clenched in raw, aching hands. The giant blade curved around in a feint that just barely missed the dead chunk of timber, the girl pushing herself up from the ground in a one-footed leap and then swinging her weapon forward and down. With a loud, percussive boom the tree exploded as the zanbatou cleaved it apart, sending wooden slivers flying like darts in all directions. Some scored Kotori's body in what would be painful wounds, but the girl ignored them as she pressured the blade down into the clay-rich earth until it was buried up to half its length in the soil.

Deeming that good enough for her training purposes, Kotori sank to the dirt and rested her back against the flat of the blade, wiping the perspiration from her forehead as she willed her body back into relaxation. She glanced around the clearing, noting the various charred and splintered heaps of wood that were the remains of her practice session. "Well, that felt good. It's been a while since I've had a workout," she murmured, reaching into a pocket of her tunic and pulling out a small book with a worn leather cover. "Been even longer since I've had any time to read in peace and quiet." Opening the book to a page long since ingrained into her memory, Kotori began whispering the words of the poem scribed on the paper into the light breeze that had begun to ease through the boughs of the forest trees.

No sooner had she finished reading the first poem and turned to another than she realized that someone now stood on the edge of the clearing, watching her. The presence was all too familiar, and she winced. "So much for reading in peace and quiet. What do you want, Taiki?"

Flinching at having been discovered so easily, Taiki sputtered, "Oh, um, nothing really. I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"Just fine. Anything else?"

"No, nothing else." Pause, then, "You mind if I sit for a while?"

Kotori sighed and closed the book for a moment. "I guess not. Just try not to be too loud, all right? I was enjoying the afternoon calm before you came along."

"The calm after the storm," Taiki muttered, sitting down on the other side of the zanbatou so that he and his teammate sat back-to-back with only the metal separating them. "In more ways than one, huh?" When this failed to get a reaction, he tried a new tack. "Was that poetry you were reading?" An affirmative sound. "Never would have thought you were into that kind of thing. You learn something new every day… so what was it called? The poem, I mean."

" 'The Mist in the Morning,' " Kotori replied. "One of my favorites growing up."

"I see. Kind of appropriate." This, at least, got a muted laugh from Kotori, and Taiki smiled. "One of these days, maybe you could read some more of it to me."

"Maybe. I don't share these poems easily, though – they're all I have left to remind me of the nice things I had growing up, the quiet times and the peaceful times." She held the book up so that Taiki could see it on the edge of his vision. "My teacher gave this to me to remind me that life isn't always about bloodshed, that when one is surrounded by death one must learn to appreciate fleeting moments of beauty."

Taiki snickered. "One might almost accuse you of being profound, Tori-chan – ow!" He massaged his arm where Kotori had swatted him with the book. "All right, I guess I was asking for that one. It's just that this is the longest conversation I've ever had with you, and I think I kinda like it."

"Well, don't get used to it." A lengthy silence, then Kotori spoke again. "Let me guess, Takeshi told you about me and my situation."

"Yeah, he did. I'm sorry for being such a pill about it, and I promise I won't tell anyone else… just promise not to eat me?"

An out of place but not unpleasant giggle. "I don't make promises I can't keep, Taiki… You do realize that I'll want to know more about you and your background, though. Just to keep things even."

"That wouldn't be a problem, but I know about as much about it as you do - " Both genin noticed the new presence in the clearing at the same time and sprang to their feet on the defensive, only to see the innkeeper's daughter standing on the forest's edge with a startled expression. "Oh, it's only you."

The girl blinked and stepped back a pace, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm so sorry. Was I bothering something? I just heard some strange sounds here a while back and came out to see what it was as soon as I could get away."

"No, you're not bothering anything. I was about ready to leave, anyway." Kotori gave the girl an assessing look, getting a feeling that something was off but not sure what it was. "Can we help you?"

Looking around with a thoughtful expression in her dark eyes, the cook commented, "This clearing wasn't here earlier. Did either of you do this?"

"I did," Kotori answered, hands moving through the seals required to dismiss the zanbatou and noting the other girl's carefully masked look of interest as she did so. "The trees around here were dead anyways, and needed to be disposed of. If anyone needs firewood, all they need to do is pick it up now."

The cook laughed. "How thoughtful of you. By the way, I've left a snack in your quarters if you're hungry… I'll be moving along now. Are you sure I wasn't bothering anything?"

Taiki shrugged. "No, you weren't. Thanks for checking up on us." The girl nodded and walked back off into the forest, and Taiki waited a moment before glancing down at Kotori. "Were you getting the same weird vibe that I was?"

"A little. Nothing too strange though…" Her stomach rumbled, and Kotori jammed a fist into her lower torso to silence the noise. "I'm done here. You?"

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The afternoon passed without significant event for the three genin, Naeko becoming immediately suspicious upon seeing Kotori and Taiki returning together from the forest and sequestering the young man for brisk, efficient interrogation which unfortunately bore no fruit. Dinner was ready and waiting when Kotori emerged from the bath, the sweat and grunge of her training rinsed away and restoring her to her usual self, and all eyes turned on her expectantly when she sat down at the dining table and began to fill her plate. "I take it your nice little exercise went well?" Takeshi asked, giving his niece a studying look as she began to eat. A quiet nod to this, and the jounin smiled. "Nice to see one of us isn't slacking off in their studies when they're given a bit of free time."

This elicited shamed grimaces from Taiki and Naeko and a tiny smirk from Kotori. "Speak for yourself, Uncle," she murmured into her cup of tea, ignoring the sour glare this got from Takeshi. "I realize now, though, that I could have picked something a bit quieter."

"That you could have. You got a nice amount of attention drawn to you with your little display, but the citizens are happy with the donation of your time and effort. They apparently were looking for someone to get rid of those dead trees for a while now, and you took care of the job quite nicely."

Naeko made a face. "And here I was hoping Tori-chan would get in trouble for once," she grumbled to Taiki, who shrugged. "I guess her time will come sooner or later."

Clearing his throat chastisingly, Takeshi continued. "Anyways, get ready to travel at dawn tomorrow. While you three were doing as you pleased, I returned to town and followed up on a contact that I made earlier" he winked at Taiki, who was then hard-put to suppress laughter when he realized who his mentor was talking about "and they were nice enough to point me in the direction of someone not far from here who might be able to help us out a bit more. My advice would be to make use of the amenities while you can, if you haven't already. It might be a while before we see a real bath again."

"True that." Kotori yawned and stretched expansively in a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Taiki. "If there's nothing else that requires my attention, I'm going to sleep now."

"Are you going to use the bath now, Tai-kun?" Naeko interjected, noticing the youth's straying attention. "I could scrub your back for you."

Blushing a bit, Taiki quickly shook his head in a negative. "No, that's all right. You go on ahead and use it, I can wait." Trying to find a way to avoid the venomous eyes of the girl at this renewed refusal, he found himself staring awkwardly down at his hands as they rested on his knees. Finally Naeko stormed off in a huff and Kotori made her exit with a small amused snort, leaving the two males alone again. Hearing Takeshi laughing to himself and not doing too good of a job of hiding it, Taiki looked up through narrowed eyes at his mentor. "What's so funny now?"

"Just watching you two. Well, actually, all three of you." When the glare turned to puzzlement, Takeshi explained, "I don't blame you for not wanting to take her up on anything with the way she comes on to you. Hell, I wouldn't either." His smile widened; once again the genin wasn't sure whether the older man was serious or not, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to know. "I'll tell you something, though – if I catch you making a move on my niece, I'll kill you. Clear?"

Gulping nervously, Taiki nodded. "Clear, sir." But once again the tiny voice of rebellion stirred in his mind, and he found himself speaking before he could think about the words and catch himself. "But what if she puts the moves on me first?"

A flinty edge to Takeshi's smile made Taiki wince. "That'll be a cold night in hell, son. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to follow Kotori's example and get a good night's sleep."