22 – Ready or Not
Memorials, Entanglements, and the Start of the Chuunin Exams!
Takeshi awoke two hours before sunrise as had become his habit, but knowledge of the day's scheduled events gave him little desire to get out of bed. He lay awake in mute contemplation of the ceiling for about fifteen minutes, then forced his ennui to the back of his mind as he sat up. "Ignoring it won't make it go away," he muttered, stretching and looking over at the clothes he'd laid out for that day – a formally cut tunic and slacks in the most austere of black cloth which he slid into with a sigh, remembering the last time he'd worn them. "It doesn't seem that long ago," Takeshi mused as he fastened the last catch on the high collar. "Less than a year, when Father died! And now, whether I like it or not, I'm in charge of this family... such as it is." He left his usual head-covering on the dresser and instead chose a plain square of cloth, likewise black, fastening it over his scalp and giving it a tug here and there to make sure it sat evenly. Gathering his wallet and a few other essentials, he tucked these into his pockets before putting his shoes on and leaving his apartment.
A clear, cloudless night had left a chill in the predawn air which Takeshi barely noticed as he went about his routine, getting breakfast from one of the early-opening restaurants near the marketplace and reading the morning news with a cup of coffee as a prelude to whatever the day had in store for him. It cannot be said, though, that his mind was fully on the events of the village and surrounding territory as he sipped his beverage, and after leaving a tip at his seat he rose and threaded his way through the streets towards the practice field and adjoining memorial stone for a moment's quiet meditation. He was not prepared for the sight that met him once he arrived, a sight that left him staring in mixed wonder and none-too-subtle irritation. "What the..." Squinting into the gloom, he saw that the figure slouched in front of the stone was not one person but two, immediately recognizable by their profiles. "That's not who I think it is, I hope...?" Sometime during the previous night the two had fallen asleep, Taiki draping his jacket over both of them for warmth as he cradled an unusually peaceful-looking Kotori in a protective embrace. "No way!"
"It was bound to happen at some time," came an observation from a detached voice, its owner stepping into view next to Takeshi and likewise observing the sleeping genin. "Cute, isn't it?" Kakashi mused, shaking his head slightly.
Giving his fellow jounin a quizzical look, Takeshi protested, "How could this happen? I didn't think either of them had it in them! She's about as approachable as a pincushion on her best days."
"Who knows." An idle shrug, then, "This couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time, though... hopefully they'll pass their exams."
"I have no doubt in these two, but Naeko - "
"Exactly. In the small chance I've had to observe your group, I've seen her possessiveness and it could become a problem." Seeing the younger man moving to wake the students, Kakashi added, "I wouldn't wake them up yet. They'll need all the rest they can get, and you can always come back here later." Lifting a hand in a farewell wave, he turned and began to walk away. "As will I." Glancing darkly one last time at the genin, Takeshi looked beyond them to the memorial and bowed once in respect for the sacrifices inscribed in the stone. He then also walked away, leaving Taiki and Kotori in solitude once again.
-------
Good, they're gone, Taiki thought as he heard Takeshi's footsteps fading away into the distance. Things could've gotten interesting if Sensei realized I was awake... He shifted to ease a muscle cramp, wincing as Kotori mumbled something in her sleep and then opened her eyes blearily. "Morning, beautiful."
Realizing where she was, Kotori sat up fully with a startled squeak and bounced up to her feet. "What the – what on earth am I doing here? With you?"
Taiki re-settled his jacket and stood up a bit more gracefully, smoothing his hair and clothing for a neater appearance. "You wound up here last night, beating yourself up over being an idiot and for having emotions. I came here to comfort you, and we fell asleep."
Glancing up at the lightening sky and gauging the time, Kotori swore under her breath. "Damnit – my grandmother's service is going to start in less than an hour, and here I am sleeping in! I haven't even showered..." She then dashed off without another word to Taiki, too hurried to remember the events of the previous night in full.
-------
"There we go," Naeko murmured, trimming the last bit of stray thread from the finished tunic. "Hopefully she'll like this..."
"You're still up?" Mrs. Kurogata appeared at the foot of the staircase that separated the ground-floor tailor shop from the family's dwelling on the upper level, carrying a plate of muffins and a glass of orange juice. "I thought you would be, so here's some breakfast." The seamstress glanced over her daughter's shoulder, evaluating the completed work in the younger woman's hands. "Excellent work, Naeko, although it would have been nicer in a color other than black."
"It's for a funeral, Mother." Setting the tunic aside on the counter, Naeko yawned and stretched, accepting the plate and glass from her mother. "In fact, I can't stay too long if I'm going to get this to her in time." Refusing to elaborate, she ate one muffin and downed the juice in record time, then dashed back upstairs to change.
When her daughter came downstairs with intent to leave, Mrs. Kurogata halted her briefly with a raised eyebrow and question. "Who did you say this is for again?"
"It's for Kotori," Naeko answered, folding the garment and wrapping it in tissue to protect it. "We may not be the best of friends, but we aren't enemies either. Her grandmother's just died and she can use all the kindness anyone can give her, whether she's an outsider or not." Bowing in farewell to her mother, Naeko then dashed out of the shop and prayed that she would not be too late to catch Kotori.
-------
Kotori allowed herself a brief shower before returning to her room and deciding what to wear. Cursing her minimal wardrobe, she was about to settle for a fresh set of her day-to-day clothing when a minor commotion at the front door of her dwelling diverted her attention. She scowled, pulled her bathrobe tight, went to see what the matter was, and could only stare openly as she saw a towel-clad Taiki talking to the visitor, a trembling Naeko.
"Um, well, I made this for her, because I kind of guessed she wouldn't have anything nice to wear to the service," Naeko was saying, turning a deeper shade of red with each word. "I stayed up all night making sure everything turned out all right, and I hope she likes it."
Taiki slicked a strand of damp hair away from his face, tucking it back behind his ear with one hand while he accepted the tissue-wrapped package with the other. "That's very nice of you, Naeko. I'll make sure she gets it."
Nodding once, Naeko grinned nervously. "Thank you, Tai-kun – I think I'll be on my way now. I'll let Takeshi-sensei know you two are awake and getting ready..." She then spun on her heel and ran back down the path, leaving Taiki standing in the doorway and shaking his head with a faint amused smile.
"I don't know why she was freaking out like that," the young man muttered, closing the door and turning to put the tissue-wrapped bundle on an end table where Kotori would find it. "It's not like I was naked - "
"But you were close," Kotori interjected, leaving her room and plucking the gift up so that she could unwrap it. "And what on earth are you doing here?" she finished, glaring at her teammate.
"Oh, taking advantage of the private bathing facilities. Don't worry, I brought another change of clothes for myself. Speaking of" he grinned under Kotori's continuing stare "I'd better get dressed. I wouldn't exactly call this public attire."
"I would hope not." Rolling her eyes, Kotori peeled the rest of the wrapping away and could not help a gasp at the fabric in her hands. "This really is amazing..." A questioning glance up at Taiki. "Did she say she made this herself?"
"Yeah, so that you'd have something nice to wear to the service. I know, I wouldn't have expected that from her either, but that's what friends do, right?" He shrugged. "Right. Anyway, we'd better both get changed if we want to get there in time."
-------
As Takeshi had promised, the service was brief and unembellished, with a handful of people in attendance beyond immediate family. After the ritual was concluded, all concerned went about their business, Takeshi, Kotori returning to the house Kotori had inherited with Taiki quietly following in their steps. From time to time Taiki found himself glancing at the two remaining members of the Yamataki clan, trying to gauge their feelings based on expressions and interactions with the inevitable trickle of sympathizers, but met with little success. If Takeshi was a mirror, reflecting all he saw without input of his own, Kotori was a stone statue for the emotion she showed; her teammate had better luck reading the reactions of the visitors and was troubled by what he saw. If they hid their dislike before, it's out in the open now, Taiki thought as the last guest left, frowning as he once again looked over at Kotori. They don't trust her, and they have little faith in Takeshi's chances of maintaining the family, much less rebuilding it. If only there was something I could do!
"Both of you should get some rest," Takeshi suggested, interrupting Taiki's mental process as he headed for the door. "Considering your circumstances last night, it might behoove you to sleep in an actual bed tonight." Grinning at the sudden blush this brought from both of his students, the jounin shrugged it off as he put his shoes on. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Then Takeshi left, leaving Kotori and Taiki to trade dumbfounded looks. "He knew about that?" the redhead growled, glaring at the space where her uncle had stood only moments before.
"He's not the only one," Taiki muttered, flushing further as the glare was turned on him. "Both Takeshi-sensei... and Kakashi-san... saw us this morning when they came to visit the stone. I was awake, but I don't think they noticed – at least, I hope they didn't. In fact, Kakashi-san told Sensei to let us sleep because we'd need our rest."
"How kind of him," Kotori grumbled, looking away from Taiki with a strange expression that the youth chose not to interpret. "Did he have any other words of wisdom to share?"
"Er, no." There was an awkward silence as Taiki remembered the conversation between the two jounin, wondering just exactly what Kakashi had meant in his comment about their absent teammate. "So, do you want me to stay here with you?"
"I won't ask you to leave." With an expansive stretch, Kotori got up from the table and wandered back to her room, leaving the door noticeably open.
-------
"I thought he said he'd be here to wish us luck," Naeko muttered the next afternoon as she made her way to the Academy, application clutched in an unsteady hand. "Oh, there he is!" Spotting her teacher on the very edge of the crowd of waiting students, Naeko waved and trotted up to where Takeshi stood. "Good afternoon, sensei!"
"Afternoon, Naeko," the jounin replied, returning the wave. "I trust you haven't seen our two prodigals?"
Looking around, Naeko shook her head with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "No, I haven't seen them. I guess you haven't either?"
"No, and that worries me. You won't be allowed to take the exams unless you show up as a team." Takeshi's eyes narrowed as he went over possibilities in his mind. "I highly doubt they'd chicken out, so unless they've come down with a massive case of stupid..." Or are just simply distracted, he mused and frowned. Inconvenient, indeed. He put these thoughts out of mind as the remaining pair appeared, Taiki grinning sheepishly and Kotori's face its usual blank slate; reserving comment for the moment Takeshi only gave them a flat stare of reproval before turning his attention to the cell as a whole. "Congratulations on making it this far, even if some of you decided to take your sweet time. If you pass, you won't have to deal with me busting your chops for a while, but if you somehow fail..." Giving each genin a steady look in turn, he finished, "We won't address that until when and if it happens. I hope to god it doesn't, because I'd like to think I've trained you better. Now get in there and make me proud!" Takeshi then vanished and left his students to their own thoughts.
"No pressure, huh?" Naeko giggled uneasily, looking around at the students waiting ahead of them.
"I think we'll do just fine. We've survived worse than this, so let's go." With a hand on the shoulders of both Naeko and Kotori, Taiki led them forward toward the Academy doors and the beginning of their chuunin examinations.