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Bee-uty & the Beast
Kraen
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Chapter Nine
Oda adjusted the tunic of his yellow uniform nervously. HOW could he have forgotten something so important as the upcoming events for that evening? Granted, having his Lord replaced by two very unorthodox ninjas was a bit of a distraction, and after receiving a look from Gai that would make a harden samurai shudder, he would be lying if he wasn't the least bit distracted. In fact, he had spent most of last evening polishing the silver just to unwind.
He released an anxious sigh in front of the doors to the Lord's wing. He knew dropping a bombshell like this on the two would be a painful matter, but he didn't have any choice. It was his mistake for forgetting and he was just going to have to accept the consequences. He gave a curt nod to build his confidence and opened the doors.
He approached Hani's room. He knew that she would need to be told first -- needing every last minute to prepare Gai for the evening. He double checked his tunic again before lifting his arm to knock at her door. He hesitated, not wanting to go through the chaos his news would bring to the two; but he had no choice. He had to tell them. But before he could bring his fist to the door, a bandaged hand gripped his wrist firmly.
Oda jumped in surprise. He had not heard nor sensed anyone nearby.
"My Lord?!" squeaked Oda.
Gai placed a firm hand on Oda's mouth, "Shhhhh ..."
Oda lifted his eyebrows in question.
"You are here to wake Hani, correct?" asked Gai in a faint whisper.
Oda nodded in the affirmative.
Gai removed his hand and gave the servant a spine chilling grin, "Allow me."
Oda spoke in hushed tones, "My Lord, I must tell you something."
"In a minute, Oda. This won't take long." Gai finished removing the last of his bandages and handed them to Oda.
"I'm afraid it's important."
Gai wasn't listening. He had already fallen into a zone of concentration in his new mission.
He silently slid open one of Hani's doors and slinked in like a snake. He was on a whole new level of determination and wasn't about to get caught in the act. He tiptoed gingerly towards her bed, all the while being very conscious of any loose floor boards.
Gai observed her sleeping form. She was lying on her left side in the middle of the bed. Her right leg had freed itself from under the covers and was now wrapped around a fluffy white comforter. She was wearing the nightdress he had seen her in on their first morning at the mansion. A white satin gown that fell just below her hips -- as per usual, she was wearing a white g-string thong. Cuddled in her arms laid the furry form of Muta, who eyed him suspiciously.
Gai was far too focused on his mission to find anything arousing in the scene before him.
He crept to the left side of the bed, at her back. He had thought this to be inappropriate when he last woke her up, but after her last little escapade, any form of sportsmanlike conduct had been thrown out the window -- no holds barred.
He brought his hands together with his index and middle fingers pointed, squatted his legs slightly, took in a deep breath through his nose and delivered a flawless strike.
"THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"
Regardless of your culture, location, or status, there has never been a worst way of being woken up. EVER.
"MOTHER FUH--?!" screamed Hani as the shock and pain of his attack propelled her from the bed. She tumbled very ungracefully to the floor in a heap of blankets and a frantic Muta who cried out in surprise.
Oda, who had been standing silently in the courtyard, cringed at the racket.
Gai beamed as he brought his hands to his hips and laughed heartily at her reaction. "Time to wake up, Hani! The day waits for no one!"
A claw-like hand reached out, shaking with fury. "HOW DARE YOU?!" she cried. She lifted her head enough for her eyes to glare at him over the top of the mattress. Her look was filled with venom.
Gai didn't even flinch. "Now, now, Hani. It was just a bit of fun," said Gai as he lifted his arms and shrugged.
With a slight tilt of his head, he dodged her thrown kunai easily. "Ha ha! You'll have to do better than that, Hani!" laughed Gai.
His humor only fueled her anger.
"BASTARD!" she screamed as she grabbed something from her nightstand and threw it at him.
This time, he had to take a full step to dodge her attack. With a shuck, shuck, shuck, three stick-like objects penetrated the wall behind him. He turned to look at them and quickly recognized the weaponry. He pulled one from the wall and eyed it, "Ah, your hair sticks." He put a gentle finger to the pointed end and found it to be metal and very sharp. The wider end seemed to be made of a wooden material; bamboo perhaps. But before he could inspect it any closer a flash caught his eye.
Hani was now standing; the look of killing intent still deep in her eyes. In her hand was a bronze object, something Gai didn't immediately recognize. She threw it at him like a kunai to which he caught easily. "Hani, do not take offense to this, but your attacks are weak." He looked at the object in his hand, it was long and rectangular. He looked at her in question.
She responded with a smile and a small flick of her wrist.
Gai looked back at the weapon and noticed a very small chain attached to one end. When she flicked her wrist again, the object sprung open into a large bladed fan. Gai jumped slightly in surprise, but was immediately in awe at the craftsmanship.
His eye just barely caught the third flick of her wrist. As if in slow motion, Gai heard the faint sound of a click before small projectiles shot out from each end of the fan's blades. Years of training and experience was all that saved Gai from taking a face full of poison needles as he dodged them at the last second.
"My, my ..." said Gai as he eyed the array of weapons stuck in the wall behind him. "I am beginning to think you are serious."
"GRRRR!" she growled. To say that she was angry at being woken up so harshly was a vast understatement. She had been caught off guard and woken with no consideration for her modesty and self respect. To put it bluntly, Hani can dish it out, but can't take it when the tables are turned.
In one swift movement, she jumped onto the mattress, and then leapt towards him; her fists clenched, and ready for impact.
Gai, who is a taijutsu master merely placed his palm on her forehead while she was in mid air and stiff-armed her back into the bed. She landed head-first onto the mattress and her heels nearly fell behind her ears.
"Now Hani, that isn't very lady-like," smiled Gai.
She growled again as she tried to right herself and get her feet back under her.
Gai folded his arms, "You know, Hani. I am pretty good at hand-to-hand combat." He lifted a finger and closed his eyes for emphasis, "If you want, when we return home I could take you on as a student. I'm sure my team wouldn't mind having a little kōhai."
"Oh Gai?" came an overly pleasant voice.
He opened his eyes just in time to see Hani fling a very fat and shocked Muta towards him; eyes wide and arms spread-eagle. "EAT PUSSY!" she cried.
"GAH!" called Gai as he did the best he could to catch the frantic animal and suffer the least amount of injury. In a flurry of cat screams, fur and claws, Gai managed to rid himself of the beast quickly and just in time to see Hani deliver her own flawless attack.
With a kick that would send a soccerball into the next district, Hani struck Gai squarely between the legs with a nearly audible DING DONG.
Every man within a three mile radius instinctually flinched.
She stood back, a smile on her face as she waited for him to double-over in pain. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before one of them eventually did collapse.
"MOTHER F--!" cried Hani. "My FOOT!" Her rump hit the floor roughly as she clung to her injury. "Guh! I think you broke my foot!"
"I broke it?!" said Gai in bewilderment.
"What the hell do you have in there?!" she asked as she pointed towards his crotch.
He looked to where she indicated and shrugged, "Nothing."
"BULLSHIT 'NOTHING'!" She doubled-over her foot protectively as she rocked back and forth. "Ow, ow, OW!"
Gai sighed, "Here, let me look at it."
"No! You've done enough!" she pouted.
He bent down next to her, "Just let me look to see if it's broken."
She swatted his hands away, "No! You'll only make it worst!"
Gai gave her a stern look and spoke to her in a very sensei/fatherly tone, "Stop acting like a child and let me look at it!"
Hani blinked in surprise and dropped her guard. She had never really been talked to like that before and she wasn't sure how to react.
He handled her small foot gently, checking the toes with their little painted nails, then the top of her foot, the bottom, the heel and even the ankle for good measure; all the while being sensitive to every yelp of pain she made. "It's not broken. It's probably bruised, but that's the worst of it." He cupped his hands under her arms and helped her onto the end of the bed. "Oda?" he called over his shoulder.
"Yes, My Lord?" said the servant as he cautiously peaked through the open doorway.
"Could you get a bag of ice, please?"
"Of course!" said Oda, relieved to be able to leave the state of affairs.
After situating the many folds of his hakama pants, Gai sat down on the ground before Hani. He then placed her foot gently on his hip and began rubbing her foreleg in long, strong strokes.
"Ummm, what are you doing?" asked Hani in a small voice, trying not to blush.
"When the body suffers an injury such as this, it is best to massage the surrounding area. It gets the blood moving and keeps the area from bruising too bad."
"How do you know that?"
"Trust me, I know about bruising," smiled Gai. He moved his massage to her ankle and heel. "You know, I was serious in the offer to help you train."
Hani crossed her arms and huffed, "Tch! A woman should have curves, not muscles."
"I beg your pardon?" asked Gai in surprise.
"Take me for instance; if I was to pose undercover as nothing more than a courtesan and I had rippling muscles, wouldn't that seem a little suspicious?"
Gai considered her words thoughtfully, "I suppose. But I think it depends on the situation--"
"Look, a man doesn't want to cuddle with a rock -- he wants something soft and delicate," said Hani matter-of-factly.
Gai gave her a charming grin. He was finding it funny that she was telling him what men wanted, "Yes, but no one wants to play with a fragile porcelain doll either. I mean," he shrugged. "Sure, they're beautiful -- but they break too easily."
Hani blinked in surprise. He had a good analogy, one she didn't have a comeback for.
"Well, the offer is there. I would be happy to teach you. If not make you stronger, at least I could toughen you up." He moved his hands to the bottom of her foot and rubbed. "Though your attack was well aimed, it had no power behind it -- to think if you had any strength, your foot really would be broken. Your body is so delicate -- I'm afraid that if I stare at you hard enough I'll bruise you."
Hani bit her lip as she fought the sensations his massage was causing. Unfortunately for her, she was very, very, VERY ticklish. And not just an "I'm ticklish once in a while" kind of ticklish, but a "gentle breeze and I'm a giggling fool" kind of ticklish.
Gai could feel her foot and leg tense under his grip. "Hani, you need to try to relax this area. Otherwise you are restricting the blood flow." With one hand rubbing her foot, he used the other to rub her under thigh, just below her knee in an attempt to loosen her leg.
Hani was in agony. She bit the inside of her cheek and clung to her bed's blankets in a death grip.
"My god, Hani. Does it hurt that bad?" asked Gai in surprise.
It took all of Hani's strength to not burst out laughing and wriggle like a worm. She skewed her eyes shut and shook her head back and forth. "N--, No!"
"Hmm, maybe it is broken?" asked Gai in concern. He wrapped his hand around her foot and began testing the bones for movement.
Hani couldn't take much more of the torture and tried to pull her leg away from him; though pulling against Gai is like trying to move a mountain.
"I know you are putting on a brave face, Hani and I admire your youthful enthusiasm, but please let me finish."
She couldn't take it anymore. She had been embarrassed enough that morning and for Gai to find out how ticklish she was would only add insult to injury. In her defense, she placed her free foot on his sternum and tried to push away from him. "It's fine, Gai! Leave it alone!"
Instinctually, Gai grabbed her ankle with his other hand and held it away from him. "Hani, your foot might be broken. It could be a serious injury!"
She tried kicking her legs out of his vice-like grip. "It's not broken damnit! Just let go!"
"Ugh, you are so stubborn!" growled Gai as he stood. He let her uninjured foot go and swung one of his own legs over the foot he still held and straddled her leg like a furor about to shoe a horse.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted while planting her other foot against his buttock, trying to push him off.
Ignoring her attempts at dislodging him, Gai returned to his inspection. He could already see swelling at the base of her toes, but nothing more. If it had been broken, the whole foot would be puffy by now.
"ARRGGHH!!" roared Hani trying to fight against his grip.
"Who is acting like a big baby now, eh?" asked Gai over his shoulder, referring to the previous day when she had removed his splinters.
"Errr! I'll give you something to cry about!" she yelled.
"Uhhh," came a faint voice at the doorway.
Both Gai and Hani froze as they looked to a nervous Oda who had returned with the ice.
"I'll -- I'll just leave this here then?" he asked as he placed the bag on the floor next to the door and quickly scurried off.
"Great, look at what you did. You scared Oda off," huffed Hani.
"I did?!" he let her go and turned to her. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so difficult!"
"Me?! You're the one who came into my room and violated me!"
"No more than you did me yesterday morning!"
"Ha! I never touched you anywhere inappropriate!"
"You mean like you trying to kick me in the groin?!"
"Well, you started it!"
"And as it looks, I think I finished it!" grinned Gai.
"Oh, is that so?!" snarled Hani. "And what makes you so sure of that?"
He leaned into her, "Because you'll never catch me off guard again."
"Is that a bet?"
Gai didn't normally bet -- but in this situation, he couldn't help himself, "Yes!"
"Alright then, what are the terms?" she asked as she folded her arms in defiance.
Gai considered things for a moment, "If I win ... then you have to refer to me with the title of senpai from here on out." He knew she was too proud for something like that.
Hani blanched, "That will be a cold day in hell."
He shrugged, "Well, let's hope you have a sweater because those are my terms. What are yours?"
Hani brought a finger to her lip in consideration, "You have to wear your glasses fulltime."
It was Gai's turn to choke, "Out of the question!"
"Then you'd better be sure to win," grinned Hani mischievously.
"Fine!" he stuck his hand out.
"Agreed," she said as they both shook hands.
Another day, another deal.
-- / --
Oda walked with both Gai and Hani down the numerous corridors in silence. There seemed to be a tension between the two, but Oda was far too fearful to query on the details. Besides, he had more pressing matters to worry about.
He walked to a doorway, opened it and indicated for the two to enter.
"Oda?" asked Gai. "I think we've been through this maze enough now to know this isn't where breakfast is served."
"Please Sir," begged Oda, trying not to make a scene.
Both Gai and Hani exchanged a glance before entering the room silently.
"I have something very important to relay to you both," spoke Oda sternly as he shut the door behind him.
"What is it, Oda?" asked Hani with concern.
The servant rubbed his hands nervously, "I'm very sorry for this, but I'm afraid I have forgotten something very important about this evening." He sighed heavily as he looked between the two. "I'm afraid there is a banquet this evening in honor of Lord Hakanza's allies."
Both Gai and Hani froze in wide-eyed terror.
"Oda, this is bad!" said Hani in disbelief.
"I know, I am so sorry! If I had remembered then perhaps I would have been able to give more of a notice, but --" he threw his hands up in surrender.
"Just call it off." said Gai. "Tell the guests that Hakanza is sick or something."
Oda shook his head, "I'm sorry, we can't do that. His guests have already started arriving."
"Then just send them away," said Gai.
"We can't do that, Gai," sighed Hani. "It's very poor etiquette for a Lord to hold a banquet and then cancel it last minute. Treaties have been broken for less." Hani folded her arms as she thought things through, "Why would Hakanza throw a banquet if he knew he would be gone?"
"He always throws a banquet the third Saturday of every month," said Oda. "He had told me that cancelling this banquet might raise suspicions in his actions."
"Well, I think Gai can hold the act of Hakanza well -- we saw him do great in front of Saburo," said Hani, trying to sound hopeful.
Oda shook his head, "The problem is, some of these guests have known Hakanza for years -- back when he was a soldier. They'll know he is a fake in an instant if he doesn't pull off the act flawlessly."
Hani put her hands on her hips and sighed, "Alright, we'll work on things after breakfast. There's no sense in trying to work though this on an empty stomach."
Gai nodded, "Yosh!"
As Hani followed the men out of the room, she couldn't help but bite her lip in concern. Softening a man's rough edges was one thing, but it would take nothing short of a miracle to make any kind of an impact on Gai.
-- / --
The closer the three came to the breakfast room, the more an undeniable sound of children could be heard behind the shoji doors.
Oda sighed, "Umeko is sick this morning, I'm afraid you will have to endure Makoto's children for the duration of the meal."
Gai couldn't help but grin, he loved children.
"Is Umeko alright?" asked Hani in concern.
Oda rolled his eyes, "Yes, she will be fine -- and nine months from now she'll be even better."
Hani grinned in understanding.
"Why will she feel better in nine months?" asked Gai.
Hani sighed as she pushed him through the doorway, "I'll tell you later."
"My Lord!" came the ever cheerful voice of Makoto who was struggling to keep his three boys in order. The smallest and middle sized children rose from their seats and ran to both Hani and Gai.
"Good morning, My Lord!" came the voice of the middle one.
Gai smiled to the boy. "Good morning --" he looked to Makoto for help in the boy's name.
"Ah, of course," said the captain. "Our Lord is a busy man and remembering names can be a challenge for any nobleman. He put an arm around the oldest boy who sat silently to his side, "This is Yuichi, my oldest, and he's 9." He pointed to the middle son, "That is Yuji who is 6." He then pointed to the youngest, "And that is Yoshi, but we call him Yoyo -- he just turned 3 two weeks ago."
Gai grinned at Hani as he recited the boy's names, "Yuichi, Yuji and Yoshi."
"Yoyo!" chimed the youngest who was now standing in front of Hani. He looked up at her with wide eyes. "Pretty!" he called.
Hani, who had never really considered herself a "kid person" couldn't help but grin at the boy. She bent down to his level and gave him a charming smile. "Thank you, Yoyo."
The boy leaned forward and placed a small peck on her cheek.
Makoto beamed at Gai who was observing the scene with a good bit of humor, "That's my boy -- natural ladies man!"
"Come and sit!" said Yuji as he took Gai's hand and tugged.
The two ninja took their usual spots at the breakfast table. Yuji decided he wanted to sit as close to Gai as was possible and Yoyo decided Hani was the best seat in the house as he came and sat on her lap without hesitation.
Hani stood still for a moment as the boy got situated. She really didn't know what to do in these circumstances, but her natural instincts kicked in and she seemed to handle the boy without too much difficulty.
Makoto chuckled, "Just let me know if he bothers you."
She smiled, "He's fine."
Yuji poked at Gai's leg, "My dad says you're a great swordsman!"
Gai smiled sheepishly, "I know my way around a weapon or two."
"My dad says you worked your way up from a soldier!" chimed Yuichi.
"That's right," said Makoto. "And if you train and work hard, then you can become a Lord too."
As the boys chatted back and forth, Hani reached for her tea, but just as she picked it up, Yoyo reached out for it. Hani smiled as she gingerly held the cup for him to sip.
"I heard from some of the solders that you whooped my dad good!" said Yuichi with wide eyes.
Makoto nearly choked on this drink, "Wh-who told you that?!"
Both Gai and Yuji laughed at Makoto's overreaction.
"I'll have you know, your old man held his own against Lord Hakanza!"
Yuji poked Gai in the leg again, "That true?"
Gai smiled, "He did alright."
Hani took her chopsticks and picked up a bit of food. She wasn't the least bit surprised when Yoyo opened his mouth with a big, "Awwwww."
"Will you train us, Lord Hakanza?" asked Yuichi with hope filled eyes.
Gai's heart strings tugged, how could he say "no" to such a willing and youthful student?
"I'm sure he's too busy, son," said Makoto who patted the boy thoughtfully.
"How about next time you and I train Makoto?"
The captain lifted his eyebrows in surprise, but his reaction quickly turned to that of gratitude, "Sounds good."
"Yay!" called Yuichi and Yuji in unison.
The rest of the breakfast was spent with Makoto telling the boys (and ninja) the stories of Hakanza's past. Hani was grateful to the captain as the stories might help Gai play in-character that night and it was going to take all the help they could get.
She smiled as Yoyo stirred slightly. Still sitting in her lap, the boy was now resting his head against her chest, sucking his thumb and enjoying her softness, scent and warmth. She tightened her hold on him with one hand and the other she used to brush his light brown locks from his eyes.
As Makoto told another story with all the dramatics of a professional playwright, Gai turned to observe Hani. He couldn't help but smile at the tenderness she was showing with the child. She looked peaceful, almost matronly. The way she cuddled him and rested her cheek on the top of his head; Gai knew the child wasn't hers, but one would think otherwise if they didn't know the two. He couldn't imagine that she dealt with children much, so he would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised at how much of a natural she was.
Gai must have been starring too long as he caught the eye of Hani. She gave him a warm smile and looked down at his lap. Gai followed her eyes and he too smiled. Yuji was now leaning on Gai's leg and resting his head on the man's chest; completely enthralled with the story his father told.
The two Konohans made quite a pair.
"Whelp boys, I think it's time we let these two go on with their day," smiled Makoto.
"Aww, dad. Just one more story!" called Yuichi.
"No, no -- now your dads got work to do." He herded the boys together and then shooed them from the room. "By the way, if you two need any help for this evening, don't hesitate to come find me."
Hani nodded at him, "Thank you, Makoto."
Gai stood and helped Hani do the same -- she was showing signs of having tired legs from being a chair for over an hour.
"Well Gai," she said as she dusted off her kimono. "It's time we made a proper nobleman out of you." For emphasis, she cracked her knuckles and gave him a sinister smile.
Gai cringed, "Be gentle."
--
Thank you, for reading!
( Expect my next story update to be for Golden Child. It's probably 2-3 chapters from being finished, and I want to get it done.
I've been hesitant to finish it, because of the events in the manga. I didn't want to write in a character that gets off'd.)
Also, be sure to check out my deviant art page. http : / / mongrelssister dot deviantart dot com
(Remove the spaces and convert the "dots" to periods)
There I post Naruto fan art and work of Hani and Gai. I'm also working on a short Gai/Hani doujin.
BTW, TODAY IS HANI'S BIRTHDAY! YAY! (October 24th)