His lady is clever. Very clever.
She had been training him and he didn't even know it. It started out simple: she gave him delicious food and a comfortable nest. Then he began to work a little bit for the food by jumping into her outstretched hands. Then he simply went a little distance, which became further and further. And that was just in the room. After that part of the training was complete, she would drop him at certain points around her home, and he was to find his way back to her room for the treats and nest. He learned his way around, mentally mapping the place and learning to avoid the other inhabitants. He learned basic commands and means of communicating with his lady.
And he enjoyed the experience.
His lady wasn't some super cruel and evil monster waiting to destroy the world; his lady wanted to do funny things that would make others feel miserable or embarrassed. It was all a joke, harmless humor, and Kuri sure did loved playing jokes. He would become his lady's partner in crime, the hidden ace up her sleeve, taking on adventures that she wouldn't be able to do herself.
His lady, Hanabi, is wickedly awesome, he concluded.
She is, or was, in training to be this sort of superhuman. What was it? Ninja? Yeah, that's it! He guessed that meant he would be a squirrel-nin? He may someday join her in serious official missions, but for now he would perform simple pranks and schemes with her.
Right now he is on his first mission.
Scout the hall to the east, and the room at the end of it. It's closed, so it must be entered some other way.
He was to watch out for other humans and give his lady the clear, signified by three twitches of the tail. If someone was nearby, and thus it wasn't safe to proceed, one twitch. In a house full of people with his lady's eyes, there was no way she could activate her own, uhh, what was it called? Byakugan! That's right! She couldn't activate it because her family would feel it and she would get caught. So he had to be her eyes. Since her family rarely activated their bloodline within their homes (without good cause, at least), he could go around undetected.
He gave three twitches of the tail.
She snapped her finger thrice.
That meant the go ahead.
He made his way through the vent on the floor. He had a rough idea of which one led to the targeted room, but no exact directions. Was it left after two rights or passing two turns? He couldn't ask for the help of his lady; she is too big for the vents, and therefore it is unknown territory for her. This was all him.
Dim light came from the right tunnel, and he believed he found his mark.
He popped out. Bingo! It's the right room. Now the search may begin. He saw the pictures of what it would look like, and he would have to find it, amongst all the different objects of the room, distinguish it from all the other books. He's still having trouble with the language, so he hopes to find it by its approximate size and color.
He started with the bookshelf, the most obvious of places to look. He looked for the particularly bright orange cover. Few of the books did, and they weren't in the right shade.
He headed for the giant nest…err…bed. He checked under first. Only dust mites and a pair of shoes. He squeezed himself beneath the pillows. Nothing. He checked the bed itself. Zilch. He wouldn't be able to lift up the heavy…mattress…if it happened to be there.
He kept looking, unwilling to fail his first mission. He searched the shelves, the open drawers, the adjoining bathing room and clothing hollow…uh…closet. He couldn't find it anywhere!
But then he streaked in front of the chest at the foot of the bed. Its base was less than half a foot above the ground, supported by four fat legs. Beneath it was a strange sight; it looked like a hidden compartment.
Kuri scampered underneath the Chest. Lo and behold, there was a small orange book hidden right there.
He hit the jackpot.
He raced through the vents, squeezed his way through the tight opening and made his way to his lady's room. She waited patiently in the center. A rough blueprint of the room he had searched through laid flat on the floor in front of her.
He made the implication that the book was under the Chest, by a tap to the rectangular picture that corresponded to the Chest, and then by running to his lady's nes…bed, and making the motion as if going under it.
His lady understood. It is time for phase two of the mission.
They checked both ways. No one around. His lady opened a hallway window to make it seem as if Kuri came inside through there, in case somebody comes. It is also his means of escape. As his lady tiptoed silently into the bedroom, he watched the corners and listened for the slightest creak from the floorboard or the faintest of breaths. His lady left a bell just outside the door. He was to ring it as a warning. A few seconds later his lady emerged. She quickly grabbed the bell, shut the window, and creep back into her room, Kuri following suit. His lady shut the door, and they looked at one another; she with a wide grin, he with shinning eyes.
They did it! They have retrieved her neechan's Diary! Kuri-kun was currently feast on cranberries and popcorn, his reward for a job well done. The small orange book in her hands had a little bit of weight to it. Here lies the juicy secrets of her older sister, awaiting for devious and ill-intent eyes to read its contents and use it for corrupt purposes.
Well, not really. She loves her sister, and would resist the temptation to prank or harm her(her cousins, she could do). But dammit! She was curious, and if her neechan happen to have a crush or something, maybe she could help her sister AND embarrass her at the same time.
Hanabi slowly opened to the first page.
Kuri instantly became alert, but it was too late.
A hand from behind grabbed for Hanabi's shoulder.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Chchchcht!"
"Hanabi."
"Uh…neechan-chan, I…I…I can explain!"
There stood the author of the diary, wrapped in a soft and comfortable street kimono with a small grocery bag wrapped around her left arm.
"My diary, Hanabi"
Hinata's arm stretched out.
"Hai!"
Hanabi immediately returned the stolen prize. Kuri-kun wondered if he had failed his mission. Would his lady punish him? Would the other kill him?
"Do not try this again, imouto-chan. You will not be successful."
Hinata turned to leave.
"Wait."
A pause.
"Uhh, you're not going to tell anyone about Kuri-kun, are you? Lets keep him our little secret? Sister-to-sister?"
Hinata did not respond. Instead she reached into her grocery bag and brought out a small wheel of cheese. Hinata drew out a kunai from somewhere within the folds of her kimono. She sliced a triangular piece of the cheese and threw it to Hanabi, who caught it eagerly. Hanabi loves cheese. Hinata then slowly made her way to Kuri, and knelt down.
Kuri started sweating bullets. He didn't like the sharp pointy object in her hand. But the other lady withdrew the knife and instead pinched out a small crumb of cheese with her long fingernails. The other lady held out the crumb, and Kuri reached for it, somewhat still hesitant. The moment it dropped into his paws the other lady stood up and quickly left the room, book in hand. Kuri stared at the lady while she left and continued to do so for another minute long after the lady had went inside her own room, the one he had been set out to search through.
Kuri looked at the new object in his hand. It smelled pretty good. He looked to his lady, who was gobbling her piece like it was candy. He decided to take a nibble of the new edible, to see how it would taste.
Kuri had now and forever decided he is in love with the other lady.