Chapter 68

The tavern was largely empty as Tomo helped Takino carry the drinks across to the trio of girls sat at a large wooden table, various names etched into it across the years. Kaorin thanked the man and took hold of the orange juice, while Sakaki and Fuka also took their drinks.

"Thank you for the drink Mr Takino," said Fuka and Kaorin in unison. Sakaki also thanked him, but her quiet voice was largely drowned out.

Only Tomo had chosen to try an alcoholic drink- out of the girls. Takino held a small glass of whisky, sniffing the aroma of the drink, Tomo thinking he looked like an idiot. She too held a small glass, containing a triple shot of vodka (she had insisted on it).

"So is that your first time trying vodka?" asked Fuka, glancing at the small glass and then at the excited girl.

"Yeah…I think so…" replied Tomo.

"Ok then," replied Fuka.

Tomo stood still, merely looking down into the glass at the clear liquid. Beside her Takino downed the drink, the right side of his lips twitching slightly, but remaining largely unmoved. Tomo lifted the glass to her lips and slowly sipped on the drink wanting to taste it properly. She thought Takino had been silly to drink his drink so quickly. After a second or two it happened…

"Gah! I' gurns, it gurns!" said Tomo as a foul taste swept across her mouth.

"So it's good then?" asked Fuka sarcastically.

"I gud get guse to eet," replied Tomo. Kaorin offered her glass. Tomo thanked her, taking a faint sip from the orange juice before handing it back to Kaorin.

"Thanks," said Tomo. "That's got rid of the taste. Well a bit."

"Oh…that's good I thought it might," said Kaorin. She glanced down at the glass she held tightly in both of her hands. She felt strange as she continued to stare at it…looking closely at the place where Tomo had taken a sip. She found herself blushing- Tomo's lips had been in contact with that glass, her lips… Kaorin blushed furiously and quickly looked down at the table, trying to keep her face out of view. "I'm turning into a pervert!" she said quietly to herself.

"So Miss Tomo can I quickly talk to you into private?" asked Takino.

"Oh, what? Oh ok yeah," said Tomo who had completely forgotten about what Takino had said just before they entered the building. "I'll be back in a few minutes," said the girl turning to face the rest of her squad.

"See you in a moment then," said Fuka before picking up her own glass.

Takino thanked the barman for unlocking the door, the man replying that it was no problem and walking away with a wave. Takino eased the moderately thick door closed and then turned to the rest of the room where Tomo had chosen to sit in the comfortable chair with built in (violent) purple cushions. As she adjusted herself to get more comfortable Takino took a seat at the opposite end of the small square table.

"So what did you want to ask me about?" asked Tomo. "This isn't going to be a marriage proposal is it? I know you're nice enough, but you are just a bit too old for me."

"No Tomo, no that's not really what I'm going to be talking about," replied Takino, just about maintaining his composed manner after Tomo's random question from out of nowhere. He placed his hands palm down on the table, his index finger tapping lightly on it.

"You're offering me a job?" asked Tomo having failed to notice that for practically the first time Takino seemed uncertain, not quite sure how to get his conversation started, how to talk to her.

"No, no nothing like that. I'm just not quite sure how to say this," said Takino. "You might even know already, but from your reaction I don't think you do."

"Yukari says I don't know a lot of things," said Tomo blankly.

"I don't know who that is," replied Takino. "Remember shortly after we stumbled across one another on the boat?"

"I'm not that stupid or forgetful," interjected Tomo. "I think."

"I know, I was just saying," replied Takino. "Remember I had the portrait of the fourth Hokage from your home village? I had had a great interest in the man; it was what led me to investigate your village. But it was not the legends surrounding him that drew me to the man- rather it was his name."

"Huh?" asked Tomo.

"You see Tomo; the fourth Hokage shared a name with me."

"Daisuke?" asked Tomo.

"No," said Takino shaking his head gently. "He shared a name with both you and I. The fourth Hokage was named Takino as well. You don't know where this is going do you?" asked Takino just to make sure.

"Nope," replied Tomo, blank once more.

"Tomo, what I'm trying to say," said Takino leaning forward, "Is that the fourth Hokage was in fact your father. Shortly after I met you I knew you had been the person on his family tree that I had investigated when I tried to see if I was related to him. But of course we've been interrupted constantly so far. Only now have I been able to tell you."

Tomo sat back in the chair. "He…my…?" she said.

"You didn't know?" asked Takino.

"No," said Tomo shaking her head. "No one ever told me much about my family and I never really asked."

"Well surely you must have heard his name in the history lessons?" asked Takino.

"Oh, I never really paid too much attention in most of the classes," replied Tomo in an almost proud manner. Had he been a less elegant man Takino might have slapped his hand to his forehead in frustration. Instead he just about managed to smile politely.

"So you never asked about your family?" asked Takino.

"I never knew them, and from the way I was treated when I was younger I thought they must have done something bad. I didn't really want to ask, and apart from Yukari I doubt anyone would have given me much of an answer anyway." For a brief moment the bright aura of the girl flickered.

"I see. So it was tough for you growing up?" asked Takino in a caring tone.

"Well I guess you could say so," said Tomo, her brow creasing slightly as memories returned to her. She quickly tried to force them out of her head, brought an over the top smile to her face. "But I'm ok now; it got better after I graduated as a student and got grouped with Sakaki and Osaka!"

"Osaka?" asked Takino. "That's strange I thought there was a Kaorin and a Fuka out there with Miss Sakaki. I haven't been saying the wrong name have I?"

"What? Oh no you haven't been getting it wrong. Osaka isn't here. She got…injured on our last mission. Fuka was her replacement, and we found Kaorin and she joined up with us too." Tomo neglected to mention how Osaka had been injured, or who had done it.

"Ah I see," replied Takino. "I did find it a bit odd, I was certain teams such as yours were usually found to only have three members. Guess that it explains it then."

"Yeah!" said Tomo.

"So what's for dinner?"

"Kagesaki," hissed the voice of the frail man.

Kagesaki stared into the man's grey eyes, only slightly darker then that of the grey skin wrapped taut around his skull.

"Yes?" asked Kagesaki, breathing heavily and feeling sweat and blood running down his back. Not all of it was his blood.

"You have passed this test," hissed the voice. "But be aware of this- had it not been for your Lord's prior intervention you would be dead now. My own master owed him a favour in return, so you received the easy option," replied the voice with a hint of derision.

"Easy? That's not what I'd call easy," replied Kagesaki.

"Better men then you have tried and failed over the years. But before you receive it please take my hand with your stronger hand," replied the thin man.

Kagesaki stepped forward and raised his right hand. Slowly he gripped the bony fingers, the palms like touching old leather.

"What is this for?" asked Kagesaki, bored of waiting.

"Before you can meet my master we need a flesh sacrifice from you," said the man, his mouth breaking into a grin, revealing a row of pointed teeth.

"No! Wait!" yelled out Kagesaki as with his free hand the frail man withdrew a large blade, surprisingly clean given the dank underground conditions. Kagesaki tried to pull away, but the frail man's strength was much greater then appearances suggested. "Wait!" yelled Kagesaki as the blade swung down.

~Author's note~

Apologies for the lateness of this update, in recent times a close family member suddenly passed away so I haven't been in a writing/updating mood. It's odd, I've been working on this story for so long now, that that was actually the second family member to pass away since I started writing this way back when :/