Chapter 73 - Gigue Calando

Sasuke hadn't managed to get all off the blood of his face, in arriving home. And he arrived, silently, and furiously.

All three of his sons were sitting at the kitchen table, his wife nearby, listening with her elbows nestled in her hands. She noticed him first, and she gasped. "Sasuke what—happened to your face?"

"None of your business, where's Yakata."

"He's… upstairs with Nadeshiko—really, Sasuke, what happened?"

"I TOLD you it was none of your BUSINESS, Ino!" She jumped a little at his outburst. "Now go and GET him for me!"

"…of course, I'll… go get him," she said, and scurried down the hall. Her feet made light sounds on the stairs.

"…hey, Dad, about Yakata-kun." Hajime was speaking, sitting beside Inou. Takeru sat at the head of the table. "Can you… tell us what's going on with him? I mean-"

"We'd like to know what he has to do with Uncle Itachi," Takeru cut in, with surprising flatness.

Inou said nothing. He had his hands firmly clamped to his arms, and was leaning against the table surface, but his eyes were locked on Sasuke.

"Inou's been telling us some… weird stuff about him having to do with Orochimaru and… clones?" Hajime continued. "I mean, after Mom calmed him down, I caught a few things…"

"We sat down and discussed it because we figured it was essential to our mission," Takeru continued, still flatly. "To protect Yakata-kun."

Inou said nothing, though his eyes slid to the table surface.

(Takeru didn't have as much of a talent for getting information out of people mentally, but verbally…)

"Really, Father. What's going on with that boy?" Takeru said.

And Sasuke's body seized up, every tendon tightening, every muscle turning to wood.

There was a series of footsteps down the stairs. His wife, his—no—and Yakata.

Yakata was coming down the stairs and.

"FAMILY MEETING. Everyone, just—shut up and get in the damn living room. EXCEPT YOU, NADESHIKO." He turned around and pointed at her, his breathing suddenly increased. "You. You stay upstairs. With Yakata."

Yakata looked far more afraid than she was.

And Sasuke, for a horrible moment, wondered why it was so painful to even look at him now.

(Because he knew who his—not his mother was, he knew where he came from, now.)

(Because someone had hurt him, touched him, for saying the boy was his brother.)

(For the bandages and burns that were still fading from the boy's cheeks.)

(…but how he could he deny that with that face?)

He focused on Nadeshiko. That hurt less. She wasn't normal. She didn't think like normal people. She was wrong.

"Sasuke, but I just-" Ino began.

"ForGET what I said and just GET IN THE LIVING ROOM. KARAI, YOU TOO! Wherever the HELL you are."

"Sasuke, calm down," Ino attempted.

"I'm TRYING to," Sasuke replied. "AND GET UPSTAIRS ALREADY!"

"I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm sorry, Sasuke-san! I'm really sorry!" Yakata was hyperventilating, sobbing without tears. "I'll, I'll, I'll get up, I'll get upstairs right away, I'm sorry!"

"IT'S NOT YOUR." Sasuke stopped. Calmed himself. Like Ino wanted. "It's not your fault, Yakata. Just—go upstairs and wait. I'm—going to have a talk with my family about your father. All right?"

"M-m-m-my father…?"

"His father?" Takeru was standing behind Sasuke. "What about his father?"

"I'll explain IN THE LIVING ROOM!" Sasuke shouted.

Takeru stepped back, raising both hands in defense, before entering the room as commanded. Hajime was helping Inou across the kitchen.

"Just—go upstairs, Yakata. I'll get you when we're done."

And Yakata nodded and, with Nadeshiko's unholy, unnecessary hand on his back, returned to wherever. (At least she didn't look at him, or speak to him, as she went.)

Karai came down, shortly afterward. And with her present, Sasuke shut the door behind him in the living room.

His family had arranged themselves very carefully: Takeru on the arm of the couch nearest to him, Inou sandwiched between his mother and Hajime on the other arm, and Karai sitting on the floor, by the table.

Every pair of eyes were on him. Even Inou's, shaky as his gaze was.

"Right. All right. So you have questions. Obviously. About Yakata. Right."

Sasuke had washed his face in the kitchen sink, in waiting for Karai to come downstairs, but he could still smell the blood under his nose.

"The situation with Yakata is… complicated. It's very complicated. But I'll try to spell it out as simply as possible."

"Just tell us what in the world he has to do with Uncle Itachi," Takeru said.

In any other situation, Sasuke would have felt proud of his frankness. That strength.

Here, it just made him angry. "I'll get to that," he said. "Just… right. The situation with Yakata is that my brother, your… uncle, Itachi, is his… father. In a sense."

"What do you mean, 'in a sense'?" Takeru said. "Is he his father or isn't he? I'm assuming not, since-"

"Takeru, let me explain," Sasuke said. "Yes, I… know it's impossible for Itachi to have been his real father. What happened was that someone—took Itachi's blood and made Yakata with it. He's an offshoot, a copy. In essence, his child."

"This… doesn't have anything to do with our recent mission to… protect him, does it?" Hajime said. "I mean, because of Orochimaru-"

"That—yes. Yes, Hajime, yes, it does, now let me continue." Sasuke was shamefully, obviously anxious, he could even hear it in his own voice. "The point is. That's who Yakata is. He's Itachi but he's… not."

There, Karin, he thought to himself, bitterly, are you satisfied? I'm not thinking of him that way any more.

Fucking bitch.

"He's more like Itachi's son than anything," he continued. "Which is how he thinks of things, he thinks Itachi is his father. That's what he's been told and that's what he believes." Though he couldn't bring himself to say he'd been treating the boy the same way.

(Sasuke was a bad liar.)

"So he's been lied to?" Takeru said.

His voice was high and poisonously like his mother's.

"It's not a lie, it's just easier to explain than the truth," Sasuke spat. "Besides, my brother is—he's dead, and Yakata never knew him. Obviously. He has other parents. His." The words turned sour. "…real… parents. He has no attachment to Itachi beyond knowing where his blood came from. That's all."

"So… how did this happen, anyways?" said Hajime. "Again, does this have anything to do with Orochimaru?"

"I don't think I'm exactly allowed to discuss that, yet," Sasuke said.

(His nose still felt like it was burning, slightly, and his temples ached with the prospect of Naruto's sweet, rare anger.)

"Then what in the world have we been protecting Yakata-kun from, exactly?" Takeru said. "Hajime and I had both assumed that it was because of him. I mean, he is in custody, isn't he?"

Karai, listening from the table, had her head tilted with intense concentration.

"…we caught an impostor," Sasuke replied. "He wasn't the real thing. It was a false alarm."

"Oh, so like Inou said," said Hajime.

Inou made some sort of mumbling noise, and leaned against his mother's arm.

"Well, that's underwhelming," Takeru said.

"But it was still a real threat, right?" Hajime said.

"Stop asking questions," Sasuke said. Hajime, with his typical, dull surprise, quieted himself. "At any rate, regardless of the… threats or whatever, in the past, Yakata probably won't be staying with us for much longer."

"Aw, why?" Karai said.

"Well, you did say he was only staying 'til the end of the summer, and it's almost September…" Hajime added, almost in response to her.

"Naruto's… deciding whether or not he's going to be taken home. They—he thinks that Yakata belongs there. Not with us."

"Ah…" said Karai.

Nobody else said anything.

(All of them having their own theories as to why this might be.)

"If he has to go soon, Takeru, you'll be the one escorting him."

"Me? Why me?" Takeru said.

"Because I trust you," Sasuke replied. "Besides, you're the best, and I can count on you to not mess up, unlike some people. I don't want to get in further trouble because of this, anyways."

"Get in trouble with whom," Hajime said.

(Distancing himself from the stitched-in insult. As usual.)

Sasuke tried to hide the fact that he was floundering, trying to avoid any mention of her. "With—with Naruto, Hajime, didn't I tell you to stop asking questions?"

"All right," Hajime said.

(Not believing a word.)

"Your… mission should come in soon, anyways, Naruto said he'd get on that," Sasuke continued. "Yakata's from a village in the Land of Rice. It's a day's journey up. It should be easy. I trust you."

"…shouldn't be too hard," Takeru agreed. "Fine, then."

"…so, what are we gonna do, then?" Karai said. "Like, does Yakata-kun know about where he really came from?"

"…I explained already, Karai," Sasuke said. "No, he doesn't. He's been told that Itachi was his father. He's not to be told otherwise."

"Says who," said Takeru.

First Hajime and now him? "Sakura said so. You know, the chief medical officer? It's for his own good," he added. "Something about his… mental health."

"…probably a good idea," Inou said, quietly, keeping his head down.

"So is it okay if I call him 'cousin,' then?" Karai said, brightly. "I mean, since if Uncle Itachi's supposed to be his dad, then that makes him your nephew and our cousin, right?"

"…whatever you want, Karai," Sasuke said.

"Gee! This is exciting. I'm just sad he'll be leaving so soon," Karai said. "Will he come back, Father?"

"…I don't know," Sasuke replied.

The way things were going, he'd probably never see Yakata again, after this. After all, that was what they wanted, wasn't it?

That was what was best for him, wasn't it?

"Then has our mission to protect him been called off, then?" Hajime said. "I mean, since there's no longer a threat. Is that why we were protecting him in the first place, because of him being Uncle Itachi's kid or-"

"Hajime, for pity's sake, I told you to stop asking questions," Sasuke said. "Yes, he doesn't need to be protected any more. There's no more Orochimaru, we know what's going on, and he's going home soon, that's it. Any other questions? Less meaningless ones?"

Hajime looked at the ceiling. (Wondering why he had even tried.)

"Good, then. Any of you need to know anything else, about Yakata, about—whatever, you go to me. Understand?" There was a mumble of assent. "Fine. Meeting… over. Everyone out of the room. Now."

Karai was the first to leave, and Hajime after her, and Takeru, with his narrow, sliding eyes. Though Inou lingered, taking a while to get off the couch, and Sasuke's eyes lingered on him, likewise.

Ino, however, spoke before he could. "Don't. Even. Start," she said, quietly, holding her son's hand. Inou was still leaning against her, slightly, keeping his eyes as distant as possible.

"…I wasn't going to," Sasuke replied.

She began past him.

Then, quietly, "What should I tell Nadeshiko?"

"…use your own judgment, I don't care," Sasuke said. "I'm not telling her."

"All right, Sasuke…"

Ino nodded, and left, to provide her son further comfort.

Sasuke went upstairs to get Yakata himself. Nadeshiko had left her door open. He couldn't decide if it was a kind or a cruel gesture.

"Yakata."

From the bed, where he was sitting, the boy snapped around to look at him. "Y-yes?"

He looked startled, looked terrified.

Nadeshiko stayed at the window, her back turned to him.

"What's wrong, is, is, is everything okay?" he continued.

"Everything's… fine, Yakata. Just, you might be heading home sooner than expected."

Nadeshiko turned her head, slightly. Sasuke tried not to look at her, tried to look at the boy, even though, even though.

"What? Wh-why, did, did something happen, did I, did I do something wrong?"

"No, you've… done nothing wrong. Just… some things have come up and it just—might be best for you to go home sooner. That's all."

"Oh. Oh, I, um, I, I see…" Yakata wove his fingers together. "Um, then, when, when would I, um, be going home…?"

"Possibly tomorrow. I don't know. But I'll be sure by tonight," Sasuke said.

"But tomorrow's-!" And Yakata stopped, eyes falling, resting on his hands. "Tomorrow's Sa-Saturday…"

Oh surely he didn't mean that meaningless ritual. "Yes, and?" he said, just to be sure.

"Yakata-kun, I can go in your place, it's all right," Nadeshiko said.

"Quiet."

What vague sliver of her face had been visible before disappeared into her hair.

"You wouldn't have been able to go, anyways," Sasuke said. "Remember? I didn't want you to leave the house."

"Oh, oh, um, I, I, I re-remember now…" Yakata said. "Sorry, Sasuke-san, I'm, I'm sorry…"

"…no need to apologize," Sasuke said. "Takeru will be taking you home, when it's time. So I suggest you… pack your things, tonight. Just in case."

"Okay…"

Sasuke turned to leave.

"Um!"

His little voice was a very sharp hook.

"Wha-what were you, um. Ta-talking about down, downstairs…? About my father…?"

How to explain to him…?

"…I just explained the situation about your father in more detail with my family. It… helped explain some of the… things we've had to do lately."

"Things…?"

"Why we have to protect you, why I can't let you leave the house. That's all." Sasuke's feet ached with a desire to leave.

"But why, why do… but what does my, my father have to do with that…?" Yakata said.

"…there are some people who didn't like him, when he was alive. We were protecting you from them. That's all," Sasuke said. He took a step. "I'll be downstairs."

He'd reached the bottom step without finding himself skewered by another little hook. Thank goodness.

(Nadeshiko did not ask questions. She only hugged Yakata back when he said he was scared, that he was confused.)

("Wha-what did my father do…? Why would, but, why would they want to hurt me…?")

Yakata was embraced again, though he received it far more reluctantly, by Karai, who was excited as anything to finally have something resembling a cousin. Though she made no further mention of his father as they set the places for a very quiet dinner.

(Ino, after dinner, asked to be alone in the kitchen with Nadeshiko, so they could take care of the cleaning. Nobody argued against it, and Nadeshiko told Yakata to wait for her upstairs, Ino compounding the request by saying she needed no other help.)

(She took the opportunity to explain who Yakata was to her daughter, in that time.)

("It's why your father's been so protective of him, you understand. Because of where he came from. I'm sorry it's caused you so much trouble, with any other boy he… might not have been so cruel to you.")

(And all Nadeshiko did was blink slowly, and nod, and say that she understood.)

(It barely changed anything to her.)

It was decided later in the evening, and conveyed to Sasuke via messenger bird, that Yakata was to go home on Saturday morning. Naruto had reached the decision after talking it over with Kakashi and Iruka and Shikamaru, who had all been called to his office, told it was very important.

Shikamaru, naturally, was not pleased, but he couldn't disobey his Hokage. And his interest piqued significantly once the bit about the clones was mentioned.

"So none of this has anything to do with Orochimaru?" he said, cutting right to it, as usual. "What about that guy we captured? You sent me information on him."

"Me too," Iruka said. Kakashi nodded.

"Not him," Naruto said. "He's a clone too, actually, a clone of Orochimaru. But he was just covering for Karin-san. He didn't want us to hurt her. She's his mom, y'know. And he's such a nice guy, too, I feel seriously bad for what happened."

Iruka had to make him slow down and explain this more cleanly, after that.

Naruto tried his best, and managed to explain the situation fairly well: including Yakata and Kiine, there were eight confirmed clones, with one yet to be born—numbers were easier to handle than names; that the nine clones were all living with carefully-chosen foster families; that the man caught two days previous was a clone as well and a mere impersonator of Orochimaru; and that Karin was the creator of the clones.

Naturally, that last fact caused a great amount of discussion. "Just that one person?" Shikamaru said, his narrow eyes even narrower from his incredulous expression. "She's taking responsibility?"

"Yep! She told me and Sakura that she'd be able to get us records about everything if we wanted, later," Naruto replied.

"Well that's… something," said Iruka.

"What are you going to do about her, Naruto?" said Kakashi. "Has she been arrested?"

"Nooo no no no, no, she's staying at the hospital for now," Naruto said. "She's kind of sick from this baby she's expecting, Sakura told me, so she's gotta stay there. And besides, why would I arrest her? It's not like she's done anything really wrong."

The three glances exchanged by his advisors made Naruto grab for more words.

"Okay, yeah, I mean, she's gone and made copies of people, and that's weird, I get it, y'know. But she told me that she's not making any more, and guys, she was serious about it. That was a lot of sincerity I felt from her, when she talked. She's tired out, y'know. She's done."

He leaned forward in his chair with this, lowering his eyebrows with his mood. "Besides, I made a promise to her that she'd only be punished under the law, and I got Andou-kun on this and so far he hasn't found anything about what she's done. Experiments and stuff, yes, but not clones."

"I'd argue that it does count as human experimentation," said Shikamaru, crossing his arms.

"Even if the only one gettin' experimented on was her?" Naruto replied. "I mean, she only used her own body to grow the babies, y'know. But she didn't do anything to 'em afterward."

"Goodness," said Iruka. Kakashi said nothing, just processing the information.

Shikamaru's face pinched forward, and he lowered his hands to his lap. "This is unprecedented… Man, what a pain. At this rate we're either going to have to redefine laws or make new ones."

"Though there is the issue of whether or not we're even qualified to prosecute her," Iruka said, thoughtfully. "She's not a citizen of the Land of Fire, even, isn't she?"

"Regardless," said Shikamaru, sighing. "We shouldn't take responsibility if we don't have to, but if we do, we should act quickly."

"Well, I think," Naruto said, "we shouldn't do anything for now. I mean… she hasn't been hurting anyone, y'know? An' she's made sure they've all been taken care of, all nine of 'em. I wanna help her, guys."

"I think we should think about this a bit more," said Iruka. "Like Shikamaru said, this is… well, this hasn't really happened before."

"And unlike with people like Orochimaru," Shikamaru said, "it's unclear how much of this counts as human experimentation. We ought to interview her more."

"And this isn't even covering the issue of… well, children's rights, I guess," Iruka said. "I mean, you said she gave them away to foster families?"

"Yeah, and she said she scouted out all the locations in advance an' made sure they were all safe," Naruto said. "I mean, heck, Kotoji-kun's one of them, y'know? And Yamato's taking really good care of him."

"…you mean Kotoji-kun is…?" Kakashi's voice was far quieter than he would have preferred.

"Yeah! I mean, a lot of the others beyond Yakata-kun and Kiine-chan I didn't really recognize, but Kotoji-kun is one of the nine. Never would have guessed, huh?"

"No," Kakashi said, his words coming with even greater hesitance, "I never would have."

"She's said she'd be willing to talk to us and give us more information whenever," Naruto continued. "Y'know, about each of the kids, that sort of stuff. She really wants to help us out, here. I don't think she's our enemy."

"Well… let's just take it slow and take advantage of whatever we have at the moment," said Iruka, with a patient, older smile.

"Yep." Naruto nodded a few times. "But related to all this—Honbo Yakata, he's the clone of Uchiha Itachi that's living with Sasuke right now, y'know? Karin-san said she'd prefer for him to be back home in the Land of Rice, since it sounds like Sasuke's been training him way too hard and she doesn't want him near him besides, cos it sounds like Sasuke's kinda treating him like he is Itachi and I don't think that's at all good for him."

"…considering Sasuke? Yeah, I think it's a good idea to get that kid away from him," said Shikamaru. He moved his hands back to the table again. "Clone or not or whatever, anything involving Itachi tends to set him off."

"A lot," Kakashi added.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," Naruto said. "I mean, I haven't heard much about how Sasuke's been treating him—he's been kinda keeping to himself about it, I guess—but from the whole training thing and the way he and Karin-san yelled at each other, I really think it'd only be a bad thing to keep Yakata-kun here."

"Do you suppose it might be better to keep him in a foster home in Konoha, or with you, though, while we investigate?" Iruka suggested.

Naruto shrugged. "Karin-san said she wanted him back with his real parents, and I can't see anything better," Naruto said. "B'sides, if we made Yakata-kun stay with other people, they'd still have to deal with Sasuke, y'know? Because he'd probably… I dunno, sneak around all the time and try to check on him."

There was a series of very uncomfortably knowing nods across the table.

"I can have an escort arranged for him no problem, though, if you guys think that's a good idea?" Naruto said. "I mean, unless you want me to send some guys over to see what's up at the Uchiha house. I'm sure Sakura would be willing to do it."

"I think the sooner that boy is removed from him," Kakashi said, "the better it is for all of us. Go ahead and arrange for the escort."

"Agreed," said Shikamaru.

"Myself as well," said Iruka.

So Naruto nodded and had the order sent out. Yakata was to leave with Takeru on foot on Saturday morning.

It was an expected result, but Sasuke still felt far too angry at its arrival.

Naturally, Karin and Sakura were told as well. Their relief was only a bare comfort.

"At least he's not going to have to be… near him any more," Karin confided to Suigetsu, after Sakura left, resting on her bed with Ooda leaning against her chest. She was gently stroking his arm, his face, and had been doing so since he nearly collapsed upon the arrival in their hospital room.

(The stress of his interrogation and his self-hatred and every little insecurity pried to the front of his thoughts by Inou had finally crumpled the mask of composure he'd barely been able to slip on for his mother's sake, earlier that day. Keeping it together so he could answer her questions, Sakura's questions, so he wouldn't worry her.)

(Ooda was a very good actor, but even he had his limits. And ashamed as he was to have lapsed into this near-vegetative state, he was never more grateful for his mother's sweet-smelling presence, and her warm-water murmurs that his face did not define him, that he was nobody but himself, that she was here and she wouldn't let anyone hurt him again.)

"I just hope he hasn't… been scarred too badly, okay," she continued, sighing, not expecting much. "I just hope he's okay."

(And worrying so, so much more for that little boy with the big, black eyes.)

(Trying not to call him her boy.)

There was very little sound sleep that night for much of anyone. Anger gathered in far too much of a concentration for Sasuke to close his eyes, to barely rest. And worry plagued Sakura and Ino both, worry about Sasuke, about Yakata, about what in the world was even going on.

(But Sakura, at least, had Lee to cling to and gather comfort from. Had Ino done the same, she'd likely have been blasted halfway across the house. But she knew better, and had trained herself over the years to no longer need such superfluous things as embraces.)

Yakata himself shivered, slipping out of bed every few minutes to check and see if everything had been properly packed, his clothes, his book, the books Nadeshiko was giving him, trying not to feel bad for already missing her so much, and feeling even less comfort in the new questions he had about his father. Questions he was too scared to ask, even if he had the time to gather the courage and confront Sasuke about it.

Kakashi, even with Naruto's assurance after their meeting that Kotoji was still the same little boy he had always known, even with his Hokage's blood, wrestled with his thoughts all evening, revisiting memories, flashes of negatives, wondering if, knowing this, those instances of sudden pain were more connected than he'd thought.

And Naruto lay awake with his hands under his head, just thinking.

About everything.

But least-sound of all was Karin, whose initial relief had become infected with a fear like a fungus, and it creeped into her mind in the worst ways.

Midway through the night, she found herself witness to a white snake crawling over Ooda's face where he was sleeping on a cot beside her, Shingetsu on his belly in a sprawl that balanced out Ooda's tight curl, so worried about his brother's ceaseless shivering that he demanded to share a bed and remove whatever fear he could. Ooda had been too kind and too lacking in words to refuse.

The sight of it sent her arm shooting out on instinct to get it away from him, from them. The snake recoiled before she could touch it, snapping back as if on a string, hissing at her slightly.

And then, it spoke, and she knew even more clearly that she was in a dream.

"Kaaarinnn…?" it said. The voice was sleepy, drunkenly familiar. "I thhhought I wasss… fooollowing the rrright traaail…"

Yes, she knew that voice. "Go away, you're out of my life now," she whispered, propping herself up, uncomfortably, on an elbow.

The little white snake was resting on Ooda's pillow, now, above his head like a halo. And it had very bright little yellow eyes that gleamed like new gold in the darkness, even without her glasses on. "But Kaaarinnn, deaaar, I will aaaalwaaaysss be with youuu. Did I not prrrromissse? Whyyy are you sssuch an unfaaaithful daaaughter to me, Kaaaarinnn…?"

She struggled on the bed to get off of her elbows, to sit up. "I told you, leave me alone, okay? I left you behind, I don't need you any more."

"Sssooo crrruelll…" The snake tilted its head, slightly. It seemed to be looking at Ooda, now. "Teeell me, Kaaarinnn… whyyy is there annnother meee heeere..?"

Karin was sitting up now, and with on hand she reached out and grabbed the thing by the neck. It had very little substance to it, almost slipping through her fingers. "He isn't you. And he will never be you. Stop it, okay!"

She squeezed, harder. And the little snake's head fell limp over her fingers, and its body fell out of her grip and onto the floor, making a sound like dribbled milk as it did so.

She heard its voice, again. "Sssooo disssappooointinnng…"

"Get out of here!" Her voice was gaining volume, no longer remotely a whisper.

"But youuu've beennn ssso… loooyal to me, Kaaarinnn…"

"Not any more, get out! I'm not going to turn into you!"

"Youuu made me ssso prouuud, Kaaarinnn…"

"Stop it!" She was starting to cover her ears.

"Sssuch a disssapoiiintment… Thouuught I could… couuunt on youuu, myyy… ooonly chiiild…"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

The voice began lessening. "Nooo maaatterrr… Theeere aaare ooothers… Keen, gooolden ooothers… Nooo diiisssappoiiintmentsss…"

She'd closed her eyes, tightly.

"Betterrr… chiiildren…"

It was a pain in her ribs that forced her eyes open, a kick from her little one, her precious Osato, and it caused her to cry out, and loudly.

And Suigetsu, who had been sleeping beside her, woke with a start and had his hands on her back, his head near hers. "Karin, what's wrong, are you okay? What's the matter?"

She gasped for air, not bothering to reach for her glasses.

"Are you okay?" he said again. She was still catching her breath. "Karin, come on, answer me. It's not the kid, is it?"

She managed to shake her head. "Just a… just a dream, Suigetsu, just a… just a dream, I'm fine…"

"Well if it was just a dream then you should calm down already," he said, gruffly. But he paired his words a few moments later with a lukewarm face against her cheek, and strong arms on her arms and back, and it was as great a comfort as he had intended.

Folded into him and his swaying movements and wave-like whispers, she managed to convince herself into a sleep, and he laid her back down on her bed once she had.

But for a few minutes afterward, he watched her breathing, curled over onto her left side, hands nestled into fists by her face.

"Kid, it had better not have been you," he spoke to, but not daring to touch, the work in progress.

(He was far too painfully aware of how much trouble the thing had given its mother already.)

He managed to lay himself down again, but he bent his body against Karin's, keeping his eyes on the red-covered back of her neck for as long as he could, until sleep took him.

Neither Ooda nor Shingetsu, thank goodness, thank goodness, had been awakened by any of this.

And, quietly, the dream-snake faded into darkness.