22:
SNAKES, FOXES, and WOLVES
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Shizuru wasn't well-versed in the art of teenage slang, but she knew enough to know that the conversation between the two boys behind her (which was also about her), was lecherous and perverted.
She was sitting in her last class of the day, Advanced Biochemistry, which just so happened to be her favorite subject other than Calculus, but she wasn't really paying any attention to her instructor, who was practically asleep himself as he rambled on and on about chemical processes within and related to living organisms.
Favorite subject or not, Shizuru wished this class would hurry up and end. She was absolutely exhausted, both mentally from the four district tests she took in previous periods, and physically because of the strain her pregnancy put on her body. Her feet, ankles, and back were killing her.
The two idiots behind her weren't helping either. She honestly didn't know how they managed to earn a place in one of the most difficult courses Fuuka High had to offer because judging by the crudeness of their words, they obviously had no respect for women, nor did they possess even an ounce of intelligence.
"I'm telling you, Brock," one of the boys whispered loud enough for Shizuru to hear, "she didn't have a rack like that a few weeks ago."
His friend chortled. "She's always been bad as fuck. This info isn't new."
"Yeah, but seriously, she hasn't skipped any meals lately, bro. I mean, look at her. She was already fine with that whole slim thing going on, but now she's got something to grab on to."
"You're fucking right," his companion realized, and Shizuru could practically feel the heat of his lecherous eyes on her, "man, Kruger's one lucky motherfucker. If I were her, I'd be hitting that every night, bro."
He then made a crude gesture using his fist complemented by an equally coarse thrust of his hips that both went unnoticed by their teacher and sent his friend into a flurry of hysterics. Shizuru felt her cheeks heat up with anger.
Sure, she knew she was one of the prettiest girls at Fuuka, people told her that every day all day, and some of the underclassmen, boys and girls alike,flocked around her, showering her with compliments, but hearing such vulgar comments about her beauty and her body angered her. Honestly, some men could be such assholes.
Why couldn't the majority of them be like Reito? Or the quiet genius, Light, who was the very epitome of a gentleman? He sat a few desks behind Shizuru, and only spoke when he was called on. Girls obsessed over him too, but he was totally committed to his studies and everyone knew that.
Only an hour left, Shizuru thought with a perplexed sigh. She couldn't wait to go home, eat, and cuddle with her girlfriend. The lack of the dark-haired girl certainly contributed to her overall sour mood. If Natsuki heard what those two boys were saying about her girl, all hell would break loose.
"You think Kruger's hit it yet?" they continued, completely unmindful of the fact that Shizuru could hear everything they were saying. They probably knew she could hear them too.
"I hope so, shit! It'd be fucking cruel to have a girl like that and not be able to fuck. I bet Kruger hits it every night before bed and every morning before school. That probably explains why she got so thick out of nowhere! She's finally started taking some Vitamin D." The first boy smirked.
"Man, lucky bitch," the second boy shook his head, "If she was mine, she'd feel me in her tummy and her throat every single day."
"Would you pull out, though? I mean, I'd try, but you know what they say. Thick girls have that pussy that'll make you wife her up real quick."
"Fuck." a thump sounded. The second boy must've hit his head on the desk. "I don't want no kids, Brock. But I can always fuck her once and throw up the deuces. I'm not raising no kids, no matter how hot baby mama is. The only daddy I'll be is hers."
Shizuru heard the two boys shake hands and burst out laughing, interrupting the entire class. Sensei stopped his lecture and fixed both of them with hard stares. "Uzumaki-kun and Takara-san, is there something funny you want to share with the class?"
All eyes, except Shizuru, who refused to look at the two morons, turned to the two boys. Uzumaki Boruto ran a hand through his fly-away blonde hair, smirking arrogantly. "Nah, go ahead and continue your lecture, Konohamaru-sensei."
Brock snickered in the background. Shizuru was far too ladylike to roll her eyes, but that didn't stop her from thinking about it. She didn't not like a lot of people, but Uzumaki Boruto was definitely on her black list. He was rude, cocky, arrogant, and incredibly annoying.
He thought he was entitled to everything because his father was a very powerful man. He had a younger sister, Uzumaki Himawari who was great friends with Nina, but she wasn't like her brother at all. She was very sweet and very humble.
"I want to hear the joke, though," Konohamaru-sensei crossed his arms, "in fact, why don't I call up your father too? I know he's quite the jokester too. I'm sure he'd enjoy it as well."
At the mention of his father, Boruto's expression hardened and he crossed his arms as a pout made a mockery of his lips. Brock awkwardly played with his pencil. "As I thought," Konohamaru-sensei snorted, "now where was I?"
The boys were quiet for the time-being. There was another reason why Shizuru loved this class, and it had all to do with Konohamaru-sensei.
Forty-seven minutes left, Shizuru thought, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. She could get through that, she told herself, and if Boruto had even a sliver of sense he'd stay quiet for the rest of the period.
XXX
Natsuki felt like she'd been punched right in the gut after hearing her grandmother's shocking revelation. "What?" Was all she could say at the moment. Damn, what the hell was she even supposed to say?
Namiko's long dark hair fluttered in the light breeze as she calmly regarded her astonished granddaughter. "Your father and Riku are sisters. Riku is not your first cousin. She is your aunt."
"I heard you," Natsuki said, "but how?! You said dad was your only child!"
Natsuki's voice had risen slightly, her posture had stiffened, and her eyes were hard. "You swore dad was your only child."
"Calm down, Natsuki." Namiko glided over and reached out to touch her shoulder. She wasn't surprised when Natsuki recoiled. "I will explain."
Natsuki crossed her arms, waiting. With that stance and those intense eyes, Namiko couldn't deny that Reagan was her sire. She'd already been a fool once. "Yes, Reagan and Riku are sisters, but I did not lie when I said Reagan was my only daughter. She is. I am not Riku's mother."
"But Oujo-sama was her father." Natsuki guessed.
Namiko gave a single nod and ducked her head. The pain had returned. "Yes, Ren is Riku's biological father."
Half-sisters, Natsuki concluded. "Oujo-sama cheated on you?"
Namiko fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yes and no."
"I don't understand," Natsuki clenched her fists, but it was more habitual than threatening, "are you saying Oujo-sama kind of cheated on you?"
"No."
"Then what, Obaa-san?"
"She did not cheat on me. She cheated on her wife. With me." Namiko whispered.
Natsuki sat back down. She had to. Her crazy day had somehow gotten crazier. If she hadn't just promised her grandmother that she wouldn't drink, she'd have gone and bought a six pack. The younger woman shook her head and frowned. "Is anyone in this family honest?"
Namiko's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. That face was certainly Saeko, but that wit was definitely all Reagan. She stroked Ren's portrait again. "When Ren first brought me here, I was seventeen. She was already married and her wife was already a few weeks pregnant with Riku."
"I didn't know Riku was older than dad." Natsuki said.
"In a sense, yes, but remember; your father was born quite early - about a month before Riku's birth even though Riku is older in terms of conception." Namiko explained. "Though premature, your father was a large baby. Her coming brought me great distress, and believe it or not, it was actually Ren's late wife who birthed her. Oh, was it a sight to see; the young Lord's pregnant wife delivering her wife's mistresses' child."
Natsuki was mortified. If she'd been in Namiko's place, she'd have up and left her grandfather as soon as she realized she was married, but not without a piece of her mind first! Geez, was dishonesty, deception, and wedlock a common Kruger family trait?
Namiko eventually abandoned her late wife's portrait in favor of another. Natsuki took a good look at the woman in the painting. She was stunning. She had a beautiful heart-shaped face, with skin that was only a shade darker than milk-white, and pretty pink lips frozen in an eternal pout. Her hair and eyes were a similar hue of dark brown. "Kokoa Mononoke was promised to Ren at birth. Although, back then arranged marriages were quite common, but I knew Kokoa loved her."
"When Ren had brought me here, Kokoa was not pleased. Though she tried to hide it, I very well knew. A Geisha's mask is only as good as her makeup." Namiko sighed. "Riku was to be the undisputed heir of the clan."
"But dad was born before her… and the title fell to her." Natsuki interjected, receiving a nod from the Kruger Matriarch.
"Kokoa was furious," Namiko said quietly, "absolutely furious. She claimed the title was Riku's by birthright. Everything had already been promised to the Kruger-Mononoke heir, and to be denied for the child of her wife's mistress."
"What happened to her, Obaa-san?"
Namiko's expression grew sad and forlorn. At that moment, a gust of wind crept through the crack of the shrine's sliding doors, extinguishing a nearby incense. Natsuki found that short, remarkable concurrence strangely un-coincidental.
"I was not the only one to lose myself when Ren died," the elder admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kokoa took it much harder, if that is possible. One day she brought Riku over for a play date. And she never returned. I found out a week later that she died of a barbiturate overdose."
"How could she just leave Riku like that?" Natsuki fumed silently. The more she heard of her family's history, the angrier she became. The secrets she could understand. Every family had secrets. But the lies, the betrayals, the deception? These ancient women could have destroyed the clan far worse than any man it so openly feared, it seemed.
"I don't know," Namiko breathed, "I honestly don't think Riku was on her mind at all when she did what she did. Eventually, Riku stopped asking when she'd return and started asking if she'd ever come back at all. Then after a year or so the questions stopped all together."
"Does she know?"
Namiko shook her head. "All she knows is that Kokoa is gone. To what extent, I am uncertain."
Natsuki's hands coiled into tight fists. Her brows were furrowed and her jaw was rigid. Namiko was aware their sins were hard to swallow. She still shook under the weight of her own. The teenager's phone chimed in her pocket, and she glanced at her watch. It was almost time to meet Shizuru.
Natsuki leapt to her feet, happy for the interruption. She didn't think she'd be able to hear anymore with bad mouthing any of her ancestors. She did know one thing, though; she'd never treat her daughters like Ren treated hers, and never abandon them either like Kokoa and her own mother, nor would she turn against her own blood like Kagura did to Orikumo and Amaterasu. She vowed, so long as she was alive, to never let their dark history repeat itself.
"I'm going to meet Shizuru." Natsuki said quietly.
Namiko could sense her granddaughter's unease and her desire to leave. She didn't think Natsuki would come back to the shrine any time soon, if she decided to come back at all. She didn't blame her, though. Sometimes she contemplated whether or not she should cease coming to the shrine all together. Where it was supposed to provide comfort and repention, it lamely substituted with despair and guilt.
Natsuki left without another word, not once looking in her grandmother's direction. "Excuse me," she mumbled to Riku, who was standing at the entrance of the shrine with Duran by her side. She had his leash in her left hand and a bottle of water in her right. With the dark glasses on her face, it was difficult to assess the expression on her face. If Natsuki hadn't been in such a hurry to leave, she'd have seen the tears cascading down her porcelain cheeks, and realized that Riku had been standing there for quite some time.
The blind woman stumbled into the shrine. The noise of her heavy footsteps earned her Namiko's full attention. "Riku." Namiko said softly, extinguishing the last of the Lotus incense. Unlike Natsuki, she could sense her adopted daughter's turmoil.
"I figured she was dead." the dark-haired woman choked out. "At least by now. If I'd had known she'd killed herself all those years ago, I'd have slept easier. Or maybe not because I've been wondering what happened to mom for decades. I figured she just didn't want me anymore. It was a lot easier to blame myself for her disappearance because I assumed she just didn't love me anymore. Now that I know she killed herself, I can just be content with the fact that she just didn't love me enough."
"Riku…" Namiko felt tears welling up in the corners of her own eyes. She couldn't speak for Kokoa, never knew what was going on in that wounded Geisha's mind. But she could speak for herself. "I love you, Riku."
"Honestly, I'd always wished you were my mother instead," Riku dropped Duran's leash, much to the canine's chagrin, "I got my wish. So why am I crying now?"
Namiko didn't quite know what to say or how to console the troubled woman at the moment. She silently prayed to the Goddess for words of wisdom, but even in the face of one of her most devoted followers, Amaterasu offered no support, indicating that they must learn to fix their mistakes on their own.
So when Riku fled from the shrine in much of the same manner as her niece had done earlier, Namiko re-lit the incense, closed the doors, and began to meditate.
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Upon seeing her girlfriend approaching from the north, Shizuru had to physically restrain herself from dashing up the street (in heels, mind you) and jumping Natsuki in a manner that might've been more appropriate if they hadn't seen each other in years instead of the few hours they'd been separated.
"Hey, Viola," a familiar drone sounded somewhere behind Shizuru. The brunette cast a wary look over her shoulder and internally groaned when she found herself unfortunately graced with the likes of Uzumaki Boruto and his friend Brock, whose surname always escaped her.
Boruto gave her presumably what he thought was a sexy smirk, but in reality made him look like the arrogant little prick he was. The amount of cologne he was wearing was slightly nauseating. She was forced to breathe through her mouth as he got nearer and nearer. His red and black track jacket was unzipped, exposing his black tank top and the green crystal hanging from his neck.
"Uzumaki-kun." was Shizuru's short, icy greeting.
Boruto ran a hand through his fly-away blonde locks. "So, I was thinking you and I should get to know each other better."
"Is that so?"
He nodded. "I can show you a great time. My dad got me a yacht for my birthday last week. I was planning on taking it out for a spin, and I'd love for you to come along."
Shizuru glanced in Natsuki's direction. The dark-haired teen was still some ways away, but not far enough to where she couldn't see the two boys with her. She hoped Boruto could keep his mouth shut long enough to avoid conflict, but knowing him and Natsuki's temper, things could get really messy really quickly.
"I'm sorry, Uzumaki-kun," Shizuru declined politely, "but I am afraid I must decline."
"Why?" he furrowed his brows, completely thrown off by her refusal. He thought for sure he had her at yacht.
"I have no interest in what's being offered." Shizuru said bluntly, meeting his baby blues. He wasn't bad looking, not at all in fact. He just wasn't her type. She hoped, for their sakes anyway, that he wasn't anyone's type.
She made a move to walk away, but Boruto grabbed her arm. Strike one. "Come on, Shiz, it'll be fun. Just you and me."
"You and I," Shizuru retorted, snatching her arm away. "And I'm sure you already know, I'm not looking for a good time. I already have one. A great one, actually, so no, I must decline your offer, Uzumaki-san."
"Aw, come on!" Boruto threw his hands up, frustrated. His hand shot out to grab hold of Shizuru's bag, once again preventing her escape. "What's she got that I don't!"
"Real balls." a cold voice interrupted.
"Huh?" was Boruto's dumbfounded reply before he suddenly found himself on the deck, nursing a busted lip. "What the hell, Kruger!?" he roared.
Natsuki wrapped Shizuru in a tight, one-armed hug. Shizuru's arms wound tightly around her torso as she pressed herself intimately against her side. "No means no, asshole. Especially when she's not interested. And keep your hands off my girl before I break 'em."
By now, quite a crowd had materialized, eager to see what had gotten the Ice Queen so riled up. Many knowingly rolled their eyes and snickered when they saw who it was. Not wanting to be shown up by a girl, Boruto shot to his feet, trying to use his larger from to intimidate the smaller human. Natsuki was not at all impressed. "Got somethin' to say?" she inquired, ignoring Shizuru's warning hand on her shoulder.
Boruto smirked. Oh, he had plenty to say all right. "Yeah, more of a question, though. How come a Viola is out bumping uglies with a freak instead of with a real man?"
"A real man?" Nao's guffaw sounded somewhere from the middle of the crowd. "Bitch, where?"
Natsuki rolled her eyes. She'd heard all the hermaphrodite slurs a million times already. They weren't anything new nor were they clever. "Because she has standards, moron. I feel bad for the girl who finally lets you in between her legs."
"Ohs" and "aws" erupt from the crowd, egged on by a certain redhead who wanted nothing more than to see Boruto get knocked on his ass, even if it brought negative consequences on her friend.
Boruto's face flushed scarlet. Brock, the cat-eyed traitor, sniggered behind his hand. He rolled up his sleeves. Natsuki tucked Shizuru safely behind her. "Aw shit, he done it now," Nao said, falling dramatically against her girlfriend's flank, "he rolled up his sleeves!"
Shizuru listened to the crowd burst out in quiet murmurs about Boruto and his sleeves. She blinked uncertainly, not quite understanding the significance of the action until a rather helpful individual leaned in close and said, "rolling up your sleeves means you're willing to throw punches."
"Ara, thank you." she said, then pulled on Natsuki's uninjured hand. She didn't want any punches thrown. Her Natsuki was in no condition to be fighting. Truth be told, she wouldn't intervene if say, Reito or Tate or another capable individual were in her Natsuki's place. Like most of the student body, she believed someone had to knock Boruto off his pedestal, preferably with steel club of some sort.
The brunette was surprised at her own animosity, but then again; Boruto was annoying and she was pregnant and exhausted. Something had to give. "What'd you say?"
Shizuru was snapped out of her reverie by Boruto's incredulous shout. With his red face, shaking limbs, and labored pants, he looked as though he were about to blow a gasket. She suddenly wished she'd been listening to the taunts, wondering what Natsuki could've said to piss him off so much.
"You heard me," Natsuki spat, inching closer until the two were literally bumping noses. Shizuru clutched her girlfriend's shoulder.
"Natsuki, please," she begged.
"Listen to your bitch, Kruger." Boruto retorted.
With a furious snarl, Natsuki, injured shoulder and all, shoved the taller boy away. Boruto retaliated by throwing a wild right hook that she easily avoided. An expert jab on her part had him on his knees gasping for air. Shizuru was in front of Natsuki at this point, trying to calm her down. Boruto heard the murmurings around him: "Kruger's going to kick his butt." "What a pansy." "All bark but no bite, just like his dad." "Thinks everything is entitled to him." "Spoiled. Weak. Arrogant."
Hotter than a UV Ray, Boruto exploded with outrage. Natsuki pushed Shizuru away just as his fist crashed into the place above Natsuki's left breast, where she'd been only seconds ago. The pain mixed with her blistering temper, encouraged further altercation. She threw punch after punch, not once letting him get the upperhand. His face was a bloody mess after the seventh hook, and he could no longer stand steadily on two feet. Embarrassed and defeated, the boy curled up into a sobbing ball on the floor.
Natsuki stood above him, winded and aching terribly, but victorious. "Out of the way!" a voice said as a man pushed through the crowd, eager to reach the downed boy. He fell to his knees beside him, pulling him against his chest with comforting words. He wore an orange jacket, grey sweats, and black sandals. He had short blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes, and was in all honesty the spitting image of his presumed son. "It's okay, Bolt," the man cooed, stroking his son's hair.
"Dad…" the teenage boy sobbed, burying his face into his father's shoulder.
Natsuki watched quietly as all the fight drained out of her. The man caught her eye and smiled politely. He didn't seem angry at her for beating up his son; he just regarded her sadly. Natsuki found herself watching how gentle and lovingly he treated Boruto, like he was the most important thing in the world to him.
Kind of like how Reagan treated her.
The moves that had reduced the boy to a sobbing wreck had been taught to her by her father a long time ago.
A dark-haired girl stepped forward, her blue eyes unreadable. "He started it." she said, referring to Boruto.
The man pulled his son to his feet. "I know." he said.
More parents began to push through the crowd to collect their kids. Natsuki didn't move; only stared at the place where the man and his son had previously occupied. Seeing as the altercation took place after school and in the street, which wasn't considered campus ground, and the refusal to press charges by Boruto's father, Natsuki was left without penalty, but she did not remain unscathed. Her heart, big as it was, beat silently.
She'd have never thought that she'd lose everything at seventeen.
"Natsuki?" Shizuru took her face in her delicate hands, her nude matte nails stroking the skin of Natsuki's cheeks. "Let's go home." she whispered.
Nao stepped forward and squeezed Natsuki's elbow. "You still got it, mutt. Your old woman's got to be smiling right now."
Natsuki didn't respond, just allowed herself to be led home.
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"And she beat his ass in front of everyone."
A sensual gobble of laughter bubbled from the throat of one amused Namikaze Shinobu. Aoi could feel the vibrations against her cheek from her place nestled against her mistress's chest. She'd just finished telling Namikaze about the ruckus her favorite little puppy had caused.
"Serves him right," Shinobu snorted, "those Uzumakis, with their fighting spirit and suffocating stupidity, it's a wonder this hasn't happened before."
"He tried getting at me," Aoi suddenly said, "said his father just bought him a yacht and he was eager to take me out for a spin. Whatever that means. Men can be such pigs."
"And you said she froze after?" Namikaze inquired, bringing up another point of interest. Aoi nodded against her bare flesh.
"Boruto's father came to the rescue." Aoi's voice then took on a patronizing tone. "Wrapped him up in his arms and rocked him back and forth like a baby. It was too cute. She was just watching them, like she was mesmerized."
"Not mesmerized," Shinobu said knowingly, "envious. The girl's just lost her own father. A father, be it man or woman or anything in between, holds a special place in every child's heart. Although not as nurturing as the mother, infants, toddlers, children, and teenagers all look for that protectiveness and strength that is specific to the father. As strong as she may seem, she is still an orphan."
Aoi's face grew sad. "You're an orphan too, aren't you?"
"By choice," Namikaze snorted and eased Aoi's head from her chest, promptly turning over. Aoi's fingers reached out to stroke the thick black lines of Shinobu's Blood Dragon tattoo as she settled into a comfortable position beside her. "Mother could never hold her liquor. She died as she lived, under my own mercy. My father's want for a son turned him bitter; his death was not merciful. To think I was almost denied my birthright to rule the Yakuza because of my gender."
Aoi didn't seem at all fazed by the fact that her mistress just admitted to murdering her own parents. If anything, she'd been expecting an answer like that. "She is probably in disarray. Not only will she be held responsible for fatherly duties, but she must perform them without a valid example. I have no doubt that whoever raised her gave her everything they had to offer. Children who lose their dads have higher risks of developing problematic behavior." Namikaze continued. "The absence of her mother still haunts her and now her father's demise has left her alone. She is not in the correct mind state, do not let her appearance fool you."
"Then why do you want her so bad," Aoi asked, "if she's damaged goods?"
"The broken are the only ones among us who've truly lived. Pain can either make you better. Or it can make you worse."
"And how do you know which she'll be?"
Namikaze was silent for a while, so long in fact Aoi was beginning to wonder if she'd fallen asleep. "Call it tuition," Namikaze said, falsifying her speculations, "you know, children often seek to fill the hole most fathers leave with the affections of a stepparent. All everyone wants it to be loved, I suppose. Including our dear little puppy. I think it was fate that brought her to me."
"Are you going to be her dad now?" Aoi mumbled through a yawn, settling against her Lord's tightly muscled back. "You don't even like kids."
"I only like the bad ones; they're the only ones have a sense of self-respect. Natsuki is not a child, but she is young and she is desperate. She may not be crying for help now, but she will, and I will be more than happy to assist her." Shinobu smirked evilly. "Besides, I think she'll be of great use to me."
"How so?"
"Shh," Namikaze turned and pulled the covers up to Aoi's nose, effectively silencing any more inquiries. "Let's just say she'll be looking for that fatherly presence and I'm working on my parenting skills."
Aoi hummed and rubbed her belly, which had grown impossibly soft and swell during the past few weeks. "If it's a boy, I want to call him Sasuke."
"It won't be a boy," Namikaze said.
"How do you know?"
"Intuition."
"You don't have any."
"Which is why I'm vowing to work on my parenting skills. You know what they say, if you think you're ready to have a baby, get a puppy first."
"I have never heard anyone say that." Aoi deadpanned.
Namikaze didn't reply for two reasons: one was because she was Shinobu Namikaze and she didn't have to explain anything to anyone. The second was because Aoi had already fallen asleep.
Not that she'd have explained herself anyway.
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Next time:
2 weeks into playing barmaid for a bunch of old dudes, making $10 an hour, and waiting for her shoulder to fully heal leaves Natsuki irritable and antsy. Shizuru's not making it any better, and to top it all off, her chemistry professor is threatening to fail her for the semester if she doesn't get her grade up soon.
Enter the crimson-eyed chem-wiz.
Oh, and Namikaze has up-ed her gift giving skills, presenting Natsuki with a not so little something with promises of more on the way.
Chapter XXII: "the Crimson-eyed Chem-wiz and the Black Beamer"
#NRFTW.
P.S: Sorry to all you Boruto fans out there, but someone had to do it.