Chapter 22. The Storm Begins
"When the storm can't be weathered, all one can do is pray."
|Sarada|
"Sarada-chan!" Aunt Ino greeted me as I shut the front door behind me, "*Okaeri! How was school?"
I smiled as I hugged her, "Pretty normal; not really much to report, you know?"
"You can say that again." She answered as she released me, and I took off my shoes, "But, uh, is everything okay? It's 4 o'clock, school ended two hours ago."
I nodded as I slid into my slippers, "Everything's fine, I just stayed back to study a little."
"Well, go on and put your stuff down." Aunt Ino waved me up the steps, "Your mom and I made curry rice and we said we wouldn't eat without you."
"I'll be down in a sec." I laughed as I climbed the stairs.
Once the door to my room clicked shut behind me, I set my bookbag down and brought out the black paper bag Sumire had given me. Still in disbelief that I'd gotten it, I grabbed one of the DVD cases and read the title: Pulp Friction.
There was no mistaking it; in my hands was a shitty old porno, and in the bag were plenty more with equally cringey titles in the bag. As I put the DVD back, my face began to burn as I recalled the conversation that had taken place for me to get them.
"Sarada, what did you just say?!" Sumire looked at me like I had two heads.
I motioned for her to keep her voice down as a couple heads turned to look at us, "Where can I find porn?"
"No, I heard you, I just…" Sumire waved her hand, "Chōchō? What's this about?"
"You're asking me?" Chōchō raised an eyebrow at her before facing me, "This is the first she's ever asked about something like this."
"Ugh, if you guys don't know just say so and quit wasting my time." I put my head down on the table.
"I mean, you could always go online." Chōchō suggested, "SVideos, Porndub…there are a bunch of sites."
"But are the videos…detailed?"
Sumire held up a hand, "Okay, timeout. I thought you hated this kind of stuff? Why the sudden interest?"
I sighed, "Can't I ask you guys for something without having to explain why?"
"No." Sumire crossed her arms.
I looked to Chōchō for help, but she shook her head, "Sorry Sara, I'm with her on this one. Why do you want to know?"
Rubbing my neck sheepishly, I avoided looking them in the eyes, "Lately I've been…doing a lot more than just kissing and most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing. I need to be ready for anything."
"Hm, so you and Mitsuki are that serious?" Chōchō hummed, "I don't know Sara, taking things to the next level with him is…I mean, we haven't even met the guy."
While Sumire nodded in agreement, I blinked as I realized that my vague wording had caused them to connect dots that weren't there.
"R-Right, well, I'm not saying things are gonna happen for sure," I stammered as I played off of their assumptions, "But I'd rather be prepared than scared, y'know?"
The two exchanged looks before asking further questions. And by further questions, I mean I was subjected to a full-on interrogation. Chōchō wanted to know if I was being pressured in anyway, and I assured her that I wasn't, while Sumire wanted me to make sure he was clean.
"The last thing you want is an STD for your first time."
After I fended off all of their inquiries, the two of them spent a while trying to talk me out of it, and I spent the rest of lunch trying to convince them that wanting to know more didn't mean for certain that I was going to do anything.
They finally gave up and Sumire told me to meet her at the library an hour after school for some physical copies she had in her house. When we met, she tried to advise me again, pressing me to confide in her if there was something wrong, but I promised her that I was fine.
With a quick hug, she handed me the black paper bag and I stuffed it into my bookbag before going home.
"Sarada?" Mama's voice sounded incredibly close.
I quickly tossed the bag into my closet and shut the door before rushing to my bed and pretending to fix it up. When my door swung open, Mama stepped in.
"Oh, hey Mama," I straightened up and turned to her, "Didn't see you there."
"Just wanted to check on you since you got back kinda late. Everything okay?" She tilted her head.
I waved a hand, "Yeah, the others have a bunch of tests lined up for tomorrow, so I stayed behind to help them study."
"I see." She nodded, "Next time remember to give me a heads-up for that kind of thing, ne?"
I smiled, "I will."
"Okay." Mama clapped her hands and moved to leave but paused in the doorway, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Mama?" I called as I silently went over my words, wondering if she had noticed something in my lies.
"Sarada, you're not hiding anything from me, right?" She turned back to face me, "If you're in any kind of trouble or you have a problem, you can talk to me."
At this sudden reminder to have faith in her, I couldn't help but think about Tentō's kidnappers, specifically Sasori and his warning, and that was a problem beyond Mama's capabilities.
I gave her a quick smile, "I know, and I'm not hiding anything from you, I promise."
"I hope so." She said as she leaned against the doorway, "You've been so obedient while grounded, now that you're free I'm kinda scared."
I couldn't help but laugh, "Wait, scared about what?"
"I don't know, I just feel like you're planning something crazy." Mama shook her head, "Anyway, hurry up and come downstairs, we can't eat without you."
"I'll be there." I promised her and Mama smiled before she shut my door and went downstairs.
I went back into the closet and made sure to hide the DVDs in one of my closet drawers. I had considered putting it in the back of my top shelf, but that was where I'd put the brick of shabu that Kirara had given to me, and the last thing I needed was for Mama to stumble upon a porn stash and a slab of drugs.
Tossing my sweater onto my bed, I decided I'd change after I ate but when I got to the stairs, Inojin was waiting at the bottom. He was wearing dark green sweater and grey sweatpants, and his hair was tied back in its usual Yamanaka high ponytail.
I hadn't seen him in the morning but now that we were face to face, I couldn't help but recall what had transpired between us yesterday. The feel of his lips, the way he had kissed me...I shook my head as I descended the stairs.
'Please don't bring it up, please don't bring it up, please don't bring it up…'
Inojin stepped out of the way once I reached the bottom, and I awkwardly nodded to him before turning to head for the kitchen.
He grabbed my hand and turned me back around, "Sarada, about yesterday—"
"It's fine." I quickly waved my hands, "We both weren't thinking straight so just forget about it."
"I can't." Inojin admitted, and I squeezed my eyes shut, "Even if I was high, I meant everything I said, and I don't regret anything I did."
With a sigh, I opened my eyes and met his gaze, "Well, what do you want me to do? We—I can't do those things with you; I have a boyfriend."
"Yeah, I know." He remarked bitterly.
I groaned, "So then why—?"
"I…I want you to think about me, about us. What we could be." Inojin rubbed the back of his neck, "Is Mitsuki really better than me?"
Before I could respond, he left the stairs and started for the kitchen, and after staring at him for a few more seconds, I followed. Although I didn't want to, my brain was already mulling over his question.
To be honest, two weeks without Mitsuki had been more than enough time for me to contemplate our relationship and, more specifically, how I could do without it. The first few days into being grounded, I had stared at my phone in disappointment that I hadn't received any messages from him, but as time went on, I got over it. Now, I wasn't even in any hurry to see him or speak to him, and it had crossed my mind many times if we could even be considered a couple anymore.
As I walked to the kitchen, I brought out my phone and sent him a text.
Hey, are you free tomorrow? Let's meet up.
I lowered my hand to return my phone to my pocket but stopped when it buzzed with the familiar tone of an incoming text.
Sure, what time and what place?
He had responded faster than I had anticipated, but I thought nothing of it.
Does 4 o'clock at Ichiraku's work?
I'll be there.
With my plans made, I entered the kitchen and found a bowl had already been dished and set aside for me.
"Finally." Aunt Ino rolled her eyes, "What took you so long, Sarada-chan?"
"Gomen, gomen." I laughed as I apologized, "I'm here now."
"Sakura-oba," Inojin called to Mama as she returned from the pantry, "Can I eat in the living room? There's a show on right now that I can't miss."
I restrained myself from shaking my head and waited for Mama to reject his request. As long as I could remember, eating in the living room had been a taboo, and I was especially carefully to leave no evidence whenever I did it.
"Sure, why not?" Mama shrugged, "Why don't we all watch it?"
My mouth fell open, but Mama gave me a look so before anyone could notice, I fixed my face and tried not let my annoyance show.
Inojin grinned sheepishly, "It's a cheesy soap opera but hopefully you'll like it."
"Trust me," Ino said to him as she threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him away, "If there's one thing you should know about your Aunt Sakura, it's that she loves TV shows."
Once the two were out and ahead of us, Mama took the chance to pull me aside, "I know I'm breaking the rules but—"
"Something serious is happening and since they're at our house we should try and make them comfortable." I filled in the rest for her, rolling my eyes, "Yeah, yeah."
Mama patted my head, "Gomen, I know it's not fair but as long as they're here, the rules are relaxed for you too. Maybe I'll relax them even after they leave."
"Maybe?" I raised an eyebrow, although a smile ended up breaking out on my face, "It's fine."
Mama grabbed her own bowl of rice before we walked to the living room together. Aunt Ino and Inojin were already settled into the couch, and they seemed to be watching the show. On the TV, a brown-haired man with dark blue eyes was holding a woman with dirty blonde hair, and the two seemed to be in a romantic embrace.
I facepalmed as I recognized the characters, "Don't tell me you actually watch this."
Mama looked at me as we took a seat, "Why? What is it?"
"It's Romy and Jule." I groaned, "Chōchō won't shut up about it, and thanks to her I practically watched the show myself."
Inojin shushed me and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at how focused he was. He didn't seem like the type to be interested in the romance genre, but clearly, I had him pegged wrong.
"I'm not sure if I love you." Jule cheesily confessed, batting her eyelashes unnecessarily, and it took everything in me not to vomit what I was eating.
"Here," Romy leaned forward, pulling Jule closer, "I can confirm it. With my eyes…and my lips…"
The two were practically right on top of each other, but they had yet to kiss. I glanced at everyone around me and found Aunt Ino and Mama slightly leaning forward. The fact that they were all hooked amused as well as annoyed me, and I resisted the urge to facepalm again.
Just as Romy and Jule were about to seal the deal, the screen changed, and the Konoha News Network logo flashed on the screen. Wagatsuma Junko came into view as the logo faded, and a fire blazed behind her as she held her earpiece and spoke into a mic.
"Good afternoon, I'm Wagatsuma Junko and I'm bringing you the latest news! We're outside of the Shinobi Square precinct which has just been bombed!"
Aunt Ino gasped.
"In recent months authorities have reported a serious uptick in crime, but this most recent attack just shows how terrible things have gotten." Junko continued, "Some might've said that the robbing of the Konoha Bank across the street a couple weeks ago was the worst it could get, but the destruction of Shinobi Square has pushed this new criminal trend to new heights."
The camera panned out to show the extent of the damages, and I raised a hand to my mouth. I hadn't gone to the heart of the city enough times to know every nook and cranny, but I had seen the Shinobi Square precinct before and the mighty six story building was completely engulfed in flames, crackling and burning at an absurdly fast rate.
Behind her, firefighters raced across the street, hurrying to attach the water hoses and begin combatting the fire.
"It's unknown how many people were injured or killed but by the looks of things—" Another blast sent her and the cameraman staggering backward, "Ladies and gentlemen, another explosion has just occurred! Right across, the Konoha Bank has just gone up in flames. The glass windows have shattered and—oh!"
The cameraman turned around just in time to catch the bank cave in on itself. I looked to my left when I felt Mama move and saw that she was up on her feet. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the screen.
"Mama?" She blinked slowly as she turned to me, "Daijōbu?"
Aunt Ino and Inojin turned at my voice and all eyes went to her, concerned about her reaction.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." She assured us, "I just…I need to make a call."
The waver in her voice did little to convince me, but Aunt Ino nodded and urged Mama to go, preventing me from inquiring any further. Mama took her phone out of her pocket and dialed someone, and as she walked out of the room, I wondered who she could be calling.
*Okaeri means "welcome back"
|Naruto|
"The hell do you mean they can't go?!" I yelled into the receiver, "Shinobi Square is right around the corner from here, ya know!"
"Gomen, Nanadaime." Fūma apologized, "Companies 4 and 6 are already here, and KAT just arrived with a bomb squad. They're even telling the EMTs to clear out so they can secure the area; orders are that nobody else should respond."
"For Buddha's sake!" I yelled as I slammed the phone down and hung up.
A knock at the door caused me to look up, and I saw Konohamaru standing by, fully geared up.
"We're ready to go, Nanadaime." He nodded, holding his helmet by his side.
I sighed, "We're not allowed to."
"…What?" Konohamaru determined look transformed into one of confusion.
I walked past him towards the garage, "I'll explain it to everybody."
When we got there, practically the entire station was dressed and ready for action; Haguruma was fiddling with Nachi's oxygen tank but stopped and looked away when he saw me. I thought that was odd but before I could comment on it, the rest of the guys noticed me and straightened up. I could tell by their demeanor that they had committed themselves to stopping the disaster currently occurring.
'Screw it.' I crossed my arms, "Alright, I'm sure everyone's heard the news, so you're aware of the catastrophe that's going on, ya know. I'm not gonna lie to you guys, I just got off the phone with Konoha PD and I was told you're not allowed to respond to the call—"
"What?!" They started to argue with me, but I held up a hand.
"But you're going to anyway." I continued, and they nodded their heads in approval, "They gave me some excuse about the scene not being safe, have you guys ever known a fire that was safe?"
They laughed and I watched as some of the tension left their shoulders, "Exactly. Captain Konohamaru will be taking charge on the scene, Lieutenant Mugino will assist. You guys just focus on getting that fire under control, I'll deal with the scolding that'll come later, ya know."
I clapped my hands and they rushed to the trucks, tossing their helmets inside. As two engines roared to life, Konohamaru fist bumped me, and I slapped him on the back as he walked by.
"We're counting on you guys!" I reminded them as the garage doors lifted.
Konohamaru got in beside Mugino and cranked up the siren and the lights before their truck sped out, and the second truck followed shortly after. As the roar of their sirens died down, Haguruma clicked the remote and shut the garage doors. The only people that remained in the garage were him, me, and a couple other engineers.
"Radios on!" I ordered, "Everyone should be wide awake, no telling what they might—"
A ringtone interrupted me, and I grabbed my phone out of my pocket to quickly see who it was. The caller ID told me that it was an unknown number, so I silenced the call before slipping my phone back into my pocket.
"Right…as I was saying, there's no telling what they might need us for. Keep your eyes on the news and be ready to act. It's gonna be a long day." I dismissed them before heading back to my office.
With a heavy exhale, I sank into my chair and stared at the image of death on the TV before me. Company 6's captain was talking to the media about how futile their efforts were so far, and I tightened my fist. A part of me wanted to return to my old lieutenant position, get back out onto the field and fight the fire, but I also knew that being the chief gave me access to resources I previously didn't have.
I opened my laptop and searched the database for the schematics of the bank and the precinct. No matter how terribly high a building burned, it was still a building; if I could pinpoint the areas of each building that were causing the fires to accelerate so quickly, I would be able to aid the teams on ground.
Once I pulled them up, I increased the image size and carefully dissected the details of the two buildings. The more I read, the more confused I became, and when I was finished, I went back and read again, halving my speed to make sure I wasn't skipping anything.
When I had completed my second lap of readings, I held my mouth with a hand, "This doesn't add up."
As soon as the news broke, it struck me as odd that the Shinobi Square precinct had caught fire in the first place. Yes, after a bomb went off flames were sure to spread, but this was beyond your regular combustion fire.
"They might as well have used napalm." I muttered to myself, "Then this would make sense."
Both buildings were found to have passed the fire resistance check, and the Konoha Bank had even been reinforced with newer materials after the explosive robbery that had occurred last month.
A lightbulb went off in my head, and I searched for the report on the properties of the explosive that had been used during that incident.
According to the report of Company 4, the high security vault that held some of the Konoha elites' most valuable jewels was designed to be impenetrable, but the chemical composition of the bomb worked around that. It was composed of gasoline, sodium alginate, and alkylamine to name a few. Chemistry had never been one of my strengths, but I could recognize these three and their expected reactions.
Alkylamine was a highly flammable liquid alongside gasoline, and sodium alginate was a thickener. The report said that the mixture had been kept in some kind of metallic canister, as some of its pieces had been recovered, but it was a wonder how the canister had kept it together, considering there were also traces of corrosive elements inside the mixture.
In any case, the bomb detonated at first displayed incendiary properties, burning the metal before the corrosive chemicals spread and began eating away at the indestructible vault. No matter how blast resistant it was, there was no way it could withstand the dense concentration of hydrochloric and sulfuric acid.
Although I was glad I understood how the vault had come to its melted state, I also felt confused at my familiarity with the unknown device. Something was telling me that I had prior experience with this bomb, but I couldn't recall where I had ever heard of such a thing.
'Damn.' I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, 'This is getting me nowhere.'
"Nanadaime…" Haguruma stepped into my office, his voice shaky, "The others…you need to call them, tell them to get away from there."
"What?" I raised an eyebrow, looking at him, "Why?"
"They only mentioned the bank, they never said that they'd—" He held out his hands and stared at them, "All those people…it's all my fault."
Catching some of his mutterings, I realized something was about to happen and reached for my walkie-talkie as a sickly feeling hit my stomach.
"Konohamaru, are you there?" I yelled.
"Nanadaime?" Konohamaru's voice came through sounding confused, "We just got here, what's the problem?"
"Tell the guys to get back in their trucks and get out of there, now!" I ordered.
"Huh? Didn't you tell us to—" His voice cut off.
"Konohamaru?" I called his name again, hoping that the walkie-talkie had just glitched out, "Get the guys out of there, okay?"
It was radio silent, and I held the button to try again, "Konohamaru?"
When there was still no response, I knew that something had gone wrong. Grabbing my remote, I unmuted my TV and turned to find an image that almost stopped my heart.
The cracked camera showed a bunch of overturned emergency vehicles on fire, and one particular fire truck that was completely upside down held a bright number 8 on its side.
"Gomen!" Haguruma was bawling his eyes out now, "Gomennasai!"
I stormed over to him and grabbed him by his collar, "What did you do?"
"I just needed the money!" Haguruma cried, "Gomennasai…"
It was then that dots started connecting. There was a reason why I felt so familiar with the properties of the bomb; Haguruma had once revealed to me a side project of his he'd been working on. It was a mixture of corrosive chemicals that would rip through any material, and it was supposed to help firefighters enter or escape dangerous areas twice as fast as they normally would.
"The bombs…you made them?" I asked, looking at him in a new light.
He nodded as he wiped his eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt anybody…"
I dropped him and grabbed my turncoat from my little closet.
"Akita, call all the other companies! Tell 'em to head to Shinobi Square!" I called for the second top engineer in our company as I ran down the hall, "And I'm promoting you to acting fire chief! Hold down the fort until I get back!"
"What?!" She exclaimed anxiously, her head poking out of her office, "How am I supposed to—"
"You'll be fine, ya know! Just use that brain of yours!" I raced down the stairs and hopped into one of the marked SUVs parked outside.
A quick glance at the back told me that I had a face piece, gloves, and a standard fire extinguisher, meaning I was missing 70% of the gear necessary for this kind of environment.
"And that place is gonna be hotter than hell." I started the car and pulled out onto the road, "Well, not like I haven't done it before."
The image of a Company 8 fire truck burning on its back flashed inside my mind and I turned on my siren and lights before pressing the gas pedal to the floor.
'*Min-na, wait for me.' I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, 'I'm coming!'
*Min-na means everyone/you guys
|3rd Person|
"Look at 'em down there." Sasori said as he stepped onto the ledge, raising a hand to shield his eyes, "Poor folks, they don't even know what's comin'."
"Yeah? Well…" Deidara slid his bookbag off his shoulders and brought out a big black box, "Duty calls."
Setting it down, Deidara straightened out twelve antennas and switched the box on.
"Duty calls." Sasori repeated apathetically, "I tried to give Naruto a heads up so he wouldn't send his guys out here, but he didn't pick up."
Deidara raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at Sasori, "Why? Isn't he the reason why that Sakura lady won't get with you?"
"How many times do I have to—" Sasori cut himself off and waved his hand, "Whatever. He ain't a bad guy so it doesn't sit right with me knowin' his people could get hurt."
Deidara returned his attention to the people below, "That's life sometimes."
"Aa." Sasori nodded in agreement, joining him in scoping out the scene.
A white van parked by a fire hydrant happened to be in the very center of attention, and a member of the KAT team came over was about to walk by when his bomb-sniffing dog began to bark ferociously. The KAT member turned and began yelling to the others on the ground, and a particularly bushy-haired fire captain repeatedly pressed his walkie-talkie, trying to reach someone.
Sasori sighed before straightening up, and Deidara brought a detonator out of his pocket.
"Art," He said as he pressed the button, "Is an explosion."
|At the Nagi Street Precinct|
"What the hell is going on?" Sakasaki asked aloud, voicing his colleagues' inner thoughts.
The Six sat in the roku room watching the broadcast of the harrowing events occurring in the heart of the city.
"Well, at least we know it was a good decision not to move to Shinobi Square." Obito said, attempting to lighten the mood.
Itachi narrowed his eyes at the image of the inferno and abruptly stood up, "I'll be back."
Kakashi nodded before folding his arms and returning his eyes to the screen, and Shisui patted him on the back as he passed by.
Itachi briskly walked to the bathroom and made sure no one was inside before leaning against the sink. Shutting his eyes, he took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself, but it did no good.
"Can we really do nothing?" He quietly asked himself, turning on a sink and running his hands under cold water, "Are we just supposed sit and watch?"
He splashed the water on his face as he stared at himself in the mirror, but his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open.
Shutting off the tap, he turned to the hand dryer and rubbed his hands under the hot air. As the machine hum came to a slow halt, he froze. Nobody had stepped into the bathroom, but he was sure the door had been opened.
Seconds went by and he shook his head, chalking it up to his frustrated state. Turning around, he barely managed to see ahead of him before leaning back to dodge something that whizzed over his head.
Standing before him was a masked, brown-skinned man, dressed in the standard Konoha police uniform.
"Yo, Itachi-chan." The man greeted him as he removed his mask, his trademark toothy grin spreading out on his face, "You doing well?"
Itachi narrowed his eyes, "Kisame. What are you doing here?"
Kisame shrugged his shoulders, "I would say I'm here to visit an old friend, but you wouldn't buy that."
"You're supposed to be in prison." Itachi replied coldly.
"I knew you would say that." Kisame shook his head as he reached into his pocket, "That tsundere personality of yours makes this friendship so hard sometimes."
Kisame brought out a custom black 1911 and attached a silencer to it before cocking the gun. He raised it to Itachi's head and Itachi stared down the barrel without flinching.
"Any final words?" Kisame cordially asked him.
There was a momentary pause before Itachi spoke, "Why me?"
"You're the most dangerous mind of The Six." Kisame answered, "It's only a matter of time till you put everything together."
As Kisame raised his finger to pull the trigger, the bathroom door opened, and Kisame turned to look at a baffled Taiko. Itachi took that opportunity to pick up the object that had been thrown at him, a small folding knife, and throw it back at Kisame.
Kisame dodged and Itachi took the chance to bum-rush him, grabbing the pistol and forcing it to the ground before kicking Kisame back.
Taiko backed out of the bathroom and Itachi attempted to restrain Kisame, knowing help would arrive in seconds. He managed to get Kisame on his knees and put him in a chokehold, but Kisame elbowed Itachi's stomach, forcing him to let go.
A punch to the face sent Itachi stumbling back, and Kisame laughed, "You've still got some fire in you!"
Disoriented, Itachi held himself against the wall and rapidly blinked away the water rushing to his eyes. By the time it had cleared up, Kisame was gone. The bathroom door banged open and in ran Sakasaki and Shisui, guns drawn. When Shisui saw Itachi was the only one there, he holstered his weapon and immediately went over to give Itachi some support. Sakasaki remained by the door, still on red alert.
"What happened?" Shisui asked as he swung Itachi's arm over his shoulder, helping him up.
"The Kirigakure prisoner was here." Itachi said, pinching his nose and tilting his head back as blood started to trickle down, "He came dressed like a beat cop with a white cat mask, and he had a black 1911."
"How the hell did he get in here?" Sakasaki grumbled, holstering his gun and holding the door open for the two.
"We've been compromised." Itachi lowered his voice as he continued, "And if he can get in here without the slightest issue, who's to say Sasuke and Karin are any safer?"
Sakasaki kept quiet at this, but Shisui nodded, "We've gotta end the mission."
Itachi agreed as they stepped back into the roku room, and Shisui eased Itachi into his chair before excusing himself. The rest of The Six had long since left the room after hearing of Itachi's troubles, and Itachi could hear the precinct come to life as they implemented lockdown procedures.
"No one is allowed to go in or out!" Itachi heard Obito order from down the hall.
Sakasaki remained in the room with Itachi and took a seat diagonally across from him.
"I don't think we should end things so soon." Sakasaki voiced his opinion, crossing his arms, "Akatsuki is clearly behind all these criminal acts; if they had discovered those two, I'm sure they wouldn't have the courage to carry out such large-scale acts of destruction."
Itachi held his head for a moment, thinking, and Sakasaki pressed on.
"When you first suggested Sasuke be the one to go undercover, I wasn't sure. No, I'll be honest, I didn't think he could do it. But now that he's in this deep, it's only right to let him continue for as long as he needs to. Sasuke is no fool, if they were in any danger, we would've received word by now."
Itachi shut his eyes and nodded, "You're right. Still, we haven't heard anything them in a month. I'd feel better if we had something."
A lightbulb went off in Sakasaki's head as he uncrossed his arms, "I know how we can get a message from them."
|At Hōzuki Castle|
"Five million? Why's it less than last time?" Benga questioned, "And there's two of them this time!"
"Because I'm the one getting 'em." Hidan smirked, cocking his pistol and pointing it at the man, "Now take it and piss off."
Benga muttered under his breath as he turned around and waved to the guards to open the main gate.
Once they were through, Hidan glanced at the rearview mirror, "You can take that sheet off."
"Finally." A woman with light blue hair exhaled as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Can I get some AC back here?"
Hidan fiddled with the knobs before returning his attention to driving, "You've been living without AC for five years. Do you really need it now? Look at Kabuto; he's been in there longer than you and he hasn't said a word."
At this, the ash-grey haired man beside her crossed his arms, "You haven't changed a bit, have you Guren?"
"I could say the same about you." She said as she looked him up and down with her dark eyes, "I'll admit, I'm curious about how things are on the male side of prison. Do you really turn into beasts after a couple of days?"
Kabuto stared her down, "What do you think?"
Hidan peeped at the two of them and, sensing the tension rising, sought to break it up, "Okay, that's enough! Can't have you two trying to kill each other when you just got out."
"We wouldn't be killing each other. If anything, he'd be dead." Guren smirked as she leaned against the window.
Kabuto snickered, "In your dreams."
"Wanna bet?"
"What did I just say?" Hidan brought the car to a halt at a red light, "I don't know how Orochimaru let you two roll but Pain doesn't do shit like that. He's pissed enough as it is, if you two bark at each other like that in front of him, your brains will get added to the floor design."
At this, the two went quiet and Hidan beamed, "But I'm not Pain. So, if we're being honest here, which one of you is gonna be most useful to us?"
Kabuto looked at Guren again, this time smirking, and she returned the expression.
"Useful, you say?" Guren looked at Hidan through the rearview mirror, "That depends on what you want us to do."
Hidan thought for a moment before answering, "Super intense life-threatening surgery."
Kabuto furrowed his eyebrows, "Why? What's wrong with you?"
"Not with me, with some people back at HQ!" Hidan scowled at the perceived insult.
Guren laughed, "Of course, of course. Kabuto meant no offense. And he's the one you'll want for that. I specialize in putting people in the position for life threatening surgery."
"Oh, another butcher." Hidan tapped the steering wheel methodically, "You're not into castrating people, are you?"
"Mm, try dismemberment."
Guren smiled and Hidan shook his head before quietly mumbling to himself, "Why the hell doesn't the boss ever find some normies?"
|At En's Shop|
Suigetsu dragged the man out of the backroom and tossed him on the ground. Feeling around, En grabbed his glasses and put them back on before blinking at the faces above him. His eyes widened as he realized who he was being confronted by.
"Remember me, old man?" A young man with long green hair and yellow cat eyes crouched in front of him, "You do, don't you?"
"Nowaki?" En looked around at the other faces around him, "Karyū? Amuda? Chino too? What's this all about?"
At this, Karyū kicked his side, forcing En to crumple and hold the afflicted area.
"Don't act like you don't know!" Karyū spat bitterly, "After everything you did to us, did you think you would just get away with it?"
"Everything I did? I was trying to help you guys!" En coughed, turning to Chino, "Right, Chino? I taught you how to fight, didn't I? I made you strong!"
Chino stepped forward, bringing out a knife from behind her back, "You made me…a killer."
En's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, "Chino, don't do this, I'm your fa—"
She cut him off by swiping across his throat and his hands raced to apply pressure to the wound, but it was in vain. His hands fell to his sides as he collapsed, and blood began to pool around his head. The four youths stared at his lifeless body before Chino turned to Suigetsu.
"Arigato." She bowed to him before turning to the others, "Let's go."
Karyū and Amuda nodded and were right behind her as she walked out, but Nowaki lingered, staring at En and looking at Chino again. Suigetsu saw his eyes shine as he confirmed the connection, but whatever Nowaki thought about it, he didn't let on.
Nowaki hurried to join the others and Suigetsu clicked his tongue as he scratched his head.
"Kids." He shook his head as he went into the backroom he had dragged En from, "Always making messes and never cleaning up after themselves."
He returned to the front with a jerry can and unscrewed the nozzle before dowsing the floor with gasoline, and he made sure each corner of the store was touched before stepping outside. He patted his pockets in search of something, and finally brought out a cart of cigarettes.
Lighting one, he flicked into the store before getting into the driver's seat of his car.
"It's done." He said with a flat tone.
"Good work." Jūgo reached into his jacket and brought out a notepad, crossing off a name, "The next one is…Haguruma."
Suigetsu sighed as he put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road, "Poor bastards."
|Sakura|
"This is Haruno Mebuki, I'm sorry I missed your call but leave a message and I'll get right back to you!" Mom's voicemail chirped before the tone, and I took a deep breath.
"Hey Ka-san, this is the eighth time I've called you. Is everything okay? I'm just a little worried because you said stop by after wrapping up some business at the bank. I don't know if you've seen the news but…" I trailed off before shaking my head, "Never mind, just…give me a call, okay? I love you. Bye."
I hung up the phone and leaned against the kitchen counter before covering my face with my hands. After a long exhale, I straightened up and went to the living room. It had been abandoned a little after we'd first seen the news, with Sarada retreating to her room, Inojin heading to the guest room, and Ino heading out to the supermarket to grab somethings for tomorrow's lunch.
As I switched the TV back on, I hoped that I would find the scene from downtown to be much calmer and under control. Naruto's picture was brought up on the screen before being put in a corner, and I raised the volume.
"Konohagakure's seventh fire chief Uzumaki Naruto arrived on scene after the third explosion, and witnesses recall him rescuing multiple firefighters from the aftermath, even attempting to head into the Shinobi Square precinct to search for survivors." The man reported, "While Nanadaime's efforts were valiant, there was only so much one man could do. He collapsed after bringing out five people from the precinct, and it's reported that much of his body suffers from second and possible third-degree burns."
"Thankfully, other fire companies arrived shortly after Nanadaime's collapse, and were able to take him to safety as well as get these flames under control. It's believed that…" I lowered the volume before sinking into the sofa.
'Naruto…' I thought to myself, propping my head up with my hands.
I brought my phone out of my pocket and thought about asking around to find out if anyone knew his condition but ended up tossing the idea aside. Knowing standard medical treatment, if he had severe third-degree burns, he could be in surgery.
Besides, the only person I could contact was Hinata, and I wasn't exactly in the mood to play dumb when it came to her.
A knock at the door made me snap my head up, and I wondered if Mom had finally shown up. However, as I was going to answer it, a more forceful knock came, and I stopped in my tracks.
'Ka-san wouldn't knock like that.' I furrowed my eyebrows, 'Just who…?'
I thought about a Criminal Minds episode I had watched, and how one of the serial killer's had used a ruse where they would knock on a door and forcefully enter their victim's home. Although our house was in a gentle suburban area, today's events had proven that the crime of the city knew no bounds, and I really didn't want to become a 9 o'clock report.
I opened my mouth to ask who was there, but promptly shut it before speaking. If it was a nefarious person and I confirmed that I was in the house, who knew what actions they would take?
'If only I could see who was there.' I wished mutely, 'Then I could—'
"Hello? Is anyone home?" A slightly familiar voice called, "Sakura-san? Anybody?"
I decided to open the door, 'A criminal wouldn't know my name, right?'
Thankfully, I was correct. Standing on the front steps was Ino's cousin, Yamanaka Fu. I didn't know much about him other than that he had been a member of Konoha's local police force before suddenly quitting, and while his residence was still listed in the city, I hadn't seen him in a long time.
His familiar amber eyes shined as he held out his hand, and I shook it, "Fu-san? How can I help you?"
"I've come to get Ino." Fu replied with a formal tone, "She's here, isn't she?"
I immediately became wary of him and quickly refuted his assumptions, "No, she's not. Why would she be?"
"What?" Fu tilted his head, confusion subtly gracing his face, "But I was told that…"
'Nobody's supposed to know that Ino came over to my place. The only person that might have some idea is Sai.'
"Excuse me." Fu moved to step forward and I stepped into his path.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm confirming whether or not Ino is in the house." Fu answered matter-of-factly, "I was told that she and Inojin were staying with you."
"By who?" I crossed my arms as he tried to enter the house again, and Fu stepped back, realizing I had no intention of budging.
"…I can't share that with you." Fu shook his head.
I leaned against the door frame, "So you can't tell me who gave you this false information, but you want me to let you waltz into my house?"
"Sakura-san, there are much bigger things in motion right now that you don't even know about." Fu pursed his lips, "If Ino is here, for Kami's sake, tell her to come down so I can take her to safety."
"Safety?" I cocked my head to one side, opting to continue playing dumb, "What is she in danger of?"
Fu sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Like I said before, I can't—"
"—Tell me." I finished for him, nodding, "Right, right. You're a smart man, ne, Fu-san? Based on this whole conversation, give me one reason why I should cooperate with you."
He folded his arms as he leaned forward, "Will you be able to live with yourself if something happens to Ino or Inojin because you didn't let me take them?"
'Again with this hidden danger.' I rolled my eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, and since you don't plan to explain yourself, I'd like you to get off my property before I call the police." I ended everything off with a smile.
With a stone face, Fu turned and went back down the front steps. He paused halfway across the street and narrowed his eyes at something on the corner, but when I tried to follow his gaze, I didn't see what could be out of place.
He pressed his earpiece and said a few words before continuing to his car, and I watched as he got in and drove off. Once he was gone, I shut the door and let out a heavy sigh.
How Sai had gotten in contact with Fu, I didn't know, but the fact that Fu had come here with the intention of taking the two of them frightened me. A part of me was glad that I had suggested the two stay with me, as this encounter had reaffirmed my belief that Sai would try again, but I was beginning to feel scared by the situation.
With a shake of my head, I made up my mind to speak to Itachi later tomorrow and explain things to him. My brother-in-law would know what to do.
A glance at my phone told me that it was now 6:23 p.m. so with a sigh, I decided to head upstairs and take a nap. There was no point just sitting around waiting for Mom to show up, especially when her phone seemed to be dead, and I figured the two teens in the house could let her in if she did end up coming by.
Once I reached the second floor, I knocked on Sarada's door before trying the knob, but was surprised to find it locked.
"Sarada?"
"Yeah?" Sarada called.
"I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when it's eight, or when your grandma gets here, whichever comes first." I instructed her.
"Okay!" She replied, and I pretended to walk away before pressing my ear against her door.
Except for the sound of her shuffling on her bed, I could hear nothing else, and carefully stepped away from the door before heading to my room.
'Honestly, what were you expecting to hear?' I asked myself as I shut my room door behind me.
I flopped on my bed and laid like that for a moment before pulling myself up and getting into bed properly. Perhaps it was the stress from my back-and-forth with Fu or my anxiety at not hearing from Mom all day; whatever it was, as soon as I shut my eyes, sleep came over me and within seconds I felt myself drifting off into dreamland.
|Karin|
"I'm back." I announced myself as I entered the room, only to find Sasuke on his side, flushed and short of breath.
I wasted no time in removing my jacket and kicking off my boots before I rushed to his side. With a little effort, I helped him back into his futon and pulled the cover up to his neck.
"Gomen." Sasuke wheezingly apologized, "Like I thought, getting sick now of all times is..."
"It's fine." I assured him as I stood up, "I'm gonna freshen up. When I get back, I'll tell you what I learned today."
He nodded and I removed my contacts before grabbing my yukata as well as the things I would need to get clean before I left the room.
As I walked down the hall, I couldn't help but appreciate how quiet it was in the *ryokan and was thankful that we had come by during a less busy time.
"Ah, good evening." One of the attendants greeted me, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
I took the chance to ask for directions, "Actually I was wondering where the baths are?"
"Gomennasai but the female bath is being cleaned right now." She regretfully informed me.
"Oh." I turned to head back to the room, "Well then I guess I'll—"
"Ah, matte!" She interrupted me, "You can use the scenic bath instead!"
After giving me specific instructions, the attendant and I parted ways. I went to the front desk and got the key from the receptionist before following the directions to the *onsen.
Once inside, I couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful view. The hot spring bath was within a traditional wood room with a large window overlooking the mountain range. From here, I could see the entire lay of the land as well as a bit of the small town known as Amegakure.
I removed my clothes and touched the water hesitantly, only to find it scalding hot. Using the hose that had been laid beside the bath, I sprayed cold water into it until the temperature was to my liking and once I got in, I melted away.
A heavy sigh of relief left me as I felt the sores and aches in my body begin to dissipate, and as I soaked in the replenishing water, I couldn't help but recall how I'd come to this position in the first place.
The address Pain had given me led to a rundown shack in the West End of Ame but since we had arrived around 11 p.m., I decided to save our investigation for the next day and checked us into the nearest inn. It became clear in the early morning that Sasuke was sick, and as hours went by, he proved that he was in no condition to explore with me.
As his temperature soared, and his eyes reddened, I looked at the clock: 10 a.m.
With the owner's guarantee that Sasuke would be well-cared for, I left the ryokan in search of the shack. When I got to the premises, I found the main door to the structure unlocked, and carefully stepped inside. Thanks to a hole in the roof, sunlight illuminated most of the cabin, and I found that even with its rundown exterior, the interior looked well-kept.
I had expected a mess, a collection of dust, trash, and other evidence of this place being a refuse. Instead, it looked neat and tidy, and there was even a large bin under the roof's hole to collect the rain.
As I stepped over the bin, I looked at the wall and noticed three tiles on a shelf. Upon closer inspection, each tile had a small placard with a name written on it.
"Nagato, Yahiko, Konan…" I murmured to myself as I inspected the shelf.
Nagato and Yahiko's tiles were red while Konan's was white, and I made a mental note to ask about that when I returned. As my focus shifted away from the tiles, I noticed a portrait above them that pictured three people, two of which I recognized.
A young Pain stood in the center with a wide grin, tightly hugging a young Konan who regarded him shyly with rosy cheeks and a small beam, and the red-headed young man on his right seemed to be looking at the two of them with a contented smile.
I looked from the picture to the tiles and back to the picture again as I put two and two together. The orange-haired man in the center wasn't Pain, it was Yahiko, which meant that the red-haired man to his right had to be Nagato.
I stared at the photo with a new mindset as I analyzed what a change Nagato had gone through. He had basically turned himself into Yahiko. The question was, why?
Before I could look around any further, the door moved as someone peeked inside.
"Hello?" An elderly voice called, "Is someone in here?"
I turned and raised a hand, "I'm here."
"This is private property, you know." The woman informed me as she stepped inside, "You can't just waltz in."
"Oh, I'm not trespassing." I quickly waved my hands as I faced her, "I got permission from the…resident? His name is Pain."
"Pain?" The woman furrowed her eyebrows.
"Ah, you might know him as Uzumaki Nagato." I tried again and watched in relief as her eyes softened.
"Oh, Nagato-chan sent you?" She turned around and motioned for me to follow her, "Well why didn't you say so?"
I followed the woman out of the house and after she introduced herself as Tezuna, I learned that she lived not too far from the shack and had taken it upon herself to keep it in somewhat habitable conditions.
Sensing that I was unfamiliar with the area, we drove around, and she pointed out various landmarks and spots that she felt I should be aware of. By the time we were finished, it was 3:17 p.m.
I drove her home and she invited me inside for some soup and rice, so I took the chance to ask about Pain's history.
"Nagato-chan…so he calls himself Pain now?" Tezuna shook her head, "After everything he's been through it makes sense, but still…"
"Everything he's been through?" I questioned, wondering if she was referring to something besides Yahiko's death.
She waved her hand, "You know, what with his parents, then his best friend, then his mentor…he's lost so much."
"Wait, wait, wait." I blinked at the new information, "I know about Yahiko but what happened to his parents? And who's his mentor?"
Tezuna finished up her soup, "When Nagato-chan was a young boy, some crazy drug addicts broke into his parents' house and killed them right in front of him. A terrible incident, really. It was all the town could talk about for weeks."
The sudden revelation that Pain had witnessed his parent's death stunned me, but I figured I would consider its implications later, "And his mentor?"
"Oh, that guy." A small smile spread on Tezuna's face as she shook her head, "He wrote the Icha Icha series so maybe you've heard of him? His name was—"
"Jiraiya." I interrupted as I said the name of my cousin's godfather, "That can't be."
"It's the truth." She said with a shrug, "In his early 20s, he raised those three kids. Might've gotten distracted at a gentleman's club once or twice, but he cared for them like they were his children."
I had only ever met Jiraiya once and that was on my sixteenth birthday. I hadn't wanted to make a big deal out of it, so Naruto opted to take me out for some ramen and call it a day. It was in Ichiraku's shop that I saw him: a tall, well-built man with spiky white hair tied back in a ponytail that reached his waist. When he smiled wrinkles formed at the corners of his mouth and his dark onyx eyes shined with a familial warmth, the likes of which I had only received form my cousin since coming to Konoha.
We hadn't spoken much but when he wished me a happy birthday and gave me a firm pat on the back, I felt an inexplicable urge to cry into his arms and confide in him. That was the kind of man Jiraiya was, and I wished I could've developed a deeper bond with him but two years later, he passed away.
"But Jiraiya died almost two decades ago." I reasoned, "How did that affect Pain?"
Tezuna folded her hands, "Do you know how he died?"
"He…He drowned in Ame, right?" I faltered as I tried to recall what the story had been, "They said he took a small boat out, got drunk, and fell into the water. But they never found his body."
She stood up abruptly and grabbed our empty soup bowls. I watched as she went to the sink and began to wash them. With a sigh, she spoke.
"That's what everyone thinks but a couple years ago, maybe five, Nagato-chan came back to me and confessed that he'd killed him." She said as she rinsed the bowls, "The two of them had gotten on that boat and drank together 'like men', he said. But when Nagato-chan told him about something he'd been working on, Jiraiya-sama flipped."
"Told him that it was wrong and it would go against nature. Needless to say, Jiraiya-sama didn't approve; and he told Nagato-chan that if he didn't put an end to it, he would go to the police. So Nagato-chan strangled him and threw him into the water." Tezuna finished off the tale quietly.
I held a hand to my head in an effort to keep myself grounded, "And the body?"
"That lake runs deep, Misaki-san." She reminded me, touching my arm softly, "It's probably still down there, although it'll be bones after all this time."
"Why…Why didn't you tell anyone?" I paused as I realized how much knowledge this woman possessed, "And why are you telling me?"
"I didn't tell anyone because I…I couldn't. I watched those three grow up together and when Yahiko died, I saw how Nagato-chan changed." She explained, "I didn't take them in like Jiraiya-sama did but I looked out for them like they were my own."
"But—"
"And I'm telling you because you asked." She interrupted my disagreements, "Not many people know him so I'm sure you're telling the truth. You said that Nagato-chan sent you here to learn more about him. I don't know what your connection to him is but if there's any way I can help him, I will."
Silence spread between us as I let her words sink in, and I shifted as a thought came to me.
"What about Konan?" I questioned, "He wanted me to learn about her. About the both of them and what they were to each other, compared to what they are now."
She let out a heavy sigh and shut her eyes, "Nagato-chan loved Yahiko, there's no mistaking that, but it wasn't until his death that he came to understand how he loved him. I always knew, and deep down I think he did too, he just didn't want to accept it back then."
I thought of Jun and the few times I'd caught him laid up with a client at Shiawase, "You mean…romantically?"
Tezuna nodded, "Of course, he never could've acted on it, what with Konan and Yahiko being head-over-heels for each other; and Nagato-chan was always the type to put another's happiness before his own, but sometime after Yahiko died, he realized what he felt for him. He came and told me, but I don't know if Konan knows."
"But if he likes men then why is he—?"
"I didn't say he liked men." She corrected me, "I said he loved Yahiko. Just because Yahiko happened to be a man doesn't mean that was his preference. People aren't so black and white."
I bit my lower lip as I scolded myself for making such an ignorant comment. Of course people weren't that simple, after all I knew what Jun was called by the others, yet he truly loved Michiko.
"To tell you the truth, I don't know the details behind his relationship with Konan." Tezuna confessed, "But those two were always close and the last time I saw them, I could see that he still cared for her."
"Do you know what he does to her?" I didn't try to keep the bitterness out of my voice, "How he treats her?"
She wouldn't meet my eyes as she replied, "Konan isn't a child. Whatever's going on between them, however they act with each other, she can handle it."
I stood up curtly, unable to keep my anger in check, "That's not what her suicide attempt tells me."
Tezuna's eyes widened, "Konan tried to kill herself? When?"
I laughed bitterly, "The most recent attempt was two days ago. Before that? About a week."
"No, no…" She shook her head, "That's not…two years ago, they looked so happy…"
"Well, things change. And now I'm stuck trying to motivate a suicidal woman to live while keeping her terrible lover from killing her."
Tezuna went mute, clearly overwhelmed by the new details I had shared with her. A part of me almost felt bad for having dropped the bomb so suddenly, but I shook my head and got over it. This woman knew of worse secrets, surely this couldn't be that bad.
After a moment of silence, Tezuna stood up alongside me and went to the door; I followed right behind her.
"Come by tomorrow afternoon." Her voice wavered as she spoke, "I have something that can give you a bit more insight on Nagat…on Pain's thoughts."
It didn't escape me that she had switched from calling him by his birth name and as I stepped down her front steps, I looked back at her to inquire about the change.
"He's changed." She clarified sorrowfully, "Nagato-chan never—he wouldn't do what you say Pain does."
After promising her that I would return, I went to the car and drove back to the ryokan.
I hissed as the water began to hit its original temperature, a sign that I had been here too long. With a quick sigh, I climbed out of the bath and dried myself off with one of the towels that had been laid out. Once I was thoroughly dry, I pulled on my yukata and wrapped the sash around my waist before sliding into the slippers I'd been given.
Picking my clothes up from the unsightly pile I'd left them in, I headed back to our room feeling nice and refreshed. I slid our room door open to find Sasuke sitting up in front of the patio doors, slightly swaying as he watched the rain fall.
'He needs to sleep.' I thought to myself as I glanced at the clock.
The time was 7:53 p.m. If Sasuke was going to get better he needed to rest, but I couldn't bring myself to immediately call him away, as I recognized how mesmerizing the sight before him was. I took a seat beside him and joined him.
He stole a glance at me as I settled next to him and cleared his throat, "How was the bath?"
"It was nice." I nodded slowly as I raised a hand to his forehead, "How are you feeling?"
"Better." He replied with his own nod, although the light cough that followed kept me doubtful, "Another night of rest and I should be back to working conditions."
I shook my head as I stood up, "Then let's start the night early. Go to bed."
After closing the patio doors, I helped him over to his futon before realizing that it had been replaced and that mine was nowhere to be found. Instead, a two-person futon was all that remained.
Sasuke's eyes landed on it at the same time as mine and he immediately apologized.
"Gomen, I don't know when they…I wouldn't have—"
Placing a hand on his chest, I silenced him, "It's fine. It's not like sharing a bed is anything new."
He nodded again and I shut off the overhead light before joining him under the covers.
"I'll try not to get you sick." Sasuke said as he turned away from me, but I pulled him back.
When he shot me a quizzical look, I explained myself, "Just sleep in whatever way is normal for you. You have to get better by tomorrow morning. I need you."
His eyes widened at the latter sentence, and he pursed his lips before speaking, "Then, excuse me."
He placed a hand on my back and behind my head before pulling me close. I stifled my noise of surprise and looked up at him.
"Comfy?" I tried to keep my voice level.
"Mm." He nodded, "Gomen, I just…want to be close to someone right now, if that's alright with you"
After a moment, I returned the hug and held his back, silently telling him that I was okay with the embrace.
I shut my eyes and pressed my head into his shoulder. And to the muffled pitter-patter of the rain, we fell asleep.
*A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn where people wear yukatas, relax, and chat with the staff. It's a more hospitable version of hotels and a really nice experience.
*An onsen is a Japanese bathing facility or natural hot spring where people go to soak
A/N: Sorry about the three week hiatus guys! I was moving and then Thanksgiving came up. I really didn't have a chance to even sit down at my computer, but that's all over now. As an apology, I'll be giving you guys four chapter over the course of the next few days even though I'm owing three. Love you all! (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ