A/N:

Hey guys, it's Phen0m again.

It's been a few months since dad's passing, and while dealing with the loss has been very hard (especially considering we are now closing in on the first Christmas I'll have without him), I'm still managing well. The outpour of sympathy and good wishes my fanbase has given me in regards to my loss hasn't gone unnoticed.

I'd especially like to give a shout out and thank Amaterasu89 for going out of his way and commissioning artwork for this fic. The artist in question goes by the name ELBENTO and can be found on whentai dot com. Again, I'd like to thank you all.

This chapter is very short, but I hope you all enjoy what I have here.

At the end of this chapter, there will be an author's note regarding this fic's future. I suggest you all look it over after you've finished reading.

XXXXX

Bonds: Part 1

"We won't ask you again," Toyotama paraphrased, tightening her grip on the blade-tipped staff. "leave at once or you will be dealt with."

"Thou thinkest we're afraid of you? Balderdash!" Tsukiumi declared, swiping her arm to the side. "If you will not allow us passage than we shalt force our way in!"

Toyotama's visage contorted to a grimace. "Ugh, I don't know who you are or what you want, but if it's a fight you want it's a fight you'll get!"

Tears started to drip from Kusano's little eyes. "Please, stop fighting."

Clasping her hands, Kaie leaned forward and mocked the child accordingly with a pouty gesture. "Aww, did we make the little girl cry? So sad…"

"Hey," Musubi said, stepping in front of Ku to keep her out of harms way. Fury churned away in her voice. "don't talk to Ku like that! The only reason we're here is to bring our Ashikabi home."

"Musubi is right." Tsukiumi reassured. "Stand aside and we will takest only a minute to-"

"Fat chance." Toyotama interrupted, swinging down her staff and preparing to charge. "Why should we trust you? For all we know you're assassins sent to kill our Ashikabi."

"Killing an Ashikabi is completely against the rules of the Sekirei Plan. You know this for a fact!" Tsukiumi reminded her.

Oriha whispered something into Toyotama's ear before she could respond. "Toyotama, pardon me, but I think they're telling the truth. The veiled one entered the building with a man strikingly similar to the northern Ashikabi."

"Is that so?" she turned back towards the group opposing them. "Well then, it looks like we have a case of infidelity on our hands."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Musubi inquired. A question mark then blinked above her chibified noggin. "No, really. I don't know what that word means. Can someone please tell me?"

Everyone facepalmed at that statement, while Musubi just stood there rubbing the back of her head and giggling slightly.

Toyotama groaned. "Ugh. It means your Ashikabi's heart isn't true to you. That he'd rather sleep around outside his harem as opposed to staying faithful. What a pity. Oh well," she said, backing into a stance and readying her staff towards the group before her. "not every story has to have a happy ending."

"There will be a happy ending!" Tsukiumi cries out, watery serpents coiling around her body.

"As Minato's wife, I have faith in him!"

"I shalt not be outdone Musubi, for I am Minato's true wife!"

"And I'm his wife too!" Kusano declared, beating a fist to her chest.

"Not that I'm against being his wife, but I'm all for infidelity. kukuku…" she said, under her breath.

"Now then, engard!" Tsukiumi roared.

The two forces charged in to clash...

XXXXX

Meanwhile, inside the hospital...

Humming the MLP theme in the blankety darkness of her room, Chiho kicked her legs on the end of her cot as she watched television.

A moment later, her door creaked open and Uzume peeked her head in.

A smile curved Chiho's lips. "Uzume! Hi! I didn't know you were coming tonight!"

Uzume giggled. "Well, Chiho I'm not alone. I have a surprise for you."

Uzume looked behind the door and nodded her head. She entered the room, flicking on the light switch and pulling Minato in by the arm.

Chiho clasped her hands together and her smile opened wider. "You found someone!" she gasped.

Uzume gave Minato some hard pats to the spine as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself, silly."

"Oh, of course." he said, coughing from the blows to his vertebrae. "My name is Minato. Minato Sahashi. It's a pleasure to meet you Chiho. Uzume has told me all about you."

Uzume's Ashikabi bowed her head. "And I'm very pleased to meet you as well. So tell me," she went on, clicking off the television. "what brings you here at this hour?"

Minato laughed. "Well for starters, Uzume and I just happened to be in the neighborhood, so we decided to swing by to see how you were doing."

"Yeah," Uzume confirmed. "The two of us had ourselves a little night out and decided it wouldn't be complete without giving you a little surprise visit."

"So you went out on a date with each other? That's so sweet."

Minato began to blush. "Well I wouldn't call it a date but-"

Uzume slung her arm around Minato's head and pulled him hard into her left boob. "We had a great time, lots of fun." She started giving him a noogie. "Riiight Minato?"

Blood trickled down Minato's nostril as he was gravitated closer to the blobby mass. "Right, yeah. We had a lot of fun. Uh heheheheh..."

Chiho gave the mattress some swift pats. "Come Minato, Uzume. Sit with me for a while."

The Veil Sekirei relinquished her grip, and the ronin rolled his achy neck around a few times after being released. Uzume had one hell of a grip on her, though that was to be expected. Being a Sekirei and a tomboyish one at that made roughhousing a given.

Uzume leant in and gave her Ashikabi a peck on the forehead before sitting to her left and crossing her legs. Minato hobbled over and plopped down to the right of Chiho, still massaging the nape of his neck.

Chiho tilted her head as she looked at him. "Are you alright, Minato?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he said. "I'm just concerned about you is all."

"There is no need for concern, Minato. I'm okay." she reassured him. Deep down she knew she knew that wasn't the case, but she had to be strong. "So, how did you and Uzume meet?"

"Well, you see, um-"

Uzume cut him off. "He caught a glimpse of me in my lingerie and spat his hot tea all over the place."

"What?!"

"What do you mean 'what'?" Uzume giggled. "That's exactly how it happened. The first time me and you laid eyes on each other. Is it not?"

"Well since you put it that way I suppose that is the first time we saw each other, but there's a bit more context to it than that."

"That's so funny." Chiho chuckled. "Please Uzume, let Minato continue."

"Um yeah, so uh...basically I was in need of a new place to live after being kicked out of my old apartment, and I just so happened to stumble upon Maison Isumo, the place where Uzume was living. We had dinner, and Uzume came stumbling in. After a while, we became good friends."

"I see." Chiho nodded. "I'm sorry to hear about you being thrown from your old home. That must have been really tough."

"It would have been, but thankfully the landlady was a nice enough person to allow me residence at her inn. I was only homeless for a few hours so I guess the stars were aligned that night."

"It sure sounds like they were." Chiho smiled. "So, what is it you like most about Uzume?"

"Well um, she's a very nice and supportive person, and-"

"No, no, Minato." Uzume interrupted. "I think she means physical features. Boobs, hips, ass, that kind of stuff."

"I did not!" Chiho huffed.

Minato felt a nosebleed coming on. Dirty thoughts! Dirty thoughts!

He pinched his nose so that only a faint amount trickled downward.

"Aww, what's the matter Minato? Did you get all swollen again?" Uzume playfully asked.

"Of course not!" he shrieked in surprise.

"Are you alright, Minato?" Chiho asked. She leant over to the dresser on her bedside and grabbed a tissue box. "Here, take a couple."

He pulled out a few and held them to his nose. "Th-thanks. Must be the weather."

"Yeah, a storm must be brewin' down under." Uzume teased, holding back a laugh. "Best pitch a tent now and wait for it to blow over."

"Oh, now stop it, you." Chiho said. She turned attention back to Minato, who smiled back at her and chuckled through the tissue. "Not to be rude or anything, Minato, but could you step out for a few minutes. Me and Uzume need to have a little 'girl' talk."

Getting up from his seat, he said "Alright, no problem. Just tell me when to come back in." as he walked towards the door and shut it behind him.

After a brief pause, Chiho spoke. "Uzume…"

"Y-yes, Chiho? W-what's the matter?"

"The matter is…" The bed-ridden girl made a teary-eyed pouty face. "why on earth…" she started sniffling.

'Oh no...' Uzume thought to herself. 'I hope Chiho wasn't turned off by Minato's demeanor. Uzume, you dun fucked up by bringing him here!...'

Uzume looked into her eyes, "Why on earth what, Chiho?"

"WHY ON EARTH HAVEN'T YOU MADE BABIES WITH HIM YET?!"

"Huh?!"

"You heard me!" Chiho whimpered, becoming all chibi as she beat her fists softly upon Uzume's chest. "Why why why why why!"

Uzume, dumbfounded, grabbed her Ashikabi's wrists and set them aside. "Hey now, settle down there, sweetie."

Chiho crossed her arms and pouted more. "Hmph, I will not settle down. Minato is so cute and you both look adorable together! I demand you produce babies this instant!"

Uzume, though relieved that Chiho accepted the man she chose, wasn't sure how to reply to her demands.

She backed away, letting her eyes roll back to the corner of the room. "Uhh, yeah about that. I and he are uhh…not ready for that yet."

"That's a lie, you know you want him. Our connection as Ashikabi and Sekirei makes me aware of your true feelings." She took Uzume's and and placed it on her heart. "Feel that? This is our bond. That's how I know you're destined to be with him."

"We just got done with our first date though, Chiho!"

"Then kiss him."

"What?!"

"You heard me. It's accustomed for couples to kiss each other goodnight after their first date. So invite him back in and get to smooching!" She called out. "OH MINATO-"

Uzume cupped her hands over Chiho's mouth. "I can't do that! Not in front of you, Chiho!" She grabbed her Ashikabi's hands, and caressed them with love. "You're the one I'm destined to be with!"

Chiho pulled her hands away and pushed herself from bed into her wheelchair. "I don't have long for this world, Uzume. You know this. I want to see you happy after I'm gone, so for both our sakes, kiss him so I can go peacefully into the night when my time comes."

"I can't do that…not right this moment."

"As your Ashikabi, I'm giving you an order to kiss him."

Uzume slumped her shoulders, hands in her lap. "Alright...if you want to see us do it that badly, then okay."

Chihi nodded and wheeled herself over to the door. She twisted the knob and pushed it open. "Minato, you can come back in now!"

No one was there, but on the tiled canvas, faint traces of the ronin's blood trailed a path down the hallway.

"Huh, I guess he went to the bathroom or something. Sit tight, Uzume. I'm gonna go find him."

"Alright Chiho. I'll be here when you get back."

As her Ashikabi rolled away enroute to Minato, Uzume got up from the bed and swished open the curtains. Peering out the window, she gasped. Off in the distance, a fight ensued in front of the hospital. Higa's Sekirei had gone to war with Minato's harem.

"Oh no, why are they here?" she wondered worryingly. "Were they following us this whole time? Shit. I can't have one of Minato's Sekirei get terminated! I have to do something!"

XXXXX

A/N:

Anyway, in regards to this story's future...

I've been pondering over this for the past few months, and have decided that if I'm going to continue to write this story, I'm going to need help. Not just someone to beta for me and bounce ideas off of; someone I can write along side with. A co-writer. And not just anyone, someone that really knows their shit, has experience with writing and someone I can count on to get things done. That's really the only way I can see this fic getting updated more frequently.

Now before anyone goes and accuses me of being a lazy fuck who's too lazy to write, hear me out. Writer's block has been plaguing me for for what seems to be forever, and because of it, chapters have been becoming less and less lengthy and meaty. I find that having assistance from an outside source not only keeps me inspired to continue, but what they contribute to the overall story helps break the writer's block I suffer from and helps me formulate newer and better ideas.

If you're interested in helping this story, send me a private message.

Again, I'd like to thank you all for the support, and if all goes well, part 2 should be up by Christmas time. If not, well, I hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas.