Reunited (And It Feels So Good…), Continued
Date: June 25th, 13 years aNb
Days until the Exams begin: 6
Time: 8:30 AM
Raiden Hata stared at his twin sister's dojutsu in complete disbelief as her boyfriend - and it galled him to no end to admit THAT was really happening - finished drawing blood from him as well as their parents; something about he and his mother investigating some medical whatsis thing that had gone so far over his head he couldn't see the shadow of the bottom of it! Today would go down as one of the worst days he'd ever had... And it had only gone downhill from that wake-up call!
"Two MONTHS… How could you keep such a big thing a secret from me for so long, Momo?! I would NEVER hide something like this from you for that long!" There was a definite note of hurt in his voice, but there was jealousy there, too.
"Reeeeally..?" Motoko drew out the word, knowing the answer to the question she was about to pose. She even made a point of sending through their bond the sensation that she already knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Then tell me, what HAVE you been spending your money from the River Country mission on? Because I know you haven't bought that advanced practice dummy you always said was the first thing you'd get the first time you made over 100,000 Ryou on missions."
'SHIT! She's got the ultimate trump card now, doesn't she?' Raiden suddenly realized; he'd sent a LOT of flowers to Karin Inugami over the weeks since they got home. Motoko must have realized it somehow! Given how protective Inugami had been of Motoko even before they'd had that make out session in Mizumiyo, he could only imagine how protective he would be of his younger sister!
"Just some little things…" He lied effortlessly, even as his heart pounded so hard that he couldn't believe the others didn't hear it. "I think I read somewhere that they're making an even better version that'll be out after our birthday…" He raised a finger. "Don't change the subject; why didn't you tell me, Hashimoto, or Sensei about this?!"
"I felt a little bad after you told me the psychosomatic bridge now ran both ways, okay?!" His twin countered, flushing again; something Sho had done as well when Raiden had stormed downstairs in his emerald pajama pants and white wifebeater top before gargling the liquid dishwashing soap to "get the taste of Inugami out of his mouth."
"And as I said, Raiden, the odds of only one of you developing a genetic bridge between these recessive bloodlines is extremely low." Inugami pointed out as he tucked the three additional samples away. "But even if the bridging exists in you as well, there's no guarantee it'll manifest the same way in you as it has Motoko-sa. I know you've fought Uchiha Gods only know how many times, but have you ever seen a Hyuuga other than Hinata fight?"
The male Hata nodded before his eyes widened in realization. "Are you saying I might unlock the Sharingan or Byakugan on my own?! Ohhhh, HELL yes!"
"I'm afraid no, that's not what I'm saying, man; the recessive genes we found in your twin sister are incomplete." Raiden looked disappointed. "But consider your sister's chakra sensory abilities - they have traits of both of those dojutsu; she can detect presence at long distance like the Hyuuga, but intensity, nature and even emotional state like the Uchiha. Her Reikigan is just the final manifestation of those traits." By agreement with his girlfriend, Inugami omitted her ability to get into heads like the Uchiha could. Inugami snapped his fingers as he recalled something odd from the Hide and Seek mission his team had been on a few months back. "When the two of you sensed Konohamaru Sarutobi hiding behind that oversized camo sheet, you were clearly picking something up, too, even though you've never shown you had sensory abilities like Motoko before. What were you feeling at the time? Do you remember?"
Raiden frowned in thought. "Uhh… I know Momo picked him up at a distance, but lost him as we got closer either because he was trying to hide himself or he was just out of chakra by that point. It's like I could feel his life force, but I'd never felt something like that before and it confused me…" He swallowed uncomfortably. "Like with you when we talked after you woke me up and right this second, Inugami. Your life force is like stupid strong, but it's like you also have this opposite force around you as well; one I can't really describe. I'm fine with you from a distance, but when I'm this close, my instincts start screaming that I'm in danger and I need to get away. It's honestly intimidating as all fuck."
"Raiden; language." Masaki spoke up for the first time in a while. Her parents had died when she was young, so she'd never given much thought of where she'd come from.
"Sorry, Mom."
"You DO realize that as long as something affects you affects your sister, the worst you have to fear from me is my barbed tongue rubbing your ego the wrong way, right? I would never hit you beyond one of those light head smacks to get you to pay attention." The male Hata blinked as he realized that Inugami's swats HAD always been on the weaker side. "Hell, it's one of the reasons I tanked my Taijutsu grade; to minimize the odds I would have to fight you and, indirectly, your sister. I mean, you saw at least one of my fights with Nakahito when I utterly schooled him, right? I could have given Sasuke a run for his money on a regular basis if I'd wanted."
Raiden nodded. "Yeah and I totally want to fight you because of it, too! Or just see you up against Uchiha. Eh; Maybe both."
"Well, we're going to have to see if we can find a way to turn that connection off - or at least mute it before I'd be willing to…" The medic-nin raised his eyebrow over his green eye while the swordswoman rolled both of hers. "I'd sooner commit seppuku without a second than hurt her."
"What the hell is seppuku?" Raiden asked in confusion as Motoko looked equally puzzled.
Inugami opened his mouth to explain, but paused and gave Motoko a one-armed hug. "It's a samurai honor thing… Something I know your sister wouldn't want to think of me experiencing. Crack open a book if you really want to know; you've got a lot of Earth, but you need some Heaven to round it out." He said, referencing one of the Sandaime's more famous quotes as he looked at the space between them; it was about the distance that he'd been from Konohamaru that day… He took a step back, which Motoko made with him. "Are you still sensing that 'opposite of life' thing around me that weirds you out now?"
Raiden blinked a few times. "Huh; no, it just disappeared! How did you know?"
"The Byakugan is the best at long range while the Sharingan is nearly unbeatable at short range, but right now I'm in the space between the two. I'm guessing that while Motoko-sa's bridge connects more to the longer range aspects, while yours is attuned to your immediate vicinity, as befitting a hand-to-hand fighter." He licked his lips in thought. "Have you ever dodged something that you couldn't possibly see coming?"
The bruiser blinked. "Well, just once… When I was fighting Uchiha about two weeks ago, I tripped him. Instead of going down, he did this backward cartwheel thing that nearly put his foot through my jaw, but my body seemed to move on its own before I realized I was in danger. It's only happened one time and after what it did to Momo, I haven't challenged him since."
"What are you thinking, Sho-sa?" The kunoichi asked her boyfriend curiously.
Inugami looked introspective. "This is entirely theory, mind you, but the Sharingan is an eye of insight, which allows the Uchiha to pick apart an opponent's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu to copy it and make their opponent's strength their own. Meanwhile, Byakugan users can increase their awareness in their immediate vicinity. Assuming what Raiden experienced wasn't a stroke of luck, I'd guess his personal bridge is tapping into those aspects to enhance his instincts and reflexes… You'll just have to practice at it…"
"You mean fight more than I already do?" Raiden asked in confusion. "I don't know if she's told you, but the range between Motoko and I has increased substantially since she got over her nervousness around you… She got feedback from the fight with Uchiha when we were at the CSF and she was here!"
"I think he means you need to try honing your instincts to be able to dodge instinctively, son." Ryuken pointed out gently. "Please don't give yourself concussions based on a theory…"
"Exactly." Inugami nodded. "You don't need to go all out right away. You need someone who will try to ambush you at random and try hitting you, but can't do a lot of damage."
Motoko grinned. "In fact, I think I know a certain someone that will probably do it for free…" Sho nodded in agreement with a chuckle. It was just crazy enough to work!
"Who are you talking about?" Raiden demanded.
"May I use your phone, Mr. and Mrs. Hata?" The medic-nin asked without answering the bruiser's question.
"Please, call me Ryuken, young man." The man with the same piercing green eyes as the twins smiled, gesturing to the phone in the other room before looking at his daughter once the medic-nin went around the corner. "Motoko-chan… I want you to tell me the truth…"
"Always, Daddy, you know that."
He pointed towards Sho's direction. "Inugami-san there is why you put your brother through the living room window and then beat him unconscious when you were 6, isn't it?"
The kunoichi blushed at the memory; it had been the first time she'd put Raiden in his place and had shown that under her seemingly soft, gentle exterior was a warrior's steel. Ojiisan Ryuyaiba Hata had shown up a few minutes after it had happened - this was back before he and Obaasan had hit retirement age and moved to one of the smaller Konoha affiliated Villages - to help stop her chakra augmented rampage. He'd spoken to her briefly before announcing to her parents he was going to teach her kendo to help her learn to channel her aggression better.
"How… How did you guess, Tousan?"
Ryuken gestured to a photo on the wall of Motoko and Raiden on their second day at the Academy - her parents had thought there was still a roll of film in it, but they'd discovered otherwise when they tried to take the first shot. Motoko had a plush fabric doll with white thread for hair that she was hugging like a security blanket while Raiden had thrown up his hand with a single raised finger.
"When we picked you up that first day, you asked for a new doll, one with white hair. We found that Lord Jiraiya toy; you got so excited, said his name was Ichi and asked your mother to add a few black 'hairs' over his LEFT eye." He chuckled, thumbing over his shoulder. "The pieces were all there; I just never put them together until now. Mostly white hair with a patch of black, names that mean the number one… The fact that you were looking in his direction whenever you could without getting in trouble during parent attendance days at the Academy."
"You beat your brother up because of me, Motoko-sa?!" The medic-nin gasped in surprise. He had rough-housed with Karin and Lucia before of course, but - outside of training together - they'd never really struck each other!
"So he's cute AND he's got good ears." Masaki giggled as she cleared the table and began setting out tea.
"Kaasan!" The orange haired kunoichi protested as she blushed deeper.
Inugami took a seat at the table, accepting a cup of jade tea - briefly looking longingly at the rakugan cakes before reluctantly accepting one to be a courteous guest; expecting yet another disappointing generic cookie. "Tell me, sweetheart; it can't be worse than anything I've done in the past."
Motoko took a seat beside him; looking forward to seeing his reaction when he finally bit into the tea cake. There was a rap at the door before she could begin talking. "That's probably for you, Rai. Have fun!" She looked at her boyfriend as a confused look crossed the face of her twin. "Naruto's pretty fast now…"
A slight grin tugged at the medic's lips. "I told him the next three visits to Ichiraku's were on me if he was quick enough… Apparently, he can use a lot more Clones than I anticipated."
The male Hata opened the front door and paused. "Seriously?!" He turned around, opening the door enough to reveal the Konohamaru Corps. "Me fighting a bunch of toddlers is your big idea?!"
"No, you getting AMBUSHED at random intervals by some of the best junior classmen in my younger sister's Academy year is a great idea."
"And I beat you once on my own, doofus!" Konohamaru Sarutobi pointed out as he kicked Raiden in the shin. "And all three of us can use that technique if we want to really humiliate you!" Raiden's eyes widened in horror before he glared at Sho.
Masaki giggled at her daughter as Inugami walked over with a sigh to explain how the plan for the Konohmaru Corps was going to work. "You're lucky I have your father… I mean if he were a little older or I was a little younger…"
Motoko's eyes opened wider than they ever had before. "Kaasan! Are… Are you fantasizing about my boyfriend?!"
Mrs. Hata's lips took on an impish grin similar to the ones that Raiden would get when doing something fundamentally irreverent. "And what if I am? Nothing wrong with a little window shopping as long as I don't buy anything."
"No window shopping in MY wardrobe!" The kunoichi swordswoman protested with a roll of her vibrant green eyes, even as her mother made a playful mock pout before grabbing her husband for a kiss or two.
"Okay, he's off…" Inugami chuckled as he walked back into the main kitchen area. If he'd heard the interplay between mother and daughter, he gave no sign of it. "They'll pester him all over the Village through the start of the Exams. Hopefully it'll work; it's costing me a small fortune in ramen, but worth it since I feel a LITTLE bad, like this much…" He put his finger and thumb of his right hand close enough together that you'd need an electron microscope to see the space between his digits. "...for what we put him through this morning; even if he had it coming to him for all the years of torment he's left YOU paying the check for. Now…" He sat back down in front of her. "...I believe you were about to tell me a story, Motoko-sa…"
"Honestly, there's not much to tell, Sho-sa…" The kunoichi flushed. A quick glance at her parents earned her a silent nod and they left the room. "I know you remember everything, but do you remember when the group found you by the entrance gate… After?"
Inugami frowned to himself in thought. "Kinda dimly to be honest. That night you awoke your dojutsu, you became the first to hear what I experienced… Gods, you actually heard the Demon! I…" He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he trusted himself to talk, his eyes watering. "...It's kind of a relief that while it's IN me, it's not a PART of me." He shook his head. "One day I promise I'll let you actually SEE what I went through; the whole thing that I can remember, at least, not just the aftermath like I shared with Kimi so she could UNDERSTAND why I was afraid of letting you get close to me."
'He's still trying to protect me from his self-perceived darkness despite me already knowing… Well, at least he's not in denial of it anymore; it's not what I want, but it is PROGRESS at least…' She thought silently to herself as he took a sip of the tea. "Why did you never tell your parents about what you went through? Surely they…"
The medic-nin shook his head. "When all this happened, in the space of a month, the younger of my two sisters had just been born and Saki-obaasan died, leaving Mom and Dad needing to further alter their incredibly busy schedule in addition to processing that loss." He paused. "Although that was my reasoning at first... But then something I saw gave me hope and I didn't want to lose it by getting pulled out of the Academy again to go through whatever treatment they'd have to take me to deal with it." He raised a finger. "But THAT'S a story for later. What happened at the gate that I clearly missed?"
Motoko Hata scooted a little closer, hesitantly putting one hand on his muscular thigh. "Where the others only saw the blood and gore covering you, I saw the fear - the horror - in your eyes that came from what you went through, Sho-sa… It nearly broke my heart to see you that way since Iruka-sensei and the others kept me from running to check and see if you were okay…"
"I don't blame them for that… I left them with a lot of questions and I outright lied to them about how I survived." He shook his head with a shudder. "I didn't want them finding the corpse; seeing what I did to it. Better that the cycle of life eliminate the evidence..."
"You were gone another few weeks after that, coming back around what I know now is your birthday." She smiled sadly at the memory. "But by then all the whispers of what had happened had already gained traction. I put Rai through the window and beat the snot out of him because he tried to peer pressure me into joining the vilifying of you. I… I was outraged! I didn't care that my own head snapped back every time I punched him in his stupid victim-shaming face! I just…" She looked up at him, tears streaming from her gentle green gaze. "I wasn't brave enough to stand up to the others, to say they were wrong about you, but…"
Motoko suddenly found herself buried in Sho's muscular chest as he abruptly hugged her. "What you didn't do doesn't matter, Motoko-sa… What you DID do was enough to save me; you helped me hold out until I met Aniki and he taught me how to turn the pain and rage I felt into my 'Oni Inugami' persona."
"Sho-sa…" She cooed, enjoying the moment.
After a timeless minute, Sho disengaged. "Now, I have a gift for you at my house and I've kept your Mom up after a long night…"
"Totally worth it, Sho-kun!" Masaki Hata said through the door behind the teenage couple.
Motoko looked slightly mortified. "Yeah, the walls are a little on the thin side, Sho-sa…"
Inugami chuckled, reluctantly picking the rakugan cake up to take the minimum of a bite to be a proper guest. "Good to know…" He bit down on the no-bake cookie.
His reaction was everything Motoko Hata had been hoping for… And more!
His dual-colored eyes widened until the kunoichi was genuinely worried they might pop out of his skull. He began to sniffle slightly as he was hit with memories he'd long buried because they hurt so much to think about. "Obaasan…" He breathed in shocked disbelief before he not only finished the first cookie, but then polished off the entire plate!
"So, I take it I made them the right way..?" Hata asked her boyfriend with a giant smile on her face. "Some of the ingredients on that recipe card Karin gave me weren't the easiest to get ahold of and I was worried they wouldn't turn out right."
"You made... my grandmother's rakugan?!" Sho's voice was thick with emotions, the pinkish crumbs that had escaped him on his shirt. He rose to his feet, taking her hands in his. "I can now honestly say that I've never loved you more than I do at this moment, Motoko-sa." He turned to the door that her parents were behind, pretending not to listen, as he abruptly picked the kunoichi up and threw her over his shoulder. "Ryuken-san, Masaki-san? I'm stealing your daughter!"
"SHO-SAAA!" Motoko gasped even as she began to laugh.
"Have fun, you two!" Ryuken called through the wall. "Thanks for giving us the place to ourselves!"
Masaki's own shocked laugh came as her husband apparently did something similar. "Don't do anything WE won't be doing!"
"KAASAN!" The orange haired girl cried in horrified shock. "I swear we're not ready for that!"
'Yet…' Motoko's Naughty side chimed in silently.
The world swirled as Inugami activated his Flying Raijin, teleporting the two of them away with a soft pop of displaced air.
~•~
Time: 10:00 AM
Okito Tanaka was bent over the bakery's convection oven's baffle, making sure the component designed to evenly distribute the heat was properly in place after cleaning off the messy byproducts of one of Kei's experiments.
"Hey, big boy! Are your parents bakers? Because you are one cutie pie!" A familiar voice called from behind.
"Miho-chan?!" Tanaka asked as he abruptly brought his head up and smacked it against the top of the oven's lower half. "Oww! Son of a baguette!"
Three female voices tittered in amusement. "See! As I told you, he defaults to censoring himself with baked goods when startled. Pay up, ladies!" Naru Tanaka's voice wheezed between laughs.
Extracting himself from the silvery metal appliance, Okito rose to his nearly 2 meter height, rubbing the back of his head as he turned about. His sister was behind the counter, accepting a pair of 10,000 Ryou notes from Miho Hyuuga and Tanaka's own girlfriend, Yuri Mao. "What, you didn't think I'd use a pick-up line on you - even a lame one - without Mao-sensei's explicit permission, did you?"
"I couldn't resist seeing your reaction to a taste of your own medicine; pun FULLY intended, Oki-kun. I honestly should be annoyed that you actually THINK, after all these years, that you need to do these things because I might kick you to the curb." She drummed her manicured nails on the granite countertop. "If I didn't do it after you were MIA for four years, why do you think I'd ever do it?"
Tanaka leaned over the counter. "Oh, I'd already decided the last line I gave to Miho-chan the day we were sent on the River Country mission was going to be the last one; there was just something about seeing Reiyuriko and Kodansyo sharing their vows that rang a chord in the back of my mind. I've just been waiting for her to finally get back home so she could be here for this…" The older Jonin explained as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
The jaws of all three women fell open.
It was a ring box.
Okito put his hands together and, within seconds, he was holding a bouquet of purple-red diamond roses with green diamond stems. "Dr. Yuri M…"
He didn't get any further than that before the woman with violet hair and eyes threw herself across the counter to kiss him. "YES! A MILLION TIMES, YES!"
~•~
Sometimes (When We Touch…)
Date: April 14, 6 aNb
Days since the Boar Incident: 43
Time: 2:45 PM
> Why..? < Words floated in midair against a backdrop of a blurry, cloudless sky as the sound of soft crying echoed around the space. > Why can't they leave me ALONE?! "Oh, look out, it's Oni! If you piss him off, he'll gut you and cover himself in your blood!" < A giant pair of childlike hands came into view, blocking the view of the sky as a sniffling noise began. > Mom and Dad LIED; they said if I made a wish as I blew out my candles in one go, it would come true… But today was no different than yesterday or the day before or any Gods-damned day since I took out that stupid side of pork! Saki-obaasan, why'd you have to die?! Why couldn't we find Tsunade-sama so she could save you?! <
"At least I still have Karin-nee… And little Lucia always smiles when she looks at me…" A loud sigh could be heard as a voice similar to Sho's unconscious spoke aloud. "At least this miserable day is nearly over; I just have to wait until Karin's done so I can take her home. I doubt anyone is missing me other than Iruka-sensei…"
A soft clatter began to sound. > That sounds like Tousan practicing his sword strikes… But why would he be at the Academy? < The small hands pulled back, revealing a now clear cloudless sky thanks to the tears being wiped away. The view shifted as the young form of Sho Inugami, freshly turned 8, was briefly visible off a reflective surface on the roof of the Academy.
He creeped across the roof, the clattering noise becoming louder until he reached the edge and proceeded to look over it. As he looked down, he saw a young girl from his class holding a kendo shinai facing against a bamboo target in the Kenjutsu practice space. > Since when has Motoko-chan been training with a sword? <
The young medic watched as the orange-haired girl attacked the dummy with a passion for nearly fifteen minutes straight. > Her form is rough, but she's clearly still learning the fundamentals. I wonder if I'll ever have passion like that in me ever again; I've felt so out of it for so long now… <
A bell chimed, indicating the end of the school day. As the last echo faded, the green clad girl set the shinai against the training rack. > Guess she's done for the day… That's a shame, I cou… < He stopped mid-thought as the young girl pulled out a backpack that had a yellow-wrapped ninjato attached to the side. > Wait… What is she doing? < The six year old version of the kunoichi reached into the backpack and pulled out an overstuffed fabric doll with white hair - with a few strings of black over its left eye. > Is… Is that a doll version of me? <
"It's okay, Ichi…" The girl murmured to the doll as she set the doll down on the ground. "Don't be scared."
> What would a doll be scared of? < Inugami's thought drifted across the image.> A pair of scissors? <
Hata reached into her backpack and extracted a folded piece of paper, opening it up to reveal a child's drawing of a gigantic, viscous boar charging forward. The world backed up abruptly as the image shocked the boy whose memories they were witnessing. > What the hell is she doing with that?! <
"You leave Sho-kun ALONE you big, stinky pig!" Motoko's voice echoed up from below.
The world blinked a few times before he slunk up to the edge once again. As he looked over, it turned out that the young kunoichi had attached the picture to one of the green bamboo cutting targets designed to simulate bone. The girl was holding the yellow blade at her hip, samurai style, and was clearly standing in a defensive posture. She looked over her shoulder at her doll. "It'll be okay, Sho-kun, I PROMISE!"
> Is she..? Is she trying to DEFEND me from the boar after the fact? <
Motoko lashed out with a single, savage iaijutsu strike, cutting through all 5 of the bamboo reeds in a single masterful stroke despite her youth, and cutting the picture in half. She let out a breath, returning the blade to its scabbard before dropping to her knees and scooping up the Sho doll; hugging it close, tears in her eyes. "You're safe now, Sho-kun! I'll protect you from now on! You'll never have to have that look of shame and regret I saw in your eyes ever again!"
Sho's breathing became ragged. > Motoko-chan..? < There was a long silence - externally and internally - as his brain tried to wrap itself around what he was witnessing. > She's different, isn't she..? She's never been mean… <
There was a loud gasp as the young Sho spoke out loud to himself in realization. "My birthday wish came TRUE?! All I wanted was a sign that things could get better…" The world seemed to gain a pinkish tinge as Inugami undoubtedly began to obsess over her, tears filling the corners of his vision. "Motoko-chan is the answer I was looking for!"
The younger version of the medic suddenly grabbed his left arm as a shudder rocked the world. > No… I can't do that to her… She can be a FRIEND, nothing more; for her own safety. <
"H… Hello..?!" Hata asked, looking up to the roof, trying to shield her eyes from the sun at his back. "Is that you up there, Sho-kun?"
Inugami ducked down behind the edge. > How did she know I was up here?! <
There was a faint chattering of voices that was becoming progressively louder. "Oh, no, I made a mess!" A dismayed Motoko cried. "Hold on, Ichi, we've got to run away!"
Inugami looked back over the edge to see Hata dashing past the edge of the building. With a few quick drops, the medic-nin was down on the ground. The voices became clearer. > That's Karin-chan! She usually waits out here for me… < Sho quickly cleaned up the mess that Motoko had left behind as the door into the Academy slid open…
***
Date: June 25th, 13 years aNb
Days until the Exams begin: 6
Time: 11:15 AM
Sho Inugami's fingers slipped off of Motoko Hata's forehead as he ended the Shared Recollection Jutsu. The duo sat on the edge of the medic's bedroom where they had come after Sho used a device in the family lab to transmit the blood samples for Ryuken, Masaki, and Raiden Hata to the JRD for comprehensive analysis.
She blinked a few times as she found her bearings again before smiling at him. "That was the first time my sensory abilities activated…" Hata said softly. "So you saw me do that..?" A slight flush colored her features; she was ambivalently proud and dismayed that Inugami - out of anyone at the Academy - had seen her childish fantasy.
"Motoko-sa… I not only saw, but I'm pretty certain that I fell in LOVE with you that day because of it!" Sho replied earnestly, taking her hands in his. "You gave me back HOPE for the future that day; a hope I wanted to cling to so desperately that I began to sandbag my grades just to be near you for one more day. I even kept a souvenir…" He pointed over to his desk where five stalks of long-dried out bamboo had been lashed together to form a holder for the writing implements there. Motoko blinked in realization that they were the same stalks she herself had cut! "And that's why I chose this to be made for you by the same metalsmiths that Mizuzaki the 27th used to make the ring from our first shared dream…"
Inugami leaned over and gently grabbed a large, squarish, blue jewelry box from his end table. He flipped open the securing clasp but left the lid closed; he wanted to enjoy the look he hoped this would put on her face.
'A REAL gift from Sho-sa..?!' Motoko's mind practically screamed in excitement. 'Not an incidental item like the white ribbon?!'
'Don't keep us in suspense!' Nice practically bubbled in anticipation. 'Open it!!'
Hata lifted the royal blue lid, her jade eyes going wide as she saw the contents.
Naughty moaned. 'Are we SURE we can't go beyond second base yet..? Because holy fuck that's gorgeous!'
Nestled within the box lay a choker that gleamed with a silvery white sheen that could only be platinum - not silver or even white gold - resting in its presentation like a captured moonbeam rendered solid a dark blue velvet "sky". Each of its seven segments evoked the ancient strength of bamboo - those hollow cylinders that bend in typhoons yet refuse to break - translated into the most noble of metals. The craftsman had captured bamboo's essential geometry: smooth, elongated tubes punctuated by swollen nodes, the natural architecture that made the plant both flexible and unbreakable.
The metal caught light differently along each curve. Where the tubes arced widest, the platinum held a mirror-like sheen, reflecting the world in liquid silver. At the nodes, those delicate binding points between segments, the metal gathered into subtle bands, creating shadows that gave the piece depth and rhythm. The major segments circled the throat's circumference, each separated by these nodular joints, creating a syncopated pattern that would pulse gently against the wearer's collarbones with each breath.
Unlike bamboo's organic irregularity, this interpretation embraced precision. Each paired tube on either side of the central one were measured identical in length and diameter, polished to a whisper-smooth finish that promised to warm against skin. The segments weren't merely strung together but architecturally joined, allowing the piece to flex with an almost organic fluidity while maintaining its structural integrity: a collar that could breathe with the body wearing it.
At the nape, a lobster clasp and delicate chain extension offered practical adjustment, though even these utilitarian elements carried the piece's sculptural DNA. The weight would be substantial—platinum dense as ambition—yet the hollow-form construction kept it wearable, a paradox of presence and possibility.
It was jewelry that understood restraint, that knew statement pieces need not shout to command attention.
In short, if one were to distill the essence of Motoko Hata and turn it into a piece of art, it would be this gift before her very eyes, being offered with a look of undying devotion that made the kunoichi's heart race.
"Oh… my… god, Sho-sa!" She breathed, gently lifting the piece from the box to look at it more closely. She had never been one for pieces of jewelry mostly because, while her parents' jobs allowed them to live comfortably, they rarely had extra money for superfluous wants, given the cost of sending her brother and herself to the Academy! "I… I can't even imagine…"
Sho wrapped her in a hug, nuzzling against the back of her neck. A slight eep! of surprise escaped her lips even as she melted in his arms. "I promise not to splurge on showy gifts like this too often, Motoko-sa; I know how humble you are… But I wanted to make a piece that said 'I've missed you so very much and that from now on I'm only ever a thought away... No force on this or any Earth can keep us from being together when you call me.'"
The kunoichi spun in place, heart pounding rapidly, kissing the man of her literal dreams deeply before opening her gi-like top - she'd taken the time to get properly dressed while Inugami had been getting the blood samples - to expose her neckline and the upper swell of her breasts contained within the jade green segmented bra that was the same style as the one she'd worn as part of her River Country disguise. Half of the circular birthmark she carried on the outer side of her left breast was peeking out from under the strap as if beckoning his attention. "Would you, Sho-sa?" She asked, holding out his gift.
"Gladly, my love." He agreed as he undid the clasp and gently rested it on her collarbones around her neck. The choker was loose enough that it didn't pinch, yet tight enough that she could wear it in a fight without worrying about being distracted by it moving. The metal was warm to the touch and it seemed to thrum with its own internal pulse. "There you go, Motoko-sa…"
The swordswoman glanced at herself in the mirror on the medic's door. Somehow, the piece looked as if it had always belonged around her neck, but she just hadn't known it had been missing until this very moment.
"Sho-sa..?" She asked, giving him a look that screamed that their earlier make out session was going to look tame compared to what she now had in mind; Raiden sensing it be damned. "Did you have anything else planned for today?"
'Don't you even start, Ohs.' Inugami ordered his subconscious, which gave the impression of zipping his mouth closed and throwing away the key after locking it.
"I left a note for my sisters saying I'd pick them up at the Academy when class was done today. I know you've already met them, but I'd like to officially introduce you as my girlfriend to Lucia-chan… She's always been close to me; probably because I gave her all the time and attention that used to belong to Obaasan."
Motoko got a slightly guilty look to her features. "Speaking of your grandmother, there's something your mom told your sister and I when I delivered that book you mailed… It's about your grandfather's death and how Saki dealt with her grief."
Sho looked at her silently for a long moment. "It's bad, isn't it? Like in-person-talk-only kind of bad or one of you would have mentioned it before now." Hata nodded hesitantly; opening her mouth to say something only for him to put his finger across her lips. "That's tomorrow's problem, Motoko-sa. For right now, I just want to hold you close and savor us being US until it's time for me to share you with my sisters."
The kunoichi nodded, pressing his back to the bed and curling up beside him. "I'm so happy you're finally home, Sho-sa…" She breathed as she brought her orange-tinted lips to his.
~•~
I Get Knocked Down…
Date: June 25th, 13 years aNb
Days until the Exams begin: 6
Time: 12:30 PM
"I'm just saying Aunt Mebuki and Uncle Kizashi acted really weird compared to Sakura when they opened the gifts I brought back from Kawa City, Kimi…" Nakahito pointed out as they wandered aimlessly through the streets of Konoha on their way to the Hospital to register with Psychiatric Services as they'd agreed to do once they were home.
Kimiko looked at her best friend, seeing the faint look of longing for his princess buried in his features, and feeling slightly guilty for enjoying the fact that everything was finally beginning to feel like normal once again; her and 'Hito, side-by-side, ready to face anything that opposed them! "Maybe it's because you had an A rank mission and got that huge paycheck? I'm pretty sure Kizashi-oji has never done anything higher than a high C or a low B despite being a ninja since before we were born…"
Haruno frowned in thought. C rank missions typically started at 30,000 Ryou; a fifth of what he'd been paid for their most recent mission. "Okay, maybe… I guess giving them each a present nearly worth what Ojisan makes in a typical assignment WAS a little extravagant, but at the same time they've been taking care of me since we lost Mom and Dad two years ago… It felt nice to splurge on the people that matter the most to me." He replied with a secretive smile hinting at the corners of his mouth.
Itou paused, putting her hand on his chest, even as she felt her heart begin to pound in her chest. "Tell me you didn't splurge on me, too, 'Hito… Sure, I wore a lot of fancy things while playing Reiyuriko, but that's not me!"
"Maybe I did… Maybe I didn't…" The young man replied coyly. "I guess you're going to have to wait until your birthday to find out!"
"Nakahi…"
"HEY, KIMI; HITO!" The energetic voice of Naruto Uzumaki shouted from above the duo. The blonde with those odd whisker marks on his cheeks was standing on the literal side of a building, looking down and waiving.
Haruno's eyes widened at what he was seeing. "What the ever-loving fuck..?" It wasn't that Uzumaki was clinging to the building that was weirding him out…
It was the second through tenth Narutos running along the buildings, each operating independently and interacting with the environment that was doing that!
Kimiko's eyes were wide as well as the Naruto that had called out ran towards them. "Sho mentioned that Naruto-kun had learned the Shadow Clone jutsu, but so many..?!"
Itou suddenly found herself enveloped in an orange and blonde hug from the young man she'd spent a number of years in the initial group home for orphans with until her third or fourth year in the Academy when she'd earned the right to her own place. "Welcome home!" Uzumaki said before releasing her and extending his hand to Nakahito for a fist bump, which he reluctantly gave.
There had been little love lost between the two boys - even before Haruno had learned his old crush of Hinata Hyuuga had been interested in the boy currently with ten bodies running around the entire time - but Kimiko cared for Uzumaki like a brother and he didn't like making her upset.
'There was something I needed to do with Naruto-kun when I saw him again…' Kimiko thought, trying to remember what it was. 'He did something before his out-of-country mission…'
"Look out, comin' through!" Raiden Hata shouted as he bounced off of one of the Uzumaki clones, causing it to puff out of existence, as he ran down the thoroughfare.
"Udon, cut him off from the left! Moegi, come at him from the right!" Konohamaru Sarutobi ordered the members of his self-named squad of Academy students as they chased Hata like Akamaru after a juicy bone. "Let's really earn that ramen from Inugami-senpai!"
"Man, if they're chasing him during their lunch period, they've really getting into this whole 'Ambush Raiden Hata for a week' mission White Hair told me he wanted to hire the Konohamaru Corps for…" Uzumaki chuckled as the 8 year olds pounced on Hata from three different directions.
"Wait… Sho is paying the brat pack there to attack his girlfriend's twin brother? In ramen?!" Nakahito's confusion was evident, especially as he noticed that Raiden wasn't fighting back; he seemed to be focused solely on blocking or dodging the kids' taijutsu assault.
"Ichiraku's ramen, no less. He's buying me the next three bottomless bowls for hooking them up!" Naruto pointed out. Then Uzumaki's jaw dropped and he grabbed Nakahito's jacket in shock. "GIRLFRIEND?! Since when has Motoko-chan been White Hair's girlfriend?! And Konohamaru's already beaten Raiden once using the same trick I beat that Closet Pervert the Old Man has as the kid's tutor!"
Itou's eyes widened as Uzumaki's words reminded her of EXACTLY what she'd been waiting months for! "NARUUUUUTO!" She growled angrily.
"Well, I wish I could say it's been nice knowing you, Uzumaki…" Nakahito said as he recognized that tone; taking a quick step back as Hurricane Kimi leapt forward to wrap her hands around the blonde's throat and began squeezing even as she began a tirade about what was - and was NOT - appropriate to teach a highly impressionable eight year old boy.
~•~
But I Get Up Again…
Date: June 25th, 13 years aNb
Days until the Exams begin: 6
Time: 2:50 PM
Sho Inugami was in seventh heaven as he and Motoko Hata did something that, before Mizumiyo Palace and the revelations there, seemed to be an utterly improbable event with ANYONE, let alone the young woman beside him… Walking down the street, hand-in-hand, like a real, NORMAL couple in love. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, to share with her, that he felt a little bit of mental paralysis as he tried to figure out how best to explain.
Although, the fact that she knew of his Demon, yet was still here beside him, was a comfort beyond words.
"Ugh…" Sakura Haruno's voice echoed down a nearby alley. "Honestly, Naruto, how do you end up in situations like this..?"
"Situations like this" - the young couple saw as they paused in their journey to the Academy to look - involved Uzumaki, strung up with razor wire and dangling from a roof, clearly beaten to a pulp with darkening bruises to his throat and the phrase "Ero-senpai," pervy senior student, written in thick ink across his forehead; his protector pulled down to dangle around his neck.
"Should we stop and help her, Sho-sa? I know he's your friend…" The orange-haired kunoichi asked even as Sasuke Uchiha appeared on the roof to cut Naruto free; making a dull, dusty THUD as he hit the ground.
Inugami chuckled, shaking his head. "It looks like his team's already on it…" He leaned in close so that Team 7 wouldn't hear his voice down the alley. "...and that's Kimi's handwriting on Whiskers' face. She's been waiting months for this; I'm not going to shortcut her savoring teaching Uzumaki a lesson by patching him up too quickly…"
Motoko was still giggling softly about Uzumaki's situation as they reached the Academy a few minutes later, where they joined the group of parents waiting for the release of their children. A few of the parents did double-takes as they saw Inugami - not just because it had been a while since he'd been there for Lucia, but because he was accompanied by such a gorgeous looking young woman! Hata felt her cheeks warm as she was introduced to the others as his girlfriend and she smiled shyly to the adults.
The bell rang and before long all the parents had collected the kids, leaving the teens alone. "Lucia's a lot like Mom; she's probably distracted by some interesting insect one of the Aburame kids brought in for Show and Tell." He told Motoko as they waited. "Karin will probably bring her out shortly."
"Well, well…" A familiar voice said with a chuckle. "If it's not my most recent #3 kunoichi - who probably would have been tied for #1 if I'd been allowed to factor her kenjutsu skill into her matriculation grid - and the stunning sandbagger; welcome home, Sho-kun."
"Good afternoon, Iruka-sensei!" Hata replied with her ever-a-proper-lady bow while Inugami gave his usual must-you-always-be-an-ass? nod. "How are you?"
"A little annoyed; it's never pleasant having to deal with the remedial education students that proved themselves unsuitable to be full Genin after graduating to begin with - they're whinier than Naruto when given a frustrating D rank mission." The younger duo both smirked; they were very familiar with Uzumaki's propensity for complaints. "The fact that Gin Kukina set off a series of miniature explosive tags earlier still has my ears ringing hasn't helped my mood…"
The two recent graduates nodded. Team 5 had briefly consisted of Hiro Jeitsy, Akkiko Roa, and Gin Kukina under a Jonin named Touya Ikinso, but - as with many of the would-be Genin this year - they'd failed their Jonin's bell test and had been sent back to the Academy. Those students would have one final year to prove themselves or be scrubbed from the primary ninja program. If that happened, they could either transfer to one of the programs in one of the secondary Villages - requiring them to move away from Konoha - or just accept that being a ninja was not in their future.
'Jeitsy will be all right if that happens; he'll just become a non-combatant medical researcher like Kikosharu-ba. Roa will undoubtedly find some work as a nature guide or non-ninja guard away from people so she doesn't have to worry about her chakra defect injuring anyone if it accidentally triggers. Kukina, on the other hand, will probably end up in jail or dead from his constant pestering of Roa because he just won't get the hint that she's not interested in him.'
"So, I know what brings Sho here, but what are you..?" Umino began to ask, his voice trailing off as he noticed Hata's hand holding onto Inugami's. A slow, "I'm happy for you" smile split his face, parallel to the scar he'd gotten the night of the Kyuubi attack. "I see…" His eyebrows arched at the medic-nin in an unspoken question.
Sho Inugami actually had the decency to blush in embarrassment as he nodded to the man that had been his primary instructor through their years at the Academy. Motoko Hata merely squeezed his hand happily as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"If you're done making my Genin feel self-conscious about letting you think he hadn't been learning, Iruka…" Miho Hyuuga said, slightly breathlessly as she appeared beside the Chuunin-level instructor. Her cheeks were slightly red as if her thoughts were embarrassing her. "You and I have somewhere to be…"
Confusion crossed Umino's features. This was clearly news to him! "We do, Miho-chan? Did I miss a mess…" His voice suddenly cut off as the Jonin leaned in, her wine purple lips whispering something in her former teammate's ear, as one of her hands gripped his waist tenderly… Almost possessively. His eyes widened and his jaw unhinged slightly. "Right, somewhere to be!" The two senior ninja disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"That was… weird, right, Sho-sa?" The swordswoman asked, confusion evident in her features. "Where could they have to be so urgently?" Sho chuckled slightly, his head turned towards the east because he'd seen enough of their movement to realize where they were going. Her green eyes looked at her boyfriend curiously. "What am I missing?"
"Miho-sensei's house is on the edge of the Hyuuga zone, just a few blocks from my place…" The white-haired teen pointed out gently.
"And..?" The orange-haired kunoichi asked, having not spent enough time around Miho Hyuuga to have picked up on the whole story of the two.
"And they're NOT going to stop where we did, Motoko-sa..." The medic replied simply.
Hata's face went beet red in under a tenth of a second as, through her connection to Sho, she heard Imaguni Ohs make a > Boom chika wow wow < noise that was clearly filled with sexual inuendo. "SHO-SA!!" She gasped aloud in shock.
"What..?! Nii-san and Miss Momo?!" The voice of a slightly devastated little girl gasped as Karin and Lucia Inugami chose that moment to arrive.
> Oops, that's my bad… < Sho's subconscious apologized, giving the impression of slapping a thick layer of duct tape across his mouth.
The youngest Inugami rounded on her older sister. "And you already knew! Not doubting that Nii-san and whoever he went to see wouldn't mind him staying there forever!" The other three winced as the tears of someone who felt she was losing one of the cornerstones of her young reality began dribbling from her expressive brown eyes. "Chto govorit brat, voruyushchaya shlyukha?!" She shouted angrily at Motoko.
"Eto KRAYNE neume…!" Sho began to chide his baby sister, only to have Motoko gently put her finger across his lips. Lucia's eyes went wide as her brother, always an unstoppable force in her mind, cut himself off at the kunoichi's unspoken command.
Hata knelt down to put herself at eye level with the youngest kunoichi, smiling at her. "YA ne... kradu, Lyusiya-tyan…" She spoke in halting, but proper Roshsyan. Lucia's eyes became as big as dinner plates; she'd never heard anyone but the family speak Anastasia's native tongue. "YA khochu... podelit'sya. Eto... normal'no?"
"Obeshchayesh'?" The seven year old asked hesitantly. "You mean it?"
Motoko gave the girl a gentle smile. "You are a massive part of what makes your brother who he is; what I love about him… I would no sooner be able to take your brother from you than Karin-chan could take my brother from me."
Karin's face screwed up in confusion. "Why would I WANT to? Raiden's a lunatic; Tetsuro is so much…" She clapped a hand over her mouth.
Sho looked back and forth between his sister and girlfriend. "Munchkin?" The white-haired medic took a spot by his baby sister, "Do you ever feel like you're missing out on something important?"
Lucia Inugami looked at her brother, her face taking on a scowl that she'd seen on his a number of times. "Why, no, Nii-san… I've NEVER felt that way before." She growled while she gestured to Motoko.
Her brother gave her a long, hard look. Lucia stared right back unflinching. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "My baby sister's first surgically precise sarcastic counterstrike with emotional shrapnel!" He sniffled. "I swore I wasn't gonna cry when it happened, but I never expected to be the target."
Motoko and Karin looked at each other. "Are you SURE you want him, Motoko-nee? He's really weird, you know…"
Hata giggled. "I think I'll take my chances."