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tipsyraconteur · 6 years ago

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Good Boy, Part 3

And the fluff just keeps coming. I’ve added a rating belatedly, so sorry to anyone that was hoping smut was going to come out of this. SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED FLUFF AND DOGS, OKAY?!

Good Boy, Part 3

KakaSaku Coffee Shop AU

Rating: T

Word Count: ~1.9k

[ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ]

“Large triple vanilla latte, one quad shot, and two triple café mochas. Is that everything?” Sakura asked the group of tired-looking students in front of her. They all nodded their assent. “That’ll be $18.56.” She made change for a twenty and gave them all a bright smile. “I’ll have those ready in just a moment.”

As she moved to the hot bar to begin preparing the drinks, Sakura held back a sigh. It had been another long day, and she was more than ready for the steady stream of customers to slow down. It was almost dinnertime, though, so she hoped that once she worked through the current queue of customers, things would slow down.

The next twenty minutes passed in a blur of cheerful greetings and drink making and money exchanging hands. When she had only three people left to serve, she heard the tinkle of the bell above the door and called out her customary “Welcome to Konoha Grind!”, only to see a familiar head of disheveled silver hair poke through the door.

Sakura’s stomach did a little flip as he smiled at her, and she smiled back as she wrote an order on a cup. He was wearing his usual dog-approved backpack, but he also had a laptop case slung over his shoulder, and a leash—no, three leashes—in one hand. Sakura bit her lip against a giggle as Shiba and two other dogs followed him in. How many dogs did he have?

By the time she finished serving all of the other customers besides Kakashi, he’d settled himself at one of the larger empty tables and appeared to be completely focused on whatever he was looking at on his laptop. Busying herself once more, Sakura made a medium flat white and four small cups of whipped cream, and then approached the table, somehow managing to hold all five cups by stacking the small ones.

She grinned a little to herself as she took in the scene before her. Kakashi had his laptop in front of him, with several different sets of papers and a notebook arrayed around him. Pakkun sat resolutely in the seat beside him, his flat little face just barely peeking up over the edge of the table. Shiba and the new dogs all lay arrayed under the table at Kakashi’s feet. Sakura chuckled to herself as she noticed Kakashi squinting while a pair of folded glasses lay unused on the table beside him.

“You know, wearing those would probably be a lot more effective than leaving them on the table,” she said with humor in her voice as she set the flat white beside him.

Blinking as he drew his attention away from the screen, Kakashi looked up at her, and then to the glasses she was referring to. “Right,” he said, picking them up and unfolding them in order to put them on. “I take them off sometimes because they make my ears hurt.”

Finding herself inwardly musing about how cute some men looked in glasses, Sakura’s smile widened. “You could get them adjusted if they’re uncomfortable,” she suggested for lack of anything better to say.

A sudden weight resting on her foot distracted her, and Sakura looked down to see one of the yet-to-be-introduced dogs decisively sitting on it. He looked up at her, prodding at her hand with a wet nose and looking at her with big solemn eyes. Sakura immediately began stroking his head, smiling. The dog responded by letting out a sigh and leaning against her leg.

Kakashi had a fond grin on his face as he leaned back away from his laptop. “That’s Uhei.”

“He’s really interesting looking,” Sakura said, noting his broad face and long, slender body. “Do you know what breed he is?”

“My best guess is some mix of bull terrier and greyhound. Pakkun’s the only purebred that I have,” Kakashi replied.

Sakura began to scratch behind Uhei’s ears and the dog let out a contented groan. She laughed.

“He really likes you,” Kakashi said in a warm tone.

Sakura looked up, meeting his eyes, and they smiled at each other. “I like him too,” she replied. They looked at each other a moment longer before Sakura got embarrassed and changed the subject. Holding her hand out, she made grabby fingers. “Treats please.”

While he rummaged in the pouch clipped to his pocket, she gently moved Uhei off her foot and crouched down to look under the table. “Who’s the other new guy?” she said, eyeing the smaller brown floppy-eared dog sitting quietly by Kakashi’s feet.

“That’s Bisuke. He’s a little shy, but he’s friendly.”

“Hi Bisuke,” Sakura said softly, encouraged by the slow wagging of the dog’s tail. “You’ll let me give you a treat, won’t you?” She gave a treat to Shiba first, who happily gobbled it up. Holding out her hand, palm up, she offered a treat to Bisuke without leaning any closer. He eventually crept just far enough toward her to take the treat from her hand and then retreat to his master’s side while crunching on it. Sakura beamed.

Beside her, Uhei let out another groan that turned into a whine. Kakashi laughed. “You can’t just make him fall in love with you and then give other dogs treats.”

“It’s not my fault,” Sakura countered in a singsong voice as she patted Uhei on the head and gave him his treat. “I can’t help it. I’m irresistible to good boys.”

Kakashi paused in the action of giving Pakkun his treat, the corner of his mouth quirking as he quietly murmured, “Indeed.”

Sakura felt a little thrill go through her. She felt like she kept losing her footing; one minute they’d be talking about dogs, and the next they were flirting. At least, she was 99% certain it was flirting—she wasn’t very practiced at it. Unsure what to do next, she found herself changing the subject again. “What kind of work are you doing, anyway?”

“I’m a freelance writer,” he answered. “I do a lot of work for online publications. Right now, though, I’m just catching up on email,” he continued with a bored sigh, eyes flicking to the laptop. “It’s not very interesting, but it has to be done. I thought I’d do it here and give you some company,” he finished, his gaze returning to her.

Sakura stood, patting Uhei again. “You won’t hear me complain. It always gets slow this time of night, and kind of lonely.” Pausing for a moment, a little awkwardly, she finally said, “I should get back to work, and let you get back to your emails.”

“Just let me know when you need us to get out of your hair. Oh, and here’s what I owe for my drink. You can keep the change.” Pulling out his billfold, he handed her a few bills, his eyes creasing in another smile. Thanking him, Sakura gave Uhei one last pat before returning to the counter.

For the next hour and a half, Sakura kept herself busy. The occasional customer would float in and she’d take care of them with her usual brisk efficiency and friendly smile. When there were no customers, she’d work on her closing duties, beginning with shutting down and cleaning the half of the hot bar that she could get away with closing before the end of the night. Kakashi mostly stayed focused on his laptop, pausing at one point to feed each pup their puppuccino, but one time she’d caught him smiling at her while she was humming to herself. She’d blushed, knowing she was pretty tone deaf, and stuck her tongue out at him before returning to wiping the counters.

Having finished all of the pre-cleaning that she could behind the counter, she soon moved out to the main part of the shop. Uhei perked up when he saw her, picking his loose leash up in his mouth and moving to follow her. Kakashi looked up long enough to ask if the dog was being a bother, but Sakura waved him off, happily letting the dog follow her around as she refilled napkin containers and wiped down tables.

When there were only a few minutes left until the shop was closed, she approached Kakashi’s table again and lightly drummed her fingers on the table to get his attention. When he blinked up at her, looking a little worn out, she smiled and jingled the keys she held in her hand. “I have to lock the doors soon. You should probably give yourself a break, anyway.”

He gave a quiet laugh. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He closed his laptop decisively and began to gather his things and put them in his laptop bag. “Thanks for letting me camp out tonight.”

“Usually there are one or two people who come to hang out, but if you hadn’t been here tonight I’d have been completely alone for most of it.” She chewed on her lip for a moment before adding, “I really do appreciate you bringing these guys in and cheering me up. It’s nice of you.”

Raising his brows, he affected a nonchalant manner. “You say that like I’m showing up with a steadily increasing number of dogs just to see you smile.” His lips curved into a lazy smirk. “That would be insane.”

Sakura ducked her head a little, feeling her face heat up. “You’re an idiot,” she said, trying for a scowl and smiling instead.

He laughed in a slightly cocky way, as if to imply that she liked that he was an idiot, and set about lifting Pakkun into his bag. Soon he stood and slung both bags over his shoulders. Sakura busied herself by gathering the ends of all of the leashes, handing them to Kakashi when he’d adjusted his bags into a comfortable position. After giving the table a once-over to make sure he didn’t leave anything behind, he moved toward the door, and Sakura followed.

“I’ll be here again tomorrow night if you need somewhere to work,” she commented lightly as she opened the door for him and his mob of dogs.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Pausing, Kakashi gave her a long look.

“What?” she said with a laugh, feeling self-conscious.

“Hold still.” Reaching out his free hand, he ran his fingers lightly through the candy-colored strands of hair that framed her face. A small smile curled his lips.

“Do I have something in my hair?” Sakura asked, imagining streaks of whipped cream and coffee grounds.

“…Nope.” Letting her hair slide from his fingers, he grinned at her, his scarred eyelid dropped in a quick wink. “Have a good night Sakura.”

Cheeks burning, mouth slightly ajar, Sakura watched him turn and walk toward the parking lot. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Stop making me blush!”

She heard him laugh, and over his shoulder he called, “Not a chance. See you tomorrow.”

A little stunned, she stepped back and swung the door shut, locking it before letting her forehead rest against the cool wood. Her laugh, when it came, was breathy and echoed warmly in the empty shop.

#kakasaku #my stories #coffee shop AU #good boy #STILL NEEDS MOAR DOGS #tipsyraconteur

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sosaidthedragon · 7 years ago

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Oshogastu

(In honor of it being the new year, have a sappy, somewhat New Year’s themed one shot. Oshogatsu, by the way, is the Japanese New Year holiday/festival.)

Guy X OC

Rated E

For three days, Konoha was home to one of the world’s largest New Year’s festivals. Tourists flocked to the village from all over not only the Land of Fire, but other neighboring countries, in order to enjoy the specialty foods and festivities the village had become famous for over the years. Genin decorated homes with beautiful ornaments and strung warm, decorative lights throughout the main thoroughfares, where merchants rented storefronts or opened stalls to ply their wares.

Mitsume hadn’t been able to attend the festival since her days in the Academy. It seemed fate always conspired to see to it she was away on a mission of one sort or another whenever the holiday came around, returning home in time to see the vendors packing up and genin cleaning trash off the streets. For once, however, she had managed to avoid being saddled with any such mission – largely because Tsunade hadn’t cleared her to return to active duty, but she was free, nonetheless.

Unexpectedly, Guy was as well. He had actually been given a week long mission to the Land of Waves, however, Kakashi had kindly volunteered to take the escort mission instead, claiming he was going stir crazy after two weeks in the hospital himself. Even Tsunade had realized what he was doing, and once he and Guy – who was sobbing and thanking his rival for his sacrifice – had finally left her office, she had handed Mitsume a few ryo to buy Kakashi some sweets for his return, since he would have to leave before the festival actually started.

The hardest part about getting ready was prying Guy away from his rival, which took not only Mitsume but Lee, Neji, and Naruto - after Lee stopped crying about how beautiful it was for Kakashi to give Guy the opportunity to spend New Years with his loved ones, anyway. She still had the kimono her mother gave her a couple of years ago, the one made of dark purple silk, that she hadn’t yet had an occasion to wear, hanging in a clothing bag in her closet, beside the montsuki hakama Guy tended to forget he owned. She briefly thought about trying to get him to wear it, but it was a bit too formal for a festival, and it was generally not a good idea for Guy to not wear pants in public.

They had both learned that one the hard way – four years later and they still weren’t allowed back to that restaurant. Or that bath house.

It was really just better for everyone if he wore his jumpsuit.

After a fair bit of struggling to get everything to lay properly, she stepped out into the living room, where Guy was waiting. His hands were tucked behind his back, and his cheeks had a suspicious red tint to them – combined with the fact he was staring at his feet told her he was up to something. She would have thought that, after four years together and nearly ten more of him chasing her, he would have gotten over being shy about something as simple as giving her a gift, but he still acted exactly as he had that first time he asked her out in the school yard when they were kids.

He lifted his eyes briefly, looking her over from toe to head, his tan face growing even darker before his gaze traveled swiftly back to the floor, and his hands suddenly shot forward. Held tightly in one fist was a boquet of flowers, their stems half-crushed by the pressure – anemone, lavender, and forge-me-not blossoms were among the ones she recognized immediately, though there were several more she couldn’t immediately identify. In the other he held a piece of paper, folded into a lover’s knot, or what one looked like after a nervous Might Guy held onto it for too long.

“Arara,” She drawled in surprise, carefully tugging the items free. “What’s this now?”

Laying the flowers down on the table, she carefully unfolded the note, revealing the poem on the inside. It didn’t quite look like Guy’s handwriting, mostly because it was actually legible, and there was a wiggling in the lines that almost made it look like he’d been trembling when he wrote it.

Passionate heart

Soft touch of a flower

In its fullest bloom

For a moment, she wracked her brain to try and remember if she had ever heard that particular haiku before, but no author sprang to mind. Curious if he had put the author at the bottom, she unfolded the bottom seam, only for something to tumble out. She caught it without thinking, not quite recognizing the small, round item in her hand by sensation alone, but before she could figure it out, Guy stole all of her attention.

“I wrote that.”

Guy still had his head bowed down, fists clenched and trembling at his sides. He was clearly uncomfortable, eyes screwed up tightly so he wouldn’t accidentally look at her, something he only ever did when he was about to do or say something he was seriously worried someone wouldn’t approve of.

“Back in the academy,” He continued. “When Joben-sensei asked me to deliver some forms to Keitaro-sensei, I saw a girl, sitting in the front row of his class, and she was so beautiful I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I didn’t know her name, but I knew the moment I saw her, she was the only one I would ever want to be with. So I promised myself, if I didn’t confess to her the next day, I would do three hundred laps around the school yard, and I wrote that poem intending to give it to her. But I lost my nerve, so while I was running those laps, I promised myself if I didn’t confess the next day, I would do three hundred and ten laps around the school yard.”

She could remember that day clearly, although she never much thought about it. Keitaro-sensei had been droning on, as he so often did, and she had begun to drift off, listing off everything she could be doing that was more worthwhile than listening to Keitaro-sensei’s endless monologue. She hadn’t even noticed an upperclassman had entered the room, until Keitaro-sensei started telling him off for getting distracted, and she only managed to briefly glimpse a boy in a bright green jumpsuit fleeing the room as fast as he could manage.

“Although I did find the strength to confess, I was never strong enough to give her that poem, not even after she returned my affection. I’ve carried that note in my pocket every day since then, for almost twenty years, trying to work up the nerve. This morning, I made myself a promise that today would be the day I would finally give her that poem.”

As he finished speaking, she turned her hand upward and looked at the item she had caught. It was a ring, with a band made of silver and gold that swirled together like the marks in a wooden board, with a single, almost flower shaped diamond. Just as she began to comprehend what she was seeing, Guy’s massive hands took hold of hers, and pulled them towards his chest as he dropped onto one knee. He had apparently lost his battle with his tears, because they streamed heavily down his face, though he had finally managed to open his eyes, staring at her with obvious determination.

“Kedamonoshu Mitsume, please, do me the great honor of saying you’ll marry me.”

After a little more than a week on the road, Kakashi was relieved to see the familiar skyline of Konoha appear at before him. Hands in his pockets, he slowly made his way towards his apartment, taking every back road he knew of to avoid his students so he could get some much needed rest. This route just so happened to take him past the training grounds his “eternal rival’s” girlfriend often used with her genin squad, and he stopped to watch for a few moments as she put the kids through their paces, much to their displeasure.

Judging by the sweat, scratches, and general wear and tear, they’d been running drills since early that morning. The fact none of them had collapsed into an exhausted heap begging for a merciful death, however, told him she was probably in a good mood, though her scowl would have made most people think otherwise. She spotted him across the field, and motioned him to come over, something he did with great reluctance and a heavy sigh – he could just keep going, but then she would probably just sick her genin on him, and he’d spend the next week dealing with the little demons annoying him in unfathomable ways.

Some of his underwear were still pink, and he had yet to find a certain novel from his collection – he suspected it wasn’t so much hidden as one of the boys on her team had taken it and wasn’t about to give it back, but he had yet to figure out which one.

“How was your mission?” She asked conversationally, never taking her eyes off her students.

“Ah, pretty quiet, actually. We saw a few bandits on the road, but that’s about it. Did you enjoy the festival?”

“Yeah, it was pretty nice. Guy won a goldfish – we let Lee pick the name.”

“What did he decide?”

“Hire, The Great Hot-Blooded Golden Fish of Konoha.”

He resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment, and instead just rolled his lips between his teeth and gave a short series of affirmative grunts. She seemed to know exactly what was going through his mind, the corner of her lip twitching as she fought a smile, before she changed the subject, reaching into one of her inner vest pockets. She produced a large but thin boxes, which was wrapped in a bright blue piece of fabric, which was littered with an obnoxious number of cartoon cats. It was tied off with a bright yellow ribbon, and festooned with what he suspected was actually a hair tie, with a plastic white cat face attached to it.

“Here. Guy made sure we got all your favorites. We even got some specialty dog treats for Pakkun and the other ninken.”

Absolutely not to his surprise, the jubako itself was also primarily decorated with cats – even less surprising was the fact that nearly every cake and candy had been painstakingly carved or shaped into cat faces or paw prints. Silently contemplating his revenge, he snapped the lid back on the box, tied it back together, and stuck it into his pocket before accepting the three other smaller, plain packages.

As he did so, he caught a glimmer out of the corner of his eye. Although her focus was on her students, there was no question she had noticed his stare, as the smile she had been resisting finally broke through, tilting the corners of her mouth. Not unexpectedly, this mild display of emotion in front of her students immediately made her uncomfortable, and she slugged him in the arm as she walked towards the trio, who had apparently decided it was time to stand up to their sensei by sitting down.

“By the way, you might want to swing by the bookstore on your way home.”

“What did you do now?”

“I didn’t do anything. Guy, on the other hand, may have gotten wind that the ninja who so kindly gave up the opportunity to enjoy the New Year’s festival for his benefit has a little crush on a certain red-headed employee. He’s gotten it into his head that the best way to thank this kindly ninja for his help is to set the two of them up on a date.”

“You monster.”

“The new year is a time for change, Hatake. Besides – Guy and Lee worked really hard on that banner.”

#maito gai #maito guy #might guy #might gai #might guy x oc #your friendly neighborhood dragon #happy new year you beautiful bastards #Beasts of the leaf collection #Naruto one shot collection #Sensei collection #Leaf village collection

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modernart2012 · 7 years ago

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Of Charms and Older Siblings (Shovel Remix)

@sumigakure Halloween Event 2017

Prompt 2: Harry Potter/ Hogwarts AU

Word Count: 1380

Rating: T (for safety)

On AO3

“Kankuro, why are we doing this.” Gaara followed his older brother as Kankuro crept through the halls. He didn’t know why Kankuro was trying to be stealthy - Kankuro had cast a “Don’t Notice Me” Charm when they set out from the Great Hall, and no amount of noise would make anyone not using the counter Charm notice them.

“It’s the principle of the matter.” Kankuro peeked around the corner evaluating the corridor for something. Who even knew what. “What if that smart aleck Ravenclaw figures out we’re headed up this way and flees? We’d have to chase him down and that’d alert everyone and then we’d all have detention.”

“Didn’t you put a Tracking Charm on him when you brushed up against him this morning?” Gaara could be playing Exploding Snap right now with Naruto, or raiding the kitchens for ramen and manju, but no. He had to follow his brother because of a matter involving their sister, and “family is important”. Not that it wasn’t true, but where do you draw the line at who was important? Uncle Yashamaru is family! But Uncle Yashamaru had frowned when Kankuro came over to the Hufflepuff table during dinner, and Uncle Yashamaru had the best hugs (after Mother) and was not to be disappointed because then he made sad faces and wanted to talk instead of giving hugs on request. It was a tragedy, but family and this is why he’s going to get sad faces and tea instead of hugs and Gaara really hopes Kankuro appreciates the sacrifices he’s making here.

Also, Holy Helga, please let it be so that Temari never finds out about this otherwise they are dead. Murdered. Thrown off the Astronomy Tower. Mostly Kankuro, because family or not Gaara can and will plead innocence because he still has no idea what they’re doing anywhere near Ravenclaw Tower stalking another second year. Dueling Club is just a club, they don’t need to worry about a match that had ended weirdly. Gaara wondered why he had to have such incomprehensible siblings, but then remembered the weirdo Slytherin Sasuke Uchiha and concluded that all siblings must be weird on principle. It still wasn’t fair though. Is there a Sibling Exchange Agency where he can get new (sane) siblings? Maybe he should ask Professor Sarutobi, he knew about everything. He also had the best stash of candy, but that wasn’t the most important thing.

“Look, magic isn’t infallible Gaara. If you don’t have the skills to back up your magic talents, then it’s all a waste. Which is why you need to learn to hold a conversation and step out of your shell; otherwise, you can be the most talented wizard in the whole world but everyone will overlook you because they’ll think you’re antisocial and/or a psychopath.”

“But I’m a Hufflepuff?” Hufflepuffs were known as friendly and kind, right? Why would anyone think he was a psychopath. Kankuro was probably the psychopath, they’d passed up and down this same hall 5 times at least.

Kankuro stared at him for a long moment, bewildered, then sighed the sigh of the long-suffering. Gaara suspected that was a Slytherin thing, since almost all the Slytherins he knew had that sigh. “It doesn’t matter right now. The stupid little deer is headed this way.”

“I thought Ravenclaws were eagles?” Okay, maybe that one was on purpose; Gaara was sure his ‘impeccable poker face’ meant that Kankuro had no idea if he was serious or not.

Whatever response Kankuro would’ve given was overtaken by Kankuro pouncing and sticking a black bag over Shikamaru’s head, then dragging him through a door that hadn’t been there before. Must be like the pear you had to tickle to get to the kitchens. Gaara followed

Kankuro roughly pushed Shikamaru into a chair that was smack in the middle of a bright spot of light. The ropes laid loosely around the base of the chair snapped into place instantly, holding Shikamaru fast. “Lumos.” Kankuro yanked off the bag, and shone the light from his wand in Shikamaru’s face. “We wanted to talk to you you scrawny baby deer.”

“Fawn.” Shikamaru blinked rapidly in the face of such a sudden light change. It couldn’t be comfortable.

“What.”

“A baby deer is a fawn.” Gaara helpfully explicated. Professor Uchiha and Professor Hatake let Naruto (and him!) play with the less dangerous animals from Care of Magical Creatures and the dogs - such good dogs! - on weekends. Gaara had learned a lot about animals, magical and not. Pakkun had the softest paws.

Kankuro covered his face with his free hand and groaned. “Sweet Salazar. Whatever, please just tell me you brought the thing I left in the greenhouses?”

Gaara reached into his satchel and pulled it out. It had been weird to get, especially since Gaara had to chase it, fight it, and subdue it with food and a dazing spell before he could meet up with Kankuro. He had no idea why Kankuro wanted it, but since it had been an absolute terror fully awake, Gaara could kind of see it.

Kankuro and Shikamaru blinked blankly at the tanuki Gaara had fished out. It was just shaking off the effects of the spell - Gaara had made the spell purposefully weak, since he hadn’t wanted to hurt it - and growling and lashing its tail and claws about cutely. Gaara pet it between its cute ears.

“That isn’t the sharpened shovel I left in the greenhouses.” Kankuro stated baldly.

“Why would you want a sharpened shovel?” Were shovels even meant to be sharpened?

“This is a shovel talk that was supposed to have a real shovel but has a crazy tanuki instead.” Shikamaru summarized. “Well, I have to say this is original.”

“Ugh, you know what, just pass me the tanuki. It seems wild enough to be a good threat.” Gaara dutifully handed over the tanuki to Kankuro, where it promptly went bonkers and bit the hell out of his hand. “Oh, sweet merciful Merlin!” Kankuro dropped the tanuki onto Shikamaru, who hissed when the tanuki swiped at Shikamaru’s chest. Then the tanuki skittered back to Gaara. He picked up the tanuki and cradled it close. It was still hissing, but wasn’t biting. Gaara thought it was progress. “Why do you even have the tanuki if it’s such a crazy bastard?” Kankuro babied his freely bleeding palm, inspecting the cuts. “It could have rabies!”

Shikamaru looked over the tanuki, the announced, “It probably doesn’t have rabies.” Then he stared at Kankuro’s hand and the cuts slowly stopped bleeding and closed.

“You know wandless magic?” Kankuro stared.

“Yeah, but it’s such a pain.” Shikamaru shrugged off the ropes and idly rubbed his head. “It’s just easier to do wand magic for now. Anyways, Gaara, are you going to keep the tanuki?”

Gaara looked up from where he was gently mashing a boiled egg he had taken from supper in order to feed the tanuki. “I think I’ll call it Shukaku. Isn’t he sweet?” Shukaku hissed and gnawed on his fingers, drawing blood.

Kankuro and Shikamaru exchange Looks. “Sure, let’s go with that.” Kankuro banished his wand light and opened the door. “So, uh, this was supposed to be a ‘hurt our sister and we hurt you’ talk but it’s failed to go to plan, so lets call it even? Just, uh, be careful of Temari. She’s got a temper.”

“Sure, we’ll be even if you’ll teach me that Don’t Notice Me Charm and the Counter Charm.”

“Counter Charm for wandless magic.” Both parties took the deal as fair, and shook on it. Gaara stepped out into the corridor and watched them walk back to their respective dormitories, and then watched as his sister stepped out of a hidden passage further down the way.

“Did you stop Kankuro from terrorizing Shikamaru for no reason?” Temari scowled from under her cloak hood. Why a cloak was necessary in late summer, Gaara couldn’t fathom. It didn’t matter either way, as long as Temari paid up; he held his hand out and received the promised item. A full bag of Honeyduke’s chocolate, the assorted variety with nuts and caramel truffle fillings. He stuck the bag into his satchel and bid his sister farewell. Tonight had been a good night.

#sumigakure halloween event 2017 #prompt 2: harry potter/ hogwarts AU #sand siblings #shovel talk #art writes

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ladyiceflame-blog · 7 years ago

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An Inconvenient Wedding:

Chapter Thirteen: The Undeniable Truth

Naruto glowered at the entry to Team Seven’s shared tent, determined to pounce on his sensei the moment he chose to reappear, and demand that this wedding be stopped. The young genin had taken an instant liking to the high-spirited Frost kunoichi, but after learning of their possible blood ties, mere liking had developed into fiercer protective instincts. “Are you going to stare at that tent-flap all night?” Sasuke demanded, as he stoically endured Sakura’s first-aid. She’d put a salve on his cut lip, a bandage wrap on his slightly skinned knee, and was currently putting a medicated gauze pad on a small scratch she’d found on his forearm. “Yes!” Naruto returned hotly. “You’ll be waiting all night, then,” Sakura warned. “He’s going to go to that big party, like all the other adult shinobi. We’ll be on our own tonight...minding the Daimyo...” Naruto growled in frustration. “This stinks! Kaka-sensei needs to know about those scrolls! And Hinata-chan’s cousin! Aunty-Priestess-Knockout-sama is in danger, and we can’t let her marry this skeevy guy!” “Did you just call the Lady Ice Flame...‘aunty’?” Sasuke smirked. “Yeah!” Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head. “Her mother’s last name was Uzumaki, wasn’t it?! I’m entitled!” “You can’t know that she’s directly related to you by that fact alone,” Pakkun explained. “The Uzumaki clan was scattered long ago, and their most dependable genealogy records were destroyed along with Uzushiogakure.” “There were many Uchiha who share a name, but no blood kin. Hyuga are the same,” Sasuke explained. “I don’t care!” Naruto cut them all off. “Priestess Knock-out is the only other Uzumaki I’ve ever seen, so I will claim her! Even if what you say is true.” There was a small pause for adjusted feelings before Naruto bolted from his cot, and began to put on his shoes, announcing his latest plan: “Time to crash the party!” “No you don’t, pup!” Pakkun barked, and bit onto the toe of his shoe, tugging it out of his hand. “Kakashi-san told me to keep my eye on all of you, so you’ll be staying right here!” “What if I need to go to the bathroom...?” Naruto asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Then I’ll get a leash, and take you for ‘walkies’....” Pakkun riposted. Sakura laughed. Even Sasuke hid a chuckle behind a sudden need to cough. Naruto huffed, clearly not amused, and sullenly plopped back down onto his cot. “Am I the only one who really cares about her around here?!?” “That’s a dumb question, even for you,” Sasuke returned. “This entire campground cares about her! Even this Asaito person, for the moment, at least. Its highly unlikely that he’d do anything to harm her when he wants to marry her tomorrow.” “That’s a valid point, Sasuke,” Sakura concurred, as she moved to sit by Pakkun. “Miriyume-sama is safe. Perhaps safer than she’s ever been in her life. Brides are always the most important guest at a wedding.” “Anyone who dares attack her will be torn apart,” Sasuke added. “She is the Queen of the Moment, until...” “–Until..?” Naruto pressed. “Until she says her vow, and becomes Asaito’s wife. Then she is beholden to his wishes.” Sakura shuddered. Naruto scowled. “Not. Happening!” the Uzumaki declared. “When is the ceremony supposed to start tomorrow?” Sakura asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. “Then we’d better wake up really early, then, before anyone else does, and talk to Old Man Hokage, the Daimyo, Knock Out-sama’s Mom....anyone who can help us,” Naruto suggested. “Then we should all get some sleep while we can,” Sasuke continued. “What a wonderful idea,” their sensei chirped agreement, as he, quite suddenly, rushed into the tent, causing even Pakkun to jump slightly. Kakashi was carrying a large, covered platter for some reason. “Kaka-sensei!” Naruto exclaimed, as he recovered from his fallen cot. “Asaito and his monk are total creeps! Believe it! Hinata-chan said that they were sleezing up on one of her cousins!” “‘Sleezing,’ you say....?” Kakashi echoed, setting the tray on a table. “We saw scrolls that listed women from all over,” Sakura chimed in, “Like some kind of kunoichi Bingo Book!” Kakashi arched a silver eyebrow at her mention of that particular, obscure publication. Anbu’s Most Wanted List was hardly common knowledge.... “Who told you about the Bingo Book?” Kakashi demanded. Sasuke commandeered his attention with more interesting news: “All of Asaito’s guards are generously paid mercenaries, who are all petrified of their employer...and that monk.” “...and the monk smells of foul magic and unwholesome intent,” Pakkun added. “Sounds like the reconnaissance went well,” Kakashi congratulated. “So, I believe that you’ve earned this....” lifting the lid from the platter, revealing three bowl of ice cream, topped with the most tantalizing candied apples that the genin had ever encountered. “What is that?!?” Naruto enjoined, already drooling. “A very special dessert from the Land of Frost called, ‘Fire on the Iceberg’,” Kakashi answered, as he blocked Pakkun from sniffing their exact contents. “I asked the cooking-nin to make it....just for you.” The genin each took a bowl and began to eagerly eat. Sakura squeeled in unabashed delight. “These apples are so warm...and cinnamony! Its like eating an autumn evening by fireplace!” “It does call autumn immediately to mind....” Sasuke agreed, trying to analyze the taste. “It reminds me a lot of the cider my one cousin...used to make...” Pakkun huffed, and continued to glare at his contracted shinobi, feeling a bit betrayed by the snack-snubbing. “So,” the knucklehead ninja began, after drinking up the melted remnants of his bowl. His tastebuds probably hadn’t had a chance to even register the flavor. “How are we going to stop this stupid wedding tomorrow?” “By any means necessary,” Kakashi returned, “But only after we’ve exhausted every diplomatic method first. Speaking of exhausted....” he allowed himself to slump against his dresser, “I am beat. I’ll need to sleep a week straight after all of this. But for now, I’ll have to make do with an old shinobi chakra-hack...” Kakashi made a single shadow clone, causing the original to sway unsteadily on his feet. “Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura chided, finishing her bowl of dessert and moving to his aid. His obvious fatigue seemed to be having a sympathetic effect on her, she noticed, as she nearly stumbled in her rush to assist. “You’re pushing yourself too hard! You’ll run out of chakra if you keep on like this!” “Sakura’s right, sensei,” Sasuke opined, then yawned as he set down his empty bowl. “A shadow clone will only drain you further.” “Unless the shadow clone does my sleeping for me,” Kakashi countered, as his doppleganger crawled into his cot. “When I return, I dismiss the clone, and all its acquired rest will transfer to me. But this is not a technique to use lightly, as there are certain....side-effects. But desperate times call for desperate measures....” “What are the....” Naruto paused to yawn extravagantly, “...side-effects?” “Shadow clones can’t dream,” Kakashi answered, as he began to collect the bowls, and returned them to the tray. “So?” Naruto countered, as he wearily watched his teacher replace the lid over the dirty dishes. His eyelids had suddenly become so heavy.... “So,” Pakkun picked up, after realizing that he wasn’t even going to be permitted the courtesy of licking the bowls clean, “A shinobi who cheats sleep like this too many times will go insane. All living beings need to sleep and dream on a regular basis for a healthy mind.” Sasuke lowered his strangely heavy head in aknowledgement of the facts. He’d seen his older brother, Itachi, employ this little-spoken of technique before. It was like playing a game of chicken with one’s sanity. It had probably contributed to his odd behavior...in the end. He shuddered, as he pulled his blankets closer and reclined on his cot. “Your clone doesn’t waste time....” the Uchiha commented, over the sound of the Kakashi-clone snoring. “Unlike its creator,” lilted a gentle voice from the tent-flap. Kurenai-sensei. “Hiruzen-sama sent me to check in on you, Kakashi-san.” Her crimson eyes flicked briefly over to his sleeping replica, understanding all too well the implications, then back to him. “But if you’re in such a dire need of rest, the Hokage will understand, and forgive your absence,” turning to go. “No!” Kakashi protested, perhaps a little too forcefully. Kurenai stopped in her tracks. “I am going to this party...” shoving himself away from the dresser, “...and so is Pakkun.” “What?!” the dour pug reacted, pulling away from the covered platter he had become somewhat obsessed about. “I need your sharp nose, old friend,” Kakashi informed, picking him up. “And you deserve an introduction to Miriyume-sama...” “The Lady Ice Flame?” the ninken clarified. He’d never been one for attending large gatherings of humans. They were always so noisy and crowded. And the smells could get nauseating. But seeing this Miriyume finally....face-to-face, would certainly make it worth all the ill-ease he would assuredly suffer. “Lucky dog....” Sakura complained weakly, as she slowly collapsed onto her cot. “...Gets to....go to the...party....” Her voice tapered off like a spent wind-up doll recording, as Naruto and Sasuke unconsciously maintained their competitive natures by trying to out-snore each other. Kurenai was noticeably impressed, openly marveling at the sleeping genin. “My three are still wide awake! How did you manage this?” Kurenai demanded. “Oh, just a sneaky, Shimogakuran childhood sleep-inducer....” Kakashi replied cryptically, as he doused the light and exited the tent. “So that’s why I didn’t get a bowl of ice-cream....” Pakkun finally factored. “I thought you forgot about me...” “Never!” Kakashi scolded lightly, giving his best canine friend one of the dog biscuits he always seemed to have on hand. “And there should be plenty of food at this party, too, if Shimogakurans are in charge.” “Oh, they are,” Kurenai vouched, as she led them to the party. “Singing, dancing, gaming, and the drinks are flowing like rivers in hurricane season.” “Just like when I first met her,” Kakashi smiled at the memory. Kurenai smiled too. This was a side of Kakashi that was rarely seen. In fact, the last time she’d seen it was with his awkward little-boy crush on his sensei’s girlfriend, and eventual wife, Kushina. “You missed the most beautiful Father-Daughter toast,” Kurenai continued. “The Shimokhan can be a surprisingly eloquent man when he wants to. He even had the Hokage in tears.” “Its just as well that I wasn’t there. I couldn’t in good conscious raise a cup in salute to this...arrangement,” Kakashi’s light mood swung to such an immediate darkness that Kurenai flinched in response. “Lord Hiruzen and I are aware of your objection to this marriage, and it didn’t require our mind-reading skills to learn of it, either,” Kurenai whispered. “And you are not alone in your disapproval. Tonight’s dinner has convinced me that this is a bad match. My students have also uncovered some....interesting things.” Kakashi’s tired eyes went wide, and he riveted his attention to his colleague. “So you remember what happened at dinner?” “Following some brief confusion, yes. I managed to sort it all out. Asaito doesn’t use genjutsu. At least, not the type that I’m used to. He seems to manipulate things that go deeper than thoughts. Something closer to instincts....” “This man is exceedingly dangerous, then,” Pakkun announced. “Like it or not, you humans are still ultimately motivated by your primal instincts, and no amount of higher intellect can completely smother them.” “Pakkun is right,” Kurenai easily ceded. “Asaito has a frightening ability to silence the thinking mind through his ‘minor’ dojutsu, and....there’s more....” she tapered off, looking uncomfortable. Kakashi stopped in his tracks, and forced her to do the same with a hand on her shoulder. They were midway to their destination. “More....?” he prompted. “There is an utter....coldness to Lord Asaito. Emotionally speaking. Despite his outward passion and poetic words, there are no real feelings behind anything. I’ve been around stoic types all my life, Kakashi-san,” giving him a pointed look, “....and despite your aloof manners and flippant attitudes, there is always some underlying, emotional core. Asaito has nothing,” she shivered. “Its utterly alien to me. To humanity.” “So, what are you saying, exactly?” Kakashi pressed. “That this Tsuroyuni Clan seems to produce men of an exceptionally strange quality, and that the Lady Ice Flame may be in for far more that she had bargained for. Hinata has told me something particularly disturbing. A member of the Hyuga Clan was recently petitioned by Tsuroyuni for marriage, about five months ago. Hiashi-sama forbade it immediately, for reasons unknown. And don’t even get me started on that monk...” They took a moment to watch the silhouettes of the vivacious revelers projected on the drinking yurt’s walls, as they capered across the illuminated folds of rough silk, twenty feet in front of them. The incongruence between the jubilant scene and their growing sense of dread was stark. “I like her too, Kakashi-san,” Kurenai continued, “Probably not the same way you do,” she gave him a playful nudge, “But we must remember our duty as shinobi. Konoha’s, and the Hokage’s honor depends on this.” Kakashi emitted a bitter sounding chuckle. “Duty....honor.... These are hardly new concepts to me.” Too late, Kurenai realized the nerve she’d struck. “Kakashi-san....I didn’t mean—“ ”Let’s go,” the stoic’s stoic cut off her apology, “Its time to pour some whiskey for the Hokage...” and led the way into the yurt. Renara was relieved to be back in the company of her husband’s clan and countrymen...and the hundred-plus who were also celebrating her daughter’s marriage. She usually shied away from these boisterous affairs, but tonight she welcomed the drunken antics and the wild celebration. Anything to forget about that arrogant man, and the predatory gleam in his burgundy eyes whenever he looked at Miriyume. She’d tried to talk her daughter out of this, as had Ryuumaru. Even Matsuko had expressed reservations. But Miriyume was adamant. Perhaps if Ryuuyuki were still here, he could have talked some sense into her... The Heron Sage-Priestess sighed, as she continued to work on the embroidery for the wedding dress. Miriyume had always been the wilder one, even before that storm kami had adopted her. She blamed the Yaseiarashi side. “Are you in need of a drink, Renara-sama?” Hiruzen asked over the latest atonal chorus of a Shimogakuran drinking song. “As long as its tea, yes,” she replied. “I drank my cup of winter whiskey for my husband’s toast, and one a day is still more than enough for my constitution. Even thirty years of marriage to a Shimogakuran cannot change this.” She glanced over at her husband, who was dominating the Chakra-Flow arm-wrestling tourney....as ususal. The long string of people who had lost to him never held any grudges, though, since his generosity in victory left them all with replenished chakra. Hiruzen took a seat beside her, and poured her a cup of green tea from the pot nearby. “Ryuu-kun would never seek to change your ways,” the Hokage continued. “He has always valued your self control and your sharp mind. He has said that it makes up for what he generally lacks.” Renara set aside the sewing, and motioned the bartender for another cup. She then poured her old friend some of her tea. “There are times when its so hard to be the steady voice of reason,” she admitted softly, as she directed their gaze to her daughter, who was caught up in a rather wild card game at another table. “Like now.” Her hand trembled with the weight of the teapot. Hiruzen’s sharp sensor abilities quickly picked up on the priestess’s unease, threatening to compromise the levee of her renowned forbearance. “She is so reckless, Hiruzen-kun, with only a pair of doting underclassmen, some fuinjutsu, and a moody, transient kami to keep her in check....” Sarutobi placed a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder. “Renara-sama....” “...and its been working so far, but I live in dread of the day when she leaps fearlessly into the breech, and even the Sage of the Six Paths can’t reel her back in.” She capped the confession with a forced chuckle and smile. “Is tomorrow that day?” Her soft voice, like the whisper of a dove, nearly broke Hiruzen’s heart. She had lost her son. Now, she feared the loss of the daughter.

“As long as I live and breathe, Renara-sama, you will NEVER lose your daughter,” the Hokage vowed solemnly. “My Will of Fire has always extended to your family, and always shall.”

“And the Unity of Frost forever embraces you, my dear friend,” Renara returned, as she regained her usual regal composure. “Speaking of unity...”

Hiruzen tracked her eyes over his shoulder, and saw his Leaf jonin. “I was beginning to think that I’d been abandoned,” Hiruzen announced sternly, “But when I remembered what charming company I’d found, I stopped caring,” flirtatiously turning back to the priestess. “Do forgive us, Hokage-sama,” Kurenai returned with a bow for Sarutobi and the Heron Sage, “...Renara-sama. The genin were all wound-up.” “A little whiskey in warm milk does wonders at bedtime,” Renara offered, as she resumed her embroidery. “Until they start drinking it on their own...” “I don’t even want to think about Naruto drinking whiskey right now,” Kakashi returned. “His ramen habit is already too much,” as Kurenai took a seat beside Hiruzen. “Naruto....Uzumaki....?” the sage priestess queried. “As in the child of Kushina Uzumaki...?” “Yes,” Kakashi returned. “He’s my student. You know of him?” “Kushina was my Father’s cousin,” Renara enlightened. “We are related.” Kakashi turned a flabbergasted eye on Hiruzen. What other bombs had this man failed to drop on him?!? “It’s a distant relation,” the Hokage defended. “One I felt was hardly worth mentioning...” “Ugh, another useless card!” Miriyume’s voice suddenly exclaimed in obvious frustration from a large nearby table, as the rest of the card players laughed at her. “Who shuffled this mess of a deck, dattebizu?!?” “Then again...” Hiruzen amended. “I thought we’d rid her of that word awhile back....” Renara shook her head in amused reproach. “So childish sounding.” “What are they playing over there?” Kurenai asked, as an attentive bartender handed her a drink of whiskey. “That would be the ‘Bitter Harvest’ table,” the barman answered, handing Kakashi a cup, “Its based on the cruelties of being a farmer in a country known for its short growing season.” “You made a game out of this?” Kakashi queried, as Pakkun sniffed the contents of the drinking dish, and quickly pulled his crinkled nose away. “A certain level of masochism has crept into our national identity, I guess you could say....” he smiled, before moving onto another group of drinkers. Kakashi set Pakkun on the stool beside Kurenai, and raised his dish in Miriyume’s direction. “To the righteous struggle,” he toasted from afar. “May we be ever vigilant,” then drank the vow. Kurenai did likewise. Renara smiled in quiet sanction of the masked jonin’s obvious feelings for her daughter. She took comfort in all the eyes that watched over Miriyume. But this one’s spoke of a stronger conviction then most. She looked to Miriyume, who had just registered Kakashi’s presence, and saw the unmistakable spark. The one that indicated a powerful resonance between souls. She could easily sense their chakra natures reaching out toward each other, despite the commotion that engulfed them. Their affinities craving union in the same manner as magnetic fields. Just like they had at dinner. This was why Miriyume’s spiritual core was so haywire, or rather, more haywire than usual. Of all the times to have them cross paths again, why now? Only the God Sage knew...

“Plum Harvest!” Matsuko suddenly bellowed out, as he threw down his hand of cards, sending everyone at the table into panicked action. Kunai knives were thrown at a lone shuriken at the center of the table, hanafuda cards went flying, drinks were spilt, all amidst shrieks and laughter. “The pile’s mine, Earthquake!” Gekido insisted. “What pile?” Hyozen asked, indicating the scattered cards. “You sent it all flying again!” “This always happens with you!” another Frost kunoichi censured the Inuzuka. “You get so intense!” “I can’t help it!” Gekido was doing a poor job of acting powerless, “I’m just freaky-fast like that!” “You got the freaky part right,” Matsuko laughed, as he refilled people’s drinks. “We’re going to make you play with chopsticks from now on...” another shinobi warned, as he gathered the scattered cards. “And he’ll still win every round,” Miriyume came to the defense of her fleet-fingered team mate, patting his striped cheek softly. “C’mon, Gek-kun, let’s give the table a chance....” As she nudged him toward the bar counter, the boisterous crowd parted for their beloved kunoichi. Faces lifted to offer her bright smiles. Cups and bottles raised at her passage. Hands moved to touch her silken kimono sleeves, and musicians sharpened their art at her approach. It was all too easy to see the pride and affection her village had for her. So why had she taken to wandering the world, Kakashi wondered. As Miriyume passed her mother, Renara caught hold of her by the shoulder. “Come here, child,” the Heron Priestess ordered, and laid the embroidery against her back, apparently taking some tailoring measurement. “Mother, haven’t you made enough layers to mummify me with tomorrow? I won’t be able to move in this dress...let alone marry!” “A mother’s final gift to her daughter is her wedding kimono,” Renara censured. “You will not deny me!” Miriyume groaned in resignation, looking at the Hokage with a weary expression. “Greetings, Hokage-sama. Can you believe this woman?” as Renara began to adjust the ornaments in her mussed coif. “With every fiber of my being, Miri-chan,” Hiruzen answered, amused at her plight. Ice Flame shifted her blue-green eyes to Kurenai and Kakashi. “Help me,” she pleaded weakly. Kurenai laughed before answering: “When true danger exists, I promise I’ll assist without a moment’s hesitation. But now is not that time, right Kakashi-san–?” She turned to cue the other jonin, but found him caught up in a strange four-way stare down consisting of himself, Pakkun, Gekido, and Aoseishin. The Inuzuka was openly scowling. “What’s the matter?” Kakashi broke the tense silence, “Is there a cap limit on ninken?” “Who the heck is this?!” Gekido demanded, leaning in closer to inspect the small forehead protector tied behind the pug’s ears. Aoseishin gave a small bark in support of the question. “My name is Pakkun,” the pug answered, sending both man and dog reeling back to a more respectable distance. “I am Kakashi-san’s ninken.” “You–“ Gekido was in Kakashi’s face now, “–have a ninken?! That speaks!?” Aoseishin seemed to be conducting a similar interrogation with his nose on the pug. “Is this a crime?” Kakashi chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. “No!” the Inuzuka retorted. “Just...unexpected! Where was he earlier?” “Napping in the sun on Senkaori Island,” Pakkun answered in Kakashi’s stead, referring to the famed island of dogs. “Now...who are you, exactly?” Aoseishin answered for them both with a couple of barks. “From the Northern Inuzuka, huh?” Pakkun repeated, studying Gekido’s notched fang stripes. “I wasn’t aware that their clan had ventured that far abroad.” “I believe that they migrated in the wake of that man’s short stint at the Temple of Fire,” Hiruzen provided, indicating the Shimokhan. “Along with a certain Sage Priestess errant,” glancing toward Renara. “I’ve often compared him to a beacon of unyielding light with the power to draw the noblest hearts.” “Or an occasional inferno that threatens to melt the permafrost....” Renara added impishly, as she continued to fuss over Miriyume’s yukata. “So...you summon him?” Gekido was still fixated on Pakkun. “Yes,” Kakashi answered dismissively, as he watched Renara untie Miriyume’s obi. “He’s so tiny!” Gekido finally snapped and snatched up the alarmed pug, grinning like an overexcited kid. “What are his strengths?” “Sass and insults, you ridiculous man!” Pakkun returned angrily, as he struggled against Gekido’s tight nose-to-nose hold. “Have you no shame?!” “Not that we’ve been able to find, no,” Miriyume quipped, before grunting in obvious discomfort as her mother tightened the obi under her bustline with a sharp tug. “Ugh....can’t....breathe....” she groaned dramatically, as she clutched at Hiruzen’s shoulder. “I think Mother is trying to tourniquet my stomach....” The Hokage blushed at the sudden proximity of Miriyume’s impressive cleavage, now threatening to overcome its confines with every heaving breath she was dragging into her constricted lungs, and averted his eyes. “Or, more likely, Renara-sama is showing concern for her....precious daughter,” Sarutobi offered, biting his lip in self chastisement. Kurenai had to laugh at his ethical plight. Kakashi was just agog, showing a strange lack of concern for his clearly annoyed ninken. “Unhand me already, you whiskey-steeped lout!” Pakkun barked at the besotted Inuzuka’s affections, “Your breath is going to make me intoxicated! Kakashi! A little help! Please?” Kakashi turned back toward the overly enamoured Inuzuka, and extended his hand in the manner of a parent silently demanding the relinquish of an ill-gotten toy. Gekido capitulated with an awkward apology: “Sorry. I got a little carried away there,” he admitted with a sheepish teheparo gesture. “I never got to see any of the smaller dog breeds up in Shimogakure....” “Understood, Gekido-san,” Kakashi forgave easily. “Pakkun is dangerously adorable,” scratching him behind his floppy ear. “Much to my eternal sorrow,” Pakkun added, from the safety of Kakashi’s shoulder, as a fleeting wisp of scent caught his attention. Somewhere beneath the malty aroma of the abundant whiskey, and the alluring, earthy-honey smell of an amber perfume, there was a very distinct and telling fragrance on the buxom ginger in the midnight blue yukata beside the Hokage. He figured Kakashi should know: “It would seem that Kakashi-san is not the only one who is capable of summoning jutsu,” the pug announced, looking directly at Miriyume. “I can smell the contract you have with a denizen of the Cat Fortress, bosomy lady.” “Pakkun!” Kakashi scolded sharply, as his exposed cheek went scarlet. Gekido collapsed against the bar in whiskey-fueled laughter. “Do you now?” Miriyume countered coyly, as her mind raced for a way to cover her ninneko’s careless tracks. She really didn’t want to involve ‘him’ in this mess, but, this little ninken had called her out.... She reached into her brasserie, under her left breast, against her heart, to a place that she reserved for her most prized possession, and produced a cobalt summoning scroll ornamented in gold. Kakashi’s mask conveniently hid his slack jaw, and the trickle of blood from his nostrils. Miriyume held the scroll up to the pug’s nose for inspection. “Would you like an introduction?” Within the envelope of the woman’s heady, earthy musk, Pakkun’s nose easily found the scent of ‘cat’, but not ‘that cat’. He was still intrigued. Hiruzen chuckled, as he sipped his tea. “Go on, Miriyume-chan. I’d enjoy seeing the ‘noble exile’ again...” Miriyume complied by unfurling the scroll, pricking her finger with a senbon hair ornament, pressing the small wound to the scroll surface, then slapping her hand against the nearby counter top and yelling: “Cold Majesty Summoning!” Following a burst of rolling fog that provided a moment of crisp, cool air, a mighty roar caused all but Renara, Hiruzen and Miriyume to jump away from the bar. When the mist dissipated, there stood a large, regal white tiger upon the rough-hewn oak. “A tiger-lord?!” Pakkun openly marveled from his perch on Kakashi’s shoulder. “That I am, little ninken,” the immense feline acknowledged in a deep, rumbling voice with an imperious lilt, as he reclined on the bar top, and turned his icy-blue eyes to his summoner. “To what do I owe this summons, my lady?” “No good reason, Tosho-sama,” Miriyume smiled, as she put an arm over his burly neck, and began to massage one of his ears, which he seemed deeply appreciative of.

Pakkun was impressed. Ninneko were elusive enough, but the Great Cat Lords were nearly impossible to track down, much less sign into a contract with. “Who is this woman who has made a contract with such a distinguished beast lord?” Pakkun quietly asked his master. “That, my impudent friend, is Miriyume,” Kakashi replied with a wink. “...and your assignment for the rest of the night.” “Assignment?” the pug echoed. “I need to get some sleep tonight, so I’m putting you on guard duty, until morning,” Kakashi whispered, as they watched her introduce the tiger to Kurenai. “So...this is the kunoichi you found all those years ago in the Land of Frost?” Pakkun connected. “The one that....” “She is,” the silver-haired jonin cut off, clearly pained by the memories of that day. “It wasn’t her death that the village was mourning. It was her brother’s.” “So why didn’t they tell us that?” “Because of their customs,” Kakashi explained. “I’ll explain it all later, but right now, the important thing is to keep track of her at all times. Understand? Asaito’s already tried to corner her once. I don’t want it happening again.” “Understood,” Pakkun returned glumly, as he watched Miriyume and the grabby Inuzuka salute each other with more of that nose-burning whiskey, drinking it as easily as ice water on a hot day. “But...she looks like trouble.” “I know....” Kakashi murmured ardently. “My favorite kind of trouble.”

“Rajin isn’t pleased, Persimmon-chan,” Tosho rumbled in his softest voice, using the moniker his original contract holder had labeled her with. He was the only one she allowed to use that name. “What’s news-worthy about that?” Miriyume scoffed, as she replaced his summoning scroll in her bra. “Neither am I,” the tiger huffed. “I made a vow, Miriyume-san, and I intend on keeping it.” “Glad to hear it, Stripes,” Miriyume returned, as she scratched the spot under his chin that his massive paw could never seem to reach, “....because tomorrow��s the big day.” “Forgive me if the fact fails to evoke the proper sense of jubilation on my part...” Prince Tosho grumbled, as he turned his glacial-hued eyes toward the approaching half-blindfolded man carrying the pygmy-sized ninken. “Your offering is appreciated, shinobi of the Hidden Leaf,” the great cat greeted, “But I don’t partake of the flesh of canines. Moro-sama would never forgive me for eating any of her kin, no matter how....distant.” Kakashi blinked in confused shock, while Pakkun curled up tighter against his chest in horror. “That’s not why I–“ Kakashi began, before Miriyume cuffed the haughty tiger on his ear. “And that’s why I hardly ever call on you anymore!” Ice Flame scolded the 800-pound creature in the same manner she would a common house cat. “I’m sorry,” Miriyume turned back to Kakashi. “That’s what passes for humor with this overgrown tabby! He’s actually pretty good company, most of the time. And an excellent shoji player...” “If only the same could be said for even a fraction of those you call friends....” the tiger continued. “Even if he is a snob!” Miriyume shot back, prompting the tiger to seek other company. “He’s harmless, I promise,” the kunoichi assured, and motioned them closer. “But he makes me admire the straightforwardness of ninken. Can I hold him?” referring to Pakkun. Kakashi handed him over, and watched as she placed him on her lap. Her pale, supple fingers set to immediate work on his folded ears, turning him to instant putty in her hands. “Now, that doesn’t happen too often,” Kakashi informed, as he watched the pug roll over onto his belly with a small pang of envy. “You must have a way with animals.” “My chakra run-off charms most living things,” she returned, as she began to massage the pug’s paw-pads, which Pakkun had always been rather stingy with. “Its convincing them to stick around that’s the hard part.” Kakashi heard the note of lament in the casual admission. Was that what had prompted her to accept the proposal of this repugnant man? A fear of eventual abandonment? Despite all evidence to the contrary? Kakashi staged a silent aknowledgement of the crowd for the kunoichi holding Pakkun, before stating his case: “Is this small swarm being held against their will...?” She paused in her dog snuggling to give him a measured glare. “It’s a documented fact that most people tire of me. Even kidnappers.” “Well,” wedging himself between Miriyume and Aoseishin, who was sitting on the stool beside her, as Gekido sang with a group of musicians on the bar, “...I’m not going anywhere, now that I’ve finally found you again,” Kakashi assured. In that moment, Miriyume felt her swiftly crumbling guard completely slip, and her dojutsu activate. All faded to silence as past, present and future melded abruptly into one reality, and it prominently featured this enigmatic man seated beside her. His candid promise echoed across Time and Space itself, as she felt his perfectly complementary essence take firm anchor in her own. The true power of the Renkingen was to explore all possibilities of various fusions, and to instantly understand the consequences. Her intuitive eyes had just shown her that this man was everything she needed to realize perfect happiness, in both the mortal and spiritual sense. <How dare you come to me now, when circumstance forbids me to grab hold of you and demand you to stay!> she screamed inwardly, as the man beside her regarded her curiously with his lone eye. In him alone, she saw all the pieces of the masculine soul that she had always yearned to find in a mate: her first teacher’s wisdom, her father’s strength, her team mates’ compassion, Raijin’s stoic ardor and grace, her brother’s devotion and genius, all wrapped up in one irksome masked gift pack... Her mind also told her about how ridiculously dangerous it would be to have it known that she felt this way. Dangerous for both her quickly pending marriage, and Kakashi himself. Asaito was a proud man, and prone to what had been once charitably described as “deranged fits of vengeful pique”.

And in classic Yaseiarashi fashion, fear only bloomed in her heart when those she loved were at incredible risk. The thought of him at Asaito’s non-existent mercy could put her in a perilously awkward bind. No. Asaito’s focus had to remain on her... But that other Yaseiarashi trait....about never denying her true feelings; most importantly, love, was causing an internal war within her. The fate of international relations was at stake here, along with her sanity.

#kakashi

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