#save me satori-sama!

[t0wnspersonb]

See You Again (Tendou Satori x Reader)

Word Count: 2,354

Warnings: mentions of drugs, alcohol, yakuza, suggestive language, bad language, my shit writing

Summary: As the daughter of a yakuza boss there are certain things you must uphold to, but when a night out at the club comes around, you find yourself being saved by the son of a rival clan. After a quick chat, you find yourself completely enraptured by him, and you can’t help but want to see him again. 

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Anonymous said:

Tendou meets someone whos kinda slightly insane and is a Yakuza boss, y'know shady type stuff. Can you write something where they kind of obsess over eachother and it's like a match made in hell? Thank you so much for your time. ❤️❤️😈

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This is part 1!!! I’ve decided to make this story two parts, so stay tuned for part 2! I really enjoyed this idea of a yakuza!Tendou. I definitely tweaked it quit a bit, I hope you don’t mind too much anon! 

I’m still writing out some requests so please be patient with me! I know I haven’t posted anything new recently and I’m so sorry for that! Life has been so busy for me. 

I hope you guys enjoy this one and please let me know what you think! 😊😊😊 I hope you guys have a wonderful week!

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The atmosphere thumped around you violently. Filled to the brim with alcohol and smoke; violently shaking you with strong vibrations as you swayed back and forth to the music. 

 Sweat and cheap perfume filled the space within your nose, but that was a given. You could feel a trickle of sweat sliding down the back of your neck, matting strands of hair to your overheated skin. 

 Bodies were pressed close together, grabbing and grinding against anything that moved. 

 You could feel a hand sliding against your waist, tugging you closer to the body pressed tight behind you. The person’s lower half pressed against the curve of your ass.

 Your eyes flashed open. Your hand that was held in the air lowered, your drink sloshing out of the cup and dripping down your fingers. You could feel your face twisting in disgust as you easily jabbed your elbow into their ribs, separating the two of you.

 You glanced back at the male that was wincing in pain, glaring at you accusingly. You rolled your eyes before shoving your body through the crowd of people, making your way off the dancefloor.

 The group you had come with were still situated in a booth at the corner of the club. The seats were sticky against the bare skin of your thighs, either from spilled drinks or another substance that you would rather not think of.

 Typical club atmosphere. 

 “Wanna do a line?” one of the males asked, looking at you with glazed eyes. 

 This was another thing that was typical in this atmosphere; it was entirely predictable, and while it came with the territory, it was entirely boring.

 “No.” you said curtly, preventing your face from morphing into a look of complete disgust. 

 “Don’t you know? Daddy will get mad if he found out his little princess was doing drugs.” another voice chimed in.

 You rolled your eyes. “You forget that he would throw your ass dead in a ditch somewhere. Know your place.” You sneered.

 For a moment, the air around the booth was thick with tension, your piercing gaze could put Medusa to shame as you stared down the two males that had decided to speak to you. 

 “Calm down killer,” a large hand rested against the top of your head, ruffling your hair. You huffed, swatting the hand away in annoyance. “Honestly though guys, show a bit more respect towards our next clan head. If Boss doesn’t throw your ass dead in a ditch, you know that she will.”

 “Forgive us Little Lady.” they bowed their heads towards you. 

 You snorted, waving them off as your eyes glanced around the room.

 The tension lifted easily, everyone getting back to their side conversations that they were doing beforehand.

 Leave it to one of your father’s direct underlings to stick up for you. 

 But it was entirely appreciated, although you would never say those words aloud. To survive in this world, you had to command respect from those around you, it was one of the many lessons you were taught growing up.

 Being the head’s daughter came with its own set of rules, and the fact that you were going to inherit it all, well, you had to be cautious about certain things.

 Which is why one of your father’s direct underlings went with you and other clan members to the club tonight. For the most part, the clan was completely fine with you taking over after your father retired, there were others that were a bit skeptical, you would be the first female head. The slight doubts and the teasing forced your hand to be, well, a bitch. 

 You were fine with that though. 

 “What the fuck are they doing here?” 

 You frowned at the statement, your eyes flickering across the room to see why everyone at the table was now on edge. 

 Nothing seemed out of place…

 Oh. 

 Your eyes zeroed in at the entrance, the sea of bodies parting to make room for the group that was walking towards an empty booth.

 “This is neutral territory. They have every right to be here as we do. Don’t start any unnecessary shit.” Your father’s direct said firmly. 

 “I don’t give a fuck, they know we go to this club all the time, why the fuck… Little Lady is here too!”

 “It’s fine.” you said curtly, looking at your group. “It’s neutral territory, we all know the rules. They aren’t going to start a fight unless we provoke them. So, mind your business. Is that clear?”

 Despite the angry and suspicious looks from your group they all agreed in understanding. But despite your words, you were definitely concerned, you didn’t want any problems to come up. 

 It would be fine right?

 “I’m going to get another drink.” You muttered, sliding out of the sticky booth, your fingers adjusting your dress accordingly. 

 “I’ll go with yo-” 

 You held your hand up. “No need, I’ll be fine.” 

 You were already walking off towards the bar, ignoring the pointed and concerned looks from the table. 

 Tonight definitely wasn’t what you had planned. You figured that you would get drunk and dance, maybe find someone to hook up with, definitely wasn’t planning on having a rival clan show up.

 Fuck, you just wanted to go home now. 

 Your fingers tapped against the bar counter as you waited for your drink to be made, body swaying with the beat of the music.

 “You all alone sweetheart?” you could feel a hand wrap around your waist.

 You could feel your nostrils flaring in anger, tonight definitely was not your night. You glanced over to see a tall man staring down at you with a wide smirk, clearly drunk.

 If it was any other night you might’ve considered flirting with him, he wasn’t bad on the eyes, definitely not your type though. 

 “I’m with my group of friends.” You said curtly, wiggling your way out of his grip. “I’m just getting a drink.”

 “But you’re all by yourself… Did your friends ditch you? Wanna come hang out with me and my friends?” He grabbed at your wrist, yanking you into his body easily.

 You ignored the panic that started to bubble up in your chest. Your eyes flickered over to your booth only to find out that you were completely blocked from the booth’s view, meaning that your group couldn’t see you at all.

 “No thanks.” you snapped, attempting to yank yourself free from the male. His grip on your wrist tightened dramatically, causing you to wince in pain.

 “Come on sugar, don’t be like that. Let’s go have some fun yeah?” he peered down at you; face incredibly close to your own.

 Fuck. 

 This was so fucked. 

 He was way too big for you to handle yourself. 

 How were you going to - “I don’t think she wants to go anywhere with you buddy.” long fingers wrapped in white tape were suddenly placed on the male’s shoulder, easily pushing him to the side, exposing your savior to your wide, panicked eyes.

 Red, calculating eyes peered down at you, flickering across your face before sliding over to the male that was still gripping your wrist tightly.

 “You know you’re hurting her right? I think you should let go.” His large hand tightened on your assailant’s shoulder, causing the male to wince and release his grip on you immediately.

 “Who the fuck are yo-” You could visibly see the male gulp in fear, fully taking in the tall redheaded male.

 Tendou Satori.

 Of all the people to come to your rescue, it had to be him, didn’t it?

 Just your fucking luck.

 Tendou tilted his head to the side slightly, his gaze never wavering from his face. His tall stature stooped down lower until he was eye level with the fear-stricken man.

 If you thought that disgusting man was too big, you were clearly wrong. Tendou overpowered him completely.

 “F-Forgive me, Tendou-sama! I-I didn’t know she was your woman!” The man wailed.

 Your eyebrows raised up at his statement, his woman? Like hell.

 “Oh I don’t even know who she is.” Tendou said, his index finger tapping against his chin as he pondered aloud. “But you were clearly making her uncomfortable. Men like you… piss me off. So,” he grabbed the man’s shoulder once more, his eyes turning into slits, a sardonic smile covering his lips. “You should leave.”

 The man yelped, apologizing profusely before running out of the club.

 You blinked after him in confusion before sighing loudly, your body drooping as your heart rate began to thump at a normal level now.

 You grabbed your drink that was on the bar counter, chugging it down.

 What a fucking night. What a fucking joke.

 “Are you okay?” Tendou asked suddenly, now by your side.

 You jumped at his voice, thinking that he had already left. Your eyes slide over to him, he was watching you closely, a curious look coating his face.

 “I’m fine.” you said, tone short. “You can leave now.”

 You could see his lips twitch into an amused smile at your dismissal, his body shifting just a tad bit closer to you.

 “You might be able to order your clan members around doll, but last I checked I’m not part of your clan.” he chuckled deeply.

 You ignored the deep twist in your gut at the sound. 

 “I thought you didn’t even know who I was.” you mocked, body turning to face him completely.

 You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find Tendou incredibly attractive; because he was. You knew exactly who you were dealing with. The next head in your rival clan. The same as you. 

 This might’ve been the longest conversation that you’ve ever held with him though. Of course you knew of him, there were many times where he and his father had come to your estate to negotiate with your father. You also knew of him based on the various stories you’ve heard from your own clan and others.

 He was just as dangerous as he was handsome.

 A terrible mix.

 “I lied.” he said easily, red eyes shining in amusement. “I know exactly who you are Little Lady.”

 “So then you know that I’m not alone right?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

 He shrugged, waving down the bartender and ordering a drink. He leaned against the bar counter easily, almost looking completely out of place in this shitshow of a club. Your eyes scanned down his figure, taking notice of his attire. 

 He definitely looked out of place here. The dark suit clung to his lean muscles, his tie loosened, and the first couple of buttons on his white dress shirt were undone, as if he had just finished a long day at the office.

 If his reputation wasn’t well known that’s probably what people would have thought until they got a closer look at him.

 His clan ring gleamed from the lights of the club, standing out amongst his other taped fingers. 

 “Like what you see?” he teased, looking over at you.

 You scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. Did you just come back from a meeting?” you asked, taking a sip of your new drink.

 “Wouldn’t you like to know.” he said, an eyebrow quirking up. 

 You huffed in annoyance; he had a point though. You wouldn’t want someone from an outside clan knowing your business.

 “So if you’re with your people, why didn’t they save you from that guy?” he asked curiously.

 “I could’ve handled it myself.” You said immediately. “I’m not some helpless little girl.”

 You knew how to handle yourself that much was true, but you knew that there was an obvious difference. Even though you could handle weapons, and had combat training, per orders from your father; you were still a girl. You could still be easily overpowered by males much larger than you. You weren’t stupid, you knew how to pick your battles.

 “Aren’t you though?” Tendou’s eyes slid down your figure, drinking you in completely, shamelessly.

 You could feel your thighs clenching together unconsciously. His gaze burned your body, made you incredibly hot, but also made you feel incredibly exposed.

 Maybe you didn’t know how to pick your battles.

 “I’m not.” You argued, mentally swearing at yourself. You did sound like a child, a stupid little girl in the eyes of your rival.

 “You would be with me.” he answered simply, eyes darkening dramatically. His body turned towards you now, his long fingers grabbing at a strand of your hair, rubbing the strands between taped fingertips. 

 His eyes bore into yours, as his fingers moved from your hair to run carefully against your neck and jaw, carefully cupping your chin between his thumb and forefinger.

 Your breath hitched, your body breaking out in a cold sweat as you stared back at him; prey caught between the hands of a predator.

 “What do you say? Want to test my theory little girl?” he murmured, eyes flickering down towards your lips as they parted.

 Your mind went blank.

 What the fuck was this?

 This sudden desire for the tall red headed male? 

 There was never a moment in your life where you felt weak, until now. You had never felt small in your entire life, even when you were a little girl. Your father had raised you to be strong, raised you to be the tallest person in a room full of males.

 So then why… Why was Tendou able to reduce you in such a way? 

 He made you want to cling to him, he made you desperate for him, and that was obvious in the way that heat pooled in your lower stomach, obvious in the way that your thighs clenched together tightly.

 His eyes flickered behind you, his grip on your chin releasing as he stepped back, grabbing his drink off the bar.

 “Maybe some other time. I’ll see you around little one.” he said, his face entirely amused as he walked off.

 What -

 “Little Lady! Are you okay!?” 

 Oh.

 This definitely wasn’t your night. 

 But now… you definitely hoped to see him around again. 

[thefreckledone]

Satori (Between the Lines) - Part 14

“Torune, slow down a bit!” Sakura says, through drawn-out, breathless giggles. She tugs at his gloved hand, digging in her heels. “I can’t quite keep up with you.”

“Sorry,” Torune replies, chagrined as his pace slows. “I’m just excited.”

Sakura laughs, shaking her head. “You sure that’s it? Shino seemed a bit frustrated when we left.”

“I wanted to spend a little time alone with you,” Torune says. “Shino gets to spend most of the day with you at school. It’s my turn.”

Sakura’s expression softens as she adjusts her grip on Torune’s hand to squeeze it. “I’m not complaining. I was just teasing. It has been a long time since we last hung out alone.”

Torune turns a bright smile on her before continuing on through the forest. It’s an area of the Aburame estate that Sakura has yet to visit, but she doesn’t find that particularly surprising; their grounds are absolutely sprawling.

“Shino told me that you beat Kiba in a spar yesterday,” Torune says, pride clear in his voice. “The Inuzuka are notorious brawlers; I know that Kiba is one of the strongest contenders in your class in the spars. He’s a difficult opponent. You’ve improved.”

Sakura tickles her fingers across the palm of his hand. She’s convinced him to remove his gloves whenever they’re alone. “It’s thanks to you and Ino. I used that move you and Shibi-oji showed me and flipped Kiba over.” Sakura giggles, warmth bubbling in her gut. “I wish you could’ve seen his face.” Torune turns to her as she pulls an exaggerated look of surprise. He snorts in surprise, bringing his free hand up to his mouth as he guffaws. “It was pretty amazing.”

“I have no doubt,” Torune says, smile warm even as he ignores the slight sting he feels at the reminder that he is not a student at the Academy with Sakura. Sakura is his best friend in all the world; it’s so difficult to know that there is a huge portion of Sakura’s life that he has no part in. At least, not yet. “I’m glad that you’ve had a chance to prove yourself to your classmates.”

“It feels good,” Sakura admits, squeezing his hand. “My spar partners are definitely more wary now, but honestly, that doesn’t matter. I don’t really care what they think of me. They can think of me as a no-name civilian kid or as a threat. All that matters to me is that the people who matter think well of me.” She grins at him, the muscles in her cheeks hurting with the force of it. “You and your opinion matter to me.”

Torune’s smile quivers for a few moments before it firms once more. He never smiled this much before he met Sakura. He doesn’t quite know how she does it; with a few bright words, Sakura manages to banish the clouds of doubt. Sakura is the sun and he is helplessly and happily caught in her orbit. “Thanks.”

“Thank you,” Sakura says in turn.

A low buzzing fills her ears and she glances quizzically at Torune for a long moment, wondering if something set him off. He has a much better handle on his emotions now and his hive rarely acts up without his explicit command. But the hand beneath hers does not hum nor does his chest.  

Instead, the slow, steady buzz seems to come from up ahead.

“What’s that?” Sakura asks, starting to get excited.

“An Aburame clan secret,” Torune replies.

“Should I...close my eyes?” Sakura says, footsteps faltering for a moment.

“What? No. Of course not!” Torune giggles, shaking his head at her. “It wouldn’t be a good surprise if you weren’t able to even look at it.”

“You’re right,” Sakura says, relaxing. Excitement quickly thrums through her again, filling her. “So what is it?”

They crest a rolling slope and Torune gestures with his free hand. There are numerous large, wooden boxes placed across the open landscape, seemingly the source of the buzzing. Sakura eyes the unfamiliar boxes, cocking her head slightly. She’s never seen the like, such alien boxes standing freely.

“What are they?” Sakura asks, darting forward.

“Hives,” he replies, following along with her, pleased by her curiosity. He just knew she would like these!

Sakura draws her eyes away from the boxes--hives--and frowns at him. “Like you are? Like the Aburame? Except on the outside rather than the inside?”

Torune laughs freely, loving the way her mind works. She’s just so good at puzzling things out, turning them over and over within her head to assess it from all angles until the pieces all fit perfectly. “Yes, it is a lot like that. It’s actually where Aburame Shinko-sama got the idea originally; she observed the way certain insects--ants, bees, termites, and the like--support each other. They have this whole society, with ranks and labor divisions and cooperative childcare. When Shinko-sama saw it she set about setting up a different type of hive; one that existed within her body.”

“The Aburame have female leaders?” Sakura asks, intrigued by the idea.

It’s true of many civilian clans, the Haruno included, but she’s noticed that the shinobi clans are male-dominated aside from the Inuzuka which have always been matriarchal. Sakura doesn’t know much about the varied histories of the shinobi clans, aside from the general information disseminated to the Konoha populace. But the shinobi clans are very private of their personal history and lineage and with good reason; knowledge is power and any little scrap of it may mean a disadvantage when faced with an opponent.

The fact that Torune and his family so casually share information of their clan with her fills her with such warmth that it makes her toes tingle. She understands the value of knowledge, the weighty responsibility of it settling on her shoulders.

“Of course,” Torune replies, wrinkling his nose in slight offense. “It’s the usual thing really. My mother shared the clan duties with Shibi-oji. She would’ve been declared clan head except for she enjoyed the field far too much and received specialized missions for her rinkaichū.” His smile goes wry. “Shibi-oji says she was terrifying in the clan councils, always taking any of the arrogant clans down a peg or five as needed. He called her a spitfire.”

Sakura squeezes his hand, trying to show her silent appreciation for the precious memories that he shares with her. From the deepening of his smile as he regards her, Sakura thinks he understands.

“She sounds amazing; they both do,” Sakura replies.

Torune’s smile is shy. “My mother’s name was Nozumi.”

“Nozumi-san,” Sakura murmurs, smile unfurling slow, steady, and strong. “A beautiful name for a wonderful woman.”

Torune ducks his head, clearing his throat. “The Aburame do not care for the gender of their leader; historically I believe that the position has more often been held by a woman.” Sakura recognizes the subject change for what it is and accepts it just as easily as they make their way down the hill among the hives. He shakes his head, chuckling in amusement. “Of course the Aburame are accepting of female leaders; hives are usually led by queens.”

0“Remember to practice your forms before going to bed,” Iruka calls as the students stand and scramble away from their desks as quickly as possible. For training that may save their lives one day, these children still did not care for their lessons altogether too much. “It’s important that you hone your flexibility!”

He shakes his head to himself as most of the students are out the door before he’s even finished speaking. His job is usually a thankless one, but he enjoys it nevertheless. Iruka is glad that he is still on mission rotation though; it gives him a chance to practice the skills he so often espouses to his students.

“Iruka-sensei,” Sakura says politely, approaching him with all the manners of a clan-born child. He often forgets that Sakura is of a clan herself, regardless of it being a civilian merchant one. She receives clan training just as Sasuke, Chōji, and Hinata do; just of a different sort. “I enjoyed the lesson today. Do you know of any exercises that could be used to develop arm strength that you could share?”

Iruka’s smile widens and becomes a good deal more fond. Sakura is a good student; a sweet and enthusiastic one whose curiosity is insatiable. “I do know of a few, most involve weights of some sort. I could give a demonstration in a couple of days. There is one that you could do in the mornings and evenings outside of school that does not require weights.” Iruka comes around his desk, kneeling on the floor. “Allow me to demonstrate.”

Sakura spends the next twenty or so minutes with Iruka as he shows her how to do a push up. She manages three and a half before her arms go hot, weak, and limp. She sits up, panting as Iruka chuckles.

“They take a while to get used to, but they are an effective way of increasing your arm strength,” Iruka says, raising a hand to muffle his chuckles. “I’d suggest starting with fifteen in the morning and fifteen in the evening and working your way up from there.” When she goggles at him in disbelief, Iruka bursts into outright laughter. “I know, it seems a lot, but it takes consistent application and practice for you to see results. Considering your performance so far, I have no doubt they’ll be useful.”

“Thank you Iruka-sensei,” Sakura says, flushing beneath his praise. “That is kind of you to say.”

Iruka hums, patting Sakura’s shoulder (he knows she dislikes having her hair ruffled when she wears her bow) before heading out the door.

Sakura sits down in a chair for a few long moments, waiting for her breathing to return to normal. Those push ups took more from her than she expected, but she is glad of it. Sakura stands after she recovers and moves to her box in the back of the classroom. She rifles through it, taking out the books on code she stores there and replacing the textbooks she utilized throughout the day.

A small maroon book falls out of the box and Sakura stares down at it, puzzled. She has never seen the book before and she bends down, lifting it tentatively. Sakura glances around the empty classroom, wondering if someone placed it in her box by mistake. The box to the left of hers is Naruto’s and she’s never seen him with any books, be it a required textbook or a book read for pleasure. The box to the right of hers is Kiba’s and it is more disorganized even than Naruto’s.

Sakura frowns to herself, opening the unmarked cover of the book. The first page reads Thieves’ Cant Throughout Konoha.

Definitely not a book that Kiba or Naruto would be interested in reading.

Sakura flips through the first couple of pages; no author is given nor a publication date, but the words are typed, not handwritten. She’s seen a few books like this in Shikaku’s office; books published only for clan libraries, not mass production. The anonymity is necessary for the protection of the authors. Sakura frowns, turning to the first chapter of the book. There, tucked among the pages, is a card.

Perhaps you will find this of use in your study of ciphers.

Huh.

She brings it close to her chest, a smile curling up the corners of her lips. It is nice to know that she has someone in her corner, whoever this mysterious benefactor is.

0Sakura chews on the end of her writing utensil, brow furrowed at her journal. She is seated outdoors in a park, surrounded by books and sunshine. She’s been trying to create a cipher of her own, a hodgepodge of techniques from Konoha during the Second War, Kumo during the reign of the Third Raikage, and multiple dialects of thieves’ cant from all over Fire. Sakura doesn’t think that the cipher will be usable in the long run, but she knows it is good practice. It’s an ambitious project, she knows, but at least she is not creating the cipher from scratch.

Still, she did not realize just how difficult it would be.

She growls in frustration, flipping back to the book on thieves’ cant. Why must this all be so difficult?

“That’s some intense concentration there, kid. What did that book ever do to you?”

Sakura startles, hands automatically relaxing and smoothing along the pages of the book. She hadn’t realized that she was white-knuckling the book in her anger. The book, one left in her school box, is a precious gift and she does not wish to damage it in any way.

Sakura looks up...and up and up at the massive man looming over her. Sakura’s heart immediately begins to race in surprise, though she notes that his posture is open and disengaged, intentionally unthreatening. And yet...Sakura scrambles to her feet, uncomfortable but curious about the subtle glint in his eyes. It reminds her of the artisans who treat with her mother; this is a man who wants or expects something of her.

Now on her feet, she assesses him. Everything about him is large: his height, his muscles, his wild white hair, and even his nose. He grins down at her, white teeth shining. “That’s quite the odd array of books you have there,” he says, gesturing to the small pile around her. “Some hefty reading for a squirt like you.” He squints down at her, frowning slightly. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“It’s a half day,” Sakura replies flatly, not caring for the way that he calls attention to her height so dismissively.

The mountain of a man bends, grabbing up her book on Second War ciphers. Sakura bites her lip to keep from protesting, though she cannot keep from attempting to grab it from him. He glances at her, amused, before lifting it out of reach. Sakura looks around the park, to see if there are any around who would come to her aid.

There are a handful milling about the park, but all of their gazes are carefully averted.

Huh.

Sakura frowns up at the man as he pages through the book rapidly. She opens her mouth to say something, she isn’t sure what, but she pauses when she sees the expression on his face. There’s something wistful about it, a nostalgic sadness that verges on resentful bitterness. The words die in Sakura’s throat, unable to interrupt the oddly heavy moment.

Sakura casts her gaze back down to her own book, considering the dialects as she continues to stand awkwardly, waiting for...something. She actually gets caught up in the book, following a rabbit trail on a fascinating distinction between western and eastern Fire thieves’ cant in the way they address their hierarchy so she jumps when the man speaks again.

“The western thieves’ guild stole most of their cant from the languages of the nomadic tribes of Wind, who do not have much of a hierarchy in terms of the way their communities are assembled. This ended up being reflected a good deal in the guild, the hierarchy is less strict and more fluid. They adopted words for color from the common tongue to address the different leaders. The eastern guild--”

“How do you know all of this?” Sakura bursts out, unable to bridle her curiosity. She’s never heard a whisper of nomadic tribes in Wind in any of the books that she’s read and her ignorance nags at her.

The man looks surprised, shaggy eyebrows shooting up. He scratches his cheek, smile sheepish. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent like that. I understand it is not all that interesting--”

“But it is!” Sakura interrupts yet again, eyes sparkling. She feels a flicker of embarrassment for her rudeness, but tamps it down quickly. The man doesn’t seem to mind her so she won’t mind it either. (Though his own manners are rather lacking.) “Why would they choose to utilize words about color? And why in the common tongue? Isn’t that too easy for enemies to decipher? What color symbolizes top rank? Being that the guild is located in Fire, I would say red would be leader, but if most of the cant came from Wind wouldn’t the color be blue?”

The man’s eyes go wide and his jaw slackens and Sakura feels her shoulders start to creep up near her ears as she realizes that she’s rambling again about things that just aren’t--

The man bursts into laughter, placing his hands on his knees as he doubles over, shoulders shaking with the force of it. “Sage Almighty! You’re a riot, kid.” Sakura flushes, eyes darting away. “Hey now, that wasn’t an insult; I’m just quite reminded of…” His smile twists, wry and distant. “Well, a reflection of some sort.”

He hands her back her book, giving her a tentative if somewhat rough pat on the head. “To answer your questions, they chose color words because they are easy to remember; most members are illiterate and it makes it easier to identify ranks with armbands. They use the common tongue for the same reason; they care little for if their enemies decipher it because the hierarchy is so fluid. As for the leading rank, well, being thieves, the color most important to them is black, for the shadows.” He glances up toward the Hokage monument. “Much like shinobi, electing shadows as their leaders.”

Sakura nods, thankful for his succinct answers and fingers itching to get ahold of more information.

“I have a handful of journals on the topic of ciphers from the Second War; I lend those to you if you like,” he says, somewhat awkwardly.

“Would you?” Sakura asks, breathless.

The man nods abruptly, watching her with an odd look. “Well, where should I be able to find you?”

“The Academy,” Sakura says. She flushes, realizing her faux pas as she offers her hand. “I’m Haruno Sakura.”

He takes it, shaking it firmly. “I’m Jiraiya. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

[musicprincess655]

Queen of His People, Ch. 12

Pairing: Ushiten, Semishira

Rating: T

Tags: a/b/o, royalty au

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Dear Satori,

It’s still weird that you’re not here. You’d think a month would be enough time to get used to it, but I guess we’ve had longer to get used to having you here. Hajime says to tell you that he and Maiya are still ready to come beat someone up if you need them to. He’s been spending a lot of time practicing with Tobio. He’s going to be a soldier someday, wait and see. I don’t think he’s forgiven me yet, but it’s better. We’re getting there.

Tobio wants to write something for you on the back. I hope everything’s going well for you up there. It’ll be nice to deal with you when we’re both rulers.

Tooru

Satori turned the paper over, seeing the childish scrawl that he doubted Tobio would ever have the patience to fashion into a flowing script like his older brother’s.

I miss you. I’ve been practicing with Hajime more. He says I’m getting good. What’s the castle up there like? I want to come visit you soon. Tooru is being nicer to me. Being an omega isn’t so bad, I guess. Matsukawa-san says I can still be a soldier if I want.

Satori smirked at the disjointed flow of words, no structure. It was good to hear that the brothers were getting along better.

He scrawled a quick reply, telling them he was fine and that he missed them too. He told them about the library and how different the citadel was from Seijoh’s capital city.

Then he turned to the letter that he’d been saving for last, the one that bore the seal of Rowanwood. He was trying not to get his hopes up too high. It wasn’t certain that his mother had sent it.

He felt something in his chest unclamp when he unsealed the letter and saw his mother’s handwriting.

My dearest Satori,

I was so glad to hear that someone finally came to court you properly, and a prince, no less! You sound happy. He sounds like a good man. He’ll make you a good husband, but more importantly, he’ll make you happy.

I already know you won’t make the same mistakes I did, because you chose your path without any force from anyone else. That is all I could have asked of life for you. Knowing that you are happy is all I need.

I wish you luck in your courtship and marriage. May he always treat you well and may he give you children to love. You will be a magnificent queen, I can already tell. Never doubt that I believe in you, and that I love you.

Take care of yourself, darling. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to come visit you someday. Perhaps you’ll invite me up for your wedding? I’d understand if you don’t want to see me, so you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

With love,

Mama

He couldn’t write back fast enough, assuring her that he would love nothing more than to see her again, that she was welcome here any time. He wished he could see her reaction when the letter arrived with an eagle.

It was time to begin his lessons with the queen for the day. While she wasn’t any warmer towards him, they had come to some kind of stasis. He worked hard and she did what she needed to do. They got through it.

She was still taking him through the finer points of finances, which he was doing his best to bite his tongue and deal with. He wasn’t good at math like he was good at reading, and it was a lot of work. He did it without complaint, though. That was the price of the queen’s grudging approval.

The best part of his day was still when he was let free to wander the castle. He’d had fun for a few weeks exploring all the nooks and crannies of the place. Sometimes he ran into the people of the castle, and they were friendly enough if they weren’t in the middle of something.

The first person he ran into was Ai, and when he did, she was practicing with a sword. Satori watched her with interest until she noticed him. While it was completely normal to have omega soldiers down in Seijoh, he knew not every kingdom had such complete equality. Ai was so much smaller and older than the soldiers he was used to; he hadn’t expected her to be a fighter.

“You look like you’re thinking something unflattering,” she said when she finally noticed him, though she didn’t look mad.

“You just don’t seem the kind to fight,” he told her honestly. She grinned at him.

“What makes you say that?”

Satori considered her. There really wasn’t a way to answer that without being offensive, was there?

“Has it occurred to you that the ones of us who stay behind aren’t necessarily held back because we’re unable to fight?” she asked. “I was born here in the castle. I’ve lived here all my life. There’s probably not a person alive who knows her better than I do, and no one else is better suited to her defense. I’m here because I’m the captain of the guard. That’s why I don’t join my mate in battle.”

Satori had found a healthy new respect, and maybe a little fear, for the tiny omega woman. She raised her sword to him then.

“Do you know how to fight?”

Satori held up his hands.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I know how to use a knife, but not a sword. I’m better with a bow and arrow, though.”

“You really were trained with a crown prince who was never meant to see battle, weren’t you?” she asked. “A knife is the weapon of someone who stays off the battlefield.”

Satori shrugged. He’d never felt much of an inclination to be a soldier, though the king had offered to have him trained for it. He preferred his life in relative safety.

“If you want to learn, I’m usually in this part of the castle,” she offered. “My mate is the best sparring partner, but if he’s gone, you should do just fine. Oh, and if you see my daughters getting into mischief, let me know. Kanon and Mamiko can be real troublemakers.”

“Will do,” Satori promised.

The next person he ran into was Kenjirou. It wasn’t like the other omega was hard to find. Kenjirou was always in the library, pouring over the information that eagles carried him from the battlefield, drawing up plans, and looking over his maps. He wasn’t very talkative, but it was kind of nice to sit with someone while he was reading.

Kenjirou had a remarkable amount of awareness, despite how little attention he seemed to be paying. Satori only figured this out after Kenjirou started addressing him.

“Sit,” he’d said, not looking up from his work. Satori froze, his search for a place to sit close enough to Kenjirou for comfort but far enough away that he wasn’t bothering the other forgotten. “You’ve been wandering around for ten minutes. Just sit here if you want to sit here.”

Satori approached slowly. Kenjirou seemed like the type who got annoyed easily, which normally would make Satori want to poke at him, but he didn’t want to start annoying people before he really got settled in. He settled next to Kenjirou on the couch, pulling his feet up and putting his book on his lap. He didn’t open it, though.

“What are you doing?” he asked instead.

“Planning,” Kenjirou said absently, moving his pen around listlessly. He seemed to have hit a block. “I want this over as soon as possible. The sooner it’s done, the sooner everything can go back to normal.”

“I thought you already had a plan,” Satori said.

“We do, but things change pretty quickly when you’re fighting,” Kenjirou told him. “There’s things I just can’t know about every single aspect of a battle without being there. I mostly talk back and forth with Eita. He sends me information about the area so I can refine the plan, and sometimes he has crazy ideas that he pitches, which occasionally have to potential to work. I can’t see those kinds of things from here, but I need to be here to stay objective. It’s hard to see the entire picture if I’m too close.”

“And when was the last time you ate anything?” Satori asked. He didn’t think he’d seen the other leave the library…ever, actually. Kenjirou gave him an unimpressed look.

“You sound just like Eita,” he complained. “I’m fine.”

His stomach chose that moment to growl. Satori raised an eyebrow as Kenjirou scowled.

“You have a few minutes to come get a bite to eat, don’t you?” Satori cajoled, trying to make the offer sound good. In truth, he was starting to worry about Kenjirou, considering he never saw the other omega outside of the library.

“I’m busy.” Kenjirou tried to brush him off, but Satori was stubborn.

“So busy that you can’t take five minutes to eat?”

Kenjirou looked like he wanted to keep arguing even though he wasn’t going to win. Satori just grinned at him. He was good at getting what he wanted through being stubborn.

Kenjirou shoveled his food down in the kitchen, trying to eat and be done as fast as possible. Satori laughed at him and earned himself another scowl and an insult. They went back to the library together, and this time Satori didn’t hesitate to sit next to Kenjirou on the couch by his work.

Kenjirou leaned into his side.

“Don’t say anything,” he threatened, before Satori even had a chance to open his mouth. “I’m just tired, and you’re warm.”

“Is it hard being away from your mate?” Satori asked quietly. Kenjirou was silent for long enough that Satori thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“I worry,” he finally responded, voice a whisper. “I know I shouldn’t. It’s not like he’s never gone off to fight. It’s kind of his job. I should be used to this by now, but…”

“You miss him.”

“Tell anyone and they’ll never find your body.”

Satori snorted, but wrapped an arm around Kenjirou’s shoulders. Kenjirou let his head rest on Satori’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Tendou-san,” he said stiffly. He probably wasn’t used to being comforted.

“Satori,” Satori corrected. “If I’m calling you Kenjirou, you should call me Satori.”

“Satori,” Kenjirou repeated. “You don’t have to worry so much about Ushijima-sama. He knows what he’s doing. It’s not the first time he’s gone to war either.”

“What makes you think I’m worried?”

“Aren’t you?” Kenjirou sounded unsure. “I thought that was why you were hanging around. I don’t know exactly what’s between you two, but you wouldn’t have come here if you didn’t care about him, right?”

Satori was quiet. He was worried, though he was doing his best to hide it. War was scary. He was perfectly reasonable, being worried. Even Kenjirou was worried, and he’d seen his mate through battles before this.

Everything would be alright.

“Do you want to send him a message?” Kenjirou offered. “I’m about to send an eagle out. There’s a little room at the bottom of the scroll, if you want to use it.”

Satori accepted the pen offered to him gratefully, carefully writing a message in his best handwriting. He didn’t have much space, and he wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to say in this kind of thing. He wasn’t brave enough to try something like a love poem on battle plans everyone would see.

Come home soon. ~Satori

That was fine, wasn’t it? It was what he felt, and the best he could do with the space he’d been given. Kenjirou tied the scroll to an eagle’s leg, letting it fly out the window. He turned back to Satori.

“You can…keep coming back here, if you want,” he offered haltingly. “Most people aren’t good at sitting still and being quiet, but it’s kind of nice to have the company as long as you don’t bother me.”

“Sure thing, Kenjirou!” Satori promised with a grin. Kenjirou blushed a bit, but turned back to his work. “Oh no. You’ve sent off your eagle. You need to sleep.”

“You’re not my mother.”

“What would your mother say if she saw you staying up all hours of the night?”

Kenjirou glared at him, but let his head drop.

“Fine. Fine!” he snapped. “I’ll go to bed. But just for a few hours!”

He stalked off, muttering under his breath about “overbearing mother hens”. From what Satori had gathered, Kenjirou needed a lot of mothering from his mate, which was even funnier because Kenjirou was the omega and Eita was the alpha.

He looked out the window after the path of the eagle. Wakatoshi would come home soon, wouldn’t he? Satori felt his chest squeeze a little. He wanted the alpha back here sooner rather than later. He missed his…courtmate. And fiancé. He guessed Wakatoshi was his fiancé too.

He just wanted everyone to come home safe already.

[musicprincess655]

Queen of His People, Ch. 9

Pairing: Ushiten

Rating: T

Tags: a/b/o, royalty

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“Fly fast,” Satori told the pigeon, although he was pretty sure it wouldn’t understand him. It just cooed at him and left, heading for Rowanwood.

The letter it carried was short and to the point, but little traces of affection had slipped through. He had just meant to tell his mother that he was going to Shiratorizawa to be married, but he couldn’t hide how much he missed her. He’d barely seen her since he came to the castle.

Maybe she would come to visit him in Shiratorizawa. His father had restricted her movements ever since her affair, but if he was going to be queen, he had to have some power to change that. His parents weren’t mated, and probably never would be after everything, but she was a timid woman and had been dominated by the men around her for her entire life. From the stories she’d told him, her father had been just as overbearing as his, and she’d been given away as a bride far too young. He couldn’t begrudge her the affair, even if it had made his life harder. He couldn’t be mad for the one moment of freedom she’d had.

And she’d done her best to protect him when he still lived at Rowanwood. He’d never doubted for a moment that she loved him fiercely, loved him enough to send him away to the castle because she thought he’d be happier away from her.

He shook himself. This wasn’t a day to feel sad. He was going off on an adventure, he was supposed to be excited.

Tooru and Hajime were waiting for him in the courtyard, ready to say their goodbyes. They had been distant recently, Tooru’s fight for the throne keeping them busy, but Satori was going to miss them.

“I don’t suppose you know anything about Tobio offering to stay away from the throne as long as I promise not to marry him off, do you?” Tooru asked, but they both already knew the answer.

“Be good to him,” Satori told him. “He’s going to be loyal to you.”

“Yeah, he is,” Tooru sighed. “I have a lot of work to do to make it up to him, don’t I?”

“You were an ass,” Satori agreed, and Tooru made a face.

“You’re not supposed to agree!” he protested, but then he sobered. “I wish you the best. I’ve seen you with Ushijima. He makes you happy. I’m happy for you.”

Satori hugged him, because Satori was a hugger, and Tooru was clingy anyway.

“Take care of yourself,” Hajime said. “And don’t forget to write sometimes.”

“I will,” Satori promised. A young beta woman walked up behind Hajime, grinning at him. “Maiya? How long have you been here?”

“I just got back,” she laughed. “And I heard the little bug eyed kid who used to run around with my baby brother is all grown up and going off to get married. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, nee-san,” he said. She pulled him into a rough hug.

“Anyone gives you trouble, you just let us know,” she said fiercely. “Hajime and I will come up and kick some ass.”

She and Hajime stood strong beside each other. They were two of a kind, brother and sister. Satori was feeling the love.

Tobio was standing off to the side, fidgeting. He’d already said his goodbyes, but he came forward to give Satori another hug.

“Promise you’ll write to me?” he asked in a small voice.

“Of course,” Satori told him. “Someone has to tell you stories about the far north.”

Tobio looked happier.

“Don’t let your brother give you any shit,” Satori said. “But don’t hold a grudge. I think he’s going to try to earn your forgiveness. Let him.”

Tobio nodded, looking serious. Satori slung his bag over his shoulder, turning to where Wakatoshi and Kawanishi and Goshiki were waiting.

“That’s all you’re bringing?” Wakatoshi asked.

“I don’t need much,” Satori admitted.

“That moves up our timetable, then,” Kawanishi said. “We were expecting to have to use a carriage for the ride back, but if you packed light, we can make it back in a few weeks. Assuming you can ride, of course.”

“I know how to ride,” Satori scoffed, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t been on a horse’s back in years. He could keep up just fine. He wasn’t going to break.

“Consider this my wedding gift to you,” a voice broke in. The king was there, holding the reigns of a hearty looking horse. “She’s a tough one. She’ll survive just fine up in the north.”

Satori couldn’t respond for a moment, throat closing up.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “She’s beautiful.”

She wasn’t, not in the traditional sense at least, but she looked strong, and Satori thought there was beauty in that.

“Good luck,” the king said. “And have a safe journey.”

“We thank you for your hospitality,” Wakatoshi said. “I’ve already sent word to Shiratorizawa. A legion should be on its way down already.”

The king nodded, and then they were off.

“I didn’t realize you were going to pack so light,” Goshiki commented. They were riding at a steady pace, but not so fast that they couldn’t talk. “Most omegas need more stuff.”

“I don’t,” Satori shrugged. The jolting of the horse was already starting to get to him. “How far is it to Shiratorizawa?”

“About two hundred miles to the border, and another hundred to the capital,” Wakatoshi answered. “If we can keep the pace we had on the way down, it should take about two weeks.”

Satori tried to hide his grimace, and Kawanishi grinned.

“Semi is going to adopt him on the spot,” he said. Goshiki nodded in agreement.

“Who’s Semi?” Satori asked. “Is he like a head omega?”

Goshiki snorted.

“No,” Kawanishi said, laughter in his voice, “but he got all the motherly instincts his mate missed out on.”

“I’m sure Kenjirou will be a fine mother,” Wakatoshi argued. Kawanishi just gave him a look.

“The day Kenjirou gracefully accepts motherhood is the day I eat my own socks,” he said flatly.

“They have only been mated for a year,” Goshiki reasoned. “And they’re both busy since Semi-san is the general and Shirabu-san is the chief strategist. They might want children someday.”

“You still haven’t dropped the habit of calling him by his maiden name,” Kawanishi pointed out.

“Shirabu-san will always be Shirabu-san, even if he took Semi-san’s family name,” Goshiki argued. Kawanishi shrugged.

“My point is, Semi is going to like you,” he addressed Satori again. “He likes picking up strays, and you’ll be a young omega in a new place. He’s going to fuss over you, fair warning.”

“I can deal with fussing,” Satori assured him. “Semi and Shirabu are general and strategist? And they’re mated?”

“Yes,” Wakatoshi answered. “They hardly ever leave the citadel, save for wartime. Even then, Kenjirou will stay while Eita goes off to battle. They’re too important to risk going out too often.”

“What’s the citadel like?” Satori asked. “What are the people like?”

They spent hours telling him about the city up on the top of a mountain, nearly impenetrable from the outside. The walls had been redesigned over the years to keep the worst of the wind off, and natural hot springs below the palace kept it warm year round. There was a lower town around the palace in the safety of the walls, and was mostly populated by merchants that dealt with the farmers that had learned over the years to farm in the mountains.

They stopped for the night at an inn, and the keeper seemed to recognize them from their trip down. He offered them two rooms, one with a double bed, and one with two twins.

“Goshiki and I will take the double bed, and you two can have the twins,” Wakatoshi announced. Satori sighed happily, already glad to be able to res this aching legs. He wasn’t looking forward to getting back in the saddle tomorrow.

He dropped into bed, not even bothering to change out of his clothes. He was almost dead asleep when he heard Kawanishi drop into the bed next to him.

“I can’t wait to get back,” he sighed. “It’s so hot down here.”

“I’m sorry I’m keeping you from your mate,” Satori offered sleepily. Kawanishi shrugged.

“We’re knights,” he said. “It’s our job to make sure you two are safe. Besides, it’s only a few weeks. Then I’ll have him all to myself again.”

Satori was about to make a lewd comment, but he was asleep before he could, and the next thing he knew, Kawanishi was shaking him awake. It was time to get going again.

***

Two weeks later, and Satori was ready to never ride a horse again. He was almost ready to cry with happiness when they started to climb the narrow path that led up to the citadel.

Trumpets blared at the return of the prince, and the gates were opened. Satori sighed. He couldn’t wait to get settled and sleep for a week, if he could.

There were people waiting for them just inside the gate, cheering as their prince rode back in. Satori tried to sit up straight, smile, be the queen they were expecting him to be someday. No one looked at him angrily, which was a good sign.

They passed the second gate into the palace grounds, and fewer people were waiting for them. They handed off their horses to waiting groomsmen, and turned to face the small crowd. Satori steeled himself. This was his first test.

“Ushijima-sama,” someone said, coming forward. He had long black and white hair pulled into a ponytail, and though he was shorter than Wakatoshi, he radiated an air of power. “It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Eita,” Wakatoshi answered. “This is Tendou Satori.”

Satori tried to make himself look friendly. Eita – this was probably Semi – looked him over critically, before arching a brow.

“He’s perfect,” Semi said.

“I hope my mother thinks so, too,” Wakatoshi said.

“That’s why he’s perfect,” Semi countered, but he held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Tendou-san. I’m Semi Eita, but you’re welcome to call me Eita, most people do.”

A slightly shorter omega stepped around Eita. His light brown hair was cut with completely straight bangs. He was the polar opposite of Eita, and yet, they fit together.

“Hello, Tendou-san,” he said, voice much softer than Eita’s. “I’m Eita’s mate, Kenjirou. You’re welcome to call me by my given name as well. It gets confusing since we’re both Semi now.”

“Hello, Kenjirou,” Satori said shyly. He was almost overwhelmed by the people starting to crowd around.

“Everyone back off, give him some room,” a female voice ordered. An absolutely tiny omega woman stepped forward. She was classically pretty, if a little plain, and at the very least double Satori’s age. “Don’t scare him off before he even gets inside. Hello dear. I’m Ai, and this is Reon.” She gestured to the older alpha behind her. “If you need anything, you can come to us.”

“Thank you,” Satori said. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, and he was happy that everyone was so nice, but he wanted to sit down.

“That’s enough niceties,” another female voice cut in. Satori looked up and…

This. This had to be the queen. Even without her resemblance to Wakatoshi, she was clearly royalty. She walked with her head held high and not even the idea that her words might be disobeyed.

She greeted Wakatoshi before looking over Satori critically. He tried not to squirm.

“He’ll do,” she said shortly. “Come inside. You’ve had a long journey, you must be exhausted.”

Not exactly a warm welcome, but she hadn’t greeted him with outright dislike. He could deal with this.

She led him and Wakatoshi to a wing of the palace, although Wakatoshi probably didn’t need the guide. She turned.

“Wakatoshi, I expect you to get him settled,” she said. “I’ll send dinner to your rooms for tonight. Tomorrow, you start training with me.”

She was off in a flurry of skirts. Satori turned to Wakatoshi.

“She’s not being rude on purpose,” Wakatoshi assured him. “That’s just how she is.”

Satori just nodded. He needed to sleep.

“These are your rooms,” Wakatoshi said. “I’m next door. We’re not connected, but you’re welcome to visit anytime.”

Satori nodded again, and Wakatoshi seemed to sense that he would collapse at any moment. He picked up Satori’s hand, kissing the back and leaving him alone.

Satori dropped into bed, face burning. That was such a sweet gesture. He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though. He was already burrowing under the soft furs on his bed, and it wasn’t long before he was entirely asleep.

Tomorrow, he could deal with the new home. Tonight, he had to sleep.