And Then the Morning Comes
Date: May 31st, 13 years aNb
Days since Team 11 left Mizumiyo Palace: 27
Time: 5:55 AM
The soft clatter of steel horseshoes on the granite stones of the courtyard as the first streaks of sunlight rose over the Blue Wall of Mizumiyo Palace, shining down on the backs of Nakahito Haruno and Kanna wa Akago as they returned after a very eventful, night-long date to the first evening of the annual Festival of Waters. Both were bleary-eyed, but there was contentment under the exhaustion as they slowed their horses to a stop and passed their reins over to the guards. One of the maidservants emerged from the entrance and collected a half folded yukata, torn and covered with muddy horseshoe prints draped over the hindquarters of Kanna's horse, taking it inside to see if it was salvageable.
Kanna was hugging a stuffed carp the size of a loaf of bread that Nakahito had won her. A giggle escaped her lips as he lifted her off the saddle and helped her to her feet. She reached up and swept her hair back as she gave her ninja suitor a winning smile. "This has been an amazing night, Nakahito, thank you so much!"
Haruno's smile was a reflection of the Princess's own as he reached into the saddlebag. A high quality paper bag that bore the logo Something Unique Boutique emerged before he gave the guards a nod to silently say that they could take the horses to the stables, which they did. "I'm still curious what else I ended up buying you…" He mused as he handed the bag to her.
The regional princess with long snowy tresses gained a hint of red to her face as she accepted it. "Yes, well… All in due time, 'Hito…" She glanced at the numerous guards and servants moving about, giving the pair curious looks. She pressed her forehead to his, to minimize the chance of someone hearing her next words. "And in a place where there aren't as many prying eyes to deal with… But you'll find it to have been well worth the wait and the agony of your curiosity when the time comes." She shifted slightly, as if realizing just how close she was to him, and pulled back; the space between them filling with the subtle scent of her new perfume. There was an air of reluctance surrounding her; the slight purse to her lips – now a powder blue/white from the lipstick he'd bought her – suggesting that she strongly wanted to kiss him. "That much I can promise you…"
The fire specialist gained a flush of his own as his heart began to pound a little harder. 'She's talking about THAT right? Like it's definitely in our future?!'
"I-I…" He stuttered slightly. "I've never wanted later to be now more than ever…" Kanna's dark eyes widened and their faces both turned beet red. Haruno's hand struck his face even as the two closest guards chuckled softly to each other. "Can we pretend I DIDN'T just say that out loud like the idiot I clearly am..?"
The Princess gave a mock yawn, stretching her arms as best she could with her hands full with the physical memories of their second date. "I'm sorry, 'Hito, did you just say something? I'm sooo tired after our very full night and my mind must have wandered…"
There was a hungry look in her eye that said she wanted the same thing more than anything, even if she wasn't allowed to say so because of her station. Thoughts of his hands on her body were filling both their minds at that moment.
"There you are..!" Sho Inugami's voice cut through the tense silence between the dating couple as he quickly stepped over to them and gave Haruno a quick once-over.
"Inugami-sensei?!" Princess Kanna asked, sounding surprised as the two looked at him dumbly. "What are you..?"
"Sorry to interrupt what appears to be the end of your date, but my teammate missed curfew last night. I covered for him, but I don't think Miho-sensei actually bought it. I have to get him back to our quarters before she comes to get us for breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Nakahito asked, feeling confused.
"The Trial starts this morning..? We were going to have breakfast with the lawyer for one last review of our testimonies?" Both Kanna and Nakahito looked at him befuddled. "Yeah, clearly slipped your minds… You can have him back later!" The medic grabbed his teammate's shoulder.
"What are you doing?!" Haruno demanded in confusion.
"I hope you didn't eat too much… The first time is kinda rough…"
There was a pop of displacing air as the two ninja disappeared.
Kanna stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before climbing the steps in silence. 'We didn't get to schedule another date… I hope we have enough time for one before they have to go home…'
"And if not, I hope Nii-sama knows how to order ninja services…" She whispered softly to herself. "Or would that be considered one of those 'booty calls' I've heard about..?"
~•~
Nakahito and Sho materialized in their shared quarters. As they did so, Haruno's stomach abruptly clenched as a wave of vertigo washed over him; he darted for the suite's ¾ bath, barely making it to the toilet as he began to lose what little was left in his stomach.
The medic quickly peeled off his workout clothes, dried himself off, and threw on the white-on-white suit he'd prepared for court. "It'll pass in a few moments – your inner ear is experiencing a side effect of the teleportation."
There was a soft knock at the door at 6 AM on the dot. "Haruno, Inugami, are you decent?" Their Jonin's melodic voice inquired.
The medic stepped over and slid open the door. "I am, but Nakahito…" There was a violent retching sound that caused the instructor to flinch slightly. "Well, let's just say he's going to need a few more minutes to clean himself up…"
"What's wrong with 'Hito?" Itou, who was standing by Hyuuga-sensei, asked; sounding worried for her friend.
"He's just a little overstimulated because of his night out at the Festival with Princess Kanna." Inugami said with a straight face. Needing to use the Flying Thunder God to get him here in time for this conversation, resulting in his current state, was TECHNICALLY a result of Haruno's actions and therefore not a lie.
Kimiko flinched slightly at the medic's response, a brief look of hurt crossing her features. "I'll meet you over there, Sensei…" She said, turning away and walking down the hall without another word.
"She's taking it better than I expected…" Sho murmured to the Jonin.
Miho Hyuuga nodded. "About as well as I handled it when Iruka went out on a date with another kunoichi when we were Chuunin…" She arched the dark brow above her white eyes, the veins around them rising as she activated her Byakugan as subtly as she could. "So, when exactly did he get back from that 'evening stroll' of his?"
"More than five minutes ago, but I wasn't exactly staying up waiting for him or checking my watch… I got back from my morning workout and he was suddenly feeling sick."
Miho blinked slightly; her white-haired student was telling the truth, though somehow she doubted it was the WHOLE truth. Well, at least the schism that had been between them a few days ago was clearly gone if he was covering for Haruno… "I see."
"Miho-chan, would you mind if Kodansyo-sa and I join in for your breakfast meeting?" Imperial Princess Reiyuriko asked, drawing the Jonin's attention at just the right moment, as the royal couple emerged from their own suite across the way.
Hyuuga-sensei turned and nodded. "We'd be honored to have the two of you join us."
"We'll be just a few minutes behind you, Sensei. Could you ask them to prepare some bananas, rice, and ginger tea to help settle Sir Puke-a-lot's stomach?" Inugami asked, tilting his head in the direction of the disturbing noises. The Jonin nodded and left with the royal couple. As they walked off, Reiyuriko-hime glanced back and gave Inugami a conspiratorial wink.
Haruno emerged from the bathroom, looking slightly the worse for wear, as he shed his clothes to put on his suit for court. "Those street eats did not taste as good the second time around…" He moaned.
"You're just lucky my morning run brought me by the entry foyer when it did. Missing curfew would have been a second black mark on your record… Three gets you sent back for remedial education and it's a LOT harder to get your Genin status reinstated. I hope your date was worth it…"
Nakahito gave his friendly rival a smile, the memories of the prior night running through his mind as he buttoned up his blood red dress shirt. "Wouldn't a date with Motoko-chan be worth it to you?"
Inugami nodded as he briefly touched the largest of three boxes that screamed 'jewelry' on the desk beside him – his custom orders had been delivered by Fukamichu as Haruno was leaving for his date with the princess – they would be the last items to be packed for the trip home to ensure they didn't get damaged. The medic-nin had spent the entire evening lovingly polishing the contents of the box in question to a mirror-like sheen. "And then some." Sho agreed.
~•~
Time: 7:10 AM
"Good morning, everyone." Takeshi Spence, the lawyer protecting Haruno and Itou, said as he entered the private dining hall. "Today is the day; I hope you all had a good night!"
Nakahito, on the verge of falling asleep after eating the simple fare Inugami had ordered for him, was smiling dreamily. "It was pretty damned amazing for sure…" Kimiko Itou scoffed, refusing to look at her friend as a fresh surge of annoyance flashed through her.
The lawyer looked confused, but before he could ask additional questions a klaxon began to blare and the doors suddenly slammed open, guards taking a protective position by the Imperial couple.
"Pearl of the River and her husband secured in their dining hall!" One of them called into their radio.
"Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki is secure in his suite!" Another guard's voice came over the radio.
"Does anyone have eyes on the Konoha team? They could be a target, too!" Captain-General Kurosaki demanded.
Miho Hyuuga frowned, but reached into her hip pouch and pulled out her radio. "Keigo-san, my Genin and I are with Reiyuriko-hime and Kodansyo-hiko… What's wrong?"
The Captain-General's response was as simple as it was chilling…
"The Traitor; Akechi wa Jubei… He's escaped!"
~•~
"All those cameras and they stop at watching the cell block entrance rather than each individual cell." Inugami complained as Team 13 entered the chamber that, until last night, had housed Akechi wa Jubei since his arrest. The cell was as Spartan as one could make it – blank walls, a simple cot with a thin mattress and a steel toilet/sink combination in one corner.
"It's not like this place is the RNL, Sho…" Kimiko Itou pointed out, referring to the Rogue-Nin Lockdown facility, where chakra-capable prisoners – whether they were former Konoha ninja that had betrayed the Village or those captured alive from other Villages – were kept contained. "…It's the Palace's version of a drunk tank for the Kuge that overdid it… Mizuzaki-sama," In public spaces Itou was still being cautious to avoid revealing the relationship between herself and the Imperial family, "…was keeping him here more to keep his influence under wraps than anything."
"The Traitor was here after dinner at 8 PM last night." Keigo Kurosaki stated as he looked up from the prison log. "And he was gone when his breakfast and clothing for the trial were brought in at 7 AM. We've checked the cameras; no one entered or left the block during those eleven hours and there wasn't so much as a flicker of static on the recording. The cell doors are magically secured – there are a few Kuge members that have learned to pick locks; mostly for their own amusement – and after we learned how those Rain ninja got in, we've added an additional barrier to the exterior walls to stop those with stonewalking or liquefaction skills." He shook his head. "Not that it matters, the barrier team said no one with active chakra has passed through in the last two weeks."
"Wherever he is, he'd better PRAY he never sees the light of day again or I'll finish what I fucking started!" Haruno growled with a fierce grimace.
"Just make sure you leave some for ME, 'Hito." Kimiko Itou agreed, her hand gripping her Wusha's handle tightly enough the leather of her gloves groaned softly.
"You two really need to stop talking like that." Hyuuga said softly as she walked around the cell's exterior with her Kekkei Genkai active. "It's unprofessional. I'm allowing it at the moment because I understand your frustration, but this is why the three of you aren't going to be in this round of the Chuunin Exams." She shook her head. "The barrier around the cell is completely undisturbed, Kurosaki-san. However he escaped, it wasn't through brute force."
The Captain-General nodded as he insert the heavy key into the cell door, unsealing it.
"There, under the edge of the cot…" Inugami said as soon as the visual baffle that prevented direct contact between those inside and those outside the cell faded. The medic-nin knelt down and moved the bed aside. "It's definitely a reverse-summoning glyph. The same kind Akechi confessed to using to send prisoners to Ryuuchi Cave."
"Is that blood on the tile?" Kimiko asked, noticing brownish-red flecks on it. "Does it need it like your Flying Thunder God thing?"
Inugami shook his head, making a sound of successful discovery as he held up a screw with similar traces. "The miniscule amount of blood we're seeing is more in line with accidental nicks that he probably gave himself while trying to engrave this enough to make it work…" Sho looked at his Jonin before he stared long and hard at the tile, as if he weren't seeing it, but whatever lay beyond it. "How about it, Miho-sensei? Any signs of a teleportation tunnel that bypass the sensing barrier?"
"Can't say for sure…" The Hyuuga said with a sigh as she relaxed her Byakugan. "My Clan's dojutsu is better at detecting chakra flows. The Sharingan of the Uchiha, like the one Kakashi-senpai has, is better at analyzing residual effects like this would be… If there is one."
Sho nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, the Byakugan is better suited for detecting still active chakra effects, but it would be nice to be certain this is how he got out. Having a Byakugan AND a Sharingan at the same time would be like having a jutsu forensics lab inside your skull…" He said with an odd look and an equally unusual sigh.
Hyuuga frowned in thought. 'A Byakugan AND a Sharingan eye in a single body? You'd need to have the kind of insane chakra reserves members of the Senju, Uchiha, or Uzumaki clan were said to have had in order to handle that kind of power draw…' She shook her head. 'Not that either Uncle Hiashi, Fugaku Uchiha, or their predecessors would have permitted the blood of the Clans to mingle like that.'
"Still, given the nature of serpents to target wounded or weakened prey, I doubt Akechi wa Jubei took that into account when he etched this glyph… Assuming it was activated from the other end and that's how he got out…"
"Well, if it is, I hope those snakes eat the rat bastard and get indigestion." Nakahito growled before rubbing his bleary eyes.
"So what does this mean for us?" Kimiko asked, glancing over to Spence-san, who'd been silently observing things.
"Well, for starters I'll petition the courts to throw out Akechi's countersuit against the two of you with prejudice, so that if he's ever captured in the future he can't try it again. Fleeing a court's jurisdiction is NEVER a good option… We'll try to locate the Ryuuchi Caves to at least confirm that's where the Traitor went, but it's across the border in the Land of Fire."
"Not to mention that according to the stories, the kind of ninja they let in aren't the most trustworthy sorts." Miho pointed out.
"Exactly. The judge may just declare Akechi guilty with orders to execute on sight or he may try to hold out for a bit to see if we can catch him… Either way, I doubt your team is leaving River Country this week, Itou-san. In fact, given Caprio-sama's record, I'm pretty sure he'll have you stick around until July at the earliest."
The eyes of the other three members of Team 13 suddenly turned on Inugami, but the medic-nin was almost unnaturally calm…
Had Motoko Hata been close enough for her 'psychic radio' connection to work, however, the swear-filled tirade that both Sho and Imaguni Ohs were having inside the confines of his skull would have sent her scrambling for the hills to get out of his way.
"Do what you can to convince this Judge Caprio to let us go sooner rather than later, Mr. Spence." Sho said softly as he walked out of the room. "I have a letter to write…"
"Momo is NOT going to be happy about this." Kimiko and Nakahito said simultaneously.
* * *
Bad News Comes In Threes
Date: June 4th, 13 years aNb
Days since Team 11 left Mizumiyo Palace: 31
Time: 11:20 AM
"Ow, ow, ow!" Raiden Hata moaned, slapping the tatami mat repeatedly. "I give up, Momo!" His twin listlessly released his arm. "Shit, sis, you nearly broke my arm!"
Motoko merely stared silently off into the distance. No apology, no acknowledgement of what her twin had said.
"Okay, Motoko wins this round." Okito Tanaka said simply. "You okay, Raiden?"
"Yeah, nothing alternating between a hot water bottle and an ice pack for a few hours won't fix."
"What's going on with her?" The Diamond Turtle of Konoha asked, looking at the kunoichi. Motoko remained on the floor in the seiza position, staring off to the southwest.
Raiden shrugged with a wince. "She got a letter from him yesterday. Bad news if the scream she let off was any indication, but she's been like that ever since… And I'm getting nothing but white noise through our twin bond, so if she's thinking anything, I'm not feeling it."
Kyouran strolled up to the kneeling kunoichi and gave her his cutest, most kittenish mew for attention. The swordswoman blinked once and stroked the panther cub's head before zoning back out. Undeterred, the son of Ryoushi jumped into Hata's lap, curling into a ball and playfully batted at the kunoichi's breast-length tresses, but after a few minutes without any further response from the orange haired girl, Kyouran returned to Hashimoto's side.
'Okay, Motoko-chan normally can't resist playing with Kyouran when he acts like that…' Tanaka thought to himself; finally worried.
The older ninja sat cross-legged in front of his Genin. "Konoha to Motoko… Are you okay?"
"Why..?" She croaked, her voice slightly hoarse from the scream that her twin had reported.
Okito blinked; this was the first thing the kunoichi had said all morning. "Why what, Motoko-chan?"
"Sensei, look out!" Raiden suddenly shouted as he felt a surge of feelings from his twin.
Thanks to her twin's warning, Tanaka was able to summon a protective layer of his diamond mesh armor as Motoko's fists, glowing with crackling electrical energy, slammed into the Jonin's muscular chest. Her fists struck again and again, with the constant repetition of the question "Why?!" Each strike letting off a burst of electrical energy, continuing until the kunoichi's hands began to ooze blood.
'If Raiden hadn't warned me, that first hit could have stopped my heart!' Tanaka realized before catching Motoko's wrists and encasing her hands in diamond grip restraint mittens.
"What's gotten into you, Motoko-chan?!" Okito demanded; this kind of outburst was well out of character for her.
"Why did you stop him, Sensei?!" The female Hata finally sobbed as copious tears sprang from her jade green eyes. "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't stopped 'Hito-kun!" She bawled, burying her face on his shoulder.
Suddenly the pieces fell into place; Sarutobi-sensei had told him about the situation with Team 13 just last night... Of course Inugami had sent an express letter to the woman he loved! "You mean stopping him from killing a disarmed, defenseless civilian in cold blood?"
"Sho-sa should be here now, with me, where I could be helping him deal with his issues, making him happier and healthier, but no, he's stuck in God-damned Mizumiyo Palace, possibly for another MONTH because that asshole you spared from getting what he deserved escaped!"
"Motoko-chan, I get how you're feeling; I really do. I was on a mission for four years, away from everyone who mattered to me; not even allowed to send a letter because of how sensitive the job I had was. In combat, we have to be willing to kill our opponents, but there are also times that sparing an enemy is the right call. We may be ninja, but we're not cold-blooded killers here; Konoha is meant to be an example to lift others up… At least according to Sarutobi-sensei that's what the Shodaime Hokage had in mind when he came up with the idea of the Village system the entire continent uses today."
"I KNOW…" Hata sob/moaned. "We just had so little time together after we FINALLY connected. I just feel like part of me has been cut off; a part I was supposed to have back by now. It hurts so much, Sensei… I can't stand it!"
Tanaka sighed as he gently patted the crying girl's shoulders in comfort. There had been something else Hiruzen had told him… He gestured for the other two Genin to come over. "I know, Motoko-chan… And I hate to tell you this when you're already feeling low, but I need to give you three enough time to come to terms with it before they get here… We can't risk an incident like what nearly happened in Kawa City."
"What's going on, Tanaka-sensei?" Hashimoto asked.
"Sunagakure sent over their official registration list for the Chuunin Exams." Okito said softly. "Amaya Satou and Kane Suzuki are on it. They'll be arriving on the 24th with the other nine teams from the Sand."
Hisses of rage escaped both Kyouran and Motoko Hata.
"So you're saying I'll see that bitch that hit on and even struck my Sho-sa BEFORE I get to see him again?!" Motoko Hata seethed with an intensity that made her twin back away in instinctual fear. She looked at the diamond mesh gloves keeping her chakra under wraps. "Sensei, get these off me; I need to go talk with someone."
Tanaka gestured and the restraints returned to his chakra pool. "What are you going to do, Motoko-chan?"
"I don't know if the pheromone suppressor that Sho-sa came up with will be enough to protect him if that Suna whore tries using whatever she used to control Akechi on him. His grandfather was killed by a Satou illusionist; I'm NOT losing him the same way his grandmother lost her husband! We have 20 days; I'm going to help his parents however I can to make sure Sho-sa is safe." She growled as she vanished with a pop of displaced air.
Okito Tanaka blinked in surprise. He pointed to where she'd just been. "When did..?"
"Inugami-san was teaching her the Flying Thunder God while in Mizumiyo Palace." Hashimoto explained. "Kyouran and I saw the tag with her blood when we were watching the arrivals of the Daimyo for the Convocation."
"Yes, I remember her asking him to teach her our first day in the Palace. I just didn't realize she'd learned it such a short amount of time."
Raiden snorted. "She had access to Inugami's undivided attention for nearly two weeks; she wasn't going to waste a single second of it. She's still limited to a few city blocks, but this training hall is apparently close enough to home."
Tanaka was silent, contemplating his kunoichi student's words. He hadn't been aware of the story of what had happened to Saki-sensei's husband and, given the medic-nin's lack of anger at the Satou during the Gala, Inugami had either mastered partitioning his feelings – which according to Miho-chan he hadn't – or Motoko had learned something that Sho himself was unaware of...
'How odd…' Okito thought to himself.
~•~
Motoko Hata blinked as she found herself facing the black doors that lead to the JRD for the fifth time.
"What's going on? How do I keep ending up back here?" The young woman demanded out loud.
"The Jutsu Research Department is one of the most secure places in the village. I've worked for Kurando-sensei for years and I still haven't been granted authorization to enter it yet." A kind sounding voice came from behind the kunoichi.
The swordswoman turned around and felt her heart throb for a moment. The man looked like he could pass for Sho's older brother… If he'd had one, that is.
"Aniki, I presume..?"
"And you must be Motoko-chan." Kabuto Yakushi said with a slight smile. The kunoichi blinked. "Only Sho calls me Aniki and he's talked about you on more than one occasion over the years. I must admit his descriptions barely do you justice…"
The kunoichi flushed slightly. Kabuto clearly was not Sho-sa, but he was close enough that the compliment lightened her mood.
"How do I get in touch with Anastasia-sensei if I can't get in?"
"There's a spell on the other side of the door that causes temporary amnesia if you have your eyes open without a special glyph. Just close your eyes and when you feel the mental pressure, just think of what you need; they'll either let you in or summon Anastasia-sensei for you."
She blinked in surprise. "They'll let me in, but not you?"
Yakushi let off a familiar-sounding scoff of self-amusement. "Perk of being the girlfriend of the bosses' kid." The kunoichi's eyes went wide and Kabuto's grin reappeared. "Anastasia was practically gushing about it a month ago. For someone who keeps state secrets for a living, she's one hell of a gossip when it comes to other matters. I'm happy for you two." His watch began to beep. "Oh, my experiment is nearly done; good luck with Sho when he gets back." Yakushi said as he patted her shoulder before walking off.
'I see why Sho-sa likes him so much.' Motoko thought as she closed her eyes and stepped through the black doors.
~•~
Ten minutes of closed-eyed guidance later, Hata found herself at a metal door labeled GENETICS 1. She knocked on it as she pushed her way in. "Anastasia-san?"
"One second!" The voice of Sho's mother echoed back through the nearly vacant room. The principal genetics lab had a number of computers, glass cylinders, and specialized equipment that the kunoichi couldn't even begin to guess what their purpose was. There was one cylinder, the one the female Inugami-sensei was laboring at, that was filled with a light pinkish fluid that made the orange-haired kunoichi think it was water with a few drops of blood diluted in it. "Okay… The growth medium is ready… It'll take a week for it to fully replicate, but between it and the chakra suppression collars that Cid's team is working on, we should be ready for the Exams next month. End log."
The older kunoichi with copper red hair reached over and turned off a recording device. Motoko nervously bit her lower lip as Sho's mother looked at her, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about having practically stormed into Anastasia's office.
A familiar-looking wan smile crossed Inugami's lips as her hands glowed, healing the minor cuts Hata had inflicted on herself against Tanaka's armor. "I take it Yaiba told you about the impending arrival of nearly twenty Satou ninja for the Chuunin Exams and your mind went right to what happened to Kiheita?"
Hata's eyes went wide as she tried to process Inugami's words. "Twenty… Yaiba?"
"Oh, right, you probably don't know his ANBU code name: I mean Okito-kun. He got it because of the diamond blade he wields."
Understanding helped clear her confusion. "Oh, Tanaka-sensei… He didn't tell me about the twenty so much as the ONE that already tried to set her hooks into Sho-sa…n."
Anastasia tittered slightly at the way Motoko tried to catch herself with the honorific. "Motoko-chan, Karin could barely contain her excitement over the extent of the relationship between you and my son after your first visit to our home. You don't need to pretend that Sho means less to you than he does… Hell, I was about your age when I fell hard for Kurando – and that was love at first sight; you've had years to develop your feelings for my son, even if he only recently reciprocated them."
Tears began to fill the swordswoman's eyes as her fears began to eat at her again. "It nearly killed me watching Amaya flirt with Sho-sa in Mizumiyo Palace… I mean I could tell he was just playing along for the sake of his cover identity, but it still hurt to see him even pretending interest in another woman. Then there was the fact I could see her falling for him, so I ripped into her a little more personally than I probably should have."
"I did the same to Kushina when she flirted with Kurando shortly after we came to Konoha… I was a strange girl from a distant land naturally gifted with a type of magic from a different continent with all of 6 months of combat experience going against an 18 year old Tokubetsu Jonin who'd been fighting battles for years." Anastasia grinned slightly at the memory. "She thought I was an irrelevant girl with a crush."
"Really..?" Motoko asked, surprised enough that she didn't even wonder about the other woman's last name; she'd thought Anastasia and Kurando had always been with each other. "What happened?"
"Well, the magic I knew at the time was a variety of summoning she'd never run into before and it caught her flat-footed enough that she came to respect me before the fight was over. We eventually became great friends; in fact, Kurando and I stood up for Kushina and her husband's wedding shortly after the Third Great Ninja War ended." She sighed. "She died in the Kyuubi attack on the village a few years later... Kushina was a perpetual outsider like me; I miss her terribly."
"Amaya Satou and I are more likely going to try to murder each other instead of becoming friends. I know now that there's bad blood between your families, but Sho clearly doesn't; he was way too calm around someone from the clan connected to the death of his grandfather."
Anastasia nodded. "Like I said the other day, it took Kurando a long time to forgive his mother for what she did in his father's name... It was only when we found out I was pregnant with Sho that he fully accepted it, on the condition she never tell our children what she did until they were old enough to understand."
Hata nodded; keeping that knowledge from them would prevent their perception from being skewed that such things were acceptable. "But the real reason I'm worried is she did something to the villain behind the issues that caused the mission we went on that practically brainwashed him. Amaya strikes me as the spoiled rotten type that's never been told 'No' before; if she does that to Sho-sa…"
"Ah, the Obsession pheromone, yes, it's a nasty bit of biological magic to be sure." Anastasia Inugami paused for a second before giving her son's first girlfriend a smile. "Let me give you some peace of mind… Due to a quirk in my blood – and Sho's as well – the anti-pheromone treatment that we derived from that ultra rare male Satou sample goes from being about 60% effective to 100%." Sho's mom patted Motoko's hand. "This Amaya Satou you're worried about might as well try to wear down a brick wall by spitting on it for all the power her pheromones will have over my son."
Motoko Hata suddenly found that she could breathe again. She threw her arms around Anastasia in a massive hug as she cried tears of relief. "Thank you, Ana-kasan." The younger kunoichi wept, using the honorific normally reserved for a mother-in-law.
"Oh, now you've gone and done it, Motoko-chan." The older kunoichi's own waterworks starting as she returned the hug.
The two held each other, bonding over their shared love for Sho, until finally Anastasia whispered. "Is it too early to ask what your thoughts are on a winter wedding?"
Motoko Hata's face flushed as red as Anastasia's hair.