Crazy=Genius? [Shinrya Estate- Semi-Open/PM to enter]

[Shinrya Kahako]

“Again, Susumu.”

The Shinrya garden was in full bloom this season. The shrubbery filled the world with life, drinking up the warm weather and sun that often evaded the cold land of Kumogakure. A few gardeners dotted the area, trimming hedges and plucking herbs for the Lady of the house. Amongst the greenery, a woman and her son practiced taijutsu, the boy panting heavily as he stood up from the most recent attack that laid him out on the garden lawn. “But Moooom, we’ve been at this for over an hour,” Susumu protested as he resumed his fighting stance.

Kahako smirked as she made a preemptive move towards her son, immediately putting him on the defense, “And we’ll be at it an hour still until your father comes.” Susumu quick-stepped to the right to avoid Kahako’s punches, using his small stature to weave through her defense and tried with a feint to push her off balance. Kahako leapt to the side, switching to a defensive stance, and observing her son’s tactics to later tell him where his openings lie.

The boy used the moment to lay out a flurrying set of punches and kicks in rapid succession each being blocked in equal measure. Seeing another opening, Susumu spun for a low kick, nicking Kahako just hard enough to give him the edge he needed for another close encounter. “Got cha!” he yelled in triumph as he leapt for a high kick.

Kahako smiled once more as she grabbed his foot and used her current momentum to the ground to send them both tumbling. Susumu grunted in pain, landing hard on his stomach, but he didn’t waste a second rolling over. Unfortunately for him, his mother needed less than a second, and before he could get up, green eyes shined merrily into his own as he felt cold steel rest just under his chin.

“No fair, you said no weapons!” He pouted, thoroughly frustrated that his mom bested him so quickly with a simple ‘kunai to the neck’ cheat.

“All’s fair in love and war, sweetie,” Kahako cooed teasingly, kissing him lightly on the forehead, and chuckling when her son’s brow furrowed further in frustration. He hated it when she teased him. Absolutely hated it. But he was too adorable when angry, and she took entirely too much pleasure in riling him up.

“Gross! Get off me! You know... my friends’ moms are kind and gentle and sweet when they kiss them. They don’t throw their kids on the ground or hold dangerous knives to their neck like you do,” he spat, swiping Kahako’s kunai arm away, struggling to get out from under her. However, Kahako wasn’t done with him yet, tossing her kunai away before assailing the boy with tickles.

“Oh? Is that so? Are these the same friends I saw you beat in Taijutsu class the other day? If so, I believe I miiiiight be the better mother,” she jested over his giggling screams of protest.

The moment lasted a few minutes more, before it was cut short when Kahako suddenly stopped and lowered her arms. She felt it, that small itch in the back of her mind that she just couldn’t scratch. She was trying to get out again.

Susumu panted, thoroughly exhausted, but when he glared back at his mother to retort, the anger receded from his expression. She had that zoned out look again. He wiggled out from under her, and helped her into a more comfortable sitting position. It lasted for a couple minutes before the mood around his mom changed entirely. Though he couldn’t quite understand what was going on with her, he knew the person he looked at currently wasn’t his mom. The look she gave him now screamed timid. Mom was soft-spoken, but ‘timid’ wasn’t a word to describe her.

“Sukino?” Susumu mumbled out. At that moment, the Jounin guard who always followed his mom stepped from the shadows. Kahako nodded. “Hello, young Susumu-sama,” came an entirely different voice from his mom’s mouth. “I… I hope you are doing well?”

“Fine,” he muttered before standing up and grabbing the bokken he left off to the side. He slid into the stance his father taught him and began to practice his swings. It was useless to try to spar with Sukino. She didn’t know the ways of a shinobi. It was... weird when it happened because his mom knew so much. Watching her try to throw a punch was... really weird.

Sukino frowned, saddened that such a wonderful and rare moment for the two was ruined. Quietly, she shifted into another position, looking out into the pond to distract her mind. Anywhere besides the forms of Kahako’s son. For what could the woman do or say to put the boy at ease when the body of his mother was currently controlled by a stranger?

[spoilername="OOC"]Note that only leaders of the village and Shinrya Kitsune know the truth about what's going on with Kahako. Everyone else was under the assumption that she stepped down as Sennin due to an illness.

Edit 1: Changed for better pictures[/spoilername]

 

[Osuteno]

[spoilername="Osu with Yukiko and Karasuko"]

[/spoilername]​

Osu had the twins in their carrier and for once he didn't need to close them up outside. It was warm enough for them to be exposed to the weather and Yukiko was reaching towards things far out of her reach going "ah ahaaaahawa" and Karasuko was moving her legs and making strange squealing noises. "Yes yes we are almost there," Osu said while patting them.

He was far from an irregular guest at the Shinrya Estate and he was let in after a few maids had a chance to coo at the twins and play with their tiny feet. They were quite popular being only around 15 weeks old. Yukiko seemed interested in anyone who had large breasts since she always seemed to be hungry and Karasuko had recently taken up a fascination with shiny or dangly things, especially earrings... Should never let her near your earrings... Neither of them could be separated from their small stuffed bunnies they often chewed on, Yukiko's being the color of Karasuko's hair and Karasuko's being the color of Yukiko's hair, an effort of Osu's to encourage positiveness between the girls.

He made his way through the estate but stopped by a window overlooking the gardens. Very casually he opened the window and hopped out, drawing laughter from the twins as they fell a story, and walked towards Kahako and Susumu. It had been years since he had seen Kahako, and he had heard all sorts of rumors about her being sick or mentally unwell. He was sure by know she would have heard that the reports of his death at sea three years back were incorrect by now... hopefully. That would be an odd fright for her. Osu gave an awkward smile and waved the twins' hands at Susumu, who he had seen a couple months back, on the day of the twin's birth to be precise with that whole kidnapping thing.

"It is good to see you again Kahako-Senpai. It has been quite a few years."

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune had been working most of that day on a project in her lab, and she had conscripted Yuuki and Hisako to help her out with a few things. Yuuki was in need of another compatibility test to make sure she didn’t spontaneously disconnect from her artificially bonded spirit weapon, and Hisako, well, Hisako just wanted to help out and learn things. How could Kitsune refuse an innocent request like that? Simple answer: She couldn’t. So Hisako was allowed to assist all she wanted, and to gather as much information as she could. The project itself was a fairly complex one that Kitsune had shown to her minion pupil Osuteno before, the artificial eyes replacement procedure.

However, now they had been at it all day long without much progress, so Kitsune decided it was time for a break, and subsequently brought both of her assistants to the estate. Yuuki had only seen it once before, while Hisako was a frequent visitor. Yuuki didn’t much care for houses that big, and Hisako hadn’t formed an opinion on it as of yet. It appeared as if that process had been halted to allow for more observational input data crunching. ”My optical sensors appear to be picking up one Osuteno and two smaller living things, along with Shinrya-sama and her offspring.” Hisako stated as soon as they entered the grounds.

”What is it with you humans and your desire to procreate?” Yuuki asked, wrinkling her nose as if it entirely eluded her cognitive functions, despite being half human herself. ”You’d think there was nothing else propelling you ahead in this world but that desire.” she continued and shook her head a bit before she grabbed Hisakos arm and pulled her ahead towards Osuteno to say hi to her favorite teasing target. As for Hisako, she was still not sure why Osuteno was surprised every time she greeted him, but she’d keep on greeting him like normal until he got used to her.

While they rushed over to say hi to Osu and his kidlings, Kitsune walked over to Susumu and Kahako, only to quickly discern the situation thanks to the way Susumu behaved, and, of course Kahakos overall rather… Timid behavior was a huge giveaway that it was actually Sukino currently inhabiting the body. For all the work Kitsune had done in researching a way to extract spirits from a human body, she hadn’t found a way to sustain the spirit upon removal. ”Training hard, Susumu-kun?” Kitsune asked with a smile before patting Kahakos shoulder as a form of greeting and a “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out here.” sorta message.

[MFT: WC: 438]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Sukino stiffened as she heard the delighted squeals of two infants. A woman, carrying two girls landed softly after leaping from a second story window. As the stranger approached, Sukino’s heart slowed from the initial panic. Years she spent with Kahako, and she still couldn’t get over the superhuman abilities shinobi had.

But with the initial shock gone, a new problem came into view. It was clear the woman knew Kahako on a somewhat personal level. The title that she gave her host meant that they were at least comrades at the hospital, but Sukino didn’t know this person. Kahako wouldn’t share her memories with the spirit. It was too much a risk when Sakana would decide that a torture session with Sukino's own mind would be a fun way to pass time.

So when Osu approached the two, Sukino had to make the split decision to either pretend to be Kahako, or apologize because the woman standing before him was currently unavailable. And who knew how long it would take before Kahako could freely take control again. Trying (and failing) to exude a little more confidence, Sukino stood and smiled at the newcomer. “Quite a few years indeed! How have you been? I heard from mother that you recently had children,”</B><i></i> she lied quickly taking whatever information she could about this stranger. “What are their names?”

Susumu, on the other hand, immediately became guarded at the sight of the man. You don’t easily forget someone who was proclaimed as your would be kidnapper. With bokken in resting position, he protectively stepped closer to his mom. Sure the girly-guy could probably turn Susumu inside out, but if he were going to make a move now… well the game wasn’t in Susumu’s favor at all since he’d probably have to protect his mom. <B>‘Come on, mom… come back soon!’ Keeping a cool face, he starting thinking of the various escape routes he could take.

Standing, Sukino couldn’t sense the tension emanating from the little boy next to her. She closed the distance between her and the ‘mother’. “May I?” she asked nervously reaching out for the twins. Once secured, Sukino couldn’t help but coo at two of the most adorable girls she had ever seen. “My, how adorable they are at this age. I always wanted childre—“ both Sukino and Susumu visibly stiffened at Sukino’s slip. “I mean! Are they the prettiest little things! Don’t you think so, Susumu, my son?” A nervous beating grew in Sukino’s heart. She needed a distraction, something that would mask her mistake. “So pretty… They'll make all the girl's jealous when they're older. Maybe when you all grow up you might marry one of them one day, ne Susumu??”

“Absolutely not!” Susumu exploded with a rising blush. NO way was he ever going to marry a baby. Let alone a girl. Especially a baby girl whose father tried to kidnap him... Wait…

“Nonsense, you’ll one day be of age to marry, and you’re from a respectable clan. Any woman would be happy to have you.” Sukino said resolutely as she began to rock the girls.
Susumu leveled a gaze of horrified revelation at the visitor and his mother, taking a step away from them both. What if the reason why this Osuteno guy tried to kidnap him back then was to raise him to become his future son-in-law? Was this visit another plot? Another scheme? Was Sukino in on the plot? No, it wasn’t possible unless his mom was in on it too, and she’d never let that happen. Her and dad weren’t married for Raiden’s sake. Genjutsu then? It had to be genjutsu. Before he could draw his bokken and proclaim his accusations, a familiar voice called out to them.

“Gran-Gran!” Susumu shouted in relief before tacking Kitsune’s hips in a death hug for protection. Now for sure the Osu guy wouldn’t do anything with his grandmother around, and lift the genjutsu from Sukino. “I am, but Mom’s being weird. Will you practice with me?” he asked pulling her hand closer to the group, silently begging her to stay with his eyes. His future as an adult was on the line!

Sukino, in turn, offered a relieved smile to Kitsune as a returned understanding. Sukino knew Kitsune and Hisako, having been in control a good many times when they were around. They must know the stranger, and this would allow her to create some distance.

“My… so many guests. I must make some tea,” She said, forgetting Kahako’s own status and that one of the maids were probably in the process of doing such a thing. She walked over to Hisako and Yuuki, “Here, do you want to hold the babies?" She didn't give anyone a chance to protest. "Mind their heads, hold their bodies. Careful, they squirm.” She said. Once ensuring neither woman would drop their precious bundle, Sukino turned and walked towards the direction of the kitchens. “I will be right back.” She promised before stepping off the lawn.

 

[Osuteno]

Kahako-Senpai seemed... different? It had been a few years though. "The one with the snowy hair is the older sister Yukino, and here with the raven hair we have Karasuko... We had trouble agreeing on names and those fit rather well." Goodness, it had been a very long time, even though she didn't look that different it felt like he hardly recognized Kahako. As for her request he gently raised the twins out of the carrier and handed them one at a time to Kahako making sure she had each secure. "Here you go, you two be good for Auntie Kahako." Osu caught Yukiko's bunny as she dropped it and gave it back to her where she began nom'ing on it.

There was a bit of an awkward and humorous exchange between Kahako and her son when Osu noticed two more heartbeats approaching. As he turned he noticed Kitsune first and started to give her a nod but when he saw that vampire woman rushing at him and the beginnings of a third figure he hadn't noticed approaching, he was immediately set on edge and cracks began appearing all over his body where a good eye would see countless red writhing tendrils, some beginning to pour out of the cracks and his arm beginning to stretch out unconsciously between the babies and... everything retracted and he calmed down a bit with the twins both making cute ass hysteric baby laughs at the sight of dad breaking apart and reaching towards them.

Raiden above the two gave him a fright as he looked at Hisako and Yukki and gave them a friendly wave and only a slightly tense smile. He watched the twins be handed to Hisako and Yukki, Karasuko trying to grab at anything shiny on Hisako and Yukiko thinking Yuuki was there for her meal time and trying to latch on through her top. Osu approached Kitsune after making sure the twins were held correctly and Kahako had run off to fetch tea. "Hello Kitsune-Sensei, I brought the twins today to visit... plus Chiai really needed to catch up on sleep after the last few days..." Osu looked down towards Susumu with a playful smile for a moment before looking back up at Kitsune, "I thought Yukiko and Karasuko should see Gran Gran more."

Osu kept glancing towards the twins whether he realized it or not. "Didn't expect to see so many people here today."

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled at Susumus reaction to her showing up and ruffled his hair. “Sure, sure.” she said after bonking Osu on the head for calling her gran gran. It was different with Susumu, but Osu was the student. ”Doesn’t she always need to catch up on sleep, Osu-kun? It sure sounds like you’re the one keeping her awake doing things.” she said and smirked. In the meantime Hisako and Yuuki were standing semi-awkwardly with Osus kiddos in their arms, with Hisako being grabbed at by the shoulder due to how they were constructed and Yuuki having her chest grabbed onto and attempted to be suckled. Sadly for the kiddo, Yuuki didn’t produce any milk and it was a fruitless endeavor.

After the small talk, she decided to do some play fighting with Susumu, trying to train him to be accurate and swift. Sure, Kitsune might not know a single Taijutsu, but she did know speed and accuracy. If she didn’t, she’d be a terrible shot with her fireballs and plasma globules. Take too long to fire, and your target would’ve moved. Take too long to aim, and you’d be likely to find yourself with an arrow, a shuriken, or a kunai sticking out of your body somewhere. No thanks!

”Be swift, but accurate, Susumu-kun, and never forget to aim before swinging. Otherwise you might end up taking someones eye out. And I’d prefer it wasn’t mine.” Kitsune said and laughed softly. ”Even though we can fix things like that, it’s still painful to experience. Anyway! Susumu-kun! Try to hit that target.” she told him after handing him a small box of shuriken and gesturing at a target some fifty meters away. ”If you’re able to hit the center, I’ll teach you how to test for different chakra natures.” she said with a grin and a wink.

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Susumu all but glowered at Osu’s comment to Kitsune for a second before being mollified with the bonk on the head Osu received. Well… the guy can’t be all bad if Gran Gran was teasing him. Though he didn’t understand what Osu would be doing to keep this Chiai awake all the time. Sounded mean, so the jury was still out on him.

Hesitation put to rest for the moment, Susumu smiled as he accepted the shuriken. “Kaaaay,” he said excitedly, pleased he would be able to show off the skills he learned at the academy. He was wanted to be a swordsman like his dad, so he wasn’t the best shot when he started. Since it was a bit mandatory that he had to learn how to throw ninja tools, he had begrudgingly gotten better at it.

Dumping them out onto the grass (within reach of Osu’s girls if Hisako and Yuuki weren’t careful), Susumu began a series of shots all varying from generic tosses to various flip shots. He would save his best moves for last, drinking up the praise he already imagined he would receive when done with his routine.

///Meanwhile///

Sukino slowly traversed the various hallways towards the kitchens, twining and untwining her fingers as she went. It wasn’t that she was lost. She had learned the hallways of the Shinrya Mansion long ago. She just wanted her trip back to take as long as possible. This was Kahako’s life that she may or may not be screwing up. Kahako’s son, Kahako’s colleague, Kahako’s mother…

Sukino shook her head in frustration. She accepted that she would never have a son or daughter. Never hold a baby girl with dark hair like Karasuko’s in her arms and proudly claim it was her own. The time to do so was long since gone. She bit her nail in frustration. It didn’t help that Sukino looked exactly like Kahako when she was alive. It was as if the part of her soul that died reincarnated itself into this better life. A constant torment as to what her life would have been if she never married Satou.

And that’s what hurt the most, she thought as she approached the kitchen doors. If given the choice, she’d probably live her old life again. All the way to its bitter end. But some tiny part of her, that saw the beauty in what Kahako had, wished desperately to have it both ways. But that was a dangerous thought to have with Sakana around. Kahako entrusted Sukino with her body to ensure they remained safe, and Sukino didn’t have the heart to encroach on Kahako’s life for her own desires. Or to seek out Satou if only to speak to him again.

Deep in her thoughts, she all but missed the maid stepping through the doorframe, almost running into her and bumping the rolling tray cart fully of tea and snacks. “Shinrya-sama, I do apologize, are you okay?” the maid asked, flustered.

Sukino nodded, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.” After ensuring everything else was secure, the maid looked at Kahako, a little confused as to why she was there in the first place. “Is… is there something I can get you Shinrya-sama? I was just coming with the tea…” Sukino wanted to kick herself. How easy it was to forget with Kahako’s laid back demeanor that she was part of a noble family. Hopefully no one noticed the strange antics.

“Ah… no I was just checking to see if it would be ready soon. Here… let me travel back with you,” she responded quietly.
////

Susumu just completed a complicated jump-twist-throw of his shuriken, landing confidently and in style before looking up to see if he hit the mark. It was a little off… okay, way off…almost completely off the target, but that was the first time he was actually able to hit something with that move. Excited, he looked over to his grandmother and others, awaiting his praise for a job well done…

Only to notice they were enraptured in their own conversation. He immediately frowned. This isn’t what he wanted when he asked for his Gran Gran’s help. Child that he was, the immediate, and incorrect conclusion was that Osu was hogging all the attention. Frustrated, Susumu grabbed another couple shuriken before running off into the bushes to attack his ‘target’ from another angle.

////

The walk back was mostly silent. Neither party had much to say, as Sukino didn’t know this maid, and the maid wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong with Kahako. Thus, Sukino slipped back into her previous thoughts, and idly wondered when Kahako would be able to return. Despite the curiosity, Sukino knew better than to look inward for her. It was much better to never look inward.

In the hallway, just outside the garden, Sukino suddenly stopped walking. The maid, curious, turned to look only to see the mednin’s nose bleeding. “Kahako-sama, are you okay?” Sukino lifted her hand to wipe away the smear. Suddenly, she became confused… befuddled… sleepy. The effects of being called back into Kahako’s subconscious. The blood was new, though….

Kahako blinked slowly, staring at her bloodied hand, and quite confused as to her current surroundings, and why she was kneeling on stone ground in a crap ton of physical pain. Panic set in as she remembered suddenly what happened only moments before. Flashes of what she thought to be horrible machinations through a red haze and Sakana's maniacal laughter. In the next blink, the panic morphed into horror and fear. Whose blood was this?! Where was she? Those last moments were just the musing of a demented woman… right? RIGHT?

“Kitsune-sama!” the maid called out in alarm at the sight of the once calm mednin, simultaneously trying to hold the woman up. In the span of a few seconds, the young Shinrya went from calm and quiet to terrified and visibly shaking. Before anyone could react, however, Kahako pushed off the maid and was stumbling for balance at the door frame leading to the garden. What she would see simultaneously put her at ease and into another tailspin.

“OSU, WATCH OUT!” she screamed, as three shuriken flew at him from the bushes by the pond. Two needed evasion or deflection and one off target, heading for Hisako and little Yukiko.

 

[Osuteno]

It was a fun atmosphere, sure there seemed to be some difficulties on senpai's side but just knowing she was relatively healthy improved Osu's mood. Kitsune was having fun training with her grandson while the twins were being rather humorous. Knowing Chiai she would be a bit jealous right now seeing how much attention Yukiko and Karasuko were giving their respective holders. Particularly with Yukiko trying to get a meal from Yuuki's... ahem considerable chest. A few miles away, Osu's wife Chiai smashed an alarm clock (and the night stand under it) in her sleep that wasn't even on at this point.

Still... he couldn't shake the feeling something was off. It was really unusual, it was such a peaceful setting but he couldn't help but feel concerned for some reason. He instinctively kept an eye on his daughters. They seemed fine if a bit frustrated with the fact one couldn't pull the shiny thing off and the other wasn't getting the milk she was expecting. Then he caught several glimpses of light as he heard Senapi shout out a warning. One of his arms shot out and grabbed the shuriken that was on a path towards his daughters. Could Hisako and Yuuki handle such a thing easily? Of course, but try telling a parent not to react. as for the other two shuriken he didn't even blink as one hit his chest and the other his forehead. Rather both were crushed by the surge of bloody tendrils that shot out of his body, thousands of veins ready to pierce something like a great wall of pikes readying against a charge. And then Osu realized the size of the person hiding in the bushes. Having been ready to attack he tensed up and began slowly retracting the veins back into his body while breathing deeply to calm himself.

"... Sensei, I am sorry I will need a minute, could you talk to him?" Osu asked quietly to Kitsune as he was trying to remove a rather frightening glare from his face. The twins were giggling from seeing daddy reach towards them and Osu covered his eyes with his other hand for a bit as he turned and walked towards his daughters and began to pat their heads with his already extended hand after it dropped a handful of steel powder. His mouth showed a gentle smile but his hand covered eyes filled with pure aggression and his blood felt like it was boiling, and that was in a literal sense. It was times like this that he was reminded that his blood was not truly his own. With his eyes shut tight he took the twins and sat down on the ground calming himself with their cute little squirming and babble.

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Osuteno spoke to Kitsune to reign in the youngest Shinrya, but it was Kahako who had moved long before his first word. The speed in which she reacted from the danger Osu presented was almost unheard of with her consciously suppressing her chakra. But now in the silence she stood between him and her still-hidden, foolhardy son. What passed in milliseconds felt like minutes as she slowly watched what she only could describe as tentacles slip back into Osu’s body. Her guard only lowered when he placed a gentle hand on who she assumed was one of his daughters. Consequences of using chakra be damned, had the wall moved even an inch, the situation would have deteriorated further than it currently had.

Wiping the blood from her nose, Kahako glared over her shoulder at the very silent bush. Her haggard appearance making her all the more terrifying a mother. “Kogami-Shinrya Susumu! Get out here!” she commanded. It was rare Kahako ever felt the need to raise her voice to her son. Even now, it was not much louder than her usual level, but the anger dripped in every word.

Her head felt as if someone performed an antiquated form of lobotomy on her skull but decided halfway through that using a hammer was a better idea. But the ire in her voice also contained a hinge of parental protectiveness. At first, continued silence was all she received in return. The cuteness of the babble from the twin girls did little to help her migraine and frayed senses. Under normal circumstances, the loss of time and change in scenery was discombobulating enough. Now, her head was spinning as she tried to catch up on what in Raiden’s name she missed during Sukino’s control and why Susumu felt the need to attack Osu in the first place. “You will not like it if I have to say it again, Susumu.”

This time, the shuffling of bushes revealed a very pale boy who was now without any shuriken. He too, did not miss Osu’s reaction to his little prank. A very palpable fear emanated from his shaking body as he slowly made his way towards his mother. He never took his eyes off the man as he drew closer to Kahako. Was it not for the silent glare he received upon his approach, he would have grabbed onto her pant leg as he often did when he was younger and hid behind her. Eventually, his gaze shifted from Osu’s murderous face to the angry green gaze above him. Kahako spoke not a word to her son in those few seconds, and he knew she was waiting for an explanation as to what just transpired.

Susumu’s jaw set in an almost rebellious frown. The words of justification hanging on the tip of his tongue. He never told his mother about the kidnapping, so to say that he was doing it to scare the man away would not have been a good enough reason in her eyes. In truth, he expected the man to dodge the oncoming attack of an academy student. He also did not expect his mom to have returned to her senses so soon. When the last shuriken slipped from his fingers, he did not realize the course it had taken until it was caught. Susumu’s jaw tightened further as his eyes shifted to the ground. “I didn’t mean for it to go for the girls, I swear.” He mumbled in a soft voice. The adults in the vicinity would still be able to hear the admission of guilt, however.

Kahako did not emit an exasperated sigh in response as she pinched the bridge of her nose. The migraine grew too great to bear any form of exasperation. With her other hand, she pointed to a patch of grass a few feet away from Osu and the babies. “Sit down.” She commanded. Susumu immediately complied with his mother’s command. It did not go unnoticed that Kahako was right behind him in each step. Her eyes now moved from her son to the man who put his whole focus in calming down and being an attentive parent to his children.

At this point, Kitsune, Hisako, and Yuuki seemed to decidedly leave the parenting to the parents. Taking either side of the empty space between each parent-child couple, Kitsune silently busied herself with directing the maid to serving tea. “It has been a while, hasn’t it, kouhai?” Kahako asked in soft measured beat. “I would ask how you have been, but I am in equal measure unsure if I have already asked you this question as I am unsure that you would tell me the whole truth.” Kahako bowed her head in apology. “I am sorry for my son’s brash actions. I thought his father and I raised him better.” Susumu flinched at the mention of Ayumu, but didn’t dare to speak a word. The mednin the nodded to his daughters. “You will also have to tell me their names again if you have already, and the reason for your visit.”

 

[Osuteno]

Osuteno breathed slowly with a consistent tempo. Carefully counting the seconds of his breaths and keeping his face covered as he bounced the twins up and down in his arms while they babbled to calm himself.

Senpai was understandably tense, but… something felt different… or perhaps more normal about her? He was only paying half attention to her start to round on her son as he focused more on the twins assuring himself they were alright.

The twins were honestly more than alright, they were completely clueless as to any possible danger there may have been and thought daddy was being silly as they pat at his hand that was covering his eyes. So the twins were simply entertained as their father hugged and bounced them while sitting on the ground and hiding his eyes. He didn’t lift his hand until Kahako spoke to him directly though he waited a few moments more to actually open his eyes which were purposefully fogging over a bit.

In the moment he simply found it easier to spin a bit and fall on his back to where he would be looking up at Kahako and allowing the twins to lay on him. How she was speaking was rather odd and it would be nearly impossible not to tell something was quite off. Still there was something that needed to be focused on in the moment. “For some reason it feels like it has been quite a while longer than the few minutes it has been since you went inside senpai... “ He started to say something else but shook his head. “Please don’t bow senpai, I should be the one apologizing, I was poised to attack your son without a moment of thought as to how it would obviously be him hiding in the bushes… Ah the twins... The one with the snowy hair is the older sister Yukiko, and here with the raven hair we have Karasuko… We only decided on their names not too long ago despite them being 15 weeks old. Chiai, my wife, and I found it difficult to name them until we interacted with them for a while. Hair color aside, Yukiko is calm and sleepy like a light snowfall and Karasuko can be rather clever in how she collects shiny objects like a raven or crow. Actually keeps us rather concerned in where or how she even gets half of them since she never does it when one of us are watching and we have no idea how she reaches things. We are simply glad she doesn’t try to put anything in her mouth… unlike her older sister. Yukiko is such a hungry baby by any standard and never seems to want to stop feeding if given the chance.” It was odd to talk about this since the… rather tense moment they all just had but it was surprisingly easy for Osu to talk about his girls in any situation.

“We came here today to give mommy a break to she can catch up on some sleep and let Kitsune-Sensei see them, she is practically Gran Gran to them as well after all. I happened to see you down here in the garden and decided to drop by since I haven’t seen you since I ‘perished at sea’ a few years ago. I have to admit I was curious as to why you stepped down from being sennin while I was dead, but I haven’t received a straight answer from anyone… As for my own health… I am not quite sure what the measures for my health would be anymore to be honest, but I feel mostly fine if a bit exhausted? Sorry, I don’t really know much about my own body anymore and I am mostly relying on guesswork based on daily bloodwork. I would explain more but it really isn’t a story to tell around children or in pleasant conversation... Honestly the mood for the visit seems to be in tatters at this point.”

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako tensed slightly to protest as Osu reassured her the transgression her son did against him didn’t warrant her apology, but thought it better to drop the matter for a moment as she let him continue. Instead she listened to him recount what probably had already been said before. It was not hard to miss the awkward atmosphere that surrounded them now. Even the maid she stood next to seemed ready to make a swift exit left once her job was complete.

But when he mentioned the time of his presumed death, and passively inquired the reason behind her sudden step down as leader of the Aesculapium, Kahako’s expression visibly changed. Caught up in the situation at present, she had momentarily forgotten that during her tenure as Sennin she had to hear the news of his death. An emotion uncommon to her showed clearly on her face. Regret. Frustration that she was taken from a position she left, not by choice, but by circumstances outside of her own control. “aah,” she nodded in acknowledgement. “I remembered hearing the news of your return from mother. I am glad to see you are alive and with family no less, Osu-kun.” She said evasively. “And it is clear we’ll both have to discuss our current circumstances at a different time. Mine is also one not meant for small ears. But, regardless, I can take solace in hearing you are attentive to yourself as much as you are to your children.”

With this, Kahako turned her head to her son. Turning her attention from the past to the present. “Yes… it seems that both our afternoons have ended far more… dramatically than either of us intended or wanted. The root of it, is still the same. Susumu.” She barked, changing the person she spoke with. Susumu’s head shot up, his hope of remaining quiet and invisible for the rest of the conversation died at the sound of his name. “You have attempted to attack a shinobi of your village. A future comrade who needs your trust as much as you need his. Not only have to refused to explain to me why you thought it was a good idea, you also have yet to apologize. Have you nothing to say?”

Susumu dipped his head again before clenching his fists. All of a sudden, his grand idea to ‘get back’ at Osu and scare him off seemed like a really stupid one. “He tried to kidnap me,” Susumu said with a small voice. “Him and a dark-haired, crazy lady tried to kidnap me one day and if dad’s lady friend who liked sweets and hangs out with him at work wasn’t there, they would have gotten away with it.” The confession came out rushed, for even he was still confused by what happened. “At least… I think…”

Kahako looked at her son, then to Osu, with mass confusion before pinching the bridge of her nose again. Upgraded migraine now included the feeling of what a chainsaw must feel like when pressed against a skull. “What? …Susumu, Osuteno-kun is a colleague of mine, and a former student of your grandmother. I doubt he had any intention of doing anything to hurt you.” She could only guess that the ‘dark, haired crazy’ lady may have been Saeko. She did come off as odd, but Kahako doubted there was any ill intention there either. “Regardless, you don’t just attack people who are guests in our home.”

She sighed and turned back to Osu, “I have to agree with you, Osu. I feel the mood for any sort of familial reunion is ruined. I do still feel apologetic for all of this.” She said, waving at the entire situation. “Allow us to rectify it. How about for the next few months, my son assists you and Chiai-san with Yukiko-chan and Karasuko-chan on the weekends? It’s the least he can do, given his clear tendency to rush to conclusions about a person's character.”

Susumu’s mouth dropped in shock at the punishment his mother devised. No free weekends for an undisclosed about of time?! “But mom—“

“It’s either that, or we can explain to your father what happened today, and he’ll be the one to decide the punishment.” Kahako said with a tone of finality as she sipped from her tea cup. “Maybe you’ll learn a bit of empathy for others in the process.” Susumu bit the bottom of his lip as he felt a knot in the back of his throat. Thoroughly embarrassed as his mom hit a weak spot in front of someone he did not think of fondly. Having his mom mad at him was one thing. Having Ayumu disappointed in him was something entirely different. With little else with which to defend himself, Susumu simply nodded. Refusing to look at Osuteno or his daughters.

After hearing Osu’s consent or denial to the deal, Susumu would stand. “Can I please leave. I’m done training for the day.” Kahako nodded. Susumu silently bowed to the group before making a swift exit into the hallway and towards his room. Angry at what he felt was still an unfair punishment.

After seeing her son leave, Kahako sighed. “I am sorry, Osu, grandmother. I am feeling quite unwell and need to lay down for a bit. I will take my leave as well. I will see you again Osu, we have a lot to catch up on it seems.” Standing, she gave a short bow to both before making her way to her own quarters.

…

Once alone in the mansion, Kahako leaned against the ornately designed wall to try and calm her mind. The pain of her migraine hadn’t lessened, but what forced her to stop entirely was the reappearance of the mental image that decided to resurface when she was finally alone with her own thoughts.

Every time Kahako slipped from reality, Sakana took the time to show to her all the things she had in store should she ever be given control again. Killing her mother, betraying her village, poisoning and dismembering Ayumu in his sleep. Watching as both killed her for the monster she had become. It was why Kahako never shared her thoughts with either soul that called her body home, and why Sukino did not know of Osu. The more Sukino knew, the more Sakana knew. The more Sakana knew, the more she could use against Kahako. For Sukino was tortured just as much Kahako was.

Today… today’s episode was particularly violent. Today Sakana showed Kahako what she intended for Susumu. The moment so real, so tangible, that when Kahako finally retook full control, she didn’t realize the blood was her own. She thought it was Susumu’s. She thought she attacked Susumu. Hands shaking, Kahako slid fully to the ground, clutching her hands together until both her knuckles grew white. She tried desperately not to cry, but she needed the moment to keep herself from spiraling into a panic attack. A quiet chuckle of feminine laughter echoed around her, and she knew if anyone else were around, they would not have heard it. It was only meant for her, after all. This special kind of hell.

Kahako forced herself to keep steady, even breaths. Sakana knew she was winning, and the mednin didn’t know how much more of this mental battle she could take.

[1200+ wc TLUS]