Date: May 3rd, 13 years following the Kyuubi's attack
Days since Teams 11 & 13 reached Mizumiyo Palace: 15
Time: 7:13 PM
Sho Inugami was dressed in an even more expensive suit than any other he had worn during the rest of his trip to Mizumiyo Palace as he stood by the rear entrance into the ballroom. He was watching as the guests poured into the large room through the main doors while he waited for Motoko Hata so they could be ready when "Princess Reiyuriko" and Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki were set to make their grand entrance at 7:30.
He was dimly aware of the fact that Amaya Satou and her team of kinswomen were already in the room, even though there were too many people here to spot them yet. His head felt kind of fuzzy, but the limited analysis he'd managed to perform on the blood samples he'd pulled from Kyouran's back claws had revealed an antibody that repelled the pheromone particles that were practically DRIPPING from the blood on the front claws.
Unfortunately, the antibody was too complex to be easily recreated without the full resources of the Jutsu Research Department, but he had, at least, gotten some nice souvenirs for his mother.
He HAD managed to create a nasal spray based on estrogen, which the pheromones seemed to have difficulty binding to, indicating that women were naturally resistant to the Satou Kekkei Genkai. It wasn't a perfect solution, but being slightly fuzzy minded was better than being compelled to feel whatever the Satou kunoichi wanted you to experience.
Sho also had a backup plan – for himself, at least – already in place; ready to be activated if he found it necessary.
Which, based on his preliminary impressions of Amaya Satou and how she'd reacted to his reflexive act of kindness in the library, it probably would...
To a small degree, the scientist in Inugami was anxious to test his theory; even as Aniki's admonition that scientists shouldn't be there own guinea pigs rang in the back of his mind.
"Keitaro Urashima" was parked at the fully stocked open bar, a blank look on his face, but there was a hint of a frown on the edges of his lips. The ballroom was packed with people. The orchestra was playing and most of the people were on the dance floor.
'Where on earth is Hata-san?' The medic wondered in irritation. 'She's supposed to be here to provide cover so we can coach Itou in such a way that if anyone looks at us, we'll appear to be talking to each other.'
He held a drink in his hand that had started as alcoholic – his aristocrat persona was 20, the legal age in the Land of Fire and most of the other nations on the continent – but a very subtle use of the technique meant for removing toxins and other poisons had, over the 10 minutes since he'd ordered it, denatured the alcohol.
"U-ra-shi-ma-sama!" Came Satou's voice – drawing out the pronunciation in what would be, if not for his feelings for Motoko, compellingly flirtatious – from behind him as he felt a breast press against him for a brief second; long enough to leave an impression, but not so long as to catch the attention of anyone around. "I finally found you!"
Keitaro Urashima gave a soft chuckle of amusement as took a small sip of his drink. "I wasn't aware you were looking for me, Satou-chan." He said, turning about; pausing as he did so, feeling his heart begin to pump faster as his eyes were practically compelled to look his new companion up and down.
> Holy fu~ck! < Imaguni Ohs said at the sight of the Sand woman's outfit. One could practically hear the drooling lust in his tone. > I didn't think it possible for that chick to get any hotter… <
Amaya Satou was dressed in a modestly immodest pink Cheongsam dress with black trim, the reverse of her normal color scheme. It was sleeveless and mostly backless, exposing a sizable quantity of her milky pink skin that practically begged people to caress it. She wore black heels and white stockings that rode up to the middle of her trim, but well-muscled thighs that were visible thanks to the slits that came from the bottom hemline all the way up to her tight waist. Her lips were cherry red and she wore several gold and platinum bangles around her wrists that were polished to a mirror sheen and reflected marbles of light that rolled over the contours of her body, drawing the eye to them.
The Sand seduction specialist gave him a sultry smile. "I've been wanting to see you ALL day…" Then she paused, shaking her head, giving herself a self-deprecating chuckle. "Geez, Kari-sensei is right; I really can't turn it off, can I?" She moaned, bringing her hands up to her face as if to cry.
Despite himself, Sho could feel himself being drawn in by the kunoichi's biological magic. The nasal blocker was apparently sufficient from a distance, but not up close. "Chi wa uso o tsukanai." He muttered under his breath, triggering his backup plan. The medic felt a subtle shift within him that was uncomfortable, but caused his head to clear almost instantly as his heartbeat returned to normal.
"Turn what off, Satou-chan?" Keitaro asked with a kind smile, electing to pretend that she had caught him in her spell once again.
"Flirting instead of talking! Ugh…" She flagged down the bartender. "One of whatever he's having." The tender opened his mouth to refuse to serve a minor – Satou was the same age as the ersatz aristocrat – but a look from the kunoichi caused a dreamy smile of desire to serve appear across his features as he went to work. "But, honestly, I did want to apologize again for how I reacted after you helped me in the library yesterday…"
The bartender returned with a glass of liquid brown-gold fluid. "Single malt scotch; aged 30 years in an oak barrel for the lady."
The kunoichi frowned at the mention of thirty years – having a momentary flashback to her failure against Takahashi – but accepted the glass and raised the tumbler to her cherry red lips. She closed her blue eyes, revealing pink eyeshadow, as she took a brief sip of the subtly flavored alcohol; savoring it. "Mmm..." The kunoichi cooed appreciatively. "Oh, that is good…" She proceeded to down the full contents of the glass and gestured for a refill.
The warmth of the alcohol filled her body even as she - along with her cousins Amara and Asuna - disbursed a mingling aura of Desire, Friendship, and Honesty pheromones at level 2. The potent combination was slowly loosening the tongues and inhibitions every person in the ballroom that breathed it in. The longer that someone remained in the room, the harder they would find it to resist their deepest desires or any modest demands the Sand girls made of them.
A wry grin crossed Urashima's features. "Easy, there, young lady… That's easily 80 proof alcohol. You don't have to make yourself sick to try and impress me; becoming a full-fledged ninja at your young age did that already."
Satou smiled wanly, uncertain – as usual – if the aristocrat's compliment was genuine or a product of her perpetually active Friendship pheromone. "Thank you, Urashima-sama... But don't worry about me; I was practically weaned on 120 proof alcohol growing up to train us for handling ourselves when under the influence." She took a slower sip of her new drink. The medic hidden beneath the aristocrat frowned slightly at this. "We then use a detoxifying technique when the training ends."
'Still,' Inugami thought to himself. 'A lot of the personality traits that Takahashi mentioned would be explained by this practice of alcohol interacting with a developing brain…'
"You would like to dance with me, Urashima-sama, yes?" Amaya asked abruptly. The tone in her voice came across as a command from a woman used to people obeying her, but the look on her face suggested that she wasn't sure if he'd agree.
'She seems to be in a vulnerable state…' Inugami noticed. 'It's like she's trying to ask, but genuinely doesn't know how to do it politely.'
"Would I like to dance with one of the prettiest women in the room?" Keitaro said aloud, as if contemplating the question, while wondering – yet again – where the hell was Motoko so he didn't have to deal with this?!
'Maybe I can pump her for information about their efforts to find the ninja that affected Lord Mizuzaki's mind.' He thought for a moment.
> Heh… < His mental passenger chimed in lustily. > And then maybe we can find a quiet spot and pump some information INTO her, since she seems all hot and bothered over us... < Inugami mentally scowled at Ohs, knowing the personification of his subconscious was inferring genetic information. > WHAT? She'd probably be game for it. <
'I love Motoko; I don't want anyone else.' Sho thought scathingly at Imaguni. 'So much for you loving her as much as I do.'
The other side of Sho's mind made a "pshh" of contempt. > I love Motoko, too; We're talking about sex, not love. <
Keitaro Urashima took a sip of his drink, mentally rolling his eyes at the personification of his libido. He smiled and rose from the barstool, bowing slightly to the kunoichi before extending a hand. "Shall we, Satou-chan?"
Amaya's face actually lit up with excitement. Her "hard work" – which, for her, it was – to try and suppress her natural Satou instincts was paying off!
The Sand kunoichi had several reasons to be intrigued by the ersatz aristocrat: one, he was from the palace of a Daimyo from a rival nation; a huge feather in her cap if she could use him for intel gathering. Two, he had this mysterious connection to the Princess that she KNEW was fake; what was it? Three, he was good looking and appeared to be in decent shape.
But most of all, four, he had shown her kindness without an ulterior motive.
'For that alone, I'm going rock his goddamn world at least once.' Satou thought to herself. 'Maybe more…'
Her duties had kept her from pursuing him over the past 24 hours, but given the lack of viable clues from Daimyo Kosha's attendance of the audit, her duties tonight mostly consisted of spreading pheromones to see if someone slipped up. She could afford to mix a little pleasure into business.
'I don't know who was more disappointed that there were no major ninja service expenditures in the books: Kosha or Lord Mizuzaki.' Amaya thought to herself as she accepted Urashima's hand.
She very quickly noticed something odd about it. 'Hmm..? His hands feel slightly rough… Callouses? On a Kuge member?' She rubbed his hand slightly; disguising the action as if repositioning her grip for a better hold. 'No, not callouses; just very muscular…'
Before Satou could contemplate her discovery further, the excited cries of a woman cut through the nearby area. "Kei-sa, Kei-sa, Kei-sa!!!" Suddenly, Urashima's hand was ripped out of her grip as green, gold, and orange/red blur tackled him with an excited giggle.
Sho Inugami was floored, both physically and mentally. He'd sensed Motoko Hata's approach, but hadn't expected her to tackle him to the ground… Nor had expected the normally reserved swordswoman to kiss him so passionately as she did so!
> Well… < Ohs thought wryly, > I guess Motoko-chan was serious about tonight we're supposed to be Konno and Urashima! <
Sho mentally nodded to his alter-self. 'Still… Why does this feel so familiar..?' The medic wondered in awe for a brief instant. 'We've never kissed before!'
> As far as you know… Who knows how she's experimented with us while we slEPT! < The voice jumped in pitch as Inugami mentally punched Imaguni in the gut. > Cheap shot, asshole… < He wheezed.
"Sorry I'm late…" Hata breathed softly in his ear. Inugami could hear the barely contained freak out in her voice as Motoko was literally throwing herself into the part of Mitsune Konno, a.k.a. Kitsune. "There was a couple in the coatroom outside the exit of the 'closet.' And from what I could see on the door camera they…" The look on her face suggested that her it would normally be beet red with embarrassment, but she had laid down enough foundation that it was hidden. "…They were clearly not going to be going anywhere anytime soon."
Hata felt Sho's firm hands grip her waist and lift her with surprising ease. 'Was Sho-kun always this strong..?'
Sho's face had a look of confusion as Keitaro let out a cry of shock in his urbane tone of voice. "K-Kitsune-chan?! How did you get here?!" The question was both in and out of character; there was only one exit from the closet, after all.
"I finally found you, you naughty boy." Konno said with a smile, "Running off with your new playmate, Princess Reiyuriko, and leaving me home alone!" She threw her arms around Urashima and pulled him in for another kiss, "But I know it was Daimyo Akamatsu's order, so I forgive you."
As she broke the second wish-fulfilling – both hers and his – kiss in so many minutes, she whispered, "I was able to trace the chakra tunneling between your two Flying Thunder God tags and piggybacked on it to jump into your other room. From there, I snuck out through the Imperial Family's Onsen."
The look of surprise and awe at her accomplishment – things that he'd inferred were possible, but he hadn't started teaching her yet – on Inugami's face made Motoko want to swoon.
'I always knew Hata-san was smart...' He thought, genuinely impressed by the kunoichi in his arms, 'But this is amazing!'
> Great mind..? Check. Great spirit..? Check. Killer body..? Check and getting better by the day... < Imaguni bantered. > It's official, we're smitten. <
Meanwhile, the nearby onlookers, save for one in a pink dress, had looked on in amusement for a few moments before reaching down to help the two Fire Nation "Kuge" to their feet. As Sho finally got a good look at her, he felt a little weak in the knees.
> Damn… < Thought Ohs, > If I thought Satou was hot, Motoko-chan is the SUN! <
Motoko Hata/Mitsune Konno was in the most elegant outfit he'd ever seen her in. The green satin Tcherassi-style dress with gold filigree flowed on her curves like a second skin; immodestly modest. A pair of gold-colored flats, a sunrise-yellow bow in her hair – which over the course of their stay was now long enough to touch the top swell of her breasts – and the jewelry she'd been lent from Lord Daimyo's collection had effectively eliminated any similarities between the two personas she was allowed to show during the trip.
Inugami was mesmerized by her red hair, that hair he wanted to run his fingers through; he was sure it would feel like sunrise orange dyed silk that flowed with a mind of it's own like molten gold behind her shoulders as her hips gently swayed. "My Goddess." He said under his breath, awestruck.
'Who's this tramp?' Amaya asked herself archly, her diva persona reasserting itself; eyeing the woman that was suddenly spoiling her man hunt.
She sashayed up and laid a hand on Inugami's broad shoulder, turning him to face her. "U-ra-shi-ma-sama!" She whined seductively, as she unconsciously raised the level of her Desire pheromone up a notch. "You said you'd dance with me!"
A jade green spear of icy jealousy lanced through Motoko's heart at Amaya's words. Sure, she was late, but why would Sho dance with this woman? Hata hadn't gotten a good enough look at Satou the other day to recognize her now.
Thinking about how to handle this, Motoko realized that instead of being like Hinata, this situation required Sakura and Ino instead.
"Kei-sa..." Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno said, a bit of an edge to her honey silk voice, as moved up behind the medic-nin she loved, batting the Suna woman's off his shoulder before wrapping her arms around him protectively. "Who IS this too familiar piece of riffraff?"
"Oi!" Satou hissed at the insult. "I happen to be Amaya of the noble Clan Satou from The Hidden Sands. Who is the hell is this, Urashima-sama?"
Hata's eyes narrowed, feeling genuine hatred for another person for the first time in her life! First this woman had molested her friend Takahashi and now she DARED to try and make a move on Sho-kun?! Her Sho?!
If one could look into Motoko Hata's mind at this point, they'd see a terrifying caricature with the words "Inner Motoko" written across her forehead. 'Bitch, if I had my Haruichiban right now, I'd slice you up like sashimi! Give it to her; full SakurIno!'
The red-haired young swordswoman gave the reddish-brown haired kunoichi her best Ino Yamanaka look of distain and dismissal.
"Oh…" Mitsune sighs - unimpressed - as she flicks her hair over her shoulder, "So just a common 200 ryou whore, then, huh? Ready to do anything for the coin…"
Utterly shocked at Hata's verbal assault Satou's mouth fell open, quivering slightly as she mentally tried to reattach her jaw. The nearby crowd gasped as this drama unfolded before them; a few of them taking seats to watch.
"Oh, look; she's already warming up her money maker… Such a pathetic child playing grown up games."
Inugami's eyes practically bugged out slightly in utter shock at Motoko's verbal evisceration of the Suna kunoichi. In his mind, he could feel Ohs doing something, but he had no clue what it could be.
Konno shook her head as she looked at her lover. "But, seriously, Kei-sa, I let you out of my sight for a month and this cheap skank is the best you could do for yourself for a dance partner?" She asks sternly before playfully batting his nose, "Or was the dirty woman picking on you, my love? Was my kind, sensitive man just showing the poor wayward girl a little bit of charity…"
There was the sound of crunching in Sho's stunned mind as Imaguni broke out some popcorn and kicked back in a mental recliner. > Damn, bro… Our would-be-could-be girl is not only failing to pull her punches, but she's opened the goddamn Gate of Death! <
Amaya Satou finally recovered enough to swell up at the rapid fire set of insults. "How DARE you..!" The outraged Sand kunoichi's umbrage hit it's peak and she deeply regretted the fact that she had elected to wear her hair down, so she didn't even have an improvised weapon at the ready. "Urashima-sama; who the hell is this woman?! And you aren't going to let her speak to me this way, are you?" She demanded, tears in her eyes that were only 10% faked.
> I dunno… This is kinda turning me on, bro… < The hitchhiker in Inugami's mind said. > Motoko-chan has some steel in her after all. What are we going to do? <
'Try and prevent the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War, for starters…'
Keitaro Urashima turned to the fiery haired woman that was still draping herself on him; acting as if the other woman's pheromones were affecting him. "Mitsune-sa, this isn't really appropriate behavior for…"
Motoko cut him off by putting her right index finger on his lips. "Shh, my love… Don't get in the middle of a bitches' duel; it won't end well for you. As for who I am…" She paused as if noticing something was missing. "Oh, my, I had it off for the journey to keep it safe and I nearly forgot to put it back on! I guess you ARE good for something more than that desert cave between your thighs…"
> 'Oh, fuck…' < Sho and Imaguni thought simultaneously. 'Hata-san' > Motoko-chan 'is going to get herself murdered at this rate!' <
Motoko Hata proceeded to reach into the top of her dress and pulled out the final part of her disguise; something she'd arranged to have made in the past week and a half.
Her right hand touched her left, placing a gleaming platinum band on her ring finger and holding the back of her hand up to the Sand Ninja, subtly making her middle finger more prominent. "Bitch, I'm his fucking fiancée!"
Amaya Satou's head looked like it was about to explode. Not once had she even considered that the kind aristocrat might already been taken… When she saw how raptly Urashima was looking at the red haired cunt, however, she knew it to be true. It was as Kari-sensei had told the real Princess Reiyuriko; a genuinely faithful man COULD resist the Satou Kekkei Genkai.
In genuinely catty fashion, the Sand ninja stormed off. 'There will be others; I'm only 15 after all.' She thought to herself as she makes a mental note of the name Mitsune Konno. 'You may have won this round, bitch, but I WILL find a way to make you suffer for this.'
Sho Inugami wasn't fairing much better after he saw what she was wearing when she resumed resting her hand on his chest. It wasn't so much that Hata-san had tweaked the script – lovers to engaged wasn't that tremendous a leap.
No, it was the ring that was giving him a moment of surreal uncertainty…
More precisely, it was the fact that the ring bore a pair of dolphins circling a pair of gemstones… A diamond, Sho's April birthstone, and Motoko's: December's blue topaz.
It was the ring that had turned Motoko Hata into Motoko Inugami. Not a similar one; the EXACT same ring!
> 'No way… No FUCKING WAY!' < The two halves of Sho Inugami's conscious mind swore; again in sync.
The medic-nin carefully and subtly bit down on his tongue until he drew blood. He could actually taste the difference in his blood that came thanks to his ace-in-the-hole measure to protect himself from the Satou pheromones.
He was awake.
This was reality.
The ring was real.
And it was on Motoko's hand.
And she was claiming him for herself; at least in character.
Ohs snorted derisively. > There you go, lying to yourself again. She saw Satou looking to sink her hooks into us and said "over my dead body!" <
"Oh, thank the Kami, I thought she'd never leave." Hata sighed softly, her weight shifting onto Sho's body as if it had sapped all the strength from her body to fight off the other kunoichi. "I never thought I could have it in me to be THAT much of a bitch."
"She's so far beneath you, my lovely Kitsune, that you shouldn't feel threatened by her." Keitaro Urashima said encouragingly to Mitsune Konno, gently stroking her head with one arm.
"Kei-sa, I know you're here to serve our Daimyo's interests, but between the journey and dressing down that little girl, I'm worn out... Take me to your room? We have so much to catch up on." She said adding extra stress to the last sentence.
"Yes, we have a LOT to discuss, you and I." Inugami/Urashima agreed.
The Imperial Family's brassy fanfare began to play, causing everyone to stop and turn to the northern doors in anticipation of their arrival. Inugami used the moment of distraction to turn on his hearing aid-like comm unit. His microphone has been live up to this point, but he'd held off on enabling his receiver to avoid being distracted by chatter. Miho-sensei was doing a final comms check as the device powered on.
Urashima then shifted around to scoop his love up into his arms, giving her a smile. He spoke to Hata-san, knowing his device was set to continuous send/receive. "I'm so sorry that dealing with that brown haired Satou girl who was confronting us took so much out of you, Mitsune-chan."
Miho Hyuuga's voice whispered in his ear. "I think understood, White Dragon; I see you're surrounded and can't talk freely. Is whatever happened going to prevent you and Lightning from supporting Blue Dragon?"
Sho pressed his forehead to Motoko's and the flame haired woman squirmed as her natural persona began to reassert itself as Hata began to feel self-conscious about being in such close proximity to Inugami. "I'm certain we'll be able to deal with whatever happens when word of it reaches us. Mizumiyo will simply have to be graced with our presence another time, Mitsune-chan."
"Copy that, White. Purple Dragon, out."
Inugami carried Hata from the ballroom as the doors on either side of a wall that housed a large aquarium that had a scale diorama of Kawa City within it slid open. As the lights dimmed on that side of the room, a faint hologram of the River Goddess, Undine Kawa, could be seen in the water, hands outstretched protectively over the city.
"Come, my love; let's get caught up." Sho said to Motoko as he carried her out the northern doors.
* * *
Time: 7:25 PM
Unbeknownst to either the Sand or undercover Leaf ninja, the traitor watched their little by play with amused interest, even after he lost his bet with one of his peers as to whether the confrontation would come to blows or not.
"Pardon me, my friends; I'm going to take a moment to relieve myself before our Master," The word was said normally, but thought sarcastically, "arrives." The others nodded in acknowledgement as a new round of bets were placed; this time whether the two Kuge from the Fire Nation were going to stick around for the dance or not.
As the traitor wormed his way through the crowd, he caught the eye of his ninja facilitator and made a nod towards the restroom area. Once inside, the traitor locked the door and waited. About a minute later, one of the taps on the sink opened up of it's own accord and his facilitator appeared from the running water.
"Yes, m'Lord?" The ninja asked softly.
"Is everything ready to go, Muto?"
The ninja nodded. "Yes, tonight after the dance…"
The traitor shook his head. "During."
"M'Lord?" The facilitator asked in confusion.
"He needs to go over the edge during the Dance, Akira." The traitor clarified; not realizing that he'd come under the influence of the three types of Satou pheromones, making him anxious for his plans to come to fruition and feeling the need to have it done now. "I want as many people see Ayanami fall from grace as possible. Then the Princess will fall for my trap and that will spell the end this false branch of the dynasty once and for all!" He growled as he spat on the ground in contempt.
The facilitator ninja simply shrugged in acknowledgement of the change; the pheromones were affecting him as well, but to a lesser extent thanks to his rebreather. The traitor had made the acceptable mid-process payment the other day, after all. "Easy enough to do; the foundations should still be in place… And you still want Kosha to be the trigger?"
The traitor nodded. "His district belonged to my family before my father had a falling out with the 26th Mizuzaki and he reassigned us to the backwater of our nation. As the trigger for this dynastical disaster, it would only be appropriate for me to relieve Kosha of his duties when it's all said and done." A salacious grin crossed his face, "But I'll see to it that his daughters will be well cared for… As the nucleus for my new harem; my revenge complete, plus interest."
If the facilitator had any objections to the traitor's plans for Kosha's underage daughters he didn't express them. Not that he had any. "It'll take me approximately an hour to get into position, m'Lord, and then my Genin will trigger Kosha."
The traitor nodded as the brassy fanfare announcing the arrival of the regime he intended to topple. "Get to it, then. I'll make sure Kosha is well drunk to make him easier to trigger."
The ninja nodded, his entire body converting back into water before disappearing down the drain.
* * *
Time: 7:35 PM
The entrance doors on either side of the aquarium opened. All the eyes in the room turned to the western entrance where the four figures of Daimyo Mizuzaki and Princess Reiyuriko - led by Nakahito Haruno and Raiden Hata - emerged.
The two overt ninja were dressed in slate gray suits that had then been modified to each Genin's tastes. The only evidence of their home village appeared on the platinum buckles of their belts, but those were concealed beneath their modern dress jackets.
Raiden Hata wore a sunrise yellow dress shirt with a yellow and black sash that formed a V, which rested lightly on both his shoulders. Motoko's twin stood in front of Mizuzaki as they appeared through the left door.
Nakahito wore his customary red shirt – this one bore golden buttons – and a lacquered pin bearing the white circle of the Haruno clan crest was attached on the right collar of his suit coat. He lead his disguised friend in through the right door.
Kimiko Itou, disguised as Princess Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki, wore an elegant junihitoe made up of eight or nine layers – the kunoichi had honestly lost count. She hated this thing, which weighed nearly half as much as she did, with an unholy passion. If it weren't for the mission and Ayanami-ojisan, Kimiko wouldn't be caught dead in this thing.
It WAS gorgeous, though – even she had to admit that – with a motif made of satin, silk, lace and pearls that resembled the rushing waters which cut through this nation and gave it it's name. Nakahito had made the mistake of looking at her in awe of how amazingly feminine his normally tomboyish friend looked; which had earned him a painful slug to the chest the moment they'd been alone enough that Itou was willing to break character.
Then Haruno had surprised her with a folded paper square with a storage seal on it, which she'd immediately concealed in the minimal pocket of the outermost layer of the junihitoe. The surprise, welcome as it was, wasn't enough to make Kimiko apologize... But it was enough to make her feel slightly bad for hitting him.
When Itou asked why he was giving this to her, he'd told her about Motoko's cryptic behavior and something about it made him uncomfortable for some reason. Haruno had asked Kimiko if she happened to know what meaning there was in the assortment of red flowers. Itou had blushed – she actually DID understand the hidden meaning, thanks to Hata and Inugami's prep work – but, to Nakahito's continued chagrin, the Imperial fanfare had started right at that moment, preventing her from telling him.
Finally came Lord Daimyo Mizuzaki the 27th wearing a full sokutai ensemble, the seven layers in shades as light as seafoam green to as dark as midnight blue. His outmost ho robe was embroidered with metallic threads and precious stones mined from each of the 16 districts. He held a shaku baton that bore the seal of the Aquamarine Throne and his kanmuri cap fashioned from aquamarine silk with a raikan crown forged from a rare vein of cerulean blue gold.
As the Lord Daimyo and the three ninja emerged into the ballroom, there was a spontaneous applause from the crowd. The ninja "servers" escorted the Imperial family to their seats before standing by the doorway behind and to the right of Itou. While that had happened, a pair of the Imperial Guard – Captain-General Kurosaki and Tanaka-sensei's alter-ego, to be precise – appeared to take a mirroring position at the left door.
Mizuzaki looked out upon the crowd; perturbed, but hiding it well thanks to decades of political experience. There was at least one traitor in this room: either a foolish one being used by other parties from outside their nation – whether they knew it or not – or a sly, cunning one who knew EXACTLY what they were doing to their nation and Mizuzaki's own family…
And simply didn't care.
That one of his Daimyo could be that cold and calculating sent shivers down his spine.
Mizuzaki extended his shaku towards the orchestra, its dull flat edge parallel to the table. "For the remainder of the night, Princess Reiyuriko and I are merely additional members of the Kuge enjoying the dance." The musicians bowed at the Lord Daimyo's command before he gave the baton a quarter turn to the right and commanded simply: "Resume."
As the music began again and people sought new dance partners, Hoshi Fugato stepped up behind his Master and eased the cap and crown combination from his skull as Shao Fukamichu accepted the baton of office, causing a stir in the crowd. Not the least amongst the traitor that the Leaf and Sand ninja were seeking, who had to mask a sneer of contempt… It was unheard of for the River Lord to divest himself of his accoutrements of office so early in the night.
'Perhaps he is not as healthy as he appears to be.' The false friend of the Throne thought to himself. His eyes traversed the room until they landed on the senior-most of his facilitator's underlings. A subtle arch of his eyebrow was returned with a nearly imperceptible shake of the head; their Jonin had not given them the go signal yet. The traitor sighed in frustration; all the running water in Mizumiyo and it would take the water walker another 50 minutes to get into position…
The traitor sighed again as he looked at the clock on the wall; 7:40. 'Just relax… Everything is panning out the way I anticipated.' He took a sip of his drink to keep his nerves from rattling. 'Nothing is going to stop me now. By 8:30 it will all be over except for picking up the pieces…'
Meanwhile, back at the table of the Imperial Family, Raiden Hata caught a glimpse of a man with white hair carrying a woman with a very familiar shade of orange hair from the bar area on the outer edge of the hall towards the exit. He could just barely see the tops of their heads, but he would know that duo of colors anywhere!
A fleeting smile crossed the male Hata twin's face. It had warmed Raiden's heart to hear Motoko – through Inugami's comms – unload on the Sand kunoichi whose actions had injured Takahashi and – worst of all, in the brawler's book – jeopardized Team 11's chances of entering the Chuunin Exams!
He was going to have to ask Tanaka-sensei if there were any security cameras that had a viewing angle of the event; not just for posterity's sake, but to show to Takahashi later when the pain medication that he was currently doped up on wore off.
Through his instinctive bond with his twin sister, he knew that Motoko was exhausted, but that she was also in seventh heaven at being carried out by the medic-nin that had Raiden genuinely intimidated at this point.
And then he felt someone grab his butt.
Confused, Raiden glanced over his shoulder, but saw nothing but a blank wall. It wasn't until he felt his cheeks flush with an embarrassment he recognized as belonging to his sister that his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
"Oni" Inugami had groped his sister!
And HE had felt it!
"Oh, fuck, no…" The male Hata growled under his breath. "I might die in the process, but I'm going to punch that smarmy prick in the face for that…" Then the implication of him feeling what his sister was experiencing hit him.
If Motoko were to… With Inugami… Then HE would… But how would that EVEN wor…
"Oh, God, why did I have to think THAT?!" Raiden turned a little green around the edges and felt an overwhelming urge to vomit at the thought of being a third wheel in the kind of intimate moments his twin sister had dreamed of for years.
Nakahito gave Raiden a side eye. "Hey; I don't have a clue about what new mental crisis you're dealing with, but can you keep it down? We're supposed to be professionals."
Hata was about to reply when a statuesque, raven-haired woman in a slinky white dress that came to the midpoint of her thighs. It had a wide band of purple at the bottom seam and another two stripes of purple crossed just above her breasts to hold it closed. She wore a pair of white gloves that almost reached her shoulders and a gold belt that hung loosely across her hips to finish the look. As she strode through the crowd, women looked at her enviously while men lusted after her with their eyes.
Suddenly all thoughts of his sister and her hopes-he-would-be paramour vanished from Raiden's mind like the morning mist on a hot day. "Damn… Check out that hottie at the South entrance!"
Nakahito, half fearing that Kimiko would hear them, glanced in that direction, but quickly snorted in amusement and resumed scanning the room.
Raiden felt betrayed. Nakahito had always had an eye for quality ladies before, yet he was ignoring this prime specimen! What the hell was this damned mission doing to everyone he knew?! "Haruno, what…"
The red ninja sighed and hit the transmit button on his comm unit. "You want to tell him or should I?"
"Tell me what? Who are you talking to?!"
Suddenly the woman with raven hair giggled through wine purple lips as she turned to look at the Imperial Family…
With piercing, silvery-white eyes that could easily be made out from across the room.
Raiden's jaw nearly hit the floor. "THAT'S MIHO-SENSEI?!" He sputtered, somehow feeling betrayed by his own eyes. Hata felt as if he had glimpsed the other edges of Heaven, only to find that he would be forever barred from entry.
'WOW!' Kimiko/Reiyuriko gasped to herself as she saw her sensei, unaware of Raiden's similar appreciation for the Jonin's look. 'I always knew Miho-sensei was really a beautiful woman, but...' She looked at her sensei's prominent bust, then for a brief instant at her own. Although they looked about the same, Itou knew that hers was padding created through the use of the Transformation technique. Mentally she hung her head, using all the decorum that Motoko had drilled into her in the 9 days since she'd vowed to help her Uncle and cousin to not do so outwardly. 'Will I ever stand up to likes of her; have men look at me like they do her?'
Kimiko flashed back to the journey to Mizumiyo Palace, at a stop they'd made a day or two after they'd entered the Land of Rivers.
~•~
The Imperial carriage had made a stop to exchange horses after they'd climbed a ridge that had left them exhausted. Motoko had expressed an interest in checking out some of the clothing shops in town; according to her research, this town was River Country's fashion hub, taking advantage of the close proximity to the land trade route to the silkworm groves common to the southwestern area of the Land of Fire.
Kimiko, having been cooped up in the carriage for nearly a week at this point, had shed her disguise as Reiyuriko and slipped away with her friend, leaving the recent birthday boy to continue studying on his own after he'd promised to cover for them both.
The two kunoichi had about two hours to look around the colony of fashion designers that produced what could be this year's haute couture once the products were sent to Kawa City.
At one of the vendors, Hata had found a stunning blue-green silk nightgown with silver thread accents, something that would easily run five to six hundred ryou back home, for one-fifty.
"Make sure you're ready to catch Sho's eyes when you wear that, Momo…" Kimiko joked. "…Because they're going to pop right out of his head and end up in your cleavage if you don't!"
Hata had blushed at the thought of wearing the outfit where Inugami could see it, but giggled at the thought. "You think Sho-kun would like it?" She asked, looking pensive; Inugami's cold shoulder had been running for nearly two weeks now, even if it HAD mellowed a bit since the journey started.
Kimiko put her hands on Motoko's shoulders. "He'd have to be three days dead if he doesn't, Motoko…" Itou frowned slightly as she noticed Hata's cleavage was deeper than she recalled it being. "Did you grow again?" She asked, looking this way at that at the disguised swordswoman.
Motoko Hata turned almost as red as her hair. "Only a little, I think… The cut of this maid's dress and the bra that goes with it are mostly responsible."
"I guess it's just Sakura and I left in the B Cup Brigade…" Itou sighed in annoyance.
"You're only 13, Kimiko; you've got plenty of time to grow some more… My particular assets didn't show up until I was nearly fifteen; I was 'A' ranked before then." A voice said before, suddenly, a pair of hands clapped Kimiko's shoulders as Miho Hyuuga snuck up on her Genin, startling the two younger women.
Itou was stunned that the thought of the curvaceous kunoichi being as flat as an okonomiyaki was more than a little comforting. Then it registered that Hyuuga-sensei was there.
"Whoops, busted…" She gave the Jonin a wan smile.
"Honestly?" A glance from the Jonin caused Motoko to nod and head over to pay for her purchase. "This would be a lot to deal with even as an adult; I expected you crack days ago, Kimiko… You're doing great so far." Itou looked up at her sensei, her eyes wet with tears at Miho's compliment.
"Come on; you two NEED to hear Sho's attempt to pretend that all three of you are still in the carriage." Hyuuga said with a giggle at the medic-nin's effort as Hata returned with a bag holding her purchase. "'Hito and Raiden are asking your alters' questions and trying to keep straight faces as he pretends to be one – or both – of you."
Motoko looked uncomfortable on Inugami's behalf as Kimiko was torn between the desire to see and feeling bad. The brown haired young woman was worried for Sho's mental health, but at the same time she kind of needed a laugh. Itou paused for a moment as she tried to figure out what to say.
~•~
"Reiyuriko-hime?" Miho Hyuuga asked, sounding a little concerned. Her hand was partially extended; as if she'd been about to shake her disguised student's shoulder, but had stopped short as she remembered herself.
Kimiko blinked out of her memory to see her sensei right beside her. Nakahito was visible just over the Jonin's shoulder, but clearly just as concerned.
"Oh, Miho-chan!" The ersatz Reiyuriko said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "We didn't see you approaching. You look so lovely tonight!"
"Thank you, Princess… I'm sure you'll look even lovelier when you change into your own gown in 10 minutes."
Itou blinked in surprise as she saw an ornate clock on the wall was rapidly approaching 8 PM.
'Oh thank God…' The young kunoichi thought to herself. 'I feel like I've sweat enough water wearing this thing to summon that Dragon from the Yondaime's Gambit! My cousin must have a crazy amount of fortitude…'
Kimiko Itou rose to her feet, a touch unsteadily. "We are of the mind to change a little early this year. Would you mind accompanying us, Miho-chan? Naru Narusegawa fell ill earlier and we would love having someone we could talk to during the process." The fake princess smiled slightly, feeling slightly envious of her friend. "We do hope she has someone that cares for her watching over her."
Hyuuga smiled at Kimiko. "I have no doubt that she's in GREAT hands at the moment."
* * *
Time: 7:45 PM
Motoko Hata felt like she was dreaming again… Sho Inugami was carrying her lovingly from the ballroom with a look that was equal parts love and lustful hunger. The swordswoman would have broken into a furious blush, but she'd carefully applied multiple layers of foundation to hide the outward signs of her mostly timid nature. She was in this gorgeous outfit, being held in the medic-nin's strong arms, and he was looking at her with an anticipatory smile on his lips.
The hallway had people milling about, having conversations. As the two supposed Fire Nation Kuge members walked past, Hata couldn't help but notice the occasional glance in their direction; several of them with looks of envy. In their guises as Mitsune Konno and Keitaro Urashima, the female half of the twins had to admit they were a gorgeous looking couple.
Suddenly Sho's right hand shifted, sliding up her thigh sensually. Motoko bit her lower lip; she was uncertain if this was the medic getting fresh or his Kuge alter-ego having a tender moment with his fiancée. A nigh inaudible gasp then escaped Hata as Inugami/Urashima suddenly grabbed her butt and squeezed it.
If Motoko had been an anime character, her face would not only be glowing a pale rose of embarrassment, but steam would be whistling from her ears at the emotional overload.
'Hey that felt really good… Come on, girl, ask him to do it again!' Her naughty said in her mind with a moan.
'Shut up you.' Nice said, trying to not die of terminal embarrassment. 'Sho is acting different today, could that hentai side of him be in control? Or is he just trying to really sell the role like we told him he was going to have to earlier?'
'Who cares?' Naughty giggled as she luxuriated in his touch. 'He's a lot stronger than his slim frame would suggest.' A drooling look appeared on her face. 'Ooh, better yet, ask him to play with the puppies… And I'm not talking about Akamaru!'
Motoko gripped Sho's shoulders tight and buried her face in his chest, convinced that everyone around them could see she was a girl trying to pretend she was an adult.
"Bubun henkei: Migigawa" Inugami said under his breath.
It was spoken so softly that even if she hadn't been lost in her own thoughts, Hata probably wouldn't have heard it… Motoko/Mitsune was dimly aware of the sensation that the medic-nin's right arm, the one cradling her rear, suddenly swelled, becoming more muscular.
Looking down at the precious cargo in his arms, the medic-nin smiled to himself. He knew Motoko enough to realize she was putting on a brave front.
Then Sho's eye landed on the ring on her finger. His mind was still reeling at the notion that the ring he'd proposed to her with in that dream he'd had 9 days ago had somehow appeared in the waking world… Inugami knew he was awake and not being influenced by Genjutsu, but HOW did this object come to exist?!
'The only way this could happen would be if I talked in my sleep…' Sho thought to himself. Then an uncomfortable notion entered his mind; that dream from this morning, of him comforting her after a nightmare she'd had. 'Or if…'
Sho/Keitaro's left hand suddenly darted out to grab a red rose out of a vase as they walked past it. He gently brushed the tip of her nose, eliciting a giggle from the kunoichi as she looked into his eyes. "For my lovely lady."
Seeing the rose, Motoko smiled and took it from his hands. 'What has come over him?' she thinks, feeling more confusion. 'Is this Sho or Keitaro?'
'I'm not sure sweetie…' Naughty says, her incorporeal hand brushing the white-haired ninja's cheek. 'But I think I'm falling in love all over again.'
'Same here.' Nice says with a smile; little heart bubbles floating about her head.
"Kei-sa…" Motoko cooed happily.
As they moved past the last of the crowd; it was now or never. Inugami/Urashima took her left hand in his looking at the ring. "Tell me again, Mit-sa; when I gave you this ring, how long did you say you had your wedding kimono already been waiting for me to ask?"
"Three years…" Motoko replied without hesitation. The dreams of the future were indelibly etched in her heart and mind.
Then the kunoichi blinked. 'Wait… How did Sho-kun know about that part of my dream? I only told Kimiko about it in the Sento when Sho was in the security closet!'
Motoko looked up at Sho, the shock and confusion on his face a mirror of her own, as the medic-nin froze abruptly in his tracks. His lower lip quivered slightly.
> Are you kidding me?! < A equally shocked Imaguni Ohs demanded as Sho's thought proved true. > You two actually had the same dream? <
Motoko Hata, who had heard Imaguni as clear as a bell, dropped the rose and grabbed Sho tightly before the medic-nin could bolt. "Closet. Talk. NOW!" She ordered in his ear after she turned his earpiece and transmitter off. "Clear behind you."
Inugami confirmed no one was in his view and the world abruptly shifted as he used the Flying Thunder God to take them to their private nook.
As they materialized, Motoko hopped out of Sho's grip and turned on the speaker for the closet's comm unit. They'd now hear what the others said, but their conversation would now be private.
"Tsujo ni modoru." Sho muttered under his breath as she did so. He winced slightly as there was a subtle shift to his body under his clothing.
The two ninja looked at each other, both feeling oddly uncertain about what to do or say next. They each opened their mouths to say something, but stopped when they saw the other do the same.
Imaguni Ohs finally broke the tension in the worst way possible. > Soo… Are the two of you going to say something before you bang or what? < For which Sho mentally slugged him, causing Ohs to groan in pain.
'That voice is an ass, but I like how he thinks.' Motoko's Naughty side giggled.
Tears began to fill Hata's eyes and she covered them with her hands. "Sho-kun… I…" The kunoichi started to retreat to the far side of the room, but was stopped short when her dress caught on some of the excess nails on the desk's construction.
Inugami saw the problem and approached Motoko to help fix it when one of the cords pulled taut; causing him to stumble forward. He let out a yelp of surprise, causing Hata to turn and face him as he unintentionally tackled her to the ground. There was the sound of her dress's delicate fabric tearing as a gash opened thanks to the nail.
The two landed on Motoko's futon, Sho's heavier frame pinning her down, his right hand landing on the skin exposed by the tear and sliding up her silken flesh until it was stopped by the swell of her breast. At the same time, she became aware of a pressure just below her hips between her thighs.
'S-S-Sho-kun's…' Hata began to think before the blush completely overwhelmed her brain.
Opposite her, Sho Inugami, the normally cool-as-ice young man she fancied, was all too aware of his position and erect state and had turned beet red.
"Gomen ne, Hata-san…" He grunted softly as he began to shift his weight.
Suddenly, in a move that surprised them both, Motoko's left hand shot up to catch his right, pinning it to her breast. She looked up at him, nervous adoration in her eyes. Motoko wanted his touch so much that it scared her and she was afraid that with all this weirdness she'd never get the chance again.
"Hata-sa…" Sho began to say when she put a finger from her other hand to his lips.
"Motoko." She said firmly. "I know how you feel about me, Sho, and I KNOW you know how I feel about you." Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes. She took a breath, her breast filling his hand completely as a part of her wished that her bra wasn't between them. "That's my name and I want you to use it from now on. Now, say it the way you've… The way WE'VE dreamt you of saying it!"
Sho Inugami sighed and he nodded. She removed her finger from his lips.
His fears were warring so intensely with his hopes that the medic-nin needed to take a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to steady his mind. As they opened, he released the transformation technique that had turned him into Keitaro Urashima. His single lock of black hair dangled between them, partially obscuring his steel gray eye.
He gave her a warm smile that was filled with affection. "Gomen ne… Mo... Mo-Motoko-sa!" His voice filled with the same nervousness she felt.
The kunoichi's heart skipped a beat. She knew beyond a doubt that this was the young man she loved talking to her. Not his alter. Not his crude Subconscious or his child-like Unconscious. It was… "Watashi wa anata o ukeireru, Sho-sa!"
Inugami felt a thrill run through him, right down to his very core, as he heard her say that she accepted him. As her words reverberated through his cracked psyche, the emotional wounds showed the first signs of repair in years.
He leaned down and kissed Motoko Hata passionately. She closed her eyes, feeling her heart race with ecstatic joy.
After a timeless instant, he rolled the two of them onto his back, giving Motoko all the control over what happened next. She opened her eyes, which now sparkled with the rainbow kaleidoscope of her Reikigan as their kiss broke. Inugami smiled up at her, mesmerized by her revealed power; the same one from this morning's dream.
The kunoichi sat up on his thighs, the tented front of his pants so intimately close….
Hata looked down at Inugami, who was alight with colors. She now knew with a small measure of confidence, attained through checks of Kimiko while her back was turned - Motoko wasn't ready to share this aspect of herself with anyone yet; save for Raiden (whom she couldn't talk to because of the mission restrictions) and Sho - that she was somehow perceiving the emotional aura of whomever she looked at when this new power was active.
In the days since discovering this ability, she had found a few books in the library that discussed the topic of auras. She knew she had a lot to learn before she began to rely on these new eyes, but she thought she was beginning to understand the basics.
Dark purple, muddy pink and dried blood red whorls and flows carved paths through a veritable cornucopia of otherwise vibrant colors; save for a small nugget-sized section that was pitch black.
When she'd seen Sho's aura bubble turn black during his nightmare when her Reikigan came to life for the first time, she'd thought that black was an indication of the evil of the "Demon" Sho feared was within him; the one that had "killed" her in the dream of the future that she now knew they had shared… Somehow. But according to all the sources she'd found, a black aura was merely an indication of power, not of morality.
'Red, pink, and purple, but inverted; dark instead of bright… Anxiety, confusion, and fear. But it's shifting around, it's not stable; Sho-sa is fighting those feelings.' She thought to herself.
A quick glance of herself in the mirror inside the cabinet this dress had been stored in showed the same dark colors in her own aura. She sighed in frustration; realizing they were both feeling the same about the thought of getting any more physical than they already were.
'Final stop, second base, I guess.' Hata thought to herself, finally releasing his hand from her breast. "Sho-sa… I… We…" Her two index fingers pressing against each other in a nervous fidget similar to Hinata Hyuuga's regular behavior around Naruto Uzumaki.
Inugami nodded, accepting what she was trying to say - removing his hand from her body out of respect for her wishes - and sat up as much as he could without moving her. "We're physically ready, but not mentally or emotionally?" She nodded hesitantly, her body tense; worried she was squandering their chance. He smiled at her, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "I agree."
"I'm not a horrible flirt by stopping us, am I?" Hata asked, still fidgeting; the confidence she'd felt in herself vanishing like a bat in a night as she melted against his hand. "I mean you're…"
Now it was Sho's turn to put his finger on her lips. "Watashi mo anata o ukeiremasu, Motoko-sa." Tears of joy filled Hata's eyes as she grabbed him into a hug, which he returned wholeheartedly.
A serious look crossed Inugami's face. "Motoko-sa, I've dreamt of this for a long time... But it wouldn't be fair to you if I didn't give you at least SOME warning..."
"About what, Sho-k..? -sa!" The kunoichi still on his lap asked; correcting herself for the new situation they found themselves in.
Inugami licked his lips nervously. "Well, you clearly know my darkest secret... And you know that I'm a little messed up in the head."
> 'A little messed up' he says; that's like saying water is wet or Naruto is an idiot. < Ohs said, rolling his mental eyes.
"Shut it, you!" Sho AND Motoko said simultaneously to Ohs. They then looked at each other and began to laugh at the absurdity of them both hearing a voice inside the medic-nin's head.
"I'm saying that there's a LOT about me that you... Hell, make that ANYONE, knows little to nothing about. If we're going to try to make this work, you need to know that I have secrets; secrets that I promise you will know ALL about before..." He paused in thought before bringing up her left hand; still wearing the paired dolphin engagement ring. "... Before I offer you something like this in the waking world."
Motoko's breath caught in her lungs for a second. Was he saying..? The mental avatars of her Good and Naughty side were so stunned by the medic-nin' s words that they were speechless. "Sho-sa... Are you saying..?"
"I'm saying that you're going to need to buckle up for this ride we're going to be going on together." Inugami said, dead serious. "And if... IF we manage to make it to the end together, through all the twists and turns to the point that ALL my secrets are laid before you... If we get there and you'll STILL have me after all is said and done I'll happily..."
"Reiyuriko-hime is done changing and is about to go out on the dance floor." Miho Hyuuga's voice came through the communication system's speaker, causing the two young adults to startle; cutting off the medic-nin. "White, Lightning; are you two ready?"
The two looked at each other and gave a nod that said, 'We have a lot to figure out, but it can wait until we're back home.'
Motoko disengaged, climbing off Sho's lap and stepping over to the cabinet that held her robe. Motoko looked at the tear in the outfit, but quickly judged that not even the finest seamstress in the world would be able to repair it.
"And this dress was so pretty, too." She sighed as she put her hand on her left breast, where Sho's tender hand had been moments before, but then shook her head to clear it before donning her robe and cinching it closed. She glanced at herself in the mirror, looking more like a tomato in a green and yellow robe than herself. 'Help Kimiko first, THEN melt into a puddle of goo.' She thought, grabbing a hand fan to try and cool her hot blood.
Meanwhile, Inugami had moved over to the displays and quickly adjusted all but one of them – one that was clearly set to access one of the Palace's computers, something Motoko must have done – to the camera angles of the ballroom.
"We're ready here, Purple Dragon. Red, Blue, and Thunder; comms check." He said, pressing the transmit button on the microphone. He reached down to adjust his pants, trying to ease the tension on his manhood so he'd hopefully lose his erection shortly.
> Yeah, because THAT'S going to happen anytime soon as long as Motoko-chan's in range of any of our senses... < Imaguni muttered. > You KNOW what you're going to need to do to get rid of that... The only question is will you wait until Motoko-chan's asleep or... <
"I can hear you, you know!?!" Motoko cried out as the red in her cheeks moved into the purple range. The fan began to move faster as she tried to calm herself.
> "Sorry!" < Both halves of Sho apologized to the swordswoman.
"This is going to take some getting used to..." Hata sighed just loudly enough for Inugami and Ohs to hear.
"Comms sound good to me. We're moving back to the ballroom." Miho said as the buttonhole camera hidden in Kimiko's outfit began to move through the corridors from the changing room to the room housing the dance.
Knowing they'd have a few minutes for Kimiko Itou to walk at the dignified pace of Reiyuriko wa Mizuzaki, Sho shifted his attention to the computer display; frowning as he looked at it.
'Flower orders? Why would…' And then he looked at WHAT had been delivered, who they had gone to, and what had been ordered in response. The sharp intake of his surprise caused Motoko to jump for a moment; her Reikigan fading from her eyes as whatever unconscious focus she'd been holding was broken.
On the face of it, it appeared to be nothing…
But if you understood the language of flowers, as Inugami had forced himself to learn on this mission, they told a rather impressive love story.
"Ha…" Sho began out of habit before he paused. He turned in his seat, pointing at the monitor. "Motoko-sa! Where..? How..?! WHEN?!"
Hata, who felt a thrill through her being when Inugami called her name with the intimate honorific, hopped over to the other chair and took a seat. She beamed at him. "So you see it, too?" Sho nodded, throwing an arm around her and pulling her close enough to let her rest her head on his shoulder, which she did gleefully. "Nakahito found the missing piece in the palace laundry, of all places, just a few minutes before the dance. There wasn't enough time to act on it before it started…"
"Haruno did?" Sho asked with mock shock that was about 40% real. "I guess what they say about blind squirrels and acorns is right."
Hata playfully whacked his chest, earning her a silent raised eyebrow from her… boyfriend? Did she dare to hope that was the case? A blush, muted by her makeup, crossed her features; she was so used to smacking Raiden when he was doing something stupid or being a jerk. "Sorry, habit! But be nice; he's your teammate, after all…"
"A teammate who is used to the verbal abuse I shower him with, I feel I should point out..."
Motoko sighed, seeing that her next hurdle in life was clearly going to be the civilizing of Sho Inugami. "So, what do we do about it? We can't cross the Sand further than I already did as Mitsune; Hyuuga-sensei made that very clear after Takahashi was injured."
"For the moment? Nothing. That's a call for our Jonin to make later…" Inugami gestured to the display from Kimiko's video feed, which showed the rice paper doors that lead into the ballroom. It also carried a timestamp of 8:10 PM. "It's show time."
* * *
To be concluded