Kana crossed her arms and pouted. "You just had to bring it up right now." Her voice was tinged with playful bitterness.
Kenshin raised an eyebrow, curious where this was going.
"But..." Kana's gaze softened as she turned to Akane, her childish demeanor momentarily fading. "Akane-chan, even if it turns out you're not my daughter... I'm okay with adopting you. You lost your parents, right? So, I'll be your mom, whether you're my daughter or not."
Kenshin silently thought, 'Yeah, the Hidden Rain might have a thing or two to say about that.'
Kakashi interjected with a light shrug, "We can figure that out later. For now, we need to head over and get your blood sample. You'll have the results by this afternoon."
Kana, still chewing on a piece of her meal, waved them off. "Go on, Ken-chan, Akane-chan, I'll be fine—"
Kenshin interrupted, grabbing the bowl from her. "Nice try. You're not going anywhere until you finish eating."
Kana scrunched her nose and pouted like a scolded child. "You're not cute at all, Ken-chan!"
"Maybe I'd be cuter if my mother didn't act like a five-year-old," he shot back, starting to feed her.
Her pout deepened as she reluctantly accepted another bite, mumbling under her breath,"Not even your grandma bossed me around like this... And I'm your mommy!"
Once Kana was finished eating and tucked into bed, Kenshin left with Akane and Kakashi to give their blood samples. After the test was done, Kakashi gave Kenshin a nod. "Feel free to explore the village if you want. Just know you'll be watched by my selected ANBU."
Before Kenshin could respond, Akane spoke up, her cheeks faintly pink. "Kakashi-sensei, would it be okay if I spent the day with him?"
Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Of course, Akane."
As soon as Kakashi left, Kenshin turned to Akane. "So... where to?"
Akane gave a small shrug, brushing her bangs aside. "How about we just take a walk? See where the village takes us."
"Sounds good."
As they strolled through the village, their hands would occasionally brush against each other, causing both to shyly pull away every time. Kenshin's thoughts wandered as he glanced at Akane.
'She does resemble Mary... but not exactly. There's something different about her. If she's Mary's reincarnation, I'll tell her about myself... That'll confirm it. If not, I get a cute big sister. Either way, she's beautiful—kind of a perfect mix of cute and sexy, but not too much of either.' He giggled inwardly. 'And definitely not flat like Sakura.'
Akane led him around the village, pointing out key places—the academy, the Chunin Exam stadium, the Uchiha compound, and finally the small apartment where she lived. By the time they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen for lunch, Kenshin felt more at ease, though a slight nervousness remained whenever he caught Akane looking at him.
"This... is amazing!" Kenshin exclaimed after his first bite, his eyes lighting up.
Teuchi grinned proudly. "Glad you like it, young man."
Ayame, who had been watching from the side, smiled teasingly. "It's about time Akane-chan brought someone here on a date."
Kenshin and Akane immediately choked on their ramen, coughing in unison. Ayame handed them water, stifling her laugh.
Later that afternoon, Kenshin and Akane sat anxiously in Kana's hospital room, waiting for the DNA results. Kakashi and Shizune finally entered the room, their expressions unreadable.
Kakashi sighed dramatically. "I've got bad news."
Kenshin's heart sank, though he forced a smile. "Well, I guess coincidences happen."
Akane, speechless, looked down, her hands clenched in her lap.
"Yeah, you're right," Kakashi added, his lips twitching into a smile.
Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "That smile isn't helping."
Shizune elbowed Kakashi lightly. "Come on, you shouldn't joke about this stuff. Congratulations, you two. The results are a match—you're siblings."
Akane's eyes went wide, her face lighting up with joy, before she quickly turned to glare at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei! That was a horrible joke!"
Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly. "I just wanted to see how much you actually wanted it to be true. I'm sorry."
Kenshin, though relieved, was deep in thought. 'This complicates things between me and Akane, though. If she's Mary's reincarnation... how do I even explain that to Mom?'
Suddenly, Kana tackled them both in a tight embrace from behind, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm so happy... I have both of my kids with me. I just wish Ichiro-san was here too."
Kenshin and Akane shared a look, temporarily setting aside their complicated thoughts as they leaned into their mother's warmth.
The evening was filled with Akane recounting stories about Ichiro and her own life. Kana, emotional, cried several times, especially when Akane spoke of her lonely birthdays.
Kenshin, trying to reassure her, blushed as he spoke. "Don't worry, nee-san... your next birthday is coming up soon, right? We'll celebrate it. Together, all three of us."
Kana nodded eagerly, her eyes brimming with excitement. "Of course! I'll make sure it's the best birthday ever!"
Kenshin fed Kana one last time before putting her to sleep. When Kakashi re-entered the room, Kenshin turned to him with a question. "So... where am I supposed to stay tonight?"
Before Kakashi could answer, Akane cut in with a teasing smile. "He can stay with me. Nee-san will take good care of him."
Kenshin blushed, glancing away, trying to keep his composure. "Are you sure about this?"
Akane smirked, "Of course. I've got a good sense for people, and you're not setting off any red flags."
Kakashi, with a hint of amusement, nodded. "Very well. But remember, ANBU will be keeping an eye on you. Don't do anything that'll attract unwanted attention."
As Kakashi left, Kenshin's thoughts grew darker. 'Danzo... I bet he knows about me by now. He's going to come for my eyes. I need to be careful. Maybe I can blackmail him... or at least use his dirty secrets to negotiate.'
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Everyone, thanks for your support with the previous chapter. As always, please give me your power stones if you want to support me and let me know if you have any helpful suggestions/criticisms.