As dawn broke on another day in the shinobi world, Shinji couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of calm wash over him the moment his eyes opened. It had been several weeks since the latest threat to life as they knew it had been dealt with. He had been working himself to the bone right up to the end, and when the aftermath started winding down, he made the decision to take a few days for himself. At first, the sudden quiet was suffocating.
Shinji found himself pacing a lot, going almost stir crazy with nothing to do. He had resorted to bugging Gyuki for hours on end, trying to start conversations that his Eight-Tailed companion often ended fairly quickly. After the first day, he started to ease back into the swing of what a “vacation” entailed. It was time to recover, relax, and spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the shinobi world. No missions, no orders, and most importantly no stress.
He didn’t know how long exactly he would be stepping away from the action. His initial plan was simply to rest up and return to his duties. Though, that isn’t quite how it panned out. By this point he had already been out for over a week. When he tried to go back to work, he was turned away, saying he needed to take longer than a few days. Now, he hadn’t made a second attempt to return yet, so maybe this could be claimed as malicious compliance, but in his defense they never said exactly how long.
Shinji sat up and stretched the sleep out of his body, reaching down to where Youta was sleeping to give him some good-morning-petting. If this is what vacation was like, he almost wondered why he hadn’t taken one before now. He let his eyes scan his room, lingering on the empty chairs for a moment. His expression shifted, displaying slightly disconsolate undertones.
Gyuki, picking up on his change in mood, decided to offer a suggestion.
’You should contact them. It has been a while, has it not?’
Shinji offered a mild hum in response. ”Maybe you’re right.” A few minutes passed in complete silence, save for the light shifting sound of Youta’s tail wagging. He ran a hand through his snowy hair before reaching over to grab a cigarette from the pack on his nightstand. Once he had it lit and took his first drag, Shinji stood up.
”Alright, Gyuki. I’ll send a letter asking them to come meet me. It would be nice to catch up, assuming they can even show.” The last few words held a hidden toxicity that concerned the tailed Ox. The pair had never really discussed his host's family, other than passing comments of how long it had been since Shinji had seen them. Shinji could tell that Gyuki was second guessing his suggestion, but was quick to put those thoughts to rest. ”It’ll be fine. My mom and sister are perfectly pleasant. My dad’s just kind of…. traditional.” The chunin found a piece of parchment and a utensil to write with, jotting down a quick series of words before folding it up and holding it out to Youta. ”Can you take this to them?” The pug nodded enthusiastically, grabbing the corner of the letter in his teeth and taking off out the door. ”Good boy!”
’Are you sure sending him is wise?’
”What’s the worst that can happen? Youta might not be much for words, but he’ll get it done for sure. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think he’s immortal or something.”
’You think he’s immortal?’
”Well…. Yeah, I do. I have seen him walk away from a lot of crazy things completely unscathed. There’s no way he’s a normal dog.”
’He is a sage creature, you know.’
”Still, for a sage dog he’s crazy durable. I don’t think I’ve even heard him yelp before.”
’That does seem strange.’
”My point exactly. Now where are my pants?” Gyuki was silently questioning the competency of his host. Even after the time they had already spent together, Shinji was constantly finding new ways to raise concerns for the Demon.
After he had finished dressing himself, Shinji took one last drag from his cigarette before snuffing it out on the bottom of his shoe. He took a deep breath, starting to get nervous at the thought of seeing his family. ’Moving forward is the only viable option,’ he thought. As soon as his feet passed the threshold leaving his home, Shinji vanished in a blur of motion, rushing to the spot he had designated to meet them.
Several hours passed as Shinji waited for his family near the edge of the village. He had chosen this place due to the lack of foot traffic that wandered out this far. Being from the Ketsueki clan, one of the first things you learn to realize is that the more traditional a member of the clan is, the less they are willing to be around people. His family was no exception. His hope was that this semi-remote location would be more convincing to bring them outside of their home. It was beginning to look like that was a false hope. Shinji was having a hard time masking his disappointment, given the misty look in his eyes. He stood from the bench he was perched upon and preemptively wiped away the threat of tears. ”Looks like they aren’t gonna show. Waste of my damn time.” Shinji took a second to compose himself before turning to leave. Like something out of a movie, he had barely taken his first step when a familiar voice pierced his ears.
”Shinji, is that you?” Just entering into view was a tall, pale woman.
Her white hair tumbled in curls down past her shoulders. Her porcelain complexion was only broken by bright scarlet eyes and her favorite red lipstick. His mom hadn’t changed a bit.
He didn’t waste any time rushing over and wrapping his arms around her tightly.
”It’s good to see you mom,” he told her, his voice wavering ever so slightly.
”We’ve missed you, my baby boy.”
”We?” Just then, he noticed a tiny hand gripping the edge of his moms dress, belonging to a young girl who peered out from behind her. ”Is that Kora? She’s gotten so big!”
”She was really excited to come see you, even though she’s acting shy now that she’s here,” his mom explained with a giggle. That sound brought back a lot of pleasant memories for Shinji.
When he was a child, his father often forced strict training regimens onto him. It wasn’t out of any malicious intent, to be sure. His father was a firm believer in the traditional teachings of the Ketsueki Clan. He was loved, nurtured, and taught as any kid would have been, but the training sessions he endured were often brutal. The thing he most looked forward to after enduring those harsh lessons was Ayame Ketsueki’s laughter. Shinji was beaming, thankful that his mom had chosen to bring his sister Kora with her today. He hadn’t seen her since she was a baby.
”Hey, you probably don’t remember me, huh?” Kora shook her head slowly. ”Well I remember you. I used to talk to you all the time when you were in momma’s belly. Then when you were born I’d play with you all the time. You used to love this little stuffed bat-”
”Mr. Mori,” she interjected.
”That’s right, Mr. Mori! I tried to take him from you one day and you fought me the whole time. Kicked me right here!” Shinji tapped his forehead with his palm, inciting a fit of laughter from his younger sister. While she was laughing, Shinji hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her high into the air. "Jeez, you're so tall now! Pretty soon you'll be picking me up like this!"
"Oh, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. She's still got a ways to go before she can do that," Ayame chimed, hiding a smile behind her hands.
"Nonsense, she's sprouting like a weed."
"Yeah, I'm a weed mommy," Kora agreed. Ayame shot an amused look at Shinji. Shinji lowered Kora down, holding her on his hip instead of high in the air.
"So, tell me how you've been. What have you been up to?"
Shinji cleared his throat. "Well now, where should I start…?"
Shinji began explaining everything that he had experienced over the last few years. From the war with the samurai to waking up in the hospital, returning to his position within the village and working up through the ranks. He told her how he met the Lightning Empress, Unki Amano, and signed a contract with the Dogs of Inusekai Park. His mother asked if that was where the messenger pug was from, which he confirmed, summoning Youta again so that Kora could play with him. Ayame showed a mix of skepticism and concern when he explained how he was now the host of the Eight Tailed Beast, Gyuki. Though, she did warm to the idea when he told her that they were on good terms. Shinji walked through his part in the fight against the Inshou Jashinists, leaving out the gory details since Kora was within earshot. It felt good to catch up with her. They used to be so close, telling each other all about their days, chatting for hours about endless nonsense just to keep a conversation going.
When Shinji finished recounting his tale, Kora chimed in from a few feet away, pausing whatever game she was playing with Youta at the time. ”How come you never visited us?”
The question felt more like a punch to the gut. He flashed a quick look to his mom, a silent request for permission. Her reply was just as silent, telling him that his sister didn’t need to know the truth right now. He nodded, taking a moment to piece together a new response in his head. ”Well,” he began. ”I’ve been really really busy. Your big bro is kind of a superhero, you know.” Kora’s eyes lit up in excitement.
”You’re a superhero?”
”You don’t believe me? Fine, hop on and I’ll show you!” Shinji crouched down and gestured for her to climb onto his back. Kora hurriedly scrambled up to his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck and gripping his sides with her tiny legs. ”Hold on tight,” he told her before leaping high into the air.
”Be careful,” Ayame yelled after them, concerned that Kora might fall from such a height. Shinji waited until they reached the apex of his jump. Just as they began to fall back to earth, he pooled chakra into the bottoms of his feet and stepped onto the wind, as easily as if he were on solid ground. They floated there for a few seconds before he leaped again, this time using his Wind Walking technique to bounce around from one spot to the next. Kora was glued tightly to his back, laughing hysterically the whole time. When he was sure that she had been thoroughly entertained, Shinji formed a gentle cyclone beneath them, using it to lower the pair to the ground. Kora hopped down and ran over to Ayame, jumping excitedly. ”Did you see us momma? We were flying!”
”I saw that! You were zipping through the air so fast!” The pair giggled amongst themselves for a few more minutes before they were interrupted by an unexpected guest. Shinji felt their presence before they spoke, resulting in an almost immediate shift in his mood.
”So this is where you disappeared to.”
Shinji cocked an eyebrow at his mother, who mouthed an apology. He turned to face the man who was approaching them with a steely expression. ”Hey dad. How’s it going?”
His father eyed Shinji for a moment. It felt as if everything about him was being scrutinized. The way he carried himself, his clothes, even any hairs that might have moved out of place while he was whisking Kora through the air. His eyes were stern, as they always had been. Shinji was half expecting some sort of lecture, but he knew better than to think that. His father turned away, facing instead towards Ayame and Kora. A bubble of rage began forming in the pit of Shinji’s stomach. ”Have you been enjoying yourself, Kora?”
Shinji thought he spied a hint of a smile forming on his father’s lips. The rage forming within him was replaced, swallowed up by a puzzling mixture of sorrow and indignation. He glanced over at Ayame. His mother had already noticed the whirlwind of emotions her son was experiencing, and looked as if she might cry herself. In all their years together as a family, Kokushibo Ketsueki had been a fair man, but he never openly expressed any sort of joy at seeing his son. In fact, most of their interactions often boiled down to him spouting further expectations for his son. Shinji needed sharper instincts, a tighter form, a quicker mind. Never once was he greeted with a smile.
Shinji turned away from them and took a few steps. He held a hand over his face while he composed himself. The invitation had been sent for all of them, but he never thought that his dad would actually show up. Their last interaction with each other before this point had gone so poorly that Shinji was forced to resign himself to never seeing the man again. The idea that the man that had raised him would forever be a stranger in his life wasn’t an easy one to come to terms with, but he had accepted it and moved on nonetheless. Now he had apparently accepted the invitation to come meet up here, and brushed Shinji off just as quickly as he had arrived.
That was just like him. Ayame had left her spot on the bench and moved to console her son. She placed a gentle hand on Shinji’s back and rested her head on his shoulder. ”Don’t let him get to you. I know it’s a shock to see him here. I asked if he wanted to come and he said he was going to stay home. I didn’t think he would change his mind.”
Shinji shook his head. ”It’s not your fault mom, don’t apologize for him.” He paused for a second. ”Looks like he and Kora get along pretty well.”
Ayame patted his back. ”He loved you too. It’s just different with her. He was trying to prepare you to be a man, in the only way he knew how.”
”By never so much as saying he was proud of me?”
”Don’t be unfair, baby. He’s not a perfect man, but he is your father.”
”I know, I know. It still would have been nice to hear it once and a while. You know?”
Ayame lifted her head long enough to look over at Kokushibo and Kora. ”Don’t tell him I told you this. When you were still young, he would go on and on about how well you were doing. He said you were destined for something great. Even after you went to become a shinobi.Any time he heard your name come up he was beaming with pride.”
Shinji almost laughed. If what his mom was saying were true, Shinji almost didn’t want to believe it. ”Then why did he turn me away, mom? Why wasn’t I allowed to come back home?”
His mom drew a shaky breath. ”It isn’t that simple. There’s a lot of politics that went into it.”
”Politics? Are you joking right now? So, what, someone high up in the clan told him to shun me and he just went with it?”
”He never would have gone with it if he wasn’t sure you would be fine on your own. Look at how well you’ve done, all the things you’ve accomplished.”
”It’s because I lost my Saiketsu, isn’t it?” His mom only nodded. ”Wow, so that’s all it takes for the mighty Ketsueki elders to turn their backs on one of their own.” Shinji’s words were heavy with sarcasm.
”I don’t like it any more than you do. Neither does he, son.”
”No, but he’s so concerned with their approval that he went along with it. God, after all the time and effort I put in, the grueling hours trying to meet the expectations put on me. It isn’t enough to be born into the clan, to have their blood pumping through my veins. Elitist pricks.” Shinji spat on the ground.
”He’s trying to join their council.”
Shinji chuckled at that. ”Of course he is.”
”Hey, don’t brush that off. He’s wanting to join the council so he can try and change things.”
Shinji only shook his head. Regardless of his father’s intentions, he doubted that the efforts would bear any fruit. He knew the elders of the clan were set in their ways. They always had been, and everyone always seemed to treat what they decreed as gospel. Shinji had been robbed of a lot of things in his childhood because of it. When he started to train to use the Saiketsu, he had to isolate himself from others. Even after joining the academy, he wasn’t allowed to make any close friends. All because of their stupid rules. Everyone outside of the family that he knew, the kids he grew up playing with around his neighborhood. All of them had to be cut away. When he was younger, Shinji questioned their motives, the reasons behind the stipulations they placed on even their youngest of clan members. He still dutifully obeyed them. He cut out everyone who was not a member of the clan. He dedicated years of his life to making them happy, following every rule they laid out, every command passed down through his father.
Shinji gritted his teeth as he remembered all the times that the Ketsueki clan's council of elders had cost him moments that he can never get back. ”What a ******** joke.”
”Shinji!”
His father heard Ayame’s exclamation and moved over towards his wife and son. ”Is everything alright, dear?” The stern tone in his voice was grating to Shinji’s ears.
”Yes, everything is fine. I was just telling our son how you were working on joining the Council of Elders.”
Kokushibo nodded solemnly.”Yes, indeed I am. However, that isn’t information that he should be hearing. He can no longer be informed of the clan’s business.”
”I don’t see why not. He was born into the Ketsueki clan just like you or I were.”
Kokushibo’s brows furrowed, and his lips parted to reply before being interrupted with an angry quip.
”Because I no longer have ‘the blood,’” Shinji spat, using air quotations as if his blatant sarcasm wouldn’t drive his point home. Shinji was never the type who would see himself involved in or caring about political affairs. His adventures as of late had been leaning more into that realm, but he still didn’t quite understand the delicate balance that you had to uphold as a political officer. What he did know, however, was that the politics in the Ketsueki clan were heavily focused on isolationism and purist ideals. And those beliefs left individual sour tastes in his throat.
His father’s jaw clenched, likely more out of annoyance with being interrupted than anything. Shinji noticed his tension and turned to stand face-to-face with the man. ”What?
Did I upset you, sir? Did I overstep my bounds?” Shinji and his father, in unison, shot the same look to Ayame. She silently moved to gather Kora and take her elsewhere. This wasn’t something that she needed to see.
”Do you have something to say, boy?”
”To you? No, I only talk to people who are at least worth the dirt under my shoes.”
”Excuse me?”
”You heard me. I used to look up to you, you know. ‘Kokushibo, the manly man of the Ketsueki clan.’ Now I can’t even remember why I admired you at all. I guess I can’t be too surprised; your entire life is devoted to those toxic old geezers.”
Kokushibo took a step forward and squared his shoulders, attempting to look more menacing than he really was. ”If you have a personal grievance with me, then spit it out. I will not have you speaking ill of our elders.”
Shinji moved in closer until he was nose-to-nose with his father. ”I will speak of whomever I damn well please. If you want to be one of them so bad, then there is no reason to refer to you as a separate person.”
His father took a deep, steady breath and stepped back. Kokushibo made a quick glance in all directions before finally exhaling, all of the tension leaving his body. ”I am sorry for how things have turned out, son. I never wanted any of this,” he said, his tone much quieter than before.
Shinji scoffed at his apology. ”Yeah, it’s real convincing when you make sure no one's listening before you apologize.”
”You never know who the elders might be getting their information from. I never expected them to even hear about your accident.”
”My accident? Oh, you mean where I was basically dead for months and no one came to visit? Or are you referring to me not being able to manipulate my blood anymore? Just so we’re clear, I am perfectly healthy. I might not be able to bleed the same way you do,” Shinji held a hand out to his side and manifested his Reiken. He made a quick flourish with the blade before he opened his other hand and slashed it with his blade.
He let the crimson liquid run down his fingers, dripping onto the ground. A thick black fluid quickly began to replace the red color of his blood before it jumped to life, swirling through the air on command. ”But I still have some tricks up my sleeve.”
Kokushibo watched with a somewhat sad expression as the black-colored blood moved around Shinji. ”It isn’t the same.The elder’s stand on ceremony, on tradition. They don’t easily accept any deviation from what they know. They all bleed red, and they expect everyone in the clan to bleed red too. We’re all glad that you survived, but as far as they’re concerned, you aren’t a Ketsueki any longer.”
”Yeah, no worries there, I got that message loud and clear.” Shinji relinquished his control over the dark liquid, letting it rain onto the ground and allowing the wound to close. Thanks to Gyuki, his wounds healed a lot faster than they normally would. If it weren’t for that, his hand would have been sore for a week at least. Shinji shook his head at his father. ”The least you could have done was stand up for me. Fight so that I could still be a part of your family. Even if the clan doesn’t accept me, I am still your son.
Your flesh and blood. I have a sister that I adore but can’t see because you were too much of a coward to fight.”
Kokushibo shook his head. ”The only person that would have been positively affected is you, Shinji. If I had gone against the elder’s wishes, we would have been outcast. You would have just gone on with your life, your duties. We would have no connections. No income. We would be kicked out of our home.”
Shinji chuckled. ”If that was your biggest concern, then you clearly are out of the loop.” Kokushibo crossed his arms indignantly. ”They really don’t let you have much of an ear to the outside world, huh? If you had known anything of what my life is really like, then you’d know that every one of those concerns that you just listed are moot. I have a home you all could move into. I have more money now than I will ever need or know what to do with. Your “connections” would be through me, and believe me when I tell you that they are way better than whatever those old farts have. I have traveled all over the Land of Floods. I’m on pretty good terms with the Empress herself, if I do say so myself. Kenshin Hyuuga, the Lord of Nohara, has helped me through some things personally. Now I don’t know if I’d go as far as saying we’re ‘friends,’ but I still think that’s pretty huge. You are so wrapped up in the tiny little world that the elders have you confined to that you’re out of touch with things happening in Arashi. Did you know that we have seen three Arashikage’s just in the time that I have been out of the academy? Were you even aware of the world-ending threat that we averted? There is so much more out there than they will ever let you see.”
”And I am trying to change that, Shinji. I was devastated when the order came down to shun you. I hate how confined we are to our own devices. I wish so much for Kora to be able to play with kids her age and to be able to make friends. It takes time, and a lot of effort and a**-kissing.”
”So you’re set on that, then? You’re set on taking the slow road and trying to change things from the inside? What happens if that doesn’t work?”
”We will cross that bridge when we get to it.”
”No, that isn’t good enough. I will not be denied my family on some slim chance that you can change their rules.”
”I don’t know what else to tell you. This is how I am trying to fix the broken parts of their system. Once I am among their ranks, I can start trying to convince them to rethink their ways. I can explain how their insistence on keeping everything within the clan is slowly killing us all. If that doesn’t work, then we can do things your way. Does that sound acceptable?”
Shinji was silent for a while.
”Fine, whatever. If you’re that insistent on doing it your way, I can’t stop you.
But you better not drag your feet on this. I swear, if I find out that you get your seat at the table and don’t even make the effort, I will beat your a**.”
Kokushibo cocked a confident eyebrow at his son’s threat. ”You think you can manage that, do you?” The moment the words left his lips, the skin on his cheek split open. A superficial wound, with a miniscule amount of blood beginning to form at the edges of the wound. His father’s eyes widened in surprise.
Shinji pointed a finger towards a spot behind his father’s head. There, lodged in the brick wall, surrounded by growing cracks, was a shuriken that had supposedly been thrown without Kokushibo’s knowledge. ”Yeah, I think I can manage that.”
Kokushibo’s expression shifted from surprised to a mix of fearful, but proud. ”Message received. I’m going to try my best to fix their system. I can’t promise that it will work, or that it will be a quick change, but I’m going to try.”
Shinji nodded. ”Good, that’s better than nothing.”
The two shared a quiet moment, his father’s fear of his son slowly fading away. ”You’ve become quite strong, Shinji.”
Shinji chuckled at the comment. ”Oh, that’s nothing. You should see what I can do when I’m in action. It took a long time to get there, but I’ve got quite a few neat tricks up my sleeves. Plus the big guy.”
”The big guy?”
”Yeah, Gyuki. The Eight-Tailed beast.”
”You’re a jinchuriki now?”
”Oh, yeah! I guess you only get to hear about the public things. I already caught Mom up to speed, but let me start at the beginning.” Shinji spent the next few minutes giving his father a somewhat shortened recounting of events, similar to what he had explained to his mom. With Kora out of earshot, he was able to give his father a bit more detail than what he had told Ayame before. His father listened intently, nodding and making faces at the stories he was hearing.
By the end of it, his father clapped his son on the shoulder. ”It sounds like you have been through quite a lot recently.”
Shinji shrugged. Kokushibo wasn’t wrong, but Shinji had also mostly gotten used to the hustle and bustle. ”It just comes with the territory. I stay pretty busy with my work.”
His father glanced over at the setting sun and back to Shinji with an apologetic look. ”It’s getting late. I need to go find your Mother and sister and get us all home for dinner.”
Shinji waved his hand. ”Don’t worry about it. Go ahead and get home. Just don’t be a stranger, okay? If you find some time for you all to get away, reach out to me so we can spend some more time together.”
Kokushibo offered a sheepish smile. ”I will see what I can do. Take care of yourself, son.” Without another word, his father turned and moved in the direction that Ayame and Kora had disappeared to.
Shinji watched after him until he was out of sight, then let out a heavy sigh.
’Are you okay?’
Gyuki’s question startled Shinji. ”Jeez, you scared the crap outta me. Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s get going, I’ve got a couple of stops to make before I head home.” Shinji vanished, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he moved.
He made a few stops at some local spice shops before returning to his floating abode hovering around the Arashi sky. ”With this stuff, I should be able to get back to my ANBU duties without having to worry about being identified.”
’What will you be doing?’
Shinji set down his bag of items and picked his wolf-shaped mask off of a nearby shelf. ”Well,” he began, carefully placing some of the herbs he had purchased into a mortar and pestle. ”This stuff, when mixed together in the right amounts, makes a pretty potent seal. Not the flimsy kind, either. This thing is going to last a long time.”
’You are going to seal my chakra into an object? I do not like the sound of that.’
”No, nothing like that. This kind of seal isn’t really for holding anything. It’s going to turn my mask into a sort of jamming device. When I wear it, it’ll hide your presence from almost anyone.”
’Almost?’
”Well, yeah. Nothing’s perfect. I’m sure someone out there will be able to see through it, besides myself of course. It’s the best option we have, honestly. It’ll hide you, but not lock me out of your chakra if there’s a situation where I need your help on a job.” Shinji finished mixing and grinding the herbs down into a fine powder before he put his hands around the pestle and channeled his chakra into it. His chakra appeared as a snow white flame within the bowl, coating every granule of herb powder and imbuing them with intent and power. Once the chakra-flame had gone out, he used a finger to draw a crude sealing array on the inside of the mask. ”One final touch.” Shinji formed a seal with his hands, causing the inscription to glow for a moment before fading into the mask. It left behind an imprint of the inscription, as if it had literally melted away the parts of the mask it was written on. Shinji inspected his work, but knew that he couldn’t tell whether it worked or not on his own.
”And tomorrow, we test this.”
Shinji found himself pacing a lot, going almost stir crazy with nothing to do. He had resorted to bugging Gyuki for hours on end, trying to start conversations that his Eight-Tailed companion often ended fairly quickly. After the first day, he started to ease back into the swing of what a “vacation” entailed. It was time to recover, relax, and spend time away from the hustle and bustle of the shinobi world. No missions, no orders, and most importantly no stress.
He didn’t know how long exactly he would be stepping away from the action. His initial plan was simply to rest up and return to his duties. Though, that isn’t quite how it panned out. By this point he had already been out for over a week. When he tried to go back to work, he was turned away, saying he needed to take longer than a few days. Now, he hadn’t made a second attempt to return yet, so maybe this could be claimed as malicious compliance, but in his defense they never said exactly how long.
Shinji sat up and stretched the sleep out of his body, reaching down to where Youta was sleeping to give him some good-morning-petting. If this is what vacation was like, he almost wondered why he hadn’t taken one before now. He let his eyes scan his room, lingering on the empty chairs for a moment. His expression shifted, displaying slightly disconsolate undertones.
Gyuki, picking up on his change in mood, decided to offer a suggestion.
’You should contact them. It has been a while, has it not?’
Shinji offered a mild hum in response. ”Maybe you’re right.” A few minutes passed in complete silence, save for the light shifting sound of Youta’s tail wagging. He ran a hand through his snowy hair before reaching over to grab a cigarette from the pack on his nightstand. Once he had it lit and took his first drag, Shinji stood up.
”Alright, Gyuki. I’ll send a letter asking them to come meet me. It would be nice to catch up, assuming they can even show.” The last few words held a hidden toxicity that concerned the tailed Ox. The pair had never really discussed his host's family, other than passing comments of how long it had been since Shinji had seen them. Shinji could tell that Gyuki was second guessing his suggestion, but was quick to put those thoughts to rest. ”It’ll be fine. My mom and sister are perfectly pleasant. My dad’s just kind of…. traditional.” The chunin found a piece of parchment and a utensil to write with, jotting down a quick series of words before folding it up and holding it out to Youta. ”Can you take this to them?” The pug nodded enthusiastically, grabbing the corner of the letter in his teeth and taking off out the door. ”Good boy!”
’Are you sure sending him is wise?’
”What’s the worst that can happen? Youta might not be much for words, but he’ll get it done for sure. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think he’s immortal or something.”
’You think he’s immortal?’
”Well…. Yeah, I do. I have seen him walk away from a lot of crazy things completely unscathed. There’s no way he’s a normal dog.”
’He is a sage creature, you know.’
”Still, for a sage dog he’s crazy durable. I don’t think I’ve even heard him yelp before.”
’That does seem strange.’
”My point exactly. Now where are my pants?” Gyuki was silently questioning the competency of his host. Even after the time they had already spent together, Shinji was constantly finding new ways to raise concerns for the Demon.
After he had finished dressing himself, Shinji took one last drag from his cigarette before snuffing it out on the bottom of his shoe. He took a deep breath, starting to get nervous at the thought of seeing his family. ’Moving forward is the only viable option,’ he thought. As soon as his feet passed the threshold leaving his home, Shinji vanished in a blur of motion, rushing to the spot he had designated to meet them.
Several hours passed as Shinji waited for his family near the edge of the village. He had chosen this place due to the lack of foot traffic that wandered out this far. Being from the Ketsueki clan, one of the first things you learn to realize is that the more traditional a member of the clan is, the less they are willing to be around people. His family was no exception. His hope was that this semi-remote location would be more convincing to bring them outside of their home. It was beginning to look like that was a false hope. Shinji was having a hard time masking his disappointment, given the misty look in his eyes. He stood from the bench he was perched upon and preemptively wiped away the threat of tears. ”Looks like they aren’t gonna show. Waste of my damn time.” Shinji took a second to compose himself before turning to leave. Like something out of a movie, he had barely taken his first step when a familiar voice pierced his ears.
”Shinji, is that you?” Just entering into view was a tall, pale woman.
Her white hair tumbled in curls down past her shoulders. Her porcelain complexion was only broken by bright scarlet eyes and her favorite red lipstick. His mom hadn’t changed a bit.
He didn’t waste any time rushing over and wrapping his arms around her tightly.
”It’s good to see you mom,” he told her, his voice wavering ever so slightly.
”We’ve missed you, my baby boy.”
”We?” Just then, he noticed a tiny hand gripping the edge of his moms dress, belonging to a young girl who peered out from behind her. ”Is that Kora? She’s gotten so big!”
”She was really excited to come see you, even though she’s acting shy now that she’s here,” his mom explained with a giggle. That sound brought back a lot of pleasant memories for Shinji.
When he was a child, his father often forced strict training regimens onto him. It wasn’t out of any malicious intent, to be sure. His father was a firm believer in the traditional teachings of the Ketsueki Clan. He was loved, nurtured, and taught as any kid would have been, but the training sessions he endured were often brutal. The thing he most looked forward to after enduring those harsh lessons was Ayame Ketsueki’s laughter. Shinji was beaming, thankful that his mom had chosen to bring his sister Kora with her today. He hadn’t seen her since she was a baby.
”Hey, you probably don’t remember me, huh?” Kora shook her head slowly. ”Well I remember you. I used to talk to you all the time when you were in momma’s belly. Then when you were born I’d play with you all the time. You used to love this little stuffed bat-”
”Mr. Mori,” she interjected.
”That’s right, Mr. Mori! I tried to take him from you one day and you fought me the whole time. Kicked me right here!” Shinji tapped his forehead with his palm, inciting a fit of laughter from his younger sister. While she was laughing, Shinji hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her high into the air. "Jeez, you're so tall now! Pretty soon you'll be picking me up like this!"
"Oh, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. She's still got a ways to go before she can do that," Ayame chimed, hiding a smile behind her hands.
"Nonsense, she's sprouting like a weed."
"Yeah, I'm a weed mommy," Kora agreed. Ayame shot an amused look at Shinji. Shinji lowered Kora down, holding her on his hip instead of high in the air.
"So, tell me how you've been. What have you been up to?"
Shinji cleared his throat. "Well now, where should I start…?"
Shinji began explaining everything that he had experienced over the last few years. From the war with the samurai to waking up in the hospital, returning to his position within the village and working up through the ranks. He told her how he met the Lightning Empress, Unki Amano, and signed a contract with the Dogs of Inusekai Park. His mother asked if that was where the messenger pug was from, which he confirmed, summoning Youta again so that Kora could play with him. Ayame showed a mix of skepticism and concern when he explained how he was now the host of the Eight Tailed Beast, Gyuki. Though, she did warm to the idea when he told her that they were on good terms. Shinji walked through his part in the fight against the Inshou Jashinists, leaving out the gory details since Kora was within earshot. It felt good to catch up with her. They used to be so close, telling each other all about their days, chatting for hours about endless nonsense just to keep a conversation going.
When Shinji finished recounting his tale, Kora chimed in from a few feet away, pausing whatever game she was playing with Youta at the time. ”How come you never visited us?”
The question felt more like a punch to the gut. He flashed a quick look to his mom, a silent request for permission. Her reply was just as silent, telling him that his sister didn’t need to know the truth right now. He nodded, taking a moment to piece together a new response in his head. ”Well,” he began. ”I’ve been really really busy. Your big bro is kind of a superhero, you know.” Kora’s eyes lit up in excitement.
”You’re a superhero?”
”You don’t believe me? Fine, hop on and I’ll show you!” Shinji crouched down and gestured for her to climb onto his back. Kora hurriedly scrambled up to his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck and gripping his sides with her tiny legs. ”Hold on tight,” he told her before leaping high into the air.
”Be careful,” Ayame yelled after them, concerned that Kora might fall from such a height. Shinji waited until they reached the apex of his jump. Just as they began to fall back to earth, he pooled chakra into the bottoms of his feet and stepped onto the wind, as easily as if he were on solid ground. They floated there for a few seconds before he leaped again, this time using his Wind Walking technique to bounce around from one spot to the next. Kora was glued tightly to his back, laughing hysterically the whole time. When he was sure that she had been thoroughly entertained, Shinji formed a gentle cyclone beneath them, using it to lower the pair to the ground. Kora hopped down and ran over to Ayame, jumping excitedly. ”Did you see us momma? We were flying!”
”I saw that! You were zipping through the air so fast!” The pair giggled amongst themselves for a few more minutes before they were interrupted by an unexpected guest. Shinji felt their presence before they spoke, resulting in an almost immediate shift in his mood.
”So this is where you disappeared to.”
Shinji cocked an eyebrow at his mother, who mouthed an apology. He turned to face the man who was approaching them with a steely expression. ”Hey dad. How’s it going?”
His father eyed Shinji for a moment. It felt as if everything about him was being scrutinized. The way he carried himself, his clothes, even any hairs that might have moved out of place while he was whisking Kora through the air. His eyes were stern, as they always had been. Shinji was half expecting some sort of lecture, but he knew better than to think that. His father turned away, facing instead towards Ayame and Kora. A bubble of rage began forming in the pit of Shinji’s stomach. ”Have you been enjoying yourself, Kora?”
Shinji thought he spied a hint of a smile forming on his father’s lips. The rage forming within him was replaced, swallowed up by a puzzling mixture of sorrow and indignation. He glanced over at Ayame. His mother had already noticed the whirlwind of emotions her son was experiencing, and looked as if she might cry herself. In all their years together as a family, Kokushibo Ketsueki had been a fair man, but he never openly expressed any sort of joy at seeing his son. In fact, most of their interactions often boiled down to him spouting further expectations for his son. Shinji needed sharper instincts, a tighter form, a quicker mind. Never once was he greeted with a smile.
Shinji turned away from them and took a few steps. He held a hand over his face while he composed himself. The invitation had been sent for all of them, but he never thought that his dad would actually show up. Their last interaction with each other before this point had gone so poorly that Shinji was forced to resign himself to never seeing the man again. The idea that the man that had raised him would forever be a stranger in his life wasn’t an easy one to come to terms with, but he had accepted it and moved on nonetheless. Now he had apparently accepted the invitation to come meet up here, and brushed Shinji off just as quickly as he had arrived.
That was just like him. Ayame had left her spot on the bench and moved to console her son. She placed a gentle hand on Shinji’s back and rested her head on his shoulder. ”Don’t let him get to you. I know it’s a shock to see him here. I asked if he wanted to come and he said he was going to stay home. I didn’t think he would change his mind.”
Shinji shook his head. ”It’s not your fault mom, don’t apologize for him.” He paused for a second. ”Looks like he and Kora get along pretty well.”
Ayame patted his back. ”He loved you too. It’s just different with her. He was trying to prepare you to be a man, in the only way he knew how.”
”By never so much as saying he was proud of me?”
”Don’t be unfair, baby. He’s not a perfect man, but he is your father.”
”I know, I know. It still would have been nice to hear it once and a while. You know?”
Ayame lifted her head long enough to look over at Kokushibo and Kora. ”Don’t tell him I told you this. When you were still young, he would go on and on about how well you were doing. He said you were destined for something great. Even after you went to become a shinobi.Any time he heard your name come up he was beaming with pride.”
Shinji almost laughed. If what his mom was saying were true, Shinji almost didn’t want to believe it. ”Then why did he turn me away, mom? Why wasn’t I allowed to come back home?”
His mom drew a shaky breath. ”It isn’t that simple. There’s a lot of politics that went into it.”
”Politics? Are you joking right now? So, what, someone high up in the clan told him to shun me and he just went with it?”
”He never would have gone with it if he wasn’t sure you would be fine on your own. Look at how well you’ve done, all the things you’ve accomplished.”
”It’s because I lost my Saiketsu, isn’t it?” His mom only nodded. ”Wow, so that’s all it takes for the mighty Ketsueki elders to turn their backs on one of their own.” Shinji’s words were heavy with sarcasm.
”I don’t like it any more than you do. Neither does he, son.”
”No, but he’s so concerned with their approval that he went along with it. God, after all the time and effort I put in, the grueling hours trying to meet the expectations put on me. It isn’t enough to be born into the clan, to have their blood pumping through my veins. Elitist pricks.” Shinji spat on the ground.
”He’s trying to join their council.”
Shinji chuckled at that. ”Of course he is.”
”Hey, don’t brush that off. He’s wanting to join the council so he can try and change things.”
Shinji only shook his head. Regardless of his father’s intentions, he doubted that the efforts would bear any fruit. He knew the elders of the clan were set in their ways. They always had been, and everyone always seemed to treat what they decreed as gospel. Shinji had been robbed of a lot of things in his childhood because of it. When he started to train to use the Saiketsu, he had to isolate himself from others. Even after joining the academy, he wasn’t allowed to make any close friends. All because of their stupid rules. Everyone outside of the family that he knew, the kids he grew up playing with around his neighborhood. All of them had to be cut away. When he was younger, Shinji questioned their motives, the reasons behind the stipulations they placed on even their youngest of clan members. He still dutifully obeyed them. He cut out everyone who was not a member of the clan. He dedicated years of his life to making them happy, following every rule they laid out, every command passed down through his father.
Shinji gritted his teeth as he remembered all the times that the Ketsueki clan's council of elders had cost him moments that he can never get back. ”What a ******** joke.”
”Shinji!”
His father heard Ayame’s exclamation and moved over towards his wife and son. ”Is everything alright, dear?” The stern tone in his voice was grating to Shinji’s ears.
”Yes, everything is fine. I was just telling our son how you were working on joining the Council of Elders.”
Kokushibo nodded solemnly.”Yes, indeed I am. However, that isn’t information that he should be hearing. He can no longer be informed of the clan’s business.”
”I don’t see why not. He was born into the Ketsueki clan just like you or I were.”
Kokushibo’s brows furrowed, and his lips parted to reply before being interrupted with an angry quip.
”Because I no longer have ‘the blood,’” Shinji spat, using air quotations as if his blatant sarcasm wouldn’t drive his point home. Shinji was never the type who would see himself involved in or caring about political affairs. His adventures as of late had been leaning more into that realm, but he still didn’t quite understand the delicate balance that you had to uphold as a political officer. What he did know, however, was that the politics in the Ketsueki clan were heavily focused on isolationism and purist ideals. And those beliefs left individual sour tastes in his throat.
His father’s jaw clenched, likely more out of annoyance with being interrupted than anything. Shinji noticed his tension and turned to stand face-to-face with the man. ”What?
Did I upset you, sir? Did I overstep my bounds?” Shinji and his father, in unison, shot the same look to Ayame. She silently moved to gather Kora and take her elsewhere. This wasn’t something that she needed to see.
”Do you have something to say, boy?”
”To you? No, I only talk to people who are at least worth the dirt under my shoes.”
”Excuse me?”
”You heard me. I used to look up to you, you know. ‘Kokushibo, the manly man of the Ketsueki clan.’ Now I can’t even remember why I admired you at all. I guess I can’t be too surprised; your entire life is devoted to those toxic old geezers.”
Kokushibo took a step forward and squared his shoulders, attempting to look more menacing than he really was. ”If you have a personal grievance with me, then spit it out. I will not have you speaking ill of our elders.”
Shinji moved in closer until he was nose-to-nose with his father. ”I will speak of whomever I damn well please. If you want to be one of them so bad, then there is no reason to refer to you as a separate person.”
His father took a deep, steady breath and stepped back. Kokushibo made a quick glance in all directions before finally exhaling, all of the tension leaving his body. ”I am sorry for how things have turned out, son. I never wanted any of this,” he said, his tone much quieter than before.
Shinji scoffed at his apology. ”Yeah, it’s real convincing when you make sure no one's listening before you apologize.”
”You never know who the elders might be getting their information from. I never expected them to even hear about your accident.”
”My accident? Oh, you mean where I was basically dead for months and no one came to visit? Or are you referring to me not being able to manipulate my blood anymore? Just so we’re clear, I am perfectly healthy. I might not be able to bleed the same way you do,” Shinji held a hand out to his side and manifested his Reiken. He made a quick flourish with the blade before he opened his other hand and slashed it with his blade.
He let the crimson liquid run down his fingers, dripping onto the ground. A thick black fluid quickly began to replace the red color of his blood before it jumped to life, swirling through the air on command. ”But I still have some tricks up my sleeve.”
Kokushibo watched with a somewhat sad expression as the black-colored blood moved around Shinji. ”It isn’t the same.The elder’s stand on ceremony, on tradition. They don’t easily accept any deviation from what they know. They all bleed red, and they expect everyone in the clan to bleed red too. We’re all glad that you survived, but as far as they’re concerned, you aren’t a Ketsueki any longer.”
”Yeah, no worries there, I got that message loud and clear.” Shinji relinquished his control over the dark liquid, letting it rain onto the ground and allowing the wound to close. Thanks to Gyuki, his wounds healed a lot faster than they normally would. If it weren’t for that, his hand would have been sore for a week at least. Shinji shook his head at his father. ”The least you could have done was stand up for me. Fight so that I could still be a part of your family. Even if the clan doesn’t accept me, I am still your son.
Your flesh and blood. I have a sister that I adore but can’t see because you were too much of a coward to fight.”
Kokushibo shook his head. ”The only person that would have been positively affected is you, Shinji. If I had gone against the elder’s wishes, we would have been outcast. You would have just gone on with your life, your duties. We would have no connections. No income. We would be kicked out of our home.”
Shinji chuckled. ”If that was your biggest concern, then you clearly are out of the loop.” Kokushibo crossed his arms indignantly. ”They really don’t let you have much of an ear to the outside world, huh? If you had known anything of what my life is really like, then you’d know that every one of those concerns that you just listed are moot. I have a home you all could move into. I have more money now than I will ever need or know what to do with. Your “connections” would be through me, and believe me when I tell you that they are way better than whatever those old farts have. I have traveled all over the Land of Floods. I’m on pretty good terms with the Empress herself, if I do say so myself. Kenshin Hyuuga, the Lord of Nohara, has helped me through some things personally. Now I don’t know if I’d go as far as saying we’re ‘friends,’ but I still think that’s pretty huge. You are so wrapped up in the tiny little world that the elders have you confined to that you’re out of touch with things happening in Arashi. Did you know that we have seen three Arashikage’s just in the time that I have been out of the academy? Were you even aware of the world-ending threat that we averted? There is so much more out there than they will ever let you see.”
”And I am trying to change that, Shinji. I was devastated when the order came down to shun you. I hate how confined we are to our own devices. I wish so much for Kora to be able to play with kids her age and to be able to make friends. It takes time, and a lot of effort and a**-kissing.”
”So you’re set on that, then? You’re set on taking the slow road and trying to change things from the inside? What happens if that doesn’t work?”
”We will cross that bridge when we get to it.”
”No, that isn’t good enough. I will not be denied my family on some slim chance that you can change their rules.”
”I don’t know what else to tell you. This is how I am trying to fix the broken parts of their system. Once I am among their ranks, I can start trying to convince them to rethink their ways. I can explain how their insistence on keeping everything within the clan is slowly killing us all. If that doesn’t work, then we can do things your way. Does that sound acceptable?”
Shinji was silent for a while.
”Fine, whatever. If you’re that insistent on doing it your way, I can’t stop you.
But you better not drag your feet on this. I swear, if I find out that you get your seat at the table and don’t even make the effort, I will beat your a**.”
Kokushibo cocked a confident eyebrow at his son’s threat. ”You think you can manage that, do you?” The moment the words left his lips, the skin on his cheek split open. A superficial wound, with a miniscule amount of blood beginning to form at the edges of the wound. His father’s eyes widened in surprise.
Shinji pointed a finger towards a spot behind his father’s head. There, lodged in the brick wall, surrounded by growing cracks, was a shuriken that had supposedly been thrown without Kokushibo’s knowledge. ”Yeah, I think I can manage that.”
Kokushibo’s expression shifted from surprised to a mix of fearful, but proud. ”Message received. I’m going to try my best to fix their system. I can’t promise that it will work, or that it will be a quick change, but I’m going to try.”
Shinji nodded. ”Good, that’s better than nothing.”
The two shared a quiet moment, his father’s fear of his son slowly fading away. ”You’ve become quite strong, Shinji.”
Shinji chuckled at the comment. ”Oh, that’s nothing. You should see what I can do when I’m in action. It took a long time to get there, but I’ve got quite a few neat tricks up my sleeves. Plus the big guy.”
”The big guy?”
”Yeah, Gyuki. The Eight-Tailed beast.”
”You’re a jinchuriki now?”
”Oh, yeah! I guess you only get to hear about the public things. I already caught Mom up to speed, but let me start at the beginning.” Shinji spent the next few minutes giving his father a somewhat shortened recounting of events, similar to what he had explained to his mom. With Kora out of earshot, he was able to give his father a bit more detail than what he had told Ayame before. His father listened intently, nodding and making faces at the stories he was hearing.
By the end of it, his father clapped his son on the shoulder. ”It sounds like you have been through quite a lot recently.”
Shinji shrugged. Kokushibo wasn’t wrong, but Shinji had also mostly gotten used to the hustle and bustle. ”It just comes with the territory. I stay pretty busy with my work.”
His father glanced over at the setting sun and back to Shinji with an apologetic look. ”It’s getting late. I need to go find your Mother and sister and get us all home for dinner.”
Shinji waved his hand. ”Don’t worry about it. Go ahead and get home. Just don’t be a stranger, okay? If you find some time for you all to get away, reach out to me so we can spend some more time together.”
Kokushibo offered a sheepish smile. ”I will see what I can do. Take care of yourself, son.” Without another word, his father turned and moved in the direction that Ayame and Kora had disappeared to.
Shinji watched after him until he was out of sight, then let out a heavy sigh.
’Are you okay?’
Gyuki’s question startled Shinji. ”Jeez, you scared the crap outta me. Yeah, I’m alright. Let’s get going, I’ve got a couple of stops to make before I head home.” Shinji vanished, kicking up a cloud of dirt as he moved.
He made a few stops at some local spice shops before returning to his floating abode hovering around the Arashi sky. ”With this stuff, I should be able to get back to my ANBU duties without having to worry about being identified.”
’What will you be doing?’
Shinji set down his bag of items and picked his wolf-shaped mask off of a nearby shelf. ”Well,” he began, carefully placing some of the herbs he had purchased into a mortar and pestle. ”This stuff, when mixed together in the right amounts, makes a pretty potent seal. Not the flimsy kind, either. This thing is going to last a long time.”
’You are going to seal my chakra into an object? I do not like the sound of that.’
”No, nothing like that. This kind of seal isn’t really for holding anything. It’s going to turn my mask into a sort of jamming device. When I wear it, it’ll hide your presence from almost anyone.”
’Almost?’
”Well, yeah. Nothing’s perfect. I’m sure someone out there will be able to see through it, besides myself of course. It’s the best option we have, honestly. It’ll hide you, but not lock me out of your chakra if there’s a situation where I need your help on a job.” Shinji finished mixing and grinding the herbs down into a fine powder before he put his hands around the pestle and channeled his chakra into it. His chakra appeared as a snow white flame within the bowl, coating every granule of herb powder and imbuing them with intent and power. Once the chakra-flame had gone out, he used a finger to draw a crude sealing array on the inside of the mask. ”One final touch.” Shinji formed a seal with his hands, causing the inscription to glow for a moment before fading into the mask. It left behind an imprint of the inscription, as if it had literally melted away the parts of the mask it was written on. Shinji inspected his work, but knew that he couldn’t tell whether it worked or not on his own.
”And tomorrow, we test this.”
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♯ || 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕜𝕣𝕒 :: 3000 / 3000 ♯ || 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕒 :: 3505 / 3505 ♯ || 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕔 :: 800 / 800 ♯ || 𝕘𝕪𝕦𝕜𝕚 :: 5000 / 5000 ♯ || 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖:: 000 / 000
♯ || 𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕒𝕜𝕦𝕣𝕖 ♯ || 𝕤+ 𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕟 / 𝕒𝕟𝕓𝕦 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 ♯ || 𝕓𝕦𝕜𝕚𝕛𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕦 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥
♯ || 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕜𝕣𝕒 :: 3000 / 3000 ♯ || 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕒 :: 3505 / 3505 ♯ || 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕔 :: 800 / 800 ♯ || 𝕘𝕪𝕦𝕜𝕚 :: 5000 / 5000 ♯ || 𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖:: 000 / 000
♯ || 𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕒𝕜𝕦𝕣𝕖 ♯ || 𝕤+ 𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕟 / 𝕒𝕟𝕓𝕦 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨 ♯ || 𝕓𝕦𝕜𝕚𝕛𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕦 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥
[ Appearance Reference ]
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Stats:
♯ || Strength [ 9 ]
♯ || Speed [ 10 ]
♯ || Agility [ 9 ]
♯ || Endurance [ 9 ]
Technique's Used:
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Passive Effects:
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Stats:
♯ || Strength [ 9 ]
♯ || Speed [ 10 ]
♯ || Agility [ 9 ]
♯ || Endurance [ 9 ]
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