Suutei awoke with his planned objective of the day of going to see Misao at the Kuroka house, and to also check on her brother and see how the boy was doing.  It was a good thing that yesterday Chopper and Suutei found him or the boy would be in trouble.  The more bigger news was Misao and how the two of them got along so well, and almost seemed to hit it off.  He had to admit that Misao was a very pretty girl indeed and they seemed to be the same age, and she was extremely well cultured.  It wasn’t much of a surprise that she took care of a shrine as a young priestess.

Though her brother Shinji was a mystery and his illness was rather strange as to when he found him the boy was heavier than a steel beam.  Abnormal for someone of his stature and size and for a 15 year old at that.  Suutei pondered how something like that could be or maybe it was just because the boy was conscious.  Just dead weight one would presume carrying a limp body was a task on it’s own, but the most important thing was the boy should be doing fine now.  After his grandmother took the boy in and his sisters thanked him the boy was in good hands.  Suutei always wanted siblings which is one reason why Chopper is so near and dear to him.  To Suutei Chopper was not just a little reindeer but his little brother.

After telling Chopper the story of yesterday’s events, he too saw it fit to visit the family and give them his condolences.  As this was a very sophisticated family it would only be right to visit them dressed respectively of their culture.  The tiny reindeer fashioned him a sleeveless blue overcoat seamed with bluish black hemlines over a royal blue robe with black collar and sash. Then tied black ribbons in a crisscross pattern over the lower half of his sleeves to prevent them from getting in the way when he is fighting.  Though he is not supposed to be doing much fighting on this visit.   Underneath the robe, he wore black pants and a pair of dark brown boots overlaid with more crisscross-patterned ribbons on the shaft.


Traversing across the village the house it was rather riveting to see such a large beautiful house.  It was a traditional japanese home.  It was sad that Chopper did not accompany him to the home but it was fine enough as he just would be him for temporary time.  Gripping the door knocker a elderly woman came to the door and greeted him and a girl with silver hair in the back stood watching.

”Ahem....Konichiwa Madame Kuroka I came to see Misao-chan and how Shinji-kun was doing.  Is it alright if I enter your home…

”If you are here to see Misao-chan just say it you little pipsqueak.  You can’t fool me and you won't fool my grandmother, not while I'm here.”


516

Hana:

Reiko:

Chie:

Misao's steps echoed throughout the room as she headed towards the open hallway that faced the garden. Still, there was little hope of going unnoticed if someone were nearby. Much to its image of a traditional feudal home, the floors were designed to creak whenever someone took a step, so as to alert the inhabitants of potential intruders in the dead of night. It was unfortunate, really, because that meant that the young Uzumaki priestess really had no choice but to announce what she was doing and where she was headed to her somewhat overprotective family. Well, truth be told, they had reason to be like that. After all, she was the weakest of them and probably the only one who hated the idea of unnecessary violence. It was the reason why she decided to use staves in place of blades - she could accurately control how much damage she wanted to inflict on her opponent and there was little to no risk of an accidental kill. This made her quite unlike her other siblings - at his young age, Ren was already a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist; Chie was a gifted medic and had incredible talent for taijutsu; Reiko was an incredible strategist and was almost as skilled as their mother was with a weapon.

And Shinji... well, despite his illness, he was at the level of a Jounin and had mastered his magnet release, using liquid metals to fight. It was really an incredible sight, seeing as his style was so unique. Misao was quite proud of him and at the moment, quite worried. Despite constantly being on strong medication, he was relapsing. The young girl was glad that someone had come across him yesterday and had been kind enough to bring him back home before his condition got any worse. At the moment, he was running a high fever and could barely move. Somehow, that didn't stop him from trying to joke around and make light of the situation. It drove Misao crazy, really. She had just come from his room after handing him his latest batch of pills and making sure that he took them. She left a glass of water by his bed and made sure to change his blankets so that he could keep warm. It was all she could do, seeing as her knowledge of medicine was nonexistent. No matter how hard Chie tried to explain it to her, Misao couldn't understand it. She supposed she took after her mother in that regard. It was a shame, really. If any of the Kuroka children had a disposition to help people, it was her.

Misao carried a bundle of sheets in her arms, planning to take them to the laundry room to take care of them later. She had decided a few minutes ago that she needed a break. "Misao-chan!" She heard Chie's sing-song voice calling after her. She stopped and turned to look at her older sister with a kind smile.

"Is something the matter, Chie-neesan?" She asked. By now, she had learned to tell when the older Kuroka/Osada was scheming. There was a twinkle in her eye and something about her demeanor just screamed excitement. And wary as Misao might be, there was really no way to avoid getting involved in whatever she was planning.

Her older sister's Cheshire grin widened impossibly. "There's someone here to see you," she teased. Misao cocked her head to the side in confusion. She didn't really have any friends, so there was little reason for anyone to come visit the house for her sake. "It's that boy from yesterday," she whispered into Misao's ear. The young priestess instantly felt her cheeks turn a bright shade of red, her skin heating up and her previous smile twisting into an odd expression, as if she had just sucked on a lemon. "Oh come on! Don't be shy! Maybe you'll be like mom and we can expect kids in the next year!" She said. It was really difficult to tell when Chie was only kidding, which made Misao blush even more. She tried to find something to say, but found that she really couldn't. "So I'll take these!" Said the older girl, snatching the sheets away from her younger sister and walking away happily, to the point where she was almost skipping.

Misao hadn't even been able to protest. "But... but you'll just end up burning them," she whispered after Chie who had long since disappeared down the hall. The young priestess sighed and made a mental note to go into town tomorrow to buy a new set. Suffice to say, there was a reason why she was the one that took care of household chores.

In any case, she supposed it was time to go greet her supposed guest. She walked slowly, as if trying to stall and make time. She tried to think of what to say and even had practice conversations in her head. Though when she made it to the entrance, she didn't really have anything. Both Reiko and her grandmother were staring intently at the boy. Hana's expression was unreadable. Maybe this was her attempt at being polite? Her default attitude seemed to be one of being perpetually unimpressed and somewhat annoyed. Reiko's was clear, however. The young sowrdswoman bore a tight frown. "What are your intentions with my younger sister?" She questioned him directly.

At this Misao sped up to stand between Suutei and Reiko. She knew all too well what her sister was hinting at."I-it's not like that at all, Reiko-neesan! I-I'm sure Suutei-sama only wants to see how Shinji-niisan is doing!" She explained, frantically waving her hands in front of her.  She turned to the boy in question and bowed apologetically. "I'm really sorry, my sister really means you no harm. You have to understand, she's just a little overprotective, is all!" She explained before standing up straight and blushing lightly. "A-also, it's good to see you again a-and thank you for coming to visit!" She added hastily, speaking maybe a little bit too quickly. Great. No he'd think she was just weird and awkward. There went her chance at making her first legitimate friend.

Suutei wasn’t expecting to receive the third degree from the white haired she-devil, and it seemed that their grandmother was silent during the random interrogation from the girl.  Another girl appeared nearly identical as the first, but he identified her name as Chie.  Their grandmother’s expression still unreadable even for someone as skilled at minute details as his.  It was as if her whole face was frozen in time, and it reminded Suutei of seeing a painting of a person.  That feeling you get when you know it is following you with it’s eyes, but yet the eyes never move.  The other girl seemed ready to gear towards violence, and gauging her by age he projected her skill level as mid-level Jounin.  In other words trying to protect himself would be difficult as forcing a child to stop eating sweets.  And then the silver haired woman popped the question.

Bearing a tight frown, the woman spoke to Suutei. "What are your intentions with my younger sister?" She questioned him directly.

Suutei choked on his own words while trying to figure out something to say that would not make him sound like a complete idiot.  Nor get himself an early grave in the sand, but it sure would be better than this.  Suutei stuttered in his speech when his mouth would not form the words he wanted, and his cheeks flushed red.  Before he ate his whole foot Misao stepped in between him and her approaching sister.  She quickly rectified the situation now and maybe she would listen to the young girl and in fact give him a little slack.  

"I-it's not like that at all, Reiko-neesan! I-I'm sure Suutei-sama only wants to see how Shinji-niisan is doing!"  She explained, frantically waving her hands in front of her.  

She turned to the boy in question and bowed apologetically. "I'm really sorry, my sister really means you no harm. You have to understand, she's just a little overprotective, is all!" She explained before standing up straight and blushing lightly. "A-also, it's good to see you again a-and thank you for coming to visit!"  The girl spoke almost as if she were terrified of the potential outcome of what her sister Reiko could have done to him.  Then he realized that she was blushing because of him and he couldn’t help blushing himself due to her formality.  Suutei controlled himself as he mustered up some form of intelligent speech.


”L-likewise Misao-chan, and I may say you look delightful today.  S-so where is Shinji is he feeling any better?”  Suutei realized he too was suffering from hastened speech and felt gloomy.  For some reason he felt like the center of his brow was burning, like someone was burning a hole through his head.  He quickly shifted his eyes and Reiko’s stare intensified when he made brief eye contact.  Suutei finally heard the elderly woman speak and it was really off guard as it caused him to flinch since he was focused on the two girls.

”Misao give this young man a tour of our home, and to your brother.  Then you and Suutei will join your sister and I in the courtyard.”  The elderly woman spoke and left the room not allowing any objections from anyone, and Reiko followed before her grandmother letting out a scoff as she walked away.  "U-um Misao-chan are you okay?

1003

Misao thought it was impossible to blush any harder. She was wrong. The second Suutei complimented her, even more blood rushed to her face. She was starting to feel faint.

She was screaming internally. If it hadn't been for her grandmother's very timely intervention, she would have likely passed out and joined Shinji in the house's improvised medical ward. That would have been mortifying. She wouldn't have been able to look Suutei in the eyes ever again. She would have had to move countries and change her name. However, she managed to calm down and take a deep breath.


She nodded and looked up at Suutei once she saw both Reiko and her grandmother leaving. "Yes! Of course! I-I'm ok!" She said, finding a way to sound enthusiastic and polite about the prospect. She had been a perfect host before and she could do it again, she reasoned. Back when her mother was Kazekage, she had entertained a number of important political guests. She would just have to treat this situation like that. It would be simple. "Just follow me over here, I'll show you around," Misao offered, heading down one of the large hallways connected to the house's entrance. It was a wide space decorated with wooden pillars that had golden rings around the base and top. Rice paper screens divided the rooms, which were covered in tatami in place of bare wood.

Misao began her explanation. She felt comfortable giving it, since she had said it time and time again. "The house was built a really long time ago - probably over a century and a half, though the records aren't clear. It used to be a summer home for one of the Daimyo's heirs. He chose one of the very few plots of land in the village that have fertile ground, so the courtyard has a beautiful garden. He even carved a koi pond into the land. Grandmother says there's a jutsu keeping it from drying up in the heat," she began her explanation. She slid one of the doors open, revealing a large room with walls decorated with sakura tree patterns. A piano stood in one corner with a sofa and a coffee table in front of it. It was clearly designed to entertain guests rather than for everyday use. "This is one of my favorite rooms - it's where mother and grandmother taught me how to play the piano. Grandmother also teaches me Ikebana here. The room next to this one is used for tea ceremonies," she kept on saying.

She hoped that she wasn't boring Suutei. Unlike her mother, Misao had always loved indulging in the arts. She loved music and flower arrangements and conducting tea ceremonies. She enjoyed painting and even had a few of her works hanging around the house. She was quite proud of those, knowing that grandmother Hana openly got rid of the ones she considered bad, gave away the good ones and only kept the ones she deemed exceptional. It made Misao smile every time she saw one of them in the house.

Suutei was well aware of the layout of the house due to the fact most of what he'd seen of the house was similar to his parents.  It was a wide space decorated with wooden pillars that had golden rings around the base and top. Rice paper screens divided the rooms, which were covered in tatami in place of bare wood.  Though in comparison to size his parents house were no where near up to par as the Kuroka house.  The young girl beckoned him to follow her on the tour of her home, and he could feel his palms get sweaty.

As they proceeded down the hallway Misao began to explain how the house came to be, and that it was over a century old.  The weird thing was it seemed as if she rehearsed this or maybe she's given a tour more than once.  Their family must be extremely important for tours to be given as usual, but he wondered who visited for tours to be given so often.  Proceeding down another hall Suutei quickly held up the half tiger sign, and another Suutei appeared farther behind.  It could not be helped he needed to find Shinji and find out what his real condition was.  It was a medical conditions he was extremely unsure of, but he knew whatever information he brought to Chopper he could figure it out.


They stopped in a room with a sofa and a well polished grand piano in the corner, also the room was surrounded with beautiful paintings.  Misao informed him that she was taught to play the piano by her mother which raised a red flag...Where were her Mother and Father?  Suutei thought he should save such a question when the time was really right.  After all he actually was interested in learning about their home, he was tempted to ask Misao if she could play the Piano.  Entering the room he walked around examining the paintings, and then turned to Misao still standing in the hall watching him.

"Misao-chan if you don't mind me asking, but you be willing to play the piano for me.  My mother once used to play the piano on days it would rain back in Konoha when I was young, and there was a song she used to sing but I just can't remember the words.  If I play the notes could you in return sing for me, I am bad with lyrics."

Suutei began to reminisce on his days as a kid growing up in the home of his Father and Mother.

The spring in Konohagakure no Sato was the most pompous this year.  Though the rain sometimes hindered the sprouting of the flowers.  Young Suutei Kimura is found sitting atop of a grand piano within a large study of the boy's home .  A fire blazing bright nearby and his mother's fingers gracefully gliding across the keys.  The boys mother looked to him with eyes as blue as the sea, and began to sing to him.




Long ago
When I was just a boy
So alone then
Last of my kind in the world
I believed futures could be reborn
I would go back in time
Change what's to come
Hunting, searching for futures I've dreamed
Ever chasing, believing visions unseen
Hearing that hope is futile
Only inspires me not to give up
Valhalla is calling me to the end
I can hear now the beating hearts of lost friends
Pushing me to not forget them
As the last hunter, I'll find the key

Suutei began to tap the keys on the keyboard exactly like his mother would and began, and would hope that Misao could sing instead for him.

1629

Misao didn't expect a request like that at all. The calm that she had been feeling before while she was giving the tour was now suddenly gone as her heart began to hammer in her chest again. She might have imagined it, but she could have sworn that she heard Chie laughing from somewhere inside the house. No, no, Chie wasn't watching. Hana-obaasama said that they'd be having tea in the gardens. Misao shook her head while Suutei was heading towards the piano in an attempt to regain her composure. "Oh, um, sure! I-I can sing it if I recognize the song. I'm not sure I will, though, so I'm sorry if I disappoint you, Suutei-sama," she said, bowing her head slightly. She moved so that she was standing next to the piano as he began to play the keys of the large instrument. The sound began to drift away from the room an into the open hallway of the old home. Misao watched for a moment as his hands drifted from one side of the ivory keys to the other, forming a near perfect harmony.

At first, Misao didn't recognize the tune. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself concentrate on the notes. Slowly, she began to remember the lyrics that accompanied the song. She stood up straight and placed her hands atop her stomach as her grandmother had taught her. Keeping her eyes closed, the young priestess began to sing.

"Long ago
When I was just a boy
So alone then
Last of my kind in the world
I believed futures could be reborn
I would go back in time
Change what's to come
Hunting, searching for futures I've dreamed
Ever chasing, believing visions unseen
Hearing that hope is futile
Only inspires me not to give up
Valhalla is calling me to the end
I can hear now the beating hearts of lost friends
Pushing me to not forget them
As the last hunter, I'll find the key"

Her voice, sweet and angelical, mingled with the notes from the piano, adding to its melody. Hana-obaasama would be proud of how much she had learned. At first, the old woman said nothing good about her voice and constantly reminded the young girl that she was tone-deaf an needed to work hard if she ever wanted to sound half-way decent. Those were the encouraging words of her dearest grandmother. She put the stereotype of a cranky old lady to shame. Nevertheless, she knew that she loved Misao dearly and was happy that finally one of her grandchildren was able to follow her instructions on the arts with a happy smile. Misao was shaping up to be quite the lady, in the most formal sense of the word. Hana-obaasama said that one day she would introduce her granddaughter to the Daimyo's court. Maybe then she could find herself a noble young man to marry so that she could live a peaceful life. It seemed like a dream of hers, to have at least one of her grandchildren escape the life of death and violence that accompanied being a shinobi. The young priestess wondered if she could really be happy living like that and if it was really something that she could attain.

Once the song was finished, Misao turned and smiled at Suutei. "It's a lovely song. I hope I did it justice. Your mother sounds like she was very kind to you while growing up," Misao said. Finally, she was able to get a sentence across without stuttering hopelessly. She bowed at Suutei once again, as if to thank him for playing the piano for her, even if it had been his request in the first place. "I didn't know you played the piano," she said, voicing a thought. "N-not that I should know. I mean, w-we just met, so there's no reason I should know. I just meant to say that it's weird to find a shinobi that plays that piano. Not that you're weird or anything!" Smooth. Real smooth. It was no wonder that she didn't really have any friends besides her family and a few masks that deemed her worthy enough to talk to in the shrine. Yeah. She was friends with talking masks. If anyone was weird here, it was her.

[2359]

As was expected he noticed the girl was an excellent vocalist and was very impressed by her abilities at such a young age.  Her posture near close to perfect, and the eloquent harmony that was her voice captured him.  This girl was indeed one in a million and Suutei found himself getting more and more interested.  Her very essence while in this small room made Suutei feel infatuated.  The boy was all to familiar with her type, as he himself came from similar beginnings.

Being not only the son of a major councilman within the country of Konohagakure, but also that of an extremely wealthy family of the Kurama clan.  It was very unlikely Suutei was to ever become a shinobi, but his personality is what brought him to what he was today.  A stalwart shinobi, an excellent tactician, and a prodigy of martial arts.  Though he owed it all to his dear old uncle.  Had the man not introduced the boy to the ninja arts long ago, he may not have been the Daimyo's advisor if all else failed.

Suutei digressed as he knew if anyone was proud of him it was his father and uncle.  Though he was reluctant to allow his only son to become a shinobi.  It was a tough decision for the man, but seeing the success of his twin brother made him more lax.  Though his mother steadily declined him even being near those displays of aggression.  That was something Suutei needed to do if he ever visited his homeland.  It had been almost over a year since he'd even stepped foot in Konohagakure.  He thought of his dear mother and father almost every day, but it was rare that he ever wrote due to his constant travelling.


Suutei stood up from the piano and proceeded towards Misao.  Yet before he knew it things had taken a sudden spiral out of control as he lost his balance.  Falling towards Misao the two collided and by complete accident their lips met.  As if Suutei was not in a bigger panic, but his face showed it all.  The boy was in complete shock as the two of them descended towards the floor.  Suddenly a bright flash of light appeared and it was the demon sisters, but except it wasn't her this girl seemed a bit more cheerier.

The printing of a polaroid could be heard, and Chie Reiko must have a twin sister which would be the only explanation.  The white haired girl smiled devilishly as she fanned herself with the fresh print.  Suutei could sense her chakra and it was rather immense even though she charged it through the picture.  She tossed the picture into the room and fled the scene instantly.  The two of them were on the ground and his face instantly flushed red.  The two of their bodeies pressed together made sent him into a panic.  The girl's eyes shot open and her face as well became bloodshot red.

Suutei went into a panic and backed away doing an awkward crab walk.  Unable to gather his thoughts together his head went full steam into the grand piano.  Rendering him unconscious but, due to his fear of making a bigger fool of himself he awoke within seconds.  As he crawled towards the downed Misao and bowed in respect for his stupidity.


Repeating over and over aloud, until he noticed the photo left by the other sister.  Suutei had so far made a complete fool of himself, but eve though it was by complete accident he wished he could kiss her again.  The girl's lips felt like a sweet sensation of pure passion and made his body feel at one with heaven and earth.  Attempting to help the girl to her feet, and at the same time he grabbed the photo.  On the back of the photo he read a note left by the girl:

Awww to be in love young Suutei-kun and you and my sister would make quite the spouses.  Oh and how I wish you two do last making me an Aunt!  You two would make wonderful children just look, and I bet you can tell Twins run in the family.




P.S. I took care of that pesky clone you left wandering about.  It isn't safe you know especially with Reiko around.


Almost on cue Suutei could swear he could hear a witches laugh in the distance, as he turned the photo over.  This was the absolute worst day of his life as he saw the two infants on the picture.  On the inside the boy was in such amazement but fright all at the same time.  How could she know such a thing, and for that matter why would she do this!  The blush on his face intensified as he covered his eyes, and held the photo in view of Misao.


(2521)

Misao felt the heat in her cheeks. There was no doubt that Suutei could see that she was blushing and trying to hide it at this point would only draw more attention to her face. Even so, knowing that he could see her embarrassment only made her more embarrassed. It was like a cycle really. It wasn't like this was something new. It happened often. Even though she was very good at poetry and writing in general, when speaking, no one could say that she had a way with words. She wished that she could eloquently tell Suutei how much she enjoyed his skills with the piano and how much she appreciated knowing that there were other people in the shinobi world that took the time to learn things that weren't related to death and combat. It was good to take a break from that, to retreat into a space where nothing else existed but the arts and those who knew how to appreciate what made life instead of destroying it. Instead, she had just practically insulted the boy - one of the few people that had treated her with kindness and who had gone out of his way to help her and her brother.

"I say the dumbest things."

The young priestess cursed herself internally. Nevertheless, Suutei didn't take it to heart. He called her funny and went into how he was raised in a similar environment to hers. It made Misao smile. "Well, I'm the only one in the family that was raised like this. My siblings didn't let grandmother teach them any of the arts. They were trained to fight instead. Me... I'm not much of a fighter, so grandmother thought it was best to keep me away from their intense training. I think she believes the life of a shinobi isn't really what I'm made for. So she taught me how to be a proper lady instead," Misao explained. Of course, she still knew how to fight, to some extent, but it was nowhere near the prowess that her siblings had. They were high ranking members of Sunagakure, after all. And she was... well, barely a genin. "She probably wants me to marry into a noble family in the capital. I'm sure she'll start arranging blind dates some time soon," she joked.

She stood by as Suutei stood from the piano and barely noticed when he stumbled on his feet. What he did notice was his lips on hers a second later and their seemingly slow descent onto the ground. Naturally, her eyes shot open as shock washed over her. Her mind was stuck in a blank. Or rather, in a repeating cycle of the same words over and over again.

"Oh my god this is my first kiss. Oh my god this is my first kiss. Oh my god this is my first kiss."

She didn't know how much time had passed before he awkwardly crawled back. It seemed like an eternity. All that she knew was that her heart was beating frantically in her chest and her face was probably the deepest shade of crimson that existed in nature. She didn't even notice the flash that had gone off while their accidental kiss happened. Her mind was a mess. She couldn't really gather her thoughts enough to describe how she felt about it. All she knew was that she was blissfully happy. And also about to pass out from sheer embarrassment. The last she heard before she passed out was Suutei repeatedly apologizing. Well, it wasn't so much that she had fainted. Rather, she was completely unresponsive. Smiling, but unresponsive.

The young priestess only gathered enough of herself to look at the picture of two infants that Suutei was now holding up. "Cute. Are those your siblings?" She asked, still sounding completely dazed and out of it.