Father-less Wonder
Another drabble. This one may turn into a longer one... Dedicated to Ki-chan's B-day!
Setting: Momo is 14, still a genin, nearly to chuunin.
Father-less Wonder
Momoro trudged slowly home, this latest mission had been particularly tiring. All he wanted to do was eat something, take a bath, and curl up in his bed. Though, having a girl caress his tired muscles and kiss him wouldn't be bad . . . but he’d settle for the former items. He knew he had those at home.
Kurai, the black mutt he'd brought home so many years before, sat out on the doorstep, his ears perking and half flopping over. The tail began wagging and the dog trotted out to see him, tongue lolling.
Momoro had played with Kurai when he was younger, but he still liked to think of the animal as Chizu's companion. She'd been too lonely - even a six year old boy could understand that - and he brought home the best thing he could find to fill that gap.
Though, it was odd that the dog was outside. He crouched down and obliged the mutt with a thorough head scratching. "Get on Chizu-neesan's bad side, did you?" Momoro smiled and stood, used to the dog's hurried paces beside him as he walked to the house. Something felt . . . off.
Kurai was outside.
Someone was cooking.
And if his ears weren't deceiving him…it sounded like Chizu-neesan was talking to someone and laughing.
Momoro's eyes narrowed and he silenced Kurai when he started to bark. The dog sat down at the doorstep and cocked its head. Momoro set a hand on its head and pressed down gently - the dog understood well enough. He was to lay down and be quiet outside. Despite being exhausted moments before, he called on all the stealth he had been perfecting with Tanou and Fujita-sensei. Tokei had only made Momoro more brash and irritable - or at least he brought out those traits.
Slipping inside, Momoro scanned with all of his senses. Chizu-neesan was in the kitchen, cooking some miso soup and - well, she needed a few more pinches of basil but aside from that . . .
Momoro blinked and refocused himself. There was another smell here, something he didn't recognize . . . until it was staring him in the face.
There were a strange set of sandals in the doorway. Obviously male sandals. He set his teeth and took off his own sandals, slinking towards the kitchen. He'd maintain Chizu-neesan’s safety first. Kano was out on a mission until the end of the week, Haru was still with her class, Kei was out sparring, and Iku was…out back from the sounds of it.
Likely Chizu-neesan felt safe with this man, but Momoro did not. What was going on? He reached the kitchen and froze at the sight before him. A male jounin was standing beside Chizu-neesan as she stirred a pot of what was no doubt the miso soup.
And his hand.
Was.
On.
Her.
Shoulder.
Memories flashed before Momoro's eyes. The man was a little taller than Yuusuke, but they both had brown hair. Yuusuke's had been long, this jounin's was cut short. A couple standing there, laughing and joking. The man's hand on the woman's shoulder, squeezing and leaning in closer to whisper something to her. She laughed more.
And this man was still touching her.
He resisted drawing a kunai out of his back pouch - the more deadly of his selections - and instead cleared his throat. He would get him away from her first.
Chizu-neesan broke out of a giggle and looked over her shoulder, smiling back at him. "Momo-chan, you're back! Oh, but you're filthy, what were you doing out there?" She didn't seem to notice that Momoro was meeting the jounin's eyes and was offering a challenge.
"Escorting a caravan of noblemen home after a council." He'd tell her more details once this man was gone.
"So it was successful then, Momo-kun?" the jounin asked. He obviously recognized the challenge Momoro was offering, but was ignoring it. The jounin's hand had dropped to his pocket - which no doubt held weaponry.
"I have another mission, though," he prepared his body for fast movement. "With you."
"Oh?" the jounin asked, taking a step away from Chizu-neesan.
Now.
Momoro moved with a speed that Tanou would have complimented - he still would have beat him with ease, that's true - and skidded to a halt next to Chizu-neesan when the jounin moved to the other side of the kitchen. Momoro had barely followed his movements. He was fast, much faster than Momoro. But at least he was away from Chizu-neesan.
"Momo-chan!" Chizu-neesan snapped. "What are you doing?"
"Fulfilling my mission," he drew a kunai and crouched, should the jounin advance on them. The other man was standing casually, still, but Momoro refused to underestimate him.
"Stop it," she set a hand on his arm, frowning at how tense he felt. "Kawagi-san is not a threat. Put that kunai away."
"He won't touch you again," Momoro hissed, holding his ground and keeping eye contact with the jounin. Maybe he could predict the man's next move then. Maybe.
"Now, now, Momo-kun," he smiled softly. "Chizu-san just invited me over for dinner and I obliged her. Why don't we sit down and talk?" Momoro's scowl deepened as the man's smile widened. "Chizu-san has been telling me a lot about you. Why don't you tell us how the mission went?"
"You will leave my home. Immediately." He would not give into this man. The security of the one thing he had left had been violated. Momoro would stand for nothing more than a quick extraction. Just like a dangerous poison - sharp and immediate. He couldn't let this man taint them. No matter how kind his smile seemed.
"Momo-chan," Chizu grabbed his arm with both of her hands, frowning as he shifted and blocked her out of Kawagi-san's view. "You will sit down and you will behave." Momoro still hadn't moved and she hardened her voice. "Now."
"What about Yuusuke-niisan?" Momoro still kept his gaze on the intruder. "Did you forget about him already?"
Chizu-neesan fell silent for a moment. "He's been dead for years, Momo-chan-"
"Nine years," he snapped. "Nine years and two months since his passing in two days."
"Sit at the table, Momo-kun," Kawagi-san scowled. "If you respect Chizu-san so much you would do well to listen to her authority."
Momoro began to sneer, but then Chizu-neesan slapped him across the cheek, stunning him.
"Sit, Momo-chan."
All expression slid away from his face and Momoro clenched a fist. He kept his eyes trained on Kawagi-san as he walked slowly over to the table, sitting down. He would obey her in exactness, but that didn't mean he'd let his guard down around Kawagi-san. He was still a threat in Momoro's eyes, even if Chizu-neesan didn't see it.
The chipped and aged kunai stayed in his hand, clenched tightly.
Edit: Again, finally cutting scenes
Setting: Momo is 14, still a genin, nearly to chuunin.
Father-less Wonder
Momoro trudged slowly home, this latest mission had been particularly tiring. All he wanted to do was eat something, take a bath, and curl up in his bed. Though, having a girl caress his tired muscles and kiss him wouldn't be bad . . . but he’d settle for the former items. He knew he had those at home.
Kurai, the black mutt he'd brought home so many years before, sat out on the doorstep, his ears perking and half flopping over. The tail began wagging and the dog trotted out to see him, tongue lolling.
Momoro had played with Kurai when he was younger, but he still liked to think of the animal as Chizu's companion. She'd been too lonely - even a six year old boy could understand that - and he brought home the best thing he could find to fill that gap.
Though, it was odd that the dog was outside. He crouched down and obliged the mutt with a thorough head scratching. "Get on Chizu-neesan's bad side, did you?" Momoro smiled and stood, used to the dog's hurried paces beside him as he walked to the house. Something felt . . . off.
Kurai was outside.
Someone was cooking.
And if his ears weren't deceiving him…it sounded like Chizu-neesan was talking to someone and laughing.
Momoro's eyes narrowed and he silenced Kurai when he started to bark. The dog sat down at the doorstep and cocked its head. Momoro set a hand on its head and pressed down gently - the dog understood well enough. He was to lay down and be quiet outside. Despite being exhausted moments before, he called on all the stealth he had been perfecting with Tanou and Fujita-sensei. Tokei had only made Momoro more brash and irritable - or at least he brought out those traits.
Slipping inside, Momoro scanned with all of his senses. Chizu-neesan was in the kitchen, cooking some miso soup and - well, she needed a few more pinches of basil but aside from that . . .
Momoro blinked and refocused himself. There was another smell here, something he didn't recognize . . . until it was staring him in the face.
There were a strange set of sandals in the doorway. Obviously male sandals. He set his teeth and took off his own sandals, slinking towards the kitchen. He'd maintain Chizu-neesan’s safety first. Kano was out on a mission until the end of the week, Haru was still with her class, Kei was out sparring, and Iku was…out back from the sounds of it.
Likely Chizu-neesan felt safe with this man, but Momoro did not. What was going on? He reached the kitchen and froze at the sight before him. A male jounin was standing beside Chizu-neesan as she stirred a pot of what was no doubt the miso soup.
And his hand.
Was.
On.
Her.
Shoulder.
Memories flashed before Momoro's eyes. The man was a little taller than Yuusuke, but they both had brown hair. Yuusuke's had been long, this jounin's was cut short. A couple standing there, laughing and joking. The man's hand on the woman's shoulder, squeezing and leaning in closer to whisper something to her. She laughed more.
And this man was still touching her.
He resisted drawing a kunai out of his back pouch - the more deadly of his selections - and instead cleared his throat. He would get him away from her first.
Chizu-neesan broke out of a giggle and looked over her shoulder, smiling back at him. "Momo-chan, you're back! Oh, but you're filthy, what were you doing out there?" She didn't seem to notice that Momoro was meeting the jounin's eyes and was offering a challenge.
"Escorting a caravan of noblemen home after a council." He'd tell her more details once this man was gone.
"So it was successful then, Momo-kun?" the jounin asked. He obviously recognized the challenge Momoro was offering, but was ignoring it. The jounin's hand had dropped to his pocket - which no doubt held weaponry.
"I have another mission, though," he prepared his body for fast movement. "With you."
"Oh?" the jounin asked, taking a step away from Chizu-neesan.
Now.
Momoro moved with a speed that Tanou would have complimented - he still would have beat him with ease, that's true - and skidded to a halt next to Chizu-neesan when the jounin moved to the other side of the kitchen. Momoro had barely followed his movements. He was fast, much faster than Momoro. But at least he was away from Chizu-neesan.
"Momo-chan!" Chizu-neesan snapped. "What are you doing?"
"Fulfilling my mission," he drew a kunai and crouched, should the jounin advance on them. The other man was standing casually, still, but Momoro refused to underestimate him.
"Stop it," she set a hand on his arm, frowning at how tense he felt. "Kawagi-san is not a threat. Put that kunai away."
"He won't touch you again," Momoro hissed, holding his ground and keeping eye contact with the jounin. Maybe he could predict the man's next move then. Maybe.
"Now, now, Momo-kun," he smiled softly. "Chizu-san just invited me over for dinner and I obliged her. Why don't we sit down and talk?" Momoro's scowl deepened as the man's smile widened. "Chizu-san has been telling me a lot about you. Why don't you tell us how the mission went?"
"You will leave my home. Immediately." He would not give into this man. The security of the one thing he had left had been violated. Momoro would stand for nothing more than a quick extraction. Just like a dangerous poison - sharp and immediate. He couldn't let this man taint them. No matter how kind his smile seemed.
"Momo-chan," Chizu grabbed his arm with both of her hands, frowning as he shifted and blocked her out of Kawagi-san's view. "You will sit down and you will behave." Momoro still hadn't moved and she hardened her voice. "Now."
"What about Yuusuke-niisan?" Momoro still kept his gaze on the intruder. "Did you forget about him already?"
Chizu-neesan fell silent for a moment. "He's been dead for years, Momo-chan-"
"Nine years," he snapped. "Nine years and two months since his passing in two days."
"Sit at the table, Momo-kun," Kawagi-san scowled. "If you respect Chizu-san so much you would do well to listen to her authority."
Momoro began to sneer, but then Chizu-neesan slapped him across the cheek, stunning him.
"Sit, Momo-chan."
All expression slid away from his face and Momoro clenched a fist. He kept his eyes trained on Kawagi-san as he walked slowly over to the table, sitting down. He would obey her in exactness, but that didn't mean he'd let his guard down around Kawagi-san. He was still a threat in Momoro's eyes, even if Chizu-neesan didn't see it.
The chipped and aged kunai stayed in his hand, clenched tightly.
Edit: Again, finally cutting scenes