FIC: What Genma Wanted Ch12 Pt2 (Pockyverse)
Title: What Genma Wanted Ch12 Pt2
Fandom: Naruto
Characters: GenRai + Iruka; guest appearances by Ibiki, Kakashi, Aoba and a whole bunch of recurring OCs plus a few new ones
Genre: From Crack is born Romance, Angst and some other stuff
Rating: Mostly R, veering into NC17 on occasion
Warnings: Language, innuendo, some sex; torture, death, drug use, blood
Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does, along with whatever other people/entities are along for the ride.
A/N: First scene inspired by frackin-sweet. The rest is all my fault. Well, mostly my fault.
New OCs (or newly named):Hyosuke - assasin who killed Lord Fujitani, Lord Washio, and tried to kill Sandaime
Gyukudo, Shigeru - his associates
Shibasawa - old man who sells vegetables
Summary: Aftermath of the assassination attempts. Pt2: Do you know what it's like to want to just dissolve until a tragedy is over but people keep coming to you and demanding your attention? Iruka does now.
---
Ibiki opened the door, banging it loudly into the wall before letting it slam shut on its own. The man tied to a chair on one side of the room jumped slightly. Good, he's nervous, the large man thought as he took a seat at the table, about half-way down. Not close enough for the man to read his paperwork, but not across the room either. And definitely not a typical interrogation position, either.
Rubbing the scars under his hitai-ate absently, Ibiki set to work reading and rereading every scrap of information he had in his folder. The prisoner fidgeted a few times before Ibiki looked up and nodded. "You didn't really think you were going to get away, did you?"
The prisoner turned his head away and pressed his lips together. A solid refusal to talk.
Ibiki shrugged and went back to his work. The crack on the man's forehead was dripping slightly, thick drops of blood coagulating in the cold room between narrow eyes.
Five minutes later the prisoner shifted again. "What are you planning to do with me?"
"I don't know. That isn't up to me. I'm just babysitting. Probably execute you. I mean, you did try to kill the Hokage. But we're more interested in the others right now."
Damn, this was almost too easy sometimes. The foreign shinobi was barely a ninja at all, Ibiki decided. A failed genin, or a low-rank chuunin, although his skill at masking his own chakra was high. It was obvious he'd been given basic survival training, including interrogation and torture. Too bad for him Ibiki's methods were far beyond basic. He made a notation on one of his papers, then returned to his work.
"I thought you people didn't execute spies."
"Hmmm? Oh, well. That. Failed assassins are different. You messed up. Do you think your village would really want you back? If you're even from a village, which I doubt." Ibiki stared at the man for a moment, then slid down a few chairs. "Why Fujitani? He was bankrolling everything. Why kill him?"
The assassin opened his mouth, then shut it again, shaking his head. "If you're just going to execute me, I don't see why I should tell you anything."
"Suit yourself. Like I said, I'm just babysitting until someone else gets here."
The door opened again, slowly this time, and a medical ninja walked through the door with a small bag. "Ah, good. Everything's ready."
Ibiki started to get up and collect his work, but the man waved him back. "No, no. You look comfortable, and I think all the other rooms are full. Unless the screams will bother you."
"No, I'm used to it." He slid back into his original seat, ignoring the prisoner at the end of the table. The man had gone pale, and his hands were shaking slightly.
Leaning over the prisoner, the medic clicked a head restraint into place. "So you won't thrash around. I need the follicles," he offered as explanation. Then he spread out a white cloth and picked up a pair of tweezers. The prisoner gave a soft gasp when the medic plucked one hair from his hairline, setting it down on the cloth.
"What is this for?" he demanded.
The medic ignored him. "So, anything worth eating in the kitchen? I didn't have time to eat before I came." He plucked another hair and set that down next to its brother.
"I think someone left some onigiri in the icebox yesterday. There's some sweets in one of the offices. Or you could ask one of the file clerks to go get something."
"Thanks, I might do that." Another hair, another gasp.
Ibiki stood up. "I'll be back in a minute. You want me to see what I can find?"
"Yes, please, even if it's just a ration bar. My wife's out of town, and I'm pretty helpless in the kitchen."
Ibiki rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You're just a lazy bastard who married one of the best cooks in Konoha. Spoiled and lazy."
"Yeah. Just don't tell my wife. She thinks I married her for her looks." The medic continued his slow, methodical extraction, ignoring the prisoner. "And could you bring me a mirror? The lighting in here is terrible."
"Sure thing. Back in a bit."
Ibiki waited ten minutes. He returned carrying a large desk mirror and a box of sweets. The prisoner was sporting a rather impressive bald patch over one temple, and his eyes were shut tightly, his lips trembling. "Here. Mirror and food."
The medic nodded his thanks. "Just set the mirror there so it will reflect the light." And the prisoner's head. Eventually the man would open his eyes.
"Why are you doing this?" the prisoner finally gasped, a tear leaking from the corner of one eye.
"Why did you attack Lord Fujitani?" the medic asked, plucking another hair.
"Are you torturing me? Is this supposed to be torture?"
The medic chuckled. "Do you feel tortured?"
"I thought you treated your prisoners better than this!" the man spat back, groaning when his eyes caught sight of his own head in the mirror.
"Prisoners, yes. Assassins, sometimes. Idiot useless assassins who can't even kill one old man? We're doing your village a favor."
"But I'm not from a hidden village!" the prisoner shouted, trying to jerk his head away.
"You're a shinobi. Of course you're from a hidden village."
"No," the prisoner gasped out. "I mean, I was, but not anymore. I'm from Jiyuu Island."
"Never heard of it."
Ibiki looked down at his papers and continued to write. Now they were getting somewhere. With every ANBU in the village busy tracking down one set of assassins or another, Ibiki was feeling the pressure to produce results. And he wouldn't disappoint Sandaime. Within thirty minutes, he would know everything this man could tell him.
---
There were worse things than pushing a vegetable cart through the rain, covered in mud, and wet to the bone, but Gyukudo couldn't think of any of them at the moment. He growled when the wheel of the cart sunk into yet another hole. Where are you, dammit? He searched the blackness, senses straining for any little sound not of the forest. Nobody was out there. He was alone, and he was nearly to the rendezvous point. He would wait exactly fifteen minutes. It was likely Hyosuke had been caught. That Fujitani bastard, with him it was always 'the time isn't right' or 'not just yet'. And if they didn't manage it, they wouldn't get paid. Good riddance, either way.
Checking the forest again, he let a sliver a chakra escape, enough so he could pick up the cart and set it back onto solid ground. He hated playing this role, he really did. But Shibasawa had been selling vegetables in Konoha for many years. He wasn't well-known, but he was allowed in and out, and nobody thought it odd when he'd left Konoha that afternoon. "Sales are bad," he grunted to the men at the front gate, and they nodded in understanding. A man had to make a living.
Except the real Shibasawa had been dead nearly a month, just a battered body rotting at the bottom of some forgotten ditch. And if their luck held, Gyukudo would be on his way home tomorrow, with or without Hyosuke. They could barter for his release later. After Washio's son paid them. Because a good shinobi always had a back-up plan. Or two, or three. And Hyosuke had no idea. It was brilliant. He'd spout what he knew, eventually, and all of Konoha's ninja would take off to the opposite side of the peninsula. Maybe even invade Tea Country. Oh, that would be fun! And profitable. He chuckled at the thought of it.
"Ah, Shibasawa-san. Always in good spirits despite the weather."
The old man tried not to jump, then realized he should jump, so he clutched his cart and let out a squeak. He glared at the man standing by a tree, a figure in a Konoha uniform. "H-H-Hatake-san. You startled me! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Kakashi chuckled as he moved closer, eyes gliding around the clearing. "You? Of course not! You always have the best eggplant." His gloved hand trailed the side of the cart. "I'm glad I caught you. You wouldn't happen to have any available? And some carrots?"
"Sure. Take them. I won't be back until Wednesday. Take all you want. They're only going to rot in this weather."
The old man held his ground when Kakashi stepped closer, pulling the tarp aside. He wasn't afraid. Shibasawa had been selling vegetables to this man for a decade. He had nothing to fear from Kakashi. Too bad he hadn't thought to poison his vegetables beforehand - that would have been a huge coup, to kill the mighty Copy-Ninja Kakashi with an eggplant. The old man chuckled again at that thought.
He stopped laughing when the sharp point of a kunai pressed against his neck.
"Pathetic," Kakashi whispered, his voice difficult to hear over the sudden thunder. "If you're going to impersonate someone, you might want to spend the time getting to know him. Shibasawa-san, the real one, would never, ever, give something away when he could sell it. Not even a rotten apple. Oh, and don't bother fighting now. You are surrounded."
Two figures jumped down from a tree, their faces hidden behind white masks. "You're late," one said with annoyance.
"A fairy hid my map. I had to fight a dragon to get it back." Kakashi stepped back, grinning at the irritated snort from the man taking his place behind their newest prisoner.
"Report to the West Gate for your new orders."
Kakashi nodded, fishing a few vegetables from the cart before he disappeared into the forest. What the hell was going on? Well, he was already wet and cold and tired. A few more hours wouldn't make much difference.
---
Jun received the newest scrolls from an incoming team, then barked out the orders. Sadao wasn't back yet, so it was his job to keep things moving. "Team 18, West quadrant. Team 3, you've got the main gate. Team 4, 9, and 21 - concentrate on Blocks 17-30. Everybody, remember to check on those special cases along the way. Team 13, report to the Hokage. Do a sweep around the Academy before you go." Jun handed a scroll to one of the teams as they left. He ducked into the bathroom and tossed a packet to Kaito - results from the poison and several batches of medical records, including Raido's. The man was still unconscious.
He mentally checked off the teams in the apartment, trying to calculate where everyone else was from the map on the dining table.
"So what's the status now?" Moriko asked as she shook the water from her shoulders on the balcony.
"We've caught two civilians, we're looking for three more. I think that will be it for the attempt on Lord Okazaki. T&I's first report came in, they suspect the man had at least one accomplice in the village. Maybe two. No motive for Lord Fujitani's murder yet."
"Is he back yet?"
A man at the table shook his head. "We expect him within the hour. Well, we expected him two days ago, but..."
"Yeah, well, he is what he is. Trouble just follows him around," Jun grinned, remembering his own run-ins with the strange, masked man.
"And gets its ass kicked every time. Too bad none of the Inuzukas are back yet, either. We might want to consider training our own nin-dogs." Moriko was watching Iruka in the kitchen, clattering pots around. She smiled as he walked by, on his way to the bathroom.
"It's never been an issue before," Jun replied. "Still, it's worth mentioning." He turned and watched Iruka for a moment, then shrugged.
"He seems to have recovered quickly."
Jun nodded. "I guess he's one of those people that can't sit still in times of trouble. A terrible trait for ANBU, but welcome in a house boy."
"And that coffee smells wonderful," Moriko grinned back. "Think he can cook, too? It would be nice to have some real food instead of relying on soldier pills for the rest of the night." She took a few steps into the kitchen, her eyes on Iruka's vest.
"I dunno. I'll ask." He stood up, stretching. "I'll go check on Hiroshi. Let me know if my team shows up. They've been out almost an hour."
"Wait, Jun. What's this?" She held up a little packet of pills.
"R7s. Not one of ours. These are old. Where'd you find them?"
"Next to Iruka's vest. Oh, crap!"
"Yeah. Send someone to get Iruka's records from T&I - I bet they'll be more complete than the hospital's. I'll let Hiroshi know."
"There's only one missing."
Jun nodded back. "That's good. Still, if he's got a problem, T&I would know about it."
---
"Is it okay to come in?" Iruka asked from the doorway. Hiroshi looked grim, Kaito looked stressed, and Raido looked yellowish-green.
Hiroshi nodded tightly, eyes on the wound as he prodded.
Raido groaned in his sleep, trying to move away from the pain in his thigh.
"We've isolated the poison," Kaito mumbled, nodding at a scroll under the sink. It's not blood-activated, but it is pretty nasty. Hiroshi is trying to pull it out of the wound now so he can finish healing the leg. We'll start the transfusions as soon as we get all of the records."
"Is there anything I can do?" Iruka set down the cup and bowl, kneeling by Raido's feet, trying not to focus on the plural of that word. Had Raido lost that much blood?
Hiroshi shook his head. "This isn't something I have time to teach you, although it's not that difficult."
Iruka watched the sweat running down Hiroshi's face, nodding. He could do something after all. He stood up and filled the bowl of ice with water from the tub's faucet and dipped the cup into it, filling it before he twisted the lid on.
"A sippy cup? Why the hell do you have a sippy cup?"
"I don't know. It was just in the cabinet. I washed it. Here." Iruka leaned forward, holding it to Hiroshi's mouth. "That way you won't dribble. Or get stuff in it."
Hiroshi sighed, sucking the water down greedily. He nodded when he'd had enough, and Iruka put the cup down next to Kaito.
"I also have water boiling, if you need it. And I have tea and coffee nearly ready." He pushed the towel into the bowl, squeezing it out until it was slightly damp, before folding it and sliding it across Hiroshi's skin.
"Oh, yeah, that's nice," Hiroshi sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
Iruka wrung out the cloth, then crouched over Raido, keeping his feet well clear of the mess on the floor. Kaito sighed as the cold cloth covered his face.
"I can get you another uniform," Iruka offered. "And we have sheets and towels. To clean up, and stuff."
"Um, okay. That would be great." Kaito shrugged when Hiroshi nodded. If Iruka was willing to do this, without being asked, so much the better.
"Iruka-sensei, while you're gone, would you bring a few more empty basins? Three should do. It'll keep things a little more sanitary in here."
"And some tea? Strong?" Kaito pleaded hopefully.
Iruka nodded and left, leaving the bowl of ice and the cup behind.
---
He met Jun at the door to the bedroom.
"Did you need something?"
Iruka stared back because Jun was blocking his way, and it didn't look like he was going to be moving. "I'm getting a clean uniform for Kaito-sensei, and some spare sheets to help clean up the bathroom."
"Really. Let's go, then. I'm sure Kaito is tired in kneeling in vomit."
Jun pushed Iruka into the bedroom, not even stopping to stare at the pile of ANBU on the bed. Iruka however, did, digging his feet in and stopping in the middle of the room.
"Why are there ANBU in Genma's bed?"
One of the bodies opened an eye, glaring at Iruka and Jun, before shutting it again.
"Catnaps. We're rotating teams right now. It keeps them fresh without resorting to soldier pills. Or stims."
Iruka seemed to consider the answer, even opening his mouth to ask another question. He shut it again and cocked his head.
"What?" Jun was tired, he needed to check on Raido, he needed to coordinate the teams, he needed his soldiers to find the rest of the assassins he knew were hiding in Konoha. But first, he needed to get Iruka out of the bedroom before someone dangerous came through the window.
"They look like puppies."
"Excuse me?" That was different. This must be what kept Raido interested, Jun decided. Iruka really did have a split personality. It was like dating several people at once, and you never knew which one was going to jump out at any given time. He looked at the bodies on the bed, grateful Iruka had glossed over their sodden uniforms. Nobody would be sleeping in that bed for at least a day. He hoped tomorrow would be sunny, otherwise it might even start to mildew. "Did you say puppies?"
"It's just, you know, all piled in a heap."
Another eye opened, accompanied by a muffled snigger. Another snort. Then a yip. A bark. Soon the room was full of barking, yipping and growling ANBU. One man even rose up on his knees and pounced a teammate.
"Are they insane?" Iruka's voice was soft, but he couldn't mask the terror in it. Up until now, everyone he'd met had seemed so... normal.
Jun shrugged. "They're ANBU."
He looked around the room, giving up on his intention to help. "Iruka-sensei, do you know what you need?"
"Oh yeah. Let me find Kaito some clothes."
"Do you have anything else you can wear? Sensei?" Jun snapped his fingers, trying to drag Iruka's attention away from the bed. At least the barking had stopped. Another second of that and Jun would have tossed every last one of them out onto the roof. A lightning strike wasn't sounding like such a bad thing at the moment.
"I do." Iruka bent down in front of the dresser and started to root around. He pulled a uniform from one drawer, then walked over and picked up the dirty sheets from the pile on the floor. "But I can't take a shower, so it's probably silly to try and change now." Finally, he pulled open the drawer of a table by the bed and pulled out two boxes - latex gloves and senbon.
"Yeah, maybe later. Are you done in here?" Jun eyed the gloves, wondering why they were kept there.
"I am. I'll go make Kaito his tea." Iruka stood up, smiled serenely, and left the room.
"Captain, is he insane? He looked like he was about to snap, and now he's all... freaky quiet." One of the ANBU on the bed sat up on her elbow, concern on her face.
Jun shrugged. "Academy Instructor."
"I suppose he'd have to be," she replied, falling back to sleep.
"I suppose he would," Jun said softly, closing the door.
Jun was thoughtful when he opened the door to the bathroom. "We've got a little problem with Iruka," he said, sitting down on the edge of the empty tub and waving the packet of pills at Hiroshi.
"Huh? Who takes those anymore? They wear off too fast, you have to take them with food, and they can cause all kinds of nasty side effects. They're practically poison," Hiroshi growled back, annoyed.
"Apparently Iruka does. I've sent someone after his complete medical records."
"Did you try asking him about it?" Kaito offered, shifting on the floor. The promise of a clean uniform had made him all the more aware of the filth on his clothes. And nothing about the young teacher screamed 'drug abuser'.
Jun blinked, rocking back. "No. That hadn't occurred to me. Thanks, Kaito." He rolled his eyes when Kaito sneered back. Then he grinned when the door opened again and Iruka walked in. "I'll leave that to you two. You're the medics. What do I know?"
---
Iruka stared at the men for a moment before he shut the door. "Hiroshi-sensei, here are your basins." He held three large bowls, along with a stack of towels, some rumpled sheets, and two small boxes.
"Give me one, put one next to Kaito, and you can use the third one."
"What's up?" Jun asked, leaning against the back wall of the tub.
"I thought I could clean up a bit," Iruka answered, turning on the water in the tub to fill one basin and dumping the rest of the things by the door..
Iruka pushed one of the sheets across the floor, alongside Raido's body, moving the blood and vomit away from the men on the floor. He slid the empty basin next to Kaito's leg. Finally, he stood up, leaning over the laundry hamper, and used the senbon to fix a small towel across the window before he opened it. The room felt cooler immediately.
"Well, I see you have all the help you need, Hiroshi," Jun said as he stood up to leave. "I'll let you know when the rest of the medical records arrive."
Hiroshi nodded, still probing the gash on Raido's leg.
Iruka continued his bathroom makeover, fixing a sheet across the end of the room with more senbon. Raido's feet stuck out, but now the door could be kept open, providing better circulation. He waved the box of gloves at Hiroshi and set them down next to the man's bag.
"Oh, hey, that's great. I only had this one pair." He stripped off the old gloves and handed them to Iruka, tugging on a new pair. "Put those in the laundry basket. We can use that as a dump for now. And the sheet as well. Go ahead and use this washrag and try and get it all off the floor."
Iruka worked silently, Hiroshi directing him from one task to the next, until they had managed to create a small, not-quite-hospital-quality OR. Iruka kept watching Raido's face as he worked. The man was still unconscious, his lips twitching each time Hiroshi pressed against his leg.
"Don't worry, Sensei," Kaito said. "This is very painful, and we can't give Namiashi anything for it just yet. It's better if he's out of it."
"I just thought we weren't supposed to let poisoned patients fall asleep." Iruka ducked his head and shrugged. "I mean, all I've had is basic Academy training, but that's what we were told."
"Normally, that's true," Hiroshi agreed. "But in this case..." He sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you, Iruka-sensei. I didn't expect Namiashi to live this long. I still don't expect him to live. Working in these conditions, with this kind of poison... But the guy is strong and healthy, and your little cleaning streak is pushing his odds up. If I can get the worst of the poison out without necrosis setting in, and we can prevent any other infection, his chakra system will take care of the rest. I mean, look at his face - that's a chemical burn. Most people die from those. And I bet there's more to it than that."
"What the fuck kind of bedside manner is that, asshole?" Kaito complained, his eyes narrowed. "You can't just come out and say something like that!"
Iruka shook his head. "No, it's okay. I need to know. I want to know. Whatever I can do, just tell me, I'll do it." He squatted down next to Kaito, rubbing another cold rag across Raido's face. "And you're right, Hiroshi-sensei. His entire side is burned. He survived that. He can survive this."
Iruka took a deep breath, watching Raido breathe. "Oh, Kaito-sensei, your tea is ready. I left it in the kitchen. There's a sink in there, too, if you want to wash up."
"Actually, would you be bring it in here? Hiroshi won't mind, and I can't really leave at the moment."
"Just be sure you don't drink too much. There isn't a toilet in here, remember," Hiroshi muttered.
Kaito stared at the tiled niche behind him. "Why isn't there? It's obvious it should go right here."
"Oh, when they remodeled Genma said he didn't want one in the bathroom. He says it's unsanitary."
"He's right," Hiroshi replied decisively. "You wouldn't believe the amount of filth a toilet spews with each flush. Did you say you made coffee?"
"I'll bring you some. Black?"
"Absolutely. Sugar would just make me jumpy."
Hiroshi waited until Iruka left the room, then shoved Kaito with his knee. "Asshole? I can't believe you called me an asshole in front of him! What the fuck was that?" His voice was low because the door was open now.
"Did you forget? This is his boyfriend, Hiroshi! And you're just sitting there, telling him 'oh, yeah, he's probably gonna die'. Remember, Jun said he was on stims. R7s. And I bet nobody told him he needed to eat before he took them either. We're lucky he only had a minor meltdown and decided to make tea. He could have completely flipped out."
"Fine, fine. I'm an asshole doctor. But he's okay now, see? And even if he is flipping out, he's channeling it well. Useful, you know. That towel over the window - good idea, that. I bet he has combat experience. Nobody thinks to do that unless they've had combat experience."
"Idiot, he's a chuunin. Of course he has combat experience."
"Who's the idiot? I meant real combat, not fake chuunin exam combat. Yeah, yeah, I know, people can die in the exam - I've had to patch together more than a few. Just saying, those kind of things, either the guy is completely anal, and I don't think so, or he's had experience in dealing with injuries in less-than-perfect environments."
Hiroshi stood up and washed his hands in the tub. "Okay, who's our first victim?"
"Jun said he'd go first. He's also AB." Kaito shifted again. Raido was heavy, and even with the window open, Kaito couldn't get away from the acrid smell on his pants. "What about Iruka-sensei? You know he'll want to."
"He'll get his chance."
"What? Stims, Hiroshi, stims! Are you trying to kill Namiashi?"
"Look. I know what I'm doing. After we get a few units into the guy, I'll let Iruka donate give his share. We can't use any kind of medication right now - I don't have the monitors here. But I'm thinking, if Iruka's blood has a little bit of stimulant in it, that will help jumpstart Namiashi's chakra."
"It will also increase his blood pressure and heart rate. Causing the poison to spread. And the wound to bleed faster." Kaito blinked, eyes going wide. "Oooooh, I see. We get some blood in him, start fusing the veins back together..."
"Finally, dawn breaks over your dim brain. Yes, the stims will increase the blood flow and the heart rate, and if I missed anything, it'll spurt. Instant failsafe. With his body functioning more normally, his own chakra will take over, and I might not lose him tonight."
---
It wasn't the best night to be running around, trying to find something to do, but Aoba wasn't one for staying home when he had free time. He had shown up at the hotel at 6pm, waited for thirty minutes, then was told his services would not be needed tonight, and probably not for several more days. Apparently his client would be spending the weekend in Konoha. Which suited Aoba just fine - he hated starting an assignment wet and muddy because it usually just got worse. Hopefully, by the end of the weekend, the sun would be out, and maybe, just maybe, it would be a little bit cooler. Sadly, Konoha had decided to shut itself down. Aoba knew quite a few of his colleagues had taken missions this week, but he hadn't realized just how many. Between that and the weather, he hadn't found a bar or restaurant that was still open. He had food at home, and he could cook - he just didn't like to. But if he could convince someone to come home with him, for dinner, that might be worth it. Aoba's personal rejection limit was four, and it only took fifteen minutes to reach it. Nobody wanted to go out tonight. He didn't take it personally - Konoha was giving off a weird vibe.
He could always go to his parents' house and hang out there. Somebody would be there, even if it was just a houseful of kids. He liked his nieces and nephews - especially since he didn't live there with them. Aoba turned the corner, his eyes drawn to the corner building. The lights were on. Genma wasn't back yet, but Raido and Iruka were probably there. Even with the rocky start, he enjoyed talking with Iruka. The guy was a riot sometimes, and yes, Aoba could admit it, easy on the eyes when he wasn't trying to kill someone. Okay, maybe even then. Either way, Raido was an excellent cook, and his mission was over. If they weren't there, no big deal.
Aoba jumped from the street to the porch, took one step and froze. He could feel chakra inside the apartment, one person. But he could feel something else, the fuzzies, or the willies, he didn't know which. Flashes of shadows behind the blinds. Snatches of conversation he could almost hear. The entire building, he realized, screamed at him 'danger, danger, ambush, ambush', and Aoba hadn't lasted this long by ignoring his gut. He would never live it down if he were the one to break the Yamashiro streak. Well, he'd be dead, but he was pretty sure his ancestors would kick his ass for eternity. Aoba crept closer to the door, listening. He could hear someone moving around. He was pretty sure it was Iruka - but the chakra felt a little feathery. Why was he there alone?
He should just walk away. Keep on going, go visit his family, or go home and spend some quality time with his bathtub. But something wasn't right, in Konoha and specifically in Genma's apartment. Genma was his friend, and like it or not, that meant he had certain responsibilities. He would just go up and knock, make sure everything was okay. Just passing by, catch you later - friend of a friend stuff.
"Aoba, for a Yamashiro you have no sense of danger."
Twisting his head to catch sight of the man behind him, Aoba chuckled and relaxed, just a little. "Duty versus danger. Duty wins. And now that I see you here, I was right to be worried."
Sadao shook his head. Aoba was a knucklehead, but he was fond of his brother-in-law. "Mission got canceled?"
"Yeah. Thought I would invite some lucky lady out, but no luck."
"Who do you know here?"
"Um, all three of them, actually. Although Genma's not back yet, I figured Namiashi and Umino were there. I know Umino's there." He stared back at the taller man, considering. Whatever was going on, it was serious if Sadao was here.
"Shiranui. Damn! I completely forgot."
"Dude, you've met him! He was at the wedding!"
Sadao shook his head, ignoring the rain pelting across his face from his position halfway up the stairs. "I forgot his last name was Shiranui. When they told me this was Shiranui's place, it never even occurred to me it was Genma's place." He started walking up the stairs, whistling. It was a warning, because he had no reason to keep Aoba out - Aoba had more right to come inside than any of them.
"So you're going to let me in?"
"Yeah, might as well. Let me go warn some people to vacate first. Everyone else you'll already know."
Aoba followed up the stairs, wary now because normally Sadao wasn't this accommodating.
---
Read on to Chapter 12 Part3
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