In The Blood Summaries - Act 5: Uninvited
Chapter 30 - Same Cloth - (AO3 Link)
A while back in time, the Hakaza clan is due to arrive at the Taki family's compound. Yuki, however, has not shown up for breakfast, so his brother Nobuhiro goes searching for him. Yuki has frozen himself into his room with his inexplicable ice-manipulation abilities, which happens often, when he is upset. It is revealed that Yuki was left at the gate of the Taki compound when he was an infant with a note that Nobuhiro suspects was from Orochimaru, as it mentions his older sister, whom the ninja abducted when he was a child. Nobuhiro suspects that Yuki is his nephew, but doesn't have the heart to tell the boy. He manages to calm Yuki down enough to do his duty to the family.
Chapter 31 - Forced Zipper - (AO3 Link)
The Hakaza clan arrives at the Taki compound, and Yuki and Kiine are introduced to Kiine's fiance, Kou, a quiet, pudgy boy that Yuki hates almost immediately. Kou and Kiine are seated next to each other at dinner that night, and the awkward silence between them is broken by Kou apologizing for the arrangement and the fact that he didn't do enough to stop it. His apologetic nature and humility gets Kiine to warm up to him, to Yuki's horror--he believes that Kou's self-depreciation is an act. Kiine has Yuki perform a trick for Kou's amusement, and Yuki freezes Kou's bowl of soup, though it ends up unfreezing while Kou is holding it above his head. Kou, however, brings no attention to the fact that it may be Yuki's fault.
Chapter 32 - Ripped Seam - (AO3 Link)
Kiine calls Yuki to her bedroom after dinner the next night to apologize for her anger at him, in the wake of his accidental snitching on her location in Konoha. Yuki takes the apology badly, and ends up blurting out his mistrust of Kou when Kiine brings up the possibility of them sneaking out of the house together later. He grows extremely upset at Kiine's trust in him, which, partially out of jealousy, he has taken as dangerous, and leaves the room with tears in his eyes. He works through his frustration in the dojo for the rest of the day.
Chapter 33 - Embroidered Words - (AO3 Link)
Kou goes to speak with Boss Tensho privately in an attempt to break up the marriage between him and Kiine--a plan of action that is entirely out of Kiine's imagination. He stumbles with his words, finding it difficult to lie about Kiine, even for her sake. Boss Tensho immediately sees through the ruse and talks to the boy about his worries for Kiine's future, saying he wants her to have someone that will look out for her and make sure she doesn't make bad decisions. Meeting with Kiine later about it, Kiine expresses exasperation for her father's old-fashioned views and tells Kou not to worry about it, before mentioning that Kou's father had similar things to say about Kou "being taken care of" by her, when she went to meet with him.
Chapter 34 - Dull Scissors - (AO3 Link)
The POV shifts to a group of Cloud ninja camped out a small ways away from the Taki compound, on orders from the Raikage to kidnap Kou. After going over their orders, they wait for the signal to go out for the mission to commence. One of the Cloud ninja, a scatter-brained geek named Fuzan, daydreams while waiting. Fuzan comes from rural Lightning and became inspired by comic books to become a ninja, and thinks at length on the matter.
Chapter 35 - Cleaving Needle - (AO3 Link)
Fuzan's daydream ends with him reminiscing over the beginnings of his ninja career in Cloud, where he lived with his aunt and cousin while training to become a genin and, later, chuunin. His fondness for manga and his girlfriend are briefly touched upon, before the signal goes out and the team rushes for the Taki compound. Fuzan, put on surveillance, starts to zone out during the lack of action, before he is ambushed by a small girl with a sword. She incapacitates him and strips him of his swords, interrogating him with her foot on his back, but she lets up when she discovers that he is after Kou and not anyone else. The girl hands back Fuzan's swords and he flees, hearing over the radio that Kou has been captured. As the sun rises and his team stops to rest, Fuzan hopes that nobody finds out about his lapse in conduct, nor his encounter with the girl.
Chapter 36 - Torn Button - (AO3 Link)
A ransom note arrives the next morning with the Cloud ninja's terms, and Boss Tensho and Kou's father, Boss Shin, decide to combine their forces in the effort to get Kou back. A man named Hozuki is also hired to assist the posse. Kiine also offers her assistance, but her father brushes her off. Kiine's mother, however, hints that Kiine will be easily able to sneak out of the house to assist in her own way. Kiine goes to fetch Yuki, only to find him frozen into his room again. Yuki, highly agitated, believes that he is to blame for Kou's kidnapping, since he had captured and then set a Cloud ninja free. Kiine tries to work this to her advantage, but Yuki is simply too upset, snapping at her to save her "boyfriend" by herself, and nearly injuring her in sending up a sheet of ice between them. Kiine leaves to prepare for her own departure, and follows her father's men that evening.
Chapter 37 - Mended Line - (AO3 Link)
Kiine is approached by Shingetsu, the young companion of the man named Hozuki. Shingetsu has a talent for sensing people, and Kiine asks for his help in finding Kou. Shingetsu asks if Yuki is joining them, adding, before Kiine can interrupt, that he is nearby. Leading Kiine to him, the trio formulates a vague plan, before Shingetsu returns to his guardian. Kiine and Yuki then get a chance to properly reconcile, and Kiine reassures Yuki that, although she cares about Kou, nobody will ever replace Yuki. Though she is mad that he let the Cloud ninja go, she understands his reasons, and the two settle down for a far more restful sleep.
Chapter 38 - Chain Link - (AO3 Link)
The Taki and Hakaza clans settle down for negotiations with the Cloud ninja at an abandoned house. Shingetsu sneaks away from the proceedings to assist Kiine and Yuki, hiding nearby, and giving them Kou's location. Kiine and Yuki travel towards where he is being kept--a small base set into a cave--and set up an ambush by having Yuki lower the temperature in the base to draw the ninjas out. There is a skirmish, during which Kiine seemingly summons chains from her hand to incapacitate a fleeing ninja. Yuki also releases his anger on Fuzan, by breaking his arm and freezing him to a wall. Kiine carries a drugged and unconscious Kou away from the base, and calls for a continuation of talks, though with her involvement, even though the Cloud ninja no longer have their hostage.
Chapter 39 - Drafted Pattern - (AO3 Link)
The syndicate members and ninjas agree to leave each other alone until further negotiations can be planned, and each return to their homes, Hozuki included. Kou is treated for his injuries and the drugs used to sedate him, and Tensho's wife advises him to throw a party in celebration of his safe return home. The morning after the party, a letter arrives from Naruto inviting the Taki clan to join him in Konoha for the chuunin exams as his guests. Tensho is at first dismissive, but when Shin and, later, Kiine start pestering him about what good it could do, he grows frustrated and speaks with Shin outside, asking him not to meddle. Shin has a talk with Tensho about Kiine's strengths and his lack of trust in her, causing Tensho to agree to the trip to Konoha, and for Kiine to come with him. She helps him write a letter (and writes one of her own) and has it sent to Naruto.
Chapter 40 - Mirror Knife - (AO3 Link)
The Cloud ninja work at cleaning up the aftermath of Kiine's attack. Fuzan, frozen to a wall, ends up unconscious from pain and cold-related sickness, and is unable to join in his team's discussion. One of the ninjas recognizes Hozuki as Suigetsu, and wonders if Mist is involved with him being there, since Yuki resembles a Yuki clan member. Suigetsu, however, denies any Mist connection quite violently. Nobuhiro also angrily denies any connection of Yuki to a ninja clan. These and other things are reported to the Raikage, who decides to contact the Mizukage. The news of Suigetsu's appearance does not impress her much, though the mention of Yuki greatly interests her. The Raikage, however, tells her not to send anyone out to investigate Yuki, since ninja dealings with the syndicates are at an agreed stand-still, and he doesn't want his terms ruined by her. The Mizukage hangs up and laments the loss of the Yuki clan, as she believes them to be excellent candidates for her breeding program. Meanwhile, Suigetsu chastises Shingetsu for his assistance of Kiine and Yuki, mentioning that he'll have to report Fuzan's injury to whomever he truly works for--the injury of "any of those three" will bring him great trouble. The end of the scene mentions red marks on the back of Shingetsu's neck, and how they remind Suigetsu of "what holds him."
A while back in time, the Hakaza clan is due to arrive at the Taki family's compound. Yuki, however, has not shown up for breakfast, so his brother Nobuhiro goes searching for him. Yuki has frozen himself into his room with his inexplicable ice-manipulation abilities, which happens often, when he is upset. It is revealed that Yuki was left at the gate of the Taki compound when he was an infant with a note that Nobuhiro suspects was from Orochimaru, as it mentions his older sister, whom the ninja abducted when he was a child. Nobuhiro suspects that Yuki is his nephew, but doesn't have the heart to tell the boy. He manages to calm Yuki down enough to do his duty to the family.
Chapter 31 - Forced Zipper - (AO3 Link)
The Hakaza clan arrives at the Taki compound, and Yuki and Kiine are introduced to Kiine's fiance, Kou, a quiet, pudgy boy that Yuki hates almost immediately. Kou and Kiine are seated next to each other at dinner that night, and the awkward silence between them is broken by Kou apologizing for the arrangement and the fact that he didn't do enough to stop it. His apologetic nature and humility gets Kiine to warm up to him, to Yuki's horror--he believes that Kou's self-depreciation is an act. Kiine has Yuki perform a trick for Kou's amusement, and Yuki freezes Kou's bowl of soup, though it ends up unfreezing while Kou is holding it above his head. Kou, however, brings no attention to the fact that it may be Yuki's fault.
Chapter 32 - Ripped Seam - (AO3 Link)
Kiine calls Yuki to her bedroom after dinner the next night to apologize for her anger at him, in the wake of his accidental snitching on her location in Konoha. Yuki takes the apology badly, and ends up blurting out his mistrust of Kou when Kiine brings up the possibility of them sneaking out of the house together later. He grows extremely upset at Kiine's trust in him, which, partially out of jealousy, he has taken as dangerous, and leaves the room with tears in his eyes. He works through his frustration in the dojo for the rest of the day.
Chapter 33 - Embroidered Words - (AO3 Link)
Kou goes to speak with Boss Tensho privately in an attempt to break up the marriage between him and Kiine--a plan of action that is entirely out of Kiine's imagination. He stumbles with his words, finding it difficult to lie about Kiine, even for her sake. Boss Tensho immediately sees through the ruse and talks to the boy about his worries for Kiine's future, saying he wants her to have someone that will look out for her and make sure she doesn't make bad decisions. Meeting with Kiine later about it, Kiine expresses exasperation for her father's old-fashioned views and tells Kou not to worry about it, before mentioning that Kou's father had similar things to say about Kou "being taken care of" by her, when she went to meet with him.
Chapter 34 - Dull Scissors - (AO3 Link)
The POV shifts to a group of Cloud ninja camped out a small ways away from the Taki compound, on orders from the Raikage to kidnap Kou. After going over their orders, they wait for the signal to go out for the mission to commence. One of the Cloud ninja, a scatter-brained geek named Fuzan, daydreams while waiting. Fuzan comes from rural Lightning and became inspired by comic books to become a ninja, and thinks at length on the matter.
Chapter 35 - Cleaving Needle - (AO3 Link)
Fuzan's daydream ends with him reminiscing over the beginnings of his ninja career in Cloud, where he lived with his aunt and cousin while training to become a genin and, later, chuunin. His fondness for manga and his girlfriend are briefly touched upon, before the signal goes out and the team rushes for the Taki compound. Fuzan, put on surveillance, starts to zone out during the lack of action, before he is ambushed by a small girl with a sword. She incapacitates him and strips him of his swords, interrogating him with her foot on his back, but she lets up when she discovers that he is after Kou and not anyone else. The girl hands back Fuzan's swords and he flees, hearing over the radio that Kou has been captured. As the sun rises and his team stops to rest, Fuzan hopes that nobody finds out about his lapse in conduct, nor his encounter with the girl.
Chapter 36 - Torn Button - (AO3 Link)
A ransom note arrives the next morning with the Cloud ninja's terms, and Boss Tensho and Kou's father, Boss Shin, decide to combine their forces in the effort to get Kou back. A man named Hozuki is also hired to assist the posse. Kiine also offers her assistance, but her father brushes her off. Kiine's mother, however, hints that Kiine will be easily able to sneak out of the house to assist in her own way. Kiine goes to fetch Yuki, only to find him frozen into his room again. Yuki, highly agitated, believes that he is to blame for Kou's kidnapping, since he had captured and then set a Cloud ninja free. Kiine tries to work this to her advantage, but Yuki is simply too upset, snapping at her to save her "boyfriend" by herself, and nearly injuring her in sending up a sheet of ice between them. Kiine leaves to prepare for her own departure, and follows her father's men that evening.
Chapter 37 - Mended Line - (AO3 Link)
Kiine is approached by Shingetsu, the young companion of the man named Hozuki. Shingetsu has a talent for sensing people, and Kiine asks for his help in finding Kou. Shingetsu asks if Yuki is joining them, adding, before Kiine can interrupt, that he is nearby. Leading Kiine to him, the trio formulates a vague plan, before Shingetsu returns to his guardian. Kiine and Yuki then get a chance to properly reconcile, and Kiine reassures Yuki that, although she cares about Kou, nobody will ever replace Yuki. Though she is mad that he let the Cloud ninja go, she understands his reasons, and the two settle down for a far more restful sleep.
Chapter 38 - Chain Link - (AO3 Link)
The Taki and Hakaza clans settle down for negotiations with the Cloud ninja at an abandoned house. Shingetsu sneaks away from the proceedings to assist Kiine and Yuki, hiding nearby, and giving them Kou's location. Kiine and Yuki travel towards where he is being kept--a small base set into a cave--and set up an ambush by having Yuki lower the temperature in the base to draw the ninjas out. There is a skirmish, during which Kiine seemingly summons chains from her hand to incapacitate a fleeing ninja. Yuki also releases his anger on Fuzan, by breaking his arm and freezing him to a wall. Kiine carries a drugged and unconscious Kou away from the base, and calls for a continuation of talks, though with her involvement, even though the Cloud ninja no longer have their hostage.
Chapter 39 - Drafted Pattern - (AO3 Link)
The syndicate members and ninjas agree to leave each other alone until further negotiations can be planned, and each return to their homes, Hozuki included. Kou is treated for his injuries and the drugs used to sedate him, and Tensho's wife advises him to throw a party in celebration of his safe return home. The morning after the party, a letter arrives from Naruto inviting the Taki clan to join him in Konoha for the chuunin exams as his guests. Tensho is at first dismissive, but when Shin and, later, Kiine start pestering him about what good it could do, he grows frustrated and speaks with Shin outside, asking him not to meddle. Shin has a talk with Tensho about Kiine's strengths and his lack of trust in her, causing Tensho to agree to the trip to Konoha, and for Kiine to come with him. She helps him write a letter (and writes one of her own) and has it sent to Naruto.
Chapter 40 - Mirror Knife - (AO3 Link)
The Cloud ninja work at cleaning up the aftermath of Kiine's attack. Fuzan, frozen to a wall, ends up unconscious from pain and cold-related sickness, and is unable to join in his team's discussion. One of the ninjas recognizes Hozuki as Suigetsu, and wonders if Mist is involved with him being there, since Yuki resembles a Yuki clan member. Suigetsu, however, denies any Mist connection quite violently. Nobuhiro also angrily denies any connection of Yuki to a ninja clan. These and other things are reported to the Raikage, who decides to contact the Mizukage. The news of Suigetsu's appearance does not impress her much, though the mention of Yuki greatly interests her. The Raikage, however, tells her not to send anyone out to investigate Yuki, since ninja dealings with the syndicates are at an agreed stand-still, and he doesn't want his terms ruined by her. The Mizukage hangs up and laments the loss of the Yuki clan, as she believes them to be excellent candidates for her breeding program. Meanwhile, Suigetsu chastises Shingetsu for his assistance of Kiine and Yuki, mentioning that he'll have to report Fuzan's injury to whomever he truly works for--the injury of "any of those three" will bring him great trouble. The end of the scene mentions red marks on the back of Shingetsu's neck, and how they remind Suigetsu of "what holds him."