忍ぶ意思 Shinobu Ishi
Title: Part 1: Shinobu Ishi
Rating: PG13 (for mild violence)
Pairing: TBA, Ohno-centric
Genre: action, AU
Chapter: seven
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Ohno Satoshi is the student of a strong ninja lord who has lived his life following his teacher’s strict guidance. But what happens when he slowly learns he has to live for himself?
Chapter one, Chapter two, Chapter three, Chapter four, Chapter five, Chapter six
“We need a support ninja. Fast,” Sho gasped to the first person he saw upon entering the Main Building.
They had gotten Nino out of direct harm’s way, across the castle wall and into a nearby forest, before they sprawled him out on the ground and found the deep wound pouring blood out of his side.
Aiba, the only one of them with any support experience, had said it wouldn’t be fatal unless Nino lost too much blood, but those words didn’t comfort Sho in the least with how fast it was pouring out of his friend.
Between the three of them, they had gotten Nino’s shirt off and wrapped two of their standard issued nets around him to stop the blood flow. Sho had torn off his shirt and offered it as extra padding, since Nino’s was already completely soaked red, and had spent the rest of the trip half naked because of it.
He didn’t care, though. All that matter was getting Nino some medical attention.
After that, they had slowly headed back to their village, knowing that there was no other secure healing center close enough in which they could put their trust.
It hadn’t been that far, but every step forward seemed like a step towards losing Nino, at least to Sho.
Ohno and Aiba looked anxious as well. The captain occasionally checked the youngest ninja’s temperature for a fever and, although Aiba had dressed the wound, he had admitted that he didn’t have anything that would do more than numb the pain. The herbalist didn’t know any special healing abilities that many of the other workers in his profession did, and now it seemed like he was kicking himself in the ass for not learning any.
Sho hated himself even more, though.
He was still useless.
He was always useless.
The sniper had run out of darts at the end of the battle, unable to do anything but watch his friends fight. Even when they were escaping, Ohno had been the one to notice Nino’s erratic behavior and take care of him while Sho was focused on fleeing.
Now all he could do was carry the youngest ninja on his back, feeling the blood seeping out of Nino and onto his bare skin. The youngest ninja hadn’t regained consciousness since he had collapsed at the castle, and his breathing was labored and often came in gasps, all of which made Sho want to rush getting him back to the village, but he knew that if he jarred Nino too much that it would only be worse for his injury.
When Aiba had offered to carry him, Sho had snipped at him and told him that he could do it himself. In fact, he wanted to make up for not seeing the problem in the first place, but that was a stupid reason to exhaust oneself like Sho was doing at that point.
But he had carried out his promise and held Nino all the way back to the Main Building, just when the soft glow of morning was peeking up out of the trees.
The house servant he yelled at had jumped, but nodded immediately as he set off running towards the support wing of the building, where the group headed themselves.
Before they had reached their destination, though, a support ninja was already out in the hallway, the servant from a moment again watching from a few feet back anxiously as the ninja came together. Sho carried Nino to the indicated room, but stayed by his side even after he was softly laid onto a clean sheet.
Ohno and Aiba sat down next to him distractedly, watching with intense gazes as one more ninja came in behind the first and began examining Nino, taking off the makeshift bandages and revealing the stab wound. They treated it efficiently and then forced a cup of something green with herbs down the ninja’s throat.
After almost an hour of not moving other than to watch the medics shift back and forth, the three boys were told that Nino would be fine, he just needed a few weeks to recover. Since they were there anyway, the support ninja examined the three remaining boys in turn, discovering that Ohno had several cuts on his arms which needed to be bandaged. One of his hands was also treated, since the fall on the rope had torn his glove and left him with a noticeable burn, but Sho and Aiba walked away with nothing more than shaky legs.
The medics requested Ohno stay behind to be treated for exhaustion, but dismissed the other two back to their rooms, suggesting they get some well deserved rest.
Neither of them had flinched and insisted they were staying with their group members. Sho didn’t care if he had to sleep sitting up, he was going to stay next to Nino until he could look into his friend’s deep eyes and properly apologize for not forcing his help on the younger ninja sooner.
And Aiba was just as worried about his friends as Sho was. The herbalist had noticed Ohno’s injuries right after they had taken off with Nino securely on Sho’s back, but he hadn’t mentioned anything. He knew that both of his friends would say that they were nothing compared to Nino’s wound and that he needed to be taken care of first. Nevertheless, Aiba had kept a close eye on both the unconscious boy and their captain, ready to step in at any point if they grew worse.
Ohno had made it back despite his bloody arms, and now both of his friends were in good hands. Aiba had been excited for the difficult mission, but now he was simply happy it was over. He had never imagined it would be as hard as it had been or that death would be hanging so closely over their heads, but he felt like he knew what real missions were made of now. It wasn’t something to be proud of for accomplishing; it was something to be proud of for surviving.
Through the entire day, Sho and Aiba stayed in the medical wing, the herbalist only leaving momentarily to round up some food for the three of them that were conscious and a shirt for the archer, since his was covered in Nino’s blood. When he had come back, Sho was dozing, his head falling forward towards his folded legs, then darting backwards as he realized what he was doing. Instead of waking him up to offer him the rice he had returned with, Aiba instead guided him gently to the floor while Ohno watched, laying him parallel to Nino on the ground and giving the two of them a small, but endearing, smile.
As the other members slept, Aiba and Ohno ate their lunch quietly and chatted about fishing. Aiba had led Leader into explaining the best bait to use and how to make a pole out of a tree branch and a thin piece of string. Although Aiba wasn’t sure he’d be able to bring himself to kill a fish, it was still interesting to hear various methods of going about it, especially coming from the usually quiet Ohno.
But it wasn’t even an hour later when the swordsman couldn’t repress yawn after yawn and so Aiba suggested gently that he lay down in the futon provided for him by the support ninja and recover with Sho and Nino, who hadn’t stirred the entire time.
Even though Aiba himself was tired from their mission, as he figured he would be, instead of taking up his usual spot on the other side of Leader, once the oldest ninja’s breaths were steady, he stepped into the hallway to find a support ninja.
He was determined to learn some better healing techniques before their next mission. He couldn’t stand to see his friends in pain, whether it was a physical wound like Nino’s or an emotional one like Ohno’s.
It wasn't obvious why Leader kept to himself so often, but Aiba’s usual quiet method of asking leading questions, which typically ended in the target not realizing what they were talking about, didn’t work. Judging by his lack of emotional response and Nino’s own tentativeness, there was something going on that none of them wanted to bring up.
Aiba would get to the bottom of that, too, but first he needed to take care of mending physical scars, something that he knew nothing about.
The support ninja smiled at the young recruit and chatted with him for a few minutes before recommending another herbalist that could teach him a thing or two.
+++
Nino woke up quite the same as usual. His consciousness would slowly become more alert, telling the rest of his body that there was a reason to start moving, and over a few minutes Nino’s eyes would flicker until he could finally force them open.
The first thing he saw that night was Sho’s face, only a few inches from his own.
The archer was sprawled out on the tatami mat instead of a futon like Nino was wrapped in, and one of his hands was grasping onto the blanket covering the younger ninja while his other was stretched over his head in an awkward position.
There were bags under his eyes and his mouth was half open in a vision of exhaustion, as if he had waiting until the last possible moment to fall asleep.
Nino looked away with a guilty expression and tried to turn onto his back, feeling the pang in his side that he knew would be there.
His shoulder collided into something and the ninja tentatively turned his head, realizing that Ohno was lying behind him, where his back had been a moment ago. Leader was dead asleep, too, although not looking quite as exhausted as Sho did, and his arms were covered in bandages. The youngest ninja’s heart sped up at the thought that Ohno had been injured because of him, but it seemed like he was okay for the most part.
Nino took a deep breath and tried to adjust himself between his two friends, scooting closer to Sho in the process in order to properly lay on the futon.
Staring up the ceiling for several seconds, he recapped the end of the mission and tried to remember if anyone else had been injured during their escape.
But Nino couldn’t remember most of the details past Ohno almost falling from the balcony of the castle and Aiba catching him.
With that thought, Nino suddenly realized the newest member of their group was missing.
He tried to sit up, but the motion only ended in him grasping his side with a pinched expression and falling backwards again. It would be a little longer until he could go looking for his new friend by himself, if at all.
As the pain subsided, the weapon specialist turned his head cautiously, looking at Ohno’s peaceful expression and then at Sho.
He gulped and pried the hand from his blanket, taking it in his own instead.
Nino ran his fingers tentatively over Sho’s palm and allowed his eyes to drift closed again, feeling overwhelmed and tired from everything that had happened.
+++
Aiba had spent the entire day with a retired support ninja that was making his current living as Jyani’s personal herbalist. The boy had been eager to learn anything he could from the man, who had a loose schedule and had taken a liking to him immediately.
They went through a review of the little bit of healing that Aiba did know, then the man (his name, as Aiba found out several hours into the training, was Ken), began teaching him simple methods to cut off blood flow to an affected area and certain herbs that could be used to either numb the nerves or help the patient deal with shock.
Aiba had tried to take mental notes on everything (resorting to a scroll later when he started mixing up details), and had dedicated himself to the project until Ken had sent him back to his room, telling him to close that oversized trap of yours and get some rest.
But, of course, the herbalist hadn’t gone back to his private rooms. Instead, he slipped into the medical facility in which his other friends were staying, smiling sleepily at the three of them snuggled together, fast asleep.
Before retiring himself, Aiba pulled Nino’s covers over to lie on top of Sho as well and keep both of them warm during the rest of the night. His smile grew bigger as he noticed the two of them holding hands tightly, and nudged the archer a little closer to the youngest of them, knowing that the expression on their faces when they woke up would be more than worth it.
Aiba readjusted Ohno’s blanket, apologizing softly for helping himself, and slid under the futon next to their Leader, pressing his hands lightly into the other boy’s back and moving as close to the older ninja as he could.
He was just glad they were all okay and that Nino had been saved.
The idea of living without any of his three new friends tore at Aiba’s heart and, although he blinked sleepily and let his eyes drift shut, his resolve was as strong as ever.
+++
Sho was the first to wake the next day and found Nino snuggled against his chest, his breath soft against his neck.
The archer’s first reaction was to jump away, but he realized that the younger boy had a tight grip on his hand and calmed down, trying to force the blush away from his face.
They were in a futon together, although Sho had no idea how that had happened, and Nino’s chest continually rose and fell with the gentle rhythm of sleep.
Sho really shouldn’t wake him up. Nino needed his rest.
With that thought as an excuse, Sho leaned forward again and ran his free hand tenderly through Nino’s tousled hair, silently thanking the spirits over and over again for the younger boy’s safe recovery. Gently pulling his friend against his chest once more, Sho squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears.
He was reminded of the first night they had slept in the same bed, when they were both bawling. That seemed so long ago, now, and it was, especially to Sho’s young mind. Life before even Aiba had come to them seemed incomprehensible, even though it had only been in place a little while.
In fact, he could barely remember his times with Ogura in the neighboring village and it scared him how fast he had acclimated to his days here with Ohno and Nino and Aiba. Sho felt a pang in his chest at the memory of his old master, but he couldn’t even bring thoughts of taking the weekend for a visit to mind. If he left Nino for that long, it would only drive him crazy.
Maybe, in a few years when he was more grown, he could return to Ogura with a confident smile and take the old man’s words of praise humbly.
Sho’s eyes fluttered open again and he contently watched Nino sleep. After a few seconds his hands began running over his face and cheeks, making sure that everything was fine and that this boy wasn’t going to suddenly disappear.
A melodious giggle came from across the room, barely audible, and Sho noticed distractedly that Ohno was leaning against Nino’s other side, still in the arms of sleep, and that Aiba’s ruffled hair was sticking up on the other side of him. The mischief maker’s eyes were peaking over Ohno’s shoulder, sparkling with amusement.
“A-Aiba…ch-chan…” Sho swallowed his nervousness and paused the hand on Nino’s jaw.
“Looks like Sho-chan got the good spot,” he replied quietly, looking pointedly at Nino lying next to him.
Sho blushed from ear to ear and glanced down at the younger ninja once more.
He was just worried! It wasn’t like this was…
This wasn’t…
The shade of red on his face turned deeper and Sho couldn’t meet Aiba’s eyes again.
The archer sat up, removing his hand from where it was resting on his friend’s face, and squeezed the one between his own, before prying his fingers out of the vice grip.
Aiba sat up in panic, offering a soft apology.
“Sho-chan, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said nervously, his eyes trained on the older ninja as he stood.
“It’s not that,” he replied distractedly, although he was really only looking for an excuse to change the subject. Aiba seemed to understand Sho’s feeling better than he did himself, and that was not something Sho wanted to be faced with right now.
“No one’s reported to Jyani yet, right?” The archer turned to Aiba with a neutral expression, then distractedly adjusted his clothing. His friend swallowed, then nodded, confirming Sho’s worry.
Jyani, of course, wouldn’t reprimand them, since they had arrived with a wounded Nino, but it was unprofessional to put off the brief unless absolutely necessary.
Sho used this as his chance to escape, and quickly padded out of the room, Aiba struggling to pull himself together enough to follow him.
As the door shut, Nino’s eyes fluttered open and he sighed unhappily.
He reached out his hand and felt the warmth of the tatami mat next to him, the only evidence of Sho’s presence a moment ago.
+++
Aiba and Sho gave Jyani a bare rundown of the technicalities of the mission and the leader of the village assured the boys that he would rather have the official brief when Ohno and Nino could also join them.
It was almost a week later when Nino sent a message to Sho through Ohno.
Sho had been trying to keep himself busy, not only to stop worrying about Nino’s recovery, but also to keep his own mind at bay from the torn feelings he was having.
He knew it was dangerous to have these thoughts about Nino, mostly because of Jyani and the loyalty he was expected to have towards the village. Sho was well versed enough in ninja policy (and followed it, as well) that the scariest part of this whole thing with Nino was the repercussions it would have on his group and the way he treated Aiba and Ohno. He couldn’t put them at risk by making a rash decision in the heat of the moment.
But, despite his weak attempt to avoid the situation, Sho had faithfully taken up his spot next to Nino in the medic wing every night, although late enough that his counterpart was usually already asleep. Ohno had stayed there too, more out of habit than necessity, and because of that, Aiba stayed as well. After the second night of this, the support ninja had brought in two more futons, so that they four didn’t have to share, but, of course, they did anyway.
That day Ohno had opened the door to their private quarters cautiously, looking around with curiosity.
Sho, who had been allowing the herbalist to practice his new healing techniques on him, gazed over at Leader from where he was seated with Aiba, an anxious expression on his face.
“Sho-chan?” the oldest boy asked, raising his eyebrow at the piece of cloth tied tightly around his elbow, right above where Aiba was rubbing something onto his forearm. The archer nodded at Leader to continue with widening eyes. “Nino said he wanted to talk to you about something.”
Swallowing, Sho turned back to Aiba, who had immediately starting removing his materials from Sho’s pretend wound at Ohno’s message, realizing how important it was.
He stood, wringing his hands together and looking around distractedly, trying to place his thoughts.
He couldn’t fall in love with Nino.
It was against the rules.
“Oh-chan?” Aiba asked enthusiastically. “Want to help me practice?”
“What’re you doing?” the leader replied, shuffling over to the boy seated on the ground while Sho distractedly headed for the exit.
The rest of the conversation was lost to him. He trudged down the hallway to where he’d been sleeping for the last few days and gently slid the door open, trying to hide his uneasy expression.
Nino was sitting up in his futon, staring down at his hands, but looked up instantly as his friend came into the room.
“Sho-chan,” he greeted happily, but there was an edge of his own anxiety to his voice. The younger ninja leaned forward and tried to stand up on his own, but ended up waiting for help before completing his action, for fear of falling over. He tried not to grab his wounded side as Sho’s arm slid easily around his waist, resting on the hip opposite of his deep cut, and Nino grabbed onto his friend’s shirt for stability as he tried to gain his balance.
It had been seven days since he had been initially treated, but that wasn’t nearly enough to take the edge off the pain.
“Sorry,” he mumbled softly, his nervous smile still in place. “I was hoping we could go outside in the garden. They won’t let me go much farther than that.”
Sho nodded immediately and the two of them hobbled to the door, Nino finally getting used to the new position and resting more of his weight on his own legs and less on Sho’s arm tenderly wrapped around him.
The fresh air felt crisp in Nino’s mouth. He hadn’t been outside of his room since they had returned from the mission. It was all he could do to move around with the help of another person, let alone trying to wander by himself like he wanted to.
He directed them towards Ohno’s meditation rock and with far more effort than necessary, Sho helped Nino to sit facing the pond.
Taking up the spot next to him, the older ninja was unable to keep himself from sitting close enough for their knees to touch.
Tranquil silence overtook the pair.
So many ideas were rushing through Sho’s mind, but it only took a few words from Nino to cease all of them.
“Sho-chan, I think I love you.”
Nino was staring down at the water’s edge just outside of his grasp when Sho turned his head sharply, unsure how to respond to the direct statement.
Eyes fluttering closed, the younger ninja tilted his head up to the sky and took a deep breath.
“There, I said it,” he mumbled with relief.
Sho turned back to the pond, his stomach feeling like it would never digest anything again. If only it could be so easy for him, too.
When the older ninja didn’t respond, Nino turned back to him and offered in a rushed, anxious voice, “Look, I know we’re young, trust me I know…” He took a breath. “And I’m not entirely sure if this is just admiration or infatuation or what, but I… It’s just what my heart is telling me,” he finished quietly.
Sho dropped his head into his hands at Nino’s brutal honesty and took a few deep breaths.
He couldn’t hold it in, either. Much in the same way that his friend was struggling with his feelings, Sho felt like if he didn’t let them out he would burst.
“Well, that’s all,” Nino offered in a melancholy tone, trying to push himself up from the rock.
Sho watched him struggle for a second, unable to make his body move, before he reached out and grabbed Nino softly, anchoring him once more to the ground.
“I think I love you, too.”
Nino’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting a response to his admission, then looked away immediately, Sho’s worry obviously spilling over into his attitude too.
A tense quiet fell over them, so different from the one they had begun with.
“What do we do now, then?” Nino asked, sounding completely lost and unsure what to do with himself.
Sho felt the same.
“I… I don’t know.”
Averting his gaze, the sniper knew it was up to him to continue, since Nino had started all of it.
He reached over and grabbed the other boy's hand tightly in his own, his face blushing bright red.
Nino swallowed the nervousness that was in his mouth and turned to Sho, who was looking flustered and adorable. He smiled sweetly and squeezed the hand between his own.
His face still scarlet, Sho turned back to his love interest with a shy gaze.
The younger boy grinned impishly and leaned forward to plan a kiss on Sho’s cheek.
A dumbfounded look still on the archer’s face, he touched the spot that Nino’s lips had been with his free hand while his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with uncertainty.
Nino’s smile turned embarrassed and he shifted his eyes quickly between the pond and Sho’s own surprised ones.
Suddenly, the archer leaned forward himself and pressed their lips together in a real kiss.
It only lasted a second, but now Nino was blushing, too.
“Aw, they’re so cute!” Aiba whispered to Ohno, who was seated on his left.
After Sho had only been gone a few minutes and Aiba had found out Nino’s real motives (or deduced them from the sparse information Ohno had provided), he scratched the rest of practice to instead spy on his two friends. He and Ohno had found a good spot on the roof of the building, overlooking the garden; close enough to see most of what was happening, but in a discreet and obscure area in which most people wouldn’t look for spies. Aiba was proud of his idea and began squeeing quietly as the situation unfolded in front of them. He was so happy for his friends!
But, of course, Leader hadn’t understood.
Sho and Nino were getting all flustered with each other, even though they had been friends for several years. And then Nino had kissed Sho. And then Sho had kissed Nino.
He didn’t understand, but it certainly looked nice.
“Waah, I’m so happy they got together! Finally!”
Leader looked over at his enthusiastic partner in crime and smiled like an idiot that didn’t know what was going on. Which was what he was.
Aiba’s smile dropped into a nervous expression upon meeting Ohno’s stare.
“You didn’t see that coming?” the younger boy asked with an unsure, incredulous tone.
Leader’s eyebrows shot up and he tilted his head, not understanding what Aiba was referencing.
“That Nino and Sho-chan were in love with each other?” he offered.
Ohno looked back at the pair, now smiling at each other and acting nervous again, gently holding hands and chatting offhandedly.
Was that what this had all been about?
“But… I love Nino, too, and we don’t kiss. And I love you, too, and we don’t kiss,” was the naïve reply.
Aiba leaned back against the roof with a sigh and looked up at the bright blue sky above him, realizing this might take some work.
“Oh-chan, there’s love and then there’s love.
“Love is the kind that makes you want to be with that person forever no matter what. It makes you want to give up your life for them, even if it’s not the logical thing to do. It makes you want to kiss them and take off their clothes and make babies.”
Ohno’s eyes widened.
“Nino’s going to have a baby?” he asked.
Aiba giggled uncontrollably and chided “Of course not! Boys can’t have babies.”
That was a relief.
Looking back to his friends below him, Ohno knew he was probably sounding stupid right now, like he didn’t know anything, but the only way he was going to learn was to ask, right? And Aiba seemed to know a lot about the subject.
“But… I want to be with Aiba and Nino and Sho forever no matter what,” he said in a serious voice. “And I’d give up my life for you, too.” Logic was another problem altogether, one that Ohno usually had trouble with. And Jyani had told him the day might come when he had to leave one of them behind, but Leader still wasn’t sure he could through with that situation when it arose.
Aiba gave him a warm look. “But do you want to take off our clothes? Do you want to kiss me, Oh-chan? I’ll kiss you if you want, all you have to do is say so,” he replied teasingly, his head coming closer, lips pursed in an offer.
But Ohno leaned back and a shy smile graced his lips. “No, I guess not…”
The younger ninja smiled again. “Don’t worry, Leader. When you fall in love, you’ll know.” There was a twinkle in Aiba’s eye, like he had already seen Ohno’s future and knew what it held for him.
Ohno looked down at his legs, still pondering on this newfound emotion that Aiba was trying to explain to him.
It seemed the only thing left to do was wait.
+++
Jyani had finally seen them, now that Nino was back to walking by himself and slowly retraining his muscles. He was still expected to stay in bed most of the hours of the day, but with Sho to keep him company and Aiba to practice the things he’d been learning, it wasn’t nearly as boring as the young ninja thought it would be.
“I have heard of the details of the mission from Sho and Masaki, but I would still like you to submit a report to me after this short meeting.
“You’ve really become something, you know that?” he asked proudly, and with a lack of his usual formal wording. “You’ve completely this, one of the harder missions I’ve sent any of my men out on, with minimal casualties and next to no injuries.” Jyani looked specifically at Kazunari, whose expression was uncharacteristically soft and mellow for being praised by Jyani as much as he was right now.
At the mention of injuries, Ohno glanced at Nino out of the corner of his eye, pleased to find his friend looking energetic and refreshed. Sho sat on the other side of the weapons master, and although he had taken their relationship with a little more hesitation and tact, he also seemed happier and more relaxed than before.
Leader thought that maybe this whole falling in love business was a good thing for them, despite the warnings Jyani was always throwing around about being faithful to the village and himself first and foremost.
“You certainly have made a name for yourself. You actually have a team now. Nothing is missing, as far as I can see.” Jyani was simply beaming at them.
But Leader agreed. He had made a good pair with Nino, that was true, but Ohno had such divided attention during a mission that he often couldn’t process Nino’s suggestions fast enough to make them effective, and the weapons master often had to take such specialized positions that he couldn’t be much help on the battlefield. Sho had been good for them because he brought structure to their group, but Aiba had filled in the missing link of energy.
Once Aiba-chan finished his healing training, they would eliminate the one obvious weakness within their ranks.
The boys were unstoppable as far as Jyani was concerned. They were still lacking experience, but as that came they would become unbelievably strong, with no other rivals in their age group and at their level.
“I have no further suggestions or changes to make,” he said with finality, sporting a wide smile. This is what he had brought his boys in for, not to simply rehash the month-old mission. “Therefore, I believe a christening, of sorts, is in order. We will hold a festival in the village tonight in your name, honoring the work you have put into becoming great and the success that we have witnessed at your hands.”
Leader tilted his head, Aiba looked excited, Nino had started paying attention again instead of stealing glances at Sho, and the archer’s eyes widened at the mention of something so grand.
“In celebration of our Arashi,” Jyani added.
There was no immediate response to the lord’s words.
“...Arashi?” Sho asked a second later, tentatively and with a questioning expression.
“It’s the name I’ve come up with for you. Arashi will create a storm across the nation, and everyone will know you and your achievements,” the village leader explained proudly.
Arashi.
Ohno mulled over the name in his head.
Arashi.
Yes, he definitely liked it.
++++
A/N: :D I'm back! A bit tired, but not too much to not update! Maybe we can get back to twice a week? :DD
Actually, this is the end of Part 1... Umm, there's really nothing special about the parts, other than it divides the story up, so I guess this could be considered the "introduction" part...? >_> Scary that that part was so long, right? :0 Maybe I'll make a new banner for part two!!
And... Although the Ohno pairing hasn't quite shown up yet, it's obvious, right? Right? So anyway, I'll include the pairings starting from the next chapter. It should be really good. :) Happy Obon! And I'd love to read your comments whether their squeeing or criticism or somewhere in between. <3
Chapter eight
Rating: PG13 (for mild violence)
Pairing: TBA, Ohno-centric
Genre: action, AU
Chapter: seven
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Ohno Satoshi is the student of a strong ninja lord who has lived his life following his teacher’s strict guidance. But what happens when he slowly learns he has to live for himself?
Chapter one, Chapter two, Chapter three, Chapter four, Chapter five, Chapter six
“We need a support ninja. Fast,” Sho gasped to the first person he saw upon entering the Main Building.
They had gotten Nino out of direct harm’s way, across the castle wall and into a nearby forest, before they sprawled him out on the ground and found the deep wound pouring blood out of his side.
Aiba, the only one of them with any support experience, had said it wouldn’t be fatal unless Nino lost too much blood, but those words didn’t comfort Sho in the least with how fast it was pouring out of his friend.
Between the three of them, they had gotten Nino’s shirt off and wrapped two of their standard issued nets around him to stop the blood flow. Sho had torn off his shirt and offered it as extra padding, since Nino’s was already completely soaked red, and had spent the rest of the trip half naked because of it.
He didn’t care, though. All that matter was getting Nino some medical attention.
After that, they had slowly headed back to their village, knowing that there was no other secure healing center close enough in which they could put their trust.
It hadn’t been that far, but every step forward seemed like a step towards losing Nino, at least to Sho.
Ohno and Aiba looked anxious as well. The captain occasionally checked the youngest ninja’s temperature for a fever and, although Aiba had dressed the wound, he had admitted that he didn’t have anything that would do more than numb the pain. The herbalist didn’t know any special healing abilities that many of the other workers in his profession did, and now it seemed like he was kicking himself in the ass for not learning any.
Sho hated himself even more, though.
He was still useless.
He was always useless.
The sniper had run out of darts at the end of the battle, unable to do anything but watch his friends fight. Even when they were escaping, Ohno had been the one to notice Nino’s erratic behavior and take care of him while Sho was focused on fleeing.
Now all he could do was carry the youngest ninja on his back, feeling the blood seeping out of Nino and onto his bare skin. The youngest ninja hadn’t regained consciousness since he had collapsed at the castle, and his breathing was labored and often came in gasps, all of which made Sho want to rush getting him back to the village, but he knew that if he jarred Nino too much that it would only be worse for his injury.
When Aiba had offered to carry him, Sho had snipped at him and told him that he could do it himself. In fact, he wanted to make up for not seeing the problem in the first place, but that was a stupid reason to exhaust oneself like Sho was doing at that point.
But he had carried out his promise and held Nino all the way back to the Main Building, just when the soft glow of morning was peeking up out of the trees.
The house servant he yelled at had jumped, but nodded immediately as he set off running towards the support wing of the building, where the group headed themselves.
Before they had reached their destination, though, a support ninja was already out in the hallway, the servant from a moment again watching from a few feet back anxiously as the ninja came together. Sho carried Nino to the indicated room, but stayed by his side even after he was softly laid onto a clean sheet.
Ohno and Aiba sat down next to him distractedly, watching with intense gazes as one more ninja came in behind the first and began examining Nino, taking off the makeshift bandages and revealing the stab wound. They treated it efficiently and then forced a cup of something green with herbs down the ninja’s throat.
After almost an hour of not moving other than to watch the medics shift back and forth, the three boys were told that Nino would be fine, he just needed a few weeks to recover. Since they were there anyway, the support ninja examined the three remaining boys in turn, discovering that Ohno had several cuts on his arms which needed to be bandaged. One of his hands was also treated, since the fall on the rope had torn his glove and left him with a noticeable burn, but Sho and Aiba walked away with nothing more than shaky legs.
The medics requested Ohno stay behind to be treated for exhaustion, but dismissed the other two back to their rooms, suggesting they get some well deserved rest.
Neither of them had flinched and insisted they were staying with their group members. Sho didn’t care if he had to sleep sitting up, he was going to stay next to Nino until he could look into his friend’s deep eyes and properly apologize for not forcing his help on the younger ninja sooner.
And Aiba was just as worried about his friends as Sho was. The herbalist had noticed Ohno’s injuries right after they had taken off with Nino securely on Sho’s back, but he hadn’t mentioned anything. He knew that both of his friends would say that they were nothing compared to Nino’s wound and that he needed to be taken care of first. Nevertheless, Aiba had kept a close eye on both the unconscious boy and their captain, ready to step in at any point if they grew worse.
Ohno had made it back despite his bloody arms, and now both of his friends were in good hands. Aiba had been excited for the difficult mission, but now he was simply happy it was over. He had never imagined it would be as hard as it had been or that death would be hanging so closely over their heads, but he felt like he knew what real missions were made of now. It wasn’t something to be proud of for accomplishing; it was something to be proud of for surviving.
Through the entire day, Sho and Aiba stayed in the medical wing, the herbalist only leaving momentarily to round up some food for the three of them that were conscious and a shirt for the archer, since his was covered in Nino’s blood. When he had come back, Sho was dozing, his head falling forward towards his folded legs, then darting backwards as he realized what he was doing. Instead of waking him up to offer him the rice he had returned with, Aiba instead guided him gently to the floor while Ohno watched, laying him parallel to Nino on the ground and giving the two of them a small, but endearing, smile.
As the other members slept, Aiba and Ohno ate their lunch quietly and chatted about fishing. Aiba had led Leader into explaining the best bait to use and how to make a pole out of a tree branch and a thin piece of string. Although Aiba wasn’t sure he’d be able to bring himself to kill a fish, it was still interesting to hear various methods of going about it, especially coming from the usually quiet Ohno.
But it wasn’t even an hour later when the swordsman couldn’t repress yawn after yawn and so Aiba suggested gently that he lay down in the futon provided for him by the support ninja and recover with Sho and Nino, who hadn’t stirred the entire time.
Even though Aiba himself was tired from their mission, as he figured he would be, instead of taking up his usual spot on the other side of Leader, once the oldest ninja’s breaths were steady, he stepped into the hallway to find a support ninja.
He was determined to learn some better healing techniques before their next mission. He couldn’t stand to see his friends in pain, whether it was a physical wound like Nino’s or an emotional one like Ohno’s.
It wasn't obvious why Leader kept to himself so often, but Aiba’s usual quiet method of asking leading questions, which typically ended in the target not realizing what they were talking about, didn’t work. Judging by his lack of emotional response and Nino’s own tentativeness, there was something going on that none of them wanted to bring up.
Aiba would get to the bottom of that, too, but first he needed to take care of mending physical scars, something that he knew nothing about.
The support ninja smiled at the young recruit and chatted with him for a few minutes before recommending another herbalist that could teach him a thing or two.
+++
Nino woke up quite the same as usual. His consciousness would slowly become more alert, telling the rest of his body that there was a reason to start moving, and over a few minutes Nino’s eyes would flicker until he could finally force them open.
The first thing he saw that night was Sho’s face, only a few inches from his own.
The archer was sprawled out on the tatami mat instead of a futon like Nino was wrapped in, and one of his hands was grasping onto the blanket covering the younger ninja while his other was stretched over his head in an awkward position.
There were bags under his eyes and his mouth was half open in a vision of exhaustion, as if he had waiting until the last possible moment to fall asleep.
Nino looked away with a guilty expression and tried to turn onto his back, feeling the pang in his side that he knew would be there.
His shoulder collided into something and the ninja tentatively turned his head, realizing that Ohno was lying behind him, where his back had been a moment ago. Leader was dead asleep, too, although not looking quite as exhausted as Sho did, and his arms were covered in bandages. The youngest ninja’s heart sped up at the thought that Ohno had been injured because of him, but it seemed like he was okay for the most part.
Nino took a deep breath and tried to adjust himself between his two friends, scooting closer to Sho in the process in order to properly lay on the futon.
Staring up the ceiling for several seconds, he recapped the end of the mission and tried to remember if anyone else had been injured during their escape.
But Nino couldn’t remember most of the details past Ohno almost falling from the balcony of the castle and Aiba catching him.
With that thought, Nino suddenly realized the newest member of their group was missing.
He tried to sit up, but the motion only ended in him grasping his side with a pinched expression and falling backwards again. It would be a little longer until he could go looking for his new friend by himself, if at all.
As the pain subsided, the weapon specialist turned his head cautiously, looking at Ohno’s peaceful expression and then at Sho.
He gulped and pried the hand from his blanket, taking it in his own instead.
Nino ran his fingers tentatively over Sho’s palm and allowed his eyes to drift closed again, feeling overwhelmed and tired from everything that had happened.
+++
Aiba had spent the entire day with a retired support ninja that was making his current living as Jyani’s personal herbalist. The boy had been eager to learn anything he could from the man, who had a loose schedule and had taken a liking to him immediately.
They went through a review of the little bit of healing that Aiba did know, then the man (his name, as Aiba found out several hours into the training, was Ken), began teaching him simple methods to cut off blood flow to an affected area and certain herbs that could be used to either numb the nerves or help the patient deal with shock.
Aiba had tried to take mental notes on everything (resorting to a scroll later when he started mixing up details), and had dedicated himself to the project until Ken had sent him back to his room, telling him to close that oversized trap of yours and get some rest.
But, of course, the herbalist hadn’t gone back to his private rooms. Instead, he slipped into the medical facility in which his other friends were staying, smiling sleepily at the three of them snuggled together, fast asleep.
Before retiring himself, Aiba pulled Nino’s covers over to lie on top of Sho as well and keep both of them warm during the rest of the night. His smile grew bigger as he noticed the two of them holding hands tightly, and nudged the archer a little closer to the youngest of them, knowing that the expression on their faces when they woke up would be more than worth it.
Aiba readjusted Ohno’s blanket, apologizing softly for helping himself, and slid under the futon next to their Leader, pressing his hands lightly into the other boy’s back and moving as close to the older ninja as he could.
He was just glad they were all okay and that Nino had been saved.
The idea of living without any of his three new friends tore at Aiba’s heart and, although he blinked sleepily and let his eyes drift shut, his resolve was as strong as ever.
+++
Sho was the first to wake the next day and found Nino snuggled against his chest, his breath soft against his neck.
The archer’s first reaction was to jump away, but he realized that the younger boy had a tight grip on his hand and calmed down, trying to force the blush away from his face.
They were in a futon together, although Sho had no idea how that had happened, and Nino’s chest continually rose and fell with the gentle rhythm of sleep.
Sho really shouldn’t wake him up. Nino needed his rest.
With that thought as an excuse, Sho leaned forward again and ran his free hand tenderly through Nino’s tousled hair, silently thanking the spirits over and over again for the younger boy’s safe recovery. Gently pulling his friend against his chest once more, Sho squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears.
He was reminded of the first night they had slept in the same bed, when they were both bawling. That seemed so long ago, now, and it was, especially to Sho’s young mind. Life before even Aiba had come to them seemed incomprehensible, even though it had only been in place a little while.
In fact, he could barely remember his times with Ogura in the neighboring village and it scared him how fast he had acclimated to his days here with Ohno and Nino and Aiba. Sho felt a pang in his chest at the memory of his old master, but he couldn’t even bring thoughts of taking the weekend for a visit to mind. If he left Nino for that long, it would only drive him crazy.
Maybe, in a few years when he was more grown, he could return to Ogura with a confident smile and take the old man’s words of praise humbly.
Sho’s eyes fluttered open again and he contently watched Nino sleep. After a few seconds his hands began running over his face and cheeks, making sure that everything was fine and that this boy wasn’t going to suddenly disappear.
A melodious giggle came from across the room, barely audible, and Sho noticed distractedly that Ohno was leaning against Nino’s other side, still in the arms of sleep, and that Aiba’s ruffled hair was sticking up on the other side of him. The mischief maker’s eyes were peaking over Ohno’s shoulder, sparkling with amusement.
“A-Aiba…ch-chan…” Sho swallowed his nervousness and paused the hand on Nino’s jaw.
“Looks like Sho-chan got the good spot,” he replied quietly, looking pointedly at Nino lying next to him.
Sho blushed from ear to ear and glanced down at the younger ninja once more.
He was just worried! It wasn’t like this was…
This wasn’t…
The shade of red on his face turned deeper and Sho couldn’t meet Aiba’s eyes again.
The archer sat up, removing his hand from where it was resting on his friend’s face, and squeezed the one between his own, before prying his fingers out of the vice grip.
Aiba sat up in panic, offering a soft apology.
“Sho-chan, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said nervously, his eyes trained on the older ninja as he stood.
“It’s not that,” he replied distractedly, although he was really only looking for an excuse to change the subject. Aiba seemed to understand Sho’s feeling better than he did himself, and that was not something Sho wanted to be faced with right now.
“No one’s reported to Jyani yet, right?” The archer turned to Aiba with a neutral expression, then distractedly adjusted his clothing. His friend swallowed, then nodded, confirming Sho’s worry.
Jyani, of course, wouldn’t reprimand them, since they had arrived with a wounded Nino, but it was unprofessional to put off the brief unless absolutely necessary.
Sho used this as his chance to escape, and quickly padded out of the room, Aiba struggling to pull himself together enough to follow him.
As the door shut, Nino’s eyes fluttered open and he sighed unhappily.
He reached out his hand and felt the warmth of the tatami mat next to him, the only evidence of Sho’s presence a moment ago.
+++
Aiba and Sho gave Jyani a bare rundown of the technicalities of the mission and the leader of the village assured the boys that he would rather have the official brief when Ohno and Nino could also join them.
It was almost a week later when Nino sent a message to Sho through Ohno.
Sho had been trying to keep himself busy, not only to stop worrying about Nino’s recovery, but also to keep his own mind at bay from the torn feelings he was having.
He knew it was dangerous to have these thoughts about Nino, mostly because of Jyani and the loyalty he was expected to have towards the village. Sho was well versed enough in ninja policy (and followed it, as well) that the scariest part of this whole thing with Nino was the repercussions it would have on his group and the way he treated Aiba and Ohno. He couldn’t put them at risk by making a rash decision in the heat of the moment.
But, despite his weak attempt to avoid the situation, Sho had faithfully taken up his spot next to Nino in the medic wing every night, although late enough that his counterpart was usually already asleep. Ohno had stayed there too, more out of habit than necessity, and because of that, Aiba stayed as well. After the second night of this, the support ninja had brought in two more futons, so that they four didn’t have to share, but, of course, they did anyway.
That day Ohno had opened the door to their private quarters cautiously, looking around with curiosity.
Sho, who had been allowing the herbalist to practice his new healing techniques on him, gazed over at Leader from where he was seated with Aiba, an anxious expression on his face.
“Sho-chan?” the oldest boy asked, raising his eyebrow at the piece of cloth tied tightly around his elbow, right above where Aiba was rubbing something onto his forearm. The archer nodded at Leader to continue with widening eyes. “Nino said he wanted to talk to you about something.”
Swallowing, Sho turned back to Aiba, who had immediately starting removing his materials from Sho’s pretend wound at Ohno’s message, realizing how important it was.
He stood, wringing his hands together and looking around distractedly, trying to place his thoughts.
He couldn’t fall in love with Nino.
It was against the rules.
“Oh-chan?” Aiba asked enthusiastically. “Want to help me practice?”
“What’re you doing?” the leader replied, shuffling over to the boy seated on the ground while Sho distractedly headed for the exit.
The rest of the conversation was lost to him. He trudged down the hallway to where he’d been sleeping for the last few days and gently slid the door open, trying to hide his uneasy expression.
Nino was sitting up in his futon, staring down at his hands, but looked up instantly as his friend came into the room.
“Sho-chan,” he greeted happily, but there was an edge of his own anxiety to his voice. The younger ninja leaned forward and tried to stand up on his own, but ended up waiting for help before completing his action, for fear of falling over. He tried not to grab his wounded side as Sho’s arm slid easily around his waist, resting on the hip opposite of his deep cut, and Nino grabbed onto his friend’s shirt for stability as he tried to gain his balance.
It had been seven days since he had been initially treated, but that wasn’t nearly enough to take the edge off the pain.
“Sorry,” he mumbled softly, his nervous smile still in place. “I was hoping we could go outside in the garden. They won’t let me go much farther than that.”
Sho nodded immediately and the two of them hobbled to the door, Nino finally getting used to the new position and resting more of his weight on his own legs and less on Sho’s arm tenderly wrapped around him.
The fresh air felt crisp in Nino’s mouth. He hadn’t been outside of his room since they had returned from the mission. It was all he could do to move around with the help of another person, let alone trying to wander by himself like he wanted to.
He directed them towards Ohno’s meditation rock and with far more effort than necessary, Sho helped Nino to sit facing the pond.
Taking up the spot next to him, the older ninja was unable to keep himself from sitting close enough for their knees to touch.
Tranquil silence overtook the pair.
So many ideas were rushing through Sho’s mind, but it only took a few words from Nino to cease all of them.
“Sho-chan, I think I love you.”
Nino was staring down at the water’s edge just outside of his grasp when Sho turned his head sharply, unsure how to respond to the direct statement.
Eyes fluttering closed, the younger ninja tilted his head up to the sky and took a deep breath.
“There, I said it,” he mumbled with relief.
Sho turned back to the pond, his stomach feeling like it would never digest anything again. If only it could be so easy for him, too.
When the older ninja didn’t respond, Nino turned back to him and offered in a rushed, anxious voice, “Look, I know we’re young, trust me I know…” He took a breath. “And I’m not entirely sure if this is just admiration or infatuation or what, but I… It’s just what my heart is telling me,” he finished quietly.
Sho dropped his head into his hands at Nino’s brutal honesty and took a few deep breaths.
He couldn’t hold it in, either. Much in the same way that his friend was struggling with his feelings, Sho felt like if he didn’t let them out he would burst.
“Well, that’s all,” Nino offered in a melancholy tone, trying to push himself up from the rock.
Sho watched him struggle for a second, unable to make his body move, before he reached out and grabbed Nino softly, anchoring him once more to the ground.
“I think I love you, too.”
Nino’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting a response to his admission, then looked away immediately, Sho’s worry obviously spilling over into his attitude too.
A tense quiet fell over them, so different from the one they had begun with.
“What do we do now, then?” Nino asked, sounding completely lost and unsure what to do with himself.
Sho felt the same.
“I… I don’t know.”
Averting his gaze, the sniper knew it was up to him to continue, since Nino had started all of it.
He reached over and grabbed the other boy's hand tightly in his own, his face blushing bright red.
Nino swallowed the nervousness that was in his mouth and turned to Sho, who was looking flustered and adorable. He smiled sweetly and squeezed the hand between his own.
His face still scarlet, Sho turned back to his love interest with a shy gaze.
The younger boy grinned impishly and leaned forward to plan a kiss on Sho’s cheek.
A dumbfounded look still on the archer’s face, he touched the spot that Nino’s lips had been with his free hand while his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down with uncertainty.
Nino’s smile turned embarrassed and he shifted his eyes quickly between the pond and Sho’s own surprised ones.
Suddenly, the archer leaned forward himself and pressed their lips together in a real kiss.
It only lasted a second, but now Nino was blushing, too.
“Aw, they’re so cute!” Aiba whispered to Ohno, who was seated on his left.
After Sho had only been gone a few minutes and Aiba had found out Nino’s real motives (or deduced them from the sparse information Ohno had provided), he scratched the rest of practice to instead spy on his two friends. He and Ohno had found a good spot on the roof of the building, overlooking the garden; close enough to see most of what was happening, but in a discreet and obscure area in which most people wouldn’t look for spies. Aiba was proud of his idea and began squeeing quietly as the situation unfolded in front of them. He was so happy for his friends!
But, of course, Leader hadn’t understood.
Sho and Nino were getting all flustered with each other, even though they had been friends for several years. And then Nino had kissed Sho. And then Sho had kissed Nino.
He didn’t understand, but it certainly looked nice.
“Waah, I’m so happy they got together! Finally!”
Leader looked over at his enthusiastic partner in crime and smiled like an idiot that didn’t know what was going on. Which was what he was.
Aiba’s smile dropped into a nervous expression upon meeting Ohno’s stare.
“You didn’t see that coming?” the younger boy asked with an unsure, incredulous tone.
Leader’s eyebrows shot up and he tilted his head, not understanding what Aiba was referencing.
“That Nino and Sho-chan were in love with each other?” he offered.
Ohno looked back at the pair, now smiling at each other and acting nervous again, gently holding hands and chatting offhandedly.
Was that what this had all been about?
“But… I love Nino, too, and we don’t kiss. And I love you, too, and we don’t kiss,” was the naïve reply.
Aiba leaned back against the roof with a sigh and looked up at the bright blue sky above him, realizing this might take some work.
“Oh-chan, there’s love and then there’s love.
“Love is the kind that makes you want to be with that person forever no matter what. It makes you want to give up your life for them, even if it’s not the logical thing to do. It makes you want to kiss them and take off their clothes and make babies.”
Ohno’s eyes widened.
“Nino’s going to have a baby?” he asked.
Aiba giggled uncontrollably and chided “Of course not! Boys can’t have babies.”
That was a relief.
Looking back to his friends below him, Ohno knew he was probably sounding stupid right now, like he didn’t know anything, but the only way he was going to learn was to ask, right? And Aiba seemed to know a lot about the subject.
“But… I want to be with Aiba and Nino and Sho forever no matter what,” he said in a serious voice. “And I’d give up my life for you, too.” Logic was another problem altogether, one that Ohno usually had trouble with. And Jyani had told him the day might come when he had to leave one of them behind, but Leader still wasn’t sure he could through with that situation when it arose.
Aiba gave him a warm look. “But do you want to take off our clothes? Do you want to kiss me, Oh-chan? I’ll kiss you if you want, all you have to do is say so,” he replied teasingly, his head coming closer, lips pursed in an offer.
But Ohno leaned back and a shy smile graced his lips. “No, I guess not…”
The younger ninja smiled again. “Don’t worry, Leader. When you fall in love, you’ll know.” There was a twinkle in Aiba’s eye, like he had already seen Ohno’s future and knew what it held for him.
Ohno looked down at his legs, still pondering on this newfound emotion that Aiba was trying to explain to him.
It seemed the only thing left to do was wait.
+++
Jyani had finally seen them, now that Nino was back to walking by himself and slowly retraining his muscles. He was still expected to stay in bed most of the hours of the day, but with Sho to keep him company and Aiba to practice the things he’d been learning, it wasn’t nearly as boring as the young ninja thought it would be.
“I have heard of the details of the mission from Sho and Masaki, but I would still like you to submit a report to me after this short meeting.
“You’ve really become something, you know that?” he asked proudly, and with a lack of his usual formal wording. “You’ve completely this, one of the harder missions I’ve sent any of my men out on, with minimal casualties and next to no injuries.” Jyani looked specifically at Kazunari, whose expression was uncharacteristically soft and mellow for being praised by Jyani as much as he was right now.
At the mention of injuries, Ohno glanced at Nino out of the corner of his eye, pleased to find his friend looking energetic and refreshed. Sho sat on the other side of the weapons master, and although he had taken their relationship with a little more hesitation and tact, he also seemed happier and more relaxed than before.
Leader thought that maybe this whole falling in love business was a good thing for them, despite the warnings Jyani was always throwing around about being faithful to the village and himself first and foremost.
“You certainly have made a name for yourself. You actually have a team now. Nothing is missing, as far as I can see.” Jyani was simply beaming at them.
But Leader agreed. He had made a good pair with Nino, that was true, but Ohno had such divided attention during a mission that he often couldn’t process Nino’s suggestions fast enough to make them effective, and the weapons master often had to take such specialized positions that he couldn’t be much help on the battlefield. Sho had been good for them because he brought structure to their group, but Aiba had filled in the missing link of energy.
Once Aiba-chan finished his healing training, they would eliminate the one obvious weakness within their ranks.
The boys were unstoppable as far as Jyani was concerned. They were still lacking experience, but as that came they would become unbelievably strong, with no other rivals in their age group and at their level.
“I have no further suggestions or changes to make,” he said with finality, sporting a wide smile. This is what he had brought his boys in for, not to simply rehash the month-old mission. “Therefore, I believe a christening, of sorts, is in order. We will hold a festival in the village tonight in your name, honoring the work you have put into becoming great and the success that we have witnessed at your hands.”
Leader tilted his head, Aiba looked excited, Nino had started paying attention again instead of stealing glances at Sho, and the archer’s eyes widened at the mention of something so grand.
“In celebration of our Arashi,” Jyani added.
There was no immediate response to the lord’s words.
“...Arashi?” Sho asked a second later, tentatively and with a questioning expression.
“It’s the name I’ve come up with for you. Arashi will create a storm across the nation, and everyone will know you and your achievements,” the village leader explained proudly.
Arashi.
Ohno mulled over the name in his head.
Arashi.
Yes, he definitely liked it.
++++
A/N: :D I'm back! A bit tired, but not too much to not update! Maybe we can get back to twice a week? :DD
Actually, this is the end of Part 1... Umm, there's really nothing special about the parts, other than it divides the story up, so I guess this could be considered the "introduction" part...? >_> Scary that that part was so long, right? :0 Maybe I'll make a new banner for part two!!
And... Although the Ohno pairing hasn't quite shown up yet, it's obvious, right? Right? So anyway, I'll include the pairings starting from the next chapter. It should be really good. :) Happy Obon! And I'd love to read your comments whether their squeeing or criticism or somewhere in between. <3
Chapter eight