Once a Wizard, Always a Shinobi Ch 13
Rating:: M (to be safe)
Warnings:: Slash/shounen ai (maybe YAOI), Het, blood and stuff, non-con (though I'll warn you so you can skip), mentions of underage (I guess) HarryOC (OC dies so don’t get in a twist) ShuraHaku (yes, he WILL be a HE)
Diclaimer:: I was just walking down the street when, out of nowhere, all these lawyers come rushing me with legal documents! They were frothing at the mouth and exclaiming that I was stepping all over someone’s copyrights!! I told them I’d put up a proper disclaimer and they were all “Not another one! We’re going out of business!”
Note:: Well, for those of you who are wondering why it took so long, it’s because I had to revise some things in this chapter. Also, your get a post on the one-shots as well for the holiday. I won’t usually do this, but you guys deserve it!! Also, NARUTO!! -squee-
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When he walked through the door of his own home several days later, Shurachi was quite the sight to behold. His usually meticulous hair was dull and slightly tangled, his clothing was rumpled from not being changed, and he had bags the size of Kyuubi under his eyes. It was the first time Kiba had ever seen his ‘mother’ looking so unkempt without a visit from Koishi-nii preceding it and he was worried.
“Kaa-san…?” His voice was timid, laced with his concern. Shura lifted dull green eyes to look at him and attempted to smile.
It came out more of a grimace as he handed his bag off to Doku, who climbed the stairs to put it away. “Hey runt, you were good for Abur…Hajime-kun right? Didn’t get Shino into to much trouble did you?” He seemed to deflate a little more.
Kiba crept forward silently until he was within hugging distance and wrapped his arms around his ‘mother.’ “I was good, I love you Kaa-san.” Tears sprang to Shura’s eyes at the quiet words and he fell to his knees to hug his brother as tightly as was safe.
“I l-love you too, Kiba-pup.” The brothers stood in the hall; one silently crying, the other offering as much comfort as he could, for several long minutes before Kiba crawled into bed with his ‘mother’.
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The next day Kiba somehow managed to convince Shurachi to take him out for lunch. He told Shino, quite sorrowfully, that he didn’t think his mother would be up for a visit from the other boy and promised to update him on the older Inuzuka’s condition as soon as he could.
So both of them settled on seats at Ichiraku’s and ordered their customary Ramen, Shurachi’s extra spicy to help make him feel better. “Kaa-san? Ano…are you okay?” Kiba’s ‘mother’ still looked miserable, though he was obviously trying to cheer up for his pup.
“Don’t worry about me pup, I’ll be okay.” Sad green eyes crinkled a little in a pathetic smile. He really wished he could just follow Koishi into death, but his puppy needed him. Their father wasn’t in enough touch with the family now to take care of him and as much as he loved her, their sister was kind of hopeless with children.
A familiar orange blur made him stiffen a little before relaxing again. The little kitsune child was sniffing curiously at the stand, obviously hungry if the way he was gripping his stomach was anything to go by. It reminded Shura vaguely of something he knew he shouldn’t forget, but caused him more pain than he was willing to deal with at the moment. So, he stopped trying to figure out why the scene was familiar to him and instead ordered an extra miso ramen and set it at the empty seat on his other side.
“Come on in little kit, we’ve been waiting for you.” Shura called just loud enough for the orange blur to hear. It moved into view of his glasses and sharpened into a small, blond child. He fidgeted awkwardly before scrambling onto the stool and snatching up the chop sticks.
Kiba immediately perked up at the slightly less weary expression on his mother’s face and flashed a small grin at the small boy on the other side of Shurachi. “Can I have more Kaa-san?” He held up his empty bowl and grinned widely, feeling happiness bubble in his chest at the ghost of a grin on his mother’s face.
His bowl was filled twice more before he was entirely full, though the blond kid was still going strong after five bowls of his own. Shurachi was slowly making his way through his own second bowl, having felt a little hungrier than he had since-well, in a while. Finally, when the blond was blinking sleepily at his empty bowl, Shura sucked up his last noodle and handed over the money.
He glanced with a small chuckle at the pair of droopy boys on either side of him. “Would you put anything he orders on my tab from now on?” He motioned toward the surprised, but still tired, blond and the old man nodded with a warm smile. “Arigatou gozaimasu Oyaji-san.”
Shura scooped Kiba up, glad they’d left the dogs at home, then reached down with his other arm and scooped the blond boy up as well. It took him a while to sniff out the dingy, dirty, and disgusting apartment the child lived in and when he did he made sure to memorize the address. He’d be visiting it soon enough with a genin team and some cleaning supplies.
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It had been a few weeks since Koishi’s death and Shura was doing as well as to be expected. He was waiting in a large arena with a handful of other chûnin for the Hokage to finish talking and explain how they were going to be chosen for jyônin status.
When he finally did there was a bit of nervous shuffling, but no obvious discomfort. The chûnin would be paired against a jyônin and they would fight until one person was unable to. Death and unconsciousness were the only acceptable reasons for the fight to end.
Just as in the chûnin exams, a large board shuffled through names until it stopped to reveal who would be fighting against who. Several matches went by, each spectacular in their own way, until Shurachi’s own name was chosen. He was up against someone named Anko.
Hajime groaned from his place beside several other Aburame jyônin. This exam was only open to those ranked jyônin and above in Konoha and he had left Shino with Kiba at the Inuzuka compound before coming to watch.
He eyed Shura from behind his sunglasses, red eyes a shade darker than Koishi’s had been, and hoped that Anko didn’t kill his friend. As the battle began, Hajime started up a running commentary in his mind for Koishi’s benefit. Hopefully his brother could hear what was going on if he couldn’t watch it.
The pair eyed each other across the expansive battle field. Shura knew nothing of his opponent and so he waited for her to make the first move. To his relief, she did. Anko bit her thumb, dragged it down her arm, and slammed her hand into the ground. Smoke began to fill her side of the arena immediately afterwards letting Shura know exactly what she’d done.
Hurriedly biting his own thumb, Shura wiped it over his left cheek and symbols glowed briefly before he slammed his own hand down. When the smoke cleared a giant panther and serpent were revealed. Both shinobi stood atop their summons heads, Doku on Shura’s back, and faced each other.
“It’s about time you summoned me for something more useful than missing nin! I was beginning to get annoyed.” Shura smiled sheepishly, forgetting that the creature couldn’t see it.
“Sorry, but I promise you we’ll go hunting together any time you wish if you win.” The panther purred and the rumbling was enough to shake the stadium.
Across from them the snake reared and then charged. Obviously whatever it had been promised was sufficient for it to obey Anko. “Sssss. You will fall little cat! I will feast upon your flesssssh!” Harry wrinkled his nose at the thought and held tight to the fur beneath his fingers as the feline leaped.
Thick coils wrapped around the large cat as it’s own fangs and claws sunk deeply into serpentine flesh. Harry’s eyes rose to clash with Anko’s while the two beasts were forced to halt and try overpowering each other. “Doku.” His whisper was quiet, but the dog understood and climbed off of his humans back.
He began to race along the coils, jumping where needed, heading straight for Anko. She didn’t have time to prepare her defense, no matter that the attack was as obvious as daylight. As soon as she began to gather her chakra for a jutsu kikai were on her. Her entire body was covered within seconds and she screamed shrilly.
Harry was breathing heavily as he tried to adjust to the sudden pain all of his kikai leaving his body had caused him. The young ones that were still unable to fly tried to ease the pain, but it wasn’t really enough to dull the ache. Koishi had wanted him to reveal his kikai at the jyônin exams.
Once he took those exams, no matter if he passed, no one could force him to attempt giving them up. No one could lawfully attack him because of the kikai either. A pouf and the coughing caused by the smoke of a summons vanishing let Shura know he’d won the match. The panther under him rumbled that he’d better remember his promise before leaving as well.
Arashi cleared his throat “Winner, jyônin Inuzuka Shurachi. Next pair!” Just as the other winners had received, polite clapping echoed around the stadium. Shura glanced at the space that the Inuzuka clan was taking up and was only mildly disappointed that his father hadn’t shown up to watch his match.
His uncle, Kunimitsu, smiled encouragingly at him and Shura jumped onto the second level reserved for the shinobi watching the matches. He made a beeline for Hajime, who was probably the only Aburame he trusted not to attack him at that moment. The older males arms encircled him protectively.
“Now we know where Koishi’s kikai went, eh?” Hajime murmured in his ear and tightened his hold as Shura stiffened.
The older Aburame men encircled them and Koishi’s father cleared his throat. “You will come with us to the Aburame compound immediately Inuzuka-san.” Doku growled and Shura absently scratched behind his ears. “The dog cannot come.”
Green eyes flashed at the obvious insult, but Shura quietly told Doku to go home and protect Kiba. Just in case someone tried to retaliate against him with his pup.
They arrived as the sun was going down and Shura was made to wait in the main square. Unlike the Uchiha once were, the Aburame didn’t have a huge clan. Theirs tended to survive well into old age and so they didn’t have as many children as they possibly could. On top of that, all Aburame were shinobi, no civilians.
As such, they didn’t have an entire minivillage. Instead they got by with a few streets that all led into the ceremonial square that all children were given their first kikai in. Aburame Kai, Koishi’s father, stepped out of the gathering crowd carrying a circular gourd. Shura closed his eyes as he remembered who’s gourd it was. He’d only ever seen it when in Koishi’s room, but it still brought back a flood of painful memories.
“Inuzuka Shurachi. You have proven to hold the main weapon of the Aburame clan after the death of your lover and my son. Do you deny this?” Shura pressed his lips firmly together. “Is it true that you received the kikai housed within Aburame Koishi’s body upon his death?”
This time he turned his face away and wondered why he had bothered to reveal himself. They were going to make him give up the only tangible proof of Koishi’s love that he had. The only thing linking him undeniably to his dead lover. “Yes? Then we, the Aburame clan, present you with the late Aburame Koishi’s gourd in order to help you house so many kikai.”
Red eyes, while not warm in the least, sparkled kindly at Shura. “He loved you enough that his kikai ignored a blood relation in order to remain with you. Our only request is that you do not shame our clan in your use of the kikai.” Shurachi took the gourd with trembling fingers and swung it onto his back.
It settled easily in the hollow of his lower back and Shura could feel kikai leaving his body to fill it. His vision blurred with tears, Shura didn’t bother to try anything more than a stiff bow before fleeing the compound. He could hear the quiet steps of someone following him, but he didn’t care to see who it was.
He climbed directly into his room, dropped the gourd on the floor, and gasped to try and forcefully hold back the tears. He heard someone knock on the door, listened to his brothers enthusiastic greeting, then tried to block out the quiet footsteps coming up the stairs.
They continued closer and closer until his door was opened and two small pairs of arms were wrapped around his hunched form. “Kaa-san? Shino-kun told me…”
Shurachi clenched his eyes tighter “Shurachi-oba…Koishi-oji was really happy with you.” Shino paused as Shura’s arms wrapped around both he and Kiba. “He wouldn’t have wanted you to be so sad and I think he would have preferred you to have his gourd, even if you hadn’t had kikai.”
“Thanks Shino-chan, Kiba-pup.” He gave the pair a watery smile. “I think I needed to hear that. Now, who’s hungry? I promised stake if I made it into the ranks of the jyônin so you’re welcome to stay Shino.” Both boys seemed to sense that Shura needed it to be normal again and eyed each other.
“Last one down the stairs-” Kiba started.
“-is an Iwa genin!” Shino finished. Shurachi laughed at the saying the pair had picked up from Hajime and Shurachi’s bickering when he’d tried teaching the other to cook. The attempt had failed, naturally, but he didn’t mind having the Aburame pair over for dinner every chance they got.
As he followed the still shouting boys, Kiba was shouting but he could hear Shino’s less loud protests to the teasing, down the stairs Shurachi smiled. For the first time since Koishi’s death he thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright again.
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Review or I’ll cry in a corner and such. Also, yes, the feline is a bit of irony poking out the hole. You’ll get to see how he got it later.
Taku
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