The Beasts of the Mist [Private]

Satori watched the girl cling to him, blinking at her statement that she wanted to take care of him. A slight smile formed on his lips at this as the dampness spread over his shoulder, his hand rising to pet her gently through her tears, but he didn't tease her for it. It was a good thing the girl was able to express herself so fully, and he was happy for that. Instead, he simply let her sniffle and talk, explaining her feelings as she shuddered against him.

Gently, his fingertips caressed her head as she cried into his shoulder, his response simple and to the point with a smile. "Riku-chan, do you think you'd have to ask me to be kind?" Shrugging a bit he laughed softly, before he felt her shuddering once more. A slight smile remaining, and he simply held her until she calmed down. She snuggled deeper into him in response, and he patiently waited until her breathing evened out and the tears stopped falling.

Looking up at him, her eyes red and swollen, he nodded once in agreement before scooping her up in his arms once more. Stepping off the roof casually to land almost without a sound, turning to enter his home briefly he gently set her down and offered her another cloth to wipe her face with. Getting her water to help clear her throat, and once she was settled, if still a bit red around the eyes he offered the girl his hand. Leading the way forward with her in tow as his gaze shifted upward toward the stars.

The walk was a fair distance away, but that was fine. Allowing a slight sigh to pass his lips, one of content, he led the girl through the still active-- if a bit quieter-- village compound until they came to a large building made in the more traditional Japanese style. The stone path led up to it, and a small stone wall made the fence with its own personal gate about five feet tall. Pushing it open revealed at least six times as much land as Satori had. A large personal garden, a personal greenhouse, one massive building easily twenty to twenty-five rooms in size and two more each about ten rooms in size.

Walking up the main path to the larger building, the sounds of giggling girls and a woman calling for quiet filled the air as the door suddenly was yanked open. A mountain of a man standing over seven foot, holding dark skin and wild black hair that fell down to his waist in length. Crimson feline eyes stared down at the pair, an open chest shirt with no sleeves lined with fur the only thing he wore on his upper body showing the piercings just like Satori's own, but also decorating his arms, all made from gleaming ivory instead of simple bone.

Initially, this would likely be intimidating, until the man offered a wide grin, one identical to Satori's own as he laughed. "Where the hell have you two been? At least warn me before you take an extra hour, Pup!" Turning, the man called over his shoulder, "Raika, Kyoko, they're here. Get them ready for food while I show them in and get a look at her."

"Yes dear, don't take too long," the call replied, and Satori finally found the opening. Offering a slight smile to his father, "Apologies father, she wanted to see the fields." Kiyoshi grunted a bit, but didn't seem overly concerned as he glanced Riku over briefly, before taking a step back and letting them enter, Satori slipping free of his sandals as Kiyoshi crossed his arms over his chest with a wide grin.

"I'm Kiyoshi Ryuutei. Head of the Ryuutei Clan, First Council Seat, Special Jounin of Kirigakure. Satori's told us alot about you, head over heels for you," smirking he would bow his head slightly in greeting. "You must be somethin' if you caught the pup's eye, all he ever thinks about is training and learning after all." Despite his words, his tone was calm and polite, not aggressive in any way as Satori remained quiet for now, letting Riku introduce herself with a slight smile.

Riku accepted the cloth gratefully and wiped off her face for the second time that night. She was quiet while Satori took care of her, sipping the water he gave her slowly. The cool liquid eased some of the sore feeling in her throat and helped further calm her. The blue haired girl took Satori's hand once the water was gone and her face was clean, letting him lead her along those winding stone pathways to his father's house.

By the time Satori's father opened the door, Riku had collected herself. She tilted her head back so she could see more than a muscular torso just in time to catch the tall man's feral grin. It was reminiscent of the look her friend wore when pleased or amused. Kiyoshi was an impressive man, Riku thought, and his son looked like a smaller version of him.

If Satori towered over her, than Kiyoshi was a mountain. Compared to Kiyoshi, Riku might as well have been an infant. Riku could barely see past his waist without craning her neck.

The blue haired girl slipped off her own boots when she saw Satori slide out of his sandals, having forgotten she was wearing them.

When Kiyoshi started to speak, Riku's eyes settled on his face. His voice was strong and deep, drawing her attention.

When the giant of a man mentioned how often Satori spoke of her, her face flushed a light pink. The blue haired girl glanced at Kiyoshi's son before bowing and introducing herself.

"I'm Riku Mizushima It's a small family and not very old. We um..." her face steadily grew more red as she tried to talk, "specialize in poisons and botany."

Her feet shuffled slightly and Riku glanced over at Satori again, wishing she could press against his side and melt into his shadow.

How was she supposed to respond to this? Riku had no idea why Satori liked her so much except that she was cute.

"Thank you, Kiyoshi-sama," the blue haired girl mumbled at the compliment, eyes dropping to her sandals. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

[27]

Kiyoshi watched the shy girls interactions and laughed softly. In his eyes, it was like he was looking at a younger version of Kyoko, still, her introduction caused a slight smile to form on the man's lips, softer than before as she shuffled and glanced at Satori, clearly wishing for help. Despite this, she held her ground, and that was something Kiyoshi could respect. An amused rumble filled his chest before he raised a hand and lightly set it on Satori's head.

"She's a good one, don't fuck it up, pup," he stated idly, before turning and waving for them both to follow. "We've got dinner ready, we were just waiting for you. Hiyori nearly started without you." This statement caused Satori to snort, clearly unsurprised before he glanced down at Riku and offered a smile. His hand lifting and petting her head gently to help her re-center herself and relax once more.

"Come on," he murmured to her gently afterward, forehead gently butting against her own before taking her hand and turning, leading her into the dining room where the three girls were sitting on large pillows bickering over who got the seat closest to the main course. A woman with bouncing brown curls tinged with red under hues was seated on the right side of the table, across from her was a pale young woman with long black hair, looking more like a doll than a human as she smiled softly watching the children bicker.

Kiyoshi fell into a seat with a grunt at the head of the table and glanced at Satori, whom sighed and stepped forward. "Hiyori." He stated firmly, causing the blonde girl to stiffen and then glance upward in confusion, "I'm the guest, so I get the seat, as does Riku. Sit in your normal spot. You two, girls." His gaze trailed toward the twins, all three whined but quickly fell into place as he shook his head in bemusement before taking Riku's hand and showering her the seat next to Raika, the brunette whom smiled at her softly.

Satori then sat on Riku's other side, Hiyori across from him, and the twins on the other side next to her. The table was laden with countless dishes, all massive with each of them having a small bowl and pair of chopsticks carved from bone.

Once everything had returned to a more peaceful quiet, Kiyoshi calmly lowered his head, and called thanks, before settling back and crossing his ankles, settling into the relaxed position once more. "Let's eat," he stated simply afterward with a grin, the girls instantly reaching out with their chopsticks to get bites of the dishes, Satori calmly blocked the path and ensured that Riku would have a peaceful time getting to any of the food. Raika glanced down at her and smiled softly.

"I'm Raika Ryuutei, dear. I assume you're Riku-chan, it's nice to meet you. Satori tells me you're studying to be a combat medical ninja, with a focus on Suiton and Genjutsu?" Kyoko remained quiet for now, listening patiently as Kiyoshi eagerly went to devour as much food as possible. Though, of course, he was a bit more controlled than his daughters at least.

Riku glanced up at Kiyoshi with surprise when he told Satori she was a "good one". Her face reddened even more, contrasting sharply with her hair. Her whole body wavered as it started to liquify. Satori petted her head and smiled down at her, reminding the blue haired girl to breathe and relax. Though she was plenty flustered and nervous, Riku was safe here.

The girl rubbed her forehead against the tall boy's when he bumped against her and squeezed his hand lightly as he lead her to the table where the rest of the family sat. Riku smiled shyly at the two women seated near the head of the table. The blue haired girl wondered which one was Satori's birth mother.

The antics of her friend's younger sisters drew forth a soft laugh from Riku, who began to relax despite the scolding they got. She let Satori guide her into the seat next to the woman with curly hair, who smiled at her. Riku returned the expression with a shy smile of her own and a light blush, before turning her head to acknowledge the pale woman sitting across the table from her.

The spread of food offered on the table was absolutely delicious looking. The smell of meats, herbs, and vegetables combined in ways that made Riku understand why Satori called what they had shared a "snack". The blue haired girl wasn't sure if she was more impressed at the large setting or nervous that she wouldn't be able to eat very much.

Riku set her worries aside and dipped her head while Kiyoshi gave thanks. Once people began taking food, Riku watched the family for a moment before taking a few pieces from each dish until her bowl was full. A few times Hiyori or one of the twins would nearly snatch a bit of meat or piece of fruit before the blue haired girl could get to it, but Satori blocked them skillfully with his chopsticks. This earned the tall boy a smile and a light headbutt to his arm in thanks.

Riku turned her attention to Raika and bowed her head in acknowledgement of the introduction. "It's wonderful to meet you, Raika-sama. I've been looking forward to getting to know you. I really enjoy medicine, poisons, and genjutsu."

"Satori-kun told me you specialize in medicine and that the clan has a lot of medical knowledge. I'm learning how to make essential oil extracts. I'll bring some once they're ready. I'm excited to know what you think of them."

[28]

Satori allowed a brief smile to form on his lips as the girl finally settled in, and as she nuzzled against his arm in thanks for deflecting his siblings he simply offered a smile in return. Clearly content to just sit and watch their interactions, instead, relaxing back as he tilted his head slightly and enjoyed the sight of her getting along so well with his family.

Raika allowed a brief smile to form on her lips as the girl would call her "sama", of all things and gently placed a hand on her head with an amused chuckle. "Just san is fine, Riku-chan. You're learning to make pure oil extracts already, hm? You're quite a bit ahead of Serena and Saika then," this statement caused the girls to cry out in disagreement from the other end of the table at their mother revealing this and caused Satori to snort softly.

"If you'd spend as much time practicing as you did pranking, you'd be a lot further along you two. Hiyori can't even perform medical jutsu and she knows more about it then you two." Hiyori grinned at this, which was an interesting sight as she was halfway through chomping through a large strip of meat. Satori sighed, shaking his head in bemusement as Raika giggled softly and would lean back a bit, nodding her head to Riku.

"I'd love to see them. I'd be happy to show you a few things as well. After all, Satori has a habit of overdoing it, It'd be nice to see you being able to help ensure he doesn't push himself too far." A slight smile on her lips, she would settle back before Kyoko would curiously tilt her head.

"Are you able to perform the mystical palm technique, Riku-chan?" She inquired gently, causing Raika to glance at the woman and blink, in fact, all of them at the table halted. It was incredibly rare for Kyoko to speak, let alone make an active question. Whenever Riku replied, Raika would allow a brief smile to form on her lips.

"Kyoko-san are you going to teach her as well?" This question caused the dark-haired woman to slowly look upward at the ceiling in contemplation. Slowly, Satori would shift a bit and lower his head down to Riku's level.

"Mother Kyoko has even more chakra then father. She was the head of medicine and the first non-born Ryuutei to be offered the position of Head of the Clan until father took it. Her body can't handle her own chakra, though, and she's frail, and sick most of the time now." As he explained this he would slowly look up, focusing on Kyoko quietly for a moment, before speaking.

"I think it would be good for her, mother Kyoko. For her as well as you." The statement caused Kiyoshi to blink, and he clearly was about to tell the young man off, likely for overstepping his bounds, but halted before he even began as Kyoko laughed softly. Watching her curiously as she looked down from the ceiling to examine Satori, and then Riku for a few moments before she slowly went back to her light meal.

"I'll consider it then, for you, Satori-kun." She murmured simply, taking a single bite of rice as she settled into her seat a bit more comfortably.

Riku's small, shy smile grew into something resembling a grin, though not quite as brash or bold as Raika spoke with her. The gentle hand placed atop her head caused a light blush and a quick dip of the head in agreement.

"Alright, Raika-san, I suppose that was a bit too formal."

She raised a blue eyebrow at the news that she was ahead of Satori's younger sisters in medicine.

"My kaa-san has been teaching me about making medicines since I could understand words. Our clan believes in early starts."

The cries of protest from Serena and Saika made the corners of her mouth twitch, but the blue haired girl tried to spare their pride by holding in her laughter. Despite her efforts, mirth was visible on her features, especially in the way her brown eyes seemed to glitter.

"Pranks?" Riku repeated. "I suppose you two might become skilled trap specialists one day if you stay interested."

Then, the blue haired girl nodded at the curly haired brunette. "Satori-kun has told me a little about his training. It seems quite intense. I've decided I'm going to take care of him, so anything I learn will be good for him, too." Riku's face and voice were serious for a child of nine.

"I haven't learned Mystical Palm yet, but I can do a few of the simpler jutsus. Kaa-san lets me sit in on her appointments when the patients agree for observation. I know the hand seals and have practiced a little on myself, but I wouldn't say I've mastered them yet. I want to be able to do them under pressure as well as in calm environments."

"More chakra than Kiyoshi-sama?" Riku gave Kyoko a wide eyed look.

Satori's brief description of his other mother was returned with a slight incline of the blue haired girl's head to show she had heard him. Learning of Kyoko's limitations did nothing to dampen Riku's admiration of her.

"Thank you, Kyoko-san, I'm grateful for your consideration," Riku said earnestly, bowing her head in appreciation. "It means a lot to me that I'll get to learn from any of the medics in the Ryuutei clan. Satori-kun has spoken very highly of your skills. Even Kaa-san and Anzu-oba-san were impressed and they haven't heard as much."

[29]

Both Kyoko and Raika smiled softly at the girl's clear excitement, it was incredibly endearing, and they both quietly chortled at the girl's clear interest in them teaching her. Satori relaxed against the table as he watched his mothers and Riku talk, eyes softening at the sight. It was nice, seeing her get along with them so well, combined with how easily she had accepted the interactions with the rest of her family as well, it was clear they were all a good fit. Resting his chin in his palm, he let the evening continue into the night as they talked and traded secrets, and eventually, when the conversations grew long and the girls began to tilt in their seats, Kiyoshi called an end to the meeting.

Offered thanks and pleasantries, before Kiyoshi gathered the girls up to take them to bed, Raika helping Kyoko to stand and taking the woman back to their bedroom as Satori took Riku's hand with a smile. Leading the girl back toward his home, taking the long way as they both looked up at the stars. It was peaceful, relaxing, and he couldn't help but smile at the small hand his own was wrapped around. Gently, he would pull her along until they made their way into his home once more.

The next few hours were spent talking with her, trading ideas and secrets, shifting between possibilities regarding different techniques and tactics. But even more than that, just enjoying one another's company. When they finally both agreed it was time for bed, Satori was surprised to find the girl idly stepping from foot to foot shyly, uncertainty asking to share a bed. She was mumbling something about never having slept alone before, but he hadn't paid attention. Simply snatching the girl up and depositing her in his bed before pulling her lazily into his chest.

As if he'd expected her to sleep anywhere but in the bed with him. Content to idly wrap his arms around her and relax, Satori rested his cheek lightly on top of her head and fell into slumber without another blink of concern. Content and peaceful with the blushing blue-haired young girl in his arms, enjoying the cool night air that filled the room from the open window. For the first time, having someone that for certain, got along with him and his family. There was a first time for everything, after all.

// Thread Exit

The conversation with Raika and Kyoko brought Riku out of her shell. Her eyes were bright, shoulders straight, and she looked people in the eye more often. The blue haired girl eagerly asked questions about various medical plants and the growing techniques used to grow them in the Ryuutei compound, offering up details about the greenhouses her family tended. The blue haired girl mentioned Tsughi's worm farm again, pride tinging her voice and expression about her little sister's progress with botany.

By the time the conversation slowed and Riku noticed the world didn't consist of only herself, Raika, and Kyoko, most of the food was gone and everyone looked content and a little tired. Riku stifled a yawn of her own. Despite her hyper focus on Satori's mothers, the blue haired girl had managed to eat a little more than a bowl full of food. Now that she wasn't distracted, Riku noticed how heavy her eyelids felt. Riku wished everyone a goodnight as Kiyoshi departed with Satori's sisters and Raika helped Kyoko out of the dining room.

Then, she used her free hand to stifle a yawn --the other was enclosed in the larger hand of the tall boy beside her. Riku let him lead her back to his house, where they talked more, temporarily staving off Riku's tiredness. When finally, both their yawns became too frequent to ignore, the blue haired girl relented and agreed with Satori that it was bedtime. Once washed up and dressed in her under-kimono, Riku tried to ask Satori where she would sleep and admitted that she had never slept alone. Her anxiety returned, but the young man simply put her in his bed and pulled her against his chest.

Riku hummed in sleepy contentment as she burrowed her face into Satori's chest. Hands tangled in the tall boy's shirt, the blue haired girl drifted off to sleep in comfort.

// Thread Exit