The Lion Bares His Fangs

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The streets of Kumogakure were filled with the shouts of bartering salesmen and happy children. Many giggled and laughed, some cried, and a few simply sighed in adoration. Regardless of what kind of noise it was, however, it could easily be said that Kumogakure was alive and well.

Or, at least, in most places.

In the halls of the hospital where Baako slept, the silence could have been broken sheerly by the sound of a pin dropping. It was down these quiet halls that Tetsuo softly trod, hoping not to cause much noise. The doctor's analysis of the medicine he had brought back as of recently had been quite hopeful; as it is, Tetsuo had arranged for some salve to be sent to Soku's house upon his release. He'd need the salve if he wanted the scars to heal.

In the meantime, although there had been no change in Baako's condition, the doctors had reacted positively to the treatment options available to them with the newly acquired samples. They had given Tetsuo permission to visit her, albeit briefly.

Taking a short breath after arriving at her door, Tetsuo opened it.

[Toshi]

Nana's head swiveled around as the door creaked open behind her, the young kunoichi's eyes still brimming with tears over what had happened between Soku and her father that morning. She knew how happy Baako was when she was around the brown haired special jounin and it killed her to see them being forced apart by her stubborn father. But the young Ikimono's expression brightened when she saw Tetsuo appear through the doorway.

"Welcome back, Tetsuo!!" she shouted in her excitement, but then covered her mouth with her hands when she realized where she was. "Oh, sorry. Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you here to see Baako?" she asked, nodding towards her bedridden sister and wiping the tears from her eyes simultaneously.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo forced a grin when he came upon Nana. Though Baako's fathers had his own fears, to see how his callous words and behaviors affected his own daughter hit Tetsuo especially deep. "Indeed I am, Nana," he answered, scritching Nana's head consolingly after sitting down beside her, the concern smile clearly plastered on his face. "Though, to be honest, I also wanted to check up on you as well. How have you been, hun?"

Though Tetsuo's "crusade" (if you could call it such) centered on Baako and Soku, he was not nearly so heartless as to forget the others who had been pained by these events. Nana needed just as much help as Soku and Baako, even if it was simply in a different form.

[Toshi]

Nana grinned widely as Tetsuo sat down beside her and asked how she was doing. "I've been doing great!" she exclaimed excitedly, her wide, bright eyes completely void of any pain or sorrow that had been apparent before Tetsuo had made his appearance. "I'm doing really good in the academy, and I've even made a few friends too! Everyone used to make fun of me because of my ears but when I told them I beat up Soku they quit! I still need to thank him for that..." she trailed off, her expression becoming slightly dark as she thought about the brown haired special jounin.

The little kunoichi then turned her gaze to her sister and let out a long sigh. "So what have you been up to, Tetsuo?" she asked casually, not bothering to turn her head and look at the Ikimono sitting beside her.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The young girls sudden change in demeanor garnered a satisfied chuckle from the special jounin as he removed his hand from her head. "I'm glad to hear that your keeping up in your classes, and it's always good to make new friends. You should be commended for your courage; I can definitely relate to how you used to feel at school on a daily basis, especially considering I went through it."

Tetsuo's eyes followed Nana's until they rested upon Baako as well. Tetsuo wasn't entirely sure he could trust Nana with knowing what he'd been up to ever since Baako and Soku had been hospitalized. Nana had a good heart and would never embarrass or betray Tetsuo willingly, but gods be damned if kids didn't say the most secretive of things at the most inopportune of moments. "I've been... on my feet a lot. Work's been keeping me pretty busy," he answered with a sigh. "It makes it that much harder to make time for you and your sister."

For a moment, he caught himself gazing at Baako's slumbering visage in worry. 'Oh, Baako... how I wish I could do more,' he dirged inwardly.

[Toshi]

Nana looked up at Tetsuo and frowned when she noticed how worried his expression was. She didn't know much about Tetsuo and Baako's relationship, but she did know that they had been good friends for several years. And by the way that he was staring at her sister she knew that he must have felt very strongly about her. However, the little kunoichi would probably never discover Tetsuo's true feelings for the blonde haired kunoichi lying lifelessly before them.

"You shouldn't look so worried, you know," Nana said with a cheerful grin, though her eyes couldn't hide the fact that she was fighting back tears. Then she jabbed one of her fingers at the skin on her forehead and added,"They say if you frown too much you get these little wrinkles on your face. That'd be so gross, wrinkles are for old people."

But before Tetsuo could respond to Nana's childish antics, Baako's father walked into the room with two cans of sweet tea in his meaty fists. He looked over at Tetsuo and flashed a warm grin, glad to see that a fine young Ikimono clan member had dropped by to see his beloved daughter.

"Ah, Tetsuo!" the old man said with a relieved tone before closing the door behind himself. "It's been far too long, my boy! How have you been? It's been ages since we last spoke."

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo turned to Nana to find her avidly combating against her own sadness. "Nana..." he sighed, feeling completely horrible that his expression had triggered such emotion.

The door opened behind him to reveal one of the main reasons for his visit: Baako's father. Tetsuo's face was painted with a sympathetic grin, yet his insides burned at the sight of the man. This was the man who had so selfishly attempted to strip Soku from Baako. While this most certainly wouldn't keep a man like Soku from her (by what he had heard of his fellow special jounin), her father's consistent opposition to their relationship would simply cause the two strife if it wasn't ended as quickly as possible. Simply the idea of someone causing Baako (and through extension, Soku) grief turned the insides of his bones into pure magma.

Still, he most certainly couldn't address the issue with Nana still around. For now, he'd bide his time and be polite. "I'm doing well, sir. How're you?"

[Toshi]

The old cat man let out a long, haggard sigh as he handed one of the cans in his hand to Nana and then popped the top of his own with one of his long, sharp nails. He grunted loudly as he plopped down in a chair on the opposite side of Baako's bed and then took a long swig before saying, "fine, fine. Can't really complain, although I think this damned heat is going to be the end of me." After saying this the old Ikimono wiped away some of the sweat that had accumulated on his brow with a handkerchief he produced from his front pocket. Clearly the perilous journey to the vending machine had nearly been too much for the overweight man.

"Anyway, I'm sorry if I look so flustered my good boy. I've gone and worked myself into a tizzy this morning. Or should I say, a certain pest got the better of me earlier today," he explained, clearly oblivious for Tetsuo's disdain for what he had done to Soku only a few hours prior. "I swear, some people just don't know how to take a hint."

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo's ear twitched slightly. Though this poorjackass had no clue, he was pushing just about every single button he could push. This wasn't just his love for Baako coming into play either; no respectable ninja would allow a comrade in arms to be so hideously degraded and insulted by being addressed by a term like pest. 'Yeah, go on, you fat bastard. Tell yourself that you're in the right,' Tetsuo fumed inwardly. 'Completely ignore the fact that while you were here tending to your garden and trapping your daughter in that cage of paranoia, Soku was out there fighting and bleeding for ungrateful, self-righteous pricks like you!'

None of this ever showed on Tetsuo's face. The same dangerously placid grin remained where it was: hanging on his visage, ready to be removed when Tetsuo was finished with it. "Well, there are some things in this world that are simply out of one's control, sir," he "assured" him.

Dual symbolism is such a bitch.

[Toshi]

"Bah!" the man sitting across from Tetsuo exclaimed pompously with a wave from his pudgy yet powerful hand. "Nothing's out of your control if you can outsmart what you're trying to stop. And in this case I can rest easy," he said in such a smug tone even Nana, his own daughter, wanted to slap him as hard as she could across the face. She may have been young and naive, but she could easily read her father's condescending tone. In fact, anyone who couldn't pick up on something so saturated with loathing and scorn either needed a hearing test or a swift kick to the rear end.

But Nana just lowered her ears and sipped at the can of tea in her hands, fighting back her thoughts just as Tetsuo was. "I need to.. uh... visit the little kunoichi's room," she muttered quietly before hastily leaving the room, quickly thinking of the best excuse her worried mind could formulate at such a short notice.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Sparing Nana any more grief, he waited until she exited the room before he leaned forward with his hand intertwined in an arch. Closing his eyes for a moment, he was finally ready to launch his first volley.

"I see," he noted, feigning understanding to appease the braggart. "Well, I'm sure your family is safe within your capable hands. Still, I have to admit that I know very little about the situation; it's been a while since I last talked to Baako. Please tell me, sir: what is it about this man... Soku, if I remember correctly, that has your gut so tightly knotted?"

Tetsuo's ears had opened slightly more than usual. He would be absolutely sure to use whatever this miserable old hack threw out against him.

[Toshi]

Baako's father's face twisted into an ugly scowl at the mention of Soku's name, almost as if an unsightly smell had wandered into the old man's nostrils. It was clear that he'd been hoping Tetsuo hadn't heard of his daughter's disgraceful antics around that mutt, but it looked like the news had spread even further than he'd feared. The old Ikimono couldn't help but wonder if the fact that Tetsuo knew that Baako wasn't pure anymore would have any effect on the possibility of him taking her hand in marriage.

One could only hope.

"For starters, that neanderthal had the nerve to visit Baako without my permission. Of course, that's never stopped him before," he began explaining, his tone absolutely brimming with bitterness. "Even after what he's put her through, that blithering dolt still feels the need to cling to her side like a little lost puppy."

Suddenly the man burst out into uncontrollable laughter, his boisterous chuckles echoing throughout the room like thunder claps. "Now that I think of it, maybe he's actually more of a mutt than I thought!"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo's eyes narrowed at that particularly shameful comment. Like any good psychiatrist, Tetsuo egged him on. "I see," he spoke soothingly, coaxing Baako's father for more information. "Is there anything else, sir? It's easy enough to see that this affects you greatly, and it's not healthy for someone to keep that all inside. Please, if you're willing, do tell me more..."

Tetsuo's insides still burned, but the embers had pulled back, waiting to lash out at this waste of space at just the right moment.

[Toshi]

"Don't even get me started about my health, son," the old man said with a cheerful chuckle as he rubbed his massive gut with his free hand. He was practically tickled pink when he realized Tetsuo must have hated Soku as much as he did by the look he was giving him. Baako's father always enjoyed speaking with someone who shared the same hobby, especially if said hobby was resenting a certain somebody.

So, oblivious to Tetsuo's true intentions for prying further into the dilemma, Baako's father continued explaining why he wanted Soku Douteki to drop off of the face of the planet.

"He's a no-good delinquent who deserves to be locked up in a cage after what he did to my poor daughter. After he practically kidnapped her from her own home, he dragged her outside of the village gates for god knows what reason and she winded up with a gaping hole in her chest. Now look at her! Because of that good for nothing scoundrel she's lying in this bed and he's wandering the halls like nothing ever happened!"

After practically shouting for a good fifteen seconds straight, Baako's father had to stop and take a few deep breaths to keep from passing out right there. Clearly the effort of speaking his mind was taking a toll on the man, both mentally and physically.

"All I know is that if I see him anywhere near my daughter again, I'll snap the idiot's neck myself!"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Oh, my! Really?" he gasped, enjoying every minute he was milking this elitist moron for all the info he had. Tetsuo shook his head in fake shock, his eyes wide open for emphasis. "I was busy on a mission at the time; I never heard anything about it. Do we know who did it? Do we know who attacked her?"

Inside his own mind, Tetsuo was simply looking on as the man simply kept digging himself into a progressively deeper hole.

[Toshi]

Baako's father adverted his gaze for a moment and coughed into his hand as Tetsuo asked him about who was the culprit for putting the blonde haired kunoichi into that hospital bed in the first place. "They say a rogue ninja attacked them when they were alone in the woods near the village boarders. Supposedly it was an Ikimono, but I don't believe that for a second," the old man explained, his eyes narrowing with suspicion as he spoke.

"I mean, why would a member of our own clan do something so... barbaric? The Ikimono clan has always prided itself in how well we treat our blood brothers and sisters, it just doesn't make any sense for one of our own to go and do something like that."

Then the old man leaned forward and put his hand to his mouth, just in case someone was listening in to their conversation. "In fact, I think that mutt's just trying to frame us. I bet he accidentally stabbed Baako himself trying to show off or something and pinned it on the Ikimono clan so we'd look bad."

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo was about to ask more, but there was a soft knock on the door. Tetsuo got up and answered it and, seeing it was a messenger, simply nodded and took the folder. 'Right on time, too,' he thought as he flipped through it, despite already knowing its contents.

In the folder that Tetsuo had arranged to have delivered to the room was an entire debriefing on the case of attempted murder against Dotueki Soku and Ikimono Baako. In this file were personality profiles and several prognosis along with an examination of both the wounds of the patients and the weapon found on the felon's corpse. The several copies of the reports made it quite clear that the entry wounds perfectly matched the criminal's weapon profile with no other plausible possibilities. The thing of greatest note, however, was the autopsy report... which bore several clear and vivid puctures of the assailant. If the picture were enough to prove that the attacker was, in fact an Ikimono, the mortician's signed and stamped autopsy report essentially punched the fact into a steel plate.

The smile faded from Tetsuo's face, all false pretenses now useless. "Well well... seems like you were wrong, sir... on almost every single count," Tetsuo told him with a matter-of-factly tone as he plopped down a copy of the mortician's report on the table along with a clear side profile shot of the attacker... still in his wolf form.

[Toshi]

Suddenly the room got a lot warmer for Baako's father as he flipped through the report. The old Ikimono's stomach sunk ever deeper with each picture he rested his eyes on. When he finally thumbed through the last bit of the folder's contents Baako's father's expression was a mixture of horror and disbelief. Even after reading page after page of evidence that confirmed that Baako was nearly fatally injured protecting Soku from the rogue Ikimono that night, he still wouldn't allow himself to believe that it wasn't that mutt's fault for his daughter's condition.

"I don't care what anyone says," the old man said under his breath before slamming his fist against the table with all of the strength he possessed. "I'm not letting my daughter throw her life away by running off with that degenerate!"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

"Cut the crap!" Tetsuo barked, completely fed up with this man's arrogance. "It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! Baako and Soku tried to protect each other during that attack, or were the scars that Soku bears on his torso not enough of a reminder for you?! In the end, you want to protect your family, and no one can fault you for that. But in the end, you can't protect them from everything! There are things that your children will have to face on their own, and all you can do is offer your support, but you let your own paranoia and pettiness get in the way of being a good parent; instead of doing your best to support her in her endeavors and choices, you let ridiculous things such as lineage and your own personal preferences push her away! Even when Soku went to extend the olive branch, you simply scoffed at his efforts and smacked his hand away! And now you act surprised because she chose to move on, even without your approval?! Let's face it: the one who put Baako in that bed was you!!"

A grimace had been painted on Tetsuo's face as his jaw was clenched in rage. His breathing was heavy; he was doing the best he could to calm down.

[Toshi]

Baako's father could only stand there speechless as Tetsuo gave him the tongue lashing of a lifetime, his mouth gaping open and his eyes wide. The blood in his veins began to chill unpleasantly when the outraged Ikimono told him that there was no way he'd be able to protect his daughter from everything and it was futile to even try. About at that point the old man's face began to shift from dumbfounded to infuriated. His lip curled up into a feral glare when Tetsuo finished his barrage of facts with the accusation that he, himself, had led Baako to this fate singlehandedly.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, I thought you of all people would understand where I'm coming from," Baako's father snarled, spittle flying out oh his mouth with every syllable he spoke in his outrage. "How can I rest easy knowing that my eldest child is in love with some commoner?!"

Then the cat man pointed an accusing finger at the special jounin and bellowed, "As far as I'm concerned, you're no better than he is, Tetsuo! Neither of you will ever be good enough for her!"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo simply grunted in irritation at her father's response. "There you go again with your arrogant mindset. Not only do you presume to have a choice in who your daughter chooses to love, but you also degrade my comrade in arms, a man who's life has been nothing but fighting, protecting, and bleeding for self-righteous hags like you! I don't care who you are; a man who lives such a life course is far from being a 'commoner'!"

Tetsuo sighed, trying to calm down as he crossed his arms. "And even with the mistakes that he's made... Dotueki Soku is a greater man than either of us could hope to be. Your own daughters can see this fact. Why do you so callously blind yourself to the truth?"

[Toshi]

"Because she deserves better!" The old man practically shrieked, his face turning an angry bright red and his veins popping up along his neck and forehead. "And how dare you say that some street urchin is a better man than I am? I'm this woman's father and I know what's best for h-"

"If you knew what was best for her, you'd let Baako be with Soku!!"

The cat man snapped his head towards the direction of the door and was shocked to see Nana, his own daughter, glaring at him with eyes literally brimming with loathing and every hair on her body sticking up angrily.

"Now you're going to betray me too?" Baako's father asked quietly, returning the little kunoichi's glare. "After all I've done for the both of you, this is the thanks I get?!"

Nana stomped her foot as hard as she could and clenched her little fists so tightly her knuckles turned bone white. "You're the one who's betrayed us father! You've been manipulating us all of our lives, telling us what's right and wrong without even knowing yourself. Well I'm sick of it!"

For the second time in one sitting, Baako's father could only stare at the person addressing him with a dumbfound expression. A strained silence filled the room as Nana continued glaring at her father. Finally the cat man turned to Tetsuo and said, "You'll pay for this, boy."

After saying this the old man stormed out of the room, but not before muttering, "I have no daughter..."

Nana's ears lowered as she watched her father leave her and Baako behind, and then disappear into the bustling hallway. She looked at Tetsuo, tears already streaming down her flushed cheeks, and fell to her knees sobbing.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo was about ready to continue his assault when Nana's voice erupted from behind. In possibly her greatest display of personal fortitude and strength, Nana stood up against her own father. Tetsuo's eyes widened in shock; even though Tetsuo knew of Nana's support of Baako's relationship with Soku, he'd never expected that she'd so blatantly take her stand against her father. In complete silence, her father stormed from the room... leaving his daughter to shed her silent tears.

Of all the things Tetsuo could stand, one thing he simply couldn't handle was this young girl's sadness. Kneeling down next to her, Tetsuo wrapped his arms around Nana in a gentle hug, doing his best to hold back his own tears. "Forgive me, Nana," he whispered, his bottom lip quivering as he embraced the young girl. "You shouldn't have had to face this."

[Toshi]

Nana wiped away the tears staining her cheeks and slowly calmed down as Tetsuo spoke. "It's not your fault our dad's a grumpy old fart..." she said quietly, flashing a sad smile at her friend. After saying this she hugged his torso tightly as if to thank the special jounin and then pulled away from him. The little kunoichi stood to her full height and looked fondly at her sister, a genuine smile spreading across her lips.

"I heard everything from outside," she said in an almost ashamed tone, realizing that it was rude of her to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Thank you for sticking up for Soku. I really don't know why my father hates him so much..."

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo stood as well, chuckling. "Don't feel bad, Nana. If it's any consolation, I'd have done the same thing if I were in your shoes."

The young man sighed as he gazed upon Baako's sleeping form. "Your father's got a good heart... but he lets himself be caged by his own fears. That's not something we can help him with, Nana. That's something your dad's gonna have to face himself."

[Toshi]

Nana nodded at Tetsuo's words, finding comfort in the special jounin's wisdom. She was just glad her father was gone for the time being. She hated it when he got angry, especially when someone got him on the topic of his daughter's relationship with Soku. Once that happened there was no stopping him from growing red in the face and storming out of the room.

"I just hope he comes to his senses soon," she said in her usual chiming tone as she returned to her chair beside Baako's bed. "My sister's even more stubborn than he is, you know. If she wants to be with Soku nothing father can says is going to stop her."

Then she turned to Tetsuo with a curious gleam in her eyes and asked, "Is there anyone you feel like that about, Tetsuo?"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

Tetsuo grinned at the mention of Baako's own stubborn nature. "Trust me, Nana; that's one thing I definitely know about your sister," he agreed. "It'd take something very severe for me to stand in Baako's way."

Nana's next question forced a sigh from the special jounin. "Not really, Nana... at least, not about someone who'd feel the same way," he admitted, shaking his head as he walked over to the window. Tetsuo stared down into Kumo's streets, passively observing the citizens of the village in their daily lives.

Tetsuo prayed fervently that Nana wouldn't press the issue, knowing very well that salvation from this topic would be very unlikely, especially considering Nana's intense curiosity...

[Toshi]

The little Ikimono tilted her head curiously as Tetsuo answered her question in an odd tone and walked over to the room's only window to stare out into the bustling Kumo street below. She considered asking who he was talking about, but not even her childish curiosity could bring herself to ask such a personal question. She may have been a nosey little brat but she still knew there were boundaries you just shouldn't cross.

"I'm sure you'll find someone, Tetsuo!" she said cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear. "I've seen the way some of the nurses look at you around here, especially that one... oh what's her name? Red hair... kinda on the short side?"

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

The special jounin was about to dismiss Nana's next words as a polite reassurance... until she began mentioning some rather familiar traits. His eyes perked up as his eyes narrowed. 'She couldn't possibly mean...'

Tetsuo turned to Nana. "Nana... are you talking about Moku-san?" he queried, leaning against the window with his elbows on the window sill.

[Toshi]

Nana clapped her hands together and said, "Yeah that's the one! Moku-whatever. then she leaned really far forward in her chair, almost to the point of not actually sitting on it anymore. In fact, she was leaning against Baako's bed more than actually sitting. Her expression was that of the average pre-teen girl who knew a juicy secret about someone in which another person didn't know about.

"When she thinks no one's looking she stares at you and blushes a little. Sometimes I see Baako looking at Soku the same way and it makes me want to gag."

then the little kunoichi turned her head and frowned at her sister ling beside her. "But don't tell her I said that," she added with a hushed voice.

[Yasashikaze Seiken]

'...Well dang.'

That was all he could think. What else could run through his mind? A long sigh escaped his lips as his ears folded down in thought. Tetsuo had no idea what Moku might do, and he certainly had no clue what the future holds, but he knew one thing for sure: right now, he couldn't repay those sentiments in kind.

In the end, he simply nodded. For now, Tetsuo'd have to bide his time and see what would happen. "Thank's for telling me, Nana," Tetsuo told her, a small grin on his face as he sat on the opposite side of the bed. "And don't worry; your secret's safe with me."

Yet again, life had taken an interesting turn for Tetsuo and Nana. How would they meet these new events?
Fin