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Chapter 3
The Aristocat
The estate was on the eastern edge of the village, behind a stone wall high enough that Akari could not see over it. A servant opened the gate before Reina knocked.
The garden on the other side was enormous. A stone path curved between beds of flowers arranged in neat blocks of red, yellow, and white. Every hedge was clipped flat across the top. A narrow stream ran beneath a little wooden bridge before emptying into a pond covered in lily pads.
Reina glanced back at them. “Don’t touch anything.”
Kazuki looked toward her. “I wasn’t going to.”
“You were going to.”
“I’m just looking!”
“That’s how it starts.”
The servant led them around the side of the house and into another garden. This one had a tree. It rose from the center of a wide patch of grass, its trunk thick enough that all three genin probably could not have wrapped their arms around it. Heavy branches spread over the garden in every direction.
A white cat was sitting on one of them.
The cat was perhaps six meters above the ground. It did not appear distressed.
A man stood beneath the tree. He looked to be in his late sixties, with silver hair combed neatly back and a dark, expensive-looking kimono. His hands were folded behind him. When he saw Reina, relief crossed his face. “Thank goodness.”
Reina bowed politely. “Takamori Reina. Team 11.”
The man’s attention returned immediately to the tree.
“My Yuki has been trapped up there since this morning.”
Kazuki looked at the cat. Yuki began washing her chest.
Kazuki looked at the man. “You hired a full team of shinobi to get your cat out of a tree?”
“Kazuki,” Reina said.
The old man raised his eyebrows. “I hired professionals!”
Akari smiled. “We’re professionals.”
“Apparently,” Kazuki said.
Akari stepped closer to the tree. Yuki stopped washing herself.
Their eyes met. “Hi.”
The cat stared down at her.
Akari held out both hands. “Come here.”
Yuki turned her head away. Kazuki snorted.
Akari looked back at him. “She doesn’t know me yet.”
“She doesn’t care.”
“She might.”
“She won’t.”
The old man stepped closer to Reina. “She has never done anything like this before.”
Renji looked up. “How did she get there?”
The man looked at him. “She climbed.”
Renji looked at the cat. Then back at the man. “She can climb down.”
Reina’s eyes closed for a full second. She took a long, deep breath.
“She probably can,” Reina said. “But our mission is to bring her down.”
Yuki ignored them.
Akari looked up at Yuki. “She likes it up there.”
“Yes,” Renji said, crouching near one of the lower roots. “Food might work.”
The old man waved to one of the servants. Seconds later, Renji was holding a small piece of dried fish. He looked up. “Yuki.”
The cat raised her head. Renji held the fish higher. Yuki stood.
Akari clasped her hands together. “It’s working.”
Yuki stepped delicately along the branch. She moved to a lower branch. Then another.
Renji held the fish out.
Yuki landed on a narrow branch immediately above his head, reached down, took the fish from his fingers, and climbed back up.
Renji stared at her.
Kazuki laughed. “She robbed you.”
Renji looked at his empty hand. “She did.”
Yuki returned to her original branch. The old man looked distressed.
Kazuki stepped toward the trunk. “My turn.”
Kazuki grabbed the lowest branch and pulled himself up.
Reina watched him. “Careful.”
“I know.”
Kazuki climbed quickly.
Yuki lifted her head.
Kazuki reached the branch beneath her. “Got you.”
The cat moved a meter farther down the branch.
Kazuki shuffled after her.
Yuki stepped onto another branch.
Kazuki followed.
Yuki climbed higher.
Kazuki slapped one hand against the branch. “She’s mocking me!”
Yuki sat down. Akari started laughing. Reina sighed and looked at Akari. “Your turn.”
Akari pointed at herself. “Me?”
“You’re the only one she hasn’t personally offended yet.”
“‘Kay.”
Akari started to climb the tree. Kazuki started climbing down. They passed each other halfway.
“She cheats,” he said.
Akari giggled. “It’s just a cat.”
Yuki watched her approach.
Akari stopped two branches below. “Hi.”
Yuki glared at her.
Akari smiled. “See? She likes me.”
Kazuki reached the ground. “She’s going to bite you.”
“She wouldn’t.”
Yuki hissed.
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
Akari moved closer. Yuki stood. Akari stopped. For several seconds, neither moved. Akari held out her hand. Yuki sniffed. Akari moved an inch closer. The cat allowed it.
Akari’s smile returned. “Hi.”
She touched the top of Yuki’s head. Yuki did not move. Akari grinned triumphantly. Then, she grabbed Yuki. Yuki exploded.
Akari yelped as white paws flew in every direction. “Hey!”
The cat twisted against her chest. Akari wrapped both arms around her. Yuki’s claws caught her sleeve.
“Ow!”
Yuki hissed directly beside Akari’s face. Akari squinted at her. “You’re welcome.”
The cat hissed again.
Akari started down. The first branch was a short drop. She landed lightly. Yuki dug her claws into her tunic. Akari hopped down to the next branch. Renji watched. Akari had both arms around the cat, but she kept her balance easily.
Then she missed a branch. Not completely. Her foot came down too far toward the edge.
Renji flinched.
A breeze moved through the leaves. Akari’s tunic shifted, and her foot settled. She continued downward without stopping.
Renji’s eyes narrowed.
Akari dropped to another branch. Her tunic stirred again. Her landing was softer than it should have been. Akari jumped the final few meters into the grass and landed on both feet. Yuki immediately tried to climb over her shoulder.
Akari caught her. “No.”
Renji was staring.
Akari looked at him. “What?”
Renji pointed at the tree. “What was that?”
Akari looked up. “What was what?”
“The wind thing.”
Akari looked at him again. “I don’t know.”
Renji blinked. “You don’t know?”
She shrugged.
Renji looked at Reina. Reina was looking at Akari.
Akari looked between them. “What?”
Reina’s gaze stayed on her for another second. Then she looked at the cat. “Mission.”
Akari looked at Yuki. “Right.”
She carried Yuki toward the old man. The change was immediate. Yuki stopped struggling. He took her into his arms. The cat settled against his chest and began to purr.
Kazuki stared. “No.”
The man scratched beneath Yuki’s chin. “There you are, my princess.”
Yuki rubbed her head against his hand. The old man glanced at them.
“She can be particular.”
Kazuki stared at him. “Particular?!”
Reina caught the back of Kazuki’s shirt. “We’re done.”
“But—”
“The mission is complete.”
Kazuki was pulled backward. Renji followed. Akari waved at Yuki. “Bye.”
Yuki did not look at her. Akari smiled anyway. “She likes me.”
Kazuki twisted around in Reina’s grip. “She hates all of us.”
Behind them, the old man was telling Yuki how frightened she must have been. Kazuki looked back. Yuki hopped out of the man’s arms. She was walking toward the tree.
Kazuki’s eyes widened. “No...”
Reina pulled him through the gate. “Lunch.”
Kazuki looked at her. “Are you paying?”
“Yes.”
* * *
Ichiraku was busy.
Reina sat first. Renji sat beside her, then Akari, then Kazuki.
Kazuki looked up at the menu. “Can I get extra pork?”
“Yes.”
“Two eggs?”
“One.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m paying.”
Renji ordered shoyu ramen. Reina ordered an egg drop soup. Akari pointed to a picture on the menu. “This one.”
The man behind the counter looked at her. “Tantanmen?”
Akari nodded. “Yeah.”
“It’s spicy.”
“That’s fine.”
Reina looked at Akari. “You’ve had it before?”
Akari smiled sheepishly.
Their bowls came out at the same time.
The broth in Akari’s bowl was deep red. There was enough red oil floating across the surface that the noodles underneath were difficult to see. Akari beamed. She picked up her chopsticks.
Reina looked at the bowl. Then at Akari.
Akari took the first bite. Her eyes widened a little.
Kazuki was watching. “Well?”
Akari took another bite. “It’s good.”
Her voice was already slightly higher than usual. Kazuki grinned. Renji looked nervous. Akari kept eating. By the fourth bite, her cheeks were pink. By the sixth, her nose had started running. She sniffed and kept going.
Renji slowly lowered his chopsticks. “Akari.”
She looked at him. “What?”
“You’re crying.”
“I’m not crying.”
A tear slipped down one cheek.
“You’re crying.”
Kazuki started snickering.
Akari wiped it away with the back of her hand. “It’s spicy.”
Akari took another bite.
Kazuki leaned over his bowl. “How hot is it?”
Akari swallowed. “Really hot.”
“Can I try it?”
“No,” said Reina.
Kazuki looked at her. “Why not?”
“Because I said so.”
“That’s not fair!”
“It is.”
Kazuki looked offended. Akari kept eating.
A few minutes later, most of the noodles were gone. Renji had finished his own bowl. Kazuki had finished his and was now openly staring at Akari. Akari lifted the bowl with both hands.
Kazuki whispered, “No way.”
A few seconds later she set it back on the counter.
Empty.
Kazuki stared at it. Renji stared at her.
Akari’s lips were red. Her eyes were watering badly enough that she had to blink several times.
Then, she smirked. Her mouth felt hot enough for a fireball jutsu.
Kazuki saw her expression and started smiling.
She lowered her voice as far as she could manage, which was not very far. “Look at me.”
Kazuki immediately started laughing.
“I’m Sasuke.”
Renji groaned and buried his face in his arms.
Akari brought her hands together in a completely useless hand sign. “Fireball Jutsu.”
She puffed out her cheeks. “Whoosh.”
Kazuki doubled over, one hand on the counter, laughing hard enough that no sound came out for the first few seconds.
Then, a voice from farther down the counter. “I don’t sound like that.”
Akari’s hands were still frozen in the fake seal. Very slowly, she turned.
Sasuke sat a few stools down from them. He was looking directly at her.
Kazuki slid off his stool, laughing uncontrollably.
Renji tried to melt into the counter.
Reina covered her face with her hand and looked away. Her shoulders were shaking.
Kazuki saw her. “You’re supposed to be the adult!”
That did not help.
Akari looked at Sasuke. “It was pretty close."
Sasuke picked up his chopsticks. “It wasn’t close.”
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