| [Sep. 4th, 2017|11:14 pm] |
A pair of stone lanterns strung with straw ropes marked the actual entrance to the village of Tanigawa. They’d only gone a few steps past it, when an elderly woman called out to them from the porch of her house. “Who might you be looking for, shinobi-san?”
Raidou held his hand out for a halt. He bowed low, showing all due respect to an elder. “Nomiya Tadatoki-san, ma’am. We should be expected.”
“Oh, you’ll be wanting the mayor’s house, then,” the old woman said. She set aside a ball of yarn she’d been winding and creaked down from her porch, slipping into a waiting pair of wooden geta at the bottom step. Raidou went to meet her half-way, with the others at his back.
“You’re a big pair, aren’t you?” the old woman said, peering up at Raidou and Ryouma. “I expect this is about the sake.”
Raidou just smiled. “Would you mind showing us the way?”
The old woman seemed to consider it. “Only if I get to go with that one,” she said, singling Ryouma out, with a smile that showed well-cared for teeth. “I haven’t had a proper escort since before my husband walked the long path.”
When Ryouma blinked, the old woman cackled. “Never had the attention of an old lady, son? Don’t worry, I’ll not harm you.”
Ryouma recovered quickly, offering the woman his arm with a charming grin. “My team might get jealous, auntie, but you look like you can take care of yourself.”
“Auntie!” The old woman broke into peals of delight. “Auntie! Oh to think! You are a charmer, aren’t you?” She shook her head and took Ryouma’s arm. “Come along then, Giant-san. If your team is jealous, it’s just because they missed their chance.”
Genma quirked an amused eyebrow. “Looks like you picked the right front man.”
Raidou’s reply was a mischievous wink that made Genma laugh.
“Standard Intel distraction technique,” murmured Kurenai. “We’ll make something of you yet.”
“ANBU captain is plenty for now,” Raidou told her. He kept a sharp eye on Ryouma and his ‘date’ as they followed her through the village. Several other villagers were out and about, enjoying a stroll before bath and bed, socializing, or attending to last-minute chores.
“Suki-san,” someone sang from a house ahead. “Suki-san! Who are— Oh.” The voice trailed off as a younger woman appeared.
“Ninja,” Suki said. “This one’s mine, but you can have your pick of the other three.”
Three, of course, because Kakashi was as invisible as a wraith.
“Are they here about the sake?”
“Why else would they be here?” Suki made a dismissive gesture. “They want to see Nomiya-san,” she added.
The other woman scowled. “Tell them to ask him where Harubi-san and the children are.”
Suki made a shushing gesture.
“You ask him,” the woman said, unimpeded. “Ask him where his wife and children are.”
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