Shadow Wolf (Shinobi Saga)

by Sessha Batto

  With that thought running non-stop through his head he rose and showered, pulling on his clothes and fixing coffee before reaching out to shake the Shuhan awake. “Daisuke, it's time to get up. Coffee's ready, the clan heads will be here soon, and you need a shower.” He grinned when sleep-fogged eyes blinked open to regard him with bemusement.

  “Good morning, Makoto.” Daisuke smiled brightly as his gaze landed on the interrogator. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Not really,” the torture master admitted. “But I did rest. I need to thank you, Shuhan-sama, you were right, my feelings are a lot clearer now.”

  Daisuke rose and stretched, running his fingers through his hair to loosen the tangles as he moved toward the shower. “So,” he called as he stepped under the spray, “any ideas about how we can get Yoshi back?”

  The interrogator leaned against the doorway. “As much as I’d like to say yes, I think we need Souta's scouting report before making any plans.”

  “He should be back in a couple of days.” Daisuke finished rinsing the shampoo from his hair. “I’d like to have at least an approach decided by then. If we only have to refine our plans, rather than start from scratch, we’ll get to our objective that much sooner.”

  “You’re good at this,” Makoto said. “No offense, I’m just a bit surprised.”

  “I’m not the strongest fighter, it's true,” the Shuhan admitted. “But I’ve taught and studied tactics for years. Still, I’d hold on to your opinion until after you see if we succeed.”

  “Our success or failure does not, necessarily, reflect on your planning,” the interrogator pointed out. “Make sure you don’t take on guilt that isn’t yours.”

  “Responsibility and guilt go hand in hand,” the Shuhan replied. “Still, I thank you for your concern.” He finished drying off and dressed in basic blacks, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee pressed into his hand. They were just sitting down to eat when they felt the familiar ki displacement accompanying teleportation.

  “Hey, Sasaki,” a gruff voice demanded from the area of his kneecap. “Where's the Kobayashi no Shuhan? I have a message for him.”

  “Pi-natsu, where's Yoshi?” the interrogator demanded.

  “Kazuki's headquarters,” the wolf familiar replied, his confusion over the situation apparent. “And he's a lot more worried about getting Souta out than he is himself.”

  “What about Souta?” Daisuke interrupted. “Hurry up and give me the message, Pi-natsu.”

  “So you’re the new Kobayashi no Shuhan?” the wolf muttered in astonishment. “Will wonders never cease. I’m ready for things to go back to normal now.”

  “Report,” the Shuhan snapped in a voice that had caused the strongest elites to quake in their boots.

  “Souta was captured outside Nakamura shuudan,” Pi-natsu explained. “Apparently Kazuki is planning on draining Souta's ki to extend his own life. The boss has a plan to help him escape, but needs you to position an extraction team outside their borders to ensure he gets away.”

  “Yoshi isn’t leaving with him?” Makoto was stunned. “He’ll never get away. They’re sure to tighten security if Souta goes missing.”

  “The boss said to tell you he's planning on staying until he can do it safely.” The stocky wolf huffed. “He refuses to put the shuudan in danger of retaliation. He also said to make sure you know that he misses you Sasaki, and he hopes to be home soon.”

  “See, Makoto,” Daisuke chimed in. “I told you he wasn’t there willingly.”

  “But why doesn’t he just leave with Souta?” the torture master wondered. “It makes no sense to stay behind.”

  “I’m sure Takahashi-san has his reasons. The important thing is that he plans on coming back.”

  “No, it isn’t,” the interrogator insisted. “You’re just saying that because Souta's not the one staying behind. How would you feel if our positions were reversed?”

  “The boss is alright, you know.” Pi-natsu studied Makoto's angry face. “Kazuki isn’t going to hurt him. They have … history that they share.” The demon struggled to explain, the motivations behind this, as with most human decisions, eluding him. “They trust each other. If Yoshi says he’ll be back then he will, he never breaks his promises.”

  “Then tell him I’m waiting, and to get his ass home as soon as possible.” The stocky wolf nodded and faded from sight.

  ****

  Pi-natsu reappeared in the bowels of Kazuki's headquarters, nose wrinkling in distaste at the smell of stale recirculated air. He got his bearings and trotted down the short hall into an expansive bedroom, shuddering at the sight of his master curled up intimately with Kobayashi shuudan's most infamous renegade.

  “Boss,” he hissed. “Hey, wake up.”

  Yoshi jerked awake at the touch of a wet nose, slipping noiselessly out of the large bed to head into the bathroom. “Well?” he whispered as soon as they were out of earshot.

  “The team will be in position later today and will remain for up to ten days if necessary,” his familiar explained. “Oh, and Makoto says to get your ass home soon, he's waiting for you.”

  The shadow wolf broke out in a wide smile at the news. “As soon as I can,” he muttered. “Not too much longer now. Pi-natsu, go and link up with the extraction team, make sure Souta gets to them safely.”

  “Yes, boss, I’ll see you soon,” he replied with a feral smile.

  “I sincerely hope so.” Yoshi's answer was lost as the stocky wolf disappeared in a puff of smoke. The elite flushed the toilet and washed his hands before heading back to bed, relieved to see the spell-caster hadn’t stirred.

  He lay awake, reviewing his plans as he absently stroked Kazuki's back, fingers drawing comforting circles on the silky skin. When the legendary shinobi finally stirred Yoshi merely snuggled up against him, pressing the length of his body against his bed mate's as he draped an arm across a hard chest.

  “Good morning,” the shadow wolf husked. “How are you feeling?”

  “I will never tire of waking up to your face, pretty. More importantly though, how are you feeling? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Oh no, no,” the elite replied. “You were wonderful, you didn’t hurt me at all.”

  “That,” Kazuki declared with a smile, “is very good news.” He leaned forward and kissed his pale lover, gently nibbling a plump lower lip before pulling back. “We should eat and clean up. Today is a busy day.”

  As they dawdled over breakfast Yoshi decided the time had come to start implementing his plan. “Do you know where Oonishi-san is?” He fixed his lover with his best puppy dog eyes.

  “Why so curious, koi?” The legendary neatly parried the question with another question.

  “I was just thinking. You say he's insane, but he's very strong, and he can harness powerful illusions. Maybe that's the body whose ki you should be draining. It reminds me much of this one.” Yoshi's voice softened affectionately as elegant fingers stroked Kazuki's cheek. “I could even help you master the powers of his clan. The most powerful Oonishi in many generations was my shishou.”

  “So, you desire Hideaki?”

  “No, no,” Yoshi hastened to correct his lover. “I desire you. But you say doing nothing is not an option. Hideaki is similar to you in many ways and his ki is powerful. I just thought it was an elegant solution.”

  “If that is what you desire, then so be it. I’ll send word that I need to see Oonishi-san immediately. When he gets here…” Kazuki trailed off uncertainly. “Are you sure about this, Yoshi? You said you felt like you’d failed him. Is this some sort of twisted revenge?”

  “No, more of a rescue,” the shadow wolf whispered. “If he's truly lost his mind then this will free him from the agony of his life. It's the least I can do, especially since I’m responsible for his mental state.”

  “You are not responsible,” Kazuki retorted. “But if it eases your conscience, all the better. I’m happy with your decision.”

  “Shall I go let Rin and K
enta know?” Yoshi asked. “They shouldn’t waste time on that Kobayashi spy. Unless you want to keep him ready just in case?”

  “Tell them to hold on to him for now, but keep him sedated. We don’t need the distraction of an escape attempt,” the legendary decided.

  “I’ll be right back.” The shadow wolf rose and glided out of the apartment to make sure his lover's wishes were carried out.

  ****

  Daisuke watched as the meeting dispersed, waiting until most of the clan heads were gone before snagging Genki's sleeve and pulling him aside. “Pi-natsu said Kazuki and Yoshi have shared history. What exactly would that be?”

  “I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to,” the sage hedged.

  “Stop it. He was your best friend, and Yoshi is your cousin's son. Don’t bother stalling, I can see you know. I don’t have time to pussyfoot around. I need you to tell me.”

  The sage shook his head. “It was a long time ago. I don’t see why it's relevant.”

  “Humor me,” Daisuke demanded in a tight, hard voice.

  “Apparently shishou liked pretty boys. Yoshi wasn’t the first by a long shot, although Kazuki might have been. He certainly thought he was. You have to understand, I was just a teenager myself. When my fellow apprentice, my friend, told me about what was going on between our master and himself I got angry and called him a liar. When I went to confront shishou I found him doing exactly what Kazuki had accused him of, only with my cousin. Ren and I argued,” Genki stopped and seemed to consider what he’d just said. “To be honest I accused him of terrible things. After that day we never spoke. I only found out about what Kobayashi-sama had done to Yoshi when you told me, although I’m sure there were a string of others.”

  “Well, that explains the connection Pi-natsu mentioned,” the Shuhan muttered.

  “Pi-natsu was here? Is the brat okay?”

  “What difference does it make to you?” Daisuke retorted. “It sounds like an awful lot of misery could have been avoided if you hadn’t been so disgusted by the thought of two men together.”

  “It wasn’t like that.” Genki tried to rationalize his actions. “Shishou was the Kobayashi no Shuhan, I was his apprentice. It seemed sacrilegious to accuse our leader of what amounted to rape. I realize my mistake. Why do you think I stayed away? I’m not proud of my actions, but I can’t undo the past.”

  “You may not be able to undo it, but it's high time you faced up to it,” the Shuhan declared. “You can start by figuring out some way to bridge the gap between you and Yoshi. He needs to know he has family and that you’re on his side.”

  “No,” Makoto growled from the shadows. “You leave Yoshi alone old man, or I will personally remove your genitals, saute them in some butter and serve them to him for dinner.”

  “Relax,” Daisuke soothed, laying a hand on the interrogator's chest and capturing his complete attention. “He's not going to hurt Yoshi. Are you, Genki?”

  “How can he not? Yoshi already hates himself, finding out his only surviving family member hid that relationship his entire life certainly won't help. Your nephew already insists on referring to himself as a whore, Genki. What do you think your thoughts on the matter will do to him?”

  “Makoto, that's enough,” the Shuhan snapped. “This isn’t helping anyone. Genki already said he regrets his actions.”

  “Like that changes anything. He doesn’t need your judgment old man, or your forgiveness.”

  “Go away, Genki,” Daisuke said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll talk to you later.” He turned his back on the sage, wrapping his arms around the interrogator and rubbing his back as he murmured comfortingly in his ear.

  “Yoshi’ll never be happy here,” Makoto muttered as he leaned into the comforting embrace.

  “What the hell?” the sage yelped as Daisuke kissed the interrogator's cheek, immediately dropping his eyes and cursing his reaction.

  “Do you have a problem with something, Genki-sama?” the Shuhan asked in a deadly cold voice.

  “No, Shuhan-sama, I was just leaving,” the sage wisely replied and he fled the office, wiping the sweat from his brow once he was safely outside.

  “Come back to bed, Makoto.” The Shuhan tugged the larger man through the double doors and into his bedchamber as impatient fingers worked at their stubborn clothing.

  “Daisuke, wait.” The interrogator hesitated. “Last night was wonderful, but I don’t think we should make it a habit. Yoshi will be home soon and I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.” He stopped at the lost look on the younger man's normally happy face. “What's wrong?”

  “I’m worried about Souta. I just hoped you could distract me for a while. Gomen nasai, Sasaki-san, it was wrong of me to assume.” Daisuke sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I forget that we really don’t know each other.”

  “That's true. So why don’t we get to know each other?” Makoto pulled the startled Shuhan into his arms, settling them easily on the bed as he stroked a comforting hand up and down the younger man's tense back. “How long have you two been together?”

  “Almost fifteen years,” Daisuke said with a sharp bark of laughter. “This may surprise you, but you’re the first man I’ve slept with other than Souta, although I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. We were just kids when we started seeing each other. I was fourteen, and he was only a few years older. I don’t know how I’ll survive without him.”

  “You won’t have to, at least not now. Yoshi's sending him home to you, remember? He won’t let you down, and I’ll be more than happy to distract you until Souta gets back.” Makoto raked his fingers through long chocolate hair, gently easing the tangles before scratching blunt nails against the younger man's skull.

  “No, you’re right,” the Shuhan muttered. “I need to make sure Souta's safe.”

  “He’ll be here before you know it. He won’t want to miss out on that foursome he conned me into. The interrogator pulled Daisuke close, smoothing his hand over a bronze cheek. “Let's just get some rest, shall we. Everything will look brighter when we’ve had some sleep.”

  ****

  Yoshi masked his ki and hovered outside the medical lab, waiting until it was deserted save for Kenta and Souta. He slipped up behind Kazuki's apprentice and rendered him unconscious. The shadow wolf scooped up the limp form, putting it in Souta's place and casting an illusion to disguise Kenta as the captured shinobi. “Better safe than sorry,” he muttered as he injected the apprentice with a sedative.

  “Wake up, Souta.” He patted the sleepy man's cheeks until his eyes fluttered open. “That's it, I’m going to give you something to help you get going.” He injected a stimulant into the assassin's bicep.

  “Yoshi-san,” he slurred. “Wht’r you doing?”

  “Helping you get back home,” the shadow wolf said, casting another illusion as he helped Souta to his feet. “Now you look like Kazuki's apprentice so you should be able to walk right out of here. Go about a mile and you’ll run into an extraction team from home, they’ll be looking for you.” He hustled the assassin towards a hidden door. “Oh, and make sure you drop this disguise when you rendezvous or they may attack. Good luck.” He pushed the startled nin out the door and shut it behind him.

  He turned to see a smirking Rin surveying him intently. “What are you planning, Takahashi? I know there's no love lost between you and Kenta.”

  “There was news of more Kobayashi shinobi snooping around. Kazuki wished him to investigate. By the way, you don’t need to worry about preparing Fukazawa. There is a more suitable body on the way.”

  “More suitable, huh?” she said. “And just who would that be?”

  “Oonishi Hideaki,” the shadow wolf replied with a smirk. “He is, after all, far stronger and therefore a much better choice for Kazu-sama.”

  “What game are you playing? You must have some ulterior motive for wanting an Oonishi to show up here.”

  “I really don’t want to waste time talking to y
ou, Rin,” the elite declared. “If you insist on asking questions you’d do better to take them to Kazuki himself.”

  “Fine,” she huffed, pushing past him to head toward the spell-caster's quarters. “It's past time for him to pay up anyway.” She stormed down the hall and threw open the door. “Hey, I want what you’ve promised me, I’m tired of you stringing me along.”

  “If I give you what you want will you shut up and go away?” Kazuki inquired. “Seriously, princess, you need to work on your people skills.” He moved into the open living area, forming elaborate patterns in the air with his hands as he chanted under his breath.

  He wouldn’t. Yoshi recognized the forbidden spell and he leaned back against the wall to watch the scene play out. An eerie green mist slowly rose out of the ground in front of the spell-caster, thickening and contracting as it gained height.

  “Last chance to change your mind,” Kazuki warned, but the kunoichi merely shook her head, eyes never leaving the roiling mass. “Fine, then I hope you’re happy.”

  The mist continued to swirl and condense until it finally revealed an average sized man. Rin dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her face. “Is it really you?” She leapt up and flung her arms around the confused newcomer's neck, nearly strangling him in her joy.

  Kazuki ignored the reunion, all his focus on Yoshi's reaction. The shadow wolf's eyes merely widened momentarily before he buried his face in the spell-caster's shoulder.

  “Are you alright, pretty?”

  “Why him?” the elite managed. “I don't want him to see me like this.”

  “Like what?” Kazuki crooned. “You aren't doing anything wrong. He has no right to judge you, not after what you've been through.”

  “Rin? What's going on?” the man asked. “Where are we?”