Shadow Wolf (Shinobi Saga)

by Sessha Batto

  “Too bad, 'shi-kun.” Mayu gave his arm a tug. “Now come on, let's get you home, you need your beauty sleep.”

  The elite continued to protest, but the kunoichi ignored his complaints, tucking the babies into the stroller and linking her arm through his. “All set. Let's go.”

  The lovers locked eyes as they were hustled off in opposite directions. “Miss you,” Yoshi mouthed as he was tugged toward the door. He lost sight of the interrogator as he was dragged off and a small part of his mind worried he'd never see his lover again.

  ****

  Jun and Genki led the reluctant interrogator to one of the more popular clubs, steering him inside where he was met by a chorus of inebriated voices. “See my friend, all your comrades are here to celebrate the loss of your freedom,” Jun boomed enthusiastically.

  Makoto merely pinched his nose against the impending headache and attempted to respond over the pounding music. “I have a name, Jun, please try to use it... and I'm not losing my freedom. I'm getting married, not going to prison.”

  “But Genki-san insisted your life will never be the same. You will no longer be able to go out with the guys and have fun.”

  “I never went 'out with the guys' before. I fail to see why it suddenly matters. Besides, Genki's a bachelor, what does he know about being married?”

  An unhappy Jun protested. “It is an important tradition on the night before you wed. I do not wish any bad luck to ruin my friend Yoshi's wedding.”

  “As long as I make it there on time I think we'll be alright,” the interrogator replied, hoping to calm the frantic elite. “Now, what's supposed to happen?”

  “You're supposed to have a drink, that's what.” Souta hooked an arm around the taller man's neck and pulled him into a hug. “It's not often I see you without your better half.”

  “Mayu hustled him away. Apparently I'm not allowed to go home tonight,” Makoto grumbled. “Something about not seeing him before the wedding. I could say the same thing though, where's Daisuke? Is something wrong?”

  “Oh, no, no,” the assassin assured him. “Didn't you know? Mayu's giving Takahashi a hen party. Dai went there and I came here.”

  “What in god's name is a hen party? I've never heard of it.”

  “It's what they do for the bride before the wedding. Kind of like this, but with girls and in private.”

  “'Shi-san isn't going to like that at all,” Makoto muttered. “What a disaster. I'm really sorry Jun, but I need to go make sure he's okay.”

  “He'll be fine,” Tatsuya soothed as he and Souta flanked the interrogator to prevent him from escaping. “Mayu knows what he likes, she's not going to mess this up for you. Genki on the other hand-” he trailed off and all four men's eyes riveted on the already tipsy sage as he ordered another bottle and pulled a scantily clad woman into his lap. “Just come sit down and have a drink with us, Makoto, you're bunking at our house tonight.”

  “I think he should crash with us,” Souta retorted. “The last thing he needs is wailing infants waking him up in the middle of the night.”

  “I doubt Takahashi would be comfortable with his fiancé spending the night with you,” Tatsuya retorted drily. “Lord knows I've had it up to here with hearing about how badly you hurt Yoshi. I love Mayu dearly, but she can get to sound like a broken record about some things.”

  “Takahashi was off with that traitor Kazuki when we slept with Makoto,” the assassin snapped back. “He had no right to be hurt.”

  “You slept with him? Oh hell, don't let Mayu find out about that, she's already livid because you opposed the wedding.”

  “I think Sasaki-san would appreciate it if the lot of you stopped talking about his personal business, especially in such a public place,” Katsutoshi rumbled as he joined the group. “I would also be especially careful of the way you refer to Kazuki-sama... at least around Yoshi, he feels guilty enough about what happened.”

  “He should feel guilty, he shacked up with another man and left poor Makoto hanging,” Souta shot back angrily. “All we did was extend a bit of comfort.”

  “I meant he felt guilty about Kazuki's death,” the swordsman hissed. “Gods above, are you really that stupid?”

  “I'm right here,” the interrogator pointed out. “Please stop talking about me like I'm not. I'll stay at a hotel. Let's just sit down and have a drink so I can get out of here.”

  “But, lover of my dearest friend,” Jun practically whined. “First we need to observe the beautiful flowers doing their dance of seductive grace.”

  “I think he means there's a stripper coming,” Tatsuya ventured. “Just relax and have a drink, Makoto. I'll go pry some information out of the old pervert.”

  “Oi, Genki,” he bellowed over the din. “What's the itinerary? Makoto's getting a bit restless.”

  “Ladies, I believe that is your cue,” the sage chuckled. “That tall gentleman right there is the groom. Why don't you go introduce yourselves?”

  The interrogator immediately disappeared amidst a press of scantily clad female flesh, the last glimpse Tatsuya caught was his horrified expression as a saucer of sake was tilted into his mouth.

  ****

  Yoshi and Mayu were headed for the Takahashi house when the shadow wolf broke the silence between them. “Why can't Makoto come home tonight? I don't like being in that house alone.”

  “You won't be alone, the twins and I will be there,” the kunoichi explained. “It's bad luck if Makoto sees you in your wedding outfit.”

  “But I'm not wearing it to sleep in,” Yoshi whined. “It's not fair.”

  “But think how nice it will be when you see him tomorrow. Besides, it will make your wedding night more exciting if you take a day off.”

  “I think it will be exciting enough for my tastes,” Yoshi muttered. “We haven't had sex since before I was kidnapped.”

  “What did you say?” the sharp-eared woman gasped. “Why not?”

  “Makoto wanted to go slow. Then there was that mess with the Mochizuki no Shuhan and after I got out of the hospital I couldn't. Then I was in the nuthouse for months. It's been over a year,” Yoshi complained. “Believe me, anticipation is NOT a problem.”

  “Well, one more night won't kill you. I'm sorry 'shi-kun, I'm not trying to upset you, and I know we're not much of a substitute,” she continued as she indicated the twins, “but you won't be alone.”

  “Oh no, you guys are great,” he hastened to reassure her. “I just wasn't expecting any of this. I don't do surprises well.”

  “In light of that I think it's fair to warn you some of your friends are waiting inside for us. We wanted to surprise you with a shower.”

  “I don't usually bathe in public, Mayu,” Yoshi insisted. “I don't think it's such a good idea.”

  “No, silly. A shower is a party to celebrate your upcoming wedding. Honestly, sometimes I think you've been living under a rock all these years.”

  “I'm sorry,” the elite mumbled. “I haven't been to many weddings and I've never heard of a shower.”

  “Don't worry so much,” the kunoichi urged. “It's just your friends, Yuu, Hideaki, Daisuke, Naoto, Ren, Hoshu, no one you need to feel uncomfortable with.”

  “Let's see... I slept with Yuu, Daisuke slept with Makoto, I even set Naoto and 'koto up with each other. None of that is uncomfortable in the least.”

  “Wait just a minute,” Mayu exclaimed, catching his arm as he was reaching for the door. “Daisuke and Makoto slept together? When was that?”

  “While I was with Kazuki,” the shadow wolf ventured hesitantly. “He slept with Daisuke and then had a threesome with Daisuke and Souta.”

  “Why didn't you tell me?” the now frazzled woman asked. “I wanted all this to be fun for you, not make you even more uncomfortable. I am so sorry.”

  “It's alright, I'm a big boy, I can handle it,” Yoshi assured her. “I was just being selfish. Let's go do whatever it is you do for a shower, shall we?”

  ****

&nbs
p; Yoshi studied his reflection, turning this way and that as he contemplated just how to express his uncertainties. “Spit it out, 'shi-kun, what's wrong?” Mayu prodded. “We need to get going.”

  “Isn't it a bit... feminine? I don't want Makoto to be upset when he sees me.”

  “You look wonderful,” the kunoichi assured him. “I wouldn't let you be embarrassed.”

  The shadow wolf pursed his lips and scrutinized his appearance yet again, taking in the details of the elaborately embroidered kimono, glittering silver thread tracing intricate patterns on the deep blue-grey silk, highlighting his alabaster skin and platinum mane. “If you say so,” he finally agreed, frown lines still creasing his forehead. “Let's go then.”

  When they got to the shrine they'd booked for the ceremony Yoshi immediately realized that the other half of the wedding party had yet to arrive. “Ha,” he declared triumphantly. “I'm not last for a change.”

  “I'm sure he'll be here in a few minutes,” Mayu assured him. “He's with Tatsuya, after all.”

  “Jun will make sure he gets here on time,” the shadow wolf decided. “He wouldn't dare mess this up.”

  ****

  Makoto warily cracked open one eye, blearily trying to focus the swimming image as the weak rays of light assaulted his throbbing head. What crawled in my mouth and died? he wondered as rolled over, intending to ask his lover why he felt so horrible. Instead of lean chiseled muscles and a shock of white hair, however, his eyes were met by long dark ringlets and a pair of enormous breasts.

  “What the fuck happened?” he managed to slur as he hoisted himself more or less to a sitting position, “Where am I?”

  The interrogator quickly inspected his surroundings, flashes of the previous night coming back to him as he observed the rest of the participants from his bachelor party slumped inelegantly around the room. How the hell did I get on the pool table, the interrogator wondered, and where are my clothes?”

  He finally spotted his pants crumpled in a ball across the room and staggered over to retrieve them, getting one leg on when he noticed the time. “Holy fuck, I'm late,” he bellowed, causing a tidal wave of groans as the others were startled from their slumber.

  “What time is it?” Tatsuya yawned. “The wedding isn't until ten.”

  “It's noon,” Makoto managed to grit out. “Oh my god, Yoshi must think I changed my mind.” He raced to the door, slamming it open and disappearing at a run, heedless of the fact that he was clad only in an unbuttoned pair of pants, lipstick marks clearly visible on his scarred torso.

  When he reached the shrine and bolted inside he was met by an incredibly pissed off group led by a seething Mayu. “Where the hell have you been?” she demanded. “You were supposed to get married two hours ago.”

  “Where's Yoshi? I have to see him.”

  “I believe I would change first, Sasaki-san. After all, the damage is already done,” Yuu pointed out disapprovingly. “At least wash the remnants of your evening off before you confront your fiancé with what you did.”

  “What are you talking about?” Makoto shook his head in confusion. “I got drunk, I overslept. We all did. Besides, I didn't even want a bachelor party in the first place. This is all just a big misunderstanding.”

  “And the lipstick?” the kunoichi growled.

  “What are you talking about?” he retorted, obviously confused by the turn the conversation had taken.

  “Property of Suki-chan,” Yuu pointed out. “Right there on your chest.”

  “I have no idea how that got there.” Makoto waved his hands in denial. “I just want to see Yoshi and explain.”

  “I don't think he wants to see you... and where the hell is Tatsuya anyway?” Mayu continued inexorably, building steam as she went. “He, at least, should know better. Bunch of stupid idiots. 'We have to have a bachelor party, it's tradition.' Tradition my ass.”

  “What do you mean he doesn't want to see me?” the interrogator cried. “He has to see me. We're getting married today.”

  “You were getting married today,” she corrected him. “Only you left your fiancé standing at the altar. If it was me I'd hunt you down and chop you into tiny pieces, only Yoshi thinks he deserves this somehow. You broke his heart, Sasaki, I hope you're happy.”

  Just then the rest of the bedraggled group of revelers caught up with Makoto. They poured through the doors, only to stop short at the venomous look the kunoichi sent their way. “This is all your fault,” she hissed, storming over to Genki and grabbing a fistful of his hair.

  “Ouch, that hurts,” the sage whined. “Stop it woman. What did I do?”

  “This whole disaster is your fault,” she insisted, dragging him toward the back of the shrine. “Therefore, you get to try and make it right. Go talk to your nephew.”

  Tatsuya, meanwhile, was muttering “Kill me now, please,” over and over again. The rest of the obviously hung-over group tried to stop their brains from bleeding as the angry woman's voice continued to rise in pitch and volume as she harangued the hapless sage.

  “Kobayashi Tatsuya,” his wife's piercing voice made him raise bloodshot, fear-filled eyes. “I assumed you, of all people, would act like an adult. Apparently I was wrong. I am thoroughly disgusted with the lot of you. Get the hell out of here.”

  “But—” Souta tried, only to freeze at the sound of his lover's voice.

  “If I were you, Fukuzawa, I'd just keep my mouth shut,” Daisuke declared frostily. “By the way, just so you know, I hold you responsible for this mess, I knew you were against the wedding, but I never thought you'd purposefully hurt Takahashi-san like this. Don't bother coming home until you figure out how to make it right.”

  “But Dai—”

  “Don't you Dai me,” the Shuhan scolded. “Get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret.”

  An abject Genki, meanwhile, was currently pleading with the shadow wolf through a locked door. “Please let me in Yoshi, it's all my fault, I can explain.”

  Finally the lock clicked and the sage cautiously pushed the door open, further chastened when he was confronted by his solemn, red-eyed nephew. “What do you want?” Yoshi demanded. “Are you happy now? Makoto left me, you were right.”

  “He didn't leave you,” his uncle tried to explain. “We got him drunk, we all passed out. Believe me, this was not his choice.”

  “Then why isn't he here?”

  “He is. He just hasn't made it past Mayu,” Genki explained. “She's in rare form. Tatsuya'll be sleeping on the couch 'til he's ninety.” He finished with a chuckle, one which he quickly suppressed as a hate-filled glare was directed his way.

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because if it is, it didn't work.”

  “Let me go get Makoto for you. He loves you, don't throw that away over something stupid like this. I never meant for this to happen, please believe me. I screwed up,” the sage admitted. “It isn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last, but I doubt I'll ever be more sorry for anything than I am right now.”

  “I hardly think being upset over my fiancé abandoning me on my wedding day is stupid,” the shadow wolf growled. “You're the same insensitive sot you've always been.”

  “No, no, that's not what I meant,” Genki backpedaled. “I meant the whole idea of forcing him to enjoy himself was stupid. I thought it would be funny to laugh at down the road so I made sure they kept feeding him alcohol. Then Jun challenged him to a 'joyous competition of artful disrobing'. We have it all on tape. It was really pretty funny.”

  “That's why you see me laughing,” Yoshi growled. “What is your point old man. I'm tired and I just want to go home.”

  “The point is, you have something worthwhile. Sasaki really loves you. I may joke about it, but that's probably because I was never lucky enough to find someone who actually cared about me,” Genki decided. “Please don't throw away your happiness over your friends' misguided attempt to show just how excited we are for you.”

  “It's
a sign though,” Yoshi whispered after a long awkward silence. “He's better off without me.”

  “No, he's not.” The sage grabbed the elite by the shoulders and propelled him across the room to face the mirror. “You are handsome, brilliant, powerful, witty, loyal, kind and so many more wonderful things... and Makoto knows it. Do this, I swear you won't regret it.”

  “I'll talk to him. No guarantees.”

  “I'll send him right in. By the way, you look wonderful. I can see why Sasaki only has eyes for you.”

  “Thank you,” the shadow wolf replied with a sad smile. “I just hope you're right.”

  Genki slipped outside, rushing to where Mayu, Yuu, Hideaki, Hoshu and Daisuke were all berating the abjectly hung-over interrogator. “He wants to see you.”

  “Get a head start, old man,” Makoto whispered back venomously. “Because I'm going to kill every one of you assholes if 'shi-san doesn't take me back.”

  “You can't go in there looking like that,” Mayu snapped. “Rubbing his nose in what you did.”

  “I need to be honest with him, he deserves that,” the interrogator insisted. “I just hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me.” He slowly trudged after Genki, hesitating outside the door until the older man retreated before knocking softly.

  “Yes?” Yoshi called. “What do you want?”

  “It's me, sweetheart. May I please come in and talk to you?” Makoto pleaded. “I need to see you.”

  “Come in,” Yoshi whispered as he unlocked the door. “Why didn't you just tell me you changed your mind?” he continued plaintively as soon as the interrogator was inside. “I would have understood.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, don't cry... please,” the interrogator entreated as he wiped the welling tears from his lover's eyes. “I didn't change my mind. You are my most precious person and you always will be. I will never, ever, leave you of my own accord. Please, please, forgive me for stupidly ruining your special perfect day and embarrassing you in front of all our friends. I swear I'll apologize to each and every one of them and make sure they know it was all my fault.”