Chapter 51
Spear & Shield
Chapter 51
“Where were you?!” a shrill voice shrieked before she even put her key in the door.
Jiro stood before her, long hair frizzy and tussled out of his usually neat ponytail. He stood before her, still in his sleep clothes with a manic-looking Bao-chan hooked over his left arm. He had swung open her front door the second she put her hand on the knob.
Yasu was taken aback by her brother’s frantic state. “Good morning…?”
“I was looking everywhere for you! The Teahouse, the Tower, the Monument… I even asked Dad! No one had any idea where you had run off to! So I’m stuck here, alone with your cat who hasn’t stopped pestering me since four AM!”
“Did you fill her bowl?”
“Her bowl is full!”
“Yeah, but sometimes she’ll eat enough to clear the middle of the bowl. You have to shake it for her, or else she’ll think it’s empty.”
His mouth opened and closed, trying to audibly convey how offended he was, “This is besides the point!” He even stamped his foot, “So where were you? Secret mission? Off reaping havoc with that Umino boy?”
“None of your business,” she huffed.
He stepped away from her, pulling Bao-chan close to his chest. “None of my business?” he was staring down his nose at her in a way that reminded her way too much of their mother. Out of all the Ushi siblings, Jiro resembled Ume the most. Her intimidating height and sharp features were even more pronounced with the judgmental stare he was giving her. Ichiro and Yasu were a neat blend of their parents, inheriting equal traits from both. Jiro and Shiro took after their mother, while Saburo and Goro greatly resemble their father.
And it would seem that Jiro had also gotten their mother’s nosiness as well.
“Your hair’s a mess--” she bit her tongue to prevent herself from sniping back that his was too, “--You’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday.” Okay, she didn’t have an excuse for that. “What are you hiding, Yasu?” he arched a brow, “Can’t you satisfy me with a truthful answer? Do you wish to cause me stress? Heartache? Worry? Do you truly desire to put me, your favorite brother, through such strife?”
Yasu didn’t miss a beat, “Yeah, I do actually. Now let me in, I wanna brush my teeth.”
“Unbelievable,” he thrust the cat in her direction, “How am I supposed to live in these conditions, Yasu?”
“Don’t you normally sleep in ditches and dingy motels?”
He ignored her, “The pantry’s empty, too. Did you at least bring me something to eat?”
Yasu had been having a pretty spectacular morning up until then.
She woke up in a cloud of cozy warmth, somehow sandwiched between Gai and the back cushions of his couch. She was met with the heart melting sight of Gai, limbs flung everywhere with half of his body thrown off the cushions, with messy hair, snoring as loud as thunder. The arm she had fallen asleep under was still hooked around her waist, holding her tight to his side.
She woke him up with butterfly kisses on his neck, just as the first rays of dawn began to filter through the window.
They had shared a cup of tea before Yasu made to leave. She felt as though she had overstayed her welcome, but Gai thoroughly disagreed. He tried convincing her to stay a little longer, even going as far as to say they could do his normal exercise routine together. She politely declined, informing him she had work to do in the afternoon. He pouted as he offered to at least pack her lunch for the day.
Which is why she couldn’t take Bao-chan from Jiro’s outstretched arm. She was holding a neatly wrapped bento. The cat stared up at her with wide yellow eyes, a strange look of betrayal and frustration. It made Yasu feel a twinge of guilt for leaving her poor cat alone with that animal.
“Alright,” she groaned, trading off her bento for Bao-chan. “Can I come in now?”
“I’m not done. You didn’t even leave a note, or send a message. It’s just plain irresponsible--'' Jiro's words were cut off by the strangely loud creaking of door hinges.
It was Kakashi, nose already buried in a worn issue of Icha-Icha Paradise: The Return. “Oh,” he stated, slowly tearing his eyes away from the pages, “Hello there.”
"Good morning, Kakashi-san,” Yasu chirped as Jiro just stared. “I’m sorry if we’re being too loud.”
“Mah, mah,” Kakashi drawled, “I wasn’t paying attention. Just on my way out, you see…” He made to move past the two. Yasu and Jiro parted to let him through, but Kakashi stopped short after a single step. “Ah…” he turned to Yasu with a playful glint in his eye, “You smell like curry, Yasu-san.”