Chapter 2 - My shuzoku

Yesterday, words were not enough
Even if we pass each other, don't stop
I want to understand more

Sometimes I want to be alone
Even as I journey, my heart is not content
And then I take notice of the one that's important to me

Always, always
Days will not always go well, but do smile
The amount of joy I felt
With only the few words that you gave to me
Is what I will always remember

Memories, on the way back in mid-winter
Footprints in the white snow
A warm feeling descends and builds

Someday, the time for us to part will come
Surely, we will still be friends
For I can always feel you closer than anyone else

Faraway, faraway
The future that I only saw shining is there straight ahead, so come, we must go
That the wishes you longed for
Will most surely come true
Is what I will always believe in

Always, always
Days will not always go well, but do smile
The amount of joy I felt
With only the few words that you gave to me
Is what I will always remember

Faraway, faraway
The future that I only saw shining is there straight ahead, so come, we must go
That the wishes you longed for
Will most surely come true
Is what I will always believe in
That is what I will always believe in





I was completely shocked really, I didn't know what to think, I had gone all my life, okay three years wasn't much, but to a child it was. Anyway I went through three years thinking I didn't have a father, or he was died or something. Yet my mom was telling me the tall, sharp featured man was my father.

My aqua eyes scanned the man, I was silent, still clutching tightly to my mom's leg, I suppose that would explain some of my features, sandy blonde hair, Green eyes, two triangles over each cheek. He was tan, a real difference from my mom's milky skin, Dark hair, and blue eyes. He smiled at me, it was a real change, from the scowl he had earlier to the smile now. He seem to radiating, that was when I feel in love with my dad.

No not like that, but infatuation, I thought he was the most handsome man, even with the sharp canines, and the bed head kind of hair, he reached out his hand. It seem slow motion to me, my eyes following his movements, Mom seem to be pushing be towards him, she must of found it odd her normally loud and hyper child was acting shy and quiet. I blushed deeply, as he rubbed my head affectionately “My name is Ketsueki, what is your name pretty lady?” he asked softly, staring down at me with those bright green eyes.

No my father isn't as cruel as I may make him seem like, he isn't heartless but he is a man of duty, and he's disciplined, among many things, he is a man to be admired. So Anyway My face must have been bright red, as I squeak “Kegawa”, my small hands shot up to my chest as wrapped one hand around the other, staring down shyly. He chuckled, it was weird to hear something so deep, it almost sounded like a bark, I never heard anything like it, it was so different from the melody like laugh my mother produced. His seemed more earthy “Ah, Kegawa, such a pretty name” he said with a charming smile.

I got the nerve to look up and smiled at him, giving him the biggest smile I could, no longer finding him scary “so your my daddy?” I asked excitedly. I must have thought I was the luckiest person around, because I remember feeling so happy, this handsome, and cool person was to be my father. Then again keep in mind I was three, making an impression with me isn't very hard, a charming smile and my defenses were down, hand me candy and I was your best friend.

had a odd expression on his face, probably unused to being call 'papa', he gave me a curt nod, patted me cheek slightly then stood up straight. He looked at my mom, “I have a proposition” He muttered, glancing down at me, mom seem to get the hint, she patted my head “go play with Shikamaru baby.”

I hesitated for a moment, then smiled big “okay!”, next thing they knew I ran off to Shikamaru, who was now sitting on the deck, watching my parents with curious eyes. It was easy enough to sneak behind him, since one he didn't care, I wrapped my little arms around him clinging to his back “Maru-kun” I chirped “Kegawa has a papa” I said excitedly. Shikamaru, grabbed my arms pulling them apart, then turned around “oi?” that was his way of asking “or really?”

I came to learn that, noises, and grunts were a common dialect of his language, I knew it all by heart, and normally I knew what he was thinking or saying. “yeah yeah, that man is my papa, Mother said so” I said sitting next time him. My eyes turned towards the two, I could see them pretty well even at a distance, one of those added perks of being merged with a demon. I could, also hear them, the way I leaned forward if only to imitate a dog's ears leaning forward, Shikamaru eyed me curiously.

Mother looked down “I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, it's just I wasn't sure you really wanted to be burdened with having a child on the side, when you have a wife and everything” she was always the shy one, you could tell by her face that she wasn't very comfortable under his gaze. Her cheeks were slightly pink, and she didn't look him directly in the eye, “she's a good child, and she smart” she said softly, rubbing her hands together.

Father stared at her, and nodded “I understand your fears, but this is our child, it was wrong to keep it from me, you know sooner or later I would've put two and two together” he said. He ran his hand through his messy hair “she sure is something, really cute” he said with a slight grin “actually when I heard you had a child, I had to come see, I also..” he paused trying to figure how to say what he was going to say properly.

“you see, I don't think my wife is capable of baring, we've tried for three years, and she came close twice, but both were miss-carriages” he said with a tint of remorse, “I need a heir, a child to continue my family, and my wife, well she want's a child desperately” he placed her hand on her shoulder “Ai, really I don't want to part you from our child, I just want her to be raised like an Inuzuka, learn about her family genes”

Ai's eyes widen, she stepped back a bit “I don't know... Ketsu, she's be a gift, she's a truly remarkable child, and I not sure I can part with her” she said with a sad tint. I knew by my mothers tone she was going to break, my mom was never a strong woman, she was great at seeing the silver-line, but she was never good at things like arguments or voicing what she wanted.

Ketsueki looked down at her, with a look I could only explain as warming “I don't want to take her completely away, She'll still visit you whenever she wants, and if you truly must, then you can visit her at the compound” he said grabbing her hands, “no offense Ai, but as she gets older, I don't think you can teach her what she needs to learn, you can teach her about your side of the family, but the rest, from my family, to fighting, your not qualified to do it”

The look on my mom's face, was one I knew meant that I was going to belong to a new family, I knew that I was going to live with him, my father. As wonderful as I found my new father, I wasn't very keen on leaving my mom, and Maru-kun, I liked my home, I knew it by heart, It was my home. I was going to go an protest, voice my opinion, but Shikamaru had his hand on my shoulder. Though he chouldn't hear them, he could see their body language, he was smart enough to understand there was something going on and it wasn't my place to really say anything. I sighed deeply, pouting, “Maru-kun.. you don't know” I said, looking up at him “he wants to take me somewhere else”

Shikamaru's expression was a downer, for me anyway, it didn't change, in fact he didn't seem to care, he shrugged, still holding me to place, “so?” he asked glancing towards me. I remember feeling ready to cry “don't you care Maru-kun?, that this Kegawa will be away, and no longer with you?” Shikamaru seem quiet as if to think about this question “the academy, we'll see each other then” I let out a angry growl that seemed animal like, Shikamaru didn't seem fazed, I always made noises like that, from growls, barks, and sometimes sound of contentment. I didn't notice it at the time, but because of my anger two fluffy pair of ears popped from my ear, yes and sad affect from the demon. Whenever I felt intense emotion those damn things appeared, think of it as I'm always wearing a Illusion, but not, really I have two little dog ears on my head, but normally I look human.

“relax Kegawa” he said patting my head, I closed my eyes, I was still annoyed with him, for stopping me, and then proceeded to not care. So maybe I was a spoiled child, I couldn't stand the fact, that Maru-kun wasn't throwing a fit that, his best friend, or at least I self proclaim my self his best friend ( but I knew, he was friends with a little girl name Ino, and a chubby boy name Choji ), was leaving.

I was so distracted by Shikamaru, that I forgot why I was angry in the first place, so much for being smart.. My anger was cooled down as he continued to pet my head. As dog like as that makes me sound, being petted on the head was always a cooling agent for my fiery temper as a child. Call it my off switch if you will, now that I'm older it doesn't work so well, but that's another story, by now my ears were gone and I was making a noise that sounded almost like a purr. I was so consumed with being petted that I didn't notice my parents what back up to me. I didn't realize they were finished talking, I already knew what was going to happen anyway, my mom was predictable, even when it came to her children. She was a weak willed woman, not that I held that to her, she also had a golden heart, and always did what she thought was best.

Shikamaru stopped petting me at the sight of my parents, instead he sat up, causing me to topple over, since I wasn't expecting him to move, my eyes narrowed watching my friend. He bowed politely “Momma told me that if I didn't come back for lunch I was in trouble” he said softly, he spared me one glance then ran off. Tsk, such a lair that one, I knew better, his mom was a commanding one, I remember meeting her, not really expecting her personality since she was so brash and loud unlike my mom. But his mom knew where Shikamaru was all the time, so normally she'd come get him.

I pushed my self up blushing, fixing the sleeves of my kimono, then brushed down my pigtails with my hand like a prompt princess, all because I was stalling. Normally I didn't worry about my looks, I cared not if I looked pretty or not, true I was a vain child, but I was always a child who was much more into convenient things, I liked playing with the boys not the girls. Normally my hair was pulled back into braids or something out of the way. The boys knew even though I looked frail and like a girly girl, I was strong, with my extra stamina I could always keep up with the boys.

I trained my eyes on the two, then stood up, and smiled meekly, “Momma?” I asked, even though I knew what she was going to say, she gave me a said smile, patting me on the head, then lifted me up. I giggled as I was lifted above her head, twirled around, then pulled towards her chest, I placed my small hands on her cheeks, “something wrong?” I asked looking down at her face curious.

Ai just smiled softly at me “nothing is wrong baby, just I want to tell you something” I glanced towards my father who's face now seem neutral, not expression on his face what so ever. Then back to my mom “hai?” I asked, giving her a big smile, if only to make her feel better. Ai smiled again “well baby, your not going to live with me anymore, your going to live with your father” Even though I was expecting this, my face still fell, I wiggled out of her arms landing on my feet with a less then graceful fall. “WHAT!?”I screamed as loud as my little throat would allow.