#9beasts

........

She's in the presence of one of the gods and she's unsure what to say or how to take this so all she can do is stand and stare in absolute awe at the ghastly nekomata before her-

Oh this is... The most magnificent beast Shino has ever seen! A giant insect, one that is also a tailed beast, all mighty and powerful right before him! To think that people have imprisoned it before... It's such a nice insect, how could they!?

Shino looks up at Chomei with metaphorical stars dancing around him. Right now, if Chomei decided to crush him, Shino would be too distracted by how great he's moving to survive.

"Mmh..." What should he say? What should he do? He can't just be standing there, dumbly staring at the beast! From what he's gathered, tailed beasts are chakra beings.

sometimes, it feels like kokuō knows more than she lets on. which wouldn't be anything surprising, considering the literal centuries she has on him, but it always feels like there's more to what she's saying. aratachi doesn't know, he can barely think over the rough tone of his father's voice playing on repeat in his head. ( useful, you have to be useful, we will accept nothing less. ) the day had been practically torture, and aratachi thinks he can feel the ache of overtraining in his bones. kokuō makes it better, but it feels like the phantom sensation lingers every time.

she talks to him like this often. has always cultivated a hope for something more within him, yet lately it feels like they're on the precipice of something aratachi just can't put his finger on. he clings to it as he always does with her sentiments, but perhaps she can tell that his grip is steadily slipping. that it's getting to be just a touch too much, and the darkness clouding his thoughts at night aren't lightening up even during the day. if he focuses enough, aratachi thinks kokuō might be ... nervous. scared for him. he doesn't want her to be. the smiles still won't reach his eye.

still, it helps. the idea that he could one day get away from iwagakure, from unfair expectations and growing scars and a father that only cares when it benefits him. that he could get kokuō away from here, back to the land that she dreams of. he doesn't think he quite believes it anymore, and he won't say that even though he's certain she can feel it, but it's nice to imagine sometimes. love, though ... breath hitching, aratachi brings a hand up to his left eye, wiping at the tears gathering furiously. ' i d-don't need anyone. i won't love anyone. only you. '

fortune has not been favoring them. it's been an endless week of traveling, dodging various inns when it became clear that iwa-nin were conducting business in grass country. aratachi doesn't even want to think about the kinds of things they might be getting up to. all he knows is that he has no intention of being anywhere he can be perceived. which is precisely what leads him to the very innocuous cave that has become his hotel of the past two and a half days.

the morning finds him exhausted, barely able to stay awake, but aratachi doesn't get the luxury of staying in one place for too long. he apparently also doesn't get the luxury of sleep, either.

the first nudge of his nose doesn't do anything to make him stir, but the second and third have his face scrunching up as his brain slowly makes its way back online. it starts with a yawn, the fluttering of his lashes, and eventually his eyes blink open to take in the hoof currently pressing his nose back gently. aratachi can't help the lazy half-smile that curls across one scarred cheek. " mornin', ma. s'it time to go now ? "

" and it wouldn't kill you t' keep your nose out of my business, right ? "