11 - Seeing Death

'Shiomiru? That's Terasu's last name, isn't it?' Fuyuka frowned to herself, not standing forward like Mitsuka. The hazel-haired girl in question narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Shiomiru, as in Terasu Shiomiru?"

The olive-haired woman smiled coldly, as if amused. "I have every bit of permission to see my nephew and command him as I require, regardless of his current, ah... status."

So the mysterious green guy had a creepy green aunt, not exactly surprising on paper but still weird in practice.

"Look, I dunno why you're here, but Terasu is busy recovering, so go away," Mitsuka insisted, causing the lady at the front desk to widen her eyes in panic. "Please do not anger Kyoki-sama. We don't want to face the consequences."

So apparently Mr. Death's family is also a big deal. Well, okay, if they have fancy kekkei genkai they usually are a big deal.

After a tense stare off between Mitsuka, the nurse, and the woman named Kyoki, the staff finally heaved a sigh. "Fine. Please follow me, Kyoki-sama. I will escort you to Terasu's room. But please, leave your guards here."

Fuyuka raised an eyebrow. 'Guards?'

Okay, this was a fancy noble lady from a clan, of course she has invisible guards hanging around somewhere.

She turned to Mitsuka as she stood up. "I believe you are Terasu's teammate. If you are here to see him, you may follow me as well."

Kyoki did not acknowledge the two genin as they walked silently up the stairs. Finally, the staff lady stopped in front of a door, bowing excessively to Kyoki before nodding slightly at the genin, her eyes shouting at them to remain polite to the olive-haired woman.

Terasu sat on his bed, meditating as he faced the window. He turned as the door opened, his amber eyes widening in surprise and panic at the sight of Kyoki.

"Aunt Kyoki-sama." He shrunk back, as if afraid.

"I do believe this visit is long overdue. Haruki was a fool to fight the clan. After all, she could have been the clan head, and you would have grown up like a proper Shiomiru." Kyoki scoffed, as if finding her own words amusing. Fuyuka and Mitsuka had a quick facial expression conversation that went something like, 'What's she saying?' 'I dunno. What is she saying?' 'Why are you asking me?'

Terasu clenched his jaw, staring down the olive-haired woman. "Do not insult my mother. I don't want to go back. I'm a Konoha shinobi now, I can make the choice for myself."

"I am the leader of your clan, I have full authority to decide where you go."

"But you're not the leader of Konoha, so you don't have full authority."

"I will speak to your Hokage if needed, you are coming back to Shimogakure."

"Why? You were plenty glad to let me leave with my mom."

"I cannot decide what Haruki does, not when she's in line to become clan head. Now, however, I outrank you and your mother cannot defend you."

"Uh, what's going on?" Two green-haired heads whipped around to face Fuyuka. They did know she was there, they just forgot she existed for a moment.

"It's complicated," Terasu replied unhelpfully. "I'll tell you two once she leaves."

He shot a glance at Kyoki, who scoffed airily in response. At that moment, Fuyuka decided she didn't like this lady. She was creepy, also she had the iconic noble 'I'm cooler than you' vibe which absolutely sucked.

"You two, shut your mouths," Kyoki hissed, her misty green eyes narrowing in anger as the two entirely unwelcome genin kept yapping on and on. "This is a matter of the Shiomiru clan, not your business."

Fuyuka and Mitsuka did not stop yapping.

A vein popped on Kyoki's forehead, her patience wearing thin at the two kids. Still, she had a reputation to maintain, she couldn't lose her temper here. "Get out of the room and let me talk. Just because one of you beat Terasu in your silly exams doesn't mean you can even scratch a well-trained Shiomiru guard."

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but you aren't dragging Terasu to the Land of Frost," Mitsuka argued. Kyoki snapped her fingers, and a voice sounded from the door. "Master Kyoki-sama, apologies, the nurse woman refuses to let us enter the room."

The olive-haired woman scowled, swinging the door open again. She glared at the nurse and two unnamed background Shiomiru's. "Get these children out of here, I don't want them disturbing me."

"B-but Kyoki-sama, they have just as many rights to be here as you," the staff lady argued weakly. She was shut up by a single glare from the olive-haired woman. "S-sorry!"

"You two can be entertained by my guards. Come bother me if you manage to shake them off." Kyoki shut the door in the girls' faces. The two turned their pissed faces to the two Shiomiru guards in front of the door. One was a boy with dark olive hair like Kyoki's and dark amber eyes, the other a woman with dark lime hair and blue eyes. The boy was a few years younger and looked like Kyoki, maybe her son. The woman looked to be a distant cousin of Terasu, several years older than them.

"I'm sorry, but you should never annoy Kyoki-sama," the boy said strictly. "I know we're guests in your village, but we have the necessary permissions to be here in Konoha and do what we require."

Fuyuka and Mitsuka were entirely confused at this point, so they just went back to the door. Unfortunately, the lime-haired woman lunged forward and grabbed one arm each, a senbon in each hand pointed at the genins' necks. "Master Kyoki-sama has made her stance clear. You are not to move."

Fuyuka wasn't one for fighting in a hospital, but she summoned a Triple Bind in her free hand, carefully keeping it out of the two Shiomirus' sight.

Mitsuka seemed to catch her meaning, bracing her Chakra to get these two guards away from them. The nurse lady seemed to have given up, cowering at the end of the hallway as far as possible while still keeping an eye on the group.

"Please don't cause any mass destruction!" she called, taking another step back.

Fuyuka whipped around, launching her stellar snare into the lime-haired girl's face. She spluttered, taking a step back. Noticing the attack, the boy launched a senbon towards Fuyuka, which Mitsuka deflected with Whirlwind Armament.

The staff lady wailed and ran away.

Meanwhile, inside the hospital room, Terasu was still trying to argue for his freedom.

"Look, I'm not going back now."

"Yes you are."

The mint-haired boy took a deep breath, hoping Kyoki wouldn't catch on to what he was about to say. "October 9th, when I am 18 years old. I will return then."

Kyoki narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the specific date, but she did not use her Unmegan. "Very well."

Fuyuka, Mituska, and the two Shiomiru guards were about to start the Fourth Shinobi World War in the hallways when the door swung open and Kyoki walked out calmly, her hands resting inside the sleeves of her black kimono. "Hametsu, Shukumei, we are leaving."

"Yes, Master Kyoki-sama," the lime-haired woman, Shukumei, replied with a soft bow, following after the older woman. The boy, Hametsu, trailed after them.

So what just happened? Well, time to bother Terasu some more.