A Drop of Poison

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Retribution

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto. Ramen belongs to Naruto. Enough said.

This chapter is unfortunately unbetaed, as I wanted to have it sent to everyone as soon as possible (and it was late already). This part may change later if my betas have time.

Note: Ordo Hereticus has used Exterminatus on all the errors he could find.

Prank Day 190

Gaara knew the nighttime desert better than anyone else. His insomnia had made it so that he'd lived long hours after sunset simply appreciating the solitude of the sands. He knew the sounds of the desert wind better than the words of his own father. He could tell much simply by being there and listening.

That was how he knew he had company. And who that company was, specifically.

"Hello, Naruto," he called out, his eyes closed.

"Hello yourself, Gaara," the clone replied. Gaara knew very well this wasn't the real one, but he had no reason to treat him otherwise. "Simple relaxation or training this time?" the Konoha genin asked.

"Training," the Ichibi's jailor replied, raising a sand clone from the ground. "A ninja must always strive to better himself, must he not?" He didn't say that he'd recently been put on the short list of possible candidates to replace the Yondaime Kazekage. He didn't know how his friend would take it, with his own ambitions.

"Mind if I watch?" the clone asked.

Gaara shook his head. "I told you I didn't mind your presence, and I am not practising anything particularly dangerous today."

"Just verifying," Naruto replied, sitting down.

Gaara spent the next hour building sand clones, both singularly and in groups. The Naruto clone was now a quatuor, and they were training in their own way. Three were juggling those black spheres Gaara had seen before, while the last was watching his own training.

"Are you always training your sand, Gaara?" that clone finally asked.

The Sand boy nodded. "It is what I am best at," he countered.

"Yeah, but it can't be useful in all the situations," the Kage Bunshin replied. "Like, if you're fighting at sea, or something."

"Or against attacks that can go through your defenses," another clone pointed out as he caught and sent back a trio of balls.

Gaara had to admit he'd never thought about it. He'd rarely been sent outside the village, and never for longer than during the recent chunin exam. And within the desert, he was deadly at every range. "Are you sure?" He couldn't think of his reliance on sand as a weakness. Even in Konoha, there was enough sand around him that he could gather the equivalent of his gourd in a few moments, if necessary.

"Sure. I had my own wake-up call about relying on a limited number of techniques," he replied, not saying anything more.

Gaara thought for a moment, reviewing his time in Konoha mentally. He didn't remember much of the time after he'd tried releasing the Ichibi, but he knew that the boy who'd been fighting him hadn't been defeated, having retreated instead after a long battle.

But the time before that was clear, and painful. He'd been a punching bag for the Konoha genin, having neither the speed nor the strength to do anything but take the blows.

If training in a different way could prevent such a situation from happening again, he was all for it.

"What do you recommend?" he asked, stepping up to where the clones were.

The four clones looked at each other for a moment and nodded in concert. The many spheres were caught and burst on purpose, feeding the flames inside into the last remaining ball.

"Any specifics?" The clone said, rising.

"None that come to mind."

He thought for a moment. "Your sand skin is automatic and doesn't need anything to remain active, right?" he asked.

Gaara shook his head. "Not as far as I know. I've had it since forever, and before you came around, I've never had it taken off."

"Good," he said. "Then, I'd recommend starting with exactly what Rock Lee used: Taijutsu."

That surprised the Suna child. "Why that in particular?"

"Well, first, it's clearly not something you've put much attention in." Gaara nodded at that, as he couldn't really deny it. "And with better speed and endurance, everything one trains in gets better. But what really makes taijutsu interesting for you is that you already have an advantage over most people in the form of your natural armor."

"Also," another clone pointed out, "with your current skill set, staying at a distance from you gives you the advantage, unless they have armor-piercing, long-range attacks. So, most people would rush to close range, hoping to take control over the battle's rhythm and stop you from using your sand. Improving your taijutsu would give you a much better chance to survive encounters like those."

Gaara thought for a moment, then nodded. It made sense. "How should I go about it?"

"You haven't learned a style at your academy?" Naruto asked.

"Academy?" he countered.

"Never mind," the clone replied, stepping opposite to Gaara. "We'll simply see where you're at. A spar, with no jutsu, no weapons, no sand." He took a combat posture. "I'll be on the defensive first. Come at me!"

It took a moment before Gaara understood what the Naruto Bunshin meant. The following charge was weak, and his blows weren't anything to write home about. A lot of people had said of Naruto's original style that it was the one of a street brawler, but Gaara's wasn't even that. It was like he had no clue how to hurt people with his hands and feet. The only good thing Naruto could say about his fellow Jinchuriki was that he didn't tire, hitting and hitting without stopping.

Clearly, they had their work cut out for them.

Prank Day 192

"Good day students!" Ebisu said cheerfully, which was a complete contrast to his appearance. He had a black eye and a sizable bruise on the opposite side of his face. "Today we will be starting on a new form of training."

"The etiquette training is done, then?" Naruto asked. He might understand its use more now than before, but that didn't make it any more interesting.

The special jonin shook his head. "No, this will be added to our training schedule and not replace any of our current subjects."

"And what is this new training?" Muremaru asked.

"Elemental ninjutsu," Ebisu exclaimed.

"Nice!" Naruto exclaimed, only to be silenced by a hand sign from his teacher.

"More specifically," he explained. "we will be finding out what is each of your elemental affinities and, as such, what form of elemental ninjutsu you can use."

Ariko raised her hand. "Can't everyone use every type of element?" The Naruto clone knew jutsu of each type, and while it had taken time to master them, they could indeed use them all.

Ebisu nodded. "Indeed, it is possible to learn jutsu of every element. However, people tend to have a particular ease with one or more forms of elemental shaping." He looked at the three in turn. "For genin like you three, it is better to start learning with the element that will come the easiest."

"And… how is this training done?" Muremaru asked.

"First, this," Ebisu said, withdrawing a set of small paper sheets from one of his pockets. He then handed each of the genin one.

"How does that work?" Naruto asked, looking from one side of the sheet to the other.

"Not like that," he said, taking Naruto's hand. He then placed the paper square right on his palm. "Now, channel some chakra into the paper."

Naruto did as ordered, and, slowly but surely, the paper cut itself down the middle.

"Is that… normal?" Naruto asked.

Ebisu nodded. "It is one of the possible results of this exercise," the special jonin explained. "The paper cutting itself like this means that your primary elemental affinity is with wind." He scratched his chin. "I am surprised, I have to admit. Based on your black sphere jutsu, I would have expected you to be of a fire nature. Wind is the very opposite of fire, and the rarest element to be found within Konoha's borders."

Muremaru gulped at those words. If wind was Naruto's base element, then the two of them as Kage Bunshin would probably have the very same! And if it was the rarest here, three people on the same team with that element would clearly indicate something was going on!

Ariko just smiled toward Muremaru as if she knew what he was thinking and stepped up to their teacher. She put the paper in her palm, and focused. Instantly, the paper started wrinkling.

"That means?" she asked.

"This is the result when used by someone with affinity with lightning techniques," Ebisu said with a nod. He then turned toward his last student. "And you, Muremaru?"

The boy wracked his head for a second, trying to find a solution, when he understood what Ariko had done. He put the paper in his hand, and focused as if he was trying to feed flame into one of their spheres.

The paper instantly ignited and turned to ash. "Fire, I suppose?" he said, hoping that another result wasn't expected.

"Indeed," he replied. "I must say, I have a very offensively minded team."

"Why is that?" Ariko asked.

"These three particular elements are well known to be used mostly offensively, especially compared to the other two who are mainly defensively oriented," he explained. "In particular, the wind element has numerous cutting techniques, as well as wind blasts at longer ranges. Fire is self-explanatory, as combustion is naturally damaging, and lightning techniques are well known for their armor-piercing properties. Now, gather round. We'll go over how each element interacts with the others."

Prank day 196

"Ok, so that's it for the spy network," Naruto said, turning toward the other side of the table. "Anybody have anything else to add on the subject?"

Silence was the only answer.

Jiraiya had to admit he liked being part of these council meetings. Being made near-entirely of clones, there wasn't the usual politics and manipulations inherent with humans trying to one-up each other for hierarchy purposes. Here, the hierarchy was clear, and no one tried to put himself forward for more credit or to protect himself.

As such, he'd made sure to have a clone present at every meeting since he'd been invited. Watching his godson slowly become an important part of the Leaf military system was something he wouldn't have missed for the world. It was also a breath of fresh air compared to the other meetings Hiruzen had brought him to.

"So, techniques," the real Naruto said, turning and pointing to a trio of bunshin on his left side. "Your show!"

"We're still going through everything," the middle one said, rising. "Our primary selection of techniques got us twenty-three possibles, and we're currently going over..." He then stopped, his face blanking up for a moment.

In fact, Jiraiya noticed, that particular clone wasn't the only one. Every Naruto's face had instantly frozen.

"What?!" they exclaimed as one.

Jiraiya had no clue what, but something had clearly just happened. He supposed a clone had just burst or sent a message, and said message wasn't anything good. "What's happening?"

The many Narutos ignored him, rushing out of their chairs. One even transfered himself across the room with a Kawarimi, and he had the door halfway open when Naruto interrupted everyone.

"Stop!" he yelled, updating everyone with a hand seal. All the clones obeyed, stopping instantly.

"What are you saying?" one of the council members countered.

It was clear from Naruto's face that he was holding himself back from doing something violent. His hands were gripping the table tightly, and Jiraiya could feel the strength of his godson's chakra lashing out. "We already have a clone present and helping. More of us won't be much of a help." He turned toward Jinei. "You're the one here closest to him from the Merchant Network, correct?" Jinei nodded. "Go. Find out what you can."

The merchant jumped out of his seat and ran out.

"What's happening?" the Sandaime asked. Jiraiya had to admit he was also curious. He'd never seen Naruto so angry.

He turned to the Hokage, face blank. "Ichiraku is burning," he answered simply, his voice filled with wrath.

When Jinei arrived, the fire was at least under control. He could see a couple of clones with black spheres inside, keeping the flames from advancing.

As such, he went directly toward Teuchi, who was standing with his daughter on the side of the road.

"Are you and Ayame okay?" he asked. He had a flashback of earlier this year, when these same positions were reversed. He liked it even less than last time.

Teuchi didn't look at him, keeping his eyes on the still-burning Ichiraku Ramen. "I'm… I'm fine. Ayame too. The restaurant, however…"

Teuchi didn't need to continue. It was clear that the building was a near-complete loss.

"You have insurance, at least?" Jinei seemed to remember that the building was insured from one of the many conversations the two had about their respective businesses.

"No," the chef replied sadly. "My insurance company changed hands recently, and my coverage was suspended pending an investigation of the building."

Jinei scowled. After what had happened to the warehouse with his own goods, he didn't believe in coincidences anymore. Especially not after a dozen or so customers cancelled their own orders in the last few weeks. A pair had even closed, and he'd not thought of checking into the reasons.

He had the feeling that the false ANBU had moved into a new phase of their offensive.

"Anything I can do?" Jinei asked.

"I… I don't know," the man finally answered. "I… I can't…" He fell to his knees.

Jinei took a deep breath and forced himself not to react. To Teuchi, he was a business partner and not much more. He didn't know that one of the few safe places of his younger times was burning right before him. "Contact me if there's anything I can do. You know I have contacts." He put one hand on Teuchi's shoulder and one on Ayame's. "You'll get through this."

His only answer was a sad nod.

The merchant clone then turned back and vanished in an alley between two buildings. He made sure he wasn't observed, and his hands flashed into the usual cross seal. "Get me Niko," he called out, rage evident in his tone. "There's something rotten in Konoha, and we're going to get to the bottom of it."

Jiraiya curved around the burnt counters, stepping inside what was formerly Ichiraku Ramen. Most of the building by now was covered with tarps, hiding the interior.

"So, what happened?" the Toad Hermit asked the first clone that came in sight.

"Fire, evidently," he said with a scowl. "From what Ichiraku said, it started in the back, where spices and alcohols were stored. He tried extinguishing it, but water didn't do anything."

Jiraiya didn't like the sound of that. "Show me where."

The clone lead him deeper in the building, past a few other Naruto. There were still flames here and there, but they slowly faded, their heat drawn into spheres.

"Here," the clone said, pointing.

The Sannin wasted no time in crouching, pressing a finger on the ground and looking at the results. He then rose and went around the room, looking at the walls above head height. It didn't take long for him to find a spot that was still wet. He tasted it.

He then scowled. "Mist Oil," he said as he spat to the ground.

"Mist Oil?" Naruto repeated.

"A clever mix of oil, petrol, tar and alcohol that the Mist ninja invented. Only they know the exact proportions, though most villages have their own version, Mist's is the most effective," the Sennin explained. "Unless you use massive amounts of liquid, throwing water at it is only going to spread it more." He looked around. "Not something anybody can get their hands on. Any clue why someone would use it on a civilian target like Teuchi?"

"He's been helping the merchant network, finding customers in Konoha," the clone replied. "Most of them cancelled their orders in the last few weeks. Some of your own contacts did the same, actually," he added.

Jiraiya turned toward him. "That's… very interesting," he replied. "Can you tell me who?"

The clone gave him the name of two brothels and of a single bar in Konoha.

"I'll be checking on those myself, if you don't mind," the Sannin said.

"Go right ahead," the bunshin replied. "We have more than enough on our side to occupy ourselves."

Jiraiya turned to walk out, stopping in what had been the door frame. "Meeting tonight?"

The clone nodded seriously. "Meeting tonight."

"Be seeing you, then." He said as he left. Teuchi had been a close ally of Naruto, and that for years. Jiraiya wasn't going to leave a single stone unturned on this subject.

Luckily, most of his contacts were open late. He'd thought better from the owner of the Shadow's Rest, and he was going to get to the bottom of this.

Prank day 197

The atmosphere of the council room wasn't the same today.

Iruka had been present yesterday when Naruto had dropped his bombshell, but he hadn't had anything he could say. While Ichiraku Ramen had been one of his favorite places to eat in, he'd never been as close to Teuchi as Naruto had been. He'd made sure to go and offer his condolences to the man during his lunch break, but there wasn't much he could do. Not while being head teacher at the academy.

Iruka had been one of the first in, knowing the path by heart now. As such, he was present when everyone got in and took their seats. The various Naruto clones were somewhere between sad and angry as a rule, while Jiraiya was scowling at something. Only the Hokage was anything normal, and even then his usual smile at the proceeding wasn't present.

"Ok," Naruto said from his place as Kyuha, who was the last member in this time, fell into his chair. The blond genin instantly turned to his right. "Jinei, what happened?"

The merchant clone rose, and tiredness was evident in his body language. "I'm pretty sure that, by now, every one here knows what happened yesterday to Ichiraku." Nods all around, including Ichibo. "We had Niko and other clones going around, both looking into what happened and the surrounding situation in Konoha."

"In short, along with the false ANBU from before, whoever is behind this is also buying out Konoha businesses by the dozens, and using them to put pressure on the rest," Jinei explained.

Hiruzen joined Jiraiya in scowling. "What kind of businesses?"

Jinei withdrew a sheet of paper. "Here's the list." He passed it around.

With twenty-seven entries, it was well past the single dozen. Iruka looked it over, but recognized only half. They were insurance companies, banks and other such businesses. There were also a few equipment suppliers. The rest seemed mainly like import places and production facilities.

Jiraiya gave the sheet a quick look, then passed it on. "On my side, three of my contacts in Konoha reported being closed for health citations, and having problems with the inspectors. I checked to the places, and I couldn't find any issues present," he said. "And I don't need to be a spymaster to see something wrong there. Bribes, probably."

"So, you're saying someone's fighting us with money?" the real Naruto asked.

"Essentially," Jiraiya answered. "There are no rules in Konoha about buying or creating businesses, as the village tries to encourage trade and growth."

"And how do you fight that?" Naruto asked.

"There are rules about ninja implication into civilian markets," Hiruzen pointed out. "I'm not going to send ninja against civilians, not without any proof of treason, at least."

Naruto shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

"With money," Jiraiya replied. "The same methods that are being used against you can also be used against them. Like the Akamichi did when the Shurou tried buying out their restaurants."

That was the first Naruto heard of something like that. Knowing what was generally the result when someone got between Choji and food, it can't have been pretty. "What happened?"

"The Akimichi pooled their money and bought them out instead," Jiraiya replied. "And where they couldn't, they bought the suppliers, or opened businesses that undercut their opponents. Within a year, the Shurou family was gone from Konoha, and everything they'd owned was in Akamichi hands."

He looked to the full council. "We have the money. Anybody here opposed to doing the same thing?"

The many clones shook their heads, while Jiraiya smiled viciously. Iruka sighed but said nothing, knowing that Naruto wouldn't take an attack on Ichiraku any other way.

The Hokage rose, withdrawing himself from the council. "This isn't a ninja issue, and as such I'll keep my hands off it."

"You… you don't agree?" Naruto said, face falling.

Jiraiya was the one that answered. "No," he replied. "As Hokage, he isn't allowed to involve him into these kind of economic affairs, at least not outside of certain situations such as wars and the like."

"Naruto," he said from the room's threshold. He then looked into Naruto's eyes and nodded. "Good luck," He said, closing the door behind him.

Silence reigned for a moment. "You know that this'll draw the attention of whoever's attacking your suppliers, right?" Iruka pointed out.

Naruto's smile was vicious. "Let them come."

Prank Day 199

With the Merchant council going into economic offensive, the call had gone for clones to gather money. They might have an enormous nest egg with Gato's resources, but Jiraiya had been clear that battles like this one were won by those who had the most means, and the Naruto clones didn't want to leave anything to chance.

With most of the clones outside Konoha having jobs, there was already a steady flow of money going in. While their individual salaries weren't anything large, the sheer number of clones meant that this was still a tidy sum.

And there were places where money flowed much quicker.

"Full House, queens over nines, for Tenko Midori!" the dealer said. "Anyone has better?"

The men around the table grumbled and folded.

The dealer pushed the pot toward Midori, who added it to her already sizable winnings. She was already had more than a hundred thousand ryo worth of chips, and she was still going strong.

Before the last few days, the Naruto clones weren't much into gambling. While they hadn't been rich for most of their lives, money hadn't really been the issue. Finding places that would allow a Naruto to buy stuff was much more of a problem. And with the money they'd made off Gato and their trading network, even that was a thing of the past.

As such, money hadn't been much of a priority. Added to that was the fact that casinos were very often depressing places. While the rich who came weren't an issue, there were always people of modest means trying to make it out through chance.

And that rarely worked.

Because of that, the many Narutos had only frequented casinos socially with others, and not otherwise.

Operation buyout had changed that.

There were now a rotating group of clones in Tanzaku-gai, going from place to place and winning money. Their luck still hadn't deserted them, and the Naruto clones made millions daily in total from the casinos.

"Another hand?" the dealer asked. Midori nodded as did two of the men at the table, but the last pushed his chair back. "I'm out."

"I'll take that chair, then," a female voice interrupted.

"Good, good!" the dealer said, his smile abnormally large. "This table is five-card draw, Densetsu no Kamo-sama. Will that be okay with you?"

"Fine by me," she replied, pulling out a stack of chips.

Midori didn't need to be told who that was. With Jiraiya as a sensei and after having met Orochimaru, the bunshin had made sure to gather information about the last member of the Sannin, Tsunade.

It wasn't good reading.

The female Sannin had lost much more than the other two, and had basically given up. While Naruto wasn't one to give up, he couldn't say he'd lost as much as the granddaughter of the Shodaime, and not in the way that she did.

Still, she was undercover, and as such she wasn't to draw attention. She simply continued playing as if she was facing any other opponent.

And continued winning.

Betting against Tsunade was bizarre. She always called and never folded, even if she had a hand full of junk. Midori wasn't sure, but it also seemed like she was satisfied with losing for some reason.

There were some players like that, mostly rich men and women who were here mainly for the challenge, but she didn't seem like those. It was more as if, by losing, she made sure of something.

Puzzling.

Tsunade also didn't give up, not before the casino closed for the night. From there she went straight to the nearest bar, and started drinking.

And, the next day, she was back at the table as if nothing had happened.

After the third day of such, she made an extra clone to follow Tsunade. She might be a gambler and a drunkard, but she was still one of the Sannin.

And Jiraiya might be interested by what was happening to his former teammate.

Prank Day 201

Tora had the night shift.

As leader of the Torasen, that was what he'd selected. After the long nights he'd had canvasing Wave for signs of Gato, he'd not easily been able to go back to a day shift. And since he was the leader, he had the ability to decide. And nights it was.

The situation in Gin hadn't changed, either for better or for worse. The tension was still there, and the former Yakuza businesses were of no use in figuring out what was happening.

Worse still, the spreading network had no better idea of what was going on. Clones had spread all over the peninsula, and no sign of the missing Yakuza had been found. In fact, outside the Gin region, there was no organized crime of any kind, something that the many Narutos found surprising. Normally, things like that spread from place to place. Here, it was limited only in Gin.

The night shift also had a specific advantage: he could train more easily.

After a few days, the Gin retainers had gotten accustomed to the presence of the Torasen, and had left most of the security issues to those specialized in it. Their lack of numbers had helped; by the time the Torasen had arrived in Gin, there were barely a dozen of them left.

Being alone at night meant that those on the guard shift could practise techniques that no samurai should have knowledge of.

Each of those guarding had their own peculiar aspect they were training in. Tora, on his side, was trying to mix kenjutsu with the Sharp Fist. Channelling chakra down his blade was still something he didn't have down, but he was at least making progress.

Well, he was until a scream interrupted his training.

He reacted instantly, opening the door and dashing inside. He didn't hesitate, going straight toward the sound, while the two others present stood in the door, blocking the only path out of the room.

"NO, NO, NO!" He could hear Lord Gin yell out.

He didn't stop a moment, barrelling behind the screen that separated her throne room from her bedroom.

"NO!"

He arrived at Lord Gin's bedside with sword drawn, ready to cut whoever it was that was attacking in half.

Only, there was nobody.

"NO!" Lord Gin continued screaming, clearly having a nightmare. "DADDY, NO!"

Tora sheathed his sword and sat seiza beside the lord's bed. "Wake up, Lord Gin," he said softly. "You are having a nightmare."

That didn't stop her.

After three similar tries, he shook her shoulder lightly, hoping to break her out of her nightmare. She reacted instantly, jumping back as if she was attacked, eyes wide.

Tora withdrew his hand and bowed. "I am sorry for my presumption, but you were having a nightmare, Gin-sama."

It took a moment before she was able to calm herself and return her breathing to normal. "Yes," she finally said. "My thanks, Tora-san."

He bowed again. "I will leave you to your sleep, then." He then rose.

"Would it be possible… for you to stay?" she quickly asked.

"If that is what you wish, Gin-sama," Tota replied. "Let me just sent your other guards back to their post."

He did as he said, quickly messaging the two remaining clones of what was happening with hand signs. He then returned to Gin-sama's bedside. "What can I do for you, Gin-sama?"

"While we are alone here, you may call me Shippou, Tora-san," she replied.

"I wouldn't be so presumptuous," Tora replied. It was what he expected a samurai should answer.

"My father the Lord Gin had a saying, Tora-san," the lord replied, sniffing. "All are equal before sickness, dreams, and to the Shinigami. While I… am in my bed like this, treat me as one of your men. I would… much prefer it."

"If that is your will, Shippou-sama," Tora replied. "I must say that your father was a wise man."

"Better, at least," Shippou replied. "And yes, he was," she said, her face downcast. "How about your own, Tora-san?" she asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"I never knew him, Shippou-sama," he replied. "From what I heard, he died very shortly after my birth." It was the truth, at least as far as he knew. And he supposed he could be true for anyone, not only ninja.

"I'm sorry," Shippou replied. "For bringing up such painful memories."

Tora shook his head. "No worries, Shippou-sama," he answered. "I've long gotten over the fact that I will never know my parents."

Shippou's eyes went wide. "Parents? Both?" Tora nodded. "So, you also were raised by retainers, I suppose."

"Something like that."

"Tell me your story," Shippou asked.

"Well," he said, building the story he was going to tell in his mind. "It all started on an unlucky day, as a monster attacked our village on the day I was brought into the world. Both my father and mother were warriors, and as such they fought…"

It was a mix of bits of the stories he'd heard of the many samurai under his command, along with a retelling of his life in Konoha where ninja were replaced by samurai. Actually, some of the parts fit abnormally well. Having Sasuke as a snobbish samurai from a major clan who ended up losing his family to a traitor, Iruka as a strict but warm swordsmanship teacher, and the Hokage as the wise and old Shogun, past his prime but still to be reckoned with seemed just right.

Shippou fell asleep halfway through his time at the academy.

Tora simply smiled. And tucked her in. Sasuke had been someone who'd been serious all the time, and look at what he was now. Talented he was, but there was still something clearly wrong with him.

He was glad to see that Shippou could at least put the burden away for a few hours.

Still, he kept in place and guarded her bed. He'd at least be there if she had another nightmare.

And she needed the sleep.

While Nanowrimo was a success in terms of words, as I said on my profile, I don't feel happy about the results. Worse was, the attempt tired me out, and added to the overtime that I'm doing around this time for work, made it so that this chapter was difficult to get out.

Anyway, it's done. It may be somewhat shorter than usual, but it hits all the points I wanted to bring up, and I'm satisfied with it.

Next chapter is currently untitled, and is expected on January first.

As always, thank you for reading, and have a good Christmas / Hanukkah / Winter Solstice / Yuletide / Saturnalia / Whatever your region or religion celebrates around this time. And have fun.