Adopted: Book 1 Refracted Sand [REWRITING]

Adopted Ch. 53 Pairing

Ritsu couldn't believe he was visiting the Sand Siblings' house, for a one-on-one lesson with Temari-senpai.

He followed the directions to the back of the Kazekage mansion, going passed the front and around the building, staring at the only tree for acres whose branches almost reached over the top of the roof. Once he went around the corner, he violently double-taked. The sheep were dotted around the Kazekage's garden and he saw a chicken flying across the area. The goats turned to stare beadily at him while chewing on some hay. He side-stepped against the wall of the building toward the back door and knocked, swatting away one goat that tried to nibble at his pants.

When the door flew open, he jumped into a salute, expecting to see one of the siblings, only to be met with the sight of Baki's largeness occupying the doorway.

"Baki-sensei," he said in slight surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Ritsu," the Jonin answered uninterestedly. "Was it today you were coming over?"

"Uh..." he took in the man's loungewear of sweatpants and a tanktop. "Yes."

"Come in and close the door behind you. The animals will get in."

Ritsu did as he was told and took off his shoes as he watched Baki disappear further into the house.

"Temari!" Baki yelled. "Your student's here."

A distant voice from up the stairs yelled back. "I'll be a bit!"

Ritsu shuffles after Baki and has the first good look at the Kazekage quarter's living space. Sliding glass doors on the far wall made a clear view out into the backyard where once again the tree was framed, he tried not to stare at it too much. There was a sectional sofa against the left wall and an armchair perpendicular to it on the right wall, with a TV in the far right corner with a vhs player. Between the sectional and the sliding doors, was a bookshelf with scrolls, books, and pictures.

Baki took up the entire sectional, sitting smack in the middle where the divide in the cushions were. He had his feet up on the coffee table in the middle of the room with a newspaper blocking his face.

So this was their sensei in his natural habitat.

"Where's the restroom?" Ritsu asked.

"Down the hall."

"Thank you."

Once he was done washing his hands, he shook off the droplets and pulled out his handkerchief to dry them off. He opened the door and heard the door across the hall opening as well.

He jerked backwards. "You?!"

Suzume was standing there bleary eyed from sleep and her hair shaped in an oddly neat cube. She was in pajamas and fuzzy slippers on her feet.

"Ritsu-senpai..." she sloppily saluted him. "I heard you were here."

"Right," he sighed. "You're their adoptive sister so of course you're going to live here too."

She dropped her head down once in a deep, limp nod before pointing at the restroom behind him. "I'm going to shower."

He quickly moved out of the way. "Yeah."

When he returned to the living room, he heard the start of the shower. He gave a side eye to his teacher who wasn't giving any care that he was there. Ritsu lowered himself in the armchair and sat stiffly, looking around. He spotted the picture of Suzume on the bookshelf, looking so young and so happy it could've been fake. She was presenting something proudly with a blue cat standing on her shoulders. He soon found out what it was as he spotted the adoption form, also framed, right beside the picture.