Hakkenden: The ninth gem

Episode 3: The Approching Demon

Shino and Sakura were both reading the news. The freaking eyeball was jumping on the bed annoyingly. That's when Shino caught it and threw it out of the bed. Then Sosuke came out of the bathroom with a towel.

They look up. When Sosuke said. "The bath open." Disappointed, Shino said "Ahh! Man! I wanted to shampoo your hair." Sosuke sat beside Shino and Sakura on the bed, drying his hair. "No thank you. Let me have some alone time in the bath once a while." Both Inuzuka siblings sat up on the bed. Than Sakura decided to take matters into her owns hands. "Give it here."

Shino was standing on the side, while he looked at his sister who was drying Sosuke hair's. Then Sosuke asked. "Shino. Sakura. I need to ask again."

"What?" Both Shino and Sakura looked at each and look back at Sosuke.

"Rio Satomi. What's your relations with that man?" He just asked a painful question. Both Sakura and Shino looked at each other. Than, Shino answered. "Can't say. It's a secret and as nothing to do with you at all."

Then Sosuke knew that we were lying. He looked at us with a serious look."Nothing at all."

Sakura put the towel down turned her back on Sosuke. Unable to look at him. "We first met five years ago."

Sosuke looked at Shino and Sakura who were both looking down. "Five years ago?"

Shino eyes were fixated at his hands and said "You and Hamaji, probably don't remember. But the guy at Ōtsuka, who gave us another chance to live was Satomi."

Then Sosuke asked. "You're saying. He saved our lives."

Sakura was now given her back to Sosuke unable to look at him. "Yeah."

Flashback

Ōtsuka Village was burning. Burning to the ground. There were bodies everywhere. Laying here and there. Men. Women. Children.

A bit in the middle, there was Shino who was holding Sakura. Further there was Sosuke and Yashiro.

Than a man came with a sword in hand and the other hold a small box. "Make your decision. Do you really want your life as a mere person to end? Or would you take a monster into your body, to preserve that life. The choice is yours."

"After that, we swore to Satomi. That we would repay for favor. That's why it does concern you." Sakura explained without looking at Sosuke.

With that Sosuke took Sakura's ankle and made her lay done on her back and his other hand took Shino's ankle and made him lay on his back. He was a bit angry with the both of them. Then, Shino being the snappy brat that he is, asked. "What was that for?"

Sosuke wasn't happy. "You two are saying that man coerced you into accepting Murasame and Akiko?"

The eyes of Shino and Sakura grew bigger. Than, Shino put his head on the mattress and Sakura just did the same. Than the brother said. "He offered us a chance live. So we made our choice. Any option better than death is good."

Standing his ground, Sosuke asked. "Even if that means being suck in a 11 and 13 years old body,"

Sakura than responded with a yawn coming out of her mouth. "It's not like our brains are suck at 11 and 13 or anything."

Than Sosuke said "Really?" Than Shino threw the towel at Sosuke. "Go ahead. Tell us that our brains are suck at 11 and 13, dogboy. We're fine, okay? We still got each other and you and Hamaji as my friends and family. It's not a problem. As long, we have you guys, okay?" Than there was a small snoring coming from Sakura's side. Shino embrace his sister with his arms and put her body near his as he turned to his side so that his back is face to Sosuke. A small smile appeared on Sosuke face. "Sounds good to me. Tomorrow, let's find out, what Rio Satomi really wants from the three of us. It's too late to ask him tonight. Even Sakura 's asleep." Shino simply answer with playing with his sister hair. "Yeah!" Shino pull the covers over him and Sakura and Sosuke turned off the lights. "Goodnight."