"I don't get it. Who's this Manami-chan?" Shinki interrupted the story, confusion spreading across his face as Shikadai let out a sigh as Kankuro came back with a set of clothing for Shinki.
"She's our parents' cousin, but she's not much younger than our grandfather." The young male shinobi leaned against one of the pieces of furniture, folding his arms behind his head, his eyes closing.
"Eh, but what does she have to say?"
"Oh, well, your grandmother helped out your cousin Sasori at the academy and got in trouble with it, but she shouldn't have." Sarada piped up. "Then your grandfather defended her. That's why this is so romantic."
"Yeah, yeah. Are we siblings?" Chocho piped up. "Everyone else says we're not."
Shinki looked at the two girls with skepticism, before looking at Gaara and then Shikadai. "Dai-chan, what's she talking about?"
"You don't want to know." Shikadai let out a sigh.
Kankuro's mouth twisted down. "Actually, I've got a question about this Manami person? How come we never heard about her? How come she only shows up now in the story as well?"
"You don't know?" Gaara's eyes widened. "She's the person who brought us meals after father died. She insisted we call her Aunt Manami."
"I don't remember. And wouldn't we have been put into her care instead of Baki-sensei?"
Ebizo cleared his throat. "Don't forget, by that time my sister had disowned your father." Shinki's eyes widened, and the boy moved nervously. "Your father's sister also married into another family. On top of this, if anything was to happen to you three, then the line would have passed onto them."
"What are you saying? That they'd want to kill us? Because..."
"Actually, I think the council was more worried I would kill them." Gaara piped up, making a few eyes widened. One hand reached out to ruffle Shinki's wet hair. "What? Nobody had known I changed by then."
"Alright. You guys should be getting to bed soon. I know the rains won't end for a few days, but..."
"No way!" Baruto piped up.
"Can't we have a sleepover in here?" Inojin piped up, and a groan escaped Shikadai's lips.
"I..."
"Please, Uncle Kankuro?" Shinki looked up at the puppet master, his eyes wide, and his mouth formed into a fake pout.
"Wait. You should be asking..." Kankuro stopped short. "Oh fine! I'll go and scrounge up some futons. I guess I'll need some for the adults as well. This doesn't mean though Lord Ebizo will continue the story as he's old." The man turned, only to pause in the doorway, pointing his finger at Shinki. "You change into the clothes I brought, and clean off the makeup from your face. No sleeping with it when you go to bed."
"But... I don't want to miss the story. I missed quite a bit already."
Gaara cleared his throat. "Shinki..."
The young Suna shinobi let out a sigh and left the room with Kankuro.
...
Hearing what Manami had to say made Karura's grandfather flinch, and the man apologized for his behavior. Rasa found himself looking the man in the eye, wondering if the man was actually sorry for what he did, There was also the nagging feeling that the man really should be apologizing to his grandchildren. The fourteen-year-old couldn't help but think this ended up being the lot regarding shinobi families in Suna, the politics running deep with tension.
The man left, and Rasa rubbed his shoulder, gritting his teeth together. Lady Chiyo moved from where she sat and pulled back the sleeve while the ANBU watched. The auburn-haired teen didn't look the two in the eye, but instead winced as his mother moved the material. Manami's sat nearby, waiting to be dismissed. Sasori came, hanging at the doorway, peeking in as Lady Chiyo looked at his arm. A sigh escaped her lips. "You are such a foolish child."
"Seriously. I know you've insisted on treating me like a child of late, but I am not one." Rasa heard the sound of a giggle being held back, and his dark brown eyes darted over to his dark haired niece, his teeth grinding together. "What's so funny?"
"You're not that much older than me, Rasa-nii."
Lady Chiyo tapped his arm, making him flinch slightly. "Compared to me, you are a child."
Another giggle escaped Manami's lips, and the girl placed a hand over her mouth lightly. Her dark brown eyes twinkled even when Rasa glared back at her. "I'm not a child. I'm a shinobi."
"Not at this point in time. Remember, you've been removed from shinobi duty." The fourteen-year-old opened his mouth to protest again, only for Lady Chiyo to move his arm in a manner which forced him to let out a yelp. The woman let out a sigh, shaking her head as she did so. "I'm going to give you something to keep you from moving about for a few days."
Rasa felt the heat rise up in his cheeks and ears. "It's bad enough you and the old man are punishing me by removing me from duty, but now you're going to punish me the usual way?"
"What did you do Rasa-nii to get removed from shinobi duties! You must have done something pretty bad this time."
"You little..." The auburn-haired teen moved to lunge at his niece, only to nearly topple over into his mother's lap as a pain surged through his shoulder. Lady Chiyo quickly slapped the back of his head.
"You're not being punished. You got removed from shinobi duty because you've not been thinking of your own well-being, and putting your duties first. This injury is just another example of that childish foolishness of yours." The woman grabbed his ear. "You needed time to rest that time, you need time to rest now, and I do not in any way trust you to stay in bed, or at home resting." Chiyo turned to her granddaughter. "And you, this really isn't a laughing matter."
Manami's facial features twisted up as she tried to hold back her giggles. Sasori crept forward, his eyes on Rasa's bruised shoulder. His thin fingers reached out to touch the bruises, causing the fourteen-year-old to jerk, making him collapse into his mother's lap. The back of Rasa's neck and the tip of his ears heated up, not to mention his ear got yanked even more at the sudden movement. "Today just isn't my day. I really hate that girl."
"You know. I think I'm really going to enjoy being friends with Karura-chan since it annoys you that much." Manami hurried out of the room without waiting for permission from her grandmother, Rasa's body attempting to move.
Lady Chiyo sighed, rubbing the back of Rasa's neck gently. "You calm down, and Sasori, don't go touching people like that. Bruises hurt."
"They're pretty, though." Sasori looked down at Rasa with dissatisfaction.
Rasa felt his body twitch, but then felt his mother gently rub the shoulder that wasn't injured, and he felt his body began to relax, as well as quite a bit of embarrassment. Lady Chiyo spoke up again. "Please got to your room now. I'll be up with the medicine."
The auburn-haired teen sat up with a groan, his eyes glaring at Sasori, and his free hand pulling down his sleeve. He headed upstairs. "Medicine, that's always been her euphemism for punishment. Old..." Rasa's eyes snapped shut, not liking the fact he almost mentally called his mother an old hag. He sat down on his bed and waited for her to come up.
The tray she brought with her made Rasa feel like throwing up, as it contained a good deal of needles. "Is this really necessary?"
Lady Chiyo ignored him, and instead pulled back his sleeve, carefully. "This is acupuncture. I want to make sure this arm of yours heals up."
"It's not that bad. I mean, it's not broken, or sprained."
"No, but there are other issues." Lady Chiyo patted the bed. "Please lay on your side Rasa."
The teen felt like arguing but pushed back the rebellion. The sensation on his arm felt strange, and eventually his mother stuck him with a needle that limited his ability to move, but also made him start to fall asleep. He awoke to the rain falling down in a steady manner, a rarity in Suna. Rasa sat up, moving his arm, his stomach grumbling from hunger.
A knock came from the door, and he looked up to see Ebizo. His uncle carried a big meal, and Rasa's throat tightened. "Surely I don't need that much for dinner."
"You've been asleep for a few days."
Rasa's eyes snapped shut. "Seriously! I ask her about getting my mobility up, and she takes it away instead."
"Can you move your arm, though?"
The fourteen-year-old moved his arm, and Rasa's dark brown eyes widened. "I can. It doesn't hurt at all. Still..."
"You weren't being punished."
"Fine. What happened while I was out." Rasa took the food from Ebizo and felt the old man sit down next to him.
"Sasori, he's not doing to good. Lady Chiyo got him a treat on the way home from the academy when he asked."
"What's new about that? They always spoil him."
"Sasori..." His uncle let out a sigh. "I know you don't understand this Rasa, but it is hard on him not having his parents. He saw another child getting comforted by their parents, and spending time with them."
Rasa stopped moving the utensils. "Understood. Still..." The teen looked down at his food. "Who am I kidding? This is the Kazekage's family. Acting like a family, that isn't us."
"You could still act like family to Sasori." Ebizo patted the teen on his now-healed shoulder. "Though I know you already try your best, considering the way you've been raised. Don't though ever stop trying, though, to act like family towards Sasori, even though you may feel like it goes against your duty."