Chapter Fifty-Seven:
Early the next morning, Izami sent off Sasuke's letter, and then spent some time wondering around Kumo before heading back to her family compound. She spent an hour talking to Kazuma and Tonobu before reluctantly returning to her brothers home, where she was immediately greeted by an anxious Noriko.
"What's wrong?" Izami asked, eyebrows knitted closely together as she looked around the room.
"Hikaru-san and Tachi are going at it. It was something about messing around in business that Tachi shouldn't have been messing in." Noriko answered fast, sounding out of breath. Izami looked back at Noriko, confused, "Tachi approved of some business deals Akihiro-san suggested without running it by Hikaru-san first. That's what started it, and now they're just fighting about everything. I don't even know what the hell is going on anymore!"
"Good graces." Izami sighed under her breath, face palming, and shaking her head.
"Sasuke-san called for you as well." Izami perked slightly, glancing at Noriko, hoping she'd hear some good news." He said that he wants to talk to you. Hikaru-san doesn't want you talking to him." Izami huffed, and put her hands on her hips as she looked at Noriko in annoyance.
"Hikaru just has to get over the fact that Sasuke is not going anywhere. He's the father of my child, and we...Well, that's just it. Hikaru just has to get used to having Sasuke in my life."
"That's what Tachi said. That started another fight too. I mean, I know those two hate each other, but I didn't think it was this bad." Izami used every ounce of strength she had not to roll her eyes at the other woman. What she needed now was just a small break.
"Excuse me, I have to call Sasuke." Really it was the only thing Izami could think to do to escape the suddenly, seemingly chocking atmosphere in the room. Izami attempted to move past Noriko, but the other gripped her arm with surprising strength.
"I'm sorry but at this moment I don't think that talking to him is going to help matters."
"I really don't care. Let go." Izami tried to force Noriko to let go of her wrists, but Noriko just held on tighter, a scowl on her face.
"No. I'm not dealing with anymore stress...Nor am I going to let you deal with any."
"I just said I don't care. Let go." Izami pulled her arm in an attempt to get Noriko to let go, but once again it didn't work. Sighing heavily, the Sato woman just stared hard at Noriko. It wasn't quiet a glare, but it was hard enough to show her displeasure.
"No. You may not care, but I do." Noriko's tone and expression hardened. Izami was about to retort when Tachi yelled out.
" DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A FACE THAT CARES?!" Izami tensed up immediately, ad looked at Noriko at what could be read as surprise. Noriko gave a 'I told you so' look, and then dropped her hands from Izami's wrist. She then gave Izami a look that dared her to try and call Sasuke then. Izami, however, didn't do what she had previously wanted to do. Her body froze, muscles tensed as her ears strained to hear every little detail that she could pick up.
" YOU SHOULD CARE!"
"WELL GUESS WHAT?! I REALLY DON'T!"
"YOU'RE A FOOL!"
"STOP TRYING TO BE FATHER! YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE FATHER! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE ACTUALLY RELATED!"
"THE FEELING'S ARE MUTUAL!"
"I'M SO DONE HERE!" Both Noriko and Izami jumped when the door to Hikaru's office pulled open, and then slammed shut. While Noriko remained grounded, like she had seen this a thousand times, Izami took a fearful step backwards, as if she'd never seen this before.
Izami visibly flinched when her twin stormed into the room. Anger was almost visibly rolling off him in waves. Half way into the room, he glanced at Izami and Noriko, who had both been following his movements with their eyes. His look almost immediately softened.
"Uuuhh..H-hey." Izami laughed slightly to alleviate how nervous she truly felt. Silence stretched on for what felt like ages, but truly was only a few moments. Tachi glanced at Noriko, then at Izami a couple of times before setting his look on Izami.
"You're home early." He noted matter of factually with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"Y-yeah..."Izami cleared her throat, and stood up straighter." So, uuh, Sasuke called for me?" Tachi stared at her for a few moments, as if confused for a moment, and then nodded.
"Oh. Yeah. You gonna call him back?" Noriko shot Izami another hard look, but Izami merely ignored it as she nodded, and pushed a piece of hair behind her ears.
"Yeah. I probably should." Tachi nodded slowly, and then looked at Noriko."
"While she's doing that, let's go find somewhere to sleep. Not staying here, that's for sure." Izami sighed heavily, and walked to find a phone to use. She really needed a distraction about now...
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Sasuke had called Izami earlier in the day. He had just wanted to talk to her, but Hikaru had said she was out. Sasuke didn't expect to hear from her. Knowing how her older brother was like, but some part of him still hoped she'd get his call, and she'd call back. So, in a large way, it came as a surprise when the phone rang, and he picked it up only to hear her voice greet him. An odd sense of relief filled him at that moment.
"I think the baby's moving." Izami's voice was soft, like she was falling asleep, but somehow the words managed to take him by surprise. He shifted his position, and held the phone closer to his ear.
"Is that so?" If there was ever a time he wanted her with him, it was certainly at that moment in time. He felt like he was missing out on too much.
"Yeah. It's really weird. Not weird in a bad way, but weird in a good way. Ya know what I mean? It's kinda hard to explain. But sometimes it's hard to tell if it's the baby, or if it's my body just doing...Well, bodily things. Know what I mean?"
"Not really. I'm not a girl, so I wouldn't know how pregnancy feels." He smiled softly, if only to himself. He wouldn't admit it outloud, but for once, it felt nice to hear her ramblings. It wasn't something he heard her do in a very long time. What felt even nice to hear was the short, dry laugh Izami let out as soon as Sasuke finished his words.
"You're so moody sometimes. It makes me wonder if you're really a girl."
"You, of all people, should know I'm defiently not a girl." His tone had a slight cheek to it that made Izami laugh nervously.
"Yeah. Yeah. I know, Mister Sensitive." There was a moment's pause between the two, and then Sasuke spoke again.
"You ok? You sound tired." There was another pause, which caused Sasuke to frown from worry. Then Izami spoke, sounding more tired than before.
"My brother's had a blow out."
"Over you?" Sasuke shifted his position again, worry was starting to make him agitated.
"Kinda. Not really. I'm not really sure how it all started. I just walked in on the tail end of it all. Noriko-chan filled me in, kinda, but I wasn't entirely paying attention. So I really don't have much of a clue to what happened. All I know is that Noriko-chan and Tachi are now staying in a hotel off clan grounds, and I'm with my brother, talking to you."
"You know, if thing's are getting too bad...You can always come back here." Sasuke cringed slightly at his own tone. How it sounded to him. Like he was begging. He never begged for anything. Period. It sounded so stupid to him. Izami's light hearted laugh suggested she found the tone more amusing than annoying. Or pathetic. Like Sasuke found it. Which just further embarrassed him.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're starting to miss me." Izami's tone was teasing, but Sasuke was not about to admit just how right she was.
"Hmm." But at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to deny it either. Izami sighed, and then there was another pause.
"It's ok if you do feel that way. I mean, I do feel...I mean, I do miss you. Alot." Her laugh that followed suggested she was embarrassed to admit her feelings. Sasuke smiled none the less. He also couldn't help, but poke fun at her.
"Heh, has being pregnant softened you up? You're normally not so open with your feelings."
"Don't get used to it." They shared a short laugh together before Izami spoke again." Well, I should go. I'm starting to feel rather sleepy." Sasuke stiffened for a moment, holding the phone tightly to his ear, and shook his head before clearing his throat, and speaking again.
"It's only three in the afternoon. You don't have to go so soon." He wasn't about to admit that he missed her voice. That he just wanted to talk to her, even if it was about nothing at all. Nor was he about to admit that he was feeling rather lonely, as he often felt, but Izami always seemed to have a way of easing that loneliness away.
"Alright. But if I pass out, don't say I didn't tell ya so."
"Right." The tiniest of smiles came across Sasuke's face at that moment.
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Izami and Sasuke continued speaking for another hour and a half before Izami ended the conversation. With a heavy sigh, and a warm feeling in her chest, Izami sat the phone down on the receiver, and stood up. She then walked out of the room she was in, however,she paused by the study when she noticed that it's door was unusually open. She peeked in a bit further to notice a drunk Hikaru slumped down in his chair, and glaring at the raging fireplace. In one hand was the glass he moved in a circular motion, and beside him was a bottle of hard liquor. Izami had no idea what to do. She had never seen him in this state before...
"Izami! Sister!" Izami's body locked up at the tone. A too friendly, almost salesman like, tone. Added to that, he willingly called her his sister. All together, it un-nerved her greatly.
"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Izami asked in a careful, curious tone. He head was cocked slightly, eyes narrowed as she regarded him cautiously. She stepped closer to him in the room, watching him carefully. Hikaru didn't answer her, or even look at her. Instead, he took another drink of his liquor. He sighed slightly as he looked at the cup.
"Nothing can make you feel quiet as good after being stressed as drinking. Except maybe sex." His blue eyes glanced at Izami, as if just realizing she was there. He then looked back at the cup." Are you going to leave me as well? Are you going to comfort your favorite brother? Listen to him tell you all about the big, bad older brother?" Izami was almost sure that it was just her hormones that was making her feel immensely bad for Hikaru. He spoke as if he were a defeated man.
"Hikaru-"
"Did you have a good talk with that Uchiha boy? You were on the phone for quiet some time." Izami paused before answering.
"I...Yeah, we did."
"Hmm...Well, that's good." Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to stare at the cup, and then took a drink of his liquor.
"Riight...Well, I'm going to...Go do something not here. You're being...Weird."
"Do what you want." Izami nodded slightly, turning to leave when Hikaru called out to her." Get your rest tonight, Little Sister. I've made an appointment with a doctor that deals with half-breed children that come from high caliber clans like our own. It may be an embarrassment, but it's still my nephew. Last thing I want is for that thing to cause more embarrassment to our clan." Izami looked over her shoulder at Hikaru, and glared.
"This 'thing' is my baby. At least give my child that much respect."
"Just go." Izami sighed heavily, turned back around, and left the room. Izami sighed heavily, turned back around, and left the room.
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The next day, true to his word, Hikaru woke Izami up very early in the morning. When she was dressed, and ready for the day, they left the house. To Izami's surprise, they walked to the near edge of the village, where there was a building with a sign that read Shin's Special Shoppe. Izami's stomach churned uncomfortably. She sat her hand on her stomach lightly. Hikaru looked at her, sensing her discomfort.
"He's a really good specialist in this area. I told him about your condition some time ago, and he's rather interested. A half-bred Sat hasn't been heard of in almost a hundred years. Not to mention a half Uchiha. That's never been heard of. He seems especially interested in the Uchiha part. I guess, I could understand that from a medical point of view, but-"
"If he's a doctor why does it say shoppe instead of, oh I don't know, Hospital, or Clinic, or something like that?" Izami looked at Hikaru in doubt. Hikaru sighed, and rolled his eyes.
"Because half-bred children are not something you see every day. Every clan has special laws so that the blood line trait is not extinct over time. Though with the changing times, I've heard most clans are changing those rules." Izami glanced at Hikaru as he paused. She couldn't name the expression on his face. It was almost like he was proud for whatever reason. However, he quickly went on." With these changing times, and this time of re-building, half-bred children are just popping up everywhere. Specialists like Shin-san becoming a very important thing to have around. People like Shin-san can tell the expecting families what the child will be like. Which traits it's most likely to have. Deformities. Not to mention-"
"De..Deformities?" Izami's voice was soft, her hand immediately went to her stomach. Hikaru looked at her, and then nodded slightly as he looked away.
"Sometimes it's a risk with half-bred children. That's why most clans prefer to have inter-clan marriages. Not only to keep the blood-line pure, but also to prevent any deformities in said children." Izami was silent as they continued walking. However, when they got closer, Izami spoke again.
"So, are there many doctors like Shin-san?"
"No. Currently, he's the only one. He is personally training a couple of apprentices though." Izami nodded, and all conversation dropped between them.
Izami and Hikaru stood up straighter as they approached the door. Before they even had a chance to knock, the door opened. The man had a mask that covered his face. It was white, with red flame-like designs. The rest of his body was covered by a dark colored cloak.
"You're...You're Shin-san right?" Izami asked, eyeing the man.
"Yes. You're Izami-chan right?"
"..Yes, but why are you wearing this mask?"
"My face has been damaged pretty badly. I prefer to wear the mask." Izami narrowed her eyes slightly." I understand if you don't trust me. You don't know me. But, I promise, I have the proper credentials."
"Honestly, do you think I would have let this guy be your doctor, if I didn't thoroughly exam him first?" Hikaru's blue eyes cast a look over to his sister. Izami sighed heavily, and crossed her arms.
"Ok. Fine."
"Alright. You'll have to excuse me for a little bit, I'm afraid. I'm putting together some ointments for an old colleague of mine. I hope you don't mind." Izami and Hikaru paused. Izami shook her head after a moment.
"No. I don't mind at all."
"Great. Follow me." Izami sighed heavily, and then followed Shin, and her brother inside.