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Recherche	By : Eggburtshamslice Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Kakashi/Iruka Views: 4188 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I make any profit from this work of fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 12
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- 14
Recherché: Mending Fences, Building Bridges Part Two
Sagging against the door, he sucked in a breath. “Idate … Idate! Where are you?”
“Third stall from the right! Oi! Fetch my wife or Tsume … this one’s presenting breech too. Go on then, shake a leg,” he said, peering over the stall.
“Biki? What … what are you doing here?”
“Sign out front says you’re looking for a stable hand--”
“Been meaning to change that sign,” he said with a wry smile. “Hmm … long arms, stocky build … reckon you’ll do in a pinch. We need to repel this foal, think you can handle it?”
“I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know about horses, sonny boy.”
“Big talk for a soon to be outta work Police Inspector. Get over here, old timer, show me what you can do.”
“Let’s be clear, they haven’t run me out of office yet,” he said pushing himself away from the stable door. “And I’ll thank you to show some respect for your elders.” In less than twenty strides, Ibiki was inside the stall, sliding between his brother’s back and the wall. “The key to calming a mare is to speak softly, with authority.”
“You don't say. Here I’ve been doing this wrong for twenty odd years; thanks for the tip, kind stranger.”
“Smart aleck kid,” Ibiki chuckled.
“Know it all geezer,” Idate whispered with a grin. “We haven’t much time. I’ve tried to keep her standing so the foal could turn on its own, but it’s not working.”
“Understood,” Ibiki said as he slipped on the sleeves. “Is this her first time? I mean, she seems awfully underdeveloped--”
“That's cause she’s not quite a yearling; we didn’t even know she was pregnant til the membranes broke. Barely had time to get her in the stall and wrap the tail.”
“Hold her steady now. With the next contraction, I'll check the position of the foal.”
“Gotta feeling we’re going to lose this one too, Biki. Mare in the first stall dropped a stillborn twenty minutes ago.”
"Don’t give up, I feel a heartbeat. I don’t understand why they’re foaling so late in the season--”
“Who the hell knows why anything is going on around here lately? The whole of nature is out of whack I tell ya. We got sheep dropping their wool, roosters brooding eggs and cows mounting bulls; abnormal is the new normal.”
“I’m sure you’re exaggerating, Idate ...things can’t be that bad--”
“Oh yeah? Talk to me about it after you’ve spent months trapped in one house with twelve Inuzuka and their dogs. The howling and barking all night every night is driving me crazy and their dogs are a pain in the ass too.”
“Why’d you invite ‘em in the first place?”
“Weren’t you listening? Told you about the weirdness with all the animals didn't I? Our caseload got so heavy, Tsume had to relocate the veterinary clinic just to help us out.”
“Caseload? So it’s not just this farm?”
“Nope … everybody out this way is having problems with livestock. Seems the closer a farm is to the cemetery, the more problems. Speaking of which, how’s it going on your end?”
“Just about got the foal turned. How long has this been going on?”
“Ever since they started excavating land and renovating that big house east of the cemetery seems like. Eight, nine months, I reckon--"
“The old Hatake estate?”
“You been living in a cave or somethin'? The Hatake heir moved home from England almost a year ago. The last of his line, you know; folks say he’s looking to find a wife, start a family--”
“You said something about the cemetery earlier. When I was out in the forest this morning, I saw something that struck me odd. Shit! The contractions are getting stronger … foal’s not completely turned!”
Recherché
Tsunade smiled and patted him on the shoulder “I didn’t mean to laugh out loud, young man, but the fire brigade typically accept volunteers of a sturdier stock; farmhands, millwrights, longshoremen. Brawny, illiterate types, with strong backs to fetch water and calloused hands to clear away debris. You strike me as someone inclined to cerebral pursuits, not manual labor.”
“Rest assured ma'am, I wasn’t looking to volunteer. I’m writing a thesis on the structural integrity of a genus of hardwoods from this region, Konoha in particular. Boring stuff, really … comparing the tensile strength of timber used in framing, mortise and tenon joints--”
“Yes, but the fire brigade? If you don’t mind me saying, that’s an odd place for research; are you … an architect or a building inspector?”
“I’m neither that creative or crafty," he said rubbing at the nape of his neck. “Archeology and anthropology … those are my fields of study; my thesis examines how hardwoods like the sugi, endure stresses over time. I hope to prove cured timber from this region rivals stone and mortar construction in terms of load bearing capacity, not to mention the changes in its chemical composition after exposure to water and--”
“You’re right,” she said, waving off his commentary with a laugh, “that sounds incredibly boring. But I’m sure Konoha’s archives would better serve your needs--”
“I don’t doubt it .. between you and me,” he leaned closer, “I didn’t want to waste such a beautiful day stuck inside a stuffy library.”
“I see,” she laughed, “shirking your duties, eh? I’m doing the same thing. Had every intention of avoiding social interaction and carving out a patch of quiet for myself. That didn’t work well,” she said, turning to the bench for her newspaper. “I’d best get back to the office.”
He followed a few steps behind her, weighing the propriety of playing escort, opting instead to circle around and affect a polite bow. “It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance ma’am.”
“Likewise, I’m sure. By the way, what did you say your name –-?” In a flash, her face went ashen and a sneer graced her lips. "Bastards! Should have known those sons of a rabid hyena would show up today!”
“Ma’am,” he said, following her line of sight, “is everything ... alright?”
Though the plaza hummed with activity, it was hard to miss a throng of people bowing respectfully as they gathered around three odd looking gentlemen. One, a tall sickly pale man with greasy long black hair, outfitted in a silk kimono of purple. Behind him stood a bespectacled shorter man in a dark green kimono; his hair a dirty grey. Iruka assumed him to be the other man’s valet, his stance protective as he held a parasol over his master with one hand and held back the crowd with the other. The third person, a much older man, his head and one arm sheathed in bandages; his good hand, held tightly a walking stick.
“The apothecary is three doors west of the Administrative Complex,” she said crossing to Iruka’s left. “Follow the path from there and you’ll see the lumber mills in the distance -- the fire brigade is a quarter mile beyond there.”
She was gone by the time he raised himself from another bow, blending into the crowded plaza.
Recherché
Their meeting with the head monk, polite and brief, netted them a half cup of bitter tea each and a solemn pledge to pray for success in their endeavors.
“This ticks me off,” Kotetsu grumbled. “Took us an hour to get here, then we had to wait another half hour before we could talk with some old guy who looked like he was half-asleep. Bum rushed after ten minutes--”
“Tetsu, the head monk is a busy man; you saw the line of people waiting to--”
“Let’s just get the hell outta here--”
“Psst!”
“Don’t hiss at me Zumo! We came, we talked, we drank some decidedly awful tea and--”
“Psst!”
“I swear to the gods, if that’s Genma . . . I’m not gonna be responsible for my actions!”
Izumo grabbed a fistful of Kotetsu’s jacket tail as he sauntered toward the open-air passageway. “Hold your horses . . . look, over there.”
One of the monks in training peered around a stone pillar, beckoning them to draw near. “Isn’t that the same guy who ushered us into the meeting Tetsu?”
“How should I know? All these guys in white robes look the same to me.”
“Well that one still has his hair. Come on, let’s see what he’s on about.”
They followed him until they came to a secluded area near the gardens; looking around warily, the young monk turned and bowed low. “Sirs, I am Michio. I apologize for listening in on your conversation and for the head monk's rebuff.” He bowed again, deeper this time.
“Don’t worry about it kid,” Kotetsu laughed, “we’re not easily offended.”
“Yes, there's no need to apologize,” Izumo told him, returning the bow. “Talk of monsters and such tends to fascinate or frighten--”
“Please sirs,” Michio said as he nervously scanned the grounds. “The monsters you spoke of ... they’re called gaki. We’re taught to believe they’re pitiable creatures to be treated with compassion, not fear. It is also our belief they can be rehabilitated through prayers and sacrifices. The head monk is a hardliner in this regard and it was for that reason he could no longer stand to hear you speak of them as murderous entities.”
Wishing to leave as quickly as possible, Kotetsu smiled saying, “Gotcha. Look, thanks for the--”
“We celebrated Obon recently, the head monk led us through segaki--”
“No wonder the scent of incense was so strong in his private quarters--”
“What are you two talking about? The hell is Segaki?”
“A ritual the monks perform to stop the suffering of the gaki and force them to return to their places of torment . . . am I right, Michio?”
“Yes sir, gaki are depicted in paintings as having skeletal bodies, tiny necks or throats with engorged stomachs and abnormally small mouths. This is the reason they’re called hungry ghosts -- their appetites can never be sated no matter how hard they try. There is also another, higher class of gaki capable of assuming human form and walking among us undetected.”
“So, you’re telling us that--”
“I believe as you do sirs, gaki are demons indeed; no amount of prayer, of leaving sacrifices of food and beverages for them can change that. My training got underway three months ago and by the Temple’s standards, my mind is still . . . unenlightened; perhaps time will alter my opinion. As it stands right now though, I believe the constables have no idea what they’re up against. I must go. If ever there is something I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Just keep praying,” Kotetsu said, "gotta feeling we’re gonna need it.”
Recherché
Tsunade dug her nails into her palms. “You gentlemen looking for me?”
“Ah, so it is you Lady Tsunade,” Danzou said when he turned to face her. “Almost couldn’t tell you apart from the common strumpets around here, what with your hair flowing about your shoulders--”
“Might I remind you," she hissed, "you’re speaking to the Governor of this territory. “You will watch your tone and your words, Lord Shimura.”
Skillfully playing to the gathering crowd, Danzou staggered backward. “Bullying a feeble old man … how cowardly.”
With the townsfolk pretending to go about their business even as they cast wary glances her way, Tsunade forced herself to smile. Stepping closer to Danzou, she laughed saying, “How you do go on, sir.”
“Lady Tsunade, I never speak in jest and that you know right well. We’ve come to discuss a matter--”
“Yes, dreadfully urgent,” Orochimaru chimed in. “And a rather an indelicate topic of discussion for a crowded thoroughfare.”
Her stomach roiled as he took a proffered silken handkerchief from his manservant and delicately covered his nose.
“Well,” Danzou said tapping his stick against the pavement, “is it because we aren’t European envoys that you hold us captive here under the blazing sun?”
“I’m certain the fault is mine,” came her snide reply. “Right this way, gentlemen. And though I loathe the stench your sun warmed bodies will leave behind, won’t you join me inside?”
Notes:
A mare typically lays on her side to give birth; a normal delivery can take anywhere from 15-45 minutes after the membranes rupture. One foreleg appears first, the other one six inches behind it and then the head. ‘Repelling the foal’ - whenever the hind limbs and rear end of a foal present first, (breech), it must be pushed back far enough in the uterus that it might turn about. If not done properly or quickly, the foal and/or mare may perish.
Strumpet: (archaic) a prostitute or promiscuous woman.
Michio: “man on the correct path.”
Obon: a festival celebrated in mid-August, it is believed the spirits of their ancestors return to this world to visit their living relatives. Obon dances are performed, graves are visited and offerings of fruit and vegetables are left by household shrines and at temples. At the end of Obon, floating lanterns are placed in lakes and rivers to guide the spirits back to their world.
Segaki: “feeding the hungry ghosts.” A Buddhist tradition performed to stop the suffering of the gaki or muenbotoke (the dead who have no living relatives), tormented by insatiable hunger. The ritual forces them to return to their portion of hell or keep the spirits of the dead from falling into the realm of the gaki. The ritual is held at Buddhist temples and there is a custom to place segaki-dana (rack for gaki) or gaki-dana (shelf for gaki) at home and present offerings (traditionally rice and water) for hungry ghosts who are wandering in this world as muenbotoke during Urabone or Obon.
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