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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 2:04:32 GMT -6
"All he EVER does is stay on my back about everything I do or don't do." "He's your father; all you have to do is what he tells you and expects you to." "Yeah, and then listen to him lecture me on how Ashitaka handled the situation; how I should have handled it." "It doesn't matter what he's talking about. He's only using your brother as an example that you should follow because he doesn't get in so much trouble—" "You—…I don't CARE!"
The bedroom door slammed nearly in his mother's face, and Keiji threw himself onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow and willing himself not to yell in frustration, though his lungs burned to wail and his arms yearned to swing. He bit his tongue firmly and squeezed his eyes shut.
A small pang of worry struck him, and his dark eyes fluttered open; he'd just yelled at and slammed the door in his mother's face—things wouldn’t bode well in about five minutes. He waited for the heavier footsteps that were sure to come down the hall, like always. And like always, it would follow up with reprimanding and/or yelling.
And he was sure that his brother would come into the conversation somewhere. He always did.
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 2:48:51 GMT -6
Those familiar footsteps would be heard a lot sooner than the boy had thought. A heavy knock on the door would be next. Without hesitation, Sasuke would enter, looking at his son with a slightly angered expression. His brow furrowed slightly as he pondered how to begin this reaming his was about to give his son.
"...you know better than to be disrespectful to your mother, Keiji. We've had this conversation a thousand times....you respect your parents."
He sighed slightly.
"Ashitaka never once disrespected us the way you have. You would do well to learn a thing or two from him, Keiji. We wouldn't be having this conversation right now if you did. Honestly, your attitude has gotten out of hand, Keiji. It's absolutely appalling. I'm sick of it."
With that, he folded his arms and looked at his son, as if he expected an explanation or apology from him. He owed it to them. That was for sure....at least to him anyway.
A young man and his father sat at the kitchen table at the Akisaka household. These were none other than Akisaka Toshiro and Takashi--father and son respectively. Takashi was dressed in an ANBU uniform, looking intently at his father, who was sipping on some wonderful juice. The older man looked up from his book to see his son's eyes on him.
"...something wrong, Takashi?"
The son shook his head.
"Nah. Just excited about my first day."
Toshiro grinned at his son. It wasn't everyday that a young man was made ANBU Captain. He was filled to the brim with joy about how successful his son had become.
"I know that feeling well, m'boy. I was once in your position. Second best day of my life."
Takashi looked confused.
"Second? What's the first?"
Toshiro took another sip of his juice before setting it down and grinning widely.
"When I married your mother, of course."
Takashi rolled his eyes as if to say, 'oh not this stuff again'. He had heard it all the time. It was no secret to anyone in the village how happy of a man that Akisaka Toshiro was...let alone the reason for his pleasant demeanor. Though, a guy can only take so much mushy talk from his father.
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 3:12:56 GMT -6
Ashitaka, Ashitaka... Keiji repeated in his head, his tone bitter and mocking. He felt his face grow hot at the mention of the name; not out of hatred to his brother, but in annoyance at being compared--again.
He flashed a brief look of annoyance toward Sasuke, but ended it quickly and tore his gaze away again, chewing his cheek in irritation. His mother stood wordlessly in the door, her arms folded across her chest with an annoyed look spread across her face. Keiji took a deep breath, exhaling it in a sigh. His next words were far from an apology, and before he thought, he spoke: "Pff... Of course, the first and only thing mentioned is how much better he is." Keiji paused, invigorated and urged on by his sudden bravery with words. "It's like that's all you know to say to me."
---
Quick footsteps pattered down the hallway, along with a few giggles as a young girl dashed from the hall into the kitchen, her pinkwhite hair halfway pulled into a ponytail as she climbed into one of the chairs at the table. She looked toward Takashi, studied him for a few brief moments, then wrinkled her nose disapprovingly. "You look funny in all that, brother," she said simply, then looked to her father; "Why is he dressed in all that stuff?"
"More importantly," said a woman as she walked into the room, hands on her hips; "Why are you not dressed?" Sakura sighed, though a small smile crept onto her face. "Sayuri, your hair is only halfway there."
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 3:36:18 GMT -6
Sasuke didn't look surprised at his son's impudence--more along the lines of angry. It took a great deal of restraint not to smack his smart mouth. He sighed yet again and waited a few moments before he decided to speak again.
"If you have such a problem with 'being compared' to your brother...then act properly. Your attitude only makes matters worse, Keiji. I'm done dealing with this. Either you straighten up or I'm done with you."
With that said, he let his arms drop to his sides and looked at his son intently....still waiting for that apology.
Toshiro smiled as they walked into the room. He would look from Sakura to Sayuri, and then to Takashi. It was true, it was odd to see him in such clothing--but it was also a great honor. He would look back to his daughter, his grin widening.
"He was made an ANBU Captain yesterday, Sayuri! Your big brother is a big shot in this village now!"
Takashi rolled his eyes.
"Hardly, father. I'm just doing what I can for the village. That doesn't make me a big shot."
Toshiro laughed slightly at his son's humility. He was always like that, even when he deserved praise, such as now. The man shook his head and let it pass. Instead he looked to Sayuri.
"That is a great question, Hime-chan! Why aren't you dressed! Don't you have school today?"
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 4:00:41 GMT -6
Keiji remained looking straight ahead, not at Sasuke. He was growing more annoyed by the minute, with his father fussing over him and his mother staring quietly from the door. It was a repeat of every other day almost; it was sad that he was used to this.
The boy glanced at Sasuke again, his gaze lingering a little this time. "Done?" he repeated, his tone bordering skeptical. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped himself, tearing his eyes from the man and shrugging, falling silent and defeated. Words similar to "sorry" slipped from his mouth, so quiet they rivaled whispers, but struggled and forced.
---
Sakura walked to the chair, ushering her daughter down and toward the door. "Come on, you do have school," she said, firmly but gently. Sayuri frowned, standing there and folding her arms. "But I'm a bigshot, too!" she said suddenly, highly serious; "I don't need school anymore, Mommy. I'm going with Takashi."
Sakura looked toward Toshiro, obviously amused. "She doesn't get it from me."
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 4:18:50 GMT -6
Sasuke sighed slightly before turning on a heel and leaving the room without saying another word. He was far too annoyed to bother with it anymore, it was no use anyway. It seemed like a lost cause, unfortunately. He looked back at his spouse before finishing his trek down the stairs and taking a seat in his favorite chair.
"...absolutely ridiculous."
Toshiro's grin widened, obviously amused as well.
]"Of course you are, Hime-chan! But if you don't go to school, all your friends will miss you! And you wont have a chance to show off how great you are to the other students!"
He got up from his seat and knelt down in front of her and patted her on the head.
"Besides, Takashi's going to be doing boring things all day."
Takashi nodded.
"Oh yeah. Very boring indeed, Sayuri. You'd be better off at school."
He walked over to her and pinched her cheek with a small smile on his face.
"See you later, big shot!"
He waved slightly to the rest of the family and took off out the door to start his new duties as ANBU Captain. Toshiro couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face. There was way too much to be happy about to not smile.
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 4:36:30 GMT -6
Akane watched her son quietly for a few moments before turning and leaving the room as well, walking down the hall and into the room where Sasuke was sitting and fuming. She sighed an exasperated sigh and settled into her own chair, burying her face in her hands. "I don't know what to do with him. Watch him not even go out today for his genin missions, and make everything better." Oh, biting sarcasm.
Keiji sat in silence in his room for a few minutes, then stood, walking silently down the hall and stopping outside the door to the main room, leaning against the wall and listening quietly; if he knew his parents, they weren't anywhere near done discussing him. Though he didn't quite understand why he wanted to hear their negativity about him; it would only make him feel worse. Perhaps he obtained some sort of pleasure out of being their attention center; it went unnoticed if that were the case, but even if he knew, he wouldn't readily admit it.
Attention was attention, no matter how he got it. And it was from his parents, where he craved it most...
---
Sayuri feigned a pout as her brother left the room teasingly, her arms still folded. As soon as he was out of sight, though, she grinned and giggled again. This time she allowed her mother to send her back to her room to get herself dressed and ready.
Sakura watched them both go, but lingered in the kitchen with Toshiro. She let out a sigh and settled in the chair beside him. "When did they get so grown?"
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 4:55:56 GMT -6
Sasuke shrugged slightly.
"Nothing I can do about it. He doesn't listen to anything I say. In one ear and out the other..."
He sighed yet again and stared at the ceiling, wishing that he didn't have a disobedient son. Ashitaka had never given them this much trouble. It was completely ridiculous that he couldn't get through to his son. If only he listened once in a while.
He heaved one last gigantic sigh.
Toshiro laughed slightly as the extremely good question was asked. It seemed like his children were growing up too fast. The man would have given anything to slow down time...if only for a while. He looked over at Sakura and flashed a smile.
"Almost seems like it was an over night thing, huh?"
He sighed slightly, realizing he hadn't greeted her at all yet.
"How are you this morning, my dear? Sleep well?"
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 5:20:29 GMT -6
Keiji laughed silently. So he was the one that didn't listen. That figured, it really did. I love their logic.
Akane studied the floor absently, her hands clasped in front of her face with her elbows resting on her knees. "I just wish I knew why he acted like this," she said after a bit; "And it's not just sometimes, it's frequently, just all the time whenever he finds a chance." Akane paused, her face growing somber. "He used to be so sweet..." She might have said more, but her attention was shifted from stress when the door opened and their eldest son walked in, bearing a beaming smile.
---
"It sure feels like an overnight thing..." Sakura said, glancing toward the door again and listening to the distant sounds of her daughter shuffling around in her room. "Sayuri!" she called; "Hurry up or you'll be late!"
Sakura turned her attention to Toshiro, and she smiled warmly, nodding. "I did," she answered, growing amused suddenly; "Even through your snoring."
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 5:44:37 GMT -6
Sasuke's disposition changed rather quickly as he noticed that Ashitaka had just entered. Standing up, he made his way over and clapped his son on the back. He recognized that smile of his. He definitely had some good news.
"So, what's new today, son?"
He looked at him expectantly, hoping that he indeed had news that would brighten his day.
Toshiro laughed yet again.
"My snoring, huh?"
He patted her hand gently and smiled wide. Yep...it was pretty much official--Akisaka Toshiro was the happiest man in Konaha...that much he was sure of.
"I'm glad that I didn't keep you up, honey."
He looked around for a moment.
"I certainly hope she's ready by now..."
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 5:52:35 GMT -6
Akane's face lit up a bit as well as their eldest entered. She straightened up and smiled, dropping her hands from her face and looking just as expectant as her husband. "You look awfully happy today," she noted; "What's up?"
Ashitaka's grin widened, if it had been possible. "I was informed this morning that they moved me up," he said proudly, pulling a letter from his pocket; "I've been promoted to Lieutenant of ANBU!"
Keiji slumped against the wall. His dark eyes wavered shut, and he exhaled soundlessly. Here it comes...
---
Sakura smiled, shaking her head and flipping her hand to grasp his. "Nah," she answered, laughing; "You've done it for so long, it's hard for me to not be used to it." She looked at the door again as bare feet pattered along the floor. There stood Sayuri, miraculously dressed and ready. "And there we have it, a magic act in the flesh," said Sakura.
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 6:06:35 GMT -6
That was definitely decent news. Though, it wasn't Captain. He looked at his son for a few moments before he decided to ask the question that would probably kill him. He shifted his weight awkwardly for a second or two.
"So....who made Captain?"
"Are you trying to say you've grown accustomed to my snoring, dear?"
Toshiro smiled slightly before his attention was turned toward Sayuri, who was now finally dressed and ready to go. He smiled at her, happy to know that she wouldn't be late for school. He then clapped his hands together and nodded slightly.
"Alrighty! Can you make it to the academy alright this morning, Hime-chan?"
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 6:13:57 GMT -6
Akane hid an entertained grin. That was definately Sasuke; he went straight to asking who got the top spot--and the answer probably wouldn't sit well with him, no matter what it was. Even now, as an adult, he still hadn't outgrown trying to outdo people.
Ashitaka scratched the back of his head, laughing a bit, though it was somewhat strained. "Yeah, that... Uhm..." he paused, choosing his words hesitantly; "Theyyyyy gave it to Akisaka." He gave his father a sidelong glance, awaiting the coming reaction.
---
The young girl placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head and giving her father a look that plainly said, 'you must be joking'. "It's right down the street, Daddy," she answered matter-of-factly; "I can do this by myself. I'm a bigshot, too, remember!" Sakura stifled a laugh.
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Post by Luke on Jun 5, 2010 6:27:54 GMT -6
Sasuke was crushed. This was the worst news anyone could have ever given him! His own son had been overlooked for the captains position in place of that Akisaka kid? It was completely ridiculous! He was fuming.
".....how....did this happen?"
He looked mortified.
Toshiro grinned.
"Of course! I wouldn't forget such a thing! Have a good day at school, Hime-chan!"
They really were growing up too fast. It almost brought a tear to the man's eye. It seemed like yesterday that he had been walking with her to the academy. It looked like those days were gone.
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Post by foxx on Jun 5, 2010 16:59:14 GMT -6
Ashitaka sighed, his hand still fiddling with the auburn hair at the back of his head. "I...I dunno; he's good," he answered flatly; in truth, he found it rewarding for Takashi to have gotten that place--the guy was his best friend, and deserved it. "...Eh. Sorry, Father. I tried."
Keiji rolled his eyes in the hallway, still slumped against the wall soundlessly.
Akane stepped forward and embraced her son in a hug, smiling brightly. "We're very proud of you, Ashitaka," she said, looking at her husband; "Aren't we...Sasuke?"
---
Sayuri started toward the door, and as the door shut and she was gone, Sakura clung to Toshiro's arm, snuggling her face against his shoulder. "It's alright, Toshiro," she told him, noticing his expression; "She's still your little girl a while." She gave it a thought, almost laughing. "You might as well say she'll always be that, but she may not enjoy being called that in a few years."
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