Moving in day.

I was carrying a box of fruits and some other things up the flight of stairs, mentally preparing myself. you can do this, nothing to worry about. I said as i reached the floor and walked towards her door. Everything will be fine, Takumi, i'm sure she will be happy to see you again. Taka said to me for what seemed like the thousandth time. I had meant to come earlier in the week, but found different ways of getting out of it, excuses and lies.

Walking up, I knocked on the door.

The apartment Takumi had bought for me was spacious... But that didn't mean I liked it. I tried to take up as much space as I could- honestly. There was an area for work out, the art easel was next to the wide window, and I even had an old cranky piano in the back.. but boxes littered everywhere else, except the kitchen area. I was staring out the window- a habit I had picked up since I came here -when a knock came to my door.

Maybe it's hi-

Shut up Sansuke. Just shut your muzzle.

I hadn't gotten along with San ever since we went to Sunaga, and found out about Takumi's past... And what a violent era it was. Shaking my head, I went to the door- straightening my Qipao to look at least semi- presentable.

"If it's you George, you know we paid you for three years re-"

Staring into my kin's eyes, I froze.

"Hello Okami, sansuke" I said, smiling as I held up the box. "I brought you a few things, you know.. for your new place." I said, walking in a setting the box on the table, looking around. "Wow, you certainly have done a lot of work here haven't you, the place looks great." I said, admiring the artwork on the walls, glad to see she was acclimating well.

"how are the two of you doing anyway?" I asked her afraid of the answer.

"Don't acknowledge what isn't there."

Striding away, I opened the fridge- taking out two small glasses and a large white vase.

"I've still yet to get everything out of the boxes..."

Staring at the towers of crates and bins that randomly littered the room- I felt crestfallen. Not a single one of them held anything that was truly mine, other than Nina the Bear- who was resting on my bed.

Sighing, I put a palm to my eye, and rubbed it.

"I thought you were never going to visit me, Takumi."

"Why because of what happened?" I ask her, as I accept the glass and sit down on one of the chairs in the room. "I've been through worse and not hated people okami, a lot worse. It just took some time for me to build up the nerve to face you again. to be honest I thought you were gonna slam the door in my face." I said to her, taking a sip and relaxing.

tell her and the mutt I say hello and that you are an idiot taka said to me. ok taka I said and looked towards them."Taka wanted me to say hello to you and the mutt for him, and that I am an idiot." I said to her, laughing a bit.

See? Clearly we're on good te-

"Sansuke doesn't wish to speak right now."

Lucine... What are you doing?

Pouring some tea into my cup, I sat down at the island that bordered my kitchen from my room.

"Hey, Taka."

"Well he if is still sore from what happened in the desert... tell him i'm sorry. I din't mean to loose control and anywhere else I would not have... I'm glad that place is gone though.." I said, looking at her from across the island before reaching out my hand and taking hers. "you haven't lost me, you've only branched out on your own. time for you to find your place in this world, to make your own name." I said to her smiling and taking a sip of the tea. "besides, where am I gonna go, I have far to many patients to up and leave and my home isn't going anywhere, you can visit whenever you please." I said to her smiling and taking another sip, the tea was good.

"Sansuke and I are... in a very bad position at the moment, is all. And I realize that you'll be here... I'm just more or less trying to situate myself."

Lucine, Stop it.

Make me.

Fine!

"You and him shouldn't be at odds.." I said to her standing and walking over to the box, shifting the fruit and pulling something out. "because he will be with you forever, ever constant in his vigil to protect you and ever there when you need him..." I said as I slid the necklace across the table. "A little something i picked up in the market from a tradesman, thought you might like it."

it was a silver necklace with the depiction of a wolf howling at the full moon.

Covering my mouth, I stared at the necklace- hiding my tears while doing so. Anger at Sansuke from what he had done to Takumi coursed through me, and I had to take a deep breath to steady myself. Looking up at him, I searched his eyes for an honest answer-before I was bumped out of control.

(This will now be from Sansuke's point of view.)


Takumi's hair was it's usual deep shade, though I honestly couldn't see the color. Through Lucine's vision, I could glimpse the brighter part of hues, but never could distinguish the darker ones from the grays of my vision. He was holding her- our, hand and staring at us in earnest. I knew that due to my spirit inhabiting Lucine, her eyes would flash bright teal due to me being in control.

"Hey."

"hello sansuke.. wondered when you'd come a calling" I said to him finished mt tea and staring at him

"what would you like to tell me?" Underneath the island I had a kunai ready, incase things went south here.

Grabbing Senbon from the back of Lucine's Qipao, I slowly got up and walked behind Takumi, smiling as I sipped the fragrant tea.

"Ah... Yes... Popped up. Quite accurate there."

"Sansuke... I have forgiven you what you did to me..." I said turning to him and setting the kunai on the island counter top. "Can you not forgive me what I did in my past?" i ask him, looking at him for a moment in pleading.

Staring down at the Senbon, I tilted my head away from him, and closed my eyes.

"It's not just that... Were they souls I knew? Could they have been family, more so than blood? Were they pack mates at some point? All of the unanswered questions... And..."

Gripping my hand tighter, I realized that blood was now dripping onto the floor. Rolling my right hand open, I saw the senbon had cut a large slit in my hand, and was scarlet with my life source. Smearing it on my left arm, I activated the smallest of Lucine's contracts- the cub. Putting my hand on the ground, the blood swirled into a large pattern, before turning bright white- summoning the young wolf- who was eager to fight.

"Erin, go get something for us, would you?"

i looked at the senbon and the blood then back to him. "You still don't understand do you? they were not given the clans blood, they were simply the same blood type as me. Kidnapped and used to keep me alive so they could complete their process." I said looking at him, tears running down my face. "I killed them out of mercy for most were missing vital organs necessary to survive, many did not have kidneys or lungs and were hooked up to machines." I said to him, showing him my inner torment. "I don't want you to hate me Sansuke, and I don't want okami to be mad at you..." I said to him before standing and walking over, hugging him.

"And yet.. I feel anguish... Anguish I do not understand..... And it burns me.."

Erin looked up at Takumi, growling.

"Erin, go get us a package of ramen. Specifically, from Lucine's aunt. Tea shop, eighth area."

She was gone in a flash, and I sighed.

"I'll cook... I just need to calm down.. and you need to explain a lot to me. Lucine's asleep... As best as I could do."

"she's going to be pissed at you when she gets back." i say, sitting back down and reaching for 'his' hand, healing it quickly. "to understand let me put you in my shoes as best I can. Imagine your five years old living in a village near an oasis and some ninja come. You'd think they are here to protect you right, sand ninja from the big village. Wrong.. they were part of a rouge ninja group, bent on making the greatest assassin to use on the kage." I stop here and pour myself more tea, ready to sink into the story.

"They killed all the adult and children older then six, then they started with the blood tests. They singled me out because of three things: I was five years old, I was O- , the same as the spirit clan, and because I was the one who tried to kill one of their ninja with a cooking knife when they came for me. They took us to the other side of the oasis where they were building the laboratory, but only the five of us with o- blood, the rest were killed. They took us down into the facility and stored us in the cells. I would never see the others again till the day I escaped. They tested and prodded and poked for three long months.. and eventually it stuck. My marrow had adopted the new blood as it's own and was producing more of it, destroying my old blood. Now I was one of the spirit clan in there eyes.. but the experimenting had taken it's toll, not to mention the torture. Three lungs transplants, two kidneys, a spleen and about half the muscle of my right leg.. I tried to escape and accidentally dumped acid on it. From then on they kept me strapped down." I stop drinking from the cup again and look at 'him' before continuing.

"it was after my failed escape attempt that taka first came to me, but by then their training and torture had stripped me of reason, i was their machine.. meant to be pointed and fired. So taka did the only thing he could.. he took the insanity and gave me the his control. the process left me bare though, when i woke up i was sitting in the middle of the room and everyone was dead, the ninja and the others. I did the only thing I could.. I ran away. I came here to konoha, begged and stole for food till a shinobi noticed my skills and enrolled me in the Academy. The rest is history.." i said, finally stopping and waiting for his answer to what I had just told him.

Mulling over my mistakes, I stared at Takumi. Erin popped back in, wagging her tail happily. Taking the ramen pack from her, I put them in a pot, with water- before starting to cook.

"So... Are there any of these rouges left?"

"Until a few weeks ago I hadn't thought so, but that creature in the forest... I'm almost positive was made by the people who made me. Perhaps they were simply one group of a larger force..." I said, remembering the rumors of the Akatsuki floating around.

"Well.. shit..."

Running my fingers through 'my' hair, I stared at the ceiling, stirring the noodles.

"Go on. I need to know more about you."

"Well after training at the Academy i decided to go into medical ninjutsu training out of my want to help people, given my past. Since I was 17 I've been working over at the hospital.." I said to him, looking a bit lost. "And the rest you already know about me, I've hidden nothing from you....now" I said, wondering what was gonna happen once okami was back in control. "I'll talk t her for you if you want, by the way, tell her this was important and we needed to talk things out, but could you tell her what I told you, it'll be easier for you then me." I said, making the request of him, altogether not undeserved.

"yeah... go ahead."

Staring down at my hands, I let go of control, and let a very angry Lucine out. Calmly explaining to her what had happened, despite the yelling she continuously did, it took some time for her to finally just drop what she was saying and look.

And look she did. She looked at the blood on the floor, the ashes from a summoning, the ramen that was now out of the pot, the bowls ready to serve to Takumi, and her Kin sitting on the island, staring at her.

(Lucine)

"What....?"

"Me and Sansuke have been talking things out, okami-chan" I said, going over and ushering her to a seat, pouring the ramen into the two bowls, handing one to her. "It took a bit of time but, i believe we have come to an accordance, right Sansuke?" I asked, looking past her eyes to the wolf within, waiting for okami to answer for him.

It is true, Lucine.

Staring at my Kin, I looked down to the bowl. Fresh Oranges spiced the herbs that were mixed into it... My favorite. Only Sansuke knew how to make it.

"And... What did it cost?"

"well.. I told him everything... From when the ninja arrived at my village to my escape here to knonaha." I said to her, walking around and sitting on the other side of the island. "Now I must eat, for I am hungry indeed." I said, digging into the soup then looking at the kunai laying on the island. picking up I reached intot he box and pulled out an apple, pealing it with the kunai and the slicing it down the middle handing one half to her. "They make pretty good paring knives, no?" I asked her.