A Wicked Game (Sequel to Expenses of Love)

Chapter 7

I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to publish sooner. After months of fighting with my laptop, it finally decided to quit working on me. I just got it back up and running within the past few days, hopefully for good this time!

Thank you everyone! Here'd a new chapter! Enjoy!

OoO

2 years later

This had been one of the most stressful days of their lives. The clock ticking seemed like an absolute eternity. Karou was pacing in the kitchen, a disturbed look on her face and a donut in her hand. She had gone through three boxes in the past two hours. Yukari was walking to and from the door at her own pace, scratching her arms in her anxiety. They were almost two hours late. Two hours.

This was highly unlike Sanyu. He had always been on time coming from school. He knew the rules. He was to go to school and come right home afterwards, unless he had permission to go elsewhere. It didn't matter if a friend asked that day for him to come over, he had to come home first and get mother approval. It was to ensure his safety.

The knob to the door turned, and Karou was by Yukari's side in less than a second, staring at the door. When it opened, two children slid inside, whispering to each other. When it closed, they froze, staring at their mothers. "Ummm..."

Karou glared down at her daughter, Masa, who was now 10 years old. "Where the hell have you been!?"

The two kids looked down in shame for what they had done, but no amount of sad faces or tears would excuse them. Yukari looked to her son, Sanyu, who met her gaze. "Answer the question. Where have you been?"

When neither of them answered, the two mothers sighed and grabbed their children. Karou took Masa outside, waving goodbye to Yukari, while Yukari glared down her 6 year old son. She guided him over to the couch, where they sat down and she gave him a big hug. "You had me worried sick!"

The little boy hugged her back just as tightly. "I'm sorry mom."

She held him for a while, relieved that he had returned safely. But where had he been? She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Sanyu, where did you go? I need you to tell me."

The little boys' eyes looked to the floor, a guilty look on his face. "Well, Masa and I went to the training grounds to practice. Afterwards, we met Keiju and he took us all out to eat."

She sighed. Keiju knew that they were supposed to be right home after school. He had been in safe hands, but she still couldn't excuse this behavior. She shook her head. "You know the rules, Sanyu. You can't just go off like that, it's dangerous."

The little boy shrugged. "It was just nice to be around Uncle Keiju. Masa is lucky to have a dad."

Sanyu's words hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew this day would come. Sanyu had acted out to seek out a father figure, which she understood. It was something he didn't have and something she wouldn't talk about much.

Her son left her side and moved over slightly on the couch, a sad look on his face. "You don't talk about my father at all! When I ask anything, you just tell me he loved me, you barely tell me anything else!"

Yukari stared at Sanyu with a silent, sad gaze. He still knew nothing of what had transpired around his birth. He was older now and had gotten even smarter. He was in the top five of his class and looking to graduate from the ninja academy as soon as next year, even with his young age. Maybe it was about time she told him about his father. Not everything, but enough.

She scooted closer to Sanyu and stared at him. He looked so much like Tobirama when he was his age, except for his eyes and hair. His hair was dark and messy, with a silver-blonde lock of hair that had been twisted into a braid on the right side of his face. His eyes were different colors – one dark, like hers, and one the same shade of red as Tobirama's. Overall, he looked much more like his handsome father. So much so, it sometimes hurt Yukari.