“Hey Kai-chan!” Maki said happily.
My ears pricked up and I sat up on the couch I had been sleeping on. Hachi had fixed our seiling, so everything was back to normal. I looked at the area my head had been and there were fresh teeth marks in it. I must have been gnawing it in my sleep. Hachi was going to kill me for sure!
“Maki-chan,” I said looking over to the happy lady that Hachi had brought home. She smiled, and I smiled. She was wearing a pretty white and blue kimono with her hair tied back in a braid at the back of her head. She looked a tad worn out, so I guessed that she had been cleaning while I was sleeping.
I seriously didn’t understand why Hachi didn’t just marry her already! She takes care of the house, makes everything lighter, and managed to get Hachi to eat right! It’s true that there’s a difference in age by a few thousand years, but still! And Maki knew Hachi practically all her life! I sighed and looked around me.
“Where’s Hachi-ni?” I asked not seeing him or feeling his chakra.
“Hachi-ni? Like Ni-san? That’s a cute name for him. Maybe I should try it,” Maki answered. She was not looking at me but rather a recipe for chicken aflame whatever that was.
“Hu? Hachi’s not you brother,” I said.
Maki laughed.
“What?” I asked a little angry that she was laughing at me for something I didn’t understand.
“In many ways, Hachi is like a big brother, a little brother, and a dad all in one,” Maki answered still laughing, “He’s calmed down so much from when we first met that I bet if you went to the past you would not even be able to recognize him.”
“Oh,” I said unsure what else to say, “What did you wake me up for Maki-chan?”
“Well while you were asleep Hachi and I got you a present. I wish he was here to watch you open it, but he had to go,” Maki said handing me a box with wrapping on it.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s a birthday present silly,” Maki nearly laughed.
“A birthday?” I asked unsure of what a birthday was.
“You don’t know what a birthday is? It’s the day you were born silly,” Maki laughed.
“But I don’t know when I was born,” I objected.
“Well I guess Hachi decided your birthday would be today I guess,” Maki laughed, “So how old are you now? 14? Hahah wow you are growing up fast! Soon you’ll be in high school and with a lot of friends and everything! Then you’ll be leaving to go to college and get a job and have a family and wow I’m getting ahead of myself…I keep forgetting that demons have such a longer lifespan than humans hehehe. You at least have a few thousand years ahead of you….you’re so lucky.”
“How long do humans live?” I asked.
“At the most if we’re lucky we can be one-hundred, but that is really old.”
“Oh,” I answered.
“But one thing that I have learned from being human is that time is a precious commodity. You’ll learn it someday. Well are you going to open the box or not?”
I pulled the wrapping off slowly and opened the box. Inside was a solid gold earring, twenty thousand yen, and Hachi’s fang necklace.
“Hehe I convinced Hachi to get you the earring. I know you’ve been asking for one. And we weren’t sure what else to get you so we gave you money to go and buy whatever you wanted,” Maki smiled.
“What about this?” I asked holding up Hachi’s necklace, “This is Hachi’s.”
“Well he gave it to you,” Maki smiled, “Oh there’s a card also.”
With the necklace still in hand, I opened the card and began to read.
Kai,
I created it a long time ago, but I think it is meant for you. Focus a bit of chakra on it and see what happens. And Happy Birthday…
Hachi
I read it over again. What was supposed to happen? I began to start focusing some chakra on it, and the silver fang shimmered and grew into a sword and sheath.
“A katana?” Maki said looking at it.
The center of gravity of the sheath told me otherwise. It was a duel blade. I grabbed both ends and pulled out the blades. They were solid black, and I swung one to get the feel. A large wave of wind exploded out of it shattering a glass on the table nearby. Maki screamed, and for a second I was stunned at what to do next.
“Air blades?” I said unsure of what to call them.
“Actually, they convert to chakra that you put into the fang into wavessss of air. Calling them Air Blades is somewhat rugged for such fine ssssswordsssss,” Hachi’s voice said.
I turned around and saw Hachi standing in the front door way looking rather pleased with himself.
“Hachi, why didn’t you ever use these?! They are awesome!” I said excitedly.
“That’ssss a little trinket I made a while ago. I never use it, so train to use it and become great with them. You can even incorporate your ice techniques into them to make freezing air,” Hachi smiled wryly, “Happy birthday Kai.”
I ran up and gave him a hug. Hachi smiled a minute and the hugged me back. Maki who couldn’t resist getting in the hug as well made a three hug.
“Well we better get ready!” Maki said.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Silly we’re going to have a party! Everyone’s going to be here in less than an hour! Hachi did you go get the cake mix like I asked,” Maki asked.
Hachi sighed and handed over a box of cake mix.
The party started, and Maki was right! Everyone was there! Kyuubi and Yoko had come back from Paris just for my birthday! They planned to leave right after, but it was nice they cared.
It was so much fun! We played games and I got presents! Kyuubi and Chiyoko gave me a cool set of kunai that were made of tempered steal far more durable that the stuff I usually carried. Shukaku gave me a bottle of vodka…..and Hachi took it away…..Suki gave me a new traveler’s cloak that went down to the floor that had ears on it and was warm and fuzzy! Isonade gave me pictures to black mail Hachi with. Raiju gave me a skate board! There were so many presents!
“Wow I should have more birthdays!” I said sanguine.
“Hahahah you can only have one a year,” Maki said as she passed out chocolate cake to everyone.
“So now I’m fourteen,” I said trying to convince myself.
“Yep and now you’re one year older! So what was your favorite part of this year Kai?” Hachi asked.
“Um….well coming here,” I answered, “But……I feel like traveling now…..ya know by myself.”
Everyone became very quiet, and swimming eyes were reading the contours of Hachi’s face looking for ominous signs. Hachi merely looked at me.
“I was…joking…” I said trying to blow it off with a fake laugh.
“You weren’t,” Hachi answered looking at me with eyes that seemed to move straight into me.
“I was,” I tried to reassure him.
“No…if there is one thing I have learned from you it is that you don’t joke like that,” Hachi answered, “Do you seriously want to go?”
“Well kinda….I want to see the world….but I’m only fourteen! I can wait! I like it here!” I said.
“Hahahah,” Hachi laughed leaving us all wondering, “I was wondering when it would itch you Kai. You want to see the world by yourself. I understand. If that is what you want, then I won’t be the one to tell you no.”
Everyone seemed to relax and even get excited.
“So you want to see the world!” Suki started.
“That sounds really awesome!” Raiju answered.
“When do you plan to leave?” Maki asked.
“I didn’t even think of this till now!” I said laughing a bit.
“The best time to leave would be this week since it’s getting colder,” Hachi said somewhat happily. There was a tint in his voice that I couldn’t understand.
“But I don’t even have that much money!” I started to protest.
“You have your birthday money, and you can always work,” Hachi answered.
“Well….” I started, “I guess I want to leave in a few days!”
Everyone seemed to smile happily. I smiled and wondered what had caused me to want to travel in the first place…..Hachi didn’t seem to mind…maybe it was time to see the world.
“So where are you going to go?” Kyuubi asked.
“I guess I can go to Sypan for a bit and work my way from there. I may even go to the U.S. and Europe. That sounds like fun,” I answered.
“How long do you think?” Maki started.
“He will travel as long as he wants,” Hachi said smiling at me, “Just call sometime or something. And if you ever need anything I can be there fast.”
That started my travels. I didn’t know where they would lead me, but I started them. Me a demon of fourteen out into the world, this was going to be fun!
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LOL Kai's on his own....
~A kinda tired Hachi~
