☆A Flower That Blossoms in Adversity☆

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 3

𝐴 𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦 𝐷𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦 𝑀𝑒𝑠𝑠．．

𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐯;

Within the temple Ryuusuke's stone engraved letters began to shine and out of it came a bluish, ghostly form of a large man "Shukaku, awake." He says with a wave to the dragon incent holder and it lights up like hot metal before bursting and suddenly a squirrel with a raccoon pelt falls with the smoke.

"I live!" a voice rings and from the smoke Shukaku rises before he scurries around "So tell me what mortal needs my protection great ancestor. You just say the word and I'm there." The fur ball says with grand gestures. "Shukaku." Ryuusuke says but Shukaku cuts him off "Just let me say something. Any mortal who is foolish enough to threaten our family, vengeance will be mine!" Ryuusuke rolls his eyes at the loud mouth while Shukaku snarls below.

"SHUKAKU!" Ryuusuke yells and silences him "These are the family guardians." He gestures to the pedestals above each bearing an animal. "They," he says and looks at Shukaku he rolls his little eyes "protect the family." The ghost rise up "And you, oh demoted one," he points to the empty pedestal. Shukaku fidgets "I," Ryuusuke raises a brow "ring the gong."

Shukaku looks at the gong in distaste when he stops and looks at his hand "What in the hell?" Shukaku runs over to a stone and stares at himself "What happened to me! I'm a rodent!" "That's right," Ryuusuke says and smiles "That was part of your demotion; I stripped you of your true form." Shukaku touches his fluffy fur and glares at the great ancestor behind him.

"I was an all powerful, fire breathing dragon!" he point to his rear "Now I'm a fluffy cute squirrelly creature that breathes fire!" he stares at the fluffy tail "Shukaku, enough of the drama and wake up the ancestors." With an unintimidating glare he snatches up the gong and tiny drum stick "One family reunion coming right up." He sulks around the temple beating on the gong "Okay. People, people look alive! Let's go, get up, move it, rise and shine. You don't have time for more beauty sleep and trust me it won't do you any good anyways."

The stones light up again and more ghostly figures float up and out of them before each perches atop their stones "I knew it! I knew it!" the shrill voice of a female ancestor howls "That Sakura was a trouble maker from the start!" she points her cane at the elderly man beside her "Don't look at me! She gets it from your side of the family!" he bickers "Oh really?" she snaps back and he points to the house "Mebuki was exactly the same." He states causing her to gasp.

When, from the other side of the room, another woman spoke "She's just trying to help her father." She reasons when a man appears besides her with an abacus "But, if she is discovered Haruno Kizashi will be forever shamed. Dishonor will come to the clan, traditional values will disintegrate!" he exclaims "Not to mention they'll lose the farm." Another adds.

The woman from before floated up and waved her cane about in frustration "Aside from Mebuki my children never caused such trouble," down below Shukaku read a tiny newspaper as he waits for them to stop yelling. "They all became acupuncturists!" she shouts causing the man beside her gets up and gesture around "Well we can't all become acupuncturists."

The hoarse grumpy voice of another ancestor shouts at him "No, your great granddaughter had to be a CROSSDRESSER!" Chaos erupts in the shire with shouting and accusing when a male shoots up "Let a guardian bring her back." He offers up "Yeah!" another agrees and snatches the fleeing Shukaku up into his palm "Awaken the most cunning!" "No, the swiftest!" "No, send the wisest." Shukaku sat with crossed arms in each hand that tugged him about when Ryuusuke's voice rises over the others.

"Silence! We must send the most powerful of all." He gestures out the window when a chuckle comes from above drawing their attention up to Shukaku "Okay, okay, I get the gist, I'll go." Who pushes back his fur and poses. The ancestors all look to one another with matching expressions when everyone laughed at him.