[Naruto] Pokénin

"..." Tekai silently chewed on some yakitori (grilled meat/vegetables on a stick), and idly watched the show down below. 

They had ordered food, and not said much for the last 25 minutes. 

Tekai liked to talk when he was with people he was close to, but Lance was a deep thinker who mulled over every word. It was difficult to communicate. He had asked Lance if he had a favorite: Pokémon, special technique, time of the year, food, music or if there were any girls he was interested in. 

Nothing. 

The man was an absolute brick wall, and never fully answered any of the questions. 

Typically, Lance responded with short answers like "this and that" or "not at the moment." 

Tekai didn't hold it against him, and didn't think Lance was acting maliciously. It's just how Lance was, ever since they were little. 

But by God did it aggravate Tekai to no end. He wasn't very close to many people back on Earth, but the ones he was close to, he could order them food, send them music, and take them places he knew they would like. 

When he wanted to get close to people he cared about, he wanted to know their likes and dislikes, so he knew what to avoid, and what would make them happy. The friends he was close to could also make the same decisions for him. 

It was great! 

And what better friend could someone have than a sibling, right? 

Well… 

The one and only question Lance had asked Tekai was "how are you doing?" 

Tekai had answered somewhat honestly. Letting Lance know how much he liked having a Pokémon companion, and was looking forward to living on his own, while leaving out his suspicions about Uncle Borah. 

All Lance had said at the end was "I see" and he kept eating without saying anything else. 

So Tekai had opted to silently eat his food too. 

Tekai was beginning to understand why they had grown so distant. Some people, even if blood related, just weren't all that compatible. He sort of felt like Robert Baratheon, and his older brother was like Stannis from the Game of Thrones series. It was an interesting dynamic to say the least. 

But that didn't mean Tekai couldn't try. Lance had shown that he did care, and through those scrolls, Tekai had a window into the outside world when he was otherwise tethered to his training and chores, waiting for the day he would attend the Egg Ceremony. 

'Ah, that's it!' Tekai almost banged the table as a good conversation starter came to mind. 

"Oh, by the way, I wanted to thank you for those scrolls! They really made me happy." Tekai looked up from an empty plate, and smiled at Lance with genuine gratitude. 

"Mn, that's good." Lance nodded seriously. 

"Haa~" Tekai blew some of his white hair to the side, and huffed. 

Clearly talking about personal stuff wouldn't engender close feelings, Tekai figured he might as well ply his brother for information. 

"So something that's been bugging me, but how come we are so public when it comes to handing out the Black Apricorns if they're worth so much?" Tekai asked. 

"Hmm, that's a good question." Lance said between bites of shellder. 

Tekai busied himself with some shuckle soup, and practiced some patience while he waited for his older brother to reply. 

Two minutes after he started eating, Lance eventually began to reply. 

"We are a small country, Tekai. Everyone wants something from us. Land. Manpower. Resources. We sell all of these things. We rent land to foreigners giving them preferential deals on chakra-rich teak wood, we sell our ninja as mercenaries, and hand out the Black Apricorns to every nation so they do not join forces to invade us." Lance patiently explained, and repeatedly rolled and unrolled some noodles with his chopsticks, looking at them the entire time he answered Tekai's question. 

Tekai silently mulled over Lance's response.

He had initially thought having children publicly trade the precious Black Apricorns was foolishness. Idiocy of the highest order. 

"Do we do this so that we don't end up like the Uzumaki?" Tekai questioned. 

"Mm? Mhm. The Uzumaki were the only clan of Fairy type users, much like how we are the only power to command the Dragons. They hoarded their knowledge, as well as their apricorns, and paid the ultimate price. They are a lesson on what happens to small nations that covet treasure." Lance nodded his head as he slurped up the noodles. 

Tekai wanted to ask another question, but he couldn't help but stare at his brother. Tekai watched in awe as Lance continued to eat another dish, this time, it was filleted seaking with corphish rolls on the side. 

While Tekai could eat a lot more than he could on Earth, thanks to his bloodline, he couldn't imagine eating half of what Lance was shoveling down his throat. 

'How in the hell does he stay so skinny?' Tekai found himself marveling. 

"This is good." Lance nodded at Tekai, and said encouragingly. 

"It is nice to see you after so long. The clan must have kept you busy training you to replace father." Tekai weakly smiled back, and said with a little bitterness. 

Reaching for a nearby kettle, Tekai poured himself some black tea. "Want some?" He gestured to an empty cup. 

"Please." Lance gestured with his hand, and pushed his cup forward. 

Clinking glasses together, Tekai held his up in cheers, then sipped on the hot beverage. 

While Tekai was closing his eyes, and enjoying the warmth of his tea, he was surprised to find Lance staring intensely at him. 

"What?" 

"What you said earlier, about being trained to replace father. You could say I was doing that. I have been away from home for so long, because I was fighting the Land of Fighters to our east, and the Land of Snow, across the sea to our north. I am, however, glad that the war is over, that you do not have to participate in it." Lance smiled for the first time since this meeting began. 

Tekai held his brother's gaze, then looked away. 

'Damn I'm an ass. I hated that Lance seemingly left like that with few words, but I completely forgot about the 2nd Shinobi War.'

The war had little to no impact on the residents of the castle whatsoever, and as he kept out of social circles, was something Tekai was largely ignorant of. But here Lance was, a veteran, smiling at him, pleased with his growth.

Tekai clenched his fists under the table, feeling guilty for harboring such bitter emotions. 

"So you're what, 19 now, right?" Tekai asked in a seemingly disinterested tone, yet 

"Mhm, that's right." Lance answered between sips of his third bowl of shuckle soup. 

Tekai internally grimaced. 

When he was 5 and Lance was 12, that was when his older brother had started to appear less in his life. The war started around then too…

Meaning Lance had been fighting nonstop for the last seven years. 

"That's pretty impressive, thank you for keeping us safe." Tekai bowed his head, and sincerely thanked. 

"Raise your head, Tekai, you never need to bow in my presence." Lance chided as he stuffed a dumpling into his mouth. 

"Sorry, I'm just proud of my big brother is all." Tekai scratched the back of his head, and felt his cheeks grow red with embarrassment. 

"Then I shall bow to you as well, a Rising Dragon of the Ryu Clan." Lance reached for a cup full of sake, and toasted Tekai. 

Tekai replied by clinking his tea cup with Lance's, then taking a sip. 

A warm atmosphere began to kindle within Tekai's heart. He had been so focused on training for the last few years, he forgot how he craved intimate social contact. It felt good to be around someone who didn't have any ulterior motives. Someone who only wanted him to be happy in life. 

"Oi, no crying now, today is a big day for my little brother!" Lance raised his voice, and spoke in good cheer. 

Tekai rubbed his eyes, and grinned at his brother. 

"Yeah, it's a good day." Tekai said quietly, and distracted himself by nomming on some food even though he was already full. 

'Together. Family. Strong!' Gil encouraged. 

Tekai patted the pokeball, then turned to ask Lance another question. 

"That Rising Dragon title, I heard it being said earlier when Uncle Borah mentioned someone named Yuria? Should I be concerned about assassins?" Tekai tried to play it cool, but was secretly worried that he had a target painted on his back. 

"Yuria. That is a sad tale." Lance stopped eating for the first time since Tekai had sat down, and he looked towards the ceiling in thought. 

"You don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable." Tekai was quick to say. 

"No, it is good for you to learn. Yuria, Borah's daughter, was on a team with Cynthia and I. We three were loudly hailed as this generation's Rising Dragons of Ryu, and performed spectacularly in the war. During one mission, we were patrolling the southern border, and clashed with some shinobi from Konoha. As well known geniuses, we were targeted, and both our sensei, and Yuria lost their lives. It was a tough time. We almost went to war with the Land of Fire for this transgression, but Grandfather forbade it. Borah didn't take kindly to this, returned from the front lines, and has spent his days as a drunkard ever since" Lance slowly explained. 

"That's horrible." Tekai said, mouth agape. 

Thinking back on it, he had met Uncle Borah when he was around six. So that meant his Uncle had been carrying that pain for the last six years! 

It felt like he had been struck by lightning. Uncle Borah must have been so distraught, so burdened by that Rising Dragon title. To hear it used on Tekai must have drawn up some bitter memories. 

While this was hurtful news, it also relieved a weight that had been pressing on Tekai's shoulders. He had been viewing Uncle's actions through a lens of mistrust and betrayal, but from Lance's account, it was likely Uncle was acting from a place of tough love. 

'Damn Uncle Borah, I never knew you were such a real one.' Tekai internally cursed to himself. 

"Mmm, this was good. Now that the war between us, the Fighters, and the Snow has concluded, we should meet more often." Lance suggested, and based on his words, posture, and empty plates, was calling this dinner to a close. 

"Yeah, I agree." Tekai replied, glad that Lance had suggested future meetups. 

Getting up from the table, Lance nodded at Tekai, then walked towards the door to leave. 

"Ah, Lance, wait, I have something to say to you before you go." 

"Hm?" Lance questioned, and turned around. 

"The Rocket Group. They're suspicious. I don't have any evidence, but I think they're plotting something with the Lake of Rage. Call me stupid, but when I spoke to the team leader constructing the stadium, my instincts were telling me something was off." Tekai tried to explain how serious this potential threat could be. 

"I don't think you're stupid, Tekai. A Dragon's instincts are rarely wrong. I'll look into it. Good luck with your new sensei tomorrow, Cynthia is a tough one." Lance nodded, then turned to leave. 

Tekai was about to follow Lance out, when a loud commotion from downstairs broke him from his thoughts, and the music came to a screeching halt. 

"You cheated!" A chunky man who suspiciously looked like a Team Magma Admin slammed his hand on the table loudly.

His all red attire rippled sharply along with the distinct tang of a vast pool of chakra being flexed. 

Dice rattled, and chips flew in the air due to his outburst. 

"Hey look buddy, you're barking up the wrong tree here. If I wanted to cheat, there'd be way more chips on my side of the table." Jiraiya held up his hands with a smile. 

"I've had enough of you tree-huggers running roughshod over the working man! I don't care if they say you fought Hanzo to a draw! I worked hard for that money, I'm not going to lose it all to a demon summoning, filthy cheater!" The stocky man unleashed a camerupt, then charged at Jiraiya to engage in taijutsu.

The orange-red colored camel blared at Jiraiya, and fire erupted from its twin humps, blasting a hole in the ceiling, and coming dangerously close to blasting Tekai into oblivion. . 

"Hey, don't you think you're overreacting?" Jiraiya met fists with the man. 

The impact of their short exchange broke the table, and blew a hole in the wall. 

Tekai gripped his chest as the speed of the camerupt's attack was too fast. If the lava-like flow had been three feet to the right…he'd be dead! 

Yet he couldn't tear his eyes away from the fight down below. Tekai was barely able to follow their movements, and felt as if he should run away asap. The sinister fire red color building up in the camerupt's twin chambers were pointing straight towards him for round two. He really didn't want to be a stray casualty! 

Just as Tekai was about to retreat, he saw Lance walk back into the room. 

Striding to the balcony overlooking the restaurant, Lance flourished his cloak, and flexed his chakra. 

The effect was similar to when Tobirama lifted a finger at Sasuke, or like when the tiles upon the rooftop cracked under the weight of Hiruzen & Orochimaru's chakra. 

This was:

Pressure. 

Pots, pans, and cutlery shuddered, and the uninitiated into the ways of chakra fainted. 

Tekai found it hard to breath, and felt his eyesight darken, such was the power Lance had unleashed. 

Furthermore, this chakra carried with it a Dragons nature. 

It was simply put, overwhelming. 

Looking at his big brother's back, it was hard to imagine what he had gone through to become the man he was now. What kind of struggle it took, that he needed to become as strong as he was.

Clenching his fist, Tekai determined one day, he would be just as or stronger than his big brother. That way, he could share the weight that must be burdening him. 

While Tekai was watching his brother in pride, the rest of the restaurant's denizens were not so enthused. 

"I-it's him! The Dragon of the End, L-L-Lance!" One of the patrons gasped for air, and pointed in fear. 

"Another rich boy here to spoil my night? Camerupt, teach him a lesson!" The Magma Admin ordered his mon. 

"Came-rupt!" The Pokémon agreed, and its twin humps churned with an overwhelming amount of chakra about to unleash a fiery hell. 

However, as it was going to release its attack, a dragonite came out of Lance's pokeball. 

"Dragonite, Extreme Speed." Lance calmly said. 

"Nite." The Pokémon said, then disappeared a blur. 

A second later, the camerupt was on its back and in a hole on the ground, barely conscious. 

"Camerupt! Quick, use Smokescreen." The admin ordered, then turned to Lance with a greasy smile. "You'll pay for thi-kuah?!" The admin was shocked as his neck was grabbed as easily as a farmer grabbed the neck of a chicken. 

"Today was a very special day, ruined by your selfish outburst. Apologize." Lance coldly demanded. 

"Aurg-aye-oh" The admin got out, but couldn't say much as Lance's grip tightened. 

Slamming the admin to the ground, Lance punched a sickening, rib-cracking fist into his side. He then held the man up by his hair to face Tekai. 

"Apologise." 

"I ain't-" 

Lance slammed the man's head into some planks, chipping the admin's teeth, and bloodying his face. 

"Apologise." Lance looked the man dead in the eye. 

Whatever the admin saw must have had him shook, because he was quick to mutter a slurred apology up at Tekai. 

Lance then kicked him in the side for good measure, and handed him over to a pair of armed retainers who had rushed to the scene. 

"You there." Lance pointed at an inconspicuous old lady. 

"Ah, I uh, didn't do anything?" The old lady pointed at herself in confusion. 

"You made my brother laugh earlier today. You may leave." Lance lowered his arm, then left the premises with a twirl of his cloak. 

In a puff of smoke, the old lady revealed herself to be none other than Jiraiya. 

Scratching his head, he looked up to the third floor, and belatedly waved up at Tekai. 

"Good luck with Tsunade, Pervy Toad Sage!" Tekai cupped his hands, and shouted for the whole restaurant to hear, before he left, and ran out to see his brother. 

However, when he left the building, Lance seemed to be long gone. 

Kicking a rock in disappointment, Tekai put his hands in his pockets, and sighed. 

'Together. Family. Strong.' Gil stressed. 

Tekai smiled. 

"Yeah, we're a family, Gil. Don't worry, I'll never leave you behind." Tekai stroked his pokeball, then ran back to his apartment. 

He wanted to get a good shower and rest. Tomorrow was a big day! He had a pretty sensei to impress after all! 

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AN: Read up to chapter 29 at: patreon.com/KarpQQ