Unselfish Wish

Chapter 36- Otoko no Tengoku Talk

Smoke hung in heavy blue circles, drifting lazily over the male inhabitants of Otoko no Tengoku, the males-only club in Takamagahara. It was the one place men could relax without the worry of female interference. They smoked, drank, and well, gossiped. They liked to call it "discussing matters of great importance," but it was glorified gossip. The current big news? Of course, Tsukiyomi insisting on a demigod human bride and her entourage being blessed with ascension. Many simply shook their heads. Tsukiyomi was an enigma most of the time. Though Toyoume hated him for killing her original form, most of the kami, behind closed doors, agreed with his actions.

That did not mean that they were jumping to befriend the cold and judgmental moon god. Sarutahiko, Ame-no-Uzume's husband, sat in a dim corner, letting the conversations flow over him. His wife thought she was sneaky but he knew everything. His eyes rested on Kuraokami, who was raptly listening. Hadn't his four other wives been enough? He thought, as it was clearly not a passing interest. His chldren would not approve, though they rarely approved of anything he did. Sarutahiko figured it was probably lonely, but even considering taking on his brother to steal a bride? Seemed excessive.

Kuraokami wasn't a bad guy, really. Just... as a deity with plenty of worshipers, maybe he was a bit overconfident in his ability to win over a human girl just to piss off his brother and gain an interesting, new, bed partner. The newness was probably a lot of the draw. Everyone was intrigued by how beautiful and accomplished a girl must be to capture the interest of Tsukiyomi. The moon god could not be more picky. About everything. Hence, getting him back to the palace, and willing to work with Amaterasu? Bringing the Three Precious Children back together? Momentous.

"She must be the most beautiful woman to exist." One god sighed.

"She must be the most delicate and polite woman ever." Said another.

"Maybe she just has a really sensual body." Kuraokami piped up. The men all looked at him in disgust.

"As if Tsukiyomi could be drawn by lust. How ridiculous." They responded.

Sarutahiko grinned. None of them were wrong, not even Kuraokami. What they were missing, however, was her determination, strength and ability. It was funny that these gods, ruled by a female even, could not imagine that the reason she was really ascending, whether she married Tsukiyomi or not, was her own powers and ability. His Tengu had reported everything to him, not just his wife, so he was well aware that Fumiko-hime could probably kick all of their asses, simultaneously. He might have given her some blessings along the way in regards to combat. It was his specialty, after all, as the god of martial arts.

Not that the iron fist in a velvet glove needed his help. Sarutahiko and Ame-no-Uzume had long understood that Fumiko saw and understood far more than her friends, family, and even Tsukiyomi, gave her credit for. Her inner fortitude was extremely strong. The only time she'd even seemed weak was when Tsukiyomi was pulling his stupid crap being jealous of himself. Damn I wanted to kick his ass then, Sarutahiko thought. Dumbest s**t I ever saw a god do, hands down. And he'd even been there for the incident with Susano'o and Amateasu's pet deer, which was just plain awful. How she'd forgiven it and let him back into Takamagahara was anyone's guess.

"I wonder if she's one of those yamato nadeshiko types, a traditional, moldable beauty." Someone sighed.

"I doubt Tsukiyomi would fall for anyone that wasn't." Another scoffed.

"You would be surprised what can appeal to someone after many years alone." Kuraokami mused. "Many goddesses look much like what you are describing, yet none have captured his interest."

"But for sure her manners must be second-to-none, or he'd have nothing to do with her." Someone offered.

Hmm, Sarutahiko thought, Kuraokami might be an issue. Not that Fumiko would ever consider another, of course. But he could challenge Tsukiyomi for her hand, and he was no slouch when it came to power. He wasn't a dragon god of ice and rain for nothing. He continued to listen as they guessed back and forth about what kind of attributes Tsukiyomi's bride-to-be must have to have won his chilly affections.

"I'm still thinking that she has some kind of sensuality that has finally gotten past the moon god's frigid purity. Don't be shocked if she looks innocent but is in fact, a vixen." Kuraokami grinned. "And I aim to find out."

"You would challenge one of the Three Precious Children?!" One asked him, scandalized.

"They are my siblings." He shrugged.

"Only the Seven Lucky Gods can come close to their power." Another naysayer sniffed. Kuraokami's icy blue eyes flashed.

"Is that so?" He queried dangerously.

Oh boy, thought Sarutahiko, now they've done it. Most of the older kami absolutely loathed being compared to the newer gods that were firmly rooted in Buddhism. Buddhism had blended well with Shinto, essentially becoming a joint religion. Many of the principles aligned, making it an easy thing for humans to adopt. However, it meant that personifications of these joint beliefs had come to reside alongside the existing ancient kami. It was one thing to coexist- it was another entirely to say one or the other was better. Kuraokami in particular, was quite sensitive to being compared.

The temperature inside the club began to drop as ice formed on many of the surfaces.

"I dare you, nameless, faceless kami of who knows what, to say that again." Kuraokami growled. His naysayer immediately apologized and ran off, along with half of the patrons, but he was still very angry. Susugori, the god of wine as well as the proprietor of the club, rushed over to Kuraokami.

"My lord, please. You are ruining my business. If you must be angry, perhaps going outside and training would help." Susugori said placatingly. Kuraokami huffed, but nodded.

"Fine. But maybe you need to be more... selective... in what trash you allow inside your establishment." He ground out. Susugori bobbed two bows in quick succession.

"Yes my lord, I will look into it." Much to his relief, Kuraokami made a quick exit.

Sarutahiko sighed, grateful he had not needed to get involved. The lesser gods had smartly left rather than continue the confrontation. For all of Kuraokami's bluster, he would never directly take on even one of the Seven Lucky Gods, let alone all of them. It was probably the reason it made him so angry. The Three Precious Children, as a team, probably could, but the likelihood that they would bother was low. Only if it were necessary to defend their titles as rulers, really. He tapped his chin. Fumiko might tip the scale. It would be interesting to see how she was received. If they were all very lucky, she would manage to bind everyone together. If not, it was quite possible the two sides could battle it out.

He was hoping that Fumiko's nature would keep anything like that from happening. He'd never thought that Kuraokami would consider going against his siblings, either, though. He was typically in the background, but had never seemed to mind it. Perhaps he was getting bored with the status quo. Sarutahiko didn't think his faith in Fumiko was misplaced. If she could get Tsukiyomi to unbend as much as he had, it was highly likely that she was going to bring positive changes to the court. Sighing, he got up and paid his bill, thanking Susugori.

He wandered home, knowing that his darling wife would be thrilled to see him. Theirs was one of the most ancient and happy marriages in Takamagahara. He had never strayed, nor would he want to, His pretty little Uzu. He was unbothered by her revealing clothing, knowing that no matter what she did, it was all his. She fluttered over to him as he entered their palace, kissing his cheek in delight. How she always smelled so good it was distracting, he never knew.

"Good afternoon husband." She giggled as his arms slid around her waist. "How was your recon at the men's club? Anything interesting?"

"We have a problem." He said, leaning his head on her shoulder.

"Oh?" Then, as she realized he was referring to their Fumiko, who they'd decided was their god-daughter, her face became harsh. "Who is it that is a problem for our girl?"

"I think Kuraokami plans to try and take her." He announced,

"I dare him to try." She said, her eyes narrowing to golden slits.