This just popped into my head after my friend TheShatterpoint had asked for a happier Maniwa-story. So, here you go! Hope you like it. ^^
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Rating: K+

Thunder clasped. The water poured down in an endless stream, the rain drops banging to the ground, bouncing up a bit and dropping down again, merging with thousands -no- millions of others forming a sea of rain water in front of the porch.

Kamakiri sighed. Not out of boredom (though it was getting close) but tired of the constant arguing behind him. Not even the storm of the century was able to drown out their energetic voices. He sighed again.

The downpour had started a few days ago, keeping all of the Maniwa Ninja Corps leaders inside, except Koumori, who had been fortunate enough to land a job with a military officer of the Yanari Shogunate and was currently hunting for a weapon of some kind. Lucky bat.

The Headhunter closed his eyes and leaned his head against the outer wall. Sitting cross-legged outside the room the shinobis normally used for relaxation, he was as far away from his fellow Insect Squad members as he dared to be (Chouchou was very sensitive about that).

He had promised to play a game of shougi or gomoku with Chouchou as soon as the 'Weightless' was done with his current game. The short man had snickered and assured that he would emerge as the victor with just three throws (Kamakiri had never been one to play dice games). The only problem; the promise was four hours old.

"Cheater! CHEATER!" the butterfly-clothed man bellowed jumping to his feet and pointing at the dices. "You used your ninpou!"

The younger ninja blinked. "No, I didn't! I'm just lucky, that's all."

"Ha! Pengin is lucky, you're a liar!"

"I most definitely didn't use my ninpou to change the face of the dice!" Mitsubachi protested.

"You most definitely did!"

"I did not!"

"Then you have balanced the dices!"

"But they're yours, Chouchou-san!"

The butterfly-ninja gritted his teeth. Clenching his fists he stomped in a circle before dropping down and picking up the four cubes.

"Best two out of three will decide if you're a cheater or not!" Chouchou growled and slammed the dices into the bowl.

'Didn't you say that fifteen turns ago…?' Mitsubachi and Kamakiri both thought huffing quietly.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

'And you lost immediately, didn't you, Chouchou?' The Insect Squad leader mused before focusing his eyes on the rising mist.

He was slightly taken aback by how fast and silently it had crept over the land, covering everything beneath its whitish-blue veil. The forest that normally was deep dark green was nowhere in sight and the lake where Kawauso-san usually went fishing was still and smooth as ice. The dirt road that led up to the Maniwa Village's gates was being hammered by the rain drops, forging deep gashes to the soft sand, turning the path into a pain in the neck for any coach driver traveling on it.

The arguing grew louder behind him.

'Soon,' he thought, 'someone's going to end the game, and I bet it's…'

"Enough!"

The Headhunter jolted up. Glancing past his shoulder into the room he couldn't hide his smile.

By the now open doors, Kyouken-san and Oshidori-san stood side by side, hands on their hips and fiery glow in their eyes.

"Maniwa Chouchou, how much longer will you torment us with your game?" Oshidori demanded, bending down slightly, coming face to face with her lover. "You have already driven Houou-sama out of the house!"

'Oh, I thought I saw something red dash along the road a moment ago,' Kamakiri wondered tilting his cap a bit.

"I did not mean to cause any havoc, darling," the man smiled apologizingly, his hand rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Of course you didn't, love, but that won't bring Houou-sama back, will it now?"

Mitsubachi held back a snicker. Having the Bird Squad member call Chouchou-san "love" meant death to the said man. Besides, it was funny having two ninjas head over heels for each other.

"Oshidori-san, you don't mean…?" Chouchou started.

"I do. Either go get Houou-sama back and apologize or…"

"But it's cloudburst outside! My suit would get all wet!"

Bad move. Though Oshidori loved the man in front of her, her respect and admiration towards her Squad leader was at least as strong –if not stronger.

"Chouchou…!" The mandarin-duck of rewind snarled, her voice low and cold, purple eyes flaming with rage.

Mitsubachi carefully put some distance between himself and the two lovey-doveys, crawling backwards until Kamakiri's hand indicated him to be in the clear. The young ninja nodded and let out a shaky breath.

'One safe, one to go,' Kamakiri thought getting ready to separate the two if needed.

"You know I'd do anything for you darling, anything, but I'd hate to see the suit you made me get all muddy and soaked," the blue-eyed man reasoned, straightening his clothes as to emphasize his point.

"Then you can make some dangos!" Kyouken cut in from the door, her smirk wide.

"Eh?"

"And apologize," the taller woman added, "deeply."

"EH?!"

"Or are you saying, Chouchou, that you don't know how to cook?" Oshidori stated straightening up.

Cold sweat was clearly visible on the small man's forehead. "O-of course I know how to cook!" he boasted, hands clenching in a defiant act, "I'm the best there is when it comes to…uh…fry…burn…um…boil...uh… making dangos!"

"It's settled then!" Kyouken laughed clasping her hands together, eyes curving happily.

"No doubt she's going to steal some," the Insect squad leader mumbled to the shinobi next to him.

Mitsubachi chuckled. "That's Kyouken-san for you, Kamakiri-san."

The green-clothed man bit his lip to stifle a laughter.

The blue-clothed man looked lost. His eyes darted from one wall to the next, sliding past the woman before him and then gluing themselves on the floor by Kyouken-san's feet.

"Perhaps you can… give me a hand, Oshidori-dear?" Chouchou asked while poking the mat with his toes, a deepening red growing on his cheeks.

The tall woman smiled and hugged her love: "Hai."

Chouchou answered the hug and straightened his cap with a relieved sigh. The two smiled at each other and left the room, clearly having forgotten the fight mere moments ago and the three other Maniwa ninjas in the same room.

Kyouken closed the door behind them and dropped onto the floor yawning (first having followed the two in the corridor with her gaze).

"Finally I can sleep. Rain always makes me sleepy," she murmured before dozing off.

The Headhunter smiled to this and stepped into the room. Mitsubachi followed him and pushed the folding door shut, leaving only a small gap for the air to switch and bring in the scent of the fresh rain and wet grass from the garden.

"So, Mitsubachi-san, how about a game?" Kamakiri asked smiling.

"Hai, as long as you don't blame me for cheating, Kamakiri-dono."

"Never," the green-clothed man answered and placed the first shougi piece on the board.

"By the way, Kamakiri-san, Kyouken-san, should someone go get Houou-sama?" The bee-clothed ninja asked after his turn.

"No…" the shinobi-woman breathed, stretching and turning to her stomach. "He'll smell the dangos."

Hope you enjoyed it! I really wish there would be more Maniwa stories out there... Oh well. Comments, reviews, requests and ideas all are welcomed and appreciated!