The Daughter of Rioichi Cooper, Ch 3: Anrietto

In previous chapters Rioichi is stressing out. Is he ever going to calm down?
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As the hours past into late night, Naomi stood at the door worried.

"Rioichi…" she said worried, her ears laid back as she flinched in pain.

Karin walked over seeing Naomi dropped to  the floor. "Naomi?"

Elsewhere back in the secret garden, Rioichi was still in meditation waiting for an answer. He flinched a  sudden gust that roughly rustled the leaves from the surrounding trees.

"Huh?" Rioichi wondered and looked around uneasy. "Somethings up?"

He got up and started hearing something small chirping. He looked around seeing a small helpless baby bird.

"The gust must have knocked it out of its nest." Rioichi said, unsure what to do and looked around more seeing if to see a nest only to see it was in pieces. "Poor thing. And I bet your parents be upset to either not find you or find you dead. But I don't see another bird around."

Rioichi carefully cupped his hands around the baby bird holding it close, as it shivered terrified. He carefully pet it to reassure. "It's OK. I'll give you a new home till your old enough to fly."

"Rioichi-sama!!!" A familiar voice called out.


Rioichi raised his head and headed out of the garden to find the akita frantically looking around. "Is something wrong?"

The akita's ears backed and seemed he was nearly about to cry and he ran up to him. "Karin wanted me to look for you. Naomi's in terrible pain, she might be about to have the baby."

Rioichi's eyes widen in shock. "Already?" He looked into his hands to the helpless bird and handed him to the akita. "Please watch and take care of this little guy for awhile."

The akita took hold of the bird and nodded. "Yes sir."

Rioichi took off fast taking every possible quick route skidding to a stop just outside the house hearing Naomi screaming in pain.

"N-naomi…" Rioichi said worried as his heart began to race scared. "Please be fine… both of you."

His ears soon perked to the sudden sound of a baby crying, Rioichi walked in slowly as Karin handed a wrapped bundle to Naomi.

"Bout time you got here." Karin smiled.

Naomi held the baby in her arms heavily exhausted and looked to Rioichi and smiled. "Want to meet our baby girl?"

"A girl?" Rioichi wondered and kneeled by looking to the baby, she was like a gray raccoon with dark hair, Rioichi couldnt help but smile. "So kawaii. She'll grow up beautiful."

"She still needs a name too." Naomi said.

"Something pretty." Karin suggested.

Rioichi sat back by Naomi and began to think. "I've heard interesting names. But the name Anrietto sounds most fitting."

"Or Anri for short." Naomi said and looked down seeing their baby girl fully calm down and rest in her arms. "I like it."

"Then settles, her name is Anrietto." Rioichi smiles.
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After a few days had passed, Rioichi kept quite a bit to a minimal, working around his busy works. Being able to keep up with fishing early morning, and running the sushi shop on most days. Keeping eye over the village most nights, and thieving to rare occasions.

Naomi had little Anrietto in a small rockable basket, sitting by her rocking it lightly back and forth. Watching her sleeping.

"I wonder what you daddy's up to today, Anri. Think he's goofing off again or being serious?" Naomi asked smiling. "Maybe I start making dinner for Rioichi??"

Naomi got up and started working on starting a fire to begin cooking.

Elsewhere, Rioichi was walking around towns with the akita boy to his side and a tiny special friend that his in Rioichi hat, Rioichi shook his head and side to seeing how comfy the baby bird was in his hood.

"Seems the sparrow has taken a liking to you, Rioichi-sama." The akita laughed.

Rioichi smiled. "Probably cause the little guy saw me as I saved him, buyt it was thanks to you for caring for him these past few days. Might let you care for him more on most days."

"I'd love to but best take turns.  You have a family to be with you can trust me and my friends to help protect this village awhile you spend time with them. Anything serious I'll take over and watch them with my life." The akita bowed respectfully to him.

Rioichi smiled. "Arigato. I better get back home, I'm sure Naomi is keeping dinner by now. You ready, sora?"

The sparrow popped his head up out from the hood chirping happily in response.

"I'll take that as a yes." Rioichi said heading home with the sparrow. "Just hope Naomi be OK with a sudden extra addition to the family."