Come In...[PVT]

[Yomi]

[OOC: Topic Continued from Here: https://www.ninpocho.com/viewtopic.php?f=768&t=53486&p=269822#p269822]

The familiar sounds and scents alerted Yomi to the fact that she was back home. By this time she was laying on top of her pup, unconcerned with the eyes that were no longer watching her. Besito stopped mid-stride and just looked with his head tilted. In confusion Yomi sat up wondering what caused him to stop but not growl, bark, or just dart off, only stare.

"Let me down." She said lazily. The Wolf laid down dutifully and let her down and walked behind her. As she walked up to her house a figure that she hadn't noticed came into view laying in front of her humble abode. But there was something wrong with this scene. There would be no reason why he would be laying out in front of her home unless he was hurt, or even worse...

In a slight panic she hurried towards him, careful in her stilettos, and kneeled next to him. Besito walked toward his favorite spot behind the house and yawned before plopping down causing a slight tremble in the earth.

"Hokage-sama..." Yomi said as she reached over to gently take off his mask. "Are you alright?" The liquor prevented her from hiding the concern from her voice. She looked over him, and started feeling for any wet spaces that revealed any bleeding wounds. His black attire, coupled with the darkness of night and her inebriated state prevented her from being able to see clearly. At least she saw that he was awake, but, how responsive he was was another matter.

"How did you end up so far out here?" No one purposely ventured to this place unless, like her, they lived here. It was not a place for a picnic or a nice hike. It was a place of scariness and angry chakra trees. For him to be here like this did not sit with her well.

 

[Seijin]

Completely and totally taken aback, Umashi completely wasn't expecting to stumble upon a Yomi here. In fact, one could say that it was pure idiocy that he'd even stayed this long in the forest. Perhaps he was looking for a bit of happiness after all, but with Yomi there was indeed a line that would be crossed in doing so. As she approached him, he began to realize that she was clearly not all the way sober. From the way that her steps were just ever so slightly uneasy to the slight slur in her voice, even the fact that she dared to show such concern fully, it was clear that her inhibitions were taking a backseat to her emotions. As she took off his mask, Umashi suddenly felt vulnerable in a way that was just as equally emotional as it was physical. Letting his eyes guide over her current state, Umashi glanced at the large canine and opted not to immediately reach for his mask. "If I told you that I didn't know, would you believe me?"

It was true, he really didn't know exactly how he'd gotten to where he was but he surely had a pretty good idea as to how. Clearly the World Tree wanted to further pull at Umashi's emotional strings by tempting him with the presence of the medical Sennin. Though it wasn't by far the first thought that crossed through his mind as he took in the sight of Yomi, Umashi did wonder if this too was a dream, some sort of fantasy that he subconsciously wished was reality. Doubting what his eyes told him, Umashi dared to question the perceived reality around him. "Are you real?' It was cliche', cheesy, and completely gag-worthy all rolled up into one, but with the night that Umashi had had, it was worth asking. Shaking his head, Umashi felt the need to explain himself as he tried to shake the events of the evening from his mind and make some sense of them.

Stammering out a follow up before Yomi could answer, Umashi tried to explain himself. "It's just that it's been a crazy night and I'm in a mental place right now where I'm questioning everything, the sun, the moon and the stars. Heck, you're probably just some figment of my imagination that the Tree has conjured up but right now I'm just tired of the facade." Unafraid of the possible rebuking by Yomi, Umashi allowed just a glimmer of his vulnerable side to show through as he made one last ditch effort to see if the Tree creature had come to torment him again. Looking rediculous as he was, suddenly the black lion of the ANBU was no longer roaring like the King of the jungle but was in fact looking for the courage to continue fighting against the ruse that he'd fallen for before. Could dreams get drunk?

 

[Yomi]

Yomi was pleased that he wasn't physically hurt. Being mentally hurt, well, that was up for debate. He asked her if she was real and proceeded to explain that some tree had been messing with him. It was true trees did mess with you here based on Kaori's mission reports coupled with the fact that she lived out here in the Forest of Death. So it wasn't such a stretch of her own imagination to believe that some sort of large chakra-infused perennial plant beast thing did something to him. The Goddess would reassure him that she was as real as he remembered.

"It would be odd to imagine me and Besito. You've never met him before, but all of a sudden, you can imagine him too?" Yomi turned his head slowly from side to side, making sure he wasn't bleeding from his ears. Hopefully that gave him a little comfort in knowing that she was real and not some beautiful hallucination or last ditch effort from some haunted plant to ruin his day. Upon hearing his name, Besito peeked his head from behind the house to see if he was actually needed. Satisfied that he was just being talked about he laid back down.

"If it were just me that appeared, you'd probably be in trouble though." Yomi chuckled as she waited for any other signs of injury.

"We have to stop meeting like this or I am going to have to up my private rate for you, Hokage-sama. Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence...I think you're working up a third scenario for me. But, you don't have to put yourself in danger just to get me alone. And you show up at my doorstep this time." It was true that he was a repeat patient of hers, through no fault of anyone's, but, she would not be her if she didn't point this out. If this "tree" he spoke of placed him out here, in front of her house, it had a sense of humor, at least from her perspective. Yet, she wouldn't really pry into what happened to him tonight, because he thought it was still going on and she was positive that she would not get any more than surface responses from him.

"Can you stand?" Ever the medic, she would not be happy until he passed a few more tests.

 

[Seijin]

"Yes." The welcome warmth of her touch and mental assurance that she was indeed real was comforting to know. Like she had said, if this were some imagined scenario then the canine wouldn't have been here. Slowly getting to his feet, Umashi dusted himself off as he checked his appendages for any other signs of danger. Yomi was clearly working through the medical side of things like a pro, despite her state and for that, Umashi was thankful that he'd chosen her to lead the medical corps. Involuntarily yawning, Umashi suddenly felt very tired but was intrigued by the idea of her private rate. "Private rate, eh? Haven't I already paid you enough?" Chuckling, Umashi tried to look into Yomi's eyes to give her the same treatment that she was giving him. "You know, didn't anybody ever teach you not to show up to work under the influence? Somebody looks like they had a little too much turn-up for one night!"

Poking fun at the woman, Umashi tried to shake off the sudden tiredness that had overcome him and stretched to get his blood flowing well again. From what she had said, she was only a short way away from home. Despite being the Hokage, Umashi hadn't personally read every persons file report and it came to him as a surprise that she found the ominously named forest to be a suitable home. Clearly she was worse for wear than he was, and he being a gentleman would have to take her home sooner rather than later. Involuntarily yawning again, Umashi shook his head furiously before covering his mouth. "You'll have to excuse me milady, I think that I might have spent a little too much energy fighting off the big bad monster of the night." He smiled as he nervously made a motion to usher her towards home. "Let's get you home and tucked in for the night. You've had a long hard day!" While she'd arrived with the beast, it probably wasn't best for her to ride such a creature while even slightly drunk.

 

[Yomi]

Yomi watched him stand up before pulling herself up, knocking any debris off her delicate fabric. "I assure you the rate you pay me is far less than what I deserve. Also, you are just light work. I could handle you in my sleep." The woman walked over to him, careful in her steps on the uneven ground. They were far closer to her house than any wanderer would have guessed. Although what was a few strides for Besito would turn out to be a little more than that for the twosome. The Hokage yawned, as he said she was the one who had a hard day. She was sure he was confusing himself with her because the only thing hard about her day probably didn't even happen yet. She shook her head and smiled, realizing that he was still trying to be a perfect gentleman in his state. "This way." She said as she started the little walk towards her home.

They came upon a log cabin deep within the woods, surrounded by two large trees. In the windowsill sat potted flowers filled with black daisies, a gift from the other resident Yomi in the village. There was a big soaking tub to the left of the cabin with steps that led to it. Besito could be heard breathing in a deep and steady motion, indicating that he finally decided to go to sleep. Yomi stepped out of her shoes before walking up the steps that led to her door. Picking them up, she turned to look at the Hokage.

"There's a bright side to your demon tree debacle, Hokage-sama. At least you are here now for my birthday. While I can let you off for not sharing a dance with me, won't you come inside and have a drink with me? Water, tea, Fire Water, coffee, pick your poison. But as your doctor, I'd recommend water." Yomi smiled before pushing her door open. So far, he would be the second visitor she had. Being as deep in the forest as she was, she didn't have to worry about people stumbling across her home, invasions of privacy or meddling folks. There was no need to worry about propriety for propriety's sake either especially at this late hour.

Whether or not he would come in, was up to him. Either way she'd drop her shoes off behind the door and reach under the sink for a couple of bottles of water. Pulling them out of the cooler she would open one to drink for herself. Her house was small, since it was just her and Asuka, so the door led right into the kitchen. Smack dab in the middle of it was a table for four, although it was only the two of them that lived there, Yomi made it a point to have seating for four in remembrance of the two people she lost. Lately, Kaori took up one seat, and that was nice too.

Yomi's past dictated how she currently lived. There was no electricity or running water in her home, however, they chose this spot due to its proximity to the stream. Yomi was well aware that she could have a more comfortable lifestyle, but, she never wanted to get too comfortable if she needed to pick up and leave. It was much harder for a person to leave the comforts of home, when home had A/C and heated floor tiles in the bathroom. She also pulled a few candles from underneath the sink and lit them so she was not sitting in complete darkness. If Umashi decided to come in it would be nice, otherwise, she'd wait for Asuka to come home before she retired for the evening, much like Asuka did for her every night. Placing the candles in the center of the table she sat on the edge of the table instead of in a chair.

 

[Seijin]

Umashi followed Yomi to her home, more out of duty than selfishness, but with the hour as late as it was, one couldn't be faulted for confusing one for the other. She spoke of handling him in her sleep, the thought occurred to Umashi to push the envelope but instead he walked on, standing by Yomi's side to steady her least she might fall. When they arrived at the humble abode, Umashi was shocked to find that the word humble was giving Yomi's dwellings a bit much in the way of weight. Konohagakure while experiencing a new Renaissance of the old ways and caring more about the planet, was still every bit as tech savvy as any other place. In fact, the old Konoha Corp legacy had left much of the original village with more technology than the people currently cared for. They'd developed ways to make the new "Green Living" movement mesh well with the technological times that they were livening in but even the most die-hard would consider the home to be truly off the grid.

Pausing for a moment before entering, Umashi could only respect the woman for sticking true to who she was despite having what some might call a windfall of cash now at her disposal due to her new position. Nodding to accept her offer, Umashi took his own shoes off and stepped inside as he further saw her humble living quarters. A small part of him wanted to upgrade her lifestyle and give her the sort of living that she deserved. The home wasn't spacious by any stretch of the imagination and in fact her former office at the Hokage Mansion probably offered more in the way of comfort and size than the whole of this plot of land. "Coffee might allow me a little more energy to make it home but I'll take a water for now, please . . ." Accepting the refreshing drink, Umashi leaned against the door opposite of Yomi and sipped on his drink. It honestly hadn't occurred to him that the woman might be livening like this but the fact that she didn't mention it probably meant that it was more than enough for her.

Taking another small sip, Umashi cleared his throat as the candles flickered behind Yomi, giving her a glowing aura of sorts. In the shadows he couldn't make out her facial features but her voice was as clear as day. There were no sounds of beeping electronics to drown out their late night conversation, and Umashi took this moment of silence to speak. "Sorry about disappearing earlier . . . today . . . err, yesterday. It was the anniversary of my wife and child's passing and I just . . . I tried to put on a happy face like I normally do and I should probably be over it because it was so long ago but I couldn't and I didn't so . . . yeah." Shaking his head, Umashi put the water on the counter beside him and sighed. "The Daimyo gave me a mission to find out what sort of creature was putting people into dream inducing cocoons much like the Daiymo was doing with the people of Konoha before we ousted him." Swallowing hard, Umashi paused and stared at his feet where his ANBU boots were and shook his head.

"I found the creature and it showed me a life that could have been . . . two in fact . . . one with my former wife and another." Reliving the dream like adventure that he'd just lived through, Umashi's face began to twist with an emotion between disgust and sorrow. "As the Hokage I'm expected to be strong and powerful and all those other things that protect the least to the greatest of us but no amount of duty or trust or force of will can stop these human emotions that I feel. Nothing can take away the loss of the love, and no amount of forced bravado can take away the need for love." Emotionally spent already from the previous encounter, Umashi found himself venting to a subordinate who no doubt just wanted to enjoy her special day. Realizing that he was most definitely crossing a line, Umashi shook his head furiously and audibly sighed. Grabbing the water, he prepared himself to leave but didn't want to be entirely rude. "It's not your job to listen to my ramblings. I'll be on my way to allow you your peace. Do you mind if I take this water for the road? Despite it really being good water, Umashi was more attempting to leave for his own mental well being. He fully expected Yomi to compassionately allow him his exit.

 

[Yomi]

Yomi handed Umashi a bottle of water at his request and listened to his story. It was so familiar to her that she wondered just exactly what this tree was. Was it something like her? Perhaps, because, what he described was awfully familiar to the phenomena that happened to her. Only difference was she didn't believe something outside of herself was causing her own torment.

"I see..." Was all that she could muster as the wheels started to turn in her head almost forgetting that her birthday signified the loss of his loved ones. A moment of sobriety filled her as she thought of her own loss.

"Where I come from, we celebrate two birthdays. The day we were born and the day we "ascend" and become one with our family." She chose the word family instead of cult in an attempt to avoid any probing questions. "So I technically have two. On the day of my "ascension" as they called it, I became enlightened. As such, I was forced to leave the only family I knew taking with me the three people who would never willingly leave my side. Asuka, being one of them. Still, before coming to Konoha, I lost the other two in a manner that I cannot repeat. That was almost a decade ago now, though, I cannot say their deaths do not weigh on me. Though, what I knew then and what still holds to be true is that they wanted for me whatever I wanted for me. So, If I want to be happy, they want me to be happy. If I want to take over the world, they want that for me too. Do you think your wife, your great love, would want what you shared to be twisted into something that gives you torment? I doubt she was a selfish woman that would never want to see you happy." Yomi placed her bottle down and folded her hands in her lap. As shinobi, they all knew loss and that accompanying pain. It did not spare the strong, or embolden the meek, it just existed along side them, threatening to turn them into someone or something that was unrecognizable should they see it in a mirror. For Yomi, that was an understatement, and although she gained immensely from her loss, she now believed that the price could have been too high. She smiled at him, as he said that she was not her job to listen to him. Quite the contrary, as far as she was concerned it was her job as well as the other Sennin to make sure that he presented well even if he was not feeling it.

"I can be anything you need me to be, in order for you to be what they all need you to be. A therapist, inner peace, sunshine, Goddess, trainer." Two of those things she was, regardless if he needed it or not. He then tried to make his exit and as compassionate as she might have been, she would not let him know that she was against it.

"You can take the water, but, I'd rather you stay." Yomi said in an even tone. "We don't often get breaks like this and it would be a shame to squander this opportunity. Should you want to sleep there are two bedrooms off the corridor" She looked at him, as she motioned towards the back of the house. The woman would not stop him from leaving if that was what he ultimately chose but perhaps he would want a reprieve from his harrowing ordeal and allow her to be that little inner peace she mentioned, even if it was for a few hours.

 

[Seijin]

Looking at his water as Yomi spoke, Umashi could feel the blood rushing to his skin as he blushed. She was too kind of a soul to not take offense or try to immediately capitalize on the vulnerability of her Hokage. "I'd very much like to stay . . ." At saying that, Umashi seemed to lose the emotional weight on his shoulders as he stopped his movement to leave. Sighing again, Umashi leaned back against the door and looked up at the ceiling. There were a range of emotions and thoughts and feelings that were washing over him at the moment but what he while he recognized that he was hurting, there was also the fact that he now knew that Yomi had known pain as well. "I'm sorry for your loss, I had no idea." Again, it was possible that Umashi could have found out most if not all of these things if he'd only dug a bit deeper into her file but he only paid attention to the neccesary parts and whhat he'd wanted for her was the ability to lead.

Looking at Yomi, he smiled and took a step closer, and then another. Soon he was close enough to reach out and touch her but he didn't want to follow that line of emotions just yet. There was that nagging rationality that he was her superior and that any such relationship between the two of them would clearly be breaking someone, somewhere's rule. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled slowly and carefully. She smelled like everything that he wanted in the moment, a drink, a kiss, a romance that would mend his soul. Smirking, he opted to try and change the subject although it coincidentally came right back around to the initial problem that faced them. "I like to wash before I go to bed, might I use a towel and some soap? I don't want your roommate getting made at me for stinking up the place!" Laughing, at the silly joke, for all intents and purposes it wasn't that Umashi needed a shower all that much. He still quite smelled as he did when he'd first ran into Yomi at the party.

What Umashi actually wanted was a way to break the tension, and the cold stream would provide him just that. The moon was just high enough that he could see well enough, and with enough time to collect his thoughts, he'd be able to hopefully survive the night without going too far overboard. Of course there was the large wolf outside as well as the possible angry roommate to deal with in the morning but those were secondary to his need to not rush into things without thinking. The seconds between his question, his thoughts and Yomi's reaction seemed to stretch on forever, and Umashi started to move in closer as he grabbed the table to keep from getting too close. With her sitting on the table, his thigh touched her knee and he could smell the faint scent of liquor on her breath. Searching in her eyes for something, her answer about the towel couldn't come quick enough. To be drunk and in love would be bliss, but right now, he was just trying to keep from messing up a good thing.

 

[Yomi]

It was funny that he was so worried about what everyone thought about their relationship should someone find out while everyone else was free to pursue relationships as they saw fit. It was one of those things that she understood on a human level, yet, her Godhood was such that him being who he was for the village was far less significant, in a hierarchical sense, to who she was, especially to those who followed her. Frankly, what it all boiled down to was that whoever she fancied she was allowed to have whether it be a Kage, Daimyo, or Demi-God; none were things she deemed out of her reach. Of course she was not insensitive to his predicament due to how she felt about him, however, she would not confuse it with being something that she needed to worry about.

She was also aware of the tug of war that was going on between his mind, body, and heart which is why he thought it time to remove himself from her presence. He also thought that the mention of her first disciple would gain him some leverage in the situation. Unfortunately that would not allow him a safe exit either, as Asuka was not expected to be home for any length of time that would resemble the definition of soon. Yomi would not grant him the mercy of an answer to the question he asked, for she was not a merciful God.

Like the men before him, they all were left uncertain before her, when given this chance. Like them, he was struggling with something or another that made the offer too dangerous to take and too tempting to pass up. Unlike them, however, he was not a target and she had no malicious intent in her pursuit of him. He would live long enough to make it past this very point, yet she knew if she that if she let him politely decline they both would regret it.

As if she never heard the question he asked, the woman leaned up and kissed him, letting her lips linger on his. The kiss was laced in a velvet decadence that bit with liquor that was still lingering on her breath. At that moment there was something inside her that told her that she would never have enough of this, of him. And her body pleaded with her, begging for more of this sweet indulgence. But she would not force herself on him, like her nature wanted to dictate. She would let him choose to go forward.

"Say you want this." Her voice was heavy with need even though it was light as whisper. She needed to hear it.

 

[Seijin]

Freedom was something that many hoped and dreamed about, but few actually attained. Having been born a slave, Umashi was one such person who never could see his own freedom. Whether it was freedom from a slave master or freedom from the world that so limited those born like him, the very word still escaped Umashi and he was well beyond the years of having to fear the crack of the whip. When Yomi leaned in to kiss him, Umashi tasted freedom, and liked it. Having been so long without romance, Umashi found that Yomi's kiss reminded him of just how much he'd missed such passion. It was simply amazing, and with opening the floodgates, Umashi wasn't strong enough, in fact he didn't want to be strong enough to close them. Letting his hands rise up to pull her in close, where as she started the kiss, he begged for more by pulling her firmly into another one.

The spark that had been present between them was by now a full flame and even with the candles burning behind her, Umashi was suddenly willing to endure any burn to allow himself even just one night with her. Was it wrong, was it right? The questions were both ever important and simply nonexistent as he cared not for titles or perception or fury. Some would call him reckless, others might attempt to plot the downfall of both of them, but Umashi didn't let such cares concern him. For now he was a man and she was a woman and what they could both agree on was the fact that this healing would be more than physical. They had a duty to heal the emotional too, and emotionally they were both in need of much attention. Scared, afraid, emboldened and in awe, Umashi was all of these but together with Yomi, he'd dance among the stars and land softy on the clouds below.

With less thinking and more doing, Umashi finally allowed the kiss to end and as he stared into the yearning womans eyes he nodded. "I . . . we . . . need this" It was simple, and it was honest, and without having to be told, Umashi threw the last bit of caution to the wind and rendered his inhibitions obsolete. Whatever things manifested themselves in the morning, and whatever rumors might be started, Umashi was man enough to be admit that he indeed had found love again. A love that he could enjoy and a love that he could indulge in, Yomi had managed to find that void that he was missing and filled it with all eagerness. Like a symphony, the light of the candles and the chirping of the critters outside were the only sounds that filled Umashi's ears along with the faint breaths of the woman before him. Punch drunk off the first two kisses, Umashi could feel himself gravitating in for a third as the night edged ever closer to the bright dawn.

 

[Yomi]

There is no need to tell the story of what happened that morning. Only that whatever happened did so uninterrupted with reckless abandon and no neighbors to wake. Later on that afternoon she would awake next to him, as the sun was intruding upon their privacy. She held her palm against her head as a slight headache rapidly formed, noting that it was not the only thing that hurt on her body. She exhaled and stared at the ceiling for a long time thinking of nothing and everything at the same time. It occurred to her that she never heard Asuka come in and that she didn't know if she was home at all. Knowing Asuka, she would have tiptoed back out had she came home to that kind of after party. She looked out her bedroom window and saw that her beloved wolf was not there. Perhaps he moved to the front of the house or perhaps he was terrorizing the animals that lived in the chakra trees deeper in the forest.

She turned to watch the Hokage's chest slowly rise and fall as she wondered if his dreams were pleasant for a change, or if he slept so deeply now, that he wouldn't remember them upon waking. He looked so peaceful she didn't want to wake him even though she knew she had to. Unlike her, he had to probably be somewhere to do Kage things or simply make his presence known before people started to wonder where he was. She made sure her schedule was light today in lieu of her party the day of before. The only way she would go in is if she were called in for an emergency. Her instructions were, to only call her if the Hokage or one of her fellow Sennin were dying. At least she could account for one of them at this very moment.

Placing her hand on his chest she gently shook him awake while calling his name.

"Umashi...wake up..."Upon waking he would see her looking at him giving him a small smile. "It's late..." She would remark pulling the sheet up closer to her face.

Spoiler

 

[Seijin]

Having enjoyed the ending of his night more so than the beginning, Umashi was in no rush to wake up. For the first time in a long time, Umashi had been able to sleep through the night without stirring or waking up in a terror. His peaceful dreams were for in as many years as he could remember, not greater than his reality. As if he was giving the great tree a flicking gesture, Umashi was happy and he knew that he deserved it. Like the sun after a gentle rain, Yomi had been able to awaken feelings and desires in him that he'd long thought dormant and when he tasted her love, he found her to be just what the doctor had ordered. One of the most vulnerable of acts, joining with Yomi had exposed both of them to each others thoughts and desires, and the act was only heightened by the peculiar seal that Yomi had placed upon them.

Somehow, Yomi had allowed them to share each others pleasure and pain on a level far more intoxicating than the liquor. Never had Umashi known such highs, and with the ebb and flow of their passionate love making, Umashi knew that he would never be able to go for long without Yomi's love again. When finally both of them were spent, the sleep that he enjoyed was most welcome, but the days affairs came far earlier than he would have liked. There was a meeting that he was supposed to be a part of, one concerning the re-construction of the new village complex. Styled like a garden, the construction crews that were working on it were in the middle of breaking ground when they unearthed an old Konoha Corporation rail system that needed his approval to explore and incorporate into the design of things. Umashi hadn't wanted to go to the meeting before Yomi and he certainly didn't want to leave Yomi to do anything that didn't involve being with Yomi.

Feeling her hand on him, he opened his eyes and blinked rapidly as he woke up from his slumber. For the briefest moment he wondered if he was still dreaming before breaking into a smile as he marveled at the curvature of her body. She was every bit the woman that he'd spent the night with, and then some. Even after a night of rolling around, she managed to wake up looking equally beautiful and refreshed. "Can I wake up next to you every morning? It sure beats having to wake up to reports and meetings." Whether he was still drunk in love, Umashi completely wasn't thinking about the meeting that he was supposed to be having, or the fact that it was going to push back production. All he cared about was enjoying every waking moment with Yomi and maybe . . . just maybe . . . having a lazy love sort of day. Reaching out a hand to teasingly poke at her body, Umashi got lost all over again in love.

 

[Yomi]

The Goddess placed her hand on his face and looked over him. She wondered how he had her softened her so much that they made it to this very moment. It wasn't just him but her whole time within the village had culminated to this very moment. It reaffirmed her belief that choosing Konoha was the right place for her family. What she didn't count on was that she would gain the opportunity to expand upon it should she want to go that far. This, whatever it turned out to be, was something that she never entertained since leaving home all those years ago. In some ways, she thought it was beneath her, but thinking now, even Rei took on lovers, so why couldn't she explore that at some point?

Yomi sat up, a little light headed from the headache she was experiencing. She too wanted to lay here with him forever, but, a sudden nagging feeling came over her. As if she was forgetting something important that got lost between when it was mentioned to her and now at this late afternoon.

"To wake up next to me, I'd have to let you sleep first..." She chuckled and tried to fix her hair too look more presentable. A shadow filled the room causing Yomi to look out of her bedroom window. Besito was peeking in at them as he did every morning to see if she was finally awake. He gave a "small" bark and laid down as he waited for her to emerge from the home. It was weird that his steps were so stealthy for a beast his size. She gave up trying to figure it out and chalked it up to him being a ninja in his previous life. She got out of the bed and walked to the door, seeing her pup reminded her that she should find out if Asuka was home.

"I'll be right back."

Exiting the room and heading towards the other end of the hall she knocked on Asuka's door, that was left slightly ajar. The wife was sitting in a chair reading a book. On her bed, a dress and toiletries were laid out for Yomi. Yomi looked at it in confusion and then at Asuka.

"What's all this?" She asked. Asuka closed her book and looked at her with a raised, disapproving brow. The Goddess chose to ignore this and let her answer without incident.

"You're late for your meeting. I thought I'd help you out." The Medical Sennin let out an audible groan as that nagging feeling she had just a short while ago was justified. "I forgot." Asuka tossed the book on the bed and exhaled.

"I can see that..." the Wife blinked at Yomi but didn't say anything else.

"Are you upset?"

"No. Worried." Asuka mimicked Yomi in the way she would ask and subsequently answer questions. In that way she wouldn't betray herself by outwardly showing emotion. But, Yomi asked knowing the response already. They were together for far too long in this life for them not to know each other.

"We can discuss it later, if you prefer." The Goddess replied. "But as you reminded me, we're late." Asuka nodded and stood up from the chair. She walked passed Yomi to exit the house to wait by the soaking tub. The woman watched Asuka until she couldn't see her anymore before heading back to her room where she left the Hokage.

Upon entering the room, she closed the door behind her as if someone was still in the house.

"Apparently we are late for a meeting. Several hours late in fact." The woman shook her head in disappointment. It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, just at the situation in general. Of course now she remembered Tamashii saying it last night, but, who would even want to remember that on their birthday, let alone on their alleged day off especially after everything that transpired?

 

[Seijin]

There was the lazy Umashi, and then there was the business oriented Umashi. His eyes opening with a start, Umashi jumped out of the bed and went about rushing to put his clothes on. Scrambling to find his pants, Umashi managed to pull them on as he stopped, stood up straight, and then walked over to Yomi and pulled her into a passionate kiss. "I pray that that never gets old." Recognizing the time, Umashi didn't linger for too much longer than it took for a smile to cross Yomi's face as he quickly pulled on his shirt and then looked around for anything else that he'd forgotten. "We're kinda sorta late but I uh . . . I believe that I told Tamashii to push it back an hour or two anyway so we should be able to still make it on time. I just gotta stop by my of-"

Umashi was just about to speak about his now nonexistent office when he stopped moving about and slapped his forehead. Apparently too much of Yomi was enough to cause memory problems and Umashi would need all of his mental faculties in order to deal with Tamashii and business. Realizing where he could stop to freshen up, Umashi shook his head and was about to shadow step away when he stopped again, and turned to take in Yomi in her glory. Sleepish, looking a mess and still more beautiful than any other woman in all the land. "You're beautiful . . ." Unable to say anything more intelligent, Umashi nodded his head and did one of his infamous shinobi "I was never here in the first place" tricks and suddenly Yomi was alone in her room. He hated to leave but he had to go. Hopefully he would be back with her, alone, before one could even consider the time apart a complete loss.

OOC: Topic left

 

[Yomi]

Yomi smiled as she watched him leave. She exhaled as she plopped back down on the bed, wanting nothing more to curl up and fall asleep. Besito was looking at her through the window and she was sure he was going to start barking if she laid down any longer. Groaning some more she eventually got up and looked in her closet. Shuffling through the endless garments, she pulled out something instead of the dress Asuka picked out for her. She preferred to wear something that made her feel like she could keep her insides on the inside and a dress would not do that. Perhaps, in a few days she'd feel more together and capable of wearing dresses again. For now she'd have to keep pants and things that were pants adjacent in her rotation. Satisfied with the outfit she ended up choosing, she stepped out of the house naked to meet Asuka at the bath. it was now time to get ready to get back to work.

[TL]