Home Sweet Home [Requesting Entrance]

[Kogami Ayumu]

After a very busy extended stay outside of the village, Ayumu was finally able to return to the gates he knew and loved. As he approached the passage that held the gates of Kumogakure, he began seeing all the landmarks he recognized. At last, he stood before the entrance where all, regardless of rank, needed to have their entrance granted. Naturally, he had a passport as the Sennin, but right now he had a passport specifically for the missions he undertook while outside the village. He awaited a guard to come and let him in now.

As he waited, he wondered how his aide was doing having been left in his place at the village for so long. He wondered what would happen if Touma attempted a coup in his absence. Then again, Touma was loyal like no other. There was no risk of him doing something of that nature. He acted well as a temporary leader to hold down the fort while Ayumu was gone. He would also make a good Sennin, but that was not something he was truly interested in. Regardless, Ayumu would find out how he was doing as soon as he reentered the village, and then there would be mounds of backlogged paperwork.

[Requesting Entrance]

 

[Kairyuu]

The form was familiar, but not the face. The spirit also, but he couldn't recall where he saw it. Hoshikata had spent quite a bit of time wandering the village during his last stay, so it could have been nearly anyone in this place. Still, some kindness was in order. Like a shadow, the Seer steps away from the walls and darkness they held. A golden hand rises in a wave, matching eyes widening.

”Good day traveler. Good luck here, they don't seem very on the ball today. Might try against tomorrow.” He walks past the other, whistling a tune.

(Topic entered/left
S rank – 30 minute)

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako usually didn’t usually loiter at the gates. She was a mednin which meant most of her time was spent around the hospital. However, today was slightly different as she was strolling near the entrance casually. ‘hmm… there seems to be a curious lack of guards out today.’ She commented lightly as she approached the gates. It was then that she noticed someone was waiting to be let in.

When she could identify the person at the gates, Kahako realized it was none other than the ANBU Sennin. Immediately, Kahako did a quick spin behind the nearest building, holding on to it desperately. She had known for a long while that Ayumu was an ANBU, but she was very surprised when she learned how high ranking he was. When the news came out that he had been named Sennin, she promptly dropped the newspaper and the bowl of noodles she was holding.

But what made her hide wasn’t his popularity or his rank. It was the fact that she had been hoping she would bump into him. She needed to set up a meeting between the him and Kushin-sama. But right now she was far from prepared. She had to speak to him professionally about professional stuff and things. But whenever Kogami Ayumu was involved and she wasn't prepared, all that she ever did was blush and ‘derp’ all over their conversation.

She peaked around the corner, wondering wildly if he noticed her at all. Her stomach sank a little. If he had then what would he think of her reaction? It was then she noticed that a guard had landed from the rooftop next to him.

​

“Welcome back, Ayumu-sama. Papers please” Miri said as she held out her hand, accepted his papersm and let him in.

She pulled her head back around the corner. Maybe if he walked past her, she would call out his name and pretend that she was just walking out of the building she was leaning against. She looked up, knowing that this area was usually filled with guard towers.

She paled. Out of all of the Raiden-damned buildings she could be ‘walking out of,’ of course she’d be walking out of the only men’s barracks in the vicinity.

[Entry Granted]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Not terribly long after he had arrived, a gate guard had approached and was asking for his papers. Of course, she knew exactly who he was, but no matter who he was protocol was protocol. A shinobi arriving at the gates was supposed to show their passport. Ayumu was prepared, being well familiar with the protocol. His hand was already reaching for his passport as the guard landed next to him and as she spoke he withdrew it from his pocket. He held it out to her to allow her to take and inspect it for legitimacy.

"Thank you. Here you go," he said as she took it to inspect it. A moment later she had returned it and he was permitted to enter. He continued through the gates as the guard returned to her post. Who should he run into the moment he entered the village but Higa Kahako. He had been thinking about this girl a lot lately, so to have her appear so suddenly took him slightly off guard. "Kahako! Didn't expect to see you here," he said, his eyes wandering to the building she had seemingly just walked out of. Now, Ayumu had done a lot of gate guard duty in his time as an underling. He was quite familiar with taking shifts at the gate and how often he would simply rest in the barracks until his next shift. Kahako had definitely just walked right out of the men's barracks.

"Uh... were you um, meeting somebody?" Ayumu asked, unable to control his morbid curiosity. Of course, he did not want to think that there was some guy that she was visiting in the barracks. He had a mental image of her walking in with a hand-made lunch, handing it to some guy he didn't know. Ayumu began to chew lightly on the inside of his lip with a bit of worry. 'Don't tell me I waited too long...' he thought, feeling a bit jealous of the faceless guy in his daydream. Of course, nothing was confirmed yet. She had simply walked out of a building.

[Village Entered]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Kahako’s mouth dropped and she sported a mortified face when Ayumu asked her if she had been waiting for someone. She mildly panicked as she imagined him imagining her with some guy inside the barracks. ‘He probably thinks that I’m sleeping with someone!!!’ Images rose of her being held by a mystery man with only a blanket covering them. She mentally shrieked in terror as her blush rose. “N-n-n-no-no-no-no!” she stammered as she rose her hands slightly and waved them back and forth as if to ward away his perverted thoughts. “I-I mean, well, I am…er was… waiting for you, and it’s a convenient coincidence that you returned when I was passing by- I mean emerging from this building- I mean! I wasn’t seeing anyone IN the building, I was just emerging FROM the building and you happened to be here. Which isn’t a bad thing because I was waiting-ah! looking for you!" The mystery man suddenly turned into Ayumu in her mind. The imaginary-Ayumu squeezed imaginary-Kahako a little tighter and nuzzled into her hair. Kahako's eyes got bigger. "I mean, I wanted to talk to you! About something!” She turned to the side in attempt to fix everything she just said… “I-I mean, so you’re sennin how huh? Boy, super silly for me to ask to spar with you! Had you been serious, we would have been crushed in 3 seconds flat! Ah! But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about!” …which didn’t help her case at all.

As she continued to speak, the faster the words came out, and the more she wanted to kick herself. How would he even see her as a professional if all she ever did was stutter and stammer and babble about nonsense? A sharp image sliced into her mind, completely removing the scene that was there previously. She could feel Kushin glaring at her from his desk in his office, his eyes staring into her soul as he gave a very disapproving and slightly disgusted face. ‘I’m pretty sure he would kill me for embarrassing the branch like I am right now…’ she thought with realizing horror. “ano… so I was promoted recently!” She said while trying to regain her composure. The intimidation that was Kushin did wonders in scaring sense back into her. “And I requested a transfer to the Sentou Henkan. From this point forward, I will be helping the ANBU branch in anything they need mednin for.” She did a quick bow. “I still have a lot to learn, but please take care of me,” she said before rising again with a small, slightly bashful smile.

[Edited for proofing reasons]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Kahako's response to Ayumu's question was a resounding "no" followed by a lot of awkward stammering. Her face turned red as she vehemently denied being there to meet someone, then revealed that she was actually waiting for him. But no, wait, it was just a coincidence that she just happened to be passing by as he entered the village. She was just in that building for no reason and had come out just in time to run into Ayumu. Her blush increased to critical levels. "Kaha-" he started before she exclaimed that she wanted to talk to him about something and turned sideways, seemingly about to hyperventilate. "Just breathe-" he began again only to be interrupted again by her commenting on his new position. She was speaking a mile a minute, reckoning back to the spar they had in the woods when he was a trainee not awfully long ago. But that wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

There was an awkward silence for a moment as Ayumu waited to see exactly what she DID want to talk about. She seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment, but just as Ayumu opened his mouth to speak she was apparently able to talk normally again. He chuckled to himself and just listened. Apparently she had been promoted. "Really? Congrats!" he said, genuinely happy for her and also somewhat surprised he managed to get a word in edgewise. The conversation had finally calmed down and become a bit more normal. She went on to tell him that she had transferred to the department of the medical branch that worked closely with the ANBU. Ayumu, as the Sennin, was well aware of the small department and would probably be informed of the new member when he returned to the Sileo among the other million things he would need to be caught back up on. This one stood out, however. Ayumu did a fist pump internally, celebrating a minor victory. 'An excuse to see her more often. Mighty convenient of you, life,' he thought as she bowed.

When she raised her head, the radiant smile she gave took him off guard a bit. "Oh... Sure. Of course," he said with a little awkwardness, still recovering from the smile. How fortunate was this? The woman he was interested was now being thrust into his daily life as part of his job. It was very convenient, but at the same time it wasn't enough. After the things he had gone through, he realized that the time the both of them had wasn't guaranteed. Before he would have been happy to coast along and continue like he had silently crushing on Kahako from afar like a schoolboy. He had decided to actually do something about it now. But perhaps... just not right this second. He had only just returned to the village, after all. There were pressing matters that urgently required his attention no doubt.

"Well, Kahako, I'm sure I should go relieve the poor guy I left in charge while I was gone. But, will you walk with me?" he asked, hoping she would be willing to keep him company for a bit longer. He grinned when she agreed to come with him. Of course, there were entrances to the Sileo nearby which would lead him to his office much more quickly, but he'd take the scenic route. 'Shuusei can hold out a bit longer I'm sure,' he assured himself as he continued walking. "So, what made you decide to join the Sentou Henkan?" he asked curiously. In an internal fantasy, he imagined Kahako responding that it was him she joined for. He knew of course that she would not join for just that, even if she did return his feelings. She was ambitious and had purpose, there was no doubt a good reason for her decision to join the ANBU affiliated department. He was curious what it was.

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Just as she worried, Ayumu seemed a little put off by her awkwardness. ‘waaay to go Kahakooo.’ she thought, a little embarrassed at her own actions. When he did finally respond, it was (fortunately) in regards to her being promoted. The silence continued on a little more before he asked her to walk with him. “I would love to,” she said, smiling again.

As they started down the road, she noticed that they weren’t taking a direct path to the Sileo. Even though he sounded like he was busy, was he taking time out of his day just to talk to her a little? Kahako looked down at the ground and smiled a little. ‘This thinking is dangerous,’ a part of her cautioned. Another part of her didn’t really care. However, there was another part of her that realized she could use this attention to her advantage.

When Ayumu asked her why she joined the Sentou Henkan, her eyes softened a little in sadness. Memories of her arms deep in blood and organs resurfaced to her mind’s eye. Everything they prepared for and feared happened again in the time it took her to blink. “A mission gone wrong, mostly…” she said softly, pausing a second before raising her voice a little higher despite the fact that Ayumu heard what she said before. “I was on the mission when the King of Bear was assassinated by one of our ANBU members. Though our village can’t prove it, everyone knew… </COLOR><i></i> I knew that the ANBU officer didn’t act out of choice,”<i></i> she stated, alluding to the genjutsu that was used on the captain. She looked at the clouds as they continued down the street, clasping her hands behind her while they walked. <COLOR color="#008000">“I studied the human mind while I was still a trainee, and I realized that I might be able to circumvent that from happening again. If I could help just one ANBU operative while they are on the field, I might be able to prevent the murder of an innocent man… or I could even prevent a war.” She grinned a little and looked at Ayumu. “Of course, how cool would I be if I could save you in the middle of an epic battle?” she said with a laugh.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Fortunately, Kahako was willing to join him to talk for a while. It had been a while since he had seen her, so he wanted to enjoy her company for a while longer at least. His question was met with just as good a response as he had expected. She recounted the time that Takayama had been manipulated to assassinate the King of Bear by the Kingslayers. Kahako didn't need to tell him about it, he knew every detail. The way it had affected ANBU was the reason he was Sennin now. He would hand the title back if he could reverse the events of that day. She was right that he didn't act out of choice, Ayumu was sure of that. Kahako believed that with the right training and knowledge, a Med-nin could prevent something like that from happening. Ayumu only wished that one had been able to that day, considering everything that had happened not only to ANBU but to the village, country, and neighboring countries as well. He nodded in understanding of her words.

"That's a noble goal. You'll be a valuable asset on missions, I'm sure," he said, the serious moment followed by her joke. He laughed in response, a carefree smile forming as he grew more comfortable with the conversation. "That would be pretty cool, but only if I get to save you too. I suppose now there will be that chance. I got to work with you once, so I'm looking forward to having the opportunity again. Of course, I prefer seeing you outside of work," he said, casually letting slip the last part. It took a moment before he realized how his words could have been construed there. Truthfully, there was no misunderstanding. He actually did like seeing her outside of work, it was just somewhat embarrassing to say so. But then, he had decided he was going to be more honest about that. He was going to be stuck in the same place he was now if he kept blushing every time he gave a hint that he might like Kahako and bashfully changing the subject. In the worst case, he might never have the chance to make the decision if he kept waiting. That wasn't what he wanted. Not only that, but he couldn't listen to people he knew talk about his virginity for the rest of his life. So he made up his mind on the spot. 'No more waiting,' he thought, slowing down to a stop as they began to enter the residential area of the village.

"Hey, Kahako," he said suddenly, not giving himself another moment to second guess his decision. It was now or never. He called upon his inner reckless nature to push through. "How would you feel about getting dinner tonight?" he asked, pausing a moment before adding for clarification, "With me?" The words flowed out surprisingly easily, almost entirely painless. 'Ugh. Of course I meant with me, like I'm asking if she wants to have dinner with someone else here? But still- holy shit, did I really just do that?' he thought, actually wondering for a moment if he had only said that in his head. No, he was certain he had heard the distinct sound of his voice separate from his thoughts. He really did ask. Now the question was, how would Kahako respond?

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

She liked to hear him laugh, she realized. It was a male laugh, a chuckle that calmed her nerves. She wondered how many times she heard it before now. She was about throw another joke at him before the last of his sentence finally registered. ‘He’d prefer seeing me…?’ She stopped walking and looked at the back of his head in surprise… in disbelief.

Suddenly, she felt like was standing on a thin strip of land. She had to have misunderstood him. They were friends, so of course he would like to hang out with her more. He probably meant it as even though he was Sennin now he still wanted to be close friends with her. That had to be it. He didn’t want his position to get in the way of their friendship. If that was the case then… why did it feel like the thin strip of land was getting thinner? Why did it feel like she was about to fall? Like she should run away now while she could, but had nowhere to go?

When he called her name if was as if the ground suddenly shook and she wanted to scream. ‘No, don’t turn around,’ she silently begged, realizing that she didn't want to go down their rabbit hole any further. She began to panic. Flashes of her mother and father together filled her mind. Early memories of when she was a young child and caught them kissing. Many moments of her mother looking so lonely and Kahako slowly understanding why as time passed. The memory she told no one about where she watched her mother beg her father not to leave them. The feeling of disgust she felt towards her mother for being so weak in front of her daughter. In one second Kahako remembered when she called her mother pathetic after her mother admitted to still loving her father. All of it came rushing back in a matter of seconds.

She wanted to run away and not hear the words she knew were coming. She didn’t want to look into his eyes and be captivated anymore. She didn’t want to feel like a fool whenever he was around. Or stutter and stammer because she was trying too hard to look competent in his eyes. She wanted to cover her ears and tune out his voice and the jokes that flustered her and made her frustrated. She didn’t want remember his laugh that comforted her moments ago. She didn’t want to be close to him anymore. She didn’t want to be reminded of her mother and father when she thought about herself and Ayumu. But when Ayumu finally asked her out to dinner, all she wanted to do was fall to the ground and cry.

Because it was then that Higa Kahako realized she was hopelessly in love with Kogami Ayumu, and she couldn’t run away from it anymore. Tried as she might, she couldn’t hide it anymore. She knew that Ayumu could see the transformation to a heavy blush on her face and a terrified look in her eye. The land grew thinner. She had to say no. To protect herself and make sure she remained strong. In order to make sure no one else got close and hurt her again, she had to turn him down. “Okay,” was the word that softly came out instead. As soon as the word slipped from her lips, she wanted to grab it and stuff it back in her mouth. It was too late, however. The strip of land crumbled away, and she was falling.

Happiness and fear ran rampant around as she quickly lost control of herself. “I will,” she attempted again as tears slid down her cheeks. She looked defeated as she returned his gaze. They weren’t happy tears. She glanced down finally, trying to wipe them away as her voice wavered and she started to sob. “I would love to have dinner with you, Ayumu-kun,” she admitted between a hic. She finally faced the emotion she had been trying so hard to deny and then… she let it consume her. She was truly pathetic, she realized. She was in love and she was truly, truly pathetic.

The people that passed by them started to glance over at the commotion. Many almost immediately took notice of Ayumu, their ANBU Sennin, and the crying kunoichi. Some people stopped to openly gawk, wondering what on earth would make a full grown woman cry like a child. Others whispered as they picked up their pace and shifted their eyes toward Ayumu. Each passerby sported a glare of confusion, sympathy, or pre-judgmental disapproval. Kahako didn’t notice any of it. She just stood there trying to wipe her tears away with her hands and fought to regain control of her emotions.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Asking Kahako out to dinner, for Ayumu, was a bit like tiptoeing out onto a tightrope without the slightest bit of training. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was determined to do it even if it meant he might fall. He had thought of doing this before, particularly on this trip back to the village. In doing so, he had imagined several scenarios. He pictured one where Kahako stared at him blankly for a few moments, blinking occassionaly. She then threw her head back and let forth a hearty guffaw at his expensive followed by a fit of laughter involving side holding and knee slapping. This was certainly not even a possibility, Ayumu knew. Kahako wasn't like that. If she did turn him down, she wouldn't laugh at him or try to make him feel like a fool.

The second scenario he imagined was one of success. In this scenario, Kahako's blank expression transformed into a large smile. She spread her arms wide and leapt at Ayumu, wrapping them around his neck as she left the ground and clung to him. She hung from his neck as he held her and spun around as she repeated the word "Yes" again and again. As he set her back down, she looked up at him expectantly before they kissed spontaneously. That was probably his most outrageously optimistic scenario, and he knew that was probably impossible. He wasn't sure he would be ready even if it were to come about. Still, it was a nice thought that he had.

The third scenario he pictured was probably the one he feared the most, because it seemed the most likely negative outcome. Kahako looked surprised for a moment, but then she looked sad. She looked like she felt pity for him. She awkwardly paused before averting her gaze and apologizing, telling him that she couldn't- or wouldn't. In different variations there were different reasons. She was busy. She didn't think of him that way. He was the Sennin and it made her too uncomfortable. There was someone else. He had imagined a lot of ways that it could go, but in none of them did Kahako break into tears. So, when she did just that, Ayumu was completely taken aback.

At first, there was that look. An unmistakable look of fear which Ayumu couldn't comprehend. What would make her look at him like that? Regardless, it was certainly not a look of happiness. It was not a look that usually proceeded a positive response. Ayumu braced himself for the rejection. He took a breath to fortify his defense, only to let it go as she said, "Okay." There was a pause, a moment of uncertainty. 'Did she just say "okay"? But, then why would she look like that?' Ayumu thought, thoroughly confused. The confusion only increased and mingled with panic as sudden tears formed in Kahako's eyes as she affirmed that she was accepting his proposal.

'Why...?' Ayumu thought, 'Why is she making that expression?' The look on her face was killing him inside. The hesitation and bashfulness was replaced by concern as he only wanted to change her expression. Those who had stopped to stare might as well have been miles away from him. He was focused solely on the woman before him. He reached out to touch her face and lifted her head slightly, then wiped away tears. "Why are you crying? What is it that's causing you to make that expression? Please tell me how I can change it," he asked gently, letting his hands fall to her shoulders. Whether she responded or not, he pulled her into an embrace. She had said she wanted to join him, that she would love to, but why didn't her demeanor match her words?

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

She was drowning. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t pull herself back into a calmer state. Between the repeating memories she had of her parents failed marriage and the fear of loving Ayumu, Kahako was sinking further and further into despair and self-hatred. She promised herself that she would never experience love. The pain wasn’t worth it. Nothing was worth the pain that came with loving someone. Yet here she was. She loved a man whose profession had a higher mortality rate than almost anyone in the entire country. As a leader, he had an additional target on his back. She began to cry harder, mentally cursing herself and her lack of control.

At first she didn’t notice the hand that gently touched her face. The gentle tug of her chin slowly pulled her out of her thoughts and into Ayumu’s eyes. The honest concern and worry that pooled in them slowly pulled her back to semi-rational thought. She heard his questions, but was slow to comprehend them. And when he wrapped his arms around her, she reached the eye of the tempest that was controlling her thoughts.

As he held her, she let her hands rest gently against his chest as she shifted her head up. She didn’t know what to do here. It felt awkward and a little uncomfortable, but at the same time it was comforting and calming. A small thought slipped through her mind and disappeared nearly as quickly as it came. It was enough, however, to begin her tears anew, letting the storm begin again. No one had ever held her like this before. This touch that was caring and compassionate, loving and concerned. She never had this human contact before this moment. Not from her family nor friends… or anybody.

She sniffed a little and grabbed tightly onto his clothing. Her tears hadn’t calmed enough for her to speak for what felt like forever, but eventually she was able to find her voice as she murmured into his ear between her loud sobs and quiet sniffles. “I-I… I’m scared,” she stammered between a hic and a sob. “I’m so s-sc-scared…” another hic, “we die s-s-so… so young… Ayumu-kun,” uncontrollable sobs racked her body before she could continue. “I love you, b-ut… but… I if I lost you…l-oosing you… I am afraid. I-It makes me afraid. What if I get close only to lose y-y-ou?” She finally voiced as she wrapped her arms around him and held onto his jacket tightly. Gripping him as if he and his warmth would be ripped from her at any moment, her fingers dug into the fabric until the fibers strained from the pull. “I-I can’t… I won’t… what will I… do? I’m so scared of being left behind, but I love you…”

Her words caught in her throat, as her thoughts flew all over the place. So instead she just cried into his shoulder. There was a flash in the background, but she didn’t notice it. They were gathering more onlookers. Those who heard Kahako blushed, some moving on to give the couple some privacy and others too nosey to make a sound in fear of interrupting. She didn’t notice them, and, for once, if she had noticed she might not have cared. She just bared her soul to the one person who mattered right then, and that alone was nearly too much for her to handle. She whimpered again, still too afraid to let him go and look him in the face.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu still truly had no idea what he was doing, but he was going on instinct now which was when he seemed to preform best. Still, when he acted on instinct it was mostly in battle. This was a battle in a way, he guessed. He held onto the small frame of the woman before him as she gripped his clothing tightly, beginning to realize the crowd surrounding was starting to talk. 'Honestly, can't a guy get some privacy in the middle of the street?' he thought with annoyance. Kahako at last managed to find her words, speaking through choked sobs. She admitted that she was scared, although it wasn't clear to Ayumu why that would be until she continued. The three words struck him like a ton of bricks, words he hadn't expected to hear so soon.

Love? He had definitely decided that he had feelings for her, but that word was so far away from anything he could understand. Yet, "like" certainly did not seem like enough. On the verge of death, the only thought that had come to his mind was her- that wasn't some simple crush. He would have to think about that, but now wasn't truly the best time. He held her more tightly as she continued, admitting to him that she was afraid of giving into her feelings only to lose him. And with their jobs, there seemed like a fairly good chance one would eventually lose the other. Now Ayumu understood why she was brought to tears, but there was something more to it. All shinobi had to come to terms with the fact that people they knew would die. Something more was there.

"Kahako..." he started, only to be blinded by the flash of a photographer. 'Really...?' he thought, in disbelief. Since when were Sennin subject to paparazzi? He cast a death glare in the direction of the photographer. The man suddenly froze stiff as a board, his camera falling from his hands and crashing into the ground. In the background, a masked figure emerged from the shadows behind the man. He bent down and picked up the camera before disappearing into the shadows once more. Ayumu didn't pay the man another bit of attention before forming a few handseals behind Kahako's back. All of a sudden, a barrier of black formed around them, extending several feet around them in all directions and encasing them in a box of privacy.

"Kahako. I understand the fear, but the fact that we're never guaranteed another day is the very reason why I chose to be honest with my feelings for you. We don't know how long we have, so we... I... don't want to spend that time wondering what could be. Not spending every minute I can with someone I care for deeply. It would be a waste," he explained, revealing what he had struggled with and eventually came to the conclusion of over the past month or so. He had very nearly lost his life without experiencing love, without having the chance to hold Kahako like he was now. He didn't want to hold back anymore.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

The trip back from Tenouza had been a long one for Shashu. A trainee's work is never done, as they say, and at Ayumu's urging she had spent most of the trip solo, utilizing the survival skills she had learned in the academy as well as her stealth by trailing the ANBU Sennin on the way back to Kumo as an exercise in tracking. It wasn't simple by any means, but she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that Ayumu had been going easy on her. She was thankful for the silent and demanding trek back though. It gave her some alone time with her thoughts, and this past mission had given her more than enough to mull over. Kitsune dying, then coming back, then dying, and coming back again, saving their lives in the process. Masao, going off without a word to bring down Enishi, and not coming back. Her own breakdown when Ayumu had almost died himself. It was a lot lay on the shoulders of someone so young.

Each night on the way back she veiwed his campfire from a safe tracking distance, watching him as he went about setting up camp and eating a sparse ration before going to sleep. She loved him, she knew that now. There was no denying it, not after the way she had reacted when she had thought he was dead. She had been beaten to a pulp herself, but the only thing she had been worried about was him.

"Shukun...what do I do? Should I tell you how I feel?" Shashu mumbled to herself as she wrapped herself up in her bedroll. From her position she could see Ayumu going about a few exercises before bed. Watching him, she couldn't help but admire the work he put into his body. She shook her head violently, embarrassed her voyeuristic thoughts. "No...there's no way I can do that. He's so much older, and he's the Sennin! I'm just a trainee, plus...." Hesitantly she lifted up the edge of the blanket to peek at her small and slender figure, which the tight-fitting stealth gear she wore did nothing to enhance. If anything, it showed just exactly how slender she was. With a sigh she let the blanket fall back down and stared at the sky for a bit before returning to watching Ayumu. There's no reason he would want me anyway...

* * *​

Eventually she reached the village gates, close enough behind Ayumu that she saw him pass through after his papers had been checked. As soon as he was out of sight she hurried up and offered her passport to the gate guards herself before also heading inside. She had intended to catch up to Ayumu and suggest they go get some Takoyaki together (she had been seriously craving some on the trip back) but an unfamiliar sight brought her up short.

W-what is this? Shukun, being friendly...with a girl? And an attractive one at that...I mean, look at her chest...Yevon, is she related to Kitsune?? She immediately scanned the surroundings, expecting to see the usual spaghetti falling out of his pockets, but much to her surprise (and horror) he seemed to actually be pretty comfortable around this girl, to the point that....

No way! Is he...flirting?!?! Ayumu-sama?!? I don't believe this...must get closer... Shashu merged with the crowd milling about the gates and made her way to a darkened alley between two stalls, near enough that she could hear while still being unobtrusive. By the time she had gotten into position and tuned out the sounds of other passersby the two were looking at each other with awkward and goofy grins on their faces. Damn, what did I miss? Did she confess to him or something? Whatever it was, Ayumu had apparently decided that other matters were more pressing, and after mentioning relieving his subordinate he asked the woman to follow him. No Shukun, just ditch her! She can find her own way home! She hissed inwardly as she followed the pair, intermittently moving from the crowd to empty stalls and alleys to make sure she could keep track of the conversation.

Kahako huh? And what? Sentou Henkan? Oh, I see... She thought as the woman answered Ayumu's question. Hmpf. You're not fooling anyone. You just want to get closer to Ayumu-sama! She bit her lip as she continued listening. Shukun, this one is dangerous! If you're not careful, she'll-WAIT wait wait. Outside of work?? How long have they been seeing each other?? A nasty feeling crept up her spine as she inched closer and closer, hiding in yet another alley as the pair stopped just inside of the residential district, a feeling that blossomed into full-blown jaw-dropping horror at what Ayumu said next.

D-D-D-DATE?!?! All the color drained from Shashu's face as her mind raced in an attempt to make sense of what she had just heard. No, no, no! No way is Ayumu-sama asking a girl out on a date! He's an eternal virgin! Where is the spaghetti when you need it!? I have to stop this! She quickly channeled some of her silk into a cloak and mask, intending to run out and interrupt them with a message for Ayumu, but nothing could have prepared her for Kahako's reaction.

Shashu stopped and stared along with everyone else as tears poured down Kahako's face. What...what is this...why is she crying? She thought, but the answer was soon evident. She could do nothing but stand transfixed by the sheer emotion in the crying woman's tear-stained words, and when she finished Shashu felt all the tension drain from her body. I see...so that's how it is. She thought dully. I already lost...

A flash, followed by a sharp clatter, drew her attention to a camera laying forgotten on the ground, it's owner stiffly backing away from the Sennin's furious gaze. Numbly, with the conjured mask and cloak still disguising her, she stepped forward and picked it up, her dark figured going unnoticed before the spectacle before the crowd. She melted back into shadows of the alley as Ayumu raised his black barrier, sheltering the couple from the gathering onlookers and granting them some much needed privacy.

[Requesting Entry]​

[MFT: WC-1040]​

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

[Good Morning! Couldn’t sleep my soul demands that I write, so apologies for the typos]


-rewind-
Miri, thinking her job was finished from now, almost didn’t notice the little girl approach from behind. She let her in, however, as she had the appropriate paperwork. Once she was gone, Miri jumped back to the guard tower, letting the girl in.
[Entry granted]

...…​

On the outside, there came several groans and protests when Ayumu erected his black barrier. The crowd that gathered was severely disappointed that they would not be able to hear the Sennin’s reply to such an emotional and public display. The crowd would disperse eventually, knowing that the show was indeed over for now.

The inside, however, was eerily quiet. Kahako continued to hold onto Ayumu, but she was still mildly perplexed as to what happened to the world around her. She would have been startled if it weren’t for Ayumu still holding her. His warmth was still there, keeping her calm while her sobs dulled. “W-wh-what-?” was all that she was able to say before Ayumu spoke into her ear.

Kahako listened to his reasons quietly. The rational side of her realized that he was right, that they should enjoy their lives to the fullest while they could. The passionate side of her agreed that she should love to the fullest. Love Ayumu to the fullest. But the fearful side… her fearful self is what kept her silent for a time. Her sniffles carried in the darkness, much louder now that the background noise was gone. But her sniffles gave her time to think before she spoke again. “Ayumu-kun,” she said softly with a gentle push to his chest and a sniff, “my nose is stuffy from crying… I cannot breathe.”

She didn’t let go of his chest when he pulled away though. Instead she stayed closed enough that he could hold onto her arms comfortably. She couldn’t really see him, but if he could see her she would be looking off to the side. She had finally calmed down a little, only the occasional hic and sniff came from her lips now, but she was still unready to answer him for another few minutes. Her emotions were too difficult for her to put into words, her memories still too painful to share. When she could speak again, her words were still soft, but they were clear and full of pain. “It’s not just your death that I fear, Ayumu-kun. I don’t… have fond memories of love. I’ve seen only… only the bitterness that comes with loving another.” She stopped again. “Never the sweet…”

No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t voice her childhood. It was there on her lips, her life’s story why she became a shinobi, why she was estranged from her family. It was all there, but the words would not form. So she said the only thing that she could say, and hoped that he would accept it for now. “They say that… when you’ve been hurt… truly hurt… deeply and emotionally, you cannot express it. You don’t call life unfair or let everyone know that you are hurt. You hide it. You bury it and you don’t think about it if you can. You cannot speak of it. You can’t because it hurts too much to even make words… to even think of the correct words to say.” She gripped the front of his shirt again staring at it, but only seeing the blackness before her. “I want to have dinner with you, because I love you. Even if I say that prematurely, I know that I love you, but that pain… that pain is still there, Ayumu-kun.” One of her hands let go of him and touched her chest where her heart was. “Even years later that pain is still so powerful that I can’t fully express to you why I’m so scared.”

She let the other hand go of him, but she didn’t move. “I am sorry I cannot give a better explanation. You deserve something better than that.” Tears welled in her eyes again and her voice grew emotional, but this time… this time she was able to keep them from falling. What would he do now? She wondered. Would he deem her not ready for dating and change his mind? Would he consider her broken and walk away? What would he do now knowing that Kahako couldn’t always be her cheerful self? What would Ayumu do now?

So now I stand and ask you,
with your palm stretched out to mine,
when love has done me naught but wrong,
Why won't it hurt this time?​

<i></i>

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Locked within the black case, the sounds of the street were still there, but drowned out. The light was still there, but dulled significantly. Alternatively, on the outside, nobody would be able to hear their soft words. The barrier was pitch black as far as they could tell, and they would be unable to peer through. Kahako could unleash her emotions without worry of the crowd gawking at her. Ayumu could say what he wanted without worrying about it ending up in some tabloid. As he finished saying his piece, Kahako gently pushed away trying to catch a breath. "Oh...sorry," Ayumu said, coming to the realization that he had been holding on too tightly. Still, as he attempted to pull away she didn't let him fully part from her. Some part of her still wanted the contact, just wanted to breathe too, which was fair. With room to breathe, Kahako responded quietly with pained words representing the years she spent thinking of love as dangerous rather than desirable. She paused, seeming like there was more that she wanted to say, but couldn't, then continued to explain that she was hurt, though she couldn't yet tell him why.

Ayumu watched her carefully as she spoke, nodding to let her know he was listening. He didn't know what could have hurt her so, and skewed her view of love, but whatever it was had deeply affected her. Still, she couldn't escape the fact that she loved him, no matter how hard she had tried. She couldn't explain the pain to him, but it was there. Ayumu couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. If he had continued to remain silent about his feelings, perhaps hers would have gone away. Perhaps she wouldn't be standing here crying her eyes out because of him. He could still take it back, perhaps, but the words of his friends had driven him forward and he wouldn't back down. Haruka with her missed opportunity with Moro, and then Masao's warning to him at the party. 'Masao...' Ayumu thought, closing his eyes for a moment as a wave of grief washed over him, his friend's too recent death still fresh on his mind. It felt like a claw grasping around his heart as he thought about it, but he knew that Masao wouldn't want him to hold back now. 'You'd probably come back from the grave and haunt me with that brush of yours if I gave up now, wouldn't you?' Ayumu thought, his eyes opening to view Kahako once more. He leaned forward slightly and let his forehead rest against Kahako's.

"I understand if you can't tell me now... I'll wait until you're ready," Ayumu said, knowing that there was no way now that she was prepared to tell him what was locked down deep in her soul. "But for now, we'll do what we can. I'll take you to dinner. I'll take you a lot of places. I'll show you that there's so much more to love than bitterness," he promised, his hand leaving her back to come up and cup her cheek gently as he looked into her eyes. "I am inexperienced in love, but with you... I know I'm capable. It's scary, I know... but will you trust me?" Ayumu asked, hoping that Kahako would give him that much. He knew it was a lot to ask, for her to trust him when her past experiences had been anything but pleasant, but that was necessary to proceed. If she trusted him to continue, they could work through it together.

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow- SOKO​

Trust… It was an odd word coming from Ayumu. If it were any other moment in her life, Kahako might have commented on the irony; the ANBU sennin was asking her to trust him. But in this moment she wasn’t thinking about ironies. She wasn’t ‘thinking’ at all, really. She was just feeling.

Raw emotion and uncertainty filled her as he promised to help her… to show her… something she believed to be unreal. But the honesty was there in his words. It was in his actions when he touched her forehead to his and caressed her cheek. It was in his eyes as he looked back at her. He wasn’t lying to her when he silently promised that he would help change her views. She saw the honesty there, and all she had to do was trust him. But could she?

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them…

“Okay…” Kahako said with grove in her voice. This time she said it without fear. She was still unsure about their outcome, that was certain, but she would trust him. She would join him on the tightrope. She would take steps forward and stop thinking. Instead, Kahako decided that she would just feel.

And so when she lifted her chin to lightly kiss him, she did it with her heart and not with the fears in her mind. It wasn’t a deep kiss, nor was it passionate. It was a soft, almost negligible brush against his lips. She didn’t want to press any harder, nor did she want to pull away. If Ayumu tried to deepen the kiss, Kahako would pull away ending it almost as quickly as she started it. If he didn’t she would continue to kiss him for a little longer before pulling away from him completely.

“Ah, sorry,” she said sniffing and wiping a final tear from her eye. She gave him a small bashful smile that reached her puffy eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall apart like that. Guess I startled you a little, huh?” She lowered her arms and laced her fingers together behind her. Her heart was racing as she realized that she just kissed Ayumu without really thinking about it. ‘I guess I’m the kind of girl that kisses before a first date.’ She thought to herself before looking to the side. “You said you had someone to relieve, didn’t you? You’ll probably have a lot of work to do when you get back… maybe I can bring something to your office a little later and we can have dinner there?” Kahako asked. Even if they still expressed their feelings to each other and were going to start… whatever this was… they were shinobi first and foremost, and he was one of the leaders of their village.

As they continued down the road, Kahako asked him a couple of questions. What he liked to eat, if he (much to her dismay) enjoyed sweets. But somewhere along the way, she unlaced her fingers and intertwined her pinky with one of his fingers. If he looked at her when she did it, he would see her light blush while she looked at the ground before them. Maybe there was a little silence after she did it, but she would break it with another lighthearted question or comment. She wouldn't move to hold his hand and she would pull away if he tried, but a few minutes later Kahako would try again. And she wouldn’t let go until they finally reached the Sileo and had to separate ways.

[MFT-577 Edited to Leave Topic]

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

After a few faltering steps inside the alley Shashu fell to her knees, her legs no longer strong enough to support the weight of her sadness. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched the stolen camera to her chest like a life preserver. Why? Why is everything going wrong? She thought desperately. Kitsune-sensei disappeared...Masao-sama is dead...and Ayumu-sama has someone else...why is everyone leaving? I didn't come here for this!

With trembling hands she popped the back cover off the camera and pulled out the film reel. By holding it up to the light of the sun she was able to make out the image within the negatives quite easily. It was a touching scene really, the tall ANBU Sennin with his arms around the crying girl who clutched him so tightly in return. Touching...to anyone but her.

Her hands gripped the offending piece of equipment hard enough to crack the hard plastic shell, smashing the negatives back into the casing in a way that was certainly not good for them. "It should be me." She whispered, her words laden with anger. "It should be me with him! Am I not good enough?!?" Fire surged between her fingers as she smashed the already mangled camera against the cold stone, fusing whatever pieces didn't scatter away into a heap of molten plastic.

She was breathing heavily as she stood up and ripped the mask off her face. She made to throw that too, but instead turned it over and stared into it's blank, impassive gaze. "It should be me..." She repeated, softly this time, as her anger broke and tears ran down her face. "It should be me...so why am I not angry at them?"

It wasn't that she didn't want to be angry. She did, she wanted to hate them. It would make everything so much easier if she could just hate them all for leaving her like this, but she couldn't. Try as she might, all she could see was Kahako's crying face as she held on to Ayumu like he was the only thing keeping her in this world. Hell, for all she knew, maybe he was. They meant something to each other, that was for sure, and she just couldn't bring herself to hate either of them for that. She was sad, jealous even, but she loved Ayumu and felt for Kahako too much for hate.

Tears splattered on the mask she held as a small, self-depreciating laugh escaped her lips. Look at me. I've only just met her and I'm empathizing with her for no reason. No wonder she was able to catch his heart. Her shoulders slumped and her conjured cloak slipped to the ground followed closely by the blank mask, her tears staining the hardened silk so that it appeared to be crying as well. Next to it, the fire still flickered about the lump of plastic. It had devoured all of the film save for a single negative that had torn free from the reel. As the fire reached out with hungry fingers to claim the last piece Shashu bent down and with a single finger snuffed out the flames.

The single negative stared back at her as she stood up, it's slightly burnt edges standing out clearly against the stone of the alley. Who am I to decide who should and shouldn't be happy? She thought as she wiped her tears on her sleeve and continued down the alley. Like she said, life is short enough as is. If they find happiness in each other then...I'll just have to be content with that.

Shashu sniffed and sighed, then took a left at the end of the alley. She would need to have a talk with Saya, but maybe this was for the best. She wasn't happy with this, not by a long shot, but as long as she didn't think about it too hard she could convince herself that it was better this way, that everyone involved would be happier if she stayed out of it. That she should be content with just watching from afar. I mean, as long as they're happy, I can be happy too right? She laughed again, devoid of humor. She could tell herself that all she wanted, but she just couldn't make herself beleive it yet. Maybe some day, but not now. For now, she would just have to grin and bear it. Everyone else is moving forward...maybe I should too... She thought as she headed back to the Dragon's Rest.

[TLUS]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu's question floated in the air for a moment as he watched Kahako's eyes, trying to discern what she was thinking through the portals to her soul. She didn't make him guess for too long, finally affirming that she was willing to give trusting him a shot. He let out a small sigh of relief which caught in his throat as he was taken off guard yet again. Her lips touched gently to his, so gently that he nearly thought it an accident. Yet, Kahako did not move away, and he himself wouldn't dream of it. He closed his eyes, raising a hand up to gently touch her cheek as he had before. She allowed the kiss to continue, gentle and sweet, but the moment that Ayumu found himself beginning to lean into it she stepped away. Although she had allowed herself to indulge in that desire, she was still guarded and it showed by her timidness the moment he sought to press the issue. She apologized for the kiss, which was sorely unnecessary and reminded him of his obligation to take back over for Touma.

"Don't apologize... I liked it," he said, a smirk appearing on his face as he moved to her side and they began walking again. "But yes, I'll be in the Torre Celeste later, so you can come there," he said, smiling to her as they moved. The barrier dispelled moments before they would have reached the edge and allowed them to continue on their way. They talked and walked together, sharing a conversation as they each tried to learn more about one another. A moment of brief silence provided Kahako with the opportunity to take another risk. She reached for his hand, linking a pinky around his. Of course, the thought to grab her hand occurred to Ayumu, but he remembered the kiss and decided a gentle approach that matched Kahako's pace was best. He simply allowed the small touch to happen and linger as they continued their conversation. Eventually, they reached one of the numerous entrances to the Sileo and parted ways, knowing that they would meet again that night.

-- A few hours later --

Ayumu had returned to the scene of the crime, the image of the man standing with the camera fresh in his mind. While his potential relationship with Kahako was nothing that needed to be hidden, he also did not want the image to somehow end up in some stupid tabloid, for Kahako's sake. He had witnessed an ANBU take the camera and as such had not intervened himself, but the ANBU in question never approached him after the fact. Who had it been? The question was difficult to answer, given the mask. Standing on the roof overlooking the street where the incident had taken place, his eyes moved from the place where he had been with Kahako to the spot where the cameraman had been standing. There was nothing there, of course, as the ANBU had absconded with the camera into the nearby alley. Ayumu walked along the edge of the rooftop moving to the side that overlooked the alley.

Dropping down into the alley he found a few oddities. A mask and cloak remained, which he collected so they would not fall to misuse by some child. Upon further inspection, he located the camera and a single piece of the film. Both were burnt badly, the camera completely useless. One might have thought the ANBU was intending to dispose of the evidence, but this was a sloppy job for someone with that intention. It was almost as if it had been burned out of spite, but he couldn't know the intention for certain. He had caught a glimpse of the ANBU in question. The blank mask meant it was a trainee, though they were made out of some strange material, and he had a hunch as to who it was with the small frame he saw before it ducked back into the ally. The fact that they were at the gates fit perfectly as well. Still, he couldn't imagine what her motivation would be to torch an innocent camera and roll of film if not to fully destroy it. 'Was this you, Shashu?' Ayumu pondered. He gathered all of the evidence and returned to the rooftops to head to the Torre Celeste. Perhaps he could get what remained of the film developed as a souvenir.

[Topic Left]