Leaves twirling in the wind [Tatsuo]

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Lulled by the fading afternoon light, and unusually early in visiting Kaji that day, Yuii had found herself stretched out in a leaf-dappled sunny patch of her lover's garden and fighting the urge to sleep. The trees were swaying hypnotically, and the sweet sound of birdsong was a lullaby calling for her to drift away. It felt safe, and warm, like the house itself had absorbed Kaji's strength and kindness. It was so rare for her to get a few hours extra from the day, but when she did Yuii found that she only wanted to sleep, spend time with Kaji, or eat.

"I want to eat it," a feminine voice growled from her side with annoyance as if it had read her mind. The blue Kunoichi did not need to look to know Oniyuri had manifested herself and was fixated on prey. The tigress always came and left as she pleased while using Yuii as her anchor point. Usually, it was fine, but sometimes one did not need a two hundred pound tigress doing what she wanted in the human plane.

So it was the horse. Again.

With a long-suffering sigh, Yuii rolled and grabbed blindly for her feline sister, "No," she replied, turning her face towards the sun and away from the tigress, "Kaji wouldn't like that." A heavy, furred body pressed against her side, and Yuii could feel her quick breaths as she fought the desire for a hunt. Oniyuri was exhibiting more control than usual, but it was hard to go against her instincts too long.

"But it's just... standing there. Like it owns the place," the cat whined, letting her head drop, "Dumb long-faced snack. Run.." In the distance, Yuii thought she heard Kaji's horse Kooki snort, and she imagined the intelligent creature thought Oniyuri's rage was hilarious. It was a testament to its bravery that it had stayed within line of sight of a Tiger and stared her down- but perhaps it knew that was the best way to annoy and scare off a hunting cat. Cats abhored being seen in the hunt, so much so it could end an attack before it started.

"This is it's masters garden. Not yours," Yuii argued sleepily while absent-mindedly stroking the tiger's neck. It was her contract's turn to snort with amusement at that. As if a human having rights to land and trees was a laughable idea. Yuii expected a lecture on the matter like usual. Something about humanity wrongfully thinking they were nature's shepards. She did not.

"I marked the fence posts. It's mine," Yuri insisted.

Yuii broke out into surprised laughter and playing hit her fist against the tigress's side. Leave it to a creature of the wild to decide things through pheromones."That's not how it works!" she reminded the cat once her giggling subsided, "Just leave it be. Okay? We'll get you some fat rabbits tomorrow." The furry morsels were Oniyuri's favourite treat, and easy enough to trap. They were always getting into gardens and ruining crops so the treat collection was also a service.

However, Yuri surprised her again with her answer, "You should not hunt right now. Humans are fragile in your state." Yuii's eyes finally opened, and she was met with a knowing look. Cats were terribly perceptive creatures, but she'd thought she was hiding it well. It would only be a matter of time before she had to say something- but how did one even bridge something like this? 'I'm sorry I was careless'? or perhaps just, 'surprise!'. The longer she waited, the worse it would be.

With an annoyed sigh, Yuii twisted and sat up enough to roll her weight onto Oniyuri's back. She pressed her face against her blanket of fur, drawing comfort from her feline sister's presence. "I'm fine Yuri," she insisted, "I'm a shinobi. I can handle this kind of thing. I'm strong." That seemed to placate her catty company, though Yuii knew it would not be the last time she heard about this.

"If you say so," Yuri muttered drowsily, "I want ten rabbits."

 

[Tatsuo]

Since the last time the two crossed paths, Tatsuo had changed a lot. Not only mentally as he matured as most young adults do, but he had experienced rapid growth over the past year. Like a tree shooting up from the earth, Tatsuo grew nearly a foot since the last time Yuii had seen him. His chest and shoulders grew wider and broader and his face had begun to lose it's baby fat, giving him a more rigid look despite the consistent grin splattered across the jovial boy's face. He had been back in the Cloud Village for a few weeks at this point, however he had not seen Yuii again. Partially from embarrassment of how he acted back then. It was something the boy tried to blame on immaturity but his misbehavior made him cringe no matter how many excuses he made.

On this particular day Tatsuo was wearing a simple white t-shirt a pair of shorts and his headband proudly displayed for all to see. Despite being in a foreign village he rarely hid his headband, especially here in the Ancient Forest where he spent most of his time. Between the home he was staying at and Hoshi's dojo, unless he had specific plans he would usually be bouncing between those when he wasn't completing missions. Today he was walking back from Hoshi's dojo after a little bit of early morning training. Having trained with Hoshi he was nearly drenched in sweat, he was returning home to shower.

He hadn't noticed Yuii yet or her hungry tiger yet. And unfortunately for him he forgot to bring his key, cursing to himself he began to knock on the door of the home. Fidgeting with the door knob, trying to force it open, all of it failed unless he was looking to rip the door off it's hinges. Letting out an audible sigh, he decided to go to the side of the house and pop open a window. As he turned the corner, he froze as he saw the two hundred pound tiger, but it wasn't the tiger that made his stomach drop. It was the blue lady sprawled across the beast. As smoothly as possible, Tatsuo tried to swivel before he was noticed but that would just be too easy. Mid rotation, he'd accidentally trip over a rake sending the Leaf shinobi face first into the mud. Had the pair not noticed him walking by, they would've heard the large splat of what Tatsuo hoped to The Will of Fire was only mud.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Discussion done, Yuii had almost drifted back to sleep when Oniyuri's head swivelled around sharply. Beyond the rumbling purr from the felines body and the hiss through her teeth, Yuii could hear the distinct sound of human footsteps. Her heart quickened and with the quick reflexes, her training had reinforced she dove behind the big cat to avoid being seen. Her relationship with Kaji was still a secret affair, and being found lounging around by his home like she owned the place would only start rumours. That they were true didn't matter, if her Aunt found out she was coercing with the enemy then there was no telling what she would do. That was a risk Yuii couldn't take, especially not now.

A quick peek, however, made her feel silly for even worrying.

She looked just in time to see Tatsuo tangle himself up in a rake that had been left out, presumably, to spread horse manure. The poor boy lost a quick his wrestle with the garden tool, and into the mud, he went like a silent film comedian. A large smile cracked Yuii's face in two at the sight, and she couldn't help but burst into giggles. Under her, Oniyuri growled again but relaxed her muscles in light of her contract holder's reaction.

"It's just spunky kid, he's meant to be here," she reassured the cat. Using her friend for balance, she stood and approached to offer a hand up if he needed it, "You need a bath. Don't track mud in the house- Kaji would be mad."

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo's face turned beet red as he heard the giggles of Yuii in the background, he went to pushed himself up from the mud and noticed her hand extending to help. He took it and used it to lift himself up, with his other arm he wiped what he really was starting to doubt as mud, into the opposite sleeve of his shirt. As embarrassed of how he acted back then, this really took the cake. "Thanks." he said as he rubbed the 'mud' out of his face, with a cheerful grin he nodded. "Yea I doubt he'd let me stay too long if I made a huge mess." he laughed a bit, before quieting down realizing that it was still Yuii. He looked back to the tiger which seemed indifferent to him, which helped ease his mood.

"Do you uh-- well I forgot my key somewhere." the boy said as he rubbed the back of his head, as he grinned. Maybe she forgot who he was, he looked a bit different. Maybe Kaji never even told her he had come back to the village. She could think it's just some other dumb kid. That was all the confidence Tatsuo needed, as dumb as it sounded it worked for him. "I really don't want to have to break in, i'm sure he'd prefer a little mud in the house compared to a broken window." During the whole conversation, Tatsuo would be looking between Yuii and the tiger, he was quick to realize it still seemed interested in Kaji's horse. Earlier that morning Kaji had told Tatsuo to feed Kooki, which he had, but if the horse got eaten there'd be no way to prove it. "That tiger yours?" he said while looking past her, "I think she really wants to eat Kooki. I bet Kaji would prefer mud and a broken window to that." he chimed before checking his pockets again for the lost key.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii's eyebrows curved up with amusement at the mention of Tatsuo's lost key. That was exactly in line with the kid she'd known him to be, as vague as their interactions had been. She knew more from Kaji's tales of training the energetic youth, though. She looked at the house, then back at the muddy youth then back at the house again. She didn't have a key, she'd never really needed one, and the lack of symbology hadn't bothered her. Kaji had always been more than welcoming and she was certain he wouldn't mind her opening the house up for Tatsuo. "No need to break windows. I'll get it open for you," she chimed, starting the way back to the front door with short, quick strides, "Did you leave it here or elsewhere? I don't think our new Vice commander would like knowing a key to his home is out sitting where anyone could find it."

As they walked, Tatsuo's attention turned to Oniyuri who was trailing along with them with a sulky face. She was still angry that Yuii wouldn't let her eat Kaji's steed, but it was surprising how intuitive Tatsuo was on the situation. Then again, he had foreseen the relationship between herself and his then sensei as well; perhaps that was his superpower. "See, you're too obvious, " she scolded the tigress with a good-hearted laugh and a pat on her head. The action earned her a flat earned glare that any toddler would be envious of her ire. "Oniyuri isn't a pet, she's more like an elder sister. Don't worry about Kooki either, I've promised 'yuri rabbits later if she behaves." Yuii added, then more pointedly, "Fifteen wasn't it, Yuri?" The feline brightened at the increased offer and nodded with energy.

They reached the door quickly, and without pause and mid-step, Yuii vanished. A second later, the door clicked and swung open with her on the other side "I suppose we should start dinner? " she asked casually with a lopsided grin, "Do you like curry? I think I could eat curry. I think Kaji would like it, right?" She didn't wait for an answer but started for the kitchen with Oniyuri trailing at her heel.

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo grinned up at her as she offered to open it for him, assuming she had a key. She must have no idea who he was, why else would she be so friendly. Tatsuo internally confirmed to himself that he could just act like he was someone different forever and she'd never figure out. When she asked him about losing a key, he was rubbing his neck. "I am uhh-- like-- at least one hundred percent sure it's in my room. At least ninety five percent." he said with a firm nod. "I mean who loses keys.. heh. Not me, that's for sure." Tatsuo was blissfully unaware of the irony of him admitting to losing his key just moments ago. But when she added in the bit calling him Vice Commander Tatsuo grew quiet and offered a simple nod of acknowledgement of the fact his sensei truly was a Cloud shinobi now.

Once the conversation steered away from Kaji's new allegiance to the tiger, Tatsuo's grin reappeared and his tone rose again. "Oh so she's a summoning contract?" he said eyeing the tiger carefully. The boy had seen a few in his time as a shinobi, but had never managed to get one himself. "That's really cool, I hope I get one some day." he said waving at the Oniyuri and offering a friendly smile. "You like rabbits? Me too, ever had 'em fried over rice? Do you like fish? I really like fish, if I catch some should I save some for you?" he said offering the large would-be huntress. Tatsuo himself was quite the fisherman, food was his favorite thing in the world, he happened to be good at things that got him more food. "Man I wonder if we have fish.." he said to himself under his breath.

When they arrived at the door, Tatsuo assumed Yuii would just use her key so when Yuii just up and disappeared Tatsuo had a mini-heart attack. He'd never seen Yuii use any type of ninjutsu before, so he wasn't aware of her abilities. Placing his hands against his head he began to freak out, "Oh no I lost her!" he would frantically wave his arms around soon after, but quickly grew his composure as he heard the click behind the door. Despite the tiger seeing everything, he tried to act like it didn't phase him at all. "Interesting ability." he added, trying to sound as composed as possible.

When Yuii mentioned food, Tatsuo nearly forgot that he needed to take a shower. He had already agreed with her at the very mention of dinner, curry was just a happy coincidence. "Ya I could go for curry, could you use fish though, I caught some the other day, they should still be in the freezer somewhere." he called out as he walked to his bedroom to get a set of clean clothes. Rubber ducky in one hand a towel in the other he made the trek to the bathroom.

After finishing his brief shower, he dropped off his clothes in the washer machine and went to check up on how the curry was cooking. He had changed into a pair of black athletic shorts and a green konoha t-shirt. As he got closer to the kitchen he tried to peak past Yuii to see how the food was cooking and if it was almost done. His stomach grumbled as he was hit with the fragment aromas surrounding the food. "How's the food coming?"

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii waved a hand in acknowledgement as she disappeared into the kitchen. Oniyuri's ears pricked forward at the mention of fish, and her jaw loosened as if she might start drooling. Yuii laughed and scratched the big cat's skull through her dense fur. "I'm sure there are a few extra for you, greedy love. Let's get cooking. Kaji will be home soon, I think." It was rare Yuii had an opportunity to cook her own meals, let alone make one for Kaji. They usually ate take-out when they even had the time to take a meal together. If she didn't count the rations cooked together, this was the first time.


When Tatsuo returned, Yuii was leaning heavily on the kitchen counter with her head buried in her hands. Her stare had the listless, lifeless look of one battling sleep and losing the battle. Behind her, two pot, one of rice and another of curry burbled happily on the stove top under Oniyuri's watchful eye. A frying pan had been set aside with fish that had been breaded and fried a delicious golden brown. Oniyuri was the first to notice the Leaf nin's return. She stood and flicked her tail hard against her summoner's side with enough force to startle her back to consciousness. Then, for good measure, she did it again. "The wha-? Oh!? Oh no, the food! 'yuri you let me fall asleep!" Yuii cried once she realised what had happened, and she hurried to check on

"I watched the concoction to make sure it did not stink of fire," Oniyuri's pinched in an expression of hurt which looked odd on her furred face, "you have ruined the fish though. What a waste." As Yuii rushed to check the food, Oniyuri padded across the kitchen and with two claws daintily picked up a raw fish that had been set aside for her. She watched with large golden eyes as Yuii checked said 'ruined' fish, then nearly collapsed with relief to find it still perfectly cooked. "Oh thank Raiden, you were kidding," Yuii warbled with relief, "It's just cooked."

The last of the daylight had faded away during Tatsuo's shower, Yuii realised with a start. Kaji should be there soon if nothing with the corps had held him back. They could wait for him to eat, which was only right in his own home, or dig in while the food was still hot. It was a gamble. The peal of hunger from her stomach answered the question, "I don't think Kaji will be upset if we eat first." The dream of feeding her love a hot meal was quickly fading, but at least he could have the leftovers. Yuii busied herself with getting a pair of dishes down and plating together their meal. "So how long are you planning to stay in Kumogakure this time? Kaji mentioned you were here but never really explained why."

 

[Tatsuo]

As Tatsuo watched Oniyuri gleefully eat the fresh catch, he went to the fridge to find something to sate his ever growing appetite. After scanning the fridge, he decided on a great big orange on the bottom shelf. He peeled it and in between bites he listened to Yuii and her summoning contract talk. "Glad you like the fish!" he added in with a cheerful grin, "Ikko and I caught a ton in some stream near the academy, I helped him skip cl-- I mean we waited until he did all of his homework to go fishing." He laughed while rubbing the back of his neck, lots of times he forgot just how important some people in the village were. It wasn't like back in the Leaf where he was already used to knowing who and who he couldn't say things like that, but to him Kaji would always just be Kaji sensei and Yuii was his girlfriend. Made it hard to remember she also was one of the most important shinobi in the village.

Joining her in the table he held no hesitation to start eating, "Eh, Kaji-sensei and I never eat together. I doubt he'll mind as long as we leave some for him." the boy said, trying to act as if it didn't bother him. Ever since his mother passed away he hadn't really had a real dinner in a family type setting. Closest thing he got was grubbing out with Hoshi and Ikko but it wasn't the same. "Plus i'm sure this'll taste great, even after he puts it in the microwave." When she placed the plate in his face he almost immediately began to eat, before she even managed to get the question out. Once again burning his mouth, he quickly panted trying to stop the heat from burning his tongue. In between over exaggerated gasps for air and a sip of his water moments later he was fine.

"Uh.. I've got no idea, I guess as long as Konoha doesn't need me and i'm still welcome in Kumogakure. I've been having tons of fun running around with Hoshi. We even got assigned to gate duty together, next week!" Once again grinning despite the bits of curry stuck in between his teeth. "This is really good.. uhh.. Miss Yuii?" the boy asked trying to gauge her reaction. "This is probably some of the best fish i've had since.. like forever! You should be a professional cook." the boy nodded as he grabbed a bit more rice from the small pot in the middle. "Somethings happened back home, so I really don't want to go back. I'm not in trouble or anything, it's just, there isn't much waiting for me back there. The Hokage was nice enough to let me come back to assist a merchant i'd met on my first trip here. Kaji and I bumped into each other and I guess he convinced me to come with him." Obviously that wasn't the full story, but as open and trusting as Tatsuo was, things that made him look weak were rarely things he cared to admit.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

The aqua haired woman tilted her head to the side, reading into Tatsuo's comment about never eating with Kaji. Why mention something so specific if it was not an important thing to him? She refrained from pointing out that she regularly get meals with her co-worker and lover. Eating was important, especially in a high-stress job like theirs, but the time for such a thing was often lacking. Without coordinating, they had taken up making a ritual out of eating together in the evening to make sure the other remembered to do so. With Ayumu's breakfast meetings pre-establishing her habit of making others eat, she had even been brave enough to eat in public with him. Dates that could not look like dates if you will.

With mild amusement, Yuii watched as Tatsuo tucked into his meal with the enthusiasm of any boy his age. It was her experience that most kids his age liked to inhale their food, but shinobi in training ate like starving hyenas. Yuii took a cautionary nibble from her own spoon, but when the heat threatened to burn her tongue she set it down again. As hungry as she was, it wasn't worth an aching mouth. Instead, she returned to the kitchen quickly to make sure enough was set aside for her late love, as something told her Tatsuo might finish off the batch. "I'm glad you like it. I used to travel a lot and have mostly lived on my own. Food stand meals lost their charm after awhile, so I learned to make things edible." she answered his compliment as she returned and eased back into her chair, "Eat as much as you like."

Yuii pondered over his answers as she finally started in on her own food. Her belly was simultaneously screaming to be fed and clenching at the aroma of her meal. A few cautious bites and set it aside again to see how well it would sit. "So then Boots knows you're here and doesn't mind? I guess he shouldn't with Kaji looking out for you. The least he could do after making him stay behind suddenly is let his student visit," it wasn't like Kaji minded being with them, he had even looked into staying permanently, but being left in Kumogakure without even a chance to say goodbye to anyone back in Konoha must have been difficult. They were shinobi first but at their root, they would always be human. It was lucky he had found something to make Kumogakure worthwhile at least, "You mentioned Ikko before. Is he doing well? He had some connection to a mission Kaji and I undertook, and I keep meaning to follow up with him. It's a relief to know he's made friends."

 

[Tatsuo]

"Whose Boots?" Tatsuo never heard that nickname before and it left him more puzzled than usual. "I mean, I guess he doesn't mind not sure who that is though." he says finishing off his first serving of the food, resting a hand on his belly and sitting back in the chair he listened to Yuii speak. When she asked about Ikko Tatsuo nodded and thought back to the first time he met him. "Yeah we're pretty good friends, he trains with Hoshi and me sometimes. Really just depends on the week." Tatsuo stood up from the table, bowl in hand, he made his way over to the pot with the still warm curry and got himself another full serving. Like all food when in the presence it usually kept the most of his attention but he tried his hardest to continue the conversation with Yuii. When he sat back down he even waited a moment to eat again before asking Yuii if she liked it as well, "You haven't eaten very much? Not hungry?" the boy furrowed his brows. "If you want to wait for Kaji-sensei, we can." he said pushing the plate of food to the middle of the table. It took all the self control the boy had to not scarf it down immediately, but he did find it a bit impolite to stuff his face while his company wasn't even eating.

He looked over to the tiger who he assumed was still happily munching away on the last week's worth of fish. Calling over to her a wave, "You liking the fish?" he grinned from ear to ear happy that someone shared his appetite for fish. "So you and Kaji-sensei are pretty close now, huh? He really likes you, told me himself." the boy said confirming Kaji's love as if that would change Yuii's opinion on anything. "Also.." the boy frowned and tapped a few fingers on the table opting to not look her in the eyes. "Sorry for last time I visited, I acted like a brat." While Tatsuo was usually quick to apologize, it made him incredibly uncomfortable, just as the boy fought leaving himself exposed was not an option. In battle he would cover himself in armor thicker than walls but somethings no matter how you say them leave you out in the open at the mercy of the one you're apologizing to.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii blinked then chuckled to herself. Without context, her nicknames for people could be confusing. "It's a name I use for your Hokage," she explained, recalling the garish boots he had worn during his meeting with her Lord Raikage. They were the first thing about Umashi that she had noticed, and had this become his nickname. Just as Tatsuo's energy had been the first thing she had noticed about him. "During the meeting with Kogami-sama, he was wearing his official robes except for a pair of sailor's boots. So, Boots." It made sense to her, but Yuii made a bit of naming people for something noticeable rather than remembering their name. That way, she would always have something to connect to a person instead of just a mix of sounds applied to them at birth. The exceptions, ironically, were Ayumu and Kaji.

It was good to hear Iko was doing well and had made friends in the village. She had worried that he would have difficulty leaving the monastery, but she should have remembered the resilience and skill children showed in adapting to new situations and making new friends. At some future point, she would remember to follow up and make sure he had no troubles.

Yuii startled from thought as Tatsuo pushed away his bowl he's just retrieved crinkled her brows together. The curry wasn't sitting poorly in her stomach, but the few bites were sustaining her enough that Yuii wasn't ready to dig back into her food immediately. She had made the mistake before of eating an entire meal with the gusto she normally reserved for the best of cakes and had been rewarded with spewing it back up within the hour. This was just another of the small ailments she had been inflicted with recently, but right now she was trying to act like everything was okay and vomiting tended not to equate that way. But now that Tatsuo was bringing it up, she wondered if she should just try and force some more down. "Oh no, eat! I'm just taking my time," she reassured him instead of risking being sick. Picking up her fork to poke at the contents of her plate again just to make sure he knew it was fine, "Us Kunoichi have to watch our weight, you know? Most of us have to rely on being quick and small after all. We can't all inhale our food like Oniyuri."

On cue, the tigress looked up with a face bulging from half-chewed fish. She gave Yuii an indignant look and nodded to answer Tatsuo.

The conversation shifted back to Kaji. A soft, lovestruck smile crossed Yuii's face that she didn't try to hide,"Has he? One could say we're both very close and very far apart," the statement was followed by a long sigh, "Everything becomes so much more complicated when you're older, but I couldn't imagine sharing my life with anyone else so the hurdles are worth it." There was so much that she and Kaji never spoke about. She still only knew scraps about his childhood, and she could say the same for him about her own for instance. She wasn't even sure he understood her exact familial standing as opposed to her political one.

She paused, gave consideration to his apology. Ultimately, his brattiness at the gates had been like a premonition for the future, so she couldn't be made, and she hardly remembered the other two points of contact they had. Kikei had had choice words to say about her mission partner, but she knew the white-haired girl gave as well as she got. "You were and still are a kid so you get some leeway in what you can say because your emotions still rule your decision making. I can't fault you for being a brat, its the time of your life when it's acceptable to be that way, you know? As long as you realised what you did, and grew from it, it's water under the bridge." It was the same speach she would give any of her students after a tantrum. They expected a lot from children long before their brains were fully developed, and if the worst some kid genin did was act like a brat then they were getting off easy.

"So is training all you've done since you arrived, or were you going to explore Kumogakure a bit? There are usually extra missions on the board too, so long as you take a Kumogakure shinobi along. Kogami would hate for one of our nin to be idol in a foreign land, I can only assume the same for your Boots."

 

[Tatsuo]

At first Tatsuo thought it disrespectful to demean someone like a Kage with such a simple name but was wise enough to let Yuii finish her reasoning and after all was said and done he understood her point. "Yeah I look up to the Hokage a lot, but he's definitely a bit odd." he said thinking back to his few interactions with him. And if her story was true about him wearing sailor boots, then the nickname was fitting, even if he'd never use it himself. "At least he finally caved on letting me switch out of the medical branch, I'm still not sure why he was so insistent on that. But I guess it doesn't matter yet. I'm now a proud Chuunin of the Leaf." he said grinning from ear to ear.

Tatsuo was blissfully unaware of the troubles of pregnancy and he surely wasn't the most insightful so Yuii's aversion to food completely misunderstood. "Yeah plus guys might not like you if you're f-- I mean yeah you need to be light." he said with a few nods catching himself before he said something he would regret later. Subtlety wasn't his strong suit, even if he never really intended to say anything mean-spirited. But as soon as Yuii gave him the green light to eat he began to dig into the curry like it was a potion of youth. After finishing another fulfilling serving, he leaned back in his chair and burped into his hand. "Excuse me." he said before placing both of his arms on the table as he listened to Yuii speak.

As the topic moved to Kaji he nodded along, agreeing with most of what she said. "Yeah I think I understand what you mean, I'm happy he let me stay here but sometimes I feel like there's a bit of distance. I guess he just doesn't like to talk too much about stuff that, he's very-- uh- dutiful ya' know?" he said thinking back to his often stern sensei. While Kaji definitely had a sense of humor that shone through on occasion, Tatsuo experienced more of the teacher-side of Kaji, one that he doubted Yuii saw a lot of. "He is a very good sensei though, i've learned a lot even in the short time i've been training with. I was barely able to create a branch but now I could create a forest if I needed to." Exaggeration was always his strong point, but for the most part it was true under Kaji's tutelage he had grown quite a bit not only as a shinobi but as a man. It would be something he'd always appreciate no matter which paths the two shinobi took.

He was relieved that Yuii not only accepted his apology but offered further justification for his actions. While what she said was true it'd always be something that kept Tatsuo up at night. Everyone has their embarrassing moments as a kid and that one will forever haunt Tatsuo. Just as she said it was water under the bridge he nodded and smiled once again, "Thanks a lot Miss Yuii. I promise it won't happen again and i've made quite a few friends around here in Kumo." Despite meeting Hoshi last time, there friendship truly flourished during this visit. Even now Tatsuo would trust Yuii so that would be two more Cloud shinobi he trusted than the last time he visited.

"Oh, i've done a good bit. I've actually been on a few missions, I ended up hunting a ghost somewhere in southern Lightning country. Nice village, very good people. I should stop by sometime next time i'm in the region, but other than that i've mostly stuck around the village and ran around with Hoshi. For the most part it's been training but I did have this one mission--" he shrugged his shoulders. "It was in West Lightning country, near the border to the Fire Country actually. It was pretty nice." he said rubbing the back of his neck as he thought of something to change the topic. "Is there anything you think I should make a trip to see? I'm sure you'd know the Lightning Country a bit better than myself."

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

The corner's of Yuii's eyes crinkled with amusement. Nothing about their relationship have been rooted in Kaji's stalwart qualities he displayed during their working hours. Yuii could not see her raven headed paramour being anything but a staunch sensei who pushed his students to their limits daily. The person Tatsuo knew Kaji to be would naturally share little about his life. She should, and was, flattered he had even mentioned her at all to his young student.

"Dutiful? I suppose that's the word you could use," she hummed cheerfully, not at all perturbed or upset by the subject matter. The subject didn't warrant much discussion as far as her confidence in the strength of their relationship went, after all. Kaji and Yuii were perfect for each other, right down to how little or much they shared. "As a shinobi, you learn to stop talking about the important things in your life because those things can be weaponized against you and others. The more important the information in your mind is, the more important it is not to tell anyone anything, but knowing what is important is difficult. If you live like that, you're safe, but it makes opening up when it's safe so much harder." A bit of a lecture, but also something he ought to know by then. If Tatsuo was lucky, he wouldn't have to learn that lesson with the life of someone he cared about. If he was lucky, the relatively peaceful world would allow him to keep ahold of a bit more of his assumed innocence. Probably not, but she could always wish it.

As for Yuii, she was still far from overcoming the clamp on her tongue when it came to speaking of personal affairs. Her hand gingerly brushed the side of her abdomen beneath the cover of the table top. Some words were a little too difficult to force out not, even when they were madly important.

Apologies done. If Yuii had 100ryo for every student that ought to have apologised for their bad behaviour like Tatsuo was now, she could have afforded to retire. Sadly, that was a far off dream. Her attention focused on the fact that he had been doing missions though, as that was far more in line with her interests,"That is good to hear. Idle hands and minds cause trouble, especially amongst shinobi youngsters." Hopefully, her administrative drones were being considerate of what work they gave the Leaf-nin. The almost mishap once upon a time was close enough to an international incident for Yuii's comfort; they didn't need to explain an injured or dead Leaf nin to ol' boots."So, Port Cirrus? The south-west is the most open, and diverse part of lightning country, so that's good place for you to have been to first. To the south-east you have the Tenouzans, which are a religious sect. To the north-west democratic Kagoshiman 'empire' have set camp. There are a few passable hot spring to the east. The best ones are in the northeast but people are a bit.... xenophobic that way. Raiden's Eye and the Shogun's palace are interesting as though and if you go during the week of Shiranai's birthday allow outsiders to tour. That would be my best reccommendation if you were to travel through the country more." Yuii paused for thought. It was hard to know how many of the regions of Kumogakure would react to Tatsuo, to be honest. Many were simply closed to all outsiders, herself included, while others were viciously nationalistic. Meanwhile, the little village that had harboured Sunuke, a missing-nin, had loved him, and Kaji had been treated with respect but most peoples during their rare missions together.

Kumogakure and its surrounding land were probably safest. "Has Kaji taken you hunting in the forest? Or the star kid? There are enough danger and excitement in there alone to keep someone your age pretty occupied. Think hundreds of years of researchers letting their experiments lose to mate with the natural flora and fauna; it is a very bizarre place." Yuii was very found of their ancient forest despite the monstrosities that had been bred there. There were also some very interesting benign effects as well that were fascinating to behold. "Also, many people like to trek up the mountains and Ski or use chakra to free slide down. It's exciting."

 

[Tatsuo]

When she explained the reasons a shinobi shouldn't talk about what was important to him/her he shook his head, "I disagree completely." he furrowed his brows thinking of a way to phrase it. "You know everyone says that, oh you've gotta be secretive and all that. And yeah I agree if you're on a mission you probably shouldn't be talking about stuff that could probably hurt you, but when you're in the company of friends and allies I think you should. Your friends should know what you cherish and what you hate. How else are we supposed to support each other if we don't share our dreams? I'd help Hoshi with whatever he asked and he'd do the same. I kinda think people hide all that stuff because it's easier for them to forget rather then face." Offering a shrug after his short speech the took another bite of the curry and thought about what he just said. He was a pretty open book overall. "I mean I'd understand you not telling me anything, you have no reason to trust me, but I hope Kaji talks to you about more stuff than he does with me. It'd be kinda sad if you guys were that close but he still didn't trust you to say anything." Tatsuo pushed his plate away signifying that he was finished, he had eaten more than his fair share and let out a burp into his closed fist. He sat for a moment before remembering to say "Excuse me!"

Placing an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand he listened to her explain about all of the different places to see in the Lightning Country, but the warning of them being quite unwelcoming to outsiders was met with a nod and a 'Mhm'. "I gotcha, i'll be careful if I ever decide to sneak around those areas then." When the conversation turned about hunting in the woods Tatsuo shrugged, "Not really, we haven't done much of all since I came back to the Cloud Village. We sparred and he requested the Hokage to promote me to Chuunin but other than the occasional 'Take out the trash', or, 'We need toilet paper.' we haven't talked much. We're just both busy I guess I haven't tried to pester him too much." he crossed his arms and let out a yawn. "When's the last time you've been out of the Village, Ms. Yuii?"

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii shook her head, disagreeing with his youthful optimism. He would see one day sadly, and remember her advice too late.

Her face twisted with a sympathetic smile though as he spoke of Kaji. Ultimately, Kaji had very little time even for her, as she had little for him, but they understood that duty to the village came first. Tatsuo had taken an invitation to come to Kumogakure from his teacher, no doubt he looked up to him, so having little interaction probably stung. He was just a fledgeling, after all, a babe when it came to emotional growth and he had no one else to look after him in Cloud. It would be easy to feel rejected instead of understanding how vital Kaji's work was. Their pointed conversation was very telling, even if he tried to cover it all up. She would mention this to her lover, though she did not know that it would solve anything,

"It's been a few months if you don't count the forest treks I do weekly with 'Yuri." she mused, absently chewing on her fork, "most of my work is administrative, but I try to take a few missions a month to keep myself primed or when there's a particularly dangerous occurrence." Oniyuri huffed at her side, and Yuii gave her a fond smile. The tigress didn't like how much Yuii was cooped up in the village as compared to their freedom during Yuii's twenties. It was still a battle to make her understand that she couldn't let Ayumu or the village down. Going on extended travel while there were no other Sennin present in the village was also a problem as she was the only one available at that moment to deal with low-level emergencies that the Raikage out not attend to.

An awkward pause and Yuii sighed. They were running out of small talk. "We have a couple hours until Kaji is home unless Raiden grants us a miracle. Come give me a hand in the garden, I'm sure Kooki could use some attention and feed, and you can show me what you and Hoshi have been training in."

[we'll make a new one for the tutor]

 

[Tatsuo]

Despite Yuii's experience and her probably being right, Tatsuo disagreed he always felt it was necessary for one to share things with their friends but alas there wasn't much point in arguing neither would get very far in changing the others opinion. He listened as she explained her reasoning for staying in the village and it made sense, even if it was terribly boring. "Huh, that doesn't sound that fun honestly. I guess at least you get to see all of the ninja grow and become stronger. I bet there's some joy in that."

The awkward pause was felt by the boy too who almost tried to excuse himself to his room, but after Yuii offered to see what he had been training Tatsuo nearly jumped out of his seat and headed for the door. "Sure i've got a few things!"

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

"I think I left some apple cider in the pantry," Yuii said in a single song voice towards Tatsuo once they returned inside with Oniyuri at her heels. The brief trip outside for chores had been uneventful but enough to wet their boots and Yuii's gloves. Both cat and woman paused inside the doorway to clear their feet of snow and hay, though Yuii needed only to remove her boots, unlike the great cat. If Tatsuo tried to go further inside without doing the same, she would drag him back by the collar to avoid the sin of muddy footprints inside. A towel already covered in cat hair was snagged from a corner to further help dry the tigress dry the back of her legs. "I hope its still there. Maybe Kaji drank it?" she said while massaging the last of the water from between 'Yuri's toes, "Oh no! If he did he would have eaten the butter cookies with it!!! I need to check!!"

In a flash, Yuii was gone down the hall and into the kitchen. There were some banging noises as she looked through cupboards, during which Oniyuri gave Tatsuo a long-suffering sigh. "There's no way he drank it. Too sweet," the cat chuckled. A happy scream from beyond confirmed the tigresses' words. She rolled her yellow eyes and pressed the back of her paw to her nose as Yuii returned with a ridiculously sized jug of cider. The Kunoichi Sennin was cradling the jug in her elbow like a newborn, a bag of cookies that looked to be industrial sized in the other. Even if Kaji had wanted some of either treasure, Oniyuri was right, there was no way he would have finished it.

"Look! I found it and cookies!" she squealed, shaking the bag wildly, "Hurry up, let's light that fire!" Yuii raced away again, her socked feet making muffled thuds on the floor as she ran. Seconds later, there was a loud thud and cursing.

In the living room, Yuii sat on the couch and was already in the midst of rolling up the fabric of her legging. Below was an already purpling bruise that she was singing an array of curses at in Kumo's ancient language. "I swear that table wasn't there earlier!!" she grumbled once Tatsuo and Oniyuri had gotten into the room, "I need to heal this. Can you light the fire, Kid?"

 

[Tatsuo]

"Mm.. apple cider.." Tatsuo hummed to himself, thinking of the sweet drink as they made their way inside. Luckily Yuii had been paying attention as Tatsuo was perfectly fine with tracking mud in the house but he was quick to wipe his feet off on the small mat at the entrance. He gave a cheeky smile in her direction. "Sorry about that, you just got me all excited about the apple cider! But you're right, I need to be more mindful." He dropped to the ground, raising his feet up so he could quickly take off his shoes. Tossing them to the side, in a small pile of shoes and umbrellas near the door. Tatsuo was still sitting when Yuii dashed down the kitchen hall, "Cookies!? Hey!" he said getting up too quickly and falling flat on his face!

After a quick daze and figuring out exactly where he was, his mind returned to the idea of cookies. "Hey! Leave some for me!!!" as he scrambled to his feet. It wasn't long before Tatsuo had arrived into the living room, furrowing his brows at the frantic behavior shown by Yuii. He looked to the cat and nodded sympathetically, must be difficult to deal with this all the time. "Too sweet? I'll take it!" he said as he approached before flinching at her unexpected scream. He looked back to the cat, confused as ever, "S-she really likes sweets, doesn't she.." However his eyes darted to the bag of cookies and a huge grin appeared on his face. He had been eating mostly fish and veggies, he couldn't actually remember the last time he had a cookie. "Dibs on the cookies!" he exclaimed before following Yuii as she ran away with the cookies.

He just barely missed the same table she hit, wincing as she pulled up to show her purpling bruise, "Damn and I thought I was clumsy." he said shaking his head with a tsk, tsk. Before taking a sharp turn and walking forward bumping into the other edge of the table. Tatsuo cursed but not in any ancient language, a simple "God dammit!" was all he said as he rubbed his own leg. When she asked him to light the fire he begrudgingly agreed. He made his way over to the fireplace all the while rubbing his leg and cursing under his breath. With a few strikes of the flint, the wood caught fire and was soon filling the room with the blessing of heat. Tatsuo looked over his shoulder and smiled as he sat by the flame, taking one of the nearby blankets off a couch and resting it on his lap as he leaned back, supported by his arms. The whole scenario was idyllic, a nice fire, cozy blanket, sweet cider and even better cookies. He called over to Yuii, "You're not dead are you? Hope a little bruise wouldn't take you down."

After laying there Tatsuo had reached a stage of ultimate comfiness. While the boy was usually entergetic and always doing something, he found himself slipping away and before Yuii could even return he had fallen asleep harder than a sack of potatoes!

[Thread Left]