Lose The Shirt [Semi-Private w/ Haruka]

[Akechi]

“An Old Village. A Hotspring Beneath the Everlasting Twilight”

That was the setting of today’s lovely adventures. Akechi had ventured into an older village that existed deep within Earth Country, even deeper than that of the main Village hidden within Stone. It seemed as if the Earth Country was truly a marvel of a country, meant to be envied and cherished by those that lived outside of it. The wonders of the countryside were truly magnificent, and seemed to only have minor tweaks in the way of man-made inventions. The gods, if you believed in such things, had crafted this land in their image as a gift to those that worshipped them. It was a deed that seemed to be well received, considering the amount of devotion that the commoners have shown toward their religion.

Beautiful scenery aside, Arcadia was the target of Akechi’s travels for a little bit more than simple tourism. A little reconnaissance goes a long way, and Akechi had caught wind of a rumor among these parts. Some of the shinobi tended to retire to Arcadia because of the relatively peaceful conditions that the people lived in. It was an escape from their daily lives of debauchery and murder, and another venue for them to live in difference from their normal lives. It was on this tip that Akechi had ventured to these parts, each day around midday to see if he’d found his lucky woman. Sure, it was time consuming and much less direct, but he needed to seem trustworthy. And not by Endo’s standards…

You know… by conventional standards…

”The weather sure is great today.” Akechi said to himself, his reddened eyes glancing up into the purplish evening sky. The hotsprings, an area frequented by natives and tourists alike, seemed to clear out as people began to leave before nightfall. An ocean breeze gently brushed against his skin as he stood over the fresh water before him. It seemed like he was alone. Just him, the beauty of the night sky and a gentle ocean’s breeze. ”Well… if I’m all alone.” Those were the words of a man on the brink of mischief. Removing his boots, the man rested his feet against the stony bottom of the shallow ocean floor. Walking farther into the center of the hotspring, Akechi removed his pants and also his jacket.

Soon he was swimming, and rising toward the top of the water was his white shirt and matching boxers. He was naked, the cuts and bruises across his chiseled body clearly exposed as he dived deeper into the water. It was so relaxing. So much so that he felt as if he were simply committing a grave injustice against himself if he were not to partake in one of life’s many pleasures.

Skinny dipping…

[Topic Entered! Waitin' on Haruka. If you'd like to join, shoot a PM please.]

 

[Haruka]

Life, why'd it have to be so insane? So hectic? It just was not something that really made sense, but people got by from day to day with little to no issue, and there had been no qualms here. Sanity, though, came with the need to let oneself sit back and take a nice long reality check and perhaps indulge in some of the finer things of life. So between the insanity of a working life and the leisure of not having anything to do, one had to find that healthy balance that allowed them to look busy and still have time, all at one point. Hot springs, they seemed like something that would work there into that equation, right? It seemed it so, after all. Even if it were something that probably contradicted with her very bodily being. After all, she had been a person whom was incredibly cold to the touch, or even to be around. Sometimes, that even would apply to her attitude in some senses, too. However, she was working on that. Ah, well. Let's just say that it was late at night, and we all know how much shit one can get themselves into if it were late at night, but it seemed like the only point during the day that she could get anything done. So, therefore, she'd head to Arcadia under the shade of the night, slipping and weaving through the area. After all, she did not necessarily want to be seen- - - She had enough issue, after all. One, she didn't want to see Souji, like, ever again. Okay, maybe she'd see him, but not for a long time. He managed to insult her just far enough for that to be a factor stuck in the back of her mind, or rather. . . Haru had a big problem with it, and she had finally managed to get her inner-demonness under control. The Cursed Seal he'd scribed upon her? Still hurt her to an incredible extent, though. It was hard for her to control, being a primarily pure being with no real malicious intent unless it came to wrong do-ers or the advancement of her village.

Sigh.

Bringing her hands up, she'd pull away the jacket to her outfit and sling it over her arm. Of course, she'd keep the dark, sliky dress shirt on. It was okay if that got wet or anything like that. . . She didn't own clothing that wouldn't coordinate with her lifestyle. Reaching her gloved hands up, she'd tug at the tie wrapped around her neck. Was she androgynous? No, not in the slightest. She had an incredibly feminine and soft body, but it still felt like wearing a suit and tie really equalized things for her and the people that she worked with side by side. As she approached the hotsprings, she would drop her jacket down to the ground, kneeling down behind a boulder to begin the removal of her shoes and other such things. Reaching back, she'd pull her hair down from the bun it had been bound in for such a long time. When had she stopped and taken a breather? She knew it had been a while, but. . . Who knew the exact amount. Standing up straight, she'd pull away her pants and step out of them. That meant that there were just gloves, her tie, shirt, and undergarments. Though the last bit and her shirt would stay. That was just a given. Placing her middle finger in her mouth, she'd bite down on the glove and pull it away, following a similar method with the other one. However, the sound of water would soon catch her ear and she would freeze up the slightest of bits. Hah, fancy that. Freezing from the Haku, right? And she would quickly drop down so that she was hidden behind the boulder sitting there, and she'd draw in a quick breath. There was another person here. . . Jeez, she really needed to pay more attention. It wasn't like she could just stick around. What would they think when they saw her of all people here? Oh, and not to mention the signature that the other person gave off was positively powerful. Letting out a minute frustrated sigh, only audible to her as she sighed into her hand, she'd bite down on her lip.

Now, to get dressed back up again, right? She couldn't just stick around. Peeking past the boulder after just a few moments, she could see the clothing floating there in the water, and she would snap her head back almost as fast as she had looked. A stain would soon sprawl across her porcelain skin, an embarrassed pink. She should've known there'd be other people here. . . But then again, she was thinking just a bit to and about herself when she decided to come here. She also knew that if she knew this person was here, coexisting, then they would more than likely know also. . .

Damn it, she needed to find a way to disappear or something. This was highly inappropriate AND she was flushing with her embarrassment. Blah.

[ Sorry for the wait. ]<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

Soon the man was making himself at home, even further providing a bit more heat to the pool to warm it exactly to his liking. After all, the man that stood today had been birthed into fire, scorched and molded into the rather pragmatic individual that stood today. Nothing was simple anymore and because of life’s more complex intricacies, rational and realistic thinking was the only way to survive. Life was no longer about achieving one’s wildest dreams. It was about survival, greed and payback. At least that was what Akechi ultimately believed in. In many ways, his beliefs were a direct contrast to the nature of Arcadia and the hotsprings that he rested in. The scenery was beautiful, the water was calm and soothing, and the air was clean; seemingly devoid of the scent of bloodshed and everlasting smell of residue resulting from metal clashing together and burnt flesh from ninjutsu.

Since this man—this entity named Akechi was born, that was all he knew. The battlefield. Everything else was false, a façade. Everything that he had portrayed was nothing more than a mask, used to create a clever distraction for those he wished to acquire something from. After all, people were a bit more accepting of a friendly face than a deadly one. Life truly was complex. Perhaps, this complexity is what led to so much conflict within their little world. That was reality. That was what was real. This hotspring and the feeling of Akechi’s soul at peace was a false and ever fleeting. It was this internal turmoil that drove him forward on his path, even to the point where he’d ally himself with Sarunishi the anarchist and force himself down a path of damnation.

It was getting late, and Akechi had even started to reach for his undergarments when he noticed a faint chakra signature seemingly hiding behind a rock. ”A spy? But who would’ve followed me?” The thoughts of another assassin somehow tracking him down ran rampant through his mind as he reached for a weapon of some sort. Of course, being 100% naked, there was no weapon of any sort. Sure he could whip out a ninjutsu of some sort, but what if that was just the opening said person was looking for? Damn. Someone had him figured out. Those damn knots appeared in his stomach again, as if he were a helpless kid again. He was honestly a bit of nervous but he knew he had to act…

Else… who knows who could’ve been around that boulder?

”Breathe in. Exhale.” He would whisper to himself, repeating the simple words as slowing his heart rate a bit while decided on how he’d handle his assailant. ”Might as well go all in.” Grinning, Akechi came to a conclusion. He might as well blitz the person behind the boulder as they peeked around the corner. Glancing over in their direction, he caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a woman’s head snapping back around the rock. ”Now.” Warping behind the woman, he raised his fist as if he were going to smack her into oblivion. I mean, at this point, what else could he do?

The thing was…

She was damn near naked herself!

But the momentum…

Akechi tried to pull back but it was already too late. That punch of his turned into a palm, landing right in the center of her chest. If she didn’t move anyways. ”SHII--” No balance. None at all. If his hand did land right on her breast, he was taking that shirt with him as he splashed face first into the water…

Ass in the air and everything…

Flapping his hands in the air as if he had never swam a day in his life… naked.

Highly inappropriate…

”SORRY! O. Damn. I guess we’re moving pretty fast, eh?” Stupid comment but it was literally the first thing that came to mind. I mean, with him staring at a pretty nice pair of wet and firm…

Melons.

 

[Haruka]

Well, it would be easy to think of Haruka as some kind of assassin given the intensive training that her mother had put her through so that she would learn to hone whatever abilities she had been gifted with. . . Let's just say that she was god damn good at what she did, too. However, to be a nearly naked assassin? That wasn't her, nor was it how she functioned. Little did he know, she could hear the little whispers he was giving to himself, having been trained on such a thing, and not to mention the walls of a cave told no lies. She didn't move, though. Perhaps they had been wrong about her location? Who knew, but she gave off an incredibly distinct signature herself. Had she given herself away when she had peeked around? No, she was quick about it. Unless this were a trained individual, then it shouldn't have mattered, right? Right?! Oh wait, no. He was coming towards her and it felt like the motion was full speed. As he was suddenly in front of her, she was standing herself and fully ready to fight if she had to. "Shit," she'd mutter almost in unison with the man before her, and then she would feel his hand plant right in one of the spots that had been designated an 'ABSOLUTELY NOT' area in the back of her mind. Reaching up, she would grab onto his wrist as it tore at the buttons of her shirt and she'd curse even louder, the sound bouncing off of the walls here now. Like most of a person's body, she'd find it hard to keep her balance when it was either give in or break something. Not to mention he had dragged a good amount of water with him and was drenched in his own right. It was a very impractical way of fighting, if you asked her. However, he still moved towards her like an ungraceful. . . uh, insert an animal here, she was not sure how to describe it.

That was when she found her balance slip away from her. Where he splashed face first, she would splash uncomfortably back first into the shallow end with a flailing shinobi before her. The warm water would invade her mouth and she would simply just fountain it upwards in her moment of irritation. Now wasn't she just a sight? The downed political leader with a ripped shirt, nearly exposed with some random crazy naked dude flailing and apologizing before her. Okay, hold on. As the irritation would clear from her facial features, she would grind her teeth as if to hold something back, but what? Pushing herself up a bit so that she wouldn't have to deal with used hot springs water in her mouth. . . She would begin to laugh, pressing a hand against her nose and mouth, laughing right into her hand. "I can't believe- - ahaha - - - that just happened!" Giggle, giggle. "I shouldn't be laughing like, bahaha, this! I should really hit you for this!" There would be no smacking or punching when she was giggling this hard. Maybe she hit her head?

Oh well.<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

“Don’t Forget to Swallow”

Flailing around like he did was probably the definition of uncool, the opposite of suave and the enemy of subtle. For a guy that likened himself to a particular set of behaviors, he was surely beginning to exude rather uncharacteristic ones. His latest bout of goofy behavior was a perfect example of this, and as much as he’d love to credit his façade for bringing a smile to the woman’s face, he really couldn’t. This was him in a nutshell, and for whatever reason he felt rather carefree in this place. Perhaps that was why he felt so off guard before.

Flipping himself over so that he rested on his back, he took a deep long breath as she continued her laughter. Honestly, he expected a swift kick to the nether region but just seemed to laugh it off. Women do this sometimes though. Was she mad? Or did she really think it was funny? I mean, the look on her face at first was downright deadly. It looked as if her face had turned beat red, and maybe even a little steam ejecting from her ears and nostrils. ”Bahahahaha!” He laughed, somewhat scared that a fist was going to be shot in his direction at some point. ”Do I detect a smile?” The man asked kindly, gently pushing himself away from the woman, drifting toward the middle of the hotspring. ”You almost gave me a heart attack twice. I thought you were trying to kill me until I realized you were half naked. Sorry, I’m a bit jumpy these days.” Winking, he waved over toward the mystery woman to follow him into the deeper end of the hotsprings. It was there that he felt most comfortable. No stony shore to cut your feet… just the warm embrace of Mother Nature and gentle tides to keep you afloat.

”So. I normally don’t go for the gusto on the first date. I guess you should feel special. How often do you get guys flailing in the water like that over you, eh?” Akechi laughed, running a hand through his hair as he played with the water in the other. ”Name’s Akechi. I hope you appreciated my super-secret handshake. I will make sure it never happens again… only if you promise to let it happen again.” He was only joking of course…

Unless he wasn’t joking.

 

[Haruka]

How highly inappropriate, she could hear the voices in the back of her head whispering behind her back about how a person of her status was not meant to act in such a manner. However, she'd take a mental hand and slash it all the way through those thoughts. They did not matter, for the night was her time to just be simple, to be normal. As he prodded at the way that she would cover her face in her laughter, she'd give off a bit of an eye roll, a small 'tch' passing her lips as she dropped her hand, unable to stop the silly little smirk from gracing her lips. Ah, well, it was funny to her. Incredibly comical in the way of it not bothering her much like it would bother the people and nobility of her family. "Don't you know? It's a new style nowadays where you have to run around assassinating people with little to no clothes on. . ." She'd speak, her voice leading off a bit. Clearly she was trying to detract the conversation away from herself and more towards a generalization of just basic culture. After all, female ninja had to work off of some semblance of sex appeal, right? She could still very well be dangerous if she wanted to. Thankfully for him, she did not want to. A part of her wondered if he was from around here, or if he just flat out did not care that he just totally flattened the highest figure of power in the country. She admired that. A person that did not fear or know what was going on. Call her crazy, but she wasn't going to clue him in on anything if he did not know already. He'd have to figure it out on his own if he didn't know, and if he did know? Then he could carry on. More power to him, right? Attempting to salvage the shirt that she wore the best that she could, she would push herself through the water just lightly and she would float on through the warm water.

The warmth was always strange to her, like something that did not make sense. Sure, the sun hung in the sky, but without exploration and creation, fire would not exist today, but the cold would have still remained. . . Ah, how weird. Now then. . . "You seem to be the one and only flail-er that I've met. Congratulations, you came in first." She'd comment, kicking one leg beneath the surface of the water to now float upright. "Listen, though. . . Next time, it'll be me throwing you into the water if you pull some shit like that again." She'd cross her arms a bit now, "Just kidding, but my name is Haruka. I take it that you are not from anywhere around here, now are you?" Of course, if he had been, he would've known, right? That was what she believed. Or he just didn't give a fuck. That was fine too. "Tell me more about yourself."<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

“Do I Want to Know?”

”Well… It wouldn’t have been such a bad plan. I was wide open.” He was wide open twice, actually. Lessons were always learned the hard way, and thankfully the woman’s little evening foray into “The Sea” was a rather innocent one. Seemed as if she were one of the one’s that were mentioned by his tour guide. A shinobi that simply wanted to get away from the duties and perils that came with those responsibilities within the village. It was understandable. Though he somewhat hated the outdated conventions and maligned political representatives that plagued such places, he felt alone in the world without a place to call “home.” You could say that the world was his oyster… his home. But there was something about having one habitual place to come back to. There was something about the smell of a home cooked meal, the familiar scent of a lover and his mate, and overall feeling of “safety” within the confines of four walls that one claimed as his own. It was the shinobi’s dream and he had given it up.

Oh well…

”I mean, how could I attack someone as beautiful as you? Especially when you were creeping around the corner, half naked and covered that delightful pink hue of fluster. Damn. That isn’t a bad plan at all.” Women and their feminine wilds. Seemed like they could bring even the strongest men to their knees just by looking at them with googly eyes. Not that Akechi was the strongest man by any means. He definitely wasn’t. Genjutsu was his game, and a clever display of swordsmanship of course. She was a bit different than a normal kunoichi though. His Sharingan gave him but a glance into the girl’s body, a slightly more in-depth probe into the girl’s chakra system and his unfamiliarity with such a system. Now she had been upgraded from a simple beauty to an intriguing one. Perhaps fate truly was on his side. Then again, if she were who he were looking for then innocent curiosity would transform into deceitful reconnaissance. Honestly, he’d hate for the latter to be true…

So while she held her cards tight against her perfectly formed breasts, he simply allowed the conversation to be whisked off into whatever venue she had chosen for him. In this case, it was himself and the fact that he was the best damn flail-er in the world. Honestly, it didn’t sound like a good thing but the words “you came in first” sent him into a bout of “Victory Fanfare”—yes he hummed it aloud, and even cut through the air with his hand as if it were a finely fashioned blade. Completely carefree. It felt great…

”Haruka-san, ay? That’s a beautiful name. And no. I’m from the Wind Country actually. Just here for work. I guess my attempts at blending in have all failed.” Smirking, Akechi comfortably rested his head on his two palms, clasped behind his head with his elbows erect. Might as well get cozy.

”As you can probably see, I’m an Uchiha. Or at least that’s what most people call us.” The reddened kaleidoscope eyes of the Uchiha were always telltale markers of their heritage. So much so that members of the clan often wore contacts to shield themselves from any type of prejudice or persecution. It was a pretty rational reaction considering. I mean, he’d already experienced a fraction of people’s fear since he had entered Stone, whether through innocent questioning or racist comments masquerading as curious questions or unoriginal jokes. It truly was a wonder.

”Speaking of my heritage. What worried me before I actually got a good look at you was your chakra. It is different, Haruka-san. Could be dangerous… but perhaps you know more than anyone. Perhaps you have an exciting story to share!” Just maybe she’d open up a little bit.

 

[Haruka]

This was a person who spoke incredibly freely, it was a change to the tight lipped individuals that she was surrounded with. To say the very least, she was actually kind of intrigued by the person who had the audacity to lay a hand on her. His words pertaining to how she looked caused yet another flush to sprawl over her features as she opted to simply just try and ignore the flattery. Her legs would move back and forth, keeping her afloat there in the water. It was a wonder how the water even stayed warm with her in it, but it felt almost unbearably warm being surrounded by the waters, but it was unraveling her and taking away any tightness that she had been experiencing before. That was a good thing. Amusing company helped, too. "You can cut the flattery shit out. It's not necessary here." Yes, yes. That was how she felt about it, at least. Well, then. . . Continuing on here. "Ah, so we're both from different places, huh?" She'd comment with a bit of a grin. "Water Country for me. Strange, right? We all seemed to flock here without knowing that we were going to flock." Her head would tilt a bit in her thought. Led like the lambs to slaughter. How lovely it was that shinobi could be so single minded and led to the same place. Perhaps there had been some kind of flame set up that led the moths there? Ah well, questions that would never necessarily be answered in the back of her mind. Clearing her throat a bit, she would laze back in the water, eyes glancing up now towards the ceiling.

"I guess you could say that I just know when people are not from here," because they weren't stumbling over themselves in attempts to make it up to her? Yeah, something along those lines. Not like she'd be willing to admit that, though. She was very good at being tight lipped when she wanted to. "My chakra is different?" She'd then comment, looking over to Akechi. Well, naturally so. She had a demon crawling through her mind, body, and soul that was ready to take her over at any point in time that she was not careful. "Surely you've met just a basic Haku before, haven't you? Or that's what they call us." She'd chime in there, a smile now on her lips. Yes, yes. A Haku patched up with a few Curse Seals to taint that lovely chakra system and all. You know, she could totally understand why it seemed a bit different, but you ran into this shit a lot. At least, she'd ran into people similar to her before, so how could he have not? Up righting herself again, she would flex herself and go underneath of the water now. A few bubbles found their way to the surface from her breathing through her nose as she would soon pop up on the other side of him.

"Let me see your eyes." She'd state bluntly. "I don't have anything interesting going on for me besides ice, ice, and more ice. Just promise you won't use your eyes on me, okay?" She wasn't fearful, she just didn't need to end up at all mindfucked today. That didn't seem like much fun. Reaching a hand up, she'd poke one of her index fingers into one of his elbows.

"Well? I've always been interesting in learning more about other people's abilities. There's so much diversity in this crazy world."<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

“Apprehension to Flattery?”

Such a pity. Akechi was a both a relatively cordial and truthful person. He only spoke the truth unless he needed to lie, and this was not one of those times. The woman was beautiful. Her golden blond haired glistened under the stars of twilight, her porcelain skin seemed to shimmer as she moved closer toward him, and her hardened eyes seemed to pierce through to his soul. If that isn’t a shinobi’s view of beauty as it pertains to women then what exactly classified as beauty. Akechi believed it to be that right mixture of strength, mystery, danger and vulnerability. Though this was their first meeting with one another, Akechi could see that she was fit for all four, whether she wanted to be “flattered” or not. ”I speak the truth more than just empty flattery. But if it makes you more comfortable…” He’d address her apprehension to compliments later, for now he’d submit to her will and oblige her on her quest to learn a bit more about Akechi.

Seemed like they had a bit more in common than he originally thought. Haruka was from a different country as well. Water Country, to be exact. Strange. This was the second that he had the pleasure of meeting from the frozen tundra. ”I met a man by the name of Hissori from there as well. Seems like he has done well for himself after such a tragic event.” Losing one’s homeland is different from abandoning it. Both may have been predicated on survival but the motivations behind such actions were entirely different. Akechi respected and admired that about these people. It seemed that for all of their subjection to village frivolities they still had a number of redeemable characteristics.

Glancing up at the stars above, he contemplated her abilities and the darkness that flowed through her. ”A Haku? No. It’s more than just the blood of the Haku clan that flows through you, Haruka-san. Your chakra flow is wild and untamed. I’ve only seen another person with chakra such as this and he had horns.” Akechi commented, giggling as he responded to her quip about her being a simple Haku. That couldn’t have been further from the truth, especially considering the half-demon laying within the walls of Sunagakure. Though she may have been able to tame such chakra, Akechi could only speak about what he saw. It was hard for him to describe otherwise…

She almost caught him off guard again, popping from underneath him like that. Maybe she even snuck a peek at his Johnson. He was naked after all. ”Just my eyes? Sure. Just don’t pluck them out and eat them.” He joked, reaching for her waist to pull her a bit closer to him if she allowed it. I mean, she wanted a good look at his eyes right? It was the only way for her to get the look she so deserved.

He’d remain quiet as she inspected them. As she peered into the eyes of the Uchiha, they would begin to dance for her. Each of the three black tomoe dancing in tandem, rotating clockwise in slow motion as he attempted to place her under a spell… a Hypnotic Suggestion if you will.

If she fell under the effects of the Genjutsu he would whisper softly, ”Accept the compliments given to you.” If she proved to have greater willpower than he initially thought then perhaps she’d give him a good slap or even trying. He’d still make the suggestion anyways.

”Well… what do you think of my eyes?” He asked, grinning as he folded his arms in a playful manner. ”So I showed you mine. What do ya say, Haruka-san? Show me yours?”

 

[Haruka]

An apprehension to flattery is what it could be viewed as, or maybe it was because she heard so much bullshit in one life time that she didn't want to hear it any longer. . . not that she'd voice that opinion, though. And she wasn't necessarily calling him on any bullshit, either. Oh no, all of the crooked politicians of the world were full of more bullshit than one would probably want to deal with. So just call her a bit 'battle scarred' from that type of flattery. "No insult intended." She'd comment under her breath towards his first statement. After all, she did not intend to offend anyone at this point. Rather it was just her personal preference bubbling to the surface here. Then as he began to speak of Hissori, she could recall it in the back of her mind. She had been the one who allowed him into the village, after all. And he was the one who was attempting to make changes all around. . . for the better, that is. "It's good to hear that he is doing well here." Not swept up in the undertow, and that was a good thing in the back of her mind. This guy. . . What are you doing, 'Ruka? Oh look, it was a friendly neighborhood demon piping up to question her motives. How quaint, but thankfully she had gotten a decent amount of handle on the monster that clung to her, the one she had been latched onto by oh so long ago. . . Taking in a small breath, she'd cast her gaze over to the other side as he began to question what else was beneath the surface of the woman. . . Did she want to tell? No, she did not.

However, most of the time that was not her particular choice. Especially when she would feel the burning of the seal that had been placed on her shoulder stirring to life. Her hand would lift up and she would place it against her shoulder and she would bring her gaze back over to Akechi. "Oh, I promise. I won't cannabalize you. That's just not my style." She'd roll her icy blue eyes, digging her nails deep into her flesh. The burning that was touching deep into her core was enough to distract her from him pulling her closer so that she could get a look. Looking silently into his eyes, she'd blink a few times as they shifted much like a kaleidoscope. . . And she'd quickly lift her hands to cover her eyes, hiding his view away from hers, but she had already been suckered in much to her peril. Letting out a small sigh, she'd rub her hands against those eyes of hers. "They're interesting." Bewitching, of course, but she wouldn't admit to feeling that intense latch onto her. It'd be interesting to have suggestion such as that. One could become a real political giant with that kind of push behind them. Bah, fuck.

She'd quickly turn herself in the water, squeezing one of her eyes shut. "It's not as simple as that, Akechi-san." She'd state very bluntly. "When you're a person like me, you work hard to maintain control over yourself as if to keep those around you safe." And it was hard to maintain any semblance of control when the inner-demon was getting incredibly riled up and wanted to play. Wait, remind Haruka why she even went out into public again? She wasn't sure, but this always seemed to happen.

"Perhaps you'll see 'mine' when I'm having a bad day."<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

“Just The Tip of The Iceberg”

Sounds like an unoriginal pun based off of the woman’s affinity for cold temperatures but it described the situation that they were in perfectly. The symmetry between the information that she held close to her chest, the fraction of power that he had showed off, and the direction that this relationship could go toward in either direction. All three stages were in its infancy, and all three were just the tip… a fraction of what could be. Amazing coincidence or even irony, I’d say. The woman seemed to be guarded, even more guarded than the women was Akechi normally accustomed to. There was always a man that broke their hearts or a father figure that betrayed their confidence in them. At some point in their life, a man came along and royally screwed up, in such a fashion that it shattered the dreams that she would have of the next guy. Haruka could’ve fallen under the same confinements, but Akechi reckoned that it was something different… or at least, one of the reasons she put her guard up. I mean, Akechi was a stranger but he had met plenty of women that were as loose as… never mind.

”I don’t take offense. Not at all. I just have to get used to you is all. We have to get used to each other.” He made it seem like he was sticking around for a long time, not just that but he would be attached to her for a long time in some fashion. Being that she was a high profile figure that was probably true given the motives that he had for arriving in Iwagakure in the first place. But he had no way of knowing who she was, though she basically gave away enough assumptive information for him to have an idea of her status. He simply didn’t want to ask… not at this juncture. And it wasn’t out of respect or some form of futility shown to a person of a higher rank, it was based off of pure selfishness. He wanted her to keep that secret for a little while longer so there wouldn’t even be a chance of her being this illustrious daimyo.

”Just what is your style? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone whose skin is still cold in the middle of a hotspring. That’s a pretty interesting ability.” He winked, grinning as he let out a deep breath. She rubbed her eyes as if she wished to shake off of the suggestion. For whatever reason, Akechi got the feeling that she really couldn’t allow herself to be happy. It was something about “maintaining control for the sake of those around you,” that kept her from truly enjoying her life. Perhaps it was the reason for the restraint and borderline stoic personality. ”You know… you don’t have to go through this alone. Living your life like this isn’t right, Haruka-san. You deserve to be free or at least retain some semblance of freedom.”

Akechi gently pushed away from her, floating until he was about two arms lengths away from the woman. ”Haruka-san. Come on. Cut loose for a bit. I can contain you. Aren’t you just itching for a little bit of freedom? Just a moment to be carefree, like a flower in full bloom bathing under the gentle sunlight that bathed it.” He wanted to see it. Whatever darkness that she hid underneath that layer of porcelain skin, Akechi wanted to get a look at it. He was curious…

And she was intriguing.

 

[Haruka]

Ah, and back to the mental arena the young woman would be forced. It was an incredibly awful feeling to think that she had to fight to salvage what little control that she had to begin with. Since she came into office, it had been far harder to control, like something literally ready to burst forth from her. If only the two could've held the position of two separate entities, but no. She had been stuck with her 'alter-ego' for as long as she could remember now. Now she could remember conversations with her mother telling her that she was special in many regards and if people were to attempt to fix her, it would destroy her. . . And the man that was always beside her mother would always attempt to console her, tell her that he knew what she was going through, but it was something that had been taken from him. . .? Something along those lines. Bringing a hand up to press against her forehead, she'd let out a small hiss of irritation. If he were to look closely enough, he could more than likely see burning red lines creeping their way up along her neck, moving towards her jaw. That was something she'd fight back, though. Or try to. It was just some hellish gateway for the entity within to make her way out. 'You know. . . he has no idea what your life is like. I wonder if he's been watching you and it was just some strange coincidence that you found your way here tonight. . .?' The demon would muse, and Haruka could almost picture the other leaning against the walls of her mind, putting more and more pressure there and looking for a way for it to break. Like a crack in the foundation. God damnit, she had just assumed direct control again. Bringing her hands up, she'd place them against the top of her head and squeeze at her scalp. "I am free, don't you know?" She'd speak in an almost frantic voice, pressing her hands down against the water's surface.

The water beneath her hands would soon freeze and she would push herself up now, standing on the tips of her toes as the water's surface froze beneath of her feet. Bringing her hands up, she'd hug them around herself now as she looked down at him. 'You can let me play, you know. I know all the best hiding places for a body. It's hard to trace ice back to the killer, too.'

It was starting to get harder to breath as the cursed mark crept up past her jawline. "I can't stay here." She'd state very simply, looking incredibly distant at the same time. "I can't." One foot would move backwards, and as it landed it would freeze the water there beneath it, and she'd just keep backing away before finally turning her back and running back to the little shore of the hot springs. It just turned into a bad day. Seriously.<i></i>

 

[Akechi]

“Darkness Would Soon Follow”

He beckoned the dark side of Haruka to come forward though he didn’t know of its true nature. Akechi wasn’t able to truly feel the way the woman felt about barricading such a malevolent spirit so deep within her soul, but it wasn’t a stretch to imagine. Her facial expression tended to show more than she’d ever care to speak of. Though she struggled to shield the world from the ‘thing’ that lurked within her, she failed to realize that doing so would only destroy herself. Akechi knew that as fact. He had witnessed it. The only way to deal with these spirits was up front and personal. Conquering them was less about actually subduing them than learned to live with them, and more importantly, teaching them to live inside of you. After all, they were nothing more than parasites, clinging to human life so that they could witness the world through the microscope of human vision. Whatever lurked in Haruka needed her just as much as she needed to suppress it. ”I can see it.” The man whispered to himself, his reddened eyes staring at what looked like some type of demonic takeover of the girl’s body. As Akechi called the beast forward, it seemed to oblige the request despite Haruka’s determination to contain it.

There was some type of red substance creeping its way toward her jawline from the base of her shoulder, and the dark chakra within the woman seemed to stir uncontrollably as she defiantly claimed to be free. ”No you aren’t, Haruka-san. Look at yourself. How could you be?” He whispered again, this time with a voice filled in sorrow. He pitied the woman. People shouldn’t have to go through this type of pain… especially not the type of pain that Akechi felt on the day that changed his life.

Slipping on his boxers, Akechi pulled himself out of the water and onto the ice that Haruka had created it in her attempt at escape. ”Don’t let this beast destroy you. Don’t let it ruin your happiness. Let it out and face it.” The man spoke, cautiously walking across the ice with his bare feet. I guess things were about to get a bit more excited. ”Besides. I don’t think we have a choice at this point.” Judging from the seal at the base of her shoulder, something was coming rather they wanted to or not.

Something…

 

[Haruka]

It was something to consider. Was this a person after trying to get her to reveal what was on the inside? It wouldn't be good if that were the case. The young woman just couldn't accept that. Her feet would slide across the glassy looking ice and she would peer back over her shoulder at him, only briefly. She'd step foot onto the shoreline now and walk over to the same boulder that she had left her clothes at, beginning to pull everything back on now. There were attempts there to try and ignore whatever he was saying, but she found it hard. Her mind swam and flailed in it's attempts to settle back over the surface. After all, the inner demon never felt wanted in a place such as this, so it was even harder because she was strong. Turning to peer at him, she'd watch silently as he approached her. A glove would be pulled on over her first hand, and then the next. There, now she was clothed once again, and it seemed that he was slightly more clothed than before. If this beast were to destroy her. . . wouldn't it have happened already? They were co-dependent upon one another. Perhaps without the beast inside she'd be some kind of sickly child? One could never be too sure. Oh, shit. She was justifying it now, and that just wasn't a good sign. That meant there was being more control asserted over her by her Dark Passenger. . . but she could see the logic in it rather easily. "We. . .? That's admirable." Her voice dropped a bit lower now as she watched him, and if he were attentive enough, he'd see a gold coloration bleeding across her eyes, obscuring the icy blue green color that had once been there. She'd let a small smile cross her features as she lifted her hands up. "I'm not here to ruin a god damned thing, she can do that all on her own, kiddo." From head to toe, it seemed that whatever she had been wearing would change into a darker outfit.

Reaching her hands up now, she'd pull her hair up into a high ponytail. "Causing trouble now are we?" She'd ask with a smirk, a canine overlapping her lower lip. "It's okay, I like to see her squirm sometimes too." The atmosphere had gotten considerably colder for a hotsprings type of area. "I'd get dressed if I were you. It seems the temperature is dropping and you wouldn't want your friend freezing off, now would you?" Pointing a finger towards where he was only wearing boxers now, it seemed that whatever this entity was held no stops unlike her host.

"So, what the fuck do you want? I can stick around for a good while, but I prefer not to." Placing her hands on her hips now, she'd stare him down. "To be quite frank, I think you're pretty fucking rude acting like I need to be exterminated or something."

 

[Akechi]

“She’s Here”

Knowingly diving into darkness was something that Akechi had grown accustomed to. So much so that he felt somewhat guilty for practically forcing Haruka to sink into the darkness that the man seemed to revel in. It wasn’t that he sought to harm the girl, he surely didn’t. But his curiosity seemed to get the better of him, and the thought of being able to converse with such a “foe” seemed to be destiny. Naturally, he’d make sure to protect Haruka from further harm but he placed a bet on the “demon” or whatever this alternate Haruka truly was. Whatever this entity was, Akechi knew that its role as parasite wouldn’t allow Haruka to come to harm. It needed her. Haruka was chosen because she was the best host, whether or not the entity ever mentioned, accepted or even believed that fact. They needed each other. Haruka’s life as a normal human lifeform had ended. So much so that she may have perished if something happened to the beast, due to her chakra system fully conforming to meet the specific needs of both parties. The lack of one may have destroyed the other from here on.

In any case, Akechi had gotten his wish and boy was the “alter” annoyed. Perhaps, she was just born that way. ”It would be rather imprudent to simply call you “beast” but somehow I feel that calling you “Haruka” would be improper as well. My name is Akechi. What name do you go by?” Akechi questioned, introducing himself with a bow as he calmly moved closer to the girl by the way of ice. Everything about her had changed. Her eyes were of a golden hue, a dark seal seemed to cover a side of her face, and even her clothes had been drenched in darkness. Haruka as he had come to know her had disappeared. Perhaps she never truly had control at all. ”Trouble is subjective, isn’t it? I’d like to think that I’m spicing things up a bit. It’s why I wanted to give you the opportunity to stretch a little bit.”

”Well aren’t you proper? I just wanted to talk.” Electricity fluttered down his spine or at least it felt that way as she stared at him. The air around him seemed unnaturally cold, that gentle breeze transformed into a rather ominous wind chill. Getting some clothes on seemed like a good idea but Akechi opted for a more cautious approach. He didn’t want to be caught off guard at this point so he kept his eyes glued on the woman, grinning as if he were still talking to someone as ‘delicate’ as Haruka. ”Exterminated? Quite the opposite. The way Haruka’s body is now, she may collapse without your presence.” No, she was too valuable to exterminate. Never hurt to have a demon on your side. ”However, don’t you think it would be more beneficial to ‘meld’ with Haruka? I mean, having her fight against her nature is only hurting the both of you. No offense, but how long do you think you can even last?”

It was a valid question. Though this “alter” may not have seen it that way…

”Perhaps I could be of use to you.”

 

[Haruka]

Ugh, what a bad case of indigestion or some shit. It seemed that the inner-demonness had become more and more prevalent. It even worried Haru that her host was becoming this instable, and more or less she was becoming some sort of cliche. If she were looking from the outside in, it'd be pretty awful. However, it was more like she was a fallback for when the illustrious leader didn't want to make confrontations. "Typically Haru is the best moniker, but I wonder if now that is more confusing than anything else. . .?" She would muse out loud. It'd been a long time since she would have to go by her 'own' name by any means, and long since had she really forgotten it. It reminded her of more sour times that she had pushed into the farthest depths of her mind. . . And trust her, her mind was legitimately like seven layers of hell, so yes. "But that's what you can address me by." She'd place herself down on the boulder now, crossing one leg over the other as she watched the male approach closer. The ability to stretch, huh? So that was why he was screwing with Haruka's mind? Didn't he know that that had also screwed with her? Ah, well, she'd spare him that earful. She didn't feel like giving that speech about 'whatever Haruka did was done to her and vice versa.' It was like some type of #samepersonproblem type of bullshit.

"I'm only as proper as present company warrants." She'd state bluntly, "Excuse me for not being too thrilled that you're giving my host a fucking tumor from trying to suppress me. There's a point where I have to step in." Sitting up incredibly straight, her golden hued eyes would watch him now. A stoic face as he spoke. It was clear that he did not understand the situation at hand. Bringing a finger up, she'd idly trace along the seal on her features, following the curved lines that danced there and even flowed into her eye at this point. Ah, the gateway out. She still needed to thank that certain someone somehow for giving her this opportunity to terrorize everyone that much more. It was lovely. Suddenly her hand would suddenly lift as she were telling him to shut up, and it was a very abrupt motion.

"You have not a clue," she would state, her eyes narrowing in his direction. "This child would have died had it not been for me." No demon simply picked a host. It was a meticulous process, after all. "So you should sit the fuck down and shut the hell up with this 'you're hurting her!' bullshit. We were doing just fine until people started trying to bring me out. Do you think this seal on our face was really her choice? No. It wasn't. It just made it easier for her to succumb to the dark side of herself, also known as moi." Bringing her hands up, she'd smile now. "We've lasted for more than two decades now." Pushing her hands back behind her, she would stand up once again. She wondered if it had all been insanity with the way that she decided to save someone who would've simply just been a stillborn without her influence? Without her today, this woman wouldn't be roaming the earth with her impossible influence. It was a good deed she had performed, and hell, at the time she was just going to be another dirty refugee kid because she did not even know the status of power that the woman would have had. "Through all the life threatening situations, we've prevailed. One day very soon she will no longer need to fight me. After all, she's learning to control every bit of herself that much better." It was strange, but there was a bit of admiration in her voice now. "Besides, we've been two established presences for her entire life. It's far too late to 'meld' with her." Besides, that was a fucking awful thought anyways. How would she leave when Haruka inevitably passed if they 'melded'? Hah, nope.

"So, what kind of use do you possibly think you could be of to me?" She'd demand with a fanged smile now.

 

[Akechi]

“The World of Wonderful Clichés”

”Ah, so Haru-sama it is then.” Akechi responded, adding a more proper suffix to the entities name as a show of respect. Honestly, the man had didn’t believe in such things. He found them to be utterly empty notions, only used to stroke the ego of the person that the honorific was issued toward. Life had no need for such things. In fact, it was these ranks or differing levels of respect that caused people to fight and squabble over petty things as they clawed up a fictitious mountain of respect, begging for their ounce of respect. Perhaps this mountain was the only reason that shinobi villages existed. Then again, perhaps the mountain was in fact the shinobi village when placed in a more tangible light. It was all very interesting to Akechi, watching how people reacted toward this notion of “respect.” Each gave away a fraction of that person’s soul… their personality.

As the woman got comfortable on the boulder that she sat on, Akechi would move a bit closer, casually walking on the cold ice until he was about a foot or so away from her. Naturally, he made sure that he remained on the ice because he wanted to give her some sort of illusionary belief of control. She could manipulate ice, therefore she could manipulate the situation to her liking. Or at least that is what Akechi wanted her to believe. ”The ‘tumor,’ as you put it, is what I’d like to help you alleviate.” Akechi responded to her quip about tumors, ignoring her snide remarks about her “present company” with a smile and a slight shoulder shrug. Were demons always so “uppity?” Actually, they were. Nothing out of the ordinary there…

She went on with her various explanations of her nature, spitefully mixing in facts from her experience with a bit of rather haughty banter. Based off of what she did mention to him, the details of their contract allowed this ‘entity’ to live off of Haruka but as a penalty she also felt everything that Haruka felt. Physically anyways, emotionally the two seemed to be at a standoff. ”If I may, the fact that she considers you her “dark half” is a part of the problem, Haru-sama. Being who she is makes her a target, I only wish to see the two of you be a much less vulnerable one.” Makes sense right? He had already pieced together as much as he needed to figure out that she was someone of high repute. Carving an ally out of it was just another piece of the plan… one that he needed to accomplish by any means necessary.

”You are right. I do not have a clue. I am but a researcher. However, my propensity to learn, retain and utilize information is rather exceptional.” He was a medical student before he became what he was today. In fact, it was his deepest desire to return to that life that he had with his family, with himself as that underachieving child that his loving mother tended to while his warmongering father wished for him to be a true “man.” For some reason, Akechi would’ve rather been that person, even though his father would’ve been proud of him now. Ironic, wasn’t it?

”I don’t mean literally, Haru-sama. I only mean to make her more susceptible to your whims. Well, maybe that isn’t the best way to put it.” It was but he could put it in more sensible terms. ”I seek to have Haruka-san accept you. For the two of you fight, survive, and live as one without the backlash of her fighting against her true nature.” Or something like that.

Grinning he kept going, this time answering her final demand of him. How could he have been of use? Funny how demons always posed questions in such a manner that only sought to benefit themselves. Perhaps this nature caused Haruka to oppose Haru, despite the ease of life if the opposition had ended.

”You are confined to Haruka. I am not. I wish to be your eyes and ears. Your will. Your knight. I offer you my services.” Akechi said simply, bowing his head as he knelt before her a mischievous smile planted firmly across his face. Naturally, she could always refuse but wouldn't that just be less fun?

 

[Haruka]

Haru-sama? It caused the woman to visibly roll her eyes at him. Did he really think that shit flew by with her? Maybe it worked for Haruka herself, not surely not her. So thus, it seemed that she probably should have refrained from revealing what she chose to go by to this person. A sigh of exasperation left her lips as she placed her chin into the palm of her hand, watching him with blatantly bored eyes. Strangle her with a scarf, or something. . . It was just a mistake to force Haruka out of the driver's seat, wasn't it? This was what she got for backseat driving. Lifting her other hand, she'd twitch her index finger from side to side now. "Ah-ah." She'd state, "Dark passenger." She nodded her head. Darker half? God that was the worst cliche in this topic yet. Now, then, she would pause for just a brief moment. Who she was? Oh, that was rich. He had not a clue. This was a shinobi ran world, and that was just who she planned on introducing herself as. So why did he think that she was anything special? Though, she would remain tight lipped about that. She wanted to see how far he'd dig himself. It was nice to interact with humans sometimes. Now, though, she'd sit herself up straight and hold her arms over her chest.

Hrmm, so now he was deciding to be interesting? Strange! Really strange. Did he want to rid this world of Haruka? Oh, now that was kind of sad~. But it would be fun to see just how far it would go, you know? How would he manage such a thing? It was really a feat she believed. "And how do you intend on making that work?" She'd let a small smile curve at her lips now as she watched him. It was not a nice smile, either. One that offered that she was interested in his services, or whatever he was aiming to do.

 

[Akechi]

“Pompous and Conceited was the Nature of Demons”

And this woman was no different. Glaring at him with disapproving eyes or insulting him pointed remarks, each demon was no different and Akechi’s thoughts on using them were no different. The people that these demons had managed to possess or the resources that they had managed to procure is what made each special. Other than that, they were the same…

Somewhat of a clique if you will…

”I won’t bore you with the details because you look bored already. But let’s just say that my eyes allow me to a certain level of control over people,” Akechi giggled, taking a seat on the frigid ice path only a couple of inches away from Haruka. Damn it was cold, but again, demons had very fragile egos. He just wanted to make sure that the woman’s ego stayed intact. They tended to get desperate when someone checked their ego. ”Normally this process is easy but Haruka is a hardheaded one. I kind of admire that about her. I just find this look for her… much more appealing.” The man winked, playfully flirting with “Haru” as he continued with the first half of his plan. Naturally, she’d probably roll her eyes or spite him for saying such a thing, but he expected that from her. He even started to enjoy it…

”In any case, you do hold some type of power within the girl’s subconscious, yes? I just have to test how much you have or something like that…”

 

[Haruka]

Topic left as per what we discussed.