Meet-up, Greet-up (Sunuke/Ayumu)

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii would leave the Torre Celeste at the briskest of pace. She hoped that her new branch had not yet been informed of her rank change; because to an outsider, it may seem she was fleeing.

It was good luck that she had picked her new home to be as close as possible to the tower. The jog was short, and she found herself climbing the steps to her plain, little, second story flat before her brain could even quite catch up with all the things that had happened in the last hour. If Yuii had thought Ayumu was capable of the level of conniving needed, she may have accused him of planning to give her Sennin all along. Anyone else could have been buttering her up by giving her everything she wanted, including her within sight of the Torre home, to establish herself in the village; but not Ayumu. Ayumu was just too nice to do that.


It was her house, so Yuii burst in without so much as a knock. "Sunuke, get up, get dressed. You have to come meet Ayumu right now! He's finally got time!" She cried, relieved to find her friend had not wandered off. It was still so early in the day that it was unsurprising that he was there. "I hope you're wearing pants! Put on something nice, okay? Quick, quick." She paced nervously through the main living room the two bedroom apartment while she waited for him to get presentable. There wasn't much to Yuii's house as she had been extremely frugal until now and so her path was mostly circling her kotatsu, stopping in her kitchen then repeating the cycle again until he appeared.

It wasn't just Ayumu that Yuii had deceived. In her bid to save their new Raikage from the early-term meeting with her not so rule kosher friend, Yuii had also needed to placate Sunuke. She wouldn't say he was straight laced, but Sunuke was concious of the fact that she had said they would need to see the Raikage. When she'd skirted that responsibility the first day he had been curious, by the third he'd been frustrated and now a week later he was downright aggitated. Not because he wanted to see Ayumu, but because he didn't want Yuii to get in trouble for breaking the rules over him. She had been reassuring and claimed Ayumu was just busy, but the fibs were growing unamangeable. Yuii found it sweet he cared, but she knew full well that if she hadn't brought up Sunuke with Ayumu by now he probably would have stomped himself up there and done it without her. THAT wouldn't have gone well for either of them.

When he was dressed she would usher him out of her home like a shepard herding a lamb. She took his shoulders and practically pushed him along the street-ways towards the Torre. All the while she babbled in a fevered frenzy, "I already told him things. Kogami is the best you know? Really nice guy. Best boss. I told him you're from Fire country and that you moved here because of all the awful things that happened there a long time ago. I told him about Kamirai and how much everyone loves you. I told him that they tried to hide you from me because they were scared for you. I told him we're friends and that you're great. I don't know what else he wants to know but don't worry okay? You're the best, Sunuke, and Kogami-sama is the best too so two of my bests should like each other right? Right. Oh, also my rank had changed. I'll tell you about it letter. It's awful. I don't know if I'll be able to manage it. We'll find out." On and on, past people and shops, up the steps and into the tower. They Passed the Raikage's secretary who nodded her approval to their passing, travelled down a wide hallway then stopped in front of a marvelous set of doors.

"You nervous? I'm nervous." she squeaked, fussing at Sunuke's hair momentarily, "But everything will be fine! In we go." With that she rapped twice on the big door, pulled it open and pulled Sunuke inside along with herself.

"Quick as a bunny, we're back!" she declared, almost having forgotten her earlier fear induced manners. It all came back in a rush and demurely she added, "T-this is Tanaka Sunuke, who I told you about Raikage-sama."

 

[Ko]

Dozing away in the bed that Yuii had prepared for him was just like being in a temporary heaven. He felt the pains and strains just washing away in his sleep, and from the bath he was made to have too. Maybe next time it wouldn’t be as chaotic and he would be able to actually have some time to relax rather than deal with the two ladies who desired to… assist him with his washing. Wanting to be his mistresses seemed to scare him just a little bit.

The Nanjirou slowly woke up as he heard his friend burst into his room, as he realised he was still just waking up and she was in a rush to get him out of the house. He wasn’t the best morning person and after being alone for all these years. Instead he was now having to deal with having to go at the pace of someone else, and to the schedule of others. This was going to take some time to get used to.

”I’m up, I’m up!” Nao called out, slowly sitting up and putting on his robe and stretching out. He would then walk out of the room, only to be ushered out of the door by his friend.

He gave her a quick tired look, and yawned as he follower her out of the building and off towards their new destination: The Raikages office. He figured he better have some questions for the Raikage, and to remember the “story” of his life and the chronological order. But Yuii seemed more nervous than he could be.

He just listened to her babble on about how nice the guy was and how he would be fine talking to the man with all his history. It helped him recount everything he had done in the last few years. Maybe he would get Yuii to be his personal assistant to remember everything he has done in his life. Maybe he could write a biography after she helps him recount everything he had done.

”Yuii… It’ll be okay, alright? Your new job, whatever it is, will be a piece of cake for you. And talking to the Raikage will be just as easy you know? We’ll just say hi and meet him and then be on our way!” He didn’t seem as nervous as she was, he was doing just fine. After all if he wasn’t accepted all he’d do is either fight or flight. Normal instincts after all.

They passed the receptionist and Yuii was getting more and more nervous. Sunuke still not really understanding why she was so nervous about talking to the most powerful man in the entire country. He just didn’t quite get it in his head that he meant everything to the balance of power for Cloud.

”You’ll be fi-“ he was pulled into the room with Yuii, where the Raikage was awaiting them. It seemed Yuii had already been there as she said they were back. He was caught off guard a little bit, but he managed to hold himself and bow with gentleness and politeness as he had been taught to do. He wasn’t too used to the formal stuff.

”It’s an honour to meet you, Kogami-sama. Yuii has told me a lot of wonderful things about you, and decided we must meet so I could introduce myself. But it seems my friend here has already done that honour for me.” He beamed a grin out, before continuing.

”Your village is quite the wonder compared to the small villages that are planted around the country. Kamirai pales in comparison to the wonder of Kumogakure. But it is a nice and quaint farming village… Terribly plagued by giant toads from time to time.”

MFT 626 words

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu, in all honestly, had expected Yuii to be back later that afternoon. Maybe in a couple of hours. When the secretary buzzed his desk to inform him, about twenty minutes later, that Yuii had returned with a man in tow, it came as a bit of a surprise. She must have truly been in a hurry to get this squared away. Then again, this wasn't that abnormal for her. She was usually pretty quick to show up to meeting they had. Ayumu set down his pen, accepting the inevitability that he wasn't going to get any real work done today, and waited Yuii and her guest. A minute or two later two knocks came at the door and it opened. Ayumu could usually tell when Yuii was visiting by how she didn't wait for him to say anything before opening the door. She stepped inside noting her own quickness and was followed by a very pretty man, presumably Sunuke.

Ayumu's suspicion was confirmed as Yuii introduced the man who bowed respectfully and greeted Ayumu with a smile. He complimented the village and referenced the small village Yuii mentioned that he had been protected for some time as well as the giant toads they apparently had some trouble with. Ayumu's mind immediately went to the giant toads he had contracted to summon at will. He'd have to make note to ask them if some of their brethren were attacking villages because that wouldn't be cool at all!

"I'm glad our village doesn't disappoint. I understand we have you to thank for taking care of the village where you settled. It saddens me to think of the mission requests we've missed out on to take care of their giant toad problems!" Ayumu said jokingly. "I jest. From what Yuii tells me they were lucky to have you there and very grateful," Ayumu continued with a smile, rising from his chair and walking around it to reach Sunuke. He offered a handshake... hopefully this was a custom where Sunuke hailed from and didn't come off as strange. "I'm sure Yuii has mentioned it, but I'm Kogami Ayumu, this village's Raikage. Good to meet you at last," Ayumu said, his eyes darting over towards Yuii at the end hoping she picked up on his little jab at her.

"I don't know if she told you, but the usual protocol for guests of the shinobi variety, like yourself, is to have them meet one of the village leaders for a little vetting before allowing them entry. I can't fault you for anything, I'm sure she dragged you along. I should be doing more than wagging my finger at her, but well, as she might have mentioned she's just become one of our village leaders this morning so in a roundabout way you've already been vetted!" Ayumu explained, amused at the absurdity in how this had all played out.

"Right, but just so nobody bats an eyelash, you're here for your 'official' vetting. I suppose I should ask a question... Yuii mentioned you're a refugee from Fire Country. What's the story there?" Ayumu asked, a pretty open ended question to start with. This wasn't just about vetting, Ayumu was curious about this person that Yuii had taken such drastic measures to protect and spoke so highly of.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Didn't Sunuke understand? Trouble followed him like Akimichi followed ice cream vendors! She had to worry and be nervous enough for the both of them so that they stayed out of trouble. Never mind that her over-caution with her friend had led to MORE drama this time or that she was just as prone to drawing disaster. Standing beside and a little behind Sunuke, she shifted her weight from foot to foot and listened on as the men said their hellos. It was all very pleasant. Surprisingly Sunuke could manage to be a tiny bit formal when he needed to be.

The toads were brought up and Yuii grimaced. They were disgusting, slimy creatures and she never, ever wanted to have to fight one. She was extra thankful Sunuke had dealt with that 'infestation', as Yuii would not have been keen. There was always her replacement, but it was unlikely Kamirai's people would ever ask them, or anyone, for help. "Very lucky," she echoed with a ghost of a smile, "people like that give shinobi and summons a bad reputation." At least it wasn't Yuii's cats.

Ayumu's jab was well delivered, and Yuii responded with a silent wince. Having knowing bypassed gate protocol she deserved that one, and a lot worse. Sunuke finding out she had been lying about Ayumu being busy for instance was a start. He was probably going to rightfully be mad with her. Pre-emptively she reached for her friend's hand and gave it an apologetic squeeze. "I'm Main Branch Sennin starting today," she explained in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, "I just found out this morning. Sorry." Withholding information was in her nature, but this was one thing she hadn't planned to keep to herself. Yuii had sort of hoped Ayumu wouldn't bring it up, but she should have known better.

 

[Ko]

The man was funny and courteous, emanating an aura of command from his place as the strongest in the village. And yet he seemed to be very lightheaded and open to talking to the missing-nin in front of him. Of course the samurai had a weapon all taped up and put on high alert if he really drew it any time inside the village. This was going to obviously make it a little easier for the man to speak to him since there was obviously no threat. Sunuke on the other hand would have to be cautious just in case.

The handshake offer was quick, as Sunuke looked down to it and hesitating for a split second to remember what he had to do with these sorts of things. It wasn’t that he wasn’t accustomed to them they were just… not as common for him. But he would grab firm and shake slightly, not as if he was trying to rip the limb of the most powerful man in the village and the man who sit on the highest throne in all the world (because mountain land…)

”It’s nice to meet you as well, Ayumu-dono,” he replied while not being too sure how formal he really had to be when it came to meeting people of a high stature and rank. HE was just a young ninja when he left Leaf. ”She has only given you the highest praise, and only wished for me to meet you as soon as I could.” Trying to cover up Yuii? That was the best he could come up with for now.

Sunuke listened to the kage talk about vetting processes and how there should have been one at the entrance of gate. But it turned out that Yuii had already become a leader of the village earlier in the day. That threw him off guard a little bit, as her hand then reached his and squeezed it. It was a little cold, maybe a little nervous too? But he was glad she had become a leader of the village.

But then the real vetting process came, asking the tough questions straight away. The first question was about him being a fire countryman, and even though he had actually ran from Leaf before the war between Samurai and Ninja he was actually a victim of both sides.

”Fire Country is a horribly divided nation, or it was when I lived there a long time ago. The war between the samurai and the ninja in the Fire Country didn’t just stay in their respective villages, but it spread elsewhere. How does a non-affiliated swordsman survive in such a place? You really don’t survive. You either defend yourself, you leave or you die. And after spending enough time being hunted by ninja or being outcasted by samurai I decided to leave the country and hope I didn’t get followed.” The majority of that was correct. He was hunted down, and he wasn’t really liked by Samurai either but that was because he was also a ninja too.

”After that I looked for a place that was quiet, and where I wouldn’t be disturbed. And I spent a lot of time traveling to look for that place.”

MFT 540 words.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Sunuke was very respectful and spoke eloquently. In all honesty, Ayumu had expected someone more like Yuii. Apparently opposites did attract! He had to get used to someone actually speaking to him like was a Raikage. At first impression, he did seem like a good person. Everything Yuii had told him suggested the same, and if Yuii trusted him that gave him some credibility in Ayumu's eyes. All the same, he had a duty as Raikage to listen to Sunuke's story and make a judgement call. Sunuke did not hesitate to answer Ayumu's first question, which was a good sign he supposed.

From his story, he was indeed from Fire Country and left when the war between the shinobi and samurai took Leaf out of the picture. He referred to himself as an unaffiliated swordsman who was given no choice but to remain and be constantly on his guard or leave and seek a peaceful existence elsewhere. Ayumu couldn't blame the man for leaving after what occurred in Fire Country. He knew it must have been a hard decision to leave his home, and for that he had Ayumu's sympathy.

Ayumu remained unclear of whether he was a shinobi of Leaf or not, however. Yuii had assured Ayumu that Sunuke was no missing-nin but a refugee, giving him the impression that Sunuke was a shinobi of Leaf forced out like the others. Of course, this could simply have been an assurance to avoid characterizing Sunuke to Ayumu in a negative light. There was an argument that it no longer mattered, given the state of Leaf. If he was a missing-nin of that village, none likely remained that would hunt him or hold Cloud responsible for harboring him. It did need to be clarified all the same.

"You have my sympathies for what occurred in Fire Country. Shinobi live in a world that doesn't often fully understand our way of life. Fear can drive people to commit all kinds of atrocities. We always have to be mindful of that in our dealings, even here in Lightning Country. On that note, where did you call home in Fire Country? I assumed, given what I heard of you defending that village, but Yuii didn't explicitly specify- were you a shinobi of Leaf made into a refugee by the war?" Ayumu asked. There was nothing accusatory in his tone, he was simply learning what he needed to about Sunuke in order to grant him permission to stay in the village.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

They seemed to be getting along, but who knew with men? She hadn't taken Ayumu for a trickster either until earlier that day. Yuii kept ahold of Sunuke's hand and kept her gaze firmly set at the foot of Ayumu's desk. She had already messed up pretty badly today, so it didn't seem right to interfere for their conversation. Anything she tried to say on Sunuke's behalf would seem like covering for him, even if it was said with the best of intentions, so he had to do this alone.

Honestly, Yuii had never paid any attention to outside politics before she met Sunuke. Fire country and its troubles were so far away that she had never bothered. After their first meeting, younger Yuii had done some digging, but the little she had found hadn't been very helpful. That he had been chased out like many other shinobi-kind seemed like the most logical explanation, though, so she had assumed and been cautious. Sunuke rarely talked about his homeland, but the little he had said corroborated with her theories, so after a few years she'd stopped worrying about it entirely. Even if she was wrong, he was a good person and that was all that mattered. Her Sunuke was not a danger.

Not that Yuii was going to admit to Ayumu that she had been vague because that was all she knew. She bowed her head further, apologetic that she hadn't offered more. It was strange to hear Sunuke sum up all the little scraps of information she'd been given over the years in a few bold sentences, though, and oddly comforting. It would be nice when this whole matter was put to rest and she wouldn't need to worry about him being in the village anymore.

 

[Ko]

Ayumu seemed to understand the hardships of leaving home, or at least could offer nothing but sympathies for feeling of losing where home was. But it didn’t bother Sunuke anymore than being bit by a fly. Home was just where you could take your shoes off for the day. Anything else was just somewhere to stay.

Sunuke would nod slowly at some of the remarks the Raikage made on fear and the world beyond the shinobi world. The world that the Nanjirou had experienced was surely different to the shinobi world, and he used his knowledge of both worlds to protect the former from bullies in the latter. In the end it was better for him to protect the world from the bullies than to train and become a bully himself.

But then the real question began. Being from a foreign country it was understandable that he would like to know if he was a shinobi of Leaf or not. Yuii seemed to realise what had happened as her grip seemed to continue on his hand and she bent lower. He had to somehow protect her from any punishment… somehow.

”Shinobi of Leaf? Eh…” he sighed and thought about it for a moment. ”Konoha and Leaf City were both homes at some point when shinobi and samurai weren’t at war. My families ancestral home is… was indeed Leaf which is strange for a clan of samurai to make themselves home inside their potential enemies land. I didn’t really get anywhere with the whole Ninja thing. I can’t even make a simple clone, transform, or even use karawimis..” Sunuke moved his hand slowly to his belt, and let his sword drop, kicking it over to Ayumu.

”That there? That’s how I defend a village. The spirit inside that currently bound weapon is an ancient spirit who controls the sword. I can’t even touch the hilt without being struck down! You might not want to touch anything but the sheath when picking it up…” He smiled, and brushed the back of his head before continuing.

”Shortly before the Samurai took the village I was abandoned by my family because I could never get to trips with how we were to train. I couldn’t even see the spirits, and I couldn’t use the techniques. I couldn’t even make a halfway decent shinobi and how I got through classes wasn’t by my skill at all. I wasn’t allowed to train in our ancestral skills, nor be a shinobi or use a weapon that houses our spiritual guardians. I guess I was just feeling lost I just walked out of the gates to see where the world would take me. Obviously this probably sit well with the Anbu squads. No one goes in and out without reason.”

”Then the Samurai attacked shortly after and the village had stopped going after me. Instead it was the Samurai. I was around eleven or twelve years old when that happened… I don’t think I even had a headband then I was just a dumb kid with a stolen sword. Being in Leaf City and hiding away for months to then suddenly having to take shelter where people were just people. That was fourteen years ago since I last heard from anybody. I don’t even know if home is even there anymore. I’ve been away from what you’d call “home” longer than I spent growing up in any country. Instead I would use my sword to protect smaller villages such as my residence for the last couple of years. ” How Sunuke came into possession with the sword was hinted that he probably stole it from his home before he left.

”From there I hopped from place to place because I didn’t exactly know how hiding and stealth worked. And eventually I learned how to use the sword… Well I mean make sure the sword owner didn’t attack me. After all we from my clan don’t learn actual sword attacks until we die and become spirits for the weapons ourselves. I kept mostly to myself until I met Yuii here. And even when she prodded me for my origin I brushed most of it off because I was trying to forget it, and by the time I began to trust her I had been out the village for so long I didn’t really know what to call myself.” He let go of Yuii’s hand and bowed.

”What ever your judgement would be to stay in your village or not, or for some time before being removed is all I can await for, Ayumu-dono.” He was left without his weapon for now, and all he had was his world. But surely Yuii had a lot of words to ask him.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Yuii continued to keep her head hung low, and lowered even more as Ayumu mentioned that she hadn't told him much about Sunuke. He almost wanted to tell her not to worry about it, but it was probably best if she did feel at least some guilt for her actions seeing as they were against village laws. He forced himself to ignore her for the moment and kept his attention on Sunuke, whose hand she currently had in a vice grip. It was becoming increasingly clear how much she cared about the man. Though he had just met Sunuke, he got the impression that he cared about her as well.

As Ayumu suspected, Sunuke admitted that he originated from Leaf but what was even more interesting was the revelation that he was, in fact, from a clan of samurai. Yet, despite being from Leaf he didn't know the most basic of shinobi techniques. Ayumu eyed Sunuke's sword as the man reached for it. Despite Sunuke's effort to make his movements slow and nonthreatening, Ayumu's training kept him on his guard just in case. Ayumu's own swords were well within his reach sitting on top of his desk just behind him. He quickly was assured that he wouldn't need them, however, as Sunuke let his sword drop and kicked it across the floor to Ayumu's feet.

Ayumu raised an eyebrow, looking down at the sword with uncertainty as to why Sunuke had laid it before him. The explanation Sunuke gave was outlandish, but Ayumu knew better than to think it untrue. A spirit controlling a sword was far from the most unusual thing he had heard or even experienced first hand. Following Sunuke's instruction, Ayumu knelt down and picked the sword up by the sheath, careful to avoid the hilt. He examined the blade as Sunuke continued, suppressing the sword-fanatic within him as Sunuke continued his tale.

He had apparently not been very successful in his training as a shinobi, which explained why he hadn't learned some of the more basic skills. An unexpected truth came next as Sunuke admitted that he walked out of the gates without permission, earning the ire of the village's ANBU. Or he would have, had they not been so occupied with the attack of the samurai. They apparently had been none too pleased with his taking of one of their ancestral swords, either, as from the sounds of it they were more a concern of hunting him than the shinobi of Leaf were. From there, it seemed, Sunuke had become a wanderer and eventually ended up in that village in Lightning where he had finally met Yuii.

From the sound of it, this was all news even to Yuii, which explained partially why she hadn't exactly been forthcoming with information. She simply trusted him enough not to care where he had come from exactly. Of course, she was free to trust him, but Ayumu had to hear about where he had come from before he could make any decision on whether or not to allow him to stay in the village. Bowing, Sunuke submitted his request that he be allowed to stay within the village for a while. And now here the two of them were, both bowing with varying intensity as Ayumu stood there holding Sunuke's sword. Sighing, Ayumu scratched the top of his head uncomfortably. He was never a big fan of the whole bowing thing.

"Will both of you lift your heads, please?" he requested, hopefully prompting them to cease their bowing. He took a few steps forward and then held out Sunuke's sword to him, returning it. Once he had done so he turned and walked back to his desk, leaning against it. "We never held any extradition treaty with Leaf. Even we had, it would obviously no longer matter given the state of Fire Country. On top of that, it sounds as though you never became a full-fledged shinobi. You have Yuii's endorsement and on top of that from the sounds of it the endorsement of an entire village in the country. I can't think of any reason to turn you away, only reasons to welcome you as a guest," Ayumu spoke, explaining the thought process he had gone through to them.

"So that's what I'll do. Welcome to Kumogakure, Sunuke. It sounds like Yuii has already taken care of your accommodations?" Ayumu said with a smile. He had made his decision, Sunuke would be allowed to stay as Yuii's guest. He might see masked individuals following him now and then for a short while, but he would be able to remain. If he were to find the desire to seek a more permanent place with Kumo at some point, he would have to apply for citizenship, but as far as visiting Yuii he was fine.

[MFT; 806]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

The blue haired woman squirmed uncomfortably as she realised Sunuke was admitting, in a round about way, that he was a missing nin. Yuii didn't dare look at Ayumu now, she didn't want to see his assumed disappointment. Would he kick Sunuke out now? Would he be hunted by the ANBU and turned over to Konoha? She didn't know if that would give them an advantage with the fire country shinobi, but If it could then Sunuke was as good as doomed. And she couldn't blame Ayumu if he decided to chase him out either. Everything Sunuke said made him out to be a kid that ran away because he was poorly suited for shinobi life but if he had been that same child in Kumogakure they would have definitely sent a unit after him. There would definitely be consequences.

There was an awful tension building between her eyes now and her body felt pulled tight like a rubber band. Except, Yuii had no idea what direction that energy was meant to go. Protecting Sunuke meant betraying Kumo, Turning away from Sunuke meant betraying their friendship and the bond they had fostered over so many years. She didn't know, she couldn't choose. 'Please Raiden guide Ayumu to be reasonable,' she wished silently, 'I don't want to fail like this.'

Yuii snapped to attention, squared her shoulders and begrudgingly looked at Ayumu at his request. She probably looked scared, but the kunoichi couldn't help that. There were some moments that called for an honest response, even in the world of shinobi. There was no reason to fear, however, as Ayumu made his just decision to allow Sunuke to stay.

"Really!?" She squealed happily and flung herself onto the dark haired man beside her to pull him into a tight hug, "You can stay! You can stay! I'm so happy, Sunuke!" There would be no hard choices today, it was such a relief. She honestly had no idea what she would have done. "You see, I told you Kogami is the best!" Her cheek rubbed awkwardly against Sunuke's face like a possessive cat, and that hug became a vice grip. "Now you have to stay with me!"

 

[Ko]

The head of the Nanjirou stayed bowed along with his adopted sister's. He was afraid not just of what the kage could do to him but how even Yuii would see him. It never really cropped up after a while. In fact it seemed she had just accepted him as who he was at the present over time rather than what he once was in the past. Could that have changed in the truth?

He was requested to lift his head up, hiding the liquid that could have come out behind his eyeballs and tying to make sure they weren't gonna let out something embarrassing in the situation. He was a little shaky, physically able to be felt by Yuii as he awaited the judgement of the judge and jury that was Ayumu.

Ayumu gave him his sword, as he gripped it by the sheath and held it there as if he had forgotten what he actually had to do with this thing. Not being trained in the art of swordsmanship meant it wasn't really natural to put the sword away. No that was the spirit's job to really do that.

His eyes widened at the words coming out of the Raikage's mouth. It seemed that he was to be accepted as a guest under Yuii's roof rather than in a jail cell. Though with Yuii now clinging onto him like her life depended on it he wasn't really too sure what the difference was.

The squeaks and hugs from Yuii were sweet and loving, like a puppy who had found his master returning after a couple of hours out. He smiled and tried to pull her off a little but that only seemed to make the squeeze tighter.

Y-Yuii you're gonna squeeze me to death before I've even had a chance to even step foot any- His chest was giving up with breathing at this point.

"A-ah but thank you Ayumu-sama... I-if you two both don't mind... I better go find myself some more clothing. Having only a robe or two isn't proving too well in the mountains . I'm sure there are other things to discuss without me being here now that you've graciously let me stay. " If he could escape Yuii's bind then he would bow and see himself out.

As he was about to leave, he turned to the two of them and bowed slightly in gratitude.

"If there is anything you need from me don't hesitate to ask. I'm a guest here but I owe Yuii everything. I'll see you back at the apartment Yuii, or find me in the market place as I need to find warmer clothes." Sunuke then would leave the building if permitted. He wasn't sure if he was to be followed but it made sense to straight away.

[Topic left unless stopped]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu laughed out loud watching Yuii squeal and latch on to Sunuke tightly to the point where he was struggling to breath. She was made so happy just by having permission for the man to be around. One had to wonder if there was anything more to the relationship, but then to Ayumu it seemed more like a sibling bond than anything. From the sounds of it, she was insisting that he stay with her- which was fine. It would safe him money to be able to stay with her rather than rent a hotel for his stay. Of course, Ayumu had no idea at this point just how long his stay would be and just how much money it would really safe him.

"Give him a break Yuii, if you kill him you're not even gonna be able to enjoy his company," Ayumu said with a smirk before Sunuke began to excuse himself. Ayumu nodded and watched as the man made for the door and then turned to bow one last time. He offered his help should they need anything and then made plans to head to market and buy warmer clothes.

"That'd be wise. Have fun," Ayumu said, giving a short wave and then turning his attention to Yuii who remained for the moment. He was glad that Sunuke seemed the sort that he could trust to allow to stay in the village. For Yuii's sake, it was probably good that he was going to be around for a while. Ayumu cleared his throat, and then put on a semi-stern face, though he didn't look angry by any means.

"As for you... If there isn't some kind of consequence for breaking gate protocol, people will just do it whenever they want. Though it turned out okay this time, it's a bad look if I let you off with nothing," he said with a sigh. This was never the fun part of leading, as Yuii would probably find out at some point herself. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ban you from recreational travel for," Ayumu paused, thinking for a moment. He was clearly coming up with this on the fly. Normal punishment was a matter of law, but he couldn't enact the true punishment on someone he had just made Sennin. "Let's say six months. But hey, as the new Sennin I wouldn't be planning on getting out much for a while anyway!" Ayumu concluded, a hint of sadism in his voice.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

"I'll come with you!" Yuii sand, turning to follow Sunuke in a rush to avoid Ayumu, but it wasn't so. She froze when he cleared his throat, caught in the act of her brilliant and daring escape. "Me?" she questioned, turning around and trying to look as innocent as possible. She tried to radiate the sweet innocence some of her worst students had mastered in the womb but came up short of the dosage Ayumu needed to be kind to her. Or maybe it had worked, and she dodged a far worse punishment in the end.

He was right though, she couldn't get off too easily. That would set a horrible precedent so early in Ayumu's reign as Kage. Still, it was a bitter pill to swallow. "EehhHHHH!? SIX MONTHS!?" she cried, jaw dropping with shock. That was half a year! One hundred and eight two days! Two entire seasons of hunting! She would miss three weddings, thirty-two festivals, twenty-six funerals and at least one birth in that time! Her hand would cramp up and shatter from all the regretful decline messages she would need to write! This just wasn't fair, didn't Sunuke know her whole life had happened outside of the village until now!? She needed to get out and breath the fresh air, go hunting, climb mountains, sleep under the stars.

Well, they called it a punishment for a reason, but Yuii could still be unhappy about it!

Yuii sniffed pitifully, though she knew Ayumu would not be moved by pity and nodded. It was exactly what she deserved for defying the blanket orders of gate duty, she knew that, but it was hard knowing she would be completely cut off from the people that had slightly filled the void left by family. Everyone but Sunuke. At least she would have him now.

"Alright," she sighed, squirming uncomfortably at the tone of Ayumu's voice, "Thank-you for your lenience, Raikage-sama." The new sennin bowed awkwardly then straightened and stared at her hands. There wasn't anything more she could say to that, except, "Really, thank-you." Maybe she would even forgive him for his earlier prank with Yoshi by the time those six months were up

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Yes, this was certainly one of the least fun aspects of being a leader. Ayumu knew before he had said anything that this particular punishment would be hard on Yuii. It was light, considering the crime, but it was still a painful slap on the wrist. These were the moments Ayumu dreaded. In that moment, he was not the friend, but the boss. In other words, he was the bad guy. Yuii reluctantly accepted her sentence and thanked Ayumu for not going harder on her. Of course he didn't want to do it, but he had to figuratively put on the Raikage hat at times, even if it never happened literally.

"Sorry, Yuii. For having to do that... and for placing such a burden on you. I know that was never what you expected when you came back," he apologized. How could she have ever expected it? She was gone for years, came back for family and took a teaching job. Suddenly one of the most important positions in the village was dropped in her lap with no warning. All because of her name. The council had insisted upon a Kagetsu in a bid to advance the clan and the only way that Ayumu could fight back was to choose the black sheep, the only one of them that he knew wouldn't want the position to advance their goals. They could try to influence her, sure, but Ayumu's gut and what he knew about her told him that she wouldn't let them.

"It had to be somebody I could trust," he said, scratching his head sheepishly. They had only met a short while ago, but there was something about Yuii that Ayumu had faith in. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't ever ask for the position, like he had never asked for his. Was she the most experienced or politically inclined choice? No, but that also meant she was less likely to have ulterior motives behind accepting the position. "It'll be a rough road, and you'll have some missteps, which you can totally blame on me, but I think you'll grow into the role just like I had to," Ayumu said, continuing the rare moment of sincerity. There was no way Yuii was comfortable with being put in the position she was. No way she could have been prepared. If there had been a better option, Ayumu wouldn't have put it on her, but it was what it was.

"Who knows? Maybe someday you'll end up sitting here?" he suggested with a laugh as he pointed his thumb to the chair behind him. Epic foreshadowing?! She probably wouldn't find that idea funny. With the meeting finished, Ayumu would say his goodbye to Yuii and watch her leave before slumping back into his chair. This Raikage thing was hard. Back to paperwork.

[Topic Left]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii's ears burned with a mix of pleasure and self-loathing as he spoke of trust. Could she actually be trusted? She would have a meeting with her Aunt Ishiyo later that day and turn down trying to force a proper wife on Ayumu. She would bear abuse about every aspect of herself from her clan, including constant reminders that she owed them everything for the string wrapped, an unwanted gift that was her rank. She would name the most unqualified, daddy complex riddled woman as her hand out of ignorance. She would kidnap, then unkidnap the man who stood before her's son and hold his clone for ransom. Could she ACTUALLY be trusted? Sadly, Yuii could not see into the future, so she was left earnestly hoping she could live up to that expectation.

It would be a tight squeeze to fit the mould of Sennin.

"Raiden forbid!" she gasped, clasping both hands over her mouth. If there was any greater nightmare than being made Main Branch Sennin then it was to become Raikage. The horror of running an entire village was too much to consider. She'd watched her Aunt drink herself to sleep most nights, drowned in depression and crushed under the weight of making decisions each day that had no right answer. The new sennin would rather die than let her life devolve into that. "Don't make such horrible jokes," she chided, "you're going to live and work until the ripe old age of eighty, and I don't want to live to see otherwise. Maybe I go?"

She would hesitate only as long as it took to be dismissed then bow and leave unless there was anything more.
[left unless stopped]