Payday! [Private]

[Muramasa Maya]

Spoiler

It was evening, and the smells of luxurious snacks and meals filled the pristine streets of of the Golden Crystal District. Her white ribbon swayed between her golden kitsune ears and atop her equally golden hair with each step; the bounce in her step that swayed her lustrous tail in sync with the hems of her white dress (modified to fit it comfortably) was a small sign of her good mood that she was in this evening. Afterall; she had been stockpiling her new pay as a Genin as she had no real need for it, and had decided it was time to go ahead and make use of it. She deserved a gift afterall; she was Azusa. So she was going to splurge and help herself to whatever it was she wanted.

This was also completely, absolutely, 100% unrelated to the fact that her supposed servant had given her an extremely long lecture over using the Aikayume clans wealth on 'pointless personal stuff', rather than saving it for the maintenance of her clan's shrine and what not. Blah blah blah is what Azusa heard from her, really...See, the Aikayume was an old clan; when it came to financial stability, the priestess had no issues to worry herself over. Sadly, that lecture ended up with Azusa being forbidden from carrying large amounts of the clans' money without at least one other clansman with her. Which she may or may not have obeyed.

....But this money she got from being a Genin was HER money. Money that she earned, and thus could spend on all sorts of frivolities without having to be burdened with guilt or hearing the nagging of her supposed servant. And that made all the difference.

And so, the blonde Genin was walking the streets of the Golden district and was struck by a newfound realization that those figures next to that silky ribbon? Next to that nice fitting top? Or that crystalline kunai?
....Well, she ignored them before when she was younger, but they actually carried weight to them when she was using her personal money to pay for them! "....That's too many numbers. Is someone supposed to work for months for a stupid ribbon?!" Her ears twitched in bewilderment. How was it possible for others to manage?!
The daughter of foxes silently nodded her head in a small prayer of thanks to every spirit in existence for her fortune of being born to the main branch of the Aikayume.

....So perhaps she wouldn't completely redecorate her room as she intended. But there must have been something here worth spending months upon months of a genin's pay on. Had to be.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

It had been a good many years since Riyota had left the village, and he had learned a lot. He was no longer the small child who required help and assistance from nearly everyone he met. He was taller, stronger, older, and had learned a great many new things. He checked to make sure his new Greatsword was secured. The weapon was quite large and sported a black blade on one side, but a white one on the other. As well as this new weapon and new training. Riyota had finally gotten a new eye transplanted to replace the one he had lost when he was ten. It was the wrong colour though, as the med-nin who had done the transplant had run out of green eyes by the time Riyota's turn came. So the teen strolled into the village looking around with his green eye in the left socket, and a blue eye in the right. He blew a stray strand of brown hair out of his face and continued on, taking in the new sights.

A lot had changed since the boy had been here last, and that was the main reason he was wandering around on the surface today. As a child he had never really liked being on the surface, and even now he knew he still preferred to be out of the sunlight, but he wanted to have a look at the new areas that now existed on the surface of Sunagakure.

It didn't take him long to realize that he was very much in the rich part of town. He received many off-hand glances from residents, due to his scruffy appearance, and some-what scruffy demeanour. He sighed, telling himself that he would just have a quick look around and go home...provided his home hadn't been demolished yet.

It was then he saw a familiar face, it had been years, but it was a face he had seen just before he left. At least...he thought so, those fox-like features were hard to mistake. "Azusa..." he whispered to himself. The years had been kind to the young kitsune, and Riyota thought her even more beautiful than the last time they met. He was just about to go up and talk to her when he stopped himself. 'We haven't spoken in years...she probably doesn't even remember me...' he thought to himself. Shaking his head and then nodding, he readied himself to move on.

MFT 406

 

[Muramasa Maya]

She was hungry, and although the smell of food was tempting, Azusa refused to waste her money on something she could have at her clan's estate. She endured it with frustration...but breaking that train of thought was a very specific sound; "...?..." Her ears twitched; she could have sworn she heard her name called; attuned to sound as she was, it was rare for her hearing to fool her. But glancing over her shoulder only revealed to her a couple strolling on the other side of the street, a guy looking like he got lost from the slums, a mother with her children. Azusa returned her attention to her window shopping.

"Wait..." A scent, hidden beneath the smell of food wafting through the streets reached her. A scent that was...nostalgic, bringing the Fox spirit reminiscence of when she was younger. She turned back around; and this time, she realized the guy looking lost in place actually had an aura of familiarity. "You. Ri...Riku, no, not that...Riyota!" Pieces clicked within the kunoichi's mind; memories of a boy with unfortunate luck, terrible coordination, and incredible toughness...But also who was kind, honest, and helpful to others. The one in front of her was taller now, different from the boy who had helped her in her memories. But so was she.

"It is you, is it not? You're...—I mean you are— Riyota. I have not seen you since...back then." Azusa stated. Nostolgia was a peculiar feeling for her; the priestess rarely dwelt on the past, firmly rooted in the present. And yet....well, the wagging of her golden tail spoke more than she'd ever admit.

More than his height, or eyes, Azusa's attention was drawn to the greatsword behind him. Truthfully, it was earning quite a few passing glances from the finely clothed people passing by. "....Why are you carrying that thing around? It is distracting. Are you coming back from a mission?" The Genin inquired. That train of though had raised another question in her mind; "...Actually, where have you been since we were at the academy?? I had thought you may have failed an exam somewhere....or something." As large as the village may have been, the odds were she would have at least seen him a few times over the years. But there was nothing, until now at least.

OOC: 'It was the wrong colour though, as the med-nin who had done the transplant had run out of green eyes by the time Riyota's turn came.' ~ I'm done. That line exactly strikes my sort of humor!

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota's eyes widened as his name was mentioned in return to his own whisper of the other's, even if it had taken her a few attempts. He was certainly taller now than Azusa, although by the boy's own analysis he deduced that it wasn't exactly a difficult feat. The kitsune wasn't tiny, but she was quite short. At least in comparison. The girl stammered out something at least reminiscent of a sentence. Riyota smiled and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, yeah it's me...I...I only just got back myself." he noticed the wagging of her fox-like tail and had to somewhat stifle a giggle, it was just funny to look at in his opinion.

He saw the kitsune's glance move to his greatsword and he blushed despite himself. It was a useful weapon that he had gotten whilst outside the village. However its large size was getting him a lot of attention and he would've put it away. If he had a bag big enough to accommodate it. His attention snapped back to Azusa as she commented on said sword "I...don't have anywhere else to put it..." the way the boy delivered the line certainly made it sound like a lie, but it was actually the genuine truth. He did not have it holstered on his back to be impressive, it was just the only place it would fit. "Back from a mission? N-no not at all." he shook his head and smiled, she asked him where he had been since the academy and the smile slowly faded from his face. "I...well, I...just, left for a bit, just needed to get out of these walls, y'know?" this line, was in fact a lie, but Riyota didn't feel prepared to explain why he had left.

Eager to change the subject, Riyota rapidly searched for a new topic of conversation. S-so, are you doing some shopping?" and while she answered, Riyota looked her over again, his eyes coming to a halt on her face. He felt a weird sensation in his chest that he hadn't felt for many years, but he decided to ignore it.

[I'm always happy to get a laugh ]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"Huh?" Azusa's head tilted quizzically, she didn't necessarily understand what Riyota had meant by lacking somewhere for it; was leaving it at home not an option? But also didn't particularly intend to dig into it; afterall, she herself never left home without her silver flute worn on a string around her neck, maybe this was Riyota's equivalent? "Well, whatever then. It just looks like it'd be heavy to carry around, thats all." Azusa nodded, sizing the blade up in comparison to Riyota's new height as he spoke to her, circling around him to get a better look. Her eyes were practically sparkling with enthusiasm; truth be told, the priestess was something of a sword aficionado, despite being woefully incompetent with any she tried to swing...which itself was a sore spot that never really healed even since all the time that passed from being a student. "...N-not that I would have trouble carrying it or anything! It does not look heavy at all, really..." Azusa nodded in a quick gesture of self-agreement. Definitely.

Although it looked like she was more interested in his belongings than Riyota himself, she was listening; "Obviously. One does not simply walk into the Golden Crystal district and -not- get something..." Azusa mocked, unintentionally showing the spoiler upbringing she had which was practically equivalent to that of a princess. "....I just have not decided what it is yet." Her eyes once again were drawn to the weapon poking over from behind Riyota's shoulder, (Maybe I'll get a weapon; a sword bigger than Riyota's!), and she smiled again.

"So. Is that why you are here, too? If so, I will allow you to tag along, if you would like." Azusa questioned, before reaching out to pull his sleeve in the direction she intended to walk; her 'offer' was more of a command, but it wasn't like she was holding on to some kind of ulterior motives! "...You said outside the walls...Does that mean you have been outside the village for all this time? If so, I want to hear what it is like outside of the village! Is there really more than just sand everywhere out there?"

...Okay, maybe there were ulterior motives behind her offer. But she was curious!

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota was not exactly sure what had happened in the last few seconds but he knew it had quickly gone from Azusa asking questions about the new weapon to him being dragged along by his sleeve on some sort of shopping trip. "I...um, sure...I'd love to go shopping with you?" he said, rather confused. It seemed like no matter what he had answered, he was coming along on this shopping trip.

He listened to the Priestess's questions as they walked, well SHE walked, Riyota stumbled behind her. "Well, there's sand for quite a while once you get going, but eventually it turns in to actual earth, with grass and everything." the boy smiled as he remembered his own reaction to seeing a proper field of grass for the first time, he had run around barefoot in it for ages until the incident with the bees that is better left unsaid.

He avoided the obvious question of whether she had any clue what she was going to buy and instead asked. "S-so...how have you been?"

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"Fantastic." Azusa spoke with a gleeful smirk as she continued down the street. Truth be told, she did dislike being alone; the group environment of being a student was definitly something she missed now that she was a genin and receiving more specialized training.

Azusa passed by several shops with only passing interest; dresses, liqueurs, charms...most failed to hold her attention for more than a brief look during her conversation with Riyota. "Grass growing freely? It is hard to imagine....I would love to see it for myself one day." Azusa spoke. Being tied to her clan, it would be difficult and take a good amount of preperation for her to leave them for an extended amount of time. That was even without considering that she was in the middle of her medical apprenticeship. Still; it was hard for her to picture grass being anywhere near as prevalent as sand and rocks were in this country. She was envious of the sights she imagined Riyota must have seen; but then again, when was she not envious about something or another?

When asked about herself? Azusa's walking window shopping stopped. "Me? I am learning medical techniques from Kyuji-sensei to become a Medic. I only know a few basic ones; but of course I am sure to master more with time, you know?" With that her eyes narrowed into a playful smirk. "....Meaning that if, by chance, you were to get completely eviscerated again; I'd be able to do more than just pretend help!" Time heals all wounds they say; and Azusa had no trouble joking about what had once been a traumatic sight to see as a student.

"....Truth be told, there are some things I miss from being a student. I mean I am doing fine now of course; but it was enjoyable competing against people such as Mao..."

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota couldn't help but laugh at the Priestesses off-handed comment about his pretty disgusting but luckily no fatal wound. "I'm glad to hear it, never know when I might get near eviscerated again." he joked with her, hoping to erase any unease or tension if there was still any lingering about.

"I sometimes miss being a student to, it was just...a lot more carefree, I guess. I mean, I'm happy as a genin, but there are just some things that will never be the same." the boy thought back to some of the odd looks he had gotten from people, wandering out and about in areas where no-one had asked for Suna's aid. He knew he would never have gotten those looks, where he still the innocent child from years ago.

"So, how is your cousin now? Was she alright after the um...incident?" he asked the girl, just trying to keep the conversation going. He listened carefully to whatever response she gave as he noticed something in a nearby shop window that he thought would make a fine present for the kitsune. "I-um, you go on ahead, I've...just remembered I need to talk to my Father quickly, I'll be right back, I'll come find you." he needed to distract the priestess long enough to buy the present for her.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Azusa nodded in agreement; confirming that it at least seemed that Riyota was capable of joking about his past injuries. No doubt a useful quality, if the clumsy misfortune he displayed as a kid was still haunting him to this day. She had wondered just what kind of trouble he may have found himself in during those years out of the village, and made a mental note to pry more information from him...from the sound of it, it seemed he had his fair share of adjustment to become a genin as well.

As for her servant's status, Azusa slammed her fist into her palm as she recalled a few memories; "Ah that's right; Hinoka also wanted to thank you for helping her. No amount of persuasion would convince her that she would have been fine even if I was alone. Just who does she think I am?" She had told Hinoka that she would have been fine and Azusa herself was more than capable of saving her, but her retainer was having none of it and seemed adamant that Riyota was more responsible for her rescue. "She is fine by the way; she is stupidly stubborn, so a few minor scrapes would not keep her down long...I had thought becoming head of the clan would give me free reign, but...well, if anything she has gotten more...dictatorial with me." Azusa twirled a finger through her golden hair with a look of discontent. Her cousin was one of the few checks and balances to her ego, so Riyota more or less did the world a favor by ensuring her safety.

Unfortunately, it seemed Riyota had something to attend to. "...Oh?" When he began to break away from her, the shrine maiden's eyes narrowed; she focused around the street to see if anyone seemed to be attracting Riyota's attention, nor did she detect any scent vaguely similar to Riyota's. Was his father really around? The fox spirit doubted the boy's excuse...but left it uncontested. "....As you wish. Try your best not to keep me waiting forever." In which case; could it have been something she had said or done that was causing him to hide something?

Or worse; could it have been she was interrupting something and was, wait for it; unwanted? (...No. Of course not.) Azusa tossed such a foul idea from her mind, and even pulled a small fan from within her dress to cool herself off with. (No sense getting heated over trivial stuff on my day off.)

She continued down the street in search of something to entertain herself, every so often casting a glance behind her when she passed by a shop. And before long seemed to find some place that caught her attention;

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you a shinobi? If so, I have something that may interest you!" A woman called out to her, Azusa's ears twitched; her interest captured, she was caught...

...And a short time later was skipping back down the street humming to herself, content with her purchase. (Interesting...Now If I can get Riyota, it might be fun!) She returned the way she came in search of Riyota; she decided it's been long enough anyways.

[MFT]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota assumed Azusa suspected something was up, it was only to be expected. His acting skills definitely left something to be desired, but hopefully it left him with enough time to buy what he was hoping to buy.

A short conversation and three failed bartering attempts which actually ended with the purchase becoming more expensive that it was originally. Riyota emerged from the pet-shop he had spotted with a small lizard hiding in the space between his hair and his hood. It was quite a small, adorable lizard, but luckily for Azusa, in case she happened to not like lizards, this particular lizard could transform itself into any other small animal she wanted. Man, isn't that handy?

On his way back to the kitsune the boy could see someone staring at him, just out of the corner of his eye. Not wanting to start anything right now, Riyota pulled his hood slightly further down his face and continued on. Only glancing back for a second to check if the on-looker was still lurking, which he was not.

Having finally returned to the priestess Riyota fiddled about with trying to get an annoying tuft of hair out of his face before initiating conversation, however when Azusa suddenly turned around to speak to him, having clearly already been aware of his presence. He quickly put his hands behind his back and acted like he hadn't been doing anything. After about a second of standing there acting completely natural however. The tuft of hair dropped just in front of his eye again. The boy sighed and looked down to the good luck charm that still hung just in front of his heart, now with a few small scratches and a large gash marking it. 'You aren't exactly doing your job right now.' he thought to it.

MFT 303 (hey, that rhymes.)

 

[Muramasa Maya]

It didn't take her too long to find Riyota; truth be told, she wasn't yet used to his much-taller appearance, so she mainly was keeping a lookout for the distinctive sword on his back. And despite his skulking, he stuck out easily to her. The way he was walking around with a constant look over his shoulder, Azusa couldn't help but think that Riyota looked like the type to mug someone in the alleyways of Grand Palais. Even if he was kind and harmless, that sword definitely did not do much to alleviate the issue! Ever benevolent, she decided to inform him of this; "You know, your hood and sword make you look very....shady. It is as if you want all those dirty looks people keep giving you. Does being looked at like that excite you?" The fox spoke when she caught up with Riyota. And from this point, he would fall victim to her increasingly scrutinizing gaze and merciless mouth.

"...Come to think of it, all your stuff is so messy and ragged." She announced as began walking around poor Riyota. Her gaze followed his when he looked down at something, eventually settling on the small trinket near his chest. "What even is that dirty thing? You didn't actually buy that here, did you? It looks so beat up and cheap! Do you enjoy being ripped off or something? So pathetic! I could make you something substantially nicer, you know. Blessings included." The priestess laughed to herself. Really, it looked like it had seen better days, but...

Wait...Those markings were actually the same that she liked to use. "Hey..." The Kitsune leaned forwards to get a more up-close inspection of that trinket he wore; if someone was making cheap, knock-off replica's of Aikayume charms, they'd end up feeling her wrath. "Is that..." However, the the sharp discontent in her eyes dulled when she realized what exactly she was looking at, and in it's place, embarrassment.
To the priestess, being shown an old charm she made years ago was equivalent to being shown some drawing she made while still in diapers; she immediately went into a flustered defensive mode. "Ah! Th-that old thing. Y-you see...I was young, so don't think I make the same things..or anything. I'm better now...alot better. I...I really can make better charms now! Definitely!" She explained. She was torn between whether to remain defensive or praise him though; she was irritated over the fact that Riyota was still carrying it around, but she also found it kinda cute. So she didn't exactly rip it from his neck even though she strongly desired to.

"....Why are you even still carrying that thing around? It's outta any good luck by now for sure, y'know...Stupid." Azusa grumbled to herself, although a sharp eye would notice the slow, almost-restrained wagging of the golden-blonde tail behind her.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota jumped slightly when he heard the kitsune's voice but he gave his best attempt to play it off cool by sweeping a lock of brown hair out of his face. At he words, he gave a mock sign of offense and responded to the priestess. "My clothes were made by the finest tailors in the land young miss, and you dare to call them shabby?!" he joked with her, he knew he looked very much worse for wear, but a lot had happened in the 5 years since he had left.

Eventually, Azusa noticed the old good luck charm that she had randomly bestowed upon him the first and last time they had met one on one. He couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassment as she realized she had insulted her own work, but he could also see from the corner of his eye, the wagging of her tail. If the fox-girl's biology worked the same as a dog's in that sense, then Riyota could determine that some part of her was happy that he had kept the charm. "Well, I don't think it's out of luck yet. It's saved me from some pretty dire situations. Who knows?, maybe I'll keep it just to spite you. After all you dared to call my designer clothes 'shabby'" he joked once more, although he was serious about keeping the charm. It was special to him, and he didn't simply want to replace it with a 'better' one.

At this point it would be fair to assume that Azusa was on the brink of dying from shame, so the boy thought it best to present the gift now. Holding the small beast in front of her, he would smile and say "Here, I got you this, maybe it can be your good luck charm from me?"

 

[Muramasa Maya]

She wouldn't have guessed by looking at him. I mean, his shirt didn't even fit right, looking like it had been mended over years of wear and tear...It actually brought a smirk to her face as she recalled how as a kid, she used to think that ragged style was so cool. Eventually over the years, she seemed to have slipped into a more refined image her clan had always wanted her to be...

Riyota definitely put her in a difficult place there; as a result, Azusa puffed her cheeks into a pouting expression as she tried to figure out a way to twist the situation around without making herself look foolish. At least not any more foolish than what she had already done. "....I mean.....the charms actually not that bad..." She tried to add....But that was all she had in her before blushing in embarrassment.

Fortunately, Riyota offered her a way out; the gaze of the fox's eyes fell upon Riyota's outstretched hand as his tiny friend bounded out of the folds of his hood and darted across the boy's arm into his palm. Azusa's eyes squinted as she inspected the small creature; "Is it....a snake? It has scales, so it is a snake right?" Azusa questioned, revealing her lack of knowledge of small animals. The foxes infesting blessingthe Aikayume shrine tended to keep the grounds pretty clean of small critters, so Azusa never really stumbled upon them close enough to inspect them.

"Is it really okay for me to have it?" Azusa questioned, holding out her finger towards the lizard. As if to answer, the small "snake" leaped from Riyota's hand to her finger! The Priestess laughed as the small lizard crawled up her hand and scaled arm and shoulder, tickling her all throughout the process. "Okay, okay, q-quit it already! Hahaha!" She delightfully pleaded with a sincere smile, her tail swaying once again. Riyota did well; the Priestess was legitimately pleased and got over her previous embarrassment!

Once Azusa and her gift from Riyota finished inspecting one another, Azusa's giggling settled down and she was able to continue. "...Thank you, Riyota! In that case, I have a gift for you, too then..." she spoke, rummaging through a small package she did not have with her before they briefly split up (her new pet was curiously watching her from her shoulder as she did so). She pulled from within a black bracelet and choker of a matching set (Similar to this), but made of interwoven glyphs and seals. "They are both special, so I was going to keep them for myself, but I guess I can share with you. I am definitely keeping the choker; but you will take the bracelet!" She declared...

...While her sincere smile transformed into a cunning smirk. "...On one condition. You have to follow me, and agree with what I say when we are there, okay? No questions, either. It is special, so you can at least do that much, yes? Now hold out your arm." The fox said. She moved to put the bracelet around his wrist, and if he allowed her to, he'd find that the bracelet would contract gradually until it fit snug around his wrist. It also seemed to have a small warmth to it rather than the usual chilly metal feel. Depending on how well Riyota was at detecting chakra, he might even be able to tell that it definitely wasn't a normal bracelet. "...And help me put on the necklace. Careful, I'm ticklish." She teased, holding out the choker for him to take so that she could move her golden hair out of the way of her neck. Don't worry Riyota; from the tilted head and puzzled expression of the lizard on her shoulder, it was just as in the dark of her scheming as he might be.

[MFT]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

Riyota laughed and noted away in the back of his mind that Azusa was ticklish, it would be good to know just in case at any other point. He was glad that she liked the gift as he was quite worried that she wouldn't have. "You were quite close with snake, but this one has legs, so that makes it a lizard." although Riyota wasn't fully aware of the fact she couldn't properly identify the creature because of her sheltered upbringing he also wasn't one to make fun of someone for not knowing something.

The boy raised an eyebrow when the Kitsune informed him that she had a gift in return, he was confused as he didn't really think that was how gifts worked at all. He was about to open his mouth to protest before he saw her produce two odd looking accessories and proclaim that they were special. "So, what are they exactly?" he asked her, receiving no response whatsoever. However, she practically ordered him to take the bracelet so he made sure to hold out his arm to avoid being shouted at.

There was definitely something weird about the bracelet, though the boy didn't know what, and once he stopped focusing on it he found himself having seemingly signed some sort of binding pact for putting it on. He opened his mouth to say something, until he realized that he wasn't allowed to ask any questions, so he quickly shut it again.

When Azusa asked for his assistance in putting on the necklace, he took a moment to stare into her eyes. It seemed an odd request to Riyota as she seemed capable of just putting it on herself, but again the boy didn't want to be scolded like a child coming home late for dinner so he quietly picked up the necklace and walked around behind the priestess. Gently he put the choker around her neck and secured it. 'She's soft...' was all he could think to himself.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Y'know, for a moment the Priestess though that Riyota had enough of putting up with her, and was about to disagree. He just stared..."...." She took it as a challenge, so she stared back. And it seemed like her stubborness won out fairly quickly. Hah! Noone out-stubborns the Kitsune Princess! "Heeheehee...Good job, Riyota. Thank you." Her smile returned, accompanied by triumphant giggles. Riyota put together the clasps of her choker. See, the Kitsune took enjoyment out of ordering others around, especially if they ended up following said commands.

Choker equipped, Azusa playfully twirled in place before extending out her neck; "Well? How's it look? Actually, that can wait; Lets hurry!"...but only for a moment before she was drawn towards something else that she had yet to reveal to Riyota. Perhaps out of guilt for keeping him in the dark about too many things, she beckoned him to follow her while explaining the bracelet and choker to him; "The woman I bought them from claimed that they increase both a shinobi's ability to control chakra, and their endurance." The Priestess revealed as she dragged Riyota with her. For someone who lacked Taijutsu expertise, hearing that something could improve her chakra control was a surefire way to catch her attention; not to say she was gullible, but she did have a stock of several types of tea said to improve chakra circulation, took her vitamins, had some oils, and all that good stuff. You could say she was something of an expert on false rumors, and she knew that there was more weight to this than, say, any of her exotic tea's."And I can tell that they definitely have some kind of special property, so I do not think she was lying." Like Riyota, Azusa also was able to tell that there was something peculiar about the accessories. If there was one thing that didn't change about her growing up, it was her ever-searching attitude towards finding shortcuts and easy methods of giving herself an advantage. The fact that she was willing to share a potential treasure she stumbled across with Riyota, despite being a spur of the moment impulse, showed she wasn't entirely selfish though.

Her pace slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. Once there, so long as Riyota hadn't fallen too far behind, she'd eagerly thrust her arm out and point towards a building across the street; a rather refined-looking training gym. "...So to test them out, I would like to challenge you to a fight, Riyota. I can say I've been curious for awhile now just where other Genin stand compared to myself." Besides, if the sword on his back was anything to go by, Riyota was a Taijutsu user. And Azusa loved the idea of flaunting her self-perceived superiority over them.

[MFT]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

'So the bracelets are kind of like mini shortcuts to power, sounds familiar...' Riyota thought to himself, brushing his hand over his left pectoral muscle, where his ability enhancing seals lay dormant for the time being. His eyes widened slightly in surprise and Azusa's reveal of her intention to fight him.

"Lady Azusa, I don't think that's a very good idea." Riyota had reverted to a far more formal pattern of speech in his minor panic. He had learned a lot in his five years outside the village, and he had no doubt that Azusa did as well, but the boy's worry came from the fact he might wind up losing control and seriously wounding the girl, or worse.

He decided to play to her ego in an attempt to avoid the fight. "Please, don't make me fight you, I could hardly handle the humiliation." he feigned a look of impending shame. Riyota in no way thought himself strong enough to defeat anyone and everyone, but he had injured people in the past without intending to. He was simply concerned about the young priestess' wellbeing.

He felt a slight tingle in his wrist where the bracelet had been put. 'I'm not sure this thing is going to operate as advertised...'

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"That is the idea. Fight smarter, not harder, yes?" The Kitsune clan princess stated with a proud smile of content on her face. While most others may not have showed as much pride in trying to cheat the system as she did, it made her feel clever!

Never one to appreciate being declined, Azusa's outstretched arm lowered, until she crossed her arms and tilted her head in a perplexing manner. And the reptile on her shoulder? It already seemed to be bonding with her, and shook its head slowly. "...Let me rephrase that. In that case, I will beat you down and we will see how we can improve your defenses." The Fox said.

She continued staring at Riyota with a serious expression, before smiling again. "...Just kidding. It will just be us, so you don't need to be shy; I promise not to tease you, even if you are weak. I might even hold back, since I'm in a good mood." Azusa stated, having absolutely no trouble believing Riyota's act of humility.

...If anything it kinda made the priestess realize that she found the thought of Riyota begging for her mercy strangely appealing.

 

[Miroku Riyota]

He should've known the Kitsune priestess would not be talked down so easily. He was going to try his best to allow her to win in a way that held the most satisfaction. In that he was going to pretend to try his best. He slowly drew the greatsword off of his back, white side up. It emitted a strange, bright, unnatural light until he turned it over to the black side in his hand, which made the blade begin radiating a strange shadow.

"If you're intent on fighting me, then I won't hold back!" he smirked at her, to reinforce the blatant lie. Hopefully I can put on a good show and end this quickly. I don't want either of us to end up injured. His heart pounded strangely in his chest for a moment, he thought it was yet another one of those strange feelings from being near Azusa, but then the edges of his vision blurred for a moment and he began to feel quite dizzy. He looked again at his bracelet 'What is this thing?' he didn't know what the accessory was doing to him, but he certainly didn't feel enhanced.

Ignoring it and recomposing himself, he let off a cheeky wink at the kitsune, goading her onwards. "Your move..."

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Azusa's green-blue eyes seemed to sparkle when Riyota came around to her way of thinking, and drew his sword. "That is the spirit!" She cheered, pleased.

...Although perhaps he got abit too fired up. "....Huh? Right here? In the street? I do not mind showing off for a crowd, but we'd quickly be thrown out of the whole district if we started fighting here..." The priestess questioned. It seemed she clearly underestimated Riyota; the boy was clearly a bigger masochist than she had originally thought! Or perhaps he simply didn't realize that shoppers of the Diamond District didn't exactly appreciate fights breaking out in the middle of their shopping sprees; they preffered to spend piles of yen on overly expensive tickets to see people tear each other apart.

"Give me a moment." The fox vanished inside the building she had brought Riyota too, and her conversation with the manager inside was along the lines of "Which room do you need" [color=EB7216]"All of them."[/color]. Suffice to say, after a few...(-ish) minutes, she returned to the front and beckoned Riyota inside, having switched from her previous white dress to a training gi (including a wooden sword at her side) in respectable time. "I rented us a room to train in without bothering others." And indeed she did; should Riyota follow her, she'd lead him to wood-floored, open aired room in the back of the gym; they'd have plenty of space for their duel.

"...Sorry for the wait. Now I am ready. Haa haa..." She declared, panting slightly. (...Strange. I'm feeling tired before we even start.) Azusa thought to herself, slightly out of breath. Sure, she was trying to change into her gi in a hurry to make sure Riyota still had that fighting spirit, but she shouldn't have been short of breath just from that. Perhaps it was the choker she wore? It did feel more tight around her neck than she originally remembered it to be...(....Whatever, I'm sure It'll pass once we start.)

She placed her hand upon her chest, or rather the short flute (more like a long whistle) that hung from a thin silk string around her neck, and raised it to her lips. The flute's silver metal seemed to shine when she played a simple soft note; and with that a soft breeze picked up around them where a trio of...orbs, you could say, floated above Azusa's shoulds before launching towards Riyota (Air Bullet).
She didn't put down her flute though; the priestess continued with several more notes that ringed and echoed throughout the area, and if Riyota let the air bullets distract him for too long, he'd find that his vision was going to be so much more than just alittle blurry....(Verse of Darkness)

[MFT]

 

[Miroku Riyota]

"Right right, yeah...of course." Riyota stammered, slowly placing the sword back in its sheath, looking mildly sheepish. He had become so used to just fighting wherever the fight was naturally going to happen that he had become unaccustomed to things such as rules and common courtesy.

He was about to suggest again that they call off the duel when the Kitsune suddenly vanished into a building. After standing for about a minute Riyota looked at his wrist, wondering what was taking so long. The boy did not factor in the fact that he did not actually own a watch, but realized at this point he was too far in to the act to back out now, so he just stared at his wrist for an acceptable amount of time, hoping nobody would notice his idiocy.

After an undocumentable amount of minutes the priestess re-emerged from the building and told Riyota to come inside. The young ninja noticed she's changed clothing in the time it had taken her to rent the building and he wondered why she had been carrying around training gear on a shopping trip. However he decided not to question it.

As he saw Azusa preparing for battle, he drew the great sword once again. The whole act being just for show, as he waited for her to attack first, just as he saw the attacks flying towards him however, he suddenly felt very weak in the arms. Unable to hold a convincing defense, the Air bullets hit him hard in the chest and the face, he grunted in pain before his vision went dark and he was forced to rely on his remaining four senses.

Were he a man with less pride, he maybe would've told Azusa about his sudden illness, but he didn't want to sound like he was making up crap excuses, as he feared the priestess would think less of him. He didn't ready an attack of his own, he only planned to block a few strikes and then allow himself to be defeated before either of them got hurt. He wanted to tear the bracelet off as he grew more and more suspicious of it, but he didn't want to seem rude. As it had been a gift after all.