She's Not Dead! Hurray!

[Kagetsu Yuii]

The walk through the village was, for Yuii at least, boring. She did it several times a day, after all, and there was nothing specifically amazing about tonight. With the protection of the mountains, the storm outside was mellowed considerably into a fast falling cascade of white powder that blanketed everything. By the light of the street lamps, it was actually quite pretty if one liked that sort of thing. Yuii didn't.

After their quick stop for meat buns, one of which was generously shared, her focus was entirely on trying to keep her nose and fingers warm in the biting cold. Eating the warm bun had made her nose start to run, and she longed for another dozen buns to stuff under her lumpy and ineffective coat for their warmth. "Honestly, whoever invented snow deserves a horrible punishment. I hope they're Shinbatsu's designated sweaty foot rubber from now until eternity. I imagine they're pretty awful in all that golden armour his cult, order thing like to picture him in. I wonder if when he ascended he left his armour behind or if it went with him? I guess you'd have to take into consideration if the armour was a man-made creation or something he brought to earth. Imagine showing up in heaven butt-naked after a foray as Raikage of cloud, though? I bet the other gods would have had a laugh at his expense- unless he's as terrifying for them as he was for us. Imagine being a fly on the wall while a bunch of heavenly beings tried not to laugh because they didn't want to fight Raiden's hand? Or, you know now that I think of it, maybe they wouldn't care? Maybe they're all naked there already! I mean, why would a god care if people could see their bits? Most of them are supposed to be pretty perfect anyway, right?"

She stomped her feet to make sure her toes hadn't frozen solid. She probably should get a new pair soon, these were at least five years old and wearing thin. At her side, Oniyuri made a 'mhmm' noise, in an unbelievable attempt to acknowledge she was listening but it seemed enough for Yuii to continue. "Right, I'm off topic. It's cold, been getting colder right? I've definitely noticed it lately. I used to travel a lot and I'm SURE that it was never this cold when I was going place to place. It isn't elevation either, most of my time was spent in Raiden's spine- the mountains, not the person- and it was pretty cold there too. Maybe it's a test or something. Raiden designed THESE mountains to be extra cold to test shinobi kind from now until the future. Man, Gods are dicks." Oniyuri shot her a sideways glance, rolled her eyes, then eyed Shashu to see if there were any more fish-buns.

They were getting close, and Yuii could practically taste that hot chocolate. She quietly wished the Anbu following her had waited until morning to make their grand return. Then she would have been fresh-faced and happy to have an excuse to have muffins and tea with them while Ayumu organised everything. She DID feel obligated to stay once they arrived at the tower, because a good Sennin protected the Kage in circumstances like this, so she would have to make due with the consolation of late night hot chocolate. Woe to them all if there wasn't a mountain of little marshmallows to go with it.

"Here I am complaining and you seemed to barely have a layer between the cold and what the gods gave you. I'm pretty impressed! Dressed like that, I bet I could cut glass! The scandal of the century. Not that I could get away with anything that revealing. I practically have the upper body of a little girl under all of this. Who would take me seriously then?" She giggled to herself, meaning it rhetorically, but Oniyuri chimed in with one of her usual well-timed retorts.

"No one takes you seriously now."

Yuii stood straight, blanched, then hung her head with shame, all while maintaining a pained smile, "Hey, that's.... viciously true! You're so mean Oniyuri. I'm so hurt, why would you say that! Facts hurt!", she whined, digging her fist into the feline's thick skull. The cat winced and sidestepped, but not quickly enough to avoid Yuii throwing her entire weight over her back "Carry me for your betrayal!" The blue haired woman demanded, locking her arms around her friend's neck.

"You're heavy," Oniyuri grunted, shaking her striped body in an attempt to remove her unwanted passenger but Yuii managed to stay clutched on with a grip that would impress any rodeo bull rider. They fought a minute, Oniyuri growling indignantly and thrashing about while Yuii clung on, until the tiger reared up and threw her entire weight backwards into the snow-dusted entrance to the Torre Celeste, crushing Yuii. The duo seemed to do this often, however, as Yuii seemed barely phased by Oniyuri's flashy wrestling move and they both scrambled to their feet like nothing had happened at all.

"Made it!" Yuii cried happily, bursting through the tower entrance, pulling her now wet mittens off and throwing them down on the ground, "Goal!" Her face became to ache as it warmed, and Yuii made a delighted noise. 'They wouldn't need her back tonight, would they?' she thought while struggling out of her jacket and throwing the mess of oversized wool and leather over her shoulder, 'she could just hide out in her nice, warm, office until morning, right?' She pulled at her also too large turtle neck to dislodge some ice from the earlier wrestling match and sighed. If only.

This late there was only a skeleton crew working in the tower to process emergencies or late-night arrivals like themselves. Yuii crouched to pick up her mittens and gave the night secretary a sheepish wave. She didn't know the night workers very well, but this one was aware of their coming, "We notified him of your impending arrival. He'll be waiting upstairs." the woman informed them, unphased by the Main branch Sennin's antics. Yuii laughed, relieved someone had managed to drag Ayumu out of bed, and gestured for her Anbu charge to follow her up to the Raikage's office.

Yuii, of course, led the way, with Oniyuri trailing back to take up a guard position when they arrived at Ayumu's office. Barely knocking once, Yuii didn't wait for an answer before letting herself in,"Kogamiii! We're here!"

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had been having the nicest dream when a sharp knock came at his door. Groaning as his eyes opened and realization that he had just been asleep set in, he rolled over and looked at his clock. It was indeed the middle of the night, but he was certain that had been a knock. As he sat up groggily, another knock came. "Alright! Hang on," he shouted to the door. If it was someone knocking this late, it could be an emergency. Ayumu forced himself to stand and walk to the door hastily. He was wearing his pajama pants and a loose tank top. Hardly presentable, but time could be of the essence. Opening the door, he found one of the late night employees of the Torre standing there. They didn't look particularly distressed, which was a relief immediately.

"What's going on this late?" Ayumu asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The man quickly explained that the Main Branch Sennin was headed to the Torre from the gates and would be arriving soon with someone in tow. An MIA shinobi who had returned to the gates in the middle of the night. Ayumu cocked an eyebrow, wondering both who this shinobi might be and why on earth they picked the middle of the night to return. He also wondered what in the world Yuii was doing at the gates in the middle of the night. Regardless, he nodded and closed the door so that he could change quickly and head downstairs. A few minutes later he was outside of the door to his office. A staff members of the Main Branch was awaiting him with a rolling cart. Atop it were three cups, a steaming pitcher of something, a bowl with a mound of marshmallows, and a small cake.

"I didn't ask for..." Ayumu began to say and halted short as he realized. "Yuii," he said simply. The staff member simply nodded. Ayumu returned the nod knowingly and opened the door, beckoning the man to follow behind him. Yawning, Ayumu made his way to his desk and slumped into the chair. "Couldn't she have waited until morning, or a few days later like last time?" he whispered to himself. "I'll take a cup of... cocoa, right?" Ayumu said to the man who nodded and began pouring him a cup. He added some of the marshmallows and brought it to Ayumu's desk just as the brief knock barely registered for either he and Ayumu. The singsong announcement of their arrival made it loud and clear, however.

"Great. And why did it have to be at this time of ni-" he began to quip, but stopped short as he noticed the woman behind Yuii. "Shashu?!" he exclaimed, standing up behind his desk. Seeing her, it was like a burden he had nearly forgotten he was carrying had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders. He walked around his desk quickly and stepped closer to make sure his fatigued eyes weren't deceiving him. It was her. "Thank God, it is you. When you hadn't returned or sent any reports in so long, we feared the worst, and nobody could find you," he said as he sort of wanted to hug her, but fought the impulse. "What happened to you?" he asked, eerily reminded of Osuteno's recent return. What was with these shinobi going outside the village and going inactive disappearing? Had she also been kidnapped, like Osu?

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

The falling snow was a comforting change of pace for Shashu, layering everything in a muffling blanket of white that gave the illusion of solitude even in the midst of the city. It was something she'd missed while in Kanka's realm; there the temperature had been ever warm, eternally somewhere between tropical and temperate. Perfect for the spiders who lived there, but she'd grown up in a much harsher climate. She was used to howling winds and drifts of snow to begin with, and ever since Mist the cold never seemed to bother her at all. Perks of living through a trip to a literal frozen hellhole, I suppose. The same could not be said for Yuii, however, whose endless chatter about the cold was a welcome backdrop to the scenery. Like Shashu, the contract spiders had a penchant for saying what they needed to and little else. When conversation did happen, it tended to be either functional or a front while the participants traded barbs at each other. Yuii, on the other hand, reminded her somewhat of Saeko. There was a shared tendency to ramble and diverge off into tangents that, while entertaining, often had little to do with the subject at hand.

Well, considering they work together, I wouldn't be surprised if one rubbed off on the other. Speaking of...

The Torre Celeste loomed suddenly out of the swirling white and Shashu dispelled her transformation while Yuii scuffled with her cat, who slammed her bodily into the door. Unfazed, Yuii pulled herself up and flung open the doors with a cry of joy, tossing down her winter clothes with a sudden burst of enthusiasm. Am I that out of touch, or is it just that cold? Regardless, someone should update the cold-weather gear. Something lighter, warmer, and... Shashu eyed the pile of bulky winter wear. ...better looking. I should probably have a word with requisitions...anyway, back on target. The secretary sported the same bored expression as night workers everywhere as she informed them the Raikage was waiting, sending them on up without a second thought to Yuii's antics. Such displays were common around her, it seemed. Despite herself Shashu found she had taken a liking to the woman. She was easy to be around.

Arriving at the top, Shashu hardly had her mask off before Yuii breezed through the door, practically singing a name that made her heart turn over in her chest. ""Kogami?" She whispered, eyes wide. "But...when did..." Before she could form a coherent thought on the matter, much less speak one, Ayumu was right there in front of her, just as surprised as she.

It was just unfair. After all the courage she worked up for this moment, only to have it sprung on her unawares? How was she possibly supposed to tell him how she felt when not only does he show up right in front of her, but he's also somehow Raikage?! Not that he doesn't deserve it, but fucking Sinspawn Kyoka, would it have hurt you to keep me in the loop? Seriously, just one update, and Yevonsavemehestooclosetooclose! "Th-that's, umm..." She coughed and ducked quickly past him, trying to hide the furious blush creeping up her face. Fortunately the Raikage's office had many windows that generously didn't give a hoot about how red her face was, so she picked one of those to pretend to look out of. Kind of them, that. Really, what was Ayumu thinking getting that close? He really ought to know better! After all, Shu-

Pain jolted her back to reality as she pinched herself, hard. Calm down girl, you know better. We went over this. Just take a deep breath and calm down. She did so, letting the jitters and frantic thoughts fade away. Good. I can do this. Just focus on what's in front of me. He's been worried, and I owe him an explanation. Doubly so because he's Raikage now.

She put on her game face and turned to face him, almost startled as she realized she'd completely forgotten Yuii was in the room, but thankfully didn't let it show . "Well, it's a long story. I suppose I should start with my report from Iwa, as you're the Raikage now. Unless you were already filled in?" It was a pointed question, largely poised at Yuii's presence. Shashu assumed she was the Main Branch Sennin, but no one had confirmed it for her, and even if they had she wasn't necessarily privy to all the information Shashu carried. That was Ayumu's decision to make.

[MFT]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii paused, flicked her gaze towards her escort-ee as she spoke for, literally, the first time since the beginning of their trip (excluding bun ordering). At least she wasn't mute! The poor woman looked pretty shocked to see Ayumu, and he wasn't even in his weird casual clothes or reading, ugh, books. He was doing the respectable thing and wearing a proper uniform, and not pyjamas like Yuii might have in his place. What was wrong with being comfortable in a meeting anyways? Being dragged out of bed to smile and talk in a bright room was torture enough. Not the type to jump to romantic conclusions, Yuii boiled her surprise down to the pretty sudden exchange of power. If her book was right, Shashu had been gone well before Saito started whining about wanting to retire. Maybe she was worried about the dour, retired Raikage too; since that had traditionally only happened after a death or rapture. Ayumu being in a leadership position shouldn't have shocked her, though, he was a pretty okay guy when he wasn't being the route of literally every trouble.

"Oh, you know this delinquent gate crasher, Kogami? Fantastic!" she chimed, making a bee-line for hot drinks and cake. "I figured you would like me to be prompt this time, even if it meant trudging through the snow in the dead of night with my poor toes freezing solid and my nose running so badly that I must be dehydrated -severely- by now," she answered his unfinished question while pouring a drink for herself. She was going to offer one to the funny, silent snow-ghost lady too because she had fed them on the way and fair was fair but Shashu- she knew her name now- seemed to be trying to make herself part of the furniture. She had a good figure of a statue, and she wasn't doing a terrible job of standing still or being quiet, but it was going to make her miss out on all the delicious things.

Blissfully unaware of the fact that she had walked into a drama scene, Yuii shrugged her shoulders in the universal body language for 'I-have-no-idea-why-she's-staring-out-a-window-now-and-it's-not-my-fault-but-I-hope-she-knows-we-can-totally-see-her-reflection-because-its-night' and settled herself into a comfortable chair with her cocoa heaped with marshmallows balanced in one hand and a piece of in the other. No, she wasn't going to leave without eating, because why should she? Yuii didn't know Shashi, and short of a direct order, Ayumu wasn't going to kick her out. He was a baby bird Raikage and completely forgot that he was peppered with targets the moment he put on that silly hat. Friends weren't always friends anymore.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu was still stunned to see Shashu and by the look on her face she was equally stunned to see him. It took him a moment to realize why she was so surprised. Of course, the last time she had been in Cloud he was still the Sennin, not the Raikage. Many things had changed. Meanwhile, one of those changes, Yuii, remained oblivious to what was unfolding. Having her requested reward for her late night trek to the Torre before her, she wasted no time in indulging in cake and cocoa while taking a seat to warm up for a bit. Some part of it, Ayumu guessed, was her inclination to stay and make sure he wasn't in danger. But how much of it was that and how much was just to keep out of the cold and go to town on some sweets?

Showing her trademark bashfulness, Shashu coughed awkwardly and walked past Ayumu to stare out the window. It was good to see that some things didn't change, he supposed. He wheeled around to watch as she gathered herself before turning around to finally speak. She was ready to give her story, though she seemed to be eyeing Yuii with a hint of uncertainty.

"Right, I guess that came as a surprise. A few things have changed since you were here. Akira stepped down, naming me the Raikage. Yuii here has... willingly taken my place as the Main Branch Sennin," Ayumu explained quickly. There were other changes in leadership, of course, but they weren't relevant immediately. He would tell Shashu in time, but first he was curious to hear her report.

"At any rate, you can give your report. Don't mind Yuii," Ayumu said, eager to find out what had happened with Shashu.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

"...As you say." Shashu crossed her arms and dipped her head, gathering her thoughts. Honestly the hardest part of all this was going to be finding a middle ground for dealing with Ayumu that fell somewhere between formality and familiarity. Before, she had always talked to him with the utmost respect, taking care to never seem casual with him, but she needed to move past that. As she'd told herself at least a hundred times now, she needed to treat him like a person, not an idol. Still, he was Raikage, and with that came... Fuck it, just admit it Shashu. You're just too shy to suddenly jump to being friends after treating him like some god-like feudal lord for the longest time. And that's fine. It's a lot to move past, and no amount of thinking about it is going to change that. Just give it time, and focus on doing what we can now. Remember, you're a professional.

"Right." Returning her attention to the present, she produced a sealed folder from one of her armor seals and walked over to plop it on Ayumu's desk. "Since it's late I'll try and give you the cliff notes, but all the details are in here. I took the liberty of writing them up while I was, ah, otherwise occupied. More on that later. Anyways, to the point. I don't know what all Hyazo included in his report to Saito, if he even gave a report, or if you were informed at all about the particulars of my mission to Iwa, so I'll start at the beginning. Some, ah, five years ago now, one of our shinobi went missing during a visit to Iwa." She flipped open the folder and pulled out a dossier featuring a female Kumo-nin. "One Daiki Ayumi, Main, of no particular interest otherwise, and it was a casual visit as far as I was informed. Officially we knew she went missing relatively soon after she failed to report in, but due to some mess of bureaucratic red tape and departmental miscommunication it was months before I was assigned to find out what happened to her, and three years until the mission actually went underway alongside a diplomatic mission led by Saito himself." Her eyes still rolled every time she thought about that debacle. Three whole years to dispatch somebody to track down someone who killed one of their own. Ridiculous.

"His objective was to foster peaceful relations with Iwa, but isn't important here beyond that. My objective was to track down her killer, ascertain his or her motives, determine if there was a larger threat to Kumo tied to it, and deliver the Kage's justice as I saw fit. Once again, I won't bore you with the details," she tapped the folder again, then pulled out a second dossier. "But despite how cold the trail was I managed to track down this man, Souji, also known as The Guardian. The information I gathered pointed to him as the only one present at Ayumi's death, and he corroborated as such. According to him, Ayumi claimed she was attacked by some high ranking Iwa-nin, but showed no signs of struggle, and was acting highly suspicious while accusing individuals he trusted personally. Rather than allow her to escape and potentially spark war between the villages, he slew her. Regretfully, the body was not in his possession at the time I spoke with him, nor did he know it's whereabouts. All this I confirmed myself via a Genjutsu probe into his mind, which he willingly agreed to."

Shashu took a moment to guage Ayumu's reaction, then continued. "He seemed to genuinely regret his actions- actually, he seemed disenchanted with the shinobi life in general, and had retreated to the caverns below Iwa to live in seclusion. Regardless, I would have administered the Kage's justice had it not been for this." Setting aside the main mission report, she produced a second folder and motioned Ayumu over to the desk. Unlike the first, this folder was red and stamped with the strongest seal she personally knew. "Now, this is where it gets real interesting," she added, eyes lighting up with excitement. "This is all extremely volatile stuff. If it got out...well, Iwa would not be happy and at least half our nin would be begging for war. As it turns out, Ayumi's death was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There was a war on the horizon if Souji hadn't intervened, but it was Iwa's plan. Well, really only the Tsuchikage's and a few of his trusted followers, but still. Their village was starting to splinter apart and they needed a larger enemy to unite against, so they tried to use Ayumi, and by extension Kumo as a whole, to provoke a war. Rest of the details on that in here as well."

Satisfied with herself, Shashu stepped back and turned to Ayumu. "Pretty heavy stuff, right? Really nasty and underhanded. I'm almost impressed. Course this is all moot now since the plot failed; the Tsuchikage at that time was killed along with all the conspirators-at different times and for mostly different reasons, as far as I can gather-and next to no-one has even the slightest clue about any of it, Souji included. Still, it could stir up quite a frenzy if it became public knowledge. I recommend destroying this once you've finished going through it. I can make another one if necessary." She tapped her lips thoughtfully, feeling like she was missing something.... "Ah, right! Souji. Given the circumstances and how little a role he actually played in all of this, I decided to withhold the Kage's justice and leave him be. He seems harmless enough, and if that changes I have the means to track him down and reverse my decision."

She let Ayumu have some time to skim any parts of the report that caught his eye, taking the time to go over everything in her head. When he was finished she nodded, fidgeting slightly. "So yeah, that pretty much sums up all of that. Any questions? I'd like to get them out of the way now, cause....well, the next part is, um, kind of personal..."

MFT

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

As Shashu gathered her thoughts, Ayumu stepped back to his desk and sat on the edge, preparing himself. He glanced over at Yuii who seemed to be busying herself with the snacks. He wasn't going to send her back out in the cold without letting her partake, she would probably quit in protest if he tried. He looked back to Shashu in time to see her drop a folder on his desk. He almost instinctively grabbed it to skim, but he stopped himself as Shashu begain explaining. He could read it in more detail later, as she said. He placed it gently back on the desk and looked back to Shashu. She mentioned Hyazo and a report, but Ayumu had no knowledge of it if the man had given any. At the time, Ayumu would still have been Sennin of the Main so he wouldn't have received every report the Raikage might have.

He peered down as Shashu opened the folder and pulled out a dossier on one Daiki Ayumi. It was nobody Ayumu had heard of, despite their similar names. Apparently she had gone missing in Stone and it took years to set up a mission to go and find out what happened. While Saito and Junko were working on diplomatic relations with Stone, it seemed Shashu was investigating a missing person case. Her search had led her to a man whom she believed to be Ayumi's killer. The man had taken Ayumi out because she was at accusing Stone's shinobi of attacking her and trying to spark an incident between them and Cloud. A war between two shinobi villages would have been absolutely devastating, so the man had made the decision to silence her.

While Ayumu understood the need to avoid an international incident, the knowledge that someone from Stone had taken it upon themselves to decide that a Cloud-nin should die didn't sit well with him. His hands which were at his side gripped the edge of the desk tightly for a moment as Shashu went on. She recalled that she had found out that Ayumi had been used as part of a plot to try to start a war with Kumo, a plot instigated by the Tsuchikage. Ayumi's death, whether she was a witting part of the plot or not, had stopped it in its tracks. It was unfortunate that she had to die to prevent something that she might have had nothing to do with, but if it was her death versus the deaths of many in a shinobi village war, the right choice was clear. If the Tsuchikage who had orchestrated these events was dead now, both villages were lucky for it.

Ayumu sighed as Shashu finished up her explanation. She recommended that Ayumu destroy the file after he was finished with it. She also relayed that she had permitted Souji to live on, which Ayumu couldn't fault her for if the man had prevented war even if it meant killing a Kumo-nin. It was ugly and didn't make him feel warm inside, but it was better than war. Ayumu picked up the file for a moment when Shashu had ceased her explanation and did a quick flip through the contents before setting it back down on his desk.

"I'll look at this more in detail later, then I will likely destroy it. None of this leaves this room, okay? We're not risking the alliances Akira worked to garner based on something that their Tsuchikage tried to do years ago," Ayumu said, a statement mostly pointed at Yuii. Shashu would obviously know better and Yuii likely would too (if she had even been paying attention) but it was better to say it just to be sure. With her report out of the way, Shashu had something else she wanted to talk about. She looked a bit nervous and claimed that the next matter was somewhat personal. Was she going to ask for vacation now that she was back from her trip? That was understandable.

"I haven't got any further questions at the moment. Go ahead," he said, prompting Shashu to continue.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii half listened as not so statue lady gave her debrief as she curled deeper and deeper into her chair and amused herself by pressed on her marshmallows until they were mostly submerged then letting them pop back up. It had been a long night, after all, and Yuii was easily entertained. What information did reach her was alarming, if confusing because of her lack of knowledge of the people and places being spoken of, and she sighed in relief when the end result was an avoided war with Stone. The last thing she needed right then was a national crisis that required her to lead her branch to war. Or properly. Or at all. Saeko was handling it.

Being an Anbu seemed pretty tough. Being called upon to deliver justice for your leader was a pretty heavy task. It made her decade of missions sound like a vacation by comparison. Anbu was up there with jobs like Raikage that she never wanted to do.

She watched as Ayumu processed all of Ahasu's information with greater speed or intelligence than she could muster at that moment. The Sennin wasn't offended when Ayumu needlessly reminded them that information stayed in the office, nor did she care to remind him her most redeeming qualities was her ability to keep secrets. "Of course," she chimed wearily, adding another dozen marshmallows to her already loaded drink, "I heard nothing."

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

Shashu nodded, happy Ayumu was taking her seriously. Despite the hour he was attentive to her report and gave it the gravitas an international incident like this demanded, taking in everything she provided and making a definitive decision on the spot, as a Raikage should. Perhaps she was biased, but...well, even though it was unexpected, she was beyond pleased to see Ayumu taking up the mantle of Raikage. She'd always seen him as a great man from the day she met him, someone with integrity and simple honesty who yet wielded enough strength and determination to cow his foes and see him through dark times. He was the inspiration for her to join the ANBU in the first place, giving her motivation to grow ever stronger so that she might one day serve alongside him. In a brief moment of epiphany, Shashu realized her desire to be of use to him was probably why she had become the kind of shinobi she was today. To her, Ayumu was incredible. But he wasn't perfect. Honesty, integrity, and raw strength could only carry you so far in this world, and so, without intending to, she had spent every ounce of her training to become his opposite: a shadow to his light, lies to his truth, and poison to his steel. She could shore up his weaknesses and fight the battles he could not. She had, unintentionally, become the perfect person to support him.

Or the perfect person to take him down.

That sobering thought gave her the push she needed. "Right. There are some things you need to know about why I was gone so long. It is...personal, yes, but you deserve to hear it. Need to hear it. Both as Raikage, and as Ayumu." She took a deep breath and stepped away from the desk, gathering her thoughts before she faced him once more. When she did, her expression was deathly serious. "When I left Iwa I recieved communication from Akira that he would be going to Suna first to extend his diplomatic mission during one of their festivals and that I should report to him there should I arrive before he moved on. As I was only a few days behind I was able to make it to Suna before he left, but I never made contact with him. Instead, I was waylaid by a man named Ichi, a servant of the Cabal. I'm sure you've heard of them."

Disgust wrote itself plain on her face at the mention of Ichi's name. "He did something to me. Messed with my mind in ways that I...." She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of his intrusion into her psyche. To think someone would use Genjutsu that way...it made her skin crawl. "Look, I know Genjutsu. It's one of my specialties. But what that man did...he reached in and changed me against my will. Bent my mind so that I would turn my skills against Kumo, and you especially. Why they targeted you so, I can't say. Maybe I was just a target of opportunity. But they are dangerous Ayumu." She tried to put every ouce of seriousness into her eyes as she spoke. The Cabal were a very real threat if even one of their members had power like that, and if there were more... "If Ichi is any indication, the Cabal have powers beyond what we know, and they certainly don't have our best interest in mind. I really hope we don't have to tangle with those guys ever." Shashu sighed and rolled her shoulders as if she could slough off the experience altogether. Now it was Ayumu's problem, if the Cabal hadn't already made a show of force in her time away. She certainly hoped not. Those people were spooky, and that was saying something coming from her.

"At any rate, the reason I didn't come back and start making a mess is because of my contract with the spiders." She opened her mouth to show the contract symbol emblazoned on her tongue. Sure, it was semi-embarrassing to have it there, but it was easy to hide. Plus, biting your tongue for some blood was way faster than cutting a thumb or something, and sneakier to boot. "Their overlord...well, let's just say she doesn't like others playing with her toys, for lack of a better explanation. She pulled me back to the spirit realm and had me undergo some serious mental rehabilitation, along with some other, ah, favors I had to do for her in exchange. I apologize for the poor explanation," she added sheepishly. Kanka had put a gag order on the whole thing, and Shashu literally couldn't talk about it. Which was annoying to say the least. "But I can promise you that Ichi, at least, won't be able to work his tricks on me again."

It wasn't easy to admit how badly she'd fucked up, letting herself get taken like that, but it wasn't something she could hide. Hopefully Ayumu would understand. He would be perfectly justified in removing her from ANBU entirely for this if he wanted to, but...well, she didn't really want to think about that. "Ah, anyway, that's everything. Details are in the folder. And Ayumu...if there's no questions, could I talk to you about something?" Her eyes flickered nervously over to where Yuii was probably still stuffing her face as she suddenly remembered the woman was there for the second time. "In private? Please?"

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Taking a breather, Ayumu walked over to where Yuii was enjoying herself and poured himself a cup of cocoa as Shashu continued, allowing her a moment to compose herself. He even indulged in adding a few marshmallows to make Yuii proud. He turned back around just in time to see Shashu do the same, her expression very sincere. She spoke of how she had traveled to Wind Country for the event held there, just as the rest of them had. Ayumu had never even know Shashu was around back then, so this was surprising to hear. It soon became clear why they hadn't met as she explained that a man named Ichi, no doubt from the same group as those who he himself had encountered, had prevented that.

"Yes... it was all a trap. The invitation, everything. The same group tried to poison our shinobi with a biological weapon and attacked Saito before we drove the assailant off. After that, we led our people out of there before anybody else could be put in danger," Ayumu responded, cluing Shashu in on some of the details she might have missed, given that she hadn't been among those who returned to Kumo that day. She hadn't yet explained what became of her, so Ayumu went silent and sipped at his cocoa, allowing her to continue, very curious to hear what had occurred.

The man had used Genjutsu to try to twist Shashu's will and turn him against Ayumu, though Shashu didn't realize why. She warned him that they were dangerous, which Ayumu already knew. The woman he and the others had fought was very strong, though not strong enough. Ayumu was relieved to know that Shashu had gotten out of that situation before she had been successfully turned against Kumo and him.

"They likely targeted me because of my position as Sennin. I wasn't the only one that was a target that day," Ayumu suggested before letting Shashu continue once more. He took another sip of his cocoa, slurping up a couple marshmallows this time. She continued on, explaining that she had a contract with a spiders much like Ayumu had with the frogs. He was fairly certain they had obtained those contracts during the same event when they'd been contacted by the contract animals for help. Apparently the spiders were much more clingy than the frogs as the queen of the spiders had decided to "fix" Shashu. Whatever actually occurred, she seemed confident that she wouldn't be able to be manipulated that way again. Of course, there was always the possibility that she had never actually been fixed and was still plotting to assassinate him now. Ayumu couldn't help that the thought crossed his mind, at least once. It wasn't a personal matter, but more so the shinobi training turned instinct forcing him to be cautious.

"We are fully aware of the Cabal now... I won't be spending vacation time in Wind Country anytime soon, I can tell you that. I'm just glad that you're okay now, Shashu. I'd been worried about you for a long time," he said, glancing at the folder as Shashu mentioned it. He had no intention of removing her from ANBU- her skills were unquestionable even if she had been bested by someone from the Cabal once. He would likely ask some from the branch to keep an eye on her for a while, just to make sure she was truly fine now and not secretly plotting to kill him. And then she asked to speak with him alone.

Ayumu stole a glance at Yuii, knowing that Shashu was asking if she could speak to Ayumu without her in the room specifically. After hearing that someone had tried to program Shashu to go after Ayumu, the thought couldn't help but linger in his mind that this could be some sort of trap, but he wanted to trust Shashu. He knew Yuii wouldn't like it, though. She was protective of him and thought that he was too carefree when it came to things like this. Ayumu returned to his desk, leaning against it and sipped at his cocoa once more.

"In private? Alright. Yuii, would you mind stepping outside? You can take the cart with you. Would you also mind waiting? I need to speak with you after this," he said to his Sennin. He was giving her an excuse to stick around, so she wouldn't have to worry about leaving Ayumu completely alone with Shashu. He understood the feeling, after all. When he had been Sennin, he had always been overprotective of Shin, and it was when he wasn't there that Shin had been killed. He waited until Yuii had made her way out of the room and then looked to Shashu, wondering what the private meeting was about.

"Everything all right, Shashu?" he asked with a hint of concern.

[MFT 814]

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii grunted in agreement and unfurled from her chair gracefully despite her half asleep state. Glaring at Ayumu in her 'you know how I feel about this,' way, she dropped a large handful of marshmallows into her cup then another. She wasn't going to take the whole cart because what did he take her for, some kind of glutton but she wouldn't starve herself either? "I'll be right outside," she assured him pointedly, making certain Shashu knew she would be in a world of hurt if there was trouble. She flicked at Ayumu's nose, a very respectable way of punishing him for putting himself in danger AGAIN then shuffled her way towards the door.

'I'm serious, right outside. Like, just shout or whatever!" she called, turning to shoot both of them one last glare. Who knew, this could be the last time she saw either of them alive or well, "so no funny stuff!"

Yuii out.

Good to her word she would find a space right next to the thick and totally sound proof door and crouch down to pout. Banished to the hallway, like some kind of naughty school kid. What a night.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

​

Shashu watched Yuii walk out with a mixture of relief and trepidation. Sure, she was glad that she was finally going to be able to say this, but nothing she could done would have prepared her for the actual moment, and a not-small part of her wished Yuii had insisted on staying so Shashu would have an excuse not to go forward with it. But she hadn't, and every step the woman took towards the door rung like a gong in Shashu's head, counting down towards the inevitable. Then, with a sudden finality, the heavy door swung shut and opened the floodgates in her heart.

"Shukun!" She blurted out, stepping forward to grab his hand before he could talk. She needed to get this out before he could say anything, or it would be that much harder. "Er, Ayumu, I mean. I know what you must be thinking: 'If someone was able to mess with her mind and turn her against me, how can I trust her anymore? She could attack me at any time!' And you're totally justified in thinking that, but I swear that's not the case! I was never a danger to you- I mean, I was, but not in the way you're thinking!" She swept her hand to the side, going red in the face and obviously agitated. She wanted to stop and focus, gather her thoughts, but she couldn't. If she stopped she might have doubts. He might interrupt her, and then it'd be over. She couldn't stop. Couldn't think. It was the only way to get it out. She could feel herself starting to tremble, but pushed forward anyway. She had to.

"Ichi wasn't able to make me want to hurt you. Nobody could do that! What he did, he-he twisted what was already there! Took my feelings for you and-he didn't make me want to kill you, he made me want to kidnapyouandhideyouawayfrom everyonesoyoudloveonlymeandIcouldhaveyourbabiesandwedhaveafamilyandalwaysbetogetherforever!" She could feel her face burning with more embarrassment than she'd ever felt, but she couldn't stop here. Her chest was heaving with exertion and her fists trembled at her sides, but.... "But he could never make me hurt you! Because....because...." She wrenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath, then let go.

"Because I love you!" She shouted out with all the emotion she could muster. "I've always admired you since I was a little girl, at that party where they thought I poisoned everyone and you stood up for me in front of everyone! You were the reason I joined ANBU, just to follow you! I've always watched you, always been at your side even when you didn't know it! I was always there, waiting for you to call for me, to say my name just so I could be of use to you. Even if just in those little moments, I wanted to be close to you, to be the one beside you, to be the one you turned to! Even if just a little bit, I.....I...."

Shashu hung her head, feeling the frantic energy drain out of her as if it had all leaked out with the tears brimming in her eyes. She stumbled back into the desk and leaned on it for support as she covered her face with her hands. "I...wanted you to love me too."

After a moment she brushed aside her tears and stared at Ayumu with red and puffy eyes. "I can understand if you can't forgive me. Just...please....don't be afraid of me. Please."

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu watched as Yuii gave him that glare he expected. She didn't like not being around to protect him, but she would take being just outside if it was the only option. Ayumu wasn't sure how much of her desire to protect him was because they were friends and how much was because she might be made Raikage if he died. Regardless, he took her over-protectiveness as an invitation to be carefree from time to time. She announced that she would be right outside, insisting that no funny stuff take place. 'Funny stuff?' Ayumu thought. What on earth did she think was going to happen while she was outside of the room? He had little time to think on it before Shashu exclaimed her preferred title for him and suddenly grabbed his hand.

Ayumu was taken aback by this sudden outburst and gesture. Though she had her awkward moments, Shashu was usually pretty professional. Something as personal as grabbing his hand was unusual. In a burst of emotion, she brought up the thought that Yuii especially, but Ayumu also had been thinking. That the games that had been played with her mind might not have been entirely temporary. She assured Ayumu that she was never a danger to him, at least not in the way that he thought. Of course, he was thinking that whoever had messed with her tried to make her into Ayumu's assassin. That was the natural thought. What other danger could she be referring to? Her face was reddening and he could feel her beginning to tremble by the hand she still grasped his with. He had no idea what to say, but she wouldn't have given him the time to say anything anyway.

According to her, she would never be convinced to hurt him, no matter what games were played with her mind. However, he had played on her emotions, tried to use her feelings for him. 'Feelings?' Ayumu thought. It wasn't as if he had never noticed something. The extra attention that Shashu payed him. The loyalty she had for him that went beyond any of the ANBU who had served him. She treated him unlike anybody else he had seen her interact with. It was impossible not to notice, but he made himself ignore the uncomfortable answer. Speaking a mile a minute, Shashu explained the things that she had almost been persuaded to do.

Ayumu's breath caught in his throat at the things she had just admitted and what he knew she was leading up to now. His face felt flushed as he watched her struggle to say what she wanted to say outright, her hands fallen away from his as she closed her eyes to prepare herself. And then she said it, shouting it so that Ayumu wondered if Yuii might even hear it outside the doors. He felt frozen in place as she went on, admitting to how long she had been fostering the feelings she had. It had started back at the dinner party at the mansion where she'd been falsely accused of poisoning everyone and led to her joining ANBU. Led to the loyalty she had exhibited above and beyond the call of duty.

As tears began to fall from Shashu's face, Ayumu realized he had tensed up. His fists had balled unconsciously almost as if he had been hit with a fight or flight response. Admittedly, a part of him at wanted to jump out of the window to escape the awkwardness. This was not something he had the life experience to handle gracefully. Shashu's head dropped and she fell back against the desk, leaning on it as she looked at Ayumu once more, asking only that he not be afraid of her. Ayumu felt his stomach twisting into a knot, an underlying feeling of guilt washing over him as he struggled to find the words to say back.

"Shashu... I..." he started, but the words continued to fail him. He cast his gaze to the floor, unprepared to look her in the eyes. What was he supposed to say? What did one say when their subordinate and friend for years confessed to them? When he already had the love of his life and a child? He took a deep breath as prepared himself to respond. He would just have to say the words as they came, because there was no way he was forming anything coherent in his head by thinking it over.

"You know I love Kahako... I'm sorry... I can't reciprocate the feelings you have for me," Ayumu replied. There was nothing he could think to say but to be direct. He had been ignoring the signs of this for years, and maybe as a result of that it had all become worse. Maybe a lot of this was his fault... but it would do Shashu no good for him to be indirect any longer. He looked up to face Shashu, despite how uncomfortable it was.

"But... I could never be afraid of you, Shashu. My love will always be for Kahako... but you are important to me and I care about you. That won't change," he said, trying to give Shashu what reassurance he could. He knew that he wasn't at fault for loving Kahako, but he couldn't help but feel guilty all the same as he watched Shashu standing there with tears in her eyes over the feeling she had for him. This had been a long time coming... hopefully from this point they could move forward as friends.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

"Shashu... I..."

He struggled as she had, for words to match the heart's true feelings. Not for the first time Shashu wondered how things would be if people had the ability to share a thought or a feeling with another directly. Would it have made this any easier, or only increased the difficulty in finally bringing this into the open? She could only wonder as Ayumu lowered his gaze to the floor, unable to look her in the eyes for what he was about to say. Her chest felt tight, like a vise suddenly closed around it, making it hard to breathe. She closed her eyes, bracing for what she knew was coming.

"You know I love Kahako... I'm sorry... I can't reciprocate the feelings you have for me,"

So....this is...heartbreak....

It hurt. It hurt bad. Even knowing it was coming, even after all that time preparing for it, knowing it would hurt, this....if a thunderbolt could tear through the soul, leaving a ragged hole where happiness used to be that ached and drained the life out of every torn fiber of your being, this is what it would feel like. Kanka had warned her she wouldn't be ready for it, but she hadn't listened. Not that anything could prepare someone for something like this. Her hands fell limply to her sides, realizing belatedly that she'd been clutching her heart as if to hold it together. She could feel more tears coming, and wanted to wipe them, but honestly couldn't find the strength to raise her hands. It just...hurt. She almost missed what he said next.

"But... I could never be afraid of you, Shashu. My love will always be for Kahako... but you are important to me and I care about you. That won't change,"

It felt like someone had stolen all the breath from her lungs and then given it back, slowly, in the form of a warm summer's breeze. It almost made her dizzy with how fast the terrible ache in her chest faded at those words. It didn't disappear, though. She could still feel it there, a painful reminder of what she had just felt lingering in the heart that had apparently decided to stick itself back together. It would never be the same, but maybe that was okay. For the best, even. He didn't love her, but she did mean something to him. He cared about her. She mattered, and that was enough.

"Then...that's all I needed to hear." She said with a simple and genuine smile, wiping off her tears and stepping forward to wrap him in a warm hug. She held onto that warmth for a moment, letting everything that could have been flash through her mind, and then...let it go. The pain was still there, and probably always would be, but she could live with it.

Stepping back, she held him at arm's length and looked up at him, still carrying a soft smile. "I knew you wouldn't, you know. I think I always did, but just didn't want to admit it. I mean seriously,this is me you're dealing with. I probably know you better than you know yourself!" She chuckled, squeezing his arm as she let go completely then took a seat on top of the desk, hugging her knees close to her chest. She was silent for a minute before she spoke again. "I....still love you. I think I might always love you, knowing you, but I feel like....I feel like I can move past that now. Stop letting it consume me, so to speak. So...thank you, Ayumu. For everything."

She waited a moment, thinking that over. It felt right, leaving it like that. Some things didn't need to be said, and anything else could come with time. From here, they could both move forward. He, as her Kage and friend, with her as his friend and very watchful shadow. Speaking of which....

"By the way...I'm still going to sta-er, keep an eye on you. You're Kage now, so you need someone watching your back at all times. Who better than me? You won't even know I'm there! You never noticed me before, right?" She added hopefully. It wasn't even a joke; Ayumu could certainly handle his own, but in some ways he lacked very necessary skills to survive the Shinobi world. The last thing she wanted was to see him end up like Shin.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu forced himself to watch as Shashu as her tears continued to fall. He knew what he was saying was going to be painful, and it hurt him to hurt her. Regardless, he had to be completely truthful. She wouldn't be able to move on if he left any questions in her mind. Once he had said his piece, there was a quiet moment before Shashu smiled and began to wipe away tears. Ayumu realized that for a few moments he had been holding his breath and released it, relieved to see the smile. He didn't move as Shashu stepped forward quickly wrapping her arms around him, but rather accepted it. If this was of comfort to her, he didn't mind. He hugged her back until she began to loosen her grip and then let go, watching as she stepped back.

She said that she had known he couldn't reciprocate her feelings and suspected that she had always know. Taking a seat, she admitted that she still loved him, despite the rejection. She also insisted that she wouldn't stop watching him, but suggested that it was now because he was the Raikage and needed to be guarded. In truth, he had gotten a feeling so many times of the years that he was being watched. He'd always had a sixth sense about it, but the identity of his stalker had always eluded him. He'd never actually spotted her. At least now he could perhaps take some comfort in knowing that he wasn't just paranoid and that all those times it hadn't been an assassin lurking in the shadows.

"I don't imagine I have much choice, do I? Between you and Yuii, I should be pretty much covered," he asked, pausing for a moment and then knocking on the wood of his desk. "I guess that means I can be as reckless as I please!" he said jokingly. It was always amusing to him how people seemed to perceive him as incapable of watching out for himself, but he wasn't complaining over having friends to watch his back. After all, he would certainly do the same for them. He could only hope things wouldn't become awkward between them. Shashu was handling this remarkably well. Ayumu walked over and leaned back against the deck, looking at Shashu to try to make sure it wasn't just a front.

"I am really glad that you're back and safe, Shashu. Maybe now we can hang out more... I mean, in a scenario where I'm aware that we are hanging out and not thinking I'm alone," Ayumu added, laughing a little. The air was cleared now, perhaps they could really work on their friendship now that Shashu was no longer hung up on putting Ayumu on a pedestal.

[MFT 462]

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

"I don't imagine I have much choice, do I? Between you and Yuii, I should be pretty much covered," he paused, knocking on the wooden desk to ward off ill luck. "I guess that means I can be as reckless as I please!"

If anything, that sold it for her. Classic Ayumu, she thought, another smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He had this cheerful, carefree optimism that bled into everything he did. It was easy to see how he had become Raikage. Circumstances aside, she had always known the effect he had on people, herself foremost. Here was a man who strode through life without letting his burdens weigh him down. He could be serious when needed, of course, but this was what set people's hearts at ease. Shin had been like a venerable monk despite is age, and Akira a wise yet hard man, but Ayumu had the sort of of heedless charisma that drew people to him and told them everything was going to be alright. She couldn't help but wonder how the village would change around him. It would be interesting to find out.

But again, she'd let her thoughts wander too long. Ayumu walked over and leaned against the desk next to her, searching her face for tells. For sure, she was taking this better than expected, but then she'd always been one to bounce back easily. You had to, with the emotional strain ANBU put one through sometimes. And things hadn't turned out as bad as she'd feared, either. If Ayumu had shunned her for her confession it would have been a different story, but...well, there was no need to think about that.

"I am really glad that you're back and safe, Shashu. Maybe now we can hang out more... I mean, in a scenario where I'm aware that we are hanging out and not thinking I'm alone," he laughed a bit, and she followed suit. Above all else, the fact that he could be this at ease around her gave her hope that they could work as friends. It was worth a shot, at the very least.

"I'd like that, I think. It'll be fun finding out what all you're up to these days, at any rate, with Kage life filling your schedule. I don't imagine you have much time to simply hang out or grab a bite to eat, but I'd be glad to share that time with you." She smiled and pulled her legs closer to her chest, a not-small part of her wanting to burst out into giggles and squeals at the idea. Isn't this what she'd always imagined? Now she had it, but as a friend, not a lover, and perhaps that wasn't all bad. He was still someone she admired greatly, and finally getting the chance to form a close bond...it was a different path, to be sure, but one worth walking.

"Uhm. Speaking of bites to eat, that reminds me. Since we've settled things as well we can, shouldn't we maybe let Yuii back in...?"

[MFT]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

There was no way Ayumu could have anticipated his night turning out like this. Brought out of bed at a strange hour to the arrival of an old friend thought possibly dead. Then a confession of love from said friend really capped the night off as truly unexpected. At least Shashu seemed to be in good spirits, even managing a laugh at the dumb joke Ayumu had forced. She was open to the idea of essentially starting over as friends, though she wondered if he actually had time to have friends. It was true, the kage life did make for a full schedule usually, leaving little room for a social life. Ayumu had a few close friends, but not many overall. It was all the more reason that he had to make time for them. He had to make time for Kahako and his son, after all and he did make time to hang out with Yuii, too, so there wasn't any reason he couldn't do the same with Shashu. Speaking of Yuii, Shashu made a good point that Yuii had been relegated to crouching outside his door for far too long. Hopping up, Ayumu briskly walked to the door and pushed it open, poking his head out to look for Yuii.

"Good news, I'm not assassinated!" he proclaimed. "Sorry about that. We're done now. Don't worry, we haven't even touched the cake and the cocoa's still warm if you need a refill," he informed her before beckoning her in to come back inside. He felt bad that she'd been forced to wait outside but unfortunately, the matter at hand really had been quite personal. Even more so than he had expected. She would probably have felt pretty awkward if she had stayed inside for all of that.

"You may have already figured it out, but Shashu and I go way back. She was my subordinate while I was Sennin," he briefly explained. Naturally he couldn't tell her that he had just been confessed to, but hopefully she'd forgive the need for a private moment anyway.

"And Shashu, this is Yuii. Like I said, our Main Branch Sennin.. and also a friend. She was outside the village for many years on a mission but returned not too long ago. When I became Raikage, we needed a Sennin to replace me and, well, let's just say I followed that old idea that the best candidate for a position is the one who doesn't actually want it," Ayumu explained with a laugh. He was probably understating that second part more than he'd like to really admit. At last, introductions that had been neglected were now finished.

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Yuii had finished her cocoa and marshmallows then made herself comfortable on the hallway floor. Strangely, this wasn't the first time she had sat outside the Raikage office waiting like a patient pet to be let in. The blue haired woman had thought these days were behind her though, along with the other aggravating limitations of childhood. elevated as she was to adulthood, she should have been allowed to stay while the adults talked, but it seemed she was to be forever relegated to door watcher. That was fine, it was probably a boring conversation anyhow. Yuii decided not to take it personally, just as she didn't take Ayumu's wish for death personally either. If he wanted to fraternise with self-admitted brain washed ladies, that was his choice. He was the raikage after all, and he got to make those kinds of bad life choices. Making Yuii Sennin was also on that list.

It seemed like forever, but only minutes passed before Ayumu returned for her. She looked like a played out cat sprawled on her back with both feet and hands stretches as far as they could go. Her face lit up considerably at the sight of her, surprisingly, still living Raikage. 'That is good news! Cat-man would have been just horrified at the notification that he had to take your place. He's a weirdo, so could you imagine the funeral he would plan?" She didn't ask about what had transpired in the office without her. Private meant private, nobody knew that better than Yuii. If they were going to tell her what weird, messed up things Shashu had done while Ayumu's dashing Sennin was gone, they would have to do it without prompting and begging. "Oh, Kogami, this isn't your best angle." she added, rolling to her feet in one fluid motion, "There, much better."

Yuii waivered awkwardly as she returned to the office fold. It seemed greetings were in order, something they had glossed over initially. "Oh, and here I thought it was to satisfy the old blood with a clan name and get yourself morning sweets." the main branch sennin joked, failing terribly to hide the beaming smile that being called a friend created, "If I'm so great, where is my raise, huh?"

Yuii had never actually met a 'friend' of Ayumu's and had assumed he, like her, didn't keep many. She was a little fuzzy on thought to-dead-besties greeting protocol, especially after she'd accused said friend of being brainwashed. She went with the polite head bob, and tried not to feel too guilty about all that.

 

[Tsuirakuya Shashu]

"Hmph. As if anything could happen while I was here..." Shashu grumbled to herself. Sure, they both had ample reason to expect an assassination attempt from her, but still. No need to rub it in her face. She gestured in the direction of the serving tray, a thick tendril of shadow snaking out to retrieve a cup of cocoa for her to sulk over as she listened to the two banter in the hallway.

Wait...cat man? Why does that sound familiar? She wondered, wincing as she realized how out of touch she was now. Making up for two years of absence was going to be no easy task. Cat man, cat man...urgh, this is going to bother me isn't it? No wait! An image of Yuii's cat sprung to mind. Ahh, right! There was that oddball contractor with those musclehead cats in the medical branch. Jun-something. Junta? Juntaro? Junko? Nah, that's a girl's name...ah, screw it. I'll figure it out later. Still, when did he become next in line? Is it cause Sh-Ayumu is fond of him? I'll have to do some digging...later.

"We go back further than that Ayumu. Did you forget I only joined the ANBU after you saved my life at that ill-fated dinner party? You were so inspiring, I had to chase after you." She peeked at Yuii over her cocoa, then mentally slapped herself. Down girl, this isn't a competition! She's a close friend, and you know he doesn't have many of those. You better treat her well! Her jealously wasn't exactly fair, either. After all, she'd spent more time stalking Ayumu than actually interacting with him, so who was she to feel threatened by Yuii's friendship? Ugh...I'm supposed to be doing better than this. Not even a day back and I'm already slipping back into old habits. Come on Shashu, you can do this. Focus on being a friend, not a damn stalker.

"Ahem. It's, uh, nice to meet you, Yuii. I'm...glad someone has been looking after Ayumu in my absence. And um...no hard feelings, I guess? I can understand why you'd be suspicious of me." Wow, nice one. That was only a lot awkward. Why are personal relationships so hard? She scratched her head in embarrassment and tried to think of a way to salvage the situation.

Yeah, I've got nothing. Abandon ship!

"Well, it is getting kind of late, I should let you get back to sleep Ayumu. I can tell you're dead tired." She quirked a smile. Judging from the bags under his eyes, they had probably roused him from his sleep for this meeting. Honestly, she was surprised he wasn't yawning through the entire thing like that. "And I need a drink, I think. If you'd like, Yuii, I could use some company. Help me catch up on what's happened in the village and stuff?" It was pretty lame as olive branches went, but hey. One had to start somewhere.

[TLUS]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Expecting to see Yuii at normal height, Ayumu was a bit perplexed to see nothing. For a split second, he almost thought she might have got tired of waiting and bailed, but the response from the floor proved otherwise. He glanced down to see Yuii just before she sprung to her feet. Ayumu chuckled and retreated back into his office where he sat on his desk, allowing his feet to dangle as he made the introductions. Yuii joked about Ayumu's ulterior motives which he could not 100% deny and once again mentioned the ever fleeting dream of a raise prompting an awkward chuckle as Ayumu averted his eyes and neglected to respond.

Shashu corrected Ayumu, reminding him that they had first met at a dinner party where he had defended Shashu against the accusations of poisoning the food. Of course, he hadn't forgotten, but it was quicker and easier to simply refer to the time in which they truly got to know one another. Of course, the mention of her "chasing after" him only reminded him of the confession he had been on the receiving in a few minutes ago, so for once he was too embarrassed to come up with any witty banter. Shashu awkwardly fought through a greeting before deciding to bail on the whole situation, making note of Ayumu's obvious fatigue as reasoning.

"Yeah... Raikages need their beauty sleep, you know?" he said, stifling a yawn at the mention of sleep. He got up from his desk and led the others from his office. There was an offer of a drink from Shashu to Yuii. While normally Ayumu might have wormed his way into that invitation, but he was dead tired, as Shashu had noticed. Besides that, maybe it would alleviate Yuii's suspicions of Shashu if they talked for a while. Of course, given the hour he wasn't sure Yuii was going to be up for it anyway.

"I'm glad you're back Shashu," Ayumu said one last time before nodding and looking at Yuii. "Thanks for bringing her at this hour," he said, knowing Yuii would probably rather be doing a million other things. Ayumu was glad to be awoken to hearing a friend has returned, but now it was time for him to get that beauty sleep. He could actually hear his bed calling to him, which was a little concerning, to be frank. He decided it was best to heed the signs and head back up to his apartment unless he was needed further.

[TLUS]