Without Blood; Without Light [Continued]

[Muramasa Maya]

(Continued from Here)

The journey from the Kyuji's home to the slums was mostly silent, with Hinoka leading Kyuji with haste, only occasionally stopping to check one of her charms she had placed before pressing on. The routes and alleys she took hinted at her knowledge of the lower levels of Suna despite the Aikayume's shrine being in the Desert Crown's Diamond District. Considering Azusa's constant curious adventures as a child, having to watch over her forced Hinoka to pick up on quite a few skills.

The Kitsune slowed down as they approached a two story building of commendable design and condition...for something located in Grand Palais, at least;

The Oasis Cafe

A cafe in name only, on the surface the place was a place where one could unwind to music, drink, and dance, but like many places in this part of the village, one needed only have an eye halfway open to see the shady vices and sleaze being partaken in. The doors were cracked open, the heavy waft of burning incense and smoke from within engulfing any passerby's who happened to stop for the woman standing outside waving down and teasing anyone who's attention she could catch.

...Hinoka lowered her head as they approached.

"....We're here. Lady Azusa is within. My Lord Byakko, please understand; Lady Azusa acts strong, but she really takes it personally when she feels weak or makes mistakes...Please don't think any less of her if-" The pink haired miko was interrupted when the woman standing besides the door, no longer having anyone close enough to flag down, turned her attention on them; "Hey cat-eyes, are you and the lady gonna just whisper to yourselves over there or come in? Or...Maybe you're lost and needing someone else to guide you tonight~" she leaned forwards, emphasizing her attempt to get a better look at Kyuji...while vice-versa allowing him to get a different view of her attention-grabbing uniform.

 

[Tomomi]

The journey from the Byakko Clan's home was a silent one for the most part as the Aikayume member lead the descendant of Byakko to where his dearest apprentice would be at. The walk from his home to their destination was a long one as the Toraono Clan's family homes were on the outskirts of the village and were the entrance to the village for any travelers that decided to come to their village. As they walked, Kyuji could see the environment that he was being lead into getting worse and worse from rich, upper class homes to the "slums" of the village. Eventually, he was lead to the most corrupt and classless parts of their entire village: the Red Lights. There was a history for Kyuji with this area as he had gone on missions here to eliminate threats to their village in the first few months of his time in the country. Sure, he had been forced to go into a brothel to take care of two of his targets and the workers had tried to seduce him, but he finished his job with little to no pain or damage to himself. However being back in this area of the village showed a disgusted look on his face as this place reeked of corruption in so many ways; it didn't help matters that the lights still illuminated the streets with a bloody hue that made the area even more strange and suspicious.

The kitsune guide would stop quickly in her tracks when they were outside of a building labeled the Oasis Cafe which appeared like a normal establishment. However, the location that it was in did not make sense and this caused the dearest Byakko to be on high alert. He smelled something sinister brewing with the amount of incense and smoke coming from the building. It also didn't help matters that a woman was outside wearing an attention-grabbing outfit that had Kyuji's eyes show a hint of annoyance towards her. By this time, Hinoka had informed him that his apprentice was inside and had tried to explain to him that Azusa took things personally when she felt weak or made mistakes. She also tried to ask him to not think less of Azusa, but she was cut off by the woman at the door. This woman would actually walk over to them and lean towards Kyuji to try to get him to react based on impulses and feelings, but he stood strong throughout her babbling on. When she was finished, he respectfully smiled at her and said kindly: "No, Ma'am, I don't need anyone to guide me. I was just going for a walk with my friend here and she mentioned that this place had some good food and drink and that we should stop in sometime. I was just about to tell her that we should and that I was going to pay for anything that she wanted." He then turned his attention to Hinoka briefly and continued this act of being respectful and sounding kind: "So since I am buying, would you like to go in and get something to eat and drink, Himeko?" He then turned back to the woman and extended his hand as he kept this act up: "I am sorry where were my manners. I am Mikisugi Akujin and you are?"

He hoped that the kitsune family member would realize what he was doing to keep their identities safe and to try to get in and save Azusa. He was honestly concerned about her and what she had been doing since the incident and he would hopefully find out about this very soon.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Like master, like apprentice, it seemed. Poor Hinoka not only had to be constantly place outside her comfort zone by Azusa, but Kyuuji as well. "M-m-my lord shinobi, you do know what kind of place this is?!?" Hinoka's face lit up in shock when Kyuuji suggested she was fond of this little slumside Oasis, and she sharply whispered to the feline Byakko, clearly caught off guard by Kyuuji's improvisation. But after her initial suprise, she began to catch on what Kyuuji was intending, to keep their identities hidden; though she was out of her element, the shrine maiden had no choice but to play along.

"...We're actually meeting a friend that should be here. Aikayu-....Umm, I mean to say, she's short, and blonde. And recently got here." Hinoka stumbled with her words, debating whether or not she should use Azusa's name. "Huh...short and new. You mean Aika? The girl with the weird tails? Sorry hun, but she's finished working for the night. You can try again some other time."...But the woman seemed to understand (in truth, Azusa herself stumbled with the same issue with her name, apparently calling herself 'Aika' after catching herself about to use her family name.). Anyways, the woman dismissed Hinoka's concern; there was a notable amount of more bluntness in her tone when addressing Hinoka in comparison to Kyuuji.

"Ah n-no...I mean to say...I..-we- just want to speak with her with some food and drink..." Hinoka added. The woman seemed to gaze over them for a moment, considering their request...but she had no reason to doubt them. Her job was, afterall, to be bringing people in through the doors; turning people away could be left to tall and sturdy men in the corners acting as security.

"...You can call me Setsuna, Mr Mikisugi...But I may just call you kitty cat though. If you aren't here for a room, then I'll give you a booth. Follow me." She beckoned the pair to follow her, taking great joy in leading the pair (mainly Kyuji) to their table with a significantly emphasized sway in her hips that shook the hems of her dangerously short skirt. Whatever fumes they had smelled from the outside of the building were magnified within the dim-lighted interior. Laughter, flirting and conversation abounded the booths and chairs along the walls. The lovely ladies of the establishment brought drinks to the booths, some staying to mingle with their customers and others heading off to attend to other work. Occasionally a pair would wander off up the stairs or to the back, giggling among themselves.

Hinoka was hesitant in this environment, coughing softly from the thickness of the air, but quickly trailed after the woman, keeping close to Kyuuji's side timidly until they were able to be seated. "So, have a seat. I'll be back to get drinks for the two of you after I send someone take take my place outside." Setsuna set off, leaving Kyuuji and Hinoka in their dim booth and able to speak freely, for the moment.

Hinoka adjusted her shawl with a frown; to hide herself from her clan was one thing, but to do so to her cousin, Azusa. "What should we do Lord Byakko? I did not see Lady Azusa as we were walking...she could be in the back or upstairs. But she may...react violently to seeing me, too..." Given the nature of the place and how it treats privacy, checking room for room likely wouldn't end up well. But were they fine with relying on some woman they had just met to actually search for, and bring Azusa to them? Perhaps Kyuji would have an idea...

---

After their brief battleplan, the woman would return; "So. What will it be Kitty?"

 

[Tomomi]

As he assumed, he had caught the kitsune girl off guard with the variation in her name and his own. But after her initial shock from his words, he saw the light-bulb go off and she understood what he was doing which allowed him to relax more. He was quite pleased that she caught on quickly with what he was doing to conceal their identities as the folks of these areas didn't need to know about the rich, well-off clan members being in this area as they were jealous of the wealthier members of society. With corruption so bad here and bring in wealth, it could turn any situation into a fight or worse a deathbed for people.

Fortunately as Hinoka talked, she was able to catch herself when she mentioned why they were here. She was correct in every aspect of her statement, they were here for a short, blonde haired girl whose name was Aikayume Azusa--erm right, Aika. They were here for Aika, good move on the part of the kitsune for coming up with that fake name. But, it was a close one as he looked at the woman who merely shrugged off the statement as she understood who they were here for. Sadly, it appeared his apprentice was already done for the night which was a sickening feeling to hear that she was done if his thoughts and the writer's were true which they probably were since Azusa's author was cool like that. It was important to note that when the woman spoke to each of them, she had a different tone and she was more polite and flirtatious towards him than she was towards Hinoka which he could only assume why but he shrugged it off as her advances were not going to be effective on him since he was strong-willed. If it was Lady Yanshi, well that was a different story.

Anyways after some more conversation between Hinoka and Setsuna, the celestial followers would follow this mysterious skimpy-dressed woman into the facility. As they were walking, the fumes had grown stronger as they stung his eyes a little as they continued to walk to their booth. He couldn't make it out too well when they were walking, due to the dim-lighting and the fumes killing his eyes, but he could only assume that Hinoka was at his side as he felt her bump into him a few times and grab his clothing to help her walk as she coughed and struggled to adjust to the environment much like himself. Eventually, they would be brought to a booth where one would sit on either side of the table and Setsuna would notify them that she would return as soon as someone took her position outside the facility.

These few moments would be enough as Hinoka would adjust her clothing and then ask him what they should do about Azusa. It wasn't an easy question to answer in the situation as they didn't have much information about where she was exactly. Hell, she could've been in the building or she could've checked out ages ago to do her own little thing since she was as free as a bird now. But, a plan was formulating quickly in his head and he had to at least try to do something. He would lean in towards Hinoka and try to keep his voice down so nobody would overhear him. "This is what we are going to do. I am going to summon some clones disguised as me or people that would normally visit this facility. It would probably be best to have them depict normal patrons here since we stick out as sore thumbs. These clones will spread out throughout the building looking for Aika and once they find her if she is here, I will go invisible to conceal my presence and get her out of this building and somewhere safe. As for you, Himeko, you will merely play along with my plan and get yourself out of here as soon it is time to execute the plan. Now if she isn't around, we will need to formulate a different plan but I have a feeling she is still here. I hope my instincts are right. You wouldn't be able to possibly locate her would you? You mentioned that you were tracking her before, but could you be able to do it in this building with all these people? It might be helpful in tracking her down easier for us...I mean if you can't, that is fine as I still will get information from the clones as they search for her to save us time. Trust me, I don't want to be here anymore than you do, but if she is here, we will get her as quickly as we can!"

He would then lean back as he could hear Setsuna returning as his ears were able to pick up the littlest distinctions in footsteps which had shocked the students in their class and the exam that Azusa was a part of. Once she was at their booth, she would lean over again to try to give him a view of her "assets" as she asked him what he would like seductively. A simple response is what he would give with a smile and a little wink at her: "I will take some sake. What about you, Himeko?"

As soon as she took their order and let them alone, he would lean in again and say the following: "I have a plan if the initial plan doesn't work and it involves that Setsuna lady so don't judge me for how I act towards her moving forward. She could prove to be a valuable asset for finding Azusa. So if I can play along with her and try to play her emotions, she might be more willing to assist us."

[OOC Notes:
Game Plan to Find Azusa:
1. Find a safe place to do work
2. Summon Clones
3. Possibly Transform Clones probably
4. Sit back with Himeko and wait
5. Invisibility Mastered Rank if Azusa is found.
6. Possibly seduce Setsuna into helping.]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

While at the table, Hinoka would occasionally peak up and scan the room for any signs of Azusa...at least until she inevitably looked at someone else, and timidly slouched back to the table...before repeating the process again and again, until Kyuji leaned in after plotting his plan.

Hinoka nodded in approval of Kyuji's idea to use clones. Unfortunately for Hinoka, she was unable to mimic his idea. As she wasn't a shinobi, she had never learned any Clone jutsu; her capability of using chakra was nearly entirely limited to what she learned as a shrine maiden...which is more that what most civillians would be able to claim. Before she could comment on Kyuji's plan, the black haired woman returned to hear their request. As she had become important enough to surpass her faceless and nameless peers to have her own name, it was only fitting that she be given a picture too;

[Setsuna, Lady of the Night]

"Alright kitty, sake for you. Straight to the point of getting the job done without any fancy shit. I can appreciate that. As for you, brighteyes?" Setsuna turned her attention to the golden eyed 'Himeko', who seemed to be caught off guard, her mind busy running through Kyuji's plan. She stumbled her words; "O-oh, yes please. I mean, umm...same thing he's having. I-if thats okay of course..." "I don't bite, y'know. Unless you like that." "Yes, of course...w-wait, I mean what are you saying!" Being around Azusa left Hinoka skilled at constantly nodding her head and submissively agreeing, although it seemed to be backfiring in this situation.

Nonetheless; Setsuna had left their table giggling to herself.

"...Excuse me for that. How clever to use clones. Although as much as it pains me to say...don't assume Lady Azusa is here against her will. Unless she is able to fly or move deep beneath the ground, she has not left the building once during the past nineteen-and-a-half days that I've been maintaining my charms all over the outside of the area. I am absolutely certain she is still here, and agree that it would be best to take her away from such a place, but...please do not be too hard on her." Hinoka spoke with confidence, taking pride in the work she put into securing the surrounding area with her talismans. Under trashcans, wedged between cracks in the shoddy buildings, in their gutters...she was very thorough with setting up her security system! Being Azusa's mistreated retainer, she had years of experience behind tracking and maintaining her impulsiveness. "For me to locate her any more than this, I would have to set up charms all over the inside of the building. It would be difficult to do so without arousing suspicion or having someone mess it up...Speaking of which." The Kitsune shook her head slowly before sliding strip of paper across the table towards Kyuji. "Please keep that charm with you. If Azusa runs off, please do not let her escape!; I won't be able to track her once she leaves my charms, and she won't be easy for me to find again if she knows I am looking for her. If we get separated I'll be able to find you from the charm...Or if you tear it, I'll rush to wherever you did so." Call her old-fashioned, but it was difficult and uncomfortable to wear a headset when her ears large and fluffy. A sentiment shared by most in her clan, their ex-priestess included.

...Before long Hinoka picked up on Kyuji's motions that their gameplanning was coming to a close, and they were shortly after joined once again by Setsuna, drinks in hand, before sitting herself at Kyuji's side. "Alright, drinks up. Drinking can be so tiring...if you two need a room to rest afterwards , I'd would be thrilled to assist. I might even tuck you in if you ask me really, really nicely." She began sliding his drink over to his hand and making absolutely sure that he had a good grip on the glass in a process that touched his hand much longer than needed. Probably trying to feel if he wore any rings.

...Hinoka recieved no such treatment, but to Setsuna's credit she did at least wink at her, not that the sheltered shrine maiden had any idea what to make of that. So she silently sipped her sake, trying her best not to judge either of the two across from her.

"So, anything else? Your little friend Aika seemed to take a quick liking to stardust. While we most definitely don't have any of that kind of bad stuff here officially, I've been called a bad girl often enough. I just might be able to do a favor for you and then some..." She asked, using another term for the Euphorium poison. Given the area they were in, much less the slums, it was highly probably this wasn't being used for any practical purpose, and more than likely being abused for its side effects, that, say a Medical Chief and his apprentice, may be familiar with.

OOC: Feel Free to control Setsuna and send her away as needed

 

[Tomomi]

Once, Setsuna had returned, the two friends of Azusa had to play it cool and order their drinks like responsible and average customers should. The descendant of Byakko got straight to the point with ordering sake which pleased the beautiful raven-haired woman delightfully; his ally would order the same thing as him and have an awkward exchange with the older woman in their presence before Setsuna would head off to get their drinks and allow the two to be alone again. As previously stated, the Byakko clansman would inform Hinoka of his actions towards the raven-haired waitress and the backup plan that he was quickly formulating.

Of course, he would allow her to speak after he made this little tidbit to her. As she commented, it felt like she was never going to stop as she continued to ramble on and on to him, but he couldn't be mad because he was notorious for rambling on when he talked because his author never knew when to allow his character to catch his breath. Her information was very important to him as she mentioned that Azusa was definitely still in this building as she had placed charms around the building which tracked her; this information would be very helpful as it eliminated the probability that she had escaped or left the facility which reduced their search area and meant his initial plan would be easier to complete as soon as he had a moment to initiate it. There were negative parts about the little speech she gave, however, as Azusa was probably here on her own free will and Hinoka was limited in placing anymore charms as it could cause a potential scene in the facility as there were guards watching everyone coming in, coming out, and already inside. The only place where they were probably not so centralized were the rooms where the ladies showcased themselves to willing patrons. There was a gut feeling from Kyuji that Azusa was probably in one of those rooms disappointingly to him, but it would make it easier to get her out IF his plan would work like he drew it out in his head.

The most important part of her conversation came near the end as she slipped something over to him which he discovered was a charm from her clan. Although he had obvious questions about the charm, Hinoka did her best to explain why she was giving him a charm and reasonably he understood. This charm was to locate where he was if they were to get separated which was quite likely if he was to initiate his plan, but he was also informed that she would rush to him if he tore the charm. The charm was an excellent idea by her and he would've patted her or said something to her about it, but the raven-haired woman was quickly approaching before he could get a word out.

And once she was near them again, she would have their drinks in hand and sit very close to Kyuji invading his personal space. She would even slide his drink over to him and make sure that his hand was securely gripping the glass with her own hand touching his for quite a long time. Obviously being a married man in the eyes of Lord Byakko, he was feeling quite uncomfortable with her actions but he was having issues with Lady Yanshi and he was only doing his actions to help his apprentice who he cared about deeply as he saw her as his future successor and the one student he taught who actually made something of their life while the others disappeared into the darkness. Thus, her actions would have him crack a smile to her as his head turned to face hers and he winked at her to try to keep the game going. She was definitely into him or at least knew how to also put on a show to get something out of someone...he had to continue to be weary of her.

Once it appeared the two patrons were satisfied to her expectations, Setsuna would mention that Azusa had taken a likening to stardust, which was street-talk for the Euphorium poison, that gave people affected a raise in their endorphins which created a feeling of euphoria and a high that drew away their focus and concentration. But, this drug surely wasn't being used for its natural effects in this environment; no, it was definitely being used to affect the minds of people that ventured to this area that seemed lost or confused. Hell, this poison could be sitting in their drinks right now waiting to strike them as well which was not good at all since Hinoka had already begun to drink her sake.

His response to her initial question was quick and to the point with a warm smile: "No, we are good for now, Miss Setsuna. If we need you, we will be sure to flag you down. We would like a few moments to ourselves, please."And her response was as well in a flirtatious way: "Suit yourself. But, I will be back to check on you two in a little especially you, Kitty." But before she would leave, she would lean in close to his ear and whisper something into it that Hinoka couldn't clearly hear but could see made Kyuji blush before she bit on his ear lobe and walked away making sure her hips swayed back and forth. The hip swaying caught the eyes of many people in the building and would've had Kyuji's as well but he was slightly embarrassed by what just transpired as his face was blushing. The actual words said to him in his ear were beyond the appropriateness of the site and let's just say it was something a married man should never be doing.

The blushed face of this dearest descendant would continue for a good minute or so before he could regain his composure and try to be an adult instead of an adolescent teen. He was here after all for one thing and one thing only: find Azusa and get her out of this place so he could start to help her in more ideal conditions. The problem that the two allies were facing now was Setsuna was also a variable and an unpredictable one at that. He wanted so badly to trust her and believe that she did care about their friend, but she was also one of the top dogs here and trying to get close with her could prove very dangerous...but, Kyuji had come prepared for a fight if need be. Right now, their best bet was to start their plan and see what they could do to find her.

But before they did that, Kyuji would grab their glasses and sake. In a quick instant, small jolts of electricity would go into the liquids which probably caught Hinoka off guard but all would be explained momentarily. His eyes were glowing a golden hue as they returned their gaze to her and he began to address her: "You may ask why I did what I just did...it is simple, this alcohol could be tainted with "stardust" as Setsuna described it which is what Aika is apparently under. If it is, the jolt should remove the poison being mixed into it, but still try to minimize your consumption because it will have a quicker effect on you because you are shorter and weigh much less than I do so your body will get drunker quicker than mine. Besides, I need you to play it cool as I initiate our plan. As for that Setsuna-gal, I want to trust her but I must be hesitant to do that as she could easily be putting on this show with me to get me alone and to eliminate me. So what we are going to do is our initial plan, but I am also going to allow Setsuna to sit around with us and slowly put her under a Genjutsu that should help us with getting your friend and loved one back. So, please excuse me as I go to begin our plan. If you need me, press this button on my headset and it will send me a direct call to the other headset attached to me. I will keep your charm with me so you can track where I am as well. Just sit back and try to stay calm, I will be back shortly." He would then slip her charm into his pants and slide a small scroll over to her which contained his secondary headset.

The descendant of Byakko would then slide out of the booth and head to the bathroom to pretend to be using them. In actuality, he was starting his plan and it was beginning quite nicely. It appeared nobody had the need to go leaving the entire area alone to him and with a window that was open to boot. Of course, he would check the outside of the window and it led to an alleyway that Hinoka had used to get them to this facility in the first place which meant nobody was guarding it and it would be an excellent evacuation point for his clones. So quickly, he would summon his three clones after biting his thumb to fuse some of his own life force into the jutsu so that they had some mental capacity to relay information to him as they searched for Azusa. These clones would then transform into three individuals who resembled a common patron to the facility and their voices were different pitches and tones to conceal who their master was. The descendant of Byakko would obviously tell them the plan so they were aware along with describing his apprentice as perfect as possible in relation to what she appeared like the last time he saw her. Once they were finished their meeting, he would help each one of them out of the window into the alley and they would begin their mission. As for him, he would return to his booth with apparently nobody bothering Hinoka while they were gone and begin to sip on some of that delicious sake that he despised ever so much but he had to keep up this commoner tread and not stick out like a sore thumb anymore than he needed to.

The clones were doing their own little thing and they would soon make their presence. They had direct orders from their master and Kyuji could track them slightly with his offering of his own life support. But, these clones were not ideal and would not last long so their mission would need to begin very soon.

[OOC:
1. Clones are made and they will begin their jobs next round.
2. Genjutsu Setsuna with a surprise
3. MFT: 1793 Words]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Hinoka's eyes rolled as the woman flirted with the Byakko descendant, and the shrine maiden offered a quick prayer to any spirits of deities willing to listen; please give this man the strength and resistance required to stay on task. The fate of her mistress depended entirely on which head had more control over the Byakko, something Hinoka felt uncomfortable with.

...She did her best to pretend not to be paying any attention, and drunk her sake. For a shrine maiden, she was killing the drink quite quickly! Her attention was regained when Kyuji had done....something...to his drink, causing her gold eyes to move back over to him with a look of confusion.*...?...* His explanation interested her, even after he had left to begin his plan.

Had she been able to remove her hood, she would have been fiddling with the headset in an attempt to make it work with her ears. It was tempting, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself and risk Azusa seeing her first...So she settled with tapping her sake glass (what little was left of the sake anyways), briefly using low-leveled lightning techniques in an effort to recreate what Kyuuji had done to his glass. No luck, of course, but while Kyuji went off to the back, it kept her busy...

...For awhile. A shared trait amongst the Aikayume kitsune, they...tended to get bored when left alone. Even the dutiful and stalwart Hinoka was not immune to this. She knew Kyuji was still in the building; she could sense her charm nearby. But she couldn't tell what he was doing...not that she wanted to know. Not in this place.

So rather than leave the plan entirely up to whether Kyuji could resist Setsuna's advances or not, Hinoka decided to go do some investigating on her own. Even if it meant leaving her safe little corner and entering the smoke filled, loud center of the building. So searched for Azusa, more Sake, or Kyuuji, in that order of importance. It was a dangerous mission, some people wanted to dance, and someone had even tried to grab her tail, even though it should have been invisible under her illusion! Thankfully, they only succeeded in touching her leg and bottom, so her disguise was still good. But still...she returned to their booth, refilled sake in hand, deciding it was too risky to wander about before Kyuuji's clone recon.

"I checked. Definitely no Lady Azusa so far. Nope~ Where's you clone? I only see one Lord Byakko."...The Fox said with a strange cheer to her voice, eagerly tapping the several empty glasses of drinks infront of her, including Kyuuji's. "I also checked for any poison. No poison." Hinoka nodded enthusiastically, her large ears beginning to poke through the hood that should have been concealing them.

...It seemed their mission might just have jumped up a difficulty rating. And to make matters worse;

"Kitty cat, Kitty cat, turn around." A voice called out from behind their booth. Setsuna was approaching again, with her usual sultry gaze (across the table, something akin to a growl could be heard from Hinoka). "So I went to speak with little Aika..." She spoke, toying with a necklace a silver flute was attached too, dangling down to her chest. Or rather, between, one should say. "And she didn't seem very responsive when I said you two were here to see her." Her eyes glanced curiously between Mikisugi and Himeko....But eventually her sly smile returned as she apparently shrugged it off. "Ah well, she's been in a bad mood...since, well, ever. Some days can be so rough and tiring."

 

[Tomomi]

As he returned to his seat in the booth, Hinoka would give him an update on Azusa which was she hadn't found her yet along with stating that she had found no poison. The kitsune maiden would also question him on where his clones were since she hadn't seen anyone resembling him other than himself in the building. It was better for her not to know where they were initially so she couldn't mistakenly get in the way of his strategy and try to correct his thought process. Also, it was smart to wait to respond as Setsuna and her seductiveness had returned along with a flute that didn't belong to her wedged between her breasts. She brought some information about Azusa to them as well which made this situation sound like it was going to be even more complicated than he initially thought since she seemed unresponsive and in a foul mood. His facial expressions and demeanor on his face stayed the same when he was talking to Hinoka to conceal his true feelings which were angry and disappointment; but, they were here to save Azusa and that is exactly what they were going to do.

The problem was Setsuna was going to be a problem if they didn't do something about her as she was trying ever so hard to seduce Kyuji. Fortunately, he had been formulating a plan as soon as they saw her the first time and he was going to initiate it as soon as he knew his clones had taken their position. And what did you know, the first one had walked through the door with the other two following at regular intervals behind the first one; they were under the transformation jutsu so they didn't resemble him exactly. They didn't even have any of his clan's traits and all just looked like normal patrons to this place. One of them decided to get a booth near the entrance of the building, another had decided to go upstairs to where the real fun was supposedly at, and the other one decided to find a seat near the stairwell to the upstairs. They each had been tasked with going to one of these locations so they could close off ways to escape and also relay Kyuji information as need be.

Back at the booth, Setsuna had gotten herself situated beside the male of the group nice and close again so he could feel her breath on his neck as she was whispering things to him like "I can show you a good time" and "Let's go to the back". Understandably, there was probably some excitement from Kyuji as he smirked at her as his face blushed again. However, he would catch her off guard when he turned his head and looked at her eye to eye. His smile would make the woman feel all warm inside as he moved in closer whispering something into her ear as well which had her whisper something back to him; this exchange had to be quite awkward for Hinoka as she just sat there drinking her sake, but it was working...she was lowering her guard to him.

And that is when he struck, he would bring his head back to look her eye to eye again as his plan had been executed successfully. See, Kyuji is a master in the arts of Genjutsu and Unarmed Taijutsu. A normal shinobi would require at least one-handed seals to use a Genjutsu, but being a master in his art, he had easily casted the Genjutsu without a handseal. What Genjutsu you may ask? Well simply, it was Betrayal Mastered with Cerebral Control.

The Genjutsu wouldn't seem to be doing anything like many of the jutsu tended to do, but it had made Setsuna's body feel weird as she looked at Kyuji as he said the following: "Please take me to Aika and get Himeko a room to stay in while I talk her. Also, please get three of your guards or bouncers to come with us. I would like one to stand outside where Aika is along with you, I want the other two to stand outside the room that Himeko is in and under no circumstances should they enter that room. They should not disturb my conversation with Aika either and neither should you. Understood?"

All the fair maiden of the club would do is nod her head and say with a lustful smile on her face: "I understand, Kitty Kat." As for Kyuji, he would turn his gaze to Hinoka after he received confirmation from Setsuna and say a few simple words: "Are you ready to go, Himeko?" If she said yes, he would look back at Setsuna and tell her that they were ready and to gather the people that he requested. If not, he would merely ask Setsuna to go gather the people that he requested and come back in a little to allow Himeko and him some time to talk. Luckily in either case, he had a strong grip on her mind through his Genjutsu and nobody in this "club" would have any idea that he had done this little trick; not even Hinoka.

[MFT: 867 Words]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Two of his clones took excellent positions at the building entrance and staircase, while the third found 'special' entrance/exit leading an outside staircase in the alleyway; it seemed that the Byakko was taking no chances. As for Setsuna, she gazed at Kyuuji for several moments while his genjutsu took hold of her mind, before succumbing; "I understand, Kitty Kat." She smiled warmly and stood up, approaching the first security staff she saw in the corner. "You. Bring two more boys with you and come with me. We've got a special guest tonight." She spoke with authority. Considering the bouncer's compliance, it seemed Setsuna making such calls was nothing out of the ordinary. Kyuuji had done well to keep her around.

Hinoka, meanwhile, gave a determined salute to Kyuuji; "Yes! Since the Lady is very good at hiding, I will check very, very good too!" She nodded her head eagerly, apparently taking Kyuji's plan as having her search a room for Azusa. And you best expect that Hinoka will turn that room upside down in her attempts at finding something that isn't there. She was...very dedicated and very much intoxicated; a combination that always made for a good story at later times.

Up the stairs, around the corner, down the hall cordoned off as staff only...Eventually Setsuna, came to a halt (of course, after dropping off Hinoka in her room for her part of the 'mission' with her two guards), giving the door handle a quick wiggle before reaching for a key masterfully hidden within her attire, and unlocking said door. "Aaaaika-chaaan~ I have a special surprise for you!" She cracked the door open, calling inside, before winking at Kyuuji; "Don't give little Aika all your attention, or I might get jealous..." She gave a pouting face, before playfully slapping his lower cheeks in an attempt to get him moving. The remaining bouncer merely sighed, leaning against a wall down the hallway, mumbling about 'bullshit always starting when his shifts almost over'.

Like most of the building the room was dimly lit, with the only light being from a half-opened window and the burning candles which gave off a sweet fragrance. Aside from that, another rather pleasant smell came from the thin whisps of smoke trailing from across the room from a thin smoking pipe, in a tray next to a vanity. Said mirror reflected the sharp, irritable gaze of the emerald eyed woman gazing into it as she groomed a tail that split into five with a brush.

Spoiler

"Damnit Setsuna, I thought you said I was done. I've already showered, I'm tired and I'm hungry...Knock it off already..." Azusa spoke wearily...Before catching a peak through the doorway to see that Setsuna was only half to blame for the intrusion. "...Is that...Sensei?" Wrapped in a towel with hair still wet, the fox turned in her chair to face the doorway, not stopping from brushing her tails. "You best explain why I am looking at you, or I might just call the guards...Did you simply grow tired of Lady Yanshi finally?" The fox laughed with a smirk.

Azusa was found, but that was only part of the battle. With the last time they spoke being the Akkuma incident, there was plenty of time for her to either forgive and forget, grow bitter, or something entirely different...

 

[Tomomi]

As Setsuna wait to round up her man to the Byakko’s request, Kyuji was sitting in the booth pondering to himself on the strangeness of this whole situation. It was true that they were in one of the most corrupt parts of the village with its prostitution, trafficking, illegal gambling and drug selling; yet, things were not adding up with how easy it was for a medical shinobi to put a strong-willed individual under a Genjutsu and have her do his bidding. Honestly, it seemed like she was doing it for him for his loins but nevertheless, the illusionary power of a Genjutsu on the mind was working wonders and making his plan come together much more easily. There were still variables to consider obviously, but at the very least, he was getting taken to his apprentice and friend who surely wasn’t in the right state of mind if she was here of all places. When Setsuna returned to them, he would rise from his seat and put his arm around her to help her walk as she was showing easy signs of intoxication and was not making sense at all if she had listened to his plan.

As the group of six made their way to their destination, it was clear that this wasn't the first time that Setsuna had barked orders out to people as they made a formation around the two "customers" trapping them in the process so they couldn't make any last minute ideas to try to escape or start any conflicts. Very smart tactic for men working in a less than intelligent area of the village. The descendant of Byakko couldn't condemn them for what they did as it was a safe measure and probably was implemented for a past incident. In either case, Hinoka would be dropped off in her room and then Setsuna with one of her bouncers would lead their special client to a room a few doors down from Hinoka.

When they got to the room, Setsuna would open the door ever so slowly and crack the door informing Azusa that there was a special guest here for her. Before he would actually be allowed to go in, the seductive hostess would wink at him and tell him to not have too much fun with the fox inside or she might get jealous in the process. A gentle smack on the ass would be her next move and if you could see the look on her face, you would know that she was doing this all for the attention that he might give her some time tonight alone where they could sit down for a nice dinner, maybe a movie, or something complete different which we all know what she wanted. As for the sign, Kyuji knew he needed to not make his apprentice wait inside or it would raise suspicion and also make a situation that would probably be bad even worse.

So, he would lean in close to Setsuna saying something in her ear that showed clear concern on her face and a questioning look as well. The words spoken to her were direct, cold and merciless: "You will not go into this room under any circumstances, understood? Nobody should go into Himeko's room as well aside from you when I give you the code and you will only go into her room to deliver her to the front of the building if I am incapable of doing it myself. The code will be two quick knocks and then a delayed third one meaning that you will go to Himeko's room and get her for me. The code will only be used inside of this room on this door. If there is no knocks, you will wait outside of this room for me and escort me back to the front of the building. Again, you and your men should NOT enter this room or Himeko's under any circumstances aside from what I just told you. Failure to do comply will be seen as a threat to me and I will do what I must do...also if you harm either Himeko or Aika, I will kill you. Understood?" "I..I...I understand, Kitty Kat. Two qu...quick knocks then a delayed third...or you will walk out first." His tone in his voice would then change to a friendlier and more playful one as he continued talking to her with each of them talking softly to the other right at their ear. The bouncer had no idea what was going on. "Good girl. If you do what I asked, I may set some time aside for some you and me alone." "You really mean that!?" "Of course, Setsuna, how could someone say no to you? I would be eating you up right now if I didn't come here on business. But, I have business to take care of first so I am going in now. Lock the door behind me and do not open it under any circumstances."

A simple pat would then be given to her on her head as he walked in and closed the door behind him. Now, you would think that Kyuji would've left it at that and focused on Azusa right away. But instead, he decided to tie the door shut from the inside with ninja wire going different directions in the hopes of making entry into the room difficult if Setsuna or her guards tried to intervene; it also made it difficult to escape as well aside from the half-opened window. It was better to be safe than sorry when it came to Operation Rescue the Fox Apprentice!

Now when he was initially entering, he did hear Azusa question him on why he was here and if he had grown tired of his wife which also brought a laugh out of him. He had also heard her bitching to Setsuna about "work" and being tired and hungry. If you added one Byakko to the mix, the ex-foxfire priestess was probably in even more of a foul mood than she was previously and seeing him here after their most recent encounter probably left a bitter taste in her mouth. If he had just been a little stronger and had more nen than his cousin back then, he might've been able to stop him. Unfortunately, he did not and he had to watch as his apprentice was sealed by the demonic energy of his cousin. Luckily, he had been quick on his feet and gave an emergency blood transfusion to her with his clan's sacred blood which is why she was probably her today if Hinoka wasn't lying about what happened to her and he had no reason to doubt her.

As his wire set-up was completed, he would turn his head and see for the first time in awhile his apprentice. She wasn't looking too badly roughed up physically, but he could tell just from the look in her eyes that she wasn't doing well emotionally or mentally. He also could see her body tensing up as his eyes focused on her and a "cold" breeze blew into the room. The descendant of Byakko and the former priestess of the Aikayume Clan face-to-face after a long time...it was bittersweet, but there was work to be done. His next actions and words would be important to plan out as he could make this situation a million times better or worse depending on how he phrased what he needed to say.

After what felt like an eternity for them both, he would finally speak with a solemn tone in his voice and his arms crossed in front of him. He wasn't trying to be a hardass, but he was trying to conceal his true feelings towards her for how she had acted since the incident that brought them both to this filthy room. He had to be the adult in the situation, but he needed to not be too cold or he would completely lose her to the darkness that was concealing her true thoughts and intentions. "أزوسا-تشان، فقد كان وقتا طويلا. انه من الجيد رؤيتك مرة اخرى."

The first few words had been spoken and it was time to try to get the real Azusa back! "كنت تبحث في وجهي لأنني قد تم قلق عنك منذ المرة الأخيرة التي رأيت لك. الحمد لله، وجاء Hinoka لي هذه الليلة، وقال لي ما حدث لك، وحيث كنت في. ذلك في أقرب وقت كما كنت أعرف أين كنت، جئت على الفور لأننا بحاجة إلى التحدث مباشرة من القصة قالت لي حول ما قامت به عشيرة لك." A quick question being asked and then going into a more parental role towards the teenager: "من الواضح، وأنا لست عضوا عشيرة لك ولكن لماذا لا تأتي إلى بيتي والتحدث معي حول ما حدث؟ كنت أدرك أن كنت لقد كان مكانا للنوم والطعام لتناول الطعام. تحت القسم Byakko، عشيرتي تدعو أي شخص إلى منازلنا لأية أسباب. يجب عليك لقد جاء إلينا، فإن سيدة يانشى ولقد اتخذت برشاقة لكم في حين كنت على استعداد لترك."

The words that sounded like a parent to their child or a sensei to their student would continue with the hopes that something would go into her head and break her out of her current mindset: "ولكن، لم تقم وهذا هو السبب في أنني هنا هذه الليلة. أزوسا، وحان الوقت العودة إلى ديارهم وإعادة تركيز نفسك على أهدافك التي قمت بتعيين عليها لنفسك. كانت تلك الأهداف إذا كنت أتذكر بشكل صحيح لتجاوز لي شينوبي الطبي والقضاء على ابن عمي، Akkuma. إذا كنت البقاء هنا، فلن تكون قادرة على القيام بأي من تلك الأهداف والطاقة المظلمة له بمناسبة سنواصل بالطبع من خلال الأوردة الخاص بك ومحاولة للسيطرة على لك أكثر وأكثر. أنت وأنا على حد سواء تعلم أنه يمكنك وسوف تتجاوز لي شينوبي الطبية إذا كنت لا تزال لتدريب بجد وعدم فقدان التركيز على أهدافك."

A plea with a promise is then offered to the fox-girl, maybe power a home and power would make her see reason: "تعال معي إلى بيتي والعيش معنا حتى تشعر بالراحة مع ترك. لم يكن لديك إلى الذروة في كل والعيش في منزل Byakko عشيرة سوف تسمح لك ولي مزيد من الوقت للتدريب في مجال الفنون الطبية جنبا إلى جنب مع تدريب جسمك على التكيف مع السلطة الجديدة التي أعطيت عندما كان المنقول دمي العشيرة إلى أنت ."

A explanation of some of the conditions of living in his family's home with promises of helping her and partially helping himself out: "هل يمكن أن يعيش معنا مجانا طالما كنت وعد مني لتدريب العقل والجسم الثابت. أزوسا، يرجى النظر في العرض الذي تقدمت به لأنني أعرف أنك يمكن أن يتجاوز بي ويمكننا تدريب لك للحصول على الانتقام ابن عمي وتجاوز لي في القتال أيضا. كما أراها الآن، كنت عضوا المعتمدة من Byakko عشيرة لديك دمائنا فيكم وهو قوة الحياة ذاتها الخاصة بك الآن. أعدك أن نتمكن من محاولة لاسترداد الدم المقدس عشيرة الخاص بك وعنوان عملك السابق في عشيرة الخاص بك إذا كنت تريد مساعدتي."

A simple question would finish his somewhat long-winded lecture in the village's native tongue: "فماذا تقولون؟"

Spoiler

Translations in order:
1. Azusa-chan, it has been too long. It is good to see you again.
2. You are looking at me because I have been worried about you since the last time that I saw you. Thankfully, Hinoka came to me tonight and told me what happened to you and where you were at. So as soon as I knew where you were, I came right away because we needed to talk immediately from the story she told me about what your clan did to you.
3. Obviously, I am not a clan member of yours but why did you not come to my home and talk to me about what happened? You do realize that you would've had a place to sleep and food to eat. Under the Byakko Oath, my clan invites anyone into our homes for any reasons. You should've came to us, Lady Yanshi and I would have gracefully taken you in until you were ready to leave.
4. But, you didn't and that is why I am here tonight. Azusa, it's time to go home and refocus yourself on your goals that you set forth for yourself. Those goals if you remember correctly were to surpass me as a medical shinobi and to eliminate my cousin, Akkuma. If you stay here, you will not be able to do either of those goals and the dark energy of his marking will continue to course through your veins and try to take control of you more and more. You and I both know that you can and will surpass me as a medical shinobi if you continue to train hard and not lose focus on your goals.
5. Come with me back to my home and live with us until you feel comfortable with leaving. You do not have to rush at all and living in the Byakko Clan's home will allow you and I more training time in the medical arts along with training your body to adjust to the new power that it was given when my clan's blood was transfused into you.
6. You can live with us for free as long as you promise me to train your mind and body hard. Azusa, please consider my offer because I know you can surpass me and we can train you to get revenge on my cousin and surpass me in combat as well. As I see it right now, you are an adopted member of the Byakko Clan as you have our blood in you and it is your very life force right now. I promise you that we can try to recover your clan's sacred blood and your former title in your clan if you want my assistance.
7. So, what do you say?

[OOC:
1. Are we having fun now, Azusa-chan? =P
2. MFT: 1841 Words]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Azusa watched with amusement as her sensei seemed to fiddling with the door and durable wire, which she assumed was in response to her mocking threat of calling any of the building's security team. Either way, Azusa did not care; she had locked the door, but that annoying woman had a key to every damn room in the building. Even Setsuna would have a hard time getting through this...unfortunately, so would Azusa.

Once completed, Azusa's empty eyes narrowed, and the brushing of her tails came to a stop as her sensei spoke to her. It seemed Kyuji had wanted to speak in the old language. Was he perhaps worried someone would be listening in on them? True, it was unlikely too many others would be able to follow along completely if they spoke in runic. So she tilted her head, playing along; "بحيث الثعلب البائسة وقد يراقبون لي ... وذهب للذهاب وشى الى بلدي سنسي، أيضا. ما مزعجة مخلوق.ذا." A flicker of negativity shined through her eyes, hinting at the malice she felt towards her cousin.

The fox spirit chuckled in response to his question of going to the Byakko estate when in trouble. "أنت لا تفهم أي شيء. لماذا أريد أن أعود إلى الحوزة ؟ انها تذكير دائم لضعفي. على مرأى جدا من ذلك يعتدي عيني، وأنا متأكد من أن رائحة هذا الشيطان لا يزال يخيم هناك ما يكفي لانتهاك حواسي. وأنا للابتعاد في خوف في زاوية في كل مرة أن تقرر أن تهمس مع الشياطين وراء الأبواب؟ أنا على تحمل كل ذلك، فقط لتلقي شفقة منك وسيدة يانشى؟ ها! يجب أن نعرف لي أفضل من ذلك، المدرب." Indeed, staying there until she was ready to leave? She'd be waiting for a recovery that would likely never come, all well bearing through their hospitality given out of pity for her situation. Generosity that would bring shame to the proud fox.

Kyuji spoke of bringing her into his home for her recovery, as if she had merely broken a bone. Azusa remained silent, holding her brush in one hand, and smoking from her pipe in the other, the poison that helped calm her nerves and ease her trouble. There was nothing to mend. Her injuries had healed; the Byakko blood given to her and Akkuma's Seal both worked to keep her alive, and they did. He had already done enough, and she didn't want him to do anything more. Any kindness he'd try to give her would just hurt.

As for her goals...Azusa's two goals in life were simple; be a respectable figure for her clan as Priestess of the Aikayume, and to become someone worth calling themselves a shinobi of the Sand Village. Surpassing Kyuji was a now far-off dream that was a stepping stone to one, and defeating Kyuji's demon relative was to save her pride on both ends. Yet, with her clan and family deciding she was unworthy and betraying her behind her back, the first was but a bitter memory. And with the loss of her clan's sacred blood, so too did she lose the talents and skill that made her who she was. Her dream of becoming any decent shinobi were out of her reach to the point where she may as well have made touching the moon her dream.

Having both goals pulled out from under her was humiliating. A horrible joke played on her, and Azusa wouldn't stand to receive any pity from Kyuji; she wouldn't give him the opportunity by showing up on his doorstep, lost and afraid. She refused! She would not go back to work at the hospital with her tails between her legs just to try and 'work hard' in vain, watching hopelessly as all the peers she had surpassed caught up and exceeded her crippled state.

No, she refused to experience such disgrace by being a pale shadow of what she used to be. Let her at least remain the shining student, the Almighty Azusa, in one of their memories. At this point Azusa took one more breath from her pipe before rising from her seat, and walking to a corner of the room where she would begin rummaging through a bag as he spoke, with the intent on putting an end to any thoughts Kyuji may have had on dragging her back. She indiscriminately tossed out aside various items from her bag inher search; medical notes she had taken, crumpled talismans from her shrine, various letters she had received from patients she had helped during training; all things that had at one time meant something to her, before finding what she was searching for.

The gleam of silver arced across the room as Azusa tossed the object at Kyuji, "Keep it." She spoke bluntly, "كم أنها لم اقول لكم، سنسي؟ لم أقول لكم أنه من دون دمي، وأنا لا يمكن استخدام شقرا نفسه كما كان من قبل؟ جوتسو أنه حتى المبتدئين صعبة للعقد؟ وما هو شينوبي دون شقرا ... عديم الفائدة ~ أنا لن يبقى حولنا ونرى أولئك الذين ينبغي أن يكون تحت لي في نهاية المطاف تجاوز لي في دولة مثيرة للشفقة. بغض النظر عما قد يقوله عشيرتي، وأنا أزوسا. وأنا لن تعاني في القطاعين العام وتكون بعض نكتة حزينة." There was no hesitation in throwing her Suna headband over to Kyuji; she had gotten it from him, and felt it only fitting to return it to him. It had served its purpose, however dreadfully short-lived.

"كنت تريد أن تعرف أهدافي؟ لقد صليت وصلى أرواح لا تعد ولا تحصى للحصول على فرصة لقتله. ، كان ذلك؟ وأنا واثق ... وإذا كنت مجرد جلب رأسه إلى الوراء، لديهم رؤية أنهم كانوا مخطئين. ولكن حتى لو فعلوا لن أعود. فقد كانوا قلقين جدا حول لي يجري "ملعون"، تطرق من قبل الظلام شيطان. ها ... لقد الختم الملعون نشط باستمرار لأيام وأيام، وأنا لا أشعر بأي أقوى. كل ما شعرت، وأنا خدر عليه الآن. ولا بد من كسر حاجز." The kitsune couldn't help but smirk; control of her? Control of what, exactly? She no longer had any power to corrupt. Let the Curse Seal try to influence her; she no longer had to hide it from her clan anyways!

At this point, Azusa returned from her corner, stroking the brush she was using to groom her tails as she walked closer to Kyuji. And closer. "لكن هل تعرف ما المدرب؟ لقد علمتنا الأسابيع القليلة الماضية لي شيئا. لا أستطيع أن أفعل البعثات. لا أستطيع القتال. لا أستطيع الطبخ. أنا لا يمكن تنظيف." And closer, until the the faint smell of her shampoo was literally right under his nose. Being short and all.

"But I can do other stuff."

Her lips whispered honeyed words, her empty eye's watching closely for his reaction as she backing away with a smirk. A few steps backwards, she extended out her arm holding the brush, offering it to the Byakko infront of her. "هناك بعض الأشياء حتى شخص مثل لا أستطيع خبط على. ولقد دائما، أحب دائما أن تظهر لك أشياء جديدة أتعلم، المدرب المناسب؟" Whenever Azusa would learn a new Jutsu or medical technique, or figure out an answer to a question that stumped her, Kyuji was often the first person she'd show, eager to share her pride and be praised. Her vulpine eyes gazed at him like a wild fox hunting down some small prey, starved for that warm feeling of praise that she had always taken for granted. Azusa wanted that.

[MFT]

Spoiler

Translations:
1 - "So that wretched fox has been watching me...and has the nerve to bring someone else into this."

2 - "You do not understand anything. Why would I want to return to the Byakko estate? It's a constant reminder to my weakness. The very sight of it assaults my eyes, and I'm sure the stench of that demon still lingers there enough to violate my senses. And am I to cower in fear in a corner everytime you decide to whisper with demons behind doors? Am I to endure all that, just to receive pity from you and Lady Yanshi? Ha! You should know me better than that, sensei."

3 - "How much did she tell you, sensei? Did Hinoka tell you that without my blood, I can't use chakra the same as before? That even a beginner's jutsu is tough to hold? And what's a shinobi without chakra...Useless~ I will not remain around and see those who should be beneath me end up surpassing me in my pathetic state. Regardless of what my clan may say, I am Aikayume Azusa. I will not suffer in public and be some sad joke."

4 - "You want to know my goals? I've prayed and prayed to countless spirits for the chance to kill him. Akkuma, was it? I am sure...If I just bring his head back, they'd see they were wrong. But even if they did I would not return. They were so worried about me being 'Cursed', touched by a demon's darkness. Ha...The damned Seal's been active constantly for days and days, and I do not feel any stronger. Whatever I felt, I am numb to it now. The mark must be broken."

5 - "But...you know what sensei? The past few weeks have taught me something. I cannot do missions. I cannot fight. I cannot cook. I cannot clean."

6 - "There are some things even someone like I cannot mess up on. And I've always, always loved to show you the new things I learn, right sensei?"

 

[Tomomi]

This fateful encounter was bound to happen eventually given the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of his apprentice and his cousin from his life for an extended period of time. As always, the descendant of Byakko had given her the benefit of the doubt that she might've gotten extremely ill or was dealing with a family emergency which were reasons for her absence from her medical rounds and training by him; he never expected that he was going to find her in one of the most corrupt and filthiest areas of the village and doing some professional un-professional work for a room, food, and guidance. It was true that her sensei had been talking to a demon that even he himself stated resembled the devil in the flesh, but the circumstances surrounding that meeting were not malicious and it was merely exchanging information to assist one another in their career paths. The poor ex-priestess of the Aikayume Clan was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time and was punished severely for her actions and presence. And now, she was being irrational with her sensei and was refusing to listen to logical and rational thinking because she had been programmed to do one thing since arriving in this facility: pleasure.

It wasn't surprising that she was acting up seeing her sensei. They had always had a good working relationship with one another, but she had a tendency to speak her mind and be stubborn because she would let her pride get in the way. There were many cases of this from when they initially met to this point, but one of the memories that stuck out the most in her sensei's mind was when she had decided to lash out at another woman in the Hospital when she approached his room while they were in the middle of a meeting; it was definitely a stubborn action from her but there was jealously being displayed clearly there and throughout her training in the Hospital. In other words, this young adult had problems with her attitude and her emotions which had gotten her into many situations that ultimately had to have her sensei save her from them; it appeared this was another situation where she needed to be steered in the correct direction by him or she was going to piss her entire shinobi career away and waste her lifetime doing demoralizing work for attention, food, and shelter.

Fortunately, her sensei was prepared for any words or actions flung at him during their conversation. As it was often the case, his apprentice chose to speak right after he made a comment because she NEEDED to get her input in to try to drive his motivation and efforts down and quickly. Overall, their conversation was staying civil and he was keeping his emotions in check throughout the whole conversation. But, a look of disappointment would spread onto his face when she threw her headband at him and it fell at his feet after chucking practically her whole shinobi career out in front of him. It hurt to see a bright, well-educated individual acting out like she did about her career, but her mind was lacking in the rational and logical department severely. However, he had to cut her some slack since he didn't know the entire story of her clan or how she wandered upon this facility or if she was under anything currently. From a quick glance, it didn't appear that she was being influenced by any substances, but the room was so poorly lit and the smoke from her pipe wasn't helping matters at all. The only other reaction that she got out of him was when she approached him and he caught a whiff of her shampoo that smelled quite well while she was telling him that she could do other things in a soft, soothing, but pleasing whisper to him. Obviously, this whisper and action from her did make his heart rate increase slightly and also make him become red in the face slightly. Her mere words and how her body moved towards him and then away from him was making it slightly difficult to concentrate on the task at hand but he had to stay on task for her and not be swayed off the path...but she certainly was making it difficult. In all honesty, he had to close his eyes to try to keep his composure through her entire seductive state because she was still underage and he still was married to Lady Yanshi even if they were having marital issues due to work, family, and other individuals which included many people that Azusa and Kyuji knew quite well.

Once his apprentice stopped trying to seduce him with her words and he could hear her a reasonable distant away from him, his eyes would reopen to look at her in their glowing golden hues that many people despised including Azusa! He had been patient with her as she continued to interrupt as he was trying to talk and he tried to be as neutral as possible throughout their entire exchange back and forth. But, the current look on his face could tell it all without even words. It was emotionless and it looked cold; he didn't smile but he didn't frown. It seemed like he was confident that Azusa was going to listen to him and be rational enough to realize her mistakes and they were going to easily make up and move on from this dark branch of her life; but, he was wrong and all his effort failing seemed to drain the very warmth out of his body physically at least. If Azusa couldn't realize the mood of her sensei had changed, his body language would easily help her there as his arms folded in front of him and his posture and stance were more closed now than they had been originally when he entered the room. Byakko Kyuji was not happy with the situation at all.

As he spoke, his words floated out of his mouth easily but there was nothing passionate or loving behind them. They were stone cold, but not bitter. He would start with her comments on her cousin and redirect his statement directly at her actions and attitude. It was a dangerous mood since her personality and how she reacted to things made her who she was, but it was time for a real hard reality check even if she didn't like it. "أنت لا تراني لمدة أسابيع وابن عمك يسعى لي بالخروج لأنها قلقة عنك. ومع ذلك، وكنت الحصول على غضب في وجهها كما فعلت شيئا خاطئا عندما أشاهد على مدى لكم أفضل ما تستطيع دون التدخل في حياتك لأنك لن قد استمعت لها على أي حال. أنت لا يستمع إلى أي شخص بغض النظر عن لي، وحتى ذلك الحين كنت عنيد وسمح كبرياءك للحصول على طريقة التعلم من لي. انها مثيرة للشفقة، مثير للشفقة على الاطلاق."

He then went into a little bit of a guilt trip about her being alive still because of him and trying to defend his family even if they weren't perfect individuals in the world. He himself was not perfect, but it was time for him to have more of a backbone for his family especially towards someone who believed it was her way or let's just be a little stuck-up bitch. "أنا لا تسول لك أن تأتي إلى العقارية للعيش، ولكن سيكون أفضل بكثير من العيش في هذا المكان، واستخدام الجسم لكسب العيش. يمكنك إلقاء اللوم عشيرتي أو لي لذلك بمناسبة التي حصلت عليها من ابن عمي، وإنما هو خطأك لمقاطعة لقاء بين البالغين وثم يتحدث عقلك عندما سمحنا لك الجلوس في هناك. إذا لم يكن لدمي العشيرة، فإنك لن تكون على قيد الحياة اليوم بعد لقاء مع ابن عمي. وذلك قبل أن عدم احترام عشيرتي، عائلتي الممتدة، أو لي، وتظهر بعض الاحترام لعنة لماذا فعلنا لك ذلك اليوم لأننا أعطاك جزء من الدم المقدس جهدنا للحفاظ على قيد الحياة."

Again, he tore into her about herself and how her actions affected him as a professional and also personally. But, he also offered her some advice and guidance even though he doubted that she would listen to him or care. "بل هو أيضا إهانة لي كما مدرس سابق ومعلمه الذي كنت التبول حياتك المهنية شينوبي كامل بعيدا لأنك تواجه صعوبات. ربما كنت لا أتذكر كيف كان شعورك بعد نقل الدم، هل يمكن بالكاد يقف ولن تسمح يانشى أو أنا لمساعدتكم. كيف تعتبر قوة الجسم خلال الأسابيع القليلة الماضية أو حتى حاول أن تبدأ من جديد من الأساسيات؟ أنت طبيب تحت التدريب وجينين، ولكن عليك أن السماح لجسمك للحصول على عدلت إلى دماء جديدة داخل منكم وأيضا إعادة تعليم في جسمك كيفية القيام أساسا كل شيء منذ نقل الدم خاصة إذا جماعتك استنزفت عروقك الدم المقدس وتركت اليسار دمي العشيرة. حتى تتوقف عن أن تكون عنيدة واسمحوا لي أن تدريب على إطلاق العنان لقدراتك كما شينوبي. قد لا نرى بعد الآن ولكنني بالتأكيد يمكن أن نرى قدراتك بداخلك وأنت فقط بحاجة إلى التدريب المناسب لإطلاق العنان لذلك. الى جانب ذلك، تفضل أن يكون الذين يعيشون هنا بقية حياتك، والسماح لأي شخص وكل شخص لانتهاك كنت أو كنت كثيرا بدلا من وضع حد لهذا القرف ونعود إلى الطريق الصحيح في حياتك؟"

Then, he had to address the seduction which she probably had gotten good at over time, but he wasn't having any of it with her. There was too much respect towards her and questioning and accusations could arise if he decided to participate in any of her activities. "أيضا، يمكنك إيقاف الإغواء تجاهي، أزوسا. حتى لو كنت أواجه مشاكل مع زواجي، وهذا لا يعني أنني ذاهب فقط لإسقاط سروالي أو فعل أي شيء غير مناسب معك للعديد من الأسباب. واحد منها هو أنك دون السن القانونية وليس في دولة الحق في الاعتبار. أنا لا تستفيد من شخص ما عندما يتم القيام به بالفعل عن طريق وضع الملح في الجروح الخاصة بهم. كما أنني لا تفعل أي شيء معك بهذه الطريقة لأن لدي احترام لك كفرد وكصديق، وأنا لا إحباط لك."

A plan was then formulated and hopefully some of his prior complaining and accusations at her would make her realize the path that she was going down was the wrong choice for someone with her intelligence and skills! "الآن، وانا ذاهب لاقول لكم هذا مرة واحدة. تعال معي إذا كنت تريد أن تترك هذا "المهنية" وفعلا الحصول على حياتك العودة إلى المسار الصحيح. نحن سنترك هذه الليلة، وسوف البقاء في بلدي العقارية ليلا. وسوف تكون آمنة هناك، وسوف لا داعي للقلق بشأن كونها وجدت لأن لدي بالفعل خطة في رأسي ليخلصنا من هذا العناء. وسوف يسمح لك أن تأتي وتذهب كما تريد من وجهة نظري العقارية، ولكن سوف تفعل كل ما تبذلونه من التدريب على موقعنا على ملاعب التدريب المقدسة التي هي نفس الغرفة حيث كنت أخذ امتحان جينين ومرت عليه مع الطيران الألوان لأنك كانت أعلى في صفك. كان يعلق آمالا كبيرة بالنسبة لك في شينوبي وأعتقد أنك يمكن أن تصل إلى ما زالت لهم إذا وضعت في جهد خارج دوراتنا والتركيز بينما نحن هي تدريب لك. وهذه ليست بطاقة شفقة نحو لكم، وهذا هو المدرب وصديق تشعر بالقلق إزاء صديقهم والرغبة في مساعدتهم لأنها انحرفت عن طريقها." After he spoke these words, he picked up her headband that she threw at him earlier so that it would be at her eye level if she chose to walk over and take it from him because he drove a fire under her ass. He wasn't holding his breath however.

Spoiler

Translations Again:

1. You don't see me for weeks and your cousin seeks me out because she is worried about you. Yet, you are getting irritated at her like she did something wrong when she was watching over you the best she could without interfering in your life since you wouldn't had listened to her anyways. You never listened to anyone aside from me and even then you were stubborn and allowed your pride to get in the way of your learning from me. It's pathetic, absolutely pathetic.

2. I am not begging you to come to the Estate to live, but it would be much better than living in this place and using your body to make a living. You can blame my clan or me for that marking that you got from my cousin, but it is YOUR fault for interrupting a meeting between adults and then speaking your mind when we allowed you to sit in there. If it wasn't for my clan's blood, you wouldn't be alive today after your encounter with my cousin. So before you disrespect my clan, my extended family, or me, show some damn respect for what we did for you that day because we gave you part of our sacred blood to keep you alive.

3. It is also insulting to me as your former teacher and mentor that you are pissing your entire shinobi career away because you are having difficulties. Maybe you don't remember how you were feeling after the blood transfusion, you could barely stand and wouldn't allow Yanshi or I to assist you. How you considered your body's strength these past few weeks or even tried to start over from the basics? You are a medic-in-training and a Genin, but you have to allow your body to get readjusted to the new blood inside of you and also re-teach your body how to do essentially everything since the blood transfusion especially if your clan drained your veins of your sacred blood and left my clan's blood left. So stop being stubborn and allow me to train to unlock your true potential as a shinobi. You might not see it anymore but I definitely can see your potential inside of you and you just need the proper training to unleash it. Besides, would you rather be living here the rest of your life and allowing anyone and everyone to violate you or would you much rather end this shit and get back to your true path in life?

4. Also, you can stop the seduction towards me, Azusa. Even if I am having issues with my marriage, it doesn't mean that I am just going to drop my pants or do anything inappropriate with you for a multitude of reasons. One of which is you are underage and not in the right state of mind. I am not taking advantage of someone when they are already done by putting salt into their wounds. I also am not doing anything with you that way because I have respect for you as an individual and as a friend, I am not demoralize you.

5. Now, I am going to tell you this one time. Come with me if you want to leave this 'career" and actually get your life back on track. We will leave tonight and you will stay at my Estate for the night. You will be safe there and will not need to worry about being found because I already have a plan in my head to save us from that trouble. You will be allowed to come and go as you want from my Estate, but you will do all your training on our sacred training grounds which is the same room where you took your Genin Exam and passed it with flying colors because you were the top in your class. I had high hopes for you as a shinobi and I believe you can still reach them if you put in the effort outside of our sessions and focus while we are training you. This is not a pity card towards you, this is a sensei and a friend concerned about their friend and wanting to assist them since they strayed from their path.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Azusa lowered her brush when it became apparent Kyuuji wouldn't take it nor approach her, tilting her head to the side. "Oh?...You are not like the others, sensei..." slipping back to normal dialect. A part of her was disappointed, having simply wanting to see if she could have wrapped her sensei around her finger so easily; having him accept her advances would have made it that much more easy for her to discredit anything he said, in her mind. But he did not, and instead called her pathetic. The Fox growled, but did not interrupt him. After starting like that, she ever-so-wanted to hear what else he would have to say.

Irritated with Hinoka? Of course she was. She had trusted everything to her cousin for all her life. She had always been much closer to her than even her half siblings. But the Aikayume had planned on taking her blood; how long was Hinoka smiling to her all while planning to stab her in the back? No longer being accepted by her clan was painful, but Hinoka's betrayal hurt most of all. She was high priority on Azusa's growing list like the vile demon and the human puppet, to put it in perspective.

The Byakko Estate? It being her own fault for being cursed? Of course she was thankful for saving her and keeping her alive; but she had felt a dark presence and was worried for him! She regretted her mistake it; she regretted every. single. day. Simply put, looking out for people just bit her in the ass. And if even her closest friends and family could toss her aside so easily, then what was the point in exposing herself for said betrayal? True, Kyuji hadn't done anything himself to earn her ire yet...But if he also betrayed or abandoned her, it would just be too much for her to take. She was simply too afraid to approach him after losing most of her chakra capabilities. Better to quit than be fired, right?

At this point Azusa had returned to the vanity she had sat at, still listening to Kyuji, but taking her attention away from that look of condescending in his eyes. It was infuriating! She exchanged her brush for her pipe, although it was so tempting to throw the brush at him. "I...hate this. I hate this so much! People touching me like this...there's no respect in it, sensei. If I had my power still I'd never be here, but I am so weak now; it makes me so angry it hurts, sensei." She couldn't even maintain a simple transformation for more than a few moments, meaning leaving would only attract the attention of her clan before long.

Ignoring the outstretched genin medal, she took a deep breath from her pipe, she closed her eyes and left the pleasant smoke dull her mind as she laid down upon a couch, curling her tails around herself. "But...with this. Anger or pain...stardust makes it go away~" Euphorium, indeed. She had Setsuna to thank; without it, the kitsune would never be able to stomach working in such a place. It helped her forget her fragile pride and relax enough to just enjoy things as they are, for a short time. "...So please do not lecture me, sensei. I do not want you to dislike me, really....I am just...so weary...Are you sure you do not want to rest with me? I will share my pipe." She had traded her valuable silver flute, her heirloom and the only thing she had of value when she left her clan, for it. And to get any more she was stuck working...But she wasn't relying on anyone. It wasn't ideal, but she was surviving on her own. But it was getting harder to be without any euphorium for too long.

Opening her unfocused eyes once more, the fox considered Kyuji's proposal. Yes, she did find it more appealing than remaining here, but there was a major obstacle that would prevent her from fully trusting Kyuji again. "That demon Akkuma...With a single touch, he's made my life a burning hell; if I go with you, you will tell me anything I desire to know about the demon. And not interfere when I eventually repay his gift." The fox proposed. She had no animosity for Kyuji, but knew whatever he had between Akkuma and himself would be an obstacle for the hatred consuming her. "In exchange, I'll give traitorous Hinoka to you. she's a good servant...when you can trust her. Oh! Take her fur! Since she loves her ears and tail so much. Besides, a cousin for a cousin would be fair." A fair proposal according to Azusa's hysterical delusions.

[MFT]

 

[Tomomi]

From the onset of his long-winded lecture of throwing her life away and acting like a mere child, he did not expect her to react hardly at all to his comments. In the past whenever he scolded her for making a mistake or not being complete right on something, she would notoriously pout or have her ears droop partially in frustration but also to try to make him feel bad for his remarks and then praise her to cheer herself up. He knew his apprentice quite well by this point and he knew what buttons to push if he wanted a happy or upset student at any moment in time, but this current situation was different to say the very least. He hadn't seen her in weeks and seeing her in this area along with her demeanor overall being not normal was quite concerning to him as her teacher and friend; he prayed that he would get through to her by bitching about her to herself and trying to show her that what she was doing was clearly wrong.

As the first words escaped his lips, he could see that these words actually did hit something, possibly a nerve, inside of her as she growled at him. But, he had her attention at the very least and that was at least something, right? As he continued to speak, he could see a slight annoyance on her face along with looks of fatigue and sadness. It appeared he had triggered something inside of her and it was more than possible that his very words had hurt her ego, but knocked some rational thinking into her skull. All of these hidden emotions and feelings would eventually escalate to a moment where she would have an outburst stating how she hated being touched like she was being touched and how she wouldn't be here if she still had her power; he could understand where she was coming from due to his past in Earth Country, but that was a story for another day. When he had gotten her out of this place, he would let her readjust and then sit her down and talk to her to try to make her understand that they were more alike than she would believe and hopefully it would create a new form of respect and bond between them.

Surprisingly throughout his long spew at her, she had managed to keep quiet and allow her sensei to finish his thoughts before she spoke. The outburst was her initial remarks at him and he was thankful that he had put Setsuna under a Genjutsu before he had gotten into this room because his apprentice had broken their native language tongue. It was also within reason however that she probably wouldn't have heard anything anyways because this facility was lit as the kids use today. But, she had that key and thankfully she was under his trance still so he was able to relax more.

His apprentice would then decide to speak her mind to him, ignoring the medal that would be placed inside his clothing in a pocket, and taking small breaks in her response to inhale the sweet embrace of Euphorium. Her first comments shockingly were about her drug, her Novocaine, and how it made everything better. Clearly, it appeared that she was growing addicted to the substance and treatment would probably have to begin as soon as they got out of here so she could kick her addiction since Euphorium was somewhat of a mind-altering poison that was being used to relax her so she could be taken advantage of sadly...it was a good poison for medical treatments as well, but that is another story for another day.

She would go on to tell him not to lecture her and ask him if he wanted to rest since she was so weary. She even offered her pipe which was surprising since she never liked to share anything except insulting people and bossing people around! Then, her eyes would reopen piercing his soul like his often did to her as she continued talking mentioning a trade of sorts between them; he would get Hinoka and she would get Akkuma...he would stay out of her way when she was ready to take on Akkuma and he could order Hinoka around like his own personal servant. The most important aspect of her responding in general was she wanted information about Akkuma and if he promised to tell her anything about him, she would come with him. These trade-offs in a normal conversation seemed ludicrous, but in their current predicament, they actually were reasonable enough as he would get not just one Aikayume Clan member but two and they could both take care of a common enemy: Akkuma.

As the last words would escape her lips, her sensei would smirk at her and his eyes would return back to their normal gaze. In all honesty, he was still disappointed in her for how she had been acting since they last met, but hearing her say she would come with him willingly had brought a little happiness to him. In fact, his demeanor on his face had returned to a more natural look and he would walk slowly and carefully over to his apprentice kneeling beside her couch to try to become eye level with her more. When he got to her eye level, his golden eyes and her gorgeous emerald green eyes would be able to meet. Either way, he would put his hand on her head and smile at her to show her that he still cared and was willing to praise her but also to give himself some time. His hand would rub her head gently as he gathered his thoughts.

And when he had gathered them, he would stop rubbing her head but keeping his hand there for now. He would then refocus his eyes to hers and begin to talk to her with a more warm feeling in his voice: "You know Azusa, you really have grown into a beautiful young woman right before my eyes. I just never truly realized it until there was some time that separated us to realize that. Don't worry about the future by the way. We together will train you and you will regain your powers and then some. You already have a raw amount of potential that can and will be tapped into through the training that I have in plan for you. You are more than capable of handling it, Azusa, but it definitely will not be easy!" He would then pause momentarily closing his eyes and chuckling to himself before returning his gaze to her face and continuing: "I accept your deal to exchange cousins, but just so you are aware, I am not seeing eye to eye with Akkuma either and he is growing more and more out of control so he will need to be taken out soon. But, he can be your target and you can take care of him and besides you will surpass me in your training anyways so you are more worthy of eliminating that demon. I also promise that I will provide you with any information that you want about Akkuma after we return to my home and you get a proper night of sleep first. You need to regain your strength physically, mentally, and emotionally before I begin to provide you information or train you. But, I assure you that you will be given any information that you want about Akkuma."

He would then bring his arm back to his front and fold them in front of him. He would close his eyes at this moment and start to formulate more of his plan which would not take too long for him. He had an idea of getting her out of here and getting Hinoka as well without too much of a confrontation, but his apprentice would have to work with him to get them both out of here without any trouble at all. She also would need to try to stay calm and let her sensei do what he had planned. When he believed he had it all figured out and he was ready to begin the escape plan, he looked at her again after opening his eyes and said the following: "Since we made an agreement for you coming with me, are you ready to go now? We don't have much time to waste so gather any items that you want to bring with you including that stardust if you really need it. I have a plan, but you will need to cooperate with me and promise to stay quiet as I execute it so we can get you out of here with little to no issues. So, again, are you ready to go, Azusa-chan?"

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Azusa watched Kyuji approach her, ever-curious to his decision; the sensei-student dynamic worked both ways, and the kitsune was always testing him whether she herself realized it or not; it was just part of her nature with her fox spirit heritage. "...You could have just praised me from the start..." She was quiet, but pleased when her sensei rubbed her head, giving her the attention and reassurance she craved. 'Normally' Azusa would make a witty self-confident remark upon being praised for her talent and physical attributes. But for now, the exiled kitsune was enjoying the moment for what it was. Besides, what would have been 'normal' for her in the past did not necessarily hold up here, now. She had gone through much in a relatively short time which certainly left its mark on her. But there was something else--

--A pang of guilt within her that momentarily ceased the cold fury burning in her empty eyes. Even if only for a brief moment while he stroked her head, it halted her corrupted mindset and vengeful hate. A transient moment of weakness where she felt some regret over her actions up to now.

But her coldness returned after the moment ended. "Hmm...So you'll agree to give me Akkuma when the time comes. All the better if he is causing trouble for you. I want it to be something I yearn for, and once have, recall fondly for the rest of my life. Had you not taken Hinoka, she would have kept me busy until then. I suppose a decent bath will do instead; this place feels unclean." Azusa spoke. Despite how the conversation may have sounded, Kyuji taking Hinoka would actually be a mercy to both Aikayume women. Allowing Azusa to go act upon her malice towards her cousin would cause her to lose many things very important to her. Fortunately, she wasn't one to back out on a deal that she proposed.

When Kyuji withdrew his hand, the fox stood up. "Leave now? *sigh* Did I not just say I was tired? Give me a moment, then; I would tell you to stand outside, but..." Her green eyes glanced at the ninja wire very thoroughly sealing the door....and the side of her lips curled into a thin smirk of utmost mischief. With a quick motion of her fingers, the towel shrouding her lithe body fell to her feet, and the proud fox slowly trotted across the room in search of something more suitable to leave in, hinting at her previous attempt at charming him while tossing her pipe towards him. "I'll keep trying, by the way. Catch." To be 'modest' would imply a certain degree of restraint, and Azusa certainly felt no shame in flaunting her game, taking her time in choosing her attire.

...Not that she had much choice. She had only what she had with her when she hurriedly left her shrine, and most of her earnings here were either in stardust or food. While changing, she spoke out behind her; "I saw Setsuna let you in here. She took me in. I was so hungry...and one thing happened after another...She is intolerable, but she is a good woman." She went on to mumble something about others being two faced and jealous and what not. "What I mean is...I still owe her and haven't repayed my debt. She may not be willing to let me leave, which I hope is part of your plan." The fox seemed to finally decide on a pair of socks. Azusa was very picky about what went onto her feet.

 

[Tomomi]

Time was ticking away after the last words left his mouth for them to make a getaway out of this filthy, corrupted facility in this poorly-managed underground economy known as the Red Lights. He understood that it would take his apprentice sometime to get ready considering he did "forcefully" enter her room uninvited and only after seducing the sedater herself known as Setsuna by making her false promises and corrupting her "feeble" little mind through a Genjutsu. In all honesty, the fact that everything was going according to plan and quite smoothly was a shock to the Byakko descendant to say the very least consider he expected his apprentice to put up more of a fight with him; maybe the hurtful words actually meant something to her and snapped her out of this delusion of a perfect job and pleasing men for money and food. Maybe after being together for so long, he actually managed to do something right which was give this young lass a reality check and actually show her that he truly gave a damn about her.

To be honest, he felt morally responsible for her after what happened to her last time and offering his home to her was the least that he could do. He also could do some investigating between the cousins and try to figure out what the disconnect was between them both before it escalated and he found a dead or maimed Aikayume in his clan's house. Of course, he was wondering how his wife was going to take this all in since she had mixed feelings towards Azusa and bringing in her and her cousin could make an all-ready weakened relationship worsen. It could cause the Byakko heads to fight among themselves and there could be blood spilled right in front of their Lord which would displease their Lord greatly and one of them, that means Kyuji, would be getting a long lecture from Lord Byakko about pride and generosity to others. It was a risky gamble in numerous ways for the descendant of Byakko, but he had to take it for his apprentice's sake and livelihood. Who knows what bullshit she had gone through since coming here from filthy pigs, both male and female, who needed to pay to get laid because they couldn't find someone or their significant others just couldn't get the job done.

Back to the story at hand, the Byakko did listen when his apprentice responded to him earlier about their agreement and how she would be yearning so hard if Akkuma was given Kyuji-sensei issues as well. The poor demon himself was outnumbered and if he picked to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, he would be meeting an unfortunate end for his crimes against his cousin and an Aikayume. She also would state that a decent bath would do instead of being in this unclean and, don't forget, demoralizing place! At least she was showing some signs of her old self with some of the remarks that she was making!

When he had returned his hand, she did sigh and state that she was tired, but they had to be going even if she was tired. After all, it would be easier to handle a tired, but grumpy, Azusa and a slightly buzzed, well...drunk, Hinoka than having them both rested and able to bicker between one another. His plan would still work out, but time was running out because Kyuji couldn't hold this strong Genjutsu forever and his chakra reserves were already almost diminished. He had to save a little bit of his chakra so he would reach for a pellet that would give him energy and a chakra boost. He would then eat this pellet as he heard her last remark about asking him to stand outside but not being able to do that because he locked them in here and the only exit was the window.

At this point when her eyes drifted to the door and a smile curled onto her face, he should've know at this point that he fucked up sealing them in here. He should've definitely considered her current state since they last interacted and how she was acting earlier, but he didn't. No, he was given a full frontal right there as she dropped her towel and everything was in full display to him. At this point, many men and women would've had a moment where they were a little bit excited and showed it.

In all honesty, Kyuji was a dude and his body did what a normal dudes would do in this situation, but he kept his composure as his eyes followed the petite, vixen trotting herself to the other side of the room ever so slowly to make sure senpai had plenty of time to look over everything which he most surely did. He had nothing to negatively say about the kitsune in her current state because he was impressed at what he was seeing and it probably was evident in his eyes when she tossed her pipe to him and informed him that she would keep trying. Obviously, she was probably anticipating a response right there from her sensei, but he was somewhat in shock that she actually did what she did but also his face was lit up in red like a pretty Christmas ball.

At this moment, it shouldn't had taken Azusa long to pick out something to slip on so they could leave, but she still had to try to make herself presentable in-case Lady Yanshi or his daughter saw them all appear. There was also the fact that she was taking her good old time allowing her teacher, her mentor, her friend, her sensei, and her boss in the medical branch to soak it all in. Luckily, she wasn't paying attention because he had become a little too focused on her form that he was drooling, but caught himself when his droll dripped on his hand.

During this whole experience, his apprentice had been talking to him about Setsuna letting him in and how everything snowballed from Setsuna taking her in. She also mentioned that she hadn't paid her debt back and that she hoped he factored this into his plan which he didn't but it didn't truly change his plan all that much. It appeared by now that she had decided on a pair of socks which was good, but she was still pretty much exposed to the elements. She didn't to get herself fully dressed soon or she could catch a "cold" or more like a heat flash being in a village build around the desert.

In either case, the initial shock had begun to wear off and Kyuji was able to actually think somewhat clearly about things but his view was still quite compelling to look at. But, he did manage to focus enough to actually be able to somewhat respond to her, but it was quite short and quite calm: "Don't worry about Setsuna and your debt. I will take care of it and it will not throw a twist into my plan. I also got the vibe that she might be intolerable but meant well..."

He would then rise from his position, tucking her pipe into his jacket, and proceed to walk over to the ex-priestess of the Aikayume Clan placing his hands on her shoulders and looking in the mirror in front of her. He would bend down to her ear-level, since ya know he's six feet tall and she's like 5 feet, and whisper only a brief few sentences into her ear: "I knew why I initially picked you as an apprentice...you were smart and wise beyond her years, you caught on to things easily, and tied with Mao as the highest score on your Genin Exam in the history of my teaching. But, let's be honest, you excelled past her and should've had a higher score and probably would've if I didn't become incapacitated because of my jealous but loving wife. What I am getting at is you are my apprentice because you are a quick-learner, smart, and wise.

His next few words would probably make the atmosphere in the room get quite strange but possibly please the apprentice: But, I can see that you have more than just brains. It's a shame that Lady Yanshi and I are still married in the eyes of Lord Byakko because you are...I mean have....um...I mean you have a goddess-like form." He was flustered to say the least and probably what caught them both off-guard was the fact that he gently bit on her ear. He then closed his eyes with his face as red as tomato and said: "We can continue this...later. We should be going soon, Azusa. Don't worry...I have a plan when you are ready to go. We must not wait much longer."

[MFT: 1485 Words]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Goddess...Azusa loved the sound of that. It had a lovely ring to it, and it was a shame Kyuji hadn't latched on to any of her attempts at baiting him. She couldn't tell up to now how effective she was being; she was certain he was watching her, which was exactly what she wanted. But coming over beside her to compliment her wits? She'd have definitely shown her sensei some appreciation, even if he was just telling her what she had wanted to hear.

Her smirk widened as his lips pressed against one of her soft ears after giving her a very real compliment on her figure. Her ears twitched...And this was a moment where something changed within Azusa. Lady Yanshi, the beautiful woman of the Byakko clan, no longer represented the ideal image of a proud and noble Lady that Azusa aspired to be...but now was a very real goal she could surpass. Their marriage was a beautiful sacred thing, blessed by the spirits of the Byakko clan...and the Fox felt the whimsical urge to shatter it. "...Good job, sensei. I knew you were wise enough to recognize my talent and that your eyes could not be that bad...I do hope you did not think you could say anything just to bring me with you, though. I would not forgive even you if you had tried taking back your word. But, you are in the way. Go unlock the door?" She bumped the side of her hip against him to get him to move, winking at Kyuji's reflection in the mirror. Oh, she picked out a good skirt and matching top, too.

...But her smug teasing turned to a startled jump when loud sounds came from beyond the door obnoxiously tied with ninja wire. A slam against the wall shook a flower vase and candles on a nearby table, and voices began to be raised loud enough for them to hear; "-expect privacy when they come here. You can't expect me to just walk into rooms for anyone! I said sit downstairs, and I'll look for her when I can. Aika is busy right now." The first voice was that of Setsuna, dutifully following the orders commanded into her mind. "Do not interfere. If another one of your guards attempts to stop us, I will no longer be able to guarantee everyone's safety. Now, please take us where you took her visitors. We only wish to bring our family home." A second voice, male, answered her.

...But the voice Setsuna was in an argument with caused Azusa's ears to sink. "Damn this, Sensei! I had been safe here! That voice is...my brother's servant. Like Hinoka is to me. He did not come with you, did he?" Azusa doubted. There was no way someone so close to her brother would agree with bringing her anywhere other than the shrine to take the last of her blood. "...I am leaving, sensei. If he came with you, you are a fool for trusting a fox. If not...maybe you were followed? I will not be able sneak out...But I will not let myself be caught so easily in such a place." Her teasing coming to an abrupt halt, the Kitsune hurried in clothing herself at a more serious pace, finishing up while eyeing the window.

 

[Tomomi]

It appeared that his unexpected move on her had been a SUCCESS! That awkward few moments that occurred between him whispering into her ear to biting it had worked in his favor as he saw that she had been enjoying every moment of it and he was seeing shades of the old Azusa that he knew and respected. Of course, she still was acting a little flirtatious with him due to being in this field of work for an extended period of time, but he could probably kick her habit of this if he wanted to. The question was however would he want to do it and that was one that he would need to ponder for awhile.

At the current moment, he was being bumped by her hip to move and unlock the door which was not part of his plan. This is when everything was going to get a little more complicated however as there was commotion building outside of the door between Setsuna and a mysterious fellow who Kyuji did not know. But, that mystery was cleared quickly as Azusa informed him that it was her brother's servant. There were clear signs of uneasiness on her face and he knew that he needed to act quickly because there was no telling what was going to happen before too long. He also wanted to know where his clones were at because they were suppose to be on lookout for him and had failed him miserably. Fortunately, he still had control of them since they were within range and he had them on the move towards this room already.

While he was waiting for them, he bent down to her ear again and whispered to her: "Breathe and relax. I planned everything out and we are going to be okay. You just need to trust me on this one." He then walked over to the door and did the calling that he told Setsuna about earlier: knock, knock.....knock. But before she could respond, he proceeded to address the man in a tone that resembled his cousin almost perfectly: "I am coming out. Back away from the door. Setsuna, I would like to talk to you about something we agreed upon earlier. Please and thanks."

He would then back away from the door as he could hear the footsteps of Setsuna disappearing down the hall to fetch Hinoka. He also heard other footsteps coming close to their room and smirked to himself as it seemed his foolish clones actually did listen sometimes. The clones would not do much when they approached the man aside from one walking right in front of the door blocking it and letting the guard know that he wasn't needed anymore. The other two would go on either side of the male and once situated, they all began to take turns talking:
"I don't know who the Hell you think you are, but you need to wait your turn like everyone else does to see Aika!
"Exactly! We are paying customers as well and I have been waiting here for hours to see Aika, but she had a special client come in that took priority over us commoners."
"Besides if you really want to break into the room, you will need to go through me.
"Me too!"
"Same here!"
"So Mister Hot Shot, you think you have the courage to fight all three of us or are you going to walk away and cry to Mommy?"

While these fools were insulting this servant of Azusa's brother, Kyuji had been inside writing a letter to this intruder. He knew that his clones were weak compared to this servant just by sensing him and thus he needed to make a decoy for the decoy to get them out of here. The letter was a quick one, but it was one that would give them both time to think and train Azusa so she would be prepared for her brother and the clan when the time arose. The content of the letter are as followed:

Spoiler

Dear Nuisance,

You dare interrupt my time with Aika and for that I have taken her away from here. If you would like to see her again, you will need to come to Sora and through MY Gates of Hell to see her. I expect to see you on xx/xx/xx at 11:00 PM and I will keep her safe and sound until that meeting time.

If you decide to not come to get her, I will send her limb by limb back to the Aikayume Clan and eventually appear there myself for payment. I expect if you have the courage to come, you will bring with you a nice payout for me as I am a business man and I am not going to be screwed over in an exchange. One person comes to get her so choose wisely and if I don't get what I want, I will kill whoever comes and send their body back to your precious clan piece by piece.

The choice is yours, but I am an impatient man so don't keep me waiting.

Signed,
Miroku Akkuma

Once he had that letter complete, he looked over at Azusa who was almost ready as she had quickened her pace because she knew it was time to go. As soon as she appeared ready, Kyuji would scoop her up in his arms and in the process say: "Sorry to carry you this way, but it is the quickest way." He would then close his eyes as the duo would be able to see each other but their appearance would be invisible to everyone else. He then sighed heavily as he walked towards the window and jumped out of it with Azusa in his hands landing elegantly because he was a cat and proceeded to go to the front of the establishment were Setsuna had been expected to meet him.

Once they were around the corner, he did see Setsuna waiting for him with Hinoka. However, it was not a good idea to have Azusa right there with him so he put her down in a nearby area to the meeting location and summoned another clone to guard her while he went over to Setsuna just in case someone decided to interfere. He also gave her his cloak that he wore and told her to conceal her identity until he finished with Setsuna and got Hinoka back. A quick pat to her head and telling her to stay put and he was off to the meeting spot.

As he approached, Setsuna smiled at him holding a drunk and sleepy Hinoka in her arms. She would hand her over to Kyuji with seduction dancing in her eyes as she made sure to bend over giving the child so he could see her assets. That is when he realized that she still had that flute around her and when he placed Hinoka into the arms of another clone that he summoned beside him as two of the other three had poofed already revealing to him that he didn't have much time left before this servant realized he got jipped. He had to ask at least for the flute at this point even if it didn't mean nothing to Azusa as that flute was her weapon and one of her belongings and she deserved to do what she wanted with it. So, he smiled at her and asked nicely: "Can I have that flute around your neck? Aika said that she didn't want it anymore and I personally would like it." It was a quick response from the seductive leader of this establishment with a finger that went over his chest as she spoke: "I suppose, but you need to take it from me, Kitty-Man. What do you say? Or why don't we go back to one of the rooms and I can show you what I can really do?" Obviously, he would blush a little at this statement but he had to be strong for his apprentice, his wife, and himself so he said: "Thank you, but no. I am not interested tonight as I am played out from Aika. Maybe next time, Cutie."

He then turned to the location of the flute and gulped. It was still dangling between her bosoms, but he had to do this for Azusa and he needed to remember that so he brought his hand forward and grabbed it from its location. He then asked for Setsuna to remove the rest of it from her neck as it was still clipped on, but she decided that she wasn't going to do that. No instead she blushed and grabbed him and brought him in close to her before kissing him on the lips. His reaction was one that one would hope when he was married which was trying to push away and when he did the necklace broke off her neck. At that moment, he had the item in his hands and one flirtatious woman in front of him.

His mission was successful with some surprises, but he needed to release the jutsu on her. That would wait first however as he bent over and whispered into her ear: "I am a little busy and I am married. But maybe we can continue this fun game later, Sweet Cheeks." He then put his hand on her head releasing the Genjutsu as a mist began to cover the area concealing his other clone and Azusa. He would then turn away from the woman and begin to walk back to Azusa and his eyes were glowing as he could see her the whole way back.

When he returned, he looked at her behind his clone and released the clone that was protecting her. The other clone would poof after he grabbed Hinoka and threw her over his one shoulder and put his hand in front of him for Azusa. "We don't have time to talk about anything that just happened right now. Just please grab my hand and we will get out of this place. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner you can get a nice shower, some sleep and we can figure out what to do from here." If she did, they would all go invisible and begin to walk away and towards his clan's home. If she didn't, well this writer didn't think about that surprisingly after he wrote out all of this.

---

[MFT: 1747 Words]
[Topic Left?]

 

[Muramasa Maya]

She glared between Kyuji and the door, the fur on her tails and ears slowly rising into a spiked jagged appearance as she became alert to the potential danger she was in. fur on her tails and ears was spiked and jagged, alert to the potential danger she was in. Kyuji actually whispering to her in an attempt to calm her is the only reason she hadn't bolted out the window as soon as she finished dressing.

And it seemed he was right, and able to keep the situation under control with surprising tact.

"...To think the Priestess would fall so low, so quickly to let the likes of any of you even touch her..." The voice spoke with disgust. He was shortly joined by feminine voice sounding in anguished agreement. "...Lady Azusa..." The Aikayume were not normally aggressive, and Kyuji's diversion would work greatly at buying time while they argued amongst the disguised clans in vain.

Meanwhile, Azusa gathered a few of the things she wished to bring with her while she impatiently waited on Kyuji to write...something. Though just as she was about to speak against him wasting time, he had...lifted her off her feet. She shot the descendant of Byakko a glare that could melt ice, despite knowing that in her current state this really was faster than her running with her reduced agility. "...Just this once will I allow you to carry me this way." A small sacrifice in exchange for getting away from the fox clan tracking her...Though it meant she wasn't able to hide her flinching when he jumped, showing just how much of her shinobi agility had already left her.

A safe distance away, she was placed back on her own feet...And Kyuji's plan had finally caught a snag, as she watched him meetup with Setsuna and get Hinoka, who was passed out by having reached her weak constitution's limits. And her flute, one of several things taken from her early on in Setsuna and Azusa's relationship. A story for another time.

Azusa, seeing the scene, disregarded Kyuji's hand when he returned. "...There is nothing wrong with my legs. I've been in there for so long, I am dying to stretch on my own." the fox spoke. Jealousy was green-eyed monster, as they said, and Azusa's were the the most vivid shade of emerald. Glancing over her shoulder to see if they were followed, she pushed Kyuji along to get him to move, and then followed after him herself.

[MFT] [Topic Left]