Quiet.

The backstreets of Sunagakure were mostly empty at this time of night, save the occasional drunk stumbling home and the “hidden” ANBU operatives that covertly patrolled the city at all hours of the day. Bokuden had often wondered in his younger years just how much more difficult things would be if he did not have his Current Perception to sniff out all potential threats lying in wait. For a time he even attempted to train himself to not use his sensory prowess as an attempt to prove himself capable even without relying on it as a crutch. Ultimately his juvenile attempts at bolstering his own ego would prove to be in vain and he would learn to embrace his abilities.

Even now, Bokuden’s Current Perception allowed him to navigate the dimly lit streets of Sunagakure without ever having to run the risk of crossing paths with any unwanted acquaintances. There was only one matter he needed to attend to, Yui. These visits used to be much more frequent, with him sneaking back in several times a month to see her and have his wounds treated, but that discovery would ultimately result in him vanishing for the better part of a year, leaving Yui with no word of what he was doing or if he was even still alive. They’re official relationship had already been forced to end by that time, but that didn’t stop the guilt from gnawing at him. That guilt is what lead him back to the streets of Sunagakure that night, making the same trip down the same roads he had made many times before, but things were different now. He was different, for better or for worse.

Still, it was best for him to spend as little time as possible wandering the streets when he had a clear objective in mind. Bokuden adjusted the bouquet of white lilies tucked beneath his white robes and tightened the piece of cloth that covered his face, both ensure the secrecy of his identity and to shield his face from the surprisingly chilling winds of the desert night. He focused once more, every person in the immediate area lighting up like a candle in his mind, showing him the path he would need to take to avoid any surprise encounters. He was close to his destination now, he remembered that much of the city’s layout. He didn’t know if she would be home or not when he got there, but they always had a contingency plan for that just in case.

---

-427-

Yui sighed as she had finished the last clinical for one of her girls for the night, she stretched and yawned as Sekkiea would chuckle a little at her. Yui was a former kage but she also had a total stranglehold over the underground in Suna and lately several rats had been sniffing around for information members of Suzume's clan making her wonder just what was going on. As she doors closed she would pull a bottle of sake out and begin to pour herself some as she would slowly drink it while closing her eyes, she had a lot to think about with Suzume's speech showing she wanted out as Kage she had to think if she really wanted to take over the control of the village once more. She wondered what to do, she had heard other Kage's in the past also did this to save their villages, but could she really handle that pressure once more. She was much older now so she was sure she could and she had a very good measure and pulse of the village now.

"Sekkiea I am sorry but very soon I might make you extremely busy, will you stand by my side like you always have. The village needs me and as much as I want relaxation I cannot let me village fall into ruin, Suzume's clan has become rotten with power...it may need someone to happen once again... another purge would you stand by me despite this."

She would nod her head as she would rest her head in Yui's lap, Yui would move her hand rubbing her ears as she always loved the loyalty Sekkiea had always shown her. She continued to drink plenty of Sake before she would finally leave her clinic and begin to head home, she would nod at the various ANBU she would see guarding the streets, she knew just about all of them because of her being a Kage previously and she was well respected in the village.

WC:341
TWC:341

“The coast is clear,” Bokuden thought to himself as he scanned the halls directly outside of Yui’s apartment. His eyes darted back and forth before closing and giving way to his sensory prowess leaving no doubt that he was alone. He had made it all the way here without allowing himself to be seen, now was not the time to get sloppy just because the finish line was in sight.

The man gripped the neck of the door knob with his left hand, it was cold. Clearly it had not been touched in a significant amount of time. Given the time of night, Bokuden would estimate that Yui would have already been out for several hours at this point, giving him ample opportunity to get in and get out as he had planned. He paused for a moment with his hand on the door knob, allowing himself to succumb to nostalgia as the frigid cold that once marked the metal knob gave way to the warmth of his hand. He was grateful to Yui. While their time together was not long, she afforded him some modicum of peace in a time where his entire life was in chaos. She herself was not even totally cognizant of the details of his departure from Kumogakure, but she never pushed for answers he did not intend to give.

Snapping his mind back into the present, Bokuden reached into his right side pocket to retrieve the key to her apartment. With his hand still wrapped tightly around the knob, he slide in the key while shooting a glance towards each of his side directions once more. It never hurt to verify. Although he pushed the door open slowly, the man wasted no time in stepping inside, immediately closing it gently behind him as to avoid making undue noise.

The furnishings of the apartment had not changed much, if at all since he left. “I guess she’s been keeping herself too busy to redecorate,” Bokuden mused to himself jokingly. Yui had never been one to spend too much time fussing over the decorations of the apartment she spent only a small amount of time in. The smell was different though. It was more like the first time he had entered this space. Very clean, almost empty, as if the space had minimal interaction with actual inhabitants. That had begun to change when he began spending time here. With him around, Yui and Sekkeia spent less time wandering the village during the night and more time at home. It seemed much more “lived in” during that time, but he could only deduce that after he left they had returned to their previous lifestyle with nothing beckoning them home.

Bokuden trekked slowly through the apartment, in no particular rush given what he assumed to be Yui’s current lifestyle. He expected she would be out a while more still. Eventually he would make his way to her bedroom, the actual destination of his little trip. Ever since he was forced to leave the village, she and he had used a signal of sorts to set up their meetings. When he needed his injury looked at he would leave a white lily, her favorite flower, pinned to an article of clothing in her closet and then move to their rendezvous point, at which she would meet him once she discovered the flower, usually almost immediately after returning home. It had been some time since their last meeting, but the process this time would remain the same. After having left the flower in the closet, Bokuden would begin making his way back to the front door.

---

-609-

1036~

Yui would slowly begin to head back toward her home as she let out a sigh, she had been such a busy body lately with everything going on with Suzume it was a lot to deal with. It was a quiet night as she thought about how much she had been through the last eight years, her life has been rather wild and she had been through so much from committing genocide to becoming kage and then almost being killed off as she rubbed the spot that had the scar where the sword had went through her chest. As she made it to her house she could smell a scent as she pulled her black blade of her side, but this was not a bad one as she went straight to her closet and saw the white lily, it was Bokuden he had been here as Yui looked down excited at Sekkiea. He was still alive as she went out of her house and began to rush to where the meeting place would likely be, she had a underground location they could meet in private that no one would check as she made her way to a nearby sewer drain and opened the lid. The tunnel always appeared to be a sewer it however was not as she used several hand seals near the wall inside opening it up as the wall slid open.

She would step inside using the hand seals once more before the wall would close behind her and she would begin to walk down the tunnel which lead to the underground black market area. Many would wave at Yui or nod at her as she was the boss of the underground with several passing her notes of intelligence to read later, today she was here to find one man though as she made her way past the underground market toward one of her spas. Inside she would step and begin to look around for Bokuden it was a good place to treat him as it had several medical supplies as well as a nice warm bath to clean up for any activities that might occur.

"Bokuden I know you are here no need to hide from me make yourself seen, and where the hell have you been the last year, you stopped having my treat your wounds you fool."

WC:396
TWC:737

Having left behind the signal to notify Yui of his arrival, there was nothing Bokuden could do now but wait for her to discover the flower and meet him at their rendezvous point. Having no way to determine when she would actually receive the message, he would simply stand high on the ceiling above the doorway, putting himself out of view of anyone who might walk in until he chose to make it so. While hanging from the ceiling Bokuden would close his eyes and enter a meditative practice to pass the time until Yui arrived. The practice was quite common amongst members of his clan and was often the path to unlocking their latent abilities. Although that was no longer his goal when entering meditation, the practice did provide calmness and clarity.

After some time, Bokuden would sense a familiar presence approach the door to the room he was in, causing his eyes to open suddenly from their closed point during his meditation. His wait was over. He watched Yui enter the room, but made no move to reveal himself at first. Once she had stepped sufficiently far into the room and began to call out to him, he would silently drop down from the ceiling, wasting no time in closing and locking the door behind them.

“Fool?” Bokuden answered playfully, exhaling in a manner just short of a chuckle, “You’ve called me many things, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you lead off a conversation with me like that, Yui. My disappearance must have upset you more than I thought. I’m used to being greeted with a kiss.”

Even with his face and body hidden under the long white robes with gold trimming reminiscent of one of the desert dwelling peoples he spent time with during his travels, Bokuden knew that Yui would have no issue recognizing him. Rather than approaching her, he instead pulled back the fabric that covered his head, revealing distinguished face, icy-blue eyes, and silver hair that Yui knew well. The side of his mouth would curl into a smirk as he looked her way. “I guess I won’t be needing these then,” he continued, pulling out the bouquet of white lilies from which the flower he left for her came and holding it out towards her, “If you don’t want them…”

---

-396-

1432~

She listened to him as he basically mocked her making her fold her arms and look away from him, however she could smell the lily's in the air as she turned and saw them in his hand causing her to smile. She would move over to him and grab the flowers and take them and set them to the side. They had a lot to discuss for sure, many things had happened and she had so many questions for him like how his wounds were going.

"You vanished for a year without any contact... no treatment for the wounds or anything else, I understand you are trying to avoid me issues with the council but you could have got a hold of me anyways. They will never like me don't forget in my past I killed half the council I am like a sore that wont go away. Now... I still cant forget you.. I love you and always will... I know you never wanted that from me... but the time a part made me realize you are the only man for me."

She would wait to see what he said before moving closer and pulling him close her lips lightly placing on his as she would give him a soft gentle kiss. Her eyes had tears as she would pull him close and rest her head int his chest, she really missed him more then she thought. She likely looked cute right now, showing a frail side she often did not show only he had seen this side, she was far to proud to show it often.

"Dont... leave me behind again... I... there are things happening right now that I cannot discuss here in town. It is important you listen to what I have to say as my sources would not lie to me but my life very well might be in danger."


WC:317
TWC:1,054

Bokuden smirked at Yui’s attempt at showing her displeasure with him by folding her arms and turning away, only to give way a moment later once he offered her the flowers. He expected he would to have to answer for his disappearance and he was prepared to do so… although maybe not all at once. A year is a long time and this past year was perhaps the longest of his life. So much had happened. So much had changed. To even attempt a shorthand to appease her on the spot would be underselling his own journey. What he did not expect, however, was the sudden confession of love to him.

It was not like she had not confessed her feelings to him before, but he found the timing, just a few sentences in after such a long absence to be unusual. His first thought was immediately that something had happened to her in his absence. “Are you alright?” he asked, taking a step towards her, hoping that closing the distance between them would ease her. He expected an explanation, but was instead met with a kiss as she moved into him as well, pressing her lips against his. He was elated for a brief moment, part of him happy to know that even after all of this time she still felt so strongly about him, but that elation faded as he she pulled into him and buried her face into his chest, fighting back tears.

Bokuden listened, but found no answers nor comfort in Yui’s words. His first response was to hold her close, his physical embrace meant to show her that she was no longer alone and provide a feeling of security. He wrapped his arms around her, his left hand against her lower back while his right cradled the back of her head, just above the neck. As he pulled her in tight to his body Bokuden would lower his head towards hers, pecking a kiss on the top of her head as she buried her face into his chest. “I’m sorry, Yui,” he whispered to her as he embraced her, accepting a year’s worth of frustration, fear, anger, and loneliness without hesitation, “It will all be okay. I’m here now. Tell me everything.”

---

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