The damp, cool air looming throughout Kirigakure made up a miserable experience for the young Kimura. He, and not unlike many others of his kind, detested such conditions. They were creatures born of heat and fire, their roots were in direct opposition to the very core of what the Land of Water was. It made travel that much worse for Takao, who was much more apt to complain about the minor injustices enacted upon him by the atmosphere of which he detested so.

Eyes that were usually black instead smoldered like flames, glowering bright orange and red whilst a slitted pupil upon each teetered from one direction to the next. Through his glowing eyes, he saw a myriad of imagery. Wildlife was alight in his vision like fire, anything that radiated body heat within a kilometer of where he walked revealed to the burning eyes clear as the daylight which did not grace the Land of Water at present. With the dark clouds looming overhead threatening the potential of a storm, many of those glowing blobs were scurrying to shelter. Had he not wandered too far from the village and been safely within the inn which had been called home for the past few days, rain would have been a much more welcome sight. He had a plethora of books to read to pass the time away, and the inn was cozy enough that it would be rather enjoyable to endure a rainstorm in, but fortune was seldom his lady.

These were foreign lands that his boots trudged upon. It brought a feeling of unease and mystery upon him, to explore them entirely on his lonesome, with the creatures frequenting the forest as his only signs of life. Foliage rustled as he moved through the underbrush, steadily carrying him closer to no destination in particular. He had long since taken the jacket from his shoulders and tied it around his waist, wearing only a well-fitted shirt beneath to cover his torso and nothing to cover his forearms or hands, both bearing numerous scars of varying severity upon the naked flesh. His right forearm did sport a light wrapping of cloth bandage around the wrist, with a noticeable seal upon the fabric. An expert in the field of fūinjutsu might take notice that it was little more than a simple item storage seal, yet what loomed within remained a mystery.

His momentum was brought pause by an unexpected sight entering his burning-eye aided vision. The figure of a person moving entered the periphery of what Aibāningu allowed, and as he walked in its direction, he noticed it lay against a tree, and before long another creature approached the figure. As he grew closer, the image became more clear, and he understood what he was seeing better. It was a girl approached by a relatively small animal, which curled itself upon her lap. They stopped moving after a while, and had it not been for the body heat he saw radiating from them, he would not have assumed them to be asleep.

As Takao approached the clearing, the glow of his eyes faded, and their dull grey hue overtook the previous orange and red. It took a moment to adjust to the difference in light after his eyes made the change back, but upon doing so, he was graced with the sight of the large glade. It was picturesque, even he could admit that much. The large tree situated more or less in the middle of the glade only added to the beauty of the scenery. As the muddied soles of his boots carried him across the grass-laden fields and he approached the base of the tall tree, he was eventually graced with the sight of the girl he had taken notice of earlier. She was fast asleep, or at least appeared to be, as he had assumed earlier. He had been quiet in his approach for the most part, not wanting to disturb her should she had been asleep, nor did he want to immediately alert the unknown person to his presence haphazardly. But, as his dark eyes wandered over her, she didn’t quite have the outward appearance of a threat. Her legs and arms were slender, and perhaps the rest of her body from what he could tell, though the large shirt she wore covered most of her body. His inspection of her had not been for perversion, yet as his gaze shifted over the shirt she wore and he had taken notice of the undergarments through the fabric, he couldn't help the thought that his glance over was beginning to wander into immoral territory. With a slightly flushed face, his gaze was averted, instead taking notice of the slight freckles upon her face and the scar upon her arm. His ability to judge age based on appearance was admittedly lacking, but he guessed she couldn’t have been much younger than himself. Overall, she seemed cute, though that was an unspoken opinion.

“Maybe I shouldn’t wake her.” He mentally commented after noting how she seemed to sleep peacefully under the tree. It seemed rude, but whilst his mind wandered further, perhaps even irresponsible. He knew little of her, and she did not quite meet the general expectation of a shinobi’s appearance, at least not in garb. The raven-haired shinobi knew better than to judge based on appearance, but without knowing for sure, it didn’t seem right to leave her either. In a mere matter of seconds, his train of thought had left him with quite the moral dilemma. He lamented on his options for another moment, but as his gaze shifted skyward, the skies above grew darker with the looming threat of rain, and his choice seemed clear.

“Ahem,” Takao cleared his throat, waiting for a moment to see if she would stir or awaken. If she did, he would continue.

“It’s a little risky to sleep out here alone, isn’t it?” He commented further as his hands slipped into his trouser pockets. A poor attempt at appearing casual whilst he glossed over the fact that he was interrupting what had appeared to be peaceful slumber.

“I’d at least say because of the wild animals, but… Doesn’t seem like you would have too much trouble with them.” He cleared his throat a second time. "Anyway, uh... Sorry for waking you. I was just-... well, lost, really... but it looked like it was going to rain soon, and I couldn't walk away in good conscience thinking you might get woken up by a storm."

Takao’s gaze lazily followed the fox as it darted from her lap after the girl stirred and scurried off into the distance, disappearing into the grass of the field. His dull gaze returned to her as she softly spoke, the grogginess of sleep still evident in her mannerisms and the tone of her voice. It brought a faint, genuinely warm smirk to his face, though it quickly faded into his neutral expression. It seemed inappropriate to be smiling at the present situation, even if it was just a bit amusing to watch. Her mention of the village had lifted his eyebrows in surprise, and averted his gaze toward the treeline. It hardly looked like anything more than forest for as far as he could see with his bare eyes, and Aibāningu had been deactivated before he had a proper look around, although it may have even been out of his augmented sight. Perhaps he had been unknowingly walking the perimeter of his destination in his casual post-mission sashay.

“Mm… I didn’t realize we were that close to the village.” He admitted as his attention settled back onto her. The other statements were lamented on, first the claim that few would dare to harm her-- or perhaps just somebody in general-- and then the other about her talent with animals. The former had interested him, more so about where her confidence stemmed from in being safe from harm, although her claim that she had little issue with handling animals had piqued his curiousity as well. “I should introduce her to Asuka.” He mentally mused in reference to his messenger falcon, who had claimed the darkened skies above them. In truth, the bird was raised from birth making it not so wild, but it was still a thought worth keeping for the moment.

When her gaze was set upon him and examined him in the same manner that he had done to her whilst she slept, or at least relatively the same manner, he slowly shifted his gaze sidelong. Given that he had indeed done just the same to her, he had little room to justify feeling uncomfortable or awkward at the receiving end of a brief once over. Yet there was something about her looking him over that made him internally squirm. His eyes briefly met with hers, allowing him to note their similar colour to her hair that he had not seen previously whilst she slept. When she was through giving him a look over, she thanked him for his concern, and asked for his help getting up.

“Sure,” He replied without hesitation, his hand extended to meet her’s. Whether it be from his own overzealousness in helping or an unintentional miscalculation of strength, his attempt at helping her from the reclined position against the tree had done just that and a bit more as well. As Takao helped her up and pulled her to his feet, he would unintentionally pull her into him. His body quickly stiffened like a board out of the surprise garnered from feeling her against him. Colour rushed to his warming face while their chests pressed against one another, and the placement of his arm and hand after helping her up briefly brushed against her back when she moved away. It took a hot minute for the rigidity of his posture to melt like ice, having only snapped out of it after she spoke up and apologized.

“Oh, u-..uh… No, no, that was my fault. I uh…” He said, stammering through his words. “My bad, I apologize.” The apology he was working at was finally managed, though the warm colour of his face hadn’t yet been flushed. She, and thankfully so, made an attempt at shifting the conversation elsewhere.

“Yeah, I was uh… I was heading back to the village, but I don’t know the area very well.” Takao said, offering a relatively vague explanation for his lack of bearing. Her offer to accompany one another on the walk back was met with a warm smile and a nod preceding a response.

“I would really appreciate that, actually. Chances are that I’d end up lost again if I tried to find my own way back.” A light chuckle rumbled in his throat after as the pair began to walk away from the large tree and across the field, heading toward the treeline. In the time it took them to do so, she had begun to tell him a brief story about the last time she’d been caught in a storm.

“Sounds like this worked out in our favour then, huh?” He commented idly, his neutral expression replaced with a small, persistent smile. Their chance meeting had appeared to be mutually beneficial.

- - -

As the pair neared the edge of the grove, with nearly ten meters of distance between where they stood and the treeline, Takao’s attention snapped toward the sound of rustling brush. A figure burst from the foliage, stumbling over itself in a panic as it scurried into the clearing. It was a man, perhaps his age or just a year or two younger, with a bag clung to his chest and an expression of unbridled dread and fear worn upon his face.

“Help! Please!” The man shouted as thunder rolled in the background, the light of the sun hidden behind the dull glower of the storm proper. Takao watched as the man neared them, and although wary of his presence, did nothing to stop him as he came to a stumbling stop behind himself and Fuyuko.

“I-I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have stolen it! Please don’t let them take me!” The man continued, his panicked voice cracking from panic whilst he cowered behind them. Takao’s gaze shifted from the cowering figure to Fuyuko, and his eyebrow raised inquisitively. It was a very foreign reaction for the shinobi to witness, the utter panic over what appeared to be petty thievery at a glance. Even at the worst, it didn’t seem like an adequate crime to stress oneself so thoroughly over. Nonetheless, Takao stood rigidly in preparation, partially turned toward Fuyuko.

While the pair were still walking, Takao found himself stealing a sidelong glance over her way every so often. Some of the glances he stole were more inconspicuous than others, having caught himself staring once or twice. He was finding it difficult to tear his gaze away, for simply watching her fulfilled some sort of emotion deep in his chest that he felt wholly unfamiliar with. But it was pleasant, he knew that much. That same feeling became more intense for a brief moment when she began to twist the end of her ponytail.

That sensation was interrupted by their panicked guest. When Fuyuko spoke, the change in tone and choice of words had piqued his interested. The change in tone, although in stark contrast to how she had spoke to him, still brought a genuine smirk to his face. It was less the choice of words and more the tone of disapproval she adopted. An inquisitive eyebrow was raised while his gaze shifted back to the hysterical man, who sputtered out a vague explanation for his panic. The picture he painted became more clear with each word added to the canvas. Petty thievery wasn’t worth his sort of mindless hysteria, but unintentional murder was certainly more logical than the former.

“The Lady’s right,” Takao said as his arms folded at his chest. “Accident or not, the right thing to do is turn yourself in. Some time behind bars might even do you some good.” The raven-haired shinobi continued, pressing a matter of intuition regarding the Kirigakure judicial systems that he was entirely unfamiliar with. He knew very little of Kirigakure and the Land of Water proper, outside of rumours and hearsay. Firsthand, he had experienced seldom little of the foreign land. His only personal memory was nearly a decade ago, when he watched the village turn to ash at the hands of the black flames of Amaterasu.

When panic turned to anger, Takao’s muscles tensed in preparation. His shouting was a clear indication that he was no longer scared and frightened, but frustrated, angry, and annoyed. Body language was something the Jōnin studied extensively, as well as signs and cues for aggression. Although Takao was still unsure of whether or not Fuyuko was capable of handling herself, he stepped forward out of instinct, feeling some innate desire to protect driving him forward rather than typical reason. He displayed little fear or worry as the man shed the backpack of stolen goods and procured a knife from his person whilst charging. He reached out and firmly grasped the wrist of his knife-bearing hand, stopping it mid-thrust. His other hand lifted to meet the grappled hand and turned, twisting the knife from his grasp and safely disarming the blade. Now safely within Takao’s possession, he spun the blade in his palm to face downward and pulled the man’s arm forward whilst turning his own body halfway. With practiced positioning of his feet, the man was thrown over Takao’s shoulder. When he landed, Takao maintained control of his arm, and twisted it behind him to be firmly planted and locked against his back.

“Shouldn’t charge at a girl like that, man.” Takao said, using his knee to keep the man pinned while he tended to the knife. With the blade in his grasp his grasp, Takao twisted and contorted the flimsy metal of the knife, rendering it harmless and useless. He reached around his waist and tucked it into the round pouch hooked onto his belt, for he was no litterbug.

“You’re just making this a lot worse for yourself.” He added, brushing his hands off before adjusting the shirt that had ridden up on his torso just a bit from the movement. His gaze shifted and settled on Fuyuko, quickly glancing her over once.

“You okay?” He asked, the tone of his voice softening when he addressed her, which was quite the contrast from his monotone when addressing the man.

Following her answer, Takao’s attention returned to the man, whose incessant mumbling went largely unnoticed and his struggles were in vain. Interested in delving into the truth of the matter, Takao brought his hands together and completed a lazy string of five seals. When they were finished, he placed his hand upon the back of the man’s head. A moment of silence befell the pair as Takao quickly searched his most recent memories, recounting the events that had occurred earlier in more vivid detail than the man’s previous hysteria would allow. The technique would allow Takao to dig further into his psyche, and perhaps learn why the deed had been done, but it seemed inconsequential at present. For the most part, his hysterical recollection was accurate. A man laid dead by his blade, and he had hastily made off with whatever belongings were in the pack.

“He’s not lying, at least.” Takao said after a moment, his hand pulled back from the man’s head. The raven-haired shinobi’s attention then shifted to more sounds of rustling as a pair of Kirigakure Hunter-Nin appeared via body flicker. They, not unlike he, spoke in monotone upon arrival and assessment of the situation.

“Hand over the criminal.” The leftmost Hunter-Nin said, or rather demanded unceremoniously. Without protest, Takao stood from his position upon the man’s back, which had previously kept him pinned in the grass. He grabbed the back of his shirt and helped him to his feet, and despite the near incessant stream of pleading and begging coming from his mouth, their criminal was transferred from Takao’s custody to theirs.

“Right, well. There you go, all ready for the big house.” He said, further testing for reactions. The Hunter-Nin were gone within a minute of their arrival, disappearing with the pleading man in tow, and ignoring Takao’s words. With a slight exhale, he turned back to Fuyuko.

“Wonder what his deal was. Are Kirigakure prisons that bad?” Takao finally asked, having previously received little to no reaction to his repeated mentions of the Land of Water’s manner of penitentiary.

The situation Takao found himself in was a little odd, as he was beginning to work out for himself. The continued aversion or entire lack of response to his inquiries and offhand comments about the Kirigakure prison systems had not gone unnoticed, and they allowed him to form varying assumptions. Did Kirigakure prisons truly frighten their people so much? Did they have prisons at all, or some other form of judicial system? Foreign policy was one of Takao’s weaker political educations, both as Hokage and afterward he had almost exclusively focused his attention on the internal affairs of his home. It left him a little more than lacking in knowledge of foreign powers, which wasn’t a terribly effective habit to have.

Fuyuko replied and said she was fine, yet as his gaze lingered upon her, it didn’t seem as though that was fully the case. He knew little of the modern Kirigakure Hunter-nin, but their predecessors had been something he looked into once upon a time. Brutal and efficient, but that much was inherent for a subdivision of the Kirigakure ANBU.

Despite her claim to be fine, the tear rolling down her cheek suggested otherwise. The unfamiliar protective feeling persisted, and his hand carefully reached up to her cheek, wiping the tear away. It was perhaps a more intimate gesture than he was used to, but strangely instinctive. His body stiffened just a bit upon his realization that it had been moving somewhat on his own, but as she explained the situation further, Takao quickly shed the rigidity of his moderate embarrassment and nodded along.

“Kirigakure doesn’t have pris-- Kirigakure doesn’t have prisons?” Takao said, beginning to speak as a statement but as he mentally lamented on the information, he stuttered and reiterated it as a rhetorical question. It didn’t truly surprise him, not really. Without even having to ask, he knew exactly what the historically bloody Village Hidden in the Mist would do with the more despicable of their population, but it did beg the question of what punishments were inflicted upon their petty criminals. Perhaps they instituted a more literal and barbaric take on the “eye for an eye” mentality, which also would not come off as a surprise.

“That’s a bit… odd, I guess. Or… different from what I’m used to at least.” He said, offering a vague look into his opinion on the situation. Having come from Konohagakure, a vastly different culture almost in stark contrast to Kirigakure, it was indeed an odd aspect of their society. He knew little of Ayakashi, but he couldn’t imagine her to be foolish or brash in matters of state, so it was without question that there would be a justification and at least relatively logical reason behind the decision. Perhaps it would be a matter he investigated further at some point, but given the reaction that Fuyuko seemed to be having about it, he didn’t want to push her further emotionally. Her recommendation to return to the village was given a nod and smile as response. “That’s probably a good idea.”


Takao had no issue keeping up with her pace as she lead him back to the village, just in time for a light drizzle of rain to fall from the dark clouds above. Although he had spent a day in the village already, he hardly knew his way around, and certainly not through the wilderness that surrounded it.

Fuyuko made mention of them parting ways and he drew in a breath, not quite mentally prepared to separate just yet. But, and fortunately for him as well, it didn’t seem as though she wanted to either. The space between them disappeared as she moved closer and his face warmed with colour again when she grasped his shirt. “...So cute.” He thought, actively suppressing the shiver that he felt building in his spine. If he didn’t already want to stay, her making the suggestion for him to stick around while lightly tugging on his shirt would have done it. In this case, it merely sealed the deal of their continued company.

“I’d love to stay, actually.” He said after clearing his throat, using it as a clever method to disguise his attempt at composing himself. Takao’s expression warmed and stayed warm as her eyes brightened and she moved to hug him. Although the gesture made him red in the face once more, he didn’t stiffen up, and instead returned the hug with a light squeeze. He followed behind her after they parted from the embrace, enjoying the sight of her happiness and the slight skip put in her step. Their journey through the village did little to aid him in memorizing his location, as his attention seldom wavered from watching her.

Before long, the pair stood outside of her home. She opened the door and started to lead him in, but just before she did, he remembered something.

“Ahh, sorry, I almost forgot. Do you mind if I uh… bring a friend?” Takao said, turning his attention to the dark skies. It was difficult to spot the bird, but when he did, he whistled and lifted his right arm. The distant screech of a falcon preceded a loud boom of thunder, and within a few seconds, the bird swooped down from the sky and perched itself on Takao’s outstretched arm. He turned back to her with a small, apologetic smile.

“This is Asuka. He really doesn’t like the rain-- he’s also well trained to be indoors.” Takao said as he moved toward the doorway and into the genkan, where he stopped and turned back to face Fuyuko. The introduction of his bird had reminded him that he had not introduced himself, and his cheeks and ears adopted a shade of red embarrassment. Asuka’s head swiveled in sudden movements, in the typical way that a bird did when examining foreign surroundings.

“Ah, geez. I’m sorry for being so rude, I haven’t actually introduced myself yet.” He said, offering a second, slightly wider apologetic smile. The hand that did not support Asuka’s weight lifted up to rub the back of his neck as the smile was accompanied by a light chuckle of mild embarrassment. “My name’s Takao Kimura. I’m from Konoha.”

Takao’s cheeks pulled to the side as his expression eased and a smile formed on his face, quietly thankful that his typical forgotten introduction had not been of great insult to her. He had a terrible habit of jumping right into conversation with new faces without going through the proper introductions and manners. Usually he was apologetic enough for them to have mercy upon his poor, impolite soul. His gaze shifted from Fuyuko to Asuka, and watched as the falcon twitched in its usual rain-induced sensory overload. Thankfully the bird’s personality wasn’t inherently violent, which lent itself well to the training which kept it relatively calm even while surrounded by weather that stressed it out.

Her own introduction brought his attention back unto her, and let a light chuckle build in his chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fuyuko.” Takao said, smiling warmly to her. As they moved further into the home, his gaze wandered, usually returning to center on Fuyuko as she gave him the grand tour. The raven-haired shinobi set down his avian companion after having been given permission to do so. “He won’t make a mess, you have my word.” Takao said, flashing a stern, knowing look to the bird as it settled and began to prune under its wing.

With each room he was introduced to, he gave it a thorough once over, if for no other reason than it was his natural instinct to memorize his surroundings. They stopped at the living room first, and although it was a little barren, the presence of plants made it feel more like home. He approached one of them and leaned over, fondly examining the greenery.

“Do you like gardening?” He said after a brief moment, standing straight once more as he turned back to Fuyuko and followed her into the next room.

“It’s one of my favourite pastimes… although it might be more of an obsession, maybe. I have more plants to take care of than I probably should.” He said, as if speaking it aloud was more of self realization than idle chat. She introduced him to the kitchen next, and while her invitation to help himself to her foodly chattels was a kind and polite gesture, he thought it to be just a little improper of himself to indulge. Perhaps when they became more than recent acquaintances it might be something he was more willing to do.

As the pair progressed through the tour, the boom of thunder and the sharp crackle of lightning grew louder amidst the sound of heavy rain pounding against the roof. Takao mentally remarked that their timing in avoiding the downpour was impeccable. His musing wandered further, remarking how it was actually quite convenient that they had avoided it, considering her choice of clothing had been revealing enough without being wet. As the image entered his imagination, his face quickly warmed and reddened, leading him to mentally berat himself for letting his thoughts wander into such inappropriate territory. Fortunately, he had the remainder of the tour to occupy his conscious thought. She introduced him to the water closet and went on to explain how her lavatory was split into two different rooms, as well as her confusion on the choice of design. The room to their left was explained to be a spare bedroom, and the remaining room was introduced as her own sleeping quarters. His eyes wandered again, this time settling his attention on the headband upon the dresser. Given that the other bedroom in the house was unoccupied and explained to be an extra, it stood to reason that she likely lived alone, and the headband was her own. He didn’t comment on it, at least not presently. The presence of more plants was a warm sight as well; he found that they made the home cozier when combined with the muddled sound of rain hitting the roof.

“Super soft?” He asked as she made her way out of the room. His gaze turned to the bed and he shrugged, figuring that it was a harmless thing to partake in. Takao lowered himself down to sit at the edge of the bed, and upon feeling the comfort it provided, he exhaled a muffled groan and fell backwards. “Nnh. I miss a proper bed.” He mumbled to himself, briefly consumed by the trivial enjoyment he received from the solace of a nice bed. Takao didn’t linger in the room for long, somehow managing to tear himself away and rejoin Fuyuko in the kitchen.

“Oh, uh… Yeah, actually. I’d love one of… er…” Takao said, unsure of what she had on hand given that he hadn’t rummaged through the contents earlier when the offer had been extended. “How about what you’re having?” He said, opting for the easy choice, given that he wasn’t particularly picky in his choice of drink. When handed the beverage, he smiled gratefully and thanked her while took it from her, briefly brushing hands with her during the transfer in that awkwardly unintentional sort of way. Takao quickly occupied himself with taking a drink, and then further by answering her question.

“Well, honestly, I’m a bit short on responsibility in Konoha at the moment. Usually I’m pretty busy and the opportunity to travel to new places doesn’t come around all that often, so I figured I’d make good use of it while I could, you know?” He explained. Wanderlust was something Takao experienced much of, even though in reality he didn’t like being away from home.

“Ah... relatively new places, I guess. It seems to be working out pretty well so far.” He took another drink before letting the glass rest on the surface of the table. “Sorry if it’s a little… intrusive, but I noticed the headband in your bedroom. Is it yours?” His head tilted as he asked, having received little to no information through observation regarding her status as a shinobi.

His head tilted when she brought forth the notion that his interest in gardening was unexpected because of his age. Takao had put little thought into it himself, and merely did it because he found enjoyment in the calm it brought, although thinking further on it in the moment that followed did lead him to think that it was a rather boring pastime. A light chuckle built in his chest as she attempted to dissuade him from the opinion that she was being judgemental about his choice of hobby, although he hadn’t thought so himself.

“I guess it isn’t really a youth hobby, huh.” He said, following the verbal observation with a shrug. “I find it oddly… calming, you know? It’s nice to mentally escape by doing something mundane like that, and to actually create something for a change.” Takao continued, offering more insight on his interest in the subject. He was very conscious of the destructive aspects of both his personality and his repertoire of techniques and strategies, so having something to combat that offered solace in his self fault-finding. He could burn down the entirety of his village as mere fallout from his manner of fighting, but at least he kept a garden thriving at home.

Takao idly twisted the glass in a slow circle as she spoke, his attention undivided from her. “Only a little bit is classified,” He answered with a slight smirk, lifting the drink to take a small sip before he continued.

“I usually spend a lot of time at the Academy  and I’ve had a few genin squads that need a lot of attention. My last squad was promoted just a bit before the recent exams, so I’ve had a bit more downtime since then, but I’m sure I’ll get a new batch before too long.” A light chuckle rumbled in his throat. Another drink was taken to wet his throat. “Other than that, it’s just all sorts of different missions.”

Following his explanation of his nonclassified shinobi responsibilities, he lamented on her inquiry regarding his stay in the village. It had been rather insipid thus far, the only excitement having come from embarking on a mission in the foreign Land of Waves that hadn’t been very exciting at all. In many ways, it was just like all the others, just more repetition to feed the machine of war and bloodthirst. But, meeting Fuyuko had been a nice, seldom seen ray of light amidst that repetition, which was something he felt fortunate for.

“I am having a good time, actually. Up until now I haven’t really been doing all that much and it’s been a bit boring, but…” He said, both his voice and his gaze trailing off, the latter moving off to the side in brief thought. “Stumbling upon you has been the highlight so far.” Takao looked back at Fuyuko, his words accompanied by a tender smile. “What about you? Do you like it here in Kiri?”

The question that he posed afterward seemed to not sit well with her, or at the very least he interpreted her change of mood as such before she had even spoke. Her answer and the request to speak about it later were given a faint and knowing nod, as he was unwilling to press what he had originally deemed to be rather inconsequential smalltalk, but seemed to have a deeper meaning to her. His train of thought was entirely derailed as she adjusted her bra in front of him, and the sudden embarrassment of having watched the act in its entirety drained his face of its natural colour and replaced with a deep, warm shade of red. He stammered a bit, trying to string together a coherent response to her answer.

“Th-... that’s completely, uh… okay, yeah. I d-didn’t mean to press or anything..” He said, lifting the drink yet again and took a longer swig, nearly finishing it off entirely before he set it back down and folded his arms on the table.

Just before he could continue the conversation before it could fall flat, she inquired about his hobbies outside of his shinobi life. He thought on it for less than a handful of seconds before a light laugh built in his chest. “I’m afraid you’ll probably find most of them boring or unexciting. Other than gardening, I mostly just like to cook and read, or I’ll train. Especially on days like this.” He said in response, his gaze briefly turning to the window at the far end of the room, which the storm outside was showering with rain.

“Having a nice, warm drink and a good book on a day like this might be one of my favourite things.” Takao said, letting his gaze linger on the rain-soaked window before he looked back to Fuyuko. “Oh, I like watching the village at night from the Hokage mountain as well. It looks pretty when it’s all lit up.”

After finishing his drink, Takao set the empty glass on the table between his chest and his refolded arms. “So, how about you? What do you like to do in your down time?” He asked, turning the question back onto her.

As Fuyuko posed the question brought on by his earlier choice of words, his mouth pulled into a thin smile. He had let it slip unintentionally, a bit of a verbal misstep that was coming from mindless, yet heartfelt and honest rambling. The destructive nature of his personality, not so much from blind rage but a penchant of utilizing abilities that destroyed rather create, was a matter of great mental contention for the young shinobi. Nobody was more critical of it than himself, although he seldom if ever conveyed that dissatisfaction with his words to another person. Something about Fuyuko kept dragging out the desire to speak frivolously on matters he might not have otherwise.

“I’m not really one to boast about whatever strength I might have. I’ve always thought that kind of thing was obnoxious.” Takao said a bit flatly, attempting to move away from the notion that he might have been acting self-congratulatory when making subtle, underhanded mention of his destructiveness. He had noticed a large category of people that seemed intent on only growing stronger so that they might then boast about their strength, which was something he loathed and avoided whenever and however possible.

“I just come from a long family line of fire users. Especially destructive ones, I guess.” He continued whilst mental images of his father briefly flashing through his memory like flipping through the pages of a book. He had inherited more from his father than just the blood of their clansmen, and it felt like certain aspects of his personality were in direct contention with others, like two raging fires trying to overtake one another. “Fire just tends to destroy, not create, you know? It’s nice to do the opposite sometimes. Makes me feel like I balance the destruction with creation. Like… I give back what I take. Maybe that’s what I’m getting at.” His rambling hadn’t been caught until the tail end of this response, prompting him to exhale a light groan of frustration and rub the back of his neck.

“Ah ha… Sorry, I’m rambling.” He glanced off to the side to the window once more, taking something of a mental vacation from his verbose explanation of his choice of words. Although it was a matter he thought on often, it was never something he had fully put into spoken words before, leaving his response just a tad scatterbrained.

Eyes like coal watched her face light up following his answer to one of her inquiries, and he couldn’t stop himself from mimicking the expression. Her smile made him smile, like she was an emotional mirror. His chest fluttered and an odd warmth grew within it, though it was unlike the heat that came from his embarrassment. It was a sensation he felt wholly unfamiliar with, though it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Takao’s weight shifted to his elbows as he leaned forward on the table, his body moving on its own and acting on an instinctive desire to be closer to her. His body didn’t stiffen and his face didn’t redden when her foot brushed the side of his leg, although his heart did pound within his chest. The subtle signs of growing interest between them was growing more and more obvious, and what had previously been inconspicuous or innocent hints were now beginning to pile up.

One forearm was lifted and his head was left to rest in his hand, slightly tilted as he watched her with a warm smile with only the slightest hints of tired growing in his eyes. The events of the morning had left him a bit more fatigued than expected, but it wasn’t a problem just yet. At the very least, he wouldn’t let it be, as their conversation was holding too much of his interest to justify the feeling of tiredness from creeping up.

The way she covered part of her face with her sleeve left him screaming internally, as he was otherwise incapable of expressing the growing sensation of adoration that built within, sans the obvious look of similar description that was plastered all over his face while she spoke. Usually he was quite good at suppressing expression from his face, but the desire to do so had long since melted away.

Their shared interest in cooking brought more light to his eyes and let his mind wander as she continued. She enjoyed nature and, despite him not having said it earlier, he believed that to be a shared interest as well, at least to some degree. She may have enjoyed it more than he, but Takao found nature settings to be the most calming and were therefore thoroughly enjoyed as a result. Fuyuko went on to suggest interest in another subject, but with her eyes averted toward the ceiling, it seemed that the matter required a bit of thought. His eyebrows rose in initial response when she did finally speak, but he sat quietly and listened, each line of her poem acting like a piece of a puzzle that Takao mentally put together.

He found it difficult to muster a reply at first, for he felt that it deserved a proper response. The growing look of adoration on his face became considerably more evident while he thought of a response, having interpreted the poem to be rather obviously about the two of them.

“That’s…” He said, starting his sentence before his brain had fully completed a single coherent thought. “I really liked that.” He continued, trying to settle the thoughts that were scrambled within his head. Feeling bolder than usual, he opted to press his interpretation, if only to see her reaction. “Was that about us?”

Following his inquiry, another loud crash of thunder and flash of lighting tore through the sky, and the rain outside grew heavy like a tropical storm, but not quite as severe. Although Takao hadn’t averted his gaze from Fuyuko, as he was much too engrossed in the cuteness of her hiding behind her sleeve, he had noticed that the weather outside was growing more than just a light storm.

“Mh… Maybe this is a little inappropriate, but…” Takao said, briefly breaking his attention on Fuyuko to look toward the window as rain pounded against the glass. “Would… you mind if Asuka and I stayed the night?” He finally asked, the slightest hint of apprehension lacing his words. He had believed that there was an ember of something growing between them, and he would like to see it grow into a warm fire rather than accidentally snuffing it out by moving too hastily. “Be-... Because of the, uh… storm.” He added, clearing his throat afterward.

He was enjoying himself while watching the expression on her face persist. His leg bounced unnoticeably beneath the table, using the constant repetitive motion as an outlet for his growing restlessness as a result of her adorable mannerisms. His own eyes mirrored the endeared look she gave him, expressing similar longing desire from his seat across the table. When she had made the suggestion that it could have been about them, although not directly as she had merely suggested the possibility and asked his opinion on how he would feel were it true, he held a moment of silence and reclined against the back of the chair as he thought.

"I, uh... It makes... Mh..." Takao struggled to find the right words to describe how he felt. It was a wholly alien sensation for him, who had never fully felt desire for another person. Surely he had experienced attraction in some way, as was only natural for a human being, but it was a bodily desire that he could understand better than the odd, fluttering feeling in his chest. It was unique, and new. Foreign, and mysterious. He was already feeling the drive to investigate the feelings further, and do so, he would need to be entirely honest; that meant both with himself, and with her.

"It's hard to describe, and I'm not very good with words, but... It feels like time is moving slower, sorta… or maybe I’m just paying more attention to everything a lot more and I don’t really want it to move faster. The air is a lot... lighter, too. But in a good way, you know? That's not even really just how that specifically made me-- or, well, would make me feel if it was about us." He said, flashing her a faint, knowing smile. Whatever semblance of doubt that lingered in the back of his mind that perhaps the poem hadn't been about the two of them quickly faded into nothingness.

"The poem itself gives me this weird fluttery feeling in my chest. Kinda how you feel when you're nervous, maybe? But I'm not nervous, or at least I don’t feel like I am. I just feel… good, or… happy, you know? It makes my heart race.” Despite his struggle to accurately define the sensation that left his chest feeling like it did, he managed to squeeze the words out with great mental effort. But with that, he had explained the feelings as honestly as he could, still under the firm belief that it would have done neither of them any good had he been dishonest or attempted to hide it.

Following his explanation and the loud crash of thunder outside, she accepted his request to innocently stay the night. “Thank you!” He said, his hands came together and his head lowered in gratitude, having sincerely dreaded going outside in the storm. Rain was best observed from a distance, in the comfort of a warm home without any semblance of exposure to the environment.

Fuyuko rose from the table shortly after and made her way to the kitchen. Takao stood as well, following behind her not unlike a lost puppy, and lingered at the edge as she made her offer for food. He accepted and even offered to help, but she insisted on cooking for him, so he reluctantly returned to the table and the seat he had previously claimed. The silence between them lasted for only a short while before an interesting observation had entered Takao’s conscious thought.

“It’s quiet.” He mentally mused. Seldom was he given moments of silence like these in the presence of another, even the most unthreatening of companions would have that familiar voice calling for their utter destruction in flames. Having quickly gone back through the events that had occurred earlier in the day during his mission, it had been screaming at him like a child throwing a tantrum. Even after the mission when he wandered in the forest, it had been telling him to burn it all down. But after speaking to Fuyuko, there was complete radio silence. Not a peep. No egging him on to burn her, or horribly maim her, or otherwise set everything around him on fire lest he suffer even a second’s risk of being unsafe. He rarely experienced mental silence, and it was a very welcome change of pace.

While she cooked and silence threatened to continue, Takao filled the quiet air with small talk. It largely negligible in the grand scheme of their time spent together, and was more of just a friendly interaction, but it was nice to not sit in silence. Thankfully, he wasn’t terrible at carrying a conversation, even if it was just small talk.

It didn’t take her long to prepare the meal, which Takao thoroughly enjoyed and verbally thanked her for. It was genuinely good, however Takao mused that she could have probably served him a bowl of muddy water from outside and he still would have enjoyed it, if only for the company. Purely by habit, he routinely made eye contact with her, which she shied away from. It hardly bothered him; in fact it was quite the opposite, another cute mannerism that endeared him.

He stood when she took the dishes to the sink and left his hand to rest on the back of the chair. After she admitted to being tired, she quickly hugged him and hurried off to her room before he had the chance to hug her back. He let a long, pent up breath escape from his lungs as he watched the hallway she disappeared into for a few moments before he turned back to Asuka.

“Woo boy. I’m in love.” He muttered aloud to the bird that had taken up a perch nearby. It had momentarily stopped from pruning itself and directed its attention to Takao's voice.

“Come on, bud.” His hand was outstretched and Asuka hopped onto his arm, allowing him to be ferried to the spare room. “Let’s get some rest.”