Bokuden peered out the window of his room, taking note of the setting sun. "I suppose I had better get going then," said to himself as he walked over to his closet to get dressed, "Being fully outfitted and armed in shinobi equipment would probably be inappropriate for the situation." Bokuden decided to avoid appearing more threatening than necessary, especially considering that Misoka already appeared uneasy about the meeting to begin with. "No kunai, no shuriken, no flak jacket, no shinobi stuff... except my sword of course." Bokuden thought to himself as he perused his wardrobe, trying to find something appropriate to wear. Deciding to keep it simple Bokuden selected a plain white t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. He completed the ensemble with a charcoal grey cardigan sweater with sleeves pulled up to hid mid forearm, a wooden beaded bracelet on his right wrist, and a watch on his left. Finished getting dressed Bokuden grabbed the bag that he had prepared, throwing on a black, waist long, high collared jacket and a scarf to fight off the chilly night air of Kumogakure's mountains and made his way out the door.

Just after sunset Bokuden arrived atop the Tower of Heaven, gently placing the bag he carried with him down in the location of his choosing, a few feet from the edge of the tower. He removed a blanket embroidered with the symbol of his clan from the bag and laid it out where he stood. Bokuden took a seat on the blanket he had laid out at the top of the tower as he awaited Misoka's arrival and laid his sword to his side off of the blanket. A bag with the meal he had brought laid beside him as he gazed over the side of the structure. Even incomplete this tower dwarfed  almost everything in the village, allowing one to see an almost endless distance over the mountain ranges of Kaminari no Kuni. It was not longer after sunset as Bokuden waited atop the tower, the full moon bathing the village in its pale light. Bokuden couldn't help but think back to how his mother's garden would be illuminated in such a setting, lighting up the courtyard in their glow. He allowed his mind to wander as he gazed over the moonlit landscape, awaiting Misoka's arrival.

The sun was setting down as she grabbed her backpack, which she had filled with supplies only a few hours ago, and made her way toward the Tower of Heaven. The name itself had a strangely hopeful sound to it, 'heaven' - it made her think of the blue sky, the grey-white clouds swirling above the people and beyond that, freedom. What she would give to have wings she could spread with no hunters able to shoot her down.
This must be what they called 'wishful thinking'.
Misoka ran a hand through her golden hair, which was flowing in waves over her back, slightly illuminated by the moonlight. She had the feeling that it was far too long; it already reached down to her waist and might get in the way while fighting. She should definitely take the time and cut it sooner or later.

Then her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure, sitting in the beautiful landscape at the edge of the tower. For a few moments, Misoka stopped and stood very still, only admiring the gorgeous nature around her. Suddenly, a rustling sound behind her broke the silence, but when she looked back, nothing seemed out of place. 'Just me being overwary', she thought to herself, dismissing the bad feeling in her stomach and continuing her way toward Bokuden.

He was dressed in casual clothes (just like herself), which didn't take away his proud and handsome looks, though, and she soon noticed that he was also missing any shinobi weapons except for his sword. Both immediately made her feel more comfortable. At the same time, she almost felt ashamed that she was carrying all her weapons with her. But then again, where should she put them? It wasn't like she had a home. At least not around here.

"Hi." Misoka stopped in front of him, not sure how to properly greet him. "I mean, good evening." She pointed at the spot opposite him on the blanket. "May I?"
Since this wasn't really meant as a question, but rather said out of politeness, she sat down right after. Then she threw a glance at the bag beside him. There wasn't really a need for asking, but she took it as a chance to say something more and get rid of the nervous tingling in her stomach. After all, she still didn't know what Bokuden wanted to tell her and she couldn't really think of anything which would make sense. Especially, why he wanted to talk to her alone. Not even Satomi was with him.

"That's the dinner you were talking about, isn't it? What did you cook?" Casual talk... always a good way to begin a conversation, she hoped. Her lips curved into a smile and she tried her hardest not to let him see her slight nervousness.

Before long, Bokuden heard footsteps approaching from behind. He immediately turned his head to look for the source to see Misoka standing there. She approached Bokuden and greeted him before taking a seat opposite him on the blanket he had laid out. Not wasting anytime in trying to avoid an awkward silence, Misoka immediately set her eyes on the bag in which Bokuden had brought dinner and asked what he had made. There was a certain uneasiness in Misoka that Bokuden was able to see, it appeared as though she kept her same reservations about this meeting as she had when he first invited her. She did come though, so Bokuden figured that was a good sign.

Bokuden found himself staring into her moonlit turquoise eyes for a moment before snapping himself out of it and answering her. She must have felt nervous enough as it was without him staring into her eyes in silence. He rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand and let out a nervous laugh himself before proceeding with an answer. “Haha, well… I didn’t really get a chance to ask you what you liked before you took off earlier, so I just decided to keep it simple,” Bokuden said before grabbing the bag and beginning to rummage through it. One by one Bokuden began to place down sealed containers with food in them and opened them as he explained what they were. “These over here are some Onigiri I made, half shrimp and half spicy tuna. These are Ohagi made with azuki paste, so they are sweet,” Bokuden explained, opening one container after another, “Bento boxes I made with shrimp tempura and rice. And some hand rolled sushi if that is what you prefer.” Bokuden also pulled out an assortment of drinks and utensils to be used during dinner and placed them on some napkins on the blanket. “By the way Misoka…” Bokuden said with a bit of a concerned look on his face before looking into her eyes with a smile. “I’m glad you came. I was worried for a second that you might stand me up,”  Bokuden continued playfully, letting out a slight chuckle.

Misoka watched attentively as he took out various sorts of food and described them one by one. It looked delicious and perfectly made; Bokuden didn't give himself enough credit.
"This is..." She inhaled softly, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "..amazing! I can't believe you took the time to make all these."
For a while, there was silence between them, only interrupted by Bokuden preparing all the other essential utensils and drinks. Then he looked up, his smile combined with a slightly concerned look in his eyes. “By the way Misoka…I’m glad you came. I was worried for a second that you might stand me up.”
She felt taken aback for a moment and instinctively averted her gaze. A second later, she realized that this gesture made her only more suspicious so she met his eyes again and tried to return his smile. If he was sensitive enough, though, he had already noted the shame spread across her face.
Because she had thought about 'standing him up' and inventing some lame excuse. That's who she was. Always on the watch, always on the run. Hard to catch. But slow to truly open up to others.
"It's nothing. Not like I had any plans for tonight anyway," she replied in a playful tone, at least it was meant to sound like that.
Now that the topic seemed right, Misoka couldn't hold back the feeling of curiosity flooding over her.
"So.. what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" She kept the casual tone, but was still quite sure anyone would hear that her voice was, in fact, brimming with interest.
Misoka regarded him closely as though she would be able to distinguish between lie and truth this way.

All afternoon, she had been wracking her brain for a reason why Bokuden would want to meet her at the tower. Sure, there was one of the more plausible explanations: that he had taken an interest in her. And still, Misoka couldn't quite believe it. She didn't consider Bokuden one of the shallow types who would straight away fall for her appearance. And apart from her angelic looks, what would make her in any way interesting? She was more of a vagrant than she admitted to, sleeping under a tree, washing herself in the river, few money. Drastic changes in her life had left her reserved around people and especially distrustful of men. She was working it out, certainly, but there were still signs of her old fears.
Perhaps Bokuden wanted to talk some more about this tournament. But hey, she would soon know anyway.

"This is... amazing! I can't believe you took the time to make all these," Misoka exclaimed as Bokuden laid the meal he had prepared out across the blanket.

“Thanks,” Bokuden replied letting out a small laugh, “But it really isn’t anything special. It has just been Satomi and I taking care of ourselves for several years now, so somebody had to learn to cook. I guess I just sort of learned my way around the kitchen over time. I actually find it a bit amusing to think back to me being a child and absolutely hating cooking. Now I find it to be almost therapeutic.”

After Bokuden made his joke about worrying that she would stand him up, Misoka would begin acting strangely again. Oh, so she WAS planning on standing me up then. Great…, Bokuden thought to himself, feigning a smile on the outside.

"So... what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

And there it was, the elephant in the room that both of them had been dancing around since her arrival. Bokuden grabbed a bottle of water from the blanket and slowly twisted the top open, deliberately taking as if to stall for a bit more time. Turning his gaze back out over the moonlit landscape beyond the edge of the tower, Bokuden let out a faint sight and raised the bottle up near his face like he was going to have another drink before stopping. “I suppose the small talk is over then…” Bokuden said, taking another moment’s pause before continuing. He could feel the weight of the words almost pulling themselves back down as he forced them from his lips, “So how long have you been running?”

Was she surprised? She didn't move, her gaze didn't falter. But no, it wasn't like she hadn't expected such a question somewhere in the back of her mind.
This didn't mean she knew how to answer it.
Misoka kept silent and swiped at a loose strand of hair, a small gesture which reflected the inner fight she was having with herself. Should she tell him the truth? Or come up with a white lie? Or stray far from the truth and deny her fugitive life altogether?
Seconds passed and turned into minutes, it seemed. The silence was painfully heavy. It hung in the air like a thick fog and soon, Misoka couldn't stand it any longer.
This was when she decided to put trust in Bokuden. Not too much, nothing which could become dangerous for her, but instead bit by bit. See whether he deserved it. Her heart said he did because he hadn't given her any reason to be wary of him. He didn't know her clan, he had always been friendly to her so far and at the moment, she highly doubted that he would betray her someday.
She bit her lower lip before she replied hesitantly,"Two and a half months." It was a straight answer, no beating around the bush, just a mere fact.
Misoka paused for a while, but her eyes didn't leave Bokuden's face. "What I'm telling you now stays beween you and me. Well," she gave him a weak smile, "I don't mind if you tell Satomi. But this is very important. Can I trust you?"
Mixed feelings came over her the moment she had finished talking. She was ashamed that she was going to burden someone with her issues and at the same time, it felt good to get it off her chest. Not that it would change anything, but still. Maybe... maybe... Bokuden knew some useful advice. And probably she was hoping for too much.

A feeling of tension hung over the two as Misoka remained silent after hearing the reason that Bokuden asked her to meet him. She never broke eye contact with Bokuden as she obviously struggled with finding the right words to say, her only movement a brief swipe which removed a loose strand of hair from her face. The silence lasted a painfully long time, but Bokuden refused to break it himself. His theory was was based off of him just connecting the dots so there was a chance that he was completely wrong, but he doubted it. Not with this reaction. He suspected he was right, but he needed to hear the words from her.

She bit her lip nervously and proceeded to answer, "Two and a half months." A slight feeling of relief came over Bokuden as Misoka spoke, not because his theory was correct, but because the silence had been lifted. Much to Bokuden's chagrin another pause followed before she continued. "What I'm telling you now stays beween you and me. Well, I don't mind if you tell Satomi. But this is very important. Can I trust you?"

Bokuden's eyes widened as he heard what Misoka was saying. He also couldn't help but smile after the initial surprise of what he heard. Misoka clearly felt uneasy about telling him this, but she was willing to put her trust into Bokuden and that meant something to him. Loyalty was a quality that Bokuden held in the highest regard. If she was willing to take that leap and place her trust in him then he had no intention of betraying that trust. "Hm, Satomi? Don't worry about her. There are things that I don't share even with her. And this is not of her concern," Bokuden began in as kind of a voice as he could muster, a compassionate smile upon his face. "Misoka..." He continued, pausing for a brief moment in order to let her take in everything that was happening, "What you tell me in confidence is between you and I, and no one else. You've already answered my question. If you don't want to continue I understand, I won't ask for anymore than what you are ready to tell me. I'm a stranger to you, you owe me nothing. I only want you to continue if it is what you want."

He paused once more before changing his tone to one a bit more joyful, not joking around, just enough to hopefully put a smile back on her face. Not the forced twitch of a lip that she put on when she spoke as a defense mechanism, a real smile. "But... Something tells me you trust me, or that you want to trust me, on some level at least. You could have stood me up. You could have left the moment I asked you the question or simply refused to answer. But you didn't and you're here with me. I'm honored. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to tell me, but I understand the danger you could be placing yourself in by divulging too much to someone you barely know. But this isn't Suna, this is Kumo. Regardless of what you decide to tell me tonight I will keep both you and your secrets safe in these city walls for as long as you need to be. I promise." He stared into her eyes prepared for another period of silence. He understood. He was ready to give her as long as she needed to process his words. All he could do now is give her a reassuring smile and wait.

It seemed almost unreal how understanding and patient Bokuden's reply was. It should've alarmed her, made her question the truth of his words... and usually it would have. However, there was something about the way his eyes shone with sincerity and how his smile wasn't enough to take away the seriousness in his voice.

He wasn't lying, he wasn't pushing her, he didn't mean to embarrass her. Misoka’s eyes started watering all of a sudden and she quickly blinked the tears away. After all this time of being on her own, she finally regained the feeling that there was another person beside her. Someone who she could confide in. Perhaps she wasn’t alone anymore, at least for as long as she stayed in Kumo. The feeling was overwhelming.

With a small laugh, she wiped her eyes, just to make sure that no more tears would come, and smiled at Bokuden. It had been so long since she’d truly been happy about something again.
“Sorry about that,” she said, referring to her emotional reaction, “I’m just glad. Thank you. Thank you that you’re here for me.”
She cleared her throat as her eyes wandered across the food. “I suggest we eat while I talk.”
Now that she was about to tell Bokuden more about her secrets, the tension in the air faded. Carefully, Misoka helped herself to one of the onigiris and spoke up after she had swallowed it down,”When I turned fifteen, I found out about a certain tradition in my clan. You see, the Karisuma clan has lost a lot of its popularity over the last few decades. While calling itself a shinobi clan, both the kekkei genkai and other skills were far from outstanding. The leader made the mistake of caring too much about the appearance of the members.” For a brief second, she paused, a frown forming on her face. “It’s gross, but what happened in the clan ever since it had been founded is what you would call ‘selective breeding’.”
She exhaled in a quiet sigh, her gaze fixed on her chopsticks. Somehow she couldn’t find the strength to look up into Bokuden’s face. Her clan was nothing but a shame.
“So they invented the tradition I mentioned before. Males should become shinobis and polish up their reputation while the females are… sold to other men. An easy way to make money.” Her grip around the chopsticks tightened. “There were only few exceptions. One of them was my mother. She was allowed to become a kunoichi and marry a man of her own choice. But when bandits killed her two years ago, the Karisuma leader went back to believe that the females shouldn’t fight. He sent a messenger to our place since I was old enough to get married and then… they saw something in my eyes. It’s a rare glowing effect, they say, which has only been seen twice in the whole Karisuma lineage. This is why they never get tired of hunting me. I hit the jackpot, huh?”

She let out a hoarse chuckle, but inside she felt sick and tired. Only then she realized how long she’d been talking. Hesitantly, Misoka met Bokuden’s gaze, not sure how he would react to all that. And he hadn’t even heard half of the whole story. She hoped he wouldn’t regret asking in the first place.

[sorry for the long post :'D]

(OOC: Noooo, long posts are good! They are fun to read xD)

Bokuden became nervous as he saw Misoka’s eyes begin to water after he finished speaking. Oh no, did I say something to upset her? Maybe I was a bit too presumptuous, Bokuden thought to himself as he tried to figure out what it was he had said that upset her, his face likely showing his concern. Suddenly she let out a small laugh and wiped the tears from her eyes, “Sorry about that, I’m just glad. Thank you. Thank you that you’re here for me.” A smile began to grow on Bokuden’s face once again as he realized that she was not upset with him.

She continued, suggesting that they eat while she spoke. Bokuden agreed, realizing he was hungrier than he thought he was. He had the habit of being so wrapped up in preparing meals that he occasionally forgot to eat them. Clan tradition, selective breeding, females sold to other men, glowing eyes, her mother… Bokuden listened attentively as she shared her story. He would have made eye contact as well, but once again Misoka averted her gaze, something he noticed she did habitually when she became nervous or distressed. He couldn’t help but empathize with Misoka, their clan traditions were different (hers a bit less violent then his own), but maybe their feelings weren’t. Bokuden felt his chest tighten as she spoke of her mother. Thoughts of his own mother and his sister flashed in his mind, but he quickly stored them back into his memory in order to continue listening.

She had spoken for a short while before stopping, not raising her eyes to look at him once during the whole story. It was only when she was done that she managed to look him in the eye. Bokuden smiled as his gaze met hers and he began to answer her. “Why do you always look away from me? It’s just us up here, you don’t need to hide from me. I want to see you not your hair, lovely as it may be. Also…please don't apologize to me Misoka. You don’t have to be tough and fight back tears just because I’m here. It must have been difficult, carrying that burden alone for all this time and persevering through it all. You have already proven to me that you are strong, but no one can be strong all the time. You thanked me for being here for you, so let me be here for you,” Bokuden explained before showing Misoka a wide and playful smile, “I may not look it, but I can be plenty strong for the both of us!” He chuckled slightly as he casually joked, hoping to reassure her that he was ready to hear anything she might wish to tell him.

Bokuden seemed to always find the right words. She deliberately kept eye contact with him, which was much easier now that the sick feeling in her stomach subsided again.
"Yeah, I'm not going to lie: It is hard. I miss my father and my friends in Suna. And I still don't know what I should do. Run until they give up? Fight them?" She took another bite and tilted her head thoughtfully. Although she hated her messed up life at the moment, it felt better talking about it to someone. She had never dared to do so before. And maybe there was a way she could stand up against her clan and return to her father - her only true family. Perhaps she had just looked at her problem too miserably and she only needed more optimism.
"Sometimes I think it would be best to give in. But then I know I'll never be happy this way. Imprisoned in forced marriage... I wonder if this is worse than death."
Misoka was glad that her voice stayed so calm. Any other time, she wouldn't stand even thinking about being with a stranger who only cared for her appearance. But somehow, Bokuden's presence seemed to give her the strength to speak freely about the subject, look at it without hard feelings and maintain her calmness through it all.

What had still shaken her up inside, though, was mentioning her mother. If she were here... everything would be different. Why did she have to leave them so soon? It wasn't fair. More than ever Misoka wished to have her mother's advice now. What would she suggest? What would she do in her place?

Shaking her head slightly, Misoka pushed the dark thoughts to the back of her mind. Bokuden might be right; she didn't have to be ashamed for feeling down, but still she didn't like to be weak in front of others.

For a while, she shrugged while musing whether she should reveal more about herself or leave it at that. She began to feel comfortable, yet her wariness forbade her to say anything more for now. Bit by bit... that's how she'd told herself to put trust in Bokuden. And what she had said so far was the most important piece of her problems anyway.
While Misoka chewed on another onigiri, she regarded Bokuden questioningly. Part of her felt the urge to know more about him, too. What were the issues he had to go through at the moment? What was his own clan like? His family? Who were his most dear ones? Secrets...things he hadn't shared with anyone before.
Misoka was a bit irritated by herself...what with all those questions in her mind? They kept swirling and chasing each other in her head, but none of them left her mouth.

Misoka spoke once again, admitting to missing her father and friends back in her home village and also lamenting not knowing what she could do to remedy the situation. She spoke more freely now, maintaining eye contact throughout, much to Bokuden's delight. It looks like she is finally starting to loosen up a bit, Bokuden thought to himself, glad that his words had provided her some modicum of comfort, regardless of how small it may have been.

Raising one of the onigiri he had prepared up to his mouth to take a bite, Bokuden instead stopped just before his teeth cut into the rice. Lowering the rice ball slowly away from his face Bokuden forced himself to speak. There was a distinct pain in his voice that Misoka had never heard him speak with, that almost no one had ever heard him speak with."The captivity isn't the hardest part. What's painful is the feeling of being powerless to change it." Bokuden spoke these words solemnly, staring at the ground before his feet. He offered no explanation of the source of that sentence, simply sitting in silence. He didn't know why he said it, maybe he felt that Misoka would be able to understand his words. Even if she didn't know why he said it or where it came from they were words that she perhaps could empathize with. He exhaled deeply before raising his head and staring up at the bright full moon. "My mother was forced into an arranged marriage, you know..."

"R-Really?" Her mouth was dry, her voice raspy. She lowered the chopsticks in her hand now that she had pretty much lost her appetite. "How come?"
And how is it? But by the looks of it, the answer to this unspoken question seemed crystal clear. There was only a deep misery carved into his face as he himself broke eye contact this time and stared at the moon in silence.
She had just glimpsed a side of him which was so much different from his usual joyful self. Her heart ached. Before he answered, she already knew that it must have something to do with his own clan.

A big lump formed inside her throat. There was so much more she should say or do. He had helped her before, too, and given her courage... so why couldn't she find words to comfort him?
Misoka closed her eyes for a brief second, inhaling softly. Then she looked at Bokuden again, her face filled with compassion which she couldn't yet turn into words, but sometimes it wasn't necessary to state the obvious.

Bokuden sat in silence for a moment longer before forcing more pained words from his mouth, “Because Iey- … Because my father wanted a trophy wife… and he was willing to go all the way up to Yukigakure to get one.” Realizing how he must have sounded he attempted to recompose himself, turning his gaze back to Misoka and forcing out a smile. “She is where I got this hair from,” Bokuden said, running his fingers back through his white/silver hair, “My clan’s hair is usually black as night. Only my sister and I have this hair color. This white and silver hair of mine comes from my mother, not my father.”

Bokuden stopped playing with his hair and looked Misoka in the eyes before looking back overhead at the moon. “I’m sorry. You open up to me about your past and all I do is tell you boring stories about my hair. No wonder you were probably considering standing me up.” He laughed a bit as he spoke. It was faked happiness, but hopefully it would fool Misoka.

Misoka had faked laughter for so many times that she could easily tell the difference. She swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat, and opened her mouth to say something.
"This is terrible." What was that about 'stating the obvious'? She fell silent for a while, having a hard time to find the right words. What had happened to Bokuden's mother was, in fact, terrible; she didn't even want to imagine how their family life must have been affected by that arranged marriage. There was no chance Bokuden's parents loved each other, not with that crestfallen expression of his.
Another thought crept up on her: This could very well be an example of her own future. Humiliated by a husband she had never chosen, giving birth to children who had to witness her misery.
Misoka shuddered. She swallowed once more, finally knowing how she could put her feelings into words.
"Don't apologize, Bokuden. It must have been hard on you. And on your mother... It sounds like you two have a good relationship. I'm sure she's happy to have you and your sister."
An encouraging smile spread across her lips, but inside she could feel anger rising up. What with all those arranged marriages? How many women were given away as 'trophy wives'? How come she had never thought about that when she was younger? How could she be so ignorant to all the injustice around her?

She looked at Bokuden's face and knew that this was not the right time to feel anger. It wasn't like she could change anything this way.
"I like your hair," Misoka said instead, letting out a small chuckle. "I've never seen this colour on someone my age before."

"Hmph, you like my hair, huh?" It's kind of embarrassing to hear that coming from you," Bokuden said playfully. His expression changed back to a more saddened one, knowing he had to address the situation with his mother."We did have a good relationship with our mother," Bokuden answered solemnly, "But I don't get to see them very often anymore, my father made sure of that. He felt it would make me weak." There was more to it than just that, but there were certain things he just could not tell Misoka. "My sister is still with her though," he continued, "To be honest they are probably the only people in my family that I care about, but they are also the ones kept furthest away from me. She was a good actress, my mother. While we were growing up she did everything she could to make us believe that we were a happy family. We didn't know... I didn't know, or at least that's what she believed. How many years did I see her give us that same smile and tell us that everything was fine, knowing that it wasn't. She was miserable, only finding comfort in us." Bokuden raised his head up and stared into Misoka's eyes once again, "I've already watched one person go down that road Misoka... I don't want to see it again. I won't let it happen again, not to you."

"Oh, I see," she mumbled as Bokuden told her about his mother and how they didn't see each other as often anymore. Then he went on, giving her a bit more insight into his childhood and finished by saying that he wouldn't let the same happen to Misoka.
She felt touched that he cared for her well-being, but at the same time she was afraid he would get himself into trouble. If his father forbade him to see his own mother, he would certainly be anything but happy that his son was helping some homeless girl.

"Thank you," she smiled. "But I don't want to drag you into this. Your company is enough for me."
Just having someone you could count on... this sounded nice. It would be selfish to rely on him for any other help. And besides, she didn't know how he could possibly help her.

She looked up at the moon, which was every now and then half hidden by clouds.
"It's getting pretty late," Misoka pointed out. "I hope Satomi's not worried."

Bokuden laid back onto the blanket and ran his right hand through his hair a"s he began to laugh. He looked up into the night's sky as he spoke while laughing, "I think it might be a bit too late to say that you don't want to involve me, don't you think? I'm not the kind of person who can just forget a promise I made so casually." He turned his head to face Misoka before continuing, "I made you a promise. I intend honor it. This is crazy, you know? We met what, yesterday? Yet here we are having this kind of a conversation. Don't worry about Satomi she's just at home, she probably wouldn't even realize I was gone if I hadn't told her. She gets pretty into her shows. Speaking of homes, what hotel are you staying at? I'll walk you back when we are done here."

Misoka blinked surprised as Bokuden insisted on his just made promise, but then she couldn't help but join his laughter. "You're right, this is insane!" She grinned. "We only met yesterday and I've already told you my biggest secret. I don't recognize myself anymore." Another chuckle escaped her lips before she turned serious again, a small smile left on her face. "But maybe I'm only being more my true self now...", she murmured in an almost surprised tone. It was indeed incredible how easily she could talk to Bokuden about things she was most hesitant to tell.

As Bokuden asked her which hotel she was staying at her heart skipped a beat. "U-umm..." Her cheeks burned, but she hoped the dim moonlight wouldn't let him see it. "I'm not.. exactly staying at a hotel. My.. sleeping place is near the river on the outskirts of town." She ran a hand through her hair, smiling a bit awkwardly. How ridiculous... She had just told him that she was being chased by shinobis and still, she felt embarrassed about a tiny thing like sleeping outside?

Misoka stood up in one graceful movement and shook her head. "You don't have to come with me, it's quite far from here." A smirk scurried across her lips as she made a fist with her right hand. "I'm a Chunin, I know how to defend myself."
Picking up her backpack from the ground, Misoka decided it was time for them to part ways. "Um...Bokuden," she said then, "Thank you."
For giving me hope and courage to go on. "I'll see you around, I guess."
She didn't go just yet, but wanted to wait for Bokuden's reply. Like they said themselves: It was crazy how close she already felt to him. He could be the friend she had needed for so long.

"Wait, you don't really expect me to just let you go sleep on the ground after all that was said here, do you? You just told me you were being hunted, I can't just leave you out in the open, unprotected." Bokuden said as he raised himself and approached Misoka as she prepared to take her leave. He gently grabbed both of her hands before continuing, "What if something happens? What if... I can't see you again? You brought all of your things with you, right? You can stay at my house, it is just Satomi and I there, there are plenty of spare rooms."He paused for a moment, baring quite an embarrassed look on his face as he realized how he must have sounded.  "At least let me find you a hotel room that isn't filled because of the tournament. If you are worried about putting a hotel room under your name, I can put it under mine so that you don't leave a paper trail." Bokuden looked away for a moment before turning his gaze back to her, his eyes filled with sadness. "I've woken up in the morning to find that someone I've cared about has been taken away from me before. I don't want it to happen again... with you."

"I-" She looked at him with wide eyes, taken aback by the sudden panic in his voice. "I told you, I'm strong enough to..."
The next words caught in her throat as Bokuden grabbed her hands and went on, trying to convince her to stay. Misoka listened, her mouth open in surprise, until Bokuden paused and averted his gaze for a moment. There was a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face, which was kind of... cute. Her eyes softened as a gentle smile tugged at her lips.
She remained silent and let him finish talking while thinking about her response. Of course he had a point: It was dangerous to sleep in the open, but that's what she'd been doing the past few months. She would rest for a couple of hours and then wake to look out for potential enemies. It was far from what you'd call 'pleasant sleep', but necessary nonetheless.
Staying at a hotel, however, was risky as well. Bokuden had already mentioned the problem of leaving a paper trail. Apart from that, she wanted to save money and couldn't afford spending it on a hotel room.

"Hmh... I.." She tilted her head, looking down at their hands. "I'd rather not stay at a hotel. Those will be the first places where they'll ask about me." And she knew very well that her exotic appearance would attract attention. There was too much at stake to be incautious. But... A light blush crept up her cheeks. "So.. you've really got enough spare rooms?" She let out a nervous laugh and looked up into his eyes. Now she was taking it to extremes: revealing her biggest secret to someone she had only met a day ago and going off to sleep at his place. Well, whatever, she must be completely crazy by now anyway.
Her father would get a heartattack if he were there to see this. She couldn't help but widen her smile at that thought.

A faint blush appeared on Misoka's face after she expressed her concerns about staying in a hotel.  "So.. you've really got enough spare rooms?" Misoka said, letting out a nervous laugh before looking up at Bokuden with a smile. Upon hearing those words, Bokuden's concerned look was immediately replaced by a smile.

"What you think I'm lying to you already?" Bokuden said jokingly before letting her hands slide out of his. " I'm more than happy to have you as my guest. Let me just pack up and then we can head back and get you settled in. I'm not too far from here." Bokuden then turned and took a knee as he began sealing up what was left of the food and packing it away. It didn't take long for Bokuden to pack up as the two did a lot less eating than he had anticipated during their meeting. Realizing that he hadn't really eaten anything this whole time he stopped before putting away the last container which contained the sweet rice balls and grabbed two. He stood up and offered one with an outstretched arm to Misoka with a smile, "One for the road?"

"Thank you! Can't say no to that." She accepted the sweet rice ball with a smile and followed Bokuden down the hill.
They had been walking for a while when Misoka suddenly heard the sound of rustling again. This couldn't be a coincidence... and this time, there was not even a gust of wind.
She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around.
Nothing. Her eyes scanned the area. Trees. Bushes. Grass. But there must be something else out there... someone else. A cold shiver ran down her spine. She had already got an idea of who could be following her. Not an idea... rather a deep assurance.

"Show yourself!" Misoka barked; every fiber of her being was strained and ready to defend herself when needed.
There was no answer as the silence returned, leaving the air thick with tension.
Seconds, minutes passed, she wasn't sure. While staying on guard, Misoka threw an almost apologetic sideways glance at Bokuden. "I'm sure someone's-"
Her words were cut off by the sudden sound of footsteps and rustling; she rushed forward, dashing through the bush, but the last she could see was the silhouette of a man disappearing into the darkness.
So I was right. Still tense, she narrowed her eyes. But why did he run?

Misoka accepted Bokuden's offer with a smile and the two headed off on their way. Not long into their walk back to his house did Bokuden take to realize they weren't the only two taking this path, they were being followed. He activated his current perception: combat range in order to scan the area for their uninvited guest without rousing suspicion. He was right, he sensed a presence following them and immediately began leading both Misoka and their pursuer along a different route that did not lead to his home, in an effort to prevent them from knowing exactly where he was taking Misoka.

Bokuden pondered a way to deal with their guest without notifying Misoka. He already had to talk her out of leaving because she felt that she might bring Bokuden trouble once, this surely wouldn't help the situation. That plan however, was short lived as Misoka became seemingly aware of their pursuer's presence as she abruptly stopped and called out to the darkness, "show yourself!" She stood silently in a defensive position before throwing a quick glance back at Bokuden and then dashing forward into the brush after the sound of rustling. She almost had him, Bokuden thought to himself, his sensory ability still keeping track of the man's location. Bokuden followed Misoka into the bushed and gently placed his right hand on her shoulder. Holding his katana with his left hand he used his thumb to unlock the sword from it's sheath, making the distinct sound associated with drawing a katana. "I can catch him you know," Bokuden said to Misoka in a calming demeanor in an effort to lessen some of the tension. He threw a deliberate glance at his katana before slowly returning his gaze to Misoka. The intent of that gesture was clear, what he was really asking is if Misoka wanted the man cut down.

Bokuden came to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up questioningly as he nodded to his katana. "I can catch him, you know."
For a brief second, her eyes wandered from his face to the sword in his hand before shaking her head. "Something's fishy here." She pointed into the direction the man had left. "They usually come in small or larger groups, but never alone. And..." A short pause. "..he ran away. Was he only a spy, ready to inform the others? Did he stay hidden because you were with me? Did they split up to search for me and he is off to get reinforcements?"
Misoka sighed. "For all we know, he could want us to follow him and lead us into a trap."
The light mood they had gradually built up during their meeting was gone. She couldn't help but feel guilty for the way she had dragged Bokuden into this. Now they knew about him, a person who they would get rid of if necessary. But Bokuden's strong... he can take care of himself, can't he? She tried to ease her guilty conscious though it didn't work too well.
Contritely, Misoka turned to Bokuden. "Are you sure it's still safe to stay at your place? That man had certainly followed us long enough to know where we're headed."

"He doesn't know," Bokuden answered bluntly, "I'd been aware of his presence for a while now. I purposefully took a different path and was waiting for him to reveal himself. He doesn't know where I'm taking you."Bokuden grasped Misoka's hand in his own and tugged on it gently, nudging her to come along. With a smile on his face he spoke, "I promised you that you'd be safe with me, didn't I? Stop worrying so much about me, I want to do this." Bokuden used his sensory ability to scan the area once again, confirming that there were no more uninvited guests. "You don't need to fret about any of that while I'm here.  Now come on, let's go home," Bokuden gently tugged on her hand once more and awaited her response.