"Ahh, we know just the place but where is it? Hm? It hasn't been that many years has it ne? Maybe we turn a left here and. . .there we go! We found it. Isn't that great Nozo-chan~"

Jet lead the girl to a rather large, bustling chinese restaurant that looked to be a two floors high and well lit. It appeared pretty busy but thankfully there was no line. A man dressed in a traditional garb stood at a desk. Once he saw Jet he looked a bit too nice, smiling with his thin eyes so you couldn't see well into them and adjusted the black cicle glass on the bridge of his nose. He observed Jet and her partner carefully before asking if they wanted a table for two. Jet nodded, ask she did the peace sign to signal the two of them, smiling as she did so. The man assured them it was possible and asked if they wanted to be on the floor or by a wall. Jet requested a wall booth so she can have all the alone time on her date and took out a card. The man eyes observed it carefully, taking it in hand like he was looking for forgery and allowed some chakra to seep through to check the girls for genjutsu. Once he was satisfied he returned it to Jet. He bowed her head, grabbing a pair of menus and lead the two away to the back, passing the other tables and behind a large staircase where a red suede curtain was there. Past it was a hidden elevator that took them down to a lower floor where a hallway opened up, with thick oak doors on either side with a room number. She lead them to one and opened the door, allowing the two woman inside. In the room was a Chinese style room decorated in bright golds and jade with a water fountain along the walls illuminating the room and a leather couch against the wall with a round wooden table in the center.

The man asked if they would like to order now to which Jet said in a moment and she will ring the bell when they were ready. He bowed deeply and saw himself out leaving the two women inside with the menus on the table. The yuurei grabbed one and leaned back in her seat, opposite from Nozomi and casually turned the pages, reading its contents like she was going to take her time. To calm the slight tension in the room she looked up at the blonde, the cheerful exterior was gone leaving a cool demanor more suited to her age. She gave a small smile that didn't reach her eyes, watching the girl's every move then waved her left hand down offering a seat to Nozomi. Her lips parted a rather silky voice rang out "You don't have to worry dear. The entire room is sound proof and it is relatively safe here." Seeing as that probably wasn't enough to go on she continued once she put the menu down on the table and crossed her right leg over the other as she leaned back putting her arms behind her head "This is the vip section. As you know, Kirigakure has been plagued by many misfortunes in the past making it the unsafer villages around. As such places like these were developed to soothe the worries of the upper class. These underground restaurants are found in many places you just need to know how to ask. The man from before is equipped to sense any hostilities and our chakra. And while it is normally celebrities and nobles who stay at these sort of places, shinobi can as well since its not that exclusive. If it was you'd need an appointment and there would be more checks so relax a bit, take a load off and have a seat. Plenty of villages have these though you will see these more in any countries capital."

Once she was done with her little intro to the place she felt it was time to move onto more important matters. She turned to Nozomi, and watched her reactions before continuing. "Our name is Yuurei Jet, spec jounin of Iwagakure. Our companions, Suutei and Lord Akira, came to your village upon your Mizukage's request. One of the main topics of concern revolved around your girlfriend  Ryuzoji Kaekio who had gone missing some time ago." Jet paused as she took out a tablet from her jacket pocket along with her own headband. She placed the headband on the table to allow Nozomi to observe it if she wished while  the yuurei turned on the table, bringing the black screen to life and put her finger print and a twenty four character password in allowing her inside. It only took her a few moments to bring up the file she complied of Kaekio, missing a few details but it was enough to know general outline and her public history. She placed it on her lap before asking "Is there anything you wish to share before we continue this meeting Miss Himitsu?"

807~

As Nozomi followed the girl, she was actually rather silent. Her mind was definitely abuzz with questions, but none of them were proper to ask in the public, after all. Jet didn't seem to have any ill intent, but now that Nozomi was on guard, even if she did, she'd find that Kiri-kunoichi were cut from a different cloth than were any others. Indeed, she was probably one of the better female fighters, able to take on people physically stronger than her through sheer skill alone. Beside, it wasn't like anybody was really an issue for Nozomi. In her own right, she hadn't really lost a match against anyone other than Kaekio, and that was almost out of sheer refusal to fight the girl. Apart from that, nobody had really ever pushed her to her limits. She'd been in a position to be fighting seriously with people of her skill level very little. Even against Sero, neither of them was fully serious, as he was teaching her how to utilize Bukijutsu, and she wasn't able to use her jutsu. Neither of them would count that as her losing to him. No, if Jet was going to attack her, she'd missed the opportunity she'd had to take the advantage. Nozomi was fairly certain that this girl wasn't a physical threat to her. But she seemed to have a knack for information that was rather intimidating. Nozomi had to watch what she said around this girl, so her lips were sealed for now, especially while they walked.

Eventually though, they made their way to the Chinese restaurant that Jet had recommended they go to, a place Nozomi had passed by a few times, but never had bothered going into, as there were closer ones to her house with people she knew. Familiarity was always a thing, even in your own village. What bothered Nozomi though, was that Jet seemed to know exactly where she was going, what she was doing, and such. More so than Nozomi did. The interaction between the teller and Jet was rather... intriguing. He didn't seem overtly unkind, and rather, seemed like he was a little too familiar with the other girl. Perhaps Nozomi was reading too much into things, but she was rather on edge. To any outsider, it might look like Nozomi had nerves due to being out with a girl, if they could even notice at all, but Jet was probably fully aware that she was on edge. She watched the man now, finally taking her eyes off of Jet, and scrutinized him. There was something more to this place than simply it being a Restaurant. It was almost immediately evident when he seemed to know who Jet was. This raised more questions, like why there was a serious breech of security protocol in Kiri that she didn't know about. As a Special Jounin, there were certain things she should know about her village that she didn't. It made her wonder how much Kiri knew about its inner workings.

Eventually though, they were permitted entrance, Jet having requested a wall booth, although they were led to a hidden elevator. Nozomi's eyes narrowed as she entered it with the Iwa-kunoichi. As of yet, nothing bad had happened, so Nozomi continued on without a fuss, although she had more questions than answers at the moment, and it was rather frustrating. They were led to a beautiful area, sat down, and asked if they were ready to order, but Jet was more on the business end of this meal, and they needed a moment to discuss, so no meal was ordered just yet. Even despite her apprehension, Nozomi was disappointed, as she could have used a bite to eat, but maybe there would be time for that later. Still, she sat and scanned over the menu briefly, knowing what she wanted the instant she saw they had it, and closed the menu, eyes returning to her companion.

A tingle rose on the back of her neck while Jet flipped through the menu at a relatively slow pace. She was like a predator, stalking for the right moment while her prey sat helpless and unaware. Even though Nozomi was far from defenseless, the girl just threw Nozomi off. Jet assured her that the room was soundproof, and completely safe, but that did little to assuage her curiosity. Jet then went on to explain what this place was, showing knowledge of an area Nozomi hadn't heard of before. It was true that many misfortunes had befallen Kirigakure especially, so it made sense that bunkers like this were created. A VIP section to protect those that thought themselves more important than others. A notion that made Nozomi slightly angry, as money was the root of that importance for most. In the event of disasterous situations, they'd be all safe and sound while the weak and defenseless were left to live or die on their own.

With that explanation though, Nozomi nodded, content that there was going to be free speech here, as the Upper Class weren't ones that liked to be spied on. This room was sure to be secure from all but the most skilled of information gatherers. And if anyone wanted the information that badly, no amount of security would stop them from gathering it, so this was the safest place for any discussion. She finally got down to why she was here, and in truth, Nozomi had an inkling. "Lady Mizukage summoned you and the Lord Tsuchikage and a compatriot. Because of my girlfriend Kaekio Ryuzoji. I can understand that much, but why bother tracking me down? I'm not involved with any such situations." she paused for a moment, deciding whether or not to say anything further, or to wait for another response. She could guess the line of questioning already, so she nodded. "I suppose there's no harm in giving you any basic information. It's nothing more than Lady Ayakashi would have already divulged, but at least it can affirm. I was in Kumo for the Chuunin Exams with my students. I spent a lot of time with Kaekio while I was there. The Chuunin Exams ended, and it was time to leave, but some of Kiri stayed in Kumo for a while. I wanted to leave, so Kaekio escorted Sero and myself back to the docks. She decided she was going to defect, and came with us. We got back to Kiri, and Sero went off with her to see Lady Ayakashi. I'm not sure what more information I can give you. The Lord Raikage issued an arrest for all Kiri-nin in Kumogakure after that." she said, deciding against saying anything about Kaekio being 'killed'. For all intents and purposes, Nozomi wasn't made aware of Kaekio's death, and knew nothing about it. She certainly wasn't going to say that Kaekio was still alive, and had been integrated into Kiri.

WC: 1155
TWC: 1155

Jet chuckled, a bit surprised Nozomi was willing to give up the information so quickly and cement what she already concluded to be the reason. The loving pair were not hard to figure out and truthfully she wondered why the Raikage made a whole mess out of it. Sure deserting your nation, no matter the reason, is a crime worthy of death but not enough to cause an international dispute. Of course since Jet's own village was allied with Kiri she had no reason to seek out Kaekio or whatever her new alter ego was out and collect her bounty. So she was glad that the water lily here could figure out what's best to proceed though it was a little worrying she wasn't as cautious as she should but that matter is debatable. "Well this certainly went a lot smoother than we anticipated. We had not expected you to be so cooperative which definitely makes things much easier for the both of us"

"We are not sure if you already know but for some reason her defection cause more than a minor disturbance but rather cause the Raikage to go on a rampage. As of right now, few kiri nin who had traveled to kumo made it back home on time and safely. We were notified that majority were taken as political hostages under the cover of night without due process. The Raikage is currently holding them for an indefinite amount of time and has made no announcement whether he will free them or not."

"We have not met with your Mizukage regarding this matter and whether or not a rescue party will be deployed. The only motive he has for doing this is to get his former student back. Your girlfriend needs to step up and to clear up this issue before it can escalate farther"

1118~

Nozomi shook her head, sighing. "I don't think you understand the situation fully, Jet. This is Kirigakure, and Missing-nin are hunted down by us for a living. It's how we maintain our money. Kaekio fled Kumogakure, and traveled to the heart of our country. She met up with the Lady Mizukage, a woman who does not take prisoners." she said, sounding slightly irritated. "The Raikage isn't going to be getting his former student back, because there's nothing left of her to return. Kaekio is stubborn. She didn't want to be in Kumo anymore. I'm sure the Mizukage told her to return, but we can't detain her, we have nowhere to detain her, nor the capacity to hold any Shinobi prisoners. Kaekio is dead." she spat out, holding her head. Inwardly, she was quite pleased with her performance, and proud of herself for being able to fake it as such, but none of that showed outwardly. She was a highly skill Kunoichi after all, and had learned not to show her hand completely, rather, to bait things out.

Groaning in her 'anger', Nozomi slammed her fist down on the table. "The problem is, Kaekio was a missing-nin. The Lord Raikage had no right to issue arrests for our ninja over a missing-nin. And now this situation has escalated way too far, and we don't have a body to give him, so I'm sure you'll understand if I'm a bit irritated with all of this, especially since I only wanted to spend my time with my girlfriend and be happy for once!"" she took a few moments to let that sink in before letting herself 'calm down'. "But it's fine now for me I suppose. I have more free time, and Mitsu Osada, Sero's cousin, and I have been getting a little closer, so maybe she'll be the girlfriend that best for me. There won't be any issues, cause she's a citizen of Kirigakure, and I can see her whenever I want." her mood had mellowed out a little bit. She made no mention that Mitsu was an ANBU, as that wasn't publicly available knowledge. She had, as usual, transferred the flow of the conversation back towards her own thoughts, which was characteristically Nozomi, and was purposefully ignoring the big picture.

As far as anyone would usually be able to tell, Nozomi understood a little bit about the consequences of what had happened, but she was more concerned about herself than the situation as a whole. Typical Kiri-nin, who wasn't worried about war, considering the status of their country as having the best militant shinobi. The girl definitely played the part. A tinge of regret leaked across her face, one that she didn't need to fake as much as her anger, because even though she was still dating Kaekio, it wasn't like it was the same. They had to pretend Kaekio was someone else, and to her, that felt like it was cheating. It was still the same person, but nobody knew that. Nobody could know that, for potentially forever. And that was saddening to the girl who just wanted some love.

WC: 524
TWC: 1679

Jet simply blinked, processing the information and covered her mouth with her tablet as her chest shook in laughter that threatened to burst from her lips. It took a moment for her to calm down and breathe in deeply before looking in the girl's eyes "Oh my, truly you must think we are naive darling. But sure why not? Let's play along. So yes we are quite familiar with Kirigakure's reputation for being particularly hostile against missing nin. If you knew that, why did you let your girlfriend walk into that. Surely if she was escorting you and this Sero, you would've had the opportunity to stop her yet you didn't."

Jet put the tablet down away before taking out a notepad and pen. She snapped the pen with a click and began writing down her observations of the young woman, watching her in the corner of her eye "Unless of course you planned this the whole time. You got tired of her and wanted to toss her out? Or were you commissioned to by your Mizukage to orchestrate this? Perhaps by your clan...if memory serves us right you are no longer a Himitsu. The title of being heir stripped from you. My was this your way of getting back in? By showing how good of a kunoichi you are?" The statement was said as a accusation as well as a fact. There was no taunting or teasing, simply stating what she she saw without remorse of course if Nozomi rose to the bait she would prep in case she got out of control. How long she'd last against the former Himitsu was unknown but she would definitively make it one to remember.

Jet paused, putting the notepad down on her lap as she leaned back and crossed one leg over the other as she twirled the pen between her fingers"If Kaekio is truly dead why hasn't her head been delivered to the Raikage so her bounty could be claimed? You don't need the body per say and it would be beneficial to your Mizukage Ayakashi to keep it for research. To destroy all that was left of Kaekio is a bit...odd wouldn't you say. We were not aware that your kage was that unstable? Perhaps this alliance was not totally wise if she is that will to destroy." By now her voice sounded concerned, almost, but enough to display her disatification with the Kiri nin.

Yet at Nozomi's statement, she perked up, seemingly curious but feeling deeply vexed inside. Her voice actually sounded light heart despite the malicious words that came out of it as she smiled "Happy? You do not believe you were happy? With Kaekio? We must have judged you wrongly then. After all you weren't hiding your relationship with her and from the public eye you two seemed to be deeply in love? It seems once again looks are deceiving if that relationship was truly toxic. Especially if you were willing to replace her so soon with this Mitsu character. How...benefiting of a kunoichi" A knock at the door seemed to break the spell, even if it was just for a moment. The iwa nin blinked and chuckled, leaning back in her seat and telling the person to come in. It seemed to be the teller from before, bringing some water and bread and butter in. He looked towards the both of them, bowing deeply at his 'rude' arrival and asked if they were ready to order to which Jet smiled and nodded. Jet opened up her menu, giving it a quick glance before placing her order of magnolia beef and the wine pairing along with some of the chef's choice dumplings for them to share. Afterwards she handed the menu back to the man who looked towards Nozomi awaiting for her order.

1770~

Nozomi realized the tactics this girl was employing on her, ones sent to elicit a response of anger and frustration, to probe Nozomi for more answer. Nozomi's appraisal of the danger level Jet possessed increased. Perhaps Nozomi was a superior fighter, but in the shinobi world, information gathering was a much more lethal weapon than anything Nozomi might ever be able to wield. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, allowing her body to relax, but a rapid tapping of her finger betrayed the nerves she had at the current situation. 'Okay, so she's not buying it, but holy shit... I'm not quite sure how to deal with this sort of thing. Interrogation I can withstand, that's a bit of pain, I won't reveal anything, but withholding that I even know anything? Gah.' she thought to herself.

Still, she wasn't one to interrupt, and rather preffered to let the girl voice her own thoughts to their fullest, so she could see if there was anything she could say that might convince her of the lie. Nozomi wasn't prepared for the methodical analysis of the situation, nor for the brutal connotations that lay behind the truth of their predicament. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as Jet brought up something that hadn't ever crossed into her thoughts before. The sad truth of the matter was that Nozomi was truly innocent for a shinobi, and backstabbing and betraying people just wasn't something that popped into her thoughts at all. She would kill without a thought, but only people she didn't know. Kaekio.... the thought of her ever betraying her? No, Nozomi wouldn't do such a thing. Not even to restore her status as the Himitsu heiress. She was actually strong enough now that she could prove her worth in the clan anyhow, and she planned on challenging her father to restore herself soon.

"You're very wrong. I would never betray Kaekio like that. I'd sooner oppose the Lady Mizukage than ever turn against someone I love. Especially not over my old clan. They're followers of the Bloody Mist, and I'm not for that. Sometimes death is necessary, but other times peace. I don't kill just to kill." she said coldly, her eyes flashing dangerously, a build up of liquid chakra amassing near her hands before dispersing. It was a tell tale sign of her clan's jutsu, one that had been demonstrated during the Chuunin Exams, but not one that someone could predict. Nozomi hadn't utilized many of the things her clan could do, as her formal training in their jutsu was a bare minimum, and she'd had to figure out a lot of it on her own.

She sighed though, shaking her head as someone came in. Ordering her meal of Lo Mein, Nozomi waited til the man left before she finally spoke up again. "Lady Mizukage isn't unstable at all. When we remove a missing-nin, we destroy all traces of their bodies, as a courtesy. Studying the corpse of a dead ninja can reveal all sorts of secrets. Of course, The Lord Raikage wouldn't want a Ryuzoji out of his hands and in enemy hands now would he? For any length of time, judging by his reaction. They're some of the best fighters in Kumogakure, and have even beaten some of the best Kirigakure has to offer, which is a feat in and of itself, considering Kirigakure has some of the most combat oriented clans of all the nations. My old clan is a direct counter to the Hyuuga clan of Konoha, for example, one of the most respected clans around. We counter without aid of a Doujutsu. But that's because we studied their movements, their style, their fighting, and were able to replicate it. Imagine what Kiri would be capable of if we could come up with an answer to the Ryuzoji, who's ability to react rivals Sharingan users? We could revolutionize combat, making ourselves the undisputed combatants of all the lands, and there wouldn't be much anyone could do about it. So of course, anything short of disintegrating Kaekio's body would lend credence to the fact that we could study her. At least, that's what I assume Lady Ayakashi's plan is. It became an issue of politics, which overrides personal feelings when it comes down to it. I'm sure Lady Mizukage didn't like having to do so." she replied rather quietly, her earlier faked rage gone.

At the moment, she considered the true ramifications of what someone could do given access to clan secrets, and understood at least partially why the Hunter-nin were so prevalent. They and the ANBU had to destroy deserters for the very reason she just listed. She paused, considering what she knew of Jet and made a decision she hoped she wouldn't regret.

"That's... the official story. The one known as Kaekio is dead, because her identity as Kaekio is dead. Kaekio no longer exists, nor will anyone be able to find a body. As much as Kaekio and my relationship was a secret before, it seems I have to keep all of them a secret. I always have to keep secrets." she mumbled, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. She knew Jet was smart enough to pick up on the ramifications of what she was saying.

WC: 887
TWC: 2566

"We're going to love getting to know you" Jet purred at the girl as her eyes grew thin, coy in response of the former himitsu's rebuttal. Fine then at least she was getting what she wanted. If the girl wanted to continue to play and skirt around then fine, do so, it will not save you the pain in the end. But in her heart Jet knew that she was acting a bit out of boundaries, different from her usual approach and became almost personal. To her betrayal was an every day thing, she hurt others and was backstabbed as well for it was all she ever known in life. Not once had she ever loved anything more than herself. At least not anymore. But those times were gone, almost figments of her imagination although the scars left behind as Jet indicated as Nozomi spoke she gently rubbed her lower torso near her reproductive area, the scars were still there and she wasn't quite sure she could ever recover. So she knew, she knew she wasn't wrong at least not when it came into love. This girl was naive to think love lasted forever. It faded. It grew weary. It broken. All things come to an end one day and for those in their line of work, kunoichi especially, their fate was not a happy one. The lucky ones managed to leave this lifestyle, to settle down, pursue other careers, raise families and live normally. But Jet will never have the chance and at this point...she doesn't even care.

Once the blonde ordered and the man left, she began to speak some more. Unfortunately Jet felt that most of it was useless fluff for her own sources already knew of that and more. When Nozomi stopped for moment Jet made a comment after taking the metal knife and putting into the water, glad it didn't change in material meaning the water hadn't been poisoned and took a sip before giving her own feedback "We are aware of the state your nations are in and the best players at hand. Unfortunately in the past year Kirigakure has seen a decrease in home based high level shinobi as you known but Kumo is not far off. Sightened people of interests are Kenji Chikara and a man who suddenly appeared out of no where, Han. Both very powerful and loyal to their country. If they do plan to band together it could pose a problem, even for your nation. We say if because we have yet to see them take further action against kiri nin aside the ones they have taken and the few who were lucky to escape. We are sure those who had managed to flee are being processed and provide valuable information...you know, Nozomi, we are wondering. If you were the Mizukage, how would you handle this situation? With the information we have given you thus far?"

"Nozomi" Jet paused, breathing in deeply and exhaling out her mouth to calm her nerves. The fire from before still burned but it wasn't nearly as hostile to the touch as before. It wasn't quite that she cared for the woman more than she did anyone else, but simply it was as pity. Since no doubt she had to work with the woman in the future, the more stable she was the better "We tell you this not as a woman or even an iwa nin but as a human being. You will be forced to make decisions you don't like and stain yourself black. All the secrets you are keeping will only grow with time. It is a burden you will always bear no matter how heavy it weighs on your heart. But" Jet stopped for moment as she breathed in and out, flashes of her past lives, her experiences, all the pain she has felt "For now, it's okay for you to share a secret if it meant to keep it. We, all of us from Iwa, were sent to you by your Mizukage who cares, to help you. Besides...you've already told us who Mitsu truly is anyway after all..."

2474~

Nozomi shook her head in earnest. "I don't know what I'd do if I was the Mizukage. I'm not the Mizukage. That's not a fair question to ask me Jet." she said, slightly pouty. Still she answered the question in her own way. "But I myself would probably try talking to these people, Kenji and Han, and convince them that they were wrong. I'd do everything in my power to convince them to release my people. There's no need for them to end up fighting. And if they decided it was a time to fight, well, I'd beat them down, and free my people myself. If I'm not strong enough to do so myself, I'll get stronger. If I still can't, I'll have my friends at my back. If that's not enough, then I'll convince their friends. I'll do whatever it takes. I don't know what a Mizukage would do, but that's what I would do. I got strong to protect those I care about, not to just let anyone walk all over them."

She picked up the glass of water in front of her and swirled it around, no intent on drinking it, more using the motion to calm herself while she listened to Jet. "I don't.... mind secrets. I don't like having to keep my relationships secret." she said carefully. She needed to think of the proper way to word things. "I like women, more than men. And it's like... I don't know, I've only ever dated Kaekio, but it's... mostly been a secret. During the exams, nobody knew. During her stay here while learning Sage Mode, nobody really knew, although speculated. During my time in Kumo, nobody really knew, until we told Gin and Sano." she muttered. Keeping up the charade more for the sake of practice with it, she continued on. "Now with Mitsu, I have to keep it a secret, because if I just up and start dating someone else right off the bat, anyone who did know, like Sano, would suspect some foul play. Even if it was true that we were keeping Kaekio from him, I don't want Mitsu to get hurt, of course."

Placing the glass down, she rested her chin on the table, arms crossed in front of it, so when she spoke, it was muffled a little bit. "I'm not stupid. I'm not innocent. I've stained myself with blood, and secrets, and everything. I can kill without a second though, and I do it all the time."

WC: 423
TWC: 2989

A knock was heard then once Jet gave the word the door then opened and a waitress now appeared with a tray of dumplings along with their drinks. She bowed down apologizing for the wait and our food will be arriving shortly before excusing herself out. Jet watched the woman carefully not liking her a bit because although she carried herself well there was something about her that didn't quite fit. Something off. Although she decided not to bother too long. Even in these places she never felt entirely safe as there was always something, someone lurking in a corner. No matter how much money was put into this place, no one's security is perfect. Regardless Jet took the glass in hand swirling it around watching its contents before giving it a sniff deeming it alright before tanking a sip. Ohh expensive and its the good stuff. She took another sip and look towards the girl "Care to have some? It's pretty good"

"Mitsu is like her predessor. Unforunately history tends to repeat itself. However we do wonder, with so many lives at stake, will she continue to run, even when her identity is found out? Her ties there are...not to be made light off" She recalled from the files she had, the ones she didn't show the himitsu "But she has you too now. Someone else to protect. It's...personal. So...how long will she play possum? She built a new life, leaving her old one yet it will continue to plague her"

"Everyone smells smoke darling. But who will get up to put down the fire? That's not a question anymore as you can see. It's just a matter of when. Every day your people are held the worse the situation will become. Thankfully your Mizukage intends to mobilize a team at some point. And we hope to see the two lovebirds on it. Who knows...perhaps the princess could return to take her crown.."

2809~

Nozomi shook her head, declining Jet's offer of some of her drink. She wasn't all that thirsty, nor did she drink much alcoholic drinks, which she had a strong suspicion Jet had ordered. The water they had provided earlier would be plenty fine for her as it was for the moment. "Oh no, no thank you." she replied sweetly as she nabbed a dumpling from the tray they'd been provided. Popping it into her mouth, Nozomi held the other girl in her gaze, trying to figure out her game. She wasn't quite sure what this girl was playing at at the moment, but she didn't really seem to be all that hostile, even if she wasn't being exactly kind. They certainly weren't enemies at the current moment in time, but Nozomi wasn't certain she could call this girl her friend just yet either.

"Mitsu isn't unloyal, on the contrary. Everything she's done to this point has been purely out of loyalty to her country. She felt that she needed to get stronger in order to better protect her country, but it is also true that a certain person was holding her back. So she became an ANBU for Lady Ayakashi, so that she could better improve herself. Her loyalty to her country isn't wavering." she said. She still held up the facade that Mitsu wasn't Kaekio, because even though the both of them knew that, it wasn't to say that someone wasn't listening in to their conversation. The most anyone would be able to gather from the conversation at this point was that Mitsu had become an ANBU, which was secretive enough. Nozomi never once said that Mitsu's country was Kirigakure though, so her reference to Mitsu's loyalty was purely towards the fact that Mitsu never stopped being loyal to Kumogakure.

Nozomi couldn't help a grin of excitement pass onto her face. "I certainly hope that Lady Ayakashi chooses me and Mitsu to be on the strike force. Poetic justice in a sense. It also serves as reason for recent promotions. Mitsu's a Jounin, and has been made an ANBU, who's purpose is to remain close to and the Mizukage. She doesn't really need protecting, now does she, but the ANBU being with her would make sense for the strike force. I myself..." she paused, deciding whether or not to say anything, before shrugging and continuing anyhow, because it didn't matter much, "... have actually gotten word of a request for my promotion to a Jounin, and immediate transference to the Hunter-nin, to be trained in their skills and made a Captain of them. Granted, I'm an amazing fighter, but it coincides well with a strike force assembly. Mitsu would be close to the Mizukage, and I would be allowed more free roam."

Beyond just giving basic information, Nozomi wanted to make it clear that Jet knew who she was messing with. If she were to mess with Nozomi at all, she'd have a Hunter-nin Captain to be hunting her down, and that probably wasn't something the girl particularly wanted. They had a reputation for their ability to hunt down and assassinate almost any targets. Nozomi was already a fantastic fighter as it was, and given the training they provided, would only improve even more in her lethality.

WC: 552
TWC: 3541

"You know Nozo-chan" Jet chuckled, feeling a wide grins spread wide across her cheek that she failed to contained. She looked at Nozomi, savoring her image and taking her in. frick, she was so interesting. So mesmerizing. Her love story so...sickening she loved it. Oh how she loved. Throughout this little conversation the girl held her own. It was obvious she wasn't the most versed in these things but...she had potential. So suffice to say, Jet admittedly was a little jealous of the wayward cloud to have this beautifully valuable little girl under her power. This girl, reminded her of a few folk and Jet could only wonder how her fate will turn out. The though of it sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. Never say that she was not one for love, only that she loved watching it burn. She wished these two the best to not turn their story into another cliche. So she will watch and return to her head, having the information she wanted. The rest will pour in. For now the yuurei would enjoy their little date. Jet breathed deeply, taking down her wine before setting the glass down. "Mitsu is lucky to have you my flower. You shall blossom beautifully" And with that Jet would resort to idle talk about nonsensical things, how the girl was, what she liked, if her flower petal jutsu got any bet, how her health was, if those freckles were real and other mundane things such as where to visit while here before their dinner finally arrived. By then the dumplings disappeared and the bottle was half full. In comfortable silence they dined and enjoyed their meal and once it was all set and done, Jet paid the bill and kissed the blonde's hand before departing, disappearing into the crowd and vanishing.

3117~
Trained:
PER B1 - B3 (1700/1700)
END B1 - B2 (800/800)
617~ wc left over

[EXIT]

From there on, the conversation seemed to have drawn off of the serious nature, and the date turned into just that, a normal date. She didn't see any harm in answering any of the questions given to her, and filled Jet in on the mundane questions she asked her. Her flower petal jutsu had indeed gotten quite better, able to rend through most anything she wished, extended range and speed, and versatility as well. She didn't divulge her Flowmotion technique, as nobody yet knew of it, but she described a bit into her defensive capabilities, how she'd learned how to reinforce her petals defensive structure, sacrificing all power in them for quick and precise defense. It was all theoretical things that Jet might not really understand very well, or be able to utilize herself, but would give a bit of information into Nozomi's own line of research. She was utilizing studies on other clans and fighting styles to simulate and structure new applications of her own techniques. Anyone could do it really, if they tried hard enough.

Her health had markedly improved, or at the very least, was affecting her less now that she'd grown stronger and more resilient. It was still a bit of a bother, but now she could fight decently while under the influence of her sickness. Beyond that, she'd been using weight training to increase her natural abilities, so even under the influence of it, she could push herself beyond her basic natural abilities. It really wasn't an issue for her, and she'd overcome a lot of the adverse effects of it. That said, of course it was still a danger, so she didn't push her luck too much, and took every opportunity to relax that she could, which was why Jet had run into her in the shade taking a break.

Nozomi would blush and brush off the question of her freckles, of course, as they were real, why wouldn't they be? She wasn't sure why Jet bothered asking anything about the places to visit, as she no doubt had plenty of information on it and already knew the best places to go.

When they went their separate ways, Nozomi thanked her for the meal, and they parted, Nozomi's head full of questions, and left feeling somewhat raw.

WC: 383
TWC: 3924
Training: Bukijutsu A->S Rank [3924/9000]
EXIT/CLOSE thread