It was mid afternoon when Sanosuke decided it was a good time for him to get up from his bed. His bones cracked as he heaved himself off from his mattress and let out a yawn. With a yawn, he swung his legs over his bed and took let himself land on the ground. It was still cold that he felt that his toes curled up against the cold cave floor. Something really needed to be done about his cold cave floor. Taking a stroll over to his closet, he briskly opened it and got out his boots first so that he can be able protect himself from the cold cave floor. And then he tied his boots on tightly so he wouldn't be left in the cold again. It was in the middle of winter and Sanosuke didn't need to catch a bad case of the cold.

After all, a thought had just occurred into his mind that would probably keep him occupied for the rest of the day. He had a date with this girl from the village of Kumogakure. Her name was Ai, and after doing some research about her home Sanosuke learned that she was form the Tsukino clan. It was one of the most elaborate and influential clans in Kumogakure. Of course that might be a reason why Ai was so worried about Sanosuke coming inside of the temple.. The clan's temple was filled with electricity after all and would shock anyone who wasn't apart of the Tsukino clan. But he didn't care it was worth every shock of electricity to see Ai. She was extremely beautiful for someone of her caliber and was actually surprised when she agreed to go on the date . And Sanosuke would have to do his best to make sure that he looked his best for this date.

Taking his overcoat on him, he straightened is so that he looked more presentable. Finally he tied his headband on its usual place and decided that he would leave his kunai holster back on the table. He wouldn't need it for this date. Though he really liked to take his sword with him, it made him feel more masculine. He took his sword and placed it over his back and walked over to the the mountain trail. He also remembered the doll that he gave Ai. They were going to play with a little girl together and give the little girl's doll back to her. They might even be able to walk there while holding hands with each other all over again like they did the day they met. Sanosuke didn't notice that he was already at the Durian Tree. It was the place that he agree to meet Ai.


"Well now I play the waiting game I guess" Sanosuke said as he climbed up a branch of the Durian tree and leaned on the trunk. It would be a good time for Sanosuke to rest his eyelids.

Ai had spent the past thirty minutes pacing back and forth in her room. She had gone to the door a few times, opened it, and then shut it again. Her thoughts were a complete mess; her feelings were the same way. She knew how she was supposed to feel about all of this, as her new friend Himitsu had described it rather well.. but did she feel that way was the question?

Ai stopped, in the middle of her room, and looked down at herself. She had traded her overly colorful robes for more solid colored ones this time; they were thicker and far warmer, along with the fact that there was a hood for this particular pair. They were a light tan in color, and dragged the ground slightly, just able to hid her boots. She had even gone so far, in her current mood swings, to change her hair color slightly. It was still black and white, but now her entire head was black, with white and silver highlights going through it at random. She even had bangs now, which almost covered her eyes. 'I look fine.. I feel... like I'm about to go face an army...', she thought to herself as she finished her visual inspection. She patted her pocket where the doll rested safely and sighed.

She took in a deep breath, exhaled, and made her way over to her door. 'Come on Ai... you've faced enemies in battle... you can do this..' she thought to herself as she made her way down the many halls, and out of the temple. It didn't take her long to reach her target location, and as she slowed she looked around with her lightning blue gaze.

Looking down from the tree, Sanosuke spotted the girl whom he asked out and she looked more beautiful than he remembered. She had done something with her hair that really made her stand out in a good way. And her clothing was a bit different than he remembered but other than that she looked great. It seems as though she didn't know that Sanosuke was up on a branch of the Durian tree of knowledge. He contemplated surprised her by just dropping from the tree but then again that would probably lead to Ai being scared and thus beginning their date on a bad start. The only date Sanosuke has ever been on was the date rich that snotty rich brat and he was paid to go on that mission.

This was the first time ever that Sanosuke had asked a girl on a date and she said yes. So the last thing Sanosuke wanted to do was mess his chances up just because he was acting like an idiot. No it'd be best if he made her aware that Sanosuke was here. But just as he was about to call her, he felt his palms get sweaty and his voice give out to a raspy quiet yelp. What the hell was that? Nervousness? He hadn't felt that way in a long time, he couldn't believe that this was happening now. Damn it Sano, get your shit together! Sanosuke mentally chastised himself before he resolved himself again. Drying his hands on his pockets he spoke loud enough for Ai to hear him. "Hey I'm up on this tree Ai. I'll be down in a second." Sanosuke called. That wasn't so bad. When he was sure that Ai had heard him, Sanosuke decided now was a better time than any to jump down from the trunk and land on the ground so he can meet Ai face to face smiling at her.

Ai blinked upon hearing Sanosuke's voice. She tilted her head back, looking up at the tree. She tilted her head a bit, as she rose an eye brow in curiosity. "Why are you up in a tree?", she asked softly, folding her arms across her chest. If she didn't keep herself and her hands still, she was liable to twiddle her thumbs or something otherwise just as twitchy in her nervousness. 'God Ai.. what are you doing here?!', she thought to herself. 'UP YOURS!', she mentally yelled back at the little voice. Yup.. she was slowly beginning to lose her grip on reality, one little piece at a time. She kept silent outwardly, however, waiting for his response.. any response. Anything at all to distract her mind from its current track it was on.

When he landed he made sure that Sanosuke didn't put too much weight on his leg. His leg had healed up nicely from recuperating after getting hit with a hammer by a thug during a mission he was on with some other shinobi from Kumo. The last thing he needed was for him to get his leg messed up again on a date before it even started. He kind of chuckled when Ai asked him why he was on a tree, it was weird he didn't know why it just seemed climbable. "I don't really know myself why I did that. I just felt like climbing you know, I like being in high places. It clears my head whenever I want to relax" He tried explaining while scratching his head in embarrassment. Great job Sanosuke now she thinks you're weird.

Deciding that it was best to change the subject he was able to take a better look at Ai and it confirmed that she looked better dressed up this way than she was before. It made Ai look more, free and liberated in a way that only Sanosuke could comprehend. "Ai you look great today. Are you ready to use that doll I gave you so we can play with that little girl I told you about?" Sanosuke asked and playfully offered Ai his arm so she can link her arm with his

The doll? Oh, right... the thing she had stuck in her pocket so she didn't forget. 'Get a grip on yourself, Ai.. you're being dangerously unaware right now... keep going like that and you could get yourself killed. If this is how you act over a guy than you're in some serious trouble and need to either fix it, or knock it the hell off...', came another mental pep talk as she nodded and slipped her hand into one of the many pockets on her tan colored robes. She removed the doll carefully, and held it up for a moment. "Got it.", she said softly, offering up a friendly smile.

She was doing good so far, hiding the inner turmoil she had going on. She really had never dealt with this before, so she had absolutely no idea how to act. She made a mental note to herself to try and do some more research on the joys of dating. She just couldn't understand why anyone would put themselves through the mental agony of trying to impress someone of the opposite, or same, sex. It was just turning into a bit of a headache; not that she'd quit. Her curiosity had her pressing forward...

Sanosuke was happy when he saw the doll, for a second he was worried. The slight look of confusion was molded on her face. But she quickly covered up her worried look with a smile as she retrieved the doll from her many pockets. The doll was just how it looked when he gave it to Ai the other day. Holding the doll in his hands he smiled at it, Sanosuke then gave it back to Ai. "Here you hold on to it when we get there." Sanosuke said and smiled at Ai. He was feeling a bit nervous from this date but he really needed to let himself relax. Being a nervous wreck wouldn't help out the situation he was in.

Giving a smirk at Ai, he walked over to Ai and tapped her forehead. "Tag you're it" Sanosuke simply said and began jogging down the mountain trail of the Durian tree to get away from Ai. This game of tag should be able to break the ice between the two. Besides, he hasn't played this game since he was a kid living in his home village on the outskirts of Kumogakure. He hoped that Ai would appreciate his sense of fun.

Ai took the small doll back, slipping it back into one of the many pockets of her robes where it would be more than safe until they got there. She then felt the poke on her forehead and blinked, an eyebrow raising in curiosity. She then watched as he took off after his comment about her being it. She tilted her head a bit to the side, chuckling. Her mood shifted slightly, becoming more playful. Given the mood change she easily took off after him, heading right down the mountain trail with ease.

Thankfully, she had worn robes long enough to be able to run without tripping and face planting on them. In fact, it felt easier to run in them, meaning, she wasn't slow. She kept her distance for a little bit though, drawing out the game, seeing that he was only jogging. She laughed, freely, that playful twinkle filling her lightning blue colored eyes.

The patter of footsteps alerted Sanosuke to Ai's incoming footsteps. She was keeping up with Sanosuke which was good. His ploy to get Ai to play tag with him worked. If, by some unadulterated reason, that his plan didn't work it would make the awkwardness between Ai and Sanosuke more pernament. But it didn't she was actually running after Sanosuke to try and tag him. The sound of Ai's laughter was enough to motivate Sanosuke to keep on going with this game of cat and mouse he created with Ai and he would have no problem playing it with her.

It was time to get his movement out of a jog and into a full blown run. Just from listening into Ai's footsteps, Sanosuke could tell that she was steadily approaching him. If he didn't speed up, Ai would tag him. This was just a kids game and even so Sanosuke hated to lose. He always wants to win, so he wouldn't let Ai tag him without a good fiht. He began speeding up so he would literally soar down the mountain trail on his feet. "Let's see if you can keep up Ai" Sanosuke turned his head around as he ran to get a glimpse at Ai. This time Sanosuke was running along the mountain sideways on the wall as the mountain trail was spiraling downwards; only using chakra on his feet to keep him on the rock.

Ai continued to chase after him, pushing herself faster and faster as she went. She cackled freely, not honestly caring at this point if she was actually able to catch up with him or not. The point was she was having fun, and that was all that mattered. Normally she kept herself quiet and reserved, so to let loose like this once in a while was a wonderful thing. She made sure she watched her step, not wanting to end up slipping off of the path; that wouldn't end well after all. "No fair! You ever try running in robes before! Worse then a dress!", she called after him, jokingly. She laughed again, eyes twinkling in her excitement.

Dashing around a corner of the mountain trail Sanosuke decided that he ,might have a little bit of fun with his date. Sanosuke pressed his body as close to the mountain wall as possible. He was having way too much on this date he was on with Ai, but he didn't care. It's been a while since he's really unwinded like this and it was all because of her. Maybe he'll surprise her to show his appreciation. He could feel the droplets of of the dew that was coming from the mountain's cold face. His plan was simple, once Ai whipped around a corner to follow Sanosuke in order to catch him he would take the time to strike. A snicker escaped his mouth as he tried to contain himself when he heard Ai's footsteps. The second she passed Sanosuke, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind playfully to surprise her.

"Boo!" he laughed

Ai had watched him disappear around the corner and went to follow, laughing more. Though, she had not been expecting to be grabbed. So her surprise came with a nasty shock; the natural passive shock she gave off from her clan only amplified by her sudden fear and surprise, that went coursing through her entire body, not that she could feel it, but Sanosuke probably could; and it was definitely the equivalent of what sticking a fork in a light socket would feel like. She gasped in her surprise, her own hands flying to his arms that were wrapped around her.

The passive shock faded to what it normally was when she heard him say "Boo", giving away that it was him that had grabbed her and not some random stranger. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on trying to calm herself down.

Static coursed through Sanosuke as he made a grab for Ai. It worked like a plan and could even heat her make a small yelp in shock. But with that yelp of course came a more literal shock that came from her body and into Sanosuke's. It made Sanosuke's body itch all over and almost made him squirm in pain. It was as though somebody poked him awake while he was sleeping, but that feeling was multiplied. Sanosuke stood up straight at the shock, but he still wasn't letting go of Ai. He noticed that his grip tightened on reflex against Ai's stomach but he slackened his grip to allow her to breath more easily.

"I got you Ai!" Sanosuke managed to chuckle out as he smirked at Ai. Even though his prank was at his own expense, he couldn't help but laugh at his job well done. He scared the living crap out of her. "You should've seen your face; classic"

Her shock turned to calm, and then as she heard the amusement coming off of him it turned to livid rage. She had been asking herself for days now why she used to ignore almost everyone; and this was why. A few bad past experiences led to her not liking to be surprised like that; and the fact that he got a nice little chuckle off of it? Yeah, rage. Pure and complete rage. The passive shocked picked up once more, full force, as it had when she was startled and she forcefully tried pulling herself out of his grip and away.

She couldn't believe she had allowed herself to get this close to someone who would only get a sick twisted rise out of scaring the crap out of her. It made her mental. "LET GO!", not spoken, but shouted, her voice echoing and carrying all over mountain, on and on, like she had shouted it more than once.

Ai's fury caused Sanosuke to let go of her waist. She sounded really mad. Sanosuke was beginning to have second thoughts about doing this prank. It wasn't the full force static that made him let go but her screaming rage that made him let go of her waist. Maybe he went too far with the joke, after all Ai was a really shy girl whom Sanosuke had just gotten her to warm up to him and he might've blown it. Perfect, just your luck you find a girl who might like you and you almost ruin it. Fix it dumbass! Sanosuke's conscience screamed at him. He could feel his conscience literally smacking his brain with a fan. "Ai I was kidding. I'm sorry if I startled you. I was playing a joke just for laughs, I didn't mean to harm you." Sanosuke started to say holding his hands up so his palms were facing Ai so she knew he didn't mean any harm. The a flashbulb blinked in his mind that gave him an idea that just might save his ass. "I was just being stupid, the last thing I want to do make you mad. Besides I promised I would give you this everyday so you would always stay beautiful."

Reaching in the inside pockets of his short sleeved hooded overcoat, Sanosuke pulled out one rose. He almost forgot he had this. He planned on giving it to Ai in the beginning of their date before they made their way down to the villager's houses but he was too enthralled in their game of cat and mouse to remember. And now his forgetfulness was his only shot of saving himself and this date. "Here for you"

Her hand reached out, grabbing onto the mountain for support. Her mind was doing all kinds of oh-shit-not-again things. Flaskbacks and the like were not fun, especially when it was things she had all but forced herself to forget. Of course, they came back fast enough, and it caused her to reach up and rub at the scar that went from her right ear, down her neck, shoulder, arm, and then that stopped at her middle finger of her right hand. All while her mind was a whirling mass of chaos.

It was so bad that she had almost screamed at him again when she realized he had actually let her go without a fight. She.. she couldn't stay here. She couldn't face the mind fuck she had going on right now. Ignoring his words she turned and ran off, moving as fast as her legs could carry her. Her destination was home, she needed... she needed isolation. She needed familiarity. She needed something to ground her back to her normal self. She needed to leave this mountain side and not return for a good while, until she got her head straight.

-Thread Exit.-

"....Ai..." was all Sanosuke could muster up in his voice as he saw her run away from him as though he was some sort of monster. He thought he could fix things between Ai and him but he couldn't. The damage he had unintentionally inflected was already done. He was left along holding a single rose that he was going to give her. It sucked, he wanted to throw the rose over the mountain but something prevented him from doing so...."Damn it.." Sanosuke creaked again. Yes damn it was the right word to describe his mood. He didn't feel like going anywhere, he just felt like sitting over the mountain trail with his legs dangling above the air.

"I'm an idiot..."
-exit thread-