Somewhere Beautiful...[p]

[Miku]

Somewhere…Beyond the mist.
A future promised of pure bliss,
And a soft, electric-kiss.

I was not sure what the two of us were going to do besides journey to foreign lands together, but apparently it was enough for us to consider that a plan of ours. In a strange way, it was as if we were going on a date...I knew it was far too soon to be thinking of things such as that, but I could not help but feel that way. I mean, it was true that we learned the basics of each other, such as home nation, village, and name—but we were already traveling together to somewhere of my choosing.

It seemed like he knew just what to do and say to get me moving. I was fully conscious of the decisions that I was making, but there was some sort of strong presence that he had over me. I felt subdued to him, motionlessly following his commands even though he was not giving any. To be honest, I was a little nervous. I had never been around someone that made me feel so anxious, and yet excited at the same time. I had just met him mere moments ago, and already I was off of my feet and into the fray.

I was walking through a path very familiar to Kirigakure residents. The direct path from the village into the forest led us towards the docking area. From there, we would be able to take a boat and go wherever we choose. The captains were fairly nice and they normally allowed Mist shinobi to accompany them on their voyage if they were heading in the same direction as us. I was not sure if Akira had his own boat, or way of traveling since he was not a resident here, but I had no problem asking him.

”I want to go to Kaminari, and go to the peak of a mountain. I know it’s a strange request…but it is probably such a surreal sight..” I felt a little stupid telling him my inner-desires. Akira did not seem like the type to judge people on their ambitions, so I doubt that he would really laugh at my request anyways. I looked at the man, standing beside me as we stood at the docks. ”Should we just ask any of the captains if they are heading to Kaminari?” I did not really care how we go there, as long as we did. It would be have more convenient if we had our own boat, but it was perfectly fine to join someone else’s.

[Nujabes]

Naturally, I couldn't just waltz right through the gates with her. Just because she wasn't aware of my status with the hidden mist didn't mean that their Chuunin, Jounin, and ANBU weren't. In fact, I probably would've been strewn up dread before we even got a single fuckin' step out of tha' gate had I not done what I did. And by that I mean just jumpin' the fuckin' wall with a single leap, and waitin' for her a little further down the road. I don't really remember how I explained it to her; I think I said I had somethin' to do before we left, but either or, she bought it and we were on our way.

I knew the pace would be a little different than when I was traveling by myself, but not this different. I was used to speedin' by everything in a matter of seconds, perhaps less, crossin' hundreds of miles in hours like a speedin' car or some other non-existent technologically advanced construction. But this? No, I was actually walkin' for a change-- talkin' with a beautiful young woman, too.

I'd made sure to turn my music down extra low, to where I could still hear it but Miku's voice would be the dominant sound. My head bobbed and weaved, movin' rhythmically of the beat of some song or another. I was entirely focused on her, though, and when and if she looked into my scarlet color eyes she'd know the same. And no, I'm not one of those overly emo, brooding faggot Uchihas. I just had 'red' eyes.

Unfortunately, I couldn't help but laugh at her request. It was probably the most girly thing I'd ever heard, but it was a good one. "Wow, I wasn't expectin' ya to have nearly that good of an imagination." I gave a genuine smile to let her know it wasn't a malicious laugh. "And lucky for me, ya picked a country I haven't been ta yet. You're better than I gave ya credit for."

I wish I would've known what she was thinkin' - I probably would've put the moves on 'er had I known she was thinkin' this was a date, as well. Instead, I'd keep the slow pace we seemed to be clickin' on. I had a creepin' suspicion she wasn't like the chicks I'd messed around with in the past, which had caught me somewhat off guard. But it's never too late for change, and change isn't always a bad thing. Maybe she'd give me a challenge? Maybe not? I was excited for the chance either way.

Thankfully, I'd be able to answer he question about a boat with a mere nod. The small little boat I'd hijacked from some random fisherman was right at the end of the path, nuzzled into the sand with two ores. Once we were both in, it was nothin' but a push off and several rows before we were on our way.

"So, do ya kiss on the first date?" In case she was wonderin' how I felt about this little endeavor, I think that broke the ice pretty well.

[Miku]

It was not clear to me what tasks that Akira had to take off before we left, but me giving him the benefit of the doubt, I bought into it. He did not give me a real reason to not believe him, besides the fact that his persona seemed to be quite mysterious. It was strange because although I was not sure if he was a real Konohagakure shinobi or not, I still trusted his word. He seemed like a very straight forward guy, and even if he had done mischievous deeds in the past, I could not judge him based off of that, right?

As the both of us were walking along the path, I observed that he was once again listening to his music. It made me wonder what sort of person was he, and what type of music he listened to. Maybe he was musically gifted? I had heard that you can actually use ninjutsu combined with music instruments to create deadly assaults. I doubt that he could actually use sound-based jutsu because it did not seem like his “style,” but it could very well be possible. A part of me wanted to hold his hand as we were walking.

I had to fight the several temptations to reach out and grab hold of his gloved hand. My breathing patterns slightly began to race as all of these thoughts of him and I was rushing through my mind. I wanted to know if he was as into me as I was into him, but I did not want to seem like I was easy. The truth is, I was not. I haven’t dated a lot of guy in the past, and even then—I still managed to remain pure. I was a precious kunoichi, one that waited for the time was right before doing anything.

There was a slight sensation of relief that overcame me as Akira was pleased with my decision to go to Kaminari. I mean, even if we did travel to a place he had already been, it should not have mattered in the end anyways. I mean, he did ask me where I wanted to go, so he should have been pleased with my pick no matter what, or at least that is what I thought. It was still comforting to know that he too agreed with my decision. As I had originally thought, Akira had a small boat for us both to venture off to Kaminari together.

It was hidden slightly in the sand but that would not be a problem for us. I carefully waited for him to push the boat into the water before stepping into it. I sat down with my legs resting to the side. Since we were sitting in direct view of each other, I did not want him to accidently see up my kimono. I patted down my dress over my legs as I turned my lower body to the side, covering myself decently. I gave him a half-hearted smile as he began to row us to Kaminari. I felt a little bad that he had to physically get us there, but he seemed like a built man.

Once we traveled further into the ocean, the currents should push us in the direction we needed so he did not have to continue to row the entire way there. I felt awkward making small talk with him since we were directly in front of each other, but I suppose I had no choice in this situation. "So, do ya kiss on the first date?" I felt like a real child as I started to giggle when he said that. It was a shame that I felt so awkward about something so simple as a kiss, but if it was not already very obvious, I was completely pure. Still, I could not help but feel a bit of respect for him to even ask. He had a real charm to him that seemed real smooth, so I decided to humor him.

”Heh, sometimes.” I wanted to let his imagination wonder by what I meant by “sometimes.” It was a vague answer, however it was on purpose. I needed to keep him guessing, I wanted to keep him interested in me. Besides, as long as we were both interested, this could turn out to be something real. ”It has to be at the right moment, place, and with the right person.” I tucked my right bangs behind my right ear. My long, curvy hair was always flopping all over the place and it could be annoying sometimes. I did not really consider this boat a real romantic setting, but it was definitely turning me on. I was beginning to get more nervous around him. I wanted him so badly but I knew I had to keep cool.

Soon.

[Nujabes]

Honestly, I liked the peace and quite you could only find in the ocean. We were still a whiles off from Kaminiri, and even further from the peak of one of the many mountains that made such a hostile terrain their home, but I didn't mind it. This was nice, even if different.

"Sometimes, eh?" I repeated. I cracked a smile as I spoke, leaning back in the boat to give my arms a rest from all that fuckin' rowin'. Sure, I was fit, but that shit was difficult; thank the heavens we were movin' with the tide.

As for the rest of her little bit about the kiss and such, I can't say that I followed the principle down to the letter. It was pretty obvious that she hadn't been with a guy in that way, which made it all the funnier that she'd just up and ran away with me. Sure, she told them where she was goin', but who knew when she'd back? Hell, who knew if she was ever comin' back?

I didn't know her all that way, but I figured I could scoop her up from under Kirigakure's claw and whisk her away on some fairytale cloud of "love." She seemed like the type that would dig that shit. Again, I wasn't for it, but I could definitely respect it. "Eh, I've never really felt anythin' like that. Honestly, this is the longest I've actually ever just talking ta a chick. It's nice."

If only she knew she didn't have ta play coy with me ta keep me interested. I'm sure things would've moved a lot faster.

[Miku]

The two of us were completely different people. I did not want to stare at him while I was in deep thought, so I decided to watch the waves push back and forth against our boat and occasionally, I would glance up at the sky and watch the seagulls fly overhead. He seemed like he lived the fast life, never really slowing down to observe the trees and bushes that were around him. In the complete opposite retrospect, I lived a completely slow-paced life. I was always relaxed, calm and never really bothered to go anywhere or do anything unless my village requested for my direct assistance.

I still could not understand what Akira saw in me that made him want to take me away, except for the fact that I needed to get away from Kiri. I hated to feel some sort of regret, or even doubt—but the further we left Kiri, the more I became concerned. In a way, if he really wanted to, I could be a complete goner. It was probably not a wise decision of mine to just leave my village like that, and I knew that if something were to happen—I was to be blamed 110%.

There was no point in worrying about “what ifs.” I was here now, so I might as well enjoy myself. He seemed like a real gentleman, underneath his bad-boy exterior of course. Looking at the white-haired man, I would begin to speak. ”So you’re more into the fast-paced life, huh? That’s cool. I guess we can all use some sort of rush sometimes. I mean…that’s why in a way, I’m happy that I’m here right now. I felt like my life was stalling…withering away.”

Maybe he did not even care about my motives or reasons for coming, but I still told him anyways. I wanted to learn more about it, and it was only fair that he learned more about me. Our boat ride was rather relaxing, and luckily for us there did not appear to be any storm clouds above us. There ride should be a relatively smooth one, and the more I started to focus on the now, the less tense I was feeling.

I sprawled my head back a bit to get more comfortable on the boat. ”Akira…” I whispered his name subtly, but loud enough for him to hear it. I had no idea what I wanted to say to him, but I still said his name anyways aloud. My cerulean eyes glanced at his crimson eyes, peering directly at him. I began to shiver a little, the cold misty air cooling my body’s temperature. It was obvious that I was feeling a bit of discomfort from the breeze, but hopefully Akira picked up on it and would do something about it?

Hoping.

[Nujabes]

"No worries," I assured her while unbuttoning my long-sleeved jacket. It was leather so I knew it'd keep her warm, and the fact that she was all but shakin' the boat was a good indicator as to what she wanted. Exposin' my chest for the first time in what felt like forever (except for showers), I leaned forward and loosely wrapped the thick fabric around her shoulders. Bein' the difference in our sizes, it almost swallowed her whole. "I've got'cha. . . covered."

It was a crap shot at a joke, but I'm pretty sure she'd dig it. I mean, she didn't seem like the prissy, nose-up-in-the-air-type; she had a pretty down to earth humor.

"And ya, that's pretty much how I'd sum it myself." I leaned back again, proppin' myself up on my elbows while I sunbathed. "I mean, I've always live that kind of lifestyle though; never slowin' down, never waitin' for nobody but myself. It gets kind of borin' after a lil' while, y'know?"

I really wasn't sure where I was goin' with all this, but I kind of had an idea. I think had I looked a lil' deeper back then, I would've realized all I really wanted out of life was a companion to share the world I'd opened up with. "But I guess the trouble keeps things excitin'. People always lookin' for ya', always in a fight - well, not always, but y'know what I mean."

Carefully, I nudged her with a boot. "And I know that's what ya were feelin' - that's why I picked ya' to come with me. That, and yer a beautiful girl; killin' two birds with one stone."

[Miku]

I did not expect him to actually lend me his leather jacket, but he did. He even wrapped his jacket around me, revealing his chest while he told me a rather provocative joke. I started to laugh and blush. It was good that he had a sense of humor . ”Thanks.” My soft voice replied to his kind gesture, I mean he did not have to give me his jacket. A warm body would have been just as fine to wrap myself around, but I suppose that was just my inner desires attempting to break free.

Even though I was feeling nervous at first, that feeling quickly receded away the more we were talking. It all made sense. Yeah, he might have been used to living the fast life, but how long can someone honestly keep that up? It was obvious that he wanted a change of pace, something that remains the same around him even if he continues to travel to so many different places. He wanted a steady companion. And in the same spirit, I needed something to push me out of my comfort zone. Maybe opposites really do attract, at least for us.

I was no longer a genin, and it was about time that I started to act more mature and learn to get out more. Although things between Akira and I were moving faster than I was used to, things were actually moving a lot slower to him than he was used to. I hated to admit it, but I was definitely falling for him. ”I guess I’m lucky that you found me, Akira…” No longer shivering thanks to his kind temporary gift, I tugged onto his leather jacket a bit tighter as I got cozy again. ”Honestly, I was a bit nervous about this...whole thing, but I’m starting to really like it.”

I was not sure what he was really thinking about. Maybe this was all just a game to see if he could get me if he wanted to, but I did not feel like mentally fighting all of my emotions. I was more than trained to keep my different exhilarating feelings under-control, and though I desperately wanted to embrace him, I continued to put along a calm collected composure in his presence. I had to make sure this was right between us. There was no turning back where we were headed.

The long haul.

[Nujabes]

Even though I was already fairly dark, a fresh 'tan' couldn't hurt anyone. I wasn't entirely sure how she was cold; yeah, there was a pretty nice breeze, but I was here completely nude from the waist up and I felt pretty damn good. Then again, maybe I was just warm-blooded? Whatever the case, it gave me a reason to flaunt my perfectly chiseled chest and eight-pack of abs. Needless to say, I was a motherfuckin' beast.

"That just means yer human, babe," I assured her, "I was hella nervous when I first stepped outside of Konohagakure. Well, not really, but I was kind of unsure of if it was really what I wanted. Granted, I probably could've done tha smart thing like you did and told 'em, but I was just tired of bein' held down by a village that really didn't care whether I lived or died."

I found my head lazily rollin' back, my halved-eyes aimlessly strollin' through the clouds. "I was tired of just bein' another ninja - a tool, y'know?"

I was sure she did understand what I was tryin' to get at, but the topic was just so gloomy I didn't want ta sit in it for too long. I'd give her a chance to respond, but that was about it before I'd change the topic. "But ya, ya ain't got nothin' ta worry about. As long as I've got a single breath in ma body, ain't no one gonna lay a finger on ya."

I punctuated my previous statement with a cheerful wink, only to lean in as I saw she was snuggling up in my jacket all nice like. Maybe she wasn't cold anymore, or maybe she still was? Either way, I decided to make a move. "Y'know, if yer still cold, you and cuddle up next ta me. I'm always burnin' up, and we've still got a ways ta go until we reach Kaminari or however it's pronounced.""

[Miku]

’I’m…human.’ As blatantly obvious his statement was, it was all so true. Sometimes, I forgot that I was human just like everyone else. After being conditioned by the Academy in Mist for so long, I guess it was easy to lose sight of the real world. Though I did not have anything particular to say about the whole village allegiance issue, from what he told me, it sounded as though he was most likely a missing ninja. Maybe he did not commit a crime, but just going missing was more than enough to label him as missing.

At least I knew that he was not a real criminal or a threat to society. I learned that I could trust him, even if just a bit more than I already did. He told me that he would protect me from harm, but could he really do that? I mean… it was complicated. Even though he was able to just leave his village, I could not bring it to myself to just go missing as well. I still had a connection to that place, I still had loyalty there—even if they viewed me as nothing more than a replaceable tool. It was all that I knew, I could not just leave it behind and flee with someone whom I just met. What if things did not work out between us?

I had to make sure I had a backup plan. He offered me to cuddle with him. My blood was thinner than most people, so naturally I got cold easily. I probably should have brought my own jacket but I did not expect to leave the village so abruptly. ”Oh, that would be nice.” I smiled at Akira, carefully holding on to the edge of the boat as I inched my way closer to him. Once I was in front of him, crouching, I would attempt to sit between his legs. I held his jacket in my hands, as I turned my body around to do a 180. My back would be resting on his chest, snuggling on his warm body.

The jacket would serve as a blanket, covering the front-side of my body as I laid there in Akira’s lap. I brushed my hair to the side so it wouldn’t be in his face. ”Wrap your arms around me.” My voice cooed softly as I folded my arms in front of my chest, hoping that he would embrace my arms and snug tightly on my body. It was freezing out for me, but the heat from his body quickly began to warm me up. I could not help but feel so safe in his arms. ”Akira…” He was probably growing tired of me calling out his name without having anything to say. But subconsciously, I was already conditioning my mind to get used to his presence. He was an ally. I closed my eyes, resting in the safety of his embodiment and listened to his heartbeat.

Thump.

[Nujabes]

Yeah, thank god I didn't have to row. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to wrap my arms around her when she scooted over into my lap. It was so fuckin' weird havin' a bitch between my legs that didn't plan on takin' the pipe to the mouth, but again, not all change was bad. I guess you could say I was discoverin' a kind of sensitive side to myself that I really didn't know I had. Meh, this chick was goin' to turn me soft - even if just a little, but I really didn't seem to mind it at all. It was actually kind of nice.

She'd find my grip a lot tighter than most, yet extremely comfortable at the same time. I wasn't tryin' ta choke her ta death or anything like that, but I had an innate strength behind each and every single one of my movements. It came with bein' a taijutsu expert, I suppose.

"Let me know if it's a bit too tight, I know I've got a vice grip. Comes with knowin' nothin' but taijutsu, I guess."

I didn't see a reason to try and hide my combat prowess from her. She really didn't seem like she was gonna rip my guts out with a kunai while we were cuddling in a boat, in the middle of the ocean, floatin' toward some distant country. I mean, it was way too romantic. Maybe once we got to land she'd try it, but not then.

As for her callin' my name? I was used to it. Akira had already rolled off the tongues of countless women and men (no homo), the latter of which was usually right before I cut them in half or somethin'. Honestly, I don't know why they did that - they must've thought I was goin' to mysteriously stop in the middle of my swing just because they screamed my name, or like it was gonna give them the strength to survive the blow.

She was cold to the touch, but it was barely enough to dampen my above-average body temperature. "Ya freezin', girl." I curled up against her tighter, with relative ease might I add. I was nearly a full two feet taller than her, which probably made things a little awkward. It made things all the easier to hook my head over her shoulder, pressing the side of my face against her own. "There, ya should be warmin' up nice and fast."

[Miku]

I was not used to having such a tall, muscular man grip my body the way Akira did, but in a way—I sort of liked it. My body was safely secured, and he was not choking me to death either, so that was a good sign. I giggled a little when he told me to inform him if it was too much. I guess I was being a bit perverted. Still, I subdued my own thoughts for a later time while I nestled closer to him. The boat drifted with the currents of the ocean, allowing us to float to Kaminari without the need of rowing for now.

Although the distance between the two countries was quite far, it did not feel like we were traveling that long in my mind. The weather was beautiful out. Seagulls squawked occasionally overhead while the waves collided against the side of our boat. There was a weird sense of tranquility all around us, and although the change of pace was relaxing; I wanted to explore Kaminari now. I was getting restless, fixating myself over and over again in his lap.

It took me a while to realize it, but damn, he was so tall! I never was around someone that was literally so many inches taller than me. His body towered over my own, even though I was laying in his lap. Though, I guess he could say I was super short, so who was I to judge? It did not matter anyways, all of that was irrelevant to me. I just liked having someone that was different from the pack enjoying my company. Opening my eyes, I started to see off into the distance the land of Thunder. We were finally there. ”Hey, we’re so close!”

Getting up from our position, I handed him back his jacket and sat back down on my side of the boat. It was kind of abrupt, but I had hoped that he was going to finish rowing us to shore so we could get their faster. I hated being so excited, but I couldn't help it! Thunder, hello.

{Move to Kaminari please}

[KID GAMBINO.]

Moved to Kaminari.

[Nujabes]

She's lucky she had moved when she did. I hadn't realized it until I sat up, but I was droolin' somethin' fierce. It would've landed square on her shoulder, too. The country was behind me, so I'm not sure why I looked to either my left or right; I'll blame it on the grogginess, though. Either way, we were clearly close enough now.

Standin' up at the "head" of the boat, I shielded my eyes from the burning sun while, gazin' at the rough beach before us. We were still a couple hundred meters out, but it wasn't nothin' I couldn't handle. In fact, I probably could've just ran the whole way from Mizu no Kuni. But - well, you know what happened. Got my snuggle on instead.

"Whelp," I yawned. "Guess I'll run from here."

I snapped my jacket back around my chest, adjusting it several times until it was situated properly. I plucked Hebi from the seat she'd taken, fastening her around my waist rather than my back; I did the same for Suijin. Lookin' over my shoulder, I knelt down and gestured for her to jump on.

"C'mon, I'll give ya a piggy-back ride." I could see that she was excited, so I figured it'd be better to get there asap.

[Miku]

Waah. I was totally not expecting for Akira to offer that he carry me through the land of thunder. It was once again, a very nice gesture. I actually was enjoying this, I could not imagine such a dreamy, rebel like Akira offering anyone a piggy-back ride to some beautiful mountain. And yet here he was all mine and doing things for me that he would not normally do for other girls. I hated feeling special, because that’s the very moment that everything you have gets taken from you—but damn was I one lucky girl. It's not everyday that you find a guy like him.

”It’ll be an honor!” I leapt onto his back and fastened my legs around his stomach. My arms flung around his neck loosely until I tightened my grip. I was not too restrictive until the point where he could not breathe. I was not sure how fast he was planning on trekking towards the mountains, but just in case he was super fast—I wanted to make sure that I would not fall off of him.

I half-wished that we were having a picnic at the top of the mountain! That would have been the perfect setting for us both, but alas, I would have to settle for the nice view up there. It was still bizarre to me that I had such strong feelings for him already, but I did not want to lose him already. It was pretty stupid to think so far ahead when him and I did not even decide to officially date, or even see each other again—but I already wanted to settle down somewhere with him. I loved his company, and I really loved being with him.

I nibbled on his right ear softly as he was charging through Thunder country. It was a small, affectionate gesture, but one that I did on an impulse given my position on his back. I then cheerily began to speak, ”I bet Thunder has the best view from the top of the mountains! I can’t wait to see it, Akira.”

I was genuinely happy; this was definitely a change of scenery from the misty scene of Water Country. The best part was that I had just made a friend and possible future comrade at that. We were both shinobi, and clearly both skilled. Who knows what trouble we could get into together? I nuzzled the left side of his cheek, occasionally rubbing my cheek against him as we continued to head towards the mountain.

Almost.

[Nujabes]

I was surprised at how little effort it took to carry both of us across the raging waves; we were movin' so fast we were barely a blur across the bright ocean water, and the only hint we'd touched land was the massive column of sand and dirt I kicked up with my initially steps. I would've been impressed had anyone seen us, though I highly doubted they'd be able to say anythin' by the time we passed 'em.

Naturally, I kept the speed to a comfortable pace for the lil' miss on my back. Her body wasn't conditioned for the speeds I usually dipped at, so there wasn't a choice; still, it gave me more time to enjoy the closeness between us.

"Well, hold on tight." I don't think tha second gate will be all too much. I'll slow it own if it is. "I don't want'cha fallin' off."

Once I felt her arms fasten into position around my throat, I slowly closed my eyes. It only took a few seconds of mentally tuggin' on the shackles of my chakra reserves for the first gate to practically pop, and Miku would definitely feel the sudden shift of muscle as chakra surged through every fiber of my body. A second later, another pop, and my body would yet again increase in size.

Tha next time my foot touched the earth, an entire chunk of distance was erased in the time it would've taken her to blink. We were movin' nearly thrice our original speed, and she'd find the world around her blending into a single pot of distorted colors and shapes. She probably wouldn't even feel tha earth rising as we scaled a mountain I'd identified from the beach.

Tha hour or two it would've taken us to make our journey was significantly reduced, and before she knew it, her feet would be touchin' down on tha snow-caped top of a mountain so enormous, and so massive that it punched through tha fuckin' clouds like knife would flesh.

Up here, the sun seemed so close.