why should i stay here? (M)

[addy-hime ♥]

SPOILER: Click to show

Water Delivery
Rank: D.
Shinobi Required: 1-4.
Mission Information: Akemi Kato is an elderly member of the village who is no longer able to traverse through the strong winds to fetch her water rations. She lives alone in a house near the village gates. Because of this, she has put in a request with the Kazekage that a few kind shinobi bring her enough water to last her for a few days. She expects to be treated with respect; so long as this requirement is fulfilled, she will continue to pay for delivery services.
Special Information: Repeatable.
Reward: 25 EXP & 500 Ryo.

It was one of those days where going outside seemed impossible, much less enjoyable: the winds were howling through the village, picking up loose sand and scattering it without a thought to the people mulling about. Visibility was poor at best, and that combined with the natural desert heat was unbearable, even to one girl who had been living in Sunagakure no Sato all her life.

Etsuko Youka, Shodaime Kazekage—once removed and then reseated—felt it necessary to aid the people she served, and who also served her. Every few days an elder, Kato-san, required water delivered to her house; she could understand why someone of that age would not be able to traverse the relatively short distance to the water reserves. A pale hand lifted, knuckles whitening as her grip tightened on the handle of a relatively large plastic container. Fresh, if not cool, water splashed inside, adding more weight to it than one might first assume ... had she not developed muscle from constant work with the Kyodai Sensu, just this simple task may have been daunting. As it was, the heavy cloak she wore was wrapped around almost every inch of her skin, head and face included, helping with the annoyance that her favorite chakra release could bring.

"In the deepest ocean, in the bottom of the sea, your eyes .. they turn to me," she whispered, voice melodic—a sing-song tune that bespoke of a song. It was one that had been stuck in her head for quite a while, and every time the verses managed to catch her tongue, they reminded her more and more of her fiance. She moved slowly through the sandstorm, away from the reserves and toward the main road of the village, mind wandering to the handsome face of none other than Len'autre Asato. Soon, very soon indeed, they would be husband and wife officially, and she could think of no one that would be more perfect for her. Nor could she imagine a man that would ever make her happier—Asato was strong, deadly to the point that she could recall how he made her tremble the first time they met; he was kind to the people that mattered, but he certainly had no qualms destroying those that did not.

"It's no surprise I love him," she giggled, voice hardly audible over the rush of wind that made the long sleeves of her cloak flap restlessly. A passerby glance at her with an odd expression, but what did she care? They couldn't recognize her now, not when she had taken so many steps to remain anonymous for the day out. No shinobi had taken up the job of deliverance this day and she was more than happy to do it herself. Solitude was scarce when you had so much work.

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[addy-hime ♥]

Hard to describe was the feeling of being able to glide down the street without being stopped by shinobi, whether it be for a question or a comment. The few older residents truly enjoyed trying to give her advice on how to do her job, and more often lately offered solace for her nephew's untimely death. These comments injured her more than a rough insult that she couldn't do her job, for little did they know, she was the singular reason Aero no longer walked or breathed. It was her fault that his head was rotting in a box somewhere in the possession of the Sunagakure ANBU squad ... unless they found it fit to bury him privately, she hadn't bothered to ask.

Blue eyes stared out from the shadow of her hood, squinting through the almost torrential sand to the gates. They were close now, and she knew that Kato-san's residence was somewhere nearby. When the thought occurred to her she stopped in her tracks, nearly forcing a man to run into her in his hurry to get wherever it was he needed to go. Watch it! he hissed, bumping into her with his shoulder as he passed, face contorted in a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion. Youka looked after him, bemused, and wondered if Asato would have been upset that someone had treated her so callously. He certainly had not censored his rage at her brother, who—while he showed it in odd ways—cared almost as much for her as the nuke nin himself. The thought of seeing her fiance yelling at the man was enough to bring a curl of a smile to her lips, unbeknownst to all but her.

"I'd be crazy not to follow, follow where you lead."

It was that damned song again. The verses came in short bursts; if someone asked her to repeat the lyrics from heart it would not have been possible. She did not remember them, could not do so to save her life, and yet the simplest image of Asato was enough to dredge them. The kunoichi closed her eyes and analyzed herself, trying to decide why her allegiance to him was so very strong. Truly, it was not long ago that he thirsted to spill her blood across the sand and extorted her for information about her beloved village. But since then they had grown closer, an understanding was formed ... love grew ...

Your eyes, they turn me, turn me on to phantoms. I follow to the edge of the earth, and fall off. Why should I stay here? Why should I stay? Everybody leaves if they get the chance; this is my chance.

If ever Asato asked her to pack her most precious belongings and flee from these hellish sand dunes, she would not fight him. In fact, Youka knew she would never deny him any wish, unless that wish was to kill her only remaining brother. There was a final glance at the village gates, her heart throbbing painfully, before she angled herself to the left and approached a house very near the path. The water container made her hand feel numb a long time ago, but it could be placed down soon enough. Knock, knock. It was only a matter of time now.

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[addy-hime ♥]

There was the sound of movement inside the house; she waited patiently, looking forward to the moment when this mission was over and she could return to the her own abode. Asato was still there, and apparently she could not stand even five minutes of solitude—no matter how peaceful—without musing over their relationship. It seemed horrible in itself, but Youka knew she was addicted to him, needed him the same way she needed every breath of air that expanded her lungs.

"Ohhh! My dear, my dear, come inside!" A kind, elderly voice broke her reverie and she blinked, realizing that the door had opened and the woman in question was standing in front of her. Except now she was hobbling backward, unwittingly making room for her Kazekage to enter. Indeed she did, and was grateful when she realized they were already in the kitchen—she moved over to the corner where an empty water container was placed and set this full one down next to it. "Would you like anything to eat, dear? I would be glad to get you something. Thank you so much for fetching this water for me!"

Youka turned to the old woman and lifted her now empty hands, fingers curling around the rough fabric of her hood. It was pulled down with a swift jerk, scattering a small amount of sand on the otherwise clean floor. No matter, really ... she had already tracked some inside, and it was likely that this woman spent most of her free time cleaning obsessively, anyway. Everything was sparking, ridiculously spotless and flawless. The old woman gasped, apparently realizing who she was, and clapped her hands together in a very motherly fashion. "Shodaime-sama! You took the time for me ...? Thank you!" The girl in question smiled, shaking her head as if to ward off the excessive pleasantry. "It was my pleasure, elder. My shinobi are busy today and I did not want you to go without water, so I took the time myself. Unfortunately, I do have to go. If I wasn't so stacked up with paperwork I would be happy to remain and talk with you."

"Of course, of course!" Kato-san chided, escorting her back to the door and the winds beyond. "I always enjoy the company of the shinobi you send me, Kazekage. Thank you again." Youka nodded, lifting her hood back into its original position as she stepped through the threshold. "No problem at all. have a nice day!" It felt good to have the weight of a life and the water container off her shoulder, honestly. If only there was not so much drama in her life, she might have been able to say she felt rather happy just then, as she stepped off into the sandstorm again.

exit.

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[Comatose]

+30 EXP <3