the little things. [o]

[King]

"Actually, I'm just not really hungry at the moment." Shinobi diet? Ashura would have giggled again, had he actually not heard the term before. There were a few of his squad-mates who took their physical fitness to a nearly obsessive degree. Some would only eat a single bowl of rice a day, and others even less than that. They felt that, if they got too large, it would interfere with their ability as a shinobi. In Ashura's eyes, it just meant they'd probably be able to get into Konoha's Akimichi clan all the easier.

Continuing to thumb through the pages as he read, he idly bit the bottom of his lip. "I have an unnaturally fast metabolism, so I tend to eat a lot on a regular basis. I had eight bowls of rice with chicken and pork, shrimp tempura, three bay meadow rolls, two volcano rolls, and four bowls of ramen for breakfast today." It was a ridiculous amount of food, for sure, but Ashura spoke as though it were an every day occurance. "I'm sure had I been sparring today, I probably would have been starving by this time. But, since I've just been reading, I probably wont' eat again until dinner time."

Ashura continued reading in silence for a moment, until his eyes suddenly went wide. Looking at Miyako, he very brazenly eyed the woman from head to toe. "Nee-san, I just realized what it is," he said with a sense of revelation. "Why all those men are always bothering you, I mean. It's your breasts, isn't it?" He hadn't noticed before (strangely enough), but her bust was-- like his metabolism --almost unnatural in size. He could only imagine how many problems they caused her, from her spine to many other simple things. "Well, I'm sure it's also that your very beautiful, but I'd imagine you wouldn't get as much unwanted attention if your breasts weren't so large."

He was looking at them as he spoke, but it was with a different set of eyes -- not those of a child, or even a ravenous man. But, rather, that of an artist; a wise, aged soul neatly wrapped in the figure of a boy nearly ten years her junior. Then, he simply shrugged and continued reading. "I'm not entirely sure what's the big deal about breasts, Nee-san. Kirino's aren't that large, and she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life."

Casually, he turned another page. "This book is-- interesting."

[allie]

not really hungry? miyako paled. she was always up for a meal. her mother said she had a healthy appetite since she was little and damn if she didn't still have one. you would think she'd be the size of a house by now, but by gods grace she had a fast metabolism. plus it helped that she had "fitness sessions" with her brothers (which were really just her trying to keep up with their shinobi asses). still, she was glad to hear that ashura actually ate. kids needed food and lots of it. and from the sounds of what he was telling her, he ate more than she did. where the hell did he put it all? he wasn't scrawny, but he was small enough in her eyes. miyako had a bit of meat on her, from the ample chest size to her ass. she had curves to feed. frowning, she looked the boy over, up and down while shoving another mouthful in. he'd said he had a fast metabolism, too, like miyako. unnaturally fast though? that sounded too good to be true. of course he'd have to be active, in his line of work. it'd all balance out.

"heh," she smirked, shaking her head. her food was nearly finished, so she tucked back in. how long had they been on lunch for, anyways? she hadn't even checked the time. thinking about when she'd realistically have to be back, miyako wasn't paying much attention when ashura had his little revelation. chewing on a piece of pork, thinking about what work she'd be able to make for herself back at the library, his words took a few moments to.. properly register. but when they did, boy did she turn red. miyako was a little sensitive about her chest size, you see. that's why she tended to cover it up so much and researched breast reduction procedures that she'd have to save up for years to afford. it was just one of those things you don't point out about her; she equated it to a woman being told she really did look fat in a dress. and, well, she was sure ashura didn't mean anything bad by his.. comments, but she found herself wishing the ground would swallow her up.

"kirino is.. very lucky then," she managed to say eventually, after ashura when back to paying attention to his book. "t-to have such an admirer, that is. but also for not having a.. big chest. they can be such a pain in the ass- er well, back." miyako had to laugh, however bad the joke was. she was quiet for a moment. "you're right though. guys tend to get all crazy over big chests. to be honest, when i get any attention from men, i always think it's just because of them. it's frustrating," she chuckled, "not being able to hide them more." miyako was far from trying to sound sorry for herself. she was just telling him like it was, in a tame enough manner. usually when she whinged about her tits she was with her girlfriends and there was alcohol involved, a bar and music. but this was just a little kid asking an innocent enough question. she gave him a funny kind of look, followed by a soft smile, thinking about the way he kept mentioning this kirino girl.

"you're very sweet on her, aren't you? this kirino girl.."

[King]

Ashura snickered at the joke, but continued to read. He'd been listening to everything that Miyako had said, despite the lack of eye-contact. She's very self-conscious, he noted as she mentioned her breasts. Up until that voice, her voice had been -- well, it had been strong and confident. But, when mentioning such a private asset of her person, she became meek and tender. It was a very subtle sign, that many might have missed had they not been paying attention. But, Ashura was quite different; being an effective multi-tasker, he completely appreciated the gravity of the situation while absorbing the information from the scriptures he diligently read. Placing an index finger on a single line, he sat up straight and looked to Miyako.

With his free hand, he unzipped his flak jacket and reached into the left breast pocket (over his heart). Retrieving a single picture and unfolding it with his dexterous fingers, he revealed to Miyako the perfection it had captured: Kirino. "Actually, I think I'm the lucky one." He paused, glancing down at the picture, albeit upside down. "Had I not left the village for my adventure that day, I don't think I would have ever met her. So, I suppose I am sweet on her-- but that's because I love her, more than I love myself. It's strange - I get this feeling in my stomach whenever she's around, and I can't think straight; I get light-headed, and feel like I can do anything."

Folding the picture back up and placing it back in his jacket, he zipped it up to his neck. Then, he turned and faced Miyako fully. "But, Nee-san, I can understand why you might think the only reason you gain attention is because of your breasts." Tilting his head, he leaned over -- grabbing the neck of her blouse and beginning to undo several of her buttons. "When I first became a shinobi, I figured the only reason the people who weren't afraid of me bothered speaking with me was because of my Sharingan," he explained as he effectively exposed a hefty amount of the woman's admirable cleavage. "But, that wasn't what it was. It was because of my confidence, and the fact that I didn't let my Sharingan -- or my father's -- define who I was."

Blinking, his Sharingan activated. While the traditional red and black of the kekkei genkai was present, the white of his eye had become entirely black -- obsidian, even. It was Kouketsu's mark, and like Miyako, something that made him stand out even amongst his own people. "The only people who have eyes like me are those that possess my father's blood - no other Uchiha in the world have these eyes. Just like no one else in the world will have breasts like yours, Nee-san; identically speaking, at least."

Finished toying with the woman's blouse, he feathered it open to ensure the flesh remained visible. "But, you cannot be insecure about it. They are yours -- not you, but yours. If you let them define you, you will only continue to get negative attention. We live in a world of predators, and it is easy to see your unease about them - the way you cover them, hide them, and shy away from any mention of them. Those men from earlier; the entire reason they continued was because you made it so very apparent that you were bothered by the attention they paid you."

Again, his entire lecture was given with an innocently flat tone. Turning back to face his book, he continued reading where he left off. "It's like swimming with sharks, Nee-san. The more you quick and scream, the more you excite them. If you just sit there, they will leave you alone." Nibbling his lip, already absorbed into the information, he nodded in agreement with his words. "The more you try and hide your breasts, Nee-san, the more they'll stick out. There's nothing wrong with dressing modestly, but going out of your way to obscure your natural beauty-- well, it's just silly. I suppose I didn't notice because-- well, I came from a similar situation. I see you for you, and your breasts just happen to be one part of you."

Breaking his gaze with the book to glance at her bowl, he smiled. "As is your appetite, it seems."

[allie]

the green tea, forgotten next to the glorious food, finally caught miyako's eye as she stopped eating and picked it up, taking a delicate sip. it was still warm, thankfully. nothing worse than cold tea. when ashura pulled out the photograph to show her the girl, she gasped. kirino was one of those natural beauties it seemed, with curves in the right places, a beautiful smile and kind eyes. miyakos soft smile picked back up again, happy that ashura was keen on a nice girl - at least she assumed kirino was a nice girl. she'd have to be, for this kid to love her. and it was that real kind of love. miyako had been around long enough, gone through her own teenage breakups and helped her own siblings through there's to recognise that ashura really did love her. call it a woman's intuition or what you may but it was in the way he talked about her, looked at the picture of her, kept it folded in his breast pocket. it was heart warming to see, even in a kid so young. she could have almost been jealous. love was so hard to find, wasn't it? miyako hadn't found hers yet. she thought she had, so many times before, but it all ends up the same, depressingly enough.

no, not that true love bullshit miyako read about in her silly romance novels, but love. where you can need someone, want someone, and have someone entirely. who you can hate at the same time, cry over, curse, and yet still go back and try again because when you're with that one person you truly love, no matter what they do, everything is alright. everything turns out alright. that love, the hard, gritty kind of love, with heartache and happiness, it pulls two people together and makes them perfect for each other, amongst all their individual imperfections.

at least, that would be miyakos type of love. everyone had their own, hers was just a little more intense, not that she was really.. aware of it. at twenty six years of age she still had this way about her that made her tip toe around things. she could love a person, care about them so much, but she was insecure enough to think that one little fight would ruin everything. so she'd keep everything in. she wouldn't complain or whine or nag or bitch. so in the end, when everything bottled up finally overflowed, she'd snap, or they'd snap, and everything would be over. her last relationship was pretty much a mixture. it ended with a bang. not literally, as much as she would have liked.

"she really is beautiful," miyako finally said, smiling that little smile. adding cheekily, "looks a little older then you though."

now what ashura did next, she wasn't sure how to handle - or how to even react. it wasn't as if he was being a pervert (miyako doubted he was capable of that) but when you have a twelve year old kid grabbing onto your blouse and unbuttoning it to reveal a mighty view of cleavage, a lady does get a bit startled to say the least. she was scarlet red as he spoke and mortified as she was, miyako listened to his words carefully. his words that really, truly shouldn't have been coming out of his mouth because he was way too young and - good lord should she slap him away or what? she was about to push him away but then he blinked, and all she wanted to do was sit there and look at his eyes. as terrifying as they could be, she found them rather beautiful. in a tragic kind of way because lord knew the amount of shit that came with those eyes, especially his. miyako sighed when he finally pulled away, relieved. she was quiet, even after his last comment, thinking of all he had said. he was right, of course. even she could see past insecurities and recognise good advice. but it was hard to just.. stop doing something you'd become so accustomed to. so while she could, she slowly done up a couple of buttons, not all of them, but enough. it was a start.

"you're so.. beyond your years ashura," miyako slowly began to respond. "it's creepy. one moment you're this cute little kid, the next you're like a completely different person, but still the same. just older.." she was rambling, but she didn't care. "you're right, so ridiculously right. it's just hard, you know?" she laughed, unsure at first, but then heartily; a honey, liquid gold kind of sound that she couldn't help. she just had a lecture from a kid she'd known for what, an hour? what a crazy sunday this was turning out to be. calming down, she reached over to ruffle his hair again, and as she did she leaned in close to kiss his cheek.

"thank you," she murmured softly before standing up. "so! now that i've appeased my healthy appetite, are you coming back to the library?"

[King]

Again, even as he continued reading, he listened quite contently to what Miyako was saying to him. When he'd made the comparison, he honestly wasn't sure that he'd come close to describing what she was feeling; it was a very wide leap of faith, but in the end, it appeared to have paid off. Everything she'd said after his little demonstration -- despite the fact that she'd taken the initiative to re-button several of those that he'd undone, it didn't seem to bother him. He knew it'd take time, but the fact that she'd even allowed it in the first place was progress enough -- was exactly what he'd expected her to say, and in the end, do.

Except for that kiss on the cheek, that is. Kirino had been the only woman to show him affection in such a manner, and though his expression didn't change, blood and heat rushed over the entirety of his face in a single wave of red. His breathing stalled for several moments, until finally he resumed the normality of inhaling and exhaling; the red faded to the fare complexion he generally sported, and all seemed well.

"I know exactly how hard it can be," he said rather casually after she'd finished speaking. Plucking his book from the counter, and then dropping from the stool he'd been sitting on, Ashura waited for Miyako to finish gathering her things before starting in a casually mannered stroll back to the library. "When I first unlocked my Sharingan eyes, and I was told that I had my father's mark, I was. . . terrified. I'd been mocked and teased all my life up until that point, and I was so afraid that everything they said would come true. Even though I've never really met my father, I do love him; but that doesn't mean I want to do what he did. He and I simply see things differently, even if our eyes are the same."

Turning another page, he continued. "So, I refused to use the strength that came with my eyes. I did this for nearly a year, no matter the situation, until both a teammate of mine and I almost died on a mission. I had no other choice but to activate them, and despite my fear-- well, they saved the both of us." He smiled, defeated. "From that day forth, I realized that I couldn't go on hiding them because of some childish insecurity. If I did, I was more than likely going to get myself killed; others, too. And the only thing more precious than your own life is that of your fellow shinobi," he went on to say with more conviction than any child his age should had ever had to such for such a topic. Yet, almost as quickly as he said it, his eyes jumped to Miyako's and he continued speaking before she might retort.

"I know what you're thinking," he said brazenly. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at me, and how you treat me. You aren't the first adult to feel as though I've been robbed, or cheated, out of my child hood, Nee-san." He shrugged lightly, though not out of disrespect. "Though I may not have had time to enjoy what it meant to be a child, I have lived long enough to know what it means to be a man. I've seen more than my fair share of boys and girls who will never get that feeling; that pride or honor." True to his nature, Ashura's voice did not dampen with regret or sadness as the words continued to spill from his mouth. "Some of us are simply bred different, and there's nothing that I would change about my life. It is an honor to protect those who cannot protect themselves, Nee-san, and I would gladly give my life for each and everyone of you."

From that point on, Ashura had fallen silent, enthralled with the reading. The rest of their journey back to the library doors would either be in silence, or with Miyako filling the air with conversation. However, as the boy glanced at the sun -- who's smooth, curved bottom had just began to dip beneath the jagged horizon of rooftops and spear-like trees -- he frowned ever so slightly. "Unfortunately, Nee-san, I believe it's time for me to go." Closing the book, he handed it to her. When she'd taken it from him, he would embrace the woman in a full, firm hug. "Thank you for listening to me." Tilting his head up against her gracious curves, so that their eyes could meet, he smiled. "I'll be sure to stop by more often. And remember," he said while branching away from the woman's body and stepping off, "No more hiding."

Then, he simply walked off.

[allie]

miyako was silent as they walked back to the library. she listened to ashura speak, eyes focused ahead, murmuring little "mmm's" here and there at what he was saying. she really couldn't imagine being in his position, couldn't imagine wanting to be in his position - but it was nice to see that he had a positive attitude about it all. he accepted himself for who he was, already at such a young age, and wasn't afraid to embrace it. she had to admire that. at the same time, she still wanted to touch the subject of how he felt, not having had a childhood (a proper one). but he was too quick. as soon as she'd thought to open her mouth he had already beaten her to it. he was already onto her, knew exactly what she'd been thinking and how she'd been feeling about it all. miyako was surprised, even then. how the hell was he so clued on? genius kid, sure, but there had to be a limit. she frowned, chewing on her bottom lip.

he's already a man, huh? that was hard and yet at the same time easy to believe. surely he still had some childish aspects to him. maybe he still wore a onesie to bed? she managed to stop herself from snickering at the very thought, cute as it was. that amusement quickly turned serious however when he spoke of giving his life gladly to protect people. it was admirable but she still shuddered at the thought. please, let him not have to die too young, she silently prayed to anyone listening. surely there was still some mercy left in this world, enough to protect one little boy with frightful eyes. miyako smiled sadly, looking down at him as they walked. they'd closed the distance to the library quickly and already now they were at the doors. a couple of people were waiting, which took her by surprise. no one was ever waiting to get into the library on a sunday.

"i'll just be a moment," she told them as she turned back to ashura. he was going, it seemed. she took the book he'd passed from her and almost dropped it when he hugged her. a firm hug that was warm, adorable and tight. she smiled, patting his head with her free hand. when he stepped away with the last comment, she nodded her head with a small smile. "stay safe, ashura-kun." and then she was ushered off to the door, forced back to work after one of the most interesting lunches she'd ever had. and with a stranger at that. she shook her head, opened the library doors and went back to business, her head full of everything they had talked about. as miyako went to sit back at her desk, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she kept in the corner. her blouse really did look better unbuttoned like that, with just a hint of cleavage. grinning, she undid a couple more buttons and with that, went back to work.


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[Messatsu!]

+110 Exp @ Allie!

+100 Exp @ Genbu!