you'll never forget those nights. (private)

[addy-hime ♥]

Youka had been very busy lately. The bulk of her time was spent thinking about Asato: what her feelings were toward him, their dysfunctional relationship, and that little bit of sanity he let slip the last time they talked. That helped her plow through the myriad of paperwork that came with being the Kazekage, and even mollified her lonely spirit when she had been informed of her brothers' disappearance. Call her bias, but she refused to believe they had simply abandoned Sunagakure and left her alone. They had to have a good reason, some secret mission!

"I can only hope that's the truth." She sighed as she stopped on the shore, in the same general area she had met Asato the past two times. Because her brothers had left her, she set out to the item shop and purchased a special long-distance radio transceiver. It was her only lifeline, hoping that someone would contact her and at least tell her what they were plotting. While she was there, however, that beastly Nuke-nin had again invaded her thoughts and she got one for him as well. Youka realized she had no way to get in contact with him in an emergency, and this seemed like an efficient way to do so.

Blue eyes shifted left and right, searching for a sign of the familiar face, but it was no where to be found. Not yet. Honestly, she had no proof to believe he would simply show up just because she was here ... It was a halfhearted attempt, desperate to its very core. She allowed her shoulders to slump as she dropped onto her bottom in the sand, suddenly without the energy to stand. Sleep was a mystery subject to her; it had hardly been on her to-do list between the work, the heartache, and the training.

The only comfort just now was the familiar weight of the Kyodai Sensu strapped across her back. If indeed she could not muster the strength to walk back to her village, one of the new techniques she had recently perfected would help. Not all was lost! "I'm still an idiot, though. What in the world am I doing here?" Her right hand lifted and absently dug through the bag slung at her hip, feeling for the cool plastic of one of the two-way radios. When it was found, she tugged it out and studied it. "It's not like he just waits around for the next time we're supposed to meet ... Hah."

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[Comatose]

Time had gone by quickly in the days since I had met with Youka to discuss the current village situation. I hadn't done anything especially significant, and because of so I couldn't shake the thoughts of her advances from my head. The twisted situation was odd enough for me to have to process it's ramifications and beginnings. It was like a plague, not allowing me to concentrate on whatever task I was doing at the time, and so, I hadn't gone very far from that ocean-side meeting place at all, but rather just over to a cabin I had forged of nothing but paper near the shoreline over a cliff out of view. To the naked eye it looked like any old vacation home of an important figure of some sort.

Nevertheless, I had emerged only to get some air, walking over to the spot on the cliff from which one could see the ships pass continually coming to the small dock to export and import goods of sorts; watching them as they came and went in an ever continuing assembly line of wooden boat. The tedium and tandem allowed me to get my mind off of what had happened, just for a second.

It didn't matter though, because, in my spacing out, head turning toward the spot where we had met I saw her. She was waiting for some reason. Was she waiting for me? The deal was that I called her and she came, not the other way around. She didn't even know how to contact me. How lucky was she that I had strolled over here ever so coincidentally. I didn't make her wait, quickly trotting over to the area, before speaking.

"What are you doing here? This isn't part of the deal."

[addy-hime ♥]

"What are you doing here? This isn't part of the deal."

The sound of his voice made her heart flutter, but it was not a pleasant sensation whatsoever. It was a mixture of regret, guilt, longing, and ... relief? The pink-headed girl turned in his direction, eyes wide with amazement that he was here, out of all the places he could be!

There were a few chances, instantly noticeable by one who had seen her only a few days before. The milky skin had taken on a lightly bronzed hue, tanned by constant exposure to the desert's sun. It would have been a burn if not for the cream she had applied immediately upon returning to Sunagakure no Sato. The second would be the tiredness that seemed to cling to her like a specter; there were no dark circles under her eyes, but when she scrambled to her feet, the awkward way she held her body upright told the entire story.

Youka stayed a good distance from him, neither backing away nor closing the distance. She did, however, extend her arm; it presented to him the Two-Way Transceiver she had purchased for him. "Deals can be bent once and a while, I think. I got this from the item shop near the capitol ... It's a radio with several private frequencies. I thought it would come in handy, since it's a safe and convenient way for us to get in contact with each other." She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, stressing this phrase to make sure he realized her true intentions here. If he wanted to protect his assets, he would have to please the Kage. To please the Kage, he had no choice but to give her advice during dire situations.

There was more she wanted to tell him, like how many hours she had spent on training. Or, perhaps, boast about the three new jutsu she had invented by herself. Though her lips parted in an attempt to convey something, she stopped short and dropped her arm back to her side, regardless of whether he had taken the radio yet or not. It was too tiring to be standing here, with no water and no rest. Her legs trembled slightly, warning her of her own weakness, but she ignored it. Instead, tongue slid out to moisten her lips and she stammered out, "I didn't know you would actually be here."

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[Comatose]

I was glad to see her, I couldn't quite lie to myself. Though she had broken our little deal, I wasn't too angry underneath my facade. I had to be angry, so I was, and I put on a good show. My facial expressions lied through my teeth, as did my body language, somewhat apprehensively gesturing in angry ways.

"It's not safe for you to go roaming around regardless. Though, this could prove quite useful."

My isolation had rendered me somewhat lost to technology such as this. It did exist when I was Kage, but much more primitive. It wasn't as good as this one, even in looks. From that much I could tell it was much better. So I'd let her off this time, and only this time. Whatever that meant. I examined the foreign device a bit more, twisting it this way and that before pocketing it in my usual formal attire.

"I wouldn't have been here if It hadn't have been . . for the fact I had to bring some cargo to one of the ships that set sail here."

A quick lie to myself and her, I didn't quite want her to know that she was the reason I was here. That I had come here to try to ward off my thoughts of her, because of her advances last time. My thoughts fleeted, and I was grounded in my momentary anger of her putting herself in danger by coming here alone.

"It is really dangerous for you to be here, you know. Especially since it's almost gonna be dark."

[addy-hime ♥]

The Kazekage was obviously not surprised with his anger, although the more she watched his hand motions and listened to his words the more she was confused. Every chastisement was not about breaking their deal, but more about her safety--he didn't think it was a good idea to roam around on her own. A tiny smile quirked her lips and she seemed to regain a bit of energy, at least enough to act more like herself. "Sorry, really. I didn't think it would be a big deal, as it's no different when you call me down here yourself. The desert can mean a quick death for anyone, any time."

She watched him toy with the radio and her smile grew a bit larger. This one, however, was quickly stifled as she motioned to the fan slung 'cross her back. "It's not a problem though. While I was in Sunagakure I was working with this new weapon, and I came up with a few techniques, all by myself! One is called Tobitatsu. It lets me fly, just like your paper plane. You gave me the idea ... " That last part was whispered, and coupled with a shy glance away from him. As proud as she was of her pioneering work with the Kyodai Sensu, she did not want to tell him too many of her jutsu just in case they ever needed to be used against him.

He reminded her that it was going to be dark soon, though. Not only did that mean bitter coldness, it meant she would have a harder time getting home. Youka was not frightened by the prospect, but it did not sound fun at all. "I think this is the second safest place for me to be!" She eventually exclaimed, turned her body more fully toward him, but remaining distant all the same. "You're here, ya'know? Who would possibly try to hurt me when I have you?" They might not know who Asato was by looking at him, but it was quite obvious that he was a formidable opponent. No one in Kaze no Kuni was that stupid.

"I also wanted to tell you, my brothers have left the village. Without informing me of where they were going. I don't think they defected; you'd have to know them to understand why I say that. So it can only mean trouble for the other hidden villages ... I was hoping you might know something, or perhaps be able to keep your informants on the look-out. You do like information, don't you?"

Youka tried not to think about how happy she was to see him, or dwell over her words thus far. The fact was, even if he was only saying here to load cargo onto a ship, he was close by for the moment. At this point, he was the only person that could make her feel like she was simultaneously skirting the line of death and protection.

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[Comatose]

"Hmmm."

I didn't know anything about the possible defection of her brothers, or anything of the like. My information net only spread so far, and only got so much information. She was part of that information in this way, and so, she gave me the information I'd pass on to my other informants. It was a cycle of this, that's how I managed to get all the info I did.

"Your brothers? I haven't heard, but, I'll pass along the information through the grapevine."

She did have somewhat of a point, no one would try to attack us if she was with me. I was much too powerful, even putting one's ego-aside. Nevertheless, that didn't mean someone wouldn't try it. Especially if there was a kage. I did the same, without hesitation. There could have been many people watching her and protecting her, and I would have still taken the opportunity, just for the sliver of power that may have come form it. I mean, look at what happened now?

I approached her, coming a bit closer to analyze her features and composure. This was her land, so, as expected, she didn't even break a sweat. On the other hand, I was sweating 'bullets'. A canteen of water in my breast pocket was all that could keep my cool in his arid and humid environment, it was so abrasive, I didn't really understand how people lived here at all.

"You may be safe with me, but that doesn't mean people won't try, I did, no?"

And look how that worked out. Such a predicament.

[addy-hime ♥]

Youka was visibly relieved by the idea that Asato would pass along information of her brothers, although she was dually worried about what that meant. Would his contacts try to ambush them? Hurt them? If that ever happened it would be completely her fault, and she couldn't handle the guilt of knowing one of her siblings were injured. Still, she breathed a slow sigh and murmured, "Thanks."

Blue eyes shifted up to lock on his face as he approached; there was a glint of fear and a little bit of anticipation that disappeared as quickly as it had come. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then seemed to compose herself completely when she realized he was examining her. How rude! It was only fair that she got to do the same, right? She raked her eyes over his body, absorbing the fact that he looked uncomfortably hot and sweaty. On anyone else that would have seemed gross, but with teenage hormones ... well, she couldn't help but think of perverted things. Her cheeks flushed and the kunoichi swallowed, hard.

"You tried to attack me, yes, but I was alone and fairly defenseless. If you're with me, I don't know anyone around here who would be stupid enough to sacrifice their lives. Besides! Only my shinobi know what my face looks like currently--even the daimyo only knows of my name and heritage." She attempted a smile then, but being this close to him after what happened last time made her nerves fray. She wanted to touch him again; more than that, she longed for him to get lost in the moment and return the affection, like last time.

Wait! I'm not supposed to think such things ... He's so much older than I am! This only made her blush more prominent, but she made no move to hide it from him. It would probably just seem like the sun was starting to make her feverish. "I'm sure you would protect me." Her voice did not waver as she said this.

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[Comatose]

The situation had become quite confusing and unusual. From the outside looking in both of their opinions of one another was warped. Youka, the captive, shouldn't have been literally captivated by her captor. For similar reasons, Asato shouldn't have fallen for Youka's charms, as much as they were hard to resist. But it had happened, and it was complicated.

"Regardless, I don't know whether or not its a good or bad thing that you feel safe around, for lack of a better term, your captor. Besides, we've already established the current Shogunate has ulterior motives. Never know what might happen or they might be up to."

The Shogunate had shown they couldn't be trusted, not that they ever could. The installment of the bijuu in jinchuuruki and giving them to the villages had to have something devious behind it. Logically speaking, if they had the ability to in fact, simply take control of the bijuu, why didn't they simply use it themselves? The samurai always were a proud race, specifically proud of their power, I would assume they would take it for themselves even in the most logical of scenarios.

I tried not to look her in the face, for fear mainly of exposing whatever feelings I had to her, quite not sure about them myself. In the corner of my eye however, I saw her light then deepening blush. It was rather 'cute' to say the least, how enamored she was with me, despite the obvious age difference.

"How far do these things go?"

I said, as I quickly found a new subject, pointing to my breast pocket in which held the receiver.

[addy-hime ♥]

Youka seemed to sober up a bit when the term captor was thrown into their already messed up relationship. Lashes fluttered as she tried to hold back a blink, but in the end the girl was forced to close her eyes for several seconds. It was a time for reflection--thought--and was over far too quickly for her liking.

"I feel safe around you because I know that when I die, it will be by your hand, not some random person. You need to cover your assets, so you cannot let me be killed. That's all ... It's nothing more or less than that." It was a logical statement, he needed to give her credit for that the least. A hand was lifted, digits patiently run through bright locks that were previously messed up from the sea breeze. It was a useless endeavor, that--a new one simply rushed through moments later, destroying her attempt at perfection. She sighed, unamused by the element she felt so much affinity for. This was no time to be playing games!

Asato was good at changing the subject, fortunately. He brought up the two-way transceiver and she noticed it in his breast pocket, a forgotten reason for seeking him out. "O-oh. The range is unlimited, as per the manufacturer's information. As long as you are on the correct frequency, you can talk with anyone else that has the same device and is on that channel." The explanation was paused as she dug around in the bag slung at her hip, producing a device that was a twin to his own. She pointed to a little dial on the headpiece, which also had a screen next to it. "I already programmed a call sign for us to use: ALY1. It's private, so only our devices can tune in."

A small amount of pressure was applied to the dial, which was impressed as she rotated it several degrees. After a few moments, the screen clearly read A L Y 1 in muted, black letters. "I thought it would be easier for us, so you don't have to waste time or chakra on contacting me. Would you like an example?" The Kazekage was not looking for an answer to this question. Already she was messing with the dial again, pressing down on it until it popped out, back to its earlier depth. Now the channel was changed to SGK, Sunagakure no Sato's station.

She cleared her throat, then pressed and held the smaller button on the opposite earpiece. Asato was given a glance, warning him to be quiet. "013, codename Kitsune. Come in." She released the button and a minor amount of static hissed out, audible because she had turned up the receiver's volume. "This is 013, Youka-sama. Are you in need of assistance?" She smiled fondly down at the radio, biting down on her bottom lip to keep the expression from spreading. Would Asato get jealous? They seemed to be on quite familiar terms, by the tone of voice. "No. I need your report on Subject N."

She waited for a few moments; the response was quite crisp. "He behaved well. We've given him the forehead protector, but he took our spare radio with him. Youka, if you'll just hear me out. I don't really think this is a good idea. He doesn't look tr--" Blue eyes narrowed, and suddenly that childish facade was gone. Her hand tightened around the radio. "Don't question me, 013. Follow him if you must, but don't question me. I know what I'm doing," she hissed. It took him a while to respond, and in the meantime she avoided looking at the Nuke-nin in front of her. "Yes, Kazekage-sama. As you wish."

Conversation over. She finally looked up to Asato, the hard expression melting away into a rather happy grin. "See? It works very well, at least for my purposes. It was worth the ryo." Without further ado, she dropped the device back into her pack.

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[Comatose]

I had to admit that even if I used it to talk to her it came in handy. Then, if I could manage to persuade her to buy some more at some point, for some contacts or other persons of interest, it'd serve even more of a help. Again, because of it's usefulness, I couldn't go the route of being mad at her. The device was just too convenient. No more going through channels just to get a message into Suna, to her, to meet me here. Now all there was, was a push of a button. My hands set the call-sign and specific frequency for pocketing the object again, for added safety and fear of forgetting it later. I waited for her to finish her conversation before speaking.

"That is useful then. Unlimited range? Wow. More than one could hope for."

The small talk did much to remove my mind from her and back to the task at hand. I probed my thoughts for connecting statements to spark conversation.

"Now, you really have a reason not to be scared, I suppose. You are right, I have to protect you for now. This device means you could call me from anywhere, at anytime, if you're in trouble."

I also gotten word recently of something specific, and unusual. I didn't want to worry her though, specifically cause it indirectly had to do with me. The kage of mist had died, due to the Yakuza of the area, and it's leader. The untimely death meant a great change in hands of power for that area. It'd tip the scales a bit, and mist was a great contender. No longer did she have to worry about them for now. Though, I couldn't really think of a way of breaking the news to her without revealing more than I cared to.

"Did you find out who the Jinchuuruki was yet?"

[addy-hime ♥]

Being told she could call him from anywhere, any time, would have been a lot more uplifting had he not specifically added the qualifier if you're in trouble. What, he did not want any late-night phone calls or the occasional hello? She mentally snickered at the thought, trying to keep herself in a good mood despite the coiling sensation in the pit of her stomach. Was it really so wrong to want him? Surely it was worse for her to be feeling so rejected all the time!

"You're not that scary anyway, you know," she pointed out, blinking up at him. It might have been a prod at his abilities, but she had thoroughly praised him several times already. No, this was a simple fact as she saw it: Asato no longer made her want to cling to a kunai for futile protection while around him. However, the spark in her eyes when he mentioned the Jinchuuruki contradicted her statement very well, making it seem more like a bluff than not. It mimicked fear, but it was not of being hurt ... it was of disappointing him. She shook it off and bit down on her bottom lip, reluctant to answer the inquiry.

"We have yet to track down the child. The Etsuko line is long and dispersed down amongst Sunagakure no Sato. None of my direct relatives have newborns, nor are they with child. I don't know any that plan to become pregnant any time soon, either-- That leaves finding a person who has diluted blood, which could take quite a while."

Secretly, Youka had been discussing the situation with 013. His theory was that if she were to become pregnant, there was a very high chance that the baby would have the bijuu sealed within it. Even if the very idea of carrying a child didn't appall her from the start, she was certain it would be impossible to send her own child out to war. There would be so many dangers associated with the whole ordeal, it was probably a better idea just to keep searching for the one the Samurai were bound to choose. Would she use this plan if it came down to drastic measures, life or death? Certainly ... But she didn't want to think about that, not right now. Maybe in a few years, or decades.

"I want to fight you."

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[Comatose]

"There isn't a need to be scary anymore, really. I don't need to be scary at all. My skills speak for themselves."

I was undefeated as far as humanoids went. Sure, I did happen to 'lose' to a giant bijuu like dragon, but who was counting that? The dragon was Bijuu level, and even being Jounin with my skills, it was an ant vs a god as far as chakra levels went. The battle had lasted days, and I had barely put a dent in it. That said a lot about bijuu's in general actually. Even Shukaku was nigh unbeatable for a jounin, let alone a shinobi. At least unbeatable without simply sealing him up. That was the trick to it, it seemed.

"I suppose that can't be helped. I wouldn't be surprised if that was a ploy of the shogunate too. Somewhat thinking ahead should you catch wind of your fortune, having the easiest tameable beast. It's never easy is it."

I sighed somewhat before she hearing her next comment. I want to fight you. Though I had heard it, I wasn't exactly sure what I had heard. It was an unconscionable thought, she wanted to fight me? Who was she kidding. There was almost nothing to be gained from it. Though, I had supposed in a longer time-frame, sparring periodically would have allowed her to gain some headway as far as experience goes.

"You want to fight me? . . . Okay. However. I think you will see how scary I am."

[addy-hime ♥]

Ultimately, fighting him would be one of the more pleasant battles of her lifetime. She knew he would not kill her--although she wasn't sure how close he would make it--and that made the whole ordeal a fun treat. It reminded her of bygone days, when sparring at the Institute was a redeeming way to train and not every fight necessarily ended in a bloodbath. Oh, sure, some of the children still killed their teammates ... Sunagakure shinobi were a ruthless bunch, after all. She loved them.

"Okay, don't hold back! Promise!" It should have been a question, but it was obviously a demand. An excited smile flitted across her face and actually remained, mirroring the sudden flutter of her heart. It had to be beating a million times per second, it was almost all she could hear. Well, that and ... static? What? Suddenly, a very angry voice practically screamed out from her bag: ""Youka, where the fuck are you?" The girl in question jumped, oculi rounding in a mixture of surprise and concern. A hand shot up, all fingers curled except the index, the universal sign for 'give me one minute.' Then the two-way transceiver was fished from its place in her bag and held up. Did she really want to answer?

"Sora-cchi? Is that you?" She would know her eldest brother's voice anywhere, even when it was distorted with pain. Her first thought was that he was hurt somewhere, wherever he and the others had gotten off to. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Panic crept into her voice, and that new color to her skin was slowly draining, making her look something of a ghost. This was, perhaps, even worse than the rejected feeling Asato often left her with. "Soratsu!"

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[Comatose]

She was right, I wouldn't kill her, I simply couldn't. I needed her and everything she brought, the perks and assets of our 'business' relationship. Though, it had turned out to be a bit more complicated than that after all. I had readied myself and everything, moving to a suitable distance from her, ten meters of headway between us two, before our battle was cut off. Her receiver seemed to go off, and the most obnoxious and direct comment came out of it. Where the fuck are you?

To be so blunt in the message the person had to be related to her. Her brother? No ninja, even ones with the least of morals and manners would speak so direct and with cussing toward their kage, angry bickering non-with-standing. I shut my trap just as she said, spelling out something in the sand and pointing it out to her.

"Trouble?. . "

[addy-hime ♥]

Youka lifted her finger off the talk button, unwilling to hear what Soratsu would reply with. Thankfully, something Asato had written in the sand caught her attention: trouble? She took a few deep, slow breaths to stabilize her erratic emotions; the adrenaline rush from the prospect of fighting the nuke-nin and then finally hearing from her brother made her feel like she was going to pass out. Instead, she nodded her head, locking eyes with his.

"That was my elder brother, Soratsu. He's one of the people that left Sunagakure, as I told you earlier, so I'm a bit surprised to hear from him. I'm sure it can't be anything good, but ... I won't know until he replies." The radio was weighed in her hand, a demonic thing that was fated to bring her terrible news in the next few minutes. Her brother hadn't replied yet for some reason, but that suited her perfectly fine. The Kazekage took this time to close the distance between herself and Asato, free hand curling into the paper-material of his shirt. She clung to him awkwardly, body pressed against his not for the sensation but for support. Emotional? No! Passing out in the desert was never a very good idea, though--the body tended to dehydrate rather fast in that condition.

Youka hoped he would not mind it too much. "S-sorry ... "

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