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Rather than the smile which had seemed plastered to her face, a frown adorned her face after Ujiyasu spoke the first time. Her brow crinkled and she put her chopsticks down before reaching over to touch Ujiyasu's hand. "It is true, Ujiyasu. Everything I just said. Maybe they just knew you were out of their leagues," she said, rubbing the top of his hand with her thumb. "I, on the other hand, don't really pay attention to whether a guy is out of my league or not. Good thing, too. Look where it got me." With a wink, her smile returned, but she kept her hand on his for several moments longer until her stomach won once again, demanding that more food be ingested. With her chopsticks in hand once more, she rested her free hand on the small table and began to eat again.

"I will, thanks," she said with a laugh. "It really is amazing. All of it. I'm almost surprised you're such a good cook. Chuunin, Craftsman, Chef. I must have landed the Triple C's," she joked. She let silence come to her lips as she ate more of the food in front of her, enjoying it more than most food she'd ever had before. She'd eaten some good things before, but the chicken prepared by Ujiyasu was pretty much at the top. She was a decent cook, but she wouldn't be able to make something so elaborate on her own. The only times that she had were with her mother, and they rarely got the time or opportunity to cook together. Another sign of Kasumi growing up and apart from her parents.

She listened to him talk about himself, her eating paused as she got lost in his tale. In many ways, she felt like they were alike. Particularly their fear of retribution on the part of their home countries. Hunter-Nin had been a very real and very large aspect of her life until Blanche strengthened Kusagakure. After the walls went up and the forces were strengthened, she still felt unsure of what might happen to her and her family, and kept everything a secret until finally meeting the Kusakage. Though frightened at first, she was soon comforted, and in a short time, made to feel truly safe for the first time in her life. It seemed that Ujiyasu still harbored certain fears about being found and taken back, and to an extent so did Kasumi. He was right in that Blanche's protection and Kusagakure's power couldn't stretch far beyond Kusa no Kuni.

"Me?" she asked, her eyes widened by a significant amount. "Well, I guess everyone has a story. Mine is pretty long and complicated," she said, looking down at her nearly empty place with a small, nervous smile. She realized that it was only fair for her to speak about herself, given as Ujiyasu had done the same so readily. She picked her head up and looked at him, gazing into his eyes as she mulled over what to do. Her hands had fallen back into her lap and she was fidgeting with her fingers and rubbing her skin to the brink of being raw. The topic of her life was always something that she found difficult to discuss with others, save for the instance with Blanche where her walls and barriers had been let down, and she often avoided it. Sitting there though, looking into Ujiyasu's kind, gentle eyes, she felt comfortable. She felt that she would be able to handle it.

"I was born in Mizu no Kuni, just outside of Kirigakure. My parents were both shinobi, Jounin of the highest regard, respected by everyone in the village and the land. They preferred the quiet life offered by the country, and only went into the village when they were summoned or needed. They had all the money they could need and supplies were easy to come by for them, so they didn't have to do many missions. During the war though, they were needed and they answered the call like any proud shinobi would. Like we would if Kusa was in danger, or if an ally was in need. Part of why they were so highly esteemed was the Kekkei Genkai they possessed. My mother used Futton and my father used Shakuton. They were a fierce duo, and the Mizukage had them do horrible things the likes of which only they were capable.

"They were often assigned to assassinations, but torture was also one of the things they were made to do. My mother could create her vapor and slowly or quickly burn her enemies, and stop only for a medic to heal the captive so she could continue without killing him. My father... His Kekkei Genkai was much worse. He could try people up until they were severely dehydrated, almost dead from the lack of water in their bodies. They used their skills on a great many people, and over time it started to get to them. Even shinobi aren't entirely heartless. It was especially hard for them to do to the people who hadn't done anything wrong, that were completely innocent, but they did it for the longest time because they had me to think about.

"When I was six, they had had enough and they came up with a plan to get away. We stole away during the middle of the night, made our way to the shore and got on a boat that took us to the main continent. I don't remember exactly where we arrived, but I think it was a land off Hi no Kuni. Eventually we made our way there, and for a while we lived in the forest, rarely going into town for supplies. We lived off of the land for the most part, but despite my parents best efforts to maintain a low profile, the Oinin from Kiri found us eventually. The attacked mercilessly, but they weren't aiming to kill. They wanted my parents alive, probably to be killed before the Mizukage, or maybe just imprisoned. My parents, on the other hand, were fighting to kill, to protect not themselves, but me.

"We got away pretty clean, but I took a kunai to the leg that left a pretty ugly scar. It had been poisoned, and my father had had to open up my wound to get it out. It healed pretty badly, and so I cover it up all the time. I've got about a ton of make up covering it right now." She laughed at the last bit of what she said, and decided to take a moment to breathe, to calm down and slow her heart beat. She hadn't been able to look at Ujiyasu at all during the entire time that she spoke, and she found that she still couldn't. She was afraid of the things that might be written on his face. She didn't want pity or sorrow, because it was what it was. She just wanted him to know about her. After a few moments, she began again.

"It was around that time that I started to become so sensitive to Chakra. I would wake up in the middle of the night because I would feel the Konoha shinobi doing their patrols. At first my parents weren't sure why I was having such a hard time. Headaches, insomnia, the works. When they started to figure out that everything happened when other shinobi, unfamiliar shinobi, were around, they put two and two together. They started to help me control it, learn to use it, and they started my general ninja training as well. They taught me the basics I would have learned in the Academy, and they taught me how to use my Mind's Eye of the Kagura technique. It took them a while to agree, but eventually they taught me to use weapons too. It wasn't a perfect situation, but it was enough for me.

"They started helping me with my Elemental Chakra too. I was born with Katon and Suiton like my mother, so they figured one day I might develop my mother's Kekkei Genkai. It scared them because they knew it would make me a bigger target to the Oinin as well, and so my mother never really taught me about it. She still hasn't, actually. I think she's afraid to use it, especially around here. Its effects would be pretty clear. They taught me my Basic Releases though. She worked with me on Suiton, he worked with me on Katon. I was pretty good at using them both, considering they were opposite, but after a couple of years I had a good collection of jutsu at my disposal.

"We moved from place to place until I was in the double digits, I think. In and out of Hi no Kuni, Kusa no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni. They seemed like places the Oinin wouldn't search for us, given the climates and the landscape. My parents Kekkei Genkai would leave pretty hard to miss marks. We spent a lot of time in Kusa towards the end though, that's how we ended up in the village. We sort of made a place inside, and then the walls started going up, the buildings started being made, and Blanche came into power and solidified everything. We made it out home mostly because my parents thought the sudden power shift was a good sign, especially because so much happened so quickly. They felt they would be safe. That I would be safe.

"They didn't want me being an official shinobi though, mostly because of the same things you're afraid of. Going out on missions, being recognized by a Kiri shinobi, stuff like that. Both of them thought that it would be too dangerous. If you didn't pick up on it by now, they're pretty overprotective. I had to bend the truth a little bit just to get out of the house to come here tonight. When I was about sixteen though, I signed up for the Academy without them knowing and breezed through it in about a year because of all the previous training I had had. I got promoted to Genin just before I turned seventeen, did my own thing for awhile, and eventually I got assigned to you." With the story pretty much wrapped up, she still found herself staring at her plate, occasionally stealing glances at Ujiyasu's clothing. She thought that if she looked up she might break into tears. Even though she was incredibly comfortable with him, she still felt the pain and regret of what her childhood was.

She nodded in understanding at all the things he said. She understood getting lonely now and then, though she often felt a different kind of loneliness than the kind one feels from the absence of a parent. Her parents were always looking out for her, always concerned with what she was doing, where she was going, who she was with. Kasumi imagined it was because they had almost lost her once, and so she didn't hate them for it even though it made life hard sometimes. She knew it was because they loved her and because they wanted to keep her safe and protected. One of her biggest issues was that she had never been able to talk to them about it in a way that would convey her deepest thoughts. Seeing how well Ujiyasu was by himself urged her to do so, though. He wasn't much older than she was, and he was perfectly fine. She could be too. As his parents had taught him, her parents had taught her.

"I'm your first date?" she said with surprise. She couldn't help but look at him with amazement. "Ever?" she added after a moment, still finding it hard to believe. Ujiyasu was an incredible guy, very pleasing to the eyes and a strong and successful shinobi of Kusa. She thought he'd be something of a catch and quite popular. Truth be told, she considered herself lucky to be spending so much time with him. While he was in the kitchen, she'd finally recovered from the shock and gathered herself up. "But you're so... Charming," she said, the adjective eluding her mind for several moments. "You're so handsome, so kind and funny. I figured girls would be doing anything to get their hands on you... Literally," she said, waiting for him to return.

She sipped her tea, savoring the flavor and anxiously awaiting for Ujiyasu to bring the food in. She hadn't been very hungry before, but as the scents began to grow and the sounds traveled out from the kitchen, her stomach began to wake up and become aware of the impending meal. When he finally came out and set everything before her, she barely had time to hear what he said before she took the chopsticks and eagerly took a piece of chicken into her mouth. As it hit her tongue, the flavors danced and mingled in her mouth, bringing a smile to her face. She hadn't anything like it before, and it was quickly becoming one of her favorite tastes. Several drops of sauce rested on her lip as Ujiyasu spoke again, and she looked up at him like a puppy that had done something wrong, feeling almost disappointed in herself for beginning so hastily.

"Sorry," she said, licking her lips to get all of what had landed on them, drawing the flavors back into her mouth. "I didn't mean to be rude, I just haven't eaten much of anything all day," she explained, a quiet giggle of embarrassment coming from inside of her. As she got over it and her hunger won, she took quick, ample tastes of everything else that had been laid out in front of her and quickly decided that she favored the rice and plum sauce. Strangely enough though, what she liked most was how the plum sauce tasted with the chicken. Tingles were felt along her spine and through each of her limbs, down to her fingers and toes. "It's all so delicious, Ujiyasu," she said to him, taking a sip of her tea to wash everything down.

"So, this is a date," she said, a small, curious grin very apparent on her face. "I think people usually get to know one another on them," she continued. "Something like that. I'm pretty sure. Don't quote me on it." She hoped the humor wouldn't be lost on him, especially because the whole point was to relax the situation. If it was his first date, she imagined he might be nervous. She had been on her first date, embarrassingly so, but it had turned out to be one of the most fun days of her life and one that she wouldn't ever forget. She wanted to do the same for Ujiyasu, if only to show him how much she was starting to like him. She'd accepted his invitation to see what exactly was going on, and everything kept leading her back to one simple thing; she was developing real feelings for him.

As the door opened up, Kasumi put on her best smile with her eyes twinkling in the light. The almost stutter that Ujiyasu produced in greeting made her chuckle, and she suddenly wished that she had worn a little bit more. Standing in front of him in the cool night air made her almost uncomfortable. His blush cemented the emotion even more, making her feel like she was trying too hard for something that wasn't even an established thing. As he stood there, staring, she wondered if he would ever invite her in and get her out of the chilled air. It had been the most unpleasant thing, walking to his home in the cold with almost nothing covering her skin. The cold was one thing she disliked most, which made her seeming connection with Ujiyasu all the more ironic.

Stepping into the house at the back of the shop, she looked around and smiled. His personality truly showed in how everything was set up. It was something that she actually admired. Being able to have a home of one's own. Choosing the place, choosing how it looked on the inside and the out, having freedom to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted to. Kasumi loved her parents, but she was growing up and she wanted to branch out on her own. She thought that maybe the next morning, she would start looking for a place to call her own, even if it was just a tiny apartment. With her missions and other shinobi activities, paying surely wouldn't be an issue.

She took a seat on one of the chairs, prefer them to being on the floor for extended periods of time. With a smile, she watched as Ujiyasu continued to blush, and as he spoke to her, she admired his clothing. Where she looked like the village harlot, he seemed almost regal in his attire. Though it was similar to what she saw him wear earlier that day, the robe aspect added a sense of maturity and wisdom that Kasumi found just a little attractive. It seemed strange when she thought about it. In most respects, she was still a girl, and Ujiyasu, clearly a man, was blushing over her. Flattering, but uncharted territory at the same time.

So far she had been quiet, unsure of exactly what to say, and had let Ujiyasu do all the talking. The compliments flew forth from his mouth and landed in her ears in rapid succession, the blood beneath her skin boiling and rising up into her cheeks, almost perfectly matching the color of her hair. She'd been complimented before, but very few had been as sincere as what Ujiyasu said, and never so much at the same time. She was speechless, and the only response she was capable of was to smile the widest she'd ever smile, her white teeth all visible and her eyes sparkling. She had a glow that was entirely separate from the blush.

At the offer of a drink, she was tongue tied, choked up, she still couldn't utter anything but incoherent sounds. After several attempts and failures, she simply nodded her head in acceptance. It was rare for her to be incapable of speech, so she knew that things were serious and that something about Ujiyasu was different than the rest of the boys she had ever been around. She wanted so badly to return the compliments, but her lips were glues and her tongue was like jelly. Hopefully her smile spoke the volumes she felt it did.

"Definitely," she agreed with him, flashing only a smile at Ujiyasu. As she took her payment from the desk and pocketed it, she turned around to leave, but not before addressing the Chuunin she had spent the day with. "See you at your place for dinner."

EXIT~

"Good, then the plan is set," she said proudly, placing her hands on her hips. She knew she was capable of doing things correctly and efficiently from her own experience, but so far, Ujiyasu hadn't seen her shine like she knew she could. That was something that she aimed to fix before the day was through. The kunoichi would prove herself to be strong, adept and capable to the Chuunin with the wild blonde hair. She thought of it as a dry run for what she would need to do during the Chuunin Exams. It was nice to be able to do it in such a comfortable situation, knowing she was safe and had all the backup that she needed.

Kasumi split off from Ujiyasu as they finalized their plan. She had to admit that when Ujiyasu transformed, she found herself almost disappointed. The kunoichi much preferred his normal appearance to the one that he had taken on. Even as she watched him from a top the buildings with one of his clones, she found herself wishing she had left the transformation part out of the plan. Though she knew it was a crucial part of being successful in their mission, she would have given anything to just watch the real Ujiyasu. Perhaps that was something that she would need to work on if she wanted to be a capable Chuunin of Kusagakure. She would need to learn to put her preferences and desires aside to give the mission its best chance of success.

Thankfully, it didn't seem that the two would need to wait very long. A shady looking character entered the area and seemed to spot "Ujiyasu" immediately. He started on what seemed like a direct path to him and his open, unprotected pockets and pouches where there would surely be plenty of valuable things to be stolen and sold. Kasumi watched and waited to see if he would take the bait, the slight chill of Ujiyasu's clone being blown onto her skin by a gentle breeze that swept over her. He was almost there, and if he did go for the pickpocket, they'd be able to wrap up quicker than she had initially anticipated.

As he walked past the Chuunin in disguise there appeared to be a light bump and a short brush, with the fault lying on the mysterious man. He was skilled, and Kasumi had almost missed his hand sliding into the rock filled pockets, searching for anything he could take to pawn later. The look on his face after his hands were pulled out less carefully than how he'd slid them in gave it away, and clearly indicated that he was the one the duo were looking for. He took off at a breakneck pace, surely knowing that he had just fallen for one of the simplest ploys in the book, but Kasumi wasn't about to let him get away, and she wasn't about to let Ujiyasu get to him first. A single kunai flew out, the throw having moved so fast that it would have been hard to see from such a distance, even if the culprit had been looking at her. It embedded itself into a chunk of wood just inches from his face, bringing him to an immediate halt.

She ran across several rooftops and descended rather gracefully, landing just behind the criminal as he attempted to turn around and get away. She grinned and shook her head at him, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Even though it was my plan, I'm actually a little surprised that took the lure," she said as she pulled her kunai out of the wood. "Just give up and I won't need to rough you up too much. It'll be better for the both of us, trust me," she said to him. Unfortunately, as he began to take off once more, it seemed he wasn't interested in her advice. Seeing as Ujiyasu hadn't gotten a chance just yet, she figured he'd be there to stop him and she could just watch and admire for a bit.