Yoshiko Tomoko's place ~ Ask before entering ~

The small, 2 roomed apartment was exactly the same as when Yoshiko had left Amegakure the last time, however long ago that was. The white walls were clean and kind of empty, not having any picture hung up on them. The floor was clean also except for some dust which Yoshiko quickly disposed of. Inside the apartment there was a bed of medium size, a small couch, a table and a chair, a small fridge, closet for her clothes that had a medium sized window next to it and then a bathroom. This was really all that she needed, since Yoshiko didn't have any personal belongings asides from her clothes and weapons. With a small sigh the Tomoko girl stretched before reaching to her back and taking her katana off before placing it against the wall next to her bed, before then letting her backpack slip down from her shoulders and land on the floor with a low thud. It felt kind of good to be alone and be able to relax, even if she never let her guard completely down. "Shower..." It was weird talking to yourself, but for something that she had been craving for many weeks now it was just necessary to say it out loud.

After kicking her shoes off and leaving them next to the door, Yoshiko took her jacket off and let it drop down to the floor before starting to unbutton her white shirt while she walked towards the bathroom. Pushing the switch for the light, she was now staring at herself in the mirror that was above her small, white sink. The whole bathroom was covered in pale blue and white colors, and on the floor was a dark blue colored rug. As she finished unbuttoning the shirt and letting it drop to the floor, the Tomoko ninja tilted her head to the side before slowly pushing the strand of hair away that was covering her right eye. Leaning closer to the mirror, she let her gaze run over the scar that stretched down over the right side of her face. Perhaps I really am a monster.. Her white eye stared back at her in the mirror, being the complete opposite of her left eye that was dark purple. It was weird seeing them both together like this for Yoshiko, she felt like she was two different persons.

Well enough of that.. She loosened her skirt and let it drop down before reaching down and taking her socks off. Lastly she took her underwear off and let her hair fall loose after taking the red hair accessory from it. She kicked her clothes to the side, since they were already dirty anyways and then stepped into the shower and turned on the water. It felt -heavenly- to feel the lukewarm water run over her face and down her body, making her feel more refreshed than she had felt in probably over 3 weeks. She took her mild, flower scented shampoo and applied it to her light brown hair, closing her eyes as she massaged her head lightly while enjoying the cleanliness. The same scented conditioner went the same way before Yoshiko rinsed her whole body with soap. How I wish I could stay in here for at least an hour more.. But well she needed some sleep, and it was better to get some now before something would perhaps come up. Like a sudden mission or an attack, not that she really expected either of that.

While groaning softly out in displeasure, Yoshiko turned the water off before grabbing a towel and starting to dry off. With her hair still damp, she walked out of the bathroom and to her closet where she picked out new underwear and then an oversized, black T-shirt. After putting those on and turning the lights off, she walked to the bed and crawled lazily into it before curling up underneath the covers. I gotta remember to go buy some food tomorrow... Was the last thing she managed to think before the sleep started to make her drift away to the dream world.

Having stalked Yoshi for hours after she arrived in Amegakure, he was certain she was asleep. Although he would have loved to watch that shower, a naked body with water dripping down it would probably bring him some sort of humanly reaction. But he had to focus if he wanted to do this right. Grab the cases, get in and then do it. This would be the best mission that Adair had ever gone on in the eternity of man kind. Every second would be just as good if not better then the last, leading up to a climax of intense pleasure where everything goes black. Grabbing the two cases by him, the dark figure of a dark and twisted man walked up to the door of the apartment owned by Yoshi. Taking out some simple burglary tools and with a little time the evil man got into the apartment. The figure of the beautiful woman sat there in a state of exhaustion and possibly a little dehydration. She wouldn't die from what would happen to her, in fact it might make her stronger. They say "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." The dark figure poised himself above the wonderful silhouette, breathing hard from the knowledge of what he could do to her right now. Instead the man put the cases down beside the bed, one was full of alcohol and the other...well let's just say it wasn't grass. Traveling outside the man picked up many bags of food and dropped them off by the bed.

The man rolled up a "joint" with the marijuana and let it up taking a deep puff of the drug. The light revealed the man's face, Adair. Mixing alcohol and drugs was like achieving a all time high. With both in the system a person would be completely out of their minds and make them hungry like hell, thus the bags full of food. For the next four hours all that Adair did was eat, drink and smoke. Reaching an all time high that would make any man wish to do this. an hour was spent in a state of being awake, yet being asleep, you know what I mean? that state where you are awake yet you're somewhere far far away from real life. This place was surrounded with blocks and each time the blocks finished a line, they disappeared. It was a crazy dream just like that one with Yoshi and the red jumpsuit plumber. The dream was crazy, but the music was awesome and definitely catchy. Slowly the day dream slipped into sleep and eventually there was a passed out drunk reeking of marijuana with trash everywhere and food all over the place and a big ass grin on his face. In the back of Adair's mind someone was screaming that Yoshi would be pissed, but the big voice said "fuck the police"

~ She was again at Konoha, but it was as if she was looking down on the village instead of standing inside it. She watched the people scurry around, everybody running in each direction. What were they doing? Why were everybody running? Yoshiko knew something was going to happen, but she wasn't sure just what. This feeling of sadness, nervousness... it was overwhelming as she tried to take her eyes away. I don't want to see this, they aren't my responsibility! Yoshimaru appeared before her, holding his hand out to her with a sad smile on his handsome face. There was blood trickling down his whole body, his eyes stared at her with this same sadness as his smile had showed. The Tomoko girl found herself stepping away from his hand, she tried talking but nothing came out. Make it stop...make it stop... make it stop..... ~

The dream was slowly letting go of her... it was warm.. suffocating... Yoshiko's body got tangled up in the covers and she let out a muffled sleeping sound while slowly opening her eyes as she fought against that hold. Blinking once, then the second time, the young woman frowned as she smelled something weird and had the strange feeling she wasn't alone anymore. While sitting up and rubbing her sleep filled eyes, she turned her head and went wide eyed before blinking again... very slowly. There had -clearly- someone been in here since there was food and trash -everywhere-. Plus her apartment smelled like someone had been smoking, -a lot-. "What... who would..?" Her gaze went on the couch where she saw a man laying on his back, seemingly asleep. Judging from the clothes and what little she saw, she could only come to the conclusion that this was most probably Adair. How did he find me? But more importantly, what is he doing here?? This time there was no denying the anger that bubbled inside her, as she slowly rose from the bed and started on opening the window before she would suffocate before then walking towards the sleeping man that was on her couch.

So you think you can come in here and mess everything around without getting punished? Yoshiko raised her hand slowly, clenched her fist so hard that it hurt before slamming it down into the man's stomach, punching him there as hard as she could. "What the -fuck- are you doing here??" Her voice was harsh as she glared down at Adair. He should have been -very- thankful she hadn't grabbed her katana and stabbed him! Placing her hands on her hips, the Tomoko girl wasn't even sure what more to say, completely ignoring the fact that she was only wearing her underwear and that T-shirt that barely reached down to her mid thighs. Her purple eye shot flames towards Adair while she awaited his answer. It was completely up to him now if he would get stabbed in her apartment or if he would simply get thrown out.

Someone ruined Adair's high with a sudden call to reality. The pain was dulled by the marijuana that he had been smoking and no hangover was really in any effect as the marijuana got rid of that as well. The dull throb in his stomach was either another food craving or something just slammed into his stomach...HARD. Looking around slowly he saw his angel, the figurine that gave him a place to stay for the night. A smile came across Adair's face as he sat up to look at Yoshi. "you...you're me...my..our hehahehahaha what was I talking about? oh yeah! Thanks for letting me stay the night. it...it was real nice of ya." Looking at the window before trying to get up, only to slip on a fast food wrapper and fall into Yoshi or at least by her. To be honest he didn't know where he was falling, only that he was falling for what seemed to be forever. While falling Adair thought about what he would be capable of learning during this time that he was falling. What if he fell into gelatin... that would be both disgusting and tasty at the same time.

A hard thud made Adair realize he was no where near aimed for Yoshi, but instead the table in front of the couch. The pain was numbed by the drug's effects and so all that happened was a maniacal laugh emerged from Adair's lips. "the... the...you.. YOU!! I love... you!! you're an angel...no a devil in angel's clothing.. why'd you trip me..ha haha hahahahaha" once again laughter broke out as the high man rolled around in pain from his terrible slip and fall. The pain started to seep into Adair's nervous system thus sobering him up. The pain was allowing the alcohol and weed to stop messing with his system and he started to wake up fully, even his main personality. The alcohol was completely out of his system and then so was his main personality. "hey babe, help me please? The floor is rather painful and i much prefer to be standing up" Working his way up to a standing position, he then answered the question that she had really asked. "you offered me a place to stay didn't you?" Adair was throughly confused by her confusion. As to him it seemed perfectly normal and fine

While having him smile stupidly up at her, the anger that was lurking inside her mind got built rapidly up. Thanks for -letting- him stay? What the heck!? And is he ... high or something? Yoshiko bent slightly down and examined his eyes, before letting out a soft growl when her suspicions just got proved. That....idiot... It was getting difficult to choose between stabbing Adair, throwing him out of the window or drag him to the shower and let cold water clear his mind before then throwing him out of the window. Just as she raised herself up again and was about to throw a good lecture in his face, the already buzzed man tried to get up which only (of course) caused him to slip on some of the junk -he- had left on her floor and that ended up with him slamming down on the small table that was in front of the couch, a loud thud being heard while Yoshiko waited to hear also the crack of either his bones or the poor table. And now he was calling her an angel and accusing her of tripping him while also claiming that he loved her? Oh that was just ... This man was the -only- one that had ever managed to get the Tomoko girl this pissed off, and she had never before had such urge to punch someone. .....Babe?.... really?... Her right eyebrow twitched slightly as Yoshiko bent down again, grabbed his arm roughly and helped him get up, probably leaving bruises on his arm after the grip she had had.

"Listen here you ...asshole. Either you get out now or I will personally throw you out. Got it?" Her words came out slowly, with venom dripping off each letter. Perhaps I should start with throwing him in a cold shower, just so he can sober up more and be sure to feel the pain when I toss him out... Although it did seem like the pain from almost breaking her table had sobered that idiot up a bit, at least enough so he was able to stand without having to hold onto something. And if she wasn't mistaken then his face had a slightly less stupid expression on it. Who could have thought that a cold hearted killer like him would be able to act this .... well human? While looking over her now messy apartment, Yoshiko scratched the back of her neck and sighed while wondering why that man insisted on invading her personal life like this, and if he perhaps held some grudge against her. And why on earth did he call her an angel and babe and claim he loved her? Now -that- was the part she was especially confused about. "Actually... first it would be nice if you would clean up this bloody mess you've left in my apartment. Just what on earth were you thinking? And how did you get in here?!" The usually expressionless face of hers was getting a slightly red color to it while Yoshiko's voice was raising, as she pointed her finger in Adair's face while keep lecturing him. "Do you honestly think I will let you get off the hook with this?" With each word she took a step closer until she was looking straight up at his face with her visible purple eye shooting flames at him, while almost snarling while talking.

I have to get out of here and get some air! "While you wake up and do whatever you need to do in fixing up stuff here, I'm gonna take a walk. But don't think for one minute that I wont be back in time to see if you have cleaned -everything-." The Tomoko girl stomped to her closet, grabbed clothes and went into the bathroom to change before grabbing her usual backpack and katana in her right hand as she went out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

[[ OOC: Will be back in this thread when you come back Sly ^^ ]]

[Continuing the other topic, will post like Adair has left the apartment and hope that's alright.]

It hadn't taken them long to get to Yoshiko's apartment, which was in a way a relief as the rain seemed to be only getting worse by each minute. They had practically ran the last few meters, as even if the rain was welcomed most of the time then it was pretty cold outside that day. A silent pray entered Yoshiko's mind before she quickly opened the door, to see if the apartment looked like a war had taken place. Huh... what a surprise. There was no sign of Adair, but it seemed like he had taken heed to her words and actually cleaned up most of the mess. He'd even had the brain to open the window so that the suffocating smell of smoke that had hung in the air was mostly gone. Feeling rather satisfied with what she saw, Yoshiko stepped inside and motioned for the others to follow before she closed the door. "You have to forgive if there is a mess or smell of smoke. I had an .... intruder here last night."

There was a hint of irritation in her words, as she still remembered how she had lost control of her temper. Shame on me... I should know better than getting worked up like that. Especially in front of someone that just enjoys it. It made Yoshiko wonder though if she would see Adair again soon, or if they would just meet on the next meeting the Akatsuki would hold. It hadn't been -all- that bad to travel with him, even if he was a pain to figure out and had to curse in about every sentence he managed to drawl out. Looking around she noted that there were a few small paper bags on the table in front of the couch, and then a bigger one that was leaning against the wall next to the door. All those were filled with trash. In quick steps she had taken them all in her hands and was gone out to throw them at the right place. It only took about 1 minute, so she was right back again in the apartment. A small hesitation came over her before she locked the door, as if Adair decided to barge in... the others might get rather spooked. Or well .. Adair might get spooked and try to attack them in one of his fits. It was also very unnecessary for more people to know about Yoshimaru and his son's existence at the moment.

She slid the jacked down her arms and let it fall down in the basket with dirty laundry before starting to unbutton her white shirt. Wait... perhaps it's not good to undress in front of them. She had to sometimes remember things like moral and common courtesy, so she stopped unbuttoning the shirt after loosening the top 3 ones. It made no sense to her that people felt embarrassed or awkward around others if they stripped down, especially when it was people like Yoshimaru and Matsu... since she didn't have any reason to fear or detest them. Or not that she knew of. If Adair would have been in here.. she would've probably not started undressing this freely, as she knew that he would make some comments and was one of those people that could try something uncomfortable for them both. Well.. no need to make them feel awkward. Even if she didn't really see any reason to be making a fuss even if she -had- taken the shirt off, as she just now realized that her white shirt was damp... and therefore slightly more transparent than usual. And this day she had decided to wear a black bra.

Sighing before running her eyes down the males, she stepped into the bathroom and brought out three big towels, one for each of them. After handing those over, she herself stepped into the bathroom and stripped quickly down before changing into a black T-shirt that reached down to her hips, and red shorts. She decided to be just barefoot for now, as it was very comfortable. "The food is in the fridge and the closets above the sink.." She commented as she walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair after having taken out the red hair accessory, so that her silky smooth, light brown hair spilled freely over her shoulders and just slightly down her back. "You are ... free to use the shower. But I'm not sure.. if I have any clothes you'd fit in... except for the kid perhaps." She only had clothes in her own size, which wasn't the same size as 2 rather big and muscular men. Even the slightly over sized T-shirt she used to sleep in wouldn't fit either of them.

The rain had kept Yoshidoku awake the whole time, but he was very very tired. But not tired enough to care where he was sleeping or when. He just couldnt wait to get into a house, and neither did Yoshimaru. He was truely lucky to get into such a situation after the Hokage incident. A rebound for sure. Yoshimaru was carring a large backpack on his back and he wouldnt doubt some of the stuff in there was a bit damp by now, but it was better than what he was wearing as of now. The Hashirama armour was accually keeping his body from getting wet, but many of the rain drops would slide down underneath the heavy armour and practically soak just one spot. Yoshidoku wasnt very comfortable laying against the armour, but he was enjoying being in his fathers hold.

The moment that they arrived at Yoshiko's house was the moment that he was safe. Well, he had hoped. It was away from the city and he was into hiding now. Walking into the house right behind Yoshiko, the smell of the house soothed him. It was a nice aroma, and it smelled like a wet lilly. Probably due to the fact it always rains here in Amegakure. "You have to forgive if there is a mess or smell of smoke. I had an .... intruder here last night." She told them as she motioned them inside more, as Yoshimaru walked in. 'It doesnt smell so.... bad.' Nevermind that, the smell of some sort of smoke kicked into his senses. It was accually a nice house. Everything was easly to be found. The bathroom, the living room, the bedroom.. Yoshimaru smiled and whispered to Yoshidoku to wake him up.

He saw a couch and sat Yoshidoku down onto it, "Sit here and dont you fall asleep." Yoshimaru told his son jokingly, turning around to see Yoshiko beginning to undress herself. Yoshimaru blushed just enough to be noticable, his male mind taking over. Usually this wouldnt happen, but he hasnt been with a woman in mearly 10 years like this before. Not in the same house. Not as close. Not since.. His wife died. Yoshimaru still wore their wedding ring on his right hand, his ring finger. He looked away from Yoshiko not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, and took off his backpack, setting it down next to the couch.

Yoshimaru began to unpack his valuables and set them down next to Yoshido, while the boy just fiddled with some of the things he was taken out. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yoshiko hand him and his son a nice warm towel, as Yoshimaru smiled at her and said, "Thanks sweetie, I really need this. Hell, I might need a second one just for how wet my hair is!" He joked and chuckled softly. He stood up and took out the hairband from his hair. Unlocking the locks on his armour, they slid off his shoulders and torso, and made a loud crashing sound as if a bowling ball hit a cemeted wall. They were made of pretty strong materials and heavy as hell. Yoshimaru removed his tabi boots and set them by the door, not wanting to be rude and leave stains on such a pretty carpet. Yoshimaru chuckled and turned his back to them, taking off his shirt sighing softly. It felt a lot better, taking off such a soaked shirt.

Yoshimaru then grabbed the towel and bend his body forwards, his hair over his face and to the ground, he began to towel dry as much as he could, taking just a few minutes. He then leaned back up began to brush his hair to get the tangles out. 'Damn my long hair... -mental sigh-' He thought about getting a hair cut after that, but he wasnt sure if it would be like him. 'Might as well do my stretches and get to cooking, if Matsu or Yoshiko wanted something to eat.' He thought and stood upright, then began to lean down, putting his hands out to catch himself, staying in that position for a few seconds after his back popped continuously, which felt amazing. His muscular, massive torso was nothing to be ashamed of for himself, his perfectly sculpted abs and strong, toned arms. Yoshimaru then kicked off with his legs and did a hand stand for about 20 seconds, then coming back down into the position he was just in, then stood back up. He breathed slowly and put on a red robe top, tying it at the waist. One very noticable thing about his chest was that he had a fist-sized green blotch on his right breast.

Yoshiko commented earlier about how there was food in the fridge and how they were free to use the shower. Yoshimaru was lucky to have brought some clothes, but sadly, he was very tall and larger than Matsu, and most other men. "Dont worry, ive got the same problem. Most of my clothes are probably too big for Matsu." Yoshimaru commented and chuckled, sitting down next to Yoshidoku, seeing as his son had dried himself off while Yoshimaru was doing his stretches. He wasnt sure if anyone was hungry, so he had asked, "If anyone is hungry I can cook up some soup or whatever you want in the fridge. Its the least I could do since you all are helping me out here." He told them and smiled.

The small house grew nearer as the group made their way towards it. Matsu longed to be out of this foul rain before the cold seeped into his bones. A warm house would work wonders on him and he needed to get out of these wet clothes. A yawn escaped his lips as he walked up the steps towards the door right behind Yoshimaru. The other man was taller than him, standing a few inches over the top of Matsu's head. Matsu wasn't intimitaded by the man's height but he knew that the man wouldn't be an easy opponent to defeat if they ever fought. The Shinobi knew when to be cautious and when to be rash. Rashness wasn't something that took over him very often so he didn't really have to worry about that.

Walking through the front doors, Matsu inhaled the smell of the place. He smelled exactly like his apartment except for the fact that this place didn't have the smell of dirty clothes like his did. My place could use a woman's touch. Maybe it wouldn't stink so much then. Laughing inwardly, Matsu stopped in the center of the room and looked around. A couch stood a little to his left and off to his right was the bathroom. It was a nice little place, better than his one roomed apartment. Sighing, Matsu looked over at Yoshiko and started. The woman was unbuttoning her shirt. The man quickly turned away from her, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable or himself for that matter.

The sound of scrounging around in the bathroom caught his attention. Turning, he saw a towel flying towards him. His quick reflexes allowed him to catch it out of the air before it came close to hitting him or the ground. Nodding in her direction in thanks, he turned away and draped the towel over the end of the couch. The young boy Yoshidoku was sitting there playing with some of the things his father had taken out of the bag. Matsu looked away from him and started unbuttoning the black overcoat he always wore. He lay that over the end of the couch too and then pulled the soaken wet white short he had on underneath off. His toned abs rippled as he took the shirt off. The tan skin was extremely dark in contrast to the white shirt he had in his hand.

Picking the towel up, Matsu began to dry his hair and chest. His spikey black hair became wild as the water came out of it. By the time he was finished it was sticking straight up on his head like he had been struck by lighting or something. Matsu didn't care what his hair looked like so he didn't even bother with it. Now that his torso was dry he bent down and dried his pants off as best he could. He would just sit on the floor instead of sitting on the couch since his pants were still damp. Something he did do was take his boots and socks off. He couldn't risk getting trench foot for something as trivial as being shy.

Standing back up, Matsu walked around the couch and sat down in front of it, looking up at Yoshidoku. He hadn't been in the presence of a child in a long time and he forgot how care-free and happy they were. Grinning at the boy, he waved his hand at him. "How's it going, little man?" The sound of Yoshimaru's voice made him turn around and look up. The man was wondering whether they wanted some soup. "I'd like some, if it isn't too inconvinient for you." Turning back to Yoshidoku, he waited for the little boy to answer his question.

As Yoshiko had been done drying her hair and returned the towel into the bathroom, she came back to a very... promising sights in her kitchen/living room. Both the men hadn't been hesitating when it came to taking their clothes off, and well even if she prided herself of not really caring about nudity or anything that had to do with it, then Yoshiko had to force herself not to -stare- at Matsu and Yoshimaru. Perhaps it was because she was unaccustomed to being around such.. good looking males, but she found herself quite surprised at her own reactions as she first ran her gaze over Yoshimaru and then Matsu. As the Konoha Jounin had put on the red robe top, Yoshiko's eye had caught sight of the green blotch on his chest, making her wonder what it was. Perhaps a seal... for what purpose though? Shaking her head to stop wondering about that, she gave a courtesy nod towards Yoshimaru, before speaking out. "A soup sounds nice.. it will be a good change ... to get a homemade meal for once."

Her voice was soft, but as usually there wasn't even a hint of smile in her face. There was a time where people called her "doll face" or "porcelain mask" and even "Ice Princess", but those few that had bothered with that had soon come to the conclusion that teasing someone with no care nor emotions wasn't really that fun at all. Certainly she had a beautiful face and delicate features when one took her in fully, but it was sometimes hard to spot when she used her hair to hide almost half of her face and also since she never let emotions show. The rare occasions in which that happened, was when she was angry or irritated. Her purple eye that could be sparkling with emotions that would give it an even more beautiful depth sometimes seemed as if it was dead from within.

It was rare that Yoshiko minded, and it was even more rare that she bothered thinking about it. But right now... at this moment when she had come in touch with something new inside her, feeling a little bit more feminine than.. well ever, she had wished she could display something to show she was also alive. To be able to smile ... or at least try to be a little bit more gentle. Perhaps I will be able to.. soon. But the problem was that for the last 8 years or so, she had been saying that same thing over and over but to no prevail. As she slowly but surely returned to what was happening now, in her apartment, Yoshiko noticed Matsu talking with the boy. It was .. sweet she guessed, and kind of surprising to see that wild looking man wanting to chat on the light notes with a young kid. He must be a nicer person than one would take him for at first... seeing that he covers that kindness up with a hard shell.

To help out, she walked to where the sink was and started rummaging through the shelves under it to find a suitable pot. When then reaching her hand out for it, she stopped dead in her track as the ring Yoshimaru had made for her came into view right there on her finger. For a moment she had forgotten about it, and now she started wondering why she was even still wearing it. That feeling that was slowly settling in now was probably embarrassment as she pulled her hand back and reached the other one out for the pot. Without looking at Yoshimaru, she put the pot a little harshly down on the table before turning and making herself look very busy while stretching up to try and find some sort of spices in the top shelves above the sink. Usually she would just pull out a chair and stand on it, but somehow she would feel a bit ... silly by doing that in front of the people that were in her apartment.

Come to think of it... there had never before been this many in this small and comfortable place before. And to her surprise, it felt actually just a little bit nice to be able to listen to someone else talk and to have someone near.

Yoshidoku smiled at Matsu as he talked to him, but chuckled softly when he called him little, pointing out his small stature. It was true, he was small for his age, just like his dad was large for his own age as well. "Its going good, I guess. How about you, tall man?"He asked, coming back at Matsu with something smart. "Hey, wanna see something my daddy taught me how to do?" Yoshido asked but went ahead and did it anyway without Matsu having to respond. He put his little hand in a fist as if he was holding something up and his hand over the top of it, not as the dog sign though. After concentrating chakra very steadily, after a minute or so, he opened his hand to reveal a small, delicate, red and white flower. He handed it out to Matsu as if it were a peace offering. "My daddy can make prettier ones, but this is as best as I can do." Yoshidoku told him and smiled.

On the other side of the room, Yoshimaru stood in the kitchen and watched as Yoshiko fluttered around the room, grabbing pots and pans and putting them on the table. Something caught his eye, and Yoshiko's eye as well. It was the ring on her finger, the same ring that he made for her. It had been a while since their first meeting, and it made him smile and... what seemed to be his heart jumped. The sound of a pot being harshly put down on a table made him shake his head and get back to what he was doing. As soon as she got to the spices above the sink, she seemed that she was having a hard time reaching them. Although, Yoshimaru being a giant, his head almost reached to the top of the refrigerator and cabnets. "Let me help you, hon." He softly spoke to her and smiled, getting down the ingrediants he accually needed to use.

Chuckling, Yoshimaru grabbed the pot and set it under the sink, filling the pot almost to the top, and then set it on the stove and let the water boil. He added some japanese stocks, and got some eggs out, cracked them, and began to beat them, pouring them into the boiling pot of water. Yoshimaru began to sing a soft melody that he usually sang to Yoshidoku when he was cooking in order to entertain the awaiting boy. The words were soft, silent, and in japanese. He grabbed the box of white rice and used half the box, then stirred it up to mix the stock, rice, and eggs. He added soy sauce, parsley leaves, and salt as well. It was after a few minutes, he stopped singing and the soup was ready to be served. "Done!"He told them, completely proud with what he made. This was Yoshidoku's favourite soup and he hoped that Matsu and Yoshiko would enjoy it as well.

He poured the soup into 4 different bowls very carefully, not spilling a single drop. Yoshimaru gently set the bowls on the table and pulled out a chair for Yoshiko, trying to be as polite as he could be. Yoshidoku pulled out his own chair and practically had to jump onto it, due to his short stature. "Yoshido, make sure to blow, its really hot." Yoshimaru warned his son and as soon as Yoshiko sat down, he pushed in the chair and went to his own seat. He had already supplied spoons for the three as well as himself. "Itadakimassu!" Yoshimaru announced and began to eat.

A smile flickered across the man's face at the childs smart remark. "I guess you could say it's going good. Nothing bad has happened today that I can think of." There was something about this boy that reminded Matsu of the happy boy he used to be before he saw his best friend killed. Shaking his head, Matsu cleared his thoughts before he let sadness overcome him again. That was something he couldn't allow, especially in front of this boy. The atmosphere in the room was too happy for him to ruin it with his own problems. Looking around, Matsu watched Yoshiko and Yoshimaru making the soup. The two of them seemed made for each other in his eyes. He didn't have much experience with relationships or intimacy but he could just tell. The man didn't know how but he knew.

Yoshidoku speaking again brought Matsu back from his thoughts. His head turned to the boy as he said something about a technique his father had taught him. Looking on with interest, Matsu watched as the boy balled his fist up and then opened it again, revealing a small red and whit flower. Smiling back at the boy, Matsu took the flower gently and placed it on top of his white shirt. "Thank you for this gift. I will keep it safe from all harm and keep it to remember you by when we have parted." Nodding, Matsu stood up and sniffed the air. The soup was starting to smell delicious and once again, for the third time in one day, his mouth started to water. It was time to eat again.

Turning to look at Yoshidoku, Matsu beckoned with his hand and then walked into the kitchen. Yoshimaru and Yoshiko were already sitting down so Matsu took his place at the table. Looking at both of them, he nodded his head in thanks and then lifted up his spoon. Dipping it in the soup, he sipped it off the end of the spoon and swallowed. An amazing taste exploded through his mouth. Matsu didn't really know what was in it but he knew that it was delicious. His mother hadn't even been able to make soup like this and she was the best cook he knew. He could still remember what her cooking tasted like even though he hadn't seen her or ate her food for almost ten years.

"This is very good. I haven't had food like this in a very long time." Looking back down, Matsu finished the soup quickly and then pushed his chair back. Leaning back, he sighed with content and watched the others eat. It was nice to be together in a group like this with kind people. He could feel a change coming about him that he hoped wasn't permanent. The feelings he felt when he was younger were coming back and he kept wanting to smile and laugh like a normal person. I guess I can be myself around these people. They won't be mad if I smile or laugh. A small smile appeared on his face and he sighed. It was great to be free again. He didn't have to hide his emotions or put up a wall between him and others.

Looking at Yoshimaru, a though struck Matsu. He didn't know if Yoshimaru would allow it but he would ask anyways. "Yoshimaru, would you allow me to.."He paused here and looked down quickly in embarrasment. "Uh...teach Yoshidoku a little of what I know as a Shinobi?" Matsu smack himself mentally. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He'll never allow me to teach his son anything. This man knows nothing about me and he probally doesn't trust me enough to allow me to do something like this. Sighing, Matsu awaited the man's answer. He could almost guarntee it would be no but he had to give it a try.

Well in the end it seemed like she was only in the way in the kitchen, not like she could cook anyways, so she just stepped back and watched while Yoshimaru did all the work as she felt quite impressed by his skills. It was handy to have someone in the kitchen that actually knew what he was doing. And it was also good that the food she bought and the ingredients were finally being used. His hands moved fast, and he seemed to have done that soup at least a few times before. It wasn't any wonder though, as he had a kid to take care of. I wonder why he hasn't gotten a new wife already... I can't see why anyone in Konoha would not want to marry him. The man had a good rank, the looks, was a very good personality AND a good cook... just what was wrong with the women in his village? Or maybe the problem was his.. perhaps he didn't feel like settling down again or found it hard to figure out who would be a good mother for Yoshidoku. Of course he would have to give it a good thought and all... but someone like him shouldn't be alone. He should have someone to share his kindness with.

That thinking also made Yoshiko wonder if the other man, Matsu, had someone in his life. From what she saw just at first, then the answer was probably a no. Not that she could guarantee anything about that matter, not like she had ever been with anyone or really felt the need to. People that you got too close to would only drag you down in the end, it was just that simple. And yet... here she was... chasing the shadow of her long lost sister. What kind of crap was that?

After not that many minutes the mild aroma of the soup was filling the air in the apartment, making Yoshiko feel a little excited to get to taste it as her stomach had decided that it was probably still a little hungry. Yoshimaru busied himself with pouring the soup in bowls before then pulling out a chair for Yoshiko to sit down on, which she accepted with a small and graceful bow of her head before she took the seat. A gentleman... was something new to her. But was kinda fun nonetheless. Thinking back to her childhood, she remembered her father doing the same for her mother. She also remembered when her mother had been pregnant and her father had practically carried her around the house so she wouldn't exhaust herself. That of course ended with Yoshiko's mother beating the crap out of her over-worrying husband... But oh how the time back then had been wonderful. Life had been so simple.

Yoshidoku and Matsu sat down after them both, and the atmosphere got strangely ... family like. As expected, the soup tasted delicious, making Yoshiko kind of envy Yoshimaru for that skill of his. Whenever she really tried to cook something.. it never really ended well. She was too much of a brute for the kitchen. Usually she either burnt everything, or when she was cutting something down she used too much force so that either the knife would break or she'd get it stuck in the table. Focusing back on the bowl that was in front of her, she nodded as to confirm Matsu's praises about the soup. "It's ... delicious."

The request Matsu had for Yoshimaru made Yoshiko very surprised as she looked at him with a questioning expression on her face. This young man was truly someone that didn't live up to the first impression as he seemed to be getting more sincere and friendly with each minute that passed. Why does he want to do that? Is this something that has to do with his own past, or does he simply want to keep himself occupied? Glancing over at Yoshimaru she also wondered what he would reply with. Surely it was always good to have different people being able to teach some of the youngsters, but would the Konoha ninja trust the other man with his son? Giving Matsu another glance, she was almost sure that the look on him now was the look of someone that was expecting a no. Even if he had a good way of hiding his emotions and have a mask over his face, then she was also very trained in that very same thing.

Yoshimaru smiled as he watched everyone eat the soup that he had made. They all seemed to enjoy it and it made him very happy that he pleased someone today. Usually everyday in Konoha, he would do something nice for someone atleast once to make someones day, as it would have the same effect on him in return; happiness. "This is very good. I haven't had food like this in a very long time." Matsu had commented, and just when Yoshimaru looked at him.. The soup was gone. It seemed that Matsu was one hungry man, and it made Yoshimaru laugh softly. "It's ... delicious." Yoshiko had commented after Matsu. Nodding his head, he looked at his son and Yoshidoku nodded his head as he wolfed down the soup.

It wasnt long until Yoshimaru was done with his own soup, as well as Yoshidoku. It had been atleast a day or two since they had a real meal, as they had been travelling the streets as missing ninja, it was hard to even find one thing to eat. But it was thanks to Yoshidoku that, due to his intelligence on herbs and berries, they lived off those for a while. It felt nice, as well, to sit at a table with a few people and, even thought they hardly spoke, it felt like the best conversation ever. It made Yoshimaru feel as if they were a family. It felt as if he were cooking for his wife and son. It felt.. great. Especially being with Yoshiko felt better.

Breaking the chain of thoughts, Matsu spoke out to Yoshimaru and had asked if he could teach his son something. 'Should I accually allow him to teach Yoshido something...? I hardly know this man.. But it would be interesting to see what he has, as long as it awasnt a trick up his sleeve.' Yoshimaru thought for a moment and smiled at Matsu and nodded, "Of course. Just be sure its in my sight where I can see you two." Yoshimaru said with a smile but a serious tone of voice. He couldnt fully trust Matsu, but he could see the good inside of the troubled man. Yoshidoku heard his father giving him permission, as the small boy practically jumped out of his seat and ran over to Matsu, "What're you gonna show me, Mr. Matsu?" Yoshidoku asked with inticipation, not wanting to just wait for it. "I need to discuss something with Yoshiko for a moment, if you dont mind, again." Yoshimaru sighed and gave an appologizing look to Matsu once more, hoping that they were going to do whatever it is he wanted while they spoke.

Yoshimaru then looked over to Yoshiko, which was basically next to him. "Im glad you enjoyed your soup." He started with and sighed again, wondering how he was going to tell her about.. her sister. He didnt know how she was going to react to it. Slowly, Yoshimaru reached out and held her soft, delicate, small hand with his large, but soft as well hand. "Before I even tell you, I want you to know that because I didnt tell you earlier when we first saw eachother on the side of the ramen shop, it was because, honestly, I forgot." He started out and looked into her eyes as deep as he could, most likely reading her emotions. "My main purpose of coming here was to find a safe spot before leaving to go to Kumo. It was by complete luck that I happened to find you here, at the right time, at the right place." Yoshimaru added and smiled at her, softly stroking the ring on her finger with his thumb, "I was exhausted and utterly caught up with meeting you, and I was scared that I was going to be chased down by some hunter ninja from Konoha." He stopped hesitating and leaned in closer. "I found your sister, Hina. Shes fine and in Konohagakure. I told her where I was going, and maybe shes on her way to find me, and maybe you can even catch her along your way back there. Im sorry I hadnt told you earlier. I should have and I know it." Yoshimaru was truely sorry and knew that whenever she heard that her sister is alive and accually in Konoha, that she'd flip out or something. He prepared for the worst.. Had he hoped so.

The words that he could teach Yoshido exited Yoshimaru and Matsu sighed. It seemed that the man trusted him a bit more than he had first expected. Matsu pushed his chair back and stood up, bowing his head to Yoshiko and Yoshimaru. He grabbed his bowl and took it to the sink where he washed it and then put it in the drainer. After this he turned back to Yoshido and smiled down at the boy's enthusiasm. This would be the first time the Shinobi had ever taught anyone anything. It was slightly exciting and scary at the same time. He could end up embarassing himself or he could actually teach the kid something worthwhile that would stay with him all his life. That was Matsu's plan and he had a small idea that he thought might work.

Leading Yoshido into the living room, Matsu sat down in the middle and motioned for the boy to do the same. The Matsu started to meditate to clear his mind and get himself ready for what he was going to teach the boy. The good thing about him meditating was that no thoughts could penetrate the wall he erected around his mind so he wasn't disturbed by any worries or thoughts. His eyes stayed tightly shut and he focused on a tree in the center of a field, it's leaves glistening with dew and shaking in the wind. Birds chirped on it and small animals made their homes all around it. This was what Matsu pictured every time he meditated. It helped him clear his mind much easier. Once done, the Shinobi opened his eyes and looked at Yoshidoku, a slight smile playing across his lips.

"Im just going to assume you know about chakra and the way it works before I begin. What im going to be teaching you today is how to focus chakra into your hands. It's not as simple as focusing it into your feet and it may take you a few tries to get it right." Putting his hands out in front of him, Matsu channeled the chakra into his hands and a slight blue aura seemed to appear on them. Without warning he grabbed onto the sword Raiden and held it up with only the palm of his hand. See, it's pretty neat. The key to this is to focus just enough to stick to what you want to. If you put too much you might end up breaking it and if you don't put enough you will just slide off. Just concentrate and it should come easily to you. I have faith."

Matsu let the chakra in his hand disperse and wrapped his fingers around Raiden's hilt before it could hit the ground. Placing the blade beside him, Matsu turned and stared at the boy. The man knew the boy had potential and could probaly master this jutsu with ease. It was something all Shinobi knew. None of them used it very often but it was always good to have something else that you knew that could help you out in the long run. Matsu knew that this technique was useful. He had seen ninja use this to escape over a wall quickly without anyone noticing. This technique could possibly save Yoshidoku's life some day or it could be just another jutsu he used for fun. Matsu didn't mind which he used it for.

Yoshiko pushed the bowl slightly away from her while looking slightly surprised at Yoshimaru, as she wondered what else he had to discuss with her that the others couldn't hear. Is this something regarding his escape? Something felt a bit... uncomfortable though as it seemed like the Konoha Jounin was hesitating, before he sighed and placed his warm hand over her own smaller and colder one. What does he mean? Is this something that has to do with me? A cold chill ran down her spine as she thought he had perhaps figured out who she truly was and told his superiors in Konoha. I can't believe it.. She didn't want to interfere though as he was still speaking, so she sat still and kept quiet.

However.. she felt like someone had punched her in her chest when he said that.. small sentence... just those few words... her sister's name. Yoshiko could practically -feel- how cold her whole body got as her purple, visible eye got big in her pale face. Her lips moved, but no sound came. I..I can't.. Everything in front of her went black, and she realized she had stopped breathing as her lungs were screaming for air. With a small gasp, the Tomoko girl forced some air in her lungs before shaking her head as she tried not to get a pure breakdown. She wanted to ask him if he was sure that this was truly her Hina.. her little sister, but she just couldn't speak. While still breathing in short gasps, she lowered her head down while clenching her fists as her hands were still upon the table. She couldn't control anything... she couldn't.. Oh no please... please don't ... Just as the day she had murdered people for the first time along with her brother, she now again felt how the ice in her veins started rising.. taking over. Her pure confusion made her completely vulnerable, as with tears spilling down her face she stared in horror at Yoshimaru. The hand he was holding started getting colder and colder, as her skin literally started getting a light blue color to it. Very soon it was getting painful for Yoshimaru's hand to stay on hers, and if he would glance his eyes down, he'd notice that the table under her hands was starting to freeze.

A strangled cry escaped her lips as Yoshiko jumped back, causing the chair she had sat on to fall over with a loud thump. Get..out...of my..body! The floor under her feet was slowly but surely starting to get slippery and just as cold as the air in the kitchen, as the ice grew. It was only a matter of time before something... horrible would happen. She knew it. And yet the only thing she could do was cry, with loud sobs, like she was again the scared 10 year old girl when the whole nightmare had begun. The ice crept up her legs, it was clinging to it's owner that so desperately hated it. Hina...Hina...Hina..did you somehow know for all these years also that I was alive? How did you feel when you met Yoshimaru and he told you the truth? The ice looked like it was alive as it slowly crept over the floor, towards where Yoshimaru was sitting, as it also crawled up the walls and was seeking to get into every corner there was in Yoshiko's apartment.

Yoshiko didn't feel the cold, the paralyzing cold that followed the ice, but she finally managed to open her eyes and see through the tears. For a moment there was a crazed look in her purple eye, as if Yoshiko had snapped .. or someone else was taking over her mind, before she then blinked and wiped the tears away. "Yoshimaru...I'm ... sorry." As she spoke, there was smoke in the air from the coldness. She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for, at the moment it didn't matter to her as she slowly walked up to where her katana lay against the wall next to her door. Unsheathing it, she held the blade of it up in front of her face..her father's katana. "Father... I will save your other daughter." Her whispering was barely audible, as her voice cracked at each word while the tears still streamed down her face.

No hesitation was in her actions as she held her hand up to the blade of the katana before sliding it over the edge, causing blood to drip in a steady pace to the floor. This was the only way she knew how to actually be able to snap out of her clan's curse, physical pain. Her hand fell limp against her side, the palm cut open, as Yoshiko closed her eyes and murmured a few words that weren't audible. The cold that had probably been starting to make the others feel difficult to move, started to get drawn back as the ice just disappeared as if into the air.

Now as she was older, wiser, she knew how to snap out of it. But there had been some accidents before that hadn't been as pleasant. However few they were. There had barely 5 minutes passed before the apartment was again normal. Now the only sounds that were in the air, were the sobbing of Yoshiko and the blood that kept dripping down. She still clung to her katana while looking at Yoshimaru with a fiery expression on her face. "Are you.. completely sure.. it was her? Did she say ... anything?" He better be sure... in the state she was in now.. she wouldn't hesitate in killing him. Nor Matsu or the kid for that matter. Her guard was up, her expression clearly telling people not to come closer, while her shaking right hand squeezed so hard down on the hilt of her katana that she was starting to get cramps in it. The joy that was desperately trying to break out, was getting pushed to the side as Yoshiko was scared that perhaps Yoshimaru was mistaken. Afraid he was perhaps lying to her.

What had followed with the ice, had been such a deadly killing intent which filled the apartment that anyone below rank A would've started feeling penetrated by it. Her high rank was not as much of a question at this moment, as this girl had showed just a glimpse of what truly lay inside of her.

Yoshidoku ran over to Matsu in the middle of the living room, sitting down on the floor infront of the man. Matsu had closed his eyes and seemed as if he was meditating, which Yoshidoku studied very closely. "Im just going to assume you know about chakra and the way it works before I begin. What im going to be teaching you today is how to focus chakra into your hands. It's not as simple as focusing it into your feet and it may take you a few tries to get it right." Matsu had informed Yoshidoku, as the young boy smiled and nodded. The man put his hand out and focused chakra on his hand, which turned to a faded light blue colour. Yoshidoku was pretty impressed by this, since his only talent he has really with chakra is climbing trees and making flowers. Matsu then picked up his sword without grabbing it, the chakra making it stick. "See, it's pretty neat. The key to this is to focus just enough to stick to what you want to. If you put too much you might end up breaking it and if you don't put enough you will just slide off. Just concentrate and it should come easily to you. I have faith."

Yoshidoku was pretty amazed by this, wondering if he could do it as well. 'Im sure I could if I tried...' He thought and bit his lower lip. He looked down at his hand and pressed his other hand's thumb in the middle of his palm. 'I want to focus it here...' Yoshidoku thought and closed his eyes, beginning to focus alittle chakra at once, little by little. But as he was just about to succeed, he heard a loud thump coming from the chairs that were in the kitchen. Suddenly, the room got colder, and he heard a scream. Opening his eyes, he looked over quickly at Yoshiko and his father, then at the ground, which was completely covered in ice. "Wha.. Whats happening, daddy?" Yoshidoku looked at his father, which Yoshimaru looked at him with a shocked face, unure what to tell him. But he did mouth these words, "Get back on the couch..." Yoshidoku understood and grabbed Matsu's arm, tugging softly and then sat on the couch quickly.

~~

In the mean time, Yoshimaru had been watching as Yoshiko had some sort of... Breakdown. There was hardly anything he could do to help, since the last time he tried to help her, a sword almost went through his chest. Her hand had become ice cold, causing him to let go because it began to give him freezer burn. Once she had stood up, the chair she sat in crashed down onto the hard floor. 'The floor had turned to ice..' Yoshimaru looked down at the floor and moved his foot across it. "Whats happening daddy?" Yoshidoku's voice called over to him, causing him to turn his head around and mouth the words, "Get back on the couch.." He turned his head back around to watch as Yoshiko continued to cry, which completely broke Yoshimaru's heart seeing her in such a dreadful state.

"Yoshimaru...I'm ... sorry." She appologized to him, causing him to wonder what she was appologizing for. "Yoshiko... Just relax..." He spoke out to her, but he was completely terrified of her. She was one of the people that he truely cared about and loved, but she just didnt know it.. He hated seeing her like this and he wanted to snap her out of it, but he didnt know how to. He was scared to even speak. She walked over to the katana that had been resting by a wall, picking it up and cutting the palm of her hand with the edge of the blade. "Father... I will save your other daughter." She whispered and began to, what it seemed, to calm down just a bit.

It was difficult for Yoshimaru to both breathe and move, which would make him hard to even think, as many emotions and thoughts were running through his mind. She held her Katana very defencively, but opposing Yoshimaru, as if she had the intent to killing him. "Are you.. completely sure.. it was her? Did she say ... anything?" She asked him as her eye stared at Yoshimaru, as he looked back into hers. He stepped closer to her and looked down at her. "Im as serious as a heart attack... it was her. I wouldnt lie to you, and you know that." He stated and had the most serious face on, hiding how scared he was of her attacking him. "She doesnt speak. She writes things down on a note pad. Her father figure, Takeshi, who she travelled with, asked me questions about you. They asked things like where you were, how you are.. Where you were going. I gave her the flower and she greatly appreciated it." Yoshimaru spoke and felt as the room began to warm down, Yoshidoku continuing to stay on the couch until everything was fine.

Yoshimaru slowly put his hand out, "You need to relax... You will find your sister, I promise.. Just like I promised to find her, and I did." His hand was out in order to removed a sword that of which she held infront of her. If she had chose to calm down and hand him the sword, he would easly attend to her wounded hand and how hurt she was on the inside. Yoshimaru would do absolutely anything to help his friend. Although, he had hoped that he didnt upset even more than she already was.

The man's eyes travelled over the boy as the boy seemed to think about what the jutsu did. Matsu watched as he bit his lower lip and then seemed to set his self up to do it. A loud thump came from the kitchen and everything seemed to go cold. Matsu's head shot up and looked into the kitchen. Yoshiko's chair was lying on a ground covered in ice. The man didn't know what was going but he did know that something wasn't right. Yoshimaru mouthed to his son to get on the couch and Yoshidoku tugged on Matsu's sleeve. Turning, Matsu looked into the scared eyes of the kid, Matsu had the sudden urge to stay by the kid and protect him from anything but he knew he had to investigate what was going on in the kitchen further.

Patting the kid on the shoulder, Matsu smiled down at him. "I'll be back soon. I just want to see what's going on." Turning away, Matsu walked into the kitchen, clutching the hilt of his katana. His other sword was leaning against the wall in the living room, too far for him to get to it. His footsteps stopped making much of a sound as he stepped out onto the ice that had once been the kitchen floor. The man stood a few feet behind Yoshimaru and watched the scene unfold before him. He didn't really know what was going on but one thing he found out from just standing there was that Yoshiko was upset about something. It was none of his business but he didn't want anyone getting hurt.

Keeping his hand tightly around the hilt of his blade, he watched Yoshimaru trying to calm Yoshiko down. The man was doing his best, Matsu had to give him that, but it wasn't helping all that much. Yoshiko cut her hand with her katana. Matsu stared on with no emotion. The wall he usually kept up came back in a flash as blood entered the scene. It dripped down to the ice and joined with the clear solidified water, turning the spots it hit a shade of red. Matsu hadn't seen blood in a time and it made him think of things that he didn't want to think about at a time like this. The man cleared his thoughts of things like that and brought himself back to the present. Nothing had changed except it seemed to be getting warmer and Yoshiko didn't seem to be as upset as she had been.

Yoshimaru was moving towards Yoshiko with his arm outstretched as if he wanted her to hand him her sword. Matsu didn't think this was the greatest idea but he wouldn't say anything to the man. It was his decision to do anything he wanted. The Shinobi just had to keep any violence that might break out from reaching the living room where Yoshidoku was. He glanced around and saw the boy still sitting on the couch. Atleast the boy hadn't become to curious and followed him into the kitchen where he would be in a lot more danger. Looking back around at Yoshiko and Yoshimaru, the man waited for what was going to happen, violent or not.

When her breathing finally started to slow down, Yoshiko first then noticed the others in the apartment. She knew they were probably scared, or at least the boy, and yet she didn't care that much. Her face went stone cold as she weighed the options in her head. Her hand on the katana loosened it's grip slightly before with a single movement she had put her katana onto her back, and tied the strap that held it. Her eyes didn't seem to have more tears left, as with a quick swipe Yoshiko wiped her face with her sleeve, her actions seemingly angry. First of all then she was still a little bit in a shock, and second of all then she felt angry at herself for losing her calm in front of other people. This was actually the second time that Yoshimaru almost saw her Bloodline Limit, which meant that he had probably one chance left. She couldn't risk letting anyone know her true identity, nor the ability of her cursed blood. Anyone that happened to see it or figure it out just -had- to die, it was as simple as that. Her hand throbbed slightly, making her glance down at it and make a small disapproving sound through her teeth before glancing around the apartment for something to bind it with.

Well ... that can wait. Her piercing eye went back onto Yoshimaru, before it glanced over to Matsu and then the boy. Did they see in her expression that she was trying to decide if she should kill them or not? Without trying to be too arrogant, she was pretty sure she could handle them. Two at once might be a bit bothersome... but I could bet my right arm on that Matsu is lower rank than Yoshimaru. Shaking her head slightly and letting out a sigh, she knew though that she probably wouldn't do it. If she was going to become a better person, and be able to meet her sister then she couldn't just kill anyone that was in her way. That wasn't right... or she supposed so. "I will believe you then, Yoshimaru." Her stance got relaxed, as she with that showed she had no intention of attacking anyone. Least of all did she want Matsu doing some heroic actions that would lead to a rather painful ending... for him.

"You must...apologize for my .... behavior. This was quite... startling for me to hear." While she spoke, her visible eye almost burnt itself into the men that were not standing far from her. She was making sure they didn't give out any expression that said "Ah I know that Bloodline Limit." But well... that was kind of impossible since there were many years since anyone had even heard of it. So with a blank face, she looked away and then walked over to the kitchen sink as she turned the cold water on and held her injured palm under it. "There should be... bandages... in the right cabinet on the wall." She motioned to the said cabinet with her head, while waiting to see if either of the men would move.

What was now going on inside her mind were the puzzling thoughts of how to get near Hina. She knew very well that if she would return this quickly to the village, she'd be captured and what's worse.. probably get Hina into trouble also. Since Yoshimaru had to have fled the village and also told her that it was her fault, then she was pretty sure everybody would be very alert to any visiting in the village for at least the next couple of weeks. But then... what was going on with he sister? Was she alright there? "You say... my sister is still in Konoha. Is she alright there? ... Since it seems that your superiors got a little... aggravated when my presence was spotted." Depending on his answer, she would make a decision. I'm sorry Yoshimaru, but if there is a reason for me to believe she's in danger.. I will go back to Konoha and kill anyone that gets in my way. I hope you are ready to finish severing all ties with that village.

But what if her sister was now on her way here? Not likely.. but yet... not all that foolish to think of. But she didn't know that Yoshiko was here, so perhaps she had decided to stay behind in Konoha in case her older sister returned. And who was this Takeshi that Hina was supposedly traveling with? Yoshiko felt a small sting in her chest as she thought about that perhaps her little sister -had- indeed gotten a new family, but shook that feeling off. Instead came a little bit of suspicion as she wondered if that guy was any good. How troublesome this all is...

Once the young woman had calmed down, Yoshimaru watched as she sheathed her sword on her back and tied a knot to keep it on there. He was relieved to see that she had relaxed and taken control of herself easly. Yoshimaru is a very understanding man and he could completely relate to Yoshiko pretty easly, but he had never been in a situation like this before, so this kind of reaction was new to him. She stayed silent until she had said she believed him, which was a relief.

"You must...apologize for my .... behavior. This was quite... startling for me to hear." She had spoken out and Yoshimaru nodded his head, as her eye pierced through Yoshimaru, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable, but none the less, he didnt care for how he felt himself. Yoshiko had walked over to the sink and began to run her hand under cold water. "There should be... bandages... in the right cabinet on the wall." She spoke out again to the men as Yoshimaru nodded his head and walked over to her, not even needing to reach up in order to get the bandages out of the cabnet due to his height. "Here, let me see your hand, I have something to put on it to help the cut." He told her and smiled as he gently took her hand in his left hand, as his right hand turned a light green colour. His fingers had some sort of spikes on the edges. He took his right thumb and cut open his right index finger, causing some Aloe to slowly seep out slowly. Yoshimaru then carefully applied the aloe onto the cut and waited a few seconds for his right hand to go back to normal. Grabbing the bandages, he wrapped them around her hand, around the thumb and in that repeative motion until it was thick enough to capture anymore leaking blood. He made it secure so it wont come undone. Having to do this to his son multiple times made it become some sort of hobby to be a walking first aid kit.

"You say... my sister is still in Konoha. Is she alright there? ... Since it seems that your superiors got a little... aggravated when my presence was spotted." She asked as he looked up at him, as he smiled and looked down at her and let go of her hand, knowing it was fine now. "Shes fine and doing well. I would go back there with you to help, but im sure they already have some sort of mission to come find me and capture me." He chuckled softly at the last part that he had said, looking at the clock on the wall. His breath scented of the Lavender plant, the aroma of it able to sooth people and relax them. It was getting late and he had to either decide to leave now or tomorrow night. It would be heart breaking for him to leave so early now, just when he had gotten so close to Yoshiko, and for Yoshido to make friends with Matsu.

Speaking of Yoshidoku, he continued to sit quietly on the couch, wondering if it was safe enough to get down now. Yoshimaru looked back at Yoshidoku and made a hand gesture for him to signalize that it was okay now and everything was fine. Yoshidoku nodded his head at his father and sat down in the livingroom floor once more, waiting to see if Matsu were to come back and continue to teach him. Yoshimaru looked back down at Yoshiko and continued to speak to her, "I know this is sudden, but im having to leave soon. I wish I were to stay longer but I cant risk being hunted down, and staying in one village for longer than two days. I have my escape route planned out and im going to head to Kumogakure, because if I stay a missing ninja for long, im still Konoha's property and they can easly take me back and give me punishment." He informed her and his peaceful smile turned into a frown, showing how serious he was about leaving Konoha, leaving Amegakure, joining a new village. Yoshimaru put his hand on the countertop table and looked down at his hand, at the ring on his finger. "I was stuck in that village and it wore me down. My past lays there. My ancestors history is burried in the roots of that village... I married my first wife in that village... I grew up there.."He stopped as tears began to form in his eyes, looking away from the ring on his finger, as he looked into Yoshiko's eyes. "I cant believe im risking mine and my sons life to live a free life without someone pulling my strings and as if I were their puppet. What has this world come to?" He had asked Yoshiko. His eyes were calm but he was truely upset, and he was showing it.

The whole scene seemed to had calmed down. Matsu stood where he had been standing the whole time while Yoshimaru made the bandage for Yoshiko. His grip on the hilt of his katana lessened and he finally let his hand fall by his side. No point remaining in a defensive position if there was nothing to defend against. His eyes travelled over the kitchen floor that was still slightly covered in ice. Water was starting to form where ice once had been when it started melting. Matsu took this as a sign for him to leave the two of them along for a time. He didn't want to interfere with anything they had to say to each other.

Turning away from the two of them, Matsu walked back into the living room to find Yoshidoku sitting in the floor, waiting for him. Matsu grinned as he made his way over to the boy and took his seat across from him. Looking into the boys eyes, the man smiled. "How about you try it now? If you need any more help all you have to do is ask." Matsu knew that the kid would probaly master the technique quickly. The boy had a a knack for using chakra from what Matsu had seen him do with the flower. If Yoshidoku could do that then he could easily do something this simple.

Matsu suppresed a yawn as he waited for the boy to do it. He wouldn't admit it, but he was awfully tired at the moment. The man couldn't explain why either. He hadn't done anything to make himself feel so exhausted. It was as if he had just been struck by a cloud of drowsiness and couldn't escape it. The man waved his hand as if warding off a fly but nothign was there. This would seem strange to young Yoshido. Matsu then leaned back and closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. He hoped the boy would wake him up soon or he would sleep through the whole day.

[Sorry for the shortness, im tired.]

Yoshimaru was already at her side, his hand taking hers as his other hand then started to glow a green color. Yoshiko looked at it and wondered what he was up to, when he then cut his finger a little. Is this ...? It certainly looked like some healing liquid from a certain plant... what was it's name again? Well, Yoshiko didn't know much about plants, so she just kept her mouth shut. Well after thinking of course about the possibility that this could be poison. She didn't really believe that however, as it didn't smell nor look like poison and plus then Yoshimaru wasn't that type of a person. He's always ready to help out... and here I was ... thinking about killing him. Her purple eye watched his hand movements as he was done applying that liquid, and was now bandaging her hand. It didn't really hurt, but the risk of infection was always a possibility. And she didn't really want a scar inside of her palm, as that could interfere with the feeling of the hilt of the katana in battles.

As Yoshimaru spoke, he seemed very sure that her sister was alright and that made Yoshiko relax just a little. "I can't really... go there right now.. since if they are after you ... then surely they'd be even more alert if ..I'd appear there again." What Yoshimaru said next made the young Tomoko girl nod in agreement, as she was agreeing with him that this was the best way. "That's a good decision... since they will probably look here... soon." She wasn't sure if she felt a some sort of a sting of sadness in her chest, or if that strange feeling was perhaps something she still felt after hearing about her sister. Surely she didn't know this man well, but they were connected in a weird way. Yoshiko knew that even if they wouldn't meet often and weren't destined to stay together at the same place for a long time, then they'd probably always be able to help each other out in the future whenever something would happen. It was kind of good to have an ally like that out there... even if they were very different from each other.

There was for once a serious expression on Yoshimaru's face, and that was telling Yoshiko that he really meant his words and actions. The Konoha village would be dead to him, as he would be dead to them soon enough. That was... if they didn't catch him. However... the tears clearly weren't far away as he kept talking. Yoshiko wished she could remember how he felt... that day when she had to leave her village. But those feelings were buried somewhere. "It just seems... that we are all supposed to live.. with some sort of a role... Some can break free... while others can't." Be free Yoshimaru... live the life I can't live. The words she couldn't say to him... "Just calm down.. and think of your son... I know things will go well for you two... if you just play the cards right."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she kept a close ... watch? on Matsu and the boy. They seemed to be doing fine on their own, and there wasn't really anything to worry about. Matsu was surprisingly bonding with the kid, making Yoshiko wonder if he'd feel a little bad when they left.

[Hope this posts makes sense xD Am totally out of it <3 ]

Yoshimaru relaxed alittle and wiped his eyes with his wrists, chuckling to himself. 'How dare I start crying infront of someone...' He thought and smiled alittle, steadying his breathing better and continued to continue his focus on her. It was always on her... He couldnt think of one day he went without thinking of Yoshiko since the day they met. 'I've done everything I have in order to hint it to her..' He thought as a slight pinkish colour came to his cheeks, as he felt his face become somewhat hot, he looked away and spoke to her, "Its either now or never. You got one life to live and you just cant live with regrets. Now thats no fun, now is it?" He asked her and smiled softly, moving the hair out of his face. He looked over at Yoshidoku, which seemed to having a blast with Matsu.

The young woman seemed to be the one paying attention to Yoshimaru for once, unlike he has been doing for himself, telling him to calm down and think of both him and his son. 'I only wanted the best for the kid... Shes right..'He thought and looked down at her, "I'll leave tonight. No matter how long I want to stay.. Lets just say that the longer I stay, the harder it is for us to leave." He told her and winked, following up with a chuckle. He walked out of the kitchen and sat down on the couch, watching as Yoshidoku attempted to focus chakra to his palm. "You can do it, kiddo." Yoshimaru told his son, as Yoshidoku smiled and nodded over to his dad.

Yoshidoku was doing a pretty good job, as he was doing breathing techniques and cleared his mind. Even though Matsu had fallen asleep, his father was watching him and making sure he was doing a good job. The small boy was focusing chakra into the palm of his hand, but after a second, it would slip away as the young boy would keep trying over and over again to keep it there. While Yoshidoku was trying to do the chakra control, Yoshimaru leaned down and began to search around his backpack for something useful. After a minute of searching, he pulled out a large piece of bark that was pulled off of one of a rare tree he had came across.

Yoshimaru took out a knife and held both the items in his hand. 'If im going to have a safe journey, I might as well keep my identity hidden so its going to be harder to the others..' Yoshimaru thought and began to carefully carve into the wood in order to make a mask. It might take a few hours, but it would be worth it in the end and hopefully be useful. He really had no certain design to carve into this mask, but it would be something he made from his feelings. His hair drooped over his face just slightly as he was leaning over and looking downwards. Yoshimaru had been wondering what Yoshiko would do now to occupy herself, as well as the sleeping Matsu.

[OOC: As requested from Matsu then me and Yoshimaru will continue rp-ing in this thread]

"No ... regrets..huh?." Yoshiko looked slightly to the side and thought about if she would ever become someone that had a family, perhaps have a kid or two. Settle down somewhere... flee from this all. She let out a low snort at the thought, not really thinking she was the material for that. Well I guess I will have to see how things work out when I meet Hina... will she still be the same person? He said she didn't speak but write everything down in a notebook... Could it be that the incident left her damaged on the soul? That thought pained Yoshiko, as she knew that perhaps ... possibly it could be that her younger sister remembered everything that had happened that day. And meaning that, she would also remember who it was that had truly killed their little brother. Does she blame me? Has she perhaps been searching for me all this time so that she can get revenge on what I did? Well if that was so... then Yoshiko wouldn't make any objects. If her little sister hated her, that meant that her last purpose to stay alive had just ... vanished into thin air.

They will leave my life tonight. Would they be able to meet after that again? Perhaps.. maybe they would be forced to meet under similar circumstances somewhere again, but who would save whom then? Yoshiko felt a little like she was loosing something bigger than just 2 random people away from her, Yoshimaru and his son were like something that was taunting her. Showing her what she couldn't have, what she could probably -never- have. Would I really feel content if I died today or tomorrow? Well right now that didn't matter. All she really had to do was to come up with a plan so that she could get Hina to her. And then what? Let her live here with me in Amegakure? And what about that.. Takeshi person? Is he just going to let her slip away like that? A slightly startled looked crossed her face at the sudden pain in her palm, making her realize she had been clenching her fist so hard that her fingernails had been cutting into the bandages and wound. Since when had she started to get this stressed out?

Yoshimaru had walked out of the kitchen and was now tending to his son. After saying some words, which Yoshiko didn't hear, the Konoha Jounin pulled out something that seemed like bark and started cutting into it. Yoshiko tilted her head slightly to the side and wondered what he was doing, until then she realized. A mask? Clever move there. Perhaps they will need more provisions.. "I'll...be right back." She was already at the door before she had finished the sentence, and then disappeared outside before closing the door. In quick footsteps she was gone halfway to the store before she started to slow down. Not having brought her katana nor any other weapon for that matter, had been a little foolish of her... but she was pretty sure no one would mess with her for this short distance.

Finally arriving at the shop, she hesitated before walking straight inside. There weren't many around... a few tired faces she recognized to have seen before. Yoshiko wandered around in the small shop and thought to herself just what exactly they would possibly need. Was it perhaps just herself that had needed to get out of there for a few minutes? Matsu had been sleeping, or so it had seemed, but she didn't want to take any risks. With swift hands she had pulled into the shopping bag a few strips of dried meat, a bread, a few ramen packs and some spices. Upon arriving at the counter, she didn't look at the man that glanced curiously at her, but just paid the amount he asked for before stepping outside. I should perhaps... give them something as a parting gift? Never really been that much around others, she had no idea how to behave in a situation like this. Ah well.. it wasn't as if they wouldn't be seeing each other sometime again, if she knew fate correctly.

Her quick walking turned into a jogging as she moved with ease while carrying the bag over her shoulder. There probably hadn't even passed 10 minutes since she had left the apartment, but she still had a little uneasy feeling in her stomach. It was as if she was expecting something catastrophic to happen at any minute. They are pretty capable of taking care of themselves.... She was now in front of her apartment's door, her hand hesitating as it lay on the doorknob. Somehow she thought it was a very different feeling to walk in there, knowing that there were people that had been waiting for her.. instead of always being alone in there. So alone....

Her thoughts got shrugged off, as she finally managed to make herself turned the doorknob and walk inside. The bag of groceries was still casually slung over her shoulder in which her katana had usually been laying tied against her.

Although when Yoshimaru looked up, Yoshiko had left the house saying she would be right back. He was already half way done with carving and cutting the mask, the only thing that needed to be done was the details like the eye holes and mouth hole. 'Nows my chance..' He thought as a smile came across his face, whispering to Yoshidoku, "You can stop now for a minute, come here, I want to show you something." Yoshimaru told his son as the young boy nodded and walked over to his dad, sitting next to him on the couch. Yoshimaru then bit his thumb and spread his blood on his palms, as Yoshidoku did the same thing to his own palms. "Alright, copy my motion." Yoshimaru told his son as he began to make opening and closing fist motions above his own open palm, as he hoped his palm up, a rose came out. The boy nodded as the two began to do it together, as a minute passed by and the two had made a dozen roses.

Quickly and quietly, Yoshimaru grabbed a vase that Yoshiko already had, and filled it up with water and put the roses in the vase. 'I bet she'll love these..' He thought as he set it down on the little table in the kitchen in which they ate on. He thought it was an appropriate place, since she could eat there and look at them. They were special though, since he put his blood into them, they would never die until he died. He thought it would be a nice gift for her, for being so kind to him and, maybe see how he is trying to show his feelings for her. Although, when he saw that she had came home, he put his arm down infront of the vase of roses and leaned over a bit.

"Welcome back sweetie." Yoshimaru told her with a wide grin and looked back at Yoshidoku, which was waiting to see Yoshiko's reaction as well as Yoshimaru. "Before you say anything, I want to show you something." He told her and smiled softly. Yoshimaru moved his arm out of the way and stood up straight, looking at the vase of beautiful roses, and then looking at her. "I made these, from my own blood. But, they arent just normal roses. They'll never die, unless I die. Thats why just in case you worry about me while im travelling, these'll reassure you. Im sure you can tell which one is Yoshido's." Yoshimaru told her and chuckled a bit as there was one that was a red and white daisy. He thought to himself for a moment, wondering if he should say something charming or not, to get to her alittle. 'I like you..' Wanted to come out, but didnt, as he strugged a bit to say something. But at that moment, he came up with something clever, "If affections spoke louder than words, I would have made you deaf by now." He was satisfied how that came out, as he blushed just slightly and smiled at her.

Although, saw that she had a bag slung over her shoulder. 'Did she buy me groceries..?' He thought to himself and looked at the bag with a questioning look, waiting to see what she had brought him.

Yoshimaru and Yoshidoku both stood at her kitchen table and were looking at her with quite a cheerful expressions, as well as slightly excited. What are they... She glanced to the couch, seeing Matsu still there and alive made her a little bit more relieved, as her eyes then went to what Yoshimaru was half-way hiding on the table, the roses that were in the vase. They were extremely beautiful, and made Yoshiko a little surprised since she hadn't known it was possible to get these kind of flowers anywhere here. Unless..their ability. Of course.. She somewhat envied this ability to be able to make such precious and beautiful things. So alive and something everyone would appreciate. While all she could make were things that were cold and deadly. I have never tried to make anything... beautiful though. Somehow that thought just hadn't crossed the young ninja as she had usually found those things useless. They couldn't defend you, or pierce through enemy's armor. Yoshimaru was now explaining to her how they had made these roses, making her blink before walking closer and examining them better. So they wouldn't die unless he died? That was quite the handy thing to be able to possess.

Surely enough, there was a flower there that had probably been made by his son. The red and white daisy. Her chest... hurt. While she was staring at these flowers, the flowers they had both made with their kindness. For a moment, Yoshiko felt like she was suffocating as she swallowed hard and tried to relief that hard lump that was in her throat and chest. It was such long time since she had felt like this, that it made her confused. They surely are good in confusing me. Very dangerous.. Her hand went out, softly touched a single petal on one of the roses as her purple eye got slightly gentler for a split of a second. How was it possible for some people to be this .. pure? She was sure no one else was able to be like this. These two persons in front of her were no ordinary ninjas, as she was sure they'd reach many others also with their kindness.

Yoshiko wasn't quite sure if she understood what Yoshimaru was saying, but the tall man blushed slightly while he smiled at her. Making the cold-hearted Tomoko girl blink slowly in confusion before looking away from his face and back at the roses. "No one ... has ever given me... anything as beautiful as this. Thank you ... both." Was it just her, or was her voice a little strange? She swallowed again, trying not to feel overwhelmed as she looked both the father and the son in the eyes, letting them know that she truly meant her words and that their actions made her life just a little bit brighter. It wasn't easy after all these years of hardship and loneliness, to receive such warmth and friendship all of the sudden. It was quite frankly ... scary. However she would probably never regret meeting Yoshimaru Kangai of the Konoha village, he had shown her that not all things were just black and white.

Yoshimaru seemed to have noticed the bag that was over her shoulder now, as Yoshiko also realized she had yet to put that down on the kitchen table. "Oh... I bought... some stuff..." The food somehow seemed even less important after their gift to her, making her almost want to just go and return what she had bought. But biting that back, she opened the bag and began taking the things out of it. Placing on the table, there were the stripes of dried meat, the ramen, bread and some spices if he would ever run out of the most important ones. "I'm not sure... if you need this or not... you don't have to.. take it if you don't .. want to." With a slightly awkward motion, she pointed at the food that lay now before them on the table. Am I an idiot? Why would he want that? He probably had packed all he needed when he had left Konoha anyways.