Yoshiko Tomoko's place ~ Ask before entering ~

Yoshiko had seemed to be dazzled by the roses that he made himself, as well as Yoshido's little daisy. This was something that Yoshimaru only did once, for one person, and that he chose to do it for Yoshiko. But, she seemed to be lost with the whole hint he gave her with the small saying he said. He really hoped that she would understand, but there was just one thing left to do in order for her to understand how he felt, and he had to do it soon before he left. Yoshidoku smiled when she seemed to look quite satisfied with her roses and his little daisy. Although, she seemed shocked as well. It made him happy to please her with such things, seeing her happy made him happier than ever.

"No one ... has ever given me... anything as beautiful as this. Thank you ... both." Yoshiko had told them and thanked them, as Yoshimaru nodded his head as well as Yoshidoku. "You're very welcome." He said and stepped a bit closer to her, "But no matter how hard I try, my roses will never be as beautiful as you." Yoshimaru whispered softly and chuckled a bit, looking down into her now gentle purple eye as it looked at him and the roses. Although he was getting pretty close to her, he just stepped away a little. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable with his actions and words. He respected her too much to do that.

"Oh... I bought... some stuff..." She had said and put the bag down on the dining table, as he drew his attention to it and smiled. 'She bought me food? Thats really sweet of her... She doesnt want me to starve on my travelling. She really cares about me leaving.'He thought to himself as he smiled at her, looking at the things that she took out and laid down on the table. She began to hesitate and think twice as it seemed, saying that he didnt have to take the items if he wanted. "I really appreciate you buying food just for us and our travels. It means a lot, even if you dont think that." He told her as a small red blush came to his cheeks.

Leaning down a bit, he kissed her on the forehead and grinned, looking down at her. Waiting a few seocnds, he stood back up and put the items back in the bag and put them into his large backpack. Sitting down, he looked over at her and patted the spot next to him. Taking out the mask he was carving, he relaxed himself back on the couch and began to carve it. 'I wonder if I should have really kissed her... I guess that'll have to wait later.' He thought as he chuckled to himself.

A small scowl entered her face as she tried to register his words. How was it possible that a human being could be more beautiful than roses? That didn't make any sense to her really... For a moment she thought he might be making fun of her, but as she glanced into his eyes then she just knew that he really believed in those words of his. Well.. even if I find it weird then perhaps it would make sense to someone else... Yoshimaru was very close to her also, almost too close. It was as if he was able to sense though that she'd start feeling uncomfortable as he moved slightly back, to give her a little space to breathe. This whole "human presence" thing was still something she was going to be cautious about, as she didn't trust in feelings or any of that bullshit for that matter.

Yoshiko noticed that Yoshimaru was smiling again as he looked at what she bought, making her think that she might have actually done something right. Well it looks like I can slowly learn on this communication thing.. His handsome face was a little funny right now, as small blushing started to appear in his cheeks. That look made the grown man seem like a troubled teenager for a few minutes, and Yoshiko couldn't help but ponder what was causing this. Her body stiffened slightly and with a startled look on her face, Yoshiko noticed that he had just leaned down and kissed her on the forehead while she had been deep in thought. It felt... warm.. a little weird also she guessed while she lifted her hand and softly touched the place where his lips had been on her skin. She parted her lips, about to ask why he had done that... but then stopped and put her hand back down. He was probably displaying his affection or kindness through this way, and she didn't really mind.

I remember when father used to kiss mother... but those kisses weren't always just on the forehead. Her purple eye looked at Yoshimaru's lips and she wondered what it would be like if he kissed her like she had seen couples kiss. Hnh.. my reaction would probably be a very... not girl-like punch. Or maybe she would get too surprised to even do anything. Either way, she had always thought that people didn't kiss unless they were in love so Yoshimaru would probably save his kisses for his next wife. That's probably it... Perhaps it was weird for her to be this naive, but well... what was there to expect after how she had been living her life? It was a wonder she hadn't forgotten how to talk by now!

Yoshimaru was by now back on the couch, having saved a seat seemingly for her next to him, as he started carving again into that mask. Yoshiko walked over to where her katana lay against the wall and took it in her hand, before then grabbing a cloth from the kitchen counter. She then made her way over to the couch and sat down next to Yoshimaru. Drawing her feet underneath her, she started to clean the blade of her long and black bladed katana. The blade of it was just as sharp as it had been when she first got it. It would be able to split a hair without any trouble, and the saw part of it was also just as razor sharp. Her hand moved in a slow, graceful movement over the blade, as she dragged that clothe over it and wiped off any dirt spot that was threatening to lower the beauty of the raven black color to the deadly weapon.

This action always soothed Yoshiko, allowing her to get lost in whatever day dreams she wanted, or just give her a moment to empty her mind. Now wasn't the time though for those type of things, as she started wondering how long Matsu was going to be sleeping. How I envy him of this ability to be able to feel that relaxed and actually sleep around others.

Although the whole time in the kitchen and on the couch, there was a very awkward silence lingering in the air, but Yoshimaru didnt think much of it. He felt her sit next to him, as he looked over at her with his eyes for a moment, and then looked back down at his mask. She was relaxed and cleaning her sword with a cloth, as if she were lost in a daze as she did so. Yoshidoku laid on the floor and stared up at the ceiling and tried to find shapes as he usually did at his own house. Yoshimaru wasnt sure what to say now to her, but he was happy that she was comfortable around him.

The mask was done now, having to carve the eyes and mouth into it, and a few designs. 'I guess I should paint it...' He thought and looked at his hand, turning one finger white and another to be red. He could use many type of chemicals, from different type of plants and put them into his hand. It was one of the special things that the Kangai clan could do, if they were truely skilled with their clan specialities. Yoshimaru began to paint the mask mostly white, blowing on it to let it dry, as it took a few minutes. He then switched over to use his red finger in order to make small disigns, blowing on it again. The paint looked extra-ordinary on the mask.

Spoiler:

"There, done." Yoshimaru smiled and looked at his mask, as Yoshidoku saw as well. Yoshimaru turned his head to the side and looked out the window and saw as the sky began to get slightly darker, as it would be atleast ten to twenty minutes until it got really dark. 'My time is limited here...'He thought to himself and sighed, standing up and putting the mask down on the couch. He took off his robe, putting it back in his bag as he searched around and pulled out his black long sleeved top, putting that on and then grabbing his Hashirama armour and put that on, securing the locks. Brushing off some of the dirt on the armour, Yoshimaru took a look at Matsu and smiled, and then looked at Yoshiko. "Mind walking me to the door? I have something to tell you." He asked her and smiled softly at her once again, as he grabbed his mask and hooked it on his armour for a moment, grabbing his backpack and slinging it on his back. Yoshidoku stood up and followed his father to the door, just behind him.

The sky had turned dark, and this is where he would say his goodbyes to Yoshiko and the sleeping Matsu.

The silence that hung in the air was comfortable to Yoshiko. She didn't even think of it for one minute that for others it might feel uncomfortable, as she was a little dense when it came to other people. Her eye glanced every now and then at the mask as Yoshimaru finally finished it and then started to paint it with his fingers. It made the Tomoko girl a little curious how he was able to do that, then make that paint appear from his fingers, but she didn't really feel like breaking the silence. So they both just kept working without a word, seemingly unaware that they were both always glancing at each other or at their work. The katana was shiny clean now, and feeling content about it Yoshiko placed it next to the couch. It stood tall and proud in the air, it's length and sharpness every so intimidating for anyone else but it's loner owner. For Yoshiko that katana was the last thing she had left from her father, so for her it represented sweet and yet painful memories that she never wanted to let go. She simply chose to ignore the other feelings that came from the sword. The blood that had run down that blade through the years, the people she had killed... impaled with the black blade so that it had turned red.

She was starting to wonder if Yoshimaru had perhaps changed his mind about leaving this evening, as she noted that it was always getting darker and darker outside. Maybe he'd feel uncomfortable traveling with his boy in the dark? But it was though the best choice.. so she was starting to wonder if she should point that out to him. But just as that thought was done crossing her mind, the Kangai man stood up. He changed his clothes and put again on the heavy looking armor that he had taken off when they had first entered her apartment. It didn't seem overly comfortable, but would most probably be life-saving to wear. Safety over comfort was always what worked best. I wonder if anyone will recognize that armor... Well.. probably not. She shouldn't nurturing too much of thoughts that could jinx this all. Not that she was superstitious or anything...

"Sure.. I don't mind.." She stood up and stretched a little before stifling a small yawn that was trying to make it's way out. Ugh... I'm going to be needing some sleep soon... Glancing at the sleeping form of Matsu, she wondered if she should make him leave first or just let him sleep there over the night. He was still lying there like he was dead, so it wouldn't be very nice of her to wake him up.. she supposed. It's not like he would try anything funny... and besides... I sleep -very- lightly so I'd wake up probably as soon as he would. She had also had an extra blanket somewhere if she wasn't mistaken..

Yoshiko was now standing at the door, waiting for Yoshimaru and Yoshidoku to say their goodbyes. She was herself wondering if she should offer to hug them, or perhaps just try to make a crooked smile and wave? ... Either way.. Yoshimaru would probably be asking for the hug and help her with that trouble of deciding how to say goodbye.

As the two shinobi stood at the door, it seemed as if they had known eachother for a long while, and not just seeing eahother twice. Yoshimaru knew his leaving would be hard for the young woman, but it had to be done. Yoshidoku would probably be alittle heartbroken, as he was both homesick and didnt want to leave his new friend. Sighing, Yoshimaru smiled as he looked down at Yoshiko. His smile was reassuring to her and warming. He hesitated alittle to talk, since it seemed his mouth was dry, or maybe he was alittle cold chested. Either way, his words would mean a lot to her as they usually were.

"Good-byes make you think, they make you realize what you've had, what you've lost, and what you've taken for granted." He started out and looked into her eyes deeply, trying to connect to her. "Always remember the last thing you say to people each day. What if it happens to be the last thing you ever get to say to them? Because sometimes there is no next time, no second chance, no time out. Sometimes it is now or never." Moving a little closer to her, atleast a good fifteen inches apart of them. His eyes never left hers, even if was slightly painful to move his head downwards, he leaned down a bit to get comfortable. "Life takes us in many places, some near and some far, but the one solid thing you can count on is that you will always have me." Whispering softly to her, as his smile grew bigger, but his eyes began to tear up just a bit. "How lucky I am to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard?" He whispered to her even softer, as he leaned with his upper body and head, bending his knee's a bit. Yoshimaru then put out his hand, placing it gently on her left cheek, moving his head to the right... His lips met hers and he closed his eyes. From that moment, he knew she'd probably get a hint, and it was a big one, that he felt for her. Her lips were very soft, but cold against his ever so warm lips. It made his heart beat just a little faster than normal, as he concentrated on nothing but her, he could see nothing but her, and hear nothing but her. He couldnt help but to grin while he was in the moment, as it felt just so good. The kiss lasted for atleast 5 seconds, as he pulled his head back just a bit. "I hope this kiss wont be our last." Yoshimaru grinned at her and chuckled softly in his throat as he looked into her eyes for a brief moment, then stood up and straightened out his back, his hand removed from her cheek.

But as that moment went by, his eyes never stopped their connection, until he grabbed his mask and placed it over his face, tying it behind his head. But Yoshidoku took this moment and quickly hugged her leg, because of how short he was, thats how much he could accually reach of her. The young boy smiled up at her, and then let go to go back to his father, taking his hand. "We only part to meet again." He told her and pulled off a smile that he had given her the moment they met, as he glanced away from her and looked at the door, hesitating just a bit to grab the knob, but he did anyways and out they were. Yoshimaru looked at the address of the house and took a mental note of the number, and then the street. It would come in handy one day.

Yoshiko crossed her arms while waiting for that goodbye moment to get on. She was still a little unsure what to do, so it was best to wait and see what things Yoshimaru had on his mind and wanted to share. She could at least try to seem and agree with whatever sweet and mushy things he had to say before they parted. Would he ever figure out just how shut off she was? Finally he started speaking, and Yoshiko was surprised to feel she could somewhat understand what he was saying. Surely she would have wished from the bottom of her heart she could go back and say goodbye to her family, not take them for granted. If only she could have held her little brother in her arms one more time.. be able to feel her father's strong hand on her head when he was praising her for her hard work... to run her fingers through her mother's beautiful hair while listening to her soothing songs. So of course she could relate to what he was saying. Her mind was filled with the thoughts that were always haunting her, always making her think back and wonder what could have happened. What if she hadn't gone with her siblings to get supplies that exact day? What if she had just kept her calm when the men had captured her and her siblings? What if.... what if...

Her stance didn't change as she didn't even notice when Yoshimaru got closer to her, his tall frame lowering itself slightly. Her eye that was looking into his own was slightly distant, but still there as she tried to listen to his voice. Make something out of his words. The same small scowl as earlier entered her face as she watched his blue eyes tear up a bit. What does he mean by that? How can he feel lucky if he's close to tears? However, the young and cold hearted ninja got other things to think about, as his hand touched her cheek ever so softly before his warm lips met her colder ones. She forgot to breathe, her eyes got wide. What the.... but... What the heck happened to her theory about only couples kissing?? But now as she thought about it.... hadn't he tried to make it clear to her? Yoshimaru... has those kind of feelings for ...me?

She didn't move away or make a single sound, perhaps because she felt like she was frozen to the ground from the surprise... or maybe she got that startled by what she had finally managed to figure out. She was pretty sure she could feel her cheeks get a little warmer, as they got a pale pink color to them. This was all so ... weird. So confusing.. His lips seemed to be trying to warm her own, and she was sure they were doing a pretty good job. Yoshimaru.. do you even realize who I am? What will happen if I get ordered to hunt you down? Her brain however seemed to be refusing to get consumed in those kind of thoughts, as it only wanted to concentrate on what the bold Konoha Jounin was doing.

As the kiss got finally released, Yoshiko gulped in the needed air which she had been refusing her lungs of. She blinked her eyes while swallowing hard as she was seemingly trying to make up her mind if she should blush more or scowl more at his next words. He should be glad I didn't kill him! But deep down, waaayy deep down, inside of her.. those words gave a little spark to a long forgotten feeling. As Yoshimaru tied his mask over his face, making Yoshiko almost wish he didn't cover it, she got startled again as his son hugged her leg to him. With a slight hesitation, she patted him softly and awkwardly on the head before he let go. "...See...you." After all the things that had occurred, all the things that were said and left unsaid... these 2 words were the only ones that managed to escape her lips as she watched after them go out. Would she ever get to meet her first friend again? And if they would meet again... then what would happen?

There passed probably 10 minutes in which Yoshiko stood there still, having her back against the closed door while her fingers rested against her lips. Even if the surface of them was cold, she could feel like there was fire underneath there. Leaning her head back, gently bumping it against the hard wood behind her, she let out a long sigh before pushing her body away from the door. Sleep... that's all I need to clear my head. Wandering to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and then walked to her bed like a robot. Grabbing a blanket from underneath her pillow, she turned and walked towards where Matsu lay. He was still sleeping, to her amazement, and his mouth was slightly open while a low snoring was the only thing heard now in the apartment.

With a swift movement, Yoshiko spread the blanket out over his sleeping frame, before hesitating a bit as she then ran her hand gently through his hair. She felt like she was patting a ... pet? Blinking and raising an eyebrow over her actions and thoughts, she stepped back and went over to her own sleeping place. She didn't mind sleeping in the shorts and T-shirt she was wearing at the moment, so without a word she crawled into the bed and pulled at the cover until it was reaching up to her chin. There hadn't passed 5 minutes since she wondered if she'd ever be able to calm down, until the Tomoko ninja was soundly asleep.

~Dream~

A dark corridor spread out in front of the lone Shinobi. Every few feet was a lamp, casting an eerie light over the whole place. Matsu stared ahead, wondering what lay in store for him at the end. He could hear soft whimpering noises further down from where he stood and just the slightest sound of a voice. His curiosity was starting to get the best of him, so he started walking in the direction the noises were coming from. The man’s footsteps echoed as he took each step, causing the sound to bounce around the tight space. His eyes traveled from place to place as he walked, trying to decipher anything that was in the shadows.

Doors started to appear along the wall as ge got further from where he started. Some of them were just plain black doors while others were adorned with golden designs that depicted dragons and other mythical creatures. Matsu decided to ignore these doors and just find his way to the one the noises were coming from. He didn’t know what was behind the ornate doors and he wasn’t in the mood to find out. Things were already odd enough and he didn’t want to end up fighting something he had never seen before. His swords could only protect him from so much.

A flicker of bright light caught the mans attention as he came upon the last door of the hallway. It was slightly cracked, letting out just enough light so that he would notice. His curiosity aroused even more, the man pushed the door open and stepped through. The room was completely different than the dark corridor he left behind. A huge chandelier hung on the ceiling, illuminating the whole room with his light. Tables, chair, and shelves full of books filled the room. Matsu had never seen anything like it in his life. It was as if he was in a completely different world. Looking around, he searched for something that would give him a clue as to where the sound was.

The slight movement off to his left gave the person away. His acute senses caught on to the movement and he honed in on the spot. Moving quickly, he dashed behind the bookshelf and looked down at a boy a little younger than him, staring up into his eyes. Matsu took a step back whilst staring wide eyed at the kid. There was nothing abnormal about the kid at all. He looked like any other sixteen who didn’t have anyone to take care of them. No, the thing about this kid that scared Matsu was that it was him when he was sixteen. This is why the man jumped like he did and almost shouted out.

Brilliant blue eyes met brilliant blue eyes as the two Matsu’s stared at each other. The younger one, the one from the past, opened his mouth and words spilled forth. ”Why have you come to this place? This isn’t for you! They will not allow it!” Matsu stared down at himself in bewilderment. The boy was saying things that made no sense to him. ”What do you mean? Who are they?” No answer came. Instead, everything started to swirl and Matsu felt like he was falling through a huge hole with no bottom.

~Yoshiko’s Apartment~

Matsu woke with a start, sweating pouring off his bare chest. Chill bumps ran up his arms and his hairs were on end. Throwing the cover off, the man stood up and shook the feeling that he was being watched off. That was a very strange dream. It felt so real. Shaken by what had occurred while he was asleep, the man made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a glass from the cupboard. The faucet cut on with one easy twist and he filled the cup up to the brim before draining and setting the glass back down. Walking back into the room he had fallen asleep in, he looked around. His clothes and swords were where he had left them and nothing else seemed to have changed. The only noticeable change he could see was the fact that Yoshimaru and Yoshidoku were nowhere in sight. This made the man frown and he worried if they had bunked with Yoshiko for the night.

Shrugging off the questions about the whereabouts of the two other males, Matsu decided to take a shower before he settled down and waited for Yoshiko to wake up. Grabbing a towel on the way to the bathroom, Matsu threw it over his shoulder and closed the door behind him. Setting the towel down, the man stared into the mirror at his face. His brilliant blue eyes stared back him. The man shuddered and turned away, making his way to the shower to cut it on. Sliding out of his pants and underwear, the man climbed in and let the hot water run over him. It was refreshing after having cold sweat drench his body. The man washed quickly and then climbed out, drying off quickly and wrapping the towel around his waist.

Matsu figured Yoshiko wouldn’t be up for awhile so he held off getting dressed until he started hearing movements from her bedroom. For the time being he just sat on the couch with nothing but the towel covering his naked body and watched the sun rise outside. Rain was already starting to come down outside even though it had rained the day before. He couldn’t stop thinking about the dream he had. Images of it kept flashing through his head no matter how hard he tried to block them out. What really scared him was how scared the boy in his dream had sounded. It was almost like something bad would happen soon that Matsu couldn’t explain. Sighing, he cleared his mind as best he could and decided to hold off on anything about the dream until he saw Riku again.


[I think I kind of over did it on the dream part >.<]

There wasn't any dream to remember, nor anything really to think about for Yoshiko as she slowly woke up. Her hair wasn't covering her face as she lay on her back on the soft bed, so she was now staring up at the ceiling with both her eyes. The eyesight on her right eye was a little blurry, as always when there had so little time passed since she had woken up. It didn't matter though, as long as the eye would work in battle... then Yoshiko wouldn't mind if she was blind all the other times on it. It wasn't as if she was using it on every day basis anyways. Probably 15 minutes passed in which the Tomoko girl lay motionless on her bed, still staring up at the white ceiling. Slowly, very slowly her arms snaked upwards and above her head as she gave a very delightful stretching before yawning. I wonder if that boy is still here. It wasn't perhaps correct to think of Matsu as a boy, since he was probably around her own age, but Yoshiko had never really thought of herself as someone young. Her physical age wasn't anything she bothered over, since the mental age was what mattered and took control.

I wonder how far Yoshimaru and his son have made it now.... perhaps they got caught on the way... If the Konoha Jounin would give up her location, then it would be very unfortunate... but still she didn't regret letting them go. If there would become a problem out of it, she would just deal with that and learn from the mistakes. To trust someone was something new... exciting... different. Something that gave a new meaning to her otherwise colorless life. It was most of the time as if she didn't see any colors, didn't smell anything... didn't feel...anything. That was how she had lived her life up until now. And then people started to butt into her existence, making her open her eyes to the colors, find the delightful odor of a newly bloomed rose... feel something that brought pain and yet joy.

The covers slid soundless down as Yoshiko sat up in a single motion. Her hair fell down over the right side of her face again, although it was a little tangled. She was still wearing that same black T-shirt that hugged her hips, and the red shorts that reached barely down to her mid-thighs. Comfortable clothing was something she insisted on having when she slept. Unless of course circumstances wouldn't allow anything that was comfortable. She swung her feet from the bed and then stood silently up, bending slightly to the sides to let her back crack before she then stepped away from the bed and walked to where Matsu had been sleeping. And there he still was... sitting now on the couch and wide awake. And he was also just wearing a towel that was covering his most important parts. Yoshiko stopped, crossed her arms and let her purple eye wander over his muscular form as he sat there. She wondered if she should feel something like embarrassment or shyness, but none of those feelings would come up. Instead she felt somewhat more... curious?

Hn... I suppose it wont do any good to just stand here and stare at him.. Stiffling a yawn, she made a small motion towards him with her head. "How...did you..sleep?" Kind of a silly question, seeing how knocked out he had been when she had gone to sleep herself. Yoshiko even wondered if he had really slept the whole night, for if he had then she was really envious of that kind of sleeping habits. I wonder what to do with him now? Does he expect something from me? Should I be expecting something from him? Somewhere inside her, she knew that she would want to see him perform his battling skills. Let her see his level. Yoshiko felt now for the first time the slight urge to actually train with another human being. And that feeling alone was enough to make her quite surprised at not only herself, but also Matsu.

I should probably be blaming Yoshimaru... his existance has made me too soft. But when she thought about it, while trying to excuse her new thoughts, Yoshiko came down to the conclusion that it would be very good to have a new ally and someone she could use with her. Who knew what kind of help she'd need if she decided to return to Konoha and retrieve her sister? Hina... wait for me..

Rain was still hammering the roof of the house an hour after Matsu finished the shower. The towel was still wrapped around his waist, keeping everything out of view in case someone did walk in. His icy blue eyes traveled over the room in front of him as his thoughts crept towards the area of training. It had been a few days since the last time he’d trained and he needed to keep sharp. His sword training was first and foremost in his mind. Today he had to go train or else he would be stuck in a house for the whole day again. That wasn’t an option from the way he viewed things and he decided that he would leave today, with or without Yoshiko.

Getting to his feet, Matsu made his way into the kitchen again and fixed another glass of water, carrying this one with him back to his seat. Taking three swigs of the clear liquid, the man let the glass rest against his leg while keeping a firm grip on it. His eyes traveled outside the window, where he could see the rain pummeling the other house around. Shaking his head, he wondered how he would manage to train in this weather but put it off. He would find a way, no use trying to talk himself out of it. Yawning and then wiping the sleep out of his eyes, Matsu leaned his head back and closed them, relaxing for the moment.

Soft footsteps could be heard approaching the couch from behind. Matsu tensed up, realizing he wasn’t wearing anything but a towel. Before he could move Yoshiko’s voice came from behind, asking him how he had slept. Grimacing, he spun around and looked up at her face. She looked almost the same as the day before, except that her hair was tangled and Matsu caught the slightest glimpse of a scar on that side of her face. A certain curiosity came over him but he beat it down. He couldn’t just ask her how she had obtained such a scar when he barely knew her. Keeping his usual calm expression, he looked her over and noticed she was wearing a slightly large t-shirt with short shorts on. Figuring this was what she slept in, he put it out of his mind.

”Surprisingly comfortable. You would expect the floor to be hard and unbearable but the carpet makes up for that.” Nodding to her, Matsu stood up and grabbed his black pants and boxers from the back of the couch. He made his way slowly to the bathroom and was closing the door when he stuck his head back out. ”Give me a minute. I need to get dressed.” With that he closed the door and let the towel drop. Leaning against the frame of the door, he breathed in and stared up at the ceiling. Part of him wanted to stay here with the woman while the other part of him wanted to go out and find someone to train with. He didn’t have much knowledge of the woman standing in the next room and there were many things he needed to learn about her before he could learn to trust her completely. Sighing, he pulled on his boxers and pants and opened the door back up.

Walking back into the living room, Matsu ignored his shirt and over coat. There was no point in putting them on at this time since he didn’t yet know how long he would be here. Taking his normal posture against the wall, with one foot behind him against the wall and his head and back leaning against it too, Matsu stared across the room at Yoshiko. ”How was your night?” Looking around, he noticed that Yoshimaru and Yoshidoku hadn’t come out of her room. This piqued his curiosity even more and he turned to her, raising his brow in question. “”And where did Yoshimaru and his son run off to?” Watching her closely, he waited for an answer and he hoped he got a straight one.

He had seemed a little startled when he noticed her coming, but not completely caught off guard. It was good to know he had slept well, even if it wouldn't really have bothered Yoshiko that much even if he had said he'd slept badly. It wasn't as if that would really affect her own sleeping. Nodding towards him as he slipped into the bathroom, Yoshiko went and got herself some milk from the fridge. She poured it into a glass and took a few big sips from the cold liquid before putting the glass back down. Just as the glass had contact with the table, her eyes glimpsed the flowers Yoshimaru and his son had made her. For a second she just looked at them, before reaching her hand out and very gently touching the beautiful petals with her fingertips. The mild aroma of them was dancing around in the air, making her draw in a deep breath so she could capture it better. Are these flowers really going to wither and die with them? The sound of Matsu getting out of the bathroom made her pull her hand towards her again and stop thinking about the flowers, as she felt a little stupid for doing so...especially in front of another person.

Only his lower part was covered now, and Yoshiko tilted her head to the side while he leaned against the wall .. back in that same relaxed pose as when she was around him first. "My night was....peaceful." Would it bother him to know that the other 2 had left without saying goodbye? Maybe he would get that it was probably easier that way, the less he'd know the less trouble he would get in... or Yoshimaru for that matter if something came up. "They left....last night..." Her purple eye glanced away from Matsu and at the couch where the father and son had last been seated. "You were ... sleeping very soundly... at the time. I think... Yoshimaru didn't feel right.. to wake you up. He doesn't like... goodbyes apparently." What more could she really say?

With a small shrug, she walked past Matsu and towards the bathroom before closing the door behind her. In swift movements after washing her face and going to the toilet, she took the shorts and T-shirt off before putting on her usual clothing which consisted of a bra, shirt, jacket, high socks and short skirt. While being done putting that on, she combed her hair and put the red hair accessory in it. With the last glance towards to mirror, Yoshiko gave a small nod as she felt somewhat satisfied with the outcome. She was used to being clean and neatly clothed, but didn't really think past that as she wasn't used to really dressing up and thinking girly thoughts about her looks. It confuses me though.. that I feel this curious towards Matsu.. and Yoshimaru.. it was weird. The Tomoko ninja leaned a little closer to the mirror and put her hand on her chest, gently squeezing down on the softness. Does a male's chest feel like this also? Her hand ran down from her full breasts and down her thin waist until it stopped on her hips. She supposed there wasn't anything wrong with her looks from a male's viewpoint. Ah well....

Having enough of that kind of thinking, she turned and opened the door again. "Matsu... I was wondering..." Should she ask him if he was interested in training with her for a bit? Perhaps a small sparring? Her feet carried her to where Matsu was standing, and she looked up into his face before looking straight ahead on his bare chest. Without really thinking, at all, she stuck her hand out and rested it against his smooth skin. With a small squeeze of her hand and a surprised look on her face, she discovered that he was much firmer there than she was. Well that is to be expected... but this is a slightly weird feeling. Her hand ran down from his chest and to his stomach, where she poked lightly into the muscles while tilting her head to the side. It's really comfortable to touch.. and warm.. I didn't know other people were this... warm. A small silence passed, not very awkward to Yoshiko since she was busy pondering about what she was doing, and didn't notice if there came any strange look on the poor man she was practically groping.

"Ah ... yes. I was going to...ask you if you... cared to... train with me?" Her hand got pulled away, she curled her fingers in her palm as if wanting to keep that warmth there, before looking up at him and waiting for his answer. She wasn't expecting him to say yes, but kind of hoped for a nice reply.

Thoughts of his childhood started to filter into Matsu’s thoughts as he began to remember the kid, Yoshidoku, from the night before. The scene from the mission he had went on when he was just a Genin replayed itself in his mind. Shaking his head sharply, the man prayed it would go away. He couldn’t bare to see his team mate die again. It was bad enough seeing it once when it happened. Sighing, the man thought back and realized that was when he first started to hide his emotions. The days following that were still not within his grasp to remember and he didn’t want to remember them. All he needed to focus on was the here and now, not the past. Opening one eye, he looked at Yoshiko when she began to speak. It appeared that the woman had slept peacefully. Matsu didn’t know if it were true or not but he nodded his head in compliance. The words about Yoshimaru leaving in the night because he wasn’t good with goodbyes surprised Matsu. He hadn’t known the man very well but he did know that the man was pretty lively, not the type to hate goodbyes. Matsu shrugged it off and went back to staring up at the ceiling.

The sound of the bathroom door closing caused Matsu to open his eye and look. Yoshiko had gone into the bathroom for something so Matsu waited patiently for the woman to return. He slid on of his hand into his pocket and let the other on rest behind his head. It was quite comfortable the way he was standing. Not too much weight was being put on his feet and he could easily relax with his slouched posture. Stifling a yawn, he glanced back over at the door and wondered how long it would take Yoshiko to get out. It was odd but he wanted to see her again, even though she had only just left the room. I can’t explain what’s going on with my emotions these days. It won’t be a surprise if I end up going crazy. Chuckling at his own thoughts, Matsu shook his head and leaned it against the wall.

Opening one eye to glance at her as the bathroom door opened, Matsu waved his hand in greeting and went back to staring at the back of his eye lids. Words reached his ears and she seemed to falter at the end of her sentence. Wondering what? Matsu leaned up and opened both eyes, looking at Yoshiko. His eyes followed her as she got closer and looked up into his face. Blue eyes met a purple one before she lowered her gaze and looked directly at his chest. Wondering what she was doing, Matsu opened his mouth to speak when she reached out her hand and touch his chest. A gentle squeeze was felt when she tightened her hand and Matsu felt his cheeks reddening. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to. This was the first time a woman had touched him in any way in a very long time. The last time someone had touched him was when he was younger and his friend, Rin, had given hima hug.

Her hands trailed down his chest and stopped on his abdomen. Matsu felt his abs tense up a little as she poked them. The redness on his face had spread to his ears. Shaking his head, he watched as she took her hand away and started to speak. She sounded surprised that she had allowed herself to be distracted as she had been . His ears perked up when she asked if he wanted to train. Nodding his head quickly, he rested his hand on her shoulder and then stepped around her. Moving over to his katana, he picked it up and strapped it onto his waist. He left his big cleaver where it lay. It wasn’t the right time to use it and he figured it would be better to fight katana versus katana. Making his way back to her, he looked down into her face and smiled slightly.

”Should we go then?” Pointing to the door, Matsu waited for her to reply. It was her that had offered to train so he would allow her to lead him to the training area. He knew one he wanted to go to but if she had a better one then he would use it. His eyes twinkled as he waited, already beginning to become excited at the prospect of training. And he was thinking of leaving that day. If he got to train everyday he would stay as long as she wanted him to. Keeping his eyes on her, he waited for her to give him the all clear.

Oh... I embarrassed him? That was probably rude of me.. Yoshiko had now noticed the red color that was painting the face of the young man she was standing in front of. For a moment she thought about if she should apologize, but that was forgotten as soon as she saw the enthusiastic glint that came in his eyes as she mention the training. He had nodded his head and then moved swiftly over to where his katana awaited him. His eagerness reminded her of a puppy that was about the get a long walk by it's beloved master. Just then, out from that random thought, a picture of Matsu with dog ears and a collar around his neck while he sat on the floor with his eye sparkling from joy appeared inside Yoshiko's mind. Her usually calm and cold composure, got a slight crack in it while she made a rather ... surprised and then a startled expression as a small blush crept into her cheeks before she turned quickly on her heel to hide that small twitch in her right eyebrow.

She wasn't sure what that strange feeling was that tickled her stomach, making her want to let it out in a ... laugh...or somewhat of a hug towards that man? That was weird... since she hadn't laughed in many many years, and was most certainly not going to try and remember how that was done now. And for now.. only Yoshimaru would be getting hugs as she was still being "trained" in the society. What the Hell is wrong with me anyways... Holding her hand in front of her mouth while drawing in a deep breath, she walked quickly towards where her katana was waiting and grabbed onto the hilt of it. Turning towards Matsu, she nodded while averting her eye from his face to hide the slight blush that was still there.

"Yes...let's go..." This was one of the things she felt very ashamed of... but in fact she loved anything that could be called -cute-. And imagining someone with dog ears and a collar while having the happy expression of a puppy.... was just way too God damn cute! For years she had tried to get over that weakness of hers.. but to no prevail. That was one of the big reasons why she never killed animals and would most probably rather kill any human she saw mistreating an animal. And not only that.... if she saw something fluffy... she would stand and stare at that thing with big and sparkling eyes, while fighting herself mentally over -not- grabbing it. She was sure that if anyone knew about this weakness of hers... she would kill that person. It was no way for anyone to behave like this just for some cute and fluffy objects!

Motioning for Matsu to follow, she opened the door and got out. She let it to him to close the door as she walked ahead of him in short and yet fast steps. She knew of a very good place where they could train in peace. Where no one would probably
bother them.

[We are leaving this topic and I will continue it in another thread.]