Team Gone: See You Later Part 2 [Travel]

Posts : 757

The ferry ride out of the Water Country had been largely uneventful and entirely boring for the young traveler. The ferries were departing around the clock on the hour, every hour leaving Razajin completely exhausted as he had spent all of his night training and performing a mock assassination. His entire character had been shattered like glass during the mock field test due to the rigors of the mental burdens they placed on him at every turn. So in short, the entire trip to the dock to board on the ship had been uneventful because he crashed immediately after a small meal in the first class leather seat Kyu had purchased for them. No doubt the festivities of the boat would keep Kyu happy -Raza naturally assumed his cousin was some sort of a womanizer for some reason- and there had been plenty of big breasted, pretty faced, and round bottomed women aboard. What made it worse was that the alcohol in first class was absolutely free.

The waves that lapped against the ferry boat pulsated along with each beat that pounded in his chest. As the music and party boomed around him, Razajin lay entirely in a dream land full of nothing but a collage of memories. He could remember his beautiful girl Emi, he could remember his first battle against Seika, he could remember Hiroshi, Kyu and a host of other things. Sleep had a grip on his body and he slept soundly. His muscles were so tight that when he stirred in his position, they screamed in agony. In fact, his mind had tempted him to wake up and to curse his older cousin for forcing to take faulty supplements. But even in the onslaught of the pain his body faced, he always managed to slip back into peaceful sleep, his mind would instantly forget about Kyu and whatever was going on around him.

The main trouble Raza faced right now was dealing with his performance in the mock assassination. The Commander had played with his mind like a child with a doll, and even now he held pins to prod him with even though they were a country and a sea apart. The Oinin Butai required a different mindset. It required obedience. It required almost demeaning ones self to the level of an inanimate object to succeed. Raza's mind had been conflicted, his spirit at a crossroad. The issue was more than just the choice to become Oinin Butai or not. It was the fact that he could easily sense himself going down both paths equally, without hesitation. There was the Raza of the Oinin Butai who walked down the path of the shadows into the arms of the Mizukage. In his dreams the Mizukage would scoop him up immediately as he chose that path and put him into his back pocket like a kunai along with several other Black Ops. Darkness would envelop that life as the figure of Hiroshi would simply cover the nin pocket with the flap. Emotion flowed so deeply every time he saw this. It was too painful and demeaning, his mind would scream at him. You are more than that. You are a human, you should be treated like one no matter what.

On the other hand he would travel down a path of spiritual enlightenment. He could see the rocky mountains of the Cloud Village and taste the pureness of the air on his breath. There was a feeling of freedom that could only be described as the wind flowing underneath a caged bird that now soared high in the air. All of his worries and problems were detached beneath his feet. Robes of a grand monk covered his body and prayer beads twisted between his fingers. A crowd of trainees shouted as they practiced a style of kicks and punches. The sound of a prosperous life ran strong like an eternal river. Opposite sides of the same coin, one could think. A life of complete selflessness and devotion to ones country and leader, devoid of any emotion and personality. The other side was a life of complete attachment to the spirit, the enlightenment of his soul attracting followers and clansmen alike under a single banner. But in his mind this coin did not choose a side. It stood up and simply straddled the fence, never falling over. Could his mind handle such opposite extremes? Would it crack?

Raza soon learned that Kyu could be trusted. After all he was his teacher and his cousin. The supplements he had taken had completely removed the fatigue of his body and the muscles were new and breathing like the life of a child. Most of the adults among him were still sleeping as he opened his eyes and peered over the tall leather seats in the first class. Kyu again was no where insight. An all call began to sound as they docked in strange lands. Some of the passengers began to stir from their sleep as the thunder of a fog horn bleated through the ship. Ushers ran up and down the aisles, waking the first class with the smell of warmed breakfast and a small carton of complimentary juice. A tray was offered his way and he accepted it. Eggs, toast, fruit slices and bacon were placed picturesque on the tray as the team began to make preparations for the dock to allow passengers off the boat. Razajin piled the eggs onto one slice of toast and then the bacon and formed a sandwich with the remaining piece of toast. He inhaled the fruit instantly and began chewing on a large bite of the sandwich as morning hunger overcame his body. Before the usher could even get to the end of the isle he placed the empty plate and juice container to the side. All that training had worked up an appetite.

A few minutes later soft voice of a middled age woman filled the entire ship. They had arrived at the Lightning Country and would be off boarding within a few minutes. Large doors swung open to let people out of the ship as the ladder from the dock. He quickly gathered his belongings. Raza was the first one off of the ship and down to the deck while the workers began to tie the ferry in and guide it carefully ashore. Looking at the mountain tops that reached like fingers to the sky was amazing. For someone who had never seen this side of the world, it was truly awe inspiring. Here, he could breathe several times better compared to the mist from home. The air was a bit thinner but crisp and clean as if he were breathing through natural filters. Deep in his mind he knew he would enjoy his stay here, and no matter how short it was he would never forget it. Now if he could only find Kyu, they could get the day started.

Posts : 760

Kyu could say in honesty that the trip to Kaminari no Kuni was quite a provoking trip. There was the two day delay they had to deal with on account that this particular ferry he had procured would be first class in every regard and needed the delay to prepare for this long cruise and his young protege training that he so eagerly wanted to perform. The Oinin Butai wasn't exactly cooperative when he first put it past them that the young Shikyo was ready to join. He got the impression that they would rather have a bumbling, mentally defected goat over Raza. The black ops of Kirigakure were honestly one of the greater covert organizations around but they were also the biggest of cunts. To say they were persuaded by Kyu would be an understatement. He more or less had to do a bit of threatening and coercing to even let the Raza go through the mock assassination and even with all the things he did, they gave him a "We'll see."

He wasn't pleased, but the outcome uplifted his spirits. Raza passed without much of a hitch. He was confident that his protégé, or rather cousin-he'll have to get use to that-could pass the initiation phase. Raza went through adversity but how was that any different from the adversity he faced all of his life? What was one more struggle to the man who only knew struggle?

When the ferry came to dock, Kyu did leave his cousin to do whatever he liked once they were aboard. One thing for sure was that what Razajin did with his time was his business. He wouldn’t exactly need a ‘guardian’ throughout this entire trip. He felt he would cramp Razajin’s style if he were to hang around him all the time. Hell, he felt old saying “Cramping his style”. Do they even say that anymore? He didn’t know. He wouldn’t exactly say he was getting old. He was still Thirty-two years of age and he didn’t exactly feel it (or look it once he removed the beard but that was another story all together) but there were moments where he was in his father’s shoes where he was behind in just about everything.

“You must not attach yourself to the world Alyasha for the world will drag you down into hell.” A saying he heard him say constantly. A younger Kyuseishu understood it but did not care. The Kyuseishu now understands everything about it and more.

But that didn't mean he didn't indulge into a few carnal pleasures. This was more or less a cruise that was all about partying which was the main purpose of the buying the ship. It was a place where the young and foolish would drink their livers away and dive into the pleasures that the flesh. What were the chances of the general shinobi populace looking for spies of a pleasure cruise? The odds were definitely low knowing the last thing a shinobi would look for are other shinobi in this plethora of people. It could've been difficult if Kyuseishu was extremely famous. He would have to approach Lightning Country differently perhaps taking the long route (which Kyu was extremely against). He didn't need to worry about that however. It was easier to move when there was very little record of him. He knew he was 'hidden' in the eyes of the public. All he was to the public was an intimidating looking man who towered the general population. They bat their eyes at his walk, his hair, his face, the scar over his eye. Never did they have that questioning look of who he was or what he was.

Kyu left his cabin early in the morning while Razajin was still sleeping in the other room. He opened the door to see if he was all right. The kid was softly snoring in his sleep, resting peacefully. He quietly closed the door and made his way out to the deck. Fog met him as soon as he opened the door. He walked to the railing to see the fog rise up and blanket the surface of the water. If he hadn't known any better he would've believed they were still in Water Country. The temperature was a sure giveaway. It was warmer. Not as warm as the coastal regions where he lived but warmer than the village of the mist itself.

He leaned against the railing and watched as the ferry was trudging along in open waters. He was sure they were close, no more than a few hours from port which would be plenty of time for him to get a bit more sleep. He wanted to sleep now feeling the weight of the trip coming on to him now. He let out a yawn that he tried to hold back.

"Sleepyhead, sleepyhead. Wakey, wakey sleepyhead." a voice said. Kyu turned his head to his left and saw a woman in a black skirt and white blouse. Her heels He knew that husky female voice anywhere.

"It seems I can never get rid of you." Kyu said, looking back at the ocean. “Just when I thought I had alone time.”

"I have to stay close by. My job is to ensure you safely reach Lightning Country." The click of her long heels as she got closer reminded Kyu of glasses, leather and whips. He was not too fond of the latter two.

“So she wasted manpower spying on me?”

“Not you specifically. I wasn’t going to waste time looking for you.” She says “Like I said, I’m here to ensure your safety.”

It didn’t take a genius to know that the she was looking out for Razajin. He did give in his report that he was brining in an apprentice over to her. He was to be trusted he said. He was going to be in The Creed and how he has great potential and yadda yadda. He finesses it the best way he could while being He vague as to Razajin’s identity. He wasn’t exactly sure as to whether she knew about the Shikyo clan, and if she did he didn’t know how she regarded them. Of course, it didn’t surprise him that she would send her personal ‘secretary’ on the task of looking over Kyu and party.

He knew that her name was Ayame with no surname. Whether she still went by the name or not was anyone’s guess. Every record he looked pulled up never stated what her surname was or whether “Ayame” was even her real name. She had amassed a great number of names in the past ranging from male names to female to gender neutral and the works but it seems the one name she was comfortable with and answered to was Ayame.

"And so you have to wear that outfit? It's been four days and that's all I've seen you wear."

"I wear this all the time at work. Company procedure."

Kyu could smell the bullshit and she knew it was. That seemed to make her blush. "Well, ok. I just have a feeling you may like what I'm wearing. I mean, don't you have a thing for secretaries? You can't say she isn't considerate." she bit her lip. It was charming that smile, one that made the guy's pecker go from soft to semi-full. If that was what she was hoping then she would very disappointed. Kyu kept his eyes at the moving sea but he felt that shiver run passed his spine. He would’ve made an audible groan of disgust but held that one back.

He wasn't exactly angry for his contact to spy on them. The contact was more or less an extreme hostess. She always made sure whenever he came to visit that he was taken care of and he was provided with hospitality that could only be compared to royalty. He was insulted to think that he would sleep with her assistant. She was attractive, outright beautiful that could wipe the floor of many women in the entire cruise. The hair, the body, the skin, they were flawless and there was not a single person on this entire cruise that could match that flawlessness. His contact was usually surrounded by gorgeous men and women. Why she did it was simply a matter of aesthetics. But Ayame was a different case. She was one that was ‘untouchable’ to Kyu’s eyes. "I'm assuming you'll be escorting us to her when we arrive at dock."

"It'll be another seven hours before we reach the dock. By then, it'll be noon and she'll want to have lunch with you and your protégé."

"Tch. She's never on time so I doubt I'll be eating with her at that hour. You know your master has a way of showing up late but making things grand in scale."

Ayame shrugged "That's what I've been told sweetie. What you make of it is up to you."

"Understood." He turned to her and looked up and down at her body. "You know, for someone who wore the outfit attempting to seduce me, you do a piss poor job at it."

That puzzled the secretary. “Am I not your type?” she pressed her chest together. The blouse expanded showing the cleavage underneath. She wasn’t wearing a bra he noted

“Yeah, I find I’m allergic to the crazy.”

Ayame giggled “That just makes it all the better sweetie.” He turned to where her back was leaning on the railing “Think of me like a fine wine dear. I’m the cayenne in the dish to spice things up. The pepper if you will. I make things interesting.”

“Ok, now you just making me hungry for curry.” his hand moved to his pocket, fiddling with the change in it.

“When we arrive at port I’ll suggest to madame to have lunch that serves curry. I’m sure you’ll enjoy.”

“No. What you just described made me-“ he pinch the bridge of his nose “Look, never mind.”

“You didn’t really answer my question.”

“I kind of did answer it.”

“But I want you to elaborate. I want to know why.”

Was she joking? She giggled and laughed and made smart comments but this was hardly something he rarely see her didn't do. He saw in those red eyes now that she was hardly joking about this. he finished "You’re cold and unrelenting. You have the eyes of a murderer. They only see red and see nothing but blood. They are eyes that are ready to slice someone's neck before they even get a chance to exhale. You go through the motions but you are far from a seductress and you are certainly far from someone who is “my type”."

Her smirk stretched into a smile. It was the smile of a psychotic woman who would cut off a man's member and feed it to him. She let out a little titter "You got all that just by looking into my eyes. How romantic."

"Am I wrong?"

She paused. He made a gesture with her finger as if she was thinking really hard on the subject "Hardly Kuro, Kyuseishu. I like your honesty. I wouldn't want to think I'm a type if they knew who I am."

"I happen to read your file once. You have one hell of a record of murdering people. I know about your psychotic tendencies and I know that you could snap any time if it wasn't for the medication that your employer gives you."

She didn't respond. She kept on with that smile of hers which made it ever more chilling. Kyu could not be phase by a chaotic nature but he could admit that people like her were unnerving to say the least.

"See to it that you stay out of my way for the rest of the trip.” he said to break the silence “You don't have to spy on me anymore. You can tell her that you followed your job to the T."

She leaned off against the railing "If you insist. If I get yelled at, I'll coming after you for it." he had a image of a blade pressed against his neck in the middle of the night.

"No, you won't." he replied and started to move away from her, back turned and all.

"You're probably right. You would probably murder me." She tittered. Her body began to fade away from the feet upward "But it'll still be fun…" her voice was a whisper before her body faded away entirely.

The charade was over and he felt his body wanting to sleep yet again. He hated encounters with her but knew she was one of his stronger ‘allies’. He would have to tolerate her until she was deemed a threat to him or to herself. When that happen-he yawned as he went back into the cabin and slept that encounter off until he could hear the people walking past his cabin. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw that was 11:47. If the psycho secretary was correct (Which he had no doubt she was), they would arriving at port. From the looks of the Raza's door being wide open he would probably be out with the crowd waiting to dock and soon be waiting for him.I hope you're prepared for the crazy lady.

By the time he got his things packed and he cleaned a good part of the cabin, the ferry had slowed as it was slowly docking. When they reach shore, people were walking out ready to go to town to get lunch, get drinks or whatever young, rich people did. He saw Razajin on the dock looking for him. He waved at Raza so he could get his attention. He leapt up onto the railing and jumped on the dock where he landed lightly next to him.

"All right, I’m going to need you to get a few things while I make sure our contact is here" He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small sheet of paper. On the paper it said I need you to do a bit of scouting. Get use to the area and then meet me at this location in fifteen. He’ll learn that the area was more than just a harbor. He patted Razajin’s shoulder “Just do a bit of errands and pick up some supplies all right. Our contact said noon but she’s kind of a person who tends to stretch time by 100,000 so my guess is 12:30 or 12:45"

He sighed "You'll be in for a treat. If you thought the women in that cruise was something then you'll be shocked." he, however, didn't think that to be but he had a feeling Razajin may think differently about that. "Besides, I need to build up my 'yang'. I've been surrounded by yin for days and I need to do something that'll bring back my fire so I'll see you soon."

Posts : 757

Razajin didn't exactly understand who or what Kyu was talking about, but he knew instructions when he saw them. Whatever Kyu was doing was important enough that he needed his help, or at least Kyu could use his help in solving it. After resting for so long he could feel his body bursting with energy anyhow and a good stretch would be wonderful. He nodded to show that he understood everything that was supposed to happen. As soon as Kyu had given word, he left immediately and blended among the crowd to hide himself.

A line of road that stretched several meters wide broke off into several smaller streets that flowed down into the Lightning Country like the rivers of a delta. Kyu had not told Raza the exact location of the contact, only merely implied that area would be easy to see. Kyu was comfortable with this area to some degree, so the only way Raza would understand where exactly he wanted him to be was to get a better view. After walking several streets down into a stretch of road that led to a few buildings, Raza ducked behind a corner near the entrance of a small flea market. It was nothing but a few buildings and a ton of vendors. People littered the streets in a medley of bright colors and children ran across from vendor to vendor, spilling ice cream or dropping funnel cakes on the way.

Before he could dip away and take to the roof tops, a large hand gripped his shoulder and pointed him towards the crowd. For a split second he looked up and viewed a large black man with a grisly disposition and a squared jaw meet his gaze. This fellow simply said nothing, only pointing to a figure moving through the crowd. For some reason Raza did not protest. His mind did not register anything as a threat, he felt... safe. Each step the old man took hastened until Raza could see that he was almost barreling through the crowd with no disregard for anyone's private space.

He disregarded everyone but Raza and completely ignored the protests from the crowd. When old people became set in their ways it was hard to derail them. Though the frail and tender bodies of the elderly afflicted them with pain and suffering, the spirit of the young and tender could move them. Bones were rattling against bone in his body and everyone could tell, each step slow and labored. Arthritis had knotted his hands until his knuckles had become swollen balls, his fingers mangled and twisted. The lower lip of his mouth trembled above his long beard until he was upon him and he could speak in a silent whisper. His words were like ashes being stirred during the creation of life itself. Those words could move mountains for Raza along with memories, pain and suffering. So many other things he began to feel all at once, all floating to the top. Wrinkled fingers grasped the top of his head and he could hear him speak.

“My boy...”

And he was gone.

Everything was white. Existence itself ceased and was replaced by nothing but pure, unfiltered light. The feeling of hardness under his feet gave him a loose feeling of gravity. He could not trust it entirely but for now his mind had some orientation. Across from him stood a tall dark skinned man, the width of his chest full with a welcoming embrace. A father's smile crept across his face as crows feet pulled at his eyes. Razajin's memory began to play tricks on him, illusions and false tales whispered like ghosts. This figure reminded him of someone he once knew, someone he loved. A time when his life was certain and stable, a time long ago that he could not fully remember. Raza was exactly aware of who this was.

“Father.” he whispered.

He motioned towards him with slow steps that seemed to cross a chasm underneath him. The stature he held was grand and majestic. Each stride felt like watching a king enter his hall. Though he wore the clothing and robes of a monk his presence was much more than the life of someone seeking enlightenment. There was a certain history to this man, the same feeling he had shared with Kyu but amplified by the millions. A tingling feeling reached down from the base of his neck all the way to the tip of his tailbone. Like so many times when he was a child he could feel the heartbeat of his father pulse through his massive hand as he rustled the dreadlocks of his hair. The rhythm of his life flowed within this man endlessly.

“It’s been so long child.”

His father's voice was akin to the calm spirit of a lion before its roar. The echo of thunder. A bass low enough to hold an entire orchestra under its sound. It trailed off into distant memories of time spent as a leader and a father. But now an old spirit.

“There are so many things I have yet to say to you, about your past, our past, what really happened to us that night we left you. I owe it to you all. You have grown into a fine young man, my son. Your mother and I knew you would.”

Mother. Where was she now? He could smell the last meal she had cooked for him fill his nostrils again. For a shinobi who was listed as a dangerous assassin, she could easily discard the mask and blade and become the perfect housewife. The memory of seeing her fend off a wild boar from her garden struck him. With only a sandal she had sent a creature several times bigger than herself running into the woods, never to return. Of all of her great meals, he could remember the scent of her curry rice filling the house on a weekends eve. She called it the curry of life because she could only ever see her two boys together when she prepared it. Her love was more unconditional that he could ever hope for.

“I know you have questions, but we have time. Here an hour may be as a day, or a year, or whatever time we need. I still possess this much ability…” he looked upon his own hand with nostalgia and remembered his prime, his golden days.

Raza could not find the words entirely. To be in such a place like this, to be reminded of his entire history as a child in one moment that had come so swift… His father had been reported dead and assumed dead before he even became a genin. To live with that burden as a boy growing up in the harshness of the Suuin District… The nights he cried himself to sleep, the way he had attached himself to Semiko. Had it not been for her to guide him, he might have not been here today. How could this man just assume he knew where to start? On one turn he wanted to embrace him. On the other he wanted to punch him. Raza didn’t know what to feel.

“You lied to me,” his voice trembled.

“You were alive this whole time and I could do nothing but cry. My...my, my…” his voice began to stammer. Tears flowed from his eyes. It was almost impossible for him to collect himself.

“I had to rely on so many other people for things that you could have done for me. I love you, yet I hate you, I’m glad I can see you now, but I wish you would go away. This is so conflicting, I don’t know what to do… I, I, I….” Hyperventilation began to set in.

Before he could lose his control the world around him began to change and grow color. Inside of a small two bedroom apartment were barren walls and a table that sat across from a kitchen. There were emptied plates on the table with crumbs about the edges of them. Several mugs of glasses filled with colored drinks embroidered the barren meals, some half full some near empty. A lantern hung above them to give light. Its flame began to waver and smear against the draft in the open window. His father and mother sat across the table from a group of Oinin Butai. Outside a group of them crested atop the roof and branches as scouts. A young boy in the far room slept soundly under a homemade quilt. Time then froze and his father spoke.

“It was just like any other night, just like any other mission. We were skilled Shikyo, we could infiltrate any place. We had done so many deep undercover missions as a duo it was impossible for the Oinin Butai to not hire us. I could tell you how we had to go on a top secret mission and describe our protest of it… I could tell you about how we pleaded with them that we retired to raise you and that we did not want to endanger our child.”

He could not meet his sons gaze. He looked away because it was too painful.

“But that’s not the truth. We took this assignment simply because we wanted to. But that’s not how we expected things would happen. We were sent to our own deaths. There had been substantial hidden political problems between the Leaf Village and the Mist Village. A silent cold war only known to a few. A group called the Anonymous 12 somehow became aware of our abilities. They threatened to frame the Mist Village with an act of terrorism on the Leaf. The Anonymous 12 were prepared to release our abilities to the Hokage at the time to prove that the Mist had been at fault.”

He could look at him again, but not without feeling utter regret.

“We were told that we were going to shut out the Anonymous 12 before they could strike. We went. Your mother died. It was a trap. We had trusted them with our hearts and they deceived us.”

There was a sort of finality in his tone. And ending that could have not been reversed.

“The thing is, you cannot live your life chasing this. There is much more to be done. You have a mountain of responsibility to shoulder. Our deaths are not important. There is no use dwelling on the deception of a village, when we chose to be spies. You must accept a greater task.”

He couldn’t contain himself. Through his tears and his emotions he burst forth with anger.

“AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WANT THAT?” He yelled.

It was true. He did not really want any of the responsibilities his clan had set before him. Razajin had been prepared to shoulder them all, but the young boy in him just wanted to be nothing but a young boy. The pieces of his life were being slowly put back together after his parents died, but through it all he only wanted to be just a boy that grew into a man, a man just like his father. A man that both of his parents had raised until the days they were old and withered. Yet by some precedent set by the universe and all creation, he could not live that fairy tale.

“I could come and embrace you, tell you how you must move on and kiss your forehead like a father would. I may have not raised you entirely, but I know you better than that. You are my son, Shinjin Shikyo. My boy! Hugs and tears will not reverse history.”

Shinjin?

“The name we chose for you was merely a cover to keep any Oinin Butai off of you. We could not escape your last name but we had to change your first. Luckily Kyu has continued to play such an important role in your life, a role that you do not know. It is really your cousin who you should be thanking. In a way he has raised you to what you are today, yet he chose to do it with the weight of his pockets and his skills as a shinobi. I never spent much time with him, but we would not be so blind as to leave you completely without family.”

Was he speaking in tongues? What was this foreign, cryptic language that his father spoke? Shinjin? On top of all of this, on top of burdening the responsibility for his clan, being reunited with his father after almost ten years, now his name had been a lie? Try as he may to summon another outburst again he could not. There was truth in the words he spoke. To ignore them and cast them off would be foolish. Each burden he carried could only make him stronger. There was no time to weep.

“I miss you dad. I miss mom.” Those words almost broke his fathers heart into a million pieces.

His father took a knee in front of him, looking him in the eye.

“I will tell you everything.” He sighed.

“The night we left and were ambushed your mother sacrificed herself to save me. I was able to take refuge away from Kirigakure and crossed the waters into the Cloud Village where I have remained hidden for all these years. I attempted to create a fuuinjutsu powerful enough to reach you through some complicated measures. I had to assume the form of a stranger to get you to come here out of your own desires.”

What about the monastery? The panther, the monks clothing? What about the war between religions that his people faced? Everything that the young Shikyo had saw in his dreams were still a mystery.

“There was this dream I had..” his father interrupted him.

“The dream was apart of the ruse to get you to come, but the panther. The panther is as real as you are. It is a warrior spirit, that seeks to allow the Shikyo to come under the same banner, to be reborn. It is nothing but an icon, an image to rally people. It is akin to the muscles of a toned body. Our true religion only slightly differs from the House of Kuro. We seek self enlightenment. We acknowledge the existence of the Creator, but we first acknowledge that we are humans ourselves. This is why we wear monks clothing. We train our mind and body and we seek to guide those who have unsure spirits towards enlightenment. It is your responsibility to be the light that guides followers. The Shikyo Clan needs new blood my son. It needs new people now that you are the only one left. We can not expect your family to be the birth of an entire clan, so you must do it as you see fit. But know this, the last name Shikyo does not always imply blood.”

There was a pause between words.

“Your mother you know… She was the most beautiful woman one could ask for. When we had you we wanted to give your life a profound meaning. My father had given me the name Shinran and yours would be rightfully named Shinjin. Do you know why that is my son?”

He could understand the meaning of the words. Shin meant trust, faith, reliance. The character for Jin meant, mind in this particular case. The total meaning however was lost to him. He shook his head side to side. What was his father talking about?

“Shinjin stands for the enlightened mind of the Creator given to a person. You are a prophet in a way so to speak, but a leader at the same time. That is why it is your responsibility to free the clan from the binds of its history, to start it anew, to accept our Creator into your life and become one with our total family again. We are not all that there is of the name Shikyo, the House of Kuro is waiting for us. Our entire family blood is like the color of the rainbows. We are diverse.”

All of the feelings and visions he had experienced over the years began to become realized. To see underneath the underneath, to see the hidden meanings of words. To see the truth was what he was seeing now. The extent of his birth, his religion, his people were all rolled up into a something he had to carry. But yet as his father continued to explain his religious birthright he began to feel less of a burden. There was no use in attempting to seek vengeance for his family. In all of his life, for the first time he truly understood his path now.

“I understand. I understand what I must do, but that won’t ever stop me from missing you and mom.”

Raza, no, Shinjin was still crying. Shinran rose to his feet and wrapped his massive arms around his son. Shinjin could feel the wetness of his tears soak against the clothing, he could listen to the deep heartbeat of his father pound against his ear. The rhythm of life began to lull him away into sleep.

“When you were but a baby and we lived in that small apartment your mother and I got no privacy,” he laughed. “You had suckled your mother so hard as a baby she was forced to bottle her milk. One night when she forgot to clean out a bottle she had attempted to do it the old fashioned way. We did not realize you were teething so early, and in her pain she thrust you off and placed you on my chest, crying wildly. I put your head to my heart and you fell asleep every night that way until you were too big to fit. The rhythm you hear is now yours, my life has no purpose anymore and my heart only continued to beat for you. Kyu will guide you. The Creator will guide you. You may miss your mother and I but we will always be within you, beating within your heart. Pray and become strong. I wil--”

The vision around them began to fade from sight and whiteness returned. Shinjin did not want to let go, he wanted to stay here with his father forever. As the whiteness now began to dull, he could feel his senses returning to normal. He could ear the birds chirp, smell the freshness of the wind, he could feel ground beneath his shoes. Shinjin could sense life’s presence and the others around him. Reality began to sink in as the strong voice of his father weakened into that of a frail man. Yet somewhere he could feel that rhythm on his voice, like smooth honey and stone gravel. Ancient and wise.

“I will always love you.”

Shinran placed a black bag within his hands and turned away from him. He gripped the cane with his mangled hand and began to slowly walk away with resolute steps, feeling content. Shinran could now return to his home with a smile forever etched in his face and die a content father. Shinjin looked ahead, still in awe as to what happened. To the outside world it would appear as if they had embraced for only a single second. Shinjin simply stood there and held the black bag in his hand and looked at his father's back. It hurt to watch his father leave him again, but this time he would not cry.

Luckily for Shin times movement in his fathers' realm went as quickly as it came. After an emotional tug of war to chase after his father, Shin realized that the only thing he could do now was to continue living out his life. He could imagine explaining this now, explaining it all to Kyu and telling him that he had seen a man that he saw many years ago. It probably wouldn't make much sense, but Kyu was one to understand meaning even when there seemed to be none.

Despite his emotional state, Shin still had to get to the contact. A long alley dug in between two buildings that were almost standing on top of one another. Trash and stray animals littered the alley, and even in midday there were still dark corners cast away in shadow. Shin pulled himself into the shadows with haste, leaving the street. Every step to the top of the roof tapped against the walls in high time, until he was on the roof of the largest building in the harbor. The architecture of the entire harbor had been built to handle a surge of people at any time. For miles he saw vendors, small motels, public restrooms placed among pubs and convenience stores. A pattern began to etch out across the harbor, it was easy to note where things were in relation to others.

A pub here, a public bathroom across the street. A vendor south, a motel north. A convenience store east, another public bathroom just west. The set of matching blocks suddenly became mismatched further away from the shoreline. Even careful eyes could have misstep over this building. It was like wallpaper, so very ugly and bland but the beauty of it lie in plain sight. Shin moved towards the position in such a manner that speed looked as natural about him as any bird home in the sky. The ground surged beneath his feet as he met rooftop to rooftop, no pause in between.

Getting back to ground level allowed him to blend inside of a thinning crowd. People moved and walked as if they knew where they were going, something Shin could easily mimic. Strolling around a far block added some time on the clock. Kyu still somewhere either off with a woman or doing whatever 'yang' thing he was talking about. This guy and his yang, what the hell was that? Shin refocused himself. Fifteen minutes too early. Instead of making more work for himself Shin simply approached the other side of the building and waited with his back to the corner facing away from the building. If someone had a problem he would definitely solve their issue, but being black in the Lightning Country had afforded him a sort of respect he had never known before back home. Everyone continued to walk by him as if he didn't exist, yet obviously aware of what he was doing.

Shin simply yawned and watched the time melt by as the sun beamed overhead. His fingers caressed his dreadlocks as he straightened them with his fingers like a comb. Despite the days events he could not understand one thing that had been common among adults...

Why did they have to be so late?

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He left his compatriot to his lonesome seeking out anything that'll help him bring up his 'yang' energy for the balance. Kyu is a follower and teacher of the ancient ways that, through his experience of modern day philosophies, many consider it out of date, foreign or an idea that should be forgotten. The modern day individual try to incorporate both yin and yang, or feminine and masculine together, believing that one must embraced both these two energies. Although the individual was not wrong in that fact, what Kyu understood was the simple fact that one would be extremely influenced to the yin while the other would be influenced to the yang. Over the centuries, as society no longer saw the yin and yang as energy but as a concept, many lost their way trying to absorb all of these energies without recognizing which one is right for them. From the understanding of this ancient teaching, Kyu and all of his brothers took upon the energy of yang, or the masculine energy. He in particular was almost the embodiment of this with an aura that radiated a vibrant and aggressive energy.

He knew from old teachings that too much of one thing can mess with the individual. Experienced dictated his actions towards the yang energy when the environmental yin energy was out of whack. He learned to control this energy without much issue but being around the sex driven cruise ship with all of its activities can exhaust even him. It was time for him to move somewhere where he could get his hands dirty.

This particular port town was not a huge fan of shinobi but they weren’t exactly hostile towards them. He was glad to forget his headband and attire he was fond of knowing the stares he would be receiving if the people of this town just caught sight of anything ninja. He recalled a time where the people of this port town would regularly call on the shit that the shinobi, particularly the shinobi of cloud, would do whenever they were in town.

The town itself was essentially a small “large” city. There was a good population that kept the port town going internally while the external trade with the fishing, the exotic restaurants, the bulk cargo industry, the mining of rare earth minerals and oil from the surrounding area, and the pleasure cruises. It was the pleasure cruises that brought in a good amount of rich tourists with money to spend on the vast pubs and restaurants with its unique food from the islands surrounding Lighting country. The place to be when coming off the cruise was this small-large port town. But with a flourishing economy comes the crime that shadows it. From his report he knew from his contact, he knew that the place was riddle from a small, upcoming mafia that was ready to exploit. The harassment was small in the beginning. The restaurants started to complain about the small threats they were receiving, the occasional wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time tourist that was either threaten to be beaten or are beaten up to an extent for their money. Small vandalism here and there and that was all. There was nothing atypical about it.

Well that was just the first page. When he read the rest of the eight pages he knew he was in for a treat. The actions that occurred from the past eight months weren’t anything from Kyu’s standpoint to be worried about but he wasn’t running the town nor did he have any investments. A restaurant burning to the ground, five murders in the course of two months, a sinking of a cargo ship that occurred not two weeks ago. His contact was worried now that the economy may become stagnate due to the tourist now avoiding the attractions in the port town or the town altogether.

There were still tourist roaming around exploring what the town had to offer, but if he was to guess on the amount of people that this town usually produced it was on the low end of the spectrum. He didn’t see anything suspicious nor did he hear anything out of the ordinary. He’ll have to find out more on the mafia in the area and the only way to do that was to-ah, he found what he was looking for. Down the restaurant area he found a pub that had the exact markings of where many youngblood males and small-time lieutenants may find food and drink. How he knew? Well the majority of the restaurants didn’t appear to be as lavished and restored as this particular pub. The surrounding restaurants had a dinginess to them with the grimy windows, some broken tables and chairs on the outside, and the two restaurants that that had the sign “Closed until further noticed.” Most small time mafias, especially young ones, do what most youngbloods do: Kill the prey and then showcase them. This was just one of the exceptions.

He cracked his knuckles then twisted his head cracking the spine in his neck. “This will bring my yang up.” He said as he walked towards the restaurant.

A few broken tables later...

He wished he had a personal vendetta against the mafia. He truly did . He would’ve gotten more out of this fight than just a good uplifting mood. The moment he entered into the building, he looked dead center at the majority of people and said “I’m here to fuck shit up bruh.” With a wide grin on his face, he was drunk with excitement and the moment enraptured him. He ran over to the man who was foolish enough to stand first and swiftly punch him square in the chin before he could get a word out. The man immediately went limp and all hell broke loose in a single moment. All the yin tension that had build in him in that week vanished, the worries he had earlier, the hyper-sexuality, all of it was gone when the adrenaline pushed through his veins and his breathing became erratic. Well, almost erratic. He was more excited than he was tired. There was no mistake that his mood was better now after he delivered the final blow to one of the victims with him screaming into the table and letting out a groan that was oh so satisfying. But like his business investments, he wanted a bit more out of it. If he had the same emotional ties to this place or perhaps a bit more investment in the businesses itself, the satisfaction would’ve lasted longer.

Alas, he was asking a lot for something he did on a whim. He couldn’t complain, but he could reflect on his actions. Would this cause the local mafia to hound his ass after beating up roughly twenty people in a matter of thirty seconds? They would be a laughing stock if they didn’t. How many people would they send? That was questionable. Probably more than twenty guys, all of them prepared and ready to beat him to a pulp. He could live with that. He had to assume he wasn’t notorious in this area so if they don’t know who he was then he would be certain that this mafia would be upon him upon the next few hours or days. Either way, he was going to relish in the moment.

Kyuseishu whistled when he was near Razajin to get his attention. “Good grief” he muttered when he stood beside Raza He had one hand covered in a wet pink towel. Closer inspection of the towel showed that it was pink from the blood that bled through the once white towel. He looked at Raza, then at the towel, and then back at Raza “So I got my Yang up.” he said plainly “Got into a fight, busts some heads, and I may have pissed off the local mafia.” He said it so matter-of-fact that he could’ve been joking. “But aside all that, I’m feeling much better.”

He paused, trying to regain his thoughts. He snapped his finger “Oh right! The contact. Yeah, shit, almost flew past me.” He ran a hand through his hair “This is gonna sound…crazy but the one thing you don’t want to do is get the idea of sex in your head because..." he bit in his inner cheek. His eyes looked up trying to remember what words he was looking for "I explained to you before," he started, now walking "that people have a type of aura around them that makes them unique. Whether it be intimidation, charming, mesmerizing, opaque, yada yadda yadda." He knew Raza would know all this stuff "Our contact today is something of an...embodiment. If seduction was crammed down into a person, she would be it."

He raised a finger to her and lowered his voiced "She found out you're a Shikyo so she has some interest in you. She may do whatever it takes to get in deep with your clan, even if you haven't even made touch of them yet. She tried to do the same with me and the Kuro clan. So I say be careful and watch what you say or do."

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Kyu's eccentric style persisted like a summer blister. Shin naturally thought that Kyu was only weird when meeting new people, especially since he'd seen his more relaxed and matured side. Was it the money? No, probably not. Kyu was as random as a grab bag at bingo party. Who knew what would come flying from his mouth next? Just a few hours ago the billionaire philanthropist turned philosophical leader with the flick of a switch. Now he was carrying around a bloodied towel, acting as if a local mafia was really not a threat. No problem Kyu, just go ahead and piss off people who've spent their lives killing, raping and trafficking drugs. It'll be fine, we'll just jump around nonchalant like the world is our moon bounce. Ho-ho!

Kyu drew closer to his train of thought and jumped out to reach it. Yes, Big Cousin, the contact! The whole reason we we're here... Shinjin could not believe that Kyu lived on earth, or at least the same planet he was on. His personal group of friends were weird. Kyu was weird! And Shin kept reminding himself that every time he spoke. It had to be some sort of cover, because there was no way a trained Jounin could be so bad at teaching. 'I explained this to you before.' What? When? Shinjin didn't remember anything and just followed his cousin wherever he was going. Kyu wouldn't fail, he just might get lost along the way. Despite Kyu's outlandish personality he was trusted to the High Council and was still able to keep his ear to the ground. Something was right about this fellow.

Shinjin wanted to take the time to talk about his father, but he felt the need to be concise. Kyu's language and tone of voice implied they would be meeting the contact rather sooner than later.

“Well while you were out I was busy having some life changing experiences. Long story short, my name was never Razajin apparently. It's Shinjin. My father is Shinran of the Shikyo clan and he's alive. I'm sure you know something about that name.”

It would be impossible to get over the fact that Shinjin had just spilled the most important event in his life in forty-three words.

“But we're cousins so we can save family stuff for later,” a bit of the 'Kyu'ness began to rub off on him. “Right now apparently our list of problem ranges from pissed off local mafia to killer succubus. Yeah, we definitely don't have for that other stuff right now. But you're on your own with the mafia. If they come after you I'm transforming into a pale light-skinned kid. And if ninja start pouring out of the wood works wondering why mafia members are running the streets I'm going to call you a thug. You know they stereotype black dudes with dreadlocks right? That's why I'm gonna cut mines.”

Shinjin chuckled to himself and fought the urge to transform right now. There were enough people walking around the street for him to make a scene. Kyu would probably bolt as far away from him as possible, but then again who could know what Kyu would actually do? Nobody. This entire trip had been a roller coaster of events. He'd learned about his clan, his father, and was now ready to go toe to toe with a killer succubus. Shinjin stretched his arms back and yawned.

“If the Lightning Country was this exciting I can only imagine what the Fire Country will be like. Hold on, lemme guess,” he laughed. “One, instead of a killer succubus in Kumo you probably have a depressed ex girlfriend in Konoha. Two, you actually have no money there because you aren't as rich as you say you are. Three, there's a strong chance we'll be befriending a random stranger and bringing him or her along with us like a pet monkey.” He had this total look of amazing foresight, like he was as clairvoyant as a prophet.

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He puffed out his cheeks. For a moment he looked like a little child . Shin would see the faint appearance of a younger Kyuseishu only for a moment before he released the air out of his mouth. Then he bore his teeth and lifted one finger "One, I don't have a ex-girlfriend of Konoha. And even if I did have an ex there, I would avoid her like a got damn plague. Which is why I avoid Iwagakure..." he murmurred the last part. He didn't want to think on that relationship. Two years spent with that stubborn, crazy woman and all he got out of it was the life changing attitude of never getting in a relationship involving crazy people. He raised another finger "Two, I got assets in Fire Country and that's all you need to know. And three," He raised a third finger and paused.

"You may be on to something there..." he closed his hand into a fist and pounded it into his palm "Maybe I should bring home a pet monkey and give it to the Mizukage. Kekekekek" he laughed. The idea was so ludacrous that it was sheer brillance and Kyu's face gleamed with excitement "Because of that, I'm bringing home a got damn monkey for him as a present!" he grinned. "The gesture would be so confusing that even I wouldn't get the joke."

He didn't address the father thing with Raza-no, Shinjin. It was not something he would address yet. He wasn't that he didn't care about this fateful meeting. It was foresight that told him Shinjin's encounter would involve someone from the clan itself on a physical level or a mental communication via The Realm of Consciousness. Either way, Kyu reckon this event was trigger the closer they were to Lightning Country as oppose to the far islands of Kirigakure.

"She'll arrive any time now so please, refrain yourself from saying anything that'll fuck you up." He pointed a finger at Shin "Don't say anything stupid and don't do anything that'll give it away that you're about to say something stupid." He turned around. He turned back around at Shin "In fact, don't say anything." He turned around again. He snapped his finger and was waving his finger as he turned back around "You know what, just don't breathe. Don't move, don't-"

"Don't do what sweetie?" A familar voice said behind Kyu.

He closed his eyes and slowly inhaled ready for anything at this point. He knew when he turned around, the game would begin and whoever made the first move right would be close to victory. Here we go... "Keiko. How are you?" He turned around only to be met with her arms wrapping around his neck. She embraced him like two lovers finally reuniting after a period of time (It wasn't far off from the truth) and she planted a small kiss on his lips. It was so shocking that he almost choked when she released him from the embraced "Glad-" he coughed trying to finish the sentence. She tasted of honey and blackberries, two things he didn't like, and had a pleasant smell so faint that he almost didn't catch it.

You won that match.

She hopped back towards Ayame who was standing there with the same outfit she wore the entire trip from Kirigakure. She had sunglasses on and somehow gained a scar on her cheek that wasn't there when he last saw her. It wasn't fresh. It looked like it's been there for quite some time now. Had she covered it up when they were on the cruise? Where the hell did she come from? he wondered but knew the answer immediately after asking. She was a former KYOBU member of Kumogakure no Sato. Stealth is her bread and butter with few to match her skill.

Keiko was the most extravagent women Shinjin would ever encounter. When Kyuseishu first met Keiko, she didn't just have that vibe of being something of a seductress. No, there was something more to her then what the eye could perceive. Of all the women that Shinjin had met during his lifetime, his mother, the Jinchuuriki, the Mushiki user, and others in the near future, there would be few that could match the supernaturally beautiful Keiko. The last time Kyu had laid eyes on her was when he was twenty-seven years old and was transferring to Kirigakure for his next assignment and compared to what she look to now as a woman who furthered blossom compared to the seductress woman she was back then made her scarier to Kyu. The olive colored skin was still flawless, her raven color hair was kept up this time but from what Kyu estimated it had gotten longer over the years with a few strands of hair falling over her forehead. Her body that was extremely feminine with curves that was shaped by the gods themselves. Kyu had long enjoyed the sweetness of this body but even now he wanted to sample her again despite saying over and over that he would restrain himself. She was everything a kunoichi wasn't. He could still see the seduction in those eyes of her but that energy was contained. He could tell that she matured in the sense of using that energy for her business deals, her financial partners, her investments, her assets. She long mastered using her body as a means to get what she wanted. Now she had grown into a woman that mastered her mind. She's even more frightening than before. Her clothes were modest. It was the same as Keiko's revealing secretarial outfit only she had buttons of her blouse closed instead of open. She wore flats, which was surprising. He was expecting her to wear heels, to be flashy or extremely stylish.

Keiko read into Kyu's thoughts and smiled "I've had a long day today. I started my day at five am and I haven't been off my feet since then. This lunch will be my first break."

"Ah..." he understood.

Keiko looked at Shinjin, admiring the young man who stood beside Kyuseishu. Her eyes inspected every part of him. She could've been mistaken for checking him out (which wasn't far from the truth). Her eyes when to Kyu "You know, you're bad at introducing your friend." she teased "Is he your little brother?"

Kyu's eye momentarily twitched "Tch, you already who he is."

"Kukuku, of course. But he could pass for your brother. Don't you have a brother his age?"

Kyu scratched into his head "No, my youngest brother is twenty-two. And no, he couldn't pass for my brother. He's too much of a mooch." he teased. He looked back at Shin " Anyway, this is Shikyo, Razajin." He didn't bother to say Shinjin's real name. Don't correct her his eyes said to him. It was best to keep that a secret for now. "Razajin, This is Shitami, Keiko and her assistant Ayame. Keiko was once a heiress to one of the largest companies in Lightning Country. She handles one of the most valuable resources in Lightning."

"Oil" She said before anyone could ask "My father and my grandfather both had their hands in economic resources of their time. My father had steam and my grandfather had coal. My generation now has control over oil. Quite frankly, I've been setting my sights on other projects such as mining and electricity."

"Are you trying to get all the essentials in this modern age? You're fucking ruthless."

She stick out her tongue "Ah, it's best to be ruthless in this day and age. You know that better than anyone here. Especially since you riled up the local mafia."

Kyu bit his inner cheek "Oh, you found that out already." He glanced over at Ayame "You had me followed?"

Keiko shook her head "No. I found that out myself. It doesn't take long for word to travel to me, Kyuseishu. Nothing really escapes me. I mean, the people were quite happy that you decided to beat up on their tormentors. What did you expect the people of this town would do when they see a large man wearing locs walking out of one of the main hubs the mafia conduct their dealings?"

He raised a finger and had his mouth open but nothing came out. He was so focused on getting his yang energy up that didn't thing of the external repercussions besides having the mafia after him. But he realized that he didn't give two damns about the external repercussions. He was Alyasha of House Kuro, why the hell would he care? It was his turn to stick his tongue out "I guess I like making one hell of an entrance."

Keiko shook her head but she was smiling nonetheless "You're always been one to make extravagant entrances." She grabbed her chin and examined him this time, not hiding her eyes from glancing up and down at his body "I've missed you very much."

"Well, before we get ambushed by the local mob, I suggest we go back to your place and maybe have something to eat seeing that you're hungry."

"Ah yes!" she said, clapping her hands together "Ayame, go on ahead and tell the chef to fix up something delicious. Anything will be good just make sure he remembers Kyuseishu's likings. I don't want to insult him."

"Hai." She said. She peered over at Shinjin "And what about Razajin?"

Keiko tilted her head at Shinjin, using those captivating eyes to read into him. She smiled "I'm sure he'll able to eat up anything I offer him. He's a growing man, aren't you Shikyo-san?" she winked at him.

"As you wish, my lady" she said fading away out of existence.

Keiko took Kyu's hand "Walk with me. We do have a lot of discuss on the way to my place."

"Aren't you worried that the mafia will attack?" Kyu asked

"Why should I? I have two big, strong shinobi with me. I'm sure they can handle a few mob members if they dare to attack us." she looked back at Shin "And he looks especially strong. Where did you find him?"

"I'll tell you that story later." Kyu said, walking so that Keiko and Shinjin can follow "For now, let's just get to your house before I have a mob following behind me."

"Ok!" She said. She wrapped her arms around his and lean up against his shoulder. There was something nostalgic about this scenario that Kyu wanted to avoid entirely. They were already causing attention with people murmuring to themselves on how Keiko was attaching herself to some black man. She was relishing this and Kyu, to his surprise, was relishing in it as well. Ah, what the hell. You only live once right?

[EXIT]

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Of course there was something to suspect, but what could Shinjin truly deduce? Kyu's hands crashed together striking a spark of creativity. A pet monkey had only been a joke. It was supposed to be funny but now Kyu was making it serious. Serious definitely wasn't descriptive enough because Kyu's mind blossomed on his face, he was building a plan. Preparing to act on it. He was thinking of what he would look like if he plopped a monkey on Hiroshi's desk. There was a laughter that he was imitating from his own imagination, because Kyu was simply saying, 'This is how it's going to go down, because it's so far beyond a couple yucks it might not be funny in the end.' Just what the hell is so funny that it becomes not funny? Whatever. Shinjin couldn't understand this guy. Fucken weird. He turned his attention to the woman that interrupted Kyu.

Oh my god. This was clear cut, ex-girlfriend drama. Kyu doesn't want me to fuck it up for him, not me. Make me into the little brother that doesn't accidentally say anything stupid. Baby boy Shinjin will just lick the paint chips off the walls, she surely won't suspect anything then. Shinjin wanted to laugh and bit his tongue to hold it back. This chick had to be Kyu's caliber. A billionaire-playboy-philanthropist-philosopher-martial artist-ninja had to have a chick this beautiful. Yet for some reason there was dread about him. What was most enjoyable was that breath of his. It was like Kyu was sucking up a shit storm. But when she kissed him out of no where, not even this man, Kirigakure's richest High Council member could pretend it didn't happen.

Shinjin stood there looking at Kyu, then looking at both women. Killer succubus was right. Keiko had all the curves in the right places and a cherry on top. Shinjin was no stranger to sex. Keiko only jumped back for Kyu to take a good look. She implied that she wanted him to see what he was missing. Long legs, midnight locks, and a chest that bounced a little too much when her feet hit the ground. Shinjin wanted to say what was on his mind so bad. He wanted to say, Kyu you know you want that again. She wants you to want it. And then there was the way she told him about how she'd worked so hard all day. Lunch break. A little time to catch her breath. Or maybe catch his breath between her open legs. But Kyu's strong but silent demeanor showed no fall to temptation. Shinjin felt like he should've been playing in a moon bounce with 'Kids Center' written on top in rainbow colors. The adult air was broiling in estrogen and testosterone.

Shinjin nodded as he was introduced, keeping quiet. The conversation had nothing to do with him and he was mentioned to help goad Kyu. Keiko being an oil tycoon helped paint color to Kyu's wealth. He was the richest man in Kirigakure, had plenty of investments in the Fire Country at one point laid down with a billionaire beaut. She tucked her tiny affluent hand in Kyu's palm and walked with him.

Since he'd spent words in the conversation he'd given himself plenty of time to read it. Kyu's life was interesting in so many ways, but yet distant. They were going to spend lunch with a killer succubus-princess and then walk away from it all as if it never happened. Keiko just ignored the attentive pedestrian eyes when she wrapped her arms around Kyu. Shinjin realized Keiko was even more eccentric than Kyu. To be honest, Kyu was normal compared to her. For a second, Shinjin realized that the couples past had no power over the moment they shared. Shinijin wondered if maybe Kyu was just looking for love, looking for that one person he could spend every single moment with. No need for money to get in the way of that. Keiko had all the money she could ever want so the relationship was perfect. But only for this night.

Shinjin walked behind them, letting them have their moment in silence.

Nah. Kyu's still weird no matter what and so is his ol' girlfriend. Plus I ain't no mooch... I'll get him when we get to the Fire Country.

[EXIT]