A Late Night Dip

She continued to glare at him as he approached and knelt before her but allowed him to take her hand. Though she wished to continue to chastise him, she knew it was best for her to remain silent and to simply listen. As he began to speak and looked up into her eyes, her expression would soften slightly. He began by explaining that she was the closest person he had, but it hurt to see her being “pulled away” by somebody else. After releasing her hand he’d admit that he was jealous about being unable to be as close to her as they once were due to her newfound bond with Akabayashi.

Junko knew she hadn’t been spending enough time with him, but both of them had been consumed with their work so she felt as if she would only bother him with any requests. She knew he worked hard to train those within the village and was one of her loyalist companions and admittedly felt guilty that he believed he was going to be pushed to the side. Since the gates opened, she had been spending her time isolated within the tower and knew she was severely neglecting her social responsibilities. She had been so wrapped up in paperwork and her various duties that she didn’t see the impact it was having on those around her.

Continuing, he’d explain that his body was beginning to go through some changes causing him to feel sick. She wondered why he hadn’t brought this to her attention previously, she was the best medical specialist within Tsukigakure, and surely she could have done something to help or at least alleviate his symptoms. Remaining quiet, she’d give him room to speak his mind, not wanting to interrupt his train of thought. As he spoke of his affection for her and what she had provided for him any harshness that lingered on her face melted away as she looked at him with a concerned expression.

He then spoke of her authentic self which made her feel a bit emotional, he was one of the only people Junko had shown that side of herself to and he still remained with her. A soft smile crossed her lips as he mentioned his desire to always be there when she needed him. She had always appreciated his dedication to her and only wished to provide him with something similar. Junko would simply shake her head as he opened his arms and beckoned her to take her anger out as she saw fit. If he had opened with that, she may have taken the opportunity to knock some sense into him, though after his display she wouldn’t even think about doing so.

Azuki then explained that he simply cared too much and missed her since he wasn’t close with any others. As he briefly chastised himself for being so clingy, Junko would reach down and simply pat him on the head if he allowed. Junko would watch as he paused for a moment to stand once more then allowed him to place a hand on her shoulder. She’d allow him to finish speaking, soaking up each of his words hoping to figure out something to say to make everything alright once more. Though Junko was a skilled diplomat, she felt lost for words at this moment. A few seconds would pass as she attempted to formulate a response, afterwards she’d speak up. Her voice was its normal soothing tone and lacked any kind of malice or anger.

”I wish you could only see how much I truly adore and appreciate you. Just because there’s potentially an addition to the picture doesn’t mean I’ll be pushing you to the side. You are my most trusted companion and I believe I’d be quite lost without you there to help guide me. It hurts me to think that you’ve been suffering the consequences of my recent isolation and I assure you that I’ll make an effort to be a steady figure in your life if you would allow me to do so. Obviously, we can proceed as you wish, but in all honesty, I’ve already lost Ren… and I don’t want to lose you either.”

Junko would take a step back from him, and turn her attention to what remained of breakfast. With a smile her gaze would shift to meet his, it was clear she was trying to disperse whatever tension in the air as she spoke up.

”Why don’t you stay for a bit, and have breakfast with us? I owe you some Junko time and I’d like for you to meet Akabayshi. He is the Mizukage after all so there’s a possibility that you’d work together if the village was to be attacked. I’d love to hear your opinions on him at some point as well, isn’t that something brothers do? I think the two of you would get along great, so…. please?”

She was unsure of what to do if Azuki was unable to at least pretend to get along with Akabayashi so she felt it best to just get introductions out of the way now. Junko would give him puppy dog eyes as she pleaded with him to stay but knew he potentially had other things he needed to attend to. If Akabayashi had entered, Junko would have begun attempting to make introductions.

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Total WC: 9636

Azuki blushed heavily when she patted his head. The warm connection caught him off guard. He hated how he felt sometimes it made him feel pathetic. Like his feelings were some Achilles heel to be twisted. Forcing him to  drop to his knees or stumble it was humbling. He stood up his flustered and melted face returned to normal. He would slowly reach for her and pull her into an embrace. "Junko I never doubt you I trust and love you with all my heart. I was just being jelly but it's ok we'll spend more time together." His eyes gleamed once more with hope and love. This was fine, this was ok, because at the end of the day he still had her.

But fuck this zuzu Kage, eat cold breakfast because who wears sun glasses inside. Azuki would gently smile at Junko mesmerized with her bubbly and hear warming demeanor. His face would return to a normal relaxed state long before he came back into the room."Can't say i'm quite hungry but I'll gladly make sure introductions are in order." Azuki would have a soft gentle closed lip smile. Eat dirt work together my ass. I'm only tolerating you because it makes her happy. Know your place it already makes me sick what you did. Much was said with Azuki's eyes if Akabayashi would enter the room once more. He kept his smile up though for Junko's sake. His tone was even genuine. Pulling away from her he offered a quick and polite bow.

"Please forgive my rudeness Lord Mizukage. I wasn't aware my sister was seeing you. For what it's worth I am Azuki Shinoda please look after her for me." The imaginary dagger in his heart rung him like a wet wag. What poured out was pure blood lust. He kept himself in check however, instead of overwhelming aura...there would be a noticeable lack of it. A lack of chakra, a lack of presence, even a lack of warmth despite the genuine show of trust and respect. Rub it in while you can because the moment you ever slip up. A fire was lit inside his soul embedding this vow within. He would never ruin what made Junko happy. But he was damn sure messy enough to replace it given the opportunity. He put that on the namesake of the village. This foul fucking aura in his presence made him want to shudder in disgust.


"Not one for surprises I think i'll be taking my leave. I hate to ruin the rest of your morning. If possible let's schedule a get together. One in celebration of you two and a chance for better connection." Azuki would bow again but his muscle memory simply remembered the positioning for  reverse whirlwind kick.  Azuki would wait to be spoken to before raising his head. If nothing was said he would attempt to exit. However if stopped or more pressing conversation would continue. He would find himself hard pressed to stay. Couldn't upset the big major LoRd after all he thought.

Besides now he had more training he needed to do. Another obstacle in his way and it had seemed Jashin's influence was under his control.More so then he thought. Before the evil bastard tormented Azuki with words and constant nightmares. But now it was just a source, a pool of separate energy one he wished to tap into potentially. Something to enhance himself to the next level. If he could pull off this curse technique he'd be able to take on even the likes of debt collector stand in 47 over here. SO he solemnly swore it to be. Not just that Azuki had been working on multiple jutsu and jutsu formulas. Moon was about to become a power house village. He would use this man to his benefit and the political connection would bring. And even more so for the fall out. But that was just him being petty he had to admit mentally.

WC:666 TWC: 2854   [Attempted Exit]

Well... his food was getting cold and he was curious of the other guy had started crying. So, he would walk back downstairs seemingly at the appropriate time as he heard there were to be introductions. As he exited the staircase he could see the look Azuki was giving him and he enjoyed thoroughly he had gotten under this ones skin.

"You were not rude to me. I did not know Junko had a brother she had mentioned sisters." Based on the obvious characteristics they were clearly not biologically related, but maybe they were raised together. Though he was acting more like a jilted ex than a brother. "I will certainly take care of her.

Akabayashi had not really come down for a talk with Azuki he came down to get his breakfast and his snack. So he was not upset when Azuki said he had to leave. "Sure." The Mizukage would say as the man clearly forced those words out of his mouth. "Anyway, I just came to grab breakfast." He would say picking his plate in one hand, followed by four mechanical limbs growing from his body then picking up Junko with the others and cradling her. "And my snack."  He would start to walk away and then come back using one of the empty arms to pick up her plate. "Almost forgot your food Junko. See you later little brother."

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he pulled her in for a hug, thankfully her words had some sort of impact on him. He would once again reassure her that he loved her and seemingly was looking forward to spending more time with her. Perhaps it was time to start delegating tasks to Jun and Kiko now that things were slowing down, she didn’t need to handle everything herself after all. There had been a few people she kept herself away from, but she desired to reforge and strengthen those bonds once more.

She felt a bit saddened as Azuki mentioned that he wasn’t hungry but was relieved that he’d at least get introductions out of the way. As they pulled away from each other she had a soft smile on her face, though her attention would be moved to Akabayashi as he entered. Thankfully Azuki would speak up to introduce himself and asked Akabayshi to look after her. Though it was quite clear from his glare that he wasn’t too happy with the situation. She believed it to be Azuki simply playing the part of a protective brother, and was sure he was upset that this is how he found.

His sharp gaze didn’t seem to phase Akabayshi at all however, when he entered he explained that he only knew about Junko’s sisters and reassured Azuki that he’d take care of her. A brief sigh escaped her lips, both of them probably saw her as something fragile that needed their protection. She had always wanted to be the one to save others, but it seemed as if she was viewed as some sort of damsel in distress. Crossing her arms, she’d have a bit of a pouty expression on her face as she mumbled slightly.

”I can take care of myself, it’s the village that’s my concern.”

Azuki would speak up once more, attempting to leave the conversation once more. She’d smile brightly as he suggested planning some sort of get-together to connect a bit better. Junko wanted nothing more at this moment than for the two of them to get along, since she intended for them to be in her life for quite a while she hoped they’d be able to see eye to eye. Akabayshi would thankfully agree, and then Junko would speak up once more in her normal cheery demeanor.

”A get-together is a wonderful idea! Akabayshi will be returning to Kiri soon, but once he returns we’ll have to set something up.”

Akabayashi then moved to the table where the two of them had previously sat and explained that he had come down to retrieve his breakfast. As he picked up his plate, four mechanical arms sprouted from his back and moved to pick up Junko. Before she knew it, she was cradled in his arms and a bright blush could be seen across her face as her called her his snack. To Azuki she had always tried to seem confident and outspoken, but in this moment she looked to be quite docile. Akabayshi would turn to walk upstairs once more but before she could protest he’d return to the table. After grabbing her food and saying his goodbyes, Junko offered Azuki a small wave as she spoke up.

”Reschedule our meeting with my secretary downstairs and take the rest of the day off. We’ll talk soon alright? Love you always and please take care of yourself.”

She’d bow her head to Azuki slightly as they watched him exit and allowed Akabayashi to carry her as he saw fit.

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Total WC: 10241

The inner depths of his  mind was hellfire racing and pulsating with rage. Azuki's face fully relaxed leaving any lingering malice on his face gone. "Be safe  Big Bro , Sister." He waved them off heading back outside. He decided to let it go and put his best foot forward. Otherwise he would continue to be a hypocrite and he hated wishy washy actions.  A calm smile plastered on his face. He calmly exited and closed the hidden door and Junko's room office behind him. He counted the tiles on his way downstairs as he hummed a simple tune. "Hmm hmm hmmmm hmm hm hm ". It was tune that an old lord sang before their last moments. Some lullaby that he remembered for it's calming effects.  Ah he would have to reschedule he thought. He nodded to everyone in the halls of the Kage tower who would pass returning the salutes and hellos that came his way.


Azuki was quick to speak with the receptionist. He talked about the color of the sky, the frequency of clouds and how humidity was hell. All in all he felt refreshed. He felt so refreshed and it was hard to explain why. Even though he lied to Junko he still expressed his true feelings. He just removed the essence of attraction. It was hilarious,  emotions in his head they were so simple. All his feelings for her were the exact same with or without romantic attraction. Even if he wasn't in love with her he still did in fact care all the same. She was gorgeous whether it made him feel some type of way or not.  It always  took one little spark to alter perspectives into something more. Remove..... and now all of a sudden those feelings are dead! He wondered if anyone else felt or looked at things the same way. No matter! He praised himself with his delighted glee. He was changed?..how he changed, oh how he changed.....

If love was energy and then all the other complexities then transmuted this love. Into familiar love, the love of friendship, of passion? But then at it's base it was the same. All the same concept, all the same energy. But yet so many outlets to diversify. Red and blue union to  make purple but then does the red and blue not exist anymore. Simply because together it made something new, when in reality the individual pieces never changed? He could see it all how things were and how he felt they should be. But never once did he think he was selfish enough to think his opinion was reality. Opinions were something to accept, enforce,change, or influence because you can't control how others feel.  He was fine now and it was all ok as long as dissociation kept him company.

                                                                                  Yet unbeknownst to him the cracks of his seals began to unravel.

WC:481 TWC:3,335 [Exit]

Her pouting was adorable enough, he was just being agreeable to get Azuki out the door. He was hungry and wanted the food and her because it would make him mad. As he picked her up the other guy did not even look phased, but he knew there was a storm of rage thundering inside him. He waved and the two emty robot arms waved back as Azuki took his leave.

As they reached the balcony Akabayashi would put her down on the chair they had spent the night on and give her the plate she had made for herself. The robot arms would stay for a moment. "So, your "brother". He would say as both of his normal hands and the robot arms made clear air quotes. Based on where their topic left off Azuki did not say what he wanted and she was none the wiser as to what was eating him. He wondered if he should leave it there and just eat. He would take a bit of his food. "This is delicious, thank you." He was definitely antagonizing her "brother" and he certainly found it fun to do so, but he could not leave it there. While he was gone he was sure this dude would try and use his seemingly self appointed title as she had not mentioned it to try and put a foot between Akabayashi and his "sister".

Once, Junko had finished he would speak up. "So, your brother was quite devestated just seeing two people enjoying breakfast." He would wait for her to nod or agree or any form of affirmation. Akabayashi was unsure of what went on, but he was sure the conversation was not a rejection of Azuki's feelings based on the context of what happened when he went back downstairs. "I think your "brother" wants to be more than that." He would wait to see if she understood what he meant.

"I tried my best to antagonize him to gauge his reaction, but at the end he was a stone wall." There was so much telling Akabayashi to force the truth from him, he did not want to leave things as an unknown. He even had supporting evidence for his theory if she asked for it, if she filled in what was said when Akabayashi was gone he'd have a lot more. "I think he loveeees you, not just loves you." He was probably an asshole for saying it, but he thought she should be aware of it even if the thought hurt a bit.

As Akabayashi sat her down and offered her the plate, Junko crossed her legs and leaned forward slightly. An exasperated sigh would escape her mouth as he mentioned her brother, each of his arms using quotation marks around the word. She was a bit dumbfounded at Azuki’s reaction to them simply having breakfast together. In all honesty, she had a hard time believing that his response was just due to their lack of recent interaction.

”Yeah.. My brother.. We uhh.. We met a few months ago and grew rather close before the construction of the village. Since it’s opening however we haven’t really been able to spend time together.”

Junko would pick at her food slightly, and since the awkward situation, she found herself lacking an appetite. After he had finished, Akabayashi thanked her and mentioned that he thought that it was delicious. She’d take a few more bites before placing her plate on the nearby side table and looking up at him once more. Speaking up he noted that Azuki looked rather disheveled upon discovering the two of them. Junko nodded in agreement, she couldn’t help but think of his reaction if he had seen them a few hours ago. He seemed so broken at the sight of them and admittedly seemed a bit agitated towards Akabayashi.

Continuing on, he’d explain that he believed that Azuki perhaps wanted to be more than simply her brother. Junko immediately shook her head, it had been him who first called her his sister so the thought had never occurred to her. She wanted to interrupt him and deny the claims completely but in the back of her mind, she felt that he may be correct. It certainly would explain his recent attitude toward her, but she had a hard time coping with the possibility of it being true. Akabayashi then would mention that he was purposely antagonizing him to gauge his reaction, but was met with a stone wall demeanor from Azuki before his departure.

Junko would let him finish before speaking up herself, she admittedly sounded a bit somber. Had Azuki only remained by her side in hopes that one day they would end up together? Would he now leave seeing as he now potentially never had a shot with her? She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him after almost all the others had seemingly disappeared.

”I honestly don’t know what to think anymore, though as much as I hate it, I think you’re right. I wonder how long he’s kept this from me, or if he had seen me like that from the start and simply used the “family” thing to get close to me. I don’t know if I should feel mad or sad right now, I think I’m just confused more than anything.”

She’d pull her long black hair out of the loose bun and rank her fingers through it as she attempted to figure out what to do next. What would now become of the two of them, and how would she even bring this to his attention? One thing was for certain, there were a few things they soon needed to discuss.

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Maybe he shouldn't have said anything seeing her like this now. It should not have been him to be the one to tell her, but when he left the room he already assumed Azuki would have said something, clearly he had not. It was their first day together, but he did not want a rival for her affection especially with such a vast distance seperating them. He would wonder if her brother was going to pull or do something while he was gone. Someone had to tell her what the situation seemed to be, if that was the role thrust on him then thats what it was. He would yank off the bandaid to lesson the pain, but this wound was too deep for a bandaid to fix.

He wanted to hold her, but he was the cause of her pain. Did he have the right to comfort her now? Akabayashi would resist the temptation to hold her as hard as it was. He was hoping Azuki would tell her, Akabayashi liked him less and less now, man was not even in the room. "I think you should talk to him, maybe he did not say anything because I was here. Timing was strange."

As her hair came undone and she began to run her fingers through it, he could tell she was stressed. Maybe, he could change the subject and get her mind off of things. "Did you want to do some training?" When he asked earlier he was an ass for not saying good morning. Now he was just an ass.

Junko nodded in agreement at his words, she knew she’d need to speak with Azuki about what had happened though she wasn’t sure what exactly to say to him. How was she supposed to confront him about this? She couldn’t help but think about how their relationship would change going forward. It was clear that she may have been a bit too affectionate to him and potentially gave him the wrong impression. Though she loved Azuki she couldn’t ever see herself being with him like that. Maybe when she had first met him, but the time for any kind of relationship like that had long passed.

”Yeah I know, I’ll have to probably set up a meeting between the two of us to discuss what just happened. I mean what was he supposed to say? Confess that he loved me? He probably was just trying to save me from realizing his feelings for me, though I feel like a complete idiot for not seeing it sooner myself.”

After releasing her hair and running her fingers through it a few times, Akabayashi would mention training once more. Though she didn’t really feel like training, she knew it potentially would be a good distraction from this pit she now found herself emotionally spiraling in. She’d breathe deeply for a moment, allowing herself to calm down fully before standing and speaking up once more.

”I think some training would be a good idea, thank you again Akabayashi. I’m sorry that you’ve been with me for less than 24 hours and have already found yourself in an awkward situation. I want you to know I’m not upset with you at all, seeing as none of this is your fault. Though you didn’t make it any better by antagonizing him. I know it sucks now, but if you plan to stay in my life, I’ll need you two to at least get along. So in the future would you try to be nice, for me?”

Looking up at him, she’d give him puppy dog eyes in hopes that he’d at least agree to make an attempt. If he agreed, Junko would move to place her arms on his shoulders and pull him in closely for a tight embrace if he allowed. For a few moments, she’d hold him like this, then as she pulled away she’d place a light kiss on his cheek.

WC: 404
Total WC: 11178

He would simply listen to how she felt, mentioning they would have to have a meeting. Admittedly, it was easy to notice; maybe she had noticed and chose to ignore it. It was not her fault Azuki did not tell her. Assuming he was even right about his feelings for Junko, it was basically a hypothesis as he missed a bunch of the other stuff besides the staredown and him just acting very weird.

He thought they were changing the topic to training; however, that weight off his shoulders would not last long."Get along? With him?" The questions came with a clear pause between the questions. This man was the enemy of enemies and was not even in the room ruining his relationship. I don't know if I antagonized him or he antagonized me. Looking at her eyes made him lose concentration. So, he opted to look anywhere but down. Why is saying okay not easy? It's probably because you could give the guy all the Kaguya DNA on you, and the dude still would be missing a spine. What were the good qualities of Azuki? He could keep a natural straight face while bullshitting. That was a skill.

"He is the big white whale to my Ahab." Azuki was his nemesis. Truthfully, if Tsuki were under attack and Akabayashi had to work with him to defend it, he'd be more focused on what Junko's brother was doing. "I will try, princess. " He seriously doubted they would truly get along.

Now, I am attempting to put things behind them in the situation. Once she released him, he would get into the lesson.  "Do you want me to start with the fuinjutsu or lightning jutsu?" Whichever she chose, he would start by showing her lightning beast tracking fang, lightning release coiling dragon, ghost lake breaking seal, and chakra storage seal. He would show her the seals for each shot of lightning jutsu into the sky from her balcony. The fun was applied to random surfaces she could break at any time. Once they were done, he would look at her. "Any chance I can use your shower?" He would ask, and if she answered, he would take the plates downstairs first and wash the dishes.