| abstract
| - Reputation was a lot like armor; not only is it immediately identifiable, but if used correctly it can deflect blows, inquiries and all manner of rabble from ever trying to confront you. Sadly like any well polished piece of armor, it is a beacon, recognizable and for some impossible to miss. Akihiko understood this and that is why despite her best efforts to remain he had finally been able to track his former now wayward mentor and partner. She had gone to ground years ago, and made a wonderful effort in covering her tracks. But a shinobi of her caliber needs resources and one cannot live in the underworld without forging some contacts. In time he gathered little pieces of evidence, here and there over the years. Small irrelevant motes of data, meticulously collected and analyzed until they formed a pattern and from there he divined her whereabouts --- Amegakure. How curious, that his mentor would lie here in the country that started everything? Regardless he paid a generous fee to the orphaned child who supplied him with the final piece of information. Sometimes it was not grand standing spies, or operatives in disguise who came through, but the little people that had the most insight. The ones no one paid attention, the children who see all and hear all. Indeed, Sayuri and her partner had sequestered themselves quite nicely in their dilapidated little home, but not even with those special eyes did they see the doe-like ones of the lost and unwanted gazing upon them. After performing the obligatory check for traps and alarms, and then quietly disabling them long enough for him to slip in unnoticed did he begin the next phase of his plan. --- Sayuri's life force was akin to a bonfire, how she managed to hide with that monstrous reserve was beyond even his imagination but he paid that no mind. With practiced grace he made the final preparations, before taking his seat as Sayuri entered her home. The first thing she noticed that something was amiss was the most delectable smell, a pleasant blend of herbs and spices that made her mouth water with anticipation. The second was the sight of a dinner table, complete with a full course meal of succulent chicken and pork with roasted vegetables and assorted fruits. Her stomach ached with hunger at such a delicious meal being thrust before her vision. Yet it was not this vision of heaven caught that her attention. Instead her eyes were drawn to the white clothed figure sitting at the table sipping quite leisurely on his tea. Memories of a life she had long since discarded resurfaced; training, missions, even the close moments the two had once shared. They all came to abrupt halt when his silky smooth yet deep voice cut through her thoughts. "Welcome home, Lady Sayuri." The intensity of his gaze betrayed the light-heartedness of his voice; it was like staring into the heart of a beast. The primal instinct of a predator barely restrained with all that it implies. "It has been some time since we last saw each other, I hope you don't mind. I took the liberty of preparing dinner for us, please seat." He said gesturing to the vacant chair across from him. The man's presence was his most intimidating factor by far. Sayuri nearly froze upon her first glance towards the table. The way he had matured exceeded even her own expectations. Memories of the past flooded through her mind, encompassing her inner being. The man's superb chakra control had allowed him to hide away any glimpse of a signature Sayuri may have picked up on. First impressions were vital, that was a fact. But even more so, it was meetings such as this that differentiated the noble from the weak. Sayuri greeted her former subordinate by meeting his gaze with that of her own, comprised of her profound crimson eyes. She then proceeded towards the table, seating herself on the designated piece of furniture she herself had crafted sometime in the past. She folded her right leg tightly over her left, resting her elbows against the surface of the metallic table, and clasping both hands before her nose. "Fancy meeting you here... in my own apartment." She began, her voice emphasizing she was not the slightest bit of surprised, contradicting her earlier behavior. In front of Akihiko, speaking verbally despite knowing of his power was incredibly disrespectful. The man possessed the ability to garner the memories and emotions of those around him, a power that had benefited Sayuri greatly during her days as the man's superior. She moved her hands from in front of her face down onto her lap. She offered a warm smile that even those who did not possess any distinctive sensing abilities could denounce fake. "You've grown into quite the handsome fellow since the last time I saw you. Come to think of it, I never imagined us to meet like this." --- A particular memory infiltrated the whereabouts of her mind. It was of their first meeting; the very first time he had stepped foot into the ANBU locker room. A trait unbeknownst to most was the degree of friendliness ANBU members exhibited to one another. They were the greatest of comrades, who lived together and died together. For such an idea to exist required for all members to unite as siblings, and as such, free themselves of any and all secrets they might have garnered over the course of their careers. This allowed them to move forward with a carefree attitude, of which was on full display upon Akihiko's coming. The room was quite small in size, especially when taking into consideration it housed the tools of numerous shinobi all at once. The walls were replaced with green lockers, all of which were aligned neatly beside one another. There were two additional doors in the room, one of which was the entrance to the lavatory, which extended into the showers, and another which led to a storage room for additional supplies. The boy's arrival could not have come at a better time, as at that very instant, the curvaceous figure of Head ANBU Commander Sayuri Uchiha emerged from within the lavatory and proceeded towards one of the green lockers, the entirety of her being drenched in the hot water supplied from the showers. The woman was at ease, evident by her whistling and lackluster attitude. The ANBU officer who had served as Akihiko's escort paid little to no attention towards the woman's astounding physique, proceeding instead with the set of written instructions he had received from the Hokage earlier that day which also required introducing the young man to several other facilities that had only now become available to him. That day, Sayuri had taken little notice of her future partner in crime. It wasn't until several days later she learned of his name, upon his registration into Team Sayuri. Several dressed ANBU officers were assorted into a neat lined formation in a forest outside of the Hidden Leaf Village. Their belts equipped with various tools, and their masks resting at the side of their faces, they looked forward at their commander with the utmost respect. Sayuri stood before them, a clipboard in one hand, and a writing utensil in the other. She began to read names off of her list, resulting in the raising of a single hand from the mentioned person. Finally, she called out the name of Akihiko Yamanaka, setting the tone for years to come. There's a brief moment of silence, and peering over the edge of her clipboard she saw the last recruit who was gazing at her with the most perplexed expression on his face. Then his face lights up like that moment of 'eureka' and exclaims, "You're the one I was sharing my shower with the other day!" He says examining her figure from top to bottom. Three sets of heads all snap to look at Akihiko in a mixture of shock, surprise, amazement and a slight undercurrent of jealousy. The proud smirk he wears at this revelation only serves to drive one recruit into a near mouth frothing fit. Nodding sagely, he continues, "Oh, and yes I am Yamanaka Akihiko, at your service." The deliberate emphasis at the end did not escape her powers of observation. Unfortunately she can see the other recruits quickly coming to their own conclusions about the supposed nature of their relationship. Sayuri's gaze sharpened, fixing itself upon the peculiar behavior exhibited by the feeble child. Her left foot, empowered by her gruesome chakra, plummeted towards the ground, resulting in a larger crater. Pebbles flew every which way, followed by a miniature earthquake. Shinobi standing in line struggled to maintain their balance, many of them toppling over, their eyes portraying shock. A small cloud of dust began to part ways beneath the woman's torso. "I see your quite the comedian." Sayuri said, denouncing the child's previous statement. She lowered her head, examining her clipboard. She had stayed up the night before separating the troops made available to her into four man teams, dependent on the skill set of each individual. However, she suddenly felt the need to make a small tweak in the lineup. Skillfully turning her pencil, she erased the name "Yamanaka Akihiko" from Squad Seven, instead, reinserting the name within her own squad, Squad One. She looked up once more, as the others stumbled to their feet. "Splendid. You will now be joining me on our mission later this evening." With the thrust of her hand, the line of ANBU officers all dispatched at once. Sayuri, who had turned immediately following the hand gesture, began to walk off in her own direction, and therefore was unaware of any officers who had stayed behind. Though she provided little instruction, she had assumed the high caliber staff of what were highly trained assassins would easily be able to interpret her actions. They were all to gather in the same given direction later that evening, in order to embark on their latest assignment. For now, they were free to do as they pleased, for Sayuri, that meant paying a visit to the local hot springs. "So we're heading to the hot springs then?" A familiar voice replies from her side. Glancing to her left she see's Akihiko walking in step with her nonchalantly. Although one fact disturbs her. How did know she was going to the hot springs? "Because I can read minds." He replies, without missing a beat. "I thought you knew that already?" He says giving her a questioning look. Shrugging indifferently he continues at her pace. Indeed, she had been made aware of the boy's astounding mind reading capabilities. However, not in a million years would she have ever expected it to have been so precise and on point. The boy's skill despite his young age, it was, without a moment's hesitation, frightening. Sayuri shook her head, which actually symbolized two things. For starters, she simply could not get herself to believe the sudden talent the boy had displayed. As a war veteran, the woman was knowledgeable about all of Konohagakure's clans. In fact, she had slept with a Yamanaka sometime in the past. However, never before had she seen such a skill. The movement of her head from side to side also served as a rejection. This boy was not invited to partake in her daily bathing session. "Do not test my patience, child." She halted to a sudden stop, turning her torso towards her left, a slight bend evident in her knees to match his height. "I'm not entirely sure if your aware, but I possess enough power to completely nullify your ANBU transcript. Therefore, if need be, I can simply kick you from our ranks, at any time." She then disappeared with a puff of smoke. Her words carried a false prerogative. While she did indeed hold the rank of an ANBU commander, removing the type of talent and promise Akihiko brought to their operations was inconceivable. It would not happen, had she actually meant what she said. In truth, they needed him more than he needed them. The day went as it normally did for Sayuri. After a moments relaxation, she treated herself to a warm bowl of ramen, until the shift in the color of the sky forced her to return to the forest once more. Arriving atop the crater she had created earlier, Sayuri once more took attendance, realizing the disobedient blond from her own squadron was missing. Sayuri simply shook her head, only for the boy to appear moments after she had finished assorting the others into groups and explaining the background of the task at hand. With another hand gesture, the rest of the ANBU set off in their own separate ways, all carrying a task that would prove vital in order for the mission to come across as a success. In truth, Sayuri was to blame here, as she, as the leader, had taken little precautions. The mission at hand was a lengthy one, one of which required her fellow comrades to work in unison with one another. Indeed, the quest they would soon be embarking upon was not an easy one. As the boy made his untimely arrival, he would find the rest of his teammates dressed from shoulders down in a thick brown cloak. Donning her cat mask, Sayuri tossed a cloak towards the incoming child. "I do not care for whatever excuse you may have planned." She began. "Set it aside and move along. I imagine you'll look into the orders on your own accord." She stated, referring to boy's profound mind reading ability. Despite having missed the whole procedure, he would be able to catch up with the rest within a moments notice, by trespassing the borders of Sayuri's own memories to recall her set of verbal instructions prior to his own arrival. The assignment included a trip to the Land of Snow (雪の国, Yuki no Kuni), where an explicit group of gentlemen had failed to meet their end of a bargain, of what was a loan they had taken from Konohagakure weeks earlier in order to further their research on extinct Kekkei Genkai. While they were distant neighbors on the map, the idea of reviving such powers caught the interest of the Hidden Leaf, who in acceptance, issued a platoon of chūnin level shinobi and higher to investigate on their own matters. Among several others was Kasakasa, a member of the Hyūga clan in charge of the operations. However, contact had been cut off for a few days, and it was speculated that the shinobi of the snow had taken matters into their own hands, and the thought of sharing the power of the holy Byakugan was something the Leaf could not take likely. To claim the research and rescue their own comrade, the ANBU had been issued to take initiative. The only group that had yet to leave the site was Squad One. Sayuri turned, examining her peers. She nodded, unveiling her palm. Small birds, created from her Metal Release bloodline descended towards the ground, multiplying in size as their feet touched the soft terrain. There were three in total, almost one for each member of the group. Approaching the largest one, Sayuri made her comfortable on it's backside, while the others, who appeared quite experienced in piloting the specimens, took off on their own. Sayuri stayed behind momentarily, gesturing for the boy to come along. "It's impolite to keep a woman waiting for too long." --- "It’s impolite to keep a woman waiting for too long." Sayuri said, her voice like honey and silk, dripping with fantasy waiting to be fulfilled. Akihiko was drawn out of his brief reverie, clearly caught up in memory of their first meeting. Sayuri was one of the few who knew one of the weaknesses of his mind reading. Allowing one to get lost in compelling memories had a way of drawing his attention away, however brief. He extended his senses briefly to make sure that nothing was amiss, and found to his satisfaction that she was content to let him stew in the fact that in his moment of weakness she had shown him mercy. Smiling at her rather audacious power-play he gave her another charming smirk before taking another sip of his tea. "My apologies, Lady Sayuri, it seems even I am not above nostalgia." He began eating the dinner prepared before them. "I know it's a bit sudden, but I've been waiting ages to see you again. I hope everything has gone well for you Lady Sayuri, oh and I spoke with your friend earlier, and he agreed to respect my desire for privacy. So," he started gazing at her with a look of amusement. "-what have you been up to?" The elegant Sayuri Uchiha reached for her plate, forging herself a metal spoon there after. "I suppose there's no use in lying to you, now is there?" She questioned, piercing through the chicken with six prongs. After tearing off a piece suitable for consumption, she oddly pushed it towards the corner of her plate, before proceeding to play with the rest of her food. After a moment's notice, she looked up from her plate, gazing at her former student with her crimson eyes. "It's just as I told you all those years ago." --- A storm had picked up over the Hidden Leaf Village, forcing it's villagers to seek shelter. Akihiko had payed a visit to Sayuri, this time not as her subordinate, but more so as her equal. The boy had come a long way since his early days as an ANBU officer. However, despite the boy's obvious maturity, it wasn't until much later that evening that he truly ascended into manhood, accompanying his former sensei into her bedroom for quite the experience; one he surely would never forget. Moments earlier, the two partook in a lengthy conversation over world peace, and as to whether or not such a thing was truly possible in a world populated by shinobi. It was then and there Sayuri, with the aid of a bottle of sake, made her resolve to continue in the footsteps of her once beloved father, promising to make the world a better place with Akihiko as her witness. "I will create such a world..." She had told him, time after time again. "And if I cannot accomplish such a goal before my time is over, then it will be bestowed upon you, as my student, to see to it." --- Assuming he had recalled the memory, which most likely would have been quite the easily task for the Yamanaka, especially considering the event that took place shortly after, Sayuri continued, echoing the same words from several years ago. "I will create such a world in which all of man kind, no matter their ethnicity, state of being or historical background, can come together with the hopes of accomplishing a common goal." He found himself immersing in those memories, recalling with vivid clarity the scent of her body, the taste of her lips against his, the heat enveloping them both as they drowned in forbidden pleasure together. Their discussions that often followed were an interlude to her mind, though strange he had discovered that such acts were reserved only for those she considered quite close. Despite the age difference his maturity and perspective of the world was a resource she greatly coveted during those years. But for her to carry that ambition for all this time? Akihiko's demeanor slowly changed from one of surprise, shock, and amusement before he finally burst into laughter. Rich and light is his laugh, mockingly so, for it was as if he considered the very notion a joke, one to ease the tension. But his mind knew the truth, the intensity of Sayuri's determination as clear as his reflection in still water. "After all these years, after all the strange and wondrous things you've seen, the horrors you've experienced, still you cling to that belief?" He asked, smiling brightly at her. "Come now, Sayuri," he began dropping any formal prefix or suffix to her name, something he only did when he was either ravishing her body, or about to say something particularly hurtful but no less well-meaning. "We're no longer children, we've outgrown such idealistic notions. Or have you not been paying attention to what the nobility does with their time and money when they aren't purchasing our services?" He gestures in the direction of Amegakure's central tower. "They're out plotting to further their own agenda, buying and trading in secrets and lives with the ruthlessness of our best shinobi. And what of the little people, the farmers, merchants and families who live in the villages? Crippled by poverty, limited by their own education, and forbidden from rising above their station, such is the way of things. My dear, if you truly wish to create everlasting piece, humanity can not factor into that equation, because this," he says sweeping his arm around him. "Is what humans have always done, will do and continue to do in the future." Calming himself, he regards Sayuri blankly for a moment, his features betraying not a single emotion as they settle into an emotionless mask. The change was abrupt, so much so that the change in atmosphere had sent a jolt to her finely honed combat instinct. Yet the next instant it was gone, replaced once more by a casualness that was both unsually calming and relaxing. "You're serious aren't you? Fine, if you're willing to pursue this ideal then at least explain this; what is peace? How do you define this so called peace, Lady Sayuri?" Sayuri's stoic demeanor remain unchanged. She simply sat in her seat as she had done all night, though her eyes made the effort of trailing Akihiko as he moved about. "Peace?" She repeated, her arms moving to fold beneath her enormous breasts. The world felt awkward coming out of her lips. "I can't remember the last time I said that word aloud." She paused, a memory of her father appearing in her mind. "Whenever did I say peace? Even a child knows such a thing does not exist in our world. I simply spoke of adjusting the world to meet my requirements; enough to prevent any meaningless conflict. Long before your existence, there came a time where all five great shinobi nations referred to one another as their comrade. However, after they had accomplished their goal, those ties were severed, resulting in what we have today. I wish to rebuild that bond, by rewarding the world with never ending chaos; one that will force not only those very nations to reconcile, but all of man kind in an attempt to resolve the issue." She looked up, her red eyes glowing under the dim light. Her tone suggested she had long since devoted her life to moving forth the plan. "When man is met by a superior who renders him senseless and unstable, it is only natural for him to eventually look for another housing similar morales. It has been this way for countless generations, and surely, the cycle of life will not come to a sudden stop. The smart person acknowledges this as a fact, and instead of trying to change that, takes advantage of it." She continued, though it appeared as though she had no further intention of expressing her beliefs, at least not to the likes of him. He reminded her too much of her past self, coated in the luxuries of the hidden leaf. It wasn't until her defection that she had come to see the world with a greater perspective. The likes of Akihiko could never come to understand.
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