[Graded][Plotboard] I did something

[Willoria]

[Plotboard] The Queen's Gambit Aina wasn't nervous, she was downright on edge. Over her shoulder she had a jar of sorts, covered in fuuinjutsu seals, held in place by her right hand as she kept it balanced. But she was walking straight for the Hokage's office. At a desk outside of it was a young woman who smiled as she saw Aina, only sparing a single odd glance for the large jar before looking back to the Bannin. "He's inside waiting for you. You guys going out for lunch again?" she asked rather cheerfully.

Aina sighed and glanced at the young woman. "I wish." she admitted almost sadly. "But its not a lunch date today, I need to talk to him. Please. No interruptions?" she asked of the now confused assistant who only nodded and went back to her seat as Aina moved for the door. She pushed it open with her left and free hand, stepping into the office before closing the door and walking to the desk where she was certain Takeo would be. Carefully she lifted the jar and set it on his desk, making sure to avoid any papers or anything he might've had strewn about. "I'm back." she said almost hesitantly, looking at her lover across the desk. "And I think its time I fill you in better..."

[Izanagi]

Now that was a welcome scent. Aina had only been gone a week but it taken a toll on Takeo. The twins were toddlers now, running around and making trouble, learning how to speak with cute shortened sentences and jumbled words and such. Hanako had been helping greatly, even Yozei pitched in though both of them were full fledged Genin now, they had their teams, responsibility, training and spending time with friends to focus on. Often Takeo would find himself utilizing shadow clones to go into the office on days where he couldn’t find a babysitter. It had been rewarding certainly, he loved spending quality time with each of his children though it was also exhausting especially at only half capacity. Whenever Aina left on a mission he was reminded of how much he appreciated her though he tried to never forget in the first place.

Setting aside some papers he tossed his Kage hat onto a coat hanger behind him as he heard Aina reach the top of the stairs, enter the long hallway and approach the door. His assistant had her own corner desk a few meters outside of the door to his office and there too was a guard standing by whom quietly moved aside as Aina spoke with the woman and then entered the room. He overheard the conversation, few things escaped his senses, especially from within a range of about 15 meters or so. His expression hardened and the excitement he felt upon her return was stowed away for a moment. “Business first then pleasure eh?” he verified, almost whimsically as Aina entered the room and placed the jar of sorts on his desk. She hadn’t actually told him any of the details of her mission before she set out, though as a Bannin and as his lover he trusted her to take matters into her own hands where she deemed it necessary. “Looks like a sealing pot, don’t tell me you’ve got a spirit sealed in there…” he speculated carefully. The last thing he wanted Aina doing was getting involved with spirits. He could still vividly recall the encounter several years ago where a spirit had taken possession of Aina and nearly killed her.

[Willoria]

For a moment Aina stared at the sealing pot, now standing on Takeo's desk and at least two and a half feet tall. "No, there isn't a spirit in it." she told him. "Not yet." she added with a sigh. She took her hand from the pot and walked over to lean against the wall by the window. She knew this conversation was probably going to get ugly before she could really get her plan through to Takeo. At the least, he really wasn't going to like the risk she took by meeting with Kenji, not to mention the fact that she did it behind his back. "You're not going to like where I got it either, or probably what I plan to do with it."

She could have told him about Yosuke's problem right then, she could have told him about the child he was having with Mai and what was going to happen with that child. She could have spoken of the risk to the village involved with it all and their need to get the spider queen under wraps immediately. "There's a lot I could tell you, Takeo, but I think I better get the worst part out of the way first because its going to piss you off." She didn't need him distracted by who she met with when she told him about it all, and so she figured the best way to get past it would be to say the worst part of it all first.

"I'll explain why in a moment, but first you need to know that this mission was me going out to Tea Country to find and meet with Hiraku Kenji."

[Izanagi]

Takeo relaxed slightly as Aina told him that the pot didn’t contain a spirit. At least she hadn’t gone off alone to confront what no doubt was a powerful being. She wouldn’t be coming to him if it was something that could have been handled easily. Sighing, he knew that whatever he plan was he wasn’t going to like it. As she moved to the window he stood and followed her. He knew how she was, he likely wouldn’t have to ask, whether he wanted to hear it or not she was planning something and needed his either his help or his authorization. Again he sighed, “I figured as much, let’s hear it then, what have you got yourself into Aina?” he asked, if only to speed up the process and get this sense of foreboding off of his shoulders.

His brow furrowed as she warned him that he would be pissed off. Taking a deep breath he attempted to clam himself pre-emptively, it was better than letting his imagination get ahead of itself and consider all the possible things that could elicit such a reaction. Honestly he wished he could tell her that she could speak freely and that he would listen without judgment but she knew him better than just about anyone, including knowing the handful of things that could get under his skin and test his patience. When that name escaped her lips Takeo clenched his fist, rolling his head and groaning as he turned away from her. Of all the people, she had to seek him out? There was so much that could have gone wrong, information Kenji could use against him that might have been leaked. “Dammit Aina!” he fumed, not quite yelling but certainly with a raised voice. “Clearly you know how dangerous that man is, why him? What kind of spirit is so powerful that you would need HIS help? And how did you even know he has the power or knowledge to help anyway?” he questioned.

She was a Bannin so it stood to reason she would be aware of the infamous S-Rank shinobi of the world but the files Takeo had been compiling on the abilities and movements of such S-rank shinobi were being put together by himself personally, the information compiled from his own experience and the reports of a handful of ANBU operatives. Typically the files were stored in the ANBU vault though there were several instances where they were locked in his office under guard by ANBU in the next room and the standard security throughout the building. Had she done her own research? Or had she gone behind his back and broke into his files? Either way it was something she should have discussed with him first.

[Willoria]

She watched him clench a fist and groan, rolling his head away from her as he took a few steps away. She had to fight the urge to smirk. She loved Takeo, and she knew he loved her, but it never ceased to amuse her in the moments when Takeo would obviously forget how rebellious she could be. There was a reason why, as a chunin, she was already tattoo'd and well pierced despite being from one of the most prestigious clans of the village. But she pushed the response down and kept a straight face, even as Takeo raised his voice. She knew why he was upset, she just silently hoped he'd understand by time she was done speaking. "I've heard the rumors about him... and I checked your files to confirm them." she admitted rather bluntly. "If anyone needs information about anything outside of the great villages, it is Hiraku Kenji. And when it comes to spirits? Perhaps he's the closest thing to an expert outside of the villages as well. I went and met with him to see if he could help me locate one, and he came through." Aina reached up and undid one of the scroll pouches on her vest and removed the small scroll within, offering it to Takeo. Within he'd find a fairly crudely drawn, but accurate, map.

"I needed to find Yosuke's Spider Queen." she told Takeo. She knew even as she explained though that Takeo was going to be upset. If it wasn't the risk she took seeing Kenji, it would be the betrayal of her going through his private files. It shouldn't have been possible to do, if she had asked one of his guards to let her through to see his files she would have been stopped. She would have had to lie to get through, and take advantage of a fellow shinobi's trust.

"I know you're going to be pissed... but I need you to know this was necessary." Aina explained, sighing as she leaned against the wall still and kept her arms crossed over her chest. "We have a ticking time bomb in the village, and its getting worse. Its time for us to take care of the spider queen and put a stop to her influences."

[Izanagi]

The Hokage turned towards his lover once more, taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly once more as she admitted to looking at his files without permission. It was clearly a crime and nearly anyone else would have been punished for such action though in this instance that wouldn’t be necessary. He would simply reinforce his security protocols and have to remind his guards not to allow her entry unless he was present. He hated the feeling of not being able to fully trust Aina but she had brought it onto herself and honestly there were far worse things she could have done to breach his trust, in the grand scale of things looking at a few documents wasn’t nearly as bad as something like an affair or directly interfering with a mission that might jeopardize the safety of a Konoha shinobi. He would listen quietly, hoping that her explanation would be a good one. Her words rang true of course but it still begged the question, just what kind of spirit was worth such risk and deceit in the first place?

He took hold of the map, looking it over thoroughly and recognizing some of the landmarks as well as the Country it resided in, ’Dangerous territory’ he noted, not that he had expected anything less. His eyes widened at her words and all of a sudden everything fell into place and made perfect sense. So that’s why she couldn’t risk telling anyone about her plans, Yosuke was the commander of ANBU and the Spider queen possessed a direct link to his mind and senses. To think that Aina was aware of such a security risk, it was a secret Takeo had kept highly classified, withheld even from the rest of the ANBU division, which meant that she had discovered it herself from speaking with Yosuke. “Good work Aina” he interrupted suddenly as she tried to explain the necessity of her actions. “I mean it. I’ve been trying to find my own solution to dealing with the Spider Queen but this, this is perfect. I wont lie, I am worried about the risk you took but I understand it…mostly I just wish you would have come to me directly, still, I get it, this had to be done, you couldn’t take the risk of me letting my feelings for you get in the way or the chance of Yosuke catching wind of the plan." Just like that Takeo’s ANBU training overcame his emotions, he was not one to judge. Countless times he had worked behind the back of the previous Hokage, doing whatever needed to be done for the sake of the village and relying on the judgment of himself and Izigin to determine what that was and how far to go. He had never spoken a word of his activities in ROOT to anyone outside of the organization of course and as far as he was aware there was only one, perhaps two living individuals who knew the part he played in it. Nara Satoshi and Izigin himself if the man still lived.

He would look at the woman with love and compassion in his eyes, “I suppose if you came to me you don’t plan on taking down the Queen by yourself at least. She must be quite powerful, were you able to gain any intel on her from Kenji?” he wondered. There was no way he wouldn’t put himself in the front lines against this creature, the spirit was a threat to the entire village with the secrets it knew. He had to put it down permanently. The more he could prepare against the spirit the better, even if he only had a few days to come up with strategies and prepare jutsu it might just be enough to make a difference. In a way the thought of battling a spirit that could challenge him and Aina together was quite exciting but also very much unsettling. He hated going into a fight blind and there was so much that was unknown when it came to the Queen, the layout of her lair and the quantity, strength and abilities of her underlings. At least when he had fought Nehan and Kenji he had years of gathered intel to work with, allowing him to feel relatively comfortable and composed in that battle, even having a little fun initially against Nehan. This was different though, not only would his life be on the line so too would Aina’s. he knew there would be no talking her out of coming with him and honestly he likely needed her assistance. They had to succeed or else Hanako would be orphaned for a second time, the young twins sharing in that pain and Yozei once again left without a father figure in his life. Not to mention the great blow to the strength and leadership of the village as a whole.

[Willoria]

Aina sighed and motioned to the scroll she had just handed Takeo. "That is everything he gave me." she told him, sighing a moment as she looked at Takeo. There was one more thing he really wasn't going to like. "He did ask something of me in return... and I agreed to it." she added, leaning against the wall once more. "He asked that I bring the spirit back to him afterwards, in the jar, to be destroyed. I insisted that I be present and witness the Queen's destruction." She knew he wouldn't like that either, but she hoped he'd relent without too many extra questions.

She wasn't planning on telling him that she'd also agreed to submit to the five element seal while she witnessed the spirit's destruction... to assure Kenji's safety from her.

But the information that was really bothering her was the very reason she had started this hunt. Aina pushed off the wall and walked over to Takeo, reaching over to take one of Takeo's hands in hers. "There's more at stake here than just Yosuke now." she told him. "You need to know what happened, and why we need to do this as soon as possible." she added, shifting herself so she was pressed up against him, head resting on his shoulder as she sighed heavily. "Yosuke got Mai pregnant. He told me how happy he was to hear about it... until the Queen revealed the worst part. Any children he has bear this curse too. She's going to use him to breed an army. For Konoha maybe this is a clan in the making, but we can't let her keep control over them. We need to save these children." Maybe it was the fact that she had just had her own children not so long ago, but when she had known of the Queen's potential control over Yosuke she hadn't been so concerned. But the idea of the children being used, being cursed, that was too much for her.

[Izanagi]

The Hokage frowned and looked at the map once more, wondering if there was any possibility of sending out an advance recon squad, as much as he enjoyed the rush of adrenaline from combat he hated going in blind. Ultimately he knew it wouldn’t be possible, nobody he sent would be able to get close enough to obtain actionable intel without a high chance of the Spider Queen being alerted to their presence. It was too high of a risk, he couldn’t allow her time to prepare or move to a different location. There was also the risk that this was a trap, Kenji could alert the Spider Queen himself or ambush Aina and Takeo at any point during the mission or better yet invade Konoha and steal the information he sought whilst two of Konoha’s strongest shinobi were preoccupied thousands of miles away from the village. It was a situation that created a knotted ball of anxiety in the man’s stomach. One wrong action here could doom the village and have long-lasting consequences. “Understood” he stated simply.

His eyes rose, looking at the woman warily as she mentioned an additional stipulation. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Queen was to be destroyed he would have been quite upset. “I see. I trust you’ll watch him carefully, make sure that he isn’t able to gain any intel from the spirit or harness its power…” he knew she had already indicated as much but he felt he had to say it, if only for his own peace of mind. Exhaling heavily he began to fully accept the situation, content that all the cards were on the table now. It seemed that wasn’t quite the case though, as Aina moved towards him and held his hands he knew there was something more she wished to say. He took her hands without hesitation, his expression though slightly guarded was undeniably dominated by affection and patience. “I’m listening” he said softly as she led into what more was at stake. He closed his eyes, comforted by the woman’s closeness and the feel of her body against him and her head on his shoulder. Around Aina he could allow himself to completely relax.

His eyes opened as she revealed that Mai was pregnant with Yosuke’s child. As she further explained Takeo considered the many ways such a circumstance could play out. The danger to the village would increase exponentially. As a secondary concern he too was unsettled by the idea of children being forced into a life of being a pawn for the Spider Queen. “This Spider Queen, am I right to assume she’s a force that even I might struggle against?” he wondered, his voice grim at the prospect, ordinarily such a challenge excited him but the element of the unknown was something that brought doubt into the equation. Ideally he would want to have Yoru at his side but he knew Aina was every bit as powerful as him and more invested in the situation, despite the greater risk to their own family he knew she was the best person to bring and he also knew that he needed strong shinobi to remain in the village to help protect it in the event that Kenji double crossed them. “We’ll defeat the Queen. Together. You have my word, the children and Yosuke will be saved” he promised. He would give himself a couple of days to train heavily, shake off the rust and perhaps develop a few new techniques as well as prepare strategies and then the two would venture out and strike the Queen at the hear of her lair.

[Willoria]

Aina hated putting all this on him, and not just because he was her lover. He was the Hokage, and she was asking him to risk his life. But after everything the village had been put through with the invasion, she knew the village couldn't handle the blow that would inevitably come its way if the Spider Queen wasn't soon dealt with. She stood there for several moments, leaning against Takeo, before she lifted her head and kissed him gently on the lips. She held it for a few moments before finally taking a step back and releasing him, sighing as she knew there was one thing he would take the hardest. "I do have to ask one thing of you, and not because I need to protect you as the father of my children... but because you're the Hokage." she told him, sighing quietly.

"I know you can handle this fight, but for the sake of the village, if Yosuke is forced to join the fight I need you to let me take him on." she told him, looking at Takeo evenly. "If things go wrong and Yosuke ends up killing one of us, killing me can be forgiven given the circumstances. But we cannot take the risk that he might injure you, much less worse. He'll never forgive himself if either of us dies, but if you die or get hurt badly enough, the village will never forgive him. No matter what the cause. Under the Queen's control or not, the village will demand blood."

Aina swallowed hard. She knew how forgiving her village could be, and she knew if Yosuke managed to kill a village bannin it would be hard for them to forgive it, but killing the Hokage? She couldn't see her village taking that and letting it go. Yosuke would be lucky to rot in a cell if that were the case.

[Izanagi]

The man smiled softly as she kissed him, no matter how many times they kissed he always appreciated and cherished every moment of it. He didn’t say anything, kissing her back gently and then letting her part. So there was something else after all? Wasn’t that always the case? Still he was quite content and relaxed now, she knew how to soften him up well enough at least. He nodded slowly as she spoke of a request of him, he was willing to just about anything for her but that line wavered slightly when it meant Aina would be put in danger and she knew it. He considered her words, finding comfort in her faith in him and now factoring Yosuke into the equation. The man would be a problem, even if they restrained him and kept him under guard it was likely he would escape and kill many guards if the Spider Queen was able to take control over him. But then if they did nothing and instructed guards to stand down and leave him in the village he would likely pursue and endanger Aina. It was a difficult decision to make. Certainly Takeo would attempt to find some means of containing Yosuke with minimal risk to Konoha personnel though if the efforts were in vein he could at least trust Aina to hold him off.

It was soon clear however that Aina didn’t expect to just hold Yosuke off, she was prepared to die. The recently demoted ANBU commander was one of Konoha’s most skilled shinobi, easily on par with Bannin in terms of his Taijutsu prowess and unique wire style, a form of combat that would pose a great threat even to Takeo. The muscular warriors face soured at the thought of Aina sacrificing herself yet still he heard her out until the end. “I trust in you to fight Yosuke if necessary…but if you fall to him, regardless of him being under the influence of the Spider Queen I will kill him myself. The village might forgive him if I ordered him to be pardoned but I could never let your death go unpunished. Knowing Yosuke even if by some change of heart I spared him he’d kill himself and honestly I wouldn’t expect anything less.” He stated with a dry bitterness. Few people realized there was a side of Takeo that could be downright vengeful and merciless but to those who threatened those he loved he had no room for mercy, regardless of the circumstance.

[Willoria]

Aina smiled almost sadly as she walked over to Takeo again and took both his hands into hers. She knew, unlike most, that he had a vengeful streak. It was exactly why she was pushing this conversation, and the sadness with it. "I know that's what you'd want." she told him quietly. "And that's why we're having this conversation, Takeo. That's why I have to say this." she added, pulling his hands up and looping her head under them to rest them at the back of her neck. She slipped her hands around his waist, inside his Hokage robes as she leaned against him. She rest her forehead against his briefly.

"I'm asking you to set that aside. If the worst happens, I need to know this wasn't in vain and if Yosuke survives, that his children will have him. Trust me, you won't have to kill him. But you'll probably have to stop him from doing the unthinkable if he kills me while under her influence." She lifted her head to look at him, knowing how much he'd hate the thought of any of this, much less hearing any of it.

"Before we start on this, I need you to promise me this much. If the worst happens and he survives, but kills me, I need to know his children keep their father. Whatever you have to do to make that happen, and whatever you have to stomach to make that happen. I can't go into this thinking that if I die, then I'm dying for a lost cause."

[Izanagi]

Takeo could feel the weight on his chest, tugging at him and refusing to let go. He had allowed himself to imagine a world where Aina was killed and it filled him with bitterness. Yet he knew that she wouldn’t want him to go down a dark path it such a fate were to occur. It was a difficult thing to overcome one’s inner nature, the primal feelings of vengeance, anger and bloodshed. It was not often he was consumed in such feelings though having his loved ones when stripped from him or endangered was the quickest gateway to such a state. The powerful man furrowed his brow, his eyes dark and intense though slowly warming once again as the woman spoke softly and held his calloused hands in hers. He allowed himself to exhale slightly as his hands were placed over her shoulders, fingers gently caressing the back of her neck. He winced slightly, not wanting to give in or make a promise that he couldn’t keep but he also knew how much this request truly meant to Aina and that itself was worth enough to make him want to overcome his own personal feelings.

Just like before her presence and closeness comforted him, quelling any budding frustration and numbing the creeping feelings of despair, pulling him back into the present and a sound state of mind. “I don’t know if I can promise that…I wish I could.” There was pain in his voice, contained and subtle but present. She mentioned again the importance of him being their for his child, presumably more if he lived past the spider Queens demise. As a father he couldn’t think of anything worse than stripping away that parental bond. “If that happens. I’ll try, I’ll remember your request and do my best to stay my hand” he said softly. He looked at her now with a wry smile, a sense of himself and his usual lightheartedness slowly returning. “If I can manage not to kill the bastard then yeah, I’ll be there for him and keep him safe, even from himself in the months afterward” this promise was much more sincere. Takeo was not a man who held long lasting grudges. His rage was overwhelming in the moment but fleeting, preferring to channel it into combat, use it to push him onward and then let it wash away as quickly as it came.

The Hokage would look to the Hyuuga Bannin, the woman he loved like he had no other. His hand moved to cup her face, feeling the smoothness of her porcelain white skin against his rough, muscular hands. He would only nod assuredly at her final reiteration. “That danger goes both ways. If I am killed then you don’t have a choice but to survive, even at the cost of Yosuke. To lose a father is hard but even more so a child needs their mother and I could never find solace if children are orphaned because of this mission, especially our children.” His thoughts were mostly of the young twins, only about three years old they had their whole life ahead of them and so many more memories to share with their parents as they grew up. It was arguably the worst point in life to lose one’s parents, old enough to remember and be heavily impacted but too young to have significant memories to draw upon later in life.

[Willoria]

As Takeo reached out to touch her face, Aina closed her eyes and tilted her head against his hand. She had always enjoyed the feel of his touch, it had always brought a sort of quiet comfort to her. She opened her eyes as he spoke again and though his words were filled with something she didn't want to hear, and a pain, still his voice soothed her in its own way. But she nodded. "I told you, my end goal is to save his children, not him." Aina replied. "I won't save him at the cost of our children." she added, sighing as she moved both hands to rest them upon his chest.


"I will not allow Hanako to be orphaned again." she assured him. "I won't let Kotaro suffer the clan's wrath again. And I won't let our own children be orphans even once." she added, reaching up both hands to touch the sides of Takeo's face. "I love you, Takeo. And I know this could push us and our family, but we need to do it now or the village itself could fall to this thing." Aina leaned forward and kissed the man deeply, wrapping her arms around behind his neck and head, holding herself against him as she kissed him for several moments. By time she broke the kiss she was out of breath, and chuckling at herself. "I guess we've stepped out of official business mindset now, huh?" she said, grinning up at him.

[Izanagi]

Takeo allowed himself to smile softly as Aina closed her eyes, there were moments like this where the woman seemed so delicate and vulnerable. She was undeniably athletic and imposing when the situation called for it, but Takeo had the privilege of seeing the side of her that was just a woman not a soldier or warrior. He found her strength and skill attractive certainly but it was these softer moments shared between just the two of them that he truly loved. Her eyes opened, the milky white trademark of the Hyuuga clan, to many it was difficult to discern the pupil of such eyes or gather any sort of indication of emotion from them but for Takeo that was not the case. Combined with his observational skills and the ability to faintly hear heartbeats he could see into Aina as easy as anyone else. He breathed out a sigh of relief, “Okay” he conceded with a nod. He could agree to such terms and rest easy knowing that she would always put their family first.

He could feel the energy coursing through his body as Aina touched his chest. Her scent was intoxicating to him and now that the tension had dissipated he wanted nothing more than to be properly reunited with her. His left hand moved to her waist, tightly pulling her close as his right hand continued to caress her face. The conviction in the woman’s words were palpable, sentiments that resonated strongly throughout him. It felt damn good to be on the same page when it came to the things that mattered most. All his life Takeo dreamed of one day becoming a great father and husband, it meant more to him than his career as a shinobi or even his responsibilities as Hokage and he was not ashamed to admit it. In fact it filled him with pride to think about the family that he now had and there was truly nothing he wouldn’t do to ensure their safety and wellbeing. The man’s love was one that was unconditional and all consuming.

“I love you too…more than anything” he said, conveying as much with the look in his eyes, which seemed to almost glisten with happiness against a deep blue backdrop. Aina had been the best thing to ever enter his life, in a time of turmoil and darkness she had shown him light and had guided him to become the man he had always strived towards. With her at his side he was the best version of himself, without her he was afraid that might fall apart…but with her, he felt like he could accomplish anything. No great love came without risk or struggle however and he knew that they would have to risk everything to protect what they loved. She kissed him deeply and he found himself unable to properly control himself, amplifying her passion and finding his left hand drifting lower from her waist and gripping firmly as his right moved down from her collarbone, caressing her body before reaching around across her back and holding her tightly with enough strength that a lesser person would be crushed. He too was grinning and breathing open mouthed, “Maybe a little bit” he responded cheekily, squeezing his hand and smirking before effortlessly scooping the woman off the ground, lifting her so that her legs were wrapped around his chest as he spun her, clearing space on the desk with his right arm as he laid her onto it. He had already un-clipped her bra when first picking her up and there was no mistaking his intentions. Touching a fuuinjutsu seal on his desk he would open up an intercom link with his secretary outside of the fortunately soundproofed office, “Aiko, clear my schedule for the next hour, urgent matters to take care of” he instructed before turning his attention back to Aina, ensuring that he would very thoroughly address her concerns.