Woodlands Peace

[Willoria]

Minako hadn't been out of the hospital all that long, but long enough for her brother's funeral to pass and start to feel like yesterday's memory instead of today's. She had ventured out to the forests of Konoha for the first time since he died, something that had once been a daily occurrence. She set up her lean-to at the edge of a small clearing, against the base of a large tree. A circle of stones marked where she had made a fire the night prior. A large flat stone was at the edge of the fire where she had prepared and cooked meat that night but at the moment the camp sat empty. Except of course for Rei. The large black down was under the lean-to, her dark nose barely peaking out from under the handworked hide materials, twitching here and there as she kept a sense out for smells of the unfamiliar.

It was only as she caught a strange scent that the dog suddenly stood and took a few steps out of the tent that her blue-green eyes opened wide. Her ears stood up on end, alert and twitching as she looked for the smell. Her body was tense, fur beginning to stand on end though no growl emanated from the animal.

Minako herself didn't seem to be anywhere within sight.

[Izanagi]

The war had taken its toll on Yozei, he had spent years working closely with Tea and Fire country samurai as a shinobi representative to coordinate and update the war effort. The samurai and the imperialist campaign of the Fire country Daimyo saw their platoons acting aggressively in the expansion of the Empire whereas Konoha’s forces acted mostly in support, recon and defense with only a handful of full-scale engagements throughout the war. He had become close with the men he served alongside and was often relied on to turn the tide of battle with his exceptional ninjutsu prowess while in turn he trusted in the samurai to defend him against any particularly strong close-range fighters they encountered. The loss of Tea countries homeland had hit him hard; he had been deployed to the far south at the time, securing a victory in Dragon Country and then in a neighboring country on Shrimp continent. When he had returned home, he had to contend with the realization of the losses, not only of the land of Tea but even a portion of Fire country had been overcome by Kirigakure’s relentless and sudden assault.

But there had been no chance for retaliation. The Daimyo: his grandfather, in the last months of his term and his father as leader of Konohagakure had been quick to agree to terms of peace, to reconcile the loss of territory for the safety of the citizens to relocate and for comprises to be made and new nations born from the destruction. Ultimately Fire country had nearly tripled its size, a victory to many but one that was bittersweet with the lingering sting of Kirigakure’s transgressions forefront of many minds. Now that the dust of the aftermath of the war was settling Yozei was sure he was due for a promotion to Jounin soon for all of his involvement. Though, it was a growing thought that perhaps it was time to retire from the life of a shinobi. He had felt at home among the samurai, serving the Daimyo and working more closely with the royal palace, even being assigned to guard some of his relatives from time to time. He had gained favor from the Harukatsu family and growing recognition, even respect. It was not far-reaching to think he could be awarded his birthright, to be recognized as a member of the royal family, if only he ask.

There was plenty of new territory under Fire country’s domain, so much so that the sun never set on its land. He could rule an entire region, his time in the south had been favorable. Ever since returning to Konoha it hadn’t truly felt like home. He needed time to think, to get his head straight. And so, of course, he set out to the forests, away from the smells and sounds of the village streets. There had been a time when the massive growth of trees had been a wonder to behold, had captivated him and gave him hope and dreams of joining the ranks of Konoha shinobi. Now the trees felt suffocating, and he longed for open spaces and the smell of the ocean, the beachfront views he had grown accustomed to. It was hard to believe the young man was only barely an adult by more civilized standards, he felt like he had aged a decade in less than half the time. Though, being thrust into war and fending off multiple kidnapping and ransom attempts was certainly a way to gain some life experiences.

The young man had been wandering rather aimlessly through the forest. He wore all red adorned by bits of gold, including a cloak. His hair had grown down past his shoulders and was tied in a ponytail. At his left hip was his daisho of two Katana, one adorned in lightning bolts and the other in a lacquered crimson sheath. His style had adapted to become quite reminiscent of his ‘uncle’ Masuru, the flamboyant member of the Awai clan though in truth it was more his embracing of his royal heritage and the traditions of the samurai that led to his changes in appearance. The only sign that he was in fact a shinobi was the Konoha insignia inscribed on his belt, even wearing a forehead protector now felt strange, though he did still carry his kunai holster on his right thigh as well as the equipment pouch containing explosive notes at his lower back. His face remained cleanshaven and handsome, his eyes ever-youthful and bright with their cerulean blue gleam. Though the way he carried himself was that of a battle-tested prince. He was tired but not to the point of sacrificing his appearance or poise. Entering a small clearing he noticed the lean-to and paused to search for anyone in the area. He half expected to see his sister Hanako, she was always camping out in the woods, taking much more strongly after their father than he, even if she was adopted. What he saw instead was black dog that at first glance he mistook for a wolf. Naturally, his hand rested at the sheath of his Katana, favoring his newer addition, gifted to him by his uncle Yoru. His other hand however opened as he lowered to a crouch, making himself non-threatening to the best of his ability while keeping himself ready to act. “Easy there, I mean you no harm” he called out softly. His voice was smooth and composed but almost a little sad, as he still found himself quite troubled. He wasn’t particularly good with animals, aside from falcons and hawks, though he had picked up a few tips considering his grandmother on his dad’s side was one of the more noteworthy breeders/trainers for the Inuzuka clan’s ninken.

[Willoria]

Rei's ears twitched as Yozei spoke to her. Though as a ninken she didn't see just see the open hand, she also saw the one on his sheath. Her head lowered slightly and lips began to part in the appearance of a snarl, just without the snarl. But the real threat didn't seem to be the dog, as a moment later there was a loud snap and a black feathered arrow impacted in the dirt inches from where Yozei was crouched, inches from a certain part of his anatomy.

"She's very protective." came a voice from the trees. Minako sighed heavily, groaning as she rolled her shoulders and realized she hadn't moved for some time, suddenly wondering how long it had been. Minutes? Hours? Her joints popped lightly before she finally shifted and dropped from the tree, landing only a few feet from the pair. "Easy, Rei." she remarked, sighing as she looked over the man in front of her. "Don't you recognize someone of his fame?" she added, snorting sarcastically.

Rei's body language relaxed, but the dog gave Minako a quizzical look for a moment, before glancing between the two shinobi, noticing her partner still held her bow in her hand and hadn't put it away yet.

"Something you want from us plebians?" Minako asked, not bothering to introduce herself as she glanced rather pointedly at Yozei's fairly fine clothing before finally putting her bow away and turning back to her camp, kneeling by her campfire circle to start setting it up for a new fire.

[Izanagi]

Yozei's stance shifted slightly as he noticed signs of aggression. His right hand remained open and away from his sword but his legs tensed, sliding into a more ready stance in a position similar to a shallow lunge. His left thumb gently touched the tsuba of his sword, ready to flick it up to assist in a quick drawing method he had learned in Tea country. The sudden thum of a bowstring shifted his attention, his free hand gripping his sword as he angled to an optimal position to slice an incoming projectile.

Only barely did he percieve that the attack was aimed a bit low and he stifled his reflex to engage. With the speed of the projectile and the sudden attack it was unlikely he could have smoothly intercepted it anyway but he could have made an attempt at least if it were aimed somewhere vital. "She's not the only one" he replied, glancing down at the precarious position of the loosed arrow. Slowly he lifted out of his stance and withdrew his hands as he looked to the source of the voice. He recongized the Inuzuka markings immediately but had no idea who this woman was specifically. He had never gotten particularly close to the members of the Inuzuka, even his grandmother he had only met less than a dozen times despite both living in Konoha.

Yozei was admittedly surprised though also somewhat proud that he was actually recognized. There had been a time when he wanted nothing more than to blend in and be treated as just another shinobi. In the academy he was bullied and teased at first though that quickly shifted to more apparent jealousy and those who clung to him as his skill and popularity rapidly ascended. It had made it difficult for him to form many true friendships, instead forming connections with his family and a handful of mentor figures. Now, returned from the war he had come to accept and appreciate the qualities that made him stand out among others. His change in appearance was an indication of that acceptance though it seemed he would have to face the hurtles of feeling welcome in Konoha anew once more.

The auburn haired man couldn't help but smile, a certain sense of pride and confidence that he now carried with him. "I wasn't sure what kinds of reports made it back to Konoha, am I really that famous to you?" Suddenly his confidence softened, he could feel her scorn of course and it still hurt him to be seen with spite by his comrades, it was a feeling he thought he would never have to face again. "Is it my mother or my father that you resent me for?" He wondered genuinely. It always came down to one or the other, his nobility and wealth or his skills and training as a shinobi that were often brushed off as being nothing but the consequence of having the Hokage as a father.

[Willoria]

Minako got the start of her fire set up, sprinkling a few leaves over it before striking over it to get the flame started. It only took her moments though as Yozei spoke the woman shook her head, the various bones and bits in her hair clinking lightly at the motion. "Of course it must be one of your parents at fault, it can't possibly be that you're dressed like a foreigner, sticking out like a sore thumb, after our own country was invaded. After no one could bother to protect our own borders, after showing more interest in everyone else and leaving the rest of us to be slaughtered like we were nothing." There was a snarl in her voice as she spoke, piling up more wood around the start of her fire before shifting to sit down by the stone at the edge of the fire.

It would take time for the stone to warm, giving her the space she needed, and the time, to prepare her kills from earlier in the day. She reached into a bag at her side and withdrew a couple of rabbits, pausing a moment before suddenly flinging one at Yozei. "Make yourself useful." she stated, pulling a couple of knives from the bag as well. They weren't her Karambit, these weren't knives one would fight with but rather something one would specifically use for cleaning kills. Small hunting knives, and exactly what she intended to use them for. One of them she also tossed to land in front of Yozei's feet, the other she kept to herself to start the work of cleaning the rabbit she'd kept to herself.

Of course, there was a third rabbit she'd pulled from the bag and tossed to Rei without bothering to clean it, and the dog accepted it greedily.

[Izanagi]

Yozei watched with amusement as Minako struck stone to bring about fire. He knew this was the most common method of fire starting but it never ceased to feel extraordinarily primitive and dividing between himself and most others. He could conjure and manipulate flame as easy as breathing and others resorted to striking rocks only to manifest a small spark. "A foreigner?" He retorted immediately, actually feeling rather insulted for someone as devoted and nationalistic as himself. "I'll have you know these are authentic spider silks and fabrics weaved in Fire Country and worn throughout the royal palace" despite his pride his voice lightened and he smiled lightly, knowing that of course that didn't help his case much when compared to standard Konoha attire. "It's been a long time since I've been hated for my fashion sense" he muttered, thinking back to the first weeks of moving to Konoha around the age of 11.

His voice trailed off however as he listened to the rest of what she had to say, now seeing through to the real pain behind her discrimination. It ate at him too, the anger toward his father and grandfather, for allowing Kiri to invade Fire country, to the very gates of the village, forcing Konoha to surrender. They had been spread far too thin, defending barren territory that had been occupied in Earth country, advancing to secure hold over countries to the south and supporting Suna in their conflicts. It had left them exposed, trusting on Kumo to keep Kiri at bay though even they were unprepared to thwart the intial invasion, obly able to assist as Konoha forces rallied back to their homeland.

His expression grew heavy, pained. "Every person on deployment wishes they could have been here when Kiri attacked. We were doing the best we could...at securing Fire Country's greatness and driving back Iwa. Intel indicated Kiri and Iwa were mounting an attack to drive Konoha forces from Earth country..." he exhaled slowly, as much as he tried to understand the situation, to accept that in war plans never went perfectly, he couldn't help but still feel angry at the situation. He wasn't even in Earth country, he was in Dragon and Dragons touch, strong arming farmers and mercenaries into surrender so that Konoha could recieve a new military base and a fresh supply of resources. What good was that now in comparison to losing Tea country's homeland and the eastern coast of Fire country.

There was nothing more he could say on the matter without feeling like he either needed to cry or punch something. So he simply stood in silence until she threw the hunting knife at his feet. He looked up, forcing himself to smile and keep the situation light, "Okay, that time you could have just tossed it to me. I have hands" he commented. He looked at the rabbit that she had also unceremoniously tossed over to him, "I'm really good at lighting fires" he emphasized, effortlessly manifesting a fireball in his left hand and then extinguishing it as a quick demonstration.

It occurred to him that he had very rarely ever cooked anything beyond heating up some noodles or something else trivial. And when it came to actually hunting and skinning he had only been shown how a handful of times with his dad and Hanako shortly after first arriving in Konoha. His adopted sister had taken much more quickly to outdoors skills and soon the invites to accompany them grew more and more scarce though Yozei hadn't been particularly eager to join in. He tended to stay home and study or practice Katon jutsu with his aunt Ayami. He had been content with that, though part of him did always wish he had more in common with his father. All of his dedication to impress the man had been poured into his development of Katon techniques, eventually gaining enough recongition to train with his dad on several occassions and even surpass the man when it came to Katon ninjutsu.

Gingerly Yozei picked up the rabbit and the knife, flicking the folding blade open and adjusting his grip on the rabbit several times, pretending like he actually remembered where he was supposed to make the first incision, if it even mattered at all. "I'm really not that hungry, I'm sure your ninken wouldn't mind a second" he said suddenly, chuckling awkwardly. He hated to prove the Inuzuka girl right: that he wasn't as self-sufficient as she was, that they were in fact fundementally different despite both being Konoha shinobi. Yet, the fact remained that this really wasn't his sort of thing and he had got by just fine without really needing to get his hands dirty.

[Willoria]

Minako hardly glanced at Yozei as he showed off his ability to use Katon. She seemed completely uninterested in it, and instead directed her attention on the rabbit in her hands. It seemed to only take her mere moments to skin the animal and cut out the most useful parts of the meat, laying out out carefully on the stone to cook as it would begin to heat up. She tossed the remains to Rei to enjoy, raising an eyebrow at Yozei as he mentioned that maybe Rei would enjoy another whole one. "No need to spoil her." she remarked instead, snatching it from him. She stared at him a moment, almost as if boring a hole into him mentally, before suddenly lunging at the rabbit in her hands and biting into the animal and ripping the rabbits head off with her teeth. She tossed the head to Rei with her own teeth, the actions sending a spray of blood in Yozei's direction before deftly removing the animal's skin as well.

Two more sections of meat were layed out on the stone just in time for it to start sizzling as it finally warmed up enough. The remains she again tossed to her dog, the furs she kept beside her, clearly planning to dry them out later. "You have no interest in Konoha, that's why I said foreigner." she remarked. "Just as your father was more interested in fucking things outside the borders, you prefer protecting other interests and left the rest of us to nearly die." She finally stopped and got to her feet and looked at him, lifting her shirt to reveal the still new thick scar that extended from her belly button to her right side. "Do I need to describe to you that I held my entrails so you could buy your foreign clothes? Or should I describe my twin's corpse to you instead?" she snarled. "I ask again, what do you want from us plebians, Prince?"

[Izanagi]

Yozei approached the fire, observing the way the woman swiftly dismantled the rabbit. It reminded him of his father, and he supposed he could expect as much from an Inuzuka. He was about to make his best effort at replicating her movements when she ripped the animal from his hands, much to his relief. He wasn’t particularly squeamish, or at least he didn’t think so, but he didn’t enjoy getting bloodied up and he certainly didn’t enjoy cutting into flesh. Though he had improved his swordsmanship, it was rare for him to engage an opponent in close quarters. The alternative wasn’t any better though, killing with ninjutsu could be just as gruesome and traumatic. He made a face of disgust as she brutally bit off the rabbit’s head. “You’re barbaric” he muttered in disbelief; he knew the Inuzuka could be feral but he had never met one quite so uncivilized. His aunt Masami was the most familiar Inuzuka he knew, and she always seemed quite warm and friendly.

Between her crude actions and hostile attitude, the Inuzuka woman began to draw out some of Yozei’s ire. “Everything I’ve done is for Konoha and Fire Country” he spat, still composed but clearly growing frustrated. “I did what I was ordered to; by my father and grandfather; Hokage and Daiymo. I led a platoon of Fire country samurai, worked alongside Samurai of Tea but I never stopped being a shinobi. You have no idea how many people I burned alive for this village, livelihoods that were destroyed, innocents that suffered so that our country could prosper! My father led men into battle to the doorsteps of Iwa itself, to fight for freedom for our people against slavers, to retaliate against those who attacked our allies in the Sand!” his face had grown red as his voice steadily rose to a shout, giving in to anger to mask the tears that welled in his eyes. She retaliated with her words of pain and loss. “We all fought, we all suffered. We’re on the same goddamn side” his voice grew softer, cracking slightly.

The two were close in age, barely more than teenagers. Yozei had been fortunate so many of his family had survived the war; only his paternal grandfather; Natsuki Isamu had been killed; a long retired Jounin and in his mid-70’s the man had stepped up to defend the shorthanded village and paid the price for his loyalty. Yozei’s siblings save for Hanako were fortunately too young to be in active duty, the twins only just graduating as Genin. Despite being adopted, his sister of the Hyuuga clan was special to him and he was grateful she didn’t see much action. He could likewise imagine that the pain if either of his twin siblings lost the other would be immeasurable. Yozei took a step back, the fight in him seemed to leave as quickly as it had come as he slouched and sat down in the dirt abruptly, taking care only to ensure his swords were tilted enough to not jar against the ground. “I don’t want anything from you, I don’t even know what the hell to do with myself” he admitted, propping his arms against his knees and staring at the ground.

[Willoria]

As she heard the word 'barbaric' slip from his mouth, Minako laughed outright. Her lips and teeth were stained with the rabbits blood and some still pooled in her mouth, it seemed to only add to the image of her. The laugh wasn't a shock but in pure entertainment, almost like a child's, that was only silenced as he went on. As he began to rant, the mirth left her lips but her grin remained as she looked up at him. She used her knife to flip the meat but then stabbed it into the ground aggressively. She didn't move for a few moments, though his comments about being on the same side seemed to make her twitch.

Rei had gotten up, her muscles tensing, and a snarl had actually begun to come from deep in her chest but Minako held up a hand and two fingers to stop her before pointing down, and Rei bregrudgingly flopped down on the ground once more.

Minako herself remained in this position, watching Yozei out of the corner of her eye as she waited for a specific exhale before her body moved. She launched herself at him with everything she could muster, aiming to knock him back and pin him beneath her. A leg across his thighs, one hand to pin him down by the wrists, the other holding a karambit to his neck as she grinned down at him like an animal. Blood still stained her lips and her teeth. "If we were on the same side, you'd wear that Konoha symbol proudly, not hide it on your belt." she snarled, breath hot on his cheek. "You're lost because you let yourself walk a line between two worlds and you keep choosing the one that isn't calling to you. I've known you for less than five minutes and I see it, why can't you?" she snarled, suddenly licking up the side of his face before laughing and suddenly shifting backwards to take her weight off him and seemingly to let him up.

[Izanagi]

From his perspective, Minako was wild and rough around the edges but he hadn’t felt truly threatened by her. He had faced much stronger forces, individuals whose power and bloodlust were palpable, who could make armies shudder. But that didn’t mean Yozei was the type to be careless, he was well aware of his weaknesses as well as how to overcome them should he be forced to fight. He could surmise that in a physical contest he was outmatched, even with the significant reach advantage of a sword over knives. But he was not the sort to start a fight without good reason and better yet a strong degree of certainty that he can win or at least complete his objective. He hadn’t thought he had given enough reason to provoke the Inuzuka woman into action, and yet when he had made himself vulnerable, where he expected to diffuse the tension he was met by a sudden and powerful tackle.

The wind was knocked from his lungs and his heart raced, his body panicking from the sudden closeness. This was nearly a worst-case scenario for him. His head smacked against the ground with a dull thud and his vision became spotty for a few seconds, “What the hell are you doing!?” he sputtered in a combination of annoyance and panic. There was a flicker of fear in his eyes, but not from her but rather for her sake. When forced into a situation beyond his normal means to effectively protect himself the darker part of him tended to emerge as a self-preservation mechanic. This ‘Dark Prince’ as it dubbed itself, coming to him in his dreams, he had come to learn was a fragment of himself. His soul had been tainted by a spirit that had once possessed him, its chakra distorting something inside himself and leaving a lingering essence, not a true conscious spirit but rather a manifestation of his own darkest thoughts and desires. He ignored her comment about his Konoha symbol, he was tired of convincing her of his loyalty. “You don’t want to fuck with me. You have no idea what I’m capable of” he growled, his eyes seemed to darken for a moment, his pupils flaring with a deep red sheen and his body grew hotter, the skin under his layers of clothing beginning to glow as patterned markings faintly crept t the surface.

His breathing became more erratic, and his fingers clawed at the ground, finding some comfort in the coolness of the earth. Slowly his rational mind prevailed, he was still safe. He had options, the earth itself was his ally, he could melt away into it in an instant, coat himself in armor or even muster flame from nothing to act on his behalf. He heard what she had to say, and even that helped to ground him and reclaim his focus. He pondered her words, though in his confusion he couldn’t discern which path she believed he should take, shinobi or prince? His inner self certainly wanted the throne; fire, destruction and power consumed his dreams nearly every night. Was that truly his destiny? Or was there a better way, a path that didn’t require violence at all. He refused to believe he was truly violent by nature, he served to protect their nation's civilians, to spread all that Fire country could offer throughout the world and secure a brighter future for all those within their borders. But then, such a notion had only come by violence in the end. The woman’s sudden lick across his face sent a shiver down his spine, oddly arousal was the last thing on his mind. He had only ever been with a woman once in his life and his interest had waned substantially over the years as heartbreak begrudged itself to servitude in the military. There had never been the time or interest to open himself up like that again, for to him love and intimacy were one and the same. “So, which is it then?” he wondered, his voice tired and his eyes hazy but again shining their rich cerulean hue. He continued to lay on his back even as she shifted her weight off. Idly he touched his face, feeling the wetness and wondering if it was more blood or saliva that now stained his skin.

[Willoria]

Minako sat back on her backside, her left leg still draped across his legs with her foot resting on the other side of him though applying no pressure. He could have easily pushing it off or slid out from under her. Her right leg was tucked under her as she looked at him, observing his body language and his fine clothes now covered in dust and some in dirt, earth, and grass. There was some blood staining his cheek from where she had licked him and she watched him touch the smear but only shook her head. "You're more lost than I thought." she remarked. She looked towards Rei and pursed her lips. No sound seemed to come out but the dog's ears perked up as if it had and she trotted over to the two.

Rei and Minako met with a touch of foreheads, the two staring into one another's eyes before Minako jerked her head slightly towards Yozei. Rei almost seemed to frown before Minako puffed her cheeks at her in a sort of huff. Rei lifted her forehead from Minako's and seemed to sigh, before trotting over and laying down next to Yozei, carefully resting her front legs across his chest and laying on him, assuming he didn't stop her of course. There was no malice, but rather an act meant to be a comfort, simple positive pressure.

Minako looked at Yozei. "Raised in a palace, did you ever really feel whole? You came here, seeking to fill a whole and yet you still didn't feel whole? Seems you always miss the one you don't have. But which did you seek first? You sought here, then shouldn't you eventually realize that what you really seek is here? Your real problem is your wanderlust...." she smirked a bit. "There's rumors that your father is cursed with his own lack of commitment in his own way, perhaps this is your own version. I'd say yours is the greater curse."

She looked out to the trees and grimaced, resting a hand on her abdomen, over her scar. "My name is Minako by the way, and the rug on your chest is Rei."

[Izanagi]

Laying against the cold ground Yozei felt as if all the energy had been sucked out of him. He wanted nothing more than to rest: his mind and body. It felt like years since he had known peace and true happiness, the kind that came with the certainty that he was on the right path in life. He no longer felt threatened and so Minako’s relative closeness didn’t bother him. He snorted mirthlessly as she seemed to look right through him, and she was right. He was lost, more than ever. That was the reason he had come to the woods in the first place, to try to get his head on straight somewhere that he could be alone with his thoughts. His eyes closed and for a moment he simply wanted to sleep. Though feeling the close approach of Rei and the dog’s presence atop him, Yozei’s eyes opened, and he moved to gently pet the creature’s fur before once again staring up at the sky while idling running his hand through the dog’s black coat.

He chuckled lightly as the woman seemed to recite his entire life as if she had known him for years. Was she in one of his academy classes? He wondered. He had bounced around between a few grades, spending a few weeks in an intro class despite being several years older than the other students before being teased and picked on by younger and similar aged students alike. For some time, he shifted to private lessons before being thrust into various age-appropriate classes where he struggled desperately to catch up on 3 years’ worth of curriculum, managing to go from the worst in the class to the upper third by the end of the year. And from there he quickly excelled and left most others behind in the final year of the academy. “Have you been stalking me or something?" He teased, lifting his head slightly as his right moved to act as a sort of pillow and help him prop up a bit to look at her. He sighed, he hated confiding in others though he supposed it was easier to talk to a stranger than someone he would have to see every day. “As a kid all I wanted was family; to know my father, to have siblings I could trust and protect. Coming to Konoha I gained all of that and more, I even made some friends. But I still don’t feel like I belong. Working alongside samurai I was treated like royalty, more so than I even did growing up. They protected me from hostage attempts and served under my command. I coordinated with old acquaintances from the palace and delivered the will of the Daimyo; with every successful conquest, I felt acknowledged by my grandfather. I was able to serve both country and village. But the more influence I gain the more I want what I had been denied. But I’m afraid; that it’ll corrupt me, or worse that I’ll learn my true nature is the one that plagues my dreams.” It was comforting to be able to speak freely about such things, but it didn’t bring him any closer to understanding the choice he should make.

The young noble smiled, feeling some sense of lightness return. “You’ve got that right” he agreed in response to the comments about his father. “Half the village could be related to me for all I know” he joked, though the thought of such lechery and infidelity was still a tender subject. His father and Aina seemed happy together but he couldn’t imagine being with someone that could be so flippant in their affections. He had long since vowed that if he were ever to bear children, he would know them and their mother and be a committed presence in their life. There had only been one girl he had loved; she was someone he would have left everything behind for if she had decided she wanted a family with him. But that had been nothing more than a childish fantasy and he had come to terms with that now. Though he couldn’t help but wish the best for Suzume and hope that she was still alive and following her passions. His mind shifted back to his conversation with Minako, “Only time will tell what my curse truly is; whatever the case I fear myself most of all” he admitted. He removed his hand from Rei’s fur to reach out, offering to shake Minako’s hand as she finally introduced herself. “Yozei, but you know that already. Was wondering if you’d ever tell me your name. I suppose it’s nice to meet you” he said as he sat up partially, resting on his elbow now and suddenly realizing how filthy and scuffed up his clothing was getting.

[Willoria]

Minako lay on her back as Yozei mentioned stalking him and she couldn't help a bit of a snort. "Don't need to stalk someone with so many rumors surrounding them." she replied. She sat up briefly and reached over with one of the hunting knives to remove the cooking rabbit meat from the stone before it could burn, it was already getting a little too done. If she left it too much longer it'd be inedible. She held some out towards Yozei to offer some to him first before taking a piece herself to nibble on it a bit. She kept quiet as Yozei spoke, confessing to her as she let him say what he needed to say.

When he reached a hand out to her she grimaced a bit, shaking his hand awkwardly. "Too damn proper." she muttered, wrinkling up her nose as she took another bite of a bit of the rabbit meat as she looked at him a moment. "You talk like you want to be accepted here, but you live like you're trying to be something above us. You can't be accepted here if you don't let yourself be you know. If you don't get your hands dirty once in awhile, you're just going to keep having shinobi here thinking that you think you're better somehow. Birth doesn't make you better, you need to prove it." She sighed and looked at him a moment, noticing the dirt on his clothes again and chuckling. "You look better with some dirt on you."

[Izanagi]

Yozei sat up, straightening out his clothes and adjusting the position of his swords as he shifted into a comfortable cross-legged position. He would welcome Rei to continue sitting next to him or even rest her head on his lap while he scratched idly at her ear. Out of courtesy he accepted the cooked meat when offered though it certainly wasn't appealing. He had ate crudely cooked meat before while on missions of course but it was never something he enjoyed, simply a means to keep his body going. There was no comparison to proper dining, food prepared by chefs and balanced with both flavor and presentation.

Despite being his fathers son, he still had more of his mother in him, at least in terms of appreciation for finer things in life. Unlike both of his parents however he never let himself be consumed in his indulgences. He took a sizable bite of the rabbit and chewed it dutifully before swallowing. His expression remained neutral and it was clear he took no enjoyment in it. "I suppose that's fair. I'll take that into consideration" he contemplated. In truth he didn't know who he really was or how to act. He was always balancing formality and politeness with trying to blend in and act more casual and easygoing. Somewhere in there was his true personality or perhaps they were both him and he simply needed to accept that he should embrace acting differently depending on his surroundings.

The young noble listened humbly, he never intended to act better than anyone else but even just dressing and speaking differently now and then seemed to leave that impression. Not being comfortable skinning a rabbit probably didn't help much either. "I've never considered myself better than anyone because of my lineage. I've only ever wanted to be seen as an equal, to earn respect based on my merits. I thought I had accomplished that, at least from the people that matter to me. Give me a chance and stick around a little and I'm sure you'll see it too" he stated. He honestly wasn't sure if he would ever see this girl again or if he really wanted to, but she was beginning to be someone that he could appreciate talking to and given her personality he figured if she wanted to see him again she would.

He chuckled softly, avoiding her gaze and smiling with a boyish youthfulness as she complimented him, even blushing lightly. "You should see me fight, I actually quite like dirt. I only keep so clean because I can control it so easily" he commented. His right hand rose up in demonstration, glowing blue for a moment as all the bits of dust and dirt on his clothes gathered in a small sphere floating above his hand, condensing tightly to form a pebble which he promply flicked at her in a playful and rather whimsical decision.

[Willoria]

Rei huffed grumpily as Yozei moved and shifted how he sat. She eventually accepted being moved to sit on his lap, but she clearly wasn't happy about it, and given her size she didn't make it entirely easy on him. But eventually she accepted the ear scratches and pretended to not watch him eat his portion of rabbit as he spoke. Minako chuckled as she watched the movements, shaking her head a bit as she sat up as well and sat with her legs crossed under her now, without leaving her legs over him at all any longer. She rolled her eyes a bit as Yozei spoke. "You say it, but you should prove it. Not by giving orders, or leading. You should be accepting orders. Show that you can follow orders, show you can be humble and you can take correction. You'd do better. All I've ever heard about your instruction is how you've been handheld, even your own stepmom led your genin team didn't she? As far as anyone in this village knows, you've had it easy."

She wasn't entirely expecting him to fling dirt at her however, she waved a hand to try and keep it from getting at her, sputtering as some got in mouth and she made a face at him. Some seemed to fall to the side at her waving her hands to keep it from hitting her, or getting in her food.

She finished off her rabbit pretty quickly and stood, stretching, inadvertently showing off her scar again. "The best way to show you deserve to be here, that you belong, is to prove everyone wrong. Not by leading or being bull-headed or showing off. By working within teams where they can see you, not just within your family." She looked down at him a moment. "I don't just hear rumors. I'm Jounin. I hear a lot of things, even if I do hate being around people as a general rule." she shrugged and sighed a bit, looking out through the trees as she thought for a moment.

"We all have our weaknesses, maybe your family really is the problem. Maybe they tried to protect you and that's why you've been left in this position instead... maybe you didn't do this to yourself. But it's time to separate yourself, Yozei."

[Izanagi]

Yozei wanted to interject, to argue his merits but then that would be proving her point. Perhaps he did need to be humbler and accept correction. So, he simply frowned and bit his tongue so to speak. He couldn’t resist a slight retort though as she talked about his Stepmom. “True, but Aina is no pushover, and we weren’t exactly on the best of terms to start out. You’re right though, I have been privileged in my instructors. Zakuro worked me hard too, made me put on a bit of muscle at least” he chuckled before flicking the pebble at her, allowing it to break apart into its looser components of dirt to spray her with. He smirked playfully when some of it got in her mouth though he did worry that if she retaliated, she might take things a bit too far.

It seemed she was in lecture mode though and had a fair bit more to say to him. He got a closer look at her scar this time as she finished her food, it was pretty significant; Quite similar to scars that both Takeo and Aina bore. It made sense that the stomach was rather vulnerable and a commonly injured area. Yozei had been hurt a number of times though usually he blacked out when it got bad and when he awoke it was as if nothing had happened. “Who are you calling bull-headed? I can’t be more stubborn than you, can I?” he teased again, trying to keep the encounter light. He was used to taking lessons from his elders and superiors but this girl he saw as a peer that he was having a casual conversation with. “I did work with Mamorinuku a bit; the Vanguard squad with Zakuro, Niku, and Masaru” he muttered lowly, more so casually adding in information to the conversation than being defiant. He was genuinely listening and taking her advice to heart. He swallowed his words quickly when she firmly made it known that she was a Jounin. He hadn’t realized that she outranked him, for whatever reason he had gauged that she was likely a Chunin or Special Jounin. Though he was sure that he was in for a promotion soon he still knew it was important to show respect to superiors, especially if she wanted to cross the line between casual conversation and actually giving him direction to follow.

He watched her for a few moments as she looked to the trees. He could see that she carried a lot of pain and seemed quite a loner save for her ninken of course. She had mentioned she had lost a twin and he wondered if she had been more friendly with others when he lived or if her disconnect was a result of her loss. “My own path eh?” he considered, thinking of what kind of man he wanted to be that wasn’t tied to living up to a family legacy. It was somehow a thought he had never considered before. Well, not since Suzume. “I wanted to run off with a girl I met once, does that count?” he laughed the notion off, but the lightheartedness was short-lived and his eyes grew weary. “So, what’s your weakness?” he asked suddenly after several long moments of somber nostalgia.

[Willoria]

As Minako stared out into the trees she eventually felt a familiar nuzzle under her arm. She looked down to see Rei shoving her head under arm arm and insisting on Minako's arm resting on her head as she looked up at her. The young woman couldn't help a small smile as she looked down into those blue and green eyes that had pulled her out of so much pain in recent days. She heard what Yozei said but it took a moment to register before it made her chuckle. "A girl? Why doesn't it shock me that a woman would be your weakness?" She grinned as she turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow, for the first time in their interaction missing the mark entirely about the young man before her. "Was she some dolled up princess? All proper dress and manners, full make up and probably perfectly chaste?" She laughed outright at the thought as she scratched Rei behind the ears and shook her head.

As Yozei seemed to grow tired and asked about her weakness, seemingly in full seriousness the woman sighed. "A few weeks ago I would have told you my twin but..." She sighed and shook her head. "If that were true, he wouldn't actually be dead right now." she swallowed hard and shook her head again as she thought about it seriously. "No my weakness is this perfect darkness right here." she finally said, looking down at Rei, shifting a hand down under the dog's chin to pull her gaze up to look up at her. "She is my weakness."

[Izanagi]

Yozei felt content for a moment, though somewhat tarnished by his experiences in the war he still enjoyed the simple sounds of crackling fire and the gentle plume of campfire smoke. Seeing Minako smile as she looked at the massive black dog helped to briefly see beneath her abrasive exterior. For a moment there, he even noticed that the girl was rather pretty in her own way. Not quite his usual type but he could see some appeal. His expression quickly shifted to one of visible annoyance however as she teased him about Suzume, making very inaccurate assumptions about her. “She’s not like that at all” he scoffed, rather curtly. “I can’t stand fake people like that” he admitted bitterly, he had seen enough deceit and backstabbing amid constant gossip and fake pleasantries within the palace. Often the ones that treated him like family were the one’s that spoke the worst of him behind his back. He had learned to see the hate behind their smiles at a young age and he refused to surround himself with people that pretended they were something they were not.

He thought for a moment if Minako even deserved an explanation about who his former girlfriend really was, “Su..she is passionate and driven, someone that understands loss and cares about giving others a fighting chance in life. Smart and beautiful; she’s the type that will always persevere and accomplish her goals. But she was always honest to me about her motivations. We live separate lives, it was inevitable we would end up apart, I’m just glad I got to enjoy any time with her at all” he spoke from the heart, his voice softening as his eyes watered on the verge of spilling forth tears. He believed in his bones that she was still alive but still he worried. He had been in Dragon Country and Dragon’s Touch over the last year and had found no trace of her. Yozei had never been to her hideout but he knew she operated out of Selador Market, having passed along messages to her contacts for two years prior and up until the early conflicts of the war. The last message he had sent her had been after he and the Fire Country Samurai conquered lava island, slaughtering the tribal people that inhabited the island. He had warned her of Fire country's aggression and potential to continue their expansion. It had been the following year that Fire Country moved on Dragon, surely, she would have taken precautions to prepare safe houses to fallback to.

Minako spoke up, speaking a bit from the heart herself. Yozei wasn’t well experienced on comforting others, save for his younger siblings. All he could do at first was listen and watch her with his gentle, empathetic eyes. He felt his own emotions deeply and strongly and could connect with others when he allowed himself to. “I’m sorry about your brother” he said at last, treading carefully as he didn’t want to overstep or make any assumptions about what happened exactly. Instead, he focused on what he knew. “I have three siblings, the youngest two are twins. If I lost any of them, well. I don’t think I’d be holding up half as well as you. My Grandpa though, he died protecting the twins. I didn’t know him as well as I would have liked, Hanako and the twins were closer to him. I know it eats away at my dad though” he explained. He wasn’t sure who Minako blamed exactly for her brother’s death but if it was the Hokage it was only fair she know that he had lost family too.

[Willoria]

Minako looked at Yozei a moment, more than a little surprised as he spoke of a girl. She wasn't surprised that he'd had a first love of course, but rather that she hadn't been some high born, high maintenance fake sort of girl. She was even more surprised by what seemed to be tears threatening to spill as he spoke of her. "Sounds like you still love this girl." she remarked quietly. She turned her attention to Rei, shifting to sit on the ground once more as Rei shifted to sit and lay across her and pinned her across the ground.

Minako couldn't help a bit of a laugh at this, shaking her head. "You big lummox." she muttered, shaking her head as she turned and looked at Yozei as he spoke again. Her expression turned more somber and she sighed quietly. "We always put the mission first, we always worked well together and knew we couldn't save one another over the mission or our charges." she admitted. "Because of that, he died. I almost joined him." She took a deep breath and let it out slow as a single tear slipped out and down her cheek. "I remember getting people out, saving them, and next I knew I was trying to hold parts of myself... in. And just limp home. I couldn't even get to him." She shook her head, feeling her hands start to shake as Rei suddenly stood up and pressed her head against Minako's chest as Minako leaned her head forward into the thick fur of Rei's neck.

[Izanagi]

Yozei chuckled lightly, he knew he was never very good at hiding his emotions and rarely did he even bother trying. “Maybe I do, but if I had a chance to be with her again, I wouldn’t take it. We’re different people, now more than ever. I’ll always believe in her and hope we don’t meet on opposite sides of a conflict. But she was right, I’m not the type of person that could ever truly understand what it’s like to live like a common civilian and honestly, I don’t want to. I like the power, the influence. I want to lead, be it either as a prince or a high-ranking shinobi. I can feel that’s the type of person I’m meant to be.” He admitted with calm conviction in his voice. As he tasted more power, he found himself craving it more, to go backwards now was not something he could bring himself to sacrifice.

He listened to the Inuzuka’s story. It sounded like she was an excellent shinobi, no wonder she had reached the rank of Jounin at a relatively young age. “I know it doesn’t feel like it, but I think you did the right thing. Putting ourselves at risk to save others, to complete the mission. That’s what we were trained to do” he said softly, feeling a sense of helplessness as he knew his words wouldn’t be of any comfort. She had lost her brother, the last thing she probably wanted to hear was what she already knew, that she had done what the village expected and demanded of her. Yozei empathized with the woman and felt the weight of sadness cling to him as he watched her cry. “I’m sure everyone you saved will remember your brother's sacrifice.” He added, reaching out gingerly to touch her shin in an act of comfort.

[Willoria]

Minako shook her head as Yozei's remarks about liking power and influence, she couldn't help it and had to bite back a bitter statement in response. "Just make sure you don't let it eat you alive. Power destroys more than anything." Her words were fairly quiet as she pet Rei's fur, looking down at the dog that had become her whole world so quickly since her brother's demise, Yozei's response to her story only deepening her own frown. She buried her face in Rei, trying to hide the tears, especially as she felt Yozei touch her.

In truth, it took every bit of self control she had not to recoil at his touch. She knew he meant well, but touch wasn't something she was accustomed to. She managed to at least keep it to a slight stiffening of her muscles. "Honestly I don't care if what I did was right." she said quietly, sniffling as she finally pulled back from Rei's fur. "I'd give anything for the chance to do everything wrong if it meant my brother was the one who survived instead."

[Izanagi]

Yozei nodded, understanding the weight of the woman's words. While he had grown up a lot over the course of the war he still found himself occassionally swept away in his thoughts and passions. "You're absolutely right of course. I've seen that firsthand. I know the cost of peace and that we aren't always the heroes. I dont enjoy killing, or destroying villages of innocents. I just want it to all mean something in the end. If I can have a hand in maintaining peace and repairing some of the damage that's been done then maybe it will be worth it." He explained calmly. There were things he had done that he wished could have been handled differently but in the end he had learned that life as a shinobi or samurai even in Fire country was not always noble, no matter what their doctrines might want them to believe.

When he touched her leg and felt her tense he immediately retracted his hand. "Forgive me" he stated humbly bowing his head slightly as she spoke of wishing her brother was alive even at the cost of the mission and presumably the hostages. "Of course you'd want him to live, no matter what." He rectified. Family should always come first and he knew that but sometimes it was hard to pull away from one's training especially after a long series of battles throughout the war. He had come to accept sacrifices were necesarry and inevitable but it was different talking to someone who had lost a close family member.

[Willoria]

Minako visibly bristled at his words. His remarks this time were short, but somehow it all hit her the wrong way. For a moment all she could see again was her twin brother's funeral. Like many other funerals for the Inuzuka in the past she had caught a glimpse of the Hokage among the mourners. It was a sight she knew had given others comfort, but int he moment it had only enraged Minako and in the moment that memory only brought the rage to the surface again. She made a sound through her teeth as she suddenly pulled away from Yozei entirely and pulled to her feet quickly, kicking up dust and dirt as she did so. "I don't need your empty platitudes or your fake sympathy." she snarled at him.

"Save it for someone who falls for that shit." she added, kicking off the ground and into the trees, taking off at a run, with Rei not too far behind her. Tears stinging her eyes once more, Minako suddenly had the urge once again to just be alone, and especially to be away from anyone connected to the Hokage so directly.

[Izanagi]

Yozei’s expression fell as he realized he had struck a nerve. He had never been very good at his social graces, what he remembered on etiquette he typically made efforts to avoid in favor of a more casual approach to conversation. But nonetheless, he did feel compelled to extend some kind of sympathy to those in mourning. He supposed the reaction was fair though, he had never met the woman’s brother and didn’t even know her really. What familial connection they had was so far removed it was hardly worth noting at all. The young man prepared to excuse himself, feeling his intrusion was well over-stayed, though he didn’t get much of a chance to politely apologize and made his exit as Minako ran off with the large black ninken.

The red-haired prince sighed heavily, “I really don’t belong here, do I?” he muttered to himself, slowly accepting that reality. He simply didn’t mesh well with other Konoha shinobi, regardless of how he dressed or acted he always felt like an outsider. Perhaps it would do him well to spend some more years away from Konoha. He wished to get to know his siblings better, at least with them he felt accepted though he still knew he was an outsider to that family dynamic as well. After a few months of focusing his time on Hanako, Takeshi, and Kaori he would find somewhere else to go, perhaps visit Suna again or see Kumo. Or better still, it might be best to step away from the life of a shinobi altogether and make a life for himself in Dragon’s Breath, the new territory claimed from the land of Dragons. A palace and a military outpost had been constructed. Perhaps he could make a difference there. With a greater sense of clarity, Yozei spread out the logs of the fire and smothered it in dirt, ensuring it was safely extinguished before heading back to his home, he would only consider it that for a short time longer he realized, living between two different houses within Konoha he wasn’t sure which one he preferred honestly, but it wouldn’t matter much once he finally got a fresh start somewhere else.