In a new Land (Open)

… Miyuki was definitely glad she had put some distance between herself and the fight. The explosion that went off was huge, and created a shock wave that traveled quite far. Windows were shattered, people knocked right off their feet, and light objects even sent moving backwards and away from the area. Such an attack directly against a human body would have been devastating, and it reminded her of the fight the night before with the lunatics who hadn’t wanted to die: what had the masked man Suna had been fighting been made out of to survive such a blow directly? Miyuki didn’t have long to think about it because it seemed that Suna had reached his limit. His legs gave out and he toppled right along the roof and off of the edge toward the ground.

”SUNA!”, she screamed, darting forward just as the cat man did: she knew if Suna hit the ground hard enough he was going to seriously injure himself or even worse.

The cat man sped after Suna like a bullet, faster than Miyuki herself could move without Sage Mode. She watched, still hurrying over as fast as she could go, as the cat man caught Suna and used what looked like claws to slow their descent after impacting a wall. Miyuki landed right around the time that the cat man set Suna down, nearby. She rushed over in time to hear the cat man saying that it hadn’t been his intention to cause Suna serious harm, he had only been looking for a spar.

”Suna, are you alright?”, concern laced her voice, and she kept her gaze focused on Suna: ignoring the majority of what was going on around her outside of the usual making sure there was no trouble sneaking up on them that she did automatically and without really having to think too much about it. She was definitely beginning to think it was time they took a break from fighting for a while; she had no problem with hanging around the suite all day if it meant Suna was willing to stay there, too. She didn’t mind Suna’s company, and if she were honest with herself she would admit she preferred it more and more: she was beginning to develop her first crush, and it happened to be on her best friend and squadmate of all people.

Word Count: 400 | 11,568

There was the sensation of falling... then he was grabbed. Suna opened his eyes to see that the cat man had grabbed him, and was sliding on a wall across the street as they descended towards the ground. Were those... claws?

On the ground, the cat man put Suna down. He sat on his knees in a slouched position Miyuki was on the scene too, sounding like she was truly worried about him. They both asked if he was alright, with the cat man commenting that he didn't mean for this to become serious, he just wanted to spar. The guy really looked strange up this close. He had cat ears and strange colored eyes. A scarf was over his mouth and nose. That tail he had looked real too.

Suna was still trying to catch his breath. "Huh?... Yeah, yeah! I'm alright... Just need to get the wind back in my lungs is all. I can still dance just fine!..." he said, not wanting to look weak in front of Miyuki. "...But hey... how is it that you know how to throw Ha Do Kens?... Did you go to Sabaku and visit Holeman?..."

Word Count: 6,289 + 196 = 6,485

The girl came close when they landed on the ground. From the look on her face and her tone of voice, Jubei figured that they were close, maybe even more. Maybe he'd gone too far?... Jubei started to feel like a bully, something like this wasn't like him at all. The girl was asking if he was alright, and the kid responded that he was, but obviously he wasn't. Perhaps he didn't want to appear helpless in front of her as a man.

The kid asked if he'd visited Sabakugakure and visited Holeman, confirming his suspicions of him. Jubei moved his scarf from in front of his mouth and nose."Yes, I did," he said. "I... got into a bit of trouble there... Holeman helped me out of it. Some machinery broke down at his house and I helped him fix it. In return, he taught me how to do his famous move..."

Jubei got down on one knee and held a fist in one hand, bowing his head. "My name is Jubei Neko. I want to apologize for the distress I caused you and your female friend, I didn't mean for things to turn out like this. I'm sorry." Jubei felt bad. He probably looked like some kind of villain, something he was far from.

8,022 + 215 = 8,237

As usual Suna tried cracking a joke and Miyuki smiled gently before shaking her head: she didn’t understand why he always joked when she was asking if he was alright, and couldn’t help but wonder if he didn’t want her to be worried about him – or perhaps there was another reason? She didn’t dwell on it now though because Suna asked a question of the cat man – he really was a cat, or so it looked up close – that Miyuki herself had been wondering: where did he learn how to do exactly what Suna could? Did he learn it from Holeman, too? There seemed to be a lot of people coming back Sabakugakure to this new area…

The strange cat man responded that yes he had in fact learned that ability from Holeman in Sabakugakure: he had got into a bit of trouble there and Holeman had helped him out. Something had broken down at Holeman’s house and this stranger had helped to repair it for them. He then went on to introduce himself as Jubei Neko, and to apologize for what had happened: he said he hadn’t meant for it to turn into something like this. Miyuki wasn’t picking up any sort of bad vibes from Jubei, or any sort of ill intent, so she believed him when he spoke.

”I’m Miyuki, Miyuki Kamizuki. This is Suna… “ She glanced back to Suna, wondering how he truly was feeling but not wanting to ask again and bother him with it. ”I don’t think you meant any harm by it Jubei… if you know Holeman then you can’t be a bad person.”

Word Count: 275 | 11,843

The cat man said he'd been to Sabaku. He got into trouble and Holeman bailed him out of it. He helped fix something for Holeman, and Holeman in return taught him some Jutsu. Sounded just like him.... "...Heh, lemme guess, it was the air conditioner, right?..."

The guy then took a respectful stance and introduced himself as Jubei Neko. He said he didn't mean for things to get out of hand like they did and apologized. The guy didn't seem like a baddie, and with the way he was acting it didn't seem like he was lying. When Suna fell, he could have easily struck him down, and when they were fighting he hadn't pulled out that sword once.

"Hey... it's alright," Suna said after Miyuki introduced both of them, saying that if he knew Holeman then he couldn't have been all that bad. "It's cool, y'know? I can... I can take it...I'm a super--" Suna tried to stand up but fell onto his chest, immediately trying to push himself back to his feet. "....Hero."

When was the last time he was this worn out? Suna couldn't remember. It was some time back in that village, fighting animals and bullies everyday. He tried his best to get back up, but last night added on to today, his body just wasn't cooperating with him at the moment. He was angry because he had to look so pathetic.

Word Count: 6,485 + 240 = 6,725

Suna said it guessed it was the a/c that malfunctioned, and he was correct in his assumption. He said it was alright when he apologized. Jubei took the opportunity to quickly gather his straw hat and cloak, putting his hat back on but leaving the cloak off, draping it over a shoulder.

Suna tried to get back to his feet, saying he could take it and that he was a super hero, but the kid had nothing left. Had the battle the night before really been that rough?... It only made Jubei feel even more guilty, attacking someone who was tired out from a previous battle. Suna was still trying to look his best in front of this girl, he could see it.

"It's alright Suna. Put your pride aside for a while," Jubei said, compelled to help him. He took a knee to help Suna stand, putting one of his arms over his shoulder. "It's because of me that you're in this condition, let me help. Where do you live? I have herbs that will help you get your strength back. In the meantime you could tell me more about this huge village you live in?..."

8,237 + 198 = 8,435

Suna didn’t seem to be doing well even though he was playing it off like he was. The moment Suna tried to stand up he fell: she couldn’t remember the last time he looked this worn out. Jubei though decided to help him, telling him to put away his pride for a while. Was that the reason Suna kept trying to get up, and kept pretending he was okay when he wasn’t? Miyuki, from having read a boat load of books, knew that most guys didn’t like to appear weak in front of a female: so was this what was driving Suna to try and stand without asking for help? She could imagine it was, but she wasn’t going to ask.

Jubei continued on that it was because of him he was in this condition, and to let him help. When he asked where Suna lived Miyuki would point in the direction of the hotel that even from the street could be seen situated fairly close to the administrative buildings. ”That hotel there; room 313.”, she’d comment.

At Jubei’s inquiry about the village she figured she might as well help explain things since he was helping Suna – provided Suna accepted the help. ”Hanagakure. It’s… not like a normal shinobi village. It’s run like a military, with Commander General Uno Natake as it’s leader. She’s basically the Kage of this village only with a different title. It’s the only village like this in the land; the rest have typical Kage’s running them. Commander Uno is a good person though: she ended up getting into a fight the other day against her own maniac… from what I was told she used some kind of jutsu that created a bunch of little bullets – explosive ones. She used it to cut the guy in half, only he didn’t die… he just kept coming. So she blew him into pieces… Kind of glad she’s such a nice person: I’d imagine she’d be quite scary if she wasn’t. She’s the reason we’re staying in the hotel; all guests of the village get put up there… she’ll likely give you a room too, free of charge nonetheless.”

Word Count: 362 | 12,205

Suna was helped up by Jubei, who told him to put his pride aside for a while. It was hard to, especially in front of a girl he liked. he asked where they lived, and said that he had herbs that would shake him out of this worn out state. Miyuki told them before he could speak up, and then told him about the village; all information he already knew.

Suna remained silent during the trip. He did his best to walk on his own while being escorted back to their building, but even that was hard. He'd really pushed himself past his limits. He wondered how Boss Uno was going to take all of this. Those attacks shattered a lot of windows and did property damage. Nobody seemed to be bitching him out however; from what he could see through blurred vision, everyone that were looking at them seemed only concerned.

He had no plans on doing anything for a few days. Sitting on his ass it was going to be, even if these herbs of Jubei's happened to work....

Word Count: 6,725 + 181 = 6,906

Miyuki gestured towards a hotel, saying the room number. Suna didn't refuse the help, so Jubei began to walk in that direction. Besides that gourd he wore, Suna wasn't very heavy, so he was able to carry him along with no difficulty. Some of the villagers were looking towards them concerned, so maybe he and Miyuki were pretty popular.

Miyuki explained that among the villages in this new land, this was the only one that was ran in a military style. The person who ran the place was a female named Commander General Uno. From the sounds of things, she was quite a formidable person, having beaten one of the "freaks" going around to death with her bare hands and something else he'd never seen.

She'd put Suna and Miyuki up in the motel free of charge, and would probably do the same for him if he wanted. Inside of the hotel, Jubei helped Suna to the room in question. Assuming that Miyuki opened the door for them, Jubei took Suna into the living room and sat him on the couch. "There... now give me a few minutes, let me fix you something to drink. It works for me as an energy boost when i'm living out in the wilds..." he said, then he'd move off, towards the kitchen...

8,435 + 219 = 8,654

Suna remained quiet during the whole trip. Jubei seemed more than capable of handling Suna’s body weight so Miyuki didn’t have to help at all. When they reached the hotel, and room 313, Miyuki unlocked the door with her key card and held it open for both Suna and Jubei to pass through; closing the door after everyone had entered. Jubei set Suna down on the couch and then wandered into the kitchen.

As Miyuki wandered over to a nearby chair in the living room and sat down she found herself wondering what sort of herbs Jubei used, and how well they would work to help Suna out. She hoped they did their job well enough: he was acting completely worn out.

”Maybe we should just hang around here for a couple days…”, she suggested thoughtfully. It was definitely seeming like some rest was good; for both of them. The thought crossed her mind that maybe it’d give her a chance to talk to Suna: she wasn’t so good when it came to admitting things, but she was rather fond of him and her crush seemed to only grow larger – perhaps it was time she said something about it? Especially with all of the females that had recently taken to chasing him around.

Word Count: 315 | 12,520

Suna did his best to walk on his own. He was helped up into the hotel and up to their room. Miyuki unlocked the door and they went inside. He was helped over to the couch and sat down. While Jubei went to the kitchen, Suna slowly took off his gourd and slid it to the floor. He'd then slide back and get comfortable, hanging his head.

Miyuki said that maybe they should hang around the suite for a couple of days. "Ahhh man... the great Suna in a condition like this, how pathetic..." he said, casing his sleeves to raise so that he could unfasten his top. "Haha, I can hear those 'parents' of mine now. 'That's not all you can put out, is it? it's not good enough! Harder! More!' Heheheh if they could see me now, those morons...."

Suna was trying to joke, but it really pissed him off to think back to those times. He would feel like this all the time with how hard his 'parents' would push him, so he couldn't help but be reminded. "Ehh.... but those days are long gone, and those 2 idiots are dead... Better to just stay here and chill out... I hope no other freaks attack in the meantime..."

Word Count: 6,906 + 214 = 7,120

Jubei went into the kitchen and looked through some of the cabinets. He found 2 suitable cups and set them on the counter, then took off his bag to rummage through it for a few moments. Eventually finding some blue colored plants that he'd wrapped up to keep fresh, he began to grind them into dust on the counter. He turned the faucet on and let it run until it was hot.

Jubei put some of the herb powder into the cups with some sugar for flavor then filled the cups with water. He stirred them both with a spoon for a while. Turning the water off again, Jubei went to the living room with the cups, handing one to Miyuki and one to Suna. "Careful, it's pretty hot," he said. "It's a restorative drink that will re-energize you over time."

Jubei began to get curious over Suna's mask. He was wondering how he would drink anything with it on, and also why he was wearing it in the first place. "Suna, if you don't mind me asking... Why is it you cover your face with a mask? Some people wear masks to prevent sickness, could that be the reason?"

8,654 + 200 = 8,854

Suna commented about his condition, and then about his parents: how they would have still tried to push him harder. This caused Miyuki to frown: after having got a look into Suna’s past she knew all too well he was right – it made her sad to think that Suna had had to endure that. But, it also made her glad that that wasn’t the case now: what they did now was their own choices, and no one could or would force them to do something they didn’t want to do. Suna then continued on to say that those days were long gone, and his parents were dead. He agreed it was best to chill out here, and hoped that no freaks attacked in the meantime: Miyuki agreed.

”I’m sure Commander Uno can handle things if something comes up – though I’d like to see her in action one day...”

Jubei meanwhile had made up the herbs into a type of tea of sorts for them to drink. Miyuki took her glass curiously when he handed it to her and sniffed at it for a moment; curious of what it smelled like. "Thank you." Miyuki took a sip of it quietly before listening to Jubei inquire about Suna’s mask. Instead of commenting or answering Jubei’s question as she had done in the past this time around she kept herself completely silent: it wasn’t her business to spill, and as she had told Suna when she had found out about his past it wasn’t her business to tell. So, she kept silent and simply took another sip of the drink Jubei had made them.

Word Count: 271 | 12,791

Miyuki frowned when he joked about his 'parents.' She'd seen his past after all, so maybe she didn't like him joking like that. His 'parents' were cruel, cold blooded monsters that hadn't shown him any sort of affection. Miyuki said that maybe Boss Uno would handle things if something else came up, and that she wanted to see her in action. "...Yeah, I do too..." Suna admitted. "I mean, blowing someone up with your hands?... How the hell did she do that... Then again, a little weirdo in a mask shooting light from his hands, who'd believe that, right? Hahaha..."

Jubei came in and handed Miyuki a cup, then him. Suna took it by the handle because he said it was hot. He said it was a restorative drink that would re-energize them over time. Suna unhooked his mask and moved it somewhat so that he could take a drink of it. It didn't taste too bad. Jubei then asked him what most people tended to ask him: why was he wearing a mask all the time.

"...When I was a kid there was an accident," Suna said, figuring he could give him an explanation. "There's this jutsu I mastered with my sand, but back then it was in the testing phases. Tore my face and head into hamburger... I know some med techniques that can fix it, but... it doesn't seem to last too long, and it's kinda embarrassing, y'know?... I donno, it's kinda part of me, it's my 'thing.' Kinda like.... Miyuki has that big fan, and you... you have that umbrella hat..."

Suna took another drink, being careful not to reveal too much of his mangled face. "...So, what's up with you, Jubei? You're half cat, man... I thought you were wearing some kinda props or something but those ears and that tail are real. That's pretty awesome if i'm telling the truth, I never saw a real cat man before..."

Word Count: 7,210 + 329 = 7,539

Suna described an accident when he was young that messed up his head and face. He said that he was able to fix it, but in his time wearing the mask it became his 'thing.' Jubei understood what he meant. Both of them took drinks from their cups, and soon they would start feeling the recharging effects. Suna would still have to rest up though, so them sticking around in here for a couple of days would be good.

Suna asked what was up with him next, saying that he thought his ears and tail were fake. He said he'd never seen a cat man before, and that it was pretty awesome, which made him grin some. "...Clan Neko is half feline," Jubei answered. "We have several advantages that normal humans don't... I believe I demonstrated some in our spar. The thing is thought... most of Clan Neko was wiped out in a war with humans... Some of them managed to escape, and I wander the world, looking for them..."

Jubei adjusted his straw hat. "...Anyway. Rest up, you two... I want to explore more of this large village. If you need me, i'm sure you have the means of finding out where I am." Jubei headed for the door, waving behind him. He opened it and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

-Exit-

8,854 + 225 = 9,079

Suna likewise wanted to see what Commander Uno was capable of: he too was curious about how she could blow things up with her bare hands. ”Maybe it’s a special release or something?” Miyuki could only ponder since she really didn’t know: maybe one day they both would get a chance to see in person.

Miyuki sipped her drink carefully while she listened to Suna answer Jubei’s question: explaining about the accident that had happened when he was much younger and what it had done to him. He mentioned medical techniques that could heal him, but he had grown rather used to wearing his mask – it was as much a part of him as Miyuki’s own fan was becoming. It was true, too: she was so used to the weight of the fan she hardly remembered she had it most days, and she felt sure she would feel naked without it.

Suna then asked Jubei about him and his feline features. Miyuki was wondering if he’d answer and explain things and sure enough he did. He was part of a clan, Neko, and they all had feline characteristics. However, most of his clan had been destroyed in a war with the humans. Some had managed to escape, and so he wandered the world looking for them. Jubei then told them to rest up, that he wanted to explore the village some more. He waved, and then left afterward.

Miyuki took another sip of the drink Jubei had made as she thought over what she had been planning on telling Suna when the pair of them were alone: she was far too shy to say anything around anyone else. ”Suna… there’s something I wanted to talk to you about… “ She bit her bottom lip, her cheeks tinting pink as they often did when she was feeling shy or slightly embarrassed about something.

Word Count: 314 | 13,105

Jubei said that his Neko clan was half feline. He said they had several advantages over humans, like being able to grow bigger to become stronger, tougher and faster. Jubei said the Neko clan was all but wiped out though, in a war with humans. Some of them escaped, and he was looking for them. Suna silently wished the guy found more of his people.

Jubei told them to rest up, and that he wanted to look around the village more. "Alrighty then... be careful, there's some morons down there," Suna said after another sip of his drink. Jubei was right; whatever this stuff was, he could feel his energy beginning to come back the more he drank. Jubei waved and was out of the door.

Suna drank down the rest of his cup and put it on the coffee table, then leaned back on the couch again while fixing his mask. Miyuki said there was something she wanted to talk about. "I know, I know.... the missing pair of panties are my fault," Suna said, ever the joker. "They're so silky smooth, y'know? I just wanted to see how my butt would feel in them. I promise to wash out the doo doo stains before I give them back, yeah?"

Of course, Suna hadn't really stolen a pair of her undergarments. But he was curious as to what she wanted to say. Had he done something wrong? Was she about to break out with some bad news or something? In these sorts of situations, Suna always thought about the wrong outcome...


Word Count: 7,539 + 265 = 7,804

Suna made a joke about a missing pair of panties and she couldn’t help but laugh a bit: if anything it eased some of the nervousness she was feeling. She figured what she was about to say shouldn’t be too hard considering how much Suna knew about her, but it wasn’t like she had done something like this before. This was the first time she had had a crush on anyone, and it was a bit… strange, but not in a bad way. Still, it made her nervous: not that she was about to let that stop her of course.

”Haha, no… nothing like that. Well I… oh shoot this shouldn’t be so difficult...” She sighed at herself, took a deep calming breath and exhaled before saying, ”I wanted to let you know I like you. You know.. like you. I um...” She cleared her throat, twice. ”I have a crush on you… and I wanted to let you know. I mean… you’ve got all of these girls chasing you around… so I just wanted to let you know how I feel before someone else up and did it...”

Miyuki was sure, were she able to look in a mirror right then and there that she would have been blushing so hard she would be red in the face by now – she could definitely feel the heat in her face as if all of her blood had suddenly decided to rush there. But, she had said how she felt, and had got it over with. Now all there was to do was wait for Suna’s reaction and hope it was a good one: she didn’t exactly think it would be a bad reaction, but she was concerned about him not feeling even the slightest bit toward her as she felt toward him. She was happy with their friendship, and didn’t want to do something that could possibly put a wedge in it or make it in any way awkward.

Word Count: 331 | 8,436 ( Deducted 5,000 words for 2 jutsu)

Hummm.... a confession. Suna'd be lying if he said he hadn't dreamed of her saying something like that. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't dreamed of ANY girl saying something like that, to him of all people.The thought of a girlfriend one day was awesome... but now that it could potentially happen, Suna started having other thoughts. Like, what would someone really see in a little shit talking freak like him? Someone who was raised and taught nothing but to kill and murder, and after so long coming to love it?

There were no jokes this time. This is what Suna wanted, but it was evident that it wasn't something he'd actually thought all the way through. "...I don't... I don't know what to say?" was Suna's response. He could tell that this was something that was hard for Miyuki to say, especially with what she'd gone through. "A hot girl who likes ME, like that?... I mean, you should already know how I feel about you, but... I feel like somebody as hot as you can do better than Suna Hari, y'know?... I don't feel like i'd be able to please you like a normal guy would..."

Suna made adjustments to his mask. "Like, for instance... what kinda ideal guy wears a gas mask all the time to hide his face cause it got torn to shreds? That really what you want, Miyuki? A little perverted weirdo who you can't kiss, and you don't even know how he looks?"

Suna was beginning to feel really energized for some reason. It was a nice counter to the drained feeling he'd felt for the last couple of days. This didn't mean he was about to get up and start running around again though, he'd made the decision to relax for a while.

As for this situation, Suna was expecting her to take it bad. There was probably going to be an episode that was going to ruin their friendship. This was all too confusing for the inexperienced Suna; first it seemed like she wasn't interested at all, especially seeing as she barely showed a response to his Euphoria Jutsu, and now a bombshell dropped in the form of a confession... Things weren't going to be the same from here on out, Suna was sure of it...

Word Count: 7,804 + 391 = 8,195

It felt like an hour passed as she waited for Suna’s response to her confession and yet she was sure it was only seconds. He started off by saying that he didn’t really know what to say – this wasn’t a bad response, she had sprung something on him he likely probably wasn’t expecting. He seemed shocked that she liked him like that and told her she should already know how he felt. This too was also not a bad reaction, however what he said next caused her to pause: he felt she could do much better than him. He mentioned that he couldn’t please her like a normal guy and went on to mention his mask which Miyuki had never really thought a problem: she was used to Suna having his face covered and had expected no less.

Miyuki took the time to drink down the rest of her cup – using the time to think about how she wanted to respond - before setting it carefully down on the coffee table; she was feeling the effects of it now and it was strange compared to her normal mood. She felt like she could run twenty miles and yet at the same time she kind of just wanted to disappear. She planned on doing neither, though. She wanted to explain herself, to perhaps try and help Suna understand how she felt the way she did and why.

”Suna… I like you the way you are. From the beginning you protected me; the only reason I didn’t flee that day when we first met Okami was because of you. Even after you learned about my past and the horrible things that happened you didn’t leave and you didn’t judge me. Those things matter more to me than anything else. I accept you for exactly how you are: and I don’t expect you to change.”

She was quiet after that; she didn’t know what else to say that would help him understand that his appearance, his mask, meant nothing to her. She didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing that would cause their friendship to end, so she simply kept quiet and waited for Suna’s response.

Word Count: 366 | 8,802

Miyuki said she liked him just how he was. She said he'd had her back in that lobster Okami mess, and he'd been the only reason she didn't go running off. He hadn't said anything about her messed up past after seeing it either. She said that this was all that mattered, and she didn't expect him to change.

Suna still didn't think he was worthy of someone like her, but there wasn't anything he could say now that would change her mind outside of being mean. There wasn't exactly a bad side to this though. Suna stood up, finding that he could do so after standing there a second. He was tired still, but he didn't feel as drained as before. Suna put both of his hands on his mask as they began to glow. His whole head started to glow for a while.

Medical Transformation Technique:

In a surprise act of bravery, Suna took off his mask to reveal that he'd temporarily repaired his face into what he would normally look like if he wasn't so hideously scarred. If this was really how it was going to be, then so be it. She was being brave, then as a man it was his turn too. With a relatively calm look on his repaired face, Suna came close and have Miyuki a hug.

Suna, Repaired:

"Then, I guess i'm now in your care," he said, then he'd look into those blue eyes before planting a smooch on her lips. A comical look then spread across his new face while his cheeks turned red. "Suna the romantic? Who'd have ever thought something like this would happen, right?"

Chakra: 1,135 / 1,185
Word Count: 8,195 + 603 = 8,798

Suna didn’t say anything at first to the comment Miyuki had made, but instead he put his hands on his mask as his hands began to glow. His whole head seemed to glow for a while and Miyuki had no idea what he was doing but she remained silent and simply watched. Suna then did something that shocked Miyuki: he took off his gas mask for the first time since she’d known him – she was sure he took it off in private but never in front of another person. She had never expected him to and yet he had: just as she had said she never expected him to change himself in any way for her including taking his mask off. The face that was revealed wasn’t the scarred face she had been expecting, which explained what the glowing had been all about – he had healed himself, though she didn’t know if it was temporary or permanent as she remembered him saying he had tried before and it had never lasted. Suna was handsome, exceptionally so, though those things mattered little to her in the end: she cared more for what was on the inside than the outside.

Suna with a calm look on his face then gave her a hug which she returned with a smile spreading across her face before he said that he guessed he was in her care now and kissed her. Even as her cheeks turned red she returned his kiss. ”Well, in that case I intend to take very good care of you.”, and she meant it too. She noticed too that Suna’s own face turned red, and his comment about being a romantic caused her to laugh softly before kissing him again. ”I like it. Though, I don’t really mind the pervy side of you either.”

She often believed everyone had a sort of perverted side to them; some just decided to show it a bit more than others. Even Miyuki had her own pervy side – one she had had to try hard to control back when Suna had been using that jutsu on her. It was why she had been worried about hugging him during that period of time: she feared losing control over that side of her out of fear it would have freaked him out. Now though none of that seemed to matter. ”I suppose I can tell you now just how hard it was to restrain myself when you had been using that jutsu on me… I was worried about hugging you because I didn’t think I’d be able to control myself if I did… My own inner perv was kind of trying to take control at that time… If it had the fact of how I felt likely would have come out in a much different way.”

Word Count: 471 | 9,273