A meeting in the restaurant [Yuriko]

Yaju smiled and shook his head as he began to rub Yuriko's head softly," Its nothing to be sorry about dear i think i simply caught you off guard and that was not fair of me now was it? So how i make you some dinner to make up to you i can cook pretty well," he smiles as he takes a small sip from cup and sets it down slowly before smiling and looking forward. His arm would extend slowly and bring Yuriko closer to him so she could lean her head onto his shoulders while he enjoyed their small time of relaxation and peace together before their training and of course he had to figure out what he was going to make for dinner.

He would sit there in silence for a moment as he thought about their training tomorrow and just what would they do besides traverse the caves and do a little endurance training. He usually did not make any plans with his past students so it would be new to him on how to do this. For now however he would enjoy this small amount of free time before smiling and standing up slowly. Looking down to Yuriko he would smile and look to the kitchen," I am going to go make us some dinner, i would love it if you came to help it would give us some time to get to know each other better and a good way to test our cooking," smiling he would hold his hand out to her and wait for her answer.

If she reached for his hand and took it he would lead her into the kitchen where he would hand her an apron as he put one on as well and grabbed all of the ingredient from their proper places. Fresh meats, Vegetables, and other things like spices and thing he would sit them on the counter and grab the knife," well let's get started dear we are going to have the best dinner in a while...although i know yours is going to be better than this," smiling he would go to cutting up the vegetables and setting them into the bowl.

Yuriko nodded and sipped from her own cup, following his bringing her close with his arm, she would put her head softly upon his shoulder and smile. She was quite comfortable in this position and, while she had no intention of leaving it, she knew that eventually she would be forced to. But then another thought entered her mind, that of being able to enjoy this type of relaxation every day with him, all she would have to do is ask him a simple question and for him to reply with a similarly simple answer. Though, this was far too early to be thinking such thoughts so she shook her head and sighed softly, closing her eyes. Her mind began to wander once more, however now it was merely on the topic of Yaju and what their paths would look like after intertwining in such a way, and what if something may befall the other, would they be able to save one-another? 

She continued this thoughts as Yaju sat there silently with her, she was at peace but at the same time she began to also remember that they were indeed Sensei and Student, that they would be training tomorrow. She then wondered what they would be doing exactly, as it had only been discussed vaguely before, but she was sure that her Sensei would be able to help with such things so she allowed herself again, to relax. Upon hearing his request, she nodded eagerly and spoke happily. "I would love to help you, Sen--- Um . . . Actually, is it okay if when we are not training, I call you Yaju-san?" She asked this because, while they were indeed Student and Sensei, she wanted to be more than that, or at least be able to talk to him in a more comfortable manner, a more familiar one. As she spoke, she took his hand carefully and allowed him to lad her into the kitchen.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she listened to him quickly before smiling and replying: "I am sure that yours will be really good, too!" With a giggle she added, "Besides, I am not the best cook in Kumogakure . . . I just know what my mother taught me." She then proceeded to help with the preparations for dinner as she hummed a soft, classical tune that she had heard her mother play once or twice. 

"Hmmmm~ Hm~ Hm~" She hummed, head bobbing happily from side to side as she did so, appearing quite child-like in that moment, much more-so than her usual attitude. She was not particularly waiting for anything, but would listen and reply if Yaju spoke, as she was still listening whilst humming along happily.

Listening to her request he would smile and nod to her before looking to her," You can just call me Yaju Yuriko if you would like, just calling me Yaju-san still sounds a little too formal so just calling me by my first name should be good right?," even he was new to this new development in their relationship, although yes they were teacher and student they were also something else although it was growing.

As the two of them reached the kitchen and began to get everything ready he would respond to what she said about cooking with a small chuckle," I think the one with the most training would be you Yuriko, i have just recently starting cooking and i only have scrolls and a couple of my mom's old recipes to go off of, but you have more than that," the smile on his face would show as he was seeing a better side of Yuriko all together, maybe the two of them doing this would bring out a better side of the both of them.

Yaju would be cutting the rest of the vegetables without thinking and nicked his finger, the result was him slowly stopping and looking at his finger before grinning and setting down the knife to take care of his little injury unless Yuriko did. After it was taken care of however he would go over to the stove and prepare the water, adding some special salts to it and slowly cutting some of the spare vegetables into it. Getting the mean tender and seasoned was no hard task as he slowly did it with the help of Yuriko, until everything was ready to be cooked.

Sliding the Vegetables into the water he would close the pot and set the meat in a opposite pan to allow it to cook. Meanwhile he would go back to sitting on the couch, taking off the apron in the process. Looking to Yuriko he would wonder what that song she was humming was," Hey Yuriko what was that song you were humming, it was really catching," he smiled to her not noting just how cute she was while she was helping him cook and humming the song at the same time.

Yuriko nodded happily as she whispered Yaju's name aloud, smiling to herself as her lips formed the word with the utmost delicacy, carefully enunciating it. "Yaju . . ." It felt like a major step for her, as being formal was her usual course of action when speaking to others in the village or even the few friends that she had in the past. It was always "Yes, Sir." and "No, Miss." or the traditional honorifics if so required. Indeed, she felt, that this was something no one other than her parents had obtained as of yet.

Yuriko was flattered by Yaju's nice words, he had been complimenting her so much lately that it made her feel so . . . special, so close to this man who she intended to take to her home and cook for. What was it that they called such a thing? She thought to herself, answering her own question inwardly after a pause of thought. A date. That was it, she concluded before blushing faintly at the thought of what it would be like for him to be there, and how she would explain such to her parents - who, while kind at heart, may frown upon the difference of age. But, she reflected that it did not matter much to her, as long as it was accomplished together.

She gasped softly as Yaju cut his finger, quickly rushing to get a bandage and medicine with which to clean and dress the wound. She knew this much, at least, from her Mother. Deftly she went to work and finished by placing the bandage upon the cut gingerly and uttered a soft: "You must be more careful, Yaju . . . " before returning to her work along with Yaju. She was glad that, at the very least, she could be of help to him in this.

Yuriko followed Yaju back to the couch and sat down slowly, running a soft hand through her own hair. She had the tendency to do so every so often as a sign that she was unsure of what to do or say at the moment, but it was quickly solved by the question Yaju had asked about the song which she had been humming in the kitchen. It occurred to her that she had done so without much thought, and remembered that it had been a song her family or the occasional baby-sitter would sing to her when she was younger, she had memorized it - or at least the beat - carefully, ever since then. She then answered softly, yet happily. "It is a lullaby . . . Stormy Night, is the name my parents had said it was given, but I am not sure if that is the real name." She then began to hum once more, closing her eyes as the song filled her mind for the time being while she awaited Yaju's words, as they would undoubtedly get her attention.

After finishing the preparations for the cooking and the two returning to the couch, Yaju would sit there and listen to Yuriko hum the song which had only be given the name " Stormy Night". The song itself had captivated Yaju in such a way that he fell silent amongst the simple beat of the song and merely listened as she delved herself deeper into the song. For him it brought up the times were he was comforted by his mother when his father was out doing missions for the village and he knew what love was like for the first time in his life, although as he continued to grow those times had grown less and less until he had been put in a more hostile environment.

It was after a small moment he shook his head and chuckled lightly to prevent himself from crying, although it was something he had to forbid himself from doing less he lost control of himself. As Yuriko continued to hum he would only smile before speaking," Do you...think your parents would allow me to learn that song from them? It even has a impact on me which i am curious about, and i would also like to hear you sing it one of these days if you do not mind singing for me," of course he would have slowly looked away so he would not show the small red on his face. It was weird for him to be feeling this sort of way with someone especially around a girl which was weird because being a new emotion for him, he did not know how to place it properly.

After a small moment he could smell the food getting done and smiled as he stood up and looked towards the direction of the kitchen," Ready to see the fruits of our work Yuriko? I think this is going to be a good dinner how about you," walking into the kitchen he would finish the finishing touches and grab two plates for them and setting them onto the table. After serving the cooked vegetables, meat and bread he would sit down with Yuriko and look at the food the two of them made and smile. He was actually happy to have someone else in the house help him cook although his other companion helped him, the boy was off doing his own thing at the moment at the anbu barracks.

Yaju would blink for a moment before hanging his head down in defeat because he forgot the drinks. Looking over to Yuriko he would nod," What would you like to drink with your food Yuriko? If you would just like some more tea i can prepare that for us really fast unless you want something else," Once she had answered him he would walk to prepare whatever she had requested for before sitting back down.

Yuriko's mind began to wander as she hummed the song, filling herself with memories of early childhood that began to play before her eyes. One in particular was when she had been the age of seven, her parents had taken Yuriko to the mansion of a distant relative whom had come across her wealth due to marriage, she was a very kind and gentle middle-aged woman who had never once even picked up a blade or raised her fist against another. What Yuriko remembered most clearly was that just before her memory of that night had become repressed within her mind, she had seen that very kind relative of hers standing a few arm-lengths away with a cooking-knife in one hand as she hummed the same song within a dress that had been stained red. 

She gasped softly as her mind snapped back to reality when Yaju had spoken, asking if her parents would allow him to learn the song. It was very likely that they would, as her parents were always the sharing type with things passed down from the family, always proud of heirlooms and poems. So she smiled softly, a bit weakly due to the repressed and haunting memory that had come back into her mind, but attempting to hide it as she spoke cheerfully. "Of course, Yaju. My parents would likely love to!" --- Then, upon him asking her to sing it at some time, she kept her smile as she nodded softly, reaching out to gently place one of her soft hands upon his shoulder and bring her head forward, nuzzling against his cheek with her own for a long few moments before moving back slowly. 

Yuriko nodded once more as he had spoken of the food, ready to see how it had turned out as she eagerly stood up and smiled with a "Mhm!" before waiting for him to return and upon doing so, looking down at the food before sitting with a satisfied look on her face. "I think we did wonderful . . . Now to see how it tastes, huh?" She asked, before Yaju spoke up about the drinks and she replied. "Anything that you think I would like will be fine." and offered a small tilt of the head with her smile now. 

Once they had their drinks, she would then begin to eat and muffle out between bites "--Its Really Good!" -- before going back to the food and finishing it with a content sigh as she laid back in the couch, awaiting Yaju's words, as they were what she would follow when he was around most likely, or at the least for now. She felt very at home, and comfortable, of all things.

Nodding slowly he would smile as he found out that he would be able to learn the song from her parents if he had asked which had made him pleased with that knowing he would be eventually learning something good. His mind would soon draw blanks as he nuzzled his cheek and placed her hand onto his shoulder which he would respond by holding her close for a moment then letting her go, things like this were becoming a little to familiar as he remembered his time in the wild and his mother wolf did the same thing as an act of affection.

With the food on the table he would chuckle at her response before taking a small whiff of the food in the air and sighed happily," Yeah it smells so delicious and our finished product is looking like a restaurant tier food and i cannot wait to eat it," knowing that needed to get the drinks, he would grab some sparkling orange soda and tea if she wanted it and sat the both of them on the table before sitting down himself. As he began to eat the food himself he would stop and blink before going back to eating and smiling while he scarfed it down," It its!! I should have made this weeks ago if i knew it was going to be so good," bite after bite the food would soon be gone and he sat there with an empty plate and and an empty cup as he watched Yuriko walk back to the couch.

After cleaning the dishes he would walk over to the couch and sit beside her before smiling looking at her," So what would you like to do now? I would only assume its nighttime outside," stopping his sentence mid way he would smile and soon stand up before remembering the new addition he had made to the house. Holding his hand out to Yuriko he would smile," How about we go and sit in the hot bath upstairs..its kind of like a bath house that are in some of the villages but built as a room in the house, i figured we could spend some time in there before we got too tired," if she would agree he would walk with her to the room with the medium sized bath sitting in the middle of it, of course the room itself was beginning to steam as he turned on the water and allowed for it to quickly fill up before getting in.

Yuriko giggled softly as Yaju finished his food, smiling and saying softly: "I think we did really well, Yaju . . ." Then blinking as she recalled the belongings she had taken with her on this trip to Yaju's house, suddenly feeling as if the items were of grave importance, but managing to push the feeling aside for now and instead Yaju's words filled her mind, he spoke of a hot-bath upstairs in his home which made her gasp in surprise. She had not seen such a thing for years and heard that they were a luxury for most, or at least those not in villages where they were naturally abundant, causing her to wonder about just how much Yaju had in this home of his, not that it mattered too much to Yuriko, it simply made her curious. 

She took his hand gingerly and nodded as he lead her into the room, watching the steam rise up slowly as it began to fill the room. Yuriko looked down at her body intently as the room began to steam, seeming to just now realize how young she truly was. Only thirteen years of age, yet she felt much older. She almost wished that she could be older so that Yaju would not think of her as a child, but then again, she wondered, if that would be the best? It was obvious to her that Yaju liked Yuriko, and that she liked him, but what would everyone else think? It should not matter, she knew, but also . . . was it right?  

With that thought, Yuriko sighed deeply and began to concentrate on the thought, on the true nature of their future relationship . . . And just how much it would affect their training. He had said before that it would not change anything, but Yuriko felt that it was a lie, no matter how strong he was . . . He could not fight against his heart. Furthermore, she wondered, what he would think of the parts she had not told him about, of her and of her family . . . of the secrets and lies that had been in their generations for some time even with how kind and gentle they all seemed. All of this was rushing through her mind at record speed as she sat down, attempting to not appear disturbed but her rapid breathing was likely to give her away. She was panicking internally, of so many different things at once that there was no way she could ignore them all, What had she done? Why would he ever want to go through with this? Love could not solve all of these problems . . 


She continued to hyperventilate, eyes closed tight as the steam filled the room still . . .

The warm waters had calmed his body and quelled his mind as he leaned back and allowed the water to take him slowly. Although he was calm he could hear the faint breathing of Yuriko which at first he had passed as her being nervous before hearing her hyperventilate. He would move over to her slowly and if she allowed him to he would move her closer to him as he laid her head onto his shoulder gently," Yuriko.. Is everything okay? If you have something on your mind we can speak about it now," his hand would be softly rubbing her head in an attempt to calm her down.

He was concerned for her because earlier she was happy and cheerful, conversing  with him every time he had spoken with a smile on her face yet here she was panicking from the looks of it which was starting to make him question did he do something to upset her. He would then look to her with a concerned look on his face hoping she would be honest with him," Yuriko have i done something to make you upset at me? I know all of this is sudden, but if you are upset with me because of something i have done or said please let me know," he didn't know what was wrong so he would only assume it had something to do with him.

For now he would wait for her to respond to him and tell him what was wrong providing she had calmed down enough to speak to him. If she didn't he would sit there in silence and try to calm her down a bit.

Snapping out of her sudden panic, Yuriko's eyes widened for a moment before closing partially as they teared up, she pressed herself further into his shoulder as she began to sob into him. She was crying the most that she had in such a long time, letting all of her tears out, here of all places, and onto Yaju of all people. She was ashamed of crying in his presence, but it did not matter, for she was too hysterical to stop herself at this point, eventually she managed to speak between the sobs that caused her entire body to convulse as her tears flowed. "I am so sorry, Yaju . . . I am so sorry . . . " She managed, before being overtaken by another series of violent sobs, only then able to manage out:
"There is still so much I never told you . . ." With a deeply pained voice made difficult by the crying having caused her throat to become sore. 

Yuriko then placed her arms around Yaju and in a desperate fashion, hugged herself close to him, shaking with emotion as she did so. All of this was so sudden, but she had kept it bottled not only with him, but with so many others, that she could not help releasing all of the held-in emotion at once, even if it was with someone who she should feel perfectly comfortable near. An image came to her mind, faintly, of her home and while, despite her family not being the richest in Kumogakure, they were happy. Why could she not find that happiness now? Why was she so suddenly devastated? All she could think of with all the intense emotion was a single phrase: Secrets and Lies. 


She would be able to hear him if he spoke, perhaps that would be the only thing that could help Yuriko in this state.