Entheogen (Yaju)

The young mother listened attentively as he spoke of his child. Kumori had managed to escape, another survive when she had thought none existed. Perhaps during her stay here, she could have enough time to herself to go looking for the unfortunate girl. The Disciplinary Squad teasing Yaju about his pregnant girlfriend... it seemed like a lifetime ago and to Akihana, it was a lifetime ago, a lifetime that was better than this, where she wasn't faced with a choice where she lost on both sides.

"It would be an honor to raise your son," she spoke when he was finished. Already, the Kunoichi had started calculating in her head. The child's second birthday would be in a few months time. Would his foxes be able to find her? Was that the reason Yaju's spirit couldn't leave this world yet? She could understand that completely, she doubted she would ever be able to leave this world if she knew Arata wasn't taken care of.

"What would you like me to name him?" she asked tentatively, knowing how important a task it was to name a brand new life. Her parents had chosen to name her Akihana, Autumn Flower, a simple but ultimately useless name for a second daughter borne into a house that valued sons. She had learned from that when naming Arata, he had been her new beginning in more than a few ways. Arata had given her a new life and now it was her job to do the same for Yaju's son. "I will raise him to be brave, just like his father. He will always know how loved and cherished he is and he will live a life better than ours."

As soon as she revealed the new Raikage's proposition though, she could feel Yaju's anger flare up. the very house they were now in shook on its foundation, as if about to collapse. His rage had always been something from legends but never had it been directed at her, not while he lived anyway. As it was, while he spoke, the blonde remained silent, golden eyes widening in fear at the anger radiating off the young male in waves. Never had Yaju scared her as terribly as he was doing now, and she had even been able to hug him when he was under the Sanbi's influence.

"I-I..." she tried, trailing off as fresh tears sprung silently to her eyes, her voice trembling and mind lost for words. "I'm s-sorry."

By now she'd known that the resourcefulness of the deceased Kage enough to the point that he pointed to her or more specifically the back of her neck," They'll find you by the seal on your neck. It does have a small portion of my chakra in it and because of that they can find you. When the time comes he will be brought to you...Yukan...A new hope," the name leaped from his lips in slight happiness though however thoughtful was only fleeting.

After the proposition and him yelling he stared at her waiting...she had said nothing and his rage slowly subsided as he attempted to calm down. Standing up he left the chair and fixated his eyes upwards as if looking to a sky he could never see," If you do this...You do know the very friends...the family you loved....It will crumble. If anyone outside of this place finds out that," he paused looking at her with general concern for once," Can you shoulder the burden of watching innocents die?," as he did this he made no attempts to sugar coat or hide his decision, but she knew him well.

With her silence he sighed and as he did smoke trailed from his mouth as he returned to his seat and closed his eyes," Stop apologizing to me. You are going to choose your own path regardless of what I say...I only ask that when you leave this place deliver that to young Kasuga and then think on your path...and once you choose from there...it will decide if you will ever see me again. I've never been one to rely on a God or deity...But for once I pray you never go down this path," he wouldn't admit to what he meant on the last bit, but she could take more out of it than he allowed.

"I will keep Yukan safe," the blonde promised, meeting the Kage's gaze with resolution. She may not have been a very good ninja, not by conventional standards, but she knew a thing or two about being a mother. And Yaju knew them too which was likely why he asked this of her. And this time, Akihana would not let him down, not again.

As his temper dimmed slightly, the Kunoichi reached a hand to brush away the tears that were coursing down her cheeks. She knew he wanted what was best for her, and until the day she died, she would think of him as a dear, dear friend who would pick her safety over that of innumerate other lives because that was what Yaju had always done. He protected those he loved and was never the righteous hero about it. It was one of the things she'd found most admirable about the young Raikage when she'd first met him. He never pretended being a ninja was clean, good work. His life was full of hard decisions and he made them, decisions Akihana couldn't make herself.

"I will send this to Kasuga," she confirmed, nodding her golden head as she pondered his words. He had always made her life easier by telling her what to do, how to act. When she had been worried about Arata being bullied at school, he had told her what to do, when she had suffered great insecurities as a ninja, he had told her how to better her skills, assigned her to Alice, when she had needed a family most, he had welcomed her to the Disciplinary Squad.

Yaju always looked out for her and his death hadn't changed that.

"Thank you," she murmured, not looking up at him for fear that she might begin to cry again. "I can't.. I'm not good at making decisions, not like these. I think the new Raikage knows that. I was always better at following instructions, wasn't I?" Shaking her head once more, the kunoichi let a generous amount of golden locks spill over her shoulder, shielding half her face from view.

"I don't want this to be the last time i see you, Yaju? Our friendship survived one death, surely it can survive another?" Akihana knew he wooed be her friend until she died, the rest was up to him. All decisions aside, the sting of desecrating the memory of her friends hurt the most.

The male stood there and looked at the female though she couldn't see the smile it had been there," You were good at following orders," there he had paused before he had sat down and yawned," But you were also better and doing what you felt was right despite your orders," the males eyes had opened to look at her showing his smile though it disappeared slightly. Why he had felt this way he wasn't sure. Maybe it was his rational clashing with his dead ideals, but then again this could have been the same in life as well.  Turning his gaze to her once again he looked to her somberly," This path of ours could have easily been switched...You could have been here and me there, but the real question is...What do you think I would have done in your shoes Akihana?," leaving her with that last question, he reclined back and continued to stare, not at her but through her. Searching around for a moment he had forgotten what she had said for a moment it had clicked," I'll never be able to leave from here until all of my business is done. Until then...You'll be able to see me no matter your decision," a sly chuckle left his lips for a moment before he continued," Or i can always put myself in the Norito Seal and have another voice in your head until you die as well," a choice he'd be curious about, he sat and waited not knowing exactly what she would do.

Still unable to meet his gaze for fear of what she would find in those fiery eyes, Akihana continued to stare at her hands. She didn't see the brief flicker of his smile, rather she heard it as his tone softened slightly, encouraging her to do what she felt was right. When he was alive, he had always tried to make her life easier and now, it seemed he trusted her to do the same. His trust was sorely needed right now when Akihana couldn't bring herself to have faith in her own ability to decide.

"You're always with me," she managed, a watery smile rising to her features as she looked up at the specter once again. He was seated now, and in a deep, thoughtful pose. But when he asked her if, were the tables reversed, what he would do, she did not hesitate.

"I know exactly what you would have done," she answered, golden eyes shimmering with emotion and familiarity as they gazed upon the fourth Raikage. "I've always known what you would do. But then again, you were always braver than myself. Even Arata knows that."

But now it was her turn, her turn to be brave like her friend had been, like he still was. At the mention of sealing himself inside her Norito crest, she let out a genuine laugh. "I don't think that will be quite necessary since you're always with me regardless of whether your voice is in my head," she responded. After a moment though, she straightened up, drawing her knees from beneath to hug them close to her small frame instead. It was the middle of the night and despite the warm company, coldness had crept in unannounced.

"I will take you up on your offer to come visit though. Should I bring cookies..?" she asked, unsure of what to expect. Could Yaju eat in this state or would the memory just help in any way. "I don't know how all the rules work but if there's anything I can do to help..."

"We all have a side of bravery it just manifests into a different form...You were the one who saved me from the Sanbi's influence and threw yourself in harms way for me...Does not say something about your bravery Miss Akari?," he'd let her think about that for some time as he wandered about the house, never leaving her eyesight. He knew bravery came in many forms, but some had a stronger from than anything else and he knew this.
 
Seeing her turn down the offer of himself being sealed inside of the seal, he smiled and went over to hug her. As his arms wrapped around her he said nothing for a moment and simply let the gesture speak for itself. He knew that this was something he had only gotten later in his life, but now that he had obtained it he could share it with her. After a few moments he went back over to his chair and sat in it a small smile appearing on his face," I know you'll do the best thing Akihana, you always do in the end," most of the things he had said simply were cryptic but she had understood all of them, she was the smartest between himself and her after all.


At the thought of her bringing cookies he laughed slightly, liking the idea though he couldn't actually eat anymore," The gesture would be nice so yes you should. Next time we meet our conversation should be different," it felt like he had been talking for an eternity yet time for him held a different meaning.

Akihana fell silent at his words, even after years of knowing him unsure what to do with a compliment. The blonde hadn't grown up with many compliments and even as an adult, found them odd, something too big and novel for her to understand and only hold on to clumsily and clumsily until it dispersed. Nonetheless she nodded because he was right about bravery.

And more importantly, he thought she was brave too.

"Thank you," she spoke up, as always, her tone impossibly polite, only to be surprised when the specter rose form his seat and enveloped her in a comforting hug. Yaju was not one for physical displays of affection, a token of his own violent past. And yet here he was, offering her comfort the way she knew how to accept it. The gesture spoke more than any words could ever say.

When he released her and laughed at her comment about cookies, she joined him, the sound bittersweet from her lips. Their time was coming to an end. Akihana didn't know how but she knew. Yaju would still be there though, so she wasn't upset. She would see him again very soon.

So the two old friends made the best of the short time they had between the real world and the afterlife, they talked. they talked about unimportant things, they talked of important things, they talked of nothing at all and they stayed silent. And for the first time in over a year, they were truly themselves and how they used to be.

Before that too came to an end.

As she exited the cave well over two hours later (Akihana had taken care to clean the house thoroughly after Yaju's disappearance. No dust would ever settle on his home again), she was greeted by a silent Akuoy. The blonde was glad, she wouldn't have been able to answer any questions, and if she did, he would have thought her a liar.

And Akihana Akari never lied.

(Exit)

TWC: 3, 808

As the time between the two old friends came to an end, the young male had smiled his friend before hugging her. No amount of words could prepare her for the future ahead and whatever choice she had made would cause new ripples. As he slowly faded by into the house itself, Yaju watched as she cleaned the house back to what it once was. A smile on the deceased males face as he watched her leave, the smile faded as he rested in the grave he had made for himself. Within the depths of the caverns only he knew, a somber soul waited for the day that he could join the others. Yet he knew that life after this would be boring...what would he do then? Following her descent from the moutains only she would hear the howling of wolves, a song telling a distant friend that she would be forever watched as he waited for their next meeting.

[Topic Concluded?]