Letters Home [p, Kasuga]

Once Ayame had settled into her Hotel Room for the evening, she decided to take a piece of paper and  send a letter to a friend back in the leaf. As she sat and stared at the paper, she just couldn't wrap her head around what she wanted to say.

She sat there for several minutes staring at the wall as Nita curled up in her lap.

Then suddenly inspiration hit and she began to write.

" Dear Kasuga,

I made it to Suna alright! It got a bit difficult when the weather started to wear on me and i fell a little behind, but all in all I'm good. This room is too hot to really do anything, and there are no trees as far as I can see, which sucks. I already miss Konoha, and I've been away only a few days."

Ayame would stop trying to find words, but she couldn't.

"It really sucks being here with people I barely know or dislike me. What have you been up to? Is everything alright with you? I heard that some people had been disappearing over there. What's been going on with that?

Anyway, I gotta get some sleep, now.

Ayame"

She would then hand her note off to Nita who would deliver it back to Konoha for her.

There was nothing like sitting on the roof of one's own home after a long day of patrolling and meeting with his younger siblings. Many a day went on like this while he waited for his father to become not...busy with the whole Hokage thing, but with recent things going on the eldest son knew the deal. From atop his perch he could see it all. The beautiful village. The people. A rat with a letter...wait what?

Kasuga looked down from his roof to see the rat and tilted his head for a moment, wondering why...no never mind. Slowly he jumped from the roof landing just beside the rat and picking it up, his right hand taking the letter and reading it with a curious face until he laughed. It was apparent who this was though as he finished reading in his living room," Guess something good is happening."

Now..what to right back?

"Uh...Well this is kind of awkward. I'm kind of a in person kinda guy but I guess this is fine as well. How's the exams going? Still in it and disappearances? I haven't heard much about anything like that but with how things are going it won't be long."

Really was that the best he could do? Shaking his head and ridding himself of the ridiculous thoughts he continued to write.

"As of late things have been weird. Lots of interesting things have been going on to the point where my dad has been running ragged getting things done. How long are you in Suna for?"

The letter was put back onto the rat and ushered out the house where he sat on the couch and slept..

Ayame recieved the letter back from Nita.

"Eh... Emotions, I guess" Ayame would write down in response. "I've been training and growing much stronger, but I'm still really nervous. I actually have no idea... I know the exams don't start for about a week or something. " she would then ponder about what was going on.

"Things are that hectic? I'm sure your dad could use some help. See if you can lend a hand!" she would suggest trying to nail the cheerful tone in the words she wrote.

"Unfortunately It is kinda of lonely here. I barely know anyone in the exams. And I'm sorry to make you uncomfortable like that, but you aren't here so it's not like we could chat over ramen or something of that caliber. "

Ayame knew what she wanted to write next feeling a bit nervous. Should she?

"Maybe I can take you out to Ichiraku's when I get back." she would write. Was she actually asking him out? What would he say? What if he would reject her, or worse yet, refuse to reply? If he would accept her invitation, would he think of it as hanging out, or a date or?

Ayame shook her head trying not to let her thoughts get to her.

If she didn't take a chance, she would never know.

Ayame exhaled shakily and continued

"I don't like it here... the people are nice but the village is so large that everything looks the same to me. It's also Hotter than the Hot springs during the day, and colder than Ice at night. And worst of all these darn beds won't let me sleep" she said writing directly what was on her mind.

"I don't know Kasuga, I'm starting to regret joining. All of these people look like they could snap me like a toothpick. I wish I knew what to do, other than keep training."

Ayame would then sign the letter and send it on its way to Kasuga, before writhing around and tearing the sheets from the bed trying to find a more comfortable way to sleep... maybe between the mattress? Nope, okay let's flip the mattress! Still nope! She would be up all night trying different positions to try and find the sweet release of sleep.

Did she...

"Uh that's cool I guess. Can't stress the small things really because if you can't get passed it then you become complacent. Honest opinion? You can do it, especially if you went all the way to Suna. As for helping the Hokage?," he would take a long pause on that thought and look to the rat for a moment...

"Nah better if I just do my rounds and train my sister and brother. Less of a mess and i'm not good at paperwork. So...Does your little messenger have a name and food choice? Also its weird to have a woman ask me out, even if its for Ramen...But I guess I can let it slide this one time. Try sleeping on the floor? Making a giant pillow fort or something like that?," the thought crossed his mind and made him laugh for a moment.

This wasn't so bad though the discouraged talk made him sigh," Its do or die Ayame. You just gotta stick it out and if someone tries to snap you? Poke their eyes out ....I mean....Don't bend. Be like bamboo. Sturdy and flexible. Or just summon me and i'll break em for you...," there was a slight laugh from him at the though he gave the letter to Nita and went back into his home.

Ayame would start the letter explaining her companion.

"Oh, her name is Nita and she is a rat of the Nezumichi Clan. She's about 20 years old. You don't remember her from our mission? Well, either way, Nita is retiring from ninja-hood soon, unfortunately." she would write. "Nita likes anything, really, from sunflower seeds to table scraps. She loves sweet things especially."

Ayame would then tap her calligraphy brush on her chin as she thought of what to write. "Well, even if you aren't doing paperwork, you could be sorting things or helping in other ways. Wait, will you be leaving Konoha then?" she would write letting that possibility sink in.

"And I guess if you would have asked me first, I wouldn't have had to ask you" she would write chuckling to herself about it. At least he was kind about it.

"As for sleeping on the floor, I could give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to clear my head at the very least. It would be a bit more sturdy of a thing to lay on. I mean, I've tried pretty much everything there is to try, even hanging upside down."

"It wouldn't be fair for the exams if I could summon you in given that you are already a Jounin." she wrote laughing to herself. "Though I wish Nita could have had one last Hurrah before she retires."

Ayame then stopped taking a breath and calming herself to take the note in a more serious tone.

"Kas, Why did you become a Ninja?" she would write down slowly and carefully thinking to herself. "I did because I wanted to help save lives... but now I'm being called to end them, and I'm just not sure if I can. I mean, I'd have to, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to live with myself afterward. I can feel myself changing, I mean back when we first met I couldn't even injure people in a spar, and now that  I'm getting more capable... I'm not sure If I like what I am becoming." she would write.

"I understand it's kill or be killed and I must act as the village wishes, but that doesn't mean that it won't sit wrong with my heart at the end of the day." she would state in her letter, trying to keep it candid but also honest.

"I don't know, maybe I'm straying too far even admitting these feelings. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a ninja... I get told that all the time, so it sits and stews in my head until a time like this comes along, where I feel so alone."

"I don't mean to take a dark turn, but I was wondering if you could give me some insight, or something. Perhaps my curiosity of everything will be the end of me"

Ayame would finish her letter and hand it to Nita to deliver and then passed out on the floor, finally being able to sleep after a couple days in Suna.

After a few more days came and went and the exams came to a close, she decided she would send another letter given that he did not respond back to her most previous one.

"Hey, Kas,

I heard that you and Jace are heading out on a mission or something. I guess we may have to postpone our lunch if it's the kind of mission that will have you out for a while. I wanted to let you know that I got the rank up to chuunin, and I can't wait to show you how much stronger I've become!"

Aya would tap her pen on her chin as she thought of what to say to the boy.

"Just be careful, okay? Being a ninja is a dangerous job... well... you already know that, but still. Stay safe." Again Aya paused to think.

"We will be heading out from Suna soon (a). See you when I, or you, get back.

~ Aya"


Aya gave the note to Nita to deliver, watching as the rat came back empty-handed, likely leaving the note with Kasuga or at his place. This would be the second note he wouldn't respond to, giving Ayame an uneasy feeling. Perhaps they had left for their mission already and Nita had left the note in the Hokage's office or something. Still, Ayame didn't like the vibe she was getting from this all.

[exit]

(Just wrapping this up because its been so long since Kasuga posted and now he can't because he is dead. I assume this letter will arrive shortly before his death, possibly with him pocketing it if he so wishes, or after his death, left somewhere for him (or someone else like the Hokage...or a sibling) to find.)

Exit approved