A Long Time Coming (P, NK)

In a bright flash of light two people would appear into the living room of Valen Akari’s home. One would be the aforementioned shinobi himself. Midnight coloured hair, crimson eyes, a sword at his hip, crimson cloak, and armor black as night made up his appearance as the newly made Jinchuriki of the five tails appeared into the room. Beside him, holding his hand for the teleportation, would be his companion. Hikari Namikaze, the chestnut haired, Fuinjutsu master of the village. As well as someone he cared very deeply for. Which is why they were both there, to discuss actions he had taken after the battle of the great beast that was just recently sealed inside of him. In his increased state of adrenaline he had kissed her deeply, something he hadn’t intended to do. He had lost his head after the battle and done so without any preamble. It should be known to the reader that while Valen has confessed love for Hikari to the girl in the past, she had not responded to his feelings. Instead, she ran, in order to think things through and get her head on straight to figure out how she felt about him. They hadn’t spoken since, him giving her the much needed space with patience. What he had done after the battle was inexcusable to him. 

After fully appearing in the flash of light Valen would let go of Hikari’s hand, untying his sword as he moved toward the kitchen in his home. He had a house in the village, the place was big enough to house two people comfortably. He had the extra bedroom furnished in case a mission partner needed a place to stay after a late mission, or an ally passed out while training and needed to sleep it off. The decorum of his home was rather spartan, mostly blank walls, a coffee table, couch, and couple of chairs in the living room. With a weapon rack for his weaponry against the wall in the back of the living room. He always had one of his swords in his Storage Displacement pocket dimension, just in case he needed it quickly. The one he was wearing however was unnecessary to store in there. So he put it on the weapon rack, on a spot designed for the katana toward the bottom. The sheathed blade facing up to prevent the pull of gravity to cause the blade to dull as he pressed against the inside of the sheathe. 

He would proceed to move into the kitchen at this point, silently working as he prepared two cups of tea, before bringing them both into the living room and offering one to her. Figuring she would be at least a bit chilled due to the cold climate deserts tended to have at night. At this point the Deputy Kage of Hoshigakure would sit down on the couch, obviously not on top of her if she had already done so. Before setting his own cup down on the table after taking a sip, letting the soothing beverage assuage him of his nerves as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart over the conversation they were going to have to have. After doing so he would turn toward the girl, meeting her brown eyes if she were looking at him already before sighing lightly and speaking, or listening if she had already started to do so. 

“I want to again apologize for my actions out there Hikari. I had been trying to give you all of the time and space you wanted to figure things out, I truly hadn’t intended to kiss you so suddenly. Nor do I want you to feel pressured into this conversation because of that. If you need more time, then take it, I can wait for your answer.” He would say, starting off the conversation by giving her a way out if she chose. It wouldn’t just be for her benefit either. For he was nervous as hell. It was a conversation he wanted to have granted. But it would definitely rate up there as his most nerve wracking moment. A moment of clarification passed for the dark haired shinobi before a chuckle escaped his lips “Amazing, I’m willing to face down a bijuu without hesitation, but talking to you about this is making ME nervous.” He would say, finding humour in the situation. 

If the girl chose to continue the conversation, to delve headfirst down this damned rabbit hole, he would nod his head and, if she hadn’t decided to continue the conversation, would do so. “I want to start off by getting it out in the open, truly out there. The last time we spoke before this night I told you how I felt by hiding behind a play on words and letting you figure it out. But in my opinion that was cowardly and did you a disservice. As if I’m not willing to openly admit my feelings then how can I hope to deal with them? I am in love with you Hikari. On the first day we met, with you in that sundress sitting against the tree in the training ground I frequented at sunset. Back then I never would have imagined I’d feel this about you. I thought you were pretty, sure, who wouldn’t? But I never imagined the impact you would proceed to have on my life. From helping me with my cloak, to gifting me with the power I used to defeat that bijuu, to helping Damon and I in our chunin exam mission to study up on information about another village. To furthermore helping to free me from the dark sentience that threatened to take over my body and gave me my most powerful weapon. I could not begin to repay you for all of the things you’ve done for me. Even if I know you’ll sit here and say there’s no need. But over the time we’ve known each I’ve admired your kindness, your beauty, your heart. And over the course of this time that admiration indeed turned to something a great deal stronger. I don’t really know what else to say here. So I suppose I’m just going to shut up.” He would say the last with a small grin. His eyes never left the girl during his monologue, the blush on his face took on varying shades of intensity yes, but he never once removed his eyes from hers. To do such a thing would be rude to her. Which he would endeavor to never be.  

WC: 1099

It was late at night as Hikari was teleported into the living room of the deputy kage, lost in her own thoughts, the girl didn't take much notice of her surroundings. A few things she did notice was that the place was much cleaner than that she suspected most teenage boys kept their living quarters as. That being said, most teenage boys were not the deputy kage of Hoshigakure. The Room was decorated with various weapons that Hikari recalled the dark prince of Hoshigakure using in his missions and with around the village.

As Valen left the room to go to apparently get some refreshments, Hikari would take a seat on the couch nearby, nervously fidgeting. In the Kunochi's 17 years of life, she had never had someone confess to her the way the Deputy Kage had. It.... well.... was quite the experience, having Valen's words etched into her mind pretty much every waking moment.

In what seemed like seconds, Val would return and hand the Chestnut haired girl some tea, which Hikari would thank him for and take a short sip of as the Weapons master of Hoshigakure would begin to explain his feelings to Hikari, and how she had been really rude to wait this long to speak to Valen about the situation.

Once he had Finished, the Jounin would take a deep sigh, and would begin to speak, not even sure what words would be coming out of her mouth as she spoke.
"You are right." She would explain. "You were for coming about your feelings towards me, and I was very rude in my response. I should of given you a straight response right there and then. So.... yes... this is all my fault, and as we saw, tonight, our lack of communication could of easily gotten us killed." The faintest hint of a smile would come across Hikari's face at this point, "I guess I am lucky that you are so skilled when it comes to combat."

"But anyways.... I should explain why I ran on that day. You see, I come from a small town on the outskirts of Heaven, there weren't many boys my age around there.... so, I never really had much experience when it comes to people confessing their feelings to each other. The only time I ever saw something like this was when it happened between adults."

Hikari would brush some hair out of her face as she paused for a second at this point, thinking about how that wasn't really a good explanation, seeing how the two Jounin were not children anymore. "Anyways.... the point I am trying to make is, these feelings of love... it has always seemed to be in annother world before, somewhere i didn't belong. After all, who would fall in love with a little tavern Girl like me. Or at least that was my thoughts on the matter.

So... I didn't know what to say or how to react when you confessed to me, so I did the only thing I could think of, I ran. I fled and I tried to ignore it, and just hoped that it would go away if I had ignored it long enough. You said I was kind, but honestly, I am not, that was probably the cruelest thing a human being could do to another.


But anyways.... to answer the question that you have had on your mind for a while. Can I return the feelings. And I know you are about to hate me for this, but I still don't have an answer for you yet if I feel the same way.

Do I care for you more than most of those in the village? Yes, I care for you more than Nano, more then Kenshin, more than Kyousuke, and if the village was to be destroyed tomorrow and I could save only one person, you would be that person. I trust you Valen, more than anyone else alive.

But..... are these feelings that of love? I don't know..... I have never loved someone besides my parents and my siblings, I have never had a crush on another person before.... so I don't know... I just don't know."

Hikari would sigh and pause for another moment, if Valen hadn't said something to cut her off for the next few seconds, the girl would say. "Well.... that is it.... that is the honest truth, so that leads me to my question for you. Where do you want to go from here?"

WC: 763

Valen would sit and listen quietly to the words of the girl he had fallen for. At times he would desperately want to stop her and clarify but decided it would be best if he simply waited until she was finished. It had taken her a long time to be willing to speak to him on this matter after all. He could not sit here and ruin it by interrupting the girl. She would speak of her inexperience on the matter, explain that she was from a small town where children her age were a rarity and that she had never felt something like that before. Telling him that she often felt that the world of love didn’t seem like a world she belonged to. That she never imagined that someone would fall in love with a ‘little tavern girl’ like her. She would go onto to explain that because of that she did the only thing she felt she could when he confessed, run. She would proceed to tell him that he was wrong about her kindness and that what she had done was probably the cruelest thing a human could do to another. So she was here telling him her feelings on the matter, with equated to ‘I do not know’. But she would go on to explain that she did feel strongly for him in some way. That if the village were to be destroyed tomorrow and she could save only one person that it would be him. That she trusted him more than anyone else in the village. But that she didn’t know if she would be willing to call it love. She would explain that she had never had a crush before, or felt any love beyond that of her parents or siblings. 

At this point she would pause, and it would be there that he would interject. He needed to clear up his thoughts on the matter, try to make her see what he saw. Even if this did not become something tonight he would not, could not, begrudge her no matter what. “You refer to yourself as ‘Little Tavern Girl’. I however would sooner call you ‘Hoshigakure’s Angel of Light’. You deserve love, we all do. That is something I truly believe Hikari. You say what you did makes you unkind. That only the cruelest person in the world would do such a thing. However, fear, and cruelty are not synonymous. You were afraid, not just by the implications, but of hurting me and yourself in the process I’d wager. I’m not the most experienced in love myself. I grew up traveling with a family of merchants so I was always moving around from place to place. I never truly had a home until they left me here in Hoshi to attempt to become a shinobi and make a name for myself. So I cannot sit here and say I’m some kind of expert on love. I cannot sit here and tell you that I know what I am talking about. Nor will I sit here and try to coerce you into thinking you feel stronger for me than you or try to cause your thoughts to go in a certain direction. Because doing so would in fact be one of the cruelest things in the world someone could do.” He would say, starting again on his own part of the conversation. 

“I will say that you might be closer than you think in your answer, whether it is if you love me, or don’t. For if you yourself believe that not giving me an answer, and avoiding me for so long would be considered one of the ‘cruelest things a human being could do to another’ Then that does that not tell you that you do have some understanding? I understand that you do not know how you feel. I respect that, and I am a patient man Hikari. I won’t deny though, that when I first confessed my feelings to you even I did not know the depth of them. I discovered this after Kyousuke and I discovered a missing nin within our walls. By the name of ‘Ciel’ you however, would know him as ‘Nan’. What you might not have known however was the Nan was not his true name or appearance and he used the opportunity to rob you and steal some photos of you that I have yet to see. Nor would the gentleman in me wish to do so. Kyousuke confiscated everything, including the ryo. But when I found out it was you he was coercing. When I discovered that had been trying to take advantage of you. I almost cut him down in Kyousuke’s office before the kage could even react. I had never known fury so profound, a hatred so deep. I would have killed that man that day. He is alive, banished from Haven Country, but alive as far as I know. But it was then that I realized, that I myself learned of how strongly I truly felt for you. I would like to believe I am a patient man Hikari. I will wait for you for as long as you need. I also promise never to lose control over my own emotions and actions to the point of kissing you again, well, without your consent anyway.” He would say, looking away for a moment and letting a small blush occupy his features. “But please, don’t avoid me. The hardest part of these past weeks was not in fact that I did not know how you felt. But that I did not get to see you. You are the person I trust and admire the most within this village. Your kindness in general makes me strive to be a better person. Seeing your smile, yours alone, makes it all seem worth it. So my request to you is to even if you do not feel the same way. Even if you do not share the depths of my emotions. Do not run from me, for I would sooner turn my blade on myself than ever do you harm.” He would say, finishing her side of things and taking a deep breath. At this point a crimson blush would in fact colour the normally pale Akari’s features. “What do you think? Where do we go from here? Do you want to try and keep each other at arm’s distance until you find your answer? Would you like to try and spend more time together to see if the spark is there? Whatever you feel must happen to help you Hikari, I’ll do it.” He would finish, finally done speaking for the moment. He would take a long drink of his own tea before setting it down and awaiting the girls response. 

WC: 1137
TWC: 2236

The Chestnut haired woman would blush slightly as she heard Val call her the "Hoshigakure Angel of Light." She had always had an admiration for the Angels and such, naming many of her personal techniques in an ancient language giving homage to said beings.  



When it came to understanding about Nan, Hikari would blush, "I was starting to expect as much......
I am sorry for that, my actions with Nan were beyond foolish, they could of gotten me killed, or who knows what with the village. I made a slight mistake when I was letting him into the village you see. When he came in, he was with a giant of a man whose name escapes me currently. Nan... no, I think you said his name was Ceil? Well, Ceil started to talk to me and he was acting awkward, very different then most people that come to Hoshi. Rather then further questioning him or mind reading him, I wrote it off as just some heat exhaustion and let them through.

I am sure you know of the second part of the story, how that behemoth of a man made a move on little Kiru Uzumaki.... one of my students that I personally trained. So once I found that out, I immediately looked for Nan, trying to hunt him down and figure out what was going on.... and then... when I did... well.... he told me he was held against his will and was forced here by the man. He seemed.... so genuine.... I just sort of wanted to belive him. So, I tried to further question him, but then he started to ask more questions about me, and we had some food at a nice Cafe..... I had this milkshake and then... well... at that point I had a bit of a problem with thinking.... I don't really know what I was thinking, not reading his mind or bringing him in for other questions.... so I apologize again."


Despite the fact that Hikari had just found out she was taken care of, she was still relived that the Nan she knew was alive.... no... there was no Nan she knew, just Ceil, and she shouldn't be relieved at this, she should be getting angry at the fact that she was taken advantage of like that. Still.... there was something in her heart that made it hard to hate the innocent looking boy she had met.


As for the answer to Valen's question. "No.... staying apart would do us no good at this point, I have ignored you for far to long now. I have had time to think about it as much as possible.... I feel... I feel like only getting to know you better will I be able to give you more of a clear answer at this point.


I would like... I would like to spend as much time as possible with you, at least for the next little while as I try to sort out my feelings..... if that would be ok with you."

Valen would watch the blush appear on the girl as he called her the ‘Angel of Light’ a small smile forming on his features at her reaction ‘Note to self, make that her nickname in the bingo book.’ It was amusing for the Akari to hear all of these names. Kenshin was ‘The Ragdoll’, he himself was ‘The Dark Prince’ or in some circles ‘The Weaponmaster of Hoshigakure’. Now Hikari would have ‘Hoshigakure’s Angel of Light’ it made him smile to know that so many names would be coming out the village. It showed strength and would cause others to respect them. It also meant they themselves might be called out for specific missions by name. Or Moniker, at the very least. Kenshin wouldn’t like the publicity. But so long as he got to kill stuff on the missions the stitched and scarred teenager would deal with it. At this point Hikari would apologize for her slip up during the Ciel situation. ‘A milkshake?..Problems thinking? She would’ve sensed the chakra used in a genjutsu. Was she drunk? He wasn’t particularly involved in alcoholic drinks, even if his shinobi status allowed him to legally drink. He simply wasn’t fond of not having full control of his actions. But the tactic could’ve worked perfectly for Ciel in order to sway her. Especially if the conniving little shit had ordered for her. 

At this point the girl would state that staying apart would do them no good. A line of thinking he was most definitely on board with. Now actually she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him. To see if she could sort out her feelings. Something he was more than willing to say yes to. “Of course, nothing would make me happier Hikari. I always welcome your presence in my day. Did you have something in mind?” He would ask in curiosity before taking another sip of his tea. He began to think on if the girl wanted to go on missions with him, work with him in the Deputy Kage’s office, or simply socialize more with him to see how she felt. Of course all of the above would be available too but he figured the girl wouldn’t want to go with that option. He would figure she would want time to herself just as much. After her answer, regardless of what it was, he would make a separate request. “Actually, a thought occurs to me. I’m in need of your help in something. I need a place to safely train to control the Gobi. I won’t risk the villagers lives. Can you create some kind of sealed room that will forcefully suppress the bijuu’s chakra should he get out of control or something? You’re the Fuinjutsu expert here, so I’ll listen to whatever you say.” He would say, making his worries about trying to train the beast within the village known. On a lesser degree his status as a Jinchuriki was better off being as secret as possible. On the higher note he couldn’t risk the villagers safety for his own desire to control the beast.   

WC: 520
TWC: 2756

"Hmmmmm....." The girl would think for a few, she was slightly over the next few days with work... but Valen was the deputy Kage. Maybe he would want to go with her? "I have over the next few days alot of missions that I am going to be put on.... I don't know how busy you are with your Kage work... but maybe you can ask Lord Kyousuke to assign you to those missions?"


As Valen would respond to this, and then ask his following question, Hikari would take another sip of her warm tea. Thinking about where Valen could go to train in order to control the bijuu that once belonged to the Serpent Sage. "I... I have a few places I can think of I can take you to where you can train with Gobi.... I know of a place far away from Hoshi, but can't be touched by any hostile shinobi.... Just let me know when you want to go train and I will take you there."

Hikari would pause for a second thinking about the Gobi..... with all this personal drama in the air, it appeared like the two Akari's had mostly forgotten the giant elephant in the room. "So.... how is that going by the way?.... I have sealed Akemi and you inside me.... but I have never been a Jinjuriki before. Has it spoken to you yet? Do you feel any different?"

The dark haired deputy would wave off her concerns with his work. “Honestly, I can easily make time for myself and others if necessary. After all, any physical clone technique can do the paperwork.” He would say with a shrug. He thought it was amazing how efficient the work got done with a simple clone. It wasn’t like they thought differently or had a different signature or anything. “Some missions would be a nice change of pace. Tonight was the first night I’d been out in the field in a long time. It was also far too short lived, although I suppose a quick and easy fight against a Bijuu is preferable.” He would say with a chuckle as he thought about the fact that he’d accidentally implied that he’d want the fight against the destructive force of nature to be longer somehow. “I can get up to speed on what missions you’ve been assigned with my files. So don’t worry about having to bring me up to date. You’ll find me ready and waiting for each one.” He would finish.

‘A place far from Hoshi that no enemy shinobi can find? Interesting.’ He would think as she answered his request. Confirming for him that should he decide it was time to master the beasts power that she would have his answer. “I’m curious as to where this place is.” He would say with a raised eyebrow and a pensive look on his face. It certainly wasn’t a look he was used to feeling. Usually in public he played the stoic, as it was much more difficult for people to learn what makes him ‘tick’ that way. 

Then she would ask her own question. After reminding him of the mortal damage he had done to Akemi Hiyu, something that would come with a wince from the newly made Jinchuriki. The things he had done when his mind wasn’t his own still bothered him. He had gone out and butchered countless bandits and thugs, something that would make someone like Kenshin proud. But it wasn’t him, at least, it wasn’t meant to be. He had killed an Academy Student in a spar. An opponent that the cursed blade should’ve never been drawn against to begin with. Then, he had done so again against the young Hiyu. Only that time Hikari, The Angel herself had arrived and saved him. The same technique she’s used to seal Akemi into herself, so that his body might regenerate was holding back the power of a great beast. Indeed, the sword wielding Akari could feel a sea of chakra deep within him. The reserves of the beast. The consciousness had yet to reform. That would only be a matter of time though. 

“I can feel a massive sea of chakra deep within me. My control has gone to hell, I almost didn’t have enough to teleport us. He hasn’t begun to speak to me yet, but that’s understandable considering the state he was in when you sealed him.” He would say as he idly leaned back into the couch and rested his hands at his side. He’d have set the tea cup down beforehand. His eyes would close as he took a few deep breaths. Remembering what he’d done under the influence of the sword. The memories of the blade that he had been forced to relive in it’s purging. They would always haunt him. He saw them, the family of Calin Yamato. He had been placed in his shoes in that horrible nightmare. Had felt his anguish as if it was his own. His hatred, his pure, seething hatred. It was something he would have to temper himself against. For it was what corrupted the legendary blacksmith to begin with. It was difficult to relax most days for when his mind wandered it would find itself reliving them again. 

The girl next to him, unknowingly, gave him what little respite he could find in the world against those memories. For she had saved his last victim, and even himself in the end. Her mere presence gave him the ability to tone down his work ethic to allow himself to relax. Otherwise, when left to his own devices, if he allowed himself to stop focusing on a task at hand. The memories would return. It was part of why he felt so strongly for her. Her very presence was his port in the storm. Even if it was just as a friend, a colleague, whatever. So long as he was near her he could be himself. Rather than the stoic, nearly robotic version that the world saw on a daily basis. 

It would be a few moments, maybe a minute at most of silence unless Hikari chose to say something. That time frame, that brief period, would be euphoria to the deputy kage. The memories had haunted him during the day and night. For every waking moment if he allowed them. Recently they even began invading the sanctity of his dreams, turning them into bloodstained nightmares. The teenagers eyes would finally open after that brief stint of time. For an instant one would see one he was tired, unbelievably so. However, he would quickly steel them once more. There was still work to do before he could attempt to rest. Besides, he was being a bad host for his guest at the moment. As well as selfish in taking advantage of the presence of the girl next to him. A moment of weakness he would not allow himself any longer. “I do believe it is time for me to report to Kyousuke about what has happened. He will need to know of my status as a Jinchuriki.”  He would say, the steeled edge of the voice of a leader would appear in his voice from the moment he spoke. For a moment though, after saying it, his voice would soften once more. “Was there anything else before we leave?” He would ask. If there were he would stay and listen, and wait as long as necessary. If anything he would prefer this. As it meant he might be able to spend a bit more time in her relaxing presence. If she declined however he would nod his head before showing her to the door and opening it. “Do not tell anyone of what has happened tonight Hikari. Consider that is an order.” He would say as he politely showed her to the door. “Go home, and get some rest. Consider that one too.” He would say, a small smirk on his lips. Should she leave he would close the door behind her before teleporting directly toward Kyousuke’s office. 

--potential exit-

WC: 1112
TWC: 3868

Thinking about it for a second, Hikari also realized that she could do alot of studying while in her missions. Would be an awesome way to keep up with her studies while being able to go on the various missions she needed to complete for the village hidden among the stars.

When Valen said he was going to read some files to keep up to date on the missions, the Jounin would respond, "Probably for the best.... honestly.... I haven't actually read the reports on said missions yet, I just know that I am being asked to do them."


When the Dark Prince would ask about where she was talking about, the girl would chuckle slightly, "Oh.... well, you are going to have to wait to see." A slight joke, trying to make there be a few laughs on this dark and scary night.


Once Valen brought up about the bijuu, Hikari would pause, thinking about it for a second. "I.... I don't know if it ever will. Human's can speak through the seal, we have seen that, but I don't know if bijuu can. That being said, if you feel the chakra, hopefully you will be able to tap into it and use it like how some Jinjuriki can, even if you can't speak to Gobi." The girl would pause for a second, "If you do get the opportunity to speak to the bijuu, could you do me a favor? Tell it that I am sorry, I know Lord Hayato asked for it to remain free, but we couldn't keep that promise. I did want to figure out a way to keep it, but in the heat of the moment we didn't have that option."

With all other conversations finished, Valen would ask if there was anything else.
"No, I think that is it, it is good that we can be on speaking terms again."

Finnaly, as Valen would show the lady to the door and give her orders, and the girl would give a warm smile, saying "Sir yes sir, Lord Valen."

After waiting to see how Hoshigakrue's Weapon specialist would respond, she would step out of the door and began to dissolve into dozens of butterflies and allow them to fly off, returning to her the reality that is her own.


[exit unless interrupted.]

TWC: 1629

All words to Fuinjutsu Breaking S Rank

3140/3750 with Max Stat Discount.

Approved unless interrupted

Need Reapproval Actually added claims