Ties That Bind [Private]

When mornings came, he no longer woke up to his cold sweats.

Half of it might be the fact that he seldom wakes up hungover now, having dropped back on the amount of sake he imbibed through the day to keep himself going. Life has taken a turn for the best, and he feels elated, so much so that the days breeze through and the nights are memorable. Whereas he would usually wake up to the scent of breakfast and coffee wrestling through the stench of sake and cigars, he now wakes up to breakfast and coffee dancing with the scent of a lover, a warm memento on the empty side of the bed he lays upon.

The other half was an untold resolve found within himself, a sense of purpose he knew he strived for but hadn’t been able to define eloquently, either in words or actions, and that now drove him forward with invigorating clarity. He understood concepts he would’ve died for by instinct alone, and yet they now translated into something he finally identified with.

He wasn’t used to being in such high spirits. But he could certainly get used to it.

When he left the room, fresh off the shower and wrapped in a towel, he visited the kitchen to find Aura already close to finishing breakfast, and he approached her calmly, touching her hips and leaning in for a kiss on the neck, before giving her a quick hug and a “good morning”, before walking off, his hands drifting back against her and getting ready.

He would return, clad in his usual armor, even though he had the day off. “It smells delicious, honey”, he started, looking at the meal and the steaming coffee. “So, what’s the plan for today?” She had explained to him before her wish to visit the Thunderpeak Campus, however, he wanted her to go through the plan again.

Any excuse to listen to her voice.

The delicate snowflake gasped when his arms surrounded her, even though he knew well enough she could’ve heard him come in even if he tried his best not to be heard. The kiss was well earned.

By the time he walked back into the kitchen in his regular attire, the table was set, and the bounty she had prepared for them smelled amazing, and looked just as good. He grabbed the mug of coffee, listening to the blind glint of his eyes just before she mouthed a whole egg into that pretty mouth and chewed on it with gusto. He smirked and drank a gulp of the black goodness, but followed suit, chopsticks in hand, and picking a couple eggs to break them into his rice, the yolk running among the rice before starting to wolf down pieces onto his mouth, his jaw working the meal nicely, the flavors dancing through his tongue.

She brings up their training session; his idea, for a couple of reasons. One is to test the theory that she is indeed Yuki; if she took to his good friend Zento, she may need to learn Wind Release. She did take the prankster part already, might as well go all the way. The second was to “inspect troops”, as it were. It was no news that Noboru would walk regularly into the training facilities of the village to test the mettle of his troops, and Aura would have no special treatment in this regard. Helping her find more about her clan would be the least he could do. “I spend my days reading, it’ll be nice to switch it up and read it to you.”

Pancakes followed the path of the empty bowl of rice, emptied in a frenzied morning appetite. His musculature wasn’t kept on sake alone, after all. The pancakes were at the perfect consistency, just enough of the syrup had permeated the cake without making them soggy, and the redhead would split parts off of entire stacks to lead them into his mouth, where he would mix the top syrupy pancakes with the soft sweet bottom pancakes, another symphony of taste. As she wiped away the cutest milkstache, she spoke of their plan, to which he nodded with a mouthful of cake and hummed in affirmation, before swallowing and coughing. “We’ll train, then we’ll have lunch over there, then we can read during the afternoon.” They ate, chit chatting about this and that, some domestic talk as couple would talk, and through most of it, Noboru finished his coffee, the food devoured already, the chef complimented. He had always been a fast eater, always having something else to cram into his schedule, and even tasty food would escape this mechanism, it only made it worse.

Getting ready to leave with his love, he dons the white cloak of the Raikage, as well as the pyramidical golden hat, before Aura takes his hand and suggests he carries her there to make the trip faster. A jest, to be sure, but it gave him pause. “Fine”, he starts, guiding her hand over his neck as he lowers himself to pick her up again as a bride, hand under the knees to sweep her off her feet and onto his arms. “Hold on tight.”

He bent his knees, and jumped into the sky, a few meters just to gain leverage and sight on a tall electric pole, the force enough to give them some wind resistance. On the tall pole, as he sighted their course through the peaks, he could already feel the effects of the height on his body, and surely so would Aura. “Do you trust me?” Once she answered, he would bend his knees again, and propel himself once again through the skies, his body energized by the mastery of the Drunken Fist. Leaping and bounding through the peaks, the wind would blow in their faces and ears, and he made sure to keep Aura tucked against his body, landing always with the grace of a master of his own body, dispelling the energy so it wouldn’t affect her. It was a glorious sight to him, something he had actually never done in his life, and yet she dared him to live, dared him to take her on adventures. He wished he could share these sights with her, the shining sun, the shimmering reflection from the many windows below their flying feet, the splendor of the village that hid betwixt the clouds. She would still be able to feel the heat of the star, and the bite of the wind so far high.

It wasn’t long before Noboru landed at the foot of the peak that led to the Thunderpeak Campus, built under his command and oversight. And what a sight it was. He let Aura down gently, careful to make sure she could keep her footing after the adrenaline rush of the trip up the peaks. He tried to comb her hair down some, before pinching her chin softly, and pecking her lips. He took her by the hand, guiding her in soft steps to the training facility within the Thunderpeaks.

Between greetings from the many people who recognized the only person in the village to wear a golden pyramidical hat, he would guide them to a domed arena, meant to withstand rigorous training. He had booked the place for the two of them, so they could have their privacy away from prying eyes or gawkers, or just others who might get in the way of the training. He led the gorgeous platinum haired beauty to the middle of the arena, and took two pieces of paper from his pouch. “Right, so. These that I have in my hand are elemental papers. Here, feel them.” He brought her hands up, and let the two porous papers into the palm of her hand, letting her feel them. “The trick of these is to flow chakra into them, and in doing so, the paper will react to the chakra in a certain way, and it will reveal your primary chakra nature. For instance, it I take one…” He would pick one of the papers, and focusing on it for a moment, the paper crumbled into dust, cascading onto her hands. “...it will crumble into dust, because my primary nature is Earth. Go on, give it a try on the other.”

The excited cry, the giggling, her touch; Noboru felt energized, as if he was able to draw the power of the mountain itself. He had no idea how touch deprived he had been up until this point, how lacking in intimacy he had been, and he would do his best to express his gratitude to this woman, who managed to pull him from the brink of his fall. Even after they landed, the cute kiss she gave him did wonders for the beast.

Watching her pour her chakra into the paper to make it into an unpleasant soggy mess, he couldn’t help but grin at her expression of dissatisfaction, commenting on how Noboru probably already knew that her primary nature was water. “You accuse me of taking unnecessary action here?” He grabbed her hands in his, bringing up the white cloth of the cloak to dry them softly. “Now, as a Yuki, you will be able to learn the fabled Ice Release. One way to trigger this, is to know both Water Release, which is your natural element, and Wind Release, which I can teach you.”

He held her hands in his palms, his calloused thumbs brushing the skin of her soft palms. “I think the main element one is born with says a lot about the person. If you consider me, born with the Earth Element, you can probably agree with that at face value. I think the same could be said for you. With Water as your natural element, you are resilient, you go with the flow, you adapt and overcome.” He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “You even carve through mountains”, he added with a smile. “Wind naturals, though, are rare. To be honest, I haven’t met many at all in all my years. They are great company though, they are aloof, but can become serious when the occasion calls for it.” Nostalgia flooded him for a second, the memory of an old friend. “Though being born with it is rare, it isn’t impossible to learn this nature. So. I will teach you to the best of my ability.”

He blew lightly on her hands and wrists. “For a Water natural, flow will be easy. However, Wind won’t crash. Instead, you must focus on molding your chakra thinnely. A constant flow, thinning and thinning, sharpening until it cuts through anything it meets.” He would exemplify, but the notion of cutting her by accident didn’t sit well with him. “Go on. Give it a go.”

Breaking free from his gasp, she hugs him tightly around his rigid yet relaxed frame. He smiles from ear to ear, a genuine smile, and how long had it been since someone made him feel this way, he couldn’t tell. He likes seeing her reactions, how she blushes and trembles under his touch. The living embodiment of what she says to him so often now: he’s not a monster, he just acts like one. He wraps his arms around her gently, how soft she felt under his hardened musculature, and he kept her there for as long as she wished to be against him. He can’t thank her enough for making him feel human again. He didn’t even mind when she called him a dummy, or dork… he could only see those as her giving him affection, in her own way. For what reason, he didn’t know, but it didn’t bother him either. She asks him for a minute, and he plants a soft kiss on her platinum hair, holding her close. No words are needed, and she’s used to his silence at this point. She can listen to his breathing, and his heartbeat. They’ll tell her how he feels.

With an agile leap back, she’s ready once again to resume their training; the redhead eyes her curiously with the dark eye. Crimson swirls spiraled around the iris, creating three tomoes with which to observe the world with more detail. He could see her chakra flow, how she honed it, focusing it. “Not quite there yet, baby”, he’d think to himself, keeping his lips sealed. He believed in her, though. There was not hint of doubt in his mind regarding her capabilities, and that she would be able to not only learn Wind Nature, but also unlock her hidden Yuki potential. He watched on.

Something appeared to click within her; her chakra became calm, and as she shifted her hands, holding them parallel to each other with just a space between, he could see her manifesting the chakra between her palms. It was taking a toll on her body, as he sees her shake, but he holds fast, a statue of marble, taking no action or expressing no concern that could interfere with the process. She was not just his girlfriend at this point, or the woman he loves. She was a ninja of the Kumogakure, a warrior, a healer.

A tool for the Lightning Country.

The thought sours in his mind. But it was her decision; he will honor it.

In a split second, a blade of air is manifested between her hands, yet, as soon as it shows up, she loses control of it and the tearing of fabric can be heard. Noboru tenses, and makes his way toward her as she speaks. Immediately, he activates his Byakugan, looking at the cut in the shirt; nothing happened, luckily, her soft skin is as immaculate as he remembered it. Disabling both eyes as he approaches closer still, he places his hand on her solar plexus, brushing the cut shirt, letting his calloused thumb touch against her soft skin. “Nothing to worry about, no cuts on the skin. Just a ripped shirt. We’ll buy you a new one later.” He would add a wink, except she wouldn’t be able to see it. Instead, he moves his hand to her hip, holding her close as he kisses her head again. “Good job. You seem to have awakened your second elemental nature.”

“That being said”, he would start, taking a few steps back, “this isn’t the only training we’ll go through today. You want to be a ninja of the Kumogakure, which is fair. But, you need to be ready for what you will find out there.” He turned around, taking another step, and now, a couple of meters away from his beloved, swinging the white cloak and golden hat off his head, snapping his fingers to send them to his pocket dimension, he turned back to face her. “Come now, love. Let me see that you have what it takes to be a ninja of the Kumogakure.” The invitation, as far as he could tell, would’ve been obvious. However, he adjusted his positioning, one foot facing her, the other facing forty five degrees away from him, at shoulder width, his hands at chest level, hands opened, awaiting for her reaction.

Her reaction to him never ceased to amaze, and he dared not think of a time where he may no longer experience joy in these small moments between the two. If only she knew the effect she had on him, then perhaps the scales would be balanced, but he doubted she wasn’t aware of it as it was.

When the two put up space between them, Noboru leaned forward, the familiarity of combat overwhelming the novelty of romance, and his girlfriend – now his opponent, began to make moves. The first thing she did was discard her royal garbs, and for a moment, Noboru was unsure of who he was facing anymore. Tight fitting shorts and shirt, fishnet covering the legs and arms. It was as if he was looking at a younger version of himself, from times where he would wear cargo pants, with a black shirt over a fishnet protective mesh. This woman was truly a dream.

However, when she cast two marble statues of her own image, the characteristic lack of color he had read in her reports due to her condition, he smirked, leaning forward. The first one becomes a wall, in a poof of smoke, after just one handseal. Noboru raised his eyebrow; it was a very interesting tactic, to be sure, one that could be easily undermined with his Byakugan. However, that would be overwhelmingly unfair to his dear. There it was. He was not objective when it came to her. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, he bent his knees, slinking into a progressive sprint, the first few steps giving him momentum before the last few steps thundered as he neared the wall. Once before it, he shouldered his way through the transformed clone; even a real wall would not have been able to stop the behemoth from his advance, even at his base strength. The surprise on the other side, however, he expected, just not as it played out.