Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

The place's visual appeal was excellent; its aesthetics matched that of the rest of the village he had seen so far, after entering with Junko at his arm or wherever she chose to be. He would walk over to a shelf and pick up a book. It had relatively common information, as expected from a book offered to the general populace. "Where could we get some paper and ink so I can show you the art of fuinjutsu?" He would ask, looking around the massive library.

Once those were found, he would begin drawing the pattern for the rainbow fort seal. "Fuinjutsu is about making seals with chakra, so to steady the hands, it is best, to begin withdrawing and getting used to the pattern we envision in our minds. This particular pattern is for the rainbow fort seal. It can deflect attacks, but only from one direction."

Once she had gotten the hand of the drawing, he would show her the hand seals required for fuinjutsu breaking up to the most challenging rank of it. He would whistle out the required seals for Rainbow Fort Seal, Drawing the pattern on his palm before extending his palm toward Junko, the barrier-forming between them. "Use the breaking by simply touching it with your index and middle finger." If she did and the jutsu broke, he would hold her hand momentarily before moving on. "Sometimes, with more complex seals, you must also know the fuinjutsu to break it."

Arm in arm with the Mizukage, Junko would lead them both to Bal’s Library to receive some proper training. She was rather excited that the first person to ever actually teach her a technique was somebody of such significance. Though she often trained by herself, she found the process to be rather dull. Most of her time was spent pouring over various medical scrolls as she attempted to learn the more specialized Iryojutsu techniques. However, she’d much rather her time be spent beside one as knowledgeable as Akabayashi, learning from somebody who was significantly better at the specialization than her.

As they walked, she seemingly was enraptured by her surroundings and often pointed out various cute or fun-looking things to him. Admittedly, a lot of her time had been spent hidden away in her office so she hadn’t been able to experience the village streets this late at night. Most people they walked past would recognize her, and then give her a quick bow as she still made it a priority to be recognized by the regular civilians. Though she hated the formalities that came with the title she would simply wave and smile at any who seemingly addressed her.

She’d maintain a pleasant conversation as they traversed through the streets, however soon they would come upon the entrance to the library. As they walked in, immediately they’d be hit with the smell of old parchment and dry ink. She hadn’t been in it since they finished construction, this was her first time coming since all the scrolls and books had been placed. Junko couldn’t help but be slightly mesmerized by the high ceilings held up by large bookcases and shelves. This was exactly how she had planned for it to turn out and was elated with the results.

After inquiring with a librarian about where the location of the Fuinjutsu scrolls, the two of them made their way to that section of books. He’d pull a book from the shelves and then ask where they could get some paper and ink so he could begin his explanation. She’d think for a moment before excusing herself and informing him that she’d be right back. Junko then would make her way towards the center of the library and was able to find some laying out for any to use. Soon she’d find herself in front of him once again and after handing him the materials he’d begin the lesson.

Her crimson eyes would follow his stable but fluid hand movements as he began to draw the seal on a piece of paper. He then would begin to explain the fundamentals of Fuinjutu to her, she held a curious expression with a small smile on her lips as she listened to his words. She’d give an acknowledging nod as he informed her that the one he just drew was for a technique called Rainbow Fort and explained that it was only able to protect from one direction. In combat, she preferred to be more defensive, so she was more than happy to pick up another barrier technique.

Junko would then take a seat at one of the finely-made tables, and begin attempting to draw the seal that Akabayashi had produced. Before putting pen to paper, she would pull her long hair up into a high ponytail to prevent it from falling in her face while writing. However, her bangs and a few stray strands of hair still lingered around her face. Though she would maintain her cheery and excited demeanor, she clearly was taking the lesson very seriously as she began attempting to duplicate the seal.

Thankfully one of her favorite hobbies was painting, and she also had rather elegant handwriting so she quickly was able to replicate the seal almost perfectly after a few attempts. After she was happy with her work she’d offer him the paper with the seal on it, hoping he’d be satisfied with her. With a smile across her face, she’d begin speaking excitedly in her melodic voice as she stood up from the table.

”I’m a bit familiar with some of the seals though don’t know any myself. It’ll be nice to have something to provide me with a little bit of protection, so genuinely, thank you Lord Mizukage.”

She’d break eye contact momentarily as she gave him a respectful bow, then stood up fully once more. As he began showing her the hand seals for fuinjutsu breaking, she’d watch his hands closely once more while leaning her bottom against the table she was previously sitting at. Junko would watch as he began to whistle the proper hand seals and then place the seal on his palm. He then extended his palm out towards her, and the barrier would form between them, separating the two. Junko would give him an excited nod as he explained how to activate the technique.

Her right hand would begin to glow a dark blue color as she touched his palm with her middle and index finger. The barrier between the two of them would pop like a bubble, and her soft hand would fall against his. She blushed slightly as he held onto her hand for a moment before releasing it and turning his attention back to the lesson. He then informed her that for more difficult seals, you may need to know the seal in order to break it. She’d tap her chin lightly with her index finger as she seemingly contemplated what to say.

”I’ll have to put my medical studies to the side for now and really focus my attention on learning more seals. I wonder if I could combine the two of them when I get a better grasp on the fundamentals.”

Junko would look at him with a curious expression, as she waited for him to continue the lesson. Admittedly she was enjoying her time with him and genuinely eager to learn whatever he would offer her. She’d attempt to maintain eye contact with him as he continued his explanation.

WC: 1011

"Making a seal to heal others could have many benefits and be very profitable." He would say as he took a new sheet of paper to draw a seal into. He would begin drawing the unity seal, a triangular structure with many circles carefully woven into the inside of the triangle. As he looked up to speak, he noticed Junko looking at him and staring into his eyes. He would remove his sunglasses, allowing her to look at his eyes and scarred face.  As she sat there, her hair tied up and intently focused, he felt a desire overcome him, which he would suppress with a slight cough before continuing. No matter how pretty her crimson eyes were, he would not ruin the relationship forming between their villages, which his desire could end. "This is the unity seal, which allows you not to hurt people on your team if you utilize jutsu that cannot harm yourself."

He would make the seals again and extend his hand to touch Iunko's shoulder after brushing her bangs to the side if allowed. "Or a lady you find very interesting and don't want to harm her." He would add with a bit of flirtatiousness. Thinking about things, she also seemed to feel something between them. After dinner, she walked arm in arm-with him until she got to the library. Maybe, an effort to see where things could go would be harmless perhaps it wouldn't. You miss all the opportunities you choose not to take. Would he regret not taking this opportunity? No.

Akabayashi would wait to see how she responded to his words and actions before continuing the lesson. There were two outcomes: she either enjoyed the flirting or did not. Either answer paled in comparison to the unknown and kept things static as they were.

She’d clap her hands quietly and offer him an excited expression as he affirmed that her idea to combine Fuinjutsu and Iryojutsu could be beneficial. She couldn’t help but think of all the techniques she could make with the combination and sincerely looked forward to pursuing this ambition. If that was possible, she wondered if she would be able to somehow infuse some of her blood techniques with it as well. Seemingly the opportunities for growth and development were endless and she was eager to quickly get to work crafting some techniques. For now, she had to focus on the important task of understanding the fundamentals. While he reached for another piece of paper she’d speak up once more.

”I’m elated to hear that you believe something like that would work! If it’s alright with you, I may reach out for some assistance when I begin crafting the techniques. I’d love to have somebody as knowledgeable about the subject to help guide me, though I completely understand if you think you’d be too busy. I’m sure there are many more important things you could be doing with your time after all. ”

She’d offer him a sweet smile and listen to him if he responded to her inquiry. Junko then would watch his hands closely as they danced across the paper before him. He then would turn his gaze towards her once more, seemingly about to speak. However, instead of saying something, he would pull off his sunglasses and expose his striking, green eyes. She also noticed the scar that ran across one of his eyes. Immediately she wondered how he had gotten such a wound, but knew it could be seen as rude to inquire about it yet. If they grew to be closer, maybe she’d ask him about it then.

Silence lingered in the halls of the library as they both momentarily were enraptured by each other's gaze. However, it soon broke as he coughed slightly and turned his attention back towards the lesson. He then explained that the next one he would be showing her was called the Unity Seal. Continuing on, he’d inform her that it was used to protect those with the seal applied against techniques that also protected the user. This immediately piqued her interest, she was often concerned about others getting caught up in her techniques while in combat and believed this would help ease her mind slightly.

Junko thought back to her fight with Ren and Azuki against Kurogane in the ruins of Tenga. Though she was nearly erased from the earth by the disgusting and mutated man, she knew that the fight would have gone differently if she had the Unity Seal at her disposal. During that fight, if she had used some of her more powerful techniques, surely her companions would have been caught in the crossfire. Ren had already gotten caught up in the crossfire once, and since she had seen what it had done to him, she swore off using her more potent abilities unless the situation was dire.

She could feel herself spiraling internally, though she kept up her cheery facade. Thankfully those thoughts would quickly leave her mind, as she watched Akabayashi close the distance between the two of them. A light blush would form on her face once more as he brushed her bangs to the side lightly, before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. The blush would further intensify as he implied that he found her to be interesting. She immediately became flustered, and she would look a bit shocked, though she would try her best to contain it. Was he flirting with her? He sounded like it, but in all honesty, she was unsure of his intentions.

Something about the cursed blood that ran through her veins pushed her to pursue this potentially dangerous opportunity, but seemingly the chase was on. Though, did she want to get caught by him? Maybe, but she was at least willing to see where this would take her. Admittedly Junko found herself attracted to him in this moment. Though his commanding and imposing presence could be seen as off-putting by some, she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She aspired to command the amount of respect he did, though she was unsure if she would be able to pull it off.

Junko was silent for a moment as she contemplated on she wished to do. However, after deciding to lean into his advances, the slightly shocked expression left her face. It was replaced with an alluring gaze and an enticing smile as the blush began to fade from her cheeks. If he allowed, she’d place a delicate hand on the one that lay on her shoulder. Speaking up once more, her voice was soft and warm as she began to address him. As the words escaped her mouth, she’d trace her well-manicured and slightly sharp nails up to his forearm and rubbed it gently.

”I’m surprised you find me interesting, truly I’m honored to be appreciated by a man such as yourself. I can admit that you’ve piqued my interest as well, I do hope we can learn more about each other in due time. I’d love to know all kinds of things about... Lord Mizukage.”

Her words would trail off slightly as she continued to look into his deep, green eyes. After speaking she’d eagerly await his response, hoping that her actions weren’t seen as too forward.

WC:922
Total WC: 1933

"If you write to me, I can return here quickly to help out." He would say continuing to make the diagram on the paper required for the seal. He had not gone into the actual motions necessary for them yet. Once he did, though, it seemed the course of this lesson would change.

After he spoke and touched her shoulder, Junko went from blushing to her normal skin tone. Her eyes shifted from shocked to an enticing look that made all five of his hearts race. Their pounding felt within his body as she slid her hand up his forearm to rub it. After hearing what she said, he would move his hand to meet hers and entwine his fingers. My dear Junko, you may call me Akabayashi.  As to our shared interest, I suppose we should explore things." He would say, raising their entwined hands to show what he meant. "I also appreciate your interest, but let us forget our status for now and just be who we are, not what we are."

He did not want this relationship, if one formed, to be about status or what one village could provide the other, but instead the support two humans who cared for each other could have for one another. A break from loneliness, a chance at happiness, a go at love if their current passion evolved into it. "I would very much like to get to know Junko the person, would you like to go on a date after the lesson concludes. I promise to focus more on the training after you answer." The uncertainty and clear mutual feelings were driving him mad, and he could not concentrate on things.

She’d allow him to take her hand in his as she continued to look into his eyes. He’d then begin speaking, informing her that she was allowed to call him Akabayashi. She was a bit surprised by this, she had just assumed that most people liked the formalities, but was happy to hear she could ease up on it. After raising their connected hands and indicating to them, he’d continue to explain that he wished to put aside their status and focus on just knowing the person behind it. Junko would giggle slightly as she nodded in agreement with his request.

Admittedly she was excited to see where this could lead the two of them. Though with many others in her life, she wondered what he would feel if he knew of the cursed blood racing through her veins. Presumably, he had some demons in his closet as well so she wondered if he felt at all the same. The thought of him truly getting to know the mess of a woman she was instead of the confident facade she maintained for those surrounding her scared her slightly. However, for tonight she’d attempt to focus on more of the positive aspects of herself.

Continuing on, he’d inform her that he was interested in getting to know the real Junko and requested that they go on a date together after the lesson had concluded. She smirked a bit before bringing her free hand to her face and using her pointer finger to tap her chin slightly. In a playful voice, she’d begin speaking once again.

”Hmmmm, I don’t know” She’d say before letting out a cute giggle and and returning her free hand to her side. ”I’d love to go on a date with you Akabayashi, and I know just the place too. There’s a lounge near here called Darkside, I’m friends with the owner and he’s an absolute delight. I haven’t had a chance to make my way there since they opened, so it’ll be a new experience for me as well.”

She’d look up at him with puppy dog eyes as she hoped he would agree to her plan. Darkside was one of the first things she had wanted to be installed in the village and was excited to see how it turned out. Sweetly smiling, she’d wait patiently for him to respond.

WC: 400
Total WC: 2,333

With her pause, I don't know. The drumbeat of hearts within his body stopped before resuming in a more thunderous pounding as each chamber opened and closed to send his blood pressure to the moon. He still held her hand when she had finished and agreed to a date. To this, he would relax and release her hand, and her melodic voice would give the chorus within his eardrums lyrics. He would breathe and let go of her hand. With the hanging question out of the way, he felt he could properly move on with the lesson. He would try to keep his cool, but inside, he was excited.

"Well, as promised. I will continue the lesson." He would also begin this seal by drawing it as a simple diamond. This one is the easiest to draw by far. He would place down his pen and show her the drawing. Before also showing her the hand seals for the technique. "This seal is like a layer of armor between your skin and the outside world, protecting you from harm as long as the seal is strong enough." His Sharingan provided him with something similar with a little extra packed in a benefit of the eyes he had taken from Stein.

He would look over each drawing she had made earlier. He was too disassociated with his surroundings earlier. Now, he was returning to a state of the norm. Each was good, and now all that was left was to try each. He would elect to be her first subject, but he was already carrying more seals on him than an average person could handle, and most of them were too mighty for someone just learning to break. "Junko, I think you can move on to making and breaking the seals on surfaces if you are up for it?" If she did not, their date could start earlier than anticipated. Either choice was good with him.

She’d let out a bit of a chuckle as he seemingly relaxed and released her hand once she had agreed to his request. Junko was eager to fly through the rest of the lesson so she could turn her full attention to him, however, she knew it was important to learn a bit more from him. In all honesty, she wasn’t nervous about interacting with him anymore as most of her anxiety left her mind. She genuinely was excited to spend time getting to know him and hoped that their night would continue to be wonderful. After her eyes lingered on him for a few more moments, she’d shift her gaze to the paper he had been reaching for.

Junko couldn’t help but feel exhilarated as she thought about the potential good they could do together. Though she knew he wanted to keep politics out of their potential relationship, she felt the two would inevitably become involved with each other. She agreed that for the time being they should set formalities aside and seek to deepen their connection. However,  she also felt that if they worked well in a relationship, they would be potentially the strongest of allies. After all, if she found herself falling in love with him, there was nothing she wouldn’t do to appease him and she hoped he felt similar.

Her mind raced as she began to grow curious about him, primarily about the scar that ran across his eye. While at dinner, he revealed quite a bit about himself though most of it invoked even more questions about him within her mind. She wondered if she came off as mysterious as he did, but doubted it since she was a rather open book. The thoughts in her mind briefly overwhelmed her as she attempted to regain her focus on the lesson.  

Momentarily she’d daydream about what possibilities now lay ahead of her before coming back to reality. The two of them then turned their attention to the piece of paper as he began to show her the next seal. After finishing what looked to be a diamond, he then would she her the necessary hand seals. As he explained that the seal worked similarly to armor, she would copy the hand seals, ensuring she had them correctly memorized. She had a few techniques that did something similar so she was familiar, but she figured it was always good to have a few layers of protection. Once he finished explaining, she’d speak up once more in an excited voice.

”Sounds excellent my dear, it’ll probably be one of the first ones I apply to myself and sisters. I’m sure it’ll come in handy, though I hope I don’t need it anytime soon”

Admittedly Junko wasn’t the strongest combatant, so she was always a bit worried about what would happen should the village be attacked. Also with the knowledge Akabayashi had given her over dinner in regards to villages being attacked, she knew she would need to very quickly progress. Thankfully there were far more skilled shinobi in the village, so she believed that if her home was attacked, they may have some fighting chance. For the time being she attempted to push these anxious thoughts to the side as continued to try to focus.

She’d watch as he looked over the various seals she had practiced writing earlier, and then he’d speak to her once more. After he remarked that he believed she was ready to move on to placing them on surfaces, she’d give him an excited nod. As he had done earlier, Junko would do the monkey, tiger, and ox hand seals then extend her right palm out towards Akabayashi. If he moved to break her barrier like she had done to his, she’d allow him and offer him a playful smile. If he didn’t break it, she would simply disperse the barrier herself by waving it away with her hand slightly. Regardless, as the barrier popped between the two of them she’d let out a happy giggle.

Next, she’d turn her attention to the unity seal that he had demonstrated for her. Though this would best be put to the test with a blood clone, she wasn’t quest prepared to do such a display in front of him quite yet. For the time being, Junko would simply perform the rat, monkey, boar, serpent, and dragon hand seals, then place the seal on a nearby table. With ease she would break the seal, using his directions from earlier as guidance. She could feel herself becoming more confident in placing them and knew if she dedicated herself to the art of fuinjutsu, she’d be able to master it in no time.

Lastly, she’d do the monkey, ox, snake, ram, tiger, horse, and boar hand seals as she placed the seal of protection on the back of her neck. Knowing she wanted to strengthen her understanding of the technique before formally applying it to herself, Junko would also break that one as well. She would continue to demonstrate her understanding to him if he wished, though she’d stop if he was seemingly happy with her progress. Now with the lesson concluded, she’d begin to clean up the papers they had used so she could properly discard them. As she cleaned, she’d speak again in her soft and enticing voice.

”I truly can’t thank you enough for the lesson, it would have taken me forever to learn all of that on my own. Once I finish putting some of this stuff back, I’ll be ready to leave if that’s alright with you”

Once she finished speaking she’d look into his eyes once more, awaiting his response.

WC:955
Total WC: 3288

He would listen as she mentioned she would apply the seal to her sisters. Though he also wished she would have no need of the technique. While it was useful it was not as strong as his Bastet. Besides just that if she were attacked he would now be obligated to interject as part of their arrangement.

As the training came to its end and she thanked him he would help to put the books back and break any seals remaining on the table, before they could leave together. "Take your time, there is no need to rush things." Oncd, she was ready he would offer his hand to hold as she had offered her arm. It was him now taking the initiative in things.

"Where to?" he would ask a with a smile on his face.

Junko would offer him a sweet smile along with an affirming nod as he told her to take her time, and that there was no need to rush. However, she was still in quite a hurry to clean things up since she wished more than anything to show him more of her wonderful village. After a few minutes, the table they had used as a workspace was clutter-free and the two of them could now officially begin their date. Admittedly she wished she looked a bit more presentable for her first date with Akabayashi, though he didn’t seem to mind her appearance.

She had always been a bit insecure about her looks, this is why she had adopted her cheery and happy demeanor. In her eyes, she had a pretty plain look about her which is why she often adorned herself in extravagant jewelry and well-made clothes. Her clones both had recently changed their appearance to look different than her, which only reassured her of her plainness. Junko yearned to be adored by many and sought to be seen as attractive by those she interacted with. She loved the feeling of being the center of attention and craved the approval of the people around her.

Once they had finished, Akabayashi would hold out his hand for her to take and she’d happily accept it, now standing pretty close to him. He then would inquire as to where they would be going and she’d think for a moment before speaking up sweetly once again.

”I was thinking we could visit Darkside. It’s a relatively popular lounge, and I know the owner so it’d be nice to see him again. Since most of the villagers are preparing for the upcoming festival, the place should be rather barren. I was thinking after that we could either visit the Red Moon resort and maybe take a dip in the hot springs. Or, if we’re tired after visiting the lounge I could show you the beautiful view from my office before we part ways for the night.”

She’d pause for a moment, unsure of how to ask about the next thing that came to mind allowing him time to interject if he wished. When constructing the Kage Tower, Junko had various exquisite rooms placed throughout it for an occasion such as this though she didn’t know if he had planned to stay somewhere else while visiting. Perhaps he wasn’t planning on staying at all and instead would leave like the Otokage had. She knew he couldn’t remain forever regardless of how much she wished he could. He had duties to attend to after all, and she didn’t want to hold him back from his obligations.

If he spoke, she’d wait for him to finish before talking once more. A light blush could be seen on her face as she was a bit embarrassed about what she was about to propose.

”Are you planning on staying the rest night here? There are a few rooms in the Kage Tower I’ve prepared for visitors if you need a place to stay. However, if you’re concerned about safety, you could join me in my room above my office. Though I can arrange whatever would make you most comfortable.”

She’d flash him a warm smile as she rubbed his hand gently with her thumb and awaited his response.

WC: 565
Total WC: 3853