Bodyguard [Private/Asagao]

[Honma Kotone]

Oba Kinnaku, dressed in her normal fashion, wearing a peach blouse that created a modest 'v' upon her chest. She wore a pencil skirt with a slight on the right thigh, designed to give more flexibility, and styling her shinobi high heels. Oh, and her crimped hair style. Classic.

Body gently pressed against the spine of her notably comfortable black leather chair, the Sennin folded her arms and gave the oval office and gentle expression. She was still growing accustomed to having such a decorative work space, and she hadn't even began to think about the responsibilities that came along with her title - well, not in depth. But someone was not well with Kinnaku, there was something massaged deep into her membrane that seemed to show itself so subtly within her smile; something that seemed diluted ever so slightly.

Her arms unfolded and one hand reached towards an opened letter, the seal broken, and the letter uncomfortably resting half inside of the envelope. What did the contents of the letter contain? We wouldn't know, but whatever it was, the text unsettled the woman greatly.

Kinnaku would have already been motioned to hire some form of protection, an official member of the corps to look out for her. She understood that the title of Sennin carried with it certain risks, one being enemies and those who wish to take the title unjustly. This didn't unsettle the woman as much as it should have but that letter, that was another story, and after reading it - her mind swayed over to requesting protection. Kinnaku would be given a certain amount of shinobi profiles or rather just certain levels of information that would allow one to be a candidate for becoming a bodyguard.

None of them cut the bill, none.

Oba would lean forward, pressing her fingers through her hair and sighing lightly. She would move the letter into her dark oak drawer, the metal handles crafted perfectly to allow her hands to sit perfectly. Attention to detail that didn't go unnoticed with each pull of the trusty drawer. Anyway, enough of that. The Sennin would re-address the profiles, shifting her gaze through their experience and records, and a small biography; obviously being case-sensitive and not giving away any sensitive information. Kinnaku had already sent out some letters requesting the attendance of some representatives from well-known family houses. The first letter that she sent was address to the Toraono family, a power-house of strong shinobi, requesting a representative for candidacy.

Hopefully someone would arrive, the Sennin was going somewhat wary. She didn't care about past mistakes, she only needed a friend with a strong heart and a noble cause to look out for her. After all, the relationship between Sennin and bodyguard was not one way - it was a friendship, or at least, it should be a friendship.

 

[Asagao]

Standing just outside of the office door, he would make one last minute adjustment to his clothing, before knocking. Fixing his collar, he would straighten it out, and then gently run his hand across the wrinkled fabric on his sleeves with his palm, attempting to make himself appear more presentable. This job would mark the very first time since joining the Toraono clan, that he would be representing it's house as an official member; it was always important to make a good first impression, while maintaining the clan's esteemed reputation, which past members had worked so hard to achieve, he would not be the one to tarnish it's honorable name, not a chance.

Feeling the nerves rise up, as he softy rapped on the door, announcing his arrival. He stood by patiently, awaiting for his new employer to answer and let him in. His long hair hung flat, draped across the side of each cheek like soft blue curtains, ending down around by his shoulders. The mystery of who he was working for was enough to send his heart a flutter. He had not been informed on the specifics of his duty; only that he was to escort an individual and keep them out of harms way if any dangerous situations were to arise ...which would be definite twist in events for the ex-assassin. Asagao had spent the majority of his past - his youth - responsible for applying such pain and misery, leading him to be somewhat unsure in his ability to actually protect someone else. He had never had to do such a thing, he had always worked alone, relying predominantly on his talents to stay hidden and out of sight; this would not be the case this time around, he would need to be visible, to stick out, causing would be attackers to think twice about their plans, hopefully forcing them to back off and flee, now that they knew their target was not alone.

As the doorknob began to twist, his mind would suddenly crash back to reality. He would clear his throat, preparing to introduce himself, contemplating whether or not he should stick out his hand, or go with a more formal greeting. Concluding his decision should be based off of their appearance, all he could do was wait and see.

 

[Honma Kotone]

As Asagao teetered on the edge of opening the door, his hesitation and nerve would be stolen from them and replaced by something else, perhaps. The door opened, from the inside, and the doorknob pulled away from the perfectly attired young man to reveal Oba Kinnaku, the Medical Sennin. A relatively young woman who's looks did not fail to impress, a women unstressed by the high expectations of her job; hiding those dark eyes with a touch of makeup. "Oh!" She would exclaim sharply, lifting her head from the orange folders that she cupped in her hand; struggling somewhat to balance them all. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were standing there! Please, come on in!" Oba would exclaim, using her elbow to gesture the man to enter as she waited for him to enter first so that she may close the door with the heel of her shoe.

Whenever the man had the moment to enter, if he entered, Oba would close the door and fiddle with the doorknob against her lower back briefly. What? She had an itch and it was rather uncouth to just lift'n'scratch away. Especially while in the company of a gentleman. Finally, the woman carted herself to her desk, arching over and releasing her grip upon the orange folders onto the desk. "You caught me at the perfect time," She would comment as her eyes trailed from the toppling bundle, which she sighed at, over to Asagao's hues, "I hate doing paperwork, honestly. I'll go out of my way just to avoid it like the plague." She would meet his gaze, hopefully, and give him a slotted smile with a chuckle.

Kinnaku would move from the corner of the desk, extend her hand to Asagao to allow a friendly gesture of first-greeting. With a frazzled expression she shook her head numerously and smile, somewhat lowering it with each shake. "I'm sorry, I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Oba Kinnaku and I'm the Medical Sennin." Wow, that felt weird to say that. "And you are?" As she said this, she would release the hand-shaking, if allowed, and gesture for Asagao to sit in one of the two marshmallow-like seats that sat at the opposite end of the dark oak desk. Their comfortableness was only rivaled by that of the Sennin's chair. She really didn't want the man to stand any longer than needed. Her bedside manner was superb, after all it had been refined after all these years.

Oba would move away from the desk, "What kind of drink would you like?" She would say as her body swigged over to a small table that hosted a few settlements of treats and powder, which added with water would create black gold: coffee, or even, tea.

 

[Asagao]

The moment their eyes locked, his heart would skip a beat. Quickly withdrawing his outstretched hand, he would need a much more formal greeting for this woman; her beauty demanded it. Bowing his head, he would speak softly, choosing every word carefully, as if the moment they were finished speaking he would suddenly lose his ability to talk.

"I apologize for being late," He would say, the words drifting off of his lips lightly, like a butterfly caught in a breeze. "Though now that I am here, you will never leave my sight again." He would glance up, making slight eye-contact with her once more, before accepting her invitation and stepping into the office. Putting his training to use, he instantly took notice of the cluttered work space. She had a messy office, littered with papers; forms and folders lay scattered about in piles. Smiling to himself, he found it to be somewhat charming that a person in her position was so overwhelmed by her duty. It was refreshing to see this woman, a Sennin, was still just a flawed human at the end of the day.

Reacting to her comments about work, he would politely chuckle in response, while returning her gaze; he would look deep into her dark eyes, becoming lost in their rich color. "I understand completely,", he would smile, while nodding his head in a agreement. "Work can be.....overpowering sometimes, especially in your field." He would break away from their locked eyes, and look around the room some more, soaking in his surroundings. Startled by her sudden movement, his attention would refocus on her and her alone. Taking a hold of her hand, as she held it out for him, he would handle it with the delicacy he would a flower. The fingers on his right hand would gently wrap around hers; the feeling of her soft skin raised the hair on his arms. He would then place his left palm tenderly atop her right hand, as they became acquainted and introduced themselves.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kinnaku-sama. My name is Asagao. I am member of the Byakko clan, by way of house Toraono, and I am yours to command." He would pat her hand gently, his fingers once again gliding over her smooth skin, before finally releasing his grip. Taking his seat as he was instructed to, his eyes would travel over the woman's figure as she walked over to pour them beverages. He couldn't believe his luck! His first official mission with the clan, and he was ordered to protect a beautiful woman...what were the odds?

"I will have Tea, thank you." His head would bow simultaneously as he spoke. She was gracious and polite...who exactly would want to hurt her? The question puzzled him greatly.

[Marked for Training]

 

[Honma Kotone]

Oba's hands touched upon the cold metal of the warmed tea pot, which sat upon a device that heated the pot upon a single touch of a button. The coolness of the metal was no substitute for Asagao's warmth of his hands. She would turn to the man, smiling, "You know, I think calling this job 'overpowering' would be a compliment to stress." Kinnaku chuckle, turning her gaze away from the man and back onto the boiling pot; lifting it and placing the construct onto a silver tray, of which there were several items: two scones, two tea cups, a jar of sugar (both white and brown) and some honey for an added taste sensation. The Sennin would gently grip the two handles of the tray and bring herself to the office desk, placing it in front of Asagao.

"I really need to buy a dinning table, something small, for this kind of meeting." Oba would admit, bitting down on her lip numbly with a shaking of her head, "An under prepared Sennin, who would have thought it?" This woman, Kinnaku, was not by all means a strong and powerful shinobi. She was a woman that cared too much, and back down too little. A woman with such a giant heart that she would risk her own skin for those she loved, didn't love and didn't even know. A woman wrinkled, somewhat, by the stress of her job and having to conceal her tired eyes through the medium of make-up... But she loved her job, and that's the shied away letter scared her.

Kinnaku sat down, opposite of Asagao, where the tray was in reach of both of their hands. She would reach over and pour the man a tea cup full of hot brown liquid. Whether he wanted to add some sugar or honey was up to him, but the opportunity was there anyway. Oba would take a small spoon that rested atop a napkin and dig its body into the grainy pits of the sugar jar, a small glass jar, and retrieve two sugars that she would dip into her tea. Continually she would swirl the grains around until they dissolved, or partially dissolved at least. As Oba spun her little spoon in a circular motion, her mind drifted and that became clear as her eyes became vacant and empty for a moment. "S-sorry, Asagao." Kinnaku would say, mind returning to her vacant thoughts as he must have sat their awkwardly. "And please, call me Kinnaku or Oba."

The Sennin saw the man to be someone that she may call friend, not just a man who would protect her life. "The reason as to why I've request the presence of someone who could protect me is that..." She would pause, her lips dry in the moment of hesitation, "My life was threatened yesterday, and I'm afraid." The Sennin would admit her humanity, despite the power of her role, she was afraid of something: a most human, flawed quality that really kept her grounded. Not that she would ever get so pompous. Calmly, the woman would raise her cup and press its rim against her lips, indulging on the sweet, warmed liquid as it replenished her momentarily. She would lower the cup until it rested on its own saucer like some kind of alien landing craft. The sound of the ceramics making contact was sharp. "I'll be honest with you, Asagao. If you are to protect me then you must know the things I hide from others."

Kinnaku always had a great judge of character, and this fellow seemed trustworthy. "When I was a child, I had two siblings. We were abandoned by our mother and father for some cult group... I don't blame them for leaving, really." She would grasp the tea cup and give it a half smile, "I was left in charge of my two younger siblings. However, the crops were dead and there was a famine, so we couldn't survive. It was more than painful to see them starve, so I did what I had to do and allowed them to sleep." Kinnaku took a gulp as a tear drop rest on her eye lash, too many times in the day had she cried about her sin. "After I had killed them, I wondered aimlessly through the sands until I came across a man named Kinpatsu... He was so kind, gentle and best of all he had food." The Sennin lifted her reddened gaze to the man and give him a sympathetic look, "I didn't know that there were people in the world so capable of deviously abusing a child, rather than just killing it. He raped me, Asagao." The woman shifted her gaze, lifting a polished nail to wipe away the single tear.

"I managed to escape, I ran as far as I could, until I came across Suna. But it was too late, I was already pregnant with the spawn that I had come to love... But in time, karma had caught up with me and I lost that child too. And now..." Kinnaku reached into her drawer, affixing her fingers into the grooves of the handle, and pulling out the construct with ease. It took only a second for her to hand the envelope over to Asagao, and if he choose to open it up, he would set his eyes on a folded sheet of paper.

If he opened it... He would see something utterly horrifying, not words, but a photograph of the young Oba being held against her will... Kinpatsu, touching her; the bastard.

"I'm being frank with you because my life hasn't been perfect. I've lost my brother and sister because I couldn't bare to see them struggle, and then I lost my child and now... I think I'll lose my life." She smiled, a smile not to show her happiness, but to laugh at the horrible situation she was in. It was really odd for the woman to be so frank with Asagao but that's maybe because she had always lived with these secrets and never spoken about them.

 

[Asagao]

Graciously accepting the teacup, he would nod his head appreciatively and thank her for the warm hospitality. Adding a spot of honey to the hot beverage, he would calmly stir his drink, while quietly listening to Oba's plight, taking as many mental notes as possible; the details would be of great importance in this case, and may just prove to be the difference in helping her if something were to happen on his watch. The story she told was indeed heartbreaking, and his opinion of her would drastically change by the end of it. He no longer saw a haggard, overworked, messy Sennin sitting before him. The level of dedication it takes someone to reach such a high position, and after going through so much on top of everything else, only proved how tough she truly was. It was an incredible testament to her ability, strength and willpower. It was safe to say, she now had his utmost respect.

Unable to concentrate on anything other than her story, the tea's sweet aroma did nothing to entice his senses. The once piping hot liquid with trails of white steam slithering through the air like wispy snakes were all but gone. His stirring spoon sat motionless in the cup, leaning against it's fragile side, as he pushed forward in his seat, longing to reach out and take hold of her delicate hand once more. He wanted to brush away her tears and hold her, tell her that she would be okay, and that he would watch over her until she was completely safe and out of harms away. But he wouldn't be able to - he was not her lover, or even her friend. He was her employee, so he would, for the time being, need to remain professional and reassure her in other ways.

"I understand how troubling this must be for you, Kinnaku-sama" He would ignore her invitation to address her casually, and continue to acknowledge her stature within the village. "I promise you I will do everything within my power to keep you safe. As long as I am under obligation to watch over you - your well being is my only concern." He would smile nonchalantly, though the passion in his eyes would reveal his true feelings, if she were to look deep enough.

Opening the envelope, he would sit in horror as his eyes gazed upon the graphic image she had just described. Letting the photograph slip through his fingers and fall to the floor, he would cast aside any and all professionalism and listen only to his heart. Shooting out of his chair, he would grab hold of her and pull her to her feet, wrapping her tightly in his arms, embracing her fully. With her head pressed into his chest - if she did not pull away - he would lean over and whisper into her ear. His words would be that of a solemn promise to her, one that was unbreakable due to the recent code of honor he now lived by, as well as his new responsibilities to the clan for which he now represented.

Whisper

Spoiler

"I vow to you, Oba" He would speak only using her name for the first time. "That we will find this man...and make him pay. He will live to regret all that he has done to you. I will make sure of that. I swear to you he WILL suffer for this."

His words were cold as ice, yet they burned with a rekindled flame of the past. The image on the photograph had awoken a forgotten feeling, a primal urge he had buried years ago in a lonely prison cell when he was still just a child. This Kinpatsu was now a marked man in Asagao's eyes. It had been over a decade since he had last stolen the life from another living being, but this would have to be an exception. This man was going to pay a grave price for his unspeakable actions. He was going to die a slow, painful death.

 

[Honma Kotone]

Kinnaku was sort of surprised by Asagao's reaction, and in a way she wasn't too. It was a weird blend of emotion, on one hand she hadn't ever told a soul about what had happened to her - about her past to anyone - so she had become numb to those vicious things. Her mind became more calculated and fixated on her work, in an attempt to block out her troubled past. However, the urge of surprise that riddled through her body was when Asagao, after speaking, had embraced the woman and allowed for her to place her head upon his chest.

She felt at ease for a moment, although her body stiffened at his touch, it relaxed quickly enough and soothed into a peaceful state. And then came the whisper, something that caused the Sennin to smile; nuzzling her being against the Toraono. However, the blushed woman would pull away with a smile - not the typical reaction, eh? - and clasped her hands around his. "Asagao." Oba would state gently, but firm enough for him to listen - hopefully. "I don't want you to blacken your heart with violence." Her touch was soft, so gentle and though kind, darkened, hues would just give a deep gaze into Asagao's own orbs. "I used to be so angry that my life revolved around self-destruction," She would raise her clasped hands, which held the man's - if he accepted this, of course - and brought it up to her mouth, "The path is so cold and lonely... So, please, don't blacken yourself."

The Sennin would bring the clasped pair closer, millimeters from her juicy, red lips and would blow into a small gap; allowing for her hot breath to heat up his tempered hands. Surely they would be somewhat colder due to the hotness of the tea disappearing into nothingness?

"Instead, why don't we protect a brighter future?" Oba would release her grasp of Asagao's, immediately missing his masculine tough; those rough textures that every man would adorn at some point. "Together."


[Rubbish post on my part, it'll get better!]

 

[Asagao]

Her compassion was touching; the way she was worrying about him, despite him being HER protector was flattering. Where had she been years ago in his youth when he needed such tenderness in his life? If someone had worried for him the way she was now, things just might have been different. Maybe his artistic hobbies would instead be his profession, and the horrible events from years go would be only nightmares, figments of his imagination, instead of the past coming back to haunt him in his sleep. Smiling to himself, her words continued to give him faith, but he already knew the truth's she did not. His heart had already been painted black. A moonless night now beat inside of his chest, leaving him to stumble along the path of life, with no light to guide him. He was alone and forgotten, with only the skills of his former trade to supply him with any remembrance of the past.

"Do not worry for me, Oba." Addressing her so casually still left him feeling somewhat uncomfortable, but he would continue to block out his feelings, and push past them. "It is you who's life is in danger, and it is now my responsibility to make sure you are safe. But you will never be truly safe, unless this man is gone for good." He would smile a reassuring smile, letting her know she had nothing to worry about, attempting to set her mind at ease; even if this was not the case, he felt it best if she did not trouble herself anymore than she had to, the next few days were going to be very stressful.

Taken by surprise when she lifted up his hands, the warm breath of air she exhaled created a whirlwind of emotions in his stomach. Not wanting her to release him from her gentile touch, he would reach out..but pause, and pull his arm away. "Future.." He would reflect on the word, and come back to his senses. "Yes....and if we are to see a future. We must first take care of your current predicament." Letting his desires wash over him and disappear, he would need to concentrate if he were to survive this whole ordeal. Oba was a beautiful woman, so naturally he had been drawn to her, but things were moving much to quickly and spiraling out of control. He was ordered to watch over her, keep her safe, not sweep her off her feet! He would have to wait until the job was over to do that. But until then, he would need to take care of this man, Kinpatsu.

"What can you tell me about Kinpatsu?" He would ask, hoping to gather some new information about him; anything would help. "Is there anything you can think of that might help us get to him. Because I think I might have a plan...but I am not sure if you are going to like it."

[Marked For Training]

 

[Honma Kotone]

Oba retorted with a nod of her head and a simple smile. In truth, she was glad that Asagao spoke to her with a less formal tone - she would never get used to being a Sennin, and she wouldn't want too. She was a strong willed woman, grounded and level-headed and she wasn't going to let someone address her as if their lives, all of their hard-work, meant nothing when compared to her. "Asagao..." She would soften her smile at the man's declaration for her safety, and it was very strange to the woman; all of these feelings that this man stirred up within her. "I can't begin to thank you enough for your complete understanding."

This much was true, this man, effectively a stranger, was ready to lay down his life and protect the woman from a sick individual. It was truly an aspiration that caused Oba to fall somewhat for this man, Asagao, a stranger that within moments of meeting managed to catch the Sennin's heart. But was that such a desirable quality? Kinnaku hadn't ever felt this way about anyone, purely down to her complete isolation from any sort of social life, and now she was being stirred up emotionally by a man who really wanted to help her, in whatever way he could. Pshh... Oba was only human, no matter her title, no matter her position, she was just a person like Asagao.

Her protector would then ask about Kinpatsu, to which Kinnaku had some information, but not alot. "Kinpatsu is a very twisted man. Although, he is a genius in the medical field. The last thing I've ever heard about him, from a hired source, was that he lived in Konohagakure." Oba lowered her head, scrunching her lips awkwardly with a followed sigh. "I dread to think about what he's doing over there..."

Kinnaku would then raise her head, and expression, "Tell me about your plan, Asagao?". She would dwell on Kinpatsu for a moment, and then onto the photograph that would cause her to feel immense embarrassment: how could she have been so weak, would be one of her many thoughts?

[We'll need to head to Leaf for the remainder of the Plot, if you're okay with that~!]