Meeting the Folks [Private]

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

How different were the circumstances to his visit than to how he had envisioned it, given that he had never in a thousand years intended to set foot in the Uchiha compound outside of his professional obligation. As one of the outsiders he had actually developed an intense loathing against what was by far the most dominant clan within Konoha’s borders -if not the Greater Fire Country as a whole- for reasons too numerous to list. And yet lashing out at the established structure of a village over any of them was a privilege reserved purely for the absolutely mad, children and those blessed with the means to realize their dreams, and as he had considered himself to be amongst those he was destined to bow with gritted teeth. The young man’s pride had been stainted to such a degree where his desire for self-imposed isolation had been inevitable, all the while haunted by the knowledge that he could never go back on his word to the sitting Hokage if he didn’t want to lose face back at home. Had it not utterly crushed his spirit back in the day he could have had a hearty chuckle in the present at the level of irony.

Quite honestly he had not expected himself to be swept away by Izumi like he had, for fraternizing with the Hokage’s youngest adoptive son would have already complicated things, let alone actually developing romantic feelings. Even in the whirlwind of emotions today’s meeting had been ever-present in the back of Yoshihisa’s mind: Setting aside the relatively petty differences he had with the Uchiha or approaching a village head for the hand of one of their children were but two things. But what he had dreaded the most stemmed from the fact that the Hokage’s protection towards his children and especially Izumi was well documented, with the last person to threaten their bond now being an arm short of the preferable number. Not that he was convinced that these cases were even remotely similar, but it hardly was an unthinkable outcome either given how it was a sensitive topic in its own right.

As he approached the compound that was the Main Uchiha housing he knew it hardly mattered now, for while he was a defeatist turning tail simply wasn’t in his nature. It instead urged him on to at the very least stand by his actions if nothing else. If he was truly destined to die over this whole ordeal than so be it, as it at least felt liberating to do so for a cause he was invested in for a change. Without further ado Yoshihisa walked up to the closed gates and rang the bell in the high hopes that someone with the authority to open them would answer. While he had announced his intentions to visit well ahead of time, what he really didn’t need right now was time to wonder if it had all been for nought.

[MFT]

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to sit in the head room of the Uchiha Clan House, it seemed that he had another unexpected meeting though it peaked his curiosity, so he would not complain about it, besides if it kept him in the clan house for a few more moments he would not complain about it that much, he enjoyed being close to Yuki in the clan house. As he sat there for a few moments he allowed himself to ponder on the actions that had brought this meeting of the two of them together. As he allowed himself to just read over the contracts and the words that had been spoken before the meeting it seemed that this would be an interesting situation.

Yoshihisa would enter upon the gates of the Clan House, though the Uchiha grounds where spread out over multiple houses and multiple rooms but the main house stood proud in the middle, home to only the inner circle of the family those that belong directly to the main branch of the family. It would be clear that Takeshi would be waiting all day till finally he heard the familiar sound of the door being knocked upon as he smirked to himself.

The man would be shown in and be directed towards the Uchiha clan meeting room. This was the one room where Takeshi would be waiting, gone was the normal Hokage robes and back was the Blue trench coat with the Uchiha clan logo. It was time for Yoshihisa as the Uchiha Clan had, he knew full well that he would be interested to see how this conversation would be going.

 

[Sazuki Nao]

The room wasn't even lit by the boy... He turned over once more in his bed, his head his body almost screaming that it wouldn't be a wise choice to do such a thing right now. "I know...." The boy muttered and placed a hand on his ear. He didn't have much of a clue why he had this head hammering headache or the half memory loss of yesterday... Much that he could remember was the lift home and the restaurant... But not much in between. "Hnn..." The boy sounded as he tried to get up, slowly and bit by bit more... "HA-!!" He sounded in a moment of pain and flung his body sideways. "A-t-t-t..." He flinched and lay down. "This is it... this is how it will be...." He muttered towards himself and placed a hand on the pillow.
He toom a nice hour to get out of bed and scuffle around the wooden boards. "hmngg..." he groaned a bit and took a long shower. He had no idea of an visitor or anything. Hense.... He felt sick as a dog right now with a massive muscle ache. Slowly he started to walk outside and having a towel on his head. Didn't bother to clean his hair better and started to walk around the place. In the kitchen he grabbed a drink and walked around once more, he wanted to ask something to his father and started to walk towards there... But noticed something else was there too. 'work.. Again..' he started to think and took a nip of his drink. His eyes would check it out and he blurted his drink back and his eyes widen. It eas him.... Instantly he was thinking what was he doing here.... And with that he walked the boards down until his room and lay down.

[Entered]
[MFT: 306]

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Upon entering the main building there would be a short interval in which he removed his boots, setting aside the mirror-surfaced bottle he had been holding with a level of care one might be inclined to think it would shatter if they were to look at it funny. All the while following closely behind the guide and the more he picked up along the way, the more Yoshihisa felt oddly relieved that he didn’t have to navigate the place by himself: It wouldn’t make for a good first impression to be late or given the dizzying number of rooms he had counted thus far, not arrive at all. He even allowed himself to wonder if with all these living quarters there were days where people didn’t even see each other, a theory cut short as he was all of the sudden pulled back to reality by a series of sharp knocks. ”Sir, we have arrived.” Muttering his words of thanks, Yoshihisa was quick to enter the meeting room in his efforts to run from one nerve wrecking situation straight into the next, in the meanwhile trying his very hardest to stomach his breakfast.

”Thank you for having me on such short notice, Takeshi-sama.” From the corner of his eyes he could have sworn to have caught a glance of someone, but as the door shut behind him he was quick to give the Head Uchiha his full undivided attention. He approached after a quick bow, settling for a spot in a few feet away from the center stage, his hands resting alongside the bottle on his lap as he cast an inspecting glance across the room. ”You most certainly have a lovely home, and it was quite the challenge to find a suitable gift for such an occasion.” Yoshihisa forced out a halfway convincing chuckle as he set the flask down in front of him, close enough that Takeshi would be able to read the slightly worn out label (Junmai Daiginjō-shu/純米大吟醸酒). Part of him wanted to engage in conversation to see whether or not there was at least a common bond when it came to sake, specially since this one was very much a jewel, but in the end the words simply halted in his throat. He knew he eventually had to cut the small talk and get to the point, a thought which became more pressing by the second.

Gathering courage to speak the words that he couldn’t take back, there was such a volatile mixture of emotions behind it all that he was more or less inclined to think only in the extremes. Either the blessing or the wrath from the man who was known to quite capable of providing them in equal measure if the situation asked for it. ”In the world of shinobi, it is often unwise to harbor information from one’s allies that may come back to haunt you later on, so I am not going to disrespect you by assuming you don’t know anything, Takeshi-sama. On the day of my inauguration as ANBU captain, you asked me If I needed anything to connect myself to the village, something to which I had no answer at the time.” There was this feeling of dread that gripped him by the throat, the instinct that kept him from immediate harm setting off all the alarm bells at the approach of the last hurdle. But before he knew it, his head rested against the floorboards, having thrown himself into a bowing position he hadn’t resorted to since his departure from Iwagakure and very much the last means in his arsenal that he could think of at the heat of the moment.

”The only thing that I could humbly ask for now is your blessing for me to see Izumi-kun.”

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to watch Yoshihisa as he entered the room with the Uchiha. His purple eyes fixing on the man in a split second as he allowed himself to listen to the words coming out, it seemed that he did mention that if Kodoma needed anything all he would have to do was come to him and he would be able to sort it out. As he allowed a small smile to reach his lips he took the complement about the home as well, deciding to keep himself quiet and not wanting to make a fuss of anything in those few seconds. This was the best way to handle the situation.

“Thank you for the compliment on the home, it is a place for all to come that want to, and of course you are more than welcome inside this house, though the grounds are more stunning, the cherry tree by the pond I would say is one of my personal favourite sites to just sit by and allow myself to read books under that tree. “

Takeshi allowed himself a few moments to pause as he listened to the words that was coming out of the mans mouth, it seemed that he had some balls to ask such a think but at least he was getting straight to the point instead of just trying to jump around with words, that was something that Takeshi didn’t appreciate as he was far to busy to have to jump into hoops for people.

“And I have to ask the question that everyone will be asking, what is your intention with my Son then?”

 

[Sazuki Nao]

Seconds... he took seconds before moving back around.... Quickly, really quickly he walked back to his room, shut the door rather hard and placing his drink on the table he let himself fall onto the bed. "Why... why...why..." Were the thoughts crossing Izumi's head and the color re-appeared on his cheeks. Izumi had long forgotten the days that he had this feeling for this person, but the butterflies were there already again...

Izumi... knew who the person was in this place... He hid his face in the pillow as he lay on top of his stomach... "Hmming... Why here.. why now..." he said stuttering a little in his pillow before moving his head towards the side... Unsure what he was supposed to be doing... Izumi would slowly get up again... Trying to grab some more decent clothing, change into those and then move towards the roof... taking a moment to think before jumping on the grass and moving towards the wooden boards again.."Y-yush... this is new... but I can do this..." He said as he walked towards the kitchen, grabbed a glass and walked back towards the place where his father and this... unique guest was waiting....

A breath... two... was taken before he would start with his action. Raising the glass and placing the open part against a bit of the wall... Another breath was taken and he placed his ear on the bottom part of the glass... He shifted a bit to try and get a clear hearing on things. But Izumi was rather uncertain if this trick was even working yes or the no...

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

His forehead stubbornly glued to the floor and his mind working overtime to present a satisfying response for both parties, Yoshihisa managed by the skin of his teeth to keep a clear head so when he eventually looked up to meet the Uchiha patriarch face to face his own expression was rather relaxed, although not cocky in the slightest. ”I think I would get too far ahead of myself if I said that I wanted to be more than a loving companion to him as I hope he will be to me.” Very much aware he was potentially playing with fire by finding the fine balance between the extremes of appearing meek and being downright disrespectful, there was always a part of him that was on its guard as he navigated himself through the unknown.

”If you’d allow me, it’ll be my personal obligation to see to it that he is happy, that no harm will come to him, not before I have drawn my last breath.” These passionate words were new territory coming from a shinobi who had claimed that he had not made ties to the village, wary to get too invested in the daily affairs of those around him. Yet the embers smoldering in his eyes told a different story today, almost as if it were a peek into his heart and to emphasize that he would go through great lengths to change it. ”And if that means to somehow convince you in order to be worthy of the hand of your son if I am not, then I hereby pledge my life to that very cause.”

The words echoed throughout the room, that by the time they had faded they still rang clearly within his mind. Any doubt that remained had been expelled, as was the lingering dread for an undesired outcome: His focus lay with a singular purpose from there on out. Another chance may perhaps never be upon him again, and his usual tendency to sell himself short would simply not do, meaning he would have to seize it now with not as much as a single fiber within his body daring to give in to the pressure. And yet whether the opportunity would be his or not, whether or not it had been an overreaction in its entirety, all of it seemed to be disconnected entirely from what he was after. Holding true to his vision that failure wasn’t an option, he couldn’t help a small smile from creeping unto his lips as he imagined what Izumi’s reaction would be like the next time they met.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself a few moments as he listened to the newly appointed Captain speaking, he allowed himself to ponder on the actions and the words. He knew for a fact that it must take some courage to come here, to face the Hokage and ask for this, it was something that very few people had managed to do. In fact, no-one had managed to do it during the entire time that he had been around, yet here Yoshihisa was a man that was new to the village and was requesting it, in some ways it was quite honourable and even Takeshi had to give it the merit that it was due, he had no issue in doing that much.

Allowing himself a few more moments of silence he allowed his hand to come up as he rubbed his chin, the purple eyes never leaving the man even if he didn’t make contact he knew full well that he still had a lot to do and this request was something that he appreciated greatly, and he wanted to show that he appreciated the man coming to him and speaking direct and bluntly he wanted the man to know that this was something that even Takeshi could accept.

“I give you my blessing, thank you for coming to me Yoshihisa, its admirable and I can get behind that, so you have my consent. Is there anything else that you need?”

Takeshi allowed his last question to linger in the air, he would give the man the benefit of the doubt and want to make sure that he understand that if the man needed anything else now would be the time to ask him. Takeshi continued to have the welcoming smile on his face, never letting it vanish or disappear he had no issues or ill will at all in that moment.

 

[Sazuki Nao]

The male had placed his hairs on a side, leaving his ear having all the room and without interference, he would place his ear on the bottom of the glass... He started to listen in and had half-lidded eyes while doing so... He heard just bits and started to collect what was being said. A big blush and a hand in front of his mouth would soon come. 'D-did he... Really?!' He stopped breathing for a second, his eyes being wide as looked to the boards... he honestly couldn't believe this moment, a sense of joy overcame him and started to smile bright, having the glass removed he wouldn't hear much more... but boy, he almost said yes and it was just a close call or he would have revealed himself there. He let some air escape with a hand on his chest... He did kinda feel bad now for eavesdropping like he did just now... But he would still try to sneak away to his room.

ooc:: Topic left unless stopped.

 

[Kodoma Yoshihisa]

Yoshihisa was dumbfounded as the words of approval reached his ears, the young shinobi hopelessly caught in between a state of fight and flight in anticipation of.. well, not this to say the least. As he came down, his smile made its return at full prominence, the crushing weight prompty lifted from shoulders and in turn being replaced by a carefully optimistic sense of calm which began to envelope his entire being. ”I quite honestly do not know how to thank you for your believe in me, Takeshi-sama.” He would catch his reflection from the surface of the bottle during the interval where he would allow his eyes to wander about, all the while his efforts to process the maelstorm raging within were still met with fierce resistance. ”It goes without saying that I am once more in your debt, with my sole intention to see to your son’s happiness and well-being in order to repay you.”

Reinvigorated like never before, it became almost oddly comical how some things slid into place to meet his expectations. The fine arts through the most breathtaking epics of old, their well-versed sonnets down to the countless first hand experiences that for all their subtle contrasts told the same tale: To love and be beloved meant a man could finally cultivate the mindset of a fighter, all because he had something to lose from there on out. While it was perhaps that which made him inevitably ride for his fall someday, for now such unwavering fearlessness instilled upon him would be there to ensure a journey homeward, wherever this war looming at the horizon might take them.

”If you’d excuse me, I do believe I heard something outside.” To feint ignorance right now was perhaps insulting more than anything, but as he had no idea where the day would take him if was perhaps wise to use this window of opportunity. Yoshihisa’s smile turned somewhat apologetic as he got up and made his way over to the sliding doors connecting the room directly to the outside world, opening them would result in him going through great lengths to make it half believable that he’d be searching for the source. Upon discovering that there was nothing as out of the ordinary aside from that single strand of white hair dancing in the wind as it caught his eye, he promptly shut the door behind him, although not without leaving something in return: From his sleeve popped the head of a tiny sparrow-like hybrid creature, clearly struggling to drag along what appeared to be an equally tiny envelope before it hopped on his hand to meet the eyes of its creator. As he it urged it on fly away, all he could hope for the message would get into the right hands.

Having made his way back to his seat, he lightly bowed his head towards the Uchiha. ”A thousand apologies for the rude and pointless interruption, for it appears my senses were somewhat off today.” Whether or not he had offended the patriarch in some way with his actions remained to be seen, an event he wasn’t exactly waiting to unpop his most expensive bottle for, and so he decided it might as well be literal if it meant he could change the subject. ”In Iwagakure it was tradition to leave further matters to be discussed over a glass of the finest sake the suitor could provide. For while I come up blank on what I could possibly ask for, perhaps there may be something you wish to lay upon me in light of the current events.” Yoshihisa reached out for the silver-plated bottle and carefully rested it in both hands, the trace of his proposal still lingering about. ”When all is said and done, I wouldn’t want to make the greatest faux pas by offering a drink to the host. So please, after you, Takeshi-sama.”

His chuckle was lost to most outside the room, and so too the messenger as it tirelessly flapped its tiny wings in search of its unknown destination. Had it had a mind of its own, the creature would be cursing the Toujigikou for choosing to socialize with his to-be in-laws instead of properly guiding it along its path, but so were the trials in the life of this little drone. For a good hour it would hop from rooftop to rooftop around the compound, every so often peering inside on the rare occasions it happened to cross an open window. But in all its goings-on, the household provided virtually no clues on the ultimate goal of the journey, or did it? Upon closer inspection of one of the more sheltered rooms an uncontrolable urge made it like second nature to fly inside through the window and pester the white-haired inhabitant until the creature got his full attention, proudly presenting the envelope all the way through. Should the young man choose to open the letter, he would from there on out be accompanied by his feathered assailant as it went through great lengths to find a spot to roost on top of its new ‘friend’s head.

Dear Izumi,

My apologies for the secrecy amongst other things. If this letter ends up in your possession then I have managed to convince your father that I am worthy of your admiration, and in good faith I can say that I do wish to satisfy. I would love to see you again-..

The youth’s face would undoubtedly be a deeper shade of red with each passing line from there on out then they have been in ages.

[MFT]

[Topic left unless stopped]

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P.S: I thought it might work better to go for a fade-to-black to end it all, but if there are some things that are still worthy of discussion feel free to prolong the topic.

 

[Uchiha Takeshi]

Takeshi allowed himself to sigh as he watched the man leave, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before Izumi found someone that he wanted to start dating, though he did not expect it to be a Captain. But that did not matter, he remembered love when he first had met Yuki how it had blossomed into the thing it now is today, this was something that he was fond of and those memories would not go away. He allowed himself to smile as he looked once more around the room in those few seconds.

Standing to his feet he walked towards the door it was clear that he was going to have to take advantage of the quiet time that he got, as he left the room in that split second. It was time for him to go and make sure that the rest of the village was in good stead. He allowed a smile to come to his face in those few minutes. It was a good day and it was going to get better even he knew that much, he just hoped the future was bright for each of them and wondered what would happen next.

[Topic Left]