Chapter 12 - Arc II: Love and Combat- Chapter 1

It was eleven pm. Ten minutes since Ryouko had last looked at the clock. Time crawled during the night; it felt so slow it was almost painful.

In ten minutes time, Ryouko’s fight with Azami would begin on top of the Hokage stone faces. There hadn’t been a match like this for Ryouko in a long time. There had been times that, had he lost a match, he would die. And he wouldn’t allow himself to be taken prisoner unless he could do damage.

In this case, it was a girl who wanted to own him. He would be just another one of her possessions. But even that wasn’t causing Ryouko’s hesitation. What bothered him was a simple question:

Do I want this?

Ryouko had done what he could to make sure Naruto and Sakura become something more than friends. He didn’t know if it worked; not his business. But he couldn’t very well make a pass at Sakura. Hence his hang up with the beautiful, worldly, and very dangerous bounty hunter known as Azami.

There had been a strange chemistry since they had met; there was no disputing that. But what kind of chemistry? Love? Companionship? Understanding? Deep hatred hidden beneath formality? There were so many options that it was a baffling subject to ponder.
--

I heard a knock at my door. Being this late, it was either urgent orders, or Naruto and/or Sakura wanting something. Either way, I had to answer the door. I opened it to find a casually dressed Sakura on the other side.

“Good evening, Ojousama.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “I ORDER you to call me ‘Sakura’. Just for tonight, okay? I know you’ve got orders to obey, but right now I need to talk to my friend Ryouko- not the one who’s teaching me.”

So I dropped the formality. An order was an order.

“You look nice tonight. Going out?” I asked pleasantly.

“I WAS, but that bonehead doesn’t have any money! Hmph! Idiot!” Sakura crossed her arms, relaxing her shoulders a bit. Seemed like she had held onto this frustration for a while, given how she exhaled when she finally relaxed.

I chuckled to myself, rummaging through a drawer as I was using my other hand to put tea on. “You’re too pretty and too young to be staying in on such a nice night. And you got all dressed up, too. It’d be a shame to waste that preparation.”

Sakura had dressed in a regular pleated skirt tonight, with a grey and black plaid pattern on it. She wore a white blouse with thin straps that was emblazed with ‘Broken Hope’ in black letters. To me, she was a beauty normally. That cute little outfit really scored her some points in my mind. I had to conceal my thoughts of longing as I tossed a wallet with a good amount of ryo in it to Sakura, telling her to slip it into Naruto’s pocket.

“Thanks!” she said gratefully. But her smile didn’t last long. “That’s not why I came, though.”

“Oh?” I replied over my shoulder. “There’s something else, then?”

The tea kettle whistled, and I reached for it, pouring two cups of a green herbal tea into two mugs. I invited Sakura to sit, but she declined.

“Ryouko…tonight’s your fight with Azami, isn’t it?”

I took a long gulp of my tea. “Yes, it is…”

She didn’t say what I expected next.
“Well…I know you’ll go with her if you lose, because you’re a man of your word. And I want you to know that, if you DO lose, I’ll finish her myself. And one more thing…”

She turned her back to me, walking to the door. As she opened it, she stopped, and turned her head toward me. She held a serious, yet sweet look on her face.
“Don’t dodge my hugs anymore. It hurts my feelings. Whatever reason you have…you know. Just don’t.”

I nodded once, and wished her a good night. She left with a little wave and smile.
--
--

Azami was waiting for Ryouko on top of the Hokage rock. The moon was sickle shaped tonight, and it cast a beautiful, pale light down on her. The sheen on her hair alone made her tantalizing enough for any man; if her thoughtful yet somber look wasn’t enough.

She didn’t seem attired for battle. Rather, she was wearing a white gown with gold trim. It revealed a modest amount of her considerable bust. On the sides, there was a slit in the gown that went clear up to mid-thigh. With her figure, it was a site to behold.

It’s such a nice night. I wish it wasn’t a fight I’ve come for. One more bounty to add to my reputation; and to my shame. I always tell myself ’this one will be the last’. But it never happens. Maybe I AM an evil girl...

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” A familiar voice rang out. It wasn’t a rich baritone, but neither was it nasally. Somewhere pleasant in between from a powerful person.

Azami smiled grimly. “It is. Hello, Ryouko.”

Ryouko stood next to her, looking up at the moon. “Almost too beautiful a night to fight. So how about we drink instead? We’re both adults, and our reason to fight isn’t going anywhere.”

Ryouko raised a pitcher of sake, picking out a rock to set it on. He poured two cups, then plopped down on one side of the rock.
“You aren’t dressed for combat. Though you really do look beautiful tonight.”

Azami blinked, and for the first time, she seemed to be out of her element. Ryouko’s keen eye picked up on that, and he ran with it.
“It can’t be that I intimidate you by treating you like a lady, can it? Sure, our respective careers don’t leave much room for the likes of chivalry, but you’re an attractive girl. If anyone should be intimidated, it’s me. You’re way outta my league.”

Azami shook herself out of her daze and went over to Ryouko, folding into a sitting position carefully, so as not to flash Ryouko.
“You aren’t dressed for combat either.”

“Oh, you noticed?” Ryouko chuckled. He had dressed himself in a white tshirt, long-sleeved black shirt, a silver cross around his neck, and black semi-dressy pants. “Well, I was hoping we could drink instead of fighting. Or, at least, before we fight. You know, no hard feelings.”

Azami took a sip of the sake, commenting on it’s quality and taste.

Ryouko nodded, agreeing with her. Their small talk continued for a while, exchanging brief stories and comments about the weather. Finally, Ryouko looked down at the village, and he stood up.

“Say, how about we drop this and go down there? Get some food or something. It’s no good to fight drunk. And maybe we don’t need to fight at all.”

Azami balked, nearly spilling her drink. “Say what? Are you chickening out?”

Ryouko laughed, and offered her a hand up. “Nope. Just thinking that we’ve gotten along so well that maybe I ought to see if I can get the guts up to ask you out.”

Azami, again, looked out her element. “Is it common practice for you to ask out your enemy?”

“It’s not common practice for me to ask out ANYONE. But why not start with you? We’ve kind of hit it off, haven’t we? Besides, it can’t be so strange for a guy to ask a hot little number like you out.” Ryouko gave a daredevil smirk that would have made Jiraiya proud.

Azami was befuddled. Damnit! He’s too nice! What’s he thinking?! I thought I’d dazzle him with this dress, and then take him hostage. But instead he’s being all civil, and he’s actually in control! The worst part is that I really do want to go out with him. Would that be so bad? We’re both adults, and…well…there is a kind of attraction… I keep saying I want to get out of the bounty hunting game and into a real life…

Ryouko decided to push the point a little further. “Hey, if you’re gonna turn me down, don’t drag it out, huh. It’s not like you’re going to shock me if you say no. I’ve already put my cards on the table. And you can’t honestly think I’m good enough to trick you while keeping my own wits about me, right?”

Azami analyzed every word Ryouko said, and decided that it made sense. He had approached her as a gentleman; not a warrior. Therefore, it was her duty to answer as a lady; not a bounty hunter. So she surprised herself by actually blushing and taking his outstretched hand.
“Well…I guess it’s okay. I mean, yeah, let’s go for it.”
-

So it went well for about two hours. After eating food, walking around the village, and talking in general, Azami and Ryouko soon found they had a great deal in common. They had both studied relentlessly, and as a result hadn’t quite formed their personalities when it came to dealing with others outside of combat. So that bit of shared awkwardness led to them talking about their studies. Azami told a funny story; Ryouko laughed and told one of his own. Azami giggled, and made the bold move of grabbing his arm. She looked him square in the eyes. Her dark eyes were big and begging; yet they could see right through Ryouko. She pulled him close and told him something she’d never thought she’d say to an enemy; words she’d never spoken before.

“…I want to go to a hotel. Right now. With you.”

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