Chapter 2 - The First Day

Falling in love is a battle in and of itself. Possibly the hardest battle anyone will ever fight. There can be only two casualties, but you’ll never know any two casualties as intimately. The loss is devastating, and even victory is costly and not without sacrifice. Like war, love requires two participants. To war with oneself is to waste life; precious life never regained. To love oneself and only oneself is to sin against humanity and oneself.
If you are to go to war, do it with another person and add meaning to two lives.
If you are to fall in love, do it with another person and add meaning to two lives.

Azami took her time washing Yuji, mockingly inspecting each part of his body. All Yuji could do was stand there, helpless and naked, while she cleaned his body like he was a child or an invalid.

Since before the war, he’d been disciplining himself to control himself and his surroundings to whatever extent he could. He avoided loud music so his hearing would be sharp; he took frequent breaks while reading to protect his eyesight; he avoided spicy foods to keep his stomach well, and drank copious amounts of plain green tea to maintain his stomach further. His sixth sense was developed by spending hours in complete darkness, accompanied by painful toe stubs, head bumps, and the like as he learned to navigate without touch, sight, sound, or even smell. Needless to say, the only thing he tasted was blood when he bit his tongue or lip. That blood didn’t go to waste, either- he would use it to mark the wall he had hit after he was wounded, and used the smell and the taste in the air only as a last resort.

All that training…and when it counts, I’m helpless. Oh, I could take plenty of lives, and protect my comrades. But I see one attractive girl and my senses go mush?

Looking up at the free wilderness (while Azami playfully looked at the ‘wilderness’ below his waist), Yuji felt a sort of freedom. He had no control, and it was liberating. And he would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy this to a good degree. The attention of an attractive female was pleasant, and something he hadn’t yet experienced on a serious level.

His gaze drifted to his only other serious crush; Sakura Haruno. He hadn’t even attempted anything with her. Even when he convinced himself that he could approached her, her intense loyalty to Sasuke, and even to Naruto, kept him at bay. As a result, he only knew her on a professional level, when she patched him up.

Thank God they didn’t send her to this bloodbath. Not that a medic wouldn’t be helpful, but somehow…
Yuji frowned seriously, his eyes lowered to the water. His reflection was there, but he didn’t really ’see’ it. He saw a murderer, killing those much less skilled in the name of a stupid conflict.
…war doesn’t suit her.
But I can’t pretend it doesn’t suit me.

Yuji had long ago realized he was a paradox. He trained hard to protect peace, but given the choice to avoid conflict or embrace it, he always chose to embrace it. He avoided killing studiously up until the war, but that notion had passed, and he wasn’t sure he could ever go back to being the person he was before he cut the throat of his first opponent.

Flicking his gaze upward again, he saw a bird fly overhead, through the mist of the waterfall, leaving one of those translucent rainbows in it’s wake. Yuji was again struck by the beauty of this place. A paradise in which you go could go naked without worry about anyone seeing.

Azami noticed her captive was distracted at about the point she finished cleaning his body up. She had been doing it more to see him squirm than anything, so if he wasn’t playing along it was no fun. She was about to say something when she saw the look on his face. It killed her fun outright.

A look that melancholy on such a young man. He’s seen too much…done too much. He wasn’t bred for this sort of sin…

Azami’s hand clenched her ample chest, squeezing the fabric of a deep red bikini top stretched over two rather generous breasts.
…he isn’t like me. Not exactly. He’s innocent. I am guilty. Even if he thinks he’s dark and evil, he’s not. He’s conflicted. I know…
Because in that way, I’m the same.
--
--

Azami tossed a towel to Yuji. It landed on his head, snapping him out of the trance he’d been in, staring out over the water. Belatedly, he began to towel off as he turned to thank her for the towel. He froze, again stunned by her.

The bathing suit seemed to barely contain her figure. He breasts threatened to pop out from behind the deep red fabric, tied neatly in the back. All that clear, bare skin revealed her toned stomach, flat and sturdy, and her shapely legs were decorated with female muscle, but not a single blemish. Her long, black hair was wet in the back, and she reached up to toss it out of her way, with the towel slung carelessly over one shoulder. It was that pose that Yuji caught her in, and his breath caught in his throat.

Azami noticed the rapt attention he was suddenly giving her, and she found she was both happy and a little put off by it. She expected to be stared at- that was the point of this flimsy costume- but by Yuji, it seemed to throw her off a bit.
“See something you like, sport?”

Even as she said that, her mind was adding to the situation.
You’re only reacting because you like him. But you have a job to do. And if he can’t get past your boobs, he’s not worth the time anyway.

Yuji toweled off as quickly as he could, trying hard to not leave his arms above his head for too long. This had long been a turn on, and he didn’t need to give her more ‘scenery’ to look at. So with his upper body still speckled with droplets of water, he tied the towel around his waist, glad to be covered up.
“I’m not much of a girl watcher, I guess. I’m too shy. But I guess since you saw me naked, me getting to see you in a bikini is the least you can do.”

A fair point. He saw my face and was attracted to me then. That means it’s not my boobs he likes.
Well, being realistic, not JUST my boobs. They’re probably a good part of the equation. I suppose I can’t say much-
She flicked an appreciate gaze toward his bare chest, then lowered it until she could see a bulge that was visible even through the folds of the towel.
Considering the fact that I’ve been ‘sizing him up’, so to speak.
“Well then, let’s go find something to eat after we’ve had a little chat,” she offered pleasantly, setting a pace toward her cabin. As a second thought, she doubled back and led Yuji toward a dock that had been pulled out of the water.

“Yeah, that’ll do…” she murmured, seeing the rope that had been used for the small boat she kept here. It was so peaceful and relaxing on a warm, sunny day with a slight breeze. Floating there for hours; drifting aimlessly; and forgetting about all she had done, or what she would still do in the name of survival.

Azami gripped Yuji’s chin and kissed him lightly. One hand wrapped around his neck; the other dug into the flesh of his shoulder. She guided him backward until his back met the wooden dock. The dock was on it’s side, leaving four long supports hanging out.

“I’m sorry. But…”

Azami secured Yuji’s left arm to the dock, tying a knot with one hand, the other around Yuji’s neck to keep him under her control. She began work on his second arm, leaning her head close to his, bracing it on his shoulder so that he couldn’t bite her.

“…your duty requires you to oppose me. My duty requires me to break you.”

Yuji’s left leg was now secured to one of the lower supports of the dock, bound by the thick, white rope that had been neatly coiled next to it. If he just had his chakra, he could snap those ropes like nothing.
“‘Break me?’”

Azami stood up for a second to meet Yuji’s eyes before dropping back down to secure his right leg.
“Yes. Break you. Psychologically…”

She gave the rope a tug., giving a satisfied nod. Yuji’s feet barely touched the ground like this. He was tied in an ‘X’ shape, arms and legs spread. He was totally exposed this way, to any sort of punishment she could dream up.

“…and emotionally.”

She blindfolded him again, apologizing silently to him. Even if he was going to enjoy this to some degree, as she expected he would, she wanted to be doing this when she knew for sure she had his consent. It would be so much hotter if she was his girlfriend right now. Then again, there was a certain charm to the kunoichi capturing and dominating a shinobi scenario, too. One was hot; the other was slightly less hot, but much more wholesome.

Instead, they were enemies, at least in name. And now the loyalty to their respective sides was going to be put to the test.

Azami left Yuji’s towel in place at first. Being blindfolded left him defenseless against her onslaught.
“Now, tell me a bit about the Leaf’s troop count…”

Yuji looked defiantly ahead, his jaw firm. “I thought you weren’t going to ask me about that?”

Suppressing a sigh, Azami ran a reed she had plucked from the water down his chest. It wasn’t a whip or a belt, but it would still sting pretty well.
“Yes, I know. But I have to ask. And really, it’ll be easier for you if you answer.”

Yuji turned his head to one side, away from Azami. “No. I won’t tell you anything.”

With a resounding crack, the whip slashed down his back from shoulder blade to hip, leaving a long, thin trail in it’s wake that turned an angry red color. The reed was young and green; easy to bend but hard to break.

“Let’s try again. It can’t hurt to tell me, right?” she asked sweetly.

“I won’t say a thing. You want troop numbers? Go count ‘em yourself. You can’t miss them- they’re kicking Cloud @$$.”

The reed cracked across his back twice in rapid-fire succession moving sideways, once forehand stroke and one backhand stroke, first high then low.
Azami shrugged. “It’s true. I won’t deny that. And frankly, I don’t care. But you need to answer anyway.”

“No.”

The reed flashed down again across his back, cutting across his other shoulder blade to the opposite hip, leaving him with a pulsing, throbbing roman numeral ten across his back.

As she withdrew the reed, Azami ran it across Yuji’s groin, sending an unspoken message. Deciding it could be more clear, she used the reed to flip Yuji’s towel to the ground, leaving him naked and helpless before her yet again. This time, the effect was visible.

He’s not just humiliated, angry, and infatuated- he’s one short step away from giving up completely. I’ve taken his means of escape, his dignity, and his sight at will.

It was true- Yuji was still being belligerent, but his chest was heaving from breathing heavy from anxiety and pain, and perspiration soaked his body, mixing with the drops of water still on his body from his bath. His muscles strained at the ropes despite having no hope of escape. His knees strained together to try to cover his groin, but the rope left him unable to do so.

I’m completely at her mercy. She’s playing at a deeper level, too. She’s trying to break me…

The reed came down again, this time across Yuji’s stomach. He winced against the onslaught of pain, but didn’t cry out, save for exhaling heavily.
[/b]…Even though I know what she’s doing, I can’t stop it. I don’t want to stop it.[/b]

The reed struck him across his upper chest this time. The curve of the flesh ensured he’d have a nasty welt.

I’ve been lonely for so long…lonely for a purpose, for a female companion…

The reed struck the inside of his thigh, eliciting a gasp or pain and worry. That was damned close to the ’danger zone’. That area was sensitive in it’s own right, to be fair.

She’s so sexy, and I love a strong woman. She lives here alone, so she’s independent. In combat, she’s strong. And the upkeep of her house suggests she’s very mature in that area as well. Could she be lonely, too? Living alone, training alone…being a mercenary doesn’t make you friends, either. So maybe-

A light smack to the groin brought his attention flying back to her.

“If you’re distracted this way, then…”

In a few moments, Yuji was now lying on his stomach, wrists and ankles tied together, which were then tied to the dock. As an extra touch, Azami made a makeshift collar out of the belt she’d taken from Yuji. She made a loop, put it around his neck just tightly enough to be uncomfortable, then slipped a rope through the loop and threw it over the dock. She placed a big rock on it on the other side. This forced Yuji’s neck into an uncomfortable position. It added to his feelings of helplessness, and this time he knew his stoic mask had cracked. She’d seen the worry on his face, and it would only be a matter of time before she decided which of her actions were responsible for that look. So Yuji took a desperate chance and told her, hoping to throw her off.

“I never liked anyone touching my neck,” he noted, eyes averted. “Only the people I trust most are allowed near it.”

Azami squatted down so that he could look her in the eyes. Her toned calves were certainly a welcome site, but the face that had stopped him cold on the battlefield was even nicer.
“I appreciate your honesty. Now if you’ll be that forthcoming with the information I want, then this will be over sooner.”

shoot, that backfired. She took control right back. Well, the attempt didn’t cost me anything, at any rate.

“Please tell me the Leaf’s plan of attack.”

Yuji took a deep breath. “No. Even if I knew what they were doing, I wouldn’t tell. The attack patterns rotate by battle, and no one knows the next one in advance except for the jonin commander.”

The reed trailed down Yuji’s back until it met his tailbone. The area where you back ended and your butt began was a surprisingly sensitive area. He drew a sharp intake of breath, feeling the weight of the belt around his neck tighten uncomfortably. He closed his eyes and gulped.

“Then the name of this jonin commander? His appearance?” came the voice with the sexy undertone, even as the reed was rubbed across that sensitive area again.

“No. I actually like that guy, so I’m not going to tell you.”

The reed flew down and smacked that tender spot. Yuji convulsed involuntarily, and the makeshift collar tightened. Azami’s hand was on the back of his head in an instant, forcing it into the ground. Yuji panicked- he couldn’t breathe! His hands and feet kicked in worry; his training and stoicism long gone.
-

Another ten minutes passed, and Azami changed Yuji’s position again. By now, he was bleeding, hyperventilating, and was genuinely afraid for his life. He was now on his knees, his arms suspended above his head, tied at the wrists. He sagged; exhausted from the interrogation. His body was a patchwork of red, black, and blue marks from the abuse he’d taken for just over a half hour now.

But he was making progress, too. Azami was actually sweating, and her hands ached from swatting Yuji’s face and bottom, both with the reed and empty-handed.

He’s an impressive man to have held up this long. Maybe it’s time to change tactics…

Azami spun the dock around to face the water. She saw the panic on Yuji’s face, and both smirked and winced inwardly. She hated hurting him like this, but she had no choice. She’d learned he feared asphyxiation in any form, and probably drowning.

She dove into the water, then surfaced, tossing her wet hair back. She turned from Yuji methodically, reached back, and undid her bikini top. It came free in her hand, and she tossed it onto Yuji’s face. She imagined the redness creeping across his face as he realized what she did, and she swam out, topless, smiling widely. When she got out to just the edge of his sight, she pulled off her bikini bottom, too. That probably had a good effect on him. And this sort of effect was one any kunoichi knew how to use. Granted, he got to see her naked butt, but from that distance it made little difference. He would see the general shape, but hell, that was the same when she was wearing the bikini.

Just like a gift, it’s the thought that counts.
She ducked underwater again, sitting calmly on a rock, one leg crossed on the other. She’d never failed to crack anyone before. She’d never actually needed to go this far, furthering her impression that he really wasn’t just going to see her body and melt.
Well, if he won’t talk, he won’t talk. I’ll keep trying a bit longer. Then I’ll give him a break- for today. He might last a day, or even two, but I‘m wearing him down.

She surfaced and swam over to the waterfall, which was directly opposite Yuji. She had a few changes of clothes and weapons hidden in a cave behind the waterfall, stored in an airtight box so they wouldn’t get damp and be ruined.

She selected a black half-tank and a pair of shorts that fell halfway to her knees. As an afterthought, she grabbed Yuji some clothes, too.
Hope he likes lace thongs and a mesh T.
--

“I’ll ask you once more: Where is the Leaf’s military headquarters?”

By now, Azami had carved her initials on Yuji’s chest, turned his face and his bottom a beet red, and cut his back open in several places. She was now speaking near his neck, letting him feel her teeth brushing up against one of his weak points. And he was reacting, but he still hadn’t cracked. He was reaching his limit physically and emotionally.

When she had come back from her swim, she had taken care to walk around him, just outside his line of vision, while staying naked. The teasing was definitely taking it’s toll on both his burdened mind and desperate body. The poor boy was clearly starved for female attention. His utter sensitivity to her touch; to her very presence; was such a glaring weakness that Azami knew it couldn’t have been there by choice. Unless he truly thought he was immune to any sort of feminine wiles?
Certainly no man plans to die a virgin, she thought, surprised by that thought. Most men were grabby, obnoxious, misogynistic jerks. So maybe Yuji was an exception.
He seems like the ‘nester’ type. Picking one girl and sticking with her.

Only a few seconds had passed, but it felt like hours, and Yuji had yet to respond to Azami’s question.

“…”

“You know I don’t want to do this, right? That I’ve got no choice, and that it really does hurt me to have to hurt you?”

When he didn’t respond with anything besides a silent gaze, Azami pressed his head into her shoulder and gently kissed him on the forehead. She could feel his battered body trembling. It genuinely made her feel bad, but this was a further psychological ploy. Give trust and understanding, then take it away. Azami would do it, but she wouldn’t enjoy it. Her hand fingered one of his nipples, working it’s way steadily down to his navel and below. She leaned her body heavily on his, enjoying it but studying the effects it had on him.

Azami sighed heavily. “If you won’t talk about the Leaf, then let’s talk about MY pleasure,” she added with a big smile. She shrugged, and noted that “I DID warn you that you’d be keeping me warm at night, and not by getting firewood.”
She snaked her hand down his body, feeling every line where her whip had struck him. She put her lips near his neck, teasing him, reminding him how vulnerable he was right now. It was obvious that he was enjoying it despite the radical embarrassment.

Yuji only looked up at her, but his eyes were no longer defiant. They were almost dead, reflecting nothing of his surroundings. Azami untied him, and he fell slack to the ground at her feet. He stayed there, gulping in air for a moment, before pulling himself weakly to his knees first, and then to his feet. He nearly stumbled, but Azami caught him under the arm and around the waist.

“Come on, let’s get you some food and water. And I’ll even let you get dressed, too.”

She thrust the garments she had taken from the waterfall cave into his arms. He took them, looked them over skeptically, and looked up at her, a little life in his eyes.
“You’re joking?” he asked wearily.

“Nope. Either wear that or stay naked. Your clothes are filthy with blood and mud. With all those cuts I gave you, you’ll get an infection. And I’m no medic.”

Leaning heavily on her shoulder and having no choice but to do so, Yuji commented on his earlier observation. “You know your way around anatomy. You’re hitting me in just the right spots, and with just enough force. If you were an amateur, I’d be passed out or dead by now.”

She brushed the compliment aside, tossing her wet hair off her face. “You flatter me.”

“Again, no. Mirrors don’t lie, and neither do I.”

They journeyed back to the cabin in silence until Azami told Yuji to get ready for dinner.

“You’re my guest,” she said with a ravishing smile. “Whether you choose to dress for dinner or not is your choice.”

She began to walk away, but Yuji called weakly after her, his arm raised in a halting gesture.
“Wait, please. Just tell me this: Do you personally enjoy this at all? I can’t believe that you don’t get some pleasure from this. You’re too good at your work.”

Azami thought for a moment.
“Do you get pleasure from killing?”

“In some backhand way, it’s gratifying to know I have some sort of strength. But the actual taking of life that I cannot give back…that I regret very much. But it’s not the same thing, is it?”

Azami cocked her head, considering his words. “No, I suppose it isn’t. And to answer your question- it depends on who I’m interrogating…”

Her words left an unspoken intonation that hinted at the true meaning of her words.
-
-

Yuji plucked at the garments in disgust.
“Comfortable,” he said sarcastically. “But they’d look better on you.”

Azami leaned on her arm, staring at him from across the table. She couldn’t believe he’d actually put the things on. She fully expected him to stay naked. So it was win/win for her.
“You look hot. Anyone ever tell you that you would’ve been a cute girl?”

Yuji snorted and rolled his eyes.
“No one who wished to live,” Yuji growled as he pulled off his clothes and threw them back to Azami. “I’d rather be naked than put those things back on.”

He means it. Well, that’s fine. He looked cute, but I’d have my concerns if he stayed in a lace thong for too long…

“Why put them on at all? If it bothered you so much…”

For some reason, Yuji blushed worse than before. He was actually sweating, Azami noticed. He had more composure while she had interrogated him. What could have been so heavy on his mind.

“I…wanted you to be happy. That’s all.”

Whatever Azami had expected, that wasn’t it. No one tried to please their captors, unless they were traitors or snitches. And if Azami knew anything, Yuji Itou was neither of those things. He was an honest, decent boy who had happened upon her in battle. Unless he was playing a game with her. Do what she says, placate her, then turn when she least expected it?
She narrowed her eyes. No. That wasn’t it.
“Why would you-”

“Because our circumstances are forcing us both to do things we’d rather not do. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be positives. Right?”

Azami said nothing, but she got up from the table and went over to her bed. She dug underneath it for a moment, then pulled out something.
“Here,” she said, tossing the thing to Yuji. He caught it and studied it. He realized it was a swimsuit; a swimsuit for a male. A one size fits all thing, which indicated that it wasn‘t meant especially for him. He was just ‘lucky’ enough to get captured.

“I can wear this?” he asked, a little skepticism in his voice. At her nod, he gratefully pulled the garment on, finding it to be just a little too baggy. Yuji sat back down at the table very tenderly. Man, his body was sore. His captor had really put him through his paces.

A hottie like this WOULD moonlight as an BDSM queen, he mused. Even as he did, he felt guilty because he wasn’t complaining. He was so taken with her that he honestly didn’t care about the abuse she was giving him. She was completely in control, and Yuji knew there was nothing he could do. He hadn’t felt this helpless since he first began his training in various combat arts. He was humbled completely by this beautiful woman who was stronger, faster, and overall better than him.

After he shook himself out of his trance, Yuji asked “So what’s going to happen to me after this?”

For the first time since he’d seen her, Azami looked uncomfortable. She stalled for a minute, then replied:
“Honestly? I’m supposed to turn you over to the Cloud army as a prisoner of war. What they’ll do…I don’t know.”

And that’s the first lie she’s told. She knows what’s going to happen to me. What‘s worse is that she doesn‘t like it. Which means she cares for me on some level, right?
Focus, Yuji! You need to escape! You can‘t be killed because you‘re infatuated with this girl!

“Don’t make it more painful, okay?” Azami requested quietly. She was downcast now. “Me hurting you is one thing. You belong to me. They don’t own you.”

Those words resonated with Yuji. He belonged to her? Hearing those words, and understanding what they meant…it made Yuji feel happy. He already knew he liked Azami, but he hadn’t expected to enjoy being interrogated by her. Moreover, he knew he should be appalled that she thought she owned him.

Even if it’s true…

On some level, Yuji wondered if this was another psychological game that Azami had played with him and won. But every other level didn’t care.
-

Azami already hated much about herself. Her profession, for example. The fact that she had no stability in her life. No family, no boyfriend, no real home. Nothing except her skills. She’d been forced to be smart for as long as she could remember. No one had accepted her outright. With no family, but a high skill level, she was treated like an object rather than a person. Her success rate was one hundred percent, so everyone naturally assumed that she would not only get the job done, but that she would enjoy it. She’d never gotten a kick out of a job until Yuji. Maybe that was because they had a lot in common.

Well, I have two weeks before I have to turn him over. But if I know that obnoxious Raikage, he’ll come bounding in here, demanding results, in two days or so. I’ll keep trying, but I think Yuji might just hold out. The question is ‘what comes next’?

“Come on, Yuji. Time for bed,” she said aloud. “There’s only one bed, so you’ll be staying-”

Yuji had already curled up in the corner. He had pressed himself in as far as he could, his bare back against the cold wood. He laid his head on his hands and closed his eyes. He tried not to, but between the cold and the fatigue, he couldn’t quite suppress a couple shivers. It got damned cold near the water at night!
I’m showing weakness. Why? Because I don’t care if she sees it? Because I’m giving her an opening to keep up this dominatrix act? Or am I really too weak? Am I this weak; this inept? Am I-

Azami grabbed him under the arms and pulled him over toward her bed. She made him put his hands behind his back while she tied them together while he laid face-down. She threw the blanket over him and promised to torture him if he so much as peeked out.

“I need to get changed for bed, and I can’t have you peaking. Or getting it in your head that it’s a good idea to try to attack me while I’m changing. But I’ll tell you what- have you ever listened to the sound of a woman changing her clothes? I’m told it’s quite…sensual.”

Yuji cocked his head, sort of understanding. Azami kept going- this was too much fun!

“The sound of clothes hitting the floor; the rustling and rummaging; the snap and click of a bra…imagining just what could be under all that clothing. Wondering if you’ll get to see…too touch…”

She leaned close, putting her mouth right near his ear.
“…Too taste…To understand the most primal, forbidden pleasures…To ravage her; to be ravaged in return…all before you see what she‘s hiding with her modesty.”

Yuji was all but drooling.
“Is it the same for girls, listening to a guy undress?”

Azami shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, really. I’ve never gotten to listen.”

Yuji’s look suggested shock, so Azami created the correct response, knowing full well he‘d meant no offense.
“What? You think I’m easy because I look like this?”

“No,” Yuji said instantly, with no trace of haste in his voice. “I think that men would have a hard time resisting you. Surely there was one decent guy among your admirers…”

“Maybe there was. But most of them didn’t stick around long enough to get to know me past my cup size.”

The statement surprised Yuji. He sensed she could use a supportive ear, so he sat down on her bed and waited. She hesitated telling him at first, but decided that it couldn’t hurt.

“Not every guy is okay with a strong woman like you are, Yuji. Most men want submissive, docile mattress ornaments. They want cooking, cleaning, and sex, and that’s it.”

“I get it. Once they saw you in action-”

“-they realized they were outclassed and didn’t want anything more to do with me,” she finished sadly. “But I learned to be self-reliant; independent. What I didn’t learn was that it’s okay to trust people. Because I’ve never met any trustworthy people. Until now.”

“I’m trustworthy to you?”

Azami blushed, hers arms crossed on her chest. Her eyes flicked upward toward the ceiling as she exhaled in exasperation. “I’m letting you sleep in the same room as me, aren’t I?”

Yuji bowed his head, feeling that he understood his captor a bit more. There was a shy, vulnerable girl inside her. But her independence was just as real as that shy girl was. Given the shallowness of some of his friends, Yuji completely understood where she was coming from. With that in mind, he turned to face the wall and allowed her to throw the blanket over him.

He listened as he heard the sound of clothes hitting the floor, the snap of a bra, the rummaging for new clothes. He imagined what was under her clothes.

She was right. That really is a turn on.
-

Azami gave Yuji a blanket and pillow of his own, and even gave him a tatami mat to curl up on for the night. He fixed his bedding until it was as comfortable as possible under Azami’s watchful eye. She thought it was kind of cute. Sort of like watching a puppy kneed it’s bedding until it was perfect.

Yuji pulled his blanket over him and put his head on the pillow. He looked up and said a quiet ‘good night’.

“Sleep well,” Azami offered in reply. She got into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. As an afterthought, she created a Shadow Clone to keep watch, in case Yuji tried something stupid. But she didn't think he would. He was, at least, an honorable opponent.
Sleep well so that my interrogation tomorrow won’t kill you. As much as I hate to do it, we’re going to keep playing this game until you talk or the Raikage’s goons show up.

It was so easy to forget there was a war going on outside this tranquil hideaway. Both of them knew that reality would soon reassert itself, and they would need to get back into the fray. In the face of so much more killing, this little diversion seemed all that much more welcoming.

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