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Who: Ashiko and Itachi
Where: An inconspicuous little village in the Land of Rice
When: April 15
Notes: A friendly encounter. Sort of. Mostly, he's just happy she's alive.

'Perhaps you should take it easy, Ashiko-sama,' a few of the lower-ranked servants had suggested, meek and worried. 'It was such a stressful situation. You deserve a rest.'

Honestly. It was as though they didn't know her at all.

Ashiko could never be happy cooling her heels, even if the alternative was being away from her master's side. Since the caravan debacle he had elected to keep a low profile, which meant that Ashiko's little errands resumed, with more frequency than ever before. Otogakure had no shortage of skilled medical ninja, not the least of which was her esteemed Danna-sama, so it wasn't as though she was even on the mend; she had been patched up as good as new by the day after their return, and had only her own bruised pride to pain her.

She didn't care that Orochimaru had stabbed a person through her, really; she was upset that she had hindered her master to the point that he had even had to do such a thing in the first place. It was a similar sentiment that had kept her from using her scroll to make contact with any Konoha shinobi. How exactly did one broach such a strained social situation? 'My master and I are in good health, I hope that none of you were fatally poisoned after we defended ourselves from your highly unwarranted attack,' seemed ill-put.

But even Ashiko could nurse a grudge, if one on behalf of her master.

The woman sighed softly and ducked into the inn and tavern that would be her lodgings for the night, sliding into the last available booth and leaning back against the old, lacquered wood tiredly. She was in the pink of health, but the weather and the long hours she had chosen to undertake had worn her out for the day.

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"I guess it's best that I never really went into detail about my normal travels, then," she mused, munching through a new mouthful. This was far from the first time she had been hurt, or involved with something a woman like her probably shouldn't have been. Better to spare him the distress.

"Oh." She blinked at that sudden turn in conversation, and was hit by a rush of emotion that was probably obvious to someone with the training he likely had. The most prominent was relief, because if he lingered in their borders after the recent dust-up, Orochimaru would likely have seen him thoroughly taken out of the picture. The second was guilt, because friend or not she shouldn't be happy about a possible nuisance to her master surviving. The rest was a muddle of confusion mixed with a pinch of sadness.

It was rather draining, this friendship thing.

"That's probably a good prospect," she said, at length. "It's...It's good to have somewhere to call home. Security is invaluable as you get older." 'You won't be safe here for much longer' she didn't say, and actually didn't feel guilty for the unspoken warning. It was nothing he probably hadn't surmised himself, after all. "I will miss seeing you though, I think."

...

She...hadn't meant to say that, and took a long sip of tea to hide her surprise.

Itachi watched the play of emotions wash over Ashiko. He didn't know if it made him feel better or worse that this wasn't just a string of casual meetings to her. It didn't matter as much as it seemed to at first blush. Itachi had just heard her profess her devotion for her master, and even if she were hinting at more than friendship, it would never be something she's abandon or even think of betraying her master for.

"Ah, I'm not as young as I used to be, and the road is never very charming in the winter," Itachi admitted. Especially when you went far north or into the mountains. "But the thought of being shut of in a monastery again is suffocating. I suppose I could put it off, but it's a very nice place by the ocean, and I've always like living near water. Being able to see for miles makes me feel at peace." Actually Itachi hated the ocean with an odd passion, considering he'd only seen it once or twice. Open spaces made him paranoid.

Itachi carefully weighed his next words. He smiled. "I will miss seeing you as well. No matter how many new friends one makes, the old ones will always hold a special affection." If this was their last meeting, he might as well be a little ridiculous.

"You can't be much older than me, if that, so mind the commentary, Iori-kun," she chided, trying to pump some levity back into her voice. "And it's a pity, but I don't think I'd be able to visit; aside from the fact that it's a monastery, I can't swim. Danna-sama doesn't like me straying too far near ports." That was half-true, really. She couldn't swim, but Orochimaru only kept her away from ships, rather than shores.

Something inside of her was oddly soothed by the reciprocal assurance that she would be missed. Normally, such an admission would be either faintly flattering or slightly annoying, so she figured that this new, peaceful feeling was a strange facet of friendship.

"True," she mused, glancing down at her bowl, now half-empty. "Very true. I have a penpal I write to from time to time, and while his missives are always amusing in one way or another, since he rose to his current station, face-to-face meetings are all but impossible. But...let's talk about something more uplifting, shall we? I have been advised never to drink while depressed."

"Oh, I could always teach you to swim. Everyone should know how to swim. What if you fall into a stream or something and drown, and then where would your Danna-sama be?" Without a very valuable servant. Itachi babbled easily again. "Really, though, I'm older than I look." Itachi nodded solemnly and took a sip of tea. It didn't taste as good as it should.

"I have only ever been told not to drink," Itachi admitted. When he'd jumped the ranks so young, it had been seriously impressed on him by many people while his comrades would trash their livers, he should not. He'd never really liked the idea of drinking anyway. "Now, that sounds like something from a tale or a play--the maidservant trading letters with the...the...young lord of some land thinking they'll never meet, and then they do and it's instant love."

"Older than twenty-one? Forgive me, Iori-kun, but I highly doubt that." She mulled through another few mouthfuls, seriously considering the matter. "...I suppose I should learn, sooner or later. I actually lived by a lake as a child, but Grandfather rarely let me stray too far from the house. He was largely bedridden, and worried when I was out of sight."

She took a sip of tea and promptly choked on it when he spoke up again. Her normal, elegant demeanor was abruptly shattered as she sputtered, coughed delicately, and promptly dissolved into sweet, helpless laughter. It persisted for a good few minutes even and she tried to muffle it beneath fingers and sleeves, and the sound transformed her. She looked younger, somehow, choking out giggles in the merciless grip or mirth.

After a brief spell, she regained control of herself and passed a hand over her pink cheeks. "I...f-forgive me, Iori-kun. That wa-ha!...that was un-unkind of me. To both you and O-Obito-sama—" She squeezed her eyes shut and her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter again before she reigned it in once more. "...suffice to say, w-we have met. And though he is quite—quite a good man, he is...n-not exactly 'destined meeting' material, even by my standards." She wiped her eyes and giggled again.

"Then I should teach you, as a going away gift!" Itachi demanded, latching onto the idea. It wouldn't be hard. ~~And he could easily kill her if he decided that he needed to.~~

Ashiko had a wonderful laugh, and Itachi didn't think she'd ever laughed so freely in front of him. It pleased him more than it should, but he wondered who her penpal was that she should laugh like that. Itachi was taking a bite of his rice when she said his cousin's name so carelessly. He almost choked.

Itachi felt suddenly cold. What did this new connection mean? Did she really write letters to his cousin, or was this a threat? Could she be a threat to Obito? Surely Obito would be careful about writing her letters, if he actually did. Itachi didn't know what to make of this, but it unnerved him even more.

He really should probably kill her.

"Ah, that's too bad Ashiko-san," Itachi sighed. "I was hoping that when I told people about you, I could give you a fairy-tale ending."

"I'm always coming and going. Shouldn't I be the one to give you a gift, since you're the one going away?" She wasn't sure if she had anything in her luggage that was suitable for a man, unless he didn't mind a hair-tie. That seemed a bit underwhelming, however.

She poured herself another cup of tea and drank deeply, lips curving into a rueful smile tinged with the type of amusement only available through looking back on an old even with different eyes. "I'm afraid even you couldn't romanticize a ninja falling in on a mostly naked sixteen year old girl, Iori-kun." She bit back another laugh and finished the rest of the rice in her dish. "And I can't believe I just told you about that without any sake in me."

Itachi did choke this time. As he knew both parties involved, he could somehow vividly imagine the scene, as little as he wanted to. His face went red, which could have been because he'd just tried to breathe rice.

And now Obito was penpals with Ashiko?

Itachi gagged, coughed, and considered it a triumph he hadn't thrown up. Acting had gone out the window for the moment.

"Perhaps we should move onto the sake and desert?" Itachi croaked out before drinking the rest of his tea. Why not finish off the night with another bad decision?

She really wasn't sure if that was an excellent rendition of a monk-raised boy's reaction, or if he really was that flustered at the thought of her naked. It was a rather ridiculous story, she had to admit, so she resolved not to take his reaction too personally.

"Good plan," she agreed, flagging down the waitress and putting in an order. It seemed the treat of the night was a platter of daifuku; not exactly the normal accompaniment to alcohol, but Ashiko supposed beggars couldn't be choosers. And it wasn't as though one could go very wrong with mochi and anko.

Edited 2014-04-18 02:09 (UTC)

"If we're going to drink, I probably shouldn't try to teach you to swim," Itachi admitted slowly as he set his chopsticks down. "Though it's really not that hard, you know." And girls were supposed to, on average, have a higher percentage of body fat, so they should float easier, shouldn't they?

"I'm not sure where you would teach me if we planned to stay sober," Ashiko pointed out. "It isn't as though there's a river nearby, after all. The nearest one is...maybe four or five miles to the east, I think. I mean, unless you were planning on sneaking into a farmer's property." But no, Iori was a good boy, wasn't he? He wouldn't suggest something like that.

Ashiko perked up when their plates were swapped for a platter of sweets, and the teapot was traded for a tall bottle of sake and two saucers.

"Oh no. If there's a pond there's going to be ducks or geese and those things are evil. Have you ever been chased by a goose? Those things are actually very large and incredibly mean. But you can't really hurt them, because their someone's livelihood." Itachi motioned emphatically with his hands.

"Here, here....let me pour for you." It seemed the eager thing to do, instead of waiting for her now doubt better serving. Itachi had watched sake poured countless times. Itachi reached gingerly for the bottle, as if afraid he might knock it over or break it. ~~Put poison in it?~~

"I've seen others chased by geese; from a distance that is." She picked up a small daifuku and nibbled at it as nostalgia crept in. "When I lived by the lake, there were some very silly boys around my age. They would always dare each other to do things...pinching a goose during mating season was one of the more unfortunate choices they made, I must admit."

She watched him fondly. "If you'll let me return the favor, then certainly." They would be drinking from the same bottle, after all, so it was easy for her to.let her guard down. Besides which, she had the cures for various poisons ticked away on her person in case of emergency, though she didn't believe he would do such a thing.

"I was an awful boy who liked to eat goose eggs," Itachi confided, though he'd never stolen an egg from any birds nest. They worked so hard to raise chicks who had only a slim chance of survival without humans stealing eggs or chicks.

Itachi's lips curved up honestly. "Certainly not." Itachi carefully poured Ashiko's sake without any flair or much grace, but he didn't spill anyway. He set the bottle down gently.

"Color me surprised. The monks couldn't have been too happy about that." Unless the eggs were a metaphor of some sort for ninja business, but Ashiko didn't think he'd start in on head games until at least a few cups in. And even that was unlikely; he was a very careful man, from what she knew of him.

She plucked up the bottle and poured his share, using fluid, graceful movements that were probably more at home in a tea ceremony, but she couldn't help it. They were second nature by now, drilled in through years of careful practice. She set the bottle down and took up her cup, glancing at the alcohol thoughtfully. "People are supposed to make toasts for the first drink, aren't they...?"

"I think they expect some kind of mischief from boys--even the best behaved ones. After all, life is a journey to learn compassion and understanding. We never pop into the world with perfect manners and unselfish motivations," Itachi took on a slight lecturing tone, and then shook his head a little. "I supposed to last thing you want to do is debate the human condition. I think a toast would be very fitting."

Itachi nodded his head seriously, blowing out his cheeks. What kind of drunk should Iori be? He should be an utter light-weight, so Itachi could have an easy excuse to stop drinking before he was drunk. It seemed Iori should get more garrulous, but that wouldn't be very wise. Maybe he should be overly serious and deliberate.

"Then, a toast, to long lives and fulfilling pursuits and may we both find the things we need to find in life."

"I'm afraid the beliefs we were raised on might not mesh very comfortably, so no, it's probably better to avoid that debate if we want to part on good terms." Most people smiled politely and resorted to pity when she went in-depth on the basic principles of the Kuzuryu clan. To give up one's life, body and mind wholly for the sake of one man, to smile and thank him for however you were used...no, Ashiko would not be pitied for what she was honored to have become.

"I can drink to that," she mused, raising her cup once in acknowledgement before taking her first sip. She preferred sweet wines when she had her pick, but the sake here wasn't horrible. Rustic and slightly too sharp, certainly, but far from the worst she had ever sampled. She felt warmth begin to spread as soon as two mouthfuls were swallowed, and noted that it was deceptively potent.

Edited 2014-04-18 18:41 (UTC)

Itachi grimaced at the first sip and smothered a cough. The taste was all right as far as he was concerned, but the burning as it went down had him clearing his throat. Maybe it would be more palatable as they went along.

"I believe in disagreeing amiably with people." Itachi nodded sagely. "It makes life much simpler and I've discovered arguing with people rarely changes their point of view."

"I have the dubious honor of being what is commonly referred to as a 'people-pleaser'." Ashiko admitted, rubbing her thumb along the edge of her cup. "Unless I'm very passionate about something, I rarely flat-out disagree with other people. And a vulgarly handled disagreement is something that would reflect poorly upon Danna-sama, so i always endeavor to avoid those when I do feel the need to disagree." Sometimes it could be exhausting, the lengths she went to in order to keep everybody at ease.

"Perhaps that is better than being called an instigator. I would say you should stand your ground on the things you believe in, but you believe in preserving your master's reputation, so..." Itachi made a hand gesture that could mean anything and reached for something to eat to avoid taking another drink.

"Danna-sama doesn't mind much at all when I disagree with somebody, unless it's him," Ashiko sighed. "I think it amuses him more than anything else. We argue over how much he eats, more than anything else, and I confess I do not press the issue nearly as much or as often as I might wish." She took a smaller sip, actually pouting. "More sleep and regular meals isn't that much to ask, is it?"

Didn't that sound familiar? Eat more, rest more, take care of yourself...

"Well, when one gets busy with a project or some higher calling, such concerns are often forgotten or put aside for a more convenient time." Itachi took a minuscule sip of sake. "We were always telling the more dedicated monks to eat more or take a break. Is your Danna-sama a scholar?"

"Among other things, yes. But just because you ignore a concern doesn't mean it goes away; if anything, it just heaps down on the people around you twice as heavily." She puffed her cheeks out, becoming less formal and more like a normal twenty-one year old woman by the moment. Or the mouthful, as it were. She looked up at him, almost accusing. "Iori-kun, don't you dare become a man like that, okay? You'll only make the people around you miserable with worry if you bury yourself in work!"

It was far too late for that. Itachi didn't just make people worry. He made them send him to the hospital under orders.

He had to admit, it surprised him to see Ashiko so animated. Was it the alcohol?

Itachi chuckled and held up his hands. "I promise. I swear on my divine calling that I will not become a man like that, Ashiko-san. After all, I don't have anyone to chivy me along and tell me to eat, so I would simply waste away into nothing." Itachi took a larger sip of his sake than he intended and almost choked.

Edited 2014-04-19 00:26 (UTC)

She shook a finger at him, but whether the sternness was playful or in full seriousness was anybody's guess. "Don't swear on that. Swear to me." She had no way to enforce any oath-breaking, true, but at the very least maybe she would flash through his mind and dredge up some guilt should he decide to go against the promise.

She glanced over worriedly at the coughing.

"Iori-kun, you don't have to force yourself to drink, you know? Whatever is left in the bottle when you decide to stop, I'll finish off." It didn't occur to her that a petite young woman downing a large bottle of alcohol might be more worrisome than a man who had yet to acquire a taste for grain alcohol.

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