[Open] So. This was Konoha.

[teachingpeace]

Where: Konoha
When: June 4th-July 1st
Notes: Nagato hasn't actually ever been to Konoha before... But he's doing his best to make sure no one realizes he's the leader of Ame... Sort of.

Nagato had taken a few precautions to make sure that when he left Ame, people wouldn't instntly peg him as the ruler of his country. First, he made sure that everyone still mostly only knew of Pein, not his given name, and second, he made sure that everyone thought orange when they thought of said leader. Neither of which, clearly, applied to him.

Just as a bit of added precaution, he made sure to keep on a jounin vest when he wasn't roaming in a kimono outfit, and had his hitai-ate on at all times when he was in public. He also, maybe perhaps was acquiring the habit of dodging his escort half the time because he was curious, and wanted to roam without it being quite so obvious that he was more than just another one of the jounin instructors.

People, after all, always acted so differently to a leader than someone they considered a peer, even a foreign one...

He did, of course, make sure that the Hokage knew, and then promptly set out to find Kushina. He had no wish for her to hunt him down and try to scold him. It was... awkward.

Comments

June 5th

[incubi_abel]

Abel huffed as he wandered through Konoha. He could understand Nagato's desire for anonymity as he was always recognized in Ame, but Abel just wished his lord would tell him before vanishing. He didn't know why he had been assigned as Nagato's escort instead of one of the Akatsuki.

Now if only he could find his lord to at least get an agenda from him for the day.

[teachingpeace]

It was because he wasn't Akatsuki, and thus not indoctrinated with the uniform, or the reputation, that the man had been picked. That, and he was a bit easier to escape than some of the other choices and he could go about it casually.

Today, he had decided to have lunch with his exasperated escort though. "You should really find things to do."

[incubi_abel]

"I'm here as your backup," Abel said, biting of the honorific before it could escape him. "I can't back you up if I'm off soaking in a hot spring."

He shook his head and dropped his voice. "You mean a great deal to a lot of people, and I confess I don't want you to get hurt if I can help it."

[teachingpeace]

"Stop talking like that. I'm here as a jounin." He gave him a stern look, then huffed, settling into his cup of tea. "And you should enjoy this place. I have plenty to do and I'm in no danger."

[incubi_abel]

Abel hummed and looked at Nagato, thoughtfully. He logically knew Nagato could take care of himself, but emotionally, this was the man who gave him a home and a new purpose.

"How about a compromise then?" Abel offered, taking a bite of his meal.

[teachingpeace]

"Such as?" He tilted his head forward slightly, hair shadowing his expression even as he peered at him, waiting.

[incubi_abel]

"Give me a general itinerary in the morning to let me know where to start looking should anything go wrong, and if there's a change of plans during the day, such as an old friend popping up to ask you out to dinner, just send me a quick note, and I won't follow you around like a lost soul," Abel offered, spreading his hands. "I know you can take care of yourself, but you know I take my duty seriously."

[teachingpeace]

"I'm aware... however I don't actually have any plans while I'm here. I'm rather... under the wire so to speak."

[incubi_abel]

Abel sighed, softly. "I'm trying to balance my duty to you with your desire to go where you want without a shadow," he murmured as he thought. There had to be a way to come to some compromise.

[teachingpeace]

He gave him a level stare, then huffed a soft laugh. "Fine. If I vanish, then I expect you to come find me. If you wish to do something, tell me and I'll be sure to stay where you can find me."

[incubi_abel]

"Actually, I'll do you one better," Abel offered with a shrug. "I'll go with you if you go outside of Konoha. Otherwise, I won't bother you or hunt you down."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not sure what all I'm going to be doing here but there is at least one acquaintance I'd like to visit."

[teachingpeace]

He studied him for a moment, thoughtful, then inclined his head. "Agreed. I'll be sure to check in with you so you know I haven't been kidnapped each evening and can tell Konan as such."

[incubi_abel]

"Thank you," Abel murmured, tension sliding out of his shoulders. "If I venture outside of Konoha, I'll also check in with you. Just to make things fair."

He inclined his head towards Nagato. "Thank you again for not getting irritated with me and my requests." He figured it couldn't have been easy for his lord as Abel wanted to see him protected as best as he could without implying that Nagato was helpless.

June 4th

[ghostpepper]

And indeed she would've been way put off if he hadn't told her he was going to be in the village. She had been walking through the village when bright red hair caught her eye. She dodged around a group of civilians talking and lifted her arm to wave energetically.

"Nagato-niisan!" she shouted. "You should've told me you were coming this early, y'know!"

Once she was in front of him, she got a good look at him. A slight frown creased her face and her hands went to her hips. Something was different about him... She leaned closer for a better look, and once she figured out what was different, her eyes squinted.

"I swear you look a little younger than the last time I saw you. Do you look younger than me now?"

[teachingpeace]

If he'd told her then she would have ambushed him the second he'd gotten here and wouldn't have been able to explore. And where was the fun in that? He didn't say anything about that though and instead studied her thoughtfully.

"I do look much younger than I have for some time."

[ghostpepper]

Bah, he's got the rest of the month to explore. Or she would've dragged him around the whole village in a day, only stopping for meals and maybe a short break. Maybe.

"I just saw you like... last month," she said, straightening up. "How'd you make yourself look younger than that? Are you using a henge or something?"

[teachingpeace]

He looked visibly startled at the question, and immediately shook his head. "Not at all. My chakra reserves are simply finally near being back up to full. They haven't been in... in a long long time."

[ghostpepper]

"Back to full? You mean... you're supposed to look this young?! But you look like you're twenty, ya know!"

He was supposed to be older than her! How dare he look younger!

[teachingpeace]

"What? No. I'm not that young." He shook his head, giving her a slightly sheepish smile. "But I haven't really fully recovered from something I did before I met you so now that I'm close I look more like I should, that's all."

[ghostpepper]

"How old are you anyway?" she finally asked, finally letting herself smile back. I've known you for what? Eight or nine years? And I never asked. I just thought you were an old man way back then."

He can't be too far off from her age, right?

[teachingpeace]

"Ah... Nine years. We met right after I turned twenty-six, by a few days in fact." He shook his head slightly and lifted a hand, toying with the ends of his hair. "I suppose I did look a bit rough by then, given what I'd done to myself. I'm thirty-five now."

[ghostpepper]

"Oh yeah, it was because Naruto was..."

Her voice cut off in an instant as his words registered in her head. He was younger than her. He had looked like a decrepit old man at twenty-six. If it was possible, her face paled slightly as noises failed to leave her mouth. In fact, her brain had shut down from the pure shock mirrored on her face. It took a while until anything came out of her mouth. And when noise did finally find the exit, it exploded.

"EH?! You're that much younger than me?! And a bit rough?! You looked like you could've dropped dead any minute back then, ya know! I can't believe it! Are you seriously eight years younger than me?!"

[teachingpeace]

He'd moved forward as though about to fuss over and check on her, but when she exploded he shifted back onto his heels quickly enough, eyes widening a touch. "Ah. Yes? I had overstressed myself for years by the time you met me. It was... I simply strained myself for too long."

[ghostpepper]

She could probably cry. Instead, she just buried her face in her hands for a moment, then smoothed out her hair. Gotta be cool as a cucumber. Keep blow-ups to a minimum of one per conversation.

"I'm gonna have to start calling you 'Nagato-niichan'."

[teachingpeace]

He was looking at her with slightly wary eyes. "...Why are you upset by this? I made no secret of my age..."