The Comet Graces Us

Kimiko had made it back from one of her missions in time for her to get ready for Hagoromo's Comet to arrive. She was particularly excited to see the comet pass by, given that it was a very rare celestial event. Some were saying it was a harbinger of destruction, harkening the end times, but others thought it was a beacon of peace times to come, a good luck charm.

Kimiko didn't really believe in all that, but she didn't want to miss it either. She figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this sort of thing with her clan. The thought made her flutter a bit with anticipation. It was a good bonding time!

Even if she didn't watch it with anyone exactly, so long as she was in the compound and they were all looking up at it at the same time, then things would be great. She took a quick shower, to clean off, and spent some time enjoying the hot water.

After finishing her shower, she dried off, getting dressed in a casual kimono emblazoned with the Uchiha clan crest, and put on some sandals. When night fell, Kimi left her house, and headed to the center of the compound, jumping up onto the roof of a building so she could lay down and enjoy the view without craning her head up. Activating her sharingan, the slender young Jounin stared up at the sky, her enhanced vision lighting up the night for her.

This would be a moment of her life she would never forget.


Tomoe 2 Sharingan, Activated

A pleasant night graced the air of the Land of Fire with its presence, with not even the hint of a cold breeze and with an absence of clouds which painted the night sky with a beautiful scenario of tiny little lights on a black canvas. Way above the village, the moon was lit in its full splendor and yet still managed to be overshadowed by the Sage's Comet.

Akihiro had arrived in the leaf through unsual methods which meant he was able to avoid the whole bureaucracy of going through the gates and registering his presence. Perhaps the best part of this new technique was the amount of time (and patience) it saved him. It allowed him to move directly into the village and go right home in order to take a bath and put the bloody cloak for washing. Afterwards he took a long hot bath and got into more casual clothing. A black shirt with a large Uchiha Fan imprinted on its back, in colours. Perhaps it was a bit too boastful but he was proud to wear the Uchiha symbol on his back and these were the clothes he wore during the time he served the Clan as a Genin. They brought him good memories and he couldn't help but feel a little bit nostalgic as he wore them. Back then they were oversized and he had to wear bandages around his waist in order to keep everything in place. By now he had grown into the clothing and both the shirt and the bermuda shorts seemed to be his size.

He got out the house and began walking through the Uchiha Clan District. His duty yelled at him to go back to the Land of Tea and help Sachiko getting things under control, but after everything he had done tonight Akihiro felt like he could use a little break. This of course, led to a moral dilemma that bothered him. Duty versus Will. This led to him raising his chin to contemplate the night sky. Something up above seemed to be calling him, demanding his attention. His Sharingan eyes looked up.

And then it happened. He saw it, he saw her. She moved from one rooftop to another, and Akihiro witnessed a sight that would be forever engraved in his heart, mind and soul. The kimono she was wearing waved to the wind, displaying the Uchiha crest in all its glory. But for once it wasn't the Clan or its symbols that got his attention. It was the body, the person, the soul wearing it. She passed by so fast, like a whisper. remaining above him for no more than a second before the second rooftop swallowed her figure and she was out of sight. "W-what?" Akihiro was left standing there, looking up at the comet and all of its beauty and somehow feeling disappointed. Somehow what he had just seen- whatever it was, made the comet pale in comparison to it. But was that even possible, considering he had just seen it for a second? Or could he have imagined it? Perhaps the mighty vision of the Sharingan was, for the very first time, playing tricks on him. For the very first time, Akihiro didn't trust his eyes. How could he, when this whole ordeal seemed illogical? The sight of Hagoromo's comet would probably be one of the most beautiful things that people of this generation would ever witness. And yet, disappointed he was. But what had been that? If he could look at her again if only for one more second...

Instead, he looked down at his palms. Realizing he could feel the blood flowing through them, Akihiro noticed his heart was racing. He was a highly trained shinobi, proud of his ability to remain calm in the most desperate of situations. For the Sage's sake, he had just assassinated over a hundred people without flinching or hesitating- he was a professional, an examplary duty performer. So why was his heart racing? Why was he feeling so thrilled? Again, this whole ordeal was illogical. He raised an eye brow.

"G-Genjutsu?" He pondered for a second. Could one of the greatest illusionists in the world have been caught off guard so easily? Akihiro certainly didn't discard that possibility, he knew there was always someone better... was that it? That was the only logical solution... And yet the answer came from where he least expected it to.

"What? No, you idiot. How stupid are you?"

The sheer shock of Matatabi's voice sort of awakened him. "H-hey I'm not stupid. Or an idiot." he attempted to defend himself, in his own thoughts. But his brain was still too busy processing the whole ordeal and his defense was poor at best.

"Right, you're making a great job at proving your point by standing there and arguing with the talking cat inside your head instead of, you know, going after her."

"Er, right." The Sparrow said out loud. He didn't even know who he was going after, but against his better judgement he took the advice of a tailed beast and went anyway. And he went fast. Jumping directly towards the rooftop, Akihiro ran to the extent of his speed to catch up with the girl. Of course since he had been standing there for quite a bit he would never be able to catch up with her before she stopped, but his Sharingan was able to track the girl's movements until she stopped on a rooftop.

Akihiro followed the exact same path she did, but because he was hurrying so much he landed with a loud *thud* on the rooftop about 10 meters next to the girl lying and watching the stars. Then it hit him. What the hell was he even doing? Stalking his own clan members throughout the rooftops, basically.

"Now what?" he turned to the beast for help, because who else would he ask?

"I don't know. Lick her cheeks or something, works for cats so it should work for inferior creatures too, such as humans. She smells nice tho~"

Right, Matatabi's contribution probably ended here. He did find himself discreetly sniffing the air tho, but his senses were nowhere near as heightened as the Niibi's. He was still looking down and catching his breath, not having had a moment to look upon Kimi.

Kimiko's gaze was skyward, locked onto the starry night, the moon emblazoned on the background, with the comet lighting up the night with its splendor. It was a sight unlike any she'd seen before, something truly to behold. With her Sharingan, she would never forget it, of course, the image snap shotted into her brain. Every little detail.

Speaking of which though, her perceptive abilities were already heightened, and with the added chakra coloration visible to her, Kimiko was aware of someone fast approaching her location through her peripheral vision. If that wasn't enough, when he landed on the roof, it wasn't with an amount of grace that she would have expected, and her head turned to see who it was, thinking it could be Itaken perhaps, a graceless person he seemed to be.

Of course, she was quite mistaken, and should have known. Akihiro was faster than Itaken even at his slowest. There was no mistaking Akihiro though, Kimiko knew the face of the Uchiha Clan head, even if he didn't know hers. Her Sharingan active at the moment, she knew it wasn't someone pretending to be him either. Luckily enough, her split personality wasn't showing, but she wasn't in an adrenaline boosted situation for the Sharingan to awaken that side of her, so Kimiko was fully in control of herself.

The clan leader sniffed the air, as if trying to smell something, and Kimiko couldn't help but give him a confused stare, attention fully diverted from Hagoromo's Comet at this point. She was still laying down, but she shifted to prop herself up on one arm. Her kimono revealed a slight amount of her chest, as it slightly opened at the angle she was at, but it wasn't nearly enough for her to notice or care about.

"You're Akihiro, the clan head, right? Did ya need me for something?" Kimiko's voice was quite feminine, and fit her well, but she also didn't tend to speak fully formally with anyone. It wasn't rude, nor was it particularly polite. She didn't like to do that sort of thing, as pointless groveling towards superiors didn't really do anyone any good. She liked to get to the point and get back to fun stuff when it came to official business.

Still catching his breath and staring at the ground, Akihiro's attention got caught from the moment her voice reached his ears. He raised his eyes and contemplated her for a moment. Every single one of his six tomoes took in the grace and beauty of the kimono wearing kunoichi and for a second Akihiro thanked whatever gods there were for the ability to snap moments in time. Only by absolute self control and mastery of his eyes did he not immediately whisper a "wow" or focused his gaze where he, by etiquette rules, should not.

"Yep, that is me." He smiled. Perhaps the most genuine smile he had ever shown. Having been raised into the shinobi world at such a young age and dealing with secret ops issues while he was still a child, Akihiro's smiles had mostly been faked. He could understand the usefulness of appearing calm and friendly and how that helped with his missions but up until this point his smiles were just it. Because what else would have brought a genuine smile to him? The victories in battle? His achievements? Those brought confidence for sure, but always in the form of smirks. It was good, but not like this. This sight brought him genuine happiness. It warmed his heart.

"My eyes saw you jumping over the rooftops of the Clan District and" -I wanted more of what you made me feel "I got worried there was someone sneaking around. I'm sorry," am not. "I guess it has been a very long night." that it had.


"You're Kimiko, right?" He made a point to know the faces and names of every single one of the Uchiha Jonin ninjas, so Akihiro had seen Kimiko's face before, and yet somehow it felt like he was only now truly seeing her for the first time.Akihiro's eyes focused on hers and he then noticed the unique trait she possessed. The red eyed Dõjutsu was laid upon a canvas of black which brought out the colour in them. One could find them scary, threatening even. But Akihiro found them beautiful, the mighty eyes of the Uchiha clan and the unique gaze of Kimiko in all of their glory, staring at him. Into him, even.

Kimiko laughed a little as he explained that he thought someone was sneaking around the clan district. "Always on alert, even on a night like this? C'mon, only an idiot would think of sneaking around the Uchiha clan district. That's dangerous on a normal day, let alone when everyone's gathered. You should relax a bit."

Her eyes met his, and she found herself subconsciously counting his Sharingan Tomoe. Of course, Akihiro would have the 3 Tomoe Sharingan, the highest level that an Uchiha could achieve (so most thought). One didn't become the clan head of this clan with anything less, to be sure. Kimiko knew that Akihiro was only a couple of years younger than her, but he was so much more trained than she was that to compare the two would be an insult to Akihiro. She, for all of her own skill, only had unlocked the Two Tomoe Sharingan.

Kimiko nodded as he correctly gave her name. His intelligence was something of legend, so it didn't surprise her that he could just pull her name off the top of his head. "Yeah, that's me. Recently promoted to Jounin and all that. I guess, if you're not doing anything else, wanna watch the Comet with me? I quite like some company, but I figured the view up here would be better than down on the ground. Plus I can lay down, but don't tell anyone else or it might get crowded up here next time."

She gave him a small playful wink as she said so, somewhat of a joking tone in her voice as she mentioned laying down. As a Jounin, standing for long periods of time wasn't necessarily anything more than an inconvenience, but she found ways around inconvenient things like that. The fact that more people didn't think about getting a higher view made this entire interaction feel more like this was some sort of secret between the two of them.

She shifted back onto her back, a small 'thud' as her body collided with the roof. She didn't seem to mind, as she'd more or less plopped onto her back from her previous position, and she found herself looking back up at the comet once again. "So what's up? I thought you were out and about with that Wolf Girl on some mission?" She didn't know any of the details, but she'd thought he was on some sort of long assignment out of the country.

The Sparrow couldn't help but blush a little when she spoke the first sentence. To a point, she was absolutely right. Sneaking around the Uchiha Clan district with nefarious goals in mind would be impossible or at the very least extremely hard even for the most skilled of ninja. To do it with everyone gathered would be nothing short of suicide. Of course he should have considered that, and silently in his mind he cursed. This was not at all a good start- at least in his overly analytical point of view.

Of course, every and all worries were erased from the moment her voice invited him to join her and watch the comet. With everything that had been happening- the mission, the travelling... but especially her. Akihiro had completely forgot about the comet. With an unexplainable inner joy, he stepped towards Kimiko. "I'd like that. And I promise not to tell anyone. I'm very good at keeping secrets you know? This will be ours." He just melted at the wink. Why? He didn't know, but it simply happened. Hopefully it wouldn't be too noticeable but the risk was there so he was glad when she returned to her original position, laid down and gazing at the night sky. Not only would the risk of her noticing his state of mind be significantly lower, but he was also free to contemplate her without the pesky interference of social etiquette.

For these reasons Akihiro's walk towards their now secret place was noticeably slow. But eventually he got there, and sat down by her right side. He too would lean back and lie down, but in a gentler manner. A hint of disappointment crossed his soul as his gaze shifted from her to the night sky, and the comet was not making it any better. He would follow her advice and relax. It felt nice, to let down his guard for more than a few moments. If he were to be attacked and killed, it might as well be in the home of his clan. There was no better place. And he wouldn't mind this to be his last memory either.

"Aye, I was." he eventually replied. He wondered if he was should tell her the details of the mission. Probably not by usual standards, but he was letting his guard down and finally having a moment of joy. So fuck the standards.

"We were sent to find and conquer the Land of Tea. That... was my long night." he sighed, but peacefully. Somehow it felt like all the worries from the outside world were trying to break into their dome of a perfect...whatever this was. Was there even a word for it? Perhaps not. No words could convey what he felt at the time. "And you? How is the Jonin life treating you? I noticed you have awakened and developed the Sharingan...do you like the experience it provides?"

Kimiko felt at peace, even with her Sharingan active at the moment. There was no sense of urgency or demand for her other side to come out and protect her from any dangers, and Akihiro wasn't exhibiting any behaviour that would make her think he was any danger to her. Truly, if she couldn't be safe around her clan leader, who could she be safe around, right? Despite that, the black of her Sharingan's tomoes had seemed to bleed into the whites of her eyes, representing the fractured state of her mind, and how intimately tied to her past trauma both the Sharingan and her split personality were.

They had surfaced at the same time, but Kimiko had no clue what it really meant, as she didn't remember anything from that time. It was a mystery to her and everyone else, but she had a rather unique Sharingan. Still, it functioned the same as everyone else's, so there was no real reason to want hers over anyone else's. With them, and her clarity of mind at peace, she saw that Akihiro was quite genuine with his happy demeanor currently, so there was nothing for her to worry about. Had he had any hint of hostility, she would have been on edge.

He accepted her offer to join her Comet watch, and Kimiko couldn't help but feel privileged to have the Clan Leader join her. As he mentioned his being good at keeping secrets, Kimiko couldn't help but laugh at the irony of that statement. He was the leader of an organization based entirely on collecting and selling information. "Aren't you an intelligence broker? I'd say keeping secrets is by definition something you don't do. It just depends on the price people are willing to pay you to get those secrets."

Kimiko didn't really care. She thought the Mockingbirds were pretty cool, to be honest. Something about an organization that had access to a bunch of information appealed to her. Separate from just being a member of Konoha's military anyhow.

Oh? He and the wolf girl were taking the land of Tea? Konoha was finally making moves then. Kimiko remembered when Lord Satomi had wanted to expand their influence, and had taken Iwagakure. That was ambitious, but he had gone missing on his travels to take another land, and was now presumed dead. After Masuyo more or less did nothing with the village, it seemed the new Kage was willing to continue Konoha's expansion. This was an interesting development.

Obviously he was successful in his endeavors, given his contented sigh and his being here. But that was his long night? Did that mean he'd taken the nation in a night. Kimiko's head shifted to gaze at him next to her. Granted he wasn't all that imposing looking, but he must have something special about him for such an endeavor. 3 Tomoe, massive intelligence, and apparently quite the shinobi. Kimiko smiled, knowing the Uchiha clan was in good hands once again.

"Oh me? Nothing quite so eventful I'm afraid. I took down some bandits while drunk with the Senju clan leader on some mission. I haven't really experienced much of life as a Jounin yet, I'm afraid. Chuunin duties were mostly just village patrol and gate duty, so I'm quite a bore in comparison to you. Sharingan is a mixed bag, I suppose." she paused as she brought up her eyes.

Without a doubt, he'd noticed that she had them, and hadn't chosen to comment on their unique appearance, but someone like him would have noticed. His own were active as well, there was no missing it. How much did he know? Still she didn't have any reason not to say anything about them, so she decided to elborate a bit. "Ya know how the Sharingan is activated in moments of intense emotional stimulus? I don't really remember what happened when I activated them for the first time. If I'm training or whatever, and I have them active, I'm pretty good with remembering things, but apparently using it in active combat where I actually need them, I don't end up with much recollection of the events besides any snapshots I make, so it's a bit of a weird thing. It's like the combination of adrenaline and the sharingan activating brings that first time back, and I forget things again."

Akihiro gave out an enthusiastic laugh when she mentioned the fact that he was an information broker. Once again she was right. And even tho Mockingbird didn't sell information to just anyone without getting something in return, it was true that they had released many secrets into the wide open world from the moment they were founded. The key to their success had been the smart choices they had made. While his organization never lied, it often chose the amount of information it wanted to share. Which bits to release to the world, and which bits to keep to themselves. This made all the difference.

"Noo, I'm an Intelligent broker! Besides there's nothing wrong with releasing a few secrets..most of our costumers are old ladies looking for the perfect recipe anyway,,," This was true. The Mockingbird didn't deal only with foreign governments and relationships between nations. It didn't rely solely on acquiring information about dangerous missing ninjas and other organizations. No, the Mockingbird was open to do business with everyone. And to the common civilian, a good recipe or information about whatever they were researching was far more important than information about a sovereign state or dangerous criminals. "And I'm telling you, there's no pleasing those grandmas. Always looking for more..." He made a small pause to catch his breathe after the laughter and speaking. "But you know, there are some secrets I like to keep for myself."

He would listen with care and attention as she spoke about her Jonin life. He could stay there forever, just letting her voice reach him...simply enjoying it. Yet another smile came upon his face when she spoke about working together with the Senju Clan leader. A few years back the two clans were are each other's throats, and now they were capable of working together even while drunk. Akihiro loved the Uchiha, and he respected the Senju. While his Clan was above the village, he had to recognize the Leaf's important role in bringing the two clans together peacefully. The power of the Senju Clan rivalled the Uchiha's, and past wars had spilled plenty of his kin's blood. Akihiro would rather not have that happening again.

She made a small pause after commenting on the Sharingan eyes. Instinctively, as if he didn't believe her, Akihiro turned his head and shifted his gaze from the comet to her. He was surprised to find her already staring at him...Had he known that looking into her eyes was an option he would have relinquished the comet ages ago. He meant to ask her what she thought of the Senju, but he got lost in her.

Kimiko spoke about her experience with the Sharingan, and it reflected the doubts and fear many of the Uchiha had when they first awakened and began to develop their eyes. For many, it was a traumatic experience that triggered the Kekkei Genkai. But Kimiko's case was a bit different. She was not, in more than one way, comparable to a regular Uchiha. Her condition was...special. Akihiro wasn't entirely sure on how to approach it. Usually he would think for a bit and come up with the perfect thing to say that would involve no risk and get him out of a tight spot, but he had relinquished this method as well as he had the comet. So instead, he spoke from the heart.

"Hey listen... The Sharingan is a..hum, very special Kekkei Genkai. The moment it first awakens can be...complicated, but have a deep meaning to an Uchiha. Understanding that moment and what you felt then is understanding yourself at a raw level. And sometimes...that can bring complications. We do not always like what we see, when we look upon ourselves in that way. Sometimes, who we are with the Sharingan active and who we are without it are two vastly different people. The Sharingan is power, awakened with trauma. And power changes people. Some of us have even renounced to the Sharingan after its awakening for those exact reasons. But ultimately, it is part of us, and of what we are. Discovering what it can do for us, and who we are when we reveal them... that's part of the growth of an Uchiha. But I promise there is no need to worry. The Clan, and I...will be there for you. And I promise I will help you with your memory situation."

He too made a small pause. The windows to her soul were right in front of him, with two twirling tomoes.

"Don't ever be afraid of bringing out your eye potential. Besides, what a crime would it be to keep them hidden... those must be the most beautiful Sharingan I have ever seen." He found himself saying it out loud when he meant to be thinking it. Damned be this speaking from the heart thing.

Listening to his talking about the Sharingan was quite enlightening. Of course, she knew somewhat how it functioned by virtue of being an Uchiha, but something about how he talked about it was just captivating. She didn't know that some chose not to use the Sharingan at all, and honestly, she couldn't really understand it. They were obviously useful enough, and what was the point in having an ability if you didn't use it? An Uchiha choosing not to use it? That was crazy.

Still, he hit the nail on the head with his assertion that the Sharingan could change someone. It was something she had realized herself. The person that she was when her sharingan was activated was vastly different. More cruel, cold, and calculating. It was evident when she came back to consciousness, and she saw the aftermath of her fights. But she also knew that she didn't lose fights, so, despite some of the more... upsetting bits that she noticed, she knew that she was always still coming out on top.

"Beautiful?" Kimiko's left hand moved up to motion to her eyes. She hadn't ever heard that before. She'd been told that she was beautiful, but people tended to be a little off put by her strange eyes. Kimiko didn't really care what people thought about her usually, but the compliment to her eyes was warming to her. "... thank you." Her response was soft, but sincere.

"I feel like if anyone could help me with it, you probably could." The Sharingan had a whole host of powerful abilities, and a lot of them had to do with mind manipulation. Genjutsu specifically targeted the mind and the Doujutsu their clan was famous for had an almost innate connection with Genjutsu. There was probably a way to access her closed off memories, but there was a part of Kimiko that didn't know if she wanted to know everything or not.

"I don't even know if I want to know though. I'll probably have to deal with it if I ever want complete control of my sharingan, but.... for now, that's neither here nor there. I'm not ready just yet I don't think. I've got other things I want to do, although that's certainly a high priority thing in life for me." Dealing with trauma wasn't anybody's idea of 'fun'. Therapists tended to say that when dealing with past issues, things would often get worse before they could get better as you had to face things you might not want to. Things that were locked away for a reason.

As she repeated the word he used to describe her eyes, Akihiro held his breath. He wasn't sure of how she would react and he hadn't really planned for it accordingly, which led him into a state of minor panic. But the compliment came and went like a breeze and she didn't seem bothered by it. He ended up exhaling slowly, enjoying the relief.

"I certainly hope so." Akihiro would reply to her comment on his ability to help her. On one hand it was natural that she'd say that because he was the Clan leader and that was his duty. On the other hand, it also made him feel special. She had, however, doubts about whether or not she wanted to know what really happened when she activated her Sharingan eyes under stressful conditions. This led right into what Akihiro had been saying, and he could understand those doubts. "Well, there's no need to hurry. Eventually we'll have to go there but for now..." he made a pause. to be completely honest even Akihiro wasn't sure of what he would say next. Their gazes were still locked onto one another and while Akihiro enjoyed that, it also put a certain pressure on him.

"Well, what would you like to do then?" Her eyes truly were a sight to behold, but there was clearly a traumatic issue behind them and their power, and Akihiro felt that he had intruded too much on that issue for today. He had promised to help, and he would. But he would not ruin her night by forcing her to talk about such issues, and thus he changed the conversation subject.

"Well, I imagine we could stare at the comet for a bit." Kimiko said glancing up at the sky briefly. "I dunno, figure that's what most people are into, right? It's not often that this thing comes around, and people tend to like things like that. I think it's pretty, but it's just a comet. Although some people think that it has some mystical luck properties. Like if you wish upon it, or tell it your goals, then it'll help make them happen or something like that."

She wasn't sure she believed in that mumbo jumbo, but people were allowed to think what they wanted. It was fun, like looking at horoscopes and astrological signs, but more of an important thing because of the finality of the comet. Nobody would see it again in their life time, unless they had some means to live an extended amount of time.

"What do you think? Is the comet a force of good, or an omen of doom? People like to have their opinions on this sort of thing. Personally, if I took stock in that sort of thing, I'd say I'm leaning towards both. If it's good for some, it's gotta be bad for others."

"I suppose we could." Akihiro would say as he too turned his gaze back to the comet for a brief moment. "Maybe it does have magical properties, I don't know. I've seen some weird things. There's no harm in trying it, right?" This was very true. Roughly at this time in the past year Akihiro had found himself fighting pumpkin men alongside Zurui, and teleported to the strangest of dimensions where powerful but dangerous artefacts were kept.  He did want to make wishes upon that start comet but he wasn't entirely sure of what he wanted to ask of it. Luckily, Kimiko's following question allowed him to continue the conversation without having to think up of something. He knew what he would like, he just wasn't sure if he could say it out loud without sounding silly.

"I think you have a fair interpretation of what it is. In our world, the conquests of some are the defeats of others. But there is certainly something special about that comet." Due to his current company Akihiro hadn't noticed it before, but the comet seemed to resonate with his chakra. It awakened something inside him, it seemed. A will. Matatabi could feel it too, for sure. Perhaps even better than Akihiro but the beast had chosen to remain quiet for now.

"What would you wish for?" His question came with two purposes. One of them was to avoid being the first to reveal his wishes. And the second one was because he was more interested in learning and knowing more about Kimiko than he was in talking about himself. His gaze went from the comet back to her, but this time he caught her looking up at the sky. The moonlight fell over Kimiko and gave her a silver coloring which contrasted well with her eyes and the kimono. He inhaled deeply and took in the view, releasing the air after a moment in which he realized he'd forgot to breathe.

Akihiro confirmed that he agreed with her interpretation of the comet's fortune, but also revealed that he believed the Comet was actually special. It wasn't even that he changed her mind on the manner, but she looked back at it, to see if she could gain anything else from it. And like that, she noticed it. There seemed to be some what of a chakra resonance with the comet, although she couldn't determine exactly what it meant.

"I suppose there is something special." she said, frowning slightly. Somewhat surprised that he asked what her goals were, she thought a little bit in silence, and finally responded. "I suppose, of course, I want to get my eyes to their full potential. That would be a nice start. I don't know. Honestly, I want to help the Uchiha clan as a whole, get it to a more..... well, just more. I love our people. As a whole, find out what happened to our previous leader. Satomi went missing and there's been nothing on that. Same happened to that Akeno girl, and now that Yui girl, but they aren't my concern. I care about the Uchiha first."

She spitballed some ideas but they weren't everything yet. She still needed some time to think on it. "I don't know. Maybe in a bit, I'll know what I want for sure, but I haven't thought about it until just now. What about you? Anything specific, anything non specific?"

Kimiko found that she enjoyed just talking to Akihiro. She liked talking to most people, but Akihiro was a bit more down to earth than a lot of people, especially for one of his station. She didn't talk to many people in a high level station. Kimi wasn't a particularly important person, so she didn't get to interact with Kage or the like very often, and when she did, it was always so formal, which wasn't really something she liked.

Akihiro listened with the utmost attention as she spoke about her goals. His heart sank when she spoke about Satomi and the way he had "disappeared". The former Hokage hadn't just disappeared, he had been assassinated and died in a ditch alongside his killer. A Kaguya kunoichi. For a brief moment he considered easing his conscience by letting Kimiko know happened, but he simply couldn't. Some secrets were too dangerous to be left out in the open and Akihiro would rather find a way to avenge the Hokage without calling for his Clan's bloodlust. It wasn't that he wanted to keep Kimiko out of the loop for lack of trust...but he liked her, and wouldn't burden her with that weight until he was ready to do something about it. Akihiro knew what it was like to know the truth and have to walk around the village like nothing happened. To have to face his fellow Uchiha and nod in agreement when they spoke about finding out what really happened. It was a heavy weight to carry upon one's shoulders and Akihiro didn't wish it upon Kimiko.

"Aye, I love the Clan as well. Everything I am is because I was born and raised an Uchiha so how could I not love them?" He made a small paus as she asked him what he wanted. Either Kimiko played her cards incredibly well or Akihiro was too distracted to notice but suddenly the question he had pushed back to her had been brought right back to its origin. He glanced at the comet again and raised his left arm, opening his palm and angling it so that the he could see the comet right between his index and middle fingers. He had no choice but to answer this time. "Hmm...I guess I want the wisdom to be sure I'm guiding the Clan in the right direction. It's hard to know sometimes and... certainty would be appreciated. The same is true for Mockingbird." He closed his palm as he spoke, as if attempting to grab the space object. "I used to think that if I could just gather enough information, I would know. Now...I'm not so sure. If only the Sharingan had a fourth tomoe that allowed me to see... I'd want that."

He would gently lower his arm place it back at his side. His hand would accidentally brush Kimiko's. "And I want more moments like this. I wasn't aware the Clan District had such lovely rooftops."

Kimiko and Akihiro held a similar view to the Uchiha clan and their love for it. A sense of belonging and nationalism, built upon their clan's greatness. It was one of the most powerful clans in the world for a reason, certainly one of the biggest in Konoha at least. Kimiko's interactions had been mostly with her people, rather than others.

If only the sharingan had a fourth tomoe. Unfortunately, the highest sharingan was a 3 Tomoe. Kimiko couldn't even imagine how powerful another stage of the sharingan would even be in the first place. "A fourth? If only." Kimi was looking at the comet when she felt the hand bump into hers.

With his words on the beauty of the rooftops, and the bump, her heart leapt slightly. She just now had a sneaking feeling. "More moments?" Her gaze dropped onto him, eyes reading his face now, rather than just looking at him. Notably though, her hand hadn't moved from where he had bumped his into hers.

"I don't think I'd mind stealing away some of your free time." She said, offering a smile. If she was reading it correctly, he thought she was cute. Normally, she was used to that, but most people weren't Akihiro. They weren't her clan leader. The weren't Uchiha. They weren't kinda as cute as he was, actually.

Akihiro smiled when she repeated the "more moments" phrase. He felt observed as her gaze fell upon him. Watched closely, examined even. But he couldn't care less that he was being observed. Akihiro's lips had been blessed with a smile for the very first time in God knows how long, and the fact that Kimiko was watching closely as the smiles came one after another was simply good. He wouldn't have liked to have to fake his expression... this way, it was purely genuine.

He could feel the soft touch of her hand. While it wasn't exactly cold out on the roof, there was a small breeze in the air which could occasionally become unpleasant. Not for Akihiro tho, he was enjoying this night too much for anything to become unpleasant. The only thing he feared was that she could feel the unusual cardiac rhythm his heart insisted on imposing him at this time. Akihiro was having a good time but in his innocence and inexperience up until that point, he wasn't even fully aware it was because of her. He knew she was the cause of his feelings and accelerated heart, but he was unfamiliar with what it was that he was actually feeling. And then he realized it wasn't the rooftop, or the comet, or the pleasant night or even the combination of them all that made him smile so widely. It was Kimiko. He wanted to spend more moments with her.

This realization led to him gently squeezing her hand without giving it much thought. His eyes fell upon hers. "My time is yours to steal. I can't wait for you to show me what other secret places you have kept for yourself." His tone was playful and kind. If only all of his hours were free to go on star gazing with Kimiko from every rooftop in the world. "Of course, you'd need to find time in your busy Jonin shedule. I wouldn't want to interfere with your drunken adventures with the Senju~" It was is turn to chuckle and wink at her while referencing the mission she had mentioned earlier. Now there was a story he'd like to hear some other day. But for now he was glad to have witnessed her frst smile towards him. One of many, perhaps?

So then, there it was. Kimiko had been correct, and Akihiro had a bit of a crush on her. She had been used to people liking her, but relationships and stuff like that hadn't ever been something she had considered for herself, since she didn't really want to pursue many people outside of her clan, as far as for a romantic interest. Instead, the Uchiha Jounin had pursued people in a more casual manner, choosing to prefer small flings.

With Akihiro though, she could see them maybe having something to develop. Who better than the clan head of the Uchiha for her to actually pursue romantically? He was cute too, so that didn't hurt, and his hand fit well in her own. There were definitely worse choices, and she couldn't imagine someone better either. But why did he like her?

It didn't help any to think about that sort of thing. Kimi raised an eyebrow as Akihiro said that he couldn't wait to see her other secret places, and she couldn't help but notice a joke there, unsure whether that was intentional or not. However, he moved to mentioning the Senju, and Kimi laughed in response.

"Oh, no. I don't really think I'll be spending too much time with the Senju drunk. It just happened that we were trying to scout for bandits and figured we should do so in a bar. Then there was just a challenge. The dude has an insane level of constitution, so he started out drinking, and I'm not kidding, 5 gallons of ale. Started. As a warm up. Not to be shown up, I got drunk too. Next thing led to the next and we were, or at least I was, extremely drunk for the mission. Probably won't happen all that much."

Akihiro had to laugh as Kimiko went on to tell her story with Itaken. Akihiro had also went on some pretty crazy adventures back when he was doing regular missions- the craziest ones with Zurui. But he had never dared to get drunk on the job. His intellect was, in his opinion, the one thing that gave him an edge over the others, so he hesitated a lot in compromising it. "He drank 5 gallons of ale did he? And how much did you have? Don't tell me we have lost to the Senju in a drinking competition...Ah well, I guess it was inevitable considering their leader...a bit slow tho, isn't he?"

He chuckled once more. Akihiro wasn't really too fast himself, but Itaken's lack of speed was worthy of note. Alas, what he lacked in speed he made for in bulk. But Akihiro made an effort to push the image of the Senju leader away from his mind. He respected the Senju but this was a place and moment he would not contaminate with those forest lovers.

He really was enjoying watching the comet while holding Kimiko's hand and he found himself wishing he didn't have to return to the cold and murderous shinobi world out there."So. Other than watching stars and getting drunk before and on missions, what does a girl like you enjoy doing? I could use that information..for, erm, mission plans. Yes, lots of plans." The lie was obvious but it was so because he meant it to be that way. Akihiro found out he made a lot of jokes and goofy comments when he let his guard down. Perhaps he wasn't that different from other people his age.

"He did. No lie, I watched him drink it. Kinda crazy. I drank significantly less, but I don't really like the taste of alcohol, so I drink fruity stuff that's super alcoholic, but that I can't taste any of. I don't really pay attention to how much I drink, I just quit when I'm nice and at a comfortable level of drunk. Yeah, he drank way more than I did, but he's also like... impossible to injure. His constitution is insaaaaane. Although, he can't move worth shit."

Kimiko shuddered remembering how slow Itaken really was. Honestly, it was a wonder he got anywhere. He could only really even move at a walking pace, it was remarkable. As remarkable as his constitution, but in the opposite way.

"Let's see... my hobbies? I guess I enjoy getting money and gambling it away. I like to see how much money I can get. It's a passion of mine. Gambling is super fun too, I get such a rush! Uhm.... drinking is fun, but alcohol is crap for the most part, like I said. I like to dress up sometimes. I enjoy letting people pay for my things, admittedly. I've still never bought myself a drink. It's a matter of principle at this point. Let's see.... missions are nice? But taking them is fun if I can make them fun. They don't have to be super life threatening or anything. I've completed a lot of D rank missions just for the hell of it."

It was hard to talk about herself and her hobbies, because they were pretty varied, but she didn't think about what she actually enjoyed doing alot. She just did things. Kimiko was a pretty impulsive girl who more or less was a thrill seeker, always looking for a good time, regardless of what it was, whether she'd done it before, or not. She would be the first to volunteer for an adventure, or to go on a hike in a random place, or explore somewhere that she'd never been. "I just like to enjoy life you know? There's so much to see, so much to do. I want to do it all. To see it all. Explore it all. Everywhere. Only ever seeing one place your entire life is boring. Other places have such different cultures, values, and sights. Everything's so interesting."

Akihiro took everything in as he listened to Kimiko talking about herself. Right now he could listen to her talking for hours about anything really, but talking about herself made it even better. He had to wonder why he was only now noticing her when they had been living in the same district for over a decade. This added to the fact that he technically had access to her file and had memorized everything there about her like he had done with all Uchiha, led him to conclude that even tho he loved his Clan he was treating them like...numbers, and names on a sheet of paper. He knew all about their abilities and skills and how they could be of use in a mission. But that was the extent of his knowledge. He didn't know much or anything at all about them as people, as more than ninjas. This left a bitter taste in his mouth and he promised himself he would improve on that aspect.

He turned on his left side to face her with the whole body instead of just his head. At this point he was getting neck pains and knowing his poor constitution Akihiro knew those would last for a while if he pushed his luck. He let go of her hand so he could support his head, by placing his left elbow against the rooftop and holding it there. His right hand would go back to holding hers tho. "Well I'll take your word for it, that alcohol is crap." Akihiro had tried alcoholic beverages before and he hadn't particularly enjoyed any of them but..."I wouldn't know, I never really got drunk." he felt a little embarrassed saying that to her but alas, he was being honest.

"I think it's been a really long time since I've had fun doing missions too. I'm a little envious, to be honest." he chuckled. He had recently gone on a mission with Sachiko and while he genuinely enjoyed her company and the girl's brutal honesty about everything, the mission itself hadn't been fun. It had been a chore and more so a complicated one. Distant were the days when he and Hiroji competed to see who could pull out most weeds, or the days when he and Zurui fought literal dragons.

Perhaps Kimiko would bring the joy of missions back to his shinobi life at some point. "Ah geesh. I must be sounding like an old man." he chuckled a bit again, his duties really had been sucking the fun out of his life lately. He then raised an eye brow, but his expression wasn't really suspicious, more like teasing with rare but friendly smirk. "So tell me, do many people buy you drinks?"

"People buy me drinks a.... fair bit, I guess. Pretty girl, people think they can buy me, I take their money, and give them some of my time. Win win. Well.... win for me. I like to slip away when people don't notice so there's no awkwardness when I turn them down. I suppose you wouldn't have gotten drunk much, would you? Like to keep your wits about you. Smart, given your status. Lowering your guard can have dire consequences and all that. Think you know someone, then BAM." Kimiko's free hand flew towards Akihiro's face but notably stopped short, smashing into the roof with a thud. "Deader than a doornail. Ah, but don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

Kimiko wasn't just saying that to say it. She wanted to keep her clan's leader alive, and would put her own life on the line to do so. That's just how much she cared about her clan. Some people weren't loyal, but Kimiko wasn't that type. Clan honor and loyalty meant everything to the Jounin.

"Ah, nothing to be envious of. You're super important, you get all the important missions. I'm not really all that, so I get to pick and choose. Hokage doesn't really know me, so I don't get assigned things personally, but you're the clan leader. That makes you visible to the higher ups. Doesn't mean you can't still just.... take a D rank. Live a little." Kimiko shrugged. "That's a nice goal, don'tcha think?" She gestured upwards towards the comet, referencing their earlier topic. "Do something to truly just... live. Not for fame, or glory, or any of that."

Her hand stayed outstretched towards the comet, as if trying to take a hold of the thing, before she let it drop back to the roof with another audible thunk. She turned her head towards Akihiro, who had repositioned himself to be facing her, and she blushed slightly, realizing she'd been blabbering on and on. The Uchiha Jounin tended to do that sometimes, and usually caught herself later. "Sorry. What about you? What do you enjoy doing? Other than listening to me blab on and on about the gloriousness that is me."

Akihiro once again listened to Kimiko's tale of adventures with people who bought her drinks. But what got his attention was the details she had picked up regarding trust amongst ninjas and the life of the higher ups. She wasn't wrong at all and her reasoning was also Akihiro's reasoning for not getting drunk. His wits were hos best trait, so why compromise that? His sharingan picked up on the hand movement before it happened so he knew something was coming the instant before she moved her hand. But truth to be told, he wasn't worried at all. And if Kimiko's hand had effectively smashed into his face, it would have smashed into a thin smile.

"Well then, I'll be glad to have you by my side. But shouldn't I be the one keeping you safe, since that's part of the job of a clan leader?" He would ask.

Kimiko's goals and vision were something he had never really considered before. An entire new perspective truly. From a young age his life was his clan and his job as a shinobi. He would live, and die, for the Clan. And that thought and philosphy had ruled his entire life ever since he could remember. All of his decisions were based on what was good for the clan and what was good for the village. He had never really done something just...for the sake of doing, of living it. Even the missions he had ran before with Zurui had been with the purpose of getting stronger and defending his people. But Kimiko's philosophy and her take on life showed him a different alternative- one which did not exclude the effort she made for the clan, but one which also let her live her life to its fullest extent. "I....think you're right. That is definitely a nice goal. Perhaps I'll take your advice and go on a lower ranked mission for fun. Hell, maybe I'll even get drunk. It should be okay as long as you're by my side right?"

He watched as she gestured towards the comet. The thing was so far away and yet it seemed to be so close to them, almost within grasping distance. His eyes followed her hand as it fell on the roof with an audible sound. He worried for her, but he remembered she was not as frail as he was. When his gaze shifted back to her eyes Akihiro noticed the blushing on Kimiko's cheeks. It was subtle, but it was there. The very first time Kimi had blushed in front of him, now there was a vision Akihiro would never forget.

"Oh, no need to apologize. But I'm glad you know I enjoy listening to you talk about the gloriousness that, indeed, is you." He couldn't help but push his luck a little to see if he could get her to blush a little more.

Nevertheless, he would answer her question. "As for me, I'm a simple lad. I enjoy reading, watching the stars with people I like, and long walks on the beach...that lead me to finding secrets nobody else knows." His smile grew a bit wider. Obviously he was joking about the beach part but the question had made him realize he couldn't quite remember what he enjoyed doing other than reading. It had been too long since he'd had a bit of fun. "I guess I really enjoy the thrill of learning. Going to places no one has ever been to. Discovering them, discovering new things. Be it places, jutsu, creatures... even people. The thrill makes me happy." he paused for a bit, before continuing. "Just tonight I found this amazing rooftop with the best view, shown to me by this fascinating girl. I would show it to you, but I promised to keep it a secret." Akihiro placed his index finger over his lips and winked, his hand then returning back to where he felt it belonged.

"We'll keep each other safe then. I'd say more or less, it's my job as a member of the clan to keep you personally safe and it's your job as the clan leader to keep the entire clan safe as a whole. Mutually beneficial and all that. If you wanna get drunk and do a mission, I'll be by your side the entire time. I'd love to see it."

Kimiko blushed a little more as he confirmed that he enjoyed her gloriousness. She didn't often care, so this was a bit of a rare moment, comet not withstanding. Perhaps it was the mood, the roof, the meteor itself, but the atmosphere was almost romantic, even without another person present.

Then, answering her question in his own way, Akihiro told her a little bit about himself. Well, not particularly. He avoided the question with mostly jokes, if she wanted to be nitpicky. Simple indeed, if he only liked to read and was going to enjoy spending time with her, and referencing this night. Or long walks on the beach, the cliche answer. Rolling her eyes, Kimiko's black and red eyes met Akihiro's once again as he gave it some more thought.

The two of them were pretty much kindred spirits in the regard that they liked to learn more about everything, and explore as much as they could. New things were pretty fun to get to know, she had no doubt about that. Smiling coyly, Kimiko winked. "Well then I guess I'll have to wait to know the secrets of the rooftop then."

Turning back to the comet, as she liked to default to staring at it, Kimiko watched the trail of the thing blaze through its colors. "I wonder what it's like out there. Up there. Or just... out there. Not just at the comet, but.... you know." Kimiko's mind blanched at the thought of the great expanse of space, and whether or not there were other planets out there, and what the comet itself was like, and if there was other life, and what it was like, and so on and so forth.

Akihiro liked the premise of the two of them keeping each other safe. He wasn't really considering any fighting the two of them would have to do, instead he was considering the time they'd have to spend together to make that come true. It seemed quite a promising adventure. Once more he melted inside at her wink but almost as if she guessed what his heart feared she turned her glance away back to the comet before Akihiro's blush could be seen. Maybe her Sharingan had picked up on it, maybe not. Either way she hadn't referenced it and had instead returned to looking at the comet. Akihiro appreciated that, even if it was a bit unfair since he got to enjoy her blushing even more.

Her comment on the wonders of space and whatever was out there got Akihiro thinking. He had heard something about it before, he just wasn't sure if it was true. "Well," he began, knowing that all legends had a base of truth and unsure of where this base laid in this particular tale. "if one believes the legends of old, then there is certainly something out there. It is said that chakra isn't originally from this planet, that it was gifted to us by an ancient civilization. Looking at the comet, I am certainly inclined to agree it doesn't exist just here. So perhaps the old tales are true and it did come from space. On the other hand..."

Akihiro had a sudden flashback to his adventure at the castle of Count...what was it, Volog? Ah it didn't matter, he remembered the adventure itself quite vividly. "I am 100% sure other dimensions exist. I've been to one, once. It was crazy and dangerous. It could be that chakra came from there instead, you know. And since Space-time Ninjutsu is a thing, maybe one day we'll be able to freely explore such a dimension. I bet you'd like that, huh?"

Akihiro wondered if Flying Thunder God could be used for such purposes. Probably not. It was a jutsu designed for transporting things between dimensional gates but it required a dimensional gate to actually exist. So maybe it could transport people between dimensions but it couldn't really pave the road for it. Maybe Zurui would have known the answer...but alas, Zurui was dead. "Maybe that should be our mission. A drunk space adventure, how about that?" he smiled at the thought.

Kimiko shot up from her laying position to a sitting position, rounding on Akihiro with an enthusiasm rarely rivaled by anyone. "Wait, you've been to another dimension and didn't think that was something important to mention until just now? What was it like? Where was it? How'd you get there? How can I get there?"

She more or less completely ignored the rest of the conversation, and the debate about origins of chakra, or even caring about travelling to the comet. In her mind, it was already verified that there was something else out there, and if Akihiro was to be believed, then there were other people out there for sure.

True to form, and pretty quickly moving through her thoughts, Kimiko's eyes widened and shot upwards, looking towards the comet with a more intense scrutiny than before. "Do you think the comet has someone on it? And they're travelling here?" Despite her being so far away from it, Kimiko could swear that she could make out people moving around on the surface of the comet, but that was surely just a trick of her mind. The sharingan was powerful, but it wasn't exactly that good at seeing things.

"Man... I want to get closer now." Kimiko's mind tended to make up fantastical situations out of even the smallest things.