Healing under the Moon's Gaze

--Continuation from Back in Town and ready to--Wait, bandits?.--

The night may have only begun, but it'd already been a long one. The trek back was quiet, awkwardly so, only silence between Azuma and Ei as they returned to the village, coming in from the Dunes, through the pass in the walls, and on into the Streets of Sunagakure. Not being that late, the streets held many people, those who wished to come out under the cooler conditions of night instead of the blazing sun, and those like Azuma used to be when he was younger--social types looking to hang out and have fun under the moonlight.

But tonight would be no such fun time for the Shinobi. The impromptu mission had drained him of most his energy, and while nothing serious, his arm could use tending to before it has a chance to get worse if left untreated. As the man stepped through the streets, trailing if only slightly behind Ei, he'd garner a number of looks. His normally well kept Yukata was battleworn, covered in sand--blood--and of course straight missing the entire right sleeve, burned away in the blast--revealing the fresh burns on Azuma's arm.

He let this arm hang a bit loosely, any movement that flexed the skin hurt, but nothing the man couldn't push through...but why make it any worse when he doesn't have too. Finally the duo made it to a less crowded area, nearing Ei's apartment building. She'd invited him there to tend to his burns. At this point they was within sight of the entrance to her building. The man's expression was shifting as they walked, guilt once more crossing his thoughts. Anger at himself, and sorrow for what he put Ei through with his reckless actions. He'd break the silence...

"I'm sorry I got you caught up in all this tonight Ei...this is my fault, all of it. I understand if you're angry with me..."

His tone, normally full of smooth confidence, lacked it. It was shaky, a reflection of how he was feeling, eyes averted down to the street below, the usually confident man showing hints of insecurity, unable to look at Ei. He may had misunderstood her silence, tonight had been emotional for them both, and since it happened she'd not even looked at him after turning away from him earlier. The man was blaming himself for what had happened, and despite his best attempts to push it back, it was eating away at the man from the inside. It wasn't how he envisioned their night going.

Nothing was said for the majority of the walk back. Her geta would sink again into the sand, kicking it up behind her as she walked just as it had on the way here. That was the one disadvantage of sandals. Somewhere along the lines though she would begin applying a small amount of chakra to the teeth of her sandals. It would allow her to stay atop the sand just as it would if she were walking on water, and so quickly that problem would be solved. Maybe it was an unnecessary application of chakra that would just end up being a waste, but it would be worth wasting a bit of chakra to remove any other annoyances on the way back home. Their trip through the gates and march home felt breathless already.

It was only when they approached home again that Azuma would speak. It was an apology. Shaky and lacking confidence. Ei had nothing to say in response. She wouldn’t grace him with her voice just yet. Not out on the streets. It wasn’t the appropriate place for this. Azuma would be lead into her apartment building, up several flights and stairs, and to the entrance of Ei’s apartment before she would even make a single sound, and all that would be would be a slight jingling of metal as she produced a key. Unlocking the door to her apartment, Ei would push the door open and stream inside. Once Azuma entered as well the door would be closed behind him and then locked once again.

Then she would deflate. Letting her emotions out when they were in the desert dunes or in the streets of Sunagakure was impossible. Her apartment wasn’t the largest despite her being a Jounin, although it was likely of a higher quality than what the average peasant in the Land of Wind could afford. A nice communal space where her paints and easels were laid out (along with a lot of garbage) took up the majority of the space, and then along with it was a small bedroom, a kitchen, and a single bathroom. A cabinet off to the side of her painting room, the one they had just entered into, would be quickly raided. A medical kit and some other supplies would be pulled out and laid upon a messy table, which would be cleaned immediately as Ei swiped her arm across it and dumped its contents to the floor. Her geta would be kicked to the side, allowing herself to be barefoot, and then the obi sash of her kimono would be pulled off. It would remove a bit of the tightness in the outfit, loosening it. It changed the nature of her appearance almost immediately, especially as the neckline lowered with the outfits newfound looseness. She looked infinitely more casual than her earlier professional, womanly elegance. There was a certain tiredness in her eyes as well that told the same emotion. Along with the medical supplies a bottle of sake would be pulled out from the cabinet, and before she would even open the medical kit the bottle had been uncorked, and a cup of it had been poured.The cup wasn’t for her though. It would be set aside to the other side of the table, and she would take a glance at Azuma.

“Drink with me.” It was said as if it were a command, with still a certain coldness in her voice. His current injuries could wait. “It’s rude to drink alone. And I really need to drink something now.” Rather than pouring a second cup she would simply keep a hold of the neck of the bottle, bringing it up to her lips and taking a quick swig. It would be pulled away after a moment and then placed down on the table again. “And sit down. I need to get a better look at where you’ve been injured, so take off your shirt.”

Azuma was still met with the cold shoulder from Ei, he'd even stopped in his tracks for a moment after getting no response from her. His eyes remained on the ground in front of him, taking in a breathe and sighing it out quietly. He'd look back up, composed once more, and continue following Ei, if only at a slight distance. The man would keep up with her, into the building and up the stairs. Finally they got to her apartment towards the top of the building. Azuma caught up to Ei and quietly waited as she unlocked the door, before following her in.

He expected to be yelled at, something thrown at him, maybe even a slap across the face, or at least some harsh words. Some sort of punishment by his teammate. But it didn't come, Azuma watching as she walked past him after locking the door behind them and would quickly begin raiding a nearby cabinet. She quickly made room for what she'd pulled out, some medical supplies, on a table only seconds earlier covered in other items before she had swiped them onto the floor. Azuma mentally sighed and stepped through Ei's home, nearing the table, walking to the side opposite from Ei.

Azuma was met with a cup of Sake placed basically in front of him, and finally the woman's voice cut the air like a knife. Azuma had looked at the cup of sake when she set it down, and between the short pause in her words, between her order to drink with her, and explaining it'd be rude to drink alone. The mans eyes finally met hers, seeing the tiredness within them, the man trying to get a read on Ei. She was always the smarter of the two, Azuma may have been sharp but sometimes this woman eluded him. While he did this he watched Ei take her swig of the bottle of Sake.

It couldn't be helped, Azuma wasn't gonna do anything to continue to get on her bad side tonight. He'd shut his eyes and quietly sigh as he would grab a seat among the mess of her apartment, taking it beside the table. He'd discard of his Yukata, letting it hang over the back of the chair he sat in. He only now had some bandages covering part of his upper body, the lower half of his torso wrapped in it. Hung from the man's neck was a necklace, it didn't mean much of anything--a simple accessory--but he kept it on at most times.

Azuma to some's eyes had an appealing body, just enough muscle tone and definition to seem strong and well built, but not hulking and bulging with muscle. He opened his eyes to look ahead, while his un-injured hand reached for the cup, throwing back the sake and downing it quickly. He wasn't a 'sipper' when it came to drinking, shots or swigs was much more his speed. He'd set the cup down, awaiting what she'd do next, eyes shifting to look at the woman, observing her change in appearance after discarding her obi and loosening up a bit, quite literally. His other arm had burns, the worst only being second degree burns, nothing a quick cleaning and bandage job couldn't fix. Just more scars for the warrior's figure.

She would take a moment to stare at Azuma’s body now that his shirt was off. Her eyes would flicker back to the bottle of sake for a moment before her focus returned to the man in front of her. It didn’t seem as though the burns extended to the rest of his body, and were only localized in his arm where they had been immediately visible. It made the action of taking the shirt off unnecessary, but it was better safe than sorry when dealing with these sorts of injuries. She would do one more once over of his exposed body just to be sure before moving on. The medical kit would be returned to, and she would pull out a variety of things. A bottle of topical cream and a roll of gauze. Basic things to treat second degree burns. None of what he had was too serious and needed serious medical treatment, but all the same she would do it. Sending him off home with these burns, even if they weren’t life threatening, wasn’t something she was interested in doing. The cap of the bottle containing the topical cream would be flipped open, and then a good deal of the white cream would be squirted into her open palm.

“Don’t move. This should feel cold.”

He would place the cream against his arm, begging in an area near the border of the burns before rubbing it in against the damaged skin. It would be chill and somewhat cold against his skin, but that would be balanced out by the impressive heat that came from Ei’s contact with him. She had always been warm blooded, almost unnaturally so. For some reason her body had a natural heat much higher than that of the average person, beyond even something feverish. The cool feeling of the cream being rubbed into the burnt skin would be replaced by the heat of Ei’s hands against him as his skin began to absorb the ointment. Perhaps her warning of the cream feeling cold came from the fact that it surely felt many times colder to her when her body heat was so unnaturally high.

When that was done she would turn to the gauze. She would wrap the gauze around his arm, starting up at the top of his arm. There was no reason to start so high, but she had decided that it would be better just to secure the entirety of his arm instead of only the small section of the burn. It was wrapped with a slight looseness, as not to too tightly compress the burns. The gauze would be secured once she finished, tying it off to ensure it stayed put.

“Alright…” She would let herself rest down on a chair opposing Azuma. Immediately she would reach for the bottle and then take another swig, and then another, and then another. Three mouthfuls of it, and then the bottle would be placed back down. She would take a moment before returning his mind to Azuma. “... Don’t break any blisters if they form. Drink plenty of water in the next several days. Don’t remove the gauze for the next several days. You’ll be fine.”

The young woman was quick to examine Azuma's body, making sure his injuries indeed was only centered around his arm. Eventually after she'd looked him over, maybe one too many times for her own fill of looking at the fit man, she'd near him with some cream. With a warning, she'd apply it. At first it was pretty cold, but it'd soon be offset by her warmth. The woman was a natural furnace it seemed, her hand warm, nearly hot on his arm. He'd fight off a wince, ignoring the pain. The man had suffered much worse before then this minor burn. Azuma's features remained that of a hardened warrior, the serious side of Azuma showing its head.

She'd soon start on the gauze, bandaging the man's arm. While she wrapped the bandages around the man's arm, him holding it out to make it easier for her, his other hand went ahead and poured himself another cup of Sake from the bottle...Azuma felt him and Ei was close enough for him to not have to ask, besides, after this night--he deserved a stiff drink just as much as she did. He'd fire back the cup as she finished up, his arm wrapped honestly more then it needed, but the bandages fit right in with his typical look anyways, the man usually has bandages around his torso and lower legs--even now--why not his arm too. So Nintacticool.

Azuma watched Ei swing back three mouthfulls of Sake, before replacing the bottle back to the table. She'd warn him about how to take care of himself for the next several days, Azuma listening as he took the sake bottle, and much like Ei, took a few swigs of it. He'd let out a frustrated sigh afterwords, placing the sake bottle back down on the table. "...Heh. I feel like it isn't the first time I've heard this..." he'd mention. He was referring to a time back when they are younger, a teenage Azuma always used to spar with Ko, and Ei would end up treating burns on Azuma on a fairly regular basis. He'd lean back in his chair, head tilting back to gaze upwards at the celing, Azuma closing his eyes as he thought for a moment.

"...You've always been there to treat me when I was hurt. Hell...you was there that night...I don't even know how you found me..." Azuma continued on, clearly speaking of the night he nearly died after loosing his eye...Ei saved him, and considering he was in a random country running away from Kumogakure--that was a huge surprise she did. Azuma always wondered how...but never really managed to ask her. A soft sigh passed his lips and he'd lower his gaze, it falling onto Ei. "...Thanks for being by my side all these years Ei-chan." he'd say, a soft hint of a smile touching his lips as he did. He'd follow this up with snagging the bottle, taking another large swig of the Sake before offering it to her, figuring she wanted more.

It was true. This wasn’t the first time that Ei had to patch Azuma up. It was a role that she had been relegated to for a long time. Not just because of how accident prone that Azuma seemed to be, but also because that was the role that many young women seemed to be forced into when becoming Genin. It wasn’t as if either Azuma or Ko were going to do it either, and so the responsibility was dumped onto her. Even though she had become a shinobi to heighten her skills in Fuuinjutsu, it seemed that it wouldn’t be enough. The boys would be encouraged to go out and break noses, and she would be in charge of cleaning up their messes. It was something she took with a stiff upper lip, even if she internally resented it a bit. She was intelligent enough to pick up on and excel at medical care, but it wasn’t her passion. Ei never felt like it was anything more than a chore that Ko and Azuma made for her, which she regarded with indifference at best and annoyance at worst.

That was, until Ko died. She hadn’t been able to do anything. Even though she had done study into medical knowledge she never really cared enough to go super deep into it. When he had been run through with two seperate blades she had been nothing she could do about it. Azuma was forced to run him off to a hospital.

And then again with his eye. Azuma had to mention it and bring that memory back too. She didn’t want to remember any of this. It was why she was drinking right now. Was he too dense to understand that?

The truth was that Ei wasn’t very strong. The fact that she had ever even become a Chunin almost felt like a pity promotion after two failed attempts at the exams, both where she had failed to even reach the final round. The same was with her promotion to being a Jounin. The only thing she was good at was Fuuinjutsu. She wasn’t particularly strong or fast. She was mediocre at best when she came to being a doctor, and even then doing it at all made her hate herself. She didn’t have the skill with elemental ninjutsu like Azuma, or especially Ko, had. She wasn’t skilled at using weaponry of any sorts. She wasn’t strong enough to be hauling around heavy armor. The only of the three basic shinobi skills she really had any sort of talent in was Genjutsu, and she lacked the interest to really go beyond the basics with that either. The truth was that Ei didn’t have what it took to be a shinobi. She was only good at being an artist. Which made the fact that she was responsible for other people’s lives terrifying. If someone more competent at being a shinobi than her had been out with Azuma tonight there was a good chance he would have no burns at all on him. The division of labor between them made that clear. She had only been responsible for taking out one of the bandits, while Azuma had dispatched the other nineteen. Ei was just dead weight. Support at best.

She kept her face steely through this. Once Azuma set the bottle down she would take it from him before it even managed to come in contact with the table. It would immediately be poured to her lips. Ei took another mouthful, and then another, and then another, and then another. The sound of her glugging would fill the room for a moment.

And then she would put the bottle down, empty. That she drank like this was something she generally didn’t do in public, or around Azuma. Besides that one time. She pretended that she was a more moderate drinker when around him in public, putting on the facade of not being an alcoholic. Perhaps he had seen through it in the past, but this had been the first time since when they first drank together that she consumed such a large amount of liquor all at once. Ei let out a sigh as she finished, her breath already smelling like the plum sake she had just chugged down. Her mouth would be wiped at with her forearm, and then she would relax into the chair. Her eyes spun for a moment, and it would take a second for her to reorient.


“There should be more bottles in that cabinet…” She would say, trailing off into softness after a moment. Ei had to clear her throat. The implication was clear though. She was telling him to get some more.

The young Jounin had half expected some sort of response, a verbal one, but he'd only be met with a physical response. She kept a straight face, but Ei had snagged the bottle of alchohol from Azuma as he went to set it down, and quickly drank all of it. Azuma's mismatched gaze followed her as she'd set the empty Sake bottle on the table, and come to sit down in a chair opposite him. He quietly sighed, he wasn't on a hot streak tonight with her, clearly...he must've struck a nerve. Maybe it just wasn't the time to talk about the past.

After she suggested that there was more Sake, a hint that he should get more, the mans eyes shut as he stood up, remaining quiet as he shifted about the room, snagging a couple more bottles of Sake from the cabinet, before returning. As he stepped past Ei his arm reached out, setting the bottle in front of her, before returning to his seat, sitting down with the other he'd grabbed.

"I'll ah...pay for this one so I don't feel bad drinkin' your Sake." he'd say almost in passing, a bit quiet. He wished for her to speak when she felt it was right...much like she did the night out on the Dunes when he was pent up with emotions. He also didn't wish to sour the night any further, which seemed to be his specialty tonight. Truth was at this point he was beating himself up inside, but kept a straight face as he popped the cork out and took a swig of Sake. All these years spent as a team, those years training together, performing missions together...and here they was, in a messy apartment, excessively drinking in relative silence.

“You don’t need to pay. I have plenty there.” She would be quick to respond to him. Even if she was a bit upset and perhaps a little tipsy as a result of drinking all that wine so fast there was no way she would let him pay for a bottle of sake out of her cabinet. The fact that he would offer to do so in the first place made her feel guilty. “I was the one who told you to drink with me too, after all. It wouldn’t be fair to do that and then let you pay. Plus, you’re…” She would trail off for a moment. He’s… here teammate? Her friend? He’s Azuma? All of these things were true. Things had grown awkward between them now in this silence. She had been welling up with emotions until he spoke, in that soft, quiet voice, and then she realized it. Ei trailed off, thinking again. Her cheeks were warm and quickly growing red, with a noticeable flush of blood rushing there as a result of how much she drank. Even if she could handle her alcohol well, drinking that all so fast was bound to have an effect on the way she thought and behaved.

“I do these things because I care about you. You...” She would grow frustrated with her words for a moment, unable to think of what she should say next. It would result in her letting out a big sigh, her plum-scented breath flowing across the table. “You always get yourself hurt so much. I hate seeing you in pain, or in danger like…” She would huff now. Emotions didn’t come out so well, especially when she tried to force them. She wasn’t sober enough to have a clear mind to express her emotions, and not drunk enough to be spilling them out. Rather than trying to continue to speak how she felt Ei would gesture to the bottle in Azuma’s hands.

“Drink. I don’t want to be the only one getting drunk tonight. You better… I’ll be mad if I’m the only one who ends up saying embarrassing things.”

His Gaze would shift over to Ei as she spoke up, a quick response, with a follow up that trailed off, left unfinished. He kept his focus on her, mismatched eyes looking to meet hers if she'd look his way. He could see the blush coming to her face...likely an effect of the Sake--but maybe also in small part to how she felt about what she was saying. He continued to listen as she spoke, seemingly the drinking had caused her to drop her walls a little, and open up some to Azuma.

His expression only shifted when she mentioned caring about him, even if he knew she did--they had spent too much time together to not care about each other's well being and safety. She was trying to express her emotions, even if something was holding her back still. Azuma could see this, reading it over the tipsy beauty's features. If only a moment his eyes trailed, a natural thing for a man in the presence of such a stunning lady...but he'd quickly shift them back to her eyes.

Ei gestured to the bottle of Sake he'd been holding during this opening up by Ei, him having kept focus on her the whole time and ignoring the bottle in his hand. Her words...it brought a small smile, just a curl, to the edge of his lips. Without saying anything, he held up his Sake bottle to her...an obvious invitation for a 'toast'. If she would entertain his invitation, he'd give a clack of bottles before drinking--if she didn't, he'd simply raise it more for himself and those left behind--and drink. Either option...he took a huge swig, a chug even. Half the bottle in one go.

Azuma was not a sipper, this was said before--the man...if he drank, it was to get drunk. He just might get more drunk then usual in Ei's presence. He felt comfortable around her...even if things got awkward, he felt at home with her company. He'd stand and step through her apartment, coming to the window he had earlier in the evening sat in after getting Ei's attention, and slipped out when he teased her. A thought came...something requested back then, but only given a comedic response. He shit his eyes, head tilting down a bit as the moon's light silhouetted the Shinobi in the window.

"A warrior heals under the Moon's gaze,
beside him a beauty, their drinks raised,
a time of rest, for only tonight,
we stand side by side under the fading moon's light."

He blushed, if only a little, maybe not even noticeable in the dark room. He gave her the poetry she asked for, albeit a bit late. Yeah...she for sure wasn't the only one saying embarrassing things tonight after some drinks. He'd go ahead and wash down his fluster with another healthy chug of the bottle, polishing it off...the whole thing in three drinks. Thing was, Azuma didn't have a tolerance like Ei...he stood no chance drinking that much that fast.

Seeing what he was doing, Ei would smile. A toast. She would take a hold of her bottle as well, and together their bottles would clink together. Of course, she had already drank so much already. The bottle hadn’t been full when she started with it, but chugging that first one down… If she was in a more coherent mindset she wouldn’t drink anymore, but these were the sort of moments where she threw that aside. She fully intended on getting drunk here anyway, so stopping now would be pointless. She would take another few mouthfuls of her new bottle, with the both of them seeming to have just ditched cups in favor of drinking straight from the bottle. That was good. Ei didn’t have to hold back around Azuma any more, if that was the case.

She would put her bottle down only to see that he was still going. Still going and going… He drank and impressive amount before putting the bottle down. Not nearly a full bottle like she had earlier, but more than enough that he would make good on her order to get drunk. She had never really seen Azuma get drunk, except that one time years ago that they drank, but that was both their first times. She had no idea how well he was able to handle his alcohol, but she assumed it wasn’t as well as she could, who was very experienced in this sort of activity.

Ei didn’t get to speculate about this all too much though, as Azuma’s standing and travel through the room caught her attention. While she was curious as to what he was doing, she paid it little mind until he came to the window and began reciting poetry. The first few words, spoken with his eyes closed and illuminated under the light of the moon, had caught her off guard. Poetry, as she had asked for earlier. That he actually remembered and now was giving it a shot was something Ei had to give him points for. Just merely trying would have been enough for her, but the fact that he managed to actually recite something that was poetic strongly caught her off guard. Had Azuma been this sort of person the entire time she had known him and she just didn’t notice?

“You flatterer. And here I thought you didn’t have a romantic bone in your body. I guess you’ve proven me wrong. It’s a good start. If you keep that sort of behavior up I won't know what to do with myself.”

She would have to stifle a small giggle as he immediately followed it up with another swig of the bottle, finishing it off. Very romantic. What was better than drinking insane amounts of alcohol under the light of the moon? After a few moments of thought on it she would relax back in her chair, laughing unrestrained now. It was unlike her to do something like this, and was a far cry from her usual restrained and subdued self. A sign of the effect that the alcohol was having on her.

Azuma was glad she joined him in a toast, the two clinking their Sake bottles together. One rung with a deeper note, clearly having less in it then his. After he'd went on and potentially made a fool of himself, he'd look out the window, mismatched hues reflecting the moon out the window. He'd turn his gaze back to her when she gave him credit for his off the top of his drunk mind poem. He'd be lucky if he could even say it a second time straight at this point. Her giggle following her words drew a smile on his face--like the Artist Ei was, always making works of art--even if a battleworn face would be her canvas. He'd turn about to face her, walking back to Ei and setting his now empty bottle of Sake on the table next to its empty sibling. If Ei watched his movements, he clearly was less balanced then usual. Azuma was a fairly graceful guy--had to be when you was able to push the limits of reality when it comes to Speed. But right now...he was a bit wobbly.

Still, a gentle smile graced his features as he stepped over to stand in front of Ei. Azuma had always been kind and gentle with Ei, she may even catch an image of his younger self, smiling at her--times when he was a complete goofball. The good times. He'd extend a hand to her, palm open and inviting her own hand. "May I show you something...?" he'd ask, voice soft, smooth...his confidence was back in full swing, the normal Azuma Ei knew--with a hint of charm.

Ei would have ditched her seat at some point to be standing whenever she granted Azuma her hand. The man would pull her in and scoop the smaller woman off her feet, cradling her against himself. Being close to his chest, Ei would be able to spot a somewhat fresh, but still slightly aged and healed wound on his shoulder from a previous mission--if she happened to even notice. Azuma felt her against him as he stepped back to the window carrying Ei, the woman was warm--very warm, moreso then a fever. This didn't phase Azuma, he was used to it--Ei had always been this way, the day he met her and they made their first ever physical contact, she was hot...literally.

He'd take a leap, it may have been a bit fightening for Ei--knowing Azuma was likely pretty hammered at this point. But he was still graceful enough to land with accuracy upon the windowsill. Before Ei knew it, Azuma and her was darting straight up the outer wall of her apartment building, a leap sending them onto the roof itself. Azuma landed gracefully--an overall gentle ride for Ei--and he'd slowly set her back on her feet there on the rooftop.

She would look up to him curiously as he approached her with a smile. He swayed somewhat as he walked, in a subtle manner that was difficult to pick up on. Ei could only just barely pick on it despite the fact she was quickly growing intoxicated herself. This had been the first time in years she had seen Azuma get drunk like this. But seeing him like this, smiling and swaying as if nothing else mattered, was like something else. She would find herself transfixed for a moment. Only when he extended his hand and asked her that question would she pull that glossy glaze off her eyes and filter back into reality. His confidence would be rewarded though, and Ei would stand up from her chair and take his hand. That he was being gentlemanly about it was something she appreciated. Ei was a sucker for those sorts of displays of chivalry and traditional romantic gestures.

That he swept her off her feet would make her immediately swoon, her eyes widening. A squeak slipped out of her lips without her being able to stop it. She had never been picked up and carried like this before, especially not by Azuma. They had never really… Done anything this directly before, even if they had subtly flirty in the past. That they were both intoxicated at the moment might have had something to do with them acting like this, but Ei wasn’t going to complain right now. She would go still, feeling small and safe in Azuma’s arms. Her cheeks would glow a bright red, lighting up as she rested against Azuma’s chest. Settling into his arms, Ei would allow herself to be taken wherever Azuma wanted.

“Don’t drop me. Don’t... You better not.” She held onto whatever parts of him that she could, looking up to him with sparkling, but still somewhat worried eyes. That she was maybe a bit afraid might have been something that Azuma could pick up on. If she got dropped, especially at this height, it was entirely possible that she wouldn’t be walking after that. At least, this was true after leaped out the window and started to dart up the wall.

Once he reached the top and set her on her feet, Ei would still be holding on tight to Azuma, refusing to let go. With how dizzy she was starting to get there was no guarantee she wouldn’t fall. Clinging on tight, she would gaze around in something of a daze, before turning up to stare into the night sky. It was a night without any cloud cover, and the lower light pollution that came from Sunagakure compared to other villages meant that the sky was absolutely littered with stars, with the moon standing out as the brightest among them. Ei would stay silent, gazing over the night sky in amazement. It was something she’s seen millions of times before, but in her drunken state she found herself appreciating it as if it were the first time she was seeing it.

During his time carrying her, she'd warned him not to drop her--luckily it wasn't something she needed to worry about, the man was a weapons master after all--coordination, even when drunk, was good for him. Once he'd set her down, the shorter female kept hold of him, Azuma looked at her, and kept doing so even when her gaze went high, looking above to the sky. Maybe now she saw the beauty in it like he tried to show her earlier--and had failed. But this isn't what he wanted to show her, no. He had other plans.

Azuma made sure she was steady, feeling like her drunken state may have been why she was still holding onto him even after he set her back down. Maybe the short trip left her head spinning--the man was fast enough to make everything that just happened be a literal blur for her...and thats when shes sober, who knows what being drunk could do to her perception. Still, he'd make sure to separate himself from her, even if a hint of him didn't want to, the man taking a few steps back, letting just a bit of distance be between them.

"I been working on a new jutsu, and the other day I finally got it down..." he'd tell her, his smile fading to a slightly more serious look--but still with a bit of that joyful confidence he was so good at exuding. Azuma would hold his hand down towards the rooftop below them, and Raiton chakra begun to form. This was different then the other Lightning Jutsu she'd seen him perform countless times--this had a different shade to it...This was Purple Lightning--or Shiden. He didn't seem to struggle to put much power into it--in fact he was trying to use as little chakra as possible, just the minimum possible to form the lightning within the palm of his hand. It lit up the area, the glow of purple cast all around them in the night.

Azuma seemed to almost present her the energy for only a moment, before he'd turn around, facing away from her. He'd raise his hand up, bringing this purple lightning overhead. It'd suddenly fire up, speeding up into the clear sky above, before spreading out in all directions once it hit what would be cloud level. Asuma's hand slowly dropped to his side, and a smirk crossed his features. It wouldn't be too long...and it'd become clear what he had done. The cloudless night sky would begin to darken...a thick layer of clouds begun to form overhead...it'd soon erase one artful scene of the stars and moon, with another of dark clouds, beginning to roar to life.

It'd been 30 seconds, maybe a minute, since Azuma released the jutsu. Now...the sky was dark, filled with storm clouds. Thunder rumbled across the landscape, literally shaking the building beneath their feet with its roar. Lightning would pop flashes of light within the clouds..and soon--a faint mist...followed by a gentle shower...before proceeding into a full storm with mild rainfall. Azuma had simply been watching the skies above this entire time...but as the storm begun, he'd turn his head, looking over his shoulder to Ei, a faint smile across his lips. He didn't say anything. A bolt of lightning flashed from the skies above, striking somewhere behind Azuma from Ei's perspective, as for a moment...a picture taken by nature itself of the man who'd brought a storm to the desert.

But...not one to give up a chance to look good in front of a beautiful woman, even if he'd known her since childhood, Azuma had one last ace up his sleeve...well, if he had a sleeve. Mind you, he still was shirtless as the rain cascaded down on them. His feet slid apart, widening his stance, something he was forced to do to perform his next feat without literally killing himself. Azuma lifted his hand once more, and unlike last time, there was zero hesitation--his hand reached full extension, and a bolt of lightning struck it, hitting Azuma, transferred through his body--legs--to his feet--and through the building all the way to the ground below. If the moment Ei watched this happen hadn't envoked some sort of artistic interest in her, watching the man command lightning itself to his will in front of her, she must've had some high standards for art.

It was over in a literal flash, and a few remnants of lightning arced across his body as his hand slowly fell back to his side. His stamina, it'd been bolstered, he'd trapped some of the energy of the lightning within him and was able to convert this natural lightning into chakra--or if he choose too--instead use it to amp his own Raiton techniques. Ei had never seen him do this before, it was something he learned to do during the years Sunagakure was disbanded and he wandered alone--the 'Desert Rogue' years. Azuma said nothing, simply turning around to face Ei, his features relaxed, but lips very slightly curled in a confident smile, nigh smirk. Yes...he was showing off...but damn, he might be good at it.

Azuma would separate himself from her, something that would cause Ei to frown for a moment, but she would luckily still be able to stand straight without his support. There was something comforting about having someone else so close beside you as well. Just more security, especially after something as quick as being carried up the side of a building and set out on the roof. Still, Azuma didn’t allow her to frown like that for too long. He had something to show her apparently. A new jutsu. She would watch him, somewhat curious. Ei had never been the type to be impressed with ninjutsu. In the past when the boys on her team would show off the sort of things they were capable of Ei would always just watch on with indifference, or feign as if she thought they were interesting. At the same time drinking all this alcohol has made her more easily impressed than when sober, and especially compared to her younger, much more indifferent self.

The Raiton chakra that would begin to form around his hand was familiar to Ei, but immediately noticeably different. That being, rather than the blue or yellow that Raiton usually was, the sparks that formed around Azuma’s fist were purple. At first Ei just thought this was some sort of hallucination from drinking too much, but the moment that Azuma presented it to her, lighting up the night sky with purple, was enough to make her realize it was real. Purple Lightning? Normally she wouldn’t care at all about ninjutsu training or anything like that, but she had to admit that this was interesting. With Azuma firing it up through and having it disappear into the clear sky above, Ei would think it was over. Interesting, but still a bit of a let down. Ei had expected a little more than just some mood lighting on the roof, but she supposed the way he carried her in his arms on the way up made up for the disappointing finish.

Then the sky would darken, filling with storm clouds. It brought on another dimension to what he had just done, and Ei would wonder if he was summoning rain with that bolt of lightning. She would be proven correct as pops of lightning would cascade around the area, and the darkness in the night sky would collapse down with a slowly increasing cascade of rain. She would allow herself to get soaked, with the loosened kimono not providing the most protection from the water. With the natural heat her body gave off she was sure to quickly feely chilly, if not cold with the rain against her, but being out here in the moment made it worth it.

Then the lightning would return down to his hand, colliding in a bolt that sent a surge of static through the air. For a small moment the only thing she would be able to see was blinding purple as the sheer light scorched her eyes. If her hair was longer it would be standing on end. The Raiton would clearly stream through his body through his extended limb, radiating through his chakra pathway in a way that almost seemed to make his tenketsu light up with power through his skin. It would be enough to send Ei hurtling to the ground, landing on the wet surface of the roof on her butt.

She would be thunderstruck, literally. Unable to respond, Ei would just stare bewildered over at Azuma.

Azuma's light smile faded a little when he'd realized Ei fell down from it--maybe he should've warned her...blame it on the Sake. He shifted over to Ei quickly, the man knelling down in front of her, and gently took her hand in his, his other hand supporting her torso just above her hip, as he'd help the woman up from the ground. Rain showered down on them as the man would stand up while aiding Ei to come up with him, and instead of simply letting her go, his arm that supported her torso slid a bit more around her lower back, and pulled the woman into a soft embrace--his other hand still holding onto hers. Maybe he really was drunk, because he was being rather forward. Frankly though, this may had been a long time coming.

"I know you're not the type to like showboating...but...I brought you out tonight to show you something maybe worth your beautiful art...I couldn't let it go until I did. I hope that will suffice."

The Desert Rogue's voice was soft, his voice gentle despite it being rather deep. If she was to listen to his heart--easy when embraced by a man of his height--it was beating like crazy...maybe the alchohol, maybe the fact he just took in a lightning bolt, or maybe it was this moment. Embracing the beautiful woman he'd known since they was Pre-Teens. The man had his gaze down, looking to her eyes that had been filled with bewilderment only a moment ago--if she was to look up at the Jounin, they'd lock eyes. Weither she looked up into his eyes or not, his next words came as almost a whisper.

"If only I could show you a scene even half as beautiful as you..."

His heart jumped just a little as he spoke, the only hint of his nervousness saying something so forward to the woman, but his voice had remained smooth and confident--clear--though gentle. Maybe if she looked real closely she could see a little fluster in his face, a hint of pink to the man's cheeks...but hard to tell in the dark and rain.

She didn’t have to stay on the ground for very long. Azuma, the gentleman that he was, would immediately rush over to her to take her hand and help her up. It was something she appreciated, even if she couldn’t voice that right now. Things seemed like they were happening almost too fast. It was a result of her poor reflexes in the moment, addled by the flashing of the lightning and all the alcohol she had consumed just recently. She would allow herself to be held by him, trusting his arms to hold her steady up here. Even though they were both soaked, she still felt warm. Probably a result of the alcohol again, but in the moment she mistook it as a warmth from his touch. Her face would flush over with it, and she would find herself looking up to him while held in his embrace. Her gaze would meet with his, and their eyes would lock.

The next words he spoke, just barely a whisper, would send a shiver down her spine. Her heart had just stopped for a moment. Her already flushed face would be rendered a deep pink, flustered by what he said and how bold it was. Ei bit her lower lip, and she would shift on her feet as she looked up towards Azuma. It was almost hard to believe that he said it. She knew, in the back of her mind, that this was the alcohol that was making him say it. It probably wasn’t how he really felt, or what he was really thinking. Just that the alcohol was having an effect on his judgement. She was smart enough to understand that, although she chose to ignore it right now. She had been drinking too, and her decision making process was just as addled by intoxication.

Ei wouldn’t say anything. There was nothing for her to say. She would just stand up a bit straighter, up on her toes. Azuma was so tall, and he seemed so far away now. She couldn’t reach up to him, and so her only choice would be to wait for him to kiss her.

Silence fell, nothing would be spoken after Azuma's bold words for now, a moment of quiet peace as the young man locked eyes with his former Teammate and best friend. His sensitive senses, even when dulled by drinking, was good enough to basically feel her heart skip a beat, maybe even two, a small pause when she heard his words. They simply kept their eyes focused on each other as the man gently held her to him. He would notice her blush, if it was not clear before--now it was, the woman's face flushed a deep pink. He even noticed the subtle biting of her lip.

Maybe in Azuma's mind he was stretching this moment out, it felt like seconds were minutes, almost as if he and the world was in slow motion. But no, it was just the heightening of his senses brought on by a range of emotions running through the man's mind...but he'd soon feel movement, a shift in his arms--Ei looking right to him as she pushed herself to be as tall as she could, on her toes even. He took the chance, his heart skipping as he leaned down a bit--making up for their height difference--and with a gentle spark pushed his lips to Ei's, a soft, but passionate kiss shared between the two--his arm around her pulling in just ever so tighter, and his fingers interlacing with her's on the hand he held. If she had any doubts, any feelings of thinking he wasn't speaking truly from his heart...this moment of passion should dispel such feelings, him closing his eyes as he kissed her, letting it last as long as it naturally could before becoming a bit much--just the right amount.

Once the moment of intimacy between the two Jounin came to an end, Azuma softly rested his forehead against her's, his eyes shut still for a few seconds, savoring every bit of what happened. His eyes shifted open, looking straight to her's, a smile on his lips as he held the woman...something he might have longed for since years ago. When they met, they was strangers--put on a team with others they never knew. Azuma had skipped the Academy entirely, literally having just moved into the village days before meeting Ei, Ko, and Kawa. Back then he harbored no such feelings, other then a passing 'at least I got a cute teammate'--something back then he would've never admitted...But time went on, they became teammates...friends...he would even go so far to call Ei his best friend, the only piece of a better life left in these days. But with time and age, maturity set in...and he'd seen Ei as someone more then just a friend, but had been to nervous to say something. Until now...with a bit of Liquid Courage.

She would close her eyes as he came down to her, and under the rain they would meet together in a kiss. It was Ei’s first. Not that it was something that mattered, but she assumed it was Azuma’s first too. These were the sort of silly things that she would normally say didn’t matter, but right now it felt as though it mattered a lot. There was a significant amount of romance in the air, and the both of them giving each other their first felt special. It was something close to how she might have fantasized about it happening when she was a younger teenager. In the rain, with a handsome, taller man holding her close. Their fingers interlaced together in a held hand. The entire situation was enough to make her swoon. She couldn’t help but think about how soft his lips were, and how it felt nice to be pulled tight against him. He felt so strong.

It was hard to tell how long it lasted. Her mind was swimming, and the moment almost felt like it stretched beyond her normal perception of time. When their lips parted she would find herself biting her lower lip again, taking in a sharp inhale of air. It felt like she had almost forgotten how to breathe in the moment. She was still flustered from it all, her heart racing and face flushed over with a blush that refused to go away even though she wished it would. With the press of his forehead against hers she would find her heart skipping another beat, and she would be locked down into that position of intimacy. Her eyes would flutter open then, and meeting his she would shiver. Her own lips would curl into a small smile in response to his own.

She wouldn’t move, instead just taking her time to enjoy the moment with him. Ei wanted it to last forever, even if she knew it would be impossible for that to happen. Her eyes would be clearly glazed over, giving her dull-blues something of a glossy look. Her breath would catch on her lips for a moment, and then what she had to say came out as a quiet, almost silent breathy whisper.

“...Azuma?”

Azuma didn't have something like 'first kiss' on his mind, unlike for Ei it wasn't his first, but, did the ones before even count? Lil teenagers barely able to peck each other 10+ years ago? Even if it wasn't a first kiss for Azuma...it for sure was the first to ever mean anything worthwhile. After he'd set his head against hers, and looked into her eyes, he could see the fluster in Ei...but a smile come to her lips. If he wasn't smiling before, the curl of Ei's lips into a smile as he gently rested his forehead to her's would make him smile just ever so slightly more. The both of them seemed to savor this moment of closeness they'd never shared before, an embrace under rainy skies in a Desert. Frankly, it was magical, for the moment.

His ears burned slightly, the sound of her quiet, almost whisper of a voice crossing his mind. As much as he was enjoying the moment, it couldn't last forever. He knew he had to get her out of this rain sometime or another, sooner the better most likely. He'd keep his focus on her, voice as soft as his previous whisper of her beauty. "Yes Ei...?" he'd respond.

“You… Ah…” She would struggle to find the right words. Especially with her eyes still locked with his like this. It made it difficult to think. Despite how entranced she was she would slowly tear her eyes away, breaking the magic of the moment as she struggled for her mind to begin working again. Her eyes would lower to his chest, and Ei would take a moment to breath. The cold air would flood into her lungs, and the chill would snap her mind out of its heat daze that it had been in only moments prior.

“It’s cold out here…” She would smile a bit nervously, her voice still barely a whisper. With her body temperature as hot as it normally was she was adapted for the intense heats of the desert, but consequently cold temperatures would feel much colder than they would normally. The heat she was able to suck away from Azuma from being so close wasn’t enough for her either. It was almost as if she was embarrassed for ruining the moment like this with such a petty complaint, but at the same time she was absolutely freezing in the rain like this. “Let’s go back inside…?”

Unwilling to exit the sense of intimacy now that he had provided, she fully expected him to carry her back down and inside. She was greedy and selfish like that. Still, she would look up to again with somewhat hopeful eyes. “You’ll stay the night, won’t you?”

Azuma listened to her, but she seemed to struggle to get her thoughts out. Heat of the moment and all. He'd find her breaking the eye contact they had shared, looking down to his chest as she more or less composed herself, Azuma keeping his gaze on her, unwilling to look away. He couldn't...not even a nearby flash of lightning and crack of thunder could draw his attention away from Ei. Even so, his eyes may have wandered, if only a little, noting how her Kimono had interacted with the rain...the woman had some amazing curves. Like art, beauty came with curves--not straight lines. Her voice burned his ear, and he agree'd, he couldn't keep her out in the rain like this, even if he wished for this moment to never end. He'd nod when she asked for them to return inside.

He'd held onto her for only a couple moments longer, enough time for her to ask him to stay the night with her, eyes once more coming to meet his own. He'd first blush--if only slightly--at the invitation to stay the night with her, before a subtle smile took over his features once more, nodding. Maybe he could read her thoughts, maybe he just was the type to do so--but even without having said a word, she got what she'd hoped for. Once more she'd find herself scooped up by the fall Shinobi, cradling her within his arms, letting her head rest against his chest near his shoulder. This ride would be more gentle then the last, before he'd taken off with his impressive speed out the window and up the side of the building.

This time he'd take his time, if only slightly, a simple leap bringing them to the edge of the building, and as chakra coated his feet, they'd go over the edge, Azuma making sure to keep her fairly comfortably level, while his body now shielded her from the rain. It'd only be a moment before they had slipped back into the window they had exited before, re-entering her apartment. Azuma would gently set her down, and took a small step back...eyeing her. He'd have to behave himself, but she sure made him wish he didn't. He'd smile to her once more, eyes looking up to try to meet her's.

"Probably should change into something dry...can't have you getting sick on me now, I'd feel horrible." he'd suggest her to get into warmer clothing, now that his little showboating had soaked her outfit in rain. "Don't worry, I won't peek....much." he'd go on to say, a bit quieter at the end, with a small wink. Clearly echoing her from earlier when she had changed. Oh how he wished he could get a peek. What he wasn't thinking about was himself, she was home and could easily change--but what was he to do? His Yukata was dry, sure, but it was ruined in the battle earlier in the night. His pants, even the bandages curled about his lower torso--soaked.

It seemed that he wasn’t offended by her request to be brought back inside. Luckily for her, as she was already getting uncomfortable being so soaked. The kimono she had on wasn’t one of true silk, being just a cheaper cotten, and as a result she got soaked rather than having the water simply run off. The cold outfit clung to her skin, and with how loose it already had been, well… She had never noticed the eyes of men on her before. When taking missions she generally bound her chest, as to not let it get in the way, but with the suddenness of Azuma asking her out to the desert like this she hadn’t gotten a chance to. She had a late growth spurt as well, and so Azuma likely wouldn’t have been used to seeing her in this sort of light. Or did he? She could have just been obvious to it before. Now she found herself feeling the weight of his eyes on her form, and it was enough to almost send her into another wave of flusters. She just wasn’t used to this. It was all new to her. Especially with him picking her up again, carrying her back inside like the gentleman he was. It seemed like he had read her mind regarding that.

Back inside, Ei would steady herself on her feet as she was set down. Back inside and on her feet again, with Azuma taking a step back, she would let out a small sigh. All the tension that had been in that moment earlier would leave her, and she would try to be calm again. She would make sure to go off and close the window to make sure no more rain got inside, and following that she would go to do as he suggested. She couldn’t stay in this outfit, especially as it was made of cotton. Ei really would get sick if she kept it on. Ei was right about to go off and do that when the comment about peeking came, and she froze. This same interaction had happened earlier, and she had threatened him and thrown a paintbrush at him for the mere suggestion. Part of her still wanted to do that, but at the same time it was much less of an upsetting possibility now. She almost wouldn’t mind if he did. Almost. Maybe that was just the alcohol talking though.

“Only peek if you’re willing to accept the consequences.” It was an echo of what she said earlier, although less of a threat and more of a challenge. What exactly were the consequences? That would be left up to Azuma’s imagination to figure out. She would head out to her bedroom though, and the door would be closed behind her. With him in the other room she would take a moment to take a deep breath, steadying herself. She needed a clear head now, after all of what just happened. After a few seconds of breathing she would begin to undress herself though, figuring it wouldn’t be good to wait any longer with this wet cloth attached to her. She would strip in full, and a fresh set of everything put on. A casual kimono would be placed on to replace it, although it was something more of a pajama-style silken kimono robe than anything she would wear out in public. It had no pattern on it, being a simple and unstylish black. Being in something silk and dry again was comfortable though, and she would take a few moments to allow the heat to return to her body again. Even as she did her fingers and toes would remain uncomfortably cold.

Only putting on a new pair of socks other than this, she would return out to the main room without any of her usual accessories. No hairpins or cloth carefully folded into the shape of flowers. Just the blackness of her hair and the blackness of her kimono. It was only when she would return and see Azuma again that she would realize that he had been similarly soaked.

“Oh! Ah, I would offer you something, but I don’t think I have anything that would fit you…” She would purse her lips a bit as she stared down at his soaked clothing. “Would you like me to get you something? A blanket? You can’t stay like that, or you’ll be the one to catch a cold.”

Azuma watched as she let out a small sigh after he let her go and had taken a step back, it'd been the first time in a couple minutes he hadn't been holding her, within her personal space--intimate space even. Maybe she was dispelling her fluster, she had seemed almost in a daze the past few minutes leading up to now. He watched her shift across the room the way they'd just come, shutting the window, and without much of a word she'd heed his suggestion, heading off towards her bedroom to change. His words though, they made her pause--if only a moment--her freezing. Bit this was brief, and she'd continue on, an echo of earlier burning his ear, a warning about peeking...although this time, laced with just a hint of flirty challenge. "Maybe it'd be worth it..." he'd say quietly in response to her word of consequences. Would Azuma take up the 'challenge'?...Maybe.

She disappeared into the other room, and Azuma would come to lean against a wall somewhat near the door to her bedroom, quietly waiting. He was behaving...was...but he almost couldn't help himself. A small lean closer to her door, he'd find it barely cracked. A single Amber eye peered through this crack, she potentially in her drunken state hadn't manged to close the door fully, just in time for her to have finished her deep breathing session and well...Azuma got quite the image painted before him, made up of beautiful curves. But a quick lean back had him against the wall again once she was getting her dry black Kimono on, acting completely innocent...only the band of pink crossing the bridge of his nose was a solid tell.

He awaited her to return, it honestly took a little longer then it should've, but he was a patient man. Besides, he had some time to savor the images his eyes had seen. Frankly it kept the blush he had going, even if he'd hoped it'd die down before she returned. But as she did, he'd turn to look at her, taking in the woman's black Kimono style robe, and lack of her flowery hair accessories. But now she'd bring up something else, his own state of being soaked. He blinked, his mind clicking a couple times over before he even really realized how cold he himself was. Having been holding her earlier, he wasn't cold until basically now--her warmth easily having kept him from noticing the cold earlier. Plus a bit of the alcohol...that didn't help the situation.

He sighed and shrugged. "I mean...I got boxers on...they're dry....my pants could hang dry somewhere." he'd go on to say. Who knew what the suggestion of the fairly attractive man striding around in boxers would do to Ei's alcohol fueled imagination right now. Especially with the prospect he'd likely be spending the night with her in her bed. Not like she had much else place for him to sleep...not unless he could find a couch hidden in her mess. Even then...why would he miss out on a chance for snuggles with Ei? He'd have to be a madman to miss out on that!

She would be in the process of picking out clothing to wear, after having already stripped, when she felt it. Even if she couldn’t see it at first, just the way that the hair on the back of her neck stood up on end with goosebumps told her all she needed to know. It made her angry, with a sweet smile that immediately came to her lips that smelled of poison. Her cheeks would flush over as well, but between these two competing emotions anger had won over. She had teased Azuma about the peeking before, but she never actually had considered once that he would try to do it. It was just something she teased him about. Even when he was younger, and was in the middle of the horniest stage of being a teenage boy, Ei wouldn’t have thought of Azuma to be the type to attempt to peek or anything pervy along those lines. He was too much of a goody two shoes, and that was half the reason she teased him. Then again, they had never really been intimate like this before in the past. Ei was always a frosty ice queen, indifferent to more or less everything that went on and didn’t involve her art, or fuuinjutsu. Things were different now. Azuma was also still very drunk, presumably, which likely had an effect on his behavior.

She wanted to slap the shit out of him for daring to peek, but at the same time she began to doubt herself. Why was she even mad? It was this instinctual reaction. She had dealt with nudity often in the past as an artist. Painting nude models wasn’t that uncommon, although they were mostly women. While she wasn’t anything more than an amatuer sculptor, she knew that male bodies were commonly sculpted. There was also the fact that she sold a good deal of drawn pornography on the side under a penname as a way to supplement the money she made from painting. Ei wasn’t any stranger to nudity, or the world of the perverse. It was just that until now it had never been her own body that was the subject of it. Either someone else’s, who she was painting a picture of, or some imaginary person in the doujins she made. There wasn’t anything shameful or embarrassing about being naked. There was an artistic beauty about the human body that she should be able to appreciate. It was something she had to remind herself. It helped calm her down. Although, she was still mad that he would dare to do it secretly, like some sort of pervert. He would need to be punished.

She had stopped right as she noticed the weight of his eyes on her body, before she had put on a kimono. Rather than putting it on, she would instead leave it off, remaining in her unclothed state. The kimono would be placed down on her bed, and Ei would turn towards the door. She would open it suddenly, swinging it clear open with Azuma still peering in through the crack. The suddenness of it would presumably catch the male off guard, and Ei in her full nudity would stare down at him. She gave him a thin smile, with her eyes narrowed. Just from the expression on her face it was clear that she was going to strangle him.

“Azuma.” She said, a light poison in her words. “If you insist on staring, at least make yourself useful. Come in and help me choose an outfit.” All the fluster was removed from her voice. It was as if she sobered up all at once, and Ei was back to herself in the moment. With that said she would turn around and return to her room, presumably leaving the male stunned behind her.

Azuma had with a bit of either courage of stupidity provided by the Sake they'd consumed accepted Ei's 'challenge' to peek. He didn't know it just yet, but he'd soon be facing the consequences. Granted...maybe they wasn't as bad as that sounded. But for now he was just giving a bit of a peer through the crack, and he had seen what he hoped to see. What he didn't hope to see was coming up though. Ei had moved out of sight from the crack and this is when Azuma leaned back, standing against the wall as if he done nothing...just to find the door suddenly jolt open, making the hardened (battle or otherwise) Shinobi visibly jump, and his mismatched hues went wide as they looked straight into Ei's grayish blues.

Honestly. He was to shocked to even glance down to realize she was still without her clothes. He was more worried about what she may had been about to hit him with. But it didn't happen...weird he felt now twice tonight he was probably gonna be on the recieving end of something painful either thrown or swung by her now. But...her smile, even laced with an undertone, shown she wasn't gonna do that. At least not yet. Instead, she'd simply say his name...followed by a bit of a burn and some instructions. The woman had turned away now and begun walking away, was only when Azuma had his eyes fall on a rocking rear end as she walked that it even hit him that she still was undressed. The man stood in shock, quiet, almost frozen--and face absolutely a cherry. No woman has ever made Azuma blush this bad...guess that was Ei's trophy to take.

"I was ah.....I just....er..." he fumbled for an excuse but he knew better, Ei wasn't dumb, he wouldn't even be able to try to pull the wool over her eyes. His head just hung and he offered no excuse, he was caught. "M-mmm....Ok." he almost shyly agree'd, and with a lot of hesitation, would follow into the bedroom, turning around to close the door behind him, but keeping facing away from Ei. He had a bit of a quiet gulp as he tried to swallow his embarrassment. He'd slowly turn around to face towards her, but his head and eyes was averted to the side, not looking at her--a thick band of pinkish red still crossing the bridge of his nose and his cheeks.