Double Date!

Shimiko was fuming mad. She was so angry that she could kill someone. She was so angry that she could kill someone at the Heavenly Emporium. Fortunately, ever since the birth of her daughter, she had been trying to approach life from a new perspective. Ryuko had called her a poet and Shimiko was no such thing. She thought poetry was stupid and that violence was a much better means of expressing one self. Nevertheless, her old way of doing things had nearly resulted in killing those most important to her. Poetry was dumb but that didn't mean she couldn't learn a thing or two from it. Whenever she got angry, she had taken to reading and writing Chinoike pastorals. It helped. Barely. Shimiko had calmed down enough to re-think her plans to assassinate Akihiro, his girlfriend, and his whole family. Whatever he had done, he had done for a reason and Ryuko's concerns about fighting a two front war were legitimate. Kiri would forever be in her crosshairs, but if there was a way to get Konoha off their back then it was a shot worth taking. Whatever had provoked Akihiro into earning her ire was a subject worthy of discussion. She'd give him that much. If he failed to take this opportunity to explain himself and offer a remedy, then there was nothing that could save his village from her wrath.

A formal meeting would be too obvious. Shimiko wanted to keep their discussion under wraps and the best way to do so was under the guise of a social outing. Shimiko had been fond of Kimiko ever since she had met the girl while working under cover. She reminded Shimiko a lot of herself when she was younger. After the attack on Moonspire, they were now enemies but it wasn't personal. If she had to die then that's what the price of war was. It was all routine. There was no reason they couldn't at least become more acquainted. Thus, after reading a particularly moving piece about a grand ball in the Mountains, Shimiko came up with the perfect way to grill Akihiro without attracting too much attention.

The Stag Tower was hosting an exclusive wine tasting event. It was the sort of event designed to allow the rich and powerful to rub shoulders with each other despite the ever increasing threat of global war. Perhaps it was an attempt to allow the privledged a chance to ignore the realities that the commoners faced or maybe it was an chance to remind the world's stakeholders that they had more in common than they realized. Whatever the case may be, only the world's most elite were invited to attend. Gourds of the most expensive and rare wines known to man were to be sampled. There were bottles that had not been opened since the Sage's death. It was just the sort of thing to put her in a good mood and refrain from breaching the peace of the Emporium. Shimiko secured two tickets for Vik and herself then sent Akihiro a cordial letter.

Spoiler:

The sub-text of the letter was quite clear and if Aki chose to ignore it then it would tell Shimiko all she needed to know. The Chinoike couple would be there regardless of whether he showed up. She did love getting doled up and going to these kinds of events. Nariko was babysitting Désirée which was good because if it were anyone else, she wouldn't have been able to relax. She and Vik were standing at a table a bit aways from the entrance. The two were dressed to the nines. Shimiko wore a red dress with a silk scarf, red choker with a Jashinist pendant, and a rose in her hair. Vik wore a standard black tuxedo with a rose pinned to his lapel. The pair were sipping on some starter wines. Vik knew what Shimiko was planning even if she hadn't told him directly. He didn't mind. This was the kind of thing he had signed up for when he married Kumo's ANBU Captain. When Akihiro and Kimiko arrived, Shimiko would wave excitedly. She motioned for them to come over but under her breath however, she muttered:

"Lying rat-sparrow bastard. Kimiko could do so much better."

It was a provocative statement but she hadn't chucked a knife at him so this was an improvement. Baby steps.

Kimiko had chosen to dress up in a very cheeky way. See, she didn't really like to be super fancy, and was often super controversial for no reason other than that she wanted to be. It was often really funny to get a rise out of people. Knowing that this was a fancy wine event, Kimiko chose to dress like she was a waitress. It was intentionally done so that people would mistake her for one, and lead to incredibly hilarious situations where someone approached the group of Akihiro, Vik, Kimiko, and Shimiko trying to get Kimiko to fetch some wine.

Well, that, and she thought she looked hella cute in the outfit, but that was a secondary thing.

The woman didn't actually know Shimiko, but when Akihiro had informed her that the head of the ANBU in Kumogakure had offered a double date opportunity, she couldn't pass up the chance to meet a legend.

Kimiko wasn't oblivious though. She knew there was something else underlying the entire scenario. Of course, like any true information gatherer, rather than ask outright, Kimiko was content to figure it out over the course of the conversation.

When she caught sight of the modelesque Shimiko and her husband, Kimiko began to watch them like a hawk, her eyes almost piercing them with intensity, although she notably kept her Sharingan turned off. It likely would be frowned upon to activate it here of all places.

-Analyzing Akihiro, Shimiko, and Vik 1/2

Akihiro raised an eyebrow when he read Shimiko's letter for the first time but not because he was surprised that Kumogakure had found out about who was behind the Moonspire attack. The thought of Shimiko implying he did what he did because he "worked too much" amused him. Especially because he was often accused of not working enough. Now that he did work, people were telling him to relax and enjoy life. Perhaps he could use this argument with the Hokage for some well deserved paid vacations...just not in the Land of Lightning. He had a feeling locals wouldn't be too welcoming. He wouldn't go so far as to label them unsympathetic but perhaps they had reasons to be suspicious, who knew?

Speaking of suspicions, why was he being invited on a double date? And perhaps most worrisome: Why had he agreed to come? Akihiro wasn't quite sure why himself... On one hand he knew Shimiko would be angry, perhaps out for blood even. On the other hand he hadn't taken Kimiko on a date since forever and the wine did seem fancy. He wasn't all that interested in wine but if it was some of the best in the world and Kimiko got to try it he'd put up with Shimiko for a while.

"Cute. Buut I'm sure you know that~" The Sparrow commented on Kimiko's choice of attire. Lately he'd been having difficulty putting compliments into words. Akihiro liked to see her unconditionally, regardless of what she wore or why. It wasn't that it was indifferent to him but every time he saw her it was like watching her for the first time all over again, and it was hard to put into words the picture of Kimiko leaping across the rooftops wearing a kimono with a glowing night sky and moon as her canvas. He felt as if whatever he could say would just come off as repetitive and it probably would. He kept it short on purpose as well because of who they were meeting. It was always unwise to show too much emotion-if any at all, to an intelligence officer.

His choice of outfit wasn't particularly surprising. Akihiro very much enjoyed wearing cloaks over his clothing and so that's what he did. But instead of his usual black cloak, he wore a white one emblazoned with golden symbols akin to fuuinjutsu formulas along the sleeves and the sides. The symbols would converge on the back of the cloak to surround a large Uchiha Fan symbol, the red and white of it outlined by a thin black line. This cloak appeared to be brand new not because Akihiro had gotten it recently but rather because he rarely ever used it. It had always seemed too flashy for him, the man comfortable in black. But somehow in this event it felt appropriate and he was glad for it. Akihiro wasn't insecure about a lot of things, but picking out outfits to wear wasn't one of them.

He'd smile at Shimiko as he and Kimiko approached the woman and her husband. "Shimiko, how are you? And who might this be?" He'd give her a chance to answer before proceeding. "I must say I expected an invitation sooner... it's been what, two years since I proposed a friendship? You can certainly be inflexible." He'd chuckle. "But I'm glad you came around. Perhaps it was my fault for not making a good enough first impression." He'd turn his gaze to Kimiko. "Perhaps I should've sought council from you my dear?" Akihiro knew Kimiko had caused a strong first impression.

And so the night began. Overall it'd be a fun one as long as knives weren't chucked and the wine wasn't poisoned.

"Why is she wearing a maid outfit?" Vik commented.
"I don't know Vik, they're Uchiha who knows why they do anything"

It was another tidbit of confirmation for the Chinoike Clan Leader that there was more to this meeting than a social get together. He had a feeling he knew what it was about but he knew better than to ask so instead he pretended to be as charming and chipper as his dear wife. Shimiko for her part grinned when she noticed Kimiko sus-ing out every individual in the establishment. Konoha's "Jounin Commander" was every bit as on point as she was when the blonde had first met her. Kimiko reminded Shimiko of herself as a young up and coming kunoichi. The only difference was that Kimi had found a boyfriend that gave a damn about her. She was filled with envy and admiration at how the young Uchiha had managed to lock down such a legendary figure. When Akihiro approached the table, Shimiko was all smiles but behind it all lay a venom the likes of which few had the displeasure of experiencing.

"Akihiro! Good to see you. I'm doing well and this is..."
"Vik. Vik Chinoike. Leader of the Chinoike Clan"

He reached out and gave Akihiro a firm handshake. The vampire descended power couple examined every angle of the gesture to ensure no subterfuge was attempted. She gave a fake laugh and replied while looking at Kimiko.

"You must have given him some good advice because the second impression was quite an improvement from the first. Aki-kun, I recall you showing up to my doorstep with quite the gift. A gift that I hope I've repaid adequately"

Shimiko was subtly reminding Akihiro of what he had done for her and what she had done for him. They had last spoken and interacted on favorable terms. If they weren't friends they were surely allies which raised an important question.

Why the fuck did you kill my people on behalf of Kumo's worst enemy?

"Ah yes, a pleasure to meet you." Akihiro would say as he shook Vik's hand. He wasn't exactly worried about any possible threats from the Chinoike clan side, not while he they were at the Heavenly Emporium. In fact it was quite relaxing to be able to talk with other nations without the ever impending threat of death and kidnapping, or eye gouging.. well, with Shimiko here these threats weren't exactly null, but still Akihiro was confident she'd respect the space they were in.

"Ah yes, I did indeed receive your package. Quite an intriguing chemical isn't it? I haven't had the opportunity to test it myself of course, but I did run a few analysis which seem to indicate you weren't wrong in your original assessment." Akihiro would signal one of the staff who was going around with wine cups in a silver platter. The Sparrow had to assume the look of confusion in the man's face was due to Kimiko's choice of vestuary. but the people present in this room were simply far too important and one could hardly afford to ignore to ignore requests, so the man approached. Akihiro would take a cup of red wine for himself and another for Kimiko should she accept it. The look of confusion turned into a mix of even greater confusion and jealously as Akihiro offered the cup to his lover and gestured the man away.

"It makes you wonder does it not? Considering how far our technological advancements have come along in the past couple of years... I have to wonder whether or not such advancements pose a threat to the traditional way of the ninja life." He'd take a sip. Shimiko was likely smart enough to pick up on the subtle cues he was leaving her. Akihiro wasn't one for playing these games for too long, in fact he'd much rather Shimiko asked him the questions she wanted to ask. But alas, for some reason that was beyond him the game had to be played.

"Alas, I cannot help but worry. A thousand years of tradition, wiped away by naive entrepreneurs. The techniques honed by our ancestors, the bloodlines that run throughout our veins...That power is...quite something isn't it?" He'd take another sip, holding the cup with his right hand while his left one reached out to remove a tiny particle of dust that had found its way into Kimiko's hair. The gesture was simple but important, as if were attempting to remove a daring shred of imperfection which dared touch her. The combination of words, gestures and the look he gave Kimiko would make one wonder whether he was talking about power or his fiancé. It mattered little, both were...quite something. His gaze would shift to Shimiko soon after.

"All power accomplished through years of sweat, blood and tears. Which..grants us a respect for it, I would say. A notion of when, where and how to make use of it. I can't help but wonder...did the creator of that serum have the same notion about the power they wield?"

Vik wasn't particularly impressed with the Sparrow, although he knew he should be. Akihiro was by all rights a better doctor than he was but there was something about shaking hands with a teenager that left a funny taste in his mouth. For all his talents the kid had no life experience and that would probably be his undoing. Or not. Either way, he wasn't much more than a brat with lots of talent as far as the Chinoike Clan Leader was concerned.

Vik smiled and replied: "Likewise"

When Akihiro started talking about technology being a threat to their way of life, it was all she could do to not slam her wine glass to the ground and cause a scene. Did he really think she was dumb enough to buy that rationale? That this was some kind of luddite crusade being undertaken on behalf of all ninja-kind? It was so stupid the idea begged to be ripped apart publicly and with much humiliations. Luckily, Shimiko had matured and had a slightly calmer spirit than was the case a few years ago. She faked a smile again. It was her game and she had to play just as well as he did.

"All power accomplished through years of sweat, blood and tears. Which..grants us a respect for it, I would say. A notion of when, where and how to make use of it. I can't help but wonder...did the creator of that serum have the same notion about the power they wield?"

As Akihiro continued to speak, Shimiko's grip on her glass of wine tightened. She took a sip and listened for clues. It appeared he wasn't giving up this "technology as a threat to ninjutsu" case theory. It was a very curious statement considering Konoha's proxies used flying warships in the attack on Kariforunia Island. The way he insulted Damien was trying her patience and eventually she replied:

"Funny how quickly traditions change, actually. Humanity predates ninjutsu by several centuries perhaps even more and I'm sure there were militarists who said the same thing. Tradition this, tradition that, but I think we know, just like our serum creating friend does, that all of that talk was just an excuse to cover up the truth......"

Shimiko took another drink. This time finishing the glass in one go.

"That those people were just scared and incompetent bullies who couldn't hack it in the brave new world. They didn't have the aptitude, or the intelligence or the resources to make use of ninjutsu and so they blamed those who could. Non-Ninjutsu martial arts haven't disappeared...they've gotten better because of the Sage's Gift. Its all about augmentation not replacement. Every single advancement in the field of warfare is a divine blessing from Jashin. An opportunity to better ourselves as warriors. We all know this of course.....which is why I feel nothing but woe for the people who think they can pass lies off as the truth. Its not just insulting...its …infuriating"

Vik noticed how tight Shimiko was holding her glass. Oh shit. He thought a moment too late.

"And let me tell you something else...." *Pop!* The glass that Shimiko was holding shattered under the pressure of her grip. The glass cascaded across the marble floor and several heads turned to see what the ruckus was all about. Vik immediately interceded.

"Careful now dear, those tension headaches have you a bit unwell. Cmon let's leave our dear friends to enjoy their evening while you rest up"

Shimiko wanted to push him away but she knew that he was right. She was in no emotional state to confront Akihiro. She thought she was, but alas, she was not. He was a backstabbing snake and after all they had done for each other, the best excuse he could come up with for his butchery was some anti-tech drivel. He really thought she was some kind of idiot. She'd show him otherwise on the battlefield. Vik handed Shimiko a hankerchief and she used it to wipe her now bloody hand before handing it back to Vik. She would push out the glass debris using her Ketsurygan but for now she'd leave Akihiro with a warning.

"Enjoy the wine. Its a step up from apple juice and I know its your first time so try not to drink too much." she hissed as she walked past him and Kimiko. Vik followed not far behind. Eventually, the party would return to normal. Many wondered what made Shimiko so angry but then they remembered it was Shimiko the renown Jashinist. She was always in a rather murderous mood even when she was happy.

[Exit]