SHIKAKU
After a great many years in the service as an active shinobi he'd thought he was far from the inexperienced rookie he'd been during his youth.
Considering his wife's favorite fire jutsu, 'dancing twin dragons' was racing at him, diminishing any and all shadows around him, he was questioning the notion. Usually the Nara Shadow style matched poorly against proficient Katon users.
Luckily Nara taijutsu prioritized evasion and maintaining a certain amount of distance from an opponent. After all these years, evasion was second nature to him.
Still, Ayaka was a proficient katon user them most and she wouldn't be a traditional one if the Yamanaka heiress's proposed surgery worked. If he was going to face her, he'd at the very least honor it properly by training in his free time. Who better to practice against, he'd mused, than Yoshino? She had been the one that had started his niece off in terms of training her ninjutsu.
It had been years since Yoshino had been an active shinobi in anyway and sometimes he forgot how formidable a match up the woman had been back in her day. Still, Yoshino was rusty, the were holes in her taijutsu and her attacks relied heavily on her Chakra. As a former field medic, she wasn't used to getting all close and personal with an opponent. Yet, she fought well for someone that hailed from a civilian family. Never had anyone ever dared assume Yoshino as cannon fodder and for that he was grateful.
His wife was good, surprisingly so after her years of retirement and he wondered again if she regretted being the Nara Matriarch. However with all her skill almost sunken in her like muscle memory, it was still not good enough to defeat him with all his experience.
He was careful with the way he aimed his Kunai, allowing them to pierce her flesh in non fatal area's. Yoshino merely rolled her eyes at his gall, throwing back some kunai of her own as she danced away.
He managed to evade the bulk of them one grazing his cheek, whilst evading the flames that spewed from her mouth.
With just enough distance between himself and her, he could already see he was as close as anyone could be to wining. Her hands were glowing a minted green, healing the wounds he'd caused after ripping out the kunai. Yet, her breathing was heavy and her movement sluggish. Her short dark hair was matted with sweat, clinging to her forehead and her stance was sloppy.
Her Chakra was depleted and her stamina was shot. He could sense the fatigue rolling off her in waves. Still, even though she knew the spar was lost, she fought. It was eat to tell she was a veteran of a shinobi war. Unlike most young retiree's, she fought with the kind of zeal that knew the reality of battle. There was real danger there, if he'd truly been an enemy. Cornered beasts knew only to fight with ferocity till their last breaths. Such was the nature of a shinobi who's last battle had been in war.
Kami help him, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
He dropped his stance immediately and marched towards her. Perhaps she knew the spar was over, or perhaps it was her way of winning. Either way, he didn't get a kunai to the ribs when he embraced her, uncaring of the sweat on both their bodies when he placed his forehead to hers.
Her hand was tender as it cupped his cheek, healing the graze that she'd placed there. For a woman so astute with being rough, Yoshino was always extremely gentle with her touches. A fact he enjoyed as leaned into her calloused palm, uncaring if he got blood on those hands that no longer took lives on the battle field but still looked like they could.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs to her and she responds by placing those lips, still chapped from spewing out vermilion flames, on his cheek. She traces her hands gently down his body, then laces her hands around his waist and he knows by the look in his eyes that his wife, the toughest woman he'd ever known, has already forgiven him.
In a silent conversation of gentle caresses she speaks to him.
Yoshino forgives him for driving the kids, Ayaka and Shikamaru both, from the house. She understands why the interrogation happened the way it had, even if the two of them didn't. Even though he would never allow a repeat of the event in future that also placed one of his best friends in a coma, she forgives the fact that he considered it the lesser evil at the time.
Yoshino even forgives him for not fighting her becoming a stay at home matriarch. She understood that he'd needed the help and kami, she knew she was good at managing the clan. He wouldn't have had a clue how to handle Shikamaru and Ayaka's rivalry and respective ongoing rebellious phases. He still feels terrible she's not on active duty though. There's always been skill her bones and drive in her actions. If she hadn't stopped, she wouldn't be just good - she'd be brilliant.
Yoshino forgives him for being unable to protect Ayaka and keep her in the shadows. He's sure she's always found it a ridiculous idea. She's raised the girl and the girl shines so brightly. Yoshino doesn't believe for a minute anyone could've stopped Ayaka from being noticed by certain elements in the village.
She knows why he disapproves of Ayaka's ambitions and Shikamaru's romance. She thinks his an idiot, or so he gathers, but she forgives him anyway. Yoshino thinks his heart is in the right place, even if his head is being a 'baka'. She disregards the notion of history repeating itself. Shikamaru and Ayaka are their own people, not possessions of a clan. She forgives him for going as far as to battle his niece in an attempt to force ( yes, he acknowledges his son's unwillingness) Shikamaru to be heir as per his right as clan head. He can see it in her eyes, she backs her children in this fight. She intends to forgive him for putting them all through this when he looses (or so she assumes) .
She even forgives that he doesn't intend to loose. He knows this because Yoshino has agreed to a spar, something he hasn't found the time to do with her in years despite knowing she adores his attention. She forgives the fact that he forgets she's a shinobi behind the sobering veil of their marriage.
Shikaku had a great many years of experience on his wife in terms of service. Yet, somehow when she whispered silent forgiveness in her touch, he still felt like the bumbling rookie that had tried to romance her.
DEIDERA
Itachi is relentless throughout the night, despite Deidera knowing his raven haired lover is definitely exhausted. Still, Deidera allows himself to be submissive for once, Itachi's caresses were heaven sent after all. He dares to admit its attractive anyway, to see Itachi so set on being the dominating party.
What he doesn't dare admit, out loud at least, is that Itachi owning him physically turns him on too much. Although he supposed, with those sharingan an fixated on his body, Itachi had more than a slight inkling of what he was doing to him. If not, the fact that Deidera had uttered every profanity under the sun tonight, in varying degrees of coherency, would have clued the Uchiha in.
Still, he'd be cranky and sore in the morning if Itachi persisted with this ridiculous insatiability. Sasori would not take kindly to him limping all the way to Suna and insist on trying to play medic.
Deidera was so not having that conversation with Sasori. It was bad enough Kakuzu had given him a modified and vaguely traumatizing the birds and the bees talk. Or bees and bees. Or birds and birds. Or other pairings Deidera had to question how or where the miser had come up with. Kakuzu was a plethora of life experience, after all.
"Enough...un...you'll break me, yeah."
Itachi slips away from him, obediently letting him breath for a moment and Deidera is content to fall asleep just there before he feels lips on his shoulders.
"I'm sore, dammit!" He exclaims swatting wondering arm's away as he rolls over on his elbows to stare at the Genjutsu user.
Itachi was spent as he leaned against Deidera's headboard. His long hair was tangled, curtosy of Deidera's explorations. The Uchiha was breathing heavily, but evenly, much to his own relief. All in all, he looked delicious but Deidera had meant what he said. He did have to go to Suna and fight a Kage. Rest was important.
" Hn," came Itachi's standard response, to which Deidera could only roll his eyes to.
" You're a baka, un. Even if i was tired I still have to go tomorrow."
"Kisame and I could -," before he could even finish the statement Deidera was silencing him, palm placed firmly over his mouth. He let his hand mouth play a bit on Itachi's lips, amused by the barely concealed glare he got in return.
"Hidan and Kakuzu have seen the Yugito girl before, yeah. They should be the ones to ambush her since she's supposed to be strong and traveling with a team, un. Kisame is the best bet against the Raikage's brother, un and you know the Leaf so you get the baby Uchiha's team mate, yeah. " Deidera was quite proud of his argument. He'd help Konan decide the placements ages ago.
The reasoning was sound. Itachi was familiar with Konoha and its Jinchuuriki was only a genin even if it housed the kyuubi. He didn't really tell Konan that he also wanted Itachi to take on the Genin because he suspected the Genjutsu users health would suffer against anyone else.
Kakuzu had excelled in getting Fu. The same with Konan and her respective Jinchuuriki.
The Raikage's baby brother was rumored to be a perfect Jinchuuriki that also used blades. Kisame had the raw Chakra and sword-skills to pull of that kind of fight, even if he may need back up.
Like Killer Bee, Yugito was also rumored to be a perfect Jinchuuriki favoring close combat and Katon jutsu. Considering Hidan was an immortal and had almost been obsessed with training against those two skill categories lately, he didn't hesitate in giving the Zealot a recommendation. Plus the priest was on the lookout for a former Kumo kunoichi. Perhaps he'd get answers.
He's recommended Sasori get the Sanbi and he the Ichibi. Konan had almost argued, before a flare of nostalgia graced her usually stoic face and she admitted that Sasori's puppets may not fare too well against someone who controlled sand in a dessert.
However a puppet army was a good tactic in subduing a jinchuurikiless Sanbi. There was no way any single shinobi would be able to defeat and subdue the unhoused Sanbi. Unless they had access to an army.
As for himself, he was the best bet at crippling an ultimate defense or so he'd argued. Konan had agreed in the end so he supposed she backed him.
There were a couple of others around, but they were missing ninja. It would fall to Zetsu or Pein to track them down. Depending on what they saw, Konan would send someone convenient out. After all, they were supposed to be jinchuuriki level by now.
Unfortunately, Itachi didn't share the sentiment.
"The Ichibi has a strong defense. It's Jinchuuriki is a Kage, Deidera."
"I know what happened with Juzo and Yagura, un. This is different. An excellent defense is just an excellent target, yeah." Deidera is proud to see Itachi's face twitch almost allowing for an amused snort.
The story of Itachi's former partner was a stern reminder of how powerful both Kage and Jinchuuriki could be. Deidera wasn't naive enough to neglect the fact.
For now, the argument was over. It wasn't Itachi's place to tell him what to do on a mission anyway. Deidera was even looking forward to going up against a Kage.
He'd need to be on that level to ever defeat Itachi.
He'd been told all his life he would be Kage level in his prime, hence Iwa's obsession with controlling him. It was time to test the theory that had stolen any sense of freedom from him as a child in power hungry Iwa.
Even if Itachi wore him out tonight, a still likely possibility given the Genjutsu user was still eyeing him with no intentions of rest, Deidera wouldn't forsake this battle.
One way or another, he was going to Suna. The sirens call of carnage was too much. The urge to create art in the only way he knew how was like an aphrodisiac lingering in the air, incomparable to anyone and anything but Itachi Uchiha. Blood would fall in Suna. Not even Itachi Uchiha could stop that if he tried.
He could only hope the Uchiha could forgive him, if it was indeed Deidera's own blood that fell too.