Stage Three – Hot Workout
By: Shin Sankai
Small stones cracked beneath Aoshi's feet as he walked his way back to the Aoi-ya. He'd just spent the early part of his morning sipping tea with the local monks at the temple he used to frequent. He'd seen them last week earlier in passing and promised to share tea with them. This morning he quietly listened to what the head monk had to say. Guilt still rained heavily within his eyes, but sunlight was slowly and effectively breaking through. To the elder men sunlight was more appropriate for a man such as he. With this cryptic news, Aoshi thanked them and changed out of the yukata and back into his training uniform.
Pushing the Aoi-ya gate open, noise boomed from the restaurant as Aoshi drew closer to the porch. Slowly he made his way inside, glancing around at the happy customers. His green eyes only searched for one person in particular but the bright blue eyes, the swishing of a long braid were no where to be found.
"Is my Misao-chan avoiding you Aoshi-kun?" Green turned to stare down at a smiling crinkled face that belonged to the eldest ninja in the Oniwabanshuu.
"Perhaps…" Aoshi's replied and it made Okina frown slightly.
"Don't worry my boy, everything is fine, though I'm not too sure what is wrong with Misao-chan these days." Okina prattled away while slapping Aoshi on the shoulder. "She's been far to engrossed in training then anything else. All the young men don't come inside when they don't see her pretty young face moving about the restaurant."
"Misao isn't a toy to show off Okina." His voice had grown deeper and his eyes narrowed.
"Hai, hai… Though I wonder why she wishes to train so hard these days. Its far too hot, she'll wear herself out."
"She only wishes to be stronger." And that reasoning clicked instantly inside Aoshi's head after he spoke it as to why he and Misao hadn't been talking lately.
"Stronger? What an odd thing to do. Why on earth would she…" Okina stopped his questioning as his eyes met green. "Ah, I see…" Crinkled eyes moved towards a table that was occupied by a young newly wed couple before turning to stare up at the mysterious ex-Okashira. "Do you know what Misao most wants?" Okina did not wait for Aoshi to question him. "To become your equal."
"This I already know."
"Do you also know that finding strength such as yours will take her forever?" Aoshi voiced nothing as he too quietly watched the oblivious couple. "You do realise that there is another way Misao can be equal with you Aoshi."
"That is not your concern old man." Okina grinned happily as Aoshi walked through the crowd and towards the shoji that would lead to their private residence. Aoshi had not called him 'old man' in quite some time and decided to wave Okon over to get him some sake. He was certain that his feisty Misao-chan would hurry Aoshi along if he weren't too careful. Just the thought brought another grin to Okina's throat and he moved to a table and sat with three very displeased young women.
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Moving towards the back shoji Aoshi slid it across and closed it quietly behind him. He heard small battle cries, which were none other then Misao's. She spent most of her mornings in the dojo like he had at the temple long ago. Nowadays Aoshi rarely visited the temple and in fact would sit in the office catching up on paperwork that Misao was neglecting as leader. Okina had brought it to his attention and without asking Misao for approval to do the paperwork he did it anyway. She had looked quite busy and exhausted that when she finally sat down to read them over he would come into the office and find her sleeping at the desk. Reading over countless scrolls had never been one of Misao's strong points. Aoshi could remember reading them over when he was Okashira at 15 and remembered Misao's young pleading eyes wanting to help him with his work. In the end she would always fall asleep curled up like a small animal in his lap.
As Aoshi made his way over to the dojo, the sun beamed heavily down on his black hair. The heat made the clothes he wore slightly uncomfortable. With a flick of his wrist the white tie holding his gi closed came undone. The material shifted away from his skin, allowing it to breath when a warm breeze drifted through. Carrying the long white tie within one hand Aoshi moved quietly up the stairs and stood in the open shoji to see Misao doing a very familiar workout. The elder and more experienced ninja crouched on the ground, away from the shoji making sure his shadow did not loom onto the floorboards to give away his position and quietly observed Misao glide through a kata he had taught her over 10 years ago.
Her movements were more precise, flowed better as did her feet over the floorboards. None creaked as she glided over them, her bare feet moving this way and that as did her arms. Aoshi tilted his head slightly as when Misao faced him, with eyes closed in concentration, he found that her own gi was open just like his.
"Right…" He listened to her mumble, her back to him and he instantly raised an eyebrow when she flicked the gi off, revealing her wraps beneath as well as pale unblemished skin. He would certainly need to speak to Okon and Omasu to once again remind Misao to not shed her clothing when in the presence of a man whom she was not betrothed to. Though as Aoshi watched her, not once turning his eyes away from the view she was giving him, he too was at fault for not announcing his presence.
Still crouched on the ground Aoshi observed Misao begin her kunai practice. Just looking at her stance, at the inappropriate way she held her kunai he was certain she was not thinking straight. The four kunai that were thrown did not come close to hitting any vital points on the practice doll.
"Ah man!" Again Misao threw another four kunai and only one hit in the abdomen area of the doll while the other three sunk into the wall or the post the doll was tied to. Aoshi observed Misao's shoulders tense, her hands fisting as once again she began to grumble.
"Dammit Kami-sama, give me a break!" This time only two, out of sheer frustration Aoshi was sure of this, ended up hitting the doll. None would be fatal and would allow any attacker to flee. She made a slight 'argh' noise, fed up with how badly she was doing and threw down her other kunai like a child. With hands on hips Aoshi watched Misao turn around, her eyes coming in contact with his form near the sunlit shoji. She jumped instantly.
"Ah, Aoshi-sama!"
"I outrank Kami-sama? That is interesting." Aoshi mumbled and got up to walk over towards Misao. She stood before him, not once scrambling for her discarded gi like most girls would have. Though most girls would not be practicing martial arts. Aoshi took notice that blue eyes, once again looked him over with his purple gi open and revealing scarred tanned skin underneath.
"You should not give up so easily."
"Hmm?" Misao muttered, almost in a slight daze as Aoshi stood right before her, his musky scented body almost touching hers. Instead her breath came out in a rush when his experienced gloved hands rose up the length of her bare arms to rest against her shoulders.
"A-Aoshi-sama…" His name was but a whisper against her slightly parted lips as Aoshi turned her around to face the practice doll once more. Silently the two connected. Aoshi directed Misao's legs with his own, placing her into a stronger stance. One hand intimately rested against her hip, fingers splayed and feeling the warmth of pale skin. His right arm moved around her body and over her shoulders directing Misao quietly to place her arms in an appropriate position. His fingers on his right hand once again smoothly glided down Misao's right arm, placing two kunai between her fingers.
"More isn't necessarily the correct way to defeat your opponent." Aoshi murmured into Misao's ear. He was certain she shivered within his grip but directed her through his throwing technique, his larger hand held hers, guiding the speed, the direction of her arm as they both threw the kunai towards the straw doll. One dug into the throat area while the other sailed perfectly into the heart.
"YES!" Misao cheered and turned in the slight embrace, her bound chest pressed to Aoshi's. He watched as her face flushed prettily at their bodies being once again so close together. His eyebrow rose as Misao's hands lifted up to rest against his own hips, her forehead coming in to connect where his heart lay beneath his ribcage.
"I want to be strong like you." Aoshi raised his hands, placing them lightly on Misao's shoulders. With a soft tug of her braid, Misao glanced up at Aoshi.
"You don't have to fight so hard to be my equal Misao." He watched her blush, having discovered what she was doing all along, but before she could tilt her head away Aoshi caught it within his soft grip. "Have you ever thought about asking me if I wanted you to be equal to me?" A flash of emotion moved over her eyes. Perhaps that wasn't the right way of putting his question. The pouting came soon afterwards and before Misao could break from him to sulk, Aoshi did something he had not done in quite sometime. He hugged her, pulling her even closer.
"Let go!" She mumbled into his chest, Aoshi feeling something within his heart at Misao's lips touching his bare skin.
"What if, I already think you are my equal?"
"Eh?" Misao looked up at Aoshi, her chin against his chest with his face tilted down to hers. There was a slight smirk against his lips as he spoke softly to her.
"To the one who has seen me at my worst and still remained at my side. You hold the greatest strength without even realising it. Do you not see all those around you are trying to learn from you? Especially me…"
"Learn…from me?"
"Your eyes will never lie to me. They hold true to what you honestly believe and feel…for me." Aoshi listened to Misao take a breath in, on a slight gasp and raised one of her hands to his chest. "To you I am your equal, the one you want to be with for all of time. I've known this for some time now, but have only recently accepted it. Do you know what that makes me feel when someone like you wants someone so tainted with the blood of hundreds on their hands like me?"
"Iie…"
"It makes me want to become stronger, to be able to live with the past. To be able to say 'yes, I was a murderer and I was punished for it. There was nothing in this world that could have prevented it'. To be free of guilt."
"I can help you Aoshi-sama! I know I can!" The love in her eyes made his heart ache as Aoshi held her hand over his heart.
"You already do Misao. When you are near, my heart begins to feel so many things. Some painful for there are times when I believe I'm not meant to live a happy life because of the deaths I have caused." He watched her shake her head, disagreeing as usual to what he was thinking and feeling at times. "Its alright, because more so then usual I am slowly beginning to see a future within the sunlight before me."
"Aoshi-sama…" Her eyes swam with tears, but Misao would not allow them to fall. Instead she rose to her tiptoes, her slightly parted mouth oh so close to Aoshi's. "Can I…" Misao began, unable to finish her unspoken question when warm lips pressed to the corner of her mouth, mainly catching her cheek. Her eyes closed as Aoshi's cheek rubbed softly over hers, his lips trailing over to rest near her earlobe.
"We are crossing a line that cannot be crossed for we are not betrothed." Those words were a dull thud in Misao's heart as Aoshi softly pulled away. "I'll leave you to your workout."
"Stay!" Aoshi looked down at Misao, her chest heaving slightly as her tight wraps protectively covered bound breasts even if there was a slight detectable plumpness at the top. "I want to be with you!" His eyebrow rose at her outspoken words. "I mean I want you to be with me! Ah, that is, here, in the dojo…to help me practice!" By now Aoshi headed towards the shoji, his gi flapping lightly in the wind. He rested his hand on the shoji and looked back at Misao over his shoulder. She was standing before him in her impossible small short, hands twisting in nervousness; cheeks still rosy and her skin glowing with sweat.
"I've distracted you long enough." She gapped at him as he walked off and once he was out of sight Misao collapsed to the ground. Her legs could not hold her up any longer. She cupped her face within her hands and made several victory squeals. Taking her hands away Misao felt a bright smile form over her lips. She scrambled to her feet and picked up her discarded uniform top. Placing it on and tying it up, the young shinobi began breathing exercises as thoughts rushed within her mind.
"You won't get away that easily Aoshi-sama." Misao muttered to herself, hand rising to feel where he'd left another kiss. She moved to the opened shoji just in time to see Aoshi head towards the front of the Aoi-ya and possibly into the restaurant.
With heart pounding in her ears Misao followed Aoshi's pathway and was inside the Aoi-ya before she could take a second breath. Okon and Omasu were scurrying about taking orders, Shiro and Kuro would be cooking away in the kitchen and Okina was cackling away to a couple of men. Blue orbs scouted the area and observed Aoshi move out of the kitchen entrance, a cup of hot tea within his hands. He headed towards a spare table.
"Aoshi-sama!" Misao yelled with hands fisted at her sides. She practically stomped her way towards the tall man. The Aoi-ya went stone cold silent and everyone watched Misao make her way towards Aoshi, he standing beside the chair he was about to sit in.
"Misao, this is hardly the place to yell." Aoshi remarked as he placed down his tea. She was standing a few feet from him and he began to wonder what was rolling around in that head of hers.
"Sit down Aoshi-sama." Her heart pounded in her ears and before Aoshi could even take his seat just as she suggested, she couldn't hold in her feelings any longer. "I love you Aoshi-sama! Please marry me!" The poor unsuspecting Aoshi uncharacteristically missed his seat entirely and fell on the ground. His green eyes stared widely up at Misao, pure shock written within them as she passionately voiced her love to him, as well as proposed and in front of all these customers!
Shiro and Kuro poked their heads out before grinning at one another. Okon and Omasu nearly lost their serving trays filled with drinks and Okina had spewed sake from his mouth. The elder ninja was certain that his Misao-chan would be the first to confess her love, but this was unexpected! As Misao blushed furiously, he quickly helped the quiet Aoshi get to his feet just as the Aoi-ya erupted in cheers.
(End)Next Chapter – Stage Four: Sprawled Sexiness
Authors Notes: I'm certain that my titles are teasers. Gomen to those that thought more was happening. It's a ploy to get you to read my works again. Haha!
