[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

To say that she loved the man in front of him was an overstatement, but there was something that stronger than infatuation. But of course, as with anyone who looked and moved like Toshizou, she was hesitant. There was little knowledge of how she dealt with love, or the concept of it. Shiina had 'loved' no other, beyond that of infatuation. She was afraid what that could entail, and how she would be if they were not on the same page. She decided to push the thoughts to the back of her mind. There was no use thinking about this so deeply now, she'd much rather enjoy the moment, for that was more telling than any what-ifs and buts. As he moved his hand to touch her cheek, she felt the warmth of a man who obviously had a lot of practice doing this kind of thing.

A playboy always knew how to play...

But this didn't stop the woman from blushing a deeper crimson, the guard she had put up since they met was slowly melting away. The steam from the hot springs was hardly the reason for the palpitations she now felt in her chest, resonating in her ears. He pulled her close, so close that she could feel his body temperature. It was like no other sensation, and electrifying was hardly the word to describe it. Shiina saw him draw close, her own hand, the finger on his lips now dropped into the water. In one slow motion, the woman would find her arms around his back, her fingers slowly exploring his spine and his skin. And as they drew near, their lips touching ever so slightly at first, she would close her eyes, allowing the wonderful sensation of his lips against hers to consume her soul. A slow kiss at first, one of which seemed like two amateur adventurers exploring new territory would slowly turn into one of increased passion, and she would reciprocate the increasing intensity of the kiss.

His tongue in her mouth, she would readily respond, pulling his body in tighter so that his skin pressed onto hers, the steam around them creating an almost angelic aura around the two. She pulled away slowly, her eyes opening to look squarely into his, as a small smile would dance across her face. "You are a very good kisser, Hatake-san..." her words were whispered in his ear, her tone honest yet alluring. She had kissed many people in the past, but never did she feel the way she felt now...it was almost so new to her that it was scary. There were many questions of course, particularly in how he managed to perfect this 'skill', but like she had told him, questions were for later.

"I feel a little light-headed..." she could feel her muscles relaxing to the point of no return, her skin slightly paled despite its pigment and a flush that was deeper than any blush could possibly produce was visible on her face. She had allowed herself to stay in the hot springs for too long and had made the poor judgment of ignoring the warning signs, probably because of Toshizou and how he made her feel. Her body began to rock a little back and forth, and she hung on to the brim of consciousness, tightening her grip around Toshizou's back, as though to cling to him.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." OVERSTAYING Toshizou had kissed many people in his life, he was no stranger to casual encounters, or anything of the sort. But still, even he had to admit that there was some intense chemistry between the two of them, even though they were - for the most part - still strangers to one another. Maybe that mystery was partially responsible for that, but he knew that there was more to it, things he didn't even yet understand. The touch of her lips ignited a deep, and intense passion he had inside of his heart, and the kiss quickly grew more and more passionate, as he found it harder to contain his urge and impulse. As their tongues danced their intimate duet, they pressed their bodies onto one another, feeling their warmth which seemed somehow greater than that of the hot spring. As they begin to pull out, he playfully nibble her lower lip, smirking as they finally pulled away enough so they could exchange their gaze, with his scarlet eyes sparkling with a fire of passion, diving deep into her expressive golden orbs. Her compliment was met with a light chukle. "It's easy when you are the one I'm kissing..." he flirted with her, in a low tone, moving closer to her so that he could kiss her neck. He was ready to continue, when she suddenly mentioned that she felt light-headed, and while he wanted to think she was just heads over heels for him right now, there was soemthing on her tone that sparkled his concern. Pulling away to look at her, he noticed her skin was growing more pale. "Seems like we overstayed our welcome... Don't worry, hang on to me." he said, his tone calm, as he tried to take control over the situation. Grabbing Shiina by the back of her knees and upper back, he would hold her body tightly close to his own, and then lift her on his arms, walking away from the Hot Spring, and slowly and carefully heading back to towards the main room. "Try to relax, I will take you to bed." he said as he gave her a light kiss on her forehead, pressing her head against his chest. It was odd. He was not disappointed that they got interrupted, like he would normally be if he was with just someone to warm his bed. No, he was oddly enough caring for her well-being; he was not even peeking at her body at this point, instead focusing on returning to the room so he could put her on the bed. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Aozora Ryokan Taking Shiina to the room [Ryuujin Shiina] [435 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Shiina leaned against his chest, feeling the world around her spin before her eyes. She had never meant to place herself in such disposition, especially in the arms of a man as handsome and presumably loving as Toshizou. Still, she would simply nod her head and completely allow her body to be picked up by the man, when he told her to hang on to him. Despite the obvious fact that she couldn't do anything other than hang on to him, there was a certain sense of weakness that she was surprised she was able to display to him. They had known each other for all of a couple of hours, and already they had seen each other in the flesh, shared a passionate kiss and would have gone farther had she not been completely ignorant to her surroundings; as though she had completely forgotten what hot springs can do to a human body.

While he picked her up in the so-called 'princess' manner, where he tucked one arm around the back of her legs and the other around her back to lift her, she felt oddly safe. How she had longed to feel this way since the second she left Kumo. Throughout the years, Shiina had entertained many, and had gotten quite close to crossing the line between platonic and what was further, but not once did she commit to a man enough to give him her body, to allow them to see more than a degree of her in her skin without careful calculation. And for the most part, even if she had allowed them to see, it was a mere form of doing what was needed to achieve something.

Never like this, and never willingly.

Once he placed her on the bed, she would begin to see a slight look of concern, masked carefully of course, to which she would merely smile at him. "Thank you...and I'm sorry for being...so careless." She felt a lot better now, her head touching the fluffy pillow made her feel safe. She reached out a hand to grab one of his, before he could move away from the bedside and pulled him towards her. For once she was able to find a man that opened her eyes to something more than just what life had to offer, and she wasn't about to let that go. Her other hand would reach out to touch his face gently, her fingertips delicate. "Stay with me...Hatake-san..." it was neither an invitation nor a demand, it was a plea from a woman to a man. If he looked closely enough, he would see a single tear beginning to escape her left eyelid, as it cascaded down to to be consumed by the pillow beneath her head.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." REST It was crazy how things had developed. He would have never anticipated the woman would be left in such a vulnerable situation. That required a degree of trust in him he didn't believe she would have since they still didn't really know each other. Maybe she was trusting what she had perceived as his nature, and that fatally made him think of what his eldest daughter had spoke to him about many times; it made him reflect on his recent journey of becoming a better man, and he felt oddly conflicted, but a part of him, deep inside his heart, was happy that the woman had given him the chance of experiencing such things, even if that was not truly her intention. As he made his way back to the room, he would carefully place her on the bed, and once she was there, his hand would caress her face, cupping her cheek as he looked at her while sitting on the edge of the mattress. She smiled at him and he smiled back at her, his thumb stroking her cheek gently. "Just rest up for now, you will feel better very soon. You just overheated, that's all." his tone was calm and reassuring. As her hand reached for his own, he would lace his fingers with hers. She tugged him towards her and he didn't resist, his body now leaning over hers as his face stood but a few inches from Shiina's own. She asked him to stay with her in a tone that resembled that of a plea, followed by a single tear. He felt a hint of concern, but before deciding what he would do, he wanted to make sure she was doing ok. "I won't be going anywhere. There's nowhere I would rather be right now... But you need to recover a bit, okay?" he said, as he leaned forward a bit, giving her a light, yet caring peck on her lips. "I will get you some water." he said as he slowly got up from the bed and headed towards the minifridge in the place. He seemed completely unbothered by being on his birthday suit, and just nonchalantly walked to get the water and back, not a hint of embarrassment in his face. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Aozora Ryokan Back to the room [Ryuujin Shiina] [384 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

She wasn't even sure why she had cried, or rather, she hadn't noticed that the tear fell. As he stroke her cheek gently, reassuring her that everything was alright with her and that she had simply experienced a mild heat stroke. Of course, she knew that for a fact, and even as she held onto his hand and brought him close to her, so that their faces were only centimeters from one another's, her mind had drawn a blank and she was temporarily left speechless. Instead, she moved the hand touching his face to touch his arm slightly, flushing with embarrassment at the plea and the whole situation all together.

Shiina nodded her head and waited for Toshizou to get the water and return, all the while her eyes would follow his body whilst he walked. She didn't seem to mind that he was naked, and to be quite frank, that she was too. It felt odd how comfortable she felt around him to not only be without clothes in the hot spring for common sensual reasons but also to be without them now that she was out of it. When he would return with the water, she would pat the edge of the bed gently with the palm of her hand, to invite him to sit next to her. "Perhaps you should slide into bed next to me? I don't want you to catch a cold..." she whispered, a seemingly childish reason for such an inviting suggestion. But her words were innocent, if only driven by the fact that she wanted him be warm, comfortable and close to her.

She wondered what had become of her. A seemingly sensible and cold woman had all but melted away because of some sake and hot water. The careful mask she put on for years was seeing cracks. It would only take time for the cracks to completely shatter the mask, but despite this, she wanted the person to see her true self to be Toshizou. If he accepted her invitation, she would wait for him to slide himself underneath the bedsheets, her back to the man. If not, she would simply watch him quietly, lost in her own thoughts.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." TO FEEL BETTER After he grabbed the bottle of water and turned back around to head back to the bed, he paused for a split of a second, his gaze admiring the beauty of her figure laying down on the bed. His poker face remained, but he had to admit he was awestruck by the woman he was sharing the room with. Still, he pushed away such thoughts for he had to first make sure she would be okay, even if it meant they would spend a calmer, more uneventful night together. As he approached the bed, she patted on the side of it, and he promptly sit there, and when she spoke to him, he chuckled softly and nodded. "Of course. But you need to drink this first. It will help." he said, opening the bottle and offering it to her. Toshizou would remain sitting there until she was done drinking the water, and only then he would move the blankets away so that he could slide into the bed. Shiina had offered her back to the man, and he promptly accepted such a tempting invitation. His arm would embrace her by the waist, pressing her body against his so that he could share his warmth. His head would rest close to the back of hers, and unable to fully contain himself, he would use his free hand to brush aside her hair, freeing access to the back of her neck, which he would then kiss. A soft kiss, followed by a playful nibble, as he continued to alternate between the two until his mouth made its way to just beside her ear. "I hope you are feeling better..." he whispered, a playful tone, hiding the hint of concern it carried. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Aozora Ryokan Resting in bed after giving her some water [Ryuujin Shiina] [301 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

Shiina smiled to herself when she heard the bedsheets behind her ruffle and part, and then once more when he wrapped his arms around her waist. It was what she had secretly wanted, and Toshizou had acted like he could read her mind. Her hands traveling inside the blankets to his hands, she would have his embrace tighten just a fraction, her body trembling as their bodies touched. She wouldn't object to him parting her hair and would tremble slightly at his kisses. His soft lips and warm breath, coupled with the feel of his heartbeat against her back was all the more reason why she couldn't resist the man.

"Mhm..." was all she could muster, giving in to the kisses and closing her eyes just to bathe in them for a moment. She whimpered a little at the sensation, before turning her body so as to face the man. She would lower her head so that her eyes didn't meet his, instead focusing her gaze on his abs. Lifting a finger, she traced his abs, and all of its firmness. She knew he must have trained hard as a shinobi to acquire such a physique, and would not be surprised if the muscles alone could get him any woman. Shiina traced her finger along his chest, traveling towards his stomach before stopping, her head tiling to look at Toshizou yet again. "You are quite the gentleman..." she whispered, even though she knew that he had been playfully flirting with her all night, which was an implication of quite the contrary.

She began to wonder just how many women had fallen for this man, the same way she had and was currently. Instead of advancing upon him the way her heart secretly desired, she would merely look at him, her expression soft and her voice sweet. "I'm sorry for worrying you earlier...usually I'm not this careless..." she apologized once again. In fact, she had never been, possibly because she had never had the reason to. She would bring her hand back to his face, sliding it to the back of his neck before pulling him into yet another soft kiss, her lips brushing gently against his.

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." LIPS The woman reached out fo his hand and tightened their embrace a bit, but enough for him to feel enticed by her invitation. He absolutely loved how she reacted to his touch, and as he kissed and nibble the back of her neck, he noticed her body trembling slightly, and her confirmation of feeling better just further motivated him to try and make that a night they wouldn't forget. Shiina would then turn her body so that they could face one another, once again the scarlet and golden eyes gazing at each other, with the smirk in their lips. Then, as she lowered her head to look at his body, trailing his abs and chest with her fingers, he would respond in kind, his hands exploring her and the warmth of her skin. Her body was also toned, meaning she was also no stranger to a life of intensity and battle, and he did enjoy that. Still, he would have to talk to her at some point later, because if she was indeed a shinobi, as he suspected she was, he needed to know where her allegiance lied. But that was a concern for later, for right now, her tanned skin was too mesmerizing for him to be concerned with much else. Still, when she paused and called him a gentleman, he arched one of her brows, amused and intrigued at her choice of words. "Am I, now? I'm not having many gentlemanly thoughts right now, if I'm being honest." he admitted, with a light chuckle. But when she apologize for worrying him later, his hand reached out for her cheeks, cupping it gently and he shook his head. "It's okay, I've been having a great evening, and plus... That gave me an excuse to care you here..." he said, as he leaned forward for another kiss, another one that started slow and soft, but would grow progressively more passionate. He wanted her. Bad. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Aozora Ryokan Kiss [Ryuujin Shiina] [327 words]

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Hatake Toshizō

NOTES -

It wasn't too much of a surprise that Toshizou was able to ignite emotions and passion deep-rooted in Shiina. In fact, for those brief minutes they lay together, the warmth of their bodies intertwined, she would forget that she was a neukenin. She was Ryuujin Shiina, a woman who had wanted to love and to be loved from the core of her existence, the want having nulled throughout her years of being a Kumo shinobi and the plague. She allowed her personal loathe of what had happened to her erupt a wall around her heart and feelings. Despite having told the man almost all falsities up until this point, everything she was doing and all the feelings she felt were true.

They were never truer, quite frankly.

There was slight hesitation, one that was perhaps justified given the nature of them. He gave off clear signs of being a playboy, with his smooth talking and even smoother motions, but she willed herself to give in to the temptations of what her heart was telling her. If she needed to regret it later, she was willing to accept all consequences, having made up her mind the moment their lips touched once again to share a passionate kiss. It didn't matter who they were, how they got there...what mattered was that they were in each other's arms, and sharing the experience that she knew she would never forget. As her hands began to explore his toned body further, Shiina was more than aware that the want and desire was equally bad for both parties.

"Then please...take care of me..."

She whispered to him, allowing all the built-up emotions to break free.

Tonight, if only for one night, she would be Ryuujin Shiina, a woman who wanted desperately to love and be loved by Hatake Toshizou.

Nothing more and nothing less.

Fade to Black

MADE BY MIZO

[Hatake Toshizō]

"to warm the soul". "A man who can't uphold his beliefs is pathetic, dead or alive." INTO YOUR ARMS The passion of their kiss and their touch was inflaming his very core. He wanted her, and she wanted him, and there was no point for either of them to resist their own urges. Who they truly were and what that would meant didn't really matter, not tonight at the very least, and as the passion of their kiss reached its peak, all he cared was to spend an unforgettable night with the golden-eyed woman. "I will." his words were now cut short, for he would let his action speak for himself from this point onwards. Sleep wouldn't come until much later in the night, as the two laid in a sweet embrace after letting the flame of their passion burn until all that was left was a laboured breathe, and a satisfied smile on their face, as they slowly fell asleep on each other's arms. And while resting in the limbo between being awake and asleep, Toshizou's mind was playing tricks on him, making him imagine a lazy morning with the woman, instead of just leaving like he usually did. The man tried not to overthink it so that sleep would evade him, but he did feel a little odd, but not in a bad way... Maybe things could really change. "You can train a dog with food. You can buy a person with money. But there isn't a man alive that can put down the Will of Fire. Some things will never change. The Will of Fire will never be extinguished" Aozora Ryokan End post [Ryuujin Shiina] [218 words]