A tepid night bled into a balmy, humid, morning. Roiling clouds blanketed the sky - covering it in a sea of repressive greyness - the sun barely able to peek through the thick, bleak, wall.
The heat was oppressive even in the early climes of the day - as the humidity swelled. Though not enough that the rain would finally break free from it's cloudy confines.
This was the day that greeted Setsuna - an overall average weather for Amegakure - one he was all too used to feeling. However, it did not stop the aching in his bones or the simmering of his blood. The type of restlessness that buried deep.
Leaving nothing but racing thoughts and a body thrumming with too much energy - yet no way to expel it. It was agonizing in it's persistence - which only led to the young man pacing around his apartment. Listless, eager, and utterly, bored.
It was best not to dwell here.
So he left, locked his door behind him and greeted the coming dawn - the various peoples milling about an afterthought in his mindless walk. "Haaaaa... What a horrible day." He sighed a grumble in his voice as he despaired over his predicament. Said day had barely started and he was already losing his mind!
He was half tempted to take a handful of lower rank missions just to have something to do! A few menial chores would be a relief for him, surely. Anything to stave this tedium that gnawed at his very marrow.
With the thought planted into his mind, unmoving, and unrelenting - the Kaguya made his way to the mission counter. Not caring what they were he leafed through a few E and D rank missions - picking a couple he turned to leave only to notice in the corner of his sky blue eyes - a familiar figure.
Or, at least familiar in the sense he met them once for Platoon orientation and hadn't spoken to them much since. Setsuna was new to the group after all, and he hadn't gone out of his way to actually interact with anyone on his squad yet.
A smile graced his lips as he waved at the dark haired man an expression of faux joy on his features. One that was a cross between a mischievous child and a cunning adult all at once.
"Hey! Senseiiiiii~!" He called out gaining a few stares in the process, not that he cared. He walked over hands pushed in his pockets as he made his way over to Anotsu Uchiha, his superior, rather casually.
"It's nice to finally meet you, outside official stuff at least." Rubbing the back of his head he gave a light chuckle. His ever blue eyes shining though the smile never truly reached his eyes.
It was always like that, people around him just never seemed to notice. The young Kaguya wondered, was this man as astute as they said he was? Was he as skilled?
He never fought an Uchiha before and his blood practically sang at the idea of fighting someone who in all respects should be superior to him.
But he quickly pushed it down, losing the tenseness to his body he visibly relaxed fixing his full attention on the Jonin instead.
The morning had greeted Anotsu with naught less than the seemingly insurmountable work of document study and signatures. The steady flow of shinobi in and out of his office was almost a spectacle, hardly a moment of reprieve before the next matter at hand saw parchment placed upon his desk and pointed at with eager fingers. The heavy pitter patter of rain at the window of his office, a symphony he welcomed daily, offered peace when the war of observation waged intensely inside. Before long, however, the Jounin saw himself into the hall for reprieve. Pristine white robes flowed with a certain grace as he moved, his footfall barely producing a click as he ambled. The regal air about him was almost tangible, pools of violet giving but a moment's notice to patrons who passed and acknowledged him in name or respectful nod. What light shone through from the morning only served to accentuate his presence. Truly, Uchiha Anotsu was a man of presence and character. [break][break] The calm expression upon his countenance didn't change when he was greeted by the Chuunin. Anotsu dismissed the attention spread through look and whisper as Setsuna approached him, instead opting for a more attentive gaze that fell upon him in his trek. In his experience, the Jounin had been exposed to a plethora of personalities. Each their own puzzle, he had made it a habit to piece them together in order to reach the bigger picture ere long. This was, perhaps both fortunately and unfortunately, no different. He had risen from his bed enough times, slid the mask of exhaustion over his visage, forced lips to part and smile too many times, to allow the facade to continue beyond necessity. If nothing else, Uchiha Anotsu wasted little time with deception unless it was absolutely necessary. Even in the field, he weighed the consequence of blood spilled vs. silent infiltration. [break][break] "Let me spare you the pleasantries," Anotsu began. He offered no smile, no grin. No, the Uchiha had shattered the veil of warmth and comradery. In its place, business and intense focus. "Walk with me." Upon his heel he turned, a slow and calculated gait increasing distance betwixt himself and Setsuna until the Kaguya chose to follow. A dossier was plucked from the hands of a statuesque assistant, the Chuunin's name labeled along its front. The pad of his fingertip pushed it open as he moved, Anotsu's eyes scanning over the correspondence; how odd that he need not even look where he was going and yet he moved with a sense of accuracy nonetheless. [break][break] "Over the years, I've come to realize that asking 'How are you' is nothing more than blanket conversation, a respectful precursor to a favor or request for information. Instead, I offer you a more appropriate question." Provided that Setsuna was still within earshot, Anotsu turned the corner and continued down an adjacent hallway without indication of their intended destination. [break][break] "How would the -real- Setsuna Kaguya greet me?" [break][break] [8:50AM]
For once in his life - Setsuna was at a loss for words. Shock was clearly written on his face, long enough for his brain to register the man's words as he began to move. Snapping out of his surprise his expression became a bit more serious, pensive even. As he eyed the man who walked ahead of him thoughtfully.
"You're really scary, sensei - has anyone told you that?" Though it could've passed as a joke the young man's reserved and somewhat soft tone told a completely different story. It was absolutely fascinating that he went his whole life - hiding behind a smile and no one called him out on it.
No one saw through his façade - or, maybe it was that no one bothered to care. It was slight, a quiet shift in his psyche - but the Uchiha Jonin had gained just a bit of Setsuna's respect.
"Hitting me with the hard questions like this isn't very nice~" Dropping the fake amusement he let out a tired sigh before feeling a surge of excitement. In one fluid motion he pulled out a long sharpened bone from his wrist before thrusting it towards his superior's back. Treason? No. He knew the man could dodge or counter such a sloppy strike. This was merely expressing his intent.
His answer.
"Come on sensei - you probably already know my answer!" His voice was rough with a hint of a heightened sadistic lit to it's tone. Vibrant blue eyes wide with the mockery of a smirk on his face. "You're really cruel, sensei..." Whether the man countered or defended the wide off strike was not his problem, in the end Setsuna would stop his assault and discard the bone carelessly.
Finally speaking in a calmer manner his expression a lot more relaxed yet serious. "The real Setsuna would still ask how his sensei's day was going... But would also ask for a spar cause he's so godsdamned bored." His lips quirked up into a smirk. "What'aya say, eh, Uchiha-san?"
Anotsu hadn't anticipated having to swat a fly so early in the morning. [break][break] His shoulders had risen and fallen to a small degree, accompanied by a slight tilt of his head as they ambled down the hallway. Nods here and there were offered to the Uchiha in his seemingly languid stride. He returned them with a respectful glance, the faintest lift of the corner of his lips his receipt of gratitude. Anotsu's hands rest deep into his pockets, almond-shaped eyes forward. He continued to listen to the Chuunin, his undivided attention a double-edged sword not initially poised to display the gap between their capabilities. Doubtless, Anotsu surmised, Setsuna sought some form of education. The Jounin would offer him this and more. [break][break] Seeing was believing. Such a familiar saying was personified as Anotsu did naught to give indication to his ministrations. The Amegakure Jounin merely vanished from whence he stood, his presence flickering in and out of existence for the briefest of moments. Setsuna's advance struck air, resistance absent and leaving his momentum to its full extent. Anotsu was birthed once more to the Chuunin's sight, though ambling - in the same fashion as before - at his eastern flank. Reality held her breath, exhaling only when he'd fully settled back into his trek. [break][break] Of course, the appearance of Setsuna's intent had purchased him the attention of elite shinobi who descended from the air at the flutter of an eyelid. Arms hidden among robes as black as night, at least four sets of piercing gazes appeared fixed upon Setsuna. Only then did Anotsu halt his advance, a hand lofting in dismissal. "Leave us." The command set in stone, the figures yet again took to the winds and left naught but small gusts to force Anotsu's coat into a dance behind him. [break][break] Anotsu fell statuesque, though a slight turn of his head to look at Setsuna from the corner of his eyes was testament to just how irrelevant the Kaguya's attempt was. Clearly, the difference between a lion and its cub had been established. "Cruelty builds character," Anotsu muttered. As if chaff to the wind, Setsuna's attack was discarded. Only the rest of his words remained, seized and used to fuel the purpose of Anotsu's call to meet. [break][break] "Boredom?" the Uchiha asked as he yet again took to a casual walk, sandals clicking softly against the floor beneath them. "Have you at least checked on your Genin to ensure that they're prepared for our training session? If not, I would wager that boredom is the effect. Your lack of responsibility is the cause." [break][break] [8:51AM]
Genin...? Right, right. He was a Chunin now. Had responsibilities now. Hrm... And it looked like Anotsu-sensei was less than pleased. He was expecting an answer - perhaps it was best to give him one. One that was less... bombastic, this time. Eyes sliding shut he let out a calming breath - the burning in his veins slowly beginning to ebb away. He had this - his sire's blood didn't rule him. He was in control.
As the various presences of high ranked shinobi faded away once again into the shadows Setsuna felt a sense of calm. He was going to take this on the chin. He didn't have any excuses for his behavior - to be honest he didn't have any energy to make one. Not that the Uchiha would believe him anyways - not many people struggled with bloodlust the way he personally did. And he wouldn't wish such a curse on anyone.
"I'm not going to apologize if that's what you want." He began ruffled his hair and he looked a bit frustrated as sky blue eyes looked straight into Anotsu's luminescent purple ones. "I'm aware... that I have responsibilities fitting of my station. But in the state I'm in now - I don't think I wanna get in trouble for beating up a bunch of brats to an inch of their lives." He somewhat joked. "I know 'bout the school of "hard knocks" but I don't think knocking their skulls in would be productive."
He was just joking around, he would never do such a thing, he knew restraint and personally didn't like to fight people weaker than him anyways, there was no challenge. "Jokes aside, I'll be sure to get to know my other platoon comrades soon enough. But right now - everyone is busy in someway - so it's just you and me, sensei~" He teased though it didn't seem he put his heart in it.
"I wouldn't be much of a Jounin if I expected an apology from you for doing what you naturally do," Anotsu replied as they continued their walk. The Uchiha rounded a corner as he listened to the Kaguya's words, etching them upon the tablet of remembrance to assess his mental capacity at a later interval. This moment, however, required his undivided attention. He had asked Setsuna to greet him in the manner that he felt appropriate. As such, setting his Chuunin up for failure was a direct contrast to that which he stood for. If Setsuna were searching for disdain or annoyance, he would find none in Anotsu's demeanor or expression. A set of stairs greeted them before long, the Uchiha taking a casual descent as he spoke. "Indeed. It's why I asked you here today. I don't deny that you're deserving of your position," Anotsu began as he reached the last step. "But you're right. The point of your leadership is to help sprouts grow, not stomp them back into the soil." [break][break] The pair would continue their journey, the sounds of clang and grunt gradually increasing in volume as they ambled down a long corridor. Before long, Anotsu stopped at a set of double doors that lay wide open and separated for them to view that which was inside. An empty dojo, complete with tatami mats and mirrors that lined the walls. Wooden swords and the like were placed neatly upon racks, one of the walls showing the outside world in which heavy rainfall was usually constant. Today, however, there was naught but Amegakure's towering creations. Anotsu's luminescent purple pools slid toward Setsuna's position. "If you're determined to sate your thirst, I can assist you in here. But this doesn't reach the Genin." [break][break] The terms of the agreement were set in stone. It was the only outcome that Anotsu could have created. The turmoil of war hadn't presented itself, and the prospect of an untamed Chuunin on the battlefield would have spelled chaos for Daichi, Koma, Aiko, Hoshiko. To that end, the Uchiha would sooner occupy the Kaguya's time with physical engagement than risk their getting placed in harm's way. [break][break] "Decide here and now if you'll agree to these terms. If not, I've no choice but to keep you on the sidelines until you're in full control and cooperation. I won't hesitate to kill you if you threaten the life of my Platoon." The words were ice, frigid in every sense of delivery as Anotsu's piercing gaze was fully upon Setsuna. There was no twitch, no imperceptible expression. There was only the depth of his seriousness, a threat and a promise to his subordinate. [break][break] [1:40 PM]
It seemed his sensei finally obliged to his wishes. Setsuna couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of clashing with a suitable opponent. Yet apart of him felt appalled of the man's words. Did he truly see him as that evil? Despite all his faults he was not a traitor nor a monster.
He would never bring harm to his comrades or allies no matter how gone his mind was. He owed Amegakure a lot and he'd be damned to betray all the good will they gave him. Picking him up from the streets, giving him a purpose, a reason to continue living in this cruel, merciless, world.
He'd slit his own throat before he willingly betrayed his home. That much was certain. A dark expression came over his features - a blackened rage simmered in his eyes as he spoke with a clear tone barely holding back his displeasure. As he spoke his piece - there was no teasing tone or eccentric attitude. Just a true embodiment of a shinobi of Amegakure - of the chunin who earned his rank through hardwork and dedication.
"You misunderstand me, Uchiha-san, I would never - raise a hand with the intent to kill my allies. Not our genin, not you, not anyone who calls themselves apart of our village. I'd die before willingly soak my hands with the blood of my comrades." He spoke his teeth bared in a snarl. He would never betray them, not in a million years. Because despite all his faults - despite what miseries and misfortunes he endured - he would never be like his father.
Anotsu hadn't misunderstood anything. [break][break] How easy it was to claw his way through what was now the last vestiges of Setsuna's mask. The tapestry of patience and a composed character that he had so easily cleaved in twain with the threat of recompense. Anotsu's expression did naught to change as he listened, what once was a test now transitioning into the very results he desired. There was a calm and collected air about Anotsu that was almost eerie in nature, those same eyes now regarding the Kaguya with little more than comprehension. It was when disobedient animals dared to bear their teeth at their masters that a reminder of chain and command became necessary. Anotsu was more than happy to comply. [break][break] "I understand clearly," Anotsu began. The very air about him grew thick with tension, an aura so thick with ferocity that one would think it akin to the calm before the storm. A sudden step, almost imperceptible, the Uchiha no more than an inch in front of the Chuunin's person. Half-lidded orbs, somehow as piercing as when opened fully, bore down upon Setsuna with authoritative intent. "You're a shinobi. Your facade betrays you at the words of a commanding officer. How, then, do you expect me to trust you with a task of this magnitude? If the transparency in a conversation is enough to unravel you, then my point has clearly been made." [break][break] Anotsu's very countenance remained unchanged, unaltered in the face of Setsuna's words. Completely relaxed, every muscle spoke of rest. The Uchiha was no more tense than moments ago. To err on the side of caution was the greatest response. The Jounin was a viper, poised but somehow still. It was the most lethal of combinations. And it was this very lesson that he aimed to teach Setsuna, void of arrogance or a trivial pissing contest. Just as he had taught Koma, Daichi, Aiko.....he would treat the Kaguya no different in the lane necessary. [break][break] "The element of surprise is lost the moment your eyes and teeth betray you." [break][break] [9:39PM]
