Summer Snow (Private)

Kato had what he affectionately knew of as a DONSA, or a Day of No Scheduled Activities… effectively a day off. He didn’t have a team, didn’t have any missions, and his mother had meetings today, meaning that she wouldn’t be taking the extra time to train him at all. Most people would have taken that time and relaxed, rested, and caught up on sleep, but that simply wasn’t how Kato was built. If you had free time, you had time to improve something, and that something today was his speed. He had never been the fastest of Shinobi, his speed mediocre at best, but that just meant he needed to push himself harder and faster, so today he was doing laps around Kumogakure along the rooftops. It was enough of a routine that he was able to let him mind drift a little bit, thinking about things that he wanted to do, like take on some missions.

He understood his mother’s disposition towards joining a team and going on missions; he was an asset, a weapon of the village. Even though no one knew he was the Jinchuuriki for the Shukaku, if he accidentally got hurt or killed on a mission gone wrong, he could turn into a calamaty, and the beast within him would kill thousands if not more before it was once again contained. At the moment, the seal was strong, and the beast was dormant, although he didn’t know if that was by his own choice or not. He was quickly brought out of his train of thought though by an odd sight before him; at some point he had diverted slightly off his normal path, and he noticed that there was something white in the air, causing him to look up and his mind kick into overdrive to explain what it was that he was seeing.

Snow?

He had never seen snow before, the warm climate of Kumogakure not really brokering much in the way of a typical winter, but he had read about it. But why was it snowing? Blinking in confusion, he instinctively went to land on the rooftop that was in the middle of this incidental flurry, not even looking at the rooftop itself, his gaze drawn upwards. Because of his lack of attention towards his footing, however, he landed directly on a patch of ice on the roof, which meant he landed and immediately slipped, his shoes no match for the slick frozen water, causing him to land on his ribs, hard, against the rooftop, and slide off of it while he was temporarily stunned. After slipping down the side of the roof, he landed in the backyard in a heap, the wind knocked out of his lungs. Still trying to draw in breath, his mind immediately began to berate his ineptitude, and knew that his mother was right; he still had a long way to go. He was dressed casually; a pair of black pants, a sleeveless grey shirt that showed off his well muscled arms, a pair of normal ninja shoes, black of course. His thick hair was disheveled and messy, one of the few things he allowed himself to lax on for the day, and his blue-silver eyes were unfocused for the moment, trying to collect himself.

He paused as he slowly got to his feet, dusting himself off a bit and once more looking skyward, catching one of the falling snowpetals and realizing that it wasn’t a small freak storm, or rather it was, but it was only here, around this house. He had never been here before, but was already mentally marking it in his mind as something he was curious about, not realizing that someone was approaching.

It was still nice and early, at least for Maeve. By early of course that means ten o'clock in the morning. Which is always early for someone who stays up till like four without realizing it. Then she goes to bed assuring herself that she will get her sleep schedule in order and get it together before forgetting while she sleeps and doing it all over the next night. Currently, Maeve is garbed in her night wear, which consists of a loose see through tank top and underwear. To most it would probably be more like lingerie but to Maeve it was just comfortable to sleep in. She lay in the middle of a pile of blankets on her living room floor where she fell asleep earlier. Books on fuinjutsu theory and such laying around her all open. This was how it always was. At night she would work on expanding her mind and knowledge with fuinjutsu and end up falling asleep. Then wake up and go on like nothing ever happened. She rarely actually used her bedroom, generally falling asleep on the floor, or couch, in a pile of blankets just like this one that made her all warm and comfy. She didn't mind though, what did it matter where one slept so long as one was safe, warm, and comfortable? She was awoken however by the sudden impact of a weight on her roof followed by a short silence before the sound of an impact in her backward.

Opening groggy eyes the bluenette yawned cutely before sitting up in her blanket pile before stretching, one arm outstretched over her head with the other lightly grasping the elbow of the same arm. She stood, stifling another yawn and looked around with half lidded eyes. The noise had come from her roof and backyard in order alright. At times she got her directions turned around depending on the direction she was facing when she fell asleep. Yawning again and grabbing a blue hoodie she moved tiredly to the back door with half lidded eyes. She got the sleeve of one arm on and used that arm to open the door as she began putting on the other. She looked up, or well, out at her backyard, as she did and paused as she saw a tall man with dark hair, a gray sleeveless shirt, black pants, and simple shinobi shoes. He was laying in a heap on the ground, snow slowly falling around him. Blinking to herself she looked at him, before pulling the hoodie on all the way and zipping it up, and then looked to the falling snow. "Ah." She would say, her high voice uttering the simple sound. It snowed around her at times, a side effect of her Ice Release. Of course since there weren't clouds in her house it instead snowed around her house and on it. The temperate in the area also dropped noticeable degree. Enough that ice itself could form on the rooftops. It seemed some kid had taken the sign warning people to beware the ice as a joke again.

Oh well

Idly she turned back to the guy laying in a heap in her backward. Her medical knowledge coming to the forefront of her mind. Based on the heavy impact on her roof he had been running full bore. Which meant he was moving as quickly as he could manage. Training his speed? Possible, the village rooftops was a good place to do so. They simulated running from tree to tree or rock to rock well. Especially with the differing elevations. Given the heavy of the impact on the roof, with the heavy sounding thud that woke her up when he impacted the ground he hadn't managed to slow himself even a bit before impacting. She lived on the first floor of a vertical triplex. Kind of like a townhome only with three levels and each one is a different unit. So he had fallen, with all of his weight and speed behind him, from the top of the house. Hard enough that it woke her up, three floors down. If her upstairs neighbors had been home. They would have been investigating too. They however were out on missions and no one else lived in the units but them.

Given how hard he had hit the roof, with how hard he had landed. The probability of him having at least cracked something was exceedingly high. Given that it was her own ice release that had caused this. She did bear a certain amount of responsibility. So that meant she would have to fix it, since no one else would. Due to capabilities of her mind, the above analysis and conclusion was done within the space of a glance and a sigh would escape her lips before she moved down from her back stoop. She reigned in the snow as she walked and the flecks of white stopped falling immediately and the temperature slowly began to rise although only the most perceptive would notice that immediately unless they knew what to look for. Which she did since she was the cause of the phenomenon of course. She moved over to him, her hoodie closed up and down to her upper thigh although she didn't really care about how much skin she might be showing. However her neighbors, the ones next door to either side, always looked at her meanly when she walked around even moderately uncovered. Maeve was just comfortable in her skin.

She reached the potentially still dazed man and knelt while performing two quick seals, Ox and Tiger. Once that was done her hands began to glow green and she placed her hands on his covered torso and felt around. Should she find any cracked ribs, she would pause and heal them. If not, then she would simply turn off the jutsu and remark about how incredibly lucky he was. Either way before more than a minute or so was up, enough to check each rib carefully with her chakra, the glow would be gone. Then she would stand back up, move back to her stoop, and sit down while waiting for him to get himself together, if he hadn't already.

He could tell that he had a cracked rib or two… it was hard to tell how many right off the bat as he laid on the ground for a moment, trying to get his mind operating again and his breathing back to normal. A couple of coughs caused him to grit his teeth in pain, but he didn’t call out; it was his own carelessness that had caused this, and as his mother had always taught him was that pain was the ultimate teacher. If you were in pain, something you had done was the reason. A mistake. He had gotten distracted, missed any signs in his hurry, and now he was getting a healthy dose of a reminder of that lesson to stay vigilant and aware. He had gotten complacent, a mistake he would need to make sure didn’t happen again. His ears registered that someone had heard and opened a door, and slowly she opened his steel-colored eyes and looked towards the sound.

A beautiful woman was looking towards him, and now walking towards him while pulling on a hoodie, her mass of hair looking like a cape with its sheer quantity. He noted the woman forming a pair of seals, and then a green glow from her hand, and immediately recognized it as a medical ninjutsu. Now he truly was in her debt, because he couldn’t recover enough to tell her that he would be ‘fine’, the inhalation of breath to be able to speak resulting in another bout of coughs and a fresh wave of piercing pain from his ribs. It took a few seconds of her applying the Jutsu, but almost immediately the pain began to fade, and he blinked a few times in realization that she must be some sort of powerful prodigy to be able to mend such a thing so quickly and effortlessly. It hadn’t even been a minute.

Once she had moved away, he got back onto his feet carefully and turned towards her direction; he was pretty massive, standing at 6’ 6” and she would have been able to feel that he was not without a fair amount of muscle underneath his slimming outfit. Only now did he begin to notice that the air around him was getting warmer, and the snow had come to a stop, taking a moment to look around and then looking back at the woman sitting on her stoop. She was the cause? The light blue hair. Snow. He felt like he knew something about this, but it wasn’t clicking just yet. Kato approached her quietly, and then bowed at the waist as he got closer deeply. “You have my deepest apologies for waking you and most thanks for healing me.” He remained bowed for a moment or two more, and then returned upright, still seeming a little rigid, but his gaze, looking at the small woman directly into her own eyes, were full of respect.

“I am Kato. Is there a way that I can repay your kindness, Ma’am?” he asked, ready and willing to do most of anything she wanted as repayment.

As she sat upon the stoop the man would rise, and rise, and rise. He was certainly tall, much taller than her at her tiny little 5’1 for sure. She noted this mentally before moving on. She could get a good idea of a build no matter what someone's position might be, her medical capabilities and observational skills made that second nature. However in the end nothing really beat a good up and down look at someone who was standing. It was the way someone judged an individual the best. Their stance, where their weight was focused, everything. However she wasn’t interested in any of that at the moment. This could be obviously noted, by the fact that she simply yawned. When he spoke of ‘repaying her kindness’ her head would tilt to the side in curiosity. Why would he be under the impression that he owed her? It was her ice that caused him to slip regardless. He had owed him, and she had balanced that scale by healing him. There was no debt left.

Although, given that his fall had taken him into snow the vast majority of his clothing was now soaking wet. She supposed she would have to take care of that too actually. There was also the minor annoyance of the hole he had made in the backyard. Given his fall from a three story height and full tilt speed upon impact it shouldn’t be surprising to any great degree. Regardless even if she didn’t share this house with others she would want that fixed. Straightening her head from it’s curious tilt she would speak. “Oh no no, I was the cause of the fall and therefore any ‘repayment’ necessary was on my end. Which since I healed you, I judge that a fitting repayment. However you can fix that hole in the ground and come inside. I’ll give you a towel or something and dry your clothing since you fell in the snow.” She would say, standing as she spoke as if that was that and turning inside to go inside. She would leave the door open before moving to her washer and dryer and noting both were thankfully empty. She didn’t want to sort laundry. She would also put on a pot of coffee and obtain two mugs from the cupboard while she waited. Frankly, she acted as if what would happen was exactly what she had stated even if he didn’t vocally agree.

Kato didn’t respond to her visual appraisal, thinking nothing of it, but then noticing fully her apparel, he blinked and then locked eyes with her and focused hard on not letting his eyes wander. He was not someone who would allow his normal repressed hormones to allow him to seem rude or disrespectful, especially considering that she had just healed him. Her current position made it difficult though, to say the least. He listened closely as she stated that it was her fault, which was curious in itself; how did she cause the ice, and perhaps the snow? It was hard to say, and he would have to ask, but before he got the chance, she made a few demands of him. Fix the small impact crater his body had made, and come inside and let her dry his clothes… it seemed that she was planning to put him in her debt regardless, but refusing wasn’t something that Kato was programmed to do unless absolutely necessary. He watched her stand and responded quickly. “Yes Ma’am.”

With that said, he turned and began stomping the dirt that he had upturned back into place, glad that it hadn’t been too horribly big; it had only been a fall, not like he had been tossed into it. It didn’t take long for the majority of it to be done, but then, being the perfectionist he was, he then used his hands to smooth things out, and before too long it looked like nothing had happened. The tall man then turned towards the home and began to walk inside, and a though crossed his mind; drying his clothes meant likely he would need to remove them. That would reveal the seal that he had on his back that housed Shukaku… but that was relatively low risk. It was an S-Tier Seal, and the Fuuinjutsu was relatively easy to conceal; he just had to make sure to constantly face her, and even if she did see it, the chances were that she would have no idea what she was looking at.

Moving inside, he quickly removed his shoes and looked, spotting the young woman who had offered to assist. “Apologies Ma’am, but I didn’t get your name. Also, you stated that the ice was your fault, but I’m not familiar with how that would be possible. Would you be willing to explain?” His tone was respectful and polite, and he stayed near the entryway simply because he didn’t have the towel yet and didn’t want to drip all over her floor. Once more his eyes attempted to wander, and through sheer willpower, he snapped them back up to make and keep eye contact.

As he answered, agreeing without argument or complaint about her commands he turned and began to fix the hole he'd made with his impact. It was a minor hole and wouldn't take long but the effort of him going through patting it down and such would cause him to come inside just as she was pouring the coffee into two mugs. She took hers, putting plenty of cream and sugar in hers and waved him toward the other. She'd left the cream and sugar out in case he wanted it. However when she turned toward him her eyebrows would furrow in annoyance. "Why are you just standing in the doorway? Come inside, close the door. It's just water. For that matter hurry up and take your shirt off so I can throw it in the dryer. What about your pants? Are they wet too?" She would ask before taking a sip of her coffee. The drink was nice and hot and frankly, delicious. Maeve hated bad coffee, although she would drink it if necessary. However she didn't buy bad coffee to drink at home. Either way she would stride from the kitchen to the living room, which was visible from the door. The pile of blankets and pillows she had been ensconced within were spread all over now. Various open text books lay out all of them medical based. The Fuinjutsu ones were in her room, she had gotten a good handle on that stuff already.

As she moved to the living room she would have to come well within arms reach of Kato although this didn't bother her. What would he do after all? What could he? If he tried anything she could just remove him with her chains. Besides, if he did anything, she might even like it. She didn't mind a little playfulness, it made life more fun. Besides, it had been awhile for her. Although considering for a moment, and turning to look him up and down brazenly as she did, she would decide that they wouldn't have sex no matter what happened. At least, not today. Although that didn't mean they couldn't play in other ways. It was at this point that she would tilt her head to the side as she set her coffee down on the coffee table. It was almost like it was named for the purpose. After she did that however she would get a good look at his clothing and shake her head the pants were wet too. She would have to dry those as well, what a shame. "Take the pants off too, those are wet too. Also, my name is Maeve, and no I won't tell you why the ice is my fault. You can find out why another time, if you ever get the chance." She would say as she considered what to do. Perhaps she could tease him a bit.

Deciding to gauge his reaction to such a thing she would start to fan herself with her hand as if it were hot. Which wasn't actually untrue, she kept her home pretty warm and toasty and the hot coffee wasn't making it any cooler for her. With that she would look down at the hoodie she was still wearing and shake her head with a small stupid smile on her features. "No wonder I'm hot, I forgot I was wearing the hoodie." She would say before unzipping it and pulling it off and tossing it aside. Of course this left very little to the imagination due to the sheer fabric of what one might barely call a shirt. Once that was done she would move over toward Kato, moving confidently before reaching her hands out. "Gimme the shirt and pants so I can throw them in the dryer, then we can sit and chat for a bit if you want. Maybe if you're lucky I'll tell you about why the ice is my fault." She would say with a small smirk on her features as she spoke.

The tall man heard her demands and quickly complied, stepping inside, shutting the door behind him, and removing his shoes automatically.  Kato then approached the cup that was gestured towards with a curious expression; he had never had coffee before, only tea on occasion, but he knew the smell.  Still, not wanting to take anything else from her more than he had already, he took the cup and took a small sip.  It was a very good thing he had an amazing amount of self-control because the taste almost made him want to spit, something he had to stamp down into non-existence in order to make sure he wasn’t rude.  Outwardly, it was as if nothing happened aside from taking a sip of coffee.  He hadn’t missed the medical books strewn about or the blankets that were half-hazard scattered around the room, but said nothing; it was none of his business.

He heard her question about his clothing, and blinked, turning and setting the coffee on the coffee table as well, but before he could muster a response, she was already stepping closer, investigating and barking orders.  Kato had lived most of his life as a loyal soldier, and having orders barked at him, usually from his mother who was responsible for the majority of his training, was something that came as second nature.  He responded without comment or question, so indoctrinated into the practice of following those orders that it only took a few short moments before he was standing in little more than his spandex underwear which left very little to the imagination.  Kato didn’t think anything of it, but if she looked closely, she would be able to tell that her prancing around in little to no clothing had a very honest reaction with the black-haired man’s body, even if he himself didn’t seem to realize it.  He then took a moment and decided to take the liberty of removing his socks, which were also soaked from the water running down his well-muscled frame, but as he did, he lost his balance just slightly.

Not a big deal, he compensated by flexing a few of those outstanding muscles in his leg and pivoting on his foot, twisting around until he faced away from her for a moment as he removed the socks and then turned, folding them like his other clothing and presenting them to her as she asked of him.  It didn’t even register as a possibility that she could have seen the platter sized seal that was centered between his shoulder blades, the one that contained the Bijuu housed within his body.  Most people wouldn’t even be able to understand that the S-Rank seal was Fuuinjutsu, much less the purpose, so it shouldn’t have been a big deal.  He was more curious about the promise of an explanation of why there was a random patch of snowfall and ice around this particular house.

He began to strip, which was good since she was perfectly capable of doing it her damn self. Of course he didn't know that and now wouldn't if she could say anything about it. She was about to put that out of her mind when he finagled his footing with his sock and turned to catch himself. Immediately blue eyes would brighten at the writing on his back. Not just any writing, and not a tattoo either, at least not in the sense that most would think of. Her eyebrows furrowed as she took in the seal at a glance before he turned back around and then rewound her memory back. With her intellect an eidetic memory was obviously a part of her considerable repertoire. She studied the seal within her mind before deciding she needed a closer look. "Don't move." She would say before striding over toward him and moving behind him to look at the seal now proudly displayed between his shoulder blades. His shirt would hide it normally but without it the seal began quite visible. It was a platter sized seal that she could see the intent of easily and a smile would light up her face as she spoke.

"Jinchuriki." She would say with finality as she placed her hands on his back. She placed them along the outside of the seal, framing it almost only he hands couldn't fully encompass it. "I can't tell which one it is. Just that it's definitely a bijuu, and that I could break this seal as easily as breathing." She would say idly, not even considering the implications of what she was saying. She was only thinking out loud and comparing the sealing to her own capabilities. She would could crack this seal like an egg, could potentially apply one just like it if she studied it long enough. Which now would be as simple of a process as it took for her to look back into her memory and study the seal on her own time. With a satisfied nod she would move around and collect his clothing before throwing them into her dryer and turning it on. Now he was nearly naked with a woman who not only knew what he was, but had openly admitted to being able to shatter his seal without effort and his clothing was in her dryer.

Maeve of course didn't consider any of this as she moved back to her couch and leaned back, her head resting on the back of the couch with her eyes turned toward him. "So which one is it?" She would ask, her curiosity getting the better of her. Maybe it was the nine tails, or the seven. So many of the bijuu were just really cool in her eyes. Of course she knew of them, one couldn't study as much as she did and not learn of the nine demigod like creatures upon their planet. The incredible destructive power even one of the bijuu represented was exactly why they were so coveted by the villages. They were pretty much weapons and the more one had, the better off one was.

Kato looked towards Maeve and immediately knew something was off; she looked curious and concerned, and then she issued a command after a second or two that he immediately complied with. So used to following orders and definitely deferring to her authority in her own home, Kato locked up, still holding the clothing and not moving a muscle aside to simply breathe and blink. When she passed him up and stood behind him, however, he began to worry. He knew exactly what could have possibly drawn her eye, but perhaps she would simply think of it as an odd tattoo. That was his hope anyway because he knew what the punishment would be if someone were to discover what he was.

So much for hope.

A single word was uttered as she placed her hands on his back, and he felt his heart begin to beat faster and his muscles, while unmoving, begin to unconsciously coil, ready to spring. It wasn’t until she spoke about breaking it as easily as breathing that he felt himself completely lock up, not even breathing, not daring to move for fear that she might do exactly that if he did something wrong. He felt sweat begin to bead on his forehead just under his messy black hair, and his heart was now hammering… and then she simply let go, moved back around, and grabbed the clothing that was still in his outstretched hands and taking them wherever it was that she was dealing with them.

By the time she returned, Kato was in a full bow, his face against her floor, and while his tone was still somewhat controlled, there was definitely a light coat of panic on his words. “Ma’am, my identity as a Jinchuuriki is supposed to be highly classified. I beg you to not share this information with anyone under any circumstances. If you do this for me, I will be in your debt and will accept any reasonable demands you ask.” He knew it was rude to ignore the question she had for him, but he didn’t have a choice; he was already going to be disciplined extremely harshly because of the violation of this rule, at his own ignorance in showing his seal to anyone even with the chance being so remote. There was simply nothing else he could do until this was settled,

He could already feel the hunger that he was going to have to endure; nothing to be life-threatening, certainly, but it was going to be miserable for some time. His mother knew exactly how far to go before the Bijuu inside him would begin to stir in response to his life being in danger, and could toe that line so effectively it made for the perfect punishment.

His reaction to her question would cause the room to freeze.

Literally

A thin layer of frost formed on every surface as chakra began to radiate from the girl. Not hard or slick enough to slip on. But enough to show that a reaction had been gained. Potentially not one that had been anticipated. Her normally blue eyes now shone with a opalescent beauty to them and her back straightened. She didn't care what her state of dress, or lack thereof might show. It simply didn't matter. This man, this prison had given her a grievous insult even if he knew nothing about it. Without saying a word, she would extend a single chakra chain. The form coalescing in midair between them and use it to pick him back up to a standing position. It wouldn't be overly aggressive, or forceful. Simply a smaller girl helping a taller and larger man up from an embarrassingly submissive posture. Once that was done the chain would disappear, seeming to shatter into fine crystalline dust before that seemingly dispersed into thin air. Frost could be seen coming from the mouths of the two of them as they breathed and her eyes would get no less frozen in anger.

"I'm only letting you off once since you don't know this Kato. However I have invited you into my home. That means I have certain obligations to you. I provide food, shelter for you if necessary. I protect you if you come under attack. Defer to you in such a situation as you would be their target, and, the key point here, keep any secrets and confidences you tell me unless you release me from requiring to do so. To imply that I would not do any of those things is grievously insulting to me." She would say, her tone frigid as she spoke before she continued. "Not only that, but you as my guest have similar obligations. Which are to treat me and my home with respect, defend me and mine if they come under threat while you are here and to keep my confidences well. There are other more minor courtesies, more on my end than anything else but know and understand that I follow them closely and will not tolerate any indication otherwise." She would say before taking a few deep breaths to calm herself before speaking again. This time her tone was much more normal for her. "You have already failed to treat me with respect by ignoring my question. Declining to answer openly, politely of course, is one thing. Refusing to even acknowledge the question is something else altogether." She would finish crossing her arms, causing very interesting things to happen to her chest from his perspective that she simply didn't care about and began to tap her foot in annoyance.

She hated passivity, it was weak in her eyes. This one would never do for her to play with. Not at that moment, not now. But she might be able to push him, might be able to push him deeper and deeper into a corner until he snaps and becomes exactly the kind of man she could play with. It would just take time, normally she manipulated without knowing or realizing. This time however she was fully aware of what she would be doing. She would take Kato, take that restraint he so carefully seemed to shell himself in, and shatter it like glass. She wanted him to see what he wanted, and go for it. To be more...assertive was probably the proper word for it. She could break him she knew, it would just take some time.

Kato’s head was pressed against the floor quietly, waiting for her reply, when he felt the temperature in the room they were in drop by a substantial amount instantly, and he watched the floor he was on begin to be covered in a layer of frost. The frost on the roof began to make sense, and he wondered if it was something that happened automatically as an emotional response. He was then lifted by what looked like some sort of chain, and he didn’t resist as he was all but forced back into a standing position, and while he wanted to see exactly what was going on, his steel-blue eyes locked onto hers as a sign of respect. The chain was something that was concerning, as the physical contact with the thing made the beast within him begin to stir for a reason he couldn’t explain, but Kato quickly stamped down on any emotional response, but he could see the chain vanish and his breath on the air.

Then he listened intently as she spoke, taking in every word and processing it rapidly as his heart continued to hammer in his chest. He would deal with his punishment from his mother, but it was a fear for her, for her spilling his secret, and what his mother would do to silence her that truly made him fearful. She wasn’t overly publicly known, but she was terribly powerful when it came to her influence in the village because of her willingness to do things that others considered immoral without hesitation. That was why Kato was a Jinchuuriki in the first place, after all.

Listening intently, she laid out the rules that he had unknowingly violated, and he felt his heart slowly begin to stop its rapid-fire beating and start to resume a normal rhythm. If he didn’t think that it would bother her, he would have resumed his position on the floor in apology, but instead only bowed at the waist as she finished. “You have my deepest apologies, Ma’am.” It was a start, and he stood up straight again and then began to address her properly. “I never intended to ignore your question, but the situation dictated that precedence needed to be established first and foremost. Now that it has been addressed, allow me to explain. My full name is Kato Tetsudashi, and I am the One-Tail Jinchuuriki for Shukaku. I thank you in advance for your discretion.” Revealing his last name would be enough of a tell for her, he was certain. She was clearly intelligent. It was well known that Shukaku dealt with magnetism, and considering his bloodline, it only made sense what was happening; he was a weapon, plain and simple, a fusion of the Metal Release Bloodline and the abilities a Shukaku Jinchuuriki could wield.

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “My mother will be quite displeased at my own carelessness in being discovered. The best weapons are those that are unknown, so my public disclosure is one of my top priorities to safeguard, so I appreciate your hospitality more than I can express. I will do everything in my power to follow your house-rules, you have my word, and I am in your debt, Ma’am.” With that he would stop speaking, still standing there in nothing but his spandex under-shorts that left very little to the imagination, but there was something about his tone that truly was grateful to her.

She would listen as he spoke, her eye twitching in annoyance at his bow to her as he spoke. The twitch would be gone before he sat back up of course but her eyes would get no less cold as he spoke. Explaining that he was the Jinchuriki of the one tailed bijuu, Shukaku. His thanking her for her discretion was also unnecessary as she was obligated by the rules of being a proper host to keep his secret. Rules that she would never break. That would be like giving up a part of her in the process. The blue haired, blue eyed girl has few rules. Those she clung to were ironbound to her, law as far as she was concerned but that was fine. He would learn that soon enough. As he continued to speak, informing him of his mothers probably displeasure she would snort in amusement. "Your mother would be wasting her time and displeasure then. An act of idiocy at that point." She would say frankly before she moved once more. This time she would once again move behind him and study the seal, provided he didn't move. Nodding to herself "No, she won't be displeased with you for telling me of this. Because I'd be willing to bet I would be told soon enough anyway. I'm also willing to bet that you and I end up on the same team. I'm so confident that I'll openly state that I'll sleep with you if I'm wrong." She would say, both making her point of how confident she was about that as well as, hopefully, forcing thoughts of that fun little time through his mind. The possibilities were quite interesting provided he stopped acting like a weakling in her eyes and started showing some real backbone.

"You see, I was correct in my statement. I could break this seal with as much effort as it would take me to touch it. However by that token, I can also repair it just as effectively. They'll keep us together Kato Tetsudashi, that I promise you. So you better get used to me." She would say simply, before idly tracing the seal with an outstretched finger. Her touch was gentle and light, barely the light scraping of her finger nail against the skin. No chakra would be used that and she wondered if he would get scared at her light contact, or become excited. Either way it didn't matter to her. She had as much as stated that she wouldn't harm him so if he got scared then it was his own paranoia at fault.

"I'm also so far as I know, the only one in the village capable of doing either of those things. So I feel quite confident in my safety from your mother of all people." She would continue before moving back to her seat and taking her cup of coffee after crossing her legs in a more comfortable position. It would force the hoodie to ride up her thigh move and show off more of her pale flesh but she didn't care. Hell she was purposefully being visually seductive to torture him at this point.

Kato was observant, and noted that she seemed annoyed when he once more bowed in apology; it was normally the acceptable way to apologize for something, but she apparently was not one who was accepting of it. Hearing her talk about his mother the way she did however was a bit of a shock; she seemed highly intelligent, and would likely know because he gave his full name who her mother was. Most people who knew who she was talked about her in hushed whispers, with some semblance of fear, but it appeared that she was either ignorant of the influence the woman had in the village, or simply wasn’t afraid of it.

Kato shook his head. “Even if that is the case, I broke one of her rules. There will be consequences for me, not you. Also, I am confused by your statement; you made sleeping together sound significant, although I envision getting rest with someone nearby as a pleasant experience.” It was obvious from this statement that two things were going to be an issue moving forward. Firstly, his mother had her hooks sunk deeply into his psyche, and even though Kato was probably strong enough to physically overpower his mother, she had instilled a fear in him of her that gave her absolute power and control. Second, he was extremely inexperienced in regards to social interactions, a result of a long-standing life of solitude up until this point that had been necessary to ensure he had proper control of his emotional state. Since the Bijuu reacted to his emotional state, that had been a major focus of his training.

The dark-haired man listened closely to her speaking, and noting the truth of her words as the realization dawned on him; she would be perfect for whatever team he worked with because she could ensure his seal never deteriorated. He would nod to the idea of ‘getting used to her’ because now that it was laid out for him, he could see the logic in her words and the truth that would likely unfold in the near future. He had already been informed that the tall teen was going to be put on a team but no details had been unveiled until now. He was shaken by his thoughts by her touch, but this time it was not raising the alarm bells in his mind, and instead was almost comforting… and he could feel the need to adjust himself in his pants becoming more insistent, but resisted the urge. He didn’t understand what was going on with his body but knew enough that shifting around while in nothing more than a pair of spandex boxers would probably be rude.

He could feel the urge to do something as she moved in front of him and sat down, his steel-blue eyes watching her carefully but not in the way of analyzing her, but something more primal. It lurked behind his eyes, but as it was something he didn’t understand in the slightest, he tried to push it away from his mind, even if it was not the easiest thing to push away. It only seemed to grow worse as he noticed his eyes beginning to trail over a few select parts of her body, causing him to shake his head and force himself to make and retain eye contact again.

At his response she would pause in whatever action she happened to be doing at the time and blink owlishly. Well then, this was something she hadn't expected in the least when she started teasing him but in hindsight it made sense. He was a weapon to the village and nothing more. Of course he wouldn't have been given a proper education. Especially in regards to something as hormonally charged and 'risky' as sex. Of course it was only risky if the woman involved didn't know what she was doing. Like the simple chakra control exercise that doubled as quite effective birth control. Still though, his lack of knowledge on the subject made teasing him a tad bit useless. Well, at least teasing him in a way that he had to think about it. She could do it in a way that might cause emotions to stir for reason he couldn't explain. However was less fun. Cocking her head to the side, she had already decided nothing was happening today unless his personality changed so drastically that she would think it was a genjutsu. Educating him couldn't hurt, and it would probably give amusing results in the end. "Wait here." She would say for a moment before moving from her seat and heading down a small side hallway that led to her room. Within it she had multiple books and notebooks and such, many of which were filled with her neat and orderly scrawl. She found a food that more or less summarized the materials of sex and a lot of it's more common jargon before heading back out to the main room.

The book was titled 'Between The Sheets.' and it was surprisingly thorough. "Here, a gift that'll explain it to you. I don't want to go into it now but read this in your spare time and it'll explain everything." She would say, passing him the book. With that done she would proceed to sit once more and take her coffee in her hands, taking a drink of it before speaking. With that taken care of in the near future she would proceed to look him in the eye, her blue gaze indifferent to his more or less nakedness. Chances were damn good that they were going to be on a team by simple expedience of her being able to repair that seal if necessary. So she might as well get an idea of what he could do with his bijuu chakra now. "Tell me, how much have you learned regarding The Ichibi? It's abilities should give you some control over magnetic substances. As well as the bijuu itself giving you access to it's chakra and other such boons. The more I know now the better off you'll be. As of now the seal is pristine, which more or less tells me you've done nothing with it. I advise you start training those capabilities Kato. I can repair the seal to prevent it from breaking for quite some time." She would say, taking another sip of her coffee at the end. The sex kitten look was gone now, at this point her attitude was purely cold, calculated reason and her eyes reflected that most of all.

Kato saw her confused expression and returned it with a confused look of his own, only blinking and nodding as he was told to wait where he was. When she returned and put a book in his hands, claiming it was a gift and he needed to read it in his free time, he quickly responded to the order. “Yes Ma’am.” He took only a moment to look over both the front and back cover before tucking it under his arm. She moved back to sit and drink, and he debated for a moment, then took the liberty of moving to the seat across from her and joining her at the table, setting the book down. That was about the time that she asked how training the Bijuu went, and making an educated, and accurate, guess.

“My mandate has been to train my body to its peak level, and then once I am confident in my abilities without the beast, begin training with it. At the moment, it is completely dormant. Although I do feel like with your assistance it may be safe enough to do so, and I have wanted to wake Shukaku since I was released and began to discover more about the world at large. If used properly, it would be an invaluable asset in combination with my bloodline. Give me but a moment.” Kato closed his eyes, moving to his own inner world and focusing on the chakra he could feel lurking within. It was sealed tight, and his inner world was an endless maze overgrown with vines and with a cloud ceiling. This place would be confusing to anyone but Kato, a place that he had long since become familiar with. How many countless hours had he spent here, learning every nook and cranny? It was one of the primary focuses of his training under his mother, after all; any time his physical body needed a rest and his mind could study no more, he would balance on a lake using Chakra Control and meditate, focusing on this place.

It didn’t take long to reach the center where a massive pool of sand sat in a large circle in the center, and from there he could hear a deep snore of the sleeping beast. Kato walked on top of the sand, not disturbing it in the slightest as it was covered with what looked like a super-transparent glass, and as he did so, the seal that was on his back became visible across its surface for a moment before vanishing. Leaning down, he wrapped a knuckle on the glass, and almost instantly, the sand shifted and one of Shukaku’s massive eyes pressed against the glass. KYAAAAAAH! You finally came to visit you little bastard! How long has it been?! How long have I been asleep?! And why did you let those chains touch you?! They are bad news!! the beast screeched, the sand inside the pool wreathing like it was alive.

It hasn’t even been a week. And those chains belong to a fr-.. friend of mine. You misbehave and she will ensure you never see the light of day again. You work with me, and maybe we can see about giving you some free time outside this shell. Deal? He waited, and then was greeted with a horrible laugh for a few moments. Deal?! You want to make a Deal?! Your mother will chew you up and spit you out like a fried dumpling! Transfer me to someone she can control better! You’d risk that?! Fine! I’ll Bite! Let’s see how it goes! the beast chortled, seeming thoroughly amused. Kato then reached down, pressing against the glass and then with a bit of effort, his hand slipped through it like it was made of jelly.

Kato’s eyes shot open, and he looked towards Maeve, nodding quietly and raising his hand. From the tip of his finger a bit of metal began to extend, forming into a Senbon of unparalleled durability thanks to his Bloodline. After a but of focus and a few seconds, it lifted into the air and began to twirl around. “Magnetism.” It was a simple enough statement, and all he needed to say before looking to Maeve for guidance on what to do next.

When she returned he would take the book and settle it under his arm. A location she doubted it would remain if they were to continue speaking for a time. Eventually he would become annoying to hold with little use of the arm. However she wouldn't comment on it. When she spoke of the bijuu he would confirm all of her own assumptions. The fact that he had chosen to train his body before evening touching the seal had pros and cons. Since he had the bijuu's powers he should've been training with it from early on. Given the amount of time and effort mastering the beasts capabilities would require. Having the years to do so would have helped in that regard however she supposed it would just have to be dealt with. He didn't know she could have repaired the seal before after all. It was quite obvious she'd be expected to and she didn't particularly care one way or the other. It might however be amusing to use that fact to wrack up debt from the village. After all when she repaired the seal she could just as easily shatter it like glass and release the bijuu into he village, killing Kato in the process. Still though, such ideas were for the future and she could manipulate the village as a whole, or at least Kato's mother later. Right now she had to play the useful potential teammate. Had to make him feel her presence was absolutely required so that he would want to be around her and thus vulnerable to her manipulations without even realizing it.

These thoughts would be had as he had his mental conversation with the beast and when he opened them again she would watch expectantly. Then he would raise a finger and expel a single senbon before using the bijuu's powers of magnetism to rotate it lazily in a circle. Nodding her heard she would motions for him to stop before leaning back in her seat. "It's a start but you've got a long way to go. Focus on your bijuu capabilities for now, it's going to take a long time to really bring to full bare and you'll need that power in the future. They don't make weapons for the easy work after all." She would say simply before placing a slender arm on the arm of her couch and leaning her cheek against her hand. "I expect we'll be meeting out team soon and I fully expect us to be on the same one. Our sensei will be someone capable. Our teammate will probably be someone capable or different in their own right. Or someone expendable that no one expects to live. Which one it is will have to seen in time. For now tell me of what your capabilities are. Obviously with the Tetsudashi bloodline you'll be able to utilize it with the magnet release granted by the Ichibi to startling effect. However that doesn't tell me anything about your preferences in a fight." She would say, her blue eyes looking toward him lazily. He seemed to have forgotten about him being mostly naked in her home and she wondered idly if the thought would occur to him and he get uncomfortable. Probably not, but she would bet that after that book he would start to feel that way.

Kato continued to twirl the senbon above his hand for a few moments as she spoke to him regarding what he was going to need to do. Take a long time to master? He had fully expected that, but he also had a feeling that she was underestimating the total amount of willpower and effort he could put forth to the task. Combined with his bloodline, he could train this anytime, anywhere, and even in combination with other forms of training that he already did, turning the process to any waking moment. That was fine, being underestimated when it came to this sort of thing was exactly the type of motivation he needed to push even harder. Why did he want to impress her so badly though, he wondered? And why could he not get his member to calm down in his shorts? Shaking his head, he was brought out of those thoughts for only a moment before they were brought right back up by Maeve shifting, causing his eyes to glance for only a second before returning to her eyes.

He listened to the casual assessment of who their team would consist of, and while he was in agreement logically, he wondered why she was more like him in the way of being able to weigh someone’s life so casually. Normally, Kato only did that with his own life, but had to admit that her rundown of how their squad would be built was spot on. She wanted to know what he was capable of, and he seemed to sit up a little straighter as he began to speak. “I am proficient with the basics from the Academy in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu, but am far more proficient with Ninjutsu Techniques and things involving the Earth Element. I have also mastered my Bloodline to the best of my ability.” Simple and to the point, without any sort of bravado or bragging, even though he could feel himself say it a bit strongly considering his desire to impress her that he couldn’t explain.