[center][h1][color=f49ac2]Asuka Koizumi[/color] and [color=DC143C]Fuyuko Wakahisa[/color][/h1][/center] [color=DC143C]"Jeez… just when will this damn headache subside?"[/color] Parked on a wooden bench, Fuyuko let her book fall flat on her face, groaning at the pain her headache was bringing. Two hours later and the effects of having a lightning jutsu rammed into the side of her head still lingered. If that technique had any more chakra put into it, then Fuyuko would have been as good as dead. Oh, and most likely with a hole the size of Konoha through her skull, too. The calm spring breeze blew past the blooming branches, swaying from side to side. Pastel pink petals fluttered past Fuyuko, some of them getting tangled up in her black, wiry strands. [color=DC143C]"Hm… The trees are in full bloom, I thought there would be tons of people crowding around here by now…"[/color] Happening to stroll past at the right moment, Asuka, one of Fuyuko's new Genin, found herself locking eyes with her taller-than-average sensei. The girl felt her stomach flip over like a pancake, her body suddenly going all stiff and rigid. [color=DC143C]"Hey there, Asuka! How're you doing?"[/color] Guilt ridden and extremely paranoid, Asuka fumbled over her words, twirling the ends of her hair behind her back. Even though what she said was probably just a 'small' thing, it still made Asuka feel bad neverthelessclShe didn't exactly mean to talk bad of her sensei, but in all honesty, Fuyuko did seem a bit unstable. After everything that had happened during the final 4v1 battle a few hours ago, it was clear Asuka had had her daily dose of psychopathic face expressions. [color=f49ac2]"O-Oh… Good afternoon, Fuyuko-sensei. I… I am well, thank you."[/color] Smiling, Fuyuko tapped the empty space beside her. [color=DC143C]"Wanna take a seat? I figured it'd be nice to get to know some of my students, you know?"[/color] Although hesitant at first, Asuka headed over to where her teacher sat, plopping herself next to her. She kept her thighs close together, hands in lap and back straight. It wasn't really that hard for Fuyuko to realise what was going on here. The woman had had her fair share of awkward moments with supposedly awkward people, and an even larger share of 'trying to break the awkwardness' type of moments with said awkward people. [color=DC143C]"Look, if there's something you wanna say, then just say it."[/color] [color=f49ac2] "Wha- I mean sorry, come again?"[/color] [color=DC143C]"C'mon kid, you look like someone who's been waiting take a shit for the past twenty-four hours. It's better to let that shit out rather than just leaving it there."[/color] Even the way she portrayed some things were exceedingly weird. Fuyuko did have a point however. Leaving large waste products in your body is never a good idea. [color=f49ac2]"It's nothing, sensei, really… It's just that…"[/color] [color=DC143C]"What? Just spit it out."[/color] [color=DC143C]"Well, I sort of find you a bit… weird. I mean, the way you smile and act, it's almost like you're a-"[/color] Fuyuko's interruptive laugh was loud, almost deafening to Asuka's ears. What worried her was that it sounded more like an devilish cackle than an expression of amusement. The woman clutched her stomach, unable to contain her laughter any longer. [color=DC143C]"Totally knew you were gonna say that. I kinda get that a lot, so it really isn't something to get frustrated about. Heck, even my brother used to say I would become a famed psychopath when I was older!"[/color] [color=f49ac2]"You have a brother?"[/color] [color=DC143C]"I had a brother."[/color] Asuka went silent after that. The subject of death was something she would rather skip than talk openly about to other people. Past experiences where a partial reason for this, but all in all, it was just something Asuka wasn't comfortable talking about. [color=f49ac2]"O-Oh… I see…" the young Koizumi muttered. "Sorry, I didn't know…"[/color] [color=DC143C]"You shouldn't let that worry you, kiddo,"[/color] Fuyuko responded, waving her hand in front of her face. [color=DC143C]"Uh, just one question, though… You're a Koizumi, right?"[/color] Asuka raised her head. [color=f49ac2]"Yes, I am."[/color] [color=DC143C]"Ah, okay. You see, I have a friend who's a Koizumi, actually… Ever heard of Hiroki Koizumi?"[/color] For a brief moment, Asuka flinched, her muscles tensing. [color=f49ac2]"U-Um… No, sorry, I haven't."[/color] [color=DC143C]"Seriously?"[/color] Fuyuko screeched, her silver eyes popping out of their sockets. Shoving her book into Asuka's face, she pointed at the cover, running her finger over the title. [color=DC143C]"You know, the writer of 'Dying Seasons'? You're saying you've never heard of this guy before?"[/color] Fuyuko sighed as the Genin shook her head frantically, looking at her with disappointment in her eyes. [color=DC143C]"I'm not being biased or anything, but seriously, his book is amazing! Better than the piles of shit Kagura What's-her-face writes. Jeez, what do you teenagers get up to in your spare time nowadays? These novels are pretty much begging to be read."[/color] Fuyuko's bursting enthusiasm for books was something Asuka didn't suspect of her, considering her unusual behaviour presented earlier on. In her opinion, Fuyuko just didn't seem like the sort of person who would have an obsession for books. Her wild personality almost denied the fact that she was any sort of book nerd. But, knowing how strong her opinions where on these two authors, she was obviously one hell of a book nerd. [color=f49ac2]"Well, I may not be as knowledgeable about Hiroki Koizumi, but I have read a few of Takehiro Kawaguchi's books…"[/color] [color=DC143C]"Takehiro, huh? I've actually got some of his books stashed up in my cupboard. To be honest though, his stuff really isn't that interesting."[/color] [color=f49ac2]"Ye-Yeah…"[/color] There it was again. Asuka's body was frozen solid, as if her limbs had been bound by heavy metal chains. Her eyes grew larger as she saw the man behind the tree, leaning against it and looking off into the distance. Getting to her feet and offering a small bow, Asuka mumbled a quick thank you before leaving. [color=f49ac2]"Please excuse me, Fuyuko-sensei, I have to go now. It was nice talking to you."[/color] [color=DC143C]"Oh… Well, nice talking to you too, Asuka. See you in two days time!"[/color] After that, Asuka scrambled away, speed walking past the cherry blossom trees. [color=f49ac2][i]Fuyuko actually knows him… One of Maika-sama's four…[/i][/color] Taking her eyes off the Koizumi girl, Fuyuko swung her head back, placed her book over her face again and let out long sigh. [color=DC143C]"Man, she walks pretty fast…"[/color] [color=EE82EE]"That's because she was speed walking, Fuyuko."[/color] [url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/94/c2/27/94c22710e3a2b3a14cdf304b2b56692b.jpg]The man[/url] spoke with a soft, yet low voice, as if he was the creepy whisper you would hear when the wind came whistling through the trees. Fuyuko shrieked as the book was lifted from her face and smacked back down onto her forehead. Looking up, she sighed at the familiar face. [color=DC143C]"Goddammit, Hiroki… Don't scare me like that again…"[/color] [color=EE82EE]"Mm."[/color] Folding his arms, Hiroki rested against the wooden bench, glancing back at Fuyuko. [color=EE82EE]"Was that one of your new Genin?"[/color] [color=DC143C]"You bet it was. Damn, I can't believe she didn't even know any of the people I mentioned… Well, she knew Takehiro Kawaguchi, but he's pretty popular anyway."[/color] [color=EE82EE]"Well, you did only mention two names…"[/color] [color=DC143C]"So? I swear, if she knew more about she-who-shall-not-be-mentioned than you, I would have flipped out. Seriously, there's nothing goof about her books anyway."[/color] Ruffling the woman's hair, the man chuckled. [color=EE82EE]"You're such a nerd."[/color] [color=DC143C]"And you're the one who got me into books in the first place."[/color] Snatching the novel from Hiroki's grasp, Fuyuko shoved it back into her pocket, grinning. No matter how bad the insults where, they wouldn't be able to stand a chance against Fuyuko's witty comebacks. Whether she was extremely drunk or extremely angry, her tongue always held the best of witty words. Lifting herself from the bench, Fuyuko dragged Hiroki along the stone path, gazing up at the swaying tree branches. [color=EE82EE]"So... how did your little test go?"[/color] Hiroki asked, face straight and neutral. [color=DC143C]"Well, the kids did their thing, they made it without being blown to smithereens, and I literally got K.O-ed by one of the Genin's lightning jutsu. It still really fucking hurts too, you know? Whenever I get the chance, I'll singe that big ass lion mane of his, you bet."[/color] [color=EE82EE]"Mm."[/color] Fuyuko groaned, slapping the man's arm lightly. [color=DC143C]"Is that all you ever respond with now? See, this is why you're still single and will be forever single, Hiroki. People like it when you actually talk to them, you know?"[/color] [color=EE82EE]"Yes, they do. But, what they don't like is people ranting about other people which causes the people you're talking to run off and saying, 'this woman is actually insane'. Remember what happened last time at that one restaurant, Fuyuko?"[/color] Fuyuko tried to open up her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it after. The woman sighed, staring up at the sky. [color=DC143C]"Screw it, I've been defeated, Hiroki."[/color] [hr] [b]"These are the details of your next mission, Fuyuko. We didn't want to cause too much of a ruckus there, so we sent a few of our ANBU shinobi to scout the area for anything unusual."[/b] Fuyuko scanned the documents she was given, examining the vital details of the next A-rank mission. A trip to Yugakure to eliminate a supposed member of the organization Konoha had been following for the past few weeks. Where her students really ready for a task like this? Sure, they were strong and could most definitely hold their ground, but where their strength in numbers going to be enough to defeat an opponent of the organization? Was [i]Fuyuko's[/i] strength going to be enough to repel them? The endless outcomes of the mission swarmed her head, with the most tragic ones popping up more frequently. Worst comes to worst, the entire team would be killed off in an instant. [color=DC143C]"Hokage-sama, I know that these Genin are extremely talented, but do you think they're capable of performing an A-rank mission right off the bat? I mean, they're still-"[/color] [b]"You mustn't worry, Fuyuko," the Third interrupted. "Have faith in your own strength. Don't let your doubts be the reason for your downfall."[/b] Fuyuko continued to ponder over the Hokage's words of advice. The man was right. If she doubted herself, all the negativity would eventually harm her. If that happened, it would be the incident from five years ago all over again. She couldn't let that event repeat itself. She would never let that event repeat itself. [color=DC143C]"Of course, Hokage-sama… Don't worry, I'll- no, [i]we'll[/i] get the job done as fast as we can."[/color] [b]"Don't stress yourself and your team out too much, Fuyuko. It's best if you execute this mission discreetly without causing too much panic."[/b] With a nod of approval, Fuyuko left the office, going over the documents she had been entrusted with. [i][color=DC143C]So… it seems there have been a few murders taking place in this tourist village, and it looks like it's gotten to the point where people are starting to actually freak out. What is the organization aiming for exactly?[/color][/i] Many minutes later, Fuyuko arrived at the colossal gates of Konoha, bags packed and ready to set off. Hair tied into a high ponytail and dressed in the traditional military green flak jacket, Fuyuko was prepared for business. Now, all she had to do was wait. Grabbing the book 'Dying Seasons' from her pouch, she flicked through the pages, her eyebrows scrunched up together. [color=DC143C]"Now… which page was I on…?"[/color]