When it came to sparring, there was never any casual sparring. It could be difficult to be casual when you are constantly blowing things up, added with her clan's hot blooded nature- and you get a disastrous combo. To her though, this was an intense exercise between two talented friends, it felt to her that Saizo was just running away though; was he not enjoying their little struggle?

As much as she wanted to win their contest and win a free request for Saizo to do something for her, she was running out of chakra and he seemed like he still had plenty in reserve. She was planning to request Saizo to take her out for a treat in his village, to some food place where she could get to know of his village while enjoying a good conversation with him.

Saizo's clone had risen up exactly where she had spat the mud, she fully expected it to be Saizo was was eager to end their contest. She rushed the now solid wall where the mud had landed and hardened, trapping Saizo's clone inside. She slammed her lightning blade into the wall and crumbled the wall as her second fist impacted the surface. The first strike was enough to pierce the stone and the second strike shattered the rock and sent debris flying backwards.

She was a little dismayed to see that Saizo hadn't actually been encased in the rock, only a water clone that had returned to its aquatic state. There he was though, directly behind the wall and watching as the rock debris flew at him.

---

Word count-268

She must have been getting tired by now. She was using much more of her strength. Far more chakra and energy. He was tempted to merely play the waiting game. Have her exhaust her body. It would make her so easy for him to pick off but at the same time a tad rude. She wanted a spar not a stall. Stalling was something he was far more skilled at, though. Going on the offensives wasn't really his style, but he could make an exception. The shards of hardened mud would travel straight through him.  As if his body wasn't even there. The shards did however get a tad wet after passing through him.  He was unfazed. It wasn't the first time he let objects fly through him. Now was a good chance. She was wide open. Or was that what she wanted him to think? Perhaps she had a hidden explosive on her, ready to be unleashed as soon as he neared her. Yup, it was official. Saizo was never going to let her into his office. Too many nice things.

Luckily there was still sand on the beach, even after the explosions. At least no one else really visited the beach. It was mostly him. As far as he knew, it was only him. It wasn't his only place for privacy, though. Of course, now that he was kage, he had to find pretty obscure places to hide. Being dragged back to the paperwork was never enjoyable. He was a ninja, not a slave. Sand flew up as Saizo released  a stream of wind at the ground. His body spinning. The battlefield would get covered in a veil once again. He would need to remodel the place some time later. It was bound to be a mess by the time they finally finish. In a rather predictable manner Saizo dashed towards Semasu. Or at least her location before the dust cloud was produced. This sand he blew up was thick. He would have a tough time seeing and so would she. Unless she blew away the sand cloud somehow. Now before reaching his opponent, or at least where he had presumed her to be a small ball appeared in his palm. A ball he was ready to thrust into her stomach. One ready to expand in an instant. At the first sign of her body his hand would lead the charge. Maybe a bit excessive, but that's why the attack was so straightforward. Now would she be caught off guard or perhaps evade and counter?

WC: 427

260/390

Spoiler:

The surprise attack had been complete, or she had thought; the wall exploded and sent shards flying backwards- where she noticed the real Saizo was actually standing. She had thought she had the real Saizo before and hadn't prepared a counter assault for this situation, she hoped the flying debris would be enough to falter him. Not at all. He simply let the dirt and debris pass right through him, Of course.

She quickly prepared her defense, there was only one available method to countering such a close ranged aggressive attack. He had switched to using the sand to conceal his movements- that meant he had a definite plan to provide an end to their overzealous sparring session? The sand kicked up and she squinted her eyes as she made some quick handseals. The concealed and hard vision could be used to her advantage as well, though at a challenging scenario. She used the opportune moment to switch herself out with two exploding clones as she used her sword's ability to bring herself at a closer range of her friend.

As Saizo would come in for the attack through the sand and wind, he would find two Semasu rushing him. The lead Semasu would crouch and the second Semasu would use the first to vault over Saizo and land behind him- where both of them would proceed at attack Saizo. The one in front would be hit directly by his rasengan and explode before it got a couple feet blown backwards. The second Semasu clone would have leapt to his unguarded back and immediately exploded.

The kind of attack Saizo suddenly displayed sort of worried her. That would surely hurt if it hit her. Was it some kind of condensed ball of water? No... it was more than that, it held a pure chakra nature ad self-sustaining, it required no more maintenance, just a contained destructive force harnessed in his palm. She was impressed with the jutsu even though it had been difficult to view properly through the dust cloud. She had appeared suddenly about ten feet behind Saizo and watched the explosions, very glad that she had decided to switch herself out in that situation- what would have happened to her if she got hit directly by it? A jutsu she might one day try to learn from him... that is, if he wasn't very upset about his beach being destroyed.

---

Word count-402

Of course. More Clones. Just what he wanted to see. They were probably going to explode too. Of course they would. What has she done that hasn't exploded. Well, maybe those donuts. Wouldn't have been too bad if they had an explosive flavor to them, though. He was still feeling a little light headed but he saw what he needed to do. If he was to hit the clones they would probably blow up. If he hit one he could probably knock it back and receive less damage but what was he going to do about the other one. He could kick it back, perhaps? Seemed like an alright plan. Would he do it, though? Nah. He could come up with something better then that. Maybe. No. He still had a trick up his sleeve to get him out of this one. He kind of wanted to hold off on using his little rasengan on the clones. Preferring to save it for later and use it on the real one. Of course maybe the real one was hidden among them. But based on the fact that she made the last two as a pair, this was most likely a pair as well. Maybe he was wrong but this was the safest assumption. Unless he had a way to distinguish them, he would have to assume they would both blow up. Now, as planned he went straight for the hit on the first clone, moving with a quick sprint almost like a mini body flicker the one standing in front of him. He let the other fly over, but he had already hit the first before she had touched the ground. That clone would fly backwards, far enough where an explosion would only hurt a tad. To deal with the other one, right as he felt the other clone hit the ground he jumped to his side. For a bit of extra insurance, though, he let out another stream of air. See, he wasn't restricted to only one blast. With that, he propelled himself farther dodging the explosion just as it had began. Hopefully he was able to clear both explosions with the enhanced jump. From there his shoulder would probably slam into the ground. Not hurting nearly as much as the explosions could have, but with his nice little liquid body he would be able to shrug off the fall. The explosions would've been far tricker to shrug off.

wc:402

OOC: (Reading my previous responses back- I realize I made a critical error in using my jutsu, I used Meteor Wave too soon without waiting for the proper cooldown. So you get a free hit with that rasengan or whatever you desire and we can call the sparring to a close :D)

Slippery... slippery Saizo, that was going to be his nickname from now on; had had weaseled his way out of two close range explosive clones and managed to only land abruptly on his shoulder. Had it been a real fight, she wouldn't have afforded him the opportunity as she watched from a short distance away. He knew when and how to manipulate his body, whether in solid form or not; utilizing more than just water to achieve this impressed Semasu, he wasn't a Jounin for "show"

You see, Semasu wasn't aware that he was now a kage, as far as she knew- he was still a Jounin like when she had met him at the beach in Tsukigakure. This was her first time actually visiting his village, she had planned to beat him with her newly attained skills and force him to take her out to eat and sow her around his village- but their sparring had become a bit serious on her end. It was that hot blood of the Rankujos, always carrying things too far.

She had a few more tricks up her sleeve, but honestly doubted they would work effectively against his aquatic body. She still had her Lightning Precision for a bit more before the duration ran out; why not use it to the fullest? Getting in close to him would probably be the best bet, staying at mid-range and he would likely go and retrieve his weapon... wouldn't want to forget where it was after all. She stomped her foot against the wet sand, not too far away from her was one of the craters of glass. These glass craters dotted the beach now, at least four craters and three "wavey" lines of glassy ground.

In a way, it was pretty and surreal; but compared to the nice sand and pretty water; it looked like an apocalyptic battle had taken place... just some overly friendly sparring. Her foot found a solid hold on the glassy ground and she used it for extra leverage as she pushed off towards Saizo who was now recovering on the ground. Her right arm led with the lightning scalpel and her left arm was lowered for a second strike if necessary- it was time to end the sparring match and determine who was the winner and what the "consequence" for the loser was.

Don't dodge now Saizo, all or nothing!

---

Word count- 400

Saizo flipped over on his back as the sand and dust cloud he blew up into the air started to leave the area. The force of the explosions blew most of it away. Only small specks remained so both parties could see clearly. Saizo laid on the sand. He knew she was at him coming. With his beach being blown to pieces he wasn't very happy. In fact, he was ready to finish this sparring session right here and now. He wasn't really mad at her specifically. Just a bit upset that one of his own special spots was turned into a battlefield. It sucked. Maybe he would be able to salvage it. Perhaps file it under some sort of national monument? Maybe get the village to help him out in its reconstruction. No. They weren't as gullible as he was making them out to be.  Of course, they did make him Kage (:P), so who knows what he could get em to do. Probably going to be viewed as more of a personal problem, though. That was ok. He could find away to fix it. Even with the small salary he was payed to run an entire organization with minimal help and outrageous work hours. Thanks Ocean Damiyo.

Saizo's hands were clasped together in a unique little hand seal, somewhat resembling a type of cage. Saizo was best known for his Fuuinjutsu. The sealing techniques. Although they weren't the most combat heavy, they are still a fearsome art. Saizo had a sort of natural talent with them. Now that he realized it, though, this was the first one he was about to use this spar. He would let her get close, however. As she came in for the strike, Saizo remained on he ground. Looking up at the clouds. But before she could hit him, chains came from seemingly nowhere. A few from the ground, others coming our of thin air. They would wrap around the explosive maiden, looping around, appearing as if there were hundreds of chains, all restraining her. Her limbs and body would be stuck in place. Her fingers and her mouth would be allowed minimal movement, but other then that, she would be absolutely stuck in the weaving chains. "Sorry, I can't go on". He looked up at Semasu with a smile. "You Win."

WC:389
Chakra: 230/390

Spoiler:

All or nothing was right, and it looked like Saizo had chosen well- nothing could deter him from fulfilling his Fuinjutsu. In a way, Saizo had gone all out without doing anything; Semasu didn't expect a sealing jutsu at all. Imagine that, a Hozuki with Fuinjutsu- it probably served him really well in battles because enemies wouldn't expect it.

The chains had been too sudden and Semasu's dash had only increased their effectiveness in sealing her movements. The chains had first started with her out-stretched arms, wrapping around them like a coiling snake; next were her legs and lower body and then finally up and around her torso. It wasn't many chains, but their sheer length and method of wrapping up her whole body made it impossible to move. She would have been suspended midair if she had jumped forwards or backwards, as it was right now; her feet were barely touching the ground and she could feel how lightly her feet touched the glass charred sand.

It was obvious whose win this way and Semasu suddenly had her mind running wildly at what kind of request Saizo would make. Maybe he would make her wear a leather one-piece bathing suit with bunny ears and mittens... that thought didn't seem to bad to her, might even look cute- but the male attention she would get would be increased exponentially, it was already bad enough now! She eyed him because they both knew whose win this was, she waited for him to claim victory and then make some outrageous request.

Her surprise was complete and showed on her face as Saizo suddenly declared the fight as his loss; why was that? Semasu had used basically every jutsu she had known to land any kind of effective blow on Saizo, but he had remained defensive and mostly avoided her attacks with little offensive movements. She eyed him suspiciously; was he suddenly too ill to continue or something? He didn't look like he was about to pass out or anything, maybe he was just being nice to her... though she couldn't fathom how as she looked at the glassy beach.

How is this my win? You have me incapacitated.

She didn't mind winning, but not like this; she would have preferred a very painful finisher to make the claim of victory complete. Instead he had nullified her movements and told her that she had won? What game was he playing? Winning her heart definitely wasn't this way of doing things, so she could only guess that he was either too lazy or didn't have the heart for landing decisive blows on friends.

She would calm down after his explanation and then make her request once she had been freed from the Fuinjutsu.

Well, I guess since I win, I get to make a conditional request as victor... Let's see. How about you treat me to a nice meal at a fancy restaurant!~

---

Word count- 489

He almost wanted to laugh. It justr looked weird. Seeing her so helpless after she confidently destroyed the scenery just a few seconds ago. The way she looked, all tied up, er, chained up. He had heard that some people find that sort of thing kind of hot, but Saizo found it hard to see it as erotic. He could see its appeal, it just didn't really click with him. In fact, it was almost the opposite. Kind of seemed like a sick fetish. He wouldn't judge, though. Everyone had their own preferences. The sand was still warm from the explosions. Felt rather nice. At least one good thing came from that. Unfortunately it probably wasn't going to last for long. He could enjoy it for now, but he would have to think about what he was going to do with this place later. Saizo was taking full responsibility, even if it had been his friends own jutsu and fighting style. It was fine. He wasn't the kind of person to hold a grudge.

She seemed irritated about it. Whether she was angry at being chained up or him having given her the win, maybe even both, he couldn't tell. Was she feeling like he was looking down on her? Maybe he was. He felt a bit bad for that. At the same time, she sounded pretty ungrateful. "Stop asking questions and take the win like a normal person." He said under his breath. As he stared in a different direction. It wasn't his plan to hurt her pride or whatever, but he truly couldn't go on. His body was exhausted. Blood lose on top of those horrid doughnuts and constantly having to dodge and then put his body back together. Eventually those things started to take their toll. And Saizo was a bit lazy to begin with, but we can just ignore that part. He was almost ready to keep her chained up. Maybe a take a nap. Yes, a nap sounded pretty nice right about now.

No, he wasn't that sour. Not yet anyways. You know, it would have been nice if she at least apologized first. Its almost as if she was use to blowing up places then leaving. Or maybe she really was. Saizo allowed the chains to dematerialize. If he had kept em any longer he might have had the temptation to tighten them a bit more. He couldn't let himself get that angry. Especially at an old friend from another village. It would also look bad. Then again, no one was around. No, no, he couldn't. She was now free. And then right away she started pushin him around. What happened to her reluctance. Her "Why'd you let me win?" speech? Did she really change her mind that quick? And still no sorry? Was it too late to change his mind? "Fine. I think I know a place nearby. Oh, and thanks for the remodeling." he said with some snarky sarcasm. She would get it. Hopefully.

WC:502

"Winning" wasn't quite the term she thought Saizo was familiar with, he had an odd way of showing her victory; but she wouldn't push the point. As his chains loosened, she released the ration chakra flow to her arms and the lightning blades dissipated. She rested her feet firmly on the ground and stretched the soreness out of her muscles- she hated being restrained. It was a nifty jutsu though, the chains had disappeared like they had never been there and left no traces of them being used.

She rubbed her wrists and legs, the chains had been pretty tight and her skin tingled a bit from the sudden flow of circulation; most of all, her breasts had been restricted and it had somewhat turned her on but also pissed her off at being so helpless. She fought the urge to adjust her bosom in front of Saizo; she didn't need him passing out from lack of blood before she even got her meal!

She noted his sarcasm as he mentioned that he might know of just the place, she looked around and noted all the glassy areas where explosions had turned the fine sand into hard glass... it was pretty, but also dangerous. Some of the glass had formed above ground in sudden motion, giving the glass a look like frozen water turned solid and of many different colors. Though some children playing in the area wouldn't be best because after all, the glass was sharp as a sword.

I'm sorry about your beach Saizo, I get carried away when the thrill of battle hits me... it's part of my clan's ability, or curse rather.

Explosions were never easy to use, much less control- she just had to give herself away in the urges and go with the flow of her erratic and violent chakra.

She walked up to Saizo, wrapped an arm around his left arm and pulled him closer and pointed towards the busy area of the village. It was time for this treat and Semasu was thoroughly hungry from the workout she had gotten with her friend today... and how much more dumb-founded he would be when he realized how much she could eat. It would probably be akin to looking like her body was comprised of a space/time jutsu, being able to eat anything without the backlash effects or getting "fat"

She smiled up at him coyly and commented at his surprised look.

Well, we're going out to eat right? Why not enjoy it some yourself with a pretty woman beside you for people to gawk at?

Indeed there would be gawking, Semasu didn't know Saizo was Umikage and the villagers would surely think the site of the Umikage and some busty shinoby from another country together arm-in-arm, enjoying the day and meal together... little did they know, the two had been in a near-death sparring contest not too lon ago... such was the life of everyday "marriage" though. It was a profound comparison, she couldn't help but smiling. Men weren't her first choise, but Saizo was a handsome man and a good friend of hers, so she would indulge in him a little.

---

Word count- 530

There. He got the apology. He was at least a little bit happier. Well, not happy, but less mad about the beach. Saizo didn't care much for her explanation. His own clan was known for a bit of a bloodlust and pirating. He himself was neither. "Its fine. It can be fixed.", he said with a sort of depressed tone. Still, living amongst those... bodacious women had probably rubbed off on her. Mentally and physically. It was hard not to look at times. Saizo wasn't usually much of a pervert but he did have his moments. Actually, there have been quite a few moments. Way too many moments. Hell, he didn't even try. In fact, he avoided it most of the time. It just sort of happened. It was his own sort of curse/blessing. He didn't think he was very attractive or anything. Even if he was, he was far to modest about himself.

Sai dusted off the sand from the ground he was laying on. Probably got a few glass pieces off of himself as well. At least he didn't have to worry about cutting himself. Miss Rankujo on the other hand. Her body could take explosions to the face. Her skin was most likely very thick. She'd probably be fine, but should she risk it? One shard of glass and then intensive surgery. Could even take her ninja career. Now that would be no good. Especially since she was quite strong. He'd be proud to have her in his village. Of course, there was probably no way he could make her switch villages like that. It would also be very rude to ask. Flattering for her, but it would definitely be in an insult towards her kage. To insult someone he'd never even met. No, he couldn't do that. Not out loud anyways.

Oh jeez. She got really close. Quite suddenly, too. Blessing or curse. Couldn't tell yet. "You're a bit close." he said, looking away and in a really weak voice. Almost inaudible. In fact, it probably was. She also wasn't listening as she pointed over towards the village. Saizo was kind of nervous. Having her so close and touching him. The way she looked at him. Oh, he almost couldn't take it any longer. And her modesty, well, she didn't really have any. Complimenting herself. It wasn't a turn off. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Made her even a bit more attractive. He couldn't though. Long distance never really worked. She was probably just teasing him, too. Maybe a one night stand. No no no, too lewd. He was Umikage now. An affair like that would be heavily frowned upon. No. He would take a break from romance.

"Uh... yea, yea. We can go. Just give me a second."

Saizo needed to pick up his sword. Couldn't leave it out in the sand. He had to make sure it wasn't damaged either. He wasn't really sure how to get her off him, though. Did he really want her off? Not every day that he gets this lucky. He'd be fine, though. He just sort of pulled his arm away. At the same time he gave her a bit of a smile, just to show that he was coming back. It was always easier to trust someone when they were smiling. He didn't want to look like he was ditching her after all. He probably had enough money to pay for the dinner. His pay wasn't all that bad.

WC: 585

He had seemed to drop the subject about the beach after mentioning that it could be "fixed, easy enough... all he had to do was have a friend with a Doton affinity and practical skill to reshape the sand around the area... but also someone with a Katon element to melt the glass- so it would be a little troublesome, but nothing too serious.

Indeed there was lots of glass, many parts of the beach looked like an area from another world from the way the sunlight sparkled on it and reflected off the water's surface not too far away. Stepping around the glassy areas could be precarious if she wasn't careful.. Saizo could probably just "water glide" his way through it, but she would have to be more careful.

He had seemed like he might protest when she wrapped her arm around him, but she scoffed at the notion.. what kind of man would deny himself the general affection of a woman and reject her actions, even if it was a bit of good humored teasing. She gently tugged free of her easy grasp and went to retrieve his weapon after a vague explanation, he waited patiently in the spot and watched him go casually to the weapon he had grown accustomed to. She inspected the weapon from afar and was glad to see that it was not damaged from her explosions, such a nice weapon being broken would surely put a damper on their friendship.

That's a fine weapon, being able to withstand those explosions and still be in tact.

She wasn't complimenting herself, she was complimenting the sword; few weapons could remain in tact, or even in the hands of their wielders when faced against explosive power.

---

Word count- 285

Yep his sword was pretty fine. The shape was a bit ugly. He personally didn't like its shape. It was far too unique for him. He didn't keep it around for its look. No. It was far more special. Far beyond how it looked. He still hand't mastered it, though. He also didn't use it to its fullest potential in the fight. It could change form far faster then he had shown, with many forms far more dangerous. It wasn't only a mid and close range weapon. Its true power was its speed, not its strength. He had yet to master either power. Ah well. All in due time. He walked over to the sword unharmed. He was, as Semasu just learned, impervious to physical harm. He pulled it out of the ground, dusting away some of the sand. He'd have to clean it out later. All the holes and valleys were probably going to full of it.

He then took a quick look at Semasu, who had stayed in the spot he left her in. Saizo had almost forgot about the glass. Hmm. Seemed like she didn't have a way across. Or maybe she was just being kind and waiting for him. He couldn't just leave her there, though. Saizo walked over to her. He then toke a deep breath and turned his back towards her and slightly bended over. He was carrying Hiramekarei in his hands. The strap around his upper arm."Get on."

She was probably at least a little tired from that spar. Saizo faked most of his fatigue but even he was a tad tired. He figured this was the easiest way to do it. No risk unless he dropped her or something. Now Saiao was tired, but not nearly that tired. He had to carry his big hunk of metal around on his back all the time, so carrying her shouldn't be too bad. He doubted she was heavier then his sword. You never know, though. Looks can be deceiving.

WC: 336

This was a curious turn of events, normally she would punch the man in the back of the head if he offered such a gesture to her, but Saizo was a friend and she trusted him- plus the situational area advantage of using his body as a "carrying shield" seemed more pleasing than tip toeing her way through the glass. She smirked at him and pretended to be embarrassed and took a step back.

Oh my, I couldn't do that~

Her tone of voice was enough to tell him that she was being playful, she suddenly lurched forward and pounced on his back in a light but playful manner. She was definitely tired and Saizo was pretending to be tired; his gait was too even and his shoulders weren't nearly as slumped as a tired person. Possibly carrying around his large sword had built up his endurance?

She settled herself comfortably on his back, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her melons against his back- she was sure she would stiffen slightly at the feeling, but then his hands would reach low and find a dtrong handling at her thighs to help support her weight. She was not at all heavy, in fact... probably lighter than Saizo expected. When he would stand up, it would almost be  jerking motion because he would expect to have to use more strength to lift off the ground. She grinned at that, Saizo was probably expecting her to be somewhat heavy because of her Nintaijutsu training and her clan's natural explosive element.

This was not the case however, very few in her clan weighted more than two hundred pounds and those were the men. Semasu weighed around 120lbs but could pack a punch and break bones; quite the deceiving appearance.

So show me this place you mentioned

She declared that loudly, but not too loudly because she was resting her chip on his left shoulder as she lashed out with an arm and pointed excitedly towards the busy section of Shippuugakure. It was getting dim now, the sun was setting and the lights in the village were starting to be lit, the sunset was a soft pinkish red hue and a swirling horizon; it was a pleasant evening with the wind being soft and just warm to fend off the chilled atmosphere. It was a perfect romantic evening, had this been such an occasion, but Semasu's attractions were elsewhere- Saizo was a handsome man and would make a good husband, but not for Semasu. Her eyes were set on another prize, a quiet gentle girl from her own village... a girl she hadn't formally introduced herself to yet, but was to do so soon.

---

Word count- 452

He'd let out a deep breath as the young lady hoped aboard. She was surprisingly light. Far lighter then he had imagined. He remained bent over due to his sword bringing him down, but he expected her to be heavier. Especially with all the strength she put into her kicks and punches. He imagined that she would've been made of muscle. He was glad he was wrong. So it was all in her technique, eh? Saizo wasn't much for Taijutsu. It definitely wasn't one of his stronger skills. He had learnedly the basics in the academy and his early days but he didn't take it much further. He just wasn't very interested in the body arts. It suited her very well, though.

You know, one would assume a sealing master would have a scroll on him. Something to seal his sword into. That would only be logical but of course Saizo didn't have one. It was rather embarrassing. Calling himself skilled in the art and still lacking scrolls. Then again, why would he have brought the scroll to the beach. He usually didn't bring any more then a pair of sandals and some sort of swim trunks, and sometimes he didn't even bring those. He was glad he decided against that today, though. Would have been rather awkward to encounter Semasu like that. On the other hand, it would make them even, wouldn't it. She didn't seem interested in that though. A good thing, cause Saizo wasn't planning of doing so even if she asked.

Speaking about bodies. Her own was quite close to his own. Almost too close. It actually made this far more difficult. Even more so because her body was so... developed. He was lucky he couldn't see her and she couldn't see his face. It allowed him to imagine other things. Like dead puppies. Yes, dead puppies would calm him down. Never thought he would ever say that, but he never thought he would end up in a scenario quite like this one. Was it a blessing or was it about to turn into a curse.

Saizo walked with a steady pace. Not to slow not to fast. A pace that resembled a slightly slow walking. He made sure to avoid any holes, not wanting to trip, but he paid no attention to the rocks or glass. They didn't bother him. After all, they were unable to cause him any harm. He had only planned to take her to the edge of beach. Just enough to get her out of danger but she didn't really seem to be paying attention so Saizo carried her a bit farther. Reaching the outskirts of the village. She was far more tired then Saizo was and she had also worked much harder too so it was only fair. She deserved to be spoiled every once in a while.

"You can walk the rest of the way, right?"

She didn't need to get off if she didn't want to but he assumed she would want to walk on her own two feet. That was just the kind of person she was. No matter her decision, Saizo would continue forward, leading her to a colourful little seafood place. She couldn't make a trip too Shippuu without trying the seafood. It would be like going to Hyoyga and not trying the... It would be like going to the Jungle and not eating the... Uh Boufuu toke pride in their alcohol, right? It would be like not going to a bar in Boufuu. Nailed it. He wasn't really familiar with the local cuisine in the other countries. He didn't eat out often so he didn't know many places. He was rather poor before rising up. Even as a jouncing he was short on money. Lucky for him, he was now payed for doing nothing. Sure there was paperwork he was SUPPOSED to do, but that didn't mean he did it. Yea, he was totally going to get impeached. Ah well. Might as well treat as many women as he can to dinner while he was still in office, and why not start with this one, right now.

WC:693

He stood up without much effort and Semasu was glad, he adjusted well with her weight on his back as he carried his large sword in his hands; they would look like a right weird pair going about through the village. Saizo walked through the beautiful glass without harm and Semasu was glad that he had offered to carry her. He carried her past the glass and then a little further even, she didn't mind. She kept a silent as she enjoyed the little assistance he was giving her, she noted his steady gait and was glad that he wasn't too tired to carry her. Even though she was strong her being curvaceous and beautiful, she would have definitely been too tired to carry him if the circumstances were reversed.

Yep, I can walk from here, thank you Saizo.

They continued to walk and chat casually as they first entered the busy section of the village, occasionally someone would recognize Saizo and make some respectful comment or action. Semasu was a little confused, sure Saizo was a Jounin and was talented, but had he done something really important for villagers to know who he was?

It seems your pretty popular in the village Saizo. Are you some kind of love guru or something?

It was a playful joke while also appealing to his sense to explain to her the increased attention they were getting by passer-byers.

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Word count- 236

The restaurant was a nice little place. It wasn't overly famous but it wasn't a little shack restaurant. Like he had said, he didn't go to restaurants often but this had always been his first pick. His diet was made up of the three main categories after all.  Fish, Crustacean, and Mollusks. He wasn't really picky, though. As long as it came from the sea, chances are he would eat it. He liked other things, too, but seafood was cheaper. He could even catch it himself if he wanted too. The sea was full of it. Sometimes he even ate it raw. He'd never tell anyone he did it, but he did. He would rather take her out for cooked food today, though. She probably preferred it too. Then again, he didn't know what she liked to eat. Maybe it was her kind of thing, too.

Yes there were many people looking at him and greeting him. He only gave quick glances and smiles. He didn't like attracting attention. He was just a normal man after all. No need to give him that much attention. He had slung his sword back onto his back now that Semasu had left it. It was a bit of a relief that he got the image of dead puppies out of his head. Now the women's reaction was pretty good. A love guru. "Heh, I can barely find someone for myself, let alone someone else."

Saizo, although he didn't look like it, was a bit of a hopeless romantic on the inside. He wished he could meet that certain someone. At least before he died, which could be very young at this day and age. He had hoped he would meet someone before he had to take on his responsibilities of Kage. Now his time for that sort of thing was quite limited. It was alright, though. Maybe it just wasn't in the cards. There's no going against fate. "Well, I am pretty famous in the village." he said to her before looking up at the flowers on the buildings. "You know, theres a bit of a celebration going on. What would you say If I told you it was all for me?"

WC: 369

So, Saizo was human after all, even he was looking for someone; that was good, she silently wished him the best of luck...thought after this evening, most women in his village would probably feel too intimidated after seeing him with such a beautiful and "gifted" girl such as herself. She smiled to herself, maybe she would help him find someone from his village. Who knows.

At first she thought he was being cynical when he stated that he was famous in the village, it didn't seem likely to her- he was too down to earth and a casual guy who didn't like to work hard. Though he had mentioned somewhat of a celebration and state off handedly that it could possibly be about him. She almost scoffed at the thought, but against it- what if it was true and she laughed? It would probably offend him.

Okay, I'll play along... so say this celebration IS about you. What is the celebration for and what did you do or accomplish to gain the village's respect?

They arrived then at the restaurant, a nice little place for seafood; personally she hadn't eaten seafood before but was curious about it. She was glad he had brought her here, it was a nice change of pace. She would refrain from eating donuts here, it just didn't seem like the right timing to eat a sweet in a seafood shop.

They entered the doors and a waitress saw them, the woman gawked slightly before bowing respectfully to Saizo and then Semasu.

Umikage-Sama, I'll lead you and your lady to a private table, please follow me.

Semasu nearly stumbled and fell on her face, so Saizo was the Umikage!? She suddenly felt foolish for sparring with him so casually, but they were friends right? Still...what if ANBU or something had caught wind of their sparring and intervened? She shuddered at the thought, sure she used explosions, but dealing with shinobi of the ANBU rank was a frightening thing. It was a rank she one day wanted to attain, but Saizo had completely eclipsed her accomplishments. Sure she had been a Genin last time they met and now she was a SPC Jounin, with news she might get promoted soon; even so, Kage was a big accomplishment.

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Word count-382

Saizo wasn't sure whether he was being insulted or just teased. She didn't believe this was all for him? Judging from what she knew about him, it was a fair assumption that a village wouldn't give him his own celebration. She didn't know of any wonderous deeds he had done, so there was no way she could've known. Not unless Tsukigakure kept up to date with Shippuu. In fact, it made him a tad more relieved that she didn't know. At least Tsuki didn't have any spies. Unless they were just slow spies who couldn't relay data nearly as well, but it would defeat the purpose of a spy if they were this slow to get the news over. Its already been a short while since he was elected for Kage by the Damiyo. Long enough for him to be familiar with the duties. It helped that he was given a brief overview before officially taking the position.

What had he done to deserve this respect? Saizo did a lot but nothing he didn't expect from any other ninja. "What did I accomplish... well there were quite a few pirates I've taken out. I think some of them were pretty famous.", that probably wasn't all, but Saizo wasn't one for keeping track of his own past accomplishment. Actually, he rarely viewed any of them as accomplishments. He only did what he felt he should do. If other people appreciated him for it then Sai wouldn't stop them. He didn't want to encourage any praise for himself. Not for those kind of things. Especially the pirate ones. It was only his job.

Saizo bowed to the waitress from the restaurant just as she bowed as she saw him. It was the respectful thing to do. Today he didn't feel like being the Umikage. He just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner with a friend. "Oh, no need for that. Any table will do just fine." on the other hand, Saizo wasn't all that hungry. Maybe he would just let his guest order something and he'd just get an appetizer. Who knows. Maybe Semasu could bring out some of his own hunger.

OOC:(Sorry for the late reply Saizo, it's been a difficult past few days.)

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Saizo was polite and respectful, but it was apparent that he wanted to be a "normal" person right now; he wanted to enjoy a normal meal with a friend. She could afford him the normal friendship, but it was surely impressive to think about... her friend, now a kage in one of the largest villages. She remained quiet as she watched Saizo's interaction with the waitress, he asked for normal treatment and wanted a regular table for them to sit at and enjoy a meal.

Naturally the waitress showed them to a rather nice table away from most other customers; it was a nice table, shiny clean tables and comfortable round seats where they could socialize and laugh without interruptions. She sat down first, it was only natural after all that the lady sit before the gentleman. Chivalry wasn't her best aspect and she was surely lacking in some of those qualities, but she understood the importance in allowing Saizo to act upon respectful gestures.

So those pirates, were they just bandits or were they Hozuki?

It was a sudden random question, but Semasu got the feeling that Saizo had done something very difficult for himself even to achieve such a position. He was kage now, so she assumed his pay grade was bumped up a bit, she wasn't gonna hold back now that she knew that- she would show Saizo exactly how much she could eat. She grabbed the waitresses arm and asked for a large snack while they waited for their orders to be taken.

Excuse me, can we have a large snack... like some loaves of fresh bread and some spicy sauce or something while we wait for our orders to be taken?

It was a little weird to ask and she received a weird look from the waitress, a loaf of bread was enough to fill up a normal person. She nodded her head and took down two orders of something to drink for them and disappeared, leaving them alone to chat.

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Word count-336

[OOC: Much busy, little breaks]
So of course Saizo toke his seat right after the last took hers. Happy that the waitress knew what he wanted. The table seemed rather far from the crowd. He didn't mind. As long as she didn't go ahead and kick everybody else out or something absurd. One would think that living in the major village, seeing the kage from time to time was natural. Not something spectacular and rare, but still not an everyday happens all the time occurance one would gasp about. That's how he felt it should've been like. He had no power over how others viewed him, though. Maybe if he knew a little genjutsu.

Saizo wanted to pull out a chair for Semasu but she wasn't the kind to let a man do stuff like that for her. In fact, she seemed like the type to pull the chair out from under a man instead. Saizo didn't see it as a bad quality. He would never do something like that without good enough reason. He didn't know about her, though. Some explosions are just unpredictable.
"Some of both. Not at the same time."

He really didn't want to talk about his clan. He lacked connections with them. The pirate ones anyways. There was only one Hozuki other then himself that he considered a friend. Even she was a bit ill-mannered. He wasn't sure if it was genetics and he just missed out. Maybe that wasn't all true. He wasn't always so polite, but in public and with a lady, it felt like something he had to do. He had only just toke office. He couldn't give bad first impressions.

She, on the other hand, didn't seem to give a flying fudge about what others thought. It was part of her appeal. She ordered bread like no big deal. Almost as if she had done it before. Little did he know that she did all the time. Saizo didn't like bread. No, bread was just gross to him. Maybe it was because he would always end up getting it all soggy somehow. Wet bread was not good bread. "I don't recall you sharing your rank. You're no longer a cute little genin anymore, are you?"

So, it was true. Saizo had fought some of his own clan despite them being extended family; he was a stronger man than she had first suspected. She couldn't imagine how difficult a battle could be between two or more Hozuki shinobi... lots of water she was sure. Maybe pretty destructive as well, but not in the same way as if two or more of the Rankujo's fought. She shuddered at the last fight she witnessed between her clan members- lots of property damage, enraged merchants and very high repair bills.

Well, congratulations on your position as Kage. I am sure you deserve it.

The waitress came back right then with a rather large basket of breadsticks, this was a snack Semasu was used to when dealing with restaurants. She thanked the waitress and bit into one of the loaves of bread as she listened to Saizo ask her about her rank. She chewed thoroughly before replying.

Actually I am a SPC Jounin now, soon enough I'll be a fully ranked Jounin. Though still very cute.

She winked playfully at him because she had noticed his explanation of "cute genin". She had indeed been a cute genin at the time, but she was so much more now.

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Word count-207

Special Jounin, a good role. Not high enough where you are overworked, not low enough where you are under appreciated. Yes, she also was still cute, also a bit scarier and what she told him about them growing in "Specific" places more then others was completely true. At the time he had kind of doubted her but she proved him wrong. He was kind of glad she did. Not because he was a pervert or anything. He just, uhh, liked it? Well, he was sure she worked hard to get her position. Maybe even as much as he had. Saizo wouldn't touch any of the breadsticks. He didn't like bread. Well since she was here with him, he might as well learn some things from her.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, your kage. What is he or she like?"

He was curious about this person. He was curious about all the other kage were like. His enemies and his allies. HE didn't want to ask about any abilities, though. That would seem a tad too nosey. As if he was planning to fight against him or her. Just a name would be fine. Anything else would be icing on the cake. Saizo did however like icing. He also wouldn't be against her talking about him to her own kage. It would be fine with him if she decided to do it. It was her choice.

The waitress came by just after Saizo asked about her kage, Semasu thought her answer for a bit while they made their orders to the woman; she would get around the telling him after their food was finished being ordered.

I'll take one of everything from the special menu... it all sounds delicious. Oh, and three orders of steamed crab with extra sauce on the side please.

There were at least twelve different orders on the special menu and the three crabs were quite large- they came from Shippuugakure's waters after all. the woman gawked at the large order and struggled to write it all down as Semasu made the enormous order. She looked at Saizo and wondered if he was going to order anything or if this was for both of them... though she got the feeling that Semasu was being quite serious. The Umikage looked like he was sharing the same expression the waitress herself was, the woman ordered if he would order anything at all, but she asked anyways to be polite.

After Saizo's response, the waitress hurriedly disappeared in the back of the kitchen and a couple seconds later there was yelling and shuffling of feet as the lazy cooks stepped up their game to prepare a splendid feast for the Umikage and his "girl" Semasu grinned to herself as she thought of the gossip that would make a circuit around Shippuugakure; she laughed softly to herself before answering Saizo's previous question.

Well, to answer your question about my kage. His name is Eden and he does Nntaijutsu with a Raiton affinity, I've not seen him in combat myself... but the stories around the village are terrifying when explaining his powers. He would be your bane, Saizo- being close range with Raiton and super fast... he could probably strike you before you liquidized properly.

She bit the end off of a breadstick as they waited for the food as she eyed Saizo thoroughly. She didn't expect he would plan to fight Eden, but she genuinely was concerned for his health if he had even considered the option. The last thing she wanted was to attend his funeral even if her kage forbid it. She would just teleport into Shippuugakure on that day if it were to happen and be back the next before anyone was the wiser. Few enough knew about her sword's ability, she didn't exploit it to the public or anything.

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Word count- 417

No response in over a month, so I am exiting this topic and collected my EXP.
{Exit}