Never lose a chance to make friends. [P] [Karei, Ralia]

It was a warm day in Iwagakure; the sun was shining merciless on the citizens as a light breeze moved around dust. It had been a week since the new Tsuchikage's election and since the old one disappeared. Many were saddened about this fact but they were satisfied with the new Kage, although she was a bit young. The Tsuchikage's office was newly renovated for the current Kage. The room was changed into a traditional japanese living room, much to the pleasure of the young woman who had taken the responsibility of protecting the village known as Iwa. A frail looking woman, merely the age of eighteen, was sitting on the floor on a japanese cushion, drinking tea. Her long pink hair was falling loose on her black kimono. She picked up her tea and closed her light blue eyes as she swallowed the hot drink. Her kimono was decorated with red and yellow abstract flowers on the end of the sleeves.

Today, was an important day for the Kage herself. She was awaiting her personal bodyguard and advisor; Karei Rokusyou. She was given a file with his name on it, which was now lying on the table in front of her. The elders had told her to look into the file so she knew what was coming but Ralia thought that files couldn't actually contain a person's complex personality. So she didn't even bother to look into it. As she was sipping on her tea, a Ninja knocked on the door and entered the room when Ralia told him that he could come in. The Ninja, who was a Chuunin, kneeled before her showing like that his respect. The young Kage didn't like it when people were bowing before her; it made her feel uncomfortable and besides, it was unnecessary. Just because she was the Kage didn't mean that she was any better than anyone else, in her opinion. ''Lady Tsuchikage. Karei Rokusyou has arrived.'' he said with a stable voice as he was still looking at the floor. A feeling of anxiety arose in Ralia. She was feeling uneasy that they might not get along well. The woman opened her eyes and looked kindly at the Chuunin. ''Let him in, please.'' she said with a smile on her face and the Chuunin immediately stood up and opened the door to let Karei walk in.

[[Sorry that it's so short, but my sis won't leave me alone. She watched Harry Potter and now she's afraid to sleep alone and she'll sleep with me and she keeps talking. -.-*]]

Smoke formed at the end of a long, paper-wrapped cylinder, billowing up and into the air, coiling around itself. The cylinder rested between the lips of a middle-aged man, curled into a smile. The man stood at a low height, a mere five foot six, his body lean and his muscles wiry. Today was a casual day, despite the nature of his meeting, and so he found himself wearing a tight-fitting v-neck shirt, long sleeved and striped black and white. He liked the feel of the extremely light fabric, like there was nothing there at all. Chains clinked against each other, hanging from the belt loops of his tattered black pants, his black sneakers padding on the tiled floor without a sound.

The man, Karei Rokusyou, fingered his Iwa pendant with his right hand, blowing smoke out into the air as he approached a Chuunin standing outside of the doorway he was about to pass through. He nodded to the boy, recognizing him vaguely, though he couldn't quite place it. "Daisuke?" He asked, taking a shot in the dark. A smile broke out across the Chuunin's face, the expression of happiness quickly quelled as he took a serious posture and bowed to Karei. Ah, yes.. He thought to himself, amused, he was in the class I visited back then.. My how he's grown.

The Chuunin quickly turned on his heels, passing through the oak door and into a room that Karei couldn't quite make out before the door shut again. He heard muffled voices, and the door creaked open once more. Karei stepped in, removing the smoking cylinder from his mouth and suffocating the embers in a small lump of clay which he procured from a pouch at his side. He replaced the clay, putting the cylinder in another pouch on the same hip.

With an elegant gesture Karei raised one hand, bowing and crossing his legs as if he had just received a standing ovation. His back straightened and he smiled at the young, frail, pallid form before him. "Ralia Sansai, I presume? I see you, too, got suckered in."

The door opened and a white haired man came in, a bit shorter than Ralia though it didn't seem like it as she was sitting on the floor. The man was a wearing a long sleeved black-white stripped V-neck shirt. His black pants seemed rather old, but Ralia liked his style; he looked comfortable in it and thus was giving off confidence. Ralia wished she could have worn her usual clothes, too, but the elders forced her to wear that formal kimono. Not that she didn't like it, but she would feel better with her own attires.

The man took out a cigarette from his mouth and he extinguished it in one of his small bags which were attached to his hips. Ralia smiled at him as he bowed before her like a gentleman, though she would prefer he didn't. She didn't like it when people were showing her overly respect. "Ralia Sansai, I presume? I see you, too, got suckered in." Karei said, as he unbent his back and smiled back at her. Ralia moved her hand, showing the cushion across the table, indicating for him to take a seat. ''They forced me to become Kage, but don't tell anyone.'' she replied, as she slightly chuckled. ''Want some tea?'' she asked as she lifted the jug of tea. It was chamomile tea, Ralia's favorite.

Ralia's first impression about Karei was good; The young woman couldn't detect any problems with him, yet. She hoped that they could work together, so she didn't have to search for another bodyguard. Or rather, so she didn't have to turn down another one. ''So, Karei. Is it okay if I address you with your first name?'' she asked him while she mentally slapped herself for not calling him by his last name. The council had told her to talk to every new person she met, with their last names and Mr. or Ms., which was quite bothersome, considering Ralia wasn't familiar with all those formalities. ''Tell me about yourself.''

Ralia's gaze travelled to the beautiful exotic plants which were placed on the right wall. She had brought them from her home, so the room would warm up a bit; that was when the office hadn't been renovated. Even after the renewal, it looked like the flowers were illuminating the room. They also smelled good; they were giving off a sweet scent, but not too sweet. Just barely enough to be noticed.

As he straightened his back, she motioned toward the open cushion, just a couple feet from her, across a small table. He took a seat, sitting casually with his legs crossed, leaning back, supporting himself on his hands. He smiled at her as she reached for a tea toward a jug of some liquid, steam coiling from its spout; most likely tea.

''They forced me to become Kage, but don't tell anyone.'' She said with a chuckle, raising the jug. "Want some tea?"

He nodded toward the offer graciously. "I would love some," he replied, sitting up straight so that he could drink the hot beverage without burning himself. He reached for the tea, pulling it in toward his body and almost hugging the cup as he let the scent and warmth of the steam brush over his face. Content, he brought the cup up and took a swift drink, letting the scolding liquid slide easily down his throat. Chamomile.. Yummy

''So, Karei. Is it okay if I address you with your first name?'' She said, making a face as if she had just blundered socially. He responded with only a kind smile, allowing her to continue with her sentence. ''Tell me about yourself.'' When she'd made her request her gaze wandered toward the plants lining the walls of her room. His own gaze followed, taking in the entire room for the first time.

"Yes, you may." He said, staring distractedly at a particularly beautiful plant. "As for talking about myself there isn't much to say. I sculpt, I paint, I sketch, and I dream. I get high sometimes, and forget about the things I've done, and the things I'll do. I was the Tsuchikage two generations before you, and retired to focus on my art. It's been only recently that I returned to combat, and I still don't know why."

Karei took the cup full of tea, as the steam caressed his face. He then took a sip and Ralia could see that he liked chamomile, too. ''Yes, you may.'' he responded to her first question. "As for talking about myself there isn't much to say. I sculpt, I paint, I sketch, and I dream. I get high sometimes, and forget about the things I've done, and the things I'll do. I was the Tsuchikage two generations before you, and retired to focus on my art. It's been only recently that I returned to combat, and I still don't know why." Ralia noticed that they had the same interests; she, too, drew and sketched. However, she had never gotten high, but that was something she would want to try out. The young woman's eyes looked at the ceiling as she imagined herself being high; she would probably do and say crazy stuff which wouldn't be appropriate to be seen by the villagers, or anyone in general.

''I draw, too!'' Ralia exclaimed excited as she stood up and rushed over to a dark wooden drawer. She quickly opened and closed some cupboards until she found what she was searching for. The woman took it out and sat back on her cushion. She held up the sheet of paper with both her hands, as she grinned widely, her white teeth facing Karei. It was a sketch of a small kitten in black and white, which was all alone staring down. It was obvious that Ralia was proud of her work, and that she loved kitties. She would have one of her one, but her life as a Ninja didn't leave her enough free time to care for another being; she barely managed to care for her plants, that was why she brought them into her office.

''What do you think?'' she asked, as she was waiting for him to criticize her work. Ralia liked it when people were commenting on her art; that way she could disclose her weaknesses and work to improve herself.

''So, did you volunteer to become my bodyguard or did they force you?'' she asked after Karei had replied to her previous question, as she put the depiction on the table, next to the jug of tea. She didn't want to have a bodyguard just because someone forced them. He had to want to do it on his own free will. Otherwise, Ralia wouldn't work with him.

Kitty!! =D:

Karei paid little attention to her reaction, as she leaped up and sped around the room, obviously searching for something. He patiently waited, sipping his tea, and eventually refilling the tiny cup. Why do we not just get larger dishes..? He pondered to himself, as a pieces of paper was shoved in front of him. Upon it was a drawing of a kitten, quite exceptional as far as he saw. There was one thing wrong with it, though. He didn't quite like how the left eye looked, slightly off-proportion with everything else.

Karei removed a pencil from his pocket, and with a quick swipe of one end, and a few easy strokes of the other, fixed the eye so that it fit with the picture better. "Hope you don't mind," he said, handing back the sheet of paper, "I'm a fan of proportions."

He placed the pencil back in his pocket, taking another sip of the tea. It was really good. Smiling he nodded to himself, as if confirming some inward question. "I was at your coronation, though you wouldn't have noticed me. I was amongst the higher-ups, given an honorary seat to watch my successor's successor. You interested me, very much, and I was bored. So I volunteered for the position, to get a good gauge on you."

"The drawing's good, by the way." With that, and another sip, he fell silent.

He nodded as Ralia asked him whether he was driven or if he wanted to be her guard and then he answered the query correct, much to Ralia's comfort. She was delighted that he wasn't forced, but that he did it because of his own free choice. Ralia broadly smiled when he complimented her on her drawing and slightly blushed. She always did that; it was something that made her face look cuter and livelier.

''So, Karei. Looks like that was it. Before you become my guard, though, I would like to ask you something...'' she said, as the grin faded from her cheerful face. Her expression was unusually cold and apathetic. Her cyan eyes were as cold as their colour; something they hadn't been in ages. It was like they were staring into the very depths of Karei's soul, trying to read it, to read his thoughts. Her gaze was piercing him, one could say that it was frightening. It was not often that Ralia took on that face, mostly for special occasions, like if she wanted to get some information. Of course it all depended on the person she wanted to intimidate. If it was a child, it would be easy; but if it was an older man, like Karei, it would be a bit difficult. After all, his eyes had probably seen a lot of dreadful things, so he might show indifference. Just like he didn't really care about the sudden outburst of joy that came from Ralia.

The new Tsuchikage had noticed it, she was observing his every move since the moment he entered the room. The way he sat down showed that he wasn't anxious at all and very cozy. Also, it revealed that he didn't really care what others thought about him which reflected on his clothes; and that was exactly what Ralia liked about him. He was comfortable with being himself. The way he gazed at the rare flower, indicated that he probably loved nature, or he was just amazed by the beauty of the plant. The way he hugged the tea cup pointed out that he loved tea and warmth; another trait they shared. He really was an artist, as only a painter would be able to notice such a small mistake, let alone be able to correct it; most people would just say that it looked great without paying attention to detail.

''Tell me, what if I wanted to break? Laugh it all off in your face? What would you do? What if I fell to the floor? Couldn't take this anymore? What would you do? What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life? What... would you do...?'' she asked, her face still serious. The question was very important, and it depended on Karei's answer if they eventually would function together. She didn't want someone who would tell her what she wanted to hear; she needed someone who would be her friend and slap her when she would do a mistake and then let her try again and again until she finally found the right answer. And if she wouldn't be able to find it, she wanted him to show her the way.


[[Meh' couldn't resist. xD]]

Suddenly he face turned cold. Her eyes went stale, the youthful fire behind them blowing out. Cool blue stones stared back at him, set into a face far too apathetic for one so young. She just sat there and stared at him, as he waited for her question to be asked. Finally, the face of stone broke and moved, she spoke.


''Tell me, what if I wanted to break? Laugh it all off in your face? What would you do? What if I fell to the floor? Couldn't take this anymore? What would you do? What if I wanted to fight? Beg for the rest of my life? What... would you do...?'' Came the question, in the form of what Karei assumed was poetry, or at least mildly poetic. His right eyebrow raised instinctively as he thought over the question, and the odd way in which she'd asked it. More and more surprises... He thought to himself, suddenly infinitely more happy that he had chosen to stand by this girl's side.

"In all honesty? I'm not sure how to answer.." he began, scratching at his chin. His fingers scraped over the tiny stubble of hair growing on his face; he'd forgotten to shave this morning. This annoyed him immensely, and it'd happened a lot lately. No time to think about that now, though..

"I suppose I'll answer in fragments. What would I do if you wanted to break? That all depends on if I knew you did. Most likely I'd ignore it, unless I thought it were serious. After all, it is now my job to protect you, even from yourself. You are welcome to laugh in my face if you'd like, but I'd expect retaliation if I were you. If you fell to the floor, I'd pick you up, obviously. A gentleman should never leave a women flat on her ass. As for fighting or begging, I'm afraid that down this road you've embarked you'll have to learn to do both, and you'll have to learn to do both very subtly and without anyone's noticing but your own. So, yes, it would be best if you got used to it now." He said, each answer being punctuated either with a sip of tea or a scratch of his chin. He smiled now, that the questioning was down, for some reason praying to all that was above that she would smile back at him; the serious look just didn't fit. "I hope that wasn't too literal for you."

Ralia's face remained cold as Karei's eyebrow rose. "In all honesty? I'm not sure how to answer.." he said, as he scratched his unshaved chin. It looked like it annoyed him, but the girl didn't really pay any great attention to it as she was more concentrated on his answer. She was trying to see what was going on inside the man's head. She always analyzed people; that was why she was able to explain and often to foresee one's actions.

Karei started to answer her question in fragments, as these questions couldn't be countered in a different way. While he was revealing more and more of his thoughts and probable actions, Ralia's face did not change. She was taking in all this information like a sponge, and processed it in her brain. Every now and then Karei would sip on his tea or scratch his chin. He was possibly nervous; In any case, he was avoiding eye-contact with Ralia, which convinced her that he was nervous. The man finally finished with a weird expression on his face as he said "I hope that wasn't too literal for you."

Ralia kept staring at him for some seconds and then stood up, walking to where Karei was sitting. She kneeled down to him and looked into his eyes for a split second. Then her mouth opened and formed a big smile, her eyes warmed up and seemed like they were going to drown the world with love. ''Congratulations, you passed!'' she said a bit louder than normal as she fell over and embraced Karei, holding him tightly. She was considering him a friend now, and that was exactly how she was going to treat him.

Ralia let go of him after a couple of seconds and smiled at him. ''You are officially my bodyguard, advisor and the leader of The Bunshi.''

The girl's expression didn't change, though Karei smiled at her. For a moment he worried that it would never crack, but she stood and neared him. Eventually her face would break out into that old smile, warmth and comfort flowing from her like an aura. She fell on top of him, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she exclaimed something Karei didn't quite catch. He assumed, though, that she was telling him he'd answered correctly.

Karei's arms moved upward instinctively, wrapping around the small girl's frame and giving her a quick squeeze, before the embrace was broken and she leaned back away from him, smiling brilliantly.

''You are officially my bodyguard, advisor and the leader of The Bunshi.''

"Well, that's more than I signed up for.." He said, feigning something between disappointment and uneasiness. Unable to keep a facade going for more than a few seconds, Karei smiled once again, "but I think I can manage."

"Well, that's more than I signed up for.." he said, pretending to be feeling uneasy with the leader position. The few seconds that passed before he spoke again, were filled with shock on Ralia's side. Despite her great skill at observing and understanding people, she wasn't able to comprehend that he was just joking around. Her heart skipped a beat and blood ran into her face, as a weird feeling expanded on her head which seemed like it wanted to pull her face backwards; like it wanted to skin her. Ralia didn't know if he was going to refuse the job. She felt as if she did something wrong. The feeling of being guilty ascended inside her. Her smile faded, the expression of a shocked human replacing it. Fortunately, this lasted only for some seconds, and after Karei smiled again and told her that he would be able to do it, she felt like a stone was falling from her heart.

''Alright.'' she said, smiling at him. ''As my bodyguard, you have to be with me at all times, especially when I'm out of the village. Even if I'm not in an official meeting or whatever, you have to be with me. Of course you will be given free days.'' Ralia didn't lie the thought of having Karei follow her wherever she went. She felt like she was robbing him of his freedom; of his life. He could still go back and revoke his decision, but Ralia hoped he wouldn't. She hated it when herself was split in two parties; too bad it happened a lot. Lately, she wasn't able to decide on one thing. Anyway, she thought that it was unfair, but she still didn't want him to refuse. 'Being selfish again, aren't we?'

''As my bodyguard, you have to be with me at all times, especially when I'm out of the village. Even if I'm not in an official meeting or whatever, you have to be with me. Of course you will be given free days.'' Ralia explained to him. She seemed perplexed for a moment, lost in thought. He took that time to finish his tea.

Then, standing up from the sitting position, he smiled down at his new charge. So young, so innocent; It was a shame it wouldn't last. "Very well, but forgive me if I take the rest of the day off, there are things I must attend to before the sun sets," he apologized, placing a hand on her head in a mildly affectionate manner, "meet me at the training grounds tomorrow. I feel like I should make sure you can fight, in case I'm not quite good enough at my job."