A Steamy Escape [Group}

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It wasn't every day that you get to go on a mission and relax at the same time. This was certainly the case with recent missions Ami had found herself picking up, usually involving killing wild animals or people. She had wanted and needed a break, even though the inner competitive side of her wouldn't allow. She still had so much she needed to prove, so many pairs of eyes watching her every move in the village. Especially now since she had come back from the bijuu encounter and had lost in the legendary fight. Word had traveled faster than she had wanted it to and within days her entire village would have heard of her embarrassing defeat. The girl had given everything she had, but at the same time realized that there were just stronger shinobi out there. And then not to mention losing her close friend as he fled the village, to add to all the negativity and stress she was feeling. It was a miracle that nobody knew how she had stabbed herself, a near death experience, to let Jay go, her mind and heart conflicted between her duties as a shinobi and her friendship with him. In the end she had chosen to let him go, and had suffered the consequences that came with it.

So it was almost a god send gift when she picked out the mission scroll from the administration building about a protection mission of a wealthy businessman who was on a business trip in Gekkousatou was planning to travel to Nikkousato for another meeting and then go back to his village afterwards. He had specifically instructed that he wanted at least one shinobi from the moon and one from the sun, a joint mission, so to speak. Suzuki Kaito, a very successful businessman in his early thirties, had asked that Gekkousato protect him while traveling from the moon to the sun and then Nikkousato would baton touch with protecting him home. He wasn't too concerned about if the two shinobi would end up going to the sun and then to his village together or separate, so long as he was protected the whole way. The girl would make her way to outside of the moon village gates and past the peach blossom forests. There was a place, a little before Kataki Road, an onsen hotel of sorts, that travelers would use if they got tired from their long trips or were about to go on long trips to stop by. She had never been asked to meet her client at an onsen before, but she had been told that he would be staying there for the night. Ami was to stay there for the night as well, until the next morning when she would travel with him to the Sun village.

It was unusual for her to stay overnight at an onsen in her own village. It was a nice idea, and Kaito had already paid for the shinobi that would be protecting him so it was just her luck that she had decided to take this mission. The girl would step into the hotel, her eyes immediately taken in by the beautiful interior. The flooring was tatami mats, allowing travelers to walk around the entire hotel barefoot or in their socks, the outside and inside reflecting that of a traditional Japanese house, with paper lanterns that replaced normal florescent lights and decorations such as flowers and wall scrolls giving it a simple yet elegant appearance. All the staff wore dark blue kimono with a deep red sash, deepening the cultural experience of the place. The onsen itself was quite small but homely, serving hot green tea and traditional sweets to every customer who visited. It was their hospitality that would warm her heart, as they took her to where her client was staying. His room was a Japanese styled room, comfortable and not greatly lavished. She immediately took a liking to Kaito, knowing that if it had been any other wealthy businessman, they would have probably preferred one of the more luxurious and utterly ridiculous hotels in the village. Ami was then ushered to her own room, after formal introductions were made between shinobi and client, enjoying the little escape that she could have amidst all the chaos in her life.

Life for Sojiro Sakura over the last few weeks had suddenly picked up, turning into a life filled with excitement and new twists almost every day! In the time that had passed, the man had made a new set of friends and found himself filled with a renewed sense of vigor and energy, despite the disappointing meeting with his Kage. This new group of friends had caused him to see things in a new light, the world around him seemingly becoming clearer and it felt as though he was himself again. It was an enlightening feeling and, to embrace that, the man had decided to take a vacation. There was nothing stopping him, had the village decided to hand him a mission then he would simply put it to the side until he was finished with his own personal relaxation.

When choosing a place to try and relax at, most would try and stay at a large resort with tons of extra features and add-ons but not Sojiro... No, similar to Ami's client, it seemed that the man's tastes were for the much for simplistic yet elegant. The Inukura male had taken refuge at an onsen that wasn't too far along Kataki Road from the village of Gekkousato. When it came to vacation, the idea was to get away from home as much as one could and while he had surely spent too much time in the other village, this still counted to him. The man had been staying in the resort for nearly two days before Ami's client had gotten the rooms for the two of them and she was assigned her mission, though the two of them wouldn't run into each other upon her first arriving. As Ami was getting herself ready to enjoy the rest of her day, the man had was preparing to do the same... And that was when there was a knock at his door, opening it to only find a letter left by someone in the Sun Village. Sojiro let out an annoyed breath, "Even on vacation..." He muttered to himself before bending down to grab the letter and returning back to his room.

In the next ten minutes, Sojiro had gathered some belongings up and had decided to take to the hot springs that was offered. The changing rooms were separated by gender but the pool itself was not, being a large open area filled with steam, beautiful green foliage, and an aura of relaxation from the large trees in the distance. The man would have stripped without any shame before he entered the steamy outside, holding a tray underneath his right arm. On the tray was the unopened letter from the Sun Village, two bottles of Sake, a few drinking glasses, and two books. The tray itself was one of special ones offered by the place, that would float perfectly on the water so it would actually be useful. Sojiro stood completely exposed to the world for a moment as he decided where he wanted to set up shop, allowing anyone who entered a good view of his form. His lack of clothing showed that the man had a completely even tan along the length of his form, and the fact that he was toned even underneath his clothing. It also showed his scars though, one of which was the scarred area where his left arm had once been. The other was a small stab wound on his lower back, seemingly a kunai... And the final one was a set of matching scars on his abdomen and his back, as though something had been impaled through his form and then removed. With a relaxed look on his face, showing a soft grin, he debated the best place to sit.

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Perhaps a trip to the onsen would do her some good...

Ami thought to herself as she dressed into the yukata that was offered at the hotel, the delicate patterns of cherry blossom print on a dark purple fabric suited her taste. The obi was a dark red, a relatively long sash for the yukata that allowed her to make a big red bow that tied the garment around at the back. Perhaps she had just lost a lot of weight, but whatever it was, men who saw her would be taken in by her beauty, a pink haired maiden that looked so fragile and yet could be so deadly. The girl would take a white towel with her to the hot springs as she was told that it would be a mixed one. Having never been to a mixed onsen, the girl was admittedly nervous, but she would assume that people had some kind of decency to respect the human body and would not try to violate her rightful privacy. The girl would also take the tray that the hotel had provided to her, something that would float nicely on the waters. That was not something you saw every day.

She took her weapon pouch with her, placing it wrapped in a cloth with peach blossom patterns to hide its true contents. Ami never left anywhere without at least having some sort of weapon and seeing as a katana was too big for her to carry into an onsen, she had resorted to just taking her secondary weapons. The girl also took some plum wine with her, something to help her replenish hydration if she stayed too long in the waters, although she secretly doubted that alcohol could help her, recalling her last hot spring adventures where she had met and fallen for Keiji. She smiled softly to herself as the memory of their encounter played again in her mind, slowly taking off her yukata and wrapping the towel over her body in the changing room. The girl would make her way to the waters, immediately noticing the steam filled air. It was that warmth, mixed with the tranquil sounds of the rushing waters from the springs that calmed her mind and heart. With her tray in hand, she would make her way to a spot, one which could see out into the forests surrounding the hotel. It was an open air bath, the hot water mixed with the cool winds created the perfect harmony.

And then she stopped in her tracks....

In front of her she could only see the back of the man, and while she doubted whether it was him, she was almost certain it was. How she knew that was beyond her but her eyes would rest on the Inukura, a blush subconsciously forming on her cheeks. She closed her eyes, shaking her head, as she tried to shake away the feelings and memories that now crept back into her mind. The kiss they had shared, the moment when he had held her lips and pushed his body against hers...it had been just a fleeting moment, but it had caused her heart to race and palpitate, enough to send a roller coaster of emotions through her veins. Trying to keep her cool as best as she could, she would walk behind him quietly and find a place a little distant from the man. Ami wasn't sure if she was ready to face him just yet...or rather what she would say to him if they actually made conversation.

There was a moment of true peace and tranquility that filled the man as he enjoyed the noises of the onsen and nature that surrounded him. It was easy to hear one of the doors opening, someone slipping into the rooms and starting to change into a more suitable attire for the waters. As they moved into the larger room, it was their scent that would catch Sojiro's opinion, the man unphased by the feeling of their eyes on his firm. The scent that moved through the air reminded him of Ami Hyuuga, though was it likely the two of them would really run into one another here? It didn't seem likely but, with his usual confidence, the man would turn his body slightly so that he could fully face the woman as he spoke, "Oh, not even going to sa-" And the man had stopped in the middle of his sentence as his eyes rested on the woman. His ruby hues lingered on the hair of the woman, then her face, finishing with her eyes, "A new look." Was what he said instead.

Yes, it was definitely Ami still, despite her new look. How funny would it have been if it was some stranger he was talking to? Sojiro let out a chuckle, not attempting to hide his stark nakedness in the slightest before he would slowly move into the water. As he did, somewhere in the area a bamboo shoot was filled to the brim and tipped, causing the soft sound of wood against rock to echo throughout the area. The man would slide into the water until most of his stomach was in the water, the tray with his belongings being floating on the water. As he got into his position in the water, the man's eyes find the form of the woman and admire it like he had during their last mission, but without shame or shyness, "So, are you on a vacation as well?" He'd ask to start a conversation, his strong gaze watching as she'd eventually slip into the water and disrobe herself, admiring the woman's muscles and the few scars she may have on her form. Ami was strong, he had learned that in a conflict with her recently, though she didn't know that.

Of course, he had always known she was strong and capable but it was clear she had been keeping up on her training. He wondered how she balanced the beauty that she held with the fierceness of a beast, perhaps it was her Hyuuga Blood? Sojiro would raise the glass of Sake and fill two of the larger drinking glasses, moving to take one for himself and gesturing towards it, "Feel free to have the other." Once he was comfortable in the water, most of his abdomen was covered in water, just exposing most of his upper body.

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And then he would have spoken, her body froze as he turned his head, seemingly to say something in that joking manner of his. She had forgotten his acute sense of smell, being from the Inukura clan. Ami looked up at him, her blue eyes resting on some point on his face, avoiding his eyes completely. She knew that all it would take was one look into his eyes and she would be throw back into the internal and emotional conflicts she had been trying so hard to avoid. The girl would attempt a small smile, and nod her head, as he took in her new appearance. She had gotten used to people's stares now, especially as she was hiding her eyes too. The girl would be at a loss for words, as though unable to find her voice for a moment, her mind obviously preoccupied with memories and thoughts of things that she should have forgotten a long time ago.

Ami turned her head at the calming sound of bamboo hitting against a rock, its unusual melodic rhythm mesmerizing. The pink haired would watch as Sojiro slipped into the waters, covering his lower body with the onsen waters. She now felt more at ease looking at him, having only seen Keiji's body once, and not intentionally either. She was always shy looking at people, studying their frame and bodies. She was even more shy to expose her own, a deep blush forming over her cheeks as she was forced to take off her towel to enter the hot spring waters. It was basic etiquette, and if she was in an onsen for just women, she wouldn't mind. But this was her first mixed onsen experience, and worse yet, it was with Sojiro too. She would slip into the waters, the distance between the two of them closer than she had expected and wanted. "I'm on a mission." she would let out a small sigh as her feet touched the steamy waters, a chill running through her veins. She always had that sensation when she touched something hot, a tinge of relaxation and comfort that nothing else seemed to be able to give her. "I'm guessing you're on holiday?" How she longed for a holiday...

The Hyuuga would glance at Sojiro's tray, having seen him pour two glasses of sake and offering one to her. She would smile and take one, even though her tolerance for alcohol was so low that she would probably be too heavily intoxicated to function if she finished the glass. But she enjoyed sake, as there was very little aftertaste, unlike beer or vodka. Ami took a small sip from her cup, enjoying its taste in her mouth as the liquid slid down her throat. Her muscles were beginning to relax against the hot spring waters, taking in a rare moment of relaxation as she turned her head to look at Sojiro. She was careful not to outright stare at him though, as that would just be rude, instead stealing awkward glances once in awhile, hoping that he wouldn't notice. It would be just like when they had been on that mission.....