#Kaka High Flames

[curryvillain]

Yuh Betta Dance To @MarcyChin & Kaka HighFlames' "Dip"

It’s Monday, and it’s not everyone’s favourite day, but we hope to fix that for a moment. Stress happens on these days, but we need you to dance away all that. Thanks to Marcy Chin and Kaka Highflames, you can watch and dance to, “Dip“. Directed by Xtreme Arts, Marcy Chin and Kaka Highflames team up for a new song for you to reel in some good energy, and expel the stress. We see Marcy, Kaka, and…

[littleeyesofpallas]

I forgot what I was calling the series on zanpakutou names...

...but this one’s been sitting in drafts for a while.

Yamamoto[山本]: Mountain + Root, meaning the “Foot of [a] mountain”

Genryuusai[元柳斎]: BeginningTime/Original + WillowTree + Holy/Pure

Shigekuni[重國]: Chief/Main/Important + Country/Nation

“Ancient Holy Willow, from the Mountain base, of the Chief Nation”

I did this once before going over character names specifically, but I figured it was worth repeating:  The personal name Genryuusai is a direct play on his character design; the old kungfu master style eyebrows mirroring the hanging leaves of a weeping willow.  The family name is straight forward and locational, but combined with the given name paints a little picture of a tree at the foot of a mountain.

And the 3rd name(?) seems to be like an epithet more than a name; he is Yamamoto Genryuusai “of the Chief Nation,” presumably referring to Soul Society itself as said nation.  This becomes more meaningful once we learn that he is the leader of the original Gotei 13, before they were a military organization, and when they were just a gang of 13 powerful shinigami.  It seems to imply that he’s not just a chief representative of Soul Society, he’s so named because he helped found Soul Society.

Ryuujin[流刃]: School/Style/Way + Sword

Jyakka[若火]: Young/New/Premature + Fire

“Sword Style, Young Fire“

The irony of course being that Yamamoto is old as dirt, but his sword -the reflection of his innermost self- is explicitly youthful.

And then there’s his bankai,

Zanka no Tachi[残火の太刀]: Remain(s) + Fire + Thick + Sword

Zanka[残火]: “Embers”

Tachi[太刀]: a “tachi” is a specific kind of sword, often compared to the western Long Sword

“Tachi of [the] Ember(s)”

Most Bankai don’t really change names, they add extra titles to the shikai name.  But a few have wordplay that break that trend, and this is one of them...

Yamamoto’s here swaps “young fire” for “fire remains,” jumping from the start point of a fire to the end point of one.  The only shared kanji being ka[火] for “fire.”  It also changes out the “sword style” as subject, for a singular sword.  Although, chi[刀] is the same root kanji in [刃] meaning “sword”/”blade” which was an obviously intentional choice to further the parallel between names.  But because they’re pronounced totally differently, without the kanji present, it doesn’t come across in an English translation at all.

Higashi, Kyokujitsujin["東": 旭日刃]: “East,” RisingSun + Blade

[旭日]: Rising + Sun, not that this translates any differently, but it is the term for THE Japanese Rising Sun symbol, and not just the literal two words in proximity.  So while there's the obvious "sun rise" and "East" tied together, it's also got a distinct nationalist flare to it.

“Rising Sun Blade”

This one’s really pretty straight forward, but it plays into the overarching theme...

Nishi, Zanjitsu Gokui["西": 残日獄衣]: “West,” Remainder + Day + PrisonUniform

Gokui[獄衣]: Prison/Jail + Clothes, the term for a “Prison Uniform”

“[The] Day(s) that are Left Prison Uniform”

For some baffling reason the Viz translation for this was “Sunset Hell Robe” which is just wildly off base.  This seems evocative of prisoner watching the sun fall on the last day of a sentence; but whether that’s the last day before release or the last day before execution, isn't by itself clear.  Given the rest of the names here, though, I assume execution.

I actually feel like this is a scene from an old jidaigeki film but I can’t remember which... (it was the plot of an episode of Samurai Champloo, and a random plot for a dungeon in Wild Arms 5, so it might just be a general trope, but I’m positive there’s a singular core film it references.  Is it Hashire! Melos I’m thinking of? I thought I remembered it being a Japanese period piece though...)

Minami, Kaka Juumanokushi Daisoujin["南": 火火十万億死大葬陣]: “South,” FireSquad + TenTrillion + Death(s) + Big + Funeral + Formation/(military)Camp

English translation Viz went with was “Trillion Flame Great Corpse Formation” which, I can sort of see the logic in trying to make sense of an otherwise really tricky collection of kanji, but is once again pretty far off base...

So, I was super confused by why he’d used the construction kaka[火火] which is just “fire” twice, when A) that’s not any kind of a special compound word, and B) [炎] is the kanji for “blaze”/”flame” and the attack name was written vertically, which seems to clearly be a kind of word play here, but I couldn’t figure out what the other side of it was.  But I think I figured it out...

The Ritsuryou was the Chinese influenced law system in Japan during the 700s, and it borrowed a lot of Confucian bureaucratic systems, which included elaborate systems of measurement for uniform inventory of people and assets, many of which are no longer in use.  One such unit of measurement is a ka[火] which is a military squad consisting of 10 soldiers, and is in fact a homonym with ka[火] which just means “fire.”

kaka[火火]: Fire + (military)Squad

Juu-mon-oku-shi[十万億]: 10 + 10thousand + 100million, which is 10,000,000,000,000(ten trillion)

Another little aside, but Japanese has different major units than English does.  juu[十]:10, hyaku[百]:100, chi[千]: 1,000 all line up with English pretty simply in multiples of 10, but then mon[万]: 10,000 has its own designation rather than the compound of "ten + thousand;"

What we call "hundred thousand(s) are written juu-mon[十万]: "10 × 10,000"; and "million" is actually a compound, written as hyaku-mon[百万]: "100 × 10,000" instead of getting its own unit;

oku[億]: is the unit for "100,000,000"/"hundred million(s)" like it's being used here; and then there is also chou[兆]: "10,000,000,000,000"/"ten trillion" which Kubo seems to have avoided using (probably just for the sake of sounding more dramatic) and kyou[京]: "10,000,000,000,000,000"/"ten quadrillion."

“Fire Squad, TenTrillion Deaths, Big Funeral Formation”

So, to be clear...  (military)Formation is the core subject here.

Who’s in formation?  The Fire Squad

What kind of formation? Funeral formation

What kind of Funeral? Big

How Big?  10 trillion

A military squad equipped with fire starting weapons, carrying out a mass military burial, of ten trillion corpses; all of which is pretty literally reflected in how it raises a bunch of skeletons of dead warriors.  That is just a preposterously high death toll though, and it honestly reminds me of the stupid meme shirt, "BORN TO DIE, WORLD IS A FUCK... 410,757,864,530 DEAD COPS."

I do want to clarify that [葬] means "funeral"/"entombment"/"burial"/”interment” etc... and is explicitly about the dead and frequently (although not exclusively) about whole body burial...  I am super confused why the biggest bestest most powerful fire sword doesn't seem to CREMATE people...

but I also want to clarify that together [葬陣] does NOT refer to something like a "concentration camp."  Also "interment" as in to put a body in the ground, is not the same word as "internment..."  The Japanese words for something like an internment camp, or specifically the Nazi concentration camps are [捕虜収容所]: "Prisoner of war housing site" and [強制収容所]: "Forced housing site" respectively.

Kita, Tenchi Kaijin["北": 天地灰尽]: "North,” The World/Universe + Ash + Last day of the month/End

Tenchi[天地]: Heaven + Earth, very literally “Heaven & Earth” but in that it refers to “all creation” or “the whole world” or “the universe.“ 

I'm assuming this uses [尽] to mean "Last Day..." because of the rest of the names' theme of the passing of time.

“The Last Day... The World is Ash“

“The World Reduced to Ashes” was the Viz translation, which at least has the same general imagery as the intended meaning, but it misses the specificity of “The Last Day” and how that plays into the cycle from East to West, South to North in the different forms.  Also, in English it’s a little clunky, but I feel like it evokes two phrases, “The (Whole) World [is] Ash” and “[Your] Last Day [on] Earth” simultaneously.  The whole thing has a distinctly apocalyptic tone to it.

So, his bankai starts at dawn, gets to sundown of the final day, he's brought out to the execution/burial grounds, and then all that's left in the end is ash.  It tells a neat little story, and Kubo clearly had to fiddle with this for a while to get some of these names to come out right, so that's neat to see at work.  It's a shame this fight was so anti-climactic.

[psalloacappella]

tempo rubato

Day 7 Prompt: free prompt // “From now on . . .”

@sasusakublankperiodweek

Ao3 | FFN | ↓

It is a divine and breathtaking thing, to be untethered from their earthly expectations.

The rhythm of the world is a universal hum, an unbroken orbit consisting only of two.

(we write a story)

Hewn halves of the same whole, shadow and light.

They tell themselves to keep it simple, take it slow. This, whatever this is.

The dynamic shift between them is not sudden nor gradual, but something permanent, piquant, and passionate.

Arcs of exploration, personal and entwined: They roam the edges of the world they know and the enclaves they don’t, hoping that their bonding will reveal the hidden map — time reigning at the helm, the pilgrim cartographer. 

But they’ve never been blithe or unfocused, not in their goals or in the shaping of their destinies. Certainly, nothing between them has ever been anything other than a dramatic affair, enduring, and a love that every other eye can see.

“How many days has it been?” she asks him across an inn table, watching him in the dim light. 

Sasuke knows damn well she’s aware of the hours and seconds that have elapsed together; she’s far too precise for sly questions of time. Does it matter?

He pauses before answering, already so taken with the way she levels her gaze at him, unadorned, and knows bringing her along will be the ultimate undoing of his penance journey, the taking apart of his hard heart. Sunrise cleaving through his endless dusk.

“Months, now.” Gathering up the last shreds of meat from his bowl, he places it in hers and meets her eyes in the manner of setting dry kindling alight. 

And so it works, this restrained and sentimental pace, for a while.

.

(we speed up)

Whispers in firelight will be their foundation, the tales that will shape their future. They speak of mundanities (flowers), practicalities (weather) and dreams, some past, lost, and others transforming into hesitant, potential plans. They speak of scars, this one that one, from the one they called Sasori she breathes, his fingertips tracing a swift cleaving crescent, from him, he mutters, and he knows she’ll know which man simply by the smolder in his sloe and violet eyes.

Some damage gossamer, passing marks on the skin, and others rugged as mountain ranges, raised in affront. Shapes distorting and flickering in the flames. A reminder of the world they hold up, the home they must decide to recommit to, if they can.

They travel and retrace their own history, craving and dreading the point at which they meet the end if only to know the epilogue. 

But this love is unbridled, moves at breakneck speeds — years piled up with unsaid things, so it’s easy to melt, crumble, learn and map every single vulnerable inch of one another. Hearts, minds, skin. Whispering one another’s names in constant refrain.

It is a divine and breathtaking thing, to be untethered from their earthly expectations.

The rhythm of the world is a universal hum, an unbroken orbit consisting only of two.

.

(we slow down)

Swimming in a lazy river, circling as fish in palty ponds consisting only of their dual halves, they speak of coulds:  Could we settle somewhere new? Is the place that birthed us a sort of destiny? Is that home, or is this, you and I, enough of an identity? 

Could our future thrive in the same place of our trauma?

Could this system, somehow, become better? 

Balancing a brush between idle fingers, Sakura drips dry in the parched heat and nibbles the end of it in thought.

“Anything to add?” she asks. 

Sasuke swats at an insect, squinting in the high noon.

“For Kakashi?” Thinks a moment, then glances sidelong at her; at the way she holds things aloft so delicate in hands that break the earth. Heal men, and kill them on occasion. At the way she imbues such seriousness into her letters to their ex-sensei, frown rivets dashing across her forehead. At the fading water evaporating from her skin. “Ah, just to share it with the idiot.”

Lips drawn in moue, Sakura struggles not to laugh. “I can write separate letters; Kaka-sensei is busy now. Hokage things, you know?”

She watches him throw his arm against his eyes to shield them from a dazzling sun, and his quiet snicker contains multitudes, echos in a song. The expression just in that reminds her how little friction remains between them, that they’ve caught fire. 

“He can dictate to Naruto — you’ll burn out here if I let you write two,” he chides, noting the red dusting on her cheeks, suffused with glow. “I’m not quite sure how well he reads on his own anyway.”

Erupting into giggles, she shades her own eyes to stare at him with bewitching and stripped abandon. “Be nice. You know he’s next in line to lead, and no matter what he says, he’ll need you.”

Duty. It sits between them occasionally, considered and sometimes unwanted. 

“You as well.”

Before she’s laughed it off, brushed it away to avoid its grip, but he’s correct. They are fever-bound in fire to the village that will shape the future. A daunting prospect. 

“And I’ll need you too.”

Sakura’s so sure she’s misheard, but he’s closer now than a moment ago, sweeping into her orbit with his infuriating and silent speed, thumb resting gently on her blazing bottom lip.

Bringing the question into being, a fruitless thing he’d never deliberate but she never has qualms about speaking into being. 

“Do we have to go back?”

In answer he kisses her on a simmering, sunny riverbank in a way that would make their mothers blush, an apology, a wish, and this day becomes an axis even if they won’t know it for many cycles of the moon.

A pin is pressed into a shared soul map, becomes a burgeoning accompaniment, another rising phrase in their endless song.

From now on, they are in harmony, particularly with something much larger than themselves. 

.

.

Somehow it seems the village feels them coming, whispers paving the way.

Beginning with the far-flung ranging scouts and flying fast to the spry perimeter lookouts, on to the first inner circle defensive squads and, once the shinobi are identified, the hostile caution drops from their voices in a game of telephone to be replaced with a slightly manic curiosity. 

“Two,” one of them says, yanking a sweaty flak collar from his neck. 

“No,” the other says in a strident tone, waving his answer away. “There’s another with them. Three.”

Details drip in Ino’s ears, and she leaves her post in a whirlwind, a tornado of emotion whose  witnessed story springboards from house to training ground to alcove to inn. 

It’s fitting that the first encounter, or reunion, occurs in the middle of a main road beginning as ringing, if loving insults but dwindling to potshots from gritted teeth and smoothing into cooing whispers as the two women, these best friends, encircle one another with shaking arms and a bundle pressed between them; the accompanying men linger at awkward edges, Sasuke betraying so little with his usual impassive expression and Shikamaru, who was tripped up in Ino’s anger along the way, keeping his hands in his pockets. 

“Oh, how could you?” Ino sniffles, wiping away tears with the heel of her hand. “Can’t do anything by half-measures, no subtlety, you never could! No letter, no warning.” Here she glares at Sasuke for a moment, enough for him to cast his eyes away in at least a modest show of humility. 

The moments pile upon, become stranger and more surprising, as Ino presses her lips to the bundle in Sakura’s arms and Shikamaru sighs in not-unhappy resignation, ah, so it is, and extends his hand to an unusually startled Sasuke and for a fleeting sliver-second, the corners of his mouth aren’t quite so dour.

“Who’s next?” Ino asks, tenderly flicking away a lock of Sakura’s hair. “Though by now, the whole damn town knows.”

The men shake clumsily, wary, bereft of custom.

“I’m sure you had nothing to do with that. The honorary uncle, it's only fair.”

“We have to report regardless,” Sasuke supplies quietly. Bending over the bundle and his new wife (which, Ino will rant in retrospect, seems obvious now — his unusual tenderness, his glow, men don’t glow like that for just anyone, any reason!), he whispers, begins to lead her away. They walk with high heads and radiant faces.

Her jade eyes behold their new bundle, but his eyes stay, mostly, on her. 

.

By now the gossip’s reached his stuffy office, and though he’s never been one to put on airs or prepare for visitors, he does try to clear a free spot to be able to see over the mess of his desk, before an aide takes pity on him and handles the rest.

He will have to get a full, unadorned look at this.

She leads, of course she does — this is the love at twelve she forcibly took into her own hands, even when it pricked and bruised. Wrestled it until she won. The newlywed glow is obvious. As a shadow Sasuke sweeps in behind, but the tiny uplift of his lips is still evident.

True, then. Differences all around.

“The kids do things differently these days,” Kakashi jokes. “Have you at least considered getting married?”

“Have you?” Sasuke snarks.

Sakura shushes him gently, thumbing away some errant speck from their bundle’s chubby face. Eyes bright, they seem to dim the rest of the room as she raises them to Kakashi and asks, breathless, “Do you want to—?”

And despite his aide’s effort to clear his desk he gets up and comes around it, to them, closing the loop around a future he hopes is halcyon and new, shepherds of peacetime. 

He wonders if they’ve had their real homecoming yet, the true test — but no, he’d be able to tell. Not that the joy in Sakura’s face could possibly be more evident, and by the careful way Sasuke presses his mouth to her temple, nudges her with his nose (and there’s the glow, the one that paints great men often only because of exceptional women they love). Naruto, busy and climbing for his Hokage position but with his own recent arrival, his own legacy coming in the form of something tiny, blond, and confusing. 

The third point of their legendary triumvirate, no doubt unaware of what’s coming to his doorstep and in tow, the new member of his full life he’ll meet anew. 

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Sakura whispers, eyes shining.

A gloved hand on each head, as if they’re genin again:  He’s gentle with Sakura, ruffles Sasuke’s hair with a roguish twinkle if only to provoke his trademark scowl. 

Subdued, but their sensei’s happiness sings through in the crinkles in the corners of his eyes. 

.

Perhaps they don’t expect Naruto to be the one they see as the door swings open; after all the last letter he sent in his untidy scrawl is still in Sasuke’s cloak pocket, unread in the wake of their universe shifting to this perennial birth that’s brought them across the world and then to their best friend’s doorstep, clutching this thing that did not exist and now does, borne of them and their love; he stands there, blond hair in chaos and a strange smattering of dirt on his cheek and a rag over his shoulder covered in fluids that his friends now know will be constant, streaming, the aftermath of infants; Hinata behind him, carrying her own bundle, with the same look of frenzied-excited exhaustion but now her mouth falls into a small, round ‘o’ as she sizes up the scene faster than her darling, ditzy husband, who’s bereft of speech and straightens up from his sagging position against the door frame, stunned.

“S-Sakura-chan!” Bright ocean eyes ping from her face — beaming, because she’s already understood this wonderful coincidence and can deduce now what his message contained, she begins to weep a little, overwhelmed — to Sasuke’s, hesitant but with its own subtle change, a fleeting expression of love and pride. 

Hinata makes a comforting noise behind them, a reassuring response to Sakura’s tears, the language of women a bit quieter, something less decipherable.

“‘Ay, Sasuke you total bastard, showing up like this! Didn’t respond to my letter—”

“You ass,” Sasuke hisses, tugging fabric over one tiny ear belonging to his daughter. “She can hear that.”

“She’s in trouble anyway, with my mouth,” Sakura sighs, brushing away a tear.

Naruto’s eyes grow so wide they push the earthly bounds of his sockets. His head whips ‘round to look at his wife, their son, and snaps back just as fast to stare at his best friends.

“She?” The word comes out croaky, and Naruto’s already sniffling.

Sasuke and Sakura exchange a glance, the ghost of a knowing smile:  His sentiment has always been equal parts maddening and endearing, his adoration broadcast to the entire world.

Sasuke assents with a nod, but his own voiced response emerges with surprising vibrato emotion. Perhaps to hide it, he drops his chin onto Sakura’s head, resting it there. “Yeah. A little girl.”

They should expect it, but it’s still a scuffle like old times, Naruto tackling them both, gathering them close in his way, welcoming them home from the outside world and back into his magnetism, his heart. 

“Can’t believe you — didn’t even — you just come home like this—”

Their greetings and scoldings and expressions of love mesh together, can’t believe Sasuke managed it, Don’t squish her, Naruto! You idiot, It's you who’s managed it, how old, how long, where did you travel, what have you seen, how old is your son?

“How did you know?” Naruto asks, finally allowing them to breathe. He stares at Sakura, quizzical. “Betcha missed my letter. So how’d you know it’s a boy?”

“I’m a medic, remember?” Readjusting her daughter, she extends her other hand to Hinata, gesturing so she comes closer, anticipating a deeper appreciation of a friendship they’ve already begun, a new language they’ll learn together. “Had a feeling. I just know.”

But Naruto’s tugging on them again, drawing them close and tight, rooting them to the earth and the place they sprung from, flourished and fought in, and now, where they’ve returned. 

Time slackening and quickening though never lost or stolen, occasionally rhythm-robbed but always arriving expectantly, weaving their life legends into knots.

The codetta they’ve always managed to sing together in the end. 

[yugiohcardsdaily]

In honor of my 25th birthday, here are 25 facts about me and our beloved franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh!

I’ve been collecting the cards since I was 6.

I watched the original anime when it was first coming out in America. Back when it was on KidsWB, I believe.

The dubs are the only way I’ve ever experienced the shows. I can’t bring myself to watch the subs because of it. Also it was a wonderful thing to look forward to every Saturday morning, back when they still had cartoons on at the time.

When I was little, I’d pull cards out of my collection and duel one of my sisters. We didn’t know all the rules, so we’d end up with huge hands and a lot of nonsense turns. So it was almost like Season 1 of the original anime, except in real life.

I learned how to duel properly in high school. For some reason, Yu-Gi-Oh! became really popular to play when I was a junior/in the 11th grade, so I got to enjoy it with other people. Ran an Agents deck, wasn’t very good, but I had fun.

I’ve written Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction since I was in the 5th grade, which was roughly about 2006 or 2007. I also started writing Naruto fanfiction at about the same time, but I haven’t written that nearly as much as I’ve written Yu-Gi-Oh! stuff.

My first three Yu-Gi-Oh! OCs are characters I still use to this day. They’ve evolved a lot over the years, kind of growing up with me. In case anyone’s curious, their names are Carrie West, Jessica West, and Mirage. Carrie’s the main one, Jessica’s her sister, and Mirage was originally just supposed to be like a “Yami” for Carrie. She’s much more than that now, but I won’t bore you with the details.

The first time I saw anything 5Ds-related, I thought it was stupid and avoided watching it. Thank the Crimson Dragon I gave it another try.

This isn’t news, but my favorite characters in the franchise are Yugi Muto and Yusei Fudo. Still bitter about how much Yugi is ignored in favor of Yami/Atem, even in official merch. And also bitter that a lot of images of Yusei on official stuff erases his criminal mark, even though he’s had it since like Episode 6 and always had it in the manga, from what little I’ve read of it.

I met my best friend through fanfiction for this franchise. I posted my work on good ol’ Fanfiction.net, she reviewed, and the rest is history.

That friend got to go to Japan and see Darkside of Dimensions there. She also sent me some Yu-Gi-Oh!-related stuff that she bought while in Japan, including a DSoD booklet thing.

Said friend also got a recording of LittleKuriboh using his Yugi voice to say that I’m “super-special-awesome” as well as his signature in a 3-in-1 manga for the original series. It was at AnimeNorth, I believe, a few years ago now.

I was introduced to Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged in high school by one of the boys I played the game with. The first Abridged thing I experienced was Leather Pants.

I thoroughly enjoyed Marik Plays Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, which is why I bought and played the game myself. Wish he’d go back to it, but until then I’ll just rewatch the videos every now and then.

Some kid on my school bus stole my Uria, Lord of Searing Flames card (which came from the tin based around it; I mistook it for Slifer at first) and my Black Luster Soldier card (might have been from one of Yugi’s early Starter decks.) I let him look at my card binders and the little shit took them out. >:/

My older sister wrote fanfiction that included a couple of my characters as a big part of the plot. This was because our characters were cousins. Anyway, I looked through it while chatting with my best friend. It. Was. Fucking. Awful. Carrie was completely out of character. Mirage wasn’t being utilized correctly. I anonymously ripped my sis a new one through a review on FF.net, which caused her to take it down and come to me, saying something about how I had great fans who would defend my OCs and she was sorry. She still doesn’t know it was me.

As a result of the above, I stopped including her OC in my writing, and I actually had the character killed off in a OneShot because I didn’t want her lingering in my plots in any way. Said character was also paired with Kaiba in a very out of character fashion, so I set him free from her shackles. Now he’s in a crack ship in my universe with my bestie’s OC, nicknamed KaKa due to their names.

I have a couple of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds OCs. They’re twin sisters who, because of me deciding how much time passes between the original series and this spin-off, are the great-granddaughters of Yugi Muto and one of my OCs.

I tried to play...Duelist of the Rose?? a game for the PS2 while at a friend’s house. Couldn’t get past the first fight which was with...I want to say Rex or Weevil. But the characters were using names from like King Henry and shit. Yugi/Yami said his name was Henry, but to call him Yugi, like what???

My current card collection count (try saying that five times fast) sits at 2813. I have them split among four binders, three of about the same size and one thin. Two of the four are just Monster cards.

I wish they’d stop making new rarities for cards. Toon Chaos was basically scalped because of that, but also it’s just unnecessary. There are lots of rarities available. They just stopped using some of them for whatever reason. Like, gimme more Ghost Rares and less Collector’s Rares, please!

I have ships I ship, which obviously include some OC x Canon ones, but I won’t name them. Shipping wars are dumb.

My favorite female character in the franchise is...a tie between Mai Valentine and Akiza Izinski. Don’t get me wrong. I like most of the lady cast in general. Also, I prefer Mai before her voice changed and Akiza during the Dark Signers stuff over who she becomes later in the series, which is just Yusei’s love interest.

There’s kind of a running gag in my Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfiction between me and my bestie. For the longest time, even if the story didn’t involve him, Kaiba kept appearing. I made a “meme” image to commemorate the reoccurring event, which is simply a pic of him with the words “Kaiba appears nonetheless” in impact font.

I started this blog on a whim. No idea why I did, but I’m glad that I never deleted it like I did so many other sideblogs. It has been an honor to be a part of this community. You guys have been amazing <33

[firebird-inkheart]

I had a dream with Kaka/shi in it and, much like all my other f/o dreams, it sure was, ah, vividly interesting. 

―――

It started off with the two of us meeting up again after a long time. He said something teasing to me and in retaliation I denied him a cookie (yes, a pleasantly odd start, but still endearing to me in ways I can’t explain). When he sat down though he got quite serious, apologizing to me for not being around to “protect” me when I needed it most. I went on to explain a situation I had been in in the past― which now that I think about it, was actually the state of mind I had been in before I had graduated high school, though it had been phrased as if it had only happened earlier this year; depressed, anxious, and a mixture of angry and afraid due to the circumstances occurring at home at the time ―which made him feel worse. But then I’d gone on to speak about how I’d recovered from it, how I was doing so much better and actually taking care of myself now. I was glad that he’d come back and that he seemed earnest to make things up to me.

He told me that if I ever needed him then he’d just be a call away.

Then there was a bit of a skip here in which I don’t remember how the dream transitioned, but I distinctly recall Prince of Egypt vibes for some reason. I remember a very small scene where I was looking at a file with Kakashi’s info on it, but he was called “Cain” or “Cein”, as if to reference canine I think. And then I was moving on again.

I had been invited to this mansion as part of a research program. What it was for I can’t recall, but there had been something fishy going on with the organizers of it, and I had happened to overhear a conversation I wasn’t supposed to hear. I was part of something big, no more than another experiment myself.

There was a bathroom nearby. I hid in it and locked the door as the man, one of the two organizers I’d overheard, moved down the hallway.

The door unlocked and popped open just a little bit as he passed by. I panicked, but didn’t make a move, hoping he hadn’t noticed a thing. The man kept going. As quickly as I dared I shut the door again and locked it.

A blade ran through the door, and then, to further my horror, the lock popped open again, the man on the other side unlocking it. I tried locking it once more but it did nothing to help as he just unlocked it again. And then he began to hack the door apart while I tried to keep the door pushed shut myself.

I was trapped, weaponless, and terrified out of my mind. I didn’t want to die, I didn’t want to die, I didn’t want to die. The door was giving out in an unnervingly easy manner. I barely remembered what Kakashi had told me; I slammed a drawer from the nearby sink open and used it to block the door while I called him.

It was stupid to think an actual phone call would work. He hadn’t answered. He wasn’t “just a phone call away”.

There was only one way out now, and that was a long way down from the window to the ground. My fear of heights outweighed the fear of the man hacking his way through the door with the intent to ram his sword through me― Of course the acrophobia wins out against the more immediate and pressing danger of death by brutal murder. What else did I expect from myself? I can only sink to the floor, crying and begging to be anywhere else, be with anyone else.

“Kakashi!” I sobbed as the man finally broke through the door. “Kakashi please! I need you!”

To be on the precipice of death is an experience I detest in dreams. My heart would rather give out first from beating so fast― fast enough that it almost seems slow, yet hard enough that it could almost break from it’s cage of flesh and bone, and each beat sends a fire so searing through my chest that I have to wonder if that’s what it feels like to swallow lava before bursting into flames ―before I die of whatever is trying to kill me in the dream. Fearing death at the hands of stranger whose face I can no longer recall, for reasons that don’t make any sense other than I had happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time hearing the wrong thing. It was only a dream, but it had felt real in the moment. Too real.

And then the saving grace arrived, late as usual.

“Yo. Sorry I took so long.”

Tears of fear turned to that of relief; I was still shaken though, too paralyzed to do much more than tremble at that point. Kakashi smiled briefly at me before turning to the adversary, the flash of rage shining brightly in his eye. He wordlessly exchanged blows with the man― wordless because there was nothing he could say that could truly convey the sheer acrimony of what he felt in that moment ―and he knocked the enemy clear out of the room. Then he was at my side, pulling me up and helping me stand. Kakashi bore no reservations about jumping out window if it meant escape. But then again, Kakashi both possessed a set of skills which allowed for him to pull such stunts as well as didn’t possess a glaringly strong fear of heights like I did.

We were running across the lawn, a space so ridiculously vast and it only seemed to keep growing. The man that tried to kill me had only been stunned for a moment, not enough to get a proper lead, especially not with as sluggish as I was. It became a race, a game, then. The pace in which we ran and which they fought was brutal. At times I was running on my own as Kakashi forced the man further back, to keep him away from me. Other times I was only aware of the sensation of his gloved hand wrapped tightly around mine, tugging me forward.

We reached a pond surrounded by lava rock― a feature I only recognized simply because I had grown up surrounded by it my whole life. Kakashi had broken away from me again to clash with the man and his sword. I lost track of them as a blinding light blazed across my vision. 

When I could see again, there, standing upon the rocks, was the other organizer, a woman, who had called for my death. She tried to convince me that if I surrendered then and there that I could still be an important asset, that I didn’t have to die, but there were traps filled with razors lining her pretty words. If an asset was so important then murder shouldn’t have been the first means of resolving conflict.

She had a gun cocked and ready. I was right to not believe her. 

There was a blur again where I lost notion of how things transitioned, only the brief recollection that I hadn’t been shot, just merely shot at, and that the woman’s head had made personal acquaintance out of the rocks she’d tried to use as a pulpit. 

Kakashi had won his battle, nothing to be seen of the man except his sword sticking straight up from the water. But he had not gone unscathed. His shirt was torn, and he had collapsed against the rocks. I managed my way to him on shaky legs, practically crawling towards him near the end. When I had reached him I collapsed on top of him. My arms snaked around his neck and I clung onto him for dear life. There seemed to be no end to my tears that night.

And he wound his arms around me. 

Physical sensation is a rarity in my dreams, unless it’s pain, or a bodily reaction to fear. But when he returned my embrace, he felt solid. Whole. Real. There was a pleasant warmth to be found in the arms of someone you loved and who in turn loved you; peace of mind, serenity, safety― An ease in which we simply existed and nothing could hurt us. A feeling I have not often felt in waking life, but treasure always when it visits me in my dreams.

“I’m sorry I was late,” he apologized again, this time with less bravado and more sincerity. “Thank you, though, for believing in me this time.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled into his chest, “for coming running when I called for you.”

The edges of sleep were fraying away into awareness of the world outside. I only had a few more precious moments with him. He seemed to know this too, his hold growing just a little tighter as he whispered in my ear:

“For you then I’m always just a call away.”

[ladyiceflame-blog]

An Inconvenient Wedding:

Chapter Thirteen: The Undeniable Truth

Naruto glowered at the entry to Team Seven’s shared tent, determined to pounce on his sensei the moment he chose to reappear, and demand that this wedding be stopped.  The young genin had taken an instant liking to the high-spirited Frost kunoichi, but after learning of their possible blood ties, mere liking had developed into fiercer protective instincts. “Are you going to stare at that tent-flap all night?” Sasuke demanded, as he stoically endured Sakura’s first-aid.  She’d put a salve on his cut lip, a bandage wrap on his slightly skinned knee, and was currently putting a medicated gauze pad on a small scratch she’d found on his forearm. “Yes!” Naruto returned hotly. “You’ll be waiting all night, then,” Sakura warned.  “He’s going to go to that big party, like all the other adult shinobi.  We’ll be on our own tonight...minding the Daimyo...” Naruto growled in frustration.  “This stinks!  Kaka-sensei needs to know about those scrolls!  And Hinata-chan’s cousin!  Aunty-Priestess-Knockout-sama is in danger, and we can’t let her marry this skeevy guy!” “Did you just call the Lady Ice Flame...‘aunty’?” Sasuke smirked. “Yeah!” Naruto admitted, scratching the back of his head.  “Her mother’s last name was Uzumaki, wasn’t it?!  I’m entitled!” “You can’t know that she’s directly related to you by that fact alone,” Pakkun explained.  “The Uzumaki clan was scattered long ago, and their most dependable genealogy records were destroyed along with Uzushiogakure.” “There were many Uchiha who share a name, but no blood kin.  Hyuga are the same,” Sasuke explained. “I don’t care!” Naruto cut them all off.  “Priestess Knock-out is the only other Uzumaki I’ve ever seen, so I will claim her!  Even if what you say is true.”   There was a small pause for adjusted feelings before Naruto bolted from his cot, and began to put on his shoes, announcing his latest plan: “Time to crash the party!” “No you don’t, pup!” Pakkun barked, and bit onto the toe of his shoe, tugging it out of his hand.  “Kakashi-san told me to keep my eye on all of you, so you’ll be staying right here!” “What if I need to go to the bathroom...?” Naruto asked, eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Then I’ll get a leash, and take you for ‘walkies’....” Pakkun riposted. Sakura laughed.  Even Sasuke hid a chuckle behind a sudden need to cough. Naruto huffed, clearly not amused, and sullenly plopped back down onto his cot.  “Am I the only one who really cares about her around here?!?” “That’s a dumb question, even for you,” Sasuke returned.  “This entire campground cares about her!  Even this Asaito person, for the moment, at least.  Its highly unlikely that he’d do anything to harm her when he wants to marry her tomorrow.” “That’s a valid point, Sasuke,” Sakura concurred, as she moved to sit by Pakkun.  “Miriyume-sama is safe.  Perhaps safer than she’s ever been in her life.  Brides are always the most important guest at a wedding.” “Anyone who dares attack her will be torn apart,” Sasuke added.  “She is the Queen of the Moment, until...” “–Until..?” Naruto pressed. “Until she says her vow, and becomes Asaito’s wife.  Then she is beholden to his wishes.” Sakura shuddered.  Naruto scowled. “Not.  Happening!” the Uzumaki declared. “When is the ceremony supposed to start tomorrow?” Sakura asked. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. “Then we’d better wake up really early, then, before anyone else does, and talk to Old Man Hokage, the Daimyo, Knock Out-sama’s Mom....anyone who can help us,” Naruto suggested. “Then we should all get some sleep while we can,” Sasuke continued. “What a wonderful idea,” their sensei chirped agreement, as he, quite suddenly, rushed into the tent, causing even Pakkun to jump slightly.  Kakashi was carrying a large, covered platter for some reason. “Kaka-sensei!” Naruto exclaimed, as he recovered from his fallen cot.  “Asaito and his monk are total creeps!  Believe it!  Hinata-chan said that they were sleezing up on one of her cousins!” “‘Sleezing,’ you say....?” Kakashi echoed, setting the tray on a table. “We saw scrolls that listed women from all over,” Sakura chimed in, “Like some kind of kunoichi Bingo Book!” Kakashi arched a silver eyebrow at her mention of that particular, obscure publication.  Anbu’s Most Wanted List was hardly common knowledge.... “Who told you about the Bingo Book?” Kakashi demanded.  Sasuke commandeered his attention with more interesting news: “All of Asaito’s guards are generously paid mercenaries, who are all petrified of their employer...and that monk.” “...and the monk smells of foul magic and unwholesome intent,” Pakkun added. “Sounds like the reconnaissance went well,” Kakashi congratulated.  “So, I believe that you’ve earned this....” lifting the lid from the platter, revealing three bowl of ice cream, topped with the most tantalizing candied apples that the genin had ever encountered. “What is that?!?” Naruto enjoined, already drooling. “A very special dessert from the Land of Frost called, ‘Fire on the Iceberg’,” Kakashi answered, as he blocked Pakkun from sniffing their exact contents.  “I asked the cooking-nin to make it....just for you.” The genin each took a bowl and began to eagerly eat.   Sakura squeeled in unabashed delight.  “These apples are so warm...and cinnamony!  Its like eating an autumn evening by fireplace!” “It does call autumn immediately to mind....” Sasuke agreed, trying to analyze the taste.  “It reminds me a lot of the cider my one cousin...used to make...” Pakkun huffed, and continued to glare at his contracted shinobi, feeling a bit betrayed by the snack-snubbing. “So,” the knucklehead ninja began, after drinking up the melted remnants of his bowl.  His tastebuds probably hadn’t had a chance to even register the flavor.  “How are we going to stop this stupid wedding tomorrow?” “By any means necessary,” Kakashi returned, “But only after we’ve exhausted every diplomatic method first.  Speaking of exhausted....” he allowed himself to slump against his dresser, “I am beat.  I’ll need to sleep a week straight after all of this.  But for now, I’ll have to make do with an old shinobi chakra-hack...” Kakashi made a single shadow clone, causing the original to sway unsteadily on his feet. “Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura chided, finishing her bowl of dessert and moving to his aid.  His obvious fatigue seemed to be having a sympathetic effect on her, she noticed, as she nearly stumbled in her rush to assist.  “You’re pushing yourself too hard!  You’ll run out of chakra if you keep on like this!” “Sakura’s right, sensei,” Sasuke opined, then yawned as he set down his empty bowl.  “A shadow clone will only drain you further.” “Unless the shadow clone does my sleeping for me,” Kakashi countered, as his doppleganger crawled into his cot.  “When I return, I dismiss the clone, and all its acquired rest will transfer to me.  But this is not a technique to use lightly, as there are certain....side-effects.  But desperate times call for desperate measures....” “What are the....” Naruto paused to yawn extravagantly, “...side-effects?” “Shadow clones can’t dream,” Kakashi answered, as he began to collect the bowls, and returned them to the tray. “So?” Naruto countered, as he wearily watched his teacher replace the lid over the dirty dishes.  His eyelids had suddenly become so heavy.... “So,” Pakkun picked up, after realizing that he wasn’t even going to be permitted the courtesy of licking the bowls clean, “A shinobi who cheats sleep like this too many times will go insane.  All living beings need to sleep and dream on a regular basis for a healthy mind.” Sasuke lowered his strangely heavy head in aknowledgement of the facts.  He’d seen his older brother, Itachi, employ this little-spoken of technique before.  It was like playing a game of chicken with one’s sanity.  It had probably contributed to his odd behavior...in the end.  He shuddered, as he pulled his blankets closer and reclined on his cot. “Your clone doesn’t waste time....” the Uchiha commented, over the sound of the Kakashi-clone snoring. “Unlike its creator,” lilted a gentle voice from the tent-flap.  Kurenai-sensei.  “Hiruzen-sama sent me to check in on you, Kakashi-san.”  Her crimson eyes flicked briefly over to his sleeping replica, understanding all too well the implications, then back to him.  “But if you’re in such a dire need of rest, the Hokage will understand, and forgive your absence,” turning to go. “No!” Kakashi protested, perhaps a little too forcefully.  Kurenai stopped in her tracks.  “I am going to this party...” shoving himself away from the dresser, “...and so is Pakkun.” “What?!” the dour pug reacted, pulling away from the covered platter he had become somewhat obsessed about. “I need your sharp nose, old friend,” Kakashi informed, picking him up.  “And you deserve an introduction to Miriyume-sama...” “The Lady Ice Flame?” the ninken clarified.  He’d never been one for attending large gatherings of humans.  They were always so noisy and crowded.  And the smells could get nauseating.  But seeing this Miriyume finally....face-to-face, would certainly make it worth all the ill-ease he would assuredly suffer. “Lucky dog....” Sakura complained weakly, as she slowly collapsed onto her cot.  “...Gets to....go to the...party....” Her voice tapered off like a spent wind-up doll recording, as Naruto and Sasuke unconsciously maintained their competitive natures by trying to out-snore each other. Kurenai was noticeably impressed, openly marveling at the sleeping genin. “My three are still wide awake!  How did you manage this?” Kurenai demanded. “Oh, just a sneaky, Shimogakuran childhood sleep-inducer....” Kakashi replied cryptically, as he doused the light and exited the tent. “So that’s why I didn’t get a bowl of ice-cream....” Pakkun finally factored.  “I thought you forgot about me...” “Never!” Kakashi scolded lightly, giving his best canine friend one of the dog biscuits he always seemed to have on hand.  “And there should be plenty of food at this party, too, if Shimogakurans are in charge.” “Oh, they are,” Kurenai vouched, as she led them to the party.  “Singing, dancing, gaming, and the drinks are flowing like rivers in hurricane season.” “Just like when I first met her,” Kakashi smiled at the memory. Kurenai smiled too.  This was a side of Kakashi that was rarely seen.  In fact, the last time she’d seen it was with his awkward little-boy crush on his sensei’s girlfriend, and eventual wife, Kushina. “You missed the most beautiful Father-Daughter toast,” Kurenai continued.  “The Shimokhan can be a surprisingly eloquent man when he wants to.  He even had the Hokage in tears.” “Its just as well that I wasn’t there.  I couldn’t in good conscious raise a cup in salute to this...arrangement,” Kakashi’s light mood swung to such an immediate darkness that Kurenai flinched in response. “Lord Hiruzen and I are aware of your objection to this marriage, and it didn’t require our mind-reading skills to learn of it, either,” Kurenai whispered.  “And you are not alone in your disapproval. Tonight’s dinner has convinced me that this is a bad match.  My students have also uncovered some....interesting things.” Kakashi’s tired eyes went wide, and he riveted his attention to his colleague. “So you remember what happened at dinner?” “Following some brief confusion, yes.  I managed to sort it all out.  Asaito doesn’t use genjutsu.  At least, not the type that I’m used to.  He seems to manipulate things that go deeper than thoughts.  Something closer to instincts....” “This man is exceedingly dangerous, then,” Pakkun announced.  “Like it or not, you humans are still ultimately motivated by your primal instincts, and no amount of higher intellect can completely smother them.” “Pakkun is right,” Kurenai easily ceded.  “Asaito has a frightening ability to silence the thinking mind through his ‘minor’ dojutsu, and....there’s more....” she tapered off, looking uncomfortable. Kakashi stopped in his tracks, and forced her to do the same with a hand on her shoulder.  They were midway to their destination. “More....?” he prompted. “There is an utter....coldness to Lord Asaito.  Emotionally speaking.  Despite his outward passion and poetic words, there are no real feelings behind anything.  I’ve been around stoic types all my life, Kakashi-san,” giving him a pointed look, “....and despite your aloof manners and flippant attitudes, there is always some underlying, emotional core.  Asaito has nothing,” she shivered.  “Its utterly alien to me.  To humanity.” “So, what are you saying, exactly?” Kakashi pressed. “That this Tsuroyuni Clan seems to produce men of an exceptionally strange quality, and that the Lady Ice Flame may be in for far more that she had bargained for.  Hinata has told me something particularly disturbing.  A member of the Hyuga Clan was recently petitioned by Tsuroyuni for marriage, about five months ago.  Hiashi-sama forbade it immediately, for reasons unknown.  And don’t even get me started on that monk...” They took a moment to watch the silhouettes of the vivacious revelers projected on the drinking yurt’s walls, as they capered across the illuminated folds of rough silk, twenty feet in front of them.  The incongruence between the jubilant scene and their growing sense of dread was stark. “I like her too, Kakashi-san,” Kurenai continued, “Probably not the same way you do,” she gave him a playful nudge, “But we must remember our duty as shinobi.  Konoha’s, and the Hokage’s honor depends on this.” Kakashi emitted a bitter sounding chuckle.  “Duty....honor....  These are hardly new concepts to me.” Too late, Kurenai realized the nerve she’d struck. “Kakashi-san....I didn’t mean—“ ”Let’s go,” the stoic’s stoic cut off her apology, “Its time to pour some whiskey for the Hokage...” and led the way into the yurt. Renara was relieved to be back in the company of her husband’s clan and countrymen...and the hundred-plus who were also celebrating her daughter’s marriage.  She usually shied away from these boisterous affairs, but tonight she welcomed the drunken antics and the wild celebration.  Anything to forget about that arrogant man, and the predatory gleam in his burgundy eyes whenever he looked at Miriyume. She’d tried to talk her daughter out of this, as had Ryuumaru.  Even Matsuko had expressed reservations.  But Miriyume was adamant. Perhaps if Ryuuyuki were still here, he could have talked some sense into her... The Heron Sage-Priestess sighed, as she continued to work on the embroidery for the wedding dress.  Miriyume had always been the wilder one, even before that storm kami had adopted her.  She blamed the Yaseiarashi side. “Are you in need of a drink, Renara-sama?” Hiruzen asked over the latest atonal chorus of a Shimogakuran drinking song.   “As long as its tea, yes,” she replied.  “I drank my cup of winter whiskey for my husband’s toast, and one a day is still more than enough for my constitution.  Even thirty years of marriage to a Shimogakuran cannot change this.”  She glanced over at her husband, who was dominating the Chakra-Flow arm-wrestling tourney....as ususal.  The long string of people who had lost to him never held any grudges, though, since his generosity in victory left them all with replenished chakra. Hiruzen took a seat beside her, and poured her a cup of green tea from the pot nearby. “Ryuu-kun would never seek to change your ways,” the Hokage continued.  “He has always valued your self control and your sharp mind.  He has said that it makes up for what he generally lacks.” Renara set aside the sewing, and motioned the bartender for another cup.  She then poured her old friend some of her tea. “There are times when its so hard to be the steady voice of reason,” she admitted softly, as she directed their gaze to her daughter, who was caught up in a rather wild card game at another table.  “Like now.”  Her hand trembled with the weight of the teapot. Hiruzen’s sharp sensor abilities quickly picked up on the priestess’s unease, threatening to compromise the levee of her renowned forbearance. “She is so reckless, Hiruzen-kun, with only a pair of doting underclassmen, some fuinjutsu, and a moody, transient kami to keep her in check....” Sarutobi placed a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder.  “Renara-sama....” “...and its been working so far, but I live in dread of the day when she leaps fearlessly into the breech, and even the Sage of the Six Paths can’t reel her back in.”  She capped the confession with a forced chuckle and smile.  “Is tomorrow that day?”  Her soft voice, like the whisper of a dove, nearly broke Hiruzen’s heart.  She had lost her son.  Now, she feared the loss of the daughter.

“As long as I live and breathe, Renara-sama, you will NEVER lose your daughter,” the Hokage vowed solemnly.  “My Will of Fire has always extended to your family, and always shall.”

“And the Unity of Frost forever embraces you, my dear friend,” Renara returned, as she regained her usual regal composure.  “Speaking of unity...”

Hiruzen tracked her eyes over his shoulder, and saw his Leaf jonin. “I was beginning to think that I’d been abandoned,” Hiruzen announced sternly, “But when I remembered what charming company I’d found, I stopped caring,” flirtatiously turning back to the priestess. “Do forgive us, Hokage-sama,” Kurenai returned with a bow for Sarutobi and the Heron Sage, “...Renara-sama.  The genin were all wound-up.” “A little whiskey in warm milk does wonders at bedtime,” Renara offered, as she resumed her embroidery.  “Until they start drinking it on their own...” “I don’t even want to think about Naruto drinking whiskey right now,” Kakashi returned.  “His ramen habit is already too much,” as Kurenai took a seat beside Hiruzen. “Naruto....Uzumaki....?” the sage priestess queried.  “As in the child of Kushina Uzumaki...?” “Yes,” Kakashi returned.  “He’s my student.  You know of him?” “Kushina was my Father’s cousin,” Renara enlightened.  “We are related.” Kakashi turned a flabbergasted eye on Hiruzen.  What other bombs had this man failed to drop on him?!? “It’s a distant relation,” the Hokage defended.  “One I felt was hardly worth mentioning...” “Ugh, another useless card!” Miriyume’s voice suddenly exclaimed in obvious frustration from a large nearby table, as the rest of the card players laughed at her.  “Who shuffled this mess of a deck, dattebizu?!?” “Then again...” Hiruzen amended. “I thought we’d rid her of that word awhile back....” Renara shook her head in amused reproach.  “So childish sounding.” “What are they playing over there?” Kurenai asked, as an attentive bartender handed her a drink of whiskey. “That would be the ‘Bitter Harvest’ table,” the barman answered, handing Kakashi a cup,  “Its based on the cruelties of being a farmer in a country known for its short growing season.” “You made a game out of this?” Kakashi queried, as Pakkun sniffed the contents of the drinking dish, and quickly pulled his crinkled nose away. “A certain level of masochism has crept into our national identity, I guess you could say....” he smiled, before moving onto another group of drinkers. Kakashi set Pakkun on the stool beside Kurenai, and raised his dish in Miriyume’s direction.  “To the righteous struggle,” he toasted from afar.  “May we be ever vigilant,” then drank the vow.  Kurenai did likewise. Renara smiled in quiet sanction of the masked jonin’s obvious feelings for her daughter.  She took comfort in all the eyes that watched over Miriyume.  But this one’s spoke of a stronger conviction then most. She looked to Miriyume, who had just registered Kakashi’s presence, and saw the unmistakable spark.  The one that indicated a powerful resonance between souls.  She could easily sense their chakra natures reaching out toward each other, despite the commotion that engulfed them.  Their affinities craving union in the same manner as magnetic fields.  Just like they had at dinner.  This was why Miriyume’s spiritual core was so haywire, or rather, more haywire than usual. Of all the times to have them cross paths again, why now? Only the God Sage knew...

“Plum Harvest!” Matsuko suddenly bellowed out, as he threw down his hand of cards, sending everyone at the table into panicked action. Kunai knives were thrown at a lone shuriken at the center of the table, hanafuda cards went flying, drinks were spilt, all amidst shrieks and laughter. “The pile’s mine, Earthquake!” Gekido insisted. “What pile?” Hyozen asked, indicating the scattered cards.  “You sent it all flying again!” “This always happens with you!” another Frost kunoichi censured the Inuzuka.  “You get so intense!” “I can’t help it!” Gekido was doing a poor job of acting powerless, “I’m just freaky-fast like that!” “You got the freaky part right,” Matsuko laughed, as he refilled people’s drinks. “We’re going to make you play with chopsticks from now on...” another shinobi warned, as he gathered the scattered cards. “And he’ll still win every round,” Miriyume came to the defense of her fleet-fingered team mate, patting his striped cheek softly.  “C’mon, Gek-kun, let’s give the table a chance....” As she nudged him toward the bar counter, the boisterous crowd parted for their beloved kunoichi.  Faces lifted to offer her bright smiles.  Cups and bottles raised at her passage.  Hands moved to touch her silken kimono sleeves, and musicians sharpened their art at her approach.  It was all too easy to see the pride and affection her village had for her. So why had she taken to wandering the world, Kakashi wondered. As Miriyume passed her mother, Renara caught hold of her by the shoulder. “Come here, child,” the Heron Priestess ordered, and laid the embroidery against her back, apparently taking some tailoring measurement. “Mother, haven’t you made enough layers to mummify me with tomorrow?  I won’t be able to move in this dress...let alone marry!” “A mother’s final gift to her daughter is her wedding kimono,” Renara censured.  “You will not deny me!” Miriyume groaned in resignation, looking at the Hokage with a weary expression.  “Greetings, Hokage-sama.  Can you believe this woman?” as Renara began to adjust the ornaments in her mussed coif. “With every fiber of my being, Miri-chan,” Hiruzen answered, amused at her plight. Ice Flame shifted her blue-green eyes to Kurenai and Kakashi.  “Help me,” she pleaded weakly. Kurenai laughed before answering: “When true danger exists, I promise I’ll assist without a moment’s hesitation.  But now is not that time, right Kakashi-san–?” She turned to cue the other jonin, but found him caught up in a strange four-way stare down consisting of himself, Pakkun, Gekido, and Aoseishin.  The Inuzuka was openly scowling. “What’s the matter?” Kakashi broke the tense silence, “Is there a cap limit on ninken?” “Who the heck is this?!” Gekido demanded, leaning in closer to inspect the small forehead protector tied behind the pug’s ears. Aoseishin gave a small bark in support of the question. “My name is Pakkun,” the pug answered, sending both man and dog reeling back to a more respectable distance.  “I am Kakashi-san’s ninken.” “You–“ Gekido was in Kakashi’s face now, “–have a ninken?!  That speaks!?” Aoseishin seemed to be conducting a similar interrogation with his nose on the pug. “Is this a crime?” Kakashi chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. “No!” the Inuzuka retorted.  “Just...unexpected!  Where was he earlier?” “Napping in the sun on Senkaori Island,” Pakkun answered in Kakashi’s stead, referring to the famed island of dogs.  “Now...who are you, exactly?” Aoseishin answered for them both with a couple of barks. “From the Northern Inuzuka, huh?” Pakkun repeated, studying Gekido’s notched fang stripes.  “I wasn’t aware that their clan had ventured that far abroad.” “I believe that they migrated in the wake of that man’s short stint at the Temple of Fire,” Hiruzen provided, indicating the Shimokhan.  “Along with a certain Sage Priestess errant,” glancing toward Renara.  “I’ve often compared him to a beacon of unyielding light with the power to draw the noblest hearts.” “Or an occasional inferno that threatens to melt the permafrost....” Renara added impishly, as she continued to fuss over Miriyume’s yukata. “So...you summon him?” Gekido was still fixated on Pakkun. “Yes,” Kakashi answered dismissively, as he watched Renara untie Miriyume’s obi. “He’s so tiny!” Gekido finally snapped and snatched up the alarmed pug, grinning like an overexcited kid.  “What are his strengths?” “Sass and insults, you ridiculous man!” Pakkun returned angrily, as he struggled against Gekido’s tight nose-to-nose hold.  “Have you no shame?!” “Not that we’ve been able to find, no,” Miriyume quipped, before grunting in obvious discomfort as her mother tightened the obi under her bustline with a sharp tug.  “Ugh....can’t....breathe....” she groaned dramatically, as she clutched at Hiruzen’s shoulder.  “I think Mother is trying to tourniquet my stomach....” The Hokage blushed at the sudden proximity of Miriyume’s impressive cleavage, now threatening to overcome its confines with every heaving breath she was dragging into her constricted lungs, and averted his eyes. “Or, more likely, Renara-sama is showing concern for her....precious daughter,” Sarutobi offered, biting his lip in self chastisement. Kurenai had to laugh at his ethical plight.  Kakashi was just agog, showing a strange lack of concern for his clearly annoyed ninken. “Unhand me already, you whiskey-steeped lout!” Pakkun barked at the besotted Inuzuka’s affections,  “Your breath is going to make me intoxicated!  Kakashi!  A little help!  Please?” Kakashi turned back toward the overly enamoured Inuzuka, and extended his hand in the manner of a parent silently demanding the relinquish of an ill-gotten toy.  Gekido capitulated with an awkward apology: “Sorry.  I got a little carried away there,” he admitted with a sheepish teheparo gesture. “I never got to see any of the smaller dog breeds up in Shimogakure....” “Understood, Gekido-san,” Kakashi forgave easily.  “Pakkun is dangerously adorable,” scratching him behind his floppy ear. “Much to my eternal sorrow,” Pakkun added, from the safety of Kakashi’s shoulder, as a fleeting wisp of scent caught his attention. Somewhere beneath the malty aroma of the abundant whiskey, and the alluring, earthy-honey smell of an amber perfume, there was a very distinct and telling fragrance on the buxom ginger in the midnight blue yukata beside the Hokage.  He figured Kakashi should know: “It would seem that Kakashi-san is not the only one who is capable of summoning jutsu,” the pug announced, looking directly at Miriyume.  “I can smell the contract you have with a denizen of the Cat Fortress, bosomy lady.” “Pakkun!” Kakashi scolded sharply, as his exposed cheek went scarlet.  Gekido collapsed against the bar in whiskey-fueled laughter. “Do you now?” Miriyume countered coyly, as her mind raced for a way to cover her ninneko’s careless tracks.  She really didn’t want to involve ‘him’ in this mess, but, this little ninken had called her out.... She reached into her brasserie, under her left breast, against her heart, to a place that she reserved for her most prized possession, and produced a cobalt summoning scroll ornamented in gold. Kakashi’s mask conveniently hid his slack jaw, and the trickle of blood from his nostrils. Miriyume held the scroll up to the pug’s nose for inspection.  “Would you like an introduction?” Within the envelope of the woman’s heady, earthy musk, Pakkun’s nose easily found the scent of ‘cat’, but not ‘that cat’.  He was still intrigued. Hiruzen chuckled, as he sipped his tea.  “Go on, Miriyume-chan.  I’d enjoy seeing the ‘noble exile’ again...” Miriyume complied by unfurling the scroll, pricking her finger with a senbon hair ornament, pressing the small wound to the scroll surface, then slapping her hand against the nearby counter top and yelling: “Cold Majesty Summoning!” Following a burst of rolling fog that provided a moment of crisp, cool air, a mighty roar caused all but Renara, Hiruzen and Miriyume to jump away from the bar.  When the mist dissipated, there stood a large, regal white tiger upon the rough-hewn oak. “A tiger-lord?!” Pakkun openly marveled from his perch on Kakashi’s shoulder. “That I am, little ninken,” the immense feline acknowledged in a deep, rumbling voice with an imperious lilt, as he reclined on the bar top, and turned his icy-blue eyes to his summoner.  “To what do I owe this summons, my lady?” “No good reason, Tosho-sama,” Miriyume smiled, as she put an arm over his burly neck, and began to massage one of his ears, which he seemed deeply appreciative of.

Pakkun was impressed.  Ninneko were elusive enough, but the Great Cat Lords were nearly impossible to track down, much less sign into a contract with. “Who is this woman who has made a contract with such a distinguished beast lord?” Pakkun quietly asked his master. “That, my impudent friend, is Miriyume,” Kakashi replied with a wink.  “...and your assignment for the rest of the night.” “Assignment?” the pug echoed. “I need to get some sleep tonight, so I’m putting you on guard duty, until morning,” Kakashi whispered, as they watched her introduce the tiger to Kurenai. “So...this is the kunoichi you found all those years ago in the Land of Frost?” Pakkun connected.  “The one that....” “She is,” the silver-haired jonin cut off, clearly pained by the memories of that day.  “It wasn’t her death that the village was mourning.  It was her brother’s.” “So why didn’t they tell us that?” “Because of their customs,” Kakashi explained.  “I’ll explain it all later, but right now, the important thing is to keep track of her at all times.  Understand?  Asaito’s already tried to corner her once.  I don’t want it happening again.” “Understood,” Pakkun returned glumly, as he watched Miriyume and the grabby Inuzuka salute each other with more of that nose-burning whiskey, drinking it as easily as ice water on a hot day.  “But...she looks like trouble.” “I know....” Kakashi murmured ardently.  “My favorite kind of trouble.”

“Rajin isn’t pleased, Persimmon-chan,” Tosho rumbled in his softest voice, using the moniker his original contract holder had labeled her with.  He was the only one she allowed to use that name. “What’s news-worthy about that?” Miriyume scoffed, as she replaced his summoning scroll in her bra. “Neither am I,” the tiger huffed.  “I made a vow, Miriyume-san, and I intend on keeping it.” “Glad to hear it, Stripes,” Miriyume returned, as she scratched the spot under his chin that his massive paw could never seem to reach, “....because tomorrow’s the big day.” “Forgive me if the fact fails to evoke the proper sense of jubilation on my part...” Prince Tosho grumbled, as he turned his glacial-hued eyes toward the approaching half-blindfolded man carrying the pygmy-sized ninken. “Your offering is appreciated, shinobi of the Hidden Leaf,” the great cat greeted, “But I don’t partake of the flesh of canines.  Moro-sama would never forgive me for eating any of her kin, no matter how....distant.” Kakashi blinked in confused shock, while Pakkun curled up tighter against his chest in horror. “That’s not why I–“ Kakashi began, before Miriyume cuffed the haughty tiger on his ear. “And that’s why I hardly ever call on you anymore!” Ice Flame scolded the 800-pound creature in the same manner she would a common house cat. “I’m sorry,” Miriyume turned back to Kakashi.  “That’s what passes for humor with this overgrown tabby!  He’s actually pretty good company, most of the time.  And an excellent shoji player...” “If only the same could be said for even a fraction of those you call friends....” the tiger continued. “Even if he is a snob!” Miriyume shot back, prompting the tiger to seek other company. “He’s harmless, I promise,” the kunoichi assured, and motioned them closer.  “But he makes me admire the straightforwardness of ninken.  Can I hold him?” referring to Pakkun. Kakashi handed him over, and watched as she placed him on her lap.  Her pale, supple fingers set to immediate work on his folded ears, turning him to instant putty in her hands. “Now, that doesn’t happen too often,” Kakashi informed, as he watched the pug roll over onto his belly with a small pang of envy.  “You must have a way with animals.” “My chakra run-off charms most living things,” she returned, as she began to massage the pug’s paw-pads, which Pakkun had always been rather stingy with.  “Its convincing them to stick around that’s the hard part.” Kakashi heard the note of lament in the casual admission. Was that what had prompted her to accept the proposal of this repugnant man?  A fear of eventual abandonment?  Despite all evidence to the contrary? Kakashi staged a silent aknowledgement of the crowd for the kunoichi holding Pakkun, before stating his case: “Is this small swarm being held against their will...?” She paused in her dog snuggling to give him a measured glare.  “It’s a documented fact that most people tire of me.  Even kidnappers.” “Well,” wedging himself between Miriyume and Aoseishin, who was sitting on the stool beside her, as Gekido sang with a group of musicians on the bar, “...I’m not going anywhere, now that I’ve finally found you again,” Kakashi assured. In that moment, Miriyume felt her swiftly crumbling guard completely slip, and her dojutsu activate.  All faded to silence as past, present and future melded abruptly into one reality, and it prominently featured this enigmatic man seated beside her.  His candid promise echoed across Time and Space itself, as she felt his perfectly complementary essence take firm anchor in her own.   The true power of the Renkingen was to explore all possibilities of various fusions, and to instantly understand the consequences.  Her intuitive eyes had just shown her that this man was everything she needed to realize perfect happiness, in both the mortal and spiritual sense. <How dare you come to me now, when circumstance forbids me to grab hold of you and demand you to stay!> she screamed inwardly, as the man beside her regarded her curiously with his lone eye.   In him alone, she saw all the pieces of the masculine soul that she had always yearned to find in a mate: her first teacher’s wisdom, her father’s strength, her team mates’ compassion, Raijin’s stoic ardor and grace, her brother’s devotion and genius, all wrapped up in one irksome masked gift pack... Her mind also told her about how ridiculously dangerous it would be to have it known that she felt this way.  Dangerous for both her quickly pending marriage, and Kakashi himself.  Asaito was a proud man, and prone to what had been once charitably described as “deranged fits of vengeful pique”.  

And in classic Yaseiarashi fashion, fear only bloomed in her heart when those she loved were at incredible risk.  The thought of him at Asaito’s non-existent mercy could put her in a perilously awkward bind.  No. Asaito’s focus had to remain on her... But that other Yaseiarashi trait....about never denying her true feelings; most importantly, love, was causing an internal war within her.  The fate of international relations was at stake here, along with her sanity.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-20 13 MUSIC now

MUSIC

Brooklyn Vegan

Jenny Hval played MoMA PS1 (pics), releasing her debut novel this fall

tours announced: Thom Yorke, blink-182, Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm,' Big Boi, more

Def Jam rapper Bobby Sessions triumphed at SXSW (stream his 'grateful.' LP)

Kelly Lee Owens played Elsewhere w/ Ela Minus & Carmen Villain (pics, setlist)

The 18 Best Sets We Saw at SXSW 2018

Consquence of Sound

Mazzy Star to reunite at Vivid Sydney for first live performance in five years

SXSW Music Festival 2018 Gallery: Max Richter’s Sleep, Ben Kweller, Salt-N-Pepa, Kurt Vile, Pussy Riot, Khalid

Jim Carrey triggers conservatives with unflattering portraits of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Donald Trump

Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly announce co-headlining US tour

Blue Ivy Carter couldn’t stop bidding on high-dollar artwork, to the dismay of JAY-Z

Fact Magazine

London’s Southbank Centre launches new club night, Concrete Lates

FACT mix 644: Susanna

Wolfgang Voigt’s Gas project returns with new album, Rausch

10 under-the-radar club tracks you need to hear in March 2018

MJ Cole wants you to remix his new single before it’s released

Fluxblog

Very Nice Very Nice

To Be Lucky Once

The Sun In Your Cold World

Took Me For A Ride

At My Leisure

Idolator

Coming Soon: Shawn Mendes Teams Up With Spotify To Tease New Music

These Are The Absolute Best Songs Ever Made For Movies

Fifth Harmony Announces Plans For An Indefinite Hiatus To Pursue Solo Careers

She’s Coming! Tinashe Announces ‘Joyride’ Release Date, Unveils Cover

PRETTYMUCH Have A Massive Pop Moment With “Healthy”

Listen to This

Clayton James -- CALIFORNIA [Wavy Pop] (2017)

Propr Boyz -- Doodoo Poopoo Kaka [rap] (2012)

Chizuko Yoshihiro - Central Junction [Electronic Jazz Fusion] (1993)

Acid Dad - 2Ci [Indie Rock] (2018)

Rivers of Nihil - Silent Life [Metal]

Popjustice

Saluting the artwork for PRETTYMUCH’s Healthy

Louisa Johnson interview: “We went, ‘oh, fuck it, let’s just get drunk’”

Popjustice’s Spring Statement: Key Points

New Music Friday: Vera Blue’s Lady Powers are still strong

New Music Friday: When it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist it’s time to put Andrew WK at the top of the playlist hard

Reddit Music

Alien Ant Farm - Movies [Alternative Rock]

a-ha - Take On Me [80s Pop]

Jethro Tull - Aqualung [Progressive Rock]

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls [Pop]

The Flaming Lips -- Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Part 1 [Alternative/Psychedelic]

Rolling Stone

David Fricke's Picks From SXSW: Psychedelic Folk, Seventies Glam-Prog and More

Trey Songz Turns Himself In Following Domestic Violence Allegation

Korn's Jonathan Davis Details Solo LP 'Black Labyrinth' With Song Samples

See Queens of the Stone Age's Whimsical Fright Fest in 'Haunted House' Video

Watch Bleachers' Jack Antonoff in Rom-Com-Spoofing 'Alfie's Song' Video

Slipped Disc

Theatre says director committed suicide after media attacks

Judges like this are crushing young talent

ENO’s new Traviata: It’s thumbs down all round

How many cops does it take to stop a piano?

Sadness: Anne Sofie von Otter is tragically widowed

Spotify Blog

Spotify Launches Self-Serve Advertising Platform in the UK and Canada

Spotify Announces Launch of Line-In

John Hancock and Spotify Give Runners Everywhere Access to Custom Playlists and Tips from Some of the World’s Fastest Marathoners

Spotify Kicks off Women’s History Month with the Launch of ‘Amplify,’ a New Hub Spotlighting Causes & Community Voices

Spotify’s Electrifying Concert Series “RapCaviar Live” Returns with a New Tour Lineup featuring Migos, 2 Chainz, Tory Lanez, DJ Mustard, Lil Pump, and more

We Are the Music Makers

Does anyone else make recordings and never listen to them?

What order do you all find most effective to record your instruments for a song?

How important is a MIDI?

Pretty cool and simple DAW, check it out.

I love making music but haven't made anything totally amazing. Why are others so good while I am so awful?

[kpopdancings]

4 Things To Look Out For In Web Drama “Top Management”

New Post has been published on http://www.whatsupkpop.com/4-things-to-look-out-for-in-web-drama-top-management/

4 Things To Look Out For In Web Drama “Top Management”

31st Youtube original drama ‘Top Management’ (play Kim Jung Hee Park Ji-ki Lee Jung Min Yoo Sooji / Director Yoon Sung-ho) takes off the veil. ‘Top Management’, which captures the eyes and ears with music, draws the youthful struggle that goes straight to the dreams in all sufferings. K-Pop (K-POP) and the Korean Wave has attracted global popularity centered on YouTube, and interest in the YouTube original drama ‘Top Management’ which is produced for the first time in Korea is hot. Here, the meeting of ‘hot’ rising stars such as Seo Eun, Ahn Hyo Sub, Cha Eun Woo, Jung Yoo Ahn, Before the first broadcast, I pointed out the ‘Honeymoon Guarantee Watch Point’ selected by the production team.

◇ Seo Eun Soo, Ahn Hyo Seop, ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo, Jung Yoo Ahn, and Bang Jae Min

The most noteworthy popular youth, Seo Eun-su, Ahn Hyo-seop, Cha Eun-woo, Jung Yoo-an, and Park Jae-min encountered topics from the casting stage. Seo Eun-soo, born again as an actor who believes in seeing, is a nostalgic manager with a foreboding ability. Nongseo Ahn is a singer and songwriter from Mongolia. He is a member of the idol group Astro, and has emerged as a star-studded actor through numerous works. In the movie “With God” – Shin Jae Jung, who emerged as a child of Ha Jung Woo in the movie “In and Yoon”, played the role of Tao in the flame leader of Soul. In the Mnet ‘Higher rapper’ I challenge my first acting life. ‘Hot’ rising stars complete the dream combination and increase the hurdle index. Above all, Perfect Synergy, which these people dream for, will be the best watch point of Top Management. Here, from Park Heebon to Joe Han-cheol, the addition of a strong actor in the act also raises the expectation that it will raise the perfection and fun of the drama.

◇ The youth’s pursuit of dreams

‘Top Management’ comes from the Untouch Zero Idol Soul (Cha Eun Woo, Jung Yoo Ahn, Jae Jung Min), a singer song writer from Mongolia, Manager Lee Sung (Seo Eun-su) draws a blue-angled chart chart. The manager who is equipped with 2% insufficient predictive power will be excited about the struggle to unfold the unseen idol soul with blood, sweat and tears for the dream stage. Soul, who has special foresight but can only be seen in the future, is a silver and a genius of music, accepting to become the fourth member of Soul, and Soul who dreams of re-leaping with music and enthusiasm. do. It is already raising expectations of how the growth phase of their souls will be drawn for Soul ‘s inexorable future.

◇ Korea’s first-ever YouTube Original drama

K-pop and Korean wave are attracting global popularity centered on YouTube. Hankyu’s holy place “Top Management”, which is based on YouTube and K-pop, attracts some interest synergies. The idol soul with no visible future and the hot-blooded manager with the future in front of Han Chi-sung will struggle to show the world of real and dynamic KPOP and attract global fans. Director Yoon Sung-ho, who has talked about youth in his own way through various platforms, amplifies the expectation that he will lead a consensus by directing ‘Top Management’. Director Yoon Seong-ho, who has secured a solid mania group by capturing the attention of trend-conscious masses, meets the free platform YouTube and expects the birth of a K-pop drama that I have never seen before.

◇ Entertain viewers’ eyes and ears through high-quality visuals and music

‘Top Management’ has focused on visual and musical aspects since the production stage. The visual directing of the idol group Soul of the pole was the master of the match which supervised the album of the big bang and the ssi, and the representative took charge of the detail of the reality idol and the sync rate 200%. Soul’s mini-album, which focuses attention with surprise before the broadcast, is also gorgeous with the artists who participated. Deekei who worked with USA’s most popular producer team Da beat freakz, Deekei who worked with Sun, Gigi Dragon, EXILE of Japan, and DJ Kaka of the dynamic duo of the hip hop group participated in producing and believed and listened to music, Min wrote the rap in person and increased the authenticity. The ‘Top Management’ OST is also going to entertain the eyes and ears of the audience, as various stars such as Super Junior’s East Sea, GOT7’s camp, Lee Won-seok of Deebrak will participate.

Meanwhile, ‘Top Management’, which will be released via YouTube Premium, will be available at 11 pm on 1theK.

[fossadeileonixv]

Professor Rockett's Final Grades

This is a good picture that I like.

So as we wind up the season, I've decided to grade Milan's major players (at least five league appearances) as well as coaching and management on a very American A-F scale. Not much else to say, just read, respond and riot. Remember, these are only my opinions, so while probably right, feel free to disagree.

Keepers

Donnarumma (B+): The final month of the campaign was stormy, to say the least, and there’s little doubt that he cost us points in the league and a chance at the Coppa, but subtract those couple matches and you had a very solid junior season from The Don. During the hump of the season the wantaway (or manipulated, or both) youngster was vital in saving points to keep us within reach of the Champions League and without some of those performances we’re missing out of Europe next year. Markedly improved his footwork and distribution, and aside from his recent form, continued as a stalwart between the sticks. He’s a polarizing dude around these parts, but I for one, am gonna miss the big lug.

Defense

Calabria (B): I was not high on Calabria prior to this season. I thought that he had decent pace, good vision on the counter, and was capable of placing some accurate crosses but I felt he was undersized and slow to react on the defensive side. However, the gains Davide made this season were palpable and made me a believer. He filled in better than anyone really could have expected after the Conti blow, and minus a few hiccups, was a consistent performer for the bulk of the season.

Bonucci (C+): After a disastrous first half of the season where nearly every game was punctuated by at least one inexplicable personal mistake, the 42 million euro man settled in alongside Romagnoli nicely after Gattuso’s appointment and subsequent switch to a four-man back. While never really reaching the form displayed at Juventus, was a solid battery-mate to the breakout A.R., and seemed to nurture his growth.

Romagnoli (A-): Aside from Koulibaly, was maybe Serie A’s best defender from December on. Was the anchor of the defense when we implemented the 4-3-3, providing a stout base to, at times, a curvy spine. The comparisons to Nesta extend far beyond the number as his positioning, awareness, technique, and timing all made dramatic improvements. My team MVP.

Rodriguez (B-): Advertised as an inverted fullback, I expected a lot more from the Hot Rod after his move from Wolfsburg last summer. Stymied somewhat by a significantly weaker attacking left side, R.R. left a lot to be desired in attack, with many of his crosses and shots wildly off-the-mark. However, he held up his end of the bargain on the defensive side of things (let’s just forget that whole Arsenal tie), again, with less protection than the rest of the defense, so all in all, a nice little campaign, albeit a quiet one.

Abate (C-): Gattuso relied on his old chum a little too often for my liking, especially at the end of the season, allowing us to experience his footballing decay in real-time. Pizza making gif was worth keeping him around for though ("I'm gonna let you in on a little Abate family secret here, but the secret to any Neapolitan pizza is cheese.").

Zapata (B-): Can you name a game when Zapata went full Zapata? I’ll wait. The arrivals of Bonucci and Mussachio seemingly damned the Colombian to Europa and Coppa fixtures, but the latter’s inability to secure playing time and a small stretches where A.R. was injured provided Zaps with a couple handfuls worth of starts. Never really went into the ‘God-Zapata’ video-game mode that once cancelled out Higuain, but was consistently good, which is good enough for me.

Musacchio (D+): A weird combination of being third, and then fourth choice, and never really dazzling when given the opportunity left the former Villareal man on the outside looking in. To be fair, he never looked inept, and I would have liked to see him a bit more, but neither Montella nor Gattuso seemed impressed enough in training to make it happen.

Antonelli (INC): Came on mostly as a sub in the dying embers of the match.

Midfield

Kessie (B): I can see a couple eyebrows raised here, but while Franck is probably my favorite player on this squad outside maybe Romagnoli, and though I think he was indispensable to the midfield as our only true box-to-box guy, he suffered mightily at times from being overworked. I’m not faulting him at all as his energy, ability to push possession up, and marking were vital, and far ahead of his age. However, he was a net negative looking absolutely gassed in a number of matches due to a lack of a second option. Here’s hoping we get a vice-Kessie this summer because this kid is too good to run into the ground.

Biglia (B-): It seems so long ago that Lucas Biglia was in such poor form that the timeless Rick Montolivo displaced him in the starting eleven. Then Montella was fired and Gattuso gave him a second chance and he totally redeemed himself! In the few games he missed in the second half of the season, the drop-off in organization was noticeable. Provided uncompromising cover for the backline, short, silky distribution in possession, and was a vital cog in our unbeaten run in the winter.

Bonaventura [C]: This was a rather frustrating season for Jack. While the numbers are respectable with 9 goals in 47 games across all competitions (a more respectable 8 in 33 league appearances), more often than not he cut an uninspired figure on the pitch, giving away possession, running straight into defenders, and disappearing for large swathes of the match. The move from wing to mid may have something to do with it, but even so, that trademark ability to win one on one matchups that made his wing-play so effective was by and large absent.

Montolivo [C]: Old Lady Face did what Old Lady Face does, and that’s do an average job. I’m by no means a hater, as Monty was neither stellar nor poor, filling in admirably while Biglia got himself sorted. Much like a lukewarm cup of water to wash down some advil before bed, necessary and effective.

Locatelli (D+): Had a couple sweet performances towards the end of the season, but otherwise seemed to stagnate if not take a step back entirely. Continued to look overwhelmed in almost every duty as a regista, leading me to believe he isn’t really suited for the role, needs significantly more time to grow into it, or both. A year as a starter at a smaller club could do this kid wonders, because the growth has been uneven here and this past season was in some respects a lost year.

Attack

Suso [C]: Ugh. Just ugh. On one hand, he was the catalyst for a lot of scoring opportunities, pulling the strings, especially in the first half of the season, when no one else was stepping up to that challenge. I am inclined to say he was our most important attacker until around January. On the other, Lisi’s favorite whipping boy put it on airplane mode for the final two or three months of the season, with Milan’s best match of the year incidentally not featuring him at all. Whether it was that teams figured him out, or that his head was somewhere else, or a little bit of both, is something up for debate. But as the season wore on it became apparent that he is not as indispensable as many of us thought.

Kalanic (F): Why get worked up? We all know why. Flop of the year, with no second place.

Calhanoglu (B): After a slow start to the season (notice that trend?) Cal took over the reigns as the offense’s playmaker with the final match of the season punctuating his importance to the club going forward. Though the sample size is comparatively small, we haven’t had an attacking mid with this kind of quality since Kaka (and no, he’s not in Kaka’s class) with the Turk able to beat defenders, shoot from range, bury set pieces, and serve teammates on platters. Of all the young guns on this squad, he’s probably the one with the highest ceiling.

Borini (B-): My guy. The loveable Fabolous Borini seemed to find the net when we wanted it most and for the price, was maybe last year’s biggest bargain, filling in wherever was needed.

Silva (D-): Mr. Thursday Night was pretty much just that. Aside from grabbing three points in stoppage time at The Luigi Ferraris, Andre only seemed to show and prove against the farmers, making maddeningly poor decisions when given the opportunities in the league (seriously, remember him trying that backwards header off a bounce against Udinese? Oof.) Flashes of potential weren’t even there for most of the campaign leaving most of us puzzled as to why his price-tag was a high as it was coming from Porto.

Cutrone (B): This may be the most controversial grade on this dang report card. 18 goals and 6 assists across all competitions at the age of 19? I know, I know. The kid could earn close to an A-, but my issue with Young Pat is how inconsistent the performances were, to really, no fault of his own. The kid is a poacher in the purest form and for long spells of the season, the service, especially for someone of his stature, just was not there. And when he wasn’t fed, he had difficulty imposing himself into the match, physical as he was. An effective partner could do this kid wonders, and as such, next year is going to be interesting. One of the few untouchables and my breakout player of the year.

Coaches

Montella (D+): It started of well for The Lil’ Aeroplane, but Conti’s injury knocked out an engine which in my opinion, doomed the three man back. Hitting this turbulence, Vinnie was either too stubborn or too unimaginative to compensate and the team struggled to forge any type of identity. The two players that most outlets claim were his guys in Musacchio and Kalinic were flaming busts and it seemed he alienated himself from both players and management towards the end of his tenure. In the end, wrong man for the right job.

Gattuso (B+): For the record Gattuso is my favorite Milan player ever. Also for the record, I’m not sold on him leading this team to a top-four spot. I’m not as pessimistic as Mike, but also not as optimistic as maybe Russu, however you can not deny that he provided a jolt to this club when it appeared that nothing could save it. The beginning was rocky, and if you believed some of the rumor rags, he was close to walking away, but he stuck with it and led the club on a 13 game unbeaten run that included victories against Inter, Roma, and Nazio. Sure, Benevento proved to be his kryptonite, Juve thoroughly dressed us down twice, and his subs were confusing at times, but if we’re going strictly by results, there was a solid uptick after he took over and a lot of our players kicked it up a notch at the same time. No coincidence.

Management

Fassobelli, Mirabelli, and whoever our owner is (F): Harsh? Fight me. This management team decided to go for broke and buy our way into the Champions League and it blew up in their collective faces. Personally, while last summer was exciting, I didn’t buy it and had us finishing 5th and didn’t even see sixth as out of the realm of possibility. Starting with the coach, and continuing with expensive buys that in many ways contradicted other expensive buys, the group bet against common sense and depth and tallied up a massive bill with a better team on paper, but one with fundamental flaws. Sure, there are some nice pieces for next season (but let’s be real, a lot of these, Calabria, Cutrone, and AR, were here before the splurge), but I can't see into the future and I cannot give a passing grade to these cats when they spent over 200 million euros to finish… well here, let’s compare this season: 6th place, 64 points (18W, 10D, 10L), 56F/42A/+14; to last season: 6th place, 63 points (18W, 9D, 11L). 57F/45A/+12. How Mirabelli in particular still has a job is beyond me, but here’s to hoping they’ve learned from their mistakes.

That's it! You've reached level three.

Mike’s coming in with some heat soon. Me? I’m off to Ecuador for two weeks so I won’t be around. Have fun, and be prepared for Deadpool Pt. II (Murad, I’m mailing your package tomorrow I swear!)  

[curryvillain]

Do the "Badman Rock" With Kaka HighFlames

Dancer/Recording Artist Kaka Highflames is on a mission to become one of Jamaica’s greats. He has the Choreography game on lock, and his music is quickly becoming big moments when they’re released. He has already released a number of singles with dances attached to them, but another one won’t hurt. Get your body ready to learn the “Badman Rock“. Produced by YRF Records and Cjay Beats, Kaka…

[curryvillain]

Start The Party With Elephant Man & Kaka HighFlames' "Gi Mi Way"

Elephant Man returns with the music that will make you move your feet. Just in time for the holiday parties, the “Energy God” isn’t letting the year end without him dropping a dance number or few. Get your body ready for, “Gi Mi Way“. Released through Energy God Productions, Elephant Man teams up with Kaka HighFlames to get the party started with “Gi Mi Way”. The track samples the 2002 hit single…

[curryvillain]

Skeng, Jigsta, & Kaka High Flames Deliver "Shak"ing New Video

Skeng returns with new music that will surely cause a few sparks to appear. He has been electrifying stages lately with his high energy, and this time around he’s gonna give listeners a few jolts through his latest single, “Shak“. Produced by Zimi Records/Jiggy D Entertainment, “Shak” features Jigsta and Kaka High Flames, and with Skeng they bring a high-powered single that will have everyone…

[ladyiceflame-blog]

An Inconvenient Wedding:

Chapter Ten:  Recon and Revelation

“So,” the sober little pug began, as he took a moment to scratch behind an ear,  “Who is this ‘Asaito,’ exactly, and why are we spying on him?” “You...you can....talk?!” Naruto acknowledged immediately.  For once, speaking on account of the others who seemed equally surprised. “Of course I can talk!” Pakkun huffed in annoyance.  “I am a master-level ninken, aren’t I?” “But....Kiba’s Akamaru doesn’t speak....does he?” Sakura pressed. “Not that I’ve noticed,” Sasuke admitted.  “But Kiba seems to understand him.” “The Inuzuka all have this ability to communicate with dogs.  But summoned ninken can speak the human tongue,” Pakkun regaled.  “Now, who is Asaito?” “He’s a jonin from the Land of Water, who is going to marry the Lady Ice Flame tomorrow,” Sakura provided. “I think I may have heard of this woman before...” the pug mused aloud.  “Isn’t she some kind of wandering shinobi...?” “She is,” Naruto returned.  “Although, most call her Miriyume.” “Miriyume?!?” the pug gasped, his half-lidded eyes going suddenly wide.  “...from Shimogakure?” “Um-hmm,” Sasuke answered, wearing a smug smile.  “You know of her, then.  Have you met her?” “Unfortunately, I have not.  But my master mourned that name, long ago.  I was just a puppy.  He was very sad.”  There was a tinge of whimper in his voice. “Well, Kaka-sensei’s still sad, because she’s about to get hitched to a total dirt-bag!” Naruto reported, “and we’ve got one night left to convince her of it!” “Asaito is very reclusive and paranoid,” Sakura chimed in.  “No one has really seen him in person, despite being camped here for the last couple of days.” “And he has a creepy old monk working for him, too,” Naruto added.   “Miriyume’s team mates don’t even seem to like this guy,’ Sasuke continued.  “Despite this being some ‘mutual arrangement’.  They say it’s a marriage of politics, but she doesn’t seem to know much about his causes, or beliefs...” “Or his face!” Naruto scoffed. “And tonight will be the first night that they meet each other,” Sakura picked up again.  “How can a marriage be so...cold?  They’re basically strangers!  It doesn’t make sense...” “Matters concerning the Mist...and love in general, seldom do,” Pakkun quipped.  “But let’s attempt to find some answers.” As the three genin led Pakkun stealthily toward their target campsite, another keen nose caught whiff of their passage. “And just where are you guys sneaking off to...?” Kiba called out, before stepping out of the shadows of some trees ahead of them. “We’re on a mission, Kiba!” Naruto snapped back. “...On our sensei’s orders,” Sasuke added.  “And stealth is key, so don’t cause a scene.”  His eyes flashed briefly with a menacing red hue. “‘Stealth,’ You say...?” Kiba chuckled back, as Akamaru and Pakkun exchanged canine pleasantries, “Then why is Naruto involved?” “Because he’s part of out team, you flea-farm!” Sakura riposted. “Kiba takes great pride in his grooming,” a deep, flat voice lectured from above, before dropping down beside the pink-haired genin.  “There are no fleas on his or Akamaru’s person, ever.” “Shino!” Sakura jumped back, bumping up against a mildly irritated Sasuke.  “You nearly gave me a heart-attack!” “Then Hinata-sama had better come out from behind that camphor tree before anyone else gets scared....” Pakkun suggested. Meekly, Hinata crept from the cover of the wide bole, and stood beside Kiba, her pale cheeks flushed as pink as Sakura’s hair. “Can we trust you to cover our absence in camp?” Sasuke asked. Kiba snorted back in derision.  “With the Hokage and our sensei gone, no one is going to miss us.  So why don’t you tell us more about this ‘mission’?” He bent down to pick up Akamaru, and let him climb onto the top of his hooded head.  “We’re bored.” “How about we don’t!” Naruto countered. “How about we just follow you, and figure it out for ourselves?” Kiba returned.  “Tracking and spying is our speciality, after all.  Not that you three are posing much of a challenge....” “Take that puppy off of your head, and I’ll give you a challenge!” Naruto fumed. “No, wait, Kiba’s right,” Sasuke decided suddenly, putting a hand on Naruto’s shoulder.  “They are better at spying.  They can help us.” “They can be our perimeter watch,” Sakura agreed, “...and our early warning system, for when Asaito’s party returns.” “So you mean to spy on the Land of Water compound,” Shino sussed aloud. “We do,” Sasuke admitted. “On....on....Tsuroyuni-sama.....Asaito?” Hinata asked nervously. “Uh-huh,” Naruto answered.  “Rumor has it that he’s a scum-bag.” “He.  He....is,” Hinata returned, shocking everyone. The formal feast hall was a summoned structure of crimson silk walls and curtained doors.  It seemed a little out of place amongst the yurts and tents surrounding it.  Warm lights from within had turned the long, rectangular space into a massive lamp against the fast-encroaching twilight. Wakame was at a door positioned in the middle of the silken tent, standing with a pair of Shimogakuran shinobi.  She immediately beckoned them. “Ah, Hiruzen-sama!” she greeted warmly.  “We get to sit together, because I made the seating arrangements!  Although, I seem to have neglected to find an honor guard for myself.” “Kurenai-san and Kakashi-san will come to your aid if needed, have no doubts,” Hiruzen assured.  “You don’t foresee any trouble, do you, Wakame-san?” “Only if the dessert chef has been over indulging himself in the brandy again....” Wakame laughed.  “Please, come in...” As they stepped past the scarlet curtains, Kurenai gasped softly in wonder at the interior.  Dozens of golden lanterns suffused the space with a welcoming, radiant light.  A long, ebony table, laid with elegant ceramic, crystal, lacquered chopsticks, and embroidered linen sat at knee-height, surrounded by decadent-looking velvet cushions. Directly opposite them, already seated on two of the cushions, was the Shimokhan and his wife, the Heron Sage-Priestess.  Another pair of Shimogakuran nin stood behind them. “Ah!  Hiruzen-sama!” Ryuumaru greeted heartily, raising his sake cup in salute, as Wakame prompted him to sit down beside her.  “You’ve always been a punctual kind of fellow.  I wish I could say the same of my daughter....or my soon-to-be son-in-law...” he grumbled. “Settle down, beloved, or your sake drinking privileges shall be revoked for the evening,” the almost otherworldly beautiful woman beside him chided softly.  Her skin was as pale as moonlight.  Her hair was a long cascade of lavender that had been plaited into a thick braid, ending in a silver heron ornament.  She was wearing a high-collared hime kimono, in the Yaseiarashi colors of indigo and silver, printed with the three pronged clan seal.  A large banner behind the couple echoed these motifs. And for the first time, Kakashi was able to see the color of her eyes: a solid, arresting shade of golden green that called to mind images of morning sunlight, filtering through summer oak leaves.  And there was a definite power in those eyes... “Renara-sama...” Hiruzen began with a soft sigh, “The rumors are true.  Your beauty is ageless.” The Heron Sage Priestess smiled demurely at the compliment.  “Hiruzen-sama remains ever the flatterer....” “Alright, now, stop flirting with my wife,” the Shimokhan demanded with a playful gruffness.  “Would your shinobi care for some sake before dinner begins?  It will be their last chance to partake of anything until after we’ve eaten...due to some byzantine custom of established marriage etiquette, I’m afraid.” A gentle nudge from Renara prompted him to add, “...or tea, perhaps?  Renara-chan has brought one of her custom blends....” “Some tea would be lovely,” Kurenai answered. “And you....?” Ryuumaru turned his hawk-like eyes on Kakashi. “Out of respect for both my hosts, I will have some of both,” he replied. “Excellent answer!” the Head Ninja of Shimogakure cheered, as a young chamberlain went off to get the drinks. “Now, permit me to make some quick introductions.  First of all, my beautiful wife, the Heron Sage-Priestess, the resplendent Lady Renara,” taking her pale hand and kissing it.  “Mother of the Bride, spouse of a salt-crusted old fool.” “I relish salt,” Renara returned sweetly. “Behind us are Nobu Madarame and Hyozan Shirogane.  Nobu-san was the same year as Miri-chan.  Hyozan-san was a few years behind.” “Was she a close friend of yours?” Kurenai asked, regarding Nobu, and accepting her tea. “We all were close friends,” Hyozan answered for him.  “....Mat-kun, Gek-kun, all of us.  Shimogakure is a small village...” “When Shimokhan-sama said that Miri-sama and I were in the same year, he was speaking definitively,” Nobu added.  “Her and I were the only new genin that year.” “Only two genin in a class?!” Hiruzen gasped.  “I believe this last year, we had nine!” “We often must wait years before assembling a genin team, due to our low population,” Wakame added.  “Some never get the chance, like me.” “Well, I, for one, envy your academy’s ability to devote so much more time to their students,” Hiruzen returned.   “Miri-sama sure didn’t...” Nobu chuckled, before receiving a sharp look from his Head Ninja.  “Sorry, Khan.” The Hokage cleared his throat: “Allow me to introduce the shinobi accompanying me tonight, Kurenai Yuhi, and Kakashi Hatake.  Both, I believe, are about the same year as your daughter and Nobu-san.” “Kakashi.....” Renara began, as if recalling some distant memory, “....of the Copy-Wheel Eye?” “I am called that, yes,” Kakashi returned, as he turned back around from his guarded sip of the proffered sake.  He raised his headband a touch to allow her a glimpse of the eye that gave him that moniker. Renara nodded in gratitude, and continued as he replaced his headband.  A servant exchanged his sake cup for a tea cup.  “...also, Hero of the Sharingan....and White Fang’s Cub...” she elaborated, giving her husband a pointed look. Ryuumaru drew a sharp breath, and locked his gaze on the grey-haired jonin.  “That’s why he’s so damn familiar!  He looks just like him!  You’re Sakumo’s boy!” Kakashi’s exposed eye betrayed his surprise.  “You....knew of my father?” “Knew him?!  I owed the man my life!  It was his talent with a sword that prevented Renara-sama from becoming a widow!”  Ryuumaru’s face fell slightly, as he remembered the nature of his friend’s departure from this world.  “My grief prevented me from uttering his name for nearly three years...after I’d gotten word of his passing.” “Such an incongruent custom, for such an eminently gregarious country,” observed an oily new voice in the tent.  The messenger monk of the Tsuroyuni household had arrived, creeping out of  the shadows of the curtained doors on the far left.   “The incongruence directly reflects our somber attitude toward death, Oda-sama,” Renara returned.  “But let us not speak of such things before a wedding.  It is bad luck.” “I am in agreement, my lady,” Oda took a moment to regard the furnishings, eyeing the empty cushion under the banner bearing the emblem of Water. “We seem to be missing a couple of key guests here tonight,” the unsavory monk observed, “For instance, a bride?” “Shimogakuran brides always enter last, Oda-sama!” came a familiar, strident male voice from the curtained area on the far right.  “Its another of our ‘incongruent customs’....” “Gekido-san!” Wakame censured sharply, as she stood and moved to stand beside a braided cord on the right side of the room, under the Frost banner.  Oda had positioned himself beside a matching one on the left. Ryuumaru chuckled to himself, muttering, “I love that boy,” before being nudged to respectful silence by his wife. Miriyume had been watching from the shadows, Kakashi suddenly realized, straightening his stance.   “Then out of the deepest respect for the bride, let me proudly present the groom, the Lord Asaito Tsuroyuni!  Governor of the Koryomizu Prefecture, in the Land of Water!” Oda announced, and pulled the cord.  The silken curtains parted, from which first stepped a quartet of guards, dressed entirely in black, surmounted by light shinobi plate armor.  The katana that they carried didn’t soften their look any.  Then the groom stepped forward. Tall, slender, and the very essence of every woman’s darkest desire.  The half-smile on his clean-shaven, alabaster face spoke of a supreme self-confidence.  His straight carriage and unconscious grace attested to a noble lineage.  And his eyes: an odd shade of burgundy that made both Wakame and Kurenai gasp at the appealing promises that they hid in their depths, as they swallowed the golden light of the lanterns. His black yukata, embellished with silver symbols of longevity, was worn daringly open, revealing perfectly sculpted pectorals.  His raven, shoulder-length hair was best described as ‘stylishly tousled’.  Kakashi thought he looked like every playboy tempter he’d ever seen splayed over his Icha-Icha reading.... It was all too easy to see the immediate impact his appearance had on women.  Kurenai and Wakame were both agog.  Even the girls on the wait staff were awkwardly gawking.  The only woman who seemed immune to his ‘charms’ was Renara. The uncomfortable silence was broken by the man who had created it. “My heartfelt greetings, honored parents-to-be,” in an authoritative, yet genial tone that carried as easily as a temple bell.  “Long have I desired to meet the people responsible for bringing the Lady Ice Flame into the world.  You have my infinite gratitude,” ending the proclamation with a deeply respectful bow. Ryuumaru looked a little overwhelmed at the pronouncement.  “Well, then....you are most...welcome...” looking desperately to his wife. “Please, sit, and make yourself comfortable,” Renara continued. “Meaning no offense,” Asaito pardoned, “I wish to be standing when I first lay eyes upon my betrothed, if it isn’t too much to ask...?” “His pious discretion over the past few days has surely earned him this right....?” Oda lobbied from his seat beside Hiruzen. “I see no problem with it,” Ryuumaru returned, and nodded to Wakame. “Then it is with equal pride, and pleasure, that I present the Lady Ice Flame, Miriyume Yaseiarashi, the Storm Sage Priestess of Shimogakure!” The cord was pulled, the curtains parted, and the Lady Ice Flame stepped forth.  Only one word could form in Kakashi’s mind: sublime. She was wearing an indigo yukata that melted into the colors of her Land’s famed aurora borealis on the bottom hems of the long, bell sleeves and robe.  An obi of twinkling stars was tied in a butterfly knot right above her shapely, round hips.  Her top was also rather daringly open, permitting a delicious view of her overly generous bosom.  Her long, fiery hair had been pinned up into an elegant coiffure, and was festooned with a variety of ornaments, allowing a rare glimpse of her graceful, slender neck. Kakashi’s idle lungs suddenly sucked in a desperately needed breath, as she stood at the end of the table closest to him.  Her sapphire and emerald eyes were regarding the man that was to be her husband.  They squinted in appraisal. “Here I am,” she announced with a mischievous looking smirk on her plum-lacquered lips.  Her eyes then scanned over the others in the room, and brought a blush to Kakashi’s cheeks when they landed on him. “Your beauty from afar is undeniable, my Lady,” Asaito began, “But at this distance, you are utterly devastating,” placing a long fingered hand over his heart, and sunk to his knees, onto his cushion.  “I very nearly tremble at your majesty.” “She does clean up rather nice, doesn’t she, Mat-kun?” Gekido asided, as he and his teammate, including Aoseishin, of course, flanked Miriyume as she took her seat. “You cut a rather dashing figure, yourself, my Lord,” Miriyume purred, as she toyed with a strand of icy colored jade beads that hung against her bountiful decolletage.  “Very tall....very mysterious.  I am a fan of both these traits.” Kakashi bit his lip, powerless to do much else. “I lament the mystery by which I have been forced to live,” Asaito returned, his wine-dark eyes riveted to her.  “It has resulted in a lonely life.” “But there is word of great changes in the Land of Water,” Hiruzen began.  “New attitudes of acceptance and tolerance?” “Such changes–welcome as they are–can not happen overnight,” Asaito returned. “There are still many who would thwart, and even harm, my Lord simply because of his kekkei genkai...minor that it is,” Oda added. “And yet, you would request that my daughter, who is possessed of two kekkei genkai, of significant merit, tie her fate to this risk?” Ryuumaru countered. “Miriyume-sama’s safety would be paramount to my own, I can assure you,” Asaito returned, looking his prospective father-in-law directly in the eye.  “My island is a fortress that has never been breached.  Kirigakure can’t even make such a boast.” “No, they certainly can’t,” the Hokage seconded softly, giving a sly, sidelong glance to the man who had broken that village’s defenses numerous times, who was standing behind Wakame.  He noticed that Kakashi looked a little paler than normal... “And I am rather good at taking care of myself, Father,” Miriyume reminded playfully. “You most certainly can, my darling girl,” Ryuumaru agreed.  “But let a father indulge some concern for your well-being every once in awhile.” “Let us get this dinner started already, shall we?” Renara suggested, nodding at Wakame who got up again to ring a ceremonial gong. As a flurry of serving staff entered the room, Kakashi focused on projecting a stoic front in the light of this grueling torment.  He’d been hoping for some pudgy, over-privileged, noble prefect who had been awarded a jonin status simply because of caste, but this man looked like he could put up a good fight when motivated.  He also seemed to be rather attractive...  At least, Kurenai seemed to think so, what with her frequent glances in Asaito’s direction. Kakashi turned back toward Miriyume, desperate for some small clue to her inner thoughts.  She was radiant, shining brighter than any of the golden lanterns above them.  He watched as she gave Aoseishin a small scratch behind his thick, pointy ear, as he curled up at her side.  Again, her casual attitude in the face of rampant formality made him smile.  He began to feel the forbidding tendrils of his compounding misery loosen and fall away in the comforting light of her presence.  Was this her chakra at work again? He pulled the headband off of his left eye, and saw the languid curtains of iridescent light that always seemed to accompany her, suffusing her with natural chi, and winding about her companions.  Every once in awhile, a ribbon of her light would meander his direction, and grant him a light tingle of chakra, but her spiritual energy sharing seemed to concentrate mostly on the spaces beside her.  A steady rivulet of light seemed to be flowing toward her parents, however.  An alternating current effect from her father’s own abilities, perhaps? Ryuumaru’s chakra had an amber aura, and a more focused, tighter control.  He grounded his superfluous energy, and kept the nimbus that surrounded him snug against himself.  He seemed more of a furnace than a wellspring. The Heron Priestess received a small amount of his run-off energy, which transmuted to a pale jade glow.  The contemplation of which produced a calming, focusing effect upon Kakashi’s heart, reminding him of his official purpose: assess the danger.  He turned toward Asaito: There was a dull ember in his strange, chartreuse eyes that never seemed to stray beyond Miriyume for long.  He was indeed ‘desirous’ of this union.  The hunger behind them was too easily read.  Every once in awhile, Kakashi could see a flare of some kind of energy, lurking behind them, in response to a wayward eddy of Miriyume’s chakra.  Was this Asaito’s kekkei genkai? “This tea...” the Hokage began, savoring its scent as the others were being served.  “Such a familiar aroma....what is it?” “Its northern ginseng,” Renara answered.  “Renowned for its....stimulative properties.” “As if Miri-chan needs that...” Gekido quipped to Matsuko, who smacked the back of his head. On the other side of the table, one of Asaito’s personal guard stepped forward to take a sip from the tea cup offered to his employer. “We are not in the habit of poisoning our own food, Lord Asaito,” Ryuumaru announced gruffly, clearly insulted. “My deepest apologies, Yaseiarashi-sama,” Asaito begged, as he was handed the tea cup.  “I have always had a food-taster, for as long as I can remember.” “It’s a commonly instituted custom in the Land of Water,” Oda defended.  “One that I insist that my Lord practice at all times.” “It’s nothing personal, I assure you,” Asaito added. “They speak the truth, Father, Mother,” Miriyume vouched, as she sipped her tea.  Kakashi watched as she closed her eyes as she drank and swallowed.... like she was kissing the teacup.  He followed the exquisite contraction of her neck muscles....savored the gentle compression of her full, plum-hued lips to clear the moisture that had remained there.  “Everyone is paranoid.” “A habit born of the days of the Bloody Mist Academy, no doubt...” Kakashi offered, forgetting his stoicism for a moment.  Hiruzen shot him a concerned look.  Honor guards were only supposed to speak when directly addressed. “No doubt,” Miriyume granted with a nod. Hiruzen looked to the Oda and Asaito, correctly intuiting the spirit of Kakashi’s observation.  Oda was scowling.  Asaito’s face still bore that neutral smile, but his eyes seemed to grow a few shades darker, as he turned his attention to Hatake. Gods.  Of all the times for ‘Cold-Blooded Kakashi’ to warm up!  He could at least have the sense to hide these feelings in the presence of this notoriously mistrusting, and ever calculating man!  Time for a strategic conversation shift... “Has the Lord Tsuroyuni ever been to the Land of Fire, before now?” the Hokage asked, drawing Asaito’s predatory gaze away from his jonin.  The wait staff began to serve the soup course. “No, I have not,” Asaito answered.  “As a member of the First Caste, I am kept busy with administration duties.  I rarely have the chance to travel.” “Is that to say that you will be denying my daughter a proper Honeymoon?” Ryuumaru asked sternly.  “Shimogakuran’s take such decisions as an ill omen.” Oda lowered his head, and muttered softly in Hiruzen’s direction: “What don’t you take as an ill-omen...?” “Not at all,” Asaito smiled, after he flashed his monk a venomous glare.  “It will just be within the confines of our large and varied landscape.  There are several options that I’ve considered...” Miriyume gave a loud, exasperated sigh from across the table, and bit the inside of her lower lip, creating the most beautiful pout that Kakashi had ever seen.  “And here I was hoping for the Thousand Tongues....” Her father choked on his tea.  Wakame’s jaw dropped.  Her mother blushed and censured her with her own name.  Kakashi was struck numb, and nearly fell over.  Gekido, of course, erupted into laughter. “Um....Miri-chan...?” Matsuko was very confused.  “Did you just say...?” The Inuzuka won back the struggle to speak momentarily; “That’s probably....a discussion that you should have....at another time...!”  He shrieked the last part, and lost himself to laughter all over again. Aoseishin whined in confusion. Asaito looked pleasantly amused, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. “I’m talking about a resort in the Kingdom of the Moon, you perverts!” Miriyume snapped. “Oh, thank Naru-kami....” Ryuumaru sighed. “It’s a series of sacred pools, connected by waterfalls,” the storm sage continued, “...which are said to be so naturally aerated that soaking in them feels like a thousand little tongues, licking your entire body.” There, Ice Flame thought inwardly.  That should cement his attention... “That’s still hardly a fitting subject for dinner, my dear,” Renara scolded gently. “Sounds like an experience I need,” Kurenai chuckled. “I may have to arrange a holiday for myself,” Hiruzen smiled up at the astute jonin, then regarded Kakashi, who still seemed to be reeling from Miriyume’s initial pronouncement. That was the Hatake clan for you: Excellent ninja, deplorable social skills.  No mystery as to why the clan was so small in number... “Kakashi,” the Hokage whispered softly, attempting to pull his eyes away from the Lady Ice Flame.  Perhaps he should have gone with a genin honor guard instead... “So....you’re Kakashi?” Asaito began, on hearing the Hokage’s attempt at discretion.  “Oda-sama has told me that you have done the Land of Water a great service, by ridding us of a certain notorious swordsman....?” “It is true,” Kakashi answered, and turned his Sharingan on Asaito’s burgundy eyes.  “Zabuza Momochi is no more.” “I am glad to hear of it,” Asaito returned flatly.  “The Demon of the Mist was....troublesome.” The Sharingan told him that he wasn’t lying.  It also told him that this man was far more dangerous than Zabuza ever had been.  The brief glimpse into his eerie eyes had landed him on the edge of a yawing chasm of utter void.  Bereft of love, hate, or emotion at all.  It was a coldness that had no place in the human heart.  Kakashi nearly shuddered in response. “Oda-sama also tells me that you have balked at the mention of a reward, but, I am a man of–“ he flicked his cold, cruel eyes at Miriyume briefly–“no ‘little’ means,” he announced playfully.  “Name your prize, and it is yours.” Kakashi was scowling so hard beneath his mask that his mouth and cheeks ached with the unconscious exertion.  The expression was fast creeping into his eyes. How dare he! Calling him out in front of his Hokage....in front of Miriyume, he seethed inwardly.  It was a stinging insult to shinobi character to insist that one fought only for money or reward! This scum wasn’t worthy of the title of jonin, or even shinobi.  And he certainly didn’t merit the Lady Ice Flame. “There is nothing I want that is in your power to give,” Kakashi carefully replied, and resumed his stoic posture. “Kakashi is a man of modest means, Lord Asaito,” Hiruzen placated, as he finished his bowl of miso and leek, “...and great integrity.  His devotion to duty is unparalleled in Konohagakure....” “...and as I said before,” Kakashi commandeered, to Sarutobi’s chagrin, “The safe return of my students was all the reward that I required.  So, please, stop offering.” “Very well, I tried,” Asaito sighed, and threw up his hands as the soup bowls were cleared. “Every man to his own peculiarities,” Ryuumaru observed aloud, and smiled warmly at Kakashi.  “ So long as they don’t harm anyone.  And I have the highest admiration for a shinobi who puts such importance on the welfare of their team, so I’ll be pouring you a cup of my private reserve whiskey later...and don’t you dare refuse me!” “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Kakashi returned, and reflexively looked to Miriyume–who was looking back, and with a rather wide-eyed expression.  Her arrested attention sent a twinge of electricity through his nerves, making him stagger a little. “You...and your team killed Zabuza?” Miriyume asked gently. “We...ushered him, and Haku, to their graves, my lady,” Kakashi replied even softer. She looked up to Matsuko and Gekido in turn, as if sharing a poignant collective memory.  “We tangled with them...a couple of times.  Only narrowly avoiding disaster.  I believe I’ll be drinking a toast to you as well...” Kakashi felt the tingling touch of her ambient chakra as she willed a luminescent ribbon his way.  His left eye permitted him to see it as it wound about his chest, emulating a hug.  He sighed in its embrace, at it infused him with renewed energy and hope.  Had the ‘kraken incident’ been forgiven? He’d send the remaining Seven Swordsmen single-handedly to their graves if it would win him more of her approval. The moment of private ecstasy was thwarted by Asaito:  “Which reminds me....” commanding the room’s attention, as the main course was brought out.  “I have very special gift for us alone to share, my darling.”  He then gestured to one of his guards. The man produced a blue glass wine bottle, painted with water lilies, and held it cradled in his hands as if it were a sacred object. “This,” Asaito continued, “...is a very rare, and very good bottle of Kirian sparkling wine, crafted by the famed winery of the Rolling Fog islands, set down in the time of the Nidame Mizukage.  Only a handful remain, and I’d like to share this one with you, my sparkling diamond of the Frost.” All eyes watched as the bottle was reverently opened, and poured into first Asaito’s crystal glass, and then Miriyume’s.  Both raised their goblets in salute to one another. “Kanpai!” Asaito began, and drank deeply while keeping his eyes on Miriyume, savoring the taste of the liquid, and the image of the woman equally. “Kanpai!” she echoed, clearly intrigued by the fizzy drink.  She brought the glass to her lips, but a swift hand snatched it away before it made contact.  She turned to confront the thief, but Gekido had already finished half of it. “You know,” handing the remainder of the wine back to an irate Miriyume, “...that is really good!”  He then turned a fierce glare upon Asaito, and added: “Nothing personal!”

[ladyiceflame-blog]

An Inconvenient Wedding:

Chapter Eight: The Wild Storm and the Serene Sage

The reintegration of a dismissed Shadow Clone had proven to be a little disorienting in the past, but all those times had not prepared Kakashi for the mighty wallop that slammed into his being now. The sudden influx of all that had transpired beneath the water made him gasp, and stagger backward into a group of cooking-nin who were packing up their provisions.  Rice cakes went flying, along with a fair amount of superfluous chakra that he couldn’t absorb. “Kaka-sensei!” Sakura cried out, rushing to his side.  Naruto and Sasuke joined her, showing concern.  “What happened?” Kakashi groaned as he sat up.  His head was spinning.  The sudden knowledge he’d just acquired, and the maelstrom of emotions that had tagged along, were giving him the equivalent of a chakra hang-over. “I’m suddenly feeling a little...woosey, is all...” he excused.  He put his head between his knees to exert control over his nauseous stomach. “Should I find you a medical-nin?” Matsuko asked. “No!” Kakashi snapped, as he sat up.  “No, I just need a moment....” Gekido raised a suspicious eyebrow a split-second before a large, stormy-hued orb of crystal burst from the center of the lake to hover high above it.   “What is that!?!” Naruto openly gawked, squinting at its strange, faceted surface. Gekido sighed.  “That would be Miriyume,” he answered, as the crystal shattered, and the Sage-Priestess was revealed, wreathed in her signature jutsu.  “And she doesn’t look happy....” Matsuko shared a grim smile with the Inuzuka, and their eyes flicked briefly towards Kakashi.   “We’re going to need another wagon of whiskey....” Matsuko sighed, as he watched Miriyume douse her Ice Fire, and begin her descent towards them. “Tch...” Gekido scoffed.  “There isn’t enough whiskey in the world to drowned her ire...”  He turned to Kakashi and his students, assisting his stand.  “You kids might want to back off a bit....” Miriyume touched down, and immediately confronted Kakashi: “So did that eye of yours catch all the details?  Or would you like another demonstration?!” Her eyes were lambent in indignation.  Matsuko and Gekido had hands on her shoulders. “What are you talking about, Miri-chan?  Hata-san’s been up here the whole time.  Who were you with down there?” “Him,” Miriyume returned testily, pointing at Kakashi.  “Or rather, a shadow clone of him.  Just how many filters do you need to put on the world anyway?!” she shouted at the dejected shinobi, amidst the protective circle of his students. “You used a clone on Priestess Knock-Out?” Naruto censured his teacher, giving him a disappointed look. “‘Priestess Knock-Out’...?” Matsuko chuckled at the new epitaph. “It has to do with the way we met,” Miriyume explained. “What is it with you?” Gekido demanded. Miriyume shrugged, still glaring daggers at Kakashi, who refused to meet her gaze. “Was that your Ice Fire technique?” Sasuke dared. “It was,” she replied, her aspect softening a shade. “And that crystal was...ice?” the Uchiha continued, “...frozen from the jutsu?” “You’re a sharp one,” she complimented.  “Ice Fire manifests as a branching plasma, much like a Chidori.  But it burns cold....freezing things if given enough time.  Shattering them if I want.  But it eats up a lot of chakra.” “But that isn’t a problem for you, is it?” Sakura pressed, “With your chakra absorption powers, right?” “True, but using Ice Fire can quickly deplete an environment, if I’m not careful,” Miriyume answered.   “But that’s nothing compared to her Sage Form’s chakra demands,” Gekido added.   “What’s a ‘sage form’, again...?” Naruto asked sheepishly, as Sakura and Sasuke sighed.   “It’s a form that represents the mastery of a senjutsu practitioner over their adopted spirit,” Matsuko continued.  “Usually an animal spirit, but Miri-chan’s priestess training attracted something a little....different.” “Which was..?” Sauske prompted. “A storm-kami,” Kakashi provided, finding his voice again.  “Its believed that she is the only person to have been offered contract with such a spirit.” “Lord Raijin is a fickle god, who had grown bored with his usual celestial duties,” Miriyume illuminated further.  “His patronage of me was born of a rebellious whim.  Nothing more.” “...and this has been another episode of, ‘Overly Modest Miriyume,’” Gekido teased.  “Join us next time, when our heroine declares that she was only suggesting that Kumogakure needed help with their architecture.” “Well, they did!” Miriyume returned. “Especially after you gutted that mansion....” Matsuko chuckled. “Was that during your Chunin Exam?” Sakura asked. “It was shortly afterward,” Lady Ice Flame answered.  “I had been...retained–“ Gekido coughed, and corrected his companion’s story... “–kidnaped–“ ”Fine, kidnaped, by our hosts, in an effort to study my abilities, and it didn’t go as they planned.  They quickly grew...disenchanted with me, like most people...” Her angry eyes once again found Kakashi’s, and easily communicated her ire.  Aoseishin whined at the ambient tension. “I’ll stay enchanted, Knock-Out sama!” Naruto swore.  “Believe it!” Her eyes shifted to Naruto’s smiling face, beaming in bold defiance of the sudden pall that Miriyume wanted to shroud herself in.  Kakashi seemed set in remaining a mystery, but this kid was the welcoming bonfire in broad daylight.  She couldn’t help but be cheered. “Thank-you, Naruto-san,” she said, finding her smile again.  “At least I’ll al—“ Her words were cut short by the sound of a most unusual trumpeting noise, off in the distance.  Her eyes widened, as Matsuko and Gekido snapped alert.  Aoseishin barked. “They’re here!” Miriyume announced joyously, and led her team, along with the majority of people still at the lake, rushing off in the direction of the resonant horn’s second blast. The entire campsite seemed to be in a sudden rush to converge on the Bridal Pavilion of the Frost encampment.  Games were abandoned, food was forgotten.  Even drinks were set aside.  All that seemed to matter at the moment was the arrival of whoever had sounded that horn.  Team Seven managed to keep up with the human tsunami that had resulted. The herald who has sounded the signal of approach was standing at the center of the Frost Camp, and gave one final ringing blast of the strange looking instrument: a long, corkscrew-shaped horn from some unknown animal, as the Wandering Lights Brigade stood nearby.  A formidable-looking man, clad in dark furs, banded shinobi armor, and sporting a rather magnificent helmet with a tuft of eagle feathers at the top, rode up beside them on a sturdy warhorse, and dismounted.  Miriyume wasted no time in launching herself into his arms. “Hello, Father!” she greeted, as he spun her around so fast that her legs swung out nearly parallel to the ground. “Ah, my beautiful daughter!” he acknowledged, and set her back on the ground, keeping her in his embrace.  “The lights of the aurora are still pale imitations of your eyes...” “And the steel in yours remains ever-keen,” she returned. “Here we go...” Gekido sighed dramatically, “The Father-Daughter Poetry Hour...” “Greetings, Shimokhan-sama,” Matsuko acknowledged much more respectfully, with a bow.  “I hope your journey was a peaceful one.” “It was, Matsuko-san,” Ryuumaru Yaseiarashi returned, releasing Miriyume, and giving Gekido a quick slug to the upper arm.  “And I trust all is well here?” “It is, Shimokhan-sama!” a strident voice broke from the gathered crowd, as she power-slid before the leader of Shimogakure.  Wakame Akiyama always took her duties with the utmost seriousness, but her devotion to her job often made her seem ironically comical most of the time.  “All allied nations have sent emissaries, all the ceremony arrangements have been coordinated.  Everyone is fed and sheltered...” “...and the games...and the Light House...?” Ryuumaru pressed. “...have been afoot and running since we put down the first tent pegs!” Wakame declared proudly, as a heavily curtained palanquin was marched up with great ceremony, and set down reverently beside the reunited family.  A hush fell over the crowd that had gathered, as the curtain parted, and a statuesque, regal woman emerged, and approached Miriyume. She had the bearing of an empress: an elegant kimono of palest green, surmounted by a white, hooded cloak, trimmed in plumey gold and silver feathers.  Heron feathers. “Honored Mother,” Miriyume greeted and bowed.  The mysterious woman favored her with a kiss in the middle of her lowered forehead. “Miriyume, my wild one,” the Heron Priestess began in a voice that sounded like the lilting tones of a dove, before looking concerned.  “Are you alright, my dear?  You’re chakra seems a little...agitated.” “I’m fine,” Miriyume insisted.  “We just got done with a game of Kraken, that’s all,” as Matsuko and Gekido approached to give their welcomes.   Her father had moved on to the surrounding crowd, clasping shoulders and reveling in the many familiar faces.  He was a social entity, clearly, who came alive in the company of friends.  And he was always on the look-out for more. Kakashi watched in respectful interest as Miriyume and her Mother continued to reacquaint.  Miriyume was nearly lost in the embracing sleeves of the Heron Priestess’s silken robes.  He felt the ambient warmth of their silent, mutual love for one another.  Despite the heavy cowl of the elder woman’s cloak, and the utter stillness of their faces, they seemed to be communicating volumes. He realized that it was rude to stare, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away.  Such was the empathic grandeur of their bond.  Then, a most terrifyingly beautiful thing happened: Miriyume’s mother turned her half-obscured face his way, and gave him just a hint of a smile, while Miriyume remained motionless. Kakashi was struck with such a profound panic that gravity itself seemed to double-down on him, immobilizing his limbs, turning his blood to a heavy sludge.  He was utterly powerless to do anything, except stand and endure her scrutiny.  He could only compare it to Killing Intent, but without any hint of the malice.  Perhaps it was better called ‘Curious Intent’.  Mercifully, the moment was brief, as the Heron Sage Priestess ushered her daughter into the Bridal Pavilion. It took him a moment to catch his breath.  Medical-nin had never given him such a through sensory exam before. A rough clap to his shoulder removed the last traces of chakra lethargy from him. “There’s a familiar cut to your sails, man,” Miriyume’s father rumbled pleasantly, as he openly assessed the few features Kakashi displayed, “But I’m banjanxed as to why exactly.” “‘Banjanxed’?” Naruto echoed warily. “It means ‘confounded,’ or ‘lost,’ in this sense,” Matsuko explained. “I don’t believe that I’ve had the honor of meeting you yet, Yaseiarashi-sama,” Kakashi began, and gave a polite bow.  “I am Kakashi Hatake, jonin of Konohagakure.  These are my students; Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki.” Ryuumaru’s icy blue eyes seemed to light up at the mention of the last name.  “Uzumaki, eh?” as he regarded the blond genin.  “I owe all the happiness I’ve found in this world to that name!  Hatake and Uchiha have a familiar ring about them as well....” His musings were cut off by the panicked calls of Wakame Akiyama, as she raced to another impressive power slide before him. “Shimokhan-sama!  The groom’s attendant approaches!” Gekido’s slitted eyes went wide, as he confirmed the new presence with a pronounced sniff of the air.  “In the actual flesh...” he breathed softly.  “About time, eh?” Wakame nodded, as she stood off to his side, as the crowd began to grow quiet and part. The frail-looking man walked with the heavy assistance of an ornate staff.  His skin was sallow, the color of old, forgotten parchment.  His sparse hair seemed oily.  And he was suffused with a strange combination of medicinal smelling herbs.  He wore the humble robes of a monk, and had the beady eyes of a rat. “So,” the ancient looking man began in an unctuous voice, “The future father-in-law has arrived at long last.  My Lord was beginning to wonder.” “Then your Lord has forgotten the itinerary that was sent, which included the arrival of my wife and I.”  He took a moment to pointedly regard the sun’s placement in the sky.  “I’m here early, in fact.” The monk inclined his head in a gesture of apology.  “Please forgive our eagerness.  My Lord forgets much on the cusp of such a momentous occasion.” “....like how to socialize..?” Gekido quipped softly. Wakame shot the Inuzuka a brief scowl before responding.  “It is all too easy for a bride and groom to lose track of things, which is why I am here.  I trust that Asaito-sama is aware of tonight’s dinner plans?” “He is,” the monk returned.  “He is a pious man, but he avidly awaits the presentation of the Lady Ice Flame.  Her beauty is much celebrated.” “...to say nothing of her talents as a shinobi,” Kakashi interjected.  “Miriyume-sama’s fame does not stem solely from one aspect alone.” “Well said, Kakashi!” Ryuumaru smiled broadly. “...and any man who fails to see this does not deserve her,” Kakashi continued. Sakura gasped.  Naruto beamed.  Gekido, Wakame and Matsuko were openly agape.  The monk looked understandably affronted. “I knew I’d like this guy!” Ryuumaru asided to Matsuko, who was still reeling from the sudden need for testimonial from a man who seemed to do nothing but infuriate the very person he was now defending.  “Someone get this man a bottle of my personal reserve whiskey....” Miriyume’s father continued.  The surest way to his heart had always been compliments to his daughter. “I assure you,” the monk resumed, testily, “My Lord is well aware of the multi-faceted talents of the Lady Ice Flame, and is both deserving, and highly desirous, of this union.” The glint in the decrepit man’s eyes as he said the last made Kakashi’s skin crawl, and his Sharingan ache. “She will be treated as a queen, and will want for nothing in my Lord’s care.  His wealth rivals that of even the Water Daimyo, after all.” “Although riches have never factored much in Miriyume’s list of qualifications for a spouse, they do give her parents a definite sense of relief.  We want to see our grandchildren spoiled absolutely rotten!” Kakashi felt nauseous.  He instinctually clutched at his nearby students.  Gekido’s sharp nose caught a whiff of his sudden discomfort. “Come on now, Old Man Yaseiarashi,” Gekido forced a chuckle.  “I don’t think Miri-chan’s wanting to be a mother quite so fast.  Give her a few years for the Honeymoon...” Bile rose at that.  Kakashi choked it back down. “So long as they never have to grow up in the shadows of that Bloody Mist Academy madness, I will be happy,” the Shimokhan concluded.  “I will be seeking personal assurances that that foul school has been permanently dismantled, before long.”  The authoritative tone in his voice turned the statement into a solemn vow.  It made the monk tremble slightly. “Those days are behind us now, as I’m certain that your esteemed daughter and her cadre have learned in their extensive travels in the Land of Water.  For, if it were otherwise, we probably wouldn’t be here.” “The barbarous methods of your Fourth Mizukage resulted in numerous living nightmares that still plague the world,” Matsuko chimed in.  “We ran into a few.” “We just ended one!” Naruto suddenly exclaimed proudly.  “Zabuza and Haku!  In the Land of Waves!  Although, Zabuza seemed to have a change of heart at the end...and Haku didn’t even seem to be all that evil...” “You tangled with the Demon of the Hidden Mist?!?” Gekido gasped. “We buried them,” Kakashi returned.  “It was their first A-Rank mission, actually,” he smiled proudly. “That’s....impressive,” Matsuko admitted.  “That man nearly hacked me in two once.” “We only escaped because of my Wind Wolf technique....” Gekido added. Matsuko gave him a look of patient disbelief. “...and maybe Miri-chan’s Ice Fire helped out a bit...” the Inuzuka amended. “The Land of Water extends its gratitude to you, then,” the monk continued coolly.  “Ridding us of such a criminal.  My Lord will surely want to be generous with a reward...” Kakashi stopped the monk with an upraised hand.  “The survival of my team was reward enough.  Killing Zabuza, in all truth, was not our intended mission.” “Yet, your team rose to the occasion, where all others had failed,” Ryuumaru smiled at the genin.  “This bodes well for their future.”  He placed a firm hand on Kakashi’s taller, more slender shoulder.  “The Hokage was born under fortunate stars, indeed, to have such shinobi.” “Gossip, then Fire-Shadow...” announced a warm, well-seasoned voice from behind, as he moved to embrace an old friend. “Hiruzen!” Ryuumaru welcomed, as he caught the Hokage in a fierce hug.  “Come.  Pour me my first cup of sake of the day!” “Haven’t you eaten breakfast...?” Sarutobi teased, as the two moved off toward the famed sake-tent of Shimogakure, leaving everyone else, including the messenger-monk, in their wake. Following an awkward silence, the monk spoke: “May I know the name of the man who brought an end to the rampage of Zabuza Momochi...?” regarding Kakashi. “Kakashi Hatake, with the heavy assistance of Team Seven,” Kakashi returned, watching the Hokage as he disappeared into the elaborate yurt.  “And if your lord insists on paying out a reward, tell him to send it to the new shinobi academy of Kirigakure.”  He then turned, and began to return to Konoha’s camp.  His students followed. After they had gained some distance, Naruto voiced a complaint: “Why did you refuse the reward?  I could have bought CRATES of ramen!” “Because I refuse to be beholden to that man...ever,” Kakashi shot back. “You could have had it given it to Konoha’s shinobi academy, rather than Kiri’s,” Sasuke suggested, obviously disapproving. “Our academy isn’t trying to rebuild itself from the ground-up,” Kakashi riposted.  “We never forced our students to kill each other for a passing grade.” His usually calm and neutral voice was so cold and full of contempt now.  It sent shivers down his student’s spines. “Do you think Lord Asaito had to kill his classmates?” Sakura asked. “He’s a living shinobi of the Mist, isn’t he?” her sensei replied.  “There can be no doubt.” Miriyume watched in languid lucidity as her mother went about the business of unfurling scrolls, and summoning every conceivable amenity for their tent.  The marble-columned bathing vat seemed especially decadent.   “You’re unusually quiet, my little Stormfly,” Renara Yaseiarashi commented, as she summoned a pot of hot tea and a set of cups.  “I usually have to struggle to get a word in between your stories.  Something is amiss....” “Something’s odd....” accepting a teacup of oolong, “I don’t know if its wrong, necessarily...” Miriyume  answered. “You’ve always been attracted to the mysterious things in life,” Renara smiled as she settled on a cushion beside her daughter.  “I blame myself, partially...” “What are you driving at?”  Miriyume sighed.  Despite her attempts to shield her emotions with her chaotic storm chakra, her mother always found a way to get in her head, and see the things that she tried to desperately hide under the bravado and mirth.  Or maybe Raijin hadn’t been that good of a teacher when it came to mind-barrier technique. So fiery when it came to matters of the heart.  Just like her father, Renara thought inwardly.  Perhaps this wedding wasn’t the right approach to take after all... “I don’t know, you haven’t told me yet,” Renara smiled coyly. Miriyume frowned into her tea.  “There’s nothing to tell.  Just another awkward turn of fate, at exactly the wrong time.” “Sounds newsworthy to me...” “Its no more newsworthy than a young, foreign jonin asking about me in the wake of ‘the Emergence’...” she countered sharply. Renara’s arresting green and gold eyes widened as her daughter gave her a crystal-clear view into what was on her mind. “So, you’ve found him.  Again,” Renara replied cryptically. “Found who?!?” “Your quantum chakra entanglement.” “Are you speaking in tongues now?!” “I thought this might happen....” Renara continued to ramble on, further confounding her daughter.  “Actually, I’m surprised its taken this long for you two to run into each other again, what with your wandering ways...” She was doing it again.  Reading her mind as easily as one of her beloved romance novels, and giving her no insight to her own.  “You know, I’ve suddenly realized....there are moments when you’re as infuriatingly cryptic as HE is!” Miriyume’s chakra flared with her impassioned retort. The Heron Sage just chuckled softly.  She was so like her father....

The grand yurt that housed the Shimogakuran traveling bar, affectionately referred to as the ‘House of Northern Lights (–or, the ‘Light House,’ for short),’ was sent into a welcoming uproar when Ryuumaru and Hiruzen entered.  Mostly due to the former. They were immediately ushered to the best table, and set up with a full array of pickled delicacies, yakatori, and of course, sake.  Following a unanimous toast to the beloved Shimokhan’s health and strength, the two leaders were courteously left to their relative privacy. “Its been awhile, old friend,” Ryuumaru began, lifting his refilled cup in salute to Hiruzen. “That it has,” Sarutobi replied.  “Too long, in fact,” his tone indicating mild censure.  “It seems that your daughter has stolen your wanderlust.” “With no intent on giving it back, either,” the Shimokhan chuckled.  “It seems to be a Yaseiarashi trait.” “Although, she never seems to wander my way, much.  Not like you used to.” “Most of her efforts have been focused on the eastern lands.  The Land of Water, in particular.  The loss of their jinkuriki, and the instability of their government has turned all to chaos down there.  Yet, Miri-chan has found bastions of hope amidst it.  But they need help in maintaining it.  Outside help.  Again, Hiruzen-sama, thank-you for being here.” “All you have to do is ask, Ryuumaru-kun, and I’ll lend whatever aid I can.  Your heroism during the Third Shinobi War has earned you, at the very least, that.” “Well, I’m officially calling in all favors.  My little Stormfly will be kept safe.  I still can’t believe that she orchestrated this....” “I still can’t believe that you went along with it!” “If anything happens to her...” the gruff-looking man’s eyes grew glassy, as he focused on some imagined horrible event. “Nothing will happen, Ryuumaru!  How could it?” Hiruzen reassured.   The Shimokhan forced a chuckle as he turned back from his bleak thoughts.  “Well, I’ve just learned that tempting fate is best avoided.  And hopefully, Miri-chan has learned this earlier than I have.” “She’s an extraordinary kunoichi, and a formidable girl, besides.  I can easily see that Uzumaki heritage, right on the surface.” “Yes,” Ryuumaru removed his helmet, and scratched at the back of his neck.  “Strange to think how the bringer of that heritage is so calm and collected by comparison.” “Mita-sama was a serene woman as well,” the Hokage reminded.  “They can’t all be spitfires.” “Thanks be to the gods!” Ryuumaru declared.  “But don’t let that red-tipped hair of hers fool you, she draws quite a bit of that fire from the Yaseiarashi Clan as well.  Its actually a small wonder that she didn’t self-combust upon her entry into this world.” “The world needs those kinds of fires,” Hiruzen mused.  “To pull the rest of us out of the shadows.” “...Just as we need the faithful fire-tenders, to keep us from blazing out of control, and burning all that we love on accident.” “Did we just quote your wedding vows...?” “Um...perhaps?  I wasn’t completely sober that day...” Hiruzen laughed.  “I think we all realized that when you tried to tackle the pine tree because it ‘looked at you funny’!  Poor Renara-sama was mortified....” “But it was too late!  Everyone had drank the final cup, and the gods had smiled.  She was mine!” the Shimokhan bragged. “And I’ve never known her to regret it, you ridiculously fortunate, whiskey-steeped, old sod!”