teachingpeace | 3 Jutsu: [Action]

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3 Jutsu: [Action]

[Action: Incredibly early in the morning.]

[It was still dark outside and Nagato already knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. That dream had been... He'd woken up like this more than once since his memories had been interfered with, it's true, but he hadn't remembered why.

He hadn't remembered the dreams. Now, he was somewhat mortified, very confused, and extremely concerned if this was some kind of revenge from his Sensei from beyond the grave. Given the man's later works and his philosophies where women were concerned he wouldn't exactly be surprised but...

But that still didn't make it any less strange, or embarrassing, or confusing, given that he'd never had dreams like this in his life.

Though, to be fair, he hadn't exactly been healthy enough for that to be the case. Not that he realized that this, more than a determined ghost of Jiraiya, was the cause of his disturbance.

No, instead he just dressed, and went hunting outside for somewhere to train to try to get his mind off of it, and to try to... calm his nerves.]

[Action: Later that morning, before noon.]

[Getting his mind off it hadn't worked. No, instead, if anything, he'd picked at his thoughts mercilessly because he'd given himself time to think about it instead of keeping himself occupied with something intellectual.

Not the wisest plan he'd ever had. In the end though, he didn't know what else to do, but he needed to know if this was... incredibly abnormal, and the medics he'd worked with were still back in Ame so...

Clinic.

He'd just... go in there... and apparently stand incredibly awkwardly just inside the doorway trying to decide if he should ask to see someone about... this.

He had no idea why he thought this was a good one.]

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[That was so much better she had no idea, and he gave her a quick look over, more composed, when he looked at her face again.]

Done?

[Hm. Well, his features look much closer to normal. Maybe it was some sort of dream that caused his cheeks to flush that way, or maybe he'd woken up in such a way that all the blood rushed to his cheeks.]

Yes. I had something to eat, too.

Shall we then?

[He hadn't eaten, but he would later, so he wasn't worried about that, instead studying her, thoughtful and considering. Had he noticed she was lovely before? Yes.

But somehow he'd never really paid attention to it. It had just been part of his terrible habit of surrounding himself with things and people that were interesting to look at. It hadn't been a personal sort of interest.

And now, he couldn't get it out of his head.

That was entirely not fair.]

[Konan can't help but notice the way he's looking at her. Perhaps she's just imagining things and there's some leftover bias from the memories of their former life. Part of her wants some of that old physical affection they had like that. Another part feels like it would be a betrayal to Yahiko's memory, even knowing that he'd want them to live on and be happy.

She settles simply for offering her hand out for Nagato to take.]

Let's go.

[He took her hand without any hesitation, perfectly willing to have her lead him. But... she'd noticed him noticing, he was sure of it.

Somehow, he wasn't sure if that made him feel better or worse about the whole thing.]

Gladly. Have you used this training area often?

[There's some comfort in this simple touch. It's something that could be a gesture between people romantically involved or between two people who are simply very close friends. Because regardless of whatever complications there might be at the moment, they're still extremely close.]

Reasonably often. Sometimes I practice in the forest or the mountains instead, but the Battle Dome has the advantage of being able to program in just about any sort of foe and terrain.

[There's one particular foe she programs in with about the same frequency that she programs in the Third Party's cultists, this time factoring in reality warping potential. If he shows up here, she can't afford to fail.]

[He relaxed when she relaxed, putting the thoughts out of his mind to focus on her words.]

Do you have any particular favorites? We both know I've been getting used to training as my own body again.

It's always a good idea to study the movements of the Third Party cultists. They're the ones most likely to kill the people in this enclosure. The Malnosso may treat everyone as experiments, but it's the Third Party who is openly hostile.

[She'd mention the other option, but...that would entail telling him that she'd died. She's not ready to tell anyone yet.]

[He looked sideways at her, thoughtful.] Those were the ones during the altered memory situation?

Yes.

[She nods.]

The ones who attacked people later on.

[He looked more serious then, seriously turning over what he'd said in his mind.]

If they're a persistent threat then it's one that I clearly must handle in my training soon.

I would recommend it. At least they have vulnerable wings as well.

[In spite of Konan once having the alias God's Angel, she's not fond of these wings. It's like having a big target on her back. She tends to protect hers with chakra enhanced paper that functions like armor.]

Has anyone designed any armor for the wings, or has it been purely improvised from person to person?

[Nagato... actually liked them. Then again, it was novel to feel like he had a weakness and he'd always had the oddest tastes. He felt like it kept him from meandering back into recently halted habits.]

It seems to have been improvised person to person. I surround mine with paper.

[In fact, when she'd been far more paranoid earlier, it had been habitual to always have a small flock of paper fluttering around her wings. Just in case. She's become more relaxed about it now.]

[He looked seriously contemplative then.]

I should probably set up something similar at some point then,

I can help you figure something out.

[She'll be damned if she's going to lose him again. She refuses to let it happen again. Especially to something easily preventable like damage to his wings.]

[He paused, catching something in her tone, and looked at her directly.]

I know. I should have done it already.

[Well, she won’t argue that he should have, even if she hadn’t meant to come across like she was chastising him. If they have a second chance at life, she wants them to live it to their fullest, and not die because of perfectly preventable things. If they die because the enemy was just that much stronger, that can’t be helped. If they die because the Malnosso does something to cause it, there’s nothing they can do about it. But they can shield their wings the way they’d shield any other vital organ.]

You had other concerns, Nagato. You were getting used to this place and then there was that other false reality…

[Although even as she says that, she’s inwardly berating herself for not doing something herself. It’s her responsibility to protect him, to be a pillar that supports him.]

[He shook his head, giving her a wry smile as he huffed a faint laugh.]

That and my trying overly hard to convince myself that... that I'm not like I am.

You're not like you are? What do you mean, Nagato?

[She blinks, not entirely clear whether he's referring to his power or that he technically died, or if it's something else entirely.]

For a little while when I first got here I attempted to convince myself that I could just be... a normal shinobi. Not a leader, not someone who felt the need to be in charge of anything or to really use my abilities for more than personal protection.

But... if nothing else, I've realized that I can't go back to that, if I was ever there to begin with.

I don't think you've been there since we were very small.

[Initially, they'd wanted to learn from Jiraiya so they could protect themselves and each other, but that quickly changed with Yahiko's big dreams. It was easy to get swept up in them. Even Konan couldn't be content with being just a normal shinobi. While she preferred not to lead, she liked to be right in the thick of big things, strategizing and being the close confidante of Yahiko and Nagato.]

[He gave her a lopsided, knowing smile at that.]

I guess I'm just stuck with being more, mm? I just have to figure out what to do with it then, before I harry myself with the maybes.

Teaching is one way to direct that energy and to lead.

[She's certainly focused her attention on select individuals in that way.]

Perhaps after the treaty has been written, we can talk to Namikaze-san about offering our help as jounin-senseis.

[Assuming he'd accept that and the young Konoha shinobi would have them. Both are very big ifs, but it wasn't entirely out of the question, either.]

[He looked very thoughtful at that, his head tilting to the side.]

We have talked about getting me students before. Perhaps I simply need to go out and find students, mm?

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And then I stared at your icon for two minutes straight. I blame Nagato.

She has that effect. /nods

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