Chapter 66 - The Rose

Ekyt’s first date had been incredible. A gorgeous girl that made others (male and female) jealous, and all the while remained humble about it. What had gone on at the café was nothing more than an innocent date, buy to Ekyt, it was something else entirely. It was another world. It was a chance to make up for what he believed was a lost childhood. His childhood had been friendless (of both male and female friends), and now he had the heart of a strong girl.

“I never knew you were a jonin! I can’t get over that one!” Ekyt laughed. He had laughed when Azami had a look of trepdiation on her face while telling the story.

“Here I thought you’d be all jealous. But it turns out you got promoted minutes before you and I hook up for this date. Remind me to never take your feelings into consideration again!” Azami shot a fond glance at her boyfriend. Ekyt gave her his trademark half-smile.

“Duly noted. The fact that you were looking out for my feelings up until this point surprises me. I assumed I was dating the heartless queen of the underworld.”

“Yeah, that’s it. I suck out your soul after I date you,” Azami shot back, rolling her eyes. “You treated me like you were afraid you were gonna break me! I mean, not that it isn’t sweet, but give the ‘I’m so innocent’ act a rest! Haven’t you ever been curious about what happens when the hand-holding is done?”

“Divorce, you mean?” Ekyt said, chuckling. “Of course I’m curious. But I’m also a firm believer in such an act meaning something. And, of course, being with the right person. I can tell you feel the same way. You’re a classy girl.”

Azami sighed. “Oh, play THAT card! You could’ve had me right there! All it would have taken was a ‘you’re so beautiful!’, and you would have had me!”

“You’re so beautiful!”

Azami gave Ekyt a small tap on the head. “Bastard. As if an afterthought like that would land me. The mood’s gone anyway.” Azami put a bratty pout on her face.

“Tuck that lip in or you’re gonna get a spanking.”

Boom. As soon as Ekyt said that, he knew it was coming. And come it did:

“I never knew you were into that! I had you pegged as a submissive type. You know, the type to make the girl do all the work. I never realized you were into the rough stuff!”

“I deserved that,” Ekyt admitted, smiling inside. This is fun! Is this what normal boyfriends and girlfriends do? I’ve never been so relaxed around a girl before! And these jokes- where are they coming from?! Well, anyway, now’s the time to say the truthful thing.

“I really had a good time, Azami. Shall we do it again sometime?” Given Azami’s nature, Ekyt expected a joking reply. Instead, Azami met his gaze and smiled.

“I’d like that very much. All joking aside, you really are a perfect gentleman. My treat next time?”

“The perfect gentleman never let’s the lady pay.”

“Touche. I guess I’d better get home to my father, then. He’s really taken a liking to you. That was one of my biggest worries. If my father didn’t like you, I would have had to pick between the two of you. That would have sucked, to put it delicately.”

“You didn’t have to make that decision. Besides, I would have told you to stay with your father, so the big loser would have been me. I’m more into ‘protecting the family’ than ‘destroying the family with my own selfish desires’. Damn my noble intentions.”

Azami shook her head slowly. “You’re too much, you really are.” Okay girl, wrap it up now. Give him the kiss and-

Ekyt beat Azami to the punch, kissing her swiftly.

“See you later,” he said softly, putting a hand on her cheek for a lingering moment. Then he walked off toward the Hokage’s office, likely off to see about work.

Azami put a hand to her mouth, still feeling the warm caress of his lips. Once again she found herself blushing.
Why does it surprise me every time he does that?

--

Perfect. He’s done. Now to tell him what Sarutobi-sensei said.

“Hey, kid! Got a minute?”

Ekyt found Jiraiya standing ahead of him, leaning against a wall. “Certainly, Master Jiraiya. Is…everything all right?” He’s not usually one to seek out my company. Is something the matter?

“Let’s pick up Tsunade, then go quench our thirst. I’ve been meaning to talk to you, but you know- women here and there, and you just lose track of time.”

“I wouldn’t know, sir,” Ekyt replied, falling into step with Jiraiya.

“Oh no? Then who was that beauty I just saw you with, eh? Someone special, or didya actually learn something from me?”

“Someone special,” Ekyt said, finally cracking a smile. “Azami’s her name. We’ve gotten close over the past few weeks. Aside from making a fool of myself more often than not, she seems to compliment me nicely.”

Jiraiya clapped Ekyt on the shoulder. “Well, good for you kid! You’ll have to introduce me sometime! She certainly improves the scenery here, eh? Hahaha!”

-

Tsunade’s sixth sense kicked in suddenly.

“I know you’re there, Jiraiya. Stop trying to peep on me, you lecherous old fool. I don’t have time for your games. Unlike you, I have duties to perform.”

Jiraiya dropped down from the roof, followed by Ekyt. “Tsunade, I have a request to make of you…”

“Get on with it, then.”

“I’m about to give Ekyt here ‘the talk’. Would you care to join us for a drink?” Jiraiya made the universal sign for alcohol, and Tsunade was hooked. She exchanged glances with Jiraiya as she walked past him.

“Ekyt, will you go ahead and reserve a spot for us at that place across town? I’ve got to ask Tsunade a question.”

“On my way, sir.” Ekyt put two fingers to his face and disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Tsunade spun on her heel to face Jiraiya. “NOW? You’re giving him the talk now? Just when his life gets in order? You DO realize what this talk will do to him, don’t you? How would you feel if, just as you start to feel the slightest bit of satisfaction, someone came and told you that-”

“Tsunade, I’m a pervert, not at idiot. I know full well that my timing sucks. But think of this- if I had dropped this on the kid while his life was crap, what do you think would have happened? Suicide? Seclusion? Mental shut down? At least now he’s got someone waiting for him to talk him out of his deep blue funk.”

Tsunade raised her hands. “You’re right. It’s better this way. And he needs to know. So why do you need me there when you tell him?”

“It’s mostly to back up what I say. That, and I think you might need to mix a little drink for him. This might very well send him off the edge, Tsunade. Unlike Sasuke, he doesn’t have Orochimaru to go to. But there’s the Sand Village, or the route you and I took. He can’t be allowed to follow that path; not with the village so weakened.”

Tsunade breathed out heavily. “Alright. I’ll step in when you need me to, and I’ll stop him if he does anything rash. But break it as easily as you can, okay? We’re not trying to ‘break’ him with this.”

“YOU aren’t…” Jiraiya whispered cryptically, “But it might be better if he IS broken. It takes time to rebuild yourself, and by the time he has, the shock will have worn off.”

“I won’t allow you to do that intentionally, Jiraiya. His psyche took an @$$-kicking for years. You know very well what he can do to himself without ever raising a finger…”

“The same potential that makes him perfect for genjutsu is a double-edged sword that he impales himself on now and then. I know that, but he has to hear this all the same.”

--

Ekyt picked up the rose from the table, absently playing with it. He rolled it from hand to hand, watching it’s red petals twirl.

Something IS wrong, if he’s asking Lady Tsunade to come as well. But what can it be? I haven’t done anything even close to insubordination lately. Is it about Azami? They can’t be thinking of sending her back where she came from! No, that can’t be it. It’s something more grave, or at least more covert. Ouch!

Ekyt had managed to prick himself with one of the rose’s thorns. He popped the finger into his mouth, muttering a curse at himself for being so dumb. It was then that Jiraiya and Tsunade walked into the bar. They both sat down across from Ekyt.

“Oh, miss? Could I get, oh, three pitches of sake, one of amezake, and a special?”

“One for me as well,” Tsunade added to Jiraiya’s order. They both seemed to expect Ekyt to follow suit. He didn’t, however, and the waitress was on her way to place their order.

“Before you begin,” Ekyt started to say, the rose in his hands again, “That you can tell me anything. I’m not going to be upset with you, unless you’re deporting Azami or something like that. Just don’t beat around the bush; tell me straight. And, if possible, tell me how to solve the problem. Because I can infer that you wouldn’t ask me out just for a social call. Ow.” Ekyt had cut his finger with the rose again.

“How many times are you gonna do that before you put the damn thing down?” Tsunade said around a laugh.

“Some people just never learn. They keep coming back for more, no matter what you do to them.” Ekyt spun the rose in the air, this time catching it between the thorns.

“You asked us not to beat around the bush. So I’m just going to say this: Before he died, Sarutobi-sensei evaluated a lot of strong Shinobi. It was mostly for the possibility of having a new set of Sannin, but there was more to it. It was an earnest evaluation of the Leaf’s strength. As it turns out, you were one of the Shinobi evaluated. I asked Tsunade to pull your file, and it gives you your ranking. Now, the numbers won’t mean much until you’ve compared them with another person’s, so…”

Tsunade took the spotlight, laying two folders on the table. “This is your file, and this one is Jiraiya’s, when he was your age, many eons ago. I want you to look at the numbers. Go ahead, we’ll wait.”

Ekyt took the two folders, but set them down. He felt the need for a chakra cigarette suddenly.

“Do you mind if I smoke?” Ekyt asked, holding the cigarette up.

“No, go ahead,” Tsunade replied, assuring him it was fine. Ekyt lit the cigarette. His vest fell half-off, and his headband tilted, giving him a disheveled look.

Ekyt Jiraiya

Gen: 8.5 8.5
Nin: 8.0 9.5
Tai: 8.5 9.0
Def: 9.0 9.0
Off: 8.5 9.5
Spcl: 9.0 10.0
Potential: 9.5 10.0
Overall Avg: 8.7 9.4

Excels at: N/A Summoning

My results are surprising…I’m not as worthless as I thought. I’m MORE worthless.

“Kid, don’t beat yourself up. Remember, you’re being compared to a legend’s statistics, and-”

“Please, M’lady, just tell me what it is I’ve been summoned here for.” Ekyt’s eyes had gone dark, though his voice stayed more or less personable. The rose had pricked his hand again, but he paid no mind to it this time.

“What you need to understand is that, compared to so many others, you’re the top! I mean-”

“Tsunade, you can’t console him. You can’t hide the truth from him. Sarutobi’s research didn’t lie. Ekyt, what he saw was this: At your present rate of growth, you will never be anything beyond what you are now. That is a low to mid-level jonin, or an advanced chunin. The point is that Sarutobi is as honest as they come, and his research is the barometer that all of my generation were evaluated on. Facts are facts: you might have peaked as you are now. Most Shinobi reach their peak around your age. Granted, you started late, but- hey!”

Ekyt got up, his eyes down. “I believe Sarutobi-sensei’s research. I won’t demand answers from you. But where this conversation is heading- I wish no part of it. I don’t want to be coddled and protected from the truth. That I have been this long bothers me.”

“Now, calm down, it’s not so bad! You’re still one of my best, and-”

“Great, I’m a large to mid-sized koi in a small pond!” Ekyt retorted sarcastically, taking the two Sannin aback with his abruptness. “Stop trying to cheer me up! I don’t want or need sympathy, or understanding, or any of that! Do you know how it feels to have given it your all, and then realize that it’s not enough? That there’s no hope it WILL be enough? Of course not, you two are geniuses!”

Jiraiya and Tsunade were quite for a moment. The worst part was that Ekyt was completely right. His anger was justified, and what he said made sense. When his rage quieted, Jiraiya asked Ekyt the biggest question.

“Knowing these facts, are you still prepared to help us against the Akatsuki?”

“Of course I am. I can’t back out of that mission. Not only is it a promise to Naruto and Sakura, it’s all I can do at this point. I’m just going to be a pawn, and I can see that. But I don’t care, as long as my life is worth something. Now, if you’ll both please excuse me, I’m going to get back to work. Although it’ll kind of suck, knowing that my efforts are futile.”

Ignoring protest from Jiraiya and Tsunade, Ekyt stepped outside. Of course, it was raining. Hands jammed into his pockets and his head down, Ekyt stepped out into that rain. He walked down the empty street, his cigarette hanging from his lip.

All this time, I thought I was getting better and stronger. Instead, I’ve learned that my best can’t ever be enough. Ekyt looked skyward. The rain showed no signs of stopping. Does this mean I should stop training? Why does it seem like I’m failing if I don’t keep trying? Who am I trying to impress? I should’ve known all this back then. I guess sensei couldn’t tell me himself. How did everyone ever trick me into believing in myself? Or even in anyone?
…
That’s fools talk. I’ve been defeated, but I can still give my life to protect those both weaker and stronger than me. Sarutobi-sensei tried to save us all from Orochimaru, and he wasn’t even Hokage anymore. He didn’t have to get involved at all. But he did. Just like I do. We’re both such fools, but neither of us can help it- we love this place and the people in it too much to just let go.
…
Look at me, in the rain with a cigarette and a rose, like I’m single on prom night! This is just another way to have a pity party. At least I’m not involving anyone else in it. I’ll need to leave it that way. Summoning Jutsu!

BLAM! Umisu appeared on Ekyt’s shoulder. Ekyt finished writing out a note, smeared by the rain.

“Here. For Azami. If necessary, spit out a water clone, and it’ll speak for me. I just need some time…”

Umisu gave Ekyt’s cheek a fond lick before he scampered off to find Azami. That left Ekyt alone again. Something had changed about him. He didn’t just roll over and admit defeat. This time, he was going to prove them all wrong.

The library. I’ll start with ninjutsu, my weakest. I’ll prove that damn stat sheet wrong- my potential isn’t maxed out! I WILL be stronger!

The rose pricked Ekyt’s finger again, tearing open a old Summoning Jutsu cut. This thing is symbolical. I just tore open an old wound, mentally and physically.
…
Then again, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Perhaps the idea from the start? A clever set-up by my sensei from beyond the grave, using his old students?

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