Reuninon (Nozomi)

Ryuko's outfit:

A woman walked down the street holding a bouquet of roses in one hand.   Not just any normal roses either but blue ones.  It was a flower that wasn’t obtainable in nature, not something that the average person could easily get their hands on.  The fact she’d chosen this color was packed with meaning though she had her doubts the person she intended to give them to would fully understand.   

To be fair, the language of flowers wasn’t something the average Kounichi needed to know since it wasn’t exactly the kind of thing that would give them an edge in battle or inflation. The woman herself knew only because she was well read enough to qualify for the title of sage in the border sense of the term.  Well what else would you expect from someone who was a Vestal for the God of Wisdom Hakkin?   She wouldn’t be fit for her post otherwise.

Today she felt a little uncomfortable because she was dressed to the nines. As a Queen and a member of the aristocracy she was used to wearing fancy outfits but then again when was the last time she’d worn one like this to a date?   The answer was never.  Ealtz Castle didn’t count since that had been a costume party.   Thinking back to that made her face flash red with embarrassment.   Why had she chosen such a silly Cat outfit? Ah the indiscretions of youth. 

Not that it had been much of a date.  More of a very brief conversation.  It was the most time Ryuko had spent with Nozomi in all the years they had known each other and that thought filled the woman with a tremendous amount of regret.   How many times had they come close to meeting each other only for their paths to not properly cross?  

Ryuko had meant to fight Nozomi at the Jounin Tournament only to fall into a coma before the pivotal match.   Nozomi had visited her in the hospital but Ryuko hadn’t been conscious enough to properly appreciate that until long after the fact.  Still the Cherry blossom petal Nozomi had left her was now her most prized possession, placed in a locket for safekeeping Ryuko  valued the gift more than any gold or jewel.

Now after so many years, close encounters and missed opportunities could the two of them truly meet again? 
   

[1]

A simple request to meet someone that she hadn't seen in a long time, but that had been one of the few to establish a connection with Nozomi, simply because she had pitied her on the battlefield and sought to understand and share in her emotions. That was the first thing Nozomi had responded to in months. It was perhaps obvious to those that saw her that she was not taking good care of herself. While she'd brushed out her hair for the meeting and washed her clothes, there was only so much that one could hide by simply washing up.

Nozomi would have had to do something like use a transformation to fix some of the noticeable parts of her appearance. She didn't eat much lately, and it showed. Her outfit, as one that shifted to perfectly fit her form, showed that she was quite emaciated and perhaps didn't eat too much. Her muscles had atrophied slightly, having lost much of the definition she was known for. Her cheeks were sunk in and gaunt, and her eyes had dark bags present under them.

She'd lost much of her muse for life, and were it not for the interference of the bijuu inside of her, Nozomi may have wasted away before she'd been able to reconcile a meeting with Ryuko. Indeed, it had been far too long since she had truly tried to take care of herself, but having heard that Ryuko wanted to meet, Nozomi had begun nursing her way back to a functional state, but much of the damage done would take some time to heal up.

The jinchuuriki warrior of course wore her battle kimono, but seemed to be otherwise disarmed. Not that a shinobi was ever truly disarmed. Her hair was cut unevenly, as if she'd only recently bothered to try and tame it, and had done so of her own accord using a sharp tanto. A professional hairdresser this warrior was not, but it was far better now than it had been in a long time.

"I'm glad to see you woke up."

Nozomi wasn't the best orator in the world, nor was she good with greetings. The sentiment held behind her words likely wouldn't be lost on Ryuko though. Nozomi wasn't the type to dwell much on the state of being of most people, so even having said that much was telling. At the very least, Ryuko had left a mark on Nozomi's soul that wasn't fully understood by the blonde yet, and she needed to figure out what motivated her to care so much for her.

Nozomi would have laughed if she didn't know that. Ryuko had been one of the first people to make a connection with her. It had been purely coincidental, their chakra had meshed with each other when they first met. Ninshu. The two of them had barely met in person, always missing each other through pure happenstance. Whether unconscious, or simply having quick glimpses of each other on the battlefield, a prolonged conversation never seemed to work out.

Accepting the flowers, Nozomi stepped away from the grab for her cheek. It wasn't that she was afraid of an attack, it was more that she felt she couldn't accept the love that Ryuko gave her.

"That seems like a poor decision."

Nozomi gestured to herself. She was in quite a state lately after all.

"I don't even know what there is about me that you could even like. My best characteristic is that I'm strong. I've never lost in single combat. Other than that, nobody really knows me besides Honiko. I'm not good with people, never have been. I'm a fighter, that's all I do, and I've already beaten the strongest the world has to offer, and I was disappointed. In a world of peace, what is there for me?"

Nozomi sighed.

"I don't have anything to offer if I have nothing worth fighting for. I bested Shimiko and became the World Champion. I've single-handedly taken on and beat the 3 tails. I survived an assassination attempt from two Jinchuuriki and Kirigakure's best and came out on top. I killed the Kazekage and successfully took her place. I single handedly took down a disciple of the sage. I've never lost a fair fight. I can do as I please and there's not a single person that can stop me, it would take several armies. What does that matter? There's nothing for someone like me. I spent a long time being the tool of Kirigakure as their shinobi, the tool of the Society to tear down the village systems and gather artifacts and techniques, and then the tool of the Gokage to defeat the Society because they didn't stand a chance if it came down to letting them win, and they certainly couldn't stop us from succeeding without my help."

Nozomi felt like she could open up to Ryuko. The girl had reached out when she was their enemy to begin with to try and understand her, so she knew that she wanted to understand. All of this had been bottled up in Nozomi for a while, and she had nobody to talk to about it, nobody that would understand her in this. Perhaps Ryuko had some insight to offer.

Ryuko pouted slightly as Nozomi drew back from her outstretched hand but made no move to follow up or pull closer. There was a time to be bold but this wasn’t it, right now it would be better to respect the other woman’s personal space.   She strongly believed affection wasn’t something you should try and force on someone else.   It hurt to be pulled away like that but at least it wasn’t outright rejection either.    For now the best thing she could do was listen, keeping an open heart and an open mind.

She had to admit that Nozomi had a point about it being a poor decision. When they had first met on the battlefield Honiko had called Ryuko’s affection for Nozomi perverse and disturbing.   Much of that had likely been homophobia speaking but even Ryuko had to admit it was strange to care so much about someone you had just met and barely knew, triply so when said person was your enemy. 

And yet despite the fact they were foes and Nozomi had been ordered to KILL Ryuko, the young priestess hadn’t felt a shred of amenity from her.  Just a sense of mutual respect from one warrior to another, Kind recognizing kind.   What Ryuko wouldn’t have given at the time to have an honorable duel together but alas the circumstances of their meeting hadn’t been kind enough to allow for such a thing. 

The fact that she’d nearly negotiated a truce before her teammates had forced a fight proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was more to Nozomi than some meathead that lived only for battle.   It was a shame Nozomi didn’t seem to believe that herself.   If her words were anything to go by, she seemed to be suffering from a severe case of restless warrior syndrome, something Ryuko could deeply relate to.

Perhaps the two of them had connected on such a deep level because they had a lot in common.   The main difference between them was that Ryuko had been born into privilege and given a chance to discover her talents outside of battle. She liked to fight but she didn’t live for it the same way Nozomi had but if their roles had been reserved she could easily see herself walking a similar path, cursed to forever seek the next worthy foe until there were none left and then wasting away. 

Closing her eyes Ryuko took a moment to think, her prestigious mind working overtime as she struggled to come up with the right words.   There were numerous strategies she could take here.  Should she speak pessimistically about how peace was nothing but a preparation phase for the next war or optimistically about how the world still needed people like Nozomi in times of peace to help handle threats that normal ninja couldn’t?   

This was such a critical moment and she was terrified that if she said the wrong thing here, spoke in platitudes instead of from the heart she would only succeed in driving Nozomi away or worse drive her to despair and an early grave.    The former would hurt but the latter was utterly unacceptable.   In the long run she could live with rejection as long as Nozomi herself was happy.

She was thinking so hard that her face was turning red and steam was practically coming out of her ears.  Usually she partitioned her thoughts into several compartments thinking about several subjects in parallel.  Things like what action was best to take for her country, or how doing x would benefit y.   When was the last time she’d thought this much about one singular problem?  

This wasn’t something that she’d admit out loud easily since some might call that obsessive or creepy but she’d set a portion of her thoughts aside just for Nozomi.  Always thinking about the other woman in one small way or another.  It was nothing too serious most of the time, just wondering what the blond was up to or when they would meet again.   

She’d never forget that brief moment their chakra had connected.   It was like she had seen into the very depths of Nozomi’s soul.  So radiant and pure that it had dazzled her heartstrings ever since.    Much of what she had done over the years since had been working towards this very moment.   

The shameful way she had begged Shimiko to forfeit her match in the world tournament,  convincing Shimiko to give Nozomi another chance. Laying the groundwork for Nozomi to be pardoned for her so-called “crimes” which hardly counted as far as Ryuko was concerned.  
She’d excused herself saying it was all for utilitarian reasons but the truth was that she wanted to save the other woman who had seemed in so much pain when they had first met and not just from the arrowhead embedded in her chest. 

It was arrogance at its finest thinking she could save someone who was objectively more powerful than herself at every step of the way.  Someone who perhaps didn’t even want to be saved.  But if there was even a chance that Nozomi would reach out her hand for help then Ryuko wanted to be there to catch it for her, even if she received absolutely nothing in return. 

How could she when Nozomi had been the one saving her all this time?  The spark she’d kindled during their brief meetings was the only thing that had kept Ryuko clinging to life when all else had seemed lost.  The fall of Moonspire and the death of Damian.  Her loss to Raijn and the war in general.   Coming back to a fallen country.  She’d had several low points over the years and it was only the love she felt that allowed her to pick herself back up and try again. 
  
The fact that Nozomi was opening up to her like this felt like a ray of sunshine after a long winter's night.  At last a chance for her to return the favor.  She recalled the time she had seen Nozomi at the costume party.  At the time she had worn a smile that seemed unbreakable and shelf assured.  As if she was invincible.    Now it was hidden as if behind breaking waves upon the shore.    It was Ryuko’s mission, nay her very purpose to return that smile. 

“Ay. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met Nozomi…”  said the Queen as she opened her eyes once more. And she was talking about more then just physical strength but spiritual as well.   Her sister in arms had once told her she thought of herself as nothing more than a killer.  Now Ryuko would tell Nozomi more or less the same thing she had told Shamiko.


“Don’t be silly, you’re much much more than just a fighter. You’re a savior, and a Diplomat among other things.  There is no need to pigeonhole yourself into just one singular role.”  she said while believing every word to be absolutely true.    Nozomi was the one who had released the unjustly held prisoners of the blood prison.  To many people in the minor nations she was a hero that stood against tyranny.    She’d also played a key role in negotiating the ending of the shinobi world war.    

“And even if we supposed that fighting is your only talent, so what? Why should that be such a bad thing?  Even in times of peace people that can fight are necessary.  You could always be a bodyguard or a peacekeeper.   Heck you could even try taking up fighting as just a sport.  You might be the world champion but there are people around that could give you a good match at least.”

“Gods imagine if the only fighting to be done was in the arena…. Tis would be a glorious world to live in indeed.”  Ryuko said with a  lopsided grin.   If only she could live in such a pristine world instead of this one full of conflict and strife.  But then again if she had she probably never would have met Nozomi so maybe that was a fair trade after all.   

“I like you because you’re beautiful and kind.  Because you’re compassionate and considerate.” Ryuko said as she took the amulet of kings hanging around her neck into her left hand, holding it out for Nozomi to see before opening the hidden compartment behind the blue diamond to reveal the single sakura blossom Nozomi had left in her hand during her coma.


“I admire you because you are a woman of great conviction.  You’re someone who’s always stuck to your moral code, never seeming to waver.  I only wish I could be more like you in that.  That I hadn’t made so many small  compromises along the way.   As the Raikage I thought that I had to tolerate some amount of necessary evil until you showed me the possibility of another path.  A longer one perhaps but a worthwhile one to no longer tread among the shadows but walk among the light.” 

The society had been right about a lot of things even if their method of doing things was at times too extreme for Ryuko’s tastes.  The village system was deeply flawed.  They were supposed to bring around an era of peace but that ultimately hadn’t lasted long in the grand scheme of things. Instead they had brought about the worst war the world had ever experienced.   The sheer amount of wasted lives was absolutely appalling.   It was something Ryuko never wanted to experience again, and why she was trying to build a new path rather than reclaim her country by force. 


“You are mistaken about one thing though.  You need not offer me anything save perhaps your companionship.   I’m not in the market for a tool but a partner.  Someone to share life's joys and sorrows with.”   As Ryuko spoke the words she belatedly realized that she’d just more or less just inadvertently proposed without really meaning to.  The sheer embarrassment caused her mind to come to a screeching halt like a computer hitting a blue screen before rebooting.  Talk about rushing things, though then again given how long things had stalled for perhaps that was exactly what their relationship needed if it was ever truly to get off the ground.


[3]