[b][center]Souls
Another Lengthy Natsuki Flashback[/center][/b]

Summary: Covers how Natsuki and Azusa met as well as updates what Natsuki is doing presently. (Expect another lengthy post soon. Several flashbacks and some stuff in the present.)

[hider= Souls] 
Time: Towards the beginning of the war with Sunagakure.
Location: Konohagure

Settled on a bench with his hood up, Natsuki stared into the bustling bazaar, eyeing the passersby with a neutral expression. His robes bleach white with the majority of his ninja gear not concealed on his person. Looking up over the buildings and large tents of the bazaar, Natsuki couldn’t help but stare up at the carvings of the two Hokage into the cliff side. He was in Konohagukure, on R&R (Rest and Relaxation). Having time to himself wasn’t something he was used to, but he definitely didn’t want to waste it. He figured he would try to get a cup of tea and think over the rest of his day. Ask a local where a nice place to relax would be. As he was about to stand up, a large shadow cast over his small bench. Looking up, he saw the frame of a Leaf shinobi. Judging from his body language, hands on his hips and a sneer on his face, Natsuki concluded this wasn’t going to end well. “You lost, Kumo pig?”
 
Natsuki sighed and brushed off his robes. [b]“Not really… though I was wondering if you knew a good place to get a cup of tea. Seeing as you are here, care to make a suggestion.”[/b] He said with a small smile. The man standing over Natsuki cracked his knuckles and Natsuki’s smile faded. “Yeah… I can think of one. Back in Kumogakure.” Natsuki sighed again and looked the man in the eye. [b]“Are all leaf shinobi as charming as you? Anywho, I guess I could just head to the park…”[/b] Natsuki said as he tried to slither out from the man’s shadow. “I think not…” The man said cracking his knuckle.
 
[Around the corner at a café.]
Picking up her teacup, Azusa stared blankly at a small scroll, skimming over every other word. As she took a sip, she heard the sound of struggle around the corner, but decided to ignore it and continue drinking. She began to hear the sound of hurried footsteps coming toward her, so she decided to look up. Her glance was met by a man in white robes rushing pass with two leaf shinobi chasing him. As he noticed her look up, Natsuki smiled widely, with his eyes shaded from his hood. Azusa only saw the white smile peak out of the hood of the man before he rushed past and leapt onto a rooftop. Azusa sat slightly surprised, but decided she would have to ignore it and continue reading. A few minutes passed by and Azusa continued to sip her tea and read her scroll, not really paying attention to her surroundings. [b]“Is the tea any good?”[/b] Natsuki said with a smirk, settled in the chair across from Azusa. Startled, Azusa spilt some tea onto herself, before setting her cup down and grabbing her napkin. Raising his hands as if to surrender, Natsuki couldn’t help but smirk at the cute little jump. With a sigh, Azusa stared up at the hooded man with an irritated look, whole she tried to dry off her lap. [b]“I’ll pay for that…I sware.[/ b] Still glaring at him, Azusa slapped her napkin down onto the table and motioned for the waiter. [b][i]“You’d better…”[/i][/b] She said in a low voice intentionally looking away. All the while Natsuki eyed her intently. 
 
After a short pause, the waiter slipped by the table and could feel the awkward atmosphere. “W-what would you like miss?” He said hesitantly. [b][i]“I’ll need another tea, and get me a piece of cake.”[/i][/b] The waiter chimed in with another question. “What kind, miss?” Azusa glared at him and spoke sharply. [b][i]“Surprise me.”[/i][/b] Chilled to the bone the waiter turned his attention to the hooded man. “And you, sir?” Natsuki smiled up toward the man and removed his hood as he spoke. [b]“I’d love a coffee, plenty of cream and sugar.”[/b] He said happily before looking back at Azusa. The waiter slowly backed away and rushed away as soon as he figured he was out of sight. [b]“Well isn’t this a shame…”[/b] Natsuki said looking over Azusa’s shoulder. Azusa, not really amused, looked back at Natsuki briefly and barked out, [b][i]“What?”[/i][/b] Natsuki smirked and got up slowly. [b]“They’ve caught on…”[/b] Calmly lifting up his hood, Natsuki stared down three leaf shinobi across the street. 
 
Lifting Azusa’s cup and taking the small plate beneath, Natsuki quickly set the cup back down in front of Azusa and took a defensive stance. Azusa looked behind her with an confused look only to see the leaf shinobi quickly pull out kunai and throw one in Natsuki’s direction. Natsuki darted forward and knocked the kunai off course with the small plate. As Natsuki came into range of the closest shinobi, She made a large lunge with her kunai, aiming for his chest. Natsuki quickly worked his way inside her arm and grabbed the wrist with the kunai. Lifting the smaller female over his shoulder, Natsuki hip-tossed the woman aside while putting pressure on the wrist and disarming her. Using the twisting momentum Natsuke threw the small plate toward the black haired man farthest away from Natsuki. Natsuki then made a quick role toward the largest of the bunch, with a hammer affixed to his back. Natsuki quickly grabbed his leg and lifted it up, trying to knock the man off balance. Falling backwards the man only saw the man in the white robes rush by toward his black haired ally. “Mitsukuni!” The small girl said as she got up and darted toward Natsuki. She began to make handseals as Natsuki got in range of Mitsukuni. Slide tackling the black haired man, Natsuki quickly flipped over and darted over to the face planted man. Putting a knee into the spine of the man, Natsuki pinned the man to the ground, quickly putting the kunai to his throat. “Shiro!” Natsuki recognized the voice, and quickly looked up. Natsuki saw Azusa standing up from her seat with the female shinobi standing beside her. As Natsuki began to lift his hand off the kunai, Natsuki noticed his shadow extending toward Azusa’s. As he looked back up at her face, Natsuki could only see a black and white blur of eyes and fangs rushing toward his face. 
[End of Flashback]

Jolting forward from his bedroll, Natsuki looked around only to see the tree he slept under and the small field before him. It was sprinkling lightly and small droplets of water were hanging onto the small blades of grass as a small breeze rolled across the field. With a sigh, Natsuki lay his head back down on his bedroll pillow and looked up at the tree. Thinking and listening.[/hider]