"What brings you here, Lord Kaoru?" Luna greeted him with a bright smile, her figure wrapped in layers of fur that gave her an almost regal presence.
She didn't look up immediately, her slender hands busy brushing dust from the broad leaves of a large, white-blossomed flower Kaoru did not recognize.
"I haven't visited Lady Luna since returning from my training months ago," Kaoru said with a grin, the glow of his Suijingan lighting his eyes. "I thought it was time I did."
"I'm flattered." Luna chuckled softly, though her eyes sharpened as a thin stream of water rippled past her hands, washing over the flowers in neat rows. The dust was swept away, and the leaves glistened brighter, contrasting beautifully with the large white petals now freed of their dull film.
"Lord Kaoru," Luna chuckled again as if to break her own moment of reverie. "I could have asked one of my servants to tend to them. But I prefer to do it myself. It reminds me of the value of labor."
Kaoru's smile lingered only briefly. The glow in his eyes dimmed as he crouched beside her, poking his finger into the soil near the roots. From beneath, he drew out a wriggling yellow-green worm.
"I suppose so," he said at last, his voice losing its warmth. "But I wanted to thank you, Lady Luna, for taking care of Takime business."
His eyes regained the glow as the water coiled around the worm that twisted helplessly in his hands.
"You see, though it may not appear that way, our clan's water techniques can serve many purposes. They can show care and warmth… while still protecting against hidden threats."
Without hesitation, he increased the density of the water, crushing the worm inside and letting the blue be tinged with yellow.
The smile on Luna's lips stiffened, her expression shifting into something almost unnatural.
"Lord Kaoru," she said after a pause, plucking one of the blossoms from its stem with careful fingers. Rising gracefully to her feet, she turned to face him. The brightness of her earlier smile had faded, leaving only a faint curve on her elegant face. "Do you know why I love camellias?"
Kaoru rose as well, meeting her gaze without a word.
"Camellias appear fragile, as though they should wither under frost." She lifted the flower close to her face, inhaling its scent slowly. "And yet, year after year, they bloom in the coldest months. What others call harshness, they take as strength. That is why I prefer them. Their beauty is not a mask. It is proof of survival."
Kaoru allowed a faint smile to touch his lips. This was no simple exchange, this was a contest of words. The first of many now that he stood as Takime's head.
"Camellias are indeed worthy of admiration, Lady Luna. To bloom through frost is no small strength." He let his gaze drift briefly to the soil at their feet, still damp from his earlier water stream. "But strength wears many forms. Water, for instance - it can cradle life in its gentlest touch. Yet when greed takes root, when something drinks too much for itself…"
His voice sharpened, his smile fading. His eyes, glowing faintly cyan again, fixed on her with clarity.
"Endurance is admirable, Lady Luna. But if endurance becomes hunger at the garden's expense… then even the camellia must learn the price."
Contrary to Kaoru's expectations, Luna did not answer with another layered metaphor. She remained quiet, her eyes thoughtful, as if weighing several outcomes at once. Then she smiled suddenly, a bright and effortless curve of her lips that carried both warmth and intent.
"Would you be so kind as to share a meal with me? My cook is quite talented, and I would love to host you."
Kaoru froze. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again. For a heartbeat he simply stood there, his thoughts stumbling over themselves.
'Am I missing something? Or is she truly just inviting me?' He replayed her words in his head again and again, searching for hidden meaning. His lack of experience in such subtleties left him adrift, uncertain. The confidence he always carried in battle did not reach him here.
But after turning the words over in his mind and finding no alternative interpretation, he sighed softly and nodded.
"I'll gladly accept."
"Splendid!" Luna clapped her hands lightly, the sound delicate, her smile widening as if his agreement had truly delighted her. "Ah, I nearly forgot to mention… Lord Illumi, the head of the Noda clan, will also be joining us. But that should not be an issue for Lord Kaoru, I trust?"
Kaoru's chest tightened. To step back now, to refuse, would be an insult not only to Luna but to the Noda as well. He had no doubt that if he tried, Luna would find a graceful but devastating way to twist his refusal into an insult before Illumi's ears.
He exhaled, straightening his back and forcing a grin. "Not at all. The more, the merrier."
<<<>>>
The food on the table was elegant in its simplicity. Rather than drowning the guests in endless varieties, Luna had chosen each dish with care. A tray bore grilled teriyaki salmon, its skin crisp and glistening with sweet soy glaze. Beside it sat steaming bowls of miso soup, light and fragrant, and a platter of delicate tempura vegetables - pumpkin, sweet potato, and lotus root - fried to a perfect golden crisp that crunched gently with each bite. The scent of sesame oil and simmered broth mixed with the faint perfume of camellias drifting from the nearby vase, creating a strangely soothing atmosphere.
Kaoru had expected a lavish feast meant to overwhelm him, but this meal was measured, deliberate. Nothing wasted, nothing too extravagant. It was new to him, yet he found himself enjoying it more than he expected.
"It's truly delicious, Lady Luna," Illumi said, wiping his fingers on a neatly folded napkin. He reached for a bottle of sake and held it up with a grin, gesturing toward the small cup placed in front of Kaoru. "Lord Kaoru, would you drink with me?"
Kaoru glanced at the bottle, then at his untouched cup. His lips pressed into a thin line.
'Do I really want my first sake to be with these two?' He considered it. He could always drink, then force the alcohol out of his system, but that would make his eyes glow, and both of them would notice. He was still young, and the thought of fumbling under their watchful gazes made him hesitate.
"I'd love to," he said with a polite smile, then let his expression soften into regret. "But unfortunately, I have to attend the council meeting later today."
Luna gasped theatrically, her hand fluttering to her mouth.
"Lord Illumi!" she yelped in a playful scold. "While Lord Kaoru is certainly formidable for his age, we mustn't forget, he's still not of age." Her tone was light, yet her eyes gleamed mischievously.
Kaoru hid a smirk. For once, Luna's words had bailed him out, though he could tell that they were meant to undermine his authority.
Illumi chuckled awkwardly, nodding. "Yes, yes, of course." Still, he poured the pale liquid into his own cup, lifted it, and downed it in one breath. His cheeks colored almost instantly, and he exhaled loudly, his broad shoulders shuddering as the warmth spread through him. "Ahhh! Alcohol makes food taste even better!"
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps it makes the cook's work easier to praise," he muttered under his breath.
Illumi blinked at him, unsure whether it was meant as a joke. Luna, however, chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "Careful, Lord Kaoru. If you keep teasing my cook, you may end up with his brand scrambled egg. And trust me, no one could withstand that, not even Lord Illumi, who has already drunk alcohol."
Illumi's face flushed deeper, this time from embarrassment. "I'm sure I'd love it," he grumbled, stuffing another piece of salmon into his mouth as though to bury the conversation.
The three ate in relative peace after that, though Luna and Kaoru shared the occasional sly remark at each other's expense. By the time the plates were cleared and their stomachs full, a faint red tinge had spread across Illumi's cheeks. He leaned back, looking entirely satisfied with life.
Luna, who had refused the sake, sat with a half-finished bottle of cherry juice between herself and Kaoru. She refilled his cup slowly, though her eyes never stopped studying him.
"Lord Kaoru," Luna said softly as she set the bottle back on the table. "Pleasant company aside, there is a reason Lord Illumi visited me today."
The head of the Noda clan stiffened. He leaned forward suddenly, his earlier flush fading so quickly that his complexion looked almost pale. His brows furrowed as he turned sharply toward her.
"Lady Luna?!" His voice carried both confusion and warning, the name breaking from him before he could restrain it.
But before she could reply, Kaoru spoke.
"I figured as much," he said evenly, lifting his cup and sipping the cherry juice slowly. "As flattering as it is to think myself good company, I doubt you brought me here only to share a meal."
Luna's eyes slid toward Illumi. The man still stared at her, his pupils narrow, his expression betraying just for a moment the shock he hadn't fully buried. Slowly, the cold mask of composure returned to his face. The redness in his cheeks had vanished entirely.
"Lord Kaoru," Illumi began at last, his deep voice steady as he placed both hands on the table. His fingers interlocked tightly. "I understand how difficult the situation must be for you, and for the Takime as a whole. But as the heads of Takimura's major clans, it is our duty to remain level-headed and consider…"
He paused when Kaoru's gaze settled on him. Calm, unblinking.
Luna's smile lingered, her tone sliding smoothly into the gap. "Lord Kaoru, we believe it is time for the council to elect a new Kage."
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