A Festival under the Summer Moon [open/shinigami]

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru entered the festival grounds within the seireitei. It was night out, and the moon hung high in the sky, a full moon tonight. Stars shone in the sky, and Kaoru couldn't help but gaze fondly at the sight. For her, night was the best time of day, and she relished the time spent out at night whenever she could. Of course, she didn't get much time to herself like this, and personally she would rather spend it with others. She may be the type of person who looks like she finds peace alone, but really that is just another facade she puts up to distance herself from others. To keep her heart from being broken again. She was dressed in her crimson kimono with her hair braided down her back with her hair bells tying the end. A black and white belt around her waist. A blue and green flower pin kept her bangs out of her eyes. She wore simple sandals on her Her blue eyes glanced around as she noticed a group of children that she always ran into in the 1st district. They must have came to have fun in the festival too, Kaoru said with a fond smile as she waved at them. When they had noticed her, they smiled big and soon ran over to her.

Kaoru picked up the smallest out of all of them and soon smiled down at the small group of children gathered around her. They were laughing and skipping around her. "Onee-chan! Are you having fun at the festival too?" The youngest, Toshi, had asked her while playing with her braid with the bells on it. The other children had all grinned up at her and soon waited for their favorite older sister to talk. Kaoru had giggled, gently knocking foreheads with Toshi and setting him down gently back on the ground. "Yes, I had gotten some time off, so I came here to have fun with everyone," Kaoru crouched down so she was at their level. "Did you all come to have fun at the festival too?" They all nodded and smiled at Kaoru, who had smiled genuinely back. "Yeah, we thought we'd get to see you and Onii-chan. We found you, so we're going to go look for onii-chan now." The girl with brown hair and green eyes, Renko, had said with a giggle. Of course they all knew of Kyouya, who would play with them every time he went to go visit his parents. "That's wonderful. I'm sure Kyouya is around here somewhere. I helped him finish his work today, so he said he'd be around. I wish you luck in finding him," The children had all smiled up at her and soon they were on their way to find Kyouya. Kaoru waved to them as they left, but felt a small tug on her kimono. She looked down to see Kenji, the second youngest out of the group of children Kaoru knew. He had short black hair and blue eyes just like Kaoru did, and was the shyest out of all of them. She smiled kindly down at him and crouched down to talk. "Can I stay with you, Kao-chan? I wanted to spend the festival with you," Kaoru's heart about melted with how cute he was being. "Of course you can! Let's enjoy the festival, Kenji-kun," Kaoru smiled at him, enjoying the joy she saw in his eyes. Kenji laughed and cheered, soon he had held onto Kaoru's hand as the walked through the festival together.

The first stall they had went to had sweet dango. Kaoru bought one for Kenji and then one for herself. They ate as they walked. Kenji was shy, so he didn't ask to do any of the games outright to Kaoru, but she could tell that he wanted to play the fish catching game. Kaoru had walked them over to play. She crouched down and showed him what to do. He smiled at her and soon tried his best to catch a fish. Kaoru was better at this game than he was, so she caught hers on the first try. Kenji, on the other hand, had broken his net three times and was about to give up when Kaoru had caught his hand gently in hers. He looked up at her and she grinned back down at him. "You can have my fish, Kenji-kun. You tried your best," Kenji seemed at a loss for words, but mumbled out a reply asking why she didn't want it. "I don't have much time to take care of a pet. Could you do my a favor and take care of him for me?" Kenji smiled shyly up at Kaoru and nodded his head. "Then it's a deal, Kenji-kun," Kaoru grinned again.

Around children, Kaoru's mask came down pretty fast. She felt she couldn't hide herself away from them. To lie to a child was considered heartless in Kaoru's eyes. Almost every time she visited her adoptive parents in the 1st district, she got tackled by the kids within that district. Looking down at Kenji, she saw that he was having a wonderful time. Kaoru saw that they were selling masks, and bought Kenji a wolf one and herself a fox mask. Kenji then started to break out of his shell, pulling Kaoru over to where they were doing tricks in the street by performers. Time seemed to go by fast, but it barely went by at all. Soon Kenji was rubbing his eyes, and pulling on her sleeve as he was slowing down. Smiling to herself, Kaoru pulled him up into her arms and soon he was fast asleep in her arms, his head rested on her shoulder against her neck. Kaoru was strong, so holding him wasn't any problem for her. She contented herself to walking around and enjoying the sights now. She watched the entertainment that was around her. For the first time in a long while, she truly felt at peace. I hope this keeps up, i'm having such a wonderful time, Kaoru sighed as she cast her blue eyes to the starry night sky.

[Hirato Murano]

A relaxed air surrounded the form of the 9th Captain, greatly contrasting the somber atmosphere typically characterizing him and the graceful stride was replaced with a nonchalant walk, his muscular form clad in a casual silver shirt adorned with two black dragons akin to the ones tattooed on each of his forearms. His legs were covered by long, silver pants while his eyes took in the starry sky, savoring the sight he had so loved for so many years. His sandals were the ones he always wore, taken from the Shinigami uniform that covered his tall form the vast majority of the time. Although Hirato did not expend the effort often and preferred to leave it as is, he had slicked back his crimson hair fashionably to appear presentable for such an occasion, especially since there was someone here who had most likely acted similarly. It felt somewhat foreign to him, but the noble put up with it for the sake of the festival. The crimson haired man played each of the games that interested him, even winning a fish at the fish catching game in which he forgot he excelled, and stopping for some dango before moving on to acquire a small stuffed bear as a prize for another victory, although he couldn't imagine how it would prove useful to him.

After going through many games several times and acquiring another stuffed animal, the cerulean eyed man strolled to the mask stand and purchased a wolf mask for himself, putting on and continuing to wander around aimlessly before noticing the person he had searched for the entire night. He smiled under the mask and suppressed his reiatsu signature, striding quietly so as to surprise his apprentice and not immediately reveal his identity. His sharp eyes noticed a child held in her arms, cradled gently by the black haired woman as he slept peacefully, presumably exhausted from the events of the festival. "I hope the father isn't in the 5th, Kaoru-san," Hirato remarked with a grin prior to removing his wolf mask and smiling at his apprentice, taking in the sight of her compassion instantly and appreciating its beauty in addition to how it changed her reiatsu signature. The child did resemble her quite a bit, possessing the same blue eyes and black hair found on the form of the 9th Seat he was currently instructing, so the Captain wondered for a few moments whether the child really did belong to her and some unknown father. It was definitely unlikely, especially since his reiatsu detection skills would have undoubtedly detected the presence of another's life inside of her.

Hirato reached over and placed the mask on the noirette standing next to him, raising his eyebrows slightly when he saw a fox, an animal that didn't seem to represent the woman he was beginning to know, but his mask did not adequately represent the man wearing it, either. He took it off her face and put it on the top of her head, moving his own face close to hers to scrutinize her, the grin disappearing in favor of a curious expression. "I'm not entirely sure your mask is accurate, but does it really matter, kitsune-chan?" the noble commented facetiously, the grin reappearing in response to his amusement regarding the mask his student had decided to wear for the summer festival held every year in the Seireitei. He had not even attended it the past five years in a row because he had busied himself with training, working ahead on his paperwork, or sleeping in the master bedroom of the Murano mansion due to his exhaustion caused by doing such things. Kaoru-san's attendance had convinced him, although he was previously considering going simply because it was the first time he would attend the festival while in his new position as a Captain. His cerulean eyes flicked back toward the sky before returning to the blue orbs of Kaoru-san, close to him because his face still remained only a very short distance away from hers. He waited for her to respond to his comment eagerly, expecting that she had a very good sense of humor capable of matching his own easily with a similar comment.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru was having a wonderful time just walking around with Kenji in her arms. It really made her heart ache to have children of her own when she was carrying a child in her arms. What made the situation even more interesting, was that the child looked similar to her. He had black hair and blue eyes like she did. Kenji certainly did take to Kaoru fast, and the boy was never out of her sight whenever he saw her. The other children would then stick to Kyouya, but Kenji regularly stayed by Kaoru's side. If she could, she'd do what Kyouya did and take Kenji to live with her in the 5th division barracks, but she knew that the boy was well-taken care of within the 1st district by the villagers. Kaoru took joy in the fact that everyone took care of everyone within the 1st district. It contrasted so greatly with Kaoru's birth district. Kaoru remembered that within the district she grew up in the first 12 years of her life, the children were wild and fought constantly, stole, and were rough with each other no matter their age. A shiver when down her spine as she remembered her own childhood within it and felt blessed that Kyouya had found her. Her hold on Kenji tightened as the boys presence kept her from going back into her past memories. Kenji would be Kaoru's son had she had a family. I wonder if I had stayed within the 1st district, would I have adopted Kenji-kun as my own just as Hiro-otousan and Misakiokasan did for me? Kaoru mused in her thoughts as she walked on.

Kaoru was admiring a stands artwork when she had heard the familiar voice of a man she certainly gotten to know recently. There was no mistaking the deep tones of the 9th division captain, her teacher, Hirato Murano. Kaoru spun around, as quickly as she could without waking the child in her arms, and stared directly at a crimson-haired man with a wolf mask on. Kenji stirred slightly with the sudden movement from Kaoru, but she pat his back gently and soon the boy was back asleep. He had said that he hoped that the father wasn't in the 5th. This made Kaoru blush slightly and hold Kenji tighter. Of course the boy could be mistaken as hers right away. Similar coloring in his hair and eyes did that. Her adoptive father had the same coloring as her, as well. Many did not even question whether Kaoru was a Morinozuka based on the fact that Hiro Morinozuka had black hair and blue eyes as well. Kyouya got all of his looks from his mother. Her blue eyes glanced at Hirato's through his mask and she had given him a small smile. "No, I do not have any children of my own, sensei," Kaoru began, smiling fondly at the boy in her arms. Though deep down she silently wished she had her own family to take care of. "This boy is named Kenji, and he is a resident of the 1st district, the home district where my adoptive family lives. Where Kyouya is from, actually," Kaoru didn't say it was her home district because that would have been a lie, but she did consider it her home since those that she loves lives there. "He and another couple children that are here have no family, though the residents within the 1st take care of them like any other family would. He's rather close to me, and I to him." Kaoru said fondly as she pressed her cheek to his head on her shoulder, smiling like a mother would at her child. Should events have been different for her, Kaoru would not be a shinigami and probably taking care of the children within the 1st district. "He and I go around the festival together for years now. The others go off and find Kyouya to play with him. Kenji-kun is more content to be with me, I guess. Not that i'm complaining," Kaoru, having spoken so much about her personal feelings on the subject of children, had furrowed her eyebrows as her face flushed just a bit.

Kaoru's eyes looked curiously as her teacher put the mask he was wearing on her head, and soon he looked at her own fox one. She had just picked up a mask since Kenji said she needed one too. So in her rush to sate the boys excitement over the festival, she had picked one at random. The anime did not accurately describe her, but that didn't matter since the mask was just for fun anyway. She wasn't exactly sure what her animal would be. He had taken her mask of her face and leaned in close to examine her. Her face had grown redder as she realized he was entirely closer than he usual was to her, very much so. Her blue eyes stared up at his cerulean ones. He had said that her animal mask wasn't accurate, but if it really mattered. On top of it all, he called her 'Kitsune-chan'. This sent Kaoru reeling as she almost dropped Kenji with the appearance of a rare grin she had gotten from him. Kaoru's face flushed red as she held on to the boy tighter so that she wouldn't drop him in her moment of weakness. "I'd say the same for you, wolf-san. I don't think the animal is entirely accurate for you either, sir. I suppose it doesn't matter, but since both of the men in my presence are wearing wolf masks, i'd have to watch myself," Kaoru matched his grin with one of her own and her tone was teasing. Her mask was still down since in Hirato Murano's presence, she did not need it simply because he already saw her for who she was under it.

She had looked over the crimson haired man in front of her. He had dressed up for the occasion, and even did his hair, though she much preferred when he kept it messy instead of slicking it back. However, she understood that it was a special event, and he wanted to look his best. Kaoru thought he looked handsome and even entertained the thought to ask him to come sit by her to watch the fireworks that would go off later that night, but she knew that it couldn't be in the way that she would hope. Holding the child closer, and putting a gentle hand on his black-haired head, she pushed the thought of even suggesting such an activity to the man she know calls teacher. Kaoru knew she had to keep her thoughts of this man centered on training and the shadow war she now played a part of. After all, he was a noble and she was a commoner from the worse districts in soul society. He is handsome, though, Kaoru thought with a mental sigh. It wasn't just that he was handsome that he had caught her eye, but how he acted and reacted, how he held himself, how well composed he kept himself unlike how she could keep herself mildly composed most of the time. She truly admired and respected him and is proud to call him her teacher. She felt very lucky to be learning from him. Her expression turned slightly shy as she realized she was close to his face still. She could reach up to touch his cheek should she feel that bold right now, but her nerves and shyness cranked up to high levels at such closeness.

Kaoru's face blushed as her blue eyes averted themselves for a moment, to then look back into his cerulean ones. "S-sir," Kaoru stuttered out, unable to form concrete words at the moment. Luckily Kenji took this time to wake back up slightly, to then wrap his small arm around her neck before nuzzling her shoulder and going back to sleep. Kaoru knew the boy could sleep through anything, so talking wasn't going to wake the small boy. The distraction had given Kaoru enough composure to smile up at Hirato without her blush so present on her face. "S-so, Sensei, I see you have been enjoying the festival yourself already," Kaoru grinned up at the man, she was still close, but she said nothing about it. His presence already so concrete within her mind right now that she could feel his now familiar spiritual pressure so clearly in her senses. "Do you come to these festivals often?" Kaoru was trying to ease her sudden shyness and nerves over being so close to the man she found handsome. Her hand had went back to the back of Kenji and held him close, to give her some reassurance and ground her for what she was about to ask him next. "Would you like to walk with Kenji-kun and I as we enjoy the festival? Though he's already sleeping, so I guess it'd be you and I enjoying ourselves," Kaoru's face turned red slightly as she looked up at Hirato shyly, giving a small shy smile as she talked.

[Hirato Murano]

Hirato listened as his apprentice explained that the child was not her own, but rather a child born in the 1st district of the Rukongai, where her adoptive family lived along with several other children and where Kyouya, his counterpart in the 13th division, was born. She seemed very fond of children, although she did not have any and he found that fairly interesting, filing it away in the folder of relevant information that concerned Kaoru Takahata, his apprentice and the 9th seated member of the 5th division of the Gotei 13. A kind sort of smile spread across his face when he contemplated her holding the child so gently and smiling down at it, the compassionate woman that she was raising to the surface. Her flush face made him smile in amusement and let down the last dregs of his emotional guard, something he rarely ever did in the presence of others. His proximity to her clearly embarrassed her and this only amused him further as he examined her mask, determining that it was not entirely accurate for him, yet adding that it was unlikely that it really mattered.

His cerulean eyes gazed into her blue orbs, the amusement mixed with something else, an unknown emotion that still clearly showed the dominant sentiment in his emotional state at the moment. The noble briefly considered poking her flushed cheeks and making some sort of joke about them, yet his logical side triumphed in this situation and he merely took a few steps back before using his reiatsu analysis skills to see a fairly accurate picture of her thoughts right now. Her retort was certainly interesting and he grinned at her once more, hearing Kaoru-san call him "wolf-san". The Captain decided to take her remark for his own purposes and use it to his advantage, continuing the little game they had started a few minutes earlier when they first encountered each other both wearing unfitting masks. "Well, if you scratch behind my ears, kitsune-chan, I promise to wag my tail," the tall man joked with a facetious smile, even turning to the side so that she could reach that area of his body to complete the humor. His perception started working completely now and he began to see the picture of her mind, noticing himself in it and her admiration of him on several different levels as well as....fireworks that concluded the summer festival magnificently.

The comprehension caused him to turn and look away, unable to face her blue eyes due to a seemingly irrational fear that she would somehow realize the truth simply from his expression, his eyes instead gazing upon the beautiful summer night sky. He glanced back in her direction to hear her stutter out a greeting to him and his expression softened, a reassuring look appearing on his face and a comforting gaze in the blue depths of his eyes while taking in the form of his black haired apprentice, one whose true self was a loyal and compassionate being. When Kaoru-san commented about his enjoyment of the festival, Hirato nodded and reached his hand, patting Kaoru-san lightly on the head prior to his hand returning quickly to his side and his relaxed stance holding him still. Her next question amused him greatly and he chuckled heartily, a grin on his face as he struggled to regain his composure after listening to such a query from the woman he had taken on as his student. "How often does it snow on a tropical beach, kitsune-chan?" asked the Captain humorously, answering a question with a question in the typical form of another variety of joking known to him. It was a rhetorical question, of course, but it did serve to answer her query adequately, since his presence at such events at this was very rare even in the absolute best of times. The noble merely considered them a waste of his time, preferring to spend the time productively working on one of his personal projects or training with his Zanpakuto in the empty training grounds of the 7th. "Certainly, since there is still some time before the fireworks," Hirato replied casually, giving her a small smile of his own and turning to walk with his relaxed gait toward an uncertain destination. Although she did not know it and could not glean it from his mind, the crimson haired man desired to watch the fireworks with her too, just the two of them enjoying a splendid sight together for the first time. The 9th Captain strolled alongside the seated member of the Kido experts of the Gotei 13, easily concealing all of his inner thoughts with nonchalance and complete emotional control.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru watched as a smile had taken over her teacher's features. The sight made her smile in return at him. Kaoru, along with another woman in the 1st district, Yuna, were the ones noted for taking the children out to the festivals within Soul Society. Kaoru knew that Yuna was around here somewhere, but she was unsure where. With Toshi and Renko with Kyouya, Kenji was the only one left that was not in Yuna's care at the moment. This didn't concern Kaoru at the moment since Kenji was safely in her arms while he slept, and Yuna was probably having a blast with her friends from the 1st district anyway. Kaoru didn't find any of her friends within her squad, or even those she had befriended out of her squad. His close proximity to her had caused her to be thrown for a loop since he had never been this close to her before, with the exception of her being wounded and he had held her close to heal her. Being healed and this right now are two different things, Kaoru thought with a mental sigh, not giving anything away. Her face was red with embarrassment at him being so close. This seemed to amuse him from her standpoint. What she also had noticed was that he had let his guard down in front of her. Kaoru had smiled warmly to herself at such an action, glad that he had trusted her enough to show what he normally didn't.

Kaoru had listened as he had responded to her tease back over his joke. At first the joke had thrown her again, like he seemed to do rather recently, but then she just laughed with her full amusement over it. Kenji stirred at her laughter, but had otherwise stayed asleep. Her blue eyes lit up with her mirth, and her hand had reached up to cover her red and happy face as she laughed. This was rare since she hadn't truly laughed like this in a long time, and in front of someone other than her adoptive family. Her hand had unconsciously moved in front of her face, perhaps to hide such a strong emotion away so he couldn't see it. He had made the joke even more funny when he had leaned down so she could actually do what he had suggested. Kaoru's face turned redder as he leaned down, she was almost on par with the color of his hair. Her hand had almost taken a mind of its own to reach out, but she stopped it by putting it on the back of the child in her arms. Her face showed her amusement, but also a happiness that rarely showed itself out in the open like this. The festival was bringing out the real Kaoru, the self she held at her core which was covered by shadows and darkness. She grinned up at Hirato, still blushing red, and replied with a sly smile which fitted with her fox mask. "No doubt, wolf-san, but can you handle the mischief of the fox in front of you? Though, I promise to behave if you do,"

Kaoru grinned slyly at him as she then comprehended the fact that he was still relatively close to her. Her grin faltered as she stuttered out a formality as she tried to gain her wits about her again. Though as she looked up at him, his gaze reassured her and softened as he looked her way. She had commented on what she had observed when she looked him over earlier. He had then smiled at her and nodded, and then threw her for a loop again as he reached over to pat her head. kaoru's face had turned red as he did so, and her hand had went to her head when he had pulled away. Realizing that he was still there, she pulled her hand down and then smiled at him, though it held some more deeper emotion she could not comprehend at the moment. He had replied to her question about coming to the festival in another joke. Kaoru had let go another rare giggle, and smiled up at her teacher with amusement. "Alright, I get it. Though you should come more often. The festivals are very fun," Kaoru said with a warm smile towards him. He had still called her 'Kitsune-chan', which made Kaoru want to duck her head with the blush that came with being called such. "It's nice to experience things like this, wolf-san. Everyone around is having such fun and it's peaceful as well. It's a brief peace, but it is peace none-the-less. That in itself is precious," Kaoru chuckled and soon shifted Kenji in her arms to make it more comfortable to hold him. He may be the second youngest, but he was a fast growing boy. No doubt within the next 50 years he'll grow to be bigger than he was now.

Kaoru went to these festivals, but more often than not she found herself to be alone at them, with the exception of Kenji and Kyouya to keep her company. She was close with some of those in her squad, but found that they went off on their own or with their significant others when they find them. Jun was about the only one who would keep by Kaoru despite Kaoru finding the woman's energy draining sometimes; as well as her mouth. Jun was one of the few within the 5th division that talked with Kaoru on a personal level about things that happen in Kaoru's life. The most recent was when she had recently found out her Captain had lied to her about who he was when they had first met. At first Kaoru was angry, but after hearing Jun talk and then hearing the same thing from her brother soon after, she had realized that the situation was nothing to get angry over. Kaoru looked up at him when he had said that he would walk around with Kenji and her. This sent a flush of happiness through her body as she smiled up at him. "Great! Let's get going, sensei," Kaoru said.

They had started to walk, towards nowhere in particular, and Kaoru found this situation most peaceful. With the child in her arms and her teacher at her side, she felt happy and warm. Kenji had taken this time to wake up. Kaoru looked at his sleepy face as he rubbed his eyes and then pat her cheek as he grinned up at her. Kaoru grinned back and spoke softly to him. "Did you have a nice nap, Kenji-kun?" Kaoru asked as she knocked foreheads with a laughing Kenji. He had hugged her around her neck and then stretched. "Yeah! Hey, Kao-chan, could we get something to eat? I thought we could go play games and--" Kenji stopped suddenly as he noticed the tall red-haired man beside the woman he considered his mother figure. Kenji's blue eyes glanced at him, but then his shyness took over as he buried his face into Kaoru's crimson kimono. Kaoru had rubbed his back and soon set him down so that he was standing in front of her and Hirato. Kenji immediately hid himself partially behind Kaoru, looking at Hirato with one of his blue eyes. Kaoru chuckled and smiled warmly at Kenji, holding out her hand to Hirato to show that he wasn't a stranger. "Kenji-kun, this man in front of us is named Hirato Murano-san. He is a captain within the divisions that I am a part of and he is my teacher as well," Kaoru crouched down so that she was on Kenji's eye level. "He is a friend, Kenji-kun, like Kyouya and Yuna," Kaoru then smiled warmly at the boy. Kenji looked up at Hirato with some curiosity, his shyness almost gone due to Kaoru's words. Kenji had then nodded to Kaoru and soon spoke up to the captain. Kaoru pat his head and smiled fondly as he talked to Hirato. "H-Hello, Murano-san. I am named Kenji. It's nice to meet you," Kaoru about fell over with happiness at Kenji coming out of his shell to say hello to someone he didn't know. "Please take good care of my Kao-chan, kay?" Kenji said that last bit with a bit of a stern, yet cute, expression. Kaoru blushed slightly as she looked up at Hirato to smile. "Very good, Kenji-kun. Now, we'll get some food in a bit, but after playing some games, alright?" Kaoru said as she stood up and put her hands on her hips. Kenji grinned up at Kaoru in his happiness, and soon he was running towards the next stall with a game in it. "I'll win you a cute stuffed animal, Kao-chan! I know how much you like them!" Kaoru blushed with her embarrasment over her guilty pleasure being told so loudly, but she had waved and kept an eye on him from where they were.

She turned slightly towards Hirato, not letting her eyes leave Kenji as she watched him happily play the game he found. His happiness brought out a warm happiness in her eyes that then warmed her entire being. "I'd care for him like Kyouya cared for me, but I have no means to support him better than those within the 1st district already do. In my head I know he is well-taken care of, but in my heart I cannot help but feel otherwise," Kaoru crossed her arms in front of her, perhaps to comfort herself with her inner thoughts made known by her talking. As if to realize this fact, Kaoru's eyes had opened wide and she had scowled and then averted her eyes. Her face blushing even more red than before. She'd said the thoughts that were within her heart and mind. I talked without realizing it. And this is why my mask is up most of the time, Kaoru reigned back her scowl and sighed as she glanced up at Hirato. "Sorry, I seem to just rattle off the first thing in my head, sensei," Kaoru smiled and chuckled with her slight embarrasment, but otherwise kept quite. Kenji had waved back at the both of them and ran off to another game. Kaoru instinctively followed behind the now happy child. "Is there anything you'd want to do since this seems to be your first festival in a while?" Kaoru asked as she looked up at her sensei, changing the subject quickly.

[Hirato Murano]

The sound of Kaoru-san's laughter was music to his ears, a beautiful melody that resonated deep within his soul and uplifted his spirit. Her bright blue eyes and red face from laughter brought a pleased smile to his face, an uncommon expression of mirth from the crimson haired man that caused him to laugh heartily along with her. Peaceful moments like this made the constant war and death that characterized a warrior's day to day life worth it, a short reprieve before they returned to the battlefield to continue the endless conflict. Even though the black haired man had reached to cover her countenance with her hand to prevent him from seeing the mirthful expression, his innate reiatsu detection allowed him to confirm that his joke had greatly amused her and he smiled slightly at the thought of his success. Hirato had raised his crimson eyebrows upon hearing her response, not expecting her sly smile or her mischievous words because he had been unfamiliar with her sense of humor thus far in their interactions.

He quickly filled it away alongside the other information he had gathered from his meetings with Kaoru-san and the records he had consulted, information that was growing to encompass an entire folder in his analytical and organized mind. Now aware of her sense of humor, the cerulean eyed man decided to make the next move in their exchange and respond to her words appropriately, deftly countering them with wit and confidence. Hirato leaned in so his lips were mere inches from Kaoru-san's ears and whispered, "I can take anything you throw at me, kitsune-chan," speaking with a mischievous tone that mirrored the one the black haired woman had used to react to his first joke. Her wit was excellent and would certainly make this game they were playing very interesting indeed, a battle of sharp wits in which there was no losing party, only victors on both sides. It was now that his student seemed to realize his relative proximity to her and the grin weakened while she mumbled some formalities, a side effect of that comprehension especially when considering their current relationship.

The 5th division member blushed again after he patted her on the head, causing him to grin in amusement, enjoying the sight of her flushed face after seeing the composure typically present on it so many times over the course of their time spent together. She reached her own hand on her head, feeling where he had touched her with the same blush on her face, which he watched with an expression of polite mild interest and a very slight smile. His smile widened involuntarily, the sound of her giggle simply making him happier and more relaxed, a beautiful song to the soul of a proven warrior who had experienced a great deal of misery in his four centuries of existence. Hirato processed her words and looked away, taking in the sight of the night sky that he loved for a reason he had only shared with one other. "Yes it is," the crimson haired man agreed distantly, his eyes still fixed on the moon and the stars that reminded of his greatest love, a woman taken from him too soon but one he would never forget, no matter if he found love in another or not. His tall form followed that of the raven haired woman's lithe body, simply wandering wherever in an attempt to discover worthwhile to occupy their time.

Apparently, all this activity had roused the child sleeping in his apprentice's arms, as he began to speak to her before noticing the Captain and concealing himself behind his adoptive mother who undoubtedly cared for him like he was her true child. Hirato smiled warmly at Kenji, showing that he was a friend of his and friend of Kaoru-san's with the disarming expression so rarely seen on his face. He greeted the blue eyed boy, introducing himself as the Captain of the 9th division of the Gotei 13 and the teacher of Kaoru-san, certainly a man Kenji could trust enough to speak and interact with appropriately. The amused smile returned to his face with haste as he learned of his apprentice's fondness for stuffed animals, a personal preference he did not really share but added to the folder on her nonetheless, considering it relevant to the information about her already present in his mind. His expression softened and he nodded, accepting her desire as one more component of the compassionate woman that existed at her core, although few had the chance to witness the sight of her true self. The noble raised his hand to his chin thoughtfully upon hearing her question, knowing that there was something he was not recalling currently but unable to discover exactly what it was; soon his mind brought it to light and he began rummaging in his pockets, finding what he had searched for in a matter of moments. Holding the stuffed bear to Kaoru-san, the cerulean eyed man replied, "Yes, I would like to give you this, kitsune-chan, since you seem so fond of them," his tone light and polite, hoping she would accept it from him. The stuffed animal would only collect dust somewhere in his mansion if he held onto it, after all, so allowing his student to have it was a much better decision. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that this would be the very first time he had given Kaoru-san a gift and he smiled warmly at the thought, believing that his apprentice had earned with all of her diligent work.

[Kaoru Murano]

The festival was bringing out the side of Kaoru that others didn't normally see. Of course she would be like this around those she was close to, but in front of large crowds and those she distrusted, Kaoru normally held tightly to her mask. However, with two people beside her that she trusted and cared for greatly, Kaoru had no need for such measures in a public place. Both made her feel at peace, both affected her in different ways. Kenji brought out the more motherly side of Kaoru, while Hirato brought out the more...well, other side of Kaoru. To her, this night was absolute heaven for her. Night was her favorite time of day, and the moon high in the sky only added to her happiness as she often liked to look up at the sky from her barracks when she couldn't quite sleep at night. It was also a time for her to reflect on things within her life that she had not thought upon for a long time. Some of it good, some of it bad; usually depended on her mood at the time. Night was something she was very in tune with, a time of day that her soul resonated with better than ever. Her zanpakto wasn't named "Red Moon Princess" for nothing; Akai Tsukihime resides in a world continuously filled with night and darkness, with only the night sky filled with stars and a blood red moon to light her way. Kaoru often took refuge in her inner world to collect her thoughts.

She had taken amusement in his joke, and laughed out loud at it. A rare sight from her, no doubt. Her face blushed red and she tried to hide her expression from him out of pure habit. She knew that he could tell what she was feeling based on her spiritual pressure; an ability that Kaoru was not good at herself. Kaoru was dancing upon the line that separated appropriate and inappropriate. While this was normal when she was without her mask, it wasn't normal when talking with someone who ranked far above her, much more, he was her teacher. Part of Kaoru was appauled that she was talking like this in front of Hirato, but another just pushed it away and said that it didn't matter at the moment. Her eyes widened and her breath caught as he leaned down to whisper close to her ear that he could take anything she threw at him. This caused Kaoru to grin and laugh again. She turned her head slightly to then whisper in his ear back to him. "Can you really? You don't know what this Fox is capable of, wolf-san," Kaoru laughed again, purely amused by the joke that they were playing. Her eyes lit up with her amusement, the blue within her eyes looking like water in the sunlight, even if the light that was reflected in it was the lanterns put up for the festival. Her tone was still mischievous, but her eyes showed a much deeper mischievousness to them. She was dancing on the edge of flirtation, a line she should not cross at any point.

As her mind came down from her amusement, Kaoru's more logical side of her mind came into effect. She quickly realized where she was treading, and her grin faltered, along with her wit that she kept to herself most of the time. Her fluid words from before turned to stutters as she muttered some of the formalities that she should have been using before, but forgot. Kaoru already had a hard enough time using formalities as it was, so the fact that he had made her feel like she could let it all go for a moment made her eventually stumble. It also did not help that he stood so close to her. She certainly admired this man, more so than she ought to, but that was no reason for her to lose her face in a situation like this. The blue-eyed woman blushed as she regained back some of her less fluid emotions and started back to regain her full composer in front of her teacher. However, that was soon shattered again as he pat her head. She was still blushing when she had reached up to touch her head, a slight smile could be seen on his lips. He joked again about his attendance to festivals, and Kaoru giggled at the joke, finding it funny. She watched as he had replied to her when she talked about festivals bringing peace, and it being a precious peace. He looked at the moon and stars within the sky, Kaoru's eyes softened as he seemed deep in thought over a matter that looked to be personal to him. A soft smile lit her face as she gazed up at the man gazing up at the sky. Never before have I met another who could make me feel like this, Kaoru thought to herself, her attention returning to a now awake Kenji in her arms.

The way that Kenji reacted to Hirato was more than she had hoped would happen. With Kenji's trust in Kaoru's words, the boy seemed to take a liking to Hirato, content to leaving her in Hirato's capable hands as he played the games close by the two adults. Kenji certainly thought that Kaoru was his mother, no matter if he was raised primarily by the people in the 1st district, and she thought he was her son. Kaoru wanted children of her own, but Kenji certainly was already hers. She helped raise him when he was a lot younger, his family never found. When she had went to the academy, Kaoru was sad to leave him for a while, but soon they were together again and she was a full fledged shinigami. She was happy to see a smile on her teachers face towards Kenji, and loved that the two of them seem to like each other. Kaoru wasn't worried that they wouldn't get along, merely just that Kenji wouldn't open up to another stranger. When Kenji had shouted about her preference towards cute stuffed animals, Kaoru blushed, not meeting the captain's amused face. The moments went by and she had talked about her desire to raise Kenji as her own, like her brother did for her, but she knew that she had no means to raise him on her own or better than those within the 1st district could. They walked with Kenji as he played, Kaoru content to just stay back and look on at the happiness so clearly shown in the boys face. She had asked her teacher what he wanted to do, but he responded with giving her a stuffed bear instead. Her eyes opened wide at the action, but she accepted the gift with happiness clearly written in her face. "T-Thank you, sir," Kaoru said softly as she ran her hand over the brown bear's soft fur. She hugged the bear to her as she gave her teacher a genuine smile filled with happiness and slight hints to her admiration of him.

The moment was interrupted, however, as she heard the familiar voices of some of her squad mates. Upon hearing their voices, Kaoru's mask went up very fast. It was one thing to keep her mask down in front of those she was close to, but it was another entirely to let it down in front of those she didn't have much interaction with. Her mask was the very reason that most of those within her division didn't want to train with her, that, and she tended to get out of hand with her training, causing herself many injuries and oftentimes the person she was sparring with. They still talked and laughed with Kaoru outside of training, but all of them held a certain wariness when they fought against her, sensing something was off about her. Luckily for Kaoru, it was only a group of three, two guys and a girl. She could name them easily. The two guys were Tomo and Shinji, and the woman was Jun, her usual companion at these festivals. Jun noticed her and ran over to say hello. Kaoru bowed politely in response. Jun returned her bow with small one of her own and a grin. If anything, Jun reminded Kaoru of her brother in terms of personality. "Hello, Jun-san, are you enjoying the festival?" Jun's eyes flicked towards Hirato, a knowing glance in them as she regarded Kaoru and her usual casual crimson kimono. "Yes, I haven't found my fiance yet, though," Kaoru listened as the woman she could speak her personal matters to without fearing her judgement, laughed to herself and soon returned her eyes to Hirato, then back to Kaoru. "And what about you, Kaoru-chan? I see Ken-chan is enjoying himself as usual," Jun smiled at Kaoru knowingly. Kaoru knew Jun to be the best at reading people, better than Kaoru was. Kaoru merely kept her reply just on the edge of her mask. Even though the two women were close, Kaoru never lifted it enough to show Jun her true self. "I am walking around with Captain Murano and Kenji, just enjoying the sights," Jun nodded, and soon put her attention to Hirato, bowing respectfully to the captain and turning towards Kaoru's and hers squad mates, they had found Jun's fiance. "It was nice seeing you again, Kaoru-chan. It was nice meeting you, Captain Murano," Jun was about to turn to run into the arms of her fiance before she turned her kind eyes towards Kaoru again. "Oh! I finally got all the mud out of your kimono. I'll leave it by your things in the barracks," Kaoru sighed in relief as she heard the news that her kimono was saved by the capable hands of her friend. "Thanks so much, Jun-san," Kaoru bowed again politely. "It's no problem to me, Kaoru-chan, just don't go get into any more fights with Captain Zabuza in the rain, alright?" Kaoru scowled at the grinning woman as she left, leaving Kaoru to remember a few days prior. Jun had completely misunderstood the situation, but Kaoru felt no need to correct her.

Kaoru sighed, her mask falling once more with the the 5th division members leaving and she was once more alone with Hirato. Kenji had won a stuffed panda bear, but he kept playing the games in front of them. Kaoru continued to follow behind. Her hands rubbed at the soft fur of the bear in her hands, liking the gift her teacher had given her. It was silent for a moment, Kaoru was enjoying the peace she felt at this moment. Her gaze had flicked towards his face, wondering what he was thinking. She resisted the urge grab hold of his hand, the moment moving her to think of such actions. With the resistance of grabbing his hand, her mind then made her blurt out the thought that had invaded her mind before. She could not suppress it this time. Grabbing his sleeve gently, Kaoru stopped them both in the street, her blue eyes meeting his cerulean ones with uncertainty. Her stubborn and brave nature urging her forward with her request. "S-Sensei, I was wondering if you would...that is...would you like to watch the fireworks with me? A-and Kenji-kun! I mean, since this would be the first one in a while for you, I guess," Kaoru's face flushed slightly as she averted her gaze from his and let go of his sleeve, her hands returning to the bear in her arms. Her shyness was showing. I should not be feeling such things towards my teacher or a captain, Kaoru chastised herself, but she could not hold back on her request, her admiration of this man taking over her more logical side of her mind.

[Hirato Murano]

Hirato smiled slightly at the sight of her laughing at his joke, liking the sight of his apprentice enjoying herself and simply relaxing, something he certainly did not do often but he had made an exception because Kaoru-san was going to be there. Her attempts to hide her expression from him were futile since he could sense her emotional state from her reiatsu signature, an ability that had been perfected to the point where it came to him as naturally as breathing. The noble found it very useful, especially when dealing with individuals who are not entirely trustworthy or reliable. The crimson haired man heard the black haired woman's breath catch when he leaned down to whisper in her ear, making an effort to maintain his composure both in his expression and in his reiatsu signature despite how she reacted to him. His crimson eyebrows raised in surprise in response to her leaning forward and whispering in his ear, stepping back and turning away to conceal his slightly flustered face, caught off guard by her bold action.

He felt that she had won that round, though narrowly, and he had to mitigate his losses in any way he could. His tall form turned back toward that of his apprentice and his deep tones echoed out to her, saying, "I'm confident that I can handle it, kitsune-chan," with a mischievous grin and an amused tone, winking at her to throw her off balance once again. The mischief in her eyes was all too visible, but there was something hidden behind it, something in the depths of her blue orbs much deeper than that, something he immediately recognized yet would not name. He turned back and started to walk again, preferring to continue moving than to dwell on what he knew to be in the depths of his student's heart. It was something that would have to be addressed eventually, although this was not the appropriate time or place for such discussions and they would happen later in a more fitting setting. Now, they could enjoy each other's company and take a break from the war that so characterized their lives.

Kaoru-san seemed to recall that he was a Captain at this point, stuttering out formalities to which he simply laughed heartily, amused by her attempt to use them so late in their encounter near the stalls of the festival. The noble smiled slightly when he patted her head, thoroughly enjoying the game that they were playing even though the knowledge of its danger remained in the forefront of his mind as he played it. His smile widened listening to her giggle, loving the sound of her laughter and pleased that his joke amused her. He replied to her statement about the peace of the festival, his eyes gazing upon the sky he loved so much for a reason known only to him, never allowing someone else far enough into his heart to reveal it to them. His eyes returned in front of him and he started to walk forward again, leaving his thoughts behind him as he followed the child that had accompanied Kaoru-san to the festival that the two of them were now relishing. The child skipped away after introducing himself to the Captain and leaving his adoptive mother in the hands of the crimson haired man he had just met.

The Captain filed away his apprentice's enjoyment of stuffed animals, finding it both interesting and surprising that such a woman liked things like that, adding it to the folder he had created in his mind for her. Hirato smiled when she accepted his gift and thanked him, happy that she took it and pleased that it would not gather dust for a while before one of his servants threw it out. "You're welcome, kitsune-chan," replied the tall man lightly, a pleased expression on his face. A few people that Kaoru-san seemed to know appeared and with them appeared the mask, a slight frown on his face at the sight that disappeared quickly despite his dislike of the facade that concealed her true self. The noble listened passively until the only woman among them bowed to him and acknowledge him, to which he repeated the acknowledgement. The woman's words about a fight with Captain Zabuza made him raise his eyebrows and glance toward the black haired woman, unaware of what she was referring to but definitely interested in what meaning they held, wondering what kind of trouble Kaoru-san had got into with her Captain. A tug on his sleeve made him pause and glance toward his apprentice, listening to her shy request. "If you'd prefer it to be just the two of us, I wouldn't object, kitsune-chan," the noble responded quietly, his tone sincere and his expression deliberately unreadable as he spoke. He could tell by how she spoke that she would likely prefer it to be just the two of them and he did not mind that at all, liking the sight of the fireworks and liking the prospect of watching them with someone whose company he thoroughly enjoyed.

[Kaoru Murano]

Kaoru did a mental check again of her control and emotions; everything was in check and she was in no danger of letting too much of herself go. While the festival and her present companions gave her no reason to hold on to her mask, that still did not excuse her to let all of her emotions run rampant. While her mask was off, she ran the risk of her emotions getting the better of her. Such an example would clearly be seen in how she was acting in front of her teacher. While Kaoru held some affection for the man she admired, she knew deep down that her affections would fall flat since she knew her place among the ranks of shinigami. It was inappropriate for an officer to flit with a captain so openly, so she was mentally flustered at the fact that she was playing along with his game so fluidly. No doubt it was because she felt she had nothing to hide from him. He could sense whatever I was feeling anyway, Kaoru thought to herself, knowing that Hirato Murano could see right through her quite clearly, a fact that annoyed Kaoru more than it had impressed her.

Her mirth had filled her body as she laughed more than she had in ages. A happiness she forgot she had soon sprang forth from her heart, surprising her in it's existence since she had thought it lost to her forever. She had responded to him as he had leaned down to whisper in her ear. Her breathing caught, and she was sure he had noticed, which made her want to hide her face with her embarrassment over her body being honest even when she didn't want to show him just how she felt around him. She had responded boldly, preferring to let her confident side peer through the looking glass, a rare trait that Kaoru didn't let go too often. Kyouya often told her that overconfidence would lead to her downfall in battle, so Kaoru strove over the years to not let her confidence dictate her actions in battle. However, this was not a battle, nor did it warrant her to seal off most of her emotions just to get through the situation. She listened as he then responded to her bold words. He had turned away so that she could not see his flustered reaction, but she had spotted it quickly, but merely smiled slightly to herself, pleased that she managed to fluster her serious and composed teacher.

Her eyes flicked up at the sound of his deep voice as he then replied to her. She was about to laugh out loud should he be flustered, but that did not come. He had responded in a way that threw her off completely. Her face grew redder and redder as it was her turn to get flustered this time; however, Kaoru could not hide it as well as her teacher could. He had said that he was confident he could handle it, and then winked at her. Kaoru's mouth twisted into a scowl as her pleased emotions soon were crushed as he had won the round entirely with that last wink in her direction. Her blue eyes still held mischief, but it was lessened slightly by her more flustered emotions. "I.." Kaoru started to say at first, but soon she gained back the iron clad control she had over her emotions, immediately shutting down her flustered reaction fast and regaining clearer thoughts again. Though the slightly red flush still crossed her face, she realized entirely too late that this was a captain she was talking to, and she had mumbled some formalities that were now not needed. "I'm sure you can, sir," Kaoru replied with a slight smile on her face; her face still blushing red from the wink he gave her. She looked up and noticed that he had seen something of interest within her face, she could only guess what it was.

The moments had taken her to where she was now watching Kenji play games. She watched as the boy looked back periodically to see if she was looking, and waved and smiled in her direction. She also noted that Kenji had waved and smiled up at Hirato as well, the thought made her happy that Kenji found the man to be trustworthy too. Since she was basically his adoptive mother, Kaoru always wondered if Kenji had trouble opening up to others as she seemed to, but all her worries seemed to fall flat as she noticed that as soon as he talked with someone, he could easily talk back no problem despite him being shy at first. Kaoru was proud that Kenji could do that no problem, he would be a strong and capable young man when he grew up. Deep within her desires for the future, Kaoru couldn't wait to see how Kenji grew up. To have a son such as him was always something that she wanted, to have children in general, actually. He had given her a stuffed teddy bear, and her eyes lit up with happiness over such a gift. She looked up with a smile of her own to reflect the one she saw in his expression. I'd be nice if I could see him smile more often, Kaoru thought as she moved her hands fondly over the soft fur of the bear in her arms.

She had gotten a surprise visit from a few of her squad mates, one in particular Kaoru was close to. An older woman by the name of Jun had came up to talk, though she was more curious as to why Kaoru's companion happened to be the 9th division captain. Jun's laugh as she told Kaoru to not get into any more fights with their captain had sent Kaoru scowling once more at the woman, but she made no other comment to correct her. Kaoru's gaze then moved to Hirato, who had seemed interested in what Jun had said. Kaoru turned her head away, scowl still present on her face as she corrected the conversation so as to not give a false impression towards her teacher. "Jun-san misunderstood an encounter I had with Captain Zabuza a few days ago. While he was accompanying me back from visiting my mother's grave, we had gotten into a brief fight with some of the rukongai district villagers. I had fought back against them while the Captain did the same, though I had less restraint than he did. In the struggle, I had lost my sandals and ended up getting my kimono covered in mud from the rainy weather," Kaoru said as she turned her head to the sky with a sigh. The encounter had cemented her thoughts on the villagers within the worse districts. She could still remember how they looked at the both of them. Her, in particular, their eyes held the same thoughts those within her first home district had towards her. Demon...evil spirit... Kaoru thought with some sadness. She pushed away the emotion quickly as she explained quickly again. Kaoru shrugged with indifference over the situation. "My squad mates seem to think I had gotten into a fight with my Captain. It is much too tiring to correct their thoughts at this point, so I just let them think what they want. Whether it is true or not does not concern me. The Captain and I know the truth, so that is all that matters," Kaoru looked up at Hirato out of the corner of her eye with a slight sly smile on her face. "Have no fear, sensei, your student did not get into trouble with her Captain," Kaoru said as she chuckled softly to herself, trying to reassure her teacher that she did not challenge her captain. Kaoru knew better than to challenge her captain to a fight; it was a fight she knew she would lose quite easily. Though, Kaoru had started to form a bond with her him, one that was attained through their conversation while they walked, though it was shaken hard when she found out he had lied to her about who he was. However, it was mended when they had talked later that day.

Kaoru had continued to walk along, though she struggled with her emotions and feelings towards the man beside her, even though logically speaking she knew that she shouldn't have such thoughts towards her teacher, even more he was a captain and a noble, too out of reach for the lower ranked officer. Finally, though, her actions suddenly brought her to grabbing onto his sleeve to stop them both in the street. She had managed to ask him if he would like to come with her to see the fireworks, something Kaoru had wanted to ask for a while, but was too shy to ask. She knew that it couldn't be in the way that she secretly desired it to be, but she would take what little happiness she could attain. She wished it to be just the two of them, but she knew Kenji would stick by her side till the end. However, the child's presence would not hinder her happiness, only magnify it. Kaoru listened to his deep voice as he responded quietly to her request. "Thank you sir," Kaoru said with a soft smile in his direction. "Though, I guess it'll be you, me, and Kenji-kun then--" A loud shout of her name brought her sentence cut short as she looked behind her quickly to see her brother and Suzuna come up to them. Suzuna had put on a deep forest green kimono that highlighted her features well and matched Kyouya's eyes too. I her arms was the small form of one of the children Kaoru had greeted before, and on Kyouya's shoulders was the other. This brought a brief smile to Kaoru's face, but was then replaced by curiosity as to what her brother wanted.

"Kaoru! There you are! Suzu-chan and I have been looking everywhere for you," The deep, but light voice of her brother said as he waved. He wore his captain's uniform still, no doubt because he had just come from his duties before this. Kyouya's green eyes then moved towards the form of Hirato. A light curiosity lit them for a moment, but soon vanished behind the gentle and kind expression her brother always wore. Kyouya smiled kindly at the other captain and waved to him as well. "And Hirato-san as well. It's good to see you," Kyouya then moved his fond gaze back to his sister. Before she realized that someone was gripping her hand, she looked down quickly to see Kenji clutching a panda bear and holding her hand looking up at Kyouya with the same color blue eyes she had. "We were just about to go find a place to watch the fireworks, but we had to find you first, Kaoru. We thought we'd take Kenji-kun and you with us, but I think you might have other plans," Kyouya trailed off as he looked from Kaoru to Hirato, clearly interested in what the energy was between them. At first Kaoru was hesitant to agree, but Kaoru smiled and crouched down next to Kenji, the boy moved in closer to give her a hug.

"Kyouya wants to take you to go see the fireworks at his special spot, so I think it'll be nice for you to go see them with him and Suzuna-san," Kaoru said reluctantly since she didn't want to let go of the boy she loved with all of her heart. She hated to see him go, but she felt that he could spend some time with Kyouya and Suzuna now. This would also be optimal since it would give her time alone with her teacher. The boy looked up at Kaoru, his smile back to her lifted her heart as her reluctance turned to happiness. Kenji loved to spend time with Kyouya as well, so the boy wanted to go with him to see the fireworks. In a rare show of compassion in front of so many people, Kaoru pressed a small kiss to the boys forehead, closing her eyes as she did so. Kyouya smiled fondly down at his little sister who's heart held so much kindness that was hidden behind so much darkness. "I wanna go with Kyo-chan, but promise me you'll come back, kay, Kao-chan?" Kenji said as his expression turned serious for a moment as he held out his pinky. Kaoru grinned down at the boy and soon hooked her pinky with his small one. "Ask Kyouya to find me afterwards, and i'll walk with you home," After that, the boys face brightened at the prospect of having Kaoru walk him home. More time with the woman he came to know as his mother. "It's a promise, Kao-chan. I'll see you later," With one last hug to Kaoru, Kenji looked up at Hirato for a moment as he regarded the man who stood beside his mother. "I'll talk to you later, Murano-san," Kenji then started to walk by Suzuna as she led the children to her's and Kyouya's spot to watch the fireworks.

Kyouya noticed the sad look in Kaoru's eyes as she watched him leave, and soon she felt the arms of her brother around her. "Don't worry, Kaoru, we'll take good care of Kenji-kun. You have fun and don't worry about anything else. Today is a day to let go and just enjoy the moment," Kyouya's words, as usual, brought Kaoru peace as she embraced him back quickly before stepping back besides Hirato. She still held the teddy bear in her arms. "Well, I leave my little sister in your capable hands, Hirato-san. We'll see you later, Kaoru," With one last wave, Kaoru watched the back of her brother grow smaller and smaller as he ran to catch up with Suzuna and the children. She hadn't realized her expression was one of longing and sadness. As if realizing she was being a downer, Kaoru quickly snapped herself out of it and turned to Hirato with a small smile on her face. "I guess it's just us, sensei, so shall we go find a place to watch the fireworks?" Kaoru asked as she led the way towards a nice clearing near the edge of the forest, where the night sky could be clearly seen. "They should be starting relatively soon. OH! Were you hungry at all? I could get us something to eat if you'd like," Kaoru was talking, rambling more like it, but that was just because her mind had decided to take a holiday on things to say. She wished to view them alone with Hirato, but she wasn't sure if she should express that to him at all.

(OOC: don't normally do this, but I had to share. Word count is: 2479 words. o.o)

[Hirato Murano]

Her happiness was infectious, it seemed, for the mirth she was experiencing spread to him as well and he smiled wider, feeling it course through his veins. Although he did not use his reiatsu detection analysis to confirm this hypothesis, the mirth did not appear to be a common sentiment of hers, one that had not dominated her emotional state for quite some time. Kaoru-san's reaction surprised him to the point where he blushed, which she undoubtedly noticed despite his attempt to conceal his flustered face. The round went to him because of his next move, though, since his wink had completely caught her off guard and caused her to blush deep red, a slight smile of satisfaction crossing his lips in response to his victory. When she responded to his confident statement, Hirato merely glanced in her direction and nodded, strolling next to her casually rather than his characteristic graceful stride. His sharp cerulean eyes noticed Kenji waving toward him and he smiled warmly before returning the gesture, disarmed by the innocent actions of the child.

The black haired woman certainly seemed to enjoy the stuffed bear he had given her as a gift, her fondness for such things revealed to him by the child who had slept in her arms minutes earlier. His apprentice had apparently noticed his interest in the conversation between her and a few of her squadmates, explaining what really happened to him while he nodded in understanding, catching her last statement with interest. "I didn't think so, kitsune-chan," the crimson haired man replied lightly, strolling alongside the woman he had recently taken on as his apprentice. The title served to continue their game further and how Kaoru-san reacted to it amused him, her flustered face only serving to increase that sentiment. He considered him a perceptive person and even without analyzing her reiatsu signature, he recalled what he had glimpsed in her heart accidentally and glanced away, losing himself in the beautiful night sky. Morinozuka-taicho appeared alongside a young woman holding a few children at this point, the Captain obviously familiar to him since they had met previously and the woman seemed somewhat familiar since he had visited the 4th to check his scar.

Hirato watched with mild interest while Kaoru-san conversed with his counterpart in the 13th division, acknowledging his fellow leader of the Gotei 13 by inclining his head slightly and standing in the festival grounds, waiting for them to finish speaking so they could move on. The child departed and it appeared that it would be just the two of them watching the fireworks together after all. The cerulean eyed man inclined his head graciously as Morinozuka-taicho departed as well, immediately beginning to walk again so that they could make it to their destination in time to settle in before the fireworks began. "Indeed we should," agreed the noble, following the blue eyed woman since she seemed to already have a place in mind, which pleased the crimson haired man because he had not attended these festivals in so long that he had forgotten the good places to watch the fireworks. The life of a warrior took a heavy toll on one's body and soul, but that was not responsible for his lack of attendance to these festivals. He had simply isolated himself and preferred to do something more productive with his time, although now he remembered the importance of rest and relaxation every now and then before returning to the war. Difficult times may be ahead, yet he could face them refreshed and prepared after this, his body and soul recuperating from the damage accrued over four centuries. He shook his head in response to her question about food, his appetite sufficiently satisfied with the dango eaten earlier. Now, his only desire was to watch the fireworks with his apprentice in peace and enjoy the short reprieve.

[Kaoru Murano]

He seems to be intent on calling me 'kitsune-chan' for the rest of the evening, Kaoru thought to herself with a mental sigh. Despite her flustered reaction, she found the title amusing, though she was not in any way a fox-like woman. Kaoru thought for a moment about who within the soul society that she knew could be considered a fox, but she didn't know offhand. Kaoru didn't really know which animal she was like, only others. She pictured her brother to be either a dragon or a alpha wolf, no doubt about it. Mostly Kaoru leaned more towards a dragon whenever the thought came to her in her musings. Despite not wanting to think about him, Takashi sprang up in her mind as well, a sort of cold chill ran through her spine at the thought of him, and she couldn't help but think he was either a dragon or a wolf too. Kaoru noticed over the years that Takashi was around, that the man of ice was the exact opposite of her brother, yet the same. It was an odd thought that Kaoru only just barely brought up once in a while, but when it did, she couldn't help but see all the things that connected Kyouya to Takashi in some fashion. Dispelling the dark cloud that was Takashi Yukimura, Kaoru turned her mind back towards the events at hand.

Kaoru had explained herself to her teacher, telling the events that happened with her captain rather than let him wonder what she did to fight with her captain. While Kaoru knew that she didn't really have to explain herself, she felt that she didn't want this man in particular to think bad of her. Kaoru tucked a piece of her black hair behind her ear. When she had turned to smile slightly and tell him to not worry about his student and that she didn't get into a fight with her captain, he replied lightly that he didn't think so. Kaoru felt a bit happy that her teacher didn't think she picked a fight with her captain. Most others, even when Kaoru explained thoroughly, had still thought she picked a fight with Captain Zabuza in the rain that day. Everyone knew that Kaoru was a spitfire when riled up, so they instantly went to the fact that she merely lost her temper again and challenged Asamoya to show her power. The young 9th seat wasn't stupid, she knew that should she lose her temper with her captain, she would face far worse punishment that having her zanpakto taken away and relieved of duty for two weeks. Kaoru realized too late that her Captain had intentionally went easy on her punishment when taken to him by Captain Kuchiki. As a child, as wild and untamed as she once was, Kaoru held nothing back, but over the years she matured and realized that to get anywhere within the seireitei, she must suppress her more expressive side and work to use the formalities that are used within the seireitei. 'This is not the rukongai; I cannot do as I please here,' Kaoru would often remind herself when she was close to being out of line. Some parts of Kaoru wished she was back in the rukongai since she could talk how she wanted, live how she wanted, and just be free. Within the seireitei, she was bound in more ways than one. Formalities, rank, duty; to name a few. She saw those as a necessary evil in order to achieve what she truly desired: peace, and power to protect that peace.

It was now Kaoru and her teacher as she lead him to the spot that she claimed as her own long ago when Kyouya would bring her to the festivals. Her crimson kimono looked darker the farther away from the lanterns she walked, the bells at the end of her braid losing their shine, and soon they were just barely on the edge of the lights. Darkness again, but this darkness is comforting, Kaoru thought with a slight smile to herself. All her life she struggled with the darkness; fighting it off and running from it on countless occasions. However, the darkness around her, caused by the fact that it was night time, made her feel relaxed. Perhaps it was because she found comfort within the night, or perhaps it was the fact that her zanpakto was mainly associated with the night; her inner world, after all, is eternally a night world with only the stars and blood-red moon to light the landscape. Kaoru sometimes just sat within her inner world to converse with Akai Tsukihime (the child often annoyed at Kaoru's insistence of looking beneath her mask, which would lead to the child making snide remarks about Kaoru's own mask). Her zanpakto would then move away, but always keep watch over her mistress, never letting the blue-eyed woman out of her sights. Akai Tsukihime, despite how she may act towards Kaoru, does truly care for Kaoru, just shows it in her own way.

Kaoru turned her back to the 9th division captain as she took in the night sky over their heads. The moon was out and so were the stars, a sight that caused Kaoru to smile slightly out of pure happiness. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air and closed her blue eyes to enjoy the moment. Every night, if she could get away, she stood either on the porch of her barracks or sat on the roof of them, she watched the night sky until sleep started to overtake her. During which time her thoughts would run from one end of the spectrum to another, all the while her body relaxed and her mind became more at ease. Her love of the night time was constantly in her life, from her childhood in the rukongai, all the way to the woman she was now. Kaoru opened her blue eyes to then turn back to the captain, smiling slightly. The place where they were at rarely had people go to since it was near the forest, but Kaoru found this spot nice since it had a great view of the night sky and was enough away from the lanterns that lit up the festival to give the area a nice relaxed feel to it. Since he was not hungry and neither was she, Kaoru just let herself lead the way to the clearing without much thought other than to watch the fireworks. Her thoughts drifted for a moment as she realized that tonight would soon be over and she would go back to her slight isolation within the soul society; while she had others around her to keep her from being alone in the sense of physical isolation, Kaoru couldn't help but isolate herself emotionally from others to keep her heart and soul from breaking again. It had become her habit, one that she kept up with the use of her mask. Since Kaoru kept her mask on everyday, nobody noticed how lonely the 9th seat felt when around others, unable to open up to them even as she got older.

Kaoru turned to glance up at her teacher, her arms holding her front as if giving herself a hug to calm her mind on this night of peace and fun. She looked at the man beside her, seeing him fully. His red hair stood out against the darkness, a welcome sight to the woman who loved the color red. She felt proud to call him her teacher; such a strong captain took her underneath his wing and decided to train her, for whatever reasons she had not figured out yet. She admired his composure and how sure of himself he was, two traits that Kaoru struggled with herself. She turned her face back towards the sky, but she spoke up within the silence. Her blue eyes slightly brighter within the moonlight above. "This place is my favorite whenever the fireworks happen since the night sky can be seen so clearly here," Kaoru said while she gave the captain a small smile. She turned towards Hirato with all the formality of a student in front of her teacher. "I want to thank you for enjoying the festival with me, sir. I had a good time," Kaoru bowed slightly to him and smiled. What she felt for him would be suppressed further, she knew she shouldn't let her emotions rule her and push her towards that even though they were not wrong.

The sudden sound of explosion in the night sky followed by the bright flash of the green fireworks caused her eyes to widen, but then her mouth turned into a grin as she turned her eyes towards the night sky. A laugh escaped her as she looked up, her hands behind her back. These moments that Kaoru could spend just letting everything go and having fun were very precious to her. The fact that she could spend it with those she holds dear to her made her happy. Tucking another piece of hair behind her ear, she smiled up at him again as she then turned her face towards the now bright and colorful sky above them. Her face expressed a peace that hadn't been present, except for rare moments, and in this moment she truly felt a taste of what she longed for. Though she knew this feeling was fleeting and the time would soon end as she went back to the dark horizon she moved steadily closer towards the endgame.

[Hirato Murano]

Kaoru-san seemed to enjoy her title, although she did not resemble a fox in her mannerisms at all, the contrast causing him to refer to her by it. The wolf mask that rested on the top of his head did not suit him either, since wolves were pack animals and Hirato had existed as a singular presence for quite some time, beginning with the death of Teina. His student was the only one to spend time with him like this in a while; his duty linked him to the Gotei 13 and he felt proud of his accomplishment, yet his heart remained his own. The crimson haired man listened to Kaoru-san explain herself and responded, interested as to why she felt the need to do so as she had to him, considering his knowledge of her personality made him doubt the supposed version of events involving the 9th seat and the man who led the 5th. While his mind processed the action, his walk carried him to the spot where they would watch the fireworks.

The light decreased as they walked further and further away from the lanterns, the darkness covering them just enough to conceal them yet not enough so that they couldn't see where they were going. His cerulean eyes took in the night sky and a light smile played on his lips, enjoying the sight and taking comfort in the beauty of the light of the stars and moon on the black canvas. Their spot was certainly remote, the clearing far removed from the rooftops where most watched the fireworks with their friends and loved ones; the remoteness made him wonder exactly what Kaoru-san's intentions were and how they would manifest themselves in the location with just the two of them in the dark night. He was naturally cautious and somewhat wary of others, but another part of him was very interested in seeing what happened. She had indeed chosen an excellent spot, one with a perfect view of the sky in addition to the lack of activity that allowed the fireworks to be experienced to their fullest extent.

Her voice brought his attention back to her, the light tones whispering their message to him. The noble affirmed that there was a perfect view of the night sky from here, his cerulean orbs softening in the face of the sight that reminded him of a woman he had once loved, a woman that would always hold a place in his heart even after her death two centuries ago. "As did I, Kaoru-san," replied the muscular man honestly with a smile, enjoying the time spent with his student outside of preparing for the war that would soon threaten them all. The fireworks started, the green light lighting up the sky and the explosions shaking the heavens magnificently with their thunder, his cerulean eyes taking everything in including the laugh of the black haired woman next to him. His smile widened and peace overtook him, relaxation allowing him to drop his guard for now and enjoy the moment of serenity. Hirato moved the mask down so it hung around his neck and his tall form moved to sit on the ground, his hands spread out behind him and his legs intertwined in a stance of relaxation while he inclined his red maned head to indicate that he wished Kaoru-san to join him. The feel of the soft ground beneath one combined with the fireworks and the refreshing air of the night was an exquisite apex for the festival.

[Kaoru Murano]

The night was just as she had hoped it would be. The only added pleasure she gained from the festival night was spending it with the man she admired and trusted. She knew that what she felt couldn't and shouldn't be brought to the surface, merely hidden like the rest of her emotions. Sighing, she returned her contented gaze to the sky above her, relishing the fireworks that now lit up the night sky. She returned his smile when he replied back to her saying that he enjoyed the festival too. Since he had said that this was his first festival in a while, Kaoru felt happy that he had a good time, even if all they ended up doing was following Kenji while he played. Kaoru smiled back at him and nodded her head, content with just the sounds of the fireworks in the sky. For once, her outside appearance did not reflect her inside. She looked peaceful and happy, content with the night time as it brought comfort to her. Inside, deep within her core, she still struggled with her own personal darkness, the chains that bind her still have been growing ever closer, but for tonight they were pushed back by the lights that surrounded her. Within her minds eye, the first of her sealed doors was in shambles, the second now having cracks appear in it steadily as she fought against it.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she turned to look back at her now lounging teacher upon the ground. Her blue eyes wondering what he was doing before she mentally shrugged it off. He looked truly peaceful, an expression that Kaoru had never really seen on his face before. The sight made her smile to herself and soon she joined him as he had indicated to her. Nodding, she sat down with her legs under her slightly as her right hand leaned back beside her and her left hand rested upon her lap. She moved her own animal mask off of her head entirely and set it beside her upon the ground. She sat right next to him, her trust allowing for such close sitting position to him. While she did a commendable job pushing back her feelings that had gathered over the time they had met and talked with each other, she couldn't help but feel a flush of pleasure at having a moment like this to share with him.

Shaking her head to clear such thoughts from it, she returned her gaze towards the bright and color sky filled with fireworks. She had brought him to this spot since it was the best place she knew of to watch the fireworks without much interference from others walking around them. This place was the one place that Kaoru ran to in the festivals when she was younger and newly introduced to the seireitei with Kyouya. He would find her in the tops of the trees, gazing at the night sky as if it would give her all the answers. Kyouya would try to get her to come down, but she regarded him with a cold expression each time and stuck out her tongue to him, turning back to the night sky. Her brother would wait patiently for her to come down, but sometimes he would have to go up after her to carry a rather annoyed young Kaoru back to the barracks after the festival. The memory brought a slight smile to her face over the actions of her younger self that were unhindered by the mask that she now wears constantly. Her right hand moved slightly back as she moved to shift her legs and body slightly to get more comfortable. As her hand moved, she felt it lightly brush his, which sent a shock go through her body at the contact. This would only be the second time she had physical contact with her teacher (other than fighting him before), even if this time it was accidental and the other was because she was afraid. Realizing what she had did, she jerked back her hand and held it on her lap, straightening out her back as she sat up. A flush crossed her face as she quickly apologized. "S-Sorry sensei, I was just moving my hand to get comfortable," Kaoru doubted she needed to explain herself, much less apologize, but she did so anyway out of pure habit. She gave a nervous smile before returning her flushed face towards the sky.

Her mind worked fast as she came up with another topic to quickly put what had happened accidentally behind her. When Kaoru got nervous, she rambled and babbled, a trait she never seemed to get rid of ever since she broke that night her mother died. Since she had her complete trust in him already, she decided to share a bit more about herself to him than she had already, this time it would be about her zanpakto and how her love of night correlated with it. This topic was safe ground for her."Night brings such peace, doesn't it?" Kaoru glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, giving a smile as she did so. Without waiting for an answer, she went on anyway regardless. Her gaze turning fondly to the night sky above her, looking for a moment at the moon that hung high in the sky, it's bright light reflected in her eyes perfectly. "The night is my favorite time of day; nothing beats sitting outside my barracks just gazing up at the moon and stars," Kaoru's voice turned thoughtful as she remembered their first meeting under the full moon one night a while ago. "It's what I was doing when we first met, actually. I'd once thought it's because it was the one time the villagers didn't harass me and stare at me like I was some kind of demon, but I think it's just naturally part of how I am. I brings me peace when I cannot gain it during the day," Kaoru's hands rubbed each other at the memory of their stare, but she pushed back her shadowed emotions quickly. "I know you saw my zanpakto before, sensei, but Akai Tsukihime is more closely associated with the night than anything. After all, she is called 'Red Moon Princess'," Kaoru looked over at her teacher and grinned, amused by her zanpakto's name since it resonated so clearly with her own soul. Kaoru motioned towards the edge of the forest around them. "In fact, where my zanpakto resides looks much like the forests that are in Soul Society, but there are lakes and some bare trees as well. What sets the world so clearly is the huge red crescent moon that hangs in the sky, dotted by stars around it. It's very beautiful, in my oppinion. It's easy to lose my way in there, though, so it also holds a dangerous aura as well. Darkness covers it's landscape, but the light from the moon is just enough to not worry about the shadows," Realizing she was talking about things that probably didn't interest him, she moved her hand over her lips and then waved vaguely in the air. "Um, sorry, sensei; I guess that doesn't exactly explain my love for the night," Kaoru looked down, embarrassed that she was so bad at making conversation with others. It helped if she could just brush those around her off with her mask, but when it was off, she realized it was all too harder to open up to others.

[Hirato Murano]

The moment was ultimately serene, free from any concerns of the enemies that regularly plagued the Gotei 13, free from worry about the dangerous shadows of Enigma, free from any thoughts of his duty as a soldier. He was simply a man enjoying the cool night air and the sight of the sky lit gorgeously by the fireworks in the company of a woman who was his apprentice and friend both, a myriad of colors shining through the darkness and dazzling those gazing upward past it. Her emotions were a complete mystery to him, his reiatsu detection ability deactivated to eliminate the final guard that protected his heart from the true emotions of others. She was no longer kitsune-chan, not because of the removal of her mask but due to the end of the game they had played, the identity of the one who had scored more points irrelevant in the face of the beautiful celebration. Hirato smiled slightly to himself at the fact of Kaoru-san's proximity, not bothering to even attempt concealing his expression now. He noticed her smile with nostalgia, the mystery of the expression making him very interested in discovering what lay beneath.

A soft hand brushing his and an apology spoken quickly by the light tones of his companion made him glance toward her and move his hand further from hers, a light blush coloring his face though the darkness concealed it somewhat and he turned away to hide it more completely. The noble nodded in understanding, replying to Kaoru-san's understandable yet pointless apology for a mere accident. "Don't worry about it," said the tall form of the 9th division Captain, speaking lightly although his face remained flushed. His sharp eyes caught a glimpse of her nervous smile before her gaze moved to the sky, the gaze of the cerulean eyed man following suit and taking in the fireworks, the moon and stars appearing to sparkle brighter with the additional light. Kaoru-san began to discuss her love of the night sky, her reasons making perfect sense to the logical mind of the Captain while the name of her Zanpakuto and the description of its inner interested him greatly, automatically filing it away in the appropriate mental folder.

Hirato glanced in the direction of the black haired woman, shaking his head to deny his lack of interest in the subject prior to his deep tones emerging from his mouth. "I understand completely, Kaoru-san; my own reasons for loving the night sky are very personal, however," the muscular man admitted honestly, implying with his tone that it was too personal to discuss with her, despite the trust she placed in him and the bond they shared as teacher and student. The night sky had a place in his heart for a reason he would not name, and no matter what happened, it would always have significance to him. Cerulean orbs held the sight within their depths, a sad smile spreading across the face of their bearer as the memories represented by it briefly returned to the surface and entered the forefront of his mind. Moving his gaze away from the sky for a few moments and pushing down the memories, the blue eyes of the Captain glowed in the vivid light of the fireworks.

[Kaoru Murano]

In this moment, all Kaoru felt was peace. Her mind flipped through her memories and tried to think of a time when she felt so peaceful; none came to mind. Even when her mother and her lived in the rukongai, she felt very little of this feeling she has now; the constant danger of the villagers hostile actions against her and her mother put her in didn't offer her such a positive outlook. Living in the rukongai was hard enough when in the less kept districts like Kaoru did, so adding in the hatred and unease the villagers already regarded her with made things worse for the two Takahata women. Kaoru did her best to keep the villagers hatred and unease on her alone, to spare her mother from having to deal with that sort of thing. Kaoru learned from a young age to be strong and be independent so as to not trouble her mother any more than she had. Of course, the older woman would constantly tell her daughter it was alright to lean on others when one needed to from time to time. Yuki Takahata was a woman who was kind to her very core; something Kaoru cherished about the woman she had called mother and missed terribly.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Kaoru looked up at the night sky with a slight longing in her eyes. A longing for many things that had now escaped her grasp and some that have yet to come to pass her by. Her accidental brush of his hand seemed to not faze him, from what she would make out of his expression. A sigh wanted to escape over a reaction she had hoped would come forth, but she knew better than to think that he might feel something towards her like she did him, and so she hid her emotions again. It wasn't something she wanted to do, but her painful understanding of her station in the seireitei and even in the whole of Soul Society weighed constantly on her mind. Even more so now that her admiration of Hirato Murano had grown since she met him. The fireworks lit up her eyes as she looked up at the sky. Her eyes glanced over when he had said that his own reasons for loving the night are personal, but tone of his voice made Kaoru feel as if she shouldn't ask, nor did she think it was her place to ask. Kaoru had told him her basic life story, the reasons behind her mask and why she is the way she is now, but not once had she asked him to share anything of his past with her. She never would. Her gazed rested on him, seeing him look up at the night sky with a sad smile; her own face turning to a frown at such an expression. Kaoru turned away, her eyes turned up at the sky as they now ended. Her heart sank slightly at having them end.

The lights that lit their faces now dimmed so that the only light that came into the clearing was the moonlight and the slight soft light from the lanterns nearby. The night sky returned to what Kaoru saw every night, a welcome sight in her heart. With a small sigh to herself, Kaoru had stood up and dusted off her kimono, the crimson color looking much darker in the dim light, the moonlight reflected off of her blue eyes in such a way that made them look like they were glowing sapphires. Kaoru turned back to her teacher and gave him a small smile, her expression softening in his presence. She couldn't quite bring herself to put up her mask when she was around him, with small exceptions of course. "Lovely as always," Kaoru said as she chuckled lightly. The fireworks were her favorite part of the festivals she attended every year. She had tucked a piece of stray black hair behind her ear as she smiled big at her teacher. "Would you want to walk with me when I take Kenji-kun back to the first district?" Kaoru asked quietly, shyly, since she didn't know if he would even want to. Her blue eyes glanced to the side as her expression turned unsure of herself.

She didn't have much of a chance to take back her question in case he didn't want to go since a sudden shout came in their direction. Kaoru recognized the child's voice as Kenji, and she immediately instinctively turned towards the boy like usual. Her blue eyes widening at the huge smile that was on his face as he ran towards her. She had thought that Kyouya would be tailing the child, but she couldn't sense his spiritual pressure around. Kaoru did take a look around for a moment to see if Suzuna or Yuna was even around, but they too were nowhere to be found. The next moment Kaoru knew, Kenji had tackled her legs as he grinned up at her fondly. Kaoru placed a loving hand on his black-haired head, and leaned down slightly to talk to Kenji with a soft smile on her face. "Did you enjoy yourself, Kenji-kun?" Kaoru asked as she picked up the boy to hold him in her arms. Kenji giggled and hugged her around her neck tightly. Kaoru smiled and put her forehead against his as she closed her eyes for a moment. The peaceful moment continued on, it would seem, not that Kaoru minded in the least. "Yeah! Kyo-chan and Suzuna-san took us to a great spot where we could see the whole sky!" Kenji raised his arms to emphasize the fact. Kaoru laughed gently as she turned to Hirato with Kenji in her arms, smiling at her teacher with happiness.

Kenji's gaze moved to Hirato, the man who made his adoptive mother smile so easily. To Kenji, Hirato was someone who was alright in his book. Anyone who was kind towards Kaoru was pretty much golden in his eyes. Kaoru loved the fact that Kenji opened up to Hirato so easily. He was rather shy at times, but for this one at least, he had come to see Hirato as someone he could trust. "Hello, Murano-san," Kenji said as he looked up at the man with his blue eyes that resembled Kaoru's in a way, his expression happy. "Are you going to walk with Kao-chan and I?" Kenji asked excitedly as he regarded the man with a smile. Kaoru gave Hirato a soft small smile while she held her adoptive son. "I promise it's not that far to walk. He lives right by where my adoptive parents live," Kaoru said as she turned to go. "It would seem I'm showing you more and more of myself as we go along. Not that I mind," Kaoru turned to go, but had her head turned slightly so that she was glancing back at him with her blue eyes filled with a gentleness reserved for certain people whom Kaoru is comfortable around. Kenji cheered. "Yay! We get to see Grandpa Hiro and Grandma Misaki!" Kaoru turned back towards Kenji as she nodded. "If we're lucky, Misaki-okaasan and Hiro-otousan will be back home when we get there," Kaoru said as she said her adoptive parents names with fondness. Kaoru turned to walk away, hoping that Hirato would walk with her since she didn't want to part so suddenly from his company.