The one time she’d seen the woman, the word intense hadn’t even come close to describing her. But Aimee didn’t know any of the Ryosh or senior shinobi, anyway, so it hardly mattered who itturned out to be.
Someone would need to keep an eye on Taiga, though. If she wasn’t already on his squad, she’d need to figure out how to get there. It was just a gut feeling, but she’d learned long ago to trust her instincts.
When she looked up again, Hi Haven unfolded below her. Somehow, in her wandering, she had made her way to the top of the Great Phoenix.
“Damn.” She sank into a cross-legged position, leaning back on her hands, letting her eyes drift to the stars.
How long will I be under these ones,she wondered, when the sudden snap of a branch caught her attention, pulling her gaze to the tree line on her right.Who could that be?
Not that it was unusual for people to be out late. This was a ninja settlement after all, and nighttime comings and goings weren’t out of the norm.
Another sharp crack echoed through the night, and a masked man clad in the traditional Hi Haven uniform stepped into the moonlight.
Oh my, she thought, watching his silver hair catch the light while the metallic tag on his bandana, tied to cover his right eye, gleamed under the stars.
Seeing her, he paused.
His fingers brushed the back of his neck in an almost sheepish gesture. “So sorry, miss. I didn’t realize anyone was up here.”
She remained quiet, watching as he walked toward the cliff's edge. He was a stranger to her, but he was obviously a shinobi. The uniform and bandana gave it away. And by the way he carried himself, she could tell he was skilled. It wasn’t confidence, but rather a lightness in his steps, each motion perfectly balanced and controlled. He moved like a wolf, relaxed but ready to strike at any moment.
“A beautiful night.” He exhaled, then turned back the way he came. “I’ll leave you to it.”
“There’s more than enough space.” The words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. “Don’t leave on account of me.”
Facing her, he shoved his hands in his pockets, giving a slight bow. “If you insist.”
Then, he turned and eased himself to the ground, pulling out a small book and flipping it open to read by the light of the moon.
Sitting in silence, Aimee tried to clear her mind, tried to recapture the peace she’d been chasing before his arrival, but her eyes kept drifting toward the silver-haired stranger.
Who is he? The question burned in her mind with a sudden, inexplicable need to know more about him.
She should leave. She knew it. Getting caught up with a random, unknown shinobi wouldn’t help her in whatever Mission the Pattern had set for her. Besides, she was supposed to be playing a sixteen-year-old, for crying out loud, and he was clearly a full-grown man.
Nodding to herself, Aimee looked up to the sky, where the moon hung like a coin of silver, and moved to stand.
“Leaving?” the stranger asked, though he hadn’t moved from his relaxed position. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
Aimee scrambled the rest of the way to her feet. “No, no. I’ve been out too long already and have an important day tomorrow. Just needed to clear my head.”
“I understand that.”
“Oh?” she asked, waiting for more. When no further explanation came, she shrugged.Time to go, I guess.
But as she took a step to leave, his voice stopped her.
“Do you often come here to find stillness?”
“No,” she paused. “I’m not usually the quiet meditation or ‘stillness’ kind of woman, but I guess it’s been one of those days.”
“And what kind of woman are you, then?” He leaned forward, resting his chin in his palm, his elbow braced casually on one knee.
Is he…flirting?
“One that’s better with motion. A few hard hits, a steady rhythm—” She cocked her hip, thinking.Who is this asshole, anyway? And why is he looking at me like that?Then, before she could stop herself, she added, “Would you like a demonstration?”
The suddenness of her words seemed to startle him, and his elbow slipped from his knee, sending him pitching forward until he caught himself with both hands. All the grace he’d shown before vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of embarrassment.
