Transfer Mission: The Blackbird's Dilemma

Felix was at the office, sitting in a chair with a blank expression on his face. He was rather bored at the moment with nothing to do but sit there and guard the Kage. He'd done his part in making sure Lacie was able to be put as the advisor instead of Aidelia. He wondered how the silver haired woman would feel about that. Not too happy he would assume. Felix grinned at the thought of Lacie's ceremony and Aidelia being there with a pissed off look on her face. He gave a silent chuckle and crossed his arms over the table, laying his head on them.

Kana took several hours before she actually got the groups down. She had to go around learning each ninja's individual skills, so it took a while, considering she had both the ANBU and the jonin there. By the time she finished, it was nearing evening-time. Considering the ninja had all trained in a way that satisfied Kana, she let them go home for dinner, but not before assigning the ambush squad a group mission to be done before the end of the week.

While walking back to the apartment, Kana passed by a take-out place that served mostly chinese and japanese cuisine, and stopped, looking at it.

Walking into the (still being rebuilt) Kage's Tower, Kana held two bags of food in one hand. Knocking on the door to the Kage's office, she stood in the doorway, but the arm holding the bags was behind the door frame. "Excuse me sir, but can I borrow Felix?" she asked. She seemed to be in a relatively good mood. She didn't know what terms the Kage and Felix were on, but she hoped the old man wouldn't spoil her mood by telling her no.

Felix looked up when he heard a knock on the door. The shinobi went from bored to alert in a matter of seconds. When he saw it was Kana, he frowned. The Kage gave a slight nod and Felix got up from his seat, walking past Kana. "What's up," he asked. He wondered why she was here when she was usually out with the ninja or whatever she did after she finished training them. Felix wondered if this was some kind of trick. It could be a distraction to get him away from the Kage, but Aidelia wouldn't be that stupid, would she?

Kana nearly grinned when she saw Felix become alert. Yep, that was definitely her sensei. Always ready for action at a moments notice. When he came out of the office, she stepped away from the door and held up the two bags in one hand. "Hungry?"

Felix tilted his head to the side. "Who are you and what did you do with Kana," he asked as he stuck his head back into the Kage's office. "I'm taking a lunch break," he said casually. The Kage nodded and went back to the paper work on his desk. Felix closed the door and led Kana to a table where he took a seat in a chair. "What's the special occasion?" He asked. He went to add, 'Are you and Kymin engaged?' But figured she would wouldn't take it as a very funny joke. So he kept his trap shut. Although he did want to know why she was treating him, seeing as though she didn't often, scratch that, she never treated him to anything. Kana wasn't the person who brought others lunch. Or maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

Kana didn't say anything as Felix told the Kage he was taking a lunch break. It was dinner time. She wondered if he'd bothered to eat lunch, or if he'd just lost track of time. After all, it wasn't uncommon among ninja to forget to eat while they were busy. Food was a luxury, after all. Kana followed Felix to the table, sitting down and placing the bags on the table. She shrugged at his question. "I'm in a decent mood. You shouldn't question it, it doesn't happen often," she joked lightly. "There's fried rice, dumplings, and sweet and sour chicken. Help yourself," she told him, taking out a small container of fried rice. There was also another small thing of fried rice, as well as a couple plates and plastic forks that usually came with take-out. Well, the plates didn't, but she'd asked for some anyways. Opening her container, she took a bite before speaking again. "Anyways, did you talk to the Kage about his other option?" Of course she was talking about Lacie, but her tone was rather casual.

Felix blinked when she spoke. It was true, it didn't happen often. He would cherish it. Two great days in a row, yeah, this was just what he needed. Felix did exactly what Kana had offered as he helped himself to the rice. He was being very generous of what he took though, in the terms of small portions. Felix honestly didn't remember the last time he'd really eaten. Serenity would be furious. He remembered the time he'd told her two days, even though it had been much longer. She'd ever so kindly freaked out before treating him to his favorite food. Felix missed his blond sweetheart. Oh how he'd never voice that aloud. "Thanks," Felix said to Kana. When she asked about the Kage's other option he smirked. Was she always about business? They had agreed upon it, but during lunch...dinner..... Then again, what else would they talk about? "He likes her. I think he'll be asking her to become his advisor in a few days." Felix sat back in his chair. "And he's being smart about keeping her joining of the higher ups on the down low. I think he's becoming more aware of the situation."

Kana smiled when Felix didn't say anything about her being in a good mood. She liked that he didn't inquire. But then again, she did tell him not to question it. She took a plate and put a couple dumplings on it, opening one of the small sauce containers when Felix told her that the Kage liked Lacie. Her eyes were practically shining. "Great." She paused. She kinda wanted to ask how his girl was doing. It wouldn't hurt, but she wondered if he'd take it the wrong way. She'd come to terms with the fact he was with someone a long time ago. "Hey, Felix. How's your girl in the Crested? Is she okay?" She hoped he knew what she was talking about. It should have been obvious though, considering it had only happened the day before.

Felix was working on his rice when Kana asked about Serenity. She was in that good of a mood? Strange. "She's fine. A bit shaken but fine. There was a ninja there when it happened." Felix was sure Serenity could have taken care of herself, she'd proven it many times over. Felix was not complaining though, after all, she was carrying his kids. Felix wanted to speak on something else. Since she'd taken the risk of asking him about Serenity, he figured he might as well ask a question of his own. "How did you know they would go for Suki?" He asked.

Kana gave a small nod when Felix said she was fine. "That's good." She didn't actually hold anything against his girlfriend. But she still remembered that conversation she'd had with Felix when they'd reunited just before the mission. She didn't like the fact that this woman could make her sensei seem so vulnerable like that. This woman made him into a completely different person. Or maybe he was actually normal around his girlfriend and abnormal around her. One could never be sure with Felix Kuriyama. She blinked when Felix asked about how she knew about Suki. She wanted to tell him it was a hunch, but decided to simply explain instead. "Well, Aidelia's probably had us watched since we'd arrived here. And it stands to reason that a spy saw you with Suki. Only it wasn't them that you explained the situation to. They probably thought you were with her too," she explained with a shrug. While she said it casually, she suddenly felt a little awkward about how she'd stated that last bit. After all, she wasn't trying to make it sound like Felix was a man whore or anything like that.

Felix paused when Kana said 'too'. "That makes me sound like I'm just a complete flirt," he said with a shake of his head. "Which I am not. I just happened to tease people more often than not." Felix leaned back in his chair. "And besides, Suki's just a friend. I should have been a little less intimate with her, but I was only teasing her." Felix sighed. "Maybe I've gotten soft over the years," he said with a somber look on his face. "It won't get any better once I get back home either." Felix wondered if he would be able to handle not being a ninja for so long a time. Probably not. "Anyway, thanks for checking up on her. We both appreciated it."

Kana looked at him, giving a slight chuckle when he said she made it sound like he was a complete flirt, and then proceeded to tell her how he was not. She shrugged. "You know I didn't mean it like that. To be honest, I'm not sure I've actually ever seen you tease anyone before," she told him casually. She didn't know that he teased so much. Except for that one time, they'd always had a business-like relationship. Just fellow ninja. She then paused when Felix said he'd been teasing Suki. "Well, except for then I guess." Kana looked down at her food when Felix said maybe he was getting soft. "I don't know about getting soft. But you're definitely a different man now than I knew my sensei to be," she told him, almost quietly. She nodded to him when he thanked her. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine," she told him with a light smile.

Felix looked at curiously when she stated he was different. Felix paused for a minute, thinking about what to say. In the past, he was cold and emotionless. Serenity had tried to so hard to break him of it, and finally after years of practice, he'd found some part of him that was still human. Some part of him that could feel again. Felix looked at the table. Was change a bad thing? Did Kana want him to return to the machine he'd once been. That Felix that had no conscious? Even Felix knew how brutal he used to be. He didn't want to be like that around his children. Felix was at a loss of how to respond. He wondered if Kana realized that the sensei she once knew was a lesser half of the demon that had attacked her. Did she really want to see that part of him again? "Your sensei's still somewhere beneath the surface," he reassured her. He gave a small grin. "Trust me."

Kana looked up from her food when Felix spoke again. Her smile widened a bit, but it was obvious she was trying to hold back from downright grinning. She took a bite of her food before speaking again. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind how you are now. I've gotten used to it. But my old sensei's the only part of you that I can actually understand. The only part I actually know," she said lightly. She paused when she realized how fondly she was speaking of him, turning her gaze down to the table. Whether he knew it or not, it was that merciless machine she'd modeled herself after when she'd been training under him. She herself had become merciless in battle. And...well, if Felix was changing, did that mean the way she was now was wrong?

Felix shook his head. "It was the only part I knew for a very long time," he admitted. Felix honestly didn't miss that part of him, but he knew that it was still there, waiting like the Blue Demon. He just needed a reason to shut down and forget everything. If he were to get to that point, he prayed it was after his children were gone. Serenity would always be there, but he didn't want his kids to see him as he truly was. Oh Felix, that's not you. You're kind and sweet. But sometimes you forget that because you're hurting inside. You're always hurting, aren't you? Felix blinked and looked around completely caught off guard, forgetting that it was just him and Kana. Meridian? There was no answer and Felix's shoulders sunk. Why did she always do that to him? "I'm just taking a break is all," Felix said. "It's the wrong time to be taking a break, but it's necessary." He gave a small grin. "And for the record, you've changed too. You're no longer that scrawny kid my higher ups assigned to me. You're actually worth something now." His blue eyes shinned.

Kana looked at him when he said it was the only part he knew, blinking when he looked around for something that clearly wasn't there, for the next moment his shoulders slumped. "You okay?" she asked. "Maybe it's actually the right time to take a break." She wasn't sure he'd understand, but considering what was going on with him lately, she thought now was the perfect time. Things had gotten so bad with him that he'd even gone to Kyla to have her reverse his immortality. Even when he had a girl, and kids on the way. "I haven't changed as much as you think," she told him after he'd finished speaking, but then stopped completely. "Hey," she started, pointing her fork at him. "I was not scrawny." Even so, she couldn't help but give a small grin. "But...thanks." Sometimes it was as if Felix could see right through her. It kind of scared her. But she really didn't think she had changed all that much. She was still abrasive, and she didn't go around trying to be friendly with people. While she was more friendly with Felix than most, it wasn't going to be the same with other people. She wasn't fond of other people.

No, he was not okay. Felix wanted to know why Meridian had been coming to him more and more often. And she was no longer coming to him in dreams, but while he was awake and very much conscious. What are you trying to tell me Meridian? Felix shook his head when Kana asked about him. "Oh yeah, I thought I heard something. Guess I'm getting paranoid because of everything that's about to happen." Felix smirked when she finally caught on to what he was saying. "Oh Kana, you were too scrawny. I couldn't believe that you were the child of some of the greatest shinobi I'd ever met." Felix grinned. "I thought you would have cracked under my training." Felix leaned back in his chair. She really had grown. Every time he thought about it, he was proud to call her his student. "You're welcome."

Kana gave a light, irritated huff, when Felix argued that she had been scrawny. Honestly, she didn't remember too much before she'd started her training with him. She'd been told though, by numerous people, that she hadn't been the best student in the academy, even before her parents had died. That they'd all thought she'd only make chuunin at best. It was funny. When she looked back on it, she realized they'd been praising her, not insulting her. She'd ended up angry with them though. Yep, that was her life story. Mistaking words.

Kana looked at Felix almost curiously. Didn't he say he'd never met her parents? Maybe it was just a figure of speech. "Funny how it turned out I was the only one who didn't crack under your training," she said with a grin and a small chuckle. She'd never held anything against her old teammates, but she'd always thought they'd been pretty damn weak. Three of them dropped out before the squad was finally formed for good. While Kana had never worked well with any of them, after a while she'd grown to respect them. Though she'd heard one of them died a while back. A shame too, she'd kinda liked him. She paused. "You thinking of taking on any more students? If you become an academy teacher, you'll be able to stay in the Crested," she told him lightly. She wasn't sure why, but she kinda figured that he might want to stay in the village after his kids were born. Maybe it was because if she ever had kids, she'd want to do the same thing. She wouldn't allow the father alone to raise them.

...Who was she kidding. She was not mother material.

Felix blinked. He'd never thought of that. Becoming an Academy teacher would allow him to remain as a ninja, while staying at home. Felix often wondered what he'd do with his time if he didn't stay as a ninja. He had assumed that he'd watch the kids while Serenity told fortunes and healed people. It was as time consuming as things could get, considering there would be two kids instead of one. "Thanks for the idea. I might just take up that position once I get back." Felix raised a brow. "There have been others before you that haven't completely cracked under the pressure. You're just the first of your generation." After all, Rumiko had survived his training. Felix looked off to the side. How did he get stuck with all the messed up kids? The ones who's parents had died, family members had been lost, things of that sort. It was as if the villages had chosen him to train their broken shinobi to become the best, to become machines. Felix blinked. Did he have his own special unit of shinobi? Was he....broken?

Kana looked to the side. "That's what I meant." She wasn't arrogant enough to believe that she'd been the only ninja to ever survive his training. While Kana was still in a decent mood, she'd run out of things to talk about. She was almost done with her food anyways. "What time do you think you'll be getting back to the apartment?" she asked. "There's some things I want to talk with you about that shouldn't be discussed in public," she told him calmly. "It's not bad news or anything, so it's not particularly urgent. But I'd like to get it out of the way regardless." It was about the war, but nothing big. She wanted to discuss with him just how far they were going to go with this war. She wanted to limit casualties as much as possible, but didn't want to make it look like the war is staged. It was why she'd sent out those ANBU to set traps. All to catch Aidelia's attention.

Felix smirked and stopped leaning back in his chair. "I know," he said. When she spoke of needing to talk with him he nodded. "Sure then, I should be home by eight....thirty." He nodded. "Yeah, eight thirty." Felix looked at his empty rice dish. That was good. "It's finally good to hear good news instead of bad news. Bad news gets a bit old after all. Try not to tease me by telling me bad news when I get home," he said with a sly grin crossing his face. Maybe not the best time to be making jokes, but he couldn't care less at the moment. This was a good day, he would like for it to stay that way.

Kana nodded. Eight thirty was fine. She wouldn't be asleep by then. She returned the small grin when Felix told her not to tease him. "If it were bad news, I wouldn't say it's not urgent," she chuckled. Any bad news was urgent news, that's how she saw it. "But really, if you take so long to come home, bad news might just make it's way to us." While it was only about two hours until eight thirty, that just exhibited the fact that trouble found them more often than not. Kana looked over the table once before pushing her chair out. "Anyways, I'm gonna head home myself, and get some plans written up," she told him, standing up, and stacking up the garbage she'd used to throw away. "Call me if you need anything."

"Sure thing," Felix said as he too got up from the table. He took his own trash to the trashcan and disposed of it. "Bad news isn't always urgent," he said. "But hey, it's whatever. I'll see you in a few." Felix pushed the chair back to where it was supposed to be and then went into the Kage's office. The man looked at him curiously and Felix ever so slyly avoided the look as he plopped down in the chair and faced the wall. Yeah, he was bored again. He swore he had the attention span of a fly. Yeah, the Academy would make a great job for him. Felix smirked. It could even mean teaching his own kids when they were old enough to join. That's when it hit him....would Serenity allow it? Shaira wasn't a ninja when the two of them met after a century of separation. Felix shook his head. Oh no, his children would be ninja no matter what. She would have no say. Hell, he had a reputation to uphold.

Kana returned home, only to realize...she hadn't seen Snickers in a while. She wondered where the cat had gotten to. Shaking her head, she went into her room and pulled out a couple scrolls. Upon coming out, like magic, there was the cat, stalking its way through the living room before jumping onto the couch as it usually did. Shaking her head, Kana walked over and petted the cat a few times before going into the kitchen.

By the time eight thirty had arrived, the kitchen table was once again littered with scrolls and maps that were littered with notes. But Kana wasn't sitting at the table this time. She'd gotten hungry again, and had decided to make herself a small meal, not having paid attention to the time. She wasn't making much, really, just a few burgers that had been frozen. And she never microwaved burgers if she had the time. She liked cooking them herself, and since she had both time and spices, she was gonna cook'em right. Her back to the kitchen doorway, Kana had the radio on and was singing along to a song, albeit not loudly. She seemed completely absorbed in what she was doing, but her mind was well on alert. Especially after what had happened the morning before.

Felix had gotten off at eight and gone to the hospital where he quickly located the nurse that had gotten Liam for him as well as sent Kana flowers. He gave the woman a small smile. He'd promised to return her kindness, so he hand delivered her flowers and a box of chocolates with a thank you card. He left without much to say. He knew it wasn't a bright idea after everything that had happened, but it was better to do it now than later. Upon getting home, he heard Kana singing to a song in the kitchen. He looked at Snickers. "Does she do this often," he asked the cat with a small grin. Of course he didn't expect an answer. Closing the door loud enough for Kana to hear him, he went to his room and grabbed some fresh clothes. He needed to shower.