The Shiroto Manor

Shinichi glanced back towards the robe nervously, then followed Washi into the main room, staring into the fire with a smile. Truth be told he remembered little of the days when he had been teamed up with Kiza and Washi. It couldn't have been that long ago, and yet it seemed as if it were an entirely different lifetime. Shinichi wasn't even that old, not even twenty, and he felt like a forgetful old man. Closing his eyes for a minute he walked over to the wine cabinet, his back to Washi, and formed a few quick handseals, then turned quickly towards washi, letting his hands drop even as he did, making sure to make eye contact with washi as he muttered beneath his breath.
"Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu..."
A simple genjutsu, quick and likely unnoticeable, he hoped merely to hide his Akatsuki robe in the other room, but seeing as it was nearby, anyone caught in this genjutsu would now see it as his usual white jacket instead. Speaking again quickly to cover his muttered words, Shinichi reached up to the cabinet, making it seem as though his question was the reason he had turned.
"Would you like something to drink Washi? I've just got a fresh bottle of sake.."

Washi looked away from the fireplace and towards Shinichi who was now approaching a wine cabinet quite slowly. He looked carefully at Shinichi, his behaviour was definately odd and he was never particulary welcoming to guests. Heck, since when did Shinichi even drink wine? Washi paused for a few seconds to think about this before Shinchi turned round. They made eye contact for a second and Washi felt something strange.

"Sake? I don't drink sake, Shinichi, surely you know that," replied Washi, now narrowing his eyes onto the familiar face, "I don't drink alcohol. Surely your memory isn't that bad?"

Shinichi shrugged lightly, and pulled a bottle of sake down, pouring a small amount for himself into a glass. putting the wine back he went to sit in a chair in front of the fire, the light flickering off his pendant as he took a slow sip, eyeing Washi trying to remember more.
"Yes, of course I remember. But its been a while, people can change in a very short amount of time. It may take years, it may only take hours. I thought it best to ask."

Washi put his hand to his face for a split second. Something felt wrong and something was wrong. He removed his hand again, maintaining eye contact with Shinichi. He knew he had felt this feeling before but he couldn't put his eye on it. He saw Shinichi pouring himself Sake again. Not normal at all.

"Clearly your tastes have changed, Shinichi," replied Washi, "Ask? When did you ever ask?"

He did not wait for the reply and immediately withdrawed his chakra,

"When did you ever grow so careless as to use genjutsu on me? KAI!"

Shinichi set the glass down slowly, for a moment his face going a little more pale than his hair. If he was exposed he would be forced into hiding, rather than allowed to relax here in the manor. That couldn't happen. He took a deep breath, deciding it might be best not to drink. Truth be told he rarely did it anyway, though he had sought alcohol more often since his nightmares had begun. Silently he cursed himself. Why did he not remember anything? It was going to cause serious problems. Shinichi paused uncharacteristically, knowing it was surely too late to cover.
"As you can tell the warmth and well being of the manor has decreased...It has become habit to put any guests under a few illusions to make the place regain some of its grandure..."

Washi arched an eyebrown slowly knowing that Shinichi was somehow covering up. The question was what? As soon as he had entered the Manor he knew something was wrong about Shinichi's behaviour, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Guests? This Manor has been neglected for a few years now and you would never let guests come inside anyway. Secondly the surroundings of the Manor itself did not change when you placed me in that genjutsu," questioned Washi calmly, "That genjutsu was covering up something far smaller, something you did not want me to know about? What are you hiding, Shinichi Shiroto?"

Shinichi frowned at this, letting out a long sigh as his face regained some of its colour. This was getting out of hand fast. Why did his old ally have to choose now to come and pay a visit? There must be something he can use as a cover, something else, he could make up a story about some other object in the manor, and get Washi out of the house...No, he was too clever for that. Shinichi clearly did not have his wits about him.
"It's nothing you need concern yourself with Washi, its a personal matter. All men have secrets."
Washi, you always were too smart for your own good..

Washi stood up carefully from the chair, one of his arms about to draw out Kira if the situation got out of hand. What secret? What secret would he hide with genjutsu? Clearly an object of some kind...

"Secrets...yes all men have secrets but what secret would make you so worried as to put me in a genjutsu?" he asked once more, "Did you seriously believe I would be stupid enough to fall for such illusionary tricks?"

He retreated away from Shinichi slightly, wary and making sure that he would not underestimate him if a fight broke out.

Shinichi all but scowled watching, the fire behind him crackling in a few moments of silence, his hand hovering over the hilt of his blade as he watched Washi reach for his kunai. Yes, that troublesome..extending kunai. He had it named too, Kairi or something of the sort. Shinichi's voice took on a slightly darker tone, though it lost none of its elegance in the process.
"Leave your weapon be my old friend, I want no quarrel between us..."

"No quarrel? Placing genjutsu on your guests...I'm sure Kiza would like to hear about that," said Washi still keeping himself calm, "It seems I can not take this secret from you if I do not resort to force but for old times sake I shall leave you be."

Washi shunshined back, watching Shinichi carefully, before opening the door. That was when he saw it, the Akatsuki attire. He pretended he had not seen it and shunshined back onto the street not turning his back on the Manor in the process.

Shinichi watched Washi carefully, letting his fingers slide over the cool metal on the hilt of his sword. He watched as Washi turned to leave, his face darkening yet again when Washi suggested Kiza be brought into this as well. He watched as Washi saw the robe laying on the counter, and as skillfully as he brushed past it with a show of ignorance, Shinichi knew that he was about to be exposed. He cursed softly, but turned to stare into the fire for a few moments, selecting not to pursue Washi, for the sake of the friendship they once had. Pouring his thoughts into the flames and freeing himself of stress, Shinichi then walked away and put his Akatsuki robe on, returning to the garden out back. Even if he was to be discovered, he ought not to risk the entire organization. Forming the family phoenix seal, Shinichi gathered his chakra and dumped in a bit of frustration at having been discovered so quickly.

"Katon: Karyu Endan!"

A stream of scorching hot flames shot from his mouth and once again engulfed the stone in the garden, although this time the angle the fire dragon was at caused the lump of stone to melt and fall the other way, sealing the hole he had caused earlier. Shinichi continued using the fire jutsu until the stone looked normal again, though smaller, sealing the entrance to the Akatsuki hideout.

*Ukokei appeared out of the Hideout, now in his normal attire. He wore a large robe, white with red gloss along the ends of the arms. His hair was combed slightly up now, giving his hair a natural spiked look. His eyes were black, carefully concealing his Kidou Miraa-Gikou.* "Seems he's found out the secret. It'd be best we move out now, lest the Kage himself find us." *He said as his body slowly faded, sand swirling around him.*