Felinegenesis

[TyDie]

It had been a few hours since Takuma had left the presence of the other 9 genma hosts, and truth be told the experience left him... awestruck. To see so much power, so much ancient history, all amassed on a single rooftop - No, to be a part of such a gathering. To be one of them... "Surreal" didn't even begin to describe it. "Well, what did you expect, Love? My kin were once the rulers of your world, did you expect that our glory would wane after all these years? Heh, quite the contrary, I'd say... It feels like mere moments ago, we claimed dominion over these lands." Janesisu spoke into Takuma's mind as he wandered the streets of Amegakure, the cloudy sky overhead shielding his head from the sun's harsh rays.

"I'm not saying that your power isn't magnificent, Janesisu. But... you know that those days were over a thousand years ago, right?" As Takuma rounded a corner, wandering through a crowded bazaar, he spoke to the genma aloud but in a hushed tone. The spirit simply sighed in response, he could practically feel her disappointment. "You know just what to say to upset a girl, don't you child? Time is all about perspective... To you, that was generations ago. To me, to us... hardly a day has passed. Maybe one day you'll understand..." Takuma didn't think he could ever truly come to understand Janesisu's point of view, at least not in regards to her perception of time... But something else caught his eye and took his mind from the conversation.

As he passed by a small stall in the bazaar, his eyes honed in on a vial of cloudy liquid, and as he stepped closer to take a look at the vial, the man behind the counter raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to the stall to speak to Takuma. "Oh, fancy that vial there, eh boy? A wonderful potion that, it took my family generations to perfect the recipe. I call it the Panacea - A true miracle drug, it can cure any ailment no matter how deadly or resilient. And for such a wonderful cure all, I couldn't think of asking less than 1,100 Ryo. What do you say child?"

As Takuma stared at the bottle, his eyes began to swirl with increasing speed and intensity, the star that served as his pupil glowing brighter with each passing second. After a few moments, his brain having deciphered the contents of the vial, he looked at the man and tilted his head in confusion. "Wow... I never would have thought the secret to curing any ailments would be water and sesame seed oil. That's incredible!"

The salesman began to flush with anger as the boy called out his false miracle drug for what it was. "Excuse me? How dare you insult my work by dumbing it down in such a way!" "What? No, I was being serious sir, what an incredible discovery you've made! And so widely available too, You can get Sesame seed oil all over!" Takuma's confusion was apparent, but the stall owner was having none of it, reaching for a dagger underneath his stall and pointing it at the child. "Get out of here, you brat! You know nothing of my trade!"

Little did either of them know, there were other eyes on their interaction...

[Willoria]

The woman's hand lashed out and quickly enclosed on the man's wrist. It didn't take much pressure to force him to drop the blade, especially considering she already had her own sword, Chi-no-Hari, pressed to his throat. "How unbelievably foolish of you." she snarled, venom in her tones as she spoke to the salesman. "Threatening a young visiting shinobi during such a time? Or maybe the bigger mistake was trying to sell false promises at such a time... what would your own country's samurai have to say on this matter, I wonder?" A growl resonated deep in the woman's throat as she threatened the man, her bright eyes alive with mischief.

Coming up beside Takuma was a boy a little shorter and a bit younger than him. But the boy quickly took him by the hand and tugged at him lightly. "Back up." he said quietly. "You don't want to be too close when she does this." he added, still almost whispering. If Takuma followed the boy's lead, Tora would pull him a few paces back from the altercation.

Meanwhile as Asami stared down the con artist, red chakra seeped from her. She stepped back and sheathed her sword and a moment later the chakra stopped, but it didn't mean the man didn't get a taste of it. "You're closed for the day." she snarled at him. "Now go, or you'll face the wrath of the Seven instead of just your Samurai."

[TyDie]

Takuma was already frightened by the threat from the man, taking a small step away from the man as fear overtook him. But then, the voice in his head rang out with a chuckle. "Hehehe, Oh you poor child... This man is no threat to you. To us. You could unmake him with ease, just let me free and he'll be of no more concern..." Takuma could feel his own chakra begin to well within him, as if involuntarily preparing to remove the threat this man posed... But in an instant, another person beat him to it. A woman? No, not just any woman - The pauldron on her shoulders had clear marking on them. One was undoubtedly the markings of Kirigakure, a symbol he had just seen prominently while interacting with Shinjiro. The other was a mystery to the young Suna shinobi... At least until the woman identified herself as 'of the Seven'.

He was pulled back by Tora, stunned and awestruck as the woman restrained the man, while the man recoiled in fear and pain. As she finally released him, her chakra seeping out into the air around them, panic made itself clear on his face. A moment later, he simply took off, leaving his wares on the table; they weren't worth his life. As he scurried off, Takuma's starry eyes focused in on the woman, and he found himself unable to resist asking a very intrusive question of her. "Excuse me... Could I see your sword again? It was... strange. Oh, but not here, haha!" Takuma rubbed his head with slight embarrassment - the three had already attracted a bit of a crowd, given Asami's sudden intervention.

"Thanks, by the way. I'm Takuma."

[Willoria]

Asami watched the man go, a look of amusement on her face as he practically tripped over himself. When she turned to look back at the boys she was surprised to see they had moved back a few feet. But as she turned she caught sight of a wisp of her own crimson chakra and her smile turned almost sheepish as she realized why. She nodded to Tora as she knew now the boy had clearly pulled Takuma back to protect him from the affects of the ability she was still trying to get under control. Takuma asked about her sword and the woman tilted her head, looking at him in confusion for a moment. It was an odd question, perhaps a dangerous one even, to ask a member of the Seven Swordsmen but before she could say anything he seemed to cover himself and even introduce himself. "Karugata Asami." she replied with her own name, motioning to the boy next to Takuma. "The quiet one there is Tora." she added. She too looked around and saw the audience gathering and chuckled, realizing she had probably come close to drawing the wrong attention herself and could almost feel the wrong eyes on her now.

"I saw a tea house not far from here, how about there?" she asked, motioning for the kid to follow her. She thrust her hands in her pockets and noticed Tora staying at the boys side. She shook her head as she turned to lead the way. "Stay by his side if it makes you more comfortable then, Tora." she said as she went.

Tora would follow Asami, keeping next to Takuma and even between Takuma and Asami if the other boy started following her more closely. Naturally given how Tora himself felt about Asami and her predilection towards violence, he felt uncomfortable simply leaving someone near his own age alone with her without putting himself between them. "....you realize he was lying about that so-called cure, right?" Tora finally asked him quietly, looking at Takuma a moment. "It was fake. He was trying to scam money out of people for his own greed."

[TyDie]

The woman identified herself as "Asami", and Takuma gave a slight bow of respect as she did so, as it was clear to him that she was most likely a stronger, higher ranked ninja. The boy was introduced by her as well, and to him, Takuma gave a slight smile and wave. "It's nice to meet you both. I've only met one other Kirigakure ninja, but he was surprisingly pleasant despite what I expected. I hope you both are the same as Shinjiro-san was." He spoke the name with high regard, not knowing of course that he was so well known among the people of Kirigakure, and Asami in particular. He was just a really nice shinobi, who happened to be a jinchuuriki like him.

At the recommendation of a tea house, Takuma smiled and nodded in affirmation. "Ooh, that sounds wonderful! We have many tea houses in Sunagakure, but I've yet to try one of the local places. I'd love to." He'd follow along behind the woman and Tora, close enough that Tora would most likely put himself between Takuma and Asami. He was happy as could be, until of course Tora explained to Takuma what the salesman was really doing. In an instant, Takuma's demeanor was replaced with sorrow, a small sigh escaping his mouth. "...Oh... That's so sad. I mean, if he needed money, he could have just asked. But, to trick people like that, giving them false hope... How cruel."

Poor Takuma still expected the best of people, to see someone who was so dishonest... it hurt him personally.

[Willoria]

As Takuma spoke so highly of Shinjiro, Tora stared at him wide-eyed, but it was Asami who laughed. "So you've met my Overseer and Sensei." she said, shaking her head. "You're lucky he was kind to you, he's never as such to those in Kiri, the only ones who know that he has the capacity are those closest to him and even then its rare to see for them." she remarked, for the moment staying silent that Shinjiro also happened to be her lover. Though she was glad when she noticed Tora didn't immediately go into a rant about Shinjiro having killed his mother, it was a positive change. Usually just a mention of the man's name brought that out.

As Takuma got excited about the tea house, Asami couldn't help a genuine smile. The woman had a rare kind side herself, almost a motherly side, that seemed to emerge around the younger ones. She led the way to a particular tea house that she had noticed once already. Once inside the reason would be pretty clear, not only was it a fairly quiet place but the tables were separated by shoji screens, giving a certain amount of privacy. She heard Takuma's comments and realized Tora was settling into silence again. "He didn't need the money, Takuma. He simply wanted it." she pointed out as she walked in and led the way to a tea table.

She motioned both boys into places against the wall, taking up a seat herself that was between the boys and the door, intending on making sure if there was trouble it'd find her first. Of course that was less than likely, but the woman was typically prepared regardless.

Tora led the way to a cushion against the wall, happy to take a seat, and glad to see Asami in a good mood so far.

[TyDie]

As the three entered the tea house, Takuma was pleased by the calm atmosphere and the sense of solitude their seating provided them. He doubted that there would be much in the way of eavesdropping to begin with, but given the secrets he bore, he much preferred knowing that whatever he spoke would stay with his intended audience. As Asami revealed her connection to Shinjiro, the boy lit up with delight as he took a seat next to Tora. "Really? He seemed like such a nice person, just like you. But, well... I guess it might be because we have something in common. After all, I met him when I met the other nine Genma hosts. I believe the other Kirigakure host was... Nishiki-san? The fox boy, he was fun!"

Putting his hand on the table in front of him, Takuma let a little smirk cross his face as he felt the desire to show off a little. For a moment, chakra began to gather around his body, before flowing towards his hand a second later. The sudden "Clink" of metal touching metal could be heard under Takuma's right hand, and when he removed it, a large amount of Ryo was on the table - More than enough to pay for anything the three wanted from the menu, with a generous tip for their host. "That reminds me, I'm buying. After all, you picked the spot, it's only fair right?" Perhaps his act of making money from thin air would make clear why the shifty merchant's desire for money made him so sad...

Takuma could have showered the man in Ryo. Or gold, or jewels... such valuables were nothing to him now, thanks to Janesisu.

[Willoria]

Asami gave Takuma an odd look as he referred to her as nice, even Tora looked more than a little shocked. The woman almost laughed outright, but settled instead for shaking her head. "He's kinder to those he feels he can mentor, typically those much younger than him, especially fellow hosts I suppose would fall under that." she commented, thinking back to the way Shinjiro acted around others, and remembering a particular conversation she'd had with him when he was under the influence of her red chakra and ability. "But most don't get to see that side of him, you're fortunate." she added, looking like she was still deep in thought before she heard a loud 'clink' on the table and looked over at Takuma to see the ryo he'd created.

The woman blinked a few moments. "You really shouldn't be letting shinobi from other villages see you do that, Takuma, especially not when you're alone with them." she said, warning him carefully. "That alone would make you a target, you could fund entire wars... greed is a powerful motivation. I can only imagine what else you could do. This festival might be under the banners of peace and neutrality but there are still dangers here." Asami turned to flag down a server however, ordering tea and snacks before turning to the two boys to get their orders as well.

[TyDie]

Takuma smiled at the thought of Shinjiro mentoring him... the older jinchuuriki was clearly a successful, powerful man, who had had years to master his genma's powers. If Takuma could reach that point, there was no telling what he'd be capable of... and if Shinjiro could help him reach that point, all the better. "Well... I guess I'm fortunate then. I could tell that he wasn't afraid to kill or be what he had to be for Kiri's sake, but he and I shook hands and agreed - We jinchuuriki should cooperate and help one another as much as possible. We're not just shinobi of our villages, we're connected in a way that no one else in this world is. Even now... I swear I can feel the other hosts here in Amegakure. I'd like for us to all be friends... Hopefully one day we can make that happen."

He didn't just mean the jinchuuriki either - he meant everyone. He hoped with all his heart that one day, he could meet the very same people he had met here in Steam Country and just be friends with them. In that respect though, his eagerness to showcase Janesisu's powers seemed to be making him more of a target than an ally, according to Asami. A frown crossed his face as he reached a hand towards Tora, wanting to hold his hand to help with his unease. "That's... sad. I can't really think of another word for it, but it's very sad. Surely there's enough in this world that everyone could be happy, but still people see fit to take from each other. Maybe some day I can ensure that no one goes without their wants and needs... With this power, maybe it's possible."

Tch, fat chance, Love. The genma broke it's silence, earning a sudden wince from Takuma as the voice rang out in his skull. Greed is part of the human condition, child. No matter how much you give them, they will always want more. Not only that, they will covet what their fellow man has, regardless of whether you can give them the same thing or not. Because they won't see what you gave them as the same, Love... They don't want the same thing, they want what their neighbor has, and if they want it bad enough they'll take it. even if they could have the exact same thing without that conflict. You're poor, naive heart will learn one day... Your species is scum.

"...You're wrong, Janesisu..." The boy whispered under his breath, though both of his friends could probably hear him.

[Willoria]

Asami looked at Takuma for a moment and sighed. She almost genuinely didn't want to burst the kid's bubble about Shinjiro, but of all the hosts she could imagine he was probably the most dangerous person there. She shook her head a moment as the boy spoke of him so highly. "You can trust Shinjiro to be Shinjiro." she told him quietly. "Make no mistake, he does do what is necessary for Kiri, and I'm sure he truly hopes for everything he promises you, but he's also a shinobi who follows orders." She brought a hand up and touched an opening in her clothes that revealed scars across her chest, thick that had been left by the claws of an animal. "He gave me these when we first met, kid. It took a long time to get to a point where I could trust him, and earn his respect. I've drown to earn it, I've bled to earn it... you have something in you that gets you his instant respect. Train that, tame it, and you'll maintain it. Remember that." She sighed and leaned back in her seat, glancing around the restaurant for a moment as if some thought was bothering her.

"Strange to me that your guardians, whoever they are though, are stupid enough to just leave you alone in here with a foreign shinobi.... idiots." The woman seemed to mentally go somewhere else, ignoring the two boys with her even as the food and drink was delivered.

Tora however still had his attention focused on Takuma. When the other boy reached over to take his hand, Tora didn't stop him. If anything he looked down at the other boy's hand in his and just stared at it in surprise before looking at Takuma almost hesitantly, listening to what he had to say with rapt attention. He saw Takuma flinch as the spirit flinch and gave his hand a light squeeze and attempted a smile, glancing at Asami as he noticed she wasn't really listening or paying attention to either of them before looking at him again. "Ignore her." he said, swallowing hard. "Kiri is... its all violence. Shinobi hunt people in the slums for practice. The homeless, the poor... I was one of those once. I'm only alive because she decided I should be. Dumb luck I guess, if you want to call it that. She said she saved me to be like her. Just like someone saved her once. If I didn't accept her helping me, she would have killed me. Shinjiro is worse than she is." he was speaking in whispers, looking at Asami periodically to make sure she didn't hear him.

He couldn't help to give Takuma a strange look though, almost one of wonder. "But what you said, what Shinjiro told you? If he really said that, and the way she's acting now... they're both different. You're already making a difference you know. You're making them difference somehow. How're you doing that?"

[TyDie]

Takuma was brought from his conversation with the genma by Asami's response to his take on the Kiri jinchuuriki, Shinjiro. The scar she showed him was brutal, and truth be told it looked like something he could probably do given what he saw from the man on the rooftop. "I believe it... He gave of a murderous aura, of that there was no doubt. But he also seemed genuinely interested in fostering us jinchuuriki, helping us and preparing us for the future. I trust him to be who he's shown me he is, and Kiri may be first but the rest of the Genma hosts are still high on his list of priorities... At least, from what I can tell." The woman proceeded to comment on his lack of guardians, and before Takuma could respond another voice rang out over the median separating their table from another.

"He's not alone."

A shift from behind them indicated movement, and Takuma let out a small sigh as Makoto stood and moved to stand by their table, her infamous fox mask on her face. "I had no reason to reveal myself, but I won't lead you to think that he's completely unsupervised. We don't want you taking any unnecessary risks, do we?" Makoto cocked out her hip and placed a hand on her other hip, her clothing moving slightly to reveal her puppet hand and arm. She was making clear that Asami had better not try anything - She wouldn't get far, if Makoto had anything to say about it.

Takuma simply tuned his watcher out, as he had been spoken to by the young boy Tora instead, who held Takuma's hand and brought a smile to the blue haired boy's face. "Your village seems... unsafe. Dangerous. Brutal. I don't think I would survive in such an environment. The fact that you have doesn't mean you're lucky, Tora, it means you're strong. Stronger than you think, tougher than you think." Takuma squeezed the boy's hand a little tighter as he spoke, his swirling eyes focused on Tora's own orbs as his smile grew. "Don't sell yourself short."

He wasn't sure what to say about the changes with Asami and Shinjiro, but it did make him happy that he was making a difference it seemed. He wasn't sure what those two were like back in Kiri, but here at least it seemed they were happy to be in Takuma's company... and somehow, Takuma was making them better people. But Takuma didn't see it that way, letting out a small chuckle as he looked over to Asami. "I'm not changing them... that side of them has always been there, somewhere. I guess I'm just bringing it out. I believe everyone has good in them, regardless of what Asami and Shinjiro have done or will do... I think there's something in them that's good. But, I'm glad you got to see and hear about it - Maybe it'll make them nicer back home too."

[Willoria]

Asami was grinning wickedly as Makoto started moving and finally revealed herself. "It's funny that you think you're only just now revealing yourself." she remarked. "Half your body makes more noise than a grown man breathing, dearie." she taunted as she pushed her chair back slightly and stood, turning to look at the boy's guardian. Her hand went to her left hip, a click echoing as she started to unsheathe her sword and she raised an eyebrow at the other woman before holding out her right hand to make clear she wasn't reaching with her dominant hand. "Relax, the kid asked to see it earlier." she finally said, pulling the blade with her left hand in a downward dagger grip before finally offering it to Takuma. "Just don't tell Shinjiro I let you see this, hm? I'll end up in the hospital for at least a week again... a member of the Seven should never show anyone their blade nor reveal any of its secrets." she explained. But the woman of course knew this blade only held a couple of small secrets in its design, it was the other that held real secrets.

"It's name is Chi-no-Hari. It's specially designed to draw blood, both mine and others. The person who first designed and used such a blade was a former overseer named Kazuki Ryoga, his son is a student of mine and allowed me to use the designs to create this. I've adapted it for a shorter blade."

Tora however was fixated on Takuma's eyes from the moment the boy had said he was strong. "N-no one calls me strong. Ever." he said quietly, not even realizing he was blushing slightly. He tried to shake it off after a moment, catching the moment when Takuma said something about Shinjiro and Asami having good in them. The boy looked down for a moment as he thought about it. "Sometimes... you can see a hint of it when they're together." he whispered. "They're actually lovers. As brutal as they are, I've seen both of them torture and murder but in private they're... sweet."

Asami didn't hear what the boys were saying, but when she turned to offer Takuma her sword, she saw the two with their heads nearly touching as they spoke and the woman raised an eyebrow, noticing in particular the slight blush on Tora's cheek. "Huh."

[TyDie]

Makoto crossed her arms and let out a 'hmph' in response to Asami's words. She hadn't necessarily been trying too hard to hide her presence, she was well aware of the many sounds made by her puppet limbs. She just wanted to let Asami know that she was listening, and she was well aware of where Takuma was and what he was doing. The boy was not left alone or without his handlers - She was just falling into old habits and watching from a distance, as opposed to being all 'buddy buddy' like Souta would have preferred. Plus... She just wasn't feeling social right now. Too much to pay attention to, to many risks to assess. She had to be on top of her game here, while Takuma got to enjoy the festival.

Asami moved for her sword, and Makoto's hand flew to her own blade in response, moments from drawing it as a threat. As Asami made clear she was giving in to Takuma's request from earlier, the woman snarled under her breath and released her blade, her puppet hand going back to her side. "Mind yourself, Takuma. Peace or no, these are Kirigakure shinobi." "Oh stop, Makoto." The woman looked at Takuma as the young child looked away from Tora for a moment, leveling his version of a glare at the woman. "They've done nothing but be kind to me, even helped me out with that merchant, which even you didn't break character to do. If you're going to be a downer, go sit down and watch. It's what you're good at."

Makoto froze in place as she looked into Takuma's eyes, wanting desperately to lash back. Her hand trembled with frustration as she clenched her fist, but eventually she sighed and released her grip, staring the boy down as she moved back to the other side of the screen to listen and watch.

"...I'm sorry. I just... I can't deal with her always treating everyone and everything like a threat. It's so frustrating, I can't live that way. It's hard enough living with being afraid of the thing inside me, I can't be afraid of everything else too. I can't live in fear my whole life." Letting out a small sigh, he shook his head and finally paid attention to the sword presented to him, a happy smile crossing his face as he observed the strange carvings and clean edge. His eyes began to swirl with increased speed an intensity as he took in every detail of the weapon, as if he could see every shard of steel that went into it's forging.

She held it out to him, and in response he raised a hand and pushed the blade back to her. "No no, I wouldn't dream of touching the sword of one of the Seven. Especially if such a thing would upset Shinjiro-sama. But... I have an idea, if you'll stay calm and reserve judgement until I'm done." He wasn't necessarily asking for permission - just preemptive forgiveness. Once more, space-like chakra gathered around him as he focused on the weapon before him, holding out his hands and mirroring the same hand positions as Asami holding the blade. The chakra around him then moved towards his hands, gathering and taking shape in his hands as he let out a deep breath.

When he was done, before Asami's eyes was Chi-no-Hari. In Takuma's hands, and in her hands. He had duplicated the weapon perfectly - down to the subtlest of nicks and the exact positions of every unique carving laid throughout the blade's design. Then, he'd inspect that blade personally, holding it and running a finger lightly along the blade. "It's truly something special. It may not seem like much to a normal person, but this spike here on the back of the blade tells me that you intentionally injure yourself. If I had to guess, the intent is to lace the weapon with your own blood... which tells me your blood is a weapon somehow. Is it poisonous maybe? or acidic? No, wait, you shouldn't tell me - personal secrets and all that."

He gently pricked his finger on the spike he referred to, wincing slightly as a drop or two of his blood fell into the blade's grooves. He was right, as he expected... When he was done with it though, he would hold the blade out to Asami as she had done to him. "It's yours. The original was yours, it'd feel wrong to keep the replica. I'm sure you could use a spare, you never know what might happen after all, haha." Once she took the weapon from him, he'd turn back to Tora and smile at the young boy, finally getting back to their own conversation, Takuma shifting a little closer to Tora as he got to talking.

"But it's true, Tora. You are strong. I can tell that just by looking at you and hearing where you live and what you've been through. Strength comes in so many forms... Your name says it all, one day a proud tiger will burst out of you, and I can't wait to see it for myself." His hand reached out for Tora's again, gripping it tightly as he smiled at his newfound friend from Kirigakure. He was sure that life would continue to be hard for him in that village, even with people like Asami and Shinji in his life - Or perhaps, even because of them. But he had hope that he'd make it through... he was so much stronger than he gave himself credit for.

But Takuma's eyes were good at breaking things down and seeing them for what they really were.

JutsuShow

Toukoujutsu • Minor Replication
C-Rank Toukoujutsu
Prerequisite: Bunsekigan, Form 1 or Higher
Takuma will perform a series of hand seals, focusing on a particular assortment of matter previously or currently being analyzed with his Bunsekigan. He will then form his chakra into an exact replica of the matter in question, with the same density, composition, shape and size as the original. With this level of replication, Takuma can only replicate a single, inorganic object with a maximum size of 2x2x2 meters. This replication takes shape within 20 meters of Takuma at a speed and with strength equal to Takuma's [Control].

[Willoria]

Asami raised an eyebrow as the normally calm and quiet boy in front of her chastised his own guardian, clearly using her actual name rather than some kind of codename considering she was wearing a mask. She simply nodded at his explanation but in truth, she didn't particularly care. She was impressed, but the detail wasn't important. What was important was that the woman seemed to listen to him. Asami remained quiet as Takuma looked over her weapon without taking it, though admittedly she felt her heart skip a beat as he perfectly replicated her sword right in front of her. When it was done, she put hers away, biting back a desire to go off on him for what he had just done. In the end though, he made clear he understood the possible transgression, and even offered the replica to her. She took a cloth from her things however and immediately wiped every speck of the boy's blood from the weapon and offered the cloth to him. "Don't ever let a drop of your blood fall into the wrong hands." she told him, simply winking. She couldn't give him village secrets, but she could give him an obvious warning on the subject matter. Vague words were his friend in that moment, and she hoped he'd understand her implication. He had shown her respect, and she would do the same. Leaving his blood on her weapon was an opportunity other Kiri shinobi with her skills would not have ignored.

Asami wrapped the replica in another cloth and put it away in her things however. "I'll give this to my student, he'll be happy to have it I think. A reminder of his father's work, that its been passed on to others." she remarked before glancing between the two boys. Feeling nauseous briefly for an unrelated reason she picked up her tea and took a sip. "Let's let the boys have a moment." she muttered to herself, nodding to Tora and Takuma before stepping away. Without saying another word, she'd simply take her tea with her to join Makoto at her table, whether the other woman liked it or not.

Tora was surprised to see the two women leaving, and even more surprised as Takuma turned to him again and what he said. The boy blushed again and shook his head. "I-I've never been strong." he said quietly. "I couldn't protect my mother from Shinjiro, I couldn't get out of the orphanage by myself, I have to be forced to shed blood, I'm a horrible Kiri shinobi." he explained, speaking in quick hushed whispers, desperate to keep Asami from hearing what he said. Many of these words were things he'd been beaten for saying aloud before, or things he was forbidden to say to anyone.

[TyDie]

Takuma wasn't sure what the woman meant by telling him not to let his blood fall into the wrong hands. After all, it was just regular blood - What harm could it do? Nevertheless, she was happy to accept the replica of her blade, giving it to her student seemed like a fantastic idea, and Takuma smiled with pride at being able to give a gift like this to his newfound friends from Kirigakure. But then, it seemed Asami was going to rise and go speak to Makoto alone, leaving the boys to talk amongst themselves...

Behind them, Makoto lifted her mask slightly to take a small drink of sake, her own personal treat and one she rarely indulged in due to her location in Sunagakure. As Asami sat by her though, the woman grumbled and put her bottle away, replacing her mask and crossing her arms. "Whatever you're expecting to get out of this, it won't happen." Makoto had no idea what this woman was planning, getting so close to her ward like this... perhaps Kiri wanted the power of that genma for themselves. Whatever the case, Makoto had no intention of playing into enemy hands...

Takuma, on the other hand, listened to Tora trip over himself about how bad he was at being a Kiri shinobi, and how he wasn't strong... "Ha, oh the poor child. Put down by so many around him, but how could he hope to compare to the talent he's surrounded by? Some are doomed to obscurity... unlike myself of course, hehe..." The voice in his head caused Takuma to frown visibly, while Tora continued to list how bad he was, until eventually Takuma put two fingers over Tora's mouth to silence him.

"Stop that." the young boy said with finality, a stern look crossing his starry eyes. "You're blind to your own potential, Tora. I may not know much about Kirigakure, but the Seven Swordsmen... those are some of the best shinobi in the village, right? And you're being trained by one? How can you not realize that that means you have strength? Would you have been given this kind of opportunity if you were as weak as you think you are? No, of course not. So stop it..." Takuma had moved his hand from Tora's mouth to his shoulder, and his stern gaze was replaced with the same smile as before.

"You know what I see when I look at you, Tora?" As Takuma spoke, once again his chakra welled up around his body as he held up his other hand, closing his eyes and hand for a moment as he envisioned something in his mind, then used his power to make his imagination reality. As his chakra flowed into his hand, he opened it, and in his palm was a silver bracelet with an adjustable leather cord. The cord would enable Tora to adjust the bracelet to fit his wrists no matter how big and muscular they got. And in the center of the metallic part of the bracelet was a large crystal, light blue and slightly transparent, with a brilliant twinkle as it caught the light above them. It was pure aquamarine.

"Courage. And that's what this stone symbolizes." He'd hold the bracelet out for Tora to take, Takuma's gift to a timid boy with the potential to become a brilliant, powerful man.

[Willoria]

Asami chuckled as she sipped her tea. She shook her head at Makoto's comment. "What I expect out of this has nothing to do with your boy..." she answered simply, sighing for a moment before looking at the other woman as if looking over her from head to toe briefly. "You smell oddly good... oils, treated wood, and flowers..." she remarked, that smirk coming back to her lips. "So, just how much of you is left a real girl? Enough to play with?"

Tora meanwhile suddenly froze as Takuma touched his lips. His eyes went wide as the other boy began to speak. He had never really thought about it that way, all he saw were people who had killed his mother, no matter how many times he had been told why or the wrongs she had committed against him or was going to commit. Nothing had convinced him any of his current situation was right or okay. But as Takuma spoke, it shed a new light on things. It didn't fix everything, but it certainly made things feel different somehow. As Takuma's hand moved to his shoulder, Tora's hand came up to rest over it almost instinctually. He didn't say anything in response however, his eyes were slightly wide as he simply absorbed the information.

Takuma asked him if he knew what he saw, and Tora slowly shook his head, swallowing hard. As Takuma held up his other hand and funneled chakra into it to create something, Tora tilted his head sideways to rest his head on Takuma's head, his hand sliding down so he could feel Takuma's hand on his cheek instead. When the bracelet was revealed Tora simply stared at it for a moment. "Courage?" he said quietly. "I've spent all my life terrified, how..." he swallowed hard and lifted his head up, looking at Takuma for a moment before looking at the bracelet again and finally taking it in his hands. He ran a thumb over the stone and nodded slowly. "...it's what I need to be though." he said quietly.

[TyDie]

Makoto's demeanor didn't change as Asami stated her supposed intentions, but she did tilt her head with curious disgust as she appeared to be... hitting on Makoto? The smell of her body, and asking how much of her was real, like those thoughts were going to get anywhere with her? "...Really? This is where you wanna tread? Fine, alright, let's go there." As Makoto spoke, she rolled up her sleeve on her left hand, slapping her forearm on the table in front of her. This act would reveal that the woman's entire left arm was purely prosthetic. "Not much, woman. But what I do have left that's real is enough to gut you if you think about laying a finger on me or that boy."

Takuma, on the other hand, was having a much more pleasant conversation with Tora, feeling the warmth of the boy's cheek as he rested it against Takuma's hand. He was appreciative of the bracelet, which made Takuma happy beyond words, and if Tora would allow him Takuma would put the bracelet on Tora's right wrist. "It's not what you need to be, Tora. It's what you are. And every time you look at that stone, I want you to remember that. That a genma host from another village, an enemy village, recognized your courage and strength were so great that he gave you this gift." Takuma held the boy's hand and looked over his work, his eyes scanning the bracelet and admiring not only the work of his creation, but the arm that it rested on. Both were exquisite.

"Just because our village are enemies doesn't mean we have to be... right Tora?" Takuma looked to the boy's eyes again, tilting his head with a smile as he waited for Tora's response.

[Willoria]

Makoto's anger and threats only served to amuse Asami. She laughed outright as the woman removed her own arm and set it on the table, Asami grinning at her wickedly. "Oh honey." She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table as she looked at Makoto. "My primary lover at home? First time I met him he tried to shred my tits... the second time? He drowned and revived me." She reached up a hand to shift her shirt and show off part of the scars that extended across her chest from one shoulder and down to her side. "So your threats? They're just gonna get me hot." she added, laughing as she finished off her tea and set the empty cup aside. "But please, try... that's even better..." Of course the main reason she was flirting with Makoto though was to keep her distracted from the two boys. She had a feeling the woman would separate the boys if they got too close, but she also had a feeling that getting close to Takuma, to someone like him, might be exactly what Tora needed in that moment.

If that meant she flirted with, or even got frisky with, a Suna Shinobi? So be it.

Tora meanwhile was finding himself completely caught up in the moment with Takuma. For the first time in a long time, perhaps since meeting her, he was completely unaware of his Sensei's presence not so far away. He watched quietly as Takuma put the bracelet on his wrist and swallowed hard, finally smiling. Once the bracelet was on he brought it close to himself, almost to his chest, to start turning it slightly and looking at it in the light and different shadows. Takuma wouldn't know it, but there was great value in his words. Once genma host had shattered his life, in his mind, and now another was building him up. That he happened to be from an enemy village somehow had value to him.

Takuma asked about them being friends and Tora looked at him for a moment before smiling again. He didn't answer verbally, but what he did next was probably answer enough. Tora had never been much for affection of any kind, and yet he suddenly lunged at Takuma and wrapped his arms around the other boy in a hug. His cheek against Takuma's check, clearly not wanting to let go as he simply said, "Thank you." in a whisper.

[TyDie]

Makoto picked up her puppet arm and shoved it back into place on her shoulder with a grunt of frustration and disgust as Asami continued to make her advances, going as far as to show off some skin that had been rended by a fellow shinobi. By the Light, Kirigakure shinobi were such animals... "Disgusting... Your people really have no thoughts beyond base, primal instincts. Fighting and fucking... it's deplorable. I'm ashamed to share a species with you." The woman was beyond furious, and yet her blade was stayed by the peaceful tenets set forth by this damn event. She couldn't wait to get back home...

Takuma, on the other hand, didn't want to leave his newfound friend any time soon. The wordless responses the boy gave were all Takuma needed, but as the boy lunged at him to hug him, Takuma couldn't help but squeal a little with surprise. Of course it wasn't fear or anything, so while Makoto tensed initially, the slight giggle afterwards caused her to relent. Takuma did of course return the hug, squeezing Tora tightly and pressing his cheek against Tora's as the boy thanked him. However, after being thanked, something popped into Takuma's head... and he turned his head to place his lips against Tora's cheek. Not so much a kiss per se, just sort of an extra show of affection in addition to the hug. And it was only momentary - a moment later and Takuma was pulling back from the hug, holding Tora's hand instead.

"You can return the favor by becoming what I know you can be."

"Oh my goodness, you two are absolutely adorable! I never thought he'd be your type, love. Haha... Maybe my host isn't so boring after all."

"...We probably have to go soon, Tora. I don't know how much longer my guardian can handle your sensei, and we have more business to take care of before we leave Amegakure. But I won't forget you - And we'll see each other again. Promise."

[Willoria]

Tora blushed deeply as Takuma kissed him on the cheek. The touch and affection was not only incredibly foreign to him, but it briefly confused him. When Takuma pulled back and held his hand, Tora interlaced their fingers without thinking. He nodded at Takuma’s words and tried to give the boy a reassuring smile. ”I will, I promise.” he replied. Though as Takuma went on to talk about Makoto and Asami, Tora couldn’t help a small laugh. ”I think I’m starting to see why her and Shinjiro get along so well…” he muttered, shaking his head. He had heard most of what was going on between the two women as well. If he hadn’t been so preoccupied with Takuma he might’ve actually laughed or been embarrassed from Asami’s behavior. As it was, he was just grateful to get the time he was getting with Takuma, alone.

Takuma mentioned leaving and the boy nodded sadly. ”We better.” he said quietly, blushing still as he hugged Takuma again, and this time rushed in a quick kiss on Takuma’s cheek in return.

Asami meanwhile was laughing at Makoto’s disgust as she finally got up from the table. She could hear the boys getting close to separating and knew it was time to take her leave. ”Sometimes being so primal… is just so very fun, my dear Makoto.” Asami replied. She moved to step past the table towards the boys, and past Makoto, but suddenly made a change in direction. At the lost moment she reached down for Makoto and grabbed her by the neck to pull the other woman up to her feet and kiss her roughly. Not on the woman’s lips, but right on her mask, before dropping her roughly back in her seat with a raucous laugh.

With that she simply walked past the boys and made a simple hand motion to Tora. ”Let’s go, Tora.”

[TyDie]

Takuma was stunned into silence as Tora's kiss landed on his cheek, a big red blush forming along his face as the boy pulled back quickly from Takuma's face. Janesisu, on the other hand, was squealing with delight in Takuma's mind, clearly overwhelmed by the cuteness of the encounter. Makoto, on the other hand, was ready to disembowel Asami as she walked past her, only to turn and grab her up to her feet, placing a kiss on her mask. Her hand was on her wakizashi, gripping it so tightly her fingers were about to bleed, but she managed to resist the urge to spill the Kiri scum's guts on the floor... After all, she'd die too. Instead she simply lifted her mask and spit on the floor as the two Kiri shinobi walked away.

Takuma called out to the both of them as they left. "It was great meeting you two! Tell Shinjiro-sama I said hi! Bye Tora!!" He waved his hands joyfully as the two left the tea house, no doubt raising a stir in the crowd who were enjoying the quiet of the tea house. "We should go, Takuma. We're creating a scene and disturbing the quiet of this place." Makoto insisted, motioning for Takuma to leave as well. The boy let out a small sigh as he watched his friends leave, turning back to Makoto with a big smile on his face.

"I think you'd be less miserable if you learned to like new people, instead of being so cautious of them."

Makoto was stunned by the philosophical insight the boy randomly spouted at her, her eyes growing wide with surprise, while Takuma simply skipped his way out of the teahouse, leaving enough Ryo to cover anything the four shinobi had asked for during their stay - plus a *very* generous tip. "Let's go Makoto. I've got more places I want to see before we head home." Makoto followed quietly behind her ward, still stunned by what he had said... how was a child this young so wise that it actually bothered her?

As the two left the teahouse, Makoto removed her mask and threw it to the ground, clearly so disgusted by what Asami had done that she no longer wanted to even keep the damn thing. She'd get another one when she got home...

Maybe.