[Graded]Late Summer Lightning Festival!

[Kanade]

Chiaki moved to clothe herself for the festival. She was wearing some rather fun undergarments and put on the first layer of her kimono, a white under-robe which she allowed her butterflies to cinch up in the back for her, settling it around her waist and pulling the fabric so that it was more form fitting with the tie under her bust. Nodding to herself she read the flyer she had taken from a youth in the street aloud, two butterflies holding either side of the top corners so she could.

"Late Summer Lightning Festival!

Open to all in the area outside of the kyoukan shrine. Admission fee is 5 ryo.

Festival games:
Catch your own goldfish,
Prize string pulling,
Candy cutout,
Three legged races,
Lantern painting,
Adult low stakes gambling,
Kimono sewing,
Blacksmithing contest
Much more!!!!

Festival starts tonight! **** and ends in three days time. 24 hour entertainment by fire-eaters, dancers, singers, opera, kabuki theater, sword jugglers and demonstrators.

Shinobi get in free with proof of headband, all proceeds go towards the new section of kumogakure gardens!"

Chiaki looked at the butterflies and tied her band the fourth time around her waist before handing them the tie once more. They delicately folded it behind her and tucked it in.

She looked at her reflection, past the paper and nodded. She decided that she would go without makeup tonight, but instead would do a henge technique to gussy up, easier to paint your face when the paint doesn't run or come off when you drink.

With a couple of hand seals her scar faded away, her eyes looked the same un-famaged burnished gold, her hair was not changed in appearance, as she was wearing it in quadruple braids, gathered together into an elegant bun held together with two blue hairpins, from which dangled faux ruby tassels.

Her kimono was a royal blue with white lillies patterned on it, and flowed down to almost touch the ground. She had a good hour and a half to make it there, but loathed to stand in line.

In her clutch there was a kunai, just in case, a makeup kit should she tire of the henge, and a more comfy pair of woven slippers.

Carefully. She stepped into the wooden sandals which gave her a couple inches. She readjusted her kimono, showing a bit more cleavage just in case kirari could make it and set out with very audible footfalls, her butterflies following behind like the falling petals of a Sakura tree.

She had no need for perfume, as the butterflies provided soothing, slightly sensual pheromones in the area around her.

She beamed as she walked through the fading lights of the city gates and saw the soft glow of the lanterns in the distance.

This would be a magical time

[HotelBravo]

This really wasn’t a place that Hanako would have thought to come on her own, but since she had been invited her she might as well look nice. Now, Hanako was not one for makeup and though she did tend to wear a kimono, the quality of her Kimono was more rough as it was ultimately not a garment for being fancy but one for battle. So today she visited a salon where they helped her with her make up. She had her long hair pulled back into a bun and her lips were tainted a bright red while she wore winged eyeliner over her eyes. She also was renting a beautiful pink Kimono, made of silk. It was lined with gold and had white and gold flower patterns across it, where her standard Kimono was not nearly as bright and had no such patterns.

A pair of geta sandals were what she decided to wear to this event, and despite all the preparedness to look good for the festival, Hanako was still geared like a shinobi beneath the Kimono, in case there was any trouble. She was nervous making her way through the oft time empty streets of the village hidden in the clouds, but found as she approached the Kyoukan shrine that there were certainly people gathered here.

She tapped her cheek almost thoughtfully as her eyes scanned through people and faces until she discovered Chiaki. She immediately made her way over to the older kunoichi. ”Hello.” She said bluntly, as was occasionally Hanako’s way. She sometimes struggled socially, and was feeling a lot of anxiety with beingg around so many people. Her training as a kunoichi put her on guard so she couldn’t help be be uncomfortable and looking for trouble.

[Izanagi]

It had been quite a number of months since the incident in Kumogakure had occurred. Word had traveled of the demise of Muramasa Maido at the hands of the Raikage. And there were whispers of a hospital being destroyed in the crossfire and a Kyoukan Chiaki that had been arrested in connection to the security breach. However, one with certain connections would know that she was released now. Certainly, it was a risk, but with Lightning Countries borders more open than usual for the Summer festival, it seemed a chance he was willing to take. As hundreds of Fire country citizens and dozens of shinobi came through the borders, so too did an innocuous fly, so small it wouldn’t even register a chakra signature.

Of course, despite how well informed he was, even the shapeshifting Jinchuuriki wasn’t aware of the Lightning Empire’s exact defenses. But it was safe to assume he should keep small and supress his chakra signature and then stick to the crowds after a few days of laying low in the country. While he was at it, he would take the ID of a Fire country citizen, one Aoki Saku whom he disposed of by means of devouring whole. Transforming into a perfect likeness of her he would continue to supress his chakra whenever in the vicinity of shinobi or any checkpoints that might exist.

Wearing a purple flower-patterned Kimono and an assortment of flowers in her hair Saku moved along with the other fire country civilians as they explored the festival grounds. Inhaling softly, she tilted her head and smiled softly as all the wonderful scents filled her nose; various sweets and incents, perfumes, and one familiar scent that reminded of a long-lost friend. Mingling through the crowds the woman held a small clutch in her gloved hands. She had paid the entry fee to get in and still had enough money for all sorts of foods or extra expenses that there might be. But as she caught sight of a beautiful red-haired woman surrounded by little Pearl colored butterflies, she knew she had to talk to the woman. Saku’s own hair was wavy and dark brown. “Such lovely butterflies! How did you get them to follow you?” she inquired, stepping out in front of her, just as a young girl who seemed to recognize Chiaki, also appeared.

PictureShow

Jutsu Used:

Chakra Concealment
S-Rank Taijutsu Stance
Prerequisite: [Stealth]
The absolute pinnacle of masking one’s presence Shinji has learned to eliminate his vital signs to such an extent that he can mask his chakra signature completely. He becomes completely undetectable by means of chakra sensory unless the opponent has a sensory jutsu of equal or greater rank. He can mask his chakra in such a way for a maximum of 10 posts.

Perfect Transformation
S-Rank Full Kaerujutsu
Prerequisite: Form 1
This technique allows Shinjiro to completely transform himself into another human. Biologically he will be indistinguishable, altering his scent, sex, vocal cords and any other physical and biological attributes as he sees fit. He can even temporarily remove his own body modifications. Only his chakra signature and the black markings on his hands will remain the same.

[Kanade]

Apparently she was later than she had wanted to be, but the smells that surrounded her, tantalized her, called out for her to stuff her face full of the goodness that was the junk food of festivals. She always loved festivals, always loved visiting them, always loved touring around them, always loved the games that came with them.

As she entered, she saw a small pink kimono coming towards her. She tilted her head and a smile blossomed on her lips, just as a butterfly wound its way around her head and landed on her temple. She giggled at the simple hello that had come from her pupil. She was a strange but lovely little tike, and Chiaki always found herself in a big-sister role when it came to Hanako.

“Hello Hanako-chan.” She dipped her head a little and then patted the genin on the head softly with fondness, “It’s good to see you here, did you come to the festival to eat, or to play games, or to watch shows?” She opened her eyes out of the smile and saw a rather attractive woman making a bee-line towards them.

She was addressed, and asked a question, and wove her hand out to hold out a finger, five butterflies landed along the length of her index finger and she gave a sly grin, “It’s the perfume that I’m wearing I think. That and the Kimono.” She gripped the kimono with her other hand and showed that it indeed had a floral pattern to it.

She didn’t like telling everyone that she was a shinobi, least of all at a festival. She hadn’t had the butterflies when she had met Shinjiro, not that they would have recognized him as he was in the girls’ form. Chiaki didn’t either, but decided that work was work, and this was play, so she might as well play a little bit.

“Here, let me-” She reached out a hand, her fingers relaxed, the butt of her palm reaching out to the woman’s shoulder, “I’m sure they will congregate around you if you have some of my perfume. They’re lovely little things, usually found around rivers, and have been following me since I crossed one on the way here.” That was a half-truth. They had been following her since then, but also for a longer ways than that.

If the woman let her touch her or not Chiaki would bow a stiff, ceremonial bow, which was hindered by her kimono and caused her to look rather regimented and cold, which wasn't what she had intended at all and dipped her head, closing her eyes, "I'm Kyoukan, Chiaki." She introduced herself, "And this is Hanamura Hanako-chan." She nodded to Hanako.

She considered Hanako, then the woman, “My my, new friends and pupils. I certainly am popular. Would you like to walk with us miss-” She fished for a name, looking at the woman out of the corner of her eye, her body language protective, or sister-like toward Hanako.

[Izanagi]

Saku smiled softly, her eyes giving a brief knowing look before she leaned forward slightly and inhaled the sweet fragrance. "You're right. They smell the same as you do, I can hardly tell them apart" she assessed, though it was apparent there was no perfume at work, it was simply Chiaki's lovely natural fragrance.

It was a good sign that Chiaki seemed cautious of new people. There was no telling who might exploit one's secret techniques or spread such information to others. As one climbed the ranks in the shinobi world abd accumulated unique skills it was simply a matter of time before they would have a price on their head.

As a few butterflies transfered from one woman to the other, they settled in the flowers in the brunettes hair. "They feel so...relaxing. Or maybe that's just your natural aura" the woman assessed, hinting at the extensive training over her own mind and body to notice such subtle changes. It wasn't time yet to reveal one's true identity, not until it was determined if Chiaki was still an ally to Kintsugi. Quite some time had passed and it was yet to be decided what her fate should be. "A pleasure to meet you both. I'm Aoki Saku. Lightning country sure is quite beautiful. Much more mountainous than Fire country" she assessed with a relaxed and whimsical look about her.

[HotelBravo]

Hanako hardly had a moment to speak before a woman approached and began to comment on Chiaki’s butterflies. Young Hanako was naturally a bit standoffish given her lack of social awareness, so things that did not seem suspicious to others always seemed suspicious to Hanako. As Chiaki spoke with the woman, Hanako clung to Chiaki’s hand in a fiercely protective way. Chiaki introduced herself and Hanako to the mysterious Aoki Saku. The woman from the land of Fire also introduced herself.

”As far as I’m concerned she is suspicious. Her hair is too perfect for a traveler from another country unless she was a wealthy merchantt or a noble. Otherwise she could just be disguised. Anybody can have perfect hair with academy jutsu, thats how I did my hair after all. Foreigners are allowed at the festival, I need to calm down - I’m probably just feeling envious that I have to share Sensei when I already get to see so little of her in the day because of our duties. I know! I should suggest that we do the three legged race so that way this woman will have to find her own partner, and then I can have Sensei to myself. I feel somewhat shameful for this idea, but I was hoping to spend time with Sensei not with this lady.” Hanako’s thoughts poured out of her mouth in an oblivious stream of dialogue until focus seemed to return to her eyes and she seemed to take in Aoki Saku for the first time since actually being here.

”Sensei, why don’t we do the three legged race? Maybe it could be fun?” Given Hanako’s tone she wasn’t actually that enthusiastic about the event, but then she had a plan on the line

[Izanagi]

The young woman laughed lightly at the absurdity of the girl’s concerns, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as she tried to hide her reaction for sake of politeness. Surely, she was joking right? Some kind of playful dry humor? But as Hanako went on it appeared she was quite serious. Were those of Kumogakure so sheltered that they thought any foreigner was a threat? “You know there are Konoha shinobi here too, right? And really, caring for one’s hair really isn’t that difficult. They do have salons in Lightning country too, you know?” she teased, smiling, though there was a distinct annoyance in her tone and those green eyes suddenly seemed much less lively.

Her brow quirked notably, and she looked to Chiaki to verify if this was normal of Hanako when the girl went on to speak her thoughts aloud to herself. Was this some way to be able to excuse speaking rudely to others? It was quickly becoming quite agitating, and Shinjiro’s patience was beginning to wear thin. This girl, Hanako seemed an inconvenience and was certainly detracting from the objective in being here. But how to remove her from the situation? It would have been preferable to gain more information from Chiaki, to establish a baseline of what her situation was before revealing oneself. After all, even elite shinobi had reason to fear the Raikage being alerted. Especially after the recent death of Maido.

The brunette leaned forward slightly, looking young Hanako directly in the eye when she suggested she and Chiaki go off to play a game. “I think you should play a one-legged race. I can teach you how if you’d like? Why don’t you run along while you can? The adults are talking now” she smiled sweetly, though her tone was quite insistent, and those deep green eyes seemed to brighten yet feel colder all at once. Straightening, she looked to Chiaki with a neutral expression, “So, this is one of your loved ones then? How sweet. Have you made any other new friends lately? Maybe some we might have in common?” the young assassin wondered, keeping a light tone, with much darker implications. Chiaki’s butterflies served to take the edge of one’s violent tendencies, but they could only do so much against a mind and body honed toward violence their entire lives. With each passing second, Shinjiro grew increasingly bored of the façade. Surely, Chiaki would begin to piece it together. After all, Shinjiro’s sudden wave of killing intent was something Chiaki would have experienced before.

[Kanade]

Chiaki giggled and patted Hanako on the head, she was rather fond of her pupil, especially because she didn't need ESP to see what she wanted. She understood the want to do a three legged race with her sensei. She considered it for a bit before the woman spoke up about her appearance. "It is true, there are Suna ninja here too, though not too many. I suppose they are all pounding sand or something." She shrugged. She still didn't get a great feeling from the woman and as the woman leaned in to talk to the girl, she finally found out why she was getting all these red flags.

It was Shinjiro.

Holy hells, it was Shinjiro and she had been part of the cause of Maido's death. It was better to send Hanako away to go get something to eat and talk with Shinjiro alone. He would rip off the girl's leg without a second thought if he thought it might be in the way of his goals, and he did not make idle threats.

"Hanako-chan." She nodded to the girl and a very thin barrier, almost translucent but strong as steel wove its way around the girl as she took Hanako by the hand, "Hanako-chan listen to me please, as your sensei. It's very important for you to go get me something to eat or I'll pass out on the three legged race. This woman here and I have some catching up to do. I probably botched something at the Konoha hospital while I was there, and it needs sorted out. My favorite is the grilled squid. Do you see that stall over there?"

She pointed to the brightly coloured stall that had a giant sign with a squid which was stuck through with a piece of bamboo and had the kanji for squid on it, "I'd like one with extra hoisin sauce and red peppers if they have it. I'll talk with this woman and then we'll get to the three legged race. The races start in," She took out the pamphlet and a pocket watch from her clutch, "two hours, which should be plenty of time to digest it." She took out enough to buy five large grilled squid and gave a fond smile to the young kunoichi.

She didn't know what state Hanako would find her in if she left, but she also wanted for Hanako to get as far away from there as possible, without causing a panic. The last time there was a panic, Maido had died, and she had been imprisoned.

__

Jutsu used:

Silicone barrier
D ranked silicone jutsu
The user channels chakra and touches a willing subject or themselves. A paper thin barrier of [control] strength manifests over the target's body for [control/5] posts at [control] speed.

[HotelBravo]

Hanako didn’t have an emotional response to the woman’s words, as sharp as they were. The cold eyes looked like the eyes of everyone else to her, but it did little to change that her academy training had told her to look out for these signs. She wore a neutral expression, not something trained like the woman’s, but it was the expression of a child who didn’t fully connect to the world. She looked to Chiaki for guidance in this situation as her senior and teacher.

Chiaki told her that they would yet have the three legged race but she should go find grilled squid first. She obediently held out her hand and accepted the change. One might consider Hanako as one who could spot deception, but if there was one kind she couldn’t connect with - it was seeing beneath the underneath in a shinobi’s words. Despite being taught in the academy it had been a lesson she hadn’t understood, but it had also been a topic that had been looked over in consideration of her other abilities. Hanako didn’t see the danger in either the woman’s words or the plea in Chiakis, but she would follow orders.

With the weight of the land of Lighting’s tender in her hand, ”Hai~Sensei.” The genin took the money and left the two alone, ignorant of the fact that a village in the mountains did not have easy access to squid. Undoubtedly she would be searching for sometime. She really did want to go to the three legged race though so she started with the closer stalls, quickly eying them with her perceptions before moving on to the next, and the next. Before long she found herself far from Chiaki and the woman.

[Izanagi]

The woman exhaled slowly as she noticed the urgency in Chiaki’s voice. Good, she was aware of the situation, now they could properly catch up and if everything went well nobody would have to die. That would be preferable, after all festivals were something of a guilty pleasure of Shinjiro’s. It was one of the only times he had ever felt he could be carefree and like a normal person growing up. And as Hanako ran off dutifully the woman smiled genuinely. That sort of innocence was something to be protected, so long as it didn’t get in the way. “One for me too, please!” she called out before turning back to Chiaki. “I didn’t know you liked grilled squid, that’s my favorite too” his voice began shifting, closer to his normal tone. But for now, he would keep the female form. “Speaking of botched hospitals…what the hell happened? And why shouldn’t I kill you right now?” he snarled, “Don’t even think about it!” he warned, seeing the look in the woman’s eye and knowing how readily she relied on raiton armor when feeling threatened. The last thing they needed was a scene. If other shinobi got involved and started questioning what was going on, he would have no choice but to start thinning the crowd.

[Kanade]

Chiaki froze for a good couple of seconds while she watched her pupil walk off. She knew that she was in danger because Shinji had told her that he would kill her if anything happened to Maido. She was fully expecting it. When she looked back at him, she had lost the rabbit in the presence of a wolf look to her, and she sighed, pinching her nose.

"It's a rather long and horrible story, so if you wouldn't mind I'd like to sit down at one of the tables here." She started to walk toward one of the tables, and hoped that the woman who was Shinjiro would follow her. She would speak on the way there, revealing her truth to him. "I was being escorted back to the temple by Maido as you knew when she told you that we were going back to see my mother. I think that along the way she planned to kill my mother, or at least it seemed like it had been planned all along when we got there." She stopped and started again.

"Maido was escorting me back to the temple when we found that my mother wasn't there like she said she'd be. My hunch was that she was at the hospital and Maido agreed with me. I was told that my mom was just getting a routine checkup for her heart transplant and she had given me this." She produced the note that she had received all those years ago. It still was covered in her mother's dried blood. For all Chiaki knew, Shinjiro would soak it with her blood when this conversation was over.

"I waited in the gift shop for some time before I ascended the stairs with Hisayo and Kayoko in tow. Maido met me somewhere along the lines, but I have no idea when. I told them to wait outside and by then my mother had already died. The coroners said that her heart and chest were eroded by acid, and they blamed Maido for it." She shook her head at this and muttered, "I didn't even know that Maido could use[/i] acid, much less that she would use it on my mother." She sighed, "But I also don't know whether or not she killed my mother nor what her motive would have been. To make a trip all the way to kumogakure to just kill my mother is-." She sook her head.

"I don't really believe it. It sounds so stupid when I am saying it." She continued on with her story, her hands on the table, clutching her small bag and fidgeting with the grain of the wood as she remembered, "So then I was shoved against the wall and the nurse said that I had murdered my mother, and demanded that I tell them what had happened." She looked up at the woman's green eyes, then back down at the table to continue, "that's when she called for security. I broke out of her grasp, and everything just spiralled around me, or it seemed like that to me. I put up my Raiton armor, as you knew I would probably attempt if I was the same girl you met those years ago."

She gave an empty hopeless smile as tears started to roll down her face, "Then Maido tried to pick me up with her tentacles and I swatted her away in haste. Next thing I knew the hospital was in shambles around me and Maido was gone. The nurse came out of the hospital and I almost shocked her to death." She sniffled and continued, "Kirari stopped me from it, and was pelting me with her moths when the Raikage shouted something, and I was tossed back by his fuuton. I ended up taking the nurses' wounds as the Raikage said that I was under arrest."

She closed her eyes, warm tears rolling down her cheeks and to the tip of her nose, dripping onto the table, "And then he said that he killed Maido. Kirari couldn't tell why I was so upset, but was upset by the fact that I was going to be imprisoned." She sniffled and took a couple of breaths before continuing, the lights around her blurred by the emotions that she had kept for the most part bottled up.

"The next couple of months they 'rehabilitated' me. Saying that Maido was a cruel person, that she deserved death, that she killed my mother, that the Raikage was right, that Kumogakure is where I belong. I went along with it for so long, and I just-" She shook her head, "I still believe that the villages are the enemies of the people within their borders. Without the greed of the Kage, without the bloodthirsty nature of the shinobi, then the world might see peace."

She stared at her hands, no longer made of flesh, flexed her bones and tendons, no longer organic but made of metal, and looked up at Shinjiro, "Humans really are the worst."

[Izanagi]

The revealed assassin nodded, following Chiaki to a table. While it was certainly true that Shinji would kill without hesitation and did not make idle threats, he was a reasonable person. There was a slim margin allowed for forgiveness and understanding, so long as one was not perceived to be a threat to those things he deemed important. When he had initially heard of Maido’s demise in Kumogakure he had been furious and held Chiaki responsible. For months he had thought about how he would torture her to death if it was deemed she had lured Maido into a trap. But he felt no pleasure in such thoughts, it was simply the principle of the matter, that actions should have consequences. His family had a famous saying, ‘Never Cross a Karagata’ and certainly that held true. He was taught than any slight against his family would be paid in blood. And Maido was as much family to him as the Karagata were. She was from a different noble family of Kirigakure but she was the first person he found he could truly respect and rely on. That meant more than any other bond.

But he was trained to be patient as well. To stalk a target for hours or days, to learn their weaknesses and their routines and strike when they were most vulnerable. At times Vorashu had encouraged moments of rashness, giving in to his impulses. And each time he allowed rage to consume him he had suffered for it. So, he would sit, and he would listen. While he sat, he would watch her closely, observing every twitch of her facial expressions, watching her eyes and listening to the sound of her breathing. Interestingly something seemed off about her, something he hadn’t noticed before. Her scent seemed the same and yet he couldn’t pick up on as much as he normally could. Either she had drastically improved her control over her vitals or something about her body itself had been altered.

The woman’s green eyes narrowed, assessing the information. Maido was quite reckless, combined with Chiaki’s naivety it was the perfect storm to create a chaotic setting. He should have never let her go. It was his responsibility to protect Maido from herself, nobody else could stand up to her. It was the same as the first time Maido had gotten herself killed. Bathed in a feeling of guilt, Shinjiro wanted nothing more than to find someone he could lash out at and rip to pieces. But deep within he knew that when Maido set her mind to something nobody else would have been able to stop her. Chiaki, Hisayo and Kaoyoko were followers, they didn’t have what it took to stand as the Blood Witches equal. But he did. Therefore, it was his failing alone. Gritting his teeth, clenching his fists and looking downcast the beautiful young woman whose form he took on portrayed the true beast within, just waiting for a reason to be unleashed.

Eyes flicking upward, gaze like that of a viper, Shinjiro snatched the note out of Chiaki’s hand and brought it to his nose. Though the scent deteriorated with age he could still determine traces that indicated the person was female and sickly. It seemed likely she was telling the truth thus far. Handing the note back he continued to listen. The story confirmed what he already suspected but he would continue to keep his thoughts to himself, patiently allowing Chiaki to speak freely as he diligently absorbed every word she spoke. It seemed there might even be a flicker of sympathy, or at least a degree less hostility when Chiaki began to cry. Though the woman’s head tilted and her nose twitched, something seemed slightly off about the tears and the way they were produced. Her eyes didn’t redden as they normally would, it seemed almost robotic the way the saline-like solution began to drip down her face.

Reaching out in what might seem like a comforting gesture, Shinjiro placed a hand atop of hers, fingers gently cupping around her wrist. There was no visible reaction when his suspicions were confirmed. Though Shinji’s head tilted slightly with interest as someone named Kirari was mentioned. Another person of importance to take note of. That was helpful, one needed to know who to target should Chiaki be deemed a liability to Kintsugi. After all, he had very explicitly warned her that all of her loved one’s would suffer should she ever betray them. And he intended to make good on his promise unless she could be useful enough to correct her blunder. There was a flash of annoyance when Chiaki admitted she was more concerned about imprisonment than the death of Maido. Prison was nothing new, just another cage. Another test of one’s will to fight to survive. “What could you possibly fear from prison that would be greater than what I could do to you and all those you care about?” Shinjiro growled, radiating pure unbridled vitriol. Such a concept was gravely insulting and spoke to the woman’s naivety of the risk she had undertaken by associating with Maido and Shinjiro in the first place, and what it meant to be a part of Kintsugi.

However, despite the shift to a murderous aura and the slight tightening of grip, Shinjiro would refrain from harming the woman just yet and would listen to the last part of her story. Exhaling slowly, the tension dissipated somewhat as the Bannin picked up on the woman’s obviously conflicted loyalties. There was still ways he could use her and give her something meaningful to fight for. “You’re still in prison. You see that right? Kumogakure will always be a cage, keeping you from reaching your true potential and choosing for you who you are allowed to save. There is no good versus evil in the conflict of shinobi, as much as the Raikage, Hokage and Kazekage would have you believe. It is chaos, greed, and death all the same.” He said, smiling softly but with those same empty eyes that had seen firsthand what being a shinobi really meant. They were meant to be weapons and they were all a plague, destabilizing the natural order and destroying everything they touched. Having personally been used for such purposes and seeing war crimes committed by all sides he knew all too well how truly terrible humans were. So, to see such an admission from Chiaki brought forth a genuine smile of pride. That alone solidified a sense of solidarity. “You’re quite life-like. I didn’t expect you to abandon your humanity, but I suppose Maido does have that effect on people. To answer your question, I think this is precisely the reason Maido killed your mother. She was holding you to this place, in order to be free and to do good in the world one must make sacrifices” he admitted, speaking the hard truth. Was she strong enough now to accept that reality? Or still a naïve liability? He wondered. “Are you ready to be set free? What of the Jinchuuriki? Have you made contact, are they with us?” he wondered, that was the only reason he might want to keep her in Kumogakure. The Jinchuuriki after all were his priority, but if Chiaki was compromised, it might be best to get her away and find another means to sway Kumo’s Jinchuuriki to their cause.

[HotelBravo]

Dutifully, Hanako searched out for grilled squid. She performed with all the grace and talent of a Kumogakure trained kunoichi, albeit one who was still inexperienced. As far as the common crowd that lay as her obstacle here at this festival it was little trouble. The stall that had initially been pointed out to her did not have grilled squid. It was doubtless a popular fair as the Land of Lightning maintained most of its borders by sea. Her method was nearly inhuman. Not inhuman in that its ability far outstripped human ability, but rather she performed like a creature other than a human on a search, perhaps a machine was a more befitting description of her methods. As she perused the stands, she reviewed each and every product they had to offer to determine if these were the ones that she was searching for. If it was anywhere she would not miss it.

Hanako hopped down from the upper level of a building she had been using to scour this area’s stalls for the delicious treats and found her way into the line for the stall, where she waited patiently as the sweat of her palm condensed upon the money she had been given from the tightness of her grip. Guest after guest found themselves satisfied and exiting the line until at least it was Hanako. She placed the money on the counter when someone tripped and fell bumping into the counter. Her money fell onto the ground and scattered, and Hanako stood there looking confused. Without the money she could not obtain grilled squid.

She knelt on the ground and began to pick up the money that had scattered and found her hand touching the hand of another person. The older woman who had crouched in her Kimono smiled at her as she handed Hanako the money that she had picked up herself. Then a young boy approached and handed Hanako the money that he had picked up. Hanako stood, the spot of her pink Kimono was now stained with dirt where her knees had touched the ground - but she wasn’t one who actually cared about things like dirtying an expensive Kimono. She instead found that she had all of the money in hand again, and looked back at the people in the line who were waiting behind her. These were the same people who had helped pick up her money and hand it to her.

They were all smiling at her. She gave a muted smile back. No Killing Intent. Not ulterior motives. Humans were really capable of feats of great kindness it seemed. Hanako gave a deep respectful bow to the people who had gathered to assist her and return to the stall clerk who had witnessed everything. She placed the money on the counter and exchanged it for the grilled squid and the condiments that Chiaki had requested.

Finding her way back was fairly easy for Hanako. The academy had drilled survival training into her mind - recognizing land patterns and orientation. It was incredibly basic, and took next to no thought to perform. However, Hanako found the spot where she had left the two women empty. They were without a doubt Shinobi, so it was well within their capabilities to have completely vanished, and the foot traffic would have made it a challenge for the girl to discover. She scanned the crowd and found the familiar faces at the nearby tables.

The Genin approached the table and set the condiments upon the table handed off the grilled squid on a stick to the women. She placed Chiaki’s change on the table and then stood next to Chiaki facing the woman from Konoha. If this was about the work Chiaki was doing, then there was little for her to scrutinize. As if the soldier in Hanako had been turned off, Hanako crouched and began to draw in the dirt with her finger. She drew a cute caricature of an old woman from the town of Hanamura.

[Kanade]

Chiaki shook her head at the misunderstanding, “I wasn’t afraid of jail, I was afraid that Maido had really perished, that Hisayo and Kayoko would die for my wanting to see my mother. It was Kirari who had the fear that I would be imprisoned, imprisoned for life. The people in prison are made to charge a charka battery and the lights that you see around us? They’re only made possible by the chakra that he steals from them for his own gain.”

She nodded, “I see it, I can’t go past the village without an escort, and then only within lightning country and within the borders of Konohagakure, and Sunagakure. He won’t let me do anything to help my friends, and I am on a close watch for all of my medical practices. It is humiliating and suffocating. I feel like a bird that is caged and dying from lack of freedom.” She sighed and placed her head in her hands shaking it a couple of times before looking up.

“I abandoned it so that I could become what Maido wanted me to be, her salvation. Haruka, a human friend of mine actually helped me make that decision, and I didn’t want it known that I was not human so I made myself of this.” she wove a simple hand seal and placed a silicone ball on the table, “and this,” the second ball was made of megallium. Both were the size of a large marble and she pushed them towards Shinjiro. “You’re one of the first to actually recognize that I am not human, I am surprised, but not that surprised. My fuuin is weaker than I would like to admit and you seemed to be able to smell my fear before, and my heartbeat and rate of respiration probably gave it away.”

She listened to him a bit more and then nodded, “I would love to be set free, but I worry for the sake of the people that I am leaving behind. Kirari and Hanako the most.” She grinned at the girl as she saw the small figure coming towards them with the squid and waved her over. Before Hanako was in earshot, she looked at Shinjiro, in the guise of a woman and nodded, “I made contact with them, and they’re too vulnerable now to be able to leave without Kage-level protection, and even then, I would say they would need at least four Bannin to each of them to keep them safe. It is safer in the village for them right now, but the ones that I have contacted are still with you. One of them died, the Hell-genma host, and I don’t know who is currently housing them, nor if they even have a host yet. I’m trying to focus on some Tenkujutsu at the moment in order to help them out, but I also believe that they are not ready to leave, willing or not.”

She shrugged and smiled again as Hanako handed over the squid, to which Chiaki handed back one of them to the girl, “I only wanted one, and you did a great job at grabbing them, this woman and I are almost done with our conversation.” She watched as Hanako went over and started to doodle in the dirt with her fingers. She was reminded that she needed to have a jutsu for sprucing up her own, and her pupil’s clothing.

“Hanako is one of the only people I trust.” Chiaki leveled a look at Shinjiro, “Her, Kirari, and Haruka. But Kirari has her own doubts and Hanako here, she needs to be brought up by someone that doesn’t deal in wanton death, and the subjugation of criminals. Someplace where there can be rehabilitation, rather than exploitation.”

[Izanagi]

Shinjiro nodded slowly as Chiaki clarified her meaning. That was understandable and the information she shared about Kumogakure’s prison system was quite fascinating. He had no idea the Raikage held such a dark and immoral secret, but it didn’t surprise him that the villages would each have dark underbellies. Truthfully, he envied the efficiency of such a system. In Kirigakure there were thousands of useless low-lives that lived in slums around the outer ring of the village. To put them to use for the village had some appeal, though he supposed they had a purpose in being used as live fodder for shinobi to practice on and vent any pent-up aggression. Not to mention the slums did occasionally condition those who could overcome their environment and rise to become shinobi.

Two members of his own Seven Swordsmen had defied the odds. Even Shinjiro himself had been born in the slums, though he had been removed from such an environment as an infant and raised as a noble due to his true heritage as a Karagata. Ultimately, Kirigakure’s system worked for their purposes, barbaric as they were. But he didn’t have to tell Chiaki that. “I see” he acknowledged simply. “I won’t let that happen to you” he assured. What a terrible waste that would be.

Squeezing her hand gently, Shinji’s bright green eyes shone with determination. “You’re meant to be free. Bound to no village. With us, you can heal whoever you want, go wherever you desire. We will change the world together” he assured. Kintsugi would benefit greatly from a woman of her tremendous talents, and in some way or another so would the world. He listened intently as she explained her reasoning for choosing a path to immortality. Maido’s salvation? She had never expressed such a desire for redemption to him, but perhaps Chiaki was the right person to bring out the best in them, help guide them to a more humane approach to achieving their goals. It would be interesting to explore where their paths would lead. With great interest, the woman as Shinjiro appeared, took the two samples in hand, rolling them between their fingertips. “You really are quite talented. I’m impressed” Shinji said simply, before placing the samples in the clutch resting on the table.

Finally releasing Chiaki’s hand, Shinjiro chuckled, the voice shifting back to the feminine tone of Aoki Saku once more as the scent of Hanako was picked up once more. “It’s your lack of blood that gave you away the most” she said with a sly smile. After spending so much time around Maido, Shinjiro’s nose had become particularly attuned to scents of blood and anything that didn’t have it stood out and immediately felt unnatural. Chiaki’s pheromones carried by her butterflies had tricked him briefly, until he was close enough to feel for her pulse and confirm what is was that felt off about her scent.

Sparing a glance toward the girl that approached, sticks of skewered squid in hand, Shinjiro inhaled deeply savoring the delicious scent. Eel and squid were among his favorites, especially when done up with a bit of spice. That gesture alone was enough to assure he wouldn’t kill the girl unless he absolutely had to. They wouldn’t have much time until the girl was within earshot. The information about the Jinchuuriki was troubling, another host dead. That would set them back. Their numbers were thinning rapidly and it was difficult to gain allegiances when the hosts died out so frequently. At least it sounded like Akihiko was alive, the Ishiguro that had died his hair pink. In some ways he reminded him of Nishiki, a playful sort or at least that was the sense he got in the brief interaction he had with him. Shinji scoffed slightly at the idea of 4 Bannin being needed to protect a Jinchuuriki, how pathetic to be deemed so weak. Perhaps he too was a lost cause then. “Hanako and Kirari. Can they be trusted with winning over the Jinchuuriki and watching over them in place of you?” the woman spoke lowly before Chiaki went on to explain how trustworthy they were.

The beautiful woman with flowers and butterflies in her hair smiled as she reached out and accepted the second order of squid. “Thank you, that was very kind of you” she said sweetly before hungrily taking a large bite. Placing a hand over her mouth as she chewed. she leaned in as much as she could. “I’m afraid there’s no place for her with us. It would be far too risky. But perhaps one day, when she is stronger and if she can win over the Jinchuuriki. Then she will have earned a spot in Kintsugi” Shinjiro offered. That was the best compromise he could make. Something that could see each of their goals reached. Keeping an inside agent within Kumogakure, unknowing or not until they could retrieve the powerful assets and offer them safety. They would each need time to grow their influence and power. Only Chiaki could be taken in today. “I’ll give you some time. Enjoy the festival. I’ll be waiting for you after the three-legged race. Make sure to give the proper instructions and be ready to depart by then” she said simply before standing. “It was lovely to see you Chiaki and thank you again Hanako for the food. I’ll leave you two to have fun now” she said, taking the squid and the small clutch in hand before turning to vanish into the crowd.

[HotelBravo]

Hanako found herself with an Ikayaki. She was rather confused because she thought the reason she purchased this was to satiate her teacher’s hunger. She looked at the grilled squid with the rings around its succulent flesh. It may have looked good, but Hanako had learned that your food could be poisoned, and so she wasn’t interested in eating food from a festival stall, regardless of the temptation. She looked at it with a neutral expression and just held it up with one hand as though this had been a charge to protect the Ikayaki.

”Hai~ Sensei.” Hanako responded to Chiaki’s statement about them being nearly done with their conversation. Her eyes returned to the image in the dirt. With some imagination the art in the dirt looked like Granny. She remembered the kindly smile of Granny being one of the few comforting things in her life after tragedy had struck the homestead in Hanamura. Granny had made the exhaustive trek across the mountains to Kumogakure, and had worked hard to pay for Hanamura’s tuition at the shinobi academy. It all reminded Hanako how lonely it had felt at their apartment in recent days. She wondered where Granny had decided to go? Granny had said that she was a big girl now and no longer needed anyone to look after her, but that wasn’t entirely true. Sometimes she wished Granny was there to treat her like a child, she didn’t want to be a grown up if it was this lonely.

Hanako watched it for a moment longer, before she was drawn out of her thoughts by the mention of her name. Her ears perked up and she turned her attention to Chiaki who had mentioned something about Hanako being one of the people she trusted. The woman leaned in to speak directly to Chiaki so Hanako turned her eyes to the festival. She watched the people move, she watched the way they spoke and talked, and the way that she couldn’t understand them. ”I wonder what it's like to be normal.” Her thoughts said aloud as the ones inside her head had already turned to another topic. The woman stood, she seemed to be enjoying the Grilled squid, she was braver than Hanako, eating stall food.

As she departed Hanako watched the woman leave. So that was a Konoha Kunoichi? Hanako turned back to her teacher. ”Are you going somewhere Sensei? Should I return to the village?” She asked sincerely, the girl had once again failed to pick up on all the underneath that was occurring, but that wasn’t necessarily her fault. Who could fault the circumstances of their own birth of which they had no control? Disappointed as she was that they would not be able to partake in the festival games, she was equally relieved to not have to do the three legged race now.

[Kanade]

Chiaki caught the girls’ thoughts aloud, wondering what it was like to be normal. She actually had no clue either. She had been an outcast from the other Chuunin, had been an outcast from the village, had been an outcast from Kintsugi, then had been shunned and treated as an outcast again by her village after the hospital incident. Here, though, was little Hanako who didn’t have to be lonely, at least for the festival.

She stood up and placed a hand on Hanako’s head fondly, giving her a genuinely warm smile and looking at the drawing, “I love it little one. It’s your grandmother yes?” She tilted her head and tried to imagine what the caricature of the old woman looked in actuality, but the rendering was rather vague besides that she was wrinkled and benevolent.

“I will be going, but only after we do that three-legged race.” She nodded, “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone but I do know that I want to make sure that you’re well taken care of and I also promised you that we would be able to do that three-legged race. For the rest of the time that I have here at the festival, I want to spend it with only you. My first, best, and possibly only pupil.” She bent down, her knees not touching the ground as she tucked a stray strand of hair of Hanako’s behind her ear and gave another fond smile, “You’ve grown Hanako, and I don’t know whether or not I’m good for you. I want you to be strong, and loved, and grow up with many many friends.”

Where Chiaki was going, it would be dangerous, too dangerous for a Genin, and certainly it was almost too dangerous for a chuunin as she was when she had left the village. She had also been almost twice as old as the young girl when she had left the first time. And what did Chiaki have to show for it? Death, destruction, chaos. In all of this, Hanako was the best thing to have come out of the aftermath.

Kirari had helped to ease her pain, but she also had plans to move to the minor countries and perhaps start a life with Chiaki there. She didn’t need to tell Hanako this though. For the time being, all that little Hanako needed to know was that Chiaki enjoyed spending time with her, and the rest would come after. She stood up and looked at the festival, “You know, I’ve never really partaken in any of these, usually I ran the stall over there with the gift-pull. Where would you like to go first? We still have about an hour and fourty-five minutes until the three legged race.”

[HotelBravo]

”Maybe.” Hanako said, regarding the fanciful image of the old woman. Had she always looked like that? Hanako thought that maybe she was forgetting what the woman had looked like once upon a time. Itt was getting harder to see her face in Hanako’s mind the longer she went without her. Although, Hanako was sure she would be able to recognize the woman if she ever saw her again. Hanako wiped the dirt off of her hands and stood up, still holding the grilled squid in the other hand, thinking she was saving it for Chiaki. Hanako looked at Chiaki and tried to read the woman’s facial expression. It was a talent that she had always been lacking in - even basic expressions seemed confusing to Hanako. It wasn’t the usual face, and that was about as much that Hanako was able to determine.

”Okay. I’ll head back to the village then after we’re done.” Hanako answered, the disappointment was seeping deeply into her voice though. This… This reminded her of Granny. It was just like Granny. Granny had said that she was going far away and wouldn’t come back and now Chiaki was doing the same. The genin pouted as thought about this fact, it really didn’t feel like she would be able to have any fun now at this festival now that this heavy weight was over her head. Maybe she just needed to make sure the festival never ended? That wouldn’t be fair though. Chiaki was aloud to make her own decisions, even if it was such a painful one. Hanako had felt alone until Chiaki had accidentally been introduced into her life.

Hanako tried to summon the soldier inside of herself, but the soldier couldn’t have fun and so it was just Hanako the girl again, and Hanako the girl was hurting after the most recent revelation. She thought about that empty apartment and how she would wait every day for Chiaki and her Granny to come back. She didn’t know how long it would take, but if she was patient maybe… but Granny had been gone for such a long time! She didn’t know if she could wait for two people when it was already taking so long.

”I - don’t really want to plan in the race anymore.” She said in a quiet voice that quivered with the hurt. ”But I’ll wait for you, just like I’m waiting for Granny. Dont’ forget to come back okay?” She walked forward and tugged on Chiaki’s sleeve. ”How am I supposed to be happy when everyone keeps leaving!?” Hanako moped to herself. She was now beginning to feel very sorry for herself indeed. The weight of the Grilled squid felt more than she could bear and so she dropped it, falling onto the picture of Granny and obscuring the comically old features. Her shoulders slumped like she was carrying a massive weight as she turned and began to walk away from Chiaki.

”I-I’m going home.”

[Kanade]

Chiaki watched as the girl crumbled in front of her and said that she was going home. She had to make the decision quickly. While she was immortal, it didn't mean that she was immoral, nor that she didn't 'feel' anything. She had implanted the hippocampus and synthesized the hormonal receptors for just this occasion.

Running up to Hanako she wrapped her arms around the girl and planted her knees in the mud, the girls matched now, with big mud stains on the fronts of their gowns as Chiaki just hugged Hanako to her close. She had made the decision when her heart was breaking, but the lynch-pin was when Hanako actually put it into words for her sensei. It broke Chiaki as much as leaving the first time, and she sighed deeply, wondering whether she was making the right decision for Hanako or not by doing this.

Well, not like she really ever thought things through anyhow.

She turned the girl around to look her in the eyes, “I am not leaving you, I’ve decided. You’re coming with me. We’re going to go on a mission, and I didn’t want you to get hurt. The mission is to heal people outside of the village. It is going to be hard, and I wanted to spare you hurt.” She chuckled, “Silly of me to think that really, when you would probably be more hurt by my leaving, and you wouldn’t have me to protect you if you should fall into trouble.” A smile curved her lips.

“Alright, your new mission is to follow me to that woman over there and convince her that you’re not a liability. This is only if you want to come with me on this mission. If not, I don’t know how many years it will be until I see you again. She is the one that has the mission for us to complete.”

She would wait for Hanako to either turn away from Chiaki, or join her. The choice was the smaller kunoichi’s own to make, and she wanted to afford her the chance to stay with the village, to be raised by the raikage and his legion of soldiers, or to come with her and try to heal the world. Still, she wouldn’t try to sway her either way if she could help it. She just didn’t want to abandon her pupil, especially at this crucial time in the young kunoichi’s life. She could see how that rift would just perpetuate the cycle that Chiaki, herself, was trying to break.

[HotelBravo]

Hanako jerked to a halt as the arms of Chiaki wrapped around her. She grabbed Chiaki’s arms and felt comforted by the embrace and closed her eyes as her face turned towards the firmament. Granny would certainly be worried if she went off and performed a dangerous mission, but such was the life of a Kunoichi. Hanako knew that the day was coming when she would have to partake in dangerous missions from the moment she had entered the Kunoichi academy. Granny had paid for her tutoring there. She had always said that Kunoichi would have the power to change the world, but it wasn’t without risks. This must have been some of the risk that Granny had mentioned. ”I don’t care about the danger.” Hanako said, some warmth returning to her body. ”Getting hurt is part of the risk of being a Shinobi. Part of being alive. It is a precious thing. It means you are learning, that is what the drill instructor at the academy said, and for me that wasn’t long ago. But regardless of the amount my heart gets hurt it never feels any stronger.”

Hanako took a glance in the direction that Chiaki had gestured at the woman. The woman was now the roadblock, the dividing obstacle between her and Chiaki. ”I’ve never been good with talking or convincing people. People think I’m always being rude, but I don’t really understand why they think that.” Hanako, oblivious that her thoughts were spilling out of her mouth, stepped towards the woman and the gorgeous flowers in her hair and the beautiful clothes which contrasted the dirty Kimono and tear streaks upon Hanako’s face. She stood outside of arms reach, outside of reach of a slash with a kunai, and outside reach of the standard measure of a sword. She looked at the shark wearing a womans skin, albeit she did not know to whom or to what she was truly speaking to, but she knew enough.

She took a deep breath and poised her shoulders, her muscles taught showing the effort she had gone through in the academy to build the body she now had. ”I am a Kunoichi. I am a weapon, a tool for my sensei. Why am I not allowed to come?” This was the best she could come up with as she challenged the decision of the woman to not accept Hanako on this mission. The genin seemed so young though. She looked like a girl wearing her mother’s kimono - such was the ill fit. The dirt on the knees of the kimono, a mistake only a child would make with something so expensive. Her body, though honed with muscle, was only budding in terms of womanly virtue. Eyes bright and reflecting the stars in the sky, eyes that reflected the lie that was the woman’s figure back to her. There were a thousand and one things that said that Hanako was too young, that she was still just a child.

[Kanade]

Chiaki nodded and moved to pat hanako on the head once more before they made their way over to Shinjiro in women’s clothing. She would lower her voice when addressing the ninja, not taking her eyes off of him and looking for a sign that he would attack Hanako. She still had her shield on the smaller ninja, but she couldn't be sure of whether this would set him off. “I believe that Hanako here will be of more use to the organization than you give her credit for. She already can out maneuver me in sticky situations, and she is my pupil after all. I think that leaving her here would be more a liability than not. You said your mission was a secret one.” She gave Shinjiro a knowing wink, “And so leaving her here would only put your secret at risk, that and mine.”

She nodded as Hanako said that she was a tool, a weapon for her. She didn’t need weapons, but a tool she could use was more than she could have asked for. The girl was dear to Chiaki and she knew that anything that they did to, or with Hanako besides taking her along would put Kintsugi, and the entirety of this visit at risk.

“I know she may look young, but I will protect her. I have grown since you last saw me, and I know how to not let people do stupid things anymore. I have protected her before, and I aim to protect her now. Even if it is from the trials of this mission.” She looked at Shinjiro, the woman, and nodded, “I would like to take her with us. She is not subtle, and she wouldn’t be of help to your personal mission, which I have aided.” She talked, of course, of the mission of a united Jinchuuriki front, “And I believe that she has the potential that I do not have for elimination of targets that would get in the way of the common goals of our overarching mission.” She raised a brow at him.

It all hinged on whether or not he would whisk them both away here and now, or whether they would be grease stains and he would leave them behind, retreating to Kintsugi. “I joined because I believe in your mission, and I believe in your cause. She would be an invaluable asset to it. She doesn’t have much here besides me.”

[Izanagi]

Shinjiro turned to disappear into the crowd but found himself lingering only a few paces away. Hanako’s loneliness and despair were palpable and even the hardened assassin felt a moment of pity. Was the girl to simply waste away and sink into herself further if abandoned here? Such a life was little different from those soulless eyes of desolate orphans back home in Kirigakure. It was a fate many of his siblings had succumb to and one he had only narrowly managed to rise above. But that was because of those that believed in him and pushed him to be better. His father and elder siblings had always pulled him back right before the point of breaking, supporting and nurturing him at his lowest points. Chiaki was kinder than anyone he had ever known growing up, but he could see the necessity of her involvement in this child’s development.

The question was, however, whether or not he should care. What value would this girl be to him? As a shinobi her innocence was already tainted. She was a weapon. And it was inevitable some weapons would break and be discarded. Though perhaps she like himself had never had a choice to become anything other than a soldier. He had the power to offer her freedom from that fate if he so chose, or to train her to utilize her power for a cause of her own. Though he suspected that the girl would follow Chiaki closely and find purpose in fulfilling her will. Shinjiro hummed in consideration as Chiaki and Hanako conversed. Green eyes scanned the crowd, noting several Kumogakure shinobi in the area and at least a handful of them seemed to have taken notice of the situation. Chiaki no doubt was under watch, it might be difficult to get her out of the country. Bringing along Hanako as well could slow them down significantly. Of course, the only person in the country that Shinjiro feared was the Raikage himself, anybody else he should be able to dispose or evade without too much trouble.

Taking another large bite of the grilled squid, Shinjiro twirled the wooden skewer between dainty fingers. It seemed Chiaki had made up her mind, she wouldn’t be leaving without Hanako. But were they worth the risk? Should he simply cut his losses and abandon them both? And yet his list of trusted allies was quite short. If he did this favor for Chiaki she would be in his debt. But was that enough? It was the words of Hanako that would ultimately decide her fate. Slowly the King of Beasts turned to face the approaching girl. Wearing the skin of a beautiful young woman, the monstrous shinobi narrowed their gaze at Hanako. Poor child, she had no idea what she was volunteering herself for. “A tool for your sensei” he reiterated in a feminine voice that seemed to carry the weight of the world. Chiaki’s words were absorbed and acknowledged only with a slight hum of consideration. Maintaining eye contact with the girl, Shinjiro spoke once more, “Then commit yourself to Chiaki completely, her morals are your morals, her will is your own. You will need resolve to follow us, and you must understand that you might never return here. But if you follow us, you will become strong and you will have opportunities to heal the world, more than you could ever do here.” The mysterious entity promised. It was unlikely Hanako would understand the true gravity of these words, it was after a choice between following her mentor and living for her teachings or being abandoned in a village that made her feel alone. But it was clear that Hanako was not prepared to be separated from her mentor and that she was willing to risk her life for the opportunity to follow her. That would be enough.

Turning his gaze toward Chiaki, the wolf in women’s clothing would render their verdict. “Very well. She can come. But she is solely your responsibility, and any repercussions will be yours to account for” The last thing Shinjiro wanted was to babysit. But even he felt a shred of empathy for the girl who seemed an outcast, disconnected from her fellow shinobi. Kintsugi after all, was a place for such individuals. A home for those who wished to break free from the constraints of the five villages and build a safe haven for themselves where they could shape the world as they saw fit. A place where one could be more than a simple tool or another cog in the machine. At least that was the promise. Whether or not Shinjiro could truly learn to see others as more than tools was yet to be seen. “We should leave now then” he decided abruptly. There was no need to linger, it only invited risk of discovery. “Follow me” the foreigner said to the two Kumo shinobi. Shinjiro would move through the crowds, toward the outskirts of the mountainside festival. The vibrant lights and cheerful ongoings began to dwindle behind them. Though as it became apparent, they were heading toward the countryside, several guards began following them. ‘Kill them all. They are mere insects compared to us. To flee is an insult to our might’ came the haunting voice of the old shaman who reigned as supreme king of all animals. Roused from his rest by the promise of conflict, Vorashu frothed at the opportunity to draw blood from any that would oppose them. The women that accompanied Shinjiro were a minor nuisance, unwelcome but ultimately insignificant to such a being. 'Their lives and deaths are meaningless to me. I will do whatever I must' the Jinchuuriki of Kiri replied to Genma within. If they could leave seamlessly they would, but if opposed anyone that stood in his way would be struck down.

Surely enough, three men and one woman approached, one blocking their path directly while the others took cautious positions all around them. “I’m afraid miss Chiaki here isn’t permitted to leave the fairgrounds. Please return to the festival” the man instructed dutifully. “Is that so? It seems there is a misunderstanding. We have an urgent mission to attend to. Now, step aside” the green-eyed woman replied coldly. Though her body appeared lithe, there was an unmistakable aura of power to her frame. Even seemingly unarmed, the woman was undeterred. “Identification, now! And let’s see the mission request” the man replied, annoyance in his tone as his companions moved closer and fingered at their weapons. Shinjiro sighed. If Chiaki knew him at all she would be well aware of what was to come. Once there was a time when he engaged in ruses and clever ploys to get close to his targets and make his escape, but such things seemed tiresome and beneath him when he could simply rely on brute force alone. “It’s right here” the assassin said, reaching into their clutch and displaying the shinobi ID of one Aoki Saku, whose form he had taken on. There was a brief moment when those around them relaxed slightly at the allied identification and the guard blocking them averted his attention to verify the ID. And then, faster than most could perceive Shinjiro lashed out with a palm strike to the jaw, disabling the man immediately before reaching into his pouch and drawing several kunai, dispatching two others with swift throws before vanishing and appearing behind the last Kumogakure shinobi and disabling them with a swift chop. Hopefully Chiaki had managed to keep Hanako oblivious or complacent. Whatever the case Shinjiro would glow green for a moment as he began to transform. It was time to leave. “Keep your eyes closed and hold on tight” he advised as he transformed into a large golden eagle with a 3-meter wingspan. There would be enough room for both of them to climb onto his back and hold on for dear life as he ascended into the air and flew out toward the Ocean, heading west toward Waterfall country.

Jutsu UsedShow

Situational Awareness
B-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Perception]
Shinji has developed a keen sense of awareness of his environment. His innate attention to detail allows him to memorize the layout of an area or building as well as having a knack for identifying the entrances and exits as well as the positions of any other people in the area and even important details about that person, allowing him to see through disguises or transformations unless the opponent has a technique to mask their appearance of equal or greater rank. This grants him an almost a sixth sense in combat situations and his constant readiness allows him to more easily detect hostile intent and escape from ambushes.

*This is a Library
C-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 10 Strength
The practitioner throws an uppercut or hooking punch, attempting to dislocate the opponent's jaw. The practitioner will twist on the ball of their foot to add some extra force to the strike. Striking the opponent's jaw will dislocate it, causing them to be unable to speak or move their jaw. It will also cause immense pain and swelling. The practitioner's Strength must be 5 points higher than the opponent's Endurance to achieve the desired effect of this technique.

Lethal Precision
A-rank Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: [Deft Hands], [Close Quarters Combat] [Sword Weapons]
Shinjiro has fine tuned his accuracy with his strikes to the point where he can consistently target even a moving target within 1mm of precision as well as being able to find openings in his opponents guard and capitalize on those openings so long as his Speed is greater than or equal to that of his opponent unless they have an adequate defensive technique. This includes his use of bladed weapons and his own limbs.

Blurred Movement
S-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
Prerequisite: 25 Speed
Having honed his body to operating at high speeds Shinjiro has developed the ability to blur his movements at will making his fine movements more difficult to determine. If his opponent doesn’t have a perception/motion tracking technique of equal or greater rank then Shinjiro’s actual movements will be invisible to the eye, leaving only an afterimage of himself in his wake that will persist for a full post before fading.

Bird of Prey
C-Rank Full Kaerujutsu
Prerequisite: Form 1
This transformation allows Shinjiro to take on the form of various bird species with a maximum wingspan of 3 meters and a sharp beak and talons with a durability equal to his strength. This includes hawks, eagles, falcons, and even smaller species of birds such as pigeons, and doves.

[HotelBravo]

As Shinjiro had already predicted, the young Hanako had little idea of the consequences for what she was saying or doing. The truth that had not been spoken a single time this night was that Hanako did not understand what this secret mission was supposed to be. The girl put on a brave face however as she was challenged by the woman who hid the monster within to commit herself to Chiaki. The words sounded scary but to Hanako they were just the reality of being a shinobi. Of course you might never return from a secret mission. Death was the harsh reality that all shinobi faced. The little genin steeled herself as the woman announced that it was now time to leave. Fortunately Hanako had prepared with her own tools already and wasn’t worried about the call of a sudden mission. However she was also oblivious to the threats that Shinjiro perceived. For Hanako, despite her agreement, she saw the shinobi of Kumogakure as her allies. When they demanded identification, Hanako also pulled out her own Identification and was preparing to hand hers over just as the woman had done - only in that single blink of an eye the Shinobi of Kumogakure were dead by the woman’s hand.

These people had been no one to her, but they had been Shinobi of Kumogakure. She had felt the movement and looked passively at the men who were now dead on the ground, at the woman who was quickly becoming a bird and then at Chiaki. ”Granny said always listen to your superiors, Hanako. That is what she told me.” Because Chiaki had taken Hanako as a student. Because Kumogakure had permitted it - Hanako’s perceived chain of command started with Chiaki and ended with the Raikage. Shinjiro was nowhere in this chain of command, and at this moment Hanako’s confusion was plain. Hanako did not believe in Shinjiro’s mission, she did not believe in Shinjiro’s organization. At this moment there was only one thing, one person she could trust.

It wasn’t the dead Kumogakure ninjas on the ground. It was Kyoukan Chiaki. Her teacher who she was supposed to listen to no matter what. In Hanako’s confused and innocent eyes a silent question was being asked of Chiaki. What should I do? She was a shinobi. She was ready to fight any enemy regardless of how outclassed she was. Would she ask for Retribution against the woman, now a bird for slaying Kumogakure ninja? Would she bid Hanako to leap onto the back of this creature? Perhaps it was an oversight that no one had corrected Hanako’s misconception that she was still to follow Chiaki, someone that the village no longer trusted. But here and now Chiaki now held within her hands the fate of one thirteen year old girl.

[Kanade]

Chiaki listened to Shinjiro, she knew that he was the only way that she would be able to escape the village, to escape the constant surveillance, to be free to heal the world. It was a tragedy what happened to Maido, but that was the past. She was the hope of Maido’s to heal the world. She was also inclined to leave because there was no future for her there. She would never be trusted like she had been. It wasn’t for just selfish reasons though that she was leaving. Kirari said that she didn’t want to stay in Kumogakure no sato if they were going to have a child. She wanted to make sure that Kirari was happy and whenever they entered Kumogakure no Sato proper she could see Kirari deflate a little. She could see her eyes deaden a bit, she could see the in the rigidity of her movements, in the squaring of her jaw and shoulders that this wasn’t a place that she was comfortable. What did Chiaki have in Kumogakure no Sato? Well, she had Hanako, but that could change, it could all change if she said yes.

She nodded and smiled, the guards obviously knew that she wasn’t allowed to leave the festival, and it was only under guard that she was able to attend it in the first place. She hadn’t, however, expected quite so many as this to have guarded her. Perhaps one or two: she wasn’t a combatant, and most likely she had been overestimated for her combat prowess. She sighed and started to channel chakra, expecting a fight. She would protect Hanako if it came to that, but she still had the barrier active on the child, so she didn’t think that it would come to that if she could help it. But putting up another barrier could be advantageous for keeping her safe, and would ease Chiaki’s own mind. She started to reach towards Hanako when she heard the bones snapping and the guards lay on the ground. A quick look at their carotid arterial area in the neck and for breathing and a quick scan of the positions of their open eyes were the only thing that she needed to pronounce them dead.

Shaking her head she shuddered and looked to Hanako, who said a mantra that her grandmother had said, “I will watch over your grandaughter.” She murmured to herself under her breath before sighing and looking at the bird, no more hesitation for herself, “Let’s go Hanako-chan. The world awaits us: let’s go heal the wounds of the world.” She sat on Shinjiro’s back, clutching tightly to his neck feathers and held a hand outstretched, palm up in plea for her pupil to come with her. Chiaki’s orange eyes burned with an intensity of the plea, she wanted for her pupil to come with her, but she could also return for Hanako. Probably to the same fate that Maido had suffered, probably another implosion of power in the ninja world.

She resolved that she would heal any ninja, regardless of their headband, regardless of their borders. And now.

Now was her chance to bring light to the world.

She gave Hanako a warm smile, putting the dead bodies that lay, still warm on the ground, from her mind and gave her a pleading look. She closed her eyes as Shinjiro took off and she soared through the air, out of Kumogakure, out of danger, out of strife, and into her new life. She just hoped that Kirari would be able to find her. She clutched at the place where she had kept her heart, the heart that she had given to Kirari, and closed her eyes, muttering a quick prayer for her lover.