An Envoy From Home

[Kabu]

It had been maybe about a week since Miyako had found herself in the care of a small village family after her near death at the hands of that missing nin she had been sent to take down. At first she had been overcome by their kindness and a part of her had begun to doubt the village but having been allowed enough time to think clearly she now knew that that was wrong. She still believed there was change that needed to be made but it needed to come from within.

Miyako couldn't help but sigh at her thoughts as she sat up in her borrowed bed, looking out at the early morning sunlight shining down on the land. What was she thinking? Even if she did want to go home, which a large part of her did as quite frankly she was a bit homesick, she still couldn't. While she was miraculously still alive, it didn't change that several people had died on her watch and there was no way to make up for that. And besides that, they were surely going to kill her for not reporting in at all during this time, not that she really had much of a choice in her present predicament. All in all, it was clear to her that she simply didn't deserve the chance to return home.

It was as she was berating herself for her thoughts that a young girl came into the room, smiling as she saw the woman was wide awake. "Oh good, you're awake. Umm, there's a scary man here. Says he wants to talk to you. I have to go make breakfast now." was all she said before turning around and exiting the room, not seeming to notice Miyako going pale, her eyes widening in fear and realization. She momentarily contemplated her actions, whether she should flee or not, but after a moment she heavily sighed, getting up out of bed and heading out of the room after quickly getting dressed. There really was no choice, was there? She had been found and that meant just one thing.

Time to face the music.

[Willoria]

Meiyo Souta stood in the living room of the small home in his usual attire, with a headband tied around his forehead emblazoned with the Suna village symbol as an addition. He didn't wear his village symbol often, but on a mission such as this he had thought it best. He needed to show who he represented, and he also needed to see the reaction of his target when she saw it. He stood with his back against a doorframe, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the girl. Another young woman in the house seemed to have just offered him tea and he removed a hand from its position to wave her off. "I appreciate it, but no thank you, my dear." he told her, his voice low as scraping gravel as he spoke. In truth he would normally have loved the tea, but he couldn't guarantee there wasn't something in it that would compromise his ability if this turned into a fight for some reason.

He looked up as the girl inevitably entered the room, watching her carefully as he uncrossed his arms and rested them at his sides, closer to his weapons and closer to a ready position depending on what happened next. He hoped though that if it was to be a fight, perhaps she'd be willing to lessen potential damage, though in truth he hoped for a simple conversation. 'It's always better if they simply decide to come home willingly.' he thought to himself, sighing lightly. "Meiyo Souta." he said, introducing himself as he gave a slight bow, but without taking his eyes off her. "Why don't we talk outside? Go for a walk perhaps?" he asked carefully, watching her.

[Kabu]

"Imaro, Miyako... Though I'm sure you already know that." Miyako responded to Souta's introduction with one of her own, frowning as out of the corner of her eye she spotted the lady of the house sitting at the table dejectedly. True to her nature it seemed that the woman had tried to offer tea and been rejected. It hurt to see but given the circumstances it wasn't like she didn't understand. She didn't want a fight herself and so in a show of good faith had left her weapons back in her room but she couldn't blame the man for being prepared for conflict.

All said, despite her lack of any intention to fight back should there be any kind of fight, she was relieved when he revealed that he simply wanted to walk and talk. "Walking and talking seems fine to me, though are you sure you don't want anything to drink? You seem absolutely parched. The lady of the house makes absolutely wonderful tea." she responded with a small, genuine smile.

Regardless of the response she would wave goodbye to the inhabitants of the home and lead the way outside, though potentially waiting a few moments depending on Souta's answer, letting out a sigh upon stepping onto the sparsely inhabited streets. This was it, surely this was to be her last few moments of freedom but still she intended to cooperate to the best of her ability.

"So, how much do you actually know about what's happened so far?" she asked, head turned towards Souta as they walked deeper into the village, subconsciously placing a hand over the jagged scar under her breast and sighing again. She knew that by this point the village would be very well aware of the deaths and the failure of her mission as well as her own disappearance, but how far did their knowledge go beyond that? She just had to know.

[Willoria]

Souta only nodded at her introduction of herself. He took notice of her and her garb rather quickly, reminding himself of the nature of his mission before he let his eyes linger for too long. He had noticed of course that the other woman in the room was rather disappointed he didn't take her offer of tea, but as Miyako brought it up again he shook his head and smiled almost sadly. "If I could, I would. But on a mission of this sort you know I can't accept." he replied. He did love a good tea, but in case of risk of poisoning or other issues he couldn't accept tea from someone unless it was properly bought and paid for in a business establishment. Taking an offer from someone technically harboring an missing ninja wasn't just risky, it was stupid.

He followed her outside, his body still tense and ready to react if necessary. But so far Miyako seemed compliant and he walked side by side with her. "I know very little." he admitted as she posed her question to him. "I was sent to ascertain what happened to you, and bring you home if possible... and by any means necessary." he admitted rather bluntly. He could almost feel his own curse coursing through his blood, silently wondering if he would be forced to resort to its use, should Miyako choose not to willingly come back. "Why don't you fill me in on what's happened so far?"

[Kabu]

Miyako simply nodded and fell silent as she thought of how to begin her story, knowing it would do her no good to tell any half truths or falsehoods. No, he seemed the type dedicated to his mission and it didn't really matter what she said or did. The village had said to bring her back by any means and so it seemed that no matter what she did that was what was going to happen.

"Where do I even begin?" she quietly spoke under her breath, letting out her third sigh just that morning. "I had been assigned as the leader of a squad sent out to hunt down a missing ninja, the squad being myself and two others. Unfortunately our target was too strong for us and both of my partners were killed. I would have died too had a little girl not found me unconscious and bleeding to death. I eventually awoke in a bed with my wound cleaned out and stitched closed and since then that family has been taking care of me, helping me to heal." she explained her predicament, stopping in place as she turned to look up at Souta once more, for the first time noticing just how he towered over her. She was short even for a woman but this man was a giant, easily standing an entire foot over her. Was it genetic or just something that happened by chance? Curious, very curious indeed. She would have to ask about it later but for now....

"I know I should have reported in but by the time the thought occurred to me I figured it had been too late, that I had been branded missing, as a criminal. For a time I had considered embracing that but I can't do it, I couldn't betray the village like that. I really do want to go home but at this point... the thought of what kind of fate may await me is absolutely terrifying" she spoke once more, it being perfectly clear that numerous forms of guilt and unease were gnawing away at her.

[Willoria]

Souta frowned as Miyako recounted what had happened. What concerned him the most was the mention of the missing ninja being too much for three trained shinobi. He knew that meant either the particular MN had grown in strength that they were unaware of, or that they were given false information by an insider. Neither was a good possibility and was certainly something that needed reported. "Well I doubt you have too terrible of a fate waiting for you." he remarked, waiting until she was finished before he spoke. "I have heard no news of you performing criminal acts, and was even told there had been so little information I should be prepared to find you already dead. But what happened on your mission needs to be reported back. The bodies of your companions need to be retrieved and laid the rest, their families need to be told and given peace of mind."

He looked at her a moment as he tried to read the woman before him, silently hoping that what he was seeing was the truth, that she was willing to go home. "And you need peace too. Staying out here will never give you that, you can only get that by returning home."

[Kabu]

Miyako resisted the urge to sigh once more at Souta's words, knowing full well that not only was he telling the truth, or maybe that one was just wishful thinking, but that he was right on all counts, though she wasn't sure that she could ever attain any peace of mind. "I'm not sure which hurts worse, my wound or the ache in my heart when I think about the families torn apart by my own incompetence. We should have ran once we knew we were outmatched but I was stubborn. In that instance both the mission and my pride came first. I had no other thoughts and a dear price was paid for it." she spoke, beginning to choke up as memories of the encounter came flashing through her mind.

She took a moment to collect herself before speaking once more, her gaze momentarily turned towards her feet as she took a deep breath, thereafter turning her gaze back up towards Souta, seeming to have come to a decision. "Alright, I'll trust what you're saying. It really hurts to think about facing those poor families but I know deep down that running away will just cause more pain so... I'll go home. I'll do what I can to own up to my responsibilities."

[Willoria]

He was trying his damnedest to keep a 'business only' front up, but the more Miyako spoke, the harder it honestly became. As she relayed her worries, her doubts, and her regrets, the man suddenly came to a stop. He barely registered what she said as she spoke of returning home. His eyes were firmly on the ground for a moment, what she said coming to him a moment late and he finally nodded. "You're doing the right thing." he told her, finally lifting his eyes a moment to look at her. He didn't immediately move to lead her back to get her things, or to lead her home, instead he paused and simply stared at the woman for several moments.

"You don't know this, but I've been in exactly your place, Miyako." he told her quietly. "I went on a mission to hunt a missing ninja, and my teammate was the woman I had been trying to work up the courage to propose to." he began to explain, sighing to himself. This would be only the second time in over ten years since he'd spoken of what had happened, and it had come within a couple weeks of the last time. It was an odd feeling for the man who normally opened up to no one at all. "When we finally found our target he was in the middle of a larger force, and against better judgment I decided to get a better look. We knew he was there, but I refused to leave until I could confirm it was him by seeing him directly. It was a stupid decision, and Hotaru died in my arms for my mistake."

He took a deep breath, looking at Miyako a moment. "I thought that was hard, and then I went home and had to face her parents. I gave them the news myself. There isn't anything easy about it, and I can tell you it'll be harder than the moment you watched your friends die. But staying out here will eat you alive inside. Facing that hardship will make you stronger. And trust me, it will mean much more to their families when you return. Because if one of you returns, than their deaths weren't entirely in vain. You survived, and they survive in you now." He reached out a hand to rest it on Miyako's shoulder, an attempt to be reassuring despite what his role could have been in this situation.

[Kabu]

Miyako silently listened to Souta's own tale of woe, some part of her very happy that he was choosing to share such a story with her, that he was trying to reassure her. And really it did serve to bring a few things to mind, the sudden realization of why she felt the way she did, and the realization that she wasn't the only one to pay dearly for a stupid mistake. She had at first barely known the group that she had been working with during that failure of a mission but over the course of their travels they had grown fairly close and she had indeed begun to think of them as not just comrades in arms but as friends, a fact that had made the subsequent slaughter all that much harder to bear. She could only imagine that it had been even harder than that for Souta with not only having to confront the death of the woman he loved but having to bear the pain of parents as they learned of their daughter's fate.

"I.. I don't know what to say. except for... thank you." she quietly spoke, looking up towards his face as Souta placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for sharing that story with me, and thanks for being willing to talk with me, for helping me to see the error of my ways. It really does help a lot to know there's someone that's gone through similar pain to my own, really." she said, the faintest trace of a genuine smile on her face for perhaps the first time since the incident.

"Really, thank you for being the one to come all the way out here. I loathe to think what could have happened had they sent anyone less willing to talk." she said with a slight chuckle. Some may call it foolish of her given the circumstances but by now any tension she may have felt up to this point had all but vanished, allowing her to laugh and smile even despite the pain she still very much felt, the tears unnoticed by her that pooled in her eyes, threatening to overtake her at any moment as she thought of the monumental task that awaited her, of facing the families of those that had been lost and of making sure that she would carry on as best she could, making sure that their lives hadn't been lost in vain.

"Now let's go back to the house, shall we? I need to say my goodbyes and then we can go home."

[Willoria]

Souta gave her shoulder a light squeeze and nodded as she thanked him. "I don't always get a chance to make sure these things end happily... as soon as I heard there might be an opportunity to simply bring you home I knew I was going to take the mission." he told her. He knew as a shinobi his work caused him to double as a dealer of death. But whenever the chance arose to do something that required saving a life, or helping one along, he took them without a second thought. He turned back towards the house with Miyako, his shoulders relaxing a bit. His free hand came off the hilt of his sword. He was certain now they were past the point of there being any risk of this truly going ugly. Of course his guard wasn't completely down, but he at least trusted Miyako to keep to what was now the plan.

They made their way back to the house and he knocked before opening the door to let her in. "See? I promised I meant no harm." he assured the woman there, in reference to a conversation had before he had actually met Miyako. "Go ahead and gather your things, I'll wait here." he told her, before looking to the woman who he could be certain held no ill will towards him now. "If you still have some, I wouldn't mind some of that tea now."

[Kabu]

The walk back to the house was one spent in a comfortable silence, Miyako now feeling at ease around Souta as well as feeling some sense of relief in her decision to return home, though she had to admit she was still nervous about the prospect of facing all of the people that she had however briefly considered abandoning. She really was truly grateful to Souta for having convinced her that running away would have been the worst thing to do, for both her sake and for that of the lives whom had been lost.

They soon arrived the home, finding the woman sitting at the table, she smiling in relief at Souta's words, Miyako herself simply tilting her head in puzzlement. Ah well, it probably had something to do with a conversation had while she had been in her room getting ready for the day. Deciding to just leave it be, she left the group alone and headed into her room to gather up her few belongings

Meanwhile back in the main room the woman's face lit up as Souta finally accepted her offer of tea. "Ah, but of course dear. I'm always prepared." she said with a smile, pouring a cup from a kettle she had prepared nearby and sliding it gently across the table, gesturing for the man to take a seat. "So, I presume that you'll be leaving right away? I hope the trip won't be too rough on the girl. I did the best I could to dress her wound and let it heal but there's only so much to be done with my limited skillset, especially when it comes to an injury like that. She needs to see a real doctor as soon as possible." she spoke with a quiet sigh, her gaze drifting over towards the next room where Miyako was busily preparing for departure, making sure that she wasn't forgetting any of her equipment.

"Such a sweet girl really doesn't deserve any of this pain, whether inside or out."

[Willoria]

Souta smiled as thanks as the woman poured him tea and began to talk, though he didn't show it on his face he was a little surprised about this mention of a wound. That was at least twice now he had heard mention of it but he had yet to see the girl show an outward sign of it. "We have experts in the village who will see to her wound personally, she'll get the care she needs." he assured her, silently curious about how the girl had made friends with these people so quickly. He was certain there would be much to discuss on the trip home, and he was glad at least it sounded like it wouldn't be a boring walk. However he did wonder if he was going to need to purchase a wagon or carriage ride back depending on the girl's injury.

"I actually forgot to ask her something, if you'll excuse me a moment." he said, stepping away from the woman and towards the room where Miyako was. He gave a knock at the door and would only enter when invited, closing the door behind him. "I think that's twice now I've heard about a wound I haven't seen a sign of... I need to know how bad it is, Miyako. If it is going to impact travel I need to make arrangements. Can you tell me how bad it is?"

[Kabu]

Miyako had just finished restringing her bow and counting up her arrows when she heard a sudden knock on the door. "Come on in." she said, giving her newly strung bow a pluck, smiling to herself as it still seemed to be in fine shape despite her worries that it may had gotten broken at some point.

Somewhat to her surprise, Souta was the one that entered the room, the woman blinking at the question he asked of her. Of course the other woman had told him about her wound and of course he would want to know about it. In truth she had been feeling some amount of pain but she had been doing her damnedest to hide it so that they could actually talk without anyone worrying about her. Now though she didn't have to worry about that much, and really there was no use in hiding it, especially if it would have any kind of impact on their travel home.

"Well, I told you about how I was left for dead, bleeding out in the forest right? I've been told it's pretty bad... but I think that rather than telling, I think I'd better show you." she said without even seeming to really consider just what it was she was about to do, her dress coming partially undone with just a single non-hesitant tug, revealing just enough to show the grotesque, jagged scar underneath her right breast. It being clear that even in its currently healing state, it had at one point been a life threatening injury. "It's healed up enough that I can move around and do minimal exercise but it still hurts pretty bad every now and again."

[Willoria]

Honestly Souta was expecting a vague description at best, thinking she'd try to play off how badly she'd really been hurt. He had not expected what really happened instead, for the woman to simply drop half her clothing to show off her healing wound, and so much more. He paused a moment and blinked, but otherwise hid his mental reaction to her actions and nodded. "If you don't object, I'd just like to check and make sure it isn't as serious?" he asked seriously, slightly worried he might sound almost lecherous. He was well aware of the age difference between himself and this girl, but he wouldn't move forward unless she told him it was alright.

If she did give permission, he'd step closer and kneel beside her, resting his hand against her ribs and a thumb against the fresh scar. He purposely avoided touching her in unnecessary areas, and only applied a light pressure to the scar to gauge her reaction. Once he was certain of how she'd react, he'd take a step back and sit on the edge of the woman's bed. "You can cover it again, I'm done looking it over." he told her. "We'll have a medic ninja look when we get back, but from my own experience I'd say it isn't going to inhibit our travel much. Honestly, you're a very lucky woman." he admitted. "But you need to swear to me, if it starts bothering you at all, you let me know. I'd rather we be forced to take an extra day or two on the way back than risk that injury worsening. The surface seems healed but it's under that that I'm worried about."

[Kabu]

Miyako silently nodded in response to Souta's question about checking out her wound, tilting her head as she wondered why he had felt the need to ask for permission, a red tinge crossing her cheeks as she looked down and finally realized what she had just done. Oh, that was embarrassing. She had just dropped her clothes in front of a man with no hesitation. Granted it had only been because she felt that it was better to show rather than tell when it came to such a serious injury but still it was just so embarrassing.

She was broken out of her thoughts by a sudden twinge of pain, wincing as Souta applied pressure to her wound, the pain dulling significantly as he stopped and took a step back. As he spoke and told her she could cover back up, something her mom had once told her flashed through her mind and she very briefly contemplated whether she should try teasing the man, though ultimately she decided against it. This was no time for messing around, and frankly she was embarrassed just from showing this much so she couldn't imagine if she tried anything more... Quickly chasing that thought away just as soon as it came, she pulled her dress back up and tightened it, taking a moment to ensure it wouldn't come loose on its own before turning to sit on the bed herself, grabbing her bow and cradling it close to her chest. "I understand perfectly though I think I'll be fine if we take it a bit slow, so long as the trip back home is one spent in peace. I'm not too sure I can effectively fight in my condition."

"So, when are we leaving?"

[Willoria]

Souta did his best to hide it, but as Miyako put her dress back into place the man breathed a sigh of relief, even as she took a seat beside him and he nodded. "You won't fight. If it comes to that, it'll be me that does the fighting." he assured her, attempting to give her a reassuring smile before taking his tea from a nearby end table and taking the last sip of it. In truth, he needed the moment with the tea to calm himself, though in his younger years he was well known for his antics with women, it had been some time since he'd touched a woman, much less seen one half naked as he just did.

Stifling the thoughts rising in his mind, the man finally stood and offered a hand to help Miyako to her feet. "We leave immediately." he told her. "But we'll move slow to keep from reinjuring you. There are few comfortable places to stay between here and home, but I know where they all are. We'll survive." He moved to step out of the room and pay his respects to the woman in charge of the home before moving to the door, and waiting on his new and current ward.