Storm in a Teacup

[Toshi]

It had been nearly a week since Tousha had almost killed himself with some poisonous mushrooms he'd found in the woods and his bowel movements were finally settling into normalcy. It was something he explained to his travel companion and savior and personal medical practitioner, Tsubaki, with unashamed regularity as they traveled. Some might argue that speaking of such things with someone you barely knew, especially someone who didn't remotely trust you yet, would be a bad plan to move towards a symbiotic foundation of trust and respect. A foundation that might even allow for the fragile sapling of a tree called friendship to emerge, healthy and strong and built to last.

Tousha was not included in that 'some,' so he continued speaking to the Kunoichi who marched ahead of him through the wooded, craggy valley they had wandered into.

"Are you sure it's nothing to worry about?" Tousha asked, calling out loudly to his companion and confidante. "I think this one was... Well, I'm not sure how else to say it, Tsubaki, the thing was smiling at me. Smiling this shit eating grin while I buried it. Gave me the heebie jeebies something fierce, it did. Never seen any of my movements do something like that."

He could feel it, the barrier between them was crumbling by the minute.

[Amy]

"I swear to all that is good and holy,” Tsubaki mouthed silently to herself, her hands raised in front of her chest in tight fists, punctuating each word with force. ”If I have to hear about one more fuck-Oh my God.” Still silent, Tsubaki whipped her head around towards Tousha, her eyes wide with near unbridled fury. She got as far as pointing directly at his face before realizing that she was not, in fact, going to yell at him. Growing even more frustrated, now with herself, she spun back around and stomped forward a few steps until she felt a slight bit more in control. Her voice was strained when she finally swallowed the scream that was working its way up her throat.

“I promise you that it was not smiling at you and if your fecal matter continues to stress ya out so much maybe you should stop observing it so closely.”

Every day, a little bit more every day, she regretted turning back towards the sound of the dying man. Her self appointed mission could not be delayed but she had done it, for him. And he proved to be more infuriating than any of the bandits back at camp and that was impressive all on its own. They still hardly knew anything about each other thanks to her mostly refusing to engage in a conversation. They mostly talked about where they were camping for the night and what his bowel movements made him feel, which never ceased to be incredibly uncomfortable. The thoughts that raced through her head were constantly dashing for a way out into the open but she was militant about keeping them locked down. People were relying on her and she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. For the first time, in a long time, she only had herself to rely on.

When the man had finally been well enough to travel again, Tsubaki had had a difficult choice to make. As they were going in mostly the same direction they could either just travel together or they could go their separate ways. But the thought of periodically running into him if they traveled separately had, at the time, made her much more anxious than traveling together. Not so much anymore, but it was a hard decision to take back. Her nails clicked in her teeth as they continued their trek, Tsubaki desperately trying to think of something innocuous to say to fill the weird silence that she could practically see floating between them.

“Have you always been this much of a hypochondriac?”

Probably not the best choice.

[Toshi]

Tousha froze defensively as Tsubaki whipped around and glared fiery daggers of fury at him, hoping the Kunoichi's vision was based on movement. Those hopes were shattered when she pointed a trembling, furious finger right at his face. The vagabond chanced a look over his shoulder, just in case there was someone else standing behind him to be mad at.

Again, no dice.

Instinctively, Tousha held his hands up to show he was unarmed and nonthreatening while Tsubaki visibly wrestled with her inner demons for a bit. She seemed to land on the side of patience as she turned back around and stomped off in the direction they'd been heading all day. For safety's sake Tousha gave his travelling companion a healthy lead and didn't move until she gave him a reserved but wise piece of medical advice involving his droppings.

"Noted," Tousha muttered, looking dejected and defeated. He sad walked after Tsubaki, his body swaying morosely and his gaze lowered.

After what felt like an eternity of labored silence between them Tousha was happy to hear her question, barbed as it was.

"I think it's seasonal," he replied, pushing away an errant bit of shrubbery from the path and carefully stepping around it. "I always feel more anxious about what comes out of me this time of year. That's a thing, right?"

The vagabond shielded his eyes from the sun and looked westward, where the gentle slope of a stout mountain range formed the far side of the valley they were hiking through. It was getting late in the day and nightfall would be upon them soon, probably sooner than expected because of the mountain's shadow. Not to mention the sky was darkening just over the eastern ridgeline with clouds that looked heavy with rain.

"Looks like a storm's coming through. Might be a bad one," Tousha said, still peering towards the darkness that was encroaching on the valley by the minute.

[Amy]

A heavy sigh of resignation blew through Tsubaki’s lips as her eyes fluttered closed. She had truly considered Shirai the most patience testing man she had ever met but Tousha sure was giving him a run for the money. The thought of Shirai slowed her steps, giving Tousha the chance to walk up next to her. They both stared at the incoming cloud cover but that wasn’t what was on Tsubaki’s mind at all. Her heart ached in her chest and her throat tightened as just for a moment she let the feelings in. She wondered what he would think of Tousha, deciding quickly that he would find the man perfectly amusing. It was getting late, the crew was probably finishing up dinner and if she knew Shirai he probably didn’t join them around the fire much since she left. The thought of him eating in the med tent alone, missing her, brought Tsubaki to the point where she had to shove it all down again. Blinking rapidly, dispersing the tears that had started to gather she finally focused on the clouds that she had been staring at.

“Yeah, those clouds aren’t givin’ me a great feeling,” Tsubaki said, her hands rubbing up and down her forearms. Her weight shifted back and forth on her feet as she continued to stare up at the quickly darkening sky. They weren’t that far from the nearest town but the impending weather was darkening the sky much too quickly and they would certainly have no moonlight to guide them. She did not want to be out in this storm but she didn’t see any other option. They were going to need to get some supplies together and put up somewhat of a decent shelter. And they needed to start soon before they lost all of their light completely. With a small shudder, Tsubaki finally pulled herself away from the clouds and started walking towards the tree line.

“We should probably start setting up a camp for the night. I’ll look for something to eat if you want to gather some wood and start working on a fire and set up the tents.” Tsubaki had yet to let Tousha gather anything for any of their meals so far, citing the very good evidence that she had that he wasn’t very good at it. She didn’t mind though, killing animals was easy ever since…since…shaking her head slightly, Tsuabki didn’t finish her thought or say anything else before walking a few yards into the woods, pulling several weapons into her palms. “Just focus,” she whispered to herself before disappearing out of view of Tousha.

Once she knew for sure she was completely out of sight she dropped to a squat, leaning against a thick tree trunk for support. Her head dropped between her knees, harsh breaths tearing through her body too fast, the woods starting to spin around her . Ever since that day she couldn’t think about it without freaking out. It had been worse, at first, but it had stopped getting better a while ago. Her knuckles were white around the kunai she grasped and she pressed her fist hard into her chest, rubbing in small circles until her skin started to chafe. Until that discomfort, that pain, was all she could think about and her breaths started to slow. Until she could breathe in through her nose and press it out through her mouth. Until the tingling in her fingers stopped and the blackness that blurred the edges of her vision pulled back. She stayed crouched until the dizziness faded and the shaking had stopped. She stayed until the trees came back into focus and she could feel the ground beneath her feet. Only then, did she pull herself up. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, deeply. Forced herself to push it all down.

A short time later, Tsubaki walked back to where she had left Tousha, a slight hollowness to her eyes, landing on nothing above ground level for more than a moment. She held up two rabbits and a half full sack. “Not much luck, weather’s scaring everything into hiding. Got some berries to cook with ‘em though.” Dropping the sack onto the ground, Tsubaki started the task of bleeding and skinning the rabbits, hanging them from a nearby branch by their hind legs. Her movements were precise and swift but her shoulders drooped just slightly in exhaustion as focused entirely on the task at hand.

[Toshi]

They hadn't been traveling together for long but Tousha could confidently say Tsubaki wasn't one to show an abundance of anxiety. It seemed as though her concerns and stresses were dealt with quickly and then sorted in an orderly fashion, put away to be forgotten or sorted through when she had a moment to breathe. He admired that about the Kunoichi, knowing very well that his own mental state was something of a tightrope walk.

But as the storm clouds rolled in over the mountains and poured darkness into the valley below, Tousha knew something was wrong. It was in the way Tsubaki held herself, in the way she couldn't take her eyes off of the looming storm.

"Yes, ma'am," the vagabond responded, saluting casually as Tsubaki rounded off a staccato of orders before setting off to round up some dinner. His thin, knowing eyes followed Tsubaki until she wandered out of eye shot. Then he allowed himself a sigh, and set off to work himself.

He'd found a large boulder and decided to prop up their tents behind it, hoping that it would act as a wind break and leave them in relative peace. Tousha had also managed to find many recently fallen, densely leafed branches and bound them together before draping them over the boulder and another nearby sturdy tree branch, giving them a makeshift rain canopy for the night. It wasn't perfect by any means but it was better than nothing.

Lastly he set to gathering firewood. It didn't take long as it seemed another storm had torn through the area recently, littering the valley's floor with branches and twigs. It felt almost dreamlike in a way, watching the sky continue to darken and swirl with elemental disdain while he mundanely gathered discarded timber. There was something almost poetic about it. A literal calm before the storm that filled Tousha with an eerie serenity.

Back at the camp, Tousha had arranged the firewood inside a ring of small stones. The palm of his hand began to glow with a warm, orange light as he kneaded Katon chakra into it. Suddenly his hand became engulfed in flame, casting long, dancing shadows across the ground. The vagabond allowed some of the heat to escape his palm with unusually precise chakra control, igniting the firewood and instantly creating a rather welcoming looking fire.

Good thing too, as Tsubaki had emerged from the nearby woodland hefting two rabbits. He couldn't help but notice the strange look in her eyes hadn't improved during their time apart. The vagabond waved at the Kunoichi, and then settled into silence as she went about preparing the carcasses.

"You're really good at that," Tousha eventually said to break the quiet, hoping to build back any lost ground between them after their previous conversation and hopefully set Tsubaki more at ease. "Makes me feel safer, knowing I've got you looking out for me."

Jutsu UsedShow

Katon • Burning Hands
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather a concentrated dose of Katon chakra into a single hand, causing it to burst into flame. The user will then release the Katon chakra as a concentrated gash of flame that erupts into a burning cone at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control up to 10m. This cone can reach a width of 5m and can be maintained for up to 3 posts before additional chakra is required.

[Amy]

Tsubaki surprised herself when a small smile fluttered across her face at Tousha’s words. Her eyes flicked up to his as she put her weapon away, the cuts to the rabbits completed.

“Yeah, don’t worry. If a colony of rabbits tries to sneak up on you I’ll handle them in no time at all.”

Hooking her thumbs underneath the rabbit's fur and against its muscle, Tsubaki pulled the entire fur off of the first animal's body in one smooth movement. She had learned the skill as a child but had never gotten the chance to use it much. After meeting Akio and the crew though, it had become an incredibly valuable skill as wild game made up most of their menu. Not the least important part was that it kept the fur valuable whether as a material to make something or as a product to sell. Almost everyone in camp had a pair of rabbit fur lined gloves for when the colder months hit. She didn’t think most of them used them often, but whenever she saw one of the pairs out it made her smile.

“My dad taught me how,” she said quietly as she stripped the second rabbit of his coat, her only response to his praise.

Bundling the furs up, she tucked them into the corner of her tent, only being able to hope the sun would come out before they spoiled. It hadn’t been that long since they noticed the clouds but the area untouched by the light of the fire was the wrong kind of dark. The darkness of night held a simple comfort, a promise of the dawn to come. This darkness only felt evil and suffocating. Electricity seemed to dance along Tsubaki’s body, along the back of her neck and down her bare arms, teasing her every nerve into high alert. She managed her breathing as best she could, though she was unable to stop her darting eyes as the forest grew quiet around them and every noise that did occur echoed loudly because of it.

Tsubaki dropped the organs and cranberries into a small pot with some water before nestling it in the coals. She had stuck the rabbits on some long sticks and she now took those sticks and stabbed them next to the fire, angled so that the backs of the rabbits faced the fire and would begin roasting nicely. She stayed crouched by the fire, letting it warm her hands, wondering why she was even bothering. Bile churned in her stomach and she was certain that she would not be able to stomach a single bite of the food that she was cooking. But this was what she did. It was how she managed her emotions; focusing on everyone else’s needs.

A low rumble of thunder in the distance set her head whipping around, eyes searching not the sky but the surrounding woods. As though something much scarier than the storm lurked beyond her vision. Turning slowly back towards the fire, she accidentally caught Tousha’s eyes and gave him a weak, unconvincing smile.

“Thunder startled me.”

He saw way too much with those eyes of his. She knew he stared at her often, she could feel it, feel the invitation in the stare. The peaceful silence that invited her to fill it with words, no matter what they were. But no matter the thought that popped into her head, it got choked back down when the little voice in the back of her head reminded her that the only person she could trust was herself.

[Toshi]

Relieved to see her smile, Tousha returned the favor. It was one of the cheekier grins in his arsenal, the kind that closed his already thin eyes. "My hero," he shot back, matching the Kunoichi's sass. Tousha fed the fire a few more shattered pieces of wood while Tsubaki turned her attention back to her own task. The flames crackled and sparked with delight against the encroaching storm's bleakness, doing its best to rid their little camp of darkness.

"He must have been a great teacher," Tousha observed, keeping his eyes skyward. The wind was starting to pick up and he doubted it would get any better before it got worse. Thankfully a ridge near the camp was taking the brunt of the irregular gusts that buffeted everything around them, but they weren't entirely spared. Every now and then a wisp of air would pull at Tousha's clothes and hair with a stubbornness he didn't appreciate.

But however much Tousha was annoyed by the worsening weather, it didn't seem to compare how it was affecting Tsubaki. She continued to remain silent, obviously busying herself with the preparation of their meal to distract herself with whatever she was feeling. For what felt like the hundredth time since they'd met, Tousha suppressed a nearly overwhelming urge to ask the Kunoichi a question. Not to probe or to gather useful information to exploit, but because he could tell Tsubaki was the kind of person who probably had something she needed to talk to someone about.

Tousha wasn't sure if he was that person for the young woman, but he wouldn't decline the chance to be.

Tousha's mind wandered as Tsubaki grabbed a pot and filled it with berries and what was left of the rabbits. The sudden thunderclap turned the vagabond's head as well, snapping him out of his mental stupor. He turned back to Tsubaki, his expression growing concerned as he watched the Kunoichi grappling with something terrible. The concern wrinkling the vagabond's brow didn't lessen as she flashed him a halfhearted smile and a paper thin excuse.

"Yeah," he replied, trying not to see through her attempts at putting up a barrier between them and failing miserably. "Hopefully it passes quickly."

Tousha took a moment and looked around the camp again, shocked by how dark it was getting. He stood up and brushed off his pants before cracking his knuckles and winking playfully at Tsubaki. He hoped that was more relieving than weird and creepy, but Tousha was in full blown cheer up mode so he decided the risk was worth it. "Getting pretty dark out here," he said, stretching his neck dramatically and rotating his arm in full, looping windmills. "I've got just the thing for that."

Tousha rounded off a string of hand seals, his movements sure and swift. He ended on a Tiger seal, kneading a small but concentrated dose of chakra into his fingers. Tousha held out his hands and extended his long, pale fingers as a small, glowing orb of light engulfed the tip of each. One at a time the vagabond shot out these orbs of light, each resembling a firefly that happily zipped and zagged through the air around them. Tousha fired one of them off at Tsubaki, which hovered in front of her nose, bounced as if pleased to meet her, and then darted off as quickly as the others.

In no time at all their small camp was surrounded by firefly Katon torches that slowly rotated and bobbed in time to a whimsical tune only they could hear. The suffocating darkness that had threatened to snuff away any and all joy from the evening shrunk back like a dissuaded predator. It was still there of course, waiting for its chance to pounce on them at a moment's notice, but the ward of Tousha's warmly glowing fireflies held firm with an adorable stubbornness.

Tousha slapped his hands together with satisfaction, his face alight with more than the light from his technique. With his cheesiest smile, the vagabond looked at Tsubaki and said, "It'd be a shame if we couldn't see this wonderful meal you're working so hard to make, right?"

Jutsu UsedShow

Katon • Firefly Torch
C-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Katon • Torch
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will concentrate a dose of Katon chakra into each fingertip, creating ten glowing orbs of flame. He will then launch these orbs into air at a Speed up to the user's Control, each orb casting light in a 3m radius similar to that of a torch. A Strength greater than or equal to the user's Control is required to destroy each source of light. Each orb may be controlled independently at a Speed equal to the user's Control as long as they remain within 20m of the user and will remain apparent for up to 5 posts before additional chakra is required.

[Amy]

Tsubaki rubbed her face wearily as she watched the rabbits drip what little fat they had onto the flames. If they had more time or the weather hadn’t been so bad she could have found a stone to set beneath them to catch the fat instead of wasting it. They weren’t struggling, food was easy enough to find on a day to day basis but it still seemed like such a waste. It was much easier to think about the wasted teaspoon of fat than it was to think about the concern on Tousha’s face. She was usually much better at holding herself together but the universe seemed determined to break her on this stormy night. Exhaustion had settled heavily into her bones and she didn’t have the energy to appear cold and aloof. Sadness oozed out of her every pore and pooled around her and no matter how desperately she tried she couldn’t scoop it back up. And she shouldn’t care that anyone was witnessing it but the shame was still there whether she should or shouldn’t.

When Tousha stood up, her eyes followed him, his wink catching her off guard. She raised an eyebrow at him, the corners of her mouth twitching as though she wasn’t sure if she should be amused or concerned. But if he wanted to try to do something about the darkness, who was she to stop him? It had been one of the hardest things about traveling alone, so far, for Tsubaki. Back at the camp her tent was close to the fire so there was always a warm orange glow for her to rely on. And when she wasn’t in her tent she was in the med tent where there was always a dampened lantern ready to be maxed to full flame should someone get hurt. But alone, it was so dark. Eyes followed her and the people they belonged to whispered about her. They reminded her of how weak she truly was and what a monumental task she was up against. And the only people in her corner were kilometers and kilometers away.

Neither had been using much jutsu since they met. Tsubaki because she didn’t need to and she assumed for Tousha it was a mix of not needing to and not wanting to upset her. But, for as exhausted as she was, Tsubaki couldn’t even pretend she was worried about what he was doing. He hadn’t given her any reason to fear him thus far and if he was going to do something nefarious he was choosing a very poor time to do it. So she was glad that she watched and didn’t cower away as the jutsu took form and light began dancing around her. Her eyes widened to take it all in, crossing briefly to focus on the orb that came to greet her, practically kissing her on the nose. She wrinkled it in return and turned to watch as the lights took up post around their makeshift camp. Pressing the darkness further back into the woods. It told her that she was right and that he had been noticing more than she liked.

But it also told her that he was kind.

Swallowing the heavy emotion she felt down, she met his eyes more willingly this time. A deep breath lifted her chest before it left her with a shaky exhale, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed, just a little bit.

“Thank you,” she said with every ounce of sincerity that she could muster. “Good timing. Foods ready.”

Yanking the two rabbits out of the ground, she passed one to Tousha as he joined her at the fire. Her fingers poked at the burning, crackling skin as they sat together but separate. She had always kept everyone at arm’s length. Her parents had criticized her for it more than once but Tsuabki had found it impossible to change. She lived in her head too much, she was too closed off, too careful about what she said. It was all true, but Tsubaki hadn’t realized what was wrong with it until she was around people that made her feel things. It was the way Akio made her feel when he met her at the bar and had invited her along to join his crew. It was the way Shirai made her feel when he called her cutie just to see her smile. Or the way Isobe made her feel when he told her stories about his late love. She wanted so desperately to bare her soul to them, to beg them to love her even as they witnessed the worst of her.

But she kept everyone at arm’s length.

“I never thought I would miss it,” she finally said, fingers still picking at the meat but never removing any. She didn’t want to talk but it was the smallest repayment she could give him for the light. “Being around others who can use jutsu for simple things like starting fires and creating light. For filling a jug or clearing off a camping ground. It seemed like such a silly thing to even consider missing at the time.”

Another rumble of thunder rolled its way across the sky, echoing around as though it itself didn’t even know when it originated from.

“I never thought it would be this lonely, to be the only one.”

[Toshi]

"You're very welcome, Tsubaki," Tousha replied, mirroring the Kunoichi's sincerity and giving her a chummy thumbs up. The vagabond then rubbed his hands together at the mention of dinner being ready. He'd finally found his full appetite after that whole self-poisoning business with the mushrooms and the smell of roasting meat had once again reached peak mouth watering status. He accepted his skewered rabbit with a respectful nod, excitedly shuffled over to the opposite side of the fire, and sat down cross-legged before tearing into it with unfettered enthusiasm.

After the first few mouthfuls Tousha had to stop himself from trying to eat the whole thing in one bite. Overcome with the salivary sensation of Tsubaki's cooking, the vagabond shed manly tears and chewed slowly to savor every last morsel. "So good..." Tousha mumbled to himself through the food, temporarily ignorant to the ever looming storm.

Opening his mouth to tear away another strip of meat, Tousha paused as Tsubaki spoke. Her voice was quiet, as if her words weren't meant for him. All the same, Tousha lowered the skewer and his expression grew more serious as he listened intently. He'd been so focused on eating his own dinner that he hadn't noticed Tsubaki hadn't even started hers. The Kunoichi's dexterous fingers simply picked at the rabbit's charred flesh in an absent minded kind of way.

When Tsubaki had finished speaking, Tousha's eyes refused to waver from the young woman. He felt a pang of weakness rise up in him, as if she needed a moment of privacy and he was intruding. This was the first time Tsubaki had spoken of anything about her past, or admitted to feeling anything outside of stoic drive to reach their next destination. It wasn't hard to see that telling him even this much was ground she didn't want to give. At least not without a fight. But she'd allowed herself to be open with him, and that was a gift Tousha had dared not press or hope for.

The firefly torches continued to lazily twirl and rotate around them, shedding their warm, inviting light. It was lovely.

"I know what it's like," Tousha said, quiet as well. "Being alone."

He turned his gaze down to the rabbit skewer in his hands and allowed himself a sad smile. It was the look of a man who had seen too much and fixed so little. The vagabond took a breath and closed his eyes, remembering leaving his own place in the world. Lonely. Beaten. Lost. Unsure of where to even begin.

There was still smoke in the air, coming from the village. His home was still bleeding when Tousha turned his back to it.

Tousha's eyes opened again, searching for Tsubaki's. "I'm sorry," he said simply.

[Amy]

Tsubaki pursued her lips softly, offering her own sad smile back to Tousha. She had wondered often the past few days why the man was traveling on his own. He seemed to enjoy her company just fine, but she hadn’t yet been able to bring herself to ask his reasoning. It was certainly one of the more frustrating aspects of preferring to keep your entire life close to the chest; the inability to ask questions that she herself would rather not answer. And as of right now, Tsubaki had done a pretty good job of just not talking about anything so that she didn’t have to outright avoid answering her own questions. Likely, it would cause suspicion about why she didn’t want to answer them and she didn’t want to deal with those consequences either. She knew that she would suspect the worst if roles were reversed and thus she assumed so would everyone else, especially someone who watched her as though they were trying to read the words that ran behind her eyes.

“Never did find much sense in being sorry for things that aren’t your fault or things ya can’t change,” she finally said. What she didn’t say, as she finally tore a small bit of meat from the rabbit, was that she was the world’s biggest hypocrite. She felt sorry for every single thing that had ever happened to her and for every single thing that had happened to everyone around her. Every wrong doing, every lie, every cruelness crowded its way around her heart and no matter what she did she wasn’t strong enough to remove them. Worse still was the fact that most of them she didn’t even try to get rid of, holding them as tightly and as closely as she could, relishing in the pain as they settled into her very soul. She was unable to let go of the familiar pain that had followed her since her earliest memories, the pain that reminded her of who she was, where she had come from, and where she could never go back to. She knew that the truth of why she held on so tightly to the wounds that stabbed through her heart would never pass her lips. Because the truth was for no one except her. If she let go of the pain - what would be left?

Nothing, her heart whispered back. Nothing at all.

Shaking herself lightly, Tsubaki finally shoved the smallest bit of rabbit into her mouth, regret flooding through her almost immediately. Bile churned and roiled in her stomach and quickly tried to burn its way up her throat. Unwilling to make a scene, Tsubaki quickly but gently placed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. Silently willing her stomach to settle she took a soft, slow breath that raised her shoulders and cleared her head enough to hear his voice.

Ya gotta eat, Cutie.

It was the only memory that could calm her stomach enough to keep food down when things got this bad. Usually, she would just not eat until she felt better but with the doom that was heading their way there was no telling when the next meal would come or what it would be. So with Shirai cheering her on she managed to slowly consume the entire rabbit, the process getting easier and easier with every bite. The space that was left behind after the hunger was gone and his voice faded away was quickly filled with an unforgiving longing that threatened to stop her heart right where she sat. Even before they were dating, Shirai had always kept her company during storms. He’d tell her his stupid jokes and his stupid stories and never once did he ask why she stared through the tents as though the storm was coming after her personally. She knew he wondered but she knew he would never ask. He always waited patiently for her.

Another rumble of thunder finally broke the spell that Tsubaki had fallen under, her eyes blinking rapidly, clearing some of the fog that had been clouding them. A light blush covered the apples of her cheeks as she realized that so much time had passed that darkness had fully descended and there were nothing but piles of tiny bones at their feet. A chill raced down her spine, the air having grown cooler at a rapid pace thanks to the front rolling in. Leaning forward onto her knees, Tsubaki pulled the pot out of the coals and poured the contents into two small cups that she had laid out, favoring the one that she handed to Tousha. She was careful to avoid his touch, knowing that with how tight her nerves were she would jump at the smallest of contact and likely burn one or both of them with the hot soup.

Sitting back down, Tsubaki tried to ignore the itch in her brain that made her want to tear her skin off and scream as she desperately tried to avoid Tousha’s gaze without making it obvious that she was. Question after question ran through her mind, the desire to say something and get rid of the silence overwhelming. She wanted to know where he came from, why he left, who he left, didn’t he regret it? Wasn’t there anything he missed? Was there anyone waiting for him? But she had made no more progress in the past ten minutes than she had made in the last ten years. So with her eyes sullenly locked onto the cup in her hands, Tsuabki simply remained quiet.

Letting the silence eat her alive.

[Toshi]

It wasn't easy hiding the disappointment that took root deep within him at the Kunoichi's words. Like an invasive weed it threatened to choke away the newly budding hope that Tsubaki could speak to him openly about what was bothering her, unimpeded by distrust or shame. Tousha watched, completely helpless, as the young woman sitting across the fire fell back into the cruel sea of self hatred and fear consuming her.

He wanted so desperately to throw Tsubaki a lifeline, to pull her back to the surface and keep her head above those cold, dark waters. She was so clearly in pain and for all his strength Tousha felt so useless. How could he possibly expect to change anything in the world for the better if he couldn't even help this one young woman?

The vagabond remained as silent as Tsubaki while they ate, their quiet, lamenting duet accompanied by the rolling of thunder and the howling of wind.

After what felt like hours Tsubaki finally finished her rabbit and made to offer him a cup of steaming soup. Tousha nodded in thanks, settling back into his spot opposite from the Kunoichi. He took in a long, slow breath through his nose to appreciate the simple pleasure of a warm cup of soup in an ever worsening night. The vagabond sipped at his portion gently, nursing it as he kept his gaze lowered. Tousha could practically feel Tsubaki's skin crawling at the mere thought of him looking at her, probing her for answers and inviting deeper conversation.

In that moment, Tousha decided to stop hiding from a sliver of sorrow that he kept tucked away in the darkest part of his mind. Oftentimes he ignored that it existed at all, but something about the evening he was sharing with Tsubaki made him say something he hadn't told anyone since leaving Konoha. Whether it was the Kunoichi's own grief or his own feelings of failure to help the poor girl in any real way, he wasn't sure.

It didn't really matter. Either way, Tousha's voice cut through the nearly opaque dreariness that had emerged between them.

"If I didn't leave they were going to kill my daughter," he said, still staring down at the soup. Tears were welling in his dark, thin eyes as he said the words. His brow furrowed into something between sorrow and rage. He refused to take his gaze from the steaming cup, worried beyond belief how Tsubaki would look at him now.

[Amy]

“Oh,” Tsubaki said.

Suddenly, the world seemed very quiet. The storm still roared to life in the distance and the nocturnal animals still chittered amongst themselves. The trees rustled their leaves above their heads and their trunks groaned and creaked with the effort it took to remain upright. Tsubaki blinked slowly, her eyes still locked onto Tousha’s face, a realization flooding over her as swiftly and unexpectedly as his statement had. The world was not quiet at all, she realized. It was her who had become quiet. The unrelenting flood of negativity and sorrow had been evaporated by his single sentence that seemed to hold all of the things that lived inside of her heart.

And because she knew that, because she could feel the way her soul reached for his, she was finally able to breathe. The undeniable urge to care for someone in need propelled Tsubaki into action. A shaky breath brought her to her feet, soup abandoned where it sat. Hesitant steps rounded the fire, her eyes watching him carefully for any sudden movements so that they did not startle each other. Lowering herself gently, Tsubaki mimicked his posture and balanced her elbows on her knees, chewing on her bottom lip. For a moment or maybe more, Tsubaki just sat next to him. The difference in energy would be stark, now that her mind was momentarily cleared by Tousha’s statement. There was nothing awkward about her at all.

“It’s a hard burden, loving someone with your entire being. I remember finding out that all of the love I thought I had experienced in my life was a lie. It seemed so fake once I met the people that my heart and soul loved so much that I knew I would strip myself of everything I am and burn myself to ash if it meant saving them.” Tsubaki paused, pressing her fingers gently to her lips. Enjoying the brief moment where the memories didn’t hurt. “It’s a terrible thing, what they did to you. It would certainly be easier to burn to ash than to live without them.”

Tsubaki breathed deeply, not giving herself time to question her actions. She brought her arm off her knee and laid her palm gently on Tousha’s knee in one smooth motion. Her hands were small but she imagined the weight of it was quite heavy so she made sure to hold still. Hoping that he did not reach for her in return.

“I think you’ll get back to her. I think you’ll do whatever it takes.”

A trickle of anxiety spun around her but this time, it wasn’t because of her everlasting internal struggle. This time it was for someone else.

[Toshi]

Tousha's gaze remained fixed on the cup of steaming soup in his hands, his dark eyes unfocused screaming with worry. He hadn't allowed himself to confront these feelings for some time. Instead the vagabond forced himself to only think of the journey. How he could help people, how he could make the world better. Failing Tsubaki in her moment of need had opened a very painful door and he could feel anguish radiating out from him in waves, threatening to squeeze the very breath from his lungs.

Then he heard Tsubaki's voice. She spoke kindly to him, and from a place of wisdom that made his soul ache for the young woman. He could tell she was like him in a lot of ways. Probably too many by the way she spoke about her previous life feeling fake. Tousha didn't take his eyes away from the rabbit soup until she placed a hand on his knee, hoping to comfort him at the expense of her personal space.

Tousha stared at the Kunoichi, dumbfounded. They'd only been traveling together for a week but in all that time, at least since she helped him with the mushroom poisoning, she had always shied away from him. Even if it was something simple like passing over some supplies or firewood, Tsubaki always took special care not to touch him in any way. Tousha had respected that need for personal space, or at least he hoped he had.

But watching the young woman's kindness and sincerity break through the anxiety that wracked her body and spirit, it moved Tousha to his core. Tears spilled freely over his cheeks, though his expression remained composed. The vagabond felt a great weight lift off of his shoulders.

"Thank you," he said quietly, holding her gaze. "I'm sorry, I... Just wanted to help you feel better, and now I'm..." Tousha shrugged and let out a sad chuckle at his own expense. "Look at me. I'm a mess."

[Amy]

Tsubaki didn’t look away or say anything when Tousha began crying. She simply let him feel the things he felt with his entire being. Sometimes, there really wasn’t anything that anyone could say and in those moments company was the best thing one could have. So, she simply stayed and witnessed his feelings. And when he could speak, when he thanked her, that was when she let a small smile lift the corners of her mouth.

“You’re welcome.”

With one more small smile, she turned back towards the fire but she did not remove her hand. Hearing his words confirmed what she had been thinking the past several days - he was trying so desperately to be considerate of her. Even though she wasn’t doing it on purpose, she knew that she had not been the best companion to Tousha. And while she didn’t think that she owed him an apology for being who she was, she could understand that that had been making things hard on him. And now, after what he said, she could understand just how hard things had been for the worn down man.

“I do appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Tsubaki started, her voice careful and calm. “But I don’t need you to make me feel better. Unfortunately, that’s quite a large task right now and not one that I would give to anyone. And besides,” Tsubaki lifted her other hand to point at her face. “Medic. Making people feel better is sort of my whole thing. And on the other side of the coin it makes me a pretty terrible patient.” A ghost of a smile crossed across her face, the echoes of past conversations drifting through her consciousness.

A cold droplet of water hit her head and then another one hit her nose when she looked up after the first one. The thunder had been growing louder and louder but so far things had remained dry. It seemed like that wouldn’t be lasting for much longer, but they still had a little bit of time. Tsubaki did not know how to help Tousha feel better. It was so different but so the same to what she was suffering through. Only one person knew why she truly left, everyone else would just be left wondering. Thinking that she had abandoned them just the same as she had abandoned her first family. And that was something that she could not talk about, not without collapsing completely under the weight of her own self-assigned responsibilities. But she could guess one of Tousha’s fears and that seemed safe enough to hypothesize about.

“Sometimes I think that a journey like this can change you too much. I think it makes it harder to go back. To not know what waits for you.”

Without realizing it, Tsubaki squeezed the hand that rested on Tousha’s knee just slightly as she finished her thought silently to herself. “To have to wonder if they’ll even want you back when they see what you’ve become.”

[Toshi]

As Tsubaki turned back to the fire Tousha used his sleeve to wipe his face. The Nara felt childish in that moment, as if he was running home to his ma with a skinned knee. He was in no way embarrassed to show this side of himself to the Kunoichi and appreciated her genuine concern for someone she barely knew. That special brand of kindness was what helped the vagabond open up in the first place and he felt better for it.

But as a former Kage who was incapable of inhumanly powerful feats, sitting here sniffling like a schoolboy was more humbling than he cared to tell.

Tousha smiled back at Tsubaki when she mentioned that she was a medic and it was her job to make people feel better, not the other way around. The vagabond’s smile had happiness in it, but it also had the melancholy of wanting to help fix a problem and being told that it was pointless. It was a bittersweet sentiment that only left Tousha feeling as though he’d failed Tsubaki all the more.

He opened his mouth to say something but then a rain droplet struck him in the nose. Tousha brushed away the moisture and couldn’t help but notice that while the rain still hadn’t quite reached their campsite proper, it was approaching in a hurry. Then he heard Tsubaki speak up again. It was that quiet, introspective tone that he knew hid more than what she was saying on the surface. Tousha also noticed that she was squeezing his leg now, as if to hold onto something to keep steady.

”I can’t promise that I’ll stop trying to help you feel better, Tsubaki,” Tousha said, warmly patting the hand that rested on his knee. ”But I can promise that whoever you had to leave behind misses you a lot.”

He looked at Tsubaki with eyes that had seen too much, and could see into people who had seen too much. ”Probably more than you’ll let yourself believe.”

[Amy]

Tsubaki’s heart beat hard against her chest but she remained calm on the outside, save for the panic and wariness that no doubt flooded her eyes. She had always been a master of controlling her body language and her facial expressions but her eyes insisted on giving her secrets to anyone who bothered to look. Her hand was held tightly against her chest, her other hand locked around her wrist, though she didn’t remember removing it from Tousha’s knee. Probably about the same time he touched her. She had fought it for as long as she could but even with his lights the storm was getting in her head. Memories flashed over what was in front of her and it was becoming hard to keep things straight. It was getting even harder to maintain her wavering control over herself.

“Probably,” she said shortly, a brilliant smile flashing over face that did nothing to brighten the look in her eyes. “Anyways, looks like the rain’s going to be here soon so I’m gonna go get settled in my tent. You can take care of the fire, yeah?” She asked as she stood up, already halfway to her tent when she finished talking, her back to Tousha. But she couldn’t care about how rude she was being, not as her fingers trembled as she closed up her tent, pulling it closed as tightly as it would go knowing that the rain would still find a way in. Her hands reached frantically for her pack, pulling a blanket around her shoulders and a kunai into her hand. She grasped it tightly as she settled onto her rear, knees braced in front of her.

Her voice was shaky as she whispered to herself. “He’s not here,” she reminded herself, her knuckles whitening as her grasp tightened. “He’s not here. You’re safe.” The only person out there was Tousha who was a very nice man, she told herself, trying to focus on him instead of the other man who frolicked on the edges of her memories. Tousha was definitely odd and very unusual but not in a bad way. He was sweet and he tried hard to make her laugh. She definitely felt more comfortable with him than she would have expected. It had been weeks since she had had a real conversation with anyone and she had only known him a few days. It hadn’t been very specific but she had even shared something about her past.

“Probably a genjutsu,” she muttered grumpily to herself, doing her best to force a laugh or even a smile. But not even such a ridiculous notion couldn't pull Tsubaki from the panic that was swirling around her. It had never been this bad but she had never been out in a storm alone, not since then. Even as she knew it was impossible for him to show up, her every nerve was on alert, waiting to spring into action. The thunder was only growing louder, flashes of lightning creating the most horrible of shadows and the rain soon started pelting down; the sounds drowning out any attempt Tsubaki made to distract herself. She soon gave up trying, remaining as she was. Watching the front of the tent and waiting for her nightmares to take shape.

[Toshi]

When Tsubaki pulled her hand away, Tousha pulled back as well. He saw what had to be nearly unbearable strife snuff out whatever light their conversation had kindled. The vagabond's brow creased with worry, his dark eyes darting this way and that to try to salvage even a single mote of calm he'd seen wash over the young woman. A thousand words begged to be set free but they all caught in his throat as Tsubaki smiled unconvincingly and retreated from him and their fire, claiming that it was because of the rain.

"Okay, sure," was all Tousha could say before Tsubaki disappeared into her tent. He had to tear himself away from that tent and instead focused on the fire, focused on how the still-warm cup of rabbit soup rested in his hand. The vagabond would sit there in an almost practiced stillness, the campfires flames and the gently rotating firefly torchlights making the ever darkening shadows dance in eerie unison.

The skies thundered as ribbon lightning arced through the clouds. Tousha was vaguely aware that the rain was coming down harder than before, threatening to soak him to the bone. However, his mind was quite separate from his body. To him they felt worlds apart.

Finally Tousha sighed. "Worthless old man," he grumbled, standing up to kick dirt onto the fire.






Ten minutes later the vagabond was tucked away in his own tent. He could hear the storm outside, its winds battering the boulder that stubbornly protected himself and the Kunoichi. The rain was nearly deafening, but thankfully the boughs and branches and leaves he'd tied over the tents were keeping things dry. Well, mostly.

None of it compared to the thunder, and the flashes of lightning that seemed to turn the entire valley's night into day. Tousha would lay there for some time, staring at the side of his tent and thinking. Remembering. He remembered his daughter, and the day he left the Hidden Leaf. He worried about Tsubaki in her tent no more than a half dozen strides away. Tousha wanted so badly to tell her that everything was going to be all right and see his words ring true in her.

Eventually Tousha found sleep, fitful as it was.

[Amy]

Tsubaki scrubbed at her burning eyes. She thought it would be easy to stay awake but not even she could ignore the toll that had been taken from her body. The storm only worsened as the night went on, rain and thunder deafeningly loud at times and the only light coming from the frequent flashes of lightning. The lightning was the worst, horrible shadows flashing against all sides of her tent and across the ground. The images started to blur together though, either her eyes losing focus or the lightning coming too fast to keep its own tricks straight. She rubbed her eyes again, trying to keep things clear. Once her eyes were cleared she began picking out things that she recognized in the shadows. Landmarks, the wolf back at camp, the silhouettes of her family. Her breathing grew deeper and she knew that if she didn’t shake herself out of this stupor that she wouldn’t be able to stay awake for much longer.

An especially loud crack of thunder and blindingly bright flash of lightning had her throwing her arms over her head. Her hand was sore from gripping the kunai but she still refused to put it down. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, Tsubaki looked up and with a strangled gasp threw her body backwards, frantically scrambling to get away. Burning hot adrenaline coursed through her veins as she stared forwards. Panting breaths fell from her slack mouth. Heavy boots stood in front of the flap of her tent and they certainly didn’t belong to Tousha. Her eyes tracked upwards but before they could reach his face she found herself being pulled from the tent by a firm grasp around her ankles.

A piercing scream left Tsubaki’s mouth as she swung her weapon wildly towards her own ankles, only able to see the hands that held her when lightning flashed. Before she could catch him though he spun and hurled her against a nearby tree, a sharp cry filling the air. She and the kunai dropped to the ground with heavy thuds. Her hands dug in the mud frantically as she tried to regain her breath, eyes flashing rapidly between the mud and the clearing. It wasn’t possible she told herself. She didn’t know what else it could be so she simply continued to assure herself that it wasn’t what she thought it was. It had to be anything else. She desperately shoved her sticking hair away from her eyes, her clothes soaking up the rain and making her slower. Just as her hand finally clasped around her weapon she was kicked back towards her tent, a boot connecting solidly with her stomach.

“Leave me alone!” She screamed the best she could, crawling back towards her tent, mud sloshing up onto her face. This could not be happening again, she cried to herself, helplessness caving her chest in. Was she no different, no better than all those years ago? She shouted all the time that she wasn’t helpless but how could she say that when this was happening to her again and she couldn't stop it? Throwing herself inside of the tent she reached to seal it again but he was too fast. He had always been too fast. Terror cut through Tsubaki’s senses, another scream tearing through her mouth as he pushed her body to the ground, one of his hands wrapping around her wrists and the other grabbing her face tightly.

The storm raged on, but so did Tsubaki. She fought with every ounce of strength she had in her body, eventually pushing him off of her. Her eyes screwed shut as lightning seemed to hit right outside her tent and suddenly he was grabbing onto her arms, shaking her. He was speaking but Tsubaki had no idea what he was saying and she didn’t care. He had never spouted anything except hurtful lies and she didn’t want to hear anymore. She was so tired of being afraid.

“Get away from me!” She screamed, bringing her arm up with the kunai and swiping wildly at his body, desperate for him to go back to where he came from, a place surely called hell.

[Toshi]

The earth grumbled, rattling Tousha's ribcage and waking him with a start. Darkness and the deafening sound of heavy rain assaulted his senses from every direction. The vagabond rubbed at his face, desperately trying to ward off the almost drunken stupor that clung to him after a night of restless sleep. After a few moments he froze, one of his hands pressed heavily to the ground as he supported his weight to stand and felt the earth shuttering under his touch. There was a flash of light, harsh shadows were cast inside the tent, and the thunder hit him like an errant wave.

Still, that wasn't what sent icy lances of terror shooting through him.

Tousha tore his way out of the tent, groaning at the frenzy of wind and rain that battered mercilessly at him. The vagabond tried to shield his eyes from the storm as he stared up the sloping valley that towered over their camp. His eyes widened in shock as he saw mud, earth, trees, and rocks sloughing off of the mountainside. The landslide was rushing at them now, consuming anything and everything in its path like an avalanche made of the craggy forest itself.

”Tsubaki,” he said, already making for the Kunoichi’s tent. ”Tsubaki!”

Before he even reached her tent Tousha could hear the young woman screaming. He frantically pulled open the tent’s front flap and crouched down, horrified to see Tsubaki writhing on the ground and fighting for her life. The sound of her shouts cut through Tousha more deeply than any wind could manage, but he pushed through the opening and made his way towards her. He grabbed gently, but firmly, at her wrist and shoulder and shook the Kunoichi, desperately trying to snap her out of the nightmare.

The tumbling, careening earth outside was drawing closer by the second, causing the ground to rumble more and more violently.

”Tsubaki, wake up! Wake- Nghhh!” Tousha shouted, groaning through gritted teeth as Tsubaki’s arm slipped free, the kunai clenched tightly in her hand, cutting into him as she slashed wildly. The knife carved painful arcs across his ribs and left thigh before Tousha managed to catch the Kunoichi’s wrist again, this time more firmly.

Tousha turned her face to his with his free hand, trying to catch her gaze in his. ”It’s me!” he said desperately, holding her face and neck. He took a slow breath, trying to calm himself down along with the young woman. ”It’s me. I’m not going to hurt you, Tsubaki. Let me help you. Please."

[Amy]

Slowly, Tsubaki’s screams turned into sobs. She stopped fighting against the hands that held her still, finding herself leaning into them instead. With great effort, her fingers loosened around the weapon in her hand and let it hit the ground with a quiet thud that could not be heard over the storm. The rain spitting in from the open tent flap whipped against her face and began to clear her senses. She was no stranger to the way the darkness struggled to hold onto her, to pull her down further and further. But she fought against it and instead tried to focus on the face in front of her. She watched and tried to copy his slow, even breathing.

“I-I’m sorry,” she finally got out, her voice dry and raspy. Each word was a struggle to get out around her shuddering breaths. “I should have warned you. They get worse when it storms. The-” A flash of lightning flooded her tent with light, the scene in front of her stopping Tsubaki mid-explanation. Her eyes widened, taking in everything they needed to in the brief moment of lighting. With any luck, the light would be gone before Tousha could see her face crumple, these new tears caused by something far sadder than fear.

“Not again,” she breathed, almost silently.

Pulling her hand gently from Tousha’s grasp, she wiped the tears from her face and steeled her mind. There was no time to spare or act frantically. She didn’t know how badly she had hurt him, but she would fix it. She would fix him, even when she couldn’t fix herself. It was what she did, after all.

“You need to lie down. Can you make more light? I can’t trust the lightning to stay consistent and I have to make sure you’re not bleeding internally also. Do you know how deep it is?” Despite her best intentions to stay calm, Tsubaki was clearly anything but. Her hands shook as she tried and failed to undo the latches of her med pack and she was entirely oblivious to everything going on outside of the two of them. Because all she could think about was that this was the second time in her life she had hurt someone who was just trying to help her.

Hot tears cooled instantly on her rain slick hands as they stilled on top of her still latched pack.

“I am so sorry," she said, finally lifting her face to Tousha.

[Toshi]

While Tsubaki was fumbling with her med kit, Tousha was packing away anything he could reach with near blurred speed and precision. He'd gathered most of the Kunoichi's gear and wrapped it up in his own bundle of supplies, which the she had confiscated from him at the beginning of their journey. The young woman seemed oblivious that the mountain itself was bearing down on their campsite. He could already hear the trees snapping like toothpicks under the weight of roiling mud and stone that flowed deeper into the valley.

"I know," Tousha said, meeting Tsubaki's gaze as she apologized. "I'm fine. Barely a scratch," Tousha added, knowing that it was too cold, damp, and dark to be sure of it. But it didn't matter, there would be time to assess the damage later. The seasoned Shinobi had survived worse and he'd make sure they'd both survive this.

There was another flash of light, another bellowing of thunder, and something sharpened in the vagabond's eyes as his reaching fingers found the hilt of Tsubaki's discarded Kunai. For the first time since he'd met the young woman, Tousha allowed something darker to peer through the old, lost man persona he wore like armor. Suddenly Tousha's body moved with practiced efficiency. Movements that could take a life as easily as save one.

In a breath he'd managed to pull Tsubaki close to him, twirling the Kunai in his fingers out of habit before it fell into a reverse grip as if it had been made to fit there. Across his back was slung their equipment. "No time, just don't let go of me. We need to move." The words were devoid of his usual casual tone. They were a command, a certainty, tempered with an authority acquired through years of making impossible decisions.

"I have you."

With that, Tousha sprang upwards with surprising strength. The tent surrounding them was shredded to tatters as the Kunai made short work of it in whistling arcs, both Tsubaki and Tousha rising into the storm-torn air above their camp. Night turned to day as lightning struck nearby, illuminating the scene unfolding below them. The cascading blanket of earth hungrily consumed their tents not two seconds after Tousha's leap carried them away from harm. In three, their entire camp disappeared, and the world went dark again.

Determined to keep control of their trajectory against the beating rain and gusts of wind that menaced them both, Tousha closed his eyes and allowed his body to melt away from his consciousness. Where the world around him was raging and chaotic, Tousha felt a serene calm take root in the core of his being. The Shinobi breathed against the fury of the storm and felt it relent to him, if only for a moment. But a moment was all he needed.

Almost as if predicting the next flash of lightning, Tousha manifested a long, thin ribbon of shadows that knifed away from his outstretched hand and darted through the wind and rain with lethal precision. The arc of lightning tore through the air near them, striking an upturned tree and igniting it in brilliant flame as Tousha's shadowy tendril struck its mark: a large, gnarled stump that rested atop a rocky ridge clear of the landslide's assault on the valley. With a groan of effort the Shinobi pulled at the shadow that acted as a makeshift grappling hook, launching both himself and the Kunoichi towards it.

The lightning's stark illumination faltered, the shadow tendril dissipated in the darkness that surrounded them, and Tousha allowed himself and Tsubaki to tumble through the air before his feet finally met the ground. Pebbles, dirt, and mud sprayed into the air as Tousha's feet painfully dug into the earth, his arm wrapped around Tsubaki and holding her tight to him as their momentum finally died off.

Panting, Tousha did his best to help the Kunoichi find her footing. His free hand pressed firmly against the angry, red line that traced along his ribs. His wounded leg wobbled for a moment, and the vagabond dropped to a knee.

Jutsu usedShow

Mujuushin • Absence of Body
C-ranked Taijutsu Discipline
Prerequisites: 25 Willpower
A practiced mental state of Mujuushin Kenjutsu practitioners, the user of this discipline will allow himself to enter a state of heightened physical awareness by no longer acknowledging his own body. This will allow the user to move without hindrance beyond that of his perceived physical limits (+5 Endurance) at the expense of ignoring a portion of his spiritual existence (-5 Control). The user will remain in this state of mind until he chooses to leave it.

Shadow Sling
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will infuse a shadow on his person and launch it in any direction at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control. This pointed tendril of shadow can travel up to the user's Control range and will attempt to stab itself into or wrap itself around a target. This tendril can be pulled back to the user at the same Speed and Strength at the user's will. This technique will remain apparent for up to 4 posts before additional chakra is required.

[Amy]

Tsubaki didn’t remember the last time she had felt so tired and defeated as she stared into Tousha’s eyes. He was placating her with the way he brushed off his injuries, as though she wasn’t well aware of how much blood she had seen. The scent of it filled the tent and even though the rain made it impossible she would swear she could feel its slickness on her hands. She wanted to look away, to hide in shame, but she found herself incapable of doing so. There was something in Tousha’s eyes that she hadn’t seen before. A hardness, but not a look of cruelty. It was the type of look that she saw reflected back at her when she stared into Shirai’s eyes when they were dealing with a life or death situation. It was the type of look that let Tsubaki finally breathe and remember where they were.

Suddenly, everything around Tsubaki sped back up to normal. She took in everything at once: the thunderous roar from outside, the worsening wind, the trembling earth. Tousha before her with all of their belongings strapped to his back, having no recollection of him gathering them. She barely had time to tighten her grip around her med back before Tousha pulled her against him. The instinct to pull away wasn’t there this time, her arm instead wrapping around his shoulders and gripping him tightly back. What exactly was happening was still a mystery to her but she knew that they were getting out of there and she was going to make it as easy on him as possible. His words settled deep into her heart, the smallest seed of trust taking root.

“I know,” she was able to respond right before he launched them both into the air.

There was nothing that she could do to assist him while they were in the air except to not get in his way. Her head turned towards his chest as she tried to protect her face from the wind and cutting rain and she held herself up so that he could use his hands more freely. It felt like an eternity that they hung in the buzzing air but Tsubaki knew it was only moments before they were tumbling back towards the ground. As soon as her feet hit the ground she channeled chakra into them to assist in keeping her footing, never letting go of Tousha in the process. She understood what he had gone through to get them to safety and now it was her turn to return the favor.

She hadn’t thought it possible but the weather seemed even worse where they had landed. Tsubaki kept chakra channeled into her feet, the wind pulling and shoving at her body with enough force that she afraid she would topple over otherwise. The first thing she did was unstrap their gear from his back and latch it onto her own, unwilling to let the injured one of them carry it any further. She knelt in front of Tousha, flinching downward as another crack of thunder split through the sky directly above them. They needed to get away from the ledge and try to get out of the storm but she wasn’t sure if he would be able to without any help.

“We can’t stay here,” she shouted over the storm, her hands rapidly forming seals between them. “This should help you move, your leg will have to wait though.” After she finished sealing, Tsubaki placed her hands on where she remembered the cut on Tousha’s chest being. It would help with the pain and do nothing for the bleeding but that was going to have to wait until she could see. Once she was sure she had reached the entire wound with her chakra she would stand up only to flinch downwards again as a strike of lighting arched over their heads. She held out her hand to help Tousha stand up.

While she had been using her jutsu she had thought of every option they had to get out of this situation. They had lost their tents, and possibly some of their supplies. They had no idea how far the storm spread and there was too much lightning to risk staying in the air. On the ledge they were exposed to the worst of the wind and the rain and unsurprisingly, she found herself unable to trust the rocky ledge after what had just happened to their previous camp. Tsubaki had always managed to find a way out of the situations she ended up in but this time she didn’t see a way out. After scanning the area one last time she found herself looking up at Tousha again, wiping streaks of water out of her eyes so she could see him more clearly. Her eyes were wide and while they were scared they looked at Tousha with a confidence that hadn't been there before. Not a confidence for herself though.

“What do we do now?” It was a confidence for him that was starting to show through.

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Iijutsu • Local Anesthesia]
C-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will channel chakra into their hands and then place them over a group of muscles. Their chakra will spread through the muscle group at [Control Speed and numbness will begin to creep throughout it, beginning with the flesh before seeping into the muscle below. This numbing begins where the user has placed his/her hands and spreads outward until the hands are removed. The numbness can only cause pain equivalent to being stabbed with a kunai to be nullified. Once numbed, the effects last for four (4) posts before fading.

[Toshi]

Tousha groaned as he dropped a shoulder and angled his torso to let Tsubaki pull their gear off of him. White hot pain lanced across his ribs now, the numbing chill he'd felt in the tent overpowered by the elements that tore at his body mercilessly. Without any protection from the storm it felt like the entire world was furious with them, bearing down with an unknowable wrath. Still kneeling, Tousha watched through the rain and darkness as Tsubaki rounded off a string of hand seals and reached towards him.

Relief washed over Tousha's body as chakra poured into him from Tsubaki's hands. He gasped at the sudden loss of pain and allowed himself a deep breath, only now realizing his breathing had been shallow and short. The vagabond placed a hand on his knee and forced himself to stand while the Kunoichi's question forced its way to him through the storm's beratements.

"We need to leave the valley!" Tousha shouted back, his gaze shifting between the arcing lightning overhead and Tsubaki's wide, desperate eyes. "Are you okay to run?" he asked, trying to scope out the best way off the rocky ledge they'd landed on. "If we can put this ridge to our-"

Tousha froze, the hairs of his neck standing on end. Ozone hung in the air, through the rain and wind he could smell it plain as anything. There was no time to think, no time to move. There was barely time to shout.

"Down!"

It was all he could say before the skies opened and released a lightning bolt directly overhead that lit the valley in a flash of blinding light. Tousha's hands suddenly sparked to life as Raiton engulfed them, raw instinct forming chakra at breakneck speed and potency. The vagabond screamed with effort as the storm's lightning crashed into his outstretched hands, the sheer power of nature pressing down on him with unbelievable weight. Tousha fought to maintain the flow of chakra enveloping his hands, his own crackling lightning seemingly holding the bolt at bay. He could still feel the raw lightning coursing through him, knowing that this technique was designed to redirect Raiton chakra rather than the real thing.

Tousha's body trembled, the pain in his leg threatening to buckle his stance entirely. The lightning still pressed down on him, on both of them, as if toying with the Shinobi. The hopelessness he felt in that moment cut to the core of him, stirring something that had remained long dormant. Something he'd been hard pressed to deny.

That something smiled, and Tousha liked it.

The air itself seemed to buzz around Tousha as he willed several parts of his chakra network to narrow, concentrating the flow of energy so much that the Shinobi's skin glowed with an intricate latticework. A pulse seemed to clap out from Tousha, displacing the rain and wind alike. Tousha screamed again, his voice absent of warmth or calm. He screamed at the storm itself, at the lightning his shaking hands were still keeping at bay. For the first time since he'd left the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Tousha could feel the monster in him coming up for air and delighting in the challenge of fighting the elements raging in the night.

With one massive effort the vagabond grappled with the lightning, his hands and fingers bending it to his will before he redirected the bolt away from the rocky ledge. More flames erupted from the nearby forest as the bolt disappeared into the trees and flashed one last time.

Tousha stood to his full height, glaring up at the sky with all the venom in the world. His body still glowed brightly with the concentrated chakra that rushed through his being like a flooded river. Even the rain and wind seemed to shy away from the Shinobi's presence.

"Stop the bleeding," he said, his voice quiet but sharp.

Jutsu usedShow

Raiton • Lightning Current Redirection
B-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will coat his hands with a dose of Raiton chakra at a Speed up to the user's Control, causing crackling lightning to engulf the affected area. The user will then attempt to make contact with an opposing Raiton technique, using the Raiton chakra enveloping his hands as a means to negate the attack. If the user's Control is greater than or equal to the opposing Raiton technique's overall Strength the user will be able to successfully counter the attack, rendering it harmless.

MasteryShow

Eight Gates: Aperture Formation
Through years of diligent training and mastering the art of controlling chakra by necessity, Tousha has unlocked the ability to hyperfocus the chakra passing through his own chakra network by altering the Eight Gates. The Eight Gates primarily act as a natural, biological failsafe, preventing anyone from utilizing so much of their potential energy that it causes bodily harm. Rather than releasing these Gates entirely Tousha is able to narrow the openings that allow chakra to flow through the body at these key junctions, effectively concentrating his chakra network and allowing him to push beyond the normal bounds of Chakra Control. While the Eight Gates: Aperture Formation is in effect Tousha is granted several benefits and the main channels of his chakra network become semi-visible, glowing with a subtle, light blue energy, due to the highly concentrated amount of chakra flowing through them. With each level of Gate narrowing, this visible chakra-hued glow becomes more and more noticeable and widespread.

- F4 (20 Mastery) - The Eight Gates narrow a moderate amount, improving chakra control and allowing the user to effectively burn less chakra to equal effect due to the high concentration of chakra flow: +5 Control, +5 Chakra Pool

[Amy]

Tsubaki lifted herself slowly from the ground, elbows and knees bruised and bleeding. She had thrown herself to the ground without a second thought at Tousha’s warning, her body reacting to his tone long before she processed what he said. The electricity had been dancing and teasing across her skin but it wasn’t until she smashed into the ground that she realized what that meant. She had expected him to fall with her, to protect himself like any sane person would. But as she scootched back further, unwilling or unable to stand, the scene she beheld told her that he had never planned on protecting himself. Her chest heaved as she watched him wage war against nature. She had never seen anything like it before and there was no denying the fear that chilled her to the bone.

There was nothing for her to do except stare in disbelief, her wide eyes not missing anything. They witnessed his body tremble and she knew the wound she inflicted on his leg was hindering him. She saw the moment his skin began to glow and when the rage began to build and build until he forcefully threw the bolt of lightning to the side as though it was nothing. But she knew that it wasn’t nothing. His body would undoubtedly suffer for the act that he had just performed, all in the name of protecting them. She could only stare at him from the ground, watching how he stared at the sky. It seemed like time had become frozen, and though they were quiet, his words shook her from her stupor. His voice was unrecognizable, lacking all of the familiarity and warmth that she had become used to.

Slowly, Tsubaki pushed herself off of the ground. With each breathless pant, she reminded herself that everything Tousha had done had been to protect her and himself. Even as her knees threatened to clang against each other she reminded herself that he had never tried to hurt her. He had never been a threat to her. She would not and could not abandon him when he was in this state. But she also was not going to listen to his inane orders. Moving carefully, unsure of what was going on or how Tousha would react to her, she walked in front of Tousha.

“I can help you,” she said, trying to force authority into her voice and failing miserably. Her hands were held up, not pushing him away but still creating a small barrier between them. “But I will not do it here.” They needed to get off the ledge they were currently perched on. They needed to leave five minutes ago but now truly had no choice. Tsubaki didn’t know what technique Tousha had used to deflect the lightning bolt but she didn’t want to find out if he could do it twice. She was in front of him now but he still wasn’t looking at her. She trembled in the face of a terrifying force but just as she hadn’t abandoned him at the lake she would not abandon him here.

“Hey,” she said softly, desperately. This was taking so long. Tsubaki would swear she could feel electricity building in the air again. “Hey.” She said more forcefully this time, but Tousha still hadn’t drawn his gaze away from the sky. Tsubaki felt an annoyance blossom in her chest, pushing aside the fear that shadowed her eyes. Her hands shot out and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him until he dropped his gaze. Her eyes searched his face imploringly, her face raised defiantly against the weather. She made no effort to hide the fear or determination that hardened her gaze. “We have to go.”

Releasing his shoulders, Tsubaki wrapped her hand tightly around his wrist, doing her best to ignore the spark of his chakra that she could feel racing across his skin. Slowly but without hesitation she pulled him away from the ledge and took him further into the unknown. The lightning and fire combined showed a small trove of trees only a few hundred yards away. It wasn’t much, and it wasn’t what she would consider safe, but it would do for long enough to close the wounds on his chest and leg. She never once let go of him, not even as the wind grabbed hold of the pack and pulled her back and forth, her feet tripping over themselves. Not even as lightning arced overhead and thunder shook the ground did she dare to let go of him. Once they were within the tree cover she finally let go of his wrist and waited until his eyes found hers.

“Sit,” she said firmly, pointing at the trunk of the largest tree. A position that she would hold until he listened to her. Once he was down she would fall to her knees in front of him, the trembling in her hands gone. She whispered unintelligibly as her hands formed seals, her eyes shadowed but focused. She didn’t have to think about the fact that she was calculating how long it would take to disinfect, seal, and numb his wounds. It was second nature to the young woman, the only time in which she was comfortable and in complete control. As she began sterilizing the wounds, moving as fast as she could without losing effectiveness, she finally spoke again.

“That was incredibly reckless,” she said, her voice much harsher than she intended. “You could have died. Did you even know if that would work? Don’t move.” Pulling out another kunai from her pouch, Tsubaki cut around the slashes in his shirt and pants, giving her more room to work. More seals, and this time she began stitching his wounds closed, the subtle glow of chakra flashing across her face. “I don’t know what it is with all of the grown men in my life but dying for someone else is not the noble thing you may think it is. What if you had died? What if you had collapsed? How would I have gotten us out of this?!” Emotion flooded Tsubaki’s voice, the rain hiding the tears that overflowed her eyes and raced down her cheeks.

“So fucking stupid,” she hissed, forming a final set of seals that she had used just a little bit ago. It would ease the pain in his chest and his leg but she kept the technique active, bringing her eyes to his. Her jaw was tight, her eyes sharp. “Does it hurt anywhere else? We don’t have time to rest here for long.”

[Toshi]

Tousha hated this side of himself. There was an apathetic lethality that lurked just beneath the surface of a carefree lie he tried so tirelessly to maintain, always waiting for any chance to break free from the depths of restraint. He’d watched that viciousness, almost from within himself, so many times. He’d felt the rush of pleasure as all doubt and fear faded away into the droning hum of the background, his ears pounding with the beating of blood and adrenaline. He’d also felt that primal delight eventually ebb away, replaced by guilt and self hatred, without fail.

As he stood there, his soul raging against an unfeeling storm threatening to snuff them out like a wavering candle’s flame, a voice reached him.

The Shinobi looked down, his gaze torn away from the roiling, dark clouds, his eyes meeting Tsubaki’s. She looked so human in that moment, looking up at him with a medley of emotions all struggling to take control. It would have been easy to let the panic overtake her, or to bend to Tousha’s will, or to leave him to his rage, to seek cover and safety from the storm. But she didn’t. Instead, the Kunoichi chose to fight back her trauma, to stand in such apparent danger, to try to talk some sense into him.

Tousha’s features grew soft, his body became less rigid. ”Okay,” he answered simply, allowing her to lead him away.

The journey to the small trove of trees was a dizzying blur. The wind tore at him, the rain soaked him to the bone, and the occasional harsh flash of light seemed very far away. The vagabond was vaguely aware that he was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against the base of a stout tree trunk. His unfocused, dark eyes watched the Kunoichi as she worked. He gave no signs of resistance as she cut away the torn fragments of his shirt before weaving hand seals and using medical ninjutsu to close the wounds she’d inflicted herself.

Despite the fog that clouded his mind, Tousha could still tell it took all Tsubaki’s willpower to not break down. She found comfort in focusing on helping him and used it as an anchor to keep her tethered to the solidity of calm.

Finally Tousha allowed himself to smile weakly at her, looking tired and sheepish. ”Sorry I’m so fucking stupid,” he said, feeling much more like himself.

[Amy]

“You should be,” Tsubaki said matter-of-factly. There was no humor or anger in her voice, the effort to do even that much out of reach. She let her last technique fade from her fingertips as she fell back on her butt, balancing her arms on her knees and her head on her forearms. Her hands hung limply in front of her, not touching anything, a habit of maintaining sterility. Deep breaths raised her shoulders up and down as she counted to thirty. Thirty seconds to pull herself together and prepare herself for the next step. A thirty second break from the storm that raged around them. Half a minute to reconcile the Tousha she had been traveling with, with the Tousha who had stared down a storm and thrown a lightning bolt. Thirty seconds that passed all too fast.

“Let’s just agree, no more fist fighting the elements,” she said as she pulled herself off of the ground and reached a hand down towards Tousha once she was standing. “I don’t know about you but I’m really ready to get out of this storm.” Tsubaki didn’t even realize that the worse things seemed to get the more calm she seemed to become. She had always known she was good in emergencies and during danger but it was hard for her to see what a stark difference it was. It didn’t mean that the fear, worry, and anxieties weren’t still there; it just meant they were buried too far down to matter.

After helping Tousha up and giving him a few seconds to test how his body felt, Tsubaki looked around the immediate area, not being able to see much through the cover of the trees. The lightning should have helped but instead it just blinded her with every flash making it no different than when it was dark. She didn’t know where they should go but she knew where they shouldn’t go, which was back towards the ledge and the landslide. There was nothing good that would be waiting for them in that direction. They needed to keep to the low ground in hopes to avoid any more lightning strikes.

She raised her hand and pointed in the opposite direction of where they had come from, realizing a moment later that Tousha probably could not see it. She stepped closer to him and grabbed his hand, raising it with hers so he knew what direction she was talking about. “Think we should keep going this way? I don’t think we should sit and see what comes for us.” Tsubaki did not ask if he was OK to move because he did not have a choice. He was no more or less likely to die in the next few hours whether he sat or walked because of his wounds. The only thing that would kill him faster would be if they got caught in another terrifying act of nature.

[Toshi]

Making pained old man sounds, Tousha found his feet with Tsubaki's helping hand. His numb fingers probed at where the Kunoichi's mending chakra had done its work and was satisfied to only wince once or twice. It would have to do until they could get out of the storm. Flashes of blinding lighting still accosted the pair as they stood there, trying to come up with a plan.

Allowing Tsubaki to guide his hand, Tousha shouted back through the wind and rain. "I'm definitely on team 'Let's Cheese It.' Here, this way!" The Shinobi held onto Tsubaki's hand, gripping it with newfound confidence and direction, as he guided them deeper into the craggy forest. He couldn't explain why but in that moment the aging vagabond knew that the worst was behind them, back in that god forsaken valley.

Their journey through the storm torn forest wasn't a pleasant one. Several times a break in the trees caused biting, numbing gusts of rain and wind that ripped at their skin like an angry swarm of bees. More than once a lightning bolt struck nearby, reducing a tree to smoldering splinters or causing it to fall with an earth shattering crash. All the while, Tousha refused to let go of Tsubaki's hand. He held it like a lifeline, knowing that losing each other in the storm could spell disaster for them both.

After a while Tousha's sharp, black eyes caught the shape of a deep opening in a nearby crag as lightning flashed cruelly overhead. "Tsubaki! Here!" he yelled, helping the Kunoichi towards the root laden mound of rock and dirt he'd spotted. Releasing her hand, Tousha rounded off a short string of hand seals and flooded chakra into his fingertips. Just like they had at their camp in the valley, Tousha's fingertips swelled with warmth and light as ten firefly orbs took flight. They rotated around the area slowly, as if to guard them from the fury of the storm itself.

"Aha!" he said, groaning a little as he pulled a fallen log away from a gap in the rocks that led deeper into the ground. One of Tousha's firefly orbs happily bobbed and wobbled as it made its way into this opening, revealing a small but dry looking cave. "You first! I'll close this up behind us," Tousha urged, nodding at the cave's entrance and holding the log so that it didn't tumble back into place and close up the entrance.

Jutsu usedShow

Katon • Firefly Torch
C-rank Ninjutsu
Prerequisites: Katon • Torch
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will concentrate a dose of Katon chakra into each fingertip, creating ten glowing orbs of flame. He will then launch these orbs into air at a Speed up to the user's Control, each orb casting light in a 3m radius similar to that of a torch. A Strength greater than or equal to the user's Control is required to destroy each source of light. Each orb may be controlled independently at a Speed equal to the user's Control as long as they remain within 20m of the user and will remain apparent for up to 5 posts before additional chakra is required.

[Amy]

Tsubaki had never been more grateful to see a hole in the ground. She finally released her tight grasp on Tousha’s hand so that she could use both of her own to scramble over the rocks that lined the entrance. She slid inside at Tousha’s urging, grateful to hear the dull sound of dry earth at her feet. The entrance to the cave was too high for the standing rain to seep inside and the log had kept out the driving rain. For the first time in what felt like days, Tsubaki was protected from the elements. The only sound in the cave was the water dripping off of her body and her own heavy breathing. She let her eyes roam around the cave, the walls and corners lighted by Tousha’s ever helpful firelights. After she was sure they were alone in the room she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“Nice find,” she said as Tousha followed behind her after settling the log back into place. A tremble hid behind the strength in her voice and it was no surprise why. She, like Tousha, was soaked to the bone and though there was no wind in the cave the air was still cool. Shiverers ran over her skin and her breath was nowhere near warm enough to knock the chill out of her fingers, let alone the rest of her. But, she had things to do before worrying about her own comfort. Letting the pack slide off of her back she motioned at Tousha to find a place to sit.

“We should be safe here until the storm passes. Let me look at your injuries now that I can see better. I need to heal them now.” Tsubaki didn’t waste any time, forever on a one track mind. She hadn’t stopped thinking about what she did and how much danger she had put him in. And it was even worse now that it felt like something had changed between them. Life and death situations tended to do that, she supposed. While she didn’t suddenly feel an urge to bare her heart to him and tell him all of her deep and dirty secrets she felt like she could at least look him in the eye. She felt as though she could talk to him as she did the crew back at her camp. It wasn’t a lot, but it was significantly more than they had had before.

“C’mon,” Tsubaki urged again, more than ready to make up for what she had done. “I may look like a drowned rat but I assure you I’m the best doctor in this cave.”

[Toshi]

Tousha willed the rest of his Firefly Torches to bobble and weave their way into the cave before setting the fallen log in place, leaving only the smallest sliver of a gap between the timber and earthen rock that made up their shelter's entrance. He followed Tsubaki deeper into the ground, content to find that the tunnel opened into a small chamber. It lacked the charm and room service of a roadside inn, but they were safe from the wind, rain, and lightning so it would more than do for the time being.

"Don't say I never take you anyplace nice," the Vagabond replied, his eyes scanning the cave's interior for any structural weaknesses. He couldn't spot any large cracks or shifty looking sediment, and aside from the two soaked to the bones Shinobi it was dry.

At Tsubaki's urging, Tousha stripped off the ruined tatters of his shirt. "Yes, ma'am," Tousha said with a chuckle aimed at her 'drowned rat' critique, revealing his modest but sturdy build and walking over to where Tsubaki sat. Most of the Firefly Torches rotated in a lazy, carefree circle along the cavern's walls, but he urged a single orb of fiery chakra to move in close so that Tsubaki could see while she worked.

With a pained groan, teeth clenched, Tousha settled on the cave floor and laid flat on his back. Along with the wound Tsubaki had gratefully gifted him, the Firefly Torch's light would reveal dozens of smaller scars. They riddled the Shinobi's body, their shapes a shade darker than his pale skin. None of them appeared as if they were from a life threatening injury, but they told a story of a long life of pain and hardship all the same.

A shiver ran down Tousha's spine as the warmth from the Fireflies began to seep into the cavern's cool air and washed against his bare skin. The Vagabond let out a small sigh and closed his eyes, relieved and relaxed.

[Amy]

Tsubaki let her eyes roam over Tousha’s body, taking stock of what lay before her. She examined his muscle mass and noted the parts of his body that he seemed to focus the most training on. She took note of every scar that she could see that littered his body. Each scar got a brief ponder of what may have caused it and how serious the wound that left it may have been. Once she was certain there was nothing that would interfere with her healing him she glanced back up at his face. The light and warmth from the firelight that hovered close helped her to breathe a little easier. She held her hands up to it for a moment, hoping that she could warm them even just slightly so that Tousha wouldn’t be so uncomfortable.

“Since we have some time I may as well do this the right way. You can just relax for a bit.” Tsubaki began channeling chakra into her hands before laying them over the wound on his ribs first. She had done a sloppy stitch job in the rain but she was going to do it correctly this time. Now that she could actually see it she could see that while it wasn’t good, it wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. The wound on his leg was a little worse though the bleeding had luckily stopped on its own by now. She took extra care in sterilizing that wound as it had been exposed for so much longer.

“You know,” Tsubaki said as she rechanneled chakra into her hands and placed them over the wound on his leg, letting her chakra seep into the wound and begin healing it. “I’ve known the whole time you were a good guy. Sorry I wasn’t acting that way.” It was easier for her to talk when she was working. When she was so focused that all of the noise couldn’t get to her. “I’m not good at being alone but I’m even worse at being around people. I’ve got a great bedside manner but not a great personality.”

Tsubaki grinned and gave Tousha a half shrug. “Not even I’m stubborn enough to keep holding a grudge against someone who saved my life twice though. So congratulations,” she said, her voice a mix of sarcasm and sincerity. “I’m gonna be nice to you now." Tsubaki checked the wound on his leg and when she was satisfied she rechanneled her chakra and moved to the wound on his ribs. “I left home with a pretty firm resolve to not get close to anyone else. Nothing great ever seems to come of it and I have a place to get back to. So I have to be honest that this whole thing is pretty annoying.”

She sighed heavily, her healing finished, letting herself fall backwards, her arms catching her before she hit the ground. “Though if you don’t wanna be friends with someone who tried to murder you in their sleep I’d totally understand.”

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Iijutsu • Sterilization Technique]
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
The user will channel the needed chakra throughout their upper body (torso, arms, hands, face) at [Control] Speed. This chakra will chew away at harmful bacteria and other foreign bodies on the skin, cleansing it until it is thoroughly sterile, and can be spread to objects, most commonly surgical tools. Users of this technique can also choose to sterilize certain parts of their upper body or the wounds of another person instead. Once they are sanitized, they remain this way until coming in contact with more bacteria.

*[Iijutsu • Mystical Palm]
A-Ranked Ninjutsu
One of the almighty and most highly coveted abilities of medical-nin, the *[Iijutsu • Mystical Palm] technique allows its users to heal wounds quickly and efficiently. After focusing chakra into his/her hands, the user will place them over the wound in question and begin to channel chakra through it. As the chakra interacts with the cells and tissues in the area, the wound will begin to regenerate and heal over until there's no remnant of it ever being there.

[Toshi]

Laying there on the cavern floor, Tousha resigned himself to remain still and quiet. Even though they'd found a moment of peace from the storm he remembered Tsubaki screaming in her tent before the landslide overtook their camp. The way she'd fought against him in the darkness of that tent, a terror he couldn't imagine clawing its way out of her wide eyes. The Konoha Shinobi had seen that look before, more times than he could count or remember. Something from the Kunoichi's past was eating through her, and the storm had only invigorated its appetite.

He wanted to ask her about it. To help, if he could. Or simply listen if that's what she wanted. But that wasn't his place, and Tousha knew it. So instead of breaking the silence that hung there between them in the dancing firelight Tousha forced himself to keep breathing, his eyes closed as Tsubaki prepared herself to help him in a way he could not hope to help himself.

But then something very unexpected happened. Tsubaki began speaking... And then she kept speaking.

The Vagabond's eyes cracked open while she spoke. He watched her smile and shrug, her chakra infused hands soothing the aching pain that he'd barely noticed over the sound of her voice. A million cheesy lines ran through his skull as she sat there, being honest with him. It was difficult work but Tousha remained silent, brushing off those stray thoughts and jokes knowing that this was an important moment for Tsubaki. Tousha just wanted to listen until Tsubaki had said what she needed to say.

When Tsubaki finished healing him she sat backwards, propping herself up on her arms. Without a word Tousha raised himself up and ran a hand over the wounds the Kunoichi had mended perfectly. The cuts might not even scar by his estimation. When Tsubaki finished speaking, her tone tentative and doubtful, the Firefly Torch bobbling happily between them would catch the tears gathering in the old Shinobi's eyes.

He gave Tsubaki a deeply beholden look and smiled. "I've had worse starts to some very respectable friendships," he said quietly. "You honor me, Tsubaki. More than I can say."

[Amy]

Tsubaki smiled lightly to herself as she let her body lay back out completely on the ground, her arms simply incapable of holding her body up any longer. She was so tired. She had barely slept at all after their last meal together and the past however many hours had taken their toll on her body and it had been a hefty one. It had been one nightmare after the next and now that she was in a place where she felt moderately safe with someone she felt safe with, it was all starting to catch up to her. Her breathing grew heavier as she let herself drift away from all of the discomfort she felt. As she let herself think about all of the things she wished that she had. A hot bath was number one on the list. Tousha’s firelights helped quite a bit but she didn’t think that she would feel warm again until she submerged her body into that steaming water.

A close second was food. The mere thought had her stomach let loose a grumble that could definitely be heard throughout the small cave. She laid her hands flat on her stomach, another grin crossing her face. “I don’t suppose you’re hiding any food anywhere, huh? Think I’d cut my toe off for a bowl of hot ramen.”

She wondered what Tousha thought of her sudden change of heart. He seemed to appreciate her newfound openness but she just hoped that he wasn’t looking for too much from her. It was an everyday effort to manage people’s expectations of her and she worked hard to temper them to a manageable place. Tousha just seemed happy that she was willing to talk to him though and if that was all it took, well, she could at least manage that. Idle chatter wasn’t her best skill but she knew plenty of people who were good at it so she could take a page out of their book for once.

“Thank you, by the way. I didn’t actually say it before. Thank you for saving my life. Would have been a real bummer for my plans to end here.” No one would have ever known what happened to her if she had perished in this storm and that was not a reality that Tsubaki wanted to think about.

[Toshi]

While Tsubaki laid back and rested Tousha got to taking stock of their salvaged supplies. Thankfully they'd managed to save most of it: their clothes, Shinobi equipment, some campfire cooking tools, a few blankets, some loose comfort items. However, their tents and sleeping bags had been swallowed up by the earth and almost everything else was soaked through. Quietly, methodically, the Vagabond started laying out everything that needed drying on the cavern's dry, stone floor and had a few Firefly Torches hover just over the damp garments to speed up the process.

His ears perked up when he heard Tsubaki. He was sure the Kunoichi had gone to sleep by now. Considering the night they'd just survived, Tousha was surprised they both hadn't passed out yet.

"How about some leftover rabbit soup?" Tousha asked, hefting a gourd canteen and swishing it around. He pulled out two simple wooden bowls and a couple of carved spoons as well before sitting down cross legged next to Tsubaki.

He was pouring them both a helping of the soup when Tsubaki thanked him for saving her. Tousha smiled and held a bowl in either hand, flooding his palms and fingers with warming Katon chakra. "Just returning the favor. But you're very welcome, my friend." he said, carefully allowing the fiery chakra permeating his hands to seep into the soup without combusting the wooden bowls. Soon enough their dinner was piping hot and steam gently rose from the bowls in mesmerizing swirls. The cave suddenly came alive with the aroma of campfire cooking.

Tousha offered a bowl to Tsubaki and added, "Now, let's have some soup, get some sleep, and in the morning I'll find you some ramen. No toes required. Deal?"

Jutsu usedShow

Katon • Burning Hands
D-rank Ninjutsu
After completing a string of hand seals or utilizing advanced channeling the user will gather a concentrated dose of Katon chakra into a single hand, causing it to burst into flame. The user will then release the Katon chakra as a concentrated gash of flame that erupts into a burning cone at a Speed and Strength up to the user's Control up to 10m. This cone can reach a width of 5m and can be maintained for up to 3 posts before additional chakra is required.

[Amy]

Tsubaki found herself sitting up, her legs crossed in front of her before she even realized what Tousha had said. “You saved it?” There was so much hope and joy in her voice that one may have thought someone found a long lost heirloom for her. When in reality the thought of even cold rabbit soup made her want to cry tears of joy. But when she noticed what Tousha was doing she really did tear up slightly. A sure sign that she was over-tired. Just a poor, tired kunoichi who was desperate for a hot meal.

She took the bowl with a grateful nod of the head, wasting no time in taking a bite. He had somehow heated it to the perfect temperature so that it warmed her through from her head to her feet but didn’t burn her mouth at all. “For a soup that was pretty mediocre yesterday,” Tsubaki worked out between mouthfuls. “This is about the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. Katon really comes in handy doesn’t it?” It wasn’t long before she was scraping her bowl, finally feeling warm, with her stomach full enough that it wasn’t grumbling anymore. She set the bowl beside her, sinking back to the ground, her arms folded behind her head

“That was perfect. But I’ll take you up on the ramen. Especially if I get to keep…all of my…” Tsubaki took a deep breath, expelling it in what could only be described as a sigh. “Toes.” And just like that, Tsubaki had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

When the pair woke a few or many hours later, there was a shred of light shining into the cave around the log that blocked the entrance. Tousha’s orbs had dried their items while they slept and it was quick work to get their things sorted and packed back up. When Tousha moved the log from the front of the cave Tsubaki had to shield her eyes from the light that flooded into them. For a moment, it was like the storm had never happened. The sky was blue and clear, nothing more than a gentle breeze kissing across her skin. But when she stepped above the entrance of the cave it was clear that what they had been through was not a bad dream.

Destruction surrounded them. Felled trees littered the forest floor and there were piles of branches and debris that were taller than her in some places. Tsubaki stood and stared for just a moment, taking in what danger they had truly been in the night before. If only one of those branches had fallen on them things could have ended entirely differently. She did not let herself dwell for long though, quickly shaking off the feeling of what could have been. Because what did happen was she and Tousha had broken through the wall that was keeping them at arm’s length. Just in case he was worried he had imagined that she turned to him, a wide smile on her face.

“Let’s go find some ramen.”