We Built This Town On Shaky Ground

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Jan 13, 2024 12:10 am

“We’ll see you guys in a bit!” Tsubaki waved her hand back at Akio and the rest of the crew that had come to town with them that day. It was a much smaller group than went out a few weeks ago for their moving celebration. This trip was to gather all of the forgotten items from the previous trip as well as some things that they had already run out of. Which, per the usual, was sake. They were always out of sake. And Akio still seemed to be “apologizing” for the sudden move so he was allowing some extra money towards the sake fund. Tsubaki and Shirai had tagged along simply for an excuse to get used to the town again. Their excuse had been that they needed to get to know the local medics and shop sellers so they could continue to get good prices. Which, was not entirely a lie.

“So,“ Tsubaki said, once they were out of earshot, grabbing onto Shirai’s hand. “What do ya wanna do? We already put our order in at the shop and it won’t be ready for a couple of hours yet. I saw a Taiyaka stall last time we were here. Wanna check it out?” When Shirai agreed Tsubaki did her best to lead them directly there and ended up only taking them on three or maybe four side tracked routes before finding the stall.

Tsubaki ordered them each one and happily bit into hers before it was cool enough to comfortable eat. She breathed heavily, steam pouring out of her mouth. She mumbled some indecipherable words around the burning food but there was a big smile on her face. Things had been pretty good lately, especially between the two of them. It was like everything was finally falling into place.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 1:24 am

Shirai eagerly bit into his Taiyaki, and his eyes closed as he fully took in the flavor. Life was good. Things between Tsubaki and him were better than ever, Akio seemed to have calmed down, and they had been able to enter town much more often. Gone are the days of being forced to stay in camp for months at a time. The crew was well received in town, and there were no Yakuza to ruin that either. Everyone brought more business, and despite how rowdy the crew could get, they were remarkably tame for a band of criminals. With a smile on his face, he opened his eyes back up and looked over to Tsubaki.

“So good! The taste of freedom.”

----

Koukai was growing impatient with how his grand plan was playing out. Akio had been far too laid-back as of late. The brute needed to get angry for Koukai’s seed of discord to bear fruit. The longer it took for that to happen, the more risk there was for Akio or someone else realizing that something was wrong. So he had to get the ball rolling. It didn’t take long for Koukai to gain some contacts in town after they had set up camp. So he made his way to some of the shadier individuals and paid them to start a fight with Tsubaki. The girl seemed to attract trouble wherever she went, so it was unlikely that people would question it. Plus, Akio got far more emotional when she was involved.

With a good foundation set, he made his way back to the crew and spoke to a few of his lackeys. Everyone knew that there were members of the crew loyal to Koukai, but he doubted any of them knew just how deep the conspiracy went. The known cronies were individuals that Koukai purposely drew attention to so that his more advanced agents within the crew could go undetected. Not wanting to risk even a faint suspicion of his involvement, he got a couple of his agents to make their way towards Tsubaki and Shirai. They were to be in the area when the commotion went down, but not so close that it would be suspicious. With that, he continued alongside the crew, blending in the best he could while he waited to see the results of his scheme.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 2:03 pm

After finishing their snacks, Tsubaki and Shirai took back to the streets to do some window shopping. Neither were big on buying things they didn’t need and though they planned to stay in their camp for a long time yet there was always a fear that they’d have to pick up and move again. The last thing anyone wanted was to stock up on a bunch of comfort items and then have to choose between carrying them or discarding them. She had thought, at first, that it would be hard to have so little but it ended up being the opposite. She had so much in this family that had found her. Clothes, jewelry, things like that had little meaning to her anymore. Her clothes were all designed for necessity over fashion. Easy to wash, easy to mend. Tough fabric that could hold up to weeks of walking and training. It had seemed like a sacrifice at first but now it was just…easy.

It had been so long since things had been easy. For a while, she didn’t think that she would ever have an easy time again. Her life had gone from bad to terrible to good to better to even worse. An endless cycle that left her unsure of which way was up. Akio had still been a little standoffish recently but he had been much kinder. He had stopped glaring every time he saw them holding hands or hugging. Probably, it helped that they weren’t overly affectionate in front of the crew as someone always had a joke to make and boy did that get tiring.They had been forced to move but even though it was different, it wasn’t bad at all. Tsubaki liked the town and she liked the people here. They weren’t what she would call super friendly but they were…kind. People didn’t try talking to her on the street but when they needed help with directions someone was always willing to help.

Tsubaki had just pressed her finger up against the glass of a shop window, pointing out the scarf to Shirai to see if he liked it when someone ran by her, smashing into her shoulder. “Hey!” she shouted, more out of surprise than anything else. She turned to roll her eyes at Shirai when she noticed that the man had dropped something on the ground. Now she really did roll her eyes. Scooping the man’s wallet off of the ground she looked for him, calling out, hoping he had noticed. “Hey! You dropped your wal-” Tsubaki was so intent on searching for the man who ran into her that she didn’t notice another man stalking up behind her. He latched onto her wrist, yanking her around to face him. The people surrounding the group of three started giving them a wide berth, realizing something was happening.

“Found ya, ya little thief. Thought ya could get ‘way huh!?”” He tried to shake Tsubaki’s arm again but with hardly any effort she yanked her arm from his grasp.

“You’re confused. Someone else dropped this. Why don’t you just get out of here?” She kept a tight grip on the wallet. While she hadn’t gotten a great look at the man who ran past her she knew that he had been taller than her and this man was about her height. Bald, angry looking, with a pinched little face. Like a rat, Tsubaki thought to herself.

“Not goin’ anywhere till ya give me my stuff little girl. Hand it over.” He reached for the wallet but Tsubaki yanked it back, out of his reach. The man made a frustrated sound, lunging forward to try to grab it, bumping into Tsubaki in the process. She threw her hand between them and shoved him away, causing him to stumble back slightly. “That how it’s gonna be?”

“Let’s get out of here Shirai. We can give the wallet to the police and let them handle it.”

Staring at the man for a second longer, Tsubaki turned, intent on getting out of this situation. She did not need this much attention and she did not want this getting back to Akio.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:25 pm

Shirai’s face twisted in disgust at the scene unfolding before him. Seriously, did they really think a half-assed con like this was going to work? Not to mention, the bastard had the audacity to lay a hand on Tsubaki.

“Fuck off, you think we’re stupid? The guy who bumped into her was your friend, and you’re setting this up to try and get money out of us. If she gave the wallet to you, you’d claim that there was money missing and accuse her of stealing. If it’s truly yours, then there’s no issue with us confirming with the police. Any possible theft will be dealt with by them.”

Tsubaki was right, they needed to walk away from the situation before it got any worse. It would not be a good look for the crew if they ended up getting into a fight. They had just about as good of a reason as any to do so, but Akio was being extremely strict when it came to their in-town behavior.

“I don’t think ya realize the situation you’re in.”

The men around them closed in further, clearly not going to let them leave. They were in quite a predicament. A fight seemed almost unavoidable, but even if they did slip away, they’d be accused of stealing. The police might be able to clear their names, but there was no guarantee that the damage caused by the accusation would be undone. Not everyone heard the end of the story and would simply remember Tsubaki being called a thief.

“Oy! Get the hell away from Tsubaki.”

Shirai appreciated their eagerness to protect Tsubaki, but the crew showing up was the last thing they needed. Not only was she perfectly capable of protecting herself, but their interference was going to make the crew look worse overall. What was originally simply a situation where one member of the crew was being accused of stealing was now going to look like a gang fight. As their fellow crewmates walked closer to the extortionists, Shirai started to panic, cursing the universe for always finding a way to put the Tsubaki in a bad situation.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:16 pm

Tsubaki was mad. Furious, even. What god had she cursed in a previous life that trouble followed her around like this? It was always one thing after another after another. She just wanted to be with her crew, with her family, with her boyfriend and have things just go right. And now this fucking rat man was trying to ruin everything. Of course he had more friends in the crowd and they all started to ooze out of the woodwork, so to speak, like the slimes they were. Her jaw clenched, brow lowering as she glared at the so-called man who stood in front of her. She had promised herself a long time ago in a dark and dirty basement that she wasn’t going to let any man intimidate her again. Especially not when she was strong enough to snap them in half like a twig. But, she reminded herself as she took several deliberate steps forward, she had to behave herself. This was their new home and if the town knew that the crew had a ninja in their ranks it would cause a whole slew of problems.

“I don’t care how many buddies you have here,” she said, her voice lowered so that only those in the immediate area could hear her. “Do I look like I’m scared of you or your little thug friends? Maybe you should just take the hint and fuck off?” Tsubaki really just wanted them to give up. Between her attitude and Shirai’s breakdown of their scam they had to realize that there was nothing for them here. But the man and his group seemed insistent for some reason. Maybe they didn’t take kindly to a woman telling them what to do. Before the rat man could respond though she heard the voices of several fellow crew members sounding out in the crowd. They must have come to see what the commotion was about and when they realized Tsubaki was in the middle of it, felt the need to step in. It was sweet, in a way. None of the crew had ever stopped thinking of her as a woman despite the fact that she was faster and stronger than all of them. Except Akio, of course.

But right now, it was just incredibly annoying and dangerous. They were always ready for a fight and this needed to not be a fight. “Guys, I’ve got this. Just go find A-” Before she could finish telling them what to do, the rat man in front of her lunged for the wallet again, this time his hands slamming into her shoulders in an attempt to knock her down. He was so weak though so all Tsubaki had to do was turn her body so that she was out of his path. His own momentum carried him forward, his body crashing into the ground. She watched in satisfaction as his face slammed into the ground, blood bursting from his nose. But then he stood up, pointing right at her.

“She hit me!” He cried. At the same time, the members of the crew that had gathered around started shouting also.

“He hit Tsubaki! Did you see that! Get them boys!” Their voices all melded together and Tsubaki didn’t know who was there and who was talking but what she did know was that things had just gone to hell.

Pandemonium exploded around her. Bodies and fists flew around her, the sound of bone on bone punctuating the air at an alarming rate. She spun around, searching desperately for Shirai. They needed to get out of there. Akio would be mad about the crew fighting but if the crew’s two medics were found at the middle of it they were going to be in so much trouble. She finally caught sight of him pressed up against the glass of the window she was trying to look in just a few moments ago. Two thugs were trying to get at him and despite her previous intentions Tsubaki lost all logical thought when she saw Shirai in trouble. She grabbed the back of one of their shirts, yanking him away from Shirai. Once his body flew past her she lifted her foot and kicked him in the stomach, launching him back and into the crowd. His body caused even more people to fall down and get involved but Tsubaki didn’t care about them. Shirai had already dealt with the other guy so she turned to place her back against the building with him, looking out into the chaos that surrounded them.

“This is bad,” she said, her eyes flickering around, trying to figure out how to stop what had grown out of control. “We have to try to get out of her. Now.”

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Mon Jan 22, 2024 1:24 am

Kenji’s orders were very simple. The first one was to make sure that a fight broke out with Tsubaki in the middle of it. So he watched intently as he closed in on the group with his fellow crew members. When the man fell over and claimed that Tsubaki had hit him, he found his moment to strike.

“He hit Tsubaki! Did you see that! Get them boys!”

Both groups broke into a brawl as the words left Kenji’s mouth. Making his way into the pile of flying fists and shouts, he set out to complete the second order he was given. Making sure to not draw too much attention to himself, he threw a few punches as well as taking a few while pushing further into the fight. When he spotted Shirai being cornered by two people, he got ready to act. It would only be a matter of time before Tsubaki noticed and rescued her boyfriend. Masking a smile, he watched as Tsubaki grabbed one of the men by their shirt and threw them backwards, kicking them in the stomach as they went.

In order to keep suspicion off of himself and to further assist Koukai, Kenji had always kept his true strength and skill a secret from everyone, instead cultivating the identity of an average brute of a man. No one would think that what he was about to pull off would even be possible. As the group got back to their feet and Tsubaki looked for a way to leave with Shirai, Kenji weaved between people in the fight, somehow staying in the blindspots and using the chaos to keep attention off of himself. In one fluid motion, he made his way to the group, and once they were in range, he started throwing wild punches. Giving off the impression that he had flown into a frenzy, Kenji drew attention to his arms, which were being thrown in every direction. It was a distraction, though, as Kenji disguised his true attack: a perfectly aimed stomp to the sternum of the man Tsubaki had kicked. There was too much noise going around for anyone to hear the cracking of bones.

The fight continued for a few more minutes before someone noticed the man still on the ground but now struggling to breathe, his face long since having turned blue. Slowly, the fight came to a stop as the men surrounded their dying friend. Kenji wasted no time in calling for Shirai to check on the man, knowing that both of them had long since left the scene. It did not take long for the man to die, not only had Kenji collapsed the man’s sternum, he’d also done significant damage to their internal organs. No one, not even other members of the crew, had noticed that Kenji had stomped on the man, and even if they had, no one would believe that Kenji could have done that much damage. To their knowledge, he was nowhere near strong or skilled enough to deliver such a blow. So there was only one culprit: the woman who kicked him in the stomach earlier.

“That bitch killed him!”

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Mon Jan 22, 2024 2:04 pm

Shirai grabbed onto her hand, his eyes scanning the crowd along with hers. She didn’t need to explain to him how dire the situation was. Things were already so out of hand and it was only going to be a matter of time before things got worse. Fights like this had a way of growing on their own, getting way out of control, until it morphed into something else. It wasn’t that they didn’t have an easy way out - they could both simply leap over the entire group. Or they could scale the building behind them. They could even jump over the building. But the whole point was avoiding attention, not gathering more of it.

“We’re just going to have to go through. Stay as low as you can.”

Keeping his hand tightly wrapped in hers, Tsubaki began pulling them through the crowd. None of the people they pushed by even knew what had started the fight so they weren’t going after her or Shirai specifically. But that didn’t stop punches from flying in their direction. They both blocked as many as they could and returned as few as they could. The last thing they needed was to accidentally hurt someone seriously and it was all too easy for that to happen when fighting those without use of chakra.

It felt like it took forever but it was only a few minutes before they successfully extracted themselves. Not a moment too soon, Tsubaki thought to herself as the local police began rushing towards the scene. Still hand in hand, partners in crime always, the two young medics ran. A spark of fear lit through Tsubaki’s heart but it didn’t stay fearful for long. The faster they ran, the further they ran, a small smile turned into a large grin until finally a peal of laughter left Tsubaki’s mouth. She slowed, pulling Shirai to a stop next to her.

“I think we should go see an exorcist or something. I’m positive I’ve been cursed somehow.” She sighed as the laughter stopped, her fingers feeling her face. She had taken one or two glancing blows but luckily none of them had broken skin. She grabbed Shirai by the chin and observed his face and was glad to see he was in no worse shape than he was. “Well, we won’t be able to pretend we weren’t there but at least we won’t have fines from the authorities. Let’s hope the rest of the crew got out of there.” Tsubaki knew there was no chance of that but Akio would just make them pay the fines out of their pay. They wouldn’t get a lecture like she would have.

“Let’s just head back and wait for everyone there. I don’t want to go back into town right now in case they’re still breaking everything up. Plus if we make it back first it’ll prove we got out as soon as possible.” Threading her arm through Shirai’s they began making their way back to camp, satisfied that things had ended for the better.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Tue Jan 23, 2024 11:00 pm

Shirai couldn’t help but burst into laughter alongside Tsubaki. The whole ordeal was a pain in the ass, but they had gotten away from it now. Though he wasn’t looking forward to Akio’s reaction to the situation, it was far from the first time that something along these lines had happened. In all likelihood, there’d be a bunch of yelling from both Akio and Tsubaki, and then things would be tense between them for a while before drifting back to what they now considered normal. It was a shame that they couldn’t just go back to the way things were before their big fight. Shirai took partial blame for the wedge between her and Akio, but ultimately the blame fell on the shoulders of the giant.

“Good idea. The sooner we get to camp, the more we get to enjoy the calm before the storm.”

----

A few members of the crew had made their way to Akio and informed him that a fight had broken out in town. Cursing through his teeth, the giant followed them, only to find out that he was far too late. The brawl had long since ended, and the police were carrying people off. Running over to the man pushing a bound Kenji along the street, he called out.

“Oi! I’ll pay the fines.”

“And who are you?”

“I’m their leader.”

“Akio… I’m so sorry.”

“Is Tsubaki one of yours? Woman with brown hair, about five and a half feet tall.”

Kenji shot Akio a look that begged him not to say anything. Realizing just how bad of a situation this was, he disguised the surprise in his face. Making sure not to act suspicious, he responded.

“A woman? Hell no. I’ve got a camp full of horny men, and I ain’t no monster.”

“Well, if we find out that you’re harboring her, there will be hell to pay. Once we can confirm that your men were not complicit in murder, you may pay the fine to have them released. But until then, stay the fuck away. I don’t like having a crew of bandits living outside the city. Keep your men in check, or I will.”

Akio scowled at the man and let them walk off with Kenji. He had a hard time believing that Tsubaki had killed someone. But from the sounds of it, she had run off after the fight. He did his best to suppress the rage that threatened to build within him. A couple members of the crew were able to talk to everyone before the police arrived. It was through them that Akio got the full story.

“So they tried to rob Tsubaki, and she killed one of them?”

“That’s what they were saying. No one is giving her up, but Tsubaki was the only one to hit the guy.”

“Tsubaki is not a killer.”

"Yeah, but... accidents happen.”

“Damn it! You guys hang back and wait for the interrogations to end. Everyone else, we’re headin’ back. I need to figure out what the hell happened.”

Akio didn’t wait for a response, instead storming off in the direction of the camp. Where else would she have gone? He didn’t want to assume the worst, but this was an absolute mess. The giant had been working so hard to keep good relations with the town. Now it was completely ruined. As he stomped through town, he overheard some of the crew behind him.

“She’s not like us, you know he always goes easy on her. He’ll just yell at her, and we’ll forget it ever happened.”

He did his best not to react. Any other day, he’d have chewed the bastard out for his choice of words, but Akio was too pissed off. If he turned around to say something, he couldn't trust himself to not hit the man. So he kept looking forward, not thinking about anything other than figuring out what the hell had just happened.

----

When the two returned to camp, they sat around the fire as they waited for the rest to make their way back. Shirai got up and threw a log into the fire, chuckling to himself and shaking his head as he did so. He was not normally one to believe in superstition, but Tsubaki really did feel cursed. It was almost as if Kumo had placed some kind of curse on her for running away. Shirai would laugh at the idea if it weren’t for the fact that you seemed to be able to do anything with the right application of chakra.

“I still can’t believe they tried to get you with the oldest trick in the book. I mean, talk about amateur hour!”

Satisfied that the fire was starting to burn with renewed vigor, he sat back down next to Tsubaki. It was not long before he noticed a group in the distance. Akio and the crew were returning sooner than expected, no doubt to give a lecture. But as they got closer, Shirai noticed something was off. Akio looked pissed, way more pissed than he should have been in a situation like this. The giant was prone to irrational bouts of anger, but this was different. If he didn’t know any better, Shirai could swear that he sensed killing intent coming from him.

“What the fuck happened!?”

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:17 am

Tsubaki leaned against one of the logs that surrounded the fire, one leg braced up to support her arm and the other laid out in front of her. She rested her elbow on the log behind her, her palm propping up her head. Shirai was tending the fire and all of the chores had been done before the trip into town so Tsubaki was taking advantage of the rare moment of peace to relax. It happened so rarely for them that there wasn’t something that needed to be done. It was the same for most of the crew but especially for Tsubaki and Shirai as dealing with the medical stuff became a larger and larger chore the bigger the crew got. And lately it seemed like it was growing at an untraceable rate.

“I guess it probably works a lot but we don’t seem like the usual targets. People who don’t care about getting dirty or are afraid of them. As soon as we didn’t seem afraid you’d think they would have given up.” Tsubaki gave the best shrug she could from the position she was sitting in but then let silence fall back over them. She wanted to enjoy every ounce of peace before Akio got back and she had to spend two hours listening to him complain and yell about how much trouble she got into and how it had to stop and she needed to be more responsible and blah blah b-

Tsubaki was on her feet before she even knew what she was doing or what was wrong. All she knew was that every cell in her body screamed that there was danger heading their way. But when her eyes scanned the woods and she saw Akio she only grew more confused. A quick glance to Shirai told her that she was not imagining the aura that was rippling off of Akio like a cloak. She knew that he was going to be mad but he had never held this kind of energy before. Not in the camp, at least. Not directed at one of the crew. Not directed at her. His shout brought the rest of the crew around, those who had stayed back from the trip into town. Tsubaki took a deep breath and started walking towards Akio. She held her hand out to Shirai when she felt him start to walk forward too.

“That’s not a good idea,” she said quietly. “I think you should wait here. Something isn’t right.” She knew that Shirai would listen to her, even if he didn’t want to.

She stopped a few feet from Akio, letting him decide how close to get. She started talking before he got there, hoping to calm him down quickly.

“Some guys tried to pull a con on me. I told them to fuck off, Shirai told them to fuck off, but they got aggressive. They got physical, then they got more physical and once they tried to jump me Shirai and I got out of there.” She shook her head slightly, offering him a small smile. “We got out before the police got there. No one in town even knows we were there, officially. I got out as smoothly as I could, Akio. There’s nothing else I could have done.”

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 12:10 am

Isobe yawned as he lazily watched the goings-on in the camp. Akio and a few members of the crew had gone into town to pick up a few things, so that left Isobe to keep an eye on things. He might have been getting old, but his eyes were keener than anyone else in the camp. So he was the first to see Akio on his way back to the camp. The first thing Isobe noticed was that the group was considerably smaller than the one they had left with. He knew that Tsubaki and Shirai had made it back early, but that was it. It was doubtful that Akio would leave without gathering everybody first, so he knew something must have been off.

He started walking towards Akio, hoping to meet him halfway and figure out what was wrong. A shiver ran up Isobe’s spine as he felt the aura coming off of the giant. It had been a long time since he had seen Akio this pissed off. As of late, Isobe had seen glimpses of the monster that Akio used to be when he lost his temper, but this was different. Something serious must have happened to push him this close to the edge.

“S’wrong?”

“They’re tellin’ me Tsubaki killed someone and ran away. There was some kinda brawl that broke out, I guess. Whether it was an accident or not, I can’t let this slide.”

“Tsubaki wouldn’t kill sum’un without a damn good reason.”

“It sounds like it was an accident, but she’s way more disciplined than that. I don’t want to believe she did it, but Kenji and the others took the fall for her, and they’re being interrogated.”

“I think ya should prolly sit down fer a minute first. Maybe cool off a lil before ya do somethin’ ya regret.”

“Isobe, with all due respect, I didn’t fucking ask ya what ya thought. I’m just gonna talk to her, so get the fuck out of my way.”

Isobe stepped aside but followed along closely as the giant made his way to the campfire. All hell was about to break loose, he could feel it in his bones, but he was powerless to stop it. The killing intent that poured from the man was unsettling, but he’d never hurt Tsubaki. The only thing Isobe could hope for was that Akio’s anger didn’t push him any further. No one in the camp was ready to see the monster Akio had locked within himself, not even Isobe himself. He’d seen enough of the man’s rage for one lifetime.

----

“What the fuck happened!?”

Akio’s blood boiled as he listened to Tsubaki’s response. Was he supposed to be proud of her for leaving the crew to be arrested? She had time to save her boyfriend but ditched everyone else. Then for her to say there was nothing else she could have done? As much as he didn’t like that it happened, he could understand the reasoning for the fight. Sometimes some asshole backs you into a corner and you have to defend yourself, but everything after that was inexcusable.

“Yeah? What else happened? Ya got into a scuffle and, partway through, decided to slip out with the only other person who could treat injuries and leave the rest of the crew to get arrested. Nothing else? Are ya sure that’s it?”

There was a snarl in his voice as he spoke, trying his best to keep calm. Tsubaki might not have known about the murder, but that didn’t make it okay. If it was just a fight, then why wouldn’t she just stick with the crew? Why wouldn’t she have gone to Akio? As much as he hated to admit it, her behavior seemed more aligned with a guilty person fleeing their crime. But her casual demeanor suggested she had no idea. The confusion only served to make him more angry. Akio’s breathing got heavier as he waited for her response, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Whatever Tsubaki had to say, it better have been good, otherwise, he didn’t know what he was going to do.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Fri Jan 26, 2024 10:00 pm

“Yes.” Tsubaki’s voice was firm. She was so tired of this, of having to defend her every action to him and no matter what she said it was never good enough. It all just felt so hopeless. She loved Akio but she did not know how much longer she could do this. “Akio, the crew gets into a fistfight every other week and they always make it back to camp just fine. You have never needed me to go meet them anywhere to heal a few broken knuckles or black eyes.” She almost continued on when what he said finally clicked. “If someone did something stupid enough to get arrested instead of fined I don’t really see how my being there would have improved anything.” How was it possible that he was acting like she should have been there when the others were arrested? She could only imagine the hell that would have broken loose if she had been carted off by the police. And if that had happened it’s not like she would have been able to heal anyone anyways.

When Akio just kept staring at her she could feel the all too familiar heat working its way up her spine. He just kept glaring at her like he expected her to confess to something. Somehow, even though she had already left, he was still trying to blame her for the rest of the crew getting arrested. “Listen, Akio. I need you to really listen to me. I didn’t do anything wrong here. I handled the situation as smoothly and as quickly as I could. You always want me to stay out of danger. Any time I so much as breathe in the direction of possible danger you lose your mind.” Tsubaki was doing her best to keep her voice calm. As soon as one of them started shouting it was going to get worse. “But now you’re telling me that you wish I had stayed? You wanted me to stay in the middle of a huge brawl? To get arrested?”

She almost threw her arms in the air in exasperation. Already, she was done with this conversation. She just wanted him to get his part over with, yell at her, whatever it was he wanted to do. Because she could not find the energy to try to figure out what it was he wanted from her. He could never tell her what he wanted, only criticize her when she didn’t do it. She hated it because every single time it happened it fed the tiny little nagging worm in the back of her mind that made her wonder when this stopped feeling worth it.

“What do you want me to do, Akio? Do you want me to go back to town to help people? Because I will.” She would do anything she needed to do just to be able to end this before it ruined the rest of the week.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 2:29 am

Akio heard every word that Tsubaki said, but he was not listening. Most of his focus was dedicated to keeping himself from lashing out. Part of him knew he was irrationally angry, but the other part was just sick of everything. She either didn’t know about the murder or was a great liar. He didn’t think she would ever lie about something this big, but there was a voice in the back of his head that was filling him with doubt. Things had been rough between them lately. It was like the more she spent time with Shirai, the more she resented him. All he wanted was to keep her and the rest of the crew safe. Why was that so hard to understand?

“Tsubaki I know it’s not fair, and I truly am sorry, but you know that trouble always seems to find its way to you. I try to keep you with the crew because something always comes up, but you keep insisting on going off on your own. I get the need for freedom, but this shit is always happening. I’m not just trying to keep you safe, I’m protecting the entire crew.”

Each word was deliberate, as he did his best to keep himself in check. He didn’t have the mental capacity to keep up the bandit accent. It took everything in him to try and speak calmly, though he failed miserably. The words were said through gritted teeth, and his voice took on the tone of a lecture. People in the camp noticed the commotion and started to gather around the two. They tried to be nonchalant about it, but failed miserably. This only served to irritate Akio further. Did all of their arguments need to be a big spectacle?

“A man fucking died, Tsubaki. They took Kenji and the others in for interrogation, and your attackers are saying you did it. The crew is taking the fall for you, but they didn’t see anyone else hit the man. You kicked him in the chest, and after you ran away, they found him on the ground, dying. His chest had been caved in. I know more than anyone what it’s like to lose control of your strength when you get angry, but if you hadn’t run away, you might have been able to save him, and we wouldn’t be in this fucking situation.”

The voice in the back of his head was now screaming about how irresponsible and unapologetic she was. How she never took a moment to consider how much stress she put on Akio. How with each passing day, she was growing further and further away from him. It was only a matter of time before she left the crew. The thought made his blood boil. She was free to leave at any point, but he didn’t want to come across her corpse down the line. Who was to say she wouldn’t end up right back where she was before he met her? The very thought conjured haunting images from his past. He could practically hear Eri screaming, but he did his best to try and shut it out. Without thinking, Akio lashed out.

“What I want is for you to tell me what the fuck has been going on with you! I’ve given you a lot of leeway when it comes to obeying orders, but it seems like you’re just taking advantage of that now. Are you just doing things to spite me now? What have I done to you?”

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 5:21 pm

“Don’t you dare lie to me to make yourself feel better.” And just like that, the pretense of calmness that she had been forcing into her words was gone. Each word was steeped in the anger that was a constant presence in her now. “You’re not sorry at all. If you were then maybe things would change for once but they never do.” All Akio ever talked about was protecting protecting protecting. Protecting her, protecting the crew, protecting their way of life. But he spent so much time talking about it and not enough time doing anything. When the crew was small, a couple dozen of them maybe, he could do it all on his own. He could be everywhere he needed to be, he could be there for all of them. But now? The crew was nearing a hundred members if it hadn’t already passed that. He couldn’t do it all by himself. He couldn’t be everywhere at the same time but he also refused to trust what anyone did was the right choice.

What he said next though, caused her to rethink everything. Everything. For the first time since she had joined up with Akio and her crew the thought drifted across her mind, clear as day. And it broke her heart.

I shouldn’t be here.

How could he think she would do that? How could the man who saw a scared, broken girl hiding at an inn and saw worth in her think that she would let something like this happen? After everything that she had done for him. For the crew. Every sleepless night, every close call, every time she passed out from using too much chakra after a fight, everything she had done for him. And he didn’t believe in her at all. He didn’t trust her at all. Tears formed in Tsubaki’s eyes as her fists clenched at her sides. She hadn’t spoken yet, her voice unable to work its way around the lump in her throat. And he dared to ask her what he had done to her?

“I cannot believe this is even a discussion.” Despite the emotion warring across Tsubaki’s face, her voice was deadly calm. “You think that I made a mistake and killed someone on accident? I, a medic. A ninja who has been using chakra since I was a child. You think I kicked someone in the chest using that strength? You think that I wouldn’t have felt his ribs break? The burst under the skin as they punctured his lungs? His heart?” She shook her head. “No, there’s no way that you could think that. There’s no way that you think so little of me that you think I wouldn’t have noticed that. Which means that you think I left him there to die on purpose. Don’t you? Isn’t that why you’re so mad? You think I became just like you and killed someone because I was pissed off.”

Her fists shook with the control it was taking to keep them at her sides. “No matter how much time passes you continue to treat me like a child instead of a grown woman. I follow your crew orders to the tee, every single time. The only orders I don’t follow are the ones that only have to do with me. Me personally. Because of who I am. I’m not trying to spite you Akio but all you do is suffocate me!”

Tsubaki couldn’t help it but she had started shouting at some point. Rage making her words sharp.

“And I know you won’t care about my side of the story because you never do, but I kicked that man in the stomach. Softly. Like he was a baby lamb. If I had killed him it would have been because he was vomiting blood from his burst kidneys.” Something new had settled into Tsubaki’s eyes as she glared at Akio. It was the same hardness that had drifted into her gaze when she had taken the one and only life she had claimed.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sat Jan 27, 2024 7:43 pm

Akio let out a heavy sigh through his nose in an attempt to keep himself from throwing things. She was being unbelievable. She thought herself too skilled and disciplined to make a mistake like that, but it wasn’t as if the man did it to himself. Tsubaki was asking him to trust her more than the crew, and he wasn’t sure he could do that. He loved her, but he loved the rest of his family too.

“Different how? Since you don’t believe I’m sorry, what do you think me being sorry would change? Huh? Is it me not being sorry that put you in this situation? What could I have done that would have changed the situation?” Akio let out a growl behind grit teeth before continuing, “And you’re telling me it’s impossible for you to have made a mistake like that, so what you’re really saying is the crew is lying to me. You were the only one to hit that man, and chests don’t cave in on their own. It’s your word against theirs, and you’re expecting me to believe you over all of them? I didn’t think it was on purpose, I thought it was an accident, but if it’s impossible for you to lose control, then what happened? Is one of the crew lying and putting the blame on you? Did the men who attacked you decide to murder their own just to frame you? What is it?”

Tsubaki acting like he was looking for reasons to doubt her made his blood boil. He wanted nothing but the best for her, but she just thought he wanted to control her. Why did she always have to think the worst of him? Had he not proved that he cared about her? The look on her face sent him spiraling. No longer able to keep calm, he felt something in his mind snap. The voice in the back of his mind took on a sinister tone as it echoed in his mind.

You’re losing her.

Eri’s sobs filled his ears as he found himself transported back to the nightmares of his past. Glimpses of her head being pulled back as those bastards cut her throat right in front of him filled his mind. He could remember sitting there with her corpse for what felt like hours. He looked around at the crew that watched nervously. Their faces reminded him of the crowd that had gathered around his house that night. They were all paralyzed with fear as they listened to Eri’s screaming, doing nothing to save her. Desperately trying to push the memory from his mind, he brought himself back to the present moment.

“You know why you get these special rules? I know you hate to hear it, but it’s to keep you safe. Because as strong and as tough as you are, you’re always getting hurt. No one else in the crew is a former shinobi with a target on their back. They don’t have people hunting them. I don’t have to worry about them disappearing one day because they were kidnapped by Yakuza. I don’t have to worry that some day a shinobi is going to show up to take their head. So don’t you ever fucking act like I don’t care.”

His voice quivered with the last sentence, briefly showing where his rage was truly coming from. Akio was terrified of what might happen to Tsubaki, and he didn’t know how to express it. The only way he knew to alleviate that fear was to assure her safety, which she hated more than anything. But what was he supposed to do? Just let her walk into danger? Premonitions filled his mind of a world where he couldn’t save her. A depressed and lonely Tsubaki withering away in the extra room of a bar before ultimately taking her own life. The shy Tsubaki’s kind heart being taken advantage of and living in a perpetual cycle of being used and abused. A Tsubaki who had been tortured for days by some Yakuza bastards. A Tsubaki who had been chained up and returned to Kumo to meet her fate. It was too much for his heart to bear.

“WHERE THE FUCK WOULD YOU BE IF I DIDN'T CARE? WHO WOULD PROTECT YOU? SHIRAI? IF I HADN’T SHOWN UP THAT DAY, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! YOU’D HAVE BEEN TORTURED MORE AND MORE TO THE POINT OF BREAKING, ONLY TO BE SOLD BACK TO KUMO! SO WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? SIT BY AND WATCH YOU SUFFER? LET YOU DISAPPEAR? AM I SUPPOSED TO JUST COME ACROSS YOUR CORPSE ONE DAY AND SHRUG IT OFF?”

There were no tears in Akio’s eyes, but he wanted to scream and cry. He had no other way of expressing himself than anger. This was no longer about what happened in town, this was everything that was going on between them hitting all at once. He glanced over at Isobe, who looked like he was about to interfere, but he gave the old man a look that could kill. The giant seemed completely feral to those around him, and the only one who seemed capable and willing to stand their ground was Tsubaki. With clenched fists and a red face, he waited for Tsubaki’s response.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 12:32 am

“You have no fucking way of knowing that! Neither does anyone in the crew! I’m not happy that they’re covering for me but I don’t know why anyone thinks I’m the only one who hit that man. There were dozens of people throwing punches and kicks and gods only know what else. But you’re telling me that someone, everyone was watching the same man the entire fight? Enough to know for one hundred percent certainty that I’m the only one who hit him? Akio that is absolute bullshit and you know it. You’ve been in how many fights? How often do you spend the fight watching one random nobody to see how many times he gets hit?” She didn’t even see who in the crew had been there, let alone what random nobodies they had been fighting. Maybe they did see her kick that man but they had no way of knowing for sure what else had happened to him that fight. She was absolutely sure of it.

She could tell that he was struggling with his emotions just like she was. Tsubaki hated hurting Akio. And she knew that every single time these stupid blow out fights happened she hurt his feelings. Last time she had said something so horrible that it still made her wince when she remembered it. There was just something about these fights that brought out the worst in her. She always felt so suffocated by Akio. Like she couldn’t be who she wanted to be when he was around. It was like walking on thin ice every day, each step having to be the most careful. And one misstep sent chills through your heart before you crashed through the ice. Every single day, she maintained perfect control so that things could just go smoothly. And so when these things happened…all of that simmering rage just seemed to boil over until she couldn’t even recognize herself.

She couldn’t keep her hands down, her hand lifting and pointing straight at Akio. He wanted to bring up one of the worst times in her life? Did he think that she didn’t remember every second of being tied up in that basement? That she didn’t remember every single word they said to her, every snap of bone, every single moment that she thought her life was over? “Instead of worrying all the time, Akio you could just actually trust your crew to handle the shit we need to handle. You think you can handle everything all on your own but you CAN’T. Do you remember where I was when I got taken by the Yakuza? I was fifty yards away from you. You were sitting at the fire, having a nice meal, and I was taken and you didn’t know about it for how long? Minutes? Hours? So if you couldn’t even protect me then how do you expect to protect me now?”

Tsubaki wouldn’t admit it but she barely heard what he was shouting at her. All she wanted to do was react. As he shouted she found herself walking closer to him until they were only a foot away from each other or so. So that she could look straight up at him, into his eyes, as he told her exactly how he felt.

“I get it!” Her voice was just as loud as his. Her anger was just as apparent. “I was weak, I get it, and you can remind me of that as much as you want to but that’s not me anymore! I’ve worked hard, I’ve trained, I’ve practiced, I’ve studied and I’ve grown! But you don’t see it because you won’t open your fucking eyes! All you want to do is control me all of the time no matter what I do! No matter what I do it’s always the fucking same stupid story.” Tsubaki started counting on her fingers as she spoke. “Let’s see. Don’t go off on your own, don’t date Shirai, don’t go to the town, don’t leave the crew, don’t this don’t that I’m FUCKING SICK OF IT.” Clasping her hands into fists again Tsubaki felt it happening again. She felt the words bubble up, she felt how her skin pricked with electricity. She could feel the anger taking a nearly tangible form and burn away any self restraint she had left.

“I’d rather be fucking dead than have to live under your thumb for the rest of my life.”

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 2:26 am

Tsubaki’s words about when she was kidnapped cut him deeper than she would ever know. All of it just reminded him of his past, reminded him of how weak he was. How he can’t save anyone. But he couldn’t sit by and let Tsubaki meet the same fate as Eri. He’d protect her, no matter the cost. If that meant she’d hate him forever, then so be it. Akio had been doing his best to keep himself from saying something he’d regret, but that was all out of the window now. This was not the first time Tsubaki had aimed for his heart, and he didn’t have the strength to keep himself from doing the same.

“I took you in, gave you a family, and treated you like my own, because you are. Do you have any idea how fucking hurtful it is to hear that you’d rather be dead? Not just to me but to every single one of us. We love you. I’m not the only one who wants to keep you safe. But if you resent that protection so much, then why don’t you leave?” The very suggestion elicited gasps from the onlooking crew members. Isobe needed to be shot with another glare to keep him from trying to speak up again. “I’ve been protective since you joined, you’ve known it for a long time. We keep fighting about it, and you refuse to listen. I wanted you to be a part of the family, but I didn’t want you to be a bandit. You’re a healer. When people wanted you to do the initiation, I wanted to fight it, but you insisted on going through with it. You took that leap and officially became a monster, just like everybody else here. You became one of us in every sense of the word. But now you keep sneaking away from the crew. I get that you and Shirai have a thing going on, but sometimes it’s like you don’t even want to be with us.”

Akio knew he was out of line, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t trying to be manipulative, but the voice in the back of his mind needed answers. He needed her to know how he felt, and he needed her to understand. All he wanted was for her to stay safe, but he’d tried everything else. His rage had transformed into a form he rarely felt. The familiar, barely restrained anger was nowhere to be seen, and he wasn’t exploding with fury like he had in the past. This was a cold and bitter anger. It made him feel detached. It was the same rage he felt as he watched the bandits burn down his village, finding a sick pleasure in the screams of those who sat idly by while everything was taken from him.

“You think you’re the only one here who has made sacrifices? Do you think you’re the only one who has lost their freedom? I’m losing my mind with each passing day, thinking about how to keep everyone alive, and you think I’m just doing all of this to be an asshole? Grow the fuck up. You want to act like I’m the childish one? Fine. We’ll let the pot call the kettle black. Because I get it. You don’t care about your own safety, you think you are invincible, and I’m just trying to smother you. I helped you in the beginning, but now I’m just a hindrance to your growth as a person. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you throw your life away, not while you’re here. We’d all be heartbroken if anything else happened to you. So if you’re that set on sticking your neck out to the world, then do it somewhere else. No one wants to see you go, me least of all, but I’m not going to watch you get hurt. I’m not going to be the one who finds you broken. I’m not going to be the one to bury your corpse.”

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:47 pm

Tsubaki couldn’t even speak. She just stayed silent and listened as Akio told her exactly what he thought about this whole thing. It was difficult, over the low hum that persisted in her ears. He had finally stopped yelling and making a big show about it all. And he finally just told her. Why don’t you leave? She tried hard to focus on what he was saying but the words spun in circles in the back of her mind. How dare he? She knew that she and Shirai spent a lot of time together but they always had. He had put them together the very first night they had gotten back to camp. Why don’t you leave? So of course they spent all their time together. But they didn’t sneak off all the time. In fact, after the time they got jumped after drinking too much they had never snuck off again. He had put them together. He had brought her here. Did he expect that she would remain scared and glued to his side for the rest of her life? Always looking up to him and him only? Looking to him for all of the answers she needed? She wasn’t fifteen anymore.

Why don’t you leave?

It was like he knew. He did know. He knew what he was doing to her. She stared at him the entire time she spoke, tears sliding down her cheeks though no sob broke through the grim look on her face. It was not only sadness that drove those tears out of her eyes but it was rage too. It was heartbreak, fear, depression, desperation, hope, and love that caused the tears to overflow finally. But there was no release in the action because there would be no solution. She had her options, after all. Why don’t you leave? He had laid them out so beautifully. Leave, or let him protect her in the only way he was able or willing to. Leave, or let him control her. Leave, or give up her freedom. Why don’t you leave? Leave, or suffer. Why don’t you leave?Leave, or grow up. Why don’t you leave? Give up. Why don’t you leave? Just give up. Why don’t you leave?

Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?Why don’t you leave?

Something snapped behind her eyes. A piece of her that Akio had saved in a dark, damp bar in the middle of nowhere. A piece of hope that she had tucked away and protected with everything she had in her. A piece of hope that one day her life wouldn’t be struggle after struggle. That one day she could take an easy breath and have an easy laugh and have an easy love. An easy family. He had given that to her, on a silver platter, and he had asked nothing in return. And then at some point she had stopped being a friend. A daughter. Family. She had become his possession, something that only existed to be kept safe and unharmed. Tsubaki had already lived this life once and she knew that more than anything she could not do it again. The words circling through her head finally stopped, replaced with something new.

Maybe I will.

The fury in Tsubaki’s voice had condensed into a cold, calm wrath. If she was going to leave, why not just lay it all out now? They might as well separate on clear terms, after all, she thought to herself. There was no point in holding back at all anymore.

“It’s really sad, Akio. You know it already, you know what you’re doing to me because like you said. You’ve been doing it since I got here. You brought me here because you wanted to keep me safe but not because you wanted me to be one of the crew. I’ve had to fight for that every single day I’ve been here. You could have stopped the initiation by ending the practice. But that wasn’t an option for you so it became my only option. That makes you responsible for the only life I’ve ever taken.”

Tsubaki took a shuddering breath, staring Akio right in the eyes. His rage had never shaken her before, not when it was so similar to the rage she had buried deep within her own heart.

“You want me to stay here and be the meek little healer who does everything you want so that you can make sure that I’m forever safe. But that’s not real life, Akio! I’ve been in more danger here than I ever have been because you let rats make their home in your crew and despite everything that’s happened you’ve never once believed me about that either. You want me to trust you so badly but I can’t even trust you to protect me from your own crew!”

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Mon Jan 29, 2024 11:17 pm

Akio didn’t say a word as Tsubaki told him he was responsible for the only life she had taken. She was right. But what she didn’t understand was that he was responsible for every life the crew had taken, not just those that ended as a result of the initiation. The giant wondered if Tsubaki even heard herself. Akio was the leader, yes, but to suddenly end the initiation would do nothing but cause a schism in the crew between those who had taken it and those who had joined after. Plus, if he ended the practice, then it would have gone against what Tsubaki wanted. To end the practice just before Tsubaki did her initiation would only serve to further separate her from the crew. Did she really think that he didn’t give this any thought? He may not have been the smartest person in the world, but he was a competent enough leader.

When she said her piece about how Akio let rats take home in his crew, the familiar explosive anger returned to him. He was just about to yell to interrupt her when she said something that shook him to his core.

”You want me to trust you so badly but I can’t even trust you to protect me from your own crew!”

The giant once again found his mind trapped in the nightmares of his past. Eri’s sobs were replaced with gurgles as the bandits cut her throat open. He remembered the look in her eyes as he was forced to watch. The laughter of the group as they got ready to leave. The smile of their leader as he grabbed Akio by the face.

I told you that everything you own belongs to me. Since you didn’t pay tribute, I had to take a little something for myself. This is what happens when the weak try to stand against the strong. Next time I come around, you better have my fucking money, or I’m burning this whole place to the ground.

After they had left, Akio discovered the townsfolk gathered outside of his house and cursed their cowardice. Not one of them had the courage to intervene. It made him sick to his stomach. It was his job as the head of the village to take care of these people, but now he wanted nothing more than for them to die.

You’re weak!

At the time, he thought that those words were directed at those who sat idly by while his life was ruined, but as time went on, he realized he was the weak one. As he watched, from a distance, the bandits slaughter everyone in his village, he took pleasure in their deaths, but afterwards he realized that his anger was misdirected. He was every bit the coward as the rest of them, because if he really wanted revenge, he’d have died fighting the bandits.

You’re weak!

He couldn’t protect Eri, he couldn’t protect his village. When Akio eventually joined Ryuketsu’s crew, he didn’t do a damn thing as they raped and killed innocents around him. He didn’t raise a finger against the atrocities committed by that man. Instead, Akio just waited for the next raid, the next opportunity to vent some of his rage.

You’re weak!

When things finally reached a breaking point and Akio killed Ryuketsu, he had convinced himself that he finally knew what it meant to be strong. He wasn’t weak because he had something to protect. For many years, he had lived in this delusion, but the past year had caused that delusion to crumble around him. He wasn’t able to protect anyone. He was still weak. Past and present fused together in Akio’s mind for a brief moment as he looked back at Tsubaki.

You’re weak!

Akio’s hand flew forward before he could realize what was happening. He did everything in his power to stop it, but it was too late. The giant’s palm slammed into Tsubaki’s cheek, and the sound of the impact seemed to freeze the world around them. There was a brief moment where the two simply stared at each other with intense rage. There was no going back after this. For the first time since Ryuketsu’s days, the crew looked at their leader like he was a monster. Tsubaki warned them off as Akio stayed silent for a little while longer before finally speaking up, his words like venom.

“If you’re not going to trust me, then go ahead and hate me.”

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:47 pm

“Don’t any of you come closer. Shirai! That means you too.” She didn’t have to turn around to recognize the sound of his footsteps thudding across the ground. Tsubaki couldn’t turn around because there was no way she was looking away from the glare Akio had leveled at her. For the briefest of moments, it looked like he would apologize. Like he wished he could take it back. But in an instant, it was like it was never there. She refused to lay her hand on her throbbing cheek she could tell was already swelling. It should have felt hot, burning, but it couldn’t be any hotter than the rest of her burned. Fury swirled around Tsubaki like a storm and it wasn’t until she heard Shirai whisper her name from behind her that she realized chakra was practically flowing across her skin. Her teeth ground down as she struggled to maintain control. It became harder and harder to breathe, her chest constricted so tightly that it hurt. She had gotten what she wanted after all.

Shirai whispered her name once more and she finally breathed. A heavy, shaky breath but a breath nonetheless. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you,” Tsubaki whispered so quietly that only Akio would be able to hear. “But I want you to remember that you asked for this.” Tsubaki raised her head, still looking Akio in the eye but this time speaking loud enough for the entire crew to hear. “Your concern isn’t needed. Akio finally just let me be what I always wanted to be. One of the crew. Don’t hold it against him. I won’t.”

Once again, with nothing solved and everything worse than it was, Tsubaki turned and walked away from Akio. She didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t know where she could go. She just knew that she couldn’t stay there. The rage boiling just beneath her skin was still threatening to push her over the edge and the last thing she wanted to do was to accidentally hurt one of the crew. So she walked. She walked until she realized she was running. She ran until she didn’t recognize a single landmark, a single tree. She ran until she couldn’t hear anything except silence. And when she was done running she screamed and put her fist through the nearest tree.

What could have been minutes or hours laters, Tsubaki slid to the ground against one of the few still standing trees, leaning her head back against it. “You can come out now,” she said into the silence of the forest. There was so much to think about, not the least of which was that the village currently thought she committed a murder. Until and unless that was figured out, she couldn’t return to that village or any nearby ones. But at this point it didn’t seem like that would matter because Tsubaki didn’t even know if she was going to be welcomed back in the camp. She knew that she certainly didn’t want to see Akio’s face. There was nothing she could do to get the words out of her head. The sound it made when his hand struck her. The image of how he looked afterwards. She had punched until she couldn’t breathe but none of it ever left her.

“I don’t know what to do.”

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sat Feb 03, 2024 2:55 am

The giant ignored everyone following the slap. Even as Shirai dashed forward only to be intercepted by Kai, Akio paid him no mind. Tsubaki’s words did not phase him, he simply held her gaze. He said nothing and simply watched as Tsubaki walked away and Shirai chased after her. What could he say? He’d burnt that bridge, and, to be honest, he didn't care at the moment. The rage was more than enough to numb his pain. She said it herself, it was what she wanted. It wasn’t the first time he’d smacked a member of the crew, and it likely wouldn’t be his last. He wondered about the truth of that statement as he turned to face the rest of his crew. Everyone stood around him with faces ranging from fear to disgust and even hate. Just who the hell did they think they were?

“Ya got a fuckin’ problem!?”

“Akio… Yer losin’ grip.”

“And who the fuck are you to tell me when I am and am not in control? All I did was finally treat her like the rest of you.”

“That's not true n, ya know it. Yer way too harsh with her. Did'ja ferget she saved yer life?”

“Of course I remember! That’s why I’m trying to save her life!”

“Really? Looks t’ me like yer ruinin’ her life.”

Akio shot Isobe a glare that would have sent any other man in the crew running, but the old man did not falter. Even as Akio grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him into the air, Isobe held his gaze. A low growl escaped Akio’s mouth before speaking.

“When you look in these eyes, what do you see?”

“I see th’ caged beast from all those years ago bangin’ against its cage. If ya don’t get a hold’a yerself, you’ll go back to the monster ya used to be.”

“That’s what you always get wrong, Isobe. You’re so desperate for a hero story that you ignore what is right in front of you. I was never a fucking hero. Ive always been a monster. I’ve let you all get way too soft. We’re bandits. Quit idealizing me as a morally just figure to follow. I’m a murderer leading other murderers. Did you ever stop to thi-”

“Akio”

The giant cursed to himself as he was interrupted. The group from the town had, and after a quick glance, he realized that one person was missing.

"Kenji, you guys are back earlier than expected. Where’s Masaru?”

“I told him not to, but he told them he was the murderer. His confession cleared everyone’s name, including Tsubaki. He’s going… There’s talks about a possible execution.”

“FUCK!”

Akio punched a nearby tree, but it gave him no relief. He could barely feel any feedback as the trunk of the tree splintered upon contact. As it began to fall over, he grabbed it and threw it as hard as he could in the opposite direction of the town. The crew watched as it soared through the air and out of sight. A sense of dread washed over the crew. Not only were things going terribly, but they had just been faced with further proof that their leader possessed a strength that exceeded the realm of men. The kind of strength that meant that if he lost control, very few people in the world could keep him in check.

----

Shirai called out to Tsubaki as she started to run away, but she was not hearing him. He knew he could not keep up with her, but she’d have to stop eventually. So he kept running, not allowing himself to slow down even for a second. Just when he thought he was going to collapse, he heard Tsubaki screaming in the distance. When he finally caught up to her, she was punching a tree, letting all of her feelings out. Shirai was not about to interrupt her, and he took the opportunity to catch his breath. After she'd stopped and started speaking to him, he couldn't help but let his hatred toward Akio come to the surface.

“I'm going to fucking kill him. I mean it. If Kai hadn't held me back, I'd have stabbed him. He really had me fooled. I thought he actually cared about you. It's not just that he hit you, but to tell you to leave? That was just to hurt you. He has no excuse.”

Shirai's face burned red as he struggled to calm himself down. He realized, however, that he was being inconsiderate. Tsubaki didn't need to hear his opinion on the situation or how he felt, she needed someone to be there for her. To be a pillar to lean on while the world crumbled around her.

“I'm sorry. I'm just…”

For the first time in a long time, Shirai found himself without the words to comfort Tsubaki. Without the instinct to make her feel better. He was at an utter loss. He cursed himself internally for being useless in such an important moment.

“What… What can I do to help?”

Some pillar he is.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:32 pm

“Sit,” was all she said to Shirai after he asked her what he could do to help. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Shirai. There’s nothing you can do to help.” Tsubaki took a deep breath, letting silence hang between them. She appreciated his willingness to stand up for her. She appreciated the way that he did it without any thought to his own safety. He never questioned her. She didn’t remember a single time in the past few years that he had questioned her, in fact. Sure, there were times that he didn’t let her wallow and he helped her to see things for what they really were versus what her emotional state told her things were. But never once had he made her feel like she was crazy. He had never made her question what she was doing with her life. He didn’t make her stay up late into the night, questioning every decision she made. Wondering if she was doing the right things. Everything with him had always been easy, even when it was complicated. Because they relied on each other.

Her hands slid up her face, fingers lacing into her hair. The blood was no concern to her, the pain that smarted through her knuckles only helping to ground her. “This isn’t going to work anymore, Shirai. I can’t just avoid him for a few days and wait for this to blow over.” This was so much worse than before. She didn’t even know if she could look at him. “I don’t even care that he hit me. Not in the sense that…’oh man how could he?’ kind of way. But he didn’t even try to listen. He assumed I killed a man. He believed I was guilty before he even talked to me.” Her voice was heavy with the tears she still hadn’t shed. There would be time for that later. “This can’t be my home if…if this is what it’s going to be. You know that, right?”

Tsubaki didn’t stop long enough for Shirai to gather his thoughts for an answer. She wasn’t done talking yet. “I don’t want to leave. And I don’t think he really wants me to. Something is going on, I have to believe that. I have to believe that something is…is driving him away from me. I don’t know what it could be. But he’s never been like that before. And he’s never once told any of us to leave. And I don’t want to sound like…” She shook her head, her shoulders shrugging at the same time. “I don’t want to sound like I think I’m more special than everyone else. That I mean more. But if he was going to say that to anyone, it wouldn’t be me. No matter how mad he is.”

“So, what?” She raised her hands in the air. “I don’t have anywhere else to go. There’s no where. This place, these people, you. You’re all I have. And in one fucking day I feel like I’ve lost it all. I have nothing.” She swallowed, hard, forcing down what she really wanted to say. Because how do you look at the person who loves you and tell them that you wish you were dead? How do you use the same mouth that has whispered sweet nothings and uttered loving promises and a beautiful future to tell someone that you didn’t want to breathe anymore? Tsubaki didn’t know how to do that. She didn’t know how to break his heart like that. So she didn’t. She grabbed his hand instead, squeezing it tightly. She closed her eyes, forcing her dark wishes down and down and down until they could only whisper in her ear and had no hope of sneaking from her mouth.

With the smallest of smiles on her face, crafted so perfectly that he could never see the heartbreak behind her eyes, she turned to him. “Let’s head back. I don’t think we’re going to solve anything today. This is definitely something that needs a new day.”

She couldn’t tell him that she already knew what the solution was. She wasn’t ready to break his heart yet.

ThatGuy · Post by **ThatGuy** » Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:07 pm

Shirai was conflicted as he listened to Tsubaki. All he wanted to do was help her, but he had to acknowledge just how terrible of a situation she was in. As much as he wished it were not the case, he simply did not have the answers. She was right, there was nothing he could do to help. The thought of them having to leave the crew because of Akio was heartbreaking. Shirai didn’t personally care, but simply thinking about the damage that would do to her was enough to make his chest hurt. When she mentioned heading back, he spoke up.

“I don’t know what has gotten into him either. He’s always treated you like his daughter, but things have changed, and I don’t know why. Maybe he’s always been this much of a dick? But look, cutie, you’ll always have me. Even when the world comes crumbling down, I’ll be here. It may not be enough, but it’ll be something, right? If the time comes that you think you need to leave the camp, just give me the word, and I’ll start packing our stuff. No questions asked.”

Shirai gave his most reassuring smile as he continued to grip her hand. It wasn’t much, but it was something, right? As they started to walk back towards the camp, he decided to stay silent. Something told him that Tsubaki would prefer it at this moment. So while he remained beside her, he left her to her thoughts. He couldn’t expect her to have fully processed everything from earlier.

Upon the two’s arrival back at camp, the crew moved to try and talk to Tsubaki. They all seemed to want to apologize on Akio’s behalf and make sure she was okay, but Shirai respectfully told them to leave her alone. All the attention was the last thing she needed. The only person he was okay with coming over to talk was Isobe, but the second the old man tried to start a story, he’d be sent packing.

“I know ya don’t wanna hear this right now, but th’ situation has changed. Kenji n’ th’ rest came back but apparently Masaru took the blame fer th’ killin’. But him n’ Ren been sayin’ that they definitely saw that guy movin’ around after ya kicked ‘em. We still don’t know who did it, but yer no longer bein’ blamed. That’s the good news at least.”

“The bad news?”

“They’re sayin’ Masaru might get executed.”

Things just kept getting worse and worse. Shirai held Tsubaki’s hand even tighter as the bad news was broken. Whatever happened, he needed to make sure she didn’t try to blame herself for this.

“Where’s Akio?”

“He uh… didn’t take th’ news well. Left t’ go get firewood.”

----

Akio was thankful to have finally broken a sweat. He needed to blow off some steam after recent events. His anger had still not subsided, but it felt good to be able to expend some energy. He’d been chopping down trees and cutting them down into small enough pieces for the fire. This was, of course, after throwing a massive temper tantrum on his way out of the camp and making an even bigger fool of himself. The worst part was that he’d found out that Tsubaki was not the killer after all. He had accused her for no good reason. The guilt sat in the back of his mind, waiting to destroy him. His only defense was to stay angry. So he kept chopping trees well into the night. He was doing everything he could to keep his blood flowing and his mind from the horrific mistakes he had just made.

Amy · Post by **Amy** » Mon Feb 05, 2024 8:29 pm

The walk back to camp was spent thinking through what Shirai said and how she was going to react to the crew. They didn’t all get along as friends of course, some of them didn’t like her at all. It was natural, given how large the group was. But they all respected her because she had either saved their life or saved the life of someone they did care about. It had made her feel uncomfortable at first but eventually, she came to understand where they were coming from. So, she let them treat her better than she felt she deserved because it made them feel better about all the things she did for them. It was hard to explain to someone who wasn’t a medic why it wasn’t a big deal for her. It felt impossible to explain that it wasn’t the people she was saving. It was the life. People were horrible. They were cruel and vicious and they were liars and bullies and thieves and worse. People were the worst part of life and they continuously ruined everything.

But life itself was beautiful. Life was ever changing and flowing and adjusting. Life was the smell of flowers in the morning and the warmth of the sun on your skin. Life was the sound of a child’s giggle or a woman’s laugh. Life was the sound of chopping wood and the crackling of fire and warm embraces on a cold evening night. Life was irreplaceable. Once it was lost it could never be regained. And that was why she worked so tirelessly.

Luckily, Shirai handled the crew mostly by waving them off. She offered those who persisted a small smile and shake of her head. There would be time for all of that later, when she wasn’t so tired. When she didn’t feel so bogged down by the life she was always trying to save. Isobe was the only one neither waved off, knowing that if anyone had any information it would be him. And as expected, he did.

“I don’t know what’s going on. The guy was fine. I’m not guessing, Isobe, I know he was fine.” Isobe nodded sadly to her right as Shirai asked about Akio. Whether he knew it or not, Isobe looked in the exact direction Akio had gone off in. Without giving either man a chance to stop her, Tsubaki ran off in that same direction. Unfortunately for them, neither could keep up with her this time.

She didn’t know what she was after, going to where Akio was. Tsubaki knew that she absolutely did not want to talk to him. She didn’t even want to look at him. But something in her had to see him, to make sure he was okay. The Akio that she knew would be suffering greatly for what he did. So even Tsubaki couldn’t talk to him or look him in the eye; she could at least make sure that he was being safe. And if he wasn’t, she could send someone else after him. It wasn’t hard to find him after running for a short while, the sound of smashing wood echoing through the trees. She slowed as she got close, not wanting to be found out. But when she saw him she stopped dead in her tracks. He was taking a break, his head lifted to the sky, his shoulders heaving with effort. But what stopped Tsubaki was the tattoo between his shoulder blades.

Because Akio did not have a tattoo. She had healed him dozens of times. Seen him shirtless even more times when they were training or working. And he did not have a tattoo. And even worse, Tsubaki could see the glowing hue that enveloped it. She knew basically nothing about them, just the little that she had learned in school as an academy student. They could be used to implant beliefs or memories. They could be used to store things. They could even be used to alter someone’s mental state. It just begged one question that Tsubaki couldn’t answer as she ran back to camp.

Who had placed a fuuinjutsu on Akio?

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