[Graded][closed] Hi Mom!

[TyDie]

It was the dead of night in the sand village, in a dark and secluded training ground, where the young Soul jinchuuriki Sakaki sat cross legged as she prepared to do what almost anyone would consider to be impossible. At first she couldn't believe it was possible herself... but after speaking to Shishire and learning what it could do, the first thought that came to her mind was what she would assume any orphan would consider if given power over life and death. "I... Want to speak to my mother, Souta." The idea was probably a bad one, but Souta would find her resolute in her stance to traverse the gap between life and death and communicate with the mother that she had never known.

Even Shishire thought this was a good idea. Finally, you take some initiative and come up with an... interesting use of my power. This, I can do this thing. And as a show of grace, I will not even request the favor be returned... You would do well to remember my kindness, child. Sakaki was delighted by Shishire's desire to prove itself to her, even if the genma declined to think of it that way and was simply 'in a charitable mood today'. So now, surrounded by silence and darkness, Sakaki prepared herself to receive Shishire's power while Souta oversaw the ritual.

"Shishire has said that i'm not yet ready to harness it's power to pull a soul from the realm of death at any time. I have to wait until midnight, the time when the veil is thinnest, before I can call mother's soul to me. It will only last for a moment, and she won't have a physical form... But he assures me it will be her. Aren't you excited Souta? This is a big step for me as a Jinchuuriki, right?" So happy go lucky, so innocent... The girl had no idea what awaited her tonight.

[Willoria]

To say Souta was on edge right about now would be a serious understatement. His expression remained unchanged as she told him what she wanted to do, and even as she took up a position in the middle of the training ground. Souta swallowed hard and took a glance about them, knowing there were at least two others in hiding that the genin would not be able to see or sense at her current level. They were there just in case things went awry, but it was certain on Souta to take that first action if it all went wrong. He only said one thing as she prepared herself. "The dead should stay dead." he muttered, shaking his head.

Souta took up a ready position with one hand on his katana as he waited to see just what would happen. He had no idea what might be about to happen, but he sincerely hoped it wouldn't go completely wrong. 'Come on, kid.' he thought to himself, silently rooting her on. 'You can do this... prove to me you can do this...'

[TyDie]

Sakaki made a pouty face at Souta and his mention of the dead staying dead, rolling her eyes with an innocent giggle that really didn't befit a child who housed a creature with power over life and death. "Well Mr.smarty pants, how else am I supposed to use Shishire's power hm? It controls souls, souls are the dead, it revives the dead. Kinda hard to learn how to use it if I can't do that!" She smiled again at him, so sweetly, such kindness in her voice as she chided him sarcastically... Or was it truly that sarcastic? She hadn't forgotten what he had said not so long ago; he had killed a host of Shishire before. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't just a touch more guarded than she was during their first meeting.

A wise decision, if I do say so myself. Of course, you never would have made it without me... Shihihihihihi

Yeah... I guess you're right. I told you, child; I am always right. Sakaki took in a deep breath as Shishire's words filled her mind... It was strange, she had been so distrusting of the spirit before, but now it's voice reassured her. In fact, it was one of the few things she trusted now. "It's almost time." Sakaki said, as she looked to the full moon that hung above the village, providing the only light around for what felt like miles, but was likely only a few hundred meters.

Sakaki put her hands together in the form of the Tiger Seal, and immediately black chakra began to enshroud her as she slowly went through each seal, as Shishire spoke them to her in her mind. The amount of seals she was doing was far beyond her, as was the amount of chakra she was gathering... But of course, she wasn't just using her chakra. Shishire's power funneled into her as well, causing the vignette of chakra to grow thicker and more tangible then anything Sakaki could've conjured alone. Do you feel my power, child? Feel it coursing through you? How does it feel? "It feels... Good. Shishire's power is weird, but I like it. Cold, yet warm. I've never felt anything like it." She spoke aloud without realizing it. As her eyes closed and she landed on the final seal, the black chakra surrounding her would reach it's apex.

Now release child. Use my power, penetrate the veil between life and death, and call your mother to you! "Here goes!" Sakaki let out a deep sigh as the chakra left her body. For a few moments she sat there, waiting expectantly for something, anything to show her that she had succeeded... Yet, after a good 30 seconds, she saw no sign of her mother before her... Dejected, she looked up to Souta and let out a sad sigh. "...I guess i'm not strong enough yet. Let's go Souta, this was a waste of time..."

[Willoria]

Souta couldn't help a frown over Sakaki's giddiness and her sarcastic quips at him about his comment. "I won't stop you from using your power, Sakaki. You are set to become the greatest weapon this village has in its arsenal. No matter how uncomfortable that power makes me, my job is to help you succeed at it." he replied, still frowning. He truly hated the idea of disturbing the dead, it seemed cruel in his mind, especially if that spirit was at peace. But she was right, this was the power she had and the power she had to learn how to yield. What was he supposed to do? Make her stifle it? Hide that power away? No, he knew that would lead her quickly to an early death and losing control of Shishire. There was much she would do in coming days that he would hate, but he had to believe it was for the better, for the sake of the village.

His comfort certainly didn't return as he watched her being her ritual, moving through the seals. He knew the creature within her had to be whispering in her ears, and he couldn't help the concern that crossed his face as he watched the gathering of black chakra. Her talking about how it all felt, it just made him worry all the more. 'The thing in her is the greatest deceiver in our world... already he told her the weakest point in the veil was at midnight, but the weakest point is at three am. So what game is he really playing? Do I tell her? Do I wait?' In the end his inaction was his decision as he kept his thoughts to himself and watched what might transpire.

He held his breath as she finished, expecting something to happen. Yet he saw and heard nothing, and for a moment he thought perhaps he wouldn't be able to see what happened. Using Shishire's power might mean she would be the only one to see it, but after a moment she seemed disappointed and Souta let out the breath he'd been holding. "You'll get stronger." he reassured her quietly. "Perhaps even its not that you are weak, perhaps your mother just isn't ready yet. Whichever it is, circumstances will change and you can try again another time." He reached out a hand to help the girl up, not realizing Shishire wasn't finished yet.

[TyDie]

Sakaki's frown did not subside, despite Souta's attempts to cheer her up. In her mind, this was a failure on her part. Perhaps she hadn't used enough chakra? Or perhaps she simply wasn't good enough, and as Souta said she would need more time to hone her skills before she could perform such a feat as calling a human soul to her. Her frown did finally go away, but it was only replaced by a disappointed, sad smile as she took Souta's hand and rose to her feet. ""No need to sugarcoat things, Souta. I failed. That's all there is to it. Come on, let's go." Just as she was ready to walk away, however, she heard a faint whisper.

"....-'s there?"

Sakaki froze in her tracks as the distinctly female voice penetrated her ears, her eyes growing wide with shock. So certain of your failure, child... But did you really? Without even thinking Sakaki used what little chakra she had left after her enormous ritual, flooding her eyes with chakra to allow her to see the spirits of those around her. She looked to Souta and saw the small, blue wisp that fluttered around in his chest. Then, slowly turning her head to watch the air where she had been standing moments ago, She saw it... A small, blue light, flickering ever so weakly before her eyes, slowly but surely becoming brighter. Again she heard the voice, much clearer this time. "Hello? Who's there?" Sakaki's face slowly changed as the realization hit her, forming a big, toothy grin before she cheered aloud. "I did it Souta! I did it! There she is! I know you can't see her but maybe you heard her too? It's her, my mother's soul!"

She raced back to stand before the blue light, watching as it slowly but surely grew and took the shape of a woman. It was featureless, more of a light blue silhouette than anything else, but it was clearly female "I said who's there!?" The soul became more frantic, clearly it wasn't able to understand much of anything, or perhaps it just couldn't see? I taught you how to commune with souls, did I not child? You did! But... I'm so tired. I used so much to bring her here... ...Hm. How sad. I guess you won't be able to interact with her then. Sakaki shook her head in defiance, refusing to let her mother slip away without saying something.

One more time, she performed a series of hand seals, her eyes fluttering as she expended yet more of her body's chakra to open a line of mental communication between her and the female soul. So tired was she that she spoke aloud, while also transmitting thoughts directly to the soul. "M... Mother? It's me, your daughter! I... I called you here. Please, don't be scared. I just... I wanted to talk to you..."

jutsuShow

[Soul Sight]
D-Rank Shijutsu
Sakaki performs a series of hand seals, funneling Shishire's chakra into her eyes as she does so. This allows her to see the souls of any living beings within 10 meters. This jutsu requires no concentration from Sakaki to maintain, and lasts for 3 posts.

[Converse With Souls]
D-Rank Shijutsu
Sakaki will perform a series of hand seals, funneling Shishire's power through herself as she does so. For the next 3 posts after this technique is cast, she can telepathically communicate with anything she has reanimated within 10 meters of her. In the case of souls of lesser intellect, such as animals, she can receive only basic information, but she can carry on full conversations with souls of greater intelligence, such as human souls.

[Willoria]

Souta returned the girl's sad smile with one of his own as he helped her to her feet. He didn't say anything, he knew nothing he could say right now would make her feel much better. But perhaps she'd learn from it as it was, and so he let the subject go. At least until he saw Sakaki suddenly freeze. "What's wrong?" he asked her suddenly, glancing around as she looked around. He watched as she formed seals and looked around again, but he saw nothing, and he still heard nothing. "No... I don't hear anything..." he replied to her, his own eyes carefully scanning the area as he wondered if some threat was about to make itself known.

Sakaki was so excited, yet he couldn't help but to be so very wary. "What do you see, Sakaki-chan? What do you hear?" he asked her, careful to keep his own worry out of his voice as he spoke. The last thing he wanted to do was to put her on edge, especially seeing as he needed to know exactly what was happening. 'I think its past time I learn tenkujutsu... this old dog needs a few new tricks if I'm going to watch her to the best of my ability...'

Souta did notice however that Sakaki's eyes fluttered and knew she had to be near out of chakra after everything she had just tried to accomplish. He stepped closer to her, keeping himself behind her as he rest a hand on her shoulder. "Easy now, you're drained..."

[TyDie]

Sakaki's ears took in Souta's words clear as day, but it was as if her mind simply didn't interpret the sound. She had heard him, and yet paid him absolutely no mind. So focused was she on her mother's soul that all else was completely ignored, though she did feel the man's hand on her shoulder and gave an ever so slight glance to it as he did so. But again, her attention went right back to the soul, which was still clearly in shock and fear as it had been ripped from the realm of the dead. "Please, you don't have to be afraid." Suddenly, the silhouette that was her mother's soul floated ever so slowly towards her... before flaring with power as it almost instantly crossed the distance between them, earning a small squeek of shock from Sakaki.

"Afraid? I'm furious! My 'daughter', the reason for my death, rips me from my afterlife because she's lonely!? As if I care! Or had no one told you that you're the reason i'm dead in the first place?!" Sakaki's heart stopped as the soul's fury was unleashed upon her, her eyes growing wide with horror as it spoke. Tears immediately formed in her eyes and began streaming down her face, yet she didn't even sob... It was as if they flowed like a waterfall. "I... I didn't..." "You didn't what? You didn't know!? Well now you do, 'Daughter' of mine! A whore of a man impregnated me, signing my death sentence, and you were the executioner! How DARE you take me from my peace for your own selfish reasons!"

The soul had grown twice it's size, towering over Sakaki as she fell backwards into Souta. "Do us both a favor, and never call on me again! I didn't want you then, and I certainly don't want you now!" And then, just as quickly as the soul had appeared, it vanished before Sakaki's eyes, leaving the two shinobi in silence once more. Sakaki was frozen in place... Her mind couldn't process anything, it had all happened so unbelievably fast... her expectations had been laid to waste in an instant, and where once there was excitement and joy... now there was only sorrow. Absolute, crippling, devastating sorrow. The pit of darkness enshrouded her mind, as all other emotion fled her body. If Souta wasn't holding her up, she would fall straight to her knees, her head falling to the earth and he hands dropping lazily to her side.

"I... I... I'm the... reason? I... Killed her?"

[Willoria]

She gave Souta no answers, and so the man remained where he was, listening to one side of a conversation. He couldn't help feeling a bit of fear rising up in his chest as he saw the tears that began to run down her face, her stammered words and attempts to speak. He still didn't understand what was happening, he could only guess it wasn't good from her reactions to it all. As she stumbled back against him he braced both hands on her shoulders now to keep her in place. "Easy... tell me, what's happening?" he asked her quietly. Yet even as he asked he knew he wouldn't get an answer, not a solid one anyway. He felt her slip between his hands and fall to the ground, and heard what she said.

'They warned us about this...' he thought to himself as he realized how hard this was all hitting her. Emotionally she was falling apart before him and suddenly he remembered back when he was instructed on how hosts react to strong emotion, to moments when he had seen it himself before. For the briefest of moments his hand touched the hilt of his katana, but it left it just as quickly. The moment her knees hit the ground the man skidded to the ground in front of her, hands on her shoulders once more as he let her fall against him. One hand rest behind her head to allow it to rest against his shoulder. "You haven't killed anyone." he told her quietly, trying to maintain a calm as he could practically feel the others shifting warily in the trees. He knew they would look to him for a signal if necessary, but he refused to give it.

From what little Sakaki had said, and what little he knew of her and her plans today, he could guess what had been said already. "Life is cruel, and women die in childbirth, but that doesn't make the child the murderer or a killer. Life is just cruel." His suspicions rose from before, thinking all the more now that Shishire had done something, had twisted something. 'Did she really summon her mother's soul already? Or did Shishire trick her? What I wouldn't give to have heard exactly what happened right now...'

[TyDie]

With no other stimuli to focus on but the sound of the winds blowing past them, Sakaki's mind had no choice but to soak in the words Souta spoke to her as she lay in his arms, a steady stream of tears no doubt moistening Souta's clothes. She heard him, but was hardly in a place mentally to believe him. ...Shishire.... Why...? The genma came forward in her mind, as reality warped around her for a brief moment, placing her once more in that place with the large black stone towers, the gravestones, the dead trees and green grass. The winds whipped around her here too, perhaps reacting to the emotional fury that festered within her, waiting to be let loose.

"I said that I could do as you asked, child. I did not say what the outcome would be, nor did I know. It isn't my fault your mother sees you as her murderer." The black silhouette of Shishire, masquerading as Sakaki, appeared before her and spoke, walking closer to her as she stood weakly, as if her upper body was propped up by some invisible force. "You are... Sad. Angry. Confused. You are many things, child. Keeping all of that built up in here will do you no good. Let it out, child... expel these negative feelings... You will feel so much better when you do." The image of Sakaki knelt down in front of the young genin host, it's face inches away from her own face, still wet from crying. And then, with a smirk, the creature touched Sakaki's forehead just once, with one finger...

---

Souta would watch as black chakra began to coalesce around her once more, but this was different from before. This wasn't just raw chakra that she was focusing on to use a technique, no... It felt alive. It began to shift and morph around her, forming a silhouette of black chakra that was vaguely humanoid, and yet also clearly not human at all. As Sakaki's head rose to meet Souta's eyes, Souta would be able to watch as her Irides, normally a shade of reddish brown, lost their luminosity and turned a deep, dark brown instead. And in that instant, her right arm reached up towards his left arm, seeking to grasp him by the wrist. If she did manage to touch him, Souta would noticed instantly that his arm from the elbow down would feel tingly and numb.

"...Sou... Ta..? I don't... understand... I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!! WHYYY!!!!" Her voice would sound deeper, a mixture of her own voice with the underlying voice of Shishire beneath it. She'd attempt to push off of him and let herself collapse, her hands darting to her head, clasping the back of her head tightly as if holding her ears. She would shake back and forth frantically, overcome with an enormous overflow of so many negative emotions. She was still in control of her body, that much would be clear to Souta... But for how long?

[Willoria]

He could almost feel when she mentally left him, though he held her still. He let her cry, his hand on the back of her head stroking her hair as he tried to calm her. He knew they were in a delicate situation now, but also that her response to it all would be extraordinarily telling of how the future might play out for her. Moments later he felt the black chakra leak from her, surrounding her, and he swallowed hard as he looked down at her. He wasn't sure if he should keep her where she was, or move away as quickly as possible. One hand remained on her shoulder, and the one he'd had on the back of her head he did move away and touch her arm. "Sakaki?" he asked quietly, carefully, silently hoping she could answer him. As she looked up at him, he saw the shift in her eyes and the man forced himself to stay where he was, staring her in the eyes. 'I won't pull away just yet... when that waitress did, it upset her. I can't make this worse for her at all, even if I get hurt in the process...' he reminded himself.

Sure enough, her hand reached out and grasped him by the wrist with immediate effect. He grunted as his arm turned numb and even tingled from the contact. 'Shishire...' He sighed to himself, but he continued looking at her. His eyes didn't even leave her as she pushed off of him and collapsed and he felt that feeling spread into his shoulders where she had touched him. He stayed where he was, crouched, and watching her. He painstakingly forced his numb arm to move and reached out with that same hand, surmising it'd be better than to reach out with an undamaged limb at this point. "Sakaki, deep breaths." he told her as he offered her his hand. "You're upset, you're hurt, and Shishire is taking advantage of that, overtaking you. Keep your head, keep in control, you are stronger than he is." he added, keeping still his gaze on her. "Tell me what happened, one moment at a time. Take a deep breath and come back to your head, my friend."

[TyDie]

The shaking and screaming erupting from Sakaki quickly turned to hysterical sobbing, her arms eventually wrapping around herself in a sort of self soothing hug. She wasn't sure why or how it happened, but finally it seemed that Souta's words broke through the barrier around her mind... Deep breaths. Sakaki tried, but found it incredibly hard to stop hyperventilating, as every breath was followed by more sobbing. "I - I - I -" She simply couldn't compose herself enough to get a word out, the anxiety and pressure of the feelings coursing through her were too much to bear. There is another option child... All of this stress and pain is so much weight on your shoulders. If you just relax and let go... I will handle the rest.

...Shishire pushed it's hand just a little too far, it seemed; Sakaki froze as the genma laid bare it's intentions. Her sobbing ceased almost immediately, and while the aura still flowed around her, she found the strength she needed to let go of herself, stop shaking, and finally take that first, deep breath of air. ...Damn... I was so close, too. Shihihihihihi.

"...Souta." Sakaki spoke, her voice still overlaid with the genma's deeper, darker tone, but the hysteria was gone. Admittedly, she still cried, and she was still clearly traumatized, but she was stable at least. "I... My Mother... I saw her. I spoke to her... And she yelled at me." She looked up to Souta now, her eyes meeting his as she continued to cry. She hadn't even taken notice of the chakra that surrounded her, the tone of her voice, or any of the influences bestowed by Shishire's first form. "I'm... the reason she's dead. She blames... me... for her dying... She didn't want me... Why didn't she want me?"

Finally, the aura surrounding her began to dissipate, the light returned to her watery eyes, and once more Shishire and it's power had fallen back into Sakaki's body. She hadn't the capacity to apply any form of rationale to the situation she had just been through, her emotions still ruled her. And so, without a thought, she simply fell towards Souta and began bawling into his chest, gripping him tightly as she finally let it all out. She had no more words to say, she had done all she could... Now she needed release... and comfort.

[Willoria]

Souta was holding his breath as he watched the girl before him. He watched her cry, and he kept his hand outstretched, just waiting for her. He waited for her to compose herself, listened as she tried to speak, and finally released the breath he'd been holding when everything came to a stop suddenly. It was brief, but he could see in her eyes that she was pushing back. He felt the relief flood through his body and lowered his arm. As she finally explained, he wanted to tell her the truth, that he was certain Shishire had lied to her with the entire thing, that it was all a charade. But he knew she wasn't quite ready for it, a thought that was confirmed as she fell forward.

He kicked himself forward to catch her, holding her against his chest as he let her cry. He'd spare a glance into the areas where he knew the others were hiding and simply nod, letting them know the danger had passed. He could almost feel the collective sigh of relief from them all. With a careful and swift movement he swept one arm under Sakaki and lifted her in his arms. He still let her rest against his chest as she cried, as she finally let it out and he started a slow walk back towards the main village, and towards the orphanage that was her home. "I don't know." he finally answered her quietly. "I've read that sometimes spirits hold on to a thing and become better, spew things they would never say in life, things they can't possibly feel. Perhaps her soul is trapped and she spews hate for it..." his words trailed off as he considered his next words carefully. "...perhaps it wasn't even her at all."

[TyDie]

Sakaki was completely at Souta's mercy, powerless both physically and emotionally to stop him from scooping her up. Truth be told, being carried by him was actually quite comforting, not that she was truly focused on much of anything other than her sobs as she vented out every bit of pain she had felt. It would be several minutes before she calmed down enough that her sobs had become whimpers, and eventually those too became nothing more than sniffles. It wasn't until then that Souta spoke, and when he did Sakaki was finally capable of thinking again.

"I... I don't really know Souta. I never met my mother, but I just... I don't know. I felt it Souta, I'm sure it was her. But what she said... I've never felt that kind of anger from anyone... How could a mother say that to her child? How could anyone... say that..." Sakaki let out a few more sniffles, but mostly she had cried herself out. It wasn't long before the two made their back into the village, walking along the lonely streets of the quiet village. "What happened Souta? Everything is... fuzzy. I remember the ritual, my mother's soul, and then... Something happened?" She honestly had no idea the hysteria that had overcome her, or the form she had just tapped into. "Am I okay?"

[Willoria]

Souta carried her along, relieved as he eventually realized feeling had returned to his arm. He didn't set her down as she started to calm, and rather kept her where she was, carrying her. She seemed to realize something had gone wrong and didn't remember, and Souta at first only nodded to her questions. "You're okay." he told her first, before diving into a full explanation. "In moments of strong emotion, Shishire may try to overcome you, and this was such a moment for you. I assume it was after you spoke to your mother's soul, you became overcome with emotion over what she said, and the power of the genma in you flared. Shishire likely tried to push you to lose control, but you never did, not entirely. You overcame it, you pushed Shishire back, and after this it will be easier to control the amount of power you accessed. Next time you'll remember, and even be able to control your actions." He paused in his steps at a bench and set Sakaki down carefully so that she could sit and he could look into her eyes.

"But yes, you are okay. You've survived your first trial, and no one was permanently hurt. You did well with it." He could have told her it would happen again, with more power, but already so much had happened in one night he didn't want her to fear further. "But remember, Shishire is deceptive. I'm still not entirely convinced that was your mother. From what I've been told, I should have heard something if you did. But I heard nothing, Sakaki. Additionally, Shishire told you the veil between life and death is at midnight, when in fact it is closer to three am." He reached out and touched one of Sakaki's hands, looking at her seriously a moment. "I think Shishire deceived you. I don't think that was your mother. And in spite of his efforts, you came out victorious."

[TyDie]

Sakaki listened to all that Souta had to tell her, hearing what he said about Shishire manipulating her emotions as a way to escape or control her, and how she somehow accessed some portion of the genma's power or something? It was all gibberish to her taxed mind, the important part was as far as Souta was concerned, she was okay. "My First... Trial. So then, this will happen again?" It was clear she was afraid of what the future held for her, especially if she would have to go through this sort of hell more than once before the war was won. But in all honesty, she didn't even have the energy to truly express her anxiety and fear.

Her eyes were still all aflutter as she looked up to Souta, clearly the girl was on the verge of passing out due to shear exhaustion. "Souta... Thank you..." She gripped his shirt tightly as she spoke, not out of pain or fear this time, but out of comfort. And if left alone like that, a few moments later she would be out like a light, drooling on his shirt within 5 minutes. By the time they got to the orphanage, she would be fast asleep, so tired that an earthquake would not wake her. Once Souta arrived, he'd see only a single light in the main lobby, while all the other windows were dark. No doubt Miss Miami was waiting up in the lobby for Sakaki to return, and after walking in the front door he'd find his suspicions confirmed. The raven haired woman in her white Kimono sat in a chair with a book in hand and a candle flickering beside her.

As she looked up from her book at the sound of the door opening, her sweet smile was immediately replaced by concern as she saw Souta carrying Sakaki. "Oh my, is everything alright?

[Willoria]

As the girl fell asleep on him again, Souta scooped her back up from the bench and carried her back to the orphanage. It was the first time he really noticed she seemed to be wearing a new outfit, and knowing how a kunoichi might be about her attire he did his best to be careful as he carried her. He wasn't shocked to see Miss Miami awake and he did his best to give her a smile as she expressed her concern. "She's just worn out." he assured her. "She used up most of her chakra tonight, when she wakes up tomorrow she'll probably be ravenously hungry and may not remember why at first. But she's fine, simply exhausted." He explained as best as he could, knowing he couldn't mention Shishire or the Genma. He hated not telling the woman, knowing she was the closest Sakaki had to a mother, but orders were orders.

He knew where her room was already and made his way through the house and back to it. He gently laid her in her bed before turning to Miss Miami. "This is going to seem an odd question but... what's with the outfit? Hardly seems like something to wear for missions and such, did she explain what her reasons were for it?" It was a rather sudden and random question, but it was a rather stark change to what Sakaki had worn originally.

As he spoke though, he also watched Sakaki a moment, knowing her sleep would not be easy come morning. Shishire would be active in her mind most of the night. On a whim he reached into his back pouch and produced Hara, carefully setting the sleeping fennec fox on the bed. Sure enough, as he thought, she sought out a comfortable spot behind the girl's knees and curled back up, also up way later than normal and the old man smiled. "Hara should help her sleep some... if she yips just tell her to leave and she'll come find me." he told Miss Miami.

[TyDie]

Miss Miami gave a nod of understanding as Souta explained that Sakaki wasn't hurt, she was simply tired from all that transpired that night, and although she smiled at him, it seemed an almost sad smile. After all, seeing so much energy sapped from the young girl she had watched grow up couldn't have been easy on the woman. She followed Souta to Sakaki's room and laughed as Souta placed Hara on the bed with Sakaki, noting that the little fox curled up comfortably with the young genin. Sakaki even seemed to react in her sleep, a small smile crossing her face as Hara settled in with her. Once the door was shut, Miss Miami would give Souta a finger over the lips, the 'shh' motion, before leading him outside the front door.

Once they were both outside with the door shut behind her, Miss Miami would give a nod. "Sorry, I try to stay quiet once all the kids are asleep. Some of them can be fussy sleepers. Now then... Sakaki's clothing." Miami took a step down off of the small wooden porch that lead up to the home, sitting on the steps as she looked up at Souta. "I'm concerned about them myself. She didn't give me much detail, simply stating it was necessary to 'make a good impression as a shinobi'. That made sense, but why such fine clothing is beyond me. Even I, a civilian, know that wearing such clothing on a mission would be foolish. And she spent almost all of her savings on that outfit too, along with an exotic perfume and skin lotion... It's so unlike the young girl I helped raise."

Miss Miami looked up to the moon, a forlorn expression of confusion and worry plastered on her pale face. After a few moments of silence, the looked up to Souta and spoke. "Souta. I understand that you cannot tell me everything surrounding this child. I don't expect you to go against your orders, but you must tell me one thing honestly; Do you care for Sakaki? Is she more to you than a mission, an objective you must carry out? Do you see her as a tool, or as a human?" Miami paused, realizing she may have crossed a line, before shaking her head as a small tear formed in her eye. "It's... not my place. I know. But I've seen that poor girl go through so much, and she took it all with a smile on her face and a fire in her eyes. But, ever since her eyes changed a few weeks ago, I've watched that smile fade more and more each day, that fire dimming as the days go by. I... I'm worried about her, Souta. I need to know, for my own sake, that she is cared for not as a shinobi, but as the little girl that she is."

[Willoria]

Souta didn't object to Miss Miami shooshing him, and quietly followed the woman out the door. As she took a seat on the front step, the man would join her in taking a seat beside her. He couldn't help a sigh as she answered his questions about the clothing, frowning as he thought it through. He had been told before that Shishire was vain, but no other details. He couldn't help but think that perhaps the one that Sakaki was trying to impress was the spirit. He knew it was good for her to try and get along with him, but also worried about her taking that need too far. Getting along with him too closely could raise complications after all. But in the end he knew it was a delicate balance, and only Sakaki would know where the line in that balance lay. Still, it worried him.

He didn't voice these worries but his attention was piqued as Miss Miami suddenly addressed him, asking him about Sakaki. For a moment he was silent, a silence broken again by the woman beside him and he shook his head at first. "Never worry about crossing lines when speaking to me, Miss Miami." he replied at first. "If it is something I cannot answer, I simply won't. But you are the closest this girl has had to a mother, I expect you to be concerned and would rather you ask me than approach another about it." Still he paused a moment as he thought about how exactly to answer her questions. Yes, he couldn't be entirely honest with her, but he also didn't want to leave her feeling as if he gave no answers at all. "Sakaki is all of these things to me." he said, at first sounding a bit cryptic. "She is a tool of the village, a weapon, to be sharpened and honed. She is also a child feeling everything all at once and sensitive to the input of others. She is precious and in need of protection and has a potential within that could be dangerous in the wrong hands." He couldn't help wrinkling up his nose to that, knowing his statement was too close to the truth, yet hopefully far enough from it to keep himself from trouble if he were confronted on it. "Most of all, she is precious and to be guarded. My job is to make sure her needs are met, both as a shinobi and as a girl. For if I ignore one, she will always be left wanting and most of all, be left needing."

Souta sighed as he tried to think of a less cryptic way to put things, and couldn't help cracking a small smile. "I have no children, Miss Miami. I have never married and never had my own family. This girl is more than my mission, she is my entire focus of my life at this point. I will do everything to help her. Raising her has been left to you, but if I may, Training her will be left to me. But training her is more than being harsh, its knowing when to be kind. Someone once told me a Kunoichi is a careful and delicate balance of a person's beauty and danger all in one, and I will do what I can to help her embrace both." He finally stood and reached out to touch Miss Miami on the shoulder, giving a light squeeze.

[TyDie]

Miss Miami looked to the ground for a few moments as she awaited Souta's answer, and was relieved that he was so forthcoming about the idea of lines and boundaries. It was easier on her if he simply refused to answer a question, she'd take that over half answers anyday. Of course, what she got next felt like a lot of half answers, vague references to things that obviously made no sense to her aside from the mention of her being both a tool to be honed, and a child to be protected. But in the end, it was the last thing he said that put her truly at ease. While sad for Souta to have never had a family, the dedication and devotion that he was putting forth towards Sakaki was all Miss Miami needed to hear.

"I... I am glad to hear you say that Souta. She needs tenderness, love, compassion. But I also understand that she has chosen the path of the shinobi, and with that comes danger... She must be prepared for that, and I cannot teach her to prepare for that kind of life. I leave that to you." Miss Miami rose from her seat and turned to face Souta, giving him a playful grin. "With all due respect though, I'll take care of the beauty. It's a girl thing, you know." She shot a wink in his direction... it turned out Miss Miami had a playful side to her after all. "But I digress; Sakaki needs more in her life, more friends and more family. I hope you can fill part of that void, and I thank you for doing all that you can. Now, if you'll excuse me." If Souta had nothing left to say to her, Miss Miami would walk past him into the home once more, shutting the door behind her.

[Willoria]

Souta watched the woman stand. Though he doubted much of what he said really comforted her, he was glad to see her so accepting of what little he could say. He nodded as she spoke of leaving the girl's training to him, but as she spoke of the beauty aspect he couldn't help a grin and a laugh, probably the first genuine laugh heard from the man in a very long time. "I will certainly leave that in your capable hands." he replied with a slight wink. Though he was roughly eight years older than the woman, he wasn't so completely oblivious to miss the hint of a flirt in her words. He left a hint in his own though at this point the man had no interest in any woman. His love was his blade and his code and there was room for little else.

Souta lowered himself in a partial bow as the woman excused herself for the night, simply stating, "Have a good evening, Miss Miami." before he began to turn away. Though a thought suddenly occurred to him and he turned back around almost immediately. "Hold on, I almost forgot...." He reached into a pouch for a piece of paper and a pen, scrawling a quick note for Sakaki and folding it in half before handing it to the woman. "For when she wakes. I have a plan for part of her recovery tomorrow, I promise she'll return nearly bouncing in happiness. I won't put her through another rough day immediately after this night." he remarked before turning and heading for home.