Like a Bandage - Quick and Painless

[TyDie]

Every single one of Jinsai's hairs were standing on end as he walked through Iwagakure, his head on a swivel and his staff out and rigid as a walking stick. Normally he wasn't this on edge, Iwagakure was as safe as could be in most areas... But the Akari compound was not most areas. It was full of brutal, savage people who ate each other for power, pride, and entertainment. The mere though of being a part of such a horrid lifestyle made him want to retch. Ordinarily he kept a wide berth with this place, but unfortunately business brought him here today. For word had come from up on high that there was a particular Akari that was on a downward spiral; brutal, even for their standards. A literal ticking timebomb, ready to go off at a moment's notice.

And if that were the case, no doubt Jinsai would be in the blast radius when she did.

He had no idea what the village was thinking, his disdain for the Akari wasn't exactly a well hidden fact. Maybe they figure if he helps one recover and better themselves, he might find a reason to appreciate them or something. But there was very little chance of that so long as they were allowed to take life with such wanton disregard. But orders were orders, and if there was one thing he would never do, it was disobey a direct one. When he arrived at the woman's address, it was different than what he thought it would be. Then again, he expected grim symbols and dark colors. Instead, it seemed rather simple; Wooden front, maybe a 1 or 2 bedroom if he had to guess. It had nothing noteworthy, not even plants or bushes outside. If would hardly stick out in his mind in the future, he'd do well to remember the address itself.

"Hm. Well... Best to get this over with." And so Jinsai took a few long strides up to the front door, keeping his staff clutched in his right hand as he moved with purpose to deliver a few knocks to the door with his left hand.

[Willoria]

It had been a long, and painfully sober, day. Ume had a mission coming up and she needed to prepare. She got up early to train, and only allowed herself one drink at night. Her mind still spiraled with the events of the last few days, but she was trying to keep it off her mind entirely, if she could. She was in her kitchen pouring chilled sake into a proper serving set when the knock came at the door. She tried to ignore it, moving her sake to the dining room table as the pots on her stove simmered. But the knock came again, and she rolled her eyes deep back in her head.

With a heavy sigh she made her way to the front door and pulled it open. The view she revealed for her newcomer was simply herself. Her boots were already off and to the side of the door with her jacket. Her mission outfit had been discarded for a simple black wrap around skirt that tied off at her hip but reached her ankles and a black racerback shirt that was loose about her form. Her blue hair was loose and past her shoulders. Her scarring down her left shoulder and arm was completely visible, along with the cuts down her arms from a couple days ago. Most of the cuts were shallow, but one was deep and looked like it might scar on her left forearm. Her purple eyes fixed on the man before her for a moment before she sighed heavily and shifted her weight onto one leg so her hip jutted out and she crossed her arms under her chest as she looked at him.

"Of course the babysitter is just in time for dinner." she said, raising an eyebrow before turning away from him and leading the way into the house. She didn't expressly invite him in but did leave the door open and make another comment as she led the way through the living room. "Leave your shoes by the door."

[TyDie]

As the door opened, Jinsai's eyes immediately began to analyze the woman before him. Yes, this was indeed the same woman from the dossier he had been handed, the blue hair and purple eyes were a dead giveaway. He hadn't expected her to wear mission attire of course, but he had hoped she might wear something a bit more proper, even in the comfort of her own home. But what was he thinking, expecting someone from this clan to have any sort of penchant for decent clothing? As the woman opened her mouth to speak, her stance was immediately defensive and suspicious, but to be fair he was the invader here. In that respect, she had right to be suspicious. That scarring though... that was something to be aware of. They weren't lying about her self destructive path.

He stood firmly with his left arm by his side, his right holding his stick a foot or so in front of him so that his arm was cocked almost 90 degrees. His posture was commanding and proper as well, shoulders back and chin up. His clothing was a stark contrast to hers; A white collared dress shirt with a sleeveless black leather vest over top, leather straps clasped tightly against his chest. Below that was a white belt with a small golden buckle, black slacks and even dress shoes. His weapon, a staff by all appearances, had dark red edges with a blackened middle. As the woman greeted him, or gave what she believed to be a greeting, Jinsai gave an ever so slight bow, though his eyes never once left her.

"Punctuality is important. Especially when first making acquaintance. I am Fukusha, Jinsai." He spoke with an even tone, slow and steady, with an air around him that seemed to cause tension. She didn't officially invite him into her house, but leaving the door open as she walked away was about the best he had expected. He did as she had asked, leaving his shoes at the door carefully aligned together while also revealing his simple white socks. The woman's house was surprisingly clean, though there were some supplies and clothes scattered about. From the looks of things, she was preparing for a mission... their first mission together. So it seemed she was already aware. The daunting man would move carefully through the living room, trailing behind her into the dining room, leaning his staff against one corner of the room while he watched her work in the kitchen.

"I hadn't planned on staying long. However, it would be rude of me to refuse an offer to dine... If that is what you are offering." He would not take a seat unless offered; it was one thing to presume an invitation to enter, but to presume an invitation to dine was a bit too far for him.

[Willoria]

Ume didn't answer as to whether or not she was offering for him to join her for a meal. But she did disappear into the kitchen long enough to come back and set two places rather than one, adding another sake cup and serving bottle to the table as well. She went back into the kitchen and got a second bowl out of the cupboard and began the process of doling out the food. First the noodles went into the bowl, then a scattering of vegetables and green onion, a couple thin slices of pork. She poured the broth over all of it before adding the uzumaki, a large piece of shrimp tempura to each and the customary egg. She soon walked over to the table with the two bowls and set one at each place before taking a seat at hers. "I'd introduce myself but I suspect you already know my name." she said, her tone a direct contrast to what seemed to be an over display of hospitality for the meal.

Leaning back in her seat, she let her bowl of ramen simply sit for a moment as steam rose from it and she fixed her eyes on Jinsai, finally looking him over. "Great, as if an assigned babysitter wasn't bad enough, they had to send the pretentious douchebag who seems to think he's a school teacher on top of it." she rolled her eyes and sighed, turning to her own sake and pouring herself a small cup. "Just lovely..." Given his demeanor and manner of dress, she could only assume he had a precise way of doing things in his head, and perhaps was a very prim and proper sort of individual. A wicked grin crossed her lips as she thought it over and revealed her sharpened teeth before looking at him. "Tell me, what did my former and red-haired lay tell you about me?" she asked, being as crass as she could manage.

[TyDie]

Jinsai watched silently as the woman went back and forth preparing food for the both of them... Of course she wouldn't use her words to invite him to eat with her though. A table setting would have to suffice, and with a small sigh he took a seat before the bowl of ramen. It looked fantastic all things considered, and since he could clearly see and identify each ingredient, he didn't have to ask the embarrassing question about her choice of meat. The smell was heavenly as well; if nothing else, this woman could clearly prepare a meal. "You have culinary talent, i'm impressed. Thank you." He would state the compliment and show his gratitude plainly, though his tone was still even and controlled. One might think he didn't know how to show emotion at all, but a close inspection would reveal that he was truly pleased with the food before him. It just wasn't something that was tangible in his words. Instead, his shoulders relaxed slightly, his eyes fluttered ever so slightly as the aroma filled his nostrils, and his demeanor lightened ever so slightly.

This was the closest most people ever got to a smile from Jinsai.

"I do indeed know your name, Ume. However, proper introductions should be a custom upheld by most. But I know you and your people put little stock in such things. I'll try to lower my standards in the future." He statement was cold and blunt, a sign that he clearly wasn't here to put forth false pleasantries with the woman. She seemed to take the same approach, clearly stating her disdain for the man and his presentation... That was fine by him. At least they could agree that neither one liked the other. Although, as he took his first bite of the ramen, the flavors melding in his mouth, her vulgar and sudden comment earned a small cough from the man. He quickly covered his mouth with a hand, forced himself to swallow, and eyed the woman harshly.

"I know I said I would lower my standards, but must you speak like a common bar wench? Some discretion would be preferable as well, I have no desire to know any of the intimate details of your love life." He placed the chopsticks down by the side of his bowl, clearly having lost his appetite for the moment. Plus, she had asked a question, and he would be kind enough to answer. "He told me enough. That you have been experiencing intense emotional hardship as of late, and that a spotter would be in both yours and the village's best interests. He did not mention your vulgarity, though I should have assumed as much from an Akari... Savages, the lot of you." He looked away for an instant towards the kitchen as he spoke of the woman's clan as a whole... That last part had slipped out, but it wasn't like it was untrue.

[Willoria]

"The man was my first love and is now ex, he IS my emotional hardship." Ume said harshly rolling her eyes as she sipped at her sake before realizing he hadn't taken a sip of his. "If you're not going to drink it I can get you something else, but I would hope I wasn't wasting my good sake on you." she said, eyeing him a moment. She either didn't notice his remarks about her clan, or flat out didn't care about it. In truth, it was the latter. The woman had been attacked by both her parents and was still hunted on near a daily basis, she was hardly going to disagree with him about her clan being full of barbarians.

She purposely slurped at her ramen a moment, though clearly it was an act as the moment a noodle lashed out and slapped her she gave it a disapproving look and wrinkled her nose. "Vulgarity is something you will have to get used to from me." she told him flatly. "I am an assassin. There is nothing elegant about what I do, every bit of it is vulgar." she stopped eating a moment and leaned back in her chair, looking at Jinsai. "You'll be watching me like a creepy stalker and a babysitter. This means you will see me kill. You will see me kiss. And in rare cases you may have to see me resorting to fuck a target to get close. So get used to my vulgarity, Jin-Baby."

[TyDie]

Jinsai crossed his arms a moment in thought as the woman explained the reason for her hardships were a complicated love life... great. That means at some point, he probably would hear more about it. Well, at least he had warning this time. The mention of the Sake caused him to relax once more, and his hand slowly reached for the cup. He would grip it carefully, feeling the chill through the ceramic before lifting it to his nose for a slight sniff. "Hm... Plum sake. a hint of spice too. High quality from the smell, served cold..." He trailed off for a moment before taking a small sip of the sake, savoring the sweet flavor for a moment before swallowing, experiencing the slight bite on the end as it went down and warmed his belly.

"High quality. At least you're no drunkard, you have a refined palette." Jinsai once more complimented the woman's tastes, ironic given her clan's penchant for cannibalism. Finding his appetite was returning to him, he proceeded to eat some more of the ramen before him, taking a bite out of the egg while Ume explained herself as an assassin... Of course with more vulgarity. But as she stated, it was a part of her being. He may not agree with it, but it wasn't his job to agree with it. "Wetwork can be completed with swift, decisive action. Especially when you are only required to take a single life. It does not have to end in a blood bath, as your last mission did. With that said, my job is to watch over you, as you said. Spotter, babysitter, stalker... call me what you will. But Do. Not. Call me... that, again. Jinsai will be fine, thank you."

His tone grew harsh for a moment as he professed his displeasure in regards to the pet name she had called him by. "Your methods are not mine to decide Ume. Ultimately, I only care about the amount of collateral damage, the success of the mission, and the well being of both you and I. If seduction is how you wish to proceed, do so. However. be aware that I am also to serve as your back up. I am a capable shinobi myself, with 15 years of service and even more years as a protector of my clan, before we became part of Iwagakure. It might serve you better not to think of me as a spotter, but as a partner." The last word, partner, left a sour taste in his mouth... he never thought he would ever consider himself as a partner to an Akari. But at the end of the day the fact remained; this woman was in the midst of becoming a raging inferno, and Jinsai was brought into this to serve a single role;

He had to be the water that put that fire out.

[Willoria]

Normally Ume might have rolled her eyes as Jinsai talked about the sake in such a 'proper' fashion. But fact was the sake she had served was the same kind she had once stolen from Koyama as a kid, for herself, Tatsuo, and friends. A hand came up and touched the red crystal necklaces she wore, fiddling with the stone for a few moments. But as Jinsai made clear how he felt about his nickname, she couldn't stop the wicked grin that returned to her lips. She didn't say she would call him that again, but it was clear that just by being so clearly displeased by it, Jinsai had just invited her to use it all the more. When he spoke of his service, she snorted. "Fifteen years to achieve what I did in six. That must burn your ass."

She poked at her ramen a bit, but as he referred to himself as her partner she suddenly turned cold. Her fingers went from playing with the necklace, to gripping it tightly in her hand. She tilted her head forward, chin partway down to her chest as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "That damn word." she said darkly, not even looking at Jinsai as she spoke. "Let me make one thing clear. The day I ever consider you a partner, you better walk away before I get you killed too."

[TyDie]

Jinsai continued to eat the ramen presented to him, happy to partake in the woman's cooking some more. She really was a fantastic cook; ramen wasn't even a favorite of his, but this particular bowl was far and above one of the best things he had tasted in recent memory. A moment later though, she felt inclined to burn him with her statement, and he paused if only for a brief moment to consider his response. "The price of immigration. An unfortunate truth. however I have risen beyond the village's doubts. My commendations speak for themselves." Jinsai would then take a moment to finish his cup of sake, then take the bottle in front of Ume and fill her cup from it. "Traditionally, one pours for the other. I won't ask you to pour mine, but I will uphold the tradition on my end as best I can."

He would then sit back down to continue eating, only to hear her bitterness rise up from her in regards to the term 'parther'. Yes, he was aware that this too was a part of her emotional strife; the loss of her guardian, Akari, Koyama. "The man was your guardian. That is not what I aim to be. However... I do understand the pain and emotional discomfort associated with death. His tone finally let up just a touch, softening as he spoke of death and the pain that came to those who lived to see others die. Being a Fukusha, surely even Ume could understand that Jinsai had seen more than his fair share of dead comrades, family and friends. "Think what you will of me, Ume. But do not confuse my intentions; I am Iwagakure, no different than you. I may not approve of your clans grisly methods, but were are comrades in arms. I do not wish to think of you as an enemy, and I hope that feeling at least is mutual."

[Willoria]

As Jinsai spoke, Ume stiffened. She watched him fill her sake but leaned back in her chair and seemed almost hollow for a moment as he tried to empathize with her. "You understand nothing." she said, her voice like ice and yet dripping with venom as she turned her purple eyes to the man at her table. "Do you know what Koyama's last request of me was?" she asked, pushing her chair back and standing, both hands on the table. "He wanted me to take his shiin." she added. "As he was bleeding out, I kissed him, I ripped into his chest and ripped out the organ. I used it to kill the man who killed him." She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Do you have any idea what living in this clan is like? My mother tried to kill me. My father. There was a freak accident on my first mission where another Akari died and I had to obey an order to eat his shiin so it wasn't wasted." She turned her head and looked at Jinsai. "You don't know me. You think you do because of my clan's reputation. You assume I'm like them. You don't know what they've done to me, what they've forced me to be. You can never fathom my losses, yours don't come with the same burdens mine do."

Ume got up from the table and made her way through the kitchen. "You're in way over your head, and you have zero understanding of me or this clan." she said as she stepped out the back door and into her yard, desperately trying to calm herself down.

[TyDie]

Jin continued trying to finish his food, and in spite of all of the conversation they had been having, he was doing a good job of keeping his appetite. However, the nitty gritty details of her last moments with her former guardian seemed to be the final nail in the coffin; Jinsai placed his chopsticks next to the bowl and pushed what little was left of the ramen away from him. "I could have done without the mental imagery." Was all he said in response to the woman description of events. Although, admittedly, the details did give him insight he didn't have before.

She kept going too, clearly upset that Jinsai thought for a moment he could relate to her. He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and let it out a moment later. Once again, his tone sharpened, and his demeanor shifted to one of annoyance and frustration. "Then that is something that we have in common, Ume. Your clan, their savagery, is not something that I wish to abide. But you have a choice; even as an Akari, doing what you must do, there is a right way to do it. The Darwinist mentality, this 'survival of the fittest' tradition that pushes your people towards such barbarism and displays of bloodlust, is not the right way." He took in another deep breath as the woman made her way towards the kitchen.

A few moments later Jinsai would rise from his chair, grab his staff from the corner, and walk through the kitchen to join the woman in her back yard. The hard ball approach wasn't going to work with one as damaged as she was... "You are correct about my lack of understanding. I will admit that much. I am not Akari; I don't imagine I could ever do something as brutish as tear into my opponent for their organs while they still lived. But perhaps that is why we've been placed together by the village, Ume. Perhaps you need the insight of one who has not experienced the life of your clan, someone who can temper your fury and refine it so that it better serves everyone's interests, including your own. I am that someone." He looked through the back yard, left mostly open with a large fence along the entire property line. Simple, but effective for training.

"I sympathize with you, being a part of this life. You clearly do not enjoy it. So let me help you find balance." He would turn to face the woman, who was no doubt on the brink of another break, and extend his left hand to her. If she took his forearm, there might be hope for her yet.

[Willoria]

Ume couldn't help a low growl in the back of her throat as he came out into the yard with her, and out of the corner of her eye she didn't miss the fact that he carried his staff still. She leaned against the outside wall of the house with her arms crossed over her chest and looked at his outstretched arm, then at the staff in his other hand, and then in his face once more. "If you really want to help me, start by setting aside the staff." she said rather coldly. "Armed in one hand, the other open. Your body language reads like a man trying to illicit trust while giving none. You're asking me to open myself by extending a hand to you in return, and yet guard yourself by keeping that weapon in your hand. You really want to help me? Then start with yourself." she told him flatly.

"You're a shinobi of this village now." she said, pushing off the wall and turning to face him fully. "You have been assigned to work with me... fine. But if I'm supposed to expect you to have my back then stop with the veiled threats and put the staff away."

[TyDie]

Jinsai tilted his head ever so slightly, shock crossing his face for a moment as he blinked a couple of times. Ume's statement was cold and harsh, but admittedly... it wasn't wrong. He had been on guard since he started walking in the first place, as evidenced by him having his staff out and at the ready when it was normally folded and stored away. "Hm... You make a good point. Very astute, as any assassin should be. My apologies." With a small chuckle, the first sound he had made aside from breathing or speaking since he arrived, he clicked a small switch on his staff. A moment later, the outer sections of the staff fell limp, attached to the middle by metal cables.

It wasn't just a staff, it was a Sansetsukon.

He took a couple of steps back for safety before flourishing the weapon into a few twirls, spinning the weapon around himself with a single hand for a few seconds before bringing it together in his hands, collapsed into it's three sections. He then slid the weapon into the holster behind his back, clasping it in place. "No more threats. And no more insults." As he walked back towards Ume, he extended his right arm this time. The same hand he used to defend himself was extended to the woman, a sign of trust. "I will try to see you not as an Akari, but as a shinobi. as an ally. Fair?"

[Willoria]

"Fair." Ume said quietly. She had watched him put his weapon away with a flourish, not a single sign that she was or wasn't impressed with his use of it before she reached out to accept his gesture and grasp his forearm briefly. "Akari are always suspicious of one another. We don't trust one another for obvious reasons, the desire for power is always there and mine is something heavily sought after among my people. It is part of why you could go months without seeing my shiin, but you showed me trust, so I'll extend the same."

When she released his hand she took a few steps away before turning to face him again. As she did, her shiin manifested all at once. Her Astrashiin seemed to almost blossom over her head to form into the spartan style helmet. Her Eroshiin formed at her back like great light blue bat-like wings, the Phasmashiin blade combined with it for a bladed edge at the bottom. And her Phasmashiin unfurled from her lower back, a great tail that twitched back and forth almost as if it were attached to an impatient cat.

When Ume gestured wide with her hands, her wings stretched out to give a better view as she looked at Jinsai. "I hope you never have to see what happens, what I'm forced to do, if a fellow clan member hunts and stalks me... but if you ever do, now you know why."

[TyDie]

Jinsai gave a small grunt and a nod of affirmation as Ume accepted the man's show of faith, gripping his forearm tightly. Good... the two had at least established a relationship of some kind. It was shaky ground at best, but it was better than nothing at all. But as she went on to comment on her clan and their constant suspicions of each other, Jinsai's eyebrow quirked ever so slightly. He would release her hand, but before he could ask what she meant by trust, he saw first hand the power of an Akari as these strange manifestations of chakra and flesh burst forth from her body... 'Shiin', he remembered hearing once. This was how the Akari fought, what their clan's unique genetics granted them; weaponized organs.

Though Jinsai too had a sort of weaponized organ, and without even thinking his eyes instinctively shifted color from dark blue to purple as the Shōgō-zumi manifested. Chakra surged through him, his body visibly bulging as the power of the Doujutsu stimulated his muscles and nerves. But he was not on the defensive physically, he never reached for his weapon; it was an involuntary defensive response, obviously he was startled to see an Akari in their full glory. "How strange... And yet somehow beautiful. The method of acquisition, from rumor, is far less appealing. But at least the results are aesthetically pleasing. And no doubt functional as well. It is odd that anyone would hunt and kill their comrade solely because of the power of these unique organs of yours... Another reason to be thankful that I am not Akari."

He scanned her up and down with his eyes, taking in her form and the various applications it no doubt had; flight, protection, balance, dexterity, and of course the ability to rip and tear. All useful tools for any shinobi to have. "Well... If that day should come Ume, I trust that you will handle the threat swiftly and efficiently. After all, you've made it this far already. You clearly have skill."

[Willoria]

Ume reached up a hand and touched the astrashiin spartan helmet on her head with two fingers. "Without giving away clan secrets, or at least too many, this is the one they want. So few of us have it... but the number I've collected makes me a bigger target on top of that." She couldn't help a smile though as Jinsai complimented her, calling the formation of her shiin beautiful. "Ironically that is a trait unique to me as well. Most shiin are a color based on type. Some are uniquely colored, but those like me are rare, who consume a shiin and it is overtaken by one color. Otherwise I'd look like some kind of demented clown with all these." She grinned at him at this, though it was then that she noticed something unique about the man himself.

She had never spent much time around the Fukusha, much less seen their doujutsu. She stepped closer to him, looking up at him. She reached out a hand and, assuming he didn't stop her, rested her fingers on his chin to help him look down at her so that she could see his eyes better given the six inch difference in height between them. "Speaking of beauty... I'm sure even something like this has applications of death behind it." she said, releasing him and taking a step back as her shiin folded in on themselves and tucked themselves away.

"If it makes you feel any better, in most cases I give my attackers at least one chance to walk away from the fight. If they're stronger than me I don't always have that luxury, but I try to give them a chance to realize they're in over their heads. And in most cases I don't take a shiin unless they're dead."

[TyDie]

The seasoned Fukusha raised a chin to his hand in thought, taking in the details of her shiin so that he might commit their appearance, and uses, to his memory for later. One day they would have to train together, likely a spar, to get an understanding of each other's combat prowess and preferred tactics. This was not the time for that of course, but it wasn't a bad idea to get acquainted. And it seemed that she had the same idea, approaching him with a deep interest in her eyes and even reaching up to touch his face so that she might get a clear view of his doujutsu. "It does." He said flatly, yet not harshly. "It is the Shōgō-zumi. Mine is particularly advanced in it's evolution, there is only one level above my own and it is seldom ever seen. The phrase 'fight fire with fire' adequately describes it's use; It's skill lies in the mimickry of our opponent's techniques."

It was all he would divulge of the Doujutsu for the time being. Truth be told, even that felt like an overtell, but he was attempting to show as much trust as he was receiving. If she felt comfortable identifying her most valued shiin, he could spill some of the details behind the infamous Shōgō-zumi. She went on to explain herself a little better, stating that she wasn't as brutal as he was lead to believe... Though of course, she could simply be lying. For now however, he would give her enough rope to hang herself with, and let her decide what to do with said rope. "So that massacre you called an assassination was an exception, not the norm. And you don't make a habit of devouring those who still draw breath. Both comforting things to know, and I will assume them true until you give me reason not to, if only because it makes my life easier."

Crossing his arms behind his back, holding one wrist with the other hand, Jinsai drew in a deep, relaxing breath, and in doing so caught a whiff of the ramen still inside. "I'd like to take what's left of that ramen home with me, if you don't mind. I hope you have a container. I'll return it to you in a few days, when we will meet to train for the first time. One must understand their partner's methods in order to know how to best compliment them, yes?" The part about bringing the food home was a request. The training session was one step shy of an order; an offer that was best not refused.

[Willoria]

Ume couldn't help a snort as Jinsai mentioned the mission. "I was given a mission to kill a target we believed was passing information to foreign powers." she said, sighing as she crossed her arms under her chest and looked at him. "I killed him, and during my time observing him I realized he shared everything with his guards, with the people he traveled with. The documents with the stolen information weren't secured. I made a judgement call. I killed my target, I took the scrolls, and I killed his staff. Yeah I did it violently, I let myself enjoy it for a change, but what I did was for the village and to secure the information." she couldn't help a snort as she looked away briefly. "Afterwards I was told that supposedly there was a possibility that the others were part of some test to see where the information went. But you know who told me that?" She turned her eyes to Jinsai again, clearly looking hurt and angry. "Akari Tatsuo, who I'm guessing assigned you here. My ex. Someone who seems determined to paint me as a nutcase and a liar... if you're going to work with me, you're going to find that his words need to be taken with a grain of salt."

After a moment, Ume stepped away and walked back into the house. After some clattering around she found a suitable container and set aside his ramen in it. She also went to the wall behind her dining room table and glanced through her current collection of sake before pulling a bottle. She also found a bag to put the ramen and the bottle in before turning towards Jinsai. "At least meeting you has gone better than I thought it would go."

[TyDie]

The mention of the Akari who had put Jinsai in this position caused the man's ears to perk up. "Yes... i'm seeing that now. You seem brutal, of that there is no doubt. Crazy however, I see little of that aside from what I usually feel from the Akari. Still, this is only a first meeting; i'm sure I will get to know you far better as time goes on. That brutality was grisly based on reports, but at least there was some purpose behind it... aside from pleasure, of course." Jinsai let out a breath as his eyes slowly returned to normal, closing them for a brief moment before reopening them to reveal their stormy blue color once again. "You probably won't be shocked to find that I take no joy in taking life. I would most definitely prefer if you didn't either. It should only be viewed as a necessity of the job, the moment you let yourself begin to revel in the carnage is the moment you lose what makes you human."

Jinsai turned to face the woman, seeing the pain in her eyes as she spoke of her ex, the man who had assigned him to this task in the first place. "I can agree. This has been a positive meeting all things considered. As for your ex, pay him little mind at this point. He does not matter in the grand scheme, it's not him you have to prove anything to. It's me you have to worry about now. I look forward to meeting on the training grounds in a few days... I find that combat tells more about someone than words ever will." Jinsai would turn back towards the door leading inside, motioning for Ume to follow. "Alright. Allow me the pleasure of taking that food home, and i'll be happy to see you in a few days. Come prepared, I need to see you at your best Ume."

Jinsai would then disappear into the building, presumably to retrieve his food before heading home. Today had gone better than he expected... but he had heard fearsome tales of the Akari in battle, and he had a dead brother to prove their ferocity. Hopefully, Ume would be able to tell the difference between a friendly spar and a fight to the death... But there was still the Akari blood within her. Who knew how that would factor in?