When Children Get Bored... [GRADED]

[Willoria]

Hikari had managed to escape her tutors for the day and make her way to the village market place. It wasn't often that she was successful in escaping them, not without her father's help of course, but once in awhile she got lucky and today was one of those days. She managed to bring a little money with her as well and so it wasn't long before she found herself walking through the marketplace with sweet dango on a stick and nibbling away, and of course without a coat. If her mother could see her she'd probably chide her, even her father would probably have something to say. But truth be told Hikari was learning quickly she didn't feel the cold like many others did. She wasn't entirely sure why, but the cold of the earth felt natural to her, even wearing shoes didn't feel right. Still, she had at least worn shoes that day. One of her tutors had made clear that going barefoot outside of the house was 'weird', even if Hikari thought otherwise.

Her tail swished happily behind her as she walked through the market. The sticky sauce on her sweet dango dripped down her chin and the child was completely unaware as she hummed to herself, pausing in various shop windows to take a look. It wasn't long before she saw another girl who didn't look too much older than herself. The other girl looked just as bored and looking into a shop.

Hikari paused beside her, slipping noisily as she licked the sticky dango sauce off her hand rudely and looked into the window as well. There seemed to be several clothes in the window, probably cute by some standards. But to Hikari all she saw were things that would prohibit her movement, or make her hot, or that she'd accidentally rip with her tail.

It made her frown.

[Kabu]

Once she had finished up her chores and received her allowance earlier that day, Maho had ran off to wander the village, eventually ending up in the market district. She had bought several sweets and had briefly stopped for tea before going on her way to explore a few stores. It had been fun for a time but she now found herself bored, idly window shopping as she ate some chocolate.

Eventually she passed by a clothes store, the girl stopping to look in the window as she caught a glimpse of frills and lace. And that was where Hikari found her, longingly staring at a lovely dress that happened to be way beyond her price range.. and was also too just a bit too big for her. She knew it wouldn't even fit right now but maybe she could ask her mom to buy it under the premise that she would grow into it.

In thought as she was she hardly noticed the other girl's approach. That was until she heard a rather loud noise next to her, jumping in surprise as she turned to face the source of the sound, blinking as she found it was a girl around her own age. A girl with... draconic features in the form of horns, a tail, and even scales. It was a very curious sight, Maho's eye's briefly sparkling as she thought of the possibilities. There was a dragon girl around her own age? How exciting! She absolutely needed to know more.

She took a deep breath to calm herself however, blushing in embarrassment as she briefly averted her eyes, trying to make it seem as if she hadn't been staring. Mama had always told her it was rude to ask questions of people you had just met and even ruder to stare.

"Oh, hello!" I'm Fukusha, Maho." she cheerily spoke, smiling as she turned her gaze back towards the girl. Perhaps this would be the start of a wonderful friendship...

[Willoria]

Hikari noisily finished off her dango and discarded the stick that was left over, licking her fingers clean before she heard the other girl introduce herself. She turned to look at her with her tongue still out to lick some sauce off her hand. "Hm?" She grinned as she stopped what she was doing to introduce herself as well. "Nyūsen Hikari." she replied with a grin, bouncing on her feet happily. She hadn't made a friend before, and idly she wondered, was this how one made a friend?

She turned to look in the window at the dress again. It was pretty, but just not her thing. She turned to look at Maho again, tilting her head curiously. "You're a shinobi too?" she asked, tail swishing back and forth happily as she kept thinking about what it would be like to have a friend. Of course, that would mean having to get better at sneaking away from her tutors... and her parents. Sneaking away from her tutors was easy enough so far, but her parents was an entirely different story.

[Kabu]

"I sure am! Hasn't been very long though, graduated only a little while ago." Maho happily and proudly responded to Hikari's question, hands on her hips. She absolutely took pride in having been one of the youngest in her class to graduate. Even some of the older kids had either been held back or failed. Even her parents had been surprised but very proud that their 10 year old daughter was now a Genin.

She turned back towards the dress in the window, rocking on her heels as she stared at it. "It's so pretty but it's so expensive. I would love to wear it one day though." she spoke, frowning as she did. Even if she hadn't bought all that candy it still would be too much for her...

"Oh!" she suddenly gasped as if remembering something or having a sudden thought. She reached into her bag and turned back towards Hikari, grinning as she pulled out a couple pieces of chocolate. "Want some candy?" she asked, offering them to Hikari.

It was then that another thought occurred to her, her head tilting curiously to the side. Hikari was wearing very light, revealing clothing. It almost seemed as if she would rather wear nothing at all. "By the way, aren't you cold?"

[Willoria]

Hikari still stared up at the dress, not wholly understanding the appeal but nodding and smiling along as she'd been taught was polite to do by her tutors. "It is pretty." That much she at least agreed on. She was brought out of her thoughts though as Maho suddenly piped up again. Hikari practically flinched but quickly grinned as she was offered some candy. "Oh thank you!" she exclaimed, taking the pieces offered. Both of which she quickly ate with a smile on her face, and without removing the colorful wrappers as if that was completely normal.

Her new friend posed her a question however and Hikari tilted her head in return, looking at her a moment as the other girl asked her a simple question. Hikari shook her head. "No, not really. Daddy thinks I run a little hot compared to most people... though Mommy usually makes me wear a coat anyway." She grinned almost triumphantly. "I snuck out before she could catch me." She was dancing on the balls of her feet for a moment before she started pacing slightly and looking around.

"I'm bored..." she cooed quietly, sighing to herself. "What do you usually do when you're bored?"

[Kabu]

So she had draconic features and didn't really feel the cold? How very interesting! Maho was growing more and more curious about her new friend. She was very excited to learn more and perhaps someday that would come if their friendship grew. For now though, there was a more pressing issue... the both of them were very bored.

What did she usually do when she was bored? Well... "I 'unno. Usually I bother mama until she comes up with something. And if that doesn't work I like to read books." she responded, head thoughtfully tilted. Neither of her usual go-to's were really an option and she wanted to hang out with her new friend. If Hikari had snuck out there was no telling how long it would be before they were found. So... that left the question, what to do?

As she looked away from the dress in the window and looked around the streets for any sign of entertainment her ears perked up, overhearing a nearby group of people talking about something regarding the village catacombs.

"The catacombs? I remember mama and papa talked about them once." she spoke, all the while trying to remember what exactly she had been told about them. She had a feeling it was something important... Oh well.

"For now, you just wanna go explore? Maybe we'll find something fun to do along the way."

[Willoria]

Hikari made a face as her new friend mentioned reading books for fun. "I only like books when Daddy reads them to me." she remarked. As Maho turned her attention away from the window, so did Hikari. Her tail flicked back and forth in amusement as she looked around and heard Maho mention the catacombs. She tilted her head as she thought about and grinned suddenly. "My Daddy has a friend in the catacombs." she said suddenly, looking at Maho. "He's made of fire and stone, or at least he looks like it. I saw a picture of them together with my uncle and another friend of theirs in his office... we could go see him. I bet it'd be fun."

She suddenly reached out and grabbed Maho by the hand. "I know where one of the entrances are! I saw it on a map! Come on, it'll be fun!" she exclaimed. If Maho let her, she'd lead the other girl along the path, heading for the outskirts of the village towards a set of caves. It would take a few tries to find the right cave, but eventually she'd find the one that, once inside, had a steep downward turn.

[Kabu]

"Eeeeh?! Hikari, I dunno if that's a good idea! I remember now! The catacombs are supposed to be very dangerous!" Maho squealed in surprise as she was grabbed by the hand and pulled along by a now excited Hikari. She had a bad feeling about this idea but despite any amount of fear or anxiety she may have felt she didn't fight it, letting herself be pulled along. Quite honestly Hikari's excitement was infectious and even still, her own curiosity was growing too great to ignore. There was a creature made of fire and stone down there? What if there were other similar creatures? Could she possibly become friends with them? She just really needed to know. There was even the benefit of spending more time with her new friend doing something that actually seemed like fun, despite the danger.

Her own excitement had faded a bit by the time they reached the proper cave entrance but she held strong still, pushed onward by her curiosity and Hikari. Though she couldn't help but brighten up as they entered the cavern, the girl taking in every aspect of their new surroundings. It was as she was looking around that she spotted a dim glow off in the distance, seeming to flicker like flames.

"What is that?" she whispered, seeming to become almost entranced as she walked forwards, determined to find out just what it was she was seeing.

[Willoria]

Hikari either didn't notice how hesitant Maho really was, or didn't care. She pushed on, eager to see if she could find her father's old friend. The cave narrowed into a pathway rather quickly, turning downward into the mountain and darkening briefly. Some might have felt claustrophobic for a bit, but Hikari herself felt oddly at home. The chill of the earth around her felt like a comfort, and it made her smile. But the darkness didn't last long. A light came into a being of its own before long. It wasn't bright, but it was enough to see where they were going. The path opened up but not into a cave, it was like a ruin. Here and there were remnants of carvings and pillars, and above all Hikari noticed the remnants of old spider webs. So far though they just looked like cobwebs.

There was a flicker like flames on the walls, but Hikari paid it almost no mind. The source seemed to be around a corner, and Hikari was focused on a boulder not far from her. She thought she saw movement and released Maho's hand to go investigate. She squealed with delight at what she saw. It appeared to be something like a chubby little lizard, brightly colored, with a flame tipped tail. He stared curiously up at her, and she stared back for several moments.

[Kabu]

Maho tilted her head as Hikari ran ahead of her, wondering what had gotten into her. Not wanting to be left out of anything she picked up her own pace to keep up, internally cursing her clumsiness as she nearly tripped a couple times along the way. She almost bumped into the other girl as she suddenly stopped and squealed. "Hikari what did you...?" she started to ask, trailing off as she looked out from behind her. She couldn't help but let out a squeal herself at the sight of the chubby little lizard. "Oh, he's so cute!" She liked to think of herself as being mature for her age but even she couldn't resist gushing at the sight of such an adorable little creature.

"We should take him home. Oh, but mama and papa might not let me have a pet." She let out a sigh, clearly disappointed at the fact. It didn't last long however as she caught sight of that glow from earlier in the corner of her eye. It had moved farther into the ruins but it was still very clearly visible. It was almost as if it was beckoning them to follow, and she was more than happy to oblige.

"Come on, let's go!" She exclaimed, waiting for Hikari to join her before moving forward. Any fear she may have felt was now gone, overwhelmed by simple childlike curiosity and wonderment. She very much needed to know what was further in, what the source of that glow really was and what kinds of things may possibly be found deep in a place such as this.

[Willoria]

Hikari was watching the adorable lizard just as it seemed to be watching her. She only partially heard Maho lament not be able to take him home, and suddenly it occurred to her that while Maho might not be able to take him she was pretty sure she could. "Daddy brought my egg home thinking I'd be a neat creature... I bet he'd let me have a pet." she said, not realizing what a strange sentence that was to most people. As quickly as she could muster, she reached out and scooped up the little lizard, holding him aloft to look at him a moment. His tongue came out quickly to moisten his own eyeball and she giggled. "Yeah. I'm gonna keep him." she said, unceremoniously tucking the little creature under her arm just as she heard Maho excitedly say something about leaving.

She turned to see Maho turn towards the source of the light glow. She quickly followed her, with the lizard still under her arm and apparently quite content to stay there. "Wait for meeeee!" she called as she followed.

A faint clicking seemed to follow them some distance behind as well.

[Kabu]

Maho hummed happily as they followed the source of the glow, deeper and deeper into the catacombs. Despite any misgivings she may have initially had, she was having fun looking around at everything they passed as they went. She was admittedly a bit disappointed, and a little bit freaked out, that most of it seemed to be covered by cobwebs but nonetheless it was still all very exciting.

"I'm happy one of us can take him home. " she spoke to Hikari as they walked, smiling at the sight of the little lizard tucked under the girl's arm. "Also, you mentioned something about your... egg?" she added, feeling more confused than ever about where her new friend had come from. Babies didn't hatch from eggs... did they? Did people lay eggs? She actually didn't know....

Gonna have to ask mama and papa where babies come from. she thought to herself, noticing the glow had paused upon turning a corner. Letting out a gasp of excitement that they would finally be able to catch up she skipped forward, turned the corner and... let out another excited squeal at the sight of a catlike creature with a flame on the tip of its tail, much like the lizard from earlier. "Hikari! She's adorable!" she shouted excitedly, the catlike creature shooting up from its spot where it had been curled on the ground.

"What was that?!" the creature spoke, blinking as she finally noticed the two girls and their new lizard friend. "Oh, oh dearie dear. What are you children doing here?"

Maho tilted her head, puzzled that it was talked but nonetheless didn't question it, simply smiling instead. "I'm Maho, the other girl is my friend Hikari. We're exploring"

At that the creature sighed, not quite sure how to handle this situation. "Well, you two should go home. This really is no place for you." she spoke, ears perking up as she caught wind of a clicking sound very quickly approaching. "Oh dear, this could be bad."

[Willoria]

Hikari seemed completely unphased as Maho asked about her egg. "Oh yeah. Daddy was out in the mountains and he found my egg. I think it was a couple months ago?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "Anyway, I guess he thought I'd be some neat creature and brought it home but instead I hatched! He and Mommy have raised me ever since." Everything sounded so normal to her of course, but to anyone else it wasn't normal at all. But a moment later the two girls found themselves almost face to face with another creature. "Oh wow!" Hikari was shocked the cat-like creature could talk but she immediately wondered about her friend.

She took the lizard from under her arm and held him out in front of her with both hands. "Can you talk too?" she asked it. The lizard just stared at her, moistening his eyeballs a couple of times before she giggled and tucked him under her arm again. "I guess not."

But as the creature before them tried to caution them, Hikari simply giggled again. "My Daddy has friends down here, I saw pictures of them all together. It can't be that bad." she said, just as the clicking sounds started to get closer. Her tail was twitching behind her happily, and she was completely unaware of the large spider suddenly looming behind her with all its eyes.

[Kabu]

Yeah, I heard it was dangerous but it doesn't seem that bad so far!" Maho chirped in agreement. She had been afraid when they had come in but her fear was gone now that they had gone this far without any danger. Perhaps the rumors had been exaggerated or maybe they just hadn't gone deep enough in but so far there hadn't been any problems at all, aside from the issue of bumping into things or tripping.

That fearlessness wasn't meant to last however as she turned around upon hearing a strange sound, blinking at the sight of the spider looming behind Hikari. "I... I... I hate spiders! I hate them so much!" she screamed, frozen in place by sheer terror even as her eyes began to water. The terrifying creature hadn't done anything yet except show its ugly mug and already she was on the verge of tears. She was good with most animals and even bugs didn't really bother her but there was something about spiders that just got to her.

"Don't you dare, you big ugly oaf! Not while I'm here!" the cat shouted as she leapt forward, smacking the spider in the face with her fiery tail. There was no telling if it did any damage or not but nonetheless it should have been enough to at least stun it long enough for them to get some distance on it. "Come on you two! We have to get out of here, now!"

[Willoria]

Hikaru suddenly grew very confused as she saw Maho freeze in fear. It wasn't until the cat leaped over her that she realized there was even something behind her. She jumped away and looked back to see the spider, letting out a wild shriek of her own. She knew she probably should have attacked it but in the moment she was so freaked out knowing it had just been behind her without her knowing that whatever instincts she had completely failed her. The cat told them to run, and she just grabbed Maho by the hand and started running, trying to pull the other girl along behind her.

She still had the small lizard tucked under her arm too, and felt like she could hear the spider following. Out of the corner of her eyes she realized she saw more spider webs as they went, and felt like they were only getting deeper. Before long she ran straight into something and was knocked sprawling to her stomach, her lizard friend squealing as he was also sent flying.

[ShinobiTruth]

Ever since his first time in the Catacombs as a freshly minted chuunin, Maru made it a point to occasionally patrol the top-most floors of the ruins. He didn't dare tread any deeper, not only because any foolhardy (or simply foolish) genin who dared venture down here would never make it past the Spiders' Dens, but because the dangers that rest further within would likely strain even his capacity as a shinobi to its limit. The beasts down here were vicious, conniving, and many. He still clearly recalled the faces of the two genin he had been able to rescue with Tatsuo the first time they'd surveyed this area. Part of him wondered why the village didn't stage a campaign to fight against the creatures here and finally find a way to close the fissure to the spirit world that caused all of this. Then again, he was merely a single man. It wasn't like he had the authority or respect necessary to present such an idea and have it receive any level of traction.

So, this is what Maru would do. So that as few of these rowdy genin as possible wound up becoming the unexpected lunches of mutated arachnids, he would patrol the topmost floors of the Catacombs and clear out whatever spiders he found there. The spiders were strong, but they weren't anywhere strong enough to matter against him anymore. A few well-placed kunai and shuriken would pierce through their chitinous carapaces for an easy kill. The dull creatures were still smart enough to recognize a threat when they saw one, and after a few of their larger kin fell with such ease, the rest would retreat. He'd been thankful that, at least on his watch, any genin he'd come across had been returned to their parents alive... instead of returning a trinket of theirs for a funeral.

Still, as he entered one of the main chambers, Maru sensed something amiss. He would have met more resistance at this point, but the last few hallways had been sparse... and this room was empty. His eyes, adjusted to the dim light, looked towards the walls and noted freshly burst egg sacks. Great. A new generation of mutant spiders to terrorize the ruins. He was this close to simply approaching Tatsuo and asking for a team of specialists he could lead to make actual headway on recovering these caverns. Another problem for another time, though. There was a reason the matriarchs weren't in this cavern. They likely had detected prey.

Almost as if on cue, he heard two screaming voices. They were far too young to be genin. Maru grit his teeth. How did academy students get down here? Someone was getting demoted for this. He was not a quick man, but he had nearly memorized the layouts of the ruins the Spiders' Dens inhabited. He hastily made his way toward the sounds of panting, panicked breath. He rounded a corner and saw the two children running from a group of three spiderlings and one adolescent orb weaver. One of them bumped into him, but he paid her no heed, his focus on the creatures ahead. Pulling three shuriken and one kunai, he fanned the three shuriken at the spiderlings with one hand while spiraling the kunai at the adolescent one with efficient results. The spiderlings' carapaces split open with whining shrieks, and the impaled adolescent slumped forward with a heaving hiss, the last breath of life leaving his maw.

Maru's emerald eyes went down to the two children, one of them sporting a most curious tail and set of horns. They were startled, but unharmed. Good. He didn't have time to reassure them of safety or comfort. Dropping momentarily to one knee, he'd take the lizard girl and quickly sling her across his back whilst the other he would carry in one arm. The creatures with them he'd offer an arm to. He was certain they would find some convenient pocket in the large flowing hooded jacket he wore, the same color as those intense green orbs. He wouldn't speak a word, knowing to talk wasted time. More spiders would be coming, and he had to retreat. They would be less likely to retreat if food was involved.

"Hang on, and don't speak," Maru ordered before sprinting down the hallway whence he came. He could already hear the shrieks of the rest of the spiders in this colony returning to the main den. Thankfully, their propensity for spinning webs would be what provided them with the cover they needed. Taking an exploding grenade with his free hand, he would make his way to the nearest exit to the main den they had just entered before turning and throwing it at a thick cluster of webs. Making a single seal, the grenade would explode, and though it produced little heat, it was enough to set the webbing aflame. The strands would spread the fire quickly. He turned and ran from the den, making his way through the caverns he'd already cleared. They would eventually reclaim this place, but each time he came down here, there were fewer and fewer of them to fortify it. He was making progress. Slowly, but progress it was nonetheless.

Maru kept his ears to the ground, in a sense, tracking his surroundings carefully. It seemed that the diversion worked, the spiders' screeching becoming fainter with each passing second. They would be busy for some time putting out the fires in their home. Slowing to a jog and then eventually to a walk, he finally gave himself the opportunity to check on the two children. First things first, though. "I don't think I need to tell you two that you shouldn't be down here, right?" he scolded, a mild yet stern tone to his voice. "I need you both to tell me how you wound up here. And no lies. If you lie, I will know it."

He didn't necessarily mean to intimidate the children, but they needed to understand exactly how close they were to an early grave. There wasn't a particularly kind way to communicate that grim possibility.

[Kabu]

Maho sniffled as they ran, trying her absolute hardest to keep from crying even as tears threatened to spill. At some point she had willed her legs to move and so was no longer being dragged along but nonetheless she held onto Hikari's hand, not wanting to let go. The comfort brought by her friend's warmth was probably the only real thing keeping her going in this moment. Though with all that said, she was absolutely terrified and almost certain they were about to become spider.

They would soon however bump into something (or someone), quite literally in Hikari's case, and sent flying. "Owie." Maho groaned as she lifted herself up from her stomach and into a seating position. She noticed the lizard had been sent flying and got up, running over to grab the poor thing, lightly petting it as she returned over to where she and Hikari had fallen. Holding the lizard in one hand she offered the other to Hikari to help her up as well, her fear temporarily forgotten for the moment. ...Though she was definitely feeling achey from that fall. "You okay? That was quite a tumble!" she spoke, her tone making it clear she was more worried about Hikari than herself for the time being.

She jumped at the sound of hissing, her eyes going wide as she turned to face a man fighting the spiders, or rather in the process of finishing them off. He looked so cool doing it too! "Whoa, so that's what a real shinobi is like! I wanna be strong like that when I get bigger!" she whispered, eyes sparkling in amazement and wonder.

She didn't have long to be amazed however as the man approached, simply nodding as he ordered them to stay quiet and picked them up. The cat meanwhile at first was wary of the man, watching him a moment before taking his arm and crawling into the first pocket she found.

Then they were running once more, or rather she and Hikari were being carried, and she soon heard the sound of an explosion. She hoped that meant the spiders were either distracted or dead, hopefully the latter, but found herself unable to fully relax until the sound of screeching seemed to fade into the distance.

She let out a sigh of relief as they seemed to exit the danger zone. Her relief didn't last long soon enough, the girl sniffling at the man's questioning. She hadn't thought about it before but they were definitely in trouble... "I'm sorry! We were bored and decided to go exploring and I got curious and we went too far in!" she admitted, the dam finally bursting as she began to cry, the entire situation beginning to get to her. She was certain that they were in trouble and to her young mind that could only have one result. "Are we in trouble? I don't wanna be fired! I just became a Genin and mama and papa would be so sad and disappointed!"

[Willoria]

Hikari quickly nodded as Maho asked about her, but squeaked as she was unceremoniously picked up and slung over the shoulder of this strange shinobi. Saved or not, the little dragon girl couldn't help pouting. Her little lizard friend quickly found shelter in the man's cloak, finding a pocket to happily hide in and, if possible, likely stealing a snack if he found one. Hikari was pouting the whole way out. Her cheeks were puffed out, her tail twitching sharply in annoyance and her arms crossed. When Maho started crying she just got madder as she finally burst out. "Stop being so mean!" she insisted, certainly feeling far more intimidating than she actually was. "We won't get in trouble or fired." she tried to assure Maho, glancing at her before trying to look at Maru with a devilish smirk in spite of her positioning over his shoulder.

"My Daddy is Akari Tatsuo, he has friends down here. I was just coming to visit is all! I found the directions on a map in his office! I'm not going to get in trouble and you shouldn't be so mean to us about it!"

[ShinobiTruth]

The small lizard's quest would bear at least some fruit, quite literally, as it would find dried cranberries mixed with nuts and jerky in a small sack in the pocket it slipped into. As for its larger counterpart, however, she would find her blustering to be largely ineffective. A most familiar of names would ring through Maru's ears, and Maru's eyes narrowed. He didn't pretend to know much of anything about Tatsuo's personal life, but he was fairly certain that he hadn't met anyone in the village with the same physical characteristics as this girl. Was she bluffing? Perhaps not. No child in their right mind would invoke Tatsuo's name so freely without something to back it up. Still, if this kid was expecting Maru to somehow be magically intimidated by this revelation, she had another thing coming.

"Your friend is right, child," he rejected, addressing the lizard girl, his tone firm. "I don't mean to needlessly scare you two... but if I had not been there, you both would have died. Your families would be mourning their children right now. Do you understand what that means? And Tatsuo may be your father, young one, but he is also Tsuchikage. You should not be looking at anything in or taking anything from his office without his direct permission. He knows many things that are not meant for your eyes and ears, and that is for your protection. If I had pulled a stunt like this at your age, assuming I survived, he'd be furious. Tatsuo will no doubt have choice words for you when we return."

Maru would continue to carry the children, unbothered by the scurrying of the two animals shuffling from one pocket to another. Turning to the first girl, he reassured her. "Do not fret, little one. There will be consequences for this, but this is not enough to be demoted. With any luck, your punishment might simply be this scolding, and perhaps a reprimand from Tatsuo and your parents. You're young. We understand that. And right now, what's most important is that you are both safe."

Maru's voice turned to the lizard girl, the more composed of the two. "You must promise me that you two will never come down here again, not without someone with you on an actual mission. "I never want to tell another parent that their child is gone... I never want to hear someone weep like that. Never again," he asked her, a somber tinge to his voice.

[Kabu]

Maho sniffled even as she stopped crying, still distraught even with the comforting words given by Hikari and their rescuer. All her life she had been well behaved and a good girl and now she was absolutely certain they were gonna be in trouble. She didn't want to get punished or yelled at, she didn't want to make her mama and papa sad, and perhaps most importantly... "I remember now mama and papa said it was dangerous but I didn't know there would be giant spiders." she spoke as tears welled up once more, the girl being clearly more upset over the spiders than the fact they could have died.

At that the cat poked her head out from Iwamaru's pocket, clearly worried about the children from the look on her face as she looked up at them, though mostly towards Maho. "Now now deary, don't be too upset now. You're a big girl, you can be strong right?. Don't worry, I imagine those big ol spiders will be busy rebuilding their nests for some time." she spoke, a very gentle tone to her voice. It was all she could do, but it proved to have some effect as Maho once more seemed to calm down, her sniffling quieting down though still not entirely stopping.

"Okay... I'll try." she spoke to the cat, a blush crossing her cheeks as she next turned her attention towards Iwamaru. "I promise I'll be more responsible. I am sorry you had to come rescue us. I'm sure you're very busy." she quietly spoke, bowing her head as best she could in her current placement.

It was only then that a thought crossed her mind, the girl having been distracted by her own concerns and fears and worries. "Wait... Hikari, your daddy is the Kage?" she asked, looking over at her friend. At first she gave her a bewildered look but it soon made way for a wide smile. "That's so cool! I bet he's super strong and cool and stuff!"

[Willoria]

Hikari huffed in annoyance and tried more than once to wriggle her way out of Maru's grasp, to no avail. She even brought her tail up once to defiantly try to smack him in the face with it, but that only ended in her tail hurting though she desperately tried not to show it. "Pfft, he never cares if I'm in there! He laughs when I climb his shelves!" she insisted. Of course, Maru had no way of knowing the child in his arms might've appeared eight but she had actually only been alive a month or two at most and most of her antics so far had been purely entertaining. This would be the first time she had actually acted out in any way. She hardly knew of the concept of injury and death, much less really understood it. Her tutors had been so preoccupied trying to teach her how to behave in the world, social norms and the like, that no one had really thought to teach her simple concepts such as life and death as of yet.

Even as Maru spoke to her of weeping parents, the girl simply huffed at him and crossed her arms, pouting still. She gave him no answer and no promise, somewhere in the back of her mind insisting to herself that she was going to have words to her father about this shinobi who was handling her so roughly and having no idea the words the Tsuchikage would probably really have with his daughter. The girl was the definition of naive after all.

[ShinobiTruth]

These two children could not be more night and day. One was meek, innocent, timid, quick to accept counsel, while the other was brash, headstrong, defiant in the face of reprimand and going even so far as to try in vain to strike him with that tail of hers. She quickly realized the folly of her actions, her reaction a clear indication of pain whilst he felt next to nothing. How they somehow converged together as friends Maru couldn't quite understand. He turned to the first child and nodded. "It's okay... Just remember exactly what you saw down there. And remember why only trained shinobi, specially chosen by the Defense Division, are allowed down there. Those creatures are not to be underestimated," he cautioned.

He turned to further counsel the second child, but his ears tingled at a sound from behind them, his features immediately hardening. It was distant... but it was approaching... and fast. That rhythm and its weight... No, it couldn't be. Was it a matriarch? How? Why? It made no sense. They were now fairly distant from the Dens. If they were still pursuing this far... then these were no normal children. He looked at the lizard girl. Was it her? He couldn't say for certain, but he had no time to meditate on that fact. Holding onto the girls just a little more tightly, he broke into a sprint. "Do you both know how to use Tree Walking? Can you mold chakra?" he asked, the intensity of his voice clearly communicating one undeniable fact:

They were in danger.

[Kabu]

Even Maho couldn't help but pout, cheeks puffing up as her skills and abilities seemed to be put into question. Did he not believe that they were Genin, due to their age? Well, she would show him what she was capable of. Sure she couldn't use her clan's dojutsu just yet but she was good at plenty of other things. "Of course I can, that's the most basic of basics! I am a Genin after all, among the youngest graduates in my class! Fukusha Maho, 10 year old Genin! That's who I am!" she responded, pride evident in her tone even as she finally introduced herself to their rescuer, channeling chakra into her feet all the while. She knew from his own mannerisms they were very much in danger but her pride being hurt kept her from being too afraid, for now at least. In a way it was a good thing but really, who knew if it would last.

The cat meanwhile simply smiled, tucking her head back into the pocket and curling up. Her job was done for the time being, for now she would rest. They were absolutely being pursued and she needed to keep up her energy so she could help out in case of attack.

[Willoria]

Hikari flailed slightly as she felt Maru hold them tighter, frowning as he questioned what they knew. "Of course I do!" she insisted. "What genin wouldn't?" she added, frowning even more deeply if it were possible at her young age. "I also know some Toryu and Arts of Medicine." her hand moved to the sheath on her hip and her sword. She wasn't sure why he was questioning them, but even her, for all her attitude, she could see that something was wrong and bothering the man carrying her.

Of course, the small lizard was unbothered. He'd consumed quite a few treats before passing out having had his fill. It was a very faint sound, given his size, but he was snoring quite contentedly from the pocket he'd found.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru rounded one final corner and bolted down the large hallway that led to an opening to a massive vertical shaft, a hundred meters across. Above them were the faint lights of glowing fuuin seals, and below was a black abyss that swallowed everything whole in its gaping maw. Maru set the children down and took the two creatures out of his pockets. ”Hold onto them. Use Tree Walking to scale the shaft. Run. And do not turn around, no matter what you hear. If you do not hear me come back, run past the fuuin seals. They will keep you safe,” he directed firmly, his eyes and tone leaving no room for questions or defiance. The rhythm that Maru had heard was much louder now. Whatever was chasing them was big, and it was close.

Maru gave one final hard look at both of them as he drew one knife-sized kunai. ”Those are your orders. Do not come back for me. Go!” he barked, stalking back into the tunnel, not looking back. This was the only entry to this area of the dens. As long as the kids ran up, and as long as he kept the Matriarch at bay, they would be safe.

The sound of crashing footsteps would grow louder still as he brandished his weapons. Maru kept his nerves in check. Matriarch or not, this was just another spider. He would slay it like the rest.

The charging beast rounded the corner, a massive black and white spider at least ten feet tall and twice as wide. Blood red eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, and saliva and stomach juices dripped to the ground from its fanged bisected maw. Upon seeing the human in the way, gave a piercing, howling shriek that reverberated through the entire tunnel and the massive pit. The spider was weaker than Maru by a substantial margin, but it was also faster. Two spear like legs shot forward and slammed into Maru’s shoulders like pistons, trying to pin him to the ground. Though the legs did puncture his skin, he resisted and, grabbing one of the legs, sliced it clean off. Howling in pain, the spider charged, and though Maru was not hurt by the tackle, the size and speed of the creature launched him full force out of the tunnel, sending him crashing to the far side of the shaft with a powerful crash, rock and dust spewing forth from the rock face. The impact had done more than the spider, but he shook off the blow quickly. If that thing got its jaws on him, there was no telling what that stomach acid would do.

Leaping out of the tunnel to pursue Maru, the girls would hear the full weight and ferocity of the spider for the first time. The creature shot a thick webbing from its hind quarters in there quick bursts. The webbing wasn’t very strong, but it was numerous, the spider started to close in when it stopped and slowly turned. Maru instantly realized what was happening. ’The girl!’

Seeking the easier and more alluring prize, the spider quickly made its way toward the girls, hindered by its missing leg. Maru violently tore and pulled at the silk threads that bound him. He would never beat the spider in a contest of speed, and he couldn’t jump to Intercept. Running forward and weaving a seat of seals, a pillar of earth jutted out from the side of the rock face, launching Maru up and forward. Torquing the muscles in his arms as he performed a lateral flip, Maru rocketed the two kunai at the spider from above, one aimed at its head and the other at its bulbous abdomen.

The kunai struck true, running the spider through, slamming it into the side of the chasm before it gurgled out its death-shriek, hurtling into the darkness below. Maru landed on the other side of the chasm, chakra flowing through his feet to catch his fall. The warm flow of blood from his shoulders was ignored, his eyes searching for the girls. He saw them scurry over the ledge toward the fuuin-protected doorway. The tension in his chest relaxed as he let himself breathe. Good. They were safe. Walking along the wall and climbing up the final ledge, the pair would see Maru alive and well with two distinct crimson stains on his shoulders, matched by pronounced punctures into the fabric.

[Kabu]

Maho nodded as she was set down, taking the cat into her arms and beginning to scale the wall. As well she briefly grabbed Hikari's hand to urge her along in case she hesitated at all. Of course she was worried about if their savior would be able to handle whatever the source of those loud footsteps was but he had ordered them to run and she was never one to disobey an order. Plus, he had injured her pride and she felt an absolute need to prove herself. There was one other thing however... It was a very strange feeling. It wasn't fear, though she did feel that too, but it was something entirely different...

"Hikari, I feel weird. I'm not sick or afraid or anything but whenever I think about that man my cheeks get hot and my heart starts thumping." she spoke to her friend as they climbed, in some way hoping maybe she would know what was going on.

It felt like ages before they climbed through the doors at the top, Maho climbing up first and offering a hand to Hikari to help her. "I hope he's okay." she muttered, worry in her tone as she looked down, completely unaware of what was happening down below. Her face did light up however as she saw Iwamaru climb up himself, alive... Though she couldn't help but gasp, seeing he was injured.

"You're hurt?! Oh no! What do we do?!" she practically screamed, turning towards Hikari. "The Kage's wife is a medic right? She would be your mom right? What do we do?!"

[Willoria]

Hikari took the small lizard creature back from Maru, looking up at him strangely even as she channeling chakra into her feet. She didn't much like the orders he was giving them. But as she listened to the sounds she heard coming from deeper in the catacombs she knew he was probably right. 'He's strong enough to handle it.' she told herself as she turned to do as he told them, and as Maho encouraged, and started climbing up the wall. But she was the opposite of calm about it. She felt sweat beading across her forehead as they went and it certainly wasn't from any kind of heat. The sounds of the spider behind them was terrifying, and as Maho spoke of how Maru left her feeling she didn't even respond. All she could think about was getting away, and keeping a hold of the little sleeping lizard tucked under her arm.

Once they were out of reach of the creatures, Hikari looked down to see if she could discern what was happening, but she saw nothing. She only heard the screams of the creature and the sounds of fighting. Before she knew it, they saw Maru coming towards them, and Hikari smiled. He presented an impressive sight as he walked towards them and for a moment Hikari tilted her head, realizing someone she wanted to emulate. Though she also heard Maho and giggled a bit. "You have a crush..." she whispered to her friend before looking up at Maru again. She walked over to him and had no trouble scaling the man like climbing a tree, after all she did it to her father all the time, and carefully looked at one of his shoulders.

"Just needs cleaned and bandaged." she said, looking down towards Maho. "He's not gonna die... My mother taught me a little bit...."

Jutsu UsedShow

*[Medicinal Style • Injury Assessment]
D-Rank Taijutsu Discipline
Unlike the mystical means of diagnosis utilized through iijutsu, those who utilize the Arts of Medicine must learn the most effective manner to assess a patient. Learners of this discipline have learn the most effective manner to diagnose a patient, starting at the head, and assessing for head wounds, then moving down through the torso, both arms, the groin area, both legs, then the back. Those who learn this discipline will be able to account for any wounds that present with physical symptoms on a patient.

[ShinobiTruth]

The slight dull pain and the bleeding from the superficial wounds were nothing noteworthy to the hulk of muscle that was Maru. He'd suffered worse injuries when he was training, let alone against one of the spiders. No, his concern was on the well-being of the little ones, both frightened but no worse for wear. The punctures to his skin would heal and regenerate quickly enough, his body's natural regenerative amped up to eleven by his body conditioning. Still, this fight with a Matriarch could have been much worse, and that wasn't even counting the children being there. The fact that the creature was able to even get through his skin told him he had more training to do.

He looked down and noticed the reactions of each of the two girls again, and this time his commendation and criticism flopped, much to his surprise. The lizard girl was calm and quick to assess the situation, climbing up to examine the wounds up close which he begrudgingly allowed, whilst the bashful one gave way to fear and panic. Well, the lizard girl's confidence was a little more understandable now. She had instincts natural to a being raised to fight and survive. Still, the bashful one was humble, meaning she could learn and become better. He saw her turn her gaze away, and he stopped her. "No. Don't look away. You need to see this. This will not be the only time you see something that terrifies you," he insisted, his tone perhaps a touch firmer than he intended. "Do not run from what makes you afraid. You accept it. You face it. And you don't stop fighting that fear until you have conquered it, no matter how long it takes. Do you understand, youngling?"

He didn't wish to get the girls dirty with his blood, but they couldn't stay here. Gingerly taking one of their hands in each of his own, he would lead them past the fuuin seals that cordoned this place off. "It will not do to address you only as children or soldiers. Give me your names, genin," he instructed, his tone softening now that the danger had passed.

[Kabu]

Maho tilted her head as Hikari finally answered the question tugging at the back of her mind. "Hmm? A crush...? Am I in love?" Question marks practically floated over her head as she thought it over. Was this really a crush? I'll have to ask mama how she felt when she met papa. she thought to herself.

Her face brightened back up and she looked back over as Hikari revealed Maru would be okay, giggling at the way she had nonchalantly climbed up his body. Her friend really was free spirited and she was honestly just a little bit jealous. Maybe trying to loosen up a bit would be a good thing. It was yet another thing to think about. Maru was also right in that she needed to learn to face her fears. Honestly she felt she was doing a lot of growing up today, though she also had a lot of things to think about still.

However she was still a child with a crush, unable to help a blush as Maru grabbed her and Hikari's hands and began leading them out. "I'm Fukusha Maho, 10 years old." she suddenly chirped up, introducing herself as they walked, very clearly headed towards home. "You need to introduce yourself too! It's not really fair if only we have to."

[Willoria]

When Hikari was satisfied the wounds were relatively simple, she climbed down off of Maru and dusted herself off, looking up as he took each of them by the hand. Maho's face of course made her giggle a bit, she just couldn't help it. Though as Maho gave the man her age, Hikari frowned slightly. She wasn't sure why Maho would give her age but also realized she wasn't sure what age to give. She had been given strict orders to say she was eight years old, but she was maybe a couple of months old at most, something she suddenly realized she'd slipped up on when talking to Maho before. She didn't like the idea of lying to the man who had saved them, so instead she just left her age out. "Nyūsen Hikari." she finally said instead, introducing herself as well. She heard Maho practically scold him about introducing himself as well and couldn't help a giggle, though she looked back and saw the fuuin seals that protected the space.

"Weird... those weren't in the cave we went in through..." she muttered, her eyebrows furrowing as if she was trying to figure out a puzzle of some kind. She suddenly wondered if that was information she needed to tell her father. She looked up at Maru instead, frowning as he led them out. "So... where are we going now?" she asked, sparing a glance at the small lizard asleep, cradled in her other arm.

[ShinobiTruth]

He'd look at each of the children as he gave their names, locking their appearances into his memory. It was something he had been doing to try and counteract the more pessimistic tendencies that still dominated his attitude, trying to focus on a positive memory or association in the face of a stressful event instead of a negative one. Maho and Hikari. He couldn't help but think this wasn't the last he would see of these two. At Maho's behest, he would finally give his name, though only after the lizard girl, whom he now knew was named Hikari, gave hers. Maru thought he caught the slightest sign of a frown on Hikari's face when he turned to her, but he didn't think much of anything of it. "Tate Iwamaru. I'm Jousai's Honmaru Division Commander. You two may call me Maru, for short," he offered to the pair as they continued walking.

At Hikari's question, Maru gave the obvious answer. "I'm taking you both home. I won't consider my duty fulfilled until you're back with your families. And you will comply. That is also an order," he informed them, adding the last phrase as extra incentive to be obedient. He'd already be filing an incident report for this. He certainly didn't want to file another one should either of the children get any ideas about disobeying him.

[Kabu]

Truthfully at this point Maho didn't need to be ordered to follow along. "Don't gotta tell me twice." she yawned, clearly exhausted from the chaos. She had had fun hanging out with Hikari but she was tired and more than ready to go home. She looked down and noticed her new cat friend was still walking along by her side. "What's wrong? Aren't you going home?" she asked her, visibly confused at the spirit's presence.

"Well... I... It is my duty to see you home as well. I won't rest easy until you're truly safe. By the way, you can call me Maika." Maika stammered, Maho unable to help a giggle at how embarrassed she seemed to be.

"Well, if you say so." she said, turning her gaze away from Maika and attempting to look over towards Hikari, a smile on her face. "Hikari, I had lots of fun today. I hope we can hang out again sometime and get to know each other some more. I feel like we're going to be the best of friends."

[Willoria]

With the mention of Jousai, most of Hikari's humor was gone. She loved listening to her father tell her stories about his various missions and adventures, especially ones that involved his brother, her uncle, Kotaru. She remembered Jousai coming up frequently. At least she was pretty sure she remembered it. It was finally and slowly sinking in how much trouble she might be in after all. 'If he knows Daddy personally, not just as the Tsuchikage...?' He gave more orders and Hikari just frowned as she looked straight ahead as they walked.

Though Maho's new friend did get her attention for a moment as the pair spoke. She looked down at her new lizard friend again and grinned. "Mine still doesn't talk, but that's okay." she commented. "He's cute." she added, turning to look at Maho as she spoke about how much fun she had with her. She grinned. "Definitely, but no more spiders." she replied, giggling to herself. "And no more tag-a-long hu-LUNK!" She had been pointing up at Maru as she spoke and suddenly interrupted herself to correct herself as she blushed furiously and fixed her eyes forward again.

[ShinobiTruth]

Maru saw Hikari pointing at him, and he saw the reddening of her cheeks, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Maru found himself drawn back to a simpler time, memories playing in the back of his mind as he walked with the two children in tow. He remembered one of a few occasions where he walked hand in hand with his mother and father along the streets of the village. It was a brief flash, nary more than an instant, and as soon as it had come, it was gone. Maru looked back down, staring intently at the two small hands interlocked with his fingers. He imagined that his parents would be proud.

The sadness hit him unexpectedly. For the briefest of spells, even as he looked forward, the pain bled from those emerald eyes as they grappled with the ever-present reality of their absence. It was in these dark moments that he turned to his refuge, Sayuri. The memories he forged with her were a safeguard against that despair, and as always, her influence pulled him back from the brink.

He would look down at the two girls, a singular idea popping into his mind. ”Have you two eaten?”

[Kabu]

Maho giggled as Hikari got suddenly flustered, changing her words around and blushing. One thing seemed very clear to her in that moment... "Seems like I'm not the only one with a crush." she said, a teasing tone to her voice.

She looked up just in time to Maru looking down, her head tilting to the side as he suddenly seemed sad. It was like he was remembering something very painful. "Are you okay?" she chirped, not really expecting an answer. She had been taught to be polite and not push when it came to these matters. That it was okay to ask but if they didn't want to answer it wasn't okay to force them. That they would talk when they were ready.

She was surprised as Maru suddenly asked his question, the girl shaking her head. So far today she had only eaten breakfast before she left and a bunch of candy since then. "Not me, aside from a bunch of candy anyways. Though I did eat breakfast before I left home. I've been out on the town all day."

[Willoria]

As Maho accused Hikari of having a crush as well, the little dragon girl stuck her tongue out at her. But a moment later she heard Maho ask Maru a question and she looked between the two inquisitively. She hadn't caught the look on Maru's face and so was just confused, though also curious. She simply stared between them, glancing back and forth for a little while as they walked along before Maru asked his sudden question. After Maho answered, Hikari shrugged. "I mean, I ate some candy too, and some treats Uncle Kotaru gave me... but that's about it." She thought for a moment and couldn't think of anything else but shrugged.

"I mean, I could probably go home and just raid the fridge... or do what dad does and sneak into Uncle Kota's house and get into his pantry again..." As she rambled on it was pretty clear she didn't understand that raiding Kotaru's pantry was a sibling rivalry joke between her father and her uncle she probably shouldn't be taking part in alone, at least she didn't understand it quite yet.

[ShinobiTruth]

Hearing the children interact was definitely a throwback to his childhood. Maru vaguely recalled having friends in school, but he hadn't been very close to any of them. He hardly knew where any of them were... or if any of them were even alive. It made sense, once he thought more about it. He'd been so focused on his training that he'd not really had much time for socializing with his classmates. Still, he'd never been through an experience like these two had been through. Perhaps they would become lifelong friends, so long as they remembered what had happened today. Maho, ever perceptive, saw the moment of bitterness that flashed across his eyes. He suspected that childlike innocence would see through any sort of deception or front. Better to be honest with her and avoid a loss of trust. "No... But I'll survive," he told her simply, his level tone intentionally hiding the emotional strain it put on him to answer that question straight.

Maru raised an eyebrow at the expression Hikari used. He highly doubted she understood what that phrase actually meant, and thankfully it would not be his job to educate her. Instead, he shook his head. "No, you both need a proper meal," he objected, zeroing in almost immediately on a particular restaurant. They were well known for good dumplings and katsudon... and even better service. "Come, girls. I know a place. The food is good... and the woman who owns the restaurant is a dear friend."

This wasn't quite the timing he was expecting to go and see Eriko again. But if there was anyone that would make the little ones feel welcome, it was her. He wasn't all better yet, not by a long shot, but he hoped that the visit might inspire confidence. He still hadn't forgotten the promise he'd made to her. Hopefully, she would see by this that it wasn't all talk.

The trio would leave the catacombs and the memories of the spiders behind, two little girls with hearts beating out of their chests... and one man, still trying to pick up the pieces of his own. With any luck, Eriko wouldn't mind a surprise visit...
Fin