&&_- Chapter 2: The End of the Beginning

[Shinryu]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] Into ruin, I am sinking... Hostage of a nameless feeling!

I have... heretofore avoided this subject for the most part, because, in short, it still disturbs me. I fear even now that as time has passed, I might have forgotten parts, or replaced others with false memories. Still, I will attempt to tell it to its fullest, and without err, for to know my motivations, you must know my history, and judge my actions. I will end this stating that you should take into account the mindset I was in at the time, if you wish to understand my motivations. ___________________________________________________________ Evening was over and night had begun; the pale moon working its way into the sky, and the stars shimmering as I worked my way through the streets of Kirigakure. My mission had been a stunning success, and I wished to rest. I would tell father, and he would be proud, and perhaps he would teach me something new once the morning should come, if I did not head out and begin a new mission, which I might have very well done. That was all that was on my mind at the time. Glory, and doing whatever it took to achieve it. So you can imagine my surprise when all of a sudden, I rounded a corner and saw smoke rising in the distance. Black smoke. And it was coming from around the same area as my home... I was stunned at the sight, not knowing what to do. A second might have passed, or perhaps an hour; I do not know how long I stood there. You might find it shameful that I was more concerned about the residence than the welfare of my family, but if you knew me at all by then, you wouldn't be too surprised at such a thing. Mostly I feared for my notes, all of the information I had compiled about my jutsu, all of the experiments I had done, had been exhaustively cataloged there, some 5 hard years of labor while I wasted away in the house, unable to find freedom. My collective knowledge was burning to cinders, and I was here, shaking like a coward. That was all it took to get me to finally lift my foot again, and then the spell was broken. I took off, running now, frantically for my home. I had to save my research. I had to save that knowledge. I didn't care about my family, they would take care of themselves. But books did not simply stand up on their own and walk out the door! I took off down the side road towards our property, looking up every other second to see the smoke. I could only hope that it was the home of someone else who had caught flame; however, I doubted it more and more as I grew closer to the source of the growing black cloud. Finally, I rounded the sparse tree-cover, and could deny it no longer. My home was in flames. I panicked, and did something incredibly stupid. I rushed inside my burning home. I didn't even think to look around for my family, didn't think it strange that they were nowhere to be seen, and that no suiton wielding ninja had been dispatched to douse the flame. I bull-rushed the front door, splintering its frame as I crashed through it, punching a hole straight through the rice-paper. I searched around frantically, and was met with a grizzly scene. There was blood everywhere, splattered up the walls, on the furniture, and soaking into the floor, cooking to the tatami as the flames raged around me. A body lay on the floor, headless, dismembered, gutted, with the entrails spewing onto the floor, surrounded by a puddle of blood. I could tell from what remained of the clothing that it was that of my mother. I shuddered, on the brink of vomiting, retching as I choked on the thick smoke billowing throughout the house. I needed to get upstairs, to my research, to the only thing that would be of any use to me in regaining the honor of my clan. I crawled towards the steps and glanced down the hall, where I saw my younger brother sliced in half, blood spilling from his lifeless corpse as the flames licked at his flesh, burning his body... Like they would burn mine if I didn't hurry out of this hellhole. made by renni

[Shinryu]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] Into ruin, I am sinking... Hostage of a nameless feeling!

I turned and rushed up the staircase, my feet falling heavy on the steps, before a mighty crunch meant that the steps had given way. I leapt and clung to the top landing, coughing and pulling myself up as the heat grew in intensity around me. It was a burning hellfire, the flames dancing along the walls. I struggled to pull myself up to the second floor, smoke clouding my vision as I crawled on my hands and knees. Perhaps it was better than that I couldn't see, as I felt my hand enter a pool of something wet, and sticky... I shuddered at the thought, and tried not to look as I crawled over the corpse of my sister, and fought back a wave of revulsion when I noticed that not only had she been given the same treatment as my mother, but someone else had fulfilled another type of carnal urge with her body... whether it was before or after they had spread her entrails out on the ground in roped strands, well... that I didn't wish to know. The stench was almost unbearable as I crawled on, the smoke stinging my eyes, and my nose, making me dizzy. My hand reached up as I opened the door to my room at the end of the hall, and before I could register what happened, I was flung through the air, hitting the burning wall behind me, as a backdraft rushed out with near explosive force. As I fell to the floor with a thud, I got back up, wiping the sweat from my brow, to see a frightnening scene. There, on my bed, was the body of my father, the limbs of my family members, and their heads, all lopped off and placed in a pile, burning wildly, as though my room, not just my room, but their heads, had been where the blaze had begun. I shuddered at the sight, barely holding back bile, but soldiered on, looking elsewhere in my room, to see if anything else remained. I searched frantically with my eyes as I came to the doorway, and that's when I saw it... A message, painted with blood... bits of flesh still clingng from where the murderer, or murderers, had used them for brushes. That sight would be forever burned into my memory. YOU KNOW TOO MUCH, NINJA. YOU'RE NEXT. And then I was filled with rage. The flames burned around me in a perfect tempest as I stood, and rushed for the window, my notes, my family all but forgotten. It was not just some sadistic monster that had done this on a spree. This had been pre-meditated. These bastards, whoever they were, had attacked me because they thought killing my family would scare me, would hurt me. They were right in a sense... it did wound me. I no longer had a teacher. It was unknown to me at the time, but my desk had been burning for some time, and the files within it were also cinders. They took those from me too... But what hurt me most, was that they were free from justice. That they could commit whatever crime they pleased, and not fear retribution. I leapt through my window, the glass shattering as I rolled in the air, hitting the ground and continuing my roll to expend the momentum. I stood, and wiped the blood from my face, from my hand, from my arms... My clothing was charred, and my long hair had been singed, but those were the least of my worries. I watched and let the rage in me flow unabated as my house burned. A crowd began to gather, and people wondered why I wasn't trying to stop it; why I hadn't asked for help. I simply let it burn, and when the building collapsed with a loud and sickening crunch, I even smiled a little. Oh, I was free now... A free man. No more responsibilities. But would I be free? Or would I confine myself to the realm of revenge? No. I would not avenge my family. Vengeance is for the petty and the weak. Vengeance was too good for the bastards who had done what they did to me, and to the village. I would not avenge my family. I would render justice upon those responsible. But I wasn't foolish, nor hasty. It would be some time until I was capable of such a thing... for the time being, I needed to go into hiding... and there was only one person who could help me now, that I knew of... Only one person that was in the same dire straits as I. "Yuuki..." made by renni

[jinnosuke]

The bright flames had caught her eyes as she went on yet another lonely walk in the night. The oddly soothing orange flames trailing into the sky from a house that she hadn't actually seen before. She wasn't sure, but for some reason she didn't think that this was an accident, though from the small crowd that had started to gather many rumors had been formed... some said it was just a little accident, others seemed to think it was an assassination. But from what she knew there was no one important who lived in that house. Looking somewhat out of place she noticed that there was a man standing there as the house collapsed in front of the crowd, some moved back in surprise while others seemed to be in awe as the flames jumped even higher. Yuuki didn’t blink… she was more concerned with the man she now recognized as the one who had decided to interfere with the attack not too long ago… Well, it seems she was right. She wondered if Shark-boy had the same fate. Ignoring the onlookers, she approached and glanced at him. She felt like she didn’t have to say anything, she had warned him what was going to happen.

(Muse dead, sorry Shane mah boi)

[Shinryu]

Sorry, Jinno. Meta bailed on me in Tsuchi, and it murdered my muse. Hope this will suffice in the meantime.

____________________________________________

I had barely said the word, and she was there... My house was in flames behind me, a burning wreck that began to crash to the ground with loud screeching noises and a hailstorm of sparks... and I could see the fire flicker in her eyes... I needed to be gone from here. I stared at her, and could barely muster the words...

"I... need to talk... with you..."

I doubted anyone from the nearby crowd heard it, as the sounds from the falling wreckage would muffle my voice. I brushed the soot from my face, and stared intensely at the girl. She knew who these people were... And through her, I would find them... I would find them, and bring them to their end, no matter what it took, but first, I needed information. I reached out to her warily, looking around. The crowd would no doubt gawk at me, with the attention I had drawn to myself, and I had little doubt that before too long the Ninja police would be along...

I had to make myself scarce... I looked to reach for the girls arm, stepping in close to whisper to her.

"I need to get out of here, now, before people start pointing fingers, or asking questions... is there somewhere we can go...?"

Hopefully she would be able to take me somewhere that was secure, at least for the time being, and we would be able to discuss things further. As I stared into the smoked-filled sky, I only hoped that some good could come out of all of this loss...

[jinnosuke]

This man was nothing compared to the one who had ‘helped’ her only a few days ago. He seemed… broken, to say the least. From what she could tell whatever he had seen inside that house had affected him, whether he would admit it or not. Though it might not be exactly how she thought it was. Her own experience wasn’t dissimilar to this, apart from her home wasn’t burnt down, in fact she was left there to clean up. She simply looked at him in a sort of kinship, even though she didn’t actually know him, they had been through almost the same thing. She didn’t step back as he approached her, simply waited for him to speak, where she was informed that he needed somewhere to go, somewhere safe. ”I know one place… Come” she said.

Without another word, she slowly turned and began walking away, she wasn’t going to tell him where she was going, and she doubted he’d bother asking until they got there anyway. Ignoring onlookers and anyone who had only happened to find the scene she continued along a seemingly random path… Until they would end up in what looked like a regular house. ”Here we are” she would walk inside, and the first thing he would notice was how clean it was, everything was spotless, the effect of living alone no doubt. There were pictures, family pictures, of times past. Yuuki the youngest in what seemed to be a fairly average family. ”You’ll be safe here. What did you want to talk about?” She hoped, for his sake, he didn’t want revenge…

[Shinryu]

mood music.
_____________________________________________

”I know one place… Come.”

And like that, we were gone. The crowd parted, some confused, some scornful, but I saw nothing. All that mattered was following her... The road was barren, for the most part, and we made our way along it, through the trees, back towards the village. Most of the travel was a blur to me then, however I had an inkling that the path we took was less than straightforward, more than likely to shake possible pursuit. Not that it mattered much... They had come to know me with nothing more than a description from a man down a dark alleyway. If they wanted to follow us, they could, and would, and would end us without mercy. My cool calm demeanor cracked, then fractured, before being utterly shattered under the weight of the truth. I balled my fists in anger and sorrow, feeling tears sting my eyes, but saying nothing. I felt so totally helpless, clinging to the aid of some girl I barely knew! They'd taken everything from me, and would kill me just as soon as they wanted to get around to it, and I could do nothing to stop them! I was just a powerless child, suffering from a fit of jumbled emotions...

My mind was in a haze as I recalled their broken bodies; their blood staining the carpet, even as the flames seared it to ash. I didn't care for them, did I? I thought I didn't. They'd just been obstacles; challenges to my ascension... But they were still my family... I felt the trail of moisture on my cheeks, and held back a sob. Desperately, I tried to put the trauma behind me. I was a man now, and I had no time to shed tears. Crying would solve nothing. Helpless though I was, I wouldn't let the monsters behind this get to me, or destroy my will to live. They thought they had taken that which was most precious. They thought they could scare me, and they were right, I was scared, but I was no coward. They would not master me, and they would not kill me... not without a fight. I steadied my breath, and wiped away my tears, as we came to the door of a home in a part of town I'd never been to before.


The place was... spacious... and clean. I supposed later that it was mostly due to the solitary nature of her living, but at first glance it seemed surreal, like the place had never been lived in. Everything seemed almost, pristine. Untouched, even. I turned my head from her to hide my still puffy eyes, and observed the photos around the house. Her family seemed nice. Looking at the photos, though, they were all dated. She seemed young in all of them, in contrast to her age now... it was beginning to dawn on me that she was in the same situation as I, only... apparently they left her house well enough alone, for some reason. I took a seat and rested my head against my hands, before realizing I was filthy. The smoke and soot had charred up my hands and skin pretty well, and my clothes were stained with blood and grime from crawling on the floor.

"You’ll be safe here. What did you want to talk about?”

"Ah-Oh shit! I'm sorry..." I said, looking at the small spots of blackish-red on the countertop. I hadn't meant to besmirch her house, or forget the topic at hand. I stood up, and shuffled away, staring dispassionately at the state of my clothing.

"I guess I kinda forgot that I jumped from a burning house and all... anyway... I'll spare you the details... my family is dead."

I was deadpan about it, and kept a straight face. There was a slight urge to let loose my emotions again, but I kept myself under control. Now wasn't the time to lose my senses.

"I'm not stupid, either..." I added, knowing what she was probably thinking. "I know that they'll come for me, and I know I'm not strong enough to fight them... but that doesn't mean I don't want to kill them... I just need time... lots of it. Time to get stronger, and time to learn about who these people are, and what they do."

I took a deep breath, and did the single most emasculating, shameful thing I have ever had to do in my life. I shed my shirt and pulled it inside out, so that the clean side would land on the floor, then knelt on it, and bowed my head down in respect to this girl I barely knew.

"Please... you know them far better than I- I'll do whatever you ask of me, just... please, tell me what you know about them. If you hate them as I do, and wish to see them brought to the justice they deserve... I ask you to let me stay here, at least until I can find a home of my own, and to help me bring justice upon these people... I'll do anything..."

I felt terrible, like a useless wretch; a stray with no master, begging for scraps. It was the most humiliating thing I'd ever done, but I needed her... she was the only one who could help me now, and I was so willing to throw myself at her mercy that it scared me, but I knew that I had no other choice. I only hoped she wouldn't look upon me contemptuously for being so piteous.

[jinnosuke]

Yuuki seemed to ignore his blatant disregard of her houses immaculate state as he spread dust and charred clothing everywhere. She could always clean it up after-all. In fact it would be a change to cleaning an already clean house, it was something to do to pass the time of course. He explained what she had already guessed, though his families demise was much more spectacular than her own, not that it was a good thing either. She wondered why he wasn't being more emotional, he didn't seem too worried about his families fate. "You must think you are quite important to think they will still come after you" she stated, if he just laid low for a while they would probably just forget about him. But she seemed to think that he wouldn't be happy with that.

As he knelt in front of her, she simply looked down at him, her expression not changing from a bored stare. "You want my advice?" she would ask rhetorically, before continuing. "I would suggest, you don't make assumptions. I don't hate anyone, least of all the men that killed your family." she stated. Though she wasn't done yet. "Hating them will  only cloud your judgement, if you want your revenge, it would be best that you rest up... And bide your time. And clean up, if you are to stay here I expect you to be clean." she would turn and leave the kneeling figure as she walked into another room, where the sound of various light clangs of metal and a stove being lit. 

She would walk out of what would turn out to be a kitchen and look at him. "You should clean up before dinner, we will talk more then. The bath-room is upstairs... My father's room is opposite. Take some of his clothing until you can get your own replaced." she said, though she didn't seem to be asking him. It sounded like an order.

[Shinryu]

She was... ruthless... and for some reason... I liked that about her! She was... she was right! So right! And I was a fool... If she had truly hated those men, she would have mercilessly slaughtered the man who held her at knife-point. But why...? Why was she so ambivalent?! Did she not care for justice? Did she not want to see those men held responsible for what they'd done?! I could not come to believe that someone that had been so wronged as she by these people, would not wish for them to be held accountable for their sins before their peers, and at the very least, jailed indefinitely? What had they done to this girl to make her so... apathetic? Or was she just that way on her own? Had she felt that her family was guilty of some transgression? I couldn't believe that. Even as jaded as I was towards my family, I held at least some compassion for them... This girl, though... she appeared utterly uncaring for anything. Not to say that I wished for her to care, but it was so strange to meet someone that expressed so little emotion. She was more frigid than I, and I made a living turning things to ice!

Oh, how her words stung, though.

"You must think you are quite important to think they will still come after you"

She seemed quite snide, so not to be outdone, I countered her statement with witty haste.

"Well, yes, generally three foot tall letters written in the blood of your family members expressing the idea that one knows too much and is the next target of the ones who spilled said blood, can tend to leave you wtih that feeling of... importance, was it?"

I sighed and muttered as I realized my attitude was well out of line. "Sorry... I'm still a bit... shaken... You didn't deserve that..."

I picked myself up off the floor and bowed at the waist, having heard her comments concerning the clothing and the shower.

"I'm sorry for assuming, but I don't want you to think I'm just out for petty vengeance... I want all of these men to pay for their collective crimes, not just for the death of my family... Even if you don't hate those men, surely you cannot argue against them being judged for their criminal transgressions against innocent people... Anyway... thank-you. I'll do everything I can to keep myself from being a burden in your company, and will pay for my share of everything, and even pay rent while I'm here, if you wish..."

I shrugged, trying to look gracious, as I was, but also showing her that I was willing to take her lead, as she obviously knew better than I in these matters... And with that in mind, I moved to the hallway, and back to the entrance, shedding my sandals before heading upstairs. It would do no good to track dirt everywhere. I came to the door on the right,and turned the handle. I spied a large chamber with a rather spacious looking bed, certainly large enough for three to sleep comfortably on it. I assumed that to be her fathers' room, and took that as my cue to check the left hand door. Sure enough, I found myself in the bathroom. I stepped inside, and took my first look in the mirror since the fire. The vision that stared back at me with sunken, red eyes, was nothing short of ghoulish, to say the very least.

My weary eyes looked to my hair, and saw that the right side of it was singed about three inches shorter than the left. Scissors could correct that, but that would come later. My face was covered in sooty handprints, and caked with dried blood from small cuts from the glass of the window I'd broken. Everything about me appeared ragged and hang-dog. It was no wonder that my host has disparaged my cleanliness. I was... filthy. I sighed, and began to disrobe, stepping out of my burnt, charred, and dirty clothing. There was no point in keeping it, what with the shape it was in, so I lobbed all of my over-clothes in the garbage bin, let my boxers slide off, and stepped into the shower. I looked down at my hands after turning the knob to start the hot water flow, and saw all the new abraisions. I was a walking pincushion, and a small gasp was evidence enough as the water hit my wounds, stinging them rather annoyingly so. But there was little more I could do about it besides suffer through it. I reached for a bar of soap, and found it oddly... uniform. As though it was spartan, something that had no air of femininity, but simply plain soap; unappealing and uninteresting. It said a lot about Yuuki, I supposed, and still do, considering the nature of her personality and the way she kept house.

I wasn't long in the shower, not wanting to suffer the philosophical reality of Yuuki's soap being indicative of her intrinsic traits for longer than was necessary. I'd soaped up and cleaned off, and wrapped myself in a towel as I opened the door and entered the room that Yuuki mentioned. I felt a sense of unease as the door swung open, and I saw the bland beige of the walls, coming to pigeon hole Yuuki's father as just as boring and unimaginative as his daughter, even if the man was dead. Then again, perhaps the room had been painted byYuuki as a means of repressing memories she'd rather forget. I wouldn't judge her either way, as I ruffle through the drawers and closets to find something suitable. Eventually I settled on a nice pale-blue kimono, with a navy Gi, and decided to put up my hair for once. I looked rather feminine in the outfit, despite not having any "assets" to speak of, but I suppose that was just the curse of my blood. I shrugged it off as I went back downstairs, fully dressed.

I only hope that the clothing I picked wasn't offensive to her sensibilities.

[Estilo]

+ 45!! @ Shinryu
+ 16!! @ Jinnosuke

[jinnosuke]

Yuuki looked as though he had said nothing at all to her remark at him thinking himself some kind of important. Which to her, he certainly wasn't. In fact, she took his 'witty' response in stride, and continued to ignore him as he apologized and simply nodded and waved him off to go clean up. She would suffer his filth in the living room, but she wouldn't allow him to dirty her kitchen.. Though her apparent unfeeling attitude was only a side-effect... A side effect of life filled with pain and misfortune. If he paid attention to her father's room he'd notice a further set of pictures, one of the very same girl smiling broadly, hugging her father, with no idea as to what was going to happen in the future. 

She got to cooking up a fresh fish she had only purchased that morning, as well as rice to set it on. The girl would seem like a decent house-wife, she even wore  her mother's pure white apron as she prepaired dinner. Meanwhile, as her guest walked back downstairs a dash of colour might catch his eye. A door that happened to be slightly ajar would reveal another rather bland looking room, almost clinical with it's white walls and matching furniture, with a single discerning trait... Upon the wall, set upon a shelf, were a small collection of stuffed animals. With a snowy white bear with the words 'For Yuuki' stitched into it's chest in gold thread sitting in between the pillows on the bed, maybe there was more to this girl than one would expect. 

When he did finally get downstairs, there would be a plate with a recently cooked fish sitting at one end of the table, while Yuuki was standing at the other, placing a second plate down for herself. "Come... Eat" she waited for Shinryu to take his seat before doing the same. 

[Shinryu]

I had learned much more than I had expected, as I walked down the hallway towards the stairs. The kimono I had picked was a little large for even me, standing at six and a half feet. I shuddered, wondering what kind of a monster that Yuuki's father must have been, before tripping on the hem of the garment, and falling to the floor. Being a ninja, I caught myself, not making too much noise, as I landed on all fours, but it was being in that awkward position that made me notice a third door down the hall, that was just slightly ajar. I got back to my feet, and was stuck by the sudden urge to investigate. However, I wasn't stupid, and I knew whose room that it likely was, given the lack of others in the hall. I crept towards the door, wondering if it was indeed a good idea to peek, but I did anyway, and noticed much of the same white as her father's room. However, something was different about this one. The stuffed animals, and particularly the one bear on her bed, stitched with gold and treated as a prized posession, made me wonder if perhaps there wasn't more of a human buried deep under that uncaring exterior.

Exiting, and using my training to mark the door in the same location it had been, I corrected my clothing and my hair from the fall, then swiftly hurried down the hall, and descended slowly down the steps. I stepped into the kitchen area again, and was eagerly looking for something to clean up the mess I'd made. However, there was a meal set at the table, and Yuuki stood, setting her own. She invited me to eat, and I could hardly deny her that much. I took out my chair and seated myself at the table, trying to smile. The food did look and smell rather appetizing, but to be fair, I wasn't exactly in any mood to be hungry. Still, I knew I had to eat to keep up my strength, and it would be an insult to let the food go to waste. I broke my chopsticks in half, rested them at the bottom of my plate, and said my thanks, before beginning to eat the rice and fish. It was simple, but wholesome, not completely unlike my mother's cooking, and I was thankful for that. It was a bit of stability in the stormy sea of emotions running through my mind.

"Thank you... for everything.

[jinnosuke]

Yuuki simply nodded as she took her own seat and silently began eating, as with pretty much everything she did, not a movement was wasted, and in no time at all she had finished, the plate practically clean already as she patiently waited her guest to finish his own meal. Her gaze slowly spread across the room, looking for imperfections, anything that happened to be out of place. But she couldn't find anything. When he was finally done, she would stand and take his plate and walk it over to the sink to clean it then and there.

After this job was done, it seemed she was already going to clean up his mess. He was her guest, her mother had taught her to be a good host it would seem. "Please, sit in the living room. I will make us some tea and we can further discuss your problem" she would request as she knelt to clean her floors. Before making her way to the kitchen once more. When absolutely everything was done, she came out with a tray balanced between her hands which she would place between them. She wouldn't speak first this time though, it was up to him it would seem.

[Shinryu]

We ate in abject silence. The meal was nourishing, but it did little to quell my unease. I was unfamiliar here, and Yuuki, while being hospitable, was still rather distant. Not that I sought closeness to the girl; I wasn't looking for an emotional entanglement, but she refused to empathize whatsoever, and without that, I doubted I'd be able to convince her to reveal anything important at all. I finished my meal, and handed her my plate as she rose to take it. I felt... not unwelcome, but out of place. I couldn't help but feel like my presence was a marr on the pristine nature of the home. I saw Yuuki start to clean the mess I'd made, and I opened my mouth to tell her that she needent bother herself with that, that I would gladly take care of my own mess, but she had already started to speak, and so I was struck dumb at her dismissal. I shook my head, and stood up, walking respectfully to the living rook, and kneeling on the tatami next to the table there. There were some articles of furniture around to be seated on, but they weren't near the center of the room, and it just felt more appropriate to sit that way.

It was a few minutes waiting for the girl to finish. I hoped my mess hadn't offended her. I certainly hadn't meant to do such a thing. My thoughts were everywhere. I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do or think, and it was driving me quite perfectly crazy as I sat in my solitude. Thankfully I wasn't left for long. Yuuki came out with a tray of tea that steamed in the air, with a soft hint of some foreign spice or herb mingling in the scent. She set it on the table, and sat across from me, busying herself with the cups. I sat their awkwardly, before realizing that she expected me to end the silence. As she finished pouring the second cup, and offered it to me, I took it graciously, and blew off the steam, sipping it slowly. It was a mellow flavour, like chamomile, with a hint of sweet, to cover up the bitterness. It wasn't altogether bad, and it seemed that even the drinks she served had something to say about the girl, as though her persona was just a facade to cover the bitterness.

I realized the silent tension starting to mount, so I swallowed my tea, and cleared my throat a little, for the sake of etiquette.

"I suppose I should just get down to business, then." I said, with a grave tone.

"I know next to nothing about these people. I don't know who they are, or where they come from. I have no idea what markets they run, or what fronts they put forward... I don't even know what they call themselves..."

It was a feat of ignorance to admit that I was so utterly unaware of the people who had done so much to me in the past few hours.

"Everything I mentioned in that alley, I put together myself based upon the recent rise in crime rates, and the supposing on-going war with the Yakuza that we've been having. It's almost conspiracy theorist worthy to assume that the government is corrupted, but one has to wonder why, in a village full of ninjas, neither side has made a significant break-through. That's why I've come to believe that the war is a sham, and that both sides are profiting from the exchange."

I shared my beliefs openly, and took another sip of tea to focus my thoughts. The bitterness made my eyes flicker wide, forgetting the ache and fatigue of a long day.

"I guess, what I really need to ask you, is what you know. You said far better men than I have tried and failed to remove these people, and I believe you. But I need to know just what I'm up against. I need to have some measure of who these people are, and how serious they are about following up and trying to end me."

I laid it all out on the table, so to speak. I needed any information she could give me about these people. Names, locations, anything at all. They'd be of little use to me at the time being, but I wouldn't allow that to stop me from gathering intel, and putting together a plan. We had a new Mizukage, who was hopefully beyond the Yakuza's reach, at least for the time being, which meant that we could possibly start to run them out. It would take time, and careful planning, but it could be done. And then... Justice...

[Trigga]

Jino ¹⁴

Shin ¹⁶

[Shinryu]

[EXIT]

(OOC: We'll resume from where this left off as soon as you're able to be more active bro. I just need the spare thread so I can do more stuff. If you wanna reply, just assume I'm still there, and I'll drop back in and continue.)