Clue 1.

[King]

Thankfully, the guards knew exactly who the young Uchiha was looking for. They'd guided the pair of foreign shinobi straight to her doorstep before leaving with their weapons, assuring the two that they would be able to pick all of their items up when they left the village.

Rather than knock, Ashura spoke from a distance of several meters. "Mrs. Etsuko? Mrs. Etsuko, are you home?"

There was a silence for several moments before he continued. "Mrs. Etsuko, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm looking for-- uh, a Nagato Etsuko? I believe he's your husband?"

Silence.

Looking to Kirino, he gave a disappointing shrug. "Maybe she's not home?"

[vetti vedi vicious]

Well, it was surprising that the guards had the time to escort them to the house of the woman Ashura sought out. Perhaps they were just being nice and inviting, good hosts and all that. How kind! Well, they were at the door, and Ashura talked to the door. This didn't seem to produce any results, nor did his second BARRAGE of words. Kirino idly itched the back of her, lazily looking the place over. She snapped back to attention as the boy addressed her.

"Wha- Can't you Uchiha, like.."

She took a hushed tone, lowering herself slightly as she spoke.

"-See through walls, or something?"

It was a stupid question, but perhaps it'd give the Jounin an idea or something.

[King]

"No?" he replied, his tone somewhat surprised. Was she being serious? "I think you've got us mixed up with the Hyuuga, buddy. They're the ones with the funky x-ray eyes and what not."

No, unfortunately, Ashura didn't have a better set of eyes. In his opinion, the Sharingan was probably one of the most useless kekkei genkai in the shinobi world. Sure, it allowed them to predict how they're opponent would attack them, but records show an awful lot of them dying stupidly.

Oh well.

"But," he continued, stepping closer to the humble establishment. Using a small box just below a window, he pulled himself to the lip and peered inside. "I can see through windows! : )"

Dark. Stillness.

No one was home. "And it looks empty."

[vetti vedi vicious]

"Hm, well..."

She turned her eyes upwards, bobbing her head from side to side slightly, as if thinking, considering the possibility that she was still right and knew about something Ashura did not. He was probably right though, she told herself.

"Maybe I am."

Kirino turned her gaze back on the boy, nodding with this statement. It seemed he had another idea. She followed silently as he moved to the window, able to see through it while simply standing.

"Eh?"

The place was seemingly abandoned. She groaned to herself, disappointed and a bit concerned now. They didn't have many options, being at something of a dead end now. What else could they do..?

"Should we- just go in?"

For whatever reason she'd put the decision on the Jounin, thinking of him as a leader for a moment rather than a child.

[Ichi]

When the guards found me in the square, I hadn't expected them to tell me that someone was looking for my husband and I. The fact that they'd addressed me as Mrs. Etsuko told me something was off; only a few people within our village knew of our marriage, and if these foreigners knew, then they clearly weren't giving the full story. Only-- they knew me by that name.

Hastily, I made my way back to the house, only to find the two bastards lurking just outside my front door. They were peering into the window, the smaller of the two, and clearly hadn't been alert to my presence.

I had to take them out fast.

Without so much as skipping a beat, I cleared the distance separating us in the blink of an eye¹. The girl was closest to me, and I intended to end her life in a single, soundless strike to the base of her spinal cord. My Byakugan had activated long before my leap², and I could see the layout of her tenketsu flawlessly.

My right hand snapped forward, my index and middle finger poised to send her into the cold embrace of death.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shunshin no Jutsu¹; Byakugan²

[King]

Fortunately for the pair of adventurers, it was dark inside. A combination of the darkness of the interior and the dimming lights of the evening made the glass more reflective than anything, and Ashura could see the prowling lioness just a handful of meters behind them. Thankfully, he was as skilled as he was - he might not have been able to save Kirino if he wasn't.

Despite the distance, the nameless woman moved with a frightening speed. Ashura barely had time to shove Kirino out of the way, off to the right, while he offered his own half-pivot in the same direction. Seamlessly, without blinking, his slate eyes had evolved into a vibrant red¹. His sharingan was imperfect, yet still quite viable.

With a new found clarity offered by his augmented eyes, the hand that had previously shoved his companion out of the way soared high and over, arcing back to its respective side almost aimlessly. All the while, his left took advantage of the obvious dedication to her forward thrust; nimble fingers would wrap around the lithe wrist, firm and tighter than the inescapable vices.

Simultaneously, the his right foot would skim the dusty ground, until finding purchase on her own left. His goal? Force the assailant into a gridlock, even if for the time being.

[vetti vedi vicious]

It'd be an understatement to say Kirino was taken off guard. By the time she had gotten a "what are ya'" out, she was already stumbling across the room from the young boy's 'surprisingly' strong shove. The boy's actions seemingly stunned her, as well as the woman's dash and Ashura's follow up counter. With one fluid movement it seemed he had temporarily. grasped control of the situation, leaving Kirino only a moment to assess her surroundings. Cold sweat pulsed at her, heart rate rising immediately as well. It certainly wasn't the first attempt on her life, but she still wasn't quite "used" to it.

In a split second decision, she found herself forming a short few handseals of her own, having now gained proper footing. Her chosen attack was intended to be little more than a mild distraction to the combatant, which was hopefully all that Ashura needed to gain complete control over the situation. If so, she planned to dispel it immediately, having no intention to make the woman suffer. After allowing her genjutsu to set in, she would reach for her own weapon, a Jian. This was something she rarely did, but felt in this close quarters combat situation might come in handy.

SPOILER: Click to show

NODODITSUMARU (DRAINING OXYGEN SLIP)
RANK: C X2, B
TYPE: SUPPLEMENTARY / TOUCH GENJUTSU
RANGE: 0 - 10 METERS
SPECIAL: LACK OF OXYGEN AFFECTS A SINGLE VICTIM WITHIN A 10 METER RADIUS FROM THE USER, PLUS 10 MORE EACH TIME RETRAINED THE 'C' RANKED VERSION IS TRAINED; 'B' RAKED VERSION ADDS AN ADDITIONAL VICITM EACH TIME RETRAINED. IF GENJUTSU IS NOT DISPELLED WITHIN 4 TURNS, TARGETS FALL UNCONSCIOUS.
DESCRIPTION: A SIMPLE YET AFFECTIVE GENJUTSU USED MAINLY AS A DISTRACTION AND TO CAUSE PANIC IN THE VICTIM. AFTER FORMING THE NEEDED SEALS, THE USER DESIGNATES A TARGET AND THE TECHNIQUE WILL START TO TAKE EFFECT. THE TARGET OF THE TECHNIQUE WILL BEGIN TO FEEL AS THOUGH THEY’RE NOT TAKING IN ENOUGH OXYGEN AT FIRST, WITH SHALLOW AND QUICK BREATHS. THE NEXT TURN THE TARGET FEELS AS THOUGH THEY’RE TAKING IN NO OXYGEN AT ALL, WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY THE FEELING OF DROWNING. THE VICTIM'S BODY BELIEVES IT IS LITERALLY TAKING NO OXYGEN, AND SO THE BODY DOESN'T SEARCH FOR IT BUT INSTEAD WASTES MORE ENERGY TRYING TO OBTAIN MORE. THIS RESULTS IN THE TARGET FALLING UNCONSCIOUS IF THE ILLUSION GOES UNCHECKED.
DOMAIN: GENJUTSU – ILLUSION OF TOUCH

[Ichi]

I must admit, the boy's abilities were impressive. While I had expected the assassin's to be somewhat skilled, his elusive counter to my assault had proven to be a bit more than what I credited them for. It made very little difference in the grand scheme of things, because even with the guidance of his Sharingan - which I had noticed was not fully evolved - there would be very little he could do to trump my eyes.

While his grip of my right wrist was successful, he would find his attempt to pin my foot to the ground moot. Simply moving my foot forward in a short, quick burst would bring it parallel to his own encroaching appendage, so that they would effectively pass each other. Unfortunately for him, my leg would be on the inside of his proximity, giving me all the leverage I would need to complete my makeshift follow-up.

My left hand, free to act upon its own accord, would thrust forward at the center of his chest. Of course, I'd factored in his own soaring right hand, and even if he managed to stop a connection from forming, there would be nothing he could do to stop the true attack. The physical motion merely facilitated the invisible wave of chakra coagulating in my palm, and the moment it came to a halt, the maelstrom would erupt from my being and crash directly into the boy's figure. It carried with it a force that would easily burrow him into my home, crashing through the wall and into the living room.

Needless to say, the cloud of debris and smoke would be more than enough to obscure the girl's line of sight (which would've came into existence mid-way through her sealing), making whatever technique she'd prepared more than likely useless. Even if it hadn't, I wouldn't have been there anyways. The moment I had the cover, I relocated to the roof of my house.

"Your partner is dead, assassin." My voice was unusually cruel, my pulsing Byakugan focused and sharp. "Leave here, and never return-- and I will spare your life."

[King]

Apparently, she'd plotted Ashura's movements down to the letter. His feeble attempt at hand to hand combat with the lioness had proven to be disastrous; the moment his right hand latched around her incoming left wrist, he could see the canon ball of ferocity exploding from her palm.

As if a chain of gravity had wrapped around his torso and yanked, the boy's figure disappeared into the house through a newly created hole in the wall.

There was no grunt - no cry of pain.

[vetti vedi vicious]

Well that went to shit. The boy's defeat clearly spelled this woman as much stronger than, or more experienced than a Jounin. Far beyond Goto's reach in all senses. There was no point in trying to take her on, but she wouldn't falter immediately. Kirino's eyes would dart between the woman and what was essentially a crater in the house. The impossibility of it all had her stunned, but she managed to keep it together, keeping her mind clear and focused. The woman spoke, however, breaking her concentration.

Her tone was frigid, cold sweat pushing its way onto the surface of Kirino's flesh. She knew well enough that, despite the power of the Hyuuga's blow, Ashura was most likely still alive. That was her hope at least, and she would find out regardless. Now she had to weight priorities. Was it worth telling the woman their objective? Would it be safer to just flee and let Ashura escape on his own later? Could she risk an attempt to retrieve him? Kirino was never one for combat and always preferred delegations, but the woman before her did not seem quite as keen on any sort of discussion. However, to Kirino, it seemed the best course of action. Hopefully the woman was reasonable enough not to get easily upset by words.

"We- we are not assassins," she managed, stuttering slightly through her attempt at an intense, projecting tone. "Ashura, the boy- He is trying to find his father, his parents, and was told to find you, knowing nothing else." Kirino made an attempt to stretch her vocabulary and use larger words, but was having a hard time doing so. She fumbled onward, maintaining her inflection.

"I underst-stand if you don't believe me, but if you don't, please, just let me retrieve his body from the rubble so I can return it to his home. That's all I ask."

[Ichi]

The girl's cowardice was, in fact, all the proof that I needed that she wasn't an assassin. However, the boy had displayed skills no mere child should've possessed. She may have simply been a decoy for his plot; however, I couldn't take any chances.

"Taking his body is out of the question," I spat. "He'll receive a burial suitable for an assassin. You've been used, girl."

While I was merely going off a hunch, I didn't see a reason to explain anything to her. She was nothing more than a puppet in this boy's game, and I intended to end it right here. They were sadly mistaken to think that having a child slowed me down; if anything, it'd made me even more aware of my surroundings.

I'd kill them both before they laid a finger on Nagato.

[King]

It hurt, but he was alive.

Ashura definitely wasn't able to evade the blow, but thanks to his Sharingan, he'd managed to mitigate a healthy portion of the damage that would've otherwise made it fatal. His arms and legs had been cut by the various debris he'd cut sent soaring through, and the back of his head was throbbing from where he'd hit the final wall. Still, he was well aware of the situation, and could hear the pale-eyed bitch threatening Kirino and claiming her victory over him.

The smoke still hadn't cleared entirely, but Ashura had managed to make his way back out into the open by the time that it did. His face was marred with a thick, caked combination of dirt and blood; his clothes were a mess; yet his eyes were fierce.

First, he looked to Kirino. "It's alright, Kirino. She doesn't have to believe us."

Then, he looked to the woman. "But I'm not leaving here until you tell me what I want to know about my parents. You got that? So, if you do intend on killing me, you better come with a hell of a lot more than that."

His words carried with them an undying determination, as did his rigid and prepared posture. But it would be those eyes that marked his true identity for the Hyuuga-- his Sharingan, they were different from the typical Uchiha. Rather than sitting upon a canvas of white, the entirety of the boy's eye had turned black, leaving only the red of his activated Sharingan was visible against the pitch.

That boy had the devil in his eyes, much like his father had.

[vetti vedi vicious]

Her intense 'act' would quickly dissipate as the woman spoke once more, her visage twisting with a mixture of concern and confusion. Why was it out of the question? A burial for an assassin? She was used? None of it made sense to her, and in the same none of it seemed good. In most situations like this, Kirino wasn't required to think. Simple orders were always followed without question, and anything that contradicted the commands given to her were simply ignored. Unfortunately things weren't so simple this time around. She had to act, think for herself. For a moment, Kirino considered the possibility that going on this journey wasn't the best idea.

Ashura appeared out of the rubble before she had to think too hard, fortunately (god forbid). Upon seeing the boy, she called out to him.

"Ashura!"

For a moment she considered approaching the boy, looking him over for wounds and such, before remembering the presence looming over her. Surely if she made too sudden of a movement the woman would attack her. So instead, Kirino gave the boy a concerned look, which would hopefully be enough to convey a simple "are you okay," etc. He seemed to understand, speaking.

"Mhm, let's-"

Before she could suggest leaving for the sake of safety, the Uchiha began speaking again, now with great determination and passion. Did he really have to provoke her more? Couldn't he just ask kindly for the information? A nervous smile crept onto her face as the boy went on. Kirino turned to the woman.

"Ah- Haha. Haha. He's just kidding, uh, we don't want to fight! But we would still appreciate it if you would hear us out! Heh~"

She wasn't very convincing, and the boy's almost humorous intensity wasn't doing much to help.

[King]

The boy's unique Sharingan, in which the red was painted on a canvas of the deepest black, struck a visible fear into the Hyuuga stand upon the roof. Her posture was rigid, almost frozen; her eyes widened in disbelief while her mouth went ajar. "It. . . it can't be. Y- you're his son?!"

At the mention of 'his,' Ashura's expression went blank. So, she did know his father? Excellent, the boy mused. This had gone far better than he originally imagined.

"I-- I didn't know, I'm sorry!"

Ashura blinked his Sharingan eye. "Huh? Were you two. . . friends, or something?"

"Not entirely, but my husband and your father were-- it's not safe to speak about this outside. Please, follow me. I'll lead you to our real home."

Without so much as another word, the Hyuuga turned and sprinted off into the distance. Ashura, still astonished their first clue turned out to probably be the biggest he could've ever asked for, was speechless. Coughing, he turned and looked to his companion. "Well, lets follow her. Stay on your guard, though."

[vetti vedi vicious]

Well, it was quite the turn of events, and one much for the better. The Hyuuga, though quite possibly multitudes stronger than either of the two she was facing, appeared frightened. Very, very frightened. Or perhaps it was just shock. Kirino herself didn't quite know how to react. The following apology only served to further her confusion. Apparently the boy's father was very well known, and perhaps much more than that.

After the two stammered on for a while, the woman offered them to come follow, prompting to Goto to give Ashura a shrug as to confirm her clueless state. At the same time, she was quite happy things were going so well now. She never would have guessed things would be going so well this soon into their "search." Then again, they suffered through the desert, for at least a short while. Perhaps this was karma smiling on them. That was the best Kirino could come up with for the time being.

She nodded as Ashura addressed her once more. Yes, staying on guard was a good idea. After all, it was only moments ago the boy was nearly buried alive in rubble. Then again, he seemed to be doing okay after all of that currently. It was her pondering of the implications this had that caused her to miss the break into sprint of the two others. After gasping to herself, Kirino followed in step to the best of her ability