A Stroll In The Unnamed Garden [Nickito&Apple]

[Nickito]

ENTER~

The Village Hidden in the Grass possessed some of the most beautiful gardens that Kasumi had ever seen. Though she had been through the Land of Earth and even the Land of Fire, she had never seen so much beauty in any place but for the Land of Grass. The particular garden that she found herself in was one of her favorites; the scents mingled together in a way that was just perfect, the colors of the flowers seemed to compliment and never clash, and all of nature seemed to find a sort of harmony in that place. Some other gardens were what Kasumi might call painful. A combination of smells and odors that would make a person's head pound and a placement of flowers that seemed unnatural. That was why the kunoichi visited only that garden, even though it went without a name.

Cobblestone pathways connected every branch of the tree, so to speak, and a carefully monitored environment cemented the feeling of truly being in the heart of nature. Birds chirping atop tree branches, crickets chirping but never getting too close to those who sniffed the flowers and laid against the tree trunks. Even the occasional squirrel darted across the pathway only to disappear amongst the bushes. It was truly an oasis where one could go to forget their problems and responsibilities for a while; a form of natural therapy. No harsh sounds, no pressure and no stress. Only serenity.

It was just what the red haired, blue eyed shinobi was in need of. So much had happened to her in just a short amount of time, and that was on top of the memories and scars of her childhood that haunted her like ghosts, day in and day out. As she sat on a brown wooden bench, a hand slid down her leg to rest just above her knee where a scar was forever carved into her skin, left by the kunai of her parents' enemies. She had been only six year old, a child by anyone's standards, yet they had mercilessly gone after her parents through her. Ever since the day that her family had been forced to flee their home in the Land of Water, she'd lived with the fear that one day they would finish what they had intended to do when they left the blemish on her skin. It forever served as a reminder.

She'd come to the garden quite often since arriving in the Hidden Grass, before, during, and after her time in the Ninja Academy. It was her escape. The warmth embraced her like a hug and the flowers touched her skin like kisses. It was her home away from home, and one of the few places she felt safe enough to relax. It helped that when she was there she was usually alone. With no need to keep a vigilant eye looking over her own shoulder, a sense of relief overtook her and allowed her to release the tension from each muscle at once. There were no worries allowed in the unnamed garden.

[Apple]

The sun poured on to the village in a welcoming embrace, kissing everything beneath its eyes softly with a generous supply of light, bar from the few instances of shade formed by the few towering buildings in the village or its abundance of closely-knit trees. Having designed the majority of the village's landscaping personally since its revival, I made sure to keep a few things like they had before everything had been re-done - such exceptions could be seen in the area that I now roamed myself, which, although given amenities like benches for people to sit on, seemed much quieter than the main gardens which had been formed, namely the northern, eastern, southern and western gardens. Bearing no name except those which people personally named it, it was places like these which allowed me to escape back to nature away from the prying eyes of people. Of course, there were the few who caught sight of me and who kept following for the sake of seeing what I was up to, but there wasn't that much to see. As I entered the gardens, from what I could see it seemed empty, and because of such, I approached deeper in to its confines, becoming hidden beneath large, wide branches of trees and pushing myself past various bushes which sprung from the earth. The white chiffon-like dress that I wore draped over my form, and softly glided past the fauna which could be seen about, my arms held to my sides as I moved further in to the garden, becoming so kindly overwhelmed with the beautiful color hues which came in to my sight. Perhaps it was merely because I'd fed little over a few hours ago that I felt so.. carefree, or maybe this was a genuine emotion which I was currently feeling. I was unsure, but as of late I'd found emotions to be untrusting things, given my own personal circumstance.

"......."

I soon came to a halt, and merely looked about, as if trying to pick out something from the miniature forestry that surrounded the garden. The truth was, I was merely looking at the beauty of the place. Rising my right hand and pushing back a hefty amount of blonde hair, I then lowered it, exhaling heavily as I pondered my next action to take. Currently on a break from official duties, feeling the sun hit the skin of my face was a luxury to someone in my position. Stretching my limbs, I embraced the silence of the area, and bathed in the peace that came alongside it.

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[Nickito]

In the emptiness of the garden, sounds of all types were amplified and carried through the invisible molecules of air and into the ears of those that were around to listen. Crickets chirping, unseen insects buzzing, water trickling... And a person walking. The click clack against the surface of the pathways made its way to Kasumi's ears and invaded the peace that had so tightly wrapped around her. The sereneness of the past few moments shattered and was replaced by a sense of dread and fear that stemmed from her lack of knowledge on the source of the echoing tap tap tap that traveled throughout the garden. She was no longer alone, something she wasn't particularly excited about.

Her senses went on alert, almost to the point of being on overdrive. The garden being as big as it was made it hard for her to pinpoint the origin of the steps, and as that made the rest of her senses somewhat useless in the situation, she was forced to rely on what she had come to know as her Sixth Sense; her ability to detect Chakra. Something she was very adept at, it was the perfect tool when one was unable to depend upon the five natural senses. Almost everything save for inanimate objects possessed Chakra, and it was simply a matter of focusing her mind to look through something of a different lens.

The only downfall was that she needed to close her eyes, and that left her blind to all things that often lacked Chakra -- things like kunai, shuriken, swords and other pointed objects. With that in mind, she placed her palms behind her on the back of the bench and fluidly rose up onto them, arms extended, before pushing off into something of a handspring, landing on lush grass. From there, she dashed to hide behind a nearby rose bush that would hopefully hide her physical presence and mask her scent. In that secluded location that she hoped was as well hidden as she thought, she would close her eyes and form the Ram handseal, opening her mind to Chakra.

What she saw nearly caused her to let out an audible yelp. A Chakra larger and more powerful than any she had ever witnessed before. Easily five times her own reserves, and possessing the cutting nature of the Wind, it startled the young kunoichi that so much power could be contained inside of one person. That so much power could possibly be turned against her if it turned out the person was there to kill her or pump information on her parents. Her breathing became ragged and her head began to pound and throb. Opening her eyes and cutting the flow of Chakra, she once again was in the situation of being unable to determine anything. The one thing she did know was that if this other person proved to be malicious, she was surely not going to be making it to the rank of Chuunin.

[Apple]

Naturally, due to the stillness of the place, hearing merely a few things out of character for the peace that had surrounded them caused my ears to perk slightly, as my eyes shot in the direction that the sound had come from only to see.. nothing. There was something here, she was sure. The sound was much too.. heavy to be some kind of squirrel or a cat; perhaps a dog? I wasn't too sure what it was, but it was enough to cause me to approach whatever it had been, or the direction at least. But I wandered aimlessly. I could feel chakra elsewhere in the garden that didn't petrain to my own signal, but I couldn't tell where, I could only feel its soft particles hanging in the air like some kind of thin haze, delectable, and so.. moreish. I wasn't even sure if my legs brought me so far to only find the source and wipe it clean of what it had, or out of my own curiosity, but I continued regardless. However, with no further leads as to who or what it could have been, I had half the mind to end my search. It could have been anything, after all. Even a figment of my own imagination was a plausible option as time stood right now. Pushing back my blonde hair, the trees blocking out the soft breeze that constantly rolled through the village, I prepared to make my leave, only to hear a very distinct cry what sounded like merely a handful of meters away.

However, unluckily for whoever had released the sound (If they wanted to be kept hidden, that is) I'd managed to pinpoint the location of the sound, and true enough, the choice of hiding place hadn't exactly been the best. I prided the village in growing all different kinds of plants, and I wished to continue that. Henceforth, various brushes sprang from the ground of all different kinds - most notably, white roses. Due to both my height and the fact that I, on a good day, had quite sharp vision, I was able to easily notice the girl bearing the long crop of crimson hair hiding behind one of the plants. I continued to pace forwards, angelic features making themselves known from the shade of the trees, golden hair flowing so easily behind my form as I moved. I tried to focus in on her, and the reason why she was in such a position - she seemed almost.. scared. Was it me? I wasn't too sure, but, approaching the girl, I carefully crouched down slightly and gazed down at her behind the rose-bush, the soft, golden trellises of my hair dangling over as bright, endless blue eyes tried to lock with her own. It was strange, to say the least.

"..Are you alright?"

"Why are you hiding?"

I questioned in a gentle tone, my left hand protectively held across my stomach as I bent down.

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[Nickito]

After a short while that seemed much longer than it actually was, the young woman thought that she might have dodged a bullet, so to speak. Though she still wasn't sure where the person was, and didn't dare activate her sensor abilities again out of fear of the Chakra, the air around her seemed still. Quiet, almost. The smell of the surrounding flowers served as something of a sedative, calming all throughout her nerve wracked body. Her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace, her head throbbed and pulsated less and less, and her breathing returned to a regular rate, her chest expanding and contracting easily and comfortably. All until she heard the voice, feminine and calm, float into her ear.

Time seemed to slow all around her, but her body did the complete opposite. Her heart rate picked up again, as if it were in a race. Her glands began producing sweat all over her body, through every pore on her nearly flawless white skin. Her muscles began to flex rather quickly, causing her body to shiver as if she were out in the snow without a coat or a blanket. Though this woman seemed to mean no harm and was curious about what seemed to trouble the young kunoichi, Kasumi knew all too well how deceptive ninja were trained to be. She herself was incredibly talented at tricking members of the opposite sex.

She turned her head slowly, blue eyes darting from the flowers to the fabric of the white dress that draped over the woman's figure, continuing up until both pairs of eyes connected with each other -- both blue, though the shades were much different. The sensor's jaw shuttered and her head began to develop a pulse of its own, fear overtaking her and bringing her back to the day she left Mizu no Kuni. That moment was the first time since leaving her homeland that she had felt so terrified, and she had been but a child then. The feeling was so intense that the scar that remained hidden at all times burned beneath the bandage and fabric of her sandal that covered it.

Slowly, she placed her hand on her leg and rubbed the spot softly, her eyes never leaving the woman who, if she hadn't known better, would look like nothing but a peaceful spirit that inhabited and cared for the nameless garden. The overpowering feeling of the woman's Chakra had embedded itself in her mind though, like a burn on her senses, and only one word came to mind when she tried to think of what this woman might be; monster.

"I'm... I'm hiding from... You," she said with something of a struggle, fighting through the fear and the lack of oxygen in her lungs to get it out coherently. A single tear formed in her right eye, and though she tried to blink it away, it would not leave without a fight. "So much Chakra," she said almost too softly to hear. "So much..." And the tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a salty trail down to her chin in its wake.

[Apple]

"I'm... I'm hiding from... You,"



I wasn't too sure about what to think about that.

Figuring that the young kunoichi wouldn't move from her position, I then instead opted to lower myself carefully to the ground, so that I kneeled opposite her, allowing me to see over the rosebush, whilst at the same time, not making myself seem like a towering giant before her. As I moved to the ground, my hair too fell around me, hooking itself slightly to the spiked bush that separated the two of us, the soft smell of the roses lingering around and so.. heavenly to my senses. However, despite this serene calm that came over me, she still seemed quite upset, her eyes visibly glassy from tears that no doubt had begun to fall. A sense of guilt rolled over me, and almost uncontrollably, I began to speak, my words leaving my mouth as soon as they were thought of in my head. Did she even know who I was? Rising to my feet again, I shifted my position, and as long as she was permitting, I moved closer to the other side of the rosebush, then lowering myself once more to sit close to her, but far enough to allow her some personal space at this point, where I figured that that was what she needed most, alongside reassurance.

"I'm sorry - I didn't meant to scare you."

And I spoke to her in a comforting tone, seeking nothing more than to soothe her. Luckily enough, the place was quiet with surely only us two within it at the current time, so there was no one else around to make a fuss out of the whole ordeal. But she seemed truly terrified by what she'd seen. I could understand, in a way. Surely, being young, she was only used to seeing people with average pools of chakra stored within their bodies. Given that I'd been siphoning from Kouketsu so often, mine had extended beyond average limits, and I could only assume that that sight was strange and disturbing to her. But - it didn't deter me from continuing what I had become so addicted to as of late. Smoothing over the white fabric of my dress a single time, I then returned my arms to my sides, revealing that I wasn't armed. Of course - I had more than enough chakra to protect myself, but I was sure that it wouldn't come to that. She was just a kid. Gazing over at her, my blue eyes studying her appearance and the mannerisms which she'd adopted after seeing me, I stayed in my current position, unmoving, although my eyes would carefully pick up on each movement that she made. I was just being careful, after all. However, unlike many, I had always been motherly - and it was few who managed to see this side of me, but before me now, the girl was given a full display of just how caring I could be, although perhaps it was merely heightened at the moment due to the obvious fact that I was to become a mother in due time. I wasn't sure, but comforting the girl from the distress that I'd caused her was the least that I could to to rectify what I'd done.

"..I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

"There's no need to cry."

[/b]

I smiled softly, emphasizing my words.[/right]
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[Nickito]

The woman seemed to lower herself down to Kasumi's level, kneeling to make herself seem smaller than she was. Almost immediately, Kasumi recognized it as the same tactic that she often employed when dealing with younger children. It was supposed to be comforting to them, and for just a moment, the young red head experienced a similar feeling to what she often thought the little kids under her care must have felt when she placed herself lower to the ground. Even if she didn't know why it made her feel less threatened, the effect was there nonetheless, and it was enough to stop the tears. She even offered an apology, serving to confuse Kasumi.

If the woman was there to cause harm, she probably would have done so already. With the amount of power that Kasumi had seen and felt within her, she most definitely had the capability of doing so. It was at the point that Kasumi couldn't actually see any benefit of the woman earning her trust should she have had a hidden, sinister agenda. She simply could have just tortured what she wanted to know out of Kasumi. After all, no matter how strong Kasumi thought she was, she was still only a Genin that hadn't built up much of a tolerance to interrogation. Deep down. she knew there would be no resisting this woman if she had meant her pain.

Her voice was soothing and calming, and Kasumi was comforted by the fact that she wasn't armed, even if it was only a little bit. As the white hot feeling that came from her scar dissipated, she raised her hands up to wipe the tears from her eyes and her face. It wasn't befitting of a shinobi to cry in such a way. In hindsight, she was almost ashamed for crying in front of someone that she had thought was her enemy. It was as if she had lost all sense of dignity because of her fear, and that was something that she knew could never happen again.

At the promise not to hurt her and the assurance that there was no need to cry, Kasumi found herself smiling at her foolishness. A brief chuckle even managed to find its way out of her. She shook her head and positioned her body into a more comfortable position, resting her back against a tree and setting her legs straight. With her hands resting comfortably on her lap, she heaved a heavy sigh, a sigh that contained all of the tension that had built up in her muscles and her mind, a sigh that was freeing in nature. It took her a minute to actually speak, but as she came around, her voice rang out sweetly and softly.

"I thought you were here to torture me... Or maybe even kill me," she admitted, sniffling to clear her nose. "I'm so used to thinking that they're going to catch up to us that when I opened my Mind's Eye and saw your Chakra, I thought you were one of them," she continued to explain. Though it might seem cryptic to the angelic woman before her, it was clear as a bell to Kasumi. It had been her life for almost 10 years, after all.

"My parents had a large part in the First Shinobi War, especially my mother. She made a great deal of enemies, all of whom wanted her dead, and when they found us in Mizu we had to leave. I got a scar on my leg from the attack, we almost didn't make it out," the kunoichi recounted. "We came to Kusa because they didn't think anyone would look here for us -- it was practically destroyed, so who would choose to move here, right? Plus with my mother's Boil Release, it seemed like a strange place for her to. I've always been afraid that they'd look here and find us though. I mean, there are only so many other places they can look."

And that was that, Kasumi Sansei's life story in a nutshell. Though there were things even she didn't know still, and things that were probably warped due to her perspective having been that of a child's, it was what she knew as her life, and it was what she lived with every day. "I'm sorry to just unload all of that on you," Kasumi said with a small laugh. "I don't usually spill my heart out like that at all, but I guess I just needed to tell somebody."

[Apple]

Allowing her a few moments to herself, watching carefully as she seemed to almost.. laugh at the way that she'd acted, I didn't exactly respond in any way myself, and instead allowed herself to gather her thoughts and become calm. I hadn't exactly expected her to respond to me in such a way, but I couldn't really go against her for her reaction at the same time. Sitting still, kneeling close to the girl, I allowed my hands to drop, resting them against the green grass of the hidden garden, brushing against the texture that it held. Minutes passed and soon the girl's voice began to ring through the area once more, and I listened carefully, my head tilting slightly and my eyes looking over at her forgivingly. Truth be told, as she began to speak, I didn't exactly understand what she was trying to say, what she meant by they and catching up, but I figured that she'd explain in due time. It wasn't that I forced information out of people, but I found that I could easily get people to divulge things - secrets, information - perhaps it was the way that I spoke. Bringing my left hand in to the air, I began to run my hands through the long crop of heavenly golden hair that I bore, allowing my fingers to weave through the soft strands as I listened to the girl's troubles.

And then she began to speak - detailing what I could only assume to have been her life, or at least, some portion of it. I'd heard so long ago that people had returned to the village durings its destruction in order to gain refuge from the warring villages, although at the time I didn't quite understand the nature of that. But then again, everything in Kusagakure during that time had been backwards - I wasn't even sure if the people in charge had been aware of these people coming in and out of the village, but given the fact that the village had fallen, I could only assume that the same applied to aggressive foreign shinobi, and they must have accidentally let some through at some point. However - the girl seemed innocent, almost trapped within the past that she'd had, and I understood that feeling better than any. Despite having found peace within the village, such paranoia still lingered within the red-haired kunoichi, and it was clear in the way that she'd merely responded to me approaching her. But - currently in such a .. calm state of mind, I wasn't out to hurt her or to bring her pain from the past that she so desperatley seemed to try and escape from. I was the Kusakage, after all - and I had to prevent such life-altering things from happening to the people that I cared about. It was all part of my job. Despite the fact that I was made out to be a callous bitch, my care for the village wasn't as easily hidden as everything else. I smiled to her, grounding my hands on the grass.

"If I allowed my people to get hurt, what kind of leader would I be?"

"This place is our home."

A soft pause, as I locked my eyes with hers.

"You're safe here."

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[Nickito]

She actually listened. She sat in the grass with a frightened, blubbering mess of a girl like me and listened to what I had to say. It was clear to me that this woman was most certainly a rarity in the world -- I'd never encountered or interacted with anyone like her before in all my travels. I found myself wondering about just exactly who she was. It was obvious that she was some type of ninja, and probably a high ranking one unlike me, but I didn't bother to ask. It wasn't really important at the moment. I was so incredibly comfortable for the first time in a very long time, just by sitting there with her, which was almost ironic. The same woman that had conjured so many negative thoughts and feeling from deep inside of me was now calming me and making me feel... Safe.

"If I allowed my people to get hurt, what kind of leader would I be? This place is our home. You're safe here."

Her people? Leader? Was she...? No, she couldn't be. What would she be doing in a garden like this, talking to an idiot like me? I'd heard stories of the Shodaime before, about her radiant beauty and her care of every aspect of the village, most notably the people who lived within its walls. Even though I was a shinobi and planned to be a big name, I'd never once even dared to dream of meeting her and actually having some type of conversation with her, yet there I was. There were so many feelings: honor, pride, surprise, happiness. I almost managed to forget that I had basically just told her about how my parents were fugitives and on the run for their lives.

"Lady Blanche," I said, somewhat awestruck. I was actually speaking her name while addressing her. "Everything I just told you. About my parents, about coming here..." I trailed off, unsure of what to say next to her. I didn't want her to think that my parents were horrible people that needed to be detained and questioned, or even worse, turned over to those that pursued them. "My parents are good people, good shinobi. They were only following orders when they did the things they did. They came here because they didn't want any trouble, because they wanted to get away from it all," I explained in an almost frantic way. "You won't... You won't hurt them, will you..."

[Apple]

It was quite a quiet moment, really, and thankfully enough the two of us were allowed to bask in such a quiet time without the intrusion of others, and I respected this, continuing to sit down so quietly as she spoke, allowing myself to be the audience to her sorrow-filled words. Although perhaps her arrival to the village wasn't ... average, it wasn't her fault, but her parents, and they probably chose to take this decision for her own benefit, not their own. I didn't know the full story, of course, but I could understand as I soon came to understand that even know, I fell deeper and deeper in to the overwhelming pit of infatuation with my own child who slept so peacefully as of now. I would do anything for it, and such an undying connection merely strengthened with each and every day. With the chakra that I found myself hungering, I sought not only to attain it for myself and my own dependency on it, but for the sake of the child too, who only seemed to be growing healthier with its addition. But it hurt - I easily understood that it was getting over my head just how powerful such an addiction was becoming, but I couldn't stop. I didn't doubt that Kusagakure would remain our home for years to come, and I merely hoped that nothing came up to jeopardize such a notion, as I had truly become comfortable in its grasp. Having found myself spaced out for a small amount of time, my hands still pressing against the cool earth, I turned my gaze back towards the girl, noticing that she'd calmed down quite considerably since I'd first seen her. Slowly but surely, I rose from my position, extending a single hand out to the girl as she continued to lay with her back against a nearby tree. I sought only to help her from the earth that she'd allowed herself to fall upon.

"This place is your home."

I didn't feel as if I needed to say more than that, really.

"This place is as much your own as it is mine."

Truly, the most I was asking was for them to cherish the village as not only a place to live, but as a home, just as I did for not only myself, but for my prospective family. I wanted them to love the ground that they walked upon and respect everything to do with the place, and defend it when it was in need. Where I was in the picture, I didn't expect people to care for me in the same way that they did the village, but as long as they did that, I didn't mind. Placing both hands on either hip as I gazed over at her, assuring she'd taken my hand, I awaited her response. Her background wasn't all that important. As long as she and her family continued to be hardworking shinobi of Kusagakure, then they were welcome here.

"..What's your name?"


Smoothing out my dress once more, I'd then await her response.
I already knew that she was aware of mine.

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[Nickito]

The young kunoichi extended her hand to grasp the one that had been offered to her, and she gently pushed herself up from the ground, guided by the firm gentleness of Blanche's arm. "Thank you." Her words were simple and brief, but echoed far past just the assistance in getting up, addressing so much more. Despite their curtness, the true amount of gratitude that they carried with them was easily felt. There was no real reason to drag her happiness out over a course of large sentences and repeated notions. The two words, surely, did justice to her feelings, her hushed tone only serving to amplify them in a contradictory sort of way. She was grateful for so many things in that moment, but most of all, she was grateful that she no longer had to worry as she always had. She didn't need to be afraid.

"My name is Kasumi. Kasumi Sansei," she said, bowing her head respectfully. She waited a single second before lifting her chin and shifting her gaze back to rest on Blanche. The stories didn't come close to doing her beauty justice. They barely touched upon the outer beauty, as words would never be able to truly convey just how golden her hair really was, how perfectly it cascaded from her head to her back, how jealous it could make someone like Kasumi feel, but at the same time never incur the hostility that came with envy. Aside from her physical features, though, they had never touched upon how caring she was, even to a girl she had never met before. How adamant she was in making others feel safe and at home. How truly motherly she could be.

"The stories don't even come close to describing you as you really are," Kasumi said with a small, incredulous smile. She shook her head in what almost seemed like disbelief, heaving a gentle sigh into the atmosphere around her. "You have such... Such immense power inside of you. I sensed it. I still can and I'm not even focusing on it. But despite all that you could easily do, all the ways you could easily flaunt it if you wanted to, you possess a kindness that I've never known before, and that I'm glad to have been able to experience," the shinobi said. "We're lucky to have you as our Kusakage, and I'm glad to be able to call Kusagakure my home."

[Apple]

As she gave her name, I couldn't help but understand that I hadn't heard it before, but I'd be sure to try and remember it as she seemed like quite a promising shinobi. A genin, no doubt - or I'd have probably met her before now. Perhaps she was interested in joining the chuunin exams which were due to begin in a few months time? I wasn't too sure, but despite the insecurity she so clearly showed during my meeting with her, I saw no reason as to why she couldn't prosper like each and every other genin in the village. I was sure that she'd make for a good chuunin role model for the others in the village. Whilst diversity wasn't one of my concerns, it was nice to know that there were some people hadn't come from the village yet now protected it as their home, as if they had lived there all along. There was something respectful about it which I appreciated, and so I couldn't bring myself to punish her or her family who had settled in here who would now undoubtedly serve as dedicated shinobi to the greater good of Kusagakure. Having released my hand, the girl now standing close to me, I began to move out of the secluded corner that she'd pushed herself in to upon seeing my chakra-engorged form, revealing myself to the rest of the garden which, thankfully, was still quite quiet. However, as I moved, the bottom of my dress curling so gently with the morning dew that now stained it, I listened carefully to the words which she said - words about me, which only served as a stark contrast to the words which she'd told me at the start of our meeting, wherein she'd been intimidated by my chakra signal alone. Of course, I was more than aware of the several negative factors which plagued me which made me out to more monster than anything, but it was times like these which made me grow hope that I'd be able to break past the chains that had been as of late only wrapping around me tighter.

Perhaps I was kind. Perhaps I could strive to be more than the cold-hearted woman who I'd for years now appeared as. But perhaps at the same time, it was merely a facade brought on by the pent-up hormones that raged within my body. I wasn't sure but at the moment it just felt so.. natural to act as such. But where the chakra signal that she spoke of was concerned - the majority of it wasn't mine, and that was the truth. Where some degree of it was, the rest was scrambled, a completely different signal pertaining to the man known as perhaps the most hunted-for criminal in the entire shinobi world. But I had no regrets, and maybe that was the strangest thing of all, unknown to both Kasumi and the rest of the world around me. I felt enclosed in my own personal bubble, and I wasn't intending on breaking through any time soon. Had she known the truth about me then I was sure that she would take back her words, but I wasn't going to lie and say that I didn't appreciate the comments that she currently made, but at the same time, owning up to such emotions wasn't my thing, and instead, I shot her a playful grin.

"You have potential, Kasumi."

"I look forwards to seeing where you choose to take yourself."

I spoke honestly; I'd seen many shinobi come and go; and she, alike many others of the prosperous younger generations that my own had taught, showed a hidden determination that could only be described as infectious.

"Just never forget the words that you've just told me."
"..Perhaps someday they may be more important than you dare believe"

Turning to face her, I stood in position, basked in the soft glow of the morning sun.

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[Nickito]

"Potential," she repeated the word, mulling it over in the deepest parts of her mind. Did she have it? She liked to think of herself as a capable kunoichi, as a person that was stronger than people often thought, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if she had started on the path of the ninja too late. Others started at the ages of seven, eight, sometimes even earlier, and while she had practiced her entire life to stay safe, her education had been far from formal and she had learned in the farthest thing from a safe, normal environment. Had that been detrimental to the development of her skills? Had it made it impossible for her to be as good a shinobi as someone like Blanche was?

The thoughts raced and raced, her brow furrowing more and more as her mind grew tense. But at the same time, as each of her thoughts jumped from synapse to synapse, new connections were created, forming a path that led her to a true conclusion about herself, one that she was absolutely and positively confident about; her upbringing hadn't made her weak -- it had made her strong. She had more life experience than most shinobi her age possessed. She'd seen battle, she'd seen death, she'd felt both of them, and because of that, she was able to stomach them without much issue. Though her earlier reaction to Blanche was full of hysterics and tears, most people -- most enemies -- that were out there waiting likely weren't like Blanche in terms of power level. For those that were similar to her, she knew that she only needed to train harder and get stronger to be able to hold her own against them. Perhaps one day she would be able to work with Blanche to achieve such a level of strength.

"Well I'll give you a sneak peak, if you'd like," she said in response to Blanche's expressed interest. "By that I mean that I know where I want to get to in life. Whether or not I get there is something that only time will reveal," she continued. "I want to be a name that people know and don't dare take lightly. I want to be strong enough to be able to make others feel safe like you do, Lady Blanche, even if at first they fear you. I want others to be able to be happy, and I want to be able to help them achieve their happiness." She took a deep breath, a rush of exhilaration coursing through her veins as she finally realized what she wanted her future to hold. "I'll protect Kusa with my life because it's my home, and because it has welcomed me like no other place ever has."

Even if the words that she had said in the unnamed garden that day were lost by her memory or stolen from her by time, she would never forget what had happened, and she would never forget the feelings that she had felt and expressed. With a warm smile, she nodded her head gently, her red locks of hair shifting ever so slightly behind her back with each movement of her neck. "I won't, I promise," she said softly. Though she had only just met Blanche, she felt a sort of connection with her. In a way, it was like she had found a role model even though she was already 17 years old. Blanche had helped her find what she wanted most in life.

[Apple]

"I want to be a name that people know and don't dare take lightly. I want to be strong enough to be able to make others feel safe like you do, Lady Blanche, even if at first they fear you. I want others to be able to be happy, and I want to be able to help them achieve their happiness."



A soft smile emerged from my lips.

By merely provoking the desire to succeed which she all-too obviously had imbued within her, I felt justified. Although; truth be told I'd done it to a few other shinobi across the years who needed that extra push to get themselves on to their own feet. It reminded me of a time so long ago; my first meeting with a shinobi named Burabiya, Atlas. Upon meeting him, I'd served purpose as nothing more than a street thief in the land of Kaminari no Kuni. Though his words had at times infuriated me, he'd nonetheless made me rethink the options and actions that I had at the time, and I truly believed that if it wasn't for his drive and enthusiasm for life in general at the time, then I wouldn't be here I was at the moment. Perhaps all someone required was that one person to change everything based on that on small moment - Atlas had inspired me to become better than what I'd been like back then, provoked me enough to challenge his opinion of me and make myself the best that I could in order to not only make him, but everyone that came in contact with me, proud. But I hadn't seen him for a while now. Despite the fact that this very moment was shared between both myself and Kasumi, I couldn't help but think back to the several memories that I'd shared with the Kumogakure Jounin, leading me to wonder just where exactly he was now. I was due to meet with Eiichiro soon in regards to the alliance between both of our villages; surely he would know something about his whereabouts. It would just be nice to see him again, and to see how he was doing.

So much had changed since the last time that I'd set eyes on him.

But, tuning myself back to the present as I looked over at the red-haired kunoichi before me, I flicked her another smile in lieu of the moment of haze that had come over me from spacing out. Listening to what she had to say, I'd softly nod my head. She was well on her way to making not only I, but the whole village proud. The chuunin exams were due to come up in a few months time, so I was sure to remember her name and ask her about it at a later date to make sure that she was prepared to enter them. Perhaps I was merely being pushy, but I was sure that she had what it took. "Don't let me down." I spoke, my tone not challenging in any way, but instead playful, although I did mean it. It would be a shame to see a girl bearing such hope for the future lay to waste. Parting her with those few words, I'd then turn and make my way out of the garden, such liquid-gold like hair floating on the short breeze that my travel created. I soon disappeared out of view, becoming one with the rest of Kusagakure.

EXIT!

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[Nickito]

A wide grin took its rightful place on Kasumi's face, and she barely contained a loud and room filling laugh. "I won't! You'll see!" As Blanche disappeared from sight, Kasumi chose to make her leave as well. She had work to do.

EXIT~