A spring of pearls (Private)

[Uchiha Akari]

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If there was one place Akari felt comfortable in then it must had been the underground village of Arcadia. It was such a peaceful and calm community, but also surprisingly hospitable that Akari found herself wandering around the underground roads of the village more often than the time she spend inside Maruishi. It happened that today she had come to Arcadia in the hope of escaping from the chaos of the streets above that had started to become flooded with refugees and travelers from other countries. She still had no idea what had driven them all to Tsuchi no Kuni but the sight of all those people was somewhat intimidating to her. Hakouro however was just as much at ease within the underground settlement as she herself had been, walking quietly beside her while occasionally sniffing in the air.

Finally she had arrived at her destination, a place commonly known as the ‘Sea’. The Sea was truly a peculiar landmark within Arcadia, while it held the namesake of being a sea, or rather a large lake of sorts there was in fact a lot of fresh water to be found, and Akari often found herself fascinated by the sight, traveling to the place whenever she wasn’t on duty.

Even more intriguing was the fact there were plenty of small boats along the shore of the sea, allowing her to borrow one of them for a small fee before she made way toward one of the small islands within the lake. There was a reason she was about to head to this island. The island, what was called the ‘Spring of Pearls’ by the residents of Arcadia was in fact a small island with at its center a warm hot spring of water while pearls of all sizes could be found on the outskirts of the island.

It wasn’t simply because of the spring or the pearls but the fact the place was peaceful that Akari enjoyed to spend some of her free time there. It took only about an half hour before she reached the shore of the island, climbing off the boat while the Inuzuka dog leapt out of it and onto the shore. Hakouro himself seemed equally fond of the island.

“How about we take a pearl or two home for Mama and Papa?”

The Inuzuka dog nodded his head firmly in return. Akari’s loyalty toward her pack was admirable so he didn’t mind the idea at all. Still he knew that the girl didn’t just came here to pick pearls, something that was confirmed when the moment she put two small pearls in her bag the girl made her way further inwards, heading toward the small spring. While she might had been a Human Puppet there was something pleasant about soaking her body in a warm spring!

Going to play around again Akari? I’ll keep the watch then, just don’t stay in too long.

The girl chuckled softly at her companion’s words, replying with a grin as they reached the spring.

“Don’t worry, I won’t rust or anything!”​

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Shikino Akari​

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[Muramasa Maya]

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Arcadia. An entire settlement that resides in a cavern beneath the village of Iwa, so close, yet so different than the village above. The atmosphere was calm, serene, and almost eerily tranquil; it would not be surprising for someone who stumbled across Arcadia to believe they had woken up within a plane of dreams of some sort. Even now, the blonde shaman couldn't resist taking advantage of this refuge, an environment much different than the bustling streets of the village above, in order to shut her eyes in meditation.

...Or, rather, she would have had she not been traveling across the steamy sea by boat. See; not matter how quiet or empty the environment, it was simply impossible for Seirika to relax or calm herself on water. Especially the deep kind where the bottom extended much further than one could see. That was creepy as hell. If it were up to her, she'd have her feet firmly upon the ground of Arcadia's shores. However, this was a trip that she made a little more than once or twice a month. Arcadia was such a unique environment, and was the source of several unique herbs and materials that the shaman used in her various practices.

"...We're here, Shousuke. Be careful getting out, the water may burn you." The shaman spoke, picking up a pack off the floor of the boat and slinging it over her shoulder. There were two passengers on the small boat; the first was Seirika herself, garbed in a green waterproof cloak and large field backpack. "It will take me some time to gather all the materials I required from here, so you may explore if you'd like. Don't wander to far from me, though." The shaman spoke to her younger brother as she checked over a list she had made earlier.

"I'm fine, nee-chan. Its just an island; there isn't too much where I could get lost anyways..."

[Shousuke]

The other passenger was even smaller than the shaman; a skinny, pale child of 11 or 12 years, dressed in summer attire; tanktops and shorts and sandals (they were going to a beach, afterall). Cautiously, the boy stepped onto the shore and began to walk off ahead of her sister, only for her to quickly grab him by the shoulder to halt his advance. "Hold on. There's footsteps here on the beach...someone else is here. And an animal of some sort?" "Yeah, you didn't see their boat on the sea earlier? Oh...I forget you get seasick." He ran ahead of his sister, following the tracks along the shore. Seiri reached out like the protective older sibling she was, but...

...But the boy had already gone on ahead in excitement. "Oooh, a puppy!" Yes. Puppy. Any sort of "Canine" was a "puppy" to the boy. And naturally, he felt the need to try and run up and pet it.

[Marked]

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[Seirika]​

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[Uchiha Akari]

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It didn’t take long for her to notice the approaching footsteps, not just the sound but the sound of a child’s voice caused her to turn around while she was walking along the path leading further inland. The first thing she spotted was the approach of a girl, or it was a girl right? It might had been a really feminine boy also but there was no way for her to know currently. What she did know however was that the boy took a great risk by rushing up to her companion. Hakouro while used to human companion was fortunately also a rather social being so when the child started to pet him the initial expected reaction that involved him biting off the limb that was used to touch him had instead be replaced with a lazy rubbing of his snout against the hand of the stranger.

“Permission to pet has been granted, feel grateful for my kindness young one…”

The dog barked briefly while Akari decided to return along the path, a hand resting on her hip while the other remained to linger at her side. Who was this curious one who had chosen to approach her doggy so casually? It was already strange for someone to visit this island, but it was even more unusual for them to come up and pet her companion.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Her lips curved up in a small grin Akari watched the interactions between the large canine and the stranger. Still who were they to come up to her so boldly? It must had likely been a shinobi, because with her Hakouro looking like a giant wolf it took a lot of courage to approach him so boldly. Fortunately for her the situation turned a lot more interesting when the second person of the group arrived, her eyes making a cursory glance at them.

There was only one word she could use to describe this stranger, and that word would have been ‘beautiful’. There was a certain elegance and softness in her features that were pleasing to the eye, and even her voice sounded surprisingly soft and feminine.

“Uwaah, Doggy what are you doing! First you’re luring an adorable-looking child to you and now even brought a pretty Onee-san along, teach me your tricks~”

Playfully exclaiming those words Akari approached the large canine and lightly patted his shoulder before she continued.

“But good thing that he noticed you two before I went further inland. I often come here to relax when I’m not on duty and the hot spring here works wonders for that. Not just that but the pearls lodged within the walls of the spring seem to contain cleansing and healing properties according to the locals so it’s a well-kept secret~”

Indeed, the hot spring was a surprisingly pleasant place to soak in, especially considering that as a human puppet she didn’t need to worry about being within the water for too long.

“Also his name isn’t puppy but Hakouro~ But if you ask him really nicely you might be allowed to call him Doggy like me.”

Smiling softly as she walked past the child she approached the older looking girl of the duo and asked with a certain innocent playfulness in her tone.

“And what would this onee-chan’s name happen to be?”​

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Shikino Akari​

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[Muramasa Maya]

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"Shousuke, don't!" Ah geez; the little boy was going to give his sister a stroke one day. Unable to contain the excitement of her brother, Seiri rushed along behind him, only to sigh in relief when it turned out the puppy allowed itself to be pet.

The two siblings were had drastically different reactions; Seiri having that of relief, and Shousuke's being that of clear amusement. "Wh-whoa...I've never been this close to a dog before. Theres so much about them that books don't mention, like how soft his fur is!" Shousuke announced with a playful laugh. As made evident by his lack of caution, Shousuke was slightly lacking in the common sense department, a side effect of living a sheltered life. Due to his condition, his ever-loving sister kept him within there home most of the time.

The older sibling, however..."Please do not do that Shousuke! I will get a leash if I have to!" She sighed. Nevertheless, she herself was curious over the wolf found on the island, although showed more restraint. So when the canine's owner appeared, the shaman gave an apologetic bow of courtesy. "I apologize for my brother's excitement, miss." She spoke softly. The miss she had spoken too was...quite the site.

She was a young girl having fern green hair and heterochromatic eyes, dressed in the distinctive robes of a shrine maiden. Yet, even without those two traits, looking at her gave the shaman the odd feeling that something was off about her appearance. Something she couldn't put into words...Was this girl perchance Arcadian? As for Shousuke..."She's...pretty..." Seiri smiled. "Again, I apologize if we are disturbing you, miss. But it is as you say; there are pearls and other materials here that have special properties that can't be easily found above ground. I often come here to gather some of them." Although this was generally the first time she ran into someone else, otherwise she may have thought twice about bring her younger brother.

Aww, but he was so happy! "Hakouro...I like that name better. Hello Hakoruo! Can you swim? Want to go into the springs?" The young boy questioned eagerly to the wolf.

"...I am Shaman Seirika, miss. A shinobi of Iwagakure above. And that is my younger brother, Sousuke." She introduced both herself and Shousuke to the young girl and her furry companion. "I'm not a shinobi like my sister, but she's very good at what she does. I help her tend to herbs and materials when she's busy." "Yes...We already have Hakouro's name, what might yours be? Do you live here in Arcadia?" If so, perhaps she might know of special areas here in Arcadia that the shaman may have missed before.

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[Seirika]​

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[Uchiha Akari]

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“Well he does hold his fur in high-esteem.”

Akari grinned sheepishly, having been glad that only she was capable of understanding the barks of the Inuzuka. Then again, it likely would have turned out to be rather silly if people started to understand the dog all of a sudden. It was only after Seirika had spoken again, asking for a name that Akari realized she had not properly introduced herself.

“Ah right~ I’m Akari, a pleasure to meet you~”

A smile lingering on her lips the girl pondered about the comment involving her potential identity as an Arcadian and the seemingly rare sighting of Hakouro. Shaking her head lightly in return Akari explained in a cheerful tone.

“Ah I’m not an Arcadian, I’m from Iwagakure like yourself. Hakouro is an Inuzuka canine, so they might be a bit rarer to see.”

Grinning sheepishly she watched Shousuke ask Hakouro if he wanted to take a bath in the springs, something he replied to with an amusing chain of barks.

“I can’t, it is my duty to keep guard over Akari while she bathes, it’s the role of true guardian of the pack.”

Akari continued her explanation with a hint of cheerfulness in her voice.

“But I do visit Arcadia and the Sea frequently. I’m not that good with crowds so I tend to prefer this time of location more.”

Of course she had plenty of reasons to dislike crowds. Still right now she was in pleasant company so as long as it remained that way she had no reason to complain.

“Sorry Shou-chan but Hakouro only bathes at home or after I’m done. You see, there’s only one way to safely reach the spring inside the island so while he stands guard here I can bathe and relax without having to worry about peeping toms and tammys. Now she thought about it, all things considered wasn’t this the perfect chance for a little idea of hers.

“Ne~ Ne~ Shou-chan, Seiri-nee~ You two want to accompany me to the spring? I can show you why they are considered to have healing properties and taking a bath is always more fun while in the company of other girls~”

Poor Shou, maybe it was because of his feminine looks that Akari totally thought he was a girl and that what she had just suggested had been a very normal idea. It seemed the large wolf was aware of this, snickering softly.

That’s Akari for you, wish I would be there when she learns one of the pretty girls in fact has a surprise in their pants.

“Just don’t stay inside the spring for more than a few hours, You see, the pearls are said to help stabilize and cleanse the user’s chakra while inside the spring but stay too long and your chakra will be too influenced and you’ll become unable to manipulate it for a while.”

Trap set, now to see if the prey would end up biting. This certainly was more fun than fishing!​

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Shikino Akari​

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[Muramasa Maya]

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How unlikely was it for one to run into someone on one of the small isles in the sea after a half hour boat trip? Unlikely as it was, it happened, and they happened to meet "Akari" in that very way. Like themselves, Akari was also from the village above. (That being said, she could pull the Arcadian look off really well!)

Was she possibly a shinobi? Seirika's teal eyes scanned the young girl for any clues; weapons, seals, scars, bloodline abnormalities...but if there were any tell signs, they weren't apparent. Her body was finely crafted indeed~

"I understand perfectly; the village can get quite crowded at times, so I find myself slipping away to more tranquil areas as well. Arcadia in itself is one big haven for those like us~" Seirika replied to the possible-shinobi-possible-miko's comment on the discomfort of crowds. A Shaman's work was always for her people, and yet...even Seirika required time off to recharge for the next days tasks.

As for the islands springs...

"B-B-Bath? Are you fine with that? I-I was just going to go swimming...I shouldn't bathe...with Akari-san...and nee-san..." Shou replied shyly in response to Akari's invitation. It wasn't just any day that a cute girl he just met invited him to a group bath; and he didn't think for a second that there could ever be confusion as to his gender. If his older sister realized the mistake, she showed no signs of it though; indeed, she seemed to be faced with her own conflicts on Akari's offer.

"Bath huh...I suppose I was going to go into the water..." Seiri muttered to herself. Although she had planned to simply get into the water with the sole purpose of gathering together whatever materials she had managed to scavenge, and get back out as quickly as possible. Afterall...there could very well be things in that water if this island's springs were connected to the surrounding sea; and she had read plenty of stories to know what happens to the unfortunate ones. And yet, refusing a young girl that was apparently alone out here with her wolf would come off as rude...

Before Seiri could debate any longer though, the shorter sibling decided for her. "Nee-san can go with Akari-san! Hakouro and I can wait until your done...Ah, I won't peek though! I promise!" Seiri, snapping back to attention, shook her head. "Akari-san says the water here possesses healing properties. If so, I would like to see how it effects you, Shou-chan." Seiri contested, before turning to Akari to explain her reasons. "Shousuke suffers from having a frail body and sickness. The springs powers may prove to be very helpful in relieving some of the body's stress." That was her official reason, at least. Unofficially...well, her blush betrayed her thoughts; (...It's been ages since Shousuke and I bathed together. He's gotten shy around me...) It seemed the benefits outweighed her own personal unease of deep water.

"Please, Akari-san. Show us the way. I think it is a great opportunity." "Huau...gomenasai..." Some traps were fun to spring!

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[Seirika]​

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[Uchiha Akari]

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Indeed a cursory glance at Akari would have revealed little to betray her existence as a kunoichi aside from her white-colored iris looking like an inactive Byakugan, still the presence of the wolf wasn’t really explained by that sight. Nodding her head eagerly in return to Seirika’s words Akari truly thought that Arcadia was a pleasant place to dwell in. It was peaceful and really quiet so she often spend her spare time playing with her puppets within the settlement. In fact she was almost famous for entertaining some of the younger Arcadians with her puppet tricks. It was only after that she noticed Shou’s seemingly flustered reaction at her invitation to bathe together, and once more Akari was entirely oblivious to the fact she had made a vital mistake in her calculations: Not one but two traps were spun when they had accepted her invitation.

“No need to hold back Shou-chan~”

Still the brief blush she noticed on Seirika’s cheeks made Akari slightly curious about what was going on in the girl’s mind. She wasn’t aware of the little trap she was setting up right? If she did and she actually willingly walked into it… Wasn’t she about to spend all the luck in her life on this event?

“Let our Hot Spring Expedition begin~”

Letting out a soft cheer the girl gestured along the small path behind her. It was a small sandy path that naturally led along the rather steep rocks and hills, slowly leading them further inwards amidst the large collection of trees while Hakouro briefly followed them before turning his back at the trio and remained as a stationary guard. It took them only five more minutes, at a pace Hakouro likely could have done in less than one if he sprinted that the group arrived at a small clearing.

It was a surprisingly peaceful scenery, some foliage around the outskirts of the clearing with trees obstructing the view while at the center there was what appeared to be a small spring, around the size of a hot spring within a village. It looked fairly normal, a waterfall flowing from further upwards led into the spring while the water gathered together, but seemingly looked as pure as it might had been. Truly a miracle one might only find within the Sea.

“Don’t be slipping now, the surface feels surprisingly smooth if you’re not used to it so don’t try to run once you’re inside the spring.”

Giving her warning Akari sat down on a nearby rock and without much reservation proceeded to remove her miko garb, revealing only a set of innocent panties and a bra beneath it, not that she really needed the latter when any presence of a bust was close to none-existent.

I feel someone is mocking me again…

Trying to shrug off the thought the girl quickly removed the remaining bits of her underwear before climbing into the spring. However, unknowingly to her this came at a great risk because despite her body looking entirely human-like in nature there was a small section on her chest where a few darker lines, feint in nature remained on her skin, the only telltale of her existence as a Human Puppet.

“Ah times like this makes me feel so lazy when I’m not on duty~”

However, despite that innocent comment Seirika was likely unaware of the fact that within a matter of moments two traps would have been triggered.

-Marked for Training-
WC: 575​

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Shikino Akari​

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[Muramasa Maya]

There were some things that were inevitable. Even here, deep within the underground sea of Arcadia, a tradition was again going to begin anew. No matter the village. No matter the topic. There would always be a Hot Spring somewhere nearby. Everytime. And so, the siblings, puppet, and puppy's Hot Spring Expedition began.

Lead by their mysterious miko-dressed guide, shaman and shouta made their way up the hidden path that lead to the small oasis on the isle. "Watch your step, Shousuke..." The maiden whispered gently while guiding her brother by the hand. "Haa....ha...I'm fine. You don't hafta hold me...It's embarrassing..." He replied, his gaze drifting ahead to the green-haired girl's back. Despite his words, the frail boy had quickly became out of breath from the short walk uphill by the time the reached the top.

And when they reached the top? It was a beautiful sight to behold, truly one of many secrets of The Sea. Always one for tranquil environments, Seiri immediately felt a sense of ease despite her anxiety around, well, the actual sea. "Fascinating...Truly, the Old Ones smile upon us in many ways...", she spoke out. If only this area was closer to home, it may have become her new sanctuary for meditation. Alas, one couldn't have everything..."Thank you for being our guard, Hakouro."

"Ahh...wish me luck, Hakouro.", the boy replied while quickly turning away from the undressing Akari, hesitating before doing the same to himself. His shirt was fine, but..."Don't worry, Shousuke. The sooner you enter the water, the sooner you can relax. Right, Akari-san?" His sister hadn't hesitated, but neither did she rush. Indeed, she steadily removed and place her clothing neatly to the side, where they would remain safe and dry from any stray splashes. Slim figure, slender waist, modest chest exposed...The shaman then smoothly made her way to the water's edge, gradually lowering herself into the water slowly to adjust her body to the heat. "So warm. Thank you for showing us this place, Akari-san. May The Five bring you fortune and l-"

Splash.

Someone didn't listen to Akari's warning. In an attempt to go unnoticed as much as possible, Shousuke had ran towards the spring the moment he stripped down. Naturally, he lost his balance near the edge and fell with a splash, before surfacing near the puppet girl's position. Whether or not his face was red from the heat or embarrassment was unknown. "Kawaii~ He is very shy Akari-san. Please forgive him!"

Clear water kept no secrets.​

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[Uchiha Akari]

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So far everything had been proceeding just like she planned. The Shaman and her sibling were about to enter the spring when without any warning lady luck decided to spoil her plans. The sound of rushed footsteps that suddenly accompanied a loud splash made Akari shield her eyes from the water that was send her way and the moment she lowered her arm the girl realized she had made a vital misunderstanding. Her eyes slowly settled on Shou’s face, drifted down the water toward the unlucky lass her crotch before she realized the nature of her misunderstanding. Shou was in fact not a unlucky lass, but a very feminine-looking unlucky lad, and it seems his luck was about to turn even worse.

“Ara… Ara…”

Up… Down… Once more her eyes made the same path her stare earlier had caused before she raised her hands, gently pressing them into Shou’s shoulders while declaring with an boyish grin.

“You just won the reward of most cute looking boy of Tsuchi no Kuni~ If it wasn’t for that little snout between your legs I would have fallen all over you~”

At the same time she declared those words she decided to carry out her little plan. Letting go of Shou’s shoulders Akari allowed her body to sink beneath the water and the moment her head submerged under the surface of the spring the clearness of the spring seemed to fade, slowly darkening as a result of the little trick she was preparing. Unfortunately it would last only for a moment before the water would start to clear but at the same time the water started to become clearer again Seiri would have found Akari remerge right before her, hands attempting to get a playful squeeze at the girl’s chest while she explained her intentions with a smirk of mischief.

“On terms of softness they rank at +S, shape is a fine A and on terms of size they get an S, Now this is a pair of pillows you can be proud of Seiri-chan!”

Squeeze, squeeze… Was she seriously groping a girl she had met just now? Then again, this was Akari so perhaps it had been expected of her to do something silly like that.

“It’s an Arcadian saying that skinship and friendship are part of the same ship. Therefore to grope Seiri-chan is the first step onto attempting to become her friend!”

Not really, but it was a pretty convincing lie wasn’t it? As if to make things worse she turned toward Shou and proclaimed with a smile.

“Shou~~ You’re so lucky to have such a pretty Onee-san~ Mind sharing her with me? In return you can play with Doggy anytime you want~”

It seems that this trip had triggered a lot of traps, some being vastly different from the other but judging from Akari’s reaction the girl was having a lot of fun.

“I wonder how many cartons of milk you’d have to drink to get to this level… Fifty a week?”​

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Shikino Akari​

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[Muramasa Maya]

Aww, geez...so much for making a first impression in front of Akari-san..."See?! Thats why I was against this from the start! Being seen by Akari-san...is too much for me...." Shou mumbled to himself in embarrassment, drifting away towards the edge of the spring which he claimed as "His side". Come to think of it, he had started to mull over the green haired imp's words. Was his manliness an issue to her? Did...that mean that Akari was the type of girl that was interested in...

Oh.

Oh!

It became clear how Akari was when she resurfaced from beneath the water near his sister. Really close to her. Like so close, she could reach out and...
...and she touched her. Small hands around the shaman's chest. Was Akari squeezing his sister? She looked so soft...A small tricle of blood escaped the young boy's nose.

As for the shaman; "I am...honored that you...think of me so highly...? However, I believe you said that you were not even Arcadian, Akari-san..." Seiri muttered timidly in response to Akari's surprise rating of her. Akari was...a strange one indeed, so Seiri was unsure how to react in this situation. Seriously, who did that? If Akari had not been so small, Seiri may have been more annoyed...but dismissed it as a child's mischief. Actually, considering the situation, she might be able to pass this off as a game herself...This was actually an opportunity. And at that moment, her eyes, reflecting Akari's lithe figure, sparkled with a slightly dangerous look.

Seize the day. Or failing that, seize the pettanko. "In that case, I would be grateful if you would allow me to be your friend as well, Akari-san~" She returned the favor, raising her hands to mimic her Akari's actions. "...Kawaiii..." Seiri muttered, blushing. Actually, her breath was getting slightly heavier out of, err, appreciation of how "cute and small" Akari was. Seiri was an appreciator of all things cute and small, and that category didn't apply to just her little brother...

"I think I should be asking you to share her with m-...umm! Umm! I mean I think I'm not supposed to be here..." He mumbled, sinking down to his nose in the water. However his eyes were kept above enough to still sneak peaks at the view...

Seiri was fortunate enough to have a little brother; imagine her luck if she came here for pearls but instead found a younger sister to take home? "Tea and milk will help you grow, Akari-san. Not just milk. I also would not mind if you called me Seiri-nee...No wait; Onee-san?"...Seiri spoke...but then hesitated in her display of affection towards the cute girl, noticing something slightly different about her. "I don't recognize your seal, Akari-san. Is it from your clan? Or a technique?"​

 

[Uchiha Akari]

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The sudden retaliation of Seirika mimicking Akari’s actions were unexpected, and perhaps for that reason she let out a soft yelp, accompanied by the defenseless squirming against Seirika’s hands. Curiously enough however the mimicking of her actions had given Seirika the opportunity to feel the surface of the concealed seal that locked the compartment that housed her heart, so when the question arrived Akari blinked in surprise, looking down at her body while considering what to do. It would be a dangerous thing to admit her identity, but then again would she be able to keep it concealed? For that matter, would she even need to keep it a secret from Seirika? Keeping in mind that the girl was a shaman did make it a natural thing to remain wary, in the end the shamans were the most spiritual folk among the people of Iwagakure. Finding herself mentally torn up Akari twisted around and sat down onto Seiri’s lap without any reservation, leaning backwards and letting out a soft purr at the soft cushions resting against her back while she pondered how to explain this.

“You’re right Seiri-nee, that seal is an unique seal only my body possesses--- You see, I’m a little bit different than you or Shou-chan.”

Deciding that it would be fair for Shou to also hear what she was saying the girl started to raise her voice.

“You two likely recall that several years ago, a chain of kidnappings happened where only two survivors were found. It was because the victims were each forced to undergo vile experiments in an attempt to create a weapon, it’s the malady they call the ‘Blood Mirror’ an imperfect attempt to become capable of devouring Kekei Gekai.”

For a moment she paused, a hand brushing toward her crimson-colored eye before she continued.

“I was one of the victims of that project, and the crimson-colored eye I have is an inactive version of the Blood Mirror. The Blood Mirror, like Seiri-nee likely knows is a terrible burden on the body and mind of the host. Our body weakens significantly and our eye-sight becomes twisted to a point we can’t recognize the world anymore. It becomes a crimson realm where anything living turns into a grotesque creature.”

A light shudder ran across her spine while she recalled the memories before she continued, her tone shaking a little with clear nervousness.

“Back then I couldn’t recognize my parents, not even I was spared from looking like a monster when I snuck a peak into the mirror by accident, and as a result I wanted to escape from that world. I really like puppets, not just because they are my friends but because they were the only thing the crimson realm didn’t taint… so in the end I became like them. While my body might look and feel like that of a girl, mechanisms make me able to breathe and feel warm, or even cry or blush as I express my feelings it’s a fact that I’m a being that walks the thin line between a human and a puppet, all for the sake of being able to live normally, a chance every being should deserve.”

Finally she stood up and took a few steps backwards, making several hand-seals when a complex-looking seal started to emerge on her chest. A sorrowful smile lingered on her lips as she continued.

“You’re one of the few who knows about the secret behind my existence, and the only ones aside from the one who helped me escape from the crimson realm what this seal is--- a seal that protects my beating heart. So if possible try to keep this a secret… Doggy doesn’t like it when people end up beating me up just because of who I am, but I trust you both enough to believe that you aren’t like most of the villagers who see everything in black and white.”

Finally she grasped both her hands together before her, a look of worry upon her expression as she asked in a bit more timid manner.

“Does Onee-chan dislike me now she knows who I am?”​

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Shikino Akari​

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