Beginnings[Open RP]

[Karitoriki]

"Masuta, table for two. Masuta, table for two?"

The hostess was looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of this person who had the reservation. They were packed, as always, being a premier restaurant in the Silver Crystal District. Reservations were made weeks in advance- and many times people were turned away at the door, for being too shabby for the restaurant itself. The atmosphere was fantastic, the food amazing, and the service incredible. They took pride in their restaurant. All the employees would spend months training for perfection. The restaurant was extremely high class.

Yet when the man walked up, he set a different mood. Obviously a shinobi, he held his sword at his side. But the aura... it was frightening. However, the man was smiling. He had an aura of confidence, not taking notice of any of the stares he was being awarded by the patrons of the restaurant. However, it was known that Masuta was a reservation that was constantly in the books, regardless of the person who showed up. It was a special case, where the manager himself put the reservation in everyday. He was a mysterious benefactor apparently, this Masuta. Yet, every time someone came to claim the name, it was a different person. Yet the manager let them through every time, with a look of both fear and awe.

"Uh.. Masuta? Right this way."

The tall man smiled. He nodded and followed the hostess to the VIP table, situated somewhere it was quiet. He was here to taste some more food in Sand, seeing as he wasn't here for very long last time. Since he was finally finished his training, even surpassing his previous master, he felt at home here. He had a tough mission to do. Kiss told him to do so, and he followed those that allowed him to have the most freedom.

Karito sat down at the table, putting his nodachi in a weapons rack behind him. He was not fearful of battle, as this was a great restaurant and no one wants to ruin it.

"Finally... settling down isn't SO bad..." Karito said to himself.<i></i>

[OPEN RP FREE TO ANYONE]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 5: Leviathan
​

The woman's stomach grumbled, hearing the growling audibly in her gut. Walking by a high-classed restaurant, the woman pressed her hands and face against the glass, staring into Narnia. Her eyes fixated upon the ritzy restaurant and the food being served. The extremely bright glow from her left arm continued to pulsate through the black armlet. The red pulsating light was clearly visible to the people inside of the restaurant, causing a ruckus for the rich and influential in the village. Watching the rich people inside of the restaurant caused anger to rise within the woman. There are people dying and terrorists plaguing the village and these pompous pricks have the audacity to live as they are now. The people inside began looking annoyed, glancing towards Nanami for a moment with a sour look on their faces.

As her eyes were plastered to the glass, she noticed a white-haired man walk through the restaurant, radiating a powerful aura. The looks of annoyance from her radiating light changed to the White-Haired man's terrifying aura. Nanami felt nothing from the dark aura, fearing no man, woman, or child. This person isn't a pony that wanted to sleep with her; but that's a different story for another day. Tapping on the window, she shouted to the white-haired man that walked through the restaurant. Nanami had no money so perhaps she could use her charm to have the man pay for her food. Maybe...

"Why is a shinobi eating with these pompous pricks?" Nanami asked as she flattened her palms upon the glass, leaving fog where her breaths resided. Keeping her eyes plastered on the white-haired man before he disappeared from view. Clearing her throat, she heard a voice coming from her side. It was a pompous-looking man wearing a suit and a pencil mustache. Turning her head towards the pompous looking man, she glared at him as her stomach growled and shouted in anger. The man flinched and pulled back for a moment.

"Excuse me, madam. Your light is annoying our patrons, so please turn it off."
"I can't turn it off. If I could I would," she stated as she turned to look towards the man, rolling the armlet down to show the implant placed in her arm, she pushed it into the man's face. "See! I can't remove it either," she stated as her stomach turns, creating enough pain to cause her to double over, holding her gut.

"That isn't my problem. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the property," the man said in his typical pompous manner.

"What the hell? You have people dying from hunger and you're serving this frou-frou food to these pompous pricks?" she asked in anger. It wasn't her own anger that is making her speak like this; it was her hunger speaking in this manner. "Could you at least give me your scraps?" she asked before the man grabbed the woman by her collar and her pants and throws her onto the street. Slapping his gloved hands together, the man pointed at her.

"Where trash like you belongs."

[Topic Entered]

 

[Sanyu]

[col3]|'This is pathetic.' Shigeko thought to herself as she danced through the aisles carrying plates of food toward the patrons and dirty plates toward the dishwashers. How unbecoming, however she needed the money and there was no jobs, she couldn't find this Osore person so she is back to being alone. However, she will never come back to this place, these pompous assholes, the perverted old men staring at her boobs. Its not her fault that they're big, she drank a lot of milk because milk is good.

The newest patron, a white haired man sat down and something inside her didn't want to be anywhere near him. He reeked of pure danger, and those weapons he brought inside. Who would bring a weapon inside such an establishment? Well, other than Shigeko's throwing knives underneath her mini-skirt. As a paying costumer it was probably allowed, however if her knives were ever discovered she would probably get in a lot of trouble.

She wasn't paying attention until the end of the occurrence but she saw the girl being thrown out. While Shigeko agreed that freebies weren't something so easily given away, calling her "trash" certainly pissed her off. Something inside her rose up, but she was able to keep it down. Lately her temperament has been getting the better of her, but she was capable of keeping herself from blowing up.

She turned and saw another waiter move toward the white haired man, meaning she didn't have to take his order. She went to another family, an older couple seemingly taking their grandson out to dinner. She could tell the child, in its mid-teens and in puberty, was a spoiled brat but she kept up her best fake smile. It wasn't until she felt a hand reach underneath her skirt, the child pulling his hand away quickly when he cut himself on her knives. Telling his grandparents they started to make a fuss, but Shigeko didn't care, Shigeko didn't give a shit. She was already gone. The demon living inside the jewel embedded in her body utilized her anger to take control. "You insignificant little cockroach!" Her voice boomed throughout the restaurant, winds picking up and tossing plates and cloth and throwing them around. People screaming and running away. The child scared shitless and the grandparents refusing the leave his side. Shigeko raised her arm swiped it in front of them... releasing blades of wind killing the family.

With the problem child dealt with Shigeko began to come to her senses, seeing what she had done. "O-oh my god." As a shinobi Shigeko had to take the lives of many, however she never took the lives pf the weak and defenseless, that wasn't part of her personality. Whatever she picked up from that Garu Island, this jewel that she thought was beneficial to her, it was actually a problem. Is this what it would continue to be like? Would she snap at the stupidest things in the future and take the lives of others? No, she was far too dangerous at this point. Taking one of her knives, as a tear fell down her face, she plunged it straight into her throat. A slow and painful death was what she deserved at this point, and it is what she got.

[Suicide]
[MFT]|[/col3]​

 

[Karitoriki]

As the girl came in, making a huge scene and then killing herself, the staff knew the drill- this would happen a lot in the world of shinobi, so they had to remain professional. Obviously, most of the customers cleared out, but the managers knew that this would increase the sales of the restaurant. It was publicity, regardless of it was good or bad. Karito chuckled a bit- he enjoyed watching a wretched soul kill herself. It was just the way the world worked- and how Karito's mind worked. He thought of it as just one less pawn piece for him to use, to be chucked away after death. However, he saw someone who could be useful. As he was walking in, a manager threw a girl out, calling her trash. But Karito knew she was a shinobi. He felt it.

"Hey... tell the manager Masuta said to bring the girl he just threw out in. Also, close the restaurant if you must, but keep the kitchen running. I am hungry."

The waiter scurried off. Masuta was such a prominent force in the manager's eyes. Whenever he (or his followers, they didn't know) came in, something occurred. They were almost used to it, their eyes dying a bit every time they see blood. It was a soulless place, which is perhaps why Karito's Sensei enjoyed it so much. The worth of soulless creatures built up over time, they could be manipulated easier.

One of the managers apologized refusely to the woman who was thrown out, and invited her in for food and a drink with the "master" (as Masuta preferred to be called). Karito sat back, menu in hand, hoping to find something enjoyable in this restaurant.<i></i>

 

[Tanaka Hato]

Enter Hato

---

Sure, it was nice to eat out every now and then, but it really bothered Hato that the Sand were in the middle of a crisis currently. They were teaching him things in the Ninja School… things that made him feel paranoid sometimes. He took a deep sigh as he splashed water on his face. He had been so worried about everyone in the middle of this crisis, and it had turned out that they had just decided to stay in his Grandfather’s new house in the nicer part of town. This place was nice, but there wasn’t anything wrong with Grand Palais either. Hato wiped his hands on his pants in order to dry them. Maybe he could convince his grandfather to buy some desert while they were here? He snickered to himself as he considered the options that he had spied on the menu. Did they have cinnamon rolls? He pushed the doors of the restroom open. The young man was immediately greeted with people rushing about as though something had gone terribly wrong. There were people in his way, preventing him from getting back to his table.

Then, a waitress tapped him on the shoulder. ”Excuse me, the restaurant is closing now, do you need help finding your family?” The student shook his head and wiped at his nose with his thumb in a proud manner. ”What? No way. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a ninja in training you know! I can handle things on my own!” She clapped her hands together in mock awe, however it only served to agitate the youth. ”You don’t believe me do you? I can prove it too! I even have a kunai!” He searched through his pockets for his training kunai that he had received. He was supposed to practice his aim everyday for homework - but he had been slacking off a little bit. ”Aww man… It looks like I forgot to bring it… “ The waitress cocked her eyebrows in impatience. Don’t worry, I believe you. Since you know where to find your family, would you be able to show me where your family instead? Its really important.

Yeah Sure! They’re sitting over here! Excitedly, he gripped the waitress by the hand and dragged her along towards his table. It seemed people were emptying the restaurant, which only made it easier for him to maneuver through the crowd to his table. Except, as his table caught his eye he felt his enthusiasm falter. The blood drained from his face as the realization hit him. Th..thats my... The fat student gaped at his grandfather. His smile gone. His little brother’s mischievous fingers were still. His Grandmother’s hands were cold. Hato took a step forward. This was… an illusion? It was a genjutsu maybe. He had read about those. He stepped over the dead kunoichi on the ground and sat at the table next to his grandmother. He ran his fingers through his hair before looking helplessly at the waitress. ”Th...this is my family.”

”Oh my god… I’m so sorry.” She immediately reached out to him and gave him a hug. ”I’m just g-going to sit here for a little bit.” He told her. After a long minute, she must have sensed that her efforts were a test in futility. She pulled away from the embrace and looked to her manager for instruction. Hato was left sitting there at the table with his dead relatives, their blood splattering onto the fine dinnerware. They should have just stayed home.

"Oh man..."

• Hato exits the bathroom
• Hato Talks with a waitress
• Hato discovers that the family just killed was his own family
• Hato sits at the table in shock

​

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

</B>Chapter 9: Gates of Hell<B>Act 5: Leviathan
​

The sounds of screaming could be heard emanating from the restaurant with people fleeing for their lives. Panic, fear, and trepidation was palpable, oozing out of the restaurant and into the street. Nanami picked herself up from being thrown onto the ground and rubbed the side of her head. A little groan was heard from the woman as she rolled out of the way from the people that fled from the restaurant. She didn't feel like getting trampled today. Once the people cleared out, Nanami walked over to the restaurant, not being allowed in. The pompous prick of a man that threw her into the street was no longer there.

Approaching the building, she was quickly confronted by the pompous prick that threw here out of the restaurant. The man looked shook up from what happened inside of the eatery; disheveled clothing and hair from fighting off the terrified mob and avoiding certain death by being stamped out of existence. Clearing his throat and adjusting his tie, the man bowed to Nanami. He stood up afterward and looked at her with a squint in his eyes due to the oscillating red light coming from her arm. He cleared his throat before turning his shoulder to give Nanami room to enter.

"Please enter, madam. A distinguished visitor has requested your presence within. Please do not mind what happened inside. Everything has been settled and awaiting clean-up," the man said in a shaky voice. His hands and shoulders wiggling from fear as adrenaline still pumped through his veins. Nanami felt a bit sorry for this man, but after what he did to her, Nanami isn't exactly willing to show much leniency. Walking passed the man, she looked him over before walking into the restaurant. A gasp was followed up only with the woman placing her hand her opened mouth. Nanami have seen far worse atrocities than this, being part of the atrocity herself. However, she never expected the posh to be subject to terror on this magnitude. All Nanami noticed was a large busted, blue-haired woman lying dead upon the floor near a family.

Nanami began piecing together the clues given at the crime scene. The woman most likely killed the family and then killed herself. Was there a motive and why did she do this? Her look of shock changed to look of sadness. While taking lives can be considered a means to an end, needless suffering is always a monster she wasn't capable of tolerating. Turning her eyes, she noticed a boy approaching the family and begin looking over the dead that once sat at a table. Her eyes grew moist upon seeing this depressing scene. The boy seemed traumatized, only to take a seat at the table where his family sat. Approaching the table, her eye caught the silver-maned man having a grin upon his face. The sight of the man laughing at what happened started to grind at her.

Narrowing her eyes towards the man in silver, she glared at him for a brief moment. 'Perhaps that is the 'Master' that that pompous bastard was talking about. What does he want with me?' Nanami thought to herself. No. Regardless of this man's desires, what's important right now was comforting the child. He just learned of his family's grizzly murders. Nanami could sympathize with the child; however the child didn't have to endure the horror of killing his own family against his will as she had to. The brainwashing of SCAR caused her to do so many inhuman acts in the past. Seeing the sadness on the survivors' faces for any act of terror or mass-murder caused an empathetic reaction and anger from Nanami. The longing for vengeance gnaws at her soul, but vengeance solves nothing.

Walking over towards the table that the kid was at, Nanami squatted in front of the child and looked the boy in eyes. Putting on a mask of a warm smile, the woman spoke gently to the child. "Hi. My name is Tsukino Nanami. Are you alright?"

 

[Asari Rei]

Upon asking a commoner who claimed to be familiar with the area, Seira was directed to a good restaurant nearby. She had not much money; she had not been here long and had not yet found any work in her field. They seemed to be running a smooth circuit here in this village, but the kunoichi had not yet found her place, if one existed. She walked as the directions were told; and soon enough the young blonde woman found herself in the upper district. 'Where the hell am I?' She thought, looking around at the nice things and thinking of the change in her pocket. 'I guess I can at least pass by the place before I go back home, but I doubt it will be in my price range.' Her thoughts were not always so pessimistic, but the hard times lately had Seira doubting herself.

Arai Seira walked through the upper district, not feeling too out of place because of the red dress she had worn. This dress was newly purchased in the middle district, and perhaps it was not as nice to some but it looked good on her body and made the kunoichi feel as if she blended in. Blended in? Hardly; the blonde hair and red dress seemed to turn eyes accidentally. The woman walked quickly, ignoring advances or calls if they came. Most definitely she knew to watch for thieves; her most recent outing was almost ruined by one. Thankfully she was not what she looked, and the petty criminal got what was coming to him. Here it seemed that thieves were not as common, but this did not mean that her guard was let down just because somewhere appeared to be something, as not much she had seen here seemed truly safe.

The amber eyes of the young woman fell to the inside of a glass window to an extremely high-class restaurant. She bit her lip as she saw that even this poised place seemed to not avoid tragedy. There was blood on the floor, for a brief moment before a staff member cleaned it right up; as if it had never happened. A murder? A suicide? It looked to be both, and people fled from the restaurant in a mob. Not much could be said, but the sickening feeling built in her stomach; there is obviously some work to be found, but this was not the place to start. "This place. . .Is seriously messed up." Her words came as she watched those within the restaurant continue to mingle and act as if nothing had happened. She turned away, and walked back towards her current residence. The place she was staying at seemed quaint, and she hadn't had much trouble with break-ins. Still; home was not to be found here, unless the work proved to not be so scarce soon. She picked up the pace of her walk to a run, and silently slipped through the crowd into the night back to her temporary residence.

[Edit: Topic Entered & Left after 30 Minutes]
[OC: Just passing by]​

 

[Karitoriki]

Karito saw the scene happening. A young boy's parents were killed. His remorse was loud, and slightly irritating. However, the smile never left Karito's face. His main purpose was to expand his territory. He needed the strength of others. So he figured a "good gesture" was the best way to go. He knew how to do one, seeing his master do him good gestures, as well as during his travels he recollected many good gestures. So, he motioned towards the manager again.

"Get that kid over here too. And the girl. Tell them dinner is on me, and they can have whatever they want. And tell the kitchen and staff they can leave if they want, but whoever stays get double their yearly salary for this one night."

Karito changed his facial expression to be a more welcoming one, though it didn't seem to suit his face very well. He realized it was a bit awkward on him so he changed it back to his relaxed expression- which is a bit of an evil one, sadly. He couldn't change the way his face looked, so he smiled a little bit out of the corner of his mouth to seem a bit better.

"Hey, you two. I will treat both of you. A tragedy happened, and I plan to at least make you feel a little bit better."

He started sipping on the wine again. Hopefully they would come.<i></i>

 

[Tanaka Hato]

---

"Hi. My name is Tsukino Nanami. Are you alright?"

Hato wasn’t making much noise. A cacophony of falling steps in the now empty restaurant approached him. Why weren’t the ninja police here? Everything felt so wrong. The way that people here just seemed to ignore this… tragedy. Hato looked up at the woman who had arrived. She was different from the waitress from earlier. She was squatting near the table to be at his eye level. He didn’t want to look her back in the eyes. In fact. He just didn’t know what to do in general. The worst part was, he didn’t feel like crying. It felt like the world was going to melt apart into void at any given moment. He felt frozen. What would happen if he thawed? He turned his head to look at the woman. After meeting her orbs with his eyes his gaze turned to the bangs that had betrayed her in a part that let him see part of a tattoo. ”Tsukino-san… My name is Hato.” His eyes lowered until they met hers once more. ”What happens when someone dies?” He looked at the bodies of his grand parents and his brother. ”Do they just sit there? I thought people became zombies when they died?”

The first tears welled up in his eyes. Th-this is so much worse. He sniffled and rested his head against the table. The splatter of blood that decorated the table now smeared onto his face. A gentleman approached. Hato didn’t pay attention to anything he said. When he snapped out of his daze he was sitting at a different table. Oh. He must have been led over to this new table with this other person. "Hey, you two. I will treat both of you. A tragedy happened, and I plan to at least make you feel a little bit better." This man. He felt pretty cold to Hato also. Everything felt cold, so who was Hato to judge. ”C...can I have some cinnamon rolls?” He asked quietly. He glared down at the table. What a useless ninja. Hato was training to be a shinobi, and yet he hadn’t been able to save them. What did it mean to be a ninja?

I miss how the sand used to be… I wish things could go back to normal. He put his head down on the table. ”What happened to this village that I love? I used to have fun with my friends here… I always heard that people were being killed in this place all the time… I guess… I guess I don’t get to be that lucky. I guess I have to have a turn with the people I care about dying as well.” He looked at the man and Tsukino.

• Moves over to the other table in daze under direction of manager
• Asks for Cinnamon Rolls

​

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col]

Chapter 9: Gates of HellAct 5: Leviathan​

"Hello, Hato-kun," Nanami stated to the child. She was confronted with a question that she was far too familiar with. What happens when someone dies. A relatively easy question to answer, but not a very comfortable question to respond to a child with. In normal situations, Nanami would laugh at the idea of people becoming zombies when they die. No, if only the truth was as comedic.
"When someone dies, they cannot come back," Nanami simply replied. She would say the word 'normally' due to people having a bad habit of re-animating the dead. But when people generally die; that is the answer she is going to answer. "They don't move and they," she stated before leaving a short pause between her words. "go to a better place. When they get settled down, they will be watching over you from on-high," Nanami stated. Those were her firm beliefs that once someone dies, they will watch over you. Whether or not her beliefs are the truth or a fantasy is still up for debate. At least it is a comforting thought.
Tears began to well up within the child. The child is obviously traumatized from what he came back to. At least he wasn't party of witnessing it happen or performing it himself. Nanami knows the feeling of doing something to hurt the ones you loved but couldn't do anything about it. The man in the back spoke up, wanting to treat them. Something was off about this man. Something vicious and un-caring. He sat there in his chair, watching as the events unfolded, doing nothing about it. What a sick individual.
Nanami turned and looked to the child for a moment. "Be careful around him, child. He was here when it happened and did nothing to stop it. Something about him doesn't feel right," Nanami said silently to the boy, placing a hand in front of her mouth so the man couldn't read her lips, much like the strange lip-reader in Cloud. Oh, reading lips -- Of course. The woman stood up and looked over the man for a moment. He seemed far more pompous than the bastard that threw her into the street. While she felt hungry, she didn't like the man that sat in the distance; smirk on his face as death surrounded him. Who knows, this man was probably responsible for this child's death.
Then cinnamon rolls. The child wanted cinnamon rolls from the snarky man. So quickly did the child forget about the death of his family before him. "No thanks, I think I've lost my appetite," the woman responded. Her hands set to her side balled into tight fists. The red light glowed intensely, emanating from her right arm. Why does she have this light from her arm? Long story, really. Turning her eyes to look towards the death, Nanami turned and looked to the staff of the restaurant.
"Clean these bodies up!" she shouted demands to the staff of the restaurant. "This place shouldn't be operating right now after a terrorist attack!" Nanami was enraged at the indifference and the shoe-licking of these conceited aristocrats. Ignoring the dead only to lick the boots of a top-named individual in this village? This place had more problems than she originally thought.
"Do you people not care about other humans? Do you not care about what just happened?" the woman asked. She was enraged. The nerve of these people. If she had it her way, she would torch this building down. However, doing so would mean she was no better than the terrorists of the Cabal or the dead woman laying in a pool of her own blood before her.|[/col]

 

[Karitoriki]

The man sat there, a bit taken aback. Its not that he couldn't do anything- he totally could- but he didn't know they were important to some part of his mission. Most of all, it wasn't truly his purpose here. He didn't need to do anything for these people- they all served a purpose.

"Of course I care, ma'am. A shinobi murdered civilians. Instead of letting this kid wallow, and making him more depressed, is it not better for him to feel welcome? He just witnessed his family murdered. I am not the strongest of shinobi- how could I do anything when a shinobi just murdered somebody? Even I was bewildered... All I want to do is be nice. I'm very sad that you think that I don't care. I care the most. But how can I do anything when all I have is money, but no skill?"

Karito put a sad expression on his face, hoping to show the lady shinobi he was hurt a bit. In fact, he was extremely bewildered by the whole thing- he didn't expect it to happen at all. It just, happened.

"My name is Shinokami Karitoriki. You may call me Karito. I own this establishment. I am keeping it open at my own sake. Everyone who is staying overtime is getting double their yearly salary for just tonight. A medical team is called, and will be cleaning up the awful situation that occurred. And believe me, I am saddened. My own family was murdered..."

Karito trailed off, a genuine hurt look on his face. He remembered the look on his mothers face when she was dead- the smell of blood trailing him everywhere he went. He shuddered a bit, very noticeable to the outside world.

In his mind, he knew he was doing the right thing... being able to teach and protect the kids will help the future of his land.

"This is my way of helping, ma'am... what are your names?"<i></i>

 

[Tanaka Hato]

---

"When someone dies, they cannot come back," The softer sex explained. "go to a better place. When they get settled down, they will be watching over you from on-high, Hato didn’t even know what that was supposed to mean. He had never heard anything about religion, or places to go after death. To him, death had always been some kind of fable that was somehow far away from him and had never actually touched his life before. Now that it was here, it was almost mystifying. Then as he approached the man he had invited them over, the woman decided to whisper her warning, . "Be careful around him, child. He was here when it happened and did nothing to stop it. Something about him doesn't feel right," Hato didn’t listen though. The shock of the situation had overpowered him and he was unable to fully understand the meaning of her words. Tsukino-san began to scold the man, telling him that this place should not be open. Do you people not care about other humans? Do you not care about what just happened?" Her armor piercing question was met with the steel that made whatever resolve the man had. "Of course I care, ma'am. A shinobi murdered civilians. Instead of letting this kid wallow, and making him more depressed, is it not better for him to feel welcome? He just witnessed his family murdered. I am not the strongest of shinobi- how could I do anything when a shinobi just murdered somebody? Even I was bewildered... All I want to do is be nice. I'm very sad that you think that I don't care. I care the most. But how can I do anything when all I have is money, but no skill?"

It seemed that everyone in this town was a shinobi. Oh well, that was to be expected in a hidden village. Hato looked up to meet the speaking gentleman as he at last introduced himself. My name is Shinokami Karitoriki. You may call me Karito. I own this establishment. I am keeping it open at my own sake. Everyone who is staying overtime is getting double their yearly salary for just tonight. A medical team is called, and will be cleaning up the awful situation that occurred. And believe me, I am saddened. My own family was murdered..." The boy looked down at the table as he thought about the things that he was being taught at the academy. It had always been a game to him. ”Your family was murdered..? What does that mean?” Hato asked of Shinokami Karitoriki. If his family was murdered, did that mean that Hato’s family was murdered too? And the things at the academy… how to use a kunai, how to fight, and how to hide - were those things just so that he could be..? Hato looked at the more experienced shinobi present about him. ”At the academy… am I being taught how to murder people?” He rested his elbows on the table and held his face in the palms of his hands. This of course explained alot.

His grandfather had often advised him to become a shinobi as though it were an answer to all life’s problems. Was murder the answer? Maybe just being able to murder was the answer? Hato couldn’t help but think about the current events with the Cabal running wild and the people of the hidden sand either cowering in fear or perhaps taking power over their situations. It seemed like it was true. Those who knew how to murder were in fact the ones who were dominant in this world. Hato couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. "This is my way of helping, ma'am... what are your names?" Karitoki finished his defense of his character. Hato looked up at the man. ”My name is Tanaka Hato. I’m a student at the ninja academy. I thought I was just training to become a ninja so that if there was a bully I could kick his ass… but I don’t even know anymore.”

• Thinking
• Talking

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col]

Chapter 9: Gates of HellAct 5: Leviathan​

Something felt strange when she talked to this man. Something building up within her that caused her teeth to grind and her hands to ball into a tight fist. She hasn't felt this way in a long time. Anger, frustration, rancor. The man felt no real emotion for what happened. He couldn't understand the child's feelings because his mind is on money. The man spoke about imitation kindness by paying his already well-paid staff twice their annual salaries for a single night. That isn't kindness. "My, aren't you a saint," she said in a condescending tone. Instead of giving money to people who could use it or spending money on paying to rid the village of the Cabal, he instead spends a large sum of money to keep the restaurant open for his own benefit.

Karito doesn't understand that time is what fixes emotional pains, not a cinnamon bun. "Money doesn't solve everything," she commented after the man's first little rant. "There are plenty of things the man could have done. He could give his money away to people that need it, he could work to get good water supplies to the slums, he could pay to get foreign supplies into the village to re-stock the medical facilities, he could help find the lost so the loved ones could have closure. There is a cavalcade of things the man could do instead of swimming in his money. In this situation, the man could have at least wrestled with the murderer. At least he would have died honorably instead of lived cowardly. "Then I suppose the sword you have on your hip is for show?" she asked. She also brandished her set of weapons, having a large pair of rings (which are actually a transformable pair of gauntlets) and a couple blades to her side. These weapons, however, were not decoration as Karito's appeared to be.

It is people like Karito that sicken her. If she wasn't so adamant about not killing people unnecessarily, she would have attempted to take the man's life right now. However, she has no need to kill the man and more traumatic experiences would only scar the child. The Karito begins to speak out about his sob-story about his family dying. The similarities between the three of them; Hato just joined the club. Everyone has a tragic past; these were scary times to be alive, but most everyone are orphans. Nanami took care of Mist orphans for 5 years, so she knows all about separation and loneliness. She, too, was orphaned by Kirigakure.

The child quickly responded to Karito's words. The kid had no concept of death. The equivalence of being murdered and being killed didn't register into his brain. Nanami couldn't blame the child, he was still in shock. Squatting down to sit upon her heels, she squeezed her knees together to look at Hato. He tugged at him to get his attention, to have him turn to her. "When someone is murdered, they died to someone else. Some people make it their goal to hurt others," he said with a soft smile upon her face, hoping something soothing and comforting would help lessen the blow. Death was a hard subject to tell kids about. The fact that this child came to the realization that he's at the academy to kill people was a sad truth about this world. That's the way of the ninja; to kill people.

The child introduced himself to Karito. Moving her hand down to the child's, she tried to make the kid feel more comfortable with what he's doing. Nanami had her own doubts about becoming a shinobi, but due to her father being one, she followed in his footsteps. "You are training to become a shinobi. While we do have to kill people sometimes, most places kill to protect the ones they love. That's why the shinobi of this village are fighting to keep the Cabal at bay. They are fighting to protect you and everyone else they love," she said with the same warm smile she had before. Indeed, she had to soften her language for the child who's emotionally distressed, but it doesn't change the fact that shinobi are born and bred killers. Giving a powerful and influential motive may groom the child to being a man of honor; unlike the piece of trash that sits on his throne before them.

Turning her head towards Karito, she released Hato and stood up, balling a hand into a fist. She was within strike range of the man. No, if she took part in that, she would be no better than that woman that just came to kill indiscriminately. "Tsukino Nanami. Mist Village," she simply stated. She still bore the Mist tattoo, but it now resides where the implant was, under the black armlet.|[/col]
OOC: So I got to thinking.. Rich guy... Dead parents...

Spoiler

Karito is Batman

Just sayin..

 

[Karitoriki]

This woman was quick to make judgement. Although she didn't know anything about him, she also didn't know that Kiss (the organization) has a lot of power everywhere, and probably did as much good as bad. However, they never truly assassinated those unless they were in the way of the cause. It was similar to a previous organization with which they have ties. However, Karitoriki had an ulterior motive- to become the most influential and powerful leader of the lands. He had the money, he just needed the prestige. It was part of his whole persona- it was what he needed to avenge his parents. Or at least, his mother. He was a sociopath, and he knew it- but he also never truly felt loved. It was at this point that the constant berating of the lady was cracking his armor. He was a bit sensitive, of course. Especially to someone who is immune to his looks and charms.

"You know, Nanami... jumping to conclusions is worse at times. The money I have comes from a benevolent organization. The people we employ were previously homeless, at least those in the back of the house. I want to make this world a better place... if it is through my own way. I was utterly appalled as to what happened today. I don't really know how to react... my past is very chaotic, so murders don't faze me as much as they would. I am going to take this young student under my tutelage. I will make him feel at home and welcome again. Stuff that my master did for me..."

His face was still the odd smiling face he did. However, he was genuine about this. He was looking for an apprentice anyway, and he needed someone young, just like he was. He spoke truthfully, with a bit of a twist, of course. He couldn't explain to the girl how much he enjoyed the sight of blood, of how he enjoyed the sound of the blade searing through the flesh. But that was something he hid very well. It was how his master taught him. Even though he was evil, and he knew he was out for himself, he still felt a certain... duty to erase the world's issues- whether good or evil, no one should feel what he felt when he found his mother dead.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot, Nanami. I hope you give me another chance."<i></i>

 

[Tanaka Hato]

---

As the older shinobi sparred with their words, Hato focused on the table in front of him. Tsukino had explaind that it was sometimes necessary to kill for the ones you loved. Like, what if that woman had been killed before she had killed his family? Maybe they would have been alive still? Did that woman kill for someone she loved? It didn’t make that much sense to the lad. He sighed absently as he studied the table before them. The reticence of the restaurant was broken by a frantic voice at the door. A woman was passionately pounding against the doors. A staff approached, and the sound of her yelling could be heard by Hato, who had ceased paying attention to this conversation. His eyes lit up with recognition. He escaped from his chair and ran to the door. ”Mother? Mother!” He shot past the staff who had answered the door and embraced the woman, tears running down each of their faces. ”Thank Kami-sama you’re alright.” She sobbed into his shoulder. ”I heard someone say that there was a murder here and I came running as fast as I could.” She pulled away and looked into the youth’s eyes. ”Where is Grandfather?” She asked, she looked about and tried to peer at the insides of restaurant. ”Mom--” Hato tried to interrupt her. ”Go find your brother and your Grandmother. We need to go!” She continued. ”Mom!” Hato’s hands shot for her shoulders. His fingers like vicegrips, his eyes like fire -- there was steel in his voice. She had to know the truth. He had to be the one to protect her. Grandfather was right. Tsukino-san was right. The only way to stop bullies was to become a ninja, and not only kick their ass as his grandfather had said, but to kill them. For the sake of this woman and the rest of his siblings, he felt himself draw from a well of unexpected emotional strength deep within his heart. Her eyes met his for the first time since the embrace. Recognition began to creep over her face but the light of hope glimmered in her eyes. Hato couldn’t stand it. It needed to be crushed with the truth. ”Mom. They are dead.”

She hugged Hato even harder. Hato didn’t explain it to her, she probably already knew that it was just the times. The Cabal had sowed anarchy, and murder was common place among the poor --to whom Hato and his family truly belonged. Today was just a celebration, or at least it was supposed to be. It was his brother’s birthday, and everyone was going out to eat at a nice restaurant in the Silver district. Grandfather wanted everyone to live the highlife for one day. The youth pulled away from his mother, and tried to lock eyes with Tsukino-san. He needed to take care of her, and hoped the silent thanks he sent from his orbs were thanks enough to her. For the gentleman who seemed to own this place, Hato nodded towards him for his own kindness. Hato, who was too young to understand the politics of Karito’s position only saw his attempt at kindness towards Hato’s person. He gave a nod, before turning to the grieving woman. Her parents were dead. That made her an orphan right? He took his mother’s hand and began to lead her away. His Grandparents may be dead, but at least he still had people he loved, and people that he felt that -- right now at least-- he needed to protect.

• Hato’s mother arrives at the doors
• Hato comforts her
• Hato takes his mother home
• Exit

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col]

Chapter 9: Gates of HellAct 5: Leviathan​

Yes, something about this man tugged at her nerve. He tried justifying himself, but Nanami wasn't impressed. Tilting her head as she continued to hear the man speak, she ran her left hand through her hair and laughed. If only this man knew about her past and what she had been through, perhaps his mouth would stay shut. The part that made her chuckle, however, was when the man said he wanted to make the world a better place. Her eyes turned to look at the carnage in the restaurant, then to the boy, and then back to Karito. Nothing about the scene in his restaurant looks like he's working to make the world a better place. At the very least, he should pay for the child's family's funerals and pay for their pain. Regardless, having a mass murder in his restaurant will probably garner bad reviews.

Before she could say anything to Karito, a woman ran into the restaurant frantically. Nanami watched the action unfold. The drama and sadness wrought in the boy's and mother's eyes. She felt their pain but is powerless to do anything for them. She did the best she could, but explaining death to a child was never something she was good at; not even when she worked for the orphanage in the Water Country after the fall of Kirigakure. However, through the gloom there seemed to have been a light. Hope. The boy showed resolve and courage, as if knowing what he has to do. Hopefully the boy chooses his path; a righteous path where everyone he loves and cares about remains safe from harm. She wishes the boy to be a hero. It took a moment, but the boy's eyes locked onto hers and she replied with a warm smile. She waved at the boy and saw him off.

Her wave slowed to nothing before turning to look towards Karito. "Perhaps we did get off on the wrong foot. If you want another chance, then you will need to close down your restaurant until this," she said pointing in the direction of the violence and gore, "gets cleaned up and let your people go home. I'm not going to eat in a place and have to stare at that," she said pointing at the pile of corpses. "If you really want to feed me, then we need to go elsewhere," she said before flipping her hair. Her mood turned instantly flirtatious; quite the facade. Perhaps there's a way to snake some money from this man. She was in dire need of money, that she was. Though, she doesn't plan on doing the things she did as a SCAR operative to obtain it. She seemed cute and cool until you saw the myriad of weapons she was armed with.|[/col]

 

[Karitoriki]

</COLOR><COLOR color="#000080">Karito nodded at the woman's suggestion. He was being callous, but he thought a strong air of strength would add her, however, she was rejecting him. So, he waved to one of the managers, telling him to come to the table.

"Close the Restaurant. Everyone gets double yearly pay. Close until everything gets cleaned up, and then hold the funeral service here with the best buffet."

The manager nodded, a look of appreciation on the face. Karito got up, snapping the nodachi back to his belt. He left the table, looking back at the young, pretty shinobi. He motioned towards her, hoping she would come with him.

"I hope that you will at least come with me to the other stores around here- its my pleasure, and after all of this, I think it might be needed."

He motioned towards the door, trying to be a bit more gentlemanly. He didn't want to seem misogynistic, however. So he smiled, and said;

"Whatever store you want, on me."

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[col]

Chapter 9: Gates of HellAct 5: Leviathan​

At least this man is taking a good first step in the right direction. Certainly, paying everyone a year's salary was probably unnecessary and it wasn't something she understood. Giving these people a year's salary while others are hungry was still quite the pompous thing to do. If she was so inclined, she could talk the man into re-opening the restaurant to let the hungry people eat for free. He certainly had enough money to do this; even if the dishes were mediocre. Food was still food. But in response to the man closing the restaurant until everything is handled and paying for the funerals put a smile upon the woman's face. A nod was given to the man, allowing her to drop her guard for a moment and take a couple steps towards the man upon his throne.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she tilted her head at the man. Does the man think he could proposition her? Well, if he thinks he could, he's doing a crummy job. Nanami doesn't play the seduction game. She never had the longing to unless it was part of the job. Then again, being forced to do so upon brain-washing removed her willingness to do it unless the job called for it. Removing her arms from her chest, she let her arms hang before responding to Karitoriki. "Well, I am kind of hungry. Though, the mass murder that happened should have made me lose my appetite," she said before moving her left hand up to scratch the back of her head with a little uncomfortable chuckle. Her eyes went back towards the bodies for a moment. She was saddened for their loss, but due to her inability to bring the dead back to life, she was helpless.

"So another restaurant would be fantastic," she mentioned before turning towards the dead and taking a knee before them. She clasped her hands in front of her and closed her eyes to offer a prayer to the fallen.

God our Father,
Your power brings us to birth,
Your providence guides our lives,
and by Your command we return to dust.

Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,
their lives change but do not end.
I pray in hope for my family,
relatives and friends,
and for all the dead known to You alone.

In company with Christ,
Who died and now lives,
may they rejoice in Your kingdom,
where all our tears are wiped away.
Unite us together again in one family,
to sing Your praise forever and ever.​

Nanami chanted silently to herself before verbally stating the word, "Amen." audibly. After the prayer was offered, she stood up and looked back towards Karitoriki. She did all she could for these people. Some people could say that 2 hands at work do more than a 1000 clasped in prayer, but Nanami knows no other way to help these people at the moment. "Surprise me," she simply stated.|[/col]

 

[Tsukino Nanami]

[Topic Left due to inactivity. Just assume they went to a restaurant, ate, talked, Nanami doesn't really like Karito, but can tolerate him. Nothing happened after that.]