Early Impasse [Sayomi]

[Kiri]

At first, he didn’t think he would be given this assignment. In fact, he was surprised that his long time mentor and supervisor, Ibaraki-san, would mention of it to him, knowing that he was in the same boat as this figure. That was to say that any observation and recon mission towards the potential threats to the village was common, but in this particular case, this target was in every way akin to him. Taking more notes, he understood that one important factor was that she was the taken apprentice of Shinrya Kahako, the Medical Branch Sennin and wife of their Raikage. So it was obvious that it was important to make sure that this apprentice was fit and capable, as well as in control of her demons.

Uri paused as he thought about the possibility of any demon residing within the girl and going out of control. Would the same thing happen to her as what happened to Chika? If so, it was best he was there to stop it before it did happen. Without much of a complain, he heard the last of the instructions from his mentor before he left the Torre without another word.

There were many ways to go about this. He could simply try and shadow her, far from prying eyes and her own awareness. There was also the way where he could simply be another stranger who so happened to be buying in the same grocery store and keeping to himself. Or he could also be the straight up to approach her during one of her walks and get a closer look at her.

Wearing a black shirt underneath a white suit with match white pants and cap, Uri took a long minute to try and see if he was being too suspicious-looking. He gazed at himself at the mirror of his humble little room in his mentor’s apartment. Part of the supervisory mission of his mentor towards him was to have him live with him for the last seven years or so. Anyway, he decided that wearing some tinted glasses would also help, especially when he remembers that having red eyes was an easy marker for others. Though it was not the Sharingan, it was still easy to spot the few who did have red eyes. And to top it off, he brought with him a black medical face mask… he can always feign coughing and what not.

And so, knowing the girl’s routine for that particular day, he went to find her doing what seemed to be an errand, maybe. Otherwise, why would she be walking along the main thoroughfare where some general shops and boutiques were all lined up? In any case, Uri, would approach her form, standing right next to her when she would come to a stop and look at some of the display wares of a shop.

And say, “How’s the demon coming along?”

Right. Exactly what was the plan again? To pretend to be a passerby? To observe without letting the other know they’re being observed? Or was it to be frank? He pulls down the black facial mask and lowers his gaze to look at her every reaction. “Santaru… Sayomi, was it?”[/color]

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The day had been uneventful, as far as normal days go, but that was very much considered a blessing at this moment by the teenaged shinobi. Even the Raiju had not spoken a word to her this day, but whether he had no interest or he was pouting (what she interpreted as pouting, at least) was unknown, but it meant there was some peace in her mind. Kahako had called her in, lessons had been taught, or at least administered, but now it was something different. She was sent off to purchase some new supplies and even lunch for herself, her mentor, and a few others. It was the first task of this sort she had really been given up to this point so, in honesty, the girl was excited. It was menial. Yet it implied trust and that gave cause for the young kunoichi smile.

It wasn't her first time in this particular marketplace, in fact, she had become quite accustom to navigating the bustling area and in this case, her attention was primarily focused upon the large paper with the listed items to purchase for the day. Some were too big to carry, so they'd even have to be sent there by professional couriers. Those were the most important items, so she went there and took care of them first, nervous as ever but giving a bright smile when thanking them for their assistance. She went further on down with the list in her hands and her eyes glued to the words on there, trying her best to think of where some of the restaurants were, because not everyone wanted the same food, naturally.

However, things did not seem to be going the right way for the moment and while the Raiju had been quiet up to this point, she noticed he had perked up, but did not say the reason why. Still, the presence was notable within her, but she thought nothing of it. Until, suddenly, someone was right next to her out of seemingly nowhere. This was her home village, she should not have to worry about attack so her guard was down, but this still startled her. More than this, but his words which means he spoke of privileged and very guarded information which shouldn't be spoken of in public for obvious reasons and then some.

"D-Demon? What? W-What are you talking about? W-who..who are you?" she stumbled, both over her words and her feet as she backed up a few paces, falling down at first before scrambling to her feet, just in case. The Raiju scoffed, saying something about his accusation sounding rich and something about his smell, but also his incompetence to assume the Raiju a mere demon. "W-What do..do you want? I'm b-b-busy...I'm on a m-mission...very important! For Shinrya Kahako-sensei!"

 

[Kiri]

Uri took a few blinks before he chuckled at the sight. The girl was flustered and fell and now trying to regain her composure. Not to mention that she was trying to sound mature and change the topic that he breached. He didn’t need to agitate her any further as the blue flames inside him sent a signal. Looks like the beast within the girl was alert.

He raised both hands in the air, as if in defeat, “Take it easy. It’s not like I’m here to hurt you. I’m merely here to say hi.” He then lowered his hands and took a step towards the girl, just one, cautious yet making sure she wasn’t going to be all defensive. “Like you said, you do have an important errand for Shinrya Kahako-sama. It would be a pity if you’d be late in going back.”

He let his expression soften as he looked down at her, their height difference showing itself. At the very least, he was glad his current appearance would be far from detectable when he finally suits up for an anbu mission. That way, he can play different roles if needed. “That said, I’m just making sure you’re alright. The weather has been erratic recently and your… folks at the clan would always worry. Perhaps a babysitter was needed, so I’m just here to make sure you don’t get lost. Speaking of which, you’ll need help to carry the lunchboxes anyway. So I might as well. Though, I’m not really your servant or anything.”

He tipped his cap for a brief moment to give her a curt bow before placing it back on his head. “I’m just an average guy who was given a trivial task. Hope you don’t mind. Besides, I figured it’s less rude to you than for me to be stalking you. That would be at poor taste, considering you’re such a… small girl.” Was he about to say ‘cute’? But then again, such a vocabulary wasn’t even in his mind at the moment. For the most part, trust was necessary. “Please call me Aoi.”

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The pale skin of the young shinobi started to brighten with a vivid hue of cherry from the embarrassment and already there was a sense of distrust towards this man. Not just the distrust and fear she felt for most all strangers, this was different, something didn't seem right and the inner voice in her mind screamed at her to run from the situation as fast as she could, though granted if he were a ninja, it was not unlikely that he would overtake her in a race of speed. After all, she had one skill and that was her overwhelming elemental power, she was quite literally a force of nature and with the spirit of the Raiju dwelling inside of her, even the heads of the clan were taking notice in ways of not just to hide the shame, but to harness and use this newfound gift she had been bestowed with.

She listened, but didn't really like what he had to say and the words about how it would be a shame if she were late set off all kinds of alarms within her mind, especially with the Lion Volt. As much as he detested being imprisoned, Sayomi suspected he was not vicious and knew that he was stable within her, her dying meant it would lose that stability and go rampant again. Besides, it had a strong desire to exact vengeance on those who had forced him from his heavenly plane to the mortal one. And so instinctively, Sayomi took a step back as he took a step forward, not dropping a protective stance, holding a stance that would speak to one with experience as she would summon a jutsu. The girl was adept in many forms, but most naturally a person would think of lightning because of her heritage.

The more he spoke, the more holes appeared in his story as she watched him warily, biting her tongue for as long as she could hold it. "Y-You're lying...Santaru watched me for a long....long t-time...none have e-ever approached before...it would r-raise suspicion...t-t-they stopped when K-Kahako-sensei t-took me on...to t-train me...i think..." she added the last part in a whisper, looking up to the tops of the buildings or around in the shadows for people who might be watching her. She had become quite paranoid. Especially since being informed that the person in the past who had taught her many things about genjutsu only did so to gain information about the village. It had crushed the girl's spirit to know she might have inadvertently aided an enemy of Kumo, so she would try to not be so naive...at least not in the face of something so obviously unusual. "And i-if you were...a n-ninja from here, you'd k-k-know that K-Kahako-sensei is s-super important here! And s-so are the...the Santaru!" Feeling it important to reiterate just how important someone not in the know would think she is. Sayomi knew, herself, that she was nothing important and was only mildly special by coincidence, but those names sure would sound impressive to someone in the village and even outside.

 

[Kiri]

Perhaps the one thing that the other anbu operatives lacked and that he still somehow had inside of him was sympathy. It could be attributed to his late inclusion. He was, after all, an accidental shinobi in away sense. Still, throughout the years, though he had hardened his heart, there was something about this particular girl that made him frown. Maybe it was the fact that he remembered a certain someone from his past. That didn't look right. He had killed before and there shouldn't be any problem if the need arises. But he couldn't help but pity the girl before him.

"You don't need to be so afraid," he caught himself saying before he even noticed it. Whether it was a gentle tone or not, he clicked his tongue so quickly it was almost as if he was annoyed. Then, he sighed and said, "Like I said earlier, I thought it's rude to be a stalker. Besides, I don't get paid nearly enough to actually even care about stealthy shadowy procedures."

He then proceeded to produce what seemed to be an identification card from his pocket. It was a passport and it confirmed his identity as a resident from Kumogakure. The seal of the Raikage was also there and only a fool would risk to forge that. But perhaps what was surprising was that it didn't seem to implicate that he was a shinobi. In fact, under his status, he was listed as a writer/contributor to some publishing house in Kumogakure.

"I know. You're probably surprised by this. So was I, at first. I had only came to assist in researching with a friend who works at the hospital when I stumbled upon your clan. They thought it would be less surprising if they hired someone with less capabilities to act as a shinobi. Not that I care. They offered to help in my investigation in return." He then proceded to light a cigarette and puff a smoke. "That's why I'm just going to act as a real babysitter now. You can try and run away but like you said, Shinrya Kahako took you under her wing. I would know where to look for you. And in all honesty, she wouldn't be able to refuse it since- A- I am a normal citizen of Kumogakure and pose no threat to either of you, and -B- I hold a legal contract of babysitting you from your clan elders, complete with hourly wage. That's right, hourly wage. Since you'll mostly be under the care of the Shinrya, I'm just there to visit you, possibly bring a bentou or two, for four hours each day. Not bad, huh?" Uri proceeded to produce a folded parchement that entailed the said contract agreement. Luckily it wrote for 6-months only, and that his superior was able to forge the clan seal as precisely as it should, for obviously the higher-ups in the anbu should be capable of it. He then put it away into his small wallet and pocket. "So that's that."

With a smile, he took off his cap, revealing his red hair, and placed it on her head and started to walk past her, stopping shortly to glance back at Sayomi. "Well? Aren't we supposed to get lunches? I'd like to start my work now, if you would please, Milady Sayomi."

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

Nothing felt like it was real talking to this man, but perhaps it was just her nerves and growing distrust of people. Part of her wanted to just run away. Far, far away, but she also felt grounded in this moment, like her feet were lead and refused to budge under the minuscule might she considered her own power. And yet, in the face of such outright lies, she felt skeptical. The girl had fallen under the influence and might have led to harm for the village because of her overly trusting nature, something she was hoping to correct. For a brief moment, she felt weak and that weakness, the Lion Volt roared in her mind, causing the girl to wince and fight to maintain control. The Raiju did not like this individual and made a point to speak to this knowledge.

She did regain her composure, thankfully, but the problem remained about what he was saying. Her brown eyes flittering with amethyst hued glows started to read the parchment which he had produced to verify his identity and purpose. It looked legit. Almost too much so, there was no reason to doubt, except for some knowledge of how her clan liked to operate. In truth, she didn't know much about it, but they enjoyed both control and power, which is why they submitted to her tutelage by Kahako, but his knowledge surpassed more than what she knew the elders would allow.

His words made it seem all too calm and there was a bit of a soothing tone in her voice, but the petulant voice in her mind would not ease up and it was not the Raiju who spoke, but her own paranoid conscience that made it feel like something was off. She read and reread the parchment he produced several times while listening to his words, moving a finger over the words and when he tried to put it away, the girl's fingers caught a hold of the bottom, offering resistance. She was not that strong, but she gripped it so suddenly it might be a shock to someone who was not prepared to rip it from her. In that moment, her other hand was raised and pointed to his occupation, tapping her forefinger on the word a couple of times.

"Lie...this...this is a l-lie...Santaru...they e-enjoy power...s-secrets. They w-would not trust s-s-someone to...to t-this job...t-that's a writer..." she said, starting to tremble, both in fear and anger. She was quite afraid, because the missing nin she encountered had powers she could not even fathom, but Sayomi refused to betray her village again, so blind trust was not something she was willing to give. Not after the first words he spoke. "You k-know things...too m-many....not e-even miss Kahako knew. My o-own parents they...they d-don't even know...It's secret..." She said, still holding the parchment with her fingers unless it was ripped from her hands. When she raised her head to look at the man, he would notice two things, one tears forming in her eyes, starting to trickle down her ivory cheeks. But also, minute neon sparks. It was a trademark for Santaru and her eyes had not been completely consumed by them at the moment, but the sparks were present for just a moment as she trembled to control her emotions. The sparks dissipated, but she was still emotional. "W-What do you...do you w-want with me? Who...who are y-you?"

 

[Kiri]

The girl was perceptive, he’d give her that. Still, this would pose a problem for Uri if she wasn’t going to be cooperative. He really didn’t like having to be forced to stalk her. That just make things trickier, and somehow, creepy. And so, he was forced to figure out how to confront this situation. While numerous ways came to mind, there was just one thing that he couldn’t really help but just do. Things would always be easier if he would just be honest.

Shrugging his shoulders, he turns to face the girl again and looks at her with a frown. “Just because I’m a writer? A writer so happens to have all the tools of babysitting a jinchuuriki vessel. Especially when the said writer is one,” he answers as he stares at her even more as if to study every bit of her reaction. Then he broke into a smile. “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have an interview with a jinchuuriki vessel? I’m sure it’ll help your cause, too, so that the public wouldn’t have to be so wary. Of course, I’ll keep your identity hidden. It is part of the contract. But to write from the perspective of someone would be nice for a change. If you saw all those cautionary tales about how uncontrollable and dangerous vessels are, it would be nice of a change to show what it’s actually like. Of course, before publishing it, I’ll let you read. I can also let Shinrya-sama read it too. Since it could also help her understand a bit about you and she would be interested to see from your perspective.”

He then pulls out a lollipop from his pocket and tears the wrapper open before putting it in his mouth. “So, that’s the deal. I do some babysitting and I get direct interview access. Not so bad right? Heck, you can always use your power against me if you think I’m going too far. After all, that’s the only reason you’d so anyway. Because as much as people think jinchuuriki vessels are dangerous, I don’t think they’re intricately evil. They only react to what’s given to them.”

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

He sure loved his words. He spoke a lot. Far too much for Sayomi's taste, but though there were many words pouring from his lips, none of them really explained much and there were always that phrase he seemed to love to use. Vessel. She hated it. Especially when used to describe her as a "jinchuuriki" vessel. The brunette had been working so hard to do what she could, to accomplish what she could and people who knew the truth always just past her ability off as the power of her jinchuuriki that she was tapping into and still did not consider her of any real value, that's what it seemed the clan elders, sans Yoshi, did, how they viewed her. This man saw her as nothing more than a vessel and repeated it over and over in the public for those who wished to overhear to do so. To judge her. This would be another failure on her record if she allowed herself to be deceived and as tears formed in her eyes, of disappointment in herself and of rage, things started to happen.

Of course, she did hear him admit to being a jinchuuriki himself, but that did little to aleve her dissatisfication with the encounter. "N-No...you're a liar. I w-want you to go. Be...not here. I w-want to go h-home away..." she started to talk, trembling and as she did, a most curious thing started to happen. The land of Lightning was one rich with rain and Kumogakure was, naturally, exposed to almost constant cloud coverage in the mountains, but these clouds started to darken and grow heavy with moisture which slowly started to fall and as the girl nibbled on her lip, clenched her fist tightly, thunder started to crack menacingly. They did not strike the earth, but surged through the clouds impressively.

"I-I-Interview...interview you...not m-me...I'm n-not a vessel...not a vessel. I'm a n-ninja of Kumo. A Santaru. I...I d-don't need any power b-but my own to be...strong!" She said, still in her normal soft tone, but there was a sort of forced bit of intimidation in there and she pointed to her headband to get her point across. Or, perhaps, it was just the hope it sounded intimidating. It was not a side Sayomi herself knew of, but at this point, she honestly believed this man to be a threat to the village, such as Izura proved to be. She couldn't allow another situation like that to occur and with that, a booming, deafening crack of lightning could be heard nearby, striking an area that was absolutely nothing and would cause no damage, something Sayomi was aware of, but the powerful sound and blinding light that resulted were a sight to behold, nonetheless. "I w-won't be fooled by a b-bad...bad villain!"

 

[Kiri]

"I see," his voice was plain and lost its personality. The mischievous grin was replaced by an unnerving placidity. He watched overhead as he saw the gathering storm. The light that danced and the booming echo only made him detached from reality. It wasn't fear. It was-

"Get a hold of yourself, Uri," Chika's voice echoed in his head as a soothing touch kissed his forehead. An invisible ally was trying to keep him calm but the sight only made his heart burn more dangerously. His temperature was rising. His blood was boiling. And his eyes slid down to glare at the girl.

"Villain?" He repeated the girl's words. A bad taste lingers along his lips as he let those syllables roll off. He knew that was how they would be seen. He knew that the life he had resigned himself to live with was nothing glorious. And if a villain was needed of him then-

"Uri!"

Uri stopped mid-thoughts at Chika's voice. He had suddenly realised that one hand was raised overhead forming into a fist as his blue flames covered his arm from fist to his shoulder. And around him, he saw the glances of the people. Terrified.

At once, he it disappeared as he held his hand and lowered his head but not before looking straight at the girl. "You say that but it was calling out to me like a jinchuuriki should. Call me what you will, but you're only lying to yourself if you think you have control."

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

There was a strange feeling of pride and resolution inside of the young teen that she had never felt before. She felt not only bold, but strong and capable. This man clearly was an enemy and was not supposed to be here, but she was anywhere far from reckless. Jinchuuriki or not, she was stronger than she was ever supposed to be and if this man wished to take her lightly because of whatever preconceptions he had, then so be it. The girl's mind was swimming at the moment and if the Lion Volt spoke, it went unheard by the teenager who stood firm in this moment.

That, however, was fleeting as flames began to surround the man accomplishing two very different reactions from the girl, subconsciously it solidified the thoughts that this man was pure evil, but consciously, the girl stood still and shook, not from righteous anger, but petrifying fear in the moment as visions played like an old reel that was in a constant loop. Even now she could hear the shrieks, the feel of the flames, the smell filling her nostrils with burnt wood and flesh from that horrifying attack and her eyes nearly glazed over for a moment and even after he killed the flames surrounding his own body, she stood still for just a moment before reclaiming her senses and her mind entirely.

It had not been the first nor would it be the last that the Raiju witnessed these events unfold in front of his eyes, but each time brought him no joy as he was not a creature to harm the innocent. However, in this plane, he cannot control his actions when summoned in such inferior manners.

Now, however, her gaze was filled with rage. "I k-knew it..." she said quietly, under her breath as whatever he said would get no reaction from her. The way was clear and he would know just how powerful she was. She jumped back several feet and threw out her arm instantly and without a second to react a bolt of lightning pierced the heavens right above Aoi, but did not strike, instead creating a dome around him, small in circumference so as to not harm anyone nearby as long as they didn't get too close. "Thunderd-dome. Y-You're bad. You w-won't get out of t-t-this though...Not u-until someone comes...comes to take y-you. If you t-try, you'll be h-hurt..."

 

[Kiri]

“You…” he seethed the words as he watched above him, lightning forming around him in a circular dome. Once more, there was a tingling sensation tugging at his heart. It was a strange anger that was filling him up once more. More and more, the girl was manifesting that same confidence on the power that she possessed. More and more it resembled that night when Chika lost control of her own power and sealed her fate. What should be done? What must be done? “You’re stupid.” He grew serious as his eyes fell back on her. This time, the smile on his face was gone.

People around them were fleeing the scene. The sudden eruption of natural elements have caused a brief panic in the populace. And the atmosphere between the two was in high tension that anyone nearby would know better than to get involve. More importantly, Uri was beginning to see the answers to his questions. The girl was very much a threat but the control was still within the acceptable range. Should a little more push work or should he stop? He didn’t know.

But he knew one thing, he wasn’t going to let a dome stop him. He was trained for more dangerous jobs than this. One at a time, he stepped forward, feeling the shock of the aura closing in. He kept his eyes on the girl without uttering another word as he continued to walk. His eyes would not avert, nor would his resolution be. He was not scared for a little shock.

The first bite was a test, he kept himself silent as he took a step back. A bit more of the shocking current coursed through his body as he regained his stance. He took a deep breath and prepared himself as he went forward once more. This time, he raised a hand ahead of him, as if to reach for the shock at first, feeling it course into his body but he didn’t stop. He continued to walk until he was by the sheet of the dome and it was intensely entering his body. At that he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, but he did not dare to look away or be fooled.

“I won’t be deterred by such childish… ways,” said Uri as he pierced his hand through the dome, splits and cuts across his skin and white suit would begin to bleed red but his arm was outstretched and blue flames began to gather once more as he aimed for the girl. “Your call… Santaru Sayomi.”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had decided, today, to take a break from the paperwork and go out somewhere for lunch. It had been quite pleasant. He'd had a nice hot bowl of delicious ramen and taken his time eating it. Of course, there was only so much free time he had in a day and now it was time for him to get back. Even the walk back was nice. It wasn't too warm or too cold for him, he grabbed some dango from a street vendor on the way and was enjoying some as a treat on his stroll. Naturally, something so pleasant couldn't stand for long without being ruined some way or another. "Storm's brewing,"<i></i> V'eru sounded off in Ayumu's head. The spirit was generally pretty quiet... that something had his attention was Ayumu's first clue that something was off. Ayumu blinked and turned his head as he watched someone run past him in a bit of a panic. Clue number 2. Taking in his surroundings, he began to notice a great many things off with the picture that had been so idyllic a moment ago.

When you gathered a great number of people in any location, it was inevitable that there would be conflict. Of course, conflict between two shinobi tended to be much more dramatic than a fist fight in the street. In his days as an ANBU, Ayumu had broken up many a fight in the streets. It wasn't hard to notice one coming on. Freak storm clouds building in the sky on what had been an otherwise clear day? Pretty good sign something was going down. Shouting and fearful cries, people running away? An even better sign. Rounding the corner to see a young man surrounded by a dome of lightning, bleeding as he reached a flame cloaked hand towards a girl who seemed to be channeling the shocking jutsu? Hard to miss that one. Of course, as usual, Ayumu had some place to be but this wasn't going to wait. With tensions flaring, sometimes shinobi forget their surroundings. The shinobi themselves aside, someone else could get hurt if this wasn't stopped immediately.

Dashing forward, Ayumu moved like a blur and positioned himself between Uri's outstretched hand and Sayomi. "Stop this at once!" Ayumu shouted in a commanding tone. He aimed to end the hostilities instantly without having to use force. Hopefully both of the shinobi recognized who he was and realized the gravity of persisting anyway. "Both of you cancel your jutsu and tell me what's going on," Ayumu demanded, "Now." Depending on whether they were compliant or not, he might have to use his headset in order to call in backup to make sure the fight ended before someone was hurt. Well, someone else. He noted Uri had already sustained injuries by reaching through the dome of crackling electricity. The man looked familiar, perhaps an ANBU, but Ayumu wasn't sure. On the other hand, Ayumu knew exactly who Sayomi was. Kahako had taken the teen under her wing and had talked to Ayumu about her on multiple occasions. She'd be pretty cross if some harm befell the girl.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

In all honesty, the youth was feeling quite pleased with how she had handled the situation concerning the man. The jutsu she performed was no small feat and how she summoned it in an instant, not giving him a second to prepare a counter measure, made her even more confident about the situation. It was an A-Rank jutsu of pure lightning, hotter than the sun, that trapped the man there. She was about ready to leave and go find someone in authority to take him into custody before the man's words started to float towards her causing her to pause and blink in confusion as she turned around.

He was just upset that he had lost this and he was going to be taken away to prison, like the criminal he so clearly was. Still, Sayomi did not like the look of severity upon her face and looked to the side for a moment seeing the stragglers who had stayed around now rushing away. However, this was when things became uncertain, save for the fact they were certainly terrifying.

He started to not only touch the lightning, but try to push himself through it as the electrical current bounced around, burning and cutting the flesh of his arm which soon surrounded itself with blue flames. Flames again. This man clearly was not sane and if he was not sane, he must be taken away. Her hues could not look away from the man trying to penetrate his prison cell, stating her name with fire to threaten her as she tried to snap herself back into reality, but stood still for the moment as thousands of thoughts rushed through her mind in the moment.

That was, until a voice could be heard booming in between the two of them which startled the young girl who did not see him appear at all, snapping her back into reality which inadvertantly cancelled her jutsu as the lightning descended and broke, causing the girl to panic as the other man would undoubtedly attack. She turned into a defensive stance, ready to strike again once the man would move. He clearly wanted to help, but he did not seem ANBU and was of advanced age compared to the two he confronted, it would probably be too dangerous if jinchuuriki were to battle and that thought caused the Raiju a low growl of dissatisfaction, though Sayomi could not explain why, but it was clearly not at the thought of a battle. This new man?

"P-Please...h-honorable elder! Please...m-move out of the w-w-way! He's a b-bad man! You'll g-get hurt!" She pleaded, so focused on her task at hand that she could not recognize that this man was the Raikage. The girl's preoccupied mind was focused rather on his safety than his identity, but also on re-apprehending this "Aoi".

 

[Osuteno]

Spoiler

Yukiko and Karasuko sat boredly behind their table watching people pass them on the street and in and out of the tea shop they were set up in front of.

“Kiko… This isn’t going very well,” Karasuko said looking at the many boxes of cookies still sitting on their table.

“I know, I know Suko,” Yukiko said tapping the clipboard that held a very short list of names for cookie orders.

The two were the only current members of Kunoichi Scout Troop #450 and they were trying to take advantage of the lunch rush in the area where people who worked in the Torre typically liked to go, but were just not making the sales they had expected. Placing high in the annual competitions for cookie sales wasn’t looking very good at the moment.

Of course something else wasn’t looking quite good either.

“... Suko what does today’s paper say about the weather?” Asked Yukiko with a time of annoyance looking at the sky.

Karasuko opened up a newspaper they had under the table and replied, “Cloudy with some light snow in the afternoon Kiko.” She sighed looking at the sky herself.

Someone was fussing about with the weather it seemed. As there definitely shouldn’t be a dome of lightning dancing about on the ground scaring away potential customers not too far down the road. How dare someone disturb the economic tranquility of their sales turf! Do they realize how many other Kunoichi scout troops they had to fight and blackmail to get this spot?!

“Suko… help me load up the wagon with the cookies and thank the grandpa for his table, we are going to investigate!”

“Ohhhh!” Karasuko cheered in a slight monotone with a fist slightly raised up following the older twin’s lead. They quickly loaded their cookies into their little wagon and bowed towards the frightened old man staring at the troubling sight down the road before heading that way themselves.

A minute later two little girls approached the scene with their little wagon of cookies and wearing little Kunoichi uniforms with an assortment of badges instead of their normal kimonos.

“Culprits spotted Kiko, one who seems a lot like one of those reckless Santaru Clan people who tend to strike everything around them with Lightning with little consideration for others and property damage, and the other swinging around fire like half the things around here aren’t flammable, also an ‘esteemed elder’ who appears to be Auntie Senpai’s husband.”

“You are right Suko, that ‘esteemed elder’ does appear to be Ayumu, Auntie Kahako’s husband. Isn’t he supposed to be the Raikage? Why is all this trouble happening on his watch?”

“Do none of you have any compassion for the hard working business people of this city?!” Shouted little black haired Karasuko.

“We ought to make you all pay damages for lost business!” Followed up the white haired Yukiko.

““Will the ‘esteemed elder’ Raikage not protect us youth of the village from economic loss by purchasing our full wagon of cookies for the trouble two shinobi under his command brought today?!”” The two precocious five year old twins declared passionately in perfect unison.

“Which comes out to 17 boxes of Maple Cremes, 34 boxes of Double Fudge Lightning Boomers, 8 boxes of Thin Ice Mints, 11 boxes of Shadow Coffee Cake Bites, and 16 boxes of Super Caramel Skull Crushers,” Said Karasuko checking their inventory.

“Which comes out to 64,600 yen plus any donations you would like to make to the Kunoichi Scouts of Kumogakure please, would you three like to split the bill or perhaps need a business receipt? Don’t worry ‘esteemed elder’ Raikage-Sama, we have heard Auntie Saeko say a little embezzlement is alright so long it is done in your name and that you probably do it all the time,” said Yukiko confidently as if she wasn’t asking for an amount not too far off from a person’s monthly rent in the city.

[Topic entered with NPCs Yukiko and Karasuko]

 

[Kiri]

Uri kept his eyes on the girl as before everything seemed to stand still. There was a flight of lightning and then everything disappeared. He quickly trained his red eyes on the sudden arrival of someone he didn’t expect– the Raikage, himself. Like a cat caught stealing the golden fish from bowl, Uri slowly retracted his reached out arm, the blue flames on it quickly extinguishing itself. Wide-eyed, he kept a straight look at the man before him. This was the figurehead who had once decided if his life was worth to be saved or not, especially when he received the power he now possesses. It would be rude of him to go against the man’s wishes. Uri wasn’t the ungrateful type, after all.

“I’m under orders to make sure she’s stable and won’t become a threat to the village and Shinrya-sama,” said Uri without missing a beat. If there was one person in this entire village whom he could not afford to lie to, it was this man. He was the person he had sworn his life to, and is even working hard to reach. “I got a little carried away, I suppose. I apologize, Raikage-sama.”

It was then and there when two more unexpected figures came into view. He looked at the two girls that came to them, seemingly dragging along a wagon full of things – cookie boxes? Even at that point, Uri could still observe his surroundings good enough to know who were around and act accordingly if necessary. But, the way the girls talked, the way their chakra pulse were seemingly kept in check, and their seemingly strong and confident diction to talk with the Raikage like that, was enough of a reason to be quite suspicious about them. Still, he did make for a movement to his pocket and drew out just a thousand bill.

“Sorry, I was only given this much for today’s allowance,” said Uri as he looked back at the kids.

Before anything else, there was another interruption and the cast seemed to grow even further. Running along the street in a rush was a boy with white hair. He seemed around the age of 7 or so, wearing a white ensemble of kimono, hakama and haori. He seemed rather flustered and as soon as he neared them, he stopped by the girls’ wagons and tried to catch his breath. After a bit, he then seemed to have noticed the raikage and faced his way and gave a courteous bow.

“Raikage-papa… I mean, sama… I didn’t know you’re out here today. Kahako-mama…. I mean, sama… was just wondering where Sayomi went with the lunches so I was to go find her, but then this weird lightning happened and then…” he began before letting his eyes fall onto the twins, “Eh? Yukiko? Karasuko? Why are you girls here? Does Osu-senpai know? Are you lost? Shall Uncle Kiri help you?”

[Kiri enters]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The next several seconds seemed to play on fast forward for Ayumu. Many things happened so quickly he didn't get a moment to respond. The young Santaru seemed startled by his appearance, her jutsu dropping the moment of his arrival. This was not intentional on either of their parts, but it was a step in the right direction. That said, it wasn't out of compliance to his order that she had dropped the jutsu. As a matter of fact, she didn't seem to know who he was at all, fearing for the safety of this "honorable elder" as she put it. The words cut through Ayumu like the sharpest Chidori. 'Elder?' he repeated in his thoughts, clutching at his chest involuntarily as if it was the location of an entry wound. Internally, V'eru was laughing his ass off to the point where Ayumu had to put him on mute in order to hear the real world clearly. Laughing a fake, quiet laugh Ayumu turned to Sayomi.

"Honorable elder...? Please, you can just call me Raikage," he said in the calmest tone he could manage. Meanwhile, Uri had let his hand drop from its menacing reach towards Sayomi. He, it seemed, had recognized Ayumu and without further delay gave an explanation for why he was here, claiming that the interaction just now had happened because he'd gotten carried away. This confirmed Ayumu's suspicions, the man was an ANBU though he was in street clothes. "I would say so,"<i></i> Ayumu concurred with Uri's assessment of how the situation had evolved. Carried away was one way to describe it. "Perhaps work on your subtlety..."<i></i> Ayumu advised. Before he could say anything more, a set of small familiar faces marched up to the trio seemingly without any fear regarding the incident that had just taken place. Wasting no time, they began berating all three of them for the commotion they had caused. Indeed, the street which had been bustling moments ago had been nearly cleared out, the people seeking to avoid harm in the crossfire of the fight that had seemed sure to erupt.

The girls focused next on Ayumu, somehow speaking in perfect unison as if they had prepared this speech in advance. Without delay, one of them began calculating out the cost of their entire wagon of cookies and announcing it with intent to have Ayumu pay the full sum. Without realizing it, Ayumu's jaw had dropped slightly ajar. Two shinobi about to throw down was one thing, but how was he to deal with these two little hellions? He realized now who they were. He'd seen pictures from Kahako whom they interacted with more regularly as a colleague of their father. "Ah... you're Osu's girls,"<i></i> he observed aloud. Apparently, Saeko had been filling their heads with the nonsense in her own. Glancing towards Uri, he watched as the man pulled out about 1,000 yen and held it out for the twins. Of course, were Ayumu to listen to them this would still leave a hefty sum for him to pay. Of course, there was no way he was going to buy their entire cart out.

"Listen I'm a bit short on cash right now," Ayumu commented, pulling out his wallet. He couldn't completely shun the two adorable little girls. "I've got about 20,000 yen on me... what would that get me?"<i></i> he went on. This was all the money he had on him at the moment. It was also quite a lot to spend on cookies even if it wasn't the 64,600 yen they had requested. Ayumu was, however, a generous man. Before that could be addressed, yet another familiar face showed up. Another young one... technically?

Kiri, the 20+ year old man in a child's body, walked up and paused to catch his breath for a moment before noticing Ayumu. Standing up straight, he gave a quick bow. According to him, Sayomi had been sent out to round up lunch but was a bit behind perhaps. Kahako had then apparently sent out Kiri to look for her which was why the boy was here now. On top of this, he apparently knew the two girls who he began to engage, asking if they were lost. With some luck, perhaps he'd keep them distracted. Ayumu glanced back to Sayomi who was probably extraordinarily confused right now. With the situation, Ayumu hoped, diffused he now noticed that her clothing seemed dirtied as if she'd fallen.

"Are you okay? My wife-- er, Kahako, sent you out for lunch, right?" Ayumu asked. While Uri had contained himself the moment Ayumu had arrived, the littlest Santaru had still seemed on edge and Ayumu wanted to make sure she wasn't about to zap everybody present and ask questions later.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The presence of this man certainly made her job complicated and from what she could tell, he seemed capable for a normal person or maybe even a ninja, but at his age, it was doubtful he could handle a full battle between two jinchuuriki easily over half his age. Or, so she thought. He seemed to take offense or even injury from her words, which didn't quite make sense as she was very respectful in both her request and the manner in which she addressed him and blinked blankly, very nearly dropping her guard before gathering her thoughts once more. Of course, when the man straight up admitted to the Raikage...wait, was that Raikage they were addressing him as? Her jaw dropped ever so slightly as her face was coated thickly with a deep red from embarassment as it slowly dawned on her the mistake. Shakily, the girl's gaze returned to the man's face and, sure enough. It was him.

But worse than that was what would happen next. Most people had, wisely, fled the market place because even most ninjas couldn't face opponents such as the two, but now others besides the village's most powerful ninja and leader, but this was far worse than she could imagine. Two children, small and meek in stature, came up and started to not only speak on par with the Raikage, but talk down to him, it seemed. Demand him to pay for their cookies? Sayomi knew of the scouts, but she definitely never was brought up in the kind of luxury it took to become one. Even now, though she lived in the main Santaru estate, she was rarely given money for anything to purchase for herself, so even if she wanted to purchase cookies, the lack of funds on her made it out of the question and she was certainly not going to use the money Kahako-sensei gave her for it.

This entire time she stood quiet and started to edge away from the situation. So many things had gone wrong with only the purchase of the medical supplies going right...though that might still be delayed. It seemed that while a liar, Uri was a member of Kumogakure, she addressed the Raikage as an elder which seemed to wound him. Two small children with the most terrifying of looks possible for small children appeared to extort everyone present and now...another small child joined.

This one she recognized immediately, but not by name, only because she had seen him in and out of the workplace where she trained with Kahako, but just assumed he was the child of someone who worked there. Sayomi made certain not to remove her hazel hues from the situation even as she attempted to remove herself from it, but another bombshell accured as he knew everyone present, save Aoi, on a personal level. Even Kahako as he...was sent to fetch her? Wait. Did he say his name was Kiri? She thought of her appointed older brother and realized she had not seen him in quite some time, since the day he showed up with the rejection letter from the Chuunin exam and the invitation from Kahako, but that was some time ago.

It was impossible, however, even in the land where people could manipulate everything from the shadows and elements to gods.

It was almost time to make a full break for it as quick as her little legs could carry, maybe the winds if she could muster them to fly away, but she was caught by the Raikage, the one person she certainly couldn't disobey. Not that it was in her disposition to disobey anyone in the first place, mind you. Immediately upon being addressed, the girl fell on her knees with her head on the ground in penance.

"Y-Y-Yes, Raikage-sama! L-Lunch and me-medical supplies she r-r-requested! P-Please! Please f-forgive me! I d-did not re...recognize you e-earlier!" she said in a surprisingly loud voice for her that she resorted to when she was absolutely terrified, as opposed to her traditionally meek voice and though she fought against her tears, it was in vain as they still fell from her cheeks and a light rain started to fall from the clouds in response to her emotions.

 

[Osuteno]

Yukiko and Karasuko gazed emotionlessly at the fire hazard and his thousand yen before grabbing a single box of Double Fudge Lightning Boomers, making the exchange and holding up their clipboard for him to sign next to a donation of 150 yen. ““Thank you for your purchase and donation,”” the twins said with barely a nod.

Then of course HE showed up. “Kiko, Kiko, Kiri Niichan seems to still be pretending not to be a grownup in his mid-twenties,” Karasuko said while taking a deliberate step away from Kiri.

“I see that Suko, it is very disconcerting that a grownup is putting on such play, especially when he has used it to be naughty before,” Yukiko said also taking a full step away from Kiri.

““We have permission to play in this area until it is almost dinner time, and are participating in Kunoichi Scout Cookie sales. Please don’t come closer or we will yell for an adult.””

Turning their attention back to the Raikage the girls nodded and giving a polite bow, ““Yes, he is our daddy.””

Getting straight to business Yukiko spoke up, “20,000 yen will purchase 23 boxes at 850 each with the remainder being 450 yen, honored customer.”

“We would recommend getting four or five boxes of each flavor for a variety if you intend to gift them, honored customer.”

Of course while in the process of making their sales the girls kept a curious eye on the lightning rod, wondering if someone would fall victim to what their cousins called the notorious tendency of the Santaru to accidentally harm even allies they touched or got caught up in their weather manipulations.

This thought put the two further on edge as it started raining as the older girl began crying, with Karasuko hurriedly pulling an umbrella from their bags to protect the cookies.

“So Auntie Senpai gave her a task and this oneechan has been having issues completing them, somehow ending up in a street fight with that oniichan, and causing this huge fuss,” hummed Yukiko.

“But don’t you think she is taking things a bit too seriously to be crying Kiko? Calling the Raikage an honorable elder is technically accurate and not really rude unless he happens to be very self conscious about his advancement in age?”

“I don’t believe it is that Suko, I think it might be more the embarrassment from being an inconvenience for so many people, though if that is the case the oniichan needs to also be bowing and crying from the look of things. Rather than that though, they should both be apologizing earnestly to the shop vendors and residents of this area for the trouble they have caused to their livelihoods.”

““Particularly since sparring with dangerous jutsu like this near civilians is against the law,”” the twins nodded to each other without any particular tone, but there seemed to be an implied coldness.

“Still, it looks like only the street got damage,” Karasuko hummed.

“Indeed, so apologizing to people and reflecting on their mistakes would probably be most of it,” Yukiko agreed.

““At least that is what we think,”” the twins shrugged simultaneously as if they hadn’t just extorted everyone present for money to solve the disturbance, and they openly checked to see if the Raikage’s larger bills were real before putting them away.

“Could you please hold onto our troop’s donation collection sheet while I get you your change honored customer?” Yukiko asked handing Ayumu the clipboard and slowly counting out his change like a normal five year old as if she hadn’t been doing larger math in her head just moments before.

 

[Kiri]

Uri stood there rather perplexed as he was handed a box of treats and then forced to sign a donations sheets. It was the first time he’d encountered this and seeing how the Raikage was also seemingly doing the same, he figured he had to do it. It was the only way to show that he was a responsible citizen of the village, or so he thought. Besides, it would mark like a bad stain in his reputation if the Raikage saw him as something of a burden.

Meanwhile, Kiri could only shudder as the girls addressed him like some a sexual predator. He glanced at them with nervousness as they stepped away, seemingly exaggerating the very scenario. Each side glance and word that escaped their lips was harsh and he seemed like he was shrinking and shrinking until he was nothing more than a useless ant beneath their toes. Slowly, he lowered his head and took a few steps back before crouching on the ground and started to fidget while murmuring something along the lines of “sorry”, “only meant to be protective of them" and "it wasn’t intentional”.

As the scenes before him unfolded, Uri wondered if the white haired boy was being bullied so easily. Looked as much. Though the words that escaped the twin’s mouth about his supposed adult self was intriguing. He had heard of the report on a certain Kiri that has caused quite a problem in the past, and he couldn’t really believe it was this boy. Perhaps he’ll have to inquire about this at a later date.

At that point, Uri let his eyes fall back to Sayomi and the twins. The girls weren’t pulling any punches as they addressed the young Santaru. Even if he was involved in the altercation, and perhaps the reason for this, he figured the young Santaru needed a bit of a break. And so, seemingly taking up the lie he made, he stepped up to block the young Santaru from the twins. “You girls don’t need to say that. If anything, this is my fault,” said Uri before looking back to the Raikage, “I can give a more detailed report later if you need one but for now I’m merely assisting… well, supposedly assisting to make sure Santaru Sayomi brings back the lunch to the medical branch. Things got out of hand though, seeing as how she doesn’t trust me. I apologize if it created an inconvenience for everyone.”

Looking over to the side, Uri called out to the sulking Kiri, “Aren’t you supposed to be here to fetch Sayomi? If so, shouldn’t you go about it? I don’t think she needs to stay here any longer.”

Perking his head up, Kiri glanced back to Uri. At first, he seemed to have remembered his mission and stood up immediately. But then, when his mind finally processed the information about the commotion, the current predicament of the thunder and lightning, and the cold eyes that Uri still held, it sparked anger in Kiri. As he stepped forward to meet Uri, a flash of spark enveloped his body and light washed over him before revealing an adult form, standing tall, though not taller than the redhead, but enough to meet him eye-to-eye. That seemed to have surprised the redhead for a bit.

“You’re the cause of this? You made Little Sayomi cry?” Kiri seemingly growled as he reached out to grab Sayomi by the arm and pulling her to his side. Then, Kiri looked back to the Raikage with serious eyes. “Is this a hunt? This man has the same scent. I can tell because I used to be a demon too, and you know that. Is that why he’s here for Sayomi?”

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Sayomi seemed as meek and timid as Ayumu remembered from the Chuunin exam- maybe even more so. Upon realizing who Ayumu was, she suddenly dropped to her knees placing her head on the ground whilst apologizing profusely for not recognizing him. Ayumu winced at this reaction, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as things went from awkward to even more so. Taking a knee, he brought himself closer to Sayomi's level while Uri and Kiri had the twins' attention. "Please, raise your head and stand, you'll get dirty and this is really not necessary. There's no need to apologize, I'm not upset,"<i></i> he said, hoping to ease the girl's concerns and hopefully stop the waterworks. He hated when people acted like he was some sort of tyrant that would have them executed if they didn't prostrate themselves at his presence. He was far from that kind of person- the opposite really. Most anybody that had met him could probably tell you as much, but he supposed there was a preconceived notion that some people had of the Raikage title.

The twins attention turned once more to Ayumu as they sought to complete his order. One of them was quick to calculate how many boxes Ayumu would receive and even the change he was due. 'Precocious children, these,' Ayumu noted internally. They were certainly an enterprising pair. They made a suggestion of how Ayumu might choose which flavors he wanted and he nodded as he stood back to his feet. "That sounds fine, we'll do that,"<i></i> he agreed. Truth be told, he wasn't terribly concerned with which flavors he was getting right this instant. He shrugged off the comment about his "advancement in age", but the girls did not stop there. In their back and forth they assessed the situation at hand. Ayumu couldn't quite tell if they were scolding the pair or trying to comfort Sayomi, but they weren't wrong exactly. As the girls handed Ayumu a clipboard to hold while they counted money, Uri stepped up to take the blame, supposedly the cause for things getting out of hand. He offered to give his report later.

"Yes, please do,"<i></i> Ayumu responded. He had not personally assigned Uri to whatever task he was trying to carry out today but now he wanted to know what had led to all of this. "This time, an apology will do. Had it gone much further, things could have become more serious,"<i></i> Ayumu cautioned the two. Next Uri called out to Kiri, suggesting that he finish his task of escorting Sayomi back to Kahako. This was probably the best course of action to avoid more conflict, yet it seemed that conflict was in the cards today. Quite unexpectedly, a flash enveloped the small boy and suddenly he was not so small. The nature of Kiri's condition was confusing to say the least... Ayumu hadn't known it was reversible. Was it at will? Random? Regardless, Kiri was now squaring up against Uri for making Sayomi cry. Meanwhile the grown Kiri pulled Sayomi to his side. It was an act of protection, Ayumu assumed, but knowing the girl, this would probably be cause for her to cry too. Kiri turned to Ayumu next, asking if this was some sort of hunt and pointing out that Uri had the scent of a demon. Ayumu realized now who Uri was, the one under the watchful eye of the ANBU even as he served as one of them.

Ayumu stepped between the two, physically separating them if need be. "Enough. There is no 'hunt', Kiri. Just some sort of misunderstanding,"<i></i> Ayumu insisted, giving Kiri a stern look. He didn't need this talk to make Sayomi fear for her safety yet again. The situation was just now getting diffused. "You two should return to Kahako. I'm sure she's getting hungry with this delay,"<i></i> Ayumu said, hoping to prevent more arguments. Now he was starting to get angry.