Silence and Ocean Breeze [Open/Kuroyuki]

[Kazehi Ryu]

In the quieter area of the district; the towering man had found himself a spot to sit on a low wall, his feet dangling off with a clay jug of tea in his hands. Heavily laced with painkillers. His left arm had been giving him trouble today, felt as though it were tearing the skin around his shoulder apart from the inside and crushing the socket; it was unfortunate and just rather irritating more than anything, he could bear the pain but it was a constant and annoying ache for the entire day. So, he was making it so that he could at least sleep; a visit to an herbal shop was a good way to help remedy the problem and the view of the ocean was pleasant as well.

Silence loomed all around, only faintly broken by the gentle sea-borne gusts that lifted the man's long hair from his shoulders slightly; the smell of the brine and the lapping of water carried upon the wind reached him every so often. It was a clear night, the stars gleamed above him like opalescent jewels on a black canopy, the moon not yet out as the sun had just set. Taking a deep breath, holding it for a moment before gently sighing; though it was more of a rumbling growl, it still conveyed his sense of peace to the ambient air around him. Taking a sip of his medicinal tea, he grimaced slightly at the taste almost by reflex while his eyes surveyed The Sisters and their gentle glow in the pale light of the stars. So Bright. So Beautiful. This city. The scorn filled voice of the creature within him invaded his sense of hearing, even though he knew it was all in his head, Ryu still twitched and twisted around to make sure no one was around. "Not your business, go away." He growled under his breath before taking another swig, closing his eyes and focusing to wall off his mind from contact with the creature. It was hard, but it was his body; he wouldn't be at the whim of an invader as long as he was alive.

Minutes passed, and he didn't get much more than a shove of presence from the creature; the throb of hateful power that was always there no matter what Ryu could do. But he didn't have to listen to the being's snark and hateful comments about the things it saw through the man's eyes.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

It was time.

She practiced controlling her chakra, learning the basics how to control the corruption within her unliving body. She lived with weighted bands bound to her limbs, increasing her body's strength and endurance as she lived through each day. She watched people throughout the days and night, seeing things. Hearing things. Finding secrets.

...It was time to make Junko proud. The pale girl felt she was ready for her task, but of course the rank she held would have said otherwise. But that was fine; she wasn't after the money or recognition, but simply the satisfaction of proving to herself. Ok, fine. Maybe a pat on the head from Junko would be appreciated as well.

"Her" task? She was hunting someone. A criminal hiding within the village. ...It was a mission! (Although it wasn't -her- mission)
During one of her late-night training sessions (being unable to sleep gave her TONS of spare time!), the accursed girl had overheard a plan from a pair of nightshift sentinels involving tracking down and capturing a local nuisance at the end of the weekend; she decided to take it upon herself to rid the village of such a nuisance before they did, all in the name of her training.

Dressed in black clothing and a dark scarf, the dark-haired pale-skinned ghoul's tracking had lead her here, in search of a large brute of a man. She believed she found him, watching the ocean waves in the twilight of dusk. Alone.
It was perfect.

She kept low on the other side of the wall, moving slow. Even if they were alone, she thought that the sounds of the ocean could help mask her movements enough to the point where she could get close. Close enough to scale or leap over it...NOW!

In that moment, the girl jumped up directly infront of Ryu, blocking his scenic view of the ocean. "....Found you..." Dark threads squirmed out from her wrists as if she were some cemented spider-man....girl...aiming to bind his arms in place while her small, shaking hands reached to cover his mouth and prevent any shouting. If all went according to her plan, she had intended to knock him backwards in pin him to the ground.

His tea be damned.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Ryu had found his gaze drifting in and out of focus for a while, the painkillers starting to take effect along with the soothing nature of the tea it was mixed with; it would soon be time for the jounin to retire, his arm no longer ached and he could sleep sou- WHAT THE HOLY MOTHER OF F-!

He twitched, that was it, while the girl started to assail him with...tendrils? That voice too...it.. His body was moving before he could stop himself, sure he went backwards but his weight twisted, as his leg bent around and he landed on the girl's stomach with his knee. His left hand rose up, drew back, the talons springing forth and dropped downward to crush the skull, to inflict glorious carnage and paint the cobbles a beautiful sang-

The towering man's eyes came into focus suddenly and he hauled back on his left arm; the bandages in tatters from the tips of his fingers to the wrist showing the demonic appendage in full. Just a child. This wasn't him, he wasn't the one that wanted to harm her. Just a girl. His violet-blue eyes stared into the girl's, his mouth still covered and it hadn't moved to make a noise and she would have felt that as well; he sucked his left arm in close to his body and stashed the left hand inside his kimono-top to hide it. "If you would remove your...tendrils...and explain?" Granted it came out all kinds of a muffled grumble, he didn't panic, he didn't shy away; he looked shamed and sad, if anything from how his eyebrows scrunched together and his vibrant eyes clouded slightly with slight introspection. As though he was shoving something away.

Inside his mind, the beast howled in fury as Ryu battled with it for control; it was HIS arm damn it. He wasn't about to let HIS body be controlled like some demented meat puppet by a stupid reptile! The battle flashed through his eyes a moment, a demonic fury raging forth and glimmering as he tried to lunge for the girl even though she was braced enough to keep him from headbutting her. She was strong too, frail, dainty limbs for all appearances but the strength within them was that like stone, not far from his own; and just as fast as the flicker came it went and Ryu let out a slow, calm breath out his nose. Not today. Not tonight. No.

After a second, he eased his weight off her, taking his knee up and setting it to the side and with those tendrils binding his limbs the way they were...he stood up, the girl clinging to him just the way she had grabbed a hold of him, turned, and took a step so she was standing on the partition wall he'd been sitting on instead of dangling in mid-air for others to see and make a fuss over. After all, how often was it that people would see a little girl dressed in black apparently holding a man's mouth while seeming to float? That was something to raise a ruckus over, and Ryu wasn't much feeling like dealing with reports tonight. He simply stared into her eyes, patiently waiting. She had him...now what?

What would this little girl and her tendrils do with the captured man. Ryu dimly became aware that he'd dropped his jug of tea when the girl about tackled him and could only sigh in minor irritation, his face not displaying anything but curiosity that conveyed the silent question of: And next is...?

 

[Muramasa Maya]

She was nimble and stealthy; her initial attack worked. She lacked experience; she had been too focused on capturing him that she had forgotten to draw her blade in the heat of the moment. It wasn't part of her reflexes or instinct yet. And, as a result, she died.

His reflexes were quick enough to reverse her attack, and she was too slow to counter. His hand was some twisted claw-like appearance that looked much more suited to carving flesh than it would pass for a hand. She was small; she knew if the man had strength that matched his appearance it would have been no trouble tearing her apart. Her eyes widened as the fearsome weapon shot raced towards her; Excitement. Anticipation. But she didn't flinch or close her eyes.

Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump.
Adrenaline was surging through her body, her lips an eager smile beneath her scarf, bracing herself for the brief pain she'd feel before her mind shut off in death....at least until she woke up.

...But the pain never came. He stopped right before, pulling his arm away from her and withdrawing it back into his clothing, as if to hide it. She would have died, albeit temporarily, if he had followed through...But eitherway, she lost. Especially when he managed to stand up and move closer to the wall edge, despite her still held on by her threads. It kinda pissed her off, actually.

Of course, a loss and even a death or two weren't going to stop her; it was her one gift. She didn't have super eyes or the ability to control elements as she saw fit. She wasn't the fastest or the strongest. But...even if she lost 5 times, she only needed to win once. That was the cursed blessing of an undying body.
...Not that she was willing to accept a loss or give up, of course.

"....You should have killed me if you wanted to be let go...because I want to kill you, the Black Salamander..." She spoke in a quiet monotone despite her excitement, from her new position on the wall. The tendrils sprouting from her sutures didn't loosen their grip on him. She glared; now that she was able to get a good look at him, she noticed how much he matched up to the description of the one she was after. And how much he didn't.

His hair didn't match...But the overall body shape was similar, and he was in one of the two places she was able to track the "Black Salamander" to. He had to have been the one she was after. But, to be on the sure side; "...Take off your shirt..." she demanded, pointing her small quarter-length katana-dagger towards his chest. Her target had tattooed lizard across his chest...normally, she'd stab him and check herself, but...Junko or Akechi likely wouldn't have approved for some reason. "...Be fast. If you yell, I'll stab your throat out..." Her blade raised up slightly, pointed at his neck. Her eyes quickly swapped from watching his gaze, to his chest, and back again. Demanding his action.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

In the current situation, the normally quiet man was absolutely silent; it suited him despite the fact that the girl refused to remove her strange tendrils. His eyes remained locked on hers, the stoic look on his face and intelligent spark in his eyes; he was unafraid of the blade at his throat and calling him 'Black Salamander' brought a slowly raised eyebrow that wondered just who she was talking about. "First tackling a man. Then demanding them to disrobe. Improper of a young lady." He couldn't quite keep the small smile off the corners of his lips. She was tense, this almost seemed like business; he would have to find out the situation later after he filed an incident report. Damn paperwork.

The tall man rolled his shoulders, the outer layer of his clothing sliding off easily enough since it was a simple kimono top; it hung down around his waist like a fault, sleeves hanging down beside his calves. What was left was a dim, brick colored vest with multiple pouches and pockets, a tactical vest most commonly worn by some operatives in the village actually. He fidgeted the demonic fingers of his left hand as though nervous that they would move on their own once more and he would have to fight to gain control of them once more. But, the moment passed as he unbuckled and unzipped the vest, rolling his shoulders once more and setting it to his right side, simply letting it slip out of the fingers of his right hand. He was only garbed in a skin tight, dark crimson compression shirt, the fingers of his left hand rose up and clinked against the blade at his neck, gently pushing them away with a slight grinding noise as the stone of the flesh slid along the edge. Can't exactly remove a skin tight shirt with something pressing against your neck.

His right arm came up and back, gripping around the center of the back of his shirt while his left hand stayed in place against the blade; and as he tugged the shirt up and off to bunch around his shoulders and finally get tugged off his head...he moved the blade back into place against his neck, even adjusting it a little so the tip actually set against the carotid with a slight dimple of the skin. That was where a blade should be, it was quicker and more effective; granted a blade a cross the windpipe would be sufficient to injure an opponent, but it was more efficient to apply a stroke to the main artery. Despite her want of him doing things quickly, he moved smoothly without jerky motions and quite frankly seemed to take his time; he wasn't some muscle headed fool and knew that as soon as he moved quickly it would make HER twtich which would lead to HIM bleeding, which would get very messy and complicated quickly since he would then feel compelled to properly defend himself while his wound closed.

Sigh. This was just one hell of a tedious confrontation.

The man stood in front of her, methodically unwrapping the now ruined bandages from around his left arm; he would have to replace them after what happened, the charred ends of the wrap rendered the entire roll useless to him. Ryu had complied with what she asked of him, and while she decided if she was going to try to cut his head off or put the sword away, he took care of his own business and bared the horrible arm all the way up to his shoulder. Covered all the way down to the wrist in blunted spines that glittered and glinted in the starlight and faint glow of The Sisters as though it was black glass, the dark granite colored stone that the spikes rose up from bore irregular cracks and crevices, giving it a raised look and where the main muscles for an arm would be could be seen flexing and tensing smoothly as the arm moved in tandem with the removal of the bandage wrap. The rest of him was just as solid, though not actual stone it seemed. His chest (free of any apparent tattoos) was broad enough that the girl's tiny hands could have spanned it a half dozen times, and his dark, almost red skin was tight across his muscular frame even around his shoulders. The air around him heated up slightly a slightly now that his skin was exposed and his body heat was unrestrained; it wasn't a dangerous change but the faint cool around both the girl and himself became slightly closer and smelled faintly of spice. Once his bandage was coiled into a loose pile and his own personal business taken care of, his violet-blue eyes returned to the little girl and her blade, planting his right fist on his hip while cupping his left arm close to his body and holding the hand tightly to his chest as though trying to disguise it now with the lack of motion.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"......." She was silent, making no sounds aside from her uncomfortable fidgeting as she tried to ease herself and mentally prepare herself for what would follow once she verified the man's identity. It felt as if she had all the time in the world, as the man's movements seemed dreadfully slow; perhaps a result of the adrenaline coursing through her tainted blood? Or was he plotting something? The thought caused Ashuri's tiny pale hand to grip tighter onto her quivering blade.

The tell-tale tattoo upon the chest of the one she was after...it...was not present. She squinted her vision to verify, and even checked his sides and back, but the tattoo was completely absent.

Well...crap.

She was perfectly fine killing him when she thought he was the one she was after, but since it turned out he wasn't...It meant she had attacked an innocent person who had nothing to do with her self-appointed little mission. "....You're not the one I wanted to kill, but would you mind dying?....It would be a bother if others found out I'm involved...I think it would be better to be safe from that." If she let him go, it could cause trouble if word got out...But ensuring that he remained silent could cause plenty of its own problems. She really wasn't sure what to do in this situation.

"...Unless if you helped me? Then we'd be equally involved, and I could be sure you wouldn't tell on me to anyone." She offered; but her blade or restraints never weakened or loosened, despite the heated aura emanating from her not-target.

"I'm going to this ninja with a big salamander tattoo on his chest. He's a big person, like you, and around here, or in some bathhouse in the busy side of the village..." She revealed her plan, confident that the words would only fall upon the ears of either an ally or a dead man. "...Oh. But he did not have an arm like that. If you didn't hide that thing, I wouldn't have mistaken you for him..." She spoke, her focus being drawn to the peculiar claw that nearly turned her into ribbons. It seemed more like the limb of a mythical dragon that a human limb...not that she was one to judge, considering all her limbs were equally messed up...only on the inside rather than the outside.

"...You'll help me right? Your life should be precious to you."

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

After the little one was quite content with herself, he allowed her to ramble while he dressed. The layers he took off returned to him in the reverse order but a touch quicker than before so that he could shove his demonic appendage into the sleeve and let it hang at his side, the hem of the sleeve dropping past the talons on the hand by more than two inches. Always had to be prepared just in case things go out of hand (bah-dun CHING~) and his wrapping got lost or rendered useless. For all appearances, her words, even her threat fell on deaf ears as he adjusted his clothing until the very end where he locked eyes with her; his violet-blue eyes suddenly intent upon her as though a bird of prey spotting a rabbit in the distance. "My life for the village. I do not seek death, yet if it comes for me I shall not shy away and cower. I will face it, and with all my might I shall overcome if I must." The air around him suddenly sweltered as his right hand clenched; the creature had stirred once more within him and taken a particular interest in is words. "You work clumisly, instead of gathering more information about your target you hastily rush in. Be aware your surroundings, use them to your advantage. Instead of coming in front, you could have apprehended from behind without notice, used your...tendrils...as a way to bind the hands and checked for yourself for the markings you sought." The man glowered at her seriously, his voice remaining calm and quiet but yet a very firm reprimand for how badly she handled her work. "As well, it was a mistake to openly reveal yourself even while armed, a sword leveled to the neck while standing in a blindspot and in shadow where a passerby wouldn't have so easily seen you."

Apparently, it was lecture time, and Ryu ripped into the little girl without care of her feelings. "If you take pride in your mission, if you had used your head, you could have got me without the need for violence and wouldn't have received a single counter blow; be it harmful or not." He did feel bad about kneeing and landing on her, as well as ashamed that he'd lost control of the creature within for a moment; but he could make up for it later and treat her to a meal and perhaps a treat. "Now, I shall disregard the blatant disrespect you have handed me, young lady, and seeing that you are simply too quick to act; being that is apparently a fugitive that you seek I will assist you and be sure that not only do you not come to harm but you do your job as a shinobi properly and without fail. Any questions?" The towering man planted a fist on his hip and remained staring at her, his eyes luminous in the shadows around them. This was strange...it was the most he'd spoken to any one person since...well...since before his father died.

This girl's face stirred something, but he felt compelled to correct her and make her do better. Felt the desire to see her accomplish what she sought flawlessly. Ryu disliked not the rough treatment she'd applied, but instead disliked that she could've done it in away that could have accomplished the goals of apprehension, identification, and subsequent either annihilation or arraignment. "Now. Before we go, I want you to do it again. Only properly this time. And do so without giving yourself away to any slack-jawed civilian that is likely to compromise your mission if it's so top-secret." He pointed to the shadows of the buildings behind him with a set to his eyebrows and jaw that said he'd have no argument in the matter. It was like he was....being a teacher...almost being his father.

Something bubbled up from the creature within him, looking onto his memories that bubbled up uncontrolled. Such strange apes....strange indeed.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

How strange. She had expected more resistance or emotion to come from the large man she pointed her short blade at, but her own quivering arms seemed to express more life than the "victim" himself. It seemed that she really did have a poor understanding of the world if she couldn't understand the nature of a simple "threat". "...You aren't afraid? If you die, you can't help the village. Or whatever you hold precious." She questioned, leaning on one of her favorite terms. The concept of death fascinated her; most people feared it, but she was unable to comprehend it. Something that, after trying to reach so many times for herself, was repeatedly denied to her unliving body. In truth, it was something she could only experience through others.

Not only that, but he went on to list what exactly she had done wrong, never minding the fact that she was holding him hostage for the time being. "...I made some mistakes. But I'll learn. And I'll get good at doing it." The small girl proclaimed from beneath her scarf. She was sloppy, yes. She was careless, yes. She was prone to acting on instinct, sure. But more than all, she was a quick at adapting and learning. The mistakes she made today were lessons that would not be repeated tomorrow.

Although she must not have registered as a threat to the man, the same was now true in reverse, and she began lowering her blade from being directed at her ex-target. She then rubbed at her small, if bruised, stomach. A hit like that could hardly be counted as a blow, at least to her. For most it would have no doubt knocked their breath away, but for the breathless assaulter, it merely knocked her small figure off balance. "...Using my head only takes away from my real skill. My body. Taking one blow is the same as ten or zero. My body doesn't really care if its injured..." She explained. Persistence was her virtue. "...But I think it would be better if I used my head and body." She continued, not resisting his, err, suggestions.

"...I didn't mean to disrespect you. You might be a kind person..." She spoke, shaking her head. "...But you aren't something thats precious to me. I don't really mind if you're kind or not, but if you help me...Then you can live. You agree that there shouldn't be witnesses?...Right" She questioned, earnestly, at her newly-acquired accomplice. New to the game, she wasn't exactly sure at how to handle various situations that came up, such as her accidental attack on an innocent who had nothing to do with this. Or his spilled tea. It was probably really tasty too...

Dark threads loosened their hold on the large behemoth's body, unraveling and gradually sinking back within the wounds of the girl they had escaped from, where they would coil within her body away from view once they released him. Then, turning her face towards the shady alley. "...I'll hide in the shadows then. My target was either here by the sea, or in a bathhouse on the more busy oart of town...and since your not him, that means he's not on the beach. I checked." She stated; to her credit, she did check to see how many, if any, matched the description of the criminal she was after. Ryu just happened to have the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Ah well, at least she made a companion. "...Follow me..." Waving to him to follow, the girl ran into the alleyways, and from their swung up to the rooftops using the same tendrils as before like some kind of rapid zipline. She didn't pay much attention to whether or not Ryu would try to escape now that she no longer was holding him at blade-point, because, well, she was rather innocent in a demented sort of way, and believed what others said as absolute truths.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

(Sorry for the delay of things >,<)

The towering man looked at her, his violet-blue eyes no longer as piercing as they once were; the intensity having died to a solemn observation, As she began to move, he went with her, not even because she cowed him into it with what she assumed would threaten him, but because now that he was involved, he wanted to see the results of her hunt to the end. "I was, once. And while I have no one 'precious' as it were, I find my comfort in doing what I can for the village and her people." Including you. Though he didn't add the thought, it was unneeded since very clearly she was apart of the village as well. Would an outsider attack someone by mistake seeking a criminal? Possibly, but not without the village looking over their shoulders with armed to the teeth. He did approve of the girl's outlook, but a level head that ruled the trained body was would keep everything together; he understood her sentiments about not caring about the beatings she would take even if he couldn't express it in words. "Had you asked, and possibly even had you not, I would have assisted you. I am a Jounin of the Stone." His voice rumbled quietly, a slow response to yet another threat to his life. So long as things went smoothly, all he would have to do is report what he saw during the apprehension of the criminal and he would be able to leave out the incident between the girl and himself that started him on the case.

As the girl used her tendrils to get about, Ryu simply jumped from shadow to shadow below and slightly behind her and, despite his bulk, moving silently as he hopped off the places with the deepest shade disappearing for a moment with his own dark colored clothing and hair; even his skin seeming to fade into the night. Allowing his arm to trail limply along side him, the sleeve rippled and waved at his fingertips; the man had plenty of time while not speaking to wonder about this girl: He felt as though she was familiar, though how he couldn't imagine. The voice? Perhaps, but there was more to it than that. As they moved his eyebrows knit together slightly and a slight, thoughtful frown canted his lips downward. Once business was taken care of, maybe he would be able to figure out just what was bothering him.

So, since there was nothing more to do about it; the towering man put it aside for later, once he could do things in the proper order. Right now, he focused on the goal of apprehension, of observing this girl and assisting if required. It was not his task really, but he was curious if the girl would take what she learned from their moments in the street and apply them in such a way that it all went a bit smoother. He hated seeing children get hurt. "Ever since the disaster..." His musing hadn't intended to be aloud but his mind was a cramped place these days, the emotion that he'd felt so long ago upon learning of the event roiled to the surface leaving his blood boiling in unbridled rage and sorrow. He touched down into the next shadow and as he jumped to the next one, his foot left a crater in the surface of the pavement, sending chunks of shrapnel scattering away from him; his left hand had clenched into a fist tightly enough that he could hear the thick joints creaking and the stone flesh grinding against the talons. As well, a ferocious whorl of chakra had boiled up around him, flickering and bubbling at random, keeping around him but looking as though some of it were about to drip off from the bulk of it only to disappear as it disconnected. Ryu had no time to be ruled by emotions that were long buried, he took a couple deep breaths as he glanced to the girl he now kept pace with in the heat of the moment then directed his eyes forward to his path and focused on calming down.

Other thoughts were a distraction right now. They were unnecessary. He remained silent as they continued for the bath house; they had jobs to do, and anything else was irrelevant.