Lonely Beasts [P]

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

A decade had passed since Uriko had last dared come this close to Konohagakure no Sato. She had been a young woman then, still in despondent mourning at the loss of her left arm. The fervent search for a means to undo the damage had brought her to the great nation's capital and more significantly, its library. In her blind haste, the kunoichi had practically barged into the town, paying little heed to the trail she left in her wake. Unsurprisingly, she had been accosted by a squad of trained ninja while trying to appropriate a large number of scrolls. It was curious then, that she should return for what could only be described as 'information gathering'.

Thanks to recent events, Uriko had been made aware of her dwindling presence in the shinobi world. She had journeyed to Kumogakure on outdated intel, staying only to pursue her own interests. When even these had proven fruitless endeavors, she had abandoned the place entirely. For the first time in her criminal career, the kunoichi found herself without a contact to turn to. Whilst still able to retain a measure of control over her mental state, the woman had vowed to set these issues straight. Refreshing her knowledge of the current events, political structures and military capabilities in the great nations seemed a good way to start.

The trees thinned and opened up onto a grassy plain, bisected by a wide and well-trodden path. Indeed, there were still travelers and merchants to be seen walking toward the horizon and the entrance to the Hidden Leaf village. "Even at this late hour?" Uriko murmured, long since having adopted the habit of talking to herself. She spoke not of the fact that people were out at near-dusk but that Konohagakure seemed not to view this as suspicious. Such paranoia. It's unbecoming, Uriko. The woman chose to ignore the whispers in her mind. Instead, she turned her focus to the northern mountain range. It was a familiar place to the kunoichi; a suitable base of operations. Not to mention a more comfortable distance from the eagle-eyed guardsmen keeping watch over the village. The female nukenin retreated into the safety of the foliage, padding away towards the lower foothills. After which, a steep climb awaited.

Traversing the perilous rock faces was no simpler than when she had tackled it some three years previously, but at least she could remember a relatively safe route. Despite this, it took Uriko a good hour to reach her destination. Gratefully stepping up onto flatter, sturdier ground she immediately recognized her surroundings. The somewhat ramshackle settlement looked much the same as it had on her last visit. Buildings were simple affairs and sparsely arranged. Most had begun life carved from the rock, then completed with durable wood from the trees below. As before, the kunoichi felt a good deal of sympathy for those who'd been tasked with carrying such cumbersome materials all this way.

History told of nukenin factions that had been forced to flee here for their own safety. Fearing that their pursuers awaited outside and apprehensive of the difficulties presented by the landscape, they had elected to make camp for the night. Encircled by the jagged peaks and with the advantage of height over any foolhardy would-be captors, it made a perfectly defensible position. Food was sure to be scarce, so the gangs allegedly thought to leave at first light. There is no record of what happened next, though most seem to accept that these groups eventually settled in the area. Whatever the truth of it had been, there was no longer a criminal faction operating in the mountains. Uriko suspected she wasn't the only one here, however. She kept her guard up just in case.

The sun was struggling to penetrate the rocky terrain, bringing shade and inevitable chills to the clearing. The female nukenin drew her cloak tightly across her chest, nestling her chin in the uppermost folds. Uncovered as they were, her ears and eyes were still as sharp as ever and the woman couldn't fail to notice the shrill cries of predatory birds somewhere overhead. Low visibility obscured the creatures, though Uriko took an obscure pleasure in the sounds made by such successful hunters. Lowering her gaze, she began to notice signs of human life too. Strange totems, some no larger than a bookmark and others some three, four feet tall built from and carved out of bone. Closer inspection revealed remarkable craftsmanship, though clearly accomplished with rudimentary tools. "So where are you, my ritualistic friend?" The kunoichi muttered, her words swept instantly from her lips by the gusting wind.

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

Being out hunting at dusk, it had gotten rather dark in the mountainous regions. Sighing deeply at him having managed to only take down one deer and a few squirrels with his traps, he started gutting the deceased creatures, leaving their guts for the predatory nocturnal animals to feast on, doing his part to at least give a little bit of what he had taken back to nature. Having forgotten about the time, he had been more or less overcome by the sudden darkness. Wearing his usual attire that was made up of dark grey boots, black slacks and a long sleeved shirt with a high collar that allowed him to hide his neck and the lower regions of his face if he wanted to. Pushing a bang of white hair out of his eyes, he looked up to the darkening skies, hearing the cries of a predatory bird that was rapidly closing the distance between itself and Yoroi. To the outsider, this would be just another predatory bird, though Yoroi had managed to differentiate it's sound from those of the others, knowing that the one that was moving towards him so rapidly was his peregrine falcon, Kaien. Extending his arm, the bird landed with it's wings still spread, releasing a loud shriek in Yoroi's ears.

With the sudden return of his peregrine falcon, it seemed that there was something wrong with the camp. Whether an animal or a person had been the cause of this invasion of his privacy, Kaien had done what he was supposed to, receiving a small piece of bloody meat as a treat. Allowing the bird to rest on his shoulder, it's black orbs kept looking at the terrain and any other . "Whoever this is, it is probably not someone from Konoha. Most of them still fear the stories of the Spectre. Maybe someone has been trying to find and disprove these stories, that should turn out to be quite funny", the young man thought to himself, thinking back at the time when some villagers had been trying to get rid of the "Spectre" that haunted the graveyard mountain, taking the souls of those it kills and condemning them to eternal suffering inside of his bonfire as their bones would serve as wards. Back then, all he had to do was move some branches and make some howling noises to send people running, after which they had never attempted to come back again. Dragging the dead animals behind him, he started moving back to his camp.

When Yoroi arrived at his camp site several minutes later, it seemed that Kaien had been right to warn him about someone snooping around. Yoroi was once a very territorial and ferocious child, though he had grown over that a bit now that he was not at his former home as much. Being around Kimiko so much had truly left it's mark on the youth, shaping him towards the better, rather than the worse. Scouting the area ahead of him before he walked into the clearing, he was surprised a bit. What his eyes saw was something he had not really expected, spotting a woman that was either appalled or admiring his hand crafted totems. He could not make out a lot about this woman, the only things he could really see being that she had long black hair, a fairly pale skin and brown or red eyes, maybe even a mixture of the two. Other than that, her entire body had been covered up by a cloak, showing that she was the kind of person that did not want to share anything about herself with the world. In that aspect, she was a lot like Yoroi, or maybe Yoroi was just a lot like her. Making no attempts at hiding, he dropped the dead animals behind him as he too entered the clearing.

"Do you like them? I made them out of the bones of my prey. It seemed like a waste to not use all the parts of animals I killed for food, so I started turning it into a hobby. Most of those are made from deer bones, though the larger ones are made from either bears or mountain lions" Yoroi said, having no intention of startling this woman in his approach. When someone had moved into his camp for the first time, it had resulted in a fight between the two of them, resulting in said person receiving several injuries and ending up hospitalized for a solid month. To the untrained eye, it would seem that Yoroi was unarmed, though his entire body was a weapon that could be utilized whenever he had to. This was not just because he was a capable Taijutsu master, but also because his body held the bloodline limit of the Kaguya clan, the Shikotsumyaku, turning his skeletal structure into an armory of choice. Allowing his jade green eyes to scan the woman as much as possible, they would pick up on most details the moment they showed themselves to him. Just because he did not intend to start a fight did not mean that he would not try to defend himself if it came to that.

"So what brought you out here, perhaps you too came here to exorcise the "Spectre of the Graveyard Mountain". If that is the case, i'm sorry to disappoint you, there was never a spirit here, only me and my pets. My name is Yoroi, what's yours?" he asked kindly, not attempting to pressurize the woman while still trying to figure out who she was and what her reasons for coming here were. If she was one of those people that just wanted to see a creature from the netherworld, she would most likely be quite saddened by this news, though she would at least wake up from the fake reality where ghosts and other monsters existed. The only monsters in this world were the people that had been turned into them by others. Even from such a point of view, Yoroi still could not believe that people could truly lose themselves and become a ruthless monster. No matter how deep one managed to bury their caring side, it would never be truly out of reach. Knowing not who he was talking to at all, any Shinobi that had kept his nose in the bingo book would know that this person was wanted by every single country in the world, preferring her to be killed rather than to be brought in alive.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Lifting one of the smaller totems from its perch, Uriko brought it up to eye-level for closer inspection. She twirled it slowly between her fingers, wondering where the architect of such designs had gone. There was no indication of any human presence at the moment, let alone this particular being. But there is meaning attached to these carvings. The kunoichi mused, reasoning that such care had been taken to craft and display these objects that their owner would surely not have left them behind. "This is not an abandoned home." The woman murmured, her gaze moving to scrutinize her surroundings still further. Yet still she noticed only a few dilapidated dwellings and the array of bone sculptures. Uriko saw the totems as one of two things; either a ward against intruders or rather unorthodox ornamentation. The latter could have been through pride or simply a twisted idea of decoration. The former... well, they certainly didn't seem to be all that effective.

Tossing the carving to one side, Uriko could barely hear the clatter of bone on rock as it ricocheted away. The fierce gusts were whistling through the gaps between peaks, almost emulating the sound of a rushing river. Wary of any sensory impediment, the female nukenin strode briskly toward the centre of the clearing, seeking shelter from the gale. The difference it made was extraordinary, bringing a flicker of a smile to even Uriko's hardened features. Away from the noise and the worst of the chill she felt instantly more secure. It was at this moment however, that an all too familiar sensation returned. Her chakra began to react to the presence of another, bubbling up in excitement. Chiding herself for lowering her guard, the kunoichi's hand immediately found the hilt of her katana, drawing the blade from its scabbard at her lower back. In truth, with only a twelve inch blade the weapon more closely resembled a wakizashi, yet retains an atypical curve. As her chakra began to trickle out, Uriko turned slowly on her feet as she sought the cause of her unrest.

Appearing over a crest of rock some twenty metres away, the newcomer made no attempt to hide himself. The first and most noticeable thing about him was a mass of ice white hair, falling to just about his shoulders. From what the kunoichi could make out, he'd framed his green eyes with red markings, which no doubt meant something to the young man. He was tall, though not overbearingly so and had a lean but strong figure. Dressed entirely in shades of grey and black, his attire matched the unassuming environment. Uriko noted that it was not a typical civilian outfit. Along with the knowledge that this man possessed a bloodline ability, this all but confirmed that he was a shinobi. The woman raised her short-bladed katana to chest height, holding it like one would a dagger, not a sword. Her amber eyes stared with cold intent.

"Do you like them? I made them out of the bones of my prey." The man asked, gesturing at the displaced totem. He was watching me even then? The kunoichi's features scrunched up in a scowl as she thought about this. He must have been outside of the Idaten's range. She concluded, finding herself increasingly at odds with the newcomer. For his part, the man seemed rather unguarded, as if hopeful of a friendly encounter. "...turning it into a hobby. Most of those are made from deer bones, though the larger ones are made from either bears or mountain lions." Uriko only caught part of his explanation, still more concerned with assessing the threat. A long pause followed, in which neither person spoke. The female nukenin became aware that her lip was curled in a half-snarl. You're not an animal, Uriko! Control yourself. Surprised by such a feral response to danger, she quickly curbed the offending muscle and retained a more composed expression.

It was the disarmingly naive newcomer who eventually broke the silence. "So what brought you out here? Perhaps you too came here to exorcise the "Spectre of the Graveyard Mountain." He pondered aloud. Uriko had never heard of such a thing and simply let the man continue. "If that is the case, I'm sorry to disappoint you - there was never a spirit here, only me and my pets. My name is Yoroi, what's yours?" He finished. The man seemed to have no idea who the kunoichi really was, despite her lack of disguise. Either that, or it was a ploy to have her reveal herself. "Togame." She snapped back. The false name was almost a given nowadays, although Uriko knew it would no doubt land her in trouble eventually. "And you, shinobi. What are you doing here?" She added, keeping her blade at the ready. Even without whatever bloodline ability of his the Idaten was currently suppressing, Yoroi could still be a danger. What's more, with no forehead protector in sight, the female nukenin was completely in the dark as to his allegiances.

~

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

"Alright Togame, would you mind putting that thing away? You're in a neutral zone, so whatever your point in coming here was, I doubt that it was to fight or make enemies. Besides, we both know that if I had been an enemy, I would not have taken the time to talk to you before attacking you, right?" Yoroi said plainly, not really wanting to get him or the woman into any trouble. There were people that loved nothing more than to fight, which were mostly the people from his clan, though it was not restricted to them. Some people truly just wanted to watch the world burn, a feeling he had felt more then once in his somewhat short lifetime. Being only seventeen years of age, he had seen some of the world's horrors already. Needless to say, he had managed to overcome them to the point where he became a skilled Shinobi that still continued trying to become stronger as a means of protecting his family. The village would always take a secondary position when it came down to his family, these two things being his priorities.

"My name is not Shinobi, it's Yoroi" he said, refusing to just be a number when he had just given this woman his actual name. It made him feel inferior to be referred to as just another Shinobi, taking away his very existence as a person and degrading him to a weapon. "But to answer your question, this is were I lived once. It's only a camp site where I go to be alone now, though it still feels like home" he explained, talking about his old home that had been his shelter from nature for over ten years. Still being bugged by the fact that she had partially drawn what seemed like a Katana, he kept up his somewhat kind attitude, ready to go on the offensive if he actually had to do such a thing. He hoped that he could get this woman to lower or put away her weaponry so they could actually talk, striking him as the kind of person that was kind, just protected by a large amount of walls and barriers to keep people from actually reaching that point. Walking to the side, he disregarded the fact that the woman was wielding a weapon. Kicking against a nearly depleted flame, he took some of the logs and small tinder and tossed it onto the fire, shedding some light on the two Shinobi.

"Lets trade honesty for honesty here, I told you what I was doing here, so would you mind telling me what you are doing here? Did you expect to find someone else?". Up to this point, he had been nothing but honest to the woman, answering all of her questions truthfully like he always did. Honesty was something he valued, though that did not mean that he was stupid. There were certain things he simply would not talk about when with strangers, especially the kind of strangers that seemed like they would stab him in the chest if they felt threatened. It was for that reason that he would rather keep things on friendly terms, knowing that provoking combat would not work out well for either of them. Yoroi could hold his own in combat, that much was a given, yet this woman was just as much an enigma to him as he was to her. Togame had no reason to trust him, though he had already figured out that she was probably not used to people telling him false stories. It was the world of Shinobi after all, a world where people had to lie to others in order to protect themselves and the things they cared about, where they had to hide themselves and their intentions from those who would seek to abuse them for their own twisted ambitions.

When he thought about it, those who lived in the village were just doing the exact same thing, they just disguised it better. They claimed their actions were always for the benefit of the village, though there were also times when this was not the case, when selfish ideals came into play. It was something that caused him to start thinking about what this woman sought out here. "She seems to be a rather defensive Shinobi, so saying that she's not a local feels like a solid observation. Aside from that, she seems to hide every aspect of herself, so it would not be the worst idea to not believe everything she tells me." The young man thought to himself, going only by what his gut told him after the momentary observation he had been doing. Though he had only just met the woman, it seemed like she could be quite problematic, having a great deal of characteristics of the stereotype Missing Nin. Still, he had no solid facts to go with, so all of the things he came up with were purely hypothetical until proven right or wrong. Tapping on the logs that acted like a bench, he invited her to sit by the fire in a non-verbal manner, figuring no words had to be spoken to get the message across.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Yoroi was steadfast in his efforts to calm the situation. "Alright Togame, would you mind putting that thing away?" He began, gesturing for the woman to lower her blade. "We both know that if I had been an enemy, I would not have taken the time to talk to you before attacking you, right?" The white-haired shinobi added. In Uriko's books, this did not hold entirely true. Previously, she herself had employed the art of conversational subterfuge to lower a target's guard. All alone up here. No one would miss him... Through gritted teeth the kunoichi tried to ignore the voice emanating from her subconscious. Shut up, shut up, shut up. She thought angrily. After a moment's pause, she slowly lowered her weapon, before sheathing it behind her back with a deft flick of the wrist. The voice groaned in disappointment, from which Uriko took a measure of satisfaction. "You might be right, but don't think I appreciate your attempts to pacify me." The kunoichi slung back at the newcomer, making no attempt to disguise the antipathy in her voice. The reply was nearly instant, and equally sharp. "My name is not shinobi; it's Yoroi." The female nukenin couldn't help but admire the young man's resolve. Her mouth twisted into a wicked smile.

Unfazed, the lone ninja approached, explaining that he had once called this place home. He headed for the dying embers of a small fire, gently kicking the wood and causing a few sparks to leap out. This brought a little more life to the flame, which Yoroi capitalized upon by tossing more kindling on top. With a modest source of both warmth and light established, he stood up and tried to engage the woman in conversation once more. "Lets trade honesty for honesty - I told you what I was doing here, so would you mind telling me what you are doing here? Did you expect to find someone else?" He asked, no discernible suspicion in his voice. It was not a question Uriko could answer honestly, nor was it easy to convincingly lie about. "I'm just passing through." She began, realizing almost immediately that so little information was unlikely to placate the inquisitive Yoroi. "I prefer these mountains. Too many people -" Uriko flicked her head in the vague direction of the village below. "- down there." In fact, she had said very little about her purpose. But the kunoichi suspected that her words might resonate a little with the male shinobi, given his apparent hermit-like lifestyle.

A short silence followed whilst Yoroi mulled over the woman's cagey response. Then, quite without warning, the voice with whom Uriko shared a mindset piped up. "We could end him." Except this time, it was not a silent intonation. Instead of being confined to the female nukenin's thoughts, the words had escaped her mouth in a dry whisper. It had been barely audible, but the look of shock on Uriko's face would have told Yoroi that something had just happened - even if he hadn't quite heard it himself. The kunoichi's face had lost what little colour remained and her eyes had widened considerably. Almost instinctively, her hand emerged from beneath the grey cloak and formed a single seal. The faintest, opaque glow appeared to cover her index finger as she reached up and pressed against her temple. Uriko felt a slight warmth flow through her pores, spreading out and numbing the pain in her head. Despite this, the woman had been resisting turning to medical aid for what she'd been trying to convince herself was a psychiatric problem. All too aware of becoming reliant on such techniques, Uriko swiftly lowered her hand and brought it back underneath the folds of her cloak. "Forgive me." She muttered, glancing over in Yoroi's direction and wondering quite what he'd seen and heard.

Fortunately, the quick-witted kunoichi had not entirely lost her senses. Seeking to distract the young man from her personal issues, she instead tried to address his. "You took it rather personally when I called you 'shinobi', huh?" She remarked, latching onto what Yoroi had said earlier. "I can't say I'm surprised. Your people have been so often used as tools by the villages." The woman added, probing to get a reaction. Uriko had figured out the young man's heritage a short while ago, recognizing the tell-tale physical signs and matching that to the fact that he carried a Kekkei Genkai. "You're a long way from home." The female nukenin murmured, trying to get under Yoroi's skin. She knew it was reckless, to play her hand so openly and invite further questions. But right now her priority was only to deflect them from asking about the problems she'd experienced a few moments before. With luck, the young Kaguya would be rather unnerved by Uriko's perceptiveness. If she was luckier still, the woman was escape further attention from the invasive voice, too.

~

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

"I'm not trying to pacify you, I am trying to keep the both of us from getting our bodies perforated. You are not the only one carrying weapons, I just don't keep mine in the open so everyone can see them." he answered, again noticing the ferocity of this woman. It was true that he was carrying weapons, though most of them were still not made yet, being part of his skeletal structure, ready to be born and used in battle. That said, he did not intend to provoke the woman, just state an obvious fact. Leaving things for what they were, he hoped that Togame would be less aggressive now that she had placed her weapon away. When she started talking about her reasons for being here, she stated that she had just been passing through, something that made him a little bit suspicious. No one that wanted to just pass through moved through mountains that were fabled to be haunted by ghosts and demons, this being what struck him as weird. Despite that, he agreed with her that the village was often too crowded for comfort, nodding in approval. Attempting to formulate another question about her actual reasons for coming to the village, a momentary silence fell over the two.

What came next could only be described by him as some sort of mental attack or possession. Blurting out the words "We could end him", he narrowed his eyes as he locked the woman in his gaze. Though it had not been as audible as her other questions and answers, Yoroi had still managed to hear them well. Watching how she got even more pale, he could tell that it was not something she had said on purpose, seeming like it had been forced out of her by a third party. Whatever it was, it seemed to taken her by surprise even more than it had done for Yoroi. Wondering whether or not this woman had some kind of mental problem, he started feeling sorry for her, rather than fearing her aggressive nature. Witnessing a hand emerge from her cloak, a hand seal was formed that caused his right arm to tense for a moment, though it seemed that there was really no point in being alarmed as it had been a technique for personal use. Shortly after using her jutsu, he could tell that she instantly felt at ease, more so than she did when he saw her for the first time. Asking for his forgiveness, it worried him even more, thinking that this woman could really use some assistance.

Having nothing to really forgive her for than her earlier rudeness, he just smiled at her as he waited for her to take a seat by the fire. Instead of taking a seat, Togame brought up the fact that he had disliked being called Shinobi. Continuing in talking about how his kind had been used as tools by the villages before, she most likely made a reference to the fact that he was a member of the Kaguya clan. It was not quite hidden that he was a Kaguya, having stopped to hide the fact that he was one when he moved in with Kimiko, the woman who washed the blue hue out of his hair to reveal it's natural white color. As he tried to reply to her rather personal questions, the inquisitive woman continued by saying that he was a long way from home. "Actually, my home is right here, you're standing in it right now." Yoroi answered plainly, even though he knew quite well that she was talking about the fact that his clan hailed from the water country. "But in all seriousness, the water country has never been my home, neither has Konoha. I was born in these woods and these woods are my home.". Wondering what kind of response he would get, he could not say that he cared much for sarcasm, in case this was the outcome.

Building up a moment of silence, he too had a few questions for her that he first wanted to spare her from, but chose not to, not now that she too had gone to ask about the more touchy subjects. "What about you, you don't strike me as the kind of happy go lucky Shinobi that comes up here for a picnic. You told me that you were just passing through, though you are a long way from the Roiyaru road, so I am having trouble believing that." he said, going on the offensive with his own questions, feeling that she had already had her fun with him. "Not just that, but- ..You look like you could use some company, so lets just get along" Yoroi said, first intending to ask her about her somewhat strange outburst earlier. A woman in her position did not really need any more enemies, figuring that she could use a good night of sleep and some food. She seemed like the kind of lone wolf that would rather be alone than be around people. That said, there was something about her that seemed so very familiar, the kind of misunderstood anger he had so much of himself. Kicking down a log to the side to become a makeshift bench, he once again hinted at her to sit down on it. Figuring that she just didn't want to sit beside him, this more solitary seat would probably do the trick for her. After all, who wanted to stand up all the time?

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

"I'm not trying to pacify you, I am trying to keep the both of us from getting our bodies perforated." The remark caused Uriko to chuckle derisively. "Just one of us, I think." She murmured, biting her tongue to keep from saying more. The woman's attempts to unsettle the Kaguya were not having the desired effect. Quite the opposite - his unyielding aspirations of peace were now beginning to annoy the kunoichi. She had not come looking for a fight but confronted with the opportunity as she was, the woman couldn't help but feel a slight urge to battle. Was this the Husk's influence? Its hold over her had grown strong in the last few weeks, culminating in the loss of vocal control only a few minutes previously. This still had the one-armed nukenin reeling, though she was doing well not to show it. Uriko hadn't even begun to figure out what was happening to her or why. All she could do was try not to fan the flames.

Keeping that thought at the forefront of her mind, the woman took a long, slow breath as she tried to calm her agitations. Once her heartbeat had settled and no signs of the auditory hallucinations remained, she set about adding a few extra fragments of kindling to the flames. The Kaguya moved too; kicking a log across for the female to sit upon. Eyeing Yoroi with considerable suspicion, she took the proffered seat and faced her current companion. The kunoichi leaned in toward the fire, her amber eyes lighting up with every spark that emerged. The young man had been talking about his home, though in truth Uriko had paid very little attention. At the time her mind had been elsewhere, dealing with more pressing matters. It had sounded as though Yoroi did not feel he owed any allegiance to the Water Country. A pity. The female nukenin mused. They're usually so flexible when it comes to dealing with people like me. It seemed as though the reclusive shinobi had chosen to live a life apart from the villages. Had something turned him away from those places, those people?

Before the woman could inquire further, Yoroi returned to his earlier questions, pressing Uriko on the reasons for her arrival. "You told me that you were just passing through, though you are a long way from the Roiyaru road, so I am having trouble believing that." The young Kaguya stated, matter-of-factly. "It's as I said before -" The kunoichi began. "- I don't much like the crowds." She finished, a sharp tone in her voice warning the man not to pursue the topic. Whether he took note of this or simply decided to wait for a better opportunity, Yoroi changed his approach almost immediately. Where his previous question had been laden with insinuations of doubt, his next was almost conciliatory. "Not just that, but... you look like you could use some company." A silent, steely glare met this suggestion. "So lets just get along." He added, unfazed by the woman's cold eyes. That or, with now only the fire to illuminate the scene, he'd missed her scornful gaze completely.

Night time in the mountains brought with it an eerie quiet. The gusts of wind so prominent at dusk had settled down and much of the peak's wildlife seemed to have done to same. Every now and again of course, the scuttling of rats punctuated the silence as their miniature toes struck the firm rock. Even this was mostly drowned out by the crackling flames currently warming the two shinobi. A good minute had passed since either had commented, though Uriko suspected the Kaguya was about to try and prolong the conversation. Sighing wearily, she preempted his endeavors. "You can ask what you like, but don't expect any straight answers." She intoned. Then, after a sudden thought occurred, she continued. "Or you could talk about something else. No doubt you've had dealings with the Leaf before. Tell me about them - I know so little." Uriko finished, trying to coax a little information out of the young shinobi. It was what she'd come for, after all.

~

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Spoiler:

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

"If that is what you choose to believe, just know that no one ever won a fight by underestimating their opponent. In fact, history is filled with people who overestimated themselves so much that they lost because of their own vanity and ego. For instance, the hare and the tortoise." Yoroi said, responding to the woman and her attempts to draw him out of his passive mood. What it was that she wanted to achieve with this was something he couldn't quite figure out, though it would not work through such petty remarks. What followed on his question as to why she was up in the mountains, she just stated yet again that she did not like crowds, even though he knew by now that this was not the reason. What the reason for her closed and somewhat offensive behavior was, he could not really gauge at this point, knowing only that she seemed to take pleasure in her attempts at drawing him out. If this was really the kind of person she was, it did not really amaze him that she was all alone out here. Who wanted to be around someone who kept insulting and tried to draw out negativity all the time, Yoroi sure didn't. Togame went on to tell him that no matter what he asked of her, she would refuse to give him a straight answer from this point on, asking that they change the topic into something else. What made matters worse was that she had the nerve to ask him about his village and what it's people were like.

This fitted into the profile he had sketched up earlier. Working around questions asked with lies or simply refusing to give a straight answer, avoiding crowded places, gathering intel on the locals and trying to draw out negative emotions that could potentially lead to a fight. Everything pointed in the direction of her being a Missing nin. That said, it changed nothing between the boy and the woman, for ranks and titles meant nothing to him at all. If it had, he would most likely have a lot more respect for Toshiro and the Hokage, though this was obviously not the case. No, he would not tell her that he was on to her, because it was something she tried to hide from him so badly that it was almost mean to just call her out on it. Even though she took pleasure in trying to hurt him, he did not want to stoop to that level if it could be avoided, keeping it to himself as he went to answer the question. "I would like that, though you can't expect me to tell you, someone who just stated that she would not give me any straight answers and acts rather hostile the details of the hidden leaf village. We live in a world where equal exchange exists, so if you do not wish to be honest with me, why should I talk about my village?". Yoroi really wanted to just talk to this woman, though she made it so hard for him to trust her with anything he told her about the village. He did not know who or what she was in the Shinobi world, only having the name Togame to go with. Aside from that, it seemed that she had no intention of talking to him in a manner that was not filled with lies. If she did not want to be honest with him, he could unfortunately not talk about such topics, something he hoped she understood.

"I don't really get all of the hostility you feel towards me. Have I done anything to you in this life that caused you to treat me like an enemy?" Yoroi said, though it was mostly mumbling to himself at this point. He did not like the way this woman was treating him. Despite his attempts to just talk to this woman, it seemed that she really did not want to say anything to him at all, only being interested in knocking him around by saying mean things or trying to get information out of him. He had been interrogated often enough to be able to figure out the reasons behind the questions she asked him. "All I have done so far is try to make conversation with you, though you keep blowing me off and act like you'd rather make an attempt at killing me than have to talk to me.". In spite of his beliefs that she was not a bad person, just someone who had been wronged so many times that she turned into a spiteful being, it did not excuse the way she treated him. "If that is the case, why don't you try it already, you've made it sufficiently clear that you don't like me by now" he said, this time speaking in a much more calm and clear tone of voice. Standing up straight, he no longer felt like trying to be the good guy if all she wanted to do was ridicule him. If she took his words the way he thought a missing nin would, she would probably send an attack his way soon enough. Now at least he would be ready to defend himself. Even now, he refused to point out what had become obvious to him, trying not to trouble the woman any more than she already was.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Rolling her eyes, Uriko sat patiently through Yoroi's little speech about never underestimating an opponent. She couldn't quite understand what gave him such an inflated sense of importance that he could preach to her - her, of all people - but the woman didn't have the will to argue further. The physically demanding journey, lack of sleep and frequent intrusions from the phantom voice had taken their toll. Perhaps more than the hardened kunoichi would have liked to admit. Yoroi couldn't be expected to know any of this and Uriko certainly wasn't about to explain it to him. She considered simply offering her old bingo book and letting the Kaguya find out for himself exactly who he was dealing with. At least then we wouldn't have to spend so much time dancing around the issue. The female nukenin reasoned. She decided to shelve that thought for later, if she grew desperately bored of the conversation.

Across from her, the white-haired shinobi had been watching closely. "We live in a world where equal exchange exists, so if you do not wish to be honest with me, why should I talk about my village?" He intoned, a frown appearing on his otherwise placid features. "You seemed to like chatting, so I gave you a topic." The woman shrugged, emphasizing her disinterest. "Would it help if I asked nicely?" She drawled. There was no hiding the cutting sarcasm accompanying her words, though even Uriko began to wonder why she was being so antagonistic. Was her mental fatigue was clouding her judgement? Before she could address these concerns, Yoroi cut in. "I don't really get all of the hostility you feel towards me. Have I done anything to you in this life that caused you to treat me like an enemy?" He inquired, a frustrated sternness in his voice.

A good number of people had wronged Uriko Nagase in the past. Some had done so in spectacular fashion, often with devastating results for all involved. Indeed, few lived to regret their decision to cross the spiteful nukenin. Yoroi was not one of these people. The pair had never met before and although the kunoichi scoffed at his pacifistic attitude, she wouldn't make any assumptions about his combative abilities yet. Rather, she simply trusted in her own expertise. Yawning, Uriko lowered her back to the floor, bringing her hand to rest behind her head. Her eyes however, remained fixed on the Kaguya. "All I have done so far is try to make conversation with you, though you keep blowing me off and act like you'd rather make an attempt at killing me than have to talk to me." He continued. "If that is the case, why don't you try it already, you've made it sufficiently clear that you don't like me by now." The young shinobi finished, rising angrily to his feet.

There it is. Uriko flashed a knowing smile. She'd dragged her current companion down just a little closer to her level. Having brought that particular 'game' to a satisfactory conclusion, the woman decided to let it go. "You've shown me kindness, Yoroi. But I never promised you anything in return. Your naivety is not my problem." She explained, sounding a little less harsh this time. She hadn't been trying to teach the Kaguya this lesson all along, but was glad he was beginning to understand. "Now sit down." The kunoichi added, her gaze flitting to the empty space opposite. By the time Yoroi had finally settled, a tense silence had established itself. The male shinobi had finally begun to view Uriko as a potential threat and really, that's all she'd wanted. "Good." The female nukenin murmured, interrupting the quiet. "You should never have treated me any other way." She continued, referring to the caution which Yoroi was now exercising. "Now, what did you want to know?"

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

Letting a deep sigh escape his lips, he sank back into his regular mindset after realizing some of the things he had said when he was feeling upset. Going by the words Togame spat at him, it seemed that it had been her intention to upset him, something he had trouble understanding. Why would someone gain happiness from making people upset, what kind of twisted mind would think of such sick forms of pleasure. One thing was certain, this woman was not like Kimiko. In fact, it seemed like she was the polar opposite of what Kimiko stood for as a person. That said, he still felt like she was just acting like this because people never bothered to understand her, that she was pushed a few times too many and became what she was now because of it. Even with the whole mental problem she had shown earlier, he had still gotten very close to erupting in anger, something for which he truly felt ashamed. This woman had a hard enough time as it was if this was the kind of twisted fun she had with people. Probably using it as a means of pushing people away from her, he too had almost fallen for it. If they had been different people, they had probably been fighting already, though there was simply too much of himself to be found in Togame's behavior, things that reminded him of what he used to be. With that thought in mind, he hoped that he could open Togame up to him, even though he had made piece with the fact that she would probably never grow to like him as a person. It would not be easy to do, though he hoped that he could get it done before she decided that he was not worth the time and trouble.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to lash out at you like that. Despite you doing nothing to deserve any kindness, I don't see any point in being mad at you or making you feel bad, even though you make it rather obvious that you'd want others to be miserable around you, something that is simply beyond me" Yoroi said, feeling rather down about this whole situation. It was true that she did not owe him any forms of kindness, though he would have liked it if she would just be less hostile so they could have a normal conversation without her snapping at him again. The way she was treating him made him angry, because nothing Kimiko had told him about people prepared him for any of this. She had always told him that kindness would get one a long way, something he understood well, though too much of it could get him killed in this world of Shinobi. When she asked him what he wanted to know, he fell silent for a moment. "What I want to know is not really important right now. I just want you to be able to relax a bit, let go of the stress and treat me like something other than a hostile target. You know that there is no point in lying to me or keeping your guard up all the time, no one is going to try to hurt either of us out here. It's not healthy to behave like that all the time, is it.." Yoroi said, knowing full well that behaving like a self centered and distant prick would serve only to make people hate you. A few years ago, he had been like her, though he met people that had grown to love him, this being what changed him for the better. Whether it was too late for her or not, he still wanted to try and have her open up a bit, maybe explaining to him why she acted the way she did or just being nicer while they were together.

Having refused to sit down as a result of the commanding tone Togame had used when she ordered him to sit back down, he walked towards the bonfire that stood closer to the tent. It was the place where he had a lot of meat stuck on pikes, smoking them dry over a natural fire. It was not like any restaurant food in case it was what the woman was used to, though it still tasted great, especially when one was hungry. "Want something to eat? I have squirrel, deer and bear meat, though there is also some smoked salmon in case you would like that more. In case you are afraid of me poisoning your food, you can pick it up yourself if it makes you feel better" Yoroi said, taking three of the sticks out of the ground and bringing it back to their cozy little campfire. The large bonfire behind him was burning through the night, keeping nosy civilians and wild animals at bay while the fire smoked the liquids and bacteria out of the meat that stood close to it. As a child that had grown up in the wilderness, he learned that smoke dried meat lasted a lot longer before it started going bad because there were no liquids in it that could spoil the meat. In case she was willing to accept the food he had brought with him to the campfire, he allowed her to pick one of the sticks she wanted, not really caring what he got. He liked pretty much everything in terms of food, so that did not matter to him. Besides, if she would not trust him with food, she would never accept his offer when it came to staying in the camp for the night, a place where it was both safe and warm.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

While the Kaguya thought carefully about his answer, there was a heavy shuffling noise from the other side of the fire. Uriko was wriggling about, tugging at the woolen cloak that she'd been lying on. The whole affair was made considerably more difficult with only one hand available. "Ngh." The kunoichi grunted as the fabric emerged in one fell swoop. Pulling it up and over her body, she rolled with it until facing the flames. Lain flat on her side now, the woman could keep a keen eye on her 'companion'. A deep sigh escaped Yoroi's lips as his shoulders slumped a little, uncharacteristically despondent. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to lash out at you like that." He murmured, upset by his own actions. Shit. Here we go again. Uriko thought to herself, watching the young man's frustration turn to guilt. It was like watching a predator having its claws clipped. It was no surprise to the exasperated criminal that Yoroi continued to lecture her on the merits of honest conversation.

The woman had met many people who had failed to understand her and for the most part, this Kaguya was no exception. Yet she had seen the echoes of loneliness in his eyes and just a glimmer of savagery in his soul. As though pulling at a loose thread, Uriko had been unable to keep from trying to draw it out. It was all very well for him to wish that she 'relax and let go of stress', but the misguided shinobi had little idea who indeed he was talking to. No idea who I am... The kunoichi mused, struck by a sudden thought. Over the last few weeks she'd been evaluating her life and for the first time in a long while, she'd looked into her past. As the introspection had continued, a feeling of insignificance had grown. Uriko's place in the world was still completely ambiguous, any great difference yet to be made... The woman shook her head vigorously, as if trying to physically discard such thoughts. It was ludicrous. As if this could be anything but his problem.

Yoroi had still not reclaimed his seat. Perhaps wary of being too compliant with the kunoichi's demands. She was simply relieved to hear the end of his counsel. "Want something to eat?" He offered cheerfully. At first Uriko was confused, unable to see the food to which her was referring. Then, as the young Kaguya made for a second fire pit, this one smoking but giving off little light. When he returned, Yoroi was carrying a trio of thin wooden branches with various meats skewered upon them. "In case you're afraid of me poisoning your food, you can pick it up yourself." At this, the female nukenin couldn't help but chuckle. A wide, somewhat sinister smile rested on her face for some time afterwards, too. "I think you'd find that an... ineffective way to harm me, Yoroi." Uriko quipped, reaching over and grabbing one of the darker-looking meats. It was a larger cut too, so could only be deer or bear - not that it mattered to the kunoichi.

At the previous comment, the Kaguya's gaze had flitted up and settled firmly on the woman's mirthful features. It had lingered for only a moment, though the female shinobi could tell her companion had not let her words go unnoticed. He did not seem the curious sort and would probably not have inquired further, but for Uriko the game was beginning to wear thin. She'd been in her guise as Togame for too long and right now, she was just tired. Not to mention the questions she planned to put to the Kaguya as soon as he was ready to answer. Leaning the wooden pike against a nearby rock, she fumbled with one of many hip pouches. Eventually, her hand emerged, clutching a rather dog-eared little book. "Here." She muttered, casually tossing the leather-bound item in Yoroi's direction. Despite his infuriating 'good samaritan' routine, Uriko knew the man had more wits about him than he was letting on. He would understand what she was offering by giving him the bingo book.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

When she decided to take the food, a part of him was relieved, believing that maybe, just maybe, she had managed to see past the situation a bit more. Making herself more comfortable as well, he was no longer afraid that she was going to hate him for saying the things he had said to her. If she would, she would not have chosen to stay around after all. While she was a very peculiar woman, Yoroi had grown to like her a bit. Not being quite sure whether this was because she seemed like she had been through a lot or because she seemed to have no intention of becoming his friend, he did not really know, knowing only that she could use a friend, even if it was just for a little while. A few seconds later, she stated that there was no way for him to hurt her through means of poisoning, something that made him wonder as to just what she meant with it, though there was not really a lot of time for him to ask her about it as a small book was tossed into his direction. "What could she possible be implying with that..." he thought to himself as he took the first bite of his food. Even though he had never opened this particular book before, he opened it up and started reading into it.

There were several people inside of it, accompanied by rank and status, this of course being the global bingo book that was used by people to identify those that had done bad thing in life. Some were murderers while others had just escaped the village with secrets that were not to be shared with the outside world. Familiarizing himself with the faces he saw in the book, just in case he was to ever need it in the future, the young Shinobi made his way to the next page. On it was something he not expected, even though a part of him had been well on it's way to figuring out something was wrong. According to the picture in the book that was a fair resemblance to the woman that sat by his fire, she had lied to him when she told him his name, for it was not Togame. In that, he believed that he had done the right thing when he decided not to believe every word she said without checking the signs first. Remaining quiet for just a moment, he let a sigh escape his lips, though this was not to be mistaken for him being angry or saddened by the situation, it was simply because he had been right about his assumptions and the fact that she had been lying to him.

"So... should I call you Uriko or Togame now?" Yoroi asked while eating his meat. She had chosen to use the name Togame earlier, so maybe she just liked being called that more. As for the realization of who she really was, there was only so much he really wanted to know about it, though that was not important at the time. While she was indeed labeled as a dangerous woman, he himself was an S ranked Shinobi as well. Ranks meant nothing to him, for he had managed to surpass the majority of Konoha before even turning eighteen, though that important birthday would come soon enough. He had been raised mostly by himself, though he had gotten an example during the last couple of his years, this being Kimiko Katsumi, Konohagakure's strongest female Shinobi, maybe even being it's strongest Shinobi. He knew the Hokage to be a lot less than what people said he was, so in that right, Kimiko had already surpassed him, something he wanted to do too if he hadn't already. Despite the rank he carried, he was far from finished when it came to getting stronger as a Shinobi.

There were still so many things in the world that he wanted to learn more about, so many fields of knowledge he wanted to become an expert in, one of these things being the medical arts the Ryuchi caverns were so well known for. It was too bad that a Snake could not teach a human how to perform their jutsu, for their anatomy was just too far apart for it, this being why Yoroi himself had never learned how to be a medic. Medical Shinobi seemed hard to find, those being skilled enough at it to teach others being even harder to locate in this world. While this was just one of many thoughts that rushed through his head, his gaze went down into the fire for a while. He no longer knew what to think when there was so much deception around him. As such, he just chose not to think about anything anymore as he just stared blankly at the flames for a bit. That was when a smile appeared on his lips, showing to Uriko that he was not afraid now that he knew who she was. To him, she was still the same person she was as when she posed to be Togame, unless proven otherwise.

"I won't lie to you when I say that this is somewhat unexpected. Still, I am glad that there are no longer any secrets as to who we are now, at least on your part. Now that I know who you are, do you have any questions for me, or are we good?" he asked, no longer being as naive as he was before. The reason as to why she had given him the bingo book was obviously because she was done playing around with him, meaning she would either show her true colors or try to kill him, maybe even a combination of the two. Knowing these to be the two options, he was not the least bit afraid about anything. No, Uriko or Togame, whatever she wanted to be called seemed to be rather relaxed, so there was no reason for him to assume the worst. For now, he would just focus on the conversation and his food.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Uriko's amber eyes glowed bright in the gathering darkness. The dancing flames illuminated her features, revealing a piercing stare fixed firmly on the Kaguya. Without so much as a sideways glance, the woman took hold of the wooden skewer and brought it to her mouth, sinking her teeth deeply into the tender, smoked meat it carried. She chewed slowly but assuredly, all too aware that the situation could change at a moment's notice. She had - some might say foolishly - offered Yoroi the truth about her identity. What happened next rested on his shoulders alone and in relinquishing control, Uriko now had to prepare for any eventuality. The long, black cloak concealed a body tensing in anticipation, each and every muscle poised to spring into action at a moment's notice. Curiously, the female nukenin had not given this information up with the intention of seeking a fight. She'd simply grown tired of the pretense.

Yoroi began to read the well-thumbed book with a good degree of nonchalance. As its contents and purpose became clear, his expression grew more concerned. The young man lingered on one page in particular, his gaze flitting to the kunoichi opposite and back again. After some consideration, he let out an audible sigh. Not the reaction Uriko had been expecting. In fact, it sounded more... disappointed than it did anything else. "So... should I call you Uriko or Togame now?" He murmured, still holding his fingers over the page in question. The woman remained straight-faced and silent. The implication, though Yoroi was not necessarily to pick up on it, was that he could choose whichever he preferred. The tension remained over the next thirty seconds or so, before the male shinobi reached for his food once more and tucked in. Uriko could scarcely believe he was treating the new situation so casually.

The buck was passed back to the kunoichi, who now had to handle a complicated dilemma. One the one hand, Yoroi had given her no reason to suspect he would betray her confidence. He had been gracious and kind, despite the woman's best attempts to undermine his temperament. She hadn't exactly reveled in his incessant niceness, but it wasn't in the slightest bit threatening. Nevertheless, Uriko had not yet uncovered anything of relevant significance about the young man sat opposite. He was a Kaguya, yes - and clearly lacking the typical combative spirit of his clansmen. Beyond this, there was little of note. The kunoichi's verbal probes had revealed nothing about his allegiance, save for the fact that his interpretation of 'home' was not to be found in either Mizu no Kuni or Hi no Kuni. To what community the young man belonged might well dictate how Uriko did or didn't deal with him. At the moment, this ambiguity was inviting suspicion but simultaneously keeping him from harm.

As if reading her mind, Yoroi gave the woman a direct opportunity to inquire further. "Now that I know who you are, do you have any questions for me or are we good?" The male shinobi asked. He continued to eat during the pauses in conversation, which seemed to suggest he was quite at ease with everything as it was. "I think you know Yoroi, that we have to clear this matter first." Uriko replied, her voice utterly deadpan. "The book was a gesture of good faith." She said, indicating that a reciprocation of such confidence was in order. "Can you assure me no one else will hear of this? And tell me precisely why I should trust your words." The kunoichi finished, watching her companion for any indication of how he felt about this. If they could move past it, then perhaps a vaguely passable evening could be had. But there was no need to spell out the alternative - if the pair could not reach an accord, there would have to be blood. Uriko did not have the luxury of choice.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

The questions that came forth were more or less sounding rather familiar, though it seemed that the tables had turned a bit. She had spoken about how his kindness was his own choice, but that she had not made any promises to return any of it. As things were, Yoroi felt like just treating Uriko the same way. While such a thing would most likely not go well with the woman, Yoroi was not the least bit afraid of her or whatever she might throw at him. "You know, just a while ago, you told me that my honesty and kindness were not your problem, that you had not promised me anything in return for it. In a way, I feel like I could give you that same answer. After all, you chose to gave me that book of yours, I never particularly asked for it." he answered, wondering just what kind of response he would get from it. Uriko did not seem like the kind of person who would take crap from people, even though she was getting treated just like she had been treating him only a couple of minutes ago.

"But rest assured, I don't have anything to gain in ratting you out. Like I said before, even if you don't want to trust me, there have been several occasions in which I could have attacked you, even more so now that I know who and what you are. What I am trying to say is that you can trust me on this.". It was a simple answer he gave her, hopefully being enough to make her feel more at ease around him. There was really nothing he could do to make someone like Uriko trust him, so that was entirely up to her. Being powerless in certain aspects was among the things Yoroi hated more than anything, though just like he could not stop people from dying, so could he not do anything to change the way this woman thought of him. "Either you trust me or you don't, it's not my concern. I'd rather spend the night with someone I can trust than with someone who wants to kill me in my sleep, something you can probably relate to, right?". Stating what was on his mind, the rest was all up to Uriko herself.

He could not make her trust him just by willing it, because that was simply not how it worked. Trust was something that came from both sides, and even though Yoroi felt like he could trust her, that did not mean that she would be able to do the same for him. While awaiting her response, the amount of things Yoroi could do where quite limited, As his mind drifted for a bit, a great many different thoughts passed through his head, mostly centered around this Uriko person and the things she might have done in her life. Maybe she was like him and her family had died or abandoned her too, which was why she was so passive aggressive all the time. Thinking about it made him rather sad, because in the end, he could have become as spiteful as her if he had not found Kimiko and Viera. It was due to this realization that he figured Uriko could use a friend too, because a woman like her probably did not have a whole lot of friends in the world as a result of her status as a Missing Nin.

"When you said that poisoning you would not be a very ineffective way to harm you, what did you mean by that? Just asking out of curiosity of course." Yoroi added, hoping she would not consider it as him trying to figure out her strengths and weaknesses, for this was simply not his intention. He was just interested in what this woman could do that made her this dangerous, just like he wanted to know what she meant when she stated that poison would not be effective on her at all. This in itself gave the vibe of her being a Medical Shinobi, though it could meant something else too, maybe some sort of bloodline ability he didn't know about. Maybe this could be a subject the two could bond over a bit, because Yoroi would not mind telling her about himself if she opened up a bit herself. It would all come down to whether she believed he was worthy of her trust or not.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Perhaps it was a bit much to ask, or at least something that could not really be answered to the kunoichi's satisfaction. Indeed, the male shinobi's initial reaction was to take a sly dig, reminding Uriko of the very words she had used note ten minutes ago. The woman's mouth twisted into a sort of snarl at this, showing distaste but refraining from any other action. Trying to broker a more peaceful situation, she knew better than to act impulsively. At any rate, Yoroi wouldn't or couldn't give her any more than his word. It meant very little to the female nukenin, who was decades past trusting anyone so readily. She could, however, appreciate that the young man was making an effort. And he had yet to attack her, which was an improvement on many of the relationships Uriko had formed in the past. "Rest assured, I don't have anything to gain in ratting you out." The Kaguya explained calmly. It wasn't strictly true of course - he must have seen the reward offered in the bingo book and were he truly devoted to any of the great villages, duty would bind his hands in the matter. Fortunately, Yoroi did not look like a man who treasured worldly possessions or one who submitted so easily to the will of others. Deciding to take him at his word, Uriko nodded, indicating her approval with a simple grunt.

For a man who endured an apparently lonely existence, he was remarkably gentle and forgiving - about as far from a typical Kaguya as could be. Yoroi's clansmen were renowned for their combative nature, a trait that had caused friction to develop between them and their fellow Mizu no Kuni citizens. No, the solitary individual was quite at ease encouraging peaceful co-habitation. Perhaps that's why he's no longer with his people. Uriko mused, knowing the story could never be quite that simple. And all that aside, she found it hard to believe the male shinobi was not involved in some way with nearby Konohagakure. He lived in such close proximity that encounters between the two were inevitable. So what would he say if anyone asked him about the company he'd kept this night? The female nukenin disliked the uncertainty that surrounded the question, hoping (for her own sake) that Yoroi was estranged from the powerful village. Either way, she wouldn't be dropping her guard any time soon.

"I'd rather spend the night with someone I can trust than with someone who wants to kill me in my sleep - something you can probably relate to, right?" The white-haired shinobi quipped, tucking into a little more of the smoked meat. "Not recently."" Uriko threw lazily back, her ego acting in self defence more than anything. After a thoughtful pause however, she spoke further. "But I take your point." She murmured, her eyes glazing over a moment later. Yoroi's comment had brought a particularly painful memory to the forefront of the woman's mind. Her hand reached over and brushed longingly against the stump where her left shoulder should have been. Covered by the shawl, it was not a particularly noticeable feature right now. An unpleasant mix of despair, sorrow and rage welled up inside Uriko. The rush of emotions was all too sudden and the kunoichi let out a muted gasp as they bubbled over. Exhaling slowly, she found the strange sensation disappeared almost as soon as it had emerged. It soon became apparent that the Kaguya was watching her with a degree of curiosity, though politely trying not to pay too much attention. In an effort to buy time to regain composure, Uriko grabbed the skewer and tore the last piece of meat from it.

Mercifully, Yoroi was soon to speak. Whether he was trying to spare the woman further chagrin or simply fed up with the quiet, Uriko couldn't tell. "When you said that poisoning you would be a very ineffective way to harm you... what did you mean by that?" He asked. The criminal kunoichi wondered whether he was nervous sharing food with someone who had hinted at an affinity with poisons. She grinned wickedly at the thought. "I have a certain talent for toxins. And even if I didn't, healing such things is child's play. The woman answered, matter-of-factly. "You'd be hard pressed to find a better authority on these subjects." She added, happy to sing her own praises. Telling Yoroi this much hardly endangered the female nukenin. If their meeting came to blows, he knew no more about her than she did of him. "Medicine is not usually an area of much interest to the Kaguya, however. Your talents are more... overt, I think." Uriko finished, inviting the male shinobi to comment.

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

Not entirely certain as to what the woman meant when she stated that it had not been recent, he figured that this was just one of her attempts at keeping her cool while pushing him down a bit. It was to be expected from her, which in turn made it easier for him to just ignore the negative intent in her words. When she went over her other arm, it seemed almost like there was not a whole lot of it there anymore. Wondering if it was just his eyes playing tricks on him in the dark or not, he realized that him asking about it would probably not be the best thing to do. As she touched it, it seemed like something was washing over her, and not in a good way. Though he could not be sure of it, it seemed that she was either in a great deal of physical pain or in mental pain. It happened often that lost limbs could still feel sore, even though they were no longer there, acting as phantom limbs, so to say. Again, he chose not to mention it too much, though he would keep it in the back of his mind so that he would not put her through any unneeded strain. As some moments went by, he looked up when Uriko started talking, replying to his question about her powers. Stating that she was pretty much a medical shinobi, she also said that she did not think a Kaguya would take a whole lot of interest in such fine arts, which set him off a bit.

"Maybe you hadn't noticed this yet, but I don't really like my clan a whole lot. I don't mind the fact that I was given this body and my bloodline, some things you won't hear me complain about, though it is the fact that everyone seems to know who or what I am just by going by old stories and tales I don't care about that piss me off. They don't apply to me anymore." Yoroi said, responding to her words. It was more than common that people saw him coming and thought that he was some form of lesser creature that knew only how to fight, not being willing to actually figure out the kind of person that he was. It was still too soon to tell whether Uriko was one of these people or not, though as things were now, she did not look like she really liked him very much. That said, it was not her fault that people looked at him the way they did, something that should be said. "It's not your fault, it's the way this world has been set up that just angers me. Just because I have white hair and green eyes, I am labeled as a barbarian, a psychopath, a neanderthal, a lowlife or a combination of the four.". Again, a momentary silence came from Yoroi. Did she think of him like this too, and for that matter, did Kimiko think of him like this? Once he got upset, there was nothing really stopping the flow of negative energy as his thoughts just grew darker and darker. By the time he got a hold of himself again, he was usually a few minutes in already.

"In a way, you are right, i'll give you that much. My power does lay in physical combat, though that is not what I am limited to. I can do a great deal of things, more even than the Hokage himself, though people see me only as a Taijutsu practitioner. It annoys me, but it gives me an edge in battle, giving me the chances to show them all just how very wrong they are.". This time, he words were a whole lot darker, almost to the point were they were filled with spite. The stupidity of the villagers often made him want to just break faces, though this would mean that he fit the stereotype for the Kaguya clan. If this were to happen, he would only make things a whole lot worse for himself, this being something he obviously did not want at all. Things were bad enough, though there were also people like Kimiko that did not continuously rub this in, actually giving him some positive feedback. Maybe he had said things that would upset Uriko when he claimed to be stronger than the Hokage. She would probably just think of him to be bluffing. Whether this was to be the case or not, the only way to find out was to see what her response would be like. Slowly but surely, he was getting to the point he wanted to make, which was simply that he wanted to learn something from Uriko. He had always been willing to learn new forms of combat so that he could further alter his routine to being harder to pin down. With her help, he could make this possible.

"So if it's not too much to ask, would you mind helping me achieve some of your skill. I mean, I would also like to become more skilled in Iryõ Ninjutsu, though there is no one who can teach me, while I can't teach myself how to use medical techniques either.". Even though he hoped she wouldn't mind, he knew that it was too much to ask from someone he had just met, especially someone who did not really seem to like him that much. Sure, she had been honest with him, but that only meant so much in an actual friendship. Yoroi fully intended to be honest with her if she asked him things he could answer without endangering anyone. Endangering himself was not something he was afraid of, or he would have walked away the moment he figured out who and what she was. When one gave him something, or helped him out with something, they deserved something in return. It was not like he had to do something, it just seemed like the most fair thing to do.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

The Kaguya reacted uncharacteristically sharply to her comments about his brethren. Though it had long since been clear he was estranged from them, only now did Uriko realise this distance was self-imposed. "...everyone seems to know who or what I am just going by old stories and tales..." Yoroi explained, bemoaning the Kaguya clan's notoriety. The female nukenin couldn't understand why having such a reputation was a bad thing, but the pair had already established they didn't quite see eye-to-eye on most things. "I wasn't being presumptuous." The kunoichi quietly replied, tossing her empty skewer on the fire. "It's not your fault." Yoroi sighed, acknowledging his current companion's remark. "I am labeled as a barbarian, a psychopath, a neanderthal, a lowlife - or a combination of the four." He added, falling silent and pensive after these words. A few moments passed with comment, before Uriko pitched in. "Me too." She muttered. "Though I deserved my titles." The kunoichi added wistfully. In truth, far worse accusations had been leveled against her.

The whole conversation had left Uriko wondering whether Yoroi really did utilize his renowned bloodline. It wouldn't have shocked the woman to hear otherwise. As it happened, the Kaguya soon asserted that he was indeed skilled in taijutsu, though carefully avoided discussing the Shikotsumyaku. The female nukenin wondered what Yoroi would say if he realised his inherent abilities were being suppressed right now. In a bizarre reversal, she was beginning to think he might react more positively than most. The focus was quickly shifted back to Uriko however, as the Kaguya seemed uncomfortable dwelling on his own talents. The woman made a mental note to return to this subject in the future. "...would you mind helping me achieve some of your skill?" The male shinobi asked. It soon became clear that it was medical ninjutsu that Yoroi was interested in.

Thrown by the question, Uriko took a long time to reply. She watched the Kaguya intently, her head cocked slightly to the left. "I think you're serious." She mused, incredulous. The two stared at each other for a few more seconds, before the kunoichi burst into laughter. "You can't be!" The notion was almost inconceivable to the kunoichi: a good-natured, peaceful shinobi wanted someone like her as a teacher. Even more unbelievable given that the white-haired shinobi knew well that she was a renowned and dangerous criminal. "Oh..." The woman sighed as her laughter died down. Yoroi seemed both irritated and hurt by her reaction, no doubt believing his request a reasonable one. "Okay then. Humor me, Yoroi - what is it you want to learn?" Uriko inquired, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

The situation was beyond salvaging, but the kunoichi hoped the male shinobi wouldn't take great offense. It was impossible to convey just why the question had prompted such a reaction, though it had seemed so clear in the woman's mind. Gentle though the young Kaguya was, Uriko suspected he was more resilient than she was giving him credit for. No, no - forget what I just said." She murmured, shrugging off the cloak and getting to her feet. Her stump of a shoulder was exposed, though she paid it no mind. "Show me your taijutsu. If you can cut me three times in two minutes, I'll consider your request." Uriko instructed, her mouth twisting into a half-smile. Whether Yoroi recognized this less overt merits of this exercise beyond simply entertaining the combative kunoichi, she did not know.

~

Techniques Used:

Spoiler:

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

For a while now, Yoroi had felt that some of the usual sensations of his being had been nullified for some reason. Normally, Yoroi would feel that the dormant chakra that was running through his body often inspired his more dark desires to hurt people. Being a part of the Kaguya clan was likely the cause of this, for they had been born as psychopaths and weapons for personal use. Ever since he had gotten back to his camp, he had felt that the tingling he often felt in his bones had disappeared entirely. The itch was just his body aching for a fight, though when ignored long enough, the itch would pass. With the way Uriko acted in several occasions, he figured that his body would have told him to hurt her fifty times already, though this had not been the case. No, with the disappearance of his itch, he had felt a lot more calm and patient, something that had helped him greatly when around this woman that just could not stop making him feel like he was some inferior form of life, like she was so much better than he was.

When Uriko had burst out into laughter at his question, Yoroi felt somewhat out of place. All he had asked for was for her to help him with his Iryo Ninjutsu, or rather the lack of it. Again, Uriko seemed to have no intentions of really being friendly with Yoroi, though he had gotten used to this by now. Despite Yoroi's obvious attempts at becoming friends, Uriko had forced these aside either by simply being rude like she was being right now, or by mocking him through taunts. By the time she finally stopped laughing at him and picked away a tear, she asked him to humor her by telling her what it was that he wanted to achieve if he got to use Iryo Ninjutsu. This was something Yoroi did not even need to think about because he had thought about this subject a great many times when he was pondering in solitude. "I want to be able to do more than just destroy. My abilities are solely used for the purpose of ending lives and destroying things, but if I learned Iryo Ninjutsu, maybe I can do some good with it too. There are some people worth protecting to me, and this can be the thing I can to do it with.".

There was more he wanted to say, though it seemed like he had done the right thing to keep some things to himself, for a moment after he had said it, it seemed like his answer had not served any purpose at all. She told him to forget about what she had said, effectively making his answer worthless and unwanted. Being treated this way was terrible, something Uriko most likely knew all too well. She had been through a lot herself, of that there was no doubt in Yoroi's mind, but why she wanted to do upon others what had been done to her just seemed faulty. What followed was rather unexpected, even from this woman who was already hard to predict. She wanted Yoroi to use his Taijutsu on her, cutting her at least three times in two minutes in order for her to be willing to fulfill his request. Trying to use his Shikotsumyaku to make sure that his earlier assumptions were true, it seemed like he was right to believe that his bloodline was shut down, because it was. Now, both his mind and his body seemed to refuse hurting the woman, meaning they were in sync for the first time in years.

"I'm sorry Uriko, but I have to refuse. Even if I wanted to hurt you, something that seems like it will just set the both of us back, I can't use my Shikotsumyaku. We can go a few rounds if you want to see my normal Taijutsu, but that's about all I can offer,". Figuring that upon declining his offer his chances of getting to learn Iryo Ninjutsu would also be nullified, Yoroi just remained seated, letting his eyes scan over the woman that stood up and showed that his earlier assumption about her loss of an arm was correct. Though he had Ninjutsu, he did not really want to send balls of fire or bolts of lightning towards the woman, seeing as he did not want to kill her at all. She may have been a bit of a bitch to him, though he still felt like there was a good person beneath all of the bitchiness and the angry attitude she put up at times.

Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Predictably, Yoroi quietly explained that he wanted learn eijutsu in order to "do more than just destroy", to "do some good". Uriko didn't doubt his intentions, but she'd heard the same spiel from so many people that such phrases had lost all meaning. "That is sufficient if you want to dip your toe in the water." She replied. "But not nearly enough to affect the kind of change that you describe." The woman finished solemnly. The truth was that the masters of this craft were not driven merely by a desire to heal; but by a singular, far greater purpose. Even if she were willing to pass on some knowledge to Yoroi, that's all it would ever be - a few tricks that could cure simple ailments.

For a while it seemed Uriko wouldn't have to worry about it anyway, because the young Kaguya had refused her request to spar. The 'plan' had been to gauge what he was capable of and therefore what she could teach him. It may have even presented her the chance to demonstrate a few techniques. No doubt it would have been highly entertaining to the kunoichi, but that was not the sole reason she had tried to instigate combat. After mentioning that he had indeed noticed the absence of his Shikotsumyaku, Yoroi then halfheartedly offered to show his unarmed taijutsu. Uriko's smile widened. She reached into her hip pouch and withdrew a plain kunai. "I imagine it's been a while since you've had to use a conventional weapon." She mused, tossing the blade over to the male shinobi. "That's good."

Yoroi's skepticism was evident from his frown. He remained silent, however. As it happened, the one-armed nukenin promptly explained. "That kunai is to you what eijutsu is to beginner practitioners. You know what it's for and how to apply it; but the shape and the weight is different. You have adjust yourself accordingly." If Uriko was right and this Kaguya had not used such a tool for a while, then it was almost the perfect analogy. If not, it was less poignant but still served to illustrate the point. Although for the time being, Yoroi still appeared unsure. Perhaps he had not expected his request to come to anything after the woman had laughed him down. "This isn't training Yoroi. It's a test to see if you're fit for it." Her tone gave the impression of a challenge.

There wasn't an awful lot of space around the pair. Taking the presence of the fire into account, they only had a few metres in any direction before rocky outcrops rose up and eventually formed miniature peaks. It was perfect for escaping the wind chill but devilish for combat. Fortunately, Uriko was hoping and expecting for Yoroi to engage her physically, in close quarters. That was, of course, if he accepted her proposal. That the Kaguya had recognized something was amiss with his bloodline caused the female nukenin to question what clues he'd had. Her words had contained very little allusion, so she began to wonder if the Shikotsumyaku caused any sort of pain whilst 'awake' and in suppressing it Uriko had actually alerted Yoroi to the effect. Making a mental note to investigate in the future, she returned quickly to the task at hand. "Three strikes." She announced, holding her palm out in an invitation to attack.

~

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

It seemed like there was really no way of getting out of this without having to actually try his hardest and place some hits on the woman. As it turned out, his intentions for the things he wanted to learn were simply not enough to do such a thing. He understood that the mastering of something new was never easy, though there was really nothing he could do to change Uriko's mind on the matter if she deemed him to be insufficient in the field. He wanted to show her that he was willing to learn, had the ability to learn and adapt quickly and pick up on her teachings, though he just did not know how he'd do such a thing. To his surprise, she seemed to be rather well prepared for his answer, as if she already knew that it was about to come up. Telling him that it was probably quite long ago that he had actually used a Kunai or a conventional weapon, she claimed that it would be a good thing. Not really understanding the situation all too well, she reached for a weapon and tossed it towards him.

Catching the Kunai without any real effort, he wondered if the woman really wanted to get hurt, or if she just wanted an excuse for herself to harm him. Clenching the handle of the bladed weapon in his fist, he felt very insecure about having to hurt someone who had not done anything to him to deserve it. In a way, she had asked him for it and would only teach him if he was willing to do this, for it was just a test to see how well he would do. Uriko explained to him that the Kunai to him was what medical ninjutsu was to practitioners in the field. He in fact knew what it was for, though he never really used it as a close ranged weapon, relying most on his fists over anything else. One of the things all of this told him was that she was indeed the one that kept his bloodline under control through some peculiar means that was still unknown to him. That, paired with the knowledge of this being a test to see if he was willing to do what it took to learn Iryo Ninjutsu, he released a deep sigh, switching his stoic look with a more determined one.

If this was how it had to be, than he would just place some really shallow cuts that barely grazed the skin. Whether Uriko would see him coming or not, he was one of the fastest people in the Shinobi world. That said, he was rather careful around the woman, knowing that she had some sort of ability going to kept his Shikotsumyaku under control. Despite that knowledge being taken into consideration, he was Konohagakure's youngest Sennin, something this woman would have to recognize. Unlike his age would suggest, he was not a mere Genin or a Chuunin. With that, he made the first dash, using his full speed to dash by Uriko's side that lacked an arm. It was a cheap shot, but it was the side that was least protected. Aiming for a first cut on the side and a second across the back, he'd stop roughly three steps behind her. Whether any of these two attacks would even land before she could defend herself against him was uncertain, just like he was quite uncertain about her abilities and combat skills.

His intention was not to hurt her, just to show her what he was capable of. A Kunai was a lot lighter than his own bone weaponry, so it was complimenting to the swiftness of his strike. While he hit the brakes behind her, hoping he had hit, there was but one thing in his mind. "I'm sorry for moving out of the blue like that, but if I take my time, chances are that you won't think of me to be potent enough as a Shinobi. After all, I can't have people looking down on me, I am a Sennin after all". Whether the multitude of things Uriko probably did not yet know would be enough to catch her off guard or not, he hoped she would not look at him differently, knowing that he was at least classified as a Shinobi of her of rank. Only time would tell.

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Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

Though a flicker of dismay had crossed Yoroi's features when the kunoichi had questioned his motives, mention of an opportunity to prove himself rekindled the Kaguya's resolve. He caught the proffered kunai and without fuss, rose to his feet. His first steps were tentative; no doubt dogged by apprehension over the woman's sudden willingness to teach. Come on...come on... Uriko found herself thinking, an all-too-eager smile playing on her lips. She had not had cause to defend herself for some time and sincerely hoped that this young shinobi was up to the challenge - short though the engagement would be. As if reading her mind, Yoroi sighed resignedly and dropped into a combative stance.

He was on her in an instant. The kunai flashed across the space between them and it became evident the Kaguya had targeted what he supposed was Uriko's weaker side. Despite his remarkable speed, the woman was every bit his equal in this department and the metal blade met only the fabric of her cloak. She'd turned aside as the attack came, observing her opponent's movements carefully in order to predict his next. Even with this intelligent approach, Yoroi almost caught her off-guard only a second later. The blade swooped down from above and would have scored a fine hit on the woman's back had she not turned earlier. Her hand rose to meet the kunai, though it arrived so quickly she had little time to prepare the block.

Thump. Uriko's fingers were wrapped around her assailant's wrist, keeping his blade-wielding hand at arm's length. A brief silence fell and the female nukenin's brow furrowed. Why had Yoroi stopped? Her gaze followed his, only to notice that the kunai had been swung with such force that despite the interception, it's sharp edge had caught the back of her hand. A thin rivulet of blood trickled across the skin and dripped onto the rocky ground. "Huh." The woman muttered, flicking her hand upwards and hopping back a few steps. "Well, I'll give you that one." She declared, wiping the injured hand across her blouse.

"I'm sorry for moving out of the blue like that." Yoroi murmured. He then revealed that this was a matter of pride for him (as Uriko had hoped it might be) and that he couldn't have the woman looking down on him. "I am a Sennin, after all." The Kaguya added, a hint a self-satisfaction in his voice. This intrigued the female nukenin. The lad seemed young - too young to hold such an esteemed position. And why then, did he choose to live out here in the wild? Something didn't quite add up and Uriko had a sneaking suspicion that it was something she was unlikely to get to the bottom of.

Putting aside her curiosities, Uriko gave the young Sennin a brief smile. "Then I guess this should be all too easy for you, eh? She asked, subtly moving one foot a few inches back as she spoke. Then, without warning, she brought her now-clenched fist thundering down and connected firmly with the ground. Solid rock shook violently and erupted around her, huge cracks appearing as large chunks of stone rose into the air. Yoroi would have to act fast to avoid being caught in the devastation, though Uriko had no doubt he was capable of it. Indeed, she was using the shattered terrain more to test her opponent than to attack him.

~

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OOC: I hope you don't mind me sticking to the outdated versions of SCs just for the purposes of this topic. I haven't yet updated mine and since they've been used in their older form throughout, I figured it would be okay for now.

Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

It was like he had expected, she was very good and knew very well what she was doing. As she gripped him by the wrist, she had probably missed the final part of his short assault, receiving but a very minor cut to her hand. It was like she was startled by the bit of blood that came out of the wound as she released her grip on Yoroi and dashed back. To think that there were people who were just as fast as Yoroi was quite an interesting thought, though it also meant that he was not the fastest person around anymore, he had to share that title with someone else now. That in itself was fine with him, he did not mind having to share things with other people at all, though that did not mean that he was going to accept being the lesser fighter in this particular situation. When Uriko found out about his rank, it seemed that she was not going to go easy on him anymore. Charging chakra into her hand, she claimed that if it was true that he was that high in rank, he could deal with the incoming attack.

Already forming seals of his own, his main plan was to momentarily stun the woman through his very potent lightning release techniques, in turn making it easier for him to land the last two cuts before the time was up. He knew full well that the time remaining was not as much as he had hoped, so he had to move fast and precise. While the young Kaguya put the last seal into place, Uriko slammed her fist against the ground, releasing a powerful shockwave that ripped the earth apart and sent it flying in the direction of the strike, unfortunately being Yoroi's. Potent as it seemed, Yoroi had no intentions of being hit by such a technique, retaliating as soon as his seals had finished. Releasing a burst of electricity from his body, he intended to counter and overcome the incoming force with a stronger one. Knowing that the technique she had used was not an earth natured technique but a burst of physical strength and chakra, his technique would have no trouble in ripping through the earth that shot towards him. Ripping through the opposing force, the lightning rushed towards

Not having as much time left as he had hoped, he continued building up lightning chakra inside of his body, so much that it became visible in the form of crackling static and a faint glow originating from his skin. While building chakra, he dashed towards Uriko for his final assault. There was no time for a more elaborate plan than the one he had cooked up just now, so the best thing he had going for him right now was to just hope that either his lightning technique hit, or the trap he was cooking up could make contact with the woman and end the fight. If all went well, he would not arrive much later than the burst of lightning that rushed towards the woman, owing this to his physical speed, something he shared with his adversary. Now that the spar had started, his instincts slowly started to awaken. Even though he could not use his Shikotsumyaku to help out in close proximity, that did not mean he was that much weaker, it just meant that he would have to attack in a different manner, by using his brains over his brawn.

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Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

As her fist struck the ground below, Uriko's confident expression faltered. Brow furrowing, she tilted her head aside as through straining to hear. A faint crackling noise had emerged just as the first few rocks had begun to fly. Raising her head, she caught sight of the lightning arcing towards her. It danced between chunks of rubble at such a pace she barely had time to react. Were Yoroi in much closer proximity, he might have seen the female nukenin's pupils expand in the moment before she reacted. Uriko felt her muscles bristle with energy and her thoughts begin to race as the undeclared technique took effect. Just as the ferocious lightning was about to strike, the woman disappeared, leaving only a faint cloud of dust.

A few metres away, Uriko had escaped the blast radius by a hair's breadth. The last technique had been directed at her with such intensity that she now had to concede that Yoroi was a genuine threat. As if to illustrate the point, the young Kaguya closed the gap between them in an instant. Sparks literally flew as electricity bounced over his body. With her own enhancement still active however, Uriko was even faster still and had a hand ready to meet his strike. She did her best to ignore the lightning surging into her palm as she held her opponent in place. Instead, she swung her leg around at breakneck pace, aiming to land a vicious blow against Yoroi's midriff.

The close quarters exchange continued for a few more minutes, with neither combatant giving much ground. It all came to halt however, when the the female shinobi suddenly appeared to relax. "Enough." She murmured, her pupils returning to their normal size. Caught up in the moment, Yoroi took a few seconds before he realised the spar was done. Eventually, the lightning faded. Brushing dust and bits of stone from her clothing, Uriko wandered around the camp. "I've no doubt those two strikes were coming." She murmured before taking a seat beside the fire. "Very well." She intoned, somewhat wearily. "What would you have me teach?"

Yoroi seemed almost a little disappointed by the abrupt end to the conflict, despite his normally peaceful nature. The Kaguya fighting spirit, I see. Uriko grinned at the thought. Regardless, the experienced medic had learned what she needed to from the encounter - what her companion would and would not be capable of. His attacks had been swift and potent, yet there was a lingering suspicion in Uriko's mind that they were one-dimensional. Then again, she reasoned, his 'in-attack-out' approach would surely have changed as the fight developed. Either way, he'd proved a tricky customer and more than skilled enough to learn a few techniques. All that was left to negotiate was what kind of abilities he sought.

~

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Age : 32 Posts : 1912

Yoroi Kaguya

His attack had been dodged completely, something he did not really expect not to happen, seeing as it was a technique far below what he could do. Dashing towards her at his full speed while building momentum, his trap had already been set. Reaching into his pocket to get the tool he needed to put a swift end to this, his eyes focused on her every movement. Now that she focused on him and tried to catch his attack, he released the stored chakra inside of his body, causing him to grow brightly and send a bright flash that could temporarily blind those who looked right at him. Now in close range, he could hit her much more easily. With a last incoming strike aimed at his center, he used her lack of senses and his own unharmed ones, utilizing a low sweeping kick to knock her off her feet. If he managed to hit her, she would without a doubt fall flat on her ass, having no ocular senses to work with and now having no feet to stand on after the leg she balanced on would have been kicked from under her with his use of the Strong Whirlwind technique. Yoroi would not allow her to fall, moving himself to catch her with his dominant arm.

Though this was only a small bit chivalrous of him, his real intention had been something else entirely. Pulling his hand out of his pocket to reveal a Kunai, he was ready to place a second cut if need be. He would try to use this position as a means to have her surrender, rather than having to place any real cuts or hits on her. From what he had seen, she had been struggling enough without him to make things worse for her. There was very little the woman could have done in order to stop his advancement after the bright flash, for even if she closed her eyes, she would be open for attacks until she saw again. As he was about to land his second cut, the woman suddenly called it off by claiming that it had been enough. Knowing for a fact that what little time he had to begin with had not yet ended, he could therefore take this as him passing her trial. Not too long after telling him that she did not doubt the fact that the last two strikes were coming sooner or later, he felt a sense of accomplishment. People did not often give him much praise to his fighting, and while it was not a whole lot to be proud of, he did feel a bit empowered by the words of the Missing nin.

"That depends entirely on what you can teach me. Whether it is the basics, slightly more advanced manners of healing myself and others, everything that can help me on my way." Yoroi answered. His answer was a simple one, because as long as he could get directions, some examples and other teachings that could help him grasp the basics of medical ninjutsu, at the same time checking whether he would actually be capable of learning such a specific school of Ninjutsu. When he thought about it, he really did not know a whole lot of people that were specialized in the healing arts, which was also why no one had ever been able to help him out with his training before. If he really believed Uriko was some evil person that was only after the hurting of others, he would not have asked her to help him at all. To him, there had always been a difference between bad people and people who had been turned into it by their surroundings. As was shown by his attempt at catching her rather than watching her fall to the ground, anyone could see that while he enjoyed a good fight, he was not the kind to needlessly hurt someone.

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Age : 35 Posts : 1113

NAGASE, URIKO

"That depends entirely on what you can teach me." Yoroi replied, wandering over to join the female nukenin beside the fire. His casual gait revealed a man all too comfortable with dropping in and out of combat. No doubt the adrenaline was still pumping through his body and his mind still playing over 'would-have-been' moments. The ease with which he adapted reminded Uriko of herself; an irony not lost on her either. "What I can teach is very different from what I will." The kunoichi murmured, her attention rather more focused on the scroll she'd just unfurled on the cold, hard ground. She would not break her promise, but the accomplished nukenin had no intention of revealing her most prized techniques.

The parchment laid out before the woman was not one of her commonly used items. Strange markings accompanied a spattering of the more familiar lettering often found on weapon and item scrolls. Biting through the skin at the tip of her thumb, Uriko drew a pinprick of blood and smeared it across paper. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." She murmured. A plume of smoke erupted and anyone with a keen ear might have also heard the swish of parchment being withdrawn. The kunoichi was just tucking the scroll back into her item pouch when the dense, white smoke cleared. A pale body lay on the floor, motionless and clearly devoid of life. From his forehead protector it was clear the man had been a Takigakure shinobi, a fact Uriko was curious to see Yoroi digest. One other thing was immediately obvious: this man had suffered.

The body was wracked with scars and mutilated in many places. The female nukenin was decades past reacting to such things and simply continued to prepare as the Kaguya looked on. The corpse's arm had been severed below the elbow, two fingers taken from the other and his right ear sliced in two. Lacerations covered the naked torso and completed the wholly unpleasant sight. Really, the only saving grace was the lack of blood. Will he notice? Uriko mused, somewhat gleefully. Every single one of the recognizable injuries had been made by the woman herself - and each of them inflicted before death. This was one of her former torture victims, who she often kept for surgical rehearsals.

"Exquisite preservation." Uriko muttered to herself, holding her palm just above the corpse's chest. Her fingers twisted into a double seal and her voice echoed around the encampment once more. "Joukei." The kunoichi's amber irises glinted with a something other than reflected firelight. "Ah yes." She cooed, a nostalgic smile crossing her lips as her hovering hand moved over different areas of the body. "I remember now." Reluctantly pulling her hand away, she looked up and caught Yoroi's gaze. "Copy the seal." Silently, the Konoha sennin did so. "Gently draw chakra to your eyes. Reinforce their link to the brain." Uriko instructed. Her student calmly followed suit and after a few moments, she continued to speak. "Observe the patient - study the body - learn about it. You'll have to do that physically, for now. Keep the jutsu active, absorb the knowledge and use your instinct." The young Kaguya hesitated for just a second, before placing his forefingers on the nearest scar. "Take your time... and tell me what killed him." Uriko purred.

~

Techniques Used:

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Special Characteristics Used:

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OOC: The basic idea is that Yoroi learns to identify critical injuries before learning to treat them. This particular task should take a fair while, given the extensive mutilations. A senbon, through his back and just far enough into the heart, is what killed him.

And this exercise will teach the jutsu through building a visually-prompted, medical intuition in the brain. Don't panic - Yoroi doesn't need to learn every possible injury to do this.