A Noble Escort. [Mission, P- PolarBear]

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

The sound of the thunder's distant roar brought a small frown to Suzaku's face. With flaring nostrils and narrowed eyes, the young shinobi sighed, a small stream of smoke managing to esape from the corner of his mouth as the cigarette slowly rolled from one side to the other. A storm would only make traveling conditions that much harder for the group and the fact that the party had yet to set out only added to the frustration. The parameters had been set. Suzaku was to lead on this one, Satsune, whom had recently been robbed of her sense of hearing was to come along in what the male could only assume was an attempt to test her viability as a shinobi. Simply put, if Satsune didn't perform up to the mark, there was a very good chance that her career as a ninja would be over. The thought wasn't a pleasing one in the least. Though Suzaku had no love for the chore of a woman, he didn't wish for her to be deemed useless and unfit to serve. Such a thing would most likely drive his short-tempered team mate insane. If she didn't already hate the world, she definitely would after having her privledges revoked.

Suzaku tried not to dwell on it. In the end it was up to him, as the leader, to write the assessment of Satsune in the mission reports. It was bias to be sure, but Suzaku couldn't help but feel that this had been what the higher ups, mainly the Hokage, had wanted. Suzaku would be lenient and protective of his team members as he had been ever since their rather unfortunate and disastrous training incident within the Forest of Death. Suzaku had no intention of giving the girl a bad report unless she proved beyond a shadow of a doubt to be a danger to both herself and whoever she served on a team with. The shinobi prayed that wouldn't be the case. Lost amidst his thoughts, the fact that client and his family had arrived had completely escaped his notice. It wasn't until the man stepped forward and cleared his throat that Suzaku's large, amber eyes snapped wide, breaking out of his trance and focusing his attention on the man and his family.

Already Suzaku could tell that this client was going to be a handful. The man was an older gentlemen, looking to be in his late thirties or even perhaps early forties. His hair was already starting to grow grey, his face beginning to fill with wrinkles of age and stress. All these things wouldn't have been so much of a warning sign to the young male had it not been for the rather sour expression the client held. Already the man's dim blue eyes were moving over Suzaku's form, mentally assessing the chuunin with a scrutinizing eye. While not worried, Suzaku felt a spike of frustration and annoyance rising. For all intents and purposes the youth looked the part of a ninja, having chosen to dress in the traditional konoha garb that consisted of a long dark blue shirt and matching pants - both of which were crafted with light weight yet durable material that made both traveling and quick movement easy. Over the shirt hung a thick olive green flak jacket that served as makeshift body armor of some sort while providing ample pockets and compartments for his various tools and scrolls. On his feet were a pair of traditional dark blue shinobi sandals that rested just below a section of taped off clothing around the ankles; something that was done to keep the bottom of the pants from splaying outward and tripping up the young male. Along with all these were various other accessories: the kunai holster on his left thigh, the sheathed bowie knife on his right, the belt complete with small pouch located at Suzaku's back along with a sheathed ninjato, the village headband which was tied firmly around his belt so that it hung over the front of his left thigh, and finally Akutori which remained sheathed at Suzaku's right hip. Indeed, Suzaku felt that there was little one could fault him for when it came to his current appearance, yet the look on the man's face was anything but accepting or approving. With a small sigh another stream of smoke was let loose from the corner of the ninja's mouth. This was frustrating.

"Good day, M'lord."

To this the man scoffed. Already the foreboding dark clouds that had been the source of the distant thunder had begun to crawl across the sky, blotting out the sun and the blue sea that hung above the earth. Suzaku could already smell the moisture in the air, the uncanny yet distinct smell of rain hanging in the atmosphere. The warmth of the the mid summer's day combined with the increased humidity created a rather muggy feeling that could make almost anyone uncomfortable. Though Suzaku detested the thought of traveling in the rain, with the downpour would come a more pleasing atmosphere overall.

"How do you figure? It looks like rain."

Nodding lightly, the shinobi physically acknowledged the client's statement, his amber eyes flitting up toward the sky before slowly tracing their way back toward the family of three, casting a small, insincere smile.

"Rain isn't all bad. It keeps things nice and green here in Hi no Kuni."

With a disapproving snort the man began to scan the area, his frown growing more pronounced as he noticed a rather key detail.

"Weren't there supposed to be three of you protecting us?"

"My squad consists of three, yes. Unfortunately one of my team members was recently hospitalized and still hasn't recovered from his injuries. Satsune, my other squad mate, should be here at any moment."

"We haven't even started traveling yet and already one of you has landed yourselves in the hospital. Why do I feel like the village has sent me a bunch of children instead of trained professionals?"

To this Suzaku shrugged, fighting the urge to respond to the man's goading. It wouldn't serve any purpose to argue with the client. The man was obviously in a foul mood and no amount of reassurance could change his demeanor. For now Suzaku continued to puff away at his cigarette as he waited patiently for his female companion.

Posts : 132

Her hair had grown a bit over the past few weeks. So the pale female had noted to herself as she had stared into the mirror this morning. The raven black strands were starting to fall more gently around her face, framing the delicate features and bringing out even further the fiery red colour of her eyes. She didn't have time to cut it, and she didn't really care about that kind of stuff either. Not any more. Recently she had been too busy training herself so that she could reach the previous physical state before all the shit had happened. She was still rather on the skinny side, yet she had successfully gained some weight so that no bones were sticking out anywhere any more. A few more pounds, and she'd have back the soft chest area and a slightly more 'filling' to her backside and thighs. Her muscles were rapidly coming back as well, and it pleased the female when she was capable of swinging her Katana around for hours (finally) without any problems.

After she had reported in to the higher ups about her progress, she had been assigned to a mission. No doubt a test of some sort to see if she was up for it. If she would fail, there was no doubt that she would fail as a ninja as well. At most, she'd be allowed to guard the gates from time to time with others. But that was not something which would happen. Not while she was stilling drawing breath into her lungs. Satsune had lived through too much shit, and had pulled herself out of it on her own, to be able to come to terms with something less than a successful career as a ninja.

The female had left her residency an hour before she was supposed to meet up with her team member. Of course it was Suzaku whom would be waiting for her. Why of course? Well because life just sucked that way. He had visited her one more time at the hospital, before the female had strictly forbid anyone to visit her again. She did not need anyone's pity and she didn't want anyone near her as she was recovering. It was way too much of a blow to the pride for her to have anyone see her whilst the female was this far down in the dirt. All she could really hope for was that Suzaku would put everything behind him, forget what he had witnessed and simply move on with his life. It shouldn't be that hard for the male after all, it wasn't as if they had been friends before the accident. Hopefully he would be able to also let go of the fact that she had practically begged him to stay with her at the hospital when first arriving there....

A crimson colour flushed her pale cheeks at the thought. What utter idiot she had been then. Never again would she be that weak. She'd rather die than do anything like that again. She'd show him on this mission that she didn't need a babysitter, and she certainly would not need him to watch out for her.

For this mission she was dressed in black. A black skirt that hung just above her knees, high black socks, black boots and a black shirt which was buttoned up. Over that shirt she wore her dark purple coat. On her hip hung the Katana, and on her other hip were the scrolls and the ninja kit. The blackness of her outfit brought out the paleness of her skin and seemed to underline the dark shadows underneath her beautiful eyes even more. Needless to say, she had not been sleeping much at all since the 'accident'. There was something alluring to this attire and the overall look, yet at the same time she looked scary to any and all innocent bystanders. It was as if a new flame had been lit within her gaze, and her crimson coloured orbs gazed fiercely at anyone whom would approach her or simply walk past her. This new Satsune was a whole different person than before. She paid attention now to those around her. She did not lower her gaze or look away with disgust. She had learned after awakening the ability to be able to read lips, how to read also a bit into the movements of people and how they carried themselves.

Her small hand went into the pocket of her coat, pulling out the note for the mission whilst her gaze scanned over it. She knew what the location was, yet she couldn't figure out how to get there (which was no surprise). A glance to the side at a bystander looking up towards the sky with a frown, caused Satsune to also turn her gaze that way. Instantly a small smirk fluttered at the corners of her mouth. This weather would be perfect. It wasn't as if she had turned into a depressed emo after everything, but Satsune certainly liked a rainy day better than a sunny one. She liked the fresh smell to everything after such a day. Another glance was turned towards the bystander whom had at first pulled her attention towards him. A young teen, probably around her own age, with blonde hair and brown eyes. He was looking at her now also, and a hesitant smile crossed his lips. His male hormones were probably telling him that there was a tempting piece of meat standing right there, whilst his brain was yelling to stay clear of that gloomy/evil looking female whom was staring hard at him.

Satsune pocketed the note again before walking up to him, and with a few clipped words asked for a direction. After a moment's hesitation, the male would point in the direction whilst explaining, only to flush slightly as he noticed that young female watching his lips intently. Satsune of course did not spend even a moment with pondering on just why he suddenly looked so flushed, but rather nodded curtly and walked in the direction he had pointed her to. The directions had been excellent, and it took her only a few short minutes to get to where Suzaku and the client were waiting. She'd walked briskly towards where they were standing before stopping and observing the situation.

The raven haired female's eyes travelled to her team mate first of all, tracing out the already well known lines of his form and his face. She would look at him without an expression, but also without hostility. She'd simply give him a look, before nodding just a bit towards him. Then her gaze went towards the middle aged man whose blue eyes were already looking Satsune over with obvious criticism. He was probably wondering just how that scrawny little female was going to be doing anything useful. A toothy grin was thrown his way, catching the man completely off guard as he saw those previously emotionless eyes get a humorous (and in a way impish) glint to them.

That same impish expression would be turned towards Suzaku, no doubt the man who now held her fate as a ninja in his hands, before she would speak with soft words.

"Satsune Hariko, reporting for duty. How about we get going then?"

The voice was as light as a gentle breeze, the words just barely audible. It was becoming very straining for her to talk much, as she had to focus hard whenever forming any words. How soon would it be until she'd stop speaking entirely, she wondered.

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

"Hmph. About time. Can we go now?"

The man's response came seconds after Satsune's introduction, the words of which were soft spoken yet well formed despite her inability to hear her own speech. Suzaku regarded his female companion with little more than a nod though, a complete sense of apathy on his part. Despite that though, he did note that the girl was definitely looking better. She looked more filled out and much healthier than the sorry state he had found her in on that rather traumatic day. She had even allowed her hair to grow out just a bit more than she usually did, which Suzaku could only assume was done unintentionally; though he did have to admit that the look suited her, or rather he found it to be much more appealing than the short style she had usually chosen to wear her hair in during their days in the academy. Though all these thoughts ran through his mind, along with a sense of relief and happiness at seeing her in a much healthier and better state, he did well not to let any of that bleed through his stoic expression. Truly the only signs of such thoughts and emotions showed in his eyes, which did not remain on the girl long enough to make it overly obvious to anyone. At least he hoped not. In the time since the two had last seen one another, the male's face had become more haggard, drawn and even aged. To anyone with a keen eye and a modicum of empathy one could sense the feelings of exhaustion his form exuded, as though the world had slowly been wearing him down. Though still young, a bit of that youthful look he had once carried had faded, giving way to a more hardened and even rugged face. Moving his left hand up, the young male ran his fingers against the small scruffy starts of his beard that was slowly growing in. It was obvious the shinobi hadn't had time to shave this morning and was most likely coming off from a recent mission.

The seconds rolled by with no answer given to the client, to which the man's annoyance noticeably grew as his glaring blue eyes shot daggers in Suzaku's general direction. With a slightly dazed look, the raven-haired male eventually cleared his throat, his eyes turning up toward the sky to stare at the heavy overcast that did well to block the sun's rays from reaching the earth in their entirety.

"I suppose we can get started. I doubt anyone else is coming, despite me requesting a third person."

To this the client's body grew tense, his jaw clenching and lips pursing at the shinobi's words. Despite looking as though he were about to speak, Suzaku turned on his heels, spinning his body to face the path leading away from the village before silently waving the party toward his direction. Obediently the woman and adolescent boy began to move, walking toward the amber-eyed male with hurried steps only for the man to quickly fall in tow and eventually work his way toward the front, only a few steps behind Suzaku.

"By the way, it's not exactly important but I feel I should inform you that my partner back there is unable to hear. If you want to tell her anything then you will need to make she is close enough to read your lips."

Suzaku had read the file. He knew that Satsune had been taking lip reading classes. Usually such classes were seldom pursued by all but the most specialized shinobi, but Satsune's case was special. With no other viable way of communicating quickly other than body language and hand gestures, lip reading was the best option. As team leader, the administration had felt it important for Suzaku to be privy to such information. Despite knowing it though, he gave little indication Satsune that he knew. Nor did he show that he had done his best to follow her case from afar ever since the incident. Though the two were far from friends, Suzaku felt he knew the girl well enough to know how she'd react if she had ever caught wind of her team mate's silence surveillance. Pride was on the line, and while Suzaku personally cared little for such notions he knew that for people like Satsune and Masamori, pride was everything.

"What did you say?!"

The man's voice rose several decibels, his outburst forcing both his son and wife to freeze in their tracks momentarily before hesitantly resuming their trek.

"You heard me. Don't make me repeat myself. She's capable and that's all you need to be concerned with."

A low growl resonated in the open air for but a second only to be stopped short of completion by a sudden yet very noticeable glare from the tired, amber eyed ninja who summed up the energy to nearly spin his body a full one-hundred and eighty degrees to fully face the man. The look on Suzaku's face was enough to force the client to hold his tongue from any further protests for the time being. Without a word Suzaku's eyes moved up, sweeping over the rest of the party, pinpointing the woman, her son, then Satsune before his head and body snapped back in place, his form returning to its forward-facing position, leading the group down the dirt road. Already the rain was starting to come down, a small drizzle at first, the droplets small and light yet strangely cold despite the warm air. Thunder wasn't too far off, it's low rumble serving as an ever present backdrop to the rather tedious journey.

Finding his confidence shaken, the man's pace began to slow as he allowed his form to drift backwards until it fell in step with the rest of his family. Suzaku, using his keen senses noticed the gradual softening of footsteps as the man shrank away from his form and in response turned back only for the briefest of moments to glance back toward the family who were now closer to Satsune than him for the time being, the parents whispering amongst themselves, most likely talking about their two appointed body guards: the shinobi with a foul mood and the hearing impaired kunoichi who both shared an uncanny likeness in their physical qualities. Though the male could pick up a few stray words here and there, he cared little for the subject matter of the conversation. He hated escort missions, especially when it involved self important individuals such as this client.

"You get what you pay for."

Suzaku quietly mused to himself as he silently wondered what the man had been expecting when he decided to only pay enough for a B rank escort rather than paying for the much more capable A rank guards. The stupidity of others truly astounded him sometimes.

SC:

Posts : 132

Should I thank him?

Satsune bit lightly on the inside of her cheek as she watched Suzaku from the side whilst he was replying to something the customer asked. Already the female had looked over the woman and the boy whom would be joining as well, but there was no attempt to be made at greetings or anything of the likes. Rather, it would seem that both of them tried to avoid her gaze completely in a nervous manner. So Satsune went back to the problem at hand. Should she thank Suzaku for helping her out and bringing her to the hospital (as well as staying with her)? Wasn't that the proper thing to do? I don't even know why I'm wondering about it. It never bothered me before. Yet, she wasn't the same person any more. That was a very obvious fact. Almost everything about her had changed, had been forced to change at the hands of a cruel and twisted man and later in the hands of doctors and specialists in rehab. And perhaps also at the hands of a team mate whom had shown her kindness.

Satsune had found herself even more drawn to Suzaku after his part in the whole thing, and that was proving to be a bit of a hassle as her eyes kept glancing in his direction. Naturally, the girl had no idea just why this was happening. He had only been the right person at the right place during the right time... or maybe the wrong person at the wrong place during the wrong time. And besides, she hated males! She'd never allow anyone to touch her again! But... was that honestly the case with Suzaku? After his kind act, was she truly scared and hostile towards him? The most puzzling thing of all (to her at least) was the fact that she didn't even dislike the smell of cigarette smoke any more. A soft sigh escaped the female's lips as she kept a close eye on everybody (while trying her best not to stare at the amber eye male). It had not escaped her previously that Suzaku looked tired. Heck he looked like something big had gobbled him up and chewed on him, before spitting him out again. Was he really up for this mission? And how come he was the one who was probably going to be watching her? Did Satsune miss something? Had that idiot maybe gained a rank up during her absence? Now -that- was something that could piss her off. There was nothing more frustrating than to be left in the dark. It made her feel helpless and weak, like a frail little mouse.

God damnit.

She tore her gaze away from Suzaku as he started walking first in line, and the raven haired female promptly fell at the back of this line made of humans. Why should she thank him anyway? He had been a total bitch at the hospital, and tried to make her worry about her good for nothing little sister. To Hell with him and them all. Her teeth were bit together as the young female tried to find that old spark of dislike again. That feeling which had allowed her to look with arrogance at the world. Yet, it wasn't there any more. Or it had been buried way deep down.

With her keen eyesight she noticed the back of the male customer stiffen a bit, before Suzaku suddenly spun around with a fierce glare. Obviously, something big was going on. What's happening so early on in the mission? It wasn't exactly a good sign if Suzaku was already having problems with that man. Well look at this, here I am trying to make it sound like -I- was such an angel around people. A wry smile tugged at her lips as she watched everybody settle down again, and the walking kept on going. It seemed like the male had completely surrendered, as his previously stiff shoulders slumped down and his steps were obviously slower than before. It didn't take long for him to start talking to his wife in an obviously upset manner, and every once in a while they would glance in her way with disapproval.

Ah. He must have told them.

Funny how little it bothered her. She was deaf. Satsune Hariko had been born with perfect hearing and had been using it successfully in her training, and then in just a few days she had been robbed of it. Probably forever. Yet, she didn't feel like crying or screaming. She didn't want to ask for help or feel despair. It was as if she had simply come to terms with it. That was after all the best way to overcome this huge handicap. Instead of wasting time with whining and crying, she would use every second to hone her skills and senses until she'd not even notice that her hearing was missing.

So was that what the commotion was about? But why did Suzaku get so upset?

She'd never even dream of her team mate defending her, that would be the last thing to ever enter her mind. Already that kindness he had shown her at the hospital was long gone, and he had once again looked at her with that indifferent gaze of his. The boy didn't care, and she had come to terms with that. Then why was everything so confusing?

Seeing as she was the last person in that line and she also wanted to take her mind of all these matters, Satsune decided she could at least do some scouting around them. After all, it wasn't as if she'd hear anything if someone would sneak up behind her. Even if the female was trying her best to keep a close eye at the back of the road, she also had to look out where she was stepping down, as well as looking to the sides. While still walking, she pulled forth her scroll and swiftly painted onto it the form of three eagles, before using her Chakra to make the animals come to 'life' so to say. All in all, the deed was done so quickly that it was hard to even notice what had been going on before three proud birds were fluttering above their heads and disappearing into the darkening sky. Each bird went into a different direction according to Satsune's wish. She'd let them scan a bit ahead and behind them as they'd be slowly making their way from the village. Who knew what could be lurking within the deep, dark forests. Perhaps when done walking further, she'd also use some mice to cover more ground.

Maybe she should talk to Suzaku about it, but he hadn't seemed exactly thrilled to have a talk. The young teen couldn't help but chuckle at that thought. Yeah she'd be a really great conversing partner.

CP - 45/50

Spoiler:

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

Suzaku continued his forward trek for a good hour, his pace forcibly slower than his usual brisk walking speed due to the family's inability to keep step with him. As a result Suzaku's aggravation only continued to grow, its intensity mirroring that of the rain as the droplets began to fall faster and in larger sizes. It wouldn't be long before the group would find themselves in a downpour at this rate. A frown formed on the young male's face as he already began to imagine the client's nagging voice complaining about the storm, as if Suzaku could somehow control the weather itself. It's not my fault you chose such a rotten day to travel, you dimwit. The male thought to himself bitterly, as if the man had already started his imminent whining. With a small grunt the young chuunin pushed forward, his sandaled feet creating small tracks in the mud, a detail he was painfully aware of. With a small sigh Suzaku's pace slowed and eventually stopped, his eyes slowly scanning the environment before making a simple hand gesture, signalling that the group move off the road and onto the grass covered area. While there was no reason to believe that anyone would be after the family, Suzaku and Satsune had been hired to protect the client and that included being extra cautious about such things such as leaving distinct mud trails in the road. With little hesitation, Suzaky began to move toward the grass covered earth, hoping to use it to more easily mask the footprints left by the traveling party. Of course, this action was met by a questioning protest from the client, whom seemed intent on disagreeing with every move the shinobi made.

"Why do we have to get off the road?!"

The man bellowed over the sound of the storm. The question would be met by another rather intimidating glare from Suzaku's end, his amber eyes staring piercingly into the man's own blue hues.

"The road is made of dirt and the rain is turning that dirt to mud. We're leaving footprints and I don't like it, so it's better to get off the road to help cover our tracks."

It wasn't a perfect solution. Hell, it wasn't even a good solution, but it was the best Suzaku could come up with at the moment. Moving further from the road and into some of the scattered treelines wouldn't due, as their party was much too large and vulnerable. Besides that, there was no reason to suspect that the group was in any real danger beyond Suzaku's own sense of accountability. If he was hired to do a job then he'd do his best to accomplish it. With a long, drawn out sigh, the client moved off to the side of the road with his family, following his annoyed protector.

Watching with a scrutinous eye, Suzaku's gaze swept over the small group, noting already just how miserable they all seemed to look at the moment. Nothing more than a bunch of drowned rats scurrying along the roadside. Once the family had successfully moved off the road the young male allowed his eyes to shift away from them, his gaze settling on Satsune, eyes narrowing just a bit as he stared at the young woman through the downpour. As always, there were no words given on his part. Though he knew she was able to read lips, he kept up his act for her sake. As far as she knew, he was completely in the dark about her special training and her rehabilitation. Despite that though, he was certain that an individual like her wouldn't take kindly to being babied or treated any differently than a normal shinobi. She wasn't the type of person who'd let a disability define her. In fact, Suzaku was sure she was the type of person who'd go so far as to deny the disability right out rather than accepting her own limitations. Knowing this, the young man found himself in a rather uncomfortable position. He was the commanding officer of this two man squad, and it was expected of him to lead the team while simultaneously being conscientious of his team mate's handicap, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel as though Satsune expected him to treat her no different than he had since the day they had met, at least in regards to the incident that both seemed to be trying so hard to sweep under the proverbial rug.

Realizing that he was staring for just a bit too long, Suzaku's eyes flickered toward his right, a quick and subtle gesture that required as little movement on his part as possible. A silent manner in which he asked the girl to scout the not so distant treeline just off the road. Suzaku was fairly sure there was nothing there, at least nothing of suitable threat. His uncanny ability to read the life signs around him hadn't detected anything of suitable size; several small energy sources and nothing more. The amber eyed male knew though that his ability was still growing and while it was much more developed than it had been when he had first discovered the strange talent, it was far from perfect. If the girl complied, Suzaku's eyes would follow her form, watching her back as she made her way toward the small arborous gathering.

"What's going on? Why are we just standing here?"

The client's voice was back and unfortunately no less grating to Suzaku's nerves. Resisting the urge to lash out, the young male took a deep breath, though his eyes never left hs female companion even as he spoke in a gentle and hushed tone.

"The rain's bad right now. I'm sending my partner to scout those trees over there for any potential threats. If it's clear then we'll try to wait out the storm for a bit, at least until the rain lets up."

A sigh of relief escaped the man at Suzaku's answer, a reaction that was genuinely surprising to the young shinobi. The chuunin had been mentally prepared to deal with more whining and protests, but strange enough, both client and family seemed relieved and even pleased by the idea of getting some rest. Perhaps the trek had taken more out of them than Suzaku had realized. Though the teen had known from the start that the packs the group carried on their backs were rather heavy, he hadn't anticipated just how much of a strain it might have been for the client and his family to carry them. That's why you should always pack light. With that thought Suzaku's hand would float steadily downward, hovering just over the holster strapped to his left thigh and the protruding handle of his kunai knife. He was ready to act on a moment's notice, rushing in after Satsune should he sense anything or notice anything unusual. Despite the cold manner in which he treated the young woman and his constant self reminders of how the two of them were most definitely not friends, even in the slightest, he couldn't deny the slightly protective nature he had developed in regards to her well being.

Suzaku often regarded himself as a logical being, able to rationalize and figure out a great many things in his life, himself included, but this was something that was even beyond him. He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and as a result fate had thrusted him into a role of a temporary savior on that horrible day, but since then an overbearing feeling of responsibility had managed to settle itself heavily on his shoulders, weighing him down at every moment. Was she okay? Would she ever be okay? How bad were her injuries? Just how much would losing her hearing affect her? Would she ever be able to trust anyone ever again? All these questions and more ran through the males mind in the days following the event and even now, as he watched her with the utmost attention, trying to catch every detail with those keen senses of his. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. As much as he hated to admit it, she meant far more to him than this family of nobles. That wasn't acceptable in the least, as the mission should always come first, but there was no getting around it. That's just how it was and there was no way he could really change that.

SC:

Posts : 132

A drop of water slid down a black strand of hair before dripping onto her nose and merging in with the rest of the water that had drenched the female's skin. Another droplet followed close by, yet this time managing to run down over the tip of the nose and join forces with more of the water at her lips. Irritably Satsune swiped her arm across her face, since this was annoyingly ticklish to her. Perhaps if she had still possessed her hearing, Satsune might have become bored at this slow walking pace. Usually she would be complaining loudly in a sharp glass-cutting voice by now, because not only were they walking so slow that a family of snails could pass them, but also the rain was doing its best job in trying to drown the small group of people. However, Satsune was not bored and she was not offending anyone's ears with her voice.

Rather, during this hour of trekking, she had been constantly busy with scouting the area. Her eyes were never still for too long, her movements were light and swift as she but sneaked forward. The young teen was sure she'd be done developing eyes at the back of her neck before this day was over, yet she could feel that this was rather enjoyable. The eagles had had no luck with scouting out anything, but soon she knew she'd be dealing out yet another 'ink card' of hers. Despite being handicapped, she refused to be a burden and she would show everyone that she could manage just fine on her own. Suzaku would not be forced to do any babysitting today or any other day.

Her boots made faint splashing sounds with each new step, but she would of course not hear that. The dampness of her coat was making it heavier, and soon enough the female felt her shirt start sticking to her form as well. A chill ran up her spine, and she knew her nose was probably just as red as her crimson eyes were. I better not catch a cold. After all the dramatic events unfolding the last month or so, she had been so weak that even a slight cold had her bedridden for almost a week. Even though she was stronger now, she had been warned that her immune system could still be fragile and therefore she'd have to be careful not to get too cold or overexert herself. If I had known the lovely weather this morning would turn into -this-, I'd probably have put on a lot more clothing. Honestly, it had only been looking like a light drizzle might occur... not a downright bone-freezing shower. She shook her head to free her hair of some of the water, sending droplets flying in every direction in the process, before her focus was again on the people in front of her.

Suzaku was leading them off the road, and only a moment's thinking made Satsune realize why. They had been taught all the basics in the academy, and one of those exact basics was exactly not to leave too obvious of a trail behind. No doubt that stuck up piece of shit male customer would have something to say about that, and Satsune was thankful for just a second that she could not hear a word he'd be screeching out. As they made their way carefully away from the road, Satsune looked calmly around before glancing at Suzaku. A small flush entered her deadly pale cheeks as she caught him basically staring at her. That flush disappeared just as soon as it had flooded into her cheeks, and Satsune could not help but wonder just why the heck she was acting like an idiot. So what if he was looking her way? Of course he had to check out the entire team to see if everybody were okay. And besides, when had it ever bothered -her- when someone looked her way. The old Satsune would have asked him if he wanted to take a picture since that would last longer, but the current Satsune only averted her gaze before looking at him again to see if there was something he'd need.

Honestly, she had planned on being angry at him for what he had said about her sister. How he had butted into things that were none of his business. Yet, Satsune found herself unable to hiss or glare or snap in his direction. It was like she didn't even want to, and that was a rather ... weird thing for her. The female had no problem with snapping at others, even if she had improved herself quite a bit the last few weeks. She knew she still had a spark of her old personality, and she did not trust males nor did she get along with other females. Yet there was nothing that made her want to hiss at Suzaku. She didn't even know how to be around him any more.

A flicker of Suzaku's eyes caught Satsune's attention. At first her crimson eyes only widened a bit, before she looked in the same direction as the gesture had been pointed towards. He wanted her to scout ahead? The young female looked at her team mate again, before she decided to trust her hunch about this and swiftly started stalking towards the trees. Satsune used all of her ninja training in order to move swiftly, yet quietly, until she was disappearing into the tree line about 20 meters away from the others. Her breathing was slightly fast but it wasn't from fear, but rather from excitement. That familiar sense of adrenaline slowly starting to kick in when you knew that perhaps this was the moment. Maybe, just maybe, this would be the moment when you'd get killed. Suddenly her body stopped moving, and again she pulled forth the ink kit and a scroll. Even faster than before, she painted the forms of fourteen mice before giving them life with her Chakra.

The small creatures scurried in all directions, whilst Satsune knelt slowly down and kept being on the alert of her surroundings. Without taking the focus of her senses, she counted silently in her head. As she kept counting, her hand slowly pulled the Katana halfway out of its hilt.

101 ... 102 ... 103 ... 104 ...

She cancelled one mouse and let the information travel back to her own mind. Nothing out of the ordinary had been spotted so she waited a bit longer before cancelling another mouse. So the process went on until she had approximately three left. The distance between her and her creations was roughly 200 meters when she cancelled yet another mouse.

Wait.

Her posture stiffened. Something was wrong. Something... Suddenly she jumped slightly and frowned. One of the mice had been killed, and the last thing it had seen was the sole of a boot. Just a second more, and she cancelled the last mouse before receiving the information of two more individuals who were moving fast in her direction. -In the direction of Suzaku and the customers.-

Shit.

The Katana was slapped back into the hilt before the female stood up and glared into the thick forest in front of her. Honestly she wanted to just charge on and dispose of whomever was coming, yet she knew it wasn't as simple as that. So with another curse muttered under her breath, she sped out of there and headed in the direction of Suzaku and the rest. As she moved, the female did her best in order to erase any sort of trail there was so she would be able to buy them some more time before whomever it was that was moving would come their way. Her hurried form soon reached where the others were waiting, and not even a glance was spared towards the customers as she walked briskly towards Suzaku. Her expression revealed nothing, and there was no way of telling for the untrained eye that she was in more of a hurry than normally. Satsune did not want to alert the customers since they would only start causing a racket and make the day even worse than it had started out to be. So she plastered a smile on her face, which was very out of character, as she neared Suzaku, and gently tugged at his arm so that he would be facing away from the customers. Most probably would the civilians assume that Satsune had some girly-flirty intentions.

The light grip on the male's arm was instantly released, like she had burned herself from the simple act of touching him. Her crimson eyes stared up in his amber ones for one silent second, before she started to speak in that same low and slow manner as before. Her words were muttered even lower now as she was afraid she'd misjudge her ability to whisper.

"I can read lips so respond slowly. Three shadows, about 200 meters away. Coming here."

She said only what she really had to say, while wanting to minimize the strain on her vocal cords plus the fact that she hated not being able to hear what she was saying. The words were pretty clear and not difficult to make sense out of, even when her voice had such a weirdly monotone feel to it. She waited for what Suzaku had to say, and in the meantime swept her arm across her slightly runny nose in a very un-ladylike and un-Satsune-like manner. Obviously, a -lot- had changed about her.

CP: 42/50

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Age : 34 Posts : 1209

Suzaku sighed as he watched Satsune's form slip beyond the treeline, vanishing into the brush. He didn't like the fact that he had lost sight of her but he did his best to keep track of his companion using his other senses, namely his ability to sense her life force. With narrowed eyes and furrowed brow, the young male did his best to concentrate on the female's location, noting the slight fluctuation in her energy as she deployed a jutsu, yet having no real way to tell just what skill she had used. Another sigh would escape the male as he resisted the urge to wipe away the water that collected over his brow and streamed down the sharp contours of his face. His body remained rigid and at attention, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Seconds stretched into minutes and the male found himself about ready to go rushing in after the girl before his eyes managed to catch sight of her form emerging from the foliage. With a small sigh of relief, that didn't seem to go unnoticed by the client who was now switching between casting Suzaku and Satsune rather odd looks, Suzaku awaited Satsune's return, blinking in a rather surprised manner as he felt her suddenly take hold of his arm in order to spin him around so that he was facing away from the family. What was she doing?

Moving without resistance, Suzaku allowed the girl to pull him around, his direction changing as he now faced her without the benefit of being able to see the client or his family. With a questioning expression, the male listened to the female's words, nodding after a moment or two before turning his gaze ever so slightly toward the treeline for but a moment. If Satsune was right then the group didn't have much time to prepare. With three attackers, Satsune and Suzaku would be at a distinct disadvantage. Not only were the two Konoha ninja out numbered but they had to worry about protecting the family. A small sigh escaped the male's lips as his eyes averted upwards, staring at the clouds overhead, allowing the heavy stream of rain to pelt his face as he seemed to take a moment to think. As he pondered a hand moved up his own form, reaching into one of the many pouches from his vest, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the small compartment, along with a metallic flip-lid lighter. His eyes would move back down, staring down at Satsune once more, gazing into her blood red hues for a rather long time. With little thought on his part, his hands worked quickly, pulling a single cigarette from the box and lighting it with a simple flick of the wrist, preforming the action a second time to extinguish the lighter's flame once the end of the stick had been ignited and a healthy drag had been taken.

"Alright then, you take the family with you and continue toward the rendezvous point as fast as possible. I'll try to throw the pursuers off our trail and slow them down."

A straight out fight was out of the question. The conditions weren't great and while Suzaku truly wanted to believe that Satsune could handle herself in a fight, he wasn't exactly eager to throw her into a live combat situation, his protective nature getting the better of him. She was more important than the annoying client or his family, after all.

"No arguments, alright? I'm in charge of the mission so do as I say, alright?"

With that Suzaku would reach a hand up, clasping the girl gently on the shoulder, a reassuring gesture that he had received so many times from both his former teachers and his father in the past. Without another word to the girl the male turned toward the family and moved quickly toward the man.

"There isn't much time so be quiet and listen. There may be a problem so you'll be going with Satsune. You'll have to move faster than we have been. So go with her and do everything she says."

Predictably, despite Suzaku's words, the man began to protest, though the words barely made their way from the man's mouth before the amber eyed youth simply strode past the man, moving toward the woman and child, casting them a reassuring smile before moving past them. With a small sigh, Suzaku began to form a set of seals that would conclude with a sudden burst of chakra created smoke. As the smoke cleared, three distinct forms slowly emerged, each an exact replica of raven haired ninja. Without hesitation one began to form another set of seals, casting himself in another shroud of smoke that when cleared revealed a form that looked identical to that of the client, the earlier replica of Suzaku no where to be seen. The next Suzaku moved forward in a hurried manner, moving past the family and making a beeline toward Satsune, stopping for only the briefest of moments to make a subtle motion with his head to signal that they needed to get going. Finally the last Suzaku began to move quickly, running toward one of the closer trees, displaying his rather impressive speed before launching himself in the air and drawing his blade in order to sever a large, low hanging branch from the tree's body. As the limb fell toward the ground, Suzaku's sword would lash out three more times, cutting the branch into three distinct sections before sheathing his sword and grabbing two of them to drag them toward the client's replica.

Not content with simply standing there, the Suzaku whom had transformed himself into the client began to make his way toward the Suzaku dragging the small logs, stopping near the tree and moving to sit down on the ground as the other began to work, sticking an explosive note on each log before forming another set of seals that would result in the two branches suddenly transforming into a copy of the wife and the son, respectively, making it look as if they were sitting near the client, all of them looking as though they were exhausted. If by this point, Satsune had not left, the Suzaku whom was standing relatively close to her would reach out to tap her shoulder, doing his best to insist that the group continue ahead, as not to ruin the trap that was being set for the pursuers.

To any who happened upon the small makeshift group, it would seem as though the traveling party had grown tired and decided to rest near the trees in order to shelter themselves from some of the rain, yet not too close as to be in any real danger from a stray lightning strike. At least that was what Suzaku had hoped as he stood there amongst the copies and armed logs. The third section of the branch, which he had deliberately neglected to pull into plain view was for the purposes of a quick escape via the substitution jutsu. If things got bad he could always run and regroup. While he doubted he could fully stop the pursuers, he was confident that he could fool them and slow them down long enough for Satsune to lead the family further away and maybe even somewhere safe. Until then though, he'd need to do his best to prevent them from being caught. Opening up his senses, Suzaku's body tensed as he tried to detect the approaching attackers.

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Suzaku took his time with thinking things over, and by the end of it Satsune was almost tip toeing around whilst waiting for the reply from the tall male. As he glanced upwards to the sky, she stole a look at his strong jawline only to look away again and rub her forehead in an irritated manner. She didn't think she had a crush on this guy, but there was a definite 'warming up' to him happening. Almost like ... almost like she wanted to seek out his friendship. Seek out his approval. Oh my God I must have been beaten more badly than I thought. What the heck is wrong with me? This guy hates me. Satsune gritted her teeth together whilst calming herself down, before swiftly turning her gaze again to Suzaku's face. After all, she would sort of need to be watching him closely in order to know what he was saying. Their eyes met once more as the two teens pondered upon this difficult situation. Satsune noticed him pulling out one of the 'death sticks', yet she didn't object or even make a disapproving facial expression or a sound. Rather she waited for him to light it, before she'd inhale the smoke whilst again worrying over the fact that she might have a real brain injury.

"Alright then, you take the family with you and continue toward the rendezvous point as fast as possible. I'll try to throw the pursuers off our trail and slow them down."

What?

She did not like that idea one bit, and it was quite obvious from her first shocked and then disapproving expression. Her ruby red orbs widened just a bit before narrowing into two slits as her mouth was bit together until her lips formed a thin white line. Was he going to play the knight who saved the day again? This was ridiculous, she was more than capable of helping him out! Why was he doing this? If he thought he was helping her out by trying to protect her from harms way, then he was sorely mistaken. In fact, she wasn't sure if that would be worse than if he truly did not trust her to be able to do her job as a ninja. That kind of reasoning stung, and the hurt was shown within her eyes. It was probably that. He probably thought she was only a burden, a cripple, someone whom he couldn't rely on if it came to the fighting. She parted her lips, just about to tell him just how much of a douche-bag he was, when Suzaku started speaking again.

"No arguments, alright? I'm in charge of the mission so do as I say, alright?"

Her mouth closed again as she looked hard into his amber orbs. His hand clasped gently onto her shoulder, a reassuring act following such hurtful words, causing her to flinch just a bit yet not back away from the touch. With a serious expression she watched him turn around and go towards the family, and even when she couldn't hear anything she knew that he had told the male customer just what was up. Just how the man started acting up was a hint enough for the female, yet she was glad to see that Suzaku paid him no heed but rather went on with his business. She watched him perform a clone jutsu, and a soft sigh of resignation escaped the female. Fine. So she would do this his way. A clone of his approached her, signalling that they should get going. The small female scowled, yet nodded towards the clone as she cast one last glance towards the copies which were to be left behind.

"Be careful you idiot."

Her voice, albeit the female wouldn't hear it herself, was husky with the overflowing emotions. It was strange how uneasy she felt. How... worried she felt. Being worried for another person than herself was not something she had made into a habit of hers. With a grumble she gestured towards the family to get going, while almost at the verge of pulling them forward by force. It seemed like the woman and boy were getting too tired, so Satsune swiftly pulled most of their packs away and threw them over her own shoulders. The extra weight had her staggering for just a second before the female gained her balance and kept going. She pushed at the family and grumbled low words underneath her breath, words that were most likely threats about how she'd maim them if they wouldn't hurry, and that method was very successful since they were all basically jogging by now. If Suzaku wanted her to flee with the customers, then fine she would. And she would make sure that nobody would catch them so that she would not get criticized.

After everything had settled down later on, she would make sure to tell Suzaku just what she thought of this Lone Ranger act of his and she would also tell him just where he could stick it. It would be difficult proving herself to the higher ups if she did so seeing as he was the team leader, but it was also difficult for her to do anything when she was to be shielded from any and all danger that lay within the forest. The small group's pace was quick enough to swiftly carry them out of Suzaku's vision, and Satsune kept almost beating them onwards. She would make sure to get them to a safe place and if Suzaku wouldn't be done catching up by then, the female was going to go back and kick some ass. First she would kick some thug ass, and next she might just kick Suzaku's ass.

The rain kept pouring down, blinding them and slowing them down in the thick mud which once had been an old trail through the forest. Satsune was glad they were moving so swiftly and that she had taken on an extra burden, as that kept her warm for the time being. A worried glance over the family confirmed her suspicion that the woman was just about ready to collapse, yet the fragile looking female kept going. Good for you, just keep going or I will drag you on by your hair. The boy was in fine shape, his young legs strong and the fact that he wasn't carrying such a heavy load any more helped as well. The 'head of the family' was panting and looked about ready to have a heart attack, but he also kept going. Probably because Satsune gave him a look that promised the man that she'd use her Katana to encourage him to keep running.

"Bit more, short rest, brisk walk after rest."

Her clipped words sounded like music to their ears.

Age : 34 Posts : 1209

The rolling thunder that had been so distant only mere hours ago was right over top of them now, flashing bolts of lightning assaulted the ground every so often, close enough to tear glowing hot streaks in the air, leaving Suzaku's eyes momentarily stunned each time he happened to glance in the wrong direction. How long until that lightning threatened to strike him and his "team"? The thought of his counterfeit party caused his amber hues to glance down toward the fake family, a clone and two disguised logs. With a look of feigned absence, the young male moved his hand up toward the cigarette in his mouth, pulling the drenched stick loose and tossing it to the side. The cherry red flame on the end had long gone out and the act of keeping the thing clamped between his lips served no purpose whatsoever. Already he could feel himself craving another smoke but he held off on lighting another as he kept his eyes, ears, and other senses open. Soon enough the shinobi felt three sizable life signatures approaching. There was little doubt that these were the three pursuers that Satsune had warned him about. Without a word the shinobi glanced toward his disguised clone. Not even a nod was given, just mere eye contact to convey the message that they had been found. So far so good.

Easily pinpointing the direction of the attackers, Suzaku turned his body just a bit, exposing his right shoulder in their general direction as he soon crouched toward the "boy" who just stared vacantly into the distance. As expected, the group did their best to surround the group, but didn't dare leave the treeline and risk revealing themselves to the group before their attack commenced. With staggard positioning, Suzaku knew he'd have a harder time defending himself. The aim isn't to win, Suzaku. It's to buy time. A deep breath and Suzaku's slightly trembling hands became still. They were watching, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. Suzaku's eyes soon moved away from the fake child, staring into the treeline, his hues narrowing as though he were searching for any sign of approach. He didn't need to see them to know they were there. He could feel them. Suddenly a flash of lighting tore through the sky, the light nearly blinding Suzaku. The man reeled back just a bit, his eyes working hard to readjust, his vision returning just in time to see three objects sailing in his direction. With wide eyes the boy moved, twisting his body by pulling his right shoulder backwards, turning himself sideways as the three shuriken sailed across his front side, one of the weapons managing to tear across the front of his vest, ripping open one of the pouches which contained a smoke bomb. The object would fall to the ground and roll toward Suzaku's back foot. After the close dodge the man would stumble forward clumsily, as if trying to regain his balance, his foot coming down hard on the capsule, breaking it and causing the smoke to bleed out, concealing him and the small party in a cloud of black smoke. To any onlookers it would have seemed as though the man had clumsily dropped his equipment, but as the smoke filled the area Suzaku's act ended as he suddenly crouched low. Without a sound the shinobi moved his right hand behind his back to the small satchel that hung below the small of his back. Immediately he's fingers would wrap around several long needles that had been pre-wrapped with explosive notes, seven to be exact. A quick out-swing of his arm would cause six of the seven projectiles to fly downward in a scattered style, the needles sinking into the earth, hidden amongst the tall grass.

Already he could sense the three signatures approaching. They had taken the bait. The air around him would suddenly be filled with yelling as the clone disguised as the client began to put on a show of his own, acting as though he were terrified of all that was happening. Despite the noise, Suzaku remained low, waiting for the group to approach, using the smoke to his advantage. One of the signatures was close, easily detectable and nearly in front of him. Suzaku's arm tensed as he readied to throw the senbon. Already the male could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his head, his breathing quick and heavy. Due to the smoke, such quick and deep breaths burned his lungs ever so slightly. What was he doing? Did he honestly think he could kill these men?! "One should never draw their weapon unless they intend to kill..." "You're still a child, my child and I won't have any child of mine becoming a killer." Gritting his teeth, his arm relaxed ever so slightly. Shit.

Suzaku's clone continued his act, his disguised voice ringing through the air, competing with the thunder's roar as the sky was bleached white at irregular intervals. Despite all that, it didn't take long for one of the attackers to pinpoint his position from the sound alone. In the next moment the clone sensed the approach of the attacker and knew that in a matter of seconds he'd either be captured, or more likely, outright killed. If that were the case, the whole trap was soon to fall apart. Not nearly enough time had passed. The three signatures were already closing in on the smoke cloud that Suzaku had produced. Moving quickly, the clone's hand dove into the confines of his rather elegant outfit, producing several shuriken which were promptly hurled in the direction of the attacker. Using his chakra sensing abilities, the clone was able to target the man without the benefit of sight and due to the man being fairly certain that he had been approaching the diplomat rather than the clumsy shinobi, he hadn't been ready for the sudden appearance of three shuriken sailing in his direction. With a sudden grunt the man dove to the side in an effort to avoid the three low flying projectiles. Unfortunately for him his dodge wasn't one hundred percent effective and as a result one of the metallic stars would manage to cut deep into his thigh, imbedding itself into the meat of his leg as he hit the ground hard, yelling in pain both as a reaction and to signal the aggressive and prepared state of the attackers' targets. The warning came late though as the third thug rushed through the smoke, confident that he could kill the target and his body guard without his ability to see. Like his partner before him, the man wasn't prepared for the trap that had been set, nor did he have any clue of Suzaku's ability to detect and pinpoint his opponents even while blinded.

As the man stepped in he'd feel the sudden bite of a blade as it impacted and cut into his side. Reacting quickly though, the attacker rolled to the side, his arm covering the recently wounded area as his body broke through the curtain of smoke, once again in the open air and quickly pursued by the clone that had been disguised as the client. The site of the middle aged man moving at such a speed and with such intensity was a strange one that caused the three attackers to stare in bewilderment and even horror as the clone suddenly thrust the firmly grasped ninjato straight into the kneeling man's torso, the blade piercing the upper abdominal region as it reached up under the ribs and punctured the diaphragm, robbing the man of his air and ability t breath. A momentary spasm came from the clone's victim before the clone suddenly stepped back, pulling the weapon free, allowing the crimson liquid to run down the weapon's length and fall to the grass below, blending in with the pools of muddy water underfoot. By now the smoke had cleared, leaving the stunned Suzaku with an awestruck expression as he watched his own clone backtracking and rushing toward his creator, simultaneously deflecting two shuriken from the previously injured assailant during his mad sprint.

It was only then that Suzaku noticed the reason for the sudden dash, turning his attention away from the clone, his eyes now focused on the only attacker whom hadn't been killed or maimed and found himself frozen with indecision on weather to strike or run. The time was there, but the drive was not as the young man found himself still struggling with the idea that he had just taken a life through the use of a shadow clone, which had been acting independently of Suzaku's own commands. He wasn't supposed to... In the next moment the amber eyed shinobi's world was turned upside down as he felt a sudden jarring force take him clean off his feet, sending him tumbling and sliding across the grass. By the time the male had regained his composure enough to turn his gaze toward the source of the sudden impact his eyes would be met with the sight of his own clone being impaled upon a katana's blade, his arms clutching desperately at the attacker's arm in an attempt to hold him in place. The transformation had faded, no longer did the clone hold the appearance of the middle aged man. This realization caused both the remaining attackers to stare in surprise. The one with an injured leg suddenly moved, fleeing the scene as fast as possible, vanishing into the storm with surprising speed despite his injuries. HIs form would fade into the treeline, in what could only be assumed as an attempt to either escape or pursue the real target. The other attacker struggled to pull his katana free, doing so with a moderate amount of effort on his part. Upon freeing his blade the clone began to fall to his knees, a wry smile on his face as his amber eyes moved in Suzaku's direction. A subtle nod was all that was given before it sudden vanished in a cloud of white smoke.

Upon the clone's dissipation, Suzaku's eyes widened as though he were hit with a sudden revelation and in the next moment his hands moved in a hurried fashion to form a single seal which served to detonate the explosive notes that currently surrounded the unsuspecting assailant. The man's voice would cut through the open air for but a second before being drowned out by a loud booming explosion that rivaled the thunder's roar...

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The clone moved quickly, his form moving in step with Satsune, casting his amber eyed gaze back toward the group every so often. Though he could easily move faster than either the girl or the group behind him, he did well to restrain himself for fear of leaving anyone behind. It wasn't unil the clone heard the echoing sounds of an explosion in the distant, ever so slightly different from the crashing of the surrounding thunder that his hand reached out to tap the girl's shoulder, signalling for her to look in his direction. If she complied he'd begin to speak, his voice soft as there was no need for it to carry above the sound of the storm; it wasn't as though she'd be able to hear it.

"Two of the three are dead, but one got away. He's most likely on his way toward us, but one of his legs was injured so he'll be slower than before."

Small droplets trailed down the man's face as he spoke and though one could easily mistake the small streaks as simple rain droplets, to those who were overly observant, the fact that a few tears had managed to escape the corners of the young males amber hues would be realized, though the exact reason would most likely elude all but those who possessed an intimate knowledge of Suzaku's psyche. For now though, the man's clone moved his arm up and over his face to rid himself of both tears and rain water, awaiting his companion's response.

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The female was moving fast, but it wasn't fast enough in her personal opinion. Truly the female would normally move at a much brisker pace, yet there was the un-denying factor of civilians slowing her down. It was as if the small group was moving in slow motion, but Satsune knew that was all in her head. It was merely her own impatience speaking. Her heart was beating violently within her chest, making the raven haired female wonder if something was genuinely wrong with her body. This feeling of nervousness, fright and nagging impatience was way out of character for her. Was it merely the fact that she was being tested that was bothering her? Was she perhaps only getting this excited and out of place because this was the first 'action' she took part of after the whole .. incident? Or could it be that...

No, I'm not worried over him. It's not that.

Her teeth were bit hard together as Satsune forced herself to deny that small thought. Despite knowing deep down that perhaps that amber eyed male was the source for this state of mind. Satsune didn't want to think about it any further, not that she would really confess to it either. It was ridiculous to think that -she- would ever consider worrying about another human being. It was absolutely out of the question. To Satsune, it only portrayed a certain weakness when you allowed such feelings to take control. Other people were only there to do your bidding, and each and every one of them could be replaced by yet another stupid human being. That was how she had lived for her entire life, and she was not about to change that mindset!

Liar.

Her ruby red orbs narrowed as the small voice appeared in her head.

You have changed. -It- changed you. He ruined you. He's ruined your whole mindset.

The small female's fists clenched hard at her side as she stopped in her tracks and looked wildly around. The skin over her knuckles stretched until it turned white. The people whom she was escorting looked at her with surprise, yet welcomed the sudden rest. Those blood red eyes of hers looked up into the sky as she felt the dampness in the air thicken, and literally heard with her body as the rumbling thunders clashed and roared. A flickering of light only confirmed what she had already known; the thunderstorm was there now. One hand reached up and pressed against her chest. Never before had Satsune felt as human as at this moment. Not even when she was being beaten, raped and humiliated did she feel like this. Right at this moment, it was as if the young teen was experiencing just how a 'normal' teen might feel when worried over a comrade. It was unnerving to her. It made her feel fidgety and confused. Suzaku wasn't even her friend, he didn't even like her presence. And she kept telling herself that she didn't wish for his presence either ....

Satsune was moving again, her feet stomping hard against the ground as she wanted to run and run while screaming out. She wanted to go back in time and be able to lock everything up. She wanted to be made of ice again, she didn't want these 'human' feelings to crash over her and ruin her focus. Her eyes never looked in the direction of the clone of Suzaku, as she was somewhat blaming the male for everything that was going on in her head. Because of that, and the fact that she was so deep in thought, the female jumped with a low snarl as her shoulder was suddenly tapped. Her face was turned in the direction of the clone, and obvious irritation crossed her lovely features. It was a bit difficult looking directly at that face when it was the cause for so many weird emotions.

"Two of the three are dead, but one got away. He's most likely on his way toward us, but one of his legs was injured so he'll be slower than before."

Her eyebrows were drawn together in a small frown. That could certainly cause some trouble. Out of instinct, she glanced back to where they had come from, yet of course didn't see anything just yet. Just how far away was the guy?

"Go on with them. I must do this."

Hopefully, the clone would agree to that, and Satsune could start thinking up a plan of her own. She truly did mean the fact that she -had- to do this. The female would probably go insane soon with these emotions spinning within her head, and thus she needed a distraction. And she really needed to know that she -could- do this. Only for a moment did she look with a weird expression at the clone again, as it seemed... no it was probably just the rain and her imagination. With an impatient movement, she brushed wet hair from her face before she started to walk back the way they had come. She figured the clone could explain things to the customers, since there wasn't really a time to waste here. The first thing she did was creating some back up. Satsune didn't know exactly how injured the man was, how fast he was, nor what he was capable of. So instantly two lions were created on a piece of paper, before they were given life. The young woman climbed on top of one, just as she retrieved a scroll from her side and effectively released her bow and a quiver of arrows from within the scroll. The lions started out at a fast sprint, causing her long legs to react and clench around the one she sat upon in order to not be left in the air. Before she'd start focusing on her surroundings, the female also summoned forth a small flock of birds which swiftly disappeared up into the sky. It was good to have eyes both up there as well as down on the earth.

Her fingers stroked against the bow after Satsune had secured the quiver on her back. This weapon had been used at many practices, again and again... but if she wasn't mistaken then this would be the first actual fight in which she'd be using the deadly tool.

After just a few minutes of moving, she started cancelling one bird after the other. It only took two of them to disappear, before she had located the man. Instantly the lions turned in that direction, the one she was not sitting on leaping away from Satsune in order to approach from another location. As soon as they were nearing the target, both the animals would slow down and start sneaking around like lions do best. For a few intense minutes, Satsune could do nothing but wait as the beast underneath her moved with agility and stealth, and it wasn't until she noticed its ears twitching that she grabbed the bow hard and prepared an arrow. Surely enough, the man came into view. He was limping badly and he seemed to be a bit out of breath, and from the expression on his face it was obvious that in no way had he been expecting to meet a girl sitting on top of a lion whilst having an arrow aimed at his heart.

Nobody moved for a second or two. Not until suddenly the man dashed to the side, obviously not so limp right at that moment. Satsune's eyes watched him at the same second as she dodged to the left as a metal projectile swirled through the air in her direction. Her lips were bit together as the lion burst through the grass and swiftly leaped around trees. The man was in sight, and she let the arrow loose, yet the speed was too great and the man was too agile as he moved over the grounds. Obviously he had come to realize how close he was to his victims and that, plus the desire to survive, was almost literally giving him wings.

Where is..

A flash of white, and suddenly the other lion was upon the man. He had probably screamed, yet Satsune heard nothing as she leaned forward in order to urge her 'steed' faster. The man and large beast rolled around on the ground. That person was obviously strong and fierce since he had not yet had his throat bitten or entrails ripped out. Since it was obvious that this man was not going to be giving up, then Satsune did not hesitate to prepare another arrow and let it loose just as she was in a good range. A flash of a kunai, and the arrow was knocked to the side so that it only entered the man's shoulder. A pained expression with a fierce grimace was flashed in her direction before the man moved his lips. She narrowed her eyes a bit, yet hadn't been able to make out just what he said. Everything was happening too fast. She did however notice the very subtle movement of his hands, and only in the nick of time did Satsune manage to throw herself off the lion she was sitting upon before a deadly force impacted with the creation.

Crap is he that strong?

Her petite body rolled across the ground just as the lion disappeared from view. The other lion had a grip on the man's leg which was injured, and from the fierce look which was thrown in the direction of the beast it was clear that the man was hurting badly. Satsune ran closer, just as she used one of her favourite moves. As soon as the Creation Explosion Jutsu worked, the female ducked behind a tree; yet felt splinters and the force of air push at her body. A sickening smell of burnt flesh was in the air, and she knew she was right at that moment missing out on the sounds of painful screaming. (If there was any screaming to be heard.) Her head peeked around the tree and she saw the ruined earth where a burnt man lay. He was alive, yet barely. His mouth was open in screams that would never reach his opponent. With a swallow, Satsune prepared another arrow; and this time the heart was pierced. The screaming had stopped, the writhing had stopped. It seemed like time had stopped.

My first kill.

In complete stupor, Satsune stood there and stared at the burnt corpse. Strange. The female had expected to feel something after killing someone for the first time. She had expected to feel glad or excited, perhaps even a bit relieved. Yet there was nothing she felt, besides a little sickness to the stomach from the smell.

"Is this it..?"

Her soft, monotone voice was barely audible as she frowned and looked around with bewilderment.

"IS THIS IT?!"

Her voice broke off at the last word, the vocal cords being too much out of shape to be able to really take the screaming. If there had been any birds or animals nearby, they would have surely escaped the area by now from the enraged screaming. Was this all she would feel from killing someone? Nothing?! She had felt way more just earlier when worrying about that good for nothing piece of shit Suzaku! Her pearly white teeth bit down onto her lower lip until blood was dripping down her chin. So what? What now? She was living only for one goal right now, the goal to kill her own father. Yet... would she also feel so empty after that? Would nothing feel better?

No... I will feel better after killing him. This is all his fault. He made me this way. It's all his damn fault that I'm ruined. Ruined.. ruined...ruined..

Each time she thought of the word, she punched her fist against a burnt tree trunk. The skin of her knuckles split open, yet Satsune kept punching with a fierce expression on her face. He had made her into something weak, he had made her into a person that could feel things like nervousness and fear. -He- had introduced her to pain no one could even imagine. Not only physically but mentally. Her father had taught her what it is to feel humiliated, to wish for death. He had taken away from her the icy calm that had always followed her through life, that icy calm which had protected her from any and all shitty emotions.

Her fist was pushed up against the darkened, hard wood of the tree as a small shiver ran through Satsune's petite body. She was cold, only now did she fully realize that. Her nose was running, and the shivering was starting for real this time. Every layer of clothing was wet, her hair was plastered against her neck and face. Yet there was a fire burning within her gaze as the female looked back where she had come from. Perhaps she should just leave. Maybe it would be best that way. Leave this village, leave everything behind... Yet even as she thought that, she had already started to walk back towards where the others were.

Fuck.

CP: 25/50

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