Committing Treason Against the State...Hiroshi... and Family[P]

Posts : 757

The best way to get some seclusion from the village was to go deep into the forests outside of the gates. It took about three hours or so for him to find a perfect spot after a day of scouting during routine patrols. There was a cave underneath a waterfall, tucked away under a cavern at least a mile underground, several miles out that he'd found during his off time when the patrols blindsides were exposed. The terrain around the area was more rolling and wooded than his group would expect and anyone trailing them or following them would get lost if they did not take the explicit path he'd carved into his mind.

When they got close to the cavern they would have to swim a few hundred feet to an opening surrounded in invisible translucent creatures to a waterfall that poured through from a split of earth above. Behind that waterfall they'd walk a mile to the end of the cave where Shinjin had sparked a fire etched for Seika and Tatsuo. Getting them there would've been impossible without the help of his wives. Mari had taken Okoki to the hospital for several tests -as they had been doing the week after she got pregnant- which were now routine and expected. The hospital thought it a bit superfluous but understood the level concern. Shinjin was raising a clan through natural means.

Okoki's first trimester tested very well, and with the money they both shared, affording top drawer medicines was no problem. Mari used Shinjin's knowledge of Seika's place in the medical field to leave untraceable notes for her on desk or locker or any other place that she checked alone and with full privacy. Being the wife to an elite Oinin Butai member made it easy to request her oversight on all matters containing to the last name Shikyo. Though she was never as foolish to brandish too much money or ask directly by name too many times, she'd done a good job making sure her notes only passed from her hand to Seika's workspace using 'all these hallways look the same' as an excuse. With so many new faces, no one had realized she wasn't getting lost.

These notes would contain specific details that Seika would have to burn instantly, or destroy somehow. There were a few times Shinjin suggested that she swallow the notes, being overly paranoid that the ashes in the wind may incriminate him. Seika was sure that she'd had someone important for him to meet, but these conditions called for drastic measures. Shinjin didn't know when Kyu was coming back, and if Kyu caught wind of this then Hiroshi and all of hells armies would follow. Though he should have instantly taken Shikari's head to Hiroshi, the Order was more important. Seika, Tatsuo and this person he was supposed to meet were all greater than the village. Kirigakure would have to wait, just like Shikari's head, on ice.

As long as Seika did her best to inform Tatsuo in the dead of night with whispers and coded notes under his door, she wouldn't be caught for treason. Shinjin specifically noted several times she was to approach Tatsuo's home, all happening to take place during hours that Oinin Butai would be in between patrols. Shinjin was careful to not change the patrol times or scout ranges, just in case Hiroshi or Kyu might be watching. And since no village had a perfect security system, blind spots were bound to exist.

The first time Shinjin laid eyes on the cavern's limestone concrete walls, he thought, if they catch me here I'm done. I'm done and dead. The first hellish trip by himself almost had him pissing his pants in fear. Not from Hiroshi -well he had a part in it- but from Kyu. This would be a betrayal to Kirigakure and her people yes, but moreso to Kyu's trust in him. Shinjin would be betraying the House of Kuro. That was as bad as cheating on his wives or killing them, because without their help the Shikyo clan was dead. He'd be dead.

Shinjin turned his blade over his right shoulder until the skin flapped like a thick page in a children's book. He groaned under the knife as he sawed off his Oinin Butai tattoo, bleeding behind a small fire deep within the cave. Shinjin tried to skin himself perfectly but miss-cut several times, losing blood to an abundant pile of gauze from a first aid kit. Seika was supposed to be here soon with this guy, and Tatsuo would show up soon as well. His face stretched at his pain as he'd almost finished cutting the fuuin and skin, leaving the red flesh burning under every single twitch. He almost tossed his skin into the fire, but realized how stupid that would be and held on to it. Seika needed to hurry up.

It was time for them to commit treason.

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

Drops of crimson sleeked their way down the fair skinned patient before Seika's gaze. The man let out a weak groan as one of Seika's aids utilized the typical Shousen no Jutsu to heal a gash on his right arm from an accidentally thrown kunai. The academy students had recently returned to classes after a minor summer break. Due to this, the influx of injuries from roaming kunai and shuriken had increased at the hospital. It was funny really. These little nijna were learning to save their civilians and yet everyone has come to accept the fact you are likely to become injured by one at least once in your life. More or less, it's not uncommon for academy students to misfire at targets and send a tool sailing into someones shoulder blade. The things that civilians deal with is incredible. No wonder some people hate the ninja who protect them. Tough life.

"Am I doing this properly Miss Seika," the aid asked in a rather sheepish voice.

The hazel hues closed briefly as the red haired nodded, her eyes reopening to reveal her emotionless, but watchful, expression as she had.

"You are perfectly fine Kyoto, stay confident."

The aid flashed a smile at Seika before turning her ebony hues back to the groaning male before him. All he suffered was a slightly deep cut and yet he acted like he was dying. It was enough to make Seika want to shake her head and give him a speech about the true dangers out there. Seika would take a cut to the arm over a severed limb any day. Heck, to take things a step further, she rather loose both arms before ever releasing her last breath of air. Seika had not come to terms with death, despite the fact she knew the possibility of losing one's life was rather high, but it was merely because she knew she had a duty to serve. Although some instances made her question her duty, she still did her best to abide by other rules without giving the higher ups too much grief and paperwork. It was her way of lying low, something her parents and the academy had taught her to do since day one. Boisterous people were dubbed troublesome and therefore Seika would do her best to act on her best behavior in nearly all situations.

"Take it from here Kyoto. You're doing wonderful. I'm going to go check on how other patients are doing. Is that okay?"

"Yes ma'm," chimed the teenagers sweet, and rather innocent, voice. It was soft and kind enough to make any man's heart melt, just like that old lady Seika recently helped when performing her random D-rank mission.

Stepping back into the hallway, Seika's eyes glanced around at all the wandering faces before she head towards her office. Various people greeted her on the way there and of course Seika willingly greeted them back with a happy smile and soft eyes. There was at least two times that she even stopped to take up a conversation with a patient or two. Both of which were elderly. These were all the people who brightened Seika's day. She could not think of ever changing her profession to anything outside the hospital. This place was practically her second home and everyone else probably recognized this factor more than she would admit.

Her track record for healing civilians was a bit higher than healing ninja, since more civilians wandered through the doors due to ninja and pirates. She liked this factor though. Ninja were nice to heal but they treated it like it was your duty. Civilians were great because they would strike up conversations by asking her how her day was, if anything new has happened in her life, and mainly they would just try to get to know her. What made civilians better was the fact they left her various notes and thank you cards for her and her staff's healing efforts. These notes were always the highlight of her day. Seika would maybe spend an hour at the hospital at some times and next thing she knew there was a stack of letters. It was incredible. Thankfully it hide other secret affairs quite easily as well.

Seika, being a higher ranked ninja, would often tell the civilians of how her day had been going but any sort of private affairs were kept sealed with a tight lip. Not a peep of the Order, Mokuzai, Jirou, or any other factor would leave her lips. No slip of the tongue, no nothing. The affairs were long forgotten in her conscious the moment she found herself anywhere near people. It was her mental defense system doing its best to protect her. She simply could not risk telling a single soul anything about her endeavors. Reason why she had such a defense in play? One person already tried to kill her because of her running her mouth in privacy. That was the one and only time she would mess up for she wouldn't risk her life like that again. Thankfully this said person was dead now, despite the fact he sometimes haunted her in her sleep.

Pulling the chair of her desk out, Seika's bum found a spot in its cushion. A smile crossed her face as she looked at the stack of colorful paper, mostly sticky notes, which gathered on top of her calendar of events. Mainly her hours and would people were taking off for the day, holidays, or vacations. She wasn't the lead doctor in this establish, given her rank, but she was definitely pretty close to taking his position. The fifty-five year old wanted to retire anyway.

Careful hands picked up the notes and began to skim over them. The girl's hues gazed at each note one by one, acting like she was reading them as she had, before one of the notes captured her eyes for a brief second longer.

Thank you for all your help Seika! The baby is healthy as can be and so is its mother! Have you been outside the gates lately? Shinjin mentioned you liked to study flora and fauna, he thought he heard word of a new species of bat flapping about. I guess the best place to find bats would be the caverns but I could be wrong. Anyway, I'm sure you know! Take care and thank you again!

- Mari

That sneaky bastard,' Seika thought to herself before listening intently on her surroundings. There were various other cubicles in the room she was presently in but the only sound she heard was a pencil scratching at a paper on the far back corner of the room. Seika glanced back at the note while holding in a smile.

"God there's always a rude one to ruin your day!"

Her shouts caused the male in the far back corner to jump in his seat while the sound of crackling fire caused his wide eyes to look around him in confusion.

"Sorry Mamoru, it's just me!"

The male blinked once before smiling, a light laugh leaving his lips.

"Should have known."

His eyes trailed back to his paperwork and the sound of a pencil began to scratch away at paper again. Seika held back a sigh this time as she looked at the ashes in her hands. Before anyone would notice, she poured these ashes into her mouth and shotgunned with water to drown them out. There was no way she would let such a message fall into wrong hands. Many others would brush the message off as nothing, knowing that Seika frequently left the village in search of new flora and fauna to add to the identification books, but Seika knew all to well that Shinjin was summoning the Orders presence. Now she had to gather her other two people in mind.

Rising from her seat, the sound of Seika's footsteps filtered into Mamoru's ears while he focused on his paperwork. Not once did he think of anything malicious from her as he did his best to continue working on the lead doctor's patient documents. The patients had to be billed by someone and it was his lucky day to take care of things. Seika had some patients to return too before nightfall happened upon the village of Kirigakure. That would be when the real fun begins...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Events passed had by quickly in the last hour past sunset. Now that nighttime was upon, the dirty works of darkened souls would spring to life to fulfill lustful desires. This was when Seika would happen upon Tatsuo's door in a rather seductive manner. Once inside she would be able to whisper messages of their meeting tonight with Shinjin without the worry of privacy breach. Normally sounds of dirty deeds would amplify once she entered. It was all a magnificent act though. Ever since their meeting at the theater, with Byuntae present, Seika caught word from Shinjin that Tatsuo was actually in the Order. That's when she decided to pretend that Tatsuo would be her "little something something on the side". Of course the two never actually did anything at all, Seika would never allow it even if he wanted to, but it made coming and going from his house a lot easier. If neighboring civilians saw her around they would try to shy away due to various sounds they heard from them at night. All sounds were made up but the reason behind the whole ordeal was simply to keep ears from prying and noses out of their business. Word would likely travel across the village that Seika had taken up a rebound boyfriend, since she was unable to handle the death of Jirou, but Seika would just give them a "Mokuzai shrug" to claim that she did not mind what people said about her. Hopefully Tatsuo didn't mind either.

Once everything was mostly set and the coast was clear, in regards to Tatsuo, Seika made her way out of the village of Kirigakure with her sketchbook and pencil tucked under her right arm. The guards were likely switching shifts at this point but even if any spotted her, they would likely brush her off and continue on with their duties. Seika had left the village over the last year to research flora and fauna and so her departure was something that was taken for a grain of salt anymore. They knew she would be back, the ninja had too many connections within Kirigakure. She served the village well and did her best to offer as much help as possible. Why would anyone ever question her when she served the same as many others in the village? This was Seika's biggest facade.

Exiting the gates without much of a hassle, Seika followed the pathway present before her while her eyes mindlessly wondered around the landscape in search of "bats". Each time she thought she heard one she would stop and turn her head, acting like she was looking, before carrying on with her business. The moment a bat actually did pass by though she would let out a quick gasp and try to open her sketchbook, hand ready to draw. The fluffy brown creature would flutter about but once Seika pretended to realize what species it was, she closed the book with a look of disappointment and kept walking. These tactics were purposeful and well acted in an attempt to bait her sensor nukenin. She knew he was around, she picked up his signature a few days ago when she was legitimately searching herbs on one of the nearby isles, but now it was a matter of re-finding him.

'Hopefully he hasn't left for Bear Country yet,' she thought, 'and hopefully his introduction with Shinjin and Tatsuo will actually go well. Shinijn says he trusts me. Mokuzai probably has some sort of faith in me. My "supposed boyfriend" may not trust me just yet but with Shinjin's acceptance, surely he shall.'

Seika wandered off the trail and disappeared deep into the woods. She inched towards the cavern Shinjin had told her about before while continuing her quest for "bats". Hopefully the deeper in the woods she traveled, the sooner she would pick up Mokuzai. Sometimes Seika would close her eyes and focus her senses as well. The only chakra register she would pick up that night was Mokuzai's, Tatsuo's, and Shinjin's. No one else was around. Seika would do this frequently, the closer she got to the caverns, and would only turn back around if someone made an appearance. With not a soul in sight though, Seika was hopefully able to make her appearance in the cavern with Shinjin. If Tatsou was there already, that would be great. Her biggest concern though was whether or not Mokuzai would be by her side at this present moment. She told Shinjin she would bring him. Whether or not this meant she would physically bring him in with her was never stated in full.

"Shinjin, why the heck are you cutting up your arm" Seika said once she entered the cavern and stared directly at his dark form.

Let the games begin.

Age : 31 Posts : 1036

A long white cloth was easily wrapped around the young man's abdomen, up towards the shoulder and around his chest and repeated until his body was half way covered in white cloths. This actually allowed him to be a lot more comfortable throughout the day. He was actually preparing for what was considered something along his own lines, though it was all for the best of the village and themselves.

Lately he has been busy, training, and most importantly going on missions that would allow him to test his Ninjutsu and his mentality skills. Though there was something that was beyond important, this was the future and the thing that will decide the young man's rest of his life.

For long periods of time he has been wondering of this so called Order that Shinjin had gathered, which included Seika, his friend Shinjin and himself. The three would actually act on their own to commit treason against the people that fed them. It was a very risky move but it was something that would not only put his skills to the test, but his life will also be at risk. Shinjin's life was also at risk, so this was something that pushed him even more inside this Order. He did not have the guts to actually say no to Shinjin. Not because he was frightened of him, but because of the contrary. He actually wanted to help him achieve the great things he wanted to accomplish.

Tatsuo did not have the dream to become a Kage like others would. Instead he wanted to help those that he cared about achieve greatness while also becoming a person of good. He did not care for other people's desire even though he liked to help them achieve them. He actually took part of such acts in hopes of finding something useful in which he could use in the future for himself. This was something that he was beginning to understand about himself as the years passed by. He figure that he was helping Shinjin achieve his goal, but he would only wait for the right time to come when he could actually move on his own, even though he did actually saw Shinjin as a brother. There just needed to be a time when he could do things without the need of Shinjin.

There was a saying 'Hope for the best but prepare for the worst' that explained exactly what Tatsuo was currently feeling. Only a year and he felt like he was deep inside the trouble of his life. But now, there was certainly no turning back. His body was ready to take on anything; he spoke to no one and only minded his own business. His life would look as usual. Even his man whore skills were being put to the test when he occasionally met with Seika a member of Shinjin's Order. The young man needed to put on an act to meet with her frequently in the past days. No suspicion could be a factor here, and both needed to act good enough to everyone believe the act. Seika would usually stay at his place frequently, things would happen from Tatsuo's side, but no real action happened from her side.

Music would be played, strip teases would take place but the fiery woman would not bulge at times. It was all an act but Tatsuo hoped for the impossible, a real feel of those legs. Maybe because Tatsuo was not what he used to be, his height did not help either. As a matter of fact, there were times when Tatsuo felt like the woman was being creep out by his seductive dancing. Things he would only perform to those he wanted to get laid with.

At last the young man would watch the woman leave really late at night or even early in the morning to enhance the rumors around the village of them dating and occasionally toss or hand some of the money that Shinjin had given him as an attempt for a humorous smile from Seika but seized to happen. In fact this happened so much that the woman would probably hate Tatsuo by now but not in a good way. The messages were exchanged frequently and a certain meeting was supposed to take place tonight. The two had developed a close friendship in a little time but it was clear that they couldn't be more than friends, even though he did not trust her completely yet as he had not had the time to work together on a mission yet.

The night caught up to the boy as the Kamaza clansmen finally finished preparing, storing almost all his weapons in the smaller scrolls to keep them from any visible options. He would make his way out of the village with the usual excuse of gathering different kind of strong minerals to create new weapons out of. He was not commonly known for his blacksmiths skills but people were well aware of his casual strolls outside the village to find new things to improve his skills on the field when going on a mission.

After exiting the gates completely, and going inside the woods, the young man would reach a large lake where he normally crossed without any hesitation until reaching a giant waterfall. The description was easy to understand the time was specific. If he was correct he would be there in a few upon entering the waterfalls' cavern. After going inside the cavern the young man continued to walk deep inside it, noticing how the place was really secluded from everything else. No exits, there was really no room to actually move inside. This is bad....' Tatsuo thought to himself as he listened to water droplets clashing against the sanded floor from the closed in ceiling. His footsteps would soon reach the location where a fire was set. His eyes focused right on Shinjin, and then to Seika who had already reached before him.

"It seems we are all here." Tatsuo assumed as he watched Shinjin's arm bleeding. His sight focused quickly on the red haired girl and then back at Shinjin.

"Are you alright Shinjin?" He asked, his hand slowly reaching towards his back inside his kunai pouch while his hand firmly griped the Kunai waiting, before waiting for Shinjin's response. He certainly did not have a reason to trust the woman, at least not yet.

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

The night became silent in The Water Country. No wind or rain were gracing the earth for once in this part of the world. It was nice for Mokuzai so that he didn’t get drenched in the elements that fell from the sky every so often in this country. It was nice to come home and see a few landmarks that he saw when he just started out here, but he needed to move on to much greater things. Looking back on the times that he had spent with Akira, he remembered that he was telling him something about a base that he could find in Kuma No Kuni. He didn’t know where exactly he would be finding the base at exactly. Mokuzai wasn’t the best when it came to remembering certain events that happened a week back. How was he going to remember something that happened a year or so ago? It was a personal struggle that he had to deal with. “Gah, come on, Mokuzai.” He tapped the side of his head while swinging his legs over the edge of the cliff that overlooked the majority of the ocean separating him from the minor countries of the shinobi world.

Raising up from the edge, Mokuzai dusted himself off for a few seconds, allowing him to focus on the plan ahead and actually getting to the bear country. He has never been there, nor did he even plan on it in the beginning, but since he had no heard from Akira in some time, Mokuzai decided it was his time to take control of things instead of letting his teammate do the leading. There will be a time where Mokuzai would have to make people follow him, and lead with an example, even the world’s greatest Hokages were once lowly followers before they became great. It was only natural for Mokuzai to want and gain more power over time. He’s been following for way too long at this point. It was time for him to take the reins and actually get control over his own life.

“Alright, Akira. You better not be lyin’ to me.” Mokuzai’s desire to see what this base was all about fuled his actions. This was, until he felt a very, very familiar chakra signature enter his sensing perimeter.

“Seika?” He turned his head to look over his right shoulder in the direction of her signature. What was she doing out during this time of day? He didn’t really care about her reasons, honestly. Just the fact that she was so near him during the time. She did say if she wanted to see him, they would meet. So was this another one of those times? He couldn’t pick up anyone else around her just yet. Maybe they haven’t caught up just yet? “Oh.” His voice deepened once he caught the chance to feel a much small chakra source going in the same direction of her.

“That’s odd.” What was someone, of that much weaker nature, doing out in these parts? Do they not know what exactly happens out here? Mokuzai’s features winced slowly at the thought of her actually traveling with someone. Would they be able to keep up with her? Probably so if they’re from the same village. But what if the signature was another nukenin? There really wasn’t any rules stating that he couldn’t attack another criminal. It was practically fight or die when it came to them. It’s not like he hasn’t done it before. Typical nukenin doesn’t really think before they strike. They just go on about how tough they seem to be just because they don’t have any ties to any village.

Mokuzai used to do that in his younger days. Just being a rebel with no commands to follow but his own really sent him on a talkative road. He usually bragged about what he could do without consequence. It did seem quite normal and effective at the time, but as he grew stronger and matured, he looks back on it with utmost disgust.

His attention never left Seika’s signature. Why should he be curious with where she’s going? It didn’t matter to him. Or did it? His fingers caged his face with a light chuckle being muffled against his palms. “Meh. It’s not like she’ll be pissed to see me or anythin’.” He shrugged while fixing the coat layered on his shoulders. His tongue graced his lips while he started to walk through the forest ahead of him to the direction of Seika’s signature. It never left his mind that she could be using this to get his attention and set up a trap to capture him, or kill him. It would have been smart, honestly. Maybe the new Mizukage found out about their meeting a few days ago. “She could be havin’ worse experiences, I guess. It’s not I meant intentional harm or anythin’.”

His waist bent, allowing his strides to become longer before planting the heel of his boot against the base of a tree. Ascending to the branches, Mokuzai leaped from branch to branch to keep out of sight of any sort of passerby in-case they were traveling through this night. While he was getting closer, he sensed yet another chakra signature in the area, this one just a bit larger than his own. The three were rather close, seeming to slowly encounter each other. Were they supposed to be like this? If Seika was there, did it have to do with the questions that she asked him the other day? Curiosity really started to get a hold of him with its tight grip.

There was no way the wanted to ignore seeing her again and getting answers for the questions asked to him days beforehand.

The lake that laid before him covered most of the area. It’s not that he didn’t expect this much water to be available in the area, it’s the fucking water country. Practically in its name what its main resources were.
She was near, and Mokuzai could practically smell her scent from days before. The only concern were the other two chakra signatures near her. He couldn’t possibly take 3 by himself just yet. He just wasn’t that powerful with his abilities.

Mokuzai dropped from the tree he was standing upon, and walked around the lake while keeping his sensing area open. He didn’t want anyone to be sneaking up on him to get a jump while he was semi-vulnerable. “To not be out in the open is a bit..odd.” He thought to himself when he heard crashing water nearby. His mind instantly went back to the day that he met Seika and clear water that laid between them at first. At least he knew the source of clean and drinkable water was available nearby.

His steps were precise and quiet at first. He didn’t really want to jump on the group and be slain. Seika would obviously know he was in the area from the moment he got in range of her. At least maybe she would be able to split away from the gathering for a few seconds? Probably not. Mokuzai was always a party crasher when it came to get togethers. It was just how he relaxed and allowed himself to have a fun time. The caverns that laid before his gaze darkened the closer that he got to them. He didn’t really sense anyone else in the area besides those three, so why not explore it and eavesdrop a little? He could gain a bit more information by doing a bit of recon.

The droplets of water against the cavern echoed with each hit of the droplet to the puddle. It would have made a decent sized base if he could have claimed it with Akira. People usually stay away from these structures, and the floor did look a bit more comfy than a tree. He had to give it that. Mokuzai could see flickers of light dancing upon the chilly walls at a nearby tunnel. It so happened that Seika’s voice and signature practically leaped out to him! How could he ignore it any longer?

~~"Are you alright Shinjin?"~~

“Hold up wait a minute, lemme put the brakes in it.” Mokuzai thought to himself while pressing his back against the corner wall that led into the room with the flames. Just what did the male’s voice come from, and who was this Shinjin guy? Seika was practically in his grasps; a small rock wall separating him. It aggravated him, truly. His aggravation works a bit differently, however. It turns into confidence. Mostly him being way too confident and arrogant for his own good, but nonetheless, it gave him heart.

“Seika?” He finally got the guts to turn the corner to see her standing near a flame. The towering teenager caught his eyes next shortly thereafter. “What in the frick fuck are you?” Mokuzai’s brow rose slowly while glaring towards the teen. He hadn’t quite caught the figure near the flame, but the tint of blood shimmered from the light of the flame. The light reached towards Mokuzai’s head band around his neck; making the slash a bit more apparent through the arrow in the center of the metal.

“This is awkward.”

Posts : 757

His face twisted sour as if each taste bud was salt and vinegar. Some medic ninja Seika was. It couldn't be more obvious that he was removing a seal that could potentially bust all of them, but no, she had to ask why.

“Ugh, would you just like come over here and fix this for me? Please?”

Shinjin's left hand bore the weight of his entire body as he tried to move all of the gauze -which wasn't designed for sapping up blood- away from his right side. Cutting away the flap of skin marked by the tattoo had been hard enough on his mind, and he only did it because he knew that Seika could heal him. Shinjin patted a soft patch of rock next to him as he scooted to the side, inching closer to the fire to subside the feeling of pain washing over his arm with every heart beat.

When Tatsuo arrived Shinjin's thoughts went dark, dreary and lonely like dead rose. The pain from cutting only the skin of his arm spoke volumes at the pain Tatsuo had to have gone through. For some reason he felt privileged, entitled and selfish. He felt like a little baby for crying over a flesh wound when his best friend was missing his entire arm.

“I'm fine, I'm just being careful for nothing Tatsuo. I don't know what this seal does, it may have some sinister purpose. Have a seat.”

Before anyone could enjoy the craggy limestone underneath their feet, Shinjin heard someone whom he'd never heard before. Instinctively he wanted to jump to see who it was, assess the threat and then decide how he should attack. But with Seika fixing his wound he had no time for that, especially since he'd promised her in his notes that he'd be calm about the situation.

As she would tend to his wound while he was seated on the ground, Shinjin would try to get everyone to sit with a small hand gesture. Sitting put them all on equal terms, standing made it possible for them to attack each other. They were here on his call to discuss something that could potentially change the world, so there was no room for bloodshed.

“This is awkward but we're here to talk. It's to my knowledge that you're an individual that knows things, things I don't know. But before I start asking questions, I'm here to offer you a hand in something great.”

He adjusted the long monk robes that hung from his body as Seika continued to work. Medical ninjutsu worked wonders but rarely did anything for lingering pain and itching.

“These group of exceptional people before you, myself, Tatsuo and Seika are here to begin something new that no village has ever done. Or, even if they have they've never done it like this. I've kept most of this information from you all but I'd like to put it all out on the table today. My friends, you are now apart of the new Order. This Order will seek one goal, which is to ultimately bring about balance to the ninja world. I do not mean peace necessarily, but balance... The first order is to bring about the reckoning of two villages, Leaf and Cloud.”

Shinjin hoped they were listening.

“Seika and I will visit the Cloud village with word of Shikari Nara's death and spy on them, to see what's going on. I've got word from a contact that there was something going on, civilians in the cross hair, not too sure if its reliable. We're going to sniff out any possible remnants of the Allied Shinobi and make sure the Raikage knows the group cannot be formed again. And if they do so against our will, it will mean war.”

Without pause he went on to the next agenda.

“Tatsuo and I will do recon in Konoha as he knows the Sorceress who came through here not long ago. We'll be finding out the strength of the village, assessing its ninja if need be and trying to draw the Hokage out of his or her hole. If things go as expected we'll see no trouble. We'll return home and I'll report to Lord Hiroshi on Konoha's strength. The reason for all of this, is to eventually come to a position where I can place myself in a manner to manipulate the actions of the Hokage. I'll do the same in the Cloud with Seika. Once we have the villages in our control, it will become easy to direct the course of the world to balance.

“But of course, that involves also manipulating Kirigakure and Hiroshi... The thing is, Seika told me you'd have knowledge on Kiri's past Mizukage... Stranger, I do not trust Hiroshi completely and I trust Seika's words, which is why I am able to be so open with you. You have information I have longed for ever since I first saw Hiroshi speak during his inauguration. I've seen Inoshi humiliated beyond means and I can assume he's dead by now. In order for balance to be brought to the world, Hiroshi cannot continue to tip the scales to his favor. I don't have enough knowledge to question him, to probe the right places and find out about Inoshi and what type of man he was. All of the information I seek is classified. But apparently you know about it. But for now, Seika and Tatsuo are you willing to help bring this Order to a position where we can achieve balance? Do you have the means, the time and the power to do so? We are a group of traitors now in Hiroshi's eyes and there will be questions asked... Things will be rough from here on out. Can I count on you?”

After asking his team for their confidence he'd turn his attention to the stranger who knew everything about the late Sandaime.

Spoiler:

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

Shinjin shot a rather unpleasant expression at Seika and thus caused her to jump to him immediately. She could practically hear him cursing at her in hid mind, despite the fact he spoke to her politely, for his facial expression being the only component necessary to determine his thoughts and emotions. Seika formed a hand seal, a clone manifesting to her left, before she herself lightly jogged over to him and got down on her hands and knees. The clone walked to the corner of the room, sat down with her legs crossed, and closed her eyes. She was setting up a sensory field to guarantee no wandering eyes would happen upon them. She also waiting for Tatsuo and Mokuzai to arrive as well, hoping Mokuzai would take the bait.

Once the original was situated on her knees, she raised her hands to his injured arm and began to focus chakra into the tissue. The flames danced against the olive tint on her skin as the light cast shadows on the wall. It was only a matter of time until Tatsuo arrived. She could sense him approaching as she began to heal Shinijn's open wound.

~~"It seems we are all here."~~ Tatsuo muttered once he had entered the cave. His gaze seemed to fall to Shinjin and a look of genuine concern crossed his face. It was an expression of just how much he seemed to care for Shinjin, causing Seika to feel a bit more comfortable in their presence.

~~"Are you alright Shinjin?"~~

The tone of his voice only confirmed his care, his instinct causing him to reach behind his back and presumly to his pouch. Despite the fact Seika was placing much effort and concentration into Shinjin's healing, her head was still able to turn just enough to where her hazel hues glared at the boy. Despite their coming's and going's from his apartment, she still questioned her faith in his resolve, and thus would not tolerate any acts of violence towards her. He may have towered over her but she knew herself well enough to not hesitate to drop his ass like it was hot. The flickering fire gleamed off her burning hazel hues, which stared dead into his eyes, and her words nearly hissed.

"If you think I intend on harming him then you better be prepared to back up that tool the moment you withdrawal it from you pouch."

No tolerance.

Lucky for them, their leader had a bit more tolerance when it came to threats. Seika was unsure of why she had become so hasty with negative responses to these sorts of situations but for those who knew her well enough, it was the mental stress of knowing what could happen had things gone wrong. She knew Mokuzai was coming, his chakra signature being picked up as she healed, and she knew that placed not only the three of them but his life in danger as well. If they were discovered... Seika did not even want to continue to imagine what would happen.

~~“I'm fine, I'm just being careful for nothing Tatsuo. I don't know what this seal does, it may have some sinister purpose. Have a seat.”~~

Seika returned her gaze and nearly full focus on the wound, her chakra weaving the various muscle fibers back together while causing the blood to clot at the various openings. Silence encompassed the room for merely a brief second of time, easing the tension slightly, before a new addition was added to the floor.

'Was wondering when you would make your move,' Seika thought to herself as she sensed Mokuzai moving around the rocks. His steps echoed loudly against the rocks while he whipped around the corner and came in full focus, his eyes wild with confidence and shock as he looked at Seika then turned to Tatsuo. Seika had alerted Shinjin that a stranger would be joining them but she did not tell Tatsuo, causing her to immediately shoot his gaze to him once Mokuzai had settled into an awkward stature.

"Tatsuo!" Seika suddenly snapped with a sense of threatening urgency, her teeth nearly clacking together like a wolf's would when warning his or her pack mate. She said loud enough to catch his attention but not audible enough that her voice would carry. It was merely a matter of getting under his skin.

"Stay still and don't get any bright ideas."

The flaming hazel hues then flickered directly to Mokuzai, her tone still rather sharp and insistent.

And you-!" she trailed off before slowly easing her gaze, "Thank you for taking the bait. Now please stay calm so we can explain things."

Her hands slid away from their tight grip around Shinjin's arm, her finger nails near digging into his skin above and below his wound as a silent sign of warning. It was her way of telling him to remain seated without actually physically screaming at him. Thankfully he took the hint and stayed calm. Due to her relaxation, the air would, hopefully, become calm again. This gave her the chance to regain composure.

"Mokuzai....Tatsuo....Shinjin..." she said while turning her head to individually look at them. Her gaze remained on Shinjin as she nodded to him, "take it away."

Hopefully things would be settled with her hasty and assertive gestures. It was uncommon for Seika to pass the social stick to another ninja but the amount of respect for Shinjin's reaction to this whole ordeal was not something she could take lightly. He was a poised leader whom was ready to listen to the most ridiculous of things. Therefore, she would likely abide by his rules while occasionally asserting her dominance over Tatsuo until she trusted him. It was her defense mechanism when she was uncertain of her teammates.

Seika had never actually been apart of a true team, nor owned one, so it was common for her to test those of lesser experience to see where they stood. When Tatsuo proved himself to her, she would relax and begin to treat him with more respect. Until then, she would likely come off as a domineering asshole. She didn't mean any harm by it. It was just, once more, the pressure from the situation they were in.

She just wanted everything to go right so she could return home tonight and sleep comfortably in her bed. Her eyes yearned to wake up the next morning so that she could slip into the shower and proceed to eat an omelete with a fresh glass of orange juice after she had finished. The last thing she needed was a blood bath because people started to point fingers and shouting "enemy!".

Returning her gaze to Mokuzai once more, she patted the ground to invite him to sit near her before twisting back around and looking at Shinjin's arm. Her hands fired up once more, with chakra, as she worked away at reattaching the muscle fibers as she had before. At this point, his words began to flow out from his throat while she did; Seika's ears listening very carefully to what all he had to say.

“This is awkward but we're here to talk. It's to my knowledge that you're an individual that knows things, things I don't know. But before I start asking questions, I'm here to offer you a hand in something great.”

Shinjin grew comfortable and prepared his speech. Seika continued to listen to every little detail he had to say while working on his arm. The conversation carried on for a good while and created an uneasy emotion to manifest in her gut. A ninja was built to be a machine that did not fear but ninja were also humans. Her professional side demanded her to not contemplate disaster but her human side made her do so anyway. It was a strange war that most humans faced. The ninja life only amplified these feelings as the days progressed. She had faith in Shinjin, but she hoped that the plans would go through as easily as the words came out of his mouth. He was asking a lot of her, Tatsuo, and Mokuzai. It would be a shame to walk into the neighboring village and die. It would also be shame to return home tonight and become imprisoned or killed publicly for treason. Seika eased her mind the best she could before blood and gore consumed her thoughts. She had to keep some sort of positive logic or else she may go insane with simple worry.

But for now, Seika and Tatsuo are you willing to help bring this Order to a position where we can achieve balance? Do you have the means, the time and the power to do so? We are a group of traitors now in Hiroshi's eyes and there will be questions asked... Things will be rough from here on out. Can I count on you?”

"They may do as they wish to this physical body but my spirit and will power should never let me falter.... I'll stand beside each and ever one of you so long as Kirigakure and its people are still able to rest their leery heads after the darkest of days."

She could not say that with anymore confidence and poise; her hands finally slipping away from Shinjin's now healed arm. She repositioned her body, moving her legs to the side so that she may turn and sit down on her butt, and crossed her legs before her. Her soft elbows situating themselves on her knees while she listened. The clone remained in the corner with its eyes closed and watching. Not a soul had been sighted as of yet.

Her heart burned as bright as the fire at this point. It was time to learn about the truth of this world and its occupants.

Spoiler:

Age : 31 Posts : 1036

As soon as he asked Shinjin if he was ok the young red haired woman by the name of Seika ran towards him and knelled on top of her knees and hands. Quickly the woman took action and began to heal the wounds on Shinjin's arm. Seika was known for her medical skills, something that Tatsuo himself was well aware as she was known around the village to be top tier medical shinobi. With that said Tatsuo's grip loosened a bit after finding out that she had not done any harm to Shinjin.

~~"If you think I intend on harming him then you better be prepared to back up that tool the moment you withdrawal it from you pouch."~~

"Just don't test your luck Seika. If I was you, I would have just stayed where you belong.....in the hospital." Tatsuo did not know much about the girl or her abilities, but he knew that the woman's home was within the hospital or in the open field where the real combat had subsided, picking up the dead, or at least helping some survive.

If there was something that Tatsuo hated the most would be the fact that he was seen as a kid, forgetting that he works just as hard as anyone else and was going up the ranks faster than the normal genin. Had it not been for the loss of his arm he would have probably reached Jounin already. He was already having trouble making people believe the work that he could put in combat, and he wasn't about to have some woman actually decide the way he did things let alone try to embarrass him in front of others in such times.

Shinjin the spoke and confirmed he was alright after the girl had begun to heal his wound which caused Tatsuo to remain calmed but still at ease had the time rise that he had to act quick. His eyes always focused on the woman, which by now was beginning to act different. As if she was focusing on something else more than what she did on the wound. It was then when the sounds of footsteps were heard close to Tatsuo's back causing him to jump back to get some distance while taking out the already in hand kunai.

~~"Tatsuo!"~~

The shout slightly threw of the boy as his hand hesitated for a mili second before tossing the kunai just inches away from the person that came into the room. His hair floated in the air as he licked the bottom of his lip feeling the adrenaline run through his body. His eyes focused on the newcomer ahead with a smile on his face. He did not know the reason as to why Seika shouted his name in that manner but his hand had already sunk deep within his pouch retrieving two shuriken.

~~"Stay still and don't get any bright ideas."~~

~~"And you-! Thank you for taking the bait. Now please stay calm so we can explain things."~~

"What is this Shinjin?" Tatsuo said as his hand gripped on the two shuriken at an incredible feel to want to toss them after noticing the unknown individual.

“This is awkward but we're here to talk. It's to my knowledge that you're an individual that knows things, things I don't know. But before I start asking questions, I'm here to offer you a hand in something great.”

Tatsuo then settled just a bit before easing his tension and placing his two shuriken back on his pouch. Why was Shinjin dealing with Nukenin? Tatsuo thought to himself. He was actually dealing with a lot of mental collisions at the moment as he thought that Shinjin would not do such a thing just to accomplish his goal. Then again Shinjin has only managed to surprise him with something new every time they met, so it was a little easier to digest.

'Why did you not tell me about this person?' Tatsuo asked in his mind as his eyes remained seated on Shinjin the whole time he spoke.

“Seika and I will visit the Cloud village with word of Shikari Nara's death and spy on them, to see what's going on. I've got word from a contact that there was something going on, civilians in the cross hair, not too sure if it’s reliable. We're going to sniff out any possible remnants of the Allied Shinobi and make sure the Raikage knows the group cannot be formed again. And if they do so against our will, it will mean war.”

The words that came out of Shinjin's mouth surprised the young one most than anything else that had happened. "Shikari is dead....?" Not very worried about interrupting Shinjin, Tatsuo spoke freely. That was the man that saved his life in a kind of weird way. He spoke to Shinjin about him, and now he was dead? The coincidence was too obvious and gave Tatsuo the feeling that Shinjin had been a part of his death.

He did not expect Shinjin to give him an answer, at least not yet. So he just walked away from the group and positioned his back against one of the walls and let his body slide down towards floor in an attempt at getting on an even plain field with the others before he continued to listen to Shinjin and spoke once again.

"How can I trust someone that is not even a part of our village? Even if Seika knows him, what's to say that Seika won't betray us Shinjin?" Tatsuo asked from the distance. He did not mean any harm at all and hopefully the others did not get too worked up, but he was completely trying to be as cautious as possible. And the only person IF that he could trust would be Shinjin and he was the reason he was here only.

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

When awkward situations happens, Mokuzai woudn’t let it get too controlling of what could happen. At least he would hope so. It could have been worse, honestly. Much, much worse. With the Kunai striking the hardened earth below his weight, Mokuzai’s gaze slowly went to the towering male. “Someone feels a bit threatened, hm?” His brow fluttered for a few seconds, turning his gaze towards Seika who was near an unknown male, clearly healing him for a few seconds before she spoke up towards him once again.

~~"Thank you for taking the bait. Now please stay calm so we can explain things.~~"

“Hold up.” He brought both of his hands in front of his chest while his head shot down to look at the floor while laughing for a few seconds.
"Bait? The kind of fuckery is this? ‘Course this is how I would get lured into a room of village shinobi.” He just couldn’t believe it at all! How could he have been so idiotic that he got lured into a position where he could have been overpowered? It just didn’t send the right message to his brain. Even with Seika in the room, Mokuzai was slowly getting on the defensive. He wouldn’t be made a fool of, not this easily. His jaw clenched tightly when the male by the fire started to speak a bit more in depth of what the gathering was for. It honestly started to catch Mokuzai’s attention from the get go.

“This is awkward but we're here to talk. It's to my knowledge that you're an individual that knows things, things I don't know. But before I start asking questions, I'm here to offer you a hand in something great.”

“Look, man. I don’t swing that way with the whole hand deal, but if I shut my eyes, can I pretend you’re someone else?” The reason for him to think this way was to help him calm down a bit. He still didn’t like the idea of being treated like an animal for a hunt and brought here by a lure. Just who did they think they are? It didn’t look like they were being hostile; the only one even making a move was the tower of a teen. Mokuzai moved his back against the entrance of the cavern while folding his arms in front of his chest. He was going to listen to every word that this man had, and then decide if he would help out the group. How could he trust them anyway? Did Seika already speak to the group about the event that took place a few days ago?

He didn’t quite expect a village shinobi to reach out to get help of some random nukenin. For all he knew, Mokuzai could have been making up the whole bit about Inoshi just to get some attention. Yet they took his word just because Seika was backing him up? That was a bit strange, he had to give them that.

Mokuzai kept his mouth shut while listening to the plans to mess around with Konohagakure and Kumogakure. Did these guys plan on causing war? What was even the cause of this little ‘order’ to be formed? Mokuzai has never even heard of such groups being created. They were practically acting like nukenin with the symbol of Kirigakure gracing their stature. It was pretty neat, honestly. He had to give them that of course. The nukenin raised his boot to press his heel against the curvy rock walls behind him. He could practically feel the cool temperature pierce through his clothing for a few seconds. Rather cooling and comfortable compared to what he’s been dealing with for a few days.

“But of course, that involves also manipulating Kirigakure and Hiroshi... The thing is, Seika told me you'd have knowledge on Kiri's past Mizukage... Stranger, I do not trust Hiroshi completely and I trust Seika's words, which is why I am able to be so open with you. You have information I have longed for ever since I first saw Hiroshi speak during his inauguration. I've seen Inoshi humiliated beyond means and I can assume he's dead by now. In order for balance to be brought to the world, Hiroshi cannot continue to tip the scales to his favor. I don't have enough knowledge to question him, to probe the right places and find out about Inoshi and what type of man he was. All of the information I seek is classified. But apparently you know about it.”

Mokuzai raised his brow to the name of the new Mizukage. “Hiroshi is his name?” Mokuzai’s mind has finally been able to hear the name of the murderer that took Inoshi’s place. All he would need is a face to place underneath the name and he would have his new target. “When you mean he was humiliated, what do you mean? In public? In front of a few chosen individuals? If you supply me all the information you have on his death, I’ll supply you with all the information I gave to Seika. Exchange knowledge for knowledge.” It only seemed fair enough, right? If the shinobi wouldn’t share any of the information of the death of Inoshi, then he might be waiting a bit to get the stuff that he’s been waiting to get his hands on for god knows how long. He should have known better than to bargain with a nukenin like this.

Didn’t Kirigakure teach him anything?

“Welcome to the lifestyle of a nuke.” Mokuzai clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth while smiling towards Seika and Tatsuo. “That’s what you’ll be viewed as if you get caught. I’m not savin’ your asses if you do. It’s not like you guys would help me out in anyway in the first place. It’s your job to hunt down people like me.” He lifted up his arms slowly, letting his yawn echo throughout the caverns in front of the group. He has yet to nap, and with the time slowly approaching on him, Mokuzai was hoping the little meeting would speed up just a tad bit.

“Hope you guys are knowing what you’re getting yourself into.”

Posts : 757

“Would you guys just calm down!”

Shinjin put his robes back on properly, covering his new skin after Seika almost caused him to go into a spasm. She wanted him to remain calm, but digging her fingers -who knows where they'd been- in to exposed flesh was painful... But it worked.

“Tatsuo, I don't know if he will betray us. But if he wanted to he could've collapsed this cave or brought a team of missing ninja to back him up. He walked in here with good intentions by not showing he was some type of threat. If I were him and I wanted to kill you three, you'd already be dead by now.”

His words leaked killing intent that would snake across the room and pool at their feet. He didn't expect fear from them, no he was not that type of leader. But they had to know they would find his word wherever they went... They had to know that he was serious about everything he said and that defying him would be more trouble for them than it would be for him. The position he was in right now played two ways. One, he could successfully start a group that could pan the world's future out before all four them them. Two, he could simply lie to the Mizukage, say he was a double agent and pull them into a trap where they would all die. He could summon reinforcements right now, and once they got a look at their faces their lives in Kirigakure would be over. No one would bat an eye at him because he was Oinin Butai. It was his job.

“If you guys could just stop barking at each other and use proper language. I had hopes this group would be more mature, but I see now that you guys bicker over little things. Put away your harmful intentions and calm your body. I am the youngest here, having recently turned sixteen years old, yet I feel I am surrounded by children!”

He turned to Tatsuo.

“Your concern is warranted, I know, but as I said, if he wanted to attack us he'd already have done it. As for Shikari, I know he saved your life, but his group continued to tramp around the world with global jurisdiction. Not even Hiroshi would allow that.” his gaze trailed to the new comer.

“And if you’re thinking about how you could attack me right now and compromise my position simply because I'm seated, don't. I'm here peacefully.”

And now it was on Seika.

“And if you ever grab me like that again... good god woman. That really hurt!”

Once the atmosphere had settled down -or he hoped it would- Shinjin wanted to focus on the newcomer. His information was the key here, what he knew from his past would change how this Order would act. He needed to know how Inoshi died, but Shinjin had this nagging feeling that what he knew wasn't the whole story.

“Let's just say that I didn't see Inoshi dead, but I'm sure he doesn't exist anymore. Hiroshi was very secretive about what he was going to do with Inoshi. Take that secretive nature as the very reason why we meet under such extreme conditions,” his eyes panning around the cave littered in bugs and the smell of damp feces.

“Inoshi was humiliated for trying to become some sort of...” he couldn't really remember, but he tried. “Some sort of emperor. Apparently he assassinated the Daimyo of the Water Country and placed himself as head, and I agree that was wrong... But it was the way Hiroshi handled it... I do not feel as if Inoshi had the whole Water Country against him. As a matter of fact, in my life growing up I never heard of such treason or actions. Yet Inoshi was put on display for all. Gagged and bound like a dog. If I were to lash out at anyone of you right now with killing intent, you would kill me if you saw fit. Yet why did Hiroshi feel the need to humiliate him? I do not believe the Water Country was in uproar with Inoshi, even if he did kill the Daimyo,” he sighed.

“Hiroshi wanted to make himself look good. Hiroshi injected himself perfectly into the situation from the shadows. That is why I want to know everything about Inoshi, so I can find out who Hiroshi is and what he plans to do with Kirigakure. His entire aura.... is shady to say the least.”

That was all there was to it. Hiroshi was just as suspicious as Inoshi in Shinjin's mind, but now was the time to put facts to everything and determine his question...

Could Kirigkaure trust Hiroshi?

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

~~"Just don't test your luck Seika. If I was you, I would have just stayed where you belong.....in the hospital."~~

"Talk shit asshole," she hissed before turning her smouldering eyes to the obviously tense Mokuzai. There were plenty of things she could say to this overly-tall ninja but she preferred to show at least a little self control. For the sake of the group, she would hold off attacking the boy until they had agreed to civilized spar. Perhaps next time they're pulling the whole "make up dating" bullshit, she would jump him with a kunai to his throat...

'Stop it,' she commanded her thoughts, forcing the images of hurting Tatsuo out of her mind.

~~"Bait? The kind of fuckery is this? ‘Course this is how I would get lured into a room of village shinobi.”~~

Mokuzai's clench jaw suggested his apparent tension and stress from the situation Seika had put him in, this much was to be predicted. In response to his actions, Seika gave him rather innocent and apologetic eyes, something Tatsuo would probably never see, before doing her duty of introducing him to Tatsuo and Shinjin. From there she had given Shinjin the chance to actually speak. Of course, this wasn't the end of the shenanigans though. Tatsuo had to open his big fat fucking mouth.

~~"How can I trust someone that is not even a part of our village? Even if Seika knows him, what's to say that Seika won't betray us Shinjin?"~~

"Worry about your own self boy," she snarled, emphasizing the word "boy" to belittle him. There was a slight possibility that Seika had "little person syndrome" - a made up syndrome that relates to short people feeling inferior to tall people - even though she was never admit it. Simply imagine a Chihuahua against a Newfoundland.

~~“Would you guys just calm down!”~~

Seika diverted her murderous eyes away from Tatsuo and gaze Shinjin a mixed expression. At first she appeared a bit shocked and gestured full obedience, but shortly afterwards a flash of her stubborn nature manifested. Normally she may make an attempt to retaliate but for this particular moment, out of respect, she kept her mouth shut and did her best to ignore the obnoxious giant across the room....

“Tatsuo, I don't know if he will betray us. But if he wanted to he could've collapsed this cave or brought a team of missing ninja to back him up. He walked in here with good intentions by not showing he was some type of threat. If I were him and I wanted to kill you three, you'd already be dead by now.”

Well, expect for a brief moment longer. Upon hearing Shinjin's words about Mokuzai, Seika felt oddly compelled to flash Tatsuo a smirk. Whatever game they were both playing, she wanted to make it loud and clear that she had won this round. It was a bit immature but the girl was merely testing the boy. Since she did not particularly trust Tatsuo, the only slight bit he earned from her being through Shinjin's trust, she wanted to push his buttons and test his limits. Seika would not rest until she understood the inner-workings of his brain. Why was he a ninja? Why was he in the Order? Would she be able to trust him around Mokuzai? Would she be able to trust Mokuzai around Tatsuo? Could she lay down her life for him and expect the same response? It was clear that the group would likely not expect a peaceful bow out from her until the two actually went at it in combat. Until she laid on the ground in pain, or if he had in return, she would probably not ease her unnecessary need to be assertive.

Females are complex creatures, everyone know this.

As Shinjin addressed Mokuzai, whom leaned against the rock on the opposite side of the room, Seika took advantage of the moment to look at him once again with a slightly warm smile on her face. Obviously she wasn't giving him the same hateful glare that she had been giving Tatsuo this whole time. Surprisingly, the Nukenin had earned a fragment of her trust already. More than her tall Kirigakure counterpart. This was all due to the fact that, since she had met Mokuzai, she had become to give everyone an equal and fair advantage to her trust. If she came across a ruthless Kirigakure ninja, why trust them? If she crossed paths with a Nukenin whom was willing to protect her, why would she not trust the person at least a little? It was unclear who's logic was failed, her own of the village's word placed into her. Not that Seika cared. She was her own little independent son of a gun that didn't give two shits.

~~“And if you ever grab me like that again... good god woman. That really hurt!”~~

The hazel hues broke away from Mokuzai and turned towards Shinjin, head swiveling around, as she gave him an apologetic but embarrassed look. Each and every person in the room carried a different dynamic in Seika's mind. Thus why each person obtained their own unique facial expression and tone of voice. Of course it made her look bipolar but it was simply the easiest way for everyone to tell where they stood with her. Not once did she say sorry to Shinjin. Her reason for not doing so was simply because it was plastered across her face.

The environment would soon shift once again to a more calm stage as Shinjin proceeded to speak of Inoshi's past and how Hiroshi handled the old Mizukage. Seika looked back into her past, imaging the first time Mokuzai and her met at the Island of Tranquility, and began to regurgitate the memories of Mokuzai's words about Inoshi. In her mind, he had spoken of Inoshi in high regards. His words came off some passionately that Seika felt he was telling the truth. Now that Shinjin was sharing his information about the exi-Mizukage, Mokuzai's words seemed to be accepted in Seika's mind as true statements. Inoshi did not seem as terrible as she once had thought. It was not ideal to form an image of someone without actually knowing them but words had been spoon fed to her in the past, therefore she did think of Hiroshi as better. Now that everything was coming to the table in front of her... the woman's mind set began to change.

'What is Hiroshi up to..' she thought, a concerned but serious look remaining on her face as it had through all of Shinjin's speech.

Her eyes turned to the next person willing to speak.

In the background, the clone continued to sit in a meditative state. Her chakra sensor skills were still in use and so far the group was still safe from any intruders. The moment someone stepped foot within 100 meters of the group's position, she would inform them of intruders and a blur of action would likely take place within the cave. As said, nothing was identified and thus they could carry on with their business. The clone even managed to stay calm, despite Seika's flare of emotions, which hinted to Seika's own personal sense of ease and focus. Although she seemed fairly scattered brained, in some regards, she was still sharp as a needle when she needed to be. How else would she be the medical ninja she is today?

Age : 31 Posts : 1036

Tatsu simply ignored the rest of Seika's comments to him slightly parting himself from the group. He really did not want to feel welcomed in this group though he would carry on along the plan just as he and Shinjin spoke. He just couldn't see himself working with the other two, not now, not ever. Perhaps there were things that needed to be straightened before each and one of them actually trusted each other.

The young man simply pushed himself a little more against the wall straightening his whole body as he sat uncomfortably in the floor. He noticed Shinjin was serious, seeing that he did not want to start anything against his supposed friend, almost brother he managed to control himself and keep quiet. He was right, there was much more to this partnership than fight. Their trust would have to be stronger, while their moves and synchronization had to be impeccable; especially if the time came when they had to confront authorities of Kiri or even another village.

'Fine..' he snickered to himself while looking away to the entrance but still keeping his ears towards the conversation.

The boy kept on listening to Shinjin, all his believes and assumptions on how the old Mizukage had been rid of by Hiroshi. Now that this had been revealed, it made everything a little more clearly. Tatsu did not trust Hiroshi, but because to Shinjin's eyes he did things in an improper way. His words snaked in through his mind, poisoning his every thought and only wanting Hiroshi be put to rest. He acted thought different now since learning so much about the secrets of the village and its people.

There was only one thing that he wished to have, and it was the power to get rid of these people. He was still a genin, but soon to be a chuunin. The road was long, but not unreachable for anyone who worked hard. There were lots of people; this group had to get rid of, starting from the heart of the village. 'Would we even come close to scratching Hiroshi on his worst day?' Tatsuo thought to himself. Knowing full well that he could possibly start a fight without getting killed in his first movements. If he was able to rid of Inoshi, then it would be a walk in the park to get rid of him or anyone in this group.

"The Nukenin is right....we don't know what we are getting ourselves into." Tatsuo said with shrug and awkward look to his face.

"What makes you think we would even be able to defend ourselves against someone who possibly killed the previous Kage?" He paused for a second and then looked at the three.

"We need to be in our toes...if not....then let's just say that we may as well be dead now." Tatsuo said before standing up looking towards the two that gathered closed to Shinjin.

"I am willing to work with both of you guys. Simply because we need to be a team to do all of this successfully" Tatsuo said with a slight smile on his face. He didn't want to be the one dead because his group would not help him when he needed the help. He wanted to establish connections, not only for the group but for his own benefit of not having any enemy within his supposed 'trust circle.

"With that said...I think we have been here for quite a bit. Going back to the village would be the right choice for us Mist shinobi. We wouldn't want to be questioned for our tardiness." Tatsuo said as he remained still. If the others left, then he would leave right with them. He had nothing else to say, so he kept an ear up for whatever words or opinions his 'team' might have. If not then he would step out first. Entering the village all at the same time wouldn't be the right choice if they wanted to hide their partnership. The young man would soon step out of the meeting and continue outside. He would be the first to leave after everyone had spoken their mind.

[exit]

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

~~“Would you guys just calm down!”~~

Mokuzai’s gaze flashed towards the man in the robes. Who was he to suddenly become leader and tell everyone what to do? For all Mokuzai knew, he didn’t follow any one’s rules but his own. So why should he listen to this guy? The vibe coming from his direction was a little off-putting, yet similar. “Why does he have the flare of someone I know?” His thoughts echoed throughout his mind while he pondered the familiar structure.

~~“And if you’re thinking about how you could attack me right now and compromise my position simply because I'm seated, don't. I'm here peacefully.”~~

“Man, I wouldn’t even need to get near you to take advantage of you. I have yet drawn weapon, so calm the fuck down.” The tone of voice that the injured man carried honestly bugged Mokuzai. How dare he assume that he was there to cause trouble? Like he stated before, if he truly wanted to take out the whole group, the cave would be falling down upon them as they spoke. “Let’s just get to the point of why you dragged me here by using her.” He glared towards Seika who bore a warm smile upon her expression. He hasn’t seen that feature for a few days, and to just catch a glimpse of it now caused his eyes to flutter back over the robed male.

The heel of the boot dragged down the earth wall, placing it on a forming puddle while he shifted his weight to his right side. “So first Seika told me his was killed, but now you saw that you’re not even sure if he’s dead? Am I hearin’ this right?” His right brow shot upwards with his hand on the back of his head in an awkward manner. The very reason why he was even staying was to get a few more glances of Seika while he had the chance to.

Upon hearing about what Inoshi did about the Damiyo, Mokuzai tilted his head slowly. “I didn’t even know that. It must have happened when we didn’t contact each other for a while. Was him becomin’ emperor even a bad thing? I mean. If he was good to a village, what was so bad with takin’ over a country? It happens all the time. Or it should.” He shrugged while moving closer to the group so that his voice had less of a chance to travel upon the walls of the cave behind him. He twisted his torso to let out the taller teenager that was just now leaving the group.

“He’s probably right ya’know. You don’t really know if people are out here lookin’ for you or not.” The flames flickered against his chocolate eyes, showing the golden hues around his pupil for a few seconds while he looked down towards Seika for a few seconds.

Why did he keep looking over towards her? He needed to stop this.

“I’d like to make a request, however.” Mokuzai lowered his body down against the chilly floor while sitting in front of the two village shinobi.

“I’ll travel with you two to Kumogakure. I’ll be underground, but I’ll be with you guys. Then, once we reach a dock, I’ll use a camouflage jutsu to get by on the boat. I need to visit a few people there and I will return on my own.” His voice softened while talking about his travel plans. He was not so sure that the two of them will buy his offer, but anything was worth throwing out in the group for a while. “You won’t be seen with me. As soon as we get in the country, I’ll branch off from you so that you won’t have a chance to get caught harborin’ a criminal. Seems legit, right?” He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth with a bright smile appearing on his lips shortly thereafter.

The flames started to slowly warm up his body from the chilly night, actually having something this secluded had its benefits for him. “I’ll also be here stayin’ the night. I don’t have the access to Kirigakure like I used to, so this will do if you don’t mind. It’s not like you guys are plannin’ to stay here after tonight anyway.” He had no idea why he was getting off topic for the times he chose to speak, but it did lighten his mood slightly. He had no reason to trust the newcomer or the towering teen known as Tatsuo, but he did started to slowly gain a bit of trust for Seika.

She could have had all these shinobi murder him in the dead of night, yet she didn’t. Why was she looking after him like that? Was he just being too naïve to even notice the slight changes in her expression. It honestly didn’t matter at the moment, but it kept lingering in his mind.

“I’ll help with Hiroshi in any way I can offer to you. I just need those things offered to me that I stated earlier, and I’m all game for this. If you backstab me, though. I will not stutter to go on about my ways before I even met you.”

Posts : 757

Shinjin felt shaky about Tatsuo not being a hundred percent sure on everything, but decided to remain silent and collected around his own thoughts. He let them speak their mind as if they were the only thing that mattered. Yet he could not shake this feeling clinging to his thoughts, driving bloodied nails into his mind. This... will not work.. Seika was a broiling pot with no lid, Tatsuo's faith scratched the ground like a dead leaf in the wind and Moku... Moku's sass was limitless, percolating on every word, dripping taunts with every sentence. He had sought the answer to this question and found it, but was left hungry. Shinjin wanted more.

“Tatsuo, I know you are confused, but I have to remind you to keep quiet about everything we said here,” he said, on Tatu's way out. “And remain quiet especially about Shikari.”

Kumogakure still needed to be spied on and Konoha would be next after. Shinjin needed them, running into a trap with Kumogakure over Shikari's head would no doubt result in him being attacked. And even if he didn't manage to get caught up in a net of altercations, he would be spotted by someone that would eventually report to an official. The moment he set foot on their soil, he'd be watched. High risk, high reward. But was it worth it?

“We'll go to Kumogakure and take you along with us. Though I expect you and Seika to know each other inside and out when the time comes. If you fail to act properly as a team, I won't hold any sadness if you die. Kirigakure has zero intelligence on how powerful Kumogakure is. We can gauge the strength of Konohagakure quite easily, but Kumogakure is in the wind.”

Shinjin stood up, stretching his body while looking at his final two members. Seika and Moku would be the most powerful beside him. He'd have to trust them to become intricately familiar with one another, but doubted their ability to do so.

“Find another cave. I wasn't followed but you never know who's watching. If you're found, you'll be killed. Hiroshi will see to it, even if he delivers death personally on a platter.” Shinjin turned to Seika.

“A lot of this group hinges on your ability to remain inconspicuous while seeing to Moku and supplying him with any information. You can move more freely than I can and would have less eyes watching you since you're a medic and an animal speaker. Please, be careful in everything that you do. Hiroshi has many ways of finding out all sorts of information no doubt, and will even send my personal squadron to hunt you down if he suspects anything. Be wary of Kyu as well.”

A memory of his cousin warped his thoughts, he'd forgotten that Kyu was a ninja for the longest. Shinjin filtered him away from a shinobi, only enjoying him as a cousin and teacher.

“Kyu... Kyu is dangerous because even I know nothing about him. Note everything that he does, remember it all. He is on the High Coucil that sits directly next to the Mizukage. Literally. If you mess up around him, that's your ass.”

This will be hard.

“We will meet again sometime soon, and most likely head for Kumogakure first. I fear Tatsuo may not be certain if he still wants to move with us. I will deal with him. Sharpen your ninjutsu and skills together sometime before we meet.”

Shinjin eyed Moku with his final words.

“If you ever feel the need to attack me, if you both ever think that I have turned tail on you then do not hesitate to kill me. I was hoping to find out more about Inoshi, more about his ethics as a man... But it seems it may have been the other way. I still want to pursue this goal for total balance though.”

And he walked slowly away, swallowed by the darkness of the cave.

[EXIT]

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

An uneasy feeling clasped a hand around the kunoichi's gut and was not easily shaken off. The kunochi's eyes floated to the cold dark stone beneath her feet while she watched the light of the fire create dancing shadows, her thoughts becoming muddled as she soaked in all the new information each person shared in the room. She sat in silence and her eyes glazed over, her spirit seeking calm as her tense shoulders slowly lowered from a heightened position. One of her frigid hands moved, lifting itself up and instictively rubbing the back of the woman's neck as she tried to ease the pent up stress. This whole situation was putting her on edge; the order, the lack of trust between her and Tatsuo, the possibility of lies and deceit amongst them, and the fact she had revealed her dirty little secret to her fellow Kirigakure shinobi. For all she knew, Tatsuo would return to the village and head straight to the Mizukage about the Order, her affiliation to a Nukenin, and Mokuzai's whereabouts. It was nerve wracking. A great deal of trust was necessary between all ninja and yet their group was nothing more than a joke due to the diverse personalities. Seika, of course, knew she was not helping either by pushing Tatsuo's buttons.

'This all happened way too fast,' Seika said as she continued to stare at the ground, 'It was all too fast for everyone to become comfortable with one another. I didn't help but that doesn't change the fact Tatsuo doesn't trust me. I only met Mokuzai recently and now I am possibly jeopardizing not only his life but the life of my fellow comrades... and myself.'

Seika's eyes mindlessly wandered over to the clone in the corner of the room. The bushin continued to sit as peacefully as ever while continuing to keep her sensory skills focused and watching. The girl's hazel hues remained on this clone for a brief period of time, her vision dulling out as she zoned out, but was shortly disrupted by the sound of shuffling feet.

Jerking her head, her attention snapped back to Tatsuo as he stood up. It appears the Order's meeting was shortly coming to an end at this point, or Tatsuo was possibly growing too restless.

'Should I let him leave,' she asked herself as he spoke to the group about his uncertainties and overall need to continue their teamwork. Seika felt a bit ashamed as she saw the Tatsuo preparing to leave. The kunoichi naturally tested lower ranking shinobi, as well as newcomers, but she didn't want to jeopardize their team by being too assertive. After all, she had merely fueled the fire more and made the room tense. Could they blame her for doing so? They likely wouldn't understand the reasons for her actions since none of them truly knew her as well as they all may think. This all goes back to Seika's casual facade, hardly anyone was near and dear to her for her own personal protection.

~~"With that said...I think we have been here for quite a bit. Going back to the village would be the right choice for us Mist shinobi. We wouldn't want to be questioned for our tardiness."~~

Her hazel hues grew soft and a look of worry crossed her face as she eyed the boy. It was uncertain if he actually caught her expression, seeing as how he would likely want to ignore her at this point, but she still revealed it to him while biting her lip. The male then turned to leave and Seika spoke up for the first time to throw in her last few bits of words. If this truly was the last time she may see Tatsuo, for whatever reasons, she wanted to make sure they left on a semi-good note.

"Tatsuo," she near cried, her tone of voice rather high pitched and sharp. He may not have stopped or turned around but hopefully getting his attention would mean that he was at least listening to her now, "My clone will watch your back until you are out its range. Please be careful walking back......and I hope to see you soon."

Although the female wasn't saying sorry directly, she sure sounded like she was based on her tone of voice. The sound was actually rather pitiful if one thought about it but it was her way of being as apologetic as possible without actually hurting her own pride by saying "sorry". She hoped Tatsuo would be willing to forage a friendship or truly be able to work with her as a comrade. More importantly though, she hoped they could obtain each others trust. Whether or not the Order was involved in this trust truly did not matter. If Shinjin trusted the boy then he must have been a ninja who was worth having around as a comrade. Perhaps there was more trust in this group than they may realize now.

Seika turned her attention back to Shinjin as he began to speak to her and Mokuzai, who now sat in front of the two village ninja, about his willingness to bring Mokuzai to Kumogakure, Moku and Seika's need to become compatible team mates, and, of course, the need to be inconspicuous when being around one another. He was right, had Hiroshi caught wind of Seika's affiliation to this Nukenin, he would have them obliterated while likely leaving the entrails scattered across the carpet for everyone in Kirigakure could see. It was uncertain how Mokuzai felt about this, seeing as how he was probably used to the thought of death by now, but Seika personally did not wish to go down in such a manner. It wasn't because she was personally scared of death, okay maybe she was a little, but more so she worried about disgracing her clan name. Everyone knows her for her medical capabilities, so they knew of her being a Mushiki. If the news line said "Mushiki Clan Member and Fellow Medic Killed due to Treason", everyone would blame her clan. Such a dishonorable death was what she feared, not death itself.

"I will keep an eye out for this Kyu," she spoke up once Shinjin was mostly finished speaking, "and will also do my best to keep the Order and our affiliation with Mokuzai a secret as well. For not only our sake...but his as well."

Many would ask 'why are you protecting a Nukenin, why not just kill him or capture him for profit'? Dozens would ask more of these sorts of question and truly Seika was sometimes uncertain why she had. Sure the two shared an alliance through a deal, she healed his face for information on Inoshi, but after they departed their alliance could have easily shattered. Yet, here they were in the same room together talking to some of Kirigakure's most precious gems. Was trust and loyalty truly questionable between the two after all? Seika's hazel hues glanced over at Mokuzai and sought out returned contact for a brief period of time, her stare becoming entangled in his own if he had looked. Surely Shinjin would see the genuine care on her face, had he looked hard enough, but whether or not he saw the reasoning why was something that could be debated. Partly because Seika herself wasn't sure of why she cared for the male, but she did. She did quite a bit and it truly made no sense.

“We will meet again sometime soon, and most likely head for Kumogakure first. I fear Tatsuo may not be certain if he still wants to move with us. I will deal with him. Sharpen your ninjutsu and skills together sometime before we meet.”

Seika returned her gaze back to Shinjin and nodded. His own hues gazing in Mokuzai's direction and thus causing her to eye Shinjin with an emotionless gaze. She felt no need to reveal her thoughts via emotions when others looked at the Nukenin directly. Her secret would continue to be concealed somehow.

“If you ever feel the need to attack me, if you both ever think that I have turned tail on you then do not hesitate to kill me. I was hoping to find out more about Inoshi, more about his ethics as a man... But it seems it may have been the other way. I still want to pursue this goal for total balance though.”

"If it comes to that, I will not hesitate," Seika said without missing a beat. "I will also do my best to foster a friendship with Tatsuo. Forgive me for my persistent testing and hope to see you soon in Kirigakure."

With her final words being spoken, Shinjin vanished into the dark abyss of the cave and yet Seika maintained a visual contact through other means. Tatsuo was out of the clone's range by now and so she locked her "eyes" on Shinjin instead. Not a single unwanted visitor had appeared within her 100 meter range yet, meaning the group was still in the clear.

'And then...there were two,' Seika thought to herself as silence over came her and Mokuzai. The kunoichi did not make an effort to move, get up, or leave. Instead she returned her gaze to Mokuzai, seeking out the honey in his caramel hues, and gave him a rather ashamed expression. It was time for her to apologize to him now. Since she had seen him get upset over learning about the death of Inoshi, her instincts told her to brace herself for any sort of negative reaction he may dish out on her. Hopefully his rage was not too terrible. She would hate for the cave to come crashing down upon her, as Shinjin mentioned earlier in their discussion.

"Please forgive me for breaking my promise. I baited you into this cavern so that you may meet these two. Although I am grateful that you came, please do not ever follow me again. Unless you know you can trust the three of us of course. The Order was not my idea but the possibility of including you was....." she trailed off for a second, her eyes shifting to the fire with a thoughtful look on her face, "I am worried that I jeopardized both of our safety but felt that ... maybe... you would have a better chance of survival around these vast waters."

Perhaps he too would wonder why she was protecting him. Maybe he could even offer a legitimate reason for she was still wondering her head was in the right place or simply lost and dizzy from the possibility of a forbidden infatuation. What did she see in this male that perked her interest? Was it because he was different or because of some other motive that she was not even aware of. She hoped it was for all the right reasons and not because she needed something to do. The female internally shook her head, what was she thinking? She knew it wasn't for the wrong reasons. Had it been, she wouldn't be this kind to him or constantly think about what it would be like to see this male on a day to day basis without the worry of being murdered by her own village. She wouldn't think about him when Tatsuo pulled his silly shenanigans to make he and Seika's false relationship seem real. Was she seriously that into him though or was she only setting herself up to fail?

'So much for never allowing yourself to become attached to another male,' she thought to herself. Her gaze soon returned back to Mokuzai. Had he said anything to her in her moment of silence she would proceed to respond back to him before continuing.

"I did fulfill one promise though," she briefly smiled before slipping a hand into her pouch and shuffling about. The boy may grow tense but she showed no signs of murderous intent in her actions. Casually, and not so carefully as she was in their first meeting, Seika removed a sandwich wrapped in plastic and handed it to Mokuzai.

"I hope you like bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. I made it on wheat bread with mayonnaise and dab of mustard. If not you do not like it you can either pull bits and pieces off that you dislike and throw them into the fire, or hand it back for me to eat later, I don't mind. I can always bring something else instead... next time."

'If there was a next time,' she thought with a heavy heart while flashing Mokuzai a cherrfuly, yet innocent, smile. She tried to not think about the worst that could happen to the two of them. Such thoughts were things she could worry about behind closed doors and in her secluded apartment. After all, she worried about other matters there anyway. Why not add one more?

Age : 30 Posts : 1012

Mokuzai crossed his legs over while listening to the words spitting forth from the robbed mans’ lips. Could he even trust a village shinobi to keep his location secret? It hasn’t really shown yet to him. The honey dabbed gaze of Mokuzai shot back over towards Seika once the stranger talked about them acting as a team. What did he think he was planning in the first place? “Scaling Kumogakure? For what? I thought this was just to gain more information about the doings of Hiroshi.” Mokuzai clenched his jaw while he continued to listen. Although he was marked a criminal in most everyone else’s views for the mark on his headband, and the lifestyle of moving on his own, this group started to sound a bit more criminal than himself. How about the irony in that one? Village shinobi being more nukenin than the criminal. That is a rare sight indeed. The leather of Mokuzai’s boots reflected the image of the flames, causing it to dance up the front quarters of the material. In the perspective of Mokuzai, it defined the new found burden of actually obtaining the element that he has feared for most of his life.

His gaze flashed back upwards to the leaving shinobi, tilting his head at this request. “Eh. It’s like you know somethin’ is goin’ to go down from sayin' that.” He shrugged his shoulders at the thought, nodding his head while standing up on the balls of his boots. “But I won’t be waitin’ until you think you’re goin’ to get away with backstabbin’ us. If I even feel threatened, I will strike.” Mokuzai chewed on his lip for a few seconds when the figure of the stranger became embraced by the darkness. “Who is he..” The man was darker than the nukenin ever was.

Mokuzai’s thoughts were erased once he heard Seika speak up from the silence that covered the area.

Please forgive me for breaking my promise. I baited you into this cavern so that you may meet these two. Although I am grateful that you came, please do not ever follow me again. Unless you know you can trust the three of us of course. The Order was not my idea but the possibility of including you was....."

His eyes squinted towards her when she mentioned the order. “The fuck kind of trick was that?” He gritted his teeth at her, practically making his grip to the side of his waist into a rounded fist. “You..You could have gotten me pinned down!” The anger he held towards her and her actions fueled his hands to shot up in front of his chest, almost starting a chain of hand seals. But was it right? He held his hands in the ‘ram’ formation, glaring his honey dipped eyes at the expression of Seika. “Don’t you ever fuckin’ bring me into this kind of formation again. You know I don’t deal with village shinobi of that nature. You even told them about me! How the fuck do you expect me to leave then?” A loud groan shot out of his throat into the surrounding walls; easily causing them to echo throughout the caverns.

Once she brought out the sandwich, Mokuzai regretted everything that he had just yelled towards the woman. He never expected her to bring him food, nonetheless make it herself! The smile she held on her face caused his knees to weaken, almost shaking honestly. He reached out for the sandwich with his right hand, looking over the sandwiched material inside. It smelled fantastic and held together pretty decently.

He brought the nourishment to his lips, taking a bite and stuffing his right cheek with the food. He chewed the food slowly, looking over towards her with a dumbfounded expression. How exactly does he even thank her for this? Does he react with a smile? No, no that would make all the food pop out of his mouth and on the floor. He swayed from side to side while eating the rest of the sandwich quickly, licking his lips from the remaining sprinkles of breading on his flesh. “Uh..” He spoke while wiping the back of his arm against his lips. “That was..good.” He nodded while staring to the ground before catching gaze of her eyes once again. He was trying to keep it as casual as possible, but he couldn’t avoid the awkwardness.

“I.. Uhm. I gotta.” He coughed softly. “Leave soon. I can’t stay here much longer. The robbed dude was right. I can’t stay in this cave.” How much more naïve could he get with his movements? He rubbed the back of his neck while he turned his back towards her. “I’ll..see you around, yeah? I’ll be around if you need me. If anythin’, I’ll be where the fire flickers strongly.” The nukenin went deep into the shadows of the cavern, walking down the tunnels until the flickering of the flame could no longer be in his view. Hopefully she would get ahold of the riddle of the location he was talking about.

[exit]

Age : 31 Posts : 1900

The fury in Mokuzai's eyes made Seika harden her gaze. It was a means of natural defense and she couldn't expect nothing less for her betraying him like she had. He was right, she could have got him killed. She could have sealed their fates as soon as Tatsuo and Shinjin left, despite their calm and trusting demeanor. Seika had her own facade, who is to say they both do not have their own? It was a foolish mistake to do what she had for she was not aware of the bond between Tatsuo and Shinjin. The two of them could end up using her as a pass by placing her head on the chopping block while they took off and did "order" things. Whatever such items of business may truly be. Accepting the ridicule, and feeling the pit in her stomach strength, she sat patiently until the Nukenin was finished snapping at her. Fortunately attacking her was not on his agenda, despite the fact his hands appeared as though they wanted to.

Once he had expressed his anger towards her, verbally, Seika removed the sandwich and softened her gaze as a sort of peace offering between them. She broke one promise but not her other. Handing him the sandwich, Mokuzai took it and scanned it for any contents. Rightly so for she was a medical ninja with access to all sorts of poisons and deadly herbs. Lucky for him, he wasn't on her kill list and therefore the sandwich was not tainted with any sort of evil. Mokuzai devoured the sandwich as Seika sat in silence. She did not expect a thank you or any sort of gift in return. Not once did she contemplate blackmail or offer a deal. Not a single corrupted through lie on her brain. The highly unpredictable ninja was quite peaceful and relaxed in the male's presence. A sign of trust for the male. Whether this sense of faith was foolish or ideal was unclear, but alas it was present.

Once the male had finished eating her gift, the atmosphere around them became a bit awkward. Seika had no idea of what to say, despite not needing a thank you, but the Nukenin attempted to say he was appreciative without outright stating it.

“Uh..” he muttered before wiping his lips and scattering bread crumbs to the floor, “That was..good.”

A warm smile crossed Seika's face yet again as she nodded once.

"You're welcome."

With that, their deal was technically over. Seika promised to bring him a decent meal last they met but this time she never made a single promise since. If anything, Shinjin asked for their teamwork and aid but not once did Seika turn to Mokuzai and outright state "you do this, I will do this". These two seemed to be loaded with deals of various kinds. Not tonight. Seika felt that she would be able to meet the male later on down the road, as mentioned by Shinjin. A part of her said that she could exit Kirigakure whenever she pleased, due to research, and would later find the male. Perhaps she would bring him another surprise sandwich or other food. She would likely have intelligence from Shinjin once she had or maybe information she discovered about other ninja - such as Kyu. The possible Nukenin in training, as some would likely call her, had this cat in the bag. All she needed to do was use chakra sensory and track him down. It would be easy. Right?

“I.. Uhm. I gotta,” Mokuzai said before slightly coughing,“Leave soon. I can’t stay here much longer. The robbed dude was right. I can’t stay in this cave.”

"That is a good decision. Even if no one speaks of this meaning tonight, you are still susceptible to curious wanderers here. Find somewhere safe and lie low. Most importantly....let me find you. Do not find me. Ever."

Her words were firm and her eyes were actually intense with a hidden glare. This was as serious as she could get. Last thing he needed to do was come running up to Kirigakure or possibly chase her down if she was in need of help. It didn't matter of enemy ninja captured her and attempted to kill her, he must never pursue her.

Turning his back towards her, Seika pushed herself to her feet while watching him walk away. She wiped her hands against her butt to brush off the dust from the cavern floor. Her skort was slightly damp from sitting close to a puddle.

“I’ll..see you around, yeah? I’ll be around if you need me. If anythin’, I’ll be where the fire flickers strongly.”

Seika titled her head to the side with a bit of confusion. What did he mean by "where the fire flickers strongly'? She brushed off the thought for the time being and smiled at his back with a calm and slightly cheerful expression.

"Of course Mokuzai. No matter where you go, I will always find you."

The male left without a snarky comment or attempt of making her feel bashful. Not once did he turn around to look back, his awkwardness making Seika feel uncertain about her supposed comrade. She turned towards the fire and kicked a bunch of dirt on top of it while scattering any branches used to keep it lit.

A silent darkness devoured the cavern in a few simple swipes. Seika's hazel and gold hues turned to the direction of Mokuzai's exit as she pondered his remaining words. She was uncertain if he meant something about daytime or was hinting for her to look for a campfire at night. Maybe he meant to look for him at night when his chakra system would burn brightest. No matter what he meant, Seika felt she would find out soon enough. After a brief pause, the red haired kunoichi let out a soft sigh before turning and walking towards the exit of the cavern. The clone remained until both Mokuzai and Seika was safety out of its 100 meter range. Had she personally ran into any sort of trouble, she would need it as back up. If Mokuzai ran into trouble, well, there wasn't much she could do to help him. As soon as the coast was clear and the female was able to return to Kirigakure, the clone took its leave as well and the cave fell completely silent.

The fire was finally snuffed out.

[Exit]