Starring:
Date: September 18, 2016
Summary:
News of a washed up kiri shinobi on the shores of the Land of Fire have led Eremi to confront Okumo Kiji
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"Blood on the shores"
Small village along the eastern shores of the Land of Fire
News had travelled to Konoha quicker than usual. One of the outlying villages sent two riders on horseback rather than the usual on on foot. A strange person had washed up on shore.. Fro the direction of the land of water. The girl fit the basic description of one of Kirigakure's Jounin. Okumo (Shimizu) Kiji, Eremi's book did not have a lot of information on the girl. Just a rough sketch and small comments. She had color changing eyes, she had white hair.. and looked younger than she 'was'. And she was raised by Meruin himself. Yet she had washed up n shore, bloodied, sunburned, in a blood stained white dress… She had been taken to a healing woman but all she could do was verify the girl was alive and not dying.
When Eremi would reach the village Kiji was in a tent, face down on a bed, her back exposed to the air. Along her back were two long gashes sewn up crudely. her white hair was in a braid and she seemed to be asleep. The village healer and Headman would allow Eremi through with no warning to Kiji.
Receiving the news of a body being found alive, yet in possibly serious condition, Eremi headed out from the wooden gates of Konoha and into the Land of Fire immediately. Choosing to cast aside his ANBU attire, instead approaching the situation as a Jounin of the Leaf, rather than an assassin. A decision that often times made diplomacy a little easier when people believed they were dealing with a simple shinobi.
Going over the details as Eremi approached the village, he couldn't remember much information about an Okumo Kiji during his brief stay in Kiri. Not surprising considering he tried to avoid most people aside from Renai and the girl herself was rather tight lipped about her own village.
A gentle nod of his head would be given to the healer and headman, causing his bangs to bob slightly while still keeping the right eye concealed. His entrance into the tent would be preceded by the light jingling of a few chain links that hung from the shackles upon each wrist.
"Are you awake?"
Kiji blinked her eyes open a few times then moved to sit up. Her back was an interesting combination of cut andbruised, definitely she had looked worse when she got there. But she turned her bright purple eyes on Eremi and quirked her head, white hair falling over her shoulder. "Huh.. a Leafer. Come to kill me then?" She sounded annoyed. then looked at the ground and scowled. "Why not? What's a Leafer when compared to Mizukage?"
Eremi's single, emerald eye was quick to catch the wounds upon the womans back before catching sight of the purple eyes that stared back at him. "No." He replied softly as he stepped further into the tent, still remaining near the entrance as to not elicit fear or panic. His stance was casual with hands hanging at his side, one resting against one of three gourds strapped to his waist.
"Which Mizukage would that be, I wonder. Meruin or Tsiro." He'd shrug slightly with a long exhaled breath as he looked away. "I wouldn't prefer either myself. Not again that is." There was a pause from him as Eremi appeared to be lost in thought before his attention shifted back to Kiji. "So what's it going to take to get you back to the Land of Water. A couple days rest? A konoha medic? I guess you don't necessarily have to go back, but why would you want to stay here…"
Kiji watched him as if she was just annoyed… at first. Then she shook her head. "I'm not going back THERE." She bared her teeth at him which was.. bank near adorable if it hadn't caused her eyes to shift toward a yellow tone. It made her appear feral. "Tsiro. I failed to kill the coast. But he couldn' kill me either." She grinned up at Eremi. Then sighed and stretched. looking around she shook her head. "Mind if we take a walk outside? I can't stretch in here."
Eremi couldn't help but stare in disbelief at the woman's words and if it weren't for those purple eyes suddenly shifting to yellow, he would have stood frozen for several moments longer. "Well, you've got some serious guts but that's how it is for most Kiri shinobi, eh? At least the high ranking ones. The ones that survive…" Shaking his head slightly, "If you're up for it. Not like you're being held prisoner or anything. Though I imagine now you're some sort of missing-nin? Not long before the hunters follow suit…" Waiting a few moments, he'd step out the tent and into the open, holding the entrance open for Kiji to step through.
Kiji tilted her head at Eremi's reaction. She kind of smirked a little at his disbelief. But all she could do was agree about Kiri having to be brave. She stood up as he stated if she was up to it. She nodded then blinked as he held the flap for her. Bobbing under his arm she mumbled a "Thank you… Yea, I'm sure they'll send hunters." Once outside she held up a hand and took a few steps away fro Eremi before she brought up her chakra. It looked painful for her, and then.. the two cuts along her back exploded with blood.. But not a drop fell o the ground. It ripped open the sutures and formed huge crimson wings. she concentrated even frther and moved blood through other areas of her body, finally cleansing herself of the impurities of injury… by injuring herself. Then she pulled most of the blood back in while some, swirled around her wrists and ankles, forming rings there and solidifying. When they were done she wore crimson bangles like jewelry… The cuts on her back, deep enough to require stitches for anyone..simply closed themselves within a few seconds. "Much better." She turned and loked at Eremi again, looking a bit healthier. "See, Hatsu-san kept me in chakra shackles and it took several days to get my chakra working properly so.. That's why I lost to Tsiro. I SHOULD have been able to beat the jerk."
"Well…" Eremi commented on the sight that unfolded before him. It was rather unexpected and while not the strangest thing he'd ever seen, it was the first of it's kind. "Looks like you might be up for round two with Tsiro. Though I'm not sure who this Hatsu is, you may want to avoid them as well. Shackles are fine and all…" The chains from his own clanging together as his hand dropped from holding the flap to the tent open only to land open the smallest of the three gourds and bring it to his mouth for a quick drink.
Swallowing hard, "So what's the plan now? I guess I don't need exacts, but…" Extending the gourd out towards Kiji. A mild sake within. "Nothing good ever happens from Kiri shinobi in Konoha nor Konoha shinobi being in Kiri."
Kiji turned and peered at hm as he extended the gourd. She pondered for a moment then brought out a bit more blood, forming a kind of bodice, giving that white rag the appearance of a dress at least. She then accpeted the gourd curiously… Perching on a large boulder facing Eremi she crossed her legs and sniffed then took a sip of the sake. She licked her lips as if considering it then nodded. "Is it true there's an alcohol made of honey?" An odd question perhaps but she was curious and her eyes had come back to a purple, easily reminding Eremi of a feminine verion of Meruin if he had known the man.
And as for her plans.. "Well, Yea… I've returned your men to you once before. I'm the one that sent Uchiha Kyuketsuki home from Kiri when he'd been lured in by a cousin Okumo. She's not that bright but you can't pick on cripples can you? Well I guess we could.. and do… " She shrugged and sipped the sake again. "It's good. Thanks. Hmmm.. I.. only know one person I'd like to see again… He's a Kiryuu and big." She went on to describe Kiyoshi in general. "Or sometimes he likes to walk around as a dog. seen any large dogs? Wait.. you see large dogs all the time don't you…"
Eremi would take a few closer steps toward Kiji as she positioned herself upon a boulder. His feet dragging beneath him as he moved. "They can pretty much make alcohol out of anything. A little fermentation and you've got yourself a nice ingestible poison." Thoughts quickly shifting from alcohol to the constantly changing eye colors of the now, ex-kiri shinobi. Okumo. White hair. Swirling eyes of purple… "Eh…"
Shaking his head to let it drop. "Some of my best friends are large dogs." Glancing away at how that might sound, "I might know your friend. The only large man I know from that description anyways. We've crossed paths a couple times. Once in Fuuma and the other time closer toward Kusagakure as if travelling through toward Iwagakure."
"Come to think of it." Hand coming to pull at a necklace around his neck, producing a charm with a bone chip and a blood lacquered wood ornament. "Managed to get this off him before he left." Though the last time Eremi saw Kiyoshi he was face down in a river.
Kiji listened and while she was clearly dangerous, combat wise, her deneamor seemed to be that of a young teen. Her body spoke of someone in their twenties. Her eyebrows went up when he said some of his best friends were dogs… How odd… Even the phrase itself. Just odd. And this was an odd man.
His next words, though, caught her attention. He spoke of Fuuma and Iwagakure… And then .. he pulled out that necklace. Kiji nearly dropped the gourd, moving over to Eremi as one hand reached out for the necklace. She sniffed at it and looked up at Eremi with a look of pain and fear and… hurt. "That's my blood. That's my mate." She sniffed it. Definitely. "D..Did you k..ki..kill him?"
Eremi held his place as the woman suddenly sprang forward. If she truly survived an assault against the Mizukage, she wasn't one to be messed with, but he was never one to give up ground. More of a stubborn trait than having faith in his own abilities. "Oh." Pulling the necklace free and handing it over. He simply stared at her through his only visible eye as she questioned him. Remaining in silence as he pondered the best response. There were innocents nearby and causing casualties over something that seemed trivial to him wasn't worth it.
"I thought I did. At least in Fuuma. Until I ran into him in Kusa. Perhaps the same result. He's a jinchuriki after all. I bet you knew that. I think he was just toying with me. Never seen someone so willing to just absorb my attacks as if they wanted to die, but it was more as if they didn't phase him."
Kiji blinked as Eremi took off the necklace and let her take it. She held onto the charms tightly when Eremi spoke to her about when he had thouht hed killed Kiyoshi. She was not wrathful toward Eremi though. Kiyoshi was surely going to beach some people off after all. But Eremi seemed to be watching her. She finally shook her head. "Kiyoshi… hates fighting.. I'd protect him.. But I don't know where he is… He tried to teach me swordplay…. And I'm terrible at it….. I…" She held to the charms with a faint tremble n her hand. "S..sorry.." She held the necklace back out to Eremi then, it was his war trophy so to speak and she would not demand it of him… Though her eyes looked on the verge of welling…. "how.. long ago did you fight him?"
"Yeah, I could see that. Pretty sure the reason we fought both times was my doing." He'd shake a hand at the necklace, extending another one in hopes of getting his gourd back. "I think your best bet of finding him would be anywhere from Kusagakure to Iwagakure. It's a lot to cover, but not many people look like Kiyoshi does. It's been several months since I last saw him. He could have continued even further or turned back by now." If Eremi had reason enough to find Kiyoshi, he could probably exhaust some resources, but Kiyoshi was not his concern. "If you'd like I could escort you to the other side of the Land of Fire? Not necessarily for your own safety, but maybe Konoha's."
Kiji tilted her head when Eremi waved his hand at the necklace and she easily returned the gourd to him. She held tightly to the necklace and offered him a grateful expression. His words were listened to closely and she nodded slowly. "I.. If you need to I suppose. But… I'm no going to hurt anyone that isn' trying to kill me… I have Kiri to worry about." She slippe the necklace over he head and looked up to Eremi bowing politely. "Thank you.. for this….I.. I don't know your name. I am Okumo Kiji. Or perhaps I am no longer Okumo…"
With gourd back in possession, Eremi was quick to secure it back to his waist next to the other two. A reflexive habit that required little focus on his part. "I guess you're right." He smiled slightly, though still not satisfied with the result. "It's a pleasure, Kiji. I am Satonezu Eremi. Not someone that you've heard of I'm sure. Though not for a lack of trying on my own part that is. Some people in this world are just born for greatness. While others are along for the ride." Chuckling.
Kiji accepted his name and nodded in greeting. "That's a interesting name." She tilte her head again and looked out ver the vllage nearby. "I don'thave money to pay them for helping me. But I can give them some of my blood. It is used in medicines and if ingested can heal internal injuries. Think that's fair? As for escorting me.. I can fly. So.. I can probably get out of your hair sooner f you really want me gone."
Eremi snickers, "Yeah…It's not really been the easiest life all around, but you live with what you're given and typically come out better for it. At least that's what one hopes." He'd shrug once again before dropping his head, jaw following afterwards. "I…uh…I'm sure they'd be thankful for it. If not, I'm sure Konoha can cover the cost just this once." Hearing that Kiji could fly, he couldn't help but grow wide eyed in disbelief. "That's one way to travel and you don't have to leave. It's not as if you aren't allowed in the Land of Fire. You're free to come and go as you please."
Kiji nodded and peered up at Eremi curiously. She nodded and tilte he head. "You saw my wings. It takes a lot of energy but I can fly faster than even Meruin-dono can move." Eremi's comment that she was welcome there made her blink. "I understand that you don't want to bring Kirigakure down on you.. and Meruin-dono will be following most likely… Tsiro won't be put in danger again…."
"That's pretty impressive considering…" Meruin that is "It probably isn't best to overdo it. I don't know your abilities, and I don't know Kirigakure's tactics all that well anymore, but they know you and might plan for anything. Best advice I can give is if you have any friends that will take your side from Kirigakure or else where, find them and do it fast." Eremi's lone eye briefly glanced away, considering the options to cover any tracks Kiji might have brought to this little village and his need to cover them, before looking back to Kiji. "Don't worry about Kiri coming down on Konoha. We always seem to manage somehow. Though if war could be avoided, it would be best. Unnecessary loss of life from either side is a waste." He'd sigh at the though before forcing a smile, "Well, if it's all the same to you, I'll be heading off now. I'll keep my head up, maybe spot you flying by." A gentle wave and Eremi would walk off.
