Starring:
Date: November 15, 2013
Summary:
A chance meeting of restless spirits yields more than one either of them could expect.
"Restless No More"
Hidden Tropical Oasis [Land of Water]
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Marvelous, strange and exciting. A literal forest domed right inside the large cliff face. Its walls spand high into the sky surrounding the entire area, high above there are large openings where light seeps in providing just the right amount of light to light up this area. The dome shaped area from within the caves is filled with life, trees and bushes. Some trees spanding 100 meters into the sky with thick green leaves. The area is heated in the days and cooled in the evenings, a constant cool wind brushes throughout.
There are vegetables, fruits and a natural source of water in this area allowing the flora to grow. There are rocks, small caverns and openings with flower patches. Further north there are ruins of what seemed to have once been a stone city, now a relic of its former self. Overall this area is a miracle to exist, undisturbed by the human race it is a natural living habitat of great marvel and mystery.
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Mushi had travelled away day through tossing seas and mists thick enough to drink. She had walked for miles, searched for the people she wanted to see, and even used a few advanced techniques that took up some chakra. By the time she lay back on her borrowed bed she should have fallen asleep in a second. Yet lying there, utterly exhausted, she found herself with her eyes wide open, staring restlessly at the ceiling. It took her a few hours to accept this wasn't a night for sleep. So in the quiet of her guest lodging she had dressed and put on a bright almost golden cloak to go out. She didn't want to be dark and look as if she were sneaking around. Kiri often took that seriously…very seriously. Every village did, but the Mist's idea of "dealing" with it was far more painful than most.
Her late night walks commonly took her to the beach, but this time she found herself descending the valley into the oasis. She'd learned of this some time ago, it was an herbalist's dream. And through the cracks in the ceiling shafts of starlight stream through thick and strong, enough to light up the area even without Mushi's orb of glowing chakra that trails her like a wisp. She's searching through the foliage, and she already has quite a few herbs pilfered… er, legitimately harvested, in the satchel hanging at her side. She has to be careful. Some of these herbs are potent for healing, while others are natural contact poison. She checks each one she picks carefully. While she examines something that just turns out to be fern leaves, she's still only on the edges of the forest of vegetation, near the entrance.
Sleep has never come easy to Kiyoshi but most recently things have gotten worse since the incident. Ever since the fever had set in following that time the memories the boy buried have plagued him. And if it weren't the memories disturbing his time of rest or even brief relaxation, its been the 'other' as of late. Unable (or more to the point unwilling) to deal with another fruitless attempt at a full night's rest, Kiyoshi disobeyed his brother's wishes and sneaked out for a walk.
Strange as it may be, Kiyoshi doesn't even realize how far he has traveled or even how he managed to slip out of the village before the familiar palm trees of the Hidden Oasis are staring him in the face. His heart race as the most prominent fear — the reason why his memories were more like nightmares — tried to force its way to the forefront of his mind. The boy refused to give in to it and pressed on, arms trembling but not as much as they would have been if his hands were balled up into tight fists.
The boy is by far not quiet as he made his way through the oasis. Nor was he aware of Mushi's presence. Not fully at least. The wisp she summoned, if ever glimpsed, is downplayed as a figment of his imagination and nothing more.
Mushi picks a berry from a bush and gives it a sniff. It smells sweet and tasty, but the last berry she tried here that smelled nice had left her mouth full of sores. She frowns and sticks the berry in a separate pocket to be tested later. Really, she could just ask one of the natives, but she's not quite sure if she should be picking all the plants she does here. She's practically crouching as she goes around the bushes, but as she pushes leaves and foliage aside, something makes her pause. Not much noise…just a lack of noise, of the crickets chirping or maybe the mice treading, that can only come from a disturbance by a larger presence.
Mushi stands up, swiveling the orb around. There's someone there who doesn't seem to be trying to conceal his presence. It's strange to see anyone at this time of night, especially someone who seems young in stature. "Hello," Mushi says clearly in the stillness. She'd make her way forward until she's within view of Kiyoshi. Her green eyes glow in the dim light. "What are you doing here?" she asks mildly, when she sees the young boy.
For his part, Kiyoshi was not startled upon hearing someone's voice. Some piece of him remained aware that chances are he was being followed, though obviously not by someone as good at their job as they should be. So, he stayed in place and looked about until he the wisp grabs his full attention. Then and only then does he begin to panic a little.
'It's him.'
Hands are clenched into even tighter fists, eliciting pain from piercing the flesh with nails. He doesn't stop clenching them in spite of the pain. It riled him up to a degree but also helped focus his mind on preparing for the worst. What meets Mushi's green glowing eyes upon sighting the boy is hardened mud brown eyes. "Your supposed to introduce yourself first." He states with undisguised wariness and hostility.
Mushi is already looking around for someone else with Kiyoshi. At his age, he must have some purpose and moreover some parent guiding him around. But she sees none. When he asks who she is with hostility, Mushi considers him carefully. She supposes she would look strange, a wanderer he's never met in the middle of nowhere, stealing…uh, borrowing plants. But his attitude goes beyond the customary suspicion. So she gives a shrug and answers truthfully. "I'm Nikumari Mushi, wanderer and makeshift medic. I'm here to gather a few herbs and food to study for my medicine."
She glances around again, and even raises her orb to cast the light over a wider area. "Do you have someone with you?" she asks. "There are some large creatures lurking down here, it may not be safe. How about we stick together, to watch each other's back…" She trails off, having not yet received a name.
Kiyoshi listens but it's obvious his attention was focused towards sizing Mushi up physically. As far as he could tell her appearance certianly matched what she described herself as. Granted, the tentative title of theif is tacked on. There's no particular law against gathering herbs from the Oasis, or as far as Kiyoshi was aware. But then again, there's no real telling.
"Hnn.." He emitted as he gradually began to relax. As a result, his fingers unclench far enough for the flesh to begin rapidly mending itself until only the blood outside remains. The relax state is only temporary. Her looking about made him nervous; her question even more so. "Your eyes must not be all that good Nikumari-san." He states before flicking the plate of the headband wrapped around his neck, denoting him as a Kirigakure shinobi. If she's well versed in Kirigakure's culture as she probably should be, the fact that the boy even has a headband is proof enough that he's tangled with such large creatures and has come out on top; barring an exceptional few. "Besides, I've got no interest picking herbs tonight… I should probably be on my way at that." He says, as he glanced off towards the general direction of the ruins.
Mushi looks at Kiyoshi's face, his clothes, and then moves to his hands. "You're bleeding," she says. She'd start forward to help. What is wrong with him? She'd close her eyes as if concentrating on a technique. However, they fly open in astonishment an instant later, and she halts before she gets near him. She stares at him in astonishment. "Your chakra and that regeneration…" she says quietly. "You have a bijuu." She pauses. "You're a Jinchuuriki." She doesn't phrase any of them as a question, but as statements.
It takes her a moment to realize that if he sees her as dangerous, she's now about as threatening as a stranger can get. So she says quickly, "I don't mean you any harm! I've been searching for a friend of mine. The Jinchuuriki of this village. Kaguya Tsun! Do you know what happened to her? Did anyone tell you if she's alive?" She sounds and looks…worried. Incredibly so.
Kiyoshi tries to quickly stuff his hands into his pockets but by that point the damage is done. "Nu-nun'ya." He replies defensively with a glare. But by that point she has closed her eyes, making it seem like his words fell on death ears. Cursing mentally, Kiyoshi turns as if to walk away, only to catch on a second later what her earlier action could mean and look back, fearful yet defiant.
"…."
He tried over and over again to think of something, to interject before she went to far with her 'assumptions'. Kiyoshi even considered trying to laugh her off and tell her she's crazy and to stay away from him before running away. No matter what he thought or tried to act upon his body refused to listen while he remained indecisive. Throughout this entire debate his expression gradually went from panicked to apathetic. A defensive mechanism that mercifully hid some of the turmoil going on in the boy's head. The tense set to his jaw and similiar tics still gives him away.
He sighs. "Look. I don't know anything bout no Kaguya Tsun, but if your looking for a Kaguya, you'd be better of talk'n to an actual Kaguya. Which I ain't." Kiyoshi pulls his hands out and folds his arms across his chest. "Names Moto Kiyoshi. And I ain't no Jinchu-whatever. I'd also appreciate it if ya don't go telling people I'm something that sounds bad, ya got me lady?"
Mushi looks at Kiyoshi's face closely as he speaks. When he finishes her eyes drop down to the ground. "They wouldn't have another one with a Jinchuuriki as unstable as Tsun-chan around," she mumbles, almost as if to herself. Tsun would probably kill him. This either means that she either successfully escaped the village or is dead. Knowing Tsun it's probably the latter. Mushi looks up at the cracks where the sky can be seen. Then she looks back at Kiyoshi who is denying the whole thing.
"Relax kid," she says, a bit harshly. In some ways, to Mushi, he's just Tsun's replacement. And in other ways he's someone very important. Her tone softens. "Let's walk out. By the time you get outside to your fellow shinobi you can either trust me, or alert the hunter nin that I'm a security issue who knows you carry a bijuu. Shall we walk?" Then she'd stuff her hands in her pocket and start out, for the several minute walk it'd take to get near the patrols.
The intensity behind Kiyoshi's eyes softened to one resembling curiosity as Mushi mumbled. From the looks of things Tsun was of some importance to Mushi. He still couldn't quite gauge rather or not it had to do with Tsun's supposed status or otherwise though. Which made him all the more wary of the woman standing before him.
Purely out of spite, Kiyoshi does not relax and even glared at her for the 'kid' part. Being a kid was simply not something he recognized. Not so long as he remained a Kirigakure shinobi. Even then, thanks to the 'incident' he wouldn't remain a kid for long anyhow. He shakes his head, dispelling that dreary line of thought. Then took a few moments to actual consider Mushi's suggestion. As unwise as it may have been to actual follow along with her suggestion, Kiyoshi gives the direction of the ruins one last glance before turning back to regard Mushi, murmur a "Fine." and then stuff his hands into his own pocket and follow relunctantly after her.
Beyond walking, the boy refuses to speak up first. Better to let the 'enemy' reveal their intentions over blundering any more than he already had.
Mushi looks at Kiyoshi as they walk, a little uncertainly. He's ten at most. A kid. This may be the part where she tells him everything, and tells him that she's a Jinchuuriki. And since he's five…ten…whatever, he'd be whispering it to his friends in a day. She supposes once he's advanced far enough he'll be able to sense who she is as well, but for now she's instructed Choumei to stay silent and calm. After awhile she says, "Most people don't know what bijuu or Jinchuuriki are, even the shinobi. If someone brings it up ask what a bijuu is. Pretend you don't know. Confused and clueless is much better than hostile and angry. Or just dismiss it. If someone called you a cherimoya, would you know what that was? Would you even care?"
After that they'd walk in silence for another minute. Almost there. "Nikumari Mushi," she repeats. "Ask around. I'm a friend of this village, especially of the medics in the hospital. The first person on patrol may recognize me, I've been hired to help her a lot. Most people didn't know I knew who Tsun-chan was, but she was my friend. And now you're my friend." She looks at Kiyoshi, and then smiles. "Unless you can force me to dislike you as much as you dislike me. But I don't think you're tough enough. Try scowling a bit harder. Or take a swing, I won't fight back. I don't fight kids."
"I don't strike girls… or women." They are the first words to leave his mouth since the entire walk has begun. Up to that point, the boy had been devoted to listening to her advice, musing things over, and trying to puzzle out just why she seems to know so much. The only ones that should know as much, at least as far as he was aware, were the Mizukage, his immediate 'family', high-level seal masters, and other Jinchuuriki. The temptation to look at her more closely eats away at him. For a kid, the boy may appear suprisingly insightful for having done so. Or more than likely incredibly bull-headed given how he reacted when they first saw each other.
"And ya ain't your friend just cuz your a friend of Kirigakure." 'If anything your the opposite' He left off in thought as they made their way. After a minute of silence on his part and unless given reason to wait longer than that, Kiyoshi asks rather bluntly, "Why do you even know so much about this stuff anyways?"
Mushi's gaze flickers when he mentions the difference between his friend and a friend of Kirigakure. She bites back a sigh. Well, the last I-love-my-village Jinchuuriki might have been too much to continually hope for. Especially knowing Tsun's splendid relationship with her village. She feels the sudden urge to pat him on top of the head. But if she did, she'd probably be reattaching her hand in the near future. The thought makes her smile, and then she chuckles.
Then she'd stop where she was, and his next words may make Kiyoshi stop or flee. Even if he ran for the hills, she wouldn't stop him. "I know quite a bit, Kiyoshi-san," she says. "I know that chakra belongs to the Five-Tails. I know Kokuo rarely speaks and refers to it refers to itself as 'watakushi.' I know Choumei teases the Seven-Tails and calls it 'slug head' or sometime 'fish brains.'" She pauses to let that sink in and then says, "I am a medic. A wanderer. And a Jinchuuriki. I was Kaguya Tsun's friend, and I came to try and find out where she is. If she's dead. And who killed her."
Kiyoshi may not look it, but the moment Mushi stops the boy goes on the defensive when he follows suit. If she was planning to finish what the purple-eyed man had started he would show her just how much of a bad idea that was. Even if it meant relying on 'him' again, and worst yet not returning to be Kiyoshi for a time. Imprisonment and even death were better fates than being a guinea pig again.
To say that he was shocked by her candid response is an understatement. For several minutes he can only just stare at the medic. Not in awe or terror. Just surprise. When it phases he finds himself fighting just to keep all the questions flooding his brain from spilling out in a garbled mess, heedless of whatever danger Mushi may still represent. The one saving grace of having a mind and body like his is the fact that he's too easily tongue-tied to work out more than the beginnings of his question before the over-thinker side of him interjects. He bit his tongue in the process.
Painful as that was it hardly compared to the time he had his fingers dipped in acid for training.
He clears his throat, straightens out his stance, adjusts his glasses, and then balls his hands into tight fists in his pocket. "Show me." He says pointedly. There's much more he desired to say. So much more in fact, that he takes a step forward and repeats himself just to be saying something over spilling the beans. Yuriko. She is the closest person she has to a friend. And yet, even she does not know the truth. How could he bring himself to trust a complete stranger than at their word? Especially someone seemingly more intersted in tracking down some girl named Tsun over what stood before her. An exhausted, stressed out, and desperate nine-year old.
"Prove I'm a medic? I can heal your hand," Mushi says, with a wide smile. "Haha! Sorry, I'm a bad joker. Sure, I'll prove it." And then an aura of chakra would spread around her. It's not a violent, fiery storm like the usual Jinchuuriki unleashing their bijuu's chakra. Rather, there's hardly any presence to it. It's as calm and controlled as a candle flame surrounding her, spreading out into wings in an almost angelic aura.
She's quite herself, hands still in her pocket, as she says, "Being a Jinchuuriki is not easy, Kiyoshi-san. You have to live with a demon full of fury and darkness. But once you get strong enough, as strong as a powerful Jounin, you'll be able to do this. You can control it, and never lose your mind again. Tsun-chan was never able to do this, she didn't want to conquer her pain. But if you do want to, you'll be free of it one day…in years, and you'll become a person who is stronger than anyone, able to protect who you want, whether yourself or your loved ones."
Then, the cloak around her vanishes in an instant. She's normal once again, glancing out at the entrance to make sure no one sensed or saw her display.
Kiyoshi just sweatdrops and stares flatly at her after the question. The smile she gave made him want to punch her too, though thankfully she's quick to actual carry through with his demand. He grits his teeth behind closed lips as an aura of chakra begins to seep out of her. Something was off about it. It looked and felt too stable, too 'warm' yet not warm to be anything except an illusion. Just to be on the safe side he bit his tongue again to be sure, hoping the pain the snap him out of any genjutsu trickery. The aura doesn't disappear.
He took a step forward… then another as she spoke. Just as the temptation to confirm the full truth with a touch lures him into lifting up a hand, Mushi says something that makes him hesitate, and then bury the hand back inside his pocket with a scowl. Out of respect he kept listening and stayed silent until she spoke her peace.
"That's where your wrong on a bunch of counts. I ain't… I ain't gonna be free of this thing 'till I'm dead, or-…" He catches himself and shakes his head. She would not understand. Not after crossing the one line the boy that put her on the side of a killer. A demonic murderer. "Good luck looking for your friend, Tsun." He states evenly, and yet his eyes betrayed the anger he had for her. On that note, the boy would try and speed ahead of Mushi and leave.
Mushi moves and blocks Kiyoshi's path. "How do you know I'm wrong?" she says. "I'm older and smarter than you, and I started out just the way you did. My life forever changed. Hating myself and hating my bijuu, wishing it would die. I know the pain, the hate, the sadness, and the isolation. I also know there's light, and I know the techniques you can use to turn your bijuu from a raging mass of hatred into your subordinate and ally."
She smiles and puts her hands back in her pockets. "So here it is, Kiyoshi-kun," she says. "You either admit I might be right…and mean it, and walk out here remembering what I said. Or you give me the reason why you think I'm wrong. Or you manage to get past me (I won't take my hands out of my pockets) and you don't have to answer either one. Just a step past me." She looks at Kiyoshi cautiously and adds, "Kiyoshi-san, tell me what's wrong."
He listens, if only because she blocked his path and made him angry enough to keep it from being contained. What she says at first honestly touches something within the boy. Their reason and past my vary slightly, but the same pain, hate, sadness, and feelings of isolation were the same. Then she says the one thing that sends Kiyoshi back over the edge again.
A gutteral growl begins to emanate from the boy and grows briefly louder at the -kun part before settingling back into its own rhythm. He remained in place, wishing for Mushi to say the one or few things that might appease his anger… but she doesn't. "What's wrong? What's wrong is the fact that your another stuck-up adult trying to tell me how things are!"
»…Geki«
He bowed his head just enough to shadow his eyes and clenched his eyes shut. He wouldn't — He didn't need to listen. Not to Mushi. And certainly not to that 'thing' in his chest! If the darn thing couldn't keep its own chakra locked in, then it was its own fault for what may happen next. "You don't, know, anything. Not about me. Not about them. Nothing…." He chuckled mirthlessly. "Mass of hatred.. Hah! What a joke." His eyes snap up to to Mushi, glowing cerulean now much like the skin just beneath them turned a brighter shade of red. "I don't, want, a subordinate. I don't, want, an ally. I only want this thing dead. I want all of them dead…. I ain't about ready to wuss out like you did." He stated with conviction and forsaking his word to Meruin in the process.
"So unless ya know of a way for me to do jus that, speak up now or shut up and let me pass in peace."
Stuck up!? Jeez, usually kids respond so much more sweetly to her. Mushi supposes she brought this upon herself, approaching Kiyoshi so strongly. She sighs. Always the ones in Kiri. And it's going just the same way as it did last time. Just the thought of someone like Amuro coming up at this time is enough to make Mushi put a hand over her eyes. Then she lowers her hand. Her gaze isn't angry or sad—it's empty , like a room you walked into expecting to see your friends and warm light, except there's nothing. Just darkness and silence. Her next words are flat and cold.
"So that's what you want to do. You want to take it out, run away from your pain, and never try to convert it to strength. Since you don't have the strength even to destroy it, you'd like to bid someone else to do it, have a creature die at your command." She nods. "Okay. Let's do it. I'm a seal master second to none, I can take that monster out of you without killing you or harming you. I'll murder it at your word. We'll have to go into the oasis. If I do it out there, I'll be hunted and killed as a saboteur of your village. That, or forced to become the new Jinchuuriki for Kiri. This has to be between us forever. So lead the way," she says harshly.
The fight all but flees out of Kiyoshi's eyes upon seeing the empty look in Mushi's eyes. It's not too unlike the look the purple-eyed nightmare man gave him before vanishing without a trace. No, not completely without one. Some of the fight returns to him when she goes on to speak of his running away from pain. He may bide for time depending on the situation, but the boy was no coward! He meant to declare this too…. except, she gives him pause with just a few words.
The whole reason the boy had stayed alive up to this point could be killed? Now? He dared not — His eyes narrowed as he tried to read the truth in her eyes. But again, he cannot wither the chill behind them long enough to glean anything from the act. It'll probably hurt though she said it wouldn't. The same went for killing him too… but did he dare miss this opportunity to avenge his brother and set everything right?
"Ah… Mmm… It… Will it.. it won't come back… will it? Your… your not just saying these things to try and steal it for yourself, right?" He asked weakly, barely above a whisper, and without raising his gaze above her feet. If her answer was favorable, he should be happy…. right?
She's not bluffing, not by a long shot. Mushi says, "Look at me. I am not making any of these offers in the hopes of using another bijuu. It took me half a lifetime to make sense of mine, what would I do with a second one? Is there ANYONE who is a host who wouldn't recoil at the thought of doubling such a thing?" She shakes her head. "Even if you'd want two, it's something I could and would never take on."
Then she moves on to what Kiyoshi wants. "As for if I can do it, I can. Bijuus are living chakra. I'll draw the chakra of the bijuu out and store it into multiple seals…at least six. With its power divided into six, it'll be weak enough to be destroyed one at a time. I'll use another technique to destroy each of the seals gradually, therefore completely destroying the bijuu. In essence, it's chopping an animal too hard to destroy as a whole into six pieces, and systematically butchering each one. It'll be gone forever. You'll be free of it."
Tenatively, Kiyoshi did just as commanded though his eyes kept wanting to waver. He kept looking… and listening. If Mushi had expected an answer to her questions from the boy she would receive nothing for it. Whatever courage, pride, and yes, even anger, he had left was devoted towards maintaining eye contact with his fellow Jinchuuriki.
She honestly was not bluffing. Her words — the plan certainly was sound from what he could tell. And yet, he felt no sense of joy over hearing the truth. No relief. Just… nothing. If anything he felt a strange sense of remorse that had him clutching at his heart. Did he honestly hate Kokuo — the demon enough to go through with this? He bowed his head again as his body began to tremble. Retribution was finally at hand, and yet his lips refused to move to say the words. Nor did his body listen when he demanded that he lead the way.
He is silent for an extensive moment. Then several things hit him all at once, giving the youth a start. There was no geniune escape for him. Even if the operation was a success he woudl still have to face Kirigakure's officials. Interrogation, torture, then if he was lucky, imprisonment as a traitor. If he was luckier still, a death sentence would be issued. No more training, no more fighting, no more family, and no more… Yuriko. Just a grimm, terrible fate awaited him. Mushi certianly wouldn't take pity on him…
He took a shuddering breath. Then another more stable one to gather his courage. One last deep breath and it is there again. "Thanks, Mushi-chama… But, I should be getting back before they send hunters after me." He tries to sound light and nonchalantly, but there is no hiding the defeated tone behind his words. Only now did he realize just how much his life had been ruined by the Bijuu… and how inescaple his fate truly was. A death sentence. "So, yeah…" He never once really looked back up and would continue to do so when he tried to get past Mushi a second time, hiding his tears within the shadow of curly green locks. The same cannot be said for the heavy weight that seemed to be on the boy's shoulder now.
Mushi doesn't look pityingly at the boy because she doesn't think that was what he wants. But she does look warmly at him, almost compassionately. There are some shinobi who can get away with running to the corners of the world and being forgotten. But Jinchuuriki don't and never will have that luxury. Even her running was just to another place, not a true escape. She watches as the boy realizes this, and she has to bite back apologizing. It really wasn't fair for him. But she had meant her offer, every word. Although she doesn't mention that would've taken nearly all her chakra reserves to do, with no team around her, and the need to restrain something so powerful. It's about time she improves her abilities…
When Kiyoshi thanks her, his fellow Jinchuuriki gives a slight nod. As Kiyoshi goes past, Mushi doesn't comment on his tears, or even show that she's seen them. And she doesn't stop him either. However, he'd find a feather slipped discreetly behind his ear. It's a feather of ruby red that changes as it goes to the other end into a deep orange. Beautiful and fiery, and a foot long. "It's from a giant hummingbird of the Museigan Forest," Mushi says. "A forest far removed from this land, and human knowledge. They're my summons."
"If you ever need my help, channel your chakra into that feather and I'll come flying. Kiyoshi-san…I'll always be on your side. There's no time I won't heal you, help you, or stand with you against someone, so long as it doesn't harm the friend I have here, Kaguya Yuuka." Hmm, and she supposes her lovely young daughter. "And Yuriko," she adds. Funny that Mushi doesn't even include the Mizukage or the entire village on that short list. Who is the Mizukage anyway? They go through them so quickly Mushi can no longer keep track. Despite everything, the thought makes her smirk. She reaches out to squeeze Kiyoshi's shoulder, and before he could draw a breath, she's gone.
He would have wondered later how the feather got tucked behind his ear if not for Mushi speaking up. Instead, she explains; prompting the boy to stop and listen. He was far too drained to do anything more than that. Certainly not without opening up fresh wounds or lashing out without reasoning. So, he stood and waited until she spoke her piece.
A part of him still wanted to deny assistance from the medic-nin… but, he could not deny the sincerity behind her tone. At the moment however he just wanted to put as much distance between her and himself as possible. The youngest Moto needed time to — His head snapped around so fast the joints audibly popped from the movement. Did she just mention Yuuka-sama? Mushi wasted no time confirming that when she mentioned Yuriko too. Which made him honestly begin to wonder what else she knew about. Maybe other Jinchuuriki? Unfortunately before he can even work up the nerve to say or do anything, Mushi just vanishes into thin air with only her words, kindness, and the lingering warmth upon the boy's shoulder to remember her by.
"…. So, rude." He comments jokingly with a wry smile. Then turned his gaze back on the exit before taking off down the path. He'd remove the feather at some point and stuff it down his pocket out of fear of it flying away or getting confiscated.
No point losing something precious just because of carelessness now is there?
