Starring:
Goh, Risu
Date: December 7, 2012
Summary:
Goh and Risu begin talking on the coastal cliffs, only for big news to be revealed.
"Secrets and Confessions"
Kirigakure
Risu had a very rough Chuunin exam survival round, that ended just recently. She was a mess at the end of it but she's had a chance to get cleaned up after a night's rest in an inn and a fresh set of clothes after a long hot shower. Even so, she looks a bit gaunt, haunted really in some way. Her eyes have a far away look about them as she stares out at the water from the dirt path, under the cliff overhang. The area is a bit sheltered from the monsoons that come and go this time of year. She's seated on a rock and is slowly tossing rocks into the water's edge, watching the spashes and ripples.
Goh has been pretty busy as of late. Walking back and forth all throughout the Village, finding out as much information as he could. To say that it had been tense was certainly selling the situation short. Especially as the Exams had passed their first large milestone.
On anyrate, the cloaked figure, leaving most of his body covered, arrives off to the side of Risu. His boots crunch on the dirt as he strides along the path, stopping when he reaches the form of the girl. His own blue eyes peer at her carefully, before he looks down over the cliff edge — spotting the ripples.
"Hello there, lass." He greets friendly enough. "Do you mind if I stand here for a bit? This is a nice spot."
Risu gives a noncommital shrug as she glances over at the new visitor. "Guess so." She looks up at the unshaven blonde haired man. His outfit, she takes it all in. "You here to talk to me? Everyone else seems to be after that. For one reason or another." She mutters the last bit, "You're not with the exam proctors or anything, are you?" She looks back, not seeing a village marking as far as she can tell on his outfit anywhere. This makes her frown slightly and her eyes narrow just a tad, her body tensing a little, something a skilled eye would instantly pick up on as being ready to move, as if she fears combat is about to start.
"Relax." Goh replies simply, looking out at the ocean. He doesn't pay her much direct attention, though it seems he doesn't likely have to in order to tell that she's a bit frazzled. "No, I'm not one of the proctors. My name is Goh. I'm a wandering pickler, actually." He smiles, looking down at her from his standing position. "I'm not much for combat, I'm afraid. Well — not super keen on it, so you don't have to worry about anything." Arms fold across his chest, as a sudden force of wind sweeps through the area. He looks back out at the ocean.
"Are you alright?" It's a simple question, though one that could potentially have a loaded answer.
Risu tries to relax a bit at Goh's answer but clearly is not exactly at ease with his presence yet. "You're not from Konoha? You sure?" She says softly then shakes her head, "No, not really alright, but… not much I can do about /that/." She says, as she slumps, her shoulders hunched forward, "Stupid exams. Should have let us go home if we didn't have our scrolls. What's the point? Two people died trying to get scrolls and it meant nothing?" She says, with bitterness dripping from her voice.
"Yes, I heard about that." Goh replies simply. "And I'm quite sure I'm not here for Konoha. I'm actually one of the people who set up the neutral guild known as Jump. I don't know if you've heard of it or not, but it's full of mostly travellers that aren't really into fighting and stuff. Granted, there's a few ex-ninja and samurai, but… nothing too spectacular." He waves a hand, clearing himself of that little side-conversation.
"I'm guessing you've been interviewed about the deaths and everything quite heavily?" He does seem rather calm, not agitated. As if he's thinking about a few things at once.
Then, he notes after looking over her once more. "Oh. You're from Sunagakure." He pauses. "Do you know Itami?"
Risu shakes her head, "Actually not a single person from the exam came to talk to me about it. Probably were watching the whole time and know every detail of it already… heard one died in the jounin exams too…. but…" She gives another shrug and throws a rock out into the water, "I know Itami, but… she vanished. haven't heard from her in a while. Miss her… she… she helped train me. We did missions and stuff." she looks back up at Goh, "Jump? What do you do if you're not into fighting? Even when I try to not fight, people don't stop… how can you do much of anything without fighting?" She asks, curious but wary.
Goh nods a bit in the windy environment, listening intently. "Kirigakure ninja could be on top of it all, I guess that's true." To her last question, he just sort of thinks for a moment. "What do I do if I'm not into fighting? Why, everything else. I travel, I talk to people. I catch up with my fellow wanderers in the guild common hall. We swap stories, have fun. I'm not part of a Ninja Village, so I'm not obligated to do missions or kill anyone on behalf of anyone." His head tilts from side to side, as if he's stretching. "We talk with other Villages, but because we aren't a combat school or anything like that, they tend to leave Jump alone. We're no threat, I guess you could say."
He then pauses again, pondering something. "Can you keep a secret?" He asks, in an almost mischievious tone.
Risu gives a small sigh, then shrugs looking as if she's just bone weary. Then she nods, "Sure you can tell me, I can keep a secret, usually. Maybe. I don't know. If it is very important you're probably better off not telling me just in case. After all, you don't know me. I could be some plant kiri down here using henge and trying to get secrets." She points out. Then turns to toss another rock out into the water. Goh may notice the rocks she's throwing appear to be a bit different than the rocks in the area, they seem to glitter as she throws them, sparkle almost even though the light isn't all that strong here, with the clouds and the overhand and what not.
"I trust ya." Goh replies, still sounding friendly enough.
"In order to tell you this secret though, I will have to get you to trust me a little bit." Unfoiling his cloak, the blonde suddenly reaches out and holds an out-stretched arm over the cliff edge. His palm faces down to the waves crashing against the rocks below.
Risu may hear it first. A loud groan, like the sound a whale might make in the water. And then not long after, the SPLASH of something breaching the waters surface from below. Out from the ocean rises a /giant/ salamander. It's so big that the head of the thing is not far below the edge of the cliff from where Risu and Goh are conversing. There is enough room for ten grown men to stand on top of the skin-surface of this creatures head.
"So I guess the only question remains. Do you trust me? I can't tell you the secret here. Kirigakure shinobi have eyes and ears everywhere. It's something for the ears of a ninja from the desert only. Leap onto Wanryo's head here, and we'll go for a quick ride across the ocean." He shifts in his boots a bit.
"I understand that you're nervous and still shaken about what happened in the exams. But even in times of trouble, a leap of faith is needed every now and then. I give you my word, Wanryo and I won't bring you to harm. Right, 'ryo?" And just like this, the salamander opens its mouth to speak.
"Right, Goh!" It has a booming voice that quakes the cliff edge, some little rocks being shaken loose and falling into the depths below.
You might expect that Risu would show fear at this thing appearing, and in truth it does surprise her and scare her just a wee bit, but when she realizes that it is some kind of mega-summon of this stranger's she tries not to over react too much, but she does stand up. This… thing is so big. She frowns, then looks to Goh, "Do you trust me? I… I'm not sure I'm safe to be with, alone. I… I might hurt you." She stammers, which is a bit odd, she certainly doesn't look like she could do much harm and more over she seems to be worried about hurting both Goh and/or this Wanryo thing.
After a moment Risu says, "I'm Risu… you hadn't even asked my name yet. Or did you know it already?" She asks, as she tilts her head and eyes Goh, "And I don't know yours." She points out, and yet… and yet she hesitates. She hasn't refused and… then after a moment more nods, and with an act of faith takes a bit of a leap out to land on top of Wanryo's head. Her weight probably hardly noticable. "If… if I do hurt you, I'm sorry. I won't do it on purpose." It is unclear if she is talking to Wanryo or Goh at this point.
"I believe I told you right at the beginning of our conversation that my name is Goh." The pickler replies with a grin. Though it doesn't surprise him that she forgot already. She looked shellshocked, to tell the truth. Not all here.
As he himself lands on the hand of Wanryo not long after Risu, he nods a bit. "It's great to meet you, Risu. And nope — I didn't know your name. Get ready. We're about ot move." Not long after this, the head shifts, and just like that, Wanryo is off! Swimming at a decent speed, the head begins to lower so that it's not far above the surface. The wind picks up, though is not strong enough to really cut off voices. He doesn't appear to have said anything about her hurting him. Either he's not worried, showing off some bizarre confidence in his strength, or he genuinely believes that Risu is in enough control that she won't let anything happen.
"I must say, I'm very impressed." He says with a smile, looking down at her as his large tattered cloak billows out behind him. "Not many have the guts to do what you just did, Risu. Not after going through… everything you just did. You've been raised extremely well. Itami was the only one who brought you up?"
The pair speed out from the cliffs, escaping the mist that sits on top of the ocean. What opens up in front of them is just… ocean. Clear, as far as the eye can see.
"How old are you, Risu?"
Risu shrugs, "Not sure exactly. I'm an orphan…. but probably around 10 or so." She explains, "Itami and Meimei kind of took me under their wing, I was on the streets stealing food to eat and they took me and put me in the academy… that was years ago…" She shakes her head, "Seems like forever ago." She uses some tree walking effect to keep her feet firmly on Wanryo's head, even if not needed, for fear of slipping off. "I guess I just don't feel like I have much to lose. I just wanted to go home. Even gave my two scrolls to someone else only to find out I still had to fight some more." She says, shaking her head.
She pauses then says, "I killed two shinobi from Konoha, both Senju… I guess…. I don't think they'll be very happy with me, I guess some of them may try to come hurt me for revenge. I just… Its such a mess." She says as she takes a deep breath and looks around, glad to be free of the horrid mists. "I miss the desert… but this isn't bad…"
Goh raises an eyebrow, looking down at Risu as she reveals that she killed ninja from the Senju clan. Only hours ago, he had been in the stands of the Arena, overhearing senior ninja talking about a ninja who had killed two Senju. Through complete luck and coincidence, it seems he had found the very person who did it! But… she was so young.
As he looks back ahead of him, a huge wave of thoughts and ideas pop into his head. Jinchuuriki? Possibly, though unlikely if her background was true. The Sunagakure Council wouldn't let their prized bijuu run around the streets stealing things. Regardless, he shakes his head a bit.
"Power is an interesting thing." Goh comments suddenly. "People wish for it, strive to get it. They thirst for it their whole lives, and in most cases, die in their pursuit of it. Yet those that DO have it ache to rid themselves of it. It causes pain, suffering. Loss of control." He shrugs a little.
"You don't come across as a cold hearted killer to me, Risu." He waves a hand then, that seeming to be his little quirk.
"I can tell you right now that Itami is alive and well." Perhaps this is the secret he meant to say? "In fact, she's even in this Village. We're very close friends. I was talking directly to her not twelve hours ago" How close they are, he doesn't say exactly. "Leaving Sunagakure was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do, that much I can promise you is truth. It's not a call she made lightly."
Risu blinks a few times, "Wait, Itami left? I… I thought she was just on a mission. I… didn't know she was leaving Suna. She.. she can't! She's a council member! I… they need her!" She stammers, looking suddenly very distraught, "Where is she? What is she doing? Why can't she stay in Suna?" She asks in rapid fire, turning to face Goh, "I… I need her. I can't… I can't make it through this without her. I need her!" She says, her voice almost cracking, in a sudden display of rather urgent emotion as she pleads with Goh. Talk of power, and all of that is lost in the back ground noise with the news about Itami, leaving Risu desperate to know where her only real friend is now, after Meimei vanished over a year ago.
"Like I said, it was the hardest call she's ever had to make." Goh says. "She resigned from her position on the Council and has been off travelling the lands since. There are a number of reasons for this, and I won't presume to speak on her behalf." He clears his throat.
"So she, like myself, is now a neutral wanderer. Unfortunately though, the public knows Itami as the Sunagakure Councilwoman. So until the news circulates that she is no longer part of the Village, she thought a disguise would be best. After all, she did not want her actions being mistaken as official actions of your Village. So she's taken up a different identity. A disguise, if you want to call it that. That's probably why you haven't heard anything about her recently."
It was a lot of information for Risu to take. He lets it sink in for a little bit. "Anyway, as a neutral, she decided to be a part of Jump. She even helped me set the whole place up, and is quite active with helping out the people there. So I see her quite often as a result."
As this news sinks in, Risu seems to lose it. At least she's not losing it in a very coherent way. This limits the threat a lot as she glares at Goh, "She's been helping you… you see her quite often?" She echoes softly then… not standing far from Goh tries to hit him with her hands, balled into fists, pounding on his chest if she can, but these strikes are not really meant to do damage as much as be an expression of her utter frustration, "I needed her! I'm losing my mind! I don't know what's happening to me and she's off helping /you/!? You give her back! You give her back right now! I need her! I can't control it! And no one is here to help and she's off helping you and your…." She trails off, into incoherent babbling as she slumps against Goh, bursting into tears, unable to hold things in anymore as she tries to cling to Goh just to keep on her feet.
"Hey… Hey." Goh gets out as friendly as he can. It's an assurance tone, trying to calm her down. As she pounds away, the blonde pickler sort of crouches, even going so far as embracing her as she bursts into tears against his body. His cloak wraps around her in a swift motion, acting as a shield against the elements. It doesn't do much, but he's found that kids like to be wrapped in things. It gives them a sense of protection. Comfort.
"I'm sorry." He intones simply. "But I want you to listen to me. Itami isn't gone for good. In fact, I can tell her about this whole thing and I'm sure she won't hesitate to come and give you help. I can give you help too. But I can't help you if I don't know the problem." He speaks in a soothing tone as best he can, before slowly releasing her once, or if she stobs sobbing.
"Do you think you're able to tell me what you need aid with? Explain what happens when you… I don't know. Lose it. And remember, deep breaths." He'll lift a hand to pat her on the head, a grin on his face. "You're safe here. I may not look it, but I'm strong. I can look after you."
Risu slowly pulls away from Goh and looks up into his eyes, her own face tear streaked, "I don't know what happens, I don't understand it…. but… I can show you. Only… only if I show you… it… it might leave me unbalanced again. That's when things go wrong. S… so…. Ah…"
Risu seems to hesitate a moment then asks, "Can you have the thing we're on stop? I don't want to hurt him if I'm going to show you." She says in all seriousness, apparently considering that her whatever it is might be a threat to something so huge? Curious. "It all started when I tried to find out my chakra affinity, only to have the chakra paper simply vanish in blackness… just gone." She tries to explain, "And then I found I could do things with it, and now…." She winces, "Now I can do a lot with it. I can show you… but… only if we stop and… and you promise to make sure I don't hurt anyone." She says softly, worriedly, waiting for an answer before she does anything.
Goh nods a little, standing up straight. "Very well." "Hear that, Ryo? Time to stop for now." — "Aye aye, Goh." The salamander booms in response, the swimming salamander coming to a stop so that the pair just sort of float there in the water. The pickler inhales a sharp breath, very curious about what was to happen. Chakra paper dissapearing into 'blackness' was not a jinchuuriki trait. As far as he knew, the chakra paper behaved as it should if they fueled their own chakra inside.
"If you want to jump on the water, that's also fine. But whenever you'r ready, Risu. I'll promise to do everything I can and make sure no-one, not me or Wanryo, is hurt because of your actions." And with this, his arms fall loosely by his side. Awaiting what the young Genin will get up to.
Risu takes a few steps back, and takes a deep breath. Then… focuses. Not summoning chakra just concentration. She looks out at the water and… makes a few small hand seals. The order is odd, not something that even an experienced Shinobi would recognize as going together, some how… wrong. And then darkness forms around Risu's hands. As she concentrates a streak of darkness extends outwards from her hands, out… out… until it reaches a spot perhaps 500 yards away, where it strikes the water. There…. an orb of darkness spreads outwards from the impact point, rapidly, everywhere it touches seems to vanish. Water that touches it flows into it as if there is no resistance as if over a waterfall creating a sudden current in that direction for Wanryo to deal with. The sphere grows to about 100 yards in diameter then… vanishes. When it does there is a sort of crash sound as air rushes in to fill the vaccuum left behind, and water floods the hole left in the ocean, but the ocean is huge and other than a sudden splash upwards when the water rushing in from all sides hits the center, there's no sign anything ever happened there.
Risu turns to Goh, "Wait…. there's more." Some how she seems actually energized by all that destruction not weakened. She turns to the other side of Wanryo and makes another series of hand gestures, this one still odd but not feeling as 'wrong' some how. Instead of a darkness there is a bright white element to the chakra around her hands and it extends outwards again, this time not nearly as far. And instead of destroying something, it appears as if Risu is… creating something. As the whiteness spreads, shimmers then vanishes what is left behind is what appears to be a giant wooden fish, about 50 yards long, floating on one side, all made of wood, bobbing in the water, scales carved into the side, one fin sticking slightly out of the water, the thing just bobbing there, as if someone just deposited it there after years of working on it. What's more for it's size it should have taken dozens or more trees, but it looks to be one solid piece of wood. "See?" She says softly, her demonstration done as she looks back to Goh, and bites at her lower lip, looking worried about what his reaction will be.
Goh just stares. On top of the head of Wanryo, he watches as a sort of… whirlpool appears in the middle of no-where, water running into it as if there is just empty space
He isn't sure what to say. Never had he seen anything like it. The closest thing he had seen that resembles something like technique was Fuu, the strongest being he had ever thought existed. Yet even he seemed to struggle with it. Risu on the other hand, was a kid, and looked energized. She had appeared to suffer little chakra loss, if any at all. Absorbtion capabilities? Maybe, though again, unlikely.
Turning on his foot a bit, he then spots the giant wooden fish comes out of no-where! And it's not like it was just a hunk of wood shaped like one. It was as if the fish had some serious time spent on it to make it a special way.
While staring the whole time, his expression doesn't change. It's a sort of neutral expression that is difficult to read — looking neither bothered or happy. However, this soon changes.
A hand lifts up to rest on Risu's shoulder. "Risu, in all my years of travelling the world, I've seen some truly special things. Seriously, you wouldn't believe some of the stories that I could tell you. But this is by far the most unique thing I've ever some across. And you know what that does? It makes you special." Smiling, he crouches once more. Hand still on the youngsters shoulder.
"What's even more impressive is your control. I have no idea what you just did, but I have no doubt it required at least some practice to control the space and such. Is this what Itami was helping you with?"
Risu shakes her head, "No, Itami left before… before I found out I could do any of this. It's only been a month or two… and I can't control it… If I use too much of the darkness it… it makes everything feel unbalanced. I… I get angry, I lash out. It seems to help some if I make something else right away, but if I don't…. it…. makes me…" She seems to be failing at the words, and gives a shrug. But… the fact that she apparently has gotten to this level in… a couple of /months/?? "That's what happened in the exam, they wouldn't stop attacking me. I even offered to give one of them my two scrolls if he'd just go away but he kept coming at me, because of the first one's death. And he died because he wouldn't stop fighting then fled while really badly hurt into the swamp… I found him later. I don't have fine control." Sure looks like she does by the fish but maybe that's not what she means? "And I didn't know how hurt he was already. Ryuunosuke… Senju Ryuunosuke and Senju Isato… they are the ones I killed." She says softly, "Ryuunosuke called me a monster… said I was one. I didn't mean to kill anyone." She says, as she looks down, "I really didn't."
"I believe you." Goh replies. "Listen to me, Risu. You're not a monster. Abilities that are unique to people don't make them a monster. What would make you a monster is if you did not feel anything. People that kill without emotions? They're monsters." Sniffing the air, he does nod. "While what happened in the exams is a tragedy, it is nothing that was in your control by the sounds of it. Does Sousa know about this at the very least? These skills you have, I mean. Or anyone else?" Obviously the pickler has had some dealings with the Kazekage, otherwise he would not be dropping the name so casually.
Wanryo chirps in all of a sudden. "I think it was pretty freakin' awesome! Goh, did you see how it just dissapeared and then came back? FWOOM!" The blonde smirks, before nodding. "Let's get moving again. The air is feeling stale around here."
Not a moment later they begin to start moving again, Wanryo swimming beneath. They start to turn, perhaps heading back to the memorial area where they were before.
Risu nods, "Sousa helped me figure some of it out, and the rest I got by trial and error and help from some others around Suna. During the exams…. several saw me do things, but… I think the only one alive who really saw what I could do is a Nara named Usagi. The rest I don't think… really saw." She grimaces, "I wiped out a chunk of the marsh and left a lake where there was a stone arena thingy… it's where I fought the two that died and… I was… upset. And now its all gone." She says as she takes a deep breath, "I don't know who the Nara has told, or who else might have seen. I… I didn't know I should be keeping it a secret, should I?" She asks as she apparently has given little to no thought about how her powers might mark her for kidnapping or worse. "I just want to talk with Itami… I miss her and… and I want to talk to her." She says as she shakes her head, "And everything is so confusing, so much more than it should be."
Goh doesn't really say anything right away. He just thinks, evidenced by the 'hmmm' that escapes his lips. "Trust me," He says finally. "Kirigakure officials will know all about what happened. It has agents inside the examination area, watching everything that goes down. The fact that you're out here and by yourself safely means a few things. One being that they have no idea how to approach it, as I imagine quite a few don't. Or that they were already aware that this could be a possibility. It seems unlikely to me that your Kazekage would let you enter the examination area with these sorts of gifts, not completely trained, not telling anyone. So he maye have forewarned others." He rubs his head a little. "Unfortunately I don't know for sure though.
Looking down to the girl as they approach the cliffs once more, he heaves a bit of a sigh. "I think you should try and track down Sousa. He can at least vouch for you and tell you what to do. Me as well. And Itami too, when we find her. Like I said, she's still in the Village somewhere."
They get to the cliff edges safely, not far off where the were originally. "Unfortunately this is where we have to part ways." He comments. "I'll try and keep an eye on you as much as I can, Risu. If I find Itami, I'll get her to be on the look out for you. Alright?"
Risu nods to Goh as he drops her off, "Okay, just…. please let Itami know I need her, please?" She almost begs, "And…. I'll try to find Sousa only… I'm afraid Kazekage doesn't know really all I can do, I've been learning as I go, so…" Explaining how she got out into the exams in the first place, if Sousa was unaware what Risu really could do after all. Risu ponders then says, "Hold on." She concentrates and makes a few hand seals and that white light is created again, only small and in her hands, very limited. When she's done she hands out to Goh a rather large, uncut, blue gem stone of some kind, "Here…. and thank you. I don't know… I don't know what will happen but thanks for listening." She says as she offers him the rather impressive 'reward' for just listening to her. That thing must be worth a small fortune. It definately is not made of wood, that's for sure.
