Starring:
Date: January 11, 2014
Summary:
Hiei finally tracks down Misaki only to find out that she has aligned herself with the Jincuuriki of other villages and being protected by other shinobi even though she's a Missing Nin of Kumogakure.
Poster's note: foul language filtered in obvious places.
"The Jinchuuriki Alliance?"
The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.
Two days. A short length of time for some, but an agonizingly long time perhaps for those without a typical means of passing the time. Shun belonged in the latter catagory thanks to Ayumu disappearing the instant Misaki drifted off to sleep. Though chargined, Shun stayed by Misaki's side in the Land of Rain, promising the younger girl that her companion had a very personal matter to tend to before they could move. She would not elaborate beyond that, except to mention that Ayumu requested that the went on to the dryer areas of the Land of Rain: The border wilds between the Land of Fire and Rain.
"Ohayo~"
Shun started and went to full alert. How did… "Ryoji-senpai." She stated dully. In answer, Ayumu waved as he stepped into the small forest clearing. "Ayumu, Shun-kohai. Now where is that rascally darling?"
Misaki was not at ease when sleeping. She wasn't before and even less so now. On top of that, she hated the land of rain. So she was out and about rather early. When Shun made Ryoji's intentions clear Misaki peers at Shun and crosses her arm rather stubbornly. "So he gets to have all the fun?" She chuckles and follows along for now. Perching an eyebrow as Ryoji seems to return already. "Well speaking of the devil."
Ayumu grins and does a short little bow, only to pause mid-way. "Hurm… Devilish handsome I have been called but a devil" He rises and waggles his fingers. "is something new. Now, how have thing proceeded in my absence?" He asks, though without his attention on anyone in particular it is hard to tell just who he was refering the question to. (re)
"Ehm, I slept… We moved to less rainy parts. I'm down for beating up some bandits… Aaaand that's about it. I don't know what Shun was doing." She looks at Shun and chuckles. "Except for creepily staring at me while I was sleeping." In truth she kind of appreciated the watchful eye and company. It helped her sleep ironically.
After a quick stop in Konoha to re-fuel, Hiei was back on the road. His body is leaned forwards, hands thrown out behind him…and he was moving fast. With a grim expression set on his face, he had crossed over into the Land of Rain…and he absolutely hated it. If he had any inclination to learn water jutsu before this, that is no longer the case. His feet hit the ground rapidly as he blazes down the trail. He murmurs to himself. "She's close. I can feel it." His hair is wet as it trails out behind him. The great thing about being from a moutain village, is that when in a lower atmosphere..he felt like he could run all day.
Ayumu nods in a mocking sagely manner at first, and then lofted a brow at Shun. Her only response is to give both Misaki and Ayumu a flat look before folding her legs together and close her eyes. She was refocusing on perimeter watch again. Albeit, only Ayumu would probably know that just from glance. "Mm, well, as fun as picking on the weak who prey on the weaker would be, we should get started head northward again." He glances up towards Shun. "… No point in wallowing around for a contact that refuses to show up." He murmurs.
You will no longer hear messages on channel <Public>.
You will no longer hear messages on channel <Adult>.
"Contact didn't show?" Misaki shivers for a moment. That's - not - good… "Didn't that contact you know, matter in making sure rain Shinobi don't interfere?" She sighs. "Lets go then!"
Hiei continues to run as he performs a handseal. "Release: Rapid Movement." A blue aura surrounds his body briefly before there is an additional burst of speed. A few minutes later, he spots people walking up ahead. Initially thinking that they might know where Misaki and the red haired shinobi might have gone, he puts on the breaks early, given the soggy ground. He slides several feet before he comes to a stop in a crouch just behind the group. He spots three people, two of which look familiar. He waits for a moment for the ground to settle before he stands up straight. "Misaki." He states.
"Hm? Oh! No no. That one was different. The one I was hoping to show up held — or so I hoped — information regarding—" Ayumu stops abruptly and turns sharply to glance behind him. The same direction Shun silently gestured for him to look before shifting into a more defensible position in her tree. It takes a moment or two more for Ayumu to actually narrow down his familiarity with the one that approached. The rich stink of mud that was overturned from Hiei's slowing down kind of stressed his capacity to do so. And then… Hiei speaks. "How interesting this has abruptly become." He says off-handily, turning fully now to face Hiei. He'd say more but was far too curious to see how the 'act' plays out first.
Misaki flinched at that voice. "You… Have got to be partnering me." She turns around, slowly, peering over her shoulder first at the direction of his voice. "Didn't I tell you to keep your distance!?" She says, with an angry firm undertone in her voice. "It's not too late you know…"
Hiei exhales slowly. He sees that she was still angry. He looks over at Ayumu first and inclines his head in greeting. "Iga-san. When I heard that Misaki was in the company of a red haired shinobi, I suspected that it might be you. It's good to see you again, though I wish it were under better circumstances." He then turns his attention to Misaki. "I didn't really believe that you'd leave. But the Lord Raikage dispatched me to find you…and it wasn't easy." He takes a few steps forwards. "Misaki..this situation can still be salvaged. Come home. Please. I asked that I be allowed to bring you back."
All is absorbed. Nothing is left to chance. The air of non-chalance wavers for a moment when Hiei adresses him first, but the Iga managed to recover and take things in stride from then on. Mostly. "Seems I underestimated the spy network of others if you learned that much." He murmured, glancing away and stroking his chin with a look of mild discontent. His gaze goes to Misaki next, guaging what her response may be pre-emptively. He could only hope that it was not of the explosive kind. Knowing the girl as he did however, the Iga did not place much faith in that not being the case.
"Right, directly back to that village where my ex-boyfriend resides, who-oh-by the way was taught how to kill me and seal part of my soul in a bottle. Which, by the way is rather impossible on your own. But still, he got taught how ironic it might sound.." She pauses. "You know, that ex-boyfriend who broke up with me via a LETTER of all things?" She pauses. "That one that made someone who could barely trust her own shadow believe they'll always be together. The one that engages that girl and then drops her via a freaking letter.." She pauses. "Back to the village with a clueless Raikage, or perhaps I should say prison.." She pauses again. "Who's really butthurt to have lost one of the villages weapons." She crosses her arms. "One he's willing to put down should the weapon make a remote 'eep' sound that wasn't expected. I mean lets not forget we're dealing with a demon here. Not two living beings." She turns around and looks at Ryoji. "I'm quite happy here. Leave me be… You know what will happend when you come after me. I wasn't lying or bluffing. The village is safe, don't make me compromise that because of the Raikage's broken ego.." She sighs. "Or your own…"
Hiei closes his eyes for a moment to reign in his emotions. "That was a mistake. One that I will never atone for. But this is bigger than you and me. You know the Raikage will never stop hunting you. At least come back to tell him how you feel. Ogosokamaru-sensei isn't unreasonable. You know that. The fact that you are the village's weapon should tell you what his next step will be. He'll send Kamen Rai Da. And they won't care enough about you to bring you back alive or kill you and retrieve Matatabi to be passed on to a new host. I don't want that for you. But I /will/ bring you back…even if I have to do it by force. You know me well enough to know that."
Ayumu rubbed his forehead and lets out a heavy sigh after hearing all that Misaki had to say. Truth be told, the red-headed wonder was divided between wanting nothing more than to physically distance himself from the situation at hand and wanting to tone things down a notch. "Mmm, Doing so by force won't end any better than the Kamen Rai Da pursuit team… If anything, It'd mean rending that mind of yours further… Some you aughta know before now, Hiei-kun." Ayumu says, smiling weakly but rubbing at his chest. All the teenage angst in the air was doing him no good. "Worst yet, While I can't claim it to be one way or another with confidence. If Misaki darlings ties with Matatabi is as she has said then things will look even grimmer for any new host."
Misaki smiles and touches the feather on her head. She's been wearing that ever since her brief disappearance just before leaving Konoha after the exams. "Know what this is?" She looks at Ryoji, the man is wise… Perhaps he has a clue (he might have seen Mushi her bird, if he did.. He knows what it is) "This belongs to another Jinchuuriki, who knows two more." She pauses. "If you touch me, she will know. And she promised me she will not rest, nor will the other Jinchuuriki, until everything is laid to ash… If Kamen lays a finger on me." She pauses. "Ogo isn't unreasonable, so now you have your message to pass onto him. Either he accepts my generous peace offer, or he signs the death warrent of thousands. "This same Jinchuuriki helped me fight something greater than me or Matatabi. We don't know what it was, and we don't care either. It's dead now. But my so called allies were no where to be found. Oh yes, you wanted to help me fight Matatabi. Well we found what was breaking down the seal. It wasn't time.." She pauses. "Some sort of ugly parasite. I don't even know, it was huge.. spoke some weird language. Even Matatabi didn't know." She shrugs. "It's in the past, dead now… Matatabi and I are good now, no more weird swings …" She looks at Hiei. "But you showed me your true colours. Murderers and liars, all of you…" She looks at Ayumu. "Matatabi doesn't want a new host. I'm his host because he wanted to help me survive … To help us make a brighter world." She looks at Hiei. "And all he…. - they - want is death…."
Hiei looks over at Ayumu. "I don't want to. But if Suna's jinchu deserted the village. What would you do?" He looks back at Misaki and his gaze hardens. "I am a Kumogakure shinobi and I have my duty. If your friends lay waste to the village, then that is our fate. You would slaughter the children of Kumo. The kids that looked up to you like Saito Arashi. My own students, Hebisuuhai Misa and Reizei Ryouji…would understand. They would understand because they made the same oath that I did. The same oath that you made and then abandoned. Right now you remind me of someone that I used to respect, someone who turned his back on everything because he was too immature to understand that in this life, we don't always get what we want." He takes a step forwards, committed to his chosen course of action. "I would have been there for you, Misaki. I still love you. But I love my home..my family as well. Allowing you to run amuck is something that I can't allow." He reaches behind him to draw one of the swords on his back, the katana. The one they forged together in the Land of Iron. "I beg of you. Don't make me do this. Please listen to reason."
Ayumu looks back to Misaki from the corner of his eyes but adds not a word more before letting his gaze focus back on Hiei. The immediate question is answered with a flat. The 'boy' really did not want to hear him respond to that question. Or should it be say, wished he had not if Ayumu had done so verbally.
He straightens out and stuffs his hands into his pocket, listening and noting all. Words dance at the tip of his tongue. Warnings to be exact. However, he held his tongue in check for now and instead focused his attention towards Shun. Or at least where Shun once was…
Misaki rubs the bridge of her nose. Looking at Hiei. "You're the one being unreasonable. Do you just want me to be miserable? Because… For a moment there.." She chuckles. "For a moment I thought I was truely happy.." She shakes her head. "You know, until I found out it…. You was based on lies." She looks at Hiei, sternly now. "Ryoji won't let you harm me. If not because he's gentleman enough to not let you attack an unarmed person just trying to be left alone.." She looks at Ryoji. "Something he must understand… The need to be left alone." She looks back at Hiei. "Then because he knows that a sword-strike will do one of two things. Either it will unleash a rampaging Jinchuuriki. Or it will unleash a rampaging me, followed by a Jinchuuriki…." She pauses. "Or I have a trick up my sleeve, and you do nothing but cause a war with forces you can't begin to understand…." She sighs "I don't mean to hurt anyone. Can't you see you're making me? Why don't you go away!? If I go to the village, what's going to happend? I'm just changing the time of my execution. If you want to try to kill me, I won't stop you. I'm unarmed, it's just more proof … More confirmation that you're not the person I thought I knew. But hey, nothing in my life turns out to be true. Nothing but pain if I trust anything but myself… Or a total stranger.." She looks at Ryoji. The second person she could rely on…. You know, who didn't backstab her.. In her eyes. Also a stranger, much like the first. A particularly …. understanding Jinchuuriki.
Hiei replies. "I'm not afraid. If I die here, then I die in the service of my Raikage. You can spin this however you like. The fact of the matter is, I have orders to bring you back to the village. I can't just walk away, Misaki." He shifts his gaze over to Ryoji. "I can't stop him from getting involved. If he chooses to protect you then I'll have to fight him. I know in my heart that I can't defeat him…but as I've told you before." He sighs. "Sometimes in life you have to give up the things you want the most in order to do your duty." He smiles faintly. "And I also know you well enough to know that you're never unarmed." He pauses. "Fight me. For old time's sake. If I am defeated, I will return to Kumogakure. If I win..you return to the village with me."
Ayumu's gaze drifts even further from Misaki at the gentleman part, and so to the rest of his attention for the most part. It would not be until Hiei mentions something about 'getting involved' that the former wanderer manages to focus again. He shooks his head, clearing the last few tenacious thoughts from mind. Then held up both his hands in one ditch effort to avert a crisis. "A breather for a moment friends?" He says warily. "Just one… *clears throat* Hiei. Would it be wise to tussle with a Jinchuuriki within this land of all places?" He turns to Misaki. "… And Misaki, though the likely-hood of your.. fears are high, Do you really, truly wish to tread upon this path?"
Misa is not connected.
Unable to page: Misa
"It can't be avoided…" She simply tells Ryoji. "It's the only way I'll be left alone." She sighs. "But no, I don't… My alternative is dying. And I'm not doing that either. Not to myself, and not to Matatabi." She waits. "I was hoping our travels would lead us to the land of tea, so I could become the first tea Shinobi… That would mean I'd have the tea Daimyo's backing, which might mean I would be left alone. Since he is a former Kumo Shinobi.." She pauses. "Or to gain your trust and join Suna… I wasn't planning on saying that so plainly. But someone decided to muck it up… And I have a feeling you're smart enough to probably have figured that out!
Hiei looks over at Ayumu and sticks his sword in the ground. He exhales softly and looks frustrated. "She is being so difficult! If she had just talked to Ogo before she decided to run off we wouldn't be here right now!" He looks back at Misaki. "You can't just throw a temper tantrum and leave just because you want to. The world doesn't work that way. What did you think would happen? That you would threaten us and we would be cowed by it!?" He snorts. "I've already informed Shuuren-sama to be on the lookout for you. He's a former Kumo shinobi…do you think he'd risk open warfare between the Land of Tea..which my aunt and uncle just so happen to be diplomats in..and the Land of Lightning?" He looks over at the older shinobi. "She's worried that Kamen Rai Da would kill her. But I would make sure that they didn't. I wasn't lying before when I said that I got permission to find her before it all blew up in her face." He looks back at Misaki. "I can guarantee the KRD wouldn't touch you. I am Kamen Rai Da!"
Ayumu bowed his head and began scratching at the back of it in frustration. He anticipated some of what Misaki finally spoke aloud, but even then, the red-headed wonder held out hope for a different outcome. Misaki is a political nightmare; especially now that Ayumu had Hiei's insight to her other choice. Wait — "Your a Kamen Rai Da already now?" He asks, though a second later he waved his hand dismissively before bowing his head in thought. Thinking. He hated himself enough, so he thought… and thought… and kept on thinking, delaying the inevitable.
"You're a puppet for a Raikage who is as blind as the earthworms you find in these lands…" She pauses. "Duty… honour, uniting orders." She shakes her head. "Utterly incapeable of thinking for youself. All you want is getting your mission done, regardless of outcome." She pauses. "Know why killed my parents? Ogo might have told a story, but I have been told more things. He was in Kamen, Kamen was ordered to kill my parents. I'm almost sure he was the one doing it. For what? For wanting to get away from a village making their lives miserable. For trying to keep me out of a mess like this!" She pauses. "Why can't you guys understand ENOUGH? I'm DONE…."
Hiei crosses his arms over his chest. "When I was Genin, my friends and I dismantled the corrupt Kamen Rai Da from the inside out. Since then, I had been training in secret to join their ranks. When Ogo became Raikage, he saw my potential. Who better to make sure they stay honest than the man who destroyed them? It was the reason I was promoted." He looks at Misaki. "I can't help what happened to your parents. And it happened under the old regime. Your hatred for Ogo stems from the fact that you feel he wasn't a good sensei to you. At one time I felt the same. But we're older now. We don't need him to train us anymore. If it were true what you say about me being blind, I would have attacked you already." He growls. "That's just it, Misaki. You don't get to say when you're done." He retrieves his sword. "You're hell bent on this course of action. I've done my best to sway you with words. My team isn't far behind me. I had hoped to finish this before they got here. Iga-san, I implore you to please stand aside. I have village business to conduct." He strikes a high-guard stance and says in an authoritative voice. "Sayamoto Misaki. I arrest you in the name of the Raikage. Submit or be taken by force."
He doesn't comply. Nor did he even give any indication he had heard. Ayumu merely kept his head bowed in deep thought, propping up his arms and hands in such a way as to keep from keeling forward after a time. He really, truly, and undoubtly should allow Hiei to conduct his business and be off with his own. It was expected of him now from the village, Ei, and himself. But still he could neither move or answer…
Misai says, "Ayumu, are you going to help me? If you're not, I recommend you get very far away from here… This might get ugly…"
Hiei gathers his resolve and moves to slide around Ayumu. "Iga-san..please. You understand, right? You know I can't walk away. I swore an oath."
Ayumu chuckled deresively underbreath. 'Might' was putting it mildly. The chuckle came out right before he sensed Hiei making his move. He gave no indication of having noted it however. He only lifted his gaze to stare unerringly straight ahead. It would not be until Hiei stepped that one foot too close to Ayumu before the Iga made his move. "I do… We all have our oaths to keep after all." 'And break'
The distance between them is closed within a heart beat. He struck fast and twice over. A simple seeming palm strike to the gut, and one to Hiei's main sword arm. If the first hit Hiei would find it hard to keep his lunch in. Let alone defend against the second strike. A real muscle render despite what the surface might reveal. Regardless of success or failure, Ayumu's face is devoid of all emotion.
Misaki begins weaving seals, looking directly up in the sky, about to exert enough chakra to blow over a tree. Then she pauses, looking at Ryoji… Her mouth falls open. A tear forming in her eyes.. "T..t.thank you." She was planning on signaling and letting our the bijuu's chakra. Enough to let the Konoha Bijuu… Or Jinchuuriki investigate. Or at least get rain Shinobi swarming. But that would endanger Ryoji, so she decided to postpone that, instead she focusses a little of her own chakra, leaving Matatabi out of the loop. If Ryoji or Hiei had any sensory abilities, they would likely notice that. Since her own chakra network is not all that impressive.
When Ayumu struck out towards Hiei, his hand moves right through him as he temporarily increased his speed to move out of the way. When the second strike comes, he evades in a dazzling display of flips and rolls. He crouches several feet away from the two of them. "Iga-san. You would risk open warfare rather than let me do my job?" He shakes his head. He makes a series of handseals. "Release: Lightning Dynamic." A blue aura surrounds his body and then dissapates. His muscles expand as lightning begins to encircle his body. The armor he wears begins to glow as it cycles his lightning chakra. He breathes in and out slowly. "I don't want to fight you."
The mask lifts, but not for Misaki's sake. Her presence was only a foot note compared to Hiei's display of agility. All is noted. All is absorbed. The response is a simple, "No." He had a plan, but it all rested on Shun, hidden opposition, and the lengths in which Hiei went to do his 'job'. Ayumu hoped it was of the flashy kind. The Yotsuki weren't exactly known not do so after all.
Signlessly, Ayumu's chakra builds high and higher as the man loosened his sash just enough to slip the upper half of his dress robe off. More chakra builds and focused now towards a certain area… He could feel them itching for the trigger. He hoped the watchers would stay just that for a while longer. "Ever your servant, Omoikane." He murmurs to softly to be heard.
Misaki decided she needed a way out. "Team this… Ryoji, something's going to happend. When it does, let it… I might rendevouz later… Lets focus on this matter first though, this will take a minute to build… And I think it's the most peaceful way out…" She pauses and sits down, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees, seeming to meditate for a moment. "Cover me!" She says…. As she slowly begins to grow blue… "And no, I'm not doing a beast transformation." She adds, as she noticed it was one of Ryoji's worries…
Misaki has left.
Misaki has arrived.
Daisuke has arrived.
Hiei looks between the Iga and Misaki. He could force the issue now and most likely be defeated. The Yotsuki's pride wanted him to stay. To leave would betray everything he believed in. But Ogo needed to know what happened here. And it looked like his team wasn't going to get here in time. "Iga-san, you were the first person to hire me as a shinobi. You put me on the path that made me the man I am. I'll always be grateful to you for that." His eyes shift to the meditating Misaki. "Misaki is the Kumogakure Jinchuuriki. Even if I fail to bring her home, we'll never stop chasing her. She'll be an outcast with an army on her heels. Nowhere she goes will be safe. Misaki do you really want a life on the run? Is that truly the freedom that you seek? This is treason. You know that."
"No, the one commiting treason is you. I stay true to my oath. The only oath I ever took as you might recall. Now, before my ride out of here is here, I recommend you leave… Leave Ryoji out of this.." She looks at Ryoji. "Thank you for being the sweetheart you are.." She says while calmly continuing her meditation, transmitting the chakra as best she can. Her eyes changing colours gradually as the cloak slowly begins forming by her feet. An inevitable effect or biproduct from transmitting so much beast chakra. "You decided you can't leave me alone. So I decide to run, to leave.. To hide, because I'm trying to avoid conflict. I don't want to hurt you or Kumo, but you seem hell-bent on the opposite. If you want me to reconsider? Next time … Maybe sent a letter. I hear those are great ways to communicate.." She throws Hiei a snarly stare with two different sets of eyes. Right now, it wasn't just her looking at him directly. "But in all seriousness, talk to me to talk to me, not to bring me back. And maybe I'll be more inclined to listen. For now, I choose to live." She looks at Ryoji. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this.." She then closes her eyes to focus on transmitting her chakra.
Stoically, Ayumu listens to both Hiei and Misaki. He still remain resolved to see the course that now lay before him… Regardless of the consequences. Still, the briefly twitching corner of his eyes betrayed him to some degree. "Apologizes unnecessary." He stated dully.
Hiei looks between the two again before he says to Misaki. "That's your point of view. But fine." She had allies, but so did he. It was time to call in some old favors and markers. Throught his travels, Hiei had gotten to know some pretty powerful shinobi, not just from his own village but from others. "I'll find you again. Next time I won't be foolish enough to think you would listen to reason. And I won't be alone." He forms a handseal as a bolt of crimson lighting descends from the sky to strike in front of him, along with the booming sound of thunder. Hiei uses this to leave the area at high speed. He would return to Kumogakure and report in. This was going to get interesting.
Hiei's words… He would hate for word to reach back to Kumogakure. It is for that reason why he began altering the plan in mind. Before anything can come of those thoughts, things change rapidly. Sensing the high concentration of Ozone in the air, Ayumu tenses up, readying himself to defend against an impending attack. He was wrong. For that, Ayumu could only watch from those scattered extra-sensory organs throughout the land as Hiei took off almost as fast as the very lightning strike he produced.
With a weary sigh and a shake of his head, Ayumu turned to ask something of Misaki. The words catch in his throat though, leaving him with no choice except to put his shirt on and work on getting in contact with Shun again. Well that AND clean up their campsite as quickly as possible and move on before either the Ame nin or Konoha border patrol decided to investigate.
Like a bat out of hell, or at least a man riding a cloud, Daisuke makes his way into the area, soaring above the trees on his Nimbus. He had picked up the prior message and the chakra Misaki has been sending out and finally seems to have located her. Coming down closer to the ground, he notices Ayumu moving off towards a campsite and Misaki standing there leaking chakra. The girl clearly needed a lot of work. Daisuke sighs and shakes his head, moving through the trees to appear in front of Misaki. "And what's all this, then?" he asks, "On the Konoha border no less."
"No time to explain, Ame nin will be here in a second… Just carry me out of here. Ryoji … hide.." She walks up to Hiei, and half glowing with Bijuu chakra she begins hopping up, stopping the transmission, but clearly rather tired. "I'll explain when we're safe. Konoha if need be, if you can promise they won't extradite me to Kumo. Mushi said I could trust you. If I go there they'll likely kill me." She looks at Daisuke. "Do I have your word?"
