sixth sense misery.

[koira]

Whimper...
A head hidden in a hood of a ragged brown cloak lowered, invisible eyes watched the puppy who nuzzled her worn sandals. Under the hood, the fragile human nibbled at a small bread; the kind lady of a bakery had given it to her. Sigh. One glance at those pleading brown eyes of the little creature showing its affection towards a stranger helped the young miserable make her choice: small hands tore the bread to two, the bigger of the two pieces was offered to the puppy. The dog wagged its tail once, twice, small teeth stole the bread quickly, and in another second the abandoned fur ball was already running away. What was left of the bread disappeared in two bites.

Life had been like this for some time now. Boring. If she had been stronger back then, faster, smarter...

The small figured flinched, under the hood her sharp fang was dug deep into her soft bottom lip. No, she didn't want to remember. Didn't want to feel. There was no human in this lonely place, dusty street, at the corner of the city; only a ghost. And that's what people said: only ghosts lived here. Ghosts, and people who didn't want to be found. People, who were already dead.

[hotaru]

Rumor had it that when the Kikkawa family was disposed of in the tunnel leading to the village, one person survived. According to reports, she was a young woman who still lived in hiding within the village. Having studied the reports on the attack extensively, she had committed the girls face and name to memory. Kikkawa Saya was perhaps the oldest active member of that accursed family, but she was the one piece of the puzzle crucial to even beginning the investigation.

Crimson optics scanned the streets of the village, searching for someone who would match her description. As luck would have it, the Kusakage would catch a glimpse of a face hidden by a tattered old cloak that caused a burst of adrenalin to pump through her body. Stopping in her tracks outside of the bakery, an inquisitive look contorted her face as she asked the hooded figure "Kikkawa Saya?"

[Masakuni]

Masakuni followed Hotaru through the streets of Kusgakure, his eyes alert and aware. His mask was clipped to his waist, his scarf drawn up around his mouth, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his katana. It was a strange sensation, to have a known family of enemies in the village. Nearly all had died, but a few still ghosted around to hidden village, branded with their family’s shame. It couldn’t be an enjoyable experience.

He watched the hooded girl silently. He could see it in her; the despair and the loss of purpose. He lowered his hand to his side, sighing lightly and glancing at Hotaru. He didn’t know what was going to conspire, but no matter what, sadness was going to be the end result. This meeting would end with sadness. He remained silent, watching the exchange with a heavy heart.

[koira]

Footsteps... Not important. Most likely they belonged to one of the other ghosts that haunted this empty place. The lonely being didn't move, her eyes stayed where the puppy had stood. So full of life...

These steps were different. Something was about to change... They stopped.

"Kikkawa Saya?"

The creature woke up now: the head that had been lowered for so long was lifted, and the hood fell to her back, revealing short, black hair and gold striped green eyes that were widened, surprised. Her features were delicate, misery hadn't damaged her careless beauty. But, those special eyes showed nothing deeper: She was like a doll. Empty.

"This is an honor...", her pink lips whispered quietly. Now there was another being, another living...

They had finally found her, but for some reason, she didn't care. It would be over now, everything, she was a criminal and a murderer; all over, didn't care... Kikkawa, her own blood, oh how she was sorry, sorry, sorry...

"I'm ready", she muttered, "but I'm not coming without a fight. Kill me now, and I won't try anything funny."

[hotaru]

Hotaru was shocked at the utter emptiness the girl displayed. A monotone timbre floated stale in the air, there was no fight left in her. She had become a shell of her former self. Feeling an odd sense of empathy towards the young woman, Hotaru knew the sorrow of the loss of a family member.

"We just want to talk, we haven't come to hurt you."

Trying to reach out to the Kikkawa, she spoke again.

"My name is Hotaru, and this is Shikyozukai. We wanted to ask you about the day your family was killed. We want to avenge their death."

Though this wasn't entirely true, her brethren would finally allowed to be put to rest with the mystery of their death brought to a close. Hotaru was treading lightly. There was bad blood between the Hanakora and the Kikkawa, and she didn't want to upset the girl by insulting her dead family.

[Masakuni]

Shikyozukai Masakuni closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. He was ready, then, if it came to that. He didn’t want to have to fight this girl, however. He didn’t want to raise his hand against someone who had already lost so much. It took supreme effort not to put his hand on his katana, but he did so. He simply looked back and forth from Hotaru to Saya, waiting for what was to come.

“We will bring the truth back to you,” Masakuni said gently. He knew of the bad blood between the Kikkawa and the Hanakora. Perhaps it would help the girl to hear it from someone else. “I swear it.” How much the word of a masked man was worth, he didn’t know. But he offered it nonetheless. He had only been a shinobi of the Grass for a short time, but he could not watch someone suffer like this.

[koira]

Just talk? They wanted to just talk with someone who had left the village and gone missing, returned out of her own stupidity... And love. They were liars. Ignorant liars. But, when she heard what they wanted to know...

Suddenly the girls eyes sharpened, and let her gaze wander like a person who had just woke up; looking for a way out. That day... Her chest began to rise and fall faster and she brushed the cloak away from her shoulders with one careless movement, revealing an old kimono under it. That day... And, she stood up quickly, ignoring the two for a second. Her hip pouch was attached to the side of the kimono, and her right hand dove quickly in, taking out a small brown bag. While she opened it carefully, a new sound took over the ghostly area: cold giggle, released from her slightly parted lips.

"You want to avenge my family, Hotaru-chan, Zuka-kun? Then you have to kill me, for I was the one who killed them. Wiped away my beloved family, while the akuma... the akuma was watching."

After the first sentence, her hand threw something from the small bag before her own legs; not at the two, for they would probably do something painful, like shonobi used to. When she had spoken those awkward words, a single hand seal was formed: If Saya guessed right, a seal very familiar to the lady in front of her. As if to reassure her, the Kikkawa spoke the name of the jutsu, clearly and calmly:

"Puranto Ninpou... Haeru."

As soon as the seal had been formed, the ground around the Kikkawa would be covered in white lilies and daisies: To give her rare quests a show, she had decided to use something more flashy than the basic form of the jutsu would create.

"You don't want to avenge them, Hotaru... You want to get rid of us. Everyone did. Am I your hero, Hotaru-chan...?"

For so long, she had been alone, ashamed, dwelling in her guilt. But, the akuma... Saya flinched again as the painful memories came to her. Why had he left her alive, that demon? Was it her destiny, meaning, to find him...? The smile died on her lips, and her eyes found the Kage's again, staring, intense. Now she was serious, she cared, she felt. She was a kunoichi, who had nothing left to lose; a girl, who had lost everything because of her kindness.

Puranto Ninpou : Haeru
Rank: E
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: A basic technique of the Hanakora, where the user molds a certain type of chakra to feed it to the clan’s special seeds and make them sprout into flowers. With other techniques, the seeds can grow into different kinds of plants.
Drawback: ---
Special: Handseal: Serpent
Description: This is the first clan technique for the members of Hanakora to learn, since it’s needed for many other techniques. The user spreads the needed amount of seeds in the desired area and uses then the Serpent seal to make the seeds sprout into flowers instantly – almost as soon as the seal has been formed, the flowers are ready for use. The seeds will always respond to Haeru chakra, no matter where the seeds are when the technique is used: One bag of the Hanakora seeds can become a full-sized, flower filled meadow even in sand and snow, or while floating on water. The basic form of Haeru creates red, blue, white and yellow daisies, but by molding their chakra in a slightly different way, the user can also create other kinds of flowers.
Limit: Hanakora technique

[hotaru]

There was a suddenly a change within the girl. It was subtle, but a strange force seemed to over take her, causing her numbed personality to fade away. . . revealing her true, tormented self. Dark orbs emptily searched the area as her breathing increased and became erratic. Suddenly, a small, familiar pouch was removed from her garment. Those can't be. . . Hotaru thought, gazing at the woman in confusion. Suddenly, a cold and terrifying laugh slid past her lips, dancing on the breeze to chill the Kusakage to the bone.

After the devious chuckle, she confessed that she was the one who brought and end to her family. Even though she hadn't witnessed the attack, she knew it wasn't true. All the reports stated it was an outside force. But why would she confess to such a crime? Did she feel guilty? Did she think she had let them die? Her heart swelled with sympathy, until the girl spoke once more. 3 short words flipped a switch within the Hanakora. 3 words very dear to her heart.

"Puranto Ninpou... Haeru."

With her sympathy shattered by her clan's technique used by one of those she most despised, rage consumed her entire form. Her fists clenched tightly until her knuckles turned white and her face became hot with anger.

"How. . . dare. . .you."

Her voice, though quiet, would cause even the most hardened criminal to think twice before crossing her. Taunts continued to drip from Saya's mouth; their sacrine words filling the air with the sweet promise of revenge. Finally, her patience cracked. Nimble fingers formed handseals as fast as her years of experience would allow, pushing chakra through the air and into the Kikkawa girls brain. Quickly, Hotaru would appear to vanish as dust in the wind. Saya would find it impossible to move as the roots of a tree crawled up her body, binding her to the wooden structure. Her disembodied voice would echo through to the air.

"You didn't kill your family. Even now, the prospect of taking a life terrifies you. I see the doubt in your eyes. The same doubt that you had on that day years ago. Tell me who did this so this demon will stop haunting you. Tell me so you can become free."

SPOILER: Click to show

Magen: Jubaku Satsu (Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death)
Rank: "B" Rank
Skill: GenJutsu
Effect: A Jutsu that is made where the opponent stays in place, and is unable to move for a brief moment. While the opponent is unable to move for that brief moment the user comes from behind to stab the opponent with a kunai or another type of weapon in a close range manner.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: The opponent must be looking at the User. It does not have to be the eyes, but at least must be looking at the opponent.
Description: When the user performs the handseals, the user suddenly disappears from the opponent's eyes in a shimmering form. When the user disappears from the very sense of sight of the technique, the opponent will find themselves incapable of moving for a brief moment of time as a large tree begins to form along the very ground. The tree grows larger and larger as it begins to wrap its branches around the very user. As this is done then the opponent is incapable of moving at all in any type of movement unless they are capable of escaping the GenJutsu. When everything is safe and the opponent is in the clear of moving that is when the user shows their face by doing what is considered to be "morphing" from the tree appearing on top or around the opponent as they would use a melee style attack against the opponent.
Limit: Must know Phantasm Perception

[Masakuni]

It took only a few moments for the entire tone of the interaction to change. It started with the simplest of things; the use of an innocent Hanakora technique, tumbling from the hands of the broken Kikkawa. In an instant, as the flowers bloomed from the earth, the calm was shattered, replaced by tension sharp enough to tear itself to shreds. The dripping rage coming off of Hotaru was something Masakuni had never seen from her before. It was something… exciting.

“Hyouton: Kooritai Soshiki,” He murmured, forming the appropriate hand seals as Hotaru worked some strange Genjutsu on the girl. He couldn’t see it, but he assumed it had something to do with binding her in place, if the girl’s reaction was anything to judge by. Before her, ice would slide from the earth, reflective on one side and transparent on the other, like a two-way mirror. Masakuni would step calmly closer to it, unclipping his mask and hanging it off of his belt. Hotaru had the right course of action in mind, but he knew the psychology game, and how to play it.

“Look at it.” He urged. “Look at yourself.” His voice became lower, more commanding. “Look at yourself, girl… You did not kill your family, you couldn’t… Your family was killed by a demon.” He paced slowly, ensuring her gaze was fixated on herself. It was a simple technique for non-physical interrogation, derived off of a basic principle; no one can lie to their own face. The girl wasn’t far gone enough to truly believe she was the actual murderer, even if she blamed herself. Her own reflection would judge her, silently, demanding the truth that she hid. “Do you see the demon, girl? You’re not a demon. Just a girl haunted by one, a girl who could never take a life… You didn’t kill your family…” He watched her intently.

“Show me the demon, girl. Tell me who the demon is.” He urged. “Tell the truth.” If she was as psychologically damaged as she seemed to be, by now she might even be hallucinating that it was her own reflection speaking to her, and not the unseen man behind it. He hated to do this to her, but there wasn’t many other ways…

Hyouton: Kooritai Soshiki, 氷 流儀 : 氷 様態 敷設, (Ice Style: Ice Form Construction)
Rank: C, C, B, B
Skill: Ninjutsu
Effect: The user forms more basic and elaborate constructions out of ice.
Special: "Handseals"
Drawback: These constructions will melt if made of mundane ice and left out in the heat. None of the creations may be offensive forms.
Description: The user forms the hand seals, focusing chakra into their surroundings. These surroundings will erupt into being with ice creations formed from the air, or alternatively the snow. The forms created are not offensive forms, but instead mundane creations formed of ice. When the user first learns the C rank version of this technique, the user may create simple objects, like chairs and tables. When the user learns the second level, they may form mundane ice creations in a five-meter cube around them, such as walls, doors, windows, boxes, and so on. When the user learns the B rank version of this technique, the ice becomes more resilient and stronger, allowing them to form creations in a fifteen-meter cube. When the user learns the second B rank, they may form larger creations that conform to a thirty-meter cube. These creations are as hard as the ice they form from, and are no more resilient than that, and only as resistant to heat as the ice they form from. This is a commonly used technique by Snow Ninja to form shelters in the far north.
Limit: Must have Hyouton. Must have Hyouton: Hyourou.

[koira]

Ah, how tense...

The creation of her flowery field was not meant as an offensive move, but since then, things began to get more interesting. Saya didn't try to resist the Genjutsu; of course, she couldn't tell it was one, either. Soon the lost girl found herself unable to move, bound by roots, piece of nature she usually thought as her ally. But, no, she didn't try to struggle.

"How dare I use the skills my own mother taught me, ninjutsu which belongs to me, my blood right? Is this how you treat a sister...?" Saya spoke calmly, cold confidence lingering around her like an aura.

The words of the Kage only fed her anger; she didn't know what the Kikkawa had done. And, before she even got a chance to realize what was happening, her own special eyes stared back at her, surprised, but still rather cold. Look at yourself... And, she did. But, they didn't know the truth: she did, she stared at a murderer. No attempt at a good deed goes unpunished.

"You two, you don't care about the Kikkawa... You want to know about the akuma, right? The one with the powers of Hell itself. You will never know if you kill me. Ah, I suppose I could tell you, the truth about what happened to the Kikkawa, and the words of the akuma... But, I want you to give me three promises, three wishes in return... If you refuse to grant my three wishes, I will bite off my tongue, and take the secrets with me to the grave. Three wishes, and a promise. If you have any pride, you will give me my wishes, or leave the country if you forget even one of them. Leave, and never come back: swear this to me, sister... Zuka-kun here will be our witness."

Her eyes, staring at her own reflection, showed no hesitation anymore. She knew what she wanted, and how she would test these people... What had happened between her and the akuma was their own dark secret: They would have to pay for it.

She stood still, as she had to, and waited.

[hotaru]

Fighting back the urge to slit the womans throat on the spot, Hotaru quietly and coldly spoke through gritted teeth.

"Bloodright!? How dare you use that term against me. Those techniques are my blood. My soul. My family. You lost the privilege of calling them yours when you sat back and watched your family destroy this village. Do you know how much blood you spilled? How many souls you damaged? How many families you destroyed? All because of the whims of your fickle brethren. You are no more my sister than a fleck of dust or a slime covered snail."

Her voice reached a crescendo, wailing out through the streets of the village. The girl continued to speak, demanding three wishes in exchange for the information they sought. Fists clenched under the veil of the illusion, hiding the utter frustration that riddled every fiber of her body. She would have to at least pretend to accept her conditions if this interrogation was going anywhere. What could she possibly want? Restraining herself took every ounce of energy she had, and God help the Kikkawa should one of her demands push the Hanakora over the edge. Heavy breaths were audible to the surrounding area, sliding past her lips with a sound reminiscent of a threatened snake.

"What are your demands?"

Your move Saya.

[Masakuni]

Masakuni let the veil of ice collapse before him, swiftly clipping his mask back on. He simply stared at the girl, watching and waiting. He crossed his arms, his position one of almost nonchalant apathy. But beneath his mask, he was smoldering. There was hate, rage, and despair in the air. Things from both of them that he had never heard, especially not from the sweet girl known as Hotaru. She was hateful, spiteful. He could only imagine what transpired in the past.

They were going to have a talk after this. He merely waited, examining the girl through the single, darkened eyehole that he had become so used to perceiving the world through. He watched for a moment longer, than blurred, disappearing from Saya’s view and appearing behind Hotaru. He was going to have to restrain her, if worse came to worse. And he really did not want to have to do that. Something told him she could more vicious than he imagined.

[Shunshin 1.5]

[koira]

"What...?! You stupid, ignorant girl, what are you saying..."

The situation was no longer in her control; the Kage had found the hidden button, and pushed it to the bottom. She dared to insult her family, after what had happened there, her blood... Blood...

A boy was laying down, wounded. Before the akuma. There were others, fighting desperately, in a hellish heat that spread all around the akuma. And, they were losing; there was no time. There was no other choice, not another second to waste. Her hands formed seals before her, performing a chain of them as quickly as possible, and the chakra she had gathered escaped out in a perfect jutsu... That's when she saw it, the face of the wounded boy. He was a Kikkawa, and he knew he was going to die. With all his remaining strength, he tried to crush the akuma. And, the others, fighting the losing battle.. They were her family. They could not defeat the jutsu that roared over them, wiping her family into a painful death... But, the akuma, he had disappeared. But, it wasn't over, he would appear soon again...

[/i]

Saya's gentle face was twisted in anger: her brows lowered, pink lips slightly parted, one of her fangs peeking out like a furious beast's. Her beautiful eyes had darkened, they were filled with pure anger and loathement. Now she tried to struggle, and a low roar of frustration escaped her throat when she found it impossible.

"Let me go, you bi... Do you want to know what happened that day, fool?! The air was so hot it burned out lungs every time we inhaled, and the akuma stood in the tunnel... But who were there to defend your village?! My family, they were suffering just to protect your worthless life, only us, there were no others! Where were you, Hotaru?! Enjoying your tea when my brothers and sisters were fighting to keep Your Ungratefulness alive! Why didn't you come to help, why did you let them die?! I don't know what happened after the fight, but if my family took it's revenge, this pathetic village deserves it! Blood was spilled right there, at the gates, families destroyed, souls shattered to pieces... Nobody came to help us. They died like pawns of the village, without respect, forgotten; but they are heroes! They didn't run away, even when they knew they were going to die; knew there was no hope... Where were you Hotaru, why didn't you fight? Where? Why? Why didn't you..."

Her voice began to fade. Saya, she was... tired. Her chin fell against her chest, hair veiled her eyes, sharpest of her teeth bit deep in the flesh of her bottom lip. Two little rivers ran down to her cheeks, moistening slowly the worn fabric of her expensive kimono. The girl was shivering now, unable to fight out her anger, captured like a wounded animal. How could they be so cruel... She was the victim of it, too: the life of a pawn, way of the shinobi... She had done the ultimate sacrifice to protect the village, and had lost everything, and still she hadn't stopped the akuma... After that, the village had forgotten her, wanted her death. She had given her life for the village, and now it wanted her life to end.

"Go away... Go away, go away, go away... It's all your fault... I don't want to talk with you anymore... Leave me alone... Go, away, now...!"

Her voice was whispers, only strengthening into a scream at the last words. Saya wasn't an angry person; before the meeting at the gate, she had been blindly optimistic, energetic and had loved all life. She just wanted it all to end, the poor girl, but at the same time, she was afraid of the unknown, and bound by the mystery... The akuma, who had changed her life forever... There was a burning desire inside of her, perhaps the only thing that kept her moving. She wanted to see him again.
[/font]

[tristanct]

Wren had been heading into the village to report his and Kozen's completion of the cave in rescue mission when he came across the scene in the village's backstreets. Her ladyship, the Kussekage, and her jonin attendant stood near some a homeless women, and all three spoke in fierce, agitated voices. “For what reason,” Wren wondered. “Might her highness associate in such a manner with an urchin? Quite curious.” Sensing a skilled release of chakra from the Kage, Wren realized that a jutsu, likely a genjutsu, was in effect. “It isn’t good policy to try and snoop on the head of one’s village, but I’ve got to see what’s afoot here,” he thought as he ducked down behind a couple of garbage cans, his rain poncho blending in well with his muted grey surroundings

Although he tried not to dwell on it, he felt sorry for the ragged girl. He heard snippets of the dialog and could infer that this would likely end badly. He didn’t think he could watch the Kage brutalize some homeless girl, but he suspected there was something more to this than that. Still watching her writhing and shout in the clutches of the genjutsu unsettled him.

Then as the young woman and the Kage shouted back and forth it became clear that this girl was more than an urchin. Still he wasn’t anxious to see her come to harm.

[hotaru]

She had forgotten her demands, and as a result, control of the situation shifted to Hotaru. Struggling against the trunk of the tree that bound her, Saya thrashed and flailed in an attempt to free herself. Insulting her wretched family had broken her, and out poured the information the duo had been seeking. A smile curled across her lips as insults flew towards Hotaru. As the girl completed her rant, a calm and collected Kusakage spoke through a cold sultry tone.

"Protect my life my ass. Where was I you ask? I was at home, training; honing my skills to gut your family myself. Your family wasn't protecting me. The only things your family fought to protect were their delusions of superiority and their totalitarian reign over this poor village. You see, your family had long replaced me as Kusakage. I had been nothing but a mere genin, forced to stay outside the village for fear of being killed should I even approach. I knew nothing about the attack at the time, but when I found out, I was grateful for the blessing the benevolent force bestowed on Kusagakure. The only price was our village scrolls which we are getting back. I dont give a shit who murdered your family. Because if it wasnt the "akuma." It would have been me."

Cold scarlet optics examined the squirming girl, attempting to free herself as Hotaru spoke. They had all the information this girl was going to give up, and it was most likely enough to start their investigation.

"Lets go Shikyozukai. We have no business left here."

In a swirl of flower petals, the Hanakora would disappear, dispelling the illusion trapping Saya in her place. She was free.

[Masakuni]

“Hotaru-sama,” Masakuni acknowledged quietly, turning away from the struggling Kikkawa. He started flowing through the different ninja techniques he knew that could be used to bake an entire family of ninja in a confined cavern. A few possibilities occurred in his head immediately, the first and foremost being an Airontoku. A normal user of Katon would produce fire, not mere heat, and anyone but an Airontoku would burn themselves to death along with the Kikkawa in that tunnel. He would share this with Hotaru soon, but not quite yet. Right now, he simply wanted to leave.

“Careful, Hotaru-sama,” He said as they stepped away. He could imagine what ate at her, what festering wounds the ancient conflicts left in her heart. He sighed, white snow accompanying the flower petals in a vanishing swirl that swept away only their bodies; the emotion left behind would fester in the street for untold ages.