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1A New Beginning. [Private] Empty A New Beginning. [Private] Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:39 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Kumogakure appeared much... brighter than the last time she had been here. Brighter and more hopeful and the air tasted as fresh as freedom, the kind of taste you immediately associate with birds taking off to the skies.
Misoka felt her stomach roil with excitement when she stepped out of the ferry even though she wouldn’t go so far as to display her emotions openly. After all, she wasn’t alone. Yet.
Speaking of which, the man who had offered to accompany her was still walking by her side.
In silence.
It wasn’t like they’d had so many interesting conversations during the trip – to be completely honest, she couldn’t even remember them exchanging more than a few sentences - , but still… that tense atmosphere slowly became unbearable.
She wasn’t too good with words, especially not like her mother who had always known just the right thing to say. Nevertheless, that ANBU was nice enough to help her and tolerate the strong dose of skepticism which radiated from her eyes whenever she threw a glance at him.
It felt embarrassing to still distrust a person although they hadn’t hesitated to give you a number of reasons why they could be trusted.
On another note, she knew that their paths would split soon enough anyway so she should really start coming up with at least a ‘thank you’ followed by a ‘goodbye’.
The words danced on her tongue a long moment. And well, that was where they stayed for another while.
Misoka heaved a sigh, grateful that it got tangled up in the murmur of voices reaching their ears when they came to one of Kumo’s street markets.
Her hood was still worn up as her eyes began to scan the area warily. One could never be too careful. Somehow she doubted that all of her clansmen had simply gone back to Suna in the belief that she wouldn’t return to the lightning country anyway. No… a few of them might be still lurking around here.
She truly hoped her father was safe. At the moment, he should be staying with their old friend Nami-san who had moved from Suna to Kumo a couple of years ago.

All of a sudden a familiar voice cut through her thoughts, making her come to an abrupt halt. Her head jerked up, gaze flicking to the direction the sound came from. There they stood: one of her clansmen, the young man who had been part of the group escorting her to Yukimura’s castle and the medical ninja who had made sure any signs of the previous beating up would be gone just in time for the wedding. They were standing in an alleyway, caught up in a heated discussion, it seemed.
Quickly, Misoka staggered back, pressing her back against the outer wall of a house so they wouldn’t see her.
Damn it. Why now? She shot the ANBU an urgent look. “Let’s… wait here for a short while, please.”
She could hardly tell him that she planned to eavesdrop on two people’s conversation.

“Man, that girl is so troublesome,” came the same melodic voice again, undoubtedly belonging to her cousin. “I’m so sick and tired of having to stay here just in case she turns up sometime. This village is shit.”
A snicker from the other man. “Orders are orders. And honestly? I’d rather stay here than be in Akihiko-sama’s presence right now. He’s furious.”
Misoka smirked. She was sure that failed marriage hadn’t exactly buoyed up his spirits.
Her cousin spoke again, his tone sounding even more frustrated than before,”This sucks big time! All because of that traitor Taku, I could kill him! Never thought he had a thing for girls. Well, did a good job in fooling us all.”
“Yeah… Taku.” The medical ninja paused a moment. “By the way, we recently received message from our men in Kiri. She was sighted at the harbour. Alone.”
Misoka’s eyes narrowed. Of course. She should have expected that her pursuers had sent off a messenger bird first. Hm… whatever. She continued listening closely, waiting for any of them to mention her father. Then again… if they didn’t, this could only mean they hadn’t caught him yet.
“Alone?” her cousin repeated. “There’s a war raging in Kiri, isn’t it? Maybe Taku got killed. This would be perfect! No S-rank shinobi guarding her anymore will make it a lot easier.”
“Even if he’s dead,” the other man interjected, “chances are slim he hasn’t raped her before. He had more than enough time for that. Why else would he abduct her? Not to mention the worst case scenario: The brat might be pregnant.”
A gasp. “Oh, shit! You’re right. Akihiko will have to lower her price then. But well… isn’t she still Kiyomi, our ghost princess? This must count for something, don’t you think?”
The hopeful tone in his voice made Misoka sick.
The medical ninja wasn’t as optimistic. “Reincarnation or not, if she’s pregnant, we’re done for.”
They exchanged a few more words of which none really interested Misoka, and then took their leave.

Slowly, Misoka allowed her body to relax. Even though she loathed them for all they’d done to her, she knew that it would have been pointless to attack now. With an ANBU by her side, she would have probably managed to kill both of them, but this would be like calling attention to herself. Who else would assault two other shinobi just like that?
Oh no… speaking of the ANBU.
Hesitantly, she threw a sideways-glance at him, flustered that he had overheard her pursuers’ conversation as well. It wasn’t so hard to figure out who they’d been talking about.
Clearing her throat and smoothing out her remaining shreds of dignity, Misoka straightened and gave him a nod.
“Alright then. Thank you for your assistance. If we ever happen to meet again, I would be glad to repay you in any way. I’ll  go see my father now.”
Wasn’t so bad, was it? She had managed to put her scrambled thoughts together after all. Satisfied with her choice of words, she nodded once more and then turned to leave.
“Goodbye.”




1061 w.

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2A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Wed Jan 15, 2014 3:23 am

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The tension Bokuden felt emanating from Misoka as the ship pulled into the docks south of Kumogakure. Their travel together had been decidedly silent, in stark contrast to the seemingly endless stream of conversation he appeared to be when they first ran into each other back in Kirigakure. Perhaps it was being so close to Misoka and not being able to do or say anything to let her know he was there that had changed his disposition so, or maybe he was simply tired of putting on that charade and lying to her continually, or maybe it was just that he spent so little time with her down in the cabins, opting to spend almost the entirety of the voyage sleepless on the deck.

It was strange. After all of those years spent awaiting the day when they would once again meet, Bokuden now wished to stay away from Misoka as much as possible on that ship. Those eyes… her eyes that once looked at him with affection and acceptance now showed him nothing but distrust and contempt. What was worse was knowing that who she was glaring at was not the real him.

“Let’s… wait here for a short while, please,” Misoka said abruptly as she threw Bokuden a concerned look. His eyes would follow hers to the image of two men standing about in an alleyway, prompting him to join her in her eavesdropping. He wasn’t entirely prepared for the conversation he had heard and he struggled to hold his anger in check as he grit his teeth beneath his mask. It would have been so easy to just put them both down, but doing so ran the risk of revealing Misoka’s location and alerting her pursuers. Given the fact that she had just arrived in Kumogakure in hopes of escaping these men and living safely, he decided it was the best course of action to show restraint and let them go. “Alright then. Thank you for your assistance. If we ever happen to meet again, I would be glad to repay you in any way. I’ll go see my father now,” Misoka continued after the men had cleared out of the area, leaving the area seemingly safe for her to take her leave, “Goodbye.”

“Wait,” Bokuden spoke as he gently took hold of her wrist to halt her exit, “Karisuma Misoka, I’m afraid that I’m not yet permitted to leave your side. If there is somewhere you would like to go, please let me know beforehand so that I may choose the best way for us to approach there. If you intend to simply head to a hotel once again however, I have been given orders to escort you to a secure location where you may stay and be safe from any of those people.” At this point he was just making things up as he went along. Part of him wanted to just rip his mask off and show her who he was… but not yet. For now he’s just continue with this charade until he could be sure she was safe.



523

3A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Wed Jan 15, 2014 5:35 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
He held her back.
He said he couldn’t leave her just yet.
Slowly, Misoka turned around, hoping the surprise was already fading from her features, but as much as she tried, the frown remained.
It was all so crystal clear right now. The scales had fallen from her eyes. That ANBU – and she doubted he could even be called by that rank – wasn’t who he pretended to be.
How could she have let herself be fooled by his seemingly selfless actions? Admittedly, his disguise was almost perfect. Even now, she couldn’t ignore the creeping doubts in the back of her mind which made her question her own conclusion all over again.
Why would he insist on following her to the place her father was staying? The reasons he stated didn’t sound very convincing.
And this was his mistake. The strong, undeniable indication that he was in cahoots with her clan.
Coming to her rescue back in Kiri? Killing three of his allies?
Not because he took pity on her or he wanted to help a damsel in distress and all that nonsense.
His actions were only meant to confuse her, make her believe he could be trusted and to figure out where she intended to go next.  
A cunning plan, indeed. A trap which was easily overlooked.
And when he said he’d been given orders to do so it couldn’t be any clearer. The fake ANBU had to find her father and take him hostage again. Or Akihiko might want her last true family dead in order to punish her for the chaos she’d caused.
This would also explain why the previous conversation between the two men didn’t faze him at all or prompt him to ask questions. He already knew what had happened in Yukimura’s castle.

Misoka took a deep breath, realizing that the air didn’t taste as refreshing as before. Not with one of Akihiko’s subordinates on her heels.
Then she gave him a smile although she was bristling with anger inside. That asshole should know that two could play that game.
“Hm… Fine,” she replied carefully, staying her wary self as she knew anything else would arouse suspicion on his part. “Follow me.”
She proceeded to weave her way through the crowd, away from the market and into a narrow street leading to the outskirts of town.
Nami’s house was located in a remote place close to Kumo’s border. When Misoka reached the crossroads where she would have to go left in order to get to her original destination, she deliberately headed in the opposite direction.
After ten minutes or so, she stopped amidst the mountainous landscape, nodding to the few houses located there.
“I believe I can cover that small distance without being attacked,” Misoka noted sarcastically, the anger she felt flaring up again. Her glowing eyes narrowed when she turned to the man who had taken her for a fool all along. “But I can’t help asking myself: Who is the threat here?”
She paused before continuing in an icy tone,”The hide and seek game is over. You can stop pretending now. I know who you are.”




1595 w.

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4A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:29 am

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The look on Misoka’s face the moment she turned to face Bokuden as he stopped her departure told the whole story; she was not happy. What’s more, if her facial expression and body language were not enough to highlight the tension between them at that point, the aura she was letting off would have. Clearly she had been skeptical of Bokuden’s fake identity all along, for which she had every right, but this was different. What Bokuden felt at that time was not simple skepticism. The scorn in Misoka’s gaze blazed hot enough to burn Bokuden’s soul and the anger she was letting off was almost suffocating. If he were to be honest, seeing that strong of a reaction from her threw him off guard. He knew she had trust issues, especially with men, he knew that she was a suspicious person, and he knew that she had a temper. He could have never imagined however, that she would ever look at him like that; like he was somebody else… an enemy.

“Well, I guess I am somebody else right now,” he thought to himself as he remained silent, hoping only for her glare to end even a moment sooner. He would get his respite when she curiously agreed to his impromptu plea, putting on a fake smile that did nothing to mask the seething malice she seemed to be harboring for him beneath it. She would not however, disclose the address of where it is they were headed, instead choosing to take the lead and begin making her way through the crowd of people, almost as if she was trying to lose him.

The trek was much longer than Bokuden had anticipated, expecting only to have to walk into his village’s walls to get Misoka to safety. At that point it might have even been safe to reveal to her his true identity, but it was not meant to be it seemed. With each minute, Misoka began leading Bokuden away from the security of the center of the village. “I believe I can cover that small distance without being attacked,” Misoka spoke as she addressed the masked Bokuden. “But I can’t help asking myself: Who is the threat here? The hide and seek game is over. You can stop pretending now. I know who you are.”

It wasn’t possible… was it? How could she have possibly seen through his disguise without outside influence? There was no way that she could have deciphered his identity alone, and there they stood. “Misoka… I,” Bokuden would begin as they tried to defend the tower, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to deceive you. None of this was planned, I swear. When I saw you in Kirigakure I didn’t know what to do. I just…”



995~

5A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:31 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
No way.
How could he still deny something so obvious? Did he honestly assume she would buy that petty story – that he had nothing to do with Akihiko’s plans? All of them… they all saw nothing but a silly girl in her, a marionette, a brat they could tell about the sky being green and would still expect her to believe it.
It was too much. It made her grit her teeth in red fury, hot flames sizzling within her and then her voice caught fire,”How dumb do you think I am?!”
There wasn’t any time to waste. Any moment now, the man’s accomplices would show up, find out her father wasn’t staying in any of the few houses located in the area and capture her in order to fulfill at least one of their orders.
Swiftly, Misoka brought more distance between her opponent and herself, leaping back a few feet before slamming her fist into the ground. The typically mountainous terrain on the outskirts of Kumogakure came in favour for her Earth jutsu: Immediately, a tremor shook the ground as it started breaking up and branching out towards the masked man.
The top of a rock formation left to him trembled violently for a moment, then fell apart, a number of rocks threatening to bury him beneath them.
Of course this wouldn’t be enough. Akihiko hardly ever sent complete weaklings after her. Furthermore, she could definitely expect reinforcements arriving sooner than later.
Misoka blew strands of hair out of her face, annoyed that she didn’t even have a hair band with her, let alone essential weapons such as shuriken. Come to think of it, the only projectile she could throw at her opponent would be the kunai Sanosuke had given to her and… which she had basically kept without asking. But that was beside the point now.

Fortunately, she couldn’t make out any of Akihiko’s other subordinates coming to their ally’s aid yet. Perhaps she would be able to take on the supposed ANBU on her own and buy herself enough time to disappear from here.
“I’m afraid your friends will be late! Guess it’s just you and me for a while, then!” she called out tauntingly, but always remembered not to let her guard down at any given time. She didn’t know anything about her opponent’s combat skills, neither which elements he specialized in nor whether he was a long or close ranged fighter.
Considering the fact that she felt better about keeping her enemies at a distance and attacking from afar, especially now that she didn’t even have any useful weapons with her, Misoka knew it would be absolutely reckless to charge at him head-on. That much she had learned over the years.
So she stayed where she was, cyan eyes surveying the area and waiting for the dust to clear while every fibre of her being tensed up in anticipation of the man’s counter attack.




2097 w.

235/250:

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6A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:41 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
”How dumb do you think I am?!” Misoka sneered in response to Bokuden’s stammering words, her teeth clenched down in her anger.

“Dumb?” Bokuden began hesitantly, confused by this sudden aggression towards him, “No. Misoka, I never said tha-“  His attempt to calm Misoka down would be cut off abruptly by Misoka’s rage finally giving way to action. Mid-way through his reply she would leap backwards, putting s bit more distance between she and him. Bokuden recognized that kind of preparation immediately, but he wanted to dismiss it as an impossibility. Did she really want to fight him?

He would get his answer as she threw a downward punch immediately upon reaching a halt, causing Bokuden to take a defensive stance of his own. “So doton then,” he mused to himself as he watched her fist make contact with the ground. The gesture was a rather obvious one, made all the more readable by the fact that Bokuden knew from previous experience that she was a doton user. His gaze would shift down to the ground below to look out for whatever jutsu was coming his way, but his eyes alone would not protect him from the seismic pulse that would shake and alter the ground beneath him, throwing him off balance and causing the patch of earth he stood on to sink as formations of the rocky terrain all around him began to close in on him.

Rather than rely on the unstable ground beneath his feet, Bokuden would leap up and form a blade of water around his right arm. In order to generate torque Bokuden would throw his hips into a spin, using the cutting edge of his Water Blade to cut cleanly through the earth that was rising up around him and ending the immediate threat of the jutsu that had been used against him. “I’m afraid your friends will be late! Guess it’s just you and me for a while, then!” he heard Misoka call out tauntingly from behind the protruding rocks, prompting him to use his Water Blade to slice through the obstruction and clear a path for his own exit.

Upon hearing those words it became clear to Bokuden what was going on. She had not uncovered his identity, but rather had mistaken him for somebody else. It was something that he was neither surprised nor upset by.  Although he was not whoever she seemed to believe he was, the fact remained that he had not been truthful to her. As such, when she accused him of being untruthful, Bokuden had no right to be refute her claims.
“While it is true that I have been omitting information from you regarding my intentions in accompanying you, I believe that you may be confusing me with someone else,”  Bokuden began, pointing the end of his Water Blade away from Misoka as to not appear threatening, “I don’t know what you mean by my friends, but you are mistaken. My choice to protect you was purely my own, there is no one else. I won’t fight you Misoka. Talk to me. Whatever is prompting this, you don’t have to go through it alone. I told you I was going to help you, and that has not changed, but if attacking me will give you peace of mind, then proceed. I won’t fight back.”



Trained Mizu no Tsurugi: 1200/1200

362

Chakra: 330/350:

7A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:35 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Suiton.
After the dust had cleared, Misoka caught sight of the rather unique jutsu, a blade made of water surrounding his right arm which he used to defend himself against the earthquake she’d caused. Was he involuntarily giving her hints about his true identity? Most of her clansmen had an affinity for elements such as Katon and Fuuton; in fact, she only knew a handful of Karisuma shinobi who could use high-ranked Suiton jutsus.
One of them being… her grandfather’s brother, Karisuma Akito. Whenever she had disobeyed their commands, he had usually been the person to punish her for her misbehaviour.
Misoka regarded the fluid shape of the water blade thoughtfully, piecing together all the observations she had made so far.
Skilled. Water affinity. A good actor. Wanted to find out where her father was staying.
Tall.
Black hair… But no.
Any physical traits could be very well misleading. A transformation jutsu of his skill was almost impossible for her to see through.
Every detail she had gathered only seemed to confirm her previously made assumption.
Karisuma Akito. So they met again.
More importantly, though, she had an idea of what technique he was going to use next. Not that blade. Something way more powerful.
Misoka suppressed a wince when she remembered all the illusions he had cast on her in the past. Illusions which would take control of her body, weaken her knees, make her fall to the ground, curl up into herself like the little child she had once been.
Above all, she needed a strong mind now.

“While it is true that I have been omitting information from you regarding my intentions in accompanying you, I believe that you may be confusing me with someone else.”
His words came unexpectedly. Why would he waste time in trying to deny his identity… again?  
He went on, assuring her that he would not do her any harm, encouraging her to just… talk to him.
The Akito she knew never hesitated. Suddenly, the conclusion she had come to shortly before didn’t appear as evident anymore.  
Misoka remained silent, scrunching her eyebrows together and tipping her head to the side in confusion.
“You’re right. I might not know who exactly you are,” she began eventually, her voice growing more hostile as she carried on,”But you are making it pretty obvious that Akihiko sent you. You feel reluctant to attack because you were ordered to bring me back in one piece, especially without any scars. Which leads me to believe that you are no Genjutsu user and not, as I falsely assumed, Karisuma Akito.”
She paused and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Due to the money issues of my clan, I can safely infer that you must be either one of my clansmen or started working for Akihiko already a few years ago. I must have seen you at least once then.”
Given the fact that she had hardly ever been allowed to leave the Karisuma estate over the past five years, most of the people going in and out had become familiar to her. Not by their names, but…
She spoke up again in a threatening tone, almost daring him to reveal his true identity before she would figure it out on her own,”I remember faces. And I don’t forgive easily.”

Hah, quite the empty threat, she had to admit. Even though she believed him when he said he wouldn’t attack her, she doubted she could even break through his defense with her current skills. Trying would merely be a waste of chakra, then.
On the other hand, she couldn’t possibly escape, either. Perhaps he was even waiting for exactly that to happen so he would be able to track down her father with her help – like killing two birds with one stone.
Misoka took a deep breath, exhaling the air slowly.
Things looked bad. The trap was sprung. All her opponent waited for were his allies to come and pick her up.
Upon realizing how hopeless her situation had become, she felt a wave of despair washing over her while at the same time her eyes darted around the area, frantically looking for an escape path she might have missed before, a way to shake off her pursuers, to outrun them.
Her original plan had been to stay with her father for a while, but now that people from her clan were following her again, she would just lead them straight to his hideout.
There had to be something else... anything.





2861 w.

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8A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Sun Jan 19, 2014 4:38 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
This situation had certainly become more… interesting than he had originally thought, but even so, this was neither the time nor the place to simply unmask himself. Instead he would need to see what information he could gain from Misoka about what has been going on since their last meeting. From what he was hearing however, he was not at all pleased. As if he didn’t already have a particular disdain for genjutsu as a whole, now he hears that Misoka’s captors had been using genjutsu against her during her imprisonment. His blood boiled silently as his thoughts raced, drawing images of slaughtering those that had the audacity to torture Misoka.

It took a moment, but Bokuden would calm himself down enough to continue the conversation somewhat normally. “Girl, I know of your family and their finances,” Bokuden said bluntly through his mask, “Trust me, they couldn’t afford my services even if they collected the price they are selling you for and emptied their bank accounts to do it. I’m a professional and once I am under contract I will fulfill those terms, regardless of danger or potential bidders. I was not ordered to bring you back in one piece or without any scars, I was ordered to protect you at any cost and bring you back to Kumogakure where my employer could ensure your safety. I have no interest in these people that you want to meet up with, but I’m assuming since one of them is your father you won’t simply leave him behind and allow me to do my job.”

Bokuden would release his jutsu, allowing the water that he had gathered around his arm to form the blade splash down at his feet and begin walking towards Misoka slowly. “I know that given your situation you have trouble trusting others, but I’m going to need you to trust me here. The longer we spend out here wasting time, the more vulnerable you make yourself to discovery. Your pursuers will be dealt with, but before I can do that I need to make sure you are safe from all harm.  I’ve never failed to make good on a contract and I don’t intend to start now. There is a place that you can go where no one will find you that you don’t want to. So please, let me help you. ” Bokuden would extend his hand to Misoka to take hold of and wait for her response.



782~

9A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Sun Jan 19, 2014 5:50 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
At first, she didn’t know what to reply. What could she possibly say anyway?
The stranger’s explanations only served to plant more doubts in her mind. There was something about the way he spoke, the arguments he stated and the fact that any potential reinforcements were still nowhere to be seen. It made her almost… believe him. At least to a certain extent.
When he approached her, continuing on how this seemed to be a simple misunderstanding, Misoka instinctively took a step back.
“Something is terribly wrong here,” she noted with an edge in her voice, but then told herself to calm down and keep a cool head. “If it’s true what you say, I don’t know anyone who would hire a professional to protect me. Nobody would pay so much just for that.”
Not to mention that the only person who cared about her welfare was her father and she knew he certainly didn’t have the money. As if that didn’t appear peculiar enough, the stranger also offered to take her to a place where she would be safe.
“Safe”. Right.
Her eyes flitted to his extended hand in appraisal, wondering what made him even think that she might accept that cheesy gesture. Or was there more to it? A hidden threat that he would resort to violence if she didn’t come with him on her own free will?
The most pressing question, however, continued dominating her thoughts: Who had given the man his orders? Yukimura? He was rich after all, but… no, that didn’t make sense. Why would he want to hide her from her pursuers? If he was really still interested in marrying her, which she deemed unlikely to be honest, the clan would just come in handy for his plans. Furthermore, he had a greedy streak no matter how much money he had already heaped up.

Keeping her arms crossed, Misoka gave the man a reluctant nod.
“I don’t trust you,” she clarified before shrugging her shoulders slightly. “But I have no other choice than to do as you wish.”
At the moment, her hands were tied. She couldn’t run away and since he seemed to be, in fact, superior to her regarding their skill levels, she had little hope in defeating him, either.
Apart from that, he might truly want nothing more than keep her safe from harm and find her a place she could stay at.
…Hah. Good one. She grimaced at her own wishful thinking.
“So where do we need to go?” It was barely louder than a whisper and, as she realized with regret, a clear sign of weakness compared to her previously sharp tone. Why did she always happen to run into her next slaveholder once she acquired freedom? Why wouldn’t they all just leave her alone?
Well… at the very least, it couldn’t possibly get any worse after the five years spent at the Karisuma estate and the time with Taku.




3364 w.

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10A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:27 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“Apparently you don’t realize just what kind of a guardian angel you have watching over you, Misoka,” Bokuden said teasingly in response to her defiance and skepticism of his words, “You should know better than to underestimate your value, however. Think about all of the resources that are being spent to acquire you, both by your clan and potential suitors. Do you really not think that anyone else saw just as much value in you and wanted to keep you safe? From what I’ve been told, you are more than just a pretty face.  You don’t realize your own worth.”

Bokuden would begin walking in the opposite direction before stopping to turn and face Misoka once more before speaking, “I don’t expect you to trust me just yet, but hopefully one day you will see that what I’m doing for you now is for the best. For now however, we will be heading to a location that my employer assures me that you are familiar with; The Tower of Heaven. Have you ever been there before? Although I guess it doesn’t matter too much. Come on, let’s go.” With a hand gesture motioning for her to follow him Bokuden marched away in disguise, making his way to the tower, where hopefully the night could take a turn for the better.



800/800- Trained Hiding in Steam
209~



Last edited by Bokuden on Wed May 14, 2014 9:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

11A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:44 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Misoka let out a humourless chuckle. “Nice try. However, I still find it hard to believe that your employer only has good intentions,” she murmured.
It might be true that a lot of people, clan and suitors included, tried their best to keep her alive and physically unharmed, but she would certainly not go as far as to call them her “guardian angels”. To them, she was solely a precious possession to take care of. While satisfied with her appearance, though, she knew that they would love to customize her personality to their liking.
And whoever that ominous employer of the man beside her may be – He could only know her from pictures or he might have heard the rumours about her; either way, why should he see more than a pretty face in her then? Frankly speaking, he didn’t truly know her. Or did he just take pity on her intricate situation?
Not that she needed to rack her brain about it now. She would find out soon enough anyway.
“…we will be heading to a location that my employer assures me that you are familiar with; The Tower of Heaven.”
Misoka pricked her ears up at those words, throwing the man a half surprised half suspicious glance. Why that place out of all the other locations in Kumogakure? And… how could his master know that she was “familiar with it”? Except if…

Suddenly, she felt apprehension rise in her stomach. But… no way. In complete shock, she stopped for a moment, staring at the ANBU’s back with her eyes and mouth wide open. What if Bokuden had sent him? Could it be that he still wanted to help her after all this time?
However, the feeling of excitement disappeared as soon as it had come. Shaking her head with a frown, Misoka quickly continued her walk, hoping the man hadn’t caught her fleeting mood swing. She was such an idiot.
First, Bokuden didn’t know her whereabouts. And secondly, if he had gone through the trouble of hiring an ANBU in case that was even possible, why would he have waited five years to do so? Because he had spent the time saving up money? Of course, totally realistic.
With enough trouble of his own, he surely had nothing better to do than searching for her. Misoka fought the urge to smile to herself due to the ridiculousness of her thoughts. She had told her past naïve self countless times to stop dwelling on these memories. And she wouldn’t start again now.

A short while later, they arrived at the Tower of Heaven, which actually hadn’t changed all too much. If she had wanted to, she could have still pictured two young people having a picnic here.
Misoka scanned the area appraisingly. Other than the ANBU and her, the place appeared to be empty.
“So,” she said, slightly confused. “Where is your employer?”




3783 w.

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12A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:18 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“So, where is your employer?” Misoka inquired as she suspiciously scanned the area. It was apparent that she was still skeptical of Bokuden’s intentions, but hopefully what was about to unfold next would make some progress towards changing that.

“Well, I guess it’s time to come clean then,” Bokuden would respond, no longer using the voice changing device on his mask to stay in character. At the same time he would release the transformation he had been maintaining to hide his silver hair, but had pulled his hood up on the way to the tower so that it would not be immediately apparent after he had done so. “That employer I had told you about?” he continued, turning to face her atop the tower, “Is me. I wasn’t paid to escort you to Kumogakure or protect you, but when I saw you again in Kirigakure… I couldn’t allow myself to not interfere. I couldn’t risk letting you go, not again.”

He would pause for a moment and look up at the moon before turning back to walk towards and face Misoka before continuing, “The last time we were here you opened up to me and told me your secrets. It must have been difficult for you… it takes courage to put yourself out there to someone who was just a strange boy with a crush, to make that leap and hope that somebody would catch you. I like to tell myself that I was that person for you, but the truth is that I was the one that was falling at that time. I once told you that you didn’t have to put on a mask and pretend to be anything to keep up appearances when you were with me and that remains true to this day, but it looks as if this time I am the one that is wearing the mask. I just… don’t know if I’m strong enough to do it on my own.” Bokuden would tilt his head forward, lowering it ever so slightly for Misoka as he grasped her hands and led them up to his face, laying them against his mask, “I’m sorry Misoka. It looks like I need you again. Will you help me?”



1385

13A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:59 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
She froze. This couldn’t be.
Impossible. It couldn’t be him.
But this was undoubtedly his voice. Pure bewilderment written all over her face, Misoka listened to what he had to say, processed his words and reprocessed them with the result being the same every time, though. The man before her must be Bokuden. There was no other way, no chance that someone was merely playing a prank on her.
Only Bokuden could know what had happened in this place five years ago because he had been there. Or was this still a trick? Perhaps this wasn’t Bokuden, but a person who had somehow gathered enough information to make his disguise look plausible.
No. She shook her head as if to dismiss the thought. Everything pointed to the one and only conclusion: It must be him, after all.
When he took her hands, she flinched, almost recoiling from his touch as though he was about to slap her. At the moment, she felt somewhat like the nervous wreck she had been at thirteen years old after her mother’s death.
There were too many conflicting emotions welling up in her heart, all of them begging for her attention at once.
Disbelief. Confusion. Relief.

Tears pricked her eyes as Misoka stood on her tiptoes and removed his mask with trembling fingers, immediately taking a step back afterwards.
It was his face. Same sapphire eyes, same silver hair.
His features dissipated every last doubt in her mind.
“So all this time… it’s been you… Bokuden… you…” she started stammering, unable to formulate a clear sentence. She didn’t know how to feel. She wasn’t prepared for this, not at all. Her heart hammered against her chest, threatening to burst with how intensely the stream of emotions roared inside her.
And then all of a sudden she felt her own hands clench into fists and her eyes harden when her unconscious must have decided to settle on anger.
Everything else seemed to happen almost automatically after that. Only a hiss at first, a huff before she found herself forming proper, yet quivering words and shouting them out with no inhibitions whatsoever.  

“You idiot! Why didn’t you say something earlier? Was it so much fun to trick me and gauge my reaction to your stupid, STUPID disguise?! We haven’t seen each other in five years and you have nothing better to do than lie to me and pretend you’re an ANBU and all that nonsense! Just so you know, this… this isn’t a carnival! You don’t need a costume and you don’t need a mask!”

Teeth gritted, she threw the ANBU mask to the ground, hoping it would at least suffer a scratch or two. Only then Misoka reminded herself of how inappropriate and childish her outburst must have looked and sounded like although she couldn’t help but still submit to the burning fury within her.
In one swift movement, she whirled around so he wouldn’t catch her wipe her eyes. Speaking of which, she didn’t even want him to see her like this. The lighter hair, the glowing eyes… he shouldn’t count all the small differences from her younger self. She didn’t want to look different… she just wanted… She didn’t know what.
This was all so wrong. How come she felt so angry? She should just calm down.
But then more thoughts, more questions, accusations swept through her mind, adding fuel to the flames.
Why are you here? Why now? And where were you when everything was falling apart in my life? I needed you!
Misoka squinted her eyes shut, firmly putting a hand on her forehead. It wasn’t fair. Bokuden had no obligation to do anything for her; he had surely never been obligated to find and help her out. Moreover, she herself had wanted him to move on and forget her should something go wrong.

So why make a scene now? She was ridiculous.
Taking a deep breath, she apologized quietly, still not daring to turn around. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… shout.”
Then… silence again. A thousand of words echoed so loudly in her head, but the moment she parted her lips to speak no sound came out.
She wanted to tell him that she had missed him. Or ask him how he was doing. Or confess that she had always wished to see him again.
But as if their language was no longer her own, she didn’t know how.
All she could clearly think was that she hadn’t imagined their possible reunion to be like that. To her, their time apart seemed to hover between them like a black, thick cloud.
And Misoka knew she had messed up their meeting from the start anyway.




4591 w.

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14A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:31 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
A faint smile curled upon Bokuden’s lips as Misoka removed his mask, her fingers quivering and eyes welling up. That smile would turn to a look of surprise however, as she exploded into a shouting fit as she unloaded all of her pent up emotions on Bokuden. “You idiot! Why didn’t you say something earlier? Was it so much fun to trick me and gauge my reaction to your stupid, STUPID disguise?! We haven’t seen each other in five years and you have nothing better to do than lie to me and pretend you’re an ANBU and all that nonsense! Just so you know, this… this isn’t a carnival! You don’t need a costume and you don’t need a mask!”

As she turned away from him and apologized however, the smile returned to Bokuden’s face. He would hesitate for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her, resting his head against hers, just as he had once done atop this same tower all those years ago. He would take hold of her hands and pull them down from her face before answering, “I didn’t show my face right away because… I was ashamed. It’s been so long. I never forgot, but I was never able to come back for you. And then hearing all of the things that you went through, and what those men said. And I kept bringing up things that might remind you of me hoping that you might mention me, even just once, but when I asked you the name of another man came out of your mouth. I assumed you moved on… that me showing up again would be unfair to you. It would be selfish. Not as much of what I said when I had that mask on was a lie as you think. But how could I show back up after five years and just expect things to go back the way they were? I failed you. I couldn’t save you, I couldn’t save anyone. But by a twist of fate I found you in Kirigakure and I had to protect you, I had to keep my promise… even if it meant not being able to tell you who I was. And believe me Misoka, it was difficult. I can’t tell you how many times I felt like I was going to explode being so close to you, and having you look at me with nothing in your eyes, but disdain and distrust. You’re right I am stupid and I’m sorry. But I’m glad that you’re still as fiery as I remember, even after all this time. I… missed you.”

Bokuden’s face lit up a bright red as the embarrassment crept in over what he just said. The words seemed like they just came out on their own. That was not something he would normally say. He hadn’t spoken to anyone like that since… the last time he had been with her. He would bury his face into her hair in an attempt to hide the blush, leading her left hand up and back to place it against his cheek.



1924~

15A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 5:05 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Her eyes widened in surprise when he wrapped his arms around her gently. She couldn’t help but almost start tearing up again because the gesture felt closest to what she would call… home. It was as though she had been transported back to the past when he had tried to soothe her in the exact same way. The past…
Misoka let it happen silently, listening to his speech without interrupting him once. His honesty provided a modicum of comfort and made her anger subside.
And still, she wasn’t sure what to think or say. Just as it used to be, Bokuden chose his words carefully in a mostly even voice. Calm and competent. He could become a great speaker.
Her mind wandered, thoughts whirling around while she tried to collect them and get them back on track.  
Bokuden’s cheek felt hot to the touch. He had missed her. He was sorry. He expected everything could just turn back to normal again. Did he?
“It’s not that easy,” she finally managed to say as she released herself from his embrace and turned around to face him. A sigh escaped her lips. How should she explain these confusing emotions she felt? “Bokuden, five years is a long time. You don’t know what happened to me and the other way around. I…”
She let her gaze drop, knowing that the despair rising inside her would be more than evident in her eyes. “You’re mistaken. I’ve changed. Again. I’ve become mean and cold and even more suspicious of others than before. But I once was… cheerful and outgoing and I don’t know, optimistic perhaps.”
Her mother’s death had changed everything. The only time she had ever gotten close to true happiness after that had been the short period of time spent with Bokuden. Or did it only feel this way?
“I just… I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it. Do you know what I mean?”

Misoka heaved another sigh, dissatisfied with her clumsy choice of words as well as the confusion she would probably force upon him with her hesitation. How could her life change so quickly? Only half an hour ago, she had expected to go to her next slaveholder. And now…
On a sudden impulse, she buried her face in her hands, adding in a muffled voice, “I’m sorry, this is all so unexpected. And I don’t want you to see me like this.”
Come to think of it, she wasn’t even sure she wanted him to know what had all happened to her. Shame joined the scrambled mixture of excitement and subsided anger inside her, making her heart rate speed up further.
Part of her wanted to run from their conversation, but on the other hand, she could never leave Bokuden now that fate had brought them together again.
So… what to do? Why was it so hard to get a hold of herself?




5097 w.

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16A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:19 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
After Misoka finished speaking Bokuden would pause for a moment before gently taking hold of her wrists and pulling them away from her face. “See you like what?” he asked with a smile as he leaned forward to position his face closer to hers, although still making sure to keep adequate distance as to not make it any more uncomfortable for her, “I see nothing wrong with you. A few cosmetic changes here or there, but I can definitely still see you when I look at you. I don’t know what you are feeling right now, or what you’ve been through since we were last together, but you haven’t changed for me. And even if you have it doesn’t change what I told you five years ago; you don’t need to hide from me. Whatever it is, I want to help. You aren’t alone in this anymore… and I don’t intend to allow for you to be alone ever again.”

Slowly he would lower her hands and place both of his hands just below her cheeks before continuing, “I never said it was going to be easy. I know things can’t go back to the way they were. We were two kids who after what seemed like a lifetime of searching found someone who finally understood us. It felt like home. It felt like… love. We didn’t know what we were doing. There was no time to think ahead. Our future’s seemed to dark to ever see a light at the end of the tunnel, but what little time we did have together were some of the happiest moments of my life. So much time has passed... we aren’t the same people we were back then. We can’t be. So much has happened, so much has changed. I can’t imagine what I put you through, but I hope in time you’ll come to trust me enough to once again open up to me. I don’t know what has happened in my absence, and I don’t know how you even felt about us back then… but if you’d let me… I’d like to fall in love with you all over again.”

With a smile he would lean in and kiss Misoka’s forehead softly before pulling away and allowing her time to respond.



2324~

17A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:13 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Upon hearing his sweet words, blood rose in her cheeks and for the first time in ages, she felt like a normal girl again. Bokuden was right. They could get through this together. She wanted it this way. She still believed that he was the only one who might be able to truly understand the complexity of her own self.
“Okay.” Misoka nodded, a smile grazing her lips when he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. With new strength building up inside her, she finally decided to reveal another secret of hers which had been lurking in her mind for so long.
“I originally planned to move to the outskirts of Sunagakure with my father or to a place where the clan won’t find us so easily,” she began, the faint smile fading as her typical serious expression returned to her features. “But lately, I have also found myself toying with the idea of… defecting.”

She paused a moment, but met Bokuden’s gaze unwaveringly. Maybe… change wasn’t so bad, after all. Her weak and younger self would have never even thought about questioning her loyalty to her home village. How many times had she fiercely denied being a missing-nin? Apart from that, she would have certainly not had the courage to look straight into the eyes of the man she admired so much whilst saying that.
“I don’t belong to the sand village anymore,” Misoka went on, cold bitterness creeping into her voice. “Do you know Karisuma Synn? I met him once before he died. He was my cousin and he defected because of our clan and the Kazekage’s unwillingness to set certain rules for some shinobi families. Eventually, he attacked the Karisuma clan and managed to kill dozens of people. He wanted to change something, but as I know now, he wasn’t all too successful in my eyes.”
A frown materialized on her face. “Well and then he got killed himself anyway. His fault was that he was alone in this. But I could do better! I’ll find others and form a group of skilled shinobi. We’ll kill my clan leader together and make sure a new one who is more capable and above all, fair gets selected as successor. In return, I’ll help my comrades with getting their own revenge. One hand washes the other.”

Realizing how long she had been talking, Misoka took a deep breath and shot Bokuden an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, I got carried away. But…”
She gave his hands a slight squeeze, blinking up at him hesitantly. She still meant every word she said and she didn’t even feel embarrassed about entrusting her plan to him, but… whether Bokuden would approve was something else entirely. Truth be told, she almost dreaded his answer, hoping with all her heart that he wouldn't deem it all nonsense. “You told me I'm not alone anymore. So... will you… will you be the first to support me?”
Of course she didn’t expect him to defect for her sake. If she could at least stay with him for some time, however, or have a safe place to return to every once in a while, this would help her enough. Give her the strength she needed. He would protect her, wouldn’t he?




5651 w.

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18A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Tue Jan 21, 2014 8:26 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
Bokuden’s face remained unchanged as Misoka spoke. She was right, things certainly had changed since they were younger. He could still remember himself taking hold of her hands and telling her that he wanted to fight her clan, that he could succeed. How strange it was to have the roles reversed . However, forming a ragtag group of shinobi with their sights set on nothing but revenge was something he could not entirely condone. But those were details that could be worked out later. The fact remained that he was not there when she needed him all this time, and he would not let that happen again.

Bokuden would take a hold of Misoka’s hands, lacing his fingers between hers and leaning forward to gently press his forehead and the bridge of his nose against hers. “You’re absolutely out of your mind. Do you know that?” he began with a smile, pausing before resuming his thoughts, “If you think I’m going to do anything but do everything I can to keep you safe… Misoka, they can’ touch you now. If your father is safely in this village then they have no leverage and they don’t have anywhere near the manpower to try and take you. Even if they did, I’d cut down each and every last one of them. I’ve spent five years regretting letting you go, not going with you… leaving you alone. I won’t make that mistake again.”

Dispite the smirk that sat upon his face, Bokuden’s eyes filled with nothing but sadness as he spoke, the guilt he had harbored for the past five years beginning to surface now that he stared into Misoka’s eyes. “I… I have something to give you,” he said as he released her left hand and reached into his coat’s inside breast pocket, pulling out something that he kept hidden in his clutched fist. “It’s a locket,” he said as he opened up his hand and presented it to her, “I had it made the night of the festival we went to, but… it wasn’t finished before you had to leave the next morning.” The locket itself was silver with ornate engravings, laced with a ribbon that she had worn in her hair that night. With a motion of his thumb Bokuden opened the locked, revealing a picture of the two of them together that had been taken by a random photographer at the festival. “I wanted you to have it back then, so that you had something to remember me by than that old beaded necklace, but it turns out that the only one it helped was me. I kept it this whole time, promising myself that no matter what I’d make sure I give it to you. We didn’t really take pictures together, but this was one taken by one of the paid photographers that work the festival. I always liked this picture, because we’re both smiling. When I looked at it, your smile helped me believe that even if you weren’t here that wherever you were you could still be happy… and that one day I might be able to smile again like I did in that picture. Smiling has really never been a big part of my life.”



2880~

19A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:19 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
It felt almost comforting to know that he could still stir the familiar warm feeling in her chest and make her heart beat faster after all this time. She didn’t flinch away or started panicking when he moved closer, unlike she would have probably done five years ago. Living isolated in an estate ruled by men had at least helped her overcome her old fears. In order to stay strong, there had been no other way but become accustomed to the opposite gender and find out how males could be weakened.
Somehow she’d known even before Bokuden replied accordingly that he wouldn’t be… let’s say, thrilled about the plan she was weaving in her mind.
She already opened her mouth to protest when he suddenly took out what looked like a locket. A hint of confusion scurried across her face with her first thought being that whatever it was he showed to her must be some kind of distraction from their original topic.
And yes, it probably was, but she couldn’t help but draw her attention to the object in his hands nonetheless.

Bokuden explained himself shortly afterwards, opening the locket with a soft clicking sound and revealing a picture of the two of them. Someone must have taken it during the festival they had attended. Misoka’s eyes widened slightly as she observed the younger versions of themselves. They were both... smiling.
“It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, unable to conceal the childish excitement in her voice. While Bokuden continued telling the background story behind the locket, she reached out and snatched it from him, bringing a short distance between them to study the photograph more thoroughly.
Above all, she was touched that he had kept it for so long only to remember her.
“How cute.” Misoka smiled before adding, “I look so happy. I had no idea I was going to fail.”
Ahem, on to merrier topics. She had the feeling she needed to respond to Bokuden’s words; say the things she hadn’t been able to during the initial stage of shock.
He deserved to know how she thought about their reunion and the years apart.

“About the necklace you gave me,” she started in a nervous undertone. “..I’ll be honest with you. The last time I wore it is three years ago. It didn’t help me to remember you, it only hurt to think about what could have been. I wanted to forget the past, including you, and I wanted to move on once and for all.” Tearing her gaze away from the locket, Misoka met his eyes somewhat hesitantly. “I never thought I was going to see you again. Even now, this feels… surreal. But no matter how hard I tried, I’ve come to realize that I still…”
Woah, hold on, what was she saying? She couldn’t just… spill her heart like that. As Bokuden said, he planned on falling in love with her, not that he was already…
Alright, backtracking. Now.
“Uhh… whatever.” Face bright red, she quickly cut herself off, taking the chance to change the subject while she was at it. “More importantly, I don’t think you clearly understand my reasons for wanting to defect.”

Right, this was something she intended to discuss more seriously. With a stern expression, Misoka closed the locket and clenched her hand into a fist.
“I made promises. The girls in the estate are depending on me. I vowed that I was going to change the clan for the better.” She searched Bokuden’s face for something like understanding… or approval although this was rather wishful thinking. “And just a few weeks ago, I promised the young maid in my former fiancé’s household that he wouldn’t beat her anymore once I was his wife. The wedding never took place. He still beats her, I bet.”
Misoka let out a sigh. “How can I keep my promises if I don’t go? How can I live a life in freedom whilst knowing that they don’t have that privilege?”  
And still, how could she leave now? Everything she had ever wished for finally came true. The question was… with what price? Her clan would continue selling the girls. Nothing would change except for her own life. She wasn’t sure if she could ever forgive herself for that.
Truth be told, however… this wasn’t only about promises. Part of her just wanted to satiate her desire for revenge, put out the hissing flames of vengeance in her heart.

In an attempt to ease the tension she had caused, Misoka put a smile on her face and announced gleefully, “But let’s not worry about this now. I have been officially permitted to stay here for two months. And first, I have to go see my father, he’s probably worried sick.”
She grabbed Bokuden’s hand with a chuckle, pointing in the direction they’d come from. “Care to tag along?”




6487

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20A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Wed Jan 22, 2014 9:04 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“I know you have your reasons Misoka, but I still feel that you will be better off taking a step back and re-evaluating your options before you do anything too hasty,” Bokuden replied, the smile from his face returning to a more solemn expression as Misoka’s words hit his heart like daggers. She had lost the necklace… she wanted to forget him… she had a fiancé... How was he supposed to feel about hearing all of that? That she gave up hope and actively sought to erase him from her memory while he looked like a fool for holding onto some small trinket for all of this time. He would gulp down air before continuing in a downtrodden manner, “I know that you have strong feelings about the situation and I don’t know the whole story, but what I do know is that what you are asking for is dangerous, more so than you probably realize. I want to help you, but I need you to listen to me. With my help, you will keep your promise to those girls and your… fiance’s housekeep.”

Bokuden did his best to suppress a sigh that he let out as he slowly slipped his hand out of hers. He wanted to feel happy when Misoka turned a smile towards him and invited him along, but all he felt was humiliation and melancholy as he thought back to how stupid he must have looked handing her that locket and saying all of those unbearably cheesy things. “But yes, I should get you back to your father. Once I know where he is hiding out I can make sure to keep an eye on that residence. The Karisuma have shown the willingness to follow you to this country before, there is no reason to believe they wouldn’t now. I’ll make sure to look out for any suspicious activity in the area. You lead the way.”



3226

21A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Thu Jan 23, 2014 7:11 am

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
All of a sudden, the mood shifted from a relatively light atmosphere to a dark somberness. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what had initiated that change; Bokuden might feel offended because of a lot of things: He didn’t agree with her way of getting over the past, he disapproved of her plan to defect from Sunagakure or he simply didn’t like to be pulled along to her father.
At least she could do something against the latter so Misoka quickly let go of his hand and nodded to the mask on the ground. “Don’t forget your mask.”
A meaningless reminder as he would have most probably thought of that himself. Nevertheless, it gave her something else to do than frantically rack her brain about what exactly had spoiled his mood. The spiritual festival she’d attended a few months ago crossed her mind and the memory of seeing her old team mate Kaizen again after all these years.
At first, they had both been so delighted about their reunion that she still couldn’t quite believe it herself when their joy didn’t last long. In the end, nothing seemed to make up for the time apart and with that came the realization that they had turned from friends to strangers.
Misoka started walking ahead just like Bokuden wanted her to lead the way. It was hard to focus on the path whilst replaying the words she had always tried to deny or hide from view.
“I fear it will be the same with us.”
It hurt.
Time could shatter things, she knew that well enough. She shouldn’t even be surprised.

Faking a smile, Misoka looked back at Bokuden and started an attempt at continuing their conversation, “But how have you been? Have you become the leader of your clan?”
Her gaze fell on his mask. And suddenly, a different thought emerged from the depths of her mind, a different possibility of what he had… become.
She dipped her head so he wouldn’t see her freezing into wary alertness. If she truly decided to defect someday, wouldn’t he be obligated to kill her should they meet again? Wasn’t that what ANBUs were here for? Hunting missing-nins? He would be her enemy.
No. Annoyed, Misoka dismissed her thoughts, throwing a sideways-glance at Bokuden. Really, what was she thinking? He was certainly not her enemy.
It would just… give her peace of mind to know whether her assumption proved to be correct.
“Or weren’t you pretending when you said you… were an ANBU?”




6917

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22A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 24, 2014 11:15 am

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
“Oh, my mask… that’s right,” Bokuden answered somberly to Misoka’s reminder about his ANBU mask that she had thrown to the ground earlier, “I suppose it would be best if I retrieve that after all, huh?” Turning away from Misoka as she began to make her way towards the staircase, Bokuden walk over to the mask and examine it, checking for any damage that might have been done to it during Misoka’s fit. She would turn to face him again as he knelt to retrieve his mask, this time asking him about what had transpired in his life during their five year separation.

“No, I was not pretending when I said that I was an ANBU operative,” Bokuden replied, his gaze never turning from the mask in his hands as he dusted it off, “I told you before; not as much of what I said to you while I was keeping my identity from you was a lie as you think. I was recruited into the village’s ANBU organization shortly after I returned from my exile. But that is of no importance at the moment.” He would raise himself up and immediately begin removing his ANBU vest, sealing both it and his mask into a scroll as well as retrieving his black coat. There was no point in being in his ANBU equipment if he was going to be unmasked. Finally he would turn back to face Misoka once more, his eyes no longer filled with the excitement or warmth that they had been upon first removing his mask, but instead with emptiness, as if all of the emotion had been ripped out of them, “We should head out. You said yourself that your father must be worried sick about you. I know the feeling, Let’s go put his mind at ease.”



3533~

23A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:09 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
“...Yeah.” Misoka cleared her throat, keeping her gaze straight ahead and continuing her way down the staircase. “It’s not that far from here.”
So he truly belonged to the special assassination squad which took orders directly from the Kage. He must have become a shinobi with terrifying skills in order to be chosen for such an honorable position. Another part of his previous statement grabbed her attention as well – What did he mean by "shortly after returning from my exile"? Not that she could possibly ask him at the moment. Well, she could, but...
Hesitantly, she sneaked another glance at the man beside her, seeing that his face was still seemingly devoid of all emotion. It almost felt as though the temperature had dropped around them. Misoka wanted to enquire what was wrong, simply try to... make him smile again. But no words came to her mind, just as always when she needed them most.

In a way, it felt relieving and painful at the same time the moment they arrived at their destination about ten minutes later. A house located on the outskirts of town, adjacent to Kumogakure’s dangerous wilderness. Misoka wondered what could have made Nami - an outgoing woman who had no clue about shinobi whatsoever and wouldn't even be able to properly defend herself against bandits - move to this place, almost an hour away from the village’s centre.
Uh, fair enough, but what did that matter right now? If she didn’t muster up the courage to say something meaningful to Bokuden soon, it would really be as with Kaizen – Their paths would split once again with each one of them focusing on their own life. She would lose him for good.
“Okay,” Misoka murmured to herself, turning around swiftly and leaning against the entry door. Nervously, she searched Bokuden’s gaze, but it seemed he still felt reluctant to look at her.
...Fine. Maybe it was better this way.

“Listen. Can we just... start anew?” There was a pleading undertone in her voice which she couldn’t help but notice with disdain. This made her sound so... weak. And apart from that, how many times was she going to ask people to “start anew”? Back in the hospital, she had suggested almost the same thing to Sanosuke in an attempt to make him forget their horrible first meeting.
I just have a great talent for messing things up.
Misoka paused a short moment, chewing on her lower lip before adding, “And get to know each other again?”
Anything was better than that dry silence between them as if they didn’t know what to say to each other.

Anticipation rising within her, she stood there gazing at him and waited for his response... when this very important moment was all of a sudden interrupted by another voice. Just her luck.
“Misoka! You made it!”
She merely had the time to jump aside as the entry door flew open and her father stormed out into the cold. He didn’t even take note of Bokuden, but immediately turned to Misoka and pulled her into a tight embrace. Tight and short – Because he wasted barely any seconds in bombarding her with questions.
“How did you escape from the psychopath? What happened to him? Is he dead? Are you being pursued? You shouldn’t stay out in the open for too long, get inside!”
“Hang on, Dad, I-”
She didn’t have Bokuden’s answer yet. She needed to know. Was he still there? Or had he taken the chance to leave already?
Quickly, Misoka turned away from her father, her eyes looking for the face of the man who still seemed so familiar to her even though she knew this wasn't true anymore.





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24A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:45 pm

Bokuden

Bokuden


D-rank
The two of them walked in almost complete silence alongside each other as Misoka lead the way to her destination. The atmosphere surrounding them was as heavy as the emotional tension that existed between she and Bokuden, making him feel as if his ability to form words had been stolen from him. He wasn’t being fair to her with his reaction and he knew it. It was unreasonable for him to expect her to just run back into his arms and let him tell her everything is ok after all this time, but he still felt hurt by her willingness to throw her memories of him away like they meant nothing.

Fortunately, their destination was not too far from the Tower of Heaven which itself was situated a good distance away from the hustling and bustling main streets of the village. Bokuden wasn’t sure however, what this visit would entail. He had to make sure that she arrived there safely and that nothing was amiss, but did he really want to stick around to meet her father? How would they respond if he was asked about how he knew Misoka? Bokuden didn’t even know himself how to define their relationship… if it could even be called that anymore.

As they approached a home Bokuden grew more and more uneasy about the whole situation, only to stop dead in his tracks as Misoka spun around to face him, leaning back against the door. “Okay, Listen. Can we just... start anew? And get to know each other again?”

A smile formed on Bokuden’s lips as he listened to Misoka’s words. Maybe that was exactly what they needed. It was almost the exact opposite of what Bokuden had hoped for, but in his mind it was better than risking losing her. Before he could agree to her idea however, the door would swing open and an older man would run at Misoka and pull her into an embrace.“Misoka! You made it! How did you escape from the psychopath? What happened to him? Is he dead? Are you being pursued? You shouldn’t stay out in the open for too long, get inside!”

At first he was concerned at the possibility of this being a trap, but when the word “Dad” escaped Misoka’s lips Bokuden knew that everything was okay. When Misoka turned away from her father to look for Bokuden once more he would be standing off to the back quietly, not wishing to interrupt, with a compassionate smile still being offered.



3959~

25A New Beginning. [Private] Empty Re: A New Beginning. [Private] Fri Jan 24, 2014 6:01 pm

Misoka

Misoka


D-rank
Misoka breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the hint of a smile spread across Bokuden’s lips.
“I hope it’s alright if I take that as a yes. Well, then I’ll see you arou-” she began happily, only to be cut off by her father’s voice.
“Hold on a minute, what’s going on here? Who’s that guy?” His eyes darted back and forth between her and Bokuden, a suspicious frown already forming on his features. “And you didn’t answer any of my questions!”
Did he ALWAYS have to ruin these moments? This was so typical of him! Swallowing down a snappy reply, Misoka held her hands up in a soothing manner. “Relax, Dad! I could escape from Taku because someone saved me and killed him.”
Much to her surprise, her father’s facial expression changed almost immediately upon hearing these words. With a grateful smile, he gave Bokuden a nod. “So you are the knight in shining armour, thank you so-”
“No, it was someone else,” Misoka interrupted him, a bit flustered, but was quick to add, “This doesn’t matter, though, because I know Bokuden is no enemy.”
Her father didn’t seem truly convinced, evident by the way he scrunched his eyebrows and absent-mindedly scratched his chin. Speaking of which, he had... shaved himself properly, something he hadn’t done in quite a long time. At least, Nami must be a good influence on him.

As if Misoka had just spoken her mind, a familiar female voice reached her ears, the same cheerful tone as ever. “Isamu, you fool! Why are you still standing out in the cold with her?”
The sound of footsteps followed as Nami left the house and joined them and well, of course their conversation. She only laid eyes on Bokuden once, her painted pink lips forming a theatrical “Oh” and clasped her hands together. “The young man again!”
An overly dramatic laugh slipped from her mouth as she motioned for them to get moving. “But now, now, it’s cold out here! Let’s all go inside. I haven’t had so many guests in a while. This is so exciting! I’ll make tea for everyone. Come now!”

Not tolerating any moment of hesitation, Nami grabbed Bokuden by his arm and pulled him to the entry door (or at least tried her best doing so). As for Misoka and Isamu, she was obviously expecting them to follow her “advice” without further nudging.
This was all... extremely embarrassing. The kind of embarrassing which made you wish the earth could just swallow you up right here and now. With an almost horrified expression painted across her face, Misoka entered the house, just in time to see how Nami was already offering cookies to Bokuden.
“Ah, well, anyway.”
She looked at her father questioningly who let out a loud chuckle. “I’m glad you already found a ... friend in this village - because I decided we could just stay here! None of those stupid wimps found me. I’m sure we’re safe in Kumogakure.”
Of course Nami had to express her approval with a squeal. At this point, by the way, she was constantly making sure Bokuden didn’t feel uncomfortable in her home – although Misoka had a hard time believing a person could feel at ease if they were swarmed with cookies, tea, a chair to sit on and endless babbling.
“Dad, I...” Misoka bit her lower lip, not sure whether she should break the news to her father now or later. Well, it wouldn’t get any easier, would it? “I was actually thinking about defecting.”

As if on cue, the chattering Nami suddenly fell silent, tearing her gaze away from Bokuden and keeping it glued on her friend’s daughter instead.
“Defecting?” Isamu repeated after a moment of processing her words. And then... he broke out into laughter. What was so funny? “You’d be dead in a minute!”
Of course. Misoka frowned. “Thanks, Dad. Always encouraging.”
He quickly regained his composure even though there was still a wide grin playing upon his lips when he went on, “Come on, you can’t be serious. This is one of your bad jokes, isn’t it? We’re all finally safe and you want to play hero now and put your life on the line? Forgive me, but this just sounds laughable.”
Only because he didn’t understand anything. Misoka clenched her teeth before exclaiming angrily, “I have promises to keep! I don’t want anyone to think I just chickened out like a coward!”
She almost couldn’t believe her eyes as her father still had the nerve to chuckle to himself and look around... as if to clarify that his following question was directed at everyone in the room.
“Has she been with that psychopath,” his gaze fell on Bokuden, “ – no, not you, I hope – for too long? I’m afraid a mental illness might be infectious.”
Incredible. Her father seemed to be the high and mighty prankster again. Misoka exhaled the air sharply. “Dad, that’s not funny! And guess what, I’m not a child anymore! I can decide for myself, thank you very much.”

Before he could respond in whatever way, however, Nami intervened, throwing an apologetic glance at Bokuden. “Can you two stop bickering, please? Young man, have some tea. Do you not like the flavour? I can make new one.”




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