"......."

"What's the point of even going on anymore? You'll never find him..."

"Give up...."

Mitsuo had disappeared. Her father was gone. She didn't know where he went, she didn't even know if he was still alive. She had waited like a diligent child for his return only it had never happened. He had saved her from that horrible hellish orphanage only to abandon her later on. She couldn't wrap her mind around it, she didn't want to wrap her mind around it. If she allowed those thoughts to cloud her mind it would destroy her, it would leave her an even emptier shell of a child then she was now. No, she had to go on and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

There was one more person: one more person who would care. She had to find him, she had to find Strafe. He would make it alright, she was sure of it: she had to be, it was the only thing that had kept her from just laying down in a puddle and allowing herself to drown months ago. Her search hadn't been easy: important things were kept from those of her rank. A lot of guess work, trial and error, and some definite snooping through her father's old papers and the like had lead her to Kiri so long ago. Now... just to find him.

She HAD to find him.

At the moment Kaia had no way of knowing if she was looking in the right place or not, or if she was actually looking for Strafe at that very second. She was following her nose toward the smell of some delicious food, a smell that was making her far too thin stomach growl with hunger. Food. What was it again? She couldn't remember the last time she had ate, she didn't even know if she had the ryo left over to pay for it at this point. She had lost her pack that had most of her belongings months ago - it had been snatched right off of her back and she had been too numbed out to care and try to stop the thief. From that point she had simply been keeping what little she had - a shoulder bag with a spare outfit, a picture of her father, and a few other odds an ends - as close to her being as possible.

Kaia glanced up to the sky; she had been sure the clouds above had spoken of rain but none had strangely come. Figuring it was safe to chance it for a while she pulled her hood down and continued on through the market, following the smell of the delicious food and ignoring the various people who bumped into her along her way due to her small size making it hard to see her...

Word Count: 480

Strafe sat idly at his desk as he scribbled his name across yet another form. He didn't mind paperwork like most people, but even he grew tired of it after a while. He slid it to the side and leaned back, making sure to feel comfortable. As he thought to himself for a minute, one of the Anbu Black Ops appeared to the left of him in a puff of smoke. "What can I do for you?" Strafe's voice was friendly and calm as he glanced over at the the ninja. "Lord Strafe, A girl happened to be walking in the village. I spotted her and went to question her, but halted as soon as I heard her say your name. She was in bad condition, and she didn't look like a native. I came straight here with the information." This particular Anbu had been around for a little while and knew Strafe well. He immediately jumped up, turning to grab his staff. "Kaia" was the only word he could he could manage before starting to get emotional.

It all flooded back. His time with Konoha and how he missed Mitsuo more every day. He remembered Kaia and his love for her. The poor girl didn't have anyone else, and after Mitsuo disappeared, he got called away. She probably felt all alone and abandoned, which was partly his fault. A tear droped from his cheek, but Strafe steadied himself. "I will be not be available for the rest of the day. I will be on personal business and only come to me if Solstice is not able to assist you. Thank you." He spoke clearly, but as soon as the sentence was complete, he was gone. He darted out the open window and started moving across the rooftops at incredible speeds. His mind raced as he wove in between buildings, looking for the girl. He would never forgive himself, and she would never need again, not in this village. Momaru happened to be at the house for the day, which was fine. Strafe didn't want to worry him with his problems.

His head snapped to the girl who was walking half awake through the village. "What did I do?" He was in shock, beating himself up for not doing more for her. He jumped down and started to approach his long lost friend that had become like a daughter to him. "Kaia, honey, I'm so sorry." He spoke with earnest as he bent down and opened his arms. He hoped she didn't hate him, or she wasn't scared of him. He had no idea what she had been through since. He just wanted to hug her and tell her it was all alright, because it would be. He would make sure of that.

Word Count: 471

Kaia was a mess, though not as bad as she could have been. She had her share of bumps and scrapes: both from walking into things in her nearly catonic state as well as people bumping and shoving into her - the worst of those being the small gash on her cheek. She also was far too thin: she barely had been eating as it was, but with ryo scarce and her inability to care it had gotten worse - now she was nearly sickly thin, and severely dehydrated. It didn't stop her though from putting one foot in front of another.

At least... until he showed up.

Strafe.

Strafe.

STRAFE!

It took her several seconds, her brain not willing to process any faster in her current condition, but when her brain caught up her body went into action right away. Without caring about anyone else around her, only able to focus on him, she launched herself the distance that separated the pair of them and hurled herself into his arms. She hugged him as tighly as she could manage, which wasn't all that tight at all, but she was putting every ounce of the strength she could muster behind it. No tears rolled down her cheeks simply because she was too tired to cry, but that didn't stop her face from screwing up as if she wanted to do just that.

She couldn't muster words at that moment, and instead chose to cling to him as tightly as she could manage to get her point across. She didn't blame him. She couldn't blame him. She knew what the job of a shinobi meant, she knew he'd be busy. All that mattered was that she had found him, and that she wasn't willing to let go. She didn't want to be alone anymore, she couldn't be alone anymore: it'd break her if she had to, and she wasn't all that held together in the first place.


Word Count: 810

Strafe couldn't help but tear up again and she literally saw him and jumped into his arms. Despite his emotions, he smiled and held her tight. As he enjoyed the moment, he also took the time to give her first aid. An icey blue aura began to glow around her as her wounds started to heal. "Don't worry, I'm just healing you.". It was a the Advanced Recovery Method, which was equally beautiful and useful. "I know he's somewhere missing us as much as we miss miss him. Until we find him, would you like to stay here with me?" He asked, knowing what the answer would be. Anything else probably wasn't an option at this point, but Strafe was more than happy to be there for her. She was to important to him. He looked down at her body, becoming sad all over again as he realized just how skinny she really was.  

"Once you're ready, I can take you to get some food. Anything you want, you name it." He said with a warm voice that he reserved for his patients. A life as a regular shinobi require quick reflexes and courage. Being a Medic ninja requires different things, including the ability to show kindness and care in the mist of war. He couldn't believe he hadn't done this sooner, and couldn't help but be excited about the future. She had so much potential, and he would make sure she was raised with the love she deserved. He continued to hold her, not wanting to let go.

A familar patter of paws reached his ear. Momaru was coming and quickly. "Honey, do you remember my lion, Momaru? He smelled your scent and emotions, so he's on his way here pretty fast. Don't be alarmed." Strafe spoke clearly as he looked in the direction. "There." He said as the lion sped around a corner and stopped a few feet from them. The lion's face stayed calm, but Strafe could tell the empathy in his eyes. The lion wanted nothing more than to comfort the girl. "Kaia, are you ok dear?" Momaru's low bass rang out. Strafe knew Kaia would be happy to see someone else she knew, so he figured she would probably give whatever response she could at the moment. Strafe nodded to Momaru, signaling that she was okay for the most part, besides the obvious malnutrition. She would be fine now though, as he would make sure she was personally given the best training and knowledge that Kiri could provide.

Word Count: 907

Jutsu:

Something was happening, the mild pain she had been feeling and yet which she hadn't really focused on, was lessening greatly. Behind her eyelids, which were closed, she was aware of a glow - healing chakra. She had no worry about Strafe hurting her, and soon found herself feeling loads better than she had. Instead of worrying about her own injuries - or now lack of - she focused back on Strafe and nodded to his question about wishing to stay with him: she did very much indeed want to do just that. She couldn't stand the idea of being sent back to Konoha and having no one again.

At the mention of food Kaia realized for the first time in quite a while that she was starving. Indeed as she looked down at herself for the first time in what had been a long while she found that she was back to being nearly the same sickly thin she had been when Mitsuo had rescued her all that time ago. It also meant that she knew that while she wanted chocolate and cookies and all of life's goodness eating those things would make her very violently sick. She had made that mistake once before in the past, having not heeded Mitsuo's warning when she snuck candy behind his back before her stomach had been ready for it. No, it was definitely not something she wanted to experience again. "I want rice; rice won't make my belly hurt... or make me sick." Yes, rice seemed like the safest option, at least in her eyes: she was no medic, but she had gone down this path once before.

Then her attention shifted to yet another arrival: this one of the animal variety. She smiled at the lion as best she could and then reached out toward him while remaining clinging to Strafe with her other hand. Her intention was clear: she wanted to touch him, talking took up strength after all and she had so little to begin with. It would simply be much easier for her to convey how she felt through touch than through vocalizing it. If he would move closer she would simply gently scratch behind his ears before moving her hand away and poking her growling stomach in an attempt to quiet it down. "Thirsty... too."

Word Count: 1,200

His eyes showed joy as she said yes. It was decided, and he couldn't be happier. He then listened to her speak for the first time, which sounded like a raspy dull version of her normal voice. Rice was a smarter choice than he would have made, so he replied with a proud grin. "Rice it is." Something told him there were many more of those to come. Her response to Momaru's gesture was the best of all. Nothing spoken, just as simple hand motion. Momaru moved over to her, let her hand reach behind his ear. He nuzzled her hand as she pulled it away, returning the affection.

Her stomach started to rumble, to which her response was to poke her stomach. He chuckled just a bit as her personality started to make it's way back. She was thirsty too, which he responded quickly with "Of course, let's go get some lunch." He then realized she was still attached to him. "Momaru, could we?" He looked at his longtime friend. "Of course, anything for Kaia." He said walking behind Strafe as the Sannin lifted the girl into the air. "Hold tight." He spoke softly before jumping backwards onto Momaru's back. How she wanted to sit was up to her, as long as he could hold onto her. They started moving forward down the street. "Pick which one you want rice and drink from." He said knowing her curiosity was probably peaked with all the smells swirling in the air around them. "If you want my suggesetion, the shop 3 places down on the left has the best food." He added, just in case.

Word Count: 1186

Without her knowledge a gentle smile formed on Kaia's face; it was tiny, but it was there. She had much to be happy about now, and slowly was beginning to come out of the shell she had buried herself beneath so long ago when she realized her father wasn't coming home. All of that sadness was slowly fading, and her old normally happy self was beginning to shine through. She had no idea what the next few days or even weeks would bring, but she was sure that stuff would sort itself out somehow.

Kaia giggled as Strafe picked her up, more so when he jumped on Momaru's back. She shifted herself so that she was seated sideways, but otherwise still able to cling to Strafe. She wouldn't admit it outloud, but she felt like she might be dreaming, and feared that letting go would mean waking up. Things would right themselves soon enough, but for the moment she simply couldn't help it - it felt too good to be true.

Strafe told her to pick which shop she wanted, and made a suggestion about one three places down. Feeling a bit too tired to speak at the moment she simply held up her hand; or rather three fingers to indicate she wanted the one that Strafe had mentioned. She knew little about Kiri, so she was simply going to go with what he suggested for now, and work on trying things out and picking her favorites later on when she was feeling up to it. Absently, she would reach down as they went with the same hand she had used to hold up three fingers and begin to lightly scratch at the lion's back, still smiling lightly: her other hand of course remaining tightly clinging to Strafe.

"Happy..." A one word response, but about as much as she was going to muster for the time being.

Word Count: 1,519

Despite his best effort, Strafe showed the joy he felt. He face was lit up and he nodded as the young girl held up three fingers. He loved that she trusted him so completely, and he knew he would never try to abuse that trust. "The usual shop, momaru." He spoke to simply fill in his friend, as he figured Momaru was curious. The simple word happy escaped her lips, which made him wrap his left arm around her in a hug. He knew to be gentle, but wanted to return the favor. "Me too." He spoke softly as Momaru stopped. He held on tight to her as he hopped off, lowering her to ground level and squatting beside her. A waiter walked up to him immediately. "Welcome Lord Strafe, what for you today?" He asked brightly as he bowed with respect to the three of them. "A medium sized bowl of rice, water? " He looked at her for confirmation or correction before continuing. "I'm fine, thank you."

Momaru simply nodded in agreement with Strafe. A nod from waiter was all you saw before he turned and walked away briskly. He then stood back up, regardless if she still clung to him or not, waking over to a nearby table for them to sit at. He took his seat, with Momaru going to get a drink nearby. Kaia could literally sit on the table if she wanted, whatever she needed to feel comfortable. "You know, I have a cousin that would love to meet you. She is the Mizukage and my closest friend in this land. Let me know if you think it's a good idea. " He just mentioned it in passing, as he didn't want to pressure her. "I think we are going to have to fix you up a room. I have space in my new place. It will be nice to have another person there, i've been at the office a lot because it's was kind of odd being there alone. Now I have you, and the place is yours too. Anything that is mine, is also yours." He said with a smile.

At that moment, the waiter came out with the rice and drink. "Thank you!" Strafe said kindly as he waited for her to eat.

Word Count: 1.571

Kaia was very content with the hug she was given as she let her happiness be known. She no longer felt sad or depressed, thought she was quite hungry, thirsty, and tired. The first two would be taken care of soon enough as they arrived, and she knew the third would likely be taken care afterward. There wasn't really much she wanted for - she had gone without for so long she was used to it honestly - but a safe and warm place to sleep would definitely be a lovely thing after so long without it. Especially if she had a full and happy belly beforehand.

When Strafe got off of the lion's back Kaia simply remained clinging to him: she really was still worried about letting go and waking up to find this all a sort of dream. It was becoming easier to trust that it wasn't, but she still wasn't one hundred percent sure. When Strafe sat at the table she would simply manuever herself in such a way so that it would be comfortable for both of them for her to stay close. She had remained silent during the whole food ordering process, nodding her head yes to confirm that she did want some water and not something else to drink.

However, as Strafe mentioned her meeting his cousin, who happened to be a kage, her lips formed a soft little 'o' shape in amazement and her eyes grew slightly wide. Meet a Kage? One who Strafe was related to? She knew that the kage was the most powerful person in the whole village, and she had always figured she would have to rank up a ton before such a chance would present itself. It was an idea that both amazed and slightly scared her - though the latter was likely more because of the idea of meeting someone entirely knew than really dealing with the position of power that person held. Still, Strafe seemed to think it was a good idea and she trusted his judgement completley, so she nodded her head in agreement with a smile.

Strafe went on to mention fixing her up her own room, and said that he had the space to do so. This brought another smile to her face of happiness and joy. Her own space was not something she had been expecting, but she was grateful for it. "Now neither of us have to be alone.", she said softly with yet aother smile.

When the waiter brought out her food she mouthed thankful, her voice deciding it was done working for now given how thirsty she was. She picked up the water first, and though she wanted to chug half of the cup she took a small sip of it to see how her body would handle it. When a few seconds passed without issue she took another and then put the glass down before scooping up a bit of rice with her utensils. That too was plopped into her mouth, chewed with care, and then swallowed with a long pause following to make sure she wasn't about to get sick off of it.

Word Count: 2,045

A nod from his daughter, which he was still getting used to the idea of, signified that she would meet Solstice. A smile formed across his face, as he knew the two would get along. Regardless of the details, Strafe knew how close family was to his Mizukage, so he wasn't worried about it. He nodded at her statement, letting the girl eat instead of talking so much. He wanted her to focus on getting herself to a healthy weight for the next couple of days. She was very careful when she ate, making sure her stomach responded well before taking another bite or sip. It seemed she had learned from her past mistakes, which was the sign of a wise person. She already learned a lesson so many shinobi never learn.

A dull noise came outside the shop, signalling Momaru's return. Strafe looked in his direction and nodded, meaning he was okay. Momaru nodded back before turning and taking off. He was head to talk to a few people about getting things ready for the newest member of his family. Strafe looked back at her with a smile. "How is it? Want anything else?" He asked before stopping a waiter. "Could I get a warm tea for myself and another glass of water for my daughter." He spoke proudly, deciding to test out the word. "Yes sir" The man spoke kindly and went to fix drinks. He came back shortly setting the drinks in front of them. Strafe picked up his small white cup of warm tea and sipped it a couple of times before setting back down. This was nice. As chaotic as things had been in his life, it made him appreciate the peaceful times.

Word Count: 1,861

Strafe was quiet while Kaia ate which meant she could give her food her full attention for the time being. She kept to the same slow pace she had started with as she went about consuming her rice and water: a few sips of water here, a few bites of food there. Slowly but steadily both her rice and water emptied from their containers until there was no rice left and only a little bit of water.

Her attention would focus for a moment as Momaru as the lion arrived back, a wave being given in greeting before another sip of her water was had.

At Strafe's question if she wanted anything else she simply shook her head no. "Just more water, please.", she would respond softly. She felt rather full, and the rice was settled well enough on her stomach, so she was simply worried about the fact that she still felt a bit thirsty. She was no medic but she knew she had gone far longer than she should have without water and was likely dehydrated because of that fact.

When Strafe called her his daughter she positively beamed with happiness. She finished off the last of the water in her current cup, wanting it empty so the waiter could take it when he returned with their drinks. When her new cup was in front of her she picked it up and drank almost half of it in one shot before sighing happily with what was likely going to become a rather permanent smile on her face. "I'm nice and full."

Word Count: 2,312

As Kaia finished her meal and relaxed, she stated she was full. Good, he wanted to make sure she got plenty of liquids and food in the next couple of days. He racked his brain for what he wanted to do next. He picked up his cup, finishing his tea before setting it down with a sigh of his own. Maybe she would want to see the house. "Would you like to go see your new house when you get done?" Strafe looked down with a smile, figuring she would have plenty to say once she got there. He wasn't rich like a daimyo, but he had quite a bit of money after serving and doing missions over the years. "Momaru can take us there and you can pick your room if you like." He said finishing his thought before noticing the waiter that was walking up to them. Strafe immediately rummaged in a jacket pocket before handing him ryo. "This should cover it, keep the change." He said with a kind smile. The young man beamed back before bowing and rushing away to help another customer.

He looked around to see that it was getting later in the day. He wouldn't have to work, so they had plenty of time to go sight seeing or just relax if she wanted. "At this point, we have a whole village and nothing to do. We could go sight seeing, or visit important places, or even go to the beach. You're choice." He said looking down at her, knowing she would probably get tired quickly after her food. Regardless, he just wanted to spend quality time with his child.

Word Count: 2,141

Kaia was slowly beginning to settle and calm herself. No longer was she worried that if she let go of Strafe he would disappear between her fingertips, and no longer did she think herself in some kind of waking dream. In fact, outside of feeling quite tired, she was relatively calm and happy like she used to be. She was definitely going to end up returning to her completely happy and bouncing self within the next few days, and given plenty of food and liquids she would definitely regain the weight she had lost and be back to her healthy self soon after. All in all she was leaps and bounds ahead of where she had been when she had first set food in Kiri despite not all that long of a time having passed.

When Strafe mentioned the idea of going to see her new house she was all on board with that plan, even with extra options given to her of other things that they could do. On any other day she likely would have wanted to go to the beach or explore around the village for a bit, but today she was feeling quite tired and worn down and was more interested in her new home and more importantly a comfy bed then really doing anything else. "I'm kind of sleepy... can we just go home today? Maybe the beach tomorrow?" She rather liked the idea of the beach best of all - she was no water user but she could have sworn she was part fish nonetheless.

Yawning softly she would reach up and return to basically clinging onto Strafe, planning on sitting the same way she had been before were the rather large lion to give them a ride. She didn't plan on falling asleep until she got to pick out her room and explore the house a bit, so she was definitely going to make sure she forced herself to stay awake.


Word Count: 2,616

Endurance D2 -> D3: 2,616 - 450 = 2,196
Perception: D -> D1: 2,196 - 325 = 1,871
Perception D1 -> D2: 1,871 - 400 = 1,471
Perception D2 -> D3: 1,471 - 450 = 1,021
Reaction: D -> D1: 1,021 - 325 = 696
Reaction D1 -> D2: 696 - 400 = 296
Remaining: 296

His daughter started to relax, returning to her previous position of clinging. She asked if they could just go home and do the beach tomorrow. "Of course. Let's go home."He said making sure she was supported before standing up and walking out. Momaru was in front of the place, relaxing on the ground. The lion stood tall as Strafe approached, jumping as he got close so that he could land on the animal's back. "Alright Momaru, let's go ahead and head to the house please. We have someone that would like to see it." He said with a smile as he glanced down. Momaru nodded and the three of them started to head through the village.

Luckily, the Residential District wasn't that far. The Aisu compound was quite big, but his house was one of the biggest in the whole district. It wasn't like he demanded it, it was given to him as a present for healing a wealthy business owner. He couldn't help but look down every few steps to make sure his little girl hadn't left. Not that she would, but he wouldn't survive it now. He was too attached at this point to let go. He looked up to the sky, thinking of Mitsuo and what he might be doing. He could help but hope that they would all be together again. He shook his head slightly and then focused back on the task in front of him. In this moment, he was happy regardless of what the future held.


Word Count: 2,403

Reaction Time: B1 -> B2: 2,403 - 800 = 1,603
Reaction Time: B2 -> B3: 1,603 - 900 = 703
Speed: B -> B1: 703 - 700 = 3
Remaining: 3