It was odd to be in the village of Kumo. Mitsuo had never been here before, and it was truly an interesting place to be. He watched as the sun was beginning to dip above him in the sky, which seemed closer than ever, and could feel the moisture of the clouds around him. He had greatly respected the former leader of this village, Reika Misoka, who's jutsu were amazing to behold. He had only seen her once but she had impressed him with her commanding presence and her grace. She was an amazing woman and her death was something that had upset Mitsuo greatly. The person who had done it was someone who was considered to be a member of the organization that Mitsuo was a part of, the Aoi Bara. Because of his murder of the kage the Aoi Bara was blamed and it had put a lot of strain on their members, causing Mitsuo to leave the continent for a few years. He hadn't planned on returning, but now that he was back he had decided it was time to visit the last places that he hadn't had a chance to see while living in the Shinobi World.

In the time while he had been gone a new man had been named Raikage, and he was someone who Mitsuo had fought beside once before. He often remembered that fight, mostly due to the fact that Sanosuke dropped a mast on top of the Hokage. Mitsuo was somewhat greatful for that as it had made it so that Mitsuhide was unable to recognize Mitsuo, but at the same time it didn't do any good for them towards their mission. Mitsuo didn't much care about the action, but he was somewhat shocked to hear that he had become the Raikage, and more shocked when he had heard the Mizukage's address about him. He wasn't sure what to believe, but he had come to Kumo to see what he was hearing about.

He was wandering the streets taking in the sights of the once beautiful village when he felt a presence he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a power he had felt twice before in his life, once during the Chuunin Exams in Suna, and the second while he was a member of the Aoi Bara. He knew it wasn't Tame, it didn't feel right. He wanted to find the person and find out who they are, but he didn't know his way around the village at all, nor did he know who he was looking for. He doubted that whoever he was looking for would be wearing an Aoi Bara cloak, which would make them tremendously obvious but also someone who would probably be arrested on sight in this village. He was determined, however, his mask removed and cloak down as he wandered the streets, currently not afraid of anyone trying to attack him by sight, as nobody in this village would recognize him. He pushed his glasses up his nose and lit a cigarette as he walked, knowing he would eventually run into who he was looking for...

(534 words)

I truly was a testament to Gin's boredom that she had sneaked out of the Raikage's Estate to play with the local children. It was one of the few things she could do in bread daylight without raising suspicion. Of course, this meant that she was stuck using her jutsu - Heaven Style: Small Angel's Fantasy - in order to maintain the form of a small girl. It was quite a comprehensive transformation. The seal restructured her very being, making it so that the most powerful of doujutsu and perceptive techniques failed to see her true form.

That being said, it also limited her power to that of a slightly above average chuunin. Her sensory capabilities were arguably non-existent. She couldn't sense the presence and energy of those around her to the usual extent. At the same time, her own personal signature was severely diminished - like a blaze that had been reduced to smoldering ashes.It was worth noting that being reduced in size was also somewhat difficult to get used to. She looked at her stubby fingers, now holding a ball. She frowned, not quite used to the sight, even with how frequently she had been using the form lately.

The other children looked at her for a moment. "Throw the ball, Shinka! Just like we taught you!" One of them called out. They were a nice little group, slightly older than her current appearance. They had taken the past week to induct Gin - known to them as Shinka - into their group of friend, considering her a little sister of sorts. It was rather adorable that they thought she was someone that needed guiding and taking care of.

If only they knew who she really was, how many people she had killed, how many lives she had destroyed and how many enemies she had made. She wondered if they would be able to understand the gravity of the life she had lived so far. No matter. They didn't need to know and she didn't need to say anything. Right now, she was just a child, like them. And even if that was the farthest thing from her reality, she could at least take a few hours to pretend that everything was alright.

Gin nodded and threw the ball across the field. She chased after it, just as the other children did, trying to kick it towards the goal. It was a fun game, one that she had never had a chance to play as a child. The merchant caravan she grew up with didn't have many children besides her and her older brother. Besides, her mother always insisted that she learn to weave and to sew, to play the piano and to paint. At the orphanage in Sunagakure, she had been much too focused on becoming a shinobi. This change of pace - it was nice.

Gin kicked the ball towards the net. It hit the post instead, bouncing and rolling out of the field. "I'll get it!" She called, running after the ball, which had landed at the feet of a man that she found vaguely familiar.

[WC: 525]

He could hear the laughter of children, which if he was being honest, wasn't a sound that he was overly used to hearing. So often this world was shrouded with sadness and pain that Mitsuo had nearly forgotten the innosense of children, and it was refreshing to hear them having fun. He didn't stop to see what they were up to however, feeling as though the presence that he had known for so long had to be nearby. He looked around and then felt something hit his foot. When he felt it he simply looked down at the ball, it was nothing particularly special, but he could tell that to the kids who were here it meant a lot. A small girl approached him and he flashed her a smile before he realised that there was something absolutely and completely wrong with her. He couldn't believe it, and honestly had no idea how it could possibly be true, but he knew that it was. This was the person who he was looking for. He could feel power radiating off of her and was shocked at that. This girl was a member of the Aoi Bara, or at least was around the Aoi Bara when Mitsuo was, and her power was incredible. The fact that he could feel that something was off, his curiosity peeked. He knew that it wasn't right, a child of this age shouldn't even make a blip on his radar, yet she felt like she was at least a chuunin in power. He begin to really focus, trying to figure out if he recognized her, if he knew her chakra. He focused intently, and then he noticed it, locked away inside of her. She was much more than she let on, her power rivaled, or perhaps even surpassed his own. This had to be right, it made so much more sense.

Mitsuo picked up the ball and carefully handed it to her, looking her over before speaking. "You seem very familliar, little one," When those words escaped his mouth it just felt wrong, he knew that this couldn't be her true form, she had to be using a powerful jutsu to hide herself, like his cloak did to him but far more impressive. "Are you from Iwa perhaps? I think I remember you from a shop that sold blue roses, is that correct?" Subtlty in speech wasn't something Mitsuo was overly good at, but he had to know. He ran his fingers through his beard and awaited her responce, taking another drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke away from the kids, because they were still kids. He didn't want to look like he was some kind of creep staring at this tiny child, and so he looked around at the rest of the area, waiting to see if she would either answer him or flee. If she fled he would not chase her, as if she didn't want to be caught it was very unlikely that Mitsuo would find her again. This coincidence was quite shocking to say the least, that he would be lucky enough that the person he was trying to find had kicked a ball right at him. He could only hope that she chose to speak with him.

(1090)

Gin nodded and smiled tenderly, her large eyes shining with a bright sense of innocence. She grabbed the ball from the man standing in front of her. She often forgot how strange it was to see the world from a child's perspective. He looked old and strong, but shaken, like someone that had seen more than he was willing to. She supposed that it was something common in people that reached his age - their age. At the mention of blue roses, things internally clicked. She remembered why this man seemed so familiar to her. "Papa used to make them. They were very pretty," Gin stated. It was her own way of confirming his suspicions, saying that she had had a part in the dormant organization that was Aoi Bara. "If you bought one of them, then you know him too, right? Did papa send you?" She asked, continuing the conversation in whatever coded fashion she could.

Before she could ask anything else, however, one of the kids ran up to her. "Shinka! Is this man bothering you?" He said, giving the newcomer his best version of a glare. It was more adorable than intimidating. Even still, he stood between Gin and the man, using his own self as a protective barrier. Gin was touched. It had been a long time since someone thought she needed protection and thought that they were able to provide it for her. "We told you it's bad to talk to strangers," he whispered to her.

Gin shook her head at the boy. "It's ok, Keiji. This is my uncle! Right, Mitsu-ojisan?" She explained. It was the best way to avoid suspicion or drawing too much attention. She wondered if the man would be surprised that she remembered his name and had recalled enough to match his face to it.

The boy now looked sheepishly at Mitsuo. "Oh," he said, clearly embarrassed. "He doesn't look like you, though," he pointed out. Gin simply shrugged. It seemed like the appropriate response a six year old would make.

Extending her short arms, she handed him the ball. "Mitsu-ojisan says I need to go home," she said. The sad frown she mustered was rather genuine. The boy nodded and waved as he ran back to the other children. For the sake of appearances, Gin offered her small hand for Mitsuo to take.

Her afternoon had just gotten a lot more interesting.

[WC: 933]

Her words quickly confirmed his suspicions. He chuckled softly as he realized that this girl was indeed a member of the Aoi Bara. He answered her question as well. "Yes I know your papa, and I did indeed buy a rose." He didn't tell her that he wasn't technically here to find her. He hadn't heard from Tsuyo in a few years and he was wondering what had happened to him, or perhaps if this girl knew.

He watched as another young child walked up to stand between the two of them, standing up for the girl and protecting her from Mitsuo. He was surprised, but he admired the young boy's courage. Mitsuo was indeed a dangerous looking man, and he was someone that most adults would avoid coming near, but this boy put himself right into danger, with no fear. When the girl introduced Mitsuo as her uncle, using his name (or at least his father's nickname for him) he put his head on the young boy's head and rustled his hair.

"I know I don't look like her champ, but I am her uncle." His smile was genuine towards the boy. He liked this kid, and he was pretty impressed with him as well. IT was uncommon to find anyone with his kind of courage. As he walked away and the girl reached her hand out towards Mitsuo, he took it into his own, his hand dwarfing hers. He was so curious as to who she was and how she had managed to hide her chakra in such a way as she had. It was absolutely unfathomable to him.

When they walked away out of earshot of the kids he looked down at her and said; "How do you know my name? I don't know yours. I only ever worked with Ts-with our employer." He was trying to think of the different members that he knew, a few different names crossing his mind. The problem was there were many of them, and he had worked with so few of them. He had only met Daraku and Syekren once, and it was when he had saved them and Tsuyo from Ukiyo. Besides them he had met Tsuyo and Tsuneo, and if the rumors were true the Tsuchikage Kazu. He was sure he would get his answers soon enough...

(1488)

Being treated as a child by fellow children was one thing, but having to hold the hand of an adult to find her way was certainly odd. When in this form, she had a tendency to avoid adults, who in turn overlooked her almost entirely. Right now, however, she had no choice but to continue acting her part, even if it was in a different way than usual. She assumed he would begin to ask questions once they were in a relatively private area. There were still people passing by along the road, mostly minding their own business. Gin recognized some of them from around the area - merchants, for the most part. Some gave her free candy whenever she passed by their store. To those, she waved her free hand.

"I was in charge of enforcement and... Internal affairs," Gin began to answer, still trying to speak with subtlety. It was worth mention that being discreet had never been one of her strengths. "I was provided with a comprehensive profile on each of our members, yourself included," she said, still holding onto Mitsuo's hand. Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. Her words, though they sounded innocent overall, would be perceived as strange from someone who looked younger than ten. "I have to admit, you've changed. I didn't recognize you at first," she added. It was true, the man looked much older than his picture had indicated, even though not long had passed since their organization was active around the continent.

"Before you ask, I won't tell you my name," she stated. "For reasons that I won't mention either, maintaining anonymity is important to me. Until I deem you trustworthy enough, I will keep my form as it is now," she explained. Currently, this man was stronger than she was, even if she still had access to her powerful arsenal. She would have to make sure that they stayed somewhere relatively public in case he became hostile. All she would have to do was scream loud enough and it would draw enough attention for him to at least flee. Worst case scenario, she would have to quickly transform and dispatch him before anyone saw her.

Gin sighed at the thought. That would be a pain. Killing the man would be a shame, for starters. Secondly, she wasn't sure she could end a fight that quickly and silently. After that, she would have to somehow get rid of the body in secret so that she could avoid an investigation being started. She let out a whine mentally, her puffy lips turning into a frustrated frown for a moment. Truth be told, the expression was quite adorable. That aside, she definitely hoped that they could have a civilized conversation without having to resort to violence.

Mitsuo imagined that anyone who was paying attention to Mitsuo and the small girl would find their conversation odd, and to be fair Mitsuo himself found it a bit odd as well. He was surprised that she was given his true identity, as the only person in the organization who knew his name was Tsuyo himself, and he had told him to keep it a secret. Aliases were something that were very useful when you wanted to keep safe, and the fact that this person knew his identity made Mitsuo more than a little unsettled. He had always believed himself to be Tsuyo's number one guy, but he had heard that there was someone above him, someone whom he had never gotten to meet. He imagined if she had handled such sensitive information, it was likely her that he had heard about.

"While that may be the case, I'd appreciate it if you would not use my name, as it is not something that I want getting around." He was sure she would understand, as secrecy was important in general, and even more so if you were a part of a wanted organisation. "I am Hiruzen Hiroshi, or that was my operative name." While he spoke his voice was low, he didn't want any passers by to hear him talking openly about his identity. When she commented that he looked much older than she remembered he brought his fingers up to stroke his beard, the flecks of grey in it and running through out his hair must have indeed made him look much older than he was. In truth it was the unfortunate side effect of leading a very stressful and pain filled life, the aging process taking a quicker toll on him. Now that he was close to thirty years of age he was beginning to see a lot of change. He didn't mind it, however, as it was one more thing that made it so that people wouldn't recognize him, or would at least have to look twice.

"You haven't aged a day since I last saw you, in fact, you must be doing something right, you look younger than ever!" His quip was in good nature, though in all seriousness he still had no idea if he had ever met this woman before. He chuckled to himself before she continued, choosing not to press the fact that she wouldn't tell him her name. While he imagined she knew more about him than most and should be able to trust him based off of that, he also realized that he had vanished for three years and that was as good a reason as any not to trust someone. He also understood people not liking to give up their identities, as he didn't want to do. He still wasn't sure of her intentions, as she could potentially be working to clean up the mess that the organization had left behind, and by clean up Mitsuo thought that could mean eliminating the members that remained alive. He had no idea what Tsuyo was planning, or if he wanted Mitsuo dead, he simply hoped that wasn't the case.

"I can respect your wishes, child, though I have no idea how I am to prove myself to you when we can't speak about work here." His face was not wearing his trademark smirk as usual, but looked a little more serious now. The issue he was having was that he wanted to stay where there were people, because it was much less likely that if she was out to clean up the rest of the Aoi Bara, she wouldn't be able to do it in front of a bunch of people. Since Mitsuo had returned as well he hadn't been feeling in the best shape as taking three years off of training had clearly taken a toll on him. He didn't know if he would be able to defend himself if she attacked, and likely it wouldn't end well. "So what have you been up too these past few years? What have I missed? Leaving this continent and all of its issues behind has left me terribly out of the loop." He would simply chat with her for now, and perhaps later he could find out more about what had happened to his employer, and friend, Tsuyo..

(2228)

Gin nodded pensively. "Hirusen Hiroshi," Gin repeated the name. "Alliteration," she pointed out. In her experience, it made names sound fake. Nevertheless, if that was his choice, it was what she would call him. "You can call me Shinka for now," she pointed out. He had probably heard the children call her that, but it didn't hurt to clarify that that was the name she went by. Her real name, however, she would keep to herself for now. She was confident enough in her secrecy.

Her identity outside of this form, however, was quite public - a matter of national security, in some places. In Kirigakure, she was akin to a hero due to her position as one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. For that very reason, she was held under tight scrutiny in Kumogakure. That being said, she wouldn't necessarily mind Mitsuo seeing her in her true form. That, however, would be admitting to someone that she was constantly escaping her house arrest. Seeing as she was unsure of his intentions, it was best not to risk it. Not only that, but the information that she had been a prominent member of the Aoi Bara was something that she would rather not divulge unless she had to.

Gin rolled her eyes at the joke. She would have laughed under normal circumstances, but anything that reminded her that she was stuck as a child hit a nerve. She frowned for a moment. This body felt cramped and small. Looking at the world from these eyes was odd. The perspective was different and didn't seem nearly as detailed as she knew it truly was. These eyes were weak - well, the organic one was anyways. Her prosthetic kept its same properties in this state. "We can see to that in some other way. If you want to speak more privately, there are places around town,"
Gin pointed out. A few came to mind. The surrounding mountains were often empty. People had a tendency to concentrate in the city itself. "I've spent a lot of time in Kirigakure. It's a decent enough village to call a home," she answered. She didn't want to specify much, seeing as it could lead to clues as to who she was.[/color]

So she wanted to go by Shinka, that was easy enough to remember as he had no idea what else he would call her. He smirked as he heard her say his name and when she suggested potentially going somewhere quiet it triggered Mitsuo to think of the possibility that she was going to try to lure him off to a place where she could kill him. He knew that in her current form he would have no issues with dispatching her, but were she to transform back into her normal form he wasn't so sure of his chances. He still didn't know if she was killing members of the Aoi Bara, though he had to assume that she wasn't. It was unlikely that she would know his actual name if she was, as he had never used it while a part of that group and only someone with insider information would be able to access that information, and that person would have to have extremely high clearance. Mitsuo was the right hand of Tsuyo Hyuga, but this woman was still likely someone who was above him which was something that unsettled Mitsuo as he didn't know there was anyone else who held higher rank than him besides Tsuyo. He did a quick check mentally of his weapons one more time and took a deep breath before looking down at the young girl.

"I think it might be a good idea for us to find somewhere to talk, and while I do like the idea of us being in public for a while, it certainly is detrimental to the topic at hand." His voice was calm even though he was a tad bit nervous about what he was proposing with the girl. "I have spent little time in Kirigakure, save for the War of Seven Bells and briefly on my return, but I will be changing that once my business in Kumogakure no Sato has concluded. The last time I was in Kirigakure, Solstice told me that I should join the village, though a lot of that had to do with a personal thing with one of her Sannin and the fact that she wanted me to lead the Seven Swordsmen. I was going to take her up on that before I had to take my litle trip away..." His voice trailed off, it wasn't an area that he liked to discuss. He had been told that he could duel the Mizukage and then would be given the Swordsman Leader's weapon and put in charge of one of the most feared and respected organizations in the world's history, and he was always a little disappointed that he hadn't taken her up on that. He could have been a part of something great, but now he was simply a wanderer once again, though he was currently working for Kiri. He waited to see how the girl would react to the things that he had said, hoping that he would soon be able to talk to her more openly about their previous employer...

(2747)

Gin looked up at the man, trying to make eye contact. She still held his hand to keep up appearances. Someone of her apparent age would look rather strange walking on her own with a man as dangerous as the Sword Saint. Establishing some sort of connection circumvented that, at least a bit. "Well, I suppose we can't talk properly if you don't take a risk, ne?" She asked him, shrugging. Really, it was up to him whether or not they went somewhere more private. She had thrown the ball to his side of the court, so to speak. Their leader - Kajiya-san - had always spoken about how they should trust each other as members of the same organization. It was his view that they owed it to each other to act like family. Having spent so much time apart from them, however, Gin was wary of anyone that had ties to the organization - especially since they were being hunted down for the murder of the past Raikage. Not only that, but Gin had always been somewhat... paranoid. She never trusted easily and hardly ever revealed her true emotions, preferring to hide them under a layer of sly nonchalance.

"Kirigakure, huh?" Gin began. She was trying to hold her tongue, trying not to jump at the thought that this man could potentially become the leader of the Seven Swordsmen. Gin had high standards. She wouldn't follow just anyone. They had to prove themselves worthy of leading, of being trustworthy beforehand. The fact that he just assumed that he could arrive in the Hidden Mist out of nowhere and claim to lord over her because Ayakashi felt like giving him a fancy title - No. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. But Gin had to calm down. Confronting the man about these issues would reveal things that she would rather keep to herself for now. "Like I said, it's a decent enough place to live, if you have the stomach for awful weather," she said instead. "The Swordsmen are a powerful group that count several legendary shinobi among their ranks. Do you really think you would have been fit to lead them?" She couldn't help but say. Her eyes narrowed, her words somewhat biting.

They came to a crossroads, both literally and figuratively. To road to the left led to the secluded forest at the base of the mountain in Kumonagkure no Sato while the right led to the center of the village. Gin stood to the left, letting go of the man's hand. "Are you coming?"

She mentioned that they couldn't speak properly without taking a risk. He agreed, of course, and wanted to be able to have a more private chat with the girl, biting his lip briefly before speaking. "You are correct. We should seek somewhere more private. It would be nice to speak more openly." He looked down towards her once more, she was such a curious individual, someone who seemed vaguely familiar, but at the same time someone who he honestly couldn't say he knew if he knew. He would continue their walk together, still trying to figure out if she simply wanted to kill him, but at the same time not worrying about it. There was nothing he could do if she tried to attack him, and after all of the terrible things he had done to people in his life, if she wished him dead he would welcome it with open arms. Hell had a special place set aside for him were he to be ended, and he was ready to take his determinant residence there.

When she responded to his comment about kirigakure, he noticed that her demeanor seemed to change a little bit. It was interesting that his words about being chosen as the leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist seemed to bother her, wondering if she could perhaps be a member of the illustrious organization. He wouldn't even know if anyone he had known as a swordsman was still a member, or even still alive for the most part, save for Strafe Aisu of course. His former lover was still a member, as he had seen him fairly recently and learned of this, also having seen the sword on his back. She questioned if he thought he would have been fit to lead them, to which he simply chuckled softly before speaking once more. "Child, I was the greatest swordsman in the world, there was nobody who could even come close to matching my prowess, not even Ayakashi, and she knew that. That's why she wanted me to lead the group. Of course I would have been fit to lead them. Now however I'm a little bit out of practice, my three years having been spent working more on chakra control than my ability with the blade. I imagine I could still give any of the swordsmen a run for their money, as I certainly could have before." His smirk didn't leave his face as she moved towards an entrance over to a secluded forest, which was right up Mitsuo's alley. She let go of his hand and asked if he was coming, moving into the direction of the forest and saying "Of course I am, let us have a meeting with fate. If the fates deem me worthy of life than I shall escape unscathed, and my meeting with Hades shall be prolonged to another date."

He looked towards the path that she was standing in front of, keeping an eye on the path and taking a look towards the forest. It seemed dark, which was fine to him. He was looking forward to the chance to speak to the interesting individual, or at least to find out her intentions...

3290

Gin smirked, turning to look at Mitsuo when he spoke, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She held her hands together behind her back. "I had heard that you had a death wish," Gin said offhandedly when Mitsuo decided to follow her down the path. It was meant largely as a joke, though she wondered whether he would take her seriously. He seemed tense, like that was his one modality. She wondered what kind of drunk he would be. Something told her he probably got mopey and depressed. Like he sulked in a corner through the whole night, lamenting on his past choices. Gin was quite the opposite. She became even more wild and rambunctious as the alcohol levels increased in her blood stream. She sometimes became a little bit destructive, though it was all in good fun. She had never hurt someone that didn't deserve it and the damage was mostly to physical property. She may or may not have broken all of the windows in a hospital wing once because she was dared to. Those memories were fuzzy.

Gin pursed her lips into a cute little pout. On her usual features, it probably would have looked more like a slight frown. "You and I both know that I am no child," she pointed out. Given her high pitched voice and general features, she likely sounded a little upset. She shook her head. He had made quite a bold assertion. "In any case, I can assure you that you are not and never have been the best Swordsman," she said lightly, smiling innocently. His hubris really was impressive, by which she meant annoying. It was ironic, considering how highly she appraised her own skills with a blade. The former Kazekage never really could recognize when she was being hypocritical, at least when it came to her ego. Well, everyone had their faults.

"I am sure even the youngest of the Swordsmen, Yuzu Ren, would be able to best you. He's barely a teenager, mind you - never mind people like Strafe," Gin said, purposely leaving her own name off of that list. There was a slight hint of pride in her voice. The boy was young, but he was skilled. She was proud to be called his mother, even if they had only become family a few years ago. "There's also the possibility that dearest Ayakashi wanted you to lead because of your attitude and mentality rather than your skill," Gin shrugged her small shoulders. Staying in this form was really becoming a nuisance, though it was still a necessity. Hopefully, this man would prove himself to be trustworthy enough to know who she was. Even if he didn't, there was always the promise of mutually assured destruction. If he revealed her, she would do the same to him and both would suffer the consequences.

When she told him she had heard he had a death wish he bit his lip. She wasn't wrong, but he hadn't realized that it was something people talked about. The Sword Saint of Konoha was a man who was highly feared and respected, and would fight absolutely anyone at any time. He was looking for someone who could strike him down so that he could have a peaceful end to his existence, his life full of pain and suffering being able to be put to rest, but he knew that that simply wasn't his luck. He would be damned to walk the planet for all of eternity, facing person after person, watching all of his friends die around him as he did. It bothered him greatly, and he wanted nothing more than the sweet release of death. He didn't respond to the comment, as he wasn't going to show her that it was true, in the event that she would simply try to strike him down.

The next time she spoke, he would smirk slightly, her huberis quite entertaining. She believed that he wouldn't be able to defeat a child, although Yuzu Ren wasn't even a blip on his radar. She told him he couldn't beat Strafe, but he knew for a fact that he could, and he knew Strafe better than anyone. She was trying to get under his skin, that was all that it was. She assumed that the final comment was more of a compliment than a jab, but he was still frustrated all the same. "Yuzu Ren? I knew that boy. He is a worthless piece of trash, not even worthy of tying my boots. Strafe Aisu? I dated him for a long time, and I can assure you he could never best me in the bedroom, and there is no way he could defeat me with a blade. Are you sure you aren't a child? You certainly act like one." He couldn't believe this woman, or girl or whatever the hell she thought she was. She wasn't even on his level and he was sure when it came down to it she would fold under the pressure and bow to his superior skill, Mitsuo being a gracious winner allowing her to live. He wasn't much one for killing people who didn't deserve it anyway.

His hand, of course, were resting on the hilts of his Twinblades, Justice and Retribution, and his grip was a little tighter than he would have liked to admit. Even in his rustiest state, he was still one of the best in the world, and the girl was like a cockroach, only annoying when you kept stepping on it until it died, but once you realize that all you have to do is twist your boot it is no issue. He would twist his boot if needed too, but only if the need arose.

"You really do like to try to get under people's skin don't you, child?"

3803

No one talked about any of her children that way. For the briefest of moments, her eyes narrowed and her body tensed. It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by nonchalance and carelessness. She couldn't let herself scream at the man for insulting one of her children. Had she less restraint, she might have told him that the boy was leagues beyond most and a threat to those he deemed deserved to die. Of course, he had a lot to learn. He needed to grow and experience more of the world, but then again, what child didn't? Nevertheless, he deserved respect as one of Kirigakure's strongest shinobi and praise for getting there at his age.

Instead, Gin made a show of shuddering. "I promise not to talk about my sex life if you stop talking about yours," she said, sticking out her tongue in mock disgust. "Blegh," the little girl let out. She thought about what his reaction might be if he saw a six year old start talking about her multiple conquests and casual one night stands. It would most likely be hilarious. She pictured him cringing, especially since he didn't know what she looked like as an adult. She would probably picture her current body engaging in all of those... things. Pervert. She held back, though, not wanting to accidentally reveal anything. Maybe she would do that to him some other time.

"What can I say? It's a hobby of mine," she shrugged once again. It was true, she did quite enjoy slowly pulling out emotional responses from people, slowly unraveling them without their notice. She was clever like that. Most people had a tendency to let their guards down when they were angry, thus revealing more than they wanted to. She wondered if this would be the case. Mitsuo seemed angry, maybe even frustrated, but still composed. "Just like I'm sure yours involves sulking and brooding, or something like that," she said, waving her hand dismissively. It was hard to picture Mitsuo doing anything just for fun. The man wouldn't know what that was if it came up to him and kicked his balls. He'd likely try to kill fun with fire instead. Maybe arson was his hobby. She could definitely picture him setting things on fire just for kicks. What a strange man.

They were now getting deeper into the forest Gin turned to look around, closing her currently weak right eye so that her bionic one could give her more accurate feedback. She zoomed in and out of her surroundings. It was clear. Good, they were alone. She turned to Mitsuo once again, her hands still held together behind her back. "I'll tell you what," she began. "We're in an odd position, aren't we?" she said, eyeing his hands as they gripped his swords. There was tension there, as if he were bracing himself for a fight. "Right now I'd say I hold the upper hand - information-wise, specifically. But if I were to reveal myself to you, I think we'd stand on equal ground," she went on, almost speaking to herself, as if she were trying to sort out her thoughts out loud. "If you knew who I was as I know who you are, there would be this sort of promise - mutually assured destruction and all that. I'm sure I don't have to explain." She wasn't even looking at him directly now, her small hand stroking her chin as she looked to the side. With her next words, her eyes narrowed towards him, a smirk made its way onto her face. "It's rare that I sacrifice power in any situation, but I have to say, this form is getting... boring," she pointed out.

With that, the decision she made was clear. She closed her eyes for a moment, releasing the stream of chakra inside her. The seal currently on her body was constricting. It tightened the flow of her chakra system severely so that energy couldn't freely move throughout her body. The modifications to her physical form reduced her strength significantly, as well as the well-trained attributes that her body usually had. When broken, however, all of that pent up power surfaced immediately. It was an exhilarating feeling, one that was well worth it. Blinding light surrounded her body, morphed with her as it changed. Once it dissipated, a young woman was left standing in the child's place, silver locks of hair drifting down her back. Unlike the man in front of her, she only had two weapons visible on her person: a normal-looking katana and the legendary blade Reiken - Soul Cutter.

She cracked her neck and stretched her back and arms. She looked at Mitsuo, standing a few meters away from him. Despite the thick trees surrounding them, she was still clearly visible from where he was standing. "Ta-da!" She said dully, enjoying the feeling of lightness that was running through her now.

The small girl seemed to find his comment a little disturbing, blanching at his comment about his "sex life". She confirmed his assumption that she liked to irritate people as well, also trying to dig further underneath Mitsuo's skin. He gritted his teeth, but allowed her to have her way, it was up to her after all how she wanted to act. Mitsuo couldn't stop her from being a little brat, but he could not give into her taunting. "My sex life isn't important, what is important is I am the greatest swordsman in the world, that is why Ayakashi wants me. None of the current members of the Seven Swordsman could defeat me, and neither could Ayakashi herself." A smug smile was on his face, he was enjoying the verbal banter, even though it might seem like he was quite angry. He loved stuff like this, it was always nice to have someone to get into a good word war with once in a while.

The girl stopped a little bit in front of him, and began speaking about how they were in a bit of an odd position due mostly to the fact that Mitsuo knew literally nothing about her. Her presence seemed somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on why, but the girl just felt like someone whom he had been around before. She told hi mthat if he knew who she was that they could be a little more on equal grounds, and that made Mitsuo quite curious indeed. He was a unique person himself, a former Hokage who had left the village to persue...well his suicidal tendancies mostly. The girl in front of him mentioned that she generally didn't sacrifice power, and of course this was one more thing to peak Mitsuo's interest. She closed her eyes, and Mitsuo could feel the power welling up inside of her.

As she changed all of her power was unleashed, making Mitsuo's memories come flooding back. He didn't even need to see her full form to know where he knew her from. He could remember being a genin in Sunagakure, competing in the chuunin exams and looking up at some of the most powerful people in the shinobi world. The woman who was hosting the event was one of the most powerful of all, and he would never forget the feeling that he had when he was in the same stadium as her. There was no mistaking this power, this was the former Kazekage, Gin Kuroka. Mitsuo watched with a look of shock on his face, having not expected the small girl to be someone this powerful. While he may have been more on equal footing with her now, she was still someone whom he had never even considered himself to be close too in power, and he didn't think he'd ever get to meet her face to face. The Aoi Bara consisted of three former Kage, was there anyone alive who could possibly match their power?

When she had finished her transformation she somewhat dully said ta-da, causing the Sword Saint of Konoha to let out a light chuckle. She looked much more comfortable than she had, and Mitsuo was happy to know that he wasn't wrong to suspect she was someone powerful. "You know, I certainly wasn't expecting that. I remember you, your power. I was a genin when you hosted the Chuunin exams. The hokage at the time labeled me a prodigy from my flawless planning in my fight. If it wasn't for my opponent bringing a pet into the exams that wasn't allowed, I would have certainly vanquished him. You were someone I looked up too for so many years." He chuckled again, looking her up and down. "And here you are on equal footing with me now, a member of the Aoi Bara, a comrade in arms. What an honor this life has given me."

He looked towards the sky and saw the positioning of the sun, looking back around him as he realised something that quickly bothered him. "Shit, I am supposed to meet Tsuyo in an hour or so, I need to get going. I look forward to working with you in the future, and getting to know you better. It has been a pleasure." He looked back towards the entrance of the forest before nodding and using the Body Flicker technique to make his way out, getting to his meeting as quickly as he possibly could.

Exit Thread

4568 Words
1500 - Learning Fuuinjutsu
1500 - Learning Raiton
1500 - Learning Onojutsu
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