Kirigakure, a cloud covered city, stood vast and expansive over the misty land. It’s corners and crevices only being less wet and murky the further central one goes. In the center was where the richer merchants lived, and even a few heroes of the village. However it was more filled with businesses and shops. Long ago, maybe, the center was more of a living area than it was now. Sachiko always thought that might be true because every time she was sent into the downtown shops for groceries she would look at the buildings. The architecture resembled older style apartments, with burn marks still scorched along the paint. Although most buildings seemed new, she could tell even the new ones were starting to age. No amount of new paint could hide either the age of the architecture nor the scorch marks of a fire long ago.

She had asked once before about the scorch marks but never received an answer from Shingen. He had asked what made her ask such a question, and when she pointed out the faded scorch marks that were futilely being covered with paint he went silent. By the way he clenched his jaw and just stared at the mark, she knew something bad had happened and that it was best not to poke too much into it. Her caretaker hadn’t mentioned it since then and Sachiko didn’t think he ever would. There was only one thing he had ever said about the scorch marks: ‘never again.’

The way he had said it and the silence following it had given her a chill. That chill seemed to crawl down her spine each time she looked upon the spot. Even so, she couldn’t help herself but look at it each time she passed by. And so it was the same way when she looked upon it once more. The shiver made her shoulders crunch in for a second and then travel down til her legs wanted to snap back together for warmth. After that it was over, and she was free to go about buying groceries.

Stay focused, she reprimanded herself for looking at the scorched building again. You’re here to buy food for the week. And so Sachiko maneuvered her way through the streets until she came to the marketplace. There were always so many options that she could never decide on which was best, so in the end she would always give up and buy the cheapest thing. Could she do that again, though? Should she?

Her mind was amiss as she walked into the back of another person, her right foot catching the other’s calf. ”Oh, so sorry!” Sachiko apologized, raising her hands in front of her in a contrite manner. ”Wasn’t paying attention. Won’t happen again.”