The skybar, far in the top of the mountains with its snazzy new glass bottom and nets just in case someone was foolhardy enough to jump or if the floor was to break, was the talk of her friend-group. Most had been going there since they were children, but Lin had only been going there for the past three years. She enjoyed the atmosphere from the mahogany countertop and tabletops to the games that were frequently played there.

There were pool tables in the north side of the bar, along with skee-ball and other games that one could play for some spare ryo. On the west side was where all the couples would go and sit, watching the sunset and make-out in booths which had draw curtains and windows. The massive bar also had a place where one could play games such as the shuffle-board players in the south-side of the bar and a game that people would stack wooden blocks and try to take out the middle ones without the tower falling.

She looked around to see if there was anyone that she recognized, and not finding anyone that she particularly wanted to talk to, she brushed her white hair behind her left ear again and walked toward the bar, meeting every stare with one of her own, a determined stare that one might take offense to, if it weren't for her continuous smile.

Lin walked into the bar for a drink, just getting back from sparring with one of her friends and sighed. She looked around and saw people dancing, murmuring to eachother, and laughing at outrageous faces and conversations. The bartender looked her up and down and asked for her identification which she handed over. After inspecting it closely the barkeep handed it back and asked what she wanted, seeming more bored and annoyed by the three males which were hooting and hollering across the bar from her.

"I'll have a straight sake if you please, warm, not cold." She smiled and watched as the bartender left before another person caught her eye, a young person, about five to seven years old walking all alone in the bar, seemingly not lost or anything. She looked around for the child's parents before hopping off the bar and weaving through the people, murmuring apologies on her way for bumping into them.

The lights and harmless lightning bolts making her dodge out of instinct on her way to the child. She smelled more alcohol on people than she would like and she was worried that the child had wandered in here, because they knew that it was safe, no matter what age you were. She wasn't able to fully identify the child's gender as she neared, but she put on a smile anyhow.

"Are you alright?" She asked the child, smiling and placing her hands on her knees, "you don't seem lost, but I didn't start coming here until I was sixteen, there's not much for a kid to do around here."

WC: 502

It was hard to get used to having stubby fingers. Through bangs of silvery-white hair, she looked at them, not fully wrapped around the glass of sake she was currently nursing. Thankfully, it was transparent enough to look like water, which kept people off her back. She tapped the tips against the glass a few times and frowned. Though these were adorable, her hands as a fully grown adult were much more practical. The same went for her legs. These were short and stumpy, dangling off of the edge a few feet above the ground. Her normal legs reached the floor quite comfortably. Now, she had to hop off the chair. Her frown deepened. Sure, it had been hilarious to walk into the bar as a little girl the first few times. The expressions on people's faces had been priceless and had filled her with a mischievous sort of glee. Now that she had no choice but to come here like this, however, all of the fun was taken out. She missed roaming about Kumogakure as her usual self, free to go wherever she pleased instead of sneaking out and leaving behind a shadow clone at the Raikage's estate.

Gin let out a groan and finished her drink. The bartender knew well enough now not to ask who's tab the drinks went to. He just let the odd little girl order her drinks and leave without a word these days, no matter what his morals told him about giving alcohol to small children. Whenever he had tried to say something about it, she had released her chakra in waves that were menacing enough to shut him up. The display was risky, since body modification jutsu were common, but it was worth it to drink in peace.

Hopping off of the bar stool, Gin landed with a dull thud and made her way across the bar. She had no intentions of leaving just yet, but had grown bored of just sitting still. Usually, she would cause a commotion, dance her heart out and socialize with just about anyone. In this body, however, it was better not to draw any attention to herself, lest anyone be alerted to who she really was. It would only add to the current tensions between Kiri and Kumo. All Kiri nin in the village were currently under arrest in one way or another. Having one of the Seven Swordsmen running free? People wouldn't be too happy and the Raikage would be pressured to do something about it, which would only further anger the Mizukage. God, how she hated politics. Things were far more simple when people were allowed to just beat the crap out of each other.

Gin sighed, looking around the area. A young girl with hair not unlike her own approached her. She looked concerned as she leaned down to speak to Gin in a voice that was much too comforting. The older woman still couldn't get used to being spoken to like a lost child, which she supposed was exactly what she looked like. "Yeah, I'm fine and I ain't lost," she said, none too gently. She was about to tell the girl that she was probably twice her age, but bit her tongue to keep herself quiet. "And this place beats the rest of this stupid village," she said, probably sounding like a bratty child.

[WC: 571]

The first thing that struck her about the girl was her white hair, possibly one of her kin? She scanned the girl for any sort of scar, and came up short, sighing and folding her arms. She didn't know what to make of this girl, perhaps her parents were around. She looked to the bartender, who had just set her sake down without her and gave her a look that was probably saying something along the lines of if you're not here to drink it, someone else will. Lin sighed and looked to the girl and thought for a moment before giving the best child-friendly response that she could think of. Indeed, she had thought this girl a bit "bratty" for stating that the village was stupid, but her temper could be reigned in, especially when it was a kid on the receiving end.

She looked at the small girl and tilted her head, "Stupid village?" She giggled, "Well, we don't have much in the way for youngsters such as yourself but..." She thought for a moment and left her sake where it lay, "Might I ask where your parents are, and if they know that you're here? I know that you'll probably say that I am a drag or something like that, but they should at least know you're here." She looked around for the small girl's parents once more, seeing if there was anyone that was doing the head motions that she was, looking quite like a meercat from the sand-village.

WC: 253

Again, Gin was about to point out that she was much older than she seemed. She was usually the one that called other people "kid" or "brat." It was strange having it the other way around. "Konoha has more stuff to do," she commented offhandedly. She had noticed the brief flash of emotion on the girl's face when she called this village stupid. She was likely a loyalist. Now, Gin wasn't usually a mean person. Far from it, actually. She only crushed the skulls of people who deserved it. However, given her bad mood and the fact that she had only had contact with the Raikage and his guards for the past month, she kind of felt like messing with someone. This girl just happened to be around. Such terrible luck.

As for her parents? Might as well answer with the truth and get a kick out of the girl's reaction. "I don't have any," she started. "Dad split before I was born and mom's off somewhere in Suna with a new family." The second half was a partial truth. Gin's mother - a woman from the Nara clan named Hana - currently lived in Suna and looked after four of Gin's children. Before then, she had played an important part in raising Gin, until she left their merchant's caravan to become a shinobi. They reunited about a decade later, when Gin was already an adult. This girl didn't need to know those details, though. Gin would just get at least some entertainment from making her feel bad for bringing up a neglected kid's parents.

The young looking girl reached to fiddle with the hilt of her sword, usually kept by her side at all times only to remember that she had left it in the Raikage's room. Instead, she ran her small hand through her hair - a motion that looked relaxed in her usual body but somewhat haughty in this one.

[WC: 902]

A twinge of jealousy that this girl was more traveled than her rippled through her features at the mention of Konoha, though it could be misinterpreted easily as another snide remark from the girl against Kumogakure as well. She raised an eyebrow when the girl said that she didn't have any parents, only to melt into a more empathetic look.

The words that the girl said had the desired effect on Lin and she frowned, feeling sorry for the little girl. She did like to put on airs though, she sighed and folded her arms, "Do you have a place to stay tonight at least?" She queried, now more worried for the girl than ever. It had been a year since Lin had moved out, and she wasn't too keen on someone staying at her apartment, but she wasn't going to let a little five or six-year old sleep out in the cold. She rested her weight on her left hip, considering the little person, looking at her features, especially the eyes that had an unusual intelligence behind them.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your parents, I just... you must get this alot if you don't have any?" She offered with a hesitant smile, quickly losing ground to the child as she tried to make up for her mistake in the conversation of bringing up her parents.

WC: 982

Gin's back straightened, showing off an air of confident superiority. While she usually looked sly and menacing when she did so, the motion was awkward in her current appearance. "I'm staying at the Raikage's Estate," she said as a matter of fact. Given her apparent age, it would probably be taken as a blatant lie - the kind that small kids told to show off or seem important. It was, however, true. It would take some sneaking around, but she would eventually be able to make her way into the building through a window or something. Worst case scenario, she would just undo her clone and disguise in the gardens and say she was out for a stroll, which she was only supposed to do under supervision these days. It wasn't her fault the guards weren't keeping an eye on her like they should, though, so she could easily shift the blame. They would keep quiet in order to keep their jobs and all would be well.

What she hadn't considered was that maybe her outlandish claim would make this girl drag her to her apartment for the night. If that did happen, she would have to pretend to be a child for the rest of the night - the joke would be on her. However, she would consider that later if it came up. For now, it was far from her thoughts. "People don't ask. Most would rather not mess with me," she responded to the girl's claim about this being a frequent line of conversation. It had been, once upon a time, when Gin lived in an orphanage in Suna. Those memories seemed quite distant now, however, as if they had happened to someone else in another life. It was another outlandish claim that was probably more comical than anything else. An intimidating six year old was an oxymoron, if there ever was one.

In her current state, with her immense power sealed into the form of a child, she could do little more than the average Genin. However, a swift release of the jutsu and she could crush someone's skull like it was made of putty. Transforming back was off the table for now, though. In such a crowded place, it would stir up a commotion without a doubt.

[WC: 1291]

Lin couldn't help but smirk a little at the airs that the six year old was putting on, "Alright, why don't I escort you back to the raikage's place once we're done here then?" She asked trying to call the bluff. She had some experience with dealing with children, and it was always best to play along with any outlandish claims that they had before setting them to right. Lin had an apartment all lined up for this little one if she was bluffing, and if she was not, perhaps it would be a good time to meet the Raikage himself, if he wasn't too busy. Either possibility was acceptable to Lin, "While we're here, I'm going to go over and get my sake, why don't you come with me and we'll get you a..." she looked the girl up and down, appraising her age apparently, "milkshake?"

Lin, having had friends that had lost a parent or both in a skirmish or on a mission, couldn't help but feel guilty toward this little girl. She offered her hand to the girl, along with a reassuring smile and looked toward the bar where her sake was getting cold. Perhaps the bartender would allow her to heat it up again if she asked for him to, and perhaps not.

She was more concerned, however, with not letting this girl out of her sight, as it seemed that the child was indeed in need of some adult guidance. Lin didn't feel like much of an adult in this situation, but perhaps she could help the little girl enough to get by until someone else helped them both. At least the kid was entertaining enough. A smirk found its way back onto Lins face as she looked at the girl again.

"I'm Lin by the way. It's nice to meet you." She tried to offer her name as a sort of insurance and assurance to the girl.

WC: 1305

Escort her to the Raikage's Estate? Dammit. That was risky. The guards wouldn't recognize either of them. They'd ask questions. It would require turning back to her adult self at some point, therefore revealing she had escaped her arrest to either the girl or the guards. She didn't want to risk the former and certainly not the latter. There were few ways this could end well. Could she outrun this girl and hide somewhere? Maybe. With her perception as it was, it was difficult to gauge how strong this girl was. Given her are, she was likely a Chuunin. Odds were lower for Genin and Special Jounin. If that were true, they would currently be matched in speed. Gin felt like banging her head against the wall. She would have to think of a way around this. Maybe she cold wait until they were at the girl's apartment and knock her out? A decent blow to the head would make her memory fuzzy. Yes, that seemed like a decent enough plan for now.

"Why should I let you walk to the Raikage's Estate with me?" She asked, giving the girl a condescending look. Maybe that would be enough of a bluff to get her off her currently tiny back. Hesitantly, though, she took the girl's hand. She looked like a child and had to act the part for now. Once they reached the bar, she climbed onto the stool, hopping awkwardly to pull herself up. She made eyes at the bartender that basically said spike the milkshake or die. She made sure the other girl - Lin, apparently, wasn't looking when she did.

Gin introduced herself without looking at the girl. "You can call me Shinka," she said, tapping her short fingers on the bar top while she waited for her milkshake to come. Hopefully, it would have enough vodka in it to make this night bearable. That, or at least fix her bad mood. She could be having fun with this if the circumstances were a little different - namely if this wasn't her first time out of the house in weeks.

[WC: 1651]

Why should she let her escort her to the Raikage's estate? That was a good question. It wasn't like she knew the girl, or the Raikage, or anyone there. She bit her lip and thought for a moment before answering Shinka, "I thought that it would be better for you to be escorted home, rather than having to walk home, alone, in the dark." Lin looked around the bar and tried to make out where she could find someone better to the task for the little girl, but everyone seemed to be avoiding looking at her, or just didn't notice, like this was a regular occurrence or something. She smiled and asked, "Besides going outside the Raikage's place and going to bars, what do you enjoy doing?" She took a swig of her own sake, found it to be cold and called the bartender over asking him to warm it up for her with a smile. She needed to find a way to get the girl to let her take her home, for her peace of mind. And... if she was telling the truth, she could meet the Raikage personally as well! That was her hope anyhow.

Waiting on her sake and the girl's milkshake she looked around trying to find something fun for the two of them to do, perhaps the pool table? No, Shinka wouldn't be able to reach the cues and that wouldn't be a lot of fun. Shuffleboard was for old people. Hmmm.... perhaps they could play that game that everyone else was playing, where they were stacking wooden blocks and taking them from the middle, trying to see how high they could make it before it fell down. When it fell a company of the people shouted over the din of the bar, "Jenga!" Whatever it meant it certainly wasn't good as the person who had the tower fall on them gathered the pieces with an embarrassed face and they started to play again.

Some of the people that she knew were ninja from the headbands they wore were playing a version where each contestant had two seconds to pick their piece out from the middle, and place it on top without it falling over. Perhaps to train their speed?

She looked the girl, Shinka, up and down once more and nodded, thinking that she might enjoy such a game. She would buy her another milkshake if she won, and if she lost, then she would have to take Lin to the Raikage.

"How about we make a deal?" She asked the girl named Shinka.

WC: 1628

Shinka - the name was one of her many aliases. She made a point of never using names that connected to her in any way. She therefore avoided using names related to her children or people that she knew. This name was the one she had most recently used at this bar. It didn't really mean anything, which was the exact reason Gin liked the name. If asked what kanji she used to spell it, she could just say that she didn't know and it would be quite believable, given her apparent age. If she had to choose, though, she would likely use the characters for "heart" and "fire" - 心火. A pretty badass spelling, if she did say so herself. It was better than being named after the color silver. Not that she actively complained about her name. She was quite fond of it, actually.

The silver haired girl sipped on her milkshake. It was a delightful combination of vodka and strawberry ice cream, adorned with whipped cream, a cherry and a bendy straw. She appreciated the bendy straw, seeing as the glass was pretty much the size of her face. She kept sipping to try and make the most out of the alcohol's effects. She had to set the glass down on the counter and grip her little head at the sudden pain caused by brain freeze. Once it subsided, the answered the girl's questions. "I'm not scared of the dark," she said, almost offended at the implication that she couldn't walk home alone. To be fair, most people that looked her age would be at a high risk going back home alone so late at night. Lin's concern was warranted and she knew that. She was just in a terrible mood.

As for her other questions she didn't know how to answer. Bathing in the blood of my enemies or booze and gambling didn't quite sound like the typical hobbies of a six year old girl. She settled on something more simple instead. "I like swords. And I play the piano," she said. Both things were true enough. She did know how to play the piano and swords were her everything outside of her family. More importantly, the words didn't sound creepy or strange coming from the mouth of a six year old. After saying that, she resumed drinking, this time a little bit slower to spare her poor little head.

Kicking off of the bar, she spun around to take a look at the people scattered about and playing a different variety of games. Gin wasn't particularly interested, but she could see Lin's eyes lighting up when she saw people rapidly moving wooden blocks around. She was familiar with the game, but had never played it herself. She personally preferred darts. She arched her eyebrow at the mention of a deal, though. She could tell where this was going, so she chose to play along.

"What kind of deal?" She asked, curious about this proposal.

[WC: 2159]

Lin watched as the girl named Shinka drank her milkshake and she too drank her sake, it was considered white sake and she could taste the rice as she sipped it. There wasn't anything better than a sake after a long day. Even if it dulled her senses a bit. She hoped that she wasn't setting a poor example for the girl to follow, it came as an afterthought as she sipped and looked at Shinka once more.

Placing a hand on her hip, she tried to think of the terms that she wanted to place on the agreement she was about to make. Six year old girls usually didn't ask for too much, so she would just let Shinka decide for herself. She nodded to herself before looking about, getting her bearings and gauging how much alcohol she had consumed before making the bet. She judged that she should have no dulled senses, however the sake might be waiting to hit as well.

Lin smirked, thinking that she had finally won some part of the conversation with the six year old. It was really quite sad that she had to compete with the girl to keep her interested, but she wanted to see the Raikage and well... the benefits outweighed the cost, "How about you let me take you home if I win at that game over there." She pointed to the ninjas playing at Jenga, or that is what she suspected the game was. "And you pick what you want me to do if I lose, deal?" Lin thought this was all in the bag. The girl couldn't even drink her milkshake without hurting herself, and she hoped that her training at the academy would give her just enough of a leg up to assure her victory.

She giggled to herself, picturing her meeting with the Raikage in her head while waiting for the girl to decide whether this was an agreeable term to agree to.

WC: 1966

Gin's small legs were still dangling off of the edge of the stool. Her short fingers were wrapped around the rather large glass. She was almost done with the milkshake. A few more sips and it would all be in her system. Hopefully, it would have at least some effect on her. She spun the chair again and set the glass atop the counter before spinning again to face the crowd. She followed the other girl's line of sight and observed the game. She couldn't help a devious smile when her suspicions were confirmed. Her body might not currently be up to par with what she was usually capable of, but she still had a slight advantage - Lin likely underestimated her. Well, that and the mechanical eye in her left socket helped her perception and analysis skills significantly. There was also her mechanical arm, which maintained its usual parameters of movement, despite its reduced size. Fortunately, both were completely disguised and would look like regular body parts to any onlooker. It was the magic of a carefully crafted transformation seal.

In any case, she likely had this in the bag. It was an easy way to get this child off her back and head to the Raikage's Estate on her own like she originally planned. I really was wonderful when problems decided to fix themselves. Still, Gin made a show of considering the girl's proposal. "Hm..." she said, tapping a finger on her chin a few times. She looked up at the white haired girl. "Fine, I'll play this little game," she concluded, hopping off of the stool to head over to one of the tables where the game was already neatly set up. It was a good thing that the game nights the Sky Bar hosted were usually somewhat quiet weeknights, otherwise finding a free table would have been nearly impossible.

The game seemed fairly simple. She could see other people around her playing and gathered the gist of it. The idea was to pull pieces and stack them on top. Whoever knocked the tower over lost. She stared at it, standing atop a chair so that she was now closer to Lin's height. "You can start," she said. It would let her gauge what kind of player this girl was - whether she played it safe to survive the long run or took risks to bring her opponent closer to defeat. These sorts of things tended to reflect how someone acted in battle as well.

[WC: 2582]

Lin moved toward the table, unable to hide a grin on her face as she stacked the blocks and looked around, "Each person has two seconds to take their entire turn, we'll use this hourglass that they have on the table." She motioned to the small hourglass with colored sand inside that stated, in Kanji, two seconds. "And you never really said what you wanted in return for what I was offering." She looked to Shinka and smiled, making sure that the tower was perfectly straight before beginning.

She turned the hourglass with her left hand and deftly knocked out a piece from the middle of the third tier, catching it with her left hand as it left from the tower. She set it neatly on top of the tower with a smug look, it only took one second for her to complete the entire movement, and she had stacked the tower, so she was able to feel which pieces were loose from the get go.

Shinka surprised Lin, however, with looking stunned for the rest of the second of her turn, turning over the piece and snatching one of the left pieces from the very bottom layer and laying it neatly next to Lin's piece. Shinka took the entire two seconds, so it was well into Lin's next turn before she made her mind up, placed the piece on top and felt it wobble.

Shinka used this to her advantage, slowly gaining more and more ground as Lin ran out of options with the pieces that she remembered were loose, as Shinka steadied the tower and took pieces that Lin thought were unstable from the bottom of the tower. It took a good four minutes before the tower started to lean and Lin hastily took a piece from the left side. Her haste brought the tower down in a crash as people all around her shouted "Jenga!" And laughed. The color of defeat eked its way into her face as she picked up the pieces and looked up at Shinka with surprise and a bit of jealousy.

If I had eyes and reflexes like that when I was her age, I would be a Jonin by now, if not the Raikage himself! A jealous thought made its way across ehr features as she sighed with defeat. Alright, name your terms." If she was anything, she was at least honorable, she hoped that Shinka would ask for another milkshake or something that wasn't humiliating. However, as she had just proven, she was more shrewd and experienced than she let on.

It was Lin who was starting to look and feel like the child in the relationship, and the thought made her jealous and a bit jaded. If only she had payed attention more in class, or trained harder...

WC: 2435

Gin stared at the girl. Her eye made her movements more clear and pristine, though nowhere near how she usually saw things. Frankly, it was annoying. Things weren't as crisp and clear as they usually were. Sometimes, she wondered if this was how she had seen the world as a child. It probably was. She just didn't know that human eyes were capable of so much more if they had the right training. Maybe with some guidance, this girl could achieve something similar. Gin always had enjoyed turning those without much talent into something worthwhile. Seeing as she was bored, maybe this girl could become her new pet project. Yes. That would be what she would ask for when she won. She would swear the girl to secrecy and she would put her under one of her favorite training regimes. The key word there being when and not if. She knew she had won the moment the challenge began.

The girl's first move was quite safe. Taking a piece from the middle and bottom didn't destabilize the tower. Gin supposed she could have taken the block next to it carefully enough in order to basically end the game there, but that would be no fun. She pulled a piece near the middle of the tower on the left side in the blink of an eye. She stacked the piece on top and continued to pull away key pieces around the tower, making sure to destabilize it little by little, to see how Lin would react. She needed polish and she needed work on her strategic thinking, but there was something to work with there.

When the tower finally fell over, Gin smirked. This girl seemed like the kind that would stick to her word. Good. She motioned for her to follow. She would stay in silence as they left the bar and would steer them towards an empty alley before speaking. She would make sure that no one was nearby and that no eyes could fall on them. "My terms are simple. You will let me train you and you will swear yourself to secrecy about anything and everything I tell you, got it?" She proposed.

[WC: 2952]

After picking up the pieces and paying the bartender, she made her way behind Shinka. She ran over the game in her head once more. The bottom piece was the sure-fire way, but it seemed that every time that Lin would catch up to Shinka, she would drag her a bit further. It almost seemed to be a match against someone that was ramping up their skills until finally they overwhelmed their opponent. At the girl's request she raised an eyebrow and nodded, "I swear." She responded, before hastily inputting, "That I will let you train me, and that I will not breathe a word that I hear from you without your permission."

It seemed weird to Lin that she was making such a deal with a girl that barely came up to her waist. It was doubly unnerving that one as adorable as Shinka was able to best a ninja that just became a Genin. She had heard of prodigies before, such as the ninja from Konoha that entered into the Anbu at age 10, but she didn't know that there were prodigies here in Kumogakure.

She had trained with her father, with her brother, and with her peers to hone her skills. However, her father's Kekkei Genkai was just out of reach of her, and she always strove towards it. Perhaps she was taking the wrong approach. Perhaps she should follow this little girl's example and follow the path that her life lead her in. Perhaps one didn't need a Kekkei Genkai to be strong. Or perhaps she just hadn't realized that her Kekkei Genkai was different from her father.

She remembered, for a brief moment, a time where she could not only keep up with her classmates in a one-on-one duel but surpassed them in every way. She had grown soft, and lazy in her days after the academy, since she was not assigned to a team. Lin's vigor for training had been replaced with a want to fit in with the other people her age, and it had hindered her from progressing. Perhaps this was just the wake up call that she needed to redeem herself.

The redeeming quality that Lin possessed was not quitting when she had been beaten initially. Either that or it could be called bull-headed single-mindedness. She preferred the former rather than the latter, and locked onto the determination that her mind had that she would grow to surpass this child, the prodigious, shrewd thing that she was, and would one day face her again. Perhaps she would face her in a duel, rather than a jenga game when she wasn't afraid to hurt the little girl, and test what she had just signed up for.

At the moment though, the small frame and child-like exterior of Shinka belied the fact that she was a formidable person, and it was not a wonder that she had accepted the genin's challenge so easily.

A quick question flashed across her mind, however. Why would someone that was a child-prodigy take on an adult as a pupil? Perhaps it had something to do with how everyone in the bar seemed to look at her as though she was an alien and Lin had shown her compassion? Purely speculation on this front, but Lin could at least cling to that, and her determination, in the days ahead.

She hastily looked around to see if anyone was listening to the bizarre conversation, and seeing and hearing no one she gave her attention back to Shinka, only lapsing a moment in her concentration to consider how rediculous it must look to have someone of her age vowing to train with a six year old. She could not deny Shinka's physical prowess and superior perceptive skills, however, and the only way to achieve greatness is to work with great people. Or so her father had told her.

In the end, Lin swallowed her pride and listened to the little girl, deciding that it would be for her benefit to listen to Shinka.

"Go ahead, I am listening. I Promise to not tell anyone what you are about to tell me, and I believe it would be beneficial to train with you." She reasserted, more confident than she was when initially walking out of the bar and announcing it to Shinka.

WC: 3156

The confusion on the girl's face was priceless. Gin could just feel her debating whether to give into the whims of a small child. She bit back a laugh. "Tell you?" She began, lifting an eyebrow. She shook her head, making her hair bounce around her face. "It's better to show you," she said. Her hands formed a sign. A series of intricate seals spread throughout her body, emitting a blinding light. Her body lifted a foot off the ground as the light took her into its fold. Gin felt her body stretch and grow into its natural form. Her hair grew longer, her facial features more mature. It was always a relief when that happened. Being back to normal always brought a rush of adrenaline with it and an itch to fight. That was unlikely to happen now, however.

Standing at her normal height, Gin breathed a sigh of relief. She shook her head and ran a hand through her locks of silvery white hair. "That never gets old," she said, mostly to herself than anything else. Her voice was significantly different - she had a lower pitch, for one. It held a mix of mischief and nonchalance that had become typical of her over the years. She finally set her eyes on the girl and smirked. "Surprised, kid?" She asked. She had a habit of not addressing her students by name until they earned her respect. Until then, they were known as "kid" or "brat."

She stretched her shoulders and arms. They sometimes felt a little stiff after spending a while in her child form. It was nothing new. The fact that she was itching for a fight and had spent the better part of two weeks indoors didn't help either. "My name is Kuroka, Gin. I won't bore you with a list of my titles and achievements. Point now is, you're my student now and I'm gonna put you through hell until you either come out the other side damn near invincible or you die trying. That choice is yours," she explained simply. "Goes without saying that if you report my being here, the war between Kumo and Kiri escalates far beyond what is acceptable. And we don't want that, do we?" She asked. It went without saying that if she had to be punished for violating her arrest, that would give Ayakashi the excuse she needed to invade the village full-force.

[WC: 3364]

When the little girl started to grow into a blinding ball of light, Lin decided to close her eyes and wait until the alley didn't look like the sun had accidentally loosed one of its children right in front of her face. When the light finally dimmed, a woman who was clothed similarly to the girl, Shinka, stood before her.

Compared to Lin, she was taller, and had white hair just like Lin's, however no distinctive scar. She almost recognized her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. As for whether she was surprised or not, being struck dumb in the middle of an alley and by the ch-adult that was standing in front of her now... It was a bit of an understatement. She had heard of transformation jutsu, and had mastered some of it, but she hadn't heard of such an elaborate one before. The person standing before her didn't need to tell Lin her name before she knew that she was a dangerous person.

The mischief put her on guard, but more as a cat would be put on guard if being sniffed by a mastiff. Paralyzed, she nodded when she heard Gin's name. It was unnecessary to go over her achievements and titles, as they tumbled through her head as if her father were spelling it out once more. Kuroka, Gin was one of the most known prisoners that existed in Kumogakure, and it was understatement that the war would be "escalated" if there was an incident here. She shook her head to The second question about wanting to start a war between the two villages, when already peace hung by a thin, taut thread.

"Katonrai, Lin is my name. it is a pleasure to meet you sensei. I will become 'damn near invincible' as you say, sensei." Lin said as she found her eyes staring at the ground in a ceremonial bow to show respect. Her voice was not nearly as steady as she had hoped, and neither were her knees. Bent 90 degrees, Lin could only panic and think of all the things that she had said to Kuroka sensei in the bar. And she had acted like a drunk as well!

Her cheeks flushed as she stood there, bowed until told to do otherwise. Now she was supremely curious as to why this woman had chosen her as a disciple.

WC: 3554

Gin crossed her arms in front of her chest and shook her head. As the girl bowed deeply, she would hit her upside the head. "Bowing like that doesn't show respect, it shows submission and from now on, that's something you'll never do," Gin scolded her lightly. She would have to work on fixing how this girl thought. She would have to inspire her to seek out her own independence and strength, otherwise, she would be just another insignificant part in this world - a tool for other people to use and step on, rather than someone capable of standing up on their own. They would have time for that soon enough. After all, Gin was stuck in this village for the time being. If the guards at the estate thought that this girl visiting was odd, they could go and suck it. She was allowed at least some company in her captivity, no matter what they said about corrupting the youth.

"As for you surviving this, we'll see if you have what it takes. For your sake, I hope you do," she stated. The training she would put this girl through would without a doubt reshape her and her view of the world. At times, it would make her want to give up entirely on the idea of being a shinobi. If she could go through the pain and suffering, however, she would grow to become someone worthwhile. It remained to be seen if she would adapt to the pressure or break down under it.

"You see, the way I see it, you're not worth much at this point. You're weak, impressionable and somewhat clueless. But you're being offered a choice: keep being what you re and go on with your life as someone unremarkable. You'll probably live a happy and average life. Or you could risk everything and become something worthwhile," Gin began. Her eyes now narrowed and her expression became serious, if not dark. "I mean it when I say this is a choice. Forget the bet we made. This isn't something I'll force you into. You could turn on your heel and forget this ever happened or you can stay and see where this leads you. If you want to ask anything before making your choice, be my guest," she offered. She leaned against the wall behind her now, looking curiously at the girl.

[WC: 3771]

She stood straight up and looked at Gin, "I-" She started before Gin started talking about survival, the moon catching her hair as well as Lin's, wreathing them in a sort of pseudo-fey-light. The ephemeral feeling turned into a sense of awe at the mention of honor and glory. It was a thing that her family had always instilled in her. To bring honor to her family name, and to have her name go down in the annals of history would be reward enough for her hard work, training with this woman.

She listened silently, a hint of doubt clouding her features as she listened to the part about not being worthwhile right now. She cursed herself for not practicing more at the training fields. Steel had to go through fire and be hardened by water. She would have brave both, and more, if she wanted a shot at the glory that Gin was speaking of.

On the one hand, there would be almost certain ruin, with her current abilities. On the other, death in obscurity, raising children to act the way she told them to and not by the example that she made. Grinding her teeth, setting her jaw, and furrowing her brow in determination she addressed Gin again, "You're probably the only shot I'm going to get at glory. If I stay here I'll become more complacent than I already am. I have always been told that there is nothing more honorable than dying for a cause. Bringing my family honor is the greatest cause there is." She puffed out her chest a bit and looked Gin squarely in the eyes, clenching her fists, " I'll train with you, If you'll teach me. I hope to become someone worth training." A hint of doubt made its way into her voice, but the personal challenge that Gin had given her emboldened her to return the stare that her, now sensei, was giving her.

"May I ask, however..." She started out formally, and didn't know how to ask the question on her mind. Biting her lip in indecision and averting her gaze she grumbled something to herself, barely audible. Now was the only time that she would get to ask, so she might as well ask it right now. "I won't be considered a... missing ninja... if I join with you, right?" She raised an eyebrow. She had made her decision, and would live with the answer.

Lin knew that she couldn't go back, the lure of power beyond what she had right now dangling tantalizingly just beyond her current reach. If she had the courage to stick out the hellish training that she was promised, she could always come back and redeem herself. It was her life, damnit, and she was going to live it the way that she wanted to. At this moment, she wanted to train with Gin, one of the most well-known ninja of the five nations.

WC 4045

Gin had to work to bite back a laugh. She failed, thus letting out a cackle as she shook her head. There was something peculiar about that girl. Her instincts were rarely ever wrong when it came to people. This sort of question proved that. This would be a fun apprenticeship indeed. "Out of all the things you could have asked me, that's your number one concern?" She said. The girl could have asked just about anything and Gin would have answered. She could have asked about the Shichiouza incident that shook the continent not long ago or even about how she lost her arm and eye. She had been present at just about every significant event in the past two decades. And still, all this girl thought of was how she would stand in the eyes of her beloved village for associating with someone so morally dubious. "You're loyal, I'll give you that." She added.

Gin kicked off of the wall she was leaning against and stood straight. "Truth is, there's no definitive answer for that question. My standing in Kumo depends on how this conflict goes. In Suna, I'm a wanted criminal. I'm alright in Konoha for now, but that could change at a moment's notice. If it's any consolation, your reputation with Iwa and Kiri won't change," Gin explained. The answer was as straightforward as it could be without getting into detail about what had caused her strained relationship with each village. Had Lin asked the right question, Gin would have even admitted to nearly killing the previous Hokage not too long ago. Those secrets, it seemed, would still remain buried for now.

Gin began walking towards the girl. When she was close enough, she would set a hand on her head, patting it affectionately. "I'll be expecting you to show up tomorrow at the Raikage's Estate at 8 o' clock sharp. That's am, not pm, by the way," she said, walking past the girl. "Trust me, you don't want to be late," she stated. In the blink of an eye, she would disappear from the alley, leaving no trace behind. Lin would be left to wonder if she had even been there at all.

From then, passing through the guards around the Raikage's Estate was be a simple task. She knew the place like the back of her hand now and knew all of the intricate passageways that she could use to get to her room without even coming close to one of the regular patrols. With that in mind, she thought it might be better for her to sneak out of the house more often. It would help keep her sane and, therefore, would make the guards' jobs a lot easier. She owed it to those poor men and women, really. If she stayed indoors for another week, there likely wouldn't be an Estate left for them to work in.

[WC: 4271

Perception from S-1 to S-2: 2000
Perception from S-2 to S-3: 2250

Left over: 21]

Lin indeed did wonder whether she had seen Gin there or not. She checked the time and found it to be about midnight. Sighing she looked up at the moon. Because it was almost full she imagined the "man in the moon" to be laughing at her, smirking at her future pain. Damned sadistic moon. She thought, and muttered the same to herself. Perhaps she could stay up a bit longer, or perhaps she could go back to the bar and try to bring someone home. She hadn't had a boyfriend in... how long?

Lin shook her head and shivered, the night chill starting to sink into her. It would be better to just go home and warm up before going to bed. She looked at the underside of the skybar, watching the couples dance to a beat that she could only faintly hear below. Someday she would be there with a boyfriend, she was sure. For now, she snapped back to reality, for now I have to concentrate on training. Getting stronger will bring me not only honor, but possibly a lover. Giggling, she nodded and smiled to herself. She would get stronger, she knew it. Especially with a trainer like Gin, of the seven swordsmen to guide her. Perhaps she had some potential at all, she thought puffing out her chest a bit.

Tucking one strand of silver hair behind her left ear she exited the alley, trying to make sure that she wasn't seen sneaking into and out of alleys. In the middle of the night, back alleys were always thought to be the places where dubious deals went down and she didn't particularly feel like telling some nosy person why she was coming out of one. It was obvious that she wasn't with anyone either or she could have just blamed it on snogging. She sighed and smoothed her skirt. There wasn't many people around and it didn't seem like they cared much who was coming and going. There was a higher ratio of drunks at this hour and some of them could be seen looking her way.

It made her feel slightly good about herself that she was drawing someones attention in a provocative way, but also more than a bit irritated that the only people that seemed to give her a second look or oggle her had to have alcohol in their systems. With time and plenty of training, I will be more of an attractive woman. I will. Lin thought as she rounded another corner, making her way slowly back to her apartment.

The moon played with the water on the lake, casting what looked like silvered lightning bolts on the houses that bordered it. Lin decided that she would take a couple of minutes, that she could afford to, to look at them and think over what happened that night. She had met a little girl, lost to said little girl, the little girl had turned out to be Gin, a very high ranking ninja. She had been apprenticed to said ninja, and now was going to be trained until she either "came out the other side damn near invincible or she died trying" as her sensei had so eloquently put it. She tossed a stone into the lake, making the moon's reflection ripple and the lightning dance on the houses in a sort of rhythmic canto.

It was like there were ephemeral ghosts that pirouetted on the tiles, making them gleam as though they were gilded with silver. Everything had a surreal look to it as she touched the glassy lake, making the ripples dance with delight at her tickling touch. She giggled and watched the dancing lights, letting her mind wander. Dwelling on subjects such as hellish training could strain a girl, and she didn’t want to start the day tomorrow with her sensei all tuckered out. It wouldn’t do.

After thinking about all that happened that night for a while, and losing track of time, she trudged home. She lived in the upstairs apartment of a bi-level. She had no roommates which made living away from her parents a bit easier. She received a stipend from her father to live outside of home until she could do enough missions to pay for her living expenses on her own. How would her father take this? Perhaps not well, perhaps too well. He had always wanted to have her train to become more like him.

Lin grunted as she ran into something in the room, looking about for what she had kicked she found a discarded take-out box. She loved to eat Lo Mein and it showed by the amount that she had eaten since leaving home. She probably needed to train some more at the sparring grounds, but didn't know of anyone that was around her relative age that she could train with.

Taking off her shirt, skirt, and sandals, folding them and placing them on the chair, she recollected herself for sleep. Setting her alarm, she crawled into bed. It was still hot in her apartment, and she didn't feel like keeping her window open. It wasn't so much for safety as it was laziness. Turning over, she dreamt of what type of hell she had planted herself in.

Final word count: 4925

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