Aki had done it now, he had completely messed up, and now he was stuck in a situation he never expected himself to be stuck in. Him, being a ninja cat, figured he could spy in on some Genin that he suspected were using their abilities to harass others, but he never figured one of them for a sensory type, especially one that can see the different between a normal cat and a Ninneko in disguise. He had unfortunately left his things behind, and before he could use his Catling Gun to escape, he had already been caught, picked up by the body and carried off. He could still remember what was said when he was captured, about how the leader of the two Genin wondered whether or not it was true that ninja cats become lethargic if they're wet, and that they better find out so they can put the rumor to rest. All in all, this would be one of the few times Aki would legitimately feel fear, as he didn't know how exactly to get out of this situation. He had already attempted using jutsu, but before he could even attempt, his mouth would be wrapped shut, and his arms, legs, and tail tied so his arms were together and his legs and tail were together, leaving the Ninneko virtually incapable of escape.

Having been carried by his arms, which were held in the right hand of the black-haired Shinobi, whom of which appeared twenty years in age, he would silently glare at the five foot eleven inches tall male. If he gets out of this, this guy would be the first to go, Aki had decided as his bindings were digging into his black fur, making the Ninneko more uncomfortable than normal. He could tell that the hot springs were already in sight, and how this Genin, whom of which was accompanied by another one of similar age, whom of which would go on ahead and "talk" to the current worker of the hot springs, was already excited about what was going on. "You know, I never tossed a cat in hot water before. I wonder what will happen, especially with you all tied up like this. Will you float?" He asked, clearly not expecting an answer from Aki, as he was currently wrapped up. Stepping through the entryway of the hot springs, the black-haired Shinobi would begin to speak again. "You're a really bad little sneak, you know that?" He would say to Aki as he flipped the cat upside down, holding him by his feet.

"Let's throw this fish back into the water then!" He would tell his companion with enthusiasm as he would begin making his way to the springs themselves, where sure the captive Ninneko, whom of which would be carried upside down, would most likely end up meeting his fate.

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Kiyomi ran her hand through her short black hair and let out a small sigh of disgust as she felt the sweat on her scalp sticking her usually soft hair together. It had been a very hot day, and between training at the edge of the city and wandering Konoha's streets she was tired and sore and could use a rest. She looked down at her high heeled boots and smiled thoughtfully  as she thought about the first time she had been made to wear heeled shoes. It had hurt so much to try to walk, her feet and ankles had bled her knees and back gone numb, but after a time she had grown used to it and now it was odd to go without them. With no particular destination it was quite some time before Kiyomi decided to stop walking and sat down on an empty bench by the hot springs and decided to pick out some new playthings. Kiyomi had gone a while without a suitable diversion and could use the acquisition of a new human 'pet'.

She hadn't sat there long when she saw two young genin, perhaps in their late teens or early twenties, carrying a cat between them. A cat that they had for some reason felt the need to tie up, not very well she noticed, and were hoisting none too gently in her direction. She normally could not be bothered with most other peoples business, but torturing animals was crass. Torture was an artform and required both the artist and the subject to be able to fully appreciate its beauty, something that she felt animals were not capable of. That was enough to spark her interest and so she rose slowly to her feet, smoothing her tight black jumpsuit against her skin and casually adjusting the feathers around her shoulders as she paced slowly to intercept the shinobi.
"My what a sweet kitty." Kiyomi purred as she kept her eyes on the leader of the two and moved her hand to pet the furry beast. She was well aware that she towered over the two of them and crouched over so as not to be intimidating, pretending to be playing with the black and white kitten. "What have they done to you tiny thing? You look so very sad, I think you should come with me and we will all be much happier." Kiyomi stressed the word all in a thinly veiled warning to the young men standing awkwardly with a tied cat. She sighed when they didn't take the hint and instead laughed down at her "You can have it after we throw it in the water, we just want to see what happens then the stupid thing is all yours sweetie."

Kiyomi's eyes narrowed and her hand froze mid pet on the the belly of the cat, her instinct was to lash out and hurt the first available thing, but she didn't want to hurt the thing she was trying to save. She sighed again and rose up to her full height, which she hoped was would be enough to end the fight before it began, she was a fairly intimidating figure she had been told. "You're going to release that cat to me now and leave. You pushed too far with the wrong person today."

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Aki would take a notice of a female standing upside down before them, one that wore high heeled boots and a near skintight black jumpsuit, one that had feathers around her shoulders. He would take notice of her calling him a "sweet kitty", his round ears twitching as he recognized where this thought process is going. 'Please, just throw me in the water already and end it.' The Ninneko would think to himself as he helplessly hung there, the world flipped upside down in his eyes. He had been in similar situations involving interactions with people, and how they generally ended with him being called tiny or small, or some other comment about his height, which in turn would make him go ballistic. It was always the same story when things started out like that, and he, whom of which wouldn't mind being complimented for being a feline, being someone that actually likes being complimented, would not expect anything different from this current situation.

He would feel her hand pet him as he dangled there, both Genin now looking at the towering female. "..the fuck?" He would hear one of the two say out loud, clearly confused as to why this stranger was involving herself in their entertainment. She would crouch, attempting to toy with Aki, though this giantess would say the forbidden word, and soon enough, he would be most definitely triggered. "Tiny thing" would ring out through his head as she would ask him what they he done to him, his pupils already shrinking someone with pure anger as she would continue to mention he he should come with him, and how they will all be much happier. "All? Whatever, freak." The Genin that was talking to the employee would say in a dismissive tone, with the one holding Aki telling her how she can have him after they throw it in the water, and that they just want to see what happens, further calling the Ninneko a "stupid thing". Aki at this point would begin to wriggle around in the Genin's hold, head thrashing from side to side as his seething annoyance with this situation had been continuously pissing him off.

The female's hand would freeze mid-pet on his stomach, but he could barely even notice the hand itself, instead merely just wanting to break out and smack everyone around. Instead, in the midst of his blood boiling fit, he would see the female sigh, standing up to her full, towering height, demanding that they release Aki to her now and leave, and that they pushed too far the wrong person today. "Go to hell, bitch!" The Genin that wasn't holding Aki would yell as he begun pulling at a kunai, clearly attempting to go straight for digging it right into her gut. Aki's mouth would be freed from the poorly tied binding giving way, allowing for him to bend upwards, immediately biting the Genin's hand, causing the male to drop him, with he himself landing on the ground with a light thud. "To hell with this thing!" He would angrily yell out as his right leg would move backwards, only to push on forwards in an attempt to punt Aki. All Aki would say in response to all of this would be a yell, the only thing that is on his mind at the moment. "I.. am not tiny!"

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Bitch. It was always that word. There were so many other insults available but that was the one that always got her. The one word that almost always caused her to lose reason and seek only to destroy its speaker. She was so much bigger than these two, and it was likely that they didn't see her as a threat based on how they spoke to her. It would be a simple matter to toss one in the water while slowly and intimately embracing the other, kunai in hand tracing the error of his ways lovingly down the length of his neck, watching the spark of arrogance in his eyes dull to glassy pain and fear...

"I.. am not tiny!"

The high pitched feline voice broke through her bloody reverie like the refreshing though unexpected sound of wind chimes on an otherwise windless day. Kiyomi looked down in genuine surprise at the bound creature that had just spoken, it had not crossed her mind that it was anything more than an animal until that moment, though now she looked at it with deeper interest. She saw the slight flare of its nostrils and upturned mouth as it snarled and glared, it most certainly had intelligence in its red eyes and now rage, which she regretted and felt responsible for. She reached her hand out and clasped it firmly around the neck of the genin who was clearly about to kick the feline creature into the water and pulled him back towards to her. "That seems as though it would be over far too quickly don't you think? I'm sure between the three of us we could come up with something more inventive... perhaps... in a more private location?" Kiyomi breathed the words into his ear, brushing the tip of her nose against his cheek just along his jaw line as she finished her question. The genin paused in his attempted assault bringing his hand up to hers, which was still wrapped around his throat, and turned his head slightly towards her before shaking off Kiyomi's grip backing away and making a show of being disinterested.

"What are you trying to pull? Just a few seconds ago you were threatening us, and now you want to make nice?" The two of them straightened with renewed confidence and Kiyomi watched them flex their muscles and shift their weight in preparation to attack. This song and dance is so old, Kiyomi thought, annoyed, genin are the worst always having to be 'model students' or some such nonsense. And then after there was the slightest bit of temptation came the guilt and then the posturing. It was a horrible cycle that she wished she could skip, but of course people were all the same and there was no avoiding it, so next up came playing submissive. "I made a horrible mistake, I was just so worried for the cat... and well... I didn't think... I'm so sorry..." She advanced again slowly arms loose at her sides and knelt down to untie the bonds on the tiny creature giving it a quick wink before rising and placing herself firmly between the cat and its aggressors.

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Aki would watch as the female looked down in surprise at him, almost as if she hadn't realized before that he is a Ninneko. It would be then, that as he was slowly and surely calming down, that he would watch as the female would clasp her hand around the neck of the Genin that was about to kick the bound Ninneko, instead pulling him back to her, telling him that this seems as though it would be over far too quickly, and that she is sure the three of them could come up with something more inventive within a more private location. 'Is this person crazy?' Aki thought to himself, as she immediately went from ready to fight them to now making what he could only assume to be flirtatious gestures with them. He saw her brushing the tip of her nose against his cheek, along his jawline. This would cause the male to attempt bringing his hand up to hers, turning his head slightly before shaking off her grip.

He would asking her what she was trying to pull, saying that just a few seconds ago she was threatening them, and now she just wants to make nice. It was a fair statement. Frankly, Aki wouldn't trust that move at all either if it came from someone that had just threatened him, instead he would've attempted to sneak in an attack on them instead, taking advantage of their attempted deceit. These two didn't seem to be like that, however, as they both straightened up, prepping to attack instead of just doing so. The female would continue, however, with telling them that she had made a horrible mistake, and that she was just worried for Aki, apologizing to them both, seemingly having a change of heart. She then however knelt down to untie Aki, handing him a quick wink before placing herself between him and the two Genin. "Here's the deal, you get that thing..." The Genin with the kunai would say, pointing the sharped weapon towards Aki, whom of which would sit up at this point, getting a feel for being freed again. "...and we get you." He would continue, his blade pointing directly towards her.

Aki himself was already tired from being called tiny, though, and just being talked about as if he were some pathetic item just made him all the more triggered. He nearly forgot about his height even being mentioned in the first place, let alone the situation at hand. Instead, he would get up on his back paws, remaining behind the female, waiting for her to respond to the two. In the midst of her response, Aki would suddenly shoot from where he once was, moving at fifteen meters per second directly towards the stomach of the shinobi holding the Kunai, his body attempting to collide itself with the Genin, aiming to hit him as hard as he can right off the bat. He didn't care much for sitting by while others came to his aid. The last time he had allowed someone to handle things for him... he couldn't go through such a thing ever again, not with anyone, even someone that had angered him recently. If his body collided with the Genin, Aki begin dropping to the ground, only for him to exhale a powerful stream of wind from his mouth directly towards the Genin's feet, making the Ninneko fly backwards, where he would land on all fours just behind and to the left of the female, with the Genin having not only been struck in the stomach, which would undoubtidly make the male bend over, but also be forced to faceplant the ground, moving away from the group up to a meter away.

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A shiver of excitement spread down her spine in tandem with the wicked smile that spread across her face at the genin's words. "...and we get you." They truly had no idea what kind of bargain they were striking, how could they possibly? It was unlikely that anyone here had heard of her and she had yet to cause a stir in Konoha so it was safe to say that their ignorance was not born of stupidity but merely a genuine lack of pertinent information. Kiyomi eyed the sharp looking kunai, it looked well cared for without a nick along its well honed edge. It had probably never enjoyed the sweet taste of human flesh before, such a sad thing for a lovingly crafted blade to be denied its true destiny, this thought would give her pause and make her furrow her brows and gently rub the inside of right forearm with her left hand. The six raised and perfectly spaced one inch long cuts along the inside of her arm were aching terribly. She imagined opening them again slowly with the kunai that the young genin was threatening her with now, and she gripped her arm tightly and digging her fingernails into her arm in the process in an attempt to ground herself.

There was no way around it, she needed to acquiesce to the pig headed men, the pain was calling to her and it wouldn't be long before she had no choice in the matter anyway, at least this way she had some measure of control. She released her right arm leaving four tiny blood crescents in it and gave her reply in the most submissive voice she could muster. "If that's the only way... I will of course do anything you want, just please don't hurt the cat." As she spoke Kiyomi saw a black blur pass by her and squarely into the midsection of genin holding the kunai knocking him backwards where he fell hard onto his face on the walkway. The blur she realized was the cat and it gracefully changed directions midair and landed just out of her sight to her left as would begin forming the Dog hand seal followed by the Jin seal and then would lift her left hand towards the genin that was still standing as though she were trying to choke the life from the man, activating her Waterboarding technique.

If the genin started to choke and panic, feeling the illusionary liquid flow down his nose and fill his lungs, she would move to the spot where the other genin had dropped his kunai and while still maintaining her genjutsu, bend down and grasp the abandoned weapon with her right hand preparing to advance upon the panicking genin and begin distracting him from his current distress by giving him a more pressing matter to attend to. Namely a kunai, perhaps he could use a hair cut, or a close shave... very close. She would lower her voice so that it resonated deep within his bones and could be easily heard despite his panic. "And now I get you."

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Aki would take notice of how the female moved her left hand, directing it towards the still standing Genin in some sort of fashion. To his surprise, he would begin choking, with the female herself moving towards the currently downed Genin. He would silently watch as she bent over, grabbing the kunai with her right hand. He would allow her to approach that choking Genin, whom of which was too busy struggling to breathe to notice that she now had the weapon with her. These people were scum, the same very kind of scum that would only serve to bring down the village, and they certainly wouldn't be missed. This was an act of self defense, and act of wiping up trash that infected the village, and a service to the community. Anyone, whether it was a member of the village or an outsider, needs to be held to the same standards, and punished with the same punishment. If these two were outsiders, they'd have already been apprehended, and now that their crimes have added on pulling a weapon upon an innocent and the attempted murder of another shinobi, it would be their turn to have their own sentences carried out.

To his surprise, the previously downed Genin would begin standing up, glaring at the female, seemingly aiming to soon attack her from behind. "Watch out, Itsuk-" He would cease what he would say, however, instead frozen in place, eyes now going wide open with what he had said.

It would be in the middle of the woods at night, where Squad Five of Konoha would be remaining, camped out. It was a simple patrol mission, one of which there weren't any expectations for any sort of attack or conflict to even occur. It was just a few days in the wilderness, keeping an eye over the territory, and to report back any suspicious sighting. They were only a squad of Genin with a Sensei that wasn't even with them at the time, it wasn't as though they were sent to truly do anything too dangerous at all. Aki himself would be next to Itsuki, the green-haired young male of around fifteen or sixteen years of age, whom of which would be wearing some sort of orange coat over a black shirt, and a pair of tan shorts as well. He could remember those optimistic green eyes, which closed whenever he had laughed, and how despite the group being rather different from one another, they had still got along fairly well.

He would feel a long lost warmth return to him, and could feel the feelings rise up within him as he knew what would soon come. Gas, it rolled in too fast for the small squad of four to notice until it would be too late. The foul smelling substance rolled over directly over the fire, igniting it, causing essentially an incendiary bomb to go off directly in front of the squad of Genin and the Ninneko, and while three of them were able to back away in time, one of them couldn't, and he could remember those screams he heard along with recalling the silhouette of that female grabbing at herself, her fingers digging against her skin as she frantically screamed and lurched over, the shock from the pain soon silencing her. He could still recall his panicked friend grabbing him, picking him up and running away from the commotion while their ally remained behind, commanding them both to leave while he himself withdrew a blade, intending to hold them off.

He could still recall hearing his companion repeating the word "mom" to himself, clearly terrified of being next, and he recalled looking behind him and into the darkness. The moonlight was faint, but it was still dim enough for the Ninneko to see the faint appearance of a stranger behind them, looking at though he was about the throw something. "Watch out, Itsuki!" Aki could remember himself screaming at the time, though as the Genin looked behind him, the group of shuriken would already fly, and before the Ninneko could react, he was thrust onto the ground, his companion having fallen, with multiple of the throwing weapons protruding his clothes, one of which was directly over where his spine would be. "R-Run!" He remembered hearing, as that word still wakes him up from his sleep at times, ringing through his head like a curse, one that would end up ruining his life.

Aki would snap out of his flashback, seeing the male that was behind the female stranger having got back up on his feet. With his paws, the Ninneko would form the Dragon, Rat, Horse, and Tiger Hand seals, causing two nearby planks of wood to peel off of the building itself, compressing and sharpening into sharpened pieces of debris, which went from levitating to being shot directly towards the male, one of which would soon end up in his right thigh, with the other aiming for his right arm. Aki all the while would immediately lunge forwards, using his Catling Gun to make him become like a blur once again as he would fly through the air, his right arm extended, claw aiming towards the male's face, hoping to get him in the eye or at least along the side of his head. Despite having snapped out of the flashback he had, constant, flashing images still appeared in his head, and the only thing in his mind would be a single command, one of which he wished he could have followed back then, when it was truly needed; 'Protect Itsuki.'

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Kiyomi would maintain her genjutsu on the struggling genin, delighting in the terror within the mans eyes as he drowned in nothingness. She would lazily sway her hips as she stalked up to him idly twirling the kunai gently in her bare right hand and upon reaching him would purse her lips softly to blow him the gentlest of kisses before moving in to remove his ability to kiss every again.

Or at least that is what she would have done had she not heard from behind her a high pitched voice telling her to watch out, and calling her by a name that was certainly not hers. She would looks anyways, she was not an idiot, and would see the first genin standing and glaring quite pointedly in her direction for what reason she could not understand. She had done not a thing to the man, it was the small cat thing who had injured the tiny shinobi not her, so she would merely smile an apology and look down at her cat friend to see what mischief he had got himself into this time. As she would look down however the cat friend would begin looking quite cross and using more chakra would damage the man further, violently throwing sharp pieces of wood through his limbs and hurling himself straight at the genins face. She would chuckle at this a bit, content in the knowledge that the small feline was quite capable and also quite skilled and made a mental note to get it some fresh fish later for being so useful and would turn back to her new found genin toy with fresh amusement in her eyes.

She would bring the kunai point upwards close to his eye so he could see it plainly before speaking to him, it was important to her that he knew what was at stake before she wasted time laying out her terms, there was no bargain to be had here, no better deal that he could strike, though it was always possible that he was the special stupid heroic type. She would keep her voice smooth like honey and low, for his ears only as she spoke.

“You. My beautiful darling man. You have made a terrible mistake today. I was enjoying myself ever so much under the sun by the water, it was quiet and peaceful, no one to bother me, a comfortable bench to sit on, a gentle breeze to tousle my hair and time to ponder my ambitions. Do you know what I aspire to darling boy? I aspire to a quiet life of greatness. One built on the back of horrific agony and nightmarish sorrow and tragedy. Today you unwittingly have helped me further along towards my heroic destiny to serve my true nature. You have place yourself upon the altar of sacrifice like a willing lamb to the slaughter and I am here to tell you that I accept. And you may go away knowing that this sacrifice will be remembered.”

As she finished her speech Kiyomi would take the kunai and place it in the choking genin’s hand as though he had wielded it through the entirety of the confrontation and then she would pull his now armed hand down forcefully into her outstretched left bicep. Her eyes would shoot open wide as the glorious release of pain surged through her body like lightning.

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'Protect... Protect....' Aki would continue blindly thinking as he felt a hint of desperation ring throughout his body. The Genin he saw before him was no more some douchebag Genin from before, but instead he saw the very same being that had so long ago had thrown those weapons, and had changed his life for the worse, and instead of that female he saw before, he saw Itsuki, the first and last Nekomata he would ever associate himself with. He would feel the flesh tear from the side of the Genin's face, leaving a nice scrape behind, with Aki himself having landed on all fours once more, trying to use his claws to stop the forward momentum he had, leaving him sliding along the ground for a solid foot or two before stopping approximately a meter away from the male, watching as the two pieces of the debris went into the male, causing him to yelp in pain.

Clearly shocked, the Genin would proceed to, in a panicked manner, pull out to pieces of debris, causing trickled of blood to begin dribbling on of their entry points. Aki himself would continue watching in a wide-eyed manner, the Ninnko listening as the Genin would essentially look at the cat and then at the female. "S-Screw this, you're both crazy!" The Ninneko would be pleased from this, as the Genin was now limping away from the scene, attempting escape. He considered going after the enemy for targeting Itsuki, and was definitely about to as well, before he saw Itsuki having had held a kunai up to the male's eye, causing Aki to watch with his entranced gaze as she would begin talking in a more quieted tone, only the faint sounds of whispering if even that reaching the round ears of the Ninneko.

Then, and to Aki's surprise, Itsuki had given the kunai to the Genin, placing it in his hand before pulling at his arm. Extremely concerned for his friend's sake, Aki would begin to attempt to move towards the blade, to attempt to take it away, to save his dear friend. The next moment however, made something in his mind click. He would watch as the sharp weapon struck Itsuki in the outstretched left bicep, causing Aki's eyes to shoot even wider with concern, almost as though he had just re-witnessed Itsuki's death, failing to stop it once more. This wouldn't be the case, however, as his mind would put two things together, recalling how Itsuki was attacked from behind rather than in the front, and how the weapons struck him in the back, not in the left bicep. Almost immediately, the mental images Aki crafted were shattered, releasing the Ninneko from his trance with a start, his eyelids lowering as he bent over, breathing heavily for a few moments.

Looking up, he would see the strange female standing there with the choking Genin, his weapon having harmed her left bicep, just like what he had saw just before. "W-What the heck?" The Ninneko would ask himself as he watched, his breathing slowly becoming back under control as the adrenaline began washing away from him slowly. In his current state he accidentally disabled Catling Gun, and already he was feeling his previous speediness leave him, reminding him about how quickly he could truly move. He wondered if he had truly seen what he had just witnessed, and whether or not this person truly did just allow herself to get injured by her own opponent.

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As the kunai that Kiyomi had forced the young genin to drive into her arm dug its way further into her flesh, she would watch transfixed, loosening her mental hold over the man in the process. The cut would not be too deep, it would only create a small trickle of blood, but it was enough to satiate the beast within her for now. She would close her eyes slowly and rock her skull gently back and forth on the top of her spine feeling the feathers of her mantle mingle with her hair and gently caress her cheeks. She stood there a while breathing deeply in and out, listening to the sounds of the water…


“What are you looking for my love?” the voice startled her out of her daydream. In truth she had been looking for a place to easily escape. This was her newest owner and this pond was not easily defensible, so perhaps there was a place to slip out after dark and get away. “You didn’t answer my question darling.” The man’s voice had a hard edge to it this time, like a sword edge sharpened a bit too far, just about to break. Kiyomi turned then to face her newest owner, she was not particularly worried about this one. He was about two or perhaps three inches shorter than her six foot tall muscular frame, and although he looked well built she was fairly certain that she could break him in two if need demanded it. All these pigs were the same, throwing their money around as though that were all it took to own a person. But this man, Naota his name was, hadn’t met her yet, the rest had been just as smug and they’d all sold her in the end just to be rid of her, he would end up no different. And with that confidence enhancing thought in her mind she let out a sigh while turning the corner of her mouth up in a slight smirk, and she answered his question. “Love? Is that what you think you’ve bought? You should have paid less master because you were surely swindled.”

The blow was unexpected to say the least. Like a blur a dark grey object came from outside her vision and struck her across the side of her head near her left eye. Her ear rang with indignant bells and her vision wavered as pain exploded inside her head. She raised her hands up to her face to cradle her newly formed would and was promptly struck again, this time on her rising hands. She screamed as she felt the bones crack beneath what she now saw was a cane and pulled her broken hands in towards her torso. “Please! I’m sorry! I was just looking at the pond!” The cane that had been swinging for her face stopped midair and the man gently stroked it against her cheek. Kiyomi looked through tear filled eyes at him while cradling her damaged hands. He looked at her lovingly, no hint of coldness or anger, only calm and attentive devotion as he moved his face closer to hers. “My love, I mean you no harm. I seek only to discover the beauty of your true soul. The one you hide even from yourself, with sarcasm and guile. We will discover it together you and I, and with it you will know true freedom.”

Kiyomi relaxed a small portion at his words, as they seemed sincere enough, though somewhat in-congruent with the beating she had received mere moments before. She cringed as he lowered his hands and took hers in them. It hurt of course, she looked at them in dismay for they were badly misshapen and turning black and blue in places. “My, my. This won’t do at all. We should take you to a healer and get you patched up my love. Yard work is sometimes very dangerous is it not?” She raised her right eyebrow at the mention of yard work, true she had been in the yard, but these injuries had been inflicted by him, not by some accident or something. As she shook her head in protest of his lie his hands squeezed tightly around her own, crushing the bones together and forcing some of them through the skin. Kiyomi howled and collapsed to her knees, shaking violently from the pain. “Is it not?” The man asked again, forcefully this time, still squeezing, her blood pouring over his fingers as well as hers. He released her and threw her distastefully to the ground only when she managed to nod weakly. He left her sobbing on the ground, in pool of her blood and vomit with the parting promise, “I will return soon my love, never fear.”


Kiyomi heard the voice of the cat behind and felt the memory fade away with the throbbing of her wound. She would slowly, regretfully, open her eyes. Looking at the young man she was still entangled with she would lean in close to him and gently kiss his cheek. “Thank you…now off with you before I have a change of heart.” And then she would release him, leaving the other genin’s kunai in his care. Assuming he did not move to strike her she would turn to the cat while smoothing her clothing of any wrinkles and extend her hand palm down in a courtiers greeting.

“My name is Kiyomi Yamada, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You are quite the skilled shinobi, my apologies for assuming otherwise. I am new to Konoha and would relish the opportunity to spend some time enjoying it without the threat of combat. Perhaps you would accompany me to partake in some icecream?”

She would smile pleasantly as she spoke, hoping to put the small cat at ease. She had made the earlier mistake of offending it and did not wish to do so again. It amused her, and it had aided her without any payment or benefit to itself. And in truth it was a skilled combatant, and it would be useful to gather some of those.

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Aki would merely watch as this woman was head banging, her skull rocking back and forth, to and fro, as she breathed deeply. Then, almost as if she had just remembered she had been stabbed, she would lean in towards the male for some sort of reason, thanking him before telling him to run off before she had a change of heart. Aki would continue to watch, wondering what the hell his going on, his head cocked slightly to the side with his mouth slightly open as he watched the seemingly terrified Genin turn around, weapon still in hand as he would run away from the two, clearly finding this situation to be too much for him to wish to bother handling, as well.

The female herself at this moment had turned around, seemingly smoothing herself out before extending her hand downwards, giving off a greeting that was pretty unknown to the Ninneko. She would introduce herself as Kiyomi Yamada, stating that it is a pleasure to meet his acquaintance before complimenting him on his skills as a Shinobi. She continued with an apology for assuming otherwise, though Aki understood that part of the confusion entirely. It was the strength of a Ninneko to not be seen as a Shinobi generally, with this situation only being because the Genin had some sort of technique that allowed him to be able to sense Aki's presence. She had nothing to apologize for, on that part, as that apology is virtually a compliment in his eyes as he, like any Ninneko, generally prides himself on that deception.

She would continue telling him that she is new to Konoha and would relish the opportunity to spend some time enjoying it without possible combat. 'Could've fooled me..' He thought to himself as he listened. Clearly this individual had some sort of desire for a conflict, at least from what he could see. Generally those only wishing for no combat would stay out of a situation like the one he was in, not to mention that he's still trying to wrap his mind around how she was able to easily disable that Genin, making himself seemingly choke on nothing at all. Frankly, for one that wants to have a peaceful, lovely time, this Kiyomi person is definitely equipped for when the time comes to actually fight.

That didn't mean he'd turn down her offer of accompanying her and partaking in eating some food, of course. He was honestly thirsty in the first place. Clearly, being a pretty fully-grown cat, he wasn't going to actually partake in the ice cream himself, but he assumed there would be water there he could drink, instead. He was pretty well lactose intolerant when it came to dairy products, a fact he unfortunately learned the hard way one day when he had a battle with some cheese and lost, hard. It also didn't hurt that the smile this human offered was also pleasant enough in itself, either.

Quickly remembering the greeting gesture that the female offered, which took Aki a few moments to register due to being temporarily lost in thought, he would, with a panic, choose a random greeting he had seen before between two people. He would, with haste, bow, bending over in an attempt to formally greet the female, not even realizing that he basically made an accidental attempt to headbutt her hand. "My name is Aki Arata, Thank you for helping me." He would begin, straightening back up as he looked around for something. When his red eyes would rest upon that of a small, white towel, one which is more than likely use to dry off hands more than to actually use for anything else, he would wrap it around his lower waist, making it act as a sort of temporary clothing for now before walking back over to the giantess. "Sure, let's go. Chances are someone will probably come investigate the commotion anyways, so it's better if we just get out of here."

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As the tiny kitten bobbed his head in a very formal bow Kiyomi smiled down warmly. It was rare for anyone to afford her so much courtesy without her having threatened them first and it warmed her heart somewhat. As he thanked her and introduced herself she would wave a hand dismissively still with a smile on her lips. “There’s no need to thank me Aki, I was merely doing what anyone else would have.” She would watch for a moment as Aki searched around for something and lose interest quickly, turning her attention back to the wound on her arm. It was small injury as far as those were compared to any others she had suffered, but it had not been cleaned which concerned her. She would walk over to the discarded bonds that were used on poor Aki earlier and taking them in hand head over to the waters edge, taking a seat and humming a children’s tune as she did so.

Aki pointed out that someone would likely come to investigate the disturbance, which until now had not crossed her mind. Kiyomi would look back at Aki as she was dipping the piece of cloth in the water and nod. “This will only take a moment, it’s best not to leave a wound for too long. There are some things no one can heal if left long enough.” As she spoke she would wipe down the wound with the cloth and, satisfied it would no longer bleed, drop the cloth on the walk way giving it no more thought.

Kiyomi would stand and stretch to her full height, arms above her head, feeling every thread and cord of muscle shiver and pull at her command. It felt glorious to know that they were hers, and she commanded them, and now she would tell them to outstretch her hand towards Aki. If he would take her hand she would stroll with him towards the market. If not she would shrug nonchalantly and walk towards the market by herself hoping that Aki would follow her.

“You know Aki, it has been many years since I have been allowed to indulge in ice cream. Eight I believe, although I cannot trust my memory all too well. Tell me, friend, about yourself, how did you arrive in such trouble? I’m sure that those pigs would have been easily put down without my assistance, but all the same. What caused the mess in the first place?”

She could imagine of course, the two genin had looked like neanderthal boys that hadn’t received enough discipline, or perhaps were doing it on a dare. Or more likely were the kind that thought it was acceptable to tear the wings off of bees. She would glare hatefully off into the distance at that thought, her hand clenching into a fist. There was little she hated more in the world than the torture of animals. And that was saying quite a lot. For she loved torture. But this was too much too quickly, she had only met the cat just now… It’s so difficult without someone to guide me! ...this line of questioning was likely to draw suspicion. She would hastily offer a way out of her interrogation for the tiny beast. Upon noticing the change in scenery to brightly painted stalls full of baubles and delightful food and drink she would point excitedly at one that was painted with white and pink stripes that appeared to be selling ice cream and soda, and candies.

“You don’t have to answer of course as I don’t mean to pry friend Aki. Ah.. look! I think that stall up ahead sells sweets.”

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Aki would roll over what the female said to him with a feeling of approval rolling over in his mind how she had told him that there is no need to thank her, stating that she was merely doing what anyone else would have. He wouldn't verbally respond to this, but his general glare that he had on a day-to-day basis softened slightly and his ears would perk up and slightly forwards, though he wouldn't smile, instead trying to keep more of a serious face about himself. Watching as Kiyomi had walked over to his untied bindings, he was pleased overall and his eyes would flutter in response as he looked up to the female, the slow and languid blinks offering a sign of affection, his way of showing that he approved of what she had responded with.

Seeing her wash a cloth in water, he would be reassured this would take a moment, telling him that it's best to not leave a wound for too long, stating that there are some things no one could heal if left long enough. The Ninneko's scar, which was positioned on the side of his left eye, would stand testament to that. Even now just thinking about it made it tingle, the memories of the wound still fresh even as the tissue healed over. There are certainly some things that no one can heal if left long enough, some that are more painful than others, and generally those things were wounds within the body, rather than the wounds that are outside of it. Having cleaned her wound, dropping the cloth which held trickles of blood on the ground, seemingly dismissing it.

The female would stand up, stretching fully, bringing herself back to her full height, that of a giantess, with the arms above her head only helping her be even taller. After this the female stretched out a hand towards the Ninneko, offering him to take it. Even cats have their own little bottles of pride, however, and Aki was similarly no different from any other typical male in this, including when it came to holding hands. It was something humans should do with one another, children, really, and while he appreciated the friendly gesture offered by this new ally of his, he would have to decline. Instead, he attempted a short brush of his tail along the human's leg, curling it, showing a sign of friendliness instead as he would walk towards the market with her.

She would tell him about how it has been many years since she has been allowed to indulge in ice cream, telling him that, despite her distrust of her memory, she believes it to be eight. He would give a short nod to this, instead choosing to continue listening to her rather than responding right away. He would wince slightly at the question that followed, as she would ask him about how he arrived in such trouble, telling him that she was sure they would have been easily put down without her assistance, though resorting back to asking him about what caused the mess in the first place. "I was looking into them, trying to see if they're using what they learned to bully people. Ninja cats like myself, members of the Ninneko, usually use our appearances as a natural disguise. No one really looks out for a cat as a spy as much as they do a person, but I was sloppy this time around." He would say, the tone in his voice expressing a hint of frustration towards the end. It annoys him that he was still caught like that, a certain blow to his pride.

He would take notice of the change of scenery, seeing the brightly painted stalls for of trinkets and food and drinks, clear indicators of their reaching the market. The female was suddenly excited by this as well, as Aki would see her point at the one that was selling ice cream, soft drinks, and sweets, Telling him that she thinks that stall sells sweets. He would nod in response as he assumed they both had walked up to the stall. Due to being two feet in height, Aki clearly couldn't see of the stall without some sort of assistance, so instead he would look around, seeing a nearby small ladder, most likely for helping to clear anything off of the top of the stall. Walking over to this, he would drag the object over to where he and Kiyomi would be when they order, where he would use it to climb up so he can actually see. "I'd like some water." He'd simply say to the vendor, waiting for Kiyomi to order as well.

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As Aki had given his answer Kiyomi had taken note of the frustration in his high pitched voice. His whiskers coming forward ever so slightly and the twitch of the tip of his tail. She found it amusing, the idea of a cat spy, not that it was ineffectual, just… amusing. What she found even more amusing now was that the tiny kitten spy was slowly dragging a step ladder across the ground to order ice cream. She could have assisted him, probably should have. Instead she would merely stand and watch incredulously as Aki efficiently went about his business. As though dragging ladders was something he did every day. As soon as Aki ascended the steps Kiyomi noticed the wash cloth the cat had tied about his waist in place of clothing and a frown would crease her normally placid face. This simply would not do, it was one thing for him to look like a cat, it was another entirely for him to walk around in a wash cloth. It was embarrassing, for him. He should be wearing… what do spies wear?... she supposed that probably they wore brightly coloured dresses to fit in at the Daimyo’s court. The thought would cause her to giggle aloud, her hand reaching out to tickle Aki behind his right ear. He was possibly the most adorable person she had ever met. Cat… person? She would move his head slightly to look at the tiny cat Aki’s face, she giggled as she manipulated him like a child would, giddy with the euphoria of releasing her Pain. Her forefinger on her right hand would gently trace along the crescent moon shaped scar around Aki’s left eye. She enjoyed touching the cat, he was soft and pleasant, there was something she about him though that she ought to remember. As the sweet merchant brought Aki the water Kiyomi felt the world around her slow down. As though all that existed was the tiny cat beneath her hand and the glass of water marching towards them both, summoned by the drum beat of the blood pounding in her ears.


Kiyomi looked up from her work. She was kneeling down in the dirt outside of her Master Naota’s home weeding the flower gardens. She rather hated this kind of work, which she suspected is why he made her do it. The sun was hot and her clothing was itchy against her skin. She was grateful that today he had foregone the metal bonds, it would have been unbearable, it was doubtful that it was done for her benefit however. Likely it was a ploy to help her relax so he could torture her in some new and interesting manner. She paused a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow and cursed softly in annoyance as the leather cuff scratched across her forehead. A soft crunch of a foot pressing on the rocks behind her was the only warning she had before the the blinding pain of a barbed whip was sent from her right shoulder blade to her left hip down the length of her back. She managed to gasp out the words “Naoto-tono…thank you”, before crumpling to the ground, her tunic torn open and the flesh with it.

She both hated and loved him in the span of that moment. The pain was overwhelming, the blue haze of it filling her vision, part of her wanted to lash out and break every bone in his smug face. The other piece enjoying the sensation of the waves of pain as they washed away the tiredness from her bones, the heat from her brow and the hate from her soul. As she lay writhing happily on the ground she heard from above her the silken voice of her tormentor. “Is that better my love? It had been too long since you had been damaged, and we both know how dangerous that can be. I don’t want another incident, I could not bear the thought of anything bad happening to you.” His eyebrows turned down slightly on the outer edges, his lips pursing just slightly as he knelt at her side in a perfectly rehearsed display of concern.

Kiyomi felt something soft and pleasant pressed into her hand and looked down to see a small grey kitten. It mewled at her pitifully and scratched its way towards her warm breath along her outstretched arm. She looked up at her Master with ambivalence, what fresh hell is this? She thought through a pain and hope filled haze. “It’s yours. Name it. Love it. Do not disappoint me.”

….Kiyomi stared at Tomodachi, her still quite small, slightly less grey kitten. He had to be joking. She looked back up at Naota, his eyes were deadly serious, his face calm and still, and in his hand was that god forsaken cane. She hated that thing. “Kiyomi, my love, I do not have long. We have many things to attend to this evening. Please dispose of the creature and let us be on our way.” She looked back into the kittens blue eyes, so full of life and trust, looked at the cane resting easily in Naota’s hand and looked at the water of the pond. She let herself kneel by the shore and lower her only friend into the water, let her hand hold her trusted pet there. Let her eyes watch the light dim in Tomodachi’s spirit. Let her mind lock away her rage.


Kiyomi would snarl and grab at the glass of water, knocking it away heedless of whether it broke or not. “Don’t you put water near Tomodachi!” she would cry in a somewhat childish voice. And just as quickly she would recall that this was not in fact her Tomodachi, but Aki, the cat spy and with relief she would reach down and pick him up cradling him in her arms. “Oh Aki! I thought something awful was going to happen to you! I was so worried! I don’t want anyone to hurt you ever, I would never let him hurt you. Let us get some sweets and go eat them away from the water.” And she would toss a couple coins on the counter, still holding on to the tiny cat, nuzzling him with her face as she spoke to the shop merchant. “A bag of candies please, I don’t care what. But no more water, no water for cats, not ever.”

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Aki would hear the acquaintance of his giggle out loud for some sort of reason, almost as if she had seen something funny. Was she thinking about a joke? Was it the washcloth? He tilted his head to the side, wondering what she had found so funny. As he did, though, a rand would reach towards him, scratching it, manipulating his head about, almost as if her mentality was switched out with that of a small child's. This made him confused, as literally just a few moments ago she spoke with a sense of formality found in generally mature adults, and almost like a light switch she's now acting like a giant little girl.

He nearly slapped her hand away when her forefinger gently traced his scar, causing it to tingle, and for he himself to see his home once more, with the appearance of a claw reaching out and striking him, leaving that gash behind. He would blink quickly, the mental image dissipating, returning to reality as the merchant brought a glass of water. Aki would take the water, choosing to ignore Kiyomi's touching for now as he would begin to drink out of it, the cool liquid moving down his throat. He didn't mind water in small amounts, especially to drink, it's just when it's in larger amounts, the amounts which could wet his entire body, is when he begins to have a problem with water.

To his surprise, however, Kiyomi would suddenly snarl out of nowhere while Aki was drinking, grabbing the glass and knocking it away, leaving the glass shards upon the ground between the two with Aki himself being knocked back, causing him to stumble for a few moments before catching his balance, wondering what the fuck just happened. He would hear her cry out in an almost childish voice to not put water near Tomodachi, leaving the Ninneko all the more confused. He wondered what the heck just happened, and right when he was about to pretty much say "the fuck is wrong with you?", he recalled how he had a similar event happen when he remembered Itsuki during their fight with the two other Genin, a clear indication that she had an episode just now, like how he had before.

Aki would be further taken off guard by the fact that the female would have reached down, picking him up and cradling him in her arms, exclaiming how she thought something awful was going to happen, and that she was so worried. She didn't want anyone to hurt him ever, and that she would never let "him", whoever he is, hurt him. With the suggestion that they should get some sweets and eat them away from the water, the female would toss a couple of coins on the counter while she forcibly nuzzled the Ninneko, telling the merchant that she wants a bag of candy, the contents she doesn't care what, but for there to be no more water, and no more water for cats, especially. "Can you let me down, Kiyomi. I'm getting uncomfortable." He would say, pretty much allowing this to be a subtle warning of sorts, where if she refused, he could easily bolt out of here as well. While he appreciates her help, he doesn't like getting randomly picked up like this, especially by a human.

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Kiyomi was taken aback by Aki’s protestations. She had been enjoying cuddling the tiny cat, and assumed that such a soft furry creature would enjoy the same. And for a moment she would stand there looking at him with a confused look on her face, still holding him, unsure what to do with this new piece information that was so incongruent with her current understanding of the world. She stared into his blood red eyes, at the warning that lay there, and then would carefully place him down on the ground at her feet.

“I meant no offence Friend Aki…” her voice would return to her usual smooth cadence, “I apologize for causing you discomfort, please believe me when I tell you that were it my intention it would not have been ambiguous.” She would stare directly into his eyes as she made her thinly veiled threat. While she did not see any merit in torturing animals, she did not appreciate being challenged by them either. When she was certain her point was made she would allow a sincere smile to return to her lips, pursing them, and then raising her right hand to them blowing a kiss to the tiny cat at her feet. “You are well met Friend Aki. I will take my leave of you, we will likely cross paths again. I wonder how much I will have grown in that time?” She would curtsy gracefully, her right hand extended to him as before. And as she rose to go she would lean forward to gently place a whisper of kiss upon Aki’s cheek before breathing the words, “Seek me out if you wish more freedom than you have.” Rising easily from her low position she would turn and walk towards the closest tavern, she was in need of a strong drink. She was not normally a drinker, but times likes these even her blood and pain rituals did little to ease the Pain. She stared down at the six perfectly spaced scars on the insides of her arms as she walked away. There had been too many memories and sake was just the thing to dull them for a time…

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{Exit Thread}

Stat Training - SPD E-0 > D-1 1075 words + 25 ryo
STR E-0 > D-1 1075 words + 25 ryo
END E-2 > D-1 850 words + 25 ryo
PER D-1 > D-2 400 words + 50 ryo
REA D-1 > D-2 400 words + 50 ryo

Ninjutsu D-Rank 1500 words

2 words left over