It certainly was quiet out there. All there was to hear in the wilderness was the sounds of the animals, and the other creatures that lurked around. Well, not just the sounds of the wild creatures crawling all around the forested area, but the sound of their breathing. It was not until she felt a pair of eyes looking deep into her soul when Teru locked eyes with the masked shinobi. She had always been able to see Burittsu’s face without any trouble. But, this time, he was donning an Anbu mask that hid any trace of the flesh behind it. Her eyes narrowed a little as she studied the man. She wondered why he had to hide his identity to one of his comrades. It confused her. Or, to put it in a much better way, it baffled her.
They had spent a lot of time together, and that time was much appreciated. There was never a dull moment in her life while she stayed at the manor, and it was because of this man who quietly sat to the side of her. He was there as a great friend who was also packed with much wisdom. It did her good to learn from him, but she felt that she had not yet learned enough. And then, there were those times when she had the chance to see just how well Burittsu performed as a ninja. The first time was when they were both assigned as a pair to handle the smugglers that often imported illegal goods. To this day, she was still scoffing about how he had used her as a decoy to undermine their movements. Her role as an unconscious hostage was done well, but she believed that he had the right to be in the spotlight. Taking on the persona of one of their scouts… it was a marvelous performance that Teru would still be taking notes on.
Then, there was the second mission where they were assigned as a pair. Weeks had passed since that time, but she still remembered it well. They had gone under the sea to a site where treasures were retrieved. It was hard to believe that a monster was down there, but she had nothing to worry about. That was because Burittsu was there with her, in another part of the site, of course. But, regardless of where exactly he was, he was there and protected her from harm. He hugged her after it was all over. Still, she was surprised that he would throw himself at her even though they barely knew one another. Perhaps that was the time their bond as friends truly bloomed. The care that he showed for her was deep as if he was her older brother. It certainly rivaled the friendship that siblings had with each other. The relationship was admirable, she thought…
But then, after one of their conversations prior to this meeting, Teru began to question Burittsu. Not up front with him. She merely had her inquiries locked inside her mind, and she was waiting for the right time to bring them up. He had discussed with her about his upcoming motives. This had taken place back at the manor where they could speak in privacy. They retained their friendship then and shared with one another thoughts of advice.
Taken out of her thoughts, Teru heard the familiar sound of the mouth opening to either speak or sigh. She was expecting to hear a full explanation from Burittsu regarding their meeting. But, it was not going to be like the usual. The moment the first word escaped his mouth, Teru’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Don’t be nervous, Teru,” was what he said to start with. It was supposed to be in his voice, she believed. Yet, there she was, looking at him straight in the face; his mask being what she was looking at. This person sounded nothing like the Burittsu she knew. Rather, the voice sounded too much like her herself. The tone of it was exactly like hers in every possible way. Furrowing her brows, Teru’s gaze turned into a cautious glare. “...and, please wait. Someone else is on their way, then the business shall start and the information will be given. You see, you know my plan to change the world. This is my attempt to recruit someone else who might want to see the world changed for the better. You still have much to learn under Lord Sero, so I won’t stop your training. You understand, don’t you?”
He told her to not be nervous, but this manner of speaking made her all the more suspicious of him. Why was he able to speak using her voice? She wondered. He was right about one thing. She did have knowledge of his plans, for he had spoken to her once before when they were at the manor of their mentor. “To recruit someone who wants to see change in the world,” she wanted to scoff at this statement now. Maybe it was because of the way in which he said it. At least he had respect for what she was needing to do- her training and such. Teru sighed and shifted her gaze to the moon. She was well aware of what he had in mind, but there was no stopping him. It was clear to her that this was firmly planted in his mind. He was going to leave the village and risk his life for his cause. Well, she had not the power to stop him in his tracks. It would surely require her to use force since her voice had no power over him.
Closing her eyes for a moment, Teru exhaled a breath that settled down most of her nerves. She needed to change the subject. This was beginning to get under her skin, and she would rather it did not do so. “Who is this ‘someone else’?” Teru asked Burittsu, turning back to him with a serious expression plastered on her face. However, it would not be him who would answer this questions of hers. Footsteps from behind, she heard. Her eyes were removed from Burittsu and peered over to the individual who was approaching them. From where she was sitting, it was rather hard to tell exactly who it was, but then she heard his voice.
To think that Burittsu would call him to the temple ruins, too. Teru did not need to see his face to know who it was. His voice was all the proof she needed to identify. “Burittsu? I must admit I was surprised to get your note. Judging by how little you spoke to me I wasn't sure you even knew my name.” It was none other than Nayoko, the Chuunin from Konohagakure that she was so lucky to have met the other day. He was also questioning Burittsu about why he was called upon during the late hour. But, it seemed that he was not able to notice that it was her who was also there. It must have been the darkness. The moon was indeed at a point that made the shadows obscure her form. A temporary setback for him, but she would make herself known so that he did not feel so confused, if he was.
"Nayoko," Teru spoke his name, surprised to find out that it was he who was the other person. She recalled showing him around the village the other day. To think that he was already familiar with Burittsu. It was a shock, almost. Teru looked back at Burittsu, who finally removed the mask hiding his face. She was not very comfortable having the Konoha ninja there, too. What business did he have with this developing plot? Ah, but then it occurred to her. He must have been involved in much more than she could have ever expected. She hoped that it was not something to do harm to the relationship between their villages. Well, they were both there now, so it was time to hear this icy shinobi out. "Alright, Burittsu. What do you have to say?"
No time was wasted in this discussion of theirs. Teru, feeling somewhat aggravated, sat in silence as Burittsu spoke again. She hoped it would be in his own voice, this time. “Now, since you both are here. Nayoko from the Leaf, listen well. Teru is already caught up to the plan of me leaving this village and going out to set the world straight. It’s like a field trip you would take when you went to the academy. This my field trip. The conditions of this village itself is cold, due to the fact I grew up here." Teru raised an eyebrow, curious as to why he would begin with this sort of talk. Without any complaint, Teru listened in as he spoke of how he lost a friend of his, possibly a close friend, and about how he was left by his own teacher. It must have been terrifying, she thought. And being beaten down by an enemy... Very unfortunate. Listening on to the rest of his talk, Teru could not help but feel defeated.
The kunoichi weaved her fingers together and thought about all that he said. This was his ultimate motive that was unbreakable. She had no idea how to feel about it, but she did respect that this was the way he was choosing to go. The fact that he told her that there was still a place for her by his side on this big journey told her that their bond as friends still stood strong. Respectable. Prevent him from moving on with this goal, or kill him somewhere along the way. Teru preferred to avoid the chances of having to kill him. She would kill a person any day, but not one of her good friends. If Sero, or even another highly recognized figure in Kirigakure sent her after him, then she would do her best to simply apprehend him. No death involved.
With a sigh, Teru shook her head and clenched her teeth. She did not like how this was becoming. It reminded her of the time she was forcefully assigned onto a team. Those two were comrades, she thought. One of them became something close to a best friend, while the other was no more than an acquaintance, really. Still, both were teammates that Teru trusted. Through those trials under Sero, they worked together to try and survive. She bonded with one of them, the Hoshigaki. It was supposed to be an official team that she could work with, but no. The both of them departed, breaking off the team and going their own ways. Teru narrowed her eyes. They were burning, but she fought back the urge to cry out loud. She would not cry in front of these two who she saw as respectable ninja. Even if it was happening again, she would try not to let her emotions get the best of her. All in spite of another trusted comrade left her behind to pursue other goals.
Teru swallowed a lump in her throat and fought the shakiness in her voice to sound more clear. "I don't doubt that this will really test you," she began. "I also don't doubt that we will become enemies sometime down the road. But, I won't hunt you down and claim your head. If I ever see you again, maybe we'll become comrades once more. There's no telling what Sero will do, though, so you better watch your back out there. Okay?" And then her attention turned to Nayoko. She was not yet sure of what he was going to do. If he was going to go along with the Yuki or not, she had no clue. "And, what of you, Nayoko? What are you going to do?" In all honesty, she was a bit divided. She hoped that the Konoha ninja would return to his village and not go on the same route as Burittsu on one side. But, on the other, she wished that someone would go as a companion who would not let any harm befall him. It was tearing her apart... Still, she waited to hear more from the both of them.
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