Standing at a mere 4'9", Misao had always been the runt of the litter. In more ways than one, she was unlike the rest of her siblings. Her older sisters - Reiko and Chie - had flowing silver hair and clear-colored eyes, wild features and strong builds. Her twin brother was more similar to them than he was to her. All three were gifted fighters and seemed to thirst for the thrill of battle. They were rambunctious and fearless. Her, on the other hand? She had dedicated her life more to the arts than to training. She tended to a shrine in her spare time and was noticeably meek. Her hair was a dark shade of brown that matched her eyes. No one ever said so out loud, but she was the metaphorical black sheep of the family. Her grandmother liked to encourage that softer side of her. She said that the family had enough fighters as it stood.

Still, it bothered the young priestess. She wished that she were stronger, that she could stand beside them as equals. Part of her felt like she was letting her mother down. She was known throughout the world for her strength and sense of adventure - the same that the rest of her family shared.

Those were the thoughts going through her head as she sat on a bar stool, staring at a cup of water. Her brother sat next to her, chugging what must have been his fifth beer of the afternoon. Shinji had dragged her along one of his drinking sprees, to one of the few bars in town that cared very little about the age of its patrons. The young girl had never drank in her life. She had seen what alcohol did to her sisters and brother. A shudder ran through her at the thought of acting the same while inebriated. No, she would stick with water for now. And probably for the rest of her life.

"You know, when you act all depressed like that, people never approach us," Shinji pointed out.

Misao shrugged. "You knew I was in a bad mood and decided to bring me along anyways," she mumbled.

"Sorry I thought you could go out and have a good time for once," he rolled his eyes. "Is this still about training this afternoon?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered, her forehead hitting the bar top as her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

Before her brother could comment any further,
Shinji let out an impressed whistle. Someone had obviously caught his eye. Misao looked up to see who it was, exactly. He ogling a dark haired woman with about as much discretion as a neon sign. The young priestess rolled her eyes. She gave him about ten minutes before he made a fool of himself. This was how things usually went during these little outings. The boy would spot someone, try to flirt and either leave with two to three people hanging off each arm or he would make a complete fool of himself. There was no in between. Misao had to admit, it was entertaining. And the woman was quite good looking, in a dark and intimidating way.

Wandering around Suna was probably the most grueling thing Kiyomi had ever had to do. And that was saying quite a lot considering her life thus far. The heat was oppressive, the sun was always at the perfect angle to be directly in her eyes, it was enough to drive someone insane. She had gathered some food and more alcohol, it had been too long since her last ritual and already she could feel the insistence of her scars calling to her. She paused a moment outside a building and leaned gingerly against it, trying to calm her beating heart. The blue haze of Pain was calling to her, whispering in the back of her mind trying to veer her from her current path. Love? Don’t you miss me? Don’t you need me? Kiyomi let out a small growl as her left hand went down to her right arm, idly caressing the six perfectly spaced, one inch long scars on the inside of her forearm. Soon my love, soon.

She glanced around at the faces passing by, marking them by their intentions. She saw those who were oblivious, walking about as though they had nothing to fear from the world, she grinned at them. Kiyomi also took note of those whose eyes shifted a bit too readily, that clearly had malintent, she grinned at them as well. She hated the sand and the heat. . . but the people? These she could work with, they were almost begging aloud to be rescued by her. Coddled and molded to fit a new world filled with humans that were more than the sad pathetic existence that lay before her now. She looked up at the buildings around her, skeletal metaphors of human pride, and laughed aloud. Such small ambitions these people have, she thought while tracing a finger down a sand brick lovingly, They will learn, soon enough.

Kiyomi swiped a hand across her brow in annoyance as yet another bead of sweat rolled down from beneath her black hair. She looked around and noticed that she was not too far from the inn where she and Hirohiko were staying, and so gathered her new purchases and walked out into the hot sun once more.

Pushing the door open she allowed the darkness of the indoors to gently tease her eyesight, enjoying the sudden pain that accompanied her sun blindness, the only thing that was pleasurable about Suna so far in her opinion. Taking her small leather pack in hand she moved smoothly towards the bar proper, it was early in the day for sake but it was not too early for a light meal.

She heard a low whistle as she made her way to a bar stool, and turned her head slowly towards the offending sound, a seductive smile automatically placed on her lips. She was pleasantly surprised that her eyes were not as easily offended as her ears had been. Before her were an odd pair, a delightfully well crafted male, who she could only assume had been the whistler. And a young looking girl, far too young to be sitting in here, a delicate flower amongst a bed of sandy thorns. She looked. . . sad though, and it intrigued Kiyomi. Why are you sad tiny flower? She would cock her head to the side slightly, a flirtatious smile still on her face and moved with intent, muscles tensed, like a cat stalking a new kill. In truth she could not have cared less about the man standing in front of her. However she was looking for a diversion the brutish looking man seemed to be looking for trouble. So who was she to deny his request?

She would hold out her hand gracefully, palm down, and speak in a low voice filled with honey and promise.

“Well hello lovely. Pleasure to meet you, I’m Kiyomi. How wonderful that I happened to notice two lovely people sitting here with no one to speak to.”

She would step close to the white haired man, much closer than she needed to before continuing. “I expect that I am welcome. Please do tell. What brings you here today tiny flower?”

Her last words were spoken to the young girl, but she didn’t remove her golden eyes from the gaze of the man who she was now close enough share body heat with.

731

Misao took a sip of her cup of water. She felt like a child, sitting at the bar and drinking something non-alcoholic. She might as well have been drinking it out of a sippy cup. The young girl frowned as she stared at the glass she cradled in between her hands. She momentarily ignored the idiot that she called her brother. She knew she couldn't do so for long. Experience told her that he was bound to get himself into trouble if she did. She didn't mean to insult him or think badly of him, but she had to be realistic. The boy was an exceptional fighter with a gift for reading people and devising strategies while in battle. Outside of it, however? Shinji was an idiot, plain and simple. In situations like this, he let his dick do most of the thinking. It was a crude way of putting it, but it was the best Misao could think of.

Next to her, the silver haired boy had chugged all of his drink in an effort to look "cool" for the young woman who had decided to sit next to them. Misao failed to notice her presence until she addressed her directly. "Tiny... flower?" She repeated inside her mind. She looked down at what she was wearing. Nothing she had on was particularly colorful or flowery - no patterns, or anything like that. She wore her simple priestess robes - a flowing red skirt and matching shirt, accented by subtle white. Maybe it was the large bow on her head or the slight midriff that made her look young and feminine. Maybe it was time she wore something a little more traditional. Still, this was what she always wore, even when she went out and didn't have any plans to visit the shrine. Rarely did she wear anything else.

Then again, the older woman was probably referring to her height. There was little she could do about that.

"Give me a bottle of your finest sake!" Shinji said to the bartender, before Misao could answer the question.

"I'm here babysitting my stupid brother," is probably what she would have said if she hadn't been caught so off guard by the aforementioned boy's request for expensive booze. Her jaw almost dropped. "Shinji!" She cried in outrage. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and smiled widely.

"Don't mind her, she doesn't know how to have fun," he said offhandedly. "I'm sure you do, though," he winked, his smile charming as ever.
Misao struggled to break free of her brother's grip. After a bit of flailing, she managed to regain her composure. "My name is Kuroka Shinji, by the way," he said, extending one hand towards her while he used the other to pour her a glass of the sake the bartender had brought. "And this is my twin sister, Misao. She likes to think she's above all this," he said, motioning to the somewhat dingy bar.

"I'm sorry for having standards," she muttered under her breath.

Kiyomi had a moment as she watched the young man slam back his drink where a dark cloud of memory crossed over her face. The last time she had seen someone drink that heavily it had ended in their death. It had been a sad moment, and not one she was looking to watch repeated. Losing someone in such a mundane way was. . . inconvenient. She would reach over and take the glass from the white haired shinobi and move it away, sighing lightly as he yelled to the bar keep for yet more alcohol. This would be difficult, Worth the trouble love? You’ve played with more for less. Keeping the young man alive that was, and really there was only one way to accomplish that as far as she could tell. Yes, it was quite early in the day to be drinking heavily, but she was not one known for turning down discomfort. And so with a demure smile to the brash warrior she accepted the drink, and laid out the rules for her game.

“I do quite. Know how to have fun. Though probably more fun than you are used to lovely. Shinji? Lovely name. And Misao, Tiny Flower, you do not imbibe I see. That is probably for the better my lovely. As I would like to propose a game for your charming brother here. You may only drink after revealing something about yourself.”

She downed her sake as she spoke to the two lovely creatures in front of her, reveling in the delightful liquid burn of the sweet drink. They did not look like twins by any means, the Tiny Flower was so small, with dark hair and eyes and a delicate smile, where her brother was large, pale hair and eyes. This would be an interesting conundrum to puzzle out. “I would like you to play as well Tiny Flower. Water is a most acceptable substitute if you wish. I would not dream of forcing you to do something you did not wish to. And water is more important than most realize.”

Kiyomi stepped between the brother and sister, claiming the worn wooden barstool that would now separate them, and lowered herself elegantly onto it. She would turn her back to the bar, leaning against it and enjoying the feeling of her cooling skin underneath her black leather and lace clothing, absently toying with the raven feathered mantle about her neck. The young man was a diversion to be certain, and there was no denying that he was beautiful and charming, but he seemed ordinary. Kiyomi had seen many like him before and would see many more again before her life had run it tumultuous course she was sure. Her true intrigue came from the captivating creature to her left, a look of melancholic annoyance haunting her otherwise sweet features.

She would refill her sake glass again as she addressed Misao, “You have not yet answered my question Tiny Flower. What brings you here today? I have not seen one such as you in this place yet. I am intrigued by your presence. It is not without some amount of irony that you should be here.” Kiyomi would pause to gesture at the room with her cup filled hand. “I enjoy solving human puzzles. And you, my lovely. Are one.” With her last sentence she grinned at the both of them in turn, flashing her teeth and then quickly downed her second glass of sake.

580/1311

There was an odd feeling that Misao couldn't shake. Something - a chill up her spine, a feeling in the pit of her stomach - told her that this woman was more than what she seemed. Her charm and politeness seemed... forced, practiced. Maybe it was just her being suspicious. That was definitely a possibility. Then again, Misao had always been attuned to her surroundings, specifically the energy that radiated from a person or a place. She liked to think that she could sense people's intentions, as far-fetched as that seemed for someone of her level. In any case, she wouldn't let her guard down, especially for Shinji's sake. Her twin definitely wanted to believe that the older woman was interested in him. It was quite like him to believe whatever fit with his world view. He was confident like that. Detrimental as it sometimes was, it had its charm, though. There was a sort of cunning underneath this attitude, however. He always knew more than he let others perceive. He could be clever if he wanted to. The issue was that he often didn't. In her experience, Shinji liked playing the fool and played the role quite well.

Misao turned her attention back to the woman as she spoke, curious as to why she was paying the two teenagers any attention at all.

A... drinking game? Misao didn't have to look at Shinji to know that he was pleased and excited. This was right up his alley. She shifted uncomfortably, however. Did this woman - Kiyomi - expect her to drink as well. The thought made her uncomfortable. She would have rejected the offer, of course, but it would've been awkward. Much to her relief, the dark haired woman said it was fine if she wanted to keep drinking water. The young priestess nodded. "I'll stick to water, then," she said with a meek smile.

"It's ok, I'll drink for her," Shinji offered, winking. "You'd be surprised as to how well I can hold my liquor."

Kiyomi sat in between them, on the empty stool. She faced away from the bar so that she could divide her attention between both siblings equally. She repeated her initial question to Misao. It was a simple question, one that most patrons at the dingy bar probably asked themselves if they caught the eye of the small girl. But her? A puzzle? Misao had always thought she was easy to read. There wasn't much to her. She was young and inexperienced - a girl of only 15, a mere genin. She tilted her head to the side, slightly confused by the comment.

"Well, I'm only here for Shinji. He doesn't like drinking alone. I guess most people don't. I come along to keep him company and then we both usually go back home. Well, sometimes Shinji doesn't, but I don't mind walking back alone," Misao shrugged. Their house was a ways away, in the outskirts of the city. However, Misao enjoyed the cool temperatures of the desert at night. The walk was almost always soothing. "Honestly, I'm not that interesting. I'm not quite sure why you would say that," she added, saying what came to mind as she usually did.

"A boring way to start, sis. I'm sure you could add something more interesting to kick off the game," Shinji mused out loud. Misao was almost relieved that he was shifting the attention back to himself. Knowing him, he was doing it on purpose to give her some reprieve. It was only a matter of seconds before she started rambling and accidentally said something insulting. "How's this for a start? Our mother is Kuroka, Gin - former Kazekage and currently at the top of Sunagakure's bingo book," he said. There was an unmistakable hint of pride in his words.

Kiyomi listened politely as the young girl finally answered her question. Her bluntness was somewhat refreshing, the Tiny Flower had not a thing in the world that she was trying to prove. Her brother on the other hand had a good deal that he was trying to prove. She was doing her best to not laugh, he hadn’t yet learned that putting someone else down was not a way to make yourself look better. He would eventually, if he lived long enough to learn that lesson. She thought back to the countless braggarts she had seen before this one, and the light she had personally seen fade from their eyes. Perhaps he’ll live long enough, love. But even if he does not, there will come another to fill his place. His next words sent a chill through her, nearly stealing the well practiced charming smile from her face. Top of Sunagakure’s Bingo Book. She repeated the words over again in her mind, just to be sure that she had heard them correctly. This was a turn of events she had not anticipated, and was not particularly enthused about. She was not exactly in the know about who was in anyone’s Bingo Book. But what she did know is that you didn’t get yourself placed there by being a petty criminal. And certainly not at the ‘top’ of it, whatever that might mean. These were not young people she should mess with, not today anyway. But we’re still waiting aren’t we love? And if not these young things then who? The blue haze of insistent Pain tugged at her mind and itched at the skin along her inner arms.

She would look around the dimly lit room, searching for a new target for her ire, one that hopefully wouldn’t come swearing some sort of blood vendetta for seriously maiming their children. As her eyes swept the room she noticed two men sitting at a table nearby who were looking askance at the three of them. They were being rather loud, or at least Shinji was being loud enough for the lot of them. Kiyomi would narrow her eyes slightly as she looked at the two larger men, they looked strong and probably well trained, unfortunately that was not something she had an eye for just yet. She did not notice any weapons, but that was not unexpected as here in Suna she hadn’t noticed many, and it seemed unlikely to her that most people walked around unarmed. So she made the assumption that most people were carrying weapons in some concealed manner. Both men were dressed in loose fitting beige clothing, which was probably a good idea considering the hot climate.

Kiyomi stared at the larger of the two men until he turned to meet her gaze, all the while carrying on a conversation with her current companions. “That is quite the accomplishment lovely. I should like to meet such an exciting woman someday. Based on how you speak. It sounds as though you have such lofty goals yourself. Tell me, have either of you been in a bar fight before? Because I don’t mean to alarm you, however those two men have most certainly been eyeing up your sister since you arrived.” She would take another drink of sake and wait for their reply before continuing with her ploy of inciting a violent encounter. It was not entirely a lie, the Tiny Flower was beautiful and had drawn a few sidelong glances from many of the patrons throughout the bar, but none that would warrant any sort of violent action. It hardly mattered though, one way or another she had to answer Pain’s call, and she could feel she didn’t have long.

634/1945

{Exit Thread}

**OOC Exiting due to inactivity

Stat Training:

STR: D-2 > D-3 - 450wc + 75 ryo
SPD: D-2 > D-3 - 450wc + 75 ryo
END: D-2 > D-3 - 450wc + 75 ryo
PER: D-2 > D-3 - 450wc + 75 ryo

Total: 1800wc + 300 ryo

145wc discarded