Karumo watched her shift her rook up into place behind her queen, bringing another special piece into play and one of the more dangerous ones in Karumo's eyes, a piece so easily capable of maneuvering the board and giving the potential for his king to be subject to many many problems. Taeru continued on and made not that she made no mistakes about herself, pride in her eyes, even though she would have been so young. Maybe that's why she was a little better adjusted, and maybe that head strong nature was why she excelled in the academy? Still, Karumo couldn't help but smirk at the sentiment, glancing towards her mis-colored eyes, the recalling of her brother and such, it was a nice sentiment to say the least.

Karumo himself didn't hardly hold any real memories of his family, he was young and time was cruel over the years, he remembered them of course. Small things, but nothing that offered a great deal of sentiment, not outright of course. His melancholy shifted to a soft happiness at the retelling of her story, as her own demeanor shifted and she remarked that she was no longer bound. After a short pause, Karumo nodded and returned his attention towards the board, letting the quiet of background noise fill the air as he reached out to the board to make his next move as she began to speak once again. Karumo's eyes flickered up as he stayed extended out, listening as she again wondered about his eyes and their power.

He chuckled a bit, the irony of someone who was so curious about his eyes but was refusing to make eye contact at any point of their conversation or game. Glancing back down to the board, he would resume his movement and begin to make his move as he began to comment, "You know, I wouldn't use my eyes against you... if it's fear of them, you don't have to worry about it here." his demeanor faded to a smirk, his eyes rolling around the board as he took his bishop at F1 and slid it across to C4 before removing his hand and leaning back again.

Once he was fallen back, he would continue his comment, "Truth be told, I don't know if it has any sensation..." he would pause for a second and let his own cryptic nature set in for a brief moment, letting her react initially if she would, "Honestly, I don't feel anything at all. Anywhere, in any capacity. I haven't since I was a very young kid." his words trailed, he felt like that was perhaps adding a bit too much detail, perhaps the remark would end up with more questions from himself but he cut himself off and let that be as it was. "I have seen those it's been applied to make weird faces and make some unique reactions to it, but it's not of pain or disorientation, just... a weird awareness and understanding after the fact, when they realize the new limiter or boost to their abilities..." he continued on with a neutral expression, leaving the floor open to her for response afterwards.


[543 words]

With the Tsuchikages statement Taeru's miss matched hues would drop slightly before flickering off to one side. Fear is rational is it not? Even fear of one's leader is rational... isn't it? The soft pale pink fleshof her bottom lip would again be taken between her teeth this time for them to apply the right amount of pressure to turn the edges of her lips of off purple colour that lingered even when the bite and flesh were relieved. Catching just the last half of the Tsuchikage's move her orbs would follow his bishop along the board, not minding so much that she hadn't watched the first part specifically, she did after all remember the previous positions of all of the pieces remaining.

Her gaze would flicker up returning to the Tsuchikages as he began to speak again, quite thankful that she hadn't yet spoke up or acted upon his little statement. As he spoke of not knowing if there were a sensation her brow would crease slightly her gaze locking back to the lower features of his face before quickly attempting to smooth her brow off 'How can he not …' Her small thought trail would be cut off almost immidiatly as he continued to speak. This next bit of information however were far from what she expected like many things the Tsuchikage had been so open about, yet something about this information seemed far more dangerous than most if not all things she had gleaned from their encounter. 'He can not feel... at all?' Her lips would drop slowly to form a small 'o' shape as his word sunk in a little slower in comparison to the information she had been storing away.  An array of questions flooded into the gillfumury that had become of her mind, snapping back as the Tsuchikage continued to speak. Taking her a short moment as her hues returned to the board. Her right hand would shift out to the board to take up her king although her features easily pointed to a more absentminded state as she thought through his information allowing her body to seem to work on auto pilot simply grazing her king from its position at B7 to C7, ending her turn rather quickly. Her hand would shift yet not quite make it back to her lap as her fingertips rested at the edge of the small tablet the board sat upon, drawing her gaze back up speaking as she did so, "ouh... I see." Unsure of where and how to start with the questions that tried to fight their way to the surface of her mind her brow would again crease "Do you remember what it's like to feel?" Not quite the most important question she could have asked but one of many questions that would plague her mind if she didn't ask non the less. The questions about his and his clans eyes dropping back from the lime light of her thought's now more simply focused on the Tsuchikage himself once again.


(Word count:505.)

Karumo finished his piece and watched the expression float around Taeru's person, it felt obvious that she might have more questions to follow it up on. If Karumo where in her position, he'd no doubt have a whole series of thoughts and questions about it all. Her hand reached out and shifted her king away another space towards the center of the board, it left Karumo an interesting decision, where to strike next and yet how to keep her out of position of striking again.

Her response to his words was less than what he'd expected, a simple 'oh' as she seemed to muse a little on the subject. She returned to the position she'd spent so much time in and continued on to ask about his memory of it, Karumo twisted his mouth and thought back, digging into the deep recess of his own memory. Truth be told there were memories of it, faint and phantom feelings at random times that never amounted to much. His other senses enhanced slightly, his scent became a little stronger, hearing was focused and all else.

His hand reached out and lingered to the board, his eyes still running over everything as he hummed a bit, making a visual show of his own thinking. "Well..." he said while reaching out and grabbing hold of his bishop at C4 and turning his eye to the right as his hand moved along with it, taking her pawn at F7 before he withdrew back. "I vaguely do, but not well enough to describe anything in specific, and there aren't any real memories of it. As ironic as it sounds, I have a feeling about how it feels to feel..." he smirked a bit and leaned back again. "But really, it's been too long since then, I was hardly a child when I lost that ability myself..." his demeanor grew a little more sullen as he remembered back into his own history, losing his family and himself all in one event. His gaze fell towards Taeru, but really, it was more empty than anything else, he was more thinking to himself than he was focused on her or the game.


[369 words, 912 words]

Her gaze would stream along his arm shifting from his face to his hand as he grasped for his bishop, seeming to feel the need to take pieces without a plan that she could out right see, keeping her lingering gaze on his hand as he removed the pawn. Her gaze would however flicker back up to his lips as he spoke with the intention to take in not just his words but his expression and his reaction.  She would nod as she listened allowing her mind to soak in the information he gave leaving her to wonder a great many more things both on the subject of being able to feel such as could he actually tell the difference in temperature or how it affected his other senses? To things along the lines of how old he actually were and how old he were when the sensation first failed him. Her latter questions didn’t at all seem appropriate to dig into and outright ask at their first one to one meeting like this.  

His expression however did leave a slight confusion in her mind allowing said confusion to infect the thoughts forcing them away enough for a single question to linger though this she would not ask aloud. 'Does he believe not having the sensation as an advantage?'  Her right hand would reach out to angel her hand over her rook positioned at G6 before grasping it in a hook like fashion; curling her fingertips upwards to face her palm, trapping the rook between them as she lifted it from the board only to move it into the space beside of it, removing it from the danger that had come. Her fingers would uncurl as she spoke, leaving the room to take up the position at F6 "So, Tsuchikage sama... If you were to take a possibly fatal hit and were unable to see the damage properly, you wouldn’t realize the danger you were in? Or when you train, do you know when your bodies muscles have reached their limit?" Two questions would evacuate into the free air as more seemed to take up their place at the ready.



(Word count:360.)
(Total word count:865.)

He watched as she shifted the rook away, a rather obvious move to say the least but he was really hoping to take it off the row rather than a new column but no matter, his plan didn't end there. Not exactly there at least, but no where near as extensive as his earlier moves to say the least. He waited though, for her response, her questions would come as she released her piece and spoke to get his attention. Her first question came about fatal hits, he smiled a bit, fighting internally to hold back a chuckle at her question. The second came about realizing his own limits in training, otherwise and extra scenarios probably implied as well, but that was the point that crossed her mind. Fitting given she was only just a genin, the danger and stress of missions and fights not set in yet, there was no reason for her mind to really jump to pushing himself on a mission. Well, at least no obvious reason that he felt necessary.

Karumo held his smile and nodded, speaking up before making his move this time, "Well," he paused and began to lean forwards towards the board with an outstretched hand, grabbing his pawn at H2 and shifting it upwards to H4 and leaving it to encroach on her queen. "Luckily, I haven't ever taken a fatal blow while fighting or on a mission..." his chuckle from earlier cam back as he leaned back and relaxed again. "But you're right, when I get hurt, unless I see it or know about it before, then I'd have no idea how serious it was or how dangerous it was. Somethings like broken bones are obvious when you move and your body won't react properly, but cuts and things, sometimes I haven't the faintest clue."

Shifting a touch and placing his hand lazily in his lap as his eyes glanced over her reaction he continued on, "Same applies with my own personal limits. I may not know when my limbs get sore, but my body can't deny the fatigue, I'll get slower, blood pumps faster and heart beat expands. I'd probably pass out from all of that before I really did any true damage but the idea is there." he finished and left the floor to her again.


[396 words, 1308 words total]

Her miss matched hues would flicker back to his hand taking a quick note of his move knowing that if she were to take his pawn she would in turn loose something leaving her with a few options. She barely needed to think on her move having more or less immediately decided on the move she would make. Drawing her gaze back to the Tsuchikage watching his lips shift to form words as he answered, the first part a little surprise but did he mean it, or were such a facade? He were after all a ninja, and ninja were supposed to be deceitful. Shifting to the next part of his words were to be expected and at least now the sensation hadn't just faded from the surface but deeper still. The thought itself both comforting and daunting to the point to had to wrestle with herself internally to not speak out.  

Her gaze would return to the board though again it glazed flickering this time through memories she would rather close her eyes too as she watch a figure sit up silently choking and spluttering into a rag that dripped with a vile mixture of blood and mucus whilst a child stood beside the bed with a healing green glow illuminating the dull candle lit room. Such an ominous green glow. A shiver would crawl along her spine caught just in time for her to push through the memory to the chess board once again. Reaching out she would take up her queen grasping its top between the pad of her thumb and that of her index and middle fingers; tilting the queen forwards she would without hesitation drag the piece back from its previous position at G5 to G7. Her gaze would shift back up to the Tsuchikage again, her memories having clouded her for less than a second. Listening to the Tsuchikage continue to speak part of her mind wondered why now, were such memories coming to surface now? Pushing that aside she would concentrate. "I see... That sounds dangerous, with both advantages and disadvantages..." She would pause drawing her gaze to her hands that hand upturned to face her before running her thumbs over the worn surface of her palms, "I couldn’t imagine not having any sensation." As her words ended her gaze would return to him once again.


(Word count:392.)
(Total word count:1257.)

Taeru shifted her queen back amidst his talking, another fairly predictable move but not exactly the one he was hoping for, not able to read her into a few spots yet or push her movements in a certain direction. Once the queen was moved Karumo would begin perusing over the board and thinking on what moves to make in counter as she began to speak. His eyes would flicker and watch her feel her hands as she mused on about it, having no idea what its like not to feel. Karumo let the notion go for a moment as he looked back down to the board, pausing for a moment with a still glance, looking at where everything was positioned.

He would reach forward and grab his bishop at F7 and slide it back to C4 while adding a small notion, "Yeah..." he ended. His mind wondered, there was nothing he could add. Part of him wanted to try to build the disillusionment towards not feeling, to hold ones palm in the direction of the flowing wind and then try to feel what was touching the back of her hand. But there was still air there, it was different, temperature, and the flow of her own skin and the light that may radiate against it, even with a near absence of feeling, there was still so much to perceive there. Karumo, on the other hand, had none of that, a total absence of it all.

Karumo leaned back and looked back up towards her, "I've learned to live with it, and its nuances over time. It really is a gift and a curse, but I find it mostly a curse, not only because I can't feel getting hurt in combat or training, but I can't feel anything, ever. A pat on the back, a handshakes, the warm and soothing water of hot springs, none of that matters to me really..." he fell again, the rather dismal melancholy fell over his features again but this time less focused on sadness and more in... disappointment. A deep longing for the feeling again, but something he wasn't concerned over for the time being, usually wasn't concerned over.


[369 words, 1677 words total]

Shaking the residue of the memories of her past from her mind her miss matched hues' gaze would dance along the board as she watched the Tschukage make his move, one she had expected and to some extent planned for, her gaze flickering up to the Tsuchikage himself briefly as he responded with 'yeah' returning back to the board for just a moment waiting for his hand to return signaling the end of his turn before drawing her gaze back up to him to listen before responding herself, an almost empathetic sensation drawing her features to a sullen state, her brows creasing as she lean a tad closer to the board, the urge to reach out her own hand and frosty digits to test against his flesh sitting in her enough for her fingers of her right hand to twitch. She figured that he had at least been tested in various ways to see if his sense of touch would return, by the sullen sound of it, such didn’t seem likely. She would nip down on her bottom lip squashing the flesh before tugging at it before speaking, "Tsuchikage Sama, If you had the chance to feel... even for a brief moment..." She would lean back a touch to take up her rook from F6, pinching it between the pad of her thumb and her index fingers raising it up to tuck it against her palm as she continued, her miss matched hues returning to the Tsuchikage, "would you want to?"  

She would pause to take in his reaction only letting her arm shift slightly to place her rook down in the space facing his freshly moved bishop at C6. Her attention solely with him as the game faded for at least that moment. Her hands would return to their previous position gripping at the fabric of her trousers.


(Word count:309.)
(Total word count:1566.)

There was a small pause between the two, the air around them saddened and he noticed it, perhaps he was being a little too... dull in a bad way for their first meeting. Eventually it cleared though, as Taeru chimed in beginning to ask a question as she leaned forward to take hold of her rook. Would he want to feel again? If even for a moment...

That was certainly a tough question to answer, he hummed to himself for a minute and brought his right hand up to the crown of his head before rubbing and scratching it. He knew the answer, it was obvious. Absolutely. There was no doubt about it, but that didn't change anything, he'd convinced himself that he would be no reason to question the position he was in, to go back on things or regret it, but that wouldn't really change his answer, would it?

"Well..." he would let his arm fall back down to the arm rest and look back down towards her, "Yeah, I think so." he ended that bit, short and sweet not sure what else he could really add to it details-wise. She moved the rook over to encroach on his bishop and that was fine, he'd pretty much been preparing for the moment where they would merely just try to out check their pieces against each other.

He twisted his mouth a bit and reached down to the board after little to no thought, he knew none of her other pieces except the rook could take anything of his, but how willing to sacrifice her pieces to even the board up just a little. Moving his pawn at B2 to B3 and leaving the turn open to her, wondering if she would continue to try and take his bishop with the easy loss of her rook all the same. Leaning back, he'd speak up again, "Would you not want something like that back? Something that people take for granted so often and without thought?" he posed in return. Really, it wasn't far to say they take it for granted, since it was something so simple and integral to life that it wasn't taken for granted so much as ignored. Still, his point was out there, to try and shift the conversation away from his troubles and person to the more important task in his mind, and figuring out more about Taeru herself.


[411 words, 2088 words total]

Taking in his movements she would grip just a tad more at her clothing, a genuine interest with his answer, chipping away slowly at him, seeking his true self. She were to say the least thankful that he chose the meeting to be this way, such giving her a chance to get to know him just as much as he would pick at her piece by piece like those they removed becoming clear to one another like the board dwindling down piece by piece, neither side yet falling nor sight of failing. His answer though obvious to some there were the select few that wouldn't care for it much like some not caring for the colour of their hair or when it greyed, the Tsuchikage could have been one of them, yet he proved to be among those that would want such again. A strange thought wondered through her mind 'maybe if...' She would snap the thought off for now leaving it open to return to later much like most things that came up, she would most definitely pick each and every thought trail up at a later point.

She would follow his movements life ever other movement he had made, like a trained hawk it were becoming like an instinct, observing not only him but the move he made both across the board noting that he were testing what she were willing to lose thinking that she might actually be fool enough to attack the bishop? Insulting. Or were it a simply hope that due to her age she would slip up? The subject itself slowly dampening the atmosphere but certainly his mood. Could she shift this?

Shifting one of her thought trails to answer his question as she reached out to take her knight from E7 speaking as she lent over to place the knight down just before her queens space at G6, "Honestly Tsuchikage Sama, as I don’t know what it's like to not feel I couldn’t say if I would prefer it though I guess it just depends on your mindset? I doubt its something that’s constantly on your mind..." She would pause before giving up a stunted information about herself, "I can't say I think all that often about my hair having faded down to what it is now." As she spoke her hand would shift from her piece to her hair rubbing a few strands between her index and thumb watching him.


(Word count:408)
(Total word count:1974.)

Karumo watched as she took hold of her knight and shifted it out in front of her queen, creating an effective psuedo-barrier for it, though at the cost of her knight and further restricting her own queens movements. Karumo couldn't say he was in the most optimal position really but he wouldn't have openly blocked himself so much. But his eyes traced over the board in neutral expression as he debated on his next move.

Karumo blinked for a second as she continued on, unsure of how she herself would feel about it really. She made a small comparison to her hair which Karumo smirked at for a brief moment, "Well, you're right, I don't think on it too often, not anymore at least..." He leaned forward and reached out to take his own piece and put it in to play, grabbing his own queen that had stayed at her resting place at D1 up until this point, moving her diagonally to take Taeru's pawn at G4 before leaning back again.

"Hair is different though, genetics aside, if I'd been born this way then it'd be more meaningful, but I lost my feeling in an accident no less, not to age or some disease, it was taken from me. The idea leaves a sour taste in my mouth almost more than not being able to feel at does." he exhaled through his nose and relaxed again. A small itch to puff away at his cigar began to float to his fingertips, causing a small twitch in his right hand that now rested on the chairs arm rest.

"Still, I have questions for you after all, not everything has to be so deep or melancholy for our first conversation." he gave a short smile, "So do you have any hobbies of your own that you keep up with?" it was simple small talk but Karumo was a little curious, how a prodigy spent her time outside of becoming a ninja and partaking in missions.


[341 words, 2429 words total]

Listening as always her gaze would follow along with his move an obvious one yet not one that she had thought the Tsuchikage would make. Waiting on her turn she would draw her gaze back up to the Tsuchikage's lips remaining within the comfort zone of not making eye contact as he continued. Though his analogy were correct he jumped to the assumption rather quickly that she spoke of genetics. 'There are a great many things that can be changes without a physical touch.' Opting not to actually say anything more on the subject knowing it could go further than she would wish. Her head would tilt a touch to one side, her gaze flickering to watch is hand move back before allowing her head to straighten as she herself reached for the board. Her fingertips would hover along the empty spaces before grazing along her rook, simple pinching the top to shift it over to the space beside it, moving it from C6 to D6.

Her own hand would retract as she looked back to the Tsuchikage to reply to his question, though a little unsure of how to reply. "Well Tsuchikage Sama... I don’t know if I can call them hobbies but... I enjoy training, even the others at the orphanage like to help with that when we don’t have chores to tend to." Her mind would flicker to the first proper training she had partook in with the Elder brother of the orphanage, the crown of her skull and her ribs of her right side would tingle remembering the dull and sharp pain of that specific training lesson as she continued to speak, "I like animals even the ones you can't reach out to touch, I like to learn and always strive to do so. I enjoy chess, however I don’t get to play often." She would bite down on the soft pale pink flesh of her bottom lip again to chew at it as she thought further taking but a short moment before peeling the flesh from the grasp of her teeth "I spend time with the others at the orphanage when I can... I'm sorry Tsuchikage Sama, I can't really say I do much." Her hands would find their way back to the neutral position as she watched the Tsuchikage. "Do you have any hobbies Tsuchikage Sama?"



(Word count:392.)
(Total word count:2366.)

Enjoyed training? He wouldn't question that much, she excelled quickly and her mindset was focused heavily on the notion and ability of oneself and the ability of a person to excel through effort. She shifted her rook over a space, possibly stalling at whatever it was that Karumo was attempting? He did have his queen out in the open, he needed to be very careful at how he continued playing his moves, the risks he would take to put her further in danger. Taeru continued on though with her hobbies, animals, learning, and even chess. He smirked at the comment, two of those he could heavily relate to as well, and animals were... a neutral point to himself.

She apologized for not having much to add and then turned it over to himself, he nodded his head and began his reply, "No need to apologize, it's not like everyone needs a books length of things they enjoy and don't enjoy in the world." he paused and reached down to the board, glancing to the piece along with his arm. He would grab his pawn at H4 and shift it up one space to H5, aiming to approach his knight and set her into another one of his decisive maneuvers.

Leaning back again he'd continue on, "Of course I enjoy learning and teaching myself but I wouldn't count them as low as hobbies? Learning maybe..." he paused and shifted his jaw, tilting his mouth a little as he thought in a brief hum. "I do enjoy puzzles, riddles, and games like this a lot. Anything that's an exercise for the mind, though those tend to waste time. I do enjoy reading as well, a whole variety of topics and issues, less fiction than you'd might expect though..." he continued on and scratched his chin as he dug deeper. "And also, relaxing, though I get far much less of it than I used to..." he smirked and chuckled a bit. Thinking about how he could possibly forget that last detail, being called apathetic so often on things.

However, from the outside, one might consider his drive to relax not so much a hobby as a passion. Karumo would find that notion a bit extreme, but at the same time, he wouldn't deny it on the whole either. That was a nuance for others to make really.


[402 words, 2831 words total]

Her gaze would flicker to his hand once again as per usual to watch the Tsuchikage to make his move, watching the Tsuchikages pawn encroach on her knight. Her gaze would shift over the rest of the board already knowing and seeing her move. Waiting simply for the Tsuchikage to speak and end his turn before making her own.  

Though some of his list she would more class as enjoyments and likes as a post to actual hobbies she saw a few things that she could work with. Her smile would return crawling along the surface of her lips to tug the corners up as she spoke up in return "I wouldn’t imagine that you have much time to relax or indulge in your hobbies all that often Tsuchikage Sama." She would lean a touch to the side allowing her right leg to raise shifting it's position back to what it had been before placing her foot atop her ankle allowing the blood flow to return a normal flow. Her left hand would shift to rest against the seat like a support for her position, leaning up to press the flat of her tightly bound chest against her thigh and knee as she continued to speak, "I quite like riddles... I have one in mind that I could pose one for you..." She would allow her right hand to reach over gripping the crown of her queen, removing it from its position at G7 between her index and middle finger accompanied by her thumb slowly rolling the piece against the pad of her thumb as she continued to speak "Riddle me this, There was a man who was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister." She would pause for just a short moment to glance up at the Tsuchikage before returning her gaze to the board ready to complete her move, "Yet, there was nothing wrong with what he had done. Why?" As she ended her riddle she would place her queen down at H6. Removing her hand again she would look back up to the Tsuchikage.


(Word count:351.)
(Total word count:2717.)

Karumo blinked as she smiled at his own answer, a look he was a bit curious about as she started on, musing on about how he wouldn't find time. He smiled back in return and commented quickly, "Well, I find the time..." he chuckled out loud but mostly to himself, knowing the lengths he'd gone to to get away from work before. Next she continued on about riddles, Karumo's right eyebrow raised a tad as he listened to her having a riddle for him anyways. Karumo chimed in afterwards, "Alright, let's hear it." he sat up straight from where he was and began to listen.




He paused for a minute, glancing down to the board, he saw her move her queen up to his pawn, a move he knew the outcome of, switching the ultimatum on her to him, having reached a stalemate in that situation. But rather, his mind was instead on her riddle, thinking through it for a moment, born before his father... that made no sense? Not in a literal sense at least. Killed his mother... that was not okay in any sense so a metaphorical use of it? No, if he couldn't take the first part literally then the second part had to be non-literal too. On the other hand, if he was literally born before his father, then it didn't make any sense. Married his sister... again, another not okay thing, unless... he married them as the proctor? That made sense, again was literal but a better option of the literal choices.

He snapped out of his thought process and looked down towards the board, he needed to think of a plan of action, his immediate move was an almost obvious one. He grabbed his rook at A1 and shifted it over next to his king at D1, putting her rook into a painful situation all the same as before. Perhaps this continual push to put her in a tricky situation was just wasting time. He needed to find a way to push her to checkmate instead.

He'd lean back and continue thinking, scratching his chin a bit he spoke up, "I'm not sure, but I do question how killing someone is okay..." he paused again and let his eyes wander back to focus on her again. "And born before his father, perhaps adopted? But that would be ridiculous in itself..." he'd hesitate and look to her, squinting a bit to see if she'd give some tell, then leaving it open to her move and comment back, if she wanted to.


[468 words, 3299 words total]

She would watch the Tsuchikage as he sat in thought, her subtle smile resting on her features. Though the riddle itself were hard if he liked them in the end the simplicity of the riddle posed would come into light. Though her mind would wonder along, thinking about how much it took to split his mind throughout the game wondering if his mindset were always like this, just more for her to ponder upon. Her gaze would shift to the board as he shifted to take his move. Taking note of the dangerous piece he were bringing into play. She would wait for him hand to leave the board and for him to continue to speak.

Her attention would return to him as he spoke her lips still holding the smile as he spoke only to falter a little, tightening her chest. Her lips would part a touch to hold the smile in place waiting a moment before replying. "Think on the words used, yet there was nothing wrong with what he had done." Her mind would wonder back glazing her vision every now and again giving short flashes of blood and the fading glow of ominous green. Reaching for her knight she would take it from its space at G6 shifting it to E7 before releasing it. "Would you like a hint, Tsuchikage Sama?... though be warned, sometimes a hint can complicate things further." Her hand would shift to rest atop her knee slowly drawing her chin back to rest atop it drawing her gaze back from the board to the Tsuchikage, relaxing into her chosen position.  Though she in many way doubted the Tsuchikage would want a clue she had however already prepared one, just in case.


(Word count:289.)
(Total word count:3006.)

Think on the words used... was he not? A bit of mental frustration kicked in as he felt like the answer was all too readily obvious and he just wasn't connecting the dots. What he had done. He was born before his father, taken literally, he couldn't be older? Maybe... before was a position? So he was born with his father around, that might work? None of that rectified the fact that his mother was killed by him and it was okay? He supposed it depended on the definition of okay but any death could be argued either way depending on the point of view of the person. He gritted his teeth thinking as he absentmindedly watched her move her knight back and away from danger, he'd lost his chance but couldn't risk anything greater.

Still, his mind lingered on the piece as she offered a hint and then recant its own danger. Karumo smirked a bit, he knew the danger behind extra information, he was no amateur but he couldn't help but laugh at the notion. He should have figured it out by now, maybe his mind was just too split up at the moment, he was making noticeable pauses and his eyes were wandering around his skull as he thought. With a short sigh after some serious hesitation he chimed in, "Fine, give me your hint." his tone was a bit defeated, reluctant to claim the hint for himself to be used, either way, it could well or very poorly for figuring out her little puzzle.

With a final action and while waiting for whatever she would have to add, Karumo would take his rook from D1 and take her last rook at D6 before leaving it there. Knowing the sacrifice that ensued from his maneuver, but knowing that taking away another piece from her was completely worth it in the end. At least limiting her options to checkmate himself were nice.


[329 words, 3628 words total]

Watching the Tsuchikage struggle further as she made her move, his mind splitting between the tasks before him, the game pressing further, obvious she had taken the move he was hoping she would overlook, whilst the riddle pressed his analysis stripping down the facade he had built up. He were ever more interesting creature when under pressure, not that he were not already interesting, as a matter of fact, it came down to her indulging in the information he gave without meaning just as much as the information he willing gave up to her.  

Even still he smirked, believing her were in control? Truthfully control had flittered away in the wind leaving a more raw thrill to their game and talk. As he mused watching the board her miss matched hues gaze would raise to settle for a moment on his eyes taking in again the pattern of them before focusing on him as a whole. the sound of his voice, the hint of defeat lingering as she asked for the hint would have her fighting off a smirk forcing her features to neutralize as she shifted a touch on the spot.  

Absently her gaze would return to the board watching him make his move, one she understood but were still surprising, something she didn’t expect him to do. To sacrifice an important piece like that with such little to gain from the action apart from the piece itself... odd. She would internally shrug it off. Regardless, weather she were losing the game or not she were definitely winning something in return for the loss, something she valued far, far more. Reaching out she would take the obvious move pinching the crown of the king between her index finger and thumb shifting him like a drag along the spaces to push the Tsuchikage's rook away the king having shifted from C7 to D6, before shifting to take the piece away as she spoke her own coy smile running along her lips, "Think on all in a literal sense, their your answer lies in plain sight." Her gaze would flicker from the board back to the Tsuchikages lips only then regaining the composure she sorely needed.


(Word count:365.)
(Total word count:3371.)

Karumo watched her move the king forward in order to take the pawn, a very dangerous maneuver to put that piece in front of the others so blatanty but then again, there wasn't much he could do in response. Her clue came in the most obvious, to think about it in a literal sense... he internally grit his teeth at the notion. That's what he was already doing, no!? Still, externally he just looked down at the board and began to think, bringing his thumb to his chin and scratching the end of it with the lone digit.

He couldn't tear himself from his musing to focus on the game, his mind was wandering and his attention had been split most of the night between their conversation and the game, now this riddle in place of the conversation, one that he'd forgotten. But in a literal sense, he stopped thinking about it from beginning to end and thought about the end first. He married his sister... but was born before his father? A small ding clicked, Karumo would have been paused for a decent second thinking but his mood would shift with a small smirk before glancing towards Taeru.

"It's a trick question isn't it? The answer not as obvious as it would need to be to piece things together, working off assumption to connect one of the dots..." he paused and glanced down to the board, though... his commentary generic and probably true of most worthwhile riddles, that's what he figured so far. Leaning forward to the board he would grab his bishop at C4 and make a quick push to take her pawn at A6 before ending his turn, the real maneuver that he was looking to make totally unbeknowest to her.

With his move down he would sit back again and continue his rant, "He's not part of the family?" his head turned slightly and eyebrow raised to her as he wondered about his answer. "He married his sister explains that part, literally. He's born before his father, but it's not his real father so he's older in age. The assumption lies in how he killed his mother, but not his real mother. Protection or some other loophole maybe? I'm not sold there but it's a working answer to a degree..." Karumo bit the side of his lip internally and lightly chewed on the flesh as he awaited to see how wrong or right his examination of the situation was.


[426 words, 4054 words total]

Catching his smirk would only confirm, to her at least that he felt in control and she would want this to continue  for as long as possible. Still she felt like she had in fact gained far more from their encounter than were originally intended, for this she felt as though she had won over all. Her head would tilt a touch at his first comment waiting for a moment before commenting in return, "I wouldn’t really call it a trick..." She would allow her voice to trail off into nothingness as her eyes trailed back to his hand as he shifted closer to the board, another move to take a piece yet not really seeing much point other than to limit her ability rather than go for the checkmate when the chances that had been given.  

Once he rad removed his hand from the board she would look back up at him waiting for him to continue, answering his analogy with a single word, "Wrong." Her head would raise just enough for her hand to shift taking up her king once again from D6 returning it to its previous position at C7. Removing her hand and returning it to her knee for her chin to rest atop once more. Her gaze would again return to the Tsuchikage wondering on what move he would make next, the game becoming a tad more unpredictable. She would chew lightly on the inside of her lip remaining quiet.


(Word count:245.)
(Total word count:3616.)

Wasn't really a trick... wasn't really... he paused on that note, trying to think what she could have meant by it. It wasn't so much coy as it felt like confusion, or indecision at the nature of it all. Karumo couldn't gleam much from it though and began to purge the words from his mind and even doubly more so when the word, Wrong, stuck out amidst the silence. He smirked a bit, biting down on his teeth as he wondered if any part of his deduction were right or not. Taeru moved her king back into place as Karumo shortly planned more moves while he waited for her to comment further, anything at all.

When he was sure that she was done, after a short pause and hesitation on his part, Karumo would chime in further, "Ok, how far off am I then?" he would raise a single eyebrow to her, wondering if he'd been able to solve any portion of it. Or got close to an answer, the irredeemable nature of killing his mother still ruined so many other theories, he couldn't see a substitute for it. And if marrying his sister was even more literal well, that didn't help connect any of the other points either.

Karumo quickly grabbed hi queen and drew it back from G4 to E2 and left the piece there as he quickly scanned back over the board after his move, wondering if he'd left anymore obvious openings in his plan. His mind fully torn by the puzzle at hand, their game of chess, and himself trying to pull any information he could from Taeru at the same time.


[284 words, 4338 words total]

Her fingers would strum almost silently against the bend of her leg, watching him contemplate, studying him as she had throughout the moment she entered the office to find the note. Her gaze would only move as he took his move, allowing her gaze to follow along his arm as per usual, knowing that were the best move he could have taken in his position. Already having decided her move ready her gaze would flicker back up to the Tsuchikage listening to his short question.

She would purse her lip shifting her head just a touch; allowing her right hand to angel slightly from her knee to press the pad of her thumb against her pale blossom pink coloured lip, ruffling its side slightly in the process, allowing a light hum to raise in her through has she pondered on how to tell him without giving too much away.

Peeling her hand away slowly she would reach for her queen found at H6, raising the queen up to palm before looking at the piece as she spoke, “Your theory. But in a way, you are getting closer.” Her words would fade into silence taking another second before reaching to place her queen down at G5 before releasing it. Her hand would return to rest atop her knee, casting her gaze back to the Tsuchikage, having visually seen the queen positioned now her mind would begin to form plans that may work around his possible moves.


(Word count:245.)
(Total word count:3861.)

Karumo watched her shift about for a moment and purse her lips, placing her thumb up to him, he squinted a bit to watch, wondering what she was really thinking about in that head of hers. He had a small hint that she were enjoying it, putting him through the hoops of thinking through her own riddle. He watched her reach down to take her queen and shift it over a single space while finally answering his question, or concern rather. His theory was wrong... internal frowning and frustration built. It was as cryptic an answer as he'd give, which would have made him chuckle if he weren't on the butt end of the failure to connect the dots.

But he was getting closer... for whatever that was worth. Very little really, Karumo didn't count proximity to a goal as finding the goal itself either. With a mental sigh Karumo would look back down to the board, his face for a brief moment giving away the defeated demeanor he was feeling from his first failed theory about the riddle. Karumo grabbed his king originally sitting at E1 and shifted it over to G1, while also grabbing his rook at H1 and shifting it to F1, effectively castling his king behind the wall of 2 pawns that he had setup already. It was... an unorthodox move, but it gave him a little security, and a working plan of action from here on out. A plan towards checkmate depending on how Taeru would treat her knight and how aggressive she would be otherwise, but this move signaled a slight shift in Karumo's plan.

With that done, he made another shot at a theory after a brief moment of thinking again, "Is it a religious thing then? He became a minister and married his sister, while he was born into whatever faith in a metaphoric sense, before his own father. While his mother, being a sinner condemned to die but he couldn't be faulted for it since it was the rules of their group?" he raised a brow again, feeling he was stretching and grasping at straws of the details and connecting loose points that actually sat very far away.


[372 words, 4710 words total]

Her gaze would follow the Tsuchikage carefully, making sure to catch his reaction to the small failure, something quite insignificant yet giving such an impact enough for him to sigh as he looked back to the board. Frustration were such a difficult emotion to deal with often leading to further other emotions. Her interest peeked further though she knew sooner or later he would get the answer without any doubt within her mind. Allowing the moment to dawn, would he himself pose one in return?

Her gaze would follow off to his hand as he took up his king, shifting it against to switch up his rook, an unusual move but one that stumped her first steps out right. Her mind would switch unusual move but one that stumped her first steps out right. Her mind would switch unusual move but one that stumped her first steps out right. Her mind would switch to her next planned out step flickering her gaze back up to watch the Tsuchikage as he began again to speak up.

Watching him carefully as she listened her expression would remain neutral giving off a soft smile as he clutched at a part of the right answer. She would lean forwards locking her gaze to the board as she again retrieved her queen from G5 placing it gown again just a single step away at F6 before looking back up at him as she slowly lent back to speak, placing both hands atop her knee, “You’re getting warmer Tsuchukage Sama. Defiantly along the right lines now, but not yet quite there.”



(Word count:266.)
(Total word count:4127.)

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Taeru seemed to smirk at his answer, his eyes blinked and keyed in on the small detail, wondering what he'd said. Immediately he wondered if he'd gotten it right? It seemed such a ridiculous answer, not a very good riddle but good for tormenting his mind just a little bit. Still, he would have to wait as he watched her position her queen to make a move for his last bishop, a loss he couldn't allow in any form right now, not without guaranteeing a win from her mistake. Immediately he knew how he would respond, by forcing her into action and not giving her a chance to go for the bishop, he would guarantee at least two more moves before having to take any unnecessary risks.

She continued on shortly after though, Karumo's gaze quickly flickered up to her as she revealed he was getting warmer. It was like being hit by a lead truck, just getting closer again, even on his second attempt, but truly there weren't any more ideas in his head running about. It left frustration in the place of his curiosity but he wasn't determined to give up just yet. Swallowing to clear his throat he chimed in, "I'm warmer but how much so? What piece am I still missing?" he questioned before looking back down to the board again.

With a quickly outstretched arm, Karumo would grab his own queen by pinching it between the thumb and pointer finger of his right hand and shift it from its spot at E2 and leave it at C4. Leaving her king in check and buying himself one more move to make before he would have to worry about her queen in play again, and also leaving the floor open to her as he continued to struggle internally with her riddle.


[311 words, 5021 words total]
[Exit Thread/Continuing in another Thread]

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