Nayoko was awake before Shimada again; at least, he figured he was. He had not looked in on her, and perhaps she was awake in her room of the honeymoon suite they had conned their way into, though he assumed that she was not. Nayoko had not heard anything from the room since he had woken, and he had been awake for quite some time. Glancing out between the curtains that blocked his view of the world outside of the hotel room, Nayoko could see that the sun was just beginning to rise. Pulling the curtains of the wall sized window closed once again, he stepped back from them and sat down on the couch he had been using as a bed for the past couple of weeks. With a sigh, he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and placing his head into his hands and resigning himself to what he knew had to be done.

Today is the day.

It had been an eventful few weeks, beginning with taking multiple missions for the Village Hidden in the Mists and meeting local shinobi, one of which he had become close friends with and another of which had betrayed him Nayoko and his whole village over some personal vendetta against the world. He had laughed and cried, fought and relaxed, and even led his own temporary squad for the village. But on top of all of that, the most ridiculous thing that had happened to him was when he had been ambushed during a mission and subsequently recued by the Mizukage herself. On top of that, she had agreed to train him as well, teaching him techniques he never could have imagined, and was still very uncomfortable using. The art of senjutsu was still foreign to him, and so he had refrained form using it thus far since learning it, but perhaps it would emerge today, if he needed it.

As exciting as it had all been, the young Hattori still knew why he was here. He had to confront Tano Koyanagi, the mysterious man who had turned his life upside down all the way back in the Land of Fire when he had revealed that he knew about Nayoko’s mother and his family’s past. Driven by the need to understand, Nayoko now found himself in the Land of Water, putting of the confrontation for as long as he could for a very simple reason. He was scared. He had no idea what was coming, and on top of that, he had dragged his friend into the mess, leaving her vulnerable thanks to his own demons. It was not fair to her in the slightest, and yet there she was, ready to stand by his side. Letting out another sigh, the twenty two year old stood up and dressed himself, preparing for the day ahead. It had to happen today; he could not put off whatever was to come any longer.

After getting himself ready he slowly stepped over to the door to the suite’s bedroom where Shimada had been sleeping. Pausing at the door, he took a moment to remember how the duo had ended up in this position. To think, it all started out at a pub with too much sake for the two of them. Normally, he would chuckle at the thought, but today it only brought the faintest of smiles to his face. He stood in front of the closed door for some time, unsure of how to proceed. At one point, he even began to turn away, debating as to whether or not he should go alone. But he knew that if he did that, the young woman behind that door would probably kill him, if he lived through the incident himself. Eventually he raised his right hand, balled up into a fist and knocked on the door, hoping that he would wake her up.

“Hattori-chan? I’m sorry to wake you so early. But I think today is the day, and we need to get a good head start if we want o get back before dark tonight.”

WC:689

Surrounded in a curtain of blackness, sleep pressing on her eyelids, Shimada drifted in the haze of slumber; oblivious to the outside world around her. The young woman rested curled on her side, buried under her signature brown coat for warmth, and barely moved in rest that weighed her limbs down like lead. She would have stayed that way if not for the sudden pounding ringing in her ears. Tearing her away from her peaceful state and into a form of awareness. Like a veil torn away, her bleary ruby colored eyes shifted lazily open, permitting faint streams of sunlight to filter into her line of sight. Though only half-awake, the Hattori could make out that the pounding was in fact a light knock against the door, and that it was from none other than her travel partner himself; his waking her up so early in the morning uncommon.

A heavy yawn slipped from her lips as she propped herself up onto her elbows, bloody red hair a mess about her pallid face as she leaned towards the sound and caught his muffled words. So today was the day she helped him confront his demons, huh? It seemed like a lifetime ago when they had arrived in Kirigakure on strict business, joking about married couples and con artists, and now, the day had finally caught up to them.

He was going to get his answers no matter what happened, and she was going to see through it that he did.

Shimada cleared her throat, and stretched her back; hearing the sound of vertebrae pop as she called back to him. "Alright, I got it! No need to apologize, I'll kick his ass for you when we find him... get some payback for having to wake up so early." She paused for a moment, scrubbing at the skin beneath her eyes as she slowly put her thoughts together and removed the cobwebs of sleep from her mind. "Just give me a few moments to get ready and I'll be out." The young kunoichi did not wait for his response to her statements, immediately standing to head to the bathroom and touch up her bedraggled appearance.

Standing in front of the glass, she carded her pale fingers through her hair to straighten it back, and pulled at the tangles where there were snags. Making quick work of the crimson locks, but allowing her a moment to recap on the weeks spent in Kirigakure.

It had been a rather fruitless adventure for Shimada, most of her days spent starting at the misty sky and sleeping off whatever gloominess she felt brought on by the change in weather, but at least it was relaxing. The way she viewed it, the young woman had conserved enough energy to be, hopefully, rather useful, and though it did not show in her current state of fatigue, Shimada knew she could put up a fight when the time came. Brushing the dark rings beneath her eyes and smoothing out the front of her dark purple shirt, she finished making herself a bit more presentable and turned back into the bedroom. Bare feet padding silently against the floor.

'At least Nozara-kun's been productive enough, coming back looking exhausted. Same can't be said for me; wasting my days away here...' It is a quick thought that passes through her mind, one that faded away as she plucked her coat off the bed and yanked it up her arms. Tugging at the collar to fix its crumpled look. The young woman then patted her pockets down, only pulling away when she fetched from the depths a hair tie in which she used to pull her bloody red locks back into a low ponytail. Out of her face and out of the way just for the inevitable confrontation looming up ahead. Breathing out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight from lack of sleep pressing down even now against her eyes, she headed for the bedroom door and pushed it open.

As soon as she stepped out, her ruby colored gaze was on Nayoko; inspecting his appearance in a rather non-scrutinizing way. At least he looked the part, but did he act like it? Shimada's thin lips provided a faint smirk that did not reach her eyes. "Alright, I am good to go, and though I do not like being woken so early, I suppose there is nothing we can do about that. I'll try to keep myself from snapping at you too much; don't think I ever told you I can be spiteful when it's early in the morning, but now you know." The woman confessed honestly, rolling her head from side to side to ease the tension out. Though feeling a little irritable, Shimada hoped she could keep it under control and away from Nayoko. He didn't need her agitation; especially today when there were bigger problems to worry about. "So, you ready to show that bastard who he's messing with?"

Nayoko had begun to doubt that his light knock had been sufficiently loud to rouse Shimada from her slumber, but was pleasantly surprised when he heard a heavy yawn fill the silence that had previously been occupying the space. Listening closely, he heard the noise of his friend proper herself up on the bed before she eventually responded to him out loud. He nodded to himself before replying, “Alright, see you out here soon.” Stepping away from the door, Nayoko headed for the sink of the small kitchenette that the honeymoon suite held. He had been using the sink in this room and a small hand held mirror in place of an actual bathroom due to the fact that most mornings when he wanted to get ready, Shimada was still asleep. Unfortunately for Nayoko, this meant he could not get to the bathroom since the bedroom was in the path, and though his travelling companion had invited him to walk through the room to the bathroom should he need to, he tried his best to leave Shimada to her own privacy.

Turning on the cold water in the sink, the twenty two year old splashed some water on his face before straightening his hair out. After all, he needed to look good for the big confrontation. After cleaning himself up, he stepped over to his jacket that he had slung over the side of the couch, which doubled as his bed, and threw it on, finishing off his preparations by tying his belt around his waist, his Konohagakure “forehead protector” the centerpiece as per usual. As he was rummaging around in his bag for his hand wraps, he heard the bedroom door open and glanced up to see Shimada step out, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Alright, I am good to go, and though I do not like being woken so early, I suppose there is nothing we can do about that. I'll try to keep myself from snapping at you too much; don't think I ever told you I can be spiteful when it's early in the morning, but now you know." Nayoko could not help but smirk back at her as she rolled her head from side to side. "So, you ready to show that bastard who he's messing with?"

“Ya,” he said with a chuckle. “Ya I think I finally am. Sorry it’s taken so long! I could have worked up my nerve a little faster maybe we’d be home by now. But I guess I just like to see the sights when I’m in a new place.” Finally finding his hand wraps in with his other things, he stood up and began wrapping his hands, beginning with the left one. “It will take us a while to get to the Swamp of Sorrow, maybe a couple of hours or so. Once we are there, I honestly don’t know what we are looking for, but my hope is that he will find us. After all, he always seems to show up when he needs to.” Finishing with his left hand, he turned and stepped over to the large window, opening the curtains on that covered the glass wall to let the morning light in. Gazing out over the Village Hidden in the Mists, he began to wrap his right hand.

“I have no idea what to expect, if I’m honest. When he left the note, he said he wanted to test me, so I assume that means fighting in some way, shape, or form.” Pausing, he turned around to face her. Shimada, the crimson haired friend tat had stood by his side since the start of this mess. He had done nothing to deserve her loyalty, other than being a friend to her, and he was truly grateful for her companionship. But she had to make it through this, whatever it was. “Hattori-chan, I know I keep repeating myself but I promise this is the last time…today at least.” He flexed his hands having finished wrapping them before stepping up to be within a few feet of her, looking down with a smile. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for travelling all the way here just to help me. I don’t deserve it, but here you are. And I know that together, we’ll be able to get this done.”

He paused then for a moment, looking down at his hands for a moment. He opened and closed them in the silence trying to find the right way to say his next thought. He knew he wasn’t the boss of her, and he knew that she was a strong kunoichi in her own right, but he would never forgive himself if something happened to her because of him. “Shimada…” he said quietly, doing away with the honorifics to show how serious he was just for this moment. He looked up again, locking eyes with the young woman that he had grown so close to in such a short time. “I need your to promise me that if this goes south, if something happens and we aren-….if something goes wrong, I need you to promise me that you’ll run. You can’t get yourself hurt or worse just because I dragged you into this mess. Can you promise me that?”

He knew that she would probably refuse, especially since he knew how much she hated feeling helpless from their conversation in the hospital so long ago. In reality, he expected a scolding from her for even insinuating such a though. But even still, a part of him hoped that she would agree to turn and run. He would not force her to, but he could always pray…

WC:968+689=1657

Shimada stared at him quietly, feeling a bit relieved when Nayoko produced a quiet chuckle and moved to get ready; her tired eyes watching him carefully as his hand wraps started to wind around the left hand. Her companion's explanation for the length of their trip was something the Hattori sympathized with, however, as she also found experiencing the sights of new places endearing, but she hadn't taken him for anxious. It seemed he had played quite the actor in the upcoming days with his apparent lack of nervousness.

"Interesting, Nozara-kun. I would not have known you were losing nerve if you had not told me, but I suppose it is to be expected. We have no idea who this guy is or what he is capable of, so we're practically going in blind." Shimada's thin lips twisted up into a muted expression of interest. "Straight into the spider's web." Curling a bloody red strand of hair around a long index finger, finished with her somewhat teasing observations, she made her way over to the couch and leaned against the arm of it; keeping her thoughts to herself as she watched Nayoko turn to the large window. The motions of him opening the curtains to allow sunlight to permeate the gloom hurt her eyes, and she averted her gaze from his back to the floor to give herself a moment to adjust. The young woman simply listened to him speak, memorizing the amount of time it would possibly take to breach the Swamp of Sorrows and what would be in store for them. Predators; rogues; traps. Exaggerated ideas rattled against her skull in a torrent of images, but she knew they all could be possible. From what she had picked up eavesdropping around the village in her large amount of spare time, the swamp was not a place for any simple traveler.

The kunoichi was torn from her inner musings as she caught sight of her tall companion turn around to face her; both hands securely wrapped, and a gentle smile growing on his lips. Her gaze raised to met his, ruby red mingling with warm brown. “Hattori-chan, I know I keep repeating myself but I promise this is the last time…today at least.” His statement earned a quiet chuckle from her, one she did not try to hide as he approached and stood near her slouched form. Shimada had to angle her head to keep him within her line of vision. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for travelling all the way here just to help me. I don’t deserve it, but here you are. And I know that together, we’ll be able to get this done.” His words were genuine, that much she knew, but he paused immediately after, and in that moment, the woman caught the hint he was preparing himself to say something just as meaningful. But in all the opposite ways. His second of silence, however, enabled her to respond in kind to his grateful approach.

"Please, Nozara-kun, I would rather have you say it then not. That way," Shimada's impassive mask threatened to fracture as a glint of distress flickered past her eyes, "you don't have the guilt of not saying. You never know when it, well, may be the last." Her words were morbidly blunt, but carried a truth she had once experienced; the slivers of her true emotions lasting for only a heartbeat as she carefully reconstructed her composure and drained the expression from her face. With her advice shared, Shimada braced herself for whatever it was Nayoko had to say next. Fingers tensing in the pockets of her brown coat.

“Shimada…” His voice came out quiet, a severity buried beneath the tone as he met her eyes, and she tried not to show her surprise at his lack of honorifics. Just like in the past, back in the wretched hospital, he had done the same thing; dropping professionalism for grim causality. The Hattori stared at him in wordless silence, not daring to open her lips as she waited for him to shatter the tense quietness. "I need you to promise me that if this goes south, if something happens and we aren-….if something goes wrong, I need you to promise me that you’ll run. You can’t get yourself hurt or worse just because I dragged you into this mess. Can you promise me that?” Her eyebrows immediately knitted together at his request in a look of distaste, and she didn't know if she wanted to laugh, get angry, or comply with what he pleaded of her. It was not her way to turn tail, preferring the routine of going down fighting then backing up to the sidelines, but his question placed her in a predicament she never thought she would experience.

It was obvious he cared for her - hell, was even concerned enough to ask her to remain undamaged - all because of his personal demons, and she did not know how to respond. Her jaw locked tight as she ran the scenarios through her brain. Of course she could comply; race for cover to save herself, but where would that leave Nayoko? He could possibly get severely injured or worse, and that would only leave her feeling helpless. Useless if anything life-threatening befell him. But if Shimada stayed in the fight, it would only concern him more and potentially leave him distracted; open for attacks. The young woman heaved out a heavy sigh as she concluded her thoughts, and glanced back up into Nayoko's narrow face. She could not keep the small growl of distress out of her voice.

"Nayoko, please don't ask that of me. I know you want me to be safe because you may think any damage caused is your fault, but Ineed you to be safe as well. You know I can handle myself." Shimada straightened her posture out to her full height in an attempt to convey the severity of her explanation. "If I leave you at a critical point when things turn south, you may get seriously hurt. Or worse. And I can't do that to you knowing you need help. I dragged myself into this mess by opting to go with you, so it's partially my responsibility as well. Nayoko," she reached out with a hand and hesitantly touched his arm, half wondering if it was the right thing to do, "you're safety means just as much to me as mine does to you. We're doing this together, remember? And though I cannot promise I will abandon you to save my own skin, that I will not get hurt in the fray, I will reassure you that I will run only if you're with me. That way I am not struck with panic when I cannot find you and start to assume the worst, sky above forbid. You have a father and a younger sister who still want you around, and care about you very much." Shimada stuttered out another breath of air, taking a moment to recollect her words and calm the anxiety rising in the back of her throat.

"That, my dear friend, is the only thing I can promise you: to not leave you lying in the dirt inches away from whatever hell we may experience. Your family needs you alive, and..." Something in the Hattori's ruby eyes softened ever so slightly. "I wouldn't know what to do if something bad like that happened."

Nayoko knew that he had made a mistake in asking that of her when Shimada’s brow furrowed in an obvious sign of distaste. He watched her and waited for a response as her jaw locked and her eyes moving about, clearly deep in thought; though Nayoko was sure she was deciding how hard to punch him for asking for such a ridiculous promise. When she finally responded, he realized that he was probably not far off. There was a slight growl to her voice that he was not used to, and the lack of honorifics in return was a surprise that left Nayoko wondering if that was the first time she had addressed him like that. "Nayoko, please don't ask that of me. I know you want me to be safe because you may think any damage caused is your fault, but I need you to be safe as well. You know I can handle myself."

The younger Hattori straightened her posture out to her full height in in a show of sternness that Nayoko was not used to. "If I leave you at a critical point when things turn south, you may get seriously hurt. Or worse. And I can't do that to you knowing you need help. I dragged myself into this mess by opting to go with you, so it's partially my responsibility as well. Nayoko," she reached out with a hand and hesitantly touched his arm, causing Nayoko’s eyes to snap in the direction of her hand, "you're safety means just as much to me as mine does to you. We're doing this together, remember? And though I cannot promise I will abandon you to save my own skin, that I will not get hurt in the fray, I will reassure you that I will run only if you're with me. That way I am not struck with panic when I cannot find you and start to assume the worst, sky above forbid. You have a father and a younger sister who still want you around, and care about you very much." Shimada stuttered out another breath of air, and Nayoko could not help but let out a sigh as well.

"That, my dear friend, is the only thing I can promise you: to not leave you lying in the dirt inches away from whatever hell we may experience. Your family needs you alive, and..." Something in the Hattori's ruby eyes softened ever so slightly. "I wouldn't know what to do if something bad like that happened." Nayoko could only nod for a moment. He knew that she was right, and he knew that if their positions were reversed, he would have been hurt at the prospect of leaving the woman n front of him behind in case of emergency. Shaking his head he recalled the incident between himself, his new friend Teru Uchiha, and Burittsu. He had attacked them and Teru had been badly injured. Of course, Nayoko ad stepped in to stop her from being killed; he could not have imagined leaving her behind. Put in that situation with Shimada, he knew that he would have done whatever it takes to keep her safe. And so finally he nodded a second time and responded.

“You’re right of course,” he said, shaking his head and letting out a dry chuckle that sounded more like a cough. “but you’re always right aren’t you.” Reaching out the arm that she was not touching, he set his hand gently on the shoulder of the shorter woman and smiled. “We’ll do this as a team, and when we’re done, we’ll celebrate properly with one of those champagne bottles that they left here for us!” His smile now fully grown into a grin, he stepped away from his friend and began to put on his boots, kneeling down and lacing them up beside the front door of their suite. Looking up as he tied them up he continued to smile. They needed to leave soon before he decided to leave Shimada behind and run off on his own, because despite what he had said to her, he knew that the best way to keep her out of harms way would be to ditch her here. The thought kept playing over and over in his brain, but he forced it to the peripherals as he forced himself to continue to appear confident.  

“Well then, shall be head out? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it if we want to make it back before the sun goes down again.” Standing back up, he stepped toward the door and opened it, allowing Shimada to walk out first before following behind her and stepping into the elevator. When they finally made it outside, the Hattori man stretched is hands behind his head, cracking his back and neck in the process. Then, glancing back to his friend he would motion for her to follow before heading towards the village gates and out into the surrounding wilderness of the Land of Water, heading north toward the infamous Swamp of Sorrow.

The rumours of the swamp that Nayoko had gathered specifically for this trip were less than inspiring. According to the locals, this place was far more deadly than even the Forest of Death for the chuunin exams of old back in his home in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The stories he had heard were full of quicksand pits, venomous snakes, giant spiders, crocodiles, and all other kinds of dangerous flora and fauna. While he was certain that not all of the horrors he had heard about were true, he knew that enough of them must have ben considering the wide berth that most members of the Land of Water gave this place. Nayoko explained to Shimada what he knew of the swamp on their way there, making sure that she was ready for whatever horrors awaited them before they would even get to a place safe enough to meet Tano Koyanagi.

Music:

It look them longer than expected to arrive at the Swamp of Sorrow, but after a few hours of travel, the pair of Konoha ninja finally arrived on the outskirts of the swamp proper. Stopping on a fallen log, Nayoko took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead of him. He knew that no matter what happened, it would be dangerous just to cross the threshold into this place; but it had to be done. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he turned to look at Shimada, his face stony and serious, the time for joking long passed. “Are you ready?”

WC:1132+1657=2789

In the moment of silence that had followed her mild outburst, a flicker of concern edged into her chest at the notion what she said could have offended him. Her straightforward, blunt way of answering perhaps rude and impolite. But his nodding soothed the initial guilt, and she held her breath as she patiently awaited his answer. “You’re right of course,” the dry chuckle he produced sounded scratchy, like it had come from the back of his throat, “but you’re always right aren’t you.” His reply wanted to make Shimada laugh ever so slightly, but she contained the sound, instead focusing on the warm hand brushing against her shoulder; mirroring the comfort she had tried to convey. Her ruby eyes tracked his face, searching for any kind of hostility, but all she saw was a smile. “We’ll do this as a team, and when we’re done, we’ll celebrate properly with one of those champagne bottles that they left here for us!” The young Hattori woman's lips finally curled into a faint grin, and the relief she garnered was instant as Nayoko presented a full smile. Though the stress remained, it was much easier to breath, and she carefully watched him head to the front door to lace up his boots.

"I'll agree with you there. Never had a taste of champagne before, so I guess it'll make for an adequate commemoration. We'll pop a toast to declare your success." Shimada commented to the side, and followed suit; slipping on her standard sandals by the door, and glancing at the older male from the corner of her eye. He seemed to have brightened up enough, a confidence there she had not expected, but looks could be deceiving, and the younger woman only hoped she was fooling herself. Her attention locked onto him as he started to speak once more; no turning back.

“Well then, shall be head out? We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it if we want to make it back before the sun goes down again.”

"Sounds like a fair enough plan to me." Responding calmly, she trailed Nayoko out into the hall, murmuring out "How kind of you" as he held the door open for her. The young woman then moved into the elevator, walking alongside the lanky frame of her travel companion as they stepped outside into the cooler air and started towards the village gates. It was a rather lengthy but pleasant walk, and for a moment, it seemed as if they weren't heading down a path of destruction. But Nayoko started to explain about the rumors of the Swamp of Sorrow, the dangers that lurked in it, and Shimada's concerns were both reassured and exasperated. She had heard of the predators, but not of the rumors revolving around poisonous flora and quicksand, and could only imagine what truth they would fine lurking in the tangles of the swamp.

She kept to her thoughts as they walked, and a few hours later, a break in their pacing occurred. The pair had finally arrived at the outskirts, and from what the young woman could see, it did not look friendly. Her sandals scuffed at the ground underneath her, ruby eyes flickering up to meet Nayoko's face; his expression steely and shadowed for the treacherous adventure about to come. Though she didn't show it, her blood pounded against her skin in apprehension, and she shuddered out a heavy sigh as she watched her friend's mouth open. Now there was surely no hope turning back; not that she desired to anyway. “Are you ready?”The inquiry was almost funny with how simple it sounded, but she did not laugh. Her pale face bearing no emotion to what swirled beneath the surface. It was the first step to something that could leave them both harmed, but she was determined to ensure they would get through it alive one way or another.

Her eyebrows furrowed together into a look of severity mimicking Nayoko's own. "I'm always ready. I hope you are, too, because there is no more time left to waste."

Nayoko could only nod in response to this travelling companion. She was right, and he knew it better than anyone. He had wasted enough time here completing missions for the village and making friends that he would probably never see again. He needed to go into this swamp and take care of the business he had set out to deal with. And so, as he turned back to face the Swamp of Sorrow before him, he crouched low before jumping into a nearby tree. “We should stick to the treetops, that way we can avoid any of this potential quicksand that people kept talking about.” He paused for a moment, scoping out the next destination for a jump. “Stay close Hattori-chan. Getting separated could mean this missions ends much sooner than expected.” With that, he took his next leap into the Swamp of Sorrow, eyes facing forward and his final goal in mind.

The pair of Konoha ninja jumped from treetop to treetop for quite some time, not really sure about where they should be headed, but always knowing that they were not deep enough yet. They were smart to stick to the tree tops, which Nayoko discovered very quickly when he decided to drop down for a moment, only to get his foot stuck in some quicksand nearly instantly. Luckily, he noticed fast enough, so he was able to break free, but since then the duo stuck to their original, overhead plan. The only dangers that they seemed to encounter in the path through the boughs of the trees were the odd giant spider, which Nayoko insisted that they sneak around rather than attacking head on. He wanted to preserve his strength for the potential battle that was to come, and so stealth became their best option.

They had to move slower than Nayoko would have liked for two reasons. One, they did want to maintain some semblance of stealth which definitely could not be done if they were running as fast as they could. And two, Nayoko could move much faster than Shimada thanks to his extensive training as of late as well as his speed that he picked up from being trained in taijutsu. It was frustrating to the young Hattori, but not too much, considering that if they were going faster, they would only be moving faster to a destination they were unaware of. That point was what frustrated Nayoko the most; they had no end point that they knew of. And judging by the size of this swamp, the twenty two year only was beginning to wonder if they would ever be able to find Tano Koyanagi. Even still, the pair pressed onward, hoping for some sort sign as to where they could stop.

After they had been travelling through the Swamp of Sorrow for a little more than an hour, Nayoko stopped in the bough of a particularly large tree that had room for both Nayoko and Shimada. Once she arrived he addressed her, though he continued to scan the horizon for anything of interest. “This running is pointless and is only wearing us out. Let’s drop down over there,” he said, pointing to a small clearing in the trees that was actually solid ground and not swampy mash land. “We both need a break from the running, and I need to get out of the trees before I go crazy.” With that, Nayoko started to jump toward the clearing, eventually touching down onto solid ground for the first time in a while. Without hesitating, Nayoko plopped down onto the ground and pulled out some rations that he had brought along. Reaching out, he offered some to Shimada. “This feels pointless to me now that we’re here, but we might as well keep our strength up just in case.” A smile managed to break through onto his face. After all of the buildup it seemed a little anti-climactic to him, but he was still happy to have Shimada with him. “At least we got to go for a nice stroll through the Swamp of Sorrow!” he said with a laugh.

---

Music:

NPC Profile:

Tano Koyanagi had been waiting for this moment for quite some time. Ever since all of this had started back in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, the nukenin had been waiting for his chance to have the conversation he had planned for Nayoko. He had been watching when Nayoko and Shimada had arrived in the Village Hidden in the Mists, disguised by a village jounin via the transformation technique. He had kept up that reconnaissance for almost the entirety of their trip, though he wasn’t able to see into their hotel room, and he could not follow Nayoko when he went to the Aisu compound to speak with Ayakashi, and if he was honest with himself, he probably would not have gone if he could have. He despised that woman, along with every other Kage of the ninja world. They were oppressive and were the reason that there was always endless fighting and death. His father had taught him that, just like his father before him. The Koyanagi family had always followed the same steps: become a genin of the village, witness the broken system, and then quietly leave during a mission of some sort. Shortly after that you would be assumed dead and you would be free to grow separate from the village. It was a simple cycle that followed his family’s legacy that was followed perfectly by everyone in the family. Well, that is until his foolish sister screwed everything up.

He was still watching them. He had followed them to the swamp at a distance where they would not notice him, and kept back from the pair as they had traversed the Swamp of Sorrow. Finally, they had stopped in this small clearing. From the trees, the man smirked and began to form a series of hand seals.

It’s time to see if you care about family more than your mother, Nayoko.

---

The two Hattori had been sitting for only ten minutes of so when Nayoko heard some sort of rumbling coming from nearby. Raising an eyebrow, he looked over to Shimada. “Hey did you…did you hear that?” Before she even had a change to react there was a loud crash as a nearby tree on the edge of the clearing crashed down into the forest behind it. Emerging from the newly created opening was an enormous golem, standing almost twenty feet tall and made of solid stone. Nayoko jumped up and backwards, making sure that he was out of the range of the construct’s arms, and making sure that Shimada had done the same.  He then turned his attention back to it, looking up and down until he saw what he had been searching for.

Standing on the shoulder of the golem was a man standing a little over six feet tall with messy blonde hair that fell down past his eyes and almost to his chin. It whipped around in the wind cause by the movements of his golem. He stared down at Nayoko with dark blue eyes that faded into yellow near the pupil, which was accented by his dark blue, bordering on purple clothes. The shirt was left open near the top, revealing a chest covered in scars and a small, silver necklace with the symbol of the Hattori clan, almost identical to Nayoko’s own. However, the most notable feature of the man was his Kirigakure forehead protector, which he wore around his neck, defaced with a single slash mark through the symbol of his former village. He raised a hand and waved to the duo on the group, with a grin splayed across his face.

“Well hello there you two. I’m glad that you could finally make it!”

WC:1314+2789=4103

Tano's Chakra: 275/300:

The young woman watched as Nayoko moved to crouch and then sprung flexibly into a nearby tree, her sandals scrapping against the wood as she performed the same move after him. Though her face was tense, bearing a glint of grimness, Shimada focused on his words and nodded curtly. "Perfect idea, Nozara-kun. Better then getting drowned or worse..." She paused for a moment, glancing into the taller male's features to see determination lingering there. "I'll follow your lead, but no fret. I have no intention of getting separated and cutting this little mission short." She murmured as she leaped after him, shutting off the swirling thoughts in her head and solely dedicating herself to focusing on the treacherous path ahead.

Her ruby eyes scanned the swamp as they went, searching for any inevitable dangers that could lay in wait ahead, but all she saw was Nayoko very nearly getting himself stuck in quicksand, his reflexes quick enough to ensure him he broke from the hold, and the occasional giant spider; scuttling somewhere among the thick flora and sending shivers up Shimada's spine. The Hattori could not agree more with his option of sneaking around the creatures as she was not quite fond of the thought of having to go up against eight legs and a maw tipped with possibly poisonous fangs.

It was an easier change of pace from all the sprinting in the overhead canopy, and though she could sense there was something of a restlessness from her older travel company, she did not mind as much. Nayoko was fast, much faster then the Hattori, seemingly a conscious notion he held as they moved; never approaching his full speed. It may have affected their pacing, but at least Shimada could completely keep up without the worry of falling behind. During the distance they covered, the young kunoichi did not have a concept of time, and was relieved when Nayoko stopped on a branch. It was wide enough for her to fit, something the woman gratefully accepted as she landed beside him and sighed in exertion.

The terrain was already making her tired, an exhaustion she could feel pressing in the back of her eyes, and she knew without a break, she would most likely drop from fatigue before the confrontation. Shimada, wiping at her eyes with the back of a hand, glanced at Nayoko as he spoke. Nodding in acceptance when he pointed to a clearing within the trees. "I'll second that motion because anymore and I may as well drop from exhaustion before we even get to all the fighting. And besides, I could have sworn I saw a snake within the branches back there." The Hattori mentioned and then jumped, trialing him to the clearing. As soon as her sandals hit the solid ground, she sat; focusing on gathering back what little energy she could manage. She was not going to let her condition get to her even though she nearly had pushed herself to the edge in the short period of physical strain. Breathing out a sigh, her eyes tracked Nayoko as he procured rations and presented them, and with a faint lopsided grin, the young woman offered a quick thanks; taking little and eating slow. His smile was contagious. "Strength and a whole lot of speed it was we are going to need, Nozara-kun. Oh, and wit. He may be powerful, but outsmarting the enemy can lead to a victorious end." Shimada stated off to the side, and could not help but chuckle at Nayoko's comment on strolling through the Swamp of Sorrow, but he wasn't far off. They hadn't experienced much misfortunes, and she assumed they had gotten lucky. At least they were both in fighting condition.

After a few moments, the kunoichi fell silent, sitting with her hands resting in her lap in an illusion of rest, but she could hear it. A sudden faint rumbling from the swamp. Her head twisted to look at Nayoko, mimicking his bemused expression. “Hey did you…did you hear that?” She wanted to open her mouth to respond, but never got the chance to as a tree from the clearing's edge was smashed into the ground and something only out of a nightmare emerged from the thick foliage. It was tall, incredibly tall, and she scrambled to her feet as quick as she could; her movements a little sluggish from the fatigue plaguing her body as she jumped back with Nayoko. Her ruby eyes never leaving the golem's, however, as she spotted the man pulling the strings perched upon its shoulder.

Stretched thin with a head of messy blond hair, he was no doubt the man they had been searching for, and the answer to her companion's questions. The symbol of the Hattori strung about his throat a dead giveaway. He was a rogue from the slashed forehead protector, and most likely incredibly dangerous. The man's hand waved once; lips pulled into an unnerving grin. Shimada's body tensed as he spoke, and her thin eyebrows knitted together in an attempt to hide what she never wanted to express in front of anyone ever again: panic. Apprehension. It was not like her to grow cold in front of an adversary, but something about him rubbed her the wrong way. Gawking at the startling height of the golem with an expression of surprise etched across her shattering mask. She barely could unlock her jaw and manage out a coherent sound of language devoid of formalities.

"Nayoko..." Shimada was unsure if she uttered it to reassure her partner or herself, but it hung in the air between her lips; dying into an almost inaudible whisper. The Hattori had faced death before, but never on the back of a giant beast of stone, and it startled her. The woman's hands clenched into fists, and she said nothing. Simply taking to glaring at the man with the blonde hair and scratched-out forehead protector. It was Nayoko's personal demon, not hers, and though she wouldn't involve herself in useless banter unless necessary, she braced herself for the fight that was about to come.

There was no backing down now.

His first order of business was to make sure that Shimada was alright. Glancing over at her, he could see that she was standing firm, but her face displayed a sign of panic that Nayoko had never seen before on her face. The way his name slipped passed her lips was startling, and for a moment Nayoko regretted even asking her to travel with him. Looking back up at the golem and its rider, he knew that against him, she would not be able to survive if Nayoko was incapacitated in any way. He furrowed his brow and stared up at the looming behemoth, a renewed vigor reminding him that he would not, and could not fall here; not when Shimada needed to be kept safe.

In a moment of short sighted frustration, Nayoko performed a string of hand seals before focusing an extreme amount of suiton chakra into his hand, spinning it in the process before compacting it and then launching it forward at the stone golem. The large, swirling current that was created by the Hattori blasted forward at forty metres per second at the centre of the doton created colossus. Nayoko could not help but smirk as he saw his jutsu released with no impediment, ready to hit his target with its full force. However, that moment of joy was short lived, as Nayoko noticed that the man riding the golem remain still, smiling down at the pair of Konoha ninja as the tearing torrent slammed into the chest of the creature. There was an enormous splash of water, and Nayoko looked up expecting to see the centre of it torn apart; but ass he saw was the golem, standing firm, nearly unscathed. The grin fell from his face as his eyes widened. It was one of the two most powerful jutsu he knew, and it had barely even scratched the beast.

Nayoko only stared at the hulking mass of stone and earth as a quiet chuckle emanated from above him. “You never cease to amaze me Nayoko. In one moment, you have simultaneously managed to impress me, as well as disappoint me.” The young Hattori looked up to the man, who now had one hand leaned up against the neck of the stone servant as he conversed with Nayoko below. “That jutsu was a strong one, no doubt about that! But to use a suiton based technique against a doton based creation? That’s some basic understanding of jutsu that you lack my boy.” Nayoko gritted his teeth, cursing himself for being so careless. He had allowed his anger to get in the way of his better judgement, and now he was paying for it. Looking back up at the man through narrowed eyes, he grunted out a response. “What do you want with me? Did you drag me so far from my home just to kill me in a mere moment with your earth jutsu?” The chuckle from the man hovering above the duo only grew.

“Of course not Nayoko! I have much bigger plans for you; did you not read the entirety of my note? This was to be a test for you, and you alone.” Up until this point, Tano Koyanagi’s face had been focused on Nayoko. But now, the gaze shifted to Shimada and he frowned. “You should not have brought her on family business Nayoko. There are a lot of personal things to discuss, and you won’t have time to play baby sitter for her when this is all done.” Once again, Nayoko could only grind his teeth for a moment in anger, hoping that at the very least, he would be able to protect Shimada if she was threatened directly. Until then, he would save his energy until he needed it most. “She’s staying. After all, you never said to come alone. So, tell me what it is you want? And what do you mean by family business?”

The blonde nukenin allowed his frown to subside a he looked back over to Nayoko, locking eyes with him and nodding slowly. “Mmmm, you are correct, aren’t you? I can’t believe I allowed for such a mistake. No matter; it will not make much of a difference; though I must admit, the intellect of your mother runs through you strongly. That, coupled with the prowess you are displaying make this meeting all the more interesting.” At the mention of his mother, Nayoko could feel his logic begin to burn away one again, wanting only to strike out that the mysterious man. Instead, he managed to restrain himself, opening his mouth and calling out in response once again, his need for answers beginning to overwhelm him. “How do you even know my mother? Who the hell are you?!?” The twenty two year old called out, his voice loud, but his words even, not betraying the true extent of the turmoil that he was experiencing. Once again, Tano replied calmly, “Why Nayoko, I’m your uncle of course. Your mother…was my dear sister. And today, I am here to see how committed you really are to family.”

The confidence with which he spoke caused a physical pang of pain in Nayoko’s gut. “What….what are you talking about…” The words slid past his lips, but they were far quieter than before, the revelation rendering him far more confused than angry. It made no sense. How could this man be his uncle? How could he not have known? He did not need to speculate very long, as Tano Koyanagi decided to enlighten all of those present. “Now now, dearest nephew, I do believe we’ve gotten ahead of ourselves. Allow me to begin from the start.” He paused to take a deep breath as the golem took another step forward, its hulking form now only a few metres away from Nayoko and Shimada. But this time Nayoko did not move; he couldn’t. “The Koyanagi family had been around for many years as a branch of the Hattori clan living in the Land of Water. We have always had very strong family ties, but out family in particular is a little bit different than most other families. You see, we are a family of criminals, Nayoko. The Koyanagis are missing ninja, one and all.” His eyes narrowed for a moment before continuing, a slight rage beginning to show on his face. “At least we were, until your foolish mother decided to carve her own path, and sacrifice the sacred bond of family.”

“She left us for your father you see. He was a farmer back then, travelling to Kirigakure no Sato to sell his crops that could not be grown here. He and your mother met, and fell in love.” He spat at the ground from his perch on the golem, the disgust clearly spread across his face. “Isn’t it beautiful,” he said, the sarcasm still dripping from his lip. “She abandoned us, running off to the Land of Fire to hide. I tried to stop her, to show her the error of her ways. But NO!” He shouted as there was a crack of thunder overhead, black storm clouds now filling the sky above the trio as if the gods were watching over the encounter and decided that pathetic fallacy was required. “She betrayed us. She left, and we could not find her.” He paused to shake his head as a spattering of rainfall began to descend from the sky. When he spoke again his words were quieter, and Nayoko had to strain to hear them over the din of the oncoming storm. “I searched and searched for years, gathering new, far more loyal followers, until one day, I caught a break. I found a record of her in the Land of Fire, being admitted to a hospital. It took me some time to arrange my means of travel, and by the time I arrived, she was already at death’s door. It was a pity that I did not get to do the honours of killing her myself, but hey, as long as it got done.” Nayoko fought every instinct to attack him again right then and there, the shock of the words now having long faded and being replaced by a numbness that was unfamiliar to the young Hattori.

“In any case, all hope was not lost. You see, that is when I discovered you, dear nephew. I watched you join the academy, I watched you raise your sister while your father became an alcoholic for years, I watched as you became a promising young ninja. And then I knew, that you were not your mother’s son. You are much more Nayoko. You understand the importance of FAMILY!” Another crack of thunder pealed though the night air in the Swamp of Sorrow as the rain began to fall with a fury that could only be likened to that which was growing slowly inside Nayoko. That rage was burning away the numbness; Nayoko was ready for a fight. “Nayoko, you’ve already passed the test by making this far. You’re ready to join me. Together we can tear down the broken system of this world, molding it into what we want it to be. Your village has done nothing for you. Family is all that matters, and your mother ABANDONED that. Don’t do the same thing Nayoko.” He finally finished, the rain now pouring all around them, soaking everything around them; but Nayoko did not mind. His mind was too busy racing though the implications of what Tano Koyanagi was saying. If it was true; and by the confidence that he presented it with, Nayoko was inclined to believe him; that meant that all of the importance that Nayoko had put on his family had been a lie. His true family, his flesh and blood, was standing before him. And yet, at the same time, Nayoko knew that was not true. His love for his family was real, and his commitment to him home, and the family he had become a part of as a shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves was real too. He was committed to that, and this man had just decided that his way was the right one? Well, Nayoko was not convinced.

Glaring up to the man, Nayoko spat on the ground in a cheap imitation of the criminal. “Screw you. You don’t know what family is! All you know is a life of lawless hate. How could you understand anything when all you have for your efforts is a group of criminals that follow you out of fear!? Nobody really cares about you Tano,” he shouted, glancing over at Shimada for a moment, a warmth flowing through him as he saw her, standing ready to defend him against insurmountable odds. “You don’t really know what family is. So you can take your offer and leave. Oh, and don’t you ever…EVER say anything about my mother again!” A fork of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the face of Tano Koyanagi as he stood, watching Nayoko respond. Surprisingly to Nayoko, his face was not one of malice or hate, but of disappointment. The corners of his mouth were turned down into an small frown and his eyes betrayed a disinterest that shocked Nayoko.

“Hmmm, I was a little bit worried that you might say that. But, I think I know how to change your mind. You see, you have made bonds with people other than your true flesh and blood, so you find them very important and you believe that they can substitute for your family. But, I will show you that you are, in fact, wrong. All I need to do, is sever one of those bonds.” The moment he finished his sentence, the hand of the golem shot out toward Shimada at a speed that Nayoko was not ready for. His eyes widened as he turned to see the arm of the hulking colossus careen toward his friend, with little that Nayoko could do to stop it.

I have to save her!

WC:2033+4103=6136

Tano's Chakra: 275/300

Nayoko's Chakra: 225/250:

Shimada steeled her nerves as best as possible, jaw locking tight as she fixed her attention solely onto the golem, and therefore, the man on its back. Her fists tightened. The Hattori truly had never seen anyone like him before, and he exuded an aura of danger that both made her apprehensive and determined. 'How is this even possible...? There has never been anything like this before; of this size or strength. Nozara-kun, I hope we both know what we are doing...' She mused darkly in her head, but got no further as the man next to her performed a series of hand seals; capturing her attention and banning all further ideas from her mind. Shimada watched in surprise as the older male hurled the torrent of water towards the golem with surprising force, the jutsu Nayoko performed incredibly powerful. It crashed against the center of the stoned figure, but when the water cleared and she adjusted her eyes to the spray, it was standing whole. And the man perched atop it was still smiling. Her breath shuddered out quietly past her lips.

"Dammit, that's all wrong. Water is useless." Shimada glanced between her partner and the blonde haired man high above, quiet as the demon with scars finally started to break the silence. What he said was both aggravating but correct, and the crimson haired kunoichi heard the vague curse Nayoko uttered. She deduced he most likely had attacked in blind offense and neglected judgement of the situation, and seemed to understand the weight of the move. He had given away one of his strongest attacks too early in the confrontation. "Nozara-kun, I specialize in lightning as a second affinity, and know jutsu that might help. Come the moment of attack, I will not hesitate to use it; your personal fight or not." The ruby eyed woman murmured towards him under her breath, leaving the idea in the air for later strategy, and quickly quieted herself when a harsh chuckle escaped the blonde man. It sent a shudder up her spine.

She glared at him when he directly involved her, however, and held her ground in defiance. There had been no rules to going alone, and she had all the right. It had been her own will to follow Nayoko into the depths of the Swamp and declare loyalty in aiding him. Out of not only friendship but the desire to see him succeed.

Throughout the conversation, Shimada could tell by Nayoko's behavior that he was slowly growing frustrated. The unanswered questions to the relation of his mother getting him nowhere. But when the word 'uncle' emerged, the woman could not help the look of awe that passed across her pallid face. She barely could take a look at Nayoko's crestfallen expression, witness the confusion swimming in those dark eyes, before the blonde demon decided to spring his daunting explanations. The golem's threatening step instilled a sense of concern deep within her chest, but she made no move as she also listened to what was to be said about Nayoko's family and his mother's connections.

The criminal backgrounds; his mother leaving for the company of a farmer in the Land of Fire; and the uncle searching for her to only find her dying in the hospital. His words rubbed her the wrong way, and Shimada strained to listen as the once steady drizzle took a steep crescendo and built up into a storm. Her bloody red hair was slowly becoming soaked, and it fell into messy sheaves into her eyes. She bit at her bottom lip, hands balling into fists at her sides as the rogue ninja took his harsh words a step further; arguing about the importance of family. But this man was no family to Nayoko, wasn't he? No family would intentionally try to kill you, to make you change your ways and turn your back on what you loved. Anger, hot and bubbling, snaked its way into Shimada's chest, but did nothing to warm the numbness seeping into her fingers. The rain was now pouring, seeping into her wet clothes, and booming drums of thunder erupted into the darkened sky; split apart but jagged cracks of lightning. It was as if the sky itself was tearing apart to rain hell down onto the dismal scene cast out before her.

But she had enough trust in Nayoko to know he wouldn't turn his back on his home; forsake his family or the lives he had touched. And for what? All because the sudden appearance of a blood relative came into his life demanding he join him? Shimada knew what family meant, and how powerful ties could be, but this man could not possibly expect Nayoko to go so willingly. He was too dedicated in what he did, and Tano Koyanagi be damned if he thought he could get such an answer from Nayoko's lips. Her assumptions were only solidified by her friend's act of defiance, and the Hattori gave him a reassuring smirk when he glanced her way; eyes locking and a curt nod of acceptance cast his way. The young woman glanced at the man on the golem, but his expression did not match the one she envisioned. Instead of agitation, it was discontent, and her heart leaped painfully into her throat when he turned his eyes towards her.




She thought she had braced herself for the attack, but the golem's speed was something Shimada had unprepared for. It was fast, too fast for her sluggish movements brought on by her inevitable fatigued condition, and she found only enough time to bring her arms over her face as the golem's hand smashed into her full force. The wind was painfully knocked from her lungs as she was thrown backwards, her body colliding into the thick trunk of a tree surrounding the clearing where she lay prone. Stars burst behind her eyes, and she gasped for air that escaped her lungs. Shimada could swear she tasted blood somewhere in the back of her throat. Despite her dazed state, she desperately needed to move, to stand up and show Nayoko that she was okay, and scrabbled to her feet as fast as she could. Everything ached up her ribs and it hurt to breath, but she had no intention to back down just because the demon in disguise of a man saw her as a threat to persuading Nayoko in joining him. Gritting her teeth, the young kunoichi shakily lifted her hands to perform a series of hand seals, choking down the snarl of pain that threatened to escape her. The right wrist throbbed under the sleeves of her muddied coat, and she knew it was either broken or dislocated. It did not stop her from swiftly carrying out the jutsu, her voice coming out winded yet strong against the booming of thunder.

Let's see how well you do when it's my turn!" It was all she uttered before she  had generated enough raiton chakra and concentrated it into her uninjured hand. The three small spear shaped masses of lightning merged together into a single spear that was five feet long, and hurling the bolt back, Shimada threw it towards the golem with as much speed as she could muster. It impacted square into the golem's chest, a simple cascade of sparks falling, and she could only hope it was enough to show progress against the rock giant. A crack or two to ease her concern.

She dare not make her way over towards Nayoko in case he was caught in the crossfire, Tano Koyanagi's attention seemingly fixed on initially destroying her, and she braced herself against the tree behind her as the cold rain slowly numbed the pain. Shimada still felt shaky on her feet from the collision, and glanced wearily at Nayoko in assessment. Her body tensed to move once more if the golem came barreling her way again.

'Nayoko, by the gods, what have we gotten ourselves into...?'

Shimada's Chakra: 185/200:

Nayoko watched on in horror as the woman who but a moment ago had been smiling at him reassuringly was hammered by the stone hand of the twenty foot tall golem under Tano Koyanagi’s control. She had raised her hands in an attempt to defend against the attack at least slightly, but it did not do much good as she thrown off of her feet. She soared backwards at a high speed for a short time before smashing into a trunk of a large tree that surrounded the clearing. The dull thud of the collision was followed by her landing prone on the ground, and for a moment Nayoko was frozen in fear t the thought that she was dead. Fortunately, he found that his fears were unfounded as the young woman scraped her way back up to her feet before too long. She may have seemed a little wobbly, but that was to be expected considering the hit she had just taken.

Nevertheless, Shimada acted before Nayoko could react, stringing together a combination of hand seals before shouting out at the missing ninja in response to his attack. “Let's see how well you do when it's my turn!" Her anger was evident by the tone of her voice, as well as the electricity that was leaping from her body as she used her jutsu to created three small spear shaped masses of ration chakra that then twisted and formed into a single, large spear. Throwing her hands forward, the bolt of lighting shot out toward the golem, that by this time had begun its approach to the young woman again. It struck true, slamming into the chest of the creature and sending sparks cascading all over its body. Nayoko smiled for a moment, excited by the fact that as the sparks faded, he was able to make out a series of cracks that had formed on the surface of the stone beast.

But once again, Nayoko’s feeling were short lived; the golem did not waver for longer that a couple of moments. Straightening itself, it firmly planted its feet before beginning a charge toward Shimada once again. Nayoko’s eyes went wide and he instinctually looked over to Shimada. The woman was braced against the tree, her stance shaky and her body tense. But what worried Nayoko most was her eyes. He had looked over to her just as she had looked to him, and for that brief moment that their eyes locked, tie seemed to slow down. There she was, standing there in defiance of a man that she did not need to fight. And yet she was there, not for herself, but for Nayoko. She was risking everything to help him now, journeying to a foreign land and into dangerous territory just because he had asked her to. What right did he have to ask for her help? Why did he deserve the loyalty that he was being shown? What made her stand there and face death for him?

Nayoko could not be sure, but one thing he did know was that he would not let her die here. He could not. Before he realized what he was doing, he had broken into a sprint toward the approaching golem, weaving a series of hand seals once again, but this time for a jutsu that he knew would work. He ran closer and closer, the combination of seals growing more complicated until he finally finished with the bird seal, jumping into the air as he extended his right arm to his side. He leaped straight into the path of the rock giant, it’s arm already in mid swing toward Shimada. But it would not make it’s mark. As he soared through the air, Nayoko let out a cry at the top of his lungs, just as the fuuton chakra that he was gathering at the tips of his fingers formed into a perfect sword made of pure wind. “Taaaaaaaaaaannnnooooooooooooooooooo!”

He reached the outstretched arm of the beast just in time, severing it at the elbow from the body of the golem and sending to careening past Shimada, into the forest behind her. “What the hell?!” Tano uttered as he glancing back at Nayoko, who appeared to be continuing on his path past the golem until the last minute when he reached back and grabbed onto the stump where the golem’s arm was once attached. Pulling himself up and onto the rest of the arm, Nayoko began to run up the arm towards his adversary, but instead of attacking Tano Koyanagi directly, the young Hattori jumped from the upper arm to the opposite one, which he proceeded to travel up until he severed it cleanly as well at the shoulder. Wasting no time, he pivoted, having taken Tano by surprise and not wanting to lose that advantage. He sprung off of the shoulder, twisting to that his feet were forward as he decapitated the golem with his Blade of Wind and then following through with a kick square into Tano’s chest with enough force to shatter a ribcage.

There was an audible crunch as the man fell back from his golem, which proceeded to crumble after sustaining the damage that it had. The grinding sound of stone on stone filled the air as Nayoko landed on the ground, seeing his uncle laid out on the ground and not moving. Not willing to wait any longer, he spun toward Shimada and ran towards her, dismissing his Blade of Wind as he did so. “Shimada! Are you alright??” It took him but a moment to close the distance between them, all the while he was tearing his jacket and tying his few senbon together to make a makeshift splint for the arm she was clearly favouring. “I’m sorry I let him do that to you,” the man breathed when he was finally next to her, handing her the temporary splint that he had made. “I just…I guess I let him get to me. It…was a bit of a stunning revelation to say the least.” He stood there in silence for a minute, allowing her to respond as the rain drizzled over them, soaking their clothes through completely and making his usually spiked hair fall into his eyes.

Eventually he smiled softly, looking down at his friend and stepping back to give her space, as he realized he had been standing almost too close for the past couple of minutes. “Regardless,” he began. “It’s over now. Thank you Shimada…I don’t think I could ha-“ He stopped short, not because he wanted to, or because he saw something that surprised him, but because of the electric shock that had just been send through his body’s nervous system, caused by the man who had slinked up behind him in the shadows and touched the back of his neck. Nayoko could not move, and he was now at the mercy of Tano Koyanagi; his mercy did not last long. From Shimada’s perspective, just as Tano pulled his head around from Nayoko’s back, a large grin plastered on his face, a bright blue blade of pure chakra would emerge from Nayoko’s abdomen, and blood would begin to fall from his lips. “Looks like you took your eyes off me a little too soon.”

The man winked, and then without holding back at all, grabbed Nayoko by his shoulders and threw him into a nearby tree. Unable to brace himself, the young Hattori hit the trunk with force enough to break his left arm in two places and in right femur, not to mention break a couple of ribs and cause bruises all over the front of his body. As he slumped to the ground, he fell so that he was facing Shimada and Tano, his vision growing dark around the edges. As he looked on, Tano stepped forward toward him, then stopped short and slowly shook his head. The last words that Nayoko heard before passing out were his. “So I guess I now know what family means to you…”

---

Tano turned back to Shimada, his brow furrowed in anger as he looked at the woman who had forced him to kill the last possible heir to his family’s heritage. He was ready for her to attack, but he knew from the jutsu that she had used that if she tired anything, he would easily be able to strike her down. “And now the last hope for my family is dead, and it’s all thanks to you. If you hadn’t been here I’m sure he would have made the right choice, but now he is going to die in the darkness of this swamp.” He let out a sigh before turning his back on her. “I really want to kill you now, you know? And I know that I could. But part of me thinks that leaving you alive to watch him die is better than giving you the release of death.” He slowly began to walk away at this point, still ready for an attack, but not fearing one. “Know that as you run to him and he dies in your arms, it was your fault. If he had not needed to protect you, then maybe he would have lived.” With that he would hop into the trees, heading back to his small group of ninja that he had amassed. He had no more chains holding him back anymore. It was time to move on from the Land of Water; it was time for bigger things…

[Exit Thread]
WC:1613+6136=7749

Nayoko's Chakra: 200/250:

Tano's Chakra: 225/300:

Training

Speed from B-2 to B-3 (900/900)
Endurance, Perception, Reaction Time, and Strength from B-1 to B-3 (6800/6800)

Unused WC: 49

Her attack had done nothing, and when the golem came rushing at her, unharmed by the bolt of lightning, her attention snapped back onto the stone creature. It was quickly gaining ground, but in her state of exhaustion and pain, she thought little could be done. There was no use expending energy against something she could not damage, and relinquished her offensive stance for a defensive one. Despite it having caused her the ache of a broken wrist and what was most likely a few fractured ribs, it was all she could conceive on the spot in the face of death. The demon with the blonde hair, perhaps, the reaper she had not been expecting for many years to come. Shimada's jaw clenched as it advanced closer, but she did not look away.

When she expected to see the hand of the golem come crushing into her once more, she instead witnessed the tall form of Nayoko leap agilely into the air; straight for the stone creature's path. Her ruby eyes tracked him in silent awe as he screamed out the demon's name and then cleanly severed the forearm of the golem off, sending it crashing past her and just in time. Seconds late and she would most likely have met its palm head on, but her friend's sudden rush of bravery sealed off that fate. The young woman pressed herself against the tree to avoid the confrontation; the hacking blade of air cutting the other arm away from the body and sending stone flying. She blinked away the rain as she craned her head up towards the stormy sky, barely able to make out Nayoko's lanky figure as he beheaded the golem and then smashed into Tano Koyanagi's chest. Shimada heard the sound of bone breaking, the thump of a body hitting the ground, and the thundering cacophony of rock shattering apart into pieces. Nayoko had destroyed the golem, seeming none the worse as he dropped back to the ground triumphant.

The Hattori could not explain the feeling when Nayoko immediately abandoned the site of the fallen and came running towards her, but she assumed it could have been pride. Deep down in her chest; faint yet weighty in its presence. She could not help the tiny smile she awarded him as he finally closed the distance between them. His jacket torn and a temporary sling pressed towards her. “I’m sorry I let him do that to you,” she heard him murmur. Shimada fumbled with it before correctly stabilizing her throbbing wrist, and glanced up at him as he broached the din of rainfall once more. “I just…I guess I let him get to me. It…was a bit of a stunning revelation to say the least.”

"Nayoko, it's okay. I'm still breathing, aren't I?" Shimada whispered into the closeness of their proximity, every breath aching in her lungs. Her face was paler than usual with the pain and cold of the rain, but she managed to adeptly keep the expression hidden behind a look of exhaustion. "You... you saved me, though, and that is something I'm willing to repay. Gods, if you hadn't stepped up like that, I'd probably be a red stain against a tree." The young woman looked him straight in the eye, peeling the drenched fabric of her coat back to keep it from clinging to her skin. Though she had noticed their closeness for a while, she had no desire to speak anything of it, and allowed him to back away when the thought crossed his mind. "I must admit. You looked quite dashing jumping in front like that. Never thought I'd be the damsel in distress, but at least my knight wasn't too bad looking." It wasn't like her to tease so freely, but she felt a little hope; a glimmer of something incomprehensible that wanted to make her believe things could still be salvaged.

She watched him thoughtfully as he finally pulled apart from her, and returned his smile with one of her own small ones. At least Nayoko was okay. “Regardless,” he began. “It’s over now. Thank you Shimada…I don’t think I could ha-“ His words died so quickly at his lips that, for a moment, the young kunoichi thought he was toying with her. But it didn't explain how his body unexpectedly seized up as if in paralysis. She wanted to speak and ask what was wrong, but the familiar face of the blond haired demon emerged from behind Nayoko, and her expression immediately fell. He was still alive; the attack had not killed him, and she hadn't seen nor heard him approach. He was at Tano's judgement, and that judgement spoke death as a blade of pure chakra erupted viciously from his stomach and sent beads of blood splattering from Nayoko's mouth.

Shimada's heart stopped cold, and she did not hear what Tano said as he winked mockingly and then threw Nayoko away from the safety of her presence. He smashed into a nearby tree so hard she thought she heard the sound of something breaking. His movements still. When he slumped to the muddy ground, the shock she had experienced boiled down into anger, and she turned her narrowed eyes onto the blonde haired man who now faced her with equal rage. Shimada's uninjured hand trembled with wrath, but she made no move to attack. He could easily slaughter her, and she simply listened to the words he had in store for her; growing numb with every syllable slipping past his lips.


The meaning struck her down, and she nearly flinched at the sharp knife that dug into her heart. It was her fault, wasn't it? His need to protect her from harm sowing seeds of distaste and defiance that proved to Tano there was no loyalty there for him; therefore, resulting in the act of cruelty performed. If Shimada had just been a little faster, a little stronger, maybe her uncle wouldn't have died; maybe her aunt would still be smiling; maybe Nayoko would be unharmed. The anger in her blood burned low, but she clenched her hand into a fist and snarled at the back of Tano Koyanagi.

She forced her jaw to work, and the words came out harsh yet quiet."That bastard... You hear me, Koyanagi?! Rot in hell!" Shimada growled as he disappeared into the trees and away from sight, and when she was sure he was not coming back, the woman turned towards Nayoko. All feeling ebbed from her body, leaving her numb and cold as she ran to where he lay fallen. It was too much like the night she had seen her uncle dead, and for a moment, she was stuck witnessing a parallel scene. Years younger and so much blood staining the ground. This time, however, she vowed to end it differently, and shakily dropped to her knees all the while tearing her jacket from her body. The woman hastily pressed it to the wound in Nayoko's abdomen to stop the bleeding, fumbling with her teeth as she struggled to tie it tight. "Dammit, Nayoko, dammit! You are not dying here; you are not doing this to me! I won't forgive you if you do." Shimada snapped, bending her head to rest it lightly against his chest. She feared she would find no sound reverberating in her ear, but the slow drum of his heart put a few concerns at ease, and the Hattori knew he was alive. Alive and in desperate need of medical attention.

She let out a breath of relief into the cold air, and then braced herself for action. Though she was smaller and weaker than him, Nayoko needed to be taken to the hospital, and she was the only one to do it. It was a struggle Shimada endured with one good hand as she managed to somehow maneuver his tall form onto her back; every pant of air coming from her sending a burst of pain throughout her chest. She could not hesitate because of it, however, and scrambled to her feet with him slumped limply against her. Gritting her teeth, the woman pushed herself to run and leave the rubble strewn clearing behind in desperation that frantically clawed at her heart.

Though she knew her body was threatening to fail her, that exhaustion was clouding her judgement, she was determined to get him to safety no matter what happened and pressed on through the swamp. Only a few words crossing her mind like a hopeless mantra as she descended into the shadows.

'Stay with me, Nayoko! Stay with me!'

Shimada did not notice the rain that felt like tears sliding down her cheeks.




Training

Endurance from D-2 -> C-0 [6743 - 975 = 5768]
Reaction from D-1 -> D-3 [5768 - 850 = 4918]
Genjutsu from A -> S [4918 - 4000 = 918]

Remaining: 918