It was actually surprisingly easy to get into Kumogakure, after all...no matter how skilled their shinobi truly were, they were hardly a match for Lamya and with most of the high ranking ones so close the the chuunin exam itself, it made it all the more easy to get in and present herself as just a visitor. It was quite easy to do so, by simply controlling the flow of her chakra and by clothing herself rather plainly, she managed to get through the gates rather easily, all the while having send Uraeus and a few of the mercenary shinobi she had hired for this occassion through the other gates, spreading her people a bit just to avoid that they'd be recognized as a group together.

The plan was not to instantly get noticed after all, the plan was to be able to move freelie and without too much conspicion, though she had to be careful nonetheless, especially with the detachments of kirigakure and konohagakure shinobi around. It was quite a hassle to think about the fact that one of her targets was so close to her location, but surrounded by either former colleagues or just anbu in general, reaching that target would be quite a difficult thing to do.

So rather than focus on that, Lamya decided that just maybe she could use the first few days of the exam as an enjoyable and relaxing vacation, certainly after the work she'd been pulling behind the scenes in The Land of Wind and how hard she had to pull strings to get what she wanted. Trying to raise a nation out of nowhere wasn't an easy task after all, but she had time, patience, flair and of course more power than most of even the kage to use to her advantage.

Stretching her arms as she passed through the guarded gates, the woman instantly decided to first and foremost visit a local inn and get herself a room, after all...she'd need one if she wanted to stay and while she was at it, she could just as well use the time to change her clothes and get comfortable for the time being. as such, she entered the first inn that she found, got herself a nice, large and comfy room to stay in for at least two weeks. It did cost quite a bit, but she could afford anything at this stage in her life though.

"Well, guess I'll wear this when going out," Lamya laughed when entering the room after having been given her key and opening the suitcase she had brough with her. It wasn't hard to seal away her more... conspicuous items in a few tags and putting them into the pockets of her trousers, but now she could perhaps at the very least put those in the suitcase and wear a more...traditional type of clothing for the time being, pulling out a lavender colored yukata from the suitcase along with a purple, satin obi with a magatama motif on it. "Yep, this'll do nicely."

As she got to wear the yukata and obi, she also wore a locket she had gotten from someone in konoha a long time ago, alongside the jade magatama earrings she used to wear when she was still the active head of her clan, but now she was a fugitive, a missing nin and one who had quite the bounty on her head, though admittedly, this wouldn't stop her from walking around freely anyway, certainly not in Kumogakure where she wasn't exactly known publicly anyway.

Going back downstairs, she simply sat down at the bar of the Inn's tavern and ordered herself some barley tea, nothing fancy just yet, after all...there was still so much to do and who knew what kind of people she'd encounter during these chuunin exams and the accompanying festivities.

657

Slipping out of the comforting embrace of his lover, making sure not to disturb her from the slumber, Daremo ambled to the bathroom, easily finding his way through the pitch black room. After handling his business, along with freshening up a bit, he exited the bathroom. Eyes looking towards where the bed was, and seeing his love still peacefully asleep and now twisted in the linens. He held back a chuckle at the wildness which she slept, and how she seem to immediately noticed his extended absence if the scrunching of her face was any indication. Not wanting her to wake from the slumber, he lightly kissed her on the lips, whispering to her his plans for the morning, and how he would return shortly. Though she nodded in understanding, he felt compel to leave a note behind on the nightstand.

Once written, he navigated the dark confines of the room nearly perfectly. Having remember exactly where everything was place, even the crib for their two children. But, for the past two days, the crib had been empty, the two children, a boy and girl, staying with his grandparents. The elderly couple having no problem in watching after the bundles of joy, allowing him and his lover to have some time for themselves. Time that was spent doing extracurricular activities, hence the reason for his lover being tired. Dismissing such thoughts, Daremo grabbed his attire for the today; a dark blue kimono with black hakama pants, a tied matching obi, and a black haori with a dragon motif. Once dressed, he slipped on a plain silver ring onto his left ring finger. The accessory being a set of two with the other belonging to his sleeping lover. Combing his shoulder-length hair, he placed it in a low hanging ponytail, holding it together with a silver hair clip that had a similar dragon motif as the haori.

“Going somewhere?”, the familiar voice of another asked moments when he stepped into the living room. “Yeah, going out for a bit. Watch at Kaia will you?”, he asked, moving towards the refrigerator, pulling out a raw 1.3 kilogram steak, and placed it on a plate which was then set on the ground. For a few seconds, he watched the beast consume the meat. “Don’t worry hatchling. I will watch after your mate, and little hatchlings when they return.”, with the needed confirmation, Daremo grabbed his wallet, and exited their home. Locking the door behind him, Daremo started walking down the streets. He already knowing where he would stop first, but heading out to handle other busy.

Not surprisingly, the streets were crowded with people. The Chuunin exams having brought up a lot foreigners civilians and shinobi alike who were all here for their own reasons rather it be good or bad. Amongst the crowd of people were the Raikage’s representatives dressed in their hooded cloaks making them look like apart of some wannabe cult. He did not given them a second glance, only mentally shaking his head at the ridicious of representative and Raikage.

It did not take him long to reach the inn few blocks away from his place of residents. Walking into the establishment, he headed straight towards the tavern, noticing a few shinobi from other villages lingering about or coming from downstairs. Walking towards the bar, Daremo took a seat on the right hand side of a woman wearing a lavender colored yutaka. While there were other seats available, there was something dangerous about the woman which called out to the darker side of him. To the monster which he kept at bay for the longest of times now.“Came here for watch the Chuunin Exams or just here for the festivals like the others? i", he asked, after ordering a roasted green tea, glancing in her direction. His yellow reptilian eyes showing a friendly disposition but also a control beast who had no qualms in cutting down those in his way.

---

666

She had not expected to see much interesting people out there in kumogakure just yet, she still had quite a lot of waiting to do before the first trials of the chuunin exam would've been cleared and thus before the actual exam's more interesting part began: the actual combat phase of the festival itself. However, she nonetheless desired to have some fun, to look around and to perhaps meet some interesting folk all the while avoiding contact with the Kirigakure and Konoha delegations due to her own missing nin status. For now it simply seeme better not to look up trouble on purpose.

Still, Lamya was quite surprised to suddenly be spoken to by an on first sight rather dull looking man, though her opinion on his appearance quickly changed when she looked up from her cup of barley tea and truly gazed at this stranger who seemed willing or perhaps foolish enough to talk to her and interrupt her moment of peace and relative quiet. She noticed that he actually didn't look all that bad, maybe a bit devious and conniving due to the squinty eyes and certainly not muscular, yet the stranger did same to give off some vibe of both elegance and underlying strength, which wasat the very least interesting.

His demeanor, but more importantly his eyes kind of gave the woman a chill though, taking in account those cold, reptilian eyes, he reminded her a bit too much of her uncle, who's soulless, empty eyes she'd never forget. However, there was no mistaking the stranger for her uncle though, if that were the case, she'd have sensed an absurdly monstrous strength behind the calm facade. "I reckon some people may come for both," Taking a sip from her barley tea, the woman's own golden, snakelike orbs turned towards the stranger, the colorful, both majestic and predatory looking eyes contrasting greatly with her alabaster white skin and purple make up. "... And some people come for neither, just to have some fun or to seek out other...leisure in this place."

Something seemed off with this man, yet at the same time, that very thing that seemed so off also seemed to be so appealing, so attractive that Lamya could not resist looking at this stranger. It was as if theywere so much alike, so closely resembling each other in a myriad of untold ways. "Now to grant you a question as well," She let out a soft and cheerful chuckle, pointing towards the stranger's eyes with a perfectly manicured finger, the glossy black nailpolish shimmering in the dimmed light coming from outside of the inn. "Why do I have the feeling that you're here with reasons not pertaining to the chuunin exams as well?"

Lamya chuckled again before smiling rather unusually bright, squinting her closing her own eyes for a moment, while taking another sip of her barley tea. When she opened those eyes again though, she seemed to be a bit more serious, as her innocent looking smile turned into a sly grin. "There are only three types of men that willingly approach me: those that want something from me, those that want me or those that want what I'm worth. So, now I'll ask you very calmly, what do you want...I'm actually rather keen to know."

564/1221

Daremo found himself intrigued by the woman sitting beside him, and it had nothing to do with the way her yutaka seem to accentuate her pale skin, and her near flawless raven hair. The physical attributes of her, while beautiful and erotic in their own right, was not what held his attention. No, it was the barely concealed presence that coiled around her, like a serpent, just like the eyes which glanced at him, that he managed to glean from just sitting beside her. There was just something monstrous about the woman, and it called the darker side of him. To the side that is rarely allowed to come out to play. To the monster who sought out a reason to reveal itself once more, and that reason was seemingly found in this random, chance encounter.

Though, could it really be called a chance encounter, or was something else at work? Was it their similar but different presence who called out to them. Drawing together two people who seemingly have the same, yet different, monsters lurking underneath the surface, hiding behind a well-crafted facade to blend in with the masses with everyone else being none the wiser of the terror that walks amongst them. He did not dwell on the mundane ponders of his mind for long, instead, focus on the woman’s words.

Nodding in appreciation to the bartender who brought him his tea. Her answer to the question opposed was cryptic. Not giving him any information that would provide an inclination to why she was at the exams. He appreciated the answer. It having become increasingly easy to get information out of others due to either their trusting nature or naivety. She being the first in a long time to not give him a straight answer. Leaving him to guess what her true intention was from coming to the exams. Did she come to watch the competition? To see the up and rising shinobis of each village? Was she here to partake in the festival activities, and potentially indulge in the pleasure of flesh? He did not know.

Taking a sip of the roasted green tea that was placed a front of him, his eyes focused back on the woman beside him - reptilian eyes meeting snakelike ones. The soft and gentle chuckle of the unknown woman broadens his warm smile. “Because I am not.”, he admitted, “I care little for the performances each village put on the please the noblemen, noblewomen, and potential clients in hopes their village is chosen over the others. I am more interested in . . .other things that come forth from these exams.”  To those who knew him, his answer was not a surprising one. He has never liked the exams for what they stood for.


The facade was slowly being peeled away. A sly grin replacing the innocent one, and the gentle nature of her eyes becoming serious. An eyebrow raised when she questioned his motives about speaking to her. The smile of his turning into a smirk, and he chuckled at the woman’s assumptions, “Jumping to conclusions aren't we?”, taking another sip of the tea, but never taking his eyes off of her, “As far as I am concerned you have nothing that I want. While you are quite erotic and beautiful, I do not desire your body. There are others who I can easily indulge those urges in. And what you are worth?”

While his eyes held a mischievous nature to them, the sinister monster who sought ruin, to infest the world was clearly present. “That is an interesting statement. For all I know, you are simply a civilian with an intense presence.”, of course, he had his own suspicions about her being anything but a civilian. But, he wanted for her to confirm it. He extended his right hand towards the woman, offering a handshake. It did not matter if she took it or not, “I’m Kobayashi, Daremo. Who might you be?”, he inquired,  wondering if she would be forthcoming with that information or would she be cryptic like earlier?

---

683[1349]

"Heh, you truly are quite an interesting person," The woman grinned, her luscious lips' corners curling upwards in truly a devious fashion. It was always fun to hear someone put the emphasis on 'other things' when they avoided a particular question revolving around their desires. So far, Lamya had nearly always been able to either guess or provide said idea or item the people in question desired or searched for. However, she herself was also looking for something different than just the strong shinobi or the most promising genin at the exam. In fact, it was true that looking out for strong genin was always a part of her goal, but far from the most important part. It wasn't true talent she was looking for, given that talent usually went hand in hand with a certain level of arrogance and defiance, two things she wasn't exactly keen on, except when she could and most probably would be able to break and even shatter those illusions of grandeur. "I know people who are actually more interested in the samples they could get their hands on or those who'd rather find the weakest among them to prey on their feelings of guilt and inadequacy."

Taking a sip from her barley tea, the rogue shinobi realized that her cup was nearly empty and in those regards, she stretched out her arm and snapped her fingers a few times in a gesture to the innkeeper to either send someone to take her order or to come over himself if necessary. When the innkeeper had finally send for Lamya's order to be taken, she calmly ordered a more refined Jasmin tea, nodding at Daremo to order if he ever wished to do so. The waitress would take the order of the rogue shinobi and if need be the order of the stranger as well, coming back with the ordered beverages within a few moments' time. "Heh...heheh...hahahah!!" The kunoichi could not help but burst into a fit of laughter when the man sitting on the opposite side of the table seemed to have misunderstood her question, daring to go so far as actually call her erotic and beautiful, it certainly was an unexpected answer. However, when he ended his reply with a question of his own, desiring to know what she's worth, her laughter ended rather abruptly and her golden snake-like eyes peered deeply into his own reptillian featured yellow orbs. "It's surprising how little people know about me and how few have even heard of me, let alone manage to recognize me...quite the surprising realization, considering who I am."

In Lamya's eyes it seemed as if the world was either too affraid of her or they had simply already forgotten what she had done and to whom she was associated in most cases. It certainly made working towards her goals rather easy, with no one either daring or bothering to hunt or even challenge her. However, it was quite saddening and frustrating as well, for this meant the rogue shinobi simply could not have some fun and it also seemed to make her wonder if she even had a reputation outside of her home to begin with. It was the same with the whole Sunagakure assault, as apparently only Mitsuo and Syekren were remembered as the culprits. Sure, she actually benefitted from this turn of events, yet it still stinged her a bit.

Luckily, she had never heard of this Kobayashi Daremo either, which either meant this guy had hidden pretty well or simply had not existed for that very long and considering his apparent age, she guessed it was actually the latter. Someone with such an intense aura around him, such a strange, yet weirdly familiar feel to him wouldn't remain off of her radar for so long. "I'd say you could call me Lamya, though I reckon just as the name you gave me is more than likely a fake or a name you took for yourself, that one just as well is but a pseudonym...that actually more people seem to know than my real name, which comes in quite handy."

702/1923

“Come now, we both know flattery can only take someone so far.”, he spoke, referring to the apparent compliment given to him by the unknown woman. He smiled at her. Though the action did not exactly reach his eyes, and there was something completely off about the seemingly innocent gesture. To the untrained eye, his smile was welcoming and inviting, one could take solace in the fact that this man would not harm them in any fashion, but to the trained eye, there was a sense of uneasiness behind it. Something dangerous that cause alertness and wariness within those attuned to their surroundings. It was the smile of a monster who was delighted in finding another one of their kind.

Samples. Now, that was an interesting way in describing getting involved into the activities presented at the exams. “This would be a good place as any for those who look to collect samples. With the amount of traffic from all the foreigners coming in, one easily have a lot to choose from. The chuunin exams is perfect for that.”,. There were many different ways his statement could be perceived. On one need, it could be seen as a harmless comment regarding the fun activities that an exam of this magnitude can produce, but on the other hand. It could be seen as something dark and sinister with the samples referring to the lives of others. For who would miss a person here and there? “Let those prey on their weaker brethren, they only do so to cover up their own inadequacies and shortcomings, and of fear of being prey on themselves.”, despite humans wanting to separate themselves from animals, their sure have a lot of tendencies associated with them. Those who prey on the weak are no different than the predators who target the sick and elderly. Of course, people never want to see themselves in the same league as the animals that they so try to separate themselves from. He did not have that way of thinking. He is very much aware, and accepts, that in the grand scheme of things he is nothing more than an animal.

Gripping the cup of tea, he brought it to his lips, taking a sip of the liquid. He realized that the cup was nearly empty, therefore, he finished off the remaining tea. Before he could call for a waiter or server, it seemed his unknown companion for this morning was also in need of a refill, and in the process of calling for a server. Once the woman’s order was taken, and the innkeeper turned to him, he ordered another cup of tea. Briefly though, he thought about ordering something stronger, but it was too early for that. He did not bat an eyelash at the woman’s sudden laughter nor did his eyes look around the room to see if the commotion drew the attention of others. Instead, he sipped calmly on tea, that was place down when laughter came to an abrupt stop. His reptilian yellow orbs peered deeply and unflinchingly into her snakelike one’s. “Well whoever you might be, you are doing something that many shinobi don’t seem to comprehend. Being anonymous is the best thing anyone can ever be. The fewer people who recognize you the easier it is to go about activities without any problem. And the less likely someone will know your tendencies, and cause issues for you.”, truly, Daremo finds himself nearly disgusted with the shinobi who wants to gain fame or infamy, and some fancy title because of their actions. Such things are trivial, and only paints a target on one’s back. There was nothing to fear of those who were known, for information about them is everywhere. It is the unknown shinobi which one should be wary of, for the lack of information is a shinobi’s worse enemy.

“Nice to meet you, Lamya.”, he spoke, eyes never leaving the now identified woman. The name itself did not ring any immediate bells with him. Thought, for the most part, he had stayed away from the shinobi lifestyle, only coming in whenever the Geisha houses were threatened or some information warranted his attention. His priorities had shifted due to personal reasons, though, he would once again find himself fully immerse in shinobi affairs considering the headband which laid on his nightstand at home.

Dangerous. If it hadn’t been determined already, Lamya was truly a dangerous individual. Never had anyone made the assumption of his name not being truly his own. It was only because of this that he made the next statement, “You are correct to assume such about my name. I congrats you on being the first individual to realize that.”, taking another sip of the tea. He ponders on what he wanted to ask Lamya about. “Immediately upon meeting you, I noticed you were not a civilian. Your aura is just too intense to be some as simple as that. You are either a former or current shinobi, right?”, he inquired, wanting to know about the woman beside him.

---

853[2202]

"Exactly...yes, exactly," The woman's lips curled upwards, her golden eyes showing a depth they had not shown moments before. Inside her thin, snakelike slits of pupils, a cold darkness showed itself to the man sitting across the table. She had been right with her comment earlier, people didn't seem to know her, people didn't seem to recognize her, yet one thing was always true: people feared her. If she had inherited but one thing from her uncle, if he had learned her perhaps just one thing in her entire life, it was that it was better to be feared than to be loved. "The chuunin exams are full of people bittered by defeat, angered by loss and broken by despair. Shinobi of all ages from all the villages and clans, all willing to sell their bodies and their souls, just to have but an inkling of true power and that... Daremo, is what I am exactly. I am a snake, preying on the weak, those with great potential, but weak of mind or spirit."

If Daremo had been an Uchiha, he might've cowered in fear due to the nature of her chakra. After all chakra normally represented life and energy, but in her case, it was more akin to death and utter lack of spirit or soul. If he were a Hyuga, he would've noticed how unnatural and twisted her tengetsu had become over the past several years, how beyond the beauty of her exterior, was the ugly truth of a real monster. Lamya had no scrupules, she had no more attachments, nothing held her back any longer. To her, everything in the world was a lie, a twisted form of a childish ideal, ruined by lust and hatred. Even she wasn't affraid to admit that she had been part of the problem as well, desiring a better world, but bittered by hatred and loss, always trying to do good, only to have it smack her straight back in the face. This wretched shinobi world, though some would claim it relatively peaceful compared to the old days, was nothing but a sham, a lie... a nightmare.

"Being anonymous has its benefits, but it is not my desire to be anonimous any longer, daremo," A chuckle escaped the woman's lips as she gleefully took a sip from her barley tea. From within her Yukata, she pulled forth a few headbands, forehead protectors of various villages, most notably was one from sunagakure, blackened by fire and stained by blood. Holding the bands in her hand, she slowly pulled them into the palm of her hand and as each and every plate was neatly stacked upon each other, her fingers closed around it in a grim, symbolic grip, before all the plates shattered and crumbled under the force of her might. "I used to be a shinobi and as such, I carried the sin of my clan, the curse of a bloodline and the twisted distinction of family. I sought to understand this feeling, this hatred towards me...this...monster, as they called me."

Letting go of the crumpled metal plates, letting the shards fall upon the table, the woman chuckled again and looked straight into daremo's reptilian eyes. "You seem to be a man of knowledge, of desire... so tell me, do you not desire more knowledge, to see what the truth of this world is?" Lamya's hand slowly reached across the table, her slender fingers reaching for those of Daremo, while still looking into his eyes. "All I seek is knowledge, knowledge to know myself, to know the world, to know life. I seek knowledge because it grants power, it has potential for power...it IS power.

"What if I told you, that Sunagakure... is but the beginning of something beautiful?" Closing her eyes and showing a surprisingly soft and gentle smile, Lamya's mind already envisioned what she desired. "A place of knowledge will be created, a place of freedom and power... would you not desire that freedom, that knowledge... would you not desire to be able to sate your own curiosity?"

692/2615

Truly, this was turning out to be an interesting experience for Daremo. When he came down for his morning tea, he did not expect to run into anyone that would pique his curiosity in the slightest. From the times he had visited the establishment, the only thing mildly interesting was to gossip told by the locals or foreigners. Only through shifting through their nonsense did he ever find anything worth remembering or caring about. So, he had fully expected for this morning to play out the same way, with him hanging around enough to drink his tea and listen in on gossip while also making small talk with the bartender, fishing for information. Yet, his normal routine was thrown out of the window by his unexpected morning companion.

He never been the type of person to simply overlook another for whatever reason. He always approached people with a certain wariness about him that was crafted hidden by years of practice. Because of that, he did not appear surprise when Lamya turned out to be something more than a simple citizen. Everything about her screamed dangerous. That testing her would lead to an early death.

What was surprising though was something about her peaked the curiosity of the monster within him. Making the demon wake up from it’s slumber and take notice of her. Something about her made him relinquished control over to the demon, allowing it to take the reigns and stretch it’s legs a bit. He did not know what exactly about the woman that causes this response. Having met the true monsters and evils of this world. The men and women who made a hobby out of doing atrocities acts and finding joy within the suffering of others. People like Tsuyo, Karumo, and Yui who could make seasoned Jounin and S-ranks think twice about crossing them. None of them held a candle to his current companion. It was criminally unfair to compare them to the likes of her.

Not only did he get the sense she was stronger than any of those mentioned, but, so far, she was the only one who piqued his curiosity to the point where he did not see her as an assuming toy to further his own agenda - like he saw the others. And, unlike them, she called out to the monster within him. “Preying on those who are too deep in their despair and sorrow to notice?”, he took a sip of his tea. “Nothing I haven’t seen or done before. It is entertaining what people would do at the promise of what they desire.”, he briefly thought back to the men and women who he promised things to, and the amount of stuff they did for him just to get what they desired.

He wonders what measures did the woman put into place to prevent those who got caught within her fangs from fighting back. What was stopping them from potentially turning on her, using the power she gave him? What was stopping them from biting the hand that fed them like a disobedient pet? He did not believe for a second Lamya would foolishly enough to go about something like that without a backup plan. He could discern that much from her.

There was no use in bantering with her regarding why remaining anonymous is beneficial in the long run. He already said his peace about that earlier. He watched as she pulled out a collection of various village headbands, even ones from Sunagakure. The village insignia still being visible despite the blackened metal with bloodstains on it. The headband telling him either she came across it while wandering the remains of Sunagakure or something more grimly. If it was the latter, he did not care enough to tell anyone about it. Sure, he lost many people in the destruction of Sunagakure, but, he had come to accept their death already and moved on.

He watched as the metal plates were shattered in her hand, his eyes focusing on her as she spoke once more. “No offense, but that is foolish.”, he spoke, shaking his head at the woman before him, “Someone like you should know that bloodlines are simple tools. Nothing more nor less. It is only when you let others tell you otherwise that you see bloodlines as something more than a tool to use. You as a shinobi should know that.” he spoke, finishing off his tea.

He did not back down when snake-like eyes met reptilian ones. He stared the snake in the eye without fear. A smile steadily growing on his face as he listened to her words. He did not speak until she was done. Picking up a shard of the shattered metal, he rolled it between his fingers. A paleish green energy surrounding the piece. There was distinct wrongness with the energy. It reeked of sickness and disease. It felt simply wrong, “Your proposal is certainly interesting. Not every day, I meet someone who is seemingly interested in recruiting me.”, he spoke, watching as the energy dissipates from around the metal.

Setting the piece of metal back onto the table, he stared into the woman’s eyes. “I already have what I desired most from this world. It is nothing that you could possibly give me, and taken it away? That would be bad for everyone involved.”, there in his eyes were a glimpse of the man who would tear the world to asunder if what he held dear was ever threaten or taken away from him. A man who was very much willing to release a horror onto the world that made what happened to Sunagakure looked like child’s play. This was all bared to Lamya, showing her the depths he would go to if desired, and the type of people he truly is. “Freedom. Power. Knowledge. All of that is tempting, but I don’t make deals without knowing exactly what I am getting into. But, it is not to say I am not interested in your proposal.”, truthfully, he was interested in her proposal, just needed to sort some things out. This did not only concern him but other people as well. He had to make sure none of them would get hurt in the process. “I just want to build some trust between us. To see if this is worthwhile for the both of us. What do you say?”

---

1076[3282]

The woman smiled, showing her particulary sharp fangs; displays of an already quite inhuman nature alongside the bone protrusions which crowned her head full of long, silky smooth and jet black hair. If anything, one could've argued that in appearance she had many similarities to the so-called shinobi gods of old, yet at the same time, she was strikingly different. Her nearly white skin, the golden snakelike eyes and the almost overwhelming chakra signature she had signified her link to the Ouroboros clan originating from Konohagakure no sato. However, despite all those attributes, despite her seductively monstrous appearance and her equally monstrous chakra, it was her calm demeanor combined with those ever-vigilant, ever so cold eyes which made many a man turn around when facing her.

"Bloodlines might be tools to be used and manipulated, but still one must not underestimate the stigma some of them bear and the wordly view upon them," She wasn't lying when she spoke about how her clan had endured the sin of an ancient monster hailing from them, not to mention the fact that it had not one, but two of their clanleaders end up as S rank criminals who each in their own right and on their own power could potentially threaten the peace in the entire shinobi world. On one hand, there was Orochi Enaka; a feared and infamous master of medical ninjutsu who had not only managed to send an assassin to Senju Sousetsu's doorstep, but also had orchestrated a brutal attack on Konoha while it was perhaps at the height of its power in the past decade. On the other hand, there was Orochi Risu, who had staged a prison break in konoha's most secure prison, resulting in the deaths of easily a few dozen shinobi and the release of said aforementioned Orochi Enaka. Each had been seen as a genius in their own right, each a prodigious shinobi and now, sitting right in front of Daremo, was none other than Orochi Risu. "As I told you, such thoughts only plagued my conscience in the past. Now however, I do not care much about how they view me in this wretched world. I AM a monster and I embrace such a designation as a mother would embrace their own child. So yes, bloodlines are but mere tools and designations to put people in neatly bordered boxes and groups...though I'd say that those who can outgrow those boxes are the ones most worthy of praise and interest."

Lamya's eyes carefully studied Daremo's fingers as he picked up the shard of metal coming from one of the village headbands which she had shattered in her hand a single moment earlier. Seeing the greenish tinted chakra was already enough for her to realize the field in which he seemed to excell, but it was the smell, the stench of disease and decay which alarmed her. There weren't many around who were known for such a distinctive feeling to their chakra and of any name she could think of, only one man's name popped up in her mind. Iwagakure had a man called Nanashi who was known for the use of necrosis and disease based jutsu, but the latest reports she had gotten on Iwagakure had mentioned that he had been buried after an unspecified death. "Strange chakra, but I like the feeling it has," The corners of her lips curled upwards into a devilish grin, while she calmly listened to what this strangely fascinating man had to tell her. "You seem to misunderstand...what I just told you is not to tempt you, it is but an idea of what you could get if you were to join me, but I do understand that just mere promises and vague ideas would not be the most poignant of points to be used in the creation of a satisfactory deal that could benefit the both of us."

Reaching into her Yukata again, the woman pulled out a small envelope, removing the seal and untying the thin cord that kept it closed. Out of the envelope, she pulled two pieces of paper and what looked like a picture of some young, unknown person. "Perhaps granting you the opportunity to see what sort of people interest me, might also present to you an idea of what sort of freedom and what sort of knowledge I could provide and seek," Sliding the papers and the picture to Daremo with a smile on her face, Lamya finally decided to take a sip from her barley tea. "I have great interest in this kid hailing from Kirigakure, his psychological profile matches that which I seek and apparently he's someone with great potential in medical ninjutsu. This boy named Hanza might be a worthwhile student for anyone with a greater knowledge in medical ninjutsu and its applications. For the sake of trusting each other, I thought it might be rather fun for you to seek out this child and perhaps take him on as a student, to find that part of you which hungers for knowledge and the freedom to experiment. So, what do you say...would this be something interesting for you?"

875/3490

With the stranger not reacting to any of her questions or proposals, the rogue shinobi just decided to call it quits rather than continue talking so someone who without any notice or reason suddenly started to ignore her and got up from the table to go about her own business.

50/3540

[exit thread]

Training:

2000/2000 A rank pet jutsu: Fukaku Taberu
1500/1500 B rank Water release - Encampment wall

discard 40 wc