A Tale of Two Cities [Tutor]

[Ueno Kotone]

Kotone shivered as a stray gust of wind whipped her hair and sent a pile of debris sweeping past her legs. The girl was well under-dressed for the decaying underbelly of the village, sporting a short ruffled skirt, sleeveless top, and a small backpack stuffed with a matching pajama set featuring an adorable cartoon bear. She had of course lied to her mother when she had returned home, after the mess of the day there was no way her parents needed to know where she was off to tonight. As such, she had packed and dressed for a supposed comfortable slumber party with a friend a few blocks down, and now Kotone wished she had gone with another excuse to be out and about.

Rubbing her chilled arm, the blonde glanced back down at the note she was carrying. There was not much to go on in the invitation, only a command that she needed to come to Cronopolis alone after the sun was down, and a street name she had never heard of before in her life. In fact, Kotone didn't know any of the street names anywhere near here. Having been born and raised exclusively in the upper-crust of Kumogakure, the girl was forced to blindly wander the urban sprawl, having no intention of asking the intimidating locals for help.

Frustration set in as she turned yet another corner, desperately scanning for any street signs that weren't in too ill-repair. Kotone had started to take a liking to crimson-eyed girl back in the raikage's tower, but now out here, alone and freezing, violent thoughts were returning to the child's mind. Loudly crumpling the paper in her hand, she chucked the resulting ball away with a stomp. As she watched the note soar through the air, in a stroke of fortune it struck against a tilted sign crudely emerging from the opposite side of the street. The faint glow of a half-burnt out neon bar sign provided just enough light for the girl to make out the words, and repeating the contents of the notes in her mind Kotone realized she had at last found her destination.

Taking a few more steps down the street, Kotone shot looks all about, but quickly realized she was still seemingly alone. Shivering once again, the girl lightly coughed to clear her throat as the confusion ratcheted up her annoyance. "HEY CREEPAZOID YOU OUT HERE? HEEEEEELLO?" Kotone's blue eyes gleamed in the night as she waited just a moment for a response, then nervously glanced around. "I SWEAR TO GOD IF I GET MUGGED OUT HERE IT'S ON YOU!"

 

[Kagami Miro]

Run down buildings, shoddy pavement and suspicious looking figures… ‘Ahh, Cronopolis never changes. Even with help.’ Red hues subtly watched the world drift past her. Mirō posted up against a building wall. Peering out from the alley occasionally while she awaited the newcomers arrival. It didn’t take long before Miro spotted them. The blond haired girl stuck out like a sore thumb. Mirō toyed with the thought of just leaving her to her own devices and seeing if she would find trouble. A soft giggle escaped her lips from underneath her hooded black cloak. ‘Would the Raikage even notice a student missing?’ Naibu infiltrated her mind. ‘Too busy to notice. I’d blame it on the Mutt anyway.’

Leaving her spot Mirō followed behind the girl a block and a half behind her. A test to see how she would fare navigating through Cronopolis itself. Looking to see how well she performed with covering up her tracks, if she remained incognito, handling situations, the good stuff. ‘Would you consider her for ANBU?’ Naibu prodded Mirōs mind again. She refrained from answering. Hand seals were made underneath her black cloak. Producing another identical paper clone of herself within the shadows the clone ventured off out of sight in a flash. The cold air made her breath visible as a small sigh was let out. ‘We’ll see. Right now n-’ Mirō’s train of thought was cut due to the sound of loud babbling and swearing.

Disappointment filled her thoughts about this new student. That temperament of hers needed to be silenced. The display of emotions would cost the lives of not only the ninja in question but their comrades as well. ‘So far, she’s failed.’ Naibu chimed in again. That wicked grin painted her lips, vanishing mysteriously as Mirō stepped into another shadow.

Without sound a cloaked figure appeared behind the blond haired student. Safe to strike, the instructions of the paper were faulty. The location in question was vacant. Other dwellers feared this spot because Mirō herself, if put nicely ‘shooed’ away the lot that remained here. Without hesitation a sharp kunai twinkled in the moonlight, attempting to startle the student, a gloved hand quickly brought the kunai up to the small child's neck. That sharpened point threatened to pierce her skin. “Silence would best fit ya for now.” A deepened voice whispered into her ear. In a second another figure appeared in front of her. Standing to the side the figure looked down at the trapped girl. That hood and the presence of the night hid distinct features. “Already hollering... “ The long hood swayed side to side in disapproval. An origami butterfly peeled itself off of the young girls backpack. Fluttering in the wind it returned back underneath the cloak of the figure in front of her.

“I’m starting to wonder if this is even worth the time.” A soft coo whispered into the hostage's ear. The kunai in hand pulled away from her throat. The figure stepped back but remained looming overhead of the blonde.

The figure in front pulled the long hood back slightly to reveal her defining feature again. Mirō would dismiss any insults that were inevitable before continuing to speak. “I won’t get much detail. I want you to perform a scouting mission a few blocks down from here. Slavers have been seen moving more frequently.” In correlation to herself mutilating an entire camp a week ago. “Go there. Scout out who’s guarding the door and who enters and exits. Do that and I’ll see if you’re worth it.” Harsh words defined the manner of work she would come to expect from new students. If they couldn’t follow orders and performed poorly there would be no sense in continuing this private training. Mirō stood in front of her. A soft hand emerged from her clock to fan away the student. Dismissing her but never truly allowing her to get away from her vision.

[WC:655]
[Topic Entered]
[Miro talking.
Miro thinking.
Naibu talking.]

 

[Ueno Kotone]

Kotone jolted as she felt metal suddenly pressed into her throat. "FREAKING CHRIST, IF THAT'S FREAKING YOU CREEPAZOID DON'T FREAKING DO THAT!" The girl squirmed for a moment, but as the razor edge of the blade dug into her skin she slowly calmed down. "Fine, fine, shutting up now. No more freaking heart-attack jump scares though." The blonde girl listened to the short spiel, only interrupting briefly for a few angry words at the evaluation of her abilities, and a quickly muttered "Youlookevencreepieratnightholyhell" as the red-eyed girl pulled back her hood. Despite her sass, Kotone happily absorbed the short bit of information, and was on her game by the time a hand emerged to shoo her away.

"So, like, first off before you take off points because I'm not dressed for a stealth mission, which totally wasn't fair by the way I thought we were going to do like an obstacle course or take-the-coin-from-my-hand or something, I'm already two steps ahead of you chica." With that the girl took off to an alleyway and in a moment was in her underwear and shivering even harder. Rummaging through her backpack, Kotone pulled out the packed pajamas and folded them inside-out to hide the cartoon print. Sinking her teeth here and there into the cloth, she tore large ragged strips out of the outfit until she was satisfied, and then quickly slipped into the soft material, thankful for the bit of coverage from the chilly night air.

Kotone was not looking forward the next part of her plan as she stooped over and ran her hands across the ground, collecting a mixture of dirt and grime on the skin of her palms. Reaching up, she gagged slightly as she rubbed the coating of gunk across her face, leaving various streaks and smears across her previously perfect skin. Finally, the girl gave her hair a good messy ruffling, scooping up a handful of random street-debris to toss into it, the the sundry litter catching her and there to complete the disheveled look.

Kotone may have never met a poor person before but she had played one on television. She just thought they lived like, somewhere else. Far far, away from here. Regardless, now dressed for the part, Kotone thought for a moment. The curt girl hadn't given much direction on where to actually head, and if she simply were to wander around she could be here all night. Suddenly she was struck with the thought that this was like an actual real-deal ninja thing, and ninja problems required ninja solutions.

Shooting her gaze up, she spotted a gutter that came down the wall farther inside the alley. Shoving her previous attire into her backpack, the blonde shouldered the pack and hurried over to lay her hands on the vertical pipe. The ascent was not as particularly smooth or quiet as she hoped, but now on the rooftop her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding streets. It took a good while of examination in the dark night, but eventually Kotone's eyes landed on a particularly formidable man posted in front of a doorway several streets away that any passing locals seemed to give a wide berth to.

With her target now acquired, the young kunoichi began to run along the rooftops toward her destination. The urban area thankfully kept buildings packed together, and resulted in much less daring leaps across than she had practiced at the academy. The relative poverty of the area also worked to her advantage, the few street lights gave off such little light that it was a simple endeavor to keep out of any glow, and the clustered nature of the sprawl lent well to keeping her profile low and broken up during her short travel. As she arrived on a roof directly overlooking the guard, she dropped down and settled herself in, confident that she had at least pulled this much off successfully.

Kotone yawned as she watched the proceedings, every so often figures would come either alone or in pairs, the night mostly disguising any major defining features. Her senses were also not yet well trained enough to pick out the hushed words that were exchanged, often resulting in someone entering the building past the man, or a quick trade made in sleeve-covered hands.

None of this was particularly useful, and Kotone knew it. If she came back to scarred girl with what was effectively the information she had been given, she'd just get another pointed comment about her lacking talents. She'd need to get closer, ideally inside, to get a good handle of who exactly the clientele of this establishment were. Already dressed for the part she had to play, Kotone quietly dropped down into another alleyway and emerged onto the street containing the stationed man.

Approaching, Kotone fell back on her years of acting and conjured up a shaky, traumatized voice along with huge blue eyes staring up at the massively muscled gangster. "S-sir, I dunno where my mommy and daddy are. I h-haven't seen them in a really long time. Can you pl-pl-please help me find them?" Surely if these were slavers, the nefarious lot would have no qualms with adding some lost orphan to their nightly human-cargo.

 

[Kagami Miro]

“At least you noticed you didn’t look ready for stealth missions.” Miro peered over her shoulder. Watching the enthusiastic young girl dart past her and down the road. “Hmph.” A faint smile crept up on her lips. A large gust of wind blew paper and debris into Miro and as quickly as it appeared both her and the wind vanished.

Miro traversed the urban buildings barely out of sight from the child. The sharingan Miro possessed did not allow her to leave her sight. Miro would note the sudden change in clothing. Smudging her face with dirt and gunk to give her a look of the downtrodden. Disguises and acting skills could change the tides in her favor if she played her cards right. So far, Miro remained unimpressed. Perhaps she expected no less than her own abilities when assessing the blondes very own. Miro herself never had to play the child's current part… because she didn’t foolishly walk up to the front door of enemy establishments.

“What the… hell!?” An open palm clasped her forehead in surprise. The shoddy roof creaked quietly, Miro jumping from building to building to close the gap between the guarded building and her.

The muscular man took another long drag of his crafted cigarette. His hand would fall to his side, his exhale was drawn out as he eyed the broken child before him. Apparently besides hitting the gym every day for his entire life he also could call a bluff when he could see one. Experienced in his craft dark eyes squinted at the suspicious girl. “Now looky here. No child would be dumb enough to talk to anyone in Crono. Think you can fool me!?” The thug flicked his cigarette into the blonde face. His hand coiled into a tight fist, cocking back his arms he lurched forward to attempt to strike the student.

[Miro talking.]
[The Thug attempts to attack you!]
[WC:312]

 

[Ueno Kotone]

The cigarette bounced off Kotone's forehead, the cherry lightly singing skin as ash and smoke flew into the child's eyes and nostrils. The blonde girl coughed and grimaced, inwardly wondering why her master plan hadn't paid off the way she had hoped. A few quick blinks and eyes rubs later, the world came back into focus just as she saw the man's arm uncoil and leap toward her face. Kotone dodged to the right, just barely clearing the strike as she felt force from the blow gust by her cheek, the sudden motion sending the girl tumbling down into the street. The girl went head over heels several times before instincts kicked in and she righted into a barely controlled roll, leaving her dizzy as she came back to her feet.

"Dude you're-god stop spinning. You're freaking RUINING my stealth mission here!" Another blow came for her head, forcing Kotone to awkwardly duck as she fought to reorient herself. As her eyes scanned the ground, she spied a pile of cigarette butts, likely from the man's long nights guarding the door. Springing forward she grabbed a handful of filters and ash and tossed them upward, sending the stinging particles into the man's eyes. The man roared as the cloud met his eyes, stumbling around for a moment as he furiously clawed at his blinded eyes. "NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT GIRLY!"

The distraction gave Kotone just enough time to recover, and charging forward she quickly unslung her backpack. In one fluid motion the pack swung from her back in a wide arc, eventually connecting with the man's face just as his eyes refocused upon the girl, "ACADEMY BASICS: HIDDEN WEAPON!" Unfortunately the maneuver accomplished very little, harmlessly bouncing off the gruff man's face, who proceed to grab and yank the the backpack around in a circle. Still clinging to a strap, Kotone was swept up in the motion, and was whipped around, spinning faster and faster around the man as the world began to blur.

The spinning suddenly stopped as the blonde girl connected with the solid flat of a building's brick wall. Air rushed out of her lungs as Kotone slumped to the ground, watching on as the man tossed the bag to the side and slowly stepped toward her. Her hand went to her ribs as she stared the man down, thankfully nothing seemed to be broken, and she stumbled back up to her feet. The situation had long since gone off the rails, and the fact that Kotone knew she was being judged on this caused rage to bubble up inside the child.

Yet another swing came for the girl, who staggered just underneath it. Kotone knew now that she'd have to use her head in this fight, and before the man could wind back up, Kotone forced her body into cooperation, locking her legs and suddenly sprang straight upward. As the girl rocketed upward, skull met nose with a firm crunch as she blindly headbutted into the thug. The man nasally yelped as he felt the cartilage crumple, just as small arms locked around his neck and Kotone swung herself around to his back. As the man's hands shot up to his broken nose, Kotone tightened one arm around the thick neck, clinging to him in the air as the the other arm released to wildly wail at the man's head.

"CREEPAZOID, I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU'RE LIKE WATCHING AND SIGHING, FREAKING HOLD ON A MINUTE. I'VE GOT HIM RIGHT WHERE I WANT HIM!"

 

[Kagami Miro]

‘Tch! You idiot! It’s a scouting mission for a reason!’ Filth hit the fan as soon as the blonde approached the thug. He saw through her disguise with ease and on top of things going south he was a fighter. One foot after the other Mirō leapt from rooftop to rooftop. The gap between them began to close but Mirō skidded to a halt. Red eyes watched the brawl ensue between the student and the thug. It would take a second to rescue her. However, since the blonde wanted to test her mettle to prove she had what it took to become a ninja, Mirō remained on standby. With her sharingan, if the fight began to lean into the thugs favour she would see it and intervene.

Arms folded underneath her chest. Observing the students battle prowess. As soon the cigarette made contact a tinge of exciting rumbled in her gut. ‘That’ll rile her up.’ Which proved true. Aside from stumbling from a near-miss the use of her surroundings turned the tides and was quick thinking. Another barrage of fists later Mirō jerked herself forward as the blonde crashed against the wall. The girl didn’t stay down from the toss. “Heh.” Finally she showed Mirō a trait she would like.

The thug towered over her once more. A heavy sigh of disappointment left her chest. It was over. The spoiled brat would need to be saved. Her Sharingan watched intently as the blonde ducked underneath his massive fist. And with that massive header hers, she set his nose at a ninety degree angle. A guttural scream of pain cried out from the guard. His hand clasped that broken face and the blonde swooped up and around his neck. Mirō rolled her eyes at the barking of the young girl. The brute had enough of her charade. With his index and thumb he made a circle and brought it to his lips. A sharp whistle cried out from him, attempting to alert the rest of the degenerates within the building.

A storm of footsteps was heard coming from the rundown apartment. On top of the thugs whistling the blonde student never quit yammering. A trait not fit for the type of work Mirō was in. Muscles flexed in her legs, vanishing from the rooftop Mirō sprung into action. A hand rummaged in her hip pouch pulling out a paper smokescreen seal. Feet planted behind the large thug. Mirōs left hand took a lump of the blondes shirt firmly in her hand. With a violent tug Mirō peeled her off his neck. With haste she replaced the blonde with a hearty smack on his neck. Stamping the seal on him Mirō dashed back with the blonde in tow.

Right as Mirō jumped back the seal exploded. A thick grey cloud of smoke and irritants covered a fifteen foot radius. “Hey! Get your ass back here!” He roared, wildly swinging his fists in all directions. Silent footsteps scaled up a surrounding building. Mirō didn’t stop her bounding strides until she was on top of the rooftop where they met previously. Sucking her teeth, Mirō tossed the student down on the flat roof. Red eyes threw daggers to the girl and her pitiful excuse of scout training. “Mind telling me what you were thinking? You’re lucky I even stepped in.” Impatiently tapping her foot with her arms folded across her chest.

[WC:562]
[Miro talking.
Miro thinking. ]

 

[Ueno Kotone]

The whistle came as Kotone continued to wildly beat against the man's head. Hearing the pounding of feet, Kotone was quickly realizing that this behemoth of a man wasn't going down anytime soon. As her legs kicked and flailed, she felt a large bump in the man's jacket pocket, and a thought came to her. This was supposed to be ninja-training after all, and what would be more ninja that stealing an opponent's weapon to use on them! After sending another quick blow to the man's head, Kotone shot her hand down to the man's side and blindly felt her way into the opening.

As her hands groped around inside the pocket the girl noted a lighter, pack of cigarettes, and... A notebook? The blonde groaned in annoyance as the man spun around trying to extricate the child from his back, mentally admonishing him for not even being a good enough thug to be packing some heat. Despite the lack of the weapon among the contents, the girl quickly pulled the three items along out along with her hand. The man bucked wildly underneath the girl, forcing her to quickly shove the plunder down the front of her shirt and wrap the spare arm back around his neck to hang on.

Kotone was beginning to feel her grip slip when she felt a hand gruffly tug at her shirt and remove her. Glancing up from the hold, an angry glare crossed the blonde's eyes as she protested and writhed against her savior. "Creepazoid?! I FREAKING TOLD YOU I GOT THIS, LET ME GO!" Suddenly the air was filled with smoke and dust, sending the girl into a coughing fit as she barely acknowledged their rapidly changing location. The girl's chest was just finishing up it's convulsions as she felt her body meet the hard embrace of the rooftop, scattering the contents of her shirt a few feet away.

The girl smiled sheepishly, refusing to meet Mirō's eyes as she internally fumed. She desperately wanted to be angry at the other girl, but the words from earlier in the day kept coming to her. Was she really cut out for being a ninja? She sure had messed up her first real assignment. Kotone was still in the process of refusing to meet the red daggers drilling a hole into her head when her eyes passed over the objects laying in front of her. Suddenly realization clicked and the blonde girl sprung forward, rapidly opening and leafing through the man's notebook. Most of the handwriting was coded and heavily abbreviated, but it was clear that this was some kind of supplementary ledger of guests and purchases made at the establishment.

A smug grin crossed Kotone's face as she stood up and tossed the notebook at the scarred girl. Brushing herself off, she bent down to pick up the lighter and cigarettes. "I told you chickadee, two steps ahead of you." The girl flipped open the pack and removed a single cigarette that she slowly brought to her lips. "We, like, clearly needed more info on this op, so I decided to be proactive. Everything you need is in there." Kotone absently flicked the lighter a few times before it sparked, bringing to flame to her face. The girl took a few puffs as the flame licked the tip of the cigarette, doing her best to copy the many times she had watched her mom smoke. "You're welcome." The girl desperately hoped she was playing the situation off well, and looked even half as cool as she was imagining. Then the smoke hit her lungs, causing the girl to grimace and launch into another coughing fit.

 

[Kagami Miro]

Those red hues never stopped the barrage of daggers being thrown at the blonde. The blonde stumbled up and reached out for the notebook that flew out of her pocket. Opening the contents herself she frantically looked for an excuse to get her out of a scolding. Mirō caught the book with one hand. That angry glare averted her gaze momentarily. A fine brow rose up from the contents of the booklet.

As the one who seeks to eliminate slave driving throughout the world and was tasked to do so, she could decrypt parts of the code. Mirō figured it was beneficial to learn the code back when she was briefed about her assignments moons ago. It laid out the names of people who previously entered the building. A recent checklist showing a few unfamiliar names and some that she already knew about and dealt with. Those with checks had recently entered. However, most of this information had been accounted for in the past.

With a loud clap the booklet was closed with her one hand. That look of anger dissipated into an annoyed glower. “At least this wasn’t all for naught.” Mirō said, slipping the notes into a pouch inside her cloak. Mirō looked back at the girl, “When I say scouting mission I don’t mean infiltration.” If it were infiltration she herself would’ve done this alone. The way of the lone wolf suited her better. “A scouting mission entails waiting, watching, and recording. Only in a few instances would a scouting mission turn into a damn brawl. This wasn’t one of those times.” Mirō continued to point out and pick at the young blondes' mistakes. “I read his lips and he was right. Why didn’t you account for the missing people in the area. No children would wander this far out. He was right to attack you.” Dramatically, Mirō turned away from the blonde. Facing back towards the slaver hideout. “You did perform… okay when you fought him. Using your surroundings to fight will turn the tides in your favor if you’re fast enough. Too bad you didn’t think of that before the encounter.” A heavy sigh escaped her chest. Loud enough for her to hear it.

“Everything you did was a mess and put your life at unnecessary risk. I wouldn’t recommend you to become a ninja at all… however…” Mirō looked over her shoulder to her attempting to look ‘cool’. From underneath her cloak her skin peeled away into paper. Subtly the paper moved, slicing through the cigarette she brought to her lips after her fit. “You obtained this notebook. Call it your saving grace.” The notorious Kumogakure clouds parted to make way for the glow of half moon moonlight. Casting its sheen onto the pair on the rooftop. Mirō looked into the sky, admiring its beauty. “I’d say you have what it takes to become a ninja. Cut the swearing and anger issues and I say you’d be pretty lethal.” A faint smile crept up on her lips. “With more training of course.”

Miro spun around again to face her once again. “I think you could be genin in no time…. What’s your name anyway?” Having the slight height advantage Mirō leaned in to catch an interrupted glance into those blue pools she called eyes. Mirō would avoid any attempts for the blonde to ask her her own name. Being in the ANBU called for code names when inside the village as well as outside. Giving out her name was like throwing a boomerang. Someday it could come back and bite her in the ass. “You can call me Taichou (Japanese for Leader) or Mirō. Next time you call me Chickadee I’ll encase you in stone.” A serious expression remained on her face.

[WC:628]
[Miro talking.
Miro thinking.]

 

[Ueno Kotone]

Kotone took the tongue-lashing with open derision, rolling her eyes before another coughing spasm wracked her body. Readjusting, the blonde closed her eyes and let the other girl's harsh criticism roll over her as she felt a vein in her head throb. Sure she had botched the whole incident, but surely the scarfaced girl wouldn't know that, right? Kotone felt that she had played off the notebook find pretty slick. The girl's hands went to her hips as her instructor turned away, forcing herself to stand as tall as possible and boomed out her reply. "YEAH BUT I LIKE GOT THE JOB DONE, DIDN'T I?"

As the red-eyes glanced back at her, Kotone raised the cigarette back to her lips for another light attempt at a puff just as something sliced through the air. The blonde let out a slight gasp as the front half of of the cylinder fell to the ground and quickly smoldered out. Veins still pounding, Kotone was just about to lash out when Mirō graced the child with the first positive acknowledgement of the night. Taking in the red-eyed girl through the shimmering moonlight, the blonde's anger subsided slightly as she appreciated the ethereal charm of the otherwise terrifying young woman.

Kotone smirked at the idea of being a lethal force and brought the lighter back up to flick at the device a few times. The breeze on the rooftop yielded no results from her efforts, and with a loud curse she tossed the lighter away along with the half-left cigarette. The girl clearly didn't intend to upend her entire personality over the course of one night.

As Mirō spun and questioned her, a look of disbelief swept onto Kotone's face. "Wait you like don't know me. For real?! Here wait a sec-" The girl's hand went to her back, but upon finding the missing bag she let out a few more unsavory words. "Duuude, you couldn't even have grabbed my bag? I had signed photos of me in there from earlier! People pay good money for those!" The blonde sighed, remembering that she also now didn't have a change of clothes to walk home in. "Godda- Okay, whatever, ninja shit happens. Anyway I'm Ueno Kotone, you probably saw me on TV before? That one bike commercial? Family Gai? Two and a Half Nin?" Kotone paused, she could go on, but the thought struck her that this didn't seem at all how a super-cool kunoichi would behave. Crossing her arms, the girl forced herself to look off the side of the roof, doing her best to give the appearance of disinterest. "You can uh, just call me Koto. Yeah, Koto reporting in Taichica. Anyway I'd say this training exercise was a success then."

 

[Kagami Miro]

“T...V..?” The letters revolved around her brain. “What is that?” A curious brow rose into the air to ponder what the letters meant. Mirō’s life never included entertainment. The childhood of being a slave had to do with it. “Koto it is.” Miro nodded twice. Setting in stone the blonde girls name, it fit her well. ‘She has the same hair color as you.’ Naibu ignored Mirō. She opted to stay away from resembling weak humans, especially bombastic children.

A cold breeze encased the duo. That long black cloak of hers ruffled and flapped in the breeze. Mirō saw the hairs on Kotos neck stand straight up and without another thought fingers undid a few buttons on the front of her cloak. With one swoop Mirō tossed the cloak over to the beaten and nearly naked Kotone. The moonlight made it easier to see Mirō’s distinct features. From head to toe her body was littered with dark scars. Even with fishnets the scars were visible if she squinted. “A success? No. You scrapped by.” Arms folded underneath her chest. “We’re done here. Head home to that loud mouth of yours. I have reports to do.” Mirō dreaded the thought of more paperwork. One leg after the next Mirō stood on the ledge of the building. Without hesitation she walked off. Disappearing from sight and location.

[Miro talking.
Miro thinking.]
[Topic Left. Tutor Complete.]

 

[Ueno Kotone]

An equally curious look crossed Kotone's face, leaving her speechless for a moment as she considered if this was an especially dry bit of humor. It apparently wasn't. "I- T.V.? Like telev- Actually you know what, like so not important. We can work on you in the future." The confusion was instantly replaced by an squeak of glee that the girl fought to keep as quiet as possible. Her new ninja name was like totally cool! A grin of pure joy crept across Kotone's face, barely noticing Mirō disrobing as scenes of future missions and battles played out in her mind.

The blonde girl was brought back to the present as the cloth fluttered about her, immediately cutting off the chill of the cold night air. Glancing over, Kotone automatically let loud out a low whistle as her eyes ran across the red-eyed girl's more-bare figure. "Totally rockin' bod you got there Taichica, in spite of the, you know, the You Know." Mirō didn't seem particularly in the mood to give an explanation about the You Know, and following a curt dismissal and long-walk-off-a-short-roof, the blonde was left standing alone on the rooftop.

Kotone was just in the process of figuring out a plan for the rest of the night and getting herself presentable for her parents in the morning when a sudden thought burned into her mind. "WAIT, I NEVER FREAKING GOT MY RAIKAGE TRA-" The girl cut herself off and sighed, it was cold, Mirō was long gone, and that was a problem for Future Kotone. Stepping over to the edge, the blonde girl was about to look down when she felt something underneath her foot.

Kotone brought the previously discarded lighter up, managing to spark it on the first flick, and fished out another cigarette. Inhaling as flame met paper, the smoke now felt oddly cool in her lungs. She wondered what sunrises looked like in Cronopolis.

[Exit]