An Ancient Sword [Private]

[Kurosawa Nataku]

It was a sunny afternoon when Nataku happened to notice something he shouldn't have. You see, he was being watched. Most people probably would have missed it, but he wasn't so careless. Quite the opposite, really, as he seemed to be aware of everything. He started guessing at what they might be watching him for, and he only came to a couple conclusions. Either they were there to steal from him, or there because they heard he was powerful. The first was more likely, as his father lived in Soon and was quite wealthy, so anyone doing some investigation would learn he had a son that lived here. But they would have to have really done their research, as his home was a modest 2-story family home, or at least it would be if not for the fact that he lived alone in it. It wasn't exactly easy to find or pick out among the others, although it was one of the ones above ground. It just seemed unlikely to him that someone might know of his strength. That was a secret he kept very well, only letting people know he was a Med-Nin.

Thus, with that conclusion in mind, he decided to put it to the test. If someone was looking for wealth, they wouldn't find much of anything here except an ancient silver katana that had been handed down for generations. Nataku figured that it alone was a priceless artifact, so if someone came looking for anything, that's what they'd be after. Fortunately, it wasn't something they'd be able to steal easily, as it was well hidden. Instead Nataku played a trick. There was a big wooden table in plain sight right as you entered through the door. On the table would be a replica of the sword, seeming very similar in most details to the untrained eye. He then went into a back room with no windows so he could create a clone without being seen. He then had the clone pretend to do some menial tasks around the house before leaving through the door and heading off into town. If they follow the clone, they're after my power. If they enter the house, they're after my money, he thought.

Then he just watched and waited for his opportunity to catch them in the act.

 

[Ayame]

Ayame's eyes got bigger when she saw her target leaving. She did't know that he was actually a clone, because she never knew that ninjas can do such thing.
She instinctively hid herself even more when she saw her target leaving. The girl felt more anxious, because that was the best moment to act, which increased her heart rate. For first time she was scared and not so sure that she will manage to complete a mission. The target seemed so intimidating and maybe the fact that he was a ninja made it more scary for her.
Ayame had to wait about 20minutes, before she go there. People tend to forget things and she did't wanted to be caught on the crime scene. These 20 minutes were like hell to the girl.
"I can't just run away and not steal the katana" - she thought to herself - "If I return without the weapon I'm as good as dead. If I get caught... the ninja will kill me for sure. The only chance to survive is to steal the katana and give it to the gang."
She touched her neck where the blue marks in form of a hand was still visible. That was the hand of one guy from the gang, who was the right hand of the leader. When shed did something that he didn't like he got mad and squeezed her neck so tight that she couldn't breathe. Or he just made up things that she didn't do.
"Son of a... no.. I have to think about what to do if I get caught." - she thought - "I can't outrun him.. I can't fight him... I guess I'll have to try to escape somehow. I don't have much of a choice". She decided that even she has almost zero chance to outrun him, she'll have to try. Nah.. she is not the type to just fall on her knees and beg for forgiveness. The world was hard so she had to be hard too.
The 20 minutes time was over. She sure was very anxious and the though that she has to be hard was like "what? Did I just said that? Naah!"
She sighted heavily, but silent, looked around and when no one was there she made a move.

She approached the house with caution, pulled the picklocks from her poket and started doing her job. In the middle of her job the door opened a little. She felt stupid. "Of course I had to see first if the door is unlocked..."

Once she entered the house, Ayame Inspected it with her eyes.. and then!
"Here it is!" - the girl noticed the katana on a wooden table. She quickly but silently approached the weapon and took it in her hand.
"Is this just to easy or I'm a super good thief?" - asked herself a question.
She turned around to rush through the open front door.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

It took a while. He waited, but the onlooker would not make a move. Nataku began to wonder if they figured out his plan. He was reaching the point where he was just going to go confront them directly, when they finally made their move. That was good, because he didn't like making the first move. Nataku heard a noise at the door, and it sounded like a lockpicking attempt. It was humorous, really, since the door was unlocked. Eventually the door swung open and in stepped a little girl. He didn't expect that. Never the less, he knew better than to underestimate children. When he was her age, he was already very dangerous. He watched her movements as he silently positioned himself between her and the door. She had taken the bait.

She seemed so fixated on the sword that she hadn't noticed the large man standing behind her. It seemed like she was trying to remain stealthy as she grabbed the sword, immediately turned around and attempted to run out of the door. Comically, she ended up running straight into Nataku, who did not even flinch.

Spoiler

"Excuse me miss, but it appears that you're lost," he said with an undertone that heavily implied a different meaning to his words. She would understand. He was well aware of what she was doing here. She was well aware. They both knew, and yet he wasn't going to say it out loud, as if saying it would be a mercy to her. It was in this moment that her true character would show. She could feel guilty and apologize, attempting to make up for her wrongs. She could get defensive and prepare for a fight. She could try and run away in fear. Or perhaps she'd do something totally unexpected. Such possibilities, I wonder what type of person you are, he thought.

It was then that he actually began to notice the more subtle details. She was young, but did not appear innocent. She had a rough look, like her life was not easy. She did not appear like a trained shinobi however, a common thief at best. Nataku figured this life was easy for her, as her childish appearance would get her out of trouble. Then he noticed a darker detail. There was a mark on her neck. Most people would pass this off as no big deal, but Nataku was a very skilled Med-Nin. He had seen lots of patients, and this type of injury was caused asphyxiation. Someone had been choking her. That type of behavior only happened when someone was angry. It was unlikely that she was choked for stealing something; that wasn't a typical punishment and certainly not how someone would treat a child. Perhaps she was mixed in with the wrong crowd then, and someone was abusing her. With this, Nataku deduced that she was hired for the job. This made things tough. This was certainly no good.

 

[Ayame]

"Excuse me miss, but it appears that you're lost," - he said.
Ayame looked up and saw her target. He was tall, intimidating, dark. He sure was scary.
But how?! She saw him leaving the house! She stayed there and he didn't returned! She couldn't understand how he was right behind her and she didn't heard anything! And he didn't seemed surprised at all. Ayame knew she messed up badly with her task following him. The only reason why he was here was... he knew. He knew he have been followed. He knew what she's after. And he made a trap for her. In that game between the hunter and the hunted, she thought she was the hunter, but ended up the hunted.
"No, I won't talk to him! It would be a mistake to talk with the target." - she thought.
The moment she bumped into him she froze. Her face was usually pale, but now it looked even paler. Her eyes were filled with fear and the man could easy see her chest moving from the rapid breathing.
This moment seemed so unreal to her. It was her first time to get caught. She couldn't say anything and just stayed there and watched the guy. At this very moment she was confused and scared. This was the toughest turn of events and she wasn't prepared. Her body shivered.
"What do I do?!" - she thought - "I got caught. If I stay here, he'll probably kill me. If I drop the weapon, run and successfully escape him the gang leader will kill me for sure. I have to try to deliver the katana at all costs."
Ayame hugged the katana, like a little child could hug a teddy bear when scared. She moved her eyes on the opened front door. That was her biggest mistake at this moment, because she was like saying "I'm going for the door" to him with that kind of eye movement.
She wanted to move but couldn't. She couldn't feel her own body right now, the adrenaline, the stress and the shock were playing tricks with her. She was stunned, but had to make a move. And what was the best way to come to your senses? To do something stupid. In her cause - the only thing she could do was to make herself feel pain, so she bit her lip so hard that blood started to show, thus she got out of the stun.
Still holding the katana, Ayame immediately headed for the door running. It was a lost cause and she knew it, bu she didn't even thought of giving up. That was not like her, and if there was ever some little possibility of success she would use it right away.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

She froze. Nataku didn't count the seconds, but a significant amount of time passed where she did not make a move. Her body shivered a bit, but that was it. He could sense the fear permeating through her skin. The sweat, the rapid breathing, the stunned look on her face. Nataku was trying hard to keep a tough face, as some part of him wanted to be nice. She was just a kid after. But he did not allow her that, as it would void the lesson he would now try to teach her. Her next move was an obvious one, and she didn't even try to hide it. From the way she tightly clutched the fake sword to the way her eyes darted to the door, her goal was clear. She was gonna run. The girl began a desperate attempt to will herself to move such that it made Nataku want to facepalm. This was too ridiculous. She bit her lip and a small amount of blood trickled out.

That's when she did it. Her body weight shifted to start running and as soon as it did Nataku formed a handseal with his right hand. Immediately the gravity around the girl would increase to a massive level such that she wouldn't even be able to stand. Normally with this technique, Nataku completely crushed his enemies, but here he only intended to prevent her from escaping. The gravity would weigh enough for her to be pinned to the ground, struggling to fight it, but she would not be crushed. It would hurt, not kill. Not yet, anyways. Nataku began to pace back and forth as he started talking in an amused tone, "I can't decide what I find more humorous: The fact that you thought you could escape, or the fact that the sword you're holding isn't real." He let that sink while he waited so she could suffer a bit under her own crushing weight. The intensified gravity was not fun.

Nataku was not a sadist, however. He did not enjoy this, but he wanted to put on a show. After a moment, he stopped the jutsu. Gravity would return to normal as he shut the front door and locked it. "Let's not try that again, okay? I'd really prefer we just have a civil chat," he said in the same playful tone. But this time it was different. His eyes were serious, and they locked onto hers. He pulled up a chair and motioned for her to sit, and then pulled up another chair of his own and sat down. He clasped his hands together as he spoke, "My name is Kurosawa Nataku, but I'm assuming you knew that already. The sword you attempted to steal has been in my family for generations. Still though, that's not necessarily common knowledge. I'm feeling generous so I'll make you a deal. You give me the information I want and I don't kill you." It was a bluff, really, he wasn't about to kill a kid. But she didn't know that, and if the performance he was trying to give was believable, then she would be terrified.

He leaned in as far as he could without falling off her chair so she could get a good look at how serious his face was when he said, "Who sent you and what was their motive? I need names, faces, last known locations, everything." Then he waited to see how she would react. Of course, if she tried running again he would have to stop her and be a lot less polite the second time around. He really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

 

[Ayame]

What lesson could you give a girl, who lived her life on her own, was in some troublesome surroundings, faced the danger too many times, but still she made it? She knew very well that she was alive because she acted according to her beliefs, not anyone's lessons. To this moment she thought that doing what she thought was good and right kept her alive, so there was no room for someone else's lessons - she learned enough. Ayame had hard time making friendships and trusting people. Yea, she acted happy, friendly, but never revealed anything important about herself. Even the gang didn't knew that she was Uchiha - she thought this would get her into bigger trouble. Ayame knew that Uchiha's were popular, but nothing more. She didn't wanted to learn anything about them, because she hated them. She didn't wanted to be part of them. But people knew about Uchiha. If the gang knew about her, they would totally do something to make money out of this. She was Ayame Nonomura for them. And for all the people.

So Nataku had to be one hell of a good teacher, or he would just lose her.

Her target pinned her to the ground. Logically, this act had do scare her, but only made her angry, because he showed power over her. Before that, she was scared, because nothing happened and she was staring at some scary ninja guy. But when he acted, he released her from her fear, and now, she had to think of other ways to survive. Kinda like a game for her, but at this level she encountered a boss.
Ayame couldn't move because of his jutsu. She clenched her teeth. That jutsu was hurting her, but she didn't even made a sound. That pain was just washing away her fear, replacing it with anger.

The target began to pace back and forth and she was following his every move with her angry red eyes.
- I can't decide what I find more humorous: The fact that you thought you could escape, or the fact that the sword you're holding isn't real - he said.
Ayame squinted her eyes. "Kuso! (shit!)" - she thought. Totally outplayed.
After a while she was released from his technique and she took a deep breath. It was hard for her to get up. Since the mission started she hasn't had good sleep for days, nor a good meal. This technique of his drank all her powers resisting it. She tried to get up, but ended up on the ground again. Tried again, while her hand used her knee as a support and this time she made it. What a sorry sight.
Nataku offered a seat. Ayame didn't wanted to sit down, but now she had to play by his rules.
- My name is Kurosawa Nataku, but I'm assuming you knew that already. The sword you attempted to steal has been in my family for generations. Still though, that's not necessarily common knowledge. I'm feeling generous so I'll make you a deal. You give me the information I want and I don't kill you.
He spoke again.
She took a seat, and he continued, but this time he was more serious than ever.
- Who sent you and what was their motive? I need names, faces, last known locations, everything.

This wasn't the beast deal, cause he was threatening her and on Ayame that kind of stuff never worked. She was threaten so many times and stuff like that made her act stupid.
Now Ayame was serious too. Her yes looked cold and tired - you couldn't read anything - fear, anger, sorrow - nothing. Like a dead man's eyes, starring at something they could not see. These were the eyes of someone that thought he lost everything and accepted his cruel destiny. And she felt like this too. She was caught, there was no chance for her to escape. Nataku wanted information. If she gave that info they would kill her. If she hid it - he would kill her. Either way she would end up dead. She leaned as far as she could so she could be close to him when says that. Ayame was starring directly with her cold eyes at his and said silently with a calm tone:
- Kuso kurae (eat shit), Kurosawa Nataku...
A tear dropped from her eye. That may showed him that she accepted her destiny. And she really did. Ayame knew that both ways - to tell him what he needed to know or not she'll be killed. She was against the world from the day she was born. She was against everything and everyone, so this was her only chance to leave this world the right way.
At that moment, she felt that her body is giving out. Like she would collapse any minute. Guess it was too much for the little girl to take. She was in orphanage, she escaped, started doing bad stuff with the wrong people. She felt abandoned, alone. She didn't had any friends or someone to rely to. She faced death so many times. She was tortured in the gang, she was angry, sad. She hadnt' had good sleep, or a meal. She was dehydrated. Ayame looked disorientated and felt dizzy. Maybe the stress was too much for her. She wanted to cry but didn't had the power.
- And... - she continued - if you find the people behind this, tell them the same. I will be dead by then, but I want then to know this.. I thought I would be the person to kill them. Guess not everything goes the way you planned it.
It was hard for her not to lose control of her body and just collapse in front of Nataku, but she was doing her best. Now she was just waiting for his move and after that.. oh well.. everything would be over.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

The girl was a curious one. He could feel the anger seething out from her, but he couldn't understand why. For what reason did she have to be angry at him? She was the one who entered his home. She was the one who tried to steal from him. She was lucky that she wasn't already dead. That's how Nataku looked at it anyway. She took the seat and Nataku observed that she was becoming very weak. He could see basic signs of fatigue and wondered just what she was up to before this. He had ideas, but he just wasn't sure. She told him to eat shit. He frowned in response. In this moment, Nataku could go down two different paths. He could horrify this girl, showing her his demon form, violently torturing her, and making himself into the monster she seemed to believe he was. Indeed, it seemed as though she had such an anger for him as if he had already done these things. But he had not.

He had to think about this one, as he probably had to change his tactics. He didn't really want to hurt her anymore, and part of him was glad he was in control as Senkaku probably would've killed her on the spot. A tear rolled out of her lifeless eyes. He stared at her, contemplating.
While she didn't say much of anything, her mannerisms made it clear what was happening here. She was forced into this situation and she saw no way out. That was partially Nataku's fault, as he began to realize. That's when the girl finally said something useful. She made it clear that she wanted the people behind this dead, but still offered no help in identifying them. However, the fact that she wanted them dead was all he needed to piece together the rest of the situation.

The house was mainly an open floor plan, so the door connected to the living room and the kitchen. Without a word, Nataku stood up and walked a few feet over to where the sink was, keeping an eye the girl so that she did not run again. He figured she probably didn't even have the strength at this point, and knew it would be futile. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water from the tap, and returned to where the girl was sitting. Nataku's stern face suddenly eased up as he extended the drink to her and said, "Here, take it." He figured she was probably going to be apprehensive about it so he followed up with, "You can relax, I was never gonna kill you. I was just interested to see how you'd respond. You know, you'd make a good kunoichi."

As he said this an idea started forming in his head. But he had to clear up one thing before he could say it. "Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but these people who sent you are thugs right? They forced you into this situation and gave you no way out? If you give me their names and faces, I could get rid of them for you. But one look at your face says you'd rather do it yourself. If you agree to enroll in the academy here, I'll train you until you are capable of dealing with them yourself. What is your name?"

While Nataku spoke, he gently knelt down and his right hand began to glow a soft green color. He placed it to the girl's forehead, at which point she would feel a calming sensation and her mind would become clear. It would allow her to focus. Then suddenly the pain she was feeling would go away, replaced by a light tingling sensation. Once she was at ease he would begin healing her wounds and passing chakra into her to give her energy.

He would briefly explain, "I am a Med-Nin here in Sunagakure."

OOC: In case you were wondering, the three jutsu used were: Tranquilize (calms the mind), Anesthetic Infusion (numbs pain) and Mystical Force (general healing)

 

[Ayame]

Ayame thought that after her response she'd be dead, but apparently not everyone was as cruel as she thought.
The target noticed that she wasn't feeling good and made a gesture. It was a small one, but for the girl it was big. This gesture she would never forget. He offered her a glass of water. Ayame took the glass with both hands and stared surprised at him. It was that moment that she thought of him not as the target, but as Nataku.
"You can relax, I was never gonna kill you. I was just interested to see how you'd respond. You know, you'd make a good kunoichi."
After saying that her eyes became bigger and she starred at him surprised.
"Kunoichi?!" - she thought. That thought brought a smile on her face. It was her dream.
Nataku offered her to change her life. A new, better start. She never thought that would happen to her. It was overwhelming for the little girl and she didn't know how to feel. Nataku asked for her name and she wasn't sure what to do. To tell him her real name? Or to hide it? He didn't deserved to be lied. He offered her so much and now he wanted just a name.
She wasn't the angry Ayame now. She felt... grateful? For first time in her life someone offered her help. She smiled. Guess the offer for a new life comes with a glass of water. Her eyes got wet and, like a thirsty animal, she drank the whole water. She was so thirsty and drank the water so fast that some of it leaked out of the edges of her lips. Then she wiped the water with her sleeve (like a true lady) and said:
- Ayame... - she made pause where she felt unsure, but continued - Uchiha Ayame.
That was the first time she shared her real name with anyone. This meant a lot for her. She didn't know how to trust anyone, be she wanted to be capable of trusting him, so that was the first step, and a big one for her.
- But - she continued - no one knows that I am an Uchiha. And I like to keep it that way. I was in an orphanage, but I escaped. I hate Uchihas. They are no good...
After this Nataku started soothens her wounds and mind. At first she got a little defensive, because this whole thing was new for her. But then.. Ayame felt so calm. She never felt so calm and safe. Ever. She wanted to stay this way forever. She wanted to be by his side. Tears of joy showed up in her eyes and she felt grateful. Surprisingly even for her she set the glass away, jumped of the chair and hugged Nataku:
- I'm sorry I told you to eat shit. I though I was going to die.
She looked him in the eyes and stepped a few steps behind.
- Nataku-sama... I'll become the greatest ninja! I'll get my revenge and kill everyone of the gang. I'll become so strong so I can protect you, how you want to protect me! I'll help you every time you need help! I may disappoint you sometimes, because I do stupid things, but I'll never hurt you! This is a promise!

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Apparently Nataku's change of tactics worked. The girl accepted the water gratefully. She seemed a little nervous at first, but allowed Nataku to heal her. She actually smiled, and that made Nataku blush a bit. He hadn't had this sort of personal interaction in a long time. He never taught students or did much of anything besides work and train. He was honestly a bit surprised by how easily this worked out; that part of him doubted the situation. Some piece of him was still convinced that she would try to steal the sword again when she had a better opportunity. Of course, she wouldn't even be able to find it, let alone actually take it, but that was besides the point. Nataku never trusted people easily. But she was just a child.

Then a memory flashed into Nataku's head. It was one of his father. Your journey to gain strength is for a purpose. Your strength exists to protect others; to protect the integrity of this world, he recalled. Was he finally starting down that prophetic path? Surely he would be tested, and it would not be easy all the time. He watched as she took the water in both hands and began drinking it way too fast. She even spilled some of it. "Slow down, you don't want to hurt yourself drinking too quickly," he said. Nataku was intrigued by both the girl and himself. How he was behaving seemed so nostalgic, but so foreign.

She finally gave a name. Uchiha Ayame. Nataku was surprised to learn she was an Uchiha. This meant she hadn't activated the Sharingan, and she had not yet realized her true potential. This was very good, as she would pick things up quickly. There was a lot of promise. Ayame mentioned that nobody knew she was an Uchiha, and she wanted it to remain that way. Apparently she hated Uchiha. So strange. Nataku did not understand how to hate his own kind. Maybe that was a result of a reliable mother and father, a proper career, and a friendly village. Seeing this girl was a reminder that there were others out there, struggling, in a much harsher environment. He felt a little bad for taking his situation for granted.

"If you don't want anyone to know you are an Uchiha, you should come up with a different last name to tell people when they ask. It will also be necessary for you to officially enroll in the academy. It can be anything, as long as you're willing to tell it to people. You can make one up, or even borrow mine if you'd like." Suddenly Nataku noticed Ayame was crying, and she jumped out of the chair and hugged him. He was taken aback at first, not sure how to react. He hadn't experienced this physical affection for many years, not since- Kuma, he thought. Although Ayame could no longer see his face, since she was presently embracing him, his look saddened a bit. Some painful memories still remained. For a moment, he wondered if it was really okay to send this girl down a similar path. The life of a shinobi was not easy. But he did not question that decision again.

Slowly reacting, he returned the embrace, a bit embarrassed and unsure of the situation. He looked down at her and smiled weakly. She looked up at him and apologized for cursing at him. Then she seemed to get ahead of herself, promising to become the greatest ninja. She wanted to gain strength to protect him, she wanted to help him. She was already very attached, and it was a little bit intimidating. He wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into in that moment, but the feeling was so genuine that it overwhelmed him. This was exactly what he needed, though, something to return him to reality. To remind him that people existed, emotions existed, and connections were important. He had lost all that years ago, and rebuilding it would take time. This was the first step.

He contemplated the situation a moment before speaking, "You can stay here if you like. There are two guest bedrooms, you can pick either one. As long as you are diligent with your study and training, I'll provide for you. The money is not an issue for me."

 

[Ayame]

The actions of Ayame were childish, indeed. But she was a child, on top of that an over-emotional one. The things Nataku said and did put her in some kind of spell and she believed everything. She acted emotional and that was normal for a child at her age. You could say that in this situation she was acting naive. But what happened to her was something that she couldn't imagine even in her wildest dreams. The best thing she imagined for her life was that she'd run away from the gang, start a new life, work somewhere like a waitress and join academy to become a kunoichi. She never thought that she'd feel what is like to have a family and to be able to count on it. That's why Ayame acted like this - because she felt that maybe for once things were going to be okay. The kid didn't knew that guy. He could be everything - person who could really try to help her, or person who could do anything but that, but she risked. Once again, she took the risk, embrace it. Her life was always at risk, she got used to that. Of course, she thought of trying to steal the weapon again, but she didn't wanted anymore. One thing was for sure - "they'll come to take what belonged to them and what they want" - she thought. They needed the money from the weapon. But now she would be here to protect what she tried to steal. Or, at least, try.

When Nataku returned the hug, Ayame felt relieved and closed her eyes, so she could enjoy the moment. She never hugged anyone. There wasn't anyone she loved or cared about. She surely didn't loved Nataku, not yet, but it was the first step and the best way to tell him "You'are good guy and you deserved it". She needed it too.

She knew that this was a tactic he used. She wasn't that stupid, but she could not resist it, because he knew where to strike. And she didn't wanted to think that this was just a tactic, but she would sleep with one eye open, for sure.

"If you don't want anyone to know you are an Uchiha, you should come up with a different last name to tell people when they ask. It will also be necessary for you to officially enroll in the academy. It can be anything, as long as you're willing to tell it to people. You can make one up, or even borrow mine if you'd like." he said.
- Borrow... yours? - She asked quietly and her face was filled with amazement once again.
"Kurosawa.... Ayame?" - the girl thought - "Is this really okay?"

When he smiled at her she saw pain in his eyes. The pain was easy to hide, but if you are observant enough you could see it in the eyes. Right there, hiding. Like the scar changes the body, the look of the eyes changes. Someone could be so happy and careless, but you could see that there was something wrong. From the eyes you could read so much.
"What happened to you, Kurosawa Nataku?" - she thought, but never said it out loud.

Then he said something else that made everything surreal for her again. She could count on him. She could be kid again. She could live in a hose for a first time. The orphanage wasn't house, neither the camps in the woods. Every normal person, kid or not, would ask "why?" Maybe he needed something like this too?
- You know.., I made two scenarios in my head. Like a dreams and I thought of them before falling asleep or when I was alone with no work. They helped me feel good. In the first one I had a family. In the second one I studied to be a shinobi. The first one could never happen. The second one was possible. But both of them? It was impossible, even for a dream. Looks like you're trying to give me both. Why, Kurosawa Nataku? Why are you helping me? I don't deserve this. I tried to steal from you, and yet you're trying to help me. I don't understand any of this.

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

Ayame seemed concerned about borrowing the Kurosawa name. "I don't mind, really," he said casually, trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Maybe it wasn't, maybe it was. He wasn't thinking about it too much, as titles were never very important to him. His family might have come from wealth, but they weren't known for flaunting it (as evidenced by Nataku's home). They didn't behave like nobility and certainly didn't want to be treated like it. For the most part, they flew under the radar. That was, until today, when someone arrived to steal from them. However those plans were quickly derailed. Nataku's mind wandered.

There was a moment when their eyes met that he contemplated his situation. He saw a child who had already lost her innocence, and how he might be able to save her. He accepted, in that moment, that he was effectively adopting her. He was going to make it his mission to help her grow and turn her life around. He had a long way to go and a lot to learn about raising a kid, but he was officially accepting that responsibility. But he never said anything, it was only in the eyes that such a feeling could be conveyed. Not that he was intentionally trying to tell her that, it was more of an internal decision that unintentionally crept onto his face.

Then Ayame asked the obvious question. Why. Perhaps Nataku did not realize how much of a difference he had just made. Suddenly he didn't feel so insignificant in the world. Sure there was still horror out there, but this small act of kindness had taken someone from a life of darkness and shown them the light. Maybe he really was capable of doing some good outside of the hospital. Nataku chose his words very carefully when he responded, "I disagree. You don't deserve to be treated the way you have been. I won't ask you to tell me what happened until you're ready, but someone your age shouldn't be physically abused and forced to steal for thugs. It doesn't really matter what you've done in the past. What matters is who you are today, and where you're willing to go. I don't know where you're from, but here in Sunagakure we do not harm little girls."

His words reflected his feelings, more or less. There were some details left out, but those were details he didn't fully understand himself. He wasn't really sure why he was doing this. Nataku was usually cold, and if some average thug had tried to steal his sword he would have showed no mercy. Assuming he allowed them to live, they'd be left with enough physical or psychological trauma to change them completely. If they returned to the gang, they'd only have a message of fear. But there was something about Ayame's situation that made it hard for him to treat her the same way. Perhaps some part of him had a heart after all.

"So, Ayame, this is your home now. I won't force you to stay if you don't want to, but if you do my rules are very simple. Study and train hard for the academy, and stay out of trouble." When he said the words, Nataku only partially meant the last part. He knew it was futile. Ayame would definitely get into trouble; that would be simply impossible to avoid. In fact, he'd be shocked if she didn't. Inwardly, although he wouldn't say it, he only cared that she came home at the end of the day.

With that, Nataku's look changed to a bit less of a serious one as he said, "So, I guess that's that. Is there anything else that you'd like to know? You can ask me..." his voice trailed off, before continuing, "Almost anything. By the way, you're free to go. You can get some rest, I can make you some food, or we can head off to the academy to enroll you right away. It's up to you."

 

[Ayame]

At that moment Ayame didn't need to know anything else. It was enough that he said "this is your home now" Of course, she'd need some time to feel this house as a home, but the feeling was amazing - she had a home. For first time in her life she had a home.

Ayame didn't felt hungry, maybe because she was overwhelmed with different kinds of emotions.
- Yosh! I'm not hungry at all! Let's go to the academy! - she said. Ayame wanted to start the academy right away, so she took a proud step, aiming for the front door, but she totally forgot that there was a chair in front of her, so she flipped over the chair and fell on her face. She quickly get up and smiled ashamed, then hurried to the front door.
"Stay out of trouble"... well... she'd try, but it seems that even a chair could mean trouble to the girl...

 

[Kurosawa Nataku]

It seemed that Ayame was ready to head off to the academy right away. Nataku nodded but watched as she quickly turned to head out the front door and tripped right over the chair that was still there. Nataku wasn't sure how to react here, should he laugh, be concerned, tell her to be careful? In the end he did nothing and watched as she got back up and ran to the door. Nataku grabbed both chairs and put them back at the table they belonged at. Then he made his way to the front door, opened it, and motioned for her to follow him out.

They would then head out toward the academy, and Ayame would soon be enrolled. "Let's go then."

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