An Important Task [Tutor]

[Kiri]

Arriving in Tea wasn’t all about fun and games. First of all, Kiri had planned to make the trip as much of a learning experience for the kids he brought along. Though he would have to reconsider who would be able to follow through with this plan of his, especially as the he realised that the rest of Cloud’s contingent would have to go to the capital soon for the said world tournament. That meant that he had only a few of the kids to do his bidding. Rounding up the students in the inn’s lounge, he would make sure that each was present, and should they have noticed, there was a certain child seated next to Kiri. He was around three years old, wearing a shirt and pair of trousers. He had his head tucked as he embraced Kiri. However, from the way his shoulders rose and fell, and his soft voice being heard, it was obvious that he was crying. And strange as it may, the morose white-haired Mednin, whom most of the students gathered before him would nickname as the demon, the heartless monster and so on, was gently patting the small boy. But as soon as Kiri’s gaze returned to the gathered class before him, his golden eyes would turn serious.

“About time you all got here. I was certain the meeting time was exactly seven in the morning. I know this is your first time in Tea Country, but please remember we’re not here for a casual vacation as some of you might be thinking. With the Chuunin Exam looming soon, you all need to prepare for it,” greeted Kiri before he reached for his cup of hot chocolate and drank. “Oh, good morning, by the way. I keep forgetting.” Lowering the cup down, it would appear as though the shinobi is unaware of the froth moustache he now exhibited as he would continue in the presenting their task for today.

“Truth be told, you’ve already covered the basics. You’re fighting prowess, intelligence when under fire, and your tenacity and unexpected craziness, can certainly build up your strength. However, there is one more thing that a shinobi must learn before they can truly say they are ready for any mission. And so, today, I expect that you all will be able to figure out what or how to achieve this new skill.” Kiri would pat the sobbing boy and he lifted his head to face the gathered class, tears and snot on his face. “This is Kotarou. He is the inn keeper’s grandson. However, with the world tournament, the inn has become too busy, and his parents are both away in the capital right now to attend to their jobs. As such, little Kotarou has been lonely. You’re task is simple. Charm him and make him trust you.” Then, Kiri would cover the boy’s ears and add, “He also has the unfortunate incident to have gotten hold of the key to our luggage which holds our passports and unless we have it back before sun down, we’ll have to wait for the key maker to arrive tomorrow to get our things back.” Then, he released the boy once more and ruffled his hair. “And trust me when I say wondering around in a different country without a passport is one sure deal to get into trouble. Prison or the morgue. The innkeeper has already scolded him, but perhaps because of that, he’s now shut himself up and would not speak. So, I trust you all are prepared for this.”

He looked at the boy one last time and carried him, then he would deposit him onto Eishi’s arms. “Have fun. By the way. He hates men… except for those he trusts.” And as soon as he spoke that, he released his hold on Kotarou and the boy began to cry out so loud that it almost felt like screaming. But Kiri would have already turned on his heels, waved as he left, carrying his cup of hot cocoa for a refill by the counter.

[WC: 680]

 

[Honnou]

Woah… Tea Country really tempted many kids, Honnou included. It really felt like the optimal place for vacation, and even he had forgotten that his upperclassmen would think otherwise concerning those little brats. However, there was a tournament coming up, and Honnou had caught news that Lord Hoshi was attending it, so he had not to miss out. Obviously, he would cheer for his blood brother, and he also wanted to see some intense battle and people crying out in amaze, dominance, pain, defeat and victory. It was all part of the charm that such an event held, just like chuunin exams and such. It was also the suspense of the other villages and countries that excited him so much that he overlooked one, little thing…

Finding himself in the inn, he noticed the little boy who was sobbing in Kiri’s arms. Why was he crying, first of all? No, who was he? The young Hyuuga nearly asked out in curiosity, and pure curiosity, but their teacher began explaining stuff when he had just decided to ask out. Oh, and a greeting too. “Good morning to you too,” he replied whilst rubbing his upper lip with a finger to symbol the way that froth was covering Kiri’s nonexistent moustache. That was right, a chuunin exam was coming up, and Honnou had no reason to miss out on it, had he? Maybe he should begin preparing for the worst that could happen in such instances…

A skill… and he was going to achieve it through this little boy? It sounded mystique and ‘a meaning behind everything’-like, which kind of befitted the white-haired superior given by the saying that was written on the blackboard not too long ago. The case was that this kid wouldn’t stop being sad, and… oh crap. Their luggage was, practically and yet not, held hostage by him as he had the key. So a boy who was down had their keys… it was a bit forceful, but hey, if it meant that they were forced to do better, then what could go wrong? All that they had to do was to cheer this kid up, and they would, hopefully, achieve what was intended.

“U-Uhh… hey, do boys count as-“ he was saying out, whilst Kiri was leaving to the counter. It didn’t really make sense that the boy hated men, because clearly, he showed to be of the same gender… or a little. Then again, what exactly was wrong with men? They weren’t scary at all, except Kiri. And the boy clearly found more comfort near the backbreaker than he could imagine. “… So, uh,” he let out for everyone to hear, pointing his gaze at Eishi, “What’s the… best way to comfort children?”

Post #1
WC: 457

 

[Eishi]

It had been a long trip, and it seemed Kiri had gotten off the fishing boat while I hadn't been looking. Fucker probably sent a clone to me or something. I can't see him being so stealthy that I can't even notice him leaving a ship I mulled it over in my head as I was heading to the meeting place by said fucker. Either way, I was used to getting up early, so this wasn't too much of a stretch for me to accomplish getting to the meeting point on time. As I finally came up to the group of other genins and even a few academy students, I noticed their stares at both Kiri and a small boy. I had a coffee in hand, my only source of warmth and happiness, but just as expected of Kiri, that was soon pushed aside and out of my hand as the small boy by Kiri's side replaced it. Coffee falling to the ground and splattering.

"I'd rather the coffee in all honesty," I spoke in a low growl. I was tired and I hadn't even gotten my medical degree yet. How was I going to support a young child as a single dad with no current prospects at ten years old, Kiri? It was only once Kiri had told us what our actual tasks were, that I got myself to act at least half serious as the pseudo-Raikage began speaking to the group as a whole. No one else answered him, so I spoke up first.

"I don't know. Smokes? That's what calmed me down when I was his age." I said casually. My upbringing hadn't been ideal and in certain cases, some may even say it was downright abusive, go figure. Anyway, my single arm was bound as I was the one carrying the child and I was somewhat at a loss. Seeing as he doesn't like men, I'd have to guess it was somehow similar to myself, having a negative experience with his own father or some close adult male. It was conjecture sure, but toddlers didn't really show difference like that unless it was brought on by something external. I did note that he wasn't hyper-attentive, a trait that almost always develops in early-onset child abuse, so I gambled it was something else.

I decided to ask the two girls I knew well, what their thoughts were as I handed the boy off to Siu. Quickly grabbing out a smoke that I had stolen from Kiri's luggage and placed it in the side of toddler's mouth as Siu was holding him, I asked in a quizzical nature to the rest of the class.

"Anyone got a light?" I then pointed to the cigarette in the small boy's mouth.

 

[Siu]

The young Genin showed up to the scene looking a lot more pale and lot less lively than usual. Two half lidded, dark circled eyes struggled to maintain focus on the older man as he gave his lecture, threatening sleep at any given moment with each sudden eyelid droop. Sheer willpower was the only thing keeping the young girl awake at this point, as she struggled to maintain her composure. Her first real opportunity to actually visit a foreign country, and who would've ever guessed she was prone to sea sickness? What a great way to start things off.

The young kunoichi's brain eventually registered that she somehow actually knew the older man from somewhere; But from where, exactly? That was a good question. It had been quite a long time since she'd last saw him. Given enough mental reflection, however, memories of campfires, angry faces, and thrown rabbit skewers with the intent to kill eventually came to mind. Ah, right, 'that's' where she recognized him from.
The youth's eyes 'did' show signs of life from time to time, briefly sparkling every now and then as she mentally registered the more significant parts of the entire lecture. However, if you asked her how much information she'd actually retained from the entire speech after it was all over, she'd most likely only answer: 'Chuunin exam', 'Luggage keys'.
On any normal day, she'd very likely been much more attentive and interested in the man's words; in fact, she even felt guilty concerning her current state of mind. Yet, unfortunately for today, all she had in her mind was sleep.

The next scene to unfold, would be a three year old toddler placed into possibly the worst candidate's arms; Eishi. The toddler's screaming cries was obnoxiously alarming, so alarming in fact, that it'd managed to invoke focus back into the mind of the seasick Genin, who suddenly found herself becoming more awakened through the noisy dilemma.
Watching the two clueless boys attempt to comfort a youth whom they themselves were not too much significantly older than, the older girl listened to their inquiries with a concerned look in her eyes. It would not be long before Eishi quickly decided to exchange responsibility for holding the toddler with Siu, her eyes widening with surprise as she found the little body suddenly tucked into her arms. Staring down at the snot-nosed youngster, the Genin rose an eyebrow; He was kind of nasty. It was from that point forward, that Siu realized that she actually disliked young children; Or perhaps just this one..

"Anyone got a light?" Came another inquiry from her close friend and teamate.

"Eishi!" The young kunoichi gasped with shocked eyes, a somewhat scolding tone in her voice. "We do not give cigarettes to little kids! Are you trying to kill him?!" She exclaimed, whilst quickly yanking the cigarette out the toddler's mouth. Holding the said object in the air in front of Eishi, Siu's scolding expression suddenly shifted into one of momentarily curious one. "Wait.." She suddenly mused to herself, upon more deeply realizing just what she was holding in her hand. "'Why'....why do you even have this?" She verbally inquired, now blatantly curious. "This...is adult stuff!"

Refocusing her attention back to the predicament at hand, Siu stared back down at the toddler, a blank expression written upon her face as she fervently attempted to formulate an idea of some sort regarding just what in the world to do next. A nervous smile suddenly curled upon her lips, as she made a timid attempt to console the little boy. "Hi, hi!' The young girl began, speaking in cutesy voice, while leaning her face somewhat closer to his. "My name is Siu; do you like candy?" She continued, fishing around in her pocket with one hand in order to eventually offer the youngster a lollipop; Kumogakure-brand lollipop, of course.

[WC=648 l Post 1/5]

 

[Funai Ikko]

Even before Ikko took any action towards their assignment, before he even acknowledged that the full group of them were there, something was visibly off about Ikko. Outside of the person who he had not met before, all of Eishi, Honnou, and Suika would notice that the blue-haired by was substantially more subdued than any would have thought it were possible to be. It wasn't necessarily that he looked depressed or anything of the sort, Ikko still had the same sort of manic grin, the same sort tingling look in his eye that let everyone knew that he was calculating every possible way to make this situation not only more exciting, but also goofier and completely less professional. However, there was a noticeable pall over it all, as if Ikko's heart wasn't truly in it, as if he wanted to be anywhere but there, doing anything but this, and being anyone but himself. As Kiri explained what they'd be doing, Ikko's eyes swiveled slightly to catch Suika's eye, seeming to warn her against saying anything about why the air around Ikko seemed, perhaps subconsciously, colder and less hospitable, before turning back to Kiri, barely paying attention.

Kiri then left, leaving them with the problem in typical Kiri fashion and eliciting a small sigh from Ikko. Before he had time to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation however, Eishi took action in typical Eishi fashion. Ikko knew there was a reason that they were best friends, he was insane. However, they had been given a task to do and unlike Eishi, Ikko at least tried to make sure they were somewhat on target for accomplishing that task. As soon as Eishi had begun to approach, Ikko raised is two hands before him. At first, it looked like he might be making a seal, but it was no seal anyone had every seen. Before him, Ikko had positioned his index finger and thumb outstretched and touching, forming a small box like a picture frame, with Eishi in the middle. A small frown of concentration appeared on Ikko's face as he brought his feet together for a moment before extending his right leg out to the side about three feet and dragging himself through keeping Eishi at the center of the box before repeating the process one more time.

Finally satisfied, Ikko dropped both hands to his sides and shook them lightly, loosening them as he hopped in place a bit, getting himself warmed up before he raised his right hand in to the air, a look of sheer determination across his features. He took off closing the distance in but a few strides and seeming to appear right next to Eishi as his right leg swung round in a wide arc as the metaphorical seams of his foot would crash square in to Eishi's cheek, launching him to the side with what Ikko could have sworn was a vapor trail and straight in to a utility shed as the crashes of shovels and rakes and banging metal could be heard clanging from their spot outside. Ikko, triumphant, raised both hands over his head, straight up as if signalling to the heavens of his success.

"Three points!"

Of course, the scoring was obviously pointless as no such game really existed in their world, but such eccentricities would likely have been expected, at least from everyone but Siu, but Ikko made no motion to bother explaining that his behavior was only mostly insane instead of completely. He still had the presence of mind however to heed Kiri's words. Knowing the boy was uncomfortable around men, Ikko made sure that when he turned to the boy, he kept himself positioned ever so slightly with Siu between him and the boy, ensuring that the boy felt that safety net of, if he needed to, he could hid behind Siu.

"Kotarou, would you like to see something cool?"

Ikko held his hand up, still making sure to keep enough of Siu between the boy and his hand as a buffer, and began wiggling his fingers around. Nothing would happen at first, but not long afterward small crystalline objects would form, the air around his fingertips freezing into small, brilliant ice crystals. Grinning Ikko would wiggle his fingers again and the little bits of ice would slowly begin to twirl around in the air, dancing and weaving around each other and putting on a little show for the boy's amusement, but not so fast that he could mistake them for being dangerous.

[WC: 755 | 1/5]

 

[Suika]

It wasn't too long after her departure in Tea Country that Suika found herself surrounded by familiar faces in a random predicament. She actually didn't attend the main ship most students and Genin arrived in; she hitched a ride, for the sake of her sanity, with an export ship. Its captain agreed for exchange of arduous work. Suika agreed instantly. It's not that she disliked her peers, but she needed time for herself after the incident in that god-forsaken cave with Ikko. The girl longed for solitude. Somehow, despite her efforts, she found herself here. At least Siu was present.

Her eyes met Ikko's as he shot to her a non-verbal warning. Suika, with a subtle expression, nodded slightly. She rather not discuss that siutation herself. Not here. Among them were Siu, as mentioned, Eishi, and a boy she didn't recognize. Kiri, one of her past instructors, led the group. As he explained their objective, her face slanted. This was going to be interesting. “Cheer up some kid? Well, at least this might be a nice change of pace in comparison to the usual blood and explosions...” She reminisced about her recent exploits. The last few months were truly a ride. As Kiri left, the gang was left with one task at hand: cheer up and gain the trust of a crybaby kid. How difficult could this possibly possibly be? The girl hoped she wouldn't bite her tongue later for that thought.

Naturally, Eishi, the brash one-armed shinobi, asserted himself inappropriately. At this point, Suika was pretty used to her teammate's bold antics. She thought his behavior to be purposeful when she first met him, but she recognized it now as a natural part of him. Whether that was good, or not, was still to be determined. Following his request and suggestion for cigarettes, a flustered Siu reprimanded him without much hesitation. Good ol' Siu. Suika grinned slightly in amusement. Before she could respond herself, Ikko wildly and violently advanced against Eishi and bashed him into a pile of shovels. Shit. Did they already fail?

Suika side glanced and shot the dorky duo a side glance that read, "Persist, and die." Hopefully they would heed the irritated girl's warning. Brushing that off, the passed off toddler was given introductions and, thanks to her fellow kunoichi, a lollipop. Perfect distractor and gesture. Following this, the ever-spritely Ikko demonstrated quite the display and made up for his previous tomfoolery. It was pretty entertaining; how would the boy respond? The gypsy girl was to intently observe his reaction. It was then that, like a lit up light bulb, an idea hit her. Entertainment. Talent. Back in the days, Suika was part of a traveling gypsy troupe that survived purely from the profits of entertaining a crowd. Smiles and laughter, especially emitted from small children, was the usual response they received. Most kids loved a good show. If her team was down, this one would, too.

“I'm Suika, friend. What's yours?” she said sweetly with a small head bow. Giving the boy ample space and time to react to others, she asserted herself with a gentle, nurturing tone as she knelt to his level. “Did you think Ikko's ice show was fun? What if we all put on a show for you, but like, an even bigger one!” She playfully made a 'large' gesture as she held her arms out wide. She continued. “You can be the judge of our talents and let us know what you think at the end. What do you say?” Her last words were meant for him and her teammates. At this point, it was just a suggestion. If the boy and her team didn't want to showcase a grand performance for the boy that reveal their individual and collective talents, then she was game for any other plan. As a former performer, this is all she knew to truly make people happy and lessen their guard.

[WC: 658 | Post 1/5]

 

[Kiri]

As the boy would be left into the care of these unknown little brats, Kotarou felt a sudden urge of overwhelming emotions. Most especially because the very person who was now holding him was this smug-looking guy who was far from the warm and comforting man from earlier. And as such, he wailed his heart out. It was at this moment, when he was far too preoccupied crying, that he was suddenly thrust to the hands of a woman. But the succeeding action of being placed a cigarette on his lips made him silence. His tears continued to fall without halt but he was too scared to move. He had to keep his mouth shut or else whatever it was that was put on his lips would fall.

Then, a myriad of things ensued, with the woman berating this smug-looking fool and taking the stick from his mouth, replacing with something that looked like candy. Even in his shocked expression and watery eyes, Kotarou would just nod as he would accept the lollipop. But whatever peace that may have brought him was easily thrown out the window when a blue-haired person suddenly came running and kicked the smug-looking fool, sending the latter flying out the lounge and into the shed outside. It was so sudden that Kotarou was left mouth agape and the lollipop fell to the ground… and the treat broke apart from the impact.

Surprisingly, he didn’t cry. Instead, his attention was now on the blue-haired wonder. He kept a good long stare at this unique individual, almost as if there was something he was searching. But then, when Ikko started to show a bit of ice jutsu, Kotarou’s mind wandered over to the spectacle. Admittedly, the sight of ice forming was something he had never seen before. In a place like Tea Country, there never was snow to begin with, and to see such a thing that one could easily replicate was something to behold. Already his eyes were getting bigger almost in pure awe. Never mind the snot and the tears that still littered across his cheeks, he was very much engrossed. Just then, another of the group would join, and Kotarou could instantly feel the cheerfulness in her. He smiled ever wider this time and nodded. “Kotarou,” he said with a point to himself.

Just then, his face contorted and he looked back between Siu, Ikko and Suika. He wiped his face with the sleeves of his shirt and then approached Ikko before placing both hands on the latter’s chest, clenched tight. “Where’s your boobie?” asked Kotarou. Then as he looked back to Siu and Suika, all the while squishing Ikko’s chest, he added, “Is Miss Blue a flat-chested beauty?” And almost as if the debacle of the crying incident was long gone, Kotarou’s eyes narrowed in a deadly manner. “I don’t think, Miss Blue can entertain with such plain-looking body. Good dancers have big boobies like those in the brothels across the street. Ah, but maybe you girls are still kids. Too bad.”

And just like that, Kotarou would turn on his heels and then head over to the sofa and sit down like he was the king, hands crossed over his head and his feet crossed. “Well? How will you entertain me?”

WC: 556
[MFT]

 

[Eishi]

"Huh, so the three-year-old isn't normal. Go figure," I commented, reappearing near the group in a huff. It took me a couple movement jutsus and a whole lot of repressed rage to get back as fast as I did. The side of my face was now slightly swollen, red, and it was unmistakably in the shape of the underside of a shoe. I gave Ikko a well placed and sturdy nut tap as I passed him by without so much as a word. It was enough of a hit to give him a nice lingering sting if nothing else. This wasn't over, not by a long shot, but I'd just mask my rage under a cool facade and deal with the task in the meantime before I inevitably exploded. Going all throughout my bag, finding what I was looking for and grabbing out the latest handheld device that came out a few months prior. I presented it to the kid before tossing it next to him along with a couple of games cases.

"Alright, I'll give you that along with a bunch of games in exchange for that key. If you don't want it, I'm sure there is something you do want. I can get it for you, no questions asked, as long as it has a value of fewer than ten thousand yen," I offered to the seemingly cognitive toddler. I wasn't going to touch his inability to tell the gender of Ikko. That wasn't my ballpark.

I felt kind of weird making a dealing with a three-year-old, but the fast way out was always my preferred method at seven in the morning. I'd rather just be done and go on to more important tasks at hand like watching the tournament qualifiers that started in an hour or two and cheating idiots out of their money. Either way, we were now playing to this kids fiddle, If I was lucky, he may even ignore me. If that were the case, I could always take a nap and let everyone else deal with the kid.

 

[Honnou]

Okay! Entertain the boy, that would be an easy task, wouldn’t it? Although the idea that Eishi came up with was more or less extreme, it might do the trick… but his reason kicked in before anything else. One should know that kids in that age didn’t generally smoke, and Honnou had never tried such thing himself. Smoking was considered indecent by his parents given by his observation over their reactions to smokers in public. His eyes said it all, it felt like a really bad idea… and Siu agreed on that as she tried to ease things around the young Kotarou. Instead of putting a smoke in his mouth, the girl tried to offer a piece of candy instead, appealing to the young boy’s age and their childish liking in sweet stuff.

What do children like to do, nowadays..? he began thinking, I don’t think that reading and training would cheer him up as much as it did the trick with me back then… but maybe he does like sweet stuff. It is Tea Country, so maybe the candy would do the trick… or maybe he is old enough to drink tea? Nah, that doesn’t make sense, he’s way younger than even I am… uhhh… His thoughts would end up in spirals of confusion, worry and anxiety of what to do to make the little boy happy again. However, he suddenly watched Ikko present himself in form of a phantom that passed him in the blink of an eye, aiming straight for the two. His first thought was barely a thought, because by then, Ikko had done his deal and flung a leg up on Eishi, sending the poor guy several meters away. “… Eh, violent much?” he mumbled to the phantom-like kicker - in this case, Ikko - with a sweat pearl trickling down.

Oh well, he followed up with a new Jutsu that manifested eyes, and Suika had gotten the idea that, perhaps, the trick was to put a kind of ‘show’ for the little kid alike the spectacle that Ikko performed. It sounded exciting and smoke-less, so that felt like an agreed plan for the young Hyuuga. That was when Kotarou suddenly began commenting the ice user’s chest, and a swift silence passed his head followed by a chuckle. “… ‘Miss Blue’ here isn’t gifted if you know what I mean,” he joked with a finger scratching the space between his nostrils and lip.

Kotarou’s voice then took a turn. It was a familiar turn that Honnou himself used to do when he got serious, because it felt like listening to an adult… or, in this case, some dead-sick scare machine. It shocked him due to the relativity, ultimately causing the young Hyuuga to… faint… in the middle of the student cattle, hitting the ground hard and with eyes that had given up on life.

“…”

WC: 937

 

[Siu]

The blue-haired youth seemed to waste little time before officially establishing himself as the most bizarre individual of the entire group. Siu had never seen nor met the boy prior to today, as with Honnou, and therefore had no initial impression or judgement of the two. However, Ikko's shed kicking antics had blatantly revealed himself to be an individual....greatly lacking stability. Siu pondered if he had any regard whatsoever for human emotion. Spontaneous individuals were one thing, Siu was surrounded by those on a daily bases, yet this individual... he was on an entirely different level. Spontaneous was an understatement for him.

Perhaps, the general reaction for anyone watching their close friend being kicked into a shed would have been immediate anger. However, the young kunoichi instead found herself standing still in jaw-dropped awe concerning what had just happened. The action was so unexpected and seemingly senseless, it seemed almost unreal.
The blue-haired wonder then appeared next to her and the held toddler, and began forming a series of minor jutsu tricks. Perhaps more amazed than the toddler, was Siu herself; Not by the young boy's ability to perform jutsu tricks, as jutsu was something she'd witnessed on a daily bases, but rather by the young boys ability to completely brush off what he'd just done to Eishi as if nothing had even taken place.
Her eyes were fixated on Eishi's collision site, in the midst of Ikko's and Suika's attempts to win the toddler's favor, gravely concerned for her friend's safety. Fortunately, Eishi would later reveal himself to be 'mostly' fine, aside from the shoe imprint on his face. Although, Siu did additionally find herself quite surprised by the fact that a full on shinobi fight between the two didn't commence right then and there. Though, there 'was' a witnessed 'nut tap' in response, revealing all was not completely peaceful.

As if that weren't enough, the spontaneous antics continued, as yet another greatly surprising and unexpected scene unfolded. The toddler had suddenly revealed himself to be rather 'intelligent' for his age, far more intelligent than he initially appeared in his previously sobbing demeanor. The young girl's eye widened as she witnessed the youth leave her arms and go on to grab Ikko's chest. "Urm...." She began to noise, as if she had in mind to answer the toddler's inquiry. Yet, nothing more than that escaped from her lips.
Additionally, the seemingly more 'stable' of the male shinobis of group suddenly fainted with a loud thud that quickly drew the young girl's attention, causing her to bring her hands over her mouth with a gasp.

.....Just what in the world was going on, right now?

As the toddler sat on the couch and crossed his arms behind his head, challenging the group, Siu immediately realized that this would very not be an easy task. She'd witnessed that kind of demeanor before; The authoritative demeanor that revealed that he would be a tough cookie to crack. It was enough to make the young kunoichi ponder whether he'd even provide the group the keys even after being successfully entertained. If he were a warm individual, he'd simply given them the keys on spot a long time ago. Yet his attitude was proving he was not as innocent as he appeared.
As Eishi commenced with bribing discussions, Siu taking the opportunity to walk over to the side of her other teamate, before innocently placing her arms behind her back, and leaning over to the side in order to whisper in her fellow kunoichi's ear. "Suika-san.." She began. "Did Shieo-sensei teach you any good Genjutsu?" She inquired, an inquisitive expression on her face. "I don't think he will give us the keys easily with that look. Maybe we should just Genjutsu him during the performance for the key." She finished, before standing back up straight casually as if nothing significant had taken place.
Continuing her observation of the scene, she was curious how the toddler would react to Eishi's offer. A gaming device was a pretty tough offer to pass up. Siu even felt sorry that Eishi had to give such a precious possession for the sake of the task.

[WC=696 l Post 2/5]

 

[Funai Ikko]

Well...that little piece of...

Ikko had a lot of things that he would like to say at the moment, none of them flattering to the little twerp. The first and most obvious issue was that Ikko was not in fact a woman. He might not...look like the most masculine individual in the world with his fair skin, thin waist and general...he's just not a woman alright? On top of that, who did this little piece of snot think he was? Being awkwardly and endearingly creepy was Ikko's thing. Who did he think he was rolling up on Ikko's turf and being awkwardly creepy? He still needed to work on the endearing part at least because right now it was just straight creepy. Before he could really tell him off for this behavior however, revenge was served cold and simultaneously searingly uncomfortably. Thankfully, because of the way Ikko was positioned, crouched on the ground with his weight on his hind legs, Eishi didn't really have a good shot at his target. Less thankfully, Eishi didn't really need a good shot at his target for the strike to be less than pleasant and even the glancing blow had the desired effect.

With a noise that sounded like a strange mix a pressure valve loosing and the final wheezing could of a dying leper, Ikko had a sharp intake of air as he immediately rolled over and on to his side, clearly distressed. Ikko, muttering a plethora of choice words about where Eishi could stick his foot, fully got to his knees with his back to the boy, not in any rush to show him his "flat" chest and insufficient figure for Tea's seediest whorehouse any longer, ignoring that his current struggles showcased him as rather unequipped for such things. Instead as Eishi occupied his immediate attention and Suika and Sui...he thought, he didn't remember her name, muttered about Genjutsu, Ikko made a quick signal to Suika, pressing his finger against his chest.

This wasn't ideal, but the kid had already shown himself capable of concealing his disposition and intellect once, assuming he wouldn't notice Suika or Sui attempting to work Genjutsu right in front of him was, to put it simply, a gamble they weren't likely to win. Instead, if someone was going to be their pocket illusionist, they couldn't be visible for it. In an ideal world, this Illusionist would be Suika, she was considerably better than Ikko at it, but unlike Suika, Ikko had a convenient excuse now to vanish from sight for a bit. On top of that, she'd be better suited for directly talking to the child. Ikko would try not to dwell on how she just seemed to be better than him at everything. Still, it needed to be him, but he couldn't risk a biggest gesture than the quick point to his chest without possibly tipping the kid off.

"I need to go...go throw up...hope you...get...eaten by...a camel...stupid Eishi."

He spoke each word with a lurch as he tried to move away from the clearing and behind a building with which to properly go through up out of sight. One he was out of sight however, Ikko's movement returned to being fluid and graceful, like a Shinobi's. Moving quickly and deftly, Ikko silently scaled the side of the building for a better vantage point of their meeting place as he watched, still trying to figure out why Honnou decided now was the appropriate time for a nap, as he positioned himself with just barely enough of an angle to see and listen, hidden from sight from the group themselves. If they needed a timely genjutsu, he would hopefully be able to provide it.

[WC: 617/1372 | 2/5]

 

[Suika]

As today's events unfolded, Suika made due note that it was bound by chaos. As time pressed forward, that thought was confirmed a hundred times over. After the gypsy girl's sweet, quick exchange with the toddler, he skipped off toward Ikko and attempted to feel him up. The kunoichi's expression fell deadpanned. “So he's a pervy little twerp...” It was clear, from that point on, that the boy's soul was corrupt by the vanities and lusts of this world. It was a shame, too. Were these the type of individuals bred in Tea country? This notion was further confirmed as the boy strolled to his seat, positioned himself like royalty, and spouted off his expectations with a sense of entitlement. Being a former traveling performer, Suika knew this type all too well. It annoyed the hell out of her, but like before, her cheery expression was unmoved. Rule number one when charming someone: play the role expertly, no matter how terrible they seem. It was what she learned all those years out on the road. Before she could respond and help formulate a strategy with her team, she heard a loud 'thud' behind her. What the hell was that? Luckily enough, Eishi took charge and asserted himself as usual. This allowed the group enough time to reconvene and plan accordingly.

As she strolled toward the other Genin, she hopped over the now identified source of that interrupting sound. It appeared as if the other child, the one she didn't recognize too much, spontaneously fainted. Was he low on sugar or something? He seemed to be breathing, so Suika wasn't too alarmed to tend to him. There was more pressing matters. It was then that she felt a warm hand land gently on her back as a soft, airy whisper filled her eardrums. The kunoichi blushed slightly as her skin erupted in chills. It was Siu. For reasons she couldn't identify, she felt nervous from the girl's subtle embrace. Siu was always someone she admired. Her physical presence almost sent her into a sensory overload. With an awareness of what she felt and her bodily reactions, Suika kept herself composed and was soon able to refocus on the intent of her peer's words. She gestured with a simple nod and kept her focus on the boy. It was imperative for the group to look naturalistic in their scheming.

“Hmm?” Ikko brushed by the two kunoichi, muttered something about being sick and Eishi, and stormed out of the room. Could today get any more odd? Deep down, though, and from what she knew about Ikko, the girl had an inkling of faith that he had a plan. Although doe-eyed, sometimes boisterous, and overly peppy, the boy was a lot more clever than how he presented himself. Regardless, her role was here and now. Suika had to handle the situation before her. If Eishi failed at his negotiations, the gypsy girl would call out to the boy with a hospitable, showman smile and motion at her group.

“Get ready for the show of a lifetime, Koutaro-san.” She then formed handseals and transformed into what she envisioned herself to look in three-to-four years time (but slightly more clothed). The gypsy knew her audience and would unashamedly appeal to that. “Sit put a moment as the cast of Kumogakure's Shining and Spectacular Shinobi prepares.” She winked playfully at the boy and held out her hand as a ringleader's wand manifested itself from her otherworldly energy. With a wave, she attempted to cast False Surroundings on the boy to transform their surroundings to that of a grand stage adorned with a flashy banner, lights, and props. She was really trying to sell this show. “To your places.” She motioned her fellow Genin to play along and prepare themselves. Her expression also revealed that she had a plan. She then faced Koutaru, practically leaving hardly any time to waste. The attention span of a child had to be stimulated consistently.

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and- Well, just boy, and a charming one at that.” She winked again and continued. This was all a contrived act to attain the key and buy time for herself and the group, but part of her did get lost in the act. As much as she loathed old times, part of her was refreshed by the thought of performing again. It was her first love. “Introducing Kumogakure's Shining and Spectacular Shinobi Show! Get ready to be rocked off your horses as the finest, and most deadly, ninja from the Land of Lightning perform for your immediate entertainment!” This was their cue. It was in her highest of hopes that someone would respond with something that was, indeed, spectacular. In the works of her mind, Suika formulated her next plan of action. Siu had a great suggestion, and as long as she had her magical baton, she could perform genjutsu sneakily when needed.

[WC: 818 | Post 2/5
TWC: 1,476/1,500]

 

[Kiri]

It was interesting how everything was unfolding. Kiri had decided to step into the kitchen to help the owner as a cook. He was quite confident with his skill, especially when he was always cooking even in the Tsuyoshi Estate’s main kitchen. Most of the time, though, the kitchen staff would rather he just wait and let all the working be done by them, but he would always insist in his fair share of chores. Cooking was a hobby, after all, and his specialty was bento. But in any case, peeking at the students every now and then, Kiri would mentally facepalm at the scene, seeing how Kotarou had now entered his so-called “emperor mode”. A “good luck” murmur escaped his lips before he went back to chopping some fruits for the cool dish selections.

Back at the lounge, as things were unfolding, there was a certain glint of authority on Kotarou’s face. It was both arrogance and also certainty. With Eishi returning to the lounge, seemingly trying to get himself back into gear, he began to start with a deal with Kotarou. The boy raised a brow at the object, a sense of familiarity showing on his eyes. Again, he would not notice at all that one of the students had just fainted on the floor. No need to worry about the weak.

He gazed at the game device and the cartridges and then back to Eishi, seemingly observing the smug-looking one before his attention was suddenly diverted towards Siu and Suika. Lastly, his eyes came to Miss Blue who was still on the ground, curled up and then decided to exit. “Are you in that time of the month, Miss Blue? You should have said so,” said Kotarou with worry in his voice though the boy could only watch Ikko exit the lounge before he faced the rest. “Miss Blue must have suppressing for a long time. If she wants, the ladies at Club Kitty across the road have those pills for that. They often come here complaining like its the end of the world.”

Then, Kotarou would focus his gaze on Siu and Suika, smiling in the most genuine smile ever as Suika would declare the so-called Greatest Show Ever was about to commence. Immediately, he pushed aside the game devices, making them fall on the ground and quickly ignored. Whatever intention that smug-looking guy had, it was brushed off with ease. He would make himself comfortable back on the sofa as Suika would begin with an illusional transformation.

The chakra weaving in the air was easily recognisable that Kiri opt for a moment to take another peek. This time, his face was serious as he observed for a long time before sighing. “Oh well, best they experience first hand,” he uttered and returned back to the kitchen.

At that point, as well, Kotarou would seemingly be engrossed by the visualisation of the stage. Though while his eyes may seem to sparkle, there was also a mischievous charm on his facial expression. “Interesting,” he muttered as he raised his hands back over his head and titled his face so he could look at Suika directly. “Just how deadly, I wonder?”

Inexplicably, Suika would feel a sudden sensation. It was almost as if there was a cold air at her back, creeping up her spine and then suddenly holding her neck with invisible hands, before they left and the same creeping fingers would be felt as if her very head, her brain, her face, her eyes, her ears, her mouth would feel as if they were held. And in her mind, echoed something, a voice that darted into her. Forcing her to be still for a moment.

A similar feeling would grip Siu, though this time it was shallow. It was almost as if she was feeling warm all over her body. It was a relatively soothing feeling, almost as if melting into a fluffy mattress and just wanting to sleep forever kind of feeling. And then, just as if Siu would want to move her around or think, she would realised that she is encased in an unknown barrier, a transluscent light orange barrier that was seemingly making her feel at peace and simply not wanting to care. No, not so much about not wanting to care, but more of seemingly understanding and wanting to just to be next to Kotarou and be lazy and idle away.

In a similar manner, Eishi would suddenly be struck by inexplicable heart-wrenching feeling. No, it wasn’t the heart. It was almost as if his soul was being attacked by an unknown force… or was this a feeling. It ached. Different emotions were flooding his core, from anger to anxiety to fear to uncertainty. They were all swirling around in his soul and mind. And if not careful, it would tear away it his being, perhaps, even physically hurt him from within.

“Come sit with me, Siu-neesan,” called out Kotarou as he patted the empty space of the sofa. “I think Suika-nessan will be starting her show in a bit.”

WC: 856

Effects:

Passively on Kotarou:

Spoiler

Empathy Scan - Passive
Emotions are the basis of these shinobi's abilities, there is little they do not understand about the causes and strengths of their feelings, as well as the outcomes they may influence on a person’s mind. Because of their extensive knowledge, these shinobi are able to read the emotions of others be it a frail child or hardened criminal. With their understanding, it is said that those with this gift are able to understand the action’s of other’s before they themselves decide.
Effect: The user gains +2 Accuracy.

---

Kotarou can detect the change in their behaviour that makes him curious yet authoritative of what it could be and decides to feed off on their feelings.

On Suika:

Spoiler

Charm Person - Independent Special Move
To those who understand the workings of the emotions of other’s, one can find that manipulating them is a simple task that only requires a bit of subtle guidance. These shinobi are able to play with the inner natures of others to such a degree, that they are nearly able to bend the will of others to suit their own causes, even if it is a simple act of raising their disposition them more.

---

Suika feels an interrupted in her thoughts as if another person’s will was entering hers and forcing her to act: “How deadly can you get against Smug-looking Person next to you?”

On Siu:

Spoiler

Emotion Barrier - Independent Special Move
These shinobi are attuned to their inner feelings, and as such they are easily capable of forming strong bonds of attachment with others. At time’s, there is little that is stronger than their intense desire to protect other's, and they are able to create a visible form of their desire to protect in the form of a barrier. Though this energy is not chakra as it may appear, but rather a portion of the user’s own life force sacrificed for the well being of others.

---

Siu feels as though someone else presence is with her and her own disposition overtaken by a warm, fluffy feeling of a comfortable sofa where all her fears are melting away and replaced by a strange confidence to just be at ease. She feels highly swayed by Kotarou’s words

On Eishi:

Spoiler

Spiritual Anguish - Non-Elemental Ninjutsu
It is rumored that this technique strikes at the very soul of its victim, but whether or not this is true, what is the soul other than the inner emotions of a being? With their understanding and ability to use their own emotions as a source of power, these compassionate shinobi find that that can use this ability to strike at the same source in another. This technique damages the life force, or soul, of the victim, overflowing them with a surge of emotional energy that both painfully disrupts and rips a hole in the life force of the target.
Rank 2: A successful hit disrupts 1.5 AP worth of actions and deals 3500 damage to the victim's HP and CP. If the victim fails an additional Genjutsu Save roll, they take an additional 1500 unbuffable HP damage and a -2 dodge and Genjutsu Save penalty for three rounds afterward. This technique is considered Spiritual.

---

Eishi feels as though he is being attacked by a myriad of emotions from within, trying to break his physical stability or worse, his sanity apart.

 

[Honnou]

… It was quite the void that Honnou found himself in. He began looking around his knocked out mind, remembering what exactly lead him here… the boy. That voice, that attitude… he was far more dangerous than he could imagine. Would a boy in such an age act like an adult? Was that even possible? You know, Honnou could relate to himself, but he had at least a decade of experience. This little kid was at least five years younger… how? As he wandered in speculation and confusion, a light suddenly emitted in the darkness. He held a hand towards it, feeling that it was one of those blitzes that would lead you back to consciousness, but… rather…

He now found himself surrounded in light. A bluish light. It was as if a huge eye was staring at him. He quickly turned his gaze up towards it and looked, feeling that he had seen this eye before. It was bright and with a blue tint… what the hell…

Somebody had to wake him up. Now.

WC: 1112/1500

 

[Eishi]

I won't lie, it made me flinch. It was like really bad heartburn, but all over your body and about hundred times worse. I was experienced enough in Identifying my own "soul" or more accurate my "ego", whatever the thing that makes you you, quite a while ago as part of my bloodline studies. You know, I had never thought I could get as angry as I had gotten right then. I had been in enough fight in my life, especially in the last two and half years to really know how to call up some serious bloodlust for my opponent. This little shit had attacked me, unprovoked, while I was in the middle of negotiations with him. I stood there a couple meters from the boy, staring in disbelief at what had just occurred.

I took in a heavy breath after holding it in for what had felt like hours, circling my chakra once and unsheathing my spear. 'Two' slashes in the air and seven seconds later, my spear was slung and I was walking away. I grabbed the sleeping Raikage and flung him over my shoulder as I headed into the woods where I had last spotted Ikko. The girls would have to deal with the kid, because I was done with the class. I was seriously going to earnestly kill that kid if I hadn't left just then. I didn't even bother to collect the gaming console or my bag. Something I never thought I'd actually do. Just need to calm my nerves I muttered to myself in mantra.

About twenty seconds later the boy and the two girls would find the couch they were sitting on had been cut into oblivion and the boy, more than likely oblivious to what I had just done. If he had been clueless, he would find his face had been cut deeply in its very center of his face, right below the eyes and over the bridge of his nose. I made sure it wasn't permanent, but incredibly painful and lingering. I was sure Kiri would fix him up, and I would be scolded, but in all honesty, the boy could go fuck himself in the meantime.

 

[Suika]

And more chaos ensued.

As Suika readied the performance and introduced her first performer from the group, she felt a wave of emotions hit her at once. Trying to not look disturbed, she paused and took a small, deep breath. She felt almost... angry? A tinge of violence? Her eyes darted to the one-armed shinobi, and man, did she feel like hitting him. Gripping her ethereal baton tightly, she gulped as a bead of sweat fell down from her crown.

“Why do I want to hurt Eishi?”

With eyes that glowed with a light spiritual glow, Suika shook her head as she began fighting whatever it was manipulating her. She was a kunoichi with extraordinary perception and a sharp mind; she couldn't be done in by whatever was trying to influence her. Her eyes slowly focused on the tiny boy before her. Was this his doing? There was no way a three or four-year old could have such influence. “Yet, my senses are telling me that he's the cause.” As she undergone her internal struggle, Eishi unsheathed his spear, swung at the boy, grabbed the knocked out Genin, and attempted to split. His uncalled for advance happened at a blink of an eye. Suika, slowly sinking into her prompted aggression, instantaneously waved her wand at the boy just as he was halfway out the door. “Stop, Eishi-san.” The kunoichi cast a genjutsu on the Nanjirou that would make him instantly freeze up like a statue. He was petrified. She continued. “I don't know what's going on here, but we need to calm down.” She shot boldly. Her hands shook. Even though her violent feelings faded somewhat, they still lingered. At this point, if Honnou wasn't awake, he'd probably slump off Eishi's stiff shoulders and onto the ground. Suika shifted herself toward the toddler.

“Whatever you're doing, stop this at once and give us that key.” Her face scrunched up. She couldn't threaten to attack him... that already happened. What could she say? “Or I'm telling on you, Kotarou-kun. If that's not scary enough, I'm going to force you to do chores everyday during my stay here. Mark my words.” She crossed her arms firmly and tapped her foot.

[Post 3/5 | TWC: 1500+]

[OOC: Me and Eishi rolled for him to get successfully bound by my genjutsu. This was agreed upon]

 

[Funai Ikko]

Well...that was interesting...

To be fair however, "interesting" might be underselling things a bit. There were many other adjectives and verbs that could be used to describe what he was watching that were remarkably more colorful and interesting, but most of them weren't acceptable for a just a little parental guidance. Somehow, the kid had used some sort of power to influence the lot of them in the room and, from Ikko's short interaction with Siu and his rather expansive interactions with the other two, the effects imparted seemed oddly appropriate. Ikko cursed silently in his own mind as he scanned the est of the room. Nothing seemed to have been done to Honnou, though nothing really needed to be done to him to be fair. Still, he had a plan. They had to subdue whatever technique the kid had wielded, that apparently he didn't need to do a whole lot to trigger, and get whatever key Kiri was talking about.

"Hi Kiri"

Ikko had moved quietly from his position toward what he had soon discovered was the kitchen. He greeted Kiri who was doing...something, it didn't matter really, with a jovial tone as if he were saying hello while passing him on the street as he sidled up next to him, looking at the racks ahead of him, pondering for a moment, before reaching up and grabbing ahold of a decently heavy looking frying pan and turning back toward the door, as if this were perfectly normal and expected behavior.

"Bye Kiri!"

Ikko had made his way back into the hall, he heard movement but it wasn't important, he didn't have time. Pulling some wire out of his pack, Ikko laced it around the handle of the frying pan and wedged it just loose enough between the hinge and the door. He didn't fully know how the powers of the boy worked, so if he was to come under whatever strange influence his friends were afflicted by, he needed a contingency plan. Ikko wrapped the wire around his waist and crept up the wall into the rafters, creeping along above them as stealthily as possible.

Before he could enact Operation: Frying Pan of Fright, Suika adopted what must have been an attempted irritated parent tone and it had effectively stoppered Ikko in his tracks, watching quietly. If she reached the boy, great...if she didn't then Operation Frying Pan of Fright was a go. Though he was curious why Eishi looked suspiciously still, as if someone had frozen all of his joints in place...wait....wait wait wait wait. Did the kid turn Eishi into a popsicle? IKKO WAS GOING TO TURN HIM INTO A POPSICLE. Oh no, even if Suika got the key, Operation: Frying Pan of Fright was definitely a go.

[WC: 1500+/ PC: 3/5]

 

[Kiri]

Kotarou’s eyes would sharpen as he saw the defiance in the glum-looking brat’s face. He could tell that he was a stubborn, hardboiled egg, but that only meant it was bound to crack. With much anticipation, theatrics all considered, the sofa would be wasted with he strength that the Eishi displays. Unfortunately for him, Kotarou knew all too well. He felt it in the throbbing anger within Eishi. So he grabbed Siu by the arm before a split second of a jump. One would be quite surprised that a young boy like him was even capable of such, soaring overhead and landing ways behind Eishi and Suika, with Siu tagged along next to him.

Before anything else, however, Suika would enact her part and seemingly bind Eishi on his tracks. Nonetheless, there was a mischievous grin on Kotarou’s face as he eyed them with much interest. Soon enough, there was a malicious aura seemingly beginning to cluster around them.

However, before that could ensue, a stealthy headchop would fall like divine retribution and land on Kotarou’s head. The boy yelped, letting go of his hold on Siu’s arm and then clutched his head as he crouched in suppressed tears. Behind him stood Kiri with an apron and a lit cigarette on his face. On his other hand was a cast-iron frypan with a searing slab of meat.

“What on earth is going on? Why is there a destroyed window? Did someone get thrown out? And why is the sofa in splinters?” asked Kiri, seemingly pulling off the surprised but not impressed expression on his face. Then, he would fix his gaze on Eishi and say, “That’s coming out of your allowance for this trip.” He was about to leave when he took a double take. He glanced about one more time before saying, “Are you guys playing? I believe I gave you all a task? Where’s Ikko? He definitely took the other pan. I need that make the stovepot lasagna. And why is Hon… uh… never mind.” With his free hand, he taps the boy on the head, “Kotarou, you don’t want to be sealed again, do you?” Be a good boy and just entertain them. They can be your friends.”

At that, the boy stiffened before he stared at Kiri with tears already ready to burst from his eyes but he nodded. Thus, Kiri began to walk back to the kitchen, leaving the lounge area with the lot of them. However, just as he did so, he would spot the flying pan and in a split second, shadow tendrils would shoot out from beneath him to stop it and cut the wired object. “I’ve been looking for this! I’m already two orders behind schedule. Now, will you all kids just play nice and settle this problem before I have to put up with more cooking just to pay for our rent?” Kiri grumbled as he was now walking along before stopping once more and glancing back, “Kotarou, you can tell them the truth. I think they’re still ineffective in trying to get information using charming tactics, especially against you.” Sighing, Kiri went back inside.

At that point, Kotarou was still rubbing the upside of his head before he glanced at them all. “Sorry,” he murmured before all the strange restrictive feeling that they had would disappear in an instance. Then he lunged himself to hug Siu, pressing his face against her bosom without any malice, before entering into another crying fit. “I lost the key!!!! I’m sorry!”

[TWC: 2,206]
[Post: 4/5]

 

[Siu]

Just when it seemed that things couldn't possibly become any more chaotic than they already were, the unusual toddler had once against revealed himself to be even greater of a threatening hassle than the group of ragtag shinobi could have ever possibly expected. While the very denial of Eishi's gaming bribe was a greatly disappointing enough occurrence all in itself, the accompanying series of unexpected events which unfolded next would prove to be of even greater tragedy.
Two surprised and curious kunoichi eyes widened, as Suika suddenly transformed into a future image of herself, and began manipulating the world around them. What was once a simple inn lounge, had now became the group's very own illusionary performance stage. With that, all had 'seemed' as though it would go perfectly according to plan; However, this kid once again revealed himself to be anything but normal, as a suddenly unexpected display of Genjutsu prowness from him completely seemed to render all previous plans and strategies rather vain.
Previously quite anxious and deeply contemplative concerning the group's next mode of action in order to win the luggage key from the boy, in a moment, Siu would suddenly find herself taking on an entirely different state of mind; one which had a greatly unignorable desire to suddenly just go lay down somewhere soft, abandon all previous plans, and take a nap. Before the younger toddler had called out to the older female, she already had been eyeing the sofa with strong intent. It didn't require much persuasion to bring her there. She might have even went there eventually on her own, even if she hadn't been called.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, however, Siu would only experience but a few moments of her strongly desired comfort and relaxation, before Eishi could suddenly be seen unsheathing his weapon in anger, and swinging for the very sofa the two sat on. Siu then would find herself suddenly herself flying through the air, able to briefly glance downward in the midst of her unexpected ascent, in order to witness the very source of her previous comfort now being shred apart like a ruined dream.
Upon landing, there still would be little opportunity to mentally register just what in the world was going in right now, before a sudden yelp was heard from the youth, and he quickly reached both hands for his head. Staring at the pain striken toddler with a blank expression on her face, Siu slowly looked upwards in order to find a much taller figure suddenly standing over the group. Ah, it was Kiri again. 'When' did he appear?

Still under the effects of the Genjutsu during the eldest shinobi's speech, Siu had actually felt strong concern for the youths well-being in the midst of his painful crises. Still, she was quite mentally aware enough to pay enough decent attention to Kiri's words. Now, was she actually interested in them? Very likely not. He went on about splintered sofas, trip allowance, frying pans, lasagna and...sealing? The final mention sparked great curiosity within the genjutsu'd kunoichi. Just what did he mean by 'sealing'?

With a sudden apology from the toddler, another unexpected occurrence in itself, the effects of his Genjutsu would suddenly find themselves dispersed. Blinking a few times after the dispersal, Siu slowly began to make a distinguishment between what she'd previous felt under the effects of the genjutsu, and her true feelings. Perhaps, the immediate reaction for realizing you'd been unwillingly entrapped under a Genjutsu in order to follow the desires of a three year old toddler would be anger. It's very possible Siu might have even eventually felt that, had she been freely left to continually dwell in her own thoughts. However, the Genin quickly found her contemplations cut short, as a crying toddler could suddenly be felt against her bosom.
A comforting hand went towards the young toddlers head. Yet, if you asked Siu exactly why she'd performed the action, even she herself wouldn't know. The dumbfolded expression written upon her face made that quite clear. While outwardly, she may have seemed rather allowing of all of this, inwardly there was one conflicting thought in particular which invoked disapproval regarding the current circumstance: When the toddler removed his face, would she suddenly find herself covered in snot and drool? She certainly hoped not.

Thus, with that, the truth had finally been revealed; the key had been lost! Siu's eyes widened at the unexpected statement from the toddler's lips. "You..." She began, a greatly surprised tone in her voice, which sounded to almost be in almost disbelief. The older shiniobi suddenly looked back up at her supporting peers; A future-self transformed Suika, a petrified Eishi, and an unconscious boy lying upon the ground. What was the latter boy's name again...?
The kunoichi's eyes seemed to be posing a question to the entire group, non-verbally asking them with great anxiety, "What do we do now?"

[WC=821 l Post 3/5]

 

[Honnou]

Ah… wait, the young boy felt like something just affected him physically. The dream that he was having right now began blurring, and actual light from reality began enveloping his tired eyes as the previously knocked out Genin woke up ever so slowly… oh… he wasn’t on the floor anymore. In fact, it felt as if someone was carrying him, and as the Hyuuga slowly looked around with his eyes, leaving his head to rest without letting it turn around to give him any bigger clairvoyance, he concluded that Eishi was the one who had decided to carry him all along. At the same time, a voice was heard; it was, clearly, the voice of Kiri’s, their teacher who had asked out what was going on. Did Honnou miss out on anything? It appeared to be the question…

The last words that he heard was these; ‘I lost the key!’ And with that said, the boy dashed off of Eishi’s grab and jumped up to life like some kind of zombie, stretching his neck a little and looking at the little boy who just exclaimed previous mentioned. “Ah, so that’s the case… you don’t have to hide the truth like that all the time,” he stated, acting as if the entire ‘knocked-out’ phase just passed everyone, “Then what about this, fella; the first of us two who get to find the key again-“ He would then slowly move closer to the toddler, pull him closer as well to make space from them and Siu who had charmingly comforted the young kid, and then whisper something into his ear…

“So, what do you say? Are you up for the challenge?”

WC: 1391

POST #4

OBS: Kiri, check Discord. I sent ya a message ;3