Evening Wonderland [Private]

[Muramasa Maya]

"Close. This is my dearest Ashuri." Sawa-black corrected, floating over to her duplicate, hugging the girl in red. "We may be different here in our world. But out there, we are the same, Akechi-san."

"You have done well to recover so quickly, Akechi-san. A normal person would have had their mind broken under stress." Sawa-black acknowledged. But then again, a normal person wouldn't have been able to enter the girl's mind, let alone continue into the more demented areas of it to speak with the two residents in their truest natures. The Sharingan truly was a impressive tool in this mans hands....err, head.

Sawa-red...Ashuri...took a moment to understand what Akechi was attempting to tell her. How she was a coward, using her lack of memories to hide from her true nature. "....." While that was true; she really as afraid of what she had become. A monster, rather than the innocent little girl she dreamed of being. But...was it so bad to pretend to be something she wasn't? "...The memories scare me...I'm a bad person....You should know...that I can't be normal...I'll hurt people. I'm sure. What if I tried to hurt you...Akechi? Isn't it better for me to just...sleep here?" She questioned. The urge to watch someone's final moments, to take their most precious life from them...The impulses were restrained by her sealed memories, but even so some of the urges still influenced the girl. With her memories, she might be Ashuri again; but her fear, her anguish, her bloodlust would all be there was well, rather than the toned down feelings affecting her when she was "Sawako". Ignorance is bliss.

As for the other..."That puppet...is an amusing hobby of mine. A little project to test the techniques of our body." Kuroyuki spoke. "It is, afterall, in our best interest to become familiar with my host's potential. My original body has been lost, and I have had many other forms and names up to now. My current form and name...has been called Sawako." Kuroyuki, Sawa-black continued. ""Sawako" is our immature state, made up of Ashuri and Kuroyuki. With time, our...souls, if you will,...will mesh together. At which point, the birth of Kuroyuki may take place." The darkness that spread infinity around them reached up and cloaked Sawa-black, enveloping her small figure entirely, before washing away and revealing a new figure. Quite a few features were unchanged; same dark hair, only longer. The same pasty white body, but no longer restricted to the immature form of a child, as evident by the lack of the black dress she previously wore. The same empty dark eyes, only very much active as opposed to Sawako's passive gaze. With such similarities, it was obvious "Sawako" was already well on her way into becoming "Kuroyuki".

"...Ashuri becomes part of Kuroyuki. Powerful and strong. She's my protector...I wouldn't have to be "Ashuri" any more..." The girl in red spoke, retaining the smaller form as opposed to the mature one donned by her counterpart. "Yes. "Kuroyuki" is also influenced by her host, so there are changes I go through as they become one with me...But the end result is that she will become Kuroyuki, and be freed of her past pains forever." Sawako; the incarnation of Ashuri and Kuroyuki, destined to inherit the abilities and mindset of the later as a youkai. What was this to Akechi, the diver into the dark of their mind?

[Marked]

 

[Akechi]

”Was I looking at the wrong person? Surely I meant… what did I mean?” Akechi thought, the exhaustion of utilizing Tsukuyomi for this long, especially in this manner, seemingly taking a toll on the man. I mean, it was even beginning to affect the way man’s mind worked. Normally, he was quite astute when it came to such things but this seemed to be quite different. The question of how mentally taxed he was in this imaginary world, and how it would affect his health in the real world became even more important. After all, even an Uchiha had limits, and he may have just reached his…

Not that it would stop him or learning more…

”I guess the fact that I am still able to maintain this world, despite the incredible weight that your aura presents, proves that my mind hasn’t been broken yet. Perhaps I’ve evolved past a normal man.” Akechi giggled as his eyes shuffled between the two “Sawa’s,” wondering the degree of control that this Kuroyuki had over Ashuri. Traditionally, demons tended to completely assimilate their unfortunate victims, devouring their soul and utilizing their bodies for their own means. It wasn’t often that a youkai chose to allow the host to retain some semblance of self, and Akechi fully expected Kuroyuki to rid herself of Ashuri eventually. At least, that was what he assumed…

The truth could’ve been wildly different…

”No. Hiding here is only going to make things worse, Ashuri-san. You may not remember but you’ve already hurt people. You could even hurt me if you forgot who I was.” Akechi responded, clenching his hands together on the table that the girl’s had created within this imaginary realm. ”Control. You need to learn how to control those urges… resist them for the sa--” Suddenly, the man paused as his eyes met with the new figure that Kuroyuki had unveiled to him. They were so similar, but entirely different altogether. It was like a window into the future; the marvelous, yet wicked creature that she would eventually turn into. Honestly, Akechi wondered if there was any point in trying to stop it…

Also… should he stop it? According to the girl’s memories, Ashuri barely had any control over the power that she possessed while Kuroyuki seemed to be the epitome of control. What was the right thing to do here? The true answer seemed to elude him…

”So this is what you’ll become?” Akechi questioned aloud, staring at Kuroyuki’s adult form. ”So you plan on swallowing Ashuri whole? Taking her body, soul and spirit as your own, Kuroyuki? You truly are evil, aren’t ya?” He could say what he wanted but it may have been too late. Ashuri’s persona had already been cast aside, locked away within the deep recesses of “Sawako’s mind.” No one was supposed to even get this far. The fact that Akechi did was purely luck…

And the Sharingan…

”I am your friend, Ashuri. I can save you!” Akechi exclaimed, jumping out of his seat as he pointed in Sawa-red’s direction. ”But you have to choose it for yourself. Do you want to die and be reborn into a demon? Or do you want to live as Ashuri? Your own person, with your own freewill!” He honestly wasn’t sure if there was anything that could be done, but he would remain steadfast in his attempt to save the girl… unless she chose to become the demon known as Kuroyuki.

”If you choose Kuroyuki then I have to accept it. It’s my responsibility as a friend.”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"Indeed. Had you been a woman, I may have traded Ashuri for yourself." She joked and matched Akechi's giggle with her own. Yes, youkai lurking the souls of little girls could joke at times. "Affably Evil" is what they called that.

As for Ashuri, the red Sawa...She didn't seem all that interested in jokes. Instead, she had focused on Akechi's words to her. "....." She could hurt people? She could hurt Akechi? Of course she could hurt Akechi. Truth be told, Ashuri was not only fearful of them, but disliked people in general. The pleasure of being the one to decide if someone lived or died, of taking from them their very body for her own nourishment...it was perhaps the only experience that truly let her escape the anguish and pain that constantly surrounded her. It was her outlet. The only difference being that Ashuri still held shreds of her remorseful humanity, while her Sawako facade had no such guilty conscience weighing her down.

Was it so bad to hide as Sawako? It was her shell, it was her safety. Just as Sawako hid behind her puppet, Ashuri hid behind Sawako. She could only be silent in thought, allowing Akechi's words to flow through her in an attempt to comprehend them in some way favorable to how she felt...

In the meantime, Kuroyuki spoke up once again. ""Evil" Is a label used by the weak and the helpless. You are neither, Akechi-san, so please refrain from using such a word." The demon spoke. If having the power to claim that which she desired labelled her as "Evil", then it would be a label she'd gladly embrace. "I have only ever offered Ashuri a way to escape her past and become something so much more by joining me. The choice was, and is, her own." The black youkai seemed amused at the situation; this was the first time someone had ever intervened in the process of her claiming a host. But rather than showing anger at this anomaly in her plans, she looked upon it with curiosity and interest. As if it didn't affect her in the slightest. She simply gazed over to her host, wondering who's influence would win over the girl.

"What...I want? The answer...is obvious..." She mumbled emptily, but began to hesitate. "Why...am I hesitating?" She thought to herself, although in this world composed entirely of her mind it was no different than speaking. Had Akechi not been present, her choice would have been simple; to fade away into the ever-so-welcoming recesses of Kuroyuki's powerful existence. It would be all-too easy to be swept away and swallowed up by her dominating persona, and the thought of eternal peace without pain, worry, or fear ever effecting her again was tempting. She could just...sleep.

"Its...hopeless....I'm already a monster...I'm closer to being a demon than I am to being Ashuri..." His presence her made her falter. Why....did he care? It confused Ashuri, who up to now had lost all care in herself. Akechi, who had no ties with her, cared when she did not. That...confused her.

And yet...

He still claimed to be her friend, even though he should have very well known from her experiences that she killed and ate all her previous ones. According to the Kuroyuki influence within her, she felt he was foolish. But...her innate Ashuri-ness couldn't help but be pulled towards that stalwart will. That perseverance and courage was something she lacked.

It was...infectious. "I-I-I....I want to live!!!" Her mind shouted from every direction simultaneously, shaking the very shadowy world itself.

"I don't want to be afraid!"
"I don't want to have to hide!"
"Even if I'm a monster, I really want to be my own person! I want to be Akechi's friend!"

She desperately jumped to her feet, the first movements she had made in this realm, and the very air, the "space" around them pressurized in response to her stress and instability the up-to-now-passive girl had began to show. To cling onto her identity that had been lost when her life was unfairly taken out of her hands, even though she was aware of the implications...well, perhaps she had some of Kuroyuki's selfishness within her, too. But was that so bad? Akechi represented a chance to rekindle the life she had lost. The path was frightening, and full of the fear and anger she was pretending didn't exist within her...but it seemed less unbearable when Akechi offered it to her rather than facing it alone.

"...And so my dearest Ashuri has made her decision, Akechi-san. Just know that even should you restore her former persona, Ashuri and I were intertwined the moment we met. It is simply a question of whether "Ashuri" becomes "Kuroyuki", or if "Kuroyuki" becomes "Ashuri". Ashuri could very well be more frightening than even myself." Indeed, she was very curious at how this would develop. Selfish she may be, but she was never forceful; she gave only what was wanted, and took only what was offered.

"Sorry Kuro...I want to leave with Akechi." She said, reaching out her pale hand towards the Avenger and the future he represented.

 

[Akechi]

”That makes sense considering that you are what I’d consider a female youkai. At least that’s what I can see from what information I’ve gathered on you so far,” Akechi responded with a slight smile, struggling to hide the grimace due to exhaustion from his face. It felt as if his body were being weighed down by boulders, even as he sat at the table, the Uchiha felt like tipping over at any moment. Joking with a youkai was always a bit interesting. You really couldn’t tell if their laughs were sincere or if they hid something a bit more sinister behind them. Almost conniving her way into mind as if she were some sort of friend to him. Perhaps she was, perhaps she wasn’t…

Only the future and Kuroyuki could say for sure…

His body language seemed to change as he noticed Sawa-red beginning to hesitate and even build confidence as he spoke. The weight seemed to lift off of his shoulders, some of his exhaustion even disappearing as he continued to speak out in defiance of the youkai’s domination. ”I wasn’t aware that I had offended you. I won’t do it again, Kuroyuki-san.” He wasn’t weak or helpless, but he did wonder if he were a bit foolish for doing all of this for someone he had just met. Sure it started as a simple test for himself, or at least that was what he told himself. However, he felt his heart shake in excitement as the girl found some of the confidence that she lacked before. Instilling this self-esteem in her, allowing her to stand on her own two feet as she stated that the answer was obvious, gave him the kind of pride that a parent would have. ”And despite your tricks or your lofty promises, she chose to join you. Don’t you think she did it so that she could be your friend?!” Akechi asked the youkai, turning away from Kuroyuki for a second to witness his young protégé put it altogether.

They were young…
They were foolish…
They may have even been monsters to some people…
But they deserved freedom. They deserved to live a real life, no matter the consequences!

He almost wanted to jump for joy as she exclaimed “I want to live!!!” But he kept it together mostly, if not a little bit shocked with the foundation of the shadow world pulsating as the girl shouted. ”That’s right! So LIVE!!!!” Yelling in a response to the little lady, raising his fist in the air as if he were rallying the troops. Foolish she may have been but this was the right thing for her. ”THEN TAKE MY HAND AND BE BOLD!!!”

Akechi leaped out of his seat as he called to her, stomping his way through the density of the world was created for him, and extending a hand to the girl as she explained herself to the youkai. She didn’t want to sleep anymore. She wanted to be brave. She wanted to step into a world that had overwhelmed her before and attempt to live her life. It was admirable. Anyone would be proud to witness such a transformation.

Grabbing the girl’s pale hand, Akechi pulled her closer to him, hugging the smaller as if she were his little sister. ”There ya go.” Mission complete it seemed. But he wouldn’t stop there…

”Then perhaps I’m a fool, Kuroyuki. But… if she truly is your friend then you’ll watch over her too. Not dominate or assimilate her, but look over her as her friend.” Not that he was benevolent or anything. He didn’t mean become a saint but he did mean to have each other’s backs. ”Whaddya say? Coming with, friend?!” Akechi questioned, stretching out his empty hand and motioning for Kuroyuki to come with them. He honestly wasn’t sure what that would entail, but he knew that Ashuri and the youkai were connected permanently. They needed each other to live, and the life of his friend would be easier if the youkai watched over her as well.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Akechi's hand...offered a warmth that had been absent from her cold world for so long. Although Ashuri might not ever view the world in as bright of colors as she would as Sawako, if there was more warmth like the kind she felt from Akechi's presence....then it might just be worth it.

The weight of their world lessened, and the veil of darkness thinned; when the girl reawakened she would be looking through the eyes of Ashuri once again. But, before the two had left the fading world of un-lost memories, Akechi had a second hand to offer for the trip back...

...An offer that made the dark resident smile. "If by "Friend" you mean to say someone who interests and amuses me, then yes; that is what I will consider Ashuri and Akechi-san. I will watch over her, and through her, Akechi-san as well." She stated, finding enjoyment from saying "Akechi's" name. Enjoy the little things. "I am not your enemy; but I have no allies." Ashuri was the only one to have ever risen up from the darkness of her soul after already submitting to herself once before; something that would have been impossible if not for the intervention of Akechi and the powers of his Sharingan. The youkai truly was fascinated by this and desired to see what the girl would do with the second chance at life that Akechi had given her. She would not take that away from her. Unless of course, that was what Ashuri had wished.

But the look in Ashuri's once-barren eyes had an ember of life. A small bit of rekindled passion. She would not betray Akechi's gift to her.

"Let us see whether your flame rekindles or fades to ash." Nevertheless; she reached out to the Sharingan-wielding warriors hand, and was surprised amused to find the the smaller hand of the girl she possessed was there as well. Youkai didn't pray, but if they did, she would have for a brief moment worried over whether Akechi's foolishness spread to her host as well...

"...Its time, Akechi...I'm ready to wake up now." Ashuri spoke. And then all pressure around them began to fade, replaced with a feeling of weightlessness as the table and chairs faded, Ashuri and Kuroyuki faded, and the world itself faded in place for the scenery of the real world.

---

Still locked in gaze with the red and black of Akechi's Sharingan, Sawako's Ashuri's empty grey eyes brightened with the return of consciousness, glistening with the wetness of her tears. Tears which quickly built passed the corners of said eyes and streamed down her dirty face. "...I remember...." She whispered. "...I remember...." She repeated abit more audibly. "...I am...Ashuri..." She spoke, a name that was very familiar, yet now sounded foreign.

Ashuri, who was a Genin of stone.
Ashuri, who had suffered and suffered but still persisted.
Ashuri, who is a friend of Akechi.

"G-guh...uwah...*Sniff*" She meant to be strong, but the sudden return of herself to herself stacked too many conflicting emotions for her to hold back. "D-d-do you just g-go around the village...m-making p-people c-cry..." What a jerk.

 

[Akechi]

Ashuri joined hands with the man, and instantly he felt a jolt of warmth as her flesh met with his own. The girl and even the world around them had undergone some type of metamorphosis, the weight of the imaginary world seemed to disappear altogether as it was replaced by reassuring warmth. No longer was the girl trapped by a blindly optimistic world. Instead, she let go of such blissful ignorance so that she may discover reality, and live as she was created to live. Even as Akechi peered into her eyes, he could see that the girl’s eyes had become “real” and lifelike…

Her dark trance was over…

Her life could now begin anew, the only weight being placed on her shoulders being the weight of the actions that she would take from now on. It was a fair and even trade for a girl that sought to forsake herself before Akechi’s intervention. Now all that was left was the youkai that resided in the darkest part of Ashuri’s soul. Kuroyuki, though she accepted to watch over her, she still maintained her prideful stubbornness and arrogance. It was to be expected though. Akechi had seen the memories of the demon, and he had knowledge of her true nature. It was rather disappointing though, Akechi believed the both of them to be somewhat kindred spirits; two individuals that were united by the desire to avenge their loved ones. Perhaps, he had offended her in some way by saving Ashuri from an everlasting slumber, or maybe the demon had no intention of doing anything other than what “amused” her.

”Not what I’d call a friend but if that’s all you are capable of,” Akechi grinned, winking at the Youkai as he poked fun at her definition of “friend.” It sounded more like she wanted play things than actual friends or allies. She wasn’t an “enemy” but she wasn’t an “ally” either. It honestly didn’t make sense to Akechi, considering the world that he had come from. There was only one or the other as far as Akechi was concerned, but perhaps he’d give the grey area a shot. After all, these people in Iwagakure were a bit more gray and slightly untrustworthy than any other place that he had been before. Perhaps, Akechi simply needed to accept this new facet of his life… he’d be fighting in the gray for the rest of his life.

”I’m an Uchiha, Kuroyuki. You should know that my flame never extinguishes… even as it fades to ash, the flame will reignite and burn brighter than ever.” Akechi responded to the Youkai as his hand met with that of the Youkai’s, sending a cold chill down the back of his spine. Whatever she truly was, it definitely wasn’t good… He could feel it. He could sense it. However, she was necessary if Ashuri was going to live, and there was still the question of what would happen when her power does fully mature.

Just what would happen?

…

And then the world around them vanished, the two individuals returning to the dark alleyway in which they had begun. ”Welcome back, Ashu—ri…” Akechi spoke weakly, falling over toward one of the walls so that he may use it as leverage to hold himself out. The black sharingan from before, had returned back to its normal shade of red as Akechi breathed heavily, blood streaming from his eyes as if they were tears. His head titled backward, meeting with the wall so that he may stare up into the night sky without falling over. ”Just my friends it seems, Ashuri-chan. I guess I owe you some dumplings.” Akechi winked, attempting to push himself off of the wall only to stumble backward into it. Seems like that jutsu really took a lot out of him…

The jutsu and Kuroyuki…

”If only my damn body would move. Maybe give me a second, hehehehe.”

More than a second more than likely...

 

[Muramasa Maya]

After wiping away her tears, Sawako's....Ashuri's gaze fell upon the Uchiha as he rested against the wall.

She shook her head, waving her long dark hair with each sway. Her memories made it painfully clear to her that her cursed body would refuse all but a certain type of sustenance; dumplings would simply be added to the pile of uneaten food outside her window. "...We don't need dumplings..." She stated, moving in front of Akechi, and tugging at the crimson scarf that shrouded her neck and lower half of her face. There was a wound, a puncture, taking up nearly two-thirds of her small throat. A wound that should have been fatal, or at the very least, have made speaking impossible...but nevertheless, speak she did. "I can only eat...meat...Otherwise my body won't heal itself." She stated, dimly recalling the gradual decay she experienced in a darker time of her life....and the ever-so-savory taste of what restored her. Thankfully, Akechi no longer was viewing her mind; because she could think of nothing better to take the place of dumplings. She was always a picky eater that only ate the things she liked after all.

...But there was something she wanted more. She'd replace her scarf and outstretched her hand towards his head. No, she wasn't going to claim his stressed Sharingan in place of dumplings...but to simply move her palm across his head, stroking his hair. And, of course, stopping his attempts from getting back up from the wall. "...So just pet my head instead." She added, before turning away and sitting directly in front of him. She wanted to continue to feel the warmth his presence gave her back in her mind.

Ashuri would be silent for some time, contemplating over the whole ordeal which had obviously taken its toll on the man behind her. He had been injured, or at he very least left in a weakened state from his persistence in helping her. She was grateful, but didn't feel guilt. What she did feel was instead confusion. After some moments of being silent, she would speak up in her quiet, softspoken voice. "....Why?" She stated simply, her voice become more collected now that she was passed her wave of tears. "...Why would you help me if it ended up hurting yourself so much?" She spoke, fiddling with her, or rather, Sawako's puppet. She no longer needed it to speak or act as a proxy for her own lack of courage.

Did he expect something in return? She was weak and frightened before; his efforts would have been better used elsewhere. "Don't say because we're friends. You didn't know me before you used your Sharingan on me." She added. Granted, the Sharingan allowed Akechi to see the interior of her mind, experience her memories, and likely understand her from her core...But all that had occurred after he had already decided to help her. "...I don't think I would have helped someone if it meant hurting myself."

 

[Akechi]

“They didn’t need dumplings.”

Ashuri seemed to fully recognize that her body and Kuroyuki’s soul were one in the same. It seemed that the girl, with her memories restored, was incredibly self-aware and rather astute when it came to such things. It was quite possible that she simply didn’t like dumplings, but Akechi had remembered what he saw when he was in that dream. Even if the dumplings had a nice filling of pork in the middle, it wouldn’t be enough meat for the small girl. Perhaps, not even a bakers’ dozen would fill the young girl’s appetite for “meat,” as she described it. ”Your body’s only form of nourishment is another’s life… is it not? ” Perhaps not their life but cannibalism generally meant the fatality of another. Anything less was just sadistic… more sadistic than the despicable act of digesting another human’s organs. Honestly, Akechi wondered what he had unleashed into the world, wondering if Ashuri’s diet would require even more lives now that there wasn’t a veil of innocence shielding her.

”As long as you don’t take a bite out of me I guess. Not like I’d be able to stop you now anyways,” Akechi joked, petting the girl on the head as she rescued him from his vain attempts to stand against the wall. As weak as he was now, the man was going to be hurrying off to any restaurant to get some dumplings anytime soon. Sure, nourishment may have revitalized him somewhat, but the man found himself too mentally exhausted to do much of anything. Ashuri’s mind was an interesting but dangerous conundrum, each turn riddled with blissful ignorance or conflicting emotions with a mix of demented sadism. And that was before we even got to Kuroyuki…

Perhaps this fact was what frightened the man the most…

Silence covered the area for a couple of moments, time seemingly at a standstill as Akechi attempted to regain some of his chakra. Using the gifts of Tsukuyomi in such a manner was normally debilitating to the user, and typically that was the best case scenario. It was a jutsu that typically only lasted a couple of seconds for the user, while lasting hours or maybe even days for the affected. Extending that same length of time to the user was unheard of… because it was damn close to suicide…

Dispersing the silence with a rather pointed question was the newly revitalized Ashuri. Though she tinkered with the pet that she once used as her friend, Akechi could tell that reliance on the doll had all but vanished. She now had the courage to live on her own, and also the human curiosity that challenged what didn’t make sense in the world. ”You ask a lot of questions. That’s good. Keep doing that. Question everything about this world.” Akechi responded, his voice discernibly more sharp upon his latter statement. He questioned the world. He wondered how things grew to be the way that they are now. Despite his own efforts to find peace, Akechi knew that he would be entrenched in futile battles for the wealthy and greedy unless he changed the way the world worked.

It was why he left his village in the first place…

”You minded me of how I was. Lost in this world. Given up on yourself.” Akechi spoke, gently petting the girl’s head again as he explained his reasoning. ”I couldn’t just let you waste away inside of a cage. Life is precious. Your life is precious. I just wanted you to have the opportunity to cherish it… to have a second chance like I did.”

Did he expect something in return? Not in the traditional sense. No. That was a close minded view of what he expected…

”Pain is subjective, Ashuri. Pain is nothing but a tool that makes me stronger… drives me to new heights. I’ll gladly experience pain for the rest of my life.” The pain of losing his entire clan. The pain of losing his eyes. The pain of having his peace stolen away from him. No pain could ever compare to what he had lost. It was why he was so steadfast in the face of danger…

”What will you do now, Ashuri-chan? I mean, now that you have a second chance.”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

"....Not their life. Just some of their body." She corrected. Akechi understood though, so she didn't feel that she had to elaborate any more on the curse of her immortal body. Although, truth be told, she probably wouldn't have even died even if she did starve herself...although that would have its own gruesome consequences that she wasn't willing to take. At least, not to the point were her regenerative capabilities turned to degenerative ones...

She also wasn't really sure how to go about eating...and kinda found Akechi's comment alittle hurtful. "......" She frowned, unamused with Akechi's joke....or rather, it completely flew over her that he was joking. Although she had an, err..."Gut instinct" that Akechi would probably taste really, really good...she didn't want to hurt him at all! She liked him! I mean, sure, if they were in such a situation where Akechi was dying anyway and she couldn't save him, then she didn't see any harm in eating him then...But when he was fine? No way!

...Weeeeell, a small bite might not hurt him. In the long run, at least.

...Fortunately having him comply to her head petting was a pick-me-up that she needed, pushing aside any potential thoughts she had of cannibalizing her savior. Plus, she had discovered what probably was her most favorite spot in the world, in front of Akechi. As for her questions? Well...there were few things that she actually understood in this world. There were bound to be questions; like what was her purpose? Who was Akechi? Questions that may not have been easily answered, or accepted, by herself...

Remaining motionless, simply leaning back against Akechi, she listened. Content. Dare she say it....Happy. "Akechi...had given up, too?" She repeated, surprised that someone who seemed as powerful and confident as Akechi was reminded of himself by someone as cowardly as herself. She didn't see anything of herself in Akechi, which was exactly why she was attracted to him; she didn't particularly like herself. And yet...If Akechi had at one point been like herself, then didn't it mean that she, too, could become strong? Courageous? Her tired expression became that of a small smile.

"...There's alot of things I don't understand...But if even my life is precious, then Akechi's should be, too. More than mine...and I don't like you being in pain." She stated. Even if Akechi himself claimed it as a tool to strengthen himself, it didn't sit well with her. Akechi was someone who could help someone, herself...While she was someone who knew she would have to hurt others at some point. If someone like her had life that was precious, then Akechi's could have easily been worth twice herself...

"...I don't know. I'll...keep my second chance until I find something special." She wanted to live, but didn't know what she wanted to live for. "I gave up being Ashuri once...If I do again, it would mean Akechi hurt himself for nothing...So I won't be weak. So that I can always, always cherish the life Akechi gave me, I'll....be strong." So, until she found her reason, she'd be strong enough to protect her second chance from herself, from her own weakness. No matter how dull or frightening the world was now that she no longer viewed them through Sawako's happy filter, she'd make sure she was stronger.

Actually...there was something that she wanted, even more than having her head pet. If she wasn't sure of her own reason to live, she could make someone else her reason, couldn't she? "...If I'm strong, can I be Akechi's wife?" She asked, mental gears turning in her mind. "...Pain won't hurt me as much as it would you...And I can't sleep, so I could always watch for you..." It seemed perfect; she could dump Shiro in favor of Akechi!

 

[Akechi]

She corrected him but Akechi didn’t truly believe her. If she were hungry enough or if she desired it, Ashuri would devour whatever was necessary in order to restore herself. That was a fact of her past. It wasn’t exactly indicative of her future but Akechi only had her memories to go off of. Surely, he’d attempt to help the girl evolve into something more but only she could truly control herself. The choice and the responsibility as well as even the consequences were all hers to take on. They would shape her values and the way she’d ultimately live her life. In truth, there was no right or wrong answer. Ashuri would become who she was always meant to become. She’d embrace her destiny, and her story would be written in the sky just as Akechi’s story would be.

All she needed to do was embrace fate… embrace her destiny… embrace Akechi.

Looking down at the top of the girl’s forehead as she leaned back on him, Akechi wondered just how much “meat” she needed to sustain herself. He also wondered if the girl truly needed human meat, or if he could find a suitable substitute for her. If there wasn’t then how could he mask the girl’s seemingly insatiable appetite among the denizens of the city? Covering up murder was a lot harder when there were dead bodies riddled everywhere, their bodies all covered in the distinctive teeth marks of a girl possessed. Perhaps he was “biting” off a little more than he could chew with taking such a girl under his wing, but he couldn’t ignore the remarkable semblance of himself in the girl. Then again, that could be true of anyone that allows their minds to completely meld with another person. Maybe that was the end goal of this whole thing… to understand one another. Maybe that was the solution to all of this world’s problems. To understand one another.

Well… that was a story for a different time.

”I was just joking!” Akechi laughed, grinning as the young girl seemed to pout a bit at what he considered to be comedy. ”I know you wouldn’t try to take a bite out of me. Besides I’m probably not very tasty!” He laughed a bit, but it was more of that nervous laughter after joking about something that probably was true. I mean, he didn’t think that she would kill him, but Ashuri probably did want to at least taste the man. It wasn’t something he was too keen on allowing.

Anyways, that look on her face was priceless. It was the same look that Akechi experienced for the first time in his travels with Kei. It was joy and relaxation, like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulder. For Ashuri, it must’ve been the same type of experience. ”I had. And I needed a young lady to get to me as I got to you. She had different methods though. Mostly her fists…” Akechi smiled, massaging the back of Ashuri’s head as he spoke to the girl about a woman from his past. ”And shopping…” A small giggle escaping his lips as he spoke of Kei’s weird tendency to shop. She made him carry all the damn bags too. Funny woman she was…

”You’ll be strong for me, eh? Well… as long as you are strong, I’m happy. I’m sure Kuroyuki wants her host to be strong as well,” Akechi commented, acknowledging the girl’s will to be strong. That second request though…

I guess she was still a child, after all.

”Uh… Sure. Just have to wait for you to blossom into a strong and beautiful lady.” Akechi giggled, his hands still playfully running through the girl’s hair. ”You can’t sleep at all though? You have to be able to sleep sometime. How else does your body rest?”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Strong and Beautiful...If thats what Akechi was after, then that would be what she was after. "....Kuroyuki loves strength. And she was beautiful. If I could be like her....hehe.." She smirked, gleefully. She found her target objective, it seemed. Just a harmless, if precocious, crush right? Although technically speaking, she was older than Akechi, even though it was more as if time had stopped for her.

"I remember...Its called Earth Grudge Fear...A Jutsu that changes someones body...messing up everything inside me. Akechi has his Sharingan. I...was given this." She gazed down upon the stitches clinging to her pale, dirty arms....and the rest of her cursed body. Her eyes held repulse and disgusted. "...I don't get tired. I can't sleep. I don't need to breath. I can't die..." Or at least, as far as she could understand from her memories. Whatever curse that made her body remarkably efficient at maintaining itself in any circumstance did, in fact, include negating most forms of physical exhaustion...Although it didn't account much for the mental exhaustion that would quickly accumulate from sleep deprivation. Primarily, because Ashuri's human mind was never intended to remain in her immortal body for long. "...I don't think I've ever slept since becoming...like this. I can't." Not counting the long nap Ashuri had as Sawako. At least, not outside of crushing her skull to the point where she should be dead, and waiting for her regenerative power to kick in....Or again relying on the Sharingan's powerful influence, at the cost of a few bloody tears on its wielder's end. Neither option appealed to her. "...I don't even think I count as being alive or dead. Maybe not even human...I only look like a person..." She shut her eyes as she curled up against the one behind her, attempting to calm the quickening pace of her heart. Whether Sawako or Ashuri, she was very good at distressing herself.

Her physical fortitude was actually quite the gift....aside from its troublesome upkeep cost that is. But, in exchange for not needing food, water, air, or rest...there was a single all-in-one fuel for her. She knew it would be a troublesome trait. And for that reason, Akechi would likely be the only one she would allow to know such a fact about herself, considering he already knew. Other than that, it was her burden to figure out how to handle....

...Though it did puzzle her. She couldn't tell if the thought gave her a sense of dread or excitement. "...Akechi. You said before life is precious. Is...everyone's life precious?...I think some people can be more precious or less precious than others." She questioned. She had given up on valuing her life until Akechi had rekindled her flame; it meant Akechi saw her as someone worth saving. And she considered Akechi more precious than herself. But the world was more than she and Akechi; how precious was her life in terms of others? If it meant cherishing her own, than perhaps it was natural for her value herself over others...

 

[Akechi]

”Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want her to stake her life or her humanity on me. What if I die? Would she regress into the form I found her in? Would she become so distraught that she would lock herself within Kuroyuki’s box, willingly offering her body to her demonic host? I can’t allow that to happen,” Akechi said to himself as he gently patted the girl’s head with a grin. Attraction and obsession were two sides of the same coin, and teetering over that line could prove a dangerous proposition for a girl like Ashuri. Wars were started over man’s obsession with material possessions or emotional skirmishes of the heart. Just as love was the source of everlasting peace, it could also push the winds of calamity.

”Earth Grudge Fear?” Akechi repeated, locking in the name of the girl’s ability into his mental rolodex. She claimed that it was a jutsu that changes someone’s body, completely altering the insides of her body into something unhuman. This was more than just a bloodline such as the Sharingan, or even the forbidden transplant of a foreign Sharingan to further the ability; this was a body altering metamorphosis. Someone turned Ashuri into a weapon, changing her body into something monstrous for their own benefit. She couldn’t sleep. She didn’t require oxygen because she couldn’t breathe. Death seemed to elude her because of her damn near unbreakable body. ”I don’t care what they did to you. You are human. Don’t you ever forget that. Even if you can’t die, you are still a human. Your emotions… your actions… your life as it is now… that’s what makes you human. Don’t forsake that or hold that for granted. Your life has value. If not to you then to me,” Akechi responded, his redden eyes glancing down at the girl as she sat on the pavement between his legs. Though the man had taken the lives of many, he cherished each life the same, and cursed the world that forced his hand. In a world such as this, there really could only be winners and losers. If Akechi was to accomplish his goals then he would have to win by any means necessary, even at the expense of the lives of others.

”That’s a matter of perspective, Ashuri-chan.” It was a question that Akechi had wrestled with since the day he left his desert homeland. The lives of all forms of organisms were surely precious, but in a world as anarchic and cruel as the one that they lived in, lives were ranked in terms of one’s importance to another. It was unwritten rule of this world, an unfortunate truth that led to the sacrifice of precious lives not deemed important enough for a particular cause. The relationship between Kage and soldier… of loved ones… of vengeance and the obstacles that stood in the way. This single rule applied to them all…

”All life is precious but you can choose who or what you value most. That choice is what makes us human, and it also shows the world just what type of human you are.” At least in this world. Shinobi had to make small choices like this on a daily occasion. They couldn’t afford not to because it simply was a matter of survival. Akechi understood that. ”So tell me. Would you leave this village if I asked you to? Would you leave the home that you’ve lived in for so long and follow me if you could? I only ask because I do not know how long I will remain here… how long I shall be able to anyways.” It was an important question. He had to know how she felt about leaving her home because he was traveler. In fact, he had never spent so much time in one place since he had left Sunagakure.

 

[Muramasa Maya]

Blink. Blink. Blink.

"...!!!..." She hesitated in response to Akechi's words. Not because she found them wierd or strange, but because it had struck deep within her. When he spoke, she felt...excited. Even exhausted and psuedo-collapsed, he still was admirably strong.
She didn't have to be a monster unless she wanted to be; she was human. Her thoughts, her life, her values...everything. They were hers! Akechi made her realize that she didn't have to let anyone else decide who, or what she was. Only herself. That...was what strength was. Thats the kind of strength she desired and would possess. "....Yes...You're right...I do have value...And I can choose what else I value..." Sincere smile. She wasn't impulsive; she liked to know all her options before selecting one. But every question she asked brought many more in its place, and she was realizing that trying to understand everything around her might be futile. Perhaps it was better to simply go with what she felt was right...or what she wanted...

But if she and everyone decided that they had their own values, that meant what was precious to one wouldn't be true for another. "...This village isn't precious to you." She...asked? Stated? Acknowledged? Whichever, her tone was gloomy. Ashuri was by no means good at judging character, but Akechi did seem to have a "Different" feeling about him compared to others. Like he didn't belong...a feeling she could relate to. "...It isn't your home...is it?" She continued, muttering quieter. Mostly to assist herself in understanding exactly what that would mean. "Is someone kicking you out or bothering you? I...people like that...aren't precious at all." The village would be darker without him. At least, to Ashuri's perspective...which is what mattered most to her.

"...Akechi is more precious to me than the Stone. It was my home a long time ago, but now....now its just where I am. I could be anywhere, and I'd feel the same thing as here..." She nodded. This was Ashuri's home and village. And, although she regained her memories and was very well Ashuri, she understood that she couldn't just have continued her previous life as if nothing had ever happened. Things changed. She was still Ashuri, but a much different Ashuri than before. This was her home only because its the only world she had ever known....and truth be told, held more negative memories than positive ones.

But...Akechi. The thought that he may leave not just temporarily, but indefinitely --maybe even forever-- did, you guessed it, cause her distress. "...I value Akechi. We're friends...I want my home to be where Akechi is....If you leave...take me with you." She turned around from her spot, no longer satisfied with facing away from him. She crawled to position her gaze directly into Akechi's face. Her eyes demanding from behind the curtains of her bangs. "Promise me." No asking. It was a De. Mand.

 

[Akechi]

A feeling stirred within the depths of both of their souls as Akechi spoke his piece about the value of human life. For the man, he felt proud to be a human, and live his life according to the rules that he had laid out for himself. No matter what obstacles, conflicting beliefs or hardships he faced, the man would keep pushing forward in pursuit of what he treasured the most. That was who he was. For the demonic girl, she finally understood what the young Uchiha meant when he said that human life is precious. They held tremendous value, and they also possessed the ability to choose what they valued the most in life. It was the resilience and the determination of human beings that made them special. Though they lived relatively short lives in the grand scheme of things, humans pushed themselves toward evolution quicker than any other species. It was made their lives so valuable and it was what afforded them the scorn of other species.

It was the viciousness of envy. The same envy that caused Akechi’s ‘village’ to be destroyed. ”Of course you do,” he whispered, smiling as he looked up into the night sky. He wasn’t used to this… being a mentor and all. Not that he was a lecturer or a father figure or anything like that, but he did want the girl to be able to live the life that she should’ve some time ago. Sharing some of his knowledge with her was the only way that he knew how to help her learn to live as a human should. For better or worse, Akechi wanted to foster courage in a young soul that shrugged to find purpose in the life that she had been given. To find solace within the curse that she had been inflicted with…

”This village is beautiful,” the man acknowledged, using a synonym for the word she had used while explicitly avoiding the same meaning. No, he didn’t find it to be precious nor did he hold any of the people in it dear to his heart… besides the girl had befriended him within the confines of her own mind. He found the very fabric from which this village was woven from to be rather loathsome. Ninja, congregating in one area, all taught to risk their lives for a “King” that would gladly send his “pawns” to death on mere whims. That was the truth behind this village. Their lives were nothing more but tools used to satisfy his ego, and further whatever ambitions that he deemed prudent at the time. ”No. Unfortunately, my home was burned down to the ground by people not unlike the people in this village. ‘Just following orders.’ That was their excuse for everything.” He stated simply, his voice becoming much sharper as he mentioned their excuse for killing so many innocent Uchiha. They didn’t even know why. They told him so as they forfeited their lives to atone for their ignorance.

”It’s not that simple, Ashuri-chan.” Gleefully squinting his eyes as she asked if he was being kicked out of the village. ”A man named Endo seems to be trying to start a war, and he intends to use me as one of his pawns.” Not something he should say so plainly but it was a whisper to a close friend. One that he could trust. So that made it ok in his eyes, even if he were supposed to be ‘sworn to secrecy.’ ”At least I think he will. And when he does, I’ll more than likely have to put him down. A crime that will more than likely force me elsewhere.” He wasn’t lacking in the confidence department that much was entirely certain.

”More precious than stone?” Akechi responded, his voice reflecting one humbled by a comment that he found overzealous in nature. However, he wouldn’t shortchange the girl’s feelings as that of simple fanaticism. No, not her. He had to give her a bit more credit than that… after all, she was quite new at expressing herself like this. The spirit of her words though, or at least his interpretation of what she meant, was spot on. In fact, she surprised him by turning around to face him, gazing directly into the Sharingan like she did before. ”You are my betrothed, aren’t you? I cannot leave you behind. I just wanted to make sure that you felt the same.” Flashing a sly grin and squinting his eyes as in a teasing fashion.

”I almost forgot. Just how long have you been living Ashuri-chan?”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

She detected Akechi held some kind of ill, or wounded, memories in his past. Naturally, anyone would have. Ashuri being Ashuri, she didn't understand how to comfort or relate with him...so she reached to rub his head. Even though this village reminded him of the people that destroyed his home, he still made friends with a lost, lonesome girl. "...Did you let them...escape?....I'll never burn your home or hurt you..." She spoke in her quiet, even voice. If the world ever frightened Akechi, she wanted to be there...his strength...just as he had helped her. Rub-Rub. Pet-Pet.

"...Do you not like "Endo"? Or the idea of the war?" or perhaps both. Ashuri questioned within her mind what could have been something so worrisome that it would cause Akechi stress and concern. "....I don't think Akechi should be anyones pawn...If you're stronger...make sure Endo knows..." Whichever the case, she needed to get strong if she wanted to support Akechi. Especially as his future wife. She felt a ping of guilt that, again, Kuroyuki would have been better at either department...

She stood up, satisfied with his promise and answers despite the word betrothed being outside her vocabulary (although if it was, she would have no doubt gave a warm smile of visible delight), and instead becoming more concerned with the strain he must have felt. "...C'mon Akechi...You can sleep in my room. I can go find food...and then bring dumplings for when you wake up..." She said, moving to take hold of Akechi by his wrists. She didn't have the strength to jump to her window with him, so she'd have to lead him the long way through the abandoned framework of the building, up to the wiry hammock she had built earlier. "..Umm...I was ten a long time ago. And then I was hidden underground for a very long time while I...changed...before I met Kuroyuki..." It was a difficult question; being trapped as a prisoner for gruesome rituals and experiments for years on end tended to blue them all together into one hellish eternity. After that, as Sawako she didn't have much awareness to time either..."...I think I should be twenty-something. I might be older than Akechi...hehe..." She gave a monotonous giggle.

"...Do you work for "Endo"? Would it make you happy if I got rid of "Endo" so he wouldn't use you?...If you have to leave, we can find a new home...or make one..."

[MFT]

 

[Akechi]

[ooc: I got about half of the post finished. I gotta go to work but I'll make sure I post tonight!]

 

[Akechi]

”Did I let them escape?” He posed the question to himself, not as a literal question but as a progression in thought. He flirted with the idea of lying to the girl about some of the things that he had done in his past. Her hand reached out and grabbed his head as he looked down toward Ashuri and her gentle hands. The answer was obvious and even though children shouldn’t be burdened with the misdeeds of adults, Akechi truly believed that the truth was more important than any burden. After all, he was a serial liar. Lying was his job. Those that he despised believed that he actually stood on their side, and many that he claimed to hate, he only did so that they would remain out of harm’s way. Like a true stereotypical hero, he was self-sacrificing and alone…

That was the path that he traveled…

Akechi forced a slight grin on his face as he answered the girl’s question. ”I didn’t.” The man’s voice was low in tone, almost like he harbored some regret for killing those that he considered clansmen, but somehow tinged with the anger of their betrayal. Life was full of conflicting emotions and this was simply a piece of that life. ”I paid them back for all for their betrayal. I brought them to justice. An eye for an eye. A life for a life.” No shinobi was without their demons, after all. This particular shinobi wasn’t finished creating his own. Not after the world’s transgressions and bias against his family had been truly brought to light. Perhaps even Endo believed he was looking out for Akechi with his constant words of “caution” surrounding the dangers of possessing the Sharingan, but all it did was pour gasoline on the fire that was sure to ignite.

”I hate war. I despise it.” Akechi responded sharply, the redden eyes of the Sharingan glaring into Ashuri’s eyes. It was worrisome but in this case, it may have been necessary. ”But. My family has been ostracized and discriminated against for far too long, and it’s all been a product of the monsters created by this world.” And by “monsters” he wasn’t talking about the creatures of the night. Not the beasts that humans called “freaks or monsters” because they didn’t understand their true nature or because of a supernatural ability that they were afraid of. No, he meant something different. ”The true monsters of this world are greed, fear, bias, and the constant arms race for power.” He closed his hand into a fist as he spoke, displaying a bit of anger on his face as he continued to speak. ”Endo is nothing more than product of that. He craves something shallow… he craves power for no reason than to be powerful. The other villages are nothing more than an obstacle in the way of that power.”

Suddenly he found himself being pulled up by the wrists and guided inside of the abandoned building by the little woman. ”Ah, that’s fine. Rest and food sounds good.” He giggled, weakly following the girl’s lead as they climbed up stairs into the girl’s “room.” ”Ashuri-chan, maybe we should redecorate? It’s a little dark and gloomy in here.” Chuckling as he spoke, grinning as scanned through the room and it’s rather “cozy” atmosphere. Only it wasn’t really all that cozy or inviting. It looked like some type of beast lived here, instead of a gentle little girl. Then again, the former may have been a bit more accurate than the latter… with all the murderous tendencies and such.

”That old?!” Akechi exclaimed, surprised at the girl’s revelation. I mean, he probably knew more about the girl than most, but he couldn’t gather her age through their “mind melding” session. If she were that old then she would be a bit older than him. Perhaps it was time to drop that –chan suffix. ”You missed a lot then. I’m going to have to catch you up then! Nice long study session.” Laughing he suddenly thought about all the different stuff that he could teach her. After all, there were so many topics to cover. Politics. Shinobi technology. Forbidden jutsu. Weather, climate and geography. So much more… Like 15 years’ worth of stuff. ”I wonder if you can steal information from Kuroyuki. Is that possible?” It would be a relatively convenient shortcut, after all.

”Don’t worry about Endo. I need to use him, just as he needs to use me. But things change. I just want to be prepared… and I want you to be prepared.” He nodded, stroking his chin before finding himself a wall to lean on. ”So… the man is your Kage. Have you ever met the man before?”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

On their way through the abandoned skeleton of a building, Ashuri thought on Akechi's revenge; how he paid back those who hurt him. How, despite disliking war, he was willing to go through battle against the wrongs of the world if he felt the need. "...Good. Good. I think you did the right thing." She agreed.

"...Akechi...I don't think wanting power is bad...You're strong, so its different for you...but I'm weak...and I'm afraid of alot of things I don't understand...I might not be that different from Endo..." She spoke, albeit, even slower than her usual stready-paced voice. If wanting power for the sake of having power was bad, than that was a monster she was guilty of feeding as well.

As for the dull setting of her extreme minimlist room? "....I don't know what I'd redecorate it to be." Ashuri spoke, troubled. "...I remember my old room had dolls and toys in it....They made me happy for some reason...But now, I don't know why I would care about that stuff. A room is for resting." And, considering sleeping was impossible for her, it made resting only half-true for her. So long as she had a place she could hide herself away, she was...content..."...What would you put in your room, Akechi?"

"...I missed alot...maybe thats why I haven't grown...I was never taught things when I was captured, only changed to be a unbreakable body for the energy of a demon." But she was no longer a prisoner; so enhancing her mental strength was just as important as being physically strong. "...Studying...Yes!..I think I think I can still read, as long as the words didn't change for before. I used to read alot when I was training to be a genin...Others were part of powerful clans and families...But I was the first and only one in my family to become a shinobi, so I tried hard to keep up..."

As for whether she could siphon off Kuroyuki, well...it was difficult to put into words, so she felt an example would get the point across; She pulled out a small blade —longer than a dagger but shorter than a shortsword— and moved closer to Akechi, motioning to direct him to hold it, while she held his hands to the sword and casually guided him to swing it. "...Kuroyuki's knowledge and power are hers, not mine. If she helps me, its like someone helping you swing a sword; you're not in control." She let go, and sat down on the black mesh hammock in the center of her room. "Kuroyuki is stronger than me...and more of a woman...and smarter than me..." Her cheeks seemed to puff up more and more with each word....this was her pouting face. "But...Akechi chose me, so I want to be the one that helps you. Thats what a wife should do..." She smirked. And winked.

"I don't remember who the Kage was when I was little...But I never met them. My family wasn't important enough to meet someone so...special." She spoke, curious as to more of Akechi's identity. She may be lacking in real-world knowledge, but Ashuri was sharper than her young appearance implied; it said alot about him if Akechi was someone who was important enough that the Kage of the village would "work" with or "use" him, whatever that may entail, despite not being from outside the village himself. "...And I've never met Endo before, I don't know if he was the same Kage as before or not. But no matter who it is, if someone is bothering you..." Attribute it to her nigh-indestructible body, but she didn't seem all that great at imagining danger, or realizing the trouble if her words fell on the wrong ears. "I'm a genin...a shinobi of stone. Shinobi are supposed to serve the kage and their village...but I'd rather serve myself or Akechi instead of someone I don't even know, or people I'll never meet."


[MFT]

 

[Akechi]

”I hope that I did because the weight of their deaths are a weight that I carry around each day.” The Uchiha truly did have a sound head on his shoulders. He believed in the worth of human lives, he believed in the value of human choice, and he believed that taking the both of them for granted was foolish. The man didn’t want to avenge his clan. He didn’t desire this as he grew up as a child, but the world nurtured him into the avenger that he was today. It was a trait that he’d more than likely pass off to Ashuri, whether he desired to or not.

”Depends on what you want that power for.” Akechi answered, his eyes wandering over toward the girl as he pressed his back against a nearby wall. The life of a shinobi was nothing more than a quest for power. At least, that was a fact of life for most shinobi that Akechi could remember. Each quest was different though, and each maintained a different reason for undertaking said quest. ”You aren’t weak. You are strong. That’s the reason why you made it back here. Back to reality. You just needed a push in the right direction. And that’s what I’m here for…” “Weak” wasn’t really a word that he’d use to describe the girl, after all. Her strength, judging from the color and intensity of her chakra, was incredible in comparison to Akechi or any other shinobi that he had faced off with in the past. ”Ashuri-chan, you and Endo are miles apart. Not even close. What’s in your heart and what’s in his are completely different.” Not that she was completely innocent but she wasn’t the war crazed, power-monger that Endo was. Akechi knew that much to be true. It simply wasn’t in the girl’s nature… not yet anyways.

”You just have to find out why you want that power. Whether you want that power to protect the ones you love. Or to secure power so that you won’t feel afraid or confused. Perhaps even a little of both or maybe nothing of the sort. You just have to find the answer…” Akechi responded, flashing a kind smile in the girl’s direction. He didn’t want her to feel guilt for desiring power but he did want her to question why she wanted it. After all, the most dangerous of all people were those that acquired power for the mere sake of having it.

”Gotta keep up appearances. Sometimes we just need something to ground us. A reminder of why we fight or why we live. Something we love. Something that reminds us what we care about,” Akechi commented, a grin forming across his face as he thought about his childhood room. It had been years since he had even thought about any remnant of his childhood. Funny how talking about such a thing could be so nostalgic, and even bring a grin to a man filled with so much sorrow. ”That’s what I’d put in my room.” He wasn’t a fan of explicit answers, after all. He wanted the girl to think about it. Maybe it was something she didn’t even realize yet. Something she couldn’t even imagine cherishing. Just maybe. ”I should have some money coming my way soon. Let’s rebuild it! It can be a project! I can even make myself a room!” The property was vacant, after all. No one would do anything if Akechi repaired it himself. And if they did…

He’d suggest they go about their business…

Speaking of suggestions, Ashuri placed a small blade in Akechi’s hands so that she could demonstrate why his suggestion about using Kuroyuki wouldn’t work. As she claimed, Kuroyuki could only takeover her host and not share dominance. Whether this was by choice or a limitation of her power was undetermined at this time. It was possible that it was as Ashuri said, that she’d lose control. Or it could be that Kuroyuki simply didn’t let her know all of her secrets. It was a question that he’d more than likely figure out eventually, but he’d let it rest for now. He didn’t want to offend his friend by asking about the demon that stalked them behind the scenes. ”So then your body’s growth isn’t determined by time. Normally that would mean that you are doomed to stay in that body, but that conflicts with the vision that you and Kuroyuki showed me.” Deductions were Akechi’s specialty, after all. He relished in his ability to take shots in the dark, relative to the information that he had received. ”Your growth may be tied to the development of your powers then. I just have to help you harness it. I guess I’ll have to develop a curriculum for ya. Equal parts studies and training.” He giggled, grabbing her hands and clapping them together.

”Serve me? No, not you. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Akechi responded, his voice trailing off as he pondered just what he was capable of if he had his own chess pieces. He didn’t want people to serve under him. At least, that wasn’t what he truly desired. The ends, however…

”Ashuri-chan… what do you think about this world? Do you think it is fair? Just?”

 

[Muramasa Maya]

There were alot of different meanings for "Strong". Strong, as in able to lift people larger than themselves. Strong, as in able to fight through situations that were unfavorable to themselves. Strong, as in able to remain sure and collected even when frightened and confused. Although ever one of those seemed important to Ashuri in general, the last one is what really fascinated her. Specifically because that was the one that eluded her the most, and was what she thought Akechi most represented. That direction was unknown to her due to her lack of purpose and aimless nature. At least, until she discovered something that truly clicked for her.

"...A reminder...of something we care about?" She tilted her head, questioning her own intentions. In truth, she had no motivation outside of the primal desire to, well, live. The closest thing to resolve that she had was the desire to not let Akechi's struggle be in vain by giving up on herself. Meaning...She reached out her small hands to the center of Akechi's torso...."...Push." And so she did, intending to "place" something...err, someone, who was already present, into her room by simply pushing him against the wall he was leaning on. Her deadpan expression gave no allusion to the fact that it was her confused mind's best attempt at a joke. "...Or instead of you, the pocky you gave me can stay here too. And...Shiro, too." Although, she made a note to herself that she was not Sawako, and Akechi was not Shiro. Sawako depended on her doll for many things, but she didn't want to now be dependent upon Akechi. Just as Kuroyuki's strength was not her own, neither was the avenger's. "...I'd like to build a home with you." She smiled; it was a genuine smile that unfortunately did not synchronize well with her expressionless dull eyes. But anyways, time was a difficult and distorted concept for her, and she knew she couldn't stick around him all the time —well, maybe she could if she tried to stitch herself to his back or side, if he stayed motionless for long enough, but she wasn't too confident on that— so any thoughts of being together with Akechi in the future for whatever reason genuinely pleased her.

"...Kuroyuki's chakra hurts normal people and melts their body over time. So my body was changed into something that healed even if her chakra hurt me. If I'm cut, hurt, or grow, my body will try to go back to how it was before it changed..." She spoke slowly, half-focused on speaking with the Uchiha, and half-focused on the strange feeling she picked up from him. It was almost like a scent of some sort, so in between her slow words she drew closer in an attempt to strengthen that scent. She was practically sniffing inches from him. "...But if I can control it, I might be able to choose what to change and recover from...I'd like to be able to grow taller..." *Sniff Sniff* He smelled...warm. She liked it. Her mouth no longer was able to salivate, but the fiber strands comprising her almost seemed to squirm in excitement freom her proximity with him.


"....When I was captured along time ago, some of my...friends...were also caught and changed to be like me....But they were weaker than me, and now I'm the only one left..." She spoke stoically. Afterall; only one vessel was needed to house a demonic spirit, a privilege reserved only for the unlucky strongest one. "...There were some people in my class that I didn't like, that weren't my friends...But none of them were captured...It would have made me feel better, but I don't really mind anymore..." She continued. Indeed, any passed childish grudges she had were long since washed away from her with the rest of her previous bonds.

"...It wasn't fair. I don't think the world really cares about being fair...so people should do what they want instead of hoping someone else will make things fair for them....People burned down your home, so you made things feel more fair to you...but it still doesn't feel fair for you, right?" She spoke, closing her eyes to focus more on that vibe. Subconsciously, in an effort to get closer to that feeling, her small tongue darted out for moment towards Akechi's arm as if to confirm him being warm. Just for a moment, as if she were mimicking a cat or a dog, before continuing her sentence; "...Umm...Whats fair to me might not be fair to you...So I don't think the world can -ever- be fair for everyone. I think it would be better to be someone who does what they think is fair for themselves, instead of hoping someone else is fair to them...'" She spoke while continuing to not-so-subtly chase after the alluring vibe Akechi gave her, by steadily dipping her tongue towards his arm. The more she became aware of it, the stronger it felt. Ever been licked by a cat? Thats what her small, dry tongue was like.

[MFT]