Kasai had never seen the outside world, not really. All six of her days had been contained within Shin’s workshop and the tunnels of Sunagakure. Stone, crystal light, steel rails, the smell of oils and parchment had been her world. Enough to fascinate her for hours, sure, but also enough to gnaw at her from the inside. Every piece of her soul pushed her to grow, to expand, and see more. Fire could not remain contained in a lantern forever, for it was meant to kiss the sky.
So, when Shin’s breath settled into the deep rhythm of sleep, Kasai pressed her palm to the door frame, her molten eyes glowing faintly in the dark, and she set forth. The city of Sunagakure stretched before her, long veins of stone pulsing faintly with chakra light. Her bare feet made soft slapping sounds on the cold floor, but she grinned at the noise instead of fearing it. To her, every sound was proof she was moving, exploring, and becoming more.
Workers and shinobi passed at a distance like shadows in the tunnels. None even spared her a second glance. She envied the ease of their practiced movements and the sureness in which they came. It made her smile sharper still, soon she would outdo them. The climb to the surface was long. Too many gates and turns, it was becoming exhausting. The tunnels seemed to laugh softly in echoes of her rhythm, and she laughed with them.
When she finally reached the top, her pace quickened. She could feel the fresh air as if it would set her aflame. She pushed open the heavy door and gasped. The desert night sprawled before her, endless and wild. The dunes shimmered under the moon, ridges sculpted like waves on a frozen sea. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, scattered with stars like shards of glass.
Kasai staggered forward, both hands pressed against her chest. “It’s so big,” she whispered, almost accusingly. She spun in a circle, arms outstretched as her laughter scattered across the dunes. Then, her gaze caught the Dome. Primus’ Bulwark rose from the sand like a mountain turned inside out, its curved surface gleaming against the moonlight. The metal looked alive, shifting as though it drank the light itself. Kasai’s fingers twitched, she wanted to touch it, but movement caught her eye.
ANBU patrols circled the Dome’s edge. Their masks caught her attention the most, they were meant to be terrifying. Kasai grinned, crouching low behind a dune. To her, they looked like pieces in a game, and she loved games. She crept closer, the sand crunching softly beneath her toes. Every movement was a test for her to be silent, and to be clever. Desire for perfection hissed in her chest, Shin would never stumble, and would probably already be there. She shook her head fiercely, and then, fate intervened.
A weary ANBU leaned against the Bulwark’s side, shifting his weight. His mask tilted just enough for Kasai to glimpse his jaw in the moonlight. He muttered something under his breath, then lifted a dumpling to his lips.
Kasai froze, eyes narrowing. Food... here?
The guard chewed slowly, clearly half-asleep. Then, without noticing, he dropped a second dumpling from his hand. It tumbled through the air and landed in the sand with a soft plop.
Kasai’s eyes widened. No, it wasn't just food. It was a gift, and a challenge. She clasped her hands together, fire sparking faintly along her fingers. 'It’s mine,' she thought. As she crept forward on her belly, her hair catching grains of sand, and her elbows scraping along. The Dome loomed above, the guard’s breathing steady, and the perfect little dumpling was waiting just beyond. Every inch forward made her drool for the dumpling as it gleamed like a tiny moon in the starlight. At last, her fingers closed around it. It was everything she expected, warm, soft, and ready to be eaten whole. Kasai clutched it to her chest, biting back a triumphant giggle.
“You’re free now,” she whispered to it.
In her mind, the dumpling whispered back, 'You saved me! You're my hero.'
Her grin nearly split her face. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
She rolled away into the dunes, clutching her prize, her laughter muffled behind her hand. Still, the guard never stirred. When she finally stopped, she sat cross legged in the sand, the dumpling resting on her knees like a sacred treasure. She leaned close, eyes blazing.
“You’re mine now. You and me, we’ll outdo them all.”
The dumpling, of course, agreed. Kasai tipped her head back and laughed, her voice spilling into the desert night. The stars seemed to flicker brighter, and laughed with her. Meanwhile, in her lap, the dumpling waited for the rest of their adventure.
[Marked for Training - WC: 798]
So, when Shin’s breath settled into the deep rhythm of sleep, Kasai pressed her palm to the door frame, her molten eyes glowing faintly in the dark, and she set forth. The city of Sunagakure stretched before her, long veins of stone pulsing faintly with chakra light. Her bare feet made soft slapping sounds on the cold floor, but she grinned at the noise instead of fearing it. To her, every sound was proof she was moving, exploring, and becoming more.
Workers and shinobi passed at a distance like shadows in the tunnels. None even spared her a second glance. She envied the ease of their practiced movements and the sureness in which they came. It made her smile sharper still, soon she would outdo them. The climb to the surface was long. Too many gates and turns, it was becoming exhausting. The tunnels seemed to laugh softly in echoes of her rhythm, and she laughed with them.
When she finally reached the top, her pace quickened. She could feel the fresh air as if it would set her aflame. She pushed open the heavy door and gasped. The desert night sprawled before her, endless and wild. The dunes shimmered under the moon, ridges sculpted like waves on a frozen sea. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, scattered with stars like shards of glass.
Kasai staggered forward, both hands pressed against her chest. “It’s so big,” she whispered, almost accusingly. She spun in a circle, arms outstretched as her laughter scattered across the dunes. Then, her gaze caught the Dome. Primus’ Bulwark rose from the sand like a mountain turned inside out, its curved surface gleaming against the moonlight. The metal looked alive, shifting as though it drank the light itself. Kasai’s fingers twitched, she wanted to touch it, but movement caught her eye.
ANBU patrols circled the Dome’s edge. Their masks caught her attention the most, they were meant to be terrifying. Kasai grinned, crouching low behind a dune. To her, they looked like pieces in a game, and she loved games. She crept closer, the sand crunching softly beneath her toes. Every movement was a test for her to be silent, and to be clever. Desire for perfection hissed in her chest, Shin would never stumble, and would probably already be there. She shook her head fiercely, and then, fate intervened.
A weary ANBU leaned against the Bulwark’s side, shifting his weight. His mask tilted just enough for Kasai to glimpse his jaw in the moonlight. He muttered something under his breath, then lifted a dumpling to his lips.
Kasai froze, eyes narrowing. Food... here?
The guard chewed slowly, clearly half-asleep. Then, without noticing, he dropped a second dumpling from his hand. It tumbled through the air and landed in the sand with a soft plop.
Kasai’s eyes widened. No, it wasn't just food. It was a gift, and a challenge. She clasped her hands together, fire sparking faintly along her fingers. 'It’s mine,' she thought. As she crept forward on her belly, her hair catching grains of sand, and her elbows scraping along. The Dome loomed above, the guard’s breathing steady, and the perfect little dumpling was waiting just beyond. Every inch forward made her drool for the dumpling as it gleamed like a tiny moon in the starlight. At last, her fingers closed around it. It was everything she expected, warm, soft, and ready to be eaten whole. Kasai clutched it to her chest, biting back a triumphant giggle.
“You’re free now,” she whispered to it.
In her mind, the dumpling whispered back, 'You saved me! You're my hero.'
Her grin nearly split her face. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
She rolled away into the dunes, clutching her prize, her laughter muffled behind her hand. Still, the guard never stirred. When she finally stopped, she sat cross legged in the sand, the dumpling resting on her knees like a sacred treasure. She leaned close, eyes blazing.
“You’re mine now. You and me, we’ll outdo them all.”
The dumpling, of course, agreed. Kasai tipped her head back and laughed, her voice spilling into the desert night. The stars seemed to flicker brighter, and laughed with her. Meanwhile, in her lap, the dumpling waited for the rest of their adventure.
[Marked for Training - WC: 798]
