Like Father, Not Like Daughter [Private-esque]

[Yume]

This world was something she was definitely... used to.

They left the village gates as Manager and Yume, with a team of a photographers and filmographers, stylists and assistants tagging along for another shoot or something or other. She lost count of the things she had to do today. The group ventured off a ways away from the village. The forests and lakes outside were decidedly more pristine and untouched compared to the ones within Leaf's walls. So Yume was here, behind a change screen that the assistants carried out for her dress change.

"I haven't worn something like this in... well, years I suppose," Yume remarked, raising an arm to examine the drooping brocade sleeves. The idol spun herself around, careful not to mess up the intricacies of her hairdo and checking out the rest of her outfit of the day. The photo and video shoot was of something standard, albeit more mellow than her usual promotional shoots. Her back was straight and proper, as a lady of a dead clan should be.

Yume glanced over to her manager, who was staring off to the side in a distance. She was surprised to see that his light magenta hair had changed to a normal looking dirty blond. Temporary dye? What should be a glance turned into a stare, until he looked towards her with now blue eyes. Contact lenses, perhaps. She didn't think he would keep something like a transformation for long.

He approached her when it was a call for a short break, letting the others know of their future whereabouts if they urgently needed them. The manager guided the confused Yume down the off-beaten path.

"Where are we going, Oppa?"

"I want to show you a place. Continue walking."

Past the trees into a clearing, Yume stopped short to stare at the view. Just down the cliff was the slum they called Crater City. The girl grimaced slightly, turning to half-heartedly glare at the man behind her. He only picked her up and leapt down to the city's entrance. She hesitated, but the gentle push against her back told her to walk the streets.

Eyes followed after the two who were clearly out of place even for fancy tourists, if there even were tourists here to begin with. It wasn't like Yume was scared. She knew as well as her manager did that she could fight or escape if she needed. The real question was why he was taking her around in a place like this? But before that...

"Why do you get to change up your look in case you get caught?" she whispered, quick to pick up on his relatively abnormal appearance. "People can see who I am...!"

"With that robe and that make up on your face, you'd be hiding in plain sight," he answered, nonchalant. Yume frowned, turning her head away.

"Why are we here... and still in this get up anyway? We're just asking to be mugged."

He stopped suddenly in the middle of the pathway and grasped both her shoulders from behind. "Look around you. These are citizens of Leaf that could not afford to live in their own village. Citizens of Leaf that see the current village as a fake. If your father was here-"

She didn't want to hear anymore of it.

"If my father was here, then what?" Yume glanced over her shoulder to look at him with a rare frown on her face. If he never told her, she could have probably lived her life without knowing of his old nefarious ties... "Why are you dumping this on me now? I just wanted to perform."

She wriggled her shoulders to shake his hands off. "Can we go back to the crew now?"

Topic started with NPC

 

[Saburo]

It was rare to see Saburo in Crater City without a massive to-do list trailing behind him, but this late afternoon was one of those rare opportunities where the young man found himself completely free to act like a layabout. He had just finished hiring staff members for the casino and things were shaping up well there. He even had a decent amount of local thugs patrolling the streets, looking to scrounge up some business for the place. All in all, the Kaguya could admit he had done a fine job of providing structure for the crater kids. Soon enough, the alleys would be filled with tourists rather than trash. In the meantime, though, he was just going to chill with his pit boss and talk a little shop while they pondered how to drum up some real profits.

It seems that even when Saburo was being a lazy-bones, his mind still gravitated towards business.

"You know what we could really use, man? Imagine if we got some kind of talent out here."

"What do you mean, boss? I thought you had some back door deals going with the local whore houses. How much more talent you looking to score?" Sadao wasn't exactly the brightest casino floor manager, but to his defense, the dark-haired deviant didn't hire him for his brains. "I was thinking we were keeping a tight lid on that side of the operation."

Sometimes, Saburo wondered if there was a human alive that could match his intellect. Instead of wondering too long over this, however, he simply sighed and explained his thought process out to the dimwit. After all, it was always good to have a sounding board... and Sadao had been a loyal sidekick since long before the Crater City Casino had come into the picture.

"Brother, you and I both know that a percentage of those brothel dollars are coming our way thanks to this casino scam we got worked up. I'm not talking ladies in this scenario, though. I'm talking actual, god-given talent. You know, like a performance to draw in an audience?"

"Oh, yeah! Like U<3Me, right? I love that new single of hers. You know, How's This? You can really jam to it!"

...huh... Saburo hadn't given too much thought to the class he had crashed that day at the Academy, but the lumbering oaf had a good point. His old instructor did seem to have a real way of enticing the masses and if someone like Sadao could even fall prey to her charms, she probably would be just the ticket. If only he had a good excuse to hunt her down; he might have laid it on a little thick with the macho thug act before, after all. It would do no good whatsoever to approach her and be seen as yet another fan... or worse, some creep.

Luckily for the Kaguya, it would seem that the fates were aligning. He couldn't be positive, but the woman approaching the dynamic duo seemed familiar. Her manservant was a nobody, practically a nonentity in Saburo's eyes, but the young man felt he could place that woman's gait anywhere. Nevermind that she stood out like a sore thumb and basically painted a target on her back dressing like nobility among the untouchables, like himself and Sadao. This chick had moves even when not performing. Saburo should know, after all... he had studied Yume quite intensely back in that chaotic classroom.

You could say the sixteen year old had a crush on the idol, but it went deeper than that. He almost found himself respecting this particular piece of eye candy. Getting up from his seat atop a trash can, Saburo sauntered over to the visitors intent on making a trade: a performance for safe passage. Leaning against a steel beam, he looked at the woman, then to the man she accompanied, and then back to the woman again. His question was simple...

"Sup? You lost?"

[Topic Entered]
[MFT: 663]

 

[Yume]

Funny how fate decides to weave herself into everyday decisions. They decided to stop here in particular in Crater City, in front of this particular casino and before these two particular men. The manager immediately shifted his movements, discreetly guiding Yume to stand closer behind him. Yume looked over to the stranger, blinking in realisation of the boy before her.

"Ah...!"

The manager cut her off before she could say anything else.

"Just wandering around town," he replied to the boy with a polite, radiant smile. Yume shrunk back further behind the manager at the sight, keeping her eyes anywhere else but his face. "We'll be on our way now."

Her sights lingered on Saburo a few seconds before the pair walked off; though the manager was a tad more forceful in guiding Yume down the street. There ought to be one of the exits off somewhere on the other side of the city, though the trek there would be god knows how far. They decided to turn a corner into an open alleyway instead for a convoluted u-turn. Yume glanced up towards the man beside her.

"Ah, Oppa. He was in my class," she said. "I didn't know he lived here."

"Don't be so assuming... but who knows."

Her expression was of idle concern and pity, as if she thought to herself, 'poor guy.' The hand on her shoulder squeezed her skin slightly out of instinct. The more they walked, the more eyes landed on the two. The manager kept his eye out in Yume's place, planning to strategically weave around in accordance of the threats around them. He hoped none followed. That would be a hassle.

 

[Saburo]

Saburo was trying to speak to his instructor from the academy, but just as he had assumed, this prick she was with was the exact sort to look down his nose at street trash. Odds are, he probably even forced the young woman into such a ridiculous display of wealth that that outfit seemed to convey. If it was one thing that chapped the Kaguya's ass more than anything, it was a man in a position of power trying to control the situation. Situations were not static; nothing in this life could be controlled. Maybe Yume's escort still considered reality to be a thing that he alone could shape, but Saburo was here to prove the man a liar.

Stepping back from the visitors, he gave Sadao a look. Surely his childhood friend would be interested in meeting an idol... maybe some other residents of Crater City might also enjoy the opportunity. Tapping quickly on the earbud headset he had in, Saburo sent a quick relay to the pit boss so that part one of his plan could take affect.

"Sadao, remember that song you could really jam out to, How's This? What if I told you that girl I just approached was Yume herself, the pop idol?"

Like the chuunin suspected, he wasn't given even so much as a thank you over the headset. All he heard was a near earth-shaking bellow from the side of the street he left Sadao on. If that wasn't enough to perk up nearby residents, the man's pleas being shouted down the street would certainly catch some attention.

"YUME!!! I NEVER IN MY WILDEST... YUME, I LOVE YOU! WAIT UP, YUME, I NEED AN AUTOGRAPH!!"

The ensuing chaos was something fairly standard in Crater City. Whenever someone with the real possibility of wealth walked between the decrepit buildings, there was always someone there looking for a handout. Some were legitimately fans of Yume and saw this as their one shot to meet the woman that meant the world to them, considering no one here could typically afford concert tickets when food was scarcely on the table. Others were just beggars hoping for a quick buck. Regardless of the reason, more people than Saburo had expected started peeking their heads out of windows and sliding out of shadows.

Meanwhile, Saburo got on the horn with some of his men and requested their presence in what he affectionately referred to as the Red Lion District. They were meant to separate the man from his mistress. Real danger wasn't on the table, but Saburo suggested doing anything necessary to get the guardian away from Yume. Sometimes, his men were overly enthusiastic, though. Saburo intended on sticking close to Yume just in case. Running ahead of the quickly forming mob, he reintroduced himself to the pop star.

"Yume! It's Saburo! I'm sorry about my friend, but he really does love your music. I can't promise all these people will have your best interest in heart, though!"

If given the chance, Saburo would help sneak Yume and her friend into one of his numerous "safe houses" throughout the district. If he wasn't given the chance, he would merely escalate the problem of the impoverished. One way or another, he was going to get his opportunity to speak to the woman.

 

[Yamiya Yun]

Yun watched as her adopted father took a swig from his flask, a terrible smell of cheap rum filled the air. It was just another day in crater city where the little Yamiya had to sit by and suffer her poor excuse of a father as he just sat at home drinking his heart out. She kind of just sat there quietly as he drank, getting more and more worried as he drinks more of his booze. After a quick moment of realizing he was being watched, her father quickly threw the flask at her forcing her to bolt out the front door as he yelled "The hell are you doing you brat! Get your earnings so you can pay for that good drink you just made me waste!"

The little eleven year old girl wandered the streets as the town was starting to bustle about some idol that is in town or something, lil' Yun had no interest in that though. She was off to try and meet up with Saburo, one of the most prominent people here in crater city. She, at this point was just trying to find a place to get away from the waste she currently calls home. She has yet to actually meet him in person but she has tried to get a hold of him through other people in the streets. The only place she knew she could find him was the casino that he is supposed to run. More or less afraid of getting jumped on her way there, she wandered quickly with her arms crossed over her chest as her long scraggly hair brushed passed her knees.

[Topic Entered]

WC: 276

 

[Yume]

The pair froze in the middle of their steps.

"Oppa, did someone say autograph?" Yume asked.

"... Tch!"

Manager code for 'fuck this shit.' Yume found herself held close to the manager's body as he pushed people aside in order to weave through to an exit. It was like a poor game of whack-a-mole too, slapping away the wandering and grabby hands on Yume's clothes.

Eventually, with great effort, the two outsiders managed to reach the edge of the mob. Yume was pushed out and away from the crowd first, being given a headstart to outrun the crowd. The manager soon followed after.

"Let's go, quickly now."

As if the Lady of Fate frowned upon them--or more simply explained, as if someone orchestrated this on purpose, the riot had only just begun. A uncharacteristic yell echoed from behind the idol. She turned around, seeing the crowd engulf her manager whole. Oh, shit she was next. This entire getup was not made for running!

Before she knew it, Saburo had snatched onto Yume's arm, pulling her away from the crowd and forcing a run for it.

"E-Eh, what?!" she exclaimed. "But Oppa is still back there!"

An explosion rumbled from behind them, with faint billows of smoke obscuring parts of her vision. Her free hand waved the smoke away and she coughed. Amidst all the chaos, her feet resorted to following wherever Saburo took her.

They reached an establishment that Saburo considered a 'safe house.' A dimly lit bar of sorts; Yume didn't fit into this picture at all. She wobbled over to one of the stools by the counter and sat down with a heavy sigh, barely batting an eyelash when the same door to the bar opened and slammed shut a few minutes later.

He was hunched over his knees, gasping for air. It was then Yume decided to look over to the two men - first at Saburo, then the manager. She hopped off the stool and started approaching him.

"Ah, Oppa! You got away! Are you alright?" Blue eyes skimmed over his exhausted form. "You look and sound a bit out of shape. Maybe you should start joining in on my morning workouts."

The manager's breathing quickly slowed to a regular rate and he stood back up, straight and tall. He smiled at her. "Oh, doesn't that sound like a wonderful idea?"

Yume froze up, instinctively retreating a couple of steps backwards until she bumped into Saburo. She squeaked, spinning around to see his face (and really at this point, she rather look at Saburo's face than, that manager's smile). Her upper body flew in a bow in both apology and thanks, semi-aware of the strands of hair falling over her face when she straightened up. She brushed those flyaway tresses behind her ear, running words a mile a minute and switching in between Saburo and her manager.

"I am so so sorry about all of this. Thank you so much for helping me out--" And not the manager. The man shot a death glare at the boy at that. "I totally knew it was a bad idea to be walking around in this kind of clothing, but if I changed out, it'd take too long to change back in for the shoot and-- oh no, the photo shoot! They must be worried sick. Oppa! We should probably go back! Oh, why couldn't you just brought me here after the shoot instead, aigoo! I hope we didn't mess things up to badly, Saburo-kun. Oppa! Did you call the crew yet?! Call them now before they start freaking out!"

Though out of everyone, it's probably only her freaking out.

 

[Saburo]

Living in Crater City, one comes to expect the unexpected. On some days, a kindly thug might help you get your groceries up to your fourth floor walk up. On other days, a grandma might gut you for cigarette money. Those that visit the area are left constantly on their toes, but if you knew how to read a situation you could skate through life in the ghetto with little real threat to your safety. Saburo learned that lesson quickly as a small child; now that he was grown, he had discovered how to harness that power. Sometimes, however, the crater kids still managed to surprise him.

Rushing Yume into a local watering hole he was known to frequent, Saburo wasn't surprised to hear an explosion going off in the crowd. Some of his men were partial to homemade explosives and others still had spent time in prison for abilities beyond their control. Of course, not everyone was a shinobi here. In fact, very few actually were. The ones that had any kind of ninja training, however, were the sort of shinobi you didn't want to cross on the street. Plus we couldn't exactly rule out that Yume's bodyguard wasn't the one responsible.

Actually, Saburo kind of hoped that the escort was the one responsible. If his men had gone overboard and hurt some of the citizens of Crater City, there would be hell to pay. Regardless of the aftermath, though, he had to make sure the idol was safe. If this little spectacle proved anything, it was that she could very well prove to be the key that would unlock the chains around his city.

----------

Meanwhile, in the middle of the riot, Sadao stopped pulling apart confused protestors at the sight of a small girl. She was dressed like she had to borrow clothing from her father and it was plainly obvious that no mother taught the girl how to use a brush, so the big softie felt obligated to take the girl under his wing. Saburo was prone to going overboard in a situation, but that didn't mean innocent children needed to see this level of violence. Sadao would protect her as he ushered her towards the bar down the street, should she allow him to direct her to where he was sure Saburo awaited. He would probably even answer a question or two, despite the fact that he was busy tossing rambunctious thugs over the girl's head like he was part bulldozer.

----------

Back inside the bar, things had gotten far calmer... for some. Yume seemed distressed about some photoshoot and, as the big man glared at Saburo, the Kaguya was at least a little distressed for himself. The plan did seem to work out beautifully, however, so it was time to call off the dogs. He would explain to the pop princess that she had no reason to be sorry, that he was glad to help, as he tinkered with his earpiece as if it wasn't already on the channel he needed.

"Cobra, Condor... take the rest of C-Team and meet up just north of the Red Line. Head toward the casino but fan out through side streets. Repel the rioters, but ensure no harm comes to them. B-Team, come from the west side of the district and funnel those with homes back inside where the belong. The rest you can take to the casino where we'll make sure they're properly cared for." Saburo looked over to his former instructor and smiled at how cute she looked with her hair in disarray. "We have a special guest in the city. Lets put on a nice face for her."

Behaving like the king of the crater, Saburo merely returned Yume's bow, and smiled gently to show there were no hard feelings. He needed to put the lady at ease should he ever have the chance to proposition her about the services she might provide. Maybe if he got the area cleaned up quickly, she'd be back in time to finish her photo shoot and also learn a lesson about what it meant to walk his streets. Respect went a long way around here and he was sure they could form quite the profitable alliance, should he manage to win the woman over.

"If anyone should be sorry, Yume, it's me. My friend really is just a fan, but he's also a loudmouth. I should have realized he would see through your get-up better than I ever would have, but by the time I realized the error of judgement, it was too late. I hope your husband wasn't too badly injured, but I had to assume he could take care of himself. Either way, I'm sure he's grateful I kept such a pretty wife out of harm's way."

 

[Yamiya Yun]

Little Yun, dropped down into a squat and covered her head after hearing an explosion. She has never been subject to nothing more that a simple mugging and a kick in the teeth, this was something that she was completely fresh to. Panicking, the little ragamuffin looked around for a way to escape the panic going around only to spot a man she could hardly get a full glimpse of trying to usher her to what she hoped was safety. Quickly looking around she could hardly make anything out aside from the large group of people basically rioting for some reason. 'That idol must have been quite the trouble....' The little girl thought to herself.

After reaching their destination, Yamiya went ahead and found herself inside a bar with a man that was not to be mistaken... Saburo. She went ahead and brushed her little suit off as she bowed to him letting her hair drop to the floor. "H-hello, you are Saburo right?.... M-my name is Yun, I live here with my adoptive father..." She then raised her head to see that he was actually busy with someone and then she bowed again calling out "S-sorry! I didn't see you were with someone....."

WC= 208

 

[Yume]

Yume didn't think much of it, but the manager was suspicious. Saburo had, at the very least, two teams he commanded to curb the protest within the city. How so very convenient... and what very unusual timing too. Only now when he and Yume were safe and away from the riot, did he finally initiate crowd control.

"You seem to have quite the arsenal of teams under your command, Mr Saburo," he commented, switching his glare to a perfect smile. Yume blatantly averted her gaze towards the rows of liquor lined up behind the counter, ignoring the chill that ran up her back. "They must have been so busy controlling another riot in town before this one, weren't they?"

A barely noticeable blush scattered across both the idol and manager's cheeks at the sudden husband-wife assumption. Yume looked back at Saburo and frantically waved her hand back and forth, laughing sheepishly.

"What? Oppa, my husband? He's my manager!" The laugh quickly died out and Yume pouted. Body posture straight up in indignation, she stomped her foot once on the floor with her hands down by her side and clenched into fists. "Why would you think I'm married already?! I'm only seventeen!"

Ouch, what a crushing blow. Did she look that old?

She continued to pout and mope for a few more seconds, until the door opened to reveal a person that definitely did not belong in a place like this. Yume gasped, her anger towards Saburo already forgotten. "Ah! You have the same name as me! That's so trippy!"

"Yume..."

"I meant nickname. Same difference!"

"Yume."

The idol paused and blinked at the manager, who only looked back at her with weary eyes. "What?"

"Stop dawdling."

They had a job to finish. The manager tapped on the plastic in his ear, indicating the call already made when she was dealing with Saburo's misunderstanding. Yume blinked again, forming a surprised 'o' of her lips and crossed her arms in thought.

"Oh, you're right. It's rude to leave the crew like that." She glanced over to Yun, scared little critter she was. "Don't worry, Yun-Yun. We were just leaving. Can you fix my hair, Oppa?"

"No."

Yume shot him a half-hearted glare and shrugged. "Fine. You're gonna get yelled at anyways, not me." She turned away, facing Saburo in another bow for what seemed to be the final time. "Thanks again, Saburo-kun, but we gotta get back to work. It seems like you have a visitor too. Perhaps I'll see you around in Leaf! "

The manager had checked outside first to make sure the coast was relatively clear before motioning a go. Out of courtesy, he bowed his head to Saburo, while Yume waved goodbye before slipping outside.

The door shut behind them and Yume exhaled. While the riot was dying down thanks to Saburo's efforts, there's no telling whether it would ramp back up with her reappearance. Yume clapped her hands together with a foreign spell, and her appearance melted away to someone else. She looked like she could be the manager's coworker--another manager for another idol, no? Or perhaps another bodyguard, as Saburo assumed.

"There," she muttered with a voice one key lower than usual. They slowly began walking away from the tavern, towards the general direction of one of the city's exits. "Should have done this at the beginning!"

There was no response from her partner.

"Oppa?"

"Did you even have a good look at that child, Yume?"

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled up. She knew where this was going, and a large part of her was glad that she was in this transformation. Imagine what the tabloids would say if U<3ME snapped. In a criminal city, no less?

"Please, Oppa. Stop it," she hissed. "Yeah okay, I'm sorry that people here have an unfortunate life. Yes, that child looks terribly scared. What do you want me to do about it?"

"You could--"

Stop.

"Take after my father, bring the Yamaguchi name back yada yada yada. No. Besides..." Yume looked over her shoulder towards the tavern where Saburo and Yun would still be. She'd be lying if she wasn't curious of what business the little child had with him, but it wasn't so much that it made the girl want to pry. Her attention returned to the road in front of her.

"Saburo-kun seems to be doing a fine enough job. Don't you think so, Oppa?"

He stayed silent.

Topic left unless stopped.

 

[Saburo]

Saburo was quite pleased with himself how his little escapade turned out. Based on the dull roar fading into the distance, his men got the streets cleaned up in record time and he apparently pissed off Yume's manager while keeping the pop star herself blind to his machinations. Things were going even better still when he realized that a girl wouldn't be so upset at the thought of being married if she had anyone she was seriously considering for the role. Maybe he could convince her to perform at his casino AND talk her into a date. A guy could dream, anyway.

He was even ready to throw down a slick line and ignore that dumbass manager altogether, but then things shifted. One of the younger citizens of the city needed him.

Seeing Yume interact with this young girl, he couldn't help but notice how differently the two seemed to behave. One was confident, while the other one was obviously shy. One seemed to have every advantage in life and wanted to look the part; the other apparently couldn't even be bothered to dress herself properly. Saburo was glad to see that Yume wasn't put off by the little girl's appearance, however. As odd as it seemed, he had developed a real admiration for the pop star and would hate to think of her as the type to dismiss a street urchin out of hand. It was a real turn on when a woman could rile up a crowd, sure... but if that same woman couldn't find the time to acknowledge even the smallest of voices in the crowd, she was no good to him. Luckily, Saburo's dream girl seemed to prove herself a fitting queen for the Crater King.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he barely had time to bow in return as the idol rushed back to her reality. He mumbled something along the lines of "Yeah, see you there," but she was out the door by the time his thoughts really caught back up to him. Did she call him Saburo-kun? Was that merely an acknowledgement of his presence in her class or did she view him as little more than a child? Whatever the case, he could work that out with her at a later date. For now his attention had to shift back to the little business-lady awaiting his audience.

"Well, hello there Yun. That's certainly a nice suit you got there." Saburo smiled at the girl and crouched down to be more on her level. "My name is indeed Saburo, but I must wonder... what could I do for you? It's not often that such dapper young professionals come to greet me and I must confess, I did want to do my very best to impress that young lady, but I always have time to help out a sister in need."

Saburo walked over to a table and took one of the seats facing the street. He motioned for the girl to respond in kind. Whether the girl actually moved to take a seat or not, the Kaguya wouldn't find himself offended. It seemed he really only took the seat to signal to the barkeep (that must have ducked into the back room earlier) that he was ready to order. Whether Yun would find herself sitting or whether she preferred to stand, by the time she started in on her spiel, a couple plates would be brought out to the table, alongside a tray that seemed to hold a couple dozen skewers of mouthwatering Yakitori. Saburo must eat here a lot and he must always eat the same "street food" because as far as Yun would be able to tell, he never did place an order.

Before Yun could get too caught up in her presumably heart-breaking tale, though, Saburo had to ask her (in between bites of his first skewer) what she thought his chances were. The food and the light banter were ploys meant to put the child at ease, but there was no telling if it would work. Asking an opinion of a minor, however, usually did the trick. Everything was about respect, after all... even at Yun's age.

"By the way... that girl from before, she's pretty cute, right? You think she'd have anything to do with me?"

----------

Meanwhile, yet again jumping to outside the bar where Yun and Saburo talked, Sadao was getting damned bored waiting for his autograph. He knew Saburo heard him, at least, because everybody and there damned brother seemed to hear him... much to his chagrin. He probably made an ass of himself to his Idol Yume, but he really did just love her so much. It would be just like Saburo to try to keep her all to himself. In fact...

Wasn't that the man the pop sensation had entered the bar with, leaving now with some classy-looking broad? What was that boy up to? Sadao swore that if Saburo made some kind of sleazy trade for Miss Yume, he'd wring his friend's neck. Of course, if Saburo truly loved the idol as much as he did, without even hearing her music no less... Well, maybe this was cause for celebration. Sadao knew he wasn't good enough for such a goddess, but his oldest childhood friend really was a good guy, deep down on the inside. Maybe this could be just the thing to convince Saburo to bring that goodness to the outside.

Sadao thought about this so much his head hurt, but he could be patient. Even as it began to rain, the pit boss stood there across the street with his autograph book and pen.

 

[Yamiya Yun]

Yun slowly lifted her tiny head up to see Saburo kneeling down in front of her, her face went blushed and she started to fall back but caught herself. Her fear slowly started to sink in as she realized how close she is to freedom. She looked at him dead in the eye trying to get herself as serious as she can get "I am here to ask you to help me become a ninj......." She slowly tilted her head as he started to walk away towards a table only to realize that he was indeed trying to come and get her to sit with him. She took a second before kind of hurrying in as much of a mannered walk as she can, clearly nervous and not even taking a bite of the food saying "Sir, she is very pretty... and I do think if you tried you could... I don't know... marry her?" She tilted her head again and then realized that she should pull her long hair out of her face to show more respect at the table.

"B-but Mister Saburo, m-my name is Yamiya Yun... I-I was wondering... If you could help me.... Y-you know.... become a ninja?" She sat and watched him eat, not touching the plate in front of her yet. She was mostly waiting for a signal that she could eat the food and even then she would probably object with saying she couldn't pay for it.

Before Saburo could answer her she blurted out "I... I'm tired of living here... afraid... not knowing what to do... I want to be strong! I want to be able to have people who can care for me, people who would fight with me... not against me... My father... A priest... Has finally set me to know that I need to get out and get stronger...." Now tears started to well in her eyes as her face went as serious as she could get it "Mister Saburo, could you please help me become a student in the academy within the leaf!" She then wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her suit but kept the same serious face that she had while talking.

WC= 368

 

[Saburo]

Upon hearing the young girl's words, Saburo ached a little on the inside. He too knew what it was like to be afraid of life. He too was once a small child in a bad situation, living in a crime-riddled city. He outgrew his fears, however, and he was sure that Yun would manage to overcome hers as well. It was lucky for her that she came to the right misanthrope. Had she confided in some of the less savory criminals that called the crater home, it wouldn't have surprised the kaguya at all to discover that the young kunoichi wound up strong out on drugs and working a corner for some two-bit pimp.

That would change in the days ahead, however. Saburo intended to take over the crater's criminal element. Some might call it organized crime, but nothing about Saburo spoke to organization. He intended to streamline it instead.

"First off, Yun, I want to thank you for thinking so highly of me. I do work hard to put my best foot forward, but I only do as all citizens of our fine town would, should they have been given the luxuries I fought so hard to attain. I have no queen as of yet, but I do sometimes like to believe myself king of this crater... but don't get it twisted, dear. I am a king just as you are a princess. It's all about how you view yourself and your commitment to the people."

Saburo noticed that the child refused to eat and assumed it had something to do with her abusive father. It made him sick.

"The first thing you must learn is that kings, much like princesses, don't ever have to pay for meals. When someone values your worth, they don't expect currency in exchange, so don't make my friend's noble sacrifice go to waste. He provided us with this yummy Yakitori so that we might never feel hungry upon our quest. If you really intend on following me back to leaf and beginning a brand new life, you must be well fed, right? Plus, our casino draws in business to the area; one hand serves the other."

 

[Yamiya Yun]

The little ninja to be had a sparkle in her eye after hearing the words from the older man, a little hope filled her chest and she let out a soft smile before chowing down on all the food in front of her within seconds. Between bites a soft little sobbing sound escaped but she looked happier than a dog who just received a treat for being a good pet. Once she cleaned her plate, Yun pat her belly trying to hold back a burp. "Thank you mister Saburo! B-but please don't call me princess... Its embaressing..."

The Yamiya child looked down at her empty plate for a short while as her face went back into its blank stare "Mister Saburo... What happens now? Am I going to be big and strong? W-what do I do?" The ninja was now totally confused, never in her life had she even dreamt of her whole mission being made so simple in front of her. It was almost too good to be true. She then looked Saburo in the eye "T-this isn't a trick right?" A certain sharpness in her voice taking place as she stared him down almost as if she was staring into his very soul itself. The kind of stare that a demon would have if it were trying to gain the worth of a person and what they want in return for their final bargain.

"I do not like being lied to Mr. Saburo, I really do hope you mean what you say." Her long hair draping over her face again causing her to look much more horrifying, something seen in a dark ally. She herself has no idea what is happening but she does know that she wants the man in front of her to answer him. She slowly puts both of her hands on the table to stand up when she gets her answer, but her nails and little bits of her fingers are completely pitch black, only for the fingers to slowly fade back into their fleshy pink color. Her face softens again but she still continues her stare till she gets her answer.

WC: 361

 

[Saburo]

"You leave the worrying about planning to me. Just know that when the time comes, you'll see there's nothing to fear about being from Crater City. We look out for one another down here. I just wish you had come to me sooner about this problem."

Saburo grinned and maybe the girl would detect a faint note of malice in it, but she had nothing to fear from the man. Saburo was simply thinking about ways to kill two birds with one stone when it came to this priest issue. The thought that a walking, talking shit stain was going around making people feel uncomfortable in his city was not one that the kaguya wanted to foster. He had to nip the issue in the bud and quick.

Plus, Saburo knew a thing or two about abusive families. His father is still alive, sure... but only because it earned the chuunin more notoriety having the man around to play war hero for the dumber sons of bitches. If they knew the things that man had put his sons through... but that was a thought for another time and place.

"I'm going to have a little talk with your father, if you wouldn't mind. He's going to have to come to terms with you coming to live with me in Leaf, after all. Plus I don't like the idea of someone like that breathing the same air as my extended family here in the crater. Perhaps it's time to give him a one-way ticket to someplace he'd feel more at home, hmm?"

"Like Hell..." he thought.

Saburo threw some yen down on the table despite the barkeep's continual insistence that he would always eat for free and he noted the look of reluctant gratitude on the poor working stiff's face at the sight of it. Things were tough in Crater City for everyone, but the good people here didn't deserve to be punished. No, only the bad ones earned that right. Standing up from his seat, he brushed off his jacket and stuck a hand out to the young girl.

"Are you ready to start your new life as a Konohagakurian, Yun? I warn you, it will be tough acclimating in a place so full of good yet oblivious people. You'll get used to the petty nature of village life eventually, though. I just hope you can learn to look back fondly on our city. There will always be a place for you here too, after all."

[Topic Left w/ Yun unless stopped or she stays]
[MFT: 420]