Return of the Robokage's 20/20 <Open>

[Teke]

Teke picked up a particularly large looking scalpel and started to examine it, it seemed far too large for use in conventional surgeries so she was trying to imagine just who or what this could be used for. She moved around the room slightly, with the tool still in hand before leaning back against one of the glass walls and facing Sousuke. She was curious again about Tama, she'd figured he was simply using a jutsu to make himself look younger as that seemed a fairly logical reason for what she'd just seen, but knowing he was, in fact, younger than her father was another twist in the mystery that was Tama. "Well, whatever he is and however he's doing it I'm sure I'll manage to get something out of him." She chuckled to herself, imagining all the fun she was going to have poking him when it bothered him so much.

Her interest was piqued when Sousuke started to talk about some of the events he'd been involved in, she was used to him vanishing for periods of time and re-appearing with less human left on him that before but if he was bringing it up here and now like this, surely something happened that he probably would rather she didn't know. He would start by asking her about her familiarity with the Grand Palais and honestly, she knew a fair bit about it being the place she usually meets up with Kaen either for briefings or missions in the area given the ease of access to criminals that need some justice in their lives. "I've dabbled in the area, I'm sure you know more of the official reasoning for me being there during my training. I've come across gangs of creeps, fighting pits and just general scum and villainy I suppose." She took a moment to think back to a few of the times she'd actually been there, there were plenty of decent people for sure but if ever a place could be described as a wretched hive of scum and villainy, it was there for sure. "With that said, I would assume forced groupings means Slavery? Can't say I've seen too much of that myself but I've never really looked. But yeah gang culture is alive and well if that's what you mean, everyone's got a "family" so to speak." She answered air quotes and all.

She would remain against the wall, still, idly playing with the large surgical instrument, almost as if seeing how far she could go before slicing a finger off as she waited for more of the explanation to come.

[WC = 437]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke's expression became very difficult to read as it turned to his true neutral expression. It was always hard to figure out if he was bored, tired, unhappy, or discontent. It was in these moments he was the machine that everyone joked or spoke about. His metallic feet hit the basement floor with a clank as he made the effort to fully stand up now. He listened to Teke interpret the facts he had given her, and she was onto it for the most part. "In a way. Slavery or assured destruction. Some would sooner be dead than forced into labour."<i></i> He rolled his metallic shoulder. "Tama was a misinformed individual and had forced several of these families together and he was going to employ them against me when he took a now employee of mine hostage. I don't think they knew who their foe was, but when I showed myself to them in this rescue effort I gave them two options the first being drop their weapons and leave with their lives, and the second would be that I would cut them down if they attacked me. Curiously ... slightly more than three quarters of these individuals dropped their weapons and made their way out of the ruined section of the Grand Palasis."<i></i> He explained. If Teke looked hard enough she would notice the metallic arm Sousuke presently was rolling was in fact a new model. "I fought my way in, and played a grand distraction while Grandmother, Mako, went to get the kidnapped individual. She was successful. Most people tend to lose their mind when they're under seige by a woman who appears to others as a flaming ghost."<i></i>

Sousuke acquired his shirt and placed the metallic arm through the first sleeve, and then placed his other arm through the other sleeve. He was putting himself back together. He had his back turned to Teke for a moment, but he turned his head. "Curiously I was going to spare Tama's men, but then he murdered them anyways and we battle resulting in ... me bringing up a number of harsh truths to dispel the falsehoods he had in his mind."<i></i> At this particular moment the Steward seemed to freeze up. He stopped talking and stood there. It wasn't something easy for him to talk about in terms of Okibi. Some emotional wounds never did fully heal. He exhaled and blinked. "Tama is the one who caused the eye wound and face wound. He's been under house arrest because I ... while I defeated him in combat, I also had to defend him in court from what would have been execution oddly."<i></i>

 

[Teke]

Teke listened to everything Sousuke had to say, there was no merit in butting in at the moment. It was rare enough for him to share details of these things with her, to begin with, she continued to play with the surgical instrument as she listened, taking in the information readily. Most of what she heard didn't surprise her given what she knew about the man in general, in fact, nothing about what he said was a real, earth-shattering shock if a bit naive, in her eyes at the very least. The girl would remain silent for a good amount of time after he had finished his explanations, thinking hard on the words as she had trouble understanding since it is not the course of action she'd have taken.

"So, redemption then? You're softer than your outward appearance would lead people to believe." She commented, finally breaking the silence. "I can't pretend I agree or understand the reason, certainly I and many others wouldn't have been so eager to help him after all his sins." She made a motion with her arms, spreading them out as if presenting their current location. "Yet here we are and things seem to be progressing as you wished, so I can be ignorant of your methods but I am not blind to them, perhaps I simply need to figure out what I truly am?" She had a soft smile on her lips, maybe there was more to her than being a cannibal, a being seen as evil for simply doing what her instinct seemed to tell her and this was all the more reason for her wanting to get away from everything for a time, to think and reflect on the experiences that have lead to this point.

"I thank you at the very least for sharing this information with me, knowing I could have flown off the handle, perhaps it's what you expected... it should be what I expected but with everything happening to me at the moment I can't bring myself to just get angry, even if I try I just get this... burning feeling in my head." It was true, her mind became filled with a sort of heat whenever she sought to do something "unjust". "All the more reason I need to be alone and just sort myself out before I lash out and hurt someone I don't mean too. I can't deny that I may come back a very different person and the thought scares the shit out of me, but I promise I will come back no matter what happens." At this point, she pushed herself away from the glass wall and made her way over to the man, slowly and a little awkwardly. "I know I've not been the easiest person to have around like I said before anyone else would have tossed me aside, you didn't and I don't think I can ever thank you enough for that whether it was trust or pity I don't really care. I'm becoming something more than I could have ever been if i'd stayed with the tribe or stayed locked up in the asylum all because you took a chance so, I probably don't say it enough but... thank you, dad." She would then wrap her arms around his torso and hug him tightly, knowing deep down that despite promising it she may never actually return from her trip out into the world and wanted to make sure she got all this pent-up emotion off her chest.

[WC - 588]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"With few exceptions, redemption is something everyone should have access to."<i></i> This was coming from a man who had been betrayed multiple times. Uri had betrayed him, and hundreds died for it during the Cabal invasion. The leader of the Cabal, a man named Kaito, was not executed the now Kazekage. Kaito was left to live out his life. Some time later, Uri would return to Sungakure and would reveal that it was he who gave the information to the Cabal for their invasion. Uri curiously laid his life down and was willing to accept judgment from the Steward. Maybe Uri deserved that execution. It was the deepest cutting betrayal, but it was not entirely all of his fault. He was not happy with the state of things Sungakure was in, and part of him perhaps wanted to hurt others in a manifestation of this frustration. All the same Uri apologized and revealed more information about the plot with the Daimyo. Uri pledged his allegiance to Sungakure once again, and promised to help put an end to the Daimyo's schemes.

Sousuke quietly listened to Teke speaking of how methods and how he was a less harsh person than expected. "People are strange things. We have the capacity for the greatest good and the greatest evil. Some will remain in the middle. Nature and nurture will always be things at odds. I like to think nurturing an individual will overcome their nature."<i></i> What was unsaid was that Teke was subject to this to. Teke was indeed a Cannibal, but Sousuke was trying to help Teke change her diet in what ways he could. Whether or not he was successful was something that remained to be seen. "The operation in which you were retrieved was one done without my authority. Cannot say I've been pleased about it... but if it didn't happen you wouldn't be here."<i></i> Things happened for a reason. Fate was something Sousuke pondered about. A perplexing notion. No matter how hard one tried to change their fate, it was going to be what it was.

The words thank-you Dad caused a smile to surface on Sousuke's face. Dad was a term that was rarely used to describe him. Okibi didn't quite call Sousuke father, but it was certainly that of a fatherly or a brotherly position. It was vague for the most part. Sousuke also looked after Okibi's child - Aki. There was certainly a fatherly position. "I've always tried to make things better for you. We get the world that we deserve. I'm not entirely sure what kind of world I deserve. I haven't always made the best decisions, but I've always tried to make decisions that would make existence all that much better for others."<i></i>

 

[Teke]

She smiled and nodded, she was all but aware that anything he'd done or scolded her for was for her benefit in the long run. Her habits were obviously not the norm and would only serve to drive people away from her which was the opposite effect to what she actually desired. She liked people contrary to what some may believe, she enjoyed being fawned over and idolized most of all though and to do that without fear seemed to lead to better social interactions. The biggest wall in terms of that becoming a reality was the beast within her that just came out of nowhere as and when it pleased, hungering for human flesh and mentally exhausting the girl till she physically gorged herself to almost the point of killing herself. "Sin of Gluttony, I suppose I'll always carry your burden with me." She thought to herself, she found it humorous but it was an adequate way of describing what she and even her people are, though she, by her own admission was worse than even them by a fair shot.

"I wouldn't be so surprised about the Kazekage not knowing everything the ANBU do, as one myself I can attest to that at the very least." Sometimes things needed to be done, unsavory things that any sane person would question but if it was for the good of Sunagakure then sacrifices had to be made in the name of peace and more often than not as many people needed to be kept in the dark as physically possible. This also meant ANBU had to be trained to know when a situation was becoming this important and not all people have the stomach for that but that's what makes the true elites that much more impressive. "That's not to say of course that we don't trust in whoever holds the seat, but if not knowing something can help them run the village, isn't it worth the sacrifice?" The idea of justice was something new that Teke had been trying out and though her own brand of it could be seen as excessive or violent she wanted to try putting the peoples lives ahead of her own in terms of the actual impact an incident or piece of information could have on them, that was her job even though no one wished that of her.

"I do think I am becoming a better person, thanks mostly to those around me pushing me to be that way and bringing me away from my primitive side. It still dwells within me for the time being but I am looking for a way to exorcize those demons through whatever means necessary. I don't think whatever I will have to do to reach that state will be easy or pretty but I am willing to do it whilst the old me would have laughed at the very idea." She smirked and shrugged her shoulders. There existed people far beyond redemption in her opinion and though she may have once thought of herself in that light she had certainly been surprised at how much she could change. Even though the act of simply talking about it like this she was learning more and more about herself, perhaps it was to do with the power of the gods running through her right now, granting her self-awareness and enlightenment beyond her normal limits.

[WC - 566]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

"I can tell you that I know everyone in this village."<i></i> He motioned to his head, in particular his brain. He fell silent when Teke spoke of the nature of trust and that knowing everything was a burden of sorts. He pondered about it. He reflected upon how Mikaboshi kept the village safe, but he did so in a very violent manner. Mikaboshi had kept the peace at a cost of sorts. "Sometimes."<i></i> He would answer finally. Sometimes a high level of violence was necessary, like during the Magentica invasion or the Cabal attacks. Of the two, the latter still stung Sousuke in a way. The Cabal attacks were something that remained with him and would perhaps remain with him for the rest of his life. The outcome was something that resulted in minor to sometimes major moments of exhausted nerves, or PTSD for the Steward. In that too was the betrayal of a man who he thought was his friend.

"I like to think my parents have had an effect on you. Especially my father. He has a habit of bringing out the best in most people."<i></i> Sousuke's father, the previous Steward, had lived a very hard life. He was the man who put Sand under the ground. To those not in Sand, he was probably considered a villain. The context to that being that Judori took Sand underground, and made Sand his top priority over everything else. The Sunahoshi were to a large extent the core power base of Sand. It was the Sunahoshi who kept the storms down. What Judori did not know was that Sunahoshi Daisuke was keeping up the storm and was a zombie. "There was a weapon you wanted to talk to me about, and design. Let's figure this out won't we?"<i></i> Sousuke finally suggested as he would make his way up the stairs gesturing for Teke to follow him. "Sometimes one needs a heavy weapon to crush these demons you speak of being real or ... metaphorical."<i></i>

[Topic conluded]