The village was healing. People milled about this new and novel space, some enjoying daylight for the first time in years and others looking to the sky with a sense of nostalgia. The sky was clear, robin-egg blue and endless. The dusty earth being swept clean as stone streets were being carefully laid. The people of Sunagakure seemed to be coming together for a common cause - growth and daylight. Most of these buildings were completely built, some were still on their way as neighbor helped neighbor erect these humble structures. Indeed, this seemed like a time of peace and healing for the community after a time of hardship and pain.There was also a woman here, walking down the street. She had pale skin like the rest of them but she was very different. It was not a physically noticeable difference but it was the fact that she was not building but rather searching. Behind glasses she did not need, the ginger scanned the crowd. Her heels gently tapped the stone walkways as she carefully carried her parcel. A delightful aroma escaped from this messenger bag, that of a baked confectionery. Muffins to be specific. Banana chocolate chip being by far the most abundant in the satchel, there was also other saccharine treats - candied cherries and caramelized muffins, coconut-lime, and of course bran for the elderly and constipated or in this case Sousuke. She shifted the weight of the bag on her shoulder and smoothed the lines of her black dress. She needed a witness. Someone to testify to Sousuke's violent and unreasonable nature.
"Hey, hey you," she called to a random stranger. She was looking for a young man if it was at all possible. She needed someone who might be sympathetic, suffer from white knight syndrome. "I need some help," she announced as she reached out for their hand. She did not care who he was, all men were the same when they saw a woman cry. She did not offer any further information to whomever she grasped the wrist of as she led him or perhaps her to Sousuke's apartment door. He had a family estate in the depths as did most families, at least those whose homes had survived. Sousuke had recently decided to strike out on his own, or so that is what she had heard during her absence and recovery. That one of the many homes they had built happened to be an apartment Sousuke had gotten himself a flat in.
The reason for her arrival was a simple lie -- house warming.
The set-up was already in place. She had sent a letter to the Sennin and had tea with one of his best friends to plant the seeds of madness. Sousuke being a madman was not a quantum leap, he was never quite right even as a child. Almost mechanical in his actions and his limited range of emotions, it almost mirrored that of a sociopath. In fact, if she recalled accurately he even referenced himself as such once or twice in the remote past. A boon. Now with assertions of paranoia, a fear of violence and soon the eye witness report of his offensive nature against a defenseless woman, his admission into the asylum was almost assured. "I am scared and I need help,"<i></i> Shiori whispered loud enough for the stranger to hear as she stepped onto the doorstep of the Steward's home and tried to open the door.
She was not going to give this stranger any more information that she had to, (s)he would soon enough see all they needed to when Sousuke first took a look at her. A smile came across her face, the kind that practiced liars can make that would seem almost warm and genuine she yelled into the house "Sou? Sousuke!" She partially stammered. The nervousness was only in part an act, she only said partial lies because those are the hardest to disprove. She said she was scared of him. That she thought Sousuke would hurt her. She knew Sousuke would hurt her actually, a war was coming and there would be nothing untouched. She needed time of course, time to raise an army. Sousuke needed to lose faith - in himself. The community needed to lose faith in him.
