The Ones Who Died Without A Name. [Private]

[Kokomo]

Three days. It took her three days to complete a project that she had mulled over as basically impossible more than once. There had been times where she had warped accidentally into a different room as her stress level piqued and she had to grab more cups of coffee than what was healthy. A few jogs around the block and miniature fits of frustration, the woman had succeeded in her final valiant moment.

Moving to the tower, and warping along and up the side again, as she had once before, she made it to the windowsill of the Kage's home, warping inside again as she stood silently for a moment in what appeared to be a living room of sorts.

Moving with the silent steps of a ghost, she moved across the area until she came to an office, making sure not to make any sounds as she approached the man behind the desk. Had he noticed or said anything, she wouldn't respond, but simply move to the front of the desk, and set down upon his desk, the original golden pocket watch heirloom, totally pieced together without a single crack or line too suggest it had been shattered.

"I do suppose," She said in a quiet voice, clearly humbled from the last time he had saw her, "That it was about time that I used my family's blood for something more..." Her voice trailed as she stared down at the pocket watch blankly, "Memorable."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

It was not often that the Steward and his father argued. At least from the Steward's point of view this was an argument, from his father's point of view this was a debate. "You can only bury yourself in paper work for so long. Eventually you will need to go out and have an adventure of sorts." His Father said. "You might be a Takahashi, but you are a Masashi. You may have my blood, but you know well that your mother's people travel, and they have a tale or two worth telling." The Steward was attending to paperwork just like his father had mentioned. For a moment it seemed like he was being ignored by his son. Judori snorted and folded his arms.

"I am the Steward. It is expected of me to attend to matters of state."<i></i> Sousuke spoke back. He did not raise his eyes from his paperwork, he merely continued making his notes on the financial situation.

Judori shook his head. "You have people who can do such a job just as easily as yourself. You're not the only one who is capable of constantly keeping track of things. I had help from my brother when I wanted it. Surely you have some friends who would do the same, or at least hire someone to do so." His Father explained. Silence followed. "I can name at least three individuals who can keep the books in check. Do you want me to see if--" Both Father and son paused as Kitanai slipped in and placed before them a restored pocket watch. "Ah. Did you go see another jeweler other than Suri on Third?"

Sousuke said nothing as he reached forward and placed his hands on the heirloom. "Not quite."<i></i> Sousuke said as he inspected the watch. Given the fact he had crushed it completely Kitanai did quite a job restoring it. "Ah... thank-you. This I did not expect."

"Who is this young lady? Your new jeweler? A friend perhaps? Since when has it become uncool for you to introduce your friends to your parents?" Judori's brows furrowed. He usually had a good track record of keeping up with his son's friends, but this girl he had never seen before. The smaller man looked at Kitanai and then at his son. "What's her name?"The Steward looked over at Kitanai. He knew of her, but there was never really a formal introduction given.

 

[Kokomo]

It seemed she had been mistaken. It was an awkward moment where she stood in a room, and hadn't realized there had been another body present. She had been so focused on how to sound heroically ashamed and focusing on Sousuke, that the short balding man a bit farther away from the desk was almost invisible. In fact, his voice startled her to the point that she took a double take, and her body shuttered for a moment of shock--and by shuttered, literally began to vanish from her uncontrolled Seikon abilities--before it materialized back and her cyan eyes settled on the older man.

The man revealed himself to be the Kazekage's father, in which Kitanai shot a subtle and quick suspicious look towards the Kage before bowing before the gentleman, "Ijimeru Kitanai," She introduced herself formally, offering her hand, as she resisted temptation to study the Kazekage's face as she did so. She suspected that he wasn't thinking quite casual thoughts. After all, he better not, as she worked her butt off on the heirloom.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," She inquired to the gentleman, trying her best to be as formal as she could--still forced into some strange whirl of modest submission. "I was simply returning the item, I am no jeweler, just someone who happened to be around when it was accidentally cracked--and I offered to fix it for free." She smiled that sweet smile she always conjured up somehow, "In all honesty, I took it to fix it without much of asking. I love a good project, sir."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

A wide grin came across Judori's face. The man seemed to be quite pleased. "Oho?" He let out a chuckle. "A tinkerer perhaps? Though I wouldn't have guessed you to be one. Your hands are ... hrm..." He analyzed her hand when they shook for the brief moment. "...somewhat well looked after yes. Like my wife you do take some care in your nails. Not cracked, evenly manicured. No hang nails. Hrmph. Yes. Quite." He folded his arms behind him. The former Steward looked to his son. "What happened to the pocket watch? I take it you had another little mishap when base jumping? Your grandfather was awarded that pocket watch for his grand thesis on High Kinesis puppetry. I did put his thesis to the test and well... I won't be a bore about the details. A good project is good for the mind, keeps it sharp and always ready to learn."

Whereas Judori's expression changed as he went deep into thought as he discussed the history behind the watch, Sousuke's remained deadpanned. His gazed shifted from his father to Kitanai "You could say I had a mishap with the watch."<i></i> The Steward inspected it as he opened it up and inspect the horse sigil on the side. "Excellent work Kitanai. I must say this is fine work."<i></i> The Steward paused for a moment. "Yes. Thank-you once again."<i></i>

Now. How did you two meet? Judori asked as he turned to face his son.

"On the roof of the Kazekage Tower."<i></i> Judori's expression seemed for a moment to be like his son's deadpanned.

"Oh? The Roof?" He inquired. "I hope you didn't get into a fight with this young lady, like the time you had mistaken Getsurei for a fiend, and decided to blast him with plasma rays, and attempt to roll him off of the top along with yourself?" Judori turned to Kitanai. "Sousuke has a problem with things that don't quite ... exist in the proper realm of meta-physical objects. Like ghosts for instance."

"Father, Getsurei is a Phantom Animus."<i></i> Sousuke tried to counter. Judori waved his hands no. "Getsurei is a anti-photon elemental of sorts with various degrees of cold state."<i></i>

"Ghost."

 

[Kokomo]

And why did Kitanai remain to have manicured nails and soft hands? Because she was a lady! Oh, yes! A murderess, sure sure--but a lady nonetheless! Her fingertips during her missions were always covered with the gauntlets that held her weaponry, and it kept her hands pristine and soft. She had figured she didn't need such weapons for this visit, and it appeared as though it was a good thing, for, the older gentleman was present here as well.

Sousuke murmured to his father, including a thank-you to the woman, as he inspected the watch. Kitanai only offered a polite smile in response to the two of them as the older gentleman looked to her again, offering a piece of knowledge to the woman. As they bickered about a ghost of some sort, it became clear why Sousuke was studying the pocket watch so clearly. He was, in fact, not alright with the idea of her fixing it so flawlessly. It, of course, broke the realm of human-capabilities.

A coy smile crossed her face as she looked to the Steward, seemingly amused by something. Oh yes, physics, chemistry, humanities, and mathematics, and the sciences were no boundary to her. Kitanai could break just about any proposed law by the most noble and well-known scientists and mathematicians in the universe.

There was something malicious about figuring this out. Her abilities to simply mind-boggle him were very tempting and playful, to say the least. "Is that so....Sousuke?" His father had finally given away the man's name--for she had never learned his, either. "Well, I must say, we best come together some time, and I can show you a few tricks I have up my sleeve." Her devilish smile returned before fading back into the gentle formality she had carried originally.

Oh, yes, the Seikon could bend and twist reality. Everything you knew about the workings of the world simply didn't apply to them. She could break apart molecules, and separate atoms. She could shift through time and space, and bend the universe at the will of her own finger. Objects could be materialized elsewhere, as well as herself without much of a hand twitch.

Perhaps, she was the best case study he would find.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward's eyes shifted from his paperwork to Kitanai. He didn't like the way she said his first name. It almost seemed as if she had a delightful pleasure in knowing it. The expression on her face evidenced it even further. It was the Steward slightly uncomfortable truth be told. His eyes then proceeded to shift the other direction. "You're not wearing sleeves at the moment, unless we're talking about the metaphorical sleeves."<i></i> The Steward returned to his paperwork.

Judori kept silent and watched his son react. Clearly something was slightly a miss because of the number of times his son's eyes shifted. It was time for him to leave, and best let Sousuke deal with this without him. Afterall. What was the worst that could happen? "Come now Sousuke, don't be so literal with everything... and with that I have to be off now. Your mother has a council meeting with the Uchiha high elder again. She asked that I come with, so that in the event she falls asleep I merely give her a poke to wake up." A broad smile formed across the face of the Steward-past as he made a simple wave and poofed in a puff of smoke.

"My father does love to make an exit."<i></i> Sousuke explained as he finished the paperwork with signature of approval. The Steward again returned to looking over the pocket watch. He even went so far as to open it to inspect the gears. Everything was in place. Even the mechanics of the watch was working well. The Steward for all his wits, and intellect still couldn't figure out the proper force Kitanani mustered to restore the watch. "Curious."<i></i> Sousuke spoke as he flipped the pocket watch over. Even the glass work was intact. "Very curious. I usually know a craftsman by their mark, but there is no mark or anything, in fact this has retained the craftsman's mark on Twenty-Third... being Hao and Sons."<i></i>

 

[Kokomo]

The elder had a sort of pompous humor about him. As though something about the situation was entertaining, as though his son and the mysterious Kitanai were actors of a sort putting on a show for him. Agreeing with the woman's unspoken thoughts about being literal, the man took his leave in a cloud of smoke--a typical Shinobi move--Kita's hand raising to wave the smoke away from her face as the room suddenly became quiet.

The woman physically relaxed a bit, as though the elder had put her on edge for some reason. Her cyan eyes turning back to look at the man who sat behind the desk, scribbling a few notes before setting the pen down and grabbing the pocket watch again. Had there been a grandfather clock, the situation would much be intensified. The ticking and tocking of the weary clock creating a sort of suspension.

The Kage, again, mentioned his confusion for the intactness of the pocket watch. The woman simply gazing at him with a slightly bored expression, as though his curious behavior was not at all justified--though it certainly was. The craftsmanship for a woman of her type was boggling and confusing to understand--especially without the proper understanding of what her mind and body were capable of.

"Yes, well, my mark wasn't qualified to be set upon it." A joke, though she was sure he would take it literally again. "Are you not pleased, Sousuke?" His name came out, once more, with a sort of coy pleasure. "I have fixed your precious heirloom, and yet you cannot stop looking for a mistake." She moved around, leaning over his shoulder as she gave a devilish smile to the watch, "Trust me, Sousuke, there isn't a single mistake--nor a trademark or any sign that I fixed it. My hand anonymously touched it without a single bump." She was taking the slightest bit of joy in the idea that this bothered him. "You should be commending me."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward placed the pocket watch away in his top drawer. He would not forget to collect it later. He merely seemed to brood. There was something not quite right in his understanding of the complete restoration. The Steward leaned back into his chair. He knitted his fingers together and rested them underneath his chin. The Steward closed his eyes. The silence continued to drag on. For a moment it seemed as if Kitanai had been completely forgotten. The Steward's eyes opened after some time later. His dark eyes opened suddenly in fact, as if he had forgotten something completely or the simple fact something had come to his attention. "Yes. You should be commended, commended for ... tampering with forces that neglect the thirty-seven rules of the highest established reality as written by Sage Khan. The question is not whether you did it or not, but how. "<i></i> The Steward's voice was calm and cold. Perhaps too cold. "Uchiha's replication of techniques are not perfect. The individual's characteristics always work into the technique giving it a depth of origin. I originally thought you may have been an Uchiha, but this restoration is far too perfect."<i></i> The Steward's eyes narrowed. He wasn't glaring at Kitanai. "I've been looking into some of your prior jobs, I think. It's a shame I wasn't hired privately to investigate those. I wouldn't have been able to figure out it was you I was dealing with, but that I was dealing with a higher powered force."<i></i>

The Steward seemed to be thinking harder upon the matter. "No. Not higher power. You're still bound to human thinking and habits. A higher power would be separated or very remotely associated with such concepts. Considering what I know of your life style... you'd have to be a very bored higher power. A higher power of course would be more morally compelled to do certain things. Not that I'm questioning your moral code, more that I am making an observation."<i></i> The Steward came to his conclusion. "What you're doing is something undocumented or well hidden from Sage Khan. He was the most accomplished scholar of his time."<i></i>

 

[Kokomo]

Something about breaking rules. That seemed average and accurate enough. In reality, Kitanai had no idea what the thirty-something rule of someone-no-one-cared-about was, but it was a big deal to the man before her, apparently. It seemed as though he had studied this 'sage' of sorts, but, over all, as he kept going, it appeared he studied everything--including her.

Prior jobs.

Her eyes narrowed a bit, as though she mulled over every job she had taken in her lifetime. The question, however, was which was he talking about? Murders? Theft? Prostitution? Lies? Political Corruption? Which job had he found? And how far had she stuck his nose into it? If he pressed farther, she may be forced to move out of the area. The Kage knowing such delicate information was very sensitive and dangerous--he could prevent her from doing anything, or worse, send her to the depths of the catacombs of a prison.

Kitanai actually laughed out loud at his acclimation that she may of been some sort of higher power. Her? Hardly. Perhaps a mutant human of a sort, but no such sort of deity, or whatever he was thinking. It was funny to think a rational man like himself ever believed in a higher power other than man. Unless, he had scientifically and mathematically concluded that there was something above--in which she would be interested in hearing about this, for this deity had done no righteousness in her life to make it worth every moment of suffering.

Or was there an equation for that too?

The woman was morally hindered--sort of. Honestly, she just didn't think much. There were easier and more acceptable ways of doing what she did, but, somehow, she felt more powerful and happy doing her benevolent acts in a violent and illegal way. Maybe it was the cynic in her.

"Maybe I don't follow such rules." No, she didn't. "Maybe I don't have to follow physics of any sorts!" She laughed, as though to toy with his mind as she shook her head and pushed her hair behind her, "Well, I guess I better take my leave." She was going to try her best to leave him with the unfinished picture in his mind. To have his mind sit and rot with the idea of her atom-shifting immoral inhumane behavior stuck there, without ever finding an answer--if he would let her leave of course.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward rose up from his chair and went to the window. He looked out the window and upon the village. "There are some rules that most organisms are bound to follow. Should the heart stop beating and pumping blood, that usually leads to death. Granted there are people out there who use their blood as an offensive power of sorts. They must adhere to different rules, but it is all the same in the finality of things."<i></i> The Steward proceeded to open the window to let some fresh air in. "I am fairly certain you adhere to the rule of what must come up, must come down. That is the first rule of physics, and it applies to many more things."<i></i> The Steward turned upon her when she began her farewell.

"Cease and desist."<i></i> The words came suddenly. Sousuke himself was not immediately aware he had said them, but he did. "I'm not a person for metaphors, but the ice is shrinking underneath you. Eventually I will be hired as a consulting detective by some rich merchant or lord to investigate a stolen item. I am not your liege lord, that would be a Sunahoshi of course, but I would advise you to change professions. "<i></i> The Steward spoke truthfully. It was only a matter of time until he figured things out. "I will overlook the events of the night prior. It is a matter of time though. Eventually the ice will no longer keep you above the cold dark sea that is the Obsidian Palace. Granted thievery is a minor offense, but you will be forced to answer to it."<i></i>

 

[Kokomo]

The young Kage was in for quite a surprise. As he spoke, Kitanai wasn't quite sure that he was actually a Shinobi at all. Perhaps he wasn't? Had Suna granted the chair of man to a man who couldn't understand powers of his own military? The woman paused for a moment, looking at him as he informed him that 'what goes up must come down'. Well, perhaps, for civilians that was true. With his back turned to her, and his gaze out the window, the young woman activated her chakra and used a quick anti-gravity jutsu as she tucked her legs under her, and literally sat in mid-air, staring blankly at him as he continued to speak.

Ah, and yet, he didn't care much for the physics issue at all. He cared about her 'criminal activity'. At first, it seemed just a lecture, her eyes rolling as she leaned back--now laying in midair-- and sighed as he lectured he like a bad father.

"Yeah, yeah, whatev--What?!" She sat up, perhaps too quickly as she stumbled over her own Chakra field that was keeping her afloat, skittering to a sitting position, "Obsidian Palace?!" Her shock, perhaps to him, was not understandable. "There are young children being murdered out in the world! There are people stealing wives and raping daughters! And you want to throw me in Obsidian Palace for taking your damn pocket watch!?" The woman dropped the jutsu, her feet standing shakily on the floor, her face flushed with rage as she pressed her teeth firmly together.

"No! Fuck you! Go help innocent bystanders instead of wasting your time being Mister Hot Shot on your throne!" She moved away towards the door throwing it open as she turned back coldly, "A true leader helps his people with his own hands, rather than letting the ANBU lock people up. Get your morals in check, Kazekage-Dono." Her face softened, it shifted from angry to a sort of sorrow as she looked down at the floor before slowly turning her head, her body following it shortly after, "And you're welcome, you ungrateful fool."

With that, her body shut the door, disappearing down the endless hallways and stairs.

[Topic Left]

 

[Takahashi Aki]

The Steward could for the most part have words with the best of them. It was often said that the Steward himself would have the last word with the devil, but not with a Sunahoshi out of his position in life. For a long time he said nothing. He merely watched Kitanai storm out. She was most certainly what the Steward was not. The Steward was always in check with his emotions. He would do nothing unpredictable. He would do nothing without proper grounding or footing.

The Steward merely closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself. This was a slightly unhinging experience. He had dealt with angry and upset people before. He had dealt with Okibi who shattered his arm. Yes his ward who he allowed into this village, a small girl of unknown origins. The Steward was a man of exceptional tolerance. Few would have allowed what just had happened or what happened in the past to have happened at all. Would have this been a public display or show, a Sunahoshi would have undoubtedly had such a person reprimanded severely. The Steward was not such a man.

A very twisted expression formed on the face of the Steward. The first of its kind. A grimace formed. The Steward merely stared in the direction of where the thief went off. The Steward's hands tightened into fists. Was it time for a superior Takahashi Sousuke to surface? During the battle with the Djinn there was an inkling of it. At the time the Steward would have not called it superior. The Steward fought with his heart and not his mind at the end. It was unnoticeable, but the Steward felt himself compromised.

The Steward turned from the pathway and approached the window once more. The Anbu are at work tirelessly. They hunt down criminals day and night without reprieve. I think it is time to give them one, and to set out a message. Criminals mock society's laws time and time again. It was time to send them a message. One that would remain with them until the end of time, one that would force them to clamp their ears shut with their hands.<i></i> The Steward spoke finally. "Once a Takahashi creates something, it will not be undone. We know the art of creation well, we do not know it better than the gods, but we know it."<i></i>

(Topic end)