Would a Curse by Any Other Name... [Private]

[Kazumi]

The hour was growing late as the crystals that lined the ceiling of the cavernous depths grew dim. The time for dinner had past, but it was not quite yet for shinobi young and old to turn in for the night. Quietly metal grooves scraped against one another as Yumi did her best to unlock and enter the door to the apartment as quietly as she could. It had been a long day and she had not intended to have stayed out as late as she had. Her temporary guardian may or may not have had strict rules for staying out most days, but her parents had and such habits where a terribly difficult thing to break, even if they were already being broken.

A good month had passed since she had been released from the hospital, and while she had made two return trips for checkups, her healing progress had gone remarkably smooth, according to her doctors. Aside from the handicap she was up and about with almost as much vigor as she had a few weeks before the incident. Her determination to become a shinobi had redoubled itself and it was difficult to pry her away from training on most days, even to the point of exaustion. Kurisu likely would have been able to identify it as a sign that she was avoiding dealing with everything that happened to her and her family, but it did work to keep her distracted and motivated on all but her worst days.

Clad in her black training outfit, she carried a similarly colored bag across her shoulder, hanging down below where her right arm abruptly ended. Yumi peeked slowly inside and saw that the lights of the living area where off. She figured that he was either out on duty or was asleep. Given his responsibilities she figured either could have been a distinct possibility as she worked to silently close and re-lock the door....

 

[Uri]

Kurisu worked hard to maintain a home that felt like one. While prior to his arrival the residence hadn't belonged to him, he swept in and made it his own just to imply the comfort of a warm habitat. This wasn't the ancestral Ametsuchi home, nor the clan compound that had once dominated the surface area with blazing gold spires and dazzling armor-clad warriors, this was a mid-sized apartment where paperwork had dictated any of his lineage move to if they ever returned, a stipulation left behind by his parents' wishes. In no time at all they had lived it in, making it as close to home as to strangers could make a strange place home.

Yumi had taken great strides towards greatness in the short-lived month they had spent together. There was a blaze set in her spirit that had her pushing harder and harder, scratching at next goal to reach each day. Kurisu was both pleased and happy to see such enthusiasm spring forth from the young girl, but he wasn't so blinded by his satisfaction that he didn't know of the impending problems her past would bring; he had seen those demons and dealt with them himself before.

Day after day was paperwork, stacks of reports, and helping restore order to the crazed Sunagakure. They had made substantial progress towards finding a new home for the village on the surface, but until such a time as it was ready, he was focusing all of his efforts on those in the cave. Hunched over a desk in his room, which only contained a small wardrobe and bed, he flipped through transcripts of patrols and missions of operatives doing clean-up in the worse part of the village.

Kurisu had rules, but had flexible applications to all of them; as long as she provided a good reason for bending or breaking them, Kurisu would permit it.

Metallic scraping and tumblers turning alerted him to the arrival of his housemate and he got up, a folder propped open in one hand. Casually dressed in a t-shirt and lose-fitting sleep pants, he exited his room stepped into the small kitchen area just adjacent to his room and flipped the light switch, illuminating the small area and projecting a flash of light through the small window into the living room.

"Welcome home, Yumi-chan. I trust you had a successful outing?"<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

Yumi jumped in her skin a fraction of an inch as he called out to her, not even considering the possibility that he had been awake. The haris on her skin stood on end for a short while as the momentary shock faded as she turned to face him. She let out a small sigh of relief as she worked to settle herself back down. "Good... good evening Kurisu-san." She replied in a respectful tone, relaxing back to normal at a modest pace. "I kinda thought you would be asleep by now," or working, she thought as she finished locking the door.

Sliding the shoulder strap over her head, she set her training bag down by the floor with a head thump. It contained everything she usually needed for training, including basic weaponry and books, and as such was not exactly a very light carry on. After flicking on the lights next to the door she reached up and slid the bow out of her hair as she walked over towards where Kurisu stood in that small window. "It was certainly... eventful." The manner she spoke implied that was likely an understatement, the results of the day being something she still didn't entirely understand.

"Have you ever... erm..." she paused and hesitated for a few moments, unsure if she should bother mentioning this at all. She knew that she should, as he was the only knowledgeable individual that she really trusted these days, atleat that was of a significantly older age than she. "You ever heard of... cursed seals?"

 

[Uri]

She carried a tenacity that Kurisu bore at the similar age, having nearly died and survived by only a miracle. Akin to that, she had probably knew deep down that she would have run into her guardian when returning home; even if he hadn't been awake, he would have stirred. Always vigilant, he checked every nook and cranny of their apartment every so often, at every noise to make sure that whoever had come after Yumi the first time didn't try it a second time.

They made an interesting foil, the two of them: a grizzled veteran whose life had been survived in darkness and a young girl who was attempting to find a normal life again amongst a world of demons, magic, and ninja. At some point he had been her, but he hoped for all of his willpower that she wouldn't turn out like him.

Sharp, golden eyes continued to peruse the dossier in his hand as he leaned over and shared his vision with the girl on the opposite side, trading glances between pages and patron. Small talk had never been one of his strong suits; everything carried a purpose or a reason behind it, so he didn't pursue Yumi's comment until the girl brought it up herself.

He didn't react to her uncertainty and continued to read, but he stopped once she finished her question. Closing the folder and setting it down, elbows planted onto the counter top and he looked forward, a serious gaze locking onto his compatriot.

"I have and they're rampant in Wind Country due to our unique heritage and populace of otherworldly beings. My clan are amongst the groups who considered them a forbidden art."<i></i> While many would argue that the manipulation of chakra in any form could be mastered and conquered, Kurisu and his family had since grown inherent senses to see the evil in specific aspects of the shinobi world; cursed seals were amongst them. "They are marks placed on the body which amplify chakra output and strengthen attributes of the bearer; there are several marks and they all have different effects. They're as ancient as Sunagakure, likely far older than that.."<i></i> He paused in his thought and continued, "And are composed of a corrupting essence. While many will wear them without much a second thought due to the gifts they offer, do not be fooled, they are poisonous and symbiotic. Who brought these to your attention?"<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

Names... why did he have to need names? Those things certainly were not her strong suit, and being put on the spot for them didn't help her memory work any better. "There were two.. of them. Looked tall and had this tiger stuff... Kuro?" That name sounded familiar... Yeah, it must have been Kuro. "Then there were these other two... Senju and some guy with weird looking eyes that kept staring at me... The former had silver hair... sorry, I don't remember exactly." She looked a little ashamed that, among all her other flaws, her memory was not the greatest.

"They were wanting to give me and this other kid one, but he had one already... so... They said it would make me strong enough to not have to worry about graduating from the academy. That I'd need one if I was to do well." Truthfully that wasn't their exact words, but being put on the spot tended to jumble her memory a little more than it should have. "I... I told them I would have to think about it. I mean, it is called cursed for a reason I figured." Subconsciously her left hand reached over and rubbed the end of her right arm, a nervous habit that she had developed since leaving the hospital.

She hesitated for a few seconds before she continued on with the fuller part of the story. "I was at the Dojo training when he ask... the other kid, asked me something. Those other three showed up, sounding like they knew him. I sort of got grouped up with him for some reason and the weird looking guy asked if he could give us one. Then the second one said he would give us an even better one with no strings attached. Except a favor or... something I think. Then we did this obstacle course and stuff.. After that I basically told them I'd have to think about it and left." Yumi looked up from the waist high spot on the wall she had been inadvertently staring at, looking up to Kurisu for some from of guidance or confirmation.

 

[Uri]

Of course it was the Toraono Kuro. A man's whose ego overshadowed the concerns of the village and its people. The man was an idealist, but if they weren't his ideals that you agreed with then they were the wrong ones. The sennin was the perfect example of what happened with a child that was raised without rules or expectations, bolstered by the inflated reputation presented to him by his parents.

Without the Toraono, there would not be a Sunagakure, but it is often those who help create that can also facilitate destruction just as easily. This was no longer a conversation they could have over the gap between kitchen and living room. Pushing the folder to the edge of the counter for him to grab later, he gestured with his hand to the small assortment of furniture that composed the center part of the abode; a loveseat and two small arm chairs made of treated leather and a coffee table.

Kurisu took a seat on the two-seater, letting Yumi pick where she decided to fall; their bond was still growing and he didn't want to impose on the girl something as simple as seating arrangements.

"The man whose name you mentioned, Kuro, is the Border Sennin to the village; full name is Toraono Kuro, of the Toraono Clan. They own the Dojo you were training in and have one of the longest running heritages in Wind Country's timeline."<i></i>" Factual and to the point. Providing only the facts about the man and not coloring it with his own personal opinion of the man was important. Yumi would have to learn how to make decisions based on her own information and ask for opinion when she felt it relevant; because it was not always wise or relevant to make things personal. "His clan is well known for consorting with otherworldly beings and dabbling in arts that many would consider taboo. They have the most resources in Sunagakure, but are only the third most powerful by Sunagakure's ancient laws; second being Takahashi and first being Sunahoshi. Toraono Kuro is an ambitious man who does not see lines in the sand, only what is and is not. While wielding a great many talents, he wide berth of skills means nothing when they aren't well applied."<i></i>

Although Kurisu was relaxed, he remained sitting perfectly straight up, back rigid; it was one of his mannerisms of being a lifelong, disciplined soldier. A lot of her story concerned him greatly, especially since there had been a great many number of visitors allowed access to the village, and if they were peddling these festering seals it wasn't good news.

"Secondly, Yumi-chan, short cuts are for those who cannot see themselves finishing--anything in their life, not just graduating the academy. If someone makes an offer that facilitates a quicker path at the cost of learning and training and hard work, then they do not have your best interest at heart. Those that create a foundation on flimsy successes will find their world crumbling when put under the weight of an event that can't be conveniently circumvented by an out. That being said, being aware of the option and using it are two totally different things. A smart shinobi takes stock of everything at their disposal and makes choices based on that."<i></i>

He would not imply that he would find other ways before taking a short cut, that bleeding a little more for the bigger picture was always a better idea than skipping over the hardships of a life-altering event. There was also a toxic influence from Cursed Seals that would permanently taint the life of the bearer forever after they took that leap; like a drug-addict looking for their next fix.

Raising a finger for one last comment, he lets only a small frown cross his features before softening back to his usual comforting smile, "And how much have I stressed the importance of awareness? When you enter a room, take note of the people, unique features, potential threats, potential exits, and always be checking for things that seem out of the ordinary or too ordinary. These men presented you something that could potentially harm you if used and abused. How they look, what they were wearing, the way they carried themselves and what they sound like should be ingrained into your head because they could be the next threat to take your life."<i></i> Kurisu's mind operated like a camera and take mental snapshots of everything he saw, allowing him to process it all and figure out the finer details of a more complex problem; surpassing others by miles in this understanding of the minute. Yumi was young and he didn't expect her to have it down like he did, but he could hope she would at least see the emphasis he was putting on it and why.

Adolescent yet, he cared for her more than he was probably willing to admit. Beneath it all, he could see a younger version of himself and knew how pivotal it was to have that person in your life who would love you unconditionally and no matter the circumstances have your back. The old ninja had been given many choices in his life and everyone was made on his own accord. This is what he wanted for Yumi too.

"So, what do you think about the offer? You can surmise my opinion on them, I assume."<i></i> Slowly, he got up and moved towards the kitchen, "Want something to drink, water or hot chocolate?"<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

Yumi picked the chair that was closer to the side that Kurisu sat himself down in. She looked quite refreshed to sit down in the chair, sinking back in it as far as she could manage as he began to speak. As he talked her relaxation lessened by by bit as she gave him her full attention, her red irises focusing as she listened. By the time he raised his finger for a final comment she was sitting as straight in her chair as he was, though she did not seem to notice it.

Once he continued to talk about paying attention that was when her attention began to slacken. She slowly slouched back in her chair, nodded along with him as he spoke, as if it would end his sagely wisdom quicker. By the time he got up she was only paying half attention, as she had started subconsciously glancing around the room. One could optimistically say she was taking his advice and surveying her surroundings, but it was questionable if she processed the lat half of what he had said.

His prompting for her drink preference seemed to snap her out of her deze, however, "huh? Oh, chocolate, but cold please." She was but a child, and while her attention often lacked when it came to what amounted to as a lecture, she always did her best to try and be polite, civil and respectful to him as much as she could manage. As he left to go towards the kitchen his other question finally registered to her. "Oh, the offer... Well, if I was sure I wouldn't have asked you, I guess. It sounds very tempting, but I don't wanna... you know, corrupt... and stuff. I mean, is it really cursed?"

She picked herself up in her chair and stood, peering around the corner into the kitchen lazily as she continued her response. "I heard it was dangerous if abused and stuff, but couldn't the same be said for anything> Exercise too much and you might hurt yourself. Breathe too fat and you could pass out or something. I mean, if it really does as much as they like... implied, why not have everyone get one? Oh! The kid had one actually." That bit of information leaked into her thoughts as she spoke, "It was on his stomach I think... not that I looked or anything!" Yumi quickly looked away from him, staring back into the living area with a modest amount of embarrassment, "but he seemed to be okay. A little weird, but not all evil and corrupted and stuff."

 

[Uri]

Kurisu had learned about Yumi's habits over the time they spent together. He knew the priority of his lectures on her lists of 'things to pay attention to' were at the bottom, but he spoke his mind every time, and if anything stuck just once then it would have been successful. Patience was key and he had plenty. Quietly he prepared their drinks. Chocolate milk for Yumi, made from a unique cocoa mix from a confections shop near the Diamond District and a refill of his earlier evening's coffee.

Her thoughts were reasonable and it couldn't be expected of someone young and at a disadvantage to stay away from something just because people older than her say it's bad for her. All he could do was be honest about the seals and share whatever he knew about them. Cups in hand, he strolls back into the room taking up his original seat and sitting Yumi's drink just on the table nearest to her.

"The seals' origins are from dark rituals and terrible deals. Their nature is of death, decay, and frenzy that have tormented mighty soldiers and driven mad gods among men."<i></i> Kurisu took a long drag from his coffee cup and stared at the dark abyss created by the beverage. "Cursed seals work by affecting one's internal chakra system. A small charge of chakra will activate it and its energy will empower the entire system to greater levels. The longer it remains active, the larger a drain it is on the physical and mental states of the bearer. On the same hand, excessive use of it can result it its evolution and growth, but at that stage it begins to morph the body physically with its chakra."<i></i>

As a religious man and a holy warrior of the Ametsuchi, paladins of the ancient Wind Country, the thought of these existing did bother him, but as a sensible man, he could see why others would pursue their usage.

"By those traits alone, it belies an infectious nature, and like anything can get out of hand with too much usage, but that door can never open if one doesn't accept a mark in the first place. As a reasonable person, it could also save someone's life when backed into a corner. They aren't wide spread for a good reason, but ultimately it is the bearer's responsibility."<i></i> Golden eyes would turn up from the cup onto Yumi, bright and serious, "Do you want to accept the offer?"<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

The Tsukino girl accepted the rink from Kurisu with a momentary smile of appreciation as he set it down onto the table near her. Before he had a chance to sit, she already had it in hand and was eagerly drinking down half its contents. As he began to speak she set the cup down and wiped away the remnants of the drink from her lips as he spoke of the dark art's effects. Unlike before, her attention was keenly affixed on him as he worked to explain his beliefs and understandings of the cursed seals.

Half way through the explanation her eyes shifted away from his, as if she was feeling guilty about having simply considered the idea of accepting one. She had never been a religious youth, and neither were her mother and father. Yumi's uncle, on the other hand, had been a devout follower of one of the prominent religions from her homeland and had opened Yumi's eyes to the possibility of the existance of souls and divine entities. He had dissapeared a year ago without a word, but the official version was that he went to travel back north to his homeland.

His seemingly sudden question at the end caught her attention as she immediately looked back over towards him as if he had just accused her of some horrific crime. The stare only lasted a few seconds before she looked away again, reaching out and taking a long drink of the milk in order to postpone her response. Unfortunately, Kurisu was nothing if not patient and she would be unable to wait until he was sidetracked.

"I... had thought about it. I mean-" she quickly interjected as soon as she had made her admission, "I won't do it or anything!" It was clear that was her answer primarily because it was what he obviously wanted her to say. "I mean... I don't know how I could be a shinobi with only one arm and no potential for ninjutsu or genjutsu like everyone else can." That fact was something that had troubled her ever since she had first attended the academy. Even before she had lost her arm, she had no aptitude for either of the shinobi arts, even to the point of not being able to perform the simplest of techniques. "I mean... if it could help me be as good as other people then... I don't know..." Her head hung down in slight shame as she continued to refuse to make eye contact with anything aside from the cup in her hand.

 

[Uri]

This was a position that Kurisu was without a reference point for. For all of his mental faculties, able to perfectly recall any moment in his life of scrap of information and a passing glance, this was a situation that he hadn't encountered. His parents had raised him with integrity and the honor of their clan, that dictated they be the light in which the world can find hope, and if it meant cutting a mighty swath through the evil that threatened humanity then so be it. Cursed Seals were evil, by all definitions of the word, but on a scientific level they were no more dangerous than any other forbidden shinobi technique that many dabbled in.

But Yumi wasn't the average shinobi.

She was a child, and one that would rely on the seal heavily as a crutch to help her keep up with her peers. The desire would feed it like an infection and it would grow out of control, if not kill her before she hit her mid-teens. The hilt of his katana dangled from a row of hooks near the door, and he stared at it for a moment.

A sharpened blade like that one, like the ones he trained with as a child, would have cut him to ribbons had it not been for the discipline instilled unto him by his parents. A tiny smile worked its way across his lips and he exhaled lightly, stopping a chuckle; he had a reference point after all. No matter what would happen to Yumi, Kurisu had promised to protect and care for her, even if it was from herself and her decisions. If he could not give her the discipline of an Ametsuchi, then he would use his own to sustain her.

And like that in the half second it took Yumi to finish speaking, Kurisu had made up his mind.

Kurisu took a sip of his lacquer-like coffee and set the cup down. He leaned forward, folding his hands in front of him, putting himself closer to Yumi and look at her sideways so she could more easily meet his piercing gaze. On his face was a smile, still gentle and thoughtful like the old person he was.

"Yumi-chan, if this is what you want to do, then I will support you. I will train you and make you stronger than the seal so that it never threatens to take your agency."<i></i> His voice was level and reassuring. Firm. "While I have worshiped Mother Suna all of my life, I am not so foolish as to look at the world in such a black and white manner. Righteousness can only exist in the presence immorality, and they only survive through one another. Living with it and being better than it and mastering it makes sure that one cannot simply be lost to it."<i></i>

Kurisu found it hard to believe these words were leaving his mouth, but his time in solitary had given him a chance to think about the world and how it needed to be versus how he had been told it needed to be.

"Take some time before you give an answer to the man and seriously consider it. Also remember, to all of these obstacles you face, you don't face them alone. I will be with you along the whole way, through the best and the worst. While I may not always agree with decisions you make, Yumi-chan, it's important for you to know that I will not abandon you because of them. We all must grow and learn and it is a terrible trek alone."<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

Just a moment ago the stoic mentor, of sorts, had seemed to be applying for the role of shoulder angel as he cautioned her heavily on even considering such a possibility. Now here he was... encouraging it? Surely she must have misunderstood what he was saying, right? This confusion was quite evident on the young girl's expression as she reached forward and took another drink of her delicious milk. "So... you are saying I... should do it?" Now she wasn't entirely sure what to believe at this point as Naoki's, Kuro's and now Kurisu's words all seemed to edge her towards accepting the cursed tattoo.

Her eyes kept locked down on her glass as her single hand gripped it firmly. "A... and.. umm... thanks," she replied in an almost whisper to his promise to support her. Such a simple response wasn't anywhere near adequate of the level of gratitude she should be showing him, and she knew as much, but she simply was at a loss of words for whatever else she could even say. As she had been laid up in the hospital she had been sure that she would end up in an orphanage like Arata was, and while that was still a possibility, at least she had someone to watch over her.

 

[Uri]

Kurisu didn't miss the look of unsurety on the child's face and it pained him to know that she was so uncertain of his own decision, but his thought-process would be difficult to explain--not if he just went with the root of his new answer it wouldn't be. Seizing his cup once more, he finishes it with one last drought, getting bits of grinds at the bottom and grimacing from the uncomfortable texture. He looked into the bottom of the cup, spying the black flecks sticking to the ceramic and frowned at himself; it wasn't like him to miss little things like that, but perhaps he was losing some edge in his long-winded time.

"I'm saying I want you to do whatever you decide is best for yourself. Not what Kuro, or the stranger, or I want you do to. There comes times in our lives where we have to pick tough choices and play through the outcomes. Sometimes they aren't the best at the time, but in retrospect we wouldn't have changed our minds if we could. While my features don't show my age as well as they should,"<i></i> He said, having realized his lonely captivity had kept him in almost a stasis-like world where he hadn't a need to frown or smile or scrunch anything. Many of those defining facial characteristics hadn't set onto the seasoned shinobi yet, "I've been around longer than most ninja get to say, and I have done terrible things, but I see the long term outcome of those actions and get to take some solace in that the immediate evils did a greater good."<i></i>

Pushing himself up from the couch, he retrieved his sheath and sword from the hanging rack and sat back down, placing the weapon on the coffee table.

"When I was much younger, a few years lesser than your own, I had been attacked by the Red Plague, a disease that had a 98% mortality rate. I had reached the point where medical science couldn't save me and my parents could only wait. They prayed and pleaded to Mother Suna to save me, but I had accepted that when I closed my eyes next I wouldn't open them again."<i></i> Deliberately, he reached forward and clutched the hilt of his katana, but stopped there and continued his story, "Eighteen hours later and after being on the brink of death, I awoke from my slumber with all my symptoms gone. It was from there I battled to get back to full-health and become a competent student so that I could graduate and make my family proud. It was also around this time that my clan's trait had awoken in me, a power to heavenly power likened unto that of gods."<i></i>

Now he drew the blade from it casing, revealing that after a few inches it was shattered and splinter. Carefully, he tipped the remaining pieces from the sheath and laid them out on the table, forming a puzzlework of the former weapon. He inhaled slowly and tightened his grip. A light slowly grew outward from the metal. At first it was dull, like a soft glow from a firefly, but soon it intensified like the sun. If Yumi could bare to stare, she would see the numerous pieces of the weapon reach out for its counterparts and rebuild the sword; upon careful inspection it would reveal that the parts never completely touched but were suspended by the blazing chakra.

"This is the gift that has carried through my turbulent times, Yumi-chan. It is a pointed light, so no matter how dark things got, I always could see my way back."<i></i> He held the weapon in the air, moving it about gently, the light easing only slightly so it was tolerable to have in front of them. "This is what I believe my parent's faith did for me when I needed it. They were shinobi, our ancestors archivists of old and ancient techniques that could have fought back the Red Death and cured me, but at a sacrifice that I wouldn't have had a choice in. Had they succumb to that and gone down a path they couldn't have returned from, then I could have turned out much different, I could have been the one attacking this village."<i></i>

Carefully, he rested his forefinger against the crossguard of the weapon, and angled it against the mouth of the sheath, drawing it all the way back and sealing the weapon away in one practiced stroke.

"My point,"<i></i> He said, now resting back in the dimly lit room, "Is that I don't want you to hate someone for a decision you didn't make. Do no seek approval from anyone by taking this offer, do not do it because you feel like you're trapped and it's the only answer. Do it because you want to do it, and regardless of the out come, I, and this burning sword of mine will see your decision through."<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

As before, Yumi's eyes tentatively looked up towards him a few sentences into his speech. Her eyes followed him, silent and curious as he walked over and retrieved the weapon, spilling shards of it onto the table. She had not seen a shattered sword before and to be honest she was confused as to how metal could be shattered like glass. Her attention tried to split itself between her own curiosity on the fragments and what Kurisu had been speaking over, but as the light began to shine from within the metal her attention locked firmly onto it. Her eyes widened in amazement only to have to be squinted and then directed away from its sheer brightness.

She closed her eyes and attempted to look back towards it, but she could still see the vauge afterimage of the shattered sword that the light had imprinted on her eyes. A soft, "whoah..." escaped her as she squinted to try and peer at the blade as he lifted it off the table and began to speak once more. Like a moth to flame, her attention seemed to be affixed to it as it slowly slid through the air. WIth the soft click of hilt meeting sheathe her eyes snapped back to attnetion and she looked up towards him with a measure of wonder and awe. As he continued speaking she nodded with hollow understanding until he finally concluded.

"How did you do that?" She asked softly with an air of childlike wonder not uncharacteristic for the girl, her eyes shifted between him and the sheathed blade in his hands. After a moment she broke her eyes off from his, a tinge of shame at realizing that her attention was likely on the wrong subject here. "I... I mean..." She hesitated for a few long breaths before continuing, "I'm just scared and stuff I guess..." admitting fear was not something a shinobi should do and she knew that was a sign that she likely was not cut out for all this, but for some reason that only served to push her forward with more resolve. "For what reason should I want to do it then?" Yumi asked with a measure of resolve as she looked up towards him, half forgettin the glass in her hand as it tipped at a heavy angle to one side.

 

[Uri]

Yumi had these moments that always made Kurisu see the potential in the young girl and always came with it a smile. There was a growing reasoning inside her that showed she was starting to think more and process all the different angles of something, even if she didn't realize it. Before long she would do it with everything and she would rocket off with it to surpass others on her level. In due time.

A hand reached out and slowly righted the glass in her hand.

"This isn't an answer that will probably provide much clarity, I'm afraid. Ultimately, only you will know the reason you should do it. People make decisions for many reasons: fear, desperation, pride, greed, love, sorrow, and more."<i></i> His eyes moved to the sword still being held in his hand. "I make decisions based off of what I think is right and what will be best for everyone around me. I became an ANBU because it gave me a better chance to affect greater chance for those I sought to protect. Look at the choice offered to you, look at how it might do you good, look at how it might do you harm, consider what it will do to or for others, and figure out what side of the line you stand on once you've got the list figured out."<i></i>

This talk had been a serious one and Yumi had already been forced to do a lot of growing. There was a chance to step away from the subject momentarily and recapture that child-like wonder she so often displayed when observing Kurisu considered so common.

"But first, you asked me a question and I intend to answer it."<i></i> Thrusting out the sword with his fist closed around the middle, he offered the weapon to her. While the broken blade didn't hold any particular history for the Ametsuchi, it was a symbol of what had left Fire Country, the turmoil the world faced and the turmoil that went unseen and it kept him grounded.

"Go on, take it. It's a lighter than it looks since it's missing pieces."<i></i> Once she had set down her cup and taken the sword, he would scooch forward on the couch and rest his elbows on his knees, one hand taking hold of his empty coffee cup. "What you saw was an advanced weapon's technique which is a channeling style infused with my special chakra. It allows me to glue the metal pieces back together, but I have to give them shape. The basic version of it is called "chakra extension" where someone focuses chakra into a conduit, usually the weapon, and sharpens the edge to make it more efficient in combat and it can be done on anything."<i></i>

Staring at the cermaic cup in his hand, the lip of it began to glow intently as he focused on it more. To make a point, he reached for a scrap piece of paper and dropped it straight onto the rim. It sliced clean through and split the paper piece in half.

"This technique doesn't require handseals, but does require a certain affluence for chakra manipulation."<i></i> He knew she had trouble summoning any form of chakra, but that wasn't his concern. "However, when I was younger and struggling to maintain this technique, I discovered that force of will was more apt at succeeding than practicing my channeling. Do you want to give it a try? You can use my sword. Go on, just take all of your feelings from today and just place it into the blade."<i></i>

This was a test, but he knew there was a lot pent up in the little girl and a chance to target it all into one spot. There was something else to Yumi that Kurisu hadn't seen, something the crime scene at the apartment had told him that he had yet to see, and while the curse seal would be one thing, this would be another, and he had to start pushing discipline in small increments.

 

[Kazumi]

As he likely expected, his answers didn't seem to give the girl much confidence in what she should do, at least not as much as an outright recommendation would. Regardless, she silently sighed and nodded to him as he finished the rather short lecture. She took another long drink and set the cup down on the table as he told of his intention to answer the question that she had already forgotten about. She wiped her mouth dry with the back of her hand as he offered the broken weapon to her. Yumi looked up to him in confusion, but hesitantly accepted the weapon in her left hand, being extra careful not to accidentally cut him.

She began to move it around in front of her as he talked, seemingly more interested in it than whatever he had been saying. That wasn't say she she wasn't listening, per say, but as it was something she could never aspire to do, she worked her hardest not to become too excited over it. The soft glow of the rib of he cup piqued her attention however, and despite her efforts to the contrary, her mouth fell open an inho or so as the paper split in half. Pushing her awe back down, she averted her eyes and focused on the sword in her hand curiously.

Finally Kurisu prompted to girl to demonstrate an attempt at her own of mimicking his ability. A feeling of shame nested itself inside her as she looked down towards the sword, shaking her head as she reached out to hand it back to him. "No... no, that's okay. Thank you for.. erm... explaining it to me though." She gave him an appreciative nod, though it was only thinly veiled by her own disappointment. She had already accepted she wasn't capable of doing all of those awesome things. It was hard to do, and she had no desire to break open that old wound with misplaced hope.

Without preamble she set the hilt of the weapon down onto the coffee table next to her empty cup as she moved to stand. "I think I should go to bed now, sir. A lot to do tomorrow morning and stuff... sorry for being out later than I am supposed to." Yumi leaned forward and gave him a respectful bow as she turned to try and walk off towards the back of his apartment, to her assigned sleeping quarters.

 

[Uri]

Kurisu was only partly disappointed, but he knew that she hadn't any confidence in her ability to perform chakra arts, but the other half of him knew better yet that she hadn't received any training to help her overcome the shortcomings she suffered. That was why they had sat in the living room discussing cursed seals since she had arrived home. It was that doubt in herself Kurisu didn't want her to pursue the seal. She perceived it as a means to patch a hole in her own problems, ones that would only become more glaringly painful to her once she realized the limitations of what a cursed seal was capable of. That threshold would dig her into a hole deeper and darker than the personal hell she had just bounced back from, and one Kurisu had no intention of allowing her to see again, not if his light could help it.

Irises of gold gazed at the plain hilt of the katana resting on the table, its compromised edge spoke to him, somewhere in his mind an old voice spoke, lecturing him: The only darkness that exists is that which we perceive for ourselves. Once we were all children of light and only after being submerged in enough of the world's endless atrocities does the luminescence ever subside.

~We all produce our own light, Kurisu had to remind himself.

"Wait, Yumi-chan, there is something I need to show you."<i></i>

Pushing himself up from the couch, he exited the furnished area and stood in the empty walkway that led into the depths of the apartment, only a few paces from Yumi. Fumbling through his pockets he retrieved a piece of paper-wrapped charcoal and started to draw on the polished sandstone floor. First it was several circles, one closer to the largest, creating a border and another smaller in the center. Curved characters soon filled the empty-space of the border and lines traced inward to the center where the last piece was written in. This part Yumi would recognize. It was Kurisu's full name: Ametsuchi Kurisu

"Watch."<i></i>

Stepping over the circle and onto his name, the seal burst into light, moving and shifting under the influence of his powerful chakra. One hop to his right and he was out and kneeling back over it, sweeping away his name with his sleeve, putting black soot along his shirt, and soon a new name was there.

Tsukino Yumi

All beings in life carried chakra. At its core, it was the energy which made the world ebb and flow. Shinobi were beings capable of manipulating it. Yumi might not have any control over it, but she carried it simply by being alive and while she would not compare to her caretaker, there was something more to Yumi and Kurisu knew the circle would light up to her presence, if she was willing to humor him.

"This is a chakra-sensing seal. The Toraono Dojo has a similar technique embedded into the tiling in wings of their structure which can sense elemental chakra and changes color. It's mostly a parlor trick for their guests, but this is more than that. This seal I've transcribed onto the floor reacts to the chakra of the person whose name it bears."<i></i> That part was a lie. Naming was meaningless unless it was blood jutsu or other darker arts. It was there to encourage her. "Like I, you carry a light within. Step into the circle and see what the circle shows you that which you will not let yourself see. Do this and I will overlook the curfew infraction."<i></i>

 

[Kazumi]

The young Tsukino stopped in her tracks halfway towards the back as Kurisu called out to her. She bit her lip, hesitant to turn around to face him, but eventually she relented just in time to see him pass her by and into the empty walkway. Doing a small slow spin to follow him, she tilted her head slightly ajar as she watched him kneel down and begin to draw on the floor. What was he doing? If she ever did anything like that at home she-... that thought was immediately cut short as a part of her slammed the lid shut on any such musings.

For the next short while as he continued to trace the seal onto the ground Yumi simply stood staring blankly ahead, not appearing to focus on his actions or anything else in particular. His voice caused her to jump an inch as if startled from a haze like sleep. She blinked and stared down at the ground as he stepped into the circle. Again her mouth drooped open in stunned astonishment from the show of light from the etchings. By all merits it should not have surprised her, this was almost common place around him by now, but each time it always filled her with youthful wonder.

Her stare continued for a few seconds after as the light faded and he began to speak to her once more. Her head belatedly lifted up to look at him as he instructed her of the seal's ability and of his bargaining chip to get her to cooperate. He could have simply ordered her to do so and she would have obliged, but a sub-conscious part of her was thankful that he rarely, if ever, seemed to resort to that manner of influence. Even so, she seemed unsure as to if she would take him up on the offer, her gaze drifting off to one of the intersections between the side wall and floor as the charcoal circle stood there motionless.

In the end, it was more-so the guilt of potentially disappointing the man than her own desire to be forgiven that got her to nod to him as she stepped over into the circle. In contrast to the shining display that occurred as the ANBU stepped into the seal, nothing seemed to happen as the child did. She looked down towards the charcoal etching and softly sighed, looking back up from them towards him in a manner that seemed to say 'I told you so.' Although this was not entirely the case...

The curved charcoal lines and characters seemed to take on a faint reddish tint as she stood there staring towards Kurisu with a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. The pitch black lines became vaguely reflective, as if the light from the other room was faintly reflecting off the surface of a deep red liquid that wavered and shifted fractions of an inch from where it had originally been drawn. These changes would be clear as day, even in the dim light, to one as keen as the Ametsuchi, but could easily be missed by less well trained eyes such as the kunoichi that stood before him.