Hunting Ground (Irui, Shimiko, NPC, OPEN)

[Recycling post from pre-hiatus]

[Events take place several months post-evac thread]

For the first time in many, many years, the world stretched before him as a finely detailed blanket of mountains, rivers and meadows. The air was brisk, with an unceasing wind, buttressed by sheets of clouds both above and below, breaking round the floating landmass. There were no peaks to obstruct his view here. The continent of Kishin, for all its violence, was an extraordinary physical masterpiece.

After a long trek through the Land of Earth, he'd leapt aboard the Heavenly Emporium, riding the merchant shuttle to its docking station in the underbelly. Up through the steel scaffolding, corridors, and hatchways he'd moved until the Stowaway, Irui had emerged at the ground-level street. It wasn't truly a street, more like a wider-than-average passage between structures. Despite growing up in the frosty mountains of the Land of Lightning, the cold still bit at exposed flesh. Even if he didn't feel it now, he knew even the miracles of Jashin couldn't stop frostbite.

What drew him here, he couldn't say, only that he knew he had to get off the mainland as soon as possible, before the Hidden Mist located him. What a sight this would have been, if he could have seen his future. Catching his own reflection in the window of the hostel, he tilted and turned his head, eyeing the scars and stitches. Experimentally he worked his jaw: Jashin's miracle had restored his mandible, fusing broken bone and mending cracked teeth. The swelling below his right eye had diminished too and his vision returned.

A hot shower, the first in many, many days washed away the scabs and blisters. He'd grimaced with disgust as trail of grime flowing down the drain past his naked toes. Why couldn't Mora have just finished the job? Torched him all the way through so he couldn't see what his skin had once resembled.  Irui wrapped his arms about himself, shuddering at the sight of his mangled chest and abdomen. The doctors had done there best, but the damage could never be undone; a canvas of darkened, splotched and grafted skin had replaced his own. He mapped the lines where Jutsu and sutures had worked in tandem over his biceps and ribs. He ran fingers over a gnarled and balding scalp. Crevasses and craters of tissue pockmarked his bare crown. Gently he continued to scrub away, clawing the grime from beneath his fingernails. Wisps of hair circled the drain.


Surrounded by the hot water and steam he allowed himself to lean against vaguely cold tile and slowly withdraw, curling into a ball on the floor of the basin. The thundering of water over his ears drowned the whispers of Jashin, and he squeezed his eyes shut, cradling his head in pruning hands. The gnawing, ceaseless itching and crawling of his skin had quieted. He felt it beneath his skin, in his mind too: the wild, squirming thoughts, the desire for violence-- they had gone still.

Lucidity.


Memories of the Hidden Cloud and the Academy filtered through his mind's eye; eating Mochi with Bobi; stretching his arms wide in his mothers arms as they rode her great Takagari eagle. Wandering the winding roads of the Hidden Cloud. It all had changed when he'd spied the elderly woman in the Mikiri District that morning. He drew in breath through the hot water rushing over his face, and felt his body shudder under the weight of it all.

"I've killed so many for her...So many, so many." He whispered, clenching his teeth together. Sparks of violent electricity flickered in his mind. A flash of blood, limbs splintering and streets filled with howling agony. "I caused all of that.... All of that."  

The water ran cold in time. Fresh cloth wrappings had been applied to his neck and torso. Carefully he worked them, just like Nameda had demonstrated, around his forearms, biceps, and stomach, until at last he finished wrapping his head. Irui, the Burned Man was gone again, becoming Kyojin.

Irui looked down at the meager supplies he'd had left-- a few exploding tags, premade seals and a pile of throwing needles. He tightened the cinches on the underside of the Echo Speakers gloving his forearms.

That boy.... He thought, That boy had been a one-man army with shuriken, clones and Wood Release. There was little he could do to wound him as well; A blow to the arm with concentrated Lightning Release had only briefly incapacitated him. In spite of it, they were equally matched. He looked down at the mark on his left hand, the distinctive diamonds, interlocked at his palm. In combat his opponents had only scarcely allowed him to test the capabilities of his lineage.  It gave him pause, thinking on the moment. There was more to it than just absorbing Earth Release. If he'd had time, he was certain he could undo the child's Wood Release. He could unmake the trees and devour them like the other techniques.

They would meet again, he knew it, and then they would be truly even: Creation v. Consumption. The boy held nature in his hands, and Irui held the ceaseless void. He'd seen the terror on the boy's face before, he'd tasted it in combat with others. Fear had always been an equalizer, whether it was overwhelming elemental firepower, or with illusions as with Tsuki. There was raw untapped potential here, and Shimiko had bought him time to discover it.

His his hood drawn, and Kumogakure headband stashed, he ventured into the streets of the Heavenly Emporium, meshing himself with the wayward travelers. For the first time since the immolation, he took a seat at the nearest cafe and studied their menu.



"I've never liked this place," growled Asara. "Heavenly Emporium, my boot. This place might as well be a theme park."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, m'lady but a job is a job, and the Fisherman's instructions were fairly simple."

"Yeah yeah, dead or alive, take his left-hand, I know!" She continued, stepping off the steel-plated elevator. "But we're here for only twenty fucking grand Ajit! You'd think the Mikiri Clan would comp us a room or maybe a free meal for a job well done, bunch of fucking tight-asses...." She trailed off  as she popped a cigarette between her teeth.

Aji paused and tapped her shoulder, and jerked his thumb to the red sign on the wall. "No smoking."

"W-" Asara sputtered, and sparked her lighter in defiance. "Ajit, I don't see a sign."

Playfully, he elbowed her in the ribs and skipped past . "As much as I would love for us to be able to break all the rules this time--"

"--This time? You never--"

He scowled and raised a finger. "That's not true, I've broken rules!"

"Uh huh, " Asara drawled and rolled her hand in a forward motion, "you were saying."

"The Mikiri did pay for this job. As far as Kumogakure is aware, this is strictly off the books. If we break too many codes, the Fisherman will be the least of our problems. The Division Commander will be on our ass, and so too will the Raikage. Maybe even the Church." Ajit went on, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his drivercoat. "But hey if this goes well,  maybe Shimiko herself will take favor with us."

Asara cast a side-eye to her shorter companion and puffed lightly on her cigarette. There was a lot of missing information for this assignment. They'd been sent to the Heavenly Emporium, a gaudy place by her measure, hunting a wayward Shinobi from the Hidden Cloud. The compensation was too paltry, bare minimum if that. What did they think they were, Genin on an escort mission?

She cast her gaze skyward, watching the lights flicker in the vast metal underbelly of the Emporium. Distant sounds carried on the wind. A supply-Zeppelin sidled up to the nearest docking station . The metal clanking of her boots against the catwalk reassured her of solid footing. The nicotine calmed her nerves, but she didn't dare look down.

Shimiko wasn't keen on saving Irui. The young man's actions in the Commonwealth had stirred up quite the ruckus in the international intelligence community. When news of a lethal terrorist attack reached Kumo, Shimiko immediately sent her best spies to investigate. The recurring physical descriptions and abilities were gathered, analyzed, and presented to Shimiko in the form of a dossier. From there, it became rather obvious who was to blame. Kagase. Her Scarecrow. The young man had been burnt by Mora and then declared dead by ANBU Black Ops so that he could serve the village as a clandestine asset. Shimiko had promised him freedom from his clan's restrictive grooming apparatus in exchange for his service. She hadn't signed off on an attack against the Commonwealth, but it didn't take her long to figure out why it was never formally presented to her. Plausible deniability. Presumably, Irui thought that incident would expose Iwa's glaring national security gap and the need for its reliance on the Great Powers, and who better a choice than the village that had sent its own Kage to battle for its independence?

It was essentially a "false-flag" terrorist attack designed to drive the Stone deeper into the arms of the Cloud. At least, that was one theory. The second possibility was that Irui had been instructed to attack by the now late Mora. This wouldn't be the first time that the old woman had killed, nay mercilessly slaughtered, innocents just because she could. It also wouldn't be surprising that she went behind Shimiko's back to execute the operation. Greater instability in the world presented more opportunity for the Orthodoxy, or at least that was her prerogative as Church leader. The final and distant third scenario was that Irui had truly lost his mind. The Lady Superior's flames had torched his body, soul, and mind leaving nothing but a stark mad raving lunatic. Shimiko hoped that for his sake, this was not the case. Whatever the option may be, she knew she had to get into contact with him: personally.

Kumo ANBU had taken a non-committal approach to apprehending him and they more or less gave the standard national security non-answers when confronted. The institution itself had bigger priorities than a lone wolf terrorist who just so happened to not hurt them directly. Unfortunately, Shimiko's ANBU while disciplined was not impenetrable. The Mikiri Clan had somehow learned of what happened and placed a bounty on his head. They now knew he wasn't dead and they'd be coming for him. Shimiko had half a mind to let them have him, but despite his recklessness, she couldn't. He was one of her's both by virtue of his religion and his occupation.

And as Jashin as her witness, she swore to protect him.

Scarecrow wrote:
"I want... Something...." He rasped out. "I want something before I accept." Irui lurched forward again, and coughed. "I want you to declare me dead. I want to live without the Mikiri's intelligence apparatus interfering...." He ran his tongue over his teeth and swallowed. "I want to be free to do as I please."

Honey Badger wrote:She nodded and replied:

"Then free you will be....from them. Not from me."

Heh. That rhymes.



"Your body and soul belongs to the Church and this village. But from now on, you won't have to answer to anyone outside of me and Mora. You'll be beyond your clan's reach"

Promise made, promise kept.


Shimiko wasn't wearing her battle gear. As far as anyone was concerned, she was on "vacation." The kunoichi wore a beautiful sundress and matching sunhat with red bow. The Heavenly Emporium was one of the most secure institutions on Earth with plenty of means to stop combat. The universal ceasefire agreement was respected by all governments and third party actors, only a fool would try to arrest someone here. That, or someone truly desperate. It was the perfect place for Irui to hide and her intelligence officers assured her that he'd be lurking somewhere in the safe zone. The fact that he had the sense to go there and not immediately raise hell meant that he still had his wits about him. Good. Unfortunately, it would also make finding him challenging. She also had to do it without raising eyebrows of her own, which was tough considering how (in)famous she was. The woman walked along the dining and entertainment district with an idyllic gait. She was window shopping and even had a purse with her. Yet as her eyes glanced at the various shops, she was taking in more than anyone could imagine. The tiniest of reflections in the glass, the various smells in the crowded area, the conversations or lack thereof, all of it. She could start by narrowing down where he wasn't likely to be and from there home in on clues.

Shimiko was further up the block from the cafe that Irui was in. He may or may not have seen her coming, after all, she wasn't hiding. But if he had, then he likely knew that running would draw her suspicion. Did Mora's pupil have the sense to stay put? The courage to run? Or the insanity to fight? Only time would tell.

Jasmine scented steam wafted over the table as a young man poured tea. The lid jittered under his grip.

"Uh-uhm," The waiter's voice broke. "I uhm... is there anything else, I can get for... for you?"

Irui had long since turned away, averting his face from the boy's sight, but he knew nonetheless that the waiter had seen. It has shaken him, but now the waiter was just being polite, trying his best to do a job-- maybe his first. In the reflection of the window he spied the boy's face.

"No." He muttered flatly.

The waiter held the tea close to his chest and had turned on a heel before Irui interrupted him.

"There is something you can help me with." Irui murmured, shifting in his seat now, and half turned to face the auburn haired boy. "I've heard rumors about this place-- this Heavenly Emporium, as the Earth Country called it. Supposedly it's more than just special, its extraordinary." He continued, and pulled the bamboo mug across the table. The wood was hot the touch, and steam percolated over its rim.

He reached up to his face, and pulled twice on the wrapping near the corners of his mouth, exposing cracked lips.

"I don't know you, and you don't know me. I'm a tourist you could say. Tell me...." He squinted through the gaps around his eyes at the boy's nametag. "Hinomaru is it?"

"Ah, uh, yes?" Hinomaru swallowed and set the tea on the table.

"Hinomaru." Irui began again. "Besides drifting through the air, what is it about this place, the Heavenly Emporium, that makes people want to come here?" He fingered the rim of the saucer now, rotating it just so. "I used to hear about the Emporium from travelers, butI thought it was a children's story."

"Well... " Hinomaru said in a small voice, "I suppose I have a moment..."

Shimiko continued her journey down the block. She didn't say anything of significance as of yet but that could all change. If she did happen to catch a scarred and depraved looking Mikiri then she considered what her options are. The best approach was to confront him directly and persuade him to leave with her without causing a scene. The laws governing the Heavenly Emporium were not formally codified but there was an implicit standing that it may not be used as a hideaway for fugitives or stolen goods although the circumstances of each case ought to be taken into account. Shimiko doubted that Irui would be able to persuade the Iron Prince to allow him to stay. She could also make it clear to him that it was better not to make a scene or cause a ruckus. If he draw attention to himself then other nations might want to claim him and if he left in anyone else's company besides Shimiko, he was sure to die. She stopped for a moment and sniffed the air. She smelled past the fresh baked goods, the coffee, the various fragrances of the elite. There was the unmistakable aroma of burnt flesh. As a Jashinist, she knew it well for many a sacrifice had been burnt shortly after stabbing. The smell was faint, hardly noticeable to someone with advanced senses and probably imperceptible to most people. Fortunately, Shimiko was a trained hunter. An ANBU of the most elite caliber capable of tracking a target like a bloodhound.

She stopped right in front of the establishment and slowly scanned her surroundings until she saw it. A patron that was sitting alone and talking to a waited. It was suspicious but she didn't immediately march up to him. He was engaged in conversation which was something she didn't think Irui would do. The patron hadn't fully escaped scrutiny but there were others she preferred to look out for first. She also considered the possibility that Irui was using Transformation Jutsu to try and disguise himself. The one interim Raikage continued to look around the cafe for a few seconds before narrowing down the list of suspects.

"The Emporium...." Hinomaru trailed, chewing on the question. He looked up from the teapot in his hands, and out past the bandaged man to the expanse of sky. "The Emporium.... They say it has special properties. The engineers made a contract that prevents violence."

Irui propped his elbows on the table, threading his fingers together. "Go on."

"Every person that comes aboard the Emporium is bound to it, so long as they remain on this island. You could call it forced cooperation. In order to keep the Emporium afloat, and maintain peace, an inviolable contract was woven into the structure." Hinomaru stole a glance his way. "The Shinobi from the surface wouldn't understand. Conflict would inevitably break out between nations if there was no contract."

"Thats quite the simplistic worldview." Irui murmured, meeting the waiter's eyes.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Hinomaru's lips as he now found his courage. "Simple rules for simple people." He clicked the teapot's lid shut to accentuate the remark.  

"Ah... hah...." Irui bristled. "Don't worry, I won't be long."

Hinomaru left him to his tea.

He wrapped his hands around the mug, and looked into the deep green liquid. He'd felt her presence, he was sure of it. A faint chakra signature in the back of his mind, that faintly popped and thrummed with her own eccentricities. Word must have traveled fast throughout the land of the events in the Land. There was no other way they could have crossed paths like this in any other manner. He'd specifically stolen aboard this island for the purpose of leaving the surface for a long while until things died down with the war.  

Her presence had grown stronger until finally Shimiko was standing at the entrance. She stood, surveying the patrons, eyeing each one.

"Well...." Irui's voice croaked. "Are you going to come join me, or stand there, Sensei?" He said, motioning to her.

There.

Shimiko spotted him and just as the waiter left his table, he'd be treated to an unobstructed view of his handler. Shimiko didn't so much as smile or frown. She just watched. He must have noticed her but the fact that he wasn't running away was good. The last thing she needed was to draw more attention. Shimiko calmly walked over to where he was sitting but she didn't sit down. He had called her over like she was an old friend. He was enjoying his tea as though he hadn't a care in the world. She had appeared neutral when she first spied him, but the furrowing of her brows made her annoyance clear.

"Good to see you enjoying yourself Scarecrow." she muttered. She still hadn't sat down although she knew if she didn't it'd only attract more attention.

"I'm not feeling particularly hungry today. Let's go for a walk." the tone was that of a command not a request. She didn't want to sit around in public with Irui. At least if they were on the move, prying eyes were less likely to spot them. She placed some ryo on the table, effectively paying for whatever he had ordered plus a generous tip to the ignorant waiter.

She waited for him to get up.

Behind his wraps, Irui's lips pursed.

There's something amiss.... He thought grimly, and mustered a wry grin.

He regarded her for a moment, with his chin perched in his palm. "Well....!" He said after a long moment, "Nice to see you too. Are you sure you don't want to enjoy the atmosphere?" He flipped a finger forward, lazily pointing off towards the waiter. "Hino-something there was just telling me the most interesting story about this place."

Irui swallowed a laugh, and he pushed himself up from his seat, leaving behind a few folded ryo. "Of course," he agreed, "Let's take a walk. This place is fairly plain anyways, I'm sure there are more interesting sights in the Emporium."

He stepped to the side and graciously extended an arm enrobed in white cloth, letting her lead first. They'd slip out of the cafe, and into the metal street outside. At this altitude, the sun and wind her near constant during the da, and the air was crisp. A chill coursed through the interior of the Heavenly Emporium like a river, stirring stray papers and other litter down the street. Irui squinted under the harsh light and pulled his hood forward.

He breathed in for a moment, and could pretend he was home, in the high-alpine valleys of the Hidden Cloud. The clatter of Shimiko's footwear however snapped his mind back, and he shot a look towards her. For the moment they walked in silence, with him directly to her left flank.

Why is Shimiko of all people herein, on this island, at the very top of the world? He mulled, She is one of the most powerful individuals in the Hidden Cloud. If she is here, then did something happen to the Church, to the village? He studied the locks of blonde hair. And she isn't a Shadow Clone, this is her alright.

---
---


Asara's boot kicked Scrollet casing across the carpeted floor, and she picked her way around the blood pooling around the body. "I give it a decade before these things make it off the black market into general use...." She muttered grimly, and tapped her cigarette over the man's chest. "Eight if the Daimyo catch wind, and five if the Kage like them enough."

"And hey!" She added with a flash of stained teeth, "They're self-cleaning! All fire and smoke, just these little cans to pick up..."

"We have to move fast now," Ajit growled, pushing past her into the hotel room. He fished for a pouch at his side, and pulled out a slim kit. "That man was a cleaner, but unless he was prone to long breaks, the others will come soon and--"

Asara kicked the door shut with the bloody sole of her boot.

"Yeah just like that!" Ajit snapped, "Just like that! Keep doing that and we'll have the concierge, security and their police division here." He dropped his kit on the bed, and flipped open its contents, revealing an array of slender tools, lenses, vials, brushes and pieces of paper. His fingers danced over the selection briefly, before pulling free a thin tube and releasing the stopper. He cupped his free hand, spilling the liquid into his palm, and gently moved it with circular motions from his wrist before blowing fiercely upon it.

Instantly it transmuted from liquid to opaque dust, iridescent in color as it filtered through the air. Hand and foot prints shimmered into view, some green and purple, others bright blue .

"He was here," Ajit said softly, and knelt with a lens. "See here, these are traces of Dark Release, the Kekkei Genkai of the Mikiri Clan. He was wise-- no baggage, nothing personal. He traveled light, and is wearing everything on his back...." He narrowed his eyes on the floor, scanning the green carpet.

"Asara." He said after a long moment, and stooped closer. "The cleaner's cart over there. Grab some gloves and check the trash."

"Eww why? Do you know how many rooms this guy has serviced?"

"Kumogakure will not accept chakra as evidence, we need something physical. Proof that one of their own was here. This looks like blood." Ajit pulled back, and crouched, passing his lens over the shimmering splatter. "Either he cut his finger, or we're in luck-- He may be recovering from his fight with Konohagakure and Kirigakure shinobi." He jabbed a thumb at the parked cart. "Gloves and trash please."

Irui acted as though he hadn't a care in the world. He casually welcomed her and pretended as though meeting her here was just a fun coincidence and not the result of hundreds of hours of meticulous investigation. Shimiko remained silent and allowed him to stand up and when he led the way for her, she gave him an unamused look. She ultimately accepted the display of chivalry and exited the cafe ahead of him, but she kept him in her line of sight at all times. It wouldn't do to make a scene here but that didn't mean she was going to relax.

Irui looked like a mummy. Mora had done a number on him. What she had done to many of her acolytes mentally, she had done to him physically. Dark Release burns were supposedly difficult to heal and it showed. Although she did have to give the Scarecrow credit. He had gave as much as he got. Mora had walked away from the fight minus an arm, a fact that had infuriated her at first, but as time went on she began to respect him for it. He was probably just fighting for his life but his act was probably a sign from Jashin that the Lady Superior was not long for this world. She had fulfilled her purpose and now he was done with her. Mora was to be put to pasture and the old era of the Church with her.  

The two walked along the street in silence for a while before Shimiko spoke up.

"I appreciate what you tried to do....and I appreciate you not telling me....but adventures like yours are only useful if they actually succeed"

Shimiko decided to assume that her initial prediction was the correct assessment of Irui's motivations. He had attacked Iwa to drive them deeper into the arms of Kumo. They would willingly become the Cloud's client state and an invaluable ally in their fight for global dominance. He had not looped her in so as not to make her an accessory to an act of terrorism. It was a good plan, but it was contingent on him escaping with no one knowing who the real culprit was. Given what she had heard, Konoha and Kiri probably had a clear idea of who he was or at least that was the assumption she decided to go with. It was better to be safe than sorry in her line of work.

"You didn't succeed. You got caught and while it may have seemed like a smart idea to hide out here....Kumo can't have a wanted fugitive living in the neutral zone. Its a bad look. You have to come home now. If you live on the run, you will be hunted down and executed. Your bloodline will fall into enemy hands and will be used against Kumo. That's bad for you and bad for us. That's why I'm ordering you to leave this place with me." She didn't tell him about Mora yet. She'd keep that nugget in her back pocket for now.

I appreciate what you tried to do..." Shimiko murmured, ".and I appreciate you not telling me," and her voice sharpened, "but adventures like yours are only useful if they actually succeed"

Irui bristled at the remark, but it was painfully accurate.

"You didn't succeed." Shimiko continued. "You got caught and while it may have seemed like a smart idea to hide out here, Kumogakure can't have a wanted fugitive living in the neutral zone."

The two of them fell silent as a group of flamboyantly dressed tourists drifted lazily around them. He ground his teeth in silence, chewing on her words. It was a horrible, bitter pill to swallow, but he had failed, and failed horribly in his mission. Her words brought flashes of the fight to the forefront of his mind: spears of lightning, a boy conjuring twisting trees. Howling and screaming.

"....It's a bad look. You have to come home.  Now." She hissed with a flash of white teeth. "If you live on the run, you will be hunted down and executed. You're bloodline will fall into enemy hands and will be used against Kumogakure. That's bad for you and bad for us. That's why I'm ordering you to leave this place with me."

He half-turned and regarded her in cold silence, then stole a glance behind him before advancing a step, his fist clenched tightly.

"Look at me." He seethed and pointed at his face. "Look at me!"

"Do you have any idea the madness your work has put me through?!" He growled in a low voice, his scalded voice like crushed glass. "The skin crawling and hallucinations?! I've been trying to--" He fell silent as he passed a smoking woman, and ducked to side, keeping pace with Shimiko.

"--You made this!." He hissed, "I didn't feel sane and clear until after--" He caught himself and lowered his voice. "Until after I came here!" His eyes danced, as broken images of broken bodies and severed limbs returned.  The crawling madness hadn't stopped until he'd sacrificed for Jashin, and at what cost? If it hadn't been for the Shadow Clone, that boy would have smothered him underground.  

In the heat of battle, he'd reveled in the immortality bestowed by Jashin. The ability to absorb pain, to break bones, and tear flesh, and live through it was nothing but exquisite ecstasy. In the throes of violence, Jashin's curse turned agony into bliss, and in those moments of brilliant red, he'd truly felt freed from weakness. But it was not enough, it was never, ever enough. A cocky child had stymied him twice, and it left him boiling with rage.

"You want me to leave with you, so that I can save your reputation with the Hidden Cloud?!" he challenged.

Irui was angry at her chastisement. Good. It showed that he at least had his wits about him. He knew he had failed and it was eating at him. If he was glib about the situation or genuinely confused then he had to have been either mocking her or an idiot, neither of which boded well for his future. However, just when Shimiko thought she was getting through to him, Irui turned the tables on her in an instant. He suddenly surged forward and turned directly to her. She didn't stop in her tracks but she instinctually reached for a blade when she heard the nature of his command.

"Look at me."
"Look at me!"

For once, she complied with the demand of her subordinate. She saw the burns, the scars, the pain. All of it. He had been through hell and unlike her, he didn't choose this path. Mora had groomed them both but Shimiko had that desire in her blood long before she met the Lady Superior. Mora had cultivated the faith in Irui, fed him false promises, and then marked him so that he could never return to a normal life. They had forced him into an existence in the shadows and they had justified it all in the name of God and Country. Shimiko thought back to her twins defiance, how they had begged her to see what sort of person Mora was and what she was doing. The Chinoike lowered her hand and sighed. He was right. She had treated him as nothing more than a tool and now he was probably twisted in ways that no amount of healing could ever fix. It was the cost of serving their Dark Lord and were she in his shoes she'd gladly have paid it. But that was a choice that the Scarecrow had never been given.

"I-Irui...I..." for once the ANBU Captain was at a loss for words. She figured that she might have to scare, threaten, or cajole this mad man into returning but what she was faced with was a Mikiri who saw things more clearly than ever. Whatever had happened in the Commonwealth had opened his eyes wider than his battle with Mora. She collected herself and started over by responding to his question. Her tone was calm and it lost the condescending fierceness she had used earlier. For the first time since Irui had met her, the Honey Badger was using a tone that she reserved for Ryuko, Seigi, and the Twins.

"I'm sorry" She wasn't the type to apologize to someone outside of her family. Especially not one that should be following her orders to the letter. She kept her relationship with her shinobi strictly professional. They were expected to give their lives to Kumo as readily as she was. Yet, she could feel her spirit being compelled to make amends to Irui. Was it the Necrossiah pushing her in this direction for some long term plan? Or was it something else? A beautiful angel from a world beyond nudging her to be the woman she was at heart. Nurturing. Loving. Caring. She looked him in the eyes and repeated herself.

"I'm sorry Irui. For everything. The pain. The loneliness. The madness. The scars both on the outside and the inside. What Mora did to y-, no...what we did to you was not right." Only a Jashinst such as Irui could appreciate the magnitude of that statement. To contradict the Orthodoxy's policies and past decisions was tantamount to heresy. The penalty was severance of the tongue or worse. What she was about to say was far more provocative than what she had told Tamwyn before their fatal encounter with the Wolf.

"You didn't ask for this...you were pulled into it. By someone who didn't have your soul's best interests at heart. As a Jounin of Kumogakure, I should have protected you from her. I should have watched over you. Instead, I aided and abetted her madness and then put you to work for my interests until...." the rest didn't need to be said. The answer was baked into the boy's skin. She recalled seeing an academy-era photograph of him. Between the Jashinist experimentation and the Battle with Mora, there was nothing left of that sweet Mikiri boy now. Shimiko took a breath and reminded herself of who she served and why. She stopped walking and positioned herself directly in front of Irui.

"I don't want you to leave with me to protect the reputation of the Hidden Cloud." If permitted, the blonde would take Irui's hand into her own. "I want you to be safe and at peace....I think the best place for that is Lighting Country....and if not there then I will do whatever I can to keep you out of harm's way." Shimiko then did something she had never done before. She got down on a single knee and pleaded with someone. "I know you must think I'm your worst enemy but you have to believe me Irui....please.....you've suffered enough because of my mistakes. Don't let this continue. Come back home. Please." The Honey Badger was actually on her right knee begging her Scarecrow to return. It was a rather unbecoming sight for someone as feared and as famous as she. It would probably draw unwanted attention as well, but she had no choice at this point. She was confident that if Irui continued to live his life on the run, he'd die a miserable and lonely death.

"You'll promise protection?"  Irui questioned, regarding her with contempt He studied her carefully, watching the emotions play across her face.  There was quiet between them for a moment until he finally spoke, "I'll come freely...."

He looked up and over Shimiko's blonde hair. The woman with the cigarette had paused in the street, and had turned towards him, studying their interaction. Bandoliers of scrolls hung from her hips and a package was slung over her shoulder by a leather strap.

"I'll come freely to the Hidden Cloud." Irui said again. He wasn't a fool, he knew when the odds were against him. He didn't need to ask if the Hidden Cloud had sent others to retrieve him, otherwise Shimiko wouldn't have found him so urgently. She could have left him to the wolves, for the hidden Cloud to communicate its findings, then gather a fearsome team to wait for him. Shimiko was fast, but only just enough.

Irui eyed the bandoliers, noting the scuffs and scratches. The woman had seen her share of combat as well; a long, ragged and winding wound seemed to trail from her exposed shoulder, across the collarbone and beneath her armor.

"Since we've been on the move, Lady Shimiko, I've detected two others from the Hidden Cloud." He added, and nodded towards the smoker. "I imagine you just arrived in time." His expression softened, and he felt the anger escape from his body."I remember learning about the Cloud's prisons in the Academy, I know what awaits me if I don't comply."

She had given him two options. A third existed; he could choose to go down fighting, but it was a mere fantasy. The Church had ensured that it would only end in horrible agony. He'd studied his Immortality, and tested in here and there. Irui had an idea of what Jashin had gifted him, and knew that only the most agonizing, and thorough methods would bring him down. The Hidden Cloud knew as much as he did, and there was no doubt in his mind that the Smoker would bring him down. Shimiko was added insurance.

"I'm tired of running."

[retired]

When Irui asked her if she would promise protection, Shimiko nodded her head vigorously. This wasn't the same promise that ANBU Captains gave to those who agreed to come quietly. Those promises were made to be broken. This was a promise from a woman-of-faith to a young man in desperate need of reassurance. Shimiko's eyes pleaded with him and when he agreed to come, she let out a relieved sigh. She noticed that despite his earlier outburst, Irui was still thinking rationally and when the visage of a female smoker caught his attention, Shimiko turned around to look at the Hunter-Nin. She eyed the woman menacingly and stood right next to Irui.

The statement was made. She could not hope to match Shimiko in terms of fighting prowess or influence. Whatever she had come to the Heavenly Emporium to do to Irui, the whole trip had been in vain. There was no way she'd get the opportunity with the Honey Badger in the picture. Irui had been found before the others had gotten to him and not a moment too soon.

Shimiko put her arm around his shoulder and escorted him down the block, past the Smoker and towards the freight carts that would take them to the ground. As Shimiko protectively escorted Irui out of the neutral zone, she heard him say that he was tired of running. She could not blame him and in many ways she felt the same albeit regarding a different sort of thing.

"I'm tired of running."
And I'm tired of fighting....

She didn't say the words aloud. She couldn't afford too. She needed to be strong for him. When they got back to Kumo, she'd fight tooth and nail to keep him out of a jail cell or an unmarked grave. She'd call in every favor she had, threaten whoever she needed to threaten, and bribe whoever she needed to bribe. Being who she was and having her brother in charge made it so that an impossible ask merely became difficult. When she was finished, Irui Mikiri would no longer need to run. He could finally be at peace and live as he chose. Before they boarded the ship that would take them back to the Cloud, Shimiko decided it was time to tell him what awaited him back in his hometown. There'd be no haunting old woman to take his freedom from him, only a fresh start.

"You should know.....when we get back to the Hidden Cloud. You don't have to worry about Mora....the former Lady Superior has passed on. Its going to be okay Irui...you don't have to be afraid anymore." Shimiko thought about elaborating but somehow she felt as though Irui would know. Even if he never asked, he'd know in his heart what Shimiko had done. He was no longer beholden to that old crone. He had been given a gift that few if any possessed. Endless life and the freedom to do with it what he wanted.

[End Thread]