Sister's Forever

Currently Ryuko was sitting on her throne trying her best to keep a look of boredom from coming over her composed face. She was wearing a simple but elegant white dress with blue accents. The golden amulet of kings with it’s large blue diamond sat prominently on display over her chest, along with the Archangel’s Tiara she wore on her head which used as her crown.

Right now she had no leads on Nozomi and with Tsumi off on a mission, no students to train either. People often dreamed of being in a position like hers but they usually only thought of the glamour that came with being a queen and none of the responsibility.

It wasn’t as if the entire country hinged on her every word or that she held the entire thing up herself. Either would be utterly ridiculous for only one woman to do no matter how super human she might be. Even so parliament counted on her to set the pace and tone as at the end of the day she often had the final say on things. To them her health was paramount and after giving them a scare with her sudden disappearance last year they were being extra strict about monitoring her.

Having eyes and ears on her nearly 24/7 like this was limiting her actions making it harder to sneak away for a bit of fun. It wasn’t that she COULDN’T sneak out if she truly wished to but the idea of putting up with another lecture from the prime minister about her negligence was so unappealing she remained where she was seated as one appointed meeting passed after the next.

The Queen might look defenceless while sitting like that but the throne was flanked by a high ranking member of the Royal guard on either side, standing silent vigil just a step behind her. While not quite as skilled as she was, they would be more than able to buy her enough time to suit up in an emergency.

A close inspection would reveal that she was far from unarmed as she had her beloved Batons at her sides and her legendary shield strapped to her belt in it’s more compact travel form, and those were just what was visible to the naked eye. Hakkin only knew what type of knives or other weapons could be lurking under her dress.

[1]

Shimiko went to see her Queen the moment the opportunity presented itself. While she had been at the Summit winning peace for their time, Ryuko had whipped the village back into shape. The cloud of malaise and stagnation that often followed a violent conflict was finally put to rest with the Vestal back on the throne. While seeing Kumo in greater spirits was good, it paled in comparison to the elation that Shimiko felt knowing that her sister had returned. She had all but given up hope of ever seeing her again after almost losing her to Rafaela once before. It was Ryuko's words of forgiveness and love that kept her from turning bitter and violent. She had held the line and maintained her best friend's legacy. She had done so in accordance with her Lord's will and now he was rewarding her by bringing Ryuko back to their plane of reality.

Shimiko walked down the hall towards the Audience Chamber. She knew Ryuko hated formality but she wasn't going to be caught wearing casual clothes on her first meeting with the Queen since her return. To that end, Shimiko was wearing her signature Chinowakagumi Armour, a stylish red jumpsuit made of flexible but protective material. It hugged her form tightly and exposed her generous bosom for the world to see, but its true value was sutured within its very seams. For the Chinowakagumi contained several cubic tons of blood courtesy of the Creation of All Blood Enchantment. This would provide Shimiko with an ample supply of blood to manipulate should the need arise. The armour also contained a handful of strategically placed slits. They were large enough for her arms to slip through and discreetly located near her hips and back. Shimiko wore a custom melody arm device on each forearm. They were known as the Kālīkoroshimasu and they looked similar to a pair of black evening gloves. They stretched to her elbows and provided an elegant touch to the contrasting red of her armour. Each device was also loaded with hundreds of Senshichi Needles and every needle filled with blood. She also made sure there was room for her 20 Shinreki Needles. The left Kālīkoroshimasu was of particular note because it contained the Batroc seal which in turn held two-hundred and fifty bats.

Shimiko kept her armaments on her person for quick access. Her Twin Tessen of Terror were strapped to the upper arm of her armour. Likewise, her notorious X-Rank Sai, the Badgers Claws, were holstered in a discreet pouch attached to the small of her back. Additional Sai were holstered along her spinal column as backups. There were two more pairs in total each occupying their own grooves that were along her back, not too close nor too far apart from one another. The Sai pairs crisscrossed each other with the handles protruding outwards so that she could grab them quickly.

Shimiko's hair was done-up in its usual manner. A pair of voluminous blonde pigtails held in place with a small set of skull pins. The excess hair, which would normally form her bangs, was parted to the side.  She had the Red Lightning and Black Lightning Seals etched into the corner of her right and left breasts respectively. She had used a technique of her own design to adjust their appearance. The Red Lightning tattoo formed the Kanji which spelled "Yui's" name and the Black Lightning tattoo formed the Kanji which spelled "Yua's" name. A constant reminder to herself and the world that her Twins would always be near and dear to her heart. Finally, Shimiko's jewelry of choice, Jashin's Gift, hung prominently on her neck. The rest of her minor effects (kunai, chakra pills, shuriken, ninja wire, and the like) could be found stored in a pouch located on her hip and right thigh.

When she opened the doors to the Audience Chamber, she saw Ryuko sitting on the throne looking bored out of her mind. It's her....its really her....She's back! Shimiko, every the crier, started to choke up in tears. She cleared the distance between them in less than a second. The movement would be a blur to almost anyone watching. The guards might have been perceptive enough to track her and if they were particularly skilled, perhaps even fast enough to stop her. But would they? Would they dare get in-between Kumo's finest warrior and her Nakama? It'd be awful for them to have made it through the First Shinobi World War only to die in such a pathetic way. Assuming she wasn't stopped or interrupted, Shimiko would scale the steps to the throne and throw her arms around Ryuko. She drew her in close, wrapped her arms around her, and rocked from side to side with tears streaming down her face.

"Why do you keep doing this to me Ryu-chan?" she wailed. Shimiko was undisturbed as to who might hear or see the reunion. Some things were more important than militaristic posturing. "I-I didn't think you'd come back this time. I was beginning to think I'd lost you forever...and just when I did, God brought you back into my life!" Shimiko was careful not to specify which God. They did not share the same faith, but Shimiko couldn't help but think their respective deities saw it in their best interest for the two to be together.

Next up was supposed to be some low level officarary from the department of agriculture. Growing more crops so they could feed the citizens was nice and all but listening to them drone on about the details about soil quality was boring as heck. She was the Queen, she didn’t need to understand every last little technical detail of how stuff like that worked. Well technically she was intelligent enough to but nonetheless it was still largely irrelevant. She just couldn’t understand why people couldn’t just cut to the chase, explain the part that really mattered to the discussion at hand so that she could make her decision and they could all move on with their lives.

When someone they weren't expecting opened the doors to the quicker witted members of the royal guard moved to intercept only to come to a halt as Ryuko held up her hand to signal to them to stop. She could tell at a glance that there was no intruder. There were too many details a mere henge would never have. After all Shimiko was wearing the armour Ryuko had helped enhance for her, not to mention the necklace their other sister Natsuru had made for her. An imposter would never know to replicate that particular effect. It was unthinkable that someone had stolen it from Shimiko as well. You’d have to have the biggest set of balls on the entire continent, maybe the entire planet to consider making a move as bold as that.

Normally it was Ryuko who was the one lunging at someone at high speed and glomping on them but for once she was on the receiving end. She was just barely able to stand from her throne in time to catch Shimiko in her outstretched arms. Hugging her sister tight a massive smile bloomed on the Queen’s face. Due to the effect of time dilation she felt more like she had just seen Shimiko yesterday rather then forever ago and yet at the same time she felt a deep sense of nostalgia at being together like this.

“We…” she started using it not in the Royal sense but to refer to both herself and Shimiko. “Might be mighty but we are not all powerful. Some things are simply beyond our control. All we can do is try to manage what we can.” she said, trying to sound reassuring as she pat Shimiko’s back in an effort to comfort her.

“Come now Shi-chan, I have crossed an endless time and impossible distance to return to you. No matter what might separate us I’ll always return just like a boomerang.” She said with a bright smile fitting for a Queen. Considering one of the first jutsu she had learned since coming to the village from the Monastery was the Boomerang throw, she knew Shimiko would get the reference. Hakking and Jashin both knew just how much she liked to use that particular trick.

“Tis not the time for tears but celebration! Why not start by regaling me with tales of how you have been in my absence.” said Ryuko who wasn’t quite sure how to explain what she had been up to when she didn’t even remember half of it at best.

[2]

Shimiko chuckled when she heard Ryuko's boomerang reference. Like Shimiko, she was familiar with a wide range of weapons some traditional and others esoteric. It was part of what made her such an effective and versatile fighter. When Ryuko lamented that sometimes destiny called them in ways that they could not control or ignore, Shimiko found herself nodding in agreement. She wasn't sure where her friend had gone off to and she didn't want to spoil the mood by asking. She wiped the tears from her eyes and focused on more contemporary matters. Like how she had been since Ryuko had been raptured into another dimension.

Shimiko broke the embrace, sighed and tossed one of her pigtails back dramatically.

"Oh you know the usual girl....winning the war, striking peace deals, being the best mom I can be." she said with a smile. She had done her part to keep Kumo safe during the war, but oddly enough, she hadn't gone on the offensive against Damien's killers. Or more aptly put, she didn't get the chance to. A great deal had happened in Kumo that kept her from tracking them down and while she attended to those matters, other patriots of peace made their move. One of the major developments that kept her tied up concerned one of Ryuko's students. The memory caused Shimiko to pause and then look away. She probably doesn't know....or maybe she does and blames me...not consciously but maybe subconsciously. Shimiko intellectually knew there was no ceiling to Ryuko's love for her. the Queen made that much clear when they had almost fought back at the Tower, but this was different. This was about Ryuko's prized pupil. She had to talk about, even if it wasn't easy.

"Its not all great though. Seigi is in the wind again. He's fine I think but....he's working through some issues of his own which is okay I guess. Also...." Shimiko struggled to find the words. "Tamywn he..." She used her shoulder to rub away the remaining streaks. "He passed away while you were gone. He died fighting a spirit entity called Raijuu. I tried to help him fight it...but I couldn't protect him. Its my fault." Shimiko had replayed the scene in her mind one hundred times. Was it divine punishment from Jashin for Tamwyn's blasphemous views towards the religion? Or was it something more? Perhaps her own inadequcy as a kunoichi or maybe even a desire to rob her best friend of any lasting legacy she could have. Part of turning over a new leaf and enagging in deeper introspection meant that Shimiko was more willing to think the worst of herself at times. She was now very much aware of her more destructive tendencies and while it paved the way for change, it also brought guilt along with it.

It seemed Shimiko had no intention of asking her where she had gone, which was good since Ryuko had no real idea how to even begin explaining. Her experience had been so far beyond human comprehension that she couldn’t even remember most of it. The thought reminded her of the prologue to a certain song. “Just on the border of your waking mind There lies... another time, where darkness & light are one. And as you tread the halls of sanity, you feel so glad to be unable to go beyond.”

Basically it was for the preservation of her own sanity that she had been made not to remember. The only reason she had been able to survive with her mind intact was because she had been trained by her God to be able to touch divinity from a young age and because she was Rafeala’s host which made her something akin to a demigod. Apparently once she unlocked the full unfettered power of Rafeala and made it her own she might eventually get the chance to become a full on goddess in time. To Ryuko the idea seemed far-fetched. She’d already given up much of her humanity and hardly needed to eat, sleep or drink anymore though she couldn’t go entirely without any of those things which meant it was still plenty possible for her to die from starvation or thirst. Maybe she’d feel differently after a couple hundred years but right now she wasn’t eager to shed the vestiges of humanity that still remained.

“Tis was a pleasant surprise to return and hear that you were out attending a peace conference. I take it then that you were successful at brokering a truce.” That wasn’t a question but a statement. She could tell from the way that her sister was speaking that the meeting with the other kage had gone well. "I want you to know just how proud I am of you for all this Shi-chan. I always knew you had more to offer the world, thank you for proving me correct.” said the Queen as a tear rolled down her cheek. Shimiko had always been a great person as far Ryuko was concerned but she’d grown into such a wonderful woman. The queen couldn’t help but admire just how far her sister had come since she knew just how hard every step of the way had been for her.

“I’m sure he’ll turn up when we need him most.” said Ryuko to the news that Seigi was missing again. She wasn’t too surprised since she hadn’t been able to locate him around the village so that he could give her a situation debriefing. It wasn’t like she had room to criticize him in that department given her own absence it would just be the pot calling the kettle black.

It was only as Shimiko began to speak about Tamwyn that Ryuko realized a few things. She’d read a report about that and knew that her sister had been present for the event but she hadn’t expected Shimiko to feel so much responsibility. Fighting an entity class foe was a dangerous situation in the best of times so she couldn’t be blamed for Tamwyn getting in over his head. Ryuko had warned him more than once about the importance of making careful preparations before beginning the fight so the fact he had rushed things was on him.

She herself had spent years preparing in order to maximize her chances when she went to confront Hakkin in order to unlock the rest of Rafaela’s power. Building a full set of top of the line armor, acquiring legendary equipment from Damian, learning Sage mode. She’d gone the full nine yards leaving no stone left unturned. The only reason she hadn’t started yet was because she was hoping that Shimiko would be able to return her spear first.

“Yeah about Tamwyn” Ryuko said, scratching the side of her face awkwardly. It seemed in her rush to the Palace Shimiko hadn’t heard the good news. “I kind of had Arisu resurrect him in exchange for a marker.” she admitted a little sheepishly. The fact she now odded Arisu a blank check of a favor was less than ideal.

[3]

Shimiko's cheeks grew flush with pride as Ryuko praised her for her diplomatic skills. She had proven her best friend right and kept her promise. She was one of the finest killers to have ever been produced by the Land of Kaminari and she was proud of it, but she was more than just that. It was a new feeling for her. To be recognized and adored for something like peace and negotiation, but it felt right and she had her Queen to thank for it. However, Ryuko's compliments still could not alleviate the shame she felt for allowing Tamwyn to die while under her protection. She figured that Ryuko already knew and that telling her face-to-face was more for her peace of mind than her friend's. Ryuko's reaction was puzzling though. She didn't appear unhappy and even more striking, she didn't attempt to reassure Shimiko. What she said next, caused Shimiko's jaw to drop in surprise.

He's alive?!

Shimiko blinked and suddenly became hyper-aware of her surroundings. Ryuko was not a liar and she would not joke about something like this. This wasn't a Genjutsu and she hadn't misheard her friend. Tamwyn was alive. He had been brought back to life by Arisu who was renown for resurrecting Satomi Uchiha the Second Hokage. Shimiko had long associated whatever magic was responsible with Jashinism. No soul returned from the Void but for Jashin's blessing and even if the foreign Princess did not recognize it, she was a mere vessel for the Dark Lord's omnipotence. There had been some talk about attempting to convert her but with tensions the way they were and with the eventual outbreak of the War, it was deemed a lost cause. Shimiko had never expected a power like that to touch someone she knew or cared about. Konoha and Kiri had been allies for years despite their rocky road and so it made sense for Arisu to restore the Professor. Shimiko didn't think Arisu would do the same for a Kumo-Nin, especially not so soon after the war. Kumogakure had literally only just made peace with their enemy.  She was surprised that Ryuko had even managed to secure such an act. Ryuko described the miracle as costing a "marker" which Shimiko took to mean "write your own price." It was troubling but given what was discussed at the Summit and the way this new Princess Administration conducted its affairs, perhaps it wouldn't prove fatal to Kumo's national security interests. Either way, Shimiko would not judge Ryuko for making that call. It was her decision. She trusted Ryuko's leadership over the country and she knew that in the end, she would not allow Arisu or any other Kiri-Nin to do harm to their people.

Still, the revelation shook her to core, especially concerning how just moments ago she had learned that Ryuko herself was back. This was divine intervention. A final message from Jashin confirming that her actions were in accordance with his will. The peace treaty, the pardon of Nozomi, all of it....it was all him.

Shimiko exhaled in shock and whispered something in an incomprehensible language. It was the Chinoike old-speak. A tongue used by vampires and some of the oldest Orthodoxy worshippers. She could not deny tribute to her Lord a second longer. "Glory be to Jashin" she said in a reverent tone. Tamwyn was alive and she was absolved of his death. He could continue to protect the village and enjoy the life that had been so tragically cut short. There was still the matter of Yenn and her disappearance, but at least their children would still have a father. "I don't care what you offered. I know you Ryuko. You're smart and a better leader than I ever will be. If I could handle Kiri at one Summit then you can handle Princess Arisu. But, Tamwyn coming back to life....the Summit...." Shimiko was getting weepy again although this time she tried to hold back the tears. "....All of it....this was all divine. Everything. I said I'd change, I said I'd do what was best for us, for our nation and Jashin has rewarded us all. He brought you and Tamwyn back...he...." There was another matter she needed to discuss with Ryuko. The good news did not stop at the Seraph's return. It was now Shimiko's time to deliver a surprise right to Ryuko's doorstep.

"Nozomi. He gave me the strength to forgive Nozomi. I don't know how I did it but I did....we did....all of us, the Kage I mean." she was trying to get the words out but was getting so choked up that it was difficult to articulate precisely what had happened. "She is on our side now. She is going to help us fight the Society" There was more to it than that and certain complexities that were at play, but the most important truth was out. It was a true political miracle and while Shimiko didn't think that it would turn Ryuko over to Jashinism, but it would hopefully provide her with some insight into why her friend was being so superstitious about it all. Shimiko forgiving Nozomi and allying with her was more unlikely than a man being brought back from the dead.

Ryuko wasn’t quite sure what reaction Shimiko would have to being told that Tamwyn was alive again. Surprise, relief sure but nothing so extreme as suddenly whispering something in some unknown launange was a bit more extreme then she would have expected. Perhaps if she was someone smarter like Damian or Renny she might even have understood what Shimiko had said but as it was the best she could do was assume that it was something that meant a lot to her sister.

Shimiko was now saying a lot of things, like that Ryuko was a better leader than her, a fact the Queen felt to be highly debatable. Shimiko was the one who had gotten the village through the War after all and the one who had negotiated the peace deal. She had served reliably for years which meant she was someone that people could depend on unlike Ryuko who had alternated between coma and being in other dimensions. Perhaps Nariko should have chosen Shimiko to become the 4th Raikage after all but it was far too late to entertain such what ifs. All she could do now was try to live up to her sister's expectations of her even if she wasn’t entirely sure she was worthy of them.

She just hoped that Shimiko was right about her being able to handle Princess Arisu. The market she had given wasn’t a completely blank check but it still gave the extraterrestrial a lot of leverage over her. It was entirely possible Ryuko might come to regret that decision. Not the part about bringing back Tamwyn though, she just wished she’d been able to offer Arisu something a bit less nebulous. It was another case of her not being as smart as she wished she could be.

It was what Shimiko had to say next that wiped all thoughts of her own inferiority from her head. The fact that Shimiko herself had forgiven Nozomi was surprising but not entirely so. She had promised to give forgiveness a shot under the right set of circumstances. That the other Kage would follow Shimiko’s lead on that was unprecedented. Ryuko had thought it near impossible for the Hokage or The Mizukage to ever forgive Nozomi after she had leaked the locations of their villages for everyone to find.

The shock was so great that Ryuko nearly collapsed to her knees, Tears of relief in her eyes as she caught herself at the last second. Finally after all this time she could be together with Nozomi publicly and not risk over half the rest of the ninja world coming after them. Ever since she had come back she had been looking high and low for Nozomi in the hopes of having a conversation, but the idea that they would have to keep any relationship between them a secret had weighed heavily on her soul.

“Thank you Shi-chan, Thank you” she managed between breaths as she grabbed for her Sisters hand in an attempt to shake it enthusiastically with her right hand while whipping her tears away with her left. Part of her wanted to impulsively run off and ask Nozomi out right then and there and part of her simply wanted to continue celebrating the parade of good news but part of the problem of being Queen was that she couldn’t allow herself to indulge in such luxuries for long.

Knowing Nozomi like she did she knew there was no way the fierce woman had decided to switch sides merely on a whim. She was the type of woman who enjoyed a good fight, a good challenge. If she was going to work with them that meant the rest of the society she was ditching had to be some pretty stiff competition.

“Did she tell us anything about who was behind her? What exactly are we up against?” she asked the look on her face shifting from joy to one of utter seriousness. If the other villages were willing to put the war and their differences aside to all work together it had to be something big. Was Ryuko even powerful enough to contribute in her current state? Considering she had ultimately lost to Rajin she wasn’t sure she was strong enough to make a difference.

[4]

It wasn't easy watching Nozomi walk away from the Kage Summit. She had dreamed for years of wiping that smug look off the Nuke-Nin's face. But seeing how happy her decision had made Ryuko, she realized it was all worth it in the end. Ryuko was literally crying tears of joy not too dissimilar to how Shimiko was just seconds ago. She smiled and accepted her friend's gratitude. Ryuko then asked her who was the true force behind the Society. It was at this point that Shimiko sighed heavily. They were both standing in the throne room but perhaps it would be better if they sat down for this part. The Chinoike's expression lost its warmth and she became deathly serious. It was far worse than she imagined, but Nozomi wasn't the type to go around telling tales.

"Yes. She did...." Shimiko leaned in and whispered the truth into Ryuko's ear. "Apparently the real leader of the Society is a man claiming to be Jōki, the Legendary Water Disciple and the direct pupil of the Sage of Six Paths himself. He's using Jashinism to keep his body in an immortal state, I can vouch on my side of the aisle that such a feat is possible although not easily done." Shimiko wanted Ryuko to know that based on her experiences with the religion, immortality was absolutely in play. She had granted it to Irui a few years ago at Mora's behest in a dark and complicated ritual. "Their plan is to resurrect the other Disciples and take over the world by force of arms, then establish some kind of permanent Sage Rule. Nozomi thinks that this is just a cover story...that the real plan is for Jōki to seize power for himself and rule as a lone dictator. For our purposes, that doesn't matter much because either way....he wants to wipe out the existing order since we've abused Ninshuu for far too long. Anyone connected to the old regime that isn't going along with his agenda dies. Me, you, everyone."

Ryuko had just gotten back and Shimiko hated dumping the reality of what they were facing on her. She felt guilty that she was leaving her sister to face this fight alone. She hadn't told Ryuko about her plans to retire yet and it was eating her up inside. Every child born on this side of the world and perhaps beyond it knew of the Sage and his Disciples. The tales of their prowess both in combat and in Ninjutsu were legend. If even a fraction of those stories were true, the world was in big trouble. Shimiko wanted to re-consider her plans. To hold off her retirement until this final battle was over, but alas, she couldn't. This was what Jashin wanted from her. To raise a new generation of warriors under her household for the trials to come. For the battles that existed beyond this one. When conflicted, she had asked God for a solution and when he provided it, she dutifully executed it to the letter. Each and every time she did what he asked, no matter how difficult, she was rewarded tenfold. Yui and Yua leading the Church, Ryuko returning to Earth, and Tamwyn being brought back to life were all blessings sourced from her obedience to Jashin. Shimiko's soul told her that retirement was necessary and so she took it as a direct sign from him. She worked up the courage to tell her friend about her plans but first she needed Ryuko to understand what was at stake in this new fight.

"The War isn't over Ryuko, in fact, I fear its only just begun. We all know what those Disciples are capable of and if Jōki manages to bring them back.....I don't know if we can stop them. The Kage agreed that we should keep these details under wraps for now though. Nozomi is currently at the Blood Prison which she has turned into her own base. We should arrange a meeting to discuss strategy. The only way we beat these guys is if we work together."

A younger Ryuko would have found the idea of an immortal disciple of the sage of six paths absurd. People being immortal was the stuff of storybooks and fairytales. She would have simply assumed it was most likely someone using Jōki’s name for clout. That sort of tactic was a common enough scam among the more unscrupulous sort. Now though after having her own lifespan extended by centuries and meeting an ageless extraterrestrial she supposed just about anything was possible though she would have still doubted the validity of the report had it been coming from someone else and sought a second source for verification.

Given that this news was coming from Shimiko and Nozomi of all people, she figured she could skip the usual process and get straight to work. Honestly the news was so serious that she might have had to skip that regardless. One Disciple was bad enough given the power levels involved. He likely outclassed even X class ninja like Shimiko or Ryuko herself. The idea of having to deal with all of the Disciples at once was pure nightmare inducing.

“Rafaela help me.” swore Ryuko under her breath. They had finally arranged for peace between the five big nations and now they had to deal with an even bigger problem. The obvious thing to do would be to stop Jōki before he could bring the other disciples back but they would need contingency plans in place in case they failed otherwise they would be well and utterly screwed.

“What a buffoon.” She said with a sharp glare directed at someone who wasn’t even present. For someone who claims to be affiliated with the sage of six paths he really was a total moron. Either that or a total hypocrite. Ryuko had studied a bit about the sage of the six paths and knew that Ninshuu was supposed to be about understanding one another and to bring about peace. Using chakra to violently overthrow the current systems in place was the exact opposite of that approach, something she debuted the sage would approve of.

The system might be flawed yes but nothing on this earth was perfect. There were people like herself constantly working within the system to make things better for everyone. Bringing back people who had died centuries ago was nothing more than a regression. Yes the wars that had gone on had been painful but they had learned because of them. The fact that the villages were willing to work together so soon after one was living proof that the Disciple of water was wrong about them.

“Before meeting with Nozomi to discuss strategy I have business of my own to conclude. I couldn’t even beat Raijin so If I tried to take on Jōki as I am now I doubt I’d be able to contribute much. Tis high time I think that I confront my Lord Hakkin and unlock the full unfettered might of Rafaela inside me.” said Ryuko her voice steeled with determination.

Since she could bring help she’d tried to arrange once for Shimiko and Seid to assist her but that had fallen though since they had been busy at the time. Now though she was planning to go it alone. If she couldn’t even clear this trial by herself what use would she be in the high stakes fights to come?

“Shi-chan, will you bear witness to my glory? I don’t want you to interfere even if things get absolutely dire. You won’t always be around to bail me out.” said Ryuko almost as if she could sense that her sister was planning to retire. They weren’t siblings for nothing even if they weren’t actually related by blood the bond they shared was undeniable. Win or loss this was Ryuko’s fight and hers alone. If she continued to lean on Shimiko for everything she’d never learn to stand on her own two feet.

“One thing though before I begin the battle. Have you seen my spear around? I’ve recovered my other gear but I couldn’t find it at my Atelier or the vault in your tower. Without that I’m afraid my odds of winning would be greatly diminished.” Having an X class weapon or not would make a big difference especially since she couldn’t use several of her most powerful jutsu without a proper spear and didn't have a substitute of some kind.

[5]

Ryuko's reaction was just about what Shimiko expected. Incredulity. Anger. Fear. Anyone who had lived on this side of the world knew of the stories of the Disciples. Their feats were so miraculous and awe-inspiring that some couldn't help but chalk them up to exaggeration. Any ninja who had reached a certain level of power, however, knew that there must have been some basis in the stories of old. If even 1% of those tales were true, then the ninja world was in big trouble.

Ryuko re-raised the idea of fighting her entity Raefala in order to acquire more power. Shimiko was willing to help her in this endeavor, but it sounds like the Queen had other ideas. She wanted Shimiko to bear witness to her battle, but not personally interfere. Shimiko raised her eyebrows in surprise at this abrupt change of plans. She wasn't sure whether Ryuko had already beaten Raefala while on her trip outside this world but if she hadn't, she expected that she'd need to fight beside her friend. Ryuko had been preparing like a mad woman for this conflict and so her decision to relegate Shimiko to the sidelines was not something she anticipated. Shimiko hesitated in her response. She wanted to be there for her best friend. She wanted to support her and cheer her on no matter what, but she wasn't sure she could stand idly by and watch her be killed by a foreign God.

"Are you sure? I mean...Ryuko....I don't think I could bear to watch you die. I know you're strong...probably much stronger than you were when we last met but maybe it'd be best if I helped. Just to be safe you know?" Shimiko couldn't leave Kumo behind without ensuring that it was in safe hands. Seid and Tamwyn were only one part of that equation. When Ryuko brought up what happened to her spear, Shimiko blushed and looked away. She hadn't expected Ryuko to return in all honesty and with war at Kumo's doorstep, she couldn't afford to leave the spear just sitting around for show. The truth was that she had broken it to pieces and turned them into ultra-fine needles to better suit her style of combat. She knew that Ryuko might not be happy about this, but letting such a well-crafted weapon rust in a vault was unthinkable. Besides, Shimiko always figured she could fix it if Ryuko ever came back. That wouldn't take away the awkwardness of the moment though.

"Well er....about that....ya see....I kinda.....had to break your spear and turn it into needles." Shimiko then followed up with an animated: "We were at war! Me and Seid were the only protectors of Kumo at that time and I needed all the high end gear I could get my hands on." Shimiko took her friend's hand in her own and started pulling her towards the door. "Don't worry Ryu-chan, I'll fix it....I swear! Let's go to your crafting shop right now!"

Shimiko had the needles sealed into her custom melody arms. It wouldn't take her long to refashion the spear and restore it to its former glory.

[Exit hopefully with Ryuko in tow]