| "T-Thank you....," Amane begrudgingly replied. That made Natsumi smile. She had wondered how to address Amane's daughter for a week now and after deciding to come across as well-spoken to Amane, who could quite possibly be well-spoken herself coming from the family of the Mizukage, the fact that she just seemed so lost and worried about Tenmu was something she could relate to. The smile didn't last long, however. "Well, this may be a happy meeting with the two of you," Natsumi began as she turned back to Tenmu, "but you shouldn't have come here. Especially not with Amane's daughter while bringing a trail of the Kage's underlings and making such a huge mess of a sacred ground. You should've come on your own." She looked disappointed in Tenmu, but for her, ultimately, a question had to be asked: "How did you even know where to find us?" "You know I couldn't let Nui stay here. No matter what Karakasa has done to force you two down here," Tenmu briefly replied. "How do you know about Karakasa?" She wanted to know, but she knew better than to discuss highly secret matters in a public environment, no matter how much she wanted to know how much Tenmu knew. "Actually, let's get going, it's not safe here." After a brief pause she added, "and bring the girl. We might end up having need of her. This place is no longer safe." "What about her sister?" Amane found herself asking Natsumi. Natsumi turned her face to meet Amane's with a sad look on it. "She's already gone to report back what happened. She's too smart to stay and fight us one versus three. When these two were born, this one got all the brawn and she got all the brain." The sadness didn't seem to be caused by the sisters. After a while walking back to the Wet Kitten, Natsumi couldn't help but feel like Amane may feel awkward about not being told what was going on. Having been in a similar situation at her age prompted Natsumi to at least ask Amane if she was interested in knowing what was going on besides the notion of rescuing Manko. "Anything you'd like to ask me, dear? I know Tenmu isn't exactly the talkative kind." ------------------------------------------------------ Having run straight back into the caves that connected Old and New Suna in a daze, Kuresa made sure not to cry about her sister having been captured. Moving through the caves with a swiftness that seemingly wouldn't even be impaired by the lack of light in some dark and hidden corridors, she suddenly saw herself in a fairly technologicaly advanced set of rooms, walls covered in metal and flashing lights and computer screens, with several shinobi monitoring cameras and doing other stuff that she didn't really know about. She kept running through the rooms without anyone making a case about it until she got to a large hall that looked like the main hub of operations, and she kneeled. She kneeled before the man in the high chair at the end of the hall. He had his back faced towards her as he stared at a multitude of camera screens that filled the entire wall he was facing. The bell on his braid tinkled softly as he turned back to face Kuresa. "We'll strike soon. Get ready, Kuresa." She nodded. "And please go wash your face. I can't bear looking at a shameless tear-filled face like yours," he ordered her. Keeping her head down, she bit her lip so as not to cry. "Yes, Shukaku-sama." |
-INSERT EPIC QUOTE HERE- |
| "Anything you'd like to ask me, dear? I know Tenmu isn't exactly the talkative kind." Amane returned Natsumi's gesture with a smile and half opened mouth as she didn't know how else to respond. It was the first time since they had arrived at Sunagakure that she had such a liberty, with Tenmu's attitude and all. However the real question Amane wanted to ask was why did everyone she and Tenmu came across with "happened" to know she was related to the Mizukage. It was an uncomfortable feeling to be addressed in that manner. She has not yet earned a title of her own so hearing things like "the Mizukage's daughter" or "Amane's daughter" made her feel like she was a stereotypical daddy's little girl. Amane's smile soon faded until her lips were sealed which met with an immediate frown from Natsumi. "Amane....Amane.....?" "Eh-" "something the matter?" Natsumi asked, which startled Amane, making her realize she had just created a rather awkward situation. "No, no, nothing," she immediately responded, fumbling her way through her response as she tried to recover the conversation. That's when something dawned upon her. This woman, her hair, it was familiar....it looked like Manko's hair! That's right! Manko! She was the reason they were here after all. "Tell me.....is she here, close by? Manko?" A frantic Amane asked. |
| Did you know every time you sigh, a little bit of happiness escapes? ~Senjougahara Hitagi |
| "Manko? What are you talking ab-" Natsumi began to ask when Tenmu stopped her and led her away from Amane, prompting the younger to stay in place. Natsumi didn't know who "Manko" stood for, in all actuality. The person known as "Manko" to Amane was named "Nui" to Natsumi. "It's a long story, but the gist of it is that Senken named Nui after a particular female body part when he took her over to Kirigakure." Tenmu finally informed Natsumi of what Manko stood for, giving her a look of disgust as she stared at him in disbelief. "What the fuck is wrong with that withered plum!?" Her tone of voice rose enough for even Kanesa to take notice and look at them, despite not knowing what or whom they were talking about. "Don't ask me, but the young one here has grown fond of her own Manko, so..." It was then that Natsumi, after having given a quick sorrowful look to Tenmu, turned back and walked up to Amane. "You're about to meet her, dear. But please be mindful... she has no memories from her time in Kirigakure." |
-INSERT EPIC QUOTE HERE- |
| "Nui......" Amane repeated after Natsumi in an inaudible whisper as she reflected on her friend's past. So she did have another name after all! Amane should have known that Manko could have another alias since she is not originally from Kirigakure. Her father did well in hiding what he could from her, and she supposed this was one secret he couldn't reveal. Alas, her friend was safe and Amane was relieved to hear the good news. For the first time since they embarked on their journey, Tenmu saw Amane smile albeit, for a short while. Immediately after the confirmation of Manko's location, Amane was met with a tragic twist. "But please be mindful... she has no memories from her time in Kirigakure." Her smile faded, a long sigh escaped her lips, and her eyes shot a quick look at Tenmu as she gave him a nod. "That's why I'm here. I'm gonna bring her back. Let's go," a matured and focused Amane stated before gesturing Natsumi to continue leading the way. |
| Did you know every time you sigh, a little bit of happiness escapes? ~Senjougahara Hitagi |
| "That's why I'm here. I'm gonna bring her back. Let's go," she said, as she gestured her two elders to lead her to Nui's location. Poor thing, Natsumi couldn't help but think to herself, yet Tenmu had known that this was going to happen sooner or later and, not only had he already prepared his heart for it but, the worst was still to come. The actual inevitable meeting of the two girls. And while Natsumi simply found it sad how Amane had turned even more dedicated to take Nui to Kirigakure after finding out she had lost her memories, Tenmu thought her incredibly naïve as she fueled her resolve with it. But they beckoned her to follow them nonetheless, with Tenmu picking Kanesa back up from the floor and onto his shoulder. And soon they reached the façade of The Wet Kitten. It wasn't a great building, in fact, it was as old and decrepit as the rest of the buildings in Old Suna. But it looked to be in much better care than the rest of them, obviously due to probably being the only building with people living in it. And just as Amane felt that she had reached her destination, they heard footsteps rushing from inside The Wet Kitten. The front door opened wide as a teenage girl with white hair and an attire similar to that of Natsumi greeted them, "Welcome to The Wet Kitten, ladies and gentlem- Oh! Natsu-chan, where were you?! We've had lots of work to do while you were out and me and --- can't take care of it all, you know?" Tenmu noticed her blank eyes, and tch'd in disgust, asssuming what the reason was for her to be in such a state. "Sorry, Nui, but I thought I had heard Tenmu outside and I just had to check." "Ten-mu?" She looked at him for a while with a face of disbelief before spreading her arms wide open and jumping onto him with her arms around his neck. "I've missed you, baka!" Tenmu had a soturn look on his face as he replied that he missed her too, and she dragged him into the building pulling on his arm, never noticing Amane's presence among them. Right as they went in, though, a horse with a headband of peculiar design (as in of no main village) around his neck came out of the bath house to greet them. "Welcome back, lady Natsumi," he bowed and turned to Amane, "and... I don't think we've met before. My name is Uero. I'm a ninja horse in service to lady Natsumi. And you are?" |
-INSERT EPIC QUOTE HERE- |
| Amane’s declaration to bring Manko back to Kirigakure was met with little approval from Tenmu and Natsumi. It was the reaction she half expected, but would have preferred a more supportive response from the two. However she followed on, until the group arrived at the establishment known as “The Wet Kitten.” The look in Natsumi and Tenmu’s faces made it evident that they had arrived at their destination despite the building’s appearance which resembled many of the other buildings in Old Suna. She braced for the worse as footsteps could be heard coming toward the front door. Who was coming to greet them? A friend or a foe? Manko perhaps? She could no longer endure musing over possibility after possibility, and finally acted, raising her right hand so as to open the door when the front door swung wide open before she could lift a finger. “Welcome to The Wet Kitten, ladies and gentlem-,” were the only words that she was able to comprehend as the teenage girl revealed herself to be the person Amane had been looking for this entire time. She found herself lost, staring at the blank eyes that used to be filled with love and admiration. That isn’t her, that can’t be her, was what Amane told herself quietly, but the words didn’t matter, for she would disappear within a minute of greeting them at the door. She had dragged Tenmu inside, who seemed to not even bother putting up a fight just before Natsumi casually called her Nui as if nothing was wrong. Unfortunately the time to solve this mystery had to be put aside as another being had showed up to greet Amane and Natsumi at the door. “I would think that you would know who I am given that your master knew who I was before we met. Wait, now that I think of it I was only mentioned as Amane’s daughter up until this point, but it’s not every day you run into a summon as polite as yourself so I will return the gesture of kindness. My name is Amane Fusieshutsu II, daughter of the former Mizukage before me.” A gleam in her left eye flickered as her eyelid twitched despite her best efforts to hide all the emotions that were simultaneously colliding into each other inside. She had given up in concealing her identity or lack thereof since everyone knew who she was. At least now she could be properly address by her given name. Frustration was building up inside her, made apparent through her weakened composure. The emotions she tried to contain continued building up inside her and it was only a matter of time before the pressure would explode. Yes, Amane was well capable at this point of hiding her true feelings, but the problem with this particular scene is that she was performing in front of an audience that was far more adept at looking through facades than she was at keeping hers. Both Uero and Natsumi were well aware of what Amane was hiding and could sense that it would only be a matter of time before she would crack. For the gleam in her left eye wasn’t that of hope….it was rage. |
MotionBlueJun 10, 2015 6:18 PM
| Did you know every time you sigh, a little bit of happiness escapes? ~Senjougahara Hitagi |
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