Crime? And Punishment.

The walk from where Akabayashi had picked up Kita and Fu wasn't far, from the Unseen University. As the group walked the shadow clone with them dispersed and the real Akabayashi arrived with his chakra suppressed. "Hello." Was all the Nova would say unless spoken to or interacted with, until they got to the university anyway.

When the group arrived at the building he would turn to them. "Be cognizant of what you say, remember Stein likely already snitched. Fu the bear will have to remain out here as it likely won't fit into some of the hallways. Murata feel free to come along as these two's leader. Kiri has the right to know about its ninja." He would then enter the building, hopefully with everyone who came in tow minus the bear.

The guards in the front of the building didn't stop the group. They knew who Akabayashi was and that he would be bringing in some people. The ones inside however made him show his ID, which he didn't argue with and complied before moving forward to the kage's office which had a closed door. The Nova would knock as hard as the police, before stating his business. "Its Akabayashi, I've brought Kita of Kiri and Fu of Konoha as directed. Murata the leader of the Kiri delegation wished to tag along as well. May we enter Hogokage?"

The tone used was certainly more official sounding than what they had heard before. If they were given the okay he would open the door and hold it for everyone to enter, before closing the door behind them. The man would say nothing unless asked, he wasn't the one accusing these two or even cared that they had recieved transplants. For now he would remain quiet and wait to see what the kage's directives were.

WC: 308

Kita remained silent throughout the journey.  He said nothing even when the man disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a perfect copy appeared nearby. A shadow clone it seemed. Tension was thick enough to where Kita could slash it with his blade, as overused an expression as it was. Though the boy dared not make a move to draw a weapon, or even attempt to make a threatening gesture. The power that the man had displayed earlier was... overwhelming. Kita doubted that he had even seen a fraction of his potential. Who knows what kind of boundless strength that he possessed after his many years of training?

Worse yet, Kita felt sick to his stomach. Not just from whatever reaction he was having from the site of his transplant, but the crushing fear of what's to come. Worse yet, the man who had performed the procedure had likely already confessed, so there was no chance of lying his way out. No, Kita's only option was to take his punishment head on, and hope he made it out alive.

With light and shuffling footsteps, Kita followed behind his captor into the mysterious building, following behind him as they passed through numerous security guards and defensive measures, bringing the two poor prisoners deeper and deeper into the belly of the beast. Kita made sure to look down at the floor. His heart couldn't bear it if he had to see what was to come. He hadn't done anything wrong, and yet he was being punished for it the same. Yet the true sense of hopelessness set in when Akabayashi knocked on the final door, and called for a very particular, very influential, very powerful political figure.

"The... The Hogokage?"

Kita took a reflexive step back. He knew that the man had explained who they were meeting when he first came for the boy, but somehow Kita hadn't felt as though it was real before this point. Kita took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm his nerves. Running now wouldn't help. If anything, it could be grounds to kill him on the spot. Better to grit his teeth through the fear and pain and meet the man. Kita would wait for the response inside the office, and follow his captor's instruction.

Word Count - 381

Jutsu Used:

“You may enter.” Yasha Okami, his voice always thick with the accents of Takigakure, responded to Akabayashi’s request for entry.

A rough, hairy hand opened the two colossal bronze and wood doors inwards to a large, cavernous room, allowing the group inside. The floor was marble of multipanel colored marble, and overhead was the towering vaulted ceiling with massive arches and columns. On the right side of the Room stood a raised gallery connected to other Unseen University areas, including the Kage office. Many windows with stained glass allowed sunlight to enter the left side of the Starfall Hall.

The Kage’s Oaken chair was on the opposite side, atop a raised dais climbed up to by two sets of wide steps of rough black stone, and on the chair sat a dark-haired, clean-shaven youth of eighteen years.

Ayato Hyuuga, the Seventh to bear the title of Kage, looked every bit the part today. He wore long-sleeve elaborate robes are as black as the night sky, tied with a purple linen sash around a thin and free muscle fat waist. Over the robes, the white sleeveless Kage surcoat reaching down to the ankles. The traditional Kage Hat was across his lap.

“Welcome, everyone. I hope my trusted comrade Akabayashi didn’t give you a hard time on the way here.” The Kage said, his baritone voice carrying across the hall. “It appears you have broken the law in the village, and we found ourselves in this unfortunate situation. Fu of Konoha and Kita Hajime of Kirigakure. Explain yourselves.”

Yasha recognized that the latter was the young, thin boy with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. He remembered thinking when they met in the alley that his most defining characteristic was his stormy gray eyes. 

Ayato’s words were polite, and in the kind, courteous tone, he always addressed others. However, Yasha did not need the Uchugan to see his Kage’s true feelings. There was a literal elephant in the room that hinted at how he truly felt. On the foot of the steps and to the left, a man whose frame exceeded the expectation of a human’s shape should look stood vigilant.

The behemoth was closer to eight feet than seven and covered in armor from head to toe and underneath chainmail and boiled leather layers. Only his hands lay exposed, with fingers thick and fat like sausages. Over the armor, a white cloak pinned at the soldier with a golden broach. The handle of a greatsword poking over that very same shoulder. The massive sword was beautiful and strong, and most men would find themselves only able to lift it with both their arms, yet Yasha’s brother in arms could do it with only one and swing it as elegantly as if it were an extension of his own body.

“People in Hoshi liked to whisper that if you saw him, you were likely having the worst day of your life.” Yasha thought, feeling his heartbeat rise underneath the black tunic of his kimono patterned with golden clouds.

The Winter Knight was the only name he was known, and it was no secret that only the Hogokage knew the goliath’s actual name, who he was in his past life. Yet that information had not been made public knowledge into the village. 

There were many speculations of his identity as few men matched his size. The more popular of these theories was that the reanimated corpse of Kyousuke Snow, the third Kage of the Star. He was brought to life by some dark shinobi sorcery or perhaps the sheer willpower to deliver justice to all enemies of the village. He did the former and did it very well.

Yasha released a silent prayer that the Knight would not need his sword today. And that the Starhall’s fine marble floor using blade today.

WC: 634

“I wonder where we are going…” Fu would think to herself, but the knot in her stomach was telling her that she already knew the answer to her question. Fu sat upright atop Archie’s back while the large brown bear drudged behind the group, doing his best to match their pace and not fall behind. For a bear he was rather smart- much smarter than the average bear and could sense the unrest in his human companion, so he did his best not to fuss. As the group traveled, their leader would disperse in a cloud of smoke, a shadow clone, and the original would soon join us. Hoshi was a strange place. For the entirety of the commute, Fu would do her best to remain calm, although she could not completely erase the slight scowl she was wearing in response to Kita dragging her into this mess. Kiri ninja had been making things difficult for her, her whole life and now one had conveniently stumbled into a whole different country and did it again.
 
Not long after the group departed, they would arrive at a building which Fu assumed was their destination. Now here, their liaison, the Nova, would turn to them and offer them some advice as to how to act once inside and going as far as to warn them not to lie because they had the mad doctor in custody and he had most likely snitched already. Fu was having a hard time determining the disposition of the Nova, whether he was a friend, a foe, or someone just simply doing their job. Akabayashi informed Fu that Archie would have to remain outside due to the structure of the building, which was understandable. Most people did not want a 2-ton predator walking around their property- especially inside. To this, Fu would simply nod her head to the Nova in acceptance and let out a compliant hum. Next, Fu would lower herself from Archie’s back and then motion to his face and touch his nose with her hand while looking Archie in his large brown eyes, “Stay here. I’ll be back soon. Try not to eat anybody while I’m gone, okay?” Even Archie felt uneasy and in response to the girl’s words he would let out a reluctant moan as if he did not entirely trust what she was telling him.
 
Now that Fu had said her good-byes to her bear, the group would enter the building and past a set of guards that did not try to stop them. Now inside, the Nova presented credentials to yet another set of guards which appeared to be sufficient. Now verified, the group would move deeper into the building. A lump was now forming in her throat, and she was entirely sure that they were in the building that served as the Kage’s headquarters. The Nova reached a door and rapped it with his fist hard, creating an echoing sound on the other side, alerting to whoever was within that they had arrived.
 
“You may enter.” A voice would echo back. The accent of the man sounded familiar to Fu, like home (Fu is originally from Takigakure), but the familiarity was quickly derailed as the colossal bronze and wooden doors opened inward to reveal a large, cavernous room. Fu entered the room behind Akabayashi and Kita, her head looking towards the ceiling. The grandeur of the room was like nothing she had seen back in Konoha. The floor was made of marble and the ceiling consisted of massive arches and columns. After a few awe-inspiring moments, Fu’s attention would switch from the décor to the person that was seated in a chair atop of a raised dais. The individual was, with no doubt, the Hogokage. He was young with fair skin and his face clean shaven. He wore elaborate dark robes that were adorned by the formal Kage surcoat.
 
Now, fully inside and before the Kage, Fu stood at the back of the group, staring at the boy, studying him. He did not appear to be any older than her, but despite the fact, he felt much more important. From atop the dais, he made Fu and the others look and feel like ants. It didn’t take long for the Kage to address the group and get down to business. They were here for a reason: Fu and Kita had supposedly broken the law in the village and now their infraction would be addressed. Fu’s eyes would dart to the back of Kita’s head, wondering what words he would spew out.
 
It didn’t take long for her to take their fate into her own hands. Kita had already gotten them this far, if she allowed him to take point then they were both as sure as done. After all, they were both just Genin in town for a diplomatic reason, the Chuunin Exams. If they confessed without lying maybe the repercussions would be less severe and the situation would be easier to navigate. Fu pushed by Kita, her shoulder bumping into his slightly as she passed. Now front and center before the Kage with her head tilted towards the top of the dais, the short blue haired, orange-reddish eyed, tanned kunoichi, would lock eyes with the man and speak in an affirmative, yet submissive tone. “Lord Hogokage, My name is Fu of Konoha. I apologize sir, but I”, she stuttered thinking of Kita, “I mean, We…, did not know that what we did was against the Law in your village.” Their hailmary had been cast and all she could do now was wait and see what the Hogokage’s response would be. Behind Fu’s lips she would grit her teeth, “Where are you Wan…”


TWC: 956

Nature Stacks: 1/6

The doors before them swung open like the gates to hell, and a voice called for them to enter. Kita gave a final thought about trying to run. They didn't bind his hands or take his weapons. Maybe he could try to make a dash for it? A quick look back at their escort was enough to dismiss the thought. Kita took a deep sigh and stepped into the room in question.

The Hogokage sat there calmly, looking down at the criminals below. His eyes were piercing, and his gaze haunted the boy. He would do anything to shrink down to the smallest possible size and crawl away if he could, but he couldn't. Not here, not now. He was only a couple of years older than Kita was, yet he had already been placed as the leader of the village. What powers did he possess, what things had he done to make him worthy of the title? Yet as terrifying as the Hogokage was, he didn't hold a candle to his nearby bodyguard, a large, powerful warrior in white, standing as tall and imposing over the poor, tiny boy. His sword made Kita's seem tiny in comparison, a mere toothpick compared to the greatsword at his back. He may not have held the same reputation in Kita's mind as his master, but there is something to be said about the primal fear of seeing a potential threat with muscles larger than your head.

When the Hogokage spoke, his words rang clearly over the dais upon which he sat to the group below, practically echoing throughout the chamber they sat in. Kita supposed that was the point, making the room as big as they could, and placing their accuser high above the accused. It was designed to make them feel small and tiny in Kita's mind, which the room was quite effective at doing. Thinking about the intent with which the chamber was designed brought some degree of comfort however. It was a small solace in a way, though the boy couldn't place his finger on why. Maybe knowing that the intention was to frighten, made it less scary? Whatever the case, Kita didn't have time to think on it. He was asked a question, and only a fool would ignore a kage. Regardless of whether or not they were of another village.

Kita tried to open his mouth to say something. The effort to do was was massive. Kita's jaw was cemented in place, wired shut from the stress of this scenario. A thought crossed his mind, a moment of anger and rage at his own weakness. Here he was, cowering in place when there was so much on the line. He was supposed to represent his village. How is cowering supposed to convey Kirigakure's might? Better yet, why was Kita so scared? Was he so useless, so weak, that he couldn't open his mouth? Yet before Kita accomplished the Herculean Effort to stand up to the man before him, Fu pushed to the front to explain themselves. Indeed, her words rang true. Kita couldn't speak for her, but it was true for himself. He didn't know about the illegality of transplants. Indeed, how could he know? Kita nodded along with what she said, finally wrenching his jaw from its place in his mouth.

"H-Honest! How were we supposed to know? Nobody ever told us anything about this!"

Kita winced in pain, and his hand worked its way over to his side. It still burned like fire, sending waves of heat through his body. Was he rejecting the new liver? If he was, why did he feel so... invigorated? Kita looked up at the Hogokage once more to gauge his reaction. Maybe he hadn't seen the boy gripping his side as he did?

"What... What're you going to do to us?"

Word Count - 642

Total Word Count - 1023

Jutsu Used:

Yasha Okami had always wanted to be the hero of a song.

There were always singers visiting Takigakure, and it seemed there were several ways to become such a hero, but most involved being a shinobi. And, as he grew, it turned out that Yasha had a talent for combat—that strange, secret alchemy of strength and grace, quickness and patience—that caught the eye first of the elder monk, and later, the shinobi system.

After his enlistment, that system gave him proper training, a refined ability born and bred in the slugfests, just as he was known as The Eight Gates. He took to victory after victory in the genin tourney circuit until his bicep gave out on the eve of the Chuunin Exams. Yasha channeled his grief into the next day’s mêlée, and the eight gates felt like an extension of his body, cutting a swathe through the crush around him until he alone was standing.

He remained in Taki for three more years as a Chuunin and part of the village’s leader personal guard, and it was there that he saw a disaster—in the flesh for the first time. It was a mysterious missing-nin that launched an assault on takigakure. Why they were attacking, Yasha never discovered, but the image of the Taki tree burning over the night sky haunted his dreams after that.

The years went by like water after that. After the Queen of Haven’s death and her cousin claimed the Haven Throne as Queen, she announced the formation of Hoshigakure and a grand tourney to celebrate the occasion. Lord Crayford that Yasha was serving under made the long trek from The Suna border to Haven, joining crowds of knights, merchants, smallfolk, and even other shinobi all streaming north for a taste of the pageantry and glory.

It was, of course, Yasha that had gotten it in the end. It began, as it had before, in the close quarter’s melee. Unfortunately, however, that one was much larger than the one he’d fought in Takigakure, and the flower of the realm’s chivalry had all crammed themselves into the tourney field to beat one another senseless. His bare fists, as it turned out, were the perfect weapon under those circumstances.

That time, it was a small white-eyed boy from Konoha, coming barely to his chest, that presented him with the victor’s trophy. As Yasha accepted it, he found himself staring at his future Kage for the first time in his life.

Ayato Hyuuga always looked ordinary. A boy who was far from the most promising Genin prospect was later crowned Kage in the prime of his life. As a teenager, he was more plain than pretty but had a comforting sort of solidity and verily glowed with pride at his Hyuuga clan heritage. 

During close quarters training sessions, Yasha discovered that Ayato’s mother was not a shinobi but a noblewoman from Haven. Moreover, the Prince of Hyuuga had claimed the famous Pureblood ability as a boy, permanently locking himself away from transplants. Perhaps that was what made him seem normal, unlike the others who held the position of Kage in the past.

Yet, something was unbreakable behind that gaze of his white-grey eyes. Something that suggested he would fight to the bitter end and then some more. Yasha knew it, and the two Genin standing trial had begun to realize the same. There was no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man.

Ayato did not reply to their explanation once. Instead, he studied both the kids as they spoke, his brow furrowed. Kita Hajime sank nearly to his knees, quivering but what appeared to be pain more than respect. “The sinner stirs.” So the Kage observed to his Nova.

“You didn’t know.” The Hero of Hoshi snapped the words out in anger. “Buying human organs in a back alley offers a lot of opportunities to see why it may not be legal. Number one being, you are buying human organs in a fucking alley.” Ayato’s knuckles whitened from gripping the pommel of his chair hard.

The Star Hall went silent for minutes, or perhaps they were just seconds that to Yasha felt like a veritable eternity. The people appeared frozen in time, but they all struggled to wrap their minds around and fully grasp the situation. 

“Even though I took no such shortcuts, I know everything about being a Genin with ambition." The Seventh finally let out. "Akabayashi does not share my feelings, though. He learned all he knows in the wynds of Haven. Were I to put you in his hands, he might strangle you with your fancy belt or scoop your eye out with a spoon. I'd insist on only one, though. I would not wish to leave you unable to fulfill your duties to your villages. Missing ninja may well be on their way to attack us even now, however, so you must understand if I skimp on certain courtesies. I will ask this once. What do you wish to live for?”

WC:857

After Fu spoke, Kita would speak up as well; more or less echoing the same response that she provided, although his voice was much more shaken than hers. She wished for a moment that the Mist shinobi behind her was as cold as the ones that had invaded her village, but still, she could not blame him for being nervous and she would not allow him to bear this burden alone. Now that they had answered the Hogokage’s question, the two Genin along with the others in the room, would wait in suspense as Ayato did not respond right away, but instead observed the two Genin on trial.  
 
He finally spoke, criticizing their reasoning that they did not simply know it was illegal by suggesting that their actions in general were sketchy and they should have known better. Fu wanted so dearly to interrupt the boy and explain that there had been a sign and several other signals that indicated that their actions could be justified, but she knew better than to speake out of turn regardless of what she had to say, so she remained silent. By this point, the Kage was gripping the pommel of his chair, out of anger, so tightly that his knuckles turned white and again the room would go silent for what felt like an eternity. During the silence, Fu stood still at the base of the staircase leading up to dais where the Kage was sitting- the gap between them feeling as though it was increasing despite no obvious changes in dimensions in the room.
 
After a moment, Ayato would speak once more- his tone of voice seeming to change as he spoke words that came off as almost sympathetic to Fu. He reminisced on his time as a Genin and understood the ambition that came along with it, but despite this, rules were rules and Kita and Fu had broken them and now punishments were in order. Although at the focal point of this punishment, Fu understood that as a young Kage, he could not simply let them go- it would show weakness in the eyes of others- if he cared for such politics which she assumed he did. What he asked them next though would totally catch her off guard.
 
“What do you wish to live for?” He asked them, and by them, not the Nova or the behemoth knight who were also in the room, but the two sinners. The Hyuuga wished to delve deeper into the Genin’s character by learning something about them that he could not simply assess by looking upon him with his dojutsu- he wanted to know what they were made of- what made them tik. If their responses were not of anything substantial, then he would most likely be fine with ridding the Earth of such scum with no potential, but if the two offered something that would catch his attention, then maybe, just maybe there was an opportunity for the two to walk away from all this with their lives.
 
For a moment, Fu did not answer as she contemplated what to say. She was not the best when it came to articulating her words, especially when her response would potentially be determining the out-come of Kita’s life and hers. “What is it that I live for…?” she thought to herself as she pondered her response.
 
 
Imagery of a massive burning tree in the background and a shinobi woman with multiple injuries could be seen doing her best to run as fast and far away from the battle as she could. In her arms was a bundle of blankets with a small girl wrapped inside with tan skin and blue hair. The woman would fall to her knees just steps before a covered wagon with other children inside. A man in neutral clothing would approach the woman as she cried out to God, “Please save my baby!” A moment later the, the bundle of blankets would be transferred from the woman to the man and the shinobi woman would fall face down on the ground and succumb to her injuries- her blood soaking the already damp Earth.
 
The next scene would be a young girl, approximately the age of 6, running fast and hard away from a small home with a smoking chimney. They girl was wearing tattered clothing without shoes and was gripping a large piece of bread that she had just stolen from the orphanage she had been staying. In the doorway was a woman waving her hands and then attempting to run after the small child to no avail. “Fu! Come back!” the woman would yell, but the small child would continue to run into the horizon, never to return.
 
Another scene would ensure, this time it was the same girl, but amongst a group of several other children all in similar plain clothing in a dark lit concrete room. There would be scenes of the children being treated harshly by shinobi with Leaf Anbu masks and completing difficult trainings one after another. One scene would depict the children practicing hand-to-hand combat, another scene they would be them kneeling on uncooked rice, another scene would be them hunting animals in the woods or swimming across long distances. During one of the trainings the students would be seen practicing with wooden weapons and at the center of attention was a tan skinned girl with blue hair facing off against another student. The blue haired girls’ wooden weapon would come crashing down upon her opponent, causing them to fall to their knees and beg for mercy. The voice of an adult could be heard instructing the tan girl to ‘Finish her!’. The tan girl hesitated for a moment and a tear crawled down her cheek, but out of fear of retaliation, she would force the weapon down upon the head of the kneeling child.
 
Several years later the same tan girl with blue hair could be seen curled up on a small cot in an even smaller room where she lived alone. Light shown through the singular window of the rented room and would illuminate the pages of an old children’s book that depicted large chakra beasts. The pages had been worn down from use and were barely still intact.
 
A final scene would occur of Fu would remember the day she met Wan and how he took her away from the Leaf, brought her to Suna, and gave her life a feeling of purpose and showed her companionship and friendship.
 
Fast forwarding to the present, Fu would take a deep breath and open her eyes. She was ready to answer Ayato’s question and was willing to face any consequences that may follow. In an assertive, but emotional voice, Fu would shout to the heavens, “My life is not worth much, but if you are asking what I live for then there are two things. The first however is an obsession and the other is a purpose, but without the first then I will be unable to truly accomplish the second.” Fu’s body language had unconsciously become more comfortable as she her character was developing before her. “I will become the worlds best Hunter and use the Biju to bring about world peace. My purpose however…” She paused for a moment before continuing. “My purpose is to protect the ones I love and those who cannot protect themselves! I am willing to die for this!”
 
Fu had nothing more to say. For the first time in her life, she truly felt that she had uncovered her purpose and a rush of euphoria would validate that her feelings and words had come into perfect alignment. Now that her mind had been made up, she had no intentions of going back on her word and if she needed to, she would sacrifice herself if that meant Kita could escape.
 
WC 1318
TWC: 2274

Nature Stacks: 2/6

Kita quaked against the bitter words of the kage before him, recoiling from his words as if they'd brought physical pain to the boy. Tears welled in his eyes, and he could not meet the gaze of his accuser. There were a dozen things Kita could've said. The signs leading to the alleyway, the fact that such measures weren't illegal in their own villages, the lack of warning from their supervisors. Yet none of these things crossed his mind. His thoughts were stilled, and he struggled to find any words or explanation to explain himself.

Kita sheepishly choked out another recitation of his same, tired story.

"It's the truth..."

Yet Ayato wasn't buying it. His face was stern and menacing, and his face burned with indignation. Yet the burning that was growing most concerning, was the pain at the boys side. It was spreading farther, and faster. Now it was no longer constrained to his liver, but to his stomach and pectoral. Yet with that pain came something else. An intrusive thought ran through Kita's head once again, dissipating some of the fear in his mind.

"I don't deserve to be treated like this."

Kita's teeth gritted. Yet this time, it wasn't from fear of the wrath that his judge would deliver. No, this was fury, the righteous fury of a boy at the boot of a tyrant. Yet as quickly as it came, it left, leaving Kita only with the choking fear that he came to this meeting with. Things were silent for a time after that. Everyone waited with bated breath for the judgement that would be delivered by the Hogokage. What was their lot to be? Kita couldn't even begin to guess. Clearly the crime was severe enough to be brought before the kage, meaning it was quite serious indeed. He wouldn't... kill them though... would he?

When Ayato finally spoke, Kita wasn't fond of it. Particularly when he heard what his subordinate would do to him if he had the chance, though the boy hoped that was more of a threat than an actual scenario he would have to worry about. Yet he asked a question that was rather odd, or puzzling given the scenario. What did they wish to live for? How strange was it that he would ask such a thing during their trial. Fu seemed to take the question rather seriously. Kita wondered whether he should as well.

He remembered that his goal in life was always to become a shinobi, ever since he was a little kid. He still remembered the stories and tales that his father had told him of. How shinobi were revered and respected as protectors and defenders of the village. Of the faraway lands that they travelled to, the foods that they tried and the adventures that they had. Less important to Kita was the stories of the beautiful women that he'd encounter, a factor of the shinobi life that Kita's Mother consistently scolded his father for filling the boy's head with, and promptly earned the man a whack with a rolled up newspaper every time it was mentioned. Yet being a shinobi was not why he lived. No, that was deeper, more integral.

Kita's brow narrowed as he attempted to think on it. What was important to him? He wanted to be happy. He wanted his friends to be happy. He wanted his village to be prosperous. His desire for those born without clans to be seen with the recognition and respect that they deserve. Yet was that really what it was all about? The longer Kita looked inside himself however, the less he liked what he saw. Why he had attempted to become a shinobi for so long when there were so many other methods to accomplish his goals? There were far more lucrative jobs that would've earned him a more lavish lifestyle than the one his father had offered him. More careers that would help people without getting blood on his hands. Why had he gone into that alley for the transplant in the first place, sacrificing an integral piece of himself for the power of a bloodline he strove to prove a shinobi didn't need? He knew the answer. Deep down, he knew. It was about imposing his will. His view of how the world should be. That's what it was all about, wasn't it? Remolding the world around himself in his image. The anger gripped hold once again, tearing through the fear that held him in place once again.

"NO. That's not me. That will NEVER be me! I do what I do to help people! I didn't do anything wrong when I got that transplant. It just makes my job as a shinobi a little easier, and therefore my goal of helping people. I won't let him try to scare me into thinking otherwise!"

Kita's head pounded with a headache as the heat spread further. It had reached the right side of his neck, mid right thigh, and right bicep by the time Fu had finished speaking. Kita could feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't place a finger on it. His head was hazy, and his emotions swapped violently between the panicked terror he felt before, and an inner fury that he couldn't control. There was a problem, but he couldn't stop it, not now. He wouldn't give this clown the benefit of a straight answer, not when he was so self righteous about his petty little morality. They hadn't murdered or hurt ANYONE. The crime was victimless, and yet here they were facing potential death for doing what any rational person would do in this situation. Ayato wasn't so superior because he never had to do what they did. He wasn't so superior because he was born with gifts and talents that they had to work to attain. He wasn't so superior because he sat in that chair.

"I won't tell you. What gives you the right to yell at us for breaking a law we've never been subjected to before, nor had any inclination that it existed. You don't get the right to ask us a question like that after dragging us away from our friends and holding us captive. If you think you can, you can go straight to hell!"

Some rational part of Kita's mind was screaming for him to shut up, to speak with respect to the man who could kill him before he even realized what was happening, and yet somehow he couldn't. The words leapt from his mouth without provocation, as if someone else had been saying him. Even his face seemed to be contorted in some strange way, his face scowling with a defiant fury against an unjust system, yet his eyes pooled with fear and tears.

Lord have mercy on his soul...

Word Count - 1141

Total Word Count - 2164

Jutsu Used:

Fu’s story had Ayato’s attention; as she spoke, a cloud of mist and grief began surrounding her. The ice-blood Kage stood faceless, silent, the shifting patterns of his black tunic that drank the sunlight making him all but invisible on that oaken chair. And there were moments that she seemed to lose time. 

“Your goals are greater than your morals, it seems.” The Hyuuga observed, raising a hand to his chin. “Hunting Bijuu? Next, you’ll be offering me Tobirama’s armor and a palace on the moon to buy. If you want to protect your sweet young friends, Fu of Konoha, do it with your power. Else the word will cut them to sweet young pieces.”

Hoshi natives believed that this striking duality of diplomatic pacifism and unwavering justice was always a defining part of Ayato Hyuuga. The Seventh might have been a hard person in the eyes of many, Yasha knew. But he was no more complicated than he had to be. 

“We are close to age, I think.” Perhaps that wasn’t news to the girl; Ayato was reasonably fit, tall and robust, but the Star’s Kage was a young adult. “Would it surprise you to learn that I have been a shinobi all my life? My father was a shinobi, and his before him, and so were my siblings every one. I was trained for battle the day they deemed me old enough to hold a Gentle Fist stance. I saw my share of them, but I never disgraced myself. ”

Disgrace. That was not an option for Ayato Hyuuga; even the word coming out of his mouth sounded wrong. It fell to him to bring Hoshi to greatness– just as he became a shinobi when he was no more than five years of age. Yasha knew he bore that burden for all his life, and being gentle and amiable in a world like this, others will mock you when they sniff that, hell even defy you openly as Kita Hajime did.

To his credit, Ayato Hyuuga didn’t flinch nor break eye contact with Kita as the boy unleashed his storm of words on him. “Little man, to you being a shinobi might mean to be a bully with a bag of tricks. But the law is what makes everyone in this world equal. So the law is sacred.” He said with ice in his voice. At the same time, Yasha wished to leap out of the way if Ayato decided to melt that ice with a fire breath.

“And you broke it, hardly a day after we welcomed you in as guests and my Genin left their armors at home to compete with friends. You disgraced yourself and the village whose colors you wear, and now you assume you can come into my hall and do as you please.”

Ayato glanced down at the Winter Knight’s who cast a monstrous black shadow against the white marble floor. That behemoth was capable of striking fear to the devil himself. However, anxiety can freeze you on track but also spur you forward. And unfortunately, it did the former for Kita Hajime of Kirigakure. 

The Kage did not need to use his Byakugan to notice. “Yasha, the sinner is tired and can't possibly continue the hearing in his state. However, this court can’t do him such discourtesy, help him wake up from whatever it is that he is daydreaming about.” 

The Nova had to be quick before The Vulture or Ayato, or god forbid the Knight, took action against the boy. Yasha Okami, two meters to the right of Kita, shifted at his feet. “My son, how you have come to be so lost.” The Nova thought as he formed a fist and spun his body with so much force that it felt like his lower back would snap. The strike of his lead arm, a vacuum of air the size of a fist, took flight aimed at Kita’s right ribcage, where the liver that caused him to stir was. 

If the landing of the strike were successful, the following effects would apply. First, the blow would damage the lower ribs of the right rib cage and hit the liver, the center of blood circulation, causing the boy to lose focus and drive and the ability to breathe correctly. Second, a crispy right hook would land across the boy’s face, not hard enough to knock him out of consciousness but hard enough to knock a few teeth down on the white marble floor. After confirming that the series of strikes had landed, Ayato would speak.

“The little man endures. But, unfortunately, it appears that we broke a few of your teeth, Kita Hajime. Oh, but I'll tell you that I didn’t know, and that will mend them back together as you rot in a lowlife cell, I trust.” 

--------
WC:807
Boring shit

Spoiler:

It was true. Fu’s obsession of battling with legendary beasts was not something that most people would understand or could even begin to comprehend. Of course, if she were anyone else and a Genin had confided in her that they planned to run around and fight Biju, she too would probably think they were insane or had a death wish but despite the Hogokage’s criticism, he did offer her some solid advice. Fu could not object- she knew that receiving the transplant was not the most moral thing to do, but with risks came rewards, and the rewards were necessary to accomplish her goals.
 
Ayato made a comment about the two of them being close in age. As the two staired into each others eyes, their youth would show upon their faces, both smooth and filled with passion although their passions deriving from much different backgrounds and motives. He then shared that he had been a shinobi his whole life from the moment he was able to hold a Gentle Fist stance, a fighting style native to the Hyuuga clan that were originally from the village she represented, however this information did not affect Fu in the slightest- in fact, it made her more passionate. She was a refugee, a child with no home nor family, who did whatever necessary to survive. She did not belong to a royal family or a rare bloodline, she was not special and in the absence of inherent potential- working hard was the only option.
 
“I wouldn’t expect you to understand.” Fu would state in response to his story, continuing to hold eye contact with the Hyuuga, her face in a scowl. “Unlike you I was not born with any inherent abilities or into a prestigious family. I’ve never had a mentor or someone that’s cared about me. Ever since I could remember I have been alone and have done whatever necessary to survive, so I apologize when I say this, but I don’t care about disgracing anyone, as long as my actions do not harm those who are innocent.” Whether the Hogokage agreed with her sentiment or not, he would have to respect her. The two were from completely separate backgrounds, but despite their origins, they still had a common understanding of serving their villages.
 
Next up was Kita who, unsurprisingly, would say several things that he should of thought about before blurting out in their current circumstances. In Fu’s eyes, he was still naïve to what it meant to be a shinobi, but she could not blame him. Shinobi came in all different shapes, sizes, and ages and each learned at their own pace. Some shinobi achieved the ranks of Anbu in her village before becoming a teenager while other grown men struggled to graduate from the rank of Genin well into their twenties. Although, Fu still felt disheartened that Kita did not live up to the reputation of the ‘bloody mist’. “Kita you idiot.” Fu would think to herself, as the Hogokage reprimanded Kita. It was one thing to declare your shinobi way, but it was another to argue pointlessly about the laws of a foreign nation.
 
Next thing Fu knew, the behemoth in white armor would shift his stance in response to the Hogokage’s seemingly encrypted words, and a large fist would find itself plunging into both Kita’s ribs and face, knocking several teeth onto the floor, and leaving the boy unconscious. The sudden discipline made Fu tense up, but she was not yet ready to risk both of their lives for a few punitive strikes for stepping out of line. “That’s for garnishing my wages.” Fu thought to herself, feeling a strange sense of pleasure from seeing the Kiri shinobi receive a dose of their own medicine, even if Kiri occupying Konoha wasn’t a creation of the Genin’s own doing. Kita being silenced was honestly not the worst thing that could have happened as it now allowed for Fu to lead the remainder of the conversation on their behalf without worrying about Kita saying anything else that may lead to more trouble.
 
“So what do you plan on doing with us?” Fu would finally get to the point, not wanting to wait until the large white knight decided to break her ribs as well. Prison honestly didn’t sound like a terrible thing at this point since Fu was confident that she could escape or someone would come for them eventually, but a feeling in her gut told her that would not be the case.
 
WC: 755
TWC: 3029
Nature Stacks: 3/6