Together, Ne? [Open]

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

Things were always so still after battle, the thick stench of copper and ash filling the air with an almost choking scent. It was almost impossible to not know what had just occurred, and even the least intelligent of genin would have realized how serious the situation really was. Dead bodies littered the ground, both Konoha and Oto alike, and it was painfully evident that neither side had really made any ground. There was silence throughout the area, distressing and poignant, and then the spell was broken by a single childish voice.

“ Ne, it was pretty, ne ne?”

Innards were splayed all around, hanging off of some of the lower branches like grotesque decorations, still glittering from their recent disturbance. It had been a magnificent display of cunning and power, and Tsugiate giggled at the memory, replaying the exact moment that the other man had exploded over and over in his mind. The resulting spray of gore had covered the area, staining trees, stone, and of course, the Oto-nin who was now in near hysterics from laughter. Orochimaru-sama had said that the job would be hard, that it would hurt, but instead the forces from dear Otogakure no Sato had triumphed over the meager guard that Konoha had placed.

Well, truthfully, the mission was not supposed to have involved violence, but a botch made by one of the other jounin on the team had resulted in the local Shinomori guard being called. Of course the village’s forces hadn’t been composed of elite units, but still, the Konoha shinobi had proved to be a rather obnoxious thorn in the side of Oto’s recognizance unit. There had been no way to avoid confrontation, and so it had been decreed that the opposing force had to taken out in any way possible.

Which of course meant that Tsugiate had had the time of his life.

Painted a deep red, with flecks and goblets of tissue still clinging to his thin form, the vacant-eyed man was crouched before a tiny patch of wilting flowers, running his gore-encrusted hand over their soft, dying petals. He was whispering softly, his words punctuated ever so often with a small, crystalline laugh that appeared to be incredibly out of place for the setting. Indeed, it appeared that he wasn’t at all phased by the surrounding carnage, much more focused on the plants before him, blocking the rest of the world out for the time being. The fact that the rest of his squadron had perished along with the enemies was inconsequential; they had been in the way of his explosions, and they had paid the price. Ah well, at least they had splattered so prettily, that was fun.

Any thoughts of being intercepted or caught again had managed to worm their way out of the half-mad shinobi’s mind, and thus caution was clearly missing from his demeanor and actions. No, the flowers needed someone to talk to and that was much more important. After all, they’d been so neglected and abused in the forest, they obviously needed comforting. “Ne ne ne?”

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[yumiko]

The soft footsteps of the young missing nin delicately broke the foilage of the forest floor. She was wandering seeking out something to call fun. She took a deep breath and let it out almost silently. She looked around her and smirked she wondered what this lovely misery ridden forest was used for and who would want such a lovely place in the first place.

As she walked she tilted her head side to side letting her hair come within inches of the ground either way and then snapped to attention when she heard the soft voice of what she thought was a child. She silently smirked as she thought about what the childs fate could be if she didn't make it to them but if she did she could take them with her and have a student.

I wonder would a student be worth the trouble? No they would get in the way and i have no need for trouble or the winning. I would end up skinning them alive, might as well go see if i can help make their passing more painful and quicker she thought.

When she came around and saw the carniage she smirked and looked at the single person left. She tilted her head and saw that they were talking to a dying flower. So that's whats making the childish noises, They might not be useless and need to die but they do need to shut up she thought as she walked up behind him.

She carefully stood behind him her blade in her hand sitting on on the top of her boot as she said "What could a flower possibly have to say that would make a shinobi act like a Freaking child?" She said as she stood there in her red outfit. She was not happy having found an idiotic shinobi in the middle of nowhere but she would see if they knew where they were at the moment.

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

There was a crunch, crunch, crunch of boots upon dead vegetation, but Tsugiate decided he really didn’t care about whomever was approaching. If something was wrong, the flowers would tell him, yes; even when they were ailing, they were still the best judge of character that he had ever met. If they weren’t worried, then he had no reason to be, so he merely let the other approach, not even bothering to turn his gaze around to look at whomever was disturbing his quiet time. “Ne, I told you, we’ll get water. I need water too, just like you~ Water and sun and medicine~”

It was very true, he was incredibly thirsty at that point, relying on moisture just like his plant brethren to keep up his vitality and health, and the gloom of the forest, while pretty, was beginning to sap some of his strength. Actually…now there was a problem. The medical shinobi that had been carrying the precious vials of narcotics was dead, his packages blown apart in the blond man’s explosions, and there was no one to administer the treatments to Tsugiate. His brow furrowed in displeasure, but suddenly his mind shifted again, and he finally decided that the approaching body was probably somewhat some what important.

A small gob of muscle tissue ran down the side of the Oto-nin’s face, and he smiled angelically, completely ignoring the slimy sensation in favor of focusing on the flowers before him and the woman behind. The stench of blood was beginning to curdle, fading from the distinctive coppery scent to the much fouler tone of drying gore. It was a sickening setting, to say the least, but it didn’t phase the demented shinobi in the least bit. Quite the opposite, actually, as he had been conditioned to enjoy such sights with a childish abandon. She had spoken though, and with such a voice that he cringed; it was reminiscent of nails on the cold stone walls of his cell, and the prickling sensation down his spine wasn’t too comfortable.

“They’re much nicer then you, lady,” he commented brightly, the words followed by a snippet of rather hysterical giggling. “Shut your mouth, be nice, we’re dying.”

He paused for a moment, then turned his vacant gaze upon the newcomer, “say the flowers, ne.”

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[yumiko]

Yumiko growled at the boy. She didn't like how he was talking to her. She didn't really care about much more then finding out where she was and getting away from this boy. He was of no use she was seeing if he enjoyed the company of those retched flowers. She hated being reminded of her past and her tone of voice grew darker. She hated feeling alone since her master's death but she had little choice.

"Well maybe i would be nicer if those retched flowers didn't put me in such a foul mood, I hate being reminded of my past and i hate it more when people tell me what to do," she said as she started to carefully bounce her blade on the edge of her boot. She started to look at the boy's physical appearance and found that despite the carniage that was around him and the gore that ran down his face he didn't look to terribly old.

Maybe he acts this way to lure people in maybe thats how he killed...no destroyed all these around him. Maybe he wouldn't be such a bad kid to travel with, she though as she tilted her head. She reached into her pack and pulled out some water. She smirked after she took a sip. She then said "Want some water?" she didn't like sharing her resources but maybe if she was a little better it would not be so bad when she decided to ask him questions.

She stood there seeming restless as she held the bottle of water out for him the cap just sitting on the top of the bottle. She didn't like being held up but maybe she would get to know this kid and pursuade him to join her on her travels or at least get him somewhere he would be less annoying. Why am I caring what happens to this boy? Why do i care if he lives? Maybe its because it reminds me of what could have happened if my master didn't take me in, God I hate Irony

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

“We don’t remind you of anything if you hate us,” came the response, the Oto-nin shrugging out of one of the sleeves of his shirt. The pale, crimson-stained material pooled lazily at his waist, revealing half of a white torso with a distinctive blue patch messily sewn onto it. “Say the flowers, ne.”

For the first time, Tsugiate bent back, looking upside down at the woman he had been conversing with, a bright, if somewhat disturbing, grin lighting up his sickly features. The tissue that had bee stuck to his cheek suddenly fell, dislodged by the gravity and fell to the ground with a wet noise, but the paid it no mind, his dull eyes slipping shut in a gesture of contentment. “You look strange, ne?”

It was a precarious position, but somehow the man managed to keep his balance, never swaying, but perfectly posed, just like a statue. If it hadn’t been for the slow rise and fall of his chest, perhaps he could have appeared as some strange sort of art exhibit, all painted red, but ever so slowly he opened his eyes again, the tiny shrunken pupils focusing on the bottle extended before him.

“Ne ne, the strange lady is nice, don’t you think?” Childish enthusiasm was evident in his voice as he reached up to grab the item, wobbling dangerously on the balls of his feet as he bent even further backwards. “Ne, you’re right!”

He barely managed not to topple over backwards, but somehow Tsugiate was able to keep his balance and pull himself back up, knocking the cap off of the water bottle in the process. Without a second thought, half of the liquid had been dumped over his head, small rivulets running down his face and dripping off of his now-flat hair. However, a good portion seemed to touch his skin, then just disappear, as if absorbed into the Oto-nin’s body. He continued on as if nothing was wrong, pouring the remaining water onto the flowers, singing happily under his breath all the while. “Aa hitofude de mieru subarashii sekai~”

He looked back for a moment, eyes still shut in happiness. “Thank you very much…say the flowers~”

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[yumiko]

Yumiko studied the boy and wondered what had made him act so strangely but that was not her buisness. She shook her head and sighed. Do you know where we are?" she asked as she prayed he knew but she knew if he was like this child likeness then he might not know.

She took a deep breath and tried to be patient. She didn't like having to exibit patients since she was use to being able to get her answers easily and quickly. She liked not having to accosiate with people who made her feel less intellegent in there presence.

Yumiko shifted her self and twirled her blade in her hand a little bored. She didn't like standing still that was one thing and two she didn't know what she would do if this child like boy continued to act like a child. She was sure she would freak out on him and storm off but she was trying to not do that.

When he talked about the flowers talking she rolled her eyes she knew he had problems but smiled a smile that was not quite a smile. She tilted her head the other way and watched him he wasn't wet which was curious but she didn't care either. She found him interesting if only he would act older then he was acting right now.

As she stood there he looked a bit cute in a childish way but she pushed those thoughts away from her current thoughts of him since he was annoying her right now and she didn't have time to think like that. She didn't understand where the cute thoughts had come from. She took a deep breath and wondered if this was all an act or if he really was this childish if he was lord help those who had to deal with him.

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

“Where…we…are…?” The question was met with a blank stare and an air of confusion. Tsugiate furrowed his brow childishly, looking upside down at the other shinobi again. He blinked a few times, then gazed back down at the flowers, whispering softly under his breath hurriedly, though it was much too soft for anyone to make out his words. Every once in a while he would shake his head or motion with his hands, obviously having a very heated conversation with the plants that the rest of the world wasn’t privy to, which made for an even more bizarre aura surrounding the area.

“The fire one, the one with the heroes…say the flowers, ne.” The discussion had finally finished, and he nodded back at the woman, smiling brightly. Vague memories of why he had been sent to the area in the first place were starting to bubble up, but he ignored them in favor of petting the plants before him again, running one bloodstained finger over their soft petals. “That one that nobody likes, ne ne.”

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Tsugiate rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, the tune rising back to his lips, and he giggled before starting back into his song. “Marukaite chikyuu, marukaite chikyuu~”

The fact that he was probably in grave danger didn’t even register, as self-preservation was probably the last thing that ever surfaced in his mind in times of peace. After all, it had been so long since he had been allowed outside, and the plants here had such nice things to say, even if they were a bit pessimistic and grumpy. Ah well, that was probably because of the lack of light, he surmised, and they had every right to complain about that; he himself hated being locked away down in the basements, after all. Without the sun, everything withered, himself included, and there had been many times when Orochimaru’s aides had imprisoned him in the lower barracks as punishment for ruining a particularly important mission. He had almost gone out of his mind with weakness, which said quite a bit, really. “So, is the scary lady one of the heroes that everybody hates, ne?”[/size][/blockquote]

[yumiko]

Yumiko wanted to knock some sense into the boy when he started to fight with the flower in a conversation she was just about glad she was not able to see. She watched and studied Tsugite. She didn't understand what had caused him to be like this and wished she had known that he was just like a child.

Yumiko heard him say the fire one. She sighed so she was in the fire country and so that would mean she would possibly be within Konoha. She growled she didn't know which hidden village she had originally been from but she didn't like any of them very much as a wide spred blanket just to be safe. She hated her mother for the past she had but now knew she was what they might concider a Missing Ninja due to her knowledge of ninja techniques.

Yumiko heard his question of if she was from Konoha she sneared and said "No, I don't know where i come from, I guess i would be concidered a Missing nin if anyone knew i was alive but no one knows nor cares so I am Forgotten, No one cared enough besides my master about me," She finished with a growl as she looked at Tsugiate.

A hero pfft No one would dare call me a hero, if anything they would call me a demon, I will never forgive my mother for abandoning me all those years ago and leaving me to fend for myself. She had left me to die for that she can rot in my personal hell She thought as she looked towards a way she thought would be out. She took a step towards Tsugiate and said "Want to travel with me for a bit?" With that she was sealing her fate if he said yes She was such a stupid girl sometimes.

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

The ranting and raving was utterly lost on the Oto-nin, and he just stared blankly throughout the entire tirade. There was no indication if he understood why the other shinobi was irate, but when she had finally finished he smiled warmly, “that’s nice, ne?”

Tsugiate flopped over backwards, finally overwhelmed by gravity, and landed with a small thud and a torrent of strangely high-pitched giggling. It was anything but endearing, more disturbing than any sort of threat that he could have spoken or action that he could have taken. The complete lack of understanding and fear was something that characterized his being, but it also presented him with a very abnormal, if not down right eerie presence.

Cold blue eyes stared up through a muss of corn-silk hair, not sparkling with mirth as they should have been, but dead and flat, registering no emotion towards the rage-infused kunoichi. Even the bloodless grin that was plastered across the man’s features was twisted; not entirely contrived, but not entirely honest either. The question came and passed, falling on ears that had temporarily been rendered deaf to the outside world. Still he stared, smiling as if there was nothing wrong in the world, the idle chatter from before effectively eliminated.

Minutes passed, and the only indication that the Oto-nin was even still alive was the very subtle rise and fall of his two-toned chest, but even that was almost impossible to observe. It was as if time had stopped, and whatever strange, child-like force had been animating his body had suddenly decided to take flight and abandon its shell. There was no emotion across his features, save for the hollow, puppet-like smile, the look of which would have probably sent many a lesser shinobi wandering off in disturbed concern.

Then, as suddenly as it had left, the spirit and enthusiasm returned to Tsugite’s limbs, and he laughed again, as if the entire ordeal had never happened. He narrowed his eyes, as if thinking very hard, then a worried look crossed his features. “Ano, no no no, they’re coming back with the medicine. Can’t leave without the medicine to make the ow stop. I don’t like the ow, no no no.”

[yumiko]

Yumiko shrugged then said "Fine i guess ill keep all the secrets i know about getting more medicin to myself then," She said as she started to walk off in one direction. She took a deep breath curious to see if he would follow her over her simple words. She silently chuckled to herself as she walked.

She let her good look fade as she turned from Tsugite. She hated acting all nice and sweet it made her feel sick. She took another bottle of water, her last bottle and took a sip. She put her bottle back in her pack. She shifted her blade up against her back she was not going to take any chances of her blade getting left behind. She started to walk slowly listening to hear foot steps behind her.

She tilted her head in a tic tock fashion as she walked her hair coming within inches of the ground. She was walking and wondering what she would do once she got to the town, She didn't know what kind of place this town would be and she was certainly not going to go hungry that was for sure. She hated not knowing what she was heading into and if she found out anything about her family she would go and show up.

She clentched her hands this boy made her think of the past she was denied but maybe he would be helpful possibly. She wondered what she would be able to manipulate him into doing or even if she could. She wondered if She would find the patients to deal with him once they were on their way to the hospital to get some medicinal stuff.

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

Perhaps a second or so passed, and suddenly there was a tall bundle of white and blond curled around the retreating woman, the blood-covered Oto-nin glomming onto her like she was the last person alive. An excited jabber of speech, but whatever language it was, it was entirely unintelligible to human ears. Whatever Tsugiate was saying, it was certainly fast paced and full of energy, happy yet entirely gibberish; after a moment or two, it suddenly switched into something more decipherable and words exploded from the blond as if he would die if he didn’t tell someone.

“DidtheysendyouandaretheycomingbackandIneeditnowtheowisstartingtocomebackpleeeassssse, ne?” It took a moment, but lanky limbs disengaged from around the other body, leaving behind bits and pieces of tissue sticking to the other’s cold skin. Instead, Tsugiate took to weaving around her as she walked, pointing at things that apparently only he could see and carrying on in the previous unintelligible language. Every so often he would stop and wander off to examine some obviously wild or mutated plant, talking to it with a grin on his face and prodding its leaves and flowers with an eager hand.

Though he had appeared nearly catatonic merely minutes ago, all the vigor had returned to his body, though after a while he began to whine back in his throat, quietly at first but growing louder as time wore on. Even the contented expression that seemed to be a part of his normal appearance was disappearing, replaced by a pained look that became more and more obvious as time wore on. “Ne, ne, ne…the medicine, they gave it to you? The ow is coming back, I need the medicine, the lady said she had the medicine, I need the medicine, neeeeeeeeeee…”

Even his voice had begun to lack enthusiasm, a stark contrast to only minutes earlier. He shivered, wrapping one arm around his body as a heavy twitch ran down his spine, “I need the medicine lady, pleaseeeeeeee.”

[yumiko]

Yumiko remembered the heavy drugs she had taken when the hospital had been counting. She sighed then growled as he had touched her when she didn't want him to. "Fine sit still and i will give you something to hold you off until we can get to where we are going," She said in a Really what did i get myself into voice.

She pulled out a small black bag and pulled out one vial and one syringe. She sighed and realized what this would do to her torture suplies. She would have to get some to replace it in this town. She grumbled slightly as she looked at the boy and worked on putting slightly more medicine in the syringe then should be required. She looked at him and her look said stick out your arm.

She stood there and waited. She had remembered how this seemed to be second nature after she took that one medical nin's med pack and started learning how to use it. She wondered if she had been given a chance would she have ever concidered being a medical nin. "probably not but then again i would be a different person so who knows,

[Tsugiate]

A spirit wild, heart of a child yet gentle still, and quiet and mild

“Please,” came a hoarse reply, devoid of any teasing or childish lilt. The light within the Oto-nin’s eyes had changed, and a glimmer of actual intelligence was surprisingly visible, unlike only moments before. Indeed, everything about the man’s demeanor had changed with the onset of the shaking and twitching, and he groaned softly, his jaw tightening and fist clenching for a moment before he looked back at the kunoichi with a pleading, hurt-filled gaze.

“Please, just-” The request was cut off by a pained gasp, and Tsugiate shut his eyes tight and bit his pale lower lip until it began to bleed ever so slightly. His innocent air had faded, replaced by the more wizened and complicated aura of a man in exquisite pain. As he offered his bare right arm to the other shinobi, his fingers twitched, the muscles of his bicep beginning to seize. It was a difficult task, but he managed to straighten the limb out, shuddering every so often as a particularly intense wave of pain wracked his body. The world was becoming muted, noises sounding as if they were being stifled by a thick layer of cotton, and even the small breeze on his skin was fading, replaced by an unpleasant stinging sensation. It had been far too long since he had been medicated, and the demons that haunted his dreams were starting to creep back up, bold without the drugs to sedate them.

“Hurry,” he managed to force out, voice ragged and rough as if he had been screaming. Truth be told he might have well been shrieking for what it was worth, and he grimaced and shook as yet another bolt of agony caused the muscles in his back to seize, causing him to straighten rather suddenly, without warning. The blond didn’t care about former rudeness now, he didn’t care about the nature surrounding him, didn’t even care that he could possibly be offering to be poisoned by a covert operative from another village; all that existed was the pain and the temporary cure for such, and that was all that mattered.

[yumiko]

Yumiko growled and took his arm. She bit her lip as she manuvered the needle into the vial and took out the amount she thought would knock him out so that she could just claim she had found him on the road knocked out. She had taken just over half of the vial. She didn't like the sudden change in the boy.

She wondered what had made him like this and if there was any way that he would ever be rid of his need for painkillers. She pushed those thoughts away as she concentrated on getting the needle into him without hurting him. She might have issues with how the boy was acting but she didn't want to hurt someone who might be able to be helpful to her if she could keep enough painkillers.

I might be able to find out where he is from and maybe drop him back in there care if i ever get tired of being his babysitter, but when he's not screaming for painkillers or so numb to the world is he actually normal? she thought as she took a deep breath and grabbed the boys arm.

She bit her lip as she went to put the needle into his arm she just prayed to anything that would listen to keep him still long enough for her to do what she needed to do. She didn't want to end up having someone bleeding on her now.