Haunting Pasts

[Leiko-hime]

The Sumiyaka was currently sitting in the middle of the thriving crowd, which consisted mainly of shinobi coming off duty in the late hours, as well as a few civilians who just preferred the night life. Shops lined the streets casting squares of glowing light, low colored lanterns decorated stalls, and hawkers called their wares to the passing people. It was like a constant festival that milled around her, passing her by and taking her back, back to the night when the world ended. So there she sat, on the street corner, a small plate of empty dango sticks beside her, the last one was in her hand as she nibbled absently on the sweet treat. Her legs were extended before her into the street, crossed at the ankles her geta dangling slightly from their straps and her toes. She could feel the masses of people that passed behind her with that sort of sixth sense that shinobi have, but all in all she was more or less ignoring the world, though she was doing some half hearted people watching.

Finally she let her hand drop into her lap, holding the empty dango stick between her fingers, her brown eyes roving upward to the half-blotted out sky. She’d never really been out at night like this, back in Suna you avoided being outside at night unless you were on duty, and even then you tended to bundle up; desert nights were downright frigid. Leiko shifted slightly as her bindings irritated her new wound, but otherwise ignored it. Her gaze lowering down as a singular loud, drawn out sound cut across the sounds of the crowd. It sounded like the baying of a hunting hound, mixed with the tell-tale ‘I’m here!’ call of the communicating wolf. Some people in the crowd paused to listen, others ignored it.

Though she supposed that the sound might have bothered some people, it was slightly haunting, she found it didn’t touch her much. Interesting, but she didn’t care.

She was too numb to care, too cold.

She had better things to do.

Though, she supposed, that was probably for her, they were probably hunting for her.

A small chilly quirk appeared at one corner of the Sumiyaka’s lips; they would not stop her from finding her retribution and alleviating this all consuming guilt that choked her like a tangle of vines.

The words felt even more like a promise, a vow, a truth as she sat there surrounded by a mockery of that night.

The Nukenin let her eyes focus back on the crowd, watching in absent interest.

[lovelovelove2]

Rinakai was becoming annoyed with not finding the outsider nin. It bothered her that this person could so easily slip from her grasp. Then again, it would do her fellow ANBU for the woman to be wounded in a battle with this powerful enemy.

*Should we continue the hunt Haki? I don't want to kill the ninja, I just had an obligation to fill. I wanted to ask why someone would kill ANBU, I highly doubt they did anything to the murderer.*
*I would also like to know why the person would kill for no purpose. Let us find them.*

They pushed on, with Haki-Uchi still following the scent. From the roof, the two trackers jumped into a alley and came out into the street. Rin's eyes followed the people milling about the road and sighed sharply. It wasn't going to be easy to find the outsider nin here. Her feet carried her into the crowds and the woman and demon wolf weaved their way through the street trying to catch the scent.

*Anything Haki?*
*Alittle, just ahead, a few people in front of us.*
*Go in front.*
*Yes, Mistress Rinakai.*

The big demon wolf trotted to pass Rinakai and to catch up with the outsider nin. The smells of the food and other things were making it harder for his powerful nose to hold onto the one scent. Haki-Uchi moved his legs faster, the scent was becoming stronger.

The ANBU woman lengthened her already long stride to stay in pace with her wolf companion. Her white eyes searched for anyone who looked suspicious. It was hard to tell, but sometimes, Rinakai got a feeling about these things.

[º•.Ki-Chan.•º]

The slight breeze that blew his short, stray strands across his face were nothing. He’d been in heavier, and much colder winds before. Still something made him tighten the folds of red material around his neck. Fingers curled around the end, tugging at it while the other hand stroked its surface gently. Despite his best effort, the day by night roughness of his life had begun to wear the strands of fabric down, causing it to break apart and reveal holes throughout. Still, even as it was dirty and tattered, he clung to it as if it were some long lost treasure handed down by the gods themselves. Though it meant nothing to anyone else, Haru would rather die then have the fabric removed, as he had many times proven. It had been given to him by someone special, someone that he cared for, someone that he…

And now he was here. And she was here. They were so close yet so far away all the time. watch her they said.Watch her, but never let her know you live. It had been hard for so long. Watching her struggle with her demons. She had lost Seiichi and thought he had lost him. He had wanted to tell her, let her know. But her life was worth more to him, then her tears. They were running neck in neck; but he couldn’t allow her life to be lost over it.

”Remember, lure her, but never let her know it is real.”

His hand released the red cloth and stretched out grabbing the man beside him. A dead glare is all he met before he’d feel nothing more. He’d had just enough time to open his mouth before the Shinobi dropped him and sped off, a small explosion sounding behind him.

”Never fucking travel with a pyro, dick.”

Haru was well aware of what he was to do. He’d do it as he needed to. No little prick of his was going to treat him like some brain dead child. If it weren’t for Leiko, he wouldn’t be under his finger to begin with. He’d of died first…but…he had to protect her. Save her. Like he was unable to do for Seiichi.

Getting into Konohagakure had been exceptionally easy. Apparently almost all the ANBU were running around the city like chickens with their heads cut off looking for some intruder. An intruder, which had slaughtered a few of their members. A slight smirk slid across his lips. Just arrived and already causing trouble was she? Good thing for him that the young ninja boys left at the gate were naïve and let him through as he seemingly had no weapons on him. A simple origami peddler wanting to share his paper folding skills with the world. How ridiculous.

Finding Leiko had been more of a serious issue then getting into the gates of the city. He was ready to give up and demolish a whole section of forest in pretty orange flames when he caught sight of her face. Yes, it was her. He’d been watching her for so long now, that he just knew that it was her. His eyes fell down and up, studying her figure, her potion. His heart ached and his stomach clenched in unbelievable pain. They had been sitting, eating that same sweet…when…

A soft snort reminded him that he needed to get this over with. A game of cat and mouse wit Leiko. They had done it so often before, tat it shouldn’t be a problem now. The sumiyaka was relaxed, and not expecting anything. Odd for someone that just slaughtered a team of ANBU? Not if you were Sumiyaka Leiko.

He made a quick movement to slips around behind her. Eyes focused in on his target, and slowly, like he were talking is prey, moved in closer to her. His lips, lightly brushed against her ear, a hoarse whisper leaving traces of his breathe across her bare skin.

”What has happened to you Leiko-Chan? You have changed, my hime.”

He let his lips trail down to plant a soft kiss upon her neck. It was fast, but it seemed to him like he lingered far too long then he should have. With that, he slipped back into the crowd before she could turn to grab, or even really see him. He knew she would be looking for him now, so as icing on his perfect cake, her looked over his shoulder and smiled as if nothing had ever changed.

He folded a crane as he weaved through people now. If he wasn’t fast, she would catch up, and he’d be caught. Thank goodness e could do this on the run! Inside the cranes wings was a messy, short message; Remember me, remember us. Remember that night” He blew softly, and the light paper lifted from his hands and fell to the ground under the feet of the trampling crowd. With that he kicked himself onto the roof and disappeared. He wasn’t afraid that she wouldn’t find the crane. She would, he knew she would. It was his Leiko-chan, after all.

As he slid out of main view of the public he could see an ANBU woman and some kind of canine. They were heading right in the direction of Leiko, and he was not pleased to see them. As if it were an automatic reaction he slipped a few bits of paper and some exploding tags from deep within his clothing. If she so much as THOUGHT about hurting her, he’d blow her ass to hell’s hell. He began to mutter under his breath. Not much was audible; but what was wasn’t very nice.

”Lay a finer on her, I dare you ANBU bitch.”
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[Leiko-hime]

At the first movement of breath stirring the fine hairs near her ear Leiko was already moving the stick from her dango upward, planning to jam the thing into the idiot’s eye for invading her personal space, however the voice and the words that spoke to her made her freeze in mid motion, her brown eyes going wide: She recognized that voice, that sounded like Haru! But… Haru was dead, and he couldn’t be… It had to be her imagination, but then she could swear she felt lips ghosting against the back of her neck, and immediately she whipped around, her eyes flickering with quick sharp glances over the crowd moving around behind her.

Her eyes went impossibly wider as she glimpsed that face framed by messy hair, and the trailing bound whip of black locks, the same teasing smile she was used to seeing on the training field, or just around Suna, and for once in her life time the Sumiyaka was completely off guard, and taken by surprise. Her lips parted in that classic jaw-dropping look of shock. She was stupefied, her brain had just shut down, and her heart was going between hopeful erratic beats, and the cold clenching of reality. Then the crowd closed in again, and she lost sight of him as he turned away from her.

"No!" She yelled, immediately she had a hold of her satchel and was on her feet, shoving her way through the crowd. Logic had fled her mind as she clutched desperately to what had just happened, hope that maybe it had all just been some figment of her mind as she mourned her brother, and worried about other things. She’d dreamed the nurse telling her he was dead, imagined that the second grave was his, and when she’d run off to try… To make up for it, to make herself worthy to visit his and Seiichii’s graves and beg their forgiveness for her failure, he’d followed her.

But, asked the traitorous, logical, cynical part of her. Why would he be walking away from you?

We used to do this all the time! she argued back desperately. When we trained around Suna, remember?

Just ahead of her she could see what looked like that long bound bit of his hair flickering between the masses, but then… It was just gone, and Leiko slowed to a stop, people milling passed around her like a river parting to either side of a rock. Glancing around, quickly she tried to spot him among the throng, but saw nothing. It wasn’t until someone kicked the little crane, and sent it skittering across the pavement, and luck would have it, right into her geta clad foot.

Slowly leaning down the rogue princess picked it up by one wing, she straightened her eyes reading the writing scrawled upon it’s perfectly formed wings. Leiko’s lips settled into a thin line, though there was a fine tremble to her hand. It felt like someone had poured ice cold liquid down her spine, and it was coalescing into crystals, piercing her skin as logic once again took hold of her.

Either I’m going mad, or someone’s playing a really sick joke. She realized, feeling nausea creep into her stomach. Paranoia slowly seeped into her, her head lifting to look around the crowd, then up toward the roofs. Licking her lips, she briefly tasted the residue of her previous treat. Her right hand slowly slid back to grip the hilt of her kodachi behind her, while the left curled around the crane, crunching the paper up in her palm.

She didn’t really notice the wolf-creature of the Anbu coming right for her.

[lovelovelove2]

YOU! STOP, please. I wish to have words with you. Rinakai's throat strained at making the shout. She ran and clapped her hand down on the woman's shoulder. Haki-Uchi had stepped in front of the outsider and looked up into her face, seeing into her troubled mind.

I just want to talk. To know why you did it.


OcC... sorry, muse is kaput

[Leiko-hime]

The rogue princess jerked as soon as the hand connected with her flesh, as though she’d been scalded by hot oil. Her body whipping around, her fingers clenching convulsively on the hilt of her kodachi until her knuckles were white: Oh how she hated invasion of her personal space! She’d never liked it when she was younger, and she disliked it even more now! Her narrowed brown eyes took in the Anbu, before she noticed the wolf that was staring at her, she ignored it turning instead to the Anbu as the woman spoke, her features immediately relaxed into a flawlessly confused expression, there was no trace or hint in her eyes or body language that she was anything but completely confused, Leiko was a great actor.

"Did what?" She asked, her features shifting into a slight frown as she started at the Anbu, "I’m afraid I don’t know what your talking about…" After all, all they really had was circumstantial evidence, poochy says girls smells like Place A, after going through massive intermingling crowd. Good luck with that.

The Sumiyaka cast a glance at the large canine, then back to the Anbu again, "I think your pooch is hungry, you might want to find him some kibble or something."

[lovelovelove2]

Why did you kill those ANBU. I just want to know. They did nothing to you. Her hand slipped from the other woman's shoulder and clenched at the hilt of her black katana. Rinakai looked down at Haki and growled deep in her throat. He backed up and crouched on the ground, in defense.

The black carrion screeched again, telling Rinakai that Itachi was closing in.

Her eyes sought out the bird then the woman looked around, all the while facing the intruder. Rinakai turned her head back to the other woman and gazed at her.


[[[sorry. om is yellin at me to get off]]]

[Leiko-hime]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] Sumiyaka, Leiko ------ Leiko’s brows rose further upward with every word that came out of the other woman’s mouth, the look on her faced going from bemused innocent to, are you kidding me?, and finally settling on you have got

[/b] to be kidding! The Sumiyaka turned her head just enough to flick a glance behind her, before turning her head the other way and repeating the gesture, the classic ‘Are you talking to me?’ glance. Then once she had ascertained that anyone else in the area wasn’t in position to be the Anbu’s point of interested she looked back at the woman.

All around the pair people had slowed, and come to a halt; staring. Whispers began to rise and fall like the wind of the leaves of the great trees around Konoha, and Leiko used the attention to her advantage: She played to the crowd.

Reaching up she scratched at her cheek, her brows furrowing downward over formerly cold brown eyes, all they held now was a deep centered confusion, "What Anbu?" She asked, her voice holding consternation, and confusion. "Look, lady, I’m just the daughter of a merchant here on business. I think you’re a little confused."

------

The Rogue Princess

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[lovelovelove2]

Rinakai gritted her teeth against boiling anger and snorted defiance. I need you to show me your pass, or come with me to the Hokage's office. Right now. The woman had her hand restraining Haki from growling. * Don't! The people are watching. *
Haki sat and stared at the girl. He sniffed the air, the blood was still present on her skin. He sniffed again, to make sure it was true.

The midnight crow cawed and swung over the intruder's head, then came to rest on Rinakai's shoulder. It pecked at her cheek.

Her hand swatted at the bird's beak. She scowled at it, but was again reminded of the coming man. Rinakai had to get out of the street, either she had to leave the girl here, or leave Itachi to find them. But which one.

[Leiko-hime]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] Sumiyaka, Leiko ------ Leiko was starting to get annoyed by this point, she’d officially stopped caring about her plan the moment whatever it was had happened: Whether it was some sick joker, a figment of her strained mind, or the dead come to drive her to the brink in punishment it was more important to her. She just wanted to get away from all these people, and their happy little lives. The fact that this stupid Anbu twit seemed to think she was entitled to know Leiko’s driving forces really pissed her off: She hadn’t even told her mother how she felt about this, she wasn’t going to tell some hyped up twit with an entitlement complex. Her brown eyes switched drastically, going from bemused to cold, dead, flat. The color seemed to dull, the sharpness of her stare enough to cause blood to crystallize, and her pupils dilated slightly, giving her a vaguely unfocused look. Though the calmly smirking look of confusion on her face never changed, she let this stupid fool see what she was facing. The crowd wasn’t close enough to seem the killer rising to the surface: They weren’t close enough to glimpse the numb, dead soul behind that confused shell. "Yeah, go ahead and take me to your Hokage so I can tell him how his Anbu harass people just because their puppy says they smell good." She drawled even as she reached into her maroon obi to pull to a small packet of papers, they were the one’s she’d used to get it. Proclaiming her to be ‘Fujita, Chizu.’ Daughter of an antiques dealer in a small village on the borders of Fire Country. Forgeries, true, but damn good ones. She was a ninja after all. Still, despite her apparent compliance, there was an underlying note to her voice and movements. Leiko had never been known for her patience with idiocy, and right now she was in a hurry. There was just something about her that said ‘Keep this up, lady, and I’m going to stop caring. I’ll make you just another spatter on the ground, people be damned.’ She was nearly to the point where, if she had to slaughter a mass of bystanders to get moving she would. She’d end up in the Bingo Book soon enough anyway, might as well do it with a bang. Around them people were muttering about the scene, a few snatches floated to her along the lines of ‘What’s happening?’, and ‘What does that Anbu think she’s doing?’, and ‘Who’s the girl?’ ------ The Rogue Princess

[lovelovelove2]

The ANBU woman didn't even bother to look at the papers. She stepped back, staring at the woman's blank face. Her eyes had changed to something familiar to Rinakai. Death. Her hand went to the hilt of her sword and Haki-Uchi growled.

Chizu Fujita. Farewell, Kunoichi.

Rinakai bowed to the imposter and backed away. It was not the time or place for this confrontation. I must get far away from here. *Haki! I can feel Itachi coming closer.* The woman brushed at the carrion bird and walked through the crowd. She was making towards the Forest of Death. No one would follow her there, if they were smart.

Haki-Uchi followed his mistress, pushing aside the Villagers that were too stupid to get out of his way.

[Leiko-hime]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=000000] Sumiyaka, Leiko ------ The rogue princess quirked a brow as the Anbu turned, and took off letting her alias slip from her lips as a parting word, well, whatever. At least the woman possessed the instincts to know when to back the hell down, she had that going for her at least. Idiots, all of them. Smiling congenially in a way that would have looked more suitable on Haru’s face she stretched slightly, ignoring the flare of pain that crawled along the muscles of her back from the wound there: She could feel the warm, sticky wetness of blood starting to ooze again, congealing quickly as it began to stick to the bindings. "Whatever you say, lady." She called cheerfully. The vaguely amusing though that her friends would have suspected the apocalypse was upon them had they heard her passed through her mind. The Sumiyaka hitched her satchel off, and strode away into the crowd, soon mingling among the masses again. Letting herself get lost in the throng. Another part of her was darkly amused, and wondered how the silly Anbu twit would react when she showed up in the Bingo Book. Several blocks down she ducked into a dark alleyway, allowing the mask of normality to fall away leaving her more usual features behind: A slightly scowling, minutely tense expression adorned her otherwise dead and blank features. Leiko lifted her hand, her blank brown eyes staring at the way her hand shook with fine tremors for a moment, before with a soft clattering of her geta, she was off at a quick pace, heading for the walls so she could slip out of Konoha. She needed to get away from the city, the people. She felt like she was choking. ------ OoC: Alright, I think this is the end of this thread, unless Ki-chan has something to add... ------ The Rogue Princess