Sayomi's Experiment (Ayama and Vretyel)

Had Vretyel lost hope? It almost seemed like he had. Like he was resigning himself to his death and cared little for what could be. She growled and turned away, doing her best to curl her body up to conserve warmth.

Whatever, let him be emo. She would still save his ass when the time came. Because they were teammates and because there was no way she was going to make it very far without him. Whatever made his sense of worth flee she hope the bring it back. Vretyel was strong, hell he had defeated her. He would make it through, she was sure.

Sighing she curled up tighter and slipped into a meditative state, still viciously attacking her bond's blockage with what little chakra she had. She would not die here. She refused.

Sayomi blinked awake, wondering how long he was out for. Fortunately both of his captives were still lying about exactly where he left them. After a quick stretch Sayomi stood up, kneeling first next to the girl, as her chakra seemed to be fluctuating the most. He noticed that after reactivating his Byakugan (as it deactivated when he fell asleep) her chakra had been focused on that single point in the receptor in her brain. Fortunately it hadn't quite been turned on yet, but she was funneling what chakra she had regained while Sayomi was asleep. It seemed that all of her effort was focused on that single point.

Sayomi walked over to her and sat down. Neither of them had enough chakra to be worth experimenting on just yet, so he would have to wait a bit. This might in fact be an opportunity to work on his social skills. Sayomi shuddered at the thought, but remembered that everything he trained and learned, including social abilities, were important. After taking a deep breath Sayomi just decided to say something, anything that was on his mind that he wanted to come out.

"If you could die for any purpose, what would it be?"

The question was much more profound then Sayomi intended, and after he said it out loud he immediately became interested in what Ayama might say. If she didn't respond at all, then Sayomi would try asking himself. It was a very interesting question, and one that he hadn't contemplated much until now.

Vretyel twisted and struggled against the vines, angry that Ayama couldn't see the sense in his proposal so that she could escape. He didn't know who this "Hisoka" was, but he doubted that it could save them.

Their captor got up and started talking to Ayama, while his back was turned he tried to signal to her to keep his attention so he could try and break free. Vretyel was unsure if she saw though because he immediately crouched next to her and began speaking. Vretyel started struggling against the tight vines, hoping that his strength would cause the bindings to give way so that they could both make an escape.

"If you could die for any purpose, what would it be?"

She started, her focus snapping as his voice permeated her semi-conscious state. Her gaze swiveled around, slitted ice blue meeting pale silver. For a long moment she studied him, as if trying to decipher a mystery. Her gaze was cool and calculating, her eyes held as much warmth as frozen ice. Then the fire returned, hate and disgust twisting her expression again.

"Not that you would ever understand my reasoning Hyuuga," she hissed putting as much distaste as she could into his clan name, "but" she paused some of the fury faded from her face replaced by determination, "but if I were to die, it would be protecting those I love. A village is just a collection of people, other fighters like myself. A hive of killers. What makes it worth protecting are the ones you hold dear. I would die for their sakes, and never regret it." she stated.

She lifted her head somewhat, meeting his blank gaze. She knew that for many ninja loyalty to their village was everything. But she had been raised by a missing-nin. She was loyal to those who earned it, but would only die for those she loved. That was how her father had raised her.

"Not that you would ever understand my reasoning Hyuuga," she hissed putting as much distaste as she could into his clan name, "but" she paused some of the fury faded from her face replaced by determination, "but if I were to die, it would be protecting those I love. A village is just a collection of people, other fighters like myself. A hive of killers. What makes it worth protecting are the ones you hold dear. I would die for their sakes, and never regret it." she stated.

"The ones you hold dear?"

Sayomi spoke with sincere question in his voice, as if the concept was entirely foreign to him. She was correct that a village is just a hive of killers, but who are these people that are "held dear"? Surely nobody in a village would be worth saving if they were involved in all of that senseless killing. Why would you die for any singular person? The entire concept made very little sense to Sayomi, as he had never felt friendship, loyalty, or even had any idea what they really meant. As this girl was his only real contact with the outside world in a very long time, he followed up on his curiosity by asking a few questions.

"There are people in your life and village that you treasure?" Sayomi started, wondering what kind of people someone would find worth dying for.

After a brief pause he would follow it up with: "Why would you bother dying for anyone if you believe that village ninja are scum and warmongers?"

Sayomi had nearly forgotten the desire to be antisocial, as this topic held a certain level of interest to him.

As much as he struggled, Vretyel couldn't break through the vines just yet, he needed more time, and more strength. Fortunately his captor was busy talking to Ayama, but it would only be a matter of time before he looked back and saw him fighting his bindings. The vines were strong, and if Vretyel had a hope of breaking out he would need to build up a larger chakra reserve and hope that his captor didn't steal it away from him before he could utilize it.

"The ones you hold dear?"

She rolled her eyes, looking away. Of course he didn't understand, how could she have even a shred of hope for him to understand. He had already shown himself to be completely clueless socially. Not to mention that he was raised by the Hyuuga. She couldn't even begin to imagine the mental damage being raised by a such a clan could have. Who could justify the murder of so many families, the slaughter of not only those who could fight but the innocents, the children. Ayama had killed, she held no illusions about what she was. But to murder an entire clan, in cold blood. To shed so much blood just because they were strong? It was something she simply could not accept or abide by.

"There are people in your life and village that
you treasure?" Sayomi started, wondering what kind of people someone
would find worth dying for.

She blinked looking up at him in surprise. For a moment she opened her mouth, about to answer in the negative, before she stopped. Navi's smile, the warm open one he had given her when she had stated that she wanted to understand him. The promise she'd made, the desire to make him smile like that again.

"Yes," it was a quiet statement, and it made her look down. Never had she ever thought she would hold someone so close as she was. When her father had died and she had lied to her village she'd thought she would be alone forever. But she wasn't, not anymore.

After a brief pause he would follow it up with:
"Why would you bother dying for anyone if you believe that village ninja
are scum and warmongers?"

"I don't believe all ninja are scum," she snapped, "I just hold no illusions about our job. We are designed to kill, we are fighters, assassins, information gathers and thieves. We fight because it is our way, because we must survive." she paused for a moment, "Those I would die for are special, they have gained my trust, and my loyalty. Maybe it's because they understand," Navi, "Maybe its because their only interest is my health and well being," Hisoka, "maybe its because they are family," her father. Her gaze darkened memories flickering through her mind. "I fight to protect them, I have felt the pain of losing a loved one, and while it may be foolish, I seek to shield my loved ones from this pain."

"I don't believe all ninja are scum," she snapped, "I just hold no illusions about our job. We are designed to kill, we are fighters, assassins, information gathers and thieves. We fight because it is our way, because we must survive." she paused for a moment, "Those I would die for are special, they have gained my trust, and my loyalty. Maybe it's because they understand," Navi, "Maybe its because their only interest is my health and well being," Hisoka, "maybe its because they are family," her father. Her gaze darkened memories flickering through her mind. "I fight to protect them, I have felt the pain of losing a loved one, and while it may be foolish, I seek to shield my loved ones from this pain."

Sayomi was entirely lost in her strange rant, none of it made an sense. Perhaps she was still just a village ninja worm who didn't realize his path to true peace. She hadn't seen the light that he had to offer the world, and she was to ignorant to see the message that he had chosen to bear. Perhaps there would be a way to twist this though, a way that he could get through to these Genin. He decided to switch his focus back to Vretyel for a small time, but made sure to keep an eye on both of them.

"You," Sayomi said, acknowledging and looking over at Vretyel. "What purpose would you die for?"

Sayomi wondered if he would get a different answer from him, and if anyone else shared a similar dream that he did. He also took note that one of the ninja was from the sand, and one was from the leaf. Perhaps both villages instilled different values into them. Sayomi listened intently as he prepared to judge which of the two villages were more corrupt, and who he should focus on purging first.

"You," Sayomi said, acknowledging and looking over at Vretyel. "What purpose would you die for?"

Sayomi wondered if he would get a different answer from him, and if anyone else shared a similar dream that he did. He also took note that one of the ninja was from the sand, and one was from the leaf. Perhaps both villages instilled different values into them. Sayomi listened intently as he prepared to judge which of the two villages were more corrupt, and who he should focus on purging first.

"I..." Vretyel did not know what to say, in the past hours his entire view on life had changed. He did not now who he was, what he lived for, or what he died for.

"I...I..." the message what still unclear to him what he wanted to say, he had failed in his goal and allowed this to happen, but then why was he fighting for others, why was he still fighting for anything. Then he remembered something that Ayama had told him just a while back.

"Bullshit," she hissed back, shocked he would ask that of her, " I'm not leaving you, you're my teammate. I won't leave you no matter what bullshit excuses you come up with about 'not being worthy'. You're worthy to me damnit."

He was worthy to her? Him someone who had let her down and he was worthy to her? what does that mean? Does that mean that although she had only fought him and worked with him that Ayama thought of him as his equal? He didn't understand before, but he understood now, he was worthy of being a ninja, perhaps not go give justice or to even become an amazing ninja, but he was a worthy of being a ninja. This Ayama girl, she had given him courage and strength when he was at his most vulnerable. Did she care about him? Was she truly meaning what she was saying?

Vretyel didn't know what it was, but Vretyel then assumed that it must have been her love for Vretyel. That was the only way, in Vretyels dillusional mind, that Ayama would try to get both of them out of this. He now had to fight for Ayama, as she fought for him.

"I die for Konoha, and I live for AYAMA!" Vretyel began to use all the force in his body, chakra, strength, even if he had to pull every muscle in his body he was going to get out these vines. He pulled as hard as he could on the vines, and he could feel them ripping apart, just a few more moments and he would break free!

She glared at Sayomi, at his contemplative expression. But it was obvious to her he didn't understand. As he turned away to question Vretyel she once again focused her chakra on her bond. While she had been speaking with Sayomi she had gained quite a bit of her chakra back. Now she flung it all against the bond, trying to open it again.

She had closed her eyes and was once again meditating but she was also listening to Vretyel's answer. She was curious about the other genin's motivation. What made him fight on? Although he seemed to be having trouble with it, he seemed almost undecided.

"I die for Konoha, and I live for AYAMA!" Vretyel
began to use all the force in his body, chakra, strength, even if he
had to pull every muscle in his body he was going to get out these
vines.

Her eyes snapped open and she twisted in shock, ignoring the pain that seared through her gut. She stared openly at Vretyel surprise. Had she truly gained his loyalty so quickly?