Bitter 16 (Open)

It was like the snap of Viper's fingers itself, a tall man, even taller than Sal, loomed in between them. Maybe it was needed seeing as how Sal pushed her. Though, the couldn't just blame Sal, anyone would be angry with Sake in their system. Specially after being told off in a touchy subject. The man had asked Sal with intent to protect the little girl if needed, she blushed softly, more because she was embaressed. The proud daughter of Viper being made a fool of and not only that, someone saw and came to her aid. She heard Sal tell the man that this was strictly his own problem and apologize to explain himself, she could understand his sorrow but it was no reason to take it out on her, specially since she was trying to snap him out of his depressed satire. Her retort was soft,

"I understand Sal...just...give me sometime to cool off, I need some time to think." With her words Sal stumbled back to their meeting spot. She looked up at the man who stood like a wall between them. She was nervous, she hadn't seen this man before around the office.

"Thank you sir, Sal's mostly harmless, I guess he's just had a bad birthday..." She reached into her pouch looking for her handkerchief, once she produced it from her pouch she wiped her face clean from her tears mixed with sand. She tucked her handkerchief back into her pouch before she continued her sentence.

"Excuse me, I'm pretty new to Suna, I haven't seen you around before, are you a fellow Shinobi also?" She tilted her head to the left, curious, who knew Suna had such tall shinobi. Ashie could've passed for a civilian, or an academy student at best because she looked so young.

Like a wildfire, his influence on the village was spreading as he would learn new techniques, whether to just show them off to the people in the village, or just simply to pull off pranks on the ones that he knew a little bit more, and those being the ones he knew could have a good laugh or two. With his smiling stupid face, he would continue to dash through and see what there was to do. Let's see... There was the Clone Jutsu that he had learned. Maybe if he showed that off, he might be able to pull off some cool trick in order to confuse someone. Maybe sneak into their pouch of Ryo and take 100 before giving it back, probably with a "Tada" at the end of it to make himself and the other person laugh, even though they could have theoretically been robbed. The hooded child was not that mean, though. And so he would refrain from doing that. The thirteen year old had a hard time looking for someone, they all were all too familiar and he would like to impress someone new. Or what he thought was impress. While it would be nice to say that Haruki did impress others, they were just simple Jutsu's at the end of the day, and five more kids probably bragged and carried out the same thing before the trick finally became old. But why ruin the fun for him? And so he would continue running around acting like some sort of Magician.

His light brown eyes would shift towards the side as he saw a young man on a bench, his head hanging down. The boy would tilt his head to the side as his lips would form a curious "o". What was up with this guy? Was he dead? Stepping closer with small steps, he would try to approach him before seeing his facial expression. It was depressed. Well, that was the bad news, but at least he was alive! But... What was the point of living if one were to be sad? Fortunately for him, Haruki Akari, Master Magician, will shine a bit of light on his day! Hey mister! Mister! Want to see a trick? The excited young boy would ask, his wrists together against each other as they were held up, the sleeves going past his hands so that not a single finger could be seen. It was a little bit sloppy, surely, but it also had that adorable aftereffect that allowed children to have their manners excused, even by strangers. This man was one of the newer people, he had never seen this guy before. And instead of asking him for his name, the smarter choice of simple calling him "Mister" and asking him to watch him do the Surface Walking technique was taken.

Nobunaga had made it just in time to stop Salzem's approach. Now standing tall and straight with his entire body concealed except for his head and the long sword handle that stuck out over his right shoulder, the Hiyu menacingly looked down at Salzem. As he oft was Nobunaga remained silent, not speaking a word while Salzem agreed that there was a problem but it was his problem. Un-moving, as if chiseled out of a statue, Nobunaga listened to the words of the young shinobi, sensing that the kunoichi behind him had stopped and not entered the Kage's tower. By the potency of Sazlem's chakra Nobunaga also figured this kid was a ninja and the mention of his mentor only made it the more obvious. Nobunaga did not feel an ounce of remorse for the tipsy shinobi before him as he spoke about his struggles and the emotional pain he was going through. He was a shinobi and thats the life he signed up for. Complaining and feeling sorry for yourself, playing the victim were signs of weakness and ones Nobunaga did not admire. Therefore he continued to look down at the shinobi refereed to as Sal, waiting for him to finish his whining. 

At last, Sal had finished and turned around to return to wherever he had come from. Remaining still and watching, Nobunaga made sure Sal was actually leaving before he diverted his attention else where. Turning to face the kunoichi he herd was named Ashie, Nobunaga would ask in his hoarse voice "Are you alright little one?" He did not know her age but she was smaller than him. 

Nobunaga simply nodded as Ashie thanked him, silently and calmly watching the young Kunoichi clean the tears and dirt from her face. Nobunaga would nod to her follow up question before saying "Aye," in confirmation to being a Suna ninja. "Hiyu Nobunaga." Putting his hand out to shake Ashie's Nobunaga would ask "How long have you been here in Suna?" He did not recognise Ashie but there must have been a reason why her first instinct was to come to the Kage's tower. Was she simply hoping to get help or was she staying at the tower? Did that mean she had some sort of personal relationship with the Kazekage or another official of the village?

Once they introduced each other, Nobunaga would look over his shoulder, the silhouette of Salzem disappearing off in the distance. Turning back to Ashie he would ask "You two appear to have been friends. Are you ok with leaving things the way they are? If you wish to amend your relationship I can accompany you to make sure all remains safe and calm."

Salzem raised his aching head from his hands as some random kid ran up to him, asking if he wanted to see a trick. Really, the only thing Salzem wanted right now was his family back and a trash-can to hurl in, but considering there was neither in the general area, all he could do is sit there and allow the kid to preform however he wished. Honestly, he was only half paying attention, only his feverish red eyes tracking the kid's movement. The rest of himself was in his head, trying to stave off the worst headache ever felt by man. Salzem had been sick, he had even almost died several times from several types of wounds, but compared to all that, a hangover felt like the worst, most painful physical thing a human being can experience. His body hated him in addition to everyone else, practically screaming in the only voice it had: pain. If it could speak, He could only imagine the profane phrases it would toss his way. His stomach felt light and heavy at the same time, his head pounded like a circus drum, his body felt light and weak as if his flesh was paper and his bones were Styrofoam. All of this wore on Salzem's patience as the kid did his thing. The look on the kid's face made him look like he thought he was helping, that a little fake magic would lift him out of the chasm he so dutifully through himself in. Ignorance of the young-er. He was looking at Salzem expectantly, as if wanting him to break into a smile or applause or something that would justify his efforts here. He simply raised his eyebrows a little, as if his trick was a little bit impressive.

"Yeah. That's great, kid."

Even though he hadn't transformed, his hearing seemed to be enhanced further all around him, his head ringing from all the white noise seeming to collect in his head as the pain increased. Beneath his lips, he grit his teeth, placing a hand on the side of his head, as if it would help sooth him. And among all that pain came his sense of clarity, a clear, blue memory that he was still here in Sunagakure. Really, he should have simply left a long time ago and avoided all this stupid, stupid garbage. He should have insisted to the Kazekage that he HAD to leave, to go somewhere else with the excuse of finding the killer. His aggression and stupidity could have been attributed to anything here: the sun, the sand, the water, the air... the anxiety... The knowledge that he was going to pay for something he didn't even consider was wrong... Or everything else he'd done that was... It was at this moment he snapped back into reality, noticing that the kid was still there, standing in front of him.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Salzem would ask him, a scowl on his face.

The girl saw as he turned, she stood as tall as her body would allow her, chin up as she looked up at him to speak. He had asked her if she was alright, also pointing out the fact that she was indeed small. She grumbled inside of herself, damn her young existence.

"I am alright, thank you for asking." She had followed up with her question about him being a fellow sand shinobi and he had confirmed it, he held out his hand and had given her a name to his face. She smiled, it almost had reminded her of her uncle. Her small hand had reached up in a delicate manor, placed it on top of his palm in a lady-like way, lifting her hand up and down in his like her mother had taught her. From her hand shake the shinobi could probably tell she was of nobility of some sort. She had heard him ask her how long she was in Suna for, probably had noticed she was just about to go into the kage's office.

"Heh, I've only been here for a little over a week or so...I'm staying with my Uncle, Koroshi." She was hoping Sal wouldn't hear her when she said it, she didn't want her friends to know of her relationship with their leader, she didn't want special treatment. She was an equal shinobi. Nothing more, nothing less. She had listened to him point out her friendship, she sighed lowering her head. Her fists clenching out of frustration.

"Yeah we are good friends, and no I'm not letting it end here. It doesn't matter what I say to him in the state he's in now, the alcohol will just do most of the talking and I don't wanna talk to 'sake induced rage' I wanna speak with the friend that I know." She turned her head slightly to the side, trying to hide the frustration which was being revealed by her voice. Ashie wasn't the type to talk about her problems with people who weren't family. However, she had no choice but to explain the situation at hand with her defender. Suddenly the situation replayed in her head...she had said something pretty nasty to Sal, who was just struggling with his inner turmoil, but she needed to. He needed to see that the way he talks about his purpose effects not only himself but the people around him who care. It hurt Ashie, to see a friend so down in the dumps that he literally bad mouths himself and his quest to avenge his friends.

She didn't know the whole story, and that was her downfall when it came to helping Sal, every time they spoke it seemed she just made it worse. The opposite of what she expected. She sensed Sal who was still nearby, his chakra signature was calming down, he might've been coming down from the Sake, she might've been young but she could still read, and she read. A lot.

Well, that was just about the same reaction he got out of anyone, and the hooded boy was willing to take it as a satisfactory result. In all honesty, he did not know about how the stranger was feeling, even if it was pretty obvious. He was just glad to have found someone new and show him something. The second part would only be answered with a smile and a pause before he would then reply. Nahhhh. Well of course not! He was a kid! kids ran around and did whatever they wanted! Provided they were unable to be caught by their parents. Even then though, he was twelve. And running from Aunt Nea was not too hard a task, not that she would really pull him out for any reason. But hey! It has to be better than just sitting around, don't you want to play! If not, we can find some other people! Just sit right here! Without waiting for a reply, the boy would begin to dash away from the scene, only to stop in his tracks and think to himself. What was he going to do again? For some reason, his mind would empty out, and he would then slowly walk back to the man. What was I going to do again? He would ask humbly, but at least his cat-like smile might get him out of being scolded. Or not. Eh, who knew.

Nevermind that though! Why are you hanging your head down? You need to sit up straight, like this! The boy would announce proudly before excusing himself, sitting right next to the man and sitting up... Sort of. He was kind of laying down a little back, slocuhed against the back of the bench. What? He was a lazy person when he was resting. See? Like th- His light brown eyes would finally notice that the man was not at all smiling, causing him to tilt his head to the side as his lips would form a curious "o". Hey mister. You don't look too good. Are you feeling sick? I can go get some help! And he was waiting for a reply. But if nothing came out quick, he was going to charge and look for someone to help this "Sick" man. While it was most likely not him being sick, Haruki did not get the concept of alcohol and what effects it could do to the human body. Poor child, still so ignorant. But at least he was happy.

To his relief, the young lady before him said she was alright and from what he could tell she was not lying to him. It was good to see that this Sal person had not actually harmed her. After introducing himself and sticking out his hand to greet Ashie since it was the first time they have ever met. He watched as she delicately placed her tiny hand onto his in a manner he had never seen before. It felt awkward shaking her hand in such a manner as he had never done so before. Was there a reason she shook his hand like such? Did she do it because her hand was smaller than his or was it just the custom from wherever she came from? After their formalities were over with, Nobunaga lowered his arm back under the concealment of his large black cloak. 

The words "Uncle Koroshi" rang through Nobunaga's head as Ashie mentioned who she was staying with. For a split second a shocked expression showed on the brutes face but it swiftly vanished and returned to his usual, stoic one. This little girl was the niece to the man Nobunaga served, the man he looked up to as an older brother and would lay down his life for 10 out of 10 times. How could he have not known Koroshi's niece was here? It's his responsibility to keep her safe, if this Sal person had actually harmed her Nobunaga would never have been able to forgive himself. Quickly, Nobunaga bent his upper body forward. 

Bowing to the girl before him he uttered "Forgive me. I would have bowed sooner for I did not know you were the niece of Lord Koroshi." Straightening back to his full height, he then posed his question about Sal. His eyes quickly analysing every micro movement Ashie made, the Hiyu noticed her clinch her firsts in anger which was made even clearer by the tone of her voice. He listened to her decline his offer, wanting to speak to the friend she knew and not the drunk one he currently was. Nobunaga simply nodded, agreeing to her wishes. Besides, she probably did not need his protection anyways. She was a niece of Koroshi this quite possibly having the blood of the Uchiha running through her veins. Warrior blood, and the strength of her chakra only helped prove that point. Despite her small stature, Nobunaga did not doubt she could take care of herself. 

"I however am going over there to meet with him regardless." Responded Nobunaga. He was letting Ashie know that he was going over to where Sal was in case she changed her mind. "He is publicly intoxicated and therefore may pose a threat to the civilians of the village. I will make sure nothing else happens." Bowing again, Nobunaga would grunt "Pleasure to meet you Ashie. I am at your service whenever need be." If they were done, Nobunaga would turn around and head in the direction Salzem left in, having kept track of his chakra signature the entire time.

Either this kid was purposefully more dense than the core of mountains or he was simply ignoring Salzem's negative feedback. Whatever the reason, the kid refused to take a hint, insisting he should go play with him. For a moment, he appeared to run off, claiming to go find other people to play with, but he only got a couple feet before coming back and asking what he was even doing. In short, the kid was nothing short of an annoyance, and with that compounded on the self-hatred his body was throwing on him, his annoyance now translated to torture. In no way was the little mongrel helping him in any way shape or from.

Salzem tried to ignore the little tyke the best he could, pulling his hood up, turning his head away, anything short of covering his ears and leaving, but the kid insisted on not shutting up, almost as if he were on a mission. Like any normal and sane person, Salzem's patience met it's end the moment the kid mentioned getting help. He didn't need this kid's help. He didn't need ANYONE's help right now. All he needed was to sleep for a day and a half, but with this little creature around, that didn't appear to be happening. It would be so easy to grab the kid's jacket and half-strangle him with it while he spouted threats. It would be easy to knock the littler kid to the ground and leave without a word or any obvious regrets. It would be easy to simply give into his frustration and short temper and knock the kid around until he was satisfied. All it took was a quick memory, how he knocked Ashie too the ground and roughed her up far greater than he'd ever intended, and all the fight just drained out of him. He really didn't want to hurt this kid. He didn't know any better, nor was he aware of the discomfort he caused the older ninja. He simply turned his head to the kid who looked back at him with some kind of curious concern.

"I'm not feeling well." Salzem confirmed, shaking his head and causing himself intense vertigo. "Its okay though. Don't worry about it. Just... give me a few hours."

It was then he noticed a new, but familiar smell heading back in his direction. The smell of the tall man. Of course, by now, he'd already memorized his signature, but there was little point in using something that requires effort when you have something that doesn't Occam's Razor and all that. He looked in the man's direction, eyes significantly more clear than when he last saw him. The pain in his skull gave him a medium to focus through and he knew what this man was here for. Not really an Anbu or village official, most likely. He was far too big and wearing too much bulk to be any degree of stealthy. Then again, Salzem can transform into a creature taller and more bulky than he and he pulls it off. Regardless, this man wanted Salzem gone. It wouldn't take a smart man to know this. Just an experienced one. No need to make a fight over it. He just needed some time for his head to clear and his reflexes to return.

"Listen." Salzem said to the approaching behemoth. "I'll move in a moment. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be out of your hair."

She saw a twitch in Nobunaga's eyes, one of surprise and shock as he regained his composure and bowed. Ashie eyes widened as she looked around and hopefully no one seemed to have noticed the tall adult's kind gesture. She raised her hand to dismiss his uneeded sign of respect.

"Erh...no no, you don't need to bow, we are both shinobi, siblings on the field of battle, there's no need for formalities." She blushed, yeah, she was more like a glorified princess. Even though she was a shinobi her father...and uncles probably wouldn't let her anywhere near any signs of war. She was young and it was only natural that she'd be treated as such, easily pushed around...easily seen as a damsel in distress. Her eyes widened as Nobunaga had said that he was going to go back to where Sal was and make sure that he caused no disruptions. In Ashie's mind there laid a battle, either go home and gather her thoughts on the matter, or make sure Sal was okay, even if they weren't on good terms, didn't mean that Ashie didn't care. Ashie thought of a quick plan, to let Nobunaga go on ahead thinking that she was in for the day, and watch them from a far.

"It was my pleasure Nobunaga, thank you for your help today, take care." She bowed before going in through the door but watching Nobunaga leave for Sal's location, Ashie sensed Sal's signature it would be easy to find him. She walked out the door and climbed the building's sides until she reached the rooftops. Keeping a low profile as she masked her signature and footsteps, walking along the roof silently. Keeping on Nobunaga's trail as she saw him approaching Sal. She peaked over the edge of the roof watching. Seems as if Sal was making another small friend...but he was older than Ashie, not by much, but still older. She watched as he managed a chuckle from Sal, this didn't settle well with Ashie. If it were her, she'd be scorned, pushed, her help unappreciated. Was this what people wanted? Sugar coated lies and sweetness? Her nails clenched into her delicate hands as she became upset. She refused to take the face of an innocent child.

She watched as Sal told Nobunaga as he approached calmly that he'd move in a few moments. He wasn't feeling well, Ashie just wanted him to feel better, but she didn't know how to help him. The only thing she's done was told him the honest truth, one would think that's what people wanted to hear...she guessed wrong. She laid her chin against the roof, sighing lowly, she wanted to go back home, she didn't like the village anymore, it was hard to make friends now, where it was slowly getting easier in Konoha.

It wasn't fair. None of it was.

The Akari would pick up a random pebble from the ground as he got the response that he did. Nothing special about it, but a pebble. With his left pointer finger, he would place a small dot mark on the stone. Once that had been taken care of, it would be left to the side of the man. Make sure to keep this then. If you need me, make sure you take this around with you. I'll be able to track it down then. Aye? The boy would ask, showing a white toothy grin before holding out a right pinky for the man to take. It was so that his new friend would not be in any danger, and the Akari would love to take care of him. Regardless if he took it or not, he would pull his hand back before attempting to run away to go find some more people to ask if they wanted to see his tricks. In the process however, another man would be found, walking towards the direction that Haruki was coming from, and so the excited hooded boy would smile towards the new stranger as well. Hi there sir! Want to see a tr- He would then notice the facial expression of the man. It showed that it meant business, and that he should probably not get in the way. Not until he was done. Actually, do what you want first. And then I want to speak to you. The boy woudl tell hiim before placing his hands on his hips and raise his head up...

Huh? The boy would think to himself as his eyes would avert to the top of the building that he was formerly around. Though it was barely visible, there seemed to be something moving on there. But he had to trick it, have it think that he did not notice. Now he was going to have to be as sneaky as he was when he does pranks on people. So he would quickly look back down to the man he was speaking to before saluting. Aye! I gotta go now, but don't go too far from here! Haruki would tell the new man before running away without even waiting for a reply. He'd go around the building and try to go behind it stealthily. All right, let's see what is up here. The Akari would think to himself when he got behind quickly. This looked to be the opposite side of where he saw whatever it was when he looked up. So hopefully he would be able to get up to it without it noticing him. Remembering his training at the academy, he would slowly focus his Chakra towards his feet, walking up the building slowly and as quietly as he could. Provided he was not noticed, he would make it to the top onto the roof before he would look to see someone, again, if he was successful. Provided this occurred, he would try to keep his voice down so he did not blow her cover, but so she can still hear him. Hiya. Already he was not using his outside voice. My name is Haruki. Want to see a magic trick? I learned it yesterday. The boy would ask, smiling the genuine smile that he did, little did he know of her emotions towards him. Well, not him specifically, but what he represented in her eyes.