No Going Back

While Arashi is in Kumo...

Tsuji walked the halls of the castle, alone and in slience.  It really was a wonderous place, a place she never expected she would ever be able to enter freely, let alone live in it.  What the young Prince did was unusual, but it was touching.  Allowing her to live freely in the castle, in his place as a way to ease the idea of him being gone for an extended amount of time.  It was hard not to get used to the royal treatment, literally.

She did have a job to do, though... watching the younger Prince Arata.  That was a challenge.  The boy was highly erratic, and moody, always wanting to be alone to train.  Why such a young child needed to train so much more than his peers she would never know, but perhaps that was a caveat of being a shinobi.

Sighing, the young woman turned the corner and entered Arashi's room.  It was still kept nicely by her, and she loved looking through his history and his talent.  She hardly understood any of them, but it was intersting to get to know the man she had fallen in love with, who finally fell in love with her.  Boys were always so slow..

She giggled with the thought, picking up a picture on his desk.  That one she recognized; Akihana Akari.  The golden-hair mother of Hoshi, and the reason for his departure.  She smiled at the picture, wondering if she would ever become that beautiful and amazing.

Arata was done.

He was done with this stupid country, he was done with his so called brother and most of all, he was done with Her.

All his life the boy had known there was something wrong with her. The woman who was unfortunately his mother had been a coward her entire life. Where others stood and fought, brought their enemies down and either achieved a glorious victory or death, Saint Akihana cowered in the shadows, ran from danger, pleaded with their enemies and cultivated a generation of weak and pathetic ninja.

Just like the so called older prince of Hoshigakure.

None of them knew what they really were, only Arata knew. He had seen real ninja fight, he had seen real ninja die for their country, he had first hand experience on what it was like to lose a loved one. but then again, his mother drove everyone away. She probably drove his father away too.

Well she had succeeded, Arata too was going to leave. He had long since lost any emotional attachment he had to Haven, nor was he interested in going back to kumogakure. That place only held sorrow and a deep rage inside the seven year old. He didn't know where he was going, just that he needed to be away from her, away from her minions who followed her nindo as if it was gospel.

Arata needed to be alone and so far away that even the memory of that bitch couldn't haunt him.

But angry as he was, the child knew never to be irrational. He had waited his time. That hastily written note over six months ago was the last he'd heard from the "Queen". His brother feared she was dead, Arata hoped she was. He had known she would never come back, just as he'd known Arashi would never come back too. They never did. Even at the age of almost eight, Arata knew this. People didn't come back.

Yaju-sensei hadn't come back. Echo hadn't come back... Maku hadn't come back.

His mother simply drove people away, it was what she did best. And now she was doing it to Arata. Because even if the actons were his, there was no doubt that she was responsible for him making his way to his brother's room, snapping the door shut and only then realizing that silly girl his brother was kissing was in there.

Sparing barely a glance her way, the young ninja moved towards his brother's wardrobe, knowing where extra ryo and weapons Arashi usually hid. he girl, Tsuji may be special to some people but to him, she was as insignificant as a fly on the wall.

The door suddenly closing made her jump as she almost dropped the picture, and decided it was time to put the frame down.  She turned to see the source of the door, and instead of the wind, it was the younger brother, the young Prince.  Arata was in his typical mood, seemingly made worse after he found out Arashi was sent on a mission in Kumo.

The boy seemed to care less and less about her presence as he got more involved with his personal studies, and in fact barely even gave her a glance, just like now.  The child was still under ten, but his height and anger reminded her more of a teenager than a child. 

"Pri- Arata, you gave me a scare.  Anything I can help with?"

Arata went past her and right to Arashi's wardrobe, seemingly sure of what he was looking for, and completely ignoring her.  When the doors opened up, she crossed her arms, but when he started opening panels, thats when she had to step in.  Literally stepping towards him.

"Arata, is there something you're looking for?  That's your brother's gear..."

When she asked if she could help, the dark haired boy gave a disdainful scowl her way. Stupid girl. What did Arashi see in her anyway? She was soft, soft and weak and useless just like the woman they had the misfortune of calling their mother. Maybe that was why his pathetic brother liked her? One idiot wasn't enough for him, he needed two to keep him happy.

"Like you could ever help anyone," he scoffed before turning his back to her once again. He had gotten quite good at the glares, one flash of his dark eyes usually sent the palace maids running. Perhaps it would have the same effect on Tsuji.

As he expertly unlocked the panels inside Arashi's wardrobe, he heard that annoying voice again, reminding him what he wanted didn't belong to him. Well two could play at that game.

"And this is his room, yet you're here." The answer was cold, given without sparing her as much as a glance though he knew she was near. A child he may be but his shinobi senses could never be dulled enough to match her simple civilian ones. "Clear out if you know what's good for you. The prince," the title was spat out as thogh it tasted nasty on the boy's tongue. "Won't miss any of it. He won't even miss you."

The last part was intentional, meant to unsteady and hopefully frighten her into leaving him be. Extracting a bag of ryo from his brother's hiding place, the boy pocketed it with a soft clinking of metal. There should be enough to get by for a few weeks. Now on to weapons.

Tsuji stopped, a bit hesitant.  There was an almost unnatural look in the boy's age... one that showed greater age than the boy himself. While his comment hurt, she had to stand up to him.  That's what Arashi said, not to let anyone, shinobi or otherwise, keep her down.

"With all due respect, young Prince, just because I don't have the same chakra control as you and your brother, does not mean I am defenseless. Weren't you defeated by a lowly Queensguard the other day?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm here under your brother's graces, in fact, if anything, I'm the one who DOES belong in this room.  He entrusted me to its safekeeping, and that means from theft." she said, walking towards him.  He had just pocketed the saving Arashi had, the saving he was building to help bring back facilities that were talked about in his scrolls.  And Arata was just taking it like loose change.

"If you think your brother stupid enough to forget about his life's work, than perhaps it is you who needs to clear out if you know what's good for you.  I've seen your brother angry, and I've seen him suffering, and I know for a fact that you don't want to be the subject of that anger." she said, going over to close the panel he just opened.

A grimace split the young boy's face at the mention of his defeat. How like Tsuji to remember that. Of course she didn't know what had happened after. He would show her, he would show all of them. Especially his brother.

"And what if I don't?" the threat was clear in his cold voice as the young woman approached. She had no hope of defeating him. And the stupid thing wasn't even calling for help at the idea of facing a shinobi - no matter how young - on her own. Some people, people like his mother, may have called it brave. Arata knew it was sheer idiocy.

As Tsuji reached out to close the panel, Arata struck like a snake, his right hand experlty locking around her wrist and bending it backwards until he head the familiar snap of a bone. Using his hold on her wrist, the boy flung her away, judging that she would either land on the sofa or the bed since he didn't hear the thud of her body hitting the hard floor.

Now on to weapons. Arashi had a nice stack of kunai and shuriken stored away, a stack that would come in handy once Arata was on the road.

What if I don't?

Those words in particular were enough to frankly scare the woman.  It was a threat.  The boy was officially out of control, willing to hurt people to get what he wanted.  He was looking more like the rogues beyond the wall than a shinobi of Haven.  

"If you don't, you'll answer to the Guards.  Ser Maverick never checked in for his final inspection, Arata.  Why is that?  Why hasn't anyone seen him since?" she said, giving her best for her own threat.  

What happened next was what would eventually be considered a final straw.  She felt the sharp pain, and heard the audible crack, but she was too shocked to react, even as his chakra-strengthened throw threw her against the bed. All that came was a suddenly scream as her wrist was broken.  Whether anyone would hear it and come would depend on if anyone was in range of her voice, but for now, she was by herself.

Tears in her eyes, she stood back up slowly, shaking with pain.  Arata didn't care, and she never thought she would have to defend against him of all people.  She opened a side table drawer, next to the bed, and pulled out a kunai.  Something Arashi showed her.  Unable to use one wrist, she kept that arm close to her body, holding the kunai up clumsily against Arata, but in a slightly aggressive stance.


"You... why did... how could... Arata.  Back away.  Now.  Leave!" she shouted, ready to charge at him if needed.  She didn't want to hurt the child.. but she would if she had to.

Not really bothering to look where she landed or what she was doing, Arata simply answered her question while stuffing the scrolls full of weapons into his bag. "Ser Maverick is resting," the boy offered half heatedly before a wicked grin lit up his face, the amusement clear in his voice even if he wasn't facing her way. "At the bottom of that lake my brother made." It had felt good to shove the man into the watery depths, defiling the lake his brother had meant to serve as a water reserve for the people of Haven. Looks like the aquatic life would find plenty of flesh to feed on.

Once he had scavenged everything he could, including a spare jacket in case the weather turned cold or he traveled out of these forsaken deserts, Arata turned around to find Tsuji clumsily holding the kunai in her unbroken hand. Looking at the way she gripped it, he doubted she had ever used one before.

"Already gone, Your Ladyship," the boy mocked, using her court title to further unsettle her. The kunai didn't scare him, neither did it's wielder. She didn't have what it took to hurt anyone, let alone her precious Arashi's kin.

"You won't see me after today, but I might send a note with your boyfriend's corpse."

She couldn't believe the words she heard.  He didn't... and yet, the look on his face told it all.  He did... he murdered him.  A gentle soul, one that she had grown up with, and Arata murdered him because he lost the challenge HE gave the Guardsman.  She trembled, both in pain and anger, as the boy calmly picked up his brother things like they were his.

He threatened her friend, her rose, his brother, and the anger won out.  "Arashi is ten times the shinobi you will ever be, Arata!" she yelled, gripping the kunai even tighter.  "He'll at least be able to achieve his realistic dreams!" she yelled, to antagonize him, as she ran to him.  Whether to kill him or stop him, she had no idea.  She wasn't trained, but neither was she unfamiliar with the multipurpose tool of the shinobi.

Of course, as she reached him, her vision blurred.  She was, after all, not a ninja herself.

It was over before it even began. Why Tsuji ever thought she stood a chance was beyond Arata but he had a feeling she was one of those that prescribed to feelings more than logic. Doing nothing to move away, the boy simply applied chakra to his feet to steady himself, reaching out a curled fist towards her incoming form. He was shorter than her in height which worked to his advantaged as she ran straight into his closed fist, the impact on her rib cage knocking all the breath out of her body.

Simply plucking the kunai from her waning grip, the boy aimed another chakra laden kick at her ankle, bringing her down to her knees so she was finally low enough for him to glare directly in the eyes. He hadn't planned on being provoked but plans changed.

Peolpe changed, people never came back.

People died, and she would too.

"Do you know how to use this?" the boy asked, his voice now soft as he reached out with the hand holding the weapon, resting the cold steel against her cheekbone. "Ever hurt anyone before Your Ladyship, ever made anyone bleed..?" Trailing the kunai down to her neck, he lingered on the throat, enjoying the feeling of power he suddenly had.

Like when he had pushed that stupid knight into the lake, hands and feet tied and body weighed down with his own steel armour.

"Feels warm you know," he added, pricking the edge of the blade into her soft skin, staying away from the jugular for the moment. And the red that leaked out was indeed warm as it flowed down her dress. "You should't threaten to use things you clearly don't know how to."

With that, the boy deepened the cut, sliding the blade down towards her shoulders. He could have made quick work of her but he wanted her to live. He wanted Arashi to see what he'd done.

He wanted to send a message.

Wiping the kunai on the cleaner part of her dress, the boy stashed it with the rest of his haul before heading to the door. "Won't be seeing you around, but lets see if the prince is as big a coward as I know him to be."

With that, the boy left the room, not even bothering to close the door behind him where Tsuji bled. in his haste to escape and euphoria of almost tasting freedom, Arata didn't see a pair of frightened eyes watch him exit out a nearby window.

Darkness Yuki had seen everything.

(Exit Arata, also just noting that this is purely for story development so nothing from this topic - ryo weapons, etc - is claimable or usable in the game. This is just a bit of background to establish a story line)