Lost Girl (P)

Darkness….

That’s all that surrounded the girl, was complete and utter darkness. Her eyes searched for any search of light but could fine none. In the distance she heard the sounds of war. Explosions, the sound of metal clashing, screams and cries of agony. The blonde could only paint the grotesque picture, but could not see it for herself. She heard someone screaming for her to wake up. The voice unfamiliar to her ears. “Wake up! Wake up!! WAKE UP!”

The girl finally came to, her eyes opening slowly in an unfamiliar place. Her whole body ached tremendously, almost to the point of being unable to move. She wasn’t sure what happened or how she got to where she was. The last thing she remembered was fighting off Kiri ninja before everything went black. Did someone take her by surprise? Did she get caught under some jutsu? She wasn’t sure, but whatever happened, she was disappointed in herself that she allowed it to.

Queen stood up from the sad excuse of a bed that she laid in, her body hating her for it as pain shot up her spine and down the rest of bones. She flinched, but for the most part ignored it. She glanced around her surrounding, immediately recognizing she was in a prison cell. She had been here one before for a mission. She never though she’d find herself in this position. Forcing herself up, she made her way towards the metal bars that kept her locked in. Surely, this wouldn’t be enough to keep her, but she felt strangely weak to even make an effort to get out.

From what she could see from the gated windows, it was sometime during the day. She could hear the sounds of birds chirping in the distance over the rowdiness of a couple prisoners. “Hey Beautiful, what you in for? Prostitution?” Queen’s eyes flickered to the voice. It’s origins coming from a scrawny bald man who was missing a few teeth. “Actually, from killing worthless men like you.” She replied ruthlessly, the look of death in her eyes. It must have translated perfectly as the prisoner retreated back to his bed, his gaze falling elsewhere.

Queen did the same, taking a seat on the firm mattress as she tried to recall the events that transpired. As hard as she tried to remember, she couldn’t. The last thing that she did remember was standing up to the Kiri ninja trying to claim their village while the others cowered. She could only assume that considering she was in a prison rather than a hospital room, that she failed. What she couldn’t understand is why she wasn’t dead. A million thoughts raced through her head, and a million questions that felt unanswered.

Prisons had always been a peculiar invention to Xyxer. To willingly segregate those who weren't above putting their own needs before their village's. His attitude concerning this had been reckoned within Konoha shortly after the war with the cells emptier than they had once been, and splashes of blood decorating the interior as suggestions of what could have happened. Destroying someone's psyche was just as important as their body, especially if a reformation was to occur. Unfortunately for Xyxer, there was someone quite interesting in the cells at the moment. The instigator of the war.. she'd spoken but a few words of derision which resulted in the slaughter of many. If he didn't know any better, he'd mistake her passion for psychopathy.

An hour or two after she'd awoken from her slumber, the door at the far end of a dimly lit corridor opened to reveal the blue haired fellow. Perhaps she would remember him? If she could forget him after everything she'd caused him to do.. that'd just be dastardly. Shutting the door behind himself, Xyxer walked down the hall, with the head of the ANBU Operative Anri bouncing from his waist, towards the cell Queen was located in, the prisoners ceasing their activities and attempting to avoid the gaze of the Mizukage; it hadn't taken too long for the prisoners to realise the new leader wasn't one for mercy. Once he stood outside of the cage, regardless of how she'd act, he'd speak to her, "Hello, Rei." A few seconds elapsed so he could gauge her expression in the darkness before he continued, "You caused quite a few deaths the other day, plenty of widows have been made.. and you're in here. Was it worth the cost?" He didn't expect a true answer from the girl, perhaps moreso a series of derogatory comments so she could still feel as if she had some control of what happened to her future now that she was in the jail cells. Maybe she even wanted to ask him a question herself.

Queen sat there in silence for what some would consider felt like days, but there was a sense of peace that she found within it. Alone with her thoughts, something that would soon become a curse as she recalled the events that took place. The blonde’s shut eyes snapped open as the sound of an opening door filled the space around her. She failed to turn her head, but flickered her eyes towards her cell door, waiting for whoever it was that was coming to appear.

Plop.

Plop.

Plop.

Step by step, the unknown being grew closer and closer. The Jonin quickly assumed it was a guard, but she was gravely mistaken. The man who appeared was none other than the blue haired demon that had caused her village so much pain. Around his waist was a decapitated head that belonged to someone the girl did not recognize, but could only assume was a ninja from the hidden leaf. The man’s appearance only meant that her village truly did fail, and flashbacks of what occurred began flashing through her memory as she begin to recall the events. Her fighting off the Kiri ninja, striking a few down one by one before getting taken down herself. She winced as she remembered the strike.

Queen didn’t reply to the man’s greeting, still recovering from the memories and momentarily unable to find her voice. The man continued to speak, Rei’s facial features unfazed as she just glared off at the plain wall infront of her. She wasn’t sure whose life was also taken, part of her wondered why she wasn’t one of them. She deserved to be, but maybe this was her punishment. To live with the guilt that was now stuck in her throat, a lump forming in front of the words that tried to escape. Finally, after a few beats she was able to speak.

“Of course…” Her words came out slow, but with certainty. Her head turned to face the man. “We became ninja in order to serve our village. To protect our village. The men and women that died, they died trying to do just that. They died with honor.” Upon finishing her sentence, her eyes flickered to the poor girl who hung off to man’s hip. She wanted to feel angry, upset, all the emotions she wanted to be feeling, but she didn’t feel anything else but empty. Part of her also wanted to feel regretful for starting all this; but she knew standing up for her village was what had to be done, even if she had stood alone.

“Cowering away in fear without even putting up a fight… That’s no way to live.” She added, disgust still in her mouth at how quick the village was to whimper to the blue haired man’s will. “Now let me ask you a question… Why am I still alive?” She inquired. She wasn’t sure who was a casualty of this fight, or if anyone was executed, but what she did know was that she was the instigator of this whole thing, yet here she was, currently rotting away in a prison cell. Maybe this was her punishment. Something some consider worse than death. Maybe they would torture her until they broke down her will to live. She wasn’t sure, but she was damn well curious.

As Xyxer's grey eyes flickered over the disappearing figures in the cells, he noticed that the one he came for didn't move at all. She was stoic in the way she carried herself, but he couldn't quite put down why. Had she always been this way, remembering the events that had happened during the war, or perhaps simply accepting of whatever outcome may come her way? Only further probing would cure Xyxer's curiosity. Although, from what the girl was saying, she seemed to harbour the same ideals that he did himself. Perhaps capability was the only difference between this village and his own, but that was a quality that could change. 

His head nodded as she continued to speak, a hand diving down into one of his pockets for a moment before he brandished a chain of iron keys, each engraved with a number of notches that coincided with the cell number. Xyxer took a step back so he could see the number at the top of the cage before finding the appropriate key, which he'd use to open the door. As he opened the cell door, he'd step to the side alongside it so that he blocked off the way to the exit, instead gesturing down the opposite side of the hall from which he had came. "You gave us a reason to make them cower away in fear, I should be grateful." He spoke, a smirk nestled on his features. If she left the cell, Xyxer would close it behind her and lock it once more; it'd be terrible of him to give the illusion of freedom to chained animals. If she was to enter through the wooden door, she'd find a simple room consisting of two wooden chairs with a metal table separating the two of them, yet those were the only features that enabled any form of distraction from the dull interior.

He'd follow behind her granted that she didn't wait for him to lead, closing the door behind the two of them before gesturing with a wave of his hand towards the seats, "Pick whichever one looks more fitting for a person of your status. As for your question, you're alive because someone else had his head metaphorically thrust into the hangman's noose." There'd be a slight pause as Xyxer recalled the day Salzem was stabbed by his comrades in a merciless showing of survival, an event that Queen had caused yet had no knowledge of, "He cried and whimpered in fear the entire time." Xyxer trailed off, almost as if he was speaking to himself rather than the girl. Would she partake in the execution of the boy who had stood up after her? Rubbing his neck for a second, he walked through the lit room towards the chair that was unoccupied, taking his own seat on it. It'd be easier to talk to her if he didn't have to make an example of her in front of others.. if she didn't feel the need to play it up for a crowd.

Slumping backwards into the seat, Xyxer's hand rest on the cold metal table for a few seconds as he continued to watch her. A moment of silence so the duo could thing of the imminent possibilities this exchange might yield for either party. His tongue ran over his teeth while he stared at the girl before him. In another life this could be the other way around if she'd been more capable. He rapped his fingers against the table once to strike a noise from it before he spoke, "Your voice got a lot of people killed, your words in particular. It aroused a passion within your people that forced us to put them down like rabid dogs. You're alive, and they're dead.. because of your actions. Every life that was ended prematurely today happened because you decreed it with your speech that ignited your allies. I'd say I was impressed if it hadn't been such a massacre." Xyxer snickered before continuing on, "I suppose what I'm asking, Rei.. is why? You became a ninja to serve your village, yet you had most of its people killed. Had you simply conformed for the better of your village.. fewer would have died." He finished, wondering how the girl would react to the knowledge that she was now at the mercy of the village she sought to defend against.

Queen’s eyes that currently watched the decapitated head flickered to the man’s pocket as he dug his way for the keys within them. Her eyes narrowed, focusing in on the object he pulled out. She thought it’d be some sort of object that he’d use to try and rile her up. Something that belonged to someone she might now who was killed in the action but no. Instead, he pulled out a ring of keys, one that he used to open up her cell.

It was odd, and due to the fact, the blonde remained motionless as she studied the situation. She wasn’t sure where exactly he wanted to take her. Maybe he was leading her to her execution. Maybe it was a torture chamber. Maybe he was going to make her watch as she killed someone she loved. It probably wasn’t the latter though since the one person she did love was already dead. About ten seconds would pass before the girl slowly got up from her seated position, making her way towards the door. She stopped momentarily right in front of Xy, examine his facial features up close in the dim lighting. It was then where he spoke, a smirk appearing on his face. Queen didn’t reply immediately, she’d simply turn and continue down the hall, only then speaking up as they both walked. “Then thank me.” She said, a subtle pinch of sarcasm noted in her rather monotone voice.

Of course, she probably should leave her back open to such a man but if he wanted to kill her, she could only assume it’d be in a more appropriate fashion than one a coward might choose. The two would enter into a room, the girl quickly favoring the chair on the further side. She’d sit herself down slowly, standing up straight even though it caused her slight pain in her current condition. Nonetheless, she was a women who grew up in the business world, and posture had come as an important trait during meetings with other professionals, if she could even call the man that.

Queen considered what Xy said next, speaking of someone who had taken her place. A momentary drift of guilt went through her as she considered someone else faced her punishment; how they should be alive instead of her. But there was nothing she could do currently. The cards had been dealt, and all she could do was look toward the future and make sure whoever it was didn’t die in vain. Part of her wanted to ask who it was, but she fought against it.

The two contrasted quite differently as they were both now seated. Queen stood upright, her back parallel with that of the chair, her hands in her lap, laying on her upper thighs. On the other hand, the blue haired man sat comfortably in his chair, his hands placed on the table between them. The two simply gazed into one another’s eyes, letting the silence build between them before Xy finally broke it.

Queen listened to his words with patience, her lilac eyes focused on his. Her mind began to replay the bits and pieces she remembered of the fight, some of them made up as she could only picture her allies being struck down. Goosebumps ran up her arms when the man called her by her actual name. This made the second time. Not many knew her by the title except family or those she told as most of her records contained her current title, so he must have accessed the Hokage’s records in order to have obtained it.

Nonetheless, Queen focused on the question he asked. Why? Why had she bothered to resist; to stand up against the people who threatened their safety. She let the question linger for a little bit, her gaze still on the man’s as she considered how to answer the question. “I did nothing more than remind them what their duty as ninja was.” She momentarily shrugged, recalling the events and what she had said. “A ninja shouldn't simply cower away when an obstacle comes their way, especially when its their village at stake. After all, we train our whole lives to protect the things important to us, yet when the moment comes when we have to put that to the test, we kneel to the first threat that comes to our doors? You demanded our surrender without so much as barely lifting a finger, and everyone was willing to give it to you..” She paused a moment, her forehead creasing as the events that transpired in that moment slightly upset her, but se let her face relax once more before she continued. “What would we be if we quickly surrendered to every person who came to our gates?” She paused once again in case the man actually wanted to answer. If he didn’t, she’d continue. “Nothing. A flat out disgrace. I simply reminded them of something that they already knew, that their job is to protect this place that we call home, no matter the odds.”

She let the silence between them build a little bit, the blonde observing any changes in the man’s facial features as he took in what she had to say. “ I asked you a question on that day and didn’t receive an answer so I ask you again. If the roles were reversed and it were your ninja against an army they possibly stood no chance against, would you expect them to cower down and submit, or swear to kill every one of those bastards until their dying breath? I’m sure with that, you have the answer you are looking for.”

Queen paused once more, crossing her arms around her chest, her injuries fighting against her actions but she performed them anyways. Her gaze flickered up into the lights before falling back onto the sky blues of the Mizukage’s. “I’ll take responsibility for my actions, but if you think you’re going to feed me horror stories in order to make me regret them, I don’t. I would do it all again knowing full well what would happen.” She finished off, feeling as though she said everything she had to say. There were still a lot of holes and missing pieces of information, but what she said rang true. There was no way in hell she would stand there and bend a knee to some man with blue hair, or anyone for that matter.

Her singular responses to his words had served to amuse Xyxer throughout this short exchange, which was better than most did in his presence. He was still uncertain on whether his aura had any effect on the girl, but if her words were anything to go by then she certainly wasn't putting on a show in front of the entirety of Konoha when she roused the fighting spirit within them; she'd kindled the fire into an inferno, yet she didn't get to witness how it was doused. That was an intriguing part to her character, as he was no longer certain on how much this did affect her. She didn't want to know any specifics about the fight or those who had became deceased because of it. 

As they both sat at the table, Queen's posture stuck out from his own as it showed the duality between the two; Xyxer no longer believed he had anything to worry about, and she appeared to be formal to a fault. Perhaps she had been an active businesswoman before taking up her role as a shinobi he mused to himself, drawing similarities between the way she conveyed herself at the instigation of the war to corporate takeovers. An amusing notion, yet unlikely. What she said about the unanimous surrender struck him as he'd found it amusing himself, yet he understood that their acting Kage had wanted to save them from the horrors that could possibly be inflicted and her villagers simply trusted her instinct. Yet this one had changed it all for them for reasons Xyxer couldn't deny.

His own expressions portrayed the same light smirk from earlier, yet nothing was notable from his eyes. They still remained as lifeless as the day they had met on the battlefield despite his bloodlust being momentarily satisfied, simply glazed with the same qualities of others who were dead. He merely acted how he felt was appropriate, yet he didn't feel the emotions he attempted to convey despite his desire for them. Queen's voice drew him back in as she spoke about a question that had been unheeded. It was tactical in nature as it forced Xyxer to put himself in the same shoes as the girl before him, his shoulders rolled backwards before he pushed himself back up against the chair, his back straightening out somewhat before his response, "My village won't face that kind of choice again. We're the ones preemptively striking with ruthless aggression, yet we offer other people a choice so their fate is in their hands. If you aren't the one that's attacking, you're going to be the one defending in this world." He skirted around the issue for a few seconds before he took it head on, "If it came down to the wire though, then the choice is no choice at all. I haven't done everything I have to lose my village a second time, Bijuu knows I can't rebuild it a third time. I'd either kill them all myself to allow my people to leave with their lives intact, or simply surrender. Sometimes the greatest way to fulfill your duty is to not act at all, although those times are few and far between."[/color] Xyxer said as he confessed to the girl, the smirk from before still remaining. Xyxer longed for death at this point, yet he always managed to evade it.. someway, somehow.

Drumming his fingers against the table once more after she stated the fact that she wouldn't regret her actions, he took a few seconds to look down at the reflection of them both on the reflective surface. She was taking this in her stride, and killing her now simply turned her into a martyr. What avenue could he take her down? He looked back up towards her, "If the roles were reversed I would have reacted the same way. A village offering terms of surrender with a reputation as villainous as ours is bound to be met with contempt. It's inevitable. I don't desire to spill more blood than is required to cleanse this village." Xyxer trailed off, licking his lips before he continued, "I see a copious amount of missing shinobi hailing from here, yet nothing being done about it. Shinobi that are incapable of fighting back to defend themselves. People who can speak a big game, yet get handled like miniature dogs. Once the Alsatian's jaws clamp around the throat of the small dog, it's over. The only thing that can change now is how this is handled."

At this point Xyxer decided to take a pause so that he could get a feel for how this was coming off to her. Allegories of domination and incompetence intertwined to punish the reputation of the once great village, yet nothing he had said had been incorrect. His words likely stung, but now was time to test the character of the girl some more. By the end of this, perhaps they'd both have a better understanding of how the other ticked, "So tell me, how will you cope with it? Will you fall in line for the betterment of the village? Rebel against the forced partnership? Kill me?" She seemed direct enough to be willing to admit her intentions to him, especially since she seemed to hold little regard for pleasing him or even appearing shameful for the deaths that had been caused.

And so the conversation continued, Queen listening to the blue haired being with an undeniable concentration. She hadn’t known it consciously yet, but his words spoke as a lesson to the girl that would come to shape some of her values. After all, she was still just a young woman whose ideals were still developing as she continuously matured. What she valued today could be different than what she valued tomorrow, and everything that the male said had come to make sense as she digested his words.

She agreed on his primary notion that in this world that they lived in, you were either on the offense or on the defense; predator or prey. It seemed to be a build up to the point he was trying to get across, but it was a point that the girl could agree upon. It so happened that her village was on the defensive end, and unfortunately so, they had come to fail in stoping their predators. Queen’s eyes remained locked on the male’s, her face relaxed as he continued on. She wasn’t sure of the hardships his village had faced but by the sounds of it, it seemed Kirigakure had faced a similar situation in the past.

“Kill them all…” She repeated to herself, almost inaudible to the male as her eyes briefly wondered off to the side. The was what the blonde had strived to do, but she failed. She wasn’t strong enough to do what needed to be done, so here she was. No one in their village was. They were weak, and had quickly become a poor fawn left to be devoured by a pack of wolves. “I see.” She bounced back with in a hushed tone thrown more as a loose statement than a reply before Xy had continued on. She hadn’t expected such a reply from the male who seemed to long for blood to be spilt. A man of such a caliber on the battlefield, someone who seems to be filled with bloodlust to speak of not acting in a position where defeat is almost inevitable. It was almost shocking. He seemed like a man who would always prefer to go out in a bang.

The girl’s eyes made their way back to the man, taking in the smirk that was still marked on his face. She had a deep desire to wipe it off the face of the earth, but knew better and hold her tongue. There was a time and place for everything, and now definitely wasn’t the time. Patient; it was a virtue the girl luckily had. The male continued on, and more light was shun on his way of thinking. It was interesting to the blonde to see that he had no intention to kill more than needed to. Of course, his goal was probably to use Konoha for Kiri’s own gain through the use of labor and overall man power. What use is a burned down village filled with corpses when you can force everyone into working for you. Or maybe that was just her corporate side thinking.

An unnoticeable shiver flickered through the girl’s body as he made his analogy, Rei unable to shake off that he was only referring to her. She had clearly been the one to speak a ‘big game’, only to be defeated and thrown in a dirty cell. Although, she still believed her words rang true, she definitely had bigger balls than the majority of them. “ I agree.” The girl said simply, letting the male decide what it was she was agreeing to. With that said, she surprisingly agreed with most of it. It was true that they had ninja who fled their village without consequence. Her mind instantly thought of Ari, the woman who was married to Kurisu, as well as Orokana. Two beings who disappeared, yet no one seemed to bat an eye. Then there was the incapability to defend themselves. Her mind flicked back to her seeing everyone bend the knee to the Kiri threat without even raising a fist, and then to how quickly they must have all been defeated. They were weak, including her. And now, it all dwelled to how the situation would be handled as he said.

A moment of silence fell between the two of them, something that seemed to be a trend within this conversation as the words were taken in by both parties, a deeper understanding forming between the two before the Mizukage had continued. Her poker face finally broke, a slight smirk creeping on her lips as the right corner of her mouth rose in amusement at the thought of killing the male that stood in front of her. As quick as it appeared, it faded back into nothingness as the idea was nothing more than a current fantasy.

“That depends on you.” She replied honestly. She let a beat fill the air before continuing as she considered explaining herself. Knowing he’d probably ask her anyways, she’d continue. “ We’ve been clearly bested and defeated, their no denying that. Seeing as I’m still breathing, I can only assume most of Konoha remains intact, our people presumably safe.” Queen quickly found herself to be rambling before deciding to get to the point. “I’m willing to cooperate so long as no more suffering is brought to the people of the village.” She thought about it logically, and while she was willing to stand alone previously, that was strongly because she refused to go down without a fight. The fight had gone and passed, and they were defeated. Doing the same now would just be a repeat of history, and rather futile. However, it didn’t mean she’d play along forever.

“But... I can’t promise my cooperation will be permanent.” the girl shrugged her shoulders, her lilac eyes focused on the man’s smirk before bouncing back to his eyes. “Konoha will come to rise from the ashes, whether I start that flame, or someone else does.” There was no bullshitting around it. She’d train night and day if she had to if it meant reclaiming her village’s freedom, and she’d be damned if she’d cower and lie about it. She was always one to speak what was on her mind, and her fighting spirit hasn’t been kicked out of her yet. It was something her father criticized her during business meetings. Share what needed to be shared but not the whole truth. If you asked Queen, that was a coward's game. It may not be good for business, but it was just the girl's manner of thinking.

All that Xyxer stood to gain from a massacre of this village was momentary satisfaction, the decaying euphoria that came after each and every kill. It'd likely be the greatest pleasure he'd ever felt in his entire life, yet it'd only be fleeting. He couldn't sustain a legacy on a fleeting action, especially not one so callous and reckless for those who were willing to subdue themselves to his mercy; unbridled and sadistic as he'd been seen. Whether he liked it or not, the girl before him stood a good chance of living longer than him with how dangerously he played the game, but she wasn't one to waver from danger herself. Perhaps that was why he pulled her into this room to speak rather than hiding behind a cage.. A challenge of sorts to attack him and give into her rage like a tortured animal to savage its oppressor, but she was too smart for that. The first person to attack would have a clear advantage, that much was certain since they'd simply have to throw the table into the other person and follow up with a strike that was hidden.. yet he didn't feel tense around her. Whether it was because he felt no fear or he simply accepted his fate in this world was uncertain to him. "You want to kill them all, dont you?" A hoarse voice grunted in his conscience, and it caused a conflict inside him. To kill the weak was to purge the lineage of the unworthy, yet it afforded no honour to the man for executing people so incapable of defending themselves. Momentarily, an expression of apprehension sullied his features during the silence.

Despite the girl's capture she likely wasn't the weakest of the brood in this village, and her words were spoken cautiously yet without regard for sugarcoating; a valued, and rare trait. His eyes scanned her once more in an effort to pull him back to reality and distract him from the words of Gyuki, yet a string of violent acts unfolded before him on the girl, each more gruesome than the one that came before. He had no intent to harm the girl who'd been compliant the entirety of their meeting, yet the desire rushed through his body like a cold sweat that never ended. Self-control had never been something that Xyxer excelled at as even his combative maneuvers were based on violent, impulsive strikes. Unlike the thoughts that poured through his mind, his features remained calm and collected without any betrayal of the hunger behind the eyes. 

When she spoke it was about what she'd do for the village, and of course, how she'd react to Xyxer's actions as they came about. To promise unending servitude before you knew the nature of a person was the act of a fool, and if she had known the urges that tainted the Mizukage then she'd realize her choice had been the most appropriate. Queen was now willing to cooperate so long as nobody else was harmed within her village which grew smaller with the war, which Xyxer thought was somewhat ironic yet he didn't bother to bring it up. That'd be the act of a child, not a ruler.

The sole thing that seemed to link everyone within this wretched village was the notion of the eternal flame. It'd been spoken of for so long that by now Xyxer's curiosity piqued, and whom better to question than the person willing to sacrifice their entire village for it? "Tell me about this Will of Fire. From what I've seen of this village old men mutter about it with their final breath and babies are born amidst the fire." They all found comfort in the proclamation of the fire to an almost cultish degree, something which was foreign to Xyxer. For so many to believe in one thing so powerfully.. it must afford some credibility to its existence.

He found no pleasure in insulting the fire as people were free to believe in what they liked, and people with opposing views were welcome to kill the heathens. In the end only the strong would remain and the weak would be weeded out of existence, yet there had to be a reason for this Will to survive the volcanic eruption of old.. the countless destructions the village had endured. He'd finish off what he wanted to say, surprisingly quiet compared to his previous rambles, "I have no intent to turn you all into slaves if that's what you fear. I only want cooperation, otherwise I would have threatened to kill every man's family inside these walls. Freedom is a gift, and it should be treasured." Although it wasn't intended, perhaps the latter would serve as a quip to the girl's detainment, although he had no doubt she could kill most of the prisoners she was locked up with. Wouldnt that be a sight.

ooc: bad post is bad sowwy :c

Rei continued to study the man before her, observing his every action, and every muscle that shifted on his face. A slight look of distress painted it for a brief moment and caused the girl’s own muscles to lock up for a split second before relaxing; nothing more than a reflex. It seems they would share a moment of silence once more, letting it sit between them; something that the two have come to know so well that it was practically welcomed. It had become a third party in this intricate conversation that the two beings were sharing.

Just like every other time, the silence between the two had been broken, this time by Xy. The male requested to hear more about the flame, something that even the girl felt she knew little about. She pondered on his request momentarily, as she wondered how to truly answer his question on the force that drove their village. “It isn’t something I’ve always believed in myself I must admit.” The girl began, recalling the first section of the Jonin exams when she had been asked to describe what the Will of Fire was to her. A time not that long ago, she simply had written what she believed the proctors wanted to hear. About how the Will was something that lived in all of them. It was hazy to her now, something she wrote on a whim. It had all been a load of shit.

Hell, it hadn’t been until the moment that she watched everyone stand up to fight at the gates that she had come to see the Will of Fire strive in action. It was inspiring really, to see the flame shine bright in everyone. If it hadn’t been for that, well she’d probably be dead, but she’d also still think that the Will of Fire was just some stupid fallacy created by the elders to inspire ninja. Hell, maybe it still was.

“It burns in every one in Konoha. To everyone, it is something a little different but it is what strives us to fight and defend the village, even against all odds.”  A somber smile crept on the girl’s face, as she thought of her deceased lover once more. His love for the village had always been strong. He had wanted to become an Anbu operative and make it his sworn duty to serve and protect. A dream that the girl hoped to live out in his memory. “It also represents hopes and dreams as they are passed down from what generation to the next. It’s what connects all of us.” The girl’s eyes fell to the center of the table, a stinging sensation arising behind her eyes as she felt emotions build. She let her eyes close, taking in a deep breath as she reached a neutral state once more.

“It’s completely stupid, I know...” She’d beat Xyxer to the punch, assuming that’s what he was thinking. Hell, even she still thought it was a little far fetched, but she couldn’t help but believe in it now. That was, until she’d come to find out what truly happened at the end of the battle.

Queen heard his final words, talks of not having them serve as slaves. She disregarded the remark about freedom and focused on what it was that the man claimed he wanted. It troubled the girl that this man had come into their village, asking for them all to bend the knee as if he was their new lord, yet he just wanted ‘cooperation.’ She couldn’t come to comprehend exactly what this meant. “And kind of cooperation is it that you want exactly?” The girl asked, trying to understand the male’s intentions. She just couldn’t make sense of it all. “Because surely, our villages aren’t cooperating as equals.”

[Sorry for the late post. Like, really]

Queen's words resonated with Xyxer as they both had not believed in this novel fictionalization of determination.. yet they'd both witnessed it burning inside the breast of every shinobi that were once kneeling.. all because of her. He wondered if she felt any pride in her words being able to rouse such a reaction from everyone, because if truth be told she'd had a far greater impact on the outcome of the negotiation than either of the kage. She had no regrets, that much was obvious. Regret was a sign of weakness and she'd sooner die than exhibit any of it to Xyxer. A trait he could respect in the foreign shinobi. A small pause elapsed between the two as she went into thought and he wondered what she could possibly be thinking of. A specific moment in her life prior to the war? The philosophy of the fire and its impact on her culture? Xyxer himself thought about these topics as he found it peculiar that so many shinobi had been willing to lay their lives down for their land despite their villagers mostly escaping unharmed. They were willing to die for the ideologies of an empty village.. and that knowledge could prove useful for Xyxer to utilize.

A smile came upon her features as she spoke about the will of fire and how it caused people to boldly stand in the eye of a most vicious storm. Not only that but the dream appeared to be handed down from parent to child so it was possible.. that in reality, nobody knew what this 'Will of Fire' truly was. A stray thought from their parent that they couldn't betray. It was powerful. He didn't bother to remark on her shift in emotions while she calmed herself down as he thought it'd be inappropriate given the moment. There was a time and a place for mockery and this certainly was not the time given that he needed information from this girl, and perhaps even some connection.

When she spoke about the Will being stupid it caused a light, solemn smile to rest upon his features as he gently shook his head at her words. He was impressed by the entirety of the village's dedication to the ideology. "You've explained it well and I believe I understand it. Each person within the village considers the Will of Fire to roar within their hearts as a tiny flame, when peril arrives the bonfire turns into a roaring inferno fed by forests." He paused for a moment as if the thought of the Will held some significance, "The fire isn't just gritty determination. It's something more significant; a dream. In a single person it's awe-inspiring.. but when the entirety of these people dedicate their flame to a village, it becomes something even greater." Xyxer went quiet once more as his thoughts swirled on the idea that such a thing could be hereditary from birth. Could he instill this desire into his own subjects without the use of cruelty and indoctrination? No.. that's what happened with this Will; tempered in the days of old and spoken in bedtime tales to children. Everyone wanted to emulate their hero, and this was the best way for Konoha to do it.

The next question was expected, causing the smile on Xyxer's face to finally rest and go back to its neutral form. His left palm flat on the table while he reclined into the chair he digested her words  before replying, "No longer as equals, no. Equality has to be earned. That's the price of staking a gambit and failing to pull it off. For now your village will serve as our lesser partner for future ordeals yet we'll both enjoy the same comforts in the alliance. We're not going to leave you for the wolves. I heard about what happened to the village's previous ally, Sunagakure." Xyxer recalled the letter he received from his brother that stated the world was moving on without him. Perhaps those blots of ink had sealed the fate for Konohagakure and Takeo truly was a master manipulator.. but that was being too generous. Xyxer loved violence and he'd wanted both redemption and vengeance for what happened to Old Kirigakure. He'd been kind to these people, far more than he should have, "We can protect Konohagakure from sharing the same fate, yet together we can do much more. I want this dream to be realized, and for that I need your loyalty. Would you kill me if given the chance, Rei?" The Mizukage questioned yet made no movement. He had no intention of assaulting her for her response as he desired honesty more than a lie, yet he continued, "Will you be loyal to your village despite it benefiting me, or will you seek to see it wrenched from Kirigakure's grasp despite how prosperous the partnership may be?"