Lying Low (Open, NK)

He followed without needing to be beckoned. Though he still wasn't sure about this whole 'church' or 'flock' thing. Still, he could at least be loyal to Kamiko. A proper meal sounded nice too. It had been a long time since he had had such a thing. "Indeed. Patience is a ninja virtue, too." He remembered what he had been taught. Patience. If you only plan a few moves ahead, you can't really win in the long run.

He could appreciate such protective desires, they would give him more room to grow strong. Though he wasn't fully aware of how she felt toward him, he at least got some maternal feeling off of her. Kiwoharu was reasonably sure he would be safe... particularly once he saw the church. Well constructed, if simple. Churches didn't really need to be all that complicated anyways, or fancy. 

He sat patiently near the back of the church, feeling relaxed once more. This place was fairly safe... through so many alleyways that one would nearly have to be led to it. He took both plates with a small bow of his head. "Ah, just water, thank you." Something to ensure he stayed hydrated while eating. Then he nodded at her words. "I believe I feel ready to meet with one of the others, yes." As he started to eat the meal, he felt those feelings again, because the meal was made with love and care. 

On that day, a year ago... He was training in the usual place when he heard a commotion at the gates. Shortly afterward, both of his parents showed up. It was highly unusual for them to do so rather than deal with the situation. "What's happening?" He asked. The two both looked somewhat worried. "It's the Akatsuki... We're sure they intend to destroy the village. You have to run." He didn't question it at the time... when his father said to do something, there wasn't room to question it.


It didn't take him long to leave through one of the other means he had besides the gates... with most of the attention at the gates, it was easy enough to slip out. He was a good few miles away by the time he decided to turn around... only to see glimpses of smoking ruins through the jungle. Nothing was left. Not his parents. He couldn't be sure about his friends... and probably Aois, too.

At that time, he hadn't let himself really feel the sorrow caused by it. Yet now, he couldn't hold the tears back. "Sorry... This just reminds me of my mother..." Yet at the same time as he let it out, he felt something awakening in him... His eyes turned a shade of red, with a tomoe lying on a circle near the iris. He blinked. The whole world seemed just a bit slower suddenly. Then in the next blink, he turned it off. So that had awakened... but he didn't need it right now.

[Mid-thread claim: Sharingan, first tomoe.]

WC: 498
TWC: 2,018

Midthread Approved

Kamiko saw that the boy, Kiwoharu, seemed to become lost in thought for a moment as he ate: Something was on his mind, something that he was not sharing outright with Kamiko, yet she respected his decision not to do so. Some things were too personal to share with someone you had only so recently met, even if that someone was now a caretaker in a sense. The Boy's tears, however, brought a concerned frown to the lips of the Priestess, who would then move to embrace him gently in her arms in an attempt to comfort him -- being careful to avoid making him spill anything if he had not placed his food and drink down or had finished it.

She had sworn that, for the briefest of moments, she had seen the boy's eyes change ever so slightly, however, this was no concern of hers for the time being. All that mattered at this moment was comforting Kiwoharu in what must have surely been the remembrance of a difficult memory -- perhaps coinciding with the destruction of his home that he had mentioned previously. No matter what it took, No matter how long it took, she would stay here with him to protect him and to comfort him throughout these difficult times; for she considered herself a caretaker to the boy if not a Surrogate Mother by this point.

She could feel Zyarae's influence deep within the core of her mind but forced it back, she had no patience or the time to entertain the Spirit or its words. Kamiko had the resolve for the time being to force them back into the recesses of her mind and out of her current thoughts and hopefully -- it would stay that way, so long as she was with Kiwoharu.

"I am here," Kamiko would whisper to the boy as part of her attempt to calm and reassure him. "I am not leaving you, and I will keep you safe for as long as you wish me to -- Kiwoharu." She would say further in the same soft voice, giving him a gentle smile that attempted to lighten his mood if only somewhat. 

She would continue to hold onto him for a few moments, or as long as he had initially allowed, before then raising herself back into a standing position:


"If you are ready, I think that it is time we depart, Kiwoharu." Kamiko would say, giving the boy a little nod of her head. "We have a bit of distance to travel to meet with the rest of my Flock before they depart on their next mission -- Perhaps we may even accompany them, what do you think?" She continued to speak, posing the question to Kiwoharu as to whether or not they would travel alongside any of the other members of the Flock or Following as it was colloquially known, on whatever mission that they were to be taking part in next.

Waiting for the Boy's reply, Kamiko once again folded her hands into the sleeves of her holy vestments, folding them at about chest level in what was a pretty standard pose for the Priestess when she was feeling calm or at the very least not under duress enough that she needed quick access to her weaponry or other tools of the trade.

[3,744 Total WC]

He kept eating until the embrace. Then he swallowed, managing to make the tears die down soon enough. He couldn't share the whole reason why he was crying, but he had said something a bit after it started, at least. The difficult memory faded away for the moment. He didn't have to think so much about the past now. Only the future was really necessary to consider. And the present. 

The embrace felt warm, comforting him as he recovered from the memory. He nodded slightly at her words, before managing a smile. He was alright now. Then he quickly finished off what food remained once she let go, before nodding. "Yeah, I'm ready." He drank the rest of the water he had presumably been given, then stood up after putting the plate and glass down. His stance was just normal, his hands at his sides.

WC: 145
TWC: 2163

With Kiwoharu calmed and his readiness to meet with the others reassured; Kamiko would nod and motion for the boy to follow her as she would she would leave the Church and begin to make her away from the sanctuary it provided, toward the more common areas of the Marketplace where her allies were likely to be preparing themselves for another mission -- one which the Priestess could use to both give the boy more experience in the ways of the Ninja Arts but it would also serve as the boy's first test of loyalty and ability to his newfound Caretaker.

"We will be meeting with any of my Flock that has returned from one of their expeditions; with all hope, they will be able to accompany us on one of our own." Kamiko would say with a nod to herself, continuing along her way to the Marketplace Square with Kiwoharu in tow.

This would be the beginning of something beautiful, Kamiko was certain of it, all she needed to do was guide this boy along the proper path; which of course was her own path. Her path would lead to the construction of a beautiful new utopia for all of them and then soon following that -- the destruction of those that had oppressed those like her and her Followers for so long.

Without a doubt, she intended to deliver a new order onto this world and Kamiko intended for Kiwoharu to be an integral part of that new Order if he should accept his place when the time came for such things.

For now, all the boy needed to know was that Kamiko would be there for him so long as he did the same for her and that very soon; they would have their Home.

Offering a hand to the boy, she would arrive at the square and motion with her other arm in a grand manner to all of the bustling crowd before them:

"Soon, Kiwoharu, all of these wandering souls shall listen to and obey us -- We will guide them into our new world, and if they should refuse us; They will be the first examples of justice in our new world." She would say with a soft voice toward Kiwoharu, clearly seeming to be enthralled with her own words judging by the smile on her lips and the sparkle in her eyes. "But first, let me introduce you to some of those making all of this possible."

With that, Kamiko would make her way through the crowd toward the mission board where she assumed that she would be able to find her Flock once they returned. It may take some time for them to arrive, but all great things required patience and Kamiko was not short in supply.

Today was the dawn of a new day, and she hoped that Kiwoharu felt the same, for he was a new beacon of hope within the Priestess's life. In this moment, even Zyarae would be forced to admit that the Priestess had achieved her goal in beginning the Following that the spirit desired while simultaneously achieving the manpower required to create the village that her Benefactor and closest ally had requested her help in developing,

For the first time in who knew how long, Kamiko felt utter peace of mind.

[4,296 Total WC]
[Claiming:
- 200 WC per stat =  21 Stat Points
- Temple Of Nirvana 4250 wc/4250wc]
[Exit]

Approved of claims. It's Training and Missions next time btw

He followed her quietly, sticking close to her as they left the church. An adult would at least seem more powerful than a kid, so if he stayed close to her, he was a little safer. He did need more experience, and hopefully a mission would help. He did hope it was something reasonably harmless… he didn’t want to appear in any bounty books yet.

He nodded at her words. A full team was better than just two, no matter what the mission. And hopefully this new utopia would be something great. For now all he needed to do was get stronger. And now he had somewhere to do that. And people do to it with. Though he wasn’t so sure about making examples of anyone who didn’t join them… Still, he was sure Kamiko knew what she was doing. He took her hand as he continued to follow.


Kiwoharu glanced around as they arrived at the mission board. It could take a while for the others to arrive, but he had plenty of patience. He had already waited over a year for a chance like this, so it wouldn’t be hard for him to wait a bit longer.

[TWC: 2362]
[Claiming:
200 WC per stat = 11 stat points
Soul Expulsion 2000/2000wc]
[Exit]

You'll need to add at least 8 stats from this thread to your chakra if you want Soul Expulsion. So long as you do that, approved.