The Heat

Murata smirks as he notes her rhetorical distance. Isn't she supposed to be the one playing this game?

"The ideal shinobi has no life beyond their usefulness as a tool. I have yet to fully shed the skin of my old self, so to speak." The image comes to mind of a snake moulting. "If I could consider myself the same as a village-born shinobi, raised from birth to protect their home, what would be the point of beginning training so young?"

Of course there must be a point to it - to imply otherwise may be taken as seditious. She does not betray the backhandedness of her statement in her tone, presenting her words purely as self-effacing. Still, there is enough for him to speculate about. Anything that would annoy their observers seems to please her interviewee, so she is content to indulge him somewhat in that regard. Murata isn't overly worried, given that the Academy's entry age has in fact been raised in the past few months - something that Sakata would likely not know about.

"I cannot promise you anything, but I can also say with sincerity that I would not be certain that you are doomed to this place forever," she says. "The information you hold isn't necessarily what is keeping you alive." The construction of a larger facility and a move to imprisonment over summary execution means the village is changing in a way that is much larger than Sakata. If they wanted to get the information from him, kill him, and be done with it, they would already be done here. She could have done the entire job herself in five minutes.

"This village is changing. Isn't it interesting? I am such a newcomer, and even I can see it happening all around me." She grins. "Key to understanding people is to understand structures. The society we live in shapes us, and we shape it in return, and are thus shaped anew. Fate is cruel and strict, so you must always know when an opportunity to wound it steps before you." She finishes her glass, setting it down. "The opportunity to do something novel - such as befriending a convict in a village of such bloody history - is its own reward."

---

374
TWC: 3335

Sakata after Murata's last sentence:

Sakata smiled as he listened to Murata, a couple of things coming to mind. "I wouldn't want you making any promises" the man replied. "The best way to keep one's word is not to give it". Or how he'd refer to the saying that goes, don't make any promises that you can't keep. "Broken promises are the worst. Better not to promise anything". With a soft smile on his face the silver haired implied he already had his fair share of people breaking their promises like how they would break their eggs. "Then what is keeping me alive? The Mizukage's compassion? In that case I might be doomed after all". Sakata never met the man, but even then he had already formed his opinion about the Mist and it's Kage.

"Yes, the world is always changing and we have to learn how to deal with it". It seemed Murata was trying her hardest to convince him that Kirigakure wasn't how it once used to be anymore. Noble, yet perhaps a little bit naive. It would have surprised Sakata more if she'd start talking shit about the place she considered her new home. "True, but society doesn't always understands us". The silver haired let the woman finish without interrupting, a sign of respect he gained for her during their conversation. 

Once Murata's last sentence was completed he playfully reached for his heart. "Argh, the pain. I've been placed in the friendzone, such a cruel fate". Quite the performance if he'd say so himself. If he ever got out of prison perhaps an acting career could be waiting for him. "Alright, Pero Hozuki. I remember. I suppose it wouldn't hurt sharing this piece of information with one of my friends .. How happy would that make you?" Using his fingers to make a drumming sound on the table Sakata was awaiting her answer before deciding whether or not he'd give her what she wanted to hear.

(WC: 323, TWC: 4069)

"The ambiguity of your new place in the world?" she floats as a potential answer, not committing to a solid explanation for Kirigakure's new habit of keeping prisoners. She nods along sympathetically with his talk of broken promises. "Any time is a gift and opportunity."

Being understood by society? That is an interesting discussion to have. Ninshu is about understanding, but it is also fundamentally about being understood, a point so easily overlooked. It is not a philosophy of oblivion. The soul is meant to burn bright, to loudly exclaim 'I am here, I lived!'. When others turn away, reject the voices of others, it is the responsibility of the faithful adherent to listen.

"Society does not want to understand what does not serve its own interests," she says. "Its blind spots are intentionally cultivated to limit what is considered possible." Sometimes positive, sometimes negative - a trimming of the hedges. Murata's mind wanders back to the garden.

That little overacting about being put in the friendzone draws a chuckle from her, the first reaction to his flirtations with anything other than agreeable deflection.

"I always love to have a friend tell me about their life," she responds, smiling genuinely in turn. Nothing piques her interest quite like a little mystery. "Yes, it would make me happy."

---

216
TWC: 3551

"Yes, society does not" he agreed with Murata's statement. "But the same could be said about us. How many people act out of their own interest or refuse to if they themselves wouldn't benefit? Don't get me wrong, that's what makes us human. Hower, I believe it's something worth thinking about". Anyhow, it seemed the time for him to talk about one of his victims had come and considering his whole speech about promises Sakata could hardly break his. A deep breath followed by a complete silence, both signs indicating the silver haired had started thinking back to the time and place the event in question happened.

"Pero Hozuki. Why did I kill him? Simple. Because I could". A grin appeared on his face before he'd continue. "No, that would be a little bit cliché, would it not?" Sakata could already imagine Murata's reaction to his playful and perhaps even arrogant answer, which is why he eventually decided to put all jokes aside. "I killed him because he planned to do the same". This time his reply would be truthful and honest, potentially surprising and raising a brow upon hearing but sincere nonetheless. Allowing the piece of information to sink in, the man would give it some time before speaking up and continue with his story.

"You see, the two of us were assigned a certain job. With it came an additional task, to eliminate the other after completing the mission. Obviously I assumed Pero was given the same order, which is why I expected him to act sooner or later. Needless to say who came out on top". Sakata smiled, it wasn't a kill he was proud of for as far one would be able to feel a sense of pride for taking another person's life. "There's your answer".

(WC: 300, TWC: 4369)

Murata listens intently to his explanation, wondering if it will inherently convey some context and meaning. None are provided by his words. That telepathic voice does not return either, though she does feel the slight disturbance of somebody using chakra in the other room. Is he communicating with somebody else...?

She allows silence to fill the air for a few moments after Sakata finishes talking. Murata looks slightly expectant, though the intensity of her gaze is not focused on him. The woman is waiting for something else, and it does not arrive.

"Thank you," she says, thinking on where to go from here. "I..."

That telepathic voice selects that moment to return.

"That's all we need. Get out of there."

Murata trails off, looking mildly irritated. Her time with Sakata was on her terms, but the conditions of entry and exit are just as important, and she is denied them. If such an abrupt exit after getting what they want damages their trust, the consequences will be on them. Surely that cannot be all, if the instructions to get this information came so spur of the moment? She inclines her head towards Sakata respectfully as she stands up.

"That is all the time I have today," she says. "I appreciate your trust, Sakata."

With that, she turns to leave. The staff of the facility come to collect Sakata in turn shortly thereafter to return him to his living space.

---

In the hallways outside, Murata turns towards the Yamanaka as they walk. He has formally introduced himself as Inokawa in the interim.

"Was I not too familiar?" she asks. "He seemed certain such a personable attitude would get me in trouble."

"I don't care how many people you philosophize to, as long as it gets results," he says.

"...what is the story with Pero Hozuki?"

"Don't worry about it. Isn't your business."

"But I did get results," she pushes, narrowing her eyes. She isn't about to depart this mission without any indication as to whether it has been a waste of her time.

"Yes." Inokawa does not seem inclined to share anything else. He takes the prop dossier from Murata's hands and opens the door to his office, leaving Murata without a word. Not much for conversation, then. Murata lingers in the highway, running a hand through her hair with a sigh. An opportunity had been afforded to her to listen to the voiceless, perhaps, but was it worth anything if she could be so abruptly cut off?

---

417
TWC: 3968

It seemed Murata was being cut off one way or the other as she wasn't even able to finish her sentence. "Annoying, aren't they? Those voices in your head" he would say with a grin on his face. It wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out what was going on, even more so since Sakata already came to the conclusion the woman was in contact with someone else the whole time during the interrogation. "The pleasure was mine. I'll be looking forward to the moment we meet again". It would be interesting to see if Murata actually planned on coming to visit the silver haired in the future. 

He watched as she left, simultaneously the prison staff decided to show up to bring him back to his cell. "Don't touch me" Sakata glared, releasing his killing intent. Even though his afternoon fun had ended abruptly and got cut short, the man was still able to find some enjoyment. For now Sakata would simply return to his cell, waiting for another chance to have a little bit of fun. 

(Exit)

(TWC: 4547)
Claims going to Goto Senju:
- 45 stats
- 1500/1500 Great Forest
- 1500/1500 Tree Bind Flourishing Burial
- 1500/1500 Water Prison
- Mission rewards (8.000 ryo, 40 AP)

Murata returns to her apartment, greeted with a loud 'miaoooow!' from her cat.

"Yes, I was out longer than expected," Murata hums, scooping Princess into her arms. "Do you not have anything else to do when I am gone? Cat business?"

She strokes Princess's ears as she moves into her apartment, the cat purring in her arms as she enjoys memories of sunny fields from Murata's ninshu. These missions that get her thinking always leave no brainpower for her to consider what to do for dinner...

---

86
TWC: 4054

Claiming:
3750 words into Ten Thousand Cold Nights (Kage permission acquired here)
304 words into Chakra Disguise (304/1875)
40AP
8,000 ryo

Approved