A Chance Encounter (Kazu)

Fighting was so troublesome. Especially with the enemy just inches away from you. Staring down with eyes hungry for bloodshed. Any effort she'd ever put into learning new jutsu had been to keep the enemy away from her. There was almost no point trying once the fight was brought into close quarters. Just as she had resigned herself to an inevitable death; splash. In one swift motion a second man had appeared, ripping one of the hands that had been gripping her shoulder away from her. That...chakra... she thought, wide-eyed as she stared the white-haired stranger down.

Crunch.

The sound of a bone cracking from sheer force tore her away from her thoughts, and back to the situation at hand. "So, you're from Iwagakure." Her gaze softened at the confirmation, finally realizing what Umashi had meant. The life of a missing-nin was a dangerous one.

"Fool," she mumbled, watching as her assailant drew a kunai and charged forward with the intent to kill the man in white. How could he be so cocky? There was a clear divide in not just skill, but their chakra as well. Admittedly, her innate sensory abilities were higher than those of her age and skill, but she could see his enormous pool of white chakra without even trying to. Calling him a formidable opponent was likely an understatement. 

But it was already over.

Like a cat that had trapped a mouse, he played with his prey. Allowing the jounin to think for a brief, fleeting moment that he ever had a chance. Before ending the battle with two swift swings of his kusarigami. To think he was this strong with just a weapon...

"Godaime Mizukage-sama," she said, reading the kanji written on the back of his cloak as he turned to face her. There was something about the way his deep, amber eyes looked at her that betrayed the smile that danced across his lips. In response to his question she nodded ever so slightly. Her facial expression showing no signs of fear or a response at all to the bloody fight that had just unfolded before her eyes.

"Thank you," she said, remembering her manners as she pushed wet strings of hair out of her face.

As he set his hand down on her head, she kept her gaze locked with his, following him downward until he met her at eye level. Which was quite a ways down at her meager height of five feet. "Ah," her mouth parted to free a soft sound as he kneeled down, sullying his clothing in the damp, muddy ground. He hardly seemed to notice, however, and Fumiko held back from commenting on it. The white haired man remained quiet for a moment, studying her blank expression before his lips tugged back up into that smile of his. He was much harder to read than most.

"Kazu," she said, nodding as if to confirm the name. "Fumiko," she responded with her own name, mirroring his lack of surname. Which, with her identity as a missing-nin, was likely in her favor. But then they were right back to surnames with the family question. For a moment she could see her father's face, and she wondered if he'd been home yet. He wouldn't have thought anything if she wasn't there. But the blood on the walls? He'd notice that. Though the man showed even less emotion than she did, he cared for his daughter's safety. Even if he was never around to ensure it. 

"Onii-chan," she finally said, breaking the silence she created as she mulled over the question. It had been the only answer she felt she could give. And her heart thumped, a fluttering feeling in her stomach that was all too foreign. But with each time she used the word in reference to Umashi, it came out easier, warmer. What a weird feeling.

As the man, Kazu, looked around, Fumiko found her gaze scanning the alley and tops of buildings for... something. His gaze had a sense of urgency to it, and she couldn't help but want to help. "Are you ok?" she asked, small, cold hands reaching out to take his face and gently turn his gaze back towards her. Blonde locks fell over her face as her head cocked lightly to the side. The faintest hint of worry for him overtaking her usually emotionless features.

"Ah," she breathed, her cold hands breaking away from his face as she slipped out of his grasp, darting around him. "Shōton: Kesshō no Yoroi" she said, her words slightly louder than her usual volume. Her arm quickly encased itself in a magenta colored crystal, deflecting two shuriken encased in wind natured chakra that had been headed for Kazu. They whistled in the wind, connecting with her crystal-encased arm and shattering it with ease. One of the shuriken fell to the ground, its momentum stopped. While the other grazed her arm.

Why? She gazed down at the fresh wound on her arm, watching as a small line of blood flowed outwards, wrapping around her arm and dripping onto the ground. It was different. Seeing your own blood versus the blood of others. Why did I...? Her fingers lightly traced the wound, and she winced slightly from the stinging pain. Just moments earlier she'd resigned herself to death. The effort to fight for her survival had been too troublesome. And yet, the second she'd sensed the chakra encased shuriken heading for the man's head, she'd rushed to save him without a second thought. Not that Kazu would have needed her help. He was clearly more than capable of taking care of himself. Especially compared to her level of skill.

But why?

Fumiko's brows furrowed as she contemplated the unfamiliar wave of emotions. She was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed Kazu's disappearance. The sudden absence of chakra the only indicator that he'd ever moved. 

"The Tsuchikage! He put out a bounty on this brat! P - please! Don't kill me!" 

Breaking her gaze away from the small, red wound on her arm, she took in the pitiful site before her. The man who, just moments ago had been so bold and cowardly to attempt to kill Kazu from afar, was now sniveling and drooling about on the ground like an animal. It was no more startling than the first string of deaths as Fumiko watched Kazu wrap the chain tightly around the man's neck. Cutting off his circulation and causing him to flail about like a fish out of water, gasping for air. His struggling only further infuriated the Mizukage, and his grip on the chain tightened until there was a loud crunch.

"Your coat," she said flatly as he knelt down in the mud once more. The pristine white coat from before was far beyond saving now. Covered in a mixture of blood and mud. Her hands slowly reached out to grab his coat in an attempt to hold it up off the ground. But in doing so he took her injured arm, looking over the cut with a sickeningly sweet smile. Before she hadn't been sure, but every bone in her body cringed at the fake emotion he was oozing. Fumiko may not have been the best at expressing herself, but she never tried faking it. It was a troublesome facade to keep up, and Fumiko found it unnecessary to do so.

"Stop," she said with a slight firmness a mother might use towards her child. Her wounded arm slipped out of his grasp, and she ignored his question as she moved to cup his face in her cold hands once more. "You don't have to smile for me." she said, her gaze piercing his with an uncomfortable amount of understanding. 

Releasing her hold on Kazu's face, she looked towards the entrance to the alley. How long had she been gone now? Umashi would be upset with her for leaving. Ah, but she still needed to wrap the wound. "Hmm," she hummed, turning her attention back towards the white haired man next to her. "Kazu-sama?" she called, referring to him perhaps a bit too comfortably under the circumstances of their meeting. But her inquisitive nature was begging she ask this one prying question before they inevitably separated.

"Why are you in Amegakure?"

There it was. An emotionless gaze that might have rivaled her own if it weren't for the wave of comfort, warm and genuine, that had washed across his cold features. The effort put forth to smile for the world was unnecessary. He'd been far more captivating when he was cutting men down then he had in the few moments he'd kneeled beside her, lips turned upwards into a 'smile'. Though it left her hungry for the true emotions he'd buried within. What did this man look like when he smiled? Curious.

He seemed to ponder her next question for a moment, though he looked all too prepared for it, his answer came slowly. Instead his gaze remained fixated on her injured arm as he took it back into his care. The cold had served to numb the fresh wound on her arm, and the rain had washed away any blood around the wound. She'd likely have forgotten about it if it weren't for the bandages he'd pulled from a small pouch on his hip.

"All of them?" So that meant... Tsuchikage-sama. She kept quiet until he'd finished wrapping her arm, watching the white bandage wrap around as she organized her thoughts. Both she and Umashi were missing-nin, and she'd learned firsthand the dangers he'd spoke of. Perhaps it was for the best that she returned to the inn sooner rather than later. If the Tsuchikage was here, and his men had already found her, than she assumed a similar situation would befall Umashi. And though it wasn't like the young blonde to worry over others, she'd grown rather fond of the friendly giant, and her heart felt something similar to 'worry'.

Looking back at Kazu, her lips turned downward into the slightest frown. It was the tiniest depictions of emotion like this that few ever picked up on. "Your clothes," she said, looking over the sullied cloak he wore. "I'm sorry, Kazu-sama." she mumbled, feeling personally responsible for his less than graceful appearance he would be presenting to his fellow Kage. Her brows furrowed as she brought a curved finger to her lips, trying to come up with a solution.

Ah, I'm getting attached again.