[Flashback] Happiest Times (Private, Kiigan)

Eight years ago, give or take...


The team was still relatively fresh. Academy days were still fresh in her mind as they walked the path outside the village proper. Naoji-sensei had decided their two months as a team was enough for them to attempt a C-rank. Some unskilled bandits were causing trouble and thieving in the impoverished farms on the outskirts of the island, and they were to either mediate the issue non-violently, or knock some sense into the ruffians. Being more of the realist on the team, young Shizuka couldn't see how this would go well.

Naoji-sensei seemed to be competing with his other jounin peers as to who had the most promising group of kids. It was clear the man was a bit self serving and had his eye on a bigger prize. Shizuka always wondered if he'd specifically asked for the kids who sucked in the academy to make himself look better when he succeeded in turning them into badass ninja, or if he was forced to take them because the more capable mentors pulled the better teams. Her periwinkle eyes pulled from the back of their teacher to the idiots lagging behind her. Michio was an idealistic boy, always overestimating himself and wearing the scuffs and bandaids to prove it. He was a leap before you finish thinking type with visions of grandeur and possibly a little delusional. Kiigan had a chip on his shoulder and could probably outclass them both if he'd apply himself to anything other than being a tough guy to make the other girls giggle. Naoji-sensei had made it a point to emphasize the power of the two tails that the wine-colored haired boy had, which seemed to make him regress further each and every time he brought it up.

This all might sounds judgemental, but there was no one she was harder on than herself. An orphan of the Yuki clan, split from half her people and continually adjusting to a new land. She had a kekkei genkai that she'd yet to be able to call on command, at least not when she was anything but excessively pissed off. Her body was weaker than most other's, not even because of her gender, but rather just general inability. Her balance was a tragedy, and she'd only just barely graduated with similar grades to these two boys she shared all her time with. No one expected anything of her other than to be in the way.

Even through all of this, her icy politeness toward the two was starting to ease into familiarity despite herself. Shizuka was starting to feel a comradery, as if they all accepted they were losers either by choice or not, and felt a sense of belonging regardless. They all thought Naoji was the biggest loser of all, poking fun behind his back. Even now he was lecturing about something, but she knew they must be close to their destination. Farmland surrounded them, as did countless shanties and dirty workers.

Kiigan was indeed dragging his feet, growing more sick of old man Naoji's greedy tactics by the day. His hands were clasped behind his head as he sauntered, trying to look as uninterested as possible. It was a hot day, enough to burn the mist off for a rare summeresque clarity. These were the types of days he'd much rather be swimming and lazing about in the sun. But no, there had to be a super important mission today.

Young Kiigan was trying to avoid the heat anyway. He was shirtless, though that was actually pretty common. His burgundy hair was down to mid neck usually, but it was pulled into a small pigtail at the nape of his neck as well as pinned up on top where shaggy bangs would normally fall over his eyes. In protest to not being at the beach, he wore his swim shorts instead of his normal ninja pants. He didn't carry anything but a single kunai anyway.

"Let's hurry up and finish this stupid mission. The beach is callin' my name," he huffed impatiently, interrupting whatever their sensei was lecturing about with a frown tugging on his mouth.

"Be serious! I pulled a lot of strings to get us this mission, especially since you guys screw up most of our D-rank missions. But! This will be where your potentials will shine--"

"Aw, get off it," Kiigan snapped, rolling his eyes. "This is where your grand plans for us to be good little ninjas so you take all the credit for making us productive and powerful assets will finally pay off and you'll rocket into the stupid adult spotlight with all the influence and...women?" the boy continued, then paused and tilted his head, locking a mischievous eye at the back of their team leader's head. "Or, men, I guess..." he taunted, cracking an evil grin as Michio almost snorted himself into hyperventilation as Naoji whirled with an angry flushed face. Kiigan didn't claim to begin to know what adults wanted in his immature state. But he did know girls were a powerful motivator, and sensei had made it clear several times over that he was weak to the traditional aspirations. Power and action.

"T-That's enough out of you!" their sensei roared, and Kiigan was unsure whether his taunt was being confirmed or denied. "You all will take this seriously and do your bests! I am not looking like a fool again! Do you hear me? If you all would just quit being lazy, you would all be frightening forces to deal with!"

Kiigan made little kitty cat claws with his hands, swatting and hissing at the man. "Oh, you mean, I should use my gift to make you look good?" the genin asked innocently, then dropped the act and flipped the man the bird.

Naoji ignored it and stamped his feet even more determinedly on the path, leaving Kiigan to laugh along with Michio at the sensei's expense. Still laughing, he turned to look at the back of their female teammate's head, his mirth passing. It always pissed him off that he couldn't get a reaction out of Shizuka. All the other girls ate his antics up. But no, this girl was always quiet and....cold. Smiled that didn't reach her eyes, only speak when directly spoken to or if she had something necessary to say. "What about you, Shizuka? Are you going to be useful to sensei today?" he asked, though given her track record, he didn't expect her to do any more than stand and watch.

Shizuka had been staring out into the fields, listening to Kiigan's disrespectful taunts. She wasn't in a very good mood today off the bat, which was common when she was in her current...state. It was one of those days that even though it was a scorcher out and the other two boys were trying to keep from sweating, she was in long legged overalls, long sleeves, and her wintry accessories. Her purple scarf was wrapped several times around her neck, covering the bottom half of her face as she turned to look at the irreverent boy who spoke to her.

She at least offered a smile to him, even if it didn't remotely reach her eyes--which actually meant he didn't see it at all since her mouth was hidden. The migrated Yuki did somewhat enjoy busting their teacher's chops. "No more than usual, probably," she replied in a meek voice, her mittened hands clasped and held close to her chest. "I don't think this will go any better than normal," she added wickedly, wondering what the point of all of this was. They weren't improving, but at least they enjoyed each others company, especially when Naoji-sensei wasn't around.

The shanties grew closer together, and within minutes they were in the middle of what the locals probably considered town square. As if some semblance of authority and self worth was needed, a rickety old woman shambled out of a hut, looking to be half blind but at least some sort of voice for the rest of the voiceless people. "Gooood, you've come!" she warbled, waving her oversized stick around to raise some voices of excitement from those gathering nearby.

Naoji-sensei bowed, starting to glean information for the group. Shizuka had already let her mind wander to the people. It reminded her of some of the people from back in the Land of Snow, when things were at their worst. She hadn't understood it then, but even at twelve, she'd started to piece it together to see the bigger picture besides good men verses bad men. To look beyond her mother and father's deaths. Yes, it was still painful even now, but the underlying conflict and the gray areas that allowed for such a violent reaction was starting to make sense. These people would probably have a radical or two among them should they get the ability to attack in hopes of better lives, futures, and health.

They were lead to a field to the south to set up. Apparently, the thieves always came from this direction like clockwork every day to take what they could and bully what they couldn't.

At least he and Shizuka were on the same page. While Michio was a little bit of a try-hard and genuinely did do his best and got the same result as everyone else, Kiigan suspected the Yuki girl just didn't try, like him. Either that or she was as uninterested as Kiigan but as bad at being a ninja as Michio...that was a little frightening. Kiigan was aware that he could do better. At times it was more difficult to do badly than it was to just do whatever was right, but it was a matter of principle. As long as grown-ups saw him as a means to gain power or whatever, then he'd do his best to rebel and be absolutely useless to them.

To that end, Kiigan flopped down into the tall, cushion-like grass of the field, stretching out on his side. Naoji-sensei was going through the plan an inventory, Michio was counting kunai. Shizuka was nearby, staring out into space as she normally did. His crimson eyes observed her for a few moments before he spoke. "Ey. Shizuka. Come 'ere," he said, motioning for her to join him. They'd been a team for a little while. Two months. A long time for some twelve year olds to be together without really knowing each other, and that wasn't even counting their time in the same classroom. "We ain't got nothin' better to do for a while. Wanna play cards?"

The cold girl turned, eyes considering him from just above her thick, oversized scarf. Out of obligation, she closed the small distance between them and sat down in front of him, leaving enough room between for cards to be comfortably played. Honestly, Shizuka didn't want to play cards, but she'd go along with it to be polite, at least for a game or two. He should take it as a compliment. If she didn't like her teammates, she'd be much more distant and stubborn about joining in on any of their doings. She wasn't a terribly sentimental girl, but she felt small bonds forming with the team of black seep. Even someone like her could see what a good thing this could be for someone predominantly alone.

"Okay," she responded quietly, folding her frigid hands in her lap. Her tiny body gave a little shiver. "What are we playing?" asked the girl next, now a little concerned she wouldn't know how to play. Time to be up front. She couldn't have him choosing one she didn't know. Then she'd have to explain why a child didn't know how to play all the popular games. "I know how to play rummy...and go fish.."

"Rummy and go fish, huh," the boy answered. He was going to suggest poker, but he knew both of those games too. They were a little childish, but he would roll with it for her sake. He'd never seen her play with the other kids from the academy at lunch, so maybe she hadn't played since she was a little kid. Or maybe she wasn't much for games. Shizuka was pretty serious... "Okay. Let's do go fish."

Kiigan shuffled the cards, looking at her again. He just wanted to figure her out. Something about her drew him in, where other people usually repelled him. Maybe it was just that she expected nothing from him and had never once mentioned the nibi. That's generally how he judged people. "So," he started idly, wanting to pry but trying to not be so obvious. He was probably failing in that regard. "Why do you want to be a ninja?" he asked, dealing himself and her a hand before placing the draw stack between them. Kiigan was absolutely shameless enough to pull off his failure at nonchalance, his eyes bright with curiosity. Hopefully that was something she could appreciate.

The Yuki child picked up her hand of cards, inspecting them for a moment and shifting her five cards into a system, grouping a couple pairs and placing the unmatched card to the right. After that, she finally rose her frosty eyes to his fiery ones. She may be quiet, but she wasn't exactly shy. Some people found her direct gazes intimidating or weird, but that didn't lead her to change herself.

Why did she want to be a ninja? "I was placed in the academy as soon as I moved here. When you're five, you don't get to make decisions. My uncle thought it'd be good for me, so I'm doing what he wishes," she replied, pulling her scarf down halfway through her answer so her voice wouldn't be so muffled. "What else can you really do?" she asked rhetorically, eyes still locked on his. "Why do you want to be a ninja?" she asked flatly, almost rhetorically as well since he'd made no secret of his unhappiness with being used. Ninjas were literally village tools of varying usefulness, so she wanted to know if there was a deeper meaning behind his claims.

Even though he hadn't specified, she assumed she was going first since he dealt. "Do you have any fours?" she asked now, returning her eyes to her cards.

Looking at his own chaotic mix of cards, he grumbled as he handed over his four to her. Peering over his paper fan, he considered his answer. She seemed to have been honest, so maybe he should say more than his usual answer. "I wanted to get out from under my mom and dad's thumb," he provided, leaning back to give an air of non-caring. "Pops owns a boating company by the docks. I was tired of working all day as a shipwright, being groomed to be some rich snob. I hate boats," continued the boy, now seeming very interested in his cards. "Since I was so bored and I like to fight, I thought finishing the academy to be a ninja would give me freedom," Kiigan added, sighing heavily. "I was wrong."

"So we both aren't super sold on being ninja. What a team," he smirked, tilting his head. His mind moved on. "I've always wondered. How can you be cold on a day like this?" he asked, since it seemed they were going to trade questions as they played. Now actually looking at his cards, he came to terms that he really had nothing. But, even if this was a kid's game, there was a bit of strategy to it. Too bad he wasn't much for that kind of stuff. "Do you have any...Hmmm.....eights?" he asked, at this point just wanting to make a pair.

She looked back up at him, letting his words soak in as she analyzed them. That was indeed a different answer than what she'd heard him give to others. He had wanted escape, only to fall into probably more controlling and expectant hands. Kiigan sounded as if he wanted to avoid pressure and responsibility. Was he just continually trying to run from the beast inside him and the consequences it brought?

But that also meant he really wasn't dedicated to this life at all, not unlike her. Shizuka could give it up any moment and probably be the same, though unemployed with no marketable skill or career goals. The difference was, she would love to actually become stronger. She didn't like continually being the weak link on the team that is unable to contribute. She didn't like that, though she'd been barely older than a baby, she'd been forced to hide while her mother was taken. She didn't like that she could only watch as her mother and father were ultimately slain, forcing part of her clan to flee to another land. While age had brought a little more of devil's advocate style understanding, it didn't take away her desire to ultimately find and destroy the ones that took her family. That's how this world worked. Both sides had their justifications for actions, both right and both wrong and both filled with desperation. No matter the circumstances, the other side would always come. It was the land's balance. Killing brought killing. Someone was always affected enough to kill back.

His two new questions refocused her, abruptly centering her back in the present. She huffed. The question she'd been asked a billion times, though usually in more hesitant, nervous, and roundabout ways. She should have expected nothing other than bluntness from her red-headed teammate. He was never one to tip toe. Normally she'd ignore the question, or give the most basic answer when she was forced to dignify it, but Kiigan had been honest with her. Kiigan was real people, unlike herself. She felt compelled to tell him a little extra. "I'm from the Land of Snow," she began, not sure if he knew that or not. For most people she'd leave it at that to let them infer their own conclusions. That she was eternally frozen inside or some shit like that. But for him, she'd push on. "When I was really little, some bad men came and took my mom and burned down my house. I went after them, but nearly caught my death in hypothermia. It damaged how my body regulates my internal temperature," Shizuka continued in a matter-of-fact tone. Once finished, she pulled her eyes to her cards. "No eights. Go fish."

Kiigan sat stunned for a moment, staring at her. What a terrible thing to have happened to her, yet she said it so...emotionlessly. It confused him. He felt bad for her, but was also kinda concerned that something wasn't right with her. It was also a bit awkward, since he didn't know how to respond at all. To keep from scaring her with his conflicted gaze, he silently reached down to take a card. There was a long moment that he held the card without really seeing it, then finally he began to function again and placed it with another card. At least he had a pair now.

"Uh.." he stuttered, unsure how to continue. She was hard to read, but that wasn't saying much. He wasn't a people reader. He barely understood himself most of the time. "That sucks," he said at last, tucking a longer strand of hair away from his face and behind his left ear. That sucks hardly covered what it must be like live through such a thing, her mother being kidnapped and being frozen so badly that it permanently damaged her body. His own early life was a bunch of confusing memories, most of which were degraded with time. "So you came here with your dad and your uncle?" Kiigan asked hesitantly, figuring he probably should drop it, but being unable to. He'd assumed her mother was never recovered, and surely she would correct him if he was wrong. She did still have a dad, right? He wanted to know more about the icy girl.

"Nope," she responded, observing him still. He was getting uncomfortable. She offered him a fake smile to try and ease it. Shikuza did like him. She was impressed that he kept asking questions. This was already two further than the average person seemed willing to press. Kiigan seemed to genuinely want to know about her, not out of pity or out of selfishness. He seemed interested in her as a person, a first since she'd moved here.

"My mom and dad are dead," she replied, tone still even as ever. It was like she was repeating facts, or reading from a history textbook. "After they died, my uncle took me and escaped to Kirigakure with a branch of the clan." There, that was pretty much all the things about herself that needed to be told. The rest he should know, since she'd been in academy with him for years. On that note, it was her turn inn cards as well as personal questions. She paused long enough to it not to be awkward to switch topics, then did so. "It sounds like your life is actually pretty nice, other than people expecting things from you. I wouldn't know what that is like," she began, considering her cards idly. "Do you hate the two tails so much that you willingly shove it all away and make it hard on yourself?" Shizuka asked, looking up to lock eyes on him. He was curious about her, and honestly the same could be said for her about him. The question may be harsh, but she couldn't think of a better way to word it. Now that it was hanging out there awaiting a response, she continued the game. "Have any fives?"

Kiigan winced as she laid her parents' fate out in the open. There was nothing worse than asking someone about their family only to find out they were dead. He'd made this mistake a few times before, since most kids in the academy's parents were also ninja. Ninja didn't always survive to come home. If anything, that was just one more thing to separate him from everyone else. Not only was he a jinchuriki, but neither of his parents were ninja.

On that note, Shizuka brought that up now. The common question. If both his parents were alive and his family wasn't poor and the Wakaichi's were so much above everyone else, why was he wanting to be a ninja and why wasn't he thankful and why wasn't he using the demon inside to help everyone? It was the least he could do, being privileged and all, right? WRONG. "I do hate her!" he squawked, throwing his cards down on the ground. "I don't want anything that she remotely has a paw in giving me. I don't want her power at all, and I don't want to be favored or used because of her. I'm me, dangit!" the boy ranted on. She'd struck a nerve. "Everyone wants to label me. The jinchuriki. The shipwright heir. They force all this on me, then judge me when I reject it because I never wanted it! I wanted to be a ninja to make my own way as Kiigan, so when I did good things it was me. But nooo, when I do anything, it's because of Matatabi! And it never is," he finished with a huff. Realizing that he'd lost it for a second he looked at her. She hadn't asked him like the others. She asked him like a person. Shizuka didn't deserve that reaction from him. His hands came together, fiddling awkwardly. "I'm...sorry. I'm just tired of things being forced on me and used against me that I never even asked for. But you weren't, and I appreciate that," Kiigan muttered quietly, seemingly calming from his outburst. He picked his cards back up, sighing. "Enough chat. I need to beat you now!" he said, smirking and promptly moving on into a now vigorous game of go fish.

Shizuka just nodded, unfazed by his outburst. At least it was truth. She didn't know much, but it seemed the more worked up people got, the more likely they were to say what they really felt. That's what she wanted, after all.

Asking no more questions, she happily continued the game, taking his challenge and putting it back at him. Maybe it was the most intense game of go fish ever, and by the end she was actually laughing. He was a silly boy, easily swayed by his emotions as the tables were turned back and forth. In the end she won. All the cards were gone and she had the most points! She jumped up, doing a small little dance just to rub it in his face. "I win! What did you say about beating me?" she asked, cupping a mittened hand to her ear.

Before the taunting could go on very long, some shouting could be heard from the path just obscured by some tall corn stalks from the next field over. "Get up!" Naoji-sensei hissed at the two, pointing both them and Michio into the path. "It's time! Remember, mediate first. Violence is only the last option. They shouldn't be more than you can handle, but be careful.

Salty about being beaten, Kiigan sulked his way out into the road. He appeared to be a sore loser, but it was all an act. He'd enjoyed the game a lot and was already considering a rematch with the Yuki girl. But for now it was back to the task at hand, and he really wanted to rush it. He still wanted to go to the beach, only now he wanted to take Shizuka. That was saying something, since he usually preferred to be alone.

With time in mind, Kiigan stepped out in front of the others, crossing his arms over his chest. Someone probably should have stopped him, yet no one did. If there was a person less suited for mediating than Kiigan, they'd be hard pressed to find them. As the ruffians rounded the bend, his red eyes stared them down, not exactly giving off the vibe of peace.

There were three guys, varied in height but all pretty bulky and strong looking. They were most likely puny and unhealthy once judging by the too-tight clothes, so stealing the money and food from this community had improved them quite a bit. There wasn't much that could be done for intelligence, though. One guy grinned, as if the rusty and chipped sword gave him some sort of power. Didn't seem to bright. Another was the tallest, hair covering his eyes entirely. He kept his head down, but the grin on his face was unnerving. The apparent leader, taking his position opposite of Kiigan, as the shortest and most thug-ish. All three had the same color dirty brown hair, so he assumed they were brothers. "Get outta the way!" the shortest one snarled, eyes lazy with routine. "I'm not above cuttin' a kid or two," he spat.

"Ain't moving," Kiigan replied, making it a point to show the ninja headband tied to his arm. Kids, yes, but ninja kids. "We were hired to talk some sense into you morons!"

Shizuka rolled her eyes a bit at Kiigan, wanting to quip him about his awesome diplomatic skills, but her eyes caught a motion to the side. Their sensei seemed to have moved, but she didn't see what he did. However, she didn't get a chance to really think about it. Two more bandits launched from the corn stalks near the road, behind Kiigan. They grabbed her and Naoji-sensei up, pressing something against their necks.

She kicked and screamed, trying to get loose on her own. She tried to use any jutsu she knew, but no ice came, like usual. Her strength was shit. She tried to bite, but the gross smelling man kept his flesh away. He was much bigger than she was, so it was all futile. It seemed they'd knocked Naoji-sensei out, and the same fate would be happening to her soon. She saw the flash and felt the zap, then it was all dark.

When she came to, she was tied to something. The rope was rough, scraping the flesh from her wrists as she rubbed them around to check the strength. By the feel of it, she was tied to a pole. Her body convulsed, stress dropping her internal temperature more. Shizuka could glean no information from anything, because it was absolutely pitch black.

Hearing a rustling near her, she froze as much as she could. "Sensei?" she hissed, shocked by the fear her voice held. A groan sounded, and the tone confirmed it was their teacher. "Sensei!" she yelped.

"Shi...zu...ka?" he asked, then launched into wracking and thick coughs. The splatter that followed alarmed the girl, though she couldn't see. "Use...use your ice....get us free.....before we die...." he said, scaring the shit out of the Yuki girl. "I-I CAN'T!" she screamed, the reality hitting her. Her inability as a ninja would cause Naoji-sensei to die. "Please!" he begged, but all she could do was sob and fruitlessly try. "HELP! MICHIO! KIIIGAAAAAAN!"

Kiigan didn't know what the plan was, but it probably worked. As soon as the two goons took Naoji and Shizuka, he broke his position and raced after them, leaving the three he'd been about to deal with free to walk to the town. "Come on, Michio! We have to save them!" he yelled, and soon heard feet crashing into the farmland behind him.

Sadly, the kidnappers were too fast. They were soon out of sight, leaving the two young genin to wander around in the tall grasses and stalks of the poor farmland. Kiigan's anger kept him blind to all the signs he should have been able to track, and Michio wasn't much better. The boy was in near tears, disoriented by the loss of their authoritative figure in this time of crisis. After a fair amount of time, they decided to head back to the little town itself and try to beat the location of their teammates out of the three thugs from earlier.

Once in town, it was painfully clear they should have just come here first. In the little town square was an earthen dome. He could hear screams coming from inside. Familiar screams from a young girl, muffled by a thick layer of stone. Shizuka! He ran toward the dome, then everything just went wrong.

These bandits were no easy targets like Naoji had said. Kiigan and Michio were no match for one or two of them, let alone five. The villagers bunkered down in their meager homes, disappearing in the face of danger. Kiigan gave it his best try, but he received the beating of a lifetime. Both boys were wrecked, unable to give any one of the men more than a bruise or scratch. Once neither could go on, they were tied to poles as well.

It seemed like there was a sudden lull. The bandits didn't pillage, which even a worn out Kiigan thought was odd. Everything went quiet, and they seemed like they didn't know what to do. An hour passed, and still they were kept as captives and the attackers were silent except for a whisper here and there to each other.

After another hour, Naoji's voice sounded from inside. It was so muffled, no one could make it out. "Wha?!" called a bandit, placing his ear near the dome. Out of nowhere, Naoji-sensei appeared out of the ground outside, arms crossed and looking super pissed. This was the first time Kiigan had ever seen the man and been glad, but he was hurting and scared, so it seemed like now they'd be saved! Except...Naoji didn't attack the men. That was odd. "Sensei! Hurry and get them and cut us loose!" Kiigan called, yet no one moved. Their sensei simply motioned for the bandits to come closer, and they obeyed! The group conferred for a few moments, and even though the jinchuriki boy couldn't hear, he was starting to get the idea.

Once the pow-wow was over, Naoji straightened and walked toward the two boys. One of the jerks from the path released the earth dome jutsu, revealing a shivering Shizuka. Then the men cleared out, leaving just Naoji and the tied up kids. "I am...so......disappointed," Naoji said, almost in an amazed tone. Their teacher's eyes met each of theirs and held it. "I really thought when put in an intensely dangerous situation that you all would finally step up and realize your potential. But no, you all failed. You still failed. FAILED!" he roared, now beyond pissed. He threw shurikens at the kids, but all they did was cut them loose. "I thought if you wouldn't show any gumption for me, maybe you would a teammate was in trouble. But all that was confirmed is that you all would have died and I still have a team bent on disgracing me!"

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Kiigan screamed, fists balled. "SHUT UP! You are no sensei! What you just did was complete bullcrap! Unhanded, shady, worthless snake! This is the crap I hate!" he continued, red in the face. This wasn't right. No matter how lazy, unmotivated, or just bad they were, this was wrong. He couldn't stand it one more moment. "I QUIT! There, now find someone else to put up with such a crappy person as you. I quit being a ninja! Screw off!" he unleashed his rage in word form, followed by more colorful language as he stomped off back the way he came.

He was going to the beach, injured or not. He was going to the beach as just a boy, not a ninja tool to be used.

Certainly a mess over the whole thing, Shizuka had wandered off silently after the revelation and blow up. Naoji-sensei was an asshole sometimes, but even this was pretty fucked up. It was all a cruel charade to try and force them to be the strong genin he desired to advance in the village hierarchy. They'd been used...this must be what Kiigan always felt like. He was right. It was pretty much shit.

The trauma brought back some buried flashes of her violent past, so much so that she actually had to take a break from following Kiigan to throw up. The delay put him way out of sight, but once she felt better she continued to go where she was pretty sure he'd be. He'd mentioned the beach earlier. That'd be the first place she'd go, assuming she could get there. Her body quaked and she felt like her Yuki ice was trying to take her over and flash freeze her from within.

It was slow going, but soon she turned onto the steps that lead over the dunes and onto the beach. Sure enough, Kiigan was there, laying in the sand even though it'd get in his cuts. He looked awful. She slowly approached, her periwinkle eyes shifting over him in quiet concern. Unsure what to say, she sat next to him. Her voice might betray her lingering fear from the whole mess, or her sadness that he had quit the team. It wasn't unfounded, and honestly she thought of quitting too. Maybe she would, now that he was gone.

"K-Kiigan..." she started, though the rest died in her throat. The teeth chattering and violent shaking prevented her from saying anything steadily, which lead her to refuse to speak at all. She just looked at him, as if she'd gain answers to everything she could ask.

Understandably, Kiigan was still pissed. But there was something else, too. Relief, maybe? It was all over. He'd quit, and he'd meant it. As he laid sprawled in the sand, he tried to process what he was feeling. He'd never been good with emotions anyway. All he could tell is he both felt bad and good at the same time, so for now he'd leave it that way. The sand and the sun were a warm balm on his aching body, and the sound of the salty waves eased his mind. This is what he'd wanted to do all day instead of the "mission." Now he wish he'd just followed through his own plans like his gut had told him to. Maybe everything would have played out differently. Hindsight was 20/20, though.

He was aware of someone else's presence near him after she'd already been there a few moments. His crimson eyes opened and shifted over, not sure who he was going to see. If it was Naoji, he was almost certain he'd try to kill the man. Thankfully, it wasn't. It was Shizuka. She looked pitiful, shivering like that on such a hot, beautiful day. When she said his name, he knew he had to do something for her. Anything. He'd do anything.

"It's okay," he said in a rough voice, sitting up. He scooted closer to her, offering her a crooked smile that looked even tougher than usual with his busted lip. He wasn't good at comforting, but he felt like she needed it. Like she was asking for it and so many other things. "You're fine. I'm fine," he continued, nodding his head. "Everything's fine." With his last words, he lifted an arm to put around her, pulling Shizuka gently against his side. His hand rubbed her arm furthest from him, trying to offer her extra warmth to stop the shivering. "We ended up here on the beach together. I'll take it," he grinned, leaning his cheek to the top of her covered head as he looked out into the waves once more.

Shizuka was stiff at first, unfamiliar with the warmth he presented her in both senses of the word. Kiigan, that rough and rowdy boy that would rather punch you in the mouth than smile was doing just that, giving her comfort to try and make her feel like things were okay, even after what happened. He was also literally warm. His body was as proportionately more hot than normal as she was colder than normal. It felt so nice that, like ice, she melted into his side, curling into him and resting her cheek on his shoulder. For just a moment, she let her guard down and took what she needed from him, since he was offering it to her so freely.

With arms wrapped around him and tangled with him as much as possible, she turned her eyes out to the ocean. She'd never sat and admired it before. She could understand why Kiigan was so drawn to it, especially with the unusually nice weather. The ocean made people feel small compared to its vastness, and somehow not in a depressing way. It just made every issue that felt so big that it could choke her seem like nothing more than an ant that the winds could blow away. Life was so much bigger than once instance. Maybe it was even a good thing. Sure, she wanted to become stronger so she could right some pretty big wrongs, but right now she just wanted to stay with this boy. He made her feel...warm. Shizuka Yuki would use some of that.

"Thank you," she muttered, content to sit like this for hours and worry about everything else later. And slowly, very slowly, the shivering stopped, but they didn't part.