Perhaps Yohei had set his hopes too high in thinking he could describe Jashin's wonder. Short of dragging his partner back to the shrine and showing her the gruesome majesty he'd left behind, there was no good way to explain what he felt without sounding like a raving loon. In any case, the silverette had faith in what he'd experienced and wouldn't let skepticism dig any doubts into his mind.
Yohei scoffed, ignoring the finger wagging in his face while staring ahead at his partner instead. "What, you think I bumped my head or something? I already told you what happened, Sumire. There wasn't an attack; you're missing the bigger picture here." Yes, he ignored the murder thing. Again. Not that he did so totally on purpose, but it was nowhere near as important as the feeling he was still trying to describe. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that words hardly did it justice anyway.
But he was determined to give it another shot.
"Think about it for a second, alright? We've been hard at work all this time, risking life and limb, and for once some...some higher power might've really acknowledged us. Isn't that something to be excited over?"
To be recognized for their deeds. Was such a foreign concept even possible at this point in their lives? Rarely had either of them been in the spotlight thanks to the power-hungry fools in the village. Now it seemed like Yohei was implying they could finally get what they deserved. Plus all the bloody revenge they were entitled to!
"Besides, it's not like I heard voices or something crazy like that. All I'm saying is, the feeling I got from it was...encouraging."
So he had to prove his sincerity - prove that they were still on the righteous path. There were far worse prices to pay than something like that. In fact, Yohei relished at the chance to show his commitment, an enthused look already taking over the man's features.
Upon the mention of reeking, the silverette looked himself over and gave a faint sniff. "What? This?" he questioned innocently. "How long's that been there?" Yohei clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment, rubbing the red stain as if it was nothing more than yesterday's meal clinging to his clothes. However, when it became apparent that the stain wasn't coming out so easily, he gave a chuckle and resigned to answering more truthfully. "Aheh. Well, the thing is...I had a little epiphany while I was out walking around. Or I guess you could call it a 'sign from above'?"
He knew how crazy that sounded, especially to a non-believer, but there wasn't another way to describe it. Matters of faith were relatively new to him as well, which didn't help in clarifying his experience. Never mind the fact that the silverette also admitted the 'Jashin business' he needed to attend back when they split up was 'walking around'?
"I was going to tell you tomorrow, but listen to this!" Taking Sumire by the shoulders and giving her an excited shake, the zealot seemed uncharacteristically cheerful to recall his experiences. "It was all because of that place. There was a temple at the edge of town. Kind of a run-down shack, more or less. Anyway, I stopped inside and started to pray there, just for a bit of practice." Conveniently, Yohei skipped the part about meeting the monk and decorating the shrine with his insides. Tiny details like that he could gloss over for now, since he was more excited to tell what happened next.
"That's when this feeling hit me like uh, uh. Something watching me, like a weight at my back. But there was nobody else there!"
Yohei held back the urge to tremble as he remembered the eerie sensation. Had Jashin been there, pushing him along? Leading up to that point, it did feel like some small force of reassurance had been guiding his hands. The overall message - if one could even call it that - was vague but Yohei believed in its significance nonetheless. "It has to be a good sign right?" he asked Sumire with an earnest grin.
Old - Fūinjutsu [Apprentice]: The sealing arts were one of the only specialties that Yohei cared to hone over the years. His formulas are basic but effective, enabling him to seal simple objects such as shuriken and the like. Recently, he has tried to incorporate the secret teachings of Jashinism into his sealing techniques, but the results have yielded little of use.
New - Fūinjutsu [Journeyman]: Sealing techniques constitute one of the few skills Yohei has truly honed over the years. His formulas are basic but effective, enabling him to seal non-living objects like weaponry within paper talismans, while also providing a capacity to create explosive tags. Additionally, his formulas typically incorporate the marks of Jashin, giving the seals and their effects a distinct blood-red appearance.
At first, the way Sumire barely reacted to any comments was simple enough to pass off as fatigue. She'd fought the hardest today and exerted herself more usual, what with the way she insisted on using herself as bait, so there was precedent for the way she remained quiet. Yet it was a different matter entirely when she went limp in Yohei's arms, appearing borderline unresponsive.
"...Sumire?! Hey!"
A sense of panic built in the zealot's chest and he found himself unable to speak further. For some reason he was compelled to stare down at the woman in his arms, the gravity of the situation slowly beginning to rattle him to the core. Yohei didn't know whether he should tremble in anger, because it was his fault this battle went so awry, or with sorrow, since the only person he cared for was fading right before his eyes.
Suddenly Yohei was snapped out of his melancholy when the sounds of nearby villagers caught his attention. They were shouting to each other and searching through the rubble, believing the whole fiasco was some freak accident. It would only take them a few moments longer to find the Rain ninja's corpse and likely put two and two together.
Carefully hoisting Sumire over his shoulder as fear gripped his heart, the zealot glanced around the area for any means of escape. The only thing he could think of was the small channel that ran through the village, which he recalled Sumire pointing out before their operation. The current wasn't all that strong and the waters weren't that deep. So as it currently stood, if they could make there, drifting downstream to the next settlement wouldn't take long. The question was if the place had a doctor or not.
"Hold on. Just hold on."
Yohei huffed tiredly as he slid down a pile of debris and started trudging directly for the channel, giving himself no time to rest. Sharp jolts of pain were returning to his limbs with each step forward, an intense aching circulating throughout his muscles. Tough as that was to cope with, it was nothing compared to the stinging anguish he felt knowing Sumire could be at death's door. Which is why he would save her no matter what.
"Aghhh..." Regardless of the poison dulling his pain, Yohei could feel his consciousness on the verge of fading as the Rain ninja resumed wailing against his frame. While gritted teeth mashed in defiance and blood coursed down his face, whatever strength was left in the zealot's battered body had but a single outlet - to keep the ninja in that same spot.
No sooner than when the rhythmic beating had brought Yohei to his knees did he sense a shift in the Rain ninja's weight. He wasn't even fully aware of what happened or if Sumire was truly behind it, but he drove forward with a staggering push, headbutting the ninja against the chest. The next thing Yohei knew, he was getting wrenched away as something collided into him and another blast tossed him to the floor.
Was it finally over?
Wiping the blood from his eyes after he rolled onto his hands and knees, the silverette tried to make sense of what happened. Yet when he glanced back to the last place the Rain ninja had been standing there was nothing but a mangled corpse in sight. It had him worried for a second until he looked to the side and saw Sumire laying in the debris.
"Don't...try t-to talk. S...Save your energy," the silverette strained, grabbing the kunai wedged into his shoulder and prying it out with a grunt. As he glanced once more over to the remnants of the enemy, a faint sense of disbelief tinged his expression. "He's dead...right?" If on the off chance that the explosive tag to the back didn't take him down instantly, at least he wouldn't be fighting in that mangled state. "Kuroda the Blast...well, he lived up...to the title alright."
Yohei clutched at the side of his head then, feeling a painful jolt run down his body and throughout the fresh wounds littering his flesh. The effects of his partner's poison were wearing off, which served as a great reminder that there was no time to waste dallying. "C'mon. We can't stay h-here. All the noise...will..." He didn't actually finish that sentence, preferring instead to use the energy to pick Sumire up. She was clearly in no condition to move on her own and neither did they have the option to stick around to recover. As disappointing as it was to admit, they had to leave their prey behind this time. Survival took precedent.
Sumire wasn't satisfied with those answers, was she? If anybody was going to call Yohei out on his bullshit, it was her. The tone she adopted was all too telling, as was the way the pinkette began to approach with poise and boldness to spare. He was surely in for a reckoning. Of sorts.
"Hm?" The light touch across his cheek gave the man pause. But not as much as the realization that Sumire had been teasing him back in the market. Yohei's gaze widened after learning that fact, a semblance of disbelief mixing with his stunned expression. He didn't know whether to feel relieved that his worries were misplaced or embarassed yet again for his overreaction.
"Don't be ridiculous. You just caught me off guard back there. And it...it'd been a while since we talked about home. I thought I said something cruel. Something stupid."
The zealot seemed dismissive again, but there was a key difference compared to before. Yohei wasn't looking away this time. His focus was solely fixed on Sumire, undeterred and lacking the guilt he was so used to showing. Not just because she was right in front of him, but to convey a sense of sincerity that was long overdue. "But I never lost faith in you. In us." He emphasized the latter part of that assertion by pulling closer than expected, one arm wrapping behind Sumire's waist to draw her in for a bold embrace.
Where that confidence came from was anyone's guess, since the zealot was rarely so forward, but perhaps it had something to do with the faint scent of blood hanging from his clothes. And also the tiny blotches of red that stained part of his sleeve, his shirt collar, and one of his boots. Those unsuspecting marks seemed fresh, did they not?
"Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? For being such an idiot."
Sumire knew his every opening, his every weakness. Yohei would never refute that. It grounded him though, knowing he could let someone be that close.
Knowing his partner, some teasing was to be expected. He fully deserved it too. What Yohei didn't anticipate was the question posed about regrets. He smiled wryly at the pinkette after that, looking mildly perplexed. "Huh? Where's that coming from? All I meant was that'd be nice to sleep in a bed once in a while." The zealot shrugged once he made that clarification, uncertain as to what Sumire was getting at.
Regrets were simply a distraction. If he ever harbored any doubts about their new lifestyle and choice of goals, it was solely when he put Sumire in harm's way. There was nothing else he hated more than that. If his own stupidity was ever the cause for his partner's suffering, then he could only blame himself for that shortcoming.
Waving a hand in dismissal, Yohei appeared confident in his stance that all was fine. "We're better off now, aren't we? That's all that matters." Truthfully, he didn't want to elaborate much. After the last conversation with Sumire he was slightly worried about evoking any sensitive memories. So he stuck to a broader topic, tiptoing around the mention of their former lives. "No superiors breathing down our necks, nobody to steal our achievements, no clans to push us around. What's not to like?"
To say their lives had improved was no stretch of the imagination. Sunagakure had its ups and downs, but Yohei certainly didn't miss the corruption. Nothing in that village had ever gone their way. The odds had always been stacked against them.
Once the incessant ringing in his ears began to subside, the silverette became acutely aware that he wasn't dead. Not yet at least. His body ached when he shifted to the side, resisting every inch of movement down to the slightest of breaths, but there was no choice but to power through it. Shoving a large plank off his legs, Yohei slowly rose to stand in order to survey the building wreckage.
"Agh...that crazy --"
"Yohei! I'm here!"
Upon hearing the call, he grabbed for the length of chain that was wrapped around his arm and hopped over the nearest pile of debris. Wounds be damned, because he was suddenly able to move again! He would thank Jashin later for sparing his partner's life, but her voice was like a beacon in the worst way possible. The enemy would surely be drawn to Sumire's position and try to finish her off, while in her current state she wouldn't be able to put up much resistance. With that grim thought in mind, Yohei reached into his pocket and grabbed a familiar vial as he continued to race toward his partner's location.
"Yes. Go on, cry for help."
The Rain ninja gave a delighted chuckle as he emerged from the smoky ruins, the sharp edge of a kunai glistening in one hand. Much of the man's gear had been reduced to tatters, including the flak jacket that now hung limp at his shoulders and the gas mask that'd broken to reveal an angry gaze. It appeared his clothing wasn't the only thing that'd been damaged in the blast either, as there were also dark blotches and streaks of red across the ninja's chest.
"Worthless assassins! You're going to suffer for the trouble you've caused me!"
Following that declaration, the Rain ninja took a short leap and descended over Sumire's position, intending to plunge his blade right into her midsection. However the attack never quite reached the kunoichi, stopping short when the zealot's form rushed into view. Yohei had used the opening to simply tackle the ninja to the ground, wrenching both of them away from Sumire and into a pile of shattered straw and wood. In the midst of their violent tussle the Rain ninja's kunai dug deep and embedded into the zealot's left shoulder, quickly following several punches straight to his gut.
The damage should've knocked him out cold, but thanks to a little concoction he drank he was quite capable of enduring the beating. He was still sapped of energy as the punches and kicks rained down on his body, but not once did his grasp break on the opponent. The zealot wouldn't let go, purposefully biding his time until the strikes slowed down and the ninja expended more stamina. At which point, all he did was grind his boots into the floor and shift around, twisting the way the Rain ninja was oriented.
An orientation where the foe's exposed back was now clearly facing Sumire.
Once nightfall blanketed the land and all the villagers returned to their homes, Yohei found himself much more at ease. Those worrisome thoughts from before had been swept from his mind, as were any doubts he harbored about his prior actions. Good riddance too. The distractions had only blinded him to what was really important - a crucial lesson he would not soon forget.
Approaching the dim light of a campfire that shone through the brush, Yohei made no effort to conceal his presence or mask his movements. A bold stride led him straight up the campsite, whereupon he was quick to set his sights on a familiar silhouette. "There you are," he greeted plainly. His expression was no longer wracked with guilt or crossed with concern like it'd been earlier. On the contrary, the zealot appeared quite pleased. "Getting nice and relaxed without me, I see."
Chuckling lightly under his breath, Yohei crouched down next to the fire and warmed his hands.
"Thought you'd jump at the chance to stay the night in town, but I guess we're roughing it in the great outdoors again hm?"
He glanced around the campsite wearing a look of disinterest, contemplating how many times they had done this. Doubtless, they would be forced to sleep outside for most of the travels that lied ahead. It was the safe thing to do even if the option left them a bit vulnerable. A real bed wouldn't hurt every once in a while though.
The sharp noise drew the Rain ninja's attention, giving Yohei the chance to strike. He wasn't precise or calculating when it came down to the heat of the moment, simply driving the kusarigama down with as much force as he could muster. All he cared about was interrupting the foe's jutsu, the edge of his weapon slicing against the Rain ninja's arm and yanking it downward.
"Landmi -- AGH!"
Abandoning his ninjutsu without hesitation, the Rain ninja retaliated with a swift kick, pushing the zealot back a short ways. "Enough!" Despite the new injury decorating his arm, it didn't stop the masked chuunin from grabbing another cluster of smoke bombs and tossing them into the air. Dark plumes began to spread around the room before the objects hit the floor, reducing visibility as the structure around them continued to creak in protest.
Sensing that something bad was about to happen, Yohei jumped back to where his companion laid. The fact that she hadn't stood up yet was worrying, so he grabbed the miko by the shoulder and hoisted her up. "Hang on! We're not out of this yet," Yohei's gaze snapped back to the growing cloud of smoke, unable to ascertain where the enemy had gone to. Although, if his instincts were anything to go by, he figured the foe was just biding time for something big.
"DIE!"
There was no better cue than that! The zealot took a firm hold of his partner and leaped for the hole in the wall. If nothing else, he planned to shield her from whatever was coming.
A flash of light then emanated from the center of the building before a raging blast erupted in all directions. Both missing-nin were tossed through the air like helpless ragdolls as the building shattered around them, the powerful boom heralding the end of the inn once and for all. Walls came crashing down, floors splintered, and roofing collapsed, shooting a burst of rubble into the surrounding streets.
Just hearing how casually Sumire dealt with his open rejection, Yohei almost caved to the pressure and spun around. His feet were glued to the ground though, not budging an inch despite the conflicting emotions he felt. At the very least he managed to utter some sort of response to her comments, sounding distant and uncertain when he did so. "Mm. I won't be long."
He then took his first step away, loathing every moment of it as he distanced himself from his partner. The tightening pain in his chest was too much to bear if the conversation kept going, so he forced his legs to move against their own volition. The destination didn't matter, he just wanted to avoid the prying eyes and ears of villagers while sparing Sumire the grief of his words.
So he walked, and walked, and walked.
Somehow, after an indeterminate amount of steps down that gravely road, the silverette finally looked up and realized he was standing in front of a shrine. Nothing too special or ornate, given it was probably built by the locals, but there was a certain stillness in the air one couldn't explain. Eyes widening with surprise at the sight, Yohei took a minute to get his bearings and look around. Was this just a coincidence? Did his mindless wandering take him here by chance?
"Hello, sir. Have you come to offer prayer to the kami?"
An elderly monk approached from atop the stone stairs, his wrinkled face providing a warm smile in greeting.
The zealot reluctantly bided his time, waiting for the opportunity to strike as his partner took the initiative. Had he been too hasty and gotten blown back by another shockwave, then it would all be for nothing. So it wasn't until the clash of ninjutsu decimated another portion of the room that Yohei got his window, using the dust cloud to make an unseen approach. He couldn't have cut it any closer either, because the enemy looked ready to finish Sumire off by blade or by beating.
"Rrraaaaghh!"
Yohei burst into view alongside that angry shout, weapon slashing at his foe in a horizontal sweep. He was able to get close thanks to Sumire's gambit - too close for the Rain ninja to simply dodge - and when the edge of his sickle found purchase he made sure to dig deep. The end result splattered crimson across the air, a thin trail of the stuff following the arc of Yohei's swing before he pivoted back and took another.
The Rain ninja pulled back with a grunt, raising a kunai to deflect the second attack. Then a third, and a fourth, but the new wound on his side didn't make things easy. The silver-haired zealot wasn't leaving him with much room to work with, slicing in rapid succession as the length of chain paralleled each aggressive move. Even when the Rain ninja struck back and managed to land a stab here or a cut there, Yohei showed no signs of relenting.
"Damn you!"
It was like he was possessed.
The clash of steel came to a premature end when the building groaned and a cluster of broken timbers started falling overhead. Debris pelted both fighters and forced them to separate before any lethal blows could be dealt, pushing them into opposite corners of the room. Yohei was a bleeding mess by now but he kept his cool, watching the Rain ninja stumble for cover behind a broken table. In the next instant the zealot was rushing toward that very spot, tossing the weighted end of chain against the meager defense and shattering the wood.
"This place will be your grave!" the Rain ninja cried, jumping back and weaving more hand signs.
It didn't take a master of perception or sensory jutsu to tell he was being followed. The steps behind him even fell at a familiar pace, making a distinct pattern he should've recognized. Yet the zealot was too occupied with his own thoughts to bother making that connection, simply forging on ahead until a hand grabbed at his shoulder.
Yohei stopped and tensed. Suddenly he knew who it was.
"...No. Sorry."
He felt a lump in his throat after he made that refusal. There was a part of him that didn't want to say anything at all but somehow a simple 'no' and 'sorry' seemed less likely to backfire. Yohei's choice was made purely on reluctance, the uncertainty caused by the last conversation having considerable impact on him.
Did he want to leave? No. But he didn't want to cause Sumire any more grief. What she said about their homeland only got him thinking. Did he make a mistake? Was he being selfish all this time? Yohei needed a chance to sort out all the troublesome doubts.
"I'll be back later."
He barely forced those words from his throat. It almost hurt to say them. He wasn't ready to face her though.
Purposefully staring off in the opposite direction so as not to make eye contact, the silverette tried to downplay his building unease. Without even seeing his partner's face, he could tell something was amiss. Were her eyes full of sadness again? Was she angry because of what he said? Yohei could already feel the guilt weighing down on his body, knowing he was to blame for everything.
"Turns out there's...something important I need to do. For Jashin." A pitiful excuse. But he had nothing else to fall back on. Anything he could do to make his regret less visible was worth a shot. And if he kept talking he would just upset Sumire even more.
Confused by the vial that was pressed into his hand, Yohei's expression was tinged with concern as to what purpose it served. Did it contain a type of medicine? More alarming than any of that was his partner's suggestion that she act like bait. "What?! Are you trying to get killed?" he shot back impatiently. There was no way he'd be comfortable letting Sumire take the front unless they were completely out of options. Throwing her straight into the most dangerous job was beyond reckless.
But that fearless look on her face said everything - she'd already committed to the choice.
"Dammit!"
"Landmine Palm!"
Following a muffled exclamation from somewhere outside, a large explosion burst through the side of the building and sent a wave of debris flying at the missing-nin. Chairs and tables went flying across the room too, shattering against the walls and showering the place with splinters. A gaping hole had been torn out of the structure with ease, the Rain ninja stepping up confidently to occupy the opening. "There you are. Did you really think you could run?"
Shoving a piece of broken furniture aside, Yohei hopped to his feet at the ready. Some fresh blood might've been trickling down his face and an intense throbbing was ringing in his ears, but he relished in the pain and used it to stay standing. "Shut your mouth...or I'll rip out that tongue," he hissed between labored breaths. The threat didn't come off as especially intimidating given the cultist's ragged appearance, but at least he could still show some defiance.
"Hmph."
Scanning the broken interior of the room, the Rain ninja clasped his hands together and prepared to release yet another blast into the vicinity. The only thing stopping him from the blowing everything away was the fact that Sumire had escaped his line-of-sight.
The next explosion that rocked the alley sent more than just rubble flying Yohei's way. To his surprise, the pinkette buffeted in his direction, the kunoichi's form thrown aside by the concussive force of the attack. In an attempt to save her from a harsh collision, Yohei jumped to intercept, catching his partner in both arms and slamming his back into the wall with a loud thud.
A fresh bout of pain rippled down his body, reawakening his fighting spirit. "You hurt?" he groaned, continuing to cling to Sumire until she could right herself. "Hang on!" Whether or not she had the energy to stand, the zealot pushed off the wall and charged into the adjacent building using nothing but his shoulder.
Thanks to all the recent quaking, the wood shattered with ease and the pair of missing-nin went tumbling inside - back to the inn, so it seemed. Another explosion shook the alley just as they fled, shooting dust and stones every which way. The loud snaps of breaking beams and strained groaning of the structure around them wasn't a reassuring change of pace, but they had a moment to catch their breath.
"Stay behind me, alright? Look for an opening in his attacks." Yohei reeled his weapon back with a harsh tug, returning the sickle to his grasp. The thing wouldn't do him much good indoors nor in the confines of an alley, as he'd learned the hard way. "We need to get somewhere less cramped." The zealot grabbed an explosive tag from his pouch and tossed it toward he hole in the wall, trying to buy another second or two. Before it erupted and no doubt caused further damage to the building, he would shift on his heels and urge Sumire to the opposite side of the room.
