[Kuronmeru Yosei]

It wasn't unusual for a child to be walking down the streets of Kirigakure with a knife. In fact, it was a pretty normal experience given the fact that kunai were a standard weapon of genin. What was uncommon was an Academy Student walking down the street with a real, non-wooden blade. But that's exactly what Yosei was doing, gently twirling it in his hand. It was a kitchen blade, not a kunai, to his embarrassment, but that was all he could get given that students weren't commissioned real kunai, much to the boys annoyance. And he didn't take it just to snub his nose at the system, or show off his twirling skills. He was here to do some work. Normally it was something he'd do it in his clans grounds, but after he and Enyo had gotten into a fight, if you could call it that, the red eyed boy found it wise to give his wrathful cousin some distance.

So he was heading to the academy training grounds, to work on his clans pride and joy. The black bile beneath the young boys pale skin. Once he'd arrive, the boy would go to do what was normal for him, as had been done to him many a times, as the many scars on his sleeveless arms showed. Cut open his arm to release the black power beneath. Yet, while he went to cut his forearm, his eyes landed on the large vein at his wrist. A major artery, he didn't need to know his clans obsession with medical knowledge to know the dangers of cutting it. It was common knowledge, and one the only places on his arm free of scars. Yet the boy couldn't help but be tempted, the rush of potential underneath, the pride a scar on such a spot would bring, the power to be harnessed with one slice. And his knife would go from his forearm to his wrist, gently lying against it, not even cutting the skin. It was an almost intoxicating temptation, just one quick cut.

[Sora Minami]

Sometimes, Sora had the rare privilege of helping people who weren’t absolutely insane with problems that weren’t utterly ridiculous. She enjoyed these moments of normalcy, treasuring them like the small rays of light in the otherwise dark night of idiotic psychopathy that was training her Genin team with a Kuronmeru on it. Which was why she had made her way to the Academy on one of her few days off, not to do anything but just to be, to wander the grounds and maybe help a few students or Genin with simple problems rather than deal with the absolute insanity that was-

Oh come on. The thought rang out in her head clear as the sight before her: an Academy Student, all alone, wielding a bloody kitchen knife at his bare arm with a look of extreme desire, as if he were honestly thinking of cutting himself with such a horrible weapon right here, in the middle of the training grounds. Part of the Jounin wanted nothing to do with the boy- he was clearly dealing with some issues, and she was about as interested in helping yet another broken headed child deal with their past trauma as she was in eating a plate full of broken glass…

But she couldn’t just leave him there.

"Hey, kid." Sora said as she approached, long legs carrying her towards him at a slow, steady pace, not stopping no matter what he did, muscles tense and ready to catapult her forwards and wrench the blade from his hands if he tried anything. "You don’t want to do that, I promise you. It isn’t worth it."

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

He was lost in the temptation, drowning in the power that lie beneath the surface as the blade rested against his wrist, so the pale skinned boy wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, too lost in his own world filled with pitch black bile. It wasn't until a voice called out that the siren call was broken, the boy looking up, his red eyes meeting sky blue ones. A lady he'd never seen before, or at least never cared enough to register as someone worth remembering, was approaching him, pink hair swaying in the ocean breeze, face full of concern. And Yosei simply stared at her, no indignation, no annoyance, simply curiosity. It took him a moment to realize what she meant, You don't want to do that, until he looked back at the knife against his arm. The boy smirked, before raising about his arms in mock surrender as she approached.

Yeah...I don't know what I was... Then he'd go for it. ...Thinking A taunt at her concern as he went to slash his forearm, though not his wrist thankfully. Not this time. If the boy managed to even knick himself, the concerned woman would see pitch black tar run down his pale skin, his red eyes meeting hers with a smile that screamed superiority. He was one of the younger Kuronmeru, still an academy student but he was still a Kuronmeru. And while he was young, he'd learned to harness his bloods powers earlier than some of the Kuronmeru the woman was likely familiar with. He'd never faced scrutiny, never had his confidence waiver in that he'd never be able to make the black blood his own. The scars across both his arms, now I plain view even if she did manage to stop himself from being able to cut himself, spoke to that.

[Sora Minami]

It took her all of half a second to realize what was going on.

The boy looked up, his face fixed in an expression of utter desire as she spoke to him, pulling out of the reverie he’d been in but not out of danger. He moved quickly, slashing at his forearm before she could get a word in edgewise, and suddenly the information clicked in her brain just before she caught sight of the thick, black blood that seeped from his wound like pus. Great. This was just what she needed. Another Kuronmeru brat.

"You lot really are a bunch of drama queens, aren’t you." Sora said, more to herself than anything, her sky-blue gaze calm but cold as she watched the boy, waiting for him to do something besides flagellate himself like some kind of sick masochist with a blood fetish. Which, if she was being honest, was pretty much what his entire clan was. Especially the older brothers. An entire family of freaks, all because one guy can’t get over his blood being a different color.

"Is there a reason you’re cutting yourself out here all alone, or is this just… something you do?" The Jounin said as the boy let his blood flow, clearly looking for something. Probably attention, given the shit household he came from. Unless he was one of the cousins. Well, they were all pretty much shit as far as she was concerned.

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

It was always a great feeling, letting the blood flow. Feeling it's warm touch run down his arm, it filled him with absolute bliss. The strongest weapon in the entire world, all inside of him, just waiting to be freed. Whispering it his ear, a black ocean swimming in his head, with promises of power. Sora would see it, a blush form on the boys face, impossible to miss as even the slight red was obviously apparent and contrasting with his pale, white skin. It was a blush from euphoria, a blush of joy and release. And it seemed to reinforce the young woman's remarks calling the young boy and his clan drama queens. Though, it seemed his act before and after cutting himself was where most of the drama was, the boy just smiling relaxedly at her now, still blushing, his eyes calm and relaxed. He still wasn't taking the situation very seriously.

And that didn't change when the woman asked her next question, on just what was he doing here, cutting himself in public. The boy kept smiling, a superior smile of a student who was sure he knew the answer to a question not even the teacher knew. Is that against the rules? His tone wasn't challenging even if the question was, instead being quite easygoing. And his attitude matched the tone, acting quite tolerant to the interruption before him. And yet, while there was no aggression in his face, there was no kindness either, the boy not hiding the smugness on his face. As if he'd beaten the woman twice his age and skill simply by showing off his blood, the black ink running down his arm still.

And he'd then turn to face a training dummy, smearing that black ink that flowed within him onto the dummy's head, deciding to answer the woman's question with a demonstration of just what he planned to do out here. And how do you think we train in our abilities anyways? We have to get access to the blood somehow...Don't we? And at the last part he'd turn to look at the woman again, that same easygoing smile still on his face, as the boy concentrated on the blood he'd smeared on the training dummy's head. Causing it to spread, to flow, to cover the entire head. To drown it in an ocean of black.

[Sora Minami]

The boy cut himself with a look of ecstatic joy, as if releasing his life blood from his veins was as good a release as sex. He blushed, his breath coming slower and heavier as he looked back at her, that same creepy little smile his cousin used plastered across his face. It had to have been genetic, that look; every Kuronmeru she had ever known could pull it out to one degree or another, though only the adults made it properly despicable. Enyo and his cousin certainly tried, but their youth just didn’t help them. Plenty creepy though.

"Yes, actually. It is." Sora said after a moment, one side of her mouth quirking up in a tiny smile before she stepped forwards, slowly closing the distance between her and the Kuronmeru boy. "Students aren’t allowed to practice with real weapons. And that cut you just gave yourself is proof enough your little kitchen knife is too sharp for you to be playing with, regardless of what you special blood can do."

The Jounin paused a few steps in front of the boy, standing over him with a frown writ large across her face; she’d reverted to one of her teaching poses, one hand on her hip, the other extended out towards the boy’s knife hand, waiting. "Give me the knife and go get that cut stitched up by the nurse. You can practice your Kekkei Genkai at home."

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

Yosei was more focused on the training dummy than the woman herself, more focused on trying to fine tune his control of the blood. He still couldn't truely shape it, still couldn't utilize even a tenth, no not even a percentile of its power. He'd learned how to control his blood earlier than Enyo. So how had the boy managed to surpass him in the end? It was frustrating. And his annoyance of where he was at, playing catch up to someone he used to be ahead of, showed on the boys face as he was lost in the black void, frowning as he tried to truely manipulate it. It wasn't until the woman confirmed that yes, he was indeed breaking the rules, the he was brought back to this world and not one filled with black ink.

His eyes went wide only for a second, his return to earth sudden, before the frown broke and was replaced by that same smile as before, a trademark of his clan just as much as their skin. Ahh. Does that mean you're gonna tell on me? Let sensei know I've been bad? There was a giggle at the end, a laugh at his teachers expense as he turned to see the woman approaching now. An eyebrow raised once more, curiosity at how the situation was developing, though he didn't seem nervous at the possible outcomes of her personal involvement.

Oh? You think so? It almost sounded like a threat, his response as she told him that he wasn't ready to handle real weapons, that him playing with this knife had shown he couldn't be trusted with one. He started looking at the blade when she outstretched her hand at first, cleaning off the edge where black tar was still dripping off. As I'm sure you're aware the Kuronmeru have impeccable taste. Everything we own is of the highest quality...There's a good chance this knife is worth more than that dress you're wearing. They were rich words coming from a boy who looked more like a bandit than a ninja, a sleeveless shirt and practical but not very expensive looking pants. But it was sounding like he wasn't going to just give up the knife, not easily at least. But, he would defy expectations as he flipped the blade towards himself, and laid the handle into the woman's open hands. Do try and make sure this gets to MY house. I could actually get into trouble if it's lost. He once again said it with the same look, that same smile, that same smirk, even as he talked about potential trouble at home.

As for getting healed up at the nurse well... He let out a small laugh again, not even finished talking yet finding the situation funny. Why would I go get healed where the lesser bloods do, hmmm? And there it was. Contempt. Open contempt for anyone that wasn't a Kuronmeru. Though he did at least acknowledge her capabilities. I wonder how that'd go, she'd stitch me up so well, I doubt there'd even be a scar...What's the point in that. He was still placing the knife in her hand as he said this, his sleeveless arm full bare, and all over it were scars. Scars of when he'd accessed the blood beneath him. And as he talked about his scars, the boys face got a little redder, a slight blush returning once more. Though Yosei pull his hand away when blackness dripped from his arm, potentially staining the woman's skin black with ink if she wasn't quick enough. Though honestly even among our clan some people can be...Drama Queens...About scars. They find them as unsightly like the other lesser bloods. The boy let out another giggle when he referenced the woman's own words when talking about his clan, still smiling as he clarified that his approach to scars wasn't quite the norm, how Enyo had hated them so much that he'd threatened to stitch them again so they'd heal better. The boy simply shrugged. To each their own, I guess. And as he talked about the differing opinions on the clan, different approaches to things, his red eyes seemed to shine. Most Kuronmeru had dark eye colors, a few had lighter tones. But Yosei had red eyes. He was used to being a bit different.

[Sora Minami]

I swear, lip has to be a genetic trait for these freaks. Sora’s lips pursed in a thin line as the boy spoke, his tone dripping with the same condescending arrogance that every last one of his relatives shared. The Jounin simply looked at the boy, her sky-blue gaze flat and unyielding as he went on and on about his family’s wealth, about how the damn knife probably cost more than her dress, about everything other than doing what he was bloody told when he was told to do it. Still, he did offer her the knife, and the woman took it from the boy quickly, taking care not to get any of his blood on her. No point in giving him an easy hit if he decided to go nuts on her.

"I’ll be sure to send it to your parents, along with a note about following the rules." She said, frowning as the boy rambled about scars, even going so far as to show off how deeply he’d already scarred up his arm. Because that wasn’t creepy at all. "That wasn’t a suggestion, boy. You will go to the nurse and she will patch up your cut. You can either go willingly or I can drag you there kicking and screaming like the petulant brat your family has raised you to be."

Your choice kid.

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

His smile didn't waver when the woman before him made a threat of a note to his parents, the boy simply giving another soft shrug of acknowledgment. A note? How very intimidating. You almost sound like an instructor at the academy right now, deserving of all the...respect that brings. Nothing really changed with how the boy said those words, and yet he still managed to make it very clear just how much respect he gave his non-Kuronmeru instructors. And it wasn't much. Only reinforced by the fact he openly used the word lesser blood to describe non-Kuronmeru.

Though the woman did finally seem to pique his interest again, just as she had when she'd aggressively approached him, and just like then the boys eyebrow went up in mild interest as she referred to him as "boy", and asserted his authority by making it clear she wasn't making a request. It was very clear he found her more interesting when she wasn't playing nice. Yet, he didn't look happy that he'd manage to bring that out of her. Quite the opposite in fact, for the first time their conversation his smug smile disappeared, replaced with a look of annoyance. And why do you seen to care so much about where I get this looked at? Afraid I'll drop dead of infection mid-practice? And he actually sighed at this point. I really should've just practiced at the clan compound...Damn Enyo... The boy spoke aloud, but more to himself than anyone, complaining about how this situation had developed and just what had led to it, the boy trying to avoid his cousin and that arm blade of his.

He let out another sigh, as if he was the one being put on, before walking towards the woman, smile back on his face as he'd accepted the situation. Fine, fine. You win I suppose. I'll get it looked at. Though... The boys smile got bigger, and his eyes looked at her almost with a taunt daring her to do something. I really do have no interest at being looked at by a lesser-blood. I'll get cleaned up at the compound, then I'll come back knife free. Promise~ He said promise as someone trying to sound what the imagine sincerity to be like, an act of trying to tell her what she wanted to hear as he tried to walk past her.

[Sora Minami]

Not anymore kid. Sora thought as the boy oozed his clan’s typical disrespect for those outside of it, his voice dripping with annoyance at her orders, as if he actually had a choice in obeying or not. A part of him seemed to realize he wasn’t going to win that particular battle, and for a moment the Jounin thought he might actually do as he was told… and then he kept talking. And talking. And talking.

"No." The Jounin said when the boy tried to walk past her, her left arm coming up to block his path. He wasn’t getting off that easy. Not this time. "You seem to think you can do what you please around here, boy, so let me clarify a few things." She took a breath, giving Yosei a chance to maybe, just maye, listen before she continued on.

"Firstly, I am a Jounin of this village. You are an Academy Student. If I tell you to go to the nurse, you go to the fucking nurse. There is no bargaining. No debate. No alternatives. You do as you're told. Period." Sora stepped back from the boy then, right hand coming up to rest on Samidare’s hilt as she continued speaking, voice low and sharp, like steel. "Secondly, I don’t want you practicing your Kekkei Genkai here at the Academy because no one here knows how to help you. So if you get hurt doing something stupid with your literal lifeblood you could die.”

The Jounin paused, letting the weight of what she had said sink in before delivering her third and final verbal blow, the most devastating one of all. "If you really want to practice it, I can try and convince Enyo to help. He’s an asshole, but he’d probably teach you if I ordered him to.” Probably.

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

He hadn't been lying when he said he'd get his wound checked out by his clan. Of course, he hadn't mentioned they wouldn't heal it, not fully at least. He was expected to carry the pain of these cuts, get stronger through it, build him up. They'd wrap it up after making sure it wasn't too deep or infected or cut in such a way it was dangerous, and he'd be off, a tender wound ever-present until it healed. Of course, there were ways to prevent scarring, cuts made in such a way they wouldn't leave marks, but Yosei chose not to do those, chose not to get healed after the wound healed up to remove scarring and any remnant injuries. And he very purposefully left these details out, but even the best sounding version of his deal was rejected, as he met an arm as he walked away, and his eyes met the woman's stare, his face back to annoyed instead of carefree. She was proving to be a bigger nuisance than he was used to facing in the academy.

And his eyes rolled in even more annoyance as she tried to pull rank. He hated that, he didn't like it when Enyo reminded him either. It seemed everyone liked doing it to him though, and he was feeling the need to graduate if only so everyone would stop reminding him of how he was on the bottom of the hierarchy, a place no Kuronmeru belonged. And what made it worse was that he couldn't even fight her on this, he really didn't have a choice but to listen to her. Unless he decided to fight her, which was not likely to end well, the memory of breaking his fists against the Kage still fresh in his mind. But it didn't stop him from talking back as she went on to the point of her concern of his Kekkei Genkai and the dangers of bad cuts. That's a dumb concern. You act like I haven't done this before. He raised his arm, showing off the cut. Shallow-ish, not as shallow as it could be but still not too dangerous and placed well enough to avoid bleeding out. It was amateurish, but also not the sign of a complete beginner. Does this look like a dangerous cut to you? The cut of an amateur? The red eyed boy thought higher of his skills than he actually had, but have an idea of what he was doing. And as the saying goes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. He was more confident in his abilities than he actually had, and it was possible that her prediction of him making a mistake could come true in the young boys arrogance.

But still, he went to push her arm out of the way, his disdain for the mere idea of seeing the nurse making him willing to challenge the pink haired woman even now. But her mention of Enyo, and the possibility of training froze him before he passed the line of no return, his hand going from pushing hers to touching his head from where Enyo had repeatedly slammed it against a wall. Even for someone who perhaps liked bleeding a little bit too much that had been...unpleasant. And it was here Sora would learn another thing about the boy, he was pretty upfront with things, and right now he saw no reason to actually lie to the pink haired woman. He'd raise the arm he hadn't cut, revealing a scar running across his forearm, longer and deeper than the cleaner cuts around it, as if he'd raised his arm in self defense from a blade. I had enough of Enyo's training when he bashed my head against a wall, thanks. And it was after the fact the weight of the woman's words struck him, that Enyo would likely listen to him if ordered. And why would Enyo listen to you anyways? Because you're a jonin? He couldn't help but add in the smart remark, his voice mocking and a smirk back on his face. But it was a real question, not many people could get Enyo of all people to listen that weren't Kuronmeru.

[Sora Minami]

Sora listened to the boy’s responses in silence, her face a flat mask of disapproval. Being Enyo’s sensei had taught her that much of the Kuronmeru’s unpleasantness was more bravado than anything else; they were still fanatical monsters, but so long as you were stern and unbending in what you wanted, the younger ones could be bent, if only a little, into do something they disliked. It took a great deal of patience, but it was possible. And this boy, Yosei, was no different.

"Yes." The Jounin said, her lips parting in a small, knowing smirk. "I know for a fact Enyo would do what I ordered him to, because he’s my student and I order him to do things quite often." The boy might not like it, but when push came to shove he obeyed orders, something Yosei clearly needed to learn how to do.

"Now get your whiny ass to the damn nurse, before I make you go."

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

Yosei had been flip-flopping on how receptive he was to listening to this woman, or if not receptive at least resigned to the fact she was bigger and stronger than him and how most of his objections were pretty futile. And she sounded pretty willing to use that strength and force to make him listen to her demands. No matter how demeaning they were to someone of his status, his bloodline. But the strong ruled, and the weak obeyed, it was the nature of things, the rightful order. But the experienced lady would likely notice something, a bad sign, a slip up that she couldn't have known would have quite the effect it did. Enyo obeyed because she demanded he do so. A single eyebrow perked at this, that Enyo didn't dare refuse her either out of fear or simply respecting her position as teacher. But she wasn't the scarf wearing boys teacher, and he wasn't going to let Enyo show him up again so easily.

I wouldn't have guessed Enyo would simply let himself be so...Disgraced, if that's true. Maybe I'll remind him of how Kuronmeru are supposed to act at the compound if I see him there. Where I'll go. To. Get. Treated. He looked at her, smiling his slimy smile, daring her to act as he tried to push his way through. And he was kinda hoping she would, or at least he was expecting her too. He wanted to see it. The strength that could tame as wild a beast as Enyo, a strength to reach Jonin. What strength he should be trying to achieve.

[Sora Minami]

Alright, that’s it. Sora thought, her smirk fading to a scowl as the boy refused to do as he was told. He was, in many ways, just like his cousins; stubborn, arrogant, prideful in the extreme. But unlike Enyo and Shiu, who at least understood when to do as they were told, Yosei hadn’t learned that particular lesson yet… and now, it was going to bite him in the ass. Moving without a word, the Jounin slid around the young Kuronmeru scion, seemingly allowing him to pass, only to grab him by the collar of his shirt and yank him, bodily, off his feet before stretching him across one knee, hand raised up in preparation.

"Since you insist on doing things the hard way, let me make this clear." The Jounin began, slamming her flat palm down on Yosei’s backside as she spoke, emphasizing her words with every spank. "You. Will. Go. To. The. Nurse! You. Will. Do. As. You’re. Told! Am. I. FUCKING. CLEAR. YOU. WHINY. LITTLE. SHIT!"

Kuronmeru Yosei

[Kuronmeru Yosei]

The young boy was surprised, but also quite pleased with himself when the woman, the lesser blood, stepped out of his way. And the young boy made a fatal error, his natural arrogance seeping through as he fell for it. Despite his previous warnings, the fact she refused to bend to even Enyo, how she'd been so insistent to the point of making threats just moments ago. All the boys caution was thrown to the wind, and he continued walking with a smug look on his face, not breaking eye contact as he walked. And so the woman would see his reaction first hand when she grabbed him, the smugness give in to surprise as she yanked him down over her knee, hand raised for an ultimate humiliation. She'd see the boy show panic for the first time in their interaction. Learning why she even got Enyo to listen to her, beyond just rank and status.

And as the pink haired woman's intuition sensed, he really had never been disciplined quite like this before, not even at home. He'd been hit at home before, smacked or hit in the face or stomach, but that was normal for most Kuronmeru growing up. And even then, Yosei hadn't had nearly the worst of it since he'd been in good standing with the clan for a while now. But this was different, the hand raised behind him as he was knelt over, the intent clear. This punishment wasn't cruel, it wasn't extra painful, the panicking boy could handle that. Thus was just humiliating, the idea of being slapped on his behind, humiliating and embarrassing, something he'd never live down. A wound he could never find pride in, not like his scars. So the boy did something...Unwise. He resisted even more.

He had some understanding of how it worked, his clans technique of spitting blood. He'd seen it done, but he'd never practiced it for himself. The nuances of the details still unknown to the red-eyed boy. But, he was willing to try out anything to escape this, and so he'd make the seal before spitting in the woman's face. And it'd be pretty much what you'd expect from someone trying a jutsu for the first time in a panic, the young boy pretty much spitting a black-tinted loogie into her face and not much else. But while it wasn't what he'd hoped for, he took the distraction as a moment to try and re-grab his knife. His movements were slow, Academy student slow, no match for a join, even one who'd been spit in the face with some blood and spit.