[Oborozuki Yuri]

She'd only just begun to think about rationing when three men come barreling through; everything happens so fast. It was on her for not anticipating; for turning around, and dropping her guard. As Hotarubi pierces one of the men, Yuri is caught under another man - he stops to look up at the gruesome situation. Yuri's heart is booming in her ears, every inch of her on fire. Then there is a cold numb. Hotarubi steps off the cart and says nothing. It takes only a second.

Everything her temporary teammate had said sets in. Choices. Consequences.

Even as another second passes, and the man coming for her hesitates, she takes her bat with two hands and swings it up, diagonal, with a bit of chakra in the sweep to slam strong and true against the side of his head. The sickening crack that precedes his guttural, pained scream as he grabs at his already bleeding head frightens Yuri. But there is no hint of disgust here; she is exhilarated, heart in her throat and butterflies eating at her stomach. Wide-eyed, she watches the man stagger and curse at her. She blinks. Regains composure, steels her face, and points her bat at the last man.

"What did I just say?" Her head cocks sideways over her back to maintain eye contact, angled a little oddly. "You three don't get anything until everyone else is helped."

---

Akira | 234
Post 16/15

[Akira]

Hotarubi felt a prong of satisfaction as Yuri decided they would get to live. Hotarubi would use his stunning strength to throw the lump, which sailed well over the crowd from above and by his own sensory abilities: laid there on the floor. Alive: but probably not conscious for the time being. They would awake, they would be in pain - but they would be alive.

The third person - immediately stopped, in fear, and backed off.

Hotarubi nodded at Yuri's choices. That worked for him. Choices. Consequence. With that in mind his arm began to receed back into his hand, and he would turn to the back of the wagon and actually start doing his job: the food had already been portioned out into packs of rice, grains, and other assortments. The actual divvying, however: was up to them.

Hotarubi was impromptu in his decision making which was effectively tantamount to - did they have multiple mouths to feed, and were they useful? People who reeked of fish, or seawater? He guessed they were fishermen. Important. More rice. Even if he held the faint disdain that they didn't seem to be doing their job properly enough to keep the village fed. Generally, those who might've gone to Yuri might have gotten better treatment from the filing lines as Hotarubi asked his questions and gave out rations.

Some would get a half grain, half vegetables: others would get a third of each. But, he did not relent in his decision making, so to those who asked for specifics - would be ignored. And that - was their mission, until they would be done and the cart empty. Unfortunately... those three, among roughly half a dozen others more would be left foodless.

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[Oborozuki Yuri]

It was settled. Hotarubi seemed satisfied with Yuri's decision; she beams, but her face is steely still. She nods, too.

When it comes to it, she starts methodically. She asks questions about each individual's situation, weighs their answers on a moral scale. She favors mothers with young children, men who are working hard for their families, and the children who seem hungry and scared. There's a little inherent bias somewhere, as she seems not so swayed by the ones who contribute nothing, who seem unworthy, the ones who are weak without reason. But as the time passes and the more she listens, she wonders if they should instead be receiving more as well; and if they deserve more, doesn't everybody?

Against the man, she had not hesitated to pass judgement. Now, feeling her heart squeeze for the sob stories, she was faltering. But, she knew a ninja has to make hard decisions, so she does not let it affect her rationing. Though her heart breaks a few times, she only gives so much to the frail homeless man, the children with good lives, the little old lady with no family.

Well, okay. Maybe she threw in an extra bag of rice for the old lady.

Unfortunately, the supplies run out before the wanting do. The ones she had promised food to from earlier had all been served, so she had not lied; but there was not the more than enough that she'd promised.

No matter.

Hotarubi had made it clear that he was watching how Yuri took the lead with the civilians. Or perhaps he did not feel inclined to address them. Either way, when the food is ran out, Yuri does not stall. She turns to the stragglers, the few hungry leaving here with nothing, and bows. "Apologies. You few must go without this time. More of our shinobi will return at a later date."

When they are wrapped up and leaving, the dusk of day turning the world blue, Yuri lights another smoke. This time she rides the wagon, elbows on her knees and head in her hands as she stares blankly ahead from her perch on the back of the cart with empty boxes.

---

Akira | 367
Post 18/15 | FIN?

[Akira]

Hotarubi didn't spare a second glance and would slap the back of the cart. "Time to leave." Hotarubi would call out loudly, and the guy who had been semi-napping after the initial subsidence of problems sat himself up, uncrossed his arms and yawned loudly. "You both took ages. It'll be midnight by the time we're back."

"You got paid as well, dickhead. I didn't see you doing anything beyond sitting on your ass." Hotarubi and the man would gruffly continue yawning, the sunlight playing through the man's hair as it rebounded off the wisp, dying head of blonde hair. "Yeah, well. I'm the one with the cart." Hotarubi ran an earthen tongue around his mouth. Shook his head, and turned to Yuri. "Let's get going."

Hotarubi didn't sit up on the cart though, while he didn't chide Yuri for doing so. It was for the inferior to rest. He continued walking back on foot, talking every once in a while with the driver. Yuri, unless she decided to intervene would also have a conversation here and there between the hours it took them to return to the village.

Though it would come into view, he would have one last word. "I'll take the debrief. You go home." Was it his favorite? Absolutely not. But it was something he needed to learn given Kenji's... insistence on the subject. He was doing it to prove a point and because he didn't trust Yuri to fuck it up when it was his own credibility on the line.

While she walked off, Hotarubi was in a small dire straits with himself.

"Yuri!" He called out loudly across the distance. "Good work." and he would walk off. When she could no longer see his facial expressions, he pulled one - like he was emptying his mouth.

"Ugh. Hated that." Compliments. Ugh.


[end]

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