[Daigo]

    What looked to be a fishing boat was headed out into the waters that otherwise wouldn't have been the best fishing location in truth, but their destination wasn't meant for fishing but to catch up with a far larger vessel. There weren't many that would have been here accidentally in most cases, and those that were wouldn't likely have had a good time with what they found, but in this instance, as the large metal ship came into view, Daigo, who was now standing at the front side of the boat raised his arm above his head. From the warship, the few lookouts would have seen what looked almost like fireworks exploding off to the right side of the warship, as a green fireball was shot off into the sky with an explosion leaving the symbol for fish hanging in the air for a moment before dissipating.

    This was seen before the small boat was, and was partially a sign that Daigo was incoming and not to fire, but specifically a simple note on the type of boat to be expecting. After a while the small boat pulled up alongside the Iron Moon, as Daigo tossed a jangling sack to the man standing nearest to him and gave him a knowing nod, before hopping off and walking vertically right up the side of the large vessel. By the time he was up to top and jumping onto the desk, the fishing boat was speeding away as quickly as it could manage, and Daigo was looking at those on the deck, taking a deep breath and exhaling heavily. everyone turned towards him, but two went as far as to give deep bows, quickly waved off. They had been recruited by Daigo not all that long ago, and were still appreciative of that fact, but had been reminded time and time again not to do so. He was far too tired and far too focused to scold them for now, walking past everyone and off the deck and away from the smell of sea and salt.

"Please let our Shinnyoha know I'm here and I'm on the way to her."

    Waving for them to move ahead and to do so in a hurry, the woman he spoke to did in fact move through the ship ahead of him, and in a hurry, as his feet echoed off the floor towards his Nakajima clansmen.

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika saw the flash of green flames well before the scouts report of it came in. She had a habit, one born of long years on the run, of stay ever watchful, even in the quietest of moments, and so more often than not could be found standing upon the quarterdeck, if not manning the helm herself than at the least guiding those who were, her amber-gold gaze always on the horizon. Sometimes she spotted ships for the Iron Moon to pounce on, and sometimes she simply watched the endless expanse of waves as they lapped against her ship’s metal hull- but always, always she watched, clam as a roaring fire, unapproachable and yet alluring all the same.

"Bring her hard to port, helmsman, and signal the engine room to slow to five knots.” The Nakajima woman said, strolling behind the wiry, gap-toothed man without so much as glancing his way. Her mere presence was enough to make him stand up straighter, his nod fierce and eager as he swung the wheel around to heed her commands. The crew had been reluctant to believe in her godhood at first, but social pressure had made converts of even the most skeptical, and with the recent surge in her ranks, the true believers outweighed the liars almost two to one. All she needed now was time.

Seika’s hips swung with every step she took, her cloak held open on the right side, dress swishing as she strolled down the gangway towards the boarding deck, her amber-gold gaze alight with interest. It had been quite some time since she had spoken with Daigo directly; there were the indirect communiques, the dead drop letters written by another hand and in code, but those were not the same. She held no fondness for the Green-flamed man, he was as much a snake as Emiri, but she did benefit from his support… and his sway over the Council.

So when the man came into view, she put on a warm, sultry smile, her arms spread wide in welcome as she drew in close- and immediately enveloped him in a full-bodied hug that was far, far from familial. Her hand slid down his back, her body pressed against his as she planted a firm, intentionally forceful kiss to his lips, looking for all the world like she was greeting a lover long absent from her life; and then, just as suddenly as she had started the embrace, she broke it off, her eyes glinting with amusement. "It’s been too long, dear. Please, follow me. We have much to catch up on.”

Daigo

[Daigo]

    The moment he saw Seika he nearly froze, never quite sure how he should act in front of the others, waiting for her subtle, or in this case not so subtle cues to direct him which way to take things. He had never asked her why she chose her ways of acting, unsure if it was to unsettle him or if it was for the others that might have eyes on them, but it never rattled him in the slightest in any way that might be expected. Anyone would be blind not to see her beauty as a woman, but not since they were teenagers had he looked at her in such a way, and even the moment he felt her embrace him did such thoughts even cross his mind.

    Daigo had gotten near disturbingly good at showing false emotions down to his speech patterns, the way he moved his eyes, the contortions of his face muscles, just the right amount of pressure in returning Seika's hug in this moment for example. It was no different than slipping on a disguise as far as he was concerned. From the outside this certainly would have seemed like a sign as clear as the flames he had shot into the sky earlier that these two were in some type of relationship, but to Daigo this was no more meaningful than her walking up and tightly gripping his hand. His actions near mimicked hers, but he knew better than to press the matter even for the sake of the act. The way he acted after the fact was at least a partial clear sign of that as he was no more intimate with her in his stance or his words than he was with the deck hands he had told to usher him inside.

"It certainly has been."

    His tone at least sounded genuinely sweet as if talking to a significant other, but it took all of his willpower for his eye not to twitch, as hearing her of all people calling him "dear" was as foreign as if she ship were to grow legs and run on land. Following her inside, he did in fact only follow, staying behind her at all times, and just a bit to her right so she could see him with minimal effort if she so needed to.

[Seika Nakajima]

Ah, eager to please as always. Seika thought as her lean, handsome cousin slipped into the role of her lover with practiced ease that belied just how little she had actually pulled this particular trick out. It was an intentional thing though, whatever her cousin thought; she wanted the men to wonder, to think and hope that one day, if they played their cards right, they too might be able to rise to such a position. That she might deign to allow a mere mortal such as them to share her bed- but only if they earned it. That was the key. Rewards had to be earned, after all. And rewards from a goddess are the hardest to prove worthy of.

The moment Daigo agreed to follow, the raven-haired woman turned, strolling down the walkway without another word; her hips swayed as before, her face light by a soft, hungry smile that promised terribly wonderful things to come… and, on the inside, the Nakajima woman sighed. It was all an act, a ploy, a mask put on for the unwashed fools who ran her ship; a necessary one, yes, but one she was tired of. Mishima would change many things once they took it, not the least of which was giving her a proper living space away from all of these insipid children.

After several minutes of silent walking, the pair of Nakajima made it to the Captain’s Cabin; small by her standards, yet comfortable enough compared to the crew quarters, which was little more than a long room covered in hammocks. She had a few decent pieces of luxury though- silken sheets, thin and soft, as well as a featherdown mattress stolen off a shipping frigate bound for Hi no Kuni. Nothing fancy, and certainly unbecoming of a Goddess such as herself… but she would make do, for now. She had to.

"I suggest you seal the room.” She said once the door was closed, her voice soft and cold, low enough that only Daigo could hear her. There were things she wanted to discuss- things she did not need anyone else hearing. Particularly the "faithful” who were watching her door at every moment of the day and night. It was not until her cousin gave the signal that he had done as she requested that Seika let herself relax… and even then, only a little. "Now then. Tell me how things are progressing.”

Daigo

[Daigo]

    For all that she was playing her act up to make sure others saw it, he didn't care what the others thought. He never spoke to them without specific reason, and when he left not a single one of them entered his thoughts for even a brief moment. They were Seika's pawns, not his, so in truth they held very little value in his estimation to anything he did at the moment. He wouldn't hesitate to engulf any of them in a painful green flame if they so much as got near Seika without being specifically told to do so however. Regardless of their familial bond or lack there of, she was still a Nakajima, and in recent times there were so few of them he truly trusted to a degree to feel any sense of protection for.

    Running his fingers through his hair he turned back to look at the ones that were standing nearby, already leaving them behind as he followed Seika. As they stepped closer to a more quiet part of the ship away from prying eyes and prying ears, he grimaced at the idea of spending so much time in this metal floating box, even if he didn't say so aloud. It was certainly an understandable place to hide and was formidable in a fight, but he couldn't bare the thought of spending as much time here as she did all the same.

    Stepping inside her cabin, he looked around for a moment before turning towards the door, raising his hand to cast a jutsu just as Seika spoke. She had suggested to seal the room, which he assumed meant she wanted him to use a sealing technique, but instead what he did was quite literally seal off the room. Quickly creating three hand signs, he placed his palm against the door, a thick set of four barriers would appear as if the wall had closed over the door, sound proofing the room and making it impossible to enter without him dropping said barriers. Turning and nodding, he pulling his palm away and walked away from the door, relaxing some finally and crossing his arms. His demeanor changed as his face fell cold, his facial muscles finally able to relax once more.

"As you are aware, I've fully integrated into the Diplomatic Corp of the village, currently the as leader as the only senior member. When information goes through us it goes directly through me, and in most cases I'll either be the one sent out or sending someone else out. Not long ago I was placed as the bodyguard of the....Lady of Yuki, which I'm sure you are aware. What you may not be aware of is she's been rather quiet as of late, rarely leaving her room. When she leaves her room it's only to go to her office and back home, usually having me escort her doing so. With the Chuunin exams happening soon I'll be traveling to Kumo, but as of now I don't believe she plans on traveling."

    Looking around for a place to sit, he simply took a deep breath instead and continued.

"The Nakajima themselves are also quiet for now, as I've essentially been the defacto leader of the clan with no current White Flame within the village proper, and no other Green Flame members of the council stepping forward, leaving only me for now. "

    Reaching for a scroll tucked into his belt, he held it out for Seika to take. In it were a list of names and locations, with various mission listings.

"I've managed to recruit a few new members as of late, which are the names in green at the top of the list. They are currently being sent out on diplomatic missions to Kiri, and Iwa. I have also started to send members of the Diplomatic Corp out on missions in general, unknowingly gathering information on Kumo specifically ahead of me arriving."

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Kekkai: Kabe (Barrier: Wall)
RANK: D
TECH TYPE: universal | Ninjutsu
ELEMENT: None
CHAKRA USAGE:Very low - Very High depending on size of wall/ Very Low to maintain
DESCRIPTION:

The user creates a solid wall like barrier that appears almost instantly anywhere within a 15ft radius. The wall itself is highly durable and requires D ranked jutsu power to shatter anything lower would simply be ineffective against the wall if not outright break after coming in contact with it, with weapons would need to be empowered with chakra to do any damage though that are not are ineffective with projectiles harmless clattering down to the ground. The wall can be sprung up in a moments notice and the shape and size of it varies depending on the users preference and chakra use (anywhere between 5ft and 15ft tall). As many walls can be made as the user wishes to make (or have the chakra to make) however the plus side is that once the walls are created they take no chakra to maintain. Requires three hand seals.

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika listened to Daigo speak with her gaze half focused on the door, seemingly lost in thought as her subordinate and pawn relayed his information. In truth, the Nakajima woman was paying close attention to every word, the white flame of her true form still within, ready to lash out at a moment’s notice if the man so much as twitched towards attacking. She trusted the Green more than most, but treachery and deceit were writ in his blood just as deeply as the fire he wielded; she wouldn’t put it past him to lie for years just to see a con through. Still, the information he had access to was useful, and his position as the defacto head of the Nakajima even more so- so long as he continued to do her bidding, she could give the man a hairsbreadth of trust. But only that.

"Excellent.” She said after a moment, glancing at the offered scroll and taking as she mulled over what his revelations meant for her plans. The quietness of Yukigakure was both a blessing and a curse; it allowed her to operate a tad more boldly, to make moves that she might otherwise hesitate to make out of concern for their reprisal, but it also meant that she had little information on their movements to work off of. A silent foe was oftentimes the most dangerous, particularly in the kind of game she was playing.

"As you are aware, the takeover of Mishima is proceeding… slowly.” Seika said once she had looked over the scroll, her voice showing just the tiniest bit of irritation. They had established a foothold well enough, but progress on clearing out the wildlife in preparation for further action had been slow and rather lackluster; too many of her crew simply lacked the skills needed to head out into the wilds and tackle the beasts, and it was looking as if she would have to do much of the work herself. Again

"I’ve sent out missives to my other Yogensha; they should be arriving in the next few weeks.” The Nakajima woman paused then, closing the scroll and shifting her attention to Daigo fully. "Have you made any progress on that… other matter you mentioned?”

Daigo

[Daigo]

    If the person standing in front of him wasn't Seika, there was a genuine reason for them to be concerned about the chance of some form of treachery. Someone had once told Daigo that if he wasn't a human then he'd be a snake, ready to strike for the sake of showing that he could, and in a sense that was true. Unfortunately for the person that said it, they were little more than ash mixed into the waters of an ocean years ago. For all that he didn't like everything Seika might have said or did, as that would have been near impossible with free will and free thinking, he'd never at any point in his life attempted to lift a finger against her. He wasn't loyal to many, but she certainly had it without question, though he couldn't blame her if she ever questioned it given how he was with others that might have seemed closer to him than she ever was in the past.

"I am, as much as I can be at least."

    Reaching into his shirt, he fished around then pulled out what looked like a small notepad. Flipping through a few pages, he narrowed his eyes trying to read the small print he had scribbled on it in a hurry a few different times.

"There was a request for someone to be sent a few weeks ago to Mishima with no reason documented. I can't find a record of who made the request, as if it wasn't marked for some reason. There was, however, an immediate denial from an unnamed representative of the Lightning Country to allow Yuki shinobi to enter their borders, so the mission was never made public."

    Much like the scroll, he handed the notepad over to Seika. It was a lot of shorthand, obviously written in a rush on multiple occasions, but mentioned of finding this information in the office of a Diplomatic Corp higher up, one of the few above him, some of the information that was found in Lady Shuka's office, and tid bits of information from one of his informants from Shimo who had come across some of this information from an unnamed source, confirming it. The rest was scribbled information about the few times Shuka had made herself publicly available, which was no more than twice in the last few months.

"If you need my help, I once again offer it. I don't say this as questioning your choice of subordinates, but I can do the work of many of them combined. With Shuka acting as a recluse, and the freedom to travel more recently with the Diplomatic Corp, there are very few that need to know where I go at any given time."

    Giving her a knowing look and a sigh, he nodded heavily.

"That too is proceeding slowly, but proceeding."

    Reaching behind his back he pulled out a scroll and unrolled it onto the floor. It looked to be a basic storage scroll with a symbol burned into it instead of written in ink. Placing his hand at the center of it, he slowly began releasing chakra until it unsealed, revealing another scroll held inside, sealed with wax. Standing back up, he kicked the first one closed as he handed the sealed scroll over to Seika.

"That is a list of targets. I'm getting close to finding the location of the 2nd Lady of Yuki as well. Then I'm onto the villages on that list in no particular order. I've tried finding information on Emiri, sending others out to look for her in hopes of finding a body somewhere, but it's as if she completely vanished."

    The scroll held the names of the current Kage from Kiri, Iwa, Kumo, Konoha, and Yuki. Below that were the bodyguards he was aware of, and the ones he was aware of that had no bodyguards at all. From there basic information on immediate shore defenses and rankings of which would be hardest countries to get into undetected, then villages, relative strength as far as he knew, and similar information. It was far of exhaustive, but it was still extensive.

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika listened to Daigo speak with honest, earnest interest this time. When the man had first approached her with his pet project, she had been of its viability, as well as its use in her plans. But the more he had explained what he had in mind, the more she had begun to see what it (and by extension, he) could bring to the table. The idea had been her primary reason for accepting him into Nisshoku at all, beyond even his sway over the Nakajima and his seemingly undying loyalty. She took the notepad from him without a word, looking it over for a few moments before setting it down on her desk with the scroll he had provided.

"Your talents will aid me better in other areas, for now. Unless you wish to spend hours killing wild animals with the crew.” She said after a long moment of silence, her amber-gold gaze alight with white flame as she spoke. There was an edge of mockery in her tone, though for once Daigo would be able to discern exactly who it was aimed at- not him, but the men who so diligently served her.

"As for the information you’ve provided…”The raven-haired woman paused, looking once more at the scroll and notepad as she let her mind wheel through everything, crunching the information and letting it feed the fire within. She didn’t speak for a long moment, but when she finally did her eyes were focused and clear, her voice calm and firm as she laid out what needed to be done.

"You are to continue in your efforts to locate more targets for your project, but I want you to focus on the Second Lady and any of the deceased Raikage. Use the missive you discovered as a means to get in if you have to. As for Emiri…” Again she paused, though this one was less to process what she had been given and more for effect; even with someone she trusted, there was no true way to rid herself of being showy, not fully. "We are done wasting our time on her. Keep your ears open in case she decides to crawl out of whatever hole she’s hidden herself in, but expend no more resources looking for her.”

Let the bitch rot. She had a world to conquer.

Daigo

[Daigo]

    It was perhaps little more than a quick comment, but it wasn't often she directly mentioned his talents. He wasn't ignorant of the reasons he was here, at least at the start anyways, so he grabbed onto that small comment and locked it away all the same as a point of pride. There was a twitch to his eye all the same, more specifically at the idea of having to spend any real time with her crew. He had recruited a few civilians and a few shinobi, but this crew on this ship were not the kind he would have ever wanted to be openly associated with. They were pirates, thieves, deserters, and as Seika herself was well aware, not all of them were the loyal kind. That idea of loyalty above all else was what made him want to walk out on the deck and turn them all to ash quite frankly. They were here, which was more than could be said for most, but it didn't make him trust them let alone like them.

"I certainly prefer my current...work, at least over that of hunting. Perhaps I don't have your patience in dealing with this crew of yours."

    He physically shook off the thought of annoyance that was creeping in as he paced for a few moments, then stood still once more, hands being placed and locked behind his back. All the while, Seika was silent, moving to the notes, then to her own thoughts, and he watched her carefully. Every movement of her face, tightening of the muscles, the placements of her arms against her body, trying to gauge her thoughts before they were ever spoken. Unfortunately she was just as practiced as he was, to the point of it being unintentional perhaps, of hiding her emotions.

"The skills I've picked up from the Nue have proven useful for this particular endeavor. If my ideas are as true as I believe them to be, I won't need to capture their bodies like I had assumed."

    Raising his arms back up as he spoke, he stretched his arms out as if motioning carrying an entire body, but then pulled his left back behind him, raising only his right hand, making a sign indicating something small.

"I only need their DNA. This could vary depending on the time of death, but a bone for example should more than suffice."

    Again both arms were behind his back, clasping tightly as he tried to keep his cool. In part he had expected a much more annoyed respond in regards to Emiri, but he needed to bring her up all the same in context. Even saying her name out loud caused his stomach to churn, so he could only imagine the disdain Seika felt for her.

"Understood. How soon can I proceed? I am unsure of how much time I'll have or how much freedom I'll have before Shuka crawls back out of her recluse state."

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika saw the twitch in Daigo’s eye at the mention of working with her underlings, caught the tiny glint of pride that bloomed in his otherwise bland, unreadable expression at her compliment, and stored the information away in the back of her mind. She well knew what her cousin thought of the men she had serving aboard the Iron Moon, had heard every reason and explanation as to why she should kill them all and bring in a new, more loyal crew. She had thought them all at one point or another, had repeated the arguments in her head a thousand times… but still, the men remained. Killing them would make her life easier, yes, but not right away, and explaining to her new servants what had happened to the old would make for more issues down the line.

"My patience for their foolishness is proportional to their usefulness.” The raven-haired woman said, leaning up against the corner of her desk as she stared at Daigo’s face, amber-gold gaze lingering on his blue. There were many things she needed done, things she wanted finished yesterday, but little matter as much as seizing Mishima and unleashing her cousin’s project out onto the world. It would be their edge, the push Nisshoku needed to establish itself; and in so doing add fuel to the fire that would burn the rest of the world to the ground.

"As soon as you are able.” Seika answered, her head tilting to one side as she chewed on what to do next. Shuka would not let Daigo remain off his leash forever; eventually, Yukigakure would come calling. She needed him to finish his project before then. "If you’d like, I can have one of the smaller fishing vessels drop you off on the mainland once we’re done here.”

The raven-haired Nakajima paused then, reorienting her head as she stood, slowly rising to her full height before she stepped up towards Daigo, right hand stretching out until it rested gently on his chest. There was little else for them to discuss; her orders were absolute, her will set. He would do as she said… but that did not mean there was not something left to do.

"Remove the barrier.” She whispered, pushing the Green Flame back, back, back until, with a simple flick of her wrist, she heaved him onto the bed, amber-gold gaze glinting with a merciless glee that bordered on mania. Subtle innuendos were all well and good for the clever members of her crew, but she needed to plant to seed deep into their heads, and that meant a tad more needed to be done before she could let her dear cousin leave.

Daigo

[Daigo]

"You have more patience than I do, all the same. I assume you'd have to, however."

    Her simple response was the equivalent of throwing oil onto a match. His determination went into overdrive to the point if their conversation wasn't still going he would walk out the door and across the sea itself into Kumo. It wasn't often he felt such motivation, and it wasn't as if he needed permission necessarily, but getting it all the same felt good. Picturing walking into a village, and walking out laughing with a sack full of body parts was a little morbid, but it amused him all the same, even if it was the furthest from the reality of what would take place.

"It depends on which mainland you are referring to. I need to head into the Lightning Country before heading home, whenever that is. As far as anyone is aware, I'm heading into Bear Country in search of information on fruit imports, but I did that over a week ago and have been withholding the information for a day such as today."

    His brow turned between raising one and narrowing the other as she moved closer. For all that he trusted her about as much as she trusted him, being this close still made him on edge, on guard, and very nervous. For all of those emotions, he showed none of them but watched her closely all the same, trying to project at least a level of confidence in front of her. It was a simple action, a simple touch, and then a simple order.

    Without a word he moved back from her, enough to put his hand up against the door, and a series of noises similar to someone unlocked a door could be heard, as the barrier between the hall and the door was gone as quickly as they were put up. what he wasn't aware of was moving back into her range was the equivalent of stuffing an arm into the mouth of a bear, as the jaws snapped shut and he wasn't fully aware of what was happening until it had already happened. The actions she showed her crew earlier didn't as much as register on his mental radar more than a few seconds, but this one certainly pulled open the mental door, taking all of his willpower to keep it shut.

    He wasn't so ignorant as to think this was for anything more than show, and for all that he was good at putting on a brave face and acting, this was the equivalent of trying to defend himself had she held a white flame to his face. He simply froze, knowing that if he acted reflexively he would almost certainly try and push her away, to the point he felt a cramp in his toes to keep his composure, more so from a slight moment of anger than anything else. If he thought this was meaningful he would have put up a few extra barriers, and if it was anyone else he could have played his part, but he couldn't so easily, not with Seika.

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika didn’t speak until Daigo was finished, her body sliding atop his as she leaned into him, straddling his slender, toned frame in a way no relative should. She knew, had always known, of his infatuation (or, perhaps obsession) with her, had always teased it, twisting him in knots for her own pleasure and enjoyment… but she had never been this forward. Never had she crossed the line into actual taboo. Danced along it, yes. But never crossed.

"Oh, my dear cousin.” She whispered, sliding her hands down the Green Flame’s chest as she spoke into his ear, voice a sultry caress that was far, far too warm. "You’re so tense, love. Does your goddess need to release some of it for you?” Her words were soft, a whisper below a whisper, meant only for him to hear; but she knew there were those with enhanced hearing that would spread what she said to the crew, whether they believed it or not.

And so, with utmost slowness, Seika moved her hands down, pressing her lips to Daigo’s as she let the flame inside her smolder, her white calling to his green, demanding from it, from him submission, subjugation… and, most of all, adoration.

Daigo

[Daigo]

    The longer he watched her, the more it started to get under his skin for a number of different reasons that he couldn't quite focus on at the moment. If this was all a show, a way to get to him, show off, whatever it was, it was hard to understand the point of it. This entire situation was slowly turning into an annoyance he couldn't shake, regardless of what feelings he might have had.

    Her words felt like needles, then knives, and he was finding it hard to keep a straight face, but perhaps not in the expected way. His cheeks weren't flushed, he wasn't acting shy, but showing clear signs of further frustration, his eyes narrowing, starting to lightly glare at her. Without saying a word, he started to shake his head at her, clearly telling her no putting up with this for as long as he could for now. For all the loyalty he was willing to show, this was just not something he was going to deal with, put up with, not for the sake of this pathetic crew of hers, ears pressed up against a door with their curiosities.

    Turning his head away from her, he gave a bit of an annoyed grunt in her direction as he looked back to her again, giving her a sour look that showed her was seconds away from physically shoving her off. Leaning up to her ear as if he had something to whisper, he simply said "Wait your turn."

    Immediately any attempts she made to respond or speak at all were impossible, as if her lips were physically sealed shut. In that same moment, he shifted his weight and go up. He knew well enough she wasn't likely to take either action well, but this was where they diverged massively. She liked toying with people, she had a certain manipulation to her he never agreed with, even if his own ways were far from moral at times. His manipulation he used for an ends to a means, but he had always felt hers was simply to get her way, even if she didn't necessarily need it, or that's how he chose to explain it to himself to justify his own actions.

    Trying to at least not completely make the situation awkward for any that might be listening, he grabbed a scroll and opened it quickly, writing with the tip of his finger, burning the words into it, and held it up, pointing to it to make sure she saw it. It read simply "We aren't kids anymore, and I'd prefer not to play these games. If there's nothing more, then I'll be leaving."

    Tapping heavily at the words, he held it out, holding back the frustration that was still hanging on his face, before catching the scroll on fire in his hand to turn it to ash. A few seconds later the genjutsu was dispelled and she could speak again, but it wasn't her words he was worried about, but her reaction. He hadn't turned to leave just yet, but his grip was on the handle of the door as he stared at her waiting for any sort of response.

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Jippā Kuchi [Zipper Mouth]

RANK: D

CHAKRA USAGE: To Use: Low | To Maintain: Low

CLASSIFICATION: Genjutsu

HANDSEALS: 2

TRIGGER: Auditory

DESCRIPTION:

The jutsu is activated by the user performing the requisite hand seals while saying, "Wait your turn." As a result, the afflicted target will feel as though their mouth has been taped or zipped shut, and they are unable to talk. In actuality, they are just pressing their lips together quite hard. This is mostly used to get belligerent people at the negotiating table to give everyone a turn speaking. If only the casting chakra cost is used, the duration is one post.

[Seika Nakajima]

Seika saw Daigo’s increasingly uncomfortable looking face and knew, perhaps without having to even speak, that the man was not willing. She knew it on an instinctual level, her body language shifting from amusement to annoyance in the span of a single sentence, the Green Flame’s whispered reprimand stoking her anger as she opened her mouth to speak and castigate him for daring to… to… The Nakajima woman froze, her lips refusing to open as she gripped her cousin’s shirt, holding onto him even as he slid out from under her and tried, unsuccessfully, to leave. White flames danced from her fingers, threatening to burst forth and consume her cousin as he reached for a scroll and scribbled down a few words to explain himself, annoyance and desperation writ clear across his face.

And just like that, the genjutsu was gone, and she could speak again.

Part of her wanted to torch him, then and there, for daring to defy her. It would have been supremely satisfying, a fitting end for such a foolish decision- but for all the rage that boiled in her chest, the raven-haired woman did not attack. She needed Daigo, and not merely for his control over the Nakajima clan. His project, his information, the access he had to Yukigakure’s Lady… all of those things were impossible to replace once lost. He was impossible to replace. And while she very much wanted to roast him alive for daring to deny her, there were things she needed done that would never be finished if Daigo died.

So with a long, slow breath, Seika let go of her cousin’s shirt.

"Hurry back now, love.” She said after a moment, her voice once again taking on the soft, seductive honey that it had been before. Only Daigo would recognize the edge hidden beneath it, a quiet, sharp promise of retribution and punishment for his refusal to go along with her plans. She would not kill him, not now. But he would pay for this, one way or another. "You know how I hate to be kept waiting.”

Daigo

[Daigo]

    Her anger was expected, more so than it showed on her face or her actions, but he couldn't keep letting her do what she had been doing. Even as she glared at him, even as he could feel the increased heat, he stood his ground, not defiantly, but stubbornly. For as strong as he was, he knew if she wanted to she could end him, and he could certainly put up a fight, but not for very long, and not in this confined space. Certainly he could have handled the situation better, reacted differently, but it was clear enough that neither of them were ordinary, and had more than their fair share of idiosyncrasies.

    The only surprise in the situation was the calmness she exuded just moments later, as she released him. Perhaps this was simply a trait they shared to flip a switch and show whatever emotion they wanted others to see. Despite how many times he had done it, it still unnerved him to a degree seeing someone else do it so skillfully. Unfortunately, he almost preferred the other side of her, that fiery rage and the fiery passion, and that look in her eye that would burn a village to the ground. This sweet tone that might have been soothing and lusted after by all these followers on the ship was like a blade scraping the metal hull. For a moment he shuddered as he could feel the sting coming off of it, despite the tone, despite the words, it was borderline threatening for reasons only the two of them likely would or could pick up on. He froze, staring at her as if he had been cornered by a wild animal, his hand gripping at the handle to the door, before finally turning it and pulling at the door. It wasn't until it was open, and his voice could travel through the halls once more that he responded.

"I will return to you as quickly as this world will allow me."

    Swallowing back his pride, he turned back to her and with all he could muster, he bowed, deeply, dropping to one knee even to make sure there was no question to what he was doing. Staying there, his head bowed and his eyes to the floor, he sighed, relieved to be able to walk out of that room given what had just happened. Finally getting back to his feet, he turned, not even as much as looking at any of the others on board as he moved to the edge of the ship, waiting for his transportation back to dry land.