[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Kizumi was, to put it lightly, worried about Tokaku. All of Toshizou’s children weighed heavily on her mind, when she allowed herself to linger too long on the thought. Her conversations with Azarea, with Tokaku, with Toshi himself, had forced into her vision a perspective that she realized with grim finality that she had been purposefully ignoring for far too long. He wasn’t a good father. She knew that; had always known that. She’d just been pretending that he could be better than he was. To some extent, she did genuinely believe that he was trying. The problem, she was coming to realize, that what he was trying to achieve would only cause more harm to his blood than good. She was in Konohagakure on other business, bodyguards perpetually in tow; she dismissed them when they reached the village proper, and once she had done all the things she needed to do, she dropped by his home only be to told by a housekeeper that Tokaku no longer lived there. Mystified, Kizumi thanked her, and diverted her path to the Uchiha clan compound, where Tokaku had made her home previously. It took some asking for directions, but she eventually found the genin’s new-old living quarters, and knocked gently on her front door. "Tokaku, it’s Kizumi,” she called. "I was in town on business, wanted to drop by and see how you were doing.”

Uchiha Tokaku -- 233

LAIKA OF THQ

[Uchiha Tokaku]

Tokaku still wasn't used to being back in her old home. The last time she was here, she was sitting over her mother's corpse for three days straight before anyone checked on her and she found help. She was thirteen. But now, she wasn't the same little thirteen year old girl anymore. She was trying to move past that and become stronger. Her defeat by Azarea almost got her down, but she realized since, that she had something that many didn't– tenacity. She had to get back up and keep going, no matter how she was beaten down. Who else was going to be there to pick herself up anyways? She would always aim to pick herself back up and become better than what knocked her down.

Even if she had nightmares and other problems that naturally came with such hardships. One way or another, she'd get back up again and again. She finally had everything moved back into her old home a month ago. She was done with her father for now. Tokaku was going to be her own woman. She was not going to strive to be like her father anymore. She was going to carve her own path. He can have fun with his more favored children. After she got her blade that he promised, she was only going to see him on occasion. Wasn't that she didn't love him, but she needed to find herself before she wanted to try and mind their relationship.

She had questions though. A lot on her mind, she just wished she had someone she knew could answer them. Either way, she was just done getting properly dressed before heading out, after spending an hour cleaning. Just as she reached the door, she heard a knock. Which was strange, she wasn't usually someone who got company. However, she was pleasantly surprised to hear Raikage-sama's voice and see the shorter woman since her failure. Smiling from behind her mask, she gave a polite wave. "Raika– I mean, Kizumi-sama, nice to see you. Thank you for the flowers by the way. Would you like to come in? I can make some tea." She said kindly as she could with her more monotone vocal tone, holding the door open so she could enter.


------------

OOC:

Tag: @
Weapons Used:

SPOILER: Click to show

Abilities:

SPOILER: Click to show

Sharingan [1 Tomoe]
The girl unlocked her Sharingan after teammates died in the last chuunin exams she was in, her mother died after the chuunin exams ended. The trauma has given her One Tomoe in both of her eyes. They allow her to see chakra in color, although not as good as a Byakugan. It also gives her a better view of the actions of her opponent, although not as good as a Two or Three Tomoe Sharingan. It can help her keep track of movements well enough to aid her in combat, nonetheless.

Chakra Control
Tokaku always had good chakra control and only perfected it as she’s now gotten older. It helps her keep up with the toll of jutsus, by using almost just the right amount of chakra.

Jutsu Used:

SPOILER: Click to show

[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Even just superficially, Tokaku looked like she was doing a lot better. Most of her face was hidden behind that close-fitted mask of hers, but Kizumi could see the indication of a smile around her eyes, and she seemed to be getting around more or less okay—so much, much better than she had been in Iwagakure. She seemed… softer, somehow. Subdued, maybe. "You can drop the -sama, sweetheart, it’s just us,” she said warmly, graciously accepting the invitation inside. She toed her boots off at the door and shifted a truly comical amount of weaponry off of various hip straps and back-sheaths before pulling Tokaku into a hug. "Tea would be lovely, thank you.” She followed Tokaku deeper inside the home, peering at her surroundings with open curiosity. It seemed like she lived alone here, which Kizumi supposed made sense—with her mother passed, and Tokaku old enough to support herself, it seemed unlikely that she would want or need to move in with any of her more distant family, if Toshizou’s home was no longer an option. The question remained why his home was no longer an option. Toshi, what did you do? "I went to Toshi’s place first,” she said casually, careful to keep her tone light and neutral, free from the dread that coiled in her stomach. "But his housekeeper told me you’d moved back here. Needed a little more independence, or is something else going on?”

Uchiha Tokaku -- 239

LAIKA OF THQ

[Uchiha Tokaku]

Tokaku nodded with a sigh. "I apologize, Kizumi, it's just hard at times to not use honorifics…" She said, as she watched her disarm herself and take her shoes off. But right after she gave her a hug, which was something she hadn't had in a long time, she accepted it and would hug her back. Well, best to her ability, the woman was much shorter than her. After their embrace, they would walk to the kitchen and begin making tea, quickly pulling the needed supplies from the cabinet and within a few moments, tea would begin to boil on the stove.

She would offer Kizumi a seat at her dinner table before sitting down herself, in a casual and loose manner. She heard her while she was making tea but didn't answer until she sat down. "Well, after my disgrace being my fight with Azarea, we had an angry fight. I couldn't and still almost can't get over how he seemed to only trust Azarea– not caring about my half of the story. That wasn't the straw that broke the horse's back though… Give me a minute, I'll show you what did though." She said before getting back up to go to her room, which used to be her mother's. Coming back she was holding a broken envelope which was addressed to Tokaku from her mother.

The letter was the letter that was supposed to be opened after Uchiha Aiya's death. It would tell Kizumi that the reason why she was so sick was because of a mission Toshizou gave her a few years after Tokaku was born. The mission was to investigate a series of biological attacks bordering Tani no Kuni and Hi no Kuni. She succeeded in putting a stop to the culprit– but she was infected by the rogue medical shinobi final virus, one that would kill someone slowly. Fortunately, meds kept it from spreading beyond herself and prolong her life as much as it could.

Aiya was paid for her final mission, a mission almost no one knew about. She saved Hi no Kuni, at the eventual cost of her life. All she was given in return was money so she could afford to care for Tokaku and herself. The letter would also explain that Tokaku's name didn't mean "impossible, something that shouldn't exist" not out of spite, but out of love. Tokaku would grow up seen as a Uchiha that shouldn't exist in the minds of many Uchiha, but Tokaku would succeed as a strong shinobi even as the thing that shouldn't exist.

Otherwise, the rest of the letter was many apologies that she wished she could've said when she was alive. She sat back down at the table as Kizumi read the letter.


------------

OOC:

Tag: @
Weapons Used:

SPOILER: Click to show

Abilities:

SPOILER: Click to show

Sharingan [1 Tomoe]
The girl unlocked her Sharingan after teammates died in the last chuunin exams she was in, her mother died after the chuunin exams ended. The trauma has given her One Tomoe in both of her eyes. They allow her to see chakra in color, although not as good as a Byakugan. It also gives her a better view of the actions of her opponent, although not as good as a Two or Three Tomoe Sharingan. It can help her keep track of movements well enough to aid her in combat, nonetheless.

Chakra Control
Tokaku always had good chakra control and only perfected it as she’s now gotten older. It helps her keep up with the toll of jutsus, by using almost just the right amount of chakra.

Jutsu Used:

SPOILER: Click to show

[hirana kizumi]

A HEART'S A HEAVY BURDEN

Kizumi hummed thoughtfully, waiting patiently for Tokaku to retrieve the final straw—looking curiously about the home while the girl disappeared into her bedroom. It seemed clean, well-maintained. She must be living on her own, Kizumi thought, which worried her as well; she had been living on her own since she was only twelve, but she remembered with vivid clarity just how difficult that experience had been, and didn’t wish it on anyone as young as Tokaku was. Tokaku returned with an envelope, which Kizumi took, handing it as gingerly as she might an ancient, valuable document. She read the letter. She read it again. Toshi, what were you thinking? Konohagakure’s shinobi business was, for the most part, not her business. She cared about the fate of the village, of course, as deeply and intrinsically tied as Konoha was to Kumogakure, but she had never asked too many questions of Toshi’s work because, ultimately, it wasn’t for her to know. She accepted what information he gave her and was grateful for it, but she didn’t pry into his business. Clearance, village secrets, et cetera. She felt as if she were peering into his dirty laundry, picking through his underwear. But at the same time— "He kept this from you?” she asked quietly, carefully folding the letter back up and placing it back in its envelope as gently as she would tuck a child into bed. "He gave it to you—when, after your fight? Why?” Why now? Why not after Aiya’s passing, as she had clearly intended?

Uchiha Tokaku -- 255

LAIKA OF THQ

[Uchiha Tokaku]

Tokaku watched as Kizumi read the letter. Twice to be exact. The silver haired Uchiha was patient and let her take her time. There was a secondary letter that she had. It told her a little about Root, as well as how she hypnotized another just to have this written out because she couldn't even do much as speak about the organization as well as a genjutsu her mother knew that she passed down to her daughter. By the time she was done she handed it back to Tokaku where she gently laid it on the table. Around the same time the kettle began to whistle lightly as the tea was ready.

Tokaku got up, listening to Kizumi's questions. "He kept the details about his weird ANBU cult from me. However, he didn't know my mother as well as he thought he did. She hypnotized someone to write this all out, alongside another letter and gave it to someone she trusted who gave it to me after her passing." Tokaku explained as she pulled out two tea cups and saucer sets, carefully pouring tea for them both. Laying their tea down on the table she sat back down, pulling down her mask so she could drink, revealing the very light yet noticeable burn scars around her lips, under her chin and neck.

"He didn't give it to me. I had it since she died. I just never opened it until a few months ago. I felt I wasn't ready to read it yet. She also left me a genjutsu she wanted me to learn. But that's about it." She took a sip of her tea, closing her eyes for a moment. "He practically ruined my life. He killed my mother and caused me indirect pain by making me half Hatake, shunned and bullied by the rest of the clan." Tokaku said, opening her eyes to reveal her Sharingan as she gritted her teeth. For a moment though, as her eyes went back to normal and she let out a sigh.

---

TAG: @
HEX: #b54a50
NOTES:

SPOILER: Click to show

Special Abilities:

Sharingan [1 Tomoe]
The girl unlocked her Sharingan after teammates died in the last chuunin exams she was in, her mother died after the chuunin exams ended. The trauma has given her One Tomoe in both of her eyes. They allow her to see chakra in color, although not as good as a Byakugan. It also gives her a better view of the actions of her opponent, although not as good as a Two or Three Tomoe Sharingan. It can help her keep track of movements well enough to aid her in combat, nonetheless.

Chakra Control
Tokaku always had good chakra control and only perfected it as she’s now gotten older. It helps her keep up with the toll of jutsus, by using almost just the right amount of chakra.

Weapons Used:

Jutsu Used:

- ❤ -

[hirana kizumi]

Weird ANBU cult? A thought to put away for later—as curious as that casual statement made her, Kizumi bit her tongue and refrained from inquiring further. Whatever Konoha’s black ops got up to in their own time was firmly not her business, and she had no interest in potentially getting Tokaku in hot water by asking for information that the girl shouldn’t have been sharing. (Knowing Toshi’s impeccable opsec, it seemed unlikely to Kizumi that Tokaku could share anything that she shouldn’t have been sharing, but that was beside the point.) As Tokaku explained further, the pieces were starting to fall into place, though Kizumi was acutely aware that she needed to use her words carefully. She had no desire to alienate Tokaku, but with her mother dead and Toshi out of the picture and seemingly no meaningful adult presence in her life, the onus fell on Kizumi’s shoulders to try to provide… perspective. "You’ve had a painful childhood,” Kizumi said gently. "And your father has… he’s made choices in his life. But he’s not responsible for the actions of others—could he, should he have said something, stood up for you? Probably, I can’t pretend to understand the inner workings of Hatake clan politics, it’s all a fuckin’ mystery to me. But those people who treated you poorly—hold them responsible for their actions. Their bigotry and hatred is their own doing, not yours, and not your father’s.” The bigger elephant in the room—’he killed my mother.’ Tokaku was so young, still. "You don’t have to live with him,” she said. "He doesn’t need to be a part of your life if you don’t want him to be—but you don’t have to justify that, either. What do you want to do, for yourself, for your own life?”

Uchiha Tokaku -- 309

LAIKA OF THQ