[Minami Sora]

Sora watched the shift in Ikana’s face, the snap moment of panic as she looked up, then out, as if expecting someone to barge in on them, to shatter the peace of the moment and drag her in for questioning. But as the seconds dragged on, a change began to take place across her sister’s face- confusion, followed by something else, something deeper and more profound. She had no way of knowing what the brunette was thinking, no way to tell that she was looking back on her life, going through it all with the understanding she now had… but she could feel it. As sure as the beat of her own heart.

"A lot of reasons." She replied once Ikana was finished, her voice soft but determined as she looked down, half in shame and half in hesitation. She hadn’t shared this with anyone, hadn’t brought these thoughts and feelings up to herself for years, having buried them beneath a mound of duty and regret thick enough that only the most intense of emotions could penetrate it.

"There are things I still want to do. People I can still help. Students who need teaching. And…" Sora said, trailing off as she closed her eyes, taking in a deep, steadying breath. "-I don’t want to leave you behind."

Miyamoto Ikana

[Miyamoto Ikana]

Ikana was always paranoid, and there was never this notion of being too safe. However, when it came to, when Sora had mentioned wanting to help people. Teach students. She'd thought about where they could go, and what they'd do, and this notion of leaving her behind. To which that thought was drowned out for a moment, by the sounds of nature. Ikana was giving very cryptic, or otherwise non dedicated answers for that exact reason. Yet, she'd found herself legitimately mind boggled. Mainly because it seemed far to convenient. For these deep welled thoughts to exist within Sora.

"Do you have a plan?" She'd ask, knowing this line of thinking was dangerous. She'd already had a hot streak record, and it wasn't as if that got much better. Deeds endured, of course, but it wasn't as if people forget things. People always clung onto the negative better than the positive. At least, Ikana still did. "Actually. No. No." She says, shaking her hands and head. "I don't want to know. Not right now." She exclaims, finding herself stepping downwards from her rock and slipping her sandals back on. She needed time to think. A thousand different thoughts were ringing in her head right now. 

"I've made mistakes and ruined my life more than a few times now. And I don't want to add to that list. Not right now." As a young teen, she'd felt as if every mistake was a contributor to failure, and as she lived, to isolate herself in her duties and obligations, she felt wary. Wary of everything. As she rubs her forehead. "You said you drank for your birthday. Maybe we can go do that." Ikana tries to deflect.

[Minami Sora]

Sora let loose the breath she had been holding, her eyes opening as she looked at Ikana, gauging her sister’s reaction. There was guardedness there, a wary caution that, for it hurt to see, she couldn’t blame the girl for retaining. She had been hurt far too often by those who were supposed to have helped, cast aside and trampled on by the very village that demanded her loyalty and undying service- the village she, in many ways, represented. So the pink-haired woman waited, silent, as the smaller, younger Kunoichi worked out what she wanted to say…

And when she spoke, she listened.

"Alright, Ikana." The Jounin replied once her sister had finished, her voice low and tinged with the tiniest hint of resignation as she rolled her shoulders, smiling softly. There was nothing else that could be done but to wait- it was obvious Ikana needed time, time to trust, time to get used to the idea of being a person worth caring about at all, let alone one worth throwing away an entire life for. We wait, then. For when you’re ready.

"I’m not going to take you drinking, but I know a nice place that opened up near the red light district that has some amazing yakiniku." Sora said as she looked away from Ikana, gesturing back towards the entrance of the small grove they were secluded in. There was nothing left for them to do here, now that things were decided. "I’ll buy."

Miyamoto Ikana