Can this balance hold(new charies intro)

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Naito smiled and said "well to be honest aishiteru dosnt get to know many people you are basically the first people she has befriended since we arnt always social we get fairly serious and we seem fairly scarry at times"

Aishiteru nodded saying "these two as my body guards with them no one ever comes near me so yea I dont make many friends"

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"I can see how that would be," Amane smiled, and then looked impatiently at the harried waitress, who didn't sem to pleased that their table had yet another customer sitting at it. Impatience seemd to be genetic in the Hisakata family.

Sen tried to change the subject to something she might actually stand a chance of talking about. It had to be something safe, though. She had the feeling Amane didn't like her much; not that she didn't return the sentiment.

"So, what do you guys do on a normal day-to-day basis?"

Kyokki kept watching Naito.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Naito smiled and said "well we are usally walking with Aishiteru threw the village but yea on my days I go and take a seat in the woods and play music or I go to the training grounds and practice"

Hikari chuckled and said "well when I am off I work out and run aroun the village see new people and try to taste new foods"

Aishiteru smiled and said "well I usally just try to walk around the village memorizing where everything is at and hearing the voices of people and listen to the birds and animals"she let out a great grin

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"That's cool," Sen said slowly, "Most of the time, I'm listening to my music. And I spend a lot of time at Tahai-teki na Mangakisa surfing the net on the computers there, and reading manga. And at night, I'm always running. People say I'm crazy for loving running so much, but it's just something I really need to do inorder to keep myself sane."

"I spend most of my free time writing," Kyokki confided, " I've written two novels, “Kitsunenoyomeiri” (A Rainstorm While the Sun Shines) and “Sanmyuujikku” (Sun Music). Right now, I'm working on a poetry volume called "Iro no Koe" (Color of the Voice). I love music a lot, too, so I listen to it a lot, but I'm not nearly as passionite about it as Sen. The rest of the tim, I'm training."

Amane kept quiet, feeling this was a subject she should stay off of. What was she supposed to say, after all? "I spend my time running from hunter nin, protecting Kyokki, and trying not to get killed by people I know from my home land" ? Not likely.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Hikari noticed she didnt answer and became suspicious and asked"well what do you do"he watched her moves ever so slightly he only kept his eyes on her till he heard a familar voice it was a jonin who knew him so he got up and went over to speak

naito smiled and asked"Well what do you do for fun"he smiled and looked at the two girls he had grown kinda fond of while sen was starting to earn a place in his heart

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Sen and Kyokki exchanged looks, their faces mirroring each other's expressions. It was one of the few times where the family resemblance was particularly prominent. They both looked back at Naito.

"We just told you," they said at the same time, but on hearing the other speak, their voices cut off. They were shaken.

After an awkward moment of silence, Sen finally said, "Well, sometimes I hang out with my friends. And I used to hang out with my ex, until he dumped me day before Valentines."

Kyokki could make no such claim. She hadn't been interested in dating at thirteen, and hadn't been in one place long enough to even consider it since then. She just shrugged.

Amane watch Hikari converse with the jonin nervously. She gave a warning look to Kyokki and Sen.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Naito pointed to Amane and said "I was reffering to her she never answered"he shurged and looked at his brother curiously thinking 'two jonin by chance talking and catching up I dont think so'

Aishiteru said "why is your heart beat becaming so fast Amane you seem to be nervouse I can feel your heart beat from here"she had a look of curiosity

Hikari spoke with the jonin and was told a rogue ninja was somewhere in the village and had been seen hikari was asked if he had seen anyone suspicious and said "sorry havnt"he walked back to his seat taking a look at amane

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Amane swore mentally. Kids... She could feel Kyokki's eyes on her, could feel how tense her niece was as she waited for a response. Even Sen seemd worried. Amane guessed that even though Sen disliked both Amane and Kyokki greatly, she knew how important this was.

"Is it?" she asked Aishiteru, but didn't wait for a response, "Probably nothing I do is something you'd find interesting. I visist Kyokki. Travel some. Get occasional small-part acting jobs on stage with different theatrical groups, enough to support myself, at least. And I have a tendecy to get into scrapes."

"Like this one," she added mentally.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Hikari took a seat again having heard what she had said and closed his eyes saying "well that was interesting the is a ninja on the run here in konnaha a stranger all the jonin are on the look for her and are stationed at all exits"he opened a single eye and looked at amane and said "they are checking anyone and everyone for fear of another attack"he had a feeling it was her but lied for her

Aishiteru said "I am fairly sure you know what I am talking about your heart just seems to keep racing

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Sen shrunk down, trying to be a passive, uninvolved bystander. Impartial. Yeah. Yeah, right. She couldn't be with what she knew.

"I don't know what-" Amane started to say-

Kyokki cut her off. "I trust them," she said simply, knowing it was enough to condem them both.

Amane's eyes flickered angrily. She loved Kyokki, and for the most part trusted her judgment. But ...

"Kyokki!" she hissed in an undertone, knowing it was already too late.

"It started in Ame. Everything started in Ame. The last time we went to visit my parents," Kyokki whispered so that they wouldn't be overheard, but she couldn't bring herself to look at any of the Chikara's faces. Abruptly she jumped to her feet.

"Not here. Too many people."

She tried to fend off memories and feelings that were al tangled up, hidden inside of her.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Hikari said "I know alot of it but not all dont worry I wont tell the others I told them I hadnt seen you but that I would keep a eye out but lets go somewhere private so we can disscuss this"

Naito eyes widend he didnt even suspect anything yet his brother the bluber brain knew all along yet didnt say a word

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

"The grove," Kyokki said simply, and then turned to Sen. "Would your parents mind, do you think?"


Sen shook her head slowly, as she realized she had never actually heard the full story of what had brought Kyokki here. She knew as many details as her father would permit, but there were gaps in the story. Large ones.



Amane stood up, wondering why Hikari had lied for her. But it didn't really matter now that the deed was done. And she wasn't going to complain about it either.



Kyokki left enough money to cover her, Sen, and Amane's part of the bill with the girl at the front counter, and the rest of her change ended up as a tip.

Then she exited the cafe, leading the Chikara and her aunt to the Tenkiame buildings. She wasn't exactly showing the way to Sen, who had, of course, lived there all her life. she didn't even notice as she passed her own apartment building on the way there.

The Tenkiame weren't a large family, and their space wasn't huge either. They barely registered as a clan, so they shared their area with two or three other minor families. A handful of houses displayed the blue and gold Tenkiame crest.

The streets they claimed as their shared territory was right by a large grove of trees, which miraculously, the Tenkiame owned. It was what left of the forest in that area, and some great ancestor had purchased it way back when the Tenkiame actually had a little bit of wealth.




As Sen walked past her house, she saw her mother, Hidama, and her father, Dekiaki, siting on the front porch. Hidama started to call out in greeting, but stopped when she saw Amane and the Chikara. Dekiaki, however, didn't miss a beat.

"The grove?" he asked, seeing the conformation in his daughter's face, "It should be empty. If Miyako's hiding their again, tell her I said to leave."




Amane nodded her thanks, though she could see the way Hidama was biting her lip. Neither of them liked each other, just like with Amane and Sen, but they tolerated each other because they had a niece in common.



Kyokki opened the gate to the grove, which was filled with magnolia and oak trees. Kyokki walked to the center, where two large, slightly scarred ginkgo trees grew. She sat down, pressing her back to the larger of the two, and hugging her knees.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

As Naito entered the grove he alowed his brother and sister in before himself and closed the gate he decied to folow a ancient tradition of his clan he found a rose and plucked it he tied it to the fence post to signify that all that was spoken here was to remain there and not to be brought up outside of the roses seal

Hikari saw the rose and nodded knowing the significance of it and said "under the seal of the rose all knowledge recived must not be brought up from underneath the rose"

Aishiteru smelt the rose and said "not to be brought up unless we are all present underneath the rose"

[Kyokki Tenkiame]

Sen raised an eyebrow, but let it passed. She didn't dare try to interrupt, not it this setting. Besides, maybe it was better this way.


Amane looked at Kyokki. She wasn't all that sure either one of them could really handle this, but she was grateful at least for the Chikara trio's promise. She sat down gingerly on the dirt, and tried to place a hand on Kyokki's shoulder, but the girl shrank away.

"It started," Kyokki said quietly, " a couple years after bachan fought in the first war. I call it the first because it was the first to happen in my lifetime. I was little when it started, so I can't recall most of it. I just remember how people always seemed scared and I never knew why. Dad got protective. I was raised pretty seperate from everyone else. I felt distant and cut off."

Amane took over.

"When I got back, afterwards I felt the same way. Most of my squad was dead, and I didn't recognize myself anymore. War does things to you. So I stayed in Ame for a while. A few years, actually, just long enough for Kyokki here to hit her teens. And right around her thirteenth birthday, I started getting an idea. Neither of us could handle in in Ame anymore. So I made her and my big brother Taiyuu an offer. I got the papers. It was legal. We became travelers. I promised my nichan I'd look after his little girl."

"It wasn't worth it." Kyokki said dully.

"Is it ever?" Amane asked gently, and then turned to the Chikara, "We didn't understand until years later that I had signed our family's death warrant by signing those papers."

She paused for a moment, heart aching.

[Santomoro Purotekuta- Mei]

Naito looked a little saden his eyes shjowed it but his face remained stern he said "I see....so they are after you now"he looked at them and said "well you can trust us we will protect you but.."he was cut off

Hikari cut his brother off saying "we have to know everything because if we dont know what is going on we will be left behind so bring us up to speed"

Aishiteru nodded and said "we are in this together so be not afraid we are here to help but we cant help if we dont know everything"