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| - Meditation had long been an important part of Akemi's training routine. Long hours of weight based and aerobic exercises ensured her body was always strong and flexible, a must for any series shinobi. Steaming form the basic workout part of Akemi's training routine, came taijutsu practice. Though the most basic part of a shinobi's skill set, it is also one of the most important and overlooked part of of a shinobi's skill set. Too often Akemi found younger ninja to be fixated on learning flashy ninjutsu techniques and ignoring the basics necessary to ensure a long life. Though it's not to say ninjutsu isn't important. In fact, all of Akemi's most powerful techniques were all based on ninjutsu created by her masters. Each required countless hours of practice to master and Akemi had to constantly refine and increase her own chakra in order to perform the techniques properly. Even now, there were some techniques Akemi had yet to fully master. Genjutsu, though it had never been Akemi's primary focus, it was still an important skill set, both offensively and defensively, for a shinobi to possess. To lack in any one of these core areas meant to posses a weakness. Both mastering one's physical body and chakra were by far the most common forms of training for a shinobi. But it had long been preached to Akemi that one must have complete control over one's mental self as well. Akemi could remember meditating with her surrogate mother Manami and her masters Yoru and Hādo back what seemed like lifetimes ago. She had been merely a small child of three years old when she began meditating, as she was now upon a large bolder. In the past a still wooded valley such as this would have been a perfect place to clear her mind. Today however, no matter how hard she tried it seemed like her mind was little more than a cluttered mess of rage, sadness and uncertainty. Clearing her thoughts was comparable to trying to bail out a sinking boat with a tea cup. No matter how fast you bailed, it hardly seemed to make a difference. For the forth time since she had arrived at this spot, Akemi opened her eyes, her concentration broken. Like it she had all three times prior, Akemi decided to express her rage, but this time she started by unsheathing her trusty kukri. Jumping down from the bolder, Akemi began a methodical walk towards the nearest tree, the trunk nearly as wide as Akemi's shoulders. "It's impossible to meditate in this mental state!" Akemi roared as she swung her kukri, burying it in the thick tree trunk. "That damn woman, she had to screw with my mind. She made me doubt everything I ever knew." Ripping her weapon from the tree, Akemi swung again, cutting even deeper than her previous strike. "Then she had to push me further, and I almost burned down the village." By now, Akemi had reached a steady pace of chops at the tree trunk with her kukri, small pieces of wood flying off with each hit. "Thanks to her, people there look at me like a threat. Like I'm a monster. After serving them for 19 wasted years. I never needed a single on of them. They certainly think they don't need me." The pace of Akemi's chops quickened as the rage in her voice grew more and more apparent. "They certinly think they didn't need Manami, or Hādo sensei. Well screw them. Screw all those heartless bastards. They can burn for all I care!" On Akemi's final swing, a crimson flame engulfed her hand and kukri. The slash cut, or purpaps more accurately, burned through the tree trunk as if Akemi was cutting a simple roll of paper. The tree trunk slammed to the forest floor, almost in unison with Akemi's kukri. Though the flames had dissipated as quickly as they had appeared, steam flowed off the blade of the kukri, indicating the weapons was still scorching hot. Akemi backed up until she felt her back slam into the bolder she had been attempting to mediate on. Clutching her right arm, Akemi observed several blistering burns forming on her hand from the crimson flames. The adverse effects of Akemi's ancient Hellfire ability had once again reared their ugly face. That was twice now within a month that Akemi had lost control of her emotions and paid for it. At least this time no one else would have to share in her pain. A ripple pattern suddenly appeared right above the boulder Akemi had been trying to meditate on, and a familiar voice came from within, "You seem upset. What's troubling you, child?" A tinge of sarcasm could be barely made out from the voice, but by the time Akemi would turn around towards the source, there stood no one other than the once famed "Beauty of the Leaf" herself, rays of sun raining down on her like a deity on earth, peering back at the young woman with a judgmental crimson glare, "Hello, Akemi. It's been a while." One could almost imagine a sarcastic smirk on Sayuri's lips, if it weren't covered by her high collar. Akemi could feel her blood boiling as hot as her Hellfire as she looked upwards where Sayuri had spawned. Akemi had known it was only a matter of time before the woman appeared once again. It had been roughly a month since their previous encounter, where Sayuri had set in motion the series of events that turned Akemi's life upside down. Akemi was surprised that it had even taken this long for the Uchiha to reveal herself. "You better have a good reason not to kill you." Akemi growled, restraining herself form immediately attacking the Uchiha woman. Sayuri chuckled lightly, almost in a cute manner, if it weren't for her arrogant reply shortly after, "You wanna' go again? Even if you're in better shape than last time, it still won't have any kind of influence on the outcome. We both know how this will end, and this time, I might not be so gentle afterwards." Sayuri raised an eyebrow, too in a sarcastic manner, "Reason enough?" Akemi's scowl didn't change, her eyes remaining locked on Sayuri. Ever since Sayuri had left Akemi battered and beaten at the bottom of a crater, only to add insult to injury and heal Akemi's wounds to allow her to limp home, Akemi's mind had been racing with all the horrible things she wanted to do to the Uchiha. But deep down Akemi knew she was no match for Sayuri, not even on her best day. "What do you want from me? Am I just a toy for your amusement? Do you relish in the suffering you have forced upon me?" "As much as I'd like to say 'yes'..." Sayuri's playful tone made it hard to discern if she was being sarcastic or actually saying the truth, "...No. I wanted to ask you if you put some thought into what I offered you that day. From the looks of it, I'd say you have." Sayuri let out another chuckle once she finished her sentence, "So, what do you say?" Akemi leaped up from her seated position, turning and thrusting a palm outwards as she moved. A single diamond spike shot from Akemi's hand, flying directly at Sayuri's head. The single shard was mindlessly voided by Uchiha woman with a simple tilt of her head. "After everything you've done? You shattered my life! Made me distrust everything I ever knew. Is that not enough for you? Now you need to turn me into a pawn as well? When does your sick game end?" Sayuri smirked once more, "Heh, feisty as ever, aren't you? But I didn't even need Kamui for that one, you'll have to try harder than that, Akemi-chan~." Sayuri ended her sentence in a sort of musical or childish tone, then straightened her head back, placed her hands on her hips and took a more serious tone, "I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I'm genuinely sorry if I've caused you much distress over this, but your goal is to be powerful enough to protect the village and everyone you love, am I right? Or do you simply crave more power? Either way, what would you do if someone even stronger than me were to attack the village or oppose you? You're looking at things in the wrong perspective: I'm not offering you to become my pawn; what I'm offering, is sheer power - something that I believe you're ultimately seeking and I myself know that you have potential." Sayuri rolled her eyes, "In return~, I may merely ask for your assistance on certain occasions if I deem it appropriate, but I won't force you to anything." Sayuri crosses her arms, "I'd say this is the offer of a lifetime you shouldn't pass up, because I'm not coming for you a third time, at least not in friendly terms." Sayuri furrowed her eyebrows as she finished her sentence. Akemi remained where she stood, looking at Sayuri confidently standing atop her perch. There was a moment of silence between the two kunoichi, everything around them apparently halted. The mere fact Akemi was contemplating Sayuri's offer spoke volumes, and Akemi knew it. It had been Manami sensei that had told Akemi that even silence is a valid opinion. Akemi had no reason to trust the Uchiha woman, the mere fact she was Uchiha seemed enough reason not too. But still Akemi found herself drawn to Sayuri. Power, the simple word made Akemi ooze with desire. The longing to finally pass the plateau she had reached, the limitations placed upon her by Konohagakure. "If you require further convincing, I'll give you the example of three people: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno, the legendary Team Kakashi. Both Naruto and Sasuke trained abroad, and look at them now; they're renowned as worldwide heroes possessing tremendous power, while their teammate Sakura, who remained in the village, is barely half of what they are. She too was an apprentice of Tsunade just like me, but I sought more, I sought what the village couldn't offer and I dare say I've surpassed her long ago in most fields of shinobi ability. In short, if you choose to stay in the village, you might as well just end up like Sakura, forever in the shadow of people far more capable than yourself." Sayuri jumped down from the rock she had been standing in from the start, then proceeded to slowly walk towards Akemi, "The shinobi world is unfair and cruel, but I intend to fix that. For now, I can give those with potential the power and authority they so deserve, and you're one such person, Akemi." She stopped just a couple feet away from Akemi, extending her right arm looking for a handshake, "What say you? Friends?" Sayuri spoke with a rather amicable demeanor. Akemi simply stared at Sayuri's extended hand for a few moments, her arms remaining by her side. Without shaking hands, Akemi turned and walked towards her kukri, still lying on the ground where she had dropped it. Gentling taking the weapon off the ground, Akemi gave it a quick spin to remove the dirt form the blade before sliding it into her sheath. "We are far from friends. But I am willing to accept your offer. I just hope you aren't wasting my time. If this proves to be another game, I'm make sure you regret ever knowing my name. And before you cast that off as a hollow threat, take into account one thing." Akemi turned to face Sayuri, a look of pure hellfire in her eyes. "You can't break me. The strongest strike, the sharpest blade, the most punishing Genjutsu the most powerful Ninjutsu, all the things you can possibly throw at me. None of it will ever break me, but give me even the most microscopic glimmer of hope, and I sure as hell will break you!" Sayuri let out yet another chuckle, "You two sound so much alike already, I'm sure you'll get along really well!" Akemi raised an eyebrow. "Two?" "You'll find out soon enough. Now come." Sayuri placed her hand on Akemi's shoulder and used Kamui to warp them both back to her hideout.
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