The words of a Ninja ((Polo and Inkerz have a Naruto RP^^))

Dude! Today we're starting with this thing
I'm amped to work with Tyson and Koaru

Okay our Rp takes place in the Naruto world of the "Five Great Shinobi Nations".
The fourth Ninja war has erupted among the nations and is the bloodiest one yet...Now lets see how Koaru and Tyson take to this situation *Evil Smirk*


Character Description:

Name: Malakai Koaru
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Race: Human (Half Japanese)
Ninja Rank:Jounin (Hidden Leaf Village)

Appearance and Personality: Koaru is extremely beautiful and fair in appearance. He has often been mistaken as a lovely frail young woman and even his soft understanding voice can throw anyone into awkward confusion over his gender.
Koaru’s physical built can be described tall, graceful and thin. His skin has a soft pretty and pale complexion which is contrasted against the deep grey color of his wise eyes.
Koaru usually wears his ankle length hair up in long flowing pony tail. The color of his lustrous straight hair is a shade of dark purple.
As for his personality, well a lot can be said about how people aren’t always as they seem, in Koaru’s case this true. He is understanding, soft spoken, friendly, peace-loving and cheerful. As well as an ever curious individual who will loyally stick to his friend's sides no matter what and does his best to please them.
However Koaru does have another side to him that is not so pretty.
After a certain event occurred in his past, Koaru developed a state, Known as Malakai. When he falls into his other self he can become dangerous and cold-blooded. Any feeling of mercy is killed of instantly and his instincts as a master swordsman take over.

Attire: He enjoys wearing Graceful and elegant clothes which often hold a Japanese taint to them in appearance and design. He prefers soft warm colors, but isn’t too specific. Koaru’s favorite outfit of choice would a simple yet elegant summer kimono or the simple industrious attire of a wandering samurai.

Situation Description: Although Koaru is not born from the Hidden Leaf Village, he has successfully achieved Jounin rank there after originally joining the village as a Chuunin.
He is deeply skillful in his Jutsu and is considered to be a valuable asset to Konoha's force.
Not much is mentioned about his past, but there a definably a few skeletons in his closet ((Hint Hint^^))

Name: Tyson Retisant ((Ty))

Age: 23 Years

Race: Human (Jinchuuriki)

Ninja Rank: Originally part of the ANBU for the Hidden Sand, Tyson was banished from his village, and is now considered a Missing Nin.

Appearance: Tyson has long, straight black hair with he keeps tied in a braid down his back, stretching almost to his shoulder blades. His face is casually framed by shorter, loose strands, falling in layers from just above his eyebrows to below his chin. He has a stocky build, and is slightly shorter than most boys his age. He has high, proud cheekbones and a naturally richly tanned complexion. His eyes, though seldom seen, are a bright, fiery shade of brown - seeming almost red when the sun strikes them. He generally stands with a somewhat aloof and disinterested stance, often making himself appear unapproachable. He usually walks with his hands in his pockets, partially because he likes it that way, and partially for the practical purpose of having quicker access to the pen and notepad he keeps there.

Personality: To sum Tyson up in a simple sentence, he simply doesn't care. He doesn't care about the war, or the many rules he was taught in ninja school, or the number of ninjas intent on tracking him down and destroying him. He's always aloof and quiet, and tends to avoid, well, everybody - aside from his sister. He's stuck with her.
On the rare occasion that Tyson is close to somebody - as with Lizzie - he is always loyal and surprisingly protective at times, though he very seldom shows affection. He tends to ignore even those close to him, with very few exceptions.


Other: 1 Sibling: Lizzie


Name: Elizabeth Retisant ((Lizzie))

Age: 25 years

Rank: Chuunin

Appearance: Very pretty light boned and slender girl. She is a natural redhead with a fair complexion and alluring pale blue eyes.

Personality: Cheerful, spontaneous, outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, talkative, judgmental, flirtatious, selfish, emotional, conniving, manipulative.

Tyson ran through the forest, leaping across the treetops like some sort of animal, and he didn't once look back at his masked pursuers. He knew that the ninjas were from the Hidden Sand - they had been trying to get rid of him for a while, after all - but because of the masks, he didn't have a clue who they were. Not that it mattered, anyway.
"Ty!" Lizzie called as she darted along beside him, "Tyson, for f*ck's sake, are you listening to me?!" He shot her a weary glance.
"Ty, do something!" Her voice was becoming hysterical, and Tyson winced at the high pitch in his ears. Sighing heavily, he reached into his pocket and tossed a few kunai over his shoulder with a casual flick of his wrist.
Lizzie, red-faced from anger, was about to start raging at him for his obvious lack of concern given their situation, but when every kunai effortlessly found its mark - knocking their pursuers to the ground - she was forced to remain silent, curing under her breath.

For a while it seemed they would get away, but then a kunai with an exploding tag suddenly struck the tree in front of them. Eyes widening in shock, Ty quickly snatched Lizzie out of the air, and dropped to the ground with his sister in his arms, just as the tag exploded overhead, showering them in flaming twigs and leaves.
By the time Ty had set Lizzie down, a group of ninjas had surrounded them. He touched Lizzie's arm, and with a silent nod, she turned so they stood back to back, ready to take on the circle of attackers.
As one, the ninjas struck.
The battle was violent and bloody - blades flashed, limbs struck cruelly, and sand danced wildly about them as the enemy ninjas turned to their jutsus.
Ty took them on in a relaxed fashion, casually countering each attack and knocking the opposition easily aside, until a scream at his side caught his attention. He froze when he saw Lizzie in the grasp of the enemy, and suddenly the battle took on a whole new dimension.

Several harrowing minutes later, the exhausted Tyson was once again dashing through the forest, his unconscious sister in his arms. His chakra was spent, and after the long, trying journey he had been on, his energy was even more so.
They had reached the borders of the forest, just outside of Konoha, when Tyson finally collapsed, leaving both himself and Lizzie sprawled in the dead leaves and dirt; still spattered with the blood of their enemies.

Konoha village held a surprisingly peaceful aura over it as the dark night lay littered with bright stars.
With a purple glint Koaru darted stealthily along the roof tops of the village buildings, his long tied-up hair flowing like wings behind him.
He just had been sent out to investigate a disturbance near the village borders.
From what he had been told, the village Scouts had spotted Sand Ninja there and they had not been quiet about their arrival.
With the war going on Sand Ninja wouldn't dare cause an upset with their 'allies'...just what are they planning, Koaru pondered intelligently as he caught hold of a loose piece of roof piping and swung himself gracefully down to the ground.
Light on his feet Koaru wasted no time as he made his way out of Village and in the forest.
It took quite a few minutes of soundless traveling, but eventually Koaru neared the Village border.
The first sign of danger that set the Ninja on edge was the sharp, but distinct scent of blood that wafted lightly through the air followed by a high concentration of abnormally powerful chakra.
With Kunai in hand Koaru stopped his movement and took to crouching in the thick branches of a tree. He was hidden for the time being and concentrated on hiding his own chakra so as not to be detected by any enemy Ninja.
With a deep breath Koaru closed his soft grey eyes and listened intently as the clash of metal and footsteps.
They should come this way. I better be prepared for a fight, he mulled seriously as his hand tightened around a tagged Kunai.

As the first masked enemy stepped into the area, Koaru's eyes flashed open as he sent the steel knife shooting down into a tree overhead.
As the Kunai hit it's mark the tree exploded into a mess of flames and flying wood.
His intention was to send his enemies into disarray and this worked perfectly as the ninjas scattered in confusion. He had them were he wanted them.
The shock had allowed their chakra control to falter and in turn Koaru could sense his enemies perfectly.
Seven, Eight, Nine...Quite a large group. Something is still off though, I don't sense that abnormal chakra any more. Surely it couldn’t just disappear.
With another flick of his wrist Koaru sent a set of shuriken warningly towards his enemies before leaping down from his tree with grace and facing the Sand Ninja with an expression of perfect calmness.
They started off their greeting by clashing weapons and slashing threateningly at Koaru.
He however showed no sign of stress as he parried each attack skillfully before sending each attacker back with surprising force.
None of them were seriously injured, killing them wasn't part of his mission and wanted to keep it that way if possible.
“Enough, What do the Sand want now that they’ve trespassed into Fire Country?”, Koaru asked simply with a firm, but none threatening tone of voice.
The Sand Ninja were by nature temperamental and fierce and spared few words in response to Koaru's question before lashing out at him once again.
With a small sigh Koaru dodged nimbly before quickly sighing out a few hand based seals that activated his water based jutsu.
Within seconds he had drawn out liquid from the nearby plants, leaving them dead an withered as he solidified the water it into a long thin paintbrush which he then wielded.
The Sand Ninja weren’t fazed by Koaru's Jutsu and were therefore caught entirely off guard when he slashed the air violently with the brush.
He sent out a mess of perfectly formed water ribbons which wrapped around each individual tightly.
His enemies were bound for the moment and with a gentle smile Koaru caught sight of a familiar friend.
“Nice work Koaru, We'll take it from here though” a voice stated firmly as the figure of a tall young man with sleek black hair emerged from the shadows of the tress. He was followed by a small group of assisting Konoha Chuunin
Koaru gave an understanding nod in the man's direction before adding simply, “I'll leave it in your hands Tatsuya”

After an hour or so of arguing and harsh interrogation the Sand Ninja were finally banished from the forest and sent roughly on their way.
Koaru was pleased to have the situation resolved for the time being, he knew that things would have gone horrible wrong had he shed any Sand blood.
The countries were already at war as it was, they needed allies more than ever at this moment.
As the rest of the Konoha Ninja made their way back to the village Koaru stayed behind.
“Aren't you going to return yet?”, Tatsuya asked with slight concern as he stood beside Koaru.
With a small shake of his head, Koaru responded with a pretty smile in place, “No, it's rather lovely night, it would be foolish to waste in indoors”
Tatsuya seemed to consider this for a moment before shrugging simply, “Don't let your guard down Koaru”.
The man then disappeared into the forest leaving Koaru alone to his own accord.
With a quick leap Koaru took to the trees once again as he traveled silently towards the faint scent of blood he had caught on the air earlier that night.
He followed the scent with determination and soon came to a rather concerning sight below him.
Silently he dropped down to the ground to carefully examined the bloody forms of two unconscious people.
They aren’t dead yet, he mulled thoughtfully as he felt for a pulse on each individual.
His gentle eyes swept over the gril first, she wasn't as badly wounded as the boy and with a gentle shake on his shoulder Koaru tried to wake her from her slumber.
Once she released a small stirring groan Koaru nodded calmly before slowly turning his attention to the wounded boy beside her.
With calm concern he ran a hand curiously over wounds that lay scattered across the boy's arms and chest. He'll live if I can keep out any infection, but his not in great shape
With firm concentration Koaru conjured up the remnants of his chakra and focused on them on healing the mysterious boy.

Some hours passed while brother and sister lay unconscious below the stars, but sometime after midnight, a change finally occurred. The leaf ninja approached peacefully, and though Tyson remained oblivious to his presence, Elizabeth did not. She was stirred from her slumber by a gentle touch, and opened her eyes to look into the face of what she took to be a beautiful young woman. Lizzie stared up at her for a moment, eyes wide with confusion. Then, as reality hit home, she sat bolt upright with a frightened gasp.
"The Sand-" She began, glancing around in a panic, "Ty-" She turned her head, seeing her brother lying unconscious beside her, and swallowed nervously.
Goddammit, Ty! You know I can't protect myself... Wake up, idiot!
She released a shaky breath, and turned her wide, fearful gaze to the young woman who had roused her, only to find that the ninja had already set to work healing Tyson.
In that case, maybe she's not an enemy...
"Th-thank you..." She stammered nervously, watching uncertainly as the newcomer skillfully poured her chakra into the healing jutsu. She stared openly, her pretty blue eyes darting over the ninja's long, purple hair. There was something strange about this woman; although Lizzie could not deny that she was beautiful, there was still something oddly masculine about her... It was disconcerting, but it gave Lizzie confidence. She knew how to handle men; an emasculate woman could not be too different.
She shifted herself onto her knees, taking on a more dignified position, and turned to speak to the ninja.
"Who are you...?" She asked quietly, watching the skill with which this stranger was healing her brother's wounds, "Are you here to-" He swallowed a lump in her throat, eyes dancing with tears, "Will you help us?" She cast a glance toward Tyson, and added with a quaver to her voice, "Will he make it?"
Lizzie licked her lips, keeping a determinedly upset exterior, though inwardly she was calm, "We were attacked." She whispered, rubbing imaginary goosebumps from her arms. "We were just passing through, and with no warning, the Sand ninja-" She broke off with a dramatic shudder, letting one tiny sob escape her luscious, trembling lips.
"P-please..." She stammered, "I'm so frightened... Won't you help?" Lizzie fixed on her best manipulative expression, staring beseechingly at the kind-faced woman beside her.
This way, they could find a safehouse, at least for a while. Perhaps some food, too, if they were lucky. They had been on the run for far too long, and it was obvious that Tyson had over-exerted himself. Without his protection, she was helpless... And she didn't like that. This whole thing was Tyson's fault to begin with, anyway. She was glad that he got hurt; it served him right.

Koaru held the healing jutsu with unfaltering calmness as he poured the last of his chakra into the unconscious boy before him.
He was aware of the girl beside him, but didn't talk to her. His concentration was entirely engulfed in his jutsu which finally came to close as the last of his chakra left him.
“There, He should be okay for now”, Koaru added calmly as he finally broke the silence with his silky voice, taking in a small exhausted breath.
His smile seemed satisfied and warmly he turned towards the kneeling girl beside him.
She was pretty in appearance with ringlets of red hair that enclosed her pale face in a way that made her look as though she were being licked by flames.
"Who are you...?", She seemed to ask quietly leaving Koaru to tilt his head thoughtfully as he pressed a pale finger to his lips. “I guess the real question here is, who are you?”, He answered pleasantly as he watched the nervous girl's eyes water with frightened tears as she mumbled on through her trembling voice.
"Are you here to-", she broke off for moment before gaining a little more strength,"Will you help us?...Will he make it?".
Koaru gazed at the unconscious boy curiously. The handsome young man still held a few gashes, though nothing fatal.
“He'll survive if you take him to the village”, Koaru explained calmly before slowly standing up and dusting off his clothes.
"We were attacked...We were just passing through, and with no warning, the Sand ninja-", She faltered once more, her soft arms prickling with goosebumps as she shuddered at some inward thought.
Koaru felt sympathy for the girl and crouched down beside her as she pleaded with him for help.
The leaf ninja thought quietly about how to handle the situation and after a moment or two of simply consideration, his gentle fell to the wounded boy with concern.
He looked into the eyes of the girl pleasantly before offering up a proposal,”I can take you to a safe place, but if you're an enemy you'll regret coming with me”
Koaru's friendly expression didn't falter as he spoke but his tone ensured that he meant every word he had said.

After a moment or two, Koaru took the intuitive and moved towards the boy, scooping up the wounded victim into his arms securely as he turned back towards the girl, “It isn't safe here, we should go”, he murmured blissfully before silently leading her through the dark forest.
He had his senses on high alert for any signs of enemies, but was thankful when not so much as such sound came their way.
They pressed on through the woods for long time before finally coming towards the massive gates that stood before Konoha village.
With a familiar nod Koaru greeted the guards before casually making his way inside to the village.
The streets were dark and deserted still and it didn't take Koaru too long to navigate his way towards his home.
He had a house on the east end of Konoha village. It was a humble little building that had once functioned as a dojo, nothing fancy but it held an old appearance that was very appealing and almost cozy.
Politely he opened the front door with his free hand for the girl,”After you then”,he murmured cheerfully as he allowed her to step inside first before following.
Not too much was said as Koaru carefully deposited the sleeping boy onto a nearby couch.
He was concerned with getting the boy's wounds sorted out first and came back a moment later with a small medial kit.
“Both of you are quite lucky to have gotten away from the Sand's Anbu forces...what did you say your names were again?”, he asked with a friendly smile as he carefully treated and bandaged the boy's wounds, accidentally stirring the unconscious patient as he worked expertly.
Once he had finished his work on the boy he turned to the girl with a concerned gaze,“Your wounds look pretty painful too, May I?”, he asked curiously as he gestured towards a large cut that ran along her arm.

When they arrived in the village, Lizzie's feet were already hurting from all the walking, and she found herself glaring stonily at Tyson, jealous that he got to be carried and she didn't; not that he would have been too happy about it, had he been conscious. She rolled her eyes irritably, and folded her arms across her chest as she followed the Konoha shinobi back to her (or his - she wasn't too sure of the ninja's gender at this point) home on the outskirts of the village. Lizzie smiled politely when the stranger invited her in, and proceeded to walk into the cosy house and make herself at home on the couch.
The shinobi deposited Tyson gently on the couch beside her, then vanished to fetch some medical supplies, leaving Lizzie staring curiously around the room.
So this is what a Konoha Shinobi's home looks like...? I wonder if I'd be allowed back into the sand village if I found some valuable intel here... She smirked at the thought, but then quickly fixed on a shaken, distressed expression again when their host reappeared, and began tending to Tyson's wounds.
“Both of you are quite lucky to have gotten away from the Sand's Anbu forces... What did you say your names were again?” The young man (she had decided that he was a man now) offered a friendly smile, and Lizzie only hesitated a moment before answering, "I'm Elizabeth Retisant - Lizzie - and this is my brother, Tyson." She patted Ty's hand tenderly, and shot a fake, fond smile in her brother's direction.
The man finished bandaging Tyson's wounds, and when he turned his attention back to her and asked if he might do the same for hers, Lizzie replied with a grateful nod.
"Thanks..." She murmured, flashing a flirtatious smile, eyes shining attractively, "You've been awfully kind..."
She touched his arm, turning on full charm, and she might have tried to seduce him further, had she not been distracted at that point by Tyson rousing from his sleep.

He opened his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling in a confused daze, then slowly sat upright, and looked nervously around. He seemed tense and confused, but remained calm nevertheless as he quickly tried to figure out the situation; already alert and ready for action.
"Oh, nice of you to show." Lizzie teased, causing Ty's head to snap around in order to look at her. He blinked questioningly at her, then shot a suspicious glance at the beautiful young man beside her. What the hell is going on...? Where am I? Why am I here? Who is that?
"Relax, Ty." Lizze said encouragingly, smiling at him, "We're safe. This Konoha shinobi," She glanced at the man, and laughed awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I still don't know your name..." She turned back to Tyson, "Well, he saved you and brought us here."
Ty's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his jaw thoughtfully as he considered the situation. He did not seem pleased, but at last he looked directly at their host, and begrudgingly offered one quick nod of earnest gratitude.
With that, he looked away again, and took to staring unconcernedly into the distance, seeming oddly unaffected by the whole situation.
"Sorry about him..." Lizzie mumbled apologetically, rolling her eyes, "He is grateful," She shot her brother a sharp glare, adding pointedly "Even if he doesn't show it."
Tyson just ignored her completely. He had showed it. It didn't matter if others didn't see it; he didn't care what they thought, anyway.

With an attractive smile in place, the girl named Lizzie gave Koaru her thanks.
He gazed at her kindly as he felt the girl place her hand warmly on his arm, he took the gesture as nothing more than simple gratitude.
“Your Welcome”, he murmured calmly before suddenly turning his head in the direction of the stirring boy.
According to Lizzie the young man was her younger brother and went by the name Tyson Retisant.
“I'm glad to see that your awake”, Koaru murmured cheerfully as he greeted his new guest.
He wasn't open about any suspicions, but he eyed the boy curiously from beneath his pretty lashes as most well trained Ninja would. It was in his nature to be observant and alert, they were skills he had picked up through years of martial arts training.
With an openly friendly expression Koaru watched as Tyson silently shifted himself into sitting position. The boy's reddish eyes seemed narrowed with confusion as he tried to comprehend the situation.
At this point Lizzie intervened and slapped Tyson with a teasing remark, "Oh, nice of you to show.". Her voice had caught the boy's attention and for a fraction of a second Koaru seemed to lock eyes with the silent stranger as he met Tyson's confusion with a gentle sympathy .
"Relax, Ty", Lizzie reassured, “We're safe.This Konoha shinobi...”. Lizzie broke off for a moment as she glanced a little awkwardly at Koaru.
"I'm sorry, I still don't know your name.", Lizzie added with a small laugh.
Koaru beamed pleasantly before shyly apologizing , “Sorry, I swear that I'm usually a bit better with my introductions...My name's Koaru...Malakai Koaru”, he stated with humble pride.
The red-haired girl considered this for a moment before adding casually, "Well, he saved you and brought us here."
The boy she had been addressing held a thoughtful expression on his handsome face, but much to Koaru's surprise his thoughts remained unheard as his sealed lips remained closed. The only response he seemed to give at all to the entire situation was simple nod of gratitude aimed towards Koaru.
The Konoha Shinobi winked back in appreciation before allowing Lizzie to steal his attention as she mumbled a brief apology in Tyson's defence. "Sorry about him...He is grateful, even if he doesn't show it."
With a small delighted laugh Koaru watched Tyson openly ignore them both. He found the boy's aloof nature oddly amusing. “Well he certainly has character”, Koaru added observantly he beamed with a blissful expression upon his sharp lovely features. His deep grey eyes however were not as friendly looking as the rest of his expression and flickered towards Tyson with hidden concern.
There was something a little off about Tyson, And Koaru couldn’t help but feel slightly on edge as he took in the general lack of concern with which Tyson showed to everything around him.
Your Silence certainly makes you distant...Such a Pity really
Koaru blinked his eyes and turned back to Lizzie with a more thoughtful glance, “You both still look a little shaken, Shall I prepare some tea?”, he offered politely before standing up neatly and dusting off his clouthes as he disappearing into the Kitchen area of the house.
After a few minutes or so, Koaru returned to the young strangers with a tray in hand as he balanced a three set of china cups and a pot of steaming black tea.
With grace he placed the delicate tray upon a small coffee table before kneeling down neatly behind it as he began to poured the herbal scented drink into three small cups.
“Please help yourselves”, He added cheerfully as he took a small sip from his own cup, enjoying the sweet tangy taste of orange and lavender brew gently on his tongue.
A calm look of peace came over him, “Your not from the Fire country are you?”, He asked in such a way that didn't require an answer.
“With the war going on, it would not be a good idea to leave the village”, he added thoughtfully before pausing for a moment and smiling with a delicate finger on his lips. “I wonder what you will do?”

Koaru seemed to consider Tyson a moment, then turned to Lizzie with a laugh and said, “Well he certainly has character.”
"Really?" She asked, casting a disbelieving glance at Tyson, "I don't see it. Honestly, he's been pretty dull ever since he stopped talking." Tyson shot her an offended glance, opening his palms indignantly as though to say ' now what was that for?'. She glared at him, and he rolled his eyes and turned sulkily away again, obviously deciding that standing up for himself simply wasn't worth the effort. If he had no character, fine, then he would act exactly as Lizzie expected him to.
“You both still look a little shaken," Koaru mused, obviously picking up on the tension in the room, "Shall I prepare some tea?” He got up to leave, and Lizzie shot an appreciative glance after him. "Thanks Honey!" She called, twirling her fingers in a flirty little wave.
When she looked back at her brother, she found him staring at her with a knowing expression, one eyebrow delicately raised.
"What?" She snapped irritably, though she knew damn well what the answer was. Tyson just shrugged, smirking slightly to himself, and turned away, staring once again at a window on the opposite wall.
So this is Konoha...? Interesting place. If intruders appeared near the hidden sand, they would be under heavy interrogation right now... This certainly is a strange place.
He was still lost in thought when Koaru returned with the tea, but when he heard his sister thank their host, Tyson turned his attention to the tray, and considered the tea for a moment. Shrugging, he picked up a cup, but he did not drink right away. He was not quite as trusting as his foolhardy sister...
“You're not from the Fire country are you?” Koaru asked conversationally as the three sat down with their tea, and Lizzie took it upon herself to answer. "No," She replied, smiling, "We're just travelers passing through, but of course Ty here had to go and get us into trouble with the Hidden Sand..." She sighed heavily, shooting her brother a glare, which he ignored with absolute dignity, pretending to take a sip of his tea.
“With the war going on, it would not be a good idea to leave the village.” Koaru went on, smiling, “I wonder what you will do?”
Lizzie was about to answer, but before she could, Ty uttered a derisive snort, clearly amused by something.
There it is. Konoha is no different. An intruder is an intruder, after all... They're just smarter about it, and more subtle than we were. Smart Shinboi... He smirked to himself, shaking his head at a joke that apparently only he was in on.
"Oh, what?!" Lizzie snapped impatiently, glaring at him. Ty raised an eyebrow coolly, then shrugged and placed his cup of tea daintily on the table. Perfectly unconcerned by Lizzie's growing impatience, he took his time in producing a notebook and pen from his pocket, and quickly scrawled the words, 'We're prisoners'.
"Oh, nonsense!" Lizzie huffed, shoving the notebook away, "Put that away."
She finished her tea, then stood and turned to Koaru. "Thank you for your hospitality." She said, bowing politely, "We'd love to stay a while, if you wouldn't mind us intruding a little longer." She smiled brightly, ignoring how Ty slapped a palm to his forehead in the background.
"I'm going to see if I can't buy myself some decent clothes out in the town," She pulled a face, "These are all messy."
She offered a friendly wink, and with a tinkling laugh, she flounced off to the door, leaving Tyson alone with Koaru.
He avoided the other man's gaze, and made no attempt to be friendly, but after a while, his curiosity finally got the better of him.
Sighing as though it were a chore, Tyson took the notebook out of his pocket, and quickly scrawled in his elegant cursive writing, 'What will you do with us?'
He looked at Koaru, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Yes, I'm on to you, Konoha Shinobi... I know that I'm no guest here... But if you think that you can lock me up so easily, you've got another thing coming.
Not that he could be bothered trying to escape. There would be no point, anyway... As long as his and Lizzie's lives weren't in danger, then they were better off here for the time being. Guests or prisoners, at least they were safe from the Sand.

Lizzie gave a friendly wink towards the two boys as she walked over towards the front door with a spring in her step.
Once she had left only Koaru and Tyson remained sitting in the room.
An awkward length of hesitant silence passed between and it was made very clear by Tyson that he would not make conversation.
This didn't bother Koaru as much as it should have, rather his thoughts had jumped back to the words Tyson had written on his notepad previously.
We're prisoners...Such an interesting observation. It's rather nice to have intelligent company again, Koaru mulled simply as he met Tyson with an appreciative smile.
He was rewarded with a sigh from his quiet friend and watched with eagerness as Tyson finally shifted around to face him.
With a pen and notepad in place Tyson scrawled down a few words, showing to Koaru with a questioning expression.
'What will you do with us?'
Koaru took the question into consideration for moment before replying kindly, “You have lovely handwriting, it's been a while since I've seen characters drawn that elegantly”
Taking a small sip of tea Koaru blinked thoughtfully as he continued with a slightly more dignified pose, “...but I guess if I had to give you an answer to your original question, it would simply depend on this.”
Koaru tilted his head cheerfully as he politely began to pour a little more tea into Tyson's cup
“Are you a threat to the village... or are you not?”, He asked with lovely smile.
He could still sense a strange Chakra emanating from the mysterious boy before him and although it was not in his nature judge people at a first glance, he felt rather suspicious of Tyson.
For the village's sake Koaru could not afford to over-look a possible treat.

“You have lovely handwriting, it's been a while since I've seen characters drawn that elegantly.” Koaru complimented kindly, and Tyson just shrugged in response. Though he did appreciate the compliment, it did nothing to answer his question.
He watched expectantly while Koaru sipped his tea, and considered the other man suspiciously when he finally answered, “...But I guess if I had to give you an answer to your original question, it would simply depend on this: Are you a threat to the village... or are you not?”
Tyson watched absentmindedly as Koaru refilled his tea, though his mind was elsewhere, grappling with his captor's question. Was he a threat? If he were to offer a direct answer, then it would be no. He was not a threat, but he could by no means promise that his presence would not bring a threat to the village. The Sand, after all, were a tenacious crowd.
Still considering his answer, Tyson took a casual sip of tea, then straightened up and met Koaru's gaze directly. He shook his head in answer, then took another sip of tea, and scribbled casually on his notepad, 'Not yet, anyway.'
That's right, Koaru... Two of us can play the 'that depends' game...
He paused a moment, pen hovering over the paper, then added, 'If your village offers no threat to Lizzie or I, then we'll offer no threat to you. Call it fairness, if Konoha can respect such a thing.'
He dotted the end of his sentence firmly, then sat back, folding his arms and watching Koaru calmly, like a businessman declaring a proposition of sorts. He wondered how Koaru would respond; he for one was not the type to beat around the bush, but more often than not, his direct nature would win him enemies sooner than friends. Nevertheless, he spoke his mind. It was a simple matter of integrity; he would give whatever he received. Whether that was hostility or hospitality was entirely up to Koaru, and Konoha village as a whole.

Koaru took note of Tyson's sincerity as he met the boy's serious gaze with calm understanding.
Silently Tyson shook his head in answer and Koaru gazed at his notepad with interest as the words 'Not yet, anyway.'' lay scrawled neatly across the white page.
So he is a threat...but a pending treat? I wonder he intends to do, Koaru mulled inwardly as his deep grey eyes searched Tyson for an answer.
The boy's pen seemed to hover over the page indecisively for a moment before pressing down firmly to reveal a few more thoughts in writing.'If your village offers no threat to Lizzie or I, then we'll offer no threat to you. Call it fairness, if Konoha can respect such a thing.'
Tyson's message held finality to it as did his businessman-like attitude.
With a delicate sweep of his hand Koaru placed his replaced his empty tea cup onto the small tray, his own manner calm and refined.
“I see...”, He murmured thoughtfully before tracing a long pale finger across the edge of the now empty teapot. He met Tyson with a soft smile, “I'm am under no obligation to hold 'harmless' travellers captive...if you do not any pose threat to us then I have no bone to pick with you or your sister...it's not in my nature to provoke a caged tiger either.”
Koaru tilted his intelligently before carefully packing up the tea utensils and slowly getting to his feet. He seemed to hold a more relaxed expression beneath his usual smile, “Your welcome to stay here until your ready to leave. I'd enjoy the company actually”, Koaru added with rather lonely look before grinning in simple delight at Tyson.
He held no Intel, information or secrets connected to the village in his home and he had a feeling that Tyson would pick up on this thanks to the openness of his invitation.
Koaru couldn’t simply hold them prisoner but curiosity still had him on edge.Why are you here...the sand usually don't attack without being provoked, as least not the Anbu forces...you hold a secret that I desperately want to know

Tyson watched as Koaru began running his finger over the edge of the teapot, obviously taking a moment to consider his answer before formulating a response. Tyson wondered what he was thinking...
"I see..." Koaru murmured at last, looking up and smiling at Tyson, “I am under no obligation to hold 'harmless' travelers captive... If you do not any pose threat to us then I have no bone to pick with you or your sister... It's not in my nature to provoke a caged tiger either.”
Tyson searched Koaru's face with narrowed eyes for a hint of dishonesty, but when he found none, he offered a nod of begrudging respect.
So be it, then. For now, this will be an alliance.
He watched as Koaru began packing away the tea utensils, and when the other man smiled at him again, Tyson noted a sense of relaxation in his expression that was not there before. He had hid his tension well, but now that it was gone, Tyson saw the absence of it. Comforted by the obvious lack of hostility, Tyson allowed his own tension to fall away, causing his shoulders to drop an inch as he finally relaxed. For now, he saw safe. Koaru, at least, posed no threat.
“You're welcome to stay here until you're ready to leave." Koaru said, startling Tyson out of his thoughts, "I'd enjoy the company actually.”
He frowned up at the man's grinning face, then shrugged, and nodded in reply. Why not? After a moment's pause, he offered a restrained smile - his way of thanking their host - then he got up, and left to search for Lizzie.

It took a large chunk of the day to find her; Konoha village was large, and Tyson did not know his way around. He hid his Chakra, but even then he got some strange looks from the Jounin of the village. Luckily, he was adept at keeping out of the spotlight, and he managed to sneak around without generating too much attention. When he finally found Lizzie, she was in a tavern with a group of men, laughing raucously and sloshing sake all down her new clothes from the glass in her hand.
Tyson sighed wearily, slapped a palm to his forehead, and reluctantly entered the tavern to drag his sister out.
This is way more trouble than it's worth...
Lizzie put up such a fight and made such a fuss that eventually Tyson grew bored of dealing with her tantrums, and knocked her out with a sharp tap to the back of the neck. With the limp form of his sister slung over his shoulder, he carried her back to Koaru's house, and dropped her on a bed in the guest room to sleep it off.
It was late evening by the time Tyson finally sat back on the couch - famished, but too proud to ask for food - and took out his usual notepad. He flicked to the back, found a blank page, and began absentmindedly sketching something in pen. This was what he tended to do with his free time; since he was not one to socialize, he needed a hobby to occupy him so life did not become too tedious. Drawing seemed to have come to him naturally, and after so much practice, he had developed quite a skill for it.
He sat silently on the couch as his pen whizzed over the page, quickly forming a rough, dark sketch of what looked suspiciously like a tailed beast.

Koaru was pleased to gain an approving nod from Tyson and beamed warmly as the quiet boy offered up a hesitant smile in thanks.
When Tyson stood up to leave Koaru let him be and padded into the Kitchen to put the tray with all its tea cups into the washbasin.
He hadn't asked were Tyson had left off to, but he knew at least that they boy would be back later on.
With the tap on and the soap in the sink, Koaru quickly washed up a few dishes. While he wiped away the filth and grim on plates and pots he thought over an upcoming mission he had been commissioned to take part in.
According to his superiors it would be an A-Class mission into the Lightening Country. With the war going on at the borders Koaru could only imagine how much blood he'd have to take onto his hands all for the sake of delivering information.
With a small sigh he dried off the last off the dishes and packed them away neatly into the cupboard. With a final curious glance about the room Koaru made his way towards the front door, leaving the house unlocked for Tyson as he padded out into the street. As a Jounin he was still held to certain responsibilities and would be expected to report last night's incident to headquarters.

The rest of the day passed by rather quickly and the report at headquarters had gone down with much debate. Thankfully Tatsuya had backed Koaru's story up and somehow between the two of them they had managed to gain approval to in allowing Lizzie and Tyson to remain in the village without futher investigation.
By the time Koaru had gotten home it was already dark and Tyson had returned as well. They boy sat in a dignified fashion on the coach with his pen in hand.
“Hey there, enjoy your day so far?”, Koaru greeted in a friendly fashion as he walked around Tyson to gain a curious peek over the boy's shoulder at the drawing in his hands.
The image was rendered skilfully and with appreciative eyes Koaru commented, “You've really got talent, I don't think I've seen the Kyuubi that well drawn since the tapestries during the Sixth Hokage's reign”
Koaru winked before taking note of the empty feeling inside his own stomach, he hadn't eaten anything the entire day and he had a feeling that Tyson had done the same. With tilt of his lovely head he asked, “Are you hungry yet? I can prepare sushi if your up for it?”

Minutes later Koaru had made his way back into the Kitchen, he was well at work with rolling rice and slicing up fish, when suddenly an unfamiliar chakra filled his senses.
He paused for a moment in concentration before suddenly flicking up the knife in his hand and skilfully deflecting a flying Kunai that had been aimed towards him.
A second Kunai came instantly after the first, this time shattering the half opened Kitchen window and sending bits of glass flying everywhere.
Koaru dodged out of the way with a simple side step before shooting a reserved look towards a few shadows that lurked outside in the dark.
So the sand had come back...I'll have to have talk with Tyson about getting a new window, but for now let me take care this mess, Koaru mulled with interest before darting towards the smashed window and leaping gracefully outside.
The sand wasted no time at all the send out an attack and Koaru met them barehanded and quickly as he jabbed at various pressure points on his enemies, rendering some of them limp and others without chakra.
In the distance the musky scent of fire and the sound of screaming could be heard.
This isn't good I can hear them attacking the village as well, I need to get out there to stop them, Koaru thought calmly as he faced his enemies with a smile in place. “I thought that the sand would have more honer that this”, he commented factually before arming himself with a kunai and clashing blades with the enemy.

Tyson ignored Koaru's friendly greeting, because his focus was on the image forming between scratching lines of his pen. Only when he felt Koaru peer over his shoulder did he finally pay the man any mind. He scowled irritably at the opposite wall, placing down his pen as his focus left him. He was not used to strangers watching him draw, and it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable... He was about to close his notebook, but then Koaru uttered an approving murmur and said, “You've really got talent, I don't think I've seen the Kyuubi that well drawn since the tapestries during the Sixth Hokage's reign.”
This compliment caught Tyson somewhat off guard, and he felt his tense shoulders drop an inch as his defensive edge melted away. He glanced up in surprise, catching Koaru's friendly wink out of the corner of his eye, and blushed. His expression softened slightly, but he didn't quite smile.
“Are you hungry yet?" his host asked, saying perhaps the most wonderful words Tyson could possibly have heard at that moment, "I can prepare sushi if your up for it?”
This time, he smiled in earnest, and offered a grateful nod in response.
This guy's not so bad after all... I think I could learn to get along with him... Assuming he's not just showing me a facade. In any case, I'll reserve judgment.

He turned back to his drawing while Koaru left to prepare the food, but just a few minutes later, he was distracted all over again by the rapid approach of highly unwelcome Chakra. He was on his feet in a heartbeat, just as he heard a kunai crash through the kitchen window. In a heartbeat, he had vanished into the pandemonium outside.
He darted quickly up to the nearest rooftop, and surveyed the area from his vantage point, calmly analyzing the situation. The Sand were attacking, and Tyson had a sneaking suspicion that it was not for the sole purpose of weakening Konoha...
His jaw tightened.
They're here for me. I brought them here... Not that I care.
He watched the fight raging down below, torn between joining in the fight for the sense of integrity, or just staying out of it because he couldn't be bothered getting involved. It was not his problem, after all. He could only guess that the Sand shinobi were searching for him, and even then, it was not his responsibility to fend them off. He was about to decide to ignore the whole fight when suddenly, he spied an infamous Sand Jounin, Akira, begin sneaking up on Koaru from behind. While the Konoha shinobi was distracted by fending off Akira's team, the Sand Jounin whipped out a summoning scroll to launch his cowardly sneak attack.
Despicable!
With a snarl of disgust, Tyson leaped from his perch, and landed heavily behind Koaru just as a deadly array of weapons burst forth from Akira's scroll. With his back to Koaru's, Tyson's hands formed a seal so fast it evaded the eye, and a sudden burst of scalding flames engulfed the weapons, reducing them to a shining, smouldering liquid on the floor. Ty drew in a hiss of breath through his teeth when a drop of the boiled steel scalded his arm, but it was drowned out by the bloodcurdling scream of Akira as his body was engulfed in flames hot enough to put the sun to shame.
Ty bit down on his lip to keep from cursing as he quickly threw up his hands, lifting his flames away from their victim just a second too late.
The Sand Jounin lay in ashes on the ground.
Tyson swallowed the taste of bile in the back of his throat, and his lips pulled into a hateful snarl.
This attack is disgraceful!
He wheeled around, red eyes ablaze with the reflection of the fire, and sent a tongue of flame lashing threateningly at the remaining enemies. The heat was nearly unbearable, and Tyson could already feel sweat drenching his clothes, but his feint attack gave the desire effect, and the remaining sand Shinobi from Akira's team scattered in fear without their leader's guidance.
Ty dropped his hands back to his sides, and the flames vanished in an instant. He stood in silence, listening to the sound of screaming from the other end of the village, then shrugged and turned away. Konoha was not his responsibility. He owed nothing to the village - the one who had showed him kindness was the young man standing beside him, so he was the only one that Tyson would bother to protect.
For a moment he stood there, then a hiss broke from his lips as he suddenly dropped to his knees.
I forgot... My Chakra hasn't replenished yet... I shouldn't have used that jutsu...

As his attackers came at him, Koaru met with them with surprising strength and agility as he danced just out their of reach before lashing out with his kunai and drawing blood.
Killing wasn't his style, but that wouldn't stop him from lopping off somebody's arm if it they came too close.
Another blood-curdling scream echoed over the air and Koaru felt his calm exterior falter slightly as his attention jumped to the villagers. They were innocent and getting caught up in the battle.
With new determination Koaru pushed himself on as he sliced through his enemies, leaving them dead and injured on ground around him.
The sight of their pooling blood seemed to stir up something in Koaru and he hesitated for a moment to hold back his alter ego. It was keen to take action and he had to fight it back with great resistance.
Oh no you don't, you only mean harm, Koaru growled inwardly before turning back to the battle.
His hesitance had nearly cost him his life as the Sand Jounin, Akira had taken the opportunity to attack him from behind. It was at the last minute that Koaru caught sight of his enemy's attack and almost instinctively he tensed, waiting for the weapons to pierce his skin.
When no pain came Koaru blinked in comprehension as he took note of Tyson's form behind him.
The man had come out of thin air and appeared as quickly as lightning.
With bullet quick reflexes Tyson formed a few seals which Koaru could just barely see.
A blazing mass of intensely hot flames burst from Tyson's hands as he burned through the flying shards of metal as well as through the attacking Sand Jounin.

When Tyson finally halted the flames Koaru felt his stomach lurch as he caught sight of a charred bit of ash that had once been human.
Incredible, Fire Jutsu's have been known to melt metal, but never have I seen one quite like this...it's actually scares me, he thought quietly as Tyson stepped protectively in front of him to hit their remaining enemies with the same flames.
The Sand Ninja had seen what had happened to their leader and clearly weren’t' keen on meeting the same fate as they fell into disarray before fleeing the area.

With a grateful glance towards Tyson Koaru felt the need to thank his friend.
However just as he was about to do so Tyson uttered a hiss of pain before dropping down to his knees.
Instinctively Koaru dropped down beside him, holding the boy's shoulders firmly beneath pale hands as he steadied Tyson. “Tyson? Hey are you okay?”, He inquired with clear concern before slowly cupping a hand to the man's dark cheek.
His eyes searched Tyson's with what looked like mild panic.
“...You've used to much Chakra Haven't you?”, He added softly as he focused his senses on the faint wisp of energy that emanated from Tyson.
This wasn't a good situation to be in, especially when things were so completely out of control in the background.
Koaru managed to keep his calm as he tended to his friend. The burn wound on Tyson's arm seemed to catch his observant eyes and with worried look Koaru gently placed his fingers over the tender spot.
With a look of determination he focused on pouring some of his jutsu into the wound, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do any serious healing thanks to a lack of time, but at least he could take away some of the pain.
“I owe you one back there...thanks”, Koaru murmured thoughtfully as he finished up his work.
Another explosion in the distance forced Koaru to pull his gaze away from Tyson as his gray eyes reflected the fires that had erupted in the distance over the village. The sand Ninja had done a lot of damage.
With a final look towards Tyson, Koaru smiled briefly, “I must go, I'm needed...Are you okay to walk?”, he asked with concern tainting his lovely calm gaze.

“Tyson? Hey are you okay?” Koaru asked in concern, dropping down beside Tyson and taking a steadying grip on his shoulders. Tyson nodded, attempting to shrug off the man's grasp, but Koaru was having none of it. “...You've used too much Chakra Haven't you?” Koaru demanded, cupping Tyson's cheeks in his hands. He found himself forced to look into the man's eyes, and just grunted in annoyance, jerking his head away and brushing off Koaru's concern.
Don't fuss. I'm fine.
He was about to stand, but then he noticed Koaru tending to the burn on his arm, and he stilled automatically, watching curiously as the beautiful man performed some sort of quick healing jutsu. The pain soon left him, and he flexed his arm experimentally, obviously impressed with whatever jutsu this Konoha Shinobi had used on him.
He looked back to Koaru, and frowned as he saw the other man gazing concernedly into the distance. He looked worried, but when he turned back to Tyson, there was a smile on his face. Ty's frown deepened.
“I must go, I'm needed..." He muttered concernedly, "Are you okay to walk?”
With a derisive snort, Tyson rolled his eyes and stood up, brushing himself off in a dignified fashion. He squared his shoulders, proving that he was perfectly fine and ready to fight, and turned to Koaru. A subtle smile lifted his lips, and he gave his companion an encouraging slap on the shoulder, eyes flashing with confidence.
He nodded toward the plumes of smoke rising above the distant rooftops and pushed himself into a sprint, dashing alongside Koaru in the direction of the battle. He pulled a pair of kunai from his belt as he ran, readying himself to engage in hand-to-hand combat, and his eyes blazed as he grasped the weapons in clenched fists.
Koaru was a good man, and though Tyson was still not entirely sure if he could trust him, Koaru had done right by him enough times to win his loyalty; for this one battle, at the very least.
He would let no harm befall his companion - not this time.
As they reached the site of the battle, Ty caught Koaru's eye, and nodded solemnly to him.
I've got your back.
Then he readied his weapons, and took up his stance, quickly parrying the attacks that his opposition began to throw at him. With his Chakra as weak as it was, he was on the defensive, but his skills were still formidable, and he flicked away the attacks of the Sand Chuunin in a relaxed, unconcerned fashion.

Koaru hadn't expected Tyson to battle at his side, but felt a surge of gratitude flow towards the man.
When Tyson suddenly got to his feet Koaru felt the urge to help him, but resisted when he observed an unfamiliar expression upon his friend's features. Tyson's eyes seemed to flickered with determination and confidence, moulding his sharp tanned features attractively.
With a subtle smile and an encouraging pat on the back, Tyson gestured towards the plumes of smoke that drifted up from the burning houses in the distance.
A silent nod of understanding passed between the two men and wordlessly they broke into an agile sprint towards the ongoing battle.

When they finally reached the centre of the village, Koaru held a slightly strained expression of reserved feelings upon his lips. He took in the dangerous flames that lapped hungrily at the buildings with distaste.
“How unnecessary..”, he murmured with slight bitterness before focusing his attention on a small group of remaining Sand Ninja.
Their enemies that caught sight of Tyson and had begun to advance rapidly towards the duo.
At this point Koaru had had enough, his time was running short and if he didn't act quickly the fire would burn everything to the ground.
Tyson's solemn gaze seemed to catch his eye and Koaru smiled warmly as his new friend threw a nod of loyalty his way.
“Right Ty... lets move out”, he murmured calmly as his delicate fingers began to open up a stream of complex seals.
With a dangerous flicker in his soft grey eyes Koaru summoned his jutsu. With a quick sweep of his hand he drew out the liquid from any nearby plants, withering them before solidifying the water into a ribbon like katana.
With complete focus and control, the liquid bent to his will and with both agility and grace he slashed at his enemies like the true Samurai he secretly was.
The sharpened liquid cut through the enemy ninja like a hot knife through butter, spilling blood in droplets and spurts.
Between Tyson and himself they were an extremely formidable team, working like a well oil machine in perfect harmony as they parried attacks and cut down their foes.

The battle lasted for a good long while, until finally the last of the Sand ninja gave in and fled.
With a rather exhausted pant Koaru took a moment to catch his breath. His Jutsu always took quite a bit of chakra out of him, especially when it wasn't used correctly.
“That wasn't so bad...are you still holding up?”, he asked with tired smile as he straightened himself up, ready to face his next challenge.
The golden glimmer of flames reflected in Koaru's gaze as searched the slowly crumbling buildings with an intelligent and thoughtful expression.
I don't sense any people in there...no, wait there is something faint, something just barely alive, he mulled inwardly as he sharply turned his head towards a blazing building behind him.
“I think that there's somebody still in there...I'll be back”, he murmured quickly as he sprinted towards the fire. With powerful swing of his arm, he cut through the flames with his water-made sword, disappearing into the crumbling building through a cloud of steam.

“Right Ty... Lets move out.” Koaru murmured softly, and Tyson rolled his eyes in irritation at the diminutive use of his name. He hated being called Ty. Clenching his jaw, Ty dashed on after Koaru into battle, still on the defensive, and watching the man's jutsu out of the corner of his eye as he absentmindedly deflected attacks. He was impressed. Not only Koaru's jutsu, but also his use of sword fighting techniques was remarkable. Tyson had never seen anything quite like it. He found himself growing a whole new level of respect for the man, but rather than leaving him to fight alone, this only made Tyson want to protect him more than ever.
He stuck to Koaru like glue as they battled their way through the enemy ninjas. Given that his Chakra was still in a delicate state, he left the onslaught to his companion, but every time one of the Sand ninjas dared try lay a hand on Koaru, Tyson was there to cut them down.

Soon enough, the Sand recognized defeat, and those that were still alive turned to flee. Tyson showed no interest in following them. Instead, he turned to Koaru, and frowned concernedly at the tired Shinobi as he said, “That wasn't so bad... Are you still holding up?” Tyson gave a brief nod, shrugging off the question. It was a ridiculous thing to ask, after all. Of course he was holding up - even without his chakra, the battle had hardly been a challenge, after all... The Sand had attacked with quantity more than quality, and the low-level shinobi fell easily.
When Koaru looked toward a nearby building, gilded with flames, Tyson followed his gaze. As he stared into the lashing tongues of fire, he felt a spark of life from within, and when Koaru turned back to him, Ty knew that he had felt it too.
“I think that there's somebody still in there..." He murmured, "I'll be back.”
Tyson made a grab for Koaru's arm as he darted away, but Koaru was already racing into the flames. Growling in frustration under his breath, he took off after his companion, resigned to taking what he saw as a completely unnecessary risk. He would protect Koaru, regardless of what harebrained scheme his annoyingly selfless attitude had concocted in his mind.

He burst into the building just after Koaru, and for a moment Tyson could barely see him in the smoke. Then there came the sound of creaking wood, and Tyson's head jerked up just in time to see a section of ceiling falling down.
With a grunt of alarm, he dived at Koaru, tackling him out of the way in the nick of time, just as a large chunk of flaming wood fell to the ground with a spray of sparks.
Ty remained hunched over Koaru until the sparks had settled, shielding the man from burns, then he quickly disentangled himself from his companion and stood up, pulling Koaru to his feet.
He scowled at him, and gave him a sharp prod in the chest, scolding him for racing on ahead.
With an annoyed sigh, Tyson turned away, then pointed toward a door upstairs where the faint hint of chakra seemed to be seeping from. He turned back to Koaru, and with a brief nod, the pair began proceeding toward the upstairs room.
Be careful this time, for goodness sake...

Smoke hung thickly in the air, stinging Koaru's eyes and making him cough heavily as he made his way through the blazing labyrinth of the building.
His only sense of direction through the black smoke was to followed the faint chakra that lingered overhead.
He stepped quickly and cautiously over burning furniture and through half fallen and singed paper walls.
His jutsu had evaporated at this point thanks to a lack of chakra, but he didn't let that stop him as he neared an blackened wooden staircase.
The flames had eaten away at it, but Koaru had a feeling that it would be strong enough to hold him at least until he had reach the upper part of the house.
He took his chance and bolted lightly up into the top story of the house.
Your up here aren't you?...Don't fear I'm coming, he thought inwardly as he pressed on determined to reach the victim.
A loud cracking sound suddenly filled the air overhead causing Koaru look upwards as a rain of burning wood came crashing down through the ceiling. Under normal circumstances he would have dodged out of the way with ease, however at that moment his attention had been on focused finding the victim and not on his surroundings.
With widened eyes the young Ninja suddenly realized his predicament as the burning debris came crashing over him.
He would have been buried beneath the burning mess of wood if it hadn't been for Tyson, who had at that very moment appeared out the dark and tackled Koaru out of harm's way and to the floor.
Slightly winded Koaru looked up to met Tyson's protective expression with a clearly startled look as they lay tangled over each other on the sooty wooden floor.
Koaru felt relief wash over him at Tyson's presence, “T-Thank you”, he stammered slightly breathless as another wave of sparks danced around wildly behind them.
Tyson's eyes shone red as the orange light of fire reflected off them and Koaru couldn’t help but blush awkwardly as the other boy lay over him.
With sharp scowl from Tyson, the silent boy got to his feet, helping Koaru up with surprising strength soon afterwards.
Koaru smiled weakly as Tyson mutely scolded him with a sharp poke in the chest for racing on through the fire.”Yeah, I know”, Koaru replied slightly more cheerfully and secretly a little pleased to have his new friend fuss over him.
With a nod of brief understanding the two Ninja proceeded towards the burning room of the victim.
The doorway of the room lay block, but thanks to a bit team work the pair had managed to break their way into the room.
“Hello?!..Where are you kid?!”, Koaru called in a slightly horse voice. He had breathed far too much smoke as it hurt to him to speak.
Thankfully his calls were answered as painful whimpering caught his attention. His protective instincts suddenly made him strong once again and with nod of his head, he and Tyson made their way towards a small crying girl that sat helplessly trapped beneath a burning piece of fallen beam.
“Karin?...It's okay your safe now”, Koaru added softly as he approached the small genin trapped genin.
Very calmly he examined the situation intelligently before choosing a spot on the burning beam and striking it with a hard open handed blow.
The wood snapped loose from it's place with a sharp crunch and Koaru began to fiddle with beam.
“Tyson do you think you can help me lift this?...It's loose enough, but I just don't have the strength”, he admitted guilty as stress entered his tone.
Between the two ninja, they eventually managed to free the small child, giving her enough space to crawl through a small gap beneath the wood.
Koaru crouched down quickly to scoop her up into his arms,”Shhh, you don't need to cry any more”, he cooed with reassurance as he held her close before winking gratefully at Tyson and allowing a subtle smile to play upon his lovely lips. “I really owe you, thank you so much”
Another part of the ceiling gave in near them and with a slightly more serious expression Koaru looked about the room before added calmly, “Lets get out of here before the whole place caves in”

Tyson and Koaru battled their way through the burning house together, and with solid teamwork, the pair managed to save the terrified genin trapped within. Koaru picked up the child - which was good, because Tyson wanted no part of it - and they quickly turned to hurry back to the exit. Tyson stepped lightly beside Koaru, ready to deflect any falling debris while the man's hands were occupied with carrying the genin.
Through a haze of smoke and flames, the trio finally burst out into daylight; dirty, exhausted and with burning throats, but otherwise unharmed.

Once he had assessed that the coast was clear and that Koaru was safe, Tyson lost interest and departed the scene. He didn't care about the matters of Konoha, nor did he care about the bawling genin in Koaru's arms. It was none of his concern, and he didn't see why he ought to hang around.
Without so much as a farewell, he simply walked away, hands shoved casually into his pockets. As he walked away, he caught sight of a black-haired man glaring suspiciously at him, but before the stranger could approach, Tyson had slipped away into the pandemonium of the fearful crowd.
He headed back to Koaru's house, and after checking on Lizzie - who had slept through the whole ordeal - he headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
By the time Koaru finally arrived home, Tyson was sitting on the couch, drying his loose hair with a towel. It framed his face elegantly, hanging there in damp, layered strands. He didn't bother looking up when Koaru entered, but he did finish drying off his hair, then replaced the towel in the bathroom.

Picking up his notepad and pen, Ty shoved them into his pocket, then stalked back into the living room, sat down on the couch, and continued his sketching from earlier as though nothing had happened in between. He was still hungry, and frankly he wondered what had become of the sushi Koaru had been preparing, but of course he was too proud to ask. He sighed quietly to himself as his pen danced over the page, the dark ink filling the rendition of the Kyuubi's eyes with fire.
He thought of the Shinobi who had tried to follow him back from the scene of the battle, and frowned to himself. He had a feeling that he would not be so welcome here for long. After all, the Sand were on his tail... Casting a thoughtful glance up the stairs to where Lizzie slept, Ty frowned thoughtfully. Perhaps he ought to take her and leave before she regained consciousness and started taking control again... Then again, his Chakra still had not returned, and leaving the village would be dangerous. Staying would be too, but at least he had one respected Konoha Shinobi as his ally...
Something told him that Koaru would not be one to betray him. He had already won Tyson's respect... And now, perhaps, his trust.

When they finally evacuated the collapsing building, Koaru still had the young genin safely tucked in his arms as they tasted fresh air.
A group of Konoha ninja had already set up work on extigishing the remaining fires and throughout all the chaos Koaru seemed to loose track of his companion, Tyson.
For a moment fear trickled down his spine as his thoughts flashed back to the building. However he soon relaxed as he scanned the fire only to find no trace of chakra in it.
He must have left early...a wise choice for the time being. It's probably not a good idea to become too noticed among the other ninja, he thought inwardly as he gently wiped a black smudge of dirt away from the small genin's face.
“Are you alright?”, He asked curiously with a warm tone as he set Karin down onto her feet.
The small girl nodded appreciatively before murmuring her thanks and bolting towards her fretting parents.
Koaru watched the scene with a brief look of satisfaction, before focusing his efforts on assisting the other Ninja with putting out the fires.
Tatusya had been supervising the situation from a distance. Dishing out iron claw commands and orders. When he caught sight of Koaru he comprehended the man's filthy state for a moment before frowning in deep concern and padding quickly to his friend side.
“Koaru? You look hurt, what happened?...I don't want you pushing yourself if you can't take it”, He added firmly.
A small appreciative laugh escaped Koaru's lips at Tatsuya's worry and he replied with a friendly wink, “It's just a bit of dirt, nothing to worry about. You know I can handle myself Tatsu-Chan”
Koaru had to admit that he was in a sorry looking state hygiene wise, but physically he was fine and uninjured.
Tatsuya seemed to want to say more, but Koaru cut him off with a soft, but serious voice, “Lets focus on taking care of the fires for now, everything else can wait” he finished with a cheerful smile.

Koaru arrived home a few hours later. He wore a mess of black soot markings upon his face and long purple strands of hair lay in tangles as they came loose from his usually neatly ponytail.
When he entered through the lounge area was grateful to find Tyson sitting neatly in his usual spot on the couch. His notepad and pen working diligently at a drawing.
“I'm glad to see that your still here”, Koaru added warmly as he took in the seer beauty of his damp haired friend.
Tyson certainly looked different with his hair loose, he held a mature elegance about him that Koaru hadn't seen in any other person before.
Without another word Koaru turned on his heel, suddenly shy of his own dirty appearance and tore himself away from the room to vacate into the bathroom for a much needed Shower.
With the warm water running Koaru washed away the filth of battle from his translucent pale skin.
Blood and soot...such a horrid stench and yet oddly familair

An hour later the young man made his way back to his new friend. He entered the lounge area once again, this time clean and elegantly dressed in a plain grey kimono with white embroidered doves that lay along the long sleeves.
With a silent stride he politely placed a neatly prepared dish of assorted sushi rolls, chopsticks, wasabi and soya source upon the coffee table before Tyson.
“I hope your still hungry”, He added with a thoughtful smile as he knelt down gracefully on his knees before the table.
Koaru's long eyelashes and loose ankle-length hair enhanced his soft nature and female qualities greatly. To any other person the situation would look much one in which a humble Japanese wife is serving her husband after a long day's work.
The two seemed to eat in companionable silence for a few moments and after both had finished up their meals a curious question seemed to linger upon Koaru's tongue.
He considered the question for a moment longer before finally deciding to ask, “Tyson?...You don't speak very much do you?”
The young shinobi's calm smile seemed to be in place as he spoke, “Why is that so?”
Koaru blinked with simple intrest as he waited for Tyson the answer.
“The village will take you into questioning if we're not careful...we better lay low for the next few days, it's would a pity if you had to leave so soon”, Koaru added as a side note.
The last few words of his sentence were honest to his feelings. He hated being alone and despite being a friend and ally to most of the villagers, he was in fact more alone than what he'd like to admit.
With a peaceful expression upon his lips, he ran a toothed comb through his glossy purple hair, detangling it from any knots and smiling secretly to himself as he thought.
Tyson's very intriguing, He may turn out to be a village enemy yet, but I still feel very drawn to him...I wonder why that is? Is it because he saved my life?

((Koaru likes how mysterious his little Tyson is ^^))

((Oi! Don't go rubbing in the 'little' thing. Tyson will be mad. ))

Tyson had finished his drawing and put away hit notepad, and he looked up attentively when Koaru entered, not quite managing to hide the longing from his expression when he saw the tray of food in the man's hands. It had been too long since he had eaten, and his stomach grumbled at the tantalizing scents wafting from the plate.
When Koaru presented the sushi to him, Tyson offered a grateful smile in response, and did his best to preserve his dignity; carefully picking up his chopsticks, even though he would have liked nothing more than to shovel handfuls of the sushi into his mouth. He grasped a piece elegantly in his chopsticks, dipped it in the soya sauce, and popped it into his mouth, relief coursing through him as he delighted in the much-needed taste of food.
Once he had swallowed, he uttered a sigh of contentment, and instantly started on the next piece. He was glad Lizzie was still unconscious; she would have hogged all of it, otherwise.

After the two had been eating for a while, Koaru turned to him, and asked, “Tyson?...You don't speak very much do you? Why is that so?” Tyson looked up at him, considering him cautiously, then swallowed and wiped his mouth in a dignified fashion. Before he could answer, Koaru added, “The village will take you into questioning if we're not careful... We better lay low for the next few days, it would a pity if you had to leave so soon.” He blinked at Koaru in faint surprise, and after a moment's consideration, he nodded hesitantly.
He reached into his pocket for his pen and notepad, then began scrawling a response to Koaru's words in his tidy hand.
They can question me. I'm no threat.
He paused a moment, frowning thoughtfully, then added an answer to Koaru's original question.
The reason I don't speak... He hesitated, gnawing on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated what version of the story to give. Eventually, he decided on the short one.
I took a pact of silence. It may seem inconvenient, but I find that when one chooses to lose something, then what stands to be gained becomes clearer. It is to keep me from straying from my path, so I accomplish my goal.
His pen dotted the end of the sentence, then hovered for a moment before he replaced it on the table, turning back to the plate of sushi and helping himself to another piece.
He considered Koaru out of the corner of his eye, frowning slightly. It was a strange thought to him, but the man looked good in a kimono. His hair was longer than Tyson had expected, too... He looked almost like a woman, and Tyson could not say that the look did not suit him. He was a beautiful sight. Strange, but... Beautiful. Ty could appreciate that.

I took a pact of silence. It may seem inconvenient, but I find that when one chooses to lose something, then what stands to be gained becomes clearer. It is to keep me from straying from my path, so I accomplish my goal.
Koaru gazed thoughtfully at the little rose engrave comb in his hands as he mulled over Tyson's words and his logical yet strange reasoning.
I find that when one chooses to lose something, then what stands to be gained becomes clearer...Perhaps I too can understand that, he thought quietly before allowing an almost sad expression taint his ever smiling lips as distant memories plagued him.
Tyson had a goal to accomplish, his silence was a simple tool to drive him forward towards his destination. If he didn't accomplish what he had set out to do there was much to loose... and yet for such a pricey sacrifice, surely there was some prize in the end worth so much more?

“I see”, Koaru added gently as he looked up into his friend's deep brown eyes, “Your devoted to your cause...so much so that's admirable and I respect that”
Koaru stood up with some grace, replacing the comb on the table. His attention had jumped from Tyson to the birds that chirped and playfully fed on seeds outside. He watched them with a longing gaze from behind the glass sliding door, his long hair reach down to his ankles and tickling his feet.
“This probably sounds strange but...it must be kinda nice to have a goal”, Koaru murmured almost hesitantly, as though guilty to even have such thoughts.

Absentmindedly he gently slid open the door for both fresh air and a chance to toss some more seed out for the birds.
He took a handful of seed from a bag beside the door and with an elegant swipe of his hand, he tossed a meal to his greedy feathered friends.
Koaru seemed to take some satisfaction in watching the birds and he crouched down to get a better look at them as they tamely hopped over closer.
“People should have purpose...if we don't have a set aim, then we'll just waste away”, he added thoughtfully over his shoulder before turning to gaze at Tyson with concern, “I hope that whatever your goal may be... Well I hope that is worth the heavy price your paying”

Tyson watched Koaru as he walked over to feed the birds, mulling over what he had said.
“You're devoted to your cause... So much so that's admirable and I respect that.”
Koaru was the first person to say that to him. Usually, they just didn't understand. When he explained his pact, most people - even Lizzie - would just say that it was stupid and call him a fool. At times, he had almost begun to believe it... That was why it was so refreshing to have found somebody who understood, at long, long last.
He watched Koaru feeding the birds outside, and a rare, fond smile formed on his lips. This man would be a friend to him - there was no longer any doubt in his mind. How long had it been since he had had a friend...? He couldn't even remember.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Koaru turned back to him and said, “People should have purpose... If we don't have a set aim, then we'll just waste away. I hope that whatever your goal may be... Well I hope that is worth the heavy price you're paying.” At this, Tyson just offered a confident nod. If his goal was to save his father's life, then it was worth the price, no matter what that price may be.
He thought about this for a moment, then glanced back at Koaru, considering him in a contemplative fashion. The way he spoke of goals and purpose... It was as though he had none. Tyson could sense discontent in his friend's mild expression, and for the first time in a long time, he actually cared a little.
With a determined expression, he bent over his notepad and scrawled a quick note. Then, raising his chin, he stood and walked over to Koaru in a dignified fashion.
He laid a hand on his shoulder, handing his friend the worded page to speak for him.

'Everybody has a goal. Sometimes we're just too close to see it right away.
Today you saved that Genin's life - yesterday you saved mine. Even if it was not long intended, those are goals accomplished. Maybe you're just searching too hard for something you've already found.'

He left the page in Koaru's hand and turned away, somewhat embarrassed by his rare attempt at 'comforting'. In glancing uncomfortably around, he noticed a chess board resting on a shelf on the wall, and he glanced at Koaru, gesturing to it and raising an eyebrow questioningly.
Do you play?