#v; what is a 'ninja way'? ( matsuko ; main verse )

[musaics]

         “There is a legend about a far off land with a magical sword stuck in a stone. Only one that is worthy of wielding its great power can remove it from the stone.  Do you think it is true?” She wants that sword.

[musaics]

“ before you reprimand me , take a moment to consider your own failings ” says @peepingtoad​‘s Jiraiya to Matsuko, prompted by fe3h starters.

        As she calmly points the edge of her blade towards her neck, Su takes in his words.  Failings? What failings?

        He was attempting to court a woman whom was obviously disinterested; Her body was turned away from his, her smile forced, her eyes glued on some other man across the room. Su had to step in and save this poor woman from such an obnoxious man.  What an idiot, Su thought as she brought her blade to just brush against his neck.  He tries though she does not express interest.  Had he suffered from a brain injury that made it so he could not read body language?  Or was he just dumb?

        But a shriek pulls the Samurai from her thoughts.  The small establishment’s staff had re-entered the room and saw Su’s little display and was clearly startled/horrified.  The hostess backed out of the room— Probably going to call authorities. And those around them? They were dead silent and staring at Su as if she were crazy.  

        Oh.  Oh.  

                “I see.” Matsuko finally answers flatly.  Though her expression remains blank, her cheeks turn red with embarrassment.  “This is not how this land deals with men behaving shamefully.” She should probably lower her sword, but her arm is. . Stuck? Maybe out of embarrassment?

[musaics]

“Herrraaaaah!” A mighty roar escapes the samurai’s lips as she brings her sharp blade down onto the tiny shelled walnut on the treestump before her. Yes, slamming your sword was the perfect way to crack open a walnut.

Only it wasn’t.  Instead of cracking open, the tiny nut is shot forward at a high speed and slams painfully (probably) into the side of poor Yamato’s head. Whoops. It thumped lightly onto the grown, still un-cracked.  But was Yamato’s skull cracked now?  The samurai runs towards him, katana still unsheathed, waving her hands in a panicked motion.

“That was unintentional!” Matsuko says, voice in a higher pitch than normal.  “Please, you must pelt me back, Yamato-san!”

@kxmorebi​

[musaics]

“ I don’t remember asking your opinion. ” says @siixpaths​  Pein/Nagato to Matsuko, prompted by fe3h starters.

              “That is because you did not ask for it.”  Was that sarcasm he threw at her? Su totally missed it.

      Perhaps it was a little harsh to say, ‘The shinobi world has no place for you anymore.’ But what else was there to say to a man whom had caused many atrocities in his lifetime to his shinobi brethren, and whom was resurrected without apparent reason? While she knew little of Pein and his abilities, she knew that he was supposed to be long dead. Yet here he was, alive and well— And troubled.

      And she wasn’t helping, clearly.  

             She’ll continue on anyway, as if her opinion is still wanted.  “But Shinobi do not have their hands in every cookie jar, ne?” That’s a weird analogy, but okay.  “There are lands with no affiliation to any shinobi nation.  So abandon that lifestyle and start anew. elsewhere.”  Perhaps her next question was a naive one:  

            “What is so special about the shinobi lifestyle, anyway? I have a hard time understanding.”

[musaics]

“So you consider me to be an evil male? Please explain how I’m personally to be considered evil.” The red head asks calmly. @siixpaths

Evil? She had never outright thought anyone was evil. There was good and bad in all— Though the bad often outshined the good in most, Matsuko believed. The young Samurai tilts her head to the side, brown eyes examining the man before her.  Red hair, green eyes. . A bit of a thin build.  Not that she could say much, as she, too, was quite thin.  But this one looked malnourished.  

Evil? Perhaps, if he told her more about him.  If she learned more about what he’d done in his past.  But in poor condition? Certainly.

“You need to eat more.”  She states flatly, as if it were something that could easily be solved.

[musaics]

starter for itachi @yuruse​ from Matsuko!

“It is only temporary.” Matsuko reminds him as she stacks another block of ice on the dome-shaped structure she was forming- An igloo to shelter them from the oncoming subzero-temperature night.  “Tomorrow should be warmer and easier for travel, Itachi from Far Away.”  

That was the only information he’d really given her; His name was Itachi and he was from somewhere far away and he was searching for information.  That much was apparent, as he did not seem to know his way around the Land of Iron when she’d found him trying to navigate a wooded area and head towards those three massive wolf-like mountain peaks that were nestled in the middle of Iron country.  But as a Samurai, it was her duty to see the weary traveler to his destination.  

But it’d be a long night. . Perhaps she could get more information out of him.  But for now, make him comfortable.  “Igloos are more comfortable than you’d think.  Still cold, but you will not freeze.  Do you fair well in the cold, Itachi from Far Away?”

[musaics]

“ i can’t believe you put yourself at risk for my benefit ” says @mccnliight​‘s Hinata to Matsuko, prompted by fe3h starters.

              “We are allies now, yes?” Matsuko asks with a raised brow. “Allies help one another.  And is the Samurai Way to do what is right.”

          Su had stepped into assist the Konoha shinobi in a fight (one that the Shinobi was outnumbered in).  While she did not know the reason behind such a fight (had the Konoha shinobi caused it?), she knew being outnumbered was not fair, and chose to aid the young woman.  Hopefully this would not cause future problems between her land and other shinobi nations, as she had no idea the affiliation of the men she fought alongside this woman.

         Su chooses to push that thought aside for now, instead focusing on cleaning the wound the light-eyed young woman sustained on her forearm from the battle.  As a Samurai, Su had no knowledge of medical ninjutsu, but knew her way around medicinal herbs and the like.

              “I admire you.”  Su continues nonchalantly, carefully wrapping a bandage over the woman’s wound.  Briefly, their eyes meet. “You chose to fight even though you were outnumbered.  That takes great courage.”

[musaics]

“ oh yes , the past can hurt. but the way i see it , you can either run from it , or … learn from it. ” Says @suck-my-tomato​‘s Sasuke to Matsuko, selected from LION KING STARTERS.

“And you will choose to learn from it?”  Matsuko asks the Uchiha with a single raised brow.

So: This was the infamous Sasuke Uchiha.  The young man whom had crashed the Kage Summit and had been causing a ruckus for the Shinobi world for. . She wasn’t sure how long. The monster, the villain, the evil one.  Yes, before her she saw a man that had made many mistakes and behaved in ways that were dishonorable.  But a monster? A villain? An evil one? How could such things be said about someone trying to correct their wrong-doings? That was not the behavior of someone that was evil.  

To learn from mistakes, to be courageous enough to do so rather than to run— That was honorable.   That was Samurai.

A hum of amusement sounds in Matsuko’s throat as the faintest of grins crosses her lips.  “Ne, Uchiha-san. . “ She begins, warm eyes locking onto his.  “Just then, you sounded Samurai and not Shinobi.”

[musaics]

Matsuko Shirogane tag dump #1

[musaics]

Otogakure: The newly re-founded shinobi nation that every other shinobi nation was wary of.  As Su the outskirts of the village, she wonders if the other nations found the people of Iron to be naive for desiring to establish trade and exchange technology with such a place.  Su, however, thought it was not naive but smart: Why not establish connections with a nation lead by a person who was known for their intelligence and technological advancements? Sure, Orochimaru had caused trouble for others in the past, but never to the Samurai.

To the Samurai, Orochimaru and Otogakure were simply..  chaotic neighbors that they had never gotten to know.

So when her escort— A very pale man— Approaches her, Su keeps this in mind: Otogakure had a past (with others), but they should not be judged for it. It is not our business to.  She raises a single hand in greeting, though her face remains blank.  She is sure to let him know her thoughts, though.  That’s how you gained the favor of others, right? By being honest?

“Greetings. I will not judge you for your past.” 

@jinzoutsuki​ for log from matsuko :)