The Twins Find Jashin[Shimiko/Flashback thread]

Yui and Yua were merged together their bodies combined as one as the pair would walk through open fields, they were seeking one thing something to kill. They knew killing civilians would cause them issues until they could get stronger and cover up their actions. As they stepped into the fields they could see a pig off at a distance with the two smiling and move closer, they would walk up to the pig and pet it gaining the creature's trust before they would begin to lure it behind some trees.

As they would continue to pet the pig suddenly they would rip into the pig with their bare hands tearing and shredding the pig and ripping out its entrails. As they continued to rip and tear into it the pair would separate and continue the attack on the now dead pig, with them both taking pieces of the pig and eating it as well as cupping handfuls of blood and drinking it as they began to become crimson in color from the blood that now covered the pair's body.

"Ah that felt so good we finally got to kill, the blood spilling onto the ground below, we gain strength at the pigs death. We should move on before the farmers find the pig, yes we should we should merge again."

The pair would suddenly merge back into one body as they began to walk away from the pig still covered in blood with a happy smile on their face. Someday people would die to the pair and they would bathe in their blood, yes they would make the shinobi world know of them someday.

Shimiko was walked through the field with the same upbeat sense of positivity and friendliness that she was known for. She was thinking of all the ways she could equip her teammates when she heard a familiar sound. The squealing of a pig being slaughtered. Shimiko had butchered a live pig in preparation for a Chinoike family event. Pigs slaughter was always a messy affair. The creatures squirmed which caused blood to get everywhere even when you were holding them down. They also made quite the high pitched noise. Shimiko took off to investigate curious as to who could be butchering a pig in the middle of a field. Shimiko would head into the small wooded area in the recreational field and chance upon an alarming sight. A pair of twins, merging and covered with blood. Shimiko drew her kunai and waited for them to turn and see her. The genin's green eyes focused on the strange twins who were now one person. Whoever and whatever this thing was lurking in her village, it was clearly obsessed with murder. Shimiko had no grounds to arrest them as they had only killed a pig albeit a pig that didn't belong to them. They were covered in blood and it appeared as though they had been eating the flesh of the deceased swine. She cocked her head in concern when she noticed they the look of bloodlust in their eyes.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" she said in a calm but accusatory tone.

Yui and Yua suddenly had come face to face with another person, maybe this was a person that lived in the farm. They would smile as she clearly stared at them and saw the blood the pair would lightly bow their heads to her before raising them and suddenly unmerging with each other as Yua and Yui now stood next to each other separate.

Yui would speak up for the pair as she would point toward Yua and begin to speak. "This is Yua she is my twin sister and my name is Yui you could say we are unique as without me my twin would have died long ago. I do not know why but we can merge our blood and bodies allowing her to fully support her and make her body not die, if this was your pig I promise it died for a good cause. We simply chose to kill the pig to avoid having to take a life of a human, we have an unquenchable thirst to kill and slaughter and animals at least are better than humans in Kumo's eyes."

The pair would suddenly merge back together now one being again, she wondered if the girl would understand or be sickened but every word she spoke was the truth, being covered in blood plus the evidence was right there no point in lying. If this girl did own the pig she may demand Ryo which the pair hoped would not happen, they hardly had money after all. The clothing plus the dirt on their skin showed they were not well taken care of, despite being adopted the man gave them nothing, not even food, he was only interested in their powers they had displayed. One the girl's arms, however, appeared to be a Kumo headband so it was clear they were Kumo genin and not from another nation.

Shimiko watched as the person split into two and then one of the twins began to speak up to introduce themselves. Yui explained what they were doing and why with disturbing candor. Shimiko studied them and realized she had seen the same look before. It was the look of someone who enjoyed killing and wanted to do it often. Many of her brothers and sisters in faith had looked the same shortly after his sacrifice. She had seen the same expression on her own face in a mirror after a sacrifice. Apparently they had some bizarre kekkei genkai or ability that allowed them to merge and split bodies which probably meant they were shinobi. They merged back into two people and retrieved a Kumogakure village headband to prove their allegiance to the village. Shimiko was unsure of their intentions. She had never met a pair of serial killers that weren't a part of her Janshin sect. She had long confirmed that her group was responsible for the vast majority of civilian murderers in and around the Cloud village. What was she to do with this lone copycat killer that was so unhinged as to speak about death so casually to a stranger.

Shimiko walked towards the now singular individual. She put away her kunai and offered some advice. Her demeanor was calm, considerate, and the look in her eyes genuine.

"You did a good thing in targeting this pig rather than a human...but in the future be more careful about who you choose to reveal your amusements to" she said with a smile. Shimiko saw potential in these twins and she was always on the look out for converts. However given the inherent danger that came with being a member of the religion she had to hand the situation gingerly. "Its perfectly normal to want to kill other people" she said politely and quietly. "If it weren't humans wouldn't have been doing it for centuries. Some kill to protect, some kill for greed or hate, and others kill because they like it. The how and who isn't as important as the why. But there is one reason above all others, one reason and one reason only that matters" she said with a hushed whisper. Shimiko turned and gave the kunai to the twins. "You'll never be as good at murder as you want to be until you understand that ultimate reason. Would you like to know what it is?" she said pulling on that innate curiosity that all pathological murderers had.

She listened to the girl's words mentioning being careful about her words, they simply felt there was zero reason to lie; being they were caught in the act of what they had done. She did say she was glad they targetted animals instead of humans, though the pair really did want to kill people badly, the thought of another taking its final breath at their hands and them pulling out the organs to consume them sounded delicious and wonderful.

The pair heard her words saying it was natural to want to kill others humanity had done it for eons and the thrill of killing was very addictive. They could understand this fact for sure, she also mentioned people do it for different reasons but it was still murder the pair did it for the pleasure of murder. They enjoyed the feeling of killing the blood that spilled the smell in the air of the innards as they ripped them from someone's body and the taste of the flesh yes they very much enjoyed killing.

She asked a strange question as she asked if they knew what the reason was they would never be a good murderer, they were quite good at it actually so they certainly felt intrigued.

"We must know what is the reason you speak of, we love to kill and we love the taste of the innards of things we kill, what could make us the best murderers."

They waited patiently to hear the girls words, maybe they had forgotten something that made murder even better, maybe they were missing a technique, either way, they were excited to hear what she had to say their eyes staring into the girls with the blood still slowly falling down their bodies and onto the ground.

Oh a cannibal? You don't see that everyday Shimiko thought with a touch of amusement and disgust. She didn't particularly *like* cannibalism because of the racist and bigoted assumptions of the ancient Chinoike many in Lightning Country held. It was said that during harsh times the Chinoike would supplement their unique and strange diet with manflesh. The clan had worked to dispel those rumors but it didn't help that the clan's own written and oral history made numerous references to the practice. Even worse it was said the Chinoike were descended from vampires and this of course only added to people's fear and suspicion of the clan. The fact that the twins liked to eat flesh didn't bother her that much as each killer tended to have their own absurdities and amusements that made the practice of their craft unique to them. However, the Twins once more showed a complete disregard for appearances and common sense. Openly admitting to enjoying murder and cannibalism was not a good conversation starter. If Shimiko was to show them the light, the way, and the truth then she could not have these children blabbing about the secrets she told them.

Shimiko motioned for the Twins to follow and began walking away from the small forest and out of the field.

"Follow me and I'll tell you" she said. She knew that she had their attention but she needed to get them to a secluded area before she said anything further. "A word of advice....don't talk about loving to kill and eat people. I don't judge your way of handling things but if we're going to be friends you have to learn keep up appearances" she said momentarily changing the conversation. "Optics. Optics. Optics" she repeated. "It means coming off as trusting and nice as possible even when you are caught red-handed as a murderer" she said quietly. "If people don't hold you in high regard how can you ever hope to gain their trust? How can you put yourself in a position where you have access to more people? I don't want to hear that kind of talk from you again okay? My name is Shimiko Chinoike by the way" she said with a subtle sternness sweetened with a smile.

Shimiko led the Yui and Yua out of the field and towards the backstreets of the newly crafted cityscape of Tomiko Heights. She had gotten lost around the city more than once but she had recently gotten her bearings. Shimiko stuck to the alleyways and roads less traveled since the twins were covered in blood. It wouldn't do to draw attention to themselves before they got to their destination so Shimiko and her new friend would skulk around until they arrived at their destination. It was a small bookstore and religious shop called "Home of the Saints". Shimiko walked inside and went straight to the counter. There was an older lady sitting in the front who looked up from a magazine and smiled when she saw her face. Shimiko returned the smile and pulled Yui close and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The woman looked at the twins closely scanning them and determining their trustworthiness before turning back to Shimiko.

"Hi there"
"Hello"
"I'm looking for some new and interesting texts for my friend"
"Something peculiar?"
"No. Stranger than."
"Esoteric?"
"No. Plain yet nourishing"
"The simplest books often contain mountains of wisdom"
"Yes, day after day they pour secrets, and night after night they reveal knowledge*"
"Acknowledged, I'd check the back section"

The woman returned to reading her magazine. Shimiko took Yui by the hand and walked to the back section of the bookstore. The back section was dimly lit with barely enough light to see the seemingly endless rows of bookshelves. There was a dark red tint to the area and a few curious ciphers and symbols etched into the ground around them. Shimiko turned to face Yui and looked her in the eye.

"Before I tell you the ultimate reason I want you to know...few people know what I'm about to show you. Fewer still have the discernment and ability to actually internalize it. If you want to back out, now would be the time"

Shimiko had judged the twins character and their intentions were pure. The shopkeeper had also looked into the heart and saw promise and yearning. Yet if they were not up to the task Shimiko would have to kill them in order to keep their secrets uncovered.

The twins followed and listened to the girl as she explained they should not talk about liking to kill or cannibalism. They nodded in understanding, naturally, they had no plans to discuss this with others but for some reason, they felt comfortable telling her the truth. She explained the twins had to gain trust and told them to never discuss stuff like that again. The merged pair agreed as the nodded showing they understood what she meant. They appeared to be going to some sort of new area of the village, they were not familiar with this area as it was clear they had a curiosity about this place.

As the pair were lead to the bookstore the twins were surprised when Shimiko put an arm around their shoulders. They were not sure how they felt about human contact and were mostly glad they were not bleeding themselves as their blood was highly toxic to other people. The next surprise was the odd way she spoke to the person in front, it must have been some sort of code as the woman told them to check the back area. They had no idea why there needed to be a code whatever this reason for murder was it must have been important to protect it in such a way.

"This place is interesting Shimiko, yes I think I will like this place, Yua also thinks it is a nice place we like to read."

Shimiko would grab the twins hands and pull them to follow her as a bit of a light flush crossed their face, they had never been shown any sort of human contact of affection as the adopted father was scared to be near them, still, he was also a creep. The last couple of years he had begun to bathe with them despite their age and he would wash their private areas for them, it was uncomfortable and humiliating only making the twins want to end his life. She would ask the twins one last time if they were sure they wanted this as they took no hesitation in nodding their head in agreement, whatever this was it intrigued them and captured their minds.

"We are sure, we feel we must know what is the cause for us, why we are the way we are, why we cant quench what is inside of us."

Shimiko was glad they liked the shop. If they were to be converts then they would spend a lot of time here reading and studying the foundations of the Faith. Shimiko dreamed that one day the ban that the Lightning Country had placed on the religion would be lifted and that its adherents could practice freely. Jashinism had never been completely legal throughout the country but in certain points in history where law and order had broken down in the rougher parts of the countryside, the faith was tolerated so long as they preyed on criminals and foreigners. If they could could go back to such a time then Shimiko was certain both the faithful and the nation as a whole would be better for it. Shimiko noticed how the twins reacted upon her making casual contact. It didn't cause her to break the touch but it did pique her curiosity. The twins had no compunction about extreme violence and cannibalism but did not want people to touch them. There had to be a story there and with time and trust the Chinoike would uncover it. For now she would make physical contact only to show that she meant no harm and that Yui and Yua could trust her. When they made it clear that they were ready to here the ultimate reason that man murdered, Shimiko looked into their eyes and told them outright.

"Jashin" she said in a whisper.

"We kill because Jashin commands it. Even when we aren't entirely aware of his existence or his principles he calls out to us from another world. Every act of murder is us obeying the inherent spiritual commands placed in us by our creator, the Lord and God of all existence Jashin. He is the source of all murder and he is the ultimate reason why we kill. I guarantee that if you come to understand his nature, you will be among some of the greatest killers in shinobi history"

Shimiko smiled. A genuine smile that displayed affection, happiness, and compassion. She was a proud Jashinist and she enjoyed sharing her faith with those who had the same tendencies as her.

She mentioned one-word Jashin, the twins had no idea what or who this was but they felt a calling to the word alone. Shimiko would continue to explain that Jashin was the god of all existence, life and death were things he controlled. This made sense to them so the reason they had such a desire to kill was because Jashin was trying to have them kill bad people in the world. So this LordJashin was what made them want to kill, Yui and Yua thought inside their heads maybe they should tell Shimiko about their adopted father. He was a corrupt and dangerous man and he had been touching them more and more in ways they did not feel comfortable being touched in.

"So does Jashin want to us kill the wicked and evil... if so... our adopted father may be such a target. You see he took us in when we were young but only because he wants to use his to kill his enemies and those who are in his way to his political rise. He also over the last several years... he touches us... down below and our chest... in ways, we don't like... We have asked him to stop but he only grows more... aggressive we chose to leave his house after he removed his private from his pants and wanted us to relieve him. If Jashin agrees wicked men like him should die... then we can agree maybe we should learn more about Lord Jashin."

It was clear they did not feel comfortable even bringing it up and even for the first time showed sadness in their eyes, it also explained why they were clothed so poorly and covered in dirt. They had been homeless and even starving some as they had just become Genin in the village they had not really got the Ryo needed to survive well on their own. They waited to hear her response and prayed Lord Jashin accepted killing such men, those who deserved to be killed for their terrible deeds.

As Shimiko listened to the twins her blood ran cold and then white hot with pure rage. Shimiko's expression contorted as she listened in horror to Yui and Yua's story. The girl's face was twisted into something no one who had known her had ever seen before, it was a grimace but with the intense hatred of a scowl. Jashin was a permissive and tolerant religion and refrained from making value judgments, nonetheless it did not chide those who did make value judgments. It encouraged one to pursue their own sense of justice. Child molesters and rapists were the lowest of the low in her sect's eyes. Many a recruit had thought that since they kept company with casual murderers and thieves that those who commit heinous sex crimes would be welcome in their ranks. Those recruits were quickly weeded out, tortured, and killed. Their bodies buried in shallow graves with not a single prayer offered to their God. Shimiko had no qualms about killing innocent people, partly because she believed no one was truly of pure innocence but also because its just the way the world worked. She did have a thing or two to say about those who inflicted torture on others not to kill them but purely for their own fleeting pleasure. Such acts did not glorify God as they did not bring the person close to death, they merely robbed the victim of agency. It was senseless misery for the sake of one's own vain pleasure. She would not have it.

Shimiko wanted to grip Yui and Yua's shoulders and tell them it would be okay. But after they had shared what their adopted father was doing to them she realized why they had an aversion to physical touch. She would need to build trust on that front but for now she would respect their boundaries. Shimiko spoke in measured words, cold and without any trace of the upbeat positivity she was known for.

"Yes. Jashin believes you should take vengeance into your own hands. Your adopted father is scum and in the name of God I'm going to help you kill him" Shimiko wanted to deal with this man herself. She wanted to kill him painfully and slowly. But it was not her right and it was not her place. The twins deserved this kill, it should be their first kill dedicated to Jashin. Shimiko realized the twins had said they had left home because their adopted father tried to go a step further with his sexual assault. When she looked at what they were wearing and the fact that they were killing and eating raw pigs, she realized that it was possible they were homeless. The village had programs for shinobi in such situations but she guessed that her bloodline and her adopted father's connections may make things complicated for them.

"First things first, your safety is the most important thing to me right now. Do you have a safe place to stay? If not, I insist you stay with me. I have an apartment in a nice part of the city. You'll be safe there and I'll make sure you have everything you need. Once you're well rested, well fed, and have a place to stay we can start planning on how to dispose of that filth"

The religous lesson was paused. She first needed to analyze the situation and develop a plan.

The twins heard her words. lord Jashin would want them to punish their stepfather, it made both of them very happy hearing this with a smile crossing their face. She then brought up a safe place to stay, the two would shake their head no, for the last several weeks they had been staying in open barns sleeping on hey or sleeping out in the wild. They got food by hunting it and poaching some livestock of the local farmers, it was the only way they could eat without returning to that man.

"No we left the house because we could not stand what he was doing any longer, we wanted to kill him but he has political allies and his mansion is guarded by ex-shinobi mercenaries. It will not be easy to kill him and get away we will need to plan it very carefully... We would like to stay at your place, we would not feel comfortable on our own yet. We are sorry if this effects your life, we also do not have spare clothing this is all we own."

They still smiled at Shimiko showing their gratitude and bowing their heads to her, they had never been treated so well in their lives by anyone. They always were treated as an object for someone to use and throw away, so this feeling they could not explain they felt pleasant inside. They did not know the word to describe what they felt but it felt really good to them as a few tears left their eyes, they were not sure why they were crying, it just started coming out.

"We are sorry we do not know what has come over us, we don't usually feel this way it is hard to explain and we dont know the word, maybe happiness is the word."

"Its no trouble at all. We'll go shopping for some new clothes but until then you can borrow some of mine. I actually have a friend whose an amazing tailor and armorer" when the twins began crying, Shimiko stepped forward and with the gentle grace of a mother swaddling a newborn babe she embraced the twins. "Hey now, its okay...its okay...you're safe now" They were two in one but they were people all of the same. Shimiko held them closely doing her best not to invade their space but also holding them tight enough so that they could feel her warmth and sincerity. She wanted to show them that Jashinists cared for their own and that as a prospective initiate into the faith, she was now their older sister. "Yes. Happiness." Shimiko agreed with a nod as she finally broke the hug. Their stepfather was of political importance which meant that they would have to be careful as to how to go about his assassination. Shimiko didn't want to get the authorities involved even though she trusted Nariko wouldn't tolerate a sicko like that in her city. For Shimiko and the twins this kill would be dedicated to the one God of this world Jashin. This meant that they would be acting as devout followers rather than as shinobi of Kumogakure.

Shimiko didn't want to cut the lesson short but there were more important things to discuss for the time being. She figured the first order of business would be stopping at her apartment to get the twins a hot shower and some new clothes. After that they could swing by Ayano's and get a real meal. They could discuss how to handle this pervert while they ate if Yui and Yua had the stomach for it. Once the essentials had been taken care of Shimiko would give them a proper introduction to the religion.

"We're going to corner this bastard and I promise you we're going to kill him. You have much to learn about our God but the lessons can wait. Jashin tells us that our bodies are just as important as our souls. Let's head to my apartment and get you in some clean clothes. Once we're done I know a place where we can get some nice food. How does that sound?"

Ayano would not tolerate vagrants in her establishment. She did not seem like the type to care if they were old men or young children. If Shimiko was to feed her new ward she needed to make sure they had nice shower and clean clothes.

The pair heard her mention they could borrow some of her clothing and she mentioned having a friend that could also make them some clothing or armor even. As they continued to cry they would pull into Shimikos chest and continue to cry, she was so nice it felt strange but they actually felt safe around her, she was not out to get something from them or harm them. No, she wanted what was best for them, this was the first person to treat them like a person that they could remember. After several minutes the tears would finally end as they would lift their head off Shimikos chest and pull away blushing a bit as they still were not that comfortable with contact with others.

She offered the pair to come with her to her apartment to bathe and also offered to feed them, this made the pair very happy as they nodded and prepared to follow Shimiko. As they stood the pair reached their hand out to Shimiko wanting to hold it as they traveled with her, they felt nervous and were unsure what to do to follow her.

"Thank you Shimiko... you are doing so much for us we don't know how to feel, we do not even remember the last time we had a hot bath or shower. Even when we lived with him we often unless he was with us ... touching us we were only allowed to use cold water. We also had to eat out of these odd shaped bowls, we often saw them for animals, and we were fed near expiring food, so thank you for doing all of this for us."

They would bow their heads once more as a sign of respect, she never had to do any of this she could have ignored them like everyone else but she did not. She even served a god that believed in killing, yet that did not change the fact she was a good person, they had it in their mind they would also become good people. They would only kill those they felt deserved it and were wicked people, people like their stepfather, those type of people deserved the worst kind of death.

It seemed that there was no end to the horrible things that Yui and Yua had to endure as a result of their stepfather's immeasurable cruelty. Shimiko knew dogs that were treated better than the way these kids were. She vowed to make sure the man's death was the most painful to date. Shimiko nodded and said: "Your stepfather is a cruel and evil man and you've been through a lot...but I'm going to help you achieve a better life" she said optimistically. Shimiko extended a hand and if the Yui took it she would lead them out of the bookstore and to her apartment.

Exit

They listened to her words as she offered her hand to the pair, the two stretching their hand out still showing signs of feeling nervous about touch they would take her hand into their own and nod as the tears began to dry up. They had no idea how to feel but they were sure they could trust Shimiko, she was a good girl kind and generous, yet she understood the murderous ways the pair had and did not hate them for such a thing. They would follow her out of the library and prepared to go with her, today had been quite eventful for the pair and things certainly did not go as they expected it would at the start of the day.



-Exit Thread-

EXP: 8X5=40 EXP Flashback Thread