Spear for Victory

Continued from: https://gladiusnarutorp.forumotion.com/t5208-sister-s-forever#41778

Ryuko paused as Shimiko questioned if she was sure about going into the fight unaided. If just about anyone else had asked her that question she would have laughed and played it off with some false bravado about how she was the unyielding shield of Kumo or something of that nature. She simply couldn’t bring herself to lie to her sister like that, if for no other reason then the fact Shimiko was the person who knew her best in the entire world and would see straight through the deception no matter how well meaning it might be.

“To be honest I’m not sure about a lot of things.” She replied revealing just how conflicted about this business she was. Part of the reason she had lost to Rajin was because she hadn’t fully mastered her sage mode and couldn’t bring it’s full power to bear and partly because of her arrogance. She had fixed both those issues (or at least she hoped she had) but would that be enough to defeat Hakkin and claim Rafeala’s full power? Would full power be enough for her to stand up to the Disciples?

Did Kumo and the Kingdom of lightning even really need her anymore? They seemed to have done well enough for themselves during her extended absence barring the destruction of Yugakure and Tamwyn’s death. The country was working on rebuilding the former and Arisu had brought back the latter so what purpose did Ryuko even serve anymore beyond training a new generation of students like Tsumi?

Sure she was an X-class ninja but lately she was feeling like perhaps she was the weakest of the bunch. Shimiko was without question the stronger of the pair and every other X class ninja she had met so far seemed to overshadow her in some form or another. Akihiro the man responsable for Moonspires destruction was someone she had dreaded having to face. If he were still alive and she ran into him could she escape the encounter with her life let alone win? It was pointlessly hyptical now that he was gone, but it’d kept her awake countless nights in the past.

She needed a big win of some kind, an accomplishment that she could proudly boast about in order to regain her self confidence but did she really need to be so stubborn about getting one that she’d put her own life at risk to obtain it? With a long sigh she decided that maybe a little compromise was in order.

“Fine, I’ll permit you to step in and bail me out if things start looking like they are going south. In exchange please permit me an attempt to see how far I can get on my own strength. If I can’t at least hold my own for a few minutes then what use will I be in the conflict to come?” she asked. Even if she couldn’t win completely on her own she had done everything in her power to prepare for the battle. With that amount of prepwork it shouldn’t be a completely one sided battle unless she’d really screwed up somehow.

In a way Teamwork was part of her power as well. She hadn’t gotten to be so strong on her own after all. It was the countless missions and training sessions they had undertaken together as Teammates that had allowed her to rise to the top. It was an impossible wish but if only the entire Thundercats could be together once more. She was sure if that happened they could defeat even one of the Disciples even if her current power level remained as it was.

When Shimiko blushed and looked away at the mention of the spear Ryuko knew exactly what it meant. It really wasn’t hard for someone of her intelligence to guess after she had found her shield in the workshop along with blueprints to rework it into a set of daggers for Tamwyn.

“You don’t need to worry or apologize Shi-chan, I admit that I was… displeased at first to discover that you had planned to alter part of my legacy.” she said as she patted the shield attached to her arm in it’s more compact travel mode. “But then I realize there are things more important than my stupid pride or being remembered.” It was simple really, if Tamwyn had those daggers as planned what difference would that have made? Perhaps he would have survived his entity encounter and not needed resurrection. That would have been a small price to pay for losing her shield.

“Even if you had to change my spears form tis was fine since the needles you made protected you and kept you safe. In a way tis comforting to think that a small part of me was with you while I was away. When it comes to my equipment I could ask for nothing better” Those needles had no doubt played a role in keeping Shimiko safe throughout the war.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright without the needles? The war may be over but we have a big fight ahead of us. Tis would take time but I could always have a new spear forged, though admittedly not quite as good as my previous one. " Not having an artifact level weapon would hurt a little but she could get by with her veritable arsenal of Superior and Amazing rank equipment. Even without that particular spear she was still armed to the teeth with the best money could buy and then-some.

[1]

Ryuko's honesty was more than appreciated. Shimiko could sense the hesitation and uncertainty in her voice. It was a painful thing for someone to admit that they might not be strong enough to handle a particular task. But Shimiko was ultimately glad that she pushed back on Ryuko's idea. It wasn't her intention to make her friend experience a crisis in confidence, but the alternative was worse. Shimiko sighed in relief as Ryuko agreed to the possibility of an intervention should her life be in danger. She knew that this was as good a compromise that she could hope for. Whatever happened in that celestial dimension must have shaken Ryuko's confidence because the Queen was deadset on proving her worth in this fight.

With that item added to her pre-retirement agenda, Shimiko set to work unsealing the Shards of the Senshichi Shikenri. The needles spilled out of her custom melody arm gauntlets and from there she set to the task of reconstructing Ryuko's spear. She was glad there were no hard feelings on that account. Ryuko's perspective on crafted gear matched her own. Ultimately, all she wanted was to keep Kumo safe and to preserve Ryuko's legacy. If that meant transfiguring some weapons then it was indeed a small price to pay.

However it was Ryuko's follow-up question that caused her to stop in her tracks. She had been asked if she would be alright without those needles. Ryuko was talking as though Shimiko planned on staying for the big climatic battle between the Ninja World and the Disciples. And why wouldn't she? It was perfectly logical to assume that Kumogakure's strongest warrior would be there to help them face their greatest threat yet. Shimiko sighed and turned to her friend. She could not put it off any longer. It was time for the truth.

"It won't matter either way Ryuko.....I'm sorry but I'm laying down my arms. I plan on resigning from the Kumogakure military and retiring to my people's ancestral home" Shimiko was sure that this revelation would hit Ryuko like a ton of bricks. The alarm, disappointment, even betrayal she'd feel might even damage their friendship. But this was the path that had been illuminated before her and if Shimiko had learned one thing this year, it was that whenever Jashin's path seemed bleakest, the rewards at the end of it were greater than she could ever imagine. "I know what you're thinking. Why now? Why THIS War. The truth is....I'm tired Ryu-chan....the War against Kirigakure and Konohagakure took damn near everything out of me. I don't want to lose myself, not when there's someone else that deserves everything else I have to give" Like Ryuko, Shimiko was struggling with the vulnerability she had just expressed. Would her friend think of her as a coward? A fraud? Was she now hiding behind Seid, Tamwyn, and Ryuko? She hoped that the Vestal wouldn't assume the worst of her but either way, she had no choice but to press on. "I've thought about it. I've prayed about it. And I think this is what's best for me and the war effort. Every time I've been unsure of what to do and I've opened my heart to divine guidance...Jashin has shown me the path. I'm sorry but I can't fight alongside you in this battle. Not yet at least. Désirée needs me...and so does Chloe and Damien, after Yenn went missing....I decided to adopt them. Of course, that was before I knew Tamwyn had just come back to life. Regardless, I think my fighting days are over. I want to raise my child. I want her to be strong and I want to be the mother that I always wished I had. Present. Supportive. Loving. Not too long ago Ryu-chan you described me as more than a killer....you described me as a Mother, Savior, Philosopher, Diplomat and Poet. Well, all of that might be true, but the first is the most important to me. Which is why I have to prioritize raising Désirée and I have to do it now."

Once she had explained her decision to Ryuko, she turned back to the needles and continued working. She wasn't sure how Ryuko would respond but her mind was made up. She knew that this was what was best for her baby. She just hoped it wouldn't cost her her best friend.

OOC: Turning Shards of the Senshichi Shikenri back to Shikenri (Death Right), crafting time in this workshop is halved so its 7 Days

“I had a feeling you’d be saying something like that soon.” Ryuko replied with a look of serine acceptance on her face. Granted, Shimiko resigning now was much sooner than even the Queen had expected. She’d thought her sister would say something along the lines that she’d be done with Shinobi business once the Disciples were dealt with. Given what they were up against she couldn’t exactly blame Shimiko for wanting to take a step back. This was an entirely different ball game then dealing with a conventional war after all. The fact that the five major powers had united over this issue spoke volumes of how difficult they were expecting things to be.

“Shi-chan you have given virtually everything you have for this country. I could not in good conscience ask you to give more. Knowing that there will be someone I trust to guide the next generation should we somehow fail to defeat the Disciples is more reassuring than mere words could ever convey.” Ryuko said as she walked over and attempted to give Shimiko a hug.

Hakkin knew that if she was a mother herself she might make the same decision and withdraw from the front lines. Having the Queen of a nation on the front lines was a risky prospect especially when she didn’t yet have a proper heir. She knew the risks but was going to fight anyhow since she’d been a warrior long before she had become royalty. If she was going to go down then she was going to do so swinging. She was determined that if worse came to worst that she would take at least one of the Disciples down with her.

A small petty part of her was a bit jealous of everything that Shimiko had that she didn’t. For years she’d struggled with the fact that she might never be able to have a biological child of her own due to her sexual orientation. That ugly feeling was quickly squashed though, overridden by the overwhelming amount of unconditional love she had for her sister, some she considered to be closer to her then her actual parents and siblings who had treated her like a mascot at best and a pawn of their political games at worst.

“What was that about Yenn being missing?” Ryuko asked, her voice full of concern as she took a step back. Her student Tsumi had mentioned not seeing her for awhile and she had written it off as Yenn still being busy dealing with her grief over her Husband's loss. She’d been so busy dealing with stat business upon her return and arranging for Tamwyn to be brought back that she hadn’t had time to look into the matter more closely.

Frankly the amount of things she had left on her plate to deal with was nearly overwhelming. Rebuilding things that had been destroyed in the war, expanding the borders and a never ending list of meetings that she needed to attend in order to dole out missions and promotions and make sure her men had the supplies and equipment they needed to function at their best. Frankly she needed a secretary but where was she supposed to find someone competent enough to handle the job that wasn’t already busy with their own duty already?

“Do you have any other unfinished business that needs to be dealt with before you retire?” Ryuko asked. At this point Shimiko was looking after so many adopted children that the Queen was half thinking about asking her if she needed some additional funds to help raise them all. If she herself wasn’t so busy running an entire country she’d be right in there with her sister to lend a hand. The worst part was that if felt like by the time she could find someone to take over as the next kage and run the military for her the kids would already be well into their teenage years.

“Speaking of Unfinished business, I wanted to ask you about Irui. He seemed like such a promising lad before the war I couldn’t help but feel disconcerted when I found out he had been declared dead only to discover he was actually imprisoned.” Ryuko said with a long sigh. Sure the reports had said why he had been imprisoned but that didn’t explain how such a sweet kid had gone on a murder spree during what was supposed to be a rescue mission in the first place.

“With the conclusion of the war we’ve been giving out a lot of second chances lately so I figured that perhaps he deserves one as well. Do you know anyone willing to testify in his favor?” asked the Queen. She couldn’t just release him unilaterally just because she felt a bit bad for him. She needed some form of justification in order to release him from Jail so that she wouldn’t look bad in the eyes of the international community.

There was one other point she still had to consider. If Shimiko was going to retire then she couldn’t afford to take a big risk in her battle to unlock her full power. With The Honey Badger out of the picture that meant Ryuko was now the last line of defence. Before she’d felt it was worth the risk since they could afford to lose her as long as her sister was active but she felt keenly now that was no longer the case. Sometimes she had to swallow her pride and do was was best for the country even if it went against her personal values.

She’d been looking at this fight as if she was some kind of knight. Wanting to face it as a honorable one on one boute to prove herself forgetting the fact that at the end of the day she was a Ninja and as such was under no obligation to fight fair. Hadn’t she just recently been trying to drill into Tsumi’s head that it was ok to fight dirty? Now more than ever it was important for her to stack the odds in her favor.

“Due to the changing situation I retract my earlier comment about waiting until I’m in trouble to step in. When the fight starts I want you to hit Hakkin with every debuff you have at your disposal.” Ryuko said with a sharp look in her eyes. She had a few debuffs herself that she was planning to use to weaken the avatar of her god but she knew her sister was better in that department than she was. It was kind of cheap to weaken him as much as possible to make the fight easier but right now Ryuko didn’t give a damn about how cheap she had to be if it meant winning. The best way to overcome a force of nature was to become an unrelenting storm

[2]

When Ryuko reacted with sympathy and understanding as opposed to anger, the pit in Shimiko's stomach sealed. She breathed a sigh of relief and put her tools down. When Ryuko moved to hug her, she embraced her sister. Shimiko tried to hold back the tears but given her disposition as a crier, it was next to impossible. She was glad that Ryuko understood where she was coming from and she resolved that if things truly became dire, she'd take in as many survivors as she could and get them far away from the carnage. Even if it meant leaving this world for another, the people of Kaminari would have always have her to look to. When they broke the hug, Shimiko wiped a tear from her cheek and got back to work.

Soon after, Ryuko asked about Yenn being missing. A new feeling of dread settled on her heart. It was never easy to be the bearer of bad news. "I sent Yenn on a mission to look into some anomalous storms in the north of the country. Occasionally, the electrical interference rises to a level that makes travel and communication difficult" Shimiko didn't feel the need to launch into further explanation on this subject. It was pretty common knowledge that the storms in that region had a supernatural nature to them. "Usually we have an Inazuma clear them out and given Yenn's affinity for Storm Release, I thought she'd be a good fit. I also figured giving her something to work on would help with the grief since...you know...." Shimiko glanced at Ryuko to see her friend's reaction. It was a tragedy for Tamwyn to have been resurrected only for his lover to have gone missing. "We haven't heard from her since she set out and that was a long while ago. I've ordered an ANBU search party but their progress has been hampered by the weather....I don't want to assume the worse especially now that Tamwyn's back but you should have him prepare for that possibility"

Shimiko wasn't sure what had happened to the young Chuunin. She didn't think any of their national enemies could have made an excursion so far north into the country, but it was possible. Although, an attack in that region would be rather strange. It didn't have any strategic value as far as Shimiko was aware. Additionally, no demands had been made and as far as Shimiko knew Yenn wasn't a target of interest. Once the storms cleared hopefully her team would be able to report back with some more information. When asked if she had any additional business to attend to before she retired, Shimiko shrugged.

"Nothing beyond the usual I suppose. I'll probably decommission some of my gear that made use of Kumo's artifacts, say goodbye to a few close friends and family, prep Seid and the ANBU Division for a world without me but other than that not much else"

Shimiko wasn't in a rush to get out of the military, but she didn't want to linger either. The best thing she could do now for her country was to get them ready to face the Disciples and should they fail, be willing to pick up what she could and preserve their nation. When Ryuko brought up Irui, Shimiko was shocked. The Mikiri had been implicated in an unsanctioned attack on evacuating civilians during the assault on Kariforunia. He had been hiding out at the Heavenly Emporium although if Shimiko had not found him, he'd likely have been rooted out and killed. He had sullied the reputation of both his clan and Kumo's military writ large. Foreign governments also wanted his head on the grounds that he more or less attempted a miniature version of Moonspire. Ordinarily, the ANBU Captain would have left him to fend for himself, but she felt guilty about his situation. She knew the corrosive effect Mora's influence could have on a person. She also knew that how the genin had turned out was at least partially the Orthodoxy's fault. She had gotten him out of the floating city and then called in every favor she had. She wasn't able to set him free right then and there, but she was able to avoid his execution. Shimiko wasn't sure if there was more that could be done for him until a proper Kage rose to power. But now that Ryuko was back it looked like his case was being re-opened. Shimiko didn't expect the Queen to have a soft spot for him. He did not belong to her religion and the two had no personal nor mutual contacts that Shimiko was aware of.

Ryuko was a merciful soul though and upon reading his case report, apparently she was willing to give him another shot at going straight. Shimiko nodded vigorously in agreement. She had gotten on her knees and begged him to come back home. She had promised him that life back in Kumo would be preferable to death and now this was her chance to make good on that promise.

"Yes! Absolutely! I know Irui well enough to testify on his behalf...I can write a sworn affidavit today if you need it. He really is a good kid, he just got mixed up with a bad influence. An influence that we don't have to worry about any longer." Ryuko may or may not know who Shimiko was alluding to. Mora Mikiri, the former Lady Superior of the Orthodox Church of Jashin, had been a major thorn in the side of the last two Raikage. She had been a negative influence on the direction of the Church and a danger to Shimiko's twins. As much love as she had for the woman, the Chinoike made a painful choice but one that she did not regret. Ryuko would have probably heard that Mora had died of a heart attack under suspicious circumstances, but given how she was not up to speed on several events, it was possible that she had yet to hear of the news. Either way, Shimiko would not go into further detail. If pressed, she'd clam up on the subject. She would not say a cross word about Mora, for after all these years, the respect Shimiko had for Jashin's Voice on Earth did not waver. "I think he can be rehabilitated and made whole. I really believe that, Jashin as my witness" To swear in her Lord's name was no small thing, but Shimiko wanted to make it clear that she was willing to stake her own name and reputation on Irui. He deserved a second chance.

Once the subject of discussion moved back to Raefala's fight, she'd look Ryuko in the eye and smile. It was the same devilish smile that had become an iconic fixture of her personality. An expression indicating just how much she loved battle. She had restrained her carnivorous nature and learned to channel her more nurturing energies, but no matter what, the beast of war would always lurk beneath the surface. Except this time, it wouldn't be unleashed against the poor and innocent of the village. It would be unleashed against the avatar of a god.

"You don't have to tell me twice"

After the two sisters had their touchy feely moment Ryuko felt a headache coming on as Shimiko gave her more details on the disappearance of Yenn. Why did it always seem whenever something went right something else went terribly wrong? They had only just gotten Tamwyn back and now she was going to have to tell him his wife was missing and possibly dead?

She had given up the more utilitarian option of bringing back Damian because she wanted to unite a family that had been split apart only for them to remain split apart for the moment anyhow. All she had wanted was to bring a small slice of happiness the kind she couldn’t seem to grasp for herself to someone and somehow she couldn’t even get that much right.

“Yenn’s a pretty tough woman. Normally I wouldn’t be too worried about her but grief has a funny way of messing with people’s heads. I just hope she hasn’t lost herself in hers and done something foolish.” muttered Ryuko darkly. There was nothing left to do but pray until the weather cleared and they could resume the search.

It seemed Shimiko didn’t have much unfinished business to take care of. Perhaps that was a good thing. Ryuko had read too many stories where people had one last mission to do before they retired only for things to go horribly wrong in the process. It would have been nice if there was something the Queen could do to help her sister for once since it felt like she was always on the receiving end.

Even now Shimiko was preparing to ride into battle with her one last time. What was the last thing Ryuko had truly done to assist her other than modify her armor? Meanwhile over half of Ryuko’s extensive arsenal had either been made directly by Shimiko or been upgraded by her. It just went to show how truely dependent the Queen was on the Honey Badger. Adjusting to not having that assistance on hand at virtually any time was going to be rough.

“Wow, If you’re willing to go that far to vouch for him then tis should be no issue to get him released on parole.” said Ryuko with a sigh of relief. At least that was one issue sorted. Shimiko’s name carried a lot of weight not just in Kumo but among the other villages as well. Even the other kage’s wouldn’t give her too much shit if she had a sworn affidavit.

“I bet you’re wondering what the connection between us is. I took him out on a mission once which went fairly well.” Ryuko explained conveniently leaving the part out about she had taken him to a brothel. That kind of thing was usually pretty gooch and frankly it would have taken too much time to explain when they had pressing business to deal with.

“I had my eye on him as a potential Chunnin before…. Well before I went on my odyssey.” Ryuko still didn’t know how to refer to her time away. Even now the memories were vague at best and ill defined. It was the kind of experience that was nearly impossible to describe. “So when I came back it was only natural of me to check on his progress.”

That old bat Mora had made trouble for her once again. Frankly Ryuko didn’t believe the report about her dying of a heart attack. People like Mora were full of nothing but piss and vinegar and they rarely managed such peaceful deaths. More than likely she’d been assassinated but Ryuko hadn’t bothered to investigate further. Sometimes you were just better off not knowing certain things. She’d just been happy to discover that one of the biggest most persistent pains in her rear was gone and called it a day.

“I don’t know if he’ll be able to regain his rank or not but I’d hate to leave him just rotting in prison.” To Ryuko prisons should be a place to rehabilitate people, not keep them locked up indefinitely. If someone was so dangerous they couldn’t be released then it was often more merciful just to end things. Could they really be said to have a life if you threw them in a dark hole and threw away the key?

When Shimiko signaled that she was all in on the idea of debuffing the heck out of Hakkin Ryuko grinned and moved over to behind a partition at the back of the room where she began changing out of her dress and into her battle gear. Sure it was nothing her sister and team mate hadn’t seen before but the Castle wasn’t an entirely closed system either. There where several people in the village with permission to come and go freely and you never knew which of them might just walk into the Atelier on you since this wasn’t a private room.

“By the way did the enchantment on the spear break when you reforged it?” Ryuko asked from behind the curtain. Imbuing an item with power like that was tricky business. Sometimes it was possible to make modifications without breaking the Enchantment and sometimes it wasn’t. Given the fact Shimiko had done a total conversion on it and back again it was more likely than not that the enchantment needed to be reapplied. Just one more piece of business to take care of before the boss fight could begin.

[3]

Ryuko was right on the money. The trauma of losing a loved one often led to reckless actions. Shimiko didn't think that Yenn was the type to commit suicide or do something that would harm Kumo's national interests though. She had two children and from what Shimiko could tell, she loved them very much. She'd offer a prayer for the Chuunin in the hope that she would return safely. Irui's situation was more easily resolved as it was within their collective power to remedy. With Shimiko vouching for his release perhaps he could rejoin the military or at least live a free life outside the walls of a maximum security prison.

"No problem! Its the least I can do." Shimiko commented. The Orthodoxy had taken much from the boy. It was time to give back.

The Chinoike put the finishing touches on the now re-crafted Spear and twirled it around in her hands. She gave it a satisfied kiss and then handed it back to Ryuko once she was done getting dressed. "Unfortunately it did" Shimiko said sheepishly. She still felt bad about having to dismantle the artifact-quality weapon but fortunately the enchantment could be re-applied by someone with sufficient skill. "It will need to be re-enchanted and though I'm pretty good with that sort of thing, this one was pretty complex. Its outside my area of expertise but I'm sure we have someone who can fix it up" Shimiko could tell that Ryuko was ready to go ASAP, unfortunately since she was going to be fighting Rafaela of all entities, there were a few things on Shimi's end that she needed to prep. "While you have someone do that, there are a few things I need to work on myself. I'll catch up with you later and then we can take on Buddha together"

As always, when working in the forge the heat and intense pressure tended to scramble Shimiko's brains. This resulted in her talking awkward nonsense or doing strange things either during or shortly after crafting.

“Sure I’ll look into someone who can do that for me.” replied Ryuko as she reclaimed her spear.  Maybe Renny or someone else could put a new enchantment on it for her.   It was just a matter of finding the right person.   “I guess I’ll see you later then.” said Ryuko as she gave her sister a wave goodbye.   Little did she know that this was the end of an era and that if the gears of fate didn't change this would be perhaps the last time the two of them would ever speak.  

[exit]

Claiming  Shikenri (Death Right)

"See ya!" Shimiko said goodbye to her friend and got started on the affidavit. She wrote a fairly compelling statement about Irui's background and why deserved a second chance. She went through several drafts before she finally came up with a polished version that she could be proud of. Shimiko would then leave to drop it off at the appropriate bureaucratic office. Shimiko also took the money given to her by Kirigakure and set up a fund for the families who had lost loved ones at Moonspire. As promised, every penny that had been given to them made their way to the rightful widows and orphans.

[Exit]