Naruto SoundITP IC 1: A Melancholy Song of Hope To Come

Broken Record Club
Kimiko blushes a little at her flirty movements. But doesn't say anything. She is not experienced at this. At all, and doesn't know what to say in this situation. She wished people were easy to understand, like jutsu or fuinjutsu. Yuyuyu shrugs and says
"Ah. Very well. We'll just go find the person to book it then,"
After asking the barmaid who is playing next and how long until they are scheduled to come on stage, Yuyuyu leads them away and whispers
"Okay, time to go find the next band thats going to play backstage, knock them out and take their place. Which means we're on a timer, namely however long this band is still playing. Got that?"
"Za wheh wha...?"
Kimiko answers back a little....distracted, Yuyuyu taps her on the shoulder.
"oh yeah, of course. backstage. knock out. limited time. What else is new?"
" Sigh. Of course you've never been in this situation before Kimi-hime, and really staring at the barmaid? Kind of bad for an heiress, don't you think? Not supposed to play for the other team."
"Sh-shut up! There is gene manipulation research, I'll figure something out!
Why wouldn't there be, everyone in the Shinobi nations want to unlock the secrets of kekkei genkai after all.
"Lets just go."
They sneak their way backstage, find the next band to play and try to knock them from out behind, then drag them into a closet and stuff them in the unceremoniously so that disguise jutsu into them. Do they encounter any obstacles to doing this?

Meanwhile with Jirou:
He is arrived at the laboratory. As a fuinjutsu user and one of the few ones that isn't particularly attached to his clan quest since he cannot participate in it, he makes himself useful here, researching fuinjutsu to make the village stronger. The current big project was those cursed seal transformations. Most of the example subjects were not even humans, but rats trained to be able to activate the seals. currently there was still some dangers to these seals and thus was using the rats to figure out how minimize them for safe use for humans. sure there are some biological differences between rats and humans that needed to be accounted for when translating them from rat to human use, but that can be solved once one figures out the safe or safest seal for rats, and as with all things in science, from one can be extrapolated another thing- if one can find a safe cursed seal transformation for rats, one can do for humans. It simply the most ethical way to go about it. the alternative was using humans and he was not a mad scientist.

Of course he still felt bad when the rats died, they were so cute and easily trained for various tricks and uses, but they weren't sapient so it was best for everyone involved. The last cursed seals had too high a mortality rate to be acceptable for human use for his standards. Lets try and adjust that to be lower shall we? the work will be long and tedious but it was worth it. He turns on the radio to the Broken Record's frequency. Their music a good way to liven up otherwise tedious work and the rats got some enjoyment too.

Uasgi has rolled her eyes. "You just got to stop worrying on nonsense, and work on being a ninja.' she said with a groan, and pushed forward.

In the backstage room there were four teens- "The Bye Bye Kitties".
twin sisters from the Komoro clan, Dai and Doi, which used their ears as part of the costumes. Both wore heavy rimmed glasses and looked quite cute. and their companion Saburo, buff guy with a scar over his face, which made his kitty costume look grimmdark somewhat. And another guy, bishi-ish with purple eye and dazzling eyes.
They were black and pink kitty outifts which were supposed to be ironic with logo https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRnaqFMc4pMhwGQUMszcRKTxR33OiKUP 52alUTGxuYux9eVmQDA


Yuyuyu should know, that Dai and Doi both dropped the academy because of some family drama. Their friend Saburo failed on porpuse at the exams to join them. They were honestly, an annoyance for the village. They did had shinobi trainings, but they used for crime.
Lately a citizen with talent for music has conviced them to try a musical career. Guy called Yukio.

They were thugs, though, they were friendly unless they wanted to rob you.

"Hello!" the twins said cheerfully.
Saburo looked away shyly. Yukio smiled. "Greetings, fair ladies. How may we assist you."

Fake Fan Plan: Go!
Yuyuyu and Kimiko start squeeing looking at them and going
"oh my kami! Its theeeeem! the Bye Bye kitties!"
"We're such big fans! We know your still indie, but you play like, the BEST music , definitely deserve to be more popular!"
"Anyone who doesn't think that are like totally hipsters who don't know anything about stuff?"
"Because if your like, a fan, you should like totally love it when your thing is like, liked by everyone? I never get those elitists who want it like, all for themseeeelves."
"I know right? It just doesn't make any sense gurl."
"people like that are just jerks, never listen to them, all that talk about "selling out" is bull. musicians are people too and need to pay the bills, am I right?"
"Totally! Can we just like get your autographs...?"
They hold pieces of paper seemingly excited to see them, But actually this Yuyuyu and Kimiko are just genjutsu clones created by Basic Clone Jutsu while the real ones are sneaking up behind them to knock them out, as the Bye Bye Kitties eyes were turned towards this way therefore they needed some distraction to hold their attention while they tried to sneak attack them.

Drop out of the academy are tricky to deal with. You can't be sure at what level are they, and their improve in skills come from practical exprience rather then true trainings.

Yukio eagerly has agreed to sign an authrograph on a piece of paper, while Usagi akwardly. "Y-yeah! I also know all of your songs! You can test me!"


Saburo were distracted, but the Dai&Doi Komoro sisters, have dissapeared, leaving black hello kitty plushies instead.
Sure, they have ashamed the Komoro clan, but they weren't too far from being good Genins.
Each of them learned single C ranked technique of their clan- Dai has used the Heart's Voice, squeaking, vibrating sound waves to Yuyuyu's body- making her nerval system to react as is she was ashamed. She might think she actually is.
Doi were more brutal and send Sound Scythe at Kimiko- both sisters from the door to the stage.
Usagi has jumped on Kimiko to push ofer of the Sound Scythe's path- which has cutted the wall, with splatter of concrete


Yukio gasped, and walked back. 'What is going on?!'

Yuyuyu
Loses an action as she tenses up from the attack, feeling embarrassed out of nowhere.
I'm so embarrassed!! Wait... why am I embarrassed?
The first rule of genjutsu defense training was to ask yourself why you were suddenly feeling an emotion out of nowhere, during a hectic situation. One cannot truly be devoid of all emotion, but one can take a second to examine whether there was a reason behind the emotion or feeling, as genjutsu fooled with your senses and emotions and made you feel things out of nowhere to turn off your higher brain functions and make you act on instinct or impulse. Therefore the first step was always to figure out whether you had good reason to feel something, the second step was whether the reason you feel it is likely to happen or be real as sometimes the illusions use the shock to make you forget that, if both the reason and the probability of it happening were plausible, it was probably real, but genjutsu masters while rare were all about making things plausible. She puts her hands together and goes "Kai". dispelling the feeling. A technique to messes with her emotions like that was exactly the kind of genjutsu she was trained to defend against. Unfortunately, she cannot do more than that given the amount of time she has.

Kimiko:
She gets out of way thanks to Usagi and quickly assesses the situation: Dai and Doi were the ones actively fighting right now, Saburo was a bit slow to react, but Yukio was a civilian. Therefore while the other three were stronger, Yukio was the one to knock out first since he cannot contribute in a fight and thus the worst thing he could do to screw them over, was run and let everyone else know, thus bringing down the entire club on them, while the other three had shinobi training and thus more likely to let their pride in their own strength keep them here fighting. So she unsheathes her sword and it extends into a strong paper whip, lashing out quickly and pulling him close to her so she can knock him out with one quick strike-considering this was a ninja club, this is probably one of the luckier things that could happen to him- then gets into a stance to deal with the rest, flicking her weapon out to crack it like a whip.
"Don't kill them. It won't look good if we do, even if they are criminals."
They are apart of a military after all, with rules governing whether your given the permission or the requirement to kill, and society generally wants minor criminals like these thrown in jail or doing community service instead. While one should not hesitate to kill, Restraint is also a shinobi virtue. That and she remembers the man she killed last night. Despite all she was taught....she does not want to repeat the experience.

Usagi
She gotten up quickly from Kimiko, a bit embaressed.
"Oh. finally, this stupid mission put a real test!" she place her weight on one cane, while she send the other cane to smack Saburo's face- but he his raised his arm in time to parry it- but groaned in pain from the hit, so Usagi used this, and jumping, sent the next cane at him and also pounding him.
It seemed Saburo were out.

"This is our show. Don't force me to cut your pretty nose off." Dai said, pulling pair of kunais. "We worked hard for this, you little snotty girls, have no right to take this from us!"



Doi, seemed more brutal. "Don't try talk sense to them,Doi-chan. They are dogs without agency of their own." she prepared another sound schythe.

Kimiko:
Kimiko whips her paper-whip forward to try and wrap around one of Doi's wrist to try and pull her hands apart so she can't use her Sound Scythe jutsu again. Technically, it is possible with certain techniques and methods to use and shape chakra without hand signs using their own wills- Kimiko's own Origami-No-Tsurugi she is using right now is a good example- but doing so without proper training is like handling raw electricity without the knowledge of an electrician: your more likely to injure or kill yourself or your allies than actually do anything useful. Therefore more most ninjas use the hand signs to pre-shape the chakra, much like a programmer entering code, its technically more complicated and requires more rote memorization and book learning, but its safer than letting your concentration lapse with a chidori and getting shocked as a result. Kimiko's sword now in the form of a whip, is a similar insulating tool, much like the Seven Swords of the Mist or Fuinjutsu. Having a medium to separate you from dangerous elemental energy is generally a good idea. Chakra is quite simply, dangerous to handle in large amounts.
Thus making sure the other side can't form hand signs is a good first move. If she succeeds, she'll then try to retract the paper whip while its still clinging to her arm so that she grapples to Doi and punch her in the face.

Yuyuyu meanwhile charges at Dai and attacks her with her steel umbrella to try and quickly overwhelm her kunai, using it like a club in its folded up state.

Doi, doesn't resist the the whip- she embrace it's fully amd even let herself to be dragged.
She pull a kunai from a pocket and tried to stab the punch of Kimiko.
"I am tired of those petty clan politics- leave us alone, or DIE!"



Dai doesn't bother to try to handle the superior weapon, and jumped back, throwing away the kunai to release her hands for another genjutsu- now she tried to mimic the sensation of doubt.
"why bother some low life street kids like us? Music is our only hope, and for you, it's just another grade in your fancy studies, right?"

Usagi jumped and spinned kicking the jaw of Dai sending her to crush against the wall.
"Baka! Who care for studies! I am going to be the ninja who will never be helpless again!"


But all this.. mattered a little.
The two doors of the room closed all of the sudden, and cloud of green gas started to sip from the crack that Doi has created with her previous attack.



"Die." wishpered a voice into the heads of all the people in the room
"Die alongside your false hopes."

Kimiko:
In her momentum, she can only move fist in time for her arm to block the kunai, the blade digging into her forearm and lancing pain through it as blood starts welling from it, she grits her teeth and says
"Yeah, coming from the dropouts with cri-"
but she sees the gas seeping through and hears the voice. That was bad.
"Gas! Put on Masks!"
Kimiko knows that some gases are denser than others. Based on the color, that was probably chlorine gas. Chlorine gas is denser than air, and thus accumulates at the bottom of poorly ventilated areas. Thankfully it is actually one of the less dangerous gasses out there, because its the only kind of gas that can actually be prevented from killing or incapacitating you by putting on a gas mask in reaction to seeing it. The rest are colorless, odorless and tasteless, or kill you if you come into skin contact with them, or are highly flammable, or so reactive that they eat through anything and everything around them if not properly handled. Which means the person gassing them isn't confident enough in their abilities to handle something more dangerous. Good. There were stories about one Wind affinity Jounin during the Third War who used a combination of wind element and nerve gas to end thousands of lives by simply using strong enough winds to blow invisible poisonous gas into crowds of soldiers and kill them just it touching them and directing it wherever they pleased. Had a title, "The Nerve Gas Nightmare". Thank the Kamis they weren't facing anything like that.

So she uses her chakra to unwrap the paper from Doi's arm then Kimiko jumps upwards to the ceiling, using tree-climbing jutsu to stick her hands and feet to the ceiling.
"Its likely chlorine! It gathers on the floor, so if you stay upwards you'll have more time before it fills up."
Yuyuyu blows the kunai with her umbrella and follows suit, sticking to the ceiling. Kimiko always being prepared takes out a scroll and release from storage, three gas masks, giving one to Yuyu then throwing one to Usagi.
"You, Dai, Doi! You care about Saburo and Yukio right? Get them, then get on the ceiling! You don't have much time!"
She puts on her gas mask along with Yuyu while muttering
"Who is doing this?"

Dai and Doi, stopped the battle, and grabbed their friends, and jumped up, covering their faces with mere scarves. Usagi jumped as well to the ceiling. She also put a gas mask.

now stream of water is poured into the room. The water look bright yellow in a poisonouse way.

"That exactly, why we left the stupid clan!" Dai yelled with frusration.


"There is no hope. Despair is the only thing a ninja will face...' they hear again the voice inside their heads. Voice filled with hatred and frustration.

Usagi:"Hmph. Coward."







Odayama

"What? What is going on!?" he gasped, when the bells ringed of danger
DJ gotten up. "This is new..."


Odayama's eyes have widened up. This weren't meant to be THAT dangerouse! It merely were supposed to be an inflationary test! he started to run,

Kimiko:
Yellow liquid? she swears under her breath, thats probably nitric acid, that can burn your flesh and whatever it burns also probably emits toxic fumes. I mean it could be a toxic poisonous liquid, she wasn't ruling that out but the more common thing she knows about was nitric acid, and that burns your flesh and skin, it was a weak acid, meaning it was 3-6 Ph, but that doesn't mean anything-alkalines are dangerous to.
So she drawst he Origami No Tsurugi once more and cuts a person-sized hole in the ceiling, letting the piece fall into the poison/acid below and says
"Time to leave!"
She says running on the ceiling and up into the room above or the roof, either one was good, with Yuyu following close behind, looking around, then pull out three more masks from a second scroll and giving them to Dai and doi
"you have SECOND scroll of gas masks? Are you prepared for everything?"
"I'm a ninja. why wouldn't I be?" Kimiko asks back.
"Do you think letting it disperse upwards into the atmosphere will keep people safe?"
"Hopefully. We do not want this toxic stuff getting to the rest of people here. People outside the club are probably safe, but if someone is in the build filling rooms up with chemicals, we got a dangerous criminal on our hands, someone who knows enough to gas and pour acid. the gas is no proof of jutsu, but that amount of acid is another story. to start filling up a room like that would either need a big container with a hose, or someone with a liquid containment scroll and water release techniques to direct the flow, if only for their own safety. I doubt our ninja would miss a big container of clear liquid or nitric acid-looking stuff coming into the village especially since it reacts with iron and therefore steel, thus making the usual thing you make big containers out of not viable as a method of containment."
And even if its some yellow toxic liquid rather than an acid, venom can be absorbed through the skin to, so generally not safe to touch with your hands.
"So, the logical conclusion is ninja. thats the most plausible explanation I can think of, and they're trying to kill us, who is the creepy-voice kun we're hearing, so.....this seems like the work of some overly dramatic missing nin terrorist. Probably went rogue, has some psychologically damaging trauma they can't stop angsting about, they're using easily spotted and made acid and gas so I doubt they have much resources. They're attacking us so.....I say we kill him before he goes really out of control and does something like threaten civvies. This guys dangerous."
Yuyu nods and turns to Dai and Doi, extending a hand.
"You up for teaming up to take the guy down? If you just want to escape, we won't blame you, but we could use all the help we can get. Well, if you run away you'll also be giving up the band spot to us when this is done, and do you really want that?"
The band thing had become secondary priority to taking down the missing-nin attacking them.

Dai and Doi have exchanged glances. Dai hmpghed and looked away, but Doi took Yuyu's hand. "Well, I guess you aren't here to assassinate us. In this situation, it make us sisters in arms!" she giggled.
Usagi has summoned Yojimbo- she left her crotches behind.
"Usagi-san.. this is the second time, you have summoned me, today. What is the matter?" he has asked almost sound scolding, as he let her legs hug his neck.
"battle." she said with a wide smile.

the room, the group were right now, were a storage room for speakers. The yellow liquid in the room below twist into a whirlpool.


A character sat on the biggest loudspeaker- the character wore anbu mask of heyna, with a crack between the eyes, a too long military coat, with sleeves longer then his arms. Around his neck he wore two pieces of the broken forehead protector of the sound.

"Friendship. Putting your differences aside in front of a shared enemy. This sure does bring back memories.' the character said with what probably were supposed to be cool and mocking tone, but ended up shaken and frustrated.
"The Generation Of Hope. Eh? Adnit that your hopes are futile, and I might let you go."

"NEVER!" Usagi has yelled, and shoot an arrow at the character, who simply has jumped to the next giant speaker

Kimiko:
She stands up and look at this rogue ninja.
"Generation of Hope huh?"
she says
"Seems like something adults like to say a lot these days. But I don't care for it one way or the other. I'm after a goal...far more personal. Far more ambitious. Far more intellectual. Cause see, adults have expectations of kids like us, and those expectations are not always accurate. Cause they see us from their lens. From a time that has passed. From their hopes of what the future will be like. Its flawed."
Her mouth widens into a shark grin, her amber eyes sparking with courage underneath her gas mask.
"So talk all you want about it, Futility-San, I don't care. Your no different than other adult forcing expectations on us. I'm not doing this to be an inspiring figure of this Hope generation or for the village, my family, or anything. I'm doing this for me. What for? Wouldn't you like to know. I don't tell my goals to terrorists."
There were so many things he didn't know. He didn't know she already killed a man. He didn't know the tricks she had up her sleeve. He didn't know she was more than people expected of her. He clearly came in with an assumption: that all people from her generation were the same.

Lets prove him wrong shall we?

Usagi clearly demonstrated that just shooting at him directly will not work. So she pulls out a smoke bomb from her belt and throws it down with one hand while making a Sound Village Sign Language signal behind her back to Yuyu for "Stay Still" who in turn signs the same to others, smokescreening the entire room. so Kimiko then starts speeding around around the room trying to place as many explosive tags on giant speakers as she can before the smoke clears while using her extending paper blade to place and break pieces of it to make more, creating an environment where the more the terrorist moves, the more he risks getting near an explosive tag that she can detonate. Bad for him.

It was a little crazy, filling a room full of big speakers with explosives over a room that has an acid whirlpool, one explosion and they could fall to their deaths but that held true for Futility-san here to, but while she controlled the detonations, Futility-San here didn't and if he was relying on mobility to evade attacks, then take away his mobility.

"You yourself, are filled with an assumption. I actually a younger then you, by a bit.' the masked person said, with no concern of the smoke, and the tag bombs. "Beside, you are all bunch of cliches. Aren't you eager to prove your worth to mommy? Eh, princess-san?" he smirked with no happiness in his voice.

'Ha. My help has arrived.' the masked person smirked, as Odayama slammed the door open. The masked person started to make some seals, that were undetected under his sleeves.

Usagi pointed eight arrows, while Yojimbo has drawn his sword, and hopped from place to place.


Doi has yelled. "No! Stop, he use one of my clan's abilities!"

Usagi seems to lead Yojimbo right at Odayama- (she has heard Doi's yell that Odayama is the real masked person), passing by the masked person who jump and slash Yojimbo's back with hidden blade(?), he groan. Usagi turn back and shot those eight arrows- the masked person move quickly, and seems to jump right at one of the bomb tags

Kimiko:
"My mother? My MOTHER!?"
She says as memories flood through her...

Spoiler: Flashback: Expectations

Show

About Six Years Ago:
She is showing off the new jutsu she invented, the Ink Explosive Tag Formation Jutsu, it took her a lot of work, time and effort to make it work, but it did: she threw the paper shuriken at the target then formed the hand signs rapidly to shape the chakra she charged into it to form into an explosive seal folded within the shuriken then used the snake seal while saying
"Release!" to make it explode as it hits the target.
Her entire family gaped. That was a paper shuriken folded by one of her family members, and had no prior ink on it. She had just converted earth and water chakra into ink then shaped it into a complex series of finely calculated ink strokes that normally need a careful hand and patience for minutes if not hours to brush, making a paper shuriken in flight become an explosive tag in seconds then detonated it. This is insane. This is like figuring out how to just create grenades in the middle of battle out of thin air to them. The energy requirements are actually pretty low, its the fact that to be so precise in shaping and manipulating the ink like that so fast, that your memory and skill would have to be unbelievable. You'd have to be....
"...A genius." one says breathing in awe.
"She has to be" says another "The technique in application is simple- just making an explosive tag on the spot where there wasn't any before- but the actual work and brainpower needed to pull it off..."
"Agreed, I don't think I could do the same, fuinjutsu isn't done fast for a reason. One minor mistake with a seal, and it doesn't work."
"She just made a new jutsu that only someone with an incredible memory can pull off. At age six. What in kami's name will she able to do when she is an adult? There is great potential here."
She smiles and basks in the praise, her mother even comes up to her and says
"My daughter....I'm so proud of you. So young and your already exceeding expectations!" Yes! her mother was proud of her too! But the next words dropped a weight on her.
"Your already proving that you'll make a great clan leader when you someday take over! Perhaps you''ll even become Otokage someday!"
What? When did it become about that!? About those? She just wanted to improve her fighting style, to experiment, to make something enemies wouldn't expect! How did it turn into something about positions?

In class, Four Years ago:
Next she is in class, their academy instructor saying
"Okay, class I'll be teaching you all how to do the first most basic technique: transformation jutsu."
He forms the hand signs and transforms into a cute dog. Then turns back
"Now that you saw the technique in action, as this is your first ninjutsu, I will walk you through it hand sign by hand sign-"
"Like this?" Kimiko says flashing through the hand signs and turning into a cute dog as well, barking once or twice then turning back. The instructor is left speechless for a moment
"Kimiko....is....is this your first time doing this technique?"
He knew that noble ninjas had more of an education, but this?
"Yes." she answers honestly.
"...Incredible! Students, look a good look, for you gazing upon a shining beacon of the Generation of Hope! With genius and talent like that, who knows what great things she will do in this new era!?"
She feels more weight press down upon her, where did that come from!?

After School, Two Years ago:
Her mother is having a talk with her academy instructor while she sits to the side.
"Has she done something bad?" Mitsuko asks
"Not all, Ishikawa-Sama, Kimiko-chan here is well-behaved in class and gets the highest grades in it. Which is what I want to talk to you about: she is so good at what she does, that I'm not sure what to teach her next. She grasps the material, the techniques, the history, more easily than anyone! I'm not sure what to do with her aside from keeping her practicing."
"How is that something worth my time?"
"Ishikawa-Sama, have you considered that she might needs bumping up in grades, so to speak? She is a prodigy of like that we haven't seen in years, maybe not since the Three Sound Legends. Her potential is wasted just learning at the same pace as other students. Perhaps you should talk with the Otokage about her becoming a Genin early at the very least. She has a great future ahead of her, she should be put on the fast track towards it!"
What? Why? What does everyone see in her? All she wanted to do was learn all the jutsu she could, and study chakra.

At home:
Jirou returns home and Mitsuko asks him, Kimiko eating rice while she overhears.
"Well? what did the Otokage say to my proposal?"
"He said no, Okasan, citing that this was an age of peace, and that we no longer need to fast track geniuses like that. He said that if she has such great potential, that she should stay at her own grade to form better friendships and connections with them, as these are people her own age she will be working with her entire life. That if she is truly to be a clan leader, it would be good of her to develop her social skills so as to better lead."
"What!? But think of what she could learn from being Genin now, getting the experience, making Chuunin or even Jounin! She could be well ahead of the curve!"
"The Otokage won't budge on this, Okasan. And to be fair, I agree with him. she has great potential, but that won't mean anything if she can't form any connections with anyone. A village is only strong because we fight together, and great figures are great because they have made many people under them raising them upwards, supporting them until the great figure is only a face seen on top of an invisible mountain of people they stand upon. You know this."
"Sigh, as much as pains me to say it, your right, she is lacking in her social skills. We need to start her working on that right away."
Mitsuko turns to her as if now just noticing her presence. "Hear that? I'm sorry you couldn't get into being a Genin early, but your going to be clan leader someday! You'll have to learn more than just ninja techniques. Try making some friends at school tomorrow."
"but...I'm bad at speaking to people....Okasan...."
"Nonsense! Your a genius! I'm sure you'll succeed once you put your mind to it!"

At School:
Kimiko approaches a group of kids in her class, nervously waving and saying
"H-Hi!"
They turn to her and instantly frown.
"Oh, so the high and mighty Ishikawa clan heiress finally deigns to speaks to us common kids, huh?"
"What?" where did this come from!?
"Don't act dumb! My dad says that noble clans only speak to use people as their puppets!"
"Yeah, she probably just wants to rope us into doing her dirty work!"
"Yeah go away, teachers pet!"
"What? no! thats not it at all! I just want to be friends!"
"Yeah, whatever we all know what noble clans do to their "friends." in the end."
"Did you get bored of soaking up praise from adults? go back to your stupid books, nerd."
"Why else would she ignore us for so long only to speak to us now? You never paid attention to us before, so clearly you just want something from us. Go away."
"But...but..." when did the conversation get so out of control?
"she can't even deny it! Look she is crying!"
"didn't know nobles could do that!"
"Lets beat her up for all those times she won in sparring practice! Bet she can't take us three on one while crying!"
Her sadness turns to anger as they begin to attack. A few minutes later, the three kids are beaten up while she stands over them with only a single black eye, having won with some effort.
"Now will you listen to me!?"
"Huh, just like a noble to expect anyone to listen to them after beating people up."
"Bet you think your so much better than us! screw off, we don't want to be any "friends" of you."
"Yeah, beat it! We're telling our parents about this!"
She breaks down crying again and runs home. Turns out beating people up is a bad way to make friends.

At home:
Mitsuko sees her daughters crying face and asks
"What happened, Kimi-chan?"
Through sobs, she told her.
"...and....and...I failed!"
Mitsukos face darkens and she says
"You did not fail, those kids were clearly commoners, and they do not understand what our life is like, and thus were never going to be friends with you. The common people do not understand the sacrifices we make to protect them. They do not understand the measures we must make to ensure better future for you and everyone. We are Clan Ishikawa. We are above their petty concerns, their brutish ways and attitudes, because we are like any civilized person and they clearly weren't civilized. This is simply apart of the risks of our birth, and you must learn to take it in stride and find the ones who will appreciate your position for what it is and know their own position in turn. For you are a born winner and every winner must find their group of second placers to help them along their journey, their nakama or friends if you will. To take adversity in stride so that it never breaks you and be like iron in your convictions. I'm so proud that you were able to defeat all three of them! You did well."
Kimiko could only think: But why, why must she be the sole winner? why can't she just be....equal?Why can't she just be who she wants to be?
"Worry not about those children. I'll take care of them."

A Few weeks later:
She didn't see the three kids at school today. Curious she goes looking, and sees that their houses were empty. So she follows the trail until shes them and their civilian families leaving, fear on their faces as her mother, Mitsuko grins widely, her shark teeth showing as she waves goodbye to them.
As they leave, Kimiko comes up to her mother, confused.
"What....what is happening? why are they moving out?"
"Oh! Kimi-chan. Those families just decided that they'd rather live in another city. Quite reasonable of them after that little incident no?"
"You....you convinced them to do that? How?"
Mitsuko ruffles her hair "Oh, Kimi-chan, your mother can be very persuasive when she needs to be! Especially when my darling daughter is hurt by their improper raising of their children. How rude of them to interrupt my daughters efforts at greatness by gathering friends to support her future by failing to raise theirs. Tsk tsk tsk."
"They were afraid of you as if you.....did you use Killing Intent on them to get them to leave!?"
Mitsuko chuckles "heh. Nothing slips past you eh? Already seeing underneath the underneath, you exceed expectations again and again. They were civvie families, would never have encountered that trick, its for the best that they're scared off, as if they would've ever made good shinobi. Which reminds me, we should start you on Killing Intent defense lessons next week, the more you build up a resistance to that early, the better."
Kimiko doesn't know what to say, feeling only a weight fall upon her as she realizes that she can't let an incident like that happen ever again. She must be strong in the face of adversity.

The Garden:
Kimiko sits in the garden of the Ishikawa family, the pond being filled by the bamboo seesaw thing that every home has because it looks elegant or something, tired from the constant social facade she had to put up every day at school to keep her out of trouble. Jirou sits beside her.
"Problems?"
"No. No problems at all, I am strong, because I'm an Ishikawa, a shinobi and I do not feel. As weapons should."
"I'm only your brother, Kimiko. You do not have to put a mask on for me."
"...Okay. Truth is, I'm feeling....weighed down, pressured. Like everyone expects great things of me. Its...chaining, binding. Suffocating. I'm the heiress, a noble, a genius, I'm praised constantly for all that I do yet...it all feels too much, I don't feel as if it empowers me."
Jirou considers this.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me. I'm the clan disappointment! no paper release, just Water affinity. I know how bull it is. But some people like with kekkai genkai, or with money, or noble lineage or whatever, are just born with a greater advantage than others through no fault of their own. No matter how much I dislike it, I was born lesser than you, and my place is to support you on your path to greatness. But people are still people even when they have a greater "place", I think. That just because one is "greater", doesn't mean one is "better" than other people, you get what I mean? That your still like everyone else in that your a person with feelings that no amount of expectations or position will get or capture. You just....start closer to the top of the hill while everyone else is at the bottom, and you get a different view from that angle, y'know?"
She raises an eyebrow
"I THINK I get what you mean..."
"Heh, you don't have to, just....be a good person okay? And just be yourself around me, let some of the pressure off. You spend all day being Heiress to so many people. Let yourself be you when you need it without expectations, or its going to destroy you."
"....Thanks brother."
For once, the weight lifts and she feels light as air.

Finally she remembers yesterday. The ultimate expectation. A criminal taken. A man murdered. A paper blade bloodied by her hand. A death celebrated, a sword given. The realization of what the nature of what being a shinobi entails. It still gives her chills, and a weight greater than all the ones before it presses down upon her mind.

Her face contorts into anger.
"...If you think that is the only weight upon me, your a fool! Release!"
She forms the snake hand sign to make the explosive tag detonate when the masked figure comes near it, not hesitating to try and kill him.

"Yeah, "I am diffrent from others' as anyone says.' Masked one, snark as he jump to stand up on the ceiling. As if, he was aware of the detonatiin before it happened.
"Now... our next cliche-girl. The underdog! Always crowd favorite, am I right?' He looks at Usagi.
"Baka! Everyone say they are diffrent from each other, because they are!"
Usagi jump toward the ceiling swining his katana behind his head.
"And I know I am better then YOU! I have lost everything, and came out stronger-" she strech an arrow through eight strings of her harp bow, but this arrow had an exploding acid tag talisman. Seemed fair to Usagi. Eye for eye and all that.
"Yuyuyu-san! We need your cover from below!" Yojimbo yell at Yuyuyu
Dai and Doi perk their ears. "Don't listen to him! It's our clan technique! Yojimbo said nothing!"
But... if that the case, can Yuyuyu trust what the bat twins say?

Meanwhile... Udayama seems falling asleep stading? He even snore.


Yojimbo cut off the masked guy's right leg, making him scream in agony, and while falling down from the jump, Usagi shoot at him-
Acid splash and melting his mask to his face- and then all of him melt down to acid, which rain over Usagi and Yojimbo and possibly Yuyuyu if she ignore Dai&Doi's warning.
It seemed masked one, did a switching jutsu with Usagi's arrow somehow.

Kimiko:
She sees what is happening: movements that look as if they are moving a step ahead of them, getting hit by two attacks too easily, she warns:
"Yuyu! Don't cover them! He see things a step ahead."
Yuyu thus leaps back. Kimiko is now thinking: did the movement as if he knew about the tag simply signify that he was good at predicting them....or something more? Did he have some senses beyond normal? But he is formerly of the....Sound....Deep Ear?
"Guys....be careful. The way he moves, he might be of the Deep Ear Clan....and y'know, hear everything we do."
If he is predicting everything they do.....she must do something that he can't do anything about, even if he predicts it. What he can't do anything about? What is his strategy? If he is here, then this entire strategy and plan has been to....isolate them. This entire plan of his has been to make sure they are alone with him. Therefore....don't be alone. She blows up another tag this one on the wall so that it creates a hole to the outside and she runs out of it, yelling to anyone who might hear outside
"ROGUE NINJA! MISSING NIN IN THE VILLAGE! FORMERLY OF SOUND! WARN THE OTOKAGE!"
Yuyuyu follows suit and runs out in a v formation from Kimiko to shout a similar warning to try and make sure Masked One cannot interfere with both of them.

Yojimbo manage to land on his feet panting with pain.
Burns covered Usagi.

The masked one frowned. "Why can't you just accept your fate?"

He jump toward the foor, but when he pass by Odayama, Odyama's hands grow long and crooked claws slashing part of the mask off.

Two ears are exposed. A fluffy bat ear stiched right by his real ear.
He were sent flying through the door.

Odayama just turned to him, still sleeping.

Usagi yelled with anger, shooting flurry of arrows which two of them hit masked one's shoulder.
Dai and Doi circling him from both sides shooting pens at him.

Masked one seemed shocked from Odayama's sudden attack.
Masked one is in the corridor. 'Giving up, is your only true hope!'

Kimiko:
She frowns at the fake ears.
"Not deep ear eh? Hm. Yet wields water affinity, that rules out Sharingan and Byakugan. One has fire affinity, the other is very specific in fighting style. So what are you?"
Honestly that headband could mean nothing. Any number of hidden villages were either enemies or rivals to sound and could've had this terrorist take that headband to use as disguise to sabotage them for a narrative. Three major ones at the very least given their place in geopolitics and a bunch of minor ones besides. Water affinity meant nothing ninja of any nation could have that, its just that Mist had the biggest use for them.
"Why won't we give up? Because to give up on hope, is to give up on your life, for what is life without it? You might as well tell us to stop breathing for all the good it will do."
Kimiko tries to use her paper whip to tear off the rest of his mask to expose his identity while Yuyuyu throws kunai to try and force to jump into the whips grasp.
"That and probably the whole thing about us being soldiers of the state raised from kindergarten to put others lives before ours and take care of threats like you probably has something to do with it? We're products of our society is all."
He is basically asking a question to the results that only the process can answer after all.

There were no physical prooves for mostly "maksed one' to have Fukaimi* bloodline abilities. "You surely are have self importance, rare even for your cliche.'
He deflect Yuyuyu's kunai with ease using the tip of his sleeve. "Ah. Yes the least crowd's favorite- the weak link, who hold the intresting ones together."
Then starting new seals under his sleeves.

"Products? Ah yes. That what the villages are doing to us.' He jumped away from the whip, leaving stains of blood.
Though, it sounded like more people came over there.
But he jumped to the wrong place- to Odayama's reach. Odayama's arms became eerily long, with claws long enough to cover his face. Around his eyes, by the way deep purple was seen, as if he were tired more then a mortal can be, or brain inured to the point, blood filled the nose caves**.
Odayama as if he was automate, in eerie inhuman movement slashed Masked's chest, blood splashed everywhere, blood spilled from under the mask, implying he is barfing blood.

"Heheh... so Odayama-san isn't completly a let down..' he panted.
Usagi pointed eight arrows with paper talismans at his face.
"Well, listen to your own advice and give up!'

"No. I won't let you take their ears.' His bat ear flattened in anger.
And just like that acid dragon behind the shinobis backs whipped his tail, trying to catch the wholw group unguarded.***










*It's literaly deep ear in japanese. So this is offical clan name.
"**Hope this how it called in english. In the forehead, there are "tunnels', and at extreme brain injury they filled with blood, something that nicknamed "racoon eyes'
*** he used jutsus to summon a dragon from the acid a floor below and used another to silent his movement.

Kimiko: Reveal True Plan
As Futility-San's acid dragon washes over Kimiko and Yuyuyu, it seems as if they were burnt away to nothing in the dissolving chemicals...

But then suddenly Futility-San finds Kimiko's paper blade and Yuyuyu' kunai stabbing through his chest. Their two attacks had just been disguises for them using replacement jutsu to get close enough to stab him, Yuyuyu using the thrown kunai and Kimiko using a small flake of paper that she broke off from the blade with her chakra to replace themselves with, interrupting his acid dragon jutsu from getting to the rest of them.
"Not standing out has its advantages."
She comments nonplussed.
"Thats just Shinobi 101."
Kimiko agrees, then slides out the blade from his chest unnaturally light and fast and tries to behead Futility San.

Usagi, her wounds steaming yelled. 'Hoi! You are stealing my kill!"
Yojimbo hop and stab the masked one from behind

"Haha. Every victory of your will make your despair to be deeper" while Kimiko behead him. At this point, bunch of Broken Record members are here.

The body slide deeper into Yojimbo's sword.

But not all is well. The Bye Bye Kitties, were caught unprepared and were washed by the acid dragon.
Also, the acid has ruined everything that was in the room.


Odayama open his eyes, yawns transforming back to normal human.
"We won. But, do we have losses?'

Kimiko:
She is panting at having gone through this life or death situation, a little wide eyed. This....was the second man she was killed. And not through some forced test, but her own choice in the line of duty. It...didn't feel much better than the first time. She contains her shaking as she sheathes her blade, having just ended a life, her voice unsteady but her doing her best to keep it calm.
"....All in a days work."
Yuyuyu catches Kimiko's gaze and sees.....something within it. Something she finds odd.
"Really. is that so?"
"Yeah. We're ninja. Its what we do."
Yuyuyu raises an eyebrow at this, suspecting there is something more going on there but decides to let it rest to check on the status of The Bye Bye Kitties.

While she does that, Kimiko does her best to act as if what she just did was perfectly normal for a kid her age, that there was nothing notable about it and that she is perfectly fine thank you for asking, there is no problem and if there was it couldn't possibly be helped so don't bother.
"Yeah so what if I stole it? Its just a kill, we're ninja, you'll get plenty of opportunities."

Yojimbo panted in pain. "The battle has been won. I shall retreat and heal, Usagi-Sama.' And dissapeared in smoke
Usagi's burns fumed, but she ignored the pain, and looked enraged at Kimiko. In her eyes were a real blood lust. Was she a wonder? Or a beast who doesn't know to give up?
"Baka! You jumped infront of my arrow! Just stay back and be pretty-because next time, I'll shoot, no matter who is in my way!" She yell, ignoring her fuming burns.

"Hoi, hoi..." Odayam tried to calm down the murderer girls.

Usagi was a young girl too. But her first memory is ripping people including herself to pieces. Earlier and happier memories were repressed.
She feel mostly primal fear of being helpless again. She is quite obssesed and many normal feelings are repressed.

The Bye Bye Kitty band looked bad. If Usagi and Yojimbo got splashes of acid, they got a whole shower.
The busty bartender from earlier hurry to their side, and starting to make seals of healing jutsus.
Scratchman sighed. "Well, ksu. Your girls are tough as nails, Odayama. I think they deserve to be on the show."
Odayama groaned. "Are you an idiot? This was a hard combat for them, Kimiko is shaken and Usagi is injured.'

"I am fine!" Usagi barked.
The bartender healer yelled. "No! You are not! Can you even stand up?'

Usagi struggled, sweated. At the last moment she took a soldier pill.
"Here. I am fine. After the show I'll let the bimbo or who ever care to treat me.'

Scratchman laughed. "Hahaha! Hardcore. I like it!"

Odayama cringed.

Yuyuyu
She winces a little at seeing the Bye Byes
"Odayama-Sensei....I don't think its looking good for the Bye-Bye Kitties. They got hit with the acid hard. They seem to still be alive but....I doubt they'll be winning beauty contests any time soon. And thats assuming the damage is only skin deep. acid like that can mess up all sorts of things about the human body. Only medic-nins can tell exactly what, they need to get to the hospital. Not to insult your abilities bartender-san, but damage like this should be treated by more than a field medic."
If she was even that, if this girl with medic-nin training is tending a bar one gets the impression that they might not be fully legit in the eyes of a medical community, after all if they have such ability, why weren't they applying it to better than things than patching up bar fights? She was good for stabilizing them nothing more.

Kimiko: Be Insensitive Jerk
"Your just mad because I was competent enough to outwit Futility-San and you weren't, Legless. and what I'm not shaken." she insists. "I WON, I stopped the threat, as we are meant to do."
"At the cost of the Bye-bye Kitties as casualties."
"They were academy students who dropped out to become a punk band, then they decided to get into a fight with people who trained more than them, its their own fault if they didn't keep up their skills. Guess what, if they had stayed in school and kept their ninja skills sharp every day, this wouldn't have happened. The entire meaning of the word ninja is "survival", if you don't do that, your not a ninja period. It was a giant acid dragon we could all see coming, that should've been a no brainer to use replacement technique like we did."
"Kimiko! They're injured on the ground! Stop being a jerk!"
Kimiko blinks
"What? I'm just stating whats true. I'm not insulting them."
Yuyuyu rubs her head and reminds herself that Kimiko has no understanding of whats appropriate to say in any situation.
"I MEANT your being insensitive."
"Oh. Right. Sorry. Still didn't say anything untrue though."
Kimiko then turns to Scratchman
"Well we still have a mission to complete and I'm pretty sure Odayama-Sensei and bartender-san can carry the Bye-Bye Kitties to the hospital like the responsible adults they are. When do we start our song?"

Kimiko: Sing
Later after thats taken care of, they go upon stage, pulling their instruments out of storage scrolls, setting up their instruments and Kimiko goes up to the mic and snap her fingers to Begin the music and she starts singing, not just any song, but the song of her dreams, the song of her goals, that only these criminals would appreciate the song....of her desire to be....the very best:
I want to be the very best,
Like no one ever was.
To steal them is my real test,
To read them is my cause!

(I will travel across the land,
Searching far and wide.
Each Jutsu scroll to understand
The power that's inside!)

Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!
It's you and me,
I know it's my destiny!

Jutsu Scrolls!
Oh, you're my best friend,
In a world we must defend!
Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!

(A heart so true,
Our courage will pull us through!)
You teach me and I'll teach you,
Jut-su-Scrolls!

Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Every challenge along the way,
With courage I will face!

I will battle every day,
To claim my rightful place!
Come with me, the time is right,
There's no better team!
Arm in arm, we'll win the fight,
It's always been our dream!

Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!
It's you and me,
I know it's my destiny!
Jutsu Scrolls!

Oh, you're my best friend,
In a world we must defend!
Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!

(A heart so true,
Our courage will pull us through!)
You teach me and I'll teach you,
Jut-su-Scrolls!

Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!
It's you and me,
I know it's my destiny!
Jutsu Scrolls!

Oh, you're my best friend,
In a world we must defend!
Jutsu Scrolls!
Gotta steal em' all!

(A heart so true,
Our courage will pull us through!)
You teach me and I'll teach you,
Jut-su-Scrooooooooolls!
Gotta steal em' all!
Gotta steal em' all!
Jut-su-Scrolls!

The crowd loved it. Some laughed, but not in the mocking way.
It was relativly calm and cheerful for the style of the Broken Record Club.
They clapped, and some even joined the singing.
After the show, Usagi breathed heavily. The soldier pills weren't healing her- they are supposed to give stamina boost to endure the battle, and that it. Those pills might actually worse the situation at some situatuion, and more then one middle aged shinobi used them in battle, just to die from heart attack afterward.
But playing safe, wasn't in the spirit of the Sound Village. Infront of the burning power of the Leaf Village, they had only resourcfulness, and a sucidal determination.
After the show, the nice busty bartender peck Kimiko on the forehead.
It seemed no matter how she looked, and how many people LOOKED at her, she noticed every one of them.
"Smile more. You might turn into a true beauty.' She wishpered and walked away, (and assuming Kimiko make funny expriession) Usagi laugh, but stop with a groan of pain.

And now the towering figure of Scratchman shadowed over them. Under the hood only a wide smile were seen. "Heh. The number two healer of our village is sure a fun girl to have around." He probably winked. "You can call her Fushi-Sama. You have impressed her, speaking of which, we need to talk.'

Usagi cringed. "I don't care about the relationship of a spoiled princess and a bimbo. I need to go to the hospital.'
Scratchman waved it off. "Fushi-san, will treat you while we talk.'
Usagi blushed just a bit. "I need a real healing nin."
Scratchman laughed. "I have trusted my own life in her lovely hands. And more then once. Come tough girls. You deserve some Sensei speech, and Odayama-chan had to go and tell bed time story to his daughters. Haha." He laughed, and led them to his control room. Usagi slap off his hand when he try to help her, and he just laugh. His laughter has a deep bass tone.

Fushi is already there, and between all the sound tools, she put a military bed.
She motioned to Usagi to come. After few unneccarily remarks about how ok she is, Usagi came.
Fushi's hands glowed with blue chakra, as she placed her hands over the burns.
"You are the determined baka one. Aren't you?' Fushi has asked softly.
'You are the baka! You bimbo!" Usagi yelled.
"Hihi. You remind me, of my childhood friend...' she giggled softly, and then her voice turn into cold iron. 'And she died. Painfully.' There were something very dominante and threatening, that made Usagi to stop struggling and tsundering around.
Scratchman has offered Yuyuyu and Kimiko some very light liqure. It was quite the generouse offer- such thing were impossible to purchase for norma citizens, and rare commodity even for succesful Chunnins.
"Well, you sure are bunch of crazy girls. That for sure. I am not supposed to say it, but the guy you killed? Were in top 10 in ouringo book. You can expect some hefty prize of money. But...' he paused.
"Yuyuyu-san have noticed some big problem in your attitude." Scratchman paused.
"The Bye Bye Kitties-"
"Bunch of whinning weaklings!" Usagi yelled.
"Here.' Scratchman paused.
"Do you know, what kind of ninja the Village Of Sound need?'

'One that never lose!' Usagi yell, and cringe as Fushi yank her back.

Kimiko: Give Incorrect Answer
The young Ishikawa is currently smiling with a big shark smile and overflowing with confidence and pride, high off her victory over apparently a big criminal with a big bounty, everyone loving her song and Fushi-san giving her kiss on the forehead all on the same day. She is looking like she has just won the lottery, and she might as well have. Its very probable that all this praise will or is going to her head.
"Well thats simple! We need competent ninjas like me. Those who put in the work, do their studies, keep themselves disciplined and sharp to foil their plans and of course follow through by killing the foe so as to minimize civilian casualties. Sure its sad that the Bye-Bye Kitties were injured in the process of helping out, but they nonetheless made a valiant effort and thus contributed to the defense! And I thank them for that contribution. They are lucky they got away with only injuries, and many ninjas don't come back at all. Now if they had not dropped out, if they kept up with their studies and training, perhaps they would've been quicker on the draw to use the replacement technique and evade the damage as we did, as well come up with the idea to get close to him using that technique to get rid of him themselves."
Meanwhile Yuyuyu looks back and forth a little crossly between a battered stubborn Usagi who under-performed in that battle because she kept tackling it head on and getting only injuries from it, and a Kimiko who is arrogant and prideful in her genius, having come out of this looking more successful than ever and neither of being particularly concerned with the Bye Bye Kitties fate.
"But the fact of the matter is that they didn't. If we weren't there, they would've failed anyways and Futility-San would still be at large. Sound Village needs people who can do their jobs well, who can do what needs to done when the time comes! Who follow the rules, who stand upon the shoulders of the giants of yesterday, so that they can see further to make the world a better place for tomorrow. It is sad that the Bye-Bye Kitties could not cut the mustard, but casualties are to be expected in our line of work. We simply have to accept that as a fact with stoic dignity and move on with our lives, no use making a drama out of it. The fact of the matter is that we need quality, when our village lets be honest cannot compare to greater villages. The life of a ninja is not one for the lax or the inattentive. We are the protectors, spies and heroes of our nation. Today, I protected this village and kept it safe with my actions, what can possibly be wrong with that?"
Yuyuyu chimes in.
"I believe...that we need the kind of ninja willing to work together. Willing to reach out, communicate and make sure we are all united, or at least understand one another. To help one another as a community. Sure maybe the Bye-Bye Kitties could trained better, but we could've saved them if we focused on making sure everyone was unharmed rather on winning. We could have reduced casualties if we instead acted to get them out of the way. We should not callously throw away lives just because we're apart of a military. Obeying the rules is good, but helping those around you is even better. And honestly I currently do not see that in either of my team mates."
"What are you talking about? I was working together with everyone! I provided gas masks, I got us out of the acid flood, I tried to warn the rest of the village about him, I won the fight. Do you think Fushi-san would be healing anyone as easily if we were still in combat? No. We'd still be preoccupied with him causing trouble but now we can focus on them getting healed, thus by ending that fight as soon as possible, I helped the people injured to get treatment faster. The enemy's defeat is the most important objective in combat, because once it ends, you can take care of everything else much quicker!"
"Kimiko, I was struggling to keep up with all your ideas and having to guess what you were thinking constantly. You didn't communicate your plans to anyone really you just did them and expected everyone to follow along. You were ignoring others well being to kill him as fast as possible, and while what you say makes sense, if we follow the logic too much everyone will die from not taking some care to defend themselves and keep themselves alive to see that defeat through. Thats the kind of thinking that got us the Last Shout jutsu, and we need to do better than that. You in particular are prideful and arrogant and your confidence in your skills can easily lead to overconfidence if your not careful."
"I guess that does make sense..."

Scratchman smiled. (Well, even more. It seemed like he glued his smile)
"Yo, Yuyuyu-chan has true potential. Yes. The Sound Village have enough cut throats. And yeah, it was cool and metal and all, but in the end of the day, it was just another battle. You need something to defend. To anchor you."

Usagi frowned.:"If I could work alone, it would be much easier. Everyone, and especialy Princess-san just get in the way!"

Scratchman shook his. "Listen girl. You are tough. No one argue that. Our village doesn't give you those foreheads as game. But you have to grow up.'
"Grow up?! I am a skillfull archer, and probably the best genin of our village! Baka!" She yelled.

Scratchman laughed. "I like your style, girl. But both you and Kimiko quite... self focused. Aren't you girls? Both of you can be much more. You Usagi, has the material to become a legend. An inspiration for generations to come. Kimiko..." he pause.
"You are on the path to be a great shinobi. I am sure of it. And in our small town, you will be remembered. Maybe. But in the big world... there are dozens, maybe hundreds of geniouse ninjas out there. What will make you diffrent? Eventually you will meet them in battle. Some of them might be more talented then you. What do you have that they don't?"

Meanwhile with Jirou:
He enjoys the song as well while he works in the lab. afterwards while walking back he over hears from a couple of chounin that Kimiko took out a high bounty ninja. That attacked out of nowhere. He pounds the side of a building in frustration while muttering.
"Kuso! She is already prideful to a fault and has high expectations placed upon her mother and the rest...now she somehow pulled off taking out someone like that!? She doesn't need expectations being raised even higher. Success may be good, but at some point....I worry she will break. Kimiko isn't invincible, nor as unshakable as she likes to think. I need to make sure she doesn't get too big of a head. Or who knows what might happen to her."
He leaps off to the Ishikawa mansion. He needs to have a talk with his mother.

Kimiko:
"Do you mean friends and allies are what I "uniquely" have? Oh come now, do you think those genius ninjas DON'T also work as a team with other ninjas? Of course I'm going to have friends and allies, thats basic- everyone has those, thats why its called society. Now if you want to list what really sets me apart, its my paper release bloodline and knowledge of fuinjutsu. I plan utilizing those to their fullest potential."
And acquiring far more than that besides. Her dreams were BIG and she has this planned out to a degree since she was eight. Even the first step of her plan to learn All The Jutsu was going to be big however, and it was only going to get bigger from there. Big enough that she'd have to surpass most the ninja she ever known to even begin working on Step One, she was currently on Step Zero which was basically "Make it to Jounin". But no one needs to know that. that wasn't important right now, and if she blabbed her plans, they'd look like the ravings of a madwoman or pipe dreams at best. Wouldn't do to make the Sound think she is crazy or a threat.
"Of course I got my family to learn things from to help with that and due to our natural affinity for Earth and Water its going to be wise to invest in those releases. And I agree with Yuyu that we need to be better than the last generation and their kamikaze mindset. While it got us a village in the first place, it clearly did a number on the quality of our ninja. I plan on living thank you very much.But yes, paper release its what sets me apart. I even used the paper release to finish that fight by replacing myself with a paper flake to get close."
Yuyuyu sighs. Its a bit hard to argue with someone so smart as Kimiko, because a lot of what she says is technically true, but her attitude about it adds up to something undesirable, and she isn't entirely wrong in some of what she says.
"Look, what you say is true, but you keep in mind that we're not just ANY ninja, we have specific skill sets and abilities. Usagi is an archer. I am a genjutsu specialist and spy. We have specific strengths we need to play to, and we need to know each other to work together well. Your not teaming up with a "ninja" as if thats a uniform you teaming up with specific people who have specific needs and wants, and I agree the kamikaze mindset of last gen is stupid, we need to live, but doesn't that apply to saving the Bye-Bye Kitties so they live too? What if they died? Can you really afford a reputation for letting the ninja around you die, Kimiko? No one will help you if you if you don't care about their lives, for why should they care about yours?"
"What you say makes sense. I cannot afford to not care about other people. I'm not saying I don't care about their lives Yuyuyu, I'm just saying that prevention through teaching people to evade this themselves in the first place is better than having to drop what we're doing to save them in the present. Like it or not, if they were better at replacement technique, this wouldn't have happened to them. Yes there are things I could improve upon, but we're starting out and its process to work out what we need to improve. Speaking of people needing to improve, at least I did better than Usagi over there! What did she actually contribute? How was she useful? All she did was fire arrows at the guy without thought and take hits without evading them, its a wonder she isn't more acid burnt than the Kitties.

and listen to her even now, talking about working alone as if that possible! We're in a military, our entire job is about working with other ninja to our part to protect our nation, at least I understand that, at least I can listen to reason! She thinks she is some lone hero who will solve everything with guts and courage alone as if she is straight out of one of those trashy action mangas that finish everything with a beam or a punch."
"Says the girl who sang a variant of a radio song made to advertise a gatcha." Yuyuyu mutters back
"You know what I mean, Usagi struggled and tried to force her way through that fight. If I'm bad, she is worse, I at least try to think outside the box and change the situation to be more advantageous. Usagi just kept attacking without much thought for how to get around his defenses, to control the situation. At least in my self-focused efforts I succeeded and thus contributed to the village, can she say the same? No. I think the results speak for themselves in that. What do I have? A noble family with experience, a bloodline that allows me to do things with jutsu most can only can dream of, a sword that allows me a source for that bloodline to be useful and the mind to know I always need to improve. Question is, what does Usagi have, hm? those ninja geniuses won't pass over her and always go for me just because she is dumber, she needs to think about this too."

Usagi gotten up, a vein popped in her forehead.
"Nani?!' she pushed herself to sit, as Fushi stared in awe and horror.
"What I have?! The knowledge that every ability and skill I have, is truly MINE.
You have it all easy. The first time, things won't go your way, you will shatter. I could kill any stupid geniouse with ease, as long no supposed "ally" stand in my way!"

Scratchman looked letting the discussion flow.
A club ninja like him was fine with some noise

"I trust my rabbit friends. They have seen me, beyond my missing legs. Me and Yojimbo work perfectly together. So if you want t to challenge me- bring it on! Any place and any time, at any thing!"
Scratchman and Fushi laughed.
"What so funny?!" she snapped.

"Don't get it the wrong way, girl. You just remind us of a close friend of us." Scratchman said

"Who died as genin." Added Fushi