Shiroma winced slightly when Nori responded to Sigmund and grit her teeth hard knowing what was coming.  Though actually he surprised her just a little bit, he didn't lash back as much as she thought he would.  Though not idea it was something she would have suggested the idea of isolating himself  was actually really not a bad one. He and Nori were both a bundle of nerves and Nanami wasn't much better having experienced it all through Nori's eyes.  Last thing they needed was the sparks that would be generated between Nori and Sigmund.

She sighed softly and shook her head before  turning back to the two girls starting her next work. "Nori I can't say I know your exact pain myself since I didn't live it.  But Nori it was an accident a horrible accident that wounded you."  Hearing Nanami's comment about just being herself Shiroma sighed and looked at Nanami, "But what if you don't know who yourself is anymore?" She was fairly certain that question was one that would come up since it had been one she had asked herself many times in over the year.

Nanami tilts her head "Hmm." She thinks for a moment. The loss of identity? Only a few things made her question who she was, or what she was meant to do. Several times in her life, her training and skills changed drastically for one point to the next. The biggest impact on who she was, came from the chunin exams. But the actual feeling was one she had no description for. After the moment passed "When I.." She paused, as that memory flashed through her mind "When I stabilized Sigmund at the chunin exams, and with my Sharingan awakening then. I questioned everything, some questions were answered. Others were not. I will credit them. Both Sasuke and Sakura gave me meaning and direction. That is what Nori needs to find, a meaning and a direction. A sense of purpose. An identity." She smiled a little "When you realize it or you find it. You will know. I have taken many wrong approaches to many situations. They all taught me something." She takes a breath and leans against the wall.

Was Nori's situation the same though? She shook her head as she thought to herself. This is something that might be out of her realm. She waited to see what they said on the topic. Still a little drained from the events of the day, she hoped for a restful night when it came. There was still a lot to talk about. Something had dawned on Nanami. When the topic was right she would share her theory with Nori and shiroma..

Nori wanted to believe that Sigmund would understand where she was coming from, but maybe they were just in two different places with all of this. He had been dealing with the lose of his brother and having his killer as his teammate, while she had just newly discovered this news and was just learning how to process it all. It wasn't easy. Of course she would blame herself like Sigmund had said. She had killed someone with her two hands. Everything that she was feeling should have been natural for anyone in her position, but not everyone was the same. Sigmund had to process the fact that his brother was no longer alive at such a young age and had to learn how to grow from it. He held a lot of hostility and anger towards her, which was normal, and she was scared. Scared not just because she didn't know how she was going to handle all of this, but because of the change that might happen between all of them. Nanami had experienced her memories through her mind and took a glimpse into her life. Into memories that she held dear to her. She didn't want Nanami to suffer on her behalf, either, but she had a feeling there was nothing there that could be unseen. Those memories were her memories and she would forever be haunted by that one that had been hidden from her since it happened. Maybe one day she would be able to accept what she had done and be able to move on with her life, but it wasn't easy right now. She still needed time to process everything and she was hoping that Sigmund would accept that, but at this point, he didn't even seem to care whether she did or not. Nori expected a bigger response, but she knew he was tired of all this. With her memory of that day coming back and with Nanami having to deal with that memory, it seemed as if everything was piling up on him one after the other. This...it wasn't exactly fair to him, either, was it?

She simply watched the other walk away and create a bone prison away from them. She softly scoffed and looked back to Nanami ebfore she felt herself hugged by her. "I'm sorry to have put you through such an ordeal, Nanami. I know it couldn't have been an easy thing to handle, but thank you for exposing the truth to me. I'm not going to lie, it's not an easy thing to process and think over and I...honestly don't feel like I should be here because I feel like I wouldn't be able to focus on this mission and give one hundred percent," she said. "But all of you are right. I do need to see this through. I'm just overwhelmed by it at this point. I don't want my emotions to effect anyone negatively. I guess I just...hope that once this mission is over, I really can go and find out the answers to questions I have. Not just about that day, but about my life." Nori turned her eyes towards Shiroma. "I need to reassess myself and find out who I am. This wound is never going to go away. It's always going to stay with me for the rest of my life, but that's something I am going to need to work through after this mission is over. Right now we have to finish this. We have to finish Kotatsu."

Shiroma smiled slightly at Nanami and nodded slightly, "you are right she needs to find that but first she needs to find out who she is again.  You seem like you are missing something even though you were in her mind.  This took everything she thought she knew about her and broke it in a thousand pieces. Suddenly she isn't who she thought she was."

Her eyes turned back to Nori and smiled again as she listened to the girl and nodded again. "Good, and you should never want it to go away.  Taking away pain doesn't help anything.  Pain makes us human." She motioned to the ice tombs in the back sighing softly and shaking her head.  "That pain of killing my friends will never go away, and nor do I wish it too.  It will keep me from making the same mistake again." She reached over and gently patted Nori's cheek. "You are going to be fine do you hear me? You are stronger then you think, and stronger then he thinks. You will get through this and I will help if you want me to.  For tonight do whatever you need to, run, scream, cry, punch something, whatever you need.  And tomorrow we get back to the mission and if you have trouble just let me or Nanami know and we will help."

Nanami played with a lock of her hair for a moment "I'll help in anyway I can. Also with the emotions running so high. It caused me to act a little hastily a few times. But looking back even the building coming down wasn't a bad thing." She looked at Sigmund and then around the room "During my emotional break, while I was sorting things out. Everything that has happened was suddenly made very clear." Her eyes drop for a moment "Kotatsu isn't after Sigmund himself. The whole Uchiha thing is what confused me." For a moment the young teen stayed quiet "If Sigmund was a full Uchiha his eyes would have activated on their own." Nanami hated the realization that came to her "So if Kotatsu is Sigmunds brother. He is most likely a half brother. Kotatsu has been doing something to Sigmunds body. Possibly adding more Uchiha genes to him. So that the Sharingan would awaken. However with his current Kekkai they would likely draw to much chakra or overload him with chakra, causing an uncontrolled rage."


Her fists clinch "The way Kotatsu referred to Sigmund as a prize always bothered me. Kotatsu's overall goal is to cause the Sharingan to awaken, the rage to happen, and for him to kill us activating the Mangekyou Sharingan. Then Kotatsu will strike Sigmund down and take the newly awakened Mangekyou Sharingan, and eventually have them implanted to himself. Forming the height of the Uchiha's visual prowess. The Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. This is why he kept reappearing even after he had captured Sigmund." She paused "So we have to make sure this doesn't happen."

Shiroma nodded listing to Nanami about  the whole incident and then frowned slightly as she listened in to the whole discussion on the Sharingan.  She knew very little about the Sharingan or other Kekkai besides the one she used herself.  However something was bothering her a lot about what Nanami said.  She shook her head slowly, "You might be right, but first isn't it possible that someone did the exact same thing to Kotatsu that you think is being done to Sigmund? So they might still be full blood brothers if that is the case but that is besides the point.  Nanami it isn't our place to make that choice for Sigmund, we can offer our advice and opinions and even beg him not to go down certain paths.  But in the end it his is choice. Granted I prefer not to die in the process but still he needs to know that you fear this is the plan, and then he might ask you to interfere like you have been. I know if I had a potential weakness that was being exploited I would beg you to keep it from being used."

Nanami exhales and lets out a small noise "Hmmm.. Advice? Opinions? He may hear our voices on those matters. Does he listen?" She shakes her head "Not often. He finds most of our words useless." She blinks and looks upwards "There was a time when he listened to me. Back before the chunin exams. When we trained with our Sensei." Her eyes cast a gloomy shade for a moment "He brought out the best in us. After training one day me and Sigmund sat on a rooftop and just talked. That was the only time it happened. The closer the chunin exams got. The more serious he got." Remembering their training how they raced across the water. Nanami remembers how she fell in and they both helped her out. She longed for those days "But things have been different since the chunin exams." She smiles for a moment "Something Sakura told me. A medical nin is not there just to heal wounds or prevent them. She is there to protect her team as well."

Nanami twisted her back. There were several pops "I took this to heart. While certain things are not my choice." She paused her head cocks from one side to the other "Sometimes there are situations when a person doesn't have a voice to choose with. So others must be that voice. Sometimes it's not a choice someone likes. Did I like that I had to put my friend into a temporary coma, so a rage didn't overtake him? I hated doing it. But at the time it was the only choice." She grinds the toe of her shoe into the ground "Do I like keeping secrets from my friends? No I do not, but it was a choice that was right for the moment." Nanami takes a deep breath. Her chest heaves as she lets the long breath out "Did I want to unlock, locked memories. Then experience them? Not really. I did so because Nori asked me to."

Nanami took another deep breath "Your theory is most likely right. Because if Sigmund was an Uchiha. His eyes would have most likely awakened during the incident. So it does raise the question? Who did that to Ryuu? A similar gene manipulation could also explain why all the snow jutsu users can use the shadow or dark type element." She sits down and looks at Shiroma "I am curious to see where things stand in the morning."

When Nori felt Shiroma pat her cheek and heard her give such encouraging words, she couldn't help but feel that things were going to be okay. That one day she would learn to cope with what she had done and not run away. She knew doing that wouldn't solve anything, but when you hear someone say that you killed someone and you don't remember it...that could take a toll on you. When she was younger, all she ever wanted to do was protect not only Sigmund, but her family and the people of Konoha. She wanted to do them all proud and be a great shinobi one day with her best friend at her side. But one incident...that changed everything. Part of her still felt like after remembering everything from that day that she still felt like the little girl that felt her dream of being a strong shinobi wasn't something she deserved to. If she had gone on and they didn't do something to her memory, she would have given up that dream and who knows where she would have been at this point. Who would she be? Certainly not the person she was today, but now she just wanted to know more. Was there more memories that she couldn't remember like Nanami said? Were there more secrets? Was anything about her past even true? Now she felt like she was going to question everything at this point. Her parents...they had to know everything that happened back then. They had to have made that decision to make her forget what happened back then. They may have been doing it to protect her, but still...she had the right to know. What else were they keeping from her?

"I admit. Something isn't right here. Espcially with Kotatsu around. He is persistent in getting Sigmund to his side. To become someone he is not and I want to believe that Sigmund is as strong as he looks, but everyone has a breaking point. We can do what we can to prevent, but nothing really seems to be working. The only one that has the will power to fight off Kotatsu's mind games is Sigmund. We have to believe in him even though it can be difficult sometimes," she replied before she turned her head and looked over at Sigmund that was in his bone cage. "And I just fear that now that he knows who Kotatsu is, he is only going to be more persistent in finding out the truth about why his brother was taken and used as a pawn in what is going on. Ryuu is...Ryuu is dead. I don't know what they did to make him who he is right now, but take that away, and all that's left is a body without a soul. It's sickening about what is being done to him, but we can't assume that him and his memory are being manipulated. Even if that was true, Ryuu is gone and he's not coming back. These people have a plan and they're executing it very well. It's like they know when to find him and bait him when his emotional state is wavering. I'm sure now that he knows that Kotatsu is his brother, it's only going to make Sigmund's pursuit of him even more urgent."

 Nori turned her head and looked over at Nanami and Shiroma. "They want to purposeful cause conflict between all of us because they know we're stronger as a unit and breaking us apart slowly is going to play to their advantage. We can't let them do that no matter what they do or what they say. We have to be strong and work together. That...that is what Kazuma-sensei would have wanted, don't you think, Nanami? He always wanted us to work together because he knew we were stronger as a team than we ever were by ourselves. He saw our strengths and weaknesses and he brought us together to build us up because he knew that if we did that, than nothing can stop us and that is what these people fear. They know that when we come together, we are a threat and we are because of those values that have been instilled in us by sensei. We have to stick together. Even after this mission is over. He wouldn't want us to break apart. I know it seems difficult given...given what just happened, but we have to be there for each other because we are formidable when we are a team. We have to do sensei proud. I know that is something that Sigmund believes in, too," she said with a solemn gaze as she looked into Nanami's eyes. "We can do this. We just all have to believe that we can."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Thu 12 Oct 2017.

Nanami nodded "I agree with most of it. We all need to be on the same page, and you are right. Sigmund has a lot on his plate, maybe even more then we can see. But in order for us to be a united front. It requires that we all trust one another. That will be the difficult part. I never lost my faith in him. I have done my best to keep his interest at heart." She paused kicking a rock "I suppose that's where things get complicated. When a person tries to figure out what another person's heart feels." Nanami sighed, her breath abated for a moment. She was frustrated, tired, scared, hurt. All of these emotions keep battering her like an unending storm. In her thoughts she was unsure how to fix any of this. She really, really wanted to fix things. An apology wouldn't do anything "Maybe just being more supportive, instead of trying to fix things would work better?" she thought to herself.

Nanami looked at Shiroma and Nori "Any suggestions. It seems like the deeper into the mission we go. The more complicated everything becomes. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of the storm." She looked back at Sigmund "I suppose fretting about such things will only add more stress. I think I need to relax and collect my thoughts. You two can join me." She walks over to a pool in a corner, and removes all but her underclothes and she slips into the hot spring water. Her head falls back against the stone, and she lets the heat, the salt, all of the healing properties that hot springs carry. She sinks down into the water until just her eyes were above the water. Everything is beyond messed up, she blamed herself for a lot.

"I know you've done your best to help him and be a friend to him, Nanami. From what he has told me, he admires your strength and respects you as a fellow shinobi. Whereas I..." Nori began to say before she looked back over to Sigmund in his bone cage. "...well, I understand why now. It didn't matter how hard I tried. He was never going to respect me as a shinobi or a person. That was difficult to hear from him, you know. And like you, he will probably never trust me and he has good reason not to." She turned her head and looked back to her friend. "Sigmund used to be the type that was almost always able to express himself, but I knew even back then, there were a lot of pent up emotions that he probably kept to himself that he never shared with me. Having a brother like Ryuu...well, it must have been hard on him and I just...wanted to protect him. I mean, it's silly for a girl having to protect a boy, but I wanted to do that for him since he always did it for me. Instead of helping him solve his problems in a more constructive manner, I...I did it in the worst possible way. In a way that can't be forgiven and I don't know how I am ever going to make that loss up to him, but I want to. Even if I have to spend the rest of my life doing it. I will. Right now I just...want to be there for him even though all of this is happening. He's had a lot to deal and I think instead of nagging at him, I think we just need to support him just like we always have. That's probably all we can do at this point. We have to work together or else we are going to fall apart."

Nanami was right, though. This was all just the beginning. It seems like with everything that they went through, the more complicated it all became. "I just...want to be there for him. That's all I want. I want to do whatever I can to help him, but I don't think he would even want it even if I offered it to him. He's grown tired of us and it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Being around him right now...I still can't say it's a good idea for me, but he's been able to do it for all these years even though he's hated it. I don't know why he's stayed, but...he has. Sometimes I...don't really understand him," she said in a low tone before she made her way with Nanami over to the hot springs in the corner. Nori dropped her bag to the floor and started to slowly undress, glancing back at Sigmund not too far away from them. She let out a small sigh once she was completely undressed and down to her undergarments before she stepped into the water. She put her long, burgundy hair up into a bun before she sank down into the steaming hot water. Maybe this would help ease her mind and settle her thoughts.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:41, Sat 14 Oct 2017.

Nanami let out a long sigh of relief as the hot spring alleviated many of her bruises and small wounds. It had been a long while since she had gotten to enjoy water like this. She listened to every word Nori spoke "That was his anger speaking Nori. His actions all throughout the day, tell a different story. His emotional anger towards you is understandable, Nori." Nanami stretches out in the water. Most of her joints made popping noises and then she let out a content sigh "Though once he chooses to come out of that shell he has placed himself in. I hope he is more understanding and focused. Right now Sigmund has been wounded emotionally. On multiple fronts. I am doing what my job requires. Keeping all of you alive. Nothing about today have I enjoyed. It's one damning thing after another. Regardless of my intent. Every action I take is viewed as a mistrusting action." Her head falls back against the side of the pool.

"I'll do my best to support all of you. But I won't let harm be cast on any of you, just for the sake of information. Also something is bothering me. Though until my Sharingan gains its third tomoe, I won't be able to break through that wall." She sighs again "There is so much misinformation going on, that I can't keep track of what is the truth and what isn't. Every person that gives us information, has only delivered half-truths. Akasumi, the memories of both you and Sigmund, Kotatsu, god knows who or what else has been tampered with. I know Shiroma has no other blocks or jutsu governing her. She just has two simultaneous personalities. Which would have to be a first, from all the studies I read in the books Sakura gave me. Shiroma's mental condition has never had a documented case." She laughs a little "For now, we can talk about this to our heart's content. How we move forward, is all dependant on what Sigmund decides he is going to do. I'll be working on strategies for all four of us, and if it comes to pass, the three of us. Kotatsu's only interest in us, is Sigmund."

Nanami steps out of the water. She uses her wind jutsu and a small amount of fire chakra to dry herself off. Afterwhich she puts her clothes on. Finds a decent spot. Sitting down, and sets her back to the wall "I hope Sigmund has a moment of clarity as well. Realizing that he has been blinded by his hate, and anger. Seeing things now as they are, not as they were seen." She smiles at Nori.

Shiroma had listened to the two girls hearing their thoughts and agreeing with them mostly though she still felt there was a lot of mistrust on both sides she would need to deal with.   She knew that trust was hard, something that could only be given and when it was one sided but the best way to gain trust was to give it.  She watched as the girls went over to the springs and she joined them though only settled down at the side of it  her feet once more dangling in the water.  Her raised internal temperature didn't do so well with the heat  like that.

"I agree talking over it much longer will do nothing, and we all need rest. It has been a taxing day on all of us.  I will seal the entrance so that if anyone else comes and breaks in I will wake and know it."  She started to turn to do just that but then stopped and turned back to look at Nanami.  "Nanami, I understand that you are worried about Sigmund, but you need to choose to trust him.  If he chooses to trust you then well and good if not at least you aren't the cause of the problem by hiding information from him.  I would tell him your theory so that he can defend himself against it, or as I hope see that you can help defend him against it and ask you for that help.    But don't worry too much girls we are doing well we have made a lot of progress today.  Almost lost half the team from them running off as it worked out we all stayed together.  I call it a win!" She was trying to sound cheerful and happy but she knew there was a lot more work to do with the team, the whole situation was screwed up and the things that needed to be said...well now wasn't the best time.  She went to the entrance and sealed it over enough so that anyone would have to break off some of the ice to get in and alert her to their presence.  They all needed sleep and a chance to just rest their minds.

"I know he's hurting right now. More than any of us, I think his emotions are the ones that are being tugged at the most. He's...been going through a lot these past couple of days. Especially today. I can't imagine what is going through his head right now, but I think that was exactly what the intent was. They wanted to get into his head. They wanted to get into all of our heads to play with us. Everything they have done up until this point has been intentional and I hate it. I hate that they are trying to break us apart, but at the same time...I feel like they are just adding fuel to the fire. I mean we've had our fair share of problems as a group, but I think they are using those problems to their advantage," Nori replied as she looked down at the water and used her hands to cradle some water to splash on her face. "I know you had good intentions when you were trying to help Sigmund, but he didn't see that. Even when you tried explaining it to him, it caused the opposite reaction and it blew up in your face. I know what you were trying to do, Nanami, but I don't think he's ever going to see it as anything than you trying to stop him from doing what he wants to do. He sees any helping action as something being used against him." She tilted her head up and looked into Nanami's eyes.

"I don't think any of us really know what is the truth anymore, Nanami. I mean, aside from what we were shown, we can't really take someone's words for what they are until there is some kind of proof. We don't know the whole story behind Kotatsu or why they need Sigmund on their side. We can't say we understand anything until we finish this mission out until the end and maybe then we'll have our answers, but for now all we can really do is wait," she said as she turned her head and looked over at Sigmund. "I just hope when it comes down to it, he makes the right decision. He knows what he needs to do and what he has to do." She turned her head and looked over at Nanami. "I'm sure things will turn out like they should." She let out a small sigh and relaxed back against the rocks. She turned her head up and looked up at ceiling above her. It had been a long, emotionally draining day and she just wanted it to be over, but she knew it wouldn't change anything. Even when she woke up tomorrow, she was still going to be the one that took the life of Sigmund's brother away. Nothing was going to change that. "I just hope everything will be alright in the end," she said in a low tone to herself as she closed her eyes.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:01, Sun 15 Oct 2017.

Time skip per request of Sigmund who has returned from their leave:

Sigmund had eventually released the lightning jutsu he had used to surround the area as he grew tired. The bone prison also had crumbled to bone dust. It wasn't long before he unpacked his bag, realizing he had no food contents within. As his stomach continued to growl, it was something he ignored and unfolded his bed roll, falling asleep by his lonesome. The meditation and isolation had calmed him down greatly but it remained unknown whether progress was made within himself.

The girls eventually turned in as well (feel free to post those) and the group had slept until noon, resting as much as they could before their captain gave the next orders. Whether they ate or not was also uncertain.

After a short soak in the hot spring, Nori decided to get on and used the fire chakra within her to also get herself dry before getting dressed. She picked up the bag that she had dropped to the floor before she strapped it onto her shoulder and made her way further into the cave to find a good spot for her to sleep in. Upon finding a spot in the corner, she rolled out her sleeping bag for the night before she laid down and went to sleep. The night seemed to pass fairly quickly once they all fell asleep and soon it was the next day. It was close to noon when she found herself waking up to nothing but silence. She turned her head and saw that everyone was still asleep. A small sigh escaped Nori before she sat up and stretched out her arms. There was going to be a long day ahead of them. She didn't have very much to eat in her bag, so she decided to wait for the others to wake up so they could pull together what they had and eat something before they left. Nori turned herself and leaned back against the cave wall before she let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.

   Sigmund had fallen fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It wasn't long before he heard the others settle down and retire to slumber as well. By almost noon it seemed, did he eventually feel himself start to wake up. The sighs of someone had caught his attention as he slowly fluttered his eyes opened, staring at the ice wall in front of him. Although a bit cold, the hot springs seemed to keep them all content enough to not freeze overnight. Yesterday's events still played through his mind freshly however today was a new day.

   Sighing to himself, he turned on his back and begin to sit up, his hunger still present. He rubbed his eyes before he got up and began to roll up his bed and pack it nice and tight to the backpack. In the process he noticed it had Nori who was awake, leaning up against the wall of ice on the other side from him. He just glanced at her, a moment's gaze took place. He cleared his threat. "Morning," he uttered quietly. The silence of the cave produce his sound waves enough for her to hear him hopefully before he turned to one of the hot springs. He stripped his clothing off completely, except for the under garment that concealed himself before getting in and sitting down.

   In the middle of undressing, his scars were noticeable from the Chunin exam incident. His torso had a darkened circular scar as did his back with noticeable stitch scarring as well. Another scar had been present where his liver was generally located from his transplant. The water was refreshing and seemed to sooth his bones and skin as he felt the rejuvenating powers of the spring; he relaxed into it as he rested his head on the edge and closed his eyes. He almost forgot that Nori was awake.

Nori could hear shuffling from around her and she didn't know exactly who it was that was waking up, but when she heard Sigmund's familiar voice speak to her, her eyes opened and she tilted her head down to look at him. "Oh, um, good morning, Sig-" she began to say before she saw him starting to getting undressed. It wasn't something she had expected to see, but it caused her cheeks to lightly flush a shade of red. Upon seeing him, she could see the scars that were present on his body. The darkened circle on his torso, the stitching on his abdomen, the stitching on his back. They were all scars that seemed well healed over, so they were most likely from when the exams had taken place or some time after that. She remembered how badly he was injured and the emotions she felt back then had come flooding through her once again. How she was almost close to losing him, but was saved. They were scars that visibly showed just what battles he had gone through to get to this point. Nori just stared at Sigmund's back before he slowly slid down into the water and relaxed back against the edge of the hot spring.

Debating on exactly what it was she wanted to do, Nori knew she had one of two choices. She could either leave him be and keep her distance from him or she could not be a coward and face him. Of course, the last thing she wanted to do was bring up what had happened yesterday as she realized that maybe it would do some good not to bring up things that would cause them to butt heads or bring conflict. Although she was feeling a lot of emotions right now, her mentality had somehow eased and she just wanted to feel what she did before she found out the truth: normal. Life was going to go on and what had happened in the past had happened and there was nothing that could be done to change it. How was thing going to change her? How was this going to change her relationship...with him? Nori curled her hands into fists at her sides before she slowly stood up and made her way over to the hot spring that he was relaxing in. She stripped herself of her top and pants, leaving them to a puddle on the floor and her in her undergarments. "Mind if I join you?" she asked as she stopped by the edge of the hot spring, but before she would get an answer, she stepped into the hot water and slowly sat down across from him.

   He had closed his eyes for what seemed like minutes before he heard steps walking close by. This caused him to reopen his eyes as he saw Nori ask him if he minded if she joined him. Before he could get in an answer, she had already sat down across from him. For a moment, he had merely glanced at her getting undressed but respectfully pulled his eyes away. He couldn't be tempted right now; not at a time like this. "You're already in so I suppose I cannot have an opinion about it anymore," he mumbled as he closed his eyes again, breathing silently to himself as he collected himself in the water. The awkward silence stretched further and further between them.

Nori shifted her long, dark burgundy hair onto one side of her shoulder, causing the ends to disappear underneath the surface of the water. "Sorry. I guess I just...needed to get warmed up a bit. I'm not really used to such cold weather and all. I don't think I could live in this kind of temperature," she said with a small, nervous laugh as she hiked up her legs onto the rock beneath her and wrapped her arms around her legs. "I would pick the weather in Konoha any day with the sun in the sky and the cool air ruffling through your hair. You know I never really realized just how fortunate I am to be in place that is so peaceful and stable. Growing up, I never really used to feel like I belonged. I always felt different. Like there was always some part of me that felt like something was missing. I still feel that way sometimes...even before I found out what happened all those years ago." She lowered her head down and rested the side of it on top of her knees before she closed her eyes. "I want to find my place in the world. I want to know who I am. I need to know or else I feel like I'll be lost for the rest of my life," she added before she opened her eyes and looked at Sigmund with a soft, solemn gaze. "For everything you had to go through all these years, for all the difficulties you may have had in your life because of me...I'm sorry, Sigmund-kun."

   Nori had broke the silence between by mentioning the weather here and comparing it to Konoha. Eventually Sigmund just let her rant for a bit, remaining quiet as the one sided conversation continued. He eventually reopened his eyes when she mentioned his name, apologizing for his hardships in life caused by her. He couldn't help but move his head so he was looking at her. Their eyes met and the silence grew once again. He was conflicted inside whether or not to speak on the matter. It would be opening a can of worms again from yesterday. However the words of Shiroma played through his head about secrets that shouldn't be kept between them all because it only causes tensions. He was tired of the tension. He believed this was the opportunity to say something now while the rest of the group remained asleep.

   "I forgive you," he told her as he moved, walking forward in front of her and just stood there. "I forgive you," he repeated as he looked down at her. He brought his hand to her cheek, caressing her skin lightly with his thumb. "I am the way I am because of me. I have made my own choices and my own decisions based off of me, not anybody else," he confessed. "I never hated you. I can't hate you. I likely never will hate you," he added as his thumb eventually stopped grazing her skin. "What happened, it just pushed me to do better and follow my idol's words even more. It was the push that got me here today. I never hated you. I hated what you did and what they did to you, just fueled me more and that was out of your control. You are not the only one who wasn't left in the dark. They locked away that incident which effected me too. For that I am sorry. But I will never be sorry for what I have become to this day," he explained.

   He spoke nothing but the truth. He never hated her. He just hated what she did but they had been life long best friends and he couldn't hate her for something she thought she was doing right and he knew that. Grantite that he was hurting and in pain and it caused a permanent change and destroyed a family, but he could never hate her. He cleared his threat again. "I can't...I can't hate the woman I love.." he uttered as he learned down, cupping her face with his hands now and brought his lips to hers.

Nori was sure that Sigmund was going to dismiss her apology and it made her second guess if she should have done it or not, but when he actually said that he forgave her, it caused her to lift her head up from her knees and let her green eyes meet his blue ones. "You...do?" she said in a soft, timid voice before she watched him get up from his place on the other side of the hot spring and stop in front of her. She didn't expect for him to say that nor did she expect him to caress her cheek so tenderly and with kindness. She just stayed silent, finding herself unable to tear her eyes away from his as she heard him speak. So he...he didn't hate her? Really? That was the one thing that she had been worried about the most more than anything. If he did, she wouldn't have known how to handle it. It relieved her to know that he never would hate her and in fact, it made her want to cry but she kept it in. She had to. This was a moment where she knew that he was laying everything out and was being completely open and honest with her. She brought up a hand from under the water and placed it on top of his that was on her cheek. She knew he had been through a lot and it wasn't fair what these people did to her or to Sigmund. There was a part of her that would always feel that she was apart of how much he had been hurt and the pain that would never go away, but she wanted to believe that his forgiveness would help her forgive herself and to help her heal. These were the words that she needed to hear the most right now, especially in her fragile state. Nori didn't think she would need to hear another word, but that wasn't until...until she heard his next words.

Hearing him say that he loved her caused the tears that she was holding back to roll down her cheeks. She didn't know if it was because she was taken by surprise or because after all these years, the words that she longed to hear were finally said to her. She hadn't expected to hear them and now that she had...she felt her heart start to pound in her chest. "Sigmund-kun..." she said in a soft, breathless voice before she felt her face cradled within his hands and his lips pressed to her's. Her green eyes softened at him and her other hand that had been wrapped around her legs was brought up and placed against the back of his head. She slowly closed her eyes as her hand lightly ruffled the hair at the back of his head as she leaned in and pressed her lips back against his to return the tender kiss.

   He felt it was the best time to profess the eternal conflict he had bared for years. However he knew professing his closet love for her wasn't going to change his destiny and wasn't going to change how he needed to conquer everything alone. He couldn't afford a relationship to get in the way of everything he worked for. He had brought her closer to him as they continued to exchange kiss after kiss. It was obvious the love they shared for each other. He eventually slowly removed his lips from hers after minutes. He slowly opened his eyes and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "If I can love someone like you, after everything, then you can learn to forgive yourself," he uttered, placing a kiss on her cheek as he sat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. He remained quiet after that. He knew these gestures pleased her even though he wasn't one to express the lovey dovey gestures like she did.

Nanami awoke to Nori and Sigmund talking. Hearing some of the things they spoke about, and the last part. She simply got up, and walked past them. It was a matter she wasn't going to say anything about. It did make her smile.

She walked to the other side of the cave and sat down. Summoning her medical kit. She took out her herbs and such, and began to make chakra, healing, and soldier pills for all of them. Her mind what somewhat at ease. Her mind began to float to other places as she ground the herbs. Nanami's mind moved to thinking about her uncle, Gaara. Remembering how proud he was of when she got into the academy. She takes out a letter. It was from Gaara. It was congratulating her on graduating. She read it with a happy smile. She put the letter away and continued her work

Nanami sighed as she finished the healing pills. She placed them in a bag and moved on to the more difficult chakra pills. Placing the select items into the mortar and pestle Nanami grinds them all together and eventually forms the balls. She uses some of her own chakra to activate the properties of the pills, making them useful, and lastly she started on the easiest of the three the soldier pills. Once all of them were done, she packed them and the medkit away. Her mind still drifted to the other block in Nori's mind. Nanami feared it would make things worse, and for now she can't do anything about it anyway. Her head falls to the wall near where she was working "At least those two have a shot at happiness now." she thinks to herself. Her eyes gaze up at the ceiling "Such an odd journey." She says quietly to herself, and her hand reaches upwards. Now she would just wait until Sigmund or the others called for her.

In the meantime she takes out a sketch pad. She was ok at drawing. The Sharingan gave her the means to remember practically every moment down to the finest detail, it helped make her good at drawing.. She started working on a plan to take Kotatsu down. As she drew it. Nanami played out everything to the best possibility, and to the worst of outcomes "I guess that is how we will have to do it. Talk about throwing all our eggs into one basket, but.." She said this to herself "This is better." She began to draw up a plan, detailing every possible outcome to the plan >"I let myself become overwhelmed, and forgot who was my family, and what they taught me." Nanami's heart beated faster "I let the fear, hate, and anger cloud what I am." Her hand moved even faster as her smile grew "There, now the only matter is what stage will this be carried out on. Once that is set, once I can make the adjustments for it. Victory will be ours."
This message was last edited by a game editor at 03:05, Mon 16 Oct 2017.

Nori wasn't sure how things were going to be after this. About where this would take them both, but she knew that no matter, Sigmund was going to be at her side and that was something that she was happy about. She could somehow feel that glimmer of hope that maybe one day she would be able to forgive herself for what she did to him and his family. While she was sure that he would help her along the way, she also knew that he would let her do what she had to do to find herself and for her to heal. He would support her. That much she knew. He had always been on her side even when they were kids. They were there for each other whenever they needed one another. Her legs slowly slid down until her feet planted on the floor as her hand slid from the one that was on her cheek and planted it against the side of his neck. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of red as their lips exchanged kiss after kiss, each one tender and gentle yet held a bit of love, too. Nori could still feel her heart fluttering in her chest as if it was rejoicing for her feelings being returned. She had loved Sigmund before she had even met him. That was what she felt in her heart. And when they met, it wasn't just a mere coincidence. She didn't think that things would ever come to this, but she was happy that they did.

Their lips soon parted after what seemed like forever and Nori's eyes slowly opened to look up into his as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. At hearing his words, she gave him a small smile and nodded. "It's not going to be easy, but I am going to try my best. I want to believe that your forgiveness will help me to forgive myself," she said in a soft voice, closing her eyes briefly once more when he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She let her hands fall from his head and neck as he sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her close. This was all still a little surreal for her, but still...she loved this. She loved him. She rested her head on top of his shoulder and closed her eyes before she lifted a hand up and lightly took hold of his fingertips that were draped on her shoulder. "I...just want you to know that I understand that there are things you have to do and goals you want to accomplish and I...I support you, Sigmund. No matter what. I don't know how all of this is going to end up, but I am always going to be here for you. I'm always going to be here by your side. I promise you that," she said and opened her eyes as she tilted her head up to look at him. "We may not always agree on everything and we have our differences, but I think that's okay. I actually think that is going to keep us together for a long time." She smirked.

   He remained quiet as she expressed she would stick by him through everything. He remained quiet for the time being as she ranted on some more, allowing his fingers to lace with hers for a little bit. He smirked at her last comment. "We'll see," he uttered before he removed his arm around her and began to get out. Using his fire technique to quickly sizzle away the droplets of water and dry his soaked undergarments before getting dressed. He placed his pants on first before digging through his bag for an extra shirt; he pulled over a grey long sleeve before placing on his black coat and his navy colored, fingerless gloves. Gathering his black ninja shoes, he looked around to notice the quiet Nanami awake; Shiroma still seemed to be asleep. It was getting later and he knew they had to start traveling again soon but before they could they needed her to open back up the cave.

   He pulled out his leaf headband and just stared at it in his hands for a moment before tying it on his left upper arm. He knew they were expecting them, might as well represent their village now that their cover was blown in this land already. "Gather your things. I want to leave soon," he ordered, looking at Nori. It would seem the soft side he expressed earlier was no longer present as his captain persona took its surface. He knew when it was appropriate to express his self and when to be fully serious. He glanced at Nanami from across the way. "Nanami, gather your things when you can. I want to set out once she awakens," he told her before ensuring his bag was all nice and ready to go.