Shiroma frowned in thought as she processed what Sarada was saying and arched an eyebrow thoughtfully. The way that Sarada's mind worked was rather impressive being able to come up with potential issues to something that she had admitted she didn't fully understand.  And they were all quite logical as well.

‘She makes good points.’

‘Indeed, but I don’t know how to test them for sure.’

‘Hmmm that might need to be saved for when we return to the village.’

‘Agreed till then we will limit our switches to when needed agreed?’

‘Agreed last thing I need is to go addle brained because we are hurting ourselves.’

‘You and me both.’

Shiroma nodded slowly as she smirked slightly at the comment that Sarada was rambling. “That’s quite alright Sensei, many people process things verbally.  I have the luxury of processing things verbally in my own mind.” She laughed softly her face brightening with a smile that seemed to have the whiteness of new fallen snow infused into it.   “I did see what you are saying in the trip here Sensei, my…souls for lack of a better term as of yet, they were refreshed but my body was not though I did find it interesting how much of fatigue is mental fatigue.  If the mind is tired it does not process the needs of clearing acid from the muscles as well and the like so when I switched I found that I could gain a small about of energy physically. Though the potential danger of mental damage...I fear psychologically that is already done. Though a physical toll on my physical brain…that was not something I had considered and without distracting from our mission I am unsure how to test for it.”  She frowned and chewed her lower lip softly shaking her head coming to a decision. “With that in mind it might be best to stop with the experiment till we can have someone watching my physical brain to see if damage is done when I switch or what exactly happens.” There was a bit of an intake of breath at the scent of the grilled fish as she looked over and felt her stomach growl, though she pushed that away as she refocused on the conversation at hand.

‘There is no doubt the body still has needs’

‘No doubt’

Sarada studied Shiroma’s facial expressions. After observing for a brief moment, she realized when Shiroma used her obvious tick or furrowing her brow or biting her lip, she was lost in though, likely talking to herself eternally. As the silence went longer than expected, just when Sarada was about o say something, Shiroma cut her off by a split second.

After Shiroma had hopped on board with Sarada’s suggestion of the small experiment, she nodded in agreement. ”I think your mental capacity is as normal as it’ll ever be. You claim this has been going on for quite a year now; your mental health is probably far better than when it was when this first happened. If I could guess, I would think this new darkened chakra has something to do with this split souls,” she uttered as she thought over her next explanation.

”The only person ever recorded to have such a special case like you was actually my mother. My mother had a darker...side to her. On the outside, of course she was approachable, friendly, and kindhearted. But apparently after a Chunin exam preliminary match, her opponent was unable to successfully probe her mind because my mother had a inner self about her that warded off the jutsu and any other genjutsu,” she explained. ”She never went through an extensive tests and it wasn’t said she suffered at all but your case and hers are different as her inner self couldn’t take control per say of her body,” she added as she noticed Shiroma biting her lip.

”I think mentally you’re going to be okay. I just worry physically, you’ll be putting more strain on yourself than most would. I would suggest much endurance training and also proper self care. With two medical on board, well technically three with Sakuya’s background, i can approve testing your limits on this mission,” she commented with a small smile before quickly disposing it.

”And you’re okay with this? Wanting to be studied like a caged animal?” she asked curiously. It came out more harsher than it should’ve and she quickly realized that. ”Sorry. That came out worse than it should have,” she uttered. ”I meant, you’re okay with people watching you? To prove and invade your mind like that? And what about your other self? There’s two of you and I think the both of you should be onboard with each other. It’s like an invasion of privacy to your mental state,” she voiced her concerns. She wasn’t too familiar with the Scientology that the shinobi in the labs partake in, however the horror stories of Orochimaru’s test subjects were more than enough to have sympathy for anybody who under went the harsh experiments of discover.

Shiroma arched an eyebrow at the comment about being a caged animal and then smirked slightly at the quick attempt to make it sound better.  She shook her head slightly and sighed. “Well as long as the cage is gilded.”  She smirked and waved off her bad attempt at a joke sighing softly as she took a moment to think.

‘Well?’

‘Privacy? What’s that?”

‘You’re a riot you are.’

Shiroma nodded slightly. “I am open to it.” There was a half second dip of the eyelids before the dark blue eyes looked back at Sarada. “As am I.” Again a quick switch. “Though I do not wish to distract from either our mission or potential training.  Though I feel that potential training or time to experiment might not be forthcoming once we are on the ship.
Shiroma tilted her head slightly to one side as she processed the rest of what Sarada said and again frowned as she heard an issue with something. "Sensei…I think you might have misunderstood something about my report.  Though my mind fragmented about a year ago, the switching did not start taking place till Nanami helped free us from the genjutsu. So though the fragmentation might not cause damage just by being there.  The switch…is still a rather new element.”

For once in her life, Sarada felt at ease and relaxed once a joke struck the air. She couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle of delight. She knew she had to retort something back. ”Oh? Then you can have Horus’ old gilded cage,” she added with a small smile.

After a brief second of silence, Shiroma and her other half seemed to agree with being used as a social experiment. While it didn’t settle well with herself, she didn’t have a ruling over their personal choice on the matter. ”I say you continue doing what you’re doing with your own observing and testing the waters. With two powerful Jonin onboard, it won’t be much of a hassle picking up after any dire mistakes,” she reassured. ”I approve like I have said before. Just don’t do it in the worst of times. We can’t afford to lose another great shinobi to the war,” she complimented.

Shiroma pointed out her misunderstanding of things to the original report but Sarada needed to clarify her theory first. ”That may be the case, however from what you explained in that report, you were still fully aware of what was going on and what was happening, but you weren’t doing it. I believe it was the genjutsu that kept the two of you separated as to not cause interference. With time towards the end, you were able to slightly influence captivating so they could help you. With that small push and the release of the jutsu, it split you two apart creating the separation of minds,” she clarified her reasonings. ”Even though it wasn’t actually you committing those actions under the genjutsu, something else was. The moment you realized this, you created the split, the friction between the two minds. It has always been there Shiroma. Just now, you have more control over it,” she added as she thought over Sigmund’s case now.

”This may sound crazy however I believe Sigmund’s case will turn out the same way. It seems this darkened chakra has influence on our negative emotions. Every person in the world has negative emotions that causes darkness from within. Some actually purify themselves with the waterfall of truth as it is a myth that that waterfall allows you to see the darkness from within and ward it off. I think every person has a darker side to them, one that can cause havoc everywhere they go. I believe that chakra has an influence that causes an entirely new soul to be created as if we are just the host to mold that person,” she rambled on again. ”I can imagine if this theory is actually true, we could potentially all be doomed; fighting ourselves, destroying ourselves...” she uttered as she blinked, shaking her head.

”Sorry. I am rambling again. I don’t mean to bore you with grown-up talk,” she joked, obviously not an adult herself but could very much well be there if she wanted to.

In reply to Harusame Sakuya (msg # 21):

Nanami smiled and found a place to sit as she waited "You are right, even though both me and Nori want to help we should rest while we can. Due to the chance that there will be an attack while sailing. Rest cannot be guranteed. So even if it is an hour of just sitting and resting our bodies. It will help if we aren't able to rest on the ship" She leans her back against a crate. Making sure it wasn't going to be moved. She leans forward and rests her head on her knees "I wonder what will unfold in the future." She smiled gently.

Her whole body was relaxed in that position. She had slept in the clinics breakroom like that when she pulled a few all nighters. Nanami looked comfortable and she felt the calm the water brought. She loved the water. Even in the desert they had many oasis. They were hidden from outsiders via Genjutsu or other means.

"I am glad we all get a little time to hang out. I forsee many more missions in our future's. So we may not get moments like this often." She watches Sakuya "How has your training been, Sakuya? Your Sensei looks to be very strong, much like our Sensei." Her head was still resting on her knees. Nanami was curious about Sakuya's sensei. But didn't ask. Nanami knew she could gain some insight as they traveled together.

In reply to Nara Nanami (msg # 27):

"We appreciate your kindness. It's going to be nice to have a hot meal after traveling so far. Sensei treated all of us to BBQ a few days ago in Otogakure, but other than that, it's been mainly what we packed in our bags or fish we caught. Nothing too appetizing, but it was food," Nori replied with a small smile as she slowly slid down against the side of a barrel and sat down on the floor. A small sigh of content left her lips as she was finally able to relax. There was a bit of soreness in her muscles from all the running and she had a feeling that it was going to effect her later, but as long as she was able to get some kind of rest, she would be okay. Having a hot meal in her stomach, fresh water to drink, and a small nap was going to do wonders for her. She relaxed back against the wooden surface of the barrel and tilted her head back before she closed her eyes. Upon hearing Nanami's voice speak about there not getting a chance to rest on the ship or get quiet moments like this, she opened her eyes and turned her head to look over towards the sun that was setting on the horizon. She was right. They wouldn't get many quiet, relaxing moments like this from here on out. Even if it was just for five minutes or one hour, it was best to enjoy what peaceful times they had as she was sure they wouldn't get money. A fight was headed their way. She knew that and it was inevitable. Nori was confident that they would be able to accomplish what they needed to as she believed that their team was strong and capable of getting it done. There was no time for fun and games anymore. This was the real deal. "Whatever the future unfolds, we will have to be ready for it." She turned her head and looked at Nanami. "We will get through this together." She then turned her head to look at Sakuya and Sozui. "All of us," she added.

In reply to Uchiha Sarada (msg # 26):

Shiroma listened to Sarada digesting what she was saying as she was saying it. Shiroma blinked as she heard the theory about  the way that her mind split had happened and felt something strange even as she was talking.  Shiroma’s eyes shifted but not through the normal closed eyes but swirled around in a mix of colors and for the briefest of moments were blood red before they settled into the dark blue of  the other identity.  Shiroma stared at Sarada for a long moment, before she was able to respond at all.  The look on her face one of abject horror, her voice rising up in pitch and volume slightly not screaming but loud enough anyone around might still hear.“So…what you are saying is you think I am Shiroma’s evil side? The side that committed all those acts?”

‘No I don’t believe that.’

‘But does she?’

“You just said that you think everyone has a darker side that wants to cause havoc. If that isn’t evil then what is?” Gone was the normal placid controlled emotions the easy  demeanor the even sage like wisdom the belied her young age. The face that looked back at Sarada was haunted, terrified not of anything around her…no her eyes said she was scared of herself.

‘Let me have control! Damn it Shiroma we can talk this through.’
This message was last edited by the player at 12:35, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Sarada felt a wave of threat wash over her as she felt the piercing eyes of her young genin comrade. When the silence grew between them, she narrowed her eyes as she witnessed the drastic change of eye color. Shiroma had always been quick to switch her personalities; Sarada had this point in time, knew when she was talking to the outer and inner selves: ice blue and ocean blue.

However the change had been different. The air had friction and she felt her body react from within; her gut tightened as if it sensed danger. It was natural her own eyes reacted to the sudden friction in the air; her infamous sharingan taking the place of her raven colored eyes but it had not been the third tomoe this time. It had been the death eyes of the mangekyo sharingan.

Shiroma’s voice had raised at her, naturally making Sarada shift under her feet, preparing herself for the worst. The conversation turned sour so quickly that she started to believe that she may have spoken too much on a sensitive matter. Her jaw locked, her pulse racing; the adrenaline running through her veins. However through it all, she remained calm on the outside like a stoned statue during a harsh tropical storm.

”The darkened chakra that manifested it self and grew essentially is apart of the other half that is present to me right now,” she stated. ”Though not aware, you are the darker side of her. However you redeemed yourself by not acting on the sole purpose of your creation. We all have a choice. We all choose whether to be good or evil. Nobody is ever born evil, but that doesn’t mean nobody has a darkness inside them, just waiting to dip it’s fingers in cruel acts of nature,” she explained.

The last sentence of Shiroma’s revelation echoed through her head multiple times.

If that isn’t evil, then what is?” she repeated to herself.

The look on Shiroma’s face was of pure horror as if realizing she was capable of evil acts upon humanity. Sarada couldn’t help but feel terrible for the entire ordeal. For once, her knowledgeable rambling and intellectual mind caused a person to question themselves and their way of life. She was prepared for the backlash though; if a fight broke out, she was prepared to strike at any given moment. Her fingers twitched at her sides ever so slightly without even meaning to. The hairs on the back of her neck felt funny as she noticed they were beginning to stick up. She felt her neck grow hot underneath the skin’s surface. But all the while, she kept a relaxed and collective demeanor on the outside.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:16, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Shiroma stood there her eyes the deep ocean blue as she listened to Sarada’s words.  She rocked slightly on her feet as she seemed almost unstable there unable to completely hold onto the real world for the moment.  The next movement out of her was telling, she fell to her knees.   Her eyes snapped closed and she gripped her hands into tight fists. Her face contorted in concentration as there was a very short internal battle.  There was one nice thing about the conversations between her two selves…they could happen at the speed of thought which needed no more than an instant.

‘Shiroma we can talk this through, I know what you are going through…I can feel it.’

‘I…’

‘Just let me have control’

‘But…’

‘It’s alright I promise I know what I’m doing.’

‘Okay…’

Shiroma’s eyes slowly relaxed and opened slowly on the pale ice blue no trace of the dark blue, or the red there at all. “I’m sorry sensei…for that emotional outburst.” She sighed softly and reached up wiping a set of ice crystal tears from her eyes as she pushed herself up off her knees very slowly.  Her face was back to its much calmer state much more her normal self though the evidence was clear as she was focusing on something. “You touched…on a subject that we are still figuring out for ourselves.” She looked up slowly at Sarada and saw the ready stance and her eyes and Shiroma flinched back slightly. “Sensei…I don’t think…there is any need for that…I and she will…figure things out, unless you truly don’t feel you can trust her or me, or us.”

Thinking the worst, Sarada prepared herself for what she thought was the inevitable: the first swing. However this wasn’t the case. Moments passed as they exchanged looks through silence of the eyes. And before she knew it, Shiroma had fallen to her knees. She realized it was an emotional distress that overcame the young girl. It was at that moment Sarada had actually felt useless for once as she witnessed the horrific events of reality: truth.

A few seconds passed as she noticed Shiroma’s demeanor change back to the normal aura of peace and tranquility. When the wave of threat passed, her eyes had settled back to their dark irises of her true self. Before she could even extend her hand out to help Shiroma up, she had already gotten to her feet on her own. The first words out of her mouth were an apology for simply being human: emotions.

She shook her head, as everyone knew nobody should apologize for being human. Emotions had what defied us to the core. ”Apologizing for being human is not needed. Even we need to let it out sometimes...” she trailed off softly as Shiroma stood before her. Even Sarada relaxed with her in sync.

It was evident that Sarada had crossed a nonexistent line she didn’t know had been there. Perhaps it was the lack of empathy. Perhaps it had been her rugged ways. Perhaps she forgot who she was actually talking to. She made the mistake of dragging out a conversation that probably should’ve ended moments ago but instead persisted they keep speaking. However she remembered her words: she was human.

She had shaken her head more as Shiroma made the comment about her not trusting them. That wasn’t the case at all. ”No...” she began as she placed her hands upon Shiroma’s shoulders as she looked down at the girl before her. ”If I did not trust you, I wouldn’t have taken this position as your sensei. I trust all of you with my life,” she added with a soft smile.

”Underneath your fears lie great opportunities. Because when you start doing the things that scare you the most, tearing down the invisible barriers that separate you from the good life, you become the person you've always dreamed about in your mind: your ideal self,” she said, her feeble attempt of reassurance. The fear here was facing the realization that we all had an evil darkness that we all fought to contain every single day. In Shiroma’s case, she had already unlocked that darkness.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:38, Sat 03 Mar 2018.

Preparations had been settled and felt with. After walking away from the end of his conversation with Lady Sarada, he had waked aboard the ship. It wasn’t big in size as he walked up the metal ramp that dug into the shores’ sands. He turned right and walked several feet before opening a metal door that was clearly to the poop deck. Upon entering it, a tall man with shaggy hair and the land of storms headband tied to his upper arm. Wearing the land of storms insignia.

”Captain. Status report,” he asked softly as he closed the metal door behind him. The captain slugged his shoulders as he turned in the chair that he had been sitting in and rose to his feet, a slight bow before staring at Fujii. ”The last of the defenses are coming. The land of sound is lending assistance as we speak, providing the needed supplies. We are ready to set sail in an hour,” he had explained. ”All the essential men are resting currently in the quarters. Once we set sail, the genjutsu will take effect and they’ll hold on as long as they can. This tug boat here will head a different direction; once we reach a certain radius, the genjutsu will lift. I advise a weather camouflage if possible to help aid us on sliding through. Once we’re there, the two teams will split and we’ll continue on your objective. Lady Sarada will have most of the back up as she is our lady and we cannot lose her,” he had explained as he looked toward at sea through the windows.

”I’ve been doing this for a long time, Sima. I can promise you, we’re going to be okay,” he added and looked at him.

Sima merely had nodded his head as a map was brought out and the routes were lined and circled; marked for potential threats and a potential battle. ”Do not fail me, Cho. We have a lot at stake here,” he uttered before opening the chamber doors again and waking out, back down the ramp.

By the time he came to the shore again, that’s when he heard the commotion between Sarada and her student. He hesitated to approach as the vocal pitch conversation seemed to have escalated to something more hostile. Before he could intervene, the situation had defused, the hostile atmosphere coming to an end. Under his mask a frown was plastered. He had hoped nobody would be fighting upon the ship when they started to set sail because otherwise, a woman’s war would become the downfall of them all. He walked up slowly, ignoring the conversation between a Sarada and Shiroma and sat down near the fire, nodding his head to all the genin surrounding it and eating.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:52, Tue 06 Mar 2018.

Sakuya was glad to be able to give Nanami and her teammates some time to rest, especially after a pleasant meal they have prepared prior to their journey. While using the time after the meal to clean up while their guests were taking a rest, the topic came to how her own training went about and what Sima was like.

"If you think about it, sensei definitely is strict with his training regiments," Sakuya said as she put away the containers where she stored the herbs used for cooking, "But considering what the team has been through, it is his way of watching out for us and prepare for what's coming."

"Sensei is definitely a very good person," the genin added with a nod as she put a finger under her chin in thought, "He definitely won't mince words to let you know if there's a problem, but he'll be there to help you out as long as you put your weight to it. Like what we have been doing while waiting for the mission - training how to do water walking in open waters. It definitely is different from having to walk on still water surfaces."

Nori listened quietly after hearing Sakuya speak about their sensei and his training methods, she couldn't help but wonder just what type of methods that Sarada would have for them in the future for her own type of training. "I would definitely agree that Sarada-sensei's training methods are going to be pretty intense. I mean, she was assigned to be our sensei not too long before our departure from Konoha, so we haven't really had much time to train with her. However, we did undergo a training evaluation with her for the purpose of assessing our skills," she said as she clasped her hands on her stomach as she relaxed back against the barrel behind her. "Sensei seems like she is going to be tough and that she is going to push us...a lot, but I want to believe it's for the purpose of wanting us to be the best shinobi we can be and like your sensei, to prepare us for what's coming."

Nori turned her head and looked over at Sarada that was with Shiroma. They two seemed to be having a pretty in depth conversation. "I can't say that sensei is a bad person. I know she's tough and she's very by the book. If we take one step out of line, she won't be afraid to deal us the consequences. I know that pretty well. Her and I...well, we haven't exactly gotten off to a smooth start, but I do respect her. She is trying to prepare us for what's really out there and I want to believe that she is looking out for us, but she is certainly a giver of tough love. I am definitely positive about that." She turned her head and looked back at Sakuya. "While we are out here on this mission, she is counting on us. If things go wrong and her life is threatened, we have to be the ones to protect her. Regardless of her being our sensei, she is still someone of great importance, so even at the cost of our lives, we have to make sure she is safe. However, I imagine it must be hard for her to place her life in the hands of three shinobi who have yet to really prove their worth," she added. "I would just hate to disappoint her, you know?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:23, Sun 04 Mar 2018.

Nanami nodded as she listened to both of her friends "Until we get to know her better it hard to say what she will be like. I understand her loyalty and faith in her father.. It's pretty much the same for most fathers and daughters." She smiled lightly "Father has been very busy with the changes, and mother.." She tilted her head "I never got a clear answer on my mothers whereabouts." She yawns a little "I think I am going to nap.. I have this gut feeling, that we won't get much rest on the ship."

Nanami smiles at Sakuya "I think our Sensei's are alike in their methods. I do look forward to seeing how much Sensei can teach us, and how much we can learn." Her eyes glanced again at Shiroma "We are all family." She smiled gently "I'll do my best to protect all of you.."

Her eyes close slowly "Wake me when the food is ready."

Nanami falls asleep. Her breathing is silent, and her body stays still almost like a statue. It was obvious she trained her body to sleep stealthily..

With all the new faces, Sozui trying to hang back as he focused on the task that he had been given while the others caught up with one another and discussed potential battle tactics that could be employed should they be attacked at sea. It seemed as though there were many among them that could be a vital part of any plan that was constructed, and his only concern was that given that they were a group of shinobi that weren't used to working together in a combat situation that there might be some overlap of some of their jutsus that could prove quite disastrous. Of course, he was sure that Sima had taken that into account, which was why he didn't mention it.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly in his opinion as dinner was served and a discussion of varying training methods took place. Sozui chose to remain a quiet observer as there wasn't much he could add to the description of how Sima did things since Sakuya had been under the man's wing a while longer than he had. He just nodded along in agreement while listening to Nanami and Nori talk about Sarada, which caused him to think about what his own family was doing at the moment. He supposed his father was trying to become accustomed to the new intelligence network while his mom went about doing what she could to aid in the defense of Konoha.

"Preparing us for what is coming is an apt description for it if I have ever heard one. A month ago, I wouldn't have thought about doing the training that Sensei has been putting us through, but it has opened my eyes to different areas that I have potential in. Just kind of wished that it was a month ago so that I would have had time to cultivate it a bit," commented Sozui.

Nori listened to Nanami in agreement with her words. They had yet to really know what type of sensei Sarada was going to be, but she was sure that they were going to be in for quite a ride. She seemed like someone that any Shinobi would aspire to be and there seemed to be a lot of things that she could teach them. They may not have shared all the same opinions or beliefs as her, but they all shared a mutual respect for her and her capabilities. They had a lot to learn from her and maybe, just maybe, it would give them an insight as to who they were and what they were capable of themselves. "Well, I'm sure once this is all over, we will probably be doing a lot more training. Probably to the point of exhaustion no doubt, but sensei is pretty tough so, I expect it," she said with a small chuckle. "Although I wonder if her training will be nearly as tough as Lee-sensei's was. I can only imagine." She turned her head and looked over at Sarada and Shiroma conversing. They had been over there talking for awhile. Nori had noticed that since the time they were in the village that those two had some kind of connection. Like they were kindred spirits of some kind. Well, that was good at least. At least Sarada saw eye to eye with somebody.

Upon hearing Nanami say she was going to rest, Nori turned her head and looked over at her friend, giving her a small smile. "Alright, Nanami. You just rest up," she said and once she saw her friend go into a light slumber, she looked away from her and back into the fire that was burning in front of him. She had only nodded off shortly before dinner was done. She had shaken Nanami awake like she said she would and they began to eat. Her green eyes shifted over towards Sozui as he began to speak. He had been fairly quiet most of the night, so it was nice to hear him speak up once again. "I am sure that you hold a lot of potential, Sozui. No one could ever really prepare you for something like what is going on right now, but you have to be prepared for the unexpected at all times. I'm sure Fujii-sama sees an array of things about you that you are both great in and that you could excel in. He is a bit of a legend, you know, so I would take all the advice and training you could get from him," she said with a smile.

Shiroma steadied herself for what she thought Sarad was going to say but then blinked, Sarada had actually surprised the frost girl.  There were several times in this short time that they had been working together that Sarada had gotten after Nori and Nanami both for much simpler and less intense displays of emotion and the reaction made Shiroma blink and then smiled slightly.

She nodded at Sarada’s comment about trust and rested her own hands on her Sensei’s for a moment smiling up at her though there was still some fear in her pale ice blue eyes.  “Thank you Sensei I...we will do whatever we can to keep that darkness both in ourselves and the world at bay.” She was about to turn away before she stopped and arched a pale white eyebrow at Sarada. “Sensei...thank you for accepting that emotions are human and can’t always be controlled. I’m sure since you admitted that I can get the girls to learn to keep theirs in check when needed. Excuse me Sensei I should eat and get some sleep while I can.” She turned away and made her way over the the fire the group had put together.  She found the food that was left for her thanking the pair of Genin from Sima’s team before she settled down on with her legs crossed eating and thinking.

‘We have a bit we need to discuss don’t we?’

‘I suppose…’

‘Come on don’t be like that.’

‘But what if Sarada-sensei is right, what if I killed them?’

‘Have you remembered more? you know my memory stops when we were standing over their bodies.’

‘No...thats when mine starts too but someone had to be in control and I was the one in control that whole time after that up until Nanami helped free you.’

‘Free us. I’m not ready to accept you are evil. Even as you were following the orders given to you by the snow leaders. Still you were being compelled you weren’t doing it of your own free will. So even if you were in control while they died you were still being compelled, so it wasn’t your choice and it is choice that makes someone good or evil.’

‘You sure?’

‘As sure as I can be. Now relax and I will take first shift I don’t think our body is going to make it much longer so you sleep I will shift with you in a few hours.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Don’t mention it.’

Shiroma finished her food and leaned back against some of the boxes waiting at the docks to be shipped.  She let her eyes drift closed as she continued to listen and smell the world around her even as her body and half of her mind drifted into sleep.

It was exhilarating. That feeling you get when someone nee happens. That same feeling that sometimes take you by surprise and takes your breath away. That same seeming that travels throughout your body to its very core, leaving wanting more. It was comforting; it was unexpected. For a brief second, Sarada had felt her heart flutter unexpectedly to the softest of touches when Shiroma had rested her hands on Sarada’s and smiled up at her. The moment was would cherished from within as it seemed to have opened a forbidden door.

A small smile painted upon her face, acknowledging Shiroma’s thank you.  Shiroma had began to turn away, Sarada removing her hands from her shoulders. Her gaze lingered as Shiroma had raised a brow at her for a brief moment, thanking her for allowing her to express her feelings and be able to let out her emotional needs.she had brought up a good point. Had the other two had a break down like that, she likely would’ve snapped. But when it came to Shiroma, well, it appeared exceptions were unwillingly made.

”You’re excused,” she managed out as Shiroma took her leave. Sarada forced herself to turn away as she gazed at the ocean waters, particularly the tug boat. She hadn’t been hungry; the idea of fish again was unappealing right now. She crossed her arms across her stomach as she walked towards the water, keeping to herself for the time being.

Several hours had passed as all the genin ate and even the officers took time to rotate testing as well. Sima continued to ensure everything was ready to go. He hadn’t really spoken to anybody after his exchange with Sarada. He prayed to the gods that everything would be okay, leaving his uncertainty tucked inside as oppose to expressing outside physically.

Most of the genin had fallen asleep and while he hated to wake them up he gave them just a few more minutes. After checking in with the captain, questioning about the weather, he made his way back into the shore staring down at the group of five genin. ”All right, you scally wags. Get up and put on your sea legs. It’s time,” he announced as he began shaking each and every one of them, hearing each of them groan as he walked by. ”Wake up! Let’s go!” he related, ensuring they heard him. He wasn’t being rude or angry about it. He was quite calm and collected.

Hours had passed but before she heard the faint voice of the white haired shinobi, she had made sure several bunks of Bed’s and cots had been set up in the quarters below of the boat. Call it motherly instincts, but she wanted them to be able to rest onboard if they wanted to. Shortly after that, she made her way to the shore, finally having the urge to eat what was left of the fish. She had a rather brief conversation with Sima before she found herself overcome with exhaustion like a tidal wave and passed out against one of the crates.

She fluttered eyes open slowly before she realized it was Sima, telling them it was time to leave. She had been one of the first ones to get up, dusting herself off as sand had gotten into some uncomfortable places. After she brushed herself off, she used a scroll and unsealed it, revealing more weather appropriate clothing. Their journey to the land of snow would be a cold one and being prepared for the weather conditions was beneficial to health and vital to missions too.

She had revealed a white snow coat, placing it over herself as she realized the rest of her clothing was okay. ”Everybody, you have five minutes and that’s all,” she added sternly before walking away and unsealing another scroll, revealing a toothbrush and water and toothpaste. She washed up rather quickly before tossing the contents back into a scroll and resealing it as she placed the scroll into her right pocket.

She walked up the metal ramp to the boat, nodding her head to each passing crewman who greeted her politely and respectfully. She noticed as she glanced around that the shinobi began executing their genjutsu, illusion ships being placed in the water with fake crew members as well.

Nanami woke up when Nori nudged her. She listened while she ate "Strength isn't about latent talent, it's about the will behind the person. If a person lacks the will to push themselves forward they will stagnate." She smiles for a moment remembering the story of the ninja who was a Genin till the end, even though he easily had the skills of a Jonin "I haven't seen that stagnation in anyone I have met yet. So I look forward to seeing where we all stand in a few years." She hoped they would all be standing, but with war it was not guaranteed all of them would be.

The teen finished the food and stretched "That was really good Sakuya, Sozui." She gives them a thumbs up for their effort and a cute smile "I could eat more, but I should make sure that our Sensei has food."

She noticed Sarada had fallen asleep "Well I'm going to nap a little longer. Being exhausted on a boat could cause some issues.." She didn't really move. She rested her head on her knees again and feel asleep until she was awakened again by Fuji. She stood up slowly and splashed some water on her face, then slapped her own cheeks waking herself up fully "Anything you need me to do Fuji-sama?"

He waited patiently for everyone to get up. He knew it was sudden however they couldn’t miss their opportunity for this. The weather had gotten a bit colder as the ocean tides had risen just a bit. With the breeze and the ocean water, it brought chills to some. Clouds had taken form all across the shore, creating the mist that lightly drizzled everywhere.

Nanami had been the first to wake up, noticing that she slapped herself awake after splashing water. Nobody could see but he had a soft smile behind his clothes mask before Nanami came up to him and asked if she was needed.

”Hmm.” he hummed for a moment. ”You’re a medical kunoichi, correct?” he asked himself really. ”When Sakuya wakes up, work with her on medical supplies and pills for everyone while we’re onboard. It’s a possibility we’ll need them,” he explained.

Time seemed to have passed fairly quickly and before she knew it, she was being woken up by a hand shaking her. A low groan escaped her and she slowly fluttered open her eyelids. She fixed herself up against the barrel and rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hands before she stretched her arms out off to the side of her. A sudden cold chill ran through her, instantly causing her to wrap her arms around herself. She turned her head, seeing that Nanami had awoken first. "At least we were able to get some rest," she said with a small, tired smile before she suddenly heard their sensei's voice speak to them. She turned her head and looked up at Sarada, hearing her say that they had five minutes. She nodded her head in confirmation before she turned to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste from her bag. Once she got the items from her bag, Nori went over to the small body of water and proceeded to splash water on her face and brush her teeth. She stared into the water, looking at her reflection before she smiled and pushed herself back up to her feet. She trailed back over to her small bag and put her belongings away before she strapped the bag to her shoulder and made her way towards the metal ramp that would go up the ship. She saw their sensei look around the ship and she went up behind her. "Is there anything you assistance with in preparation for our sail, sensei?" she asked as she set her bag down near one of the posts.

Sarada had finished greeting those that came on board until Nori presented herself quietly as she set her bag down within the general vicinity of them. Nori has chimed if she needed anything at he moment, as did the rest of every member of the crew ship. She shook her head as she took into consideration that Nori’s skills were essential more in combat than scrub work. ”Not at this moment, no. You can assist the team by helping them pack up whatever is left if their belongings if you’d like but that’s just optional,” she replied softly. ”But now that you’re here alone. I’d like to personal apologize to you for my previous behavior. While it has dawned on me that all your emotional states and outbursts are simply an act of being human, I realize my way of handling things are not...I suppose human would be the word here. While it is true I am a person who plays by the book, realize I am doing this shape you all to be the kunoichi you should be. I am not asking for a clean state and do not take this as a way that I am going to lighten up on all of you. I am simply apologizing for my harsh attitude in the beginning and this is a lesson learned on both out parts,” she began to explain. It wasn’t a kind hearted apologize like most would expect, however Sarada addresses the error of her ways and apologized for the past and that was enough for her at this current time.

Nanami nodded "Me and Sakuya trained at the same time under Sakura-Sensei. I'll make sure everything is prepared." She bowed..

She waited for Sakuya to get up. She always admired Sakuya. Nanami didn't really know why. The feeling of a kindred soul made Sakuya easy to be around for Nanami. She took out her scroll and summoned her medical bag "Anything you are low on Sakuya?" She begins to list off things that she could make or had some to spare "Vitamin pills, soldier pills, chakra pills, stimulants, sedatives, anti-venoms, or medicines?" She taps her chin thinking if there was anything she missed, and she couldn't think of anything "I am guessing you have cold gear already.. Do you have sunscreen? Sunny days are almost less friendly then the snowy ones." She giggled as she remembered a face Sigmund made a long time ago. In a soft tone "I guess not everything was bad."

Her head swiveled and looked at Nori "It's amazing what an hour or two of sleep can do. Especially in nice weather, with the sun." Her mind drifted to another memory for a moment "I doubt we will get much sun in the place we are heading." While speaking her hands kept moving and setting up what she knew they would need.

Nanami hands moved in rhythm and precision as they picked up herbs and seeds and began to mash and mill them. She added bits of this and that "If people knew what went into these things I doubt they would eat them.." She laughed a bit "I jest." She smiles, her spirits were really high. As she worked on the pills and various other things "The concert opened my eyes a bit, and then being harshly scolded by Sensei opened them a little further. We will succeed.. All of us.."

She looks at Sarada "It's ok Sensei. Sometimes we need a swift kick in the butt to realize things.." She looked back at Nori and nods..

Nanami had finished her teams supplies, and waited for Sakuya to tell her what her team needed or how she could help.