- Mission Title: The Great Escape

• Rank: B-Rank
• Points worth per player: 45 pts
• Location: Land of Snow
  Description:
  It has been a year since the fatal attack on all five of the main lands. The Fire Squad has now recovered from their Land of Snow battle, but it is now time to return to the island as Lord Sasuke wants clues as to where the Mysterious Man may be hiding or clues that may lead to his war plans from the former occupied land. Lord Sasuke has chosen a team to scout the Land of Snow and to eliminate all and any hostiles they may encounter.

---

We join the infamous fire trio as they hop aboard the same boat they used a year ago. Everything becomes familiar and likely brings flashbacks of a time not everyone had a happy ending for. Sigmund, the teams outcast, sits patiently by himself at the front of the ship, enjoying hot green tea to warm the pits of his stomach as his anxiety rises around him. The icy cold water hits the ship's sides, sending small chills to the crew. The captain resumed his rightful place on the wheel, familiar with the journey it took to cross these waters a year ago. Most of his crew had offered to rejoin him, while others either declined or weren't so lucky to survive the first trip. A cold breeze pushes through the ship's quarters as Chef Zuka prepares his famous stew for everyone. They had been traveling for a week now aboard the ship, awaiting to stop at the dreaded Land of Snow. They had refueled a couple of days ago in the only outpost in the Land of Frost. Passing the Land of Demons was next. What kept the realization that the war was still happening was the dark clouds of smoke from the Land of Demons. It unfortunately was a sad familiarity they all had grown accustomed to.

Sigmund brought the tea to his lips, taking an ever so slightly sip as he stared at the Land of Demons. He shuddered as he closed his eyes, his heart racing, memories flashing back. He shook his head. Old memories of his terrible crimes were the only thing that crossed his mind as they traveled their way here. He had regretted ever allowing them to place him on duty again. He was confused and angry why Lord Sasuke believed returning here in the first place was a good idea. Was there something he missed? Was there something here they could use to turn the tides? Or was this a wasted trip to reopen old wounds and tensions. It had already started bad before it even came to be.

Sakuya made sure to dress more warmly for the trip, remembering the previous trip to the cold country. At least this time they would have no need to infiltrate under a different guise - the enemy might have gotten wise considering how Kotatsu and Sigmund were freed from their grasp. On the ship the medical nin did her best to make sure everyone was in good health. Making sure the Princess' health would not be adversely affected by the cold first, Sakuya did her best to communicate with the rest of her teammates.

Including Sigmund.

Especially Sigmund.

She may be younger than everyone else and probably continued to cling to some naive ideals, but Sigmund was able to pry away from whatever made him bad and made considerable efforts to make up for it. It was understandable that he would not be forgiven easily by most, and he would need someone who would help him should he stumble.

Coming up from the ship's mess with a bowl of Chef Zuka's famous stew, Sakuya looked around the deck until she spotted Sigmund. She hurried to approach with the bowl and a spoon in hand, figuring out how to use a bit of her chakra to shield the food from the cold.

"S-Sigmund-san?" she called out once she was close enough to offer the food, "Here's something to help warm you up and fill your stomach! S-staying out in the cold every time isn't good for your health!"

Nanami looked at the boat as she boarded it. It reminded her of their travels during the mission that was the beginning of her own personal and emotional hell. It took a lot to keep herself together since then. She adapted or more of learned to seal her emotions off in another part of her mind. Which allowed her to become a very efficient assassin. Her fire dragons were now vastly stronger. As she had fully mastered that jutsu. Her medical jutsu were also as strong as they get. As Nanami walked up the stairs to board the boat. She hadn't faced Sigmund yet. She was concerned that one of her demons might manifest itself. Though she would bring herself to wave and smile at Sigmund as she walked past him. It was the most she could manage for now. She would also wave at Sakuya and smile. There was so much to talk about, and yet the words escaped her. So she would wait for one of them to approach her before talking to them. Nanami went from being over emotional, to being more or less emotionless.

   It hadn’t phased him that they would be returning to the Land of Snow. He was sure everyone else would think differently though. He remained as far away as possible from his squad, not wanting to cause any discomfort or unease. The talk their leader had with them didn’t change a thing. They were the most dysfunctional squad for this job. Nobody trusted him and unfortunately, he didn’t trust nobody either except probably Shiroma. His thought process has been interrupted as he heard foot steps approach. Several actually. Nanami passed by and he merely nodded at her before Sakuya called out to him. ”Yes?” he asked before he was offered a bowl of food. It looked absolutely delicious just from the sight. He kindly took it and set it in his lap. ”Thank you Sakuya. I’ll keep that in mind.” he said before noticing she was more cold than he was as it continued to snow.

   ”You look more cold than I do,” he commented before getting up on his feet. ”Here, take this. You need this more than I do,” he said as he set down his bowl on his chair and took off his leather jacket, the inside lined with what appeared to be wolf fur. He placed it on Sakuya’s shoulders. When he took it off, he was in a black tank top, his pale skin almost matched the snow. While many might’ve thought he was ill, it literally was just him. Upon further inspection, anyone would see he had numerous scars all over his arms. It looked more scary and frightening. “You can give it back whenever. The cold doesn’t bother me,” He added as he sat and down and began using the spoon to eat his soup. It was quite delicious with every bite he took, his face showing his delight.

---

The boat continued to go through the harsh weather and it become apparent that numerous ice bergs were beginning to appear. The Captain’s secondary came down to the captain’s cabin above deck and informed him of their findings. The captain then stopped the boat and dropped anchor. While it was a cause for concern, the Captain informed Lady Sarada that they wouldn’t be able to continue to traveling until tomorrow.

Nori that the trip back to the Land of Snow wasn't going to be an easy one. Not just physically, but emotionally. They were returning to the place where everything started. Where their lives changed and they became separated from one another. Voluntarily or against their will. While she knew it would have been smart to have returned back to what was now known as Izalith, she had no recollection of where it may even be when she woke up that fateful day. When she had, she had been alone. She remembered searching for the others, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe what happened back then happened for a reason. Maybe things were meant to turn out this way so they could all find their own way back to where they needed to be mentally, physically, and emotionally. There had always been this emptiness inside her with Sigmund and Nanami not around. For the longest time, it had been the three of them. In her heart, she wanted to believe there was a chance that they could become the team that they once used to be. Although, judging by the brief glances or interactions she had had with both of her old teammates. perhaps it wasn't possible. Nanami, maybe. But Sigmund...the scars ran deeper with him than they did with her. As she looked at him from across the way of the ship deck, she felt her heart ache. Since they were young kids, there was always this special place he held in her heart. He had always been there for her. Protected her. Challenged her. It was hard to believe that the kid she once knew back then, the one with the smile that always brightened her day, could turn into someone so unspeakably cruel and demented. Nori never wanted to remember him that way yet those were the last memories she had of him.

She couldn't deny that when she saw him again that she wanted to cry out of relief that he was no longer the person that he once was when she had last seen him. While she knew that Sigmund couldn't entirely turn back to being the person he was before everything happened in the Land of Snow, he was back. He was here physically across the way. As much as her feet wanted to pick up and go to him, something held her back. What if he didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore? What if after this mission was over they parted ways and they never saw each other again? Nori didn't know what her plans were for after all of this, but she hadn't fulfilled what she sought out to do a year ago. She was still in search of that one person that could give her answers: her mother. It didn't matter how far she had traveled over this past year, she couldn't find her. There was a possibility that she passed when the whole war had started, but somehow, in her heart, she sensed that she was still alive. She brought up her hand and lightly held onto the pendant dangling around her neck. But, she thought, if she continued her journey, she would be parted from her friends again. She would be apart from Sigmund again. Even if he no longer felt anything towards her anymore, she knew there was that possibility that she would never see him again. Would she be able to handle that the third time around?

Nori watched the brief interaction that Sigmund had with Sakuya as he placed his jacket around her shoulders and in a way, it pained her to see him acting so kindly to someone else. She knew she didn't deserve to feel this way, but she did. Memories of the two of them together flashed in her mind and the tears she hadn't expected to fall, had trickled down her cheek before she was even conscious of it. She blinked and brought up her hand to wipe away at her cheeks before she hopped off of the box. This was ridiculous. Why couldn't she just go over there and talk to him? What was the worst that he could do to her? She knew that if she didn't talk to him and clear the air, there would always be this invisible barrier between them. There may have been a disconnect between them, but Sigmund wasn't some stranger. The three of them had to stop all of this if they ever planned to work together again. After fastening her cloak around her shoulders, she made her way across the ship deck in his direction, each step heavier than the last. Finally, she stopped beside Sakuya and looked down at Sigmund, who was happily consuming his meal. "We need to talk," she told him in a stern voice before she turned her head slightly to look at Sakuya beside her, giving her a softer expression. "Could you please give us a minute, Sakuya?"

With tensions rising, Sarada knew she wasn’t going to be able to get them to just drop everything and begin to like each other. It wasn’t how life was and it wasn’t going to be easy. She made it clear that she wasn’t going to tolerate the behavior that they displayed last year. A part of her believed she was at fault and failed them in some way, somehow, but at the same time, they needed to take responsibility for their actions as well. Sigmund paid the price, he was free to redeem himself If necessary. Sarada on the other hand knew she’d have to keep a close eye on all of them; with a such a enriched history, she knew she couldn’t fail again. She was actually surprised she even allowed something like this to happen under her command. She wasn’t too proud of it to say the least. While she wasn’t one to express her failures, Shiroma could easily see the bit of doubt Sarada expressed.

With a sigh, Sarada closed her journal as the captain’s second in command explained to her that they were docking for the evening. While there wasn’t a time limit on their mission, she was more focused on getting in and out as soon as possible. The longer they stayed here, the chances of chaos brewing increased. However, since it was technically shore leave for the rest of the day and it was still early, Lady Sarada decided she could spend some time with her….girlfriend? Partner? She was unsure what to call it. She suppose lover was more fitting but never really used the term before. Pushing that aside, she thanked the captain for their time and efforts and grabbed her cloak. It was a parting gift from her father before she left; it was his cloak. The very cloak Lord Sasuke decided to hone for what seemed like forever before passing it down to her. He basically just gave it to her, well…not in person but it was a parting gift of love.

The cloak was a deep purple, covering her shoulders and the rest of her body. She understood why her father liked it so much. She walked up the steps and began searching on the deck. She noticed several of her team loitering about and she could feel the tension in the air. She opted to not disturb whatever exchange Nori and Sigmund potentially were going to have. They needed to learn to cope with their issues together. Sarada quietly turned around and walked the opposite direction away from them, searching for her.

Sakuya was glad to see that Sigmund liked the warm meal she brought up. It appeared to warm up his mood amidst the chilly weather and the heavy atmosphere between the team. She had not thought too much about the cold (aside from the fact that it was really cold and she planned to go back under the deck as quickly as possible), even less so about Sigmund lending her the leather jacket he wore.

"Th-thank you..." the medical genin managed a reply, lightly blushing at the thought of receiving something from Sigmund. The jacket was warm and comfortable, and definitely helped in keeping the cold from reaching her. It was just now that she noticed how pale he looked, with scars present on his arms. She could only imagine how painful it must have been when those scars were inflicted on him. She was considering on whether it would be a good idea to ask about them or not when Nori approached with what sounded like a demand to talk with Sigmund.

"H-hai! Please excuse me," Sakuya replied to Nori's request with a quick bow before taking the jacket off to give back to Sigmund, "I'll be below deck should anyone need me."

She made another quick bow before hurrying back below deck where the cold winds won't reach her. Absence of wind really helped as she then headed for the ship's mess cabin for warmth.

   Sigmund displayed a soft smile as he had given his jacket. He knew Sakuya wasn’t use to this cold; having been here before, he had gotten use to the harsh weather here. He enjoyed his meal; it was the only nice thing anybody had done for him in a year. It was nice and he never had issues with Sakuya. He felt guilty he had faced her once and he wish he could take it all back but he couldn’t. All he could do was help mend all their wounds.

   Before he could continue any conversation with Sakuya, Nori had stepped up and demanded to speak. This was the moment he waited for. He was unsure how this would go but he was sure she would bring up everything. He felt nervous as Sakuya handed him his jacket back, placing it back in himself as he set the bowl down and sat down, facing her stone faced and cold. ”All right.” He took this moment of silence to really observe the woman before him. Nori had grown, however she seemed off. She looked cold and detached like he was. Was it a front? Was she really going to blame him for her new attitude and appearance? He knew her feelings were still there for him, but he….well he had detached himself from those feelings during his time out. He had to let it go for the time being. History was certainly repeating itself and he truly didn’t want to become the next Sasuke and Sakura duo. He didn’t know what was in store for him in terms of relationships however he knew he didn’t want that right now. He wasn’t himself and he wasn’t going to be able to give her what she wanted right now. Love was off the table for him. He couldn’t handle it; it was be distracting and would interfere with his missions. That’s all he cared about. ”What is It that you wanted to talk about? Last year was…. Well, you know.”.

"Thank you, Sakuya," Nori told her teammate in a soft voice before she watched her take off Sigmund's jacket and hand it back to him. Once she saw her return below deck, she shifted her emerald green eyes back towards Sigmund, who was putting his back on. There was no reason for her to feel so nervous, right? Somehow standing in front of him and seeing him give her that cold, stoic expression...it was as if he just felt nothing. While he didn't always smile a lot towards her in the past, there was a time where his smile was all that she had lived for. What she had longed to see...even to this day. Now things were just...like this. There was nothing there and deep down inside her, it did break her heart. She took a few steps over and took a seat on one of the boxes that was a fair enough distance away from him before she turned herself slightly towards him. "I know that you probably don't really care any which way about what I have to say, but I really think we need to clear the air if we want to make this team work again. I don't know when or if Nanami will ever come around and she is entitled to feel what she feels after everything that happened within the last year. The three of us...we're not the same people that we used to be and I'm sure you know that already. We've all gone through a lot of change in our own different ways, but that doesn't mean we still can't put our differences aside to complete this mission successfully. I'm sure that's essentially what you care about most right now more than anything else."

Nori brought up a leg from underneath her cape and draped it across her opposite one before she clasped her hands together and rested them on top of her leg. "Going back to the Land of Snow is not the most ideal for any of us considering what happened there and truthfully I didn't want to come. I had every reason not to as I don't feel like it's my place to fight for a land I don't belong to. Honestly, Sigmund, I don't know where I belong and that is what I was trying to figure out this past year," she said as she brought up her hand and lightly took hold of the pendant that was dangling around her neck. "My birth mother left me with this pendant after I was born and I wanted to believe it was a sign for me to come find her when I was ready. After I woke up in the Land of Snow all alone, there was a choice I needed to make and I made it. Maybe it was selfish of me to leave to go find what I was looking for, but I knew I had to do it. I thought maybe if I did, I would be able to find that closure in my life and move on to what was next. I didn't know what was going to happen to all of us if we ever found each other again, but I knew it wouldn't be the same and it isn't." She turned her head down to look at her lap as she let go of her pendant, revealing the blue crystalized water pendant.

"I just want you to know that I'm not expecting us all to be how we used to be because that's just not going to happen and I've accepted that a long time ago. Maybe all of us are better off not being together as a group and going our separate ways. As much as I hate how things have come to this, it's just how things are. I guess I can't...want anything more than what all of us have right now," she said solemnly before she tilted her head back up, straightening up her posture as she gave him a gentle stare. "I'm sure you've been through a lot this past year and I'm honestly just relieved knowing that you are alive. Knowing that I'm not left wondering in the dark about that, I'm at peace with what happened and I want to move on with a clean slate. I know nothing will easily be forgotten or forgiven, but I think we are all capable of getting to a place where we can all be civilized and get along. Do you think you will be able to do that?"

   Sigmund listened intently, his attention on her as she sat next to him. He didn’t make a sound or a movement, sitting like a statue as his hands remained in his lap patiently. The one thing Nori had been wrong about, was home caring. Sigmund did care. Cared so much, he lamely wrote to the Dear Tsubaki column in the newspaper for advice. When she mentioned that they needed to put their differences aside, it struck a nerve with him. He had put their differences aside. He was trying to be civilized. It was them that we treating him with disgust. He began clenching his hands into fists as he calmed himself down. ”If you must know, I know this. You don’t think I know this? Yes, we are different and yes, we have grown apart,” he confirmed. ”But don’t you dare blame this solely on me, Nori. he hissed as he stood up, facing the water as she continued to talk, obviously annoyed now as she continued to speak.

   Nori had admitted she didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want any of this and that annoyed him even more. If she didn’t want to be here, then why was she here? She didn’t want to fight their battles anymore; she wanted nothing with Izalith so why was she here? She made that clear before they even set sail and even then, he believed they were better off without someone like her and her attitude towards Lord Sasuke’s new rein and new established island. She explained trying to find her birth mother and had been unsuccessful. Perhaps she shouldn’t have came back. It didn’t make sense to him. ”You don’t know anything about me, Nori so stop acting like it. You weren’t here. You weren’t there for me when they stripped me from my rank, barring me from ever becoming Chunin again, or even barring me from joining the ANBU. This isn’t about you. What you have going on should’ve stayed on the island or wherever your home is,” he spat out as he turned around, his arms across his chest, folding to him.

   He felt a bit guilty snapping at her, but it was like she was trying to bring old shit up or make this all about her and their past. He felt like she was blaming him for everything. He did his dues and paid his price so why bring it back up? ”Is that all? I have been civilized. I have made my peace. I paid my dues. I did my time for my crimes. You’re just like everyone else. You all treat me like I shouldn’t be here. I have been civilized, Nori. I’ve left you all alone and am keeping to myself. Perhaps you all should look at yourselves in the mirror and tell each of yourselves to be civilized with me. I know my place and I know how to work with all of you. Go lecture your friend, Nanami, not me. Go back to your I-hate-Sigmund club.” He had began to walk away. He wasn’t sure why Nori decided to talk to him like this. They should’ve left their problems back at Izalith because all Nori managed to do was bring up old wounds and throw in his face that he ruined all of this. She was like everybody else: isolating him and pointing fingers at him. He just wanted to go back in time to a point where they actual were friends, but that was life and he accepted it. None of them were his friends and anymore and he made peace with that. He wasn’t entirely sure what Nori was trying to accomplish with this, but he was certain that this wasn’t it and if in fact it was, she managed to piss him off and push what was left of him away for good.

   He walked away. He couldn’t be around her right now because he knew he was going to snap again and didn’t want the Wolf in him to take over. Anger was the key to his newly acquired wolf sage mode and he didn’t want to unleash it accidentally on anyone. His mind was decided now: he couldn’t be with someone like her. Not this version of Nori anyways. Any love he had left for her, he vowed to lock it away now. He couldn’t deal with this new Nori. It was a big turn off and it wasn’t something he wanted right now, not with that version of her anyways. He made his way back down below the deck, giving Sakuya a head nod with a slight smile. ”Sakuya, I just wanted to thank you for the meal. It was great,” he thanked as he climbed into his bunk, taking off his jacket and tossing it by his feet before he laid down and faced the wall. He closed his eyes and attempted to meditate. It was evident that his talk with Nori did not go well.

Nori knew going into this conversation wasn't going to be easy. While she knew that she had things that she wanted to say to Sigmund, she knew there were things that he needed to say to her. Things that she honestly wasn't prepared on hearing, but knew that she had to be if the air needed to be cleared. There were, she felt, a lot of things that needed to be said between all of them. Ever since the three of them were reunited back in Izalith again, the air around them was just different. There was this type of awkward tension that was there that hadn't been there before. If she was being honest, Nori didn't know what to really say when she saw them again. What can you say really? What had happened back on the Land of Snow all seemed just like a distant memory, but it was far from it no matter how much time had passed. It was the very place that changed them all in a way that was irreversible. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Yet they all somehow managed to come together again. Was there a purpose for that happening? While Nori didn't expect things to be the same between them, she had truly wanted to believe that they could all start over again and wipe the slate clean. However, perhaps it was a foolish mistake to believe something like that was possible. Especially for Sigmund. Her words of wanting to start over again had visibly triggered something inside him that that made him go off in a way she didn't expect.

Everything he was saying had stung her. She knew he was right. She wasn't there for him. She didn't know what he had gone through in this year that they had been separated. She didn't want to pretend that she knew who he was anymore because she truly didn't just as much as he didn't understand her or Nanami. After she had been separated from the rest of them, there was a voice in her head that told her that she was better off. That she didn't need to go and search for them. She didn't know why she listened to this voice inside her and let it control her. At least that was how it was in the beginning. She had better control of it now, but there were always those moments where that voice would creep up on her. So, Nori made that decision to not go in search of her friends. She went on her own way and did what she needed to do. Did it make her selfish in that regards? Perhaps it did in certain aspects and she didn't want to think it was the wrong choice at the time that she made it. She wanted to believe that everyone -- Sigmund, Nanami, Sarada, Shiroma -- was in a safe place away from the land that had caused so much turmoil. In her heart, she knew that they were even though she had no idea of where that place was.

What had happened a year ago was something that Nori never placed blame on Sigmund for. She knew deep down that he was still the person that she had always known even when he had done so many unforgivable things. She wanted to believe that he was still good. Even in the moment leading up to the blinding light that clouded their memories, she remembered that feeling of wanting to save him. She was willing to give up her life at any cost if it meant saving his life. She would still do that even now because...because, dare she say, still held a deep love for him that she kept locked away inside her heart. She found the keys to her heart starting to unlock one by one and that feeling scared her. Nori remembered that those feelings had made her weak and vulnerable in the past, but she refused to go back to becoming someone that relied more on her heart instead of her head. If she did, she knew that it would make everything that she worked hard on to be stronger would be wasted and she couldn't do that. So, why? Why does looking at this person after all this time make her want to break this rule that she had set in place for herself?

There were things that Sigmund was saying that she couldn't understand because she knew it wasn't the truth. Her intentions of wanting to start over were because she wanted them to be able to work together without anything left unsaid between them. She knew she had to do it because there was no way that Sigmund was going to break the ice and she sure as hell knew that Nanami didn't have any intention of being the first to break, either. She knew things weren't going to go back to how they used to be and there was no way that she could ask that of either of them. Just because she wanted them to all at least try to make amends and start over, didn't meant that was they wanted. For both of them, there were wounds that were re-opened and there was still some part of the past that was stopping them from being able to move on. For Sigmund, he seemed to accept things for how they were between them, but had it in his mind that he was blamed for how things were now. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong and that she didn't hate him. For Nanami, there were unforgivable things that Sigmund had done that she was still holding onto and couldn't seem let go of. She was entitled to feel that way, but at the same time, it was holding her back from moving on and forgiving him. That was what needed to happen. Forgiveness between all of them. Maybe Nori couldn't see how the words she spoke so casually had actually been the wrong things to say. What were the right things to say? What could any of them say that would make any of this better? What part of not speaking to each other and keeping your distance was being civilized in his eyes she wondered? Was atoning for the sins he had committed not as important for making things right between all of them after everything they had all been through together? They had all hurt each other to some degree, so it wasn't necessarily fair to blame it on one person. Sigmund was wrong on that assumption that she was placing the blame on him. That she was like everyone else that pointed the finger at him. Yet maybe he was also right in assuming that she did because she didn't choose her words more carefully. Not only that, but because she kept her distance from him for a year without saying one word to him. He truly must have hated her. She wished he knew how wrong he was everything. She was still on his side just like how she had always been since they were kids.

Nori had seen Sigmund's back walk away from her many times and every time it had pained her more than the last. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. Maybe the right thing in that moment to say that she should have said in the beginning was... "I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice Nori brought up her hand and clenched onto her chest and watched him walk away in silence. She knew going after him now would be meaningless. He had nothing more to say. She lightly bit her bottom lip before she let out a growl of frustration and quickly stood up from the box she was sitting on. She swiftly grabbed one of her katanas from its sheath at her back and turned around quickly to cleanly cut one box. "Dammit!" she shouted before she turned again and started to cut the other wooden boxes around her.

"Ah, your welcome!" Sakuya replied and smiled after Sigmund thanked her for the meal she brought up, "Be sure to thank Chef Zuka as well - he's the one who prepared our meals!"

Seeing the pale-skinned senior genin move on to his bunk, Sakuya then looked to the stairs leading up. She had Kotatsu's help to thank for in somehow coming to terms with how she felt about Sigmund, and it showed that Sigmund was indeed making efforts in order to move on from his past and find ways to fix things with the others.

What Lady Sarada told them before they sortied was true - it won't be easy for people to get over what happened the previous year. Sakuya could only hope that despite how everyone else felt towards Sigmund they would be able to work together. She was particularly worried about Nanami - noticing something different going on with her friend.

   Sigmund made a mental note to thank the ship’s chef for his meal. It had been a long time since he had been given delicious food like that. Thinking about it, he seemed to have let go his frustrations from his encounter with Nori. It got him thinking why Sakura was being so friendly with him. He had to know. Maybe Sakura had a pure heart for forgiveness. Or maybe she was just doing it because she had to. He frowned to himself at the latter. ”Hey Sakuya,” he called out as he continued to stare at the metal wall in front of him. ”Why are you being so nice to me? How come you’re not treating me like everyone else is? Like I’m some plague nobody wants around.” He was generally curious. He had to ask. He wanted to know the truth. It would help his anxiety if everyone was honest about how they felt towards him. He didn’t want fake apologies or pretend friendships. He wanted to make things right; he truly does. He knew nobody would ever trust him again and he was sure nobody would ever truly be a friend to him again but honestly, he was okay with that. He didn’t know why he was okay with it but he was.

   He knew if this didn’t work out, being on a team again, he knew he’d stop being a shinobi for good. The fact of the matter was though, Sigmund would give up his life for them. They didn’t know that but he wouldn’t hesitate if it ever came down to it. He felt like if that happened, he could truly redeem himself and be free of this life. He shook the thoughts out of his head. It sounded too dark and morbid.

In reply to Yamada Nori (msg # 11):

Lady Sarada had wondered the deck of the ship, taking in the familiar scenery. The cold winds and harsh blizzard brewing; the giant icebergs floating on the ocean’s surface and fresh, white blankets of snow, but even though it was as pretty as she remembered it, it was a place she was done with. She knew she couldn’t fail her squad again; she vowed she wasn’t going to allow them to fall prey to this cursed island. She continued to step around until she saw Nori and Sigmund on the other side of the ship. She was actually impressed that the two were having a discussion however that quickly turned sour as she saw Sigmund walk away and Nori react violently. Sarada studied Nori’s blades and she was quite impressed. She didn’t take Nori to be a swordsman but then again nobody thought Sarada would take up after her father’s craft either. Nori was angry and frustrated and she was taking it out on the ship. Sarada knew she had to intervene.

With one swift heel, she managed to make it to the other side of the deck in the blink of an eye and midway through Nori’s swing, Sarada had used a kunai knife to stop her blade. ”Easy.” she said as she lowered her kunai knife and stood up. ”To be a great shinobi, we mustn’t react with our emotions. It causes irrational decisions like this.” she explained. ”I’m proud of you though. You took the first step of trying to ease the tension between the both of you. As long as effort is made, that’s what mattered, Nori.” she explained further as she put her kunai knife away. ”Now, tell me. Is everything okay?” she asked curiously.

After she had cleanly cut the box in half and made the contents spill out onto the deck, Nori swiftly twisted the hilt of her katana in her hand and turned her body to aim at the next box but found herself stopped by the kunai blade of none other than… “Sarada sensei,” she said in a low voice with slightly widened eyes. When had she even come? She was quickly reminded how she had let her emotions control her instead of thinking of the damage she was now causing. Another mistake. She loosened the grip slightly on the hilt as she straightened up her posture to stand firmly back on the ground without taking her eyes off the person in front of her. Was it really a moment to be proud of she wondered? But like she had said, the effort was made. It just didn’t do any good. “I didn’t go in expecting anything.” She twisted the blade and quickly slipped it back into the sheath with a small click. “I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, but I wanted to try since I knew neither of them would take the first step,” she added before she shifted her cape back around her shoulders and brushed past Sarada to take a seat on one of the boxes that she hadn’t managed to cut in half just yet.

Nori let out a sigh as she rested her elbows on her knees before she brought up her hands to pushed through her flame red hair. The small strands of loose hair fell down across her forehead and down to brush against her temples. “They both have every right to feel what they feel, sensei. We have all gone through our own battles and hardships throughout this past year and aren’t the same people that we once were. However, I knew coming into this again, that the air had to be cleared and we can go into this with nothing left unsaid and start over,” she said as she lowered her hands down from her head and let them drape loosely over her knees while she looked down to the floor. “I made the mistake of not knowing how Sigmund felt and went into the conversation blind. I have no idea what he has been through and how he feels. I’m realizing that maybe my disappearance effected him in a way that I wasn’t aware of. He thinks I hate him. That I blame him for everything. I don’t understand why he feels this way, but something I said triggered and brought up repressed feelings. I was careless in my words and because of that he thinks I am just like everyone else when he couldn’t be more wrong.” Nori lifted her head up and looked at Sarada in front of her with an expression that said she was trying to stay strong but was confused at what to do next. “What is the right thing to do in a moment like this, Sarada sensei? I don’t expect anything to go back to how it used to be. I just…want us all to try and understand each other, but we can’t do that without talking and talking right now just seems to make everything worse. I made it worse.”

"Hmmm..." Sakuya paused to think about the question Sigmund posed to her. All she could remember were what her parents taught her when they were still alive and the time she spent with Kotatsu since the last year.

"I guess it's because it feels wrong to treat others badly when they are trying to fix things together..." the young genin finally spoke up while attempting to put her thoughts together, "My mom said before that you should do things you want people to do for you, so if you want people to be nice to you, you also have to be nice to them..."

"Kotatsu also told me how things were... And you were not exactly yourself back then..." Sakuya added as she put a finger under her chin and looked up to the ceiling, "Also if we look at what happened before, Uzumaki-sama kept on looking out for Uchiha-sama even if the latter did some bad things... I guess it is why Uchiha-sama could watch over us now is because someone was there for him."

In reply to Yamada Nori (msg # 15):

Sarada had eased up once Nori sheathed her deadly blade. She’d mention to Nori to clean up the mess she made once their conversation was over. She leaned against the railing next to Nori as she listened quietly. Strangely enough, she felt guilty herself. As their sensei, she should’ve made sure their tensions had been fixed before they embarked however they didn’t have much of a choice with the urgency of the mission at hand. All she could do was guide the squad in learning how to forgive. It was funny because Sarada was stubborn and hard-headed herself and giving advice was being hypocritical to herself. She sighed softly as the snow began to come down a little harder which meant the blizzard likely was going to get worse before it got better.

”Sometimes you have to remember that you’re all kids still. You’re trying to handle adult problems while still growing at the same time. It confuses yourself. I’m not saying you’re too immature still. It just means you’re still growing, still have a lot of emotions to process,” she explained. She remembered being younger; she didn’t stay young for long as she would’ve liked but with high ranked parents with their kind of reputation, she needed to surpass that or at least get on her father’s level. She often forgot her squad wasn’t that much younger than her however because of her experience and status, it seemed she was a lot older than she really was. When Nori began explaining how she mistakenly forgot how Sigmund felt about everything, it was made clear why he reacted the way that he did. If anything, Sarada believed that’s exactly how she expected Sigmund to behave. She read his file and old reports about his temper and outbursts, always running from his problems rather than face them head on.

”I know you meant well, Nori. Don’t try to take it to heart though. You’ve missed quite a lot with him,” she explained as she recalled having studied his last year in Izalith before they had left for their mission. ”I guess you wouldn’t know what he was going through while you were away.” She paused for a moment before reaching into her satchel bag and pulled out a small book. It wasn’t big and the title read,”Uchiha Trials.” ”While we were away, they published this small book apparently. His criminal trial is in here along with his brother’s. They even have their past year in here. It was only handed out to us Jonin to keep us up to date on the Uchiha brothers in case something arose with them again,” she explained. She remembered seeing the book in her office. It was the one thing she actually read over when she had woken up.

”They punished him. Harshly. His trial made the headlines for a month straight. They charged him and his brother with so many war crimes from murder to terroristic acts. They were arrested, Nori. They spent time in jail for a bit while this all happened,” she went on to explain. ”Nobody should have to go through that. My father didn’t even go through this after all he did. He did make it right eventually before I was born, but nobody’s ever going to forget what he did as a kid.” She remembered the stories and the countless access she had on her father. He wasn’t all that different from Sigmund when it came to fighting for the wrong side. ”Imagine doing all the destruction he caused, living with it, then having to come back to his hometown destroyed and potentially looking at being executed. He faced that alone by himself while all the nations watched him and then him and his brother be acquitted from all the charges. You know the uproar that caused within Izalith’s walls?” Sarada found herself vouching for Sigmund however she was merely informing Nori everything she missed. She knew Nori wasn’t aware what Sigmund went through while she was away.

”and then having to stay within the city not ever being able to leave without having the entire city watching you, telling him how Justice wasn’t served and that he didn’t deserve to live? Can you imagine the emotional damages this past year has caused him? Sigmund’s been through a lot. Isolated and forced to not be able to become what he’s always wanted takes its toll on someone. Did you know they sealed off his sharingan and have limited his chakra reserves? He has a lot of making up to do and while he doesn’t show it, I can tell he feels he’s out of place here. He has no friends. Nobody wants to be his friend for that matter. You did mean well, you truly did. In the end, he needs a friend. Nobody expects any of you to forget what he has done. Everyone in the world is going to remind him of that until the day he’s able to redeem himself to the people and who knows if that’ll ever happen,” she explained as she placed the book back into her satchel and placed a hand on Nori’s shoulder.

”He has the world on his shoulders, waiting for him to screw up again so they have a reason to execute him. Imagine having that hanging over your head. He needs some space right now, that’s all. You can always try again tomorrow with him,” she finished with a soft smile. Lady Sarada tried her best to ease the situation and explain why Sigmund was acting the way he was. She herself hadn’t even spoken to Sigmund about the past; she knew there wasn’t a point however she knew she was stronger this time in case he ever did get out of line again. She couldn’t imagine what Sigmund was feeling and she felt pity towards him because of it. She remembered what Shiroma told her about being under the darkness’ grip; those who are indoctrinated by the darkness, they still remember every single thing that was taking place and having no control to stop it. It was like the sharingan’s genjutsu. She had hoped this helped Nori with her situation.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:06, Sat 27 Nov 2021.

In reply to Uchiha Sarada (msg # 17):

As Sarada took out this book titled Uchiha Trials from her satchel bag and began to read from it, Nori realized just how naive she really had been. She knew back then if Sigmund ever made it back home that he would face punishment for everything he had done, but she told herself, too, that she would be there for him no matter what. Growing up together, she wanted to believe that she knew everything there was to know about him, but at the same time, he never let her get too close to know every aspect of his life. He never really had many friends that she could remember when they were kids. Everyone kept their distance…except her. To hear he had gone through so much without anyone there for him made Nori’s stomach turn. She just stared up at her sensei with widened eyes without even knowing that silent tears had trickled down her face. While she had been out there searching for her own answers, he had been in a place with four walls around him with no escape. He had been acquitted from everything, but has never truly felt that he was free of anything. She could only imagine being in a place with people that were constantly watching you, waiting for you to screw up so that they could kill you.

Nori turned her head and looked over towards the opening that led below deck where Sigmund had left, watching it silently. “Sigmund…” she said in a soft voice that was barely audible. Her mind went back to that conversation she had with him moments again and the words ‘You weren’t here’ ‘You weren’t there for me’ echoed in her head over and over again. Sigmund had never been one to tell anyone how he always felt, finding it better to kept it to himself. Yet when he said those words…she could feel the pain. She could tell that he truly needed someone to be on his side. A friend. Someone. Anyone. How could she look him in the eye ever again? She lowered her head down. “Thank you for telling me all of this. I feel like…I have a better understanding now, sensei.” She brought up her hand to wipe at the tears that had trickled down her face. “It makes me realize that I said everything but the words that he needed to hear,” Nori turned her head and looked over at Sarada that was in front of her. ““I have seen Sigmund’s back turned to me as he walked away so many times in my life, but this time I feel like it may be the last. After knowing everything he has gone through, how can I face him ever again, sensei? What can I do to help him understand that I am on his side without making it seem like it is out of pity for everything he’s gone through? How can I help him?”

   Sigmund had remained quiet for a moment. Something about Sakuya’s words felt genuine and it felt nice. A soft smile began to form before he turned around and looked at Sakuya. ”Thank you, Sakuya. I promise I’ll protect you with my life. You can count on it,” he swore to her before turning back around, draping the blanket over himself as he closed his eyes, Sakuya’s words replaying in his head. Perhaps there was hope after all. If he could at least prove to one person that he’s a changed man, that’s all he needed in life to make himself be at peace with himself. He began drifting off to sleep at that point, an innocent and peaceful face as he allowed himself to finally rest peacefully for once.

Nanami had been standing close enough to catch everything that was said. It wasn't that she purely hated Sigmund. It is just that she lost sight of who Sigmund was to her. It was obvious nothing had been fixed. Herself, Nori and Sigmund haven't buried any type of hatchet. The three of them had been just going on about their woes. Their pains. Everybody including Sigmund was being selfish and only thinking of them. In the many battles that happened. Was she just suppose to forgive and forget everything? Was it even possible for her to? These were questions that couldn't be answered. Listening to Nori, Sigmund and Sarada. It was clear to Nanami that this would end up a disaster if something wasn't done. She really wanted to say what she was thinking. But would it really do anything but cause more animosity. She was really tired of it all. She would find a pole or something to lean against. While she was in this state of deep thinking she would passively start humming. It had been a long while since she had sung for anyone but herself or the victims of the Assassination missions she had been doing for the better part of the year. She wasn't cold about it. Even evil people deserve some solace when they die. But then glancing at Sigmund as he left. Nanami wondered how to even talk to or approach him. She missed the boy that was Sigmund when they first met. After the loss of their sensei. Things suddenly changed. She would speak towards Sarada and Nori.

"We all have our reasons and we all have our damaged selves. I am not one to talk about being damaged. The only way I could cope was by taking assassination's and intel missions while hunting for information on the man in black. After hearing everyone here. It became obvious as to why we act the way we do, and why the nation does as well. Naruto is still missing, the man in black hasn't been unmasked. So the easiest target would be one he seduced to his side. While Sigmund does have to answer for what he did. We are just making it worse. For what? To make ourselves feel better? Maybe. Being treated like a dog sucks. I guess is the best way to put it. He is chained, his power is neutered, and I can't imagine the frustration he must be feeling. But he should look at the bright side. He has his brother back. He has a chance at redemption. All of us venting to him when he himself has no one to vent to, no friends to talk to. Sigmund was my friend, but when our original sensei was killed. That is when he changed. A moment of weakness allowed the true darkness in. Believe it or not. For a brief moment I fell for him. But it was just a fleeting moment. That moment on the rooftop just talking like normal friends would. It is one of those memories that actually allowed me to continue believing there was good left in this world."

She would pause as while she sounded composed, and that was mostly due to her vocal training. It was very hard for her to just spill everything out like this. It was even more difficult to admit other things as well. But she needed to get over herself. That was her biggest weakness. Is she always thought she was superior. Even if she didn't know in those moments. Looking back she was just that way.

"It's funny that the memory that kept me going was of a person that I grew to abhor. But what is the point? We have a mission to do. As we are we will all put ourselves right back into a horrible situation. I will not go through that again. Sensei, would you give Sigmund something since I doubt he wants to see me right now?"

Nanami holds a shard of crystal up. Another fond memory was the training that their first squad captain gave them. A fairly nasty obstacle course. One we all had issues with. The crystal was pinkish red. It has all of their names inscrolled on it, as their first sensei was a user of the Crystal release Kekkei. She holds it out to Sarada.

"Maybe this will bring back some good memories for him. Our first Sensei was strict but kind. His obstacle courses were difficult. But he found a way to unite us. Even then there were some rough edges. It's time they are smoothed out. Don't you think so Sensei?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:15, Sun 28 Nov 2021.

In reply to Yamada Nori (msg # 18):

Sarada felt pity towards Nori. Perhaps Nori did go about it the wrong way. However Sarada knew with this new information, Nori would be able to make amends perhaps the correct way. Sarada knew she did the right thing letting Nori know though. She had to know. Sigmund did in fact need a friend and that friend should’ve been Nori. She had some making up to do, but it was going to take time. ”You try again and you don’t stop. That’s all you can do,” she said as she looked up at the snow falling from the sky. ”You try like Hokage Naruto did for my father. He never gave up on my father, despite my father’s protest. Unfortunately it did takes years and a war for my father to finally accept that our Hokage was truly a friend. That’s why you shouldn’t give up,” Sarada said as she looked down at Nori with a soft smile. ”He’s going to protest, of course, but giving up now only makes his situation worse. He needs you Nori, whether he wants to admit it or not, he needs you. You’re what he needs right now. Remember that,” she added softly before she felt Shiroma’s presence nearby. Sarada was looking forward to seeing her lover right now.

”Once he realizes that you truly mean it, he’ll open up again and perhaps he’ll be able to be the friend you need too in your situation,” she added. Sarada had been briefly told about Nori’s adventure after their final mission. Her disappearance was strange and the fact she went out looking on her own with not much to go off of and coming back empty handed, she couldn’t imagine what the girl was going through herself. ”Speaking of which…did you ever find any clues as to the whereabouts of your mother? I know it means a lot to you to find your birth mother. But how can you be so sure she’s still alive? Or even wants to be found?” she asked curiously. Sarada knew many youngsters who didn’t have parents or were adopted. It wasn’t uncommon, especially if their parents were shinobi and killed in action. Nori’s situation was just a simple mother giving away her child. Most times, when a mother gave her child away, it was for good reason like a better life. She remembered her own journey herself when it came to her father. It wasn’t a story she shared often but perhaps it would help Nori in any way she could.

Before Nori could answer her questions of curiosity, Nanami showed herself. Had she been there the whole time? Sarada had turned around once Nanami began talking. She seemed more understanding of the situation than she thought. When Nanami spoke about their previous sensei, you could tell this individual was important to her, to all of them. She couldn't imagine witnessing their teacher, their friend, their mentor, dying in front of them. Sarada admitted, she had lost someone important to her once. It was all a blur now because she wanted to forget, but never could. Loss and grief are hard, especially if they experienced it young, just as the war started. She remember reading up on their former sensei; a very rare kekkei he possessed.

"Loss changes a person permanently. It sounds like me honestly. The darkness feeds off your painful emotions. If what you say is true, that Sigmund changed the moment your sensei perished in battle, then unfortunately he didn't have much hope to begin with. He's traumatized. He shows signs of ptsd," she explained. She was familiar with the diagnosis herself. She actually couldn't believe she failed to see it in the first place. "I would have to further evaluate him for confirmation; it would explain a majority of his behavior towards everything. The darkness used that to its advantage. Negative emotions of any kind, plants the seed and when this hooded man appears, he's able to manipulate your soul from then on," Sarada explained. Everything was beginning to make sense now. Sigmund's broken inside and he needed something to ground him: friends.

She looked at the crystal held out to her. It was a nice present, one hopefully that would at least cheer Sigmund up. However, it felt wrong to be the one to give it to him. Nanami did make a point though, he likely didn't want to speak to her either. Nori had already opened wounds all over again. He needed space. She took the crystal, glancing at it, with a soft smile. It was a beautiful gesture. "I couldn't agree more," she stated as she placed the crystal into her satchel. "I'll give this to him in the morning. I'm sure he just wants to be left alone for now," she explained.

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder. A mental illness that makes it difficult sometimes to function. Agitation. Irritability. Hostility. Hypervigilance. Self-destructive behavior. Isolation. Flashbacks, fear, severe anxiety, or mistrust loss of interest or pleasure in activities. Guilt, or loneliness. Emotional detachment or unwanted thoughts. He's undiagnosed. Why didn't they see this before when they had him locked up like a dog? Sigmund, I'm sorry I failed you, but I promise I won't fail you from here on out. You have my word.