The Path to B-ing Better: Hebisha & Kaori - B Rank Exam - Private

The day had begun as usual for the ninja who woke up holding tightly to a plush doll shaped like her best friend, and number one ally. She sat up with a half asleep look about her and looked around her room at the empty shelves at the ceiling, remembering how all her plushies were destroyed and let out a sigh as she knew she'd have to replace them. Fixing them wasn't an option since they were all completely destroyed, being reduced to nothing but stuffing. She forced herself out of bed to begin her day, though, the bed was honestly tempting to lay back down on.

Skipping the boring shower and getting dressed, the ninja walked up to the helm of Recon One to see if there was anything happening. She was informed that not a whole lot had happened, the normal robberies in the poor parts of town, a ship crashed but was helped by a passing ship, a member of the guild heading out of town, people moving stuff over to the new location- all normal stuff. Kaori had looked over the video logs that were displayed on twenty four individual screens and noticed a certain member leaving who didn't normally go many places. "Hey, do you know where Hebs is going?" Kaori asked one of the operatives. They let her know that they had no idea since she didn't take any jobs from the notice board, but the fact that she was leaving town was odd.

Kaori walked out to the main deck and called out her fastest, and quietest pet, Kōu. She told him that she wanted him to fly slowly and stay quiet and he understood, leaned over to let her on, and once she was on took off. They flew lower to the ground so Kaori could spot the long, white line, but not so low that she'd hear the gentle beating of Kōu's wings.

Kaori was curious about Hebisha's leaving town and as they got farther and farther from Hargeon, her curiosity increased. She ended up having to give her nature dragon time to rest from constant flying, and ended up returning to Recon One and flying very high over the snake. They followed until Hebisha had made it to the base of some mountains where Kaori's curiosity was beginning to grow further. Kaori let out a sigh and decided it was time to go top-side.

Kaori would suddenly appear next to Hebisha and say "Hey Hebi." with a friendly tone before asking what brought her all the way out to Midi.

Kaori felt Hebisha's hurt from being followed, and understood the reason behind it. She likely felt that Kaori didn't trust her, or possibly didn't trust her to not do anything illegal. Likely, but not something that could be proven easily. She listened carefully, knowing that her asking why she followed was likely rhetorical as she spoke up much too quickly after asking for Kaori to reply. Kaori remained silent for the trip up the mountain to allow Hebisha time to accept her presence, as well as calm down slightly from the sudden interruption.

Once she and Kaori had arrived at some cave with a horribly made grave of sorts, Kaori cleared her throat and approached Hebisha. "Hebi..." she said softly in a warm and friendly tone. "Ever since I met you in the forests I've been curious about you, but I'm always busy with... everything. I don't see you like a lab rat or a freak to be studied and prodded, but as a person, a human like me who should be exposed to kindness..." as Kaori spoke, Hebisha would be able to feel the ninja's heart and know that she was speaking truth as her emotions reflected as such. "...You're an amazing person with a good heart, and I wanted to know more about you. I always feel a wall when it comes to you and others, so I was afraid to ask and when I saw you leaving Hargeon, I thought it was odd since I don't see it often. I can tell this place is significant to you, and I'm sorry for stalking you, especially to a place so close to you without permission."

Kaori would calmly walk in front of Hebisha and, if she allowed it, give her a warm hug. Regardless of if she was stopped or not, Kaori would say "I consider you a good friend, as well as a valuable ally. If you would allow me the honor and privilege, I'd like to help you recover your past."

Hebisha had stated that she would allow Kaori to help her, though, in much kinder words. Kaori had kept a neutral expression when it was said since she knew the snake woman was blind and visible shows of emotion were somewhat useless under such circumstances. Instead, a ping of contentment mixed with small dots of happiness were sent from the ninja to Hebisha so she could feel Kaori's heart and know that she was happy that Hebisha wasn't throwing her out. The lamia had told Kaori that starting a fire would be a good way to start since any blizzard outside, should one randomly occur as they sometimes did, could churn up and turn the fairly warm room into a fairly frozen one at anytime. Kaori had agreed to it without hesitance of course. While humans were warm blooded, they could still die if things got too cold.

Kaori had paused after Hebisha left to look at the tomb and shrine, noting the dull scales that she had assumed to be Hebisha's. This assumption was made since the snake lady was the only one of her kind that Kaori knew, other than the celestial spirits that Samira had. So to be more accurate, the only lamia Kaori knew, that lived among humans. The writing on it was crude at best, and the shrine to the deceased was just as rough. It was rough and not very pretty, but it was more than capable of doing what it was intended to do. Kaori had considered how much effort it would've taken Hebisha to construct and with that, assumed that this Senju-Sensei was someone of great importance. Should Hebisha fail to tell her of him, Kaori would have to ask. Not on this day, but rather in time when the opportunity presented itself.

Kaori had considered using Query to manifest a fire that would never go out, or Ira to act as a natural heat source since she was the avatar of Sol, the sun, but she wanted to explore this place and getting access to burnable material would be an excellent reason. She took a look at the shrine and decided that before leaving, she would ask permission to pretty it up and make the grave something special, but she wouldn't do so without permission. Kaori had looked at the various symbols around the room and identified the five elements of creation: Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, and Steel, and figured that the one with wood was where she was supposed to go the obtain the burnable material. The fact that this area was large enough to house multiple rooms was a testament to the original creator's prowess and capability, worth much respect in the eyes of the ninja. She proceded down to the wood area and entered a tunnel, quickly being hit with the bursting aroma of lush greenery and setting the expectation for something grand.

Expectations at the end of the tunnel met reality as a small forest opened up before her. A low-lying smoke that was just dense enough for Kaori to see the verdant color without being so think she was unable to see had permeated the area. The ninja proceed, moving to the middle of the area to find an urn with several incense burning. A sign had stated to add one of the joy sticks whenever the wood from the area was in use, and several unused sticks were nearby. Kaori walked over and took one and looked around for something to light it with, flint, fire, gun powder- nope, none. "Snoop genie, can you give me a lighter?" Kaori asked calmly, after which a lighter appeared in her hand. "Thanks." Kaori said, after which a note appeared in her hand that said 'I gotchu.' and was signed by the all mighty Snoop Genie. Some wood was taken and Kaori lit the incense and added it to the urn before moving the wood up to the main room.

Kaori then moved to where Hebisha was and noticed she was topless upon arrival. Such a thing didn't disturb Kaori since the woman was half snake, leaving very little to be seen below the waist, and above the waist Hebisha was female- just like Kaori. Her clan had a habit of bathing together so no one was actually bothered by the sight of the other human beings, even if it was the opposing gender. This was something that was done to prevent their bodies from being used as a bargaining chip during interrogation. No man was completely taken over by the unbuttoning of a single button, removal of a small or insignificant bit of clothing, or tease from female interrogators. No woman could be seduced by the sight of a well built chest, not even Ikuchi, Kaori's servant could seduce one of his fellow clansmen. If Hebisha hadn't paid Kaori any attention, the ninja would sit down in a meditation position while closing her eyes and focusing on the world around her. While she couldn't feel vibrations, she could tune out her eyes and focus on her other four senses, as well as the hearts of any creatures who lived within the structure.

Kaori had remained calm as the shadows moved and even went so far as to ignore the sudden scream. There was no reaction when Hebisha, or what looked to be her, had came out of the pool since Kaori could feel in her heart, that the one she was talking to was no longer Hebisha. The woman was quite arrogant, thinking that what she was doing would be enough to stop anyone. She had made an insult towards humans, as well as Kaori's name. What's more, she thought that she could take Kaori on and showed the greatest of arrogance by going into a rant.

Hebisha was referred to by various names before being referred to by the name Kaori knew her as. It was stated that Hebisha had a very different past, and was revealed that the one Kaori was speaking to had killed Hebisha's former master. It was also explained that she had been the cause of Hebisha's blindness, something that struck a nerve with Kaori. The ninja considered Hebisha to be an ally and friend, and would never accept someone harming her in any way. Kaori's expression turned to a fairly aloof one, her eyes becoming bored with the arrogant woman's talking but Kaori said nothing at all in case there was more prudent information given.

When the woman finally finished talking, Kaori remained still, staying in her meditative position. As the gas in the room grew thicker, Kaori had let out a sigh and the gas immediately returned to where it came from. "You're quite the foolish one, aren't you?" she said with a bored expression about her face. Kaori stood up and walked forward a few steps before stopping with her arms crossed under her chest. The gas had been sent back to the pockets where it was stored, and Kaori had used her spirit's power to alter reality and make it so the gas was non toxic should it be released while she was present. This power didn't require the spirit itself to be present since Kaori had converted that spirit into a piece of equipment that she was currently wearing. Should it be released again, the gas would actually be made of water vapor that tasted like lime juice- completely harmless. "You honestly should choose your battles more wisely. Either that, or research your opponent more thoroughly..." Kaori's tone was showing no signs of being afraid of the one inhabiting Hebisha's body. "...You see, I'm not simply a human with magic." Kaori would say and begin floating, phasing straight through the barrier around Hebisha by using her 'Passionate Force' on her own body, which let her completely ignore defenses- barriers included. The woman would feel something in the air... she would feel a desire to protect, but not coming from Hebisha.

Kaori's magic was very odd, even when compared to the concept of magic itself. While not in use, Kaori's magic was completely invisible. One could put Kaori next to any other human, specifically someone with no magic at all, and they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. However, once Kaori began using her magic, whatever she was feeling turned into a type of aura that permeated the area and let others know what emotion was driving her at that moment. Her magic was extremely powerful due to it being based off of Kaori's heart, and the more powerful the emotion she felt, the more powerful her magic became. Kaori was known for being very protective of her friends and it was when they were in danger that Kaori became a force to be reckoned with... Kaori stopped just after entering the barrier and didn't bother getting closer. Hebisha, or rather, the one controlling her, would find it impossible to move. She would notice a white energy coating her body and the rest of the room, as well as a feeling of immense weight. Not the kind from a physical aspect, but rather, an emotional one. The weight of seeing millions dead, causing their deaths, and being their leader. The weight of holding an entire nations worth of people on your back and every decision affecting their lives... this was the kind of weight that the woman would feel, Kaori's Passionate Burden. "You can't defeat my most basic of powers... you'll never be able to best Hebisha." Kaori would say, and not bother to acknowledge anything else the woman retorted with. While her body was immobile, she was free to speak. Any attacks thrown at Kaori would meet a barrier of her own that would convert the attack into mana for Kaori. Such was the power of Kaori's Lunar Barrier, a side effect of using her spirit's power.

Kaori remained emotionless as Hebisha's voice was used to complain of the situation, crying out and insulting Kaori. She announced her name, Oorochi, something Kaori took note of. Kaori didn't bother speaking while keeping Hebisha bound, not even smiling at the irony of the spirit proclaiming she couldn't be bound. On this day, the spirit appeared to have been proven quite wrong. Still, Kaori showed no signs of amusement from the irony, even if she was thinking it. Something that Kaori would never in her life tell someone was that her mother, uncle, and aunt were all gods of considerable power. In Kaori's eyes, she was human. She was born as a human, lived as a human, fights as a human, and will never accept having the powers of a goddess. It was these powers that kept Oorochi from being able to move while Hebisha fought against her. The battle between Kaori and Hebisha's controlled body wasn't even a battle, just an overpowering.

Kaori felt Hebisha's heart changing as Oorochi complained about the body being useless. Hebisha had fallen into the now empty pool and emerged as herself again. Kaori gently floated back down to the ground where she waited for the lamia to find her way back up and when she did, Kaori felt many things coming from her. Kaori found herself in a tight embrace, the lamia crying. There was fear, and sadness from the event. Kaori returned the hug, rubbing Hebisha's back gently while letting her cry. She admitted to needing her friends, the guild, and Kaori specifically. Kaori said in a soft, warm tone "We'll always be here for you, and we'll protect each other." Hebisha had said she wanted Kaori to show her who she was in her past life, but had also mentioned only when she was ready for it. Kaori pulled back from the hug and gently took Hebisha's head and rested it against her chest, rubbing her hair gently as she said "Hai... Junbi ga dekitara." which translated roughly to 'Yes... When you're ready.'

They remained like that for a bit of time. Kaori was glad that she had earned the trust and respect of Hebisha. For people like Samira, that trust had come after a great deal of hardship. They had gone through much together, and both had covered each other's asses more times than they knew. When it came to Kaori and Hebisha, the ninja was the first person she met in Hargeon who wasn't attacking her. Kaori hadn't had much interaction with her, but when Gisen had recommended her to assist with a specific mission there was no questioning it. Hebisha didn't know the details of the setup for that mission, but Gisen didn't need to provide any reasons for Hebisha coming along, Kaori simply put her name down. The only thing it truly took to earn Hebisha's respect that Kaori knew of was just being there and showing her the respect and kindness she deserved. While rubbing her head, Kaori said "Hebisha... no matter what anyone says, you're not a monster. You're as human as I am, and in our clan, you will never be allowed to receive any other treatment. Let's go home."

Hebisha had asked Kaori to grab the urns from the area, to which Kaori said "Snoop Genie, would you mind transporting the urns to the Arc of Destiny?" after which, the urns vanished and appeared within the colossal war ship in space. Until Kaori and Hebisha arrived in Hargeon, they would be safe there. On Kaori's way out, she had stopped at the grave to Hebisha's master and asked if it would be alright if she made a change to the grave site. Upon permission being given, Kaori had converted the grave into a much more lavish one. The grave was made deeper, and overtop it was a white granite stone with highly detailed black ivory engravings. The base of the stone was the average rectangular prism, and on top that was a lamia with gold lines to distinguish each scale. In the lamia's hands were a sphere that levitated and slowly spun. The sphere had a hole in the top for incense to be placed. Kaori had bowed to the shrine and said "Arigato, sensei." before leaving the shrine. Upon leaving, Kaori would offer Hebisha a ride to Hargeon on Recon One and once they arrived, she would let Hebisha have her urns back.