Kimimaro Finds His Purpose (PRIVATE - MEARII SHIOTSU ONLY)

Kimimaro Kaguya, the sole survivor of the Kaguya Clan, laid up against a tree in the forest, his fingers tracing over the Cursed Seal of Earth that was located on his throat. His attire consisted of purple shinobi pants, a simple white t-shirt that opened up in the front and a pair of purple shinobi sandals, his Otogakure headband which had a slash mark going through it stored in his pocket. His pale face and seafoam green eyes were perfectly blank, devoid of any emotion as he looked over the memories of his time with his former master Orochimaru. For what seemed like an eternity, Kimimaro laid there, his face or eyes not giving away the slightest hint of emotion or thought until finally, a small frown made it's way to his face, though it was so small only those with a well-trained eye would catch it. He was thinking about the time where the Sound Four was assigned to make sure Sasuke was delivered to Orochimaru, the battles he participated in that day and being left unconscious after he strained his body too much from a combination of his illness and prolonged use of his Cursed Seal. That was the day Orochimaru 'released' him from his services, as because since he lost a battle, he technically failed the mission and Orochimaru would have killed him had he returned.

His ears twitched as he heard a sound come from somewhere in the forest. He slowly lowered himself into an attack stance as he prepared to form a bone sword for use as he heard what sounded like footsteps heading in his direction. He looked around and saw that the footsteps were coming from a black-haired girl with a Chuunin vest and a Konoha Hitai-ate that had no slash mark, indicating she was still with her village. He knew that even without the Cursed Seal, he could take on a lone Chuunin by himself so he relaxed slightly, though he was prepared to lash out in case she choose to attack him.

Mearii was walking silently through the forest. Her hands were wrapping around herself, covering her purple tunic-vest that was bearing the Konoha symbol. Her hair covered her face as she walked; she was obviously in a hurry. She leaned against the tree for a long moment, moving the hair out of her face, revealing bright, hazel eyes. She closed them, taking a deep breath, "Ishikigan!" she spoke firmly, and when she opened her eyes, they began to haze a dark purple color. She breathed heavily, looking around to see if anyone was in sight still. There wasn't anything. She began to walk once more, before stopping abruptly, staying completely still. There was someone around her, and she could feel them. She narrowed her eyes.

"Who's there..." she murmured lightly, reaching back for her Kusanagi. She tightened her grip around it, but didn't unsheath it completely. Continuing to look around, her eyes stopped apon a white haired boy with pale skin. She recognized his attire, and she took a step back. Another sound ninja under Orochimaru. The only reason she recognized it was because of her cousin, Sinna, who now worked under Orochimaru. That is the reason she was running. She was spotted by her. She stayed still, staring back at him with wide, confident eyes as she waited for his reaction.

Kimimaro stared at her with absolutely no emotion, not even making the slightest movement. He walked towards her slowly and after what seemed like hours, he stopped in his tracks right as he was only 5 feet away from her, staring down at her with an emotionless, blank, unblinking stare. The wind blew his hair around, causing Mearii to see the two red dots located above each of his eyebrows, alerting Mearii to the fact that this pale, white-haired boy in front of her was Orochimaru's most devoted and arguably most dangerous follower, the sole surviving Kaguya Clan member and wielder of the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai, Kimimaro Kaguya, though it was said by the Kazekage Gaara that he was dead.

Mearii's eyes widened quickly when she noticed who exactly he was. She had remembered him from her days as a genin, when Orochimaru infiltrated the village at one point. She remembers standing at the edge of the village gates with Sinna as the Sound moved in, and she remembered this man staring at them for a long moment before turning back into the village. This memory made her purse her lips as her hand quivered slightly. She knew he was dangerous--dangerous enough to defeat Sinna. She wasn't sure how to react, but stayed completely still, not saying a word. As she stared at him, she wondered what he was thinking or if he planned to attack, or do anything at all. What would he have done if she ran? She wondered if any sudden movement would cause him to attack.

As he stared down at her with that very unnerving, unblinking, emotionless and blank stare. He didn't make even the slightest of movement, even his hair seemed to stay in one place, despite the wind blowing every few seconds. He had recognized her when the trash woman named Sinna and the Sound Four and he infiltrated the village. Sinna, the vile trash ninja, said that this girl's name was Mearii Shiotsu, her younger cousin and the only other living Shiotsu that had the Ishikigan. Without taking his blank, seafoam green-colored eyes away from her form, he very slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out his old Otogakure hitai-ate and holding it up to her dark purple eyes, showing Mearii that his hitai-ate had a slash mark going through it, indicating that he abandoned the Sound Village, which to those who know of his reputation would seem impossible as because his devotion and loyalty to Orochimaru was borderline religious in nature but Mearii could see that as she stared into those seemingly lifeless seafoam green orbs that he was very serious on having left the Sound Village.

Mearii narrowed her eyes to his hitai-ate and noticed that it was slashed. Had he abandoned Orochimaru. Looking back to his eyes, she could see through the coldness in them that he wasn't lying. She lowered herself, sheathing the Kusanagi again before lowering her hands. She stared in silence though, unsure whether she should say anything. She knew he remembered her. She knew that Sinna must have spoken about her around him. But he left Orochimaru, which meant he wouldn't take her back... but she still couldn't be sure.

"I won't take you to Orochimaru. He has thrown me away so I longer have a purpose, I am no longer useful" he said to her in a blank, cold tone of voice as he pocketed his hitai-ate again. Although he kept his emotionless facade up, Mearii could see the depression and even desperation in his seafoam eyes. Mearii could see that unlike Sinna or any other shinobi in the world, his usefulness, his very way of life depended on serving another, his skills depended on being useful to someone. Mearii could see that his entire being was centered around proving his existence, having a use in the world, his entire existence only having meaning when he is serving someone and she could see into his soul, how he was lost without a purpose, lost without his skills being of use. Unlike most shinobi and kunoichi, who had a purpose of their own, Mearii could see that Kimimaro's purpose was to fulfill the purpose of others.

Mearii frowned at him for a moment before speaking finally. "Is that all you wish for... a purpose?" her voice was gentle and low. She looked around for a long moment, deactivating the Ishikigan. She then breathed outward, "You don't need to make others happy before yourself... Can't your purpose be to make yourself happy?"

"I am only happy when I am useful to someone. Without a purpose, my existence is nothing. Without someone to serve, I am lost, I am nothing and my abilities are nothing. I can only be happy in the service of another" he said with a small frown on his face as he fingered the Cursed Seal of Earth on his throat. As he looked through the memories of his past, back before he was in the service of Orochimaru, he felt alone, he felt he was all alone in a sea of darkness. Mearii could see the fear in his seafoam green eyes, the fear of being alone, the fear of having no use in the world. She could see why he was afraid of having no one to serve. He was afraid of being useless, afraid of being alone. It seemed as if that without someone to serve, he had no reason to live, he had no reason to exist. She could see the sheer emptiness in his eyes, the emptiness of having no one, of having nothing, of being nothing.

Mearii sighed, looking down. She never knew anyone could be so upset about not following before a person. It amazed her really; how much devotion he gave to his "masters". She didn't know how to reply at first. "I wish I could help... I'm not sure if I can.."

He looked at her quietly as he examined her form, looking her up and down. "Unless you have need of my abilities, unless you are prepared to give me a purpose, then there isn't anything you can do" he said with a small frown on his face as his hands slowly crossed over his chest. Although it was more of a statement, it seemed as if he was asking her if she wanted his services, asking her if she wanted him to follow her and obey her. Though it wasn't said like that, Mearii could see a spark in Kimimaro's usually lifeless and cold eyes, a spark of what appeared to be hope.

Mearii blinked as she watched a sudden light in his eyes. She tilted her head before crossing her arms slightly by habit. "...You want me to use your services...?" she almost couldn't believe what she was hearing.

He looked at her with a serious expression on his face and nodded. "It is the only thing you can do for me. Will you accept my services, accept my existence, accept my abilities for yourself? If not, there is nothing else that you can do for me" he said to her as he slowly got down on one knee and bowed his head to her. "Will you accept my life so that I may have a purpose, so that I may be useful? It...is all I desire...Lady Shiotsu" he said as he stayed in that position as he looked up at her with a hopeful expression on his face. Mearii could see that he wanted her to accept his life and his servitude so that he may have a reason to exist.

Mearii wasn't sure if she should feel honored or awkward. She shifted her weight between each foot differentiating between whether she should accept his services or not... she had no reason to accept them though, it seemed like. She wasn't going to send him off assasinationg people willy nilly... she had no reason to. Her eyes widened though, and a small smile appeared on her face, "If I accept your services, does this mean that you are completely free of Orochimaru's will and would betray him?" she asked, "Because he is currently after retrieving me, and if he finds out you're on my side, he may request you to bring me to him."

"Orochimaru-Sama threw me away when he gained the Uchiha. He didn't send anyone to retrieve me or even check to see if I was alive. He threw me away, the man I looked up to as my savior, as my father-figure. His discarding of my person has cut deep into my soul, to know a man I looked up to so just threw away as if I was worthless trash. Rest assured, I will not run back to him after he proceeded to discard me as if I was nothing to him" he said to her with a frown on his face. Orochimaru's discarding of his life had severely hurt him, to have someone he looked up as much as he did to have thrown him away. He was very bitter inside over that and he would like nothing more then to get back at the snake who had hurt him so much emotionally.

Mearii pursed her lips as she listened to his story and nodded slightly, "I see..." she looked around for a moment before leaning back against the tree, "Well then... it sounds like someone wouldn't mind getting a little revenge... apparently I'm one of his next targets, and I don't think he'd be very happy to see that I'm being watched over by one of his former pawns..." she smirked lightly, "Come with me back to Konoha if you want a purpose for yourself."

He looked up at her with a slight smirk on his face and stood up. "Lead on then Lady Shiotsu" he said as he indicated for her to lead the way as a smile made it's way to his face, indicating to Mearii exactly how happy he was about him having a purpose. Now that he has a purpose, he is fully prepared to do what is necessary to defend his new leader, his Lady Shiotsu.

Mearii nodded as she began to walk in the direction of Konoha cautiously. She looked around several times before picking up the pace and sighed, "Sinna chased me out of the hideout, so she could be anywhere at this point." she explained as she continued to walk, making sure that Kimimaro was behind her still.

"It doesn't matter where that lowly trash woman is. That trash ninja better not even think of laying her filthy hands on you Lady Shiotsu or else the lowly vermin will be eliminated courtesy of the Kaguya Deadly Dances" he said to Mearii in his usual quiet, low, blank, emotionless, almost whisper-like voice that despite it being so quiet, Mearii could hear it perfectly. Kimimaro knew that while he would have to get serious about it, he could beat Mearii's older cousin, especially since the stupid woman didn't know how to activate the Cursed Seals, which makes it all the more harder for the woman to harm him. He knew even with his Tuberculosis having sapped quite a bit of his power, strength and abilities that he could definitely beat her, especially with his new purpose, the purpose of serving and protecting Mearii and when you have a purpose, that purpose being to serve and protect someone, your power skyrockets and fills you with the power needed to win.

Mearii nodded at what he had to say and continued to walk. It would take some time before she'd be able to get back to the village. She stopped for a moment, thinking of some ways to get their quickly. I could most likely use Kumokasumi... but it would take far too much energy from these far distances... I'd have to go straight to the hospital for chakra survelence probably... she crossed her arms, We're just going to have to walk I suppose... She started to walk once more and made sure that Kimimaro followed behind. She was walking a bit more quickly.

"Lady Shiotsu, I just have a few concerns, I have no money so I cannot afford a place to stay. One of my other concerns is when I apply for citizenship in Konoha, I was wondering if it was possible to be place in a ninja unit with you. I will follow no one's orders but yours, even if that order comes from the Hokage" he said to black-haired 15 year old in that quiet, whispery voice of his that despite it being practically a whisper, she could hear it perfectly, most likely due to her enhanced senses that all shinobi are trained to have over the years. While he wasn't particularly keen on being a shinobi of Konoha or even a citizen, it was the only way he would be allowed in the village and by proxy, be nearby to serve his new mistress, his new leader.

Mearii blinked for a moment, turning as she continued to walk, "You can stay at my apartment, there's multiple rooms in it, so you can have a room for yourself," she smiled lightly as she then thought about his other request. She put one of her hands to her chin as she hummed in thought, "I would rather you stay out of my squad, but I give you permission to follow us on missions, confidentially. I don't want too many people knowing about your loyalties now... it could get back to Orochimaru, and I'm not looking for a fight right now..." she trailed off, "I know you can take them, but I'd just like to stay out of as much drama as possible. I'll talk to the Hokage about making you a citizen though. If I request your assistance in that to show that you're loyalties are true, I'll call you when needed. Until then, just try to stay at my place or somewhere where trouble won't be started," she breathed out after speaking. She continued to walk afterwards, awaiting a response.

Kimimaro nodded his head as she answered his questions and responded to her. "I understand Lady Shiotsu" he said in that emotionless tone of voice of his, his facial expression never changing, showing Mearii just how utterly devoid of emotions he was.

Mearii nodded as she continued to walk. At this rate, they'd be able to make it back to the village by early the next morning. It would be best if they camped out. She looked around for a while, deciding not to worry about it until after dark. She breathed in, staying silent. She wasn't quite sure what to say.

(OOC: Should we have someone intervene and attack? Or use an NPC? Or just keep them walking? Either works for me.)

Kimimaro watched his new Leader with a calm, emotionless expression on his face as they trotted through the forest of Fire Country. He was prepared to take care of any unwanted nuisances that would dare to lay their filthy fingers on his Lady.

(I think it would be a prime opportunity for Sinna to make an appearance)