[h1][u][center][color=red]Kyotoumaru Uchiha[/color][/center][/u][/h1]

The young Uchiha listened to Shinko's words earnestly. Part of Kyo's heart still yearned for the light, for the good of things. But the puppet master had the boy convinced that what he was doing was for the greater good. He was with Shinko and was doing his best to logically process what he was saying without letting his pain and anger get in the way. 

He unclenched his fist in a brief respite to accept a cigarette from the Hokage. He spit a tiny flicker of flame from his mouth to ignite it. Inhale. Exhale. His nerves settled down for but a moment. Another inhale. He enjoyed it, though as a Shinobi all substances were hindrances. He would enjoy this single moment of reprieve. It was short-lived, for Shinko touched a nerve when he said that it was what Senna would have wanted. 

"[color=red]You... how do you know what she would have wanted?! You didn't know her like I did! You don't know how fucking caring and benevolent she was!! She would have given anything for this village, and when she needed you the most, where were you?! Where were you when Ginsho-sama died?![/color]" He lashed out in pain again. Another drag of the cigarette, and a deep breathe of fresh air afterward. 

He calmed down before looking at Shinko with pleading eyes. "[color=red]I didn't come here to fight.. I'm so tired of fighting... all I do is fight to protect what I love and I'm never strong enough... tell me Shinko, tell me there's another way to live!! Tell me you have the answer, and I'll believe you! I'll believe anything right now, just don't fucking lie to me like you did to everyone else!![/color]" He took another drag of his cigarette before finishing it. 

"[color=red]You'll never take me back to the village, will you? Not after seeing me like this. You're not so easily forgiving like your brother. This is my path now..[/color]" His eyes trailed off to another world, an idealistic world where Senna didn't die for nothing, where she and Mizuki became Sannin with him and he became the Hokage and the Leaf flourished under his rule. A perfect world where no one had to go trough the pain he did. This was his dream, and with enough power, maybe he could make it a reality...

[h1][u][center][color=pink]Namine Akizakura[/color][/center][/u][/h1]

Namine spun around as Shinko grabbed her wrist, her glare intensifying as their eyes met. Tears welled on the sides of her face, streaming down her cheeks as she grit her teeth. A rare display of emotion from the naturally calm woman. She couldn't help it, nothing in life, no amount of death could prepare her for the death of her daughter. And at the same time as her best friend? The pain was palpable. 

As she held her hand up, the crumpled up piece of paper was revealed, crinkling in her grasp.  "[color=pink]Its a good thing you're not asking for my forgiveness or sympathy, because you'll receive neither. You just don't fucking get it, you stubborn fool. This isn't my choice, I don't want this. Sometimes we don't have a choice in things, I know you know that well.[/color]" The contact that Shinko made on Namine's wrist would prove useful. For a brief instant she assimilated to him, now able to track his chakra. In that moment he would feel her pain, all of her grief, all of her sorrow. Shinko would also feel something else, a sense of unwillingness that she held. It was true that what she was about to do was not her own will. 

"[color=pink]Go ahead and see for yourself.[/color]" She would release the piece of paper from her grasp, and it would fall to the floor if Shinko did not grab it. But if he opened it, he would only see a blank canvas, nothing written. At that moment Shinko would feel the sly secrecy she was hiding, if only he could read her thoughts. The connection ended, their emotions falling back to themselves. Was this a joke? A trick? Why was she carrying a blank piece of paper?

She stared at him in a moment that lasted a lifetime between two old comrades, and once good friends. "[color=pink]Im not here to fight, and I can't stop you from following me, we both know your power outweighs my own. But you'll never know where I'm going. I can't tell you even if I wanted to. And Shinko, believe me when I tell you I truly want to tell you. I just... I can't.[/color]" One more tear escaped her right eye as she winced from the emotional pain. How she wished her friend knew her secrets, and all the pain it brought her to be forced to hide them from him. But there was no other option.