Tinta Scours For Recruitments

Tinta wiped the fresh blood from her cheek in the dimly-lit mirror before her. A deep frown was plastered on her face, as she watched the ghost of Orochimaru walk up behind her. She knew she was going insane, but she couldn't help it. He was her everything when nothing was left, and now he was gone.

"Tinta, what are you doing?" he whispered cooly in her ear. "You and I both know you can't do this on your own."

She knew he was right. She couldn't do it on her own. Even he would never have accomplished as much as he did without a great amount of support. She knew she would have to find recruitments and create a squad. But where?

She scowled, wiping away the rest of the blood furiously. Then, she went back to her bed, where her copperhead snake, Sanyu, was slithering restlessly.

"Come, darling," she told the serpent with a smirk. "We're going to go find help."

Sanyu hissed a reply of agreement, as Tinta snapped out into the daylight, wondering who she would first run into.

Tinta remained still as she watched the fire erupt around her. A small smirk appeared on her face, but it was hidden beneath her dark purple, hooded cloak. Sanyu hissed several times before Tinta hissed something at her. Immediatly after, Sanyu was silent. When all was still for several moments, Tinta looked up, smirk gone and replaced with a sweet smile. She lowered her hood, revealing her long, raven hair.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, voice soft and angelic. She was the master of deceit, as Orochimaru had taught her well. "If you want to fight, that's fine, I guess. But I'm kinda' busy right now." She tiled her head as she said this, and her hair fell in front of her pale face.

Tinta's smile remained as she said, "I'm Tinta Kawahara. Nice to meet you, sir. Though your greeting was far from polite."

Her smile faded as she said the last part, and Sanyu hissed softly once again, coiling around her arm and facing their attacker. The serpent showed her fangs, but she didn't make any other attempts to frighten him. She would only attack if Tinta was an imminent danger, and, as far as she could tell, he was only trying to intimidate them.

"Going to tell me who you are, or are you going to continue to be rude? After all, I shouldn't have told you my name without you telling me yours first. I guess I just have more manners than you."

Tinta couldn't help but giggle childishly as Sanyu reached out and licked him. After that, she slithered back up to Tinta's shoulders, where she remained when there were no threats. Tinta then forced herself to remove the smile, as she still thought this 'Zentsu' was very rude.

"You left out your last name," she noted. "You should really learn proper manners, sir. If there's anything that bothers me, it's when people don't use manners."

It was true. Tinta didn't have many pet peeves, but that was certainly one of them.

"As for what I'm doing, I don't yet trust you enough to tell you. Sorry."

Tinta laughed when Sanyu only tightened her coil around her. Not only did she find that amusing, she found Zentsu's attempt to call her to him amusing, as he had said the wrong thing.

"You realize that you just told her to lunge, not come, right?" She locked her bright green eyes with Zentsu's as she said this, and then she turned away quickly. She hated locking eyes with people. It made her uncomfortable.

Tinta went stiff when Orochimaru melted in front of her. When the genjutus faded, she fell to her knees, then looked up at him, this time not taking her eyes off of him.

"Why did you do that?" she breathed. "I've been nothing but polite to you."

Sanyu hissed in a hostile manner again, despite the fact she had tasted him and decided he wasn't a threat.

Tinta almost didn't say anything. Why should she? He was far from polite enough for her. Then, she remembered her intentions. She stood, turned to Sanyu, and hissed something softly into her ear. When she did, Sanyu practically flew off her arm and caught up quickly to Zentsu. She bit hard into his leg, and then Tinta weaved a hand sign, making the clone Sanyu vanish.

"I would never be so rude as to attack you without being attacked, but Sanyu would." She giggled with that angel-like voice again.

Tinta was almost offended that he asked her that. "I don't have one," she scowled. "He liked me just the way I was."

She couldn't help but smirk at that. It was true that he was the only one who liked her for just who she was. She couldn't help but shed a tear. Only one, but still, when she did, Orochimaru's voice popped in her mind.

"Tinta, you are too quick to show your emotions. Shut them up. You're a strong ninja. That is your only fault."

She fought back any more tears and sighed heavily. "And, yes, I was not only one of his favorites, I was his favorite."

Tinta scowled again. She hated that about people. No one understood the connection she and Orochimaru had. No one saw them when they were alone. No one watched as he made her feel like she was worth something for the first time in her life. And the last words he spoke to her clung to her mind. But she forced them away. If anything could make her cry, it was that.

"I'm doing something for Orochimaru," was all she said.

Tinta turned towards him as he blew the smoke out. Despite the negative health effects, she loved the taste of cigarette smoke, though she didn't smoke.

"And what makes you think that? I've hardly said anything to you." She raised a dark eyebrow at him, though she couldn't help but smile.

"I haven't killed you yet because I don't recklessly kill."

That wasn't the whole story, of course, but it was true enough. And she certainly didn't know him well enough to tell him the whole story yet.

"Kurai?" she asked, tilting her head childishly. "What's that?" She did feel awfully silly for asking. Obviously, she was supposed to know already.

Tinta breathed in the smoke again. "You directly pointed that at me," she noted. "How did you know?"

When he hissed this time, Sanyu came slithering over to him, though hesitantly. She coiled around his leg and made her way up his arm. She then tasted him again before slithering up to his shoulders. Clearly, she had already forgiven him. She must have really liked him, because those who messed with Tinta weren't usually forgiven.

"My own chakra will kill me first," she told him with a smug smile.

Sanyu hissed in a pleased manner, rubbing her head against his fingers, as some of her skin began to peel. Tinta laughed at this, her face lighting up. She hadn't laughed so much in a long time.

"Wait, did you just agree to join me, or something?" She looked surprised, wondering why he had already decided he could trust her. For all he knew, she was luring eager ninja into the woods to kill.