༺ Honō Hokorii༻tab [ "A supplement to all others, yet weak on its own." ]tab
金繕い
"Chīsana." The Konoha nin chirped up immediately at being called by her last name. "Not my pa..." She mumbled, pursed her lips for a brief moment, and sniffed softly before releasing the tension that had raised her hackles so swiftly. Chīsana raised a hand and gently played with the feathers tucked into the bun of her hair before she was able to resettle back into a more relaxed position on the chair. "Is it a 'thing' for Shinobi where you're from to be as lofty as the Cloud emblem on their headbands?" She changed the subject, eyeing the pair's attire to emphasise her point. "Formal bastards." She gently elbowed the Hokori's arm. Chīsana knew how to tell jokes. Or, would 'banter' be a better term?
Honō's head tucked itself down and in on instinct, partly to hide his face, partly because showing submission at a reprimand, no matter how minor, was expected of a servant. But Chīsana's constant ribbing the past few days, and constant reaffirmation from those around him, not being in the Hari household for months, it wasn't too difficult to allow the corner of his thin lips to quirk up, to take the banter as being without malice, and to look back up, into the Chuunin's gaze - as she encourages - to show he understands that she was making a joke.
"Oh, not at all, Hiraite-san." Honō looks up to Soraru's cheekbones, the light smile still in place before he gave a small bow from his seated position. Green eyes managed to catch the other Kumo nin's choice in drinks without directly looking, not wanting to appear to judge. In fact, the white-haired genin expected Soraru to take his choice with little comment, instead Honō sat in his chair, riveted by the small, rare, story of his former team-mate's personal life. And so many aspects of his personal life! What his parents were like, that he had a master, that his sweet-tooth was something he had to monitor for his own personal health. An armoury, lessons. Each tidbit, every word, was a rare treat of its own. And then more banter! It was too much; Honō's mouth felt stiff and unnatural as his lips tried to betray him, forcing a hand to cover his face as the corners of his eyes tried to follow suit.
"M-my apologies!" Honō gasped, trying to calm himself down, hand and long sleeve of his haori hiding the flush no doubt colouring his otherwise pale features. "If..." Too late, keep going, his anxiety and joy encouraged. "If Hiraite-san had a treat each time he has saved me, your efforts in trying not to gorge yourself may have gone to waste." Fumbled, rushed, and awkward was Honō's reaction to the banter that he had stumbled along with, voice slightly muffled behind the cotton of his clothes. Which is why he was so grateful for the change in subject, despite the feeling of failure that slumped his shoulders. "I have not, Hiratie-san." His hand lowered, face being covered by a wave of white hair instead as he bowed, a little deeper this time than the last. "I lost myself in other work." Honō kept his head bowed, still fighting the blush down, feeling the heat on his cheeks.
装 : Thigh-length, white, cotton haori has its sleeve cuffs edged in a blue strip of cotton. The hakama is cotton as well, with a gradient dye, going, top-down, white to a matching blue. The string ties, or 'himo,' are strands of glass beads, clear in colour and translucent. A matching necklace of these beads is worn around the neck. Underneath the haori, held up by a belt disguised under the tie of the hakama, are several pouches and a blade that, in any normal person's hand, would be would be described as a short sword. The hilt was clearly carved by hand, made of bone, yellowed with age. The blade bore jagged edges on the backside ( a boning edge ) while the other was razor sharp, curved wickedly at the end to act as a gutter. Stamped in the centre of the blade was a bear's paw surrounded in strangely shaped leaves. Traditional tabi, are also worn, marking this individual more of a civilian than a Kumogakure shinobi.
動 : When conversing, their eyes rarely meet the other person's, instead respectfully resting just beneath them, usually on the cheek bones. The walk with a demure air, posture relaxed and steps quiet, as though not to disturb. The hands are often clasped in front of them, as a servant does.
Yugure frowned, feeling as if he was forgetting something. He recalled telling his father about how one of the Chuunin instructors complimented him at how well he was able to mask and modify how he appeared in sensory techniques. His father told him that this affinity to hide himself was a sign of his ability to use sensory techniques as well. [1/3] He smiled at the thought and returned inside the academy. Approaching the wall of scrolls, he searched for a scroll of Kanchijutsu, fingers tracing over the scrolls. He finally found the one he wanted and opened it up, reading through until he found one that seemed useful. [2/3] He walked over to a wall to a private room, unoccupied, and pressed his palm to the wall. He sent out a pulse of chakra, letting that chakra bounce through the room and let him get a mental image of vague shapes. He saw some tools, a few desks and a dummy off to the side. Smiling inwardly, he released his hand and moved on. [3/3 Learned!]
The next step for learning his sensory techniques required a willing volunteer or something similar. He smiled and focused on gathering the moisture in the air around him. He frowned in concentration before forming two hand seals and concentration the moisture into a singular water clone of himself. [1/3] Smiling appreciatively at the manifestation of himself, Yugure moved to the door to the room and began to form the handseals depicted in the scroll. He strung the seals and pressed his hand to the door. A shimmer of a seal appeared, not a seal itself but an indication when he placed his sensor. [2/3] He moved outside and shut his eyes. His clone went to the door and went through, having to open the door as he went through. After a moment, Yugure looked up, aware that a humanoid about 5'3" with the same size pool of chakra to himself had just gone through the door. [3/3 Learned!]
The clone came outside and he laughed. It was time for the hard part now. Yugure saw three more techniques that he'd want to learn, but it would take some reading first. He sat down on the grass and opened at the scroll. [1/5] He hummed quietly as he read, head canted to the side while he took in the description. It seemed with this technique, he could - for now at least - get basic information from everyone up to an 8 kilometer bubble around him. He stood up and shut his eyes, forming a single seal to help him gather and suffuse his chakra out properly. [2/5] He remained still, silent as he spread out his chakra. His clone watched on with a lazy interest, lounging around the bench where Meran had been before. Yugure began to feel sweat bead up from his concentrated exertion as he tried to seed the area with his chakra. It was quite trying, actually, trying to cover so vast an area without draining himself. [3/5] He spread out further and further, not building up more chakra, until he could spread it out no further. He allowed himself a moment to rest and breathe before he focused. He was able to sense quite a bit, picking up on chakra signatures, minuscule and titanic alike compared to his own. [4/5] The view was like an aerial view, visualizing these dim flares and brilliant beacons throughout the village. He laughed lightly, realizing that the fatigue of spreading his chakra out was alleviating. It wasn't so hard on him to keep this technique out as it was to set it up it seemed. [5/5 Learned!]
Next technique required clouds or a storm of some kind, but as luck would have it, it was a beautiful day outside. That meant he would have to make the weather up for his benefit. Yugure raised his arm and formed another of his clouds, the soft fluffy texture of the cloud ready to be molded and used. [1/5] He grabbed it, mixed it with his chakra before tossed it to the air, spreading his arms and the cloud with it. The cloud grew to about three yards in diameter before Yugure brought his arm down, not triggering the snowfall. He was going to but first he wanted to get this technique down. [2/5] Yugure made several hand seals and focused his chakra into the clouds before bringing his arm down again. Normally the technique would be over a much larger distance, but this would do for now. The snow cloud burst open and a mix of snow and rain began to pour from it. [3/5] Standing beneath the light snowfall and the rain, Yugure and his clone both were pinged on his senses, telling him in addition where the rain was being blocked and by what, as in the bench Yugure's clone lay on. He didn't need to look around because he could just tell. This would be useful if he was ever sent on any missions requiring stealthy tracking or the likes, he figured. [4/5] The snowfall and the rain began to subside after a few moments more. Yugure looked back up to the sky then down to the wet ground around him. The half an inch of snow that would've stayed behind had melted as the fading sensation of the rain telling him the details around him also vanished. Smiling to himself, Yugure picked up the scroll, protected from the elements as it was, and moved to the last technique. [5/5 Learned!]
Yugure looked to his clone and put on his flirty smile. "Take a walk abouuuut.... 60 yards into the trees." He said. His clone gave a two fingered salute before walking off into the trees. Yugure looked back to the scroll. This technique was more about controlling his chakra to see than forming it to see. [1/5] His hands moved to a flower near him and he touched it's petals lightly. He pushed his chakra in, letting the chakra flow through the petals, down the stem and into the ecology of the ground around him. He maneuvered the chakra through the root system unique to the underground, connecting from plantlife to plant life. [2/5] After his snails pace travel through the roots of flowers, and when necessary, the expansive yet small tendrils of grass roots, he hit a large tree root. This sped the process up significantly, he noted as he continued. As he did, he noticed that he was aware of his current location vaguely, and more aware of the area his chakra was at, like he was viewing both locations with his chakra being the main focus. [3/5] He proceeded, looking around the forest differently, a hushed reserved quiet over his body as he searched for his clone. He heard a humming to his left and seemed to swivel as his chakra looked around to find his clone walking, hands in his pockets and smiling. Yugure began to withdraw, going back quickly through the roots and plantlife he had come in from. [4/5] He blinked as he looked around, slightly disoriented by the sensation before he gave a light laugh. He released his water clone and heard a faint splash as it dispersed. Grinning lightly, he turned back to the academy to return the scroll. "Okay, now I will do some Taijutsu." He said happily, stretching as he entered the building once more. [5/5 Learned!] [Exit to Hokage's Office]
Passives: Tsumetai [ Cold to the Touch ] Description: The skin of each Shinsetsu clan member is chilled; producing a refreshing, almost intoxicating aura. This aura does not stretch far from one's person, and only the Shinsetsu and those in direct contact with him/her can truly appreciate the feeling. Because of this attribute, humidity is a foreign concept to the Shinsetsu, and only the most extreme of heats will cause those within Tsumetai's effect to break a sweat. Additionally, this consistent cold has weathered their skin and innards, providing an internal and external resistance to freezing temperatures. Although not exactly topical, it should be noted that thanks to their relaxing aura, the Shinsetsu are considered some of the most desirable lovers in the world.
Techniques Used: Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu [ Water Clone Technique ] Rank: D Description: Creates up to three identical copies of the user out of water. Water Clones are capable of attacking, but one solid hit will cause the clone to fall apart.
Hatsuyuki [ First Snow ] Rank: D :: Spiritual Description: This technique allows the Shinsetsu to release and shape the various chakra of their body; creating pure white clouds with only a single handsign as needed preparation. Hatsuyuki clouds are the size of a human adult's torso, can be motioned freely through the air—following the creator's hand gestures, and spread out and twisted like sheets of sand for various purposes; but often must maintain a clod-like shape when being used for other techniques. The only real restriction to their moldability being that the white lumps stay within a three (3) yard radius of their creator at all times. The clouds, at first glance, are nothing but clusters of snow; though closer examination would prove such initial observances merely skimming glances. The white that makes up these clouds is extremely cold, as a result of the creation process of instantaneously, yet consistently mixing water chakra, wind chakra, and the Shinsetsu's naturally frigid chakra. The user may only have a set number of Hatsuyuki active at a time ( dictated by rank ), but clouds can be replaced after they have been used as material for other techniques. Must learn before proceeding to other techniques. Does not receive learning reductions. According to your status rank, the number of clouds you produce with each usage of this technique, and the number of clouds you can maintain differ.
Kousetsu [ Snowfall ] Rank: D :: Spiritual Description: The Shinsetsu alters and sends their Hatsuyuki clouds overhead, where they will expand to roughly three (3) yards in diameter. At the whim of the user, these clouds can be broken open, allowing their flaky contents to sprinkle down below. Although the snowfall created by this technique is fairly moderate, it can serve as a unique tool during battle; be it as a distraction, obscurement, or refreshment. It should be noted that like similar snowfall techniques, Kousetsu is much more effective in medium-sized areas. Because the Hatsuyuki have become altered by this technique, they can be replaced after activation. Duration: five (5) posts.
Techniques Learned: Mitsugo Heki [ Whispering Walls ] Monko no Keibou [ Door Guard ] Kagura Shingan [ Kagura Mind's Eye ] Ukojizai no Jutsu [ Fierce Raining at Will ] Zetsu's Sensory Range Technique [ Unnamed ]
Mission given: Clinic Duty Rank: C Information: There are speciality clinics dotted throughout the village, and the recent upheaval has had medical staff realocated to more serious responsibilities and some have been moved to temporary structures. After seeing the Hokage about these projects, the Shinobi must head out to the designated area and help the staff there. Solo or Squad: Variable. Minimum Posts: 5 posts. Note: Must be given by the Hokage or Advisors to be redeemed for Credit. There are not always clinic jobs available.
Kagerou shook her head and held her hands up, appealing, "No. No, not at all. Please don't feel bad. This is part of my job after all."
There was, of course, a murmured, "Sorry," in response, but the teacher couldn't dwell on her apologies any longer. A girl pulled on the hair of the boy that was bawling next to her and suddenly started telling him off for being such a crybaby. Of course, this only made the boy cry hard and hug his injured arm tighter. The teacher promptly responded to this situation, quickly wading through the crowd of children to softly tell off the little girl for being so mean while also trying to placate the sobbing boy, who's crying had also started to incite the other children around him to cry.
Kagerou watched the chaos as it built up. Oh boy. Teachers were a gift sent from heaven, really. She didn't know how they did it. She tried to help as well. Crouching down to eye level to some of the kids around her and trying to get them join in on a happy sing along. One kid started crying outright. A couple others gave her side-eyes for her abrupt and sudden attempt.
"Ahaha... I'll cry in the corner now I guess..." Kagerou smiled past her pain.
Of course, she didn't crawl into the corner and start growing mushrooms. Whatever she would think, she would do her job. Picking up the nearest crying kid, Kagerou hugged her tight to her body as she patted her back and gently rocked the sniffling child as she took her to one of the beds in the infirmary.
The child in her arms gradually calmed down until she was only sniffling when she was placed down on the clean, white bed.
With a gentle smile, Kagerou brought out the medical kit. These kids wouldn't be going out to work, and it was an important lesson to learn when young what getting hurt entailed. For those reasons, she decided to handle this treatment traditionally. Simple equipment. Antiseptic, bandages, and a careful hand and eye were all Kagerou used to gently clean and wrap the girl's injured hand and scraped knee. She started singing as she worked. Her voice was no different than before, and the tune was much the same. However, the effect was vastly different. Whereas before, Kagerou's forced attempt scared the children, her singing now as she worked in her natural occupation worked itself much more naturally into her interaction with the child before her. Being a warm schoolteacher completely escaped her understanding. However, to be a gentle school nurse was something that easily came to her.
After the third child, Kagerou had started to attract a small crowd of cute admirers and eagerly anticipating tiny patients. Her singing had attracted their attention, and the happy faces of the kids after she was done with them had earned the trust of this class of kids. A collective gasp and some fear returned to the faces of the watching children with the fourth patient, however.
This little boy that sat on the bed now had a giant gash running along the length of his leg. It was clearly an injury that required stitches, so the needles came out. It was when that sharp point revealed itself, glinting maliciously in the light, that the children had gasped in instinctive fear. Of course no child would like getting a shot.
Upon noticing the sudden reaction, it only took a moment for Kagerou to realize what they were all looking at with over-exaggerated, pale expressions. "Oh...," Kagerou struggled to figure out how to explain this to children, "Don't worry, children. This needle won't hurt at all~". Of course, none of the kids believed her. She got more side-eyes and skeptical looks. Children man. They were such a hard crowd to please nowadays. Kagerou imagined that, if she had a more sensitive heart, she would have felt like crying inside right now.
Then the teacher stepped forwards, holding and patting the back of the boy that had been bawling just a little bit ago. To Kagerou, she was synonymous with a merciful angel descending to aid her. In way that was both coaxing and logical, the teacher convinced her students, "It's okay. Believe in Dr. Kagerou. She'll be using a special cream that will make it hurt less." The students immediately turned cute and obedient and listened to their teacher with dutiful nods.
It was exactly as the teacher had said. Kagerou used a numbing cream on the students leg to kill the sensations in the area. Then she proceeded to clean and stitch up the wound so that it could heal properly. Her little patient still felt some of the needle, and seeing it go in and out of his flesh was no easy task either. Naturally, he started to get scared, tears forming in his eyes. However, the teacher was there, and using her free hand, she gently hugged and soothed the small boy's nerves. While the teacher covered the boy's eyes using her body, Kagerou swiftly finished the stitches with all the speed of practiced hands.
The procedure was quick and, while not painless, ended without any complications. It increased Kagerou's favourability rating and integrity with the students by quite a lot. After they saw that their fellow classmate got a needle pushed in and out of him so many times without freaking out, the students were also a lot less scared. Not to mention, some of the students even voiced their amazement at how quickly and smoothly Kagerou worked. This improvement in standing with the children made the rest of Kagerou's work much easier.
There were still a few difficult procedures, one girl had a broken arm. Of course, because Kagerou was treating the children without chakra, all of them left with bandages or some other marks of their wounds. However, otherwise, fixing up the rest of the class was a breeze, and they all left much happier than when they came in. They even called her "Dr. Kagerou" in their cute little voices. Ahhh. How adorable. Totally worth it.
Still, though. Kagerou felt exhausted, and boy was she happy that nothing else happened until someone came in and let her know that she could leave now. Though, of course, Kagerou didn't just rush to slack off. Before leaving, she asked the returning professional if there was anywhere in the village that could need her help. He suggested, rather uncertainly since it wasn't his job to know where in the village needed more medical staff, that she should probably just go to the main hospital if she wanted more work. Kagerou took the advice to heart and left the office with a hearty smile to go and train for a little in the academy. After that, she would head to the hospital to further her skills.
Total word count: 5,029 40 words per post assuming a rate of 10 words per sentence and 4 sentences per paragraph post. 5,029/40 = 125.7 paragraph posts. Round down to 125 posts. Clinic duty takes 5 posts to complete. 125/5 = 25 mission completions. C-rank missions give 200 Ryo :: 0400 AC :: 02 TP. 200*25 = 5,000 Ryo. 400*25 = 10,000 AC. 2*25 = 50 TP. Medical missions can count towards Medical jobs. 9 Surgery jobs. 16 Psychiatry jobs.
♫ ~ I feel like laughing- a metempsychosis like this where you can suddenly bubble up and softly disappear. If you want to be loved, say it out loud. Just thinking about it won't convey it. Even the eternal maiden looks away, and heaven moves further away from us.
Soraru was grinning now. He hadn't expected Hokori to hang on so well through the conversation. The white-haired Shinobi had usually resigned to being quiet until he finished speaking, so it was a welcome change of pace. Sora typically kept the stories or quips to a minimum around Honō in order to keep his friend from experiencing any embarrassment, however, it seemed that his worries were somewhat misplaced. A laugh escaped him, one that took him a few seconds longer to die down than he initially thought. "Mada mada dane, Honō-kun." The Hakemoto said in a playful tone while waving his hand in front of him dismissively. The fact that he used the Hokori's first name alone should've been enough in terms of encouragement. Was it permanent? Not likely, but it showed a level of comfort that Soraru had been stalwart on avoiding. "I can grab it without a problem, I need to grab a certain Ninjutsu scroll myself. I've been wanting to learn some techniques that an ANBU would use. I'm thinking that if our Hokage-dono knows what I'm capable of, he might be willing to let me tag along for some first-hand experience with Konoha's unit." The hand that waved found its way to his forehead, then through his dark hair as he brushed it back for a second. It had length, enough that he could wear his hair back if he wanted to, but he couldn't tie it just yet without it just looking silly.
"He'll probably say no, but it's hard for me to stay still at night when I'm taking on missions." He'd always been the type to work until he eventually crashed. Even on their first meeting, Honō expressed quite a bit of worry when he realized that his new teammate had shown up relatively soon after returning from his kidnapping without getting any sleep in. Soraru Hiraite ate when he needed eating, slept when he needed sleeping, and had the incredible ability to work without gas in the tank while making it look like he'd just finished a beauty nap. Was it healthy? No. Could it potentially endanger missions? Yes. Could he be convinced to stop? No. It was the product of lessons that he'd been instructed in since he was just a child, and he was nothing if not disciplined.
Oh!" He exclaimed, and only managed to interrupt his own thoughts. "I'd been meaning to ask you something, and I guess this is the perfect time and place to ask since you haven't started learning any new jutsu yet." He started, moving his hand back down to rest comfortably on the hilt of his weapon while he spoke. "What kind of Shinobi do you want to be? I still remember the circumstances that led to you becoming one, but..." Soraru paused to collect his thoughts, while also keeping his mouth shut on the fact that Honō didn't have any academy training. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't his right to go around just saying things like that. "Well, I'll put it this way. I could see you doing things like this. Helping people like Chisana-san make the village a better place. You can create things that I can't even dream of making, but it's all...it's...perplexing, to me. " He, of course, made a tiny scene over Chisana's preferred name, but it was all in good fun.
"Even with your talents, you stick with me in the thick of things. You don't seek to be sheltered. Plus, you've got that blade. What I'm saying is that while I have an idea of what you're already good at, I'm wondering if your desires are elsewhere. It's a mystery to me, and I hate mysteries." Oh the irony of those last words. Of course, Soraru also intended on teaching Honō the things he knew if the opportunity presented itself, but he needed to know if it's what the Hokori wanted. He needed to know if there'd be a new team in his near future, or if he'd be able to keep on growing as a shinobi alongside his friend. They'd always be close, but there was no denying that missions wouldn't be the same without Honō.
The truth is not what you want it to be. It is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie. ♫
༺ Honō Hokorii༻tab [ "A supplement to all others, yet weak on its own." ]tab
金繕い
With his head lowered, Honō missed the grin on the monk's face. The shock of hearing the foreign words, however, helped the Hari clan member to calm his emotions and clear his face of the blush. The tone was a good indicator of what it could mean, and it didn't appear to indicate anything negative, at le- Honō-kun?! Nope, 'Honō-kun's' head was going to stay in a bow for a little bit longer, the flush resurging over his high cheek bones with a molten vengeance. Another reason why 'Honō-kun' had chosen for himself to allow his hair to grow to a longer length - so easy to hide these childish moments of his... "Thank you very much, Hiraite-san." Was he supposed to say Soraru-kun in return?! "And I'm sure Hokage Shi-sama will recognise your efforts."
The Hokori could not put in false assurances that Shi would place Soraru on such dangerous missions, but he could not see Shi not utilising what is available to him and his village either. Part of Honō hoped nothing too dangerous would be placed in his fellow Kumo-nin's way, but knew the Hakemoto would only go stir crazy if not properly tested. A... catch-thirty-two? Was that what it was called? Some novel's title... Green eyes blinked and the white-haired genin looked up as Soraru mentioned wanting to ask him something, throwing out that mental search for the correct saying. And felt himself recoil back as the question was put forward; shoulders pulling back, eyes widening a fraction, and chin dipping down a sliver. Honō felt his eyes drift away, his gaze turning inward as his pupils followed the trail of a droplette of condensation on the outside of Soraru's drink.
What kind of shinobi...? That was... Honō blinks, mind churning through sluggish thoughts. It was almost like when his aunts and uncles would come over when he was younger, after the incident at the Academy. 'What do you want to do, Nō-Nō-chan?' 'Will you take over from your ma?' Honō couldn't fathom making the choice back then, as if opening his mouth would drastically alter his life, set him down on an inescapable path, just like when he was put in the Academy, where he started to fall behind everyone and then... But that wasn't... This isn't then. And still Honō couldn't figure out the answer, like his brain had shut down, couldn't even hear his own voice. Thankfully, Soraru kept talking. So... just, answer? Parts, sections. Open your mouth.
"The blade... N'rillian is a comfort. A reminder." He began, slowly. A slender, long-fingered hand absently went under the open flap of his haori to rest on the hilt of the skinning blade. "I have not thought of it as a weapon, though it was tried." Wan and Kaileer, the mountains, the war. Thoughts for another time. The now was difficult enough as it was. "But more... armour. A point of grounding myself." Honō admitted, head ducking a little lower, as though ashamed of the admission. "I have not thought of myself as... aiming for a goal. More..." The long, white, hair shifted slightly as the Hokori's head tilted to the side without conscious input. "Learning what is useful?" A frustrated exhale through his nose and Honō continues. "I do not have the words with me to explain. My apologies, Hiraite-san."
装 : Thigh-length, white, cotton haori has its sleeve cuffs edged in a blue strip of cotton. The hakama is cotton as well, with a gradient dye, going, top-down, white to a matching blue. The string ties, or 'himo,' are strands of glass beads, clear in colour and translucent. A matching necklace of these beads is worn around the neck. Underneath the haori, held up by a belt disguised under the tie of the hakama, are several pouches and a blade that, in any normal person's hand, would be would be described as a short sword. The hilt was clearly carved by hand, made of bone, yellowed with age. The blade bore jagged edges on the backside ( a boning edge ) while the other was razor sharp, curved wickedly at the end to act as a gutter. Stamped in the centre of the blade was a bear's paw surrounded in strangely shaped leaves. Traditional tabi, are also worn, marking this individual more of a civilian than a Kumogakure shinobi.
動 : When conversing, their eyes rarely meet the other person's, instead respectfully resting just beneath them, usually on the cheek bones. The walk with a demure air, posture relaxed and steps quiet, as though not to disturb. The hands are often clasped in front of them, as a servant does.
♫ ~ I feel like laughing- a metempsychosis like this where you can suddenly bubble up and softly disappear. If you want to be loved, say it out loud. Just thinking about it won't convey it. Even the eternal maiden looks away, and heaven moves further away from us.
Soraru continued to sip from his tea while Hono spoke, enjoying the choice that was picked out for him. It wasn't what he would've chosen normally, so it was nice to have another preferred choice. "It's okay, there's no need for apologies. I can't say that I completely understand. My goals have always been rather straightforward, after all. We met from very different paths, though, and I'm sure that I had a lot more time to decide on what I wanted for myself." While Musunde Hiraite trained viciously under his master at a young age, Honō Hokori had probably never even thought of picking up a weapon.
He'd been concerned for the safety of his friend more than once in the past, but he couldn't selfishly rush the Hokori into a fighting or supportive role. Even if he had his talents, he was never afforded the time that normal academy students were given to figure out what path he wished to travel.
"Actually...I should be the one apologizing to you. I knew you weren't prepared for a question like that and I asked anyway. I'm sorry, Hokori-san." He would've bowed if it weren't for his bubble tea, but it was already more than enough for the Hiraite to actually apologize to someone sincerely. He expected the other Shinobi to retort almost immediately in that typical flustered way that he was getting used to, so he spoke up quickly after his apology in order to interrupt such a thing from happening. "To make it up to you, I'll go ahead and grab that scroll right away. Chīsana-san, I leave him in your care." Soraru finished playfully, pulling an about-face and making his way out right away. It was a childish way of avoiding any possible backlash to his apology, but it was the one he chose regardless.
By that point, the number of people in the academy had dropped to the point where he didn't even need to smile at anyone on his way back. Once he was officially out of the hall, he moved his left hand from his sword to his straw in order to stir his tea around while he looked for someone that might be able to help him. While he could have just looked for the scrolls himself, he didn't know if there were any rules in place regarding what could or could not be taken. He'd heard some ridiculous rumors about how the other villages handled access to scrolls and figured that at least some of them had to be credible. He was in a combined state of mid-sip and mid-chew on a tapioca pearl when green hair caught his attention. Having only talked to a handful of people in his life with such a rare hair color, he picked her over the others. The young Hakemoto only really figured that it'd be more interesting than talking to anyone else in the academy.
"Long day, huh?." He waited until her attention was caught before continuing, giving a small wave with his left hand. It was polite. If he knew anything, it was how to seem approachable. "Sorry to bother you, but I'm not used to this academy yet. I was wanting to know where I'd be able to find some of the higher ranked Genjutsu scrolls, or if I'm able to use them at all, really." Soraru was soft-spoken, and his calm demeanor was only highlighted by the small, sincere smile on his lips. He stood a good distance from her in order to give her plenty of space. The last thing he wanted to do was impose. He only hoped that the first person he approached would be comfortable enough to answer his simple question so that he didn't need to walk around asking everyone else.
The truth is not what you want it to be. It is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie. ♫
One would presume that technique scrolls were to be found in the library, yet just as Kagerou was on her way to one to get something to learn, she was stopped by the friendly wave and greeting of someone who had just walked out of it and asked where they could be found. Reasonably confused, but nonetheless amiable, the green haired kunoichi naturally returned the smile and greeting, "It's been the usual today, but thank you for asking," thought it was a quizzical smile, animated eyes wide with a question she wouldn't take long in expression. "As for higher ranked Genjutsu scrolls?" she repeated the question back to the vaguely familiar figure in her subtly lyrical voice, the tune of someone who was just too used to singing always. It took her time to cross reference what she had come to know of this academy from the hearsay as she walked through its halls as well as to put a clearer picture to this familiar feeling. She had a good memory, it was how she recalled the small tidbits of conversation she had eavesdropped in moments ago, but it wasn't anything like Shadow's. She wasn't perfect and she made mistakes. A face in passing was simply only ever a face in passing, and to be fair, many such faces had black hair and blue eyes.
Once she was sure of what she wanted to say, which was after she had raised her finger and tapped her chin a couple times, bells on her wrist ringing in time, Kagerou explained what she knew, "Well, I admit I'm new here, but I was told that I should be able to find every technique I have permission to access in the library right over there... Ehm... Unless, how high of a rank is this Genjutsu? And what's your title rank? In Kirigakure, the default access to techniques is limited based on rank, so it might be the same case here." She smiled mildly helplessly. As she had said, she wasn't terribly sure herself, just giving an answer based on hearsay.
However, she was interested in helping. Using her hand positions as a means to punctuate her conversation, Kagerou dropped her hand so that it rested casually at her sides where they were comfortable and in clear view. As easily as she breathed, Kagerou offered to assist, "If you don't mind, I'd like to help you find your technique. I'm looking for some Ninjutsu manuals, low and high ranks, myself to study Konoha's Ninjutsu methods, so I think we're both looking for something sufficiently similar." Hopefully, it wasn't a Kirigakure-specific concept to expect Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to be kept in the same general area.
Throughout everything said in this first greeting, there was a subtle intensity in how this kunoichi looked carefully at the face the shinobi standing at appropriate conversation distance. Her eyes didn't waver from their investigation. However, her expressions, easy to take on a smile, appeared completely relaxed. No pressure was exerted from the probing look because, quite honestly, there was no pressure to emit. Kagerou's curiosity was piqued, so she had begun gathering in all the little details of information, but there was nothing hostile about trying to remember if she had ever met this person in front of her. To begin with, she was only so obvious about her observation because she didn't feel like she had to stress about keeping it hidden.
Who was this individual who stood at a carefully measured distance and spoke politely? He looked familiar, but like who?
...
Ha, wait. Could it be she was thinking of Takeda? Kagerou's eyes suddenly squinted out of the blue, likely in the middle of whatever Soraru was saying in response. Her head tilted to the side as she tried to look at a different angle. Actually, he did look a little like Takeda. Of course, this was obviously not Takeda. He wasn't injured, for one, and there were no broken walls in his vicinity. Okay, those two were just mean jokes. However, the main point still stood. Takeda would keep his distance, but he would care jack squat about manners and considering how the other side felt in 9 out of 10 situations. Also, no red scarf. So this definitely was not Takeda, which explained a lot of things. Kagerou felt this guy was familiar because he looked a lot like Takeda but acted nothing like him. That was it. Case closed. Kagerou stopped squinting. Her head, which had tilted the other way in the interim, straightened. She gave a happy, satisfied smile, a content expression not unlike that of a cat's that had found the perfect box to squeeze into.
♫ ~ I feel like laughing- a metempsychosis like this where you can suddenly bubble up and softly disappear. If you want to be loved, say it out loud. Just thinking about it won't convey it. Even the eternal maiden looks away, and heaven moves further away from us.
The sing-song, lyrical voice was the first thing that truly struck him about her outside of the green hair and red eyes. It wasn't often that he could remember someone by how pleasant their voice was, and he was quite sure that she'd be added to that small list of people. As someone who once pursued a path as a Performer before dedicating himself completely to his weapons training, Soraru knew how to appreciate such things. He nodded to the girl when she repeated the question back to him, wordlessly giving affirmation. It took her a few moments after that to conjure up an answer, and his head tilted in silent curiosity in regards to the bells she wore on her wrist. Other than utilizing it with sound-based Genjutsu, he couldn't figure out why a fellow Shinobi would want to wear such a thing. Just as he planned on banking the thought for later, he noticed that her eyes had taken to searching his face rather than making direct contact.
It wasn't anything new. He'd lost count of all the times he'd heard someone say "what's with the red over your eyes" or " is that a beauty mark?" Things had a different intensity, however, when the other person opted to not say anything instead. The only thing worse than curious people were people who made him curious. She continued with the prior topic instead of directly asking anything that he dreaded. Instead, she indirectly took a stab at his pride. What was it? The second - no, the third time that it was brought up that day alone? His title rank had gone from a subject of pride in his youth to somewhat of a sensitive topic in his early adulthood. Anyone with a trained eye would notice his smile turn just a bit sour as he responded. "I'm currently a Genin. The Raikage's apparently find the thought of me chasing cats until my back goes out from old age hilarious." Blue eyes rolled in an emotion that wasn't quite annoyance yet far from playful. "My friend who the scroll is for happens to be a Genin as well. Both of us are able to use the technique, though, so there's no need to worry about that. It's an A rank Genjutsu, the sleep-on-contact one. Nezumi." He explained, left hand raising from the hilt of his weapon to conduct its own gestures while he spoke to his fellow Shinobi.
"Thanks for offering your help, too. I appreciate it. Personally, I'd like to look through both the E and A-rank Fuuton manuals to learn some long-overdue techniques and a new treat. My friend needs to learn the Genjutsu; Nezumi. Before I let you lead the way, though..." The young Hakemoto extended his right hand to her, the prayer beads he'd grown some accustom to using wrapped snugly around his wrist. "Soraru Hiraite, Kumogakure's eternal genin."
The truth is not what you want it to be. It is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie. ♫
"Ah yes," Kagerou followed after Soraru without skipping a beat. She, too, had just been thinking about introducing herself. The timing simply hadn't presented itself until just now. Connecting her right hand with Soraru's, she reciprocated the handshake as she introduced herself, "A pleasure to meet you, Hiraite-san. I'm Kagerou of Kirigakure, chuunin and medical specialist. It's quite convenient we've met, actually." She gave a friendly smile, eyes closing in undefended happiness.
Though, Kagerou's greatest strength had always been exactly everything she could do without thinking about even while relaxed. Like second nature, she had felt the strength of Soraru's firmer grip against her lighter one, and the callouses of his hands against her's carefully kept soft. Let's not even get started on the observations she had made regarding his face before this handshake. Then again, Soraru wasn't particularly trying to hide what he thought, aside from the amount accepted as proper for polite conversation. At least, that was how Kagerou perceived it. However, despite the peevish tune Soraru's voice had taken at his title rank, Kagerou couldn't hold back the small chuckle at the joke he had made of himself. Soraru might not have taken it playfully, but Kagerou certainly did.
From light chuckle to a slightly confused, yet neatly still amused smile. That was how Kagerou's expressions shifted as Soraru continued to explain the circumstances surrounding the pursuit of his elusive genjutsu. That amused smile was broken briefly by the friendly one when Kagerou shook Soraru's hand, but it returned shortly after when Kagerou released the hand shake, reopened her eyes, and started to explain.
Her smile showed amusement, but there was actually nothing like that in her voice. She had her fun, certainly, jokingly singing, "By the Nezumi [Mouse] technique, did you perhaps mean something like, 'Tawara no nezumi ga kome kutte ‘chû. Chû chû chû'?" (A rat takes a bite out of a straw rice-bag and squeaks ‘chû. Chû chû chû). Otherwise, she quite seriously, if pleasantly, explained to Soraru, "Or did you happen to mean the B-rank Nemuri [Sleep] technique, which casts sleep with a physical touch? There is also Temple of Nirvana, an A-rank technique that can lull people in an area to sleep. Though, unfortunately, if Konoha is like Kiri, then I don't believe genin are permitted access to A-rank techniques... Nonetheless, if either of these happen to be the case, perhaps that's why you weren't able to find it in the library?". She had her fun, potentially at the expense of Soraru's pride, but in neither tone nor intent did she ever have any desire to mock him. Speaking lightheartedly, it was difficult to be any clearer that she didn't think that the mistake was really such an embarrassing one to make.
Earlier, Soraru had indirectly given her permission to lead the way, so Kagerou took the initiative to step around Soraru, lightly pull on his hanging sleeves to signal he should follow her, and lead the way back into the library. In case her earlier laughing might have caused her new friend to second guess hanging out with her, Kagerou spelled out why it was convenient they had met, "Conveniently, if you're looking for the Nemuri [Sleep] technique, I happen to know it. I'm also looking for Fuuton techniques, so we can study those together." She spoke at a casual pace with a laid back smile, matching the pace she walked to the library at. Even her attempt at small talk was equally relaxed, as Kagerou asked a rather aimless question, "If you don't mind me guessing, were you going to learn the Suiranreppuu [ Jade Severe Gale Wind ] from the futon manuals?". It was a guess she made solely based on the sword and sword practice callouses Soraru wore. Yeah, this was the sort of stuff she used the observation skills that had been drilled into her for, making small talk about something besides the weather.
Tenshuyami
Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 6:29 pm
Toxic Interior
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.
Amarantha growled slightly at her cousin when he kissed her on the cheek in his usual display of wasted and useless flirtation. Honestly it was amazing just how different they really were. She shook her head and tossed her mane of hair over her shoulder before she took out a scroll on genjutsu she had snagged on her way outside the building. She skimmed through the lists and started to make a quick list of a few techniques. Once she had her list memorized, she began to read the descriptions in more depth.
Amarantha closed her ruby eyes and began to focus on the feeling that had been described to her of t he feeling of poison ivy and poison oak. She was one of the lucky ones that was not part of the eighty-five percent of population that was allergic to the plants. Which was proven when she was pushed into a giant conglomeration of the stuff and never got a rash or any ill effects. But other classmates had not been so lucky, and even her mother was highly allergic to it. It amused Ama, though she would never admit to that out loud. [1/1] She shook her head and tilted her head to the side as she thought about the next technique. This one would allow her to alter the depth distortion of any victim that she chose to target. This would prove to be quite useful in that it could potentially prevent her targets from being able to properly react to thrown projectiles or physical attacks. [1/1] Amarantha sighed and rubbed her neck for a moment as she watched her cousin head back inside of the academy. She shook her head and turned her focus back to her genjutsu training. Ama read over the description and smiled slightly. All she had to do was show someone her open hand, and then close it as if she were catching something that had been thrown to her. [1/1]
Amarantha took the scroll and read it over once more. This next one wasn’t complicated, since it was in the same vein as the previous few; but it was a higher rank so required more chakra and more concentration. For a long moment she just stood there reading the required hand signs. Then she rolled up the scroll and put it away. [1/3] Once that was done, she ran through the hand signs to have her muscle memory take hold. This jutsu would allow her to cause the sight of her opponent to shatter like a mirror. Which, if combined with a jutsu her clan members it held interesting possibilities. Even if she couldn’t use that particular clan jutsu yet, she would be able to eventually. [2/3] She hummed thoughtfully as she mentally ran through the jutsu, it was clear to her that she would need to work fast, since this was one genjutsu that actually required hand signs. And requiring hand signs meant that anyone familiar with the technique would recognize it for what it was before it could potentially be triggered. [3/3] Amarantha hummed and smiled slightly as she thought about this next technique. It quite clearly played on her strengths, seeing as it was based in ice, and that’s what her clan was well known for. She looked over the requirements and grinned almost cruelly. [1/4] This one required touch, or cool air running across the victim in question. This was something she could do easily, since she could get in close with her rapier, and if she had ice going on around her to cool the air; she could use either a fuuton technique. Or she could imbue her rapier with fuuton chakra and the ice would cool the air. [2/4] Ama ran through the needed amount of chakra in her head, accounting for that and making mental notes on how best to execute this technique in battle. It was the battle applications she was looking for. After all, what was a technique worth, if it couldn’t be applied? [3/4] Application was important, and the swift sly application was even more so. The less her opponent was aware of what she was doing, the more she could get away with. And the more she could get away with, the less she would likely have to exert herself. Challenges were nice, admittedly. But the swift execution of her objectives was more important. [4/4] She sighed and shook her head before she turned on her heel and walked inside the academy once more. She spotted a few others mingling around, and spotting her cousin's bright red hair in the crowd without a single issue. She walked over to the wall of scrolls and casually placed the scroll back into its spot. Once that was done, she stood there for a moment, then decided she needed to head out a buy a few items, then perhaps go to the Acting Hokage and request a mission or two. She waved at Yugure, she might find him highly annoying, but he was still her cousin and she'd kill for him.
"”
Info: Gen: E 1 D 3 C 4 B 6 Jutsu Learned: Tsutaurushi no Jutsu [ Poison Ivy Technique ] E Rank Jutsu Learned: Okuyuki Katawa [ Depth Distortion ] E Rank Jutsu Learned: Shimaru Shikaku [ Closed Sight ] E Rank Jutsu Learned: Kugurinukeru Meikyou [ Through the Looking Glass ] D Rank Jutsu Learned: Koori no Jutsu [ Ice Technique ] C Rank
OOC:
The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.
Yugure reentered the academy, taking a few steadying breaths to calm his mind. A little bit of criticism never hurt, and the Acting Hokage was correct. He was far too casual in the report of his own self analysis. He looked around, muttering. "Traditional clothing.... traditional clothing... Ah. There." He spotted a male and two others, the male in traditional clothing, a female with green hair, and another male, this one looking, to Yugure at least, rather timid. Canting his head off to the side, the male walked over cautiously, humming quietly to make his presence known as he approached. When he was within 5 feet of the group, he stopped. "Please forgive me for interrupting, but are you Hiraite-san? The Acting Hokage sent me." He said, bowing to the trio. "My name is Yugure."
Passives: Tsumetai [ Cold to the Touch ] Description: The skin of each Shinsetsu clan member is chilled; producing a refreshing, almost intoxicating aura. This aura does not stretch far from one's person, and only the Shinsetsu and those in direct contact with him/her can truly appreciate the feeling. Because of this attribute, humidity is a foreign concept to the Shinsetsu, and only the most extreme of heats will cause those within Tsumetai's effect to break a sweat. Additionally, this consistent cold has weathered their skin and innards, providing an internal and external resistance to freezing temperatures. Although not exactly topical, it should be noted that thanks to their relaxing aura, the Shinsetsu are considered some of the most desirable lovers in the world.
Techniques Used:
Techniques Learned:
BlackFruity
HeadlessKoko
Tenshuyami
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:29 pm
Toxic Interior
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.
Amarantha strolled into the academy with one goal in mind, finding her cousin and informing him she was on his team for the patrol mission. She spotted the familiar head of red hair nearly instantly. There weren't many redheads in Konoha for some reason. She walked over to him and stood there for a moment, looking over the individuals he was near, and nodding politely at them. But then she turned to Yugure, "I came to inform you that I would be joining you on your mission in the morning. I believe we should get an early start, so should probably turn in early tonight so as to avoid any fatigue." Her tone was matter-of-fact, nothing to indicate to the strangers around them that they were related at all, or even that they knew each other in more than passing. Ama had always been this way when around people she didn't know, she tended to play things close to the chest rather than be an open book.
Amarantha turned back to the strangers and bowed slightly, not quite at a forty-five degree angle but definitely enough to show respect to them as people, then she stood back up. She nodded to Yugure, a motion that he would recognize as we'll talk when others aren't around' and then turned on the ball of her foot and walked out of the academy, choosing to wait outside the building for him.
Jutsu Used: Jutsu Used: Jutsu Used:
OOC:
The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.
Yugure heard a pair of footstep approaching him and he turned to find his cousin. He dipped his head and nodded. "As you say, Amarantha." He turned to the others and gave a bow before turning and walking outside with the firey red-head, joining her outside of the Academy. "Yes?" He asked her when he finally caught up with her.
Passives: Tsumetai [ Cold to the Touch ] Description: The skin of each Shinsetsu clan member is chilled; producing a refreshing, almost intoxicating aura. This aura does not stretch far from one's person, and only the Shinsetsu and those in direct contact with him/her can truly appreciate the feeling. Because of this attribute, humidity is a foreign concept to the Shinsetsu, and only the most extreme of heats will cause those within Tsumetai's effect to break a sweat. Additionally, this consistent cold has weathered their skin and innards, providing an internal and external resistance to freezing temperatures. Although not exactly topical, it should be noted that thanks to their relaxing aura, the Shinsetsu are considered some of the most desirable lovers in the world.
Techniques Used:
Techniques Learned:
Nyx_Nightshade_7656
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 5:06 pm
Toxic Interior
I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.
Amarantha's facial expression did not change, nor did she show any outward signs of having heard him approach her. Until he spoke. The instant he did she reached out and hit him faster than he would probably be able to see and hit him in the shoulder, "What is wrong with you? Did the Acting Hokage scold you about something? You only act like this when Mother would scold you so I'm going to assume it would be the same for any other authority figure. Honestly, as much as I get annoyed with how you act, it's just plain wrong for you to be... normal." She hissed at her cousin, eyes narrowed and face less than pleased. She could not stand how laid back he was, but seeing him upset set her teeth on edge in a way that his normal attitude just didn't do.
Jutsu Used: Jutsu Used: Jutsu Used:
OOC:
The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones that do.
Yugure gave a small whine as she lashed out and hit him, her words reaching him but he didn't seem to hear well... Or he was ignoring her anger. Normally he'd be all about it, but he didn't get a thrill from it like normal. "I'm sorry, Amarantha. And if this is normal to you, then you clearly don't know me." He said, shrugging, rubbing his shoulder.
Passives: Tsumetai [ Cold to the Touch ] Description: The skin of each Shinsetsu clan member is chilled; producing a refreshing, almost intoxicating aura. This aura does not stretch far from one's person, and only the Shinsetsu and those in direct contact with him/her can truly appreciate the feeling. Because of this attribute, humidity is a foreign concept to the Shinsetsu, and only the most extreme of heats will cause those within Tsumetai's effect to break a sweat. Additionally, this consistent cold has weathered their skin and innards, providing an internal and external resistance to freezing temperatures. Although not exactly topical, it should be noted that thanks to their relaxing aura, the Shinsetsu are considered some of the most desirable lovers in the world.
