tab Starting at the back of the journal, Soraru would find a large chunk of its final pages having been left untouched. When the Kumo nin finally comes across an entry, he would find it incomplete. The writer having had difficulty in trying to express a form of frustration and maybe even anger, but the number of blotched out starts to a sentence possibly never finished only support that the author was giving up on attempting the task. The last line was even a finished sentence, given up on and left to remain untouched. The date in the upper corner marks it as nearly two decades ago.
Turning back another page, Soraru finds an entry a week prior, written in clean, easy lines of an otherwise average day having been given some life with the discovery of having an interest in war-time history. 'Previous educational pursuits had been filled with merchant tactics, as is the major staple to the Antei fortune. However, even the tutor agrees that I have taken in this new subject with a promising grace.'
The entry before then was written in a different style, the lines a bit thicker to prove it was written with a slower hand. 'Full moon. Kikyou against my cheek. Cool cobblestones under bare feet.'
Two more entries were written before this one, before a second of a similar style was found. This one was dated a month before the last. 'Promised; through the window. The free-fall. Felt like breathing for the first time. Learned to breathe again. Learned my own voice. How hands do not listen.'
For the dozen entries preceding this one, there are mentions of an average or eventful day, some with a small snippet of a similar poetic style or just a side note left in the footer of the page.
'The Sakura tree.'
'East gate's sunrise.'
'Dango in the eaves.'
Finally, a shinobi is finally mentioned. A servant was accosted by a thief, and a Chuunin had returned them, and their belongings back to the estate to ensure their safety. 'Kaishi Kōka.'
---
"We pride ourselves on stability." Tōrō spoke as though on rote. "We are not the wealthiest, nor the strongest. But we've never fallen to hard times for we do not overextend ourselves nor the people in our care. We are supporters of the community as well as the village. When we promise to achieve something, we have not faltered for we know ourselves before all else." He falls silent, not knowing what else he could say, without compromising his emotions any further. So when the foreign nin gives his apologies, the head of the Antei household could only close his eyes and give a small nod.
A pause, Tōrō's head dipping down slightly as his hand lifts to touch his chest once again, gently pressing over the spot where his heart is. "Are all Kumo nin so..." He speaks to himself softly, having seen the Mist headband as Soraru had walked over to the bed. But Tōrō stops and looks over to the desk instead. "My sister was always meant to be the one to lead this family, not myself. Strong women have supported me all my life, but now I must be the one to finally protect the last one I have left. Thank you for aiding me in this matter." He turns and bows his head to Soraru. Being so close, the nin may notice that, even for a lord, Tōrō's skin was pale.
♫ ~ 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.
Reading through the pages filled Soraru with a profound feeling of somber nostalgia. There wasn't anything openly familiar on the surface, but the emotions he could read through her handwriting reminded him of times alone, scrawling in his journal while swimming in the impossibly soft silk of sheets he could no longer even dream of affording, while guards outside prohibited him from leaving unsupervised. It was a different world - a different life, and he had to smother the brief temptation to share his similarities with the Antei lord. To see if he experienced a life that was even comparable to the comfortable prison he was born into. Tōrō spoke on how his clan valued stability over wealth and power, something that made Soraru nod his head in response. It was worthy of respect. Konoha's clans were held in high regard, and they could easily gorge themselves on strength or avarice.
He noticed Tōrō touching his chest out of the corner of his eye, reminded of the action he took on their first meeting. It was the same spot. In the quiet room and the lack of any major distance, Soraru could easily hear the brief mention of Kumo nin. The Lord spoke before he could respond, and the young Hiraite listened. "I have a sister. Well, a half-sister. She's much older than me and taught me that there was a whole wide world out there when I was feeling more closed in than ever. She ran away from home when I was still very young. I can't remember her face or her voice, but the impact she had on me lasted until I really needed it. I'm sure you'll also make use of everything they wanted you to learn." It felt nice, to talk about her. He wasn't even able to know her name. Nobody was permitted to say it. Soraru could have gone to his grave without ever mentioning her existence again, but it was his first time finding someone he could actually sympathize with. It made him want to say a lot of things.
"I have some ideas in my head right now, and there's definitely a lead in here I can follow, but I need you to answer a couple of questions. What happened to your sister, and what did the other shinobi do once he read what I just did?" He didn't like asking the question so bluntly, but it would also feel disrespectful to beat around the bush. Yes, he was a liar. Yes, he fought all his wars with deceit. But to the person who lost something great and still trusted him, he would rather be seen as brash than as a snake.
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. ♫
tab Tōrō didn't reply verbally to Soraru's words, but his body language spoke loud enough; he could sympathise. Match their backgrounds and find the common ground, the common emotional ties, knots, and frayed ends. "... for as long as I can." He murmurs. At the questions, however, he hesitated, gaze turning to the window while he gazed into the past; distant and close.
"Your predecessor had asked if I had known anyone by the name of... something like 'Kashi.' I do not recall. But it did not ring any bells." He added, though it was without haste. "I had the impression they were going to ask after the individual back at the Hokage office." He pauses, as though he had finished speaking, but they both knew that he had avoided a very important question. And Tōrō couldn't resist lifting a hand to rub his chest once more as he pushed out an answer after a long pause. "The report said it was an existing condition. Heart failure. You should leave now." He moves to turn away, keeping his back to the Kumo nin. "I'm expected elsewhere and have no desire for myself - much less another - being found in these rooms."
♫ ~ 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 froze. Maybe it wouldn't be visually evident on his features, but he couldn't help but feel unsettled when he said that the other Shinobi would have likely reported to the Kage's office. "I've already sent someone, but I have not heard back from them in two days." Shi's words were still fresh in his memory, and he had to wonder if that last meeting was before or after a report had been given to him about Kaishi. If it was before, then something must've happened to the other Shinobi before they could report in. Kaishi Kōka. Kaishi Kōka. He repeated the name in his mind, not wanting to forget it before he could reach the Hokage's office. It was still early in the afternoon, so he doubted Shi would have left since his departure.
In that time, he did realize that the Antei lord didn't say anything about his other question. He was about to regret the decision until an explanation was given. Heart failure. Existing condition. Soraru felt bad for asking since it didn't tie to his case at all yet, but it did save him from making any false assumptions in regards to her fate. I understand, lord Antei. Until we meet again." With all said and done, he turned to leave. While the window was preferable when it came to exits, he didn't want to disturb the new clan head further by entering his line of sight once more. Kaishi Kōka. Maybe they saw the opulence of this place during their mission and decided that impersonating a noble would get them through life better than being a Chuunin. Maybe they're only around to send me to another lead. I just need to keep chasing, I can't let this trail go cold. He exited the room and tried to leave the estate looking as inconspicuous as possible. The hour past midday had ended so everyone should have been back to work, making it easier to leave undetected. Even on the off chance that he was seen, his light complexion, dark hair, and blue eyes would probably let him fake it as a clan member from a distance.
If he had no interruptions on the way, he wouldn't waste his time on making it back to the Hokage's office to report his current findings.
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. ♫
Having just left the Hokage and now traveling with a young kunoichi, Shikatsu had to come up with a plan using the information he was given. His pace had picked up a bit while deep in thought before he thought about his new companion. He looked back and made sure the girl was able to keep up with him. "You doing ok back there?" He asked trying not to sound too patronizing.
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"Your life is to short, so don't go throwing it away so easily."
The bar Shi had led Soraru to was definitely a shinobi's wind-down spot. A small den nestled in a dark alley, crammed with tiny tables and narrow stools. Most were still occupied with armed soldiers despite the late hour, some even with dried blood on their clothing. The 'bar' was just a small corner with a worn-out-looking man standing behind a high counter. Shi rose a hand, thumb and index finger extended. The Acting Hokage received a nod from the bartender and Shi guided Soraru to a free table, surrounded by others already occupied. A few shinobi nodded to Shi as they squeezed by, a few just stared at Soraru. Despite the lack of space, low conversations were hard to hear over the generic music coming out over the small speakers hung up in two corners of the den. Once seated, Shi barely had time to rub out a kink in his neck when the bartender brought over two mugs of beer, the glass already gleaming with condensation. The man gave Shi a pat on the arm, and squeezed past the tables back to his nook.
Shi knocked his knuckles on the table, light enough that Soraru would have only felt it, not heard it. The dim lighting made it hard to make out faces in great detail, but people could still see each other's hands even underneath the high tables. When Shi got Soraru's attention he made a motion with his hand - 'watch me.' Then Shi performed a motion so smooth, natural, and quick that an untrained eye would have just chalked up to paranoia and nothing more; Shi appeared to have lowered his mask, took a small, quick sip of his beer, and then placed the mask back before the glass had touched back down onto the table. The low light had helped conceal he was actually tipping the beer out, allowing the liquid to land on the already filthy floor with barely a noise, hidden by the dim shadows and his relaxed posture.
"So." He spoke, voice raised to be heard clearly even over the mask and music. "What will you do on your return to Kumogakure?" And so the Acting Kage went, every now and then taking a real sip of beer but mostly pretending, and always curving the conversation towards Soraru's relationship and status within Kumogakure. Time passed, the late night was creeping into early morning, and Shi's posture had grown slightly more relaxed, less alert. With a few mouthfuls left in the large mug, Shi sighed with regret and stood. "Take your time to finish before you leave." He speaks, slowly, without a care, places money down onto the table, pats Soraru's shoulder on the word 'leave,' and departs himself.
[ Entry from : Hokage Office ]
ᚗ Summarised Situation ::
Physical Position ::- Body Actions :: - State of Dress :: Full battle gear (Shinobi style)
Interacting with ::
Tenshuyami
Physical Actions :: Verbal Dialogue :: "Take your time to finish before you leave." Interaction's Points of Interest :: ... pats Soraru's shoulder on the word 'leave'
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[ Promise me you'll remember ]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ you arebraver thanyou believe; ✧
Chihiro; Chakra 160/160 Stamina 210/210 Raiton l Katon
"YEEEEAAAAA!" exclaimed Chihiro. "We are on our first mission! How cool is that, Botamochi?!" *Woof* Botamochi was happily panting beside Chihiro as she did a half victory dance while walking at the same time. She doesn't seem out of breath or anything of the matter. After all, she was an Inuzuka and she was adept at punching things. Her stamina was good. Now, ninjutsu and mentally on the other hand... was not strong with this one. Shikatsu words were not lost on the girl as she growled at him. To her, it was meaning and mean but to anyone else listening, they would think she's being 'cute'. "I'm not that worthless! Hrmph. You are so rude! I don't even know what your name is!" She then saw Botamochi sniffing around. He barked towards her as she turned to see what he was talking about. Ah. So the Hokage was out of the office for a bit. He entered into an adult place where her mom and dad told her that she's not allowed. No fair. Adults get alllll the fun. The adult restaurants and even private gymnastics with no kids. She couldn't wait to be an adult!
"Where are we going?" She questioned towards Shikatsu, wondering what he had in mind. A soft whine was heard from Botamochi as he too, was curious.
Botamochi; Chakra 60/60 Stamina 60/60 Doton l Futon
►Stronger than youseem; ♥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬WANNAPLAY▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬- ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[Smarter -- than you think]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Konohagakure l Genin l Tamer l Taijutsu l Inuzuka Clan
Shikatsu stopped for a moment as the girl made a good point, he did forget to introduce himself. Quickly turning around to face her he extended a hand. "My name is Shikatsu Nara, a Jounin of the leaf village. It is nice to meet you." He said waiting for her to do the same" We are heading to the hot springs so I can gather data to better plan for the event."
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"Your life is to short, so don't go throwing it away so easily."
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[ Promise me you'll remember ]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ you arebraver thanyou believe; ✧
Chihiro; Chakra 160/160 Stamina 210/210 Raiton l Katon
Ah! Much better. Adults are weird. They get moods all over the place which she still doesn't understand. At least he wasn't belittling her or chastising her for mentioning that he was rude and didn't even introduce himself. Many adults would point out that she was in the wrong or that she wouldn't understand but he didn't. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. She clenched her fist and her thumb pointed at herself, "I'm Chihiro Inuzuka! And this is-" Her thumb moved to point at Botamochi *Bark!*. With a smile, she let Botamochi introduce himself. She forgot that other people don't understand her pet unless they can hear dog language or were Inuzuka's themselves.
Once she heard that they were going to the hot springs, she wasn't much of a fan with hot springs. "Don't cha think that hot springs might be too hot? Momma and daddy said that adults go there to relax. Relax isn't sports or games or fun! We should go to the lake instead of this! It is summertime!"
Botamochi; Chakra 60/60 Stamina 60/60 Doton l Futon
►Stronger than youseem; ♥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬WANNAPLAY▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬- ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[Smarter -- than you think]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Konohagakure l Genin l Tamer l Taijutsu l Inuzuka Clan
Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 8:40 am
"Come one, come all, to see the fantastic performance of Hanae and the Drumettes!" Hanae hollered at a frankly startled-looking young couple who had walked a little bit too close to her setup. She was, of course, Hanae; the "Drumettes" were half a dozen trash and paint cans she had abducted from behind nearby businesses. She was in the middle of banging on them with an appalling amount of enthusiasm for someone so unskilled. To her left was a small soup can and a cardboard sign that read: "Donations accepted!"
How long had it been since she last saw her beloved? Almost half a year? They had returned from the Chuunin Exams war and not once had she seen that oh-so-handsome Agni anywhere. Heck, as far as she knew, he bounced before they even got back without so much as a "see ya, babe". Had he been a spy? Had he run afoul of the law and was now living life on the lam? Was he staying away to protect her from the powers that be? Was there an elitist cabal of war-mongers at the head of the Leaf Village out to quash his message of peace and love (for her)? Her poor heart was aflutter with the possibilities!
Ostensibly she was in the Leaf as a shinobi after defecting from the Frost, but she hadn't done... well, anything since getting there. She was pretty sure she had an apartment somewhere, but she'd been busy trying to drum up (pun intended) any information she could on her beloved. There was something nasty going on here, she was sure of it. Her sensei back in the Frost had always told her to trust her gut, even if it leads her away from convention. As she continued to inflict her musical stylings on the street, she kept an eye out for any friendly or hostile faces.
He smirked at her and the pup as they introduced themselves. "You may be right about the hot springs, but it's what we have at the moment. Plus this is just to gather Intel. If it doesn't look like it will work, we'll go back to the Hokage and see what he wants us to do." He paused for a moment as he heard a racket and turned to see what it was. He sa a young girl pounding away on a makeshift drum set, and not very well at that.
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"Your life is to short, so don't go throwing it away so easily."
Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 6:15 pm
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[ Promise me you'll remember ]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ you arebraver thanyou believe; ✧
Chihiro; Chakra 160/160 Stamina 210/210 Raiton l Katon
It seemed that the adult agreed with her about the hot springs and to gather intel. "Oh! Okay! Because I got a good idea! We can use someone who is really good with Doton and Suiton and just make our makeshift lake! That way we don't have to worry about the stupid heat!" She said with a smile. She had to make sure to remember this. Then Chihiro yelped along with Botamochi as she covered her ears. The sound! It hurts her sensitive ears! She started to tremble, doing all she could to not cry as Botamochi was on the ground, attempting to cover his ears too but being fluffy and massive, that was no easy feat.
"S-Stop stop it!" Chihiro cried out as Botamochi let out a sad whine.
Botamochi; Chakra 60/60 Stamina 60/60 Doton l Futon
►Stronger than youseem; ♥ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬WANNAPLAY▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬- ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬[Smarter -- than you think]▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Konohagakure l Genin l Tamer l Taijutsu l Inuzuka Clan
Jenni Deer
Dangerous Lunatic
Offline
Ergo War Vice Captain
Enduring Guildsman
Offline
Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 2:02 pm
Hanae scanned the crowd as she banged away at her improvised instruments... or at least, that was the plan originally. She'd closed her eyes to "get in the groove" for a few seconds. When she'd opened them again, the first faces she spotted told her just how out of tune her setup was. The cacophony ceased immediately.
"Sorry, sorry!" she called over to Chihiro. "Ya all right, kiddo? Ahh, times like these, I wish I had some way to make it up to you. ...say, is that a bear next to you?"
Hanae eyed Botamochi warily from behind one of the trash cans. It didn't look like any bear she knew of, but it didn't look like anything else she'd seen either and that was her best guess. A glance at the guy who was with the girl and the (tentatively) bear, but just that glance told her he wasn't related to the others. A friend, maybe? Definitely not Agni, at least.
Shikatsu watched as the girl had ceased her noise making and started apologizing. He looked over at Botamachi as he was described as a bear. He'd leave that explanation to Chihiro tho. "What do you think you're doing banging around like that, trying to bother the people around here on purpose?" HE said this very monotone as he looked her over and sized her up, something he did out of habit now more than anything.
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"Your life is to short, so don't go throwing it away so easily."
Child and bearcat were walking the streets of Konoha, carefree and without a purpose. As much as someone could call a straight-faced eleven-year-old boy with an equally calm, lumbering hulk-of-muscle animal 'carefree' on their meandering exploration. Minowa's blond hair was neatly styled with obvious care, and his clothes showed an affluent background with their high-quality material and modern design. A Mist headband was neatly tied around his left upper-arm. A matching headband had been repurposed as a loose collar, hanging around Itoko's neck, his head-height just above the child's stomach while it walked on all fours.
Every now and then the pair would stop, usually window shopping and sometimes to take in the sights - be it architecture or the people around them. Occasionally a stall-holder might try to tempt the pair with trinkets or snacks, speaking in a fashion that obviously showed that they recognised Minowa's rich upbringing while simultaneously speaking down at him for being such a young age. Neither Genin nor Binturong appreciated the forwardness, but only Itoko showed it with a reveal of slightly-yellowed teeth and the pair moved on, uncaring. They tried to avoid the busiest sections of the village, for the sake of their own comfort as well as the ease of their Anbu-ranked shadow that stayed unseen. Being the son of two Mizukages was as much a boon as it was a very real threat on his life.
For all the impassive auras appeared to hold up, the sounds of literal trashcans being bashed up drew a frown from both of them. Being small, and seeing people rushing away from the source of the noise (and towards them) Minowa and Itoko stepped back to take shelter at a corner of the intersection, waiting for the people to pass before stepping out. The sound of a dog's whine and Itoko's back fur bristle slightly and Minowa took the cue - they went to move on (and away) from the scene.
I t o k o : Chakra Pool: 180 // 180 Stamina Pool: 230 // 230
