Girl Time

Midori was up before dawn… but that was normal, she didn’t get much sleep lately. She was constantly training her Bloodline lately, which involved absorbing the natural energy around her, which had an interesting side effect of giving her restlessness and the urge to fight with increasing intensity until she transformed. She has to find combat, wear herself out, and tire herself out completely to sleep at all, and even then it’s not peaceful. The desire to fight would infiltrate her dreams and make her unable to get true rest, and it was deeply annoying.

But necessary.

She knew how powerful her ability was, and how much control she had to have in order to properly maintain her clear head. She would train it again today, and after some stretching she left her home without looking back. She would take care of the chores after dinner. It was nice, she had to admit, to be able to look most of the Ryuutei in the eye now, her height comparable to their own, but more often than not, she found various people’s eyes wandering and holding on parts of her body that were also growing, sometimes getting in the way, and that part was quite annoying.

Heading towards the forest nearby, she neared the gates and noticed a familiar face.

[1]

Riku had spent the night at the Ryuutei compound once more. Tsughi had pleaded to be allowed to spend the night with Hiyori and the rest of Satori’s younger siblings, to which their mother assented on the condition that Riku also go. Naturally, the blue haired teen wasn’t opposed to visiting Satori and snuggling in his bed.

She was an early riser, though, and had set off to explore the forests and take notes on the flora and fauna there. Despite having studied the Ryuutei forests for years, Riku kept finding new things.

When the blue haired teen looked up from her notebook, she saw Midori approaching. A whim struck her, an unusual thought for her.

“Midori-san!” Riku hurried over to the taller girl, looking up to meet the green haired tower’s gaze. “Ne, are you busy?” The short teen asked, pressing close to her friend, cuddling her a bit like when she was trying to butter up Satori before asking for something.

[1]

Riku had stayed short, but that didn’t make Midori look down on her anything more than physically; she was important to Satori, and more importantly, a strong and fierce combatant. She had earned Midori’s respect and friendship the day they met and fought for the first time, and seeing her present brought her a pleasant feeling from her dark green eyes. While most people still didn’t read her body language, Riku was sharp and had picked up on her physical cues almost instantly; she would know that Midori was pleased to see her.

The question, however, brought a single eyebrow up in question. “Not yet. Need something?” Normally, she wouldn’t put off training for anything, but as always her friends and family came first, and Riku had hardly ever asked Midori for much of anything, so the rarity made it more important to Midori than normal. Plus there was the way she was snuggling up to her… she was either plotting something or in a crazy good mood, as she had only seen this kind of affection towards Satori.

And to be honest, Midori didn’t know what to do about it.

[2]

“A girls day out,” Riku proposed, grinning up at the confused Midori. “I haven’t had girl time in ages, especially since Tsughi is always with her new friends. It’s good for bonding.”

She paused, head tilting thoughtfully as she noticed the taller girl’s confusion. “We could go to the onsen, get something to eat, go shopping. I could do your hair if you want.” The blue haired teen hugged Midori’s arm and looked up at her with big, soft, brown eyes.

The pleased look Midori gave her before meant Riku had her foot in the door, now all she had to do was be convincing. It was an unusual request with no real purpose except socialization, but it wouldn’t bring about any harm either. For some reason, the idea of wandering around in a group of girls (even if it was only a group of two) was very appealing. Maybe it was a teenage girl thing.

[2].

Midori’s eyebrow raised again at the name of the activity that was proposed by the smaller teen, thinking about what it was that meant. When her mind came back with no results, another part of her came to the fore; the side of her that was naturally curious and loved to learn. She had no idea what Riku was on about, but she certainly wanted to find out.

“Would like to learn ‘girl time’,” she announced. This let Riku know that she had no idea what it was to have such time, and that she was willing to find out. There was always tomorrow to train, but it wasn’t often that she spent any time with Riku or most of anyone… even Satori only came to train really. Genkai, or rather Miyu since she changed her name was the only exception, considering that the little woman lived with her. That was enough for Midori, and she was content, but the change in pace was nice.

She gave one of her very rare smiles, barely present but still significant.

[3]

Riku watched the taller teen’s face change as she turned the thought over in her head. In response to Midori’s agreement, the blue haired teen beamed. She hadn’t been sure how agreeable Midori would be to something so frivolous.

Taking the opportunity, Riku grabbed Midori’s hand and began to lead her out into the village.

“So first we should go find some new clothes. I’ve started doing missions so now I can buy things. It’s exciting really. I give most of my money to my mom, but she insists I keep a little for myself beyond what I spend on my weapons and poisons.”

Although Riku’s standard of living had improved a bit since her friendship with Satori began, there were still signs of a lack of resources. The shorter girl’s clothes, while always clean, all had at least one patch or some stitching indicating that the garment had been repaired multiple times and faded stains could be seen upon close inspection. The fraying hems and sleeve cuffs and threadbare patches of some of her outfits also hinted at a restricted wardrobe.

Riku was small in part because of her genetics, but also because her diet consisted mostly of rice and vegetables from her family’s garden. Meat and fish hadn’t become a regular food in her household before Satori began bringing her family gifts he had hunted himself. Later, Riku learned to hunt and would occasionally kill and bring home something for dinner.

With the growth of her mother’s practice and Riku’s newfound ability to generate income independently, things were on the rise. They had upgraded their greenhouse and stocked up on various plants and herbs. Riku had ninja tools of her own besides what she could scavenge from the training grounds.

“Okaa-san and Oba-san are too busy for girl time most of the time and Tsughi would rather play in the dirt,” Riku added, hinting at the importance of this activity to her. “You were the next closest person I could think of.”

[3]

The comment regarding new clothes was one that honestly caught Midori off guard. Ever since she could remember, she had worn the same style of clothing; simple red cloth to protect more sensitive area on her chest and waist, black spandex underneath that to reduce friction, and her cuffs and boots of gold. Whenever something got damaged, she was pretty handy with a needle and thread, and she repaired it herself. It was relatively decent work, but the patchwork was visible upon close inspection. But she was here to learn, not complain about the tasks involved.

She gave a nod, indicating she would follow and learn. She had a fair amount of money because her only obligation was to her home, everything else was poured into her home, and as such she didn’t do as many missions. She caught and grew her own food, had her own well, and was pretty self sufficient by design. She didn’t like relying on other people for what she needed simply because it would take more time and resources to pay them. At least, that’s how it felt to her.

But she also could feel how important this was to Riku, hearing it in her tone and seeing it in her body language. Midori did like seeing people important to her happy, so sparing a bit of her stockpile for the task was fine with her. That happiness was far more important than any dumb currency; money was an end to a means, that was it. Giving a gesture towards the markets, she waited for Riku to lead the way, falling into step beside her.

[4]

Riku already knew which shop she wanted to check out. Despite wanting at least one dress or kimono that looked nice, the blue haired teen was practical and knew it was more important to buy something durable. Thus, they went to a shop that sold clothes for shinobi.

A bell jingled above their heads as Riku lead Midori into the store. There was a set of shelves at the front, displaying mesh shirts of varying sizes and styles. A sign advertised that they were on sale. The blue haired genin ignored these for now, dragging the green haired one towards racks of clothing.

Finally, Riku dropped Midori’s hand in order to rifle through the various kimono and yukata, all made of durable and breathable material and bearing tags that claimed they were water and fire resistant. Riku ran the fabric of a few pieces between her fingers before selecting an orange battle kimono with a deep red obi.

“What do you think of this?” She turned to Midori and held up the garment.

[4]

It was promising that they were going into an actual shop that sold Shinobi clothing, and she knew this one because she often purchased material from here for her own clothing. She kept her eyes open for stuff around them, but was actually enjoying watching Riku simply enjoy herself looking around. She hadn’t been led by hand for years.

Looking at the kimono she picked out, Midori tilted her head, holding it up and then laying it gently against her frame. Part of her wasn’t sure about it; Kimono had a tendency to make her curves stand out even more than her regular clothing, but just because of that she wasn’t willing to dismiss the idea entirely.

“Why?” Now, this question, to anyone else, might have been seen as complaining, but to Riku, who knew her, would understand that she simply wanted to know the purpose of purchasing such a thing. Turning, she looked at herself in the mirror, eyeing the material and noting that it was pleasant to the touch.

The colors were nice enough though…

[5]

Riku waited quietly while the green haired girl took the proffered clothing and held it against her body. The considering look on the tall teen’s face let her know that Midori wasn’t outright rejecting the clothing.

“I like pretty things and I want a second opinion. Plus, fresh fabric holds up better during training and in the field. Sometimes stores make garments with features that are hard to recreate on your own.”

Riku’s eyes scanned Midori’s frame. “I think this would look nice on you. If you rub it between your hands, you’ll notice that the top half is reinforced with elastic to add additional compression for your chest.”

[5]

Midori’s eyes widened a fraction as Riku explained that she was taking practical application into account, and smiled gently. Nodding, she moved to the changing room To try it on and see if it would fit. It looked big enough, but she had learned from experience that her large body was not to be underestimated when it came to clothing.

After a minute, she emerged, and it might have been a pinch small, but it was quite snug in all the right places. It perfectly accented all of her curves without restricting her movement she stretched around, a gentle smile on her face. “Comfortable and Efficient.” Midori performed a small jump, and her chest jiggled hardly at all. She should seriously consider investing in this material for her undergarments.

Turning towards Riku, she looked for an opinion from the smaller woman.

[6]

“You look great!” Riku smiled brightly, starting to enjoy their excursion more freely. “It fits you well, too. You should consider buying it, Midori-san.”

She made a mental note of the size of the kimono to add to her files later.

Riku gave a nod of approval, emphasizing her words.

“I think I want something similar.” Riku pulled out a red kimono with a black obi and small flowers stitched on. She ran the fabric through her hands and read the tag to find out more about its features. Then the short teen held it up against her own torso, tucking the very top under her chin to secure it.

[6]

The compliment, when it came from someone she cared about, had the opposite effect as all those jerks that liked to gawk at her from the sidelines. She blushed ever so slightly and turned her gaze to the floor, giving herself a sideways glance to one of the mirrors and nodding that she would indeed purchase it.

Looking to what she had picked out, the black and red seemed oddly at odds with her blue hair, and while she didn’t want to seem out of line, she thought it was worth mentioning. Since her hair was almost black, Midori’s own went with many, but Riku’s was different. She looked at it and shook her head gently, her eyes betraying the worry she had at offending the girl, but offering her opinion anyway. “Colors Clash.” Midori said this while looking away a little bit, worried about offending her friend. Riku was an unknown, and someone that she wasn’t sure the exact personality of.

She worried she overstepped her bounds.

[7]

Riku turned towards the mirror and narrowed her eyes for a few moments before nodding. The red black and blue didn't look quite how she had wanted.

“You're right.” She didn't comment on how Midori blushed, but she did speak up about the awkward nervousness the tall girl was displaying.

“You can be honest.”

With that, Riku put the kimono back in favor of a yellow one with a white obi.

“Is this one better?” she asked, expression thoughtful.

[7]

The fact that she was doing alright socially with Riku, an area that she struggled with engaging with other people, made Midori quite pleased that she wasn’t completely lost in social environments. She always was blunt honest, not really deceiving anyone with her actions or words because she knew she didn’t have the intelligence to deceive anyone convincingly, and instead focused herself in the areas she knew she was effective.

Riku and Satori were good with that end of things… Midori would just stick with blunt truth.

The next one that she picked out worked well with the woman’s hair, accenting and emphasizing it without clashing directly. She gave an affirmative nod and gestured once to the dressing room, waiting to see if it actually fit or not.

[8]

Smiling a bit, Riku retreated to the dressing room with the new yukata. It fit her well, though it emphasized how slim and straight her figure was. The fabric was soft and smooth, much nicer than anything the blue haired teen already owned.

She walked out of the dressing room and did a little twirl to show it off. The yellow contrasted with her hair but didn't clash. The white obi holding it together was wide, and it matched the small flowers decorating the garment.

[8]

Midori made a mental note that she was only going to wear this on special occasions… she didn’t want to use it for normal training and missions because she feared that it would get ruined, and then she would need to get a new one. While she didn’t place as much importance on money as some people, needless waste was not something that she was going to deal with either. She would use it in any subsequent ‘Girl Times’ and formal events.

The kimono on Riku made her look very elegant, at least from Midori’s perspective, and while she didn’t see much in the way of fashion, she knew that the crafty little ninja before her was probably already considering places for hidden pockets for her poisons and such. They were very functional pieces of clothing while also looking nice and feeling far superior to the clothing she typically wore, so already she was glad that they had come. Girl Time seemed to be an interesting activity.

Moving to the register, Midori quickly paid for her own and put her old clothing in the bag that should have been for the new Kimono, but she wanted to wear it for now unless Riku had any objection. The golden cuffs, boots and earrings were all that she continued to wear with the current outfit, but the gold went with her red sash just like her previous outfit, so it was alright and looked like decoration more than anything. Now it was time to see what came next.

[9]

Riku could tell Midori approved even though the tall girl hadn't said so. She giggled at the green haired girl's eagerness to wear her new outfit. This was the first time Riku had seen Midori take interest in clothes beyond making sure they weren't falling apart and they covered what she wanted.

Riku followed along after at a slower pace and paid for her own new outfit as well. By the time they left the store, the blue haired girl had a slight pleased expression on her face, giving away how enthusiastic she was about girl time with Midori. She looped an arm around the crook of her friend's elbow and began to guide the tall girl towards their next destination.

“It's bath time.” Riku paused, then realized more detail was probably needed. “We're headed to the onsen. There will be other people bathing there too. It's a good way to relax your muscles, meet new people, or even just eavesdrop to learn new things.”

[9]

Having Riku loop her arm with her own and drag her around was… an interesting experience. She wasn’t even entirely sure how to describe it exactly. Was this what ‘Fun’ was? At least, the type of fun that didn’t involve combat? Whatever it was, it was a nice feeling, and the tall woman was planning to allow it to last as long as Riku could tolerate her own inept social behavior. When she explained they were going to a bath, she nodded and followed her as she was tugged along.

Once inside, Midori moved relatively normally, taking great care in ensuring her Kimono was placed properly in the cubby that was available and putting her shoes in the one below it. Not ashamed in any way, she stripped quickly and efficiently. Her body had lean muscle all over, and her ridiculous curves on full display, she moved with a purpose to finish getting undressed and wrapped in a towel, waiting for Riku to follow suit. One thing that could be noted that aside the hair on her head, she didn’t have a single other spot that had hair on it; she shaved regularly, as it was more easy to clean that way.

[10]

Riku, by contrast, was slim and had the barest hints of having gone through puberty. Short, curly blue hairs decorated her armpits and covered the area a few inches below her navel. There was some visible tone to her muscle, but mostly Riku was thin. She had just enough fat to keep her ribs from sticking out and to pad her hip bones. Small breasts had begun to form, but they were definitely still growing. The only curve to be found was her small, but shapely bottom.

Riku wrapped a towel around herself as well, unconcerned at another girl seeing her naked. They had similar enough equipment that she doubted Midori would find it interesting. Thin, pale fingers, ran through Riku's hair, pulling it up into a short ponytail, which the girl secured with a plain leather band.

“I can help you wash your back if you want,” Riku offered as the pair made their way to the washing room.

[10]

As she moved into the washing room, Riku this time following her, she grabbed the first scrubber she saw and turned, planning to offer to wash the little woman’s back for her, as she did with her sisters back when she was directly living with Satori and his family automatically, but as she held the scrubber and made a gesture for Riku to sit, she mentioned that she wanted to wash Midori’s back, and that took a moment to really recognize that offer for what it was.

Midori had long since dubbed herself as inferior in many ways. She knew that she was strong in her own way, but in the realm of ninja, she was incredibly one-sided. She couldn’t adapt like other Ninja, with a diverse set of skills that would allow her to rapidly adapt and overcome situations. So when Riku made the offer, a different kind of light was brought to Midori’s eyes, as she realized she was being treated like a true equal. Sure, Satori tried, but he was always the superior in the way he acted. It wasn’t a particular fault of his, just something that he did instinctively and was born to. Riku however, hadn’t made her feel small in the way she was… but instead.

Wanted.

Midori swallowed, forcing herself to remain neutral in her expression, but a careful look into her eyes and one would see that she was trying not to show that she was choked up about it. Nodding quietly, and taking Riku up on her offer, she sat down quietly, burying her face in her knees and setting the scrubber down on the ground next to her. She would use this moment to hide a bit and try to get herself together.

[11]

Midori's reaction brought a small, concerned frown to Riku's face, but she smoothed the expression in favor of something more encouraging. It had never occured to the small teen that her tall friend might be vulnerable. Midori was much stronger than her physically and larger, too. It was easy to assume Midori wouldn't have as many worries. But then again, Riku hadn't seen Midori spending time with anyone outside the clan. Her various stalkers didn't count. Riku wasn't particularly social, either, but she had begun to expand her circle lately. It was unlikely Midori had done the same.

Brushing away those thoughts, Riku got a bucket of warm, soapy water and began to scrub Midori's back and shoulders. She took care not to do it too hard and cause irritation, but with enough force to get off any sweat, dirt, or dead skin. The blue haired girl took her time, practically massaging the tension she could feel in the green haired one's back. Then, Riku traded the scrubber for a washcloth to rinse off any excess soap and suds.

“Midori-san?” She finally spoke up, “you okay?”

[11]

Midori stayed huddled there for several minutes, slowly breathing, using her Calming Steps and trying to figure out why it was that she was feeling this way. Settling her mind, she tried to attack the issue logically at first. Of course, she was going to have a reaction to someone who was treating her as a true equal… and not just in the weird, Ryuutei way they did back at the clan. Perhaps a combination of that, and the fact that Riku was probably one of the first people socially that she didn’t feel an obligation to, but still wanted to be around. A ‘friend’ more than family… a concept that Midori hadn’t really put much thought or priority into. It didn’t help that social behavior had been sort of… a foreign entity for a long time.

She had never really bothered to understand it.

Thinking through it logically had done wonders for her getting herself back together, and she was sitting up now, back straight as Riku washed her back. A question was asked, and she nodded, but decided that, for once, verbal communication was needed to truly convey what she was feeling. “Thank you for being my friend.” It was a simple statement, but the gravity of those words was like an avalanche, considering the tone she had used was not her normal disinterested one, but one that held genuine emotion aside her standard Rage.

A first for Midori, certainly.

[12]

Riku watched Midori carefully, calming down a bit as the green haired girl seemed to relax. She allowed herself an internal sigh of relief.

Midori’s words caught the blue haired teen by surprise.

“Of course, Midori… Midori-chan.” Riku leaned forward and hugged Midori’s shoulders.

Unsure of what else to do, and quite frankly nearly as confused as the taller teen, Riku went to fetch more water.

“Should I get your hair, too? You’ve got a lot of it and your arms might get sore if you wash it yourself.” It was a lame excuse to be close to the green haired girl, but it was the closest Riku was able to get to expressing how she felt about Midori’s statement.

Only having one person she called a friend without question for most of her childhood (aside from her immediate family) had been the norm for so long. Gaining another friend had been an unexpected surprise.

[12]

Chan? she mentally asked herself. Was her declaration of friendship the reason for the change? This whole social thing was really friggin confusing for Midori, and while part of her wanted to take it back and just dismiss it all as something that was bothersome and unnecessary, another much stronger side of her wanted everything to do with it. Needed it. She would have done much of anything to ensure that the small bond she had just gained would remain intact because it was a hole in her soul that she hadn’t even realized was there until now.

She offered to take care of Midori’s hair, and she lifted her hands to her hair, removing the band that was holding it all in place and letting the nearly black strands fall down to her shoulders. With her hair down, it completely changed the way Midori looked in a way that made her seem like a completely different person. “Please?” Another weird word she didn’t use often, especially in the form of a question with her voice having lost most of its usual confidence and pride, and sounding like a normal 14 year old girl for the first time.

[13]