Gathering Herbs [Private]

Mission Name: Gathering Herbs
Mission Type: Chore
Mission Rank: D
Mission Goal: Collect a basket of herbs
Description: One of the local owners of a herb shop have hurt themselves when they fell down some stairs. The owner would usually go out in the afternoon to pick herbs from the training fields, but because they can't walk they are looking to hire someone to do the job for them. Swing on by the shop to collect a basket and a book of herbs before heading off to the training fields. Return only once the basket is full.
Payment: 10,000 Ryo
Requirements: Genin +

It was the next day after their bath and fun, Riku had needed time to recuperate. Walking toward the training grounds, Satori contemplated the mission they'd taken. It was a fairly simple one, herb gathering was a basic request and didn't really take much time at all in the long run. Especially between his knowledge and nose as well as her knowledge and experience. The list was fairly extensive, the rats must have really dug into the stores judging from the amount that was being requested.

But it was still certainly doable. Bemused, Satori shrugged before he pushed the scroll away and smiled down at the bobbling little blue head next to him as his brow arched slightly.

"They want everything from simple herbs like dandelion to rarer herbs like Ginseng and Chamomile," he stated with a low hum. "Do you want to split up to gather as much as quickly as possible so we can play some catch up on the rest of the missions we wanted to take? Or work together?" He didn't mind either way. She had superior knowledge than him and more experience, but they were both more than equipped enough for basic medicinal herb gathering.

Riku looked up at the taller genin when he spoke. “Let’s do it together. Won’t take long either way, plus…” she blushed, “I don’t really want to be apart just yet.” The blue-haired genin went back to observing their surroundings.

“Can I see the list?” she asked.

When Satori handed it over, Riku would scan the list of items for a few moments before saying, “We can search for them by what area they grow in. That way we only need to move through each type of training ground once. The efficiency will make up for not splitting up.”

She pulled out a pen and drew symbols next to each item on the list of herbs to indicate which type of environment they could be found in: a drop for wet environments, a small circle with lines around it for plants that grew in areas with lots of light, and so on.

“Between your nose and my fieldnotes, this will be easy,” Riku stated confidently.

[1]

Satori chuckled softly as she blushed, but at least she was honest. His hand gently pet the top of her head in response before his gaze settled on the list once he’d handed it over. Her retort that they’d use the most efficient method to make up for any lost time earned a nod from him in agreement. No reason to push the idea, he didn’t mind either way but if she was uncomfortable with separating already he saw no reason to make her sad.

Instead, he examined each location quietly, head tilting as he analyzed the symbols and added a new list next to the original. This one organized by the type of areas the herbs grew in to make it that much easier to read. A little box next to each for them to check off once they had enough to be satisfied. Pulling out one of his scrolls he examined it briefly, before nodding once.

“We can seal them in here as we gather them,” he explained simply before tucking it into his belt and focusing on the list. Sunny areas had the largest amount.

“Shall we start with the plants that need the most light?” he inquired, glancing at the nearby hills that lacked much brush, the perfect place for them to start blossoming.

Riku looked in the same direction as her partner and nodded quietly before heading over. She didn’t even look to see if Satori was following, already too interested in the plants they would find there. Hopefully, they would stumble upon some new additions for her field notebook. Without realizing it, the shorter genin had increased her speed significantly in her enthusiasm to begin searching for plants.

Once she reached the grassy training ground, an impressive feat of cultivation in Kiri’s climate, Riku’s eyes immediately began to scan the area. A few plants were easy to identify like dandelions, chamomile, and milk thistle.

“Let’s get started.”

The female genin pulled out a pair of gloves and put them on before crouching near the milk thistles, plants with purple heads not unlike that of a dandelion. “We only need the flower heads of these,” Riku informed her partner just in case. She knew the taller teen had basic knowledge on medicinal plants, but also that it wasn’t his main focus.

Gently, Riku plucked the flower heads and dropped them into a jar. Once they had filled a few jars, those could be sealed into the scroll Satori brought with them.

“Those white ones over there are valerian, you’ll have to dig them up to get the roots.”

[2]

Satori smiled softly as she commented on the heads only. Nodding once in agreement, he used his claws to neatly cut the heads of the flowers from their stems, careful not to disturb the rest of the plant itself. As he worked he glanced over at her as she commented on the next set. A low hum filling his chest as he glanced toward them, tilting his head slowly before he straightened and moved over toward them.

It didn’t take him long to extend his claws out and dig up the plants themselves. Cutting off about three-fourths of the root system but keeping the primary root and some of the smaller branching roots attached. Re-burying them afterward so that the plants could survive before glancing around for the next bundle. That they needed to dig into. The more that they gathered the better.

Walking back toward her with the large bundle of roots he would lay the scroll out before placing a hand on the scroll over the roots. Black chakra ink flowed from his hand, infusing itself into the page as the burst of smoke sealed the roots into them with the kanji for them engraved into the paper. He then did the same for the flower heads.

Riku smiled and added the flowers and roots she'd collected on her own to the pile before Satori sealed them. The activity reminded the blue-haired nin of her childhood when she'd spent hours tending the gardens with her mother. That had been before the family moved after-- no, it wasn't a good time to think about that. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Riku turned her attention back to the list.

"Dandelions are easy because almost every part of the plant is useful. And they spread so quickly there's no need to try and replant them. We can gather what we can carry off then separate the flowerheads and stems from the leaves and roots."

She pulled out her personal field guide and flipped through the pages before tucking a purple flowerhead between the pages and closing it again. She stowed it before moving on to the dandelions.

"If you dig them up, I can separate them," the blue-haired teen offered, pulling out a kunai. Originally, the knives had been used in agriculture, good for digging and cutting. Now, they were a common tool for harming others. Idly, Riku thought about how the bloodying of the kunai mirrored her own life, once idyllic and peaceful but now violent and filled with loss. One loss in particular seemed to create a void that Riku couldn't fill. Frustrating as it was to think of this on a mission, Riku couldn't quite suppress the memories. The calming effect of gardening was tinged by an aching sense of longing.

[3]

Satori noticed her falling quiet into her thoughts, it was something he’d seen before many times. Including the first day he’d brought her to his home. The day she’d stared at the utenzils he’d made from the bones of his grandfather, the day she’d broken down and cried into his chest. His eyes softened and he made a mental note to ask her about it.

For now he needed to help her focus. This wasn’t the time for that kind of mindset. His hand opened and gently took her head as she mumbled about dandelions and stared at the kunai. Silently he tugged her head into his chest, eyes staring up at the sky quietly for a few moments as his fingertips trailed through her hair.

“... Do you want to talk about him?” Satori murmured to her simply, eyes trailing down to her own. He wasn’t asking her to tell him about her troubles, what she was thinking about, or holding off the mission. He was asking if she just wanted to talk about her father. It was a subject she had avoided for a long time now, many years. It didn’t have to be how she missed him or how it tore her apart.

It could be little things. “His favorite things to do. What kind of person he was. Hobbies. Things he taught you and your sister,” he offered gentle ideas. She’d been avoiding this wound of hers for years now. It hadn’t closed on its own. Perhaps it was time to open it up properly, so the healing could begin in full.

Riku didn't resist being pulled into Satori's chest, mission or no. She didn't have the will to fight him on it, not today.

The offer to talk made her still, body relaxing though not quite going limp. What could she say about Lee after all? Her father had been dead for such a long time. His face wasn't as clear in her memories as it used to be. Pushing away the hurt had also meant dulling all her memories of her father. The smallest things could trigger grief despite this.

Her mother had focused on teaching Riku about plants and animals, ways to use them to craft medicines, poisons, anything she might need. Lee had been in charge of other things like her bloodline, his bloodline.

"He taught me how to throw a kunai and my first jutsu," she said quietly, eyes dropping from Satori's gaze. "Kaa-san and I would use them in the garden sometimes, not the one on the roof, a different one… but he taught me how to sharpen and throw them. How to use them as weapons." Riku took a steadying breath before she continued, "He showed me how to do the Henge technique and Replacement technique, too. He… he was gone a lot, but when he was home everything seemed brighter. Happier."

She shrugged. "He liked jokes, too. Sometimes he would even prank Kaa-san." A sad smile reached her lips. It fell. "One day, he didn't come back. He's never coming back." It was the closest she had come to saying her father had died explicitly.

His absence in her life was clear to the few people who got to visit Riku's home, but the reason went unspoken. The blue-haired nin had been reluctant to say anything about it until more recently. First, with Midori, and now again with Satori. Even her mother didn't talk with her like this (and Riku would never ask her to).

[4]

Satori said nothing as she spoke, his fingertips trailing through her hair as he let her talk about her father. He had never lost his father. But he had lost many, and had to face the fact that he could have ended up killing Kiyoshi to take over the clan. It hadn’t come to that. But it had been close. His eyes softened as she murmured about how her life had been happier, semi-absent but dotting, her father sounded much like Kiyoshi in many ways.

Perhaps minus the brutal training methods of the Ryuutei. Leaning down he wrapped his arms around the small girl, pulling her firmly into his lap so he could hold her properly as she talked. When she finally reached the point of, basically admitting, that her father was dead he gently touched his lips against her forehead.

“Do you remember the beliefs of the Ryuutei, Riku?” he murmured down to her softly. Fingertips slowly trailing along her spine in slow, careful movements.

Riku nodded. "Ryuutei always carry their dead with them in some way." It was something Satori has first told her right years ago. "Their bodies become a part of your daily lives and the memories of them become a part of each clan member."

They were pretty words, the concept was beautiful, but it fell short in term of comfort. In part because she had done her best not to reflect on her memories of Lee and also because the memories paled in comparison to the man who created them. They couldn't ruffle her hair the way her father used to nor could they lift her on their shoulders. Tsughi remembered Lee even less than Riku. She had only been five when their father left for the last time. She had wailed, pained and struggling to understand and Riku had held her. They'd been surrounded by relatives at first, but then it was time to move on. Only, they couldn't move on, not without Taji who didn't seem to notice the girls not leaving their room.

Riku and Tsughi had hidden in their bedroom together, grieving until Anzu came and dragged her sister (the girls in tow) to her apartment and begun to care for them. By then, both girls were suffering severe dehydration and Riku had to be pulled out of the Academy.

Perhaps the memories wouldn't have stung so much if the loss hadn't been followed by neglect.

Unsure of how to word this, she said, "When Otou-san died, Kaa-san did, too. She didn't come back until Anzu-oba made her."

[5]

Satori glanced down at her as she listed off what the Ryuutei did, and it was true, but there was more to it than that. Satori was fully aware that wasn’t enough for her. No, instead he gently trailed his fingers along her back as he murmured softly to her in return.

“That’s not all it is. We share our stories together of them, Riku,” he murmured as his fingers tightened gently on her shirt. “We talk about them, we share their memories and never let them die in our hearts. We reach out to the family we do have, and make new bonds from the loss. We delve deeper into our blood, and find out more about those that we lost so we can continue their legacy,” as he murmured this he gently shifted her in his lap. Her words on her mother caused his brows to lower slightly.

Losing a lover was… a painful ordeal. His father was a Ryuutei. They were jaded to the idea of lost family, and yet it had still sent Kiyoshi into a spiraling depression he’d never truly recovered from. He’d lost his ambition, and that was why Satori had overcome him. If he hadn’t had Raika and his other wives, it was doubtful his father would have even lived to sire him and his siblings.

But that was no excuse for neglecting your children, that hurt just as much, if not more than you due to their age. His fingertips trailed up before taking her chin gently, and kissing her. A soft, delicate kiss as his forehead pressed gently against her own.

“Losing a lover is painful. But it doesn’t excuse the behavior. Still… have you ever talked to her about it? About him? I doubt it, because of how kind you are to those you love.” His eyes softened. “In a way you’re both at fault for that. But she is definitely more so. There needs to be stories to pass… and there needs to be connections to family made once more, Riku. If you want to heal… and I want you to as well.”

Riku looked up, meeting Satori’s gaze. She gave a shake of her head to confirm that she had not talked to her mother about the neglect Taji had inflicted during her childhood. The blue-haired girl knew a little about what her mother had suffered, about the bloody feud between the Hozuki and the Inazuma. Taji had grown up in a time of high stress and conflict, married for political reasons. Her duty had been to strengthen the bond between her family and the Hozuki, partly by raising children with Hozuki blood. She’d come to love her husband, though, and then lost him.

Riku hadn’t been able to bring herself to properly cling to her mother and seek out consolation like another child might have done. Even now, the occasional look Taji got when something reminded her of Lee was enough to silence any conversation on Riku’s part.

“I…” she paused, searching for the words to say, “I understand why she died. I did, too. We all did. No one…” Riku struggled for a moment, frowning, “no one wants to go back. It hurts.”

The teen simply leaned into Satori’s affection and stopped trying to talk. He probably understood her anyway, despite the fact that she wasn’t great with words. After a few moments of taking refuge in the spiky-haired teen’s chest, Riku stood so she could reach Satori’s face and kissed him softly, chastely.

“Thank you.”

[6]

Satori made only one further comment before she kissed him.

“Pain means that a wound hasn’t healed. If you want to move forward, and get stronger… and help her, you both need to face the pain,” he murmured. After this, he let the subject drop and as she thanked him he nuzzled his nose lightly against her own with a slight smile.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured simply, before he slowly straightened himself up and pet her head once more briefly. Finally glancing down at the dandelions. “I’ll gather them up so you can separate their leaves, roots and flowers, alright?”

A slight smile was the final step, showing he was fine with moving on. He didn’t want her to feel pressured into talking at all. This had already been an excellent first step. She’d think on what he’d said now, and for now, that was enough.

"I know…" she rested her hands on his broad shoulders. "Time has proven that." They nuzzled and then Riku stepped back, sliding back into a more professional demeanor.

“Yes,” she agreed with Satori, when he changed the topic back to the mission at hand, “let’s do that.”

Going back to the mission was a relief. The emotional, albeit, brief conversation was much needed but taxing. Riku did things like this in bits and pieces, taking baby steps toward the end goal. She would likely do just as Satori suggested, but not right away. First, she would mull it over for a while and consider the best way to go about it. Then, she would approach the solution her own way.

Satori knew that, so he wouldn’t push. He would just wait for her to be ready to talk again.

Letting her mind relax, Riku focused her attention on separating the dandelions into different parts. Slicing the leaves and roots from the rest of the plant and stacking each part in neat bundles soothed her. It brought her back to happier days before and after the break in her childhood.

[7]

Satori smiled softly as she seemed to relax a bit, content with that reaction as he would instead turn and begin. His claws made short work of the dirt, digging into the earth at a steady pace to remove the entire dandelion from the roots. Shaking them clean briefly before handing them off for Riku to break down. Each part of the plant was useful in a different way, so it made sense to separate them properly.

The process didn’t take long before he sealed another few sets of herbs away, and they were ready to move on to the next section. This time he glanced down at the list, and then glanced around for a nearby body of water. It wasn’t difficult to locate considering their location. Ponds were everywhere thankfully.

Nodding toward one he rose up, tucking the scroll under his arm as he moved forward with her and smiled down at her gently.

“Once we finish this one up, do you want to knock out a few more as well?” He inquired simply to change the pace of the conversation before.

Riku nodded as she stood and stowed away her kunai and other tools. “I’d like to do some more missions, a few more C-ranks if possible. I can’t do those on my own yet. I’ve been meaning to pay Kyoji-sama a visit to congratulate him on rising to office, I suppose now I have even more reason to speak with him.”

Going to the mizukage about promotion requirements was probably overkill, but she had met him before hand and he was one of the only ninja she knew who were higher ranked than herself. Besides, he had been nice enough. If she kept it brief, he would likely indulge a visit.

Riku bit the inside of her cheek, she was getting ahead of herself. Demonstrating her abilities would have to come before any recognition.

“Can we spar sometime, Saa-kun?” she asked idly as they reached the nearest marsh. She checked their list of herbs to gather in the area.

“Let’s start with marshmallows. They’re the tall ones with pink hibiscus flowers. They can be collected whole. They grow and spread quickly, so don’t worry about harvesting too many.”

[8]

Satori nodded once in agreement as she commented on visiting Kyoji. “It’d be a good idea if you’ve met him previously. He’s a bit overwhelmed but a casual chat may do him well enough. If not, there’s other Jounin you can talk with as well. Let me know if you need help talking with someone,” with this he glanced down at her as she notably bit into her cheek. A brow arching slightly at her expression.

“We can spar whenever you like, Riku,” he stated idly, clearly not minding the idea. “Midori and I do it constantly. No harm in you joining in, or just sparing with me in general,” he smiled softly.

“There’s plenty of holes in my skillset for dealing with someone with abilities like yours anyway. It’d be good practice.” Nodding once he then tucked his hands into his pockets, listening as she commented on the plants and smiling softly.

“Sounds good,” he stated simply after her short explanation. Turning and focusing on the surroundings. Mapping out the flowers in question before beginning his hunt. Taking each flower from the root up, a quick flick of his wrist removing the flower entirely along with several roots each as he began to work to gather them for her.

“You’re right,” Riku mused as she waded into the shallow water. “I’ve wanted to give him a gift to congratulate him, I was thinking a care package. I could give him special snacks to give people he wants out of his office,” she smiled a bit at this as she imagined the variety of spiked confections she could provide Kyoji with.

“I’ve trained and taken missions, but I feel I should be doing more, but I'm not sure what," she admitted.

Riku began to cut and harvest the flowers as they talked, settling into the rhythm easily.

"I've come to the limit of what I can do without some direction."

[9]

Satori glanced down at her as she commented on lacking a definite direction while they worked. A low hum filling his chest as his gaze slid toward the plants he was gathering.

“Perhaps instead of focusing on a direction, focus on what feels natural to you. My way isn’t the only way. I fought against my clans natural stigma and forced myself to learn Genjutsu and Ijutsu, despite it supposedly being impossible. But that doesn’t work for everyone. You’re a genius, honestly,” as he stated this idly he shifted his grip on the plants and tucked them away before continuing.

“You should focus on things you enjoy, that feel natural to you, and build off them to counter weaknesses you have. Like you’ve always done. Small, so you developed your mind and speed. Lacked offensive power, so you learned toxins and drugs. So on so forth. Going by that logic, Genjutsu and Ijutsu are natural steps, and if you want to truly dedicate yourself there you need to push your mind and chakra control to it’s limit,” as he stated this he idly walked toward her holding a handful of the flowers.

“... and maybe, talking with someone that has the same bloodline as you to see how others have done combat and abilities in the past,” he stated simply. Not pushing the topic, merely bringing it up for her as he began the process of sealing the flowers.

Riku nodded along with Satori's advice as she gathered flowers, occasionally generating a thin layer of water chakra over her hand to wipe down the muddy roots and stems. Before long, she had more than what she could hold with one hand, so the genin liquefied the hand and wrapped the tendril that replaced it around them.

The last part of the Ryuutei's statement made the short teen look up, eyes sharp. So that was his angle. He wasn't wrong, Riku admitted to herself that his suggestion was perfectly reasonable. That didn't mean it would be easy. Protesting on the basis of the challenge would be useless and hypocritical. Useless because the Ryuutei welcomed difficulty and sought to improve themselves to overcome adversity and hypocritical because Riku had implied that she needed to step outside of her current way of doing things only moments before.

"I hate it when you're so reasonable," she grumbled, handing over the flowers she'd collected to be sealed with the rest.

It was an admission that he was right, and they both knew it.

[10]

Satori chuckled softly as she shot him a pout when she grumbled, amused as he sealed them the plants.

“I’m always reasonable, it’s one of my best weapons,” he answered with a simple smile before his gaze shifted toward the rest of the list. It would be easy enough to gather them up and move on likely. Grunting he moved forward and began the process, not that it was anything complex. The next round of plants now that the emotional air was cleared went quickly and efficiently.

Within about thirty minutes, they’d finished up the gathering of the last few plants and had sealed them away for the herbalist that had hired them to use properly as needed. The last bit of the job complete they were free to continue on their little mission spree as required. Glancing down at her as they headed toward the exit, Satori lifted a hand and gently pet her head.

“If you need somewhere to stay to be away and think, or need any help, you can always be with me or ask for help, I’ll always do anything I can,” Satori reminded her gently. Giving her a fallback option and making sure she knew that door was always open.

Riku smiled at Satori softly when he offered her shelter. She knew he meant it, and it was truly sweet, but she probably wouldn't need it. Still, the female genin didn't brush it off.

Taking the tall man's hand and interlacing their fingers, she gave a light squeeze in thanks.

"I know you are, Saa-kun, I know you are." Her thumb brushed across the back of his hand affectionately.

"Do you want to get something to eat together? We haven't done that in a while." Her mind was eager to focus on something else for now. She could deal with the discomfort of what happened to her back then another time.

[11]

[//Exit]

Satori smiled softly at her assertion. Nodding once before turning and grasping her by the hand. Nodding once in agreement to her request.

“Yeah, let’s go get something to eat. It’ll be a nice change of pace from us constantly eating what I cook,” he stated in an amused tone. It didn’t matter really what they wanted to eat, but he knew of a few places she’d probably prefer. Chuckling and making a mental note to get them something sweet as a desert, Satori squeezed her hand gently.

She’d figure out her problems with her family, he knew that much. She was too intelligent not to, after all. Smiling lightly he let the subject go, content to enjoy his time and meal with his lover and move on.

// Thread Exit.