Kumogakure Gates

Mission Deets:

The Jounin made it out to the gate earlier then he'd told his new team to assemble, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette and enjoying the brisk morning breeze. Having never gone through the rigors of being a genin and rising through the ranks he was curious how his new team would be on their first mission outside the village. His own experience out in the field had originally been assisting his father with simple mercenary work, later finding himself in the war that so ravaged the surrounding sea and coastal towns. Taking a long drag he recalled the first life he'd taken, knowing that the experience they were about to have would be far more tame then the life of war he'd grown accustom too. Though it made him slightly sick to admit it, he sometimes missed the thrill of war and fighting to the death. Everything had been so slow since he'd joined the village, even if it was all towards the point of giving his mother an life for the remainder of her years. Propping up against the gate he would wait for his team, smoking cigarettes and enjoying his alone time while he could.

It was still fairly early in the morning as Ryuko found herself skipping down the street as she hummed the tune to one of her favorite hymns.  Despite the fact she’d been working on making new armor for her team until fairly late in the evening and couldn’t have gotten much sleep she seemed to practically be bursting with energy.

She spotted Akashi leaning against the gates just at he took another draft of a cigarette causing her to frown deeply. Technically smoking wasn’t one of the three shinobi vices, but it seemed vile to her just the same. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to use something that was equivalent to putting early nails into your coffin, but then again ninja did have a tendency to die young anyway so she supposed so could forgive him at long as he wasn’t rude enough to blow smoke in her face.

“Sensai, Top of the morning to thee!” she called out casually giving him a big wave with her right arm while carrying a large and obviously heavy bag with her left. It seemed like she was the first student of the group to arrive which was perfect since she couldn’t wait to surprise everyone with the gift she had brought for them.  She had a question she wanted to ask but it would be better to wait until everyone was here first so they wouldn’t have to go over the same thing several times.

Shimiko would be the second student to arrive. She had bought some items from the market in preparation for her very first mission as a shinobi. The girl was wearing a dress shirt, tie, red mini skirt, and trench coat. Akashi-sensei was leaning against the gates with a cigarette in his mouth much to her dismay. The unhealthy habit irked her but she said nothing as it wasn't her place to criticize him. Shimiko waved to both him and Ryuko as she joined the group.

"Good morning Akashi-sensei!" she would then turn to Ryuko. "Good morning Ryuko-san!" She would glance down and see the large back that the girl was carrying. "What do you have there?" the back was massive and it couldn't possibly be chock full of ninja tools. Maybe it was a puppet. Shimiko had heard of some shinobi using giant mechanical puppets to fight. The style would be out of place in Kumogakure but intriguing all the same. Shimiko couldn't imagine using one though, why fight with a proxy? One would miss out on all the nitty gritty that came with fighting up close and personal.

Although not tired she was never a fan of mornings. Alarms were too troublesome as opposed to waking up naturally. Being an early bird already put her in a bad mood, which was hidden behind a sullen, nonchalant gaze commonly referred to as the "resting bitch face." Though, she tried to remedy this by grabbing a steamed pork bun on her way to the gates as she passed through the market area. Natsuru dresses similar to most Kumogakure shinobi as she prefers the simplicity and darkness their uniform provides. Black sandals cover both feet secured tightly providing comfort and protection. This is paired by a set of steel shin guards which start at base of her shin and up just below her knees. The steel is dyed white with three red lines running down the front face, a common feature done by Kumogakure-forged armor. She wears black pants with a black lapel on the left side. Strapped to her right thigh is a tanto crafted with red and black scabbard. Along with a mesh, sleeveless undershirt she wears a sleeveless black top with a zipper running down the middle. On both arms she wears leather forearm guards made with blackened leather with reinforced padding. Her outfit is completed by wearing her forehead protector around her forehead. Being made with black cloth she has the steel plated emblem facing the front in clear view. Her quiver is secured on her belt on her backside, her recurve bow worn across her body with the bow running down her cleavage while the string ran across her back. Natsuru has very fair skin with an almost ink-like navy blue hair, which matches her eyes in the same regards. Standing at 5'10 she has a very slender frame which maximizes her role as an archer.

In her right hand she held the bun close to her face taking small bites trying to finish it before she arrived. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, and the others were already present. She arrived with the others, standing before them besides Ryuko while popping the last bite of the bun in her mouth, chewing thoroughly to entertain the silence before swallowing. "Hello." She said almost quietly patting her fingers against her pants to clean them off. Though as she was getting acquainted with the scene she noticed Ryuko had a small bag with her. It didn't take her much effort to see how it was misshapen due to the contents in the bag being rather heavy. Although she didn't say a word regarding it she was worried it might be a burden to her if she planned on taking it with her on the mission. Especially due to the possibility of combat. But for Natsuru it was too early to be proactive about her thoughts. Instead she savored the warmth of the steamed bun in her stomach and the aftertaste of it while breathing in the nostalgic tobacco smoke puffed by her newfound sensei, Akashi.

Ryuko saw Shimiko coming over and grinned widely happy to she her new teammate and potential friend.  It was almost comical how despite both of them being ninja neither where really dressed for the part.   If you took away the trench coat Shimiko was wearing she’d look more at place at a business meeting then on the battlefield.

Not that Ryuko had much room to talk, she was wearing a purple kimono top with matching colored detached sleeves. This kimono was tucked into a red pleated skirt held up by a light blue belt and below that where detached purple stockings.  The final touch was the cape she was using to conceal her baton which was purple on the outside and red on the inside ,with golden trimming along the edge which denoted her rank as a priestess.  

The shade of purple Ryuko had chosen was no accident.  Purple was the color of royalty after all, but hers was dull and muted on purpose, both to reflect her low standing and because it was more practical when it came to stealth at night then bright purple would have been.

As Shimiko said good morning to her Ryuko had to resist the urge to run over and hug the other girl. It would have been very inappropriate thing to do considering that they barely knew each other.   She’d been so lonely for so long that she was desperate to get along. But it’d been drilled into her head from a young age to always ALWAYS mind her manners, which made it hard for her to let her hair down and be informal. Especially around strangers or new acquaintances.

“Good…. Good morning Shimiko-chan” Ryuko reluctantly replied, her face beet red as she made the daring venture of addressing the other girl much more casually then she was accustomed to doing. In the world of courtly intrigue what she was doing now would have been seen as very scandalous.  

The thing was she wasn’t at the Daimyo’s castle or negotiating with a foreign diplomat. No she was simply speaking to another kunoichi. They where both the same rank and on the same team which meant theoretical that they where on equal standing regardless of their respective backgrounds.  

Ryuko grew even more flustered as her new friend began to inquire about what was in the bag she was carrying.  On one hand she wanted to show the contents off but on the other hand she wanted to wait until everyone was here so that nobody was left out. Luckily before Ryuko could fall apart at the seams the last member of their squad chose that exact moment to make her appearance.

Natsuru was the only girl in their party dressed like an actual ninja, but it also seemed she had a good sense of dramatic timing as she popped the last bit of her breakfast into her mouth causing Ryuko’s stomache to rumble as she realized that in all of her excitement to meet up that she’d forgotten to eat.

“Good morning Natsuru-chan” Ryuko replied, her face flush again although this time for an entirely different reason. “I noticed during our training session yesterday that our squad has a distinct deficiency when it comes to armor, so I took it upon myself to make some. I hereby bequeath thee mail.”  

Ryuko explained as she hastily took three sets of copper chain mail vest out of her bag and held them out for the other girls and her teacher to take, leaving unsaid that she was already wearing the forth matching shit under her kimono.  She was feeling super bashful at the moment and so was trying her best not to look the others in the eye during the handover.

“Before we proceed on our journey, I wish to inquire were our respective strengths lie.” said Ryuko with a serious face.  Simply put if they didn’t talk about this and put it off again like they had after the training session they would be unable to function together as a proper unit.  Since she was the one asking it was only proper that she went first.

“I Ryuko am a bukijutsu and taijutsu specialist. My martial art style is a mix of Tokushinryu Kobudo, Muay Thai and the Arhat Fist.  While I can use just about any tool to an extent, my primary weapon is the Tonfa. ” she said as she pulled out her batons and gave them a light twirl to demonstrate them before putting them back away.  They weren’t anything flashy but they where practical and highly effective.

“My ninjutsu is still fairly basic as I have yet to master any elements. I can also preform rudimentary first aid.  Other then that I’m afraid their is little else I can bring to a fight.  However outside of battle I am a skilled armor smith, bring me material and it would be my privileged to forge for ye gratuitously.” which was a fancy way of saying for free.

Once the rest of the team had finished speaking about what they where good at Ryuko turned toward her teacher, her eyes still in serious mode. She had one final and very important question to ask him before the mission was officially underway.  How he answered would dictate her entire approach to the job.

“Akashi-sensai” She said to get his attention.  She was trying to be a little less formal with the girls but their was no way in heck she could possible use -kun or -chan with him. As her teacher and as and elder that would be far too disrespectful.  

“Permission to engage with deadly force?”  

Shimiko was glad that Ryuko felt comfortable addressing her in such an informal way and the appreciation showed on her face. Right as she was about to explain what was in the sack, Natsuru showed up as well. The blue haired girl was as nonchalant as ever. The only greeting she gave was a simple "Hello". It wasn't bad in of itself but Shimiko hoped that after they had gotten off on the wrong foot that perhaps she would be in a better mood considering this was their first mission as a squad. Shimiko wanted to slit the genin's throat on the spot for her cavalier and clearly holier-than-thou attitude but then she remembered something that Seigi's comrade Daitaro Armenou had told her.

"We are encouraged to try and actually put some shinobi who don't work well with others on teams to help build their own skills. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link, so we as shinobi do what we can to strengthen that link."

It was at that moment Shimiko would make a split second decision. Any animosity that had carried over from the Academy days had to be squashed. Shimiko had thought of her as a stuck up and conceited rich girl whereas Natsuru may have thought Shimiko a basket case posing as a good-two shoes. Whatever the case may be, they were no longer classmates on this day...they were comrades. Shimiko reached out and extended her hand right after Natsuru's greeting and before Ryuko could speak. Her intention was not to cut off the Dragon Priestess but make her point of conciliation clear so that there would be no mistake of fact on what was happening.

"Good morning Natsuru-chan!" she said with a pleasant smile. Shimiko hoped she'd shake her hand. If Natsuru was so kind then the Chinoike would consider her an alright gal. The shake would eliminate any outstanding debt that the Jashinist owed her. If she refused the handshake well then it would be a slight that would accrue interest along with the other perceived insults that Shimiko had vowed to repay. In either case whether shook or unshook, the hand would be withdrawn and clasped with her other hand behind her back. Shimiko's attention would turn to Ryuko to hear what she had to say. The armour smith would have her full attention.

Ryuko talked about how they lacked armour which was a truthful observation. Shimiko had never given much thought to armour. When she sparred with the cult, she had taken any cuts that she could not dodge. If Jashin willed her blood to be spilled than it would be spilled and no protection would change that. Then again that was in the dark and unsanctioned dens of cultists. She had been raised up recently. A full fledged shinobi was called to preserve their bodies so that they may serve their God more effectively. If armour would keep her fighting long enough to do His work then maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Shimiko noticed how much effort her teammate had put into the chainmail and she accepted the gift with gratitude. "Thank you Ryuko-chan!". Shimiko noticed Ryuko spoke in a queer and oddly proper manner. She used fancy words when simple ones would do. The fact that she had not seen the girl in the academy either meant it was possible she had a non-traditional path to becoming genin. Shimiko would be sure to ask her about this later.

Ryuko was also bold enough to inquire about their strengths. This actually caught Shimiko a bit off guard as she had become used to keeping her skills to herself but given that they were to operate as a team then she'd happily oblige. It was good that Ryuko was skilled in Bukijutsu and Taijutsu, close quarters combat was the sign of a killer in the making. What better comrade for a devout follower of the Reaper God? Ryuko's possession of the crafting skill also intrigued Shimiko. She always assumed her skill in the forge had set her apart from others but apparently she wasn't the only one who possessed the skill. Either it was a lot more common than she had assumed or it was divine providence that she was placed on the same team as a fellow crafter. Shimiko would then go on to disclose her own abilities:

"I'm pretty good with Ninjutsu. I'm from the Chinoike Clan and we use our blood based ninjutsu for long range and close range fighting. The source of our power is a doujutsu but....I haven't really learned how to activate mine yet. Its only happen a couple of times for a few minutes and even then it was completely instinctual"

Shimiko felt a bit ashamed about having to admit that. She was the Raikage's sister yet her ability to use the clan's infamous dojutsu was near non-existent. The confession made her feel vulnerable and she hoped the others would not judge her for it. It would probably be clear based on the sound of her voice that it was a point of concern for her. Nevertheless, she pressed on with what she hoped would be the highlight of her skills revelation.

"I'm proficient in crafting weapons. Kunai, swords, and staffs...whatever really. Bring me the material and I'll make you something to help kill your opponents"

Shimiko might have chosen another word aside from "kill" but she figured that it was a normal thing to think about when it came to their line of work. These were her comrades, she should at the very least be able to be candid on what she felt was the proper protocol for dealing with one's enemies. It felt good talking about her crafting skills to others though. Shimiko hadn't had a good challenge in the forge in awhile. She gazed at Ryuko's baton and Natsuru's bow for a moment already imagining on how the weapons could be improved. They each presented unique challenges and if they trusted her to make them new weapons, she would not let them down.

I may not be able to use my own blood as a weapon but I can make weapons of steel...

Ryuko's last question would be the most surprising however. It was posed to their sensei and it was given in such a matter-of-factly tone that Shimiko almost wasn't sure she had heard the girl correctly. Ryuko was asking for permission to use lethal force. The prospect made Shimiko smile. It wasn't anything like her normal everyday smiles of pleasantness and respect. This expression was a bit more sinister and belied a malevolent intent. It was wiped off of her face however the second she looked at Akashi-sensei for an answer. She did not want to appear too eager but in truth she could barely contain her excitement. She had not sacrificed anyone to Jashin in quite some time and the burden of failure laid heavy on her soul. Penance and petitions for forgiveness only went so far. He demanded his due and she swore that he would have it.

The vibe of the party was almost too much for her to handle. It was like she missed something that brightened all of their moods. It was not something she could relate to, though when Ryuko greeted her she could not help but make an effort to appear grateful. She originally neutral but gradually got on Natsuru's good side by being dynamic and having good mannerism. She had to smile and bow slightly to her giving a proper greeting. From the corner of her eye approached Shimiko, which was to no surprise. She stretched a fake smile, which was obvious to her, and extended a hand before greeting her. Natsuru held back her own emotions with a haughty curl of her lips giving a fake and almost disdained smile to Shimiko. It was certainly less pleasant than the one given to Ryuko. This was followed by a raise of her hand, though going straight above Shimiko's extended one and instead patting her twice at the top of her head. Almost as if quickly after the introduction Ryuko took the floor, which was relieving to her knowing she did not have to say or do anything more with the privileged spud.

She started by reminiscing on yesterday's training bringing up the lack of armor. Natsuru was only fortunate enough to buy steel shin guards and leather arm guards leaving just enough ryo to buy some basic gear. It was nothing special, but it got the job done. Knowing Ryuko brought them armor was surprising and was enough to spark her interest. Being pulled from the bag was copper-colored mail, which to her surprise, was riveted. "Wow! You made this yourself?" Natsuru said almost being woken up completely, eyes admiring the glamour the copper rings offered. In her hands it felt a bit heavy, though knowing once she wore it the mail would be equally distributed around her body. As Ryuko spoke Natsuru would equip the new armor. She would start by squatting down, setting the mail shirt onto the ground while pulling her bow from her body and setting it besides the shirt.

She would pull the zipper down on her black top revealing the breathable, ever-so comfortable mesh top commonly worn by Shinobi around the country. Sliding the black top off briefly she would swap it out for the copper mail shirt before suiting up in the black top again. The mail was light and did not show through the shirt. The weight gave her confidence in protection and made her feel a little more official. Her cheeks hummed a light pink as she blushed getting adjusted to the mail shirt. "This feels great! Fits perfect, and it's not too bulky either." She tried her best to contain her glee, though sometimes the best emotions were too hard to hide. Tuning back in to what was being said she relaxed with her appearance being at ease, though her sullen gaze was absent.

Close-quarters and Ninjutsu. Both crafters...how beneficial.
Natsuru listened to what they both had to say. Given her lightened mood she restrained herself from making remarks about Shimiko's odd technique regarding her blood. Natsuru always knew she was a freak given her background. It was almost certain to happen. "I'm not exactly suited for combat. Archery has always been my hobby, and I later developed it into a deadly art. I am also gifted with the ability to utilize Sensory.
I can essentially 'feel' the environment when needed, being able to pick up chakra signatures, natures, fluctuations, and everything far in between. Lastly,
I do love tinkering. I have particular interests in civil engineering and architecture, though I can work with a lot of ideas. Also...let's say I have good ties with the vendors in this village. I can possibly get you your material at a much more affordable price. Just be willing to spread the love. Some of these vendors press a hard bargain and it's not too easy to persuade."

Noticing she rambled on more than the others she felt it was necessary to end there. Kneeling back down she grabbed her bow wiping whatever bits of dirt gathered on it before securing it across her body buried partially in her cleavage. She would turn to Akashi speaking to him directly after the little meet and greet. "What about you, Akashi-sensei?"

Remaining in the background the Jounin watched as the three genin conversed, each displaying their individuality as clearly as the day before. What came as a surprise to Akashi was the quick union that the simple gift of rudimentary chain mail that was made for everyone by Ryuko. It was nice to get a taste of just what he was dealing with, impressed how it didn't turn into as much of a shit show their initial meeting had been. They seemed to understand that they'd be working on a team and though this may be begrudgingly done by some it must have seeped in the importance of true teamwork. Learning such basics while in the peaceful sanctum of the village was one thing, the real test would be to see how they were out in the field. Though lose of life wasn't something C-Rank missions were too expected with encountering bandits would likely appear at the scene and the potential for such is an all too present reality. From the rumors he'd heard Shimiko wouldn't be a worry in terms of dealing with life or death but he was curious to see just how young the other two were in terms of preparedness.

Pressing his dying cigarette to lips he held onto the savory roll of herb as his hand extended to accept the mail that was made for him as well. Inspecting it gave quick rise to its questionable quality, only being made of copper in terms of material. Still, it would do well to deflecting weak blows dealt by weapon-wielding bandits so without a word he stripped his over shirt to done the newly forged mail. Swinging his arms about he tested how well it was fitted to see if it could impeded his movement in any way.

"Pretty close fit, good work Ryuko. Once this mission is over you and Shimiko will be tasked with getting the proper measurements of everyone in the squad." Quickly analyzing the benefit to having two crafting minds together he wanted to make sure that any further battlements would be perfectly fit with minimal error involved. "Now that we are acquainted it's time to move out. It's half a days hike to the farms we're headed to in Takagamahara, let's get going." Pulling his white overcoat back on he headed out to the trail with genin in tow. Wanting to address the comment on the use of deadly force on a more general level for all three he awaited a response until heading out. "This is a shinobi mission, failure will not be tolerated. Deadly force is to be expected, I hope you came prepared for the same."

Ryuko watched curiously as Shimiko held out a hand for Natsuru to shake only to get her hair rustled instead. Until now Ryuko hadn’t spent much time with others her own age but even she was beginning to pick up on the fact that there was a strange animosity going on between the two of them.

She didn’t understand what was going on. Why who two people who seemed so nice not getting along? Sure they where all smiles on the surface but their was so much tension in the air that you could practically cut it with a knife. For the moment they seemed to be pushing it to the side for the sake of the mission but sooner or later it was come back to bite them if it wasn’t resolved.  

Ryuko felt perturbed since she didn’t have enough interpersonal experience to know where to even begin getting them to become friends.  This was exactly one of the things a priestess was supposed to be for good for, so the fact she didn’t have anything to go on was making her feel less then adequate.

Shimiko took the offered mail with a simple thank you, though Ryuko was relieved to note that she too had electicted to use the less formal chan instead of san.  Now it really did feel like they had become friends.   She was expecting something along the same lines from Natsuru only to have her expectations completely blown away.

Natsuru seemed so exciteded by the gift that she began to strip on the spot in order to put it on as soon as possible, causing Ryuko’s face to turn from red to a shade of purple almost matching her kimono . She went into full panic mode flinging herself between Natsuru and Akashi in order to block her sensai’s line of sight and prevent him from seeing anything that he shouldn’t.

Not that Ryuko was a total prude by any means. She was well used to her servants changing her cloths for her and so wouldn’t think twice about getting naked around other girls, but doing that in-front of a man you weren’t married to was beyond scandalous.

“Ce…cease that at once, tis not the proper time and place” She cried out hysterically but it was no use as Natsuru changed with startling efficacy and was quickly back in full attire much to Ryuko’s relief. Her poor heart couldn’t take too many shocks of that magnitude in short succession.

Natsuru then began to profusely praise the armor. It’d was only supposed to be a rush job meant to hold things together until Ryuko had time to make something better which made the fact that the navy haired girl was so sincerely glad about it all the more impactful, enough so to break though Ryuko’s reserved shell.

Unable to hold herself back anymore Ryuko launched herself at Natsuru, her arms held out wide as she attempted to glomp the slightly older girl as well as pull Shimiko into the hug in the process since they where standing right next to each other.

“Ryo… Ryoko is so delighted you like it!” she exclaimed speaking of herself in the thrid person with a slight sniff in her voice as she fought away tears that where threatening to break out of her eyes.  She’d be so lonely for so long that she was overjoyed to find new friends to be with. No not friends but sisters, if not in blood then in spirit.

She was walking on cloud nine as Shimiko explained her skills.  She was much, much better at Ninjtusu then a novice like Ryuko herself was.  It wasn’t a surprise to her that hear the blond was having trouble with her doujutsu. Ryuko had heard at the monestary that those where very powerful skills but also hard to master.  

She admired the fact that Shimiko was working so hard to unlock her potential and tried to show it with an encouraging smile which only grew larger as she heard how Shimiko was good at crafting weapons.  

The fact of the matter was that their wasn’t many weaponry jutsu to learn if you weren’t a swordsman. Making new jutsu was tough at best so the best way to become stronger was to get a stronger weapon.  Ryuko didn’t know what to do about getting a stronger Baton so she she made a mental note to talk about with her about this as soon as possible.

Natsuru’s explanation about what she was good at had Ryuko just as intrigued. As a close range fighter having an Archer around to support her sounded super useful and the fact she could sense stuff only made that doubly true.  

How was it that the three of them who had skills that perfectly complemented each other had ended up on the same team together purely by chance? The only answer could be divine providence.   Truly Hakkin had bestowed her his blessing this day.  

Akashi it seemed was refusing to play along and talk about himself.  Did he think being talk dark and mysterious was cool or was he simply being shy?  Whatever the case while he praised the fit of the mail he tasked her with getting proper measurements for the team and told them to be on their way before saying that using deadly force was a given.

Ryuko sighed in relief at the answer she had been given. Logically speaking since they where only being paid to protect the famers they should only be driving the bandits off not outright eliminating them.  This way the bandits could generate more missions for the village in the future.  

Ryuko knew she couldn’t be reckless and indiscriminately try to slaughterer them. If she did she wouldn’t be able to complete the job they where on properly. That said it didn’t sit right to her to just leave them around to prey upon the people she was supposed to be protecting.  She’d never killed before but she wouldn’t hesitate to do so if it meant sparing a civilian from her country harm.

[exit]

Natsuru had made her choice. The girl flashed an insincere and mocking smile followed by a condescending pat on the head in lieu of a handshake. Shimiko made no move to stop her nor spoke a foul word against her. She would withdraw the hand and place it behind her back clasped with the other hand. Shimiko's naturally genuine smile faded to a neutral expression akin to what any other person's face would look like when idle. She gave no hint of dissatisfaction or anger with Natsuru. As far as Shimiko was concerned she had done her duty in attempting to bury any feelings of animosity between them. Natsuru had decided to reject the handshake in favor of a disrespectful pat on the head as if she were a small child and not her comrade. Natsuru seemed not to care for Shimiko as an equal partner and thus the feeling would be mutual.

Once we conclude our business as a squad....I'll find the most creative of endings for her...

Natursu was now a walking prospective sacrifice and Shimiko would bide her time until it was appropriate to dispose of the spoiled meat known as Senou. Natsuru seemed to like Ryuko though and it showed given the excitement in her voice after receiving the gift. The only thing that she seemed to have in common with Natsuru was their affection for the young Dragon Priestess. True to her baser instincts she began to strip in front of them. Shimiko turned her head and for the first time since she had met any of them displayed a facial expression of genuine disgust and loathing. Although she was careful to face away from her comrades so that they could not see her distress, an audible scoff was uttered. She instinctively placed a hand on her weapon's pouch as though in search of a weapon to relieve Natsuru of her pain.

It must be tough for her as an animal to be forced to live among people


The humanitarian in her wanted to put Natsuru down on the spot so that her insignificant life would have some meaning as a sacrifice to the Lord. She could hear Ryuko pleading to not change in front of them. Whether the request was heeded or not though it was clear she was flattered by their positive reception to the chain mail. Shimiko felt herself being pulled into a group hug. The action melted her stiff heart and she couldn't help but grin at Ryuko's good nature. Natsuru talked about what she was good at and Shimiko forced herself to listen. Archery was more or less cowardice but she held her tongue. The sensory and crafting abilities were of note to her as something that they could use as a squad. The Chinoike noticed that Akashi-sensei opted to ignore Natsuru's insolent question. What right did an upjumped genin have to ask their sensei of his skills? It would be revealed to them in time via working together or his skills would remain hidden for whatever reasons he saw fit. Shimiko visibly shook her head in annoyance. The girl was getting on her nerves and Shimiko's facade of politeness and amicability was slowly beginning to crack under the weight of her anger. Akashi tasked her with getting measurements which wouldn't be a problem. She responded with a simple "Yes sensei" and with that they moved out. Akashi mentioned that deadly force was not only expected but permitted given the nature of the assignment. Shimiko nodded indicating comprehension, she didn't want to seem to eager but she couldn't wait to kill someone.

As Natsuru worked the zipper from her over shirt the action was met with a sudden uproar of shock as Ryuko dashed to act as a changing room, and Shimiko shuttering away with distraught in her voice. Natsuru almost paused as she stared blankly at Ryuko and Shimiko with her shirt and mail in separate hands. Natsuru wore a black mesh shirt under her top always. Although it was not solid the mesh was fine enough to cover what was underneath unless inspected from a close distance. To her, Natsuru thought they both overreacted. "What's wrong? Did you actually believe I was going to expose myself topless in the middle of the village? That'd be a waste of opportunity." She teased jokingly to those who reacted. Dropping the mail shirt over her mesh shirt she suited herself in her black top once again, zipping up the zipper to ensure she was ready to go. Reapply the bow to her body she began to depart with the party. Akashi ignoring her question was something she shrugged off, surprisingly. Normally she took ignoring as a sign of arrogance, though she personally help Akashi to a higher standard of respect.

In fact, she was surprised to be where she was. Despite her initial brash first appearance to Akashi he was generous enough to include her in his activity, and admiring her skill she was selected to serve in his team. Although she liked Ryuko she held Akashi to a higher standard as she was quick to understand he was a man of morals. Ryuko was a close second, however, always thinking for the team. Natsuru felt guilty when Ryuko forged them all a gift out of the selflessness of herself. The best she could do was offer her cheaper material in the future when they hit the market. But it was enough to get her to brainstorming on how to repay her. Shimiko was no different than before, the fake aura that made the girl cold, hard plastic. The woman was arrogant in her own regards acting as the teacher's pet and trying to appeal as noble. Deep down Natsuru knew Shimiko was a depraved little girl. Almost all kids were who grew up in a strongly political household. Being the little sister of Raikage Seigi was enough to make her dislike Shimiko. She had nothing against the Raikage himself especially since he worked well for his position of acknowledgement. But Shimiko...no, she was rooted for her fame ever since she was born with that name.

Natsuru passed Shimiko by before lightly nudging the side of her breast with her elbow. "Maybe next time you will be able to see what a real woman looks like." She said directly to Shimiko, smirking to her as she passed and caught up to Akashi. Although it was not exactly her humor she did like to jest about the flatness and inferiority that made up Shimiko's chest. It was something inevitable that could not be changed, thus easily being able to knock her down a few pegs. Natsuru naturally trailed behind Akashi by several feet. As an archer it was natural to have the cover from her comrades as she worked long-range with a bow.

[Exit]

Natsuru would return to the gates quite early in the morning on the back of Shimiko. It was about two in the morning when she would arrives with Shimiko and Ryuko, the three back from their mission in the valley. Upon reaching the gates Natsuru would get off Shimiko's back. "That wasn't too bad. All I need is some rest and I should be okay." She was glad to be back within the village gates. She was eager to get home and eat copious amounts of food before sleeping. Her belly was fine for now, but she knew in the morning her body would be sore. "I guess...well, with Akashi absent,
we are responsible for ourselves. I do hope I can see you all again. Let's find something to do sometime. Until then, I'm outtie." She said as she started heading back to her house waving to the group with her back turned. Natsuru had little energy left in the day. She wanted to pass out on her comfy bed. Hopefully her parents were asleep. She liked her peace and quiet.

[Exit]

[Interupt]

It hadn’t taken Ryuko long to catch up with the other girls. As they approached the gates together she must have been quite a site. With a tied up bandit flung over one shoulder and an arrow sticking out of the other, her expensive kimono sleaves torn here and there and absolutely covered in blood from when she’d hugged Shimiko.

Her outfit was beyond salvation, but that was alright since she had others and now that they where back home at the village she’d be making new armor pieces for herself and her team in short order. The makeshift chain mail she had build had saved their lives but as seen with the wound Natsuru had taken it wasn’t quite up the the job. They needed something better to wear so that the next arrow would bounce off rather then cause actual damage.

Natsuru said that all she needed was rest causing Ryuko to frown deeply. The treatment she had given her friend had been rudimentary at best and it had looked fairly serious. She was seriously concerned that if Natsuru went and lied down to sleep that she might not wake up again the next morning. As the indigo haird girl turned to leave Ryuko reached out and attempted to grab her arm to stop her.

“Pray tell where do you think you are going?” She asked her voice shifting into full command mode. “You need to go to the hospital to be looked at right away. I shall not rest until I insure your safety.” she said insistently her voice raising in volume the more she spoke.

Ryuko was a girl that had spend the bulk of her life in relative isolation. Saying that she had been neglected would have been wrong, but for the most part her family had left her to an ever rotating cast of servants. Other then her lady in waiting Sofia she’d never really been particularly close to anyone at the clan mansion. The monastery had not been much better in that regard full of older people who where kind enough but with nobody her own age to relate to.

The few other nobles she knew only wanted to associate with her because of her status. Natsuru and Shimiko where the first girls her own age she’d managed to make actual friends with. The very idea of losing one of them already was terrifying. They had only just met, they didn’t know each other well enough for it to end already. Besides Akashi or not they where a team and a team was supposed to look out for each other.

The blonde-headed shinobi "nonchalantly" paces along the rooftops off to the side of one of the main pathways in the village, hands tucked away in the pockets of his white hoodie. He's garbed with a pair of black jeans and some standard sandals, with his forehead protector hanging out partially from his pocket. A yellow scarf's wrapped around his neck so he can avoid getting a nasty cold from the cold night air of the village. Whereas Simon was just taking a nightly stroll, his shadow clones were doing the bulk of the work, two of which were scouting the village to ensure things were safe.

As he moves along steadily, he picks up on some noise on the street below. He stops his movements and crouches down, simply glancing down---and blinking a good three-four times to confirm what he saw. '.... man what?' He thinks to himself. It wasn't the worse or weirdest that he's seen, even in his young age, but it was still something he wouldn't overlook. Why would a Chuunin let three kids (phew the irony), two of which are soaked in blood and another that appears injured just keep walking? The Raikage would crack down on his lazy ass if she got word of it. Then his rep would be ruined.

'You hear about that Chuunin that walked past three bloody genin? How irresponsible.' 'I heard it's that ear-wax headed loser.' Just a few of the insults he thought up were ones he figured he'd hear if just such a thing got out.

'Welp, not like I would overlook this even as a Genin. It's good out of common courtesy.' The blonde muses to himself, nodding his head a little bit. With a brief turn of his heel, the rest of his body follows, and soon he's leaping off of the edge of the rooftop he was just trailing upon. In nothing short of a fancy entrance, Simon taps down onto the ground, stifling his descent with the Surface Walking technique. The moment his first foot hits the ground he swivels his placement, turning his body so that it was facing them, hands still tucked in his pockets.

While he would crack a joke, they were strangers and he didn't really have jokes for something like this. Not to mention it would have bad placement in this situation.

"--Woah. Are you guys okay? You didn't have a run-in with Jack the Ripper, did you?" The Kageyama inquires--with the last bit somewhat of a joke, his gold gaze shifting amongst the presumed trio (if Shimiko has been with them since entering the gate, that is).

"Just kidding, but need any help? Especially with those wounds?" Simon asks, promptly darting his gaze back to Natsuru.

justwhatthefuckdidtheygetthemselvesinto

The walk to Kumogakure had been long and heavy, at least for Shimiko. Natsuru hadn't been missing any meals and her womanly features did not make the travel easier. Shimiko would never wish harm upon Ryuko but it would have been much easier to carry her than Natsuru. When they finally arrived, Natsuru relieved her of the burden and hopped off her back. She said she'd be fine with some rest and stated that they ought hang out again sometime. Shimiko was amenable to the idea, Natsuru had been nicer since being wounded so perhaps there was hope for her. Shimiko was fine with the idea of Natsuru going home, she was a big girl and could take care of herself. Ryuko however was not having any of it. The girl insisted that she go to the hospital for formal treatment. Her protectiveness and concern touched the Janshinist and caused Shimiko to interject:

"Its for the best. You don't want to take a chance with a wound like that."

Showing concern for her comrade's life was the least she could do. Natsuru was banged up pretty bad and if she went home without receiving proper care she could get sick. Shimiko glanced down and realized how gorey her appearance must be. The girl was covered in bandit matter and her white dress shirt and tie was smeared with blood. Even her red skirt had identifiable traces of blood. Murder was messy business and for someone who valued appearance and etiquette she wouldn't want to be seen skulking around Kumogakure looking like she had just come from a ritual. She was the Raikage's sister after all and she had a reputation to uphold. As if on cue, a young man leapt from a rooftop and touched down in front of them. The grace of the move indicated that he was a shinobi and when Shimiko laid eyes on him her face was flush with embarrassment. She was self-conscious of her appearance in the company of other shinobi but she was especially sensitive when she was in the presence of someone she was attracted to. The boy had prominent blonde hair with even richer color than her own, a trait that Shimiko had always found endearing in members of the opposite sex. He's so handsome! The girl instantly took a liking to him and she put her hands behind her back and looked away hoping that he wouldn't notice her but also hoping that he would.

He made a joke about running into Jack the Ripper which caused Shimiko to blush even harder. It was a terrible thing but there wasn't any helping it. She couldn't grow up to be like Seigi if she was ashamed anytime she got blood on her. She was a Chinoike for godsakes! Shimiko remembered who she was, where she had come from, and who she served. She mustered up her courage and looked Simon square in the eye. He asked if they needed help and she noticed that he had looked to Natsuru. The girl was wounded but Shimiko felt a twinge of jealousy all the same.

"We're fine." she said with a tad bit more finality than she had initially intended. Her attempts to show her fearlessness and lack of remorse as a killer caused an over correction of tone. Shimiko hoped that she didn't sound like a bitch but she wasn't about to look indecisive or weak either. They had lost their sensei and now was not the time to play shy with cute boys. "We're taking her to the hospital to get patched up" Shimiko crossed her arms and took on a less submissive posture.

As Natsuru turned and gave her wave of farewell she felt a small, firm grip on her wrist which, in nature, forced her to stop. She was unaware what to expect as she was quite sure her directions were clear. Natsuru glared over her shoulder down to see Ryuko. Although she did enjoy Ryuko she had quite had it for the day. Taking a beating, and spending more than half of the day hiking between villages was tiresome. Her legs were sore and wounds stung. The last thing she needed was to have people tell her what to do. To top it off, Ryuko was serious. Her posture and volume grew with her concern almost reminding her of a protective mother, scolding her child. Worst off, Shimiko interjected. She was outnumbered between her team. The two insisted she should visit the hospital and get professional treatment, though Natsuru was fully convinced all she needed was rest. "You two do realize the body is capable of healing on its own,
right? I told you I'm quite alright." Before she could turn around and bid her farewell another time to the other two, as the first time was not enough, a man dropped from the sky. Well, a building, more or less.

A fairly short man. Very short, actually. He was no taller than Shimiko! Natsuru smirked as a natural reaction as the reaction of attempted laughter forced her abdomen to clench. Something that was very unpleasant with the arrow wound which forced her to hold in her reactive laughing. It was truly painful being wounded and all. To make it worse, the man was inclined to force an interaction by butting it with a poorly framed joke. Natsuru's eyes sharply glared with a half-lidded expression at the newcomer showing a clearly dissatisfied visage to his presence, and his horrid attempt at breaking the ice. A normie. That's what I need. The situation was declining for Natsuru. She wanted to eat her leftovers and cozy up in her bed for the next week or so. Having to deal with medical staff was far below her list of desires.

Shimiko added the potential icing on the cake which rattled her nerves. Being awake for almost twenty-four hours, being stabbed, and only eating a single pork bun for the day had made her very impatient. She would break her arm free of Ryuko's grasp as Natsuru would scoff, stepping a few paces away from the trio. "I've told you all before I'm not going. But that's fine. You know what?" Natsuru said, raising both hands up to her chest with her index fingers pointing up towards the sky. "Screw you guys, I'm going home." She would finalize by shifting both fingers pointing towards the inside of the village. Without another work she would nonchalantly shift her direction and start walking her way home with a newfound sense of frustration from the night. It was as if the last thing she needed was to raise her blood pressure.

[Exit attempt no.2]

Natsuru insisted that she was fine and her body was quite capable of healing itself and while that was true to some extent just saying that wasn’t enough to alleviate Ryuko’s concern. From what she knew the type of wound that her friend had taken was generally considered fairly serious, and she had reservations her little path job was good enough that the rest could just be walked off.

Before she could say anything thought a blond man…. well boy would be more accurate seeing as he was only a little older then herself made his elegant appearance, floating gently down to the ground. Ryuko found his use of the suface walking technique to slow his decent inspiring, talk about using a common place jutsu in unconventional ways. Why she bet if you put enough chakra into it you might be able to even use it to double jump.

Putting that idea aside to explore another time along with her smoke based experiments she already had planned, Ryuko had to admit this newcomer seemed to have style. She caught the way Shimiko was looking at him and grinned slyly. A meddler at heart one of her favorite past times was playing matchmaker. Maybe once they where all cleaned up she’d have to see about setting her blond friend and this newcomer up on a date.

“I’m fine, thank you for asking. Tis but a flesh wound.” Ryuko replied indicating that the arrow in her shoulder wasn’t much to worry about when Simon asked them if they where alright. “My friend here however needs a doctor. I did what I could but well… I’m not exactly a physician.” she added, their was no shame in admitting your limitations after all.

The boy said something about running into Jack the ripper causing Ryuko to blink then mutter “Was zur” Accidentally slipping from speaking Japanese into German in her confusion. Jack the ripper was a legend from overseas. Well known in her homeland but obscure over here in the elemental countries. She was surprised to hear such a name come from the scarf wearing chunnin.

“Alas it was nobody quite so illustrious. Just some brigands that where more bothersome then we had anticipated.” Ryuko said letting out a long suffering sigh. Really the fact they had gotten this beaten up against just bandits was quite pathetic. “This fine fellow was their chief, A former academy graduate gone rouge. If you would be so kind to take him into custody it would be greatly appeciated.” she asked pleadingly as she dropped the tided up man off at the chunnin’s feat.

She’d been carrying the man around for hours which meant tapping into the Arhat fist which had been slowly sapping her energy. She hadn’t used a lot of jutsu during the mission but even so at this point she was getting pretty tied. The only thing preventing her from crashing was the fact she was so strung up with concern over Natsuru’s health. Tired enough that her friend was easily able to break her grasp with little resistance.

As Natsuru reinerated that she was in fact not going to go to the hosptial Ryuko sighed preparing to try and grab her arm again to force the issue when Natsuru’s next words hit her like a load of bricks hurting her a thousand times more then the arrow in her shoulder ever could have. The words Screw you had scarely left Natusru’s mouth when Ryuko burst into tears.

“Waaa, Natsuru-chan hates me!” She wailed inconsolably after being rejected by one of her only two friends in the entire world.

He blinks a little bit, between Natsuru's irritability and Shimiko's unintended finality. 'Mental note to never use that joke again.' He thought to himself, awkwardly scratching the back of his head and putting on a faint smile. He removes his other hand from his pocket and ambles forth, leaning forward to reach down at the dropped shinobi. Grasping onto the back of the guy's collar, he yanks him up, hoisting him over his shoulder and hanging him there.

"Yeah, I can see that. Her trying to tough it out won't exactly do good for her in the long run, either." Simon states at Ryuko's comment on Natsuru's need for a doctor. He wasn't one, and unfortunately he hasn't dabbled into medicine to take care of it himself. It wasn't like she'd let him near her anyways, at least without an unsightly comment standing in the way of such.

To say in the least, he'd casually dismissed Natsuru's words. Mostly because he thought she'd just meant the other two, but also because even if she was referring to him, he wasn't the kind to take things to the heart. At least if they weren't said directly to him. There were more important things to do, anyways. Simon briefly brings his other hand from his head to the scarf wrapped about his neck, beginning to undo it. Once undoing it, he removes the yellow scarf from about his neck and heads on over to Shimiko, offering it. He'd interpreted her as the figurehead of the group---between her assertive stance and how prompt Ryuko was to be offended by Natsuru.

"Use this as a tourniquet for her arrow injury, if she ends up needing it." He remarks, then turns, forming a single handseal. Both index fingers and middle fingers are positioned upright, with his left's positioned horizontally and pressed to his right's, forming a plus sign. Chakra surges in his person, swelling then being spilled out. In a plume of gray smoke emerges a shadow clone. He promptly rests said chief upon the clone's shoulder. With a simple exchange of words it isn't long before the shadow clone kicks off of the ground and is heading across the rooftops, off to put the man in custody.

Simon himself slips his hands into his pockets and begins to saunter off in the same direction Natsuru began to head off toward.

"You're right about the body healing on it's own. But I doubt you want to walk around with a hole in your torso while you're waiting to recover. A quick trip to the hospital should do the trick---but of course you can always just try to push through it. Your choice, not mine."

He remarks, attempting to pass by her at that point by picking up the pace. Instead of trying to stop her in her tracks, though, he just keeps walking away. "And if you don't do it for yourself, do it for them. Your teammates. 'Cause they care as well." Simon remarks with finality in his tone, before he turns the corner of the street, heading off into an alley. If his efforts to be ninja-like while clad in jeans and a hoodie matted with some crook's blood didn't fail, they probably wouldn't see him for the rest of the night.

[attempted exit]

Shimiko's elation at Simon's presence was soured by Natsuru. The girl had a penchant for spoiling her mood and just when she thought there was a chance that they could get along. She was tired and Natsuru was wounded so she didn't take action when the buxom genin rebuffed their concerns. Shimiko didn't take it personally and just assumed that Natsuru was being stubborn. Ryuko on the other hand began to cry which caused her to immediately hug the girl and attempt to comfort her.

"Ryuko-chan don't cry...Natsuru is just..." a vile bitch who needs to die "a bit stubborn sometimes...she doesn't hate you" Shimiko guessed that attacking a wounded enemy would not play well with Ryuko nor her new crush so rationality stayed her hand for the time being. Forgive me Janshin.... she prayed at not being able to kill Natsuru on the spot for hurting such an innocent and friendly young girl. If Natsuru had any concern for Ryuko's feelings than she wouldn't have stormed off the way she did. Shimiko would continue to pat Ryuko's back and hug her until the crying subsided. She didn't like getting blood on the girl but Ryuko seemed not to care judging the way she hugged her on the battlefield.

Simon then approached her and gave her his scarf. Shimiko barely heard what it was supposed to be used for but the fact that he was so close to her and now offering an article of clothing caused her to blush and smile. She accepted the scarf but was careful not to hold it too close to her body. The last thing she wanted was for it to be stained with heathen bandit blood. The words were then comprehended once the initial shock wore off. Did he seriously meant for her to waste his scarf on Natsuru? The answer immediately came to mind Hell No!. On the other hand, if it was meant for Ryuko that would be more understandable but even still the girl showed no signs of being seriously harmed so Shimiko would not fuss over her. Either way, Shimiko was not giving up the scarf so easily.

"Thanks" she said with a genuine smile. He began to walk off in the direction of Natsuru which pissed her off but thankfully he only meant to offer some advice before going his own separate way. Shimiko breathed a sigh of relief that she had not lost out to an voluptuous airhead. She held up the scarf and looked at it and any feelings of jealousy melted. That's when she realized. I forgot to ask him his name! His clone had already taken off with the prisoner and he'd surely be gone by now. Shimiko didn't want to make her affection obvious by chasing after him so she stood there in frustration. Anxiety that she may very well never see him again began to wash over her causing her to bite her lip. Maybe they'd cross paths again, maybe not. It wasn't expropriate for her to be obsessed with such thoughts though and so she made a conscious effort to fix her face and consider what was most important in that moment. Helping Ryuko. She looked over to Ryuko and said:

"Don't let Natsuru bother you. I'm sure she's just grumpy and tired. I'll fill out the mission report for us so you don't have to worry about that. I'll write a report for the fuckin, er" Shimiko paused awkwardly. She rarely cursed outside the company of fellow Jashinists but had grown a bit too comfortable around her new team mates. "....our sensei. Or former sensei Akashi. I'll write a report on him" Shimiko gave Ryuko one last hug and asid: "If you want we can meet up for ice cream later"

Assuming the girl was in better spirits, Shimiko would then take off while clutching Simon's scarf. She needed to go home, wash up, and then tell her brother about her first mission.

Exit

The moment she had said that Natsuru saw the expression on Ryuko's face warp into sadness. Despite this she was still confident in her decision to go home. Without another word or concern about Ryuko's status she started pacing away. It was immediately after Shimiko began comforting her as her murmuring became distant. With a short trot coming from behind Natsuru turned to look over her shoulder. It was that blonde kid again. What now... She thought disdainfully to herself while she simply just turned her head forwards almost acting like he wasn't approaching her. Simon's concerns for her body fell on deaf ears for the most part. She had trouble understanding what was so hard about the others to understand that she was medically fine. She dealt with shallow wounds for the most part, and she was fully confident in her body's natural healing to be fine. She was hungry and tired and wanted little to do with people right now. His last words left a wave of guilt overtaking her body. She stopped, as the boy kept walking stemming off in his own direction.

They care about me?...

As the blonde kid disappeared down the street she was left in the middle of one herself alone. Facing back from where she came she saw Ryuko sobbing and Shimiko tending to her. It was in that moment, as if walking solo without the aide of Shimiko increased her blood flow she felt a mild sting in her abdomen again, and the return of a warm presence where the bandage hugged. Her eyes sank as they stared at the ground, Natsuru for what could seem like the first time was feeling remorse in her bitter attitude. I can at least say Ryuko does.

With a heavy sigh she overcame her selfishness through the words of the kid. Natsuru found herself taking a different avenue. Instead of heading home she was going straight to the hospital where she would be examined. Although she only wished to rest and eat she realized her food would not taste as good, and her sleep be disturbed knowing she made Ryuko break down like that. It was not in her nature to cause grief upon others. Past her shallow, cold exterior she was quite a sweetheart. Someone she could hope they would rely on one day. It was perhaps her turn to show she cared about them. Her first step would be showing her concerns for her health, as much as they obsessed about it. Next, she was planning a gift for each of them, including herself of course. Natsuru would fade off into the street as she braced herself to enter Kumogakure's public medical facility.


[Exit]

Ryuko was so absorbed in her sorrow that it took her a few seconds to notice that something had changed inside her when Shimiko embraced her. Before she had felt cold and almost numb, but now she was feeling warm and tingly. Such a strange and pleasant sensation, was this what it felt like for other people when she hugged them?

She’d only been doing it because she’d read in a book somewhere that it was a good way to show affection for someone you liked, but apparently hugs where more powerful then she’d realized as it only took about a minute of Shimko rubbing her back and telling her that Natsuru didn’t hate her for the young girl to start calming down at which point the hug ended. She acted so mature most of the time that it was easy to forget that she was still a teenager and could still be quite childish, especially when her feelings where hurt.

The crimson makeup she had been wearing under her eyes to look more fierce was now thoroughly smeared as she tried to wipe away the tears. If she hadn’t already looked like a mess before she looked doubly so now. Not that she was concerned about it, as she sniffed and thought about how she could repay her friend for helping bringing her back to reality before she ended up making a total fool of herself in public.

Seeing Simon give Shimiko his scarf gave her an idea. With her armor making skills it would be pretty simple matter to whip up a replacement scarf, one tough enough to resist tearing and even some low level jutsu. Then if she passed it to Shimkio to give to Simon it’d give her friend the perfect excuse to talk to boy again. If she played her cards right maybe she could even get them to go on a date together.

She blinked at Shimiko’s unexpected offer to file the mission report for them. Ryuko had been planning to do that herself since she was used to doing paperwork. In this case it was a welcome relief that she wouldn’t have to since she hadn’t even finished moving into her new house yet. She’d barely been in the village for a day before being conscripted onto her new team and she’d prioritized mission prep over getting settled in.

The relief was more then enough for her to overlook the mild swearing her friend had used thought she was a bit concerned by the use of the word former. Akashi was still their sensai wasn’t he? Surely he hadn’t abandoned them intentionally right? Before she could dwell on those thoughts for long however Shimkio gave her another hug, offering to meet up again for Ice cream later.

“Ice cream? Ryuko loves Ice-cream” she exclaimed, though honestly who didn’t love ice cream? All the better if it was green apple flavored with some passion fruit as topping. Wondering what flavors the other girls would be getting Ryuko started to take a step towards the hot springs but turned and headed towards the hospital instead.

As much as she dearly wished to clean herself up their was still the matter of the arrow logged in her right shoulder to take care of. Yes in the grand scheme of things it was only a minor wound, but she’d spent too much energy worried about her friends health not to take the time to take care of her own.

[exit]

Calypso wore light traveling gear and stood at the gates, checking her pack to make sure she was ready to go. She had decided against bringing Naomi and another guard along, despite what she had said. Naomi had been disappointed and insisted on seeing Calypso off, but the Raikage had other plans. She was at the gates early in the morning, and her assistant thought she would be departing in the afternoon. Once she was sure she was ready, she set off for the Land of Iron and the Summit of the Gokage.

[Exit to Land of Iron]

The tan skinned, plum haired Kunoichi wandered from Sunagakure in her pursuit of, well, happiness. Like many Shinobi she wears the common black sandals which secure her feet and ankles. Iro wears a pair of loose fitting black pants which extend shortly above her ankles, which she has wrapped in a set of white bandage wrap. Her pants are paired with a black sleeveless, backless top with a white undershirt in the same design. A single, tan obi is worn around her waist. Lavender arm warmers are worn around her forearms which are additionally wrapped with a tan cloth.

Around her forehead Iro sports her forehead protector. In a black cloth she has the forehead protector's steel plate facing the front with Sunagakure's emblem engraved on the plate. Iro has long, plum hair which is fastened in a long ponytail using a tan hair tie. She keeps the rest of her hair parted in the front with two long bangs reaching down to her chin. Iro herself stands 5'8 and weighs approximately 140 lbs. With deep tan skin she bares golden amber eyes. Iro has an impressive athletic figure including a toned abdomen with muscle work shown around her body.

She would arrive at the gates of a stronghold of some type. She was unaware if they would accept her. After all, she was a foreigner in two aspects now. Although she would gravely miss the radiant sun and dunes of the Land of Wind, the rockies here weren't too bad. The hiking kept her blood pumping and body working which somewhat offset the cooler climate, though the land of lightning was not exactly a wonderland. The humidity was something she needed to get accustomed to. Other than that, perhaps she found a new home. She would slowly approach the open gates keeping her eyes on all aspects of her surroundings, almost coming off as nervous. She didn't want to provoke violence. "Excuse me? Is anybody here?" She would charm with a light feminine voice while slowly approaching the village gates.

Though the silence of the village exterior there was one response to her request. From the village entrance was what appeared as a young boy. He could not be older than fifteen or sixteen. He was dressed in some very casual attire, donning blue denim with a hooded sweatshirt. In a way he seemed almost grungy at first sight, or perhaps punkish. Iro was confused as if she should answer him seriously. Was he even a Shinobi? One thing was certain, though. He was in the village and she was not. "Ummm, well I am sorta seeking asylum. If there's anybody you think you could grab to help me with that."

Iro was at a loss for words. She felt it was somewhat suspect for her to be alone. Typically migrants travel in groups. This was mainly for protection, as well as various families trying to keep them together. Iro was powerful enough to hold her own, so she found a travel party unnecessary. All she had was the clothes on her back and a wallet full of cash.