New Horizons

With a swish the net came down. The plastic frame collided down into the rock that Nezu had been aiming it against, and within its carefully woven fiber-mesh confines would be the target of his desires. Hadn’t injured it in the process of catching it, a concern that he usually had. Just starting at it through the net made it pretty obvious that it remained unharmed, especially by the way it continued to flutter even when trapped. Its lovely, iridescent blue wings… Nezu couldn’t help but stare down into them, his own blue eyes gleaming in childish delight.

"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's not your average monarch!" He said in delight, although to nobody in particular. Announcing his own success like this had been part of his routine, a holdover from when he had spent so long with only himself as company. Talking to yourself was, as it turned out, an awfully hard habit to kick.

Slowly, very slowly, he would raise his net. Making sure that his hand would fill the gap, he took a firm and yet gentle hold of the butterfly he had trapped beneath as he took the net away. With it caught in his hand now like this it would be helpless, unable to escape. His eyes would still be caught on the bug, only inches away from his face, and he would rotate it to examine every angle carefully. It was the first time he had ever seen such a rare and valuable butterfly… He could probably sell this for four thousand bells if he found a buyer!

“You’re so beautiful… It’d be a shame to just let you go so easily. You’re like a jewel with how pretty your wings are… Like a … A blue jewel. A pretty one.” He couldn’t think of any blue colored gemstones off the top of his head.

Transitioning to sitting down, Nezu would rest his rear end in the grassy field he had just previously been hunting in. Kumogakure didn’t have lots of parks like this, with tons of grass and nature and wildlife, so he was grateful to be able to come to this one and look for bugs like this. It just made every experience all the more valuable, and every bug he found more precious. Selling or keeping this one would just be one less beautiful blue Emperor Butterfly in the world, and maybe that would mean he would never see another one in Kumogakure again… The thought immediately brought a weird feeling to his chest.

“If only I could take a picture…” With a small sigh, Nezu would release his hold on the butterfly. It took a few seconds for the release to be realized, the bug still crawling around on his palm and fingers for a few moments before fluttering off. “Goodbye! I hope we can see each other again someday!”

A pair of eyes came to rest upon Nezu, an attentive gaze from beyond a nearby bush eyeing him with the same intensity a lion would its prey. The owner of these eyes stepped into the patch of grass and trees that served as the bug catcher’s chosen hunting grounds, wooden sandals crunching dried leaves under foot. However, there was a certain sense of quietness to the crunching of leaves, for it was the victim of graceful and careful steps.

“Hello their young man. I do believe I have seen you from the academy…?” It was only the vaguest of recollections but Yamamoto, dressed in a Kimono printed with the Ukiyo-E classic by the name of fly fishing. It was a rather simple painting really, presenting five figures standing on the edge of sand banks, casting their lines into the water. She held her paper parasol firmly with her right hand, the central shaft resting softly upon her left shoulder.

She brushed her fringe free of her eyes and waved softly, both with her right hand, a gentle smile resting upon her face. Yamamoto’s eyes softly turned away from the miniscule boy before her, gaze coming to rest upon the now fleeing butterfly. It was rather an easy connection to make. The bug net, the retreating butterfly and the boy holding the net: he was obviously here for insect hunting.

“Hmm...as a local of the district, I often walk during the night amid the chirping of the crickets. It makes for a rather pleasant ambiance amid the moonbeams.” She scanned over the small public garden, taking in the fading colours of the flowers and the buzzing insects. She knew that, in the coming weeks, this garden would simply shut down for the winter season and become a tranquil winter wonderland.

“Are you catching bugs?” It was the obvious next question, a national Segway one would expect given the earlier comments made by the Kunoichi. She focused her eyes back onto Nezu, the earlier intensity of her expression having faded away and being replaced with a far gentler one. Soft eyes, a relaxed and open posture coupled with an expression more fitting a loving housewife than a trained kunoichi.

The soft crunch of crass underfoot… It was a classic and familiar sound on a nice day like this. The moisture from the dew that had spread across this park in the earlier moments of the morning was audible in each step, even as only remnants. He wasn’t alone. Of course, he never had been. This park was a public space and plenty of others were making use of the area for their own purposes, but now there was someone approaching him directly. A flutter of worries spread through Nezu’s chest for a moment, concerned that perhaps someone would be riding off on the success of his bug catching skills, and might try to snatch that butterfly he had just caught.

His blue eyes quickly settled on Yamamoto, fluttering up between her form and the whispering trail of the quickly escaping emperor butterfly. Only once it truly left his field of vision did his attention turn to her in full. Still crouched down on the ground as he had been when catching that butterfly from before the height difference between the two would be exacerbated to an outrageous extent. Her parasol caught him in its shade, just by coincidence of her coming so close. His eyes scanned over her with a sparkling innocence, from her wooden sandals to her kimono, and then the parasol that shaded the both of them from the sun. Then, finally her eyes.

“Wow, you’re pretty.” It was the first thing that came out of his mouth, just a passive observation that he wasn’t able to help. “You look like you’re straight from a painting, Miss! … Oh! Yes, I was here looking for bugs. There’s always good bugs here to catch, so I figured I’d try to find a bunch before winter came and they all went to sleep. There’ll be lots of good ones tonight too, like you said. Crickets and fireflies... The ones that light up are the best. It's fun to put them in a jar and use that as a lamp.”

Only after he had finished that bit about the bugs did he begin to progress what she said before. It seemed his mind had a first in, last out sort of mechanism behind in. Slowly those innocent blues would squint, applying what almost appeared to be an analytic stare toward her.

"The academy...? I don't remember. I think so... I don't remember anyone there with a parasol though. I didn't get out too long ago, so I should probably remember this, but..."

A soft pout graced his features as he struggled to remember now. She was certainty familiar, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

“Oh? Do I now? Flattery will get you nowhere you know~” Still, it was rather charming to be so innocently and naively complimented, or at the very least, that was how it had come off. She met Nezu’s gaze, her eyes locking with his in the analytical manner that was atypical for her. Bug catching… hmmm. Yamamoto’s guess was confirmed, the youth before her confirming that he was in fact catching bugs which gave the Kunoichi an idea. She had simply been out for a stroll, planning to enjoy her free time but that was rather lacking in stimulation.

“Hmm..I had been planning to simply walk and appreciate the scenery but...would you allow me to join you in your bug hunt? It is an art I am yet to try my hand at.” In truth, there were many forms of art that the Kunoichi was yet to try her hand at simply down to her own lack of interest in such things.

“Oh? Well, I rarely wore my current outfit there. This ensemble is something I employ for more relaxing affairs. At the academy I would employ something a lot more fitting.” She shrugged her shoulders casually, neither concerned nor hurt by the fact that Nezu did not recognise her. In truth, she did not fully recognize him, with only the vaguest of memory clawing at the edge of her mind.

“Oh well. Do not concern yourself if you do not remember me. That means we can simply form a new relationship, no?” She smiled, soft and gentle, extending her hand towards Nezu for him to shake it.

“My name is Yamamoto. It is my genuine pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She did have to bend a little to make it easier for Nezu but regardless, the handshake was offered.

“Join me!? Yes! Yes please!” His eyes lit up immediately, and Nezu would be caught in an overjoyed grin. He had never had anyone offer to join him before in bug catching. Or… Join him in anything, for that matter. Nobody had ever gone to the effort to really entertain him before, either out of pity or genuine desire. He nodded his head quickly, and without much hesitation Nezu would reach forward to take hold of Yamamoto’s hand for a gentle shake. He would stand up straight, or as straight as possible to be a bit more on level with her, but the height difference was impossible to shake. Luckily she bent down a bit, so it wasn’t too awkward. Nezu was too pleased to worry about such things right now anyway.

He would quickly hand over his net, placing it into Yamamoto’s hands for her to have a turn. He had been catching bugs for a while now, and Nezu wasn’t the sort to be reluctant to share his toys. Having someone else to have fun with was more than enough for him to also be entertained and happy.

“My name is Nezu! It’s nice to meet you too, Yamamoto! I’m happy we could meet here! Now, the secret to good bug catching is to stay close to the ground and move slowly… Bugs get scared off if you move too quickly, because of all the air you move around or something like that. They’ll get carried off by the wind, so you gotta move slowly until you catch the net. Then you gotta make sure you don’t squish them by mistake with the edge of the net or something, or hurt them when you catch them… Ah! It’s best to learn through trying yourself, I think. Sorry for explaining so much!”

Yamamoto bent down slightly more, to further assist Nezu in the handshaking (and totally breaking social distancing rules, how dare they!) softly grasping the appendage and shaking it in a dainty, ladylike fashion. It was nice, and rather cute in the same manner as a kitten was cute, to see Nezu suddenly grow so energetic and lively. He must have really liked bugs. After a few moments of shaking hands, she pulled back to collapse her parasol, the canopy folding up. It would have simply been in the way were she to go bug catching which seemed to be the plan.

Yamamoto carefully took a hold of the offered bug net, extending her parasol towards Nezu in return. If her observations had been correct, then it was a fact two hands would make this affair much easier. She listened closely to the guidance being offered, nodding attentively in acknowledgement before turning her gaze away to look for a bug. Her gaze came to rest upon a beetle scuttling around upon the trunk of a nearby tree.

“Are beetles worth catching Nezu-kun?” She slowly crept towards the beetle, grasping the borrowed net firmly. She placed the rear of her feet down upon the soil first, lowering the toes down afterwards while keeping a close eye upon the ground to avoid crunching down upon any leaves or twigs. Common sense, and what advice Nezu had provided, dictated that insects were rather jumpy so the Kunoichi was eager to avoid causing them to flee.

She stepped within range and took a soft breath, inhaling as she extended chakra out, throughout her entire body. The all too familiar sensation of weightlessness struck her limbs, the muscles loosening up, growing limber in preparation for the swing. Yamamoto moved, swinging the net down towards the beetle.

He nodded his head quick, a bright grin on his face. She was doing well already! Nezu had taken her umbrella-thing, whatever it was, and was carefully holding it for her. Of course, he wasn’t really aware of what parasols were, but he treated it with the same reverence that he would hope she would treat his bug net. Although, he did find it strange that she had one when it clearly wasn’t raining. Oh well! He wouldn’t question Yamamoto’s fashion sense. Plus, it did look nice when she was just carrying it around… Ah! He had to focus on the task at hand.

“Beetles are worth catching! It’s a good starting point for a beginner. You gotta be careful though, since most beetles can fly. It’s pretty interesting, since they look like round little balls- I was really surprised when I first found out they could fly and had wings.” He watched closely, perhaps invading her personal space a bit while he watched her eye the beetle. She was doing an excellent job already, seeming to intuitively pick up on how she should move as quietly as possible and not crunch any grass…

With big eyes, Nezu would watch her swing the net down towards the beetle. Chakra assisted, Yamamoto would have no trouble in catching it. The net will collide down around the trump of the tree that the beetle had been scurrying on, the plastic rim making a sound as it hit the wood.

“Mission success!” He would grin as he said it. “You’re a natural at this. Why don’t we keep on going?” The rest of their day would be spent like that, alternating between the two of them catching bugs. At least until Yamamoto grew bored of the situation, which she undoubtedly would as time went on. Nezu would at some point be left alone again, satisfied with the way they had spent the day.

[Exit]