Taking a Break

Kagura took a nice, deep breath, and then slowly let it out. The sun was setting on the magnificent moving piece of land known as the Heavenly Emporium. No politics or wars. Just peace and the hustle and bustle of the Festival. She had no idea how long it was supposed to be, but being around people who were constantly smiling and enjoying their lives made her heart ache just a little bit less each day. She doubted that pain would ever fully go away, but that was fine… it wasn’t plaguing her every waking moment, nor bringing her nightmares of suffering nearly as much these days, and that in itself was a win. She was able to function again as a human being… even if she technically was no longer a Ninja of Konohagakure, but a mere citizen. It wouldn’t stop her from keeping her guard up, of course, nor from taking proper precautions like keeping the signature of her massive chakra reserves concealed… but it was nice to breathe again.

She had just finished eating, and the brunette had basically an open schedule for the rest of the day. The work in Land of Wolf was tiring and consuming, but that didn’t stop her from taking a well-deserved break now and again, and she was finding that this place was one of her favorite places to go. Besides, almost all the studies that she had read said that when a break was included in a marathon-like activity it helped to make things faster despite the slight delay the break caused. Working too much caused the person to slow down and possibly lose interest and abandon their cause altogether. She wouldn’t let that happen to her. Dressed in a casual outfit she was sitting on a bench near one of the many small parks, watching the sky turn colors as the sun sank, and thankful she had a jacket as a breeze began to creep through the sanctuary.

Tsumetai had spend the last four days staying indoor. Thankfully, all his necessities were available at the house so he didn't feel the need to go out for anything. The Yuki genin had very few friends, as he is not very social or outgoing.  Everytime the boy stepped his foot out of the house , he would start feeling anxious, and today would be no different.


Tsumetai was ready to face the day in his black cloak, black pants and black shinobi sandals outfit. The genin had schedule today as a day to go outdoor and feel nature. It wouldn't hurt to have fun once in a while. Staying indoor all day could get boring, especially when he is the only child of the family. Maybe he would make some friends today, but even if he does, follow up would be a difficult task for him.


The ponytail haired stepped into a world of anxiety. Having no place to go in particular, he would walk to where ever  his spirit tells him to go. The boy just wanted to move around the village and when he gets tired of his little adventurous journey he would return home.


In the beautiful land of the heavenly emporium, the yuki’s eyes caught the presence of a burunette  sitting on a bench. The Yuki had been walking for quite a while with no one to talk to. Though he moved past crowds on his way here, anxiety would not let him have a conversation in the midst of the crowd.

Here seems more beautiful, cooler, less noisy and peaceful.  The Yuki still had anxiety, but it was milder now. He had read in a book that there will be times when fear will visit people, and they can either let fear dominate them or stand up to that fear. The Yuki had a low self esteem and thought the girl would not want to have a conversation with him, but the same book he read, told him that it's okay to do things afraid even though he is fearful. Tsumetai would simply follow his heart. The genin would walk up to the girl not knowing what to expect. Once within a reasonable talking range, he would force a smile on his face and wave at the lady. “Hello there, how are you doing today?” he would ask. The Yuki does not like to force things, he had made a decision before he got to where the girl was sitting, and that decision was, to leave her alone if she was not interested in having a conversation with him. Hopefully, it would not not end that way.

At some point while she was relaxing Kagura had shut her eyes, and was instantly transported to another starry night around a single shrine, gazes peering down from the heavens with an intensity that she felt like she should be frightened of. But instead of frightened, she felt compelled. Encouraged. Motivated. And gently, she felt Akari's voice on the wind... she couldn't hear what the words said, but she felt the warmth of her presence like a gentle embrace. And just as quickly, she was brought out of her little daydream by the sound of a voice.

“Hello there, how are you doing today?”

She had sensed him coming, of course, her Sensory finely tuned and sharp, but had thought they would outright pass her by much like everyone else had, but he had decided to address her. Amber eyes flickered open and locked onto him, and she gave him a warm smile that was extremely doubtful that he would be able to tell was fake. She hadn't felt happiness in a very long time, but she was getting better. The nightmares were becoming more and more rare, and she found herself being able to focus again on the here and now rather than avoiding anything and everything that could remind her of her long lost love. Sitting up fully, she thought about her reply for only a moment.

"Making it day by day, yourself?" She wasn't entirely sure why this individual had come to her to make small talk, but so long as he wasn't one of the drunken idiots who was trying to hit on her, she didn't see the harm in a little polite conversation. Her tone was friendly enough, so hopefully this little interaction would be nice and peaceful. She had come here to relax after all.

[2]

The lone lady was more welcoming than Tsumetai had thought. A warm smile would appear on the girl’s face as she replied the yuki’s pleasant greetings. The smile that shined on the burunette’s face had given Tsumetai the vibe to continue conversing with her. Her amber eyes that locked on the yuki makes him feel even more nervous, but that would not drive the boy away.

“I’m doing pretty well,” he would reply, paused for a second or two and then continued. “You’re sitting here all by yourself? The view here is kinda amazing here. I mean, the evergreen grasses, the sound of chirpings birds and the beautiful sky,” he would say as he makes his way to sit beside the burunette, keeping a reasonable distance between lady and himself. The ponytail haired was starting to feel a bit relaxed at this point, thanks to the amber eyed attitude. There was no doubt that Tsumetai was not good at making conversations because of his rough childhood days. Words get lost in his mouth when he tries conversing during childhood days, especially with the female gender, that is when his anxiety is at his peak. However, he has been improving on his communication skills, thanks to the books he had been reading.


(2)

She nodded to his reply of doing well, and then Kagura listened intently to what he said next, nodding quietly. "It is a good way to relax, reflect, and process." She wouldn't delve much further, not wanting to dig up any more of her own pain and ruin the atmosphere. So she would need to steer the conversation in another direction, and perhaps introductions were in order to discover more about the person. She extended a hand towards the young man to shake his own if he would accept it. "Kagura Ezume. Citizen of Konoha." It was noted that she didn't use her old rank of Jounin because in truth she was no longer a Ninja in the traditional sense.

"And I'm not alone; you're here now." She said with another warm smile before looking up at the sky he described earlier. "Hard to believe this entire city is floating through the sky... connected to every village and country. Peaceful despite the tensions of the nations." She was making idle conversation now, hopefully sparking a bit more interaction with the young man. Hopefully, she could discover who he was and where he was from because then she could truly spark some insight into his motivations and such.

Just because she was no longer a Ninja didn't mean that she would stop being who she was, and doing her best to live her best life in Akari's memory. That, and she knew what it was like to be a Ninja firsthand, and still possessed a great many of their skills and strength. It wasn't like she had any malicious intent even if she had been, but perhaps her experience would be useful to him in some way.

[3]

The Amber eyed would extend her hand to shake the genin. Even though Tsumetai was not expecting the burunette to shake a random stranger, he would extend his hand to accept the lady's handshake and would introduce himself to her, “Tsumetai Kaze. Citizen of Kirigakure.” What surprised him more was that the lady mentioned she is from Konohagakure. The Yuki had heard about konoha before, his curiosity about the village even made him read about the hidden leaf in the library. The village remain one of the populous villages in the world, with divers clans and ethnic groups. It was a place he would like to visit. Interestingly, Tsumetai would be able to ask the girl as many questions as he want about konoha, as long as she is willing to answer.


“I guess you came on adventure or a visit?” Tsumetai would ask , not sure of his choice of words. "And I'm not alone; you're here now."  the lady would say. Tsumetai could not help but chuckle at the end of her statement; It was true what she said. “You are right.” the ponytail haired would reply. It seems smiling is so easy for her. Another smile would appear on the face of the Amber eyed; now, whether she was faking it or not was unsure to Tsumetai, but none of that really matters to him. He just wanna make friends.


Tsumetai had now made his way to seat on the bench, keeping some reasonable talking distance from the girl. “It was not always peaceful, nations still bear scars of wars; but it's better not to dwell in the past.” He would say after Kagura’s last statement. The genin would continue, “Well, I hope it continues this way. The peace despite the tension of nations, but no one can be certain of the future, so we must prepare for the worst; the world can not always be peaceful.” Tsumetai have the mentality that the world is constantly changing. Nothing is stable and nothing last for long in this world. The peace Kagura's seem to be talking about does not last for long, even humans do not last for long. It would be interesting though, to see what Kagura thinks of his mentality. However, the genin has not talked about this part of his mentality yet, at least, not in full details. His last statement was only a tip of an iceberg. Perhaps, Kagura can give her own perspective if she catches the gist.


[3]

The handshake was firm, but not a contest of strength in any means. The name rang through her mind a few times, analyzing the best she could against her memory. Tsumetai Kaze... Kaze was... she couldn't remember if it belonged to a clan or not. She was no longer a Shinobi, so that sort of thing took a back seat compared to when she was an active Jounin. But what was more interesting than that was the fact that he claimed he was a 'citizen' of Kirigakure. Technically, all Shinobi were citizens too, but most people were proud to be declared as a Shinobi as it was considered to be a step above a citizen... he did not. Did that mean he wasn't a Shinobi, or even more possible, that he was concealing that information for some reason? Time would tell, naturally, but she wasn't about to start prying on what could be personal information.

He asked her intentions, and she considered how to answer for a moment. The truth was easy enough, but how much information would she reveal through the truth? It was a delicate balance. "Actually, I am just taking a break at the moment. Been doing a lot of traveling lately." She wouldn't tell where or when she was doing what, but the information provided should prove enough to satisfy the question asked. If he asked further, she would of course provide an answer, even if it was something along the lines of 'I can't tell you about that right now'. Even as a Citizen, she knew all too well that information spreading could have effects long down the line, and she wasn't going to give more than she had to regarding her own affairs. Not just because it was sensitive either... but because it was downright unbelievable for some people.

His statement about it not always being peaceful was not lost on Kagura, and the brunette quickly took a deep breath and let out a slow exhale. "I am very well aware. I was a Jounin for the war. And you are right on both counts; I too hope it stays peaceful, but I will prepare in the event that it does not regardless." She knew the horrors this world could bear when everything went to hell between the nations and was not going to be idle next time. She was hoping that by the time that it came, and come it would, she would be healed enough to actually make a difference.

[4]

A traveller huh?
She gave a simple answer. The genin was unsure about why she has been travelling a lot, but the reason for that may be personal to her, so the Yuki would ask no  question about her reason or reasons for travelling . “ So, are you leaving the heavenly emporium anytime soon? I mean, hope I'll get to see you again after today?” he would ask the lady, with his ocean blue eyes locked on her face. That was a two-in-one question. If she had been travelling a lot like she said, there is a high tendency that she would be leaving this beautiful place for somewhere else pretty soon. If two of them connect well today, the Yuki would want to see her again. Tsumetai was unsure of that though, so he wanted to clear his doubt. Hopefully, his questions wouldn't make her feel like Tsumetai was trying to poke his noise in other people's personal affairs.


The brunette’s last statement revealed that she was a jounin. Tsumetai, who barely have the skills of a shinobi seems a bit surprised when Kagura made mention of her rank.  A jounin for the war. She was a jounin that had seen war first-hand, she had probably tasted every sweetness of it as well. Tsumetai wanted to ask her about her  war experience, but he wasn't sure how to ask. He also was not sure if she would want to answer that question or how she would react to it. But it didn't take seconds before Tsumetai summoned the courage to ask her, the worst answer he would receive is ‘no, I don't want to talk about it’. Tsumetai hasn't actually been in any war before. He had read war stories and her aftermath. It was no good.


“What war have you been in ? how does it feel to be in a war? and what are your experiences in those war or wars? . Shooting three arrows of questions at Kagura at the same was a good idea. She would either answer all or none. Either ways, Tsumetai was eager to hear her story. The Yuki would shift his body sideways, such that his torso would be facing Kagura's side. She mentioned that she was a jounin. That sounds like a shinobi rank. People of her caliber possess incredible skills and techniques, so hopefully, he could learn one or two things from her in that aspect too.


[4]

Kagura heard his concern and looked up at the sky for a moment, contemplating her answer for a few moments before replying. "I do not know what the future will bring, but I doubt that this will be my last visit to the Emporium... especially while the festival is going on. It's peaceful here. If you happen to be around at the time, then we will meet again. Fate will decide that for us." It was a comforting thing, believing in Fate. If it was meant to be, it would be. Now, Fate also could be a ruthless force, and never left an explanation of why it did what it did... case in point being Akari. Why was she taken from Kagura? Why didn't they take Kagura as well? There was no answer, of course, but for a long time she cursed Fate and it had taken a long time to accept that she still did believe in it.

Then he asked a question that most people who were young and naive would ask, or rather, a string of questions regarding the War. The brunette took a moment, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly, bracing herself a bit to properly answer. When she did, pain painted each word, but she did so anyway so that he might better understand. "The most recent war between the nations... I don't give such an event the honor of being named in my mind. War is something that you don't wish on anyone, despite our lives being dedicated to being prepared for the event. It is horrible. Glorious. Soul wrenching and occasionally beautiful. It will leave you Hollow with Loss, despite tasting victory. I can't really describe it any better than that." She then took another deep breath, bringing herself back to where she felt like she could do the most good; here and now, and not in the past.

[5]

“Fate huh? Fate can be defied…, so we will meet again,” the yuki boy would say to the amber eyed. Many people seem to believe that fate decides a lot of things, it seems Kagura is of the same opinion too. Little do most people know that their own fate lies in their own hands; their fate lies in their choices. One who choose to say, ‘but fate brought Tsumetai and Kagura together today’ has forgotten that it was Kagura who choose in her own will to come to the heavenly emporium, it was her choice to stay here until Tsumetai came around. These things are interconnected. If Tsumetai had choose not to come to the emporium, these two individuals would not have meet even if Kagura chooses to stay the whole week here. Tsumetai for one does not really believe in fate, the yuki simply believes that he is his own fate.

The yuki would remain speechless for some seconds before slowly uttering the few words he had left after the impact of ‘the tip of the iceberg’ tales of war from Kagura, “that is…unbelievable”, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it while trying to position himself properly. Her words knocked out his mind. The amber eyed sang beautifully the song of wars, her thrilling words leaves an intriguing ‘after-pain’ in the ears of the genin. It was like every word was coated with pain. Tsumetai mind was too young to grasp the entity of what she was saying, but he’d understand what she was trying to explain. No one wants war, unless you are a demon, but war is inevitable. Our present world is filled with greed and lust, hence, war is inevitable. Perhaps, there would have been a lesser record of wars if there has been some more love in the past. Love conquers greed, lust and hate. Love conquers all.

[5]

Kagura smiled at his first comment, nodding slightly. "Fate is what we make it, the choices we make. But anything you would consider a 'coincidence' is something I believe is the work of Fate." It was a simple belief, but one that made it much easier to accept things that she had absolutely no control over. That was the belief that was allowing her to heal from her grief now that she had separated herself from the source of her pain. Nothing special, not some all-powerful 'God' or anything of that nature, but a simple guiding force that allowed her to reason out things that didn't make much sense otherwise, and allowed her to move past things that would make most people get stuck in their path of life. She didn't want to get stuck again... not now or ever again.

He would truly listen, but used a poor choice of words for his reply. Luckily, Kagura had heard it before and knew what it meant; they couldn't imagine such a thing, but that was something that was completely understandable. No one who hadn't been in a war would truly be able to understand it because they hadn't experienced it. Either way, it was a good time for a change of subject. "So... tell me about yourself. What is it you like to do, goals, all of that?" She wanted to shift things to be more focused on Kaze, see if there was a way she could reasonably help him with some of her experience and advice, or whatever else he felt might be helpful on his own journey. Helping others had always been something that Kagura loved, and she could feel her soul healing with each person that she helped with their own goals.

[6]