A Day of Rest

Natsuru ended up sleeping until one in the afternoon after finally getting home and unwinding, not falling asleep until four in the morning. Her body was sore from her physical activity, and wounds tender. Despite this she felt stronger in more ways than one. She felt like she grew a lot in the past two days, a lot of it had to be with the time she spent with her newly found squad. The pain she has endured made her current wounds feel like a minor buff. Natsuru had plans to spend her entire day being pampered after her mission. She had washed her face quickly in the sink and got dressed which was about it before darting out the door.

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.

Natsuru would wind up just outside a bath house. These bath houses were powered naturally by hot springs as opposed to the plumbing and electricity from her own home. The minerals were also supposed to have "curative" properties to them, though Natsuru was somewhat convinced this was just a marketing scam. Still, the thought of these waters easing her body up was more than enough to draw her in. Perhaps it was that slight bit of motivation that drew others in as well. Entering the front door she approached the desk operated by a single clerk. The lobby was small, consisting of two couches, some decorative indoor plants, and two doors, the left having a blue sign above the doorway while the other pink. What was written on the signs were quite obvious. "Give me a bath and a fruit bowl, please." Natsuru said with a mild smile with a small bundle of cash in her hand. With a quick transaction Natsuru led herself through the female locker room for a change.

Nobody was in the locker room with her. It was not uncommon. Around this time people were usually running errands or working. The bath house was most busy in the evening or early morning. Natsuru began undressing to her bare self. She would throw her casual clothes, bow and arrow, and armor in her locker before swapping into a clean white bath robe, which was provided by the bath house in her locker. Natsuru passed through the doorway which led straight to the spring water portion. There were a few people in the water already, some passing a quick glance to Natsuru as she opened the door but quickly minded their own business. She was unlike most of them. Within her robe she stashed her tanto, which may seem unusual to carry a weapon in such a laid back environment, but as a Shinobi she must always be prepared. She would approach the deep end of the waters before sitting on the edge letting her legs sink in the waters. It was relieving, to say the least. She wanted to get accustomed to the water first before dipping straight in.

Yui had met a Jounin of the village and she was disturbed by how vile of a man he was, sadly for him there would likely never be another meeting between the two. She loved to have sex but she did not like how that man was, he was someone she would rather kill then have anything to do with. Today was a relaxing day for her, she had plans to go to the hot springs and enjoy herself and relax.

As she made her way there she would pay and head to the locker room, no one was inside as she stripped herself of her kimono and placed a white robe over her body. She would walk inside getting a few glances before she headed to the deep end of the bath. As she closed her eyes for a second before opening them she would spot a young woman close by, she would simply smirk and move closer to talk to her some more.

"It is a nice day to relax isn't it, the name is Hahasi Yui and it is nice to meet you, so what brings you here during the daytime. I know most people around your age are usually training to become a shinobi or learning a trade to help assist those that are."

She would wait for her answer as she continued to relax if the girl looked she would see Yui had quite a figure, she certainly had been blessed by the gods with her ample chest size and figure. She had taken a look at the girl and she was not bad herself, a slight smile would cross her lips as she eyed the girl, she looked tasty as well. Unlike that brute man she would not be forceful like that toward a maiden, first some small chat then to find out her interest in things.[/color]

The door opening against as out came a staff member with a bowl of assorted fruits as it was handed to Natsuru. She took it with a smile, setting the fruit bowl down next to her. Berries, chopped melon, and sliced hand fruit made up the bowl. It was meant to be shared between two people, though Natsuru certainly had no trouble finishing it herself. She was still quite malnourished. Only eating donuts the other day as left her feeling lethargic and lack of nutrients. The least she could do is cleanse her body of the junk she's been eating. Picking a blackberry she popped one in her mouth. Sweet and slightly tart. It was a good harvest for blackberries. I think I'll grab some fried pork cutlet after this for breakfast-lunch. She pondered her next meal. After all, the doctor did say she needed to rest and eat. The door opened again as Natsuru naturally directed her attention to the far side of the bath house. It was a person with an eccentric appearance, which could only mean one thing. Another Kunoichi, it seems. Natsuru could not gauge much from her. She seemed...normal for the most part. As normal as Kunoichi got.

She appeared awfully blunt about introductions. Natsuru was here, enjoying herself with her fruit bowl when she made a bold introduction. To her of all people. Maybe she could also tell Kunoichi apart from the generic person. The colorful hair was a dead give away. She was not too shabby at first glance.
Unlike Ryuko and that dreadful Shimiko she had no awkward quirks or habits.
She seemed well-off on her own, playing with a full deck. Better yet,
she was adept in social interactions unlike her teammates. "Natsuru Senou. Feel free to call me Blood Raven, or the Ao Oni
if you want to go Old School. But I would prefer a nickname outside these walls." She said with a mild smirk. Her latter nickname was one given to her peers back in her Academy. Having joined the Academy only a couple years ago she was a late teen at full height, which compared to the eight year old students at the academy she towered over them in height and temperament. Thus, she got the nickname of the "Blue Troll" which she had fun with, though did not consider it a serious title she would work off of.

"Training is quite usual, though I did just come back from a mission. I am here on recovery." Natsuru would reach down to her sash, tugging one end of the tied knot as it undone, the bath robe seemingly falling off her body without needing any effort on her end. Aside from her bare body, Hahasi would see two minor wounds on her body. An incision on her right forearm at the top and a cut across her upper arm. "These are just minor injuries from my recent job. The major ones were patched up by a medical professional using Ijutsu." Natsuru felt official showing off her injuries from a mission. It was better than "I got beat up by sensei" or some other silly things Genin endure. "They don't hurt too much,
but due to some fuzzy business with our...former Sensei...some rest while that business gets sorted out won't be a killer."

Natsuru would use her arms to help assist her in sliding into the bath waters. Dipping her body neck-deep she was forced to sigh as relief surged her body, a pattern of goose bumps shivering across her body. Her wounds...tingled in the water. Perhaps the medicinal properties were true? Natsuru did not waver. She grabbed a cubed honeydew melon piece and popped it in her mouth. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about Akashi, would you?" Natsuru said with a mouthful. It was in her own interests she passively activated her sensory technique. This was not because she felt wary around Yui. However, Natsuru wanted a greater profile of the newcomer. She was quite adept in the "Genin Routine", whatever that meant. Perhaps she was a higher ranking Shinobi.

She waited to hear from the girl as she began to speak to her it seemed her shinobi name was Blood Raven. Her name was Natsuru as she introduced herself and made Yui smile. She mentioned recovering from a mission as she removed her robes, the girl was quite stacked like herself it seemed, she could see the two battle scars, well whatever mission she had done seemed pretty intense for a genin. Yui would remove her robe and begin to slide into the bath next to the girl, her eyes looking at the wounds closer. They seemed to be treated well as she wanted to run her finger along the wounds and get a feel for what sort of craziness happened on this mission.

The girl asked if she knew Akashi as Yui would let out a laugh, so that's why they had injuries she certainly knew her former sensei. She would nod her head and think how to describe that man, she didn't like him very much at all but he did help her get better as a shinobi so she certainly owed him some. She thought how to describe the Vanishing Rose, he was such a pain to deal with for her due to what sort of jutsu he used he was quite strong against someone like her.

"I do know the man he was my former sensei, it was quite a while ago... though I didn't much like him he did help me get stronger as a shinobi. For me he is the worst type of opponent, you see I use an unusual style of combat but his very in your face and direct combat was good against someone like me. The wounds you have I can understand if he was your sensei, I got quite a few wounds because of him. See this scar under my right shoulder blade, this was because we got ambushed on a mission and I got a surprise hit in the back with a blade."

She would motion her fingers to her right shoulder and turn it slightly, under the shoulder would be a large scar, it was clear that injury had been very serious yet she had lived. She was quite curious about this genin, with her figure it was clear she was not someone young, no she likely was either an adult or very close to it. She would let her eyes linger a while on the young woman's body simply smiling before she would look forward again sighing. That injury sure brought back some memories, she was such a rising star before that dreadful day where her genins died. Still, little information was known about why they had been set up and it was still under investigation to this day, likely some sort of inside job but who was the target on the team.

"Also, my shinobi name is The White Lotus you may have heard of me, I am quite well known because of my use of Genjutsu, something most shinobi seem to ignore these days for some reason."

She was sure this girl was trying to figure out information on Yui she did not mind divulging simple things like this, to test the genin and see how she reacted to getting information. This was a bit of an experiment, test the girl's ability to adapt to a change of information and cover a wide verity of topics. If she did well it was possible Yui could use her help when she was doing some more delicate missions that required a second girls touch, she had been trying to uncover some very nasty things happening in the village for a while now.

Natsuru felt her chakra greatly from such a close proximity. She was certainly powerful. Her life-force was triple her own. Despite the woman's soft appearance she could be viewed as a powerful Shinobi with lots of potential. Deeper within she could identify her element, Fire. It was her one and only nature. Natsuru had to be sure to remember this woman's signature. Oddly enough Natsuru was detecting a stranger vibe from the woman's chakra. It was 'gray' as the best way Natsuru could describe it. Depressing would be the best word. She would end her chakra sensing technique, having got the information she needed and understanding her nature. Natsuru tuned back into Hahashi just as she was about to respond. She was mildly surprised she shared the same sensei as herself, but on the other hand remembered the lack of active-duty Jounin participating as sensei in this village to begin with. Still, Hahashi seemed to be well-off on her own. Natsuru would hope herself and her two teammates would have the same success despite not having Akashi around to aide them in their training any longer.

Natsuru would pay minute attention to the woman's own scar giving a brief glance before directing her attention back to her eyes. It was not quite that she did not care, but on the other hand she knew quite well what a scar looks like. She did not want to stare at another woman's bare body for long. Natsuru felt it would forsake her sexuality. And Natsuru was all about keeping herself in high status. Pinching a couple bits of prepared fruit she popped them in her mouth, chewing the mouthful as Hahashi was preparing to finish. "Genjutsu?" Natsuru said with a partial mouthful almost being surprised. With a heavy swallow she would wipe the corner of her cheek some of the excess fruit juice. "Very much so. I will be sure to remember your name." A bit of silence would take over the two newly acquainted Kunoichi. Natsuru was no one to entertain conversation too long. She was a hobbyist, and one that enjoyed to do so alone in silence. Talking was not her most favored hobby.

Still, she felt inclined to carry something on. Hahashi went out of her way to get acquainted with Natsuru, and being both naked sharing a bath it was only right to talk, lest they wanted to sit side-by-side, uncomfortably in a pool of water. "My squad and myself were placed on a mission with Akashi as leader. When action arose, as we were ambushed by a handful of brigands, he disappeared leaving us to fend for ourselves. We pulled through rather roughly. Nothing serious, aside from the feeling of betrayal. Still, the squad is still intact. And we plan to stay that way, which reminds me." Natsuru said with a cheerful grin towards Hahashi. "My squad and I are all craftsmen. If it's weapons, armor, or anything else you need, feel free to stop on by. You seem kind enough." The mention of crafting reminded Natsuru that she needed to get to work soon enough.

Yui would listen to the young woman describe what had happened to her team, it was exactly the same thing that happened to her team. He had vanished and they had got ambushed, but unlike her, they managed to all survive as Yui felt a deep anger. She had a gut feeling this entire time something was wrong that day, and she was right he caused the death of her squad. That man was part of the corruption she had feared and had been trying to search for, yes her story only confirmed what she feared was the truth.

That man would pay but she would first try to figure out where he was, she needed answers from him before she slit his throat and left him to be fed on by the animals. He would get no burial he deserved no honor, no he deserved a death far greater than she could ever inflict. She calmed herself some as her right hand shook some, remembering the events of that day, her reaching for the boy before he would suddenly become engulfed in an explosion. When she had come to he had died and the other shinobi would never be able to become one again. She had suffered far to much damage to her body, Yui had failed the team and failed to realize it had been a trap mission, one likely made by that man but for what reason.

"This mission you were on... what exactly did it detail... my mission he also disappeared and we walked into a trap, I was a rising Chuunin star and likely a future hope for the village. I fear he had set us up that day, I am sure he did the same for you... I will make sure to research more into any past actions he has done... I won't let him get away with this if he had something to do with this... I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS."

The anger she showed was real, she may have given off a grey aura before but now she was like a raging fire, an intense heat, and anger directed toward that man. She would make damn sure she was the one to kill him by any means necessary, how dare he kill his own squad. If he was not responsible it sure seemed suspicious this happened two times in a row, he disappeared before suddenly his squad was attacked and he was nowhere in sight.

She calmed herself some as it seemed the girl's squad were crafters, this was quite handy for sure, she wondered who would take over the squad if he had fled like a coward. She was sure Calypso would give them a good teacher or she hoped so, still what was that man's goal with his likely attacks he orchestrated. Something higher was going on, she just needed to connect the dots, she only hoped she could get the Kage to realize something was very wrong in the village.

It was the next day after they had returned from their mission and for the first time in a long time Ryuko didn’t quite know what to do with herself. She was fairly used to a regimented lifestyle and with her sensai missing in action she didn’t really know what to do when left to her own devices.

To start with she’d slept in way later then usual. That much could be excused by the fact she’d been up for over a day straight before then. But after that was harder to hand wave. She’d gone to train and gotten a decent workout in which was all well and good but she’d been unable to find the proper motivation to really dig in and learn and new jutsu without someone, anyone to give her a pointer or two as she worked.

Then she’d had the bright idea of trying to take a mission. By herself she knew it wouldn’t be anything glorious but at least it’d help bring in a little money. Money she needed if she was going to upgrade her team’s armor like she’d been planning to.  The only problem was the D-rank mission board was entirely empty.

Their was no way on earth she was going to attempt to do a c-rank mission on her own yet, not after her entire team together had almost got their ticket punched on one. Being a Ninja was dangerous work but she wasn’t quite so suicidal to deliberately bite off more then she could crew.   So she’d swallowed her pride and took a look at the E-rank mission board that she had believed to be beneath her only to find that it too was blank.

She’d attempted to ask the chunnin running the mission office what the heck was going on only for him to plead the fifth on her.  But even without him talking she could make a pretty good guess what was going on.

It wasn’t exactly a secret that the village was suffering a lack of manpower at the moment. With Seigi out of commission and one of the few jounin going awal the rest of the higher ups where too busy scrambling to keep the entire house of cards from falling apart to worry about putting together missions for the up and coming gennin.

Being fairly intelligent for her age Ryuko had tried to gather some information of the situation the old fashioned way by going to a bar. What better place was their to collect collect rumors then where drunk people gathered, and after the way her mission had gone she rather wanted a drink herself.

It hadn’t been hard to locate a shinobi only bar. They hadn’t even attempted to hide it’s location with an large banner advertising it’s existing sitting out in plain sight for all the world to see. Heck they hadn’t even located it in a spot that only Shinobi could get to.  If it’d been her she’d have at least put it on a higher floor without any stairs to ensure that civilians where kept out but apparently they where content to be on the ground floor.

Security it seemed was also lax since their had been no-one at the door to card her and she’d lasted inside the building for only a short while before being kicked out for being under age.  Just long enough to hear a few chunnin talking about the first raikage Calypso coming back to active duty.  Apparently she was out of town on business at the moment.  

The nerve of these people telling her a priestess of Hakkin that she couldn’t drink despite her god specifically ordering her to.  What backwards kind of place was it where it was alright to send someone out to a battlefield to die but denying them alcohol for being too young?  She could understand smoking because that really would mess your lungs up, but drinking in itself wasn’t harmful as long as it was done in moderation.

“Heh suckers.” Ryuko snickered to herself as she made her way to the bath house. They might have kicked her out of the bar but she’d managed to smuggle out a can of beer in the process. It wasn’t her favorite brand in the world but it would do in a pinch.  She’d gotten really sweaty during her workout so now it was time to kick back in some warm water and enjoy a cold one.

As she made her way into the lobby of the bathhouse she couldn’t help but feel slightly disgusted at how the clerk practically tripped over herself to see her into the change room free of charge as soon as possible just from the mere sight of her clan crest displayed on the buttons holding up Ryuko’s cape.  It made her all the more thankful that her teammates Natusru and Shimiko treated her like a normal human being instead of being suck up toadies.  

At least the man running the bar had the guts to stick to the age policy (no matter how retarded it was) instead of bending it just for her. That showed some character which she could get behind. This favoritism the clerk was showing her just made her skeptical of what the clerk was hoping to get in return.  

Entering the change room Ryuko found that it had a few occupants already but didn’t seem to care any as she casually disrobed before stuffing her clothes in a locker.  Being seen naked among just girls was a daily occurrence for her since she got dressed in the morning with help from her lady in waiting Sofia whp also helped her change into her night gown when it was time to go to bed.

The only reason she cared about Natsuru’s propensity to strip was because her friend kept doing it around men which simply wasn’t proper for a young lady to do.  If Akashi or Simon hadn’t been around or they weren’t in the middle of public she wouldn’t have given a rats ass.

Obviously her older friend was very pretty but it was hard to question one’s sexuality when one barely had any sexuality to begin with. As a noble she had been kept away from such things. After all to her family she was a pretty ornament to be shown off, not to be soiled before they could arrange as lucrative a marriage as possible out of her.

Of course it went without saying that as a priestess in training they had steered away from the topic entirely. Considering she was a Vestal candidate and the very nature of what a Vestal being a virgin married to their god it was no wonder she didn’t show any interest in boys beyond a vague sense of curiosity.  The most she’d ever done was try and set a friend up with one.  The idea of asking one out herself as so alien she couldn’t begin to convince of the notion.

Sliding open the door to the bath proper Ryuko spotted her friend Natsuru sitting in the far back of the room right beside a very pretty looking woman with long white flowing hair.  Her interest peaked, she made a beeline straight for them.  Really what else was she going to do? Snub one of her only friends in the world by sitting away from them?

“Nat-chan how are you doing today?” She asked making up a new pet name on the spot as she went to slide into the water beside Natsuru and give her a hug not caring in the least that both of them where naked at the moment. Some might interpret this behavior as Ryuko leaning towards being a lesbian, but it was just her way of saying hello to the people she really cared about and as part of being half European.

Now that she was closer she could see that both Natsuru and the white haired woman where both buster then her which made her feel slightly jealous. Not that she herself was flat by any means. Nobody in their right mind would ever accuese her of being a washboard, but man the world just didn’t seem fair at times.

Cracking open her beer can and taking a danty slip she waved hello to the pretty stranger sitting on the other side of her friend.  From the way the woman was carrying herself, not totally relaxing even in a spa she was likely a ninja as well. Given her age likely a higher ranking one then them as well. Something about her seemed oddly familiar almost like Ryuko had seen her before. Prehaps from one of her Ninjabo figures?

“Tis a pleasure to meet you miss. Ryuko at your service.” she said introducing herself in third person as well as avoiding the use of her full name.  She’d done that at the hospital only because everyone had been all formal and using their full titles so she’d reciprocated in kind.  Doing so here in such a laid-back atmosphere would just seem silly.

Natsuru was...well, somewhat blown back by Yui's reaction. She had her own thoughts about Akashi, and although she resented him for leaving her and the others to fend for themselves on their mission, it brought forth a new confidence she never knew she had. One that allowed her to survive the ordeal. A personal such as Yui, who had a different and more optimistic view of life, felt otherwise. "Yeeaahh...well, numerous complaints were made. If he shows himself in the village he will get chewed out by Calypso, nonetheless." Within the short pause after Yui's scene the door opened again and out came a familiar face. She headed straight towards her with what appeared to be an aluminium can in hand. It was Ryuko. Natsuru still feeling a bit of guilt from the day before. Perhaps she could use today to bury the hatchet. From her own surprise, Ryuko was inclined to hug Natsuru as usual. From the numerous hugs she had given Natsuru already she had grown quite used to her body being against hers. Being naked as a bit more awkward, though she shrugged it off fairly well.

Natsuru was frozen stiff, though forced a grin in response to Ryuko's greeting. A distinctive sound of a can cracking open caught Natsuru's attention. "Beer? Didn't think you were the type." From that moment her perspective of Ryuko changed drastically. It made her seem more...rustic than what she once knew. Perhaps it was the combination of hugging her bare naked and casually drinking beer that made her seem like she should be nicknamed Honey Boo Boo. She was confused and uncomfortable now, surrounded by boobs of all sizes within elbow's reach, the smell of metal and alcohol coming from the fourteen year old. The heat and steam was getting to her head. Natsuru calmly resumed her fruit bowl consumption, though shortly after realizing they weren't deep fried and unhealthy she quickly lost interest in them again. Now she was left with a mouthful of food she was not interested in finish eating.

"I guess I'm fine. I had sleep, which was good. Now I'm just following the doctor's orders. What about our two lemon heads? Have you seen any of them around today? I was planning on stopping by at the market after lunch." Natsuru said this referring to Shimiko and Simon, the two new lovies who Natsuru equally distaste. Shimiko, for being the spoiled sister of the now former Raikage. Natsuru was at ease knowing Seigi had lost his title. In fact she felt as if it was justice. Simon on the other hand was unwanted and unbearable. He had a habit of showing up when unneeded, and inviting himself into the group. Natsuru preferred being the sovereign leader of the group. Her age and chestfulness rightfully gave her authority over the two younger girls. Yui on the other hand...well, Natsuru was glad she was Chuunin.

Yui had calmed herself as it seemed if he returned he would get yelled at, no if he ever returned he would have hell to pay by her hands. She felt certain he was responsible for her team now considering how odd it is that he vanished during this girls teams mission, no it was far too convenient. As she was getting to know the genin more another girl appeared, she was her friend she had guessed as the girl went and hugged Natsuru, still she did not seem old enough to be having a beer.

"I do not think you are the proper age to drink that butttt I guess I can let it slide, the name is Hahashi Yui and I take it you are one of her teammates. We were just discussing your former Jounin and I will be investigating him more, oh if you have not figured it out I am a shinobi like the two of you."

She would smile at the girl as she introduced her first name Ryoko she was glad she seemed to have a friend at least, unlike herself as she sighed. She had made herself quite a loner these days but sees these two interact reminded herself of her old squad. She wanted to go visit one of the survivors but she had felt so guilty the girl could no longer be a shinobi and she was sure she was totally hated by her as well.

She mentioned stopping by the market after she ate and that sounded like a good idea, there was some stuff she needed to get herself. She wondered just how close the two were as she was hugging her rather tightly making her laugh a bit, it was nice to see them getting along like this.

"So what are you shopping for if you don't mind me asking, I need to shop some later myself if you don't mind a delinquent like myself hanging out with you."

If Natsuru was still feeling guilty about telling off Ryuko the other day at the gate she needn’t worry.  It was all water under the bridge at this point since Ryuko knew was a special circumstance and not Natsuru’s true feelings. Anyone was bound to get grumpy when they where injured, tired and and hungry.  Even if she hadn’t understood she wasn’t the type to hold grudges anyway.

Hopefully between the donuts she had brought to the hospital and her continued affection would be enough to get the message across that things where ok between them. If not well then she was going to be really stumped.  But it seemed she didn’t need to worry since Natsuru accepted the hug readily enough, not moving to shove her off or push her away even as Ryuko practically sink into her bosom and have to stuggle to get free.

“I don’t?” asked a surprised Ryuko in reply Natsuru’s remark. Not that she was an alcoholic by any means. You wouldn’t catch her chugging an entire six pack by herself.  In her homeland people her age drank beer like it was water but for her it was a special treat to be had every few days at most.  “Would you like to try a sip?” she asked holding out the can towards her friend.  

Yui took the time to introduce herself starting with a comment about how Ryuko wasn’t old enough to be drinking but shed overlook it this time causing Ryuko to sigh slightly.  She didn’t want to push her religion on other people, but it looked like she’d have to say something at least if she didn’t want her beer confiscated in the future since Yui might not overlook it the next time.  But hey at least she’d been right about Yui being a fellow ninja which meant her observational skills where improving.

“Well you see after a battle tis customary for a priest or priestess of Hakkin such as myself to partake of some spirits so that we may commune with our lord.” she explained speaking plainly without the overly fancy thee and thous. They where in a bathhouse so their was no need to dress up her word. Though nothing could ever quite hide her accent or tendency to shorten the words it is to tis.

“That said we’re not supposed to drink enough to actually become inebriated.  Our main purpose is to protect this country and we could be called upon to do so at any moment.  What use is a warrior whom can barely stand when the time for battle comes?” She asked rhetorically not expecting them to actually answer her.  

When Natsuru said she was fine after some sleep and just needed to follow the doctors orders for a few days Ryuko gave her a warm relived grin. It was so good to hear that her new surrogate big sister was going to be just fine.  Soon they’d be able to resume missions and when they did Ryuko was going to do her absolute best to help Natsuru so that the older girl would be able to rank up quickly.

“Now that you mention it I did check up on them before going jogging. Shimiko remains at Seigi-sama’s bedside.” Technically she shouldn’t be talking about this in the open, but from what she’d heard at the bar pretty much everyone who was a ninja knew the Second raikage was ill already so there was little point In pretending otherwise.

“Physically she’s fine, but I worry for her spirit. Simon, bless his heart has remained by her side supporting her in her time of need. They do make a good couple don’t they? I was going to set them up but it seems these events have done that better then I ever could.” she said feeling a bit wistful about the missed chance to act as a wing woman.

Speaking of couples she glanced sideways at Natsuru and Yui and wondering if they had anyone special in their lives, but not quite sure how to ask them about it without it coming across as incredibly awkward.  They where both so pretty and mature looking it’d almost be odd if they didn’t have a few admirers at the very least.  Maybe if she spent enough time around them some of their looks would rub off on her.  

“Do you…. do you have ladies have a boyfriend? Nat-chan? Hahashi-san? ” Ryuko asked each of them in turn after finally working up the courage. Her face flush and the way her fingers index fingers where tapping together making it clear this wasn’t an easy subject for her to talk about. To make matters worse it was going to take awhile before she was comfortable enough to call the chunnin by her first name.

When Yui mentioned shopping Ryuko perked up putting her embarrassment aside for the moment.  She needed to to get some serious crafting supplies herself and what better time to do it then now since Natsuru was around which her to get her a nice discount.  She didn’t have a lot of money and with no missions to take she needed to stretch it as far as she could if she was going to outfit her team like she’d been planning.

“I’m going to need some iron. A LOT of iron. Plus a bunch of cloth and insulation to make clothing.” She declared.  “To start with I need to make you a better suit of chain-mail Nat-chan. Tis clear the copper one I made wasn’t sufficient.” Failure of the armor to protect it’s wearer was on the crafters head. If she had done a better job Natsuru wouldn’t have needed to go to the hospital. Their was no way she was going to allow that to happen a second time.

Speaking of which she needed to get her measurement still to make sure this mail would have a more precise fit. She done well just going by estimations with the copper set they weren’t quite a perfect fit. Iron cost enough that she’d rather avoid making adjustment to it after the fact.  Good thing she had her tape with her.  Once they got to the changing room after they had finished their soak their would be no escaping her.

“Would you like a me to craft you a set as well Hahashi-san?  I’m already making some for my squad and myself. One more would hardly be any extra trouble.” She said as she glanced at Natsuru and gave her a light nod to indicate that she was fine with Yui taging along. Natsuru was the boss though so in the end it would be her call to make.

Natsuru shook her head as she raised a hand declining Ryuko's offer. She had a sip of beer before from Daddy at dinner once and it was greatly unpleasant. Fizzy with bitter notes, some almost tasting like grass. Although she refused beer she was in no means prude to the idea of drinking. It was not uncommon for a bottle of red wine to disappear from the cellar unnoticed. Natsuru would reach into her fruit bowl grabbing the remaining few berries and stuffed them in her mouth in silence as she chewed. Ryuko was explaining a custom from her alignment to Yui. Natsuru paid attention in the background finding it moderately interesting in the least. It went to show she was adept with alcohol, and consumption was celebratory more than anything. With the last of her fruit down she was warmed up for an actual meal rather than satisfied. Fruit and veggies hardly did the job for her. She needed something heavier, like carbs and fat, to truly be satisfied. Still, she tried to maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle by having less meals and replacing that hunger with hobbies and alcohol on occasion.

"I see. Still wasting time it seems." Natsuru said with a more emotionless visage as she was no longer attempting to torment the girl. Shimiko was worried about Seigi's health, though Natsuru better knew the outcome. "I hope Shimiko doesn't kneel too hard when Seigi passes. She shouldn't waste her time mourning over something inevitable. As for that lemon head, I don't pay much attention to him. But I guess he's considerate for her feelings." Natsuru sunk into the waters down to her upper neck nearly submerging her chin. She tried not to worry about Shimiko. She felt she was old enough to hold her own. Perhaps she could help her with her problem. After all, both Ryuko and Shimiko has stuck by her side and worked with her for so long. Despite only being together for two days she grew rather fond of them. Natsuru could trust her life with those two.

Natsuru's ears perked up at the mention of a boyfriend. She rose from the waters from her slouched position staying seated only exposing the top of her chest. "Boyfriend? Currently? No. In high school I was sought after a lot, and I've had a few in my days. But I have a new focus." Natsuru fabricated her lie as honestly as she could, and could convince an investigator if she could. It was a lie she kept running since her second year of high school. Alas, she was as virgin and inexperienced as Shimiko. They did not need to know that, however. Natsuru was protective over her seniority status over the younger girls. Truth be told, Natsuru was quite nervous when it came to the idea of entertaining a boyfriend. She was great at entertaining herself with her hobbies and interests, but constantly being social with another person at all times would be bothersome.

"I have my copper mail strung up in my room on the wall.
It's a souvenir now. Some iron would be great. I can help you with getting some good deals on material. I don't mind if you come too, Yui. You can learn a thing or two from an expert." Natsuru said, self-praising herself and her mercantile skills. She figured the art of mercantile would come in handy knowing she was going to spend a lot of her money and time crafting.

Ryuko shrugged after Natsuru declined her offer for a sip. That just meant more for her which was fine considering she had a feeling this was going to be her only drink for awhile. At the monastery the monks would just hand her one when it was time, now she was going to have to secure a source of more booze if she wanted to contiune drinking in the future. Maybe the local church of Hakkin could help her out on that front.

She raised an eyebrow at the suggestion that Seigi would pass. The doctors had kept saying that he would be ok. Did Natsuru know something about his condition that Ryuko didn’t? Or where the doctors simply lying to Shimiko in a misguided attempt to make the girl feel better? He wasn’t the Raikage anymore but even so maybe they just didn’t want word to get out that one of the strongest ninja in the village was at deaths door.

Once she became a doctor she wondered if they’d let her take a look at Seigi’s charts. The case was so mysterious that it would be a good one to study. There was nothing so could do to help him in time but if his condition was genetic then it could end up effecting Shimiko down the line so it would be up to her to come up with a cure before that happened.

Ryuko was a little surprised when Natsuru admitted she didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment. The fact that she’d had men lining up for a chance to take her out In school made sense. If fact that was still likely the case since she’d turn head anywhere she went. None of the dates she’d been with before must have been good enough for her since she’d left them. From the mention of focus she was probably more interested in advancing her career then romance at the moment.

That said she likely won’t say no if the right person came along. It wasn’t hard to picture Natsuru going on a picnic in the park, or perhaps even a show with someone special. The problem would be finding that one diamond among a sea of mediocre. Ryuko supposed the best thing she could do to help would be to screen potential applicants so that only the cream of the crop got to speak to Natsuru.

After all her father screened any and all potential suitors for her to make sure they where up to his exacting standards. Ryuko likely wouldn’t need to be quite so strict here since her friend wasn’t a noble, she just needed to make sure they were nice enough and could provide for Natsuru in the long term if they where to get married.

But somehow the idea of someone else being with Natsuru and taking her away from Ryuko made her heart hurt and she couldn’t understand why. This was her best friend she was speaking about so didn’t she deserve to be happy regardless if it meant they’d be able to spend less time together.

“Nat-chan, Ich mag dich sehr!” Ryuko exclaimed upon being told that the chain mail she had given Natsuru was being used as a trophy and feeling incredibly flattered that Natsuru thought of her work so highly. She was telling her friend that she liked her very much using her native language since she was a little too worked up from being complimented to speak proper Japanese.

Hahashi seemed to be feeling shy and declined to answer the question about if she had a boyfriend and Ryuko couldn’t blame her since they hardly knew each other. It wouldn’t be an easy question for her to answer herself. Trying to explain why that she’d been told to say away from boys until her father either arranged a union for her was awkward even under the best of circumstances.

“Ok if we stay in the water any longer we’re going to turn into prunes. We should get to shopping while there’s still daylight out. If we keep dilly dallying tis sure we’ll find the markets closed by the time we reach them.” Ryuko said as she went to stand up and leave the water.

Yui smiled at the odd pair she was offered armor to be made for her and that could be convenient if she ever needed to actually wear armor. Still, she was enjoying listening to the two and watching their interactions, it reminded her of her and her squadmates back in the day. Maybe she would go visit her old friend that had survived, maybe it was time to face the past and move on standing still in the flow of time did no good for anyone.

She heard the girl mention leaving the water and she could not agree more, she heard them mention the other squadmate, the thing she was going through waiting at the side of the former kage was tragic. If anyone could understand her pain it was Yui, maybe she would stop by the hospital and talk to that poor girl. Yui would also stand as she would not bother hiding her figure, which of course was quite well endowed and had great proportions, she would head inside and grab her towel and dry herself off before placing her clothing back on.

She would wait for the two girls to get ready as she wondered just what they would do without a sensei now, who would watch out for these girls and who would support and nurture their growth. She was not sure but she was quite sure Calypso would find the right person for them, after this little meeting she would begin her investigation to see how far this corruption had spread, first her ex-sensei but it is likely he was just a lap dog for someone much higher up the chain.

Natsuru was relieved that part of the conversation did not carry. She was worried she would have to make up stuff on the spot, especially in a room full of girls who may or may not have experience on their own. The group had soaked in the pool for about half an hour, which Ryuko was right on her call. Natsuru paid attention to her body. Pruning was bad for her skin as it could dry out if she stayed a prolonged amount of time in the water. With a silent nod she pushed herself out of the waters by using the edge. Her legs still dangled in the water as she suited herself in her bath robe tying it securely to ensure her body was well-covered. Swinging her legs out of the water she stood up and followed Ryuko into the changing room. "We can make a quick stop by the market place and get to work. I have a few items in mind I want to make for all of us to have." She said, plotting her gift idea. Natsuru would suit up in her regular clothes, donning her armor and all things. "Let's go!" Natsuru said with a bit of light in her voice being genuinely excited to visit the market in such a long time.

[Exit --> Market]

Now that Ryuko was out of the water she didn’t bother with putting a bathrobe on. Their was nothing she had that the other girls didn’t have already and in abundance at that. She couldn’t help but wonder what sort of diet they where on to get so big in the chest department, but then against considering the downsides it could cause such as back pain maybe she was better off the way she was now.

Walking into the locker room she quickly dried herself off with a towel before slipping back into her priestess robes then followed Natsuru out of the building and towards the Marketplace.

[Exit --> Market]

Yui smiled as the two seemed to be moving onto the market, she had other things to take care of so she would meet them again soon. She felt like something big was coming, something would be changing in the world, something that would test everyone's mettle and she had to make sure she got prepared.

As she watched the two leave she prepared herself, she had to go research some things, was her sensei really the one that had caused her attack. She was sure this was the case and she would make him pay if she ever found him again.

-Exit Thread-