Ran Hotei (Open)

Iro was traveling with Simon as he served as a sort of escort and ticket within Kumogakure. Without him she would most likely be removed forcefully or perhaps even worse depending on the leadership and their relation towards Sungakure. If Simon represented most of Kumogakure's opinion on foreign Shinobi, perhaps she was in good standing. The thought of being a foreigner still bugged her. Iro wasn't even completely familiar with her own former village. She tend to stay at home when she wasn't out and about. When she did go out it was either because of her duties or if she wanted to do something social. These places, however, were well-known. It was safe to say she stayed in a close comfort zone and rarely tried new things. Being the situation that she was in now, Iro had little choice but to be open minded about everything that was happening.

"What is the Raikage like?" Iro said, almost subtlety not to draw any attention to herself from the people she passed by. And that reminded her. Checking her peripherals urgently she deftly removed her forehead protector. It had...little purpose being worn now. She was not a diplomat, in her own village, or going to transverse the wilderness. It was meaningless to let others know she was foreign, aside to draw attention. And that was the last thing she wanted. With no equipment on her body she simply tucked the forehead protector in her obi sash she worn around her abdomen. She would appear as a normal civilian, though donning some particularly outlandish clothes.

Iro's eye would suddenly catch tea house located among the bazaar. Whether Simon answered in a timely manner or not, she would exclaim. "Hey, I have an idea! Would you like to try out that place?" Iro said, extending her arm with her finger pointed at an established named "Ran Hotei - Tea House." Iro enjoyed tea, and had worked up quite an appetite since she was hiking. Her diet had be fairly plain in her travels. Some dine-in cuisine would do her some good to lift her spirits a bit. If anything, she might find something reputable in this village that would be worth a second visit.

Iro preferred the thought of a generally laid back Kage. She knew to take other people's reviews with a grain of salt, but the idea was generally comforting. Simon mentioned a Jounin who was a joke. It was hard to believe someone with such a title could be even so considered a "joke." Chuunin themselves were your basic Shinobi. A lot of them were very skillful in their own fields. A Jounin was the next rank and required an all-around specialty. This was aside from a Tokubetsu Jounin who preferred to be very good at one particular skill which was useful to the military in some form.

Iro would hold off on replying until they actually got in to the establishment. She found it bad in principle to start up a conversation seconds before requesting a table. The two would approach a small stand where a middle aged woman stood behind. She was generic for business, having fair skin and jet black hair fashioned into a pinned bun. She wore a black pencil skirt, heels, and a white collared buttoned up long sleeve top. "Would that be for two?" She replied estimating it was only the two of them on the same bill. "Yes, please!" The hostess motioned them to follow as she did with Simon in tow. The followed the perimeter of the tables to save the trouble of weaving through multiple families and guests. Iro was a bit surprised when they exited through the back door and into an outdoor lounge type setting.

They were brought to a small table with only two chairs. The seating arrangement was all the same for this part of the establishment. It was slightly elevated, a mere five feet from the road, with white wood railing lining the dining area acting as a boundary. Iro settled herself in a chair as they were given two menus. "Please, get comfortable. We will be around shortly." Just as the woman departed a man approached their table dressed as professional as the hostess was. He placed two empty highball glasses on the table for both of them and filled each of them with a pitcher of ice water he held in his other hand. With a silent smile of service he departed as fast as he arrive.

It was to Iro's surprise they had a varied selection of food offered. Typically tea shops offered a few sweets and generally light confectioneries to enjoy with the chosen drink. They offered a few entrees, though none of them were exactly heavy. Curry on rice, lo mein, fried rice, dumplings....hmm She studied the menu silently for a moment before speaking though keeping her eyes centered on the list of food and tea items. "I find it shocking a Jounin could be bested by a civilian. If you don't mind me asking, what are your 'talents?' I can't seem to place my finger on what you specialize it." Folding her menu she set it down and aside returning her eyes back to Simon.

Iro was curious who this particular visitor the Shinobi in Kumogakure had to deal with. A large man dressed in red and white. Apparently he was a temporary threat, having a Jounin and Chuunin of the village involved. On top of that it seemed he put the Jounin in serious condition, although Simon preferred to talk down to such a character. As much as he did, it seemed as if he was telling the truth about how poorly he functioned in combat. That much was true. She nodded to appear interested in what he said about the nameless Jounin.

As Simon began speaking about himself did she really tune into the conversation. This was her first acquaintance in the village, and a Chuunin just like her. It was important to understand as much as she could about him. Being her only "source" meant she had to rely on him for a lot of things. From what she gathered, he was a chemist of sorts. Chemistry reminded Iro of a friend she made in Sunagakure. Kaori...I wonder if you're okay. The red-headed girl she met in a setting actually quite similar. It was the same evening she met up with Nobunaga where they spent the next day on a mission. Those were the last eventful days she had in her village before everything fell, and there she was forced to migrate.

Iro's face flickered in the wake of the small spark caused by the boy. She acknowledged it with a quick glance of her eyes. "So a Chemist with a taste of Ninjutsu. Useful I see." Iro said diligently with her arms crossed and a set of closed eyes, nodding twice in acknowledgement. As her eyes opened she smirked now feeling obligated to spoil Simon with details of herself. "I guess you could say I have a greater interest in Ninjutsu. As a Chuunin myself I possess three elements, one of them in particular being an Advanced Element." She said this with a brief paused, unsure whether Simon know what she meant by saying 'Advanced Element.' To most people the term was alien. Advanced could mean many things, most interpretations not accurate to its ability.

Taking the glass over water she'd take a sip quenching her rather dry throat. "That Advanced Element is Scorch. I achieve this by combining my Fire and Wind nature. Naturally, Wind fuels Fire which creates a viscous, uncontrollable inferno that wipes out anything in its path like a wild tempest. Scorch Release in a contained version of what you make be fortunate or unfortunate enough to witness. I fortify my fire to its most extreme limits, and contain them into dense spheres in most cases. I can hurl these miniature 'suns' at my foes with the speed of the wind behind them and watch as they melt through my opponent. My fireballs pass through my enemies the same speed they came, but as they do, they draw every ounce of moisture from their body. What is left of my opponent is a blackened carcass, preserved in their last moment."

Finishing her spiel she turned to the waitress with a pleasing grin as she had just arrived to their table in her final word. "I'd like the iced raspberry Rooibos tea with a plate of veggie lo mein, please!" She would wait for her to record her order and Simon to do his. When the waitress would leave she would direct her attention back to the blonde. "But my clan's nature aside, I am quite proficient in Fuuinjutsu technique, and have been investing a lot of my spare time into Kuchiyose. I guess you could say I am heavy towards complex fields. I generally don't prefer the 'combat role' if such thing exists. I like to serve in the military, though perform as a consultant or adviser." She said this with a bubbly nod and a minor blush on her cheeks after sharing a somewhat personal goal of hers. She pursued knowledge and skills to be useful in the administrative fields of work. She had no disdain towards the field workers, however she preferred not to expose herself to death and violence on a daily basis.

Iro grinned devilishly exposing her pearly white dental. "I guess you could say that's one of the natural gifts being born in an Advanced Element. Normally such a feature would be limited to incredibly high ranking Ninjutsu." She said this with her base knowledge of Ninjutsu as it stood. She was capable of some high ranking technique, yet none of them compared to the potency she had with Scorch Release. It was perhaps the most lethal Advanced Element in existence. Fire was the element of power and damage. Wind was precision and control. On top of giving fire the wind's properties it also fueled its strength working as the two most naturally compatible elements. "Although I do plan on being out of the field that does not mean I plan to stay out of practice. In fact, having more free time to myself will only allow me to further hone my skills."

"I have always found certain fields to be interesting. Fuuinjutsu being one of them. Just thinking about how they work it's almost like an art of sorts. Though I guess you have similar tastes seeing as you work with Chemistry. I had a friend who was the same in regards to her interests. Though to me Chemistry always seemed dangerous and too much number crunching. I can see its uses in the market." She said, adding on to her partial interest in the field. Personally she did not believe in taking drugs, and poisons seemed rather cruel in their practice. She refrained from those subjects which were rather popular in the Shinobi field. If she did choose to practice Chemistry she would only use it for Medicines and for beneficial practice.

Truth be told, Iro hardly uses her Advanced Element unless she was confronted with a life or death situation. The result of using Scorch Release was brutal as she has witnessed the times she had to kill her foe. It served mainly as her only tool in her arsenal. So far, it has proven to be useful in her line of work. With Simon mentioning he wanted to be intimidating she was curious as to how he planned to go about that, and if he was a violent man in general. Though in the end he was still just a child, her original assumption when she first met him at the gates. "Do you happen to know any other craftsmen of sorts in this village? It might be beneficial we all get to know each other, if we can help each other out with our skills?" She said attempting to keep the conversation going. It was something she did back in Sunagakure when meeting others with various skills. Unfortunately she was never able to put them into practice.

It wouldn't be long before their food would arrive. Their orders took quick preparation, not needing to handle any meat being mainly carbs. Breaking her chopsticks Iro began feeding on her vegetable chow mein. It was nice to once again eat professionally cooked food instead of those she typically grabbed through a cheap diner on her way traveling through the back country. Most importantly she felt safe consuming knowing the quality was certain. She would listen to Simon wrap up his thoughts putting his two cents in on what she just said. He shared the same mindset she had with certain fields. It was unfortunate he did not know many craftsmen in the village, but she could not particularly be surprised. Most Shinobi focused on Ninjutsu and their usefulness in combat, or simply worked as one for a career. Very few actually explore other fields of combat or even less have any major motivation with that craft. You could say a lot of them just do enough to make it by.

"I hope so, too. I can get used to the area." She said sharing a bit of truth. Truth be told...she did miss the desert. But the Land of Lightning was not a bad deal in itself. She would consume most of her meal, leaving some scraps of vegetables and noodles left over on her plate before reaching into her hip pouch exposing a gluttonous wallet. She would withdraw a small bunch of ryo bills sifting through its value briefly before setting in beneath her plate. "It was nice to talk to you, Simon. It would be best I try to seek audience with the village administration about joining. Hopefully we will cross paths again. I've paid for yours as well, so don't worry about it." She said with a sincere smile. Standing out of her chair she would hop over the short fence that bordered the eating establishment from the main street. She'd wave to the Chuunin as she headed off bidding her farewell.

[Exit]