Mission Scroll:In a joint operation with the Heart Empire, Lightning has dispatched several troops of samurai and ninja to patrol the roads and trains leading up to Steam Country. However, some refugees have requested additional protection, offering rather large sums of money or supplies in exchange for safe passage, and as such a pair of Chuunin are to be assigned to a VIP and her entourage travelling all the way from the Crescent Coalition through Gold, to Tea Country, and finally taking a boat all the way up to Steam. Ensure their safe delivery, the funds from this mission will aid other refugees in the future.
C-Rank
Signed: Nakajima Ren, Lightning Empire
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
 | Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Suzuko and Akihiko had only just passed their Chuunin exams when the war had broken out in full swing, official battles were declared, and troops began moving. The Lightning Empire and The Heart Empire had issued public statements of staying out of the situation, more or less, while it seemed like everyone else was declaring support for one another and the problem was getting bigger, and bigger... Then it felt like it was some kind of world war, and the empire was surrounded by warring nations. The samurai forces were dispatched to patrol the borders and make sure no battles were forming on their land, but otherwise the empire seemed complacent to just let the world burn around it save for missions like the two above-mentioned soldiers were assigned to...
Gold Country was in many ways a gem of the empire. In many ways it was in direct opposition to New Tea Country, where Tea was desert for much of its landmass, Gold was forests, mountains, wildlife abundant. Suzuko had been to Gold once or twice on stopthroughs to Fire Country when the Laurel that she'd usually rode on for the pilot program had stopped for fuel, supplies, or just to take care of some other kind of business while the students worked at the academies on this side of the empire for a bit instead. She'd come here straight from Fire Country after the team had passed the Chuunin exams officially, and had been rather busy taking missions and helping to organize things for the weeks that followed.
Today, she'd been assigned to something a lot more large scale and specific, and it made her nervous. She was to have assistance from some Lightning Empire person at least, but Goro wouldn't be joining her as he so often did. They were escorting a specific refugee group from the border of Gold Country all the way across the continent to Steam. In the before times, when technology and chakra weren't so widespread, this journey could have taken months, but now with trains and powered boats widely available, the full trip could probably be expected to take a week, maybe two. There weren't many refugees from the Crescent Coalition, as there didn't appear to be anyone getting ready to launch battles onto their soil directly, but the movement of troops was likely to scare and displace people all the same.
The border crossing from the Crescent Coalition into the Heart Empire through Gold was more militarized than normal. The gates were opened just wide enough for one person at a time to squeeze through, held at that same level of open by powerful chains to avoid large amounts of people squeezing through at once, and allowing the samurai stationed at the gate to check people's papers and collect travel taxes. This was the first leg of the journey, and Suzuko was waiting at the receiving end of the gate for her client to pass through, as well as for the support from the Lightning Empire, where they'd be escorting the VIP and her entourage to the train station.
Boy, that was long-winded.
Gold Country was in many ways a gem of the empire. In many ways it was in direct opposition to New Tea Country, where Tea was desert for much of its landmass, Gold was forests, mountains, wildlife abundant. Suzuko had been to Gold once or twice on stopthroughs to Fire Country when the Laurel that she'd usually rode on for the pilot program had stopped for fuel, supplies, or just to take care of some other kind of business while the students worked at the academies on this side of the empire for a bit instead. She'd come here straight from Fire Country after the team had passed the Chuunin exams officially, and had been rather busy taking missions and helping to organize things for the weeks that followed.
Today, she'd been assigned to something a lot more large scale and specific, and it made her nervous. She was to have assistance from some Lightning Empire person at least, but Goro wouldn't be joining her as he so often did. They were escorting a specific refugee group from the border of Gold Country all the way across the continent to Steam. In the before times, when technology and chakra weren't so widespread, this journey could have taken months, but now with trains and powered boats widely available, the full trip could probably be expected to take a week, maybe two. There weren't many refugees from the Crescent Coalition, as there didn't appear to be anyone getting ready to launch battles onto their soil directly, but the movement of troops was likely to scare and displace people all the same.
The border crossing from the Crescent Coalition into the Heart Empire through Gold was more militarized than normal. The gates were opened just wide enough for one person at a time to squeeze through, held at that same level of open by powerful chains to avoid large amounts of people squeezing through at once, and allowing the samurai stationed at the gate to check people's papers and collect travel taxes. This was the first leg of the journey, and Suzuko was waiting at the receiving end of the gate for her client to pass through, as well as for the support from the Lightning Empire, where they'd be escorting the VIP and her entourage to the train station.
Boy, that was long-winded.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
"Okay you mongrels, we are about to enter into the Heart Empire Border. We will be representing Kumogakure no Sato and indirectly you will be representing me. So the only one allowed to embarrass me is ME!? Do I make myself clear?!"
The small battalion of Kumo ninja grunted a little bit before giving a half assed "Yes Sir". With achieving the Chuunin Title, Aki was kitted in full traditional Kumo gear and a white headband. He was going to make it more unique eventually, but as a fresh Chuunin, he had to at least represent. A decent amount of the ninja were Genin and Chuunin of a wide range of ages. Most of them knew what Aki was like as a Genin. With a few years and some experience, Aki has established himself.... although his speech was rather.. unencouraging and contrary to his progression. However, at least he was trying?
When the crew arrived to the rendezvous site. Aki and his battalion of shinobi walked up. They looked rather official. Aki had a shit eating smirk on his face as he saw the Heart Samurai and his friend Suzuko. When their eyes met Aki couldn't help himself from speaking out. "Hey there Suzzy! You ready to get this thing rolling??"
The small battalion of Kumo ninja grunted a little bit before giving a half assed "Yes Sir". With achieving the Chuunin Title, Aki was kitted in full traditional Kumo gear and a white headband. He was going to make it more unique eventually, but as a fresh Chuunin, he had to at least represent. A decent amount of the ninja were Genin and Chuunin of a wide range of ages. Most of them knew what Aki was like as a Genin. With a few years and some experience, Aki has established himself.... although his speech was rather.. unencouraging and contrary to his progression. However, at least he was trying?
When the crew arrived to the rendezvous site. Aki and his battalion of shinobi walked up. They looked rather official. Aki had a shit eating smirk on his face as he saw the Heart Samurai and his friend Suzuko. When their eyes met Aki couldn't help himself from speaking out. "Hey there Suzzy! You ready to get this thing rolling??"
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Suzuko was waiting with a few other young Heart Samurai who had also been recently recruited into full time military service like she had. They were discussing the, well, everything.
"Why do you think they're going to war again?" Asked one boy, kitted out in full armor with a katana at his side.
"Who knows, they're ninja, war is probably all they know!" Exclaimed another boy next to him, shirtless and cradling an oversized club across his shoulders.
"A lot of the ones I've met seemed pretty normal." Suzuko interjected, feeling haughtily like the most worldly one present.
"Of course they're not normal! Its only been a few years since the last big war and they're already starting a new one! You know how many wars Plains and Sea was in since then?" Said the shirtless boy.
"You're from the City of Towers, right? Isn't that place like, destroyed because of ninja?" Asked the armored one.
"I guess I... don't really know what happened to the Holy City... But everyone I met in Konoha and Kumo was... Mostly nice." Suzuko responded emphatically, only blocked for a moment in thinking that calling Akihiko 'nice' was probably a step too far.
The conversation continued like this for a few moments, until she heard her name called by an all-too-familiar voice. Internally, she cringed deeply, a pucker of the soul at the very thought of A)Seeing Akihiko again, and B)Him being these younger samurai's first impression of ninja. At the very least he was mostly harmless, and if they made him mad she assumed he was more likely to laugh it off than try to fight them about it. Her face cracked into a smile slowly as she turned around and spoke through clenched teeth. "Oh, wow, Akihiko, so nice to see you again, I told you not to call me that." She said, a blood vessel threatening to rip itself free of her flesh to strangle the young Kumogakure shinobi.
She noticed the other Kumo ninja with him, and looked around for a moment, breaking away from the small group of samurai she was conversing with. "Are you here to help escort the VIP?" She asked, reaching behind her to pull her mission scroll out of her backpack, showing her copy of it for verification that his was the same. "This is Kumo punishing me for the whole underwear thing, isn't it..."
"Why do you think they're going to war again?" Asked one boy, kitted out in full armor with a katana at his side.
"Who knows, they're ninja, war is probably all they know!" Exclaimed another boy next to him, shirtless and cradling an oversized club across his shoulders.
"A lot of the ones I've met seemed pretty normal." Suzuko interjected, feeling haughtily like the most worldly one present.
"Of course they're not normal! Its only been a few years since the last big war and they're already starting a new one! You know how many wars Plains and Sea was in since then?" Said the shirtless boy.
"You're from the City of Towers, right? Isn't that place like, destroyed because of ninja?" Asked the armored one.
"I guess I... don't really know what happened to the Holy City... But everyone I met in Konoha and Kumo was... Mostly nice." Suzuko responded emphatically, only blocked for a moment in thinking that calling Akihiko 'nice' was probably a step too far.
The conversation continued like this for a few moments, until she heard her name called by an all-too-familiar voice. Internally, she cringed deeply, a pucker of the soul at the very thought of A)Seeing Akihiko again, and B)Him being these younger samurai's first impression of ninja. At the very least he was mostly harmless, and if they made him mad she assumed he was more likely to laugh it off than try to fight them about it. Her face cracked into a smile slowly as she turned around and spoke through clenched teeth. "Oh, wow, Akihiko, so nice to see you again, I told you not to call me that." She said, a blood vessel threatening to rip itself free of her flesh to strangle the young Kumogakure shinobi.
She noticed the other Kumo ninja with him, and looked around for a moment, breaking away from the small group of samurai she was conversing with. "Are you here to help escort the VIP?" She asked, reaching behind her to pull her mission scroll out of her backpack, showing her copy of it for verification that his was the same. "This is Kumo punishing me for the whole underwear thing, isn't it..."
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
The pink haired boy couldn't help but laugh as he gazed upon Suzuko and her samurai crew. Her response to Aki made a couple of the ninja put their head down and hide their face in what some would consider shame. Aki's eyes looked over to the younger samurai as Suzuko mentioned the underwear thing. He noticed that one of them borderline blushed from the comment. He put his attention back to Suzuko before speaking. "No no, that situation is between just us girls." A half smirk creeped over the boy's face before he continued. "Yeah, we are here to help!" Aki would walk over to Suzuko and attempt to give her a pat on the back. If he was successful, he would leave the slightest bit of chakra on Suzuko's back, tagging her in case of an emergency.
Being closer to Suzuko, Aki would turn to the Kumo Ninja that were under his command. "Alright Kumo ninja, go introduce yourself to our friends from heart. Don't be shy, they don't bite too much." With finishing, the boy would smile and turn his body completely to face the Heart Samurai. "Hey friends! I am Akihiko, but all of you can call me Aki, no need to be as formal like Suzzy over here." Finishing the sentence with a little nudge with his elbow.
Although the boy was being casual, he was more or less indirectly trying to settle down any nerves some of the noobies would have on a mission like this. It could seem daunting to someone who was fresh in the scene of being a bodyguard. After his introduction, the kumo ninja would walk over and begin to interact with the Heart Samurai. So far so good?
Aki would turn to Suzuko assuming he wasn't physically injured from her temper, he wouldn't have stopped her if she elicit violence or turned him into a slice of swiss cheese. "So Su, what kind of people are we waiting for anyways?"
Being closer to Suzuko, Aki would turn to the Kumo Ninja that were under his command. "Alright Kumo ninja, go introduce yourself to our friends from heart. Don't be shy, they don't bite too much." With finishing, the boy would smile and turn his body completely to face the Heart Samurai. "Hey friends! I am Akihiko, but all of you can call me Aki, no need to be as formal like Suzzy over here." Finishing the sentence with a little nudge with his elbow.
Although the boy was being casual, he was more or less indirectly trying to settle down any nerves some of the noobies would have on a mission like this. It could seem daunting to someone who was fresh in the scene of being a bodyguard. After his introduction, the kumo ninja would walk over and begin to interact with the Heart Samurai. So far so good?
Aki would turn to Suzuko assuming he wasn't physically injured from her temper, he wouldn't have stopped her if she elicit violence or turned him into a slice of swiss cheese. "So Su, what kind of people are we waiting for anyways?"
jutsu usedShow
Limbo • Passive Touch - Tagging
E-Rank Ninjutsu
Due to extreme exposure within the Limbo Realm, Akihiko as a slight bit of chakra located on his hands and feet. When touching an inanimate object (or inorganic) or a person, Akihiko leaves a slight chakra signature on it. By tagging an item and willfully leaving a slight bit of his chakra, it gives the selected organic or inorganic object/being the capability of entering and exiting the Limbo Realm.[/color]
E-Rank Ninjutsu
Due to extreme exposure within the Limbo Realm, Akihiko as a slight bit of chakra located on his hands and feet. When touching an inanimate object (or inorganic) or a person, Akihiko leaves a slight chakra signature on it. By tagging an item and willfully leaving a slight bit of his chakra, it gives the selected organic or inorganic object/being the capability of entering and exiting the Limbo Realm.[/color]
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Suzuko hated this more than usual. It was times like this that her own emotions overrode those of people around her, but luckily for everyone it wasn't quite a two-way street, at least not unwittingly. Still, her annoyance wouldn't be all that well hidden on her face. She didn't know the samurai around her all that well, but they were still her peers, and silently she made thanks that they weren't assigned to the same mission she was, and were only waiting around for their own orders while watching the borders. The others would catch on to the torture she was going through.
"Real nice, you were right!" Said the shirtless boy, turning to Akihiko when he introduced himself so boldly. "You're really friendly with these ninja type aren't ya, 'Suzzy'? Nice to meetcha, Aki!" He teased her, spitting in his hand and holding it out for Aki to shake. The boy in armor narrowed his eyes at the arrival of the ninja and spat on the ground, however, and ever so slightly his grip tightened around the sheath of his katana. He didn't speak, but it was pretty clear he wasn't all that pleased with their arrival.
"This is one of the least normal ones..." Suzuko muttered under her breath, trying to move past this situation as quickly as possible before Aki could embarrass her in front of her 'friends'. "Now that you're here, we should probably keep an eye out for them, they should be arriving soon. I think the scroll said their family symbol was of a sleeping hare..." She unfurled the scroll, giving it another once-over, before nodding, and stepping away from the other two samurai, rolling her shoulders in disgust of being touched by the gross boy. "You two... stay out of trouble." She said awkwardly, knowing full well that with Akihiko present she was likely the one getting into trouble.
"Keep your eyes peeled." Responded the armored one ominously as Suzuko grabbed Aki by the bicep and attempted to drag him away closer to the gate. "Seriously, don't call me that."
"Real nice, you were right!" Said the shirtless boy, turning to Akihiko when he introduced himself so boldly. "You're really friendly with these ninja type aren't ya, 'Suzzy'? Nice to meetcha, Aki!" He teased her, spitting in his hand and holding it out for Aki to shake. The boy in armor narrowed his eyes at the arrival of the ninja and spat on the ground, however, and ever so slightly his grip tightened around the sheath of his katana. He didn't speak, but it was pretty clear he wasn't all that pleased with their arrival.
"This is one of the least normal ones..." Suzuko muttered under her breath, trying to move past this situation as quickly as possible before Aki could embarrass her in front of her 'friends'. "Now that you're here, we should probably keep an eye out for them, they should be arriving soon. I think the scroll said their family symbol was of a sleeping hare..." She unfurled the scroll, giving it another once-over, before nodding, and stepping away from the other two samurai, rolling her shoulders in disgust of being touched by the gross boy. "You two... stay out of trouble." She said awkwardly, knowing full well that with Akihiko present she was likely the one getting into trouble.
"Keep your eyes peeled." Responded the armored one ominously as Suzuko grabbed Aki by the bicep and attempted to drag him away closer to the gate. "Seriously, don't call me that."
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
The child moved slightly away from his friend who clearly gave her the ick. A slight distraction as a shirtless boy came up to him. Was this the state of the samurai? Do they give contracts to swamp children? Regardless, pink haired pain smiled and mimicked the boy's behavior. "It is nice to meet ya too!" He would spit in his hand as well and shake the child's hand. Oddly enough this wasn't the first time he had done this, and Aki didn't really care about germs. Even if it was from a shirtless swamp child. Upon releasing Suzuko would shiver away from Aki in what could only be described as extreme disgust.
When she stated "You two... stay out of trouble", Aki let go of the child's hand and then waved at the rest of them. "Good luck guys! Hopefully we can meet in a lighter situation. Holler if you need help." The child said in an upbeat tone.
Being dragged by the bicept was an upgrade to the way she normally treated Aki. He nodded when she said seriously. All jokes and teasing aside, the boy didn't want to upset Suzuko. "Sorry about that Suzu, I won't call you that around your friends again." The boy watched as they walked closer to the gate away from their spot where the samurai and ninja were stationed. "I don't think the mission scrolls described the person we were escorting. Based on the writing it would be a high valued person right?"
When she stated "You two... stay out of trouble", Aki let go of the child's hand and then waved at the rest of them. "Good luck guys! Hopefully we can meet in a lighter situation. Holler if you need help." The child said in an upbeat tone.
Being dragged by the bicept was an upgrade to the way she normally treated Aki. He nodded when she said seriously. All jokes and teasing aside, the boy didn't want to upset Suzuko. "Sorry about that Suzu, I won't call you that around your friends again." The boy watched as they walked closer to the gate away from their spot where the samurai and ninja were stationed. "I don't think the mission scrolls described the person we were escorting. Based on the writing it would be a high valued person right?"
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
"That's not much better..." She complained quietly, though if she was forced to choose between the two, Suzu felt much more flattering that Suzzy. "It just said 'large sums of money', and the fact that it mentioned a family crest at all would probably agree with that." She said, looking back over her shoulder at the other samurai she'd been hanging out with, already back together in some conversation she couldn't quite make out, laughing and having a great time. She dwelled a bit more on the shirtless boy's words, especially given her most recent visit to Konohagakure and the people she'd met there. Her eyes turned back to Akihiko, and she wondered if he was on his way to being like Akito or Nakano. He was a goofball, certainly, and didn't take himself nearly as serious as either of them, but then did that really matter? How well did she really know any of her ninja friends?
She shook her head free from the worry for a moment to refocus on the mission at hand, leading Akihiko up to the top of the short wall where they could look out over the people coming in. She narrowed her eyes and opened up her senses to be on the lookout for the few things she knew about the incoming people. "What are the people in Lightning saying about the war?" She asked curiously as she looked out amongst the small crowd starting to pile up at the barely open gate as their information was checked before being allowed in through. It didn't take long for the targets to catch her eye though. A woman dressed in great finery, tall and slender, a great beauty obvious at first glance in a gentle blue kimono and large amounts of makeup. Next to her, a considerably shorter and stouter man, likely a native to Dwarf Country also dressed quite well, though carrying himself with more nervous anxiety than the elegance of the woman next to him. Most easily notable about the two, however, was the pattern on the woman's kimono, that of a sleeping hare woven expertly in, the same symbol described in the mission scroll.
"Ah, there!" She pointed out to her compatriot, if he hadn't noticed them himself. "She's so pretty..." Suzuko said, tilting her head and appreciating the grandeur with which she carried herself. Being of nobility herself she'd been taught much of the same things in how to carry herself and how to dress, but she so rarely had the luxury of being outside of her travelling outfits, and silently wished she had more occasion to dress well like this woman was. The man was also carrying a rather ridiculous amount of luggage on his back, not seeming to break a sweat in the process. "I don't think I've ever met people from the Crescent Coalition before..." She mused, walking back down the stairs to greet them as they made their way through the gate in orderly fashion, paying their travel taxes without fuss.
"Greetings!" She said, catching their attention, and reaching into her pack to pull out the mission scroll to confirm with them who they were. "I am Fukazawa, Suzuko and this is Ishiguro, Akihiko. I believe we're to be your escorts on the long journey to Steam Country?" The man looked around nervously for a moment as the woman spoke for them. "Prompt." She commented, turning to the man next to her, and seeming to break regality for a moment to dote on him. "See, honey? I told you hiring these ninja and samurai types would be the right move!"
"Yes, Oshi sweetie, you did, you always were the smart one." He responded, still sounding rather gruff and nervous as his body language portrayed. With a pleased nod the woman turned back to the ninja and samurai pair, back to the prim and proper noble.
"I am Tsukisagi, Oshare and this is my husband Yasuragi. I believe we have a train to catch...?"
She shook her head free from the worry for a moment to refocus on the mission at hand, leading Akihiko up to the top of the short wall where they could look out over the people coming in. She narrowed her eyes and opened up her senses to be on the lookout for the few things she knew about the incoming people. "What are the people in Lightning saying about the war?" She asked curiously as she looked out amongst the small crowd starting to pile up at the barely open gate as their information was checked before being allowed in through. It didn't take long for the targets to catch her eye though. A woman dressed in great finery, tall and slender, a great beauty obvious at first glance in a gentle blue kimono and large amounts of makeup. Next to her, a considerably shorter and stouter man, likely a native to Dwarf Country also dressed quite well, though carrying himself with more nervous anxiety than the elegance of the woman next to him. Most easily notable about the two, however, was the pattern on the woman's kimono, that of a sleeping hare woven expertly in, the same symbol described in the mission scroll.
"Ah, there!" She pointed out to her compatriot, if he hadn't noticed them himself. "She's so pretty..." Suzuko said, tilting her head and appreciating the grandeur with which she carried herself. Being of nobility herself she'd been taught much of the same things in how to carry herself and how to dress, but she so rarely had the luxury of being outside of her travelling outfits, and silently wished she had more occasion to dress well like this woman was. The man was also carrying a rather ridiculous amount of luggage on his back, not seeming to break a sweat in the process. "I don't think I've ever met people from the Crescent Coalition before..." She mused, walking back down the stairs to greet them as they made their way through the gate in orderly fashion, paying their travel taxes without fuss.
"Greetings!" She said, catching their attention, and reaching into her pack to pull out the mission scroll to confirm with them who they were. "I am Fukazawa, Suzuko and this is Ishiguro, Akihiko. I believe we're to be your escorts on the long journey to Steam Country?" The man looked around nervously for a moment as the woman spoke for them. "Prompt." She commented, turning to the man next to her, and seeming to break regality for a moment to dote on him. "See, honey? I told you hiring these ninja and samurai types would be the right move!"
"Yes, Oshi sweetie, you did, you always were the smart one." He responded, still sounding rather gruff and nervous as his body language portrayed. With a pleased nod the woman turned back to the ninja and samurai pair, back to the prim and proper noble.
"I am Tsukisagi, Oshare and this is my husband Yasuragi. I believe we have a train to catch...?"
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Aki stood with Suzuko as she confirmed his suspicions. Since the child was born in a rather rigid rich family, it was almost triggering to deal with people who stood at a higher status. It simply was one of the few things he loathed, which included his own clan. Based on what the young child had seen in his days, it didn't seem like most of the fortunate or wealthy people catered to helping others in need... it usually resulted in providing more wealth for themselves. Even the Ishiguro as a clan tended to stay back when it came to village affairs, which in Aki's mind simply didn't make sense. A clan that had a Kekkei that could diffuse ninjutsu would have a powerful seat at the table if they actually gave a shit.
These thoughts caused Aki to naturally let out a "Ugh, I hope they don't act like rich people." Aki didn't know too much about Suzuko's past, but with her rank up and dealings with people from all over the world, Aki was sure she had her fair share. He shook his head a little bit and let out a soft smile when Suzuko noticed the people walking by. She was right... she was pretty. The child would quickly weave a few hand signs and straighten out his back. Although Suzuko probably saw the hand signs, nothing would have seemingly come of it. The child agreed with her and spoke up question what the hell Crescent Coalition was.. "Yeah I've never heard of it at all, I can't even pronounce what you just said.. Creshant Cockilation?" Aki almost stuttered through it, but eventually got there. Maybe he nailed it!? Regardless, Aki followed Suzuko's lead and stayed quiet while she introduced him.
When Suzzy Introduced Aki, he bowed with respect towards the lady. It was proper form and something he had learned early on as a sign of respect. When Akihiko lifted up his head he just gave a small smile as acknowledgement. When the lady and her partner finished speaking, she would turn towards the two of them saying something about a train. "Yes Tsukisagi-Sama, we will follow your lead!" He excitedly said keeping the lightheartedness in his face. However, the child was very much keeping his attention to the area. His silhouette was following shortly behind him in case of a quick action. With his soft, kind, and goofy demeanor, the boy of few brain cells wanted to make sure that their mission went off without a hitch!
These thoughts caused Aki to naturally let out a "Ugh, I hope they don't act like rich people." Aki didn't know too much about Suzuko's past, but with her rank up and dealings with people from all over the world, Aki was sure she had her fair share. He shook his head a little bit and let out a soft smile when Suzuko noticed the people walking by. She was right... she was pretty. The child would quickly weave a few hand signs and straighten out his back. Although Suzuko probably saw the hand signs, nothing would have seemingly come of it. The child agreed with her and spoke up question what the hell Crescent Coalition was.. "Yeah I've never heard of it at all, I can't even pronounce what you just said.. Creshant Cockilation?" Aki almost stuttered through it, but eventually got there. Maybe he nailed it!? Regardless, Aki followed Suzuko's lead and stayed quiet while she introduced him.
When Suzzy Introduced Aki, he bowed with respect towards the lady. It was proper form and something he had learned early on as a sign of respect. When Akihiko lifted up his head he just gave a small smile as acknowledgement. When the lady and her partner finished speaking, she would turn towards the two of them saying something about a train. "Yes Tsukisagi-Sama, we will follow your lead!" He excitedly said keeping the lightheartedness in his face. However, the child was very much keeping his attention to the area. His silhouette was following shortly behind him in case of a quick action. With his soft, kind, and goofy demeanor, the boy of few brain cells wanted to make sure that their mission went off without a hitch!
Jutsu UsedShow
1st Layer • Akihiko Silhouette
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Create a Limbo Realm being, not to be mistaken as a clone, although it does share size and features. This is a silhouette that attacks and defends based on commands given mentally upon creation. The silhouette's speed and strength stats are dictated by the [Control] stat.
C-Rank Ninjutsu
Create a Limbo Realm being, not to be mistaken as a clone, although it does share size and features. This is a silhouette that attacks and defends based on commands given mentally upon creation. The silhouette's speed and strength stats are dictated by the [Control] stat.
Last edited by Texas on Fri Mar 01, 2024 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
The heiress almost managed to take offense to Aki's loud complaints about rich people, and she took a breath in as if she was about to comment something in retort, but let it out instead as she remembered her station within the Mizutane. Sure, in all technicality she was a noble, a princess in fact! ...But she held no lands of her own, wasn't all that rich, and in fact the noble family that she resided with were... Well, she couldn't really ask more of them, could she? She was a guest at best, a parasite at worst. A sculpture they agreed to hang on to as a favor, but as the years wore on and nobody came to collect it, its cracks and imperfections became more obvious and annoying, better to be shoved into a closet than displayed with pride.
The wind was taken out of her sails a bit, she was taken by surprise when he called them the "Cockilation" and while she normally would have rolled her eyes, it took her so off guard that Aki earned a very unladylike snort and giggle. She swallowed that down as quickly as she could though, as much as Aki was funny at times, and over the years of seeing him on and off he'd matured a bit and gotten a little cute, she didn't want him getting the wrong idea. Besides, she had appearances to keep up for these oncomers!
...She did gently elbow Akihiko though, they were meant to be escorting the Tsukisagi couple, not the other way around! "Ahem." She ahem'd, making a gentle gesture with her right hand. "The train station is this way." She said, trying her best to be the consummate professional that these two high-paying clients likely expected of their escorts, and hoping Akihiko would take her lead, though she doubted it.
There would be several train stations throughout Gold country, taking people in a nearly straight line from one side of the country to the other, before splitting at the border of Dungeon Country and going along its border before reaching Tea country, all the way to the coast. The border crossing into the Crescent Coalition would be not terribly far to the train station, and the roads would logically lead straight to it, making the first leg of their journey incredibly uneventful (unless Akihiko decided to talk a lot, which would seem in character for him, ADHD and all, but that's a story for next post).
The train station would be quite busy with the large number of refugees, lots of people being told they couldn't bring their entire household's worth of items with them, some buying extra seats to try and squeeze in family heirlooms, and others struggling to scrape enough money together to buy seats for their entire families. It was a sad sight to see as some were turned away, and Suzuko reached into her pack to pull out the tickets that had been explicitly provided for the mission, four in total for two escorts and two escortees, and then she looked at the dwarf carrying the luggage for the pair of them. It wasn't exactly an entire household, but it was quite a lot, and she wondered if they'd be asked to throw some of it to the side.
"So crowded..." She commented quietly. That might have been a real problem only a few short years ago, as the excessive number of emotional strings, combined with strong emotions present during such a hard time... But she'd learned to tune many of them out. "Aki, could you go secure our seats, make sure the train car is safe?" She asked, handing him his ticket, before turning to the Tsukisagi family and offering them theirs as well. "You probably haven't been on the trains before?" She asked, receiving a head shake from both of them. "It's not too different from a boat, just make sure you keep hold of your ticket, they might check it more than once throughout the journey." They both hesitantly reached out to take the tickets, and with her hands now free, Suzuko unslung her backpack as well, setting it on the ground in front of her and inbetween them.
"Your luggage would probably be stored in a separate car entirely, and while it's generally safe, if you have anything you want to keep safe, it's probably best to put it in here." The two looked down at the backpack, then at Suzuko, then at each other, and started to laugh. "Haha, I think it may be best if we just bought an extra seat nearby for our things!" It was obnoxious, and the heiress realized she probably should have explained that Fukuro-kun was no ordinary backpack. A vein popped on her forehead, and she ground her teeth together, but continued the same polite tone.
"This is where they'll be safest, and there may be no extra seats available, given..." She gestured vaguely at the busy station. "May I?"
"Well, if you insist, it's quite heavy though, young lady." Yasuragi responded, unslinging his own pack and holding it out to Suzuko. Once more she was annoyed at being underestimated, and made an especially big show of pulling the things from his hands and holding them high above her head, opening Fukuro-kun's flap with her foot, before slowly setting the things down into the backpack where, true to her word, they would slowly disappear into the bottomless gullet of her backpack. The pair of nobles stared in interest and disbelief as the 'magic trick' before them was performed, and both of them clapped ecstatically. "Bravo! You ninja types really are impressive!" She commented, and Suzuko wanted to correct her that she was the samurai of the pair, but held back to avoid sounding rude. "How does it all fit? May I...?" He asked, leaning down to pick up the backpack, which shot its tongue out at the prospect of someone else touching him. "He's not a fan of being touched by strangers." Suzuko said quickly, bending down to pick him up before it could cause trouble, holding him like one holds a naughty dog and whispering "Be nice!" to him.
Hopefully, things were going well with Aki's side of things.
The wind was taken out of her sails a bit, she was taken by surprise when he called them the "Cockilation" and while she normally would have rolled her eyes, it took her so off guard that Aki earned a very unladylike snort and giggle. She swallowed that down as quickly as she could though, as much as Aki was funny at times, and over the years of seeing him on and off he'd matured a bit and gotten a little cute, she didn't want him getting the wrong idea. Besides, she had appearances to keep up for these oncomers!
...She did gently elbow Akihiko though, they were meant to be escorting the Tsukisagi couple, not the other way around! "Ahem." She ahem'd, making a gentle gesture with her right hand. "The train station is this way." She said, trying her best to be the consummate professional that these two high-paying clients likely expected of their escorts, and hoping Akihiko would take her lead, though she doubted it.
There would be several train stations throughout Gold country, taking people in a nearly straight line from one side of the country to the other, before splitting at the border of Dungeon Country and going along its border before reaching Tea country, all the way to the coast. The border crossing into the Crescent Coalition would be not terribly far to the train station, and the roads would logically lead straight to it, making the first leg of their journey incredibly uneventful (unless Akihiko decided to talk a lot, which would seem in character for him, ADHD and all, but that's a story for next post).
The train station would be quite busy with the large number of refugees, lots of people being told they couldn't bring their entire household's worth of items with them, some buying extra seats to try and squeeze in family heirlooms, and others struggling to scrape enough money together to buy seats for their entire families. It was a sad sight to see as some were turned away, and Suzuko reached into her pack to pull out the tickets that had been explicitly provided for the mission, four in total for two escorts and two escortees, and then she looked at the dwarf carrying the luggage for the pair of them. It wasn't exactly an entire household, but it was quite a lot, and she wondered if they'd be asked to throw some of it to the side.
"So crowded..." She commented quietly. That might have been a real problem only a few short years ago, as the excessive number of emotional strings, combined with strong emotions present during such a hard time... But she'd learned to tune many of them out. "Aki, could you go secure our seats, make sure the train car is safe?" She asked, handing him his ticket, before turning to the Tsukisagi family and offering them theirs as well. "You probably haven't been on the trains before?" She asked, receiving a head shake from both of them. "It's not too different from a boat, just make sure you keep hold of your ticket, they might check it more than once throughout the journey." They both hesitantly reached out to take the tickets, and with her hands now free, Suzuko unslung her backpack as well, setting it on the ground in front of her and inbetween them.
"Your luggage would probably be stored in a separate car entirely, and while it's generally safe, if you have anything you want to keep safe, it's probably best to put it in here." The two looked down at the backpack, then at Suzuko, then at each other, and started to laugh. "Haha, I think it may be best if we just bought an extra seat nearby for our things!" It was obnoxious, and the heiress realized she probably should have explained that Fukuro-kun was no ordinary backpack. A vein popped on her forehead, and she ground her teeth together, but continued the same polite tone.
"This is where they'll be safest, and there may be no extra seats available, given..." She gestured vaguely at the busy station. "May I?"
"Well, if you insist, it's quite heavy though, young lady." Yasuragi responded, unslinging his own pack and holding it out to Suzuko. Once more she was annoyed at being underestimated, and made an especially big show of pulling the things from his hands and holding them high above her head, opening Fukuro-kun's flap with her foot, before slowly setting the things down into the backpack where, true to her word, they would slowly disappear into the bottomless gullet of her backpack. The pair of nobles stared in interest and disbelief as the 'magic trick' before them was performed, and both of them clapped ecstatically. "Bravo! You ninja types really are impressive!" She commented, and Suzuko wanted to correct her that she was the samurai of the pair, but held back to avoid sounding rude. "How does it all fit? May I...?" He asked, leaning down to pick up the backpack, which shot its tongue out at the prospect of someone else touching him. "He's not a fan of being touched by strangers." Suzuko said quickly, bending down to pick him up before it could cause trouble, holding him like one holds a naughty dog and whispering "Be nice!" to him.
Hopefully, things were going well with Aki's side of things.
Jutsu TrainedShow
Fetch!
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A teamwork jutsu between Suzuko and Fukuro-kun, Suzuko can either hold or throw Fukuro-kun, moving him in such a way to keep him safe and unharmed thoughout the use. By matching his speed to the speed of any object, Suzuko can capture the object inside of Fukuro-kun, rendering it harmless to both her and her backpack. This works best on basic projectiles, but can also be used on swung weapons, or even some jutsu, though this would not protect him from the burning passive of katon, for example.
B-Rank Taijutsu Maneuver
A teamwork jutsu between Suzuko and Fukuro-kun, Suzuko can either hold or throw Fukuro-kun, moving him in such a way to keep him safe and unharmed thoughout the use. By matching his speed to the speed of any object, Suzuko can capture the object inside of Fukuro-kun, rendering it harmless to both her and her backpack. This works best on basic projectiles, but can also be used on swung weapons, or even some jutsu, though this would not protect him from the burning passive of katon, for example.
Last edited by Nick on Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Oh yeah that's right... Akihiko was no longer the one following... Suzuko's ahem made it very clear. From this point on, they were no longer considered younglings. They were accepted into the next caliber of ranking up, not just for their capabilities but for leading! Which made sense.. Aki was so used to Genin based jobs, he had almost forgot that he was a Chuunin now. Even though his drip was screaming Kumogakure no Sato, for real for real.
The child did a half laugh, almost an awkward laugh, as Suzuko started to lead the way. The boy would take the rear with his Silhouette following very closely. It was a nice day although there was a slight hint of panic. There was almost a tension in the air that couldn't quite be figured out by the walking dunce. The child decided to get closer to the couple and try to chat them up. As he walked up to walk beside them, his silhouette took the rear. This helped give Aki the reassurance and security he needed to be fully comfortable. He would look at the couple with an intoxicating smile before asking questions non stop. "Your clothing is beautiful, both of you. I don't think I have seen such distinct color in silk like that in a long time. Who do you buy your clothes from? The seamstress must be a master at their craft." Due to having a clan in the higher level of society, the boy had found ways to try to compliment people while bringing up and giving their flowers to the real people that deserve the compliment. In this scenario, Aki was curious who could do such a great job.
The lady snickered a little bit before commenting. "Oh we wouldn't buy this." She would state as she looked at the man next to him. He would continue her thoughts by saying "Well these were actually gifts from our business partner before he passed away. It was very nice, but very tragic." Aki was a little confused on the slight snicker followed by the death of a colleague. Maybe to them, they would never just buy something like this. Meh, the boy shook his head and simply stroked their egos a bit. "Wow, that was very nice of him. I am sorry for your loss." with a follow up head lowering, Aki lifted his head only to see they arrived at the train.
The two would stop, but Aki would keep walking until he was next to Suzuko. The second she started speaking, the child would turn slightly to her. Suzuko being nice to Aki and treating him as an equal was nice. After some of the comments he has made, not being physically threated was a nice change of pace. What Aki really noticed was Suzuko's demeanor. She was more calm, cool, collected than she has been in the past. She didn't show fear, anxiety, or really let her emotions get out of control. Maybe she was maturing like Aki? Wait was Aki maturing? The child moved his right hand over to the ticket and swiped it from her in a playful way. "Yes Sir!" He announced before walking toward the train with his silhouette following him.
The boy got to the ticket checker who was at one of the doors. Aki flashed the man his ticket and asked very politely, "Hello Sir, could you point me in the direction of where I am sitting?" Although a mundane task, the man who was all dressed up smiled and looked at the ticket. He pointed and told the child "Just go a couple carts down. Have a nice day." Now that was customer service! With a loud thank you, the boy walked over two carts down and flashed his ticket to the person standing and waiting to let people in. She looked at it and smiled "You are in the right spot! Welcome!" The boy smiled back and walked in. Wow everyone was so.... The child purposely walked in silently, with his training with Hotaru, he has learned a great way to move silently without any issues now. However upon entering the cart, it was empty? That was weird especially since he saw all walks of life outside. Maybe they were just early? Aki walked through the cart and looked under the seats, over the headboards, and even checked between spaces. He didn't see anything weird, so the boy went and took a seat where his ticket was.
Maybe people would start coming on now? However, he didn't really want to take any risks. So the child utilized his chakra to command the silhouette to go find Suzuko and stick with her. The invisible creation would run out of the entrance and head back to where Suzuko was. However, it would keep slight distance so she wouldn't bump into it. Aki probably should have told her that he had backup for them just in case.... oh well! While Suzuko was helping and his silhouette was following, Aki sat in a goofy way and swung his feet across the bottom. He would keep tabs on everyone who would walk into their cart.
Asashin to Supa - Complete Silent Movement
B-Rank Maneuver
Utilizing Stealth, Akihiko has learned different ways to control his body and clothing on his body. Because of this, the boy can move freely in a silent way.
Only someone with a perception tech of the same rank or higher, could hear the finer movements that would be performed.
The child did a half laugh, almost an awkward laugh, as Suzuko started to lead the way. The boy would take the rear with his Silhouette following very closely. It was a nice day although there was a slight hint of panic. There was almost a tension in the air that couldn't quite be figured out by the walking dunce. The child decided to get closer to the couple and try to chat them up. As he walked up to walk beside them, his silhouette took the rear. This helped give Aki the reassurance and security he needed to be fully comfortable. He would look at the couple with an intoxicating smile before asking questions non stop. "Your clothing is beautiful, both of you. I don't think I have seen such distinct color in silk like that in a long time. Who do you buy your clothes from? The seamstress must be a master at their craft." Due to having a clan in the higher level of society, the boy had found ways to try to compliment people while bringing up and giving their flowers to the real people that deserve the compliment. In this scenario, Aki was curious who could do such a great job.
The lady snickered a little bit before commenting. "Oh we wouldn't buy this." She would state as she looked at the man next to him. He would continue her thoughts by saying "Well these were actually gifts from our business partner before he passed away. It was very nice, but very tragic." Aki was a little confused on the slight snicker followed by the death of a colleague. Maybe to them, they would never just buy something like this. Meh, the boy shook his head and simply stroked their egos a bit. "Wow, that was very nice of him. I am sorry for your loss." with a follow up head lowering, Aki lifted his head only to see they arrived at the train.
The two would stop, but Aki would keep walking until he was next to Suzuko. The second she started speaking, the child would turn slightly to her. Suzuko being nice to Aki and treating him as an equal was nice. After some of the comments he has made, not being physically threated was a nice change of pace. What Aki really noticed was Suzuko's demeanor. She was more calm, cool, collected than she has been in the past. She didn't show fear, anxiety, or really let her emotions get out of control. Maybe she was maturing like Aki? Wait was Aki maturing? The child moved his right hand over to the ticket and swiped it from her in a playful way. "Yes Sir!" He announced before walking toward the train with his silhouette following him.
The boy got to the ticket checker who was at one of the doors. Aki flashed the man his ticket and asked very politely, "Hello Sir, could you point me in the direction of where I am sitting?" Although a mundane task, the man who was all dressed up smiled and looked at the ticket. He pointed and told the child "Just go a couple carts down. Have a nice day." Now that was customer service! With a loud thank you, the boy walked over two carts down and flashed his ticket to the person standing and waiting to let people in. She looked at it and smiled "You are in the right spot! Welcome!" The boy smiled back and walked in. Wow everyone was so.... The child purposely walked in silently, with his training with Hotaru, he has learned a great way to move silently without any issues now. However upon entering the cart, it was empty? That was weird especially since he saw all walks of life outside. Maybe they were just early? Aki walked through the cart and looked under the seats, over the headboards, and even checked between spaces. He didn't see anything weird, so the boy went and took a seat where his ticket was.
Maybe people would start coming on now? However, he didn't really want to take any risks. So the child utilized his chakra to command the silhouette to go find Suzuko and stick with her. The invisible creation would run out of the entrance and head back to where Suzuko was. However, it would keep slight distance so she wouldn't bump into it. Aki probably should have told her that he had backup for them just in case.... oh well! While Suzuko was helping and his silhouette was following, Aki sat in a goofy way and swung his feet across the bottom. He would keep tabs on everyone who would walk into their cart.
Jutsu LearnedShow
Asashin to Supa - Complete Silent Movement
B-Rank Maneuver
Utilizing Stealth, Akihiko has learned different ways to control his body and clothing on his body. Because of this, the boy can move freely in a silent way.
Only someone with a perception tech of the same rank or higher, could hear the finer movements that would be performed.
Last edited by Texas on Tue Mar 05, 2024 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Shouldering her backpack, Suzuko opened her senses a bit, taking the lay of the land, before nodding. She didn't activate her chakra sensory, and so wouldn't notice Aki's shadow following her around, but in an area this crowded it might have been hard to notice anyway. She did notice, however, that her actions with her backpack had drawn a few eyes, and she felt a twinge of anxiety hit her as more attention was put on her, as well as the realization that maybe she shouldn't have done anything involving chakra here. Of course it was bound to draw attention, but in a moment of weakness she'd thought that Gold Country would be safe, that the only issues they'd have would be bandits further down the road.
The couple they were escorting were talking amongst themselves for a moment, some about their journey to come, and some about the strange creature Suzuko wore on her back. "Right." She said out loud, interrupting them and making a gesture with her hands for them to walk in front, trusting that Akihiko would have that part taken care of so that it would be best to make sure nothing happened from behind. "Time to board." The Tsukisagi pair handed their tickets to the man taking them without issue, but when Suzuko reached out to hand the man hers, something felt off. She looked him over, his uniform was awfully scruffy, and as the man took the ticket she noticed his knuckles were freshly bruised. He looked back at her, and clearly feeling awkward at being stared at, said "Safe travels. Next!"
She filed it away for now and awkwardly moved after her charges down from cart to cart until she saw Akihiko. In typical train car fashion, seats were in sets of four, two facing two on either side of a wide aisle, and just like Akihiko she noticed it was awfully empty. "Isn't the train about to leave...?" She asked out loud, sticking her head out the window to find the station clock and confirm her suspicions. Suzuko gave Aki a look that said 'something's off', though he'd likely felt similar at this point, clearly less concerned at the goofy way she'd caught him sitting. For now. Briefly she considered whether it was safer for them to sit by the window or the aisle, but the question was taken from her when they both sat next to each other across from the pink-haired boy.
"Are these 'trains' of yours quite loud?" Asked Oshare, pulling Suzuko out of her mulling of the situation. "Ah, not generally, though right when we're about to take off or come to a stop..." Her sentence was finished for her as the train whistle blew loudly and proudly, causing her to close her eyes and take a pretty annoyed look on her face. "The whistle lets everyone know..." She looked around, their car was still empty, and there were still quite a lot of people out on the depot, and several of them looked quite upset as the train started to roll away slowly. It jerked first as their car caught up to the movement of the engine, and Suzuko stumbled a bit, still standing in the aisle.
She did ping her chakra sensory out this time, confirming that the car they were in was, indeed, empty. She didn't have the kind of fine control over it to look for stronger symbols, but there were several packed cars further down the train line, and the ones on either side of them were at least relatively full as well. Was there something going on, or were both writers simply too lazy to describe an active crowd on a crowded train?!
The Heiress gave Aki another look, but didn't want to say anything out loud and worry their charges unnecessarily. She shoo'd him to let her sit down, folding her hands in her lap uncomfortably, wringing them nervously. Ah, there was that anxiety he'd known her for. "Do they serve refreshments?" Yasuragi asked. "We brought some with us, but, haha, mostly alcohol!"
The couple they were escorting were talking amongst themselves for a moment, some about their journey to come, and some about the strange creature Suzuko wore on her back. "Right." She said out loud, interrupting them and making a gesture with her hands for them to walk in front, trusting that Akihiko would have that part taken care of so that it would be best to make sure nothing happened from behind. "Time to board." The Tsukisagi pair handed their tickets to the man taking them without issue, but when Suzuko reached out to hand the man hers, something felt off. She looked him over, his uniform was awfully scruffy, and as the man took the ticket she noticed his knuckles were freshly bruised. He looked back at her, and clearly feeling awkward at being stared at, said "Safe travels. Next!"
She filed it away for now and awkwardly moved after her charges down from cart to cart until she saw Akihiko. In typical train car fashion, seats were in sets of four, two facing two on either side of a wide aisle, and just like Akihiko she noticed it was awfully empty. "Isn't the train about to leave...?" She asked out loud, sticking her head out the window to find the station clock and confirm her suspicions. Suzuko gave Aki a look that said 'something's off', though he'd likely felt similar at this point, clearly less concerned at the goofy way she'd caught him sitting. For now. Briefly she considered whether it was safer for them to sit by the window or the aisle, but the question was taken from her when they both sat next to each other across from the pink-haired boy.
"Are these 'trains' of yours quite loud?" Asked Oshare, pulling Suzuko out of her mulling of the situation. "Ah, not generally, though right when we're about to take off or come to a stop..." Her sentence was finished for her as the train whistle blew loudly and proudly, causing her to close her eyes and take a pretty annoyed look on her face. "The whistle lets everyone know..." She looked around, their car was still empty, and there were still quite a lot of people out on the depot, and several of them looked quite upset as the train started to roll away slowly. It jerked first as their car caught up to the movement of the engine, and Suzuko stumbled a bit, still standing in the aisle.
She did ping her chakra sensory out this time, confirming that the car they were in was, indeed, empty. She didn't have the kind of fine control over it to look for stronger symbols, but there were several packed cars further down the train line, and the ones on either side of them were at least relatively full as well. Was there something going on, or were both writers simply too lazy to describe an active crowd on a crowded train?!
The Heiress gave Aki another look, but didn't want to say anything out loud and worry their charges unnecessarily. She shoo'd him to let her sit down, folding her hands in her lap uncomfortably, wringing them nervously. Ah, there was that anxiety he'd known her for. "Do they serve refreshments?" Yasuragi asked. "We brought some with us, but, haha, mostly alcohol!"
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
Kicking his legs back and forth, Aki was excited to ride the train. Sure they were on a potentially dangerous mission, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy themselves a little bit. Aki waved to the trio and the hidden silhouette as they arrived to his cart. His empty... no person cart..
After they inquired about alcohol, the pink haired boy smiled. "Absolutely, once the train starts going there will be a guy or girl with a cart that can serve us not only refreshments... but tasty treats too!" the boy said with great excitement. He would even turn to Suzuko and make a statement/question out loud. "Wasn't the lady who took our tickets nice! I always appreciate someone who can smile and be happy when they work! It really shows that she loves her job." The child stated as he smiled at the group.
Aki kept his silhouette standing near the front entrance where the cart employee should enter from. During that he would turn to the two nobles and start asking questions. "You brought your own alcohol? That's a good idea. Where did all of your stuff go?" The woman would take out from her pocket a fan and start waving air to her face as she spoke up. "Oh this handsome ninja Suzuko hid it in her bag. Such a delightful young lady."
The boy turned to Suzuko and held in tears. The Ishiguro Clan member was about to explode with Laughter! A Handsome girl?!?! Comedy aside, Aki was a bit concerned about her performing something like that in public. Of course Aki being in full Kumo gear was an advertisement that he was a Ninja, however Suzuko didn't fully look the part. At the very worst it could have looked like Aki was accompanying the three people entering into the train. Oh well, it's not like anyone was watching right?
Before Aki could make a comment or even pull Suzuko to the side to ask her about how public the action was, the bell whistled loudly and the train started to move.
After they inquired about alcohol, the pink haired boy smiled. "Absolutely, once the train starts going there will be a guy or girl with a cart that can serve us not only refreshments... but tasty treats too!" the boy said with great excitement. He would even turn to Suzuko and make a statement/question out loud. "Wasn't the lady who took our tickets nice! I always appreciate someone who can smile and be happy when they work! It really shows that she loves her job." The child stated as he smiled at the group.
Aki kept his silhouette standing near the front entrance where the cart employee should enter from. During that he would turn to the two nobles and start asking questions. "You brought your own alcohol? That's a good idea. Where did all of your stuff go?" The woman would take out from her pocket a fan and start waving air to her face as she spoke up. "Oh this handsome ninja Suzuko hid it in her bag. Such a delightful young lady."
The boy turned to Suzuko and held in tears. The Ishiguro Clan member was about to explode with Laughter! A Handsome girl?!?! Comedy aside, Aki was a bit concerned about her performing something like that in public. Of course Aki being in full Kumo gear was an advertisement that he was a Ninja, however Suzuko didn't fully look the part. At the very worst it could have looked like Aki was accompanying the three people entering into the train. Oh well, it's not like anyone was watching right?
Before Aki could make a comment or even pull Suzuko to the side to ask her about how public the action was, the bell whistled loudly and the train started to move.
| Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Village | Rank |
| Hatake, Tenzin | Konohagakure no Sato | Bannin - [color=#BF0000]Text Color[/color] |
| Ishiguro, Akihiko | Kumogakure no Sato | Chuunin - [color=#FF4080]Text Color[/color] |
| Kisama, Ginjiro | Heart Empire | Natsubushi - [color=#80BF80]Text Color[/color] |
| Murasaki | Iwagakure no Sato | Genin - [color=#FF8040]Text Color[/color] |
[Invasion] Rainfall and Regrets: Cowards Die in Steam!
The heiress crossed one leg over the other, letting Akihiko take over the conversation for a moment as she started to look around. She trusted that he'd done a fine enough job inspecting their car before they'd all gotten on, even if she didn't think all that highly of him on average, her experiences with other ninja in Konoha and Kumo had taught her that they weren't ninja for no reason, but something was definitely wrong. She felt a little awkward being called 'handsome', but didn't mention it, instead taking more umbridge over being called a ninja. "Samurai." She corrected, less of a personal peeve and more of a societal thing, her superiors would take it as a black mark on their honor to be referred to as a ninja. "Akihiko is the ninja, even if the pretty pink hair makes that hard to believe sometimes." Aki's barely held in laughter wasn't helpful in the matter, and she wanted to sock him in the nose for it, but she had a professional air to maintain.
She wrinkled her nose as Akihiko mentioned the ticket taker, unsure if he also felt something was off with the whole thing or if he genuinely thought they were just a nice person. Maybe she was being too suspicious, after spending time in Konoha with Akito and being ambushed as they were, her hackles were raised and they would be hard to put back down only a few short weeks after what was meant to be a leisurely jaunt turned into a mission for Konoha.
The train slowly rolled up to full speed, and when it did the ride got significantly smoother, making it more reasonable to stand up and walk around should anyone wish to. "You need not answer if you don't wish to, but could you tell us a little about the Crescent Coalition, or your family?" Suzuko asked politely, just trying to strike up conversation to fill the time, they had a long train trip ahead of them through heart and wind country alike. "Oh, what's there to say?" Yasuragi responded too-quickly, "It's a peaceful place! ...Or was..." He said, a tinge of bitterness in his voice causing his wife to speak up. "With the, ah, Coalition being so new, it's hard to see what effect the changes will have in becoming a... ninja country." She said carefully, before quickly and expertly moving the conversation.
"My family is quite large, merchants mostly, and my beautiful Yasu here married into it, and we're lucky to have him!" She said brightly, leaning over to plant a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek, to which he blushed. "But we're not near so known as some of the ninja families we hear about, the Hyuuga, or what were they called... The Kisama! From your empire, aren't they?" She asked, looking pleased she'd remembered it. Suzuko nodded, smiling. "They're the ones responsible for the very train cars we're sitting in today, even if the tracks are of Lightning Empire design, where Akihiko is from." She said, gesturing to her 'pretty' compatriot. "How fascinating! I'd heard that you samurai and ninja types didn't get along! I'm not familiar with the Lightning Empire, do they have large ninja families as well?"
As the conversation continued, Suzuko seemed to relax just a bit, happy to be chatting with what appeared to be rather pleasant nobles. The door connecting their train car to the one to the east opened up with a gentle clack, and with the awkward sound of uneven wheels, a woman pushing a cart down the aisle with several snacks or simple meals, riceballs, breads, and other meals that held well on journeys without a large kitchen available to them sat atop. The woman pushing the cart didn't stop to look at the empty seats, moving along at a quick pace, before stopping right in front of them. '
"Refreshments?" The woman asked pleasantly. Suzuko looked over the offerings, before looking back up at the woman pushing the cart, staring at her. Something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Why yes, I'd love some lunch!" The male of the pair said eagerly, happy to have something else to focus on besides the conversation he didn't seem too keen on having in the first place. This, thankfully, drew her eyes away from the face of the woman pushing the cart, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a small movement as Yasuragi leaned over to pick something off the top of the cart.
The curtain covering the sides of the cart rustled just slightly, and thusly a small glint of metal could be seen between the slight opening. Having no time to think, and suddenly in full panic mode, she shouted. "Akihiko!" Before adjusting her position in the seats, delivering a powerful kick to the side of the cart just in time to throw a kunai off of its trajectory, forcing it to stab through the rice ball in Yasuragi's hand rather than somewhere else in his body.
It seemed this wasn't going to be a quiet escort mission after all.
She wrinkled her nose as Akihiko mentioned the ticket taker, unsure if he also felt something was off with the whole thing or if he genuinely thought they were just a nice person. Maybe she was being too suspicious, after spending time in Konoha with Akito and being ambushed as they were, her hackles were raised and they would be hard to put back down only a few short weeks after what was meant to be a leisurely jaunt turned into a mission for Konoha.
The train slowly rolled up to full speed, and when it did the ride got significantly smoother, making it more reasonable to stand up and walk around should anyone wish to. "You need not answer if you don't wish to, but could you tell us a little about the Crescent Coalition, or your family?" Suzuko asked politely, just trying to strike up conversation to fill the time, they had a long train trip ahead of them through heart and wind country alike. "Oh, what's there to say?" Yasuragi responded too-quickly, "It's a peaceful place! ...Or was..." He said, a tinge of bitterness in his voice causing his wife to speak up. "With the, ah, Coalition being so new, it's hard to see what effect the changes will have in becoming a... ninja country." She said carefully, before quickly and expertly moving the conversation.
"My family is quite large, merchants mostly, and my beautiful Yasu here married into it, and we're lucky to have him!" She said brightly, leaning over to plant a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek, to which he blushed. "But we're not near so known as some of the ninja families we hear about, the Hyuuga, or what were they called... The Kisama! From your empire, aren't they?" She asked, looking pleased she'd remembered it. Suzuko nodded, smiling. "They're the ones responsible for the very train cars we're sitting in today, even if the tracks are of Lightning Empire design, where Akihiko is from." She said, gesturing to her 'pretty' compatriot. "How fascinating! I'd heard that you samurai and ninja types didn't get along! I'm not familiar with the Lightning Empire, do they have large ninja families as well?"
As the conversation continued, Suzuko seemed to relax just a bit, happy to be chatting with what appeared to be rather pleasant nobles. The door connecting their train car to the one to the east opened up with a gentle clack, and with the awkward sound of uneven wheels, a woman pushing a cart down the aisle with several snacks or simple meals, riceballs, breads, and other meals that held well on journeys without a large kitchen available to them sat atop. The woman pushing the cart didn't stop to look at the empty seats, moving along at a quick pace, before stopping right in front of them. '
"Refreshments?" The woman asked pleasantly. Suzuko looked over the offerings, before looking back up at the woman pushing the cart, staring at her. Something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Why yes, I'd love some lunch!" The male of the pair said eagerly, happy to have something else to focus on besides the conversation he didn't seem too keen on having in the first place. This, thankfully, drew her eyes away from the face of the woman pushing the cart, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a small movement as Yasuragi leaned over to pick something off the top of the cart.
The curtain covering the sides of the cart rustled just slightly, and thusly a small glint of metal could be seen between the slight opening. Having no time to think, and suddenly in full panic mode, she shouted. "Akihiko!" Before adjusting her position in the seats, delivering a powerful kick to the side of the cart just in time to throw a kunai off of its trajectory, forcing it to stab through the rice ball in Yasuragi's hand rather than somewhere else in his body.
It seemed this wasn't going to be a quiet escort mission after all.
Last edited by Nick on Mon Apr 01, 2024 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
"It's so sad!" the reader said to the writer with a frown. "The character in my book just died!" The author turned to her and burst out into tears, "I know!" he said, "So did mine!"
Ninja Info CardsShow
| Suzuko Just another girl |