Meeting hearts next generation

[Kaitos10]

Haruka had just returned successfully from her long trip to the land of runes and was informed that heart had recently opened negotiations with konoha for future ninja exchange program. She even heard certain konoha ninja were being accepted as instructors. This made her curious plus she never been near heart so would be excited to see what it’s like. So she boarded a airship in a big town outside of konoha’s forest. As soon as she got on she would quickly hand her ticket in then go to the viewing deck to watch the scenery as the airship took off.

She had never been this high up before plus it was interesting seeing the clouds and how tiny everything was below. It was a interesting scenery but as fun as it was she didn’t think she would be taking the airship next time. Because it was harder to see the scenery then it would be if you were on a train at ground level. But for now she decided to enjoy the experience of flying around with out having to use tiring ninjutsu.

When she finally reached heart countries territory and landed in a town close to where tea country is. Once there she quickly went site seeing while looking for a inn to stay in.

[Nick]

Suzuko had been attending the academy for nearly as long as the Heart Empire had existed at this point, having been dropped off with House Mizutane when she was a little girl barely old enough to walk on her own. Coming from nobility and staying with local nobility along with this meant that she often had high expectations of her and was sometimes unfairly hoisted up as a representative of her generation. In this particular instance, she, along with a couple of the adults, were supposed to meet an airship carrying those from Fire Country...

Except the airship was over an hour early. They were still in the early stages of using them for transport, and they were performing better than expected, which was great! ...Except in this exact scenario. It was meant to be an event, welcoming them to the empire, making them feel like they belonged... Instead, as soon as they landed, everyone who arrived left to go about their business like reasonable adults. So when Suzuko and the others arrived to find the airship loading up for its next journey, well, that was a bummer.

Well, they were ninja, and surely some of them were dumb because of that, and so Suzuko was sent off to be a presence of helpfulness in case any of them couldn't find clearly marked inns, or needed help finding something simple like the Market. Suzuko had never seen a ninja before, though, and really wasn't sure what they looked like, either.

[Kaitos10]

Haruka quickly found the clearly marked inn as she was looking around the area. It was definitely a lot easier to find then the one in Kumogakure. Haruka wondered why that was? As she was thinking about it she entered the inn and booked a room. She would then get on her bed and begin to relax for a little. Before Eventually getting back up after only a little time had passed, to leave the room.

Afterwards she would proceed to look around the city she was in. It was always interesting to her seeing different places as well as how the cities of different countries differentiated themselves. As she looked around she noticed that everything was clearly marked making it easy to find the stuff you needed. She would first head to the market and would begin browsing the wares as she listened to the various gossip around the area.

Hopefully she could hear something interesting or learn something new. Another thing she wanted to see was what type of merchandise she could find in heart empire that couldn’t be found in fire country. She also wondered, what sort of things the people around here talked about. Her excitement racing as she looked around while listening to her surroundings.

[Nick]

Suzuko's exploration would quickly turn to some kind of positive. While not everyone from Fire Country that had come over was a ninja, and some who were weren't dressed in military uniform... One in particular caught her eye, a rather short girl who was wearing one of the village headbands around her neck. She could easily be caught staring, as it was the first time she'd seen one of the ninja headbands outside of a textbook. Her own people wore similar symbols, but theirs were more personalized, and embroidered onto clothing. Hers in particular denoted her as being from "The Holy City of Towers", even though the country didn't exist any more, and marked her as the lowest rank amongst the academies.

After a few moments of letting things process, she stepped up to the woman, all smiles and propriety, every part the good noble girl she was supposed to be. "Welcome to Tea Country!" She said formally, her hands folded behind her back as she leaned forward a bit to speak. "I am Fukuzawa, Suzuko, it is a pleasure to make your acquantance! Suzuko did not know the girls station in life, but surely the first boats from Fire Country, and Konoha especially, would be full of important players, nobles and the like! "I would be happy to help you find your way around the town if you need it!"

[Kaitos10]

Haruka was looking around and while she wasn’t exactly in a konoha uniform she was wearing her head band. Which she always did seeing no reason not to wear it since she was proud of being from there. She then heard a young girl start speaking to her. so Haruka turned around to look at her. Noticing a strange birth mark she never saw before she listens in then when she hears her name and thinks to herself for a bit she never heard that name before. But judging from her speech she certainly holds herself well, maybe she’s some nobles child here?


Either way it would be rude to question it and they did send someone to guide her around so it would be rude to comment on who they sent. She knew she had to be on her best behavior since she could possibly be representing Konoha and she didn’t want people to think she was still so flighty and unsuitable for delicate missions. That said even she would admit her personality and combat style made stealth missions out of the question from the start. Once Haruka was done listening to the heart representative introduce herself. Haruka would do the same and say as politely as possible “the pleasure is all mine I am Izumi Haruka.”


She would then think about where she wanted to go next the marketplace wasn’t as interesting as she hoped and she didn’t learn of any new places to eat so as she was trying to think of a suitable reply she thought this was the perfect chance to get people to at least some what trust her with a important job. Before saying “I would be delighted for you to accompany me I was just wondering which restaurant to visit.”

[Izanagi]

Takeshi was a fairly well-traveled young man. He had only just returned from a brief trip to Kumogakure when he heard of an opportunity to embark on an experimental visit of New Tea country. Having visited the villages of each of Konoha’s allies and being one of the Hokage’s sons he deemed it his responsibility to take part in learning more about the Heart Empire. He had been to Steam country, seen the refugees there and heard of tales of what Tea country was like before the war and how ruthless Kiri had been in their conquest. He had visited Tea country many times with his family when he was a young boy but such memories were distant and he regretted not seeing it more in the years before the war. Of course, he had only been a child of 6 the last time he had been there and 8 years old when the war broke out. And now, the people had relocated, largely to this new Tea. He wondered how the culture would change, countrymen split between Water country, Steam, Aroma and new Tea, each carrying memories of when they were one unified people.

The experience of flying within the airship had been one of such contemplations as he stared out over the landscape below. Heights were a comfort to him and he had been at higher elevations when training within the mountains of Kumogakure. He wore a new haori from his recent visit, a deep purple with teal-blue clouds. He had brought his bow, quiver, and legendary sword along with him of course, as a shinobi training was a daily priority. And atop his head he proudly wore the symbol of Konoha against purple fabric. His dark brown hair, nearly black in its richness was tied back in a high ponytail and fastened with a metal clasp that bore the likeness of a hawk. His pale white eyes, touched with a slight lavender hue were ever apparent. And yet he had been distracted in his thoughts and surprised at the swiftness in which they traveled. He hadn’t even thought to meet all the other passengers and it wasn’t until they disembarked that he caught a glimpse of the muscular young woman that he knew to be Haruka.

He hadn’t seen his friend for nearly a year, not since Chiaki had visited Konoha and they had trained together. Each had been quite busy with missions and their own training ventures in foreign lands. As usual, however, before he had the chance to call out to her she had run off in search of some sort of entertainment or knowing her something to eat. Sighing, Takeshi took a moment to take in the scenery. He was surprised there wasn’t more security or a greeting party as was customary during such events. Tea country’s capitol city, whose name he hadn’t yet discovered was starkly contrasting to the shinobi villages in regard to its security. Or perhaps, more likely they were simply more discreet. Such a town after all was now a stop along the world’s longest train line. He supposed there came a certain level of openness when one accepted trade and transit from around the world. But he knew better than to underestimate samurai. His brother, Yozei had trained with Tea country samurai and fought alongside them. Before Yozei had returned to rule over Southern Fire country he had told his brother of the strength and honor of Tea country warriors.

By nature, Takeshi was skeptical and distrustful, but he did love and trust his older brother. He admired the man and only resented him for the fact that he wasn’t around enough, a trait shared by their father. Activating his Byakugan as if on reflex when taking in such sights he quickly picked out over a dozen individuals that he surmised were at least Jounin-level strength. Just as he thought, though their chakra levels weren’t as developed as shinobi it was still obvious that they were formidable warriors. He would of course ensure he was on his best behaviour. Bowing slightly to the watching guards he dismissed his Byakugan and began to follow after Haruka at a leisurely pace. As he walked he marveled at the architecture. It was nothing like how he remembered the traditional bamboo houses of old Tea country. Instead, there were now modern-looking buildings reminiscent of Kumogakure homes, and all built atop an expansive cliffside overlooking the Ocean. Surely, this was not the work of the people of Shark Country, as the land had formerly been named. Something had changed, greater technology shared by Konoha and Kumo surely, and with new leadership it seemed the conglomerate cultures of this land were eager for change.

Takeshi inhaled, appreciating the Ocean air that was a rare experience for him. He felt slightly out of place with his bright haori as he observed some foreign looking clothing that different greatly from the more traditional clothing he preferred. Those clothes as well he had seen some similar styles to in Kumo but the village hidden in the clouds seemed to still largely favor the more traditional clothing and aspects of their culture. By the time he caught up to Haruka she was talking with a girl that seemed to be a local. He didn’t recognize the symbol she wore, but he was immediately curious about what it represented. From a distance of 5 meters away he would clear his throat and attempt to make eye contact with the two young women. “Sorry to intrude. My name is Hyuuga Takeshi” he introduced to the local before bowing in a well-practiced manner. Despite being a branch family member, he was still taught some manner of formal courtesies by his uncles, even if his mother balked at such behaviour. “Do you mind if I join you?” he asked to each of them before looking at Haruka specifically. “Haruka-chan, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I’ve heard you’ve been travelling as well, I’m glad we could both be here” he greeted. He wasn’t even sure what rank she was currently. He had been promoted to Chunin since the last time he saw her but there was no telling just how much the young woman had progressed. She was after all his elder by a few years and certainly didn’t lack in work ethic. For all their differences it was her dedication to training that he respected most about her and where he felt they were kindred spirits.

[Nick]

In some ways, Suzuko was a little overwhelmed. She'd grown up in rather private spaces, being taken from her home at an age before she remembered, and mostly secluded away with the Mizutane, her schooling had been private up until the academies opened just recently. The crowds around her were a lot different than even her classes at Doushikai academy, though, filled with primarily adults, and except for being top of her class in exams, she didn't stand out in class and so never received much direct attention, and now she had one... two... ninja approaching her to talk.

She'd volunteered for the extra credit without fully realizing what she was getting herself into, and while she was fairly social, the situation was overwhelming in its own way. Her mind raced. It was just two people. Two ninja. Internally she wanted to scowl, but maintained that same pleasant smile on her face throughout the anxiety riding through her mind. She turned and bowed to the newcomer. The Mizutane clan were traditionalists in a lot of ways, and while bowing had gone by the wayside for a lot of the younger generation, it still existed especially in noble houses with long lineages.

"Hardly an intrusion, Hyuuga-sama!" She said, showing deference to the man in front of her, recognizing the Hyuuga name, but not knowing well enough about the clan culture to know anything about the two branches. It helped that the boy was about her age and cute, too, his eyes caught her interest as they would for almost anyone. "Lovely to meet the both of you." She said, turning to a space between both of them and bowing to both simultaneously. "Welcome to Xincha, of the Heart Empire! It would be my honor to show you both around, but..." Suzuko turned to Haruko and smiled. "Food first, a long flight often needs something to settle your stomach!" Suzuko had never flown, but she'd heard a lot of the men say that it was harder on the body than the sea.

The part of the city that they were currently in was full mostly of Old Tea country natives, which meant that the clash of old cultures and new cultures was strongest here, but it was also one of the nicest parts of Xincha. Open air squares were home to dozens of sellers hawking their wares, other specifically planted areas contrasted to the natural rocky seaside of New Tea, a sort of nature reserve. Such parks existed in several areas throughout the city, often sponsored by neighborhoods, which meant that the 'theme' of each park was quite different, as some were full of cherry blossom trees, and others were closer to the swampy mangroves of River country, such wide variances made possible due to a mixture of chakra, steam technology, and old style greenhouses.

All this together meant that the trio would be spoiled for choice on where to go next, but unless someone stopped her, Suzuko would walk them straight to a local, more traditional diner. She did not know this city like the back of her hand, despite growing up here. The city doubled in size every time someone stopped to figure out how large it was, and the only people who really knew it were those that built it. In some ways the city was living, breathing, constantly evolving and shifting, home to a spirit all its own.

The diner would be fairly nice, but in some ways... boring. In an effort to be inoffensive to their foreign tastes, she'd chosen something that she hoped they'd be familiar with, while of course allowing them to sample the largest export of the country: tea. They were greeted warmly by a host, though upon seeing the pair of ninja with Suzuko, his expression would turn sour for no more than half a moment, before he returned to his grin and showed them to a low table with cushions to sit on, immediately going to grab them a pot of tea.

"It is lovely to meet people from outside the city, I must admit, this is my first time." Which wasn't true, but her memory of the before times were nearly nonexistent, and she still wasn't sure if they were dreams or not. "Was there anything specific you wished to see while you were here? It would be my honor to make sure you get the most of your experience."

[Kaitos10]

Haruka would be currently talking to the Heart representative Suzuko, when suddenly her friend Takeshi came over to her apparently he was visiting also. She would happily wave to him saying “hello Takeshi-kun yes I am happy as well about that also I just got back from the land of runes, I had a interesting time there.”

She then smiled back, she was hungry and the first thing she usually did when visiting a new country is eat the local foods they had. Besides eating and fighting with people were two of the best things to do with Allies. You could learn a lot with either one.

She would look on curiously around the area as she followed, when they eventually got to the dinner she would see the owners face sour before returning to normal. This made her wonder if anything was wrong causing her to do a quick check of her appearance to make sure there was nothing overtly offensive. Before resuming her previous posture.

When they finally sat down and the man left she would quickly and quietly ask their host “did I do something to offend him? He didn’t look to happy for a bit?” Then after that conversation was over she would hear her hosts next question and reply “well I dont really know much about this place so I will leave that to you i was actually sent here as part of the exchange program to help teach Hearts samurai”

[Izanagi]

Takeshi smiled at the warm reception. “Likewise” he responded, dipping his head once again. This girl seemed nice enough and was a similar age to himself and Haruka which made for a much more friendly and casual environment. The young man made a mental note of the name of the city, ‘Xincha’ it sounded foreign, like one of the places in Shrimp Continent that his brother had told him about. He wondered if he should ask about it or if his questions might seem ignorant. But before he could decide the guide suggested they share a meal together. It was a traditional custom to show good will and something he had come to expect. In Konoha one often welcomed others by sharing food and a trip to their onsens and it was comforting to know other countries shared similar customs and good courtesy. “A lovely idea. I’m starving” he agreed before responding to Haruka. “Rune country? Isn’t it quite dangerous there?” he questioned. Truthfully, he knew very little about the country, only that it didn’t have much in the way of government or civilization.

As they walked through the city together Takeshi marveled at the signs of blended cultures. In some ways it gave him hope as to the future of Konoha’s alliance with Kumo and Suna, and their friendly relationship with the Heart Empire. But so too did he worry about the risk if Konoha started allowing foreigners to live among them. It was jarring enough having other shinobi visit or stay for more than a week at a time. What would happen if foreign clan members began starting families with one another? There were simply too many security risks for it to be worth it surely. But perhaps that was simply the Anbu operative in him, ever cautious of outsiders and taught to put Konoha above all others. In an attempt to keep the mood casual and his pessimistic thoughts to himself, Takeshi would turn to his friend, smiling pleasantly, “So, which do you prefer Haruka? Flying or Sailing?” he wondered. He would give her a moment to consider before pre-emptively stating his own opinion on the matter. “Naturally I prefer the Sky over the Sea” he added as his gaze honed in on a pair of seagulls flying over the ocean.

Approaching the restaurant now, Takeshi’s nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. His sense of smell had always been rather keen, though not so much so as his father’s. He owed it to his Inuzuka heritage, courtesy of his Grandma on his father’s side. Interestingly there weren’t any particular spices that stood out, not like whenever he had visited Sunagakure. Instead, it was predominantly the aroma’s of tea and seafood that really stood out. The teenager’s brow furrowed in response as he noticed the microaggression made by the restaurant's host. Despite only being a Chunin, Takeshi was highly trained and noticing slight changes in facial expression was one of the things Commander Yoru had personally instructed him in. It was imperative to be able to identify hostile intent and react proactively in order to avoid being ambushed or otherwise endangered. He would be more cautious now, but not hostile himself if he could help it.

Setting aside his bow and quiver, Takeshi sat cross-legged on the cushion, allowing the young hostess to serve the tea as was customary. He would be the last of the group to drink the tea, perhaps giving away his slight mistrust, but he would attempt to mask it by maintaining conversation and a friendly demeanor. “I find that surprising. Xincha has such a rich cultural diversity, I would have thought travellers from all over would be eager to visit and trade their wares” he considered. Perhaps other nations and citizens alike were wary of the growing metropolis. Takeshi smiled as Suzuko asked what their agenda was like. “Honestly, I would love to do some shopping. My mom asked me to buy her some particularly rare teas and my sisters asked for souvenirs and clothing. Aside from that, I would be interested in learning archery or kenjutsu from true experts” he considered. One glance at Haruka was enough to know she would be particularly eager to spar, but it was important to remember to show great restraint and learn with humility, and it was this sharing of culture and technique that was more important to Takeshi than simply measuring one’s strength against others.

[Nick]

Suzuko likely didn't notice or understand the look that the host had given them before seating them, as her limited experience with ninja hadn't yet revealed the consternation between minor country folks (of which most residents of the Empire still considered themselves) and ninja. Her empathetic threads always clued her into peoples emotions to a degree, but she was never really clear on which emotion was coming from which direction, or of course, which person, or even why.

This meant that while Suzuko could feel the distaste in the man's heart, and also feel Takeshi's distrust for the situation, she couldn't pin either emotion to either of them, and felt a twinge of anxiety in her heart about the whole thing. She did her best to swallow the negative emotions and maintain the brave and pleasant face she'd been giving from the beginning, though she wasn't exactly a master of self control. She turned to Haruka, finally, and spoke up. "I'm sure he's probably just been working a lot, with the tourists coming in from all over now." She said diplomatically, hoping that was the case.

"I live in the Academies, so I don't get much time to come out and visit the markets." She admitted, taking a sip of her tea and taking a deep breath afterwards, letting the scent fill her nostrils. Life could be described in tea, but Suzuko was not a warrior poet to wax lyrical about such things. "I'm sure the both of you will probably be interested in seeing some of the training parks, and maybe the academies later, too, then!" She announced happily, piecing together in her head which ones might be the most interesting to visit.

"Shops like this often have their own unique blends they'll sell too, if you're interested. Otherwise the markets around here will have some of the most diverse cultural prospects, but for Tea Country originals..." She put a finger to her chin in thought for a moment, before the lightbulb went off. "Ah! Some of the shops closer to the coast would probably be more appropriate!"