One And The Same

[Kaida]

It had been a few weeks since Datura had finally returned home. Her reunion with her family a very happy and tearful affair. It would seem her mother, grandmother and siblings had all made it out of the war in one piece; something she was grateful for. Youji was still in town, something that brought her immense joy. Being able to show him the life she had had previously and make him a part of felt right, helping to melt away the last two years of her life and settle back into a routine.

Her long white hair was pulled pack into a half ponytail that drifted down into braids as it cascaded down her back, giving full view of her bright golden eyes in the desert sun. She wore one of her more traditional white dresses, flowing down to her feet and belted around her waist with detached sleeves for cover on her arms; gold floral embroidery along the hem, sleeves and high neckline. It gave a very flattering look as it draped across her curvier features. She made her way to the marketplace in the middle of Suna, she was out shopping for seeds for her garden and procuring a variety of supplies to supplement building a small training area around the outskirts of her garden to better practice her ninjustu. She was dedicated to becoming stronger and keeping both her family and Youji safe, that meant she needed to put in more effort.

Wandering through the market picking up the seeds she needed, ingredients for dinner that night and browsing the baubles along the streets for anything Youji might like, she lost track of where she had been walking and moved straight into someone else. She bounced back slightly on the balls of her feet, embarrassed at being caught up in her own musings. She bowed her head slightly, not yet looking at who she had trampled into. “My most sincere apologies, I was not looking where I was going.” Her hands were folded in front of her, grasping on to her basket as her soft voice spilled condolences.

Finally opening her eyes, she saw a peculiar sight in front of her. A young boy with crimson eyes and hair as white as her own. His eyes reminded her of Kiyori, and she was hit with a wave of nostalgia. If she didn’t know any better, he could have been part Naegi given his bright white hair, but she knew all the members in her clan. Making her curiosity grow, there weren’t many in Suna who donned such prominent white locks or such brightly colored eyes like the two currently standing in the marketplace. “I’m Naegi Datura.” She held her hand out in a formal greeting, further making up for her clumsy blunder.

[King of Cats]

At the market, Seiji found himself deeply invested in the haggling at hand. He wa hoping to buy several cucumbers, maybe a dozen, but he wanted a deal. Seiji's white hair shone in the desert sun and his green lips glistened against the wind. "Well, how many do you want to sell me?" He was getting frustrated with the man's broken language. The venor wasn't the smartest fella. Seiji had a handful of cucumbers in his hands, at least six. They were large vegetableand took up most of his wingspan.

The vendor started muttering something to Seiji,, and then someone came colliding into Seiji. He stumbled back and dropped all the cucumbers. "Dammit." Seiji didn't turn to see who had bumped into him. Instead, the young ninja bent over and started picking the cucumbers up. "I guess I'm paying full price for these." He muttered and slstarted putting them down on the vendors stall.

Standing up, Seiji had all the vegetables off the ground and he was ready to confront the person who had ungraciously stumbled into him.. Seiji was wearing a white v neck t muscle shirt. His fair colored skin waould have been exposed to the sun except for a thin red veil he kept wrapped around his shoulders. Seiji tried to smile but he was sort of annoyed by the vendor. Trying not to carry his problems into this encounter, Seiji preached into his pocket for a wad of cash to py the vendor. "Just a moment. He said to Datura, then slapped some money on the stall. The vendor started cooing in delight and began bagging up the sandy cucumbers.

"I'm sorry for standing here." Seiji smiled and grabbed the bag of cucumbers. "It's nice to run into you. I'm Seiji Kouseki." The jade gemstone in his forehead shined in the harsh daylight.

[Kaida]

Datura giggled at the young man before her, his disgruntled demeanor melting away as he made eye contact with her. She nodded her head as he bid her to wait a moment, letting him finish his transaction with the greedy vendor. “No need to apologize, I bumped into you. Markets are meant for standing and haggling.” She smiled warmly at him as he introduced himself, her dainty and delicate hand shaking his at making his acquaintance. “My father used to tell me stories as a child about the ‘Glittering Gems’ of Suna. He always made them sound so magical. It’s nice to meet you” Her voice was sincere, a sense of whimsy to her tone as she recalled that precious time with her deceased parent.

She could feel the heat of the day warming her to her core and found herself grateful once more to be home. Even if she stuck out like a sore thumb here, an angel lost in the never-ending sands. Her golden eyes twinkled in the midday sun as she raised an eyebrow at Seiji’s...prosperous purchase of cucumber. “That’s quite the haul, is that all for you?” The tease evident in her voice, simply poking fun to keep the air light.

[King of Cats]

This woman certainly stood out. Seiji couldn't help but think that it was destiny for all the weirdo's in Sunagakure to bump into him. He had all of his cucumbers and briefly looked down at them, wondering who the real weirdo was. He had a big bag of cucumbers, him, a single guy. How fortuititous for a stranger to happen upon him in such a moment. Seiji furrowed his brow thinking about it, but quickly washed it away with a fored smile. It seemed genuine, but there was something foreign about it. As if it didn't belong on his fac after such a thought.

"Stupendous to meet you lass." Seiji looked down at his cucumbers again. [color=seagreen"I'm making a slad for my mom. Don't... worry...."[/color] His voice trailed off. As he finished speaking, Seiji fidgeted in place. The jewels in his hands seemed to shine in the desert sun, alive with vigor and wonder. Seiji's crystals were unlike any of the Kouseki in Suna. Seiji hd living crystals on his hand. When he used them for Shouton, the crystals would crack, and with time they would heal back to a whole. Seiji ws truly unlike his peers, but he didn't like to be viewed as such. As proud as he was, he wasn't one to brag, despite deserving some attention.

What truly made Seiji unique was his Hizashi blood. Seiji was capable of performing Kenton, and he had a real talent manifesting Heat Release. A prodigy hadn't been seen in years like Seiji. He wass expected to move up the ladder quickly, and it seemed he would. Lately, however, Seiji had been distracted.

Since Suna was occupied things had drastically changed around the village. Allegiances were forfeited for ryo, and people sold their brothers for bread. It was a sad era for Sunagakure, but Seiji wass determined to see it thru to the end.


Standing before Kaida, Seiji suddenly felt very rushed. It was as if he had something important to attend to. A roast on the pot perhaps. "Datura, may I call you tht? Are you here to steal my cucumbers?" He gave her a sly look and chuckled. It was his way of sending her off. She deserved a good joke. "What are you doing here today? How can I help you, madam?" Seiji fidgeted once again.

[Kaida]

Datura watched the young man with amusement clear on her face, which was only enhanced by the warm smile on her face. “You may Seiji-san. As for stealing your cucumbers, I wouldn’t dream of it. They’re not necessary for my dinner plans.” She teased him to help assuage his obvious nerves in their interaction. It was strange to her, in Iwa most people looked at her with disdain, she had forgotten what it was like to be home and to be treated any differently.

“Madam? I don’t think I’m quite that old, regardless of my white hair. I’m simply in the market to prepare for dinner, much like yourself I imagine. And to restock my collection of herbs. My recent time away has left me little to work with.” She looked around the stall they were currently at and saw some mustard seeds in little jars. She picked one up and removed the lid, giving them a cursory sniff as she assessed the quality. Turning back to the vendor she bowed her head and handed him the necessary ryo for her purchase. These would be useful for her new smoke bombs she was working on.

“I’m not in need of any assistance, though I wouldn’t say no to company if you have the time to spare.” She pulled herself out of her thoughts as she remembered where she was, the formula would have to wait until she was locked away at home and could test more thoroughly the effects she wanted to produce. She beamed once more at the young man before her, leaving the decision up to him if he wanted to be on his way or join her for an afternoon of shopping.