Sails Unfurled

[Jinan B]

It was mid-morning within Kirigakure, and Kinsue was travelling towards her docks. Not the greatest of the docks, mind you, where endless bundles of cargo made their way on and off the merchant ships that came into the village. The young man instead was headed towards a smaller harbour. Here, the ships that made international voyages were not kept, nor were the tiny rowboats fished from by the merchants who made fresh fish their trade. Only smaller recreational crafts were held at this harbour, symbols of prestige for the wealthy. His outfit was a far cry from what he would usually be wearing; a loose kimono and more practical pants for being out on the water.

He had never been big on sailing as a hobby. Kosuke had taught him, of course, but it hadn’t seemed to matter much when he was young. Then, after he had withdrawn from service he hadn’t the energy to pursue anything he wasn't forced to. Nowadays, he had more energy than he had felt in a long while, and Katsurou had finally won him over on trying something new.

As he neared the nobles’ harbour, he wondered who he would likely meet at his destination. He had been told there would be one other sailing with him; one Aisu, Namie. Apparently, they had both requested to hire a boat for a day. Hers wasn’t a name he recognised, but there were always new connections to be made and new friends to be had. As he came near the pristinely kept piers he had to admit that he was excited; almost despite himself. Today, he thought, might even be fun.

[Kao]

"Don't forget how important the upcoming weeks are, Namie. Focus on the connections that are guaranteed to serve you well." An elegantly dressed woman paced slowly on the small wooden dock, her tall geta clacking gently with each step. She stood before a young woman who was more appropriately dressed for a day at sea, and who was trying to politely hide how bored she was with the ensuing conversation. The younger woman tucked a loose strand of shiny, jet black hair behind her ear and then tugged at the collar of her light blue blouse. Her stoic expression might have hidden her disinterest, but her fidgeting gave her away. "Remember: you are not just an Aisu noblewoman; powerful blood runs through your veins."

"Yes mother," Aisu Namie replied, her voice soft and low just the way the older woman preferred. She watched her mother's long blue robes billow as a strong breeze passed them, and she turned her head east in the direction of the wind. An easterly wind would be perfect for sailing towards the open sea, and she was eager to get out on the water. Of course she would be forced to socialize with one Karagate Kinsue, but if he was decent enough company she was sure she could still enjoy herself. Namie had heard of the man before, and in the days prior she had looked into him out of curiosity. It had quickly became evident to her why her mother was so eager for the two of them to meet. "Make me proud." It was a command, one that Namie knew she had to take seriously or else there would be dire consequences.

The young woman bowed, and once her mother was out of sight and earshot she sighed dramatically. She had hoped she could take it easy today, but of course she had to focus on her ambitions. Maybe it had been a mistake to let her mother in on her plans. Namie dragged her sandaled feet down the docks until she spotted her chartered boat. It seemed she had arrived before her companion. Perfect. Rather than wait around idly and prettily, the Aisu boarded the ship and began to masterfully prepare the boat so they could launch shortly after he arrived. Hopefully this Karagata knew how to sail.

[Jinan B]

A handful of other nobles were already spread across the docks when Kinsue arrived; each making their brief preparations before taking to the open waters. Such was typical for the season, he supposed. With summer nearing its height, many in Kirigakure wished to escape its dreary shroud. Some would depart for weeks or more, to palatial manors elsewhere in Water Country. Those preparing their ships now were the ones with too little wealth – or too much responsibility – to make such a grand escapade.

The young man picked out the ship offered to him, seeing that it was also occupied by the day’s companion. Namie had experience on the waters if the way she prepared was anything to go by. Seeing it lifted a small, stiff sense of competition in him. Partly Karagata pride -shipmasters that they were- partly the instinctual rivalry he felt towards the woman’s clan. Embarrassing himself was certainly off the table.

”Namie?” he called out to her as he neared, before gracefully striding aboard. The younger woman had a graceful, almost delicate air about her; though one that did not hide her clear strength and training from Kinsue’s eye. ”I’m Kinsue. A pleasure to meet you.” He gave a bow, only proper, before beginning to look over the state of the ship and picking out what preparations were not yet complete. They were both clearly keen to be on their way. Talk could come later.

He made his way to the aft of the ship, working on rigging Namie had not yet gotten to. The memories of his lessons came to him quickly, knowledge once drilled into his bones the same as the combat training he had struggled through. Thankful to have retained some muscle memory, he called out to his partner. ”It’s been some time since I tried my hand at this last, so you’ll have to forgive me while I get reacquainted. Either way, I thought we could head south, along the islands down Kazusa. Seem good to you?”

[Kao]

An unfamiliar voice called her name, and Namie instinctively turned her head towards the source. She was greeted by a face she had only seen in pictures, one that was much more handsome in person. The girl had been kneeling and checking the vessel when he arrived, so she stood and folded her hands in front of her then bowed at the waist just before he did. The gesture was deep enough to show her respect for him, but shallow enough that it maintained the dignity of someone of her station. Namie wasn't well known outside of the clan by any means; those that did know of her though, would know she is a direct descendant of the Rokudaime Mizukage, Aisu Shira. Still, she was a mere chuunin who had stagnated in the ranks, so she needed to show the appropriate amount of respect to this man since he outranked her. It was a balancing act, to be sure.

The man seemed eager to get down to business so they could be on their way; she appreciated that. "A pleasure to meet you as well." Kinsue didn't waste any more time that was needed on pleasantries, so Namie nodded and turned to continue her work. Once she was satisfied that the vessel was ready to go, she turned to him with a shy smile. "That's fine. I don't get to spend as much time on the sea as I'd like, either. South is good! Let's get going." A few minutes later the pair were headed out to toward the straits, a cool breeze filling the boat's sails. The Aisu held on to the ropes to steady the mainsail, expecting Kinsue, her senior, to take up post at the helm. The kunoichi enjoyed a few minutes of quiet before attempting to strike up conversation with the man. She was unsure what exactly her very first conversation with a well-known jounin should be about, but she was curious about the Karagata. So she decided on the obvious.

"Perfect weather for sailing." One could never go wrong with talking about the weather, no matter how trite such a topic could be. "The waters have been pretty consistently choppy the last month or so, so unless you like a challenging cruise you're not missing much by being away from sailing. But I don't suppose someone like you has the free time to sail for fun." It was a rather calculated statement, but one she made with a casual tone. "I imagine you're very busy, Karagata-san."