[GRADED] Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

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[GRADED] Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:18 pm

Hajime’s feelings on today’s agenda were….mixed. On the one hand, she was meeting with an Iwagakure Jonin. That was something she was very eager to do, for it spelled an opportunity to find a trainer of sorts, one who could reveal the full depths of Doton and Kouton to her. Sadly, there was a but. There was always a but. But was one of those magical words that made everything which came before it disappointing, lacklustre or just plain meaningless.

Anyway. Meeting a Jonin was a good opportunity but, frustratingly, it was not one that Hajime had been able to arrange. In fact, she had been ordered to meet with a Jonin by the name of Enkouten…what was an Enkouten?! Yet there was a silver lining in this, one beyond the potential value of the meeting, based entirely around the chosen venue. This Enkouten, whatever that was, has good taste on account of picking out a lovely cafe.

This cafe, a quaint and small place within the Northern District, was very relaxing. A soothing atmosphere based around the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, rustic wooden furniture and the delightfully tantalising indulgence that was baked delicacies. Seated inside this quaint and humble cafe was, as you expected, Hajime. The amputee kept herself to herself, sitting at a table in the deepest recesses of the cafe, her eyes watching the entrance.

Hajime was watching, waiting, thinking, on edge and as eager to meet this Jonin as she was nervous. The shadowed world was something Hajime only knew through reputation and from half-remembered stories her father told her. From what she had heard, Shinobi sounded dangerous, but of a very different kind of danger than Hajime was. Violence and brutality worked when you needed a grand and elaborate display but the hidden dagger was just as effective as the crushing jaw. Still, she was waiting. The amputee was waiting. She wondered who, and why, this specific Jonin had been “assigned” to her.

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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by Willoria » Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:14 pm

Enkouten Sayuri was a bit surprised to get the new assignment to keep an eye on a new arrival to the village. The entire situation seemed oddly unique. When she had first read it over she had been expecting some kid but as she read further into the details about who she would be in charge of she found this person was older than her but of a similar build to herself. Regardless, when she read about the other woman she still arranged to meet her in a place she felt would be far less stressful than some official office or something. She'd never been all that fond of keeping things too official in cases like this anyway. No one was relaxed under pressure, and if she was to keep an eye on this person it was easier to do if this woman was relaxed.

She made her way to the cafe, glad to have picked a place that was one of her favorites. Not only for such meetings, but just a good place for some nice sweets and good drinks. She wasn't fond of alcohol, but caffeine was certainly one of her vices. She walked into the building, ducking slightly at the doorway and glanced around for this Hajime she was meeting. She was glad to spot her pretty quickly, the woman fit the description she was given near perfectly. With a small smile on her lips she made her way to the table and slid into the chair across from Hajime. "You must be Hajime." she said, her voice almost quiet, with a gentle lilt to it. "I'm Sayuri." she added.

She turned and waved down a server to order herself a coffee, something with a dark chocolate to bring a rich flavor of bitterness and sweet to the moment for herself. As well as ordering a couple of treats before turning to Hajime. "Order whatever you like, my treat." she assured her.
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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Fri Jan 28, 2022 5:07 pm

Finally. She arrived. Hajime may not have recognised the Enkouten clan member when she first entered but now that she was walking towards her, the only explanation could be that she was the one Hajime was waiting for. The assumption was proven as Sayuri approached, taking a seat before offering Hajime anything off the menu. Now that was a tempting offer, one that would hopefully make up for the irritation inherent to being ordered about like a lapdog. The amputee remained silent, holding her tongue, staring intensely at Sayuri.

I am. Waiter? I will take a slice of your black forest gateau and a pot of tea.” May as well take total advantage of Sayuri’s offer. Hajime had a massive sweet tooth after all. She may as well exploit this forced meeting for everything it was worth. Still…just why had this meeting been arranged? The amputee had an inkling it was to do with her unproven status as a new ninja but perhaps there was something else going on here? Hmmmm….

Why are we here?” Hajime had things to do, the most pressing of which being re-creating her lost puppet. Wasting time being forcibly babysat by a stranger would not help with that. Iwagakure was not the place for a puppeteer but, sadly, Hajime knew she had no other options. In fact, she was not even sure if her current choice of hiding place had been a good option. It had potential for being trained further in the manipulation of iron but puppetry, Hajime’s real focus? That seemed far more up in the air.

There was a suspicious and distrustful look on Hajime’s face, her eyes tightened into an almost paranoid squint. She could not shake that feeling gnawing away at her, the oppressive and weighty feeling that something was very wrong about this whole situation. Still, that feeling was soon suppressed (by food) when the waiter returned with her and Sayuri’s orders, placing them down upon the table in front of the duo. With a single fluid motion, an amount of cake ended up upon Hajime’s fork before being brought upwards to her mouth and eaten.

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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by Willoria » Sun Jan 30, 2022 5:40 pm

Sayuri crossed one leg over the other as they waited on their order, and couldn't help a small smile as Hajime got right to the question. "Not much for the small talk." she observed. "I'm alright with that." she admitted, sighing quietly as she got more comfortable and set down a small bag by her feet that she'd brought with her as well. "I'd say I'm part of your welcoming party into the village, but that's only half true." she told Hajime, pausing when the server soon returned with their orders.

She paused to sip on her coffee, sighing as she enjoyed the flavors against her tongue. "The village has accepted you into its walls, conditionally, and I'm part those conditions. My job will be to evaluate you, as a person and as a shinobi, and how useful you'll be as a shinobi." Sayuri leaned back in her chair and smiled again. "Now that's the official speak." she added. "As far as I'm concerned though, I'm also here to help you. So why don't you tell me a bit about yourself. I'll also happily answer questions about myself if you want. Or the village." She reached to her small plate and picked up one of the steamed buns she'd ordered. They were simple and barely sweet, a sweet red bean paste filling, but one of her favorites.
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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Wed Feb 02, 2022 2:52 pm

Hm….” Hajime had been expecting this sort of arrangement. Of being assigned a caretaker, guide…observer. Did it irritate her? Oh yes. Being restrained, controlled, shepherd. The very idea of it was enough to make Hajime’s blood boil, to arouse that deep and violent part of herself but no. She would not let it bubble up, at least not today. A day would undeniably come when this village, and whatever arrangement she had with it, outgrew its usefulness but that day was not today and so, Hajime would restrain herself for now. There were things this village could offer her, things she needed that she could not get elsewhere.

...Myself…hmmm…..despite my training and ability to manipulate chakra, I am no shinobi. I am a gladiator, raised in the fighting pits of the slave trade but now I am free yet at no small cost. I was unable to bring my puppet with me. Unfortunately, without such a tool my abilities are….not what they were.” She grit her teeth at that, grinding them against each other, frustration tinting the whispered tone her voice had dropped to. Revealing such a weakness was…not something that she relished, especially not here, but given what she could gain from this encounter it was worth the risk.

You wish for me to display my usefulness? Then my puppet is what I require.” Her expression was stern now, closely watching Sayri, eyes locked into an understandably suspicious squint. How would she react…? Hajime’s hopes were she’d get a chance at reclaiming her puppet out of this for that…that was all she desired currently. The ability to use her full realm of jutsu…ahahaha…it was tantalising… She reached down to the table before her, slicing through the cake with her fork before bringing that small piece up to her mouth. Mmmm….she would have to return here in the future….

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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by Willoria » Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:25 am

Sayuri smirked a bit, chuckling to herself as Hajime spoke. Though the woman before her was tense, Sayuri was completely relaxed. She had hoped the setting would at least help Hajime relax a bit more but as she spoke of her past as a slave and gladiator she could see more and more that relaxation didn't seem to be in her vocabulary. 'Just something to adjust to.' Sayuri assured herself in her own thoughts. When she had asked the woman to tell her about herself she had expected something more personal than hearing about a puppet, a tool, but given what she was hearing of her past she realized she could hardly expect more than that.

And so Sayuri simply nodded and picked up the bag from the ground by her feet and slid it over to Hajime. "Well I hardly know how to make that, but I can at least offer you this." she told her, motioning to the bag. "I heard something about your puppet before I met with you. I help at a forge in my clan, I thought these materials might come in useful. Especially the Obsidian perhaps." If Hajime were to look in the bag she'd find several pieces of not only obsidian but varying types of metal in different shapes and bends. All were pieces that Sayuri hoped might help the woman in constructing her new puppet.

Sayuri of course would give Hajime time to go through the bag and pieces to see what was in it and how useful it might be, while she sipped at her tea and waited quietly before speaking again. "Just as someone like you could be useful as a shinobi, so too can the village and members of it help you. I hope these pieces will help you in constructing a new puppet for yourself."
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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:52 pm

The smirk on this interloper’s face did not go unnoticed. Beneath the table, Hajime clenched her only fist, eyes scowling at the imagined slight. That settled things. Hajime would break this woman one day. Not today obviously, and most definitely not anytime soon, but one day. The amputee almost descended into a reverie of her own imagination, starting to slip away from reality as she pondered just how exciting it would be to put this smirking jester in her place….but no. Hajime pulled herself back to reality, shaking her consciousness free of imagined events to focus back upon the present matter.

A forge….hmmm….and what is the cost to employ this forge?” The obsidian was a welcome donation but one that did not invite anything so base as feelings of gratitude or gratefulness. It invited paranoia, suspicion, distrust and further questions. Hajime would definitely need to, by some means, investigate this apparent gift. Was it even obsidian? Was it a trap? Hmm….. however, despite her misgivings Hajime did still look into the bag and was pleased to see metals among the obsidian.

Hm….I should mention, my brand of puppetry requires the puppet to be created from metal. It is not the traditional form of puppetry as you may be expecting.” She had not been trained in the common form of puppetry exercised in Sunagakure, despite a cursory awareness of its existence, simply on account of the fact she was born in the Land of Earth. Iron, the earth, minerals…these things ran in her blood in a sense. They were her past and her future. A chain tying her to many things.

Generosity is something I am unused to.” Her reply was simple, to the point, a casual summation of why she found this entire situation oh so very strange. Yet, that was not the point. The point of this was to show her worth and there was one skill of her’s she was yet to display.

The basics of using shinobi arts typically involve using hand signs to channel chakra. I am exempt from this requirement. With only one arm….well, it was a skill I needed to learn. Allow me to demonstrate.” Hajime brought up her only arm and closed her eyes. Chakra burned through her body, going around and around, flowing freely, building up in intensity until finally, she pulled the trigger. Silver metal flowed over her only hand before forming into a spike. She lifted this upwards, displaying it freely.

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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by Willoria » Sat Feb 12, 2022 5:32 pm

Sayuri watched the woman's face, expecting at least some kind of gratitude. But instead she couldn't see any sign that she had managed to win even a fraction of this woman over. It was irritating to say the least, but Sayuri hid the thought from her expression fairly well. "It doesn't cost more than average, I know a couple different forges in my clan's compound that can work with these materials and more if you want." she replied as Hajime asked about the forge. Though as the other women went on to talk about 'traditional puppetry', Sayuri shook her head. "I know nothing about puppetry, traditional or otherwise." she told her. Sayuri had never spent time around Suna shinobi, save for glimpses in a skirmish here or there. Even if she had seen puppetry, she wouldn't understand it, and she'd never seen the less traditional either.

Yet then Hajime seemed to almost explain her strange reaction to getting a gift, that she wasn't used to generosity. Sayuri briefly raised an eyebrow, but in the end she nodded in understanding. "Even here in Iwa, it isn't always common. Depends on what clan you might run into, what individual.... personally I'm more concerned with building up my fellow shinobi, including those new to our ranks." Sayuri's smile then was genuine.

Sayuri sighed heavily as Hajime chose to demonstrate her jutsu useage, and the woman could hear a few civilans nearby give them space. "I've heard of channeling, I've also heard of one-handed seals, though I would normally have told you not to demonstrate jutsu in such a civilian heavy space... in the future I'd save that for a training ground. Accidents happen, no matter how harmless you may feel a jutsu is."
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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Tue Feb 15, 2022 9:41 am

Hmmm…then I suppose I will take you up on that offer.” A forge was most definitely something Hajime would need. Her puppet was a complex thing. A flexible and segmented spine running down the thing’s full length, articulated limbs held together by screws that allow them to twist, numerous internal sections for housing hidden weapons and just generally providing some storage space. There were a lot of challenges in recreating Hajime’s now lost puppet, all of them further exasperated by the sheer size of the thing. It was probably a little bit impractical for Hajime’s puppet to be so monstrously massive but it had not been created to be a weapon of stealth. It had been created to be a weapon of destruction and death.

Understood. It has been a long time since I’ve experienced this…civilization.” There was almost a sneering sense of contempt to her voice, a natural reaction to the very idea of living in a hidden village that Hajime genuinely did not understand herself. She simply felt as if this village, and of course the apparent rule about not using jutsu in public spaces, was…foolish. The fighting pits had been a place where you do whatever you want, whenever you want and nobody could stop you unless they had the might to stop you.

Still, regardless of her own thoughts on things the amputee did acquiesce. The flow of chakra ended, the metal coating Hajime’s arm crumbling away, leaving behind calloused skin and an open palm. An open palm that swiftly went back to work finishing off her cake. She did have to wonder just why Sayuri was so…keen on building up her fellow shinobi. Was it from a sense of camaraderie? That did seem rather likely, and very much in keeping with the ideology of these hidden villages.

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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by Willoria » Wed Feb 16, 2022 6:59 pm

Sayuri didn't miss the contempt in Hajime's voice but she tried not to blame her. It seemed as if Iwa was presenting a lot of things for Hajime to get used to, and Sayuri suddenly felt like she wasn't helping at all. Usually the cafe was a great place to meet in tense situations, but it was looking like this was the opposite effect. Hajime was striking the impression with Sayuri more and more that perhaps she would have been more comfortable showing off what she could do in a training ground than nibbling on sweets in a cafe.

'So less of a controlled environment next time...' Sayuri thought to herself, the irony not entirely lost on her. She had defaulted to a more controlled environment to try and make the woman feel more comfortable and instead wound up leaving her uncomfortable. The Enkouten woman fiddled with her wallet for a moment before drawing out the necessary ryo and setting it on the table. "Perhaps for our next meeting we can meet on a training ground, you can show me more of what you can do, and I can show you something of what my clan can do... or we can meet at a forge and further discuss what sort of pieces or work you need done to prepare your puppets." she commented as she set out the payment for the server.

Once the money was set out, she simply sighed and looked at Hajime for a moment and smiled kindly. "Until next time." she said, inclining her head slightly before motioning to the money she was leaving. "Should be enough to cover both of us and a little extra in case you want another sweet before you leave." she added before standing to leave.
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Molten Iron. (Enkouten Sayri)

Post by LunarCataphract » Thu Feb 17, 2022 3:28 pm

I would prefer your forge.” For the first time, the only time perhaps, during this entire meeting Hajime actually seemed interested. There was a twinkle of eagerness inside her eyes, an excited and obsessive desire to regain her puppet undeniably obvious. She needed it. She wanted it. Her puppet HAD to be returned to her. It was the one thing, the only thing, that she absolutely HAD to have. Hmmm hmm…this Sayuri was perhaps more useful than first anticipated. Her access to a forge, forging materials and knowledge of the metal crafting arts proved to be an unexpected boon, a surprise to be sure but a pleasant one.

...Hmmm….I…feel the correct response is thank you?” Hajime’s deliverance was a little bit awkward and stinted, a natural response to a series of words she found entirely alien. Still, money was something that Hajime definitely did understand. She may not have personally valued it that much but, logically, there was no denying that it had value in the world at large. Still, would accepting this money lock her into some sort of debt? Hmmm….she decided to risk it. She took the money, offering a curt nod as a goodbye but decided to stay in the cafe for now. She had things to think about.

Yes. Until the next time.” Most of Hajime’s goodbyes had involved murder and death. No, that was not right. All of them had. It was…odd for a parting of individuals to not end in brutal murder to the roaring raccour of a rancous crowd of raving fans but here that exact scenario was playing out before her. Curious. Curious indeed. Was this the norm for Iwagakure? Was it the norm for ninja villages in general? The world outside that arena was truly a strange place…Regardless of her musings, Hajime would opt to remain in the cafe for a while, ordering seconds before ultimately returning home after Sayuri’s departure.

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