[Closed][Team 7] A New Chapter

[Niro]

The frigid cold of Earth Country's winter penetrated through most buildings on the topside of Iwagakure no Sato easier than those underground. It crept through the walls and floors of those who didn't take the time to insulate their homes for winter and it would surprise no one if someone lost their fingers or toes or even their life to it. Unfortunately for Kotetsu, his domicile was one of those afflicted by the cold. Fortunately for Kotetsu, the sweltering heat of the active forge filled the room and made it more comfortable than one who looked at it from outside would imagine. As his arm once more brought down the hammer, his mind drifted to how he had gotten here.

He had arrived in the village a few years ago, in the midst of the war, and been placed in the academy and given this small one bedroom home after the previous owner had been listed KIA. After the war, he had used the funds he had been paid to make the addition of a full forge and garage to it for him to practice his work at home as well. With the decrease in demand for weapons, he had been relieved of his emergency duties with the Enkouten forgemasters and allowed back into normal service.

Now, as he swung the hammer to pound out the shape of the blade on the anvil, his mind drifted to the letter he had received from the village. To better acclimate, Kotetsu had been placed into a team with two other genin. Along with their names, he had been given addresses and pictures and told they had received similar. He just had to actually find them, or them him, to get the ball rolling.

[Valkier]

Kotori squeezed sideways between two bulky wooden crates, got stuck, wriggled, then breathed in a stray mote of sawdust and coughed. That sent a whole cloud of the stuff up into her face and the cycle started anew. Eventually she squirmed free and fell on her ass, groaning. It shouldn't be this hard to move across her damn bedroom! Or her kitchen. Sitting room. Whatever. It didn't matter what word she used, it was all the same room—she only had the one. And 'room' was a dubious term at that. It wasn't meant to be like this, here in the big city full of opportunities, not once she'd graduated. Sure, it was nice to have her own place instead of the temporary dorm set up for new academy students during the war, but the storage locker she rented above the carpenter's shop wasn't much of a place. She picked herself up, shook the sawdust free, and vowed that soon she'd be able to afford somewhere nicer. Soon. Maybe after she'd bought some new weapons. And new clothes. And something good to eat.

She shoved another box aside and finally found the slip of paper that had been delivered the previous evening. She blew the dust and debris from it then read it again, feeling the same surge of excitement she had the first time. This was it, her ticket to success. Team Seven was scrawled across the top, followed by names, descriptions, and addresses for herself and two others. A brown-haired boy, Kotetsu, and Setsuna, who if she at all resembled her picture would be a pretty girl with the most stunning red hair. Kotori's own picture looked like a chicken scratch beside it. She wrinkled her nose and stuffed the paper into a pocket, then began extricating herself from the over-stuffed room.

A few hours later, but only a few streets away—they called this place a village, as if it wasn't a damn maze stretching for miles and miles!—the young white-haired genin trudged through a drift of snow and stopped outside a small building. Small compared to other buildings nearby, but she envied it a little all the same. If she had her directions right this time, this would be Kotetsu's home. Third time's the charm. She stepped up to the door and gave it a strong knock, then stepped back and drew the thin cloak tighter around her to wait.

[Kao]

Setsuna inhaled deeply, taking in the calming vapors of the lavender oil as she rubbed it into the soft skin of her neck. She sat at a small vanity nestled in the corner of her room and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She thought she looked awful. Her skin wasn't as vibrant as it normally was, and the long waves of her deep red hair were frizzy at the top of her head. The girl patted her freshly washed face dry and then applied her eye cream, then toner, followed by a serum that she rubbed into her cheeks and under her eyes. She then finished up with a light moisturizer that contained a sunscreen. The genin could still see the vestiges of a poor night's sleep under her eyes, but it would have to do. She next tried to tame her hair. With the help of her brush she got her locks to behave, and once she was satisfied with her appearance she rummaged through her closet for something to wear.

The girl indulged in this beauty routine twice daily, but on that particular day she found herself dragging. Every so often her eyes would settle on the folded paper in the corner of the counter. It detailed the members of her new team. Her nose wrinkled at the thought. Setsuna wanted to blow the whole thing off, but between her overbearing mother and the village itself, she knew it was out of the question. That day she needed to introduce herself to "Kotetsu" and "Kotori," and she didn't dare to do anything that would lead to a lecture in case it got back to her mother. Still, the last thing she wanted weeks after moving to a smaller home was to play nice with a couple of strangers.

Instead of shinobi attire, Setsuna wore a casual black dress with an intricate lace off-shoulder collar, and she decided to pair it with thick leggings to protect against the frigid winter cold. Rather than of her many silk dresses with embroidered pearls, the girl decided to tone things down a bit and opted for one without such extravagancies. That way, her outfit didn't clash with the two swords strapped to her left hip. After saying goodbye to her mother she trudged through the snow-covered streets toward the boy Kotetsu's house, grumbling internally as she made her way through the village. Eventually she turned onto Kotetsu's street, and lo and behold the white-haired girl that she recognized at Kotori was already there and eagerly knocking on the door. After one last deep and weary sigh Setsuna approached the house, her heels crunching loudly in the snow. "You must be Kotori," she droned, looking her new teammate up and down. The wind picked up, blowing the heavy fur-lined black cloak around her legs. "I'm Ishiwara Setsuna. A pleasure, I'm sure." Her dry tone, of course, suggested otherwise.

[Niro]

Kotetsu heard the rapt of knuckles across his front door clearly even from his forge. Whoever it was was lucky he was in the middle of an upswing of his hammer instead of bringing it down or else he would've missed it entirely. A small frown spread across his lips as his eyes looked over the half-finished blade. Well, it would never be finished now. He tossed the still hot piece of metal scrap into a far corner laden with other malformed pieces of half-finished projects. The blacksmith apron still around his neck and gloves on his hands, Kotetsu exited the forge and yelled out to let whoever was outside know he was coming.

The brown haired youth pried one of the thick blacksmithing gloves off of his right hand and opened the door, swinging it inward and revealing the two girls on his doorstep. Kotetsu blinked and his brow furrowed in confusion. Thankfully the letter had included pictures of his would-be team mates so he knew who they were, his confusion instead stemming from his just minutes ago thoughts about the two of them and now here they were. His mouth opened and closed several times in succession before he shook his head and removed the other glove from his left hand before placing them under his left arm.

"Hello, I'm Kotetsu. Please, uh, come in. I wasn't expecting guests just yet, take a seat and I'll be back with some refreshments." The young man eventually got out, stepping back and motioning them into the small home, the space pleasantly warm from the heat drifting into from the open door leading to his forge. Once they did so, he'd direct them to furniture decorating the small living room his front door opened into before stepping into the kitchen around the half wall and beginning to brew some tea for them.

SpoilerShow

Forge off to the right when a person steps into the living room

[Valkier]

Kotori whirled toward the voice as the newcomer addressed her, face breaking into an excited smile. She started to reach towards Setsuna's hand, intending to give her as eager a greeting as she knew how, but froze half way through the motion. The little picture on the team's introductory letter did not, as it turned out, resemble her new teammate in the least. Setsuna was far, far more striking in person: she came straight out of a fairytale, with those flaming locks cascading down around a face so free of blemishes that it seemed itself an artist's masterwork. Her outfit, perfectly fitting and styled, looked like it had never been worn before. Even the girl's walk was graceful, full of a certain silent poise that put her firmly in a league above and beyond any other passerby. And all in stark contrast to Kotori, who stood awkwardly in her worn, homespun cloak with dust in her hair and one eye still yellowed from her latest brawl. Nevermind leagues, the two were a species apart.

All this, the admiration and disbelief, passed through the young genin's mind in a flash. Setsuna was wholly unlike anyone she'd met before, and that threw her. She didn't know what to expect or how to react. Eventually the hesitation passed and, after surreptitiously wiping her hand on a clean patch of her cloak, she resumed her greeting. She seized Setsuna's hand, pointedly ignored how soft her skin was, and shook it. Perhaps a little vigorously. Because looking delicate didn't necessarily mean she should treat Setsuna any different, right? Besides, she was still a ninja. Right?

"Nice t' meetcha too!" She beamed and finally released her grip on the other girl's hand. "Yep, I'm her. Hachiya Kotori! An' I'll be the best damn teammate you ever had, just you wait!" She intended to go on, about how she'd watch her back whatever may come and how they'd have to stick together to keep their new male comrade in his place, when the door in front of them opened and bathed the pair in a wash of warmth and light as the subject in question blinked out at them.

Kotetsu struck her as being a little older than she expected, albeit also a little shorter than herself, but seemed like he had a strong build and wore the signs of a hard day's work about him. She decided that was a good first impression. Once he'd finished gawping—probably not at her—he invited them inside and Kotori stepped forward to shake his hand too, only to find him already turning away. She glanced back at Setsuna and shrugged with her hand still outstretched, then strolled in to his home.

"I'm Hachiya Kotori," she repeated to his back as he walked away. "Nice place you have here! I didn't know this was a workshop!" She hadn't even thought to check if there was a sign outside, but now that they were inside she recognised the heat and smell of a forge. Charcoal, ember, and oil. The little mountain village where she grew up once had a similar setup, though that blacksmith had been substantially older and substantially crabbier. "Do you make weapons?" she ventured eagerly, head craned around as she examined the rest of the room. Her eyes fell on a vacant chair, so she scurried over and claimed it. By the time Kotetsu returned he'd find her sat cross-legged atop it, smiling away contentedly.

[Niro]

The trio's meeting was cut short upon the arrival of a messenger hawk. It had circled them overhead before confirming Setsuna's identity with a cry and dive bombing them. The bird of prey pulled up short and glided to a rest on the red head's shoulder right before they stepped past the threshold into the home. After reading the message delivered, Setsuna bid them a curt farewell and took off at a hurried pace. Kotetsu, who been quick to make for the kitchen, was unaware of the small commotion while he was brewing a small pot of jasmine tea on the small dual burner. The young man quickly tidied himself up as the water boiled; a quick warm, wet rag to his face, arms, and hands removed the majority of the soot covering his skin. He tossed the dirtied rag into the sink with a quick flick of his wrist before moving back to the burners.

The teapot was quick to boil and began to scream as it did so. Kotetsu swiftly snatched it off of the hot burner and placed it on the cold one before rummaging through his cabinets in search of a serving tray and cups. Finding enough for the three of them, Kotetsu set them on the tray and gingerly filled them to an appropriate level. Once satisfied, he picked it up and made his way back into the living room of the small abode. His eyes once more did their best owl impression as he came back to just the lone Kotori.

"What happened to Red?" He asked rather bluntly, confusion evident in his face. "Guess I made too much tea then." Kotetsu continued into the living room and placed the tray down on the small table acting as the center piece. Kotori had already taken up residence on one of the more comfortable love seats and he placed himself on the small couch opposite of her.

"Kotori, you said? Nice to meet you. I don't advertise it as a shop but I do some custom orders here and there for some friends when I need some extra money. I used to help with the village orders during the war but now that it's settled down they don't need the extra help." He reached over for one of the tea cups and sipped at it cautiously. Kotetsu's gaze scanned over the girl across from him, noticing the general roughness of her and the discoloration caused by bruises here and there. Good, someone in the team was a brawler.

"I guess since we're to be a team, I'll just dive into it. I don't have a lot of combat techniques or experience due to being stuck with production for the war. And by not a lot, I mean none. I can make whatever weapon, armor, or whatever else your mind comes up with and I can hit things with my hammer but it's not suited for combat. Probably break after a few serious hits." Kotetsu explained as he relaxed into the couch and cupped the tea with both hands. "You?"

[Valkier]

Kotori's smile faltered as she heard Setsuna's dry farewell, and she reached out a hand to try and delay the girl. "Hey, where d'ya think you're..." She trailed off and let her hand fall as the girl took off in a flurry of silks and snow. Kotori ran back to the door and stared after her with a frown. "...Was it something I said?" She mumbled to herself and, feeling suddenly more self-conscious than usual, quietly closed the door. If Setsuna wasn't coming in, the least she could do was stop all the heat leaving too. She paused with her hand on the closed door for a moment, thoughtful, then shook her head and moved back to sit down before Kotetsu returned.

"Beats me," she puffed out her cheeks and shrugged at his question. "Some bird flew inta her and she took off. Maybe it shat on her fancy gown?" Though why that would be reason to run away, she couldn't fathom. She reached forward and gladly took a cup, slurped, hissed, forced the too-hot liquid down, then grinned. "Mmf. S'good." Then she took another sip anyway for good measure.

She cradled the cup between her hands and enjoyed the warmth of it while Kotetsu began talking, and quickly found herself leaning forward with interest. She fidgeted and as soon as he paused she jumped in.
"That's proper impressive, though! You can really make anything?" She smiled again, a glint in her eye. "Why not make a real battle-hammer? A big one?" She spread her arms as if hefting something ridiculously oversized. "Then you won't have to worry about it breaking, only what it breaks!"

"Me? I, uh, can probably do it all." She scratched her nose. "Well I learned it all, anyway. The basics and stuff. They said the academy normally takes like four years, can you imagine? But they let me graduate in two, on account of my skill." Everyone else in her class had graduated in two years as well, of course, and due to the demands of the war rather than any particular outstanding talent, but he didn't need to know that part. She had to make a good impression. That made her hesitate, considering; maybe a little honesty was called for if they were going to be a team.

"Well, maybe I do end up losing most the scraps I get into. Unless it's with Joichiro, one of my friends from the academy. He's a big guy. Slow as an ox though, so you can run circles around him real easy like." She mimed a boxer's weave as if dodging, one fist raised while the other tried not to spill tea. She drank another gulp to be safe. It wouldn't do to waste any. "But I always give it my best. You gotta, right?" She paused, dropping her fist and growing a little more serious.

"I've been super practising the stuff they taught at the academy, though. The ninjutsu, genjutsu. Doton style." She thumped a fist against her chest, proud. "That's the stuff that really calls to me. I've seen what it can do." Maybe that made her weird, but whatever. It's not like she'd back down from a fight, she just wasn't as tough as some people and had to fight in a different way, that's all.

"But.. I've never been part of a team a'fore. How does this work?" She thought about the invitation letter and it's few details, then glanced towards the door. "Should we go after her?"

[Niro]

Kotetsu let out a small laugh at the thought of Setsuna being nailed by a passing bird and needing to run home after the carnage. People usually considered it a form of good luck but most people who said that didn't have it on them.

"That would suck but I bet she got a summons or something if she got a messenger hawk to seek her out. I wonder if her parents are big shots or something in the village? Who knows. Maybe she'll tell us later if she never comes back."

Little did he know, he probably wouldn't see her again.

At the mention of a bigger hammer, one that could be used in battle, Kotetsus face scrunched up a little bit.

Guess I can't make anything just yet. That's still a bit too big for me to make without some sort of issue right now. I'll keep it in mind though for the future.

He took a deep sip of his tea before placing the cup and saucer on the small table in the center of the room and picking up a sketchbook and pencil from it. He began to roughly sketch out the shape of a gigantic two-handed hammer that could transform into a handheld cannon. Once he finished up the sketch, he turned it around to show her the rough concept.

I'm not sure either, it's my first time as well on a team. We had work partners when we were helping with production but I don't think that counts. No, she'll come back if she wants to. She knows where we are. I guess we do some missions and see where they take us but past that your guess is as good as mine.

[Valkier]

Kotori grinned back when Kotetsu laughed at her comments. It felt good to have someone actually listen and enjoy something she said; most people tended to just give her an odd look, or look away entirely, when she spoke so freely. Which was pretty much whenever she spoke. It was certainly a good sign indeed for their little team that Kotetsu had a sense of humour.

"Oh, a messenger hawk? Sure, it coulda been a hawk. That sounds important... Yeah, I reckon you're right, she did look like important folk, din't she?" The smile faded and she grew thoughtful for a moment. "Oh well, hopefully she'll reappear sometime. I was curious to see what she was like. You might not be able to tell," she sniffed and wiped her nose on one of her cuffs, the motion knocking free a few flakes of sawdust from her sleeve, "but I don't meet many important folk. Not yet, anyway." She winked, then leaned foward in her seat to look at the drawing the boy across from her revealed. And her jaw dropped immediately.

"Whoah! 'tetsu, that's awesome!" She didn't care that the drawing was just a rough sketch—it was a giant hammer. And a cannon. A hammer-cannon. She had to sit on her hands to keep herself from reaching out and snatching the page. "That's what I call a weapon! Hey, if you ever make it, can I have one too? I'll pay, uh..." her eager grin faltered just for a moment as she remembered that her current financial status was measured in spare buttons and pocket lint. "...lots!" she finished weakly, then quickly added, "I'll save up, you'll see!" Realistically she should start with something more affordable—and practical—but damn if the drawing wasn't cool. That counted for a lot when you were thirteen.

She quickly drained the rest of her tea and set the cup down with a satisfied 'aaaah!', then while Kotetsu spoke she squirmed and pulled out the crumpled ball of paper that was the invitation letter she'd received for the team.
"All right. That sounds straightforward enough to me..." She unrolled the balled paper and re-read it, then turned it over and scanned the back, searching for a hint on where to begin getting work, but finding nothing. "I guess there's no overseer telling us where to go and what to do this time, huh. It's on us. Suppose we should just wander on over to the council chambers," and she pointed in a random direction with no idea if it was even remotely correct, "and rustle up a job from the most important suit we can find." She shrugged and stuffed the paper back into a pocket, her eyes falling on Kotetsu's cup. Wasn't he done yet?

She tried to sit patitently, but that was a skill she was still a long way from mastering. She'd squirm and fidget until his cup was empty, then lean forward eagerly.
"Shall we?" She grinned eagerly.

[Niro]

"Don't worry, I don't either. Not many of those officials really care to look into some teenager from the wastes." Kotetsu chimed in as she looked over the sketch. He let out another small laugh at her interest in the weapon. "I wouldn't worry about it for now. Who knows? Maybe a giant hammer doesn't fit your style. We'll find out over time though." Already the boy was thinking of new weapons; a gigantic blade with a rotating chain flashed in his mind and Kotetsu began to sketch the thought as she mentioned a mission. Keeping it as a simple sketch for him to improve on later, he put the sketch book back down on the center table.

"We can head up to the administration building and see if they have anything posted. I doubt they'll let us take something too dangerous considering we're a fresh team and down a member currently but hey, worth a try." Kotetsu elected to instead just place his unfinished tea down with the sketch book before standing up from his spot on the furniture and stretching. Bones and joints cracked into place as the teen stretched his arms behind his back and removed the blacksmith apron still around his neck. Proving himself to be just like any other teen, he tossed the dirty clothing onto a free seat and made for the door.

"Let's get going, we might even run into our missing team mate along the way if we're quick enough."

[Valkier]

"From the wastes?" She frowned and tilted her head, now seeing the young man in a slightly differently light. "I figured you'd grown up here, with all this," she waved a hand vaguely around at the comfortable little house. "That's kinda reassurin'. How long you been here for? I'm not from Iwa either, but down from the mountains—" her wave turned into a point which she hoped was roughly south. Or wherever Minami no Kabe was. It was probably south. "—so all this is... is still new to me. It's taking some gettin' used to." She shrugged, not making a big deal about that. She could hardly say that she was disliking the way her life was leading, after all.

Since they were already standing up to leave she had to ignore his comment about the giant hammer potentially not suiting her, even though it rankled a little; who cared about it suiting? It was frickin' cool, and everyone would listen to her if she hauled one of those around. You always listen to the person with the biggest weapon, everyone knows that! Perhaps she'd reiterate that next time the topic came up, or see what other awesome weapons Kotetsu could devise. Maybe even some that she could physically lift and use.

For a moment she considered swiping up and finishing his tea, too - she hated seeing anything go to waste - but decided not to push her luck and outstay her welcome. This being their first meeting, and all. So instead she left the cup where it was and followed Kotetsu outside, waited for a moment while he locked up, then shot him a grin and began striding away in a random direction. By now some more traffic had emerged on to the street and a clear track had been trodden into the snow down its middle, so she led them along it and chatted, idly but incessantly, the whole way towards the admin building. The journey went much quicker once she began reluctantly listening to Kotetsu's directions...

 Fin.