For anybody who knew--or had ever seen-- Takara Sayuri, last night was quite a sight to behold. She was calm and at peace, as always; her steps were light and dainty, her movements humble and graceful. After her serene grace, Sayuri's next most striking quality is her unbridled rapture and outspoken love for anything made of atoms... Last night, these traits were absent.
When she returned from her day's adventures, she only gave one hug each to her parents, then went right to bed. She laid on her futon awake, her mirror-colored eyes lapping at the moonlight that trickled through her window. Though she still couldn't help but marvel at its beauty, her face looked uncomfortable; it was not used to being twisted into a frown. 'What could I have done to get reassigned? It was clear that Shou-sensei and my guardian pixies weren't exactly on complimentary wavelengths, but I don't think I made that terrible of an impression...'
Sayuri had just received the notice from the Hokage’s office today, telling her that she was being removed from Team Shou and being placed in Team Shikaki. It didn’t upset her to be moved, but after the way she and the Jounin called Shou had interacted, it made her feel that she must have done something wrong. They hadn’t really hit it off, to say the least; their encounter was awkward and would have been uncomfortable if Takara Sayuri was capable of that feeling.
The girl pulled out the note she was given from inside her silk garb, unfolding it with deft fingers and holding it up to the silver lunar light. From what she had read before, her new team was another squad with three Genin (ironically all female now that she had transferred) and one Jounin sensei. The new Team Shikaki consisted of Takahara Jinsei, a renowned swordsman, Awai Shinju, a girl Sayuri’s own age from the clan of light users, Nara Katsumi, a slightly older girl from the clan of shadow users, and now Takara Sayuri, the only Genin on the team not to be from a wealthy shinobi clan.
That didn’t bother her, though.
The only thing that bothered her was the thought that this new team would have some sort of preconceived idea about her, that she was a trouble student who had to be moved from her first squad because she was such a bad kid. Thinking about it now, though, Sayuri was sure that she wouldn’t make that impression once she met them. She was perfectly aware of all the mean things people said about her, but they didn’t include being a troublemaker.
“This won’t be so bad, right, Bekku?” She asked the person who was (not) sitting next to her. Her features perked up a bit and she popped up to sit up straight. “These people actually seem like they’ll be a lot of fun! Maybe it’ll be better like this, anyway. I didn’t get along very well with Shou-sensei. Just ask Nobu-kun next time you see him! He was there!”
At this revelation, Sayuri realized that the Hokage wouldn’t have chosen to place her on a team without thinking it all the way through. Surely, it was for the best if it was being done. Her thoughts began to flutter back to their usual lofty heights, weaving up images of the new team and all the victories they would earn, the triumphs they would share. The wide, shining smile returned to Takara Sayuri’s face, and she floated away into her dreams.
[Graded]The New-Team Jitters!
[Graded]The New-Team Jitters!
[Special Jounin • Kumogakure no Sato • Masuyo Akimi • Points Achieved: 17]
[Genin • Konohagakure no Sato • Takara Sayuri • Points Achieved: 18]
[Graded]The New-Team Jitters!
“Sayuri-chan! Breakfast is ready!”
Takara Sorami was a lovely woman. She was slender and a bit below the average height, standing at 5’4” and weighing 128 pounds. Her hair was black, falling to the middle of her back in a wave, and her skin was painted with a fair hue, free of freckles or birthmarks. Her features were angular, defined like carved stone. The color of Sorami’s eyes was a pale green, described in her past as the color of aged jade. Her daughter, Sayuri, was truly her spitting image, but she wasn’t without the genes of her father.
While Takara Sorami was small and demure, Takara Taro was almost her opposite. He was kind of a lovable oaf, standing at 6’1”. Because of a life of manual labor, his muscles were tight and bulky, bringing him up to a weight of 168 pounds. Both Taro’s skin and his dark brown hair were clearly colored by the sun throughout his career of construction work. Though he was now built and bulky, the spider-like quality of his hands suggests that he was once lankier, not filled out with muscle. An interesting contrast with his masculine appearance occurs in his eyes, though, which are the same light grey that he passed on to his daughter.
When the one shinobi of the household came dancing down the stairs, she was smiling wide. “Good morning! It smells delightful, Okasan!” She tweeted as she twirled into a seat next to her father, who was gulping at quite a large cup of coffee. “Thank you very much!” The plate in front of her was decorated with three crepes--made with soy products to replace animal products, of course—dusted with powdered sugar and filled with bananas in a brown sugar sauce.
“You’re welcome, Darling,” Sorami said as she poured herself a cup of tea. “Would you like any syrup or anything with those?” She placed the cup on the table, and then retrieved two pieces of toast to spread them with jelly.
“No, thank you, Okasan,” Sayuri chirped as she picked up a knife and fork. “They're delicious just as they are!” She closed her eyes to pray her gratitude for the meal, the home, the parents, the clothing, and the happiness, and then dug right in. Many people found dining at the Takara household strange, as they largely ate Western-style cuisine, and used forks and knives more often than chopsticks. Regardless, Sorami was an excellent cook. After swallowing a bite, the young woman turned to her father excitedly. “Otosan, guess what!”
“Alright, I’ll guess,” Taro responded as he lifted a finger to his chin. “Did you encounter somebody interesting?”
“Well, yes, Otosan, but I do that every day. I’ll give you a hint,” Sayuri said, as if this were the most amazing news ever. “It has to do with my career!” The man smiled wide; he loved hearing his daughter talk about being a ninja. It really seemed like it gave her something to be proud of, and it made her happy, which made her happy.
Of course, they were horrified at the concept of losing their daughter. 13 years ago when they realized a child was on the way, they made this decision, though, and even now, it seems like the only way things could ever be. There was never a question about whether or not Sayuri would become a shinobi. It was simply her destiny from conception. It was what Fate had chosen for her. Sorami and Taro always supported their daughter’s kunoichi career. “Oh, wow! What’s going on, Sayuri-chan?” He asked, truly curious.
“I’ve been placed on a new team with new people! Isn’t that great?” Her body language radiated with joy, as usual.
“Really, Darling?” Her mother asked through a mouthful of toast. “Already? I though you just met Shou-sensei last week!”
“Well, I did, but Hokage-sama seems to think that I belong on this team,” She explained candidly. “I actually thought last night that I had done something wrong, but now it just looks like I’ll do a lot better with Jinsei-sensei!”
“Good for you, Sayuri-chan! That’s the spirit!” Taro cheered enthusiastically. “You gotta dive in head first and do the best you can!” He pumped a fist in the air and planted a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “I have to go to work, though, so I’ll see you two tonight, alright?” He stood up and gave his wife a kiss as well.
“Alright, Otosan! Promise that you’ll dive into your work head first and do the best you can?” Sayuri cawed, mimicking her father’s words and actions. “I’m sure that the spirits of the south will be watching, today. It is a Wednesday.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’ll have to keep an eye on the Brick Lords, too. Isn’t today the 24th?”
“No, Honey,” Sorami corrected, “today’s the 25th. It’s the day of the Ginger Gods, remember?”
“Oh, right, Okasan. Good catch.”
Huh. Looks like the entire family is flat fucking crazy.
With that, Takara Taro hurried off the work in the proud, ostentatious way he always does. Luckily, Sorami and he have a daughter who doesn’t mind getting up before the crack of dawn to have breakfast with her parents before they have to start work. And luckily, she also doesn’t mind not seeing them until their fourteen hour work days are over.
Takara Sorami was a lovely woman. She was slender and a bit below the average height, standing at 5’4” and weighing 128 pounds. Her hair was black, falling to the middle of her back in a wave, and her skin was painted with a fair hue, free of freckles or birthmarks. Her features were angular, defined like carved stone. The color of Sorami’s eyes was a pale green, described in her past as the color of aged jade. Her daughter, Sayuri, was truly her spitting image, but she wasn’t without the genes of her father.
While Takara Sorami was small and demure, Takara Taro was almost her opposite. He was kind of a lovable oaf, standing at 6’1”. Because of a life of manual labor, his muscles were tight and bulky, bringing him up to a weight of 168 pounds. Both Taro’s skin and his dark brown hair were clearly colored by the sun throughout his career of construction work. Though he was now built and bulky, the spider-like quality of his hands suggests that he was once lankier, not filled out with muscle. An interesting contrast with his masculine appearance occurs in his eyes, though, which are the same light grey that he passed on to his daughter.
When the one shinobi of the household came dancing down the stairs, she was smiling wide. “Good morning! It smells delightful, Okasan!” She tweeted as she twirled into a seat next to her father, who was gulping at quite a large cup of coffee. “Thank you very much!” The plate in front of her was decorated with three crepes--made with soy products to replace animal products, of course—dusted with powdered sugar and filled with bananas in a brown sugar sauce.
“You’re welcome, Darling,” Sorami said as she poured herself a cup of tea. “Would you like any syrup or anything with those?” She placed the cup on the table, and then retrieved two pieces of toast to spread them with jelly.
“No, thank you, Okasan,” Sayuri chirped as she picked up a knife and fork. “They're delicious just as they are!” She closed her eyes to pray her gratitude for the meal, the home, the parents, the clothing, and the happiness, and then dug right in. Many people found dining at the Takara household strange, as they largely ate Western-style cuisine, and used forks and knives more often than chopsticks. Regardless, Sorami was an excellent cook. After swallowing a bite, the young woman turned to her father excitedly. “Otosan, guess what!”
“Alright, I’ll guess,” Taro responded as he lifted a finger to his chin. “Did you encounter somebody interesting?”
“Well, yes, Otosan, but I do that every day. I’ll give you a hint,” Sayuri said, as if this were the most amazing news ever. “It has to do with my career!” The man smiled wide; he loved hearing his daughter talk about being a ninja. It really seemed like it gave her something to be proud of, and it made her happy, which made her happy.
Of course, they were horrified at the concept of losing their daughter. 13 years ago when they realized a child was on the way, they made this decision, though, and even now, it seems like the only way things could ever be. There was never a question about whether or not Sayuri would become a shinobi. It was simply her destiny from conception. It was what Fate had chosen for her. Sorami and Taro always supported their daughter’s kunoichi career. “Oh, wow! What’s going on, Sayuri-chan?” He asked, truly curious.
“I’ve been placed on a new team with new people! Isn’t that great?” Her body language radiated with joy, as usual.
“Really, Darling?” Her mother asked through a mouthful of toast. “Already? I though you just met Shou-sensei last week!”
“Well, I did, but Hokage-sama seems to think that I belong on this team,” She explained candidly. “I actually thought last night that I had done something wrong, but now it just looks like I’ll do a lot better with Jinsei-sensei!”
“Good for you, Sayuri-chan! That’s the spirit!” Taro cheered enthusiastically. “You gotta dive in head first and do the best you can!” He pumped a fist in the air and planted a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “I have to go to work, though, so I’ll see you two tonight, alright?” He stood up and gave his wife a kiss as well.
“Alright, Otosan! Promise that you’ll dive into your work head first and do the best you can?” Sayuri cawed, mimicking her father’s words and actions. “I’m sure that the spirits of the south will be watching, today. It is a Wednesday.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’ll have to keep an eye on the Brick Lords, too. Isn’t today the 24th?”
“No, Honey,” Sorami corrected, “today’s the 25th. It’s the day of the Ginger Gods, remember?”
“Oh, right, Okasan. Good catch.”
Huh. Looks like the entire family is flat fucking crazy.
With that, Takara Taro hurried off the work in the proud, ostentatious way he always does. Luckily, Sorami and he have a daughter who doesn’t mind getting up before the crack of dawn to have breakfast with her parents before they have to start work. And luckily, she also doesn’t mind not seeing them until their fourteen hour work days are over.
[Special Jounin • Kumogakure no Sato • Masuyo Akimi • Points Achieved: 17]
[Genin • Konohagakure no Sato • Takara Sayuri • Points Achieved: 18]