A new not-so-hidden village: Chiaki takes a vaycay!

[Kanade]

Chiaki felt the train slow down, and her stomach lurched forward faster than she was willing to admit was comfortable to her. She felt like she had just been spun around and round forty times like that old game of 'broomstick' that the genin played to train their equilibrium, then chasing each other like a bunch of Kami cursed idiots.

She wasn't able to get her bearings before a couple of Konohagakure blindfolded her, spun her around ten times for good measure, tossed her in the back of a cart and she took a windy bumpy ride up to Konohagakure. She kept ahold of her stomach as much as she could, seeing as she didn't know which way was up, quite.

She stumbled out of the cart when they arrived, after being un-blindfolded and reunited with her staff and belongings, quickly found a trash receptacle and deposited her breakfast, lunch, and train snack all mingled together into the cylindrical bin before letting herself fall to the ground, her staff under her, the famous faces of the kage doing jerky spins across her vision. She had never experienced sea-sickness, having never taken a boat anywhere, nor had she ever experienced train-sickness, this being her first trip to Konohagakure no sato. She looked a pale green with her sick stomach and closed her eyes to get the world to stop spinning.

Big mistake.

After emptying her already empty stomach into her best friend, the trash can right next to her again, she wiped her mouth and spit into the bin.

So far, so good, right? She didn't know anyone in the village, nor was she aware of what she might find, but she was told that there was someone named Saigo there by the Raikage and, well, she was bored. She had come here for vacation because Haruka had expounded on how magnificent and neat it was. She looked around at the antiquated way of things compared to Kumogakure no sato and felt... rather at home actually.

She straightened her priestesses shinto robes, pulling her robe so that she was more decent than she had been, showing cleavage all the way half down to her navel and righted her staff. Now she looked more presentable. Not knowing which way to go, she just... people watched on the platform.

"Okay, I'm already lost and I just got here-cha."

[Izanagi]

Takeshi had made it a habit to greet visitors to Konoha, often volunteering to escort them in from Tokugashou, especially foreign shinobi. But when he couldn’t always get out of the village in time he made an effort to be at the main gates when they were dropped off. Though he was only a Genin, the young Hyuuga enjoyed certain privileges others his rank did not. He was the son of the Hokage after all but beyond that he was exceptionally talented for his age and rank. This was due in large part to his specialized training within the secret training division of the ANBU black ops, an organization within Konoha that was shrouded in mystery and secrecy.

The young man approached, verifying that this time it was just one Kumo shinobi that had come to the village for a visit. Standing at 5’8 inches he noted that he and the woman were nearly the same height, though it was clear by her figure that she was an adult. Lately, Takeshi had been experiencing a growth spurt in height and musculature, but his facial features were still quite youthful and his frame still filling in with dense, lean muscle. He wore a silver haori adorned with teal trim, a grey belt and grey loose flowing pants. His dark, nearly black hair was tied back into a high ponytail. As always around the village he wore his forehead protector as well as a bow and quiver across his back and a 3ft long broadsword at his hip as well as the standard kunai holster and hip pouch. But it was his white eyes that were surely the most distinctive.

As he approached, his eyes bulged though he made no aggressive motions and kept his hands in plain sight. He was merely assessing her chakra network, surely those that had escorted her in had a few screening questions and a sensor check of their own, but it never hurt to be thorough. The world was still recovering from the ravages of war after all, and there was no telling when Kiri or another nation might make another attack against Konoha. In a world of transformation jutsu and other advanced infiltration techniques there was no such thing as being too thorough or paranoid. At least not to someone as serious and diligent as Takeshi. Still, despite the activation of his Byakugan he was still raised with manners. Bowing once he came within about 3 meters he stood fully before introducing himself. “Welcome to Konoha. My name is Hyuuga Takeshi. I’d be happy to help you find your way around the village” he offered courteously. Checking for any chakra coating such as a transformation jutsu or other abnormalities was simply enough with the Byakugan but Takeshi took it a step further, using his own perception and the Byakugan in tandem to assess every detail of her body. His ‘Uncle’ or more accurately Brother-in-Law now, Aizawa Yoru had been teaching him further applications of the Byakugan. This woman would make a good test if he could truly pick up enough subtle details to be able to discern truth from lie. He didn’t expect to notice anything particularly alarming but it was still good practice for him to hone his Byakugan on foreign visitors.

Jutsu Being TrainedShow

540/1050 Words
Art of Perception • Foremost Polygraph
B-Ranked Nintaijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: Perception & Byakugan
The user will activate their visual doujutsu, they will use this to check for subtle facial features, the way they move their hands and their general mannerism, see their heart and how fast it is beating and other minute details that no normal eye could see, this allows the user to see if a target is lying with almost pinpoint accuracy.

[Kaitos10]

Haruka like usual had woken up late having slept in then got dressed and went to the training grounds and started having fun dancing while also practicing taijutsu. Though soon with her enhanced hearing she heard of a new arrival from kumo awaiting for approval. Sadly she was to late for her to meet her at the city and escort her here but at least she could wait while she got here. She then started to plan out different activities that she could do with Chiaki. Though when she saw Chiaki actually get here she seemed glued to the waist basket. She would also notice takashi watching her but shrugged and as soon as she was fixing herself up and done puking Haruka would run over (30 speed) and say

“hai hai Chiaki! Welcome to konoha this way to our famous ramen shop!” She would then grab her arm (30 speed) and start to pull her towards konoha’s world famous ramen restaurant. (20 strength) if successful in both. Though would tone down her speed so that Chiaki wouldn’t be dragged there (9 maybe 10 speed) then once there she would say “I figured you would be hungry now so thought would first take you to try konoha famous ramen”

209/800 training

[Kanade]

Chiaki looked at the man and tilted her head, "You've got some funny looking eyes there-cha." She noted, not having transformed herself, nor used any jutsu because she had been ill not a couple seconds ago, she hoped that he hadn't seen her lose her lunch in that bin. She decided to readjust her backpack and make sure that she looked at least half way like she hadn't been dumped off of a cart. She looked him up and down, not just at his eyes and her heart couldn't keep from pumping faster. A nervous reaction to being around so many people, along with her darting gaze to the fascinating scenery around her and her uncomfortable stance, she definitely looked suspicious, or at least like she had something to hide.

Was it just her or were the youth of now-days getting taller? He was definitely taller than the average teenager right? She was short for a Kyoukan, and average for a woman of Kumogakure no Sato, but this was a bit ridiculous. She felt like a midget standing next to the teen.

She opened her mouth to respond to the funny looking man with the white eyes, which she suspected were a doujutsu, and was just about to ask him whether or not she could learn to do that with her eyes, thinking that it was probably to make sure that she didn't have any hidden weapons, when Haruka dashed in so suddenly that she bit her tongue and hiccuped in surprise at the smaller ninja. She wondered whether or not the girl was faster than before, but to be honest with herself, she wasn't any judge of anyone who moved as fast as most chuunin.

Before she could even say hello she got nabbed by the arm and waved the strange man with the stranger eyes to follow them and keep up, "I am er, apparently being dragged to Ramen, and then maybe you both could show me around.-cha" She laughed, sweat dripping down her back, she felt rather scrutinized, and hoped that she wasn't acting strangely in front of the man with the doujutsu, seeing as he was probably sent there to ascertain whether or not she was a threat. She attempted to make herself less threatening, but with the jarring movement that was a bit faster than she was able to go, and keeping up with talking to Haruka, her heartbeat quickened even more.

"Haruka-chan, please slow down, I am not built for all of this jostling and I am liable to either trip or have a wardrobe malfunction-cha." She stage-whispered to the girl that was dragging her along to the ramen shop, "Besides, is this Ichinikan Ramen really worth running over-cha?" She didn't know of this ramen place, nor what its name meant, Ichi- first.. nikan...? Only? So the first and only Ramen shop? Or perhaps it was the only ramen at the first of everyone's list?

A confused Chiaki stumble-ran behind Haruka's inescapable grip and youthful vigor.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi had been curious to learn about this woman and have a pleasant conversation with her. Though it was becoming more frequent, it still wasn’t too often he got a chance to interact with Kumo shinobi. The first one he had ever met had saved his life, he wondered what kind of person this woman was. Certainly, he was noticing a pattern of beautiful and kind women hailing from the hidden cloud village. Though Chiaki’s first words could be considered rude, it seemed more an innocent curiosity than anything. In fact, he couldn’t pick up on any hostility or aggression from her at all. He noted her own eyes were rather unique. Though there were many shinobi clans that boasted orange or red eyes they were still quite distinctive. Offhand however, he didn’t know enough about Kumo’s clans to determine which she belonged to, but it certainly seemed to indicate something special about her. “Likewise” he noted firmly when she mentioned his ‘funny looking eyes’. His lip contorted to the slightest of smirks, betraying his amusement, despite his serious disposition.

He noted her scar down her forehead and the cloudiness of her right eye, though her pupil still moved and reacted to the light, indicating she still had her sight. Despite Chiaki’s best efforts to recover her composure after being sick it was still rather evident that she wasn’t feeling well. She still looked rather pale. He noted the backpack as well as the ringed staff, was she some sort of priestess? He wondered; her robes seemed to further give that impression. There weren’t any people like that around Konoha that he had heard of, but he still knew of those that lived their lives for nature and the Gods. The young man’s face flushed slightly as the woman adjusted her clothing and he noticed just how revealing her robes were. Despite being able to see a second layer of sorts in the form of her chakra coursing through her body, he refrained from actually looking through her clothes as he easily could.

It was at this point the woman would normally introduce herself and he could begin some light questioning and getting to know her. All the while he hoped to study her body language. But alas, the muscle-bound, hyperactive cat-girl known as Haruka came storming through, as she often opted to do.
Takeshi had met the girl once before and considered the two of them on friendly terms. But he couldn’t help but bristle at the rudeness, dragging the woman away in mid-conversation and without even so much as saying hi to him or making any apology for the discourtesy. The young man frowned deeply, his seething anger rushing to the surface. But he exhaled slowly as the red-haired woman beckoned him to follow. The Hyuuga sighed heavily, he supposed since he was invited by at least one of them he could come along. Though he was worried about being able to contain his displeasure with Haruka. She was a year and a half older than him and his superior in rank after all. Regardless of what he thought of her manners he felt the need to remain respectful and polite to her.

The teenage Hyuuga frowned further as Haruka continued to drag the woman, Chiaki, was it? It seemed Haruka was familiar with her at least so he wasn’t in any place to judge what kind of friendship they had. But he also hated seeing anyone feel uncomfortable and felt it was important to consider some level of formality with foreign shinobi. After all, any bad experience could have diplomatic consequences. Takeshi moved swiftly, able to catch up seemingly effortlessly to the 10 speed they soon slowed down to. Haruka was much faster than him but fortunately, she seemed to consider that she might actually hurt Chiaki if she dragged her around at Haruka’s top speed. “I believe Miss Chiaki seemed to have enough motion sickness for one day, perhaps we could walk?" He suggested, hopefully allowing Chiaki to set her own pace that was comfortable for her. Takeshi would slip slightly away and behind the women, just distancing himself by a few paces. He didn’t want to impose too much after all in case Haruka really didn’t want him around. And also, he was content to simply study their body language and learn how to better pay attention to people’s subtle characteristics. At the mention of a potential wardrobe failure however his face colored slightly, his interest in women had only recently started and such a slip up would certainly be more than he knew how to handle.

Jutsu TrainedShow

540+770=1310/1050 Words
Art of Perception • Foremost Polygraph
B-Ranked Nintaijutsu Discipline
Prerequisite: Perception & Byakugan
The user will activate their visual doujutsu, they will use this to check for subtle facial features, the way they move their hands and their general mannerism, see their heart and how fast it is beating and other minute details that no normal eye could see, this allows the user to see if a target is lying with almost pinpoint accuracy.

[Kaitos10]

Haruka was so excited to see her friend and to show her around like she was in Kumogakure that she had gotten tunnel vision and distracted. So she didn’t hear the comment Chiaki made to Takeshi or even know Takeshi was there. As Haruka was dragging Chiaki though after a short time both she and Takeshi spoke up seeming to indicate that she wasn’t feeling good and that it was uncomfortable to be moving at this speed. This really surprised her causing her to quickly let go and said “oh oops sorry about that! Didn’t know you weren’t feeling good. Walking is fine.” She then stared at Takeshi for a few seconds blinking as she finally realized he was hear and says “oh hi Takeshi when did you get here?” She wondered if she just didn’t see him or if he was hiding this whole time.

After that conversation is over as they kept walking towards the ramen shop Haruka would hear as Chiaki states another question saying “well I guess it depends on what you consider that good? This ramen shop is famous across the world for its ramen and that much people can’t be wrong right? Plus you can’t come to konoha and not try this ramen.”

When they arrived Haruka quickly ordered a miso ramen. Then waited to see what Chiaki and possibly Takeshi ordered. As she waited for her food to be made as well as the food of the others. Then said “so are you here on vacation Chiaki?” She was eager to know if this was a mission or if she would have time to relax with her. Either way she hoped she could help her. Though she did prefer the vacation idea and showing her around because it definitely seemed like a more fun idea.

209+302=511 511/800

[Kanade]

Chiaki seemed to be a genin magnet, or chuunin magnet that was consistent of people that were younger than her. So full of life, so… bouncy. She couldn’t think of another way to consider the younger people. She smiled magnanimously at the both of them.

When Haruka let go of her she readjusted her robes again and sighed in relief, “I wish that I was as boisterous as you both, but I suppose I am old enough to have lost the energy that I once had-cha.” Her eyes went down and to the side a bit as she remembered the time that she was a genin, and even when she was a new Chuunin.

Her teachers Theraveda-sama, and Karayana-sama’s words came back to her as she sighed, looking back on the times that she was told that she was overactive, hyper, had too short an attention span, and little. Everything had changed since then, except that she was little.

She smiled at the question and looked to Takeshi, the byakugan user.

“That is good I suppose-cha?” She smiled at Haruka and nodded, “I’ll try something and see how it is-cha.”

They walked through the town and she looked up at the giant rock faces, who seemed to be some sort of person that was supposed to be important yes? “Who are they-cha?” Chiaki asked as they walked up to an establishment and Haruka ducked into it. She lifted an eyebrow and looked at the Hyuuga and asked, “Is this a joke-cha?” She paused and looked it over, it looked like a small establishment compared to all of the other shops, buildings, and other infrastructure there. It was antiquated, and looked like it was going to serve some sort of underrated fast-food.

Chiaki shrugged and ducked into the restaurant and was greeted by a very brightly colored billboard and a slew of menu items that danced in her vision. She sat next to Haruka, groping around for the seats before she sat down at the barstool and ordered, “I ah, Yes, I’ll have the uh- Shobu-beef Ramen with Udon noodles, red ginger, beets, and two flavored eggs, extra beef please. Ah, and 2 bottles of hot sake-cha.” She ordered and looked at Haruka to her left and to where the Hyuuga would most likely sit to her right.

“I am on vacation-cha!” She smiled at Haruka, “I am taking a bit of a break from the hospital after-er.” She looked down and fidgeted on her stool, “After a procedure didn’t go as planned-cha.” Her eyes clouded, and the Hyuuga could probably tell that her heartbeat’s pace quickened, she started to sweat, and her chakra network went into overdrive, like she was preparing a jutsu.

In her mind, she was preparing to tether herself to a patient- the trauma of the experience was so real, and palpable, that she relived it even now. “Anyhow, I was told to take some time off to recover, and so I thought of you, and all the friends you had here-cha.” She beamed at the Hyuuga boy, “And thought that I would at least drop in and see what was going on, see the village hidden in the leaves, and figure some stuff out before heading back-cha.”

[Izanagi]

The teenage Hyuuga frowned slightly at Haruka’s explanation, though he quickly sighed and accepted the fact that the girl really was just that scatterbrained. He supposed it couldn’t be helped. He was glad at least that she was courteous to others when anything of concern was brought to her attention. Truthfully, Takeshi didn’t have too many friends. He had several siblings and a few childhood friends that were often busy or living in Sunagakure. Aside from that he only really had his ROOT squadmates and given their clandestine organization he figured it was best not to interact with them too much outside of training and missions. Haruka wasn’t his first choice for a friend to make, but he could respect her strength, dedication and earnest mannerisms at the very least. It was far preferable to those their age that would slack off and pretend like the war never happened. Now more than ever Konoha needed to be strong. It needed soldiers.

Takeshi smiled softly, “I only just joined, I hope you don’t mind. Your friend here is very interesting to me, I enjoy any chance I get to meet our allies from the Sand or Cloud” he replied earnestly. The alliance with Kumogakure was newer and more tenuous than the strong pact with Sunagakure, it left him wary but he hoped to prove those insecurities wrong by growing closer to their shinobi. Takeshi’s eyes narrowed slightly as Chiaki spoke of the loss of her vigor. Honestly, he didn’t think of himself as particularly high energy, but he supposed with how rigorously he trained there was some truth to that. He certainly was ambitious and hard working. “Surely you aren’t that old, you can’t be more than 20, right? I’m 14; and a Genin and Haruka is 15 and a Chunin, I believe. We can all keep training hard to reach our potential” he said with an encouraging smile. Perhaps it was how he was raised but he believed as long as one lived, they could improve and become stronger or better in some way or another. But then again both of his parents were Bannin, excellence ran in his blood and was simply expected of his family.

He nodded in agreement as Haruka spoke of Konoha’s ramen. “You can’t visit Konoha without trying Ichinikan ramen, it’s part of our culture and the heart of our people” he said, repeating something his father had told him once. He nodded when the woman said she was willing to give it a try. It was important to have an open mind when embracing the culture of a foreign land. Quickly, he was finding she was a seemingly genuine person and he found himself curious to learn more about Kumo and visit there himself someday, preferably soon. He couldn’t deny that it would be nice to see Arashiyama Etsuko again to properly repay her for saving his life, and he had heard Kumo’s Skyguard were the best long-range specialists in the world, which would be perfect training partners for him. He was somewhat surprised Chiaki didn’t know of the famous Hokage faces carved into the massive cliffside overlooking Konoha. But nonetheless he was happy to answer her question. “Faces of each of Konoha’s 17 Hokage, carved into the mountainside to honor them for as long as the village stands. Soon, there may be an 18th” he considered, hopefully. It was well past due that his father stepped down. After 15 years of leading the village, it was time for the youth and optimism of the next generation to lead in this era of peace after the war.

Takeshi quirked his head as Chiaki seemed to judge the restaurant for its size. Appearances were often deceiving, and often the best things in life were simple in nature. But he wasn’t sure what to say on the matter without sounding like he was talking down to her and given the age difference between them that would hardly be appropriate. When it came time to order, Takeshi’s stomach was already rumbling. He had trained hard late into last night and into the early hours of the morning. As usual he had a light breakfast but now he could have a heartier lunch. He let the others order first, glancing at the menu’s and ultimately deciding on one of his more common favourites. “I’ll have the Shoyu ramen with soba noodles, menma and negi toppings and extra chashu, please.” He ordered politely. Of course, he was too young to order alcohol, but he was glad to see Chiaki was comfortable enough to relax and order 2 bottles for herself. When the sake arrived he would be sure to pour it for Chiaki, as was customary. He shifted his attention to the woman as he noticed her chakra flare and her body show signs of distress. It was evident she had been under a lot of stress and had a number of traumatic experiences, likely as a result of the war and her apparent duties as a medical shinobi dealing with critical patients.

Out of respect for her, he deactivated his Byakugan. He had done enough training for the time being. Slipping his bow off his back he rested it next to his seat as he took the spot to Chiaki’s right. “I can only imagine how difficult it must be to be a medical shinobi” he considered, empathizing without prying into the situation directly. “I hope you enjoy your stay here, perhaps some day you can show me around Kumo when I come visit. If it’s not too much trouble” he said, hoping he wasn’t being too forward with the request. His left hand idly rested at the legendary weapon; Anger that hung from his hip. The only time he had been to the Lightning Empire had been in his fight for the weapon. His own heartbeat quickened as he felt a phantom pain and a tightness in his chest. It would be good to build a new association with the mountainous lands of their northern allies.

[Kaitos10]

Haruka would think for a bit about what Chiaki said and would reply soon after saying “I guess but that makes it harder to be a doctor doesn’t it? After all you need to be calm for that, or that’s what I heard from Nobu who’s another medical ninja.” She would then hear Takeshi and say “ahhh ok just checking and I definitely agree that she’s interesting “ after a bit of talking on the way there they finally arrived and started ordering then as they started talking again while they waited for there food. During the talks Haruka could hear Chiaki’s heart beat and would put her hand on her shoulder saying “I’m sure you did your best, are you ok Chiaki?” hoping that it would snap her out of what ever traumatic memory she was going through while listening to her heart beat to see if it improved. When she started talking about recovering and visiting Konoha she would say “ahhh ok well we can show you around if you want? Is there anything specific you want to do while your hear?”

As they were talking about it and planning there stay here, there food finally arrived. Haruka happily took her big bowel of ramen and happily started eating. As she ate she would listen in on the others to see how they were enjoying there food. It was pretty hard for Haruka to stop eating to converse especially while eating good food but she could still nod and gesture with her body. Though it wasn’t like it mattered to much since she finished her food relatively quickly and then put down the bowl and would pay for her food. Afterwards she would wait for Chiaki to see how she enjoyed the meal. After that she would say “so now question is what to do next.”

500+300=800 will power training

[Kanade]

Chiaki nodded and smiled back to Takeshi about the interesting part, and also about the allies in the cloud and sand. She had no idea that there was a tenuous relationship between the cloud, the sand, and the leaf villages respectively, she might as well have been living in a hole for most if not all of her life. Temple life was dull, but sheltered.

When she had ordered her food, as it seemed like it was the right thing to do, she engaged the others in the conversations that they had struck up in the time that she had been walking with them over to Ichiraku Ramen.

“I am twenty-one-cha.” She nodded, “So you’re almost right about that, and a Chuunin.” She nodded at the training hard to reach their potential. She felt rather more like a slacker now, but she wasn’t in it for the training or getting stronger, or being the very best killing machine that she could be.

No.

She had a better goal, well, better in her mind, for herself. “I was wondering what those faces were-cha.” She giggled, and tilted her head, looking out of the window of the shop at the faces, “Eighteenth soon hmm?”

Since Haruka had seen her, she had taken up the habit of drinking more often, and she didn’t exactly keep herself composed, but she was able to drink two rounds of sake with only feeling slightly tipsy now, as she was able to tolerate it more. She made a mental note to make a jutsu to cure kidney failure and cirrhosis of the liver, as she downed the first saucer of the sake and took her chopsticks, breaking them apart before saying the old adage, “Itadakimasu!” and digging in.

She stopped mid-slurp on her noodle and nodded at his and Haruka’s words that it must be hard to be a medical ninja, and even harder to be a doctor. She sucked up the rest of the noodles, chewed and swallowed, their savory taste balanced with the spices of the herbs and the umami of the red radishes and a dollop of honey perhaps? Delicious.

“It is very hard, I am only about half-way there to being a doctor though, I suppose in my own right I am a doctor in the field. People who are underqualified are called field-medics, and field-surgeons are a step above that, and field-doctors on a completely elevated level to that-cha.” She moved her hands, indicating the tiers for the two of them.

“Ah, no, I don’t mind at all!” She responded to Takeshi’s question as to whether or not she would lead him around and then turned to Haruka, “Haruka and I spent some time just rolling around Kumogakure no Sato and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly-cha!”

“Who is this Nobu-san-cha?” Chiaki asked, raising one of her red eyebrows and taking a bite of her boiled egg in her soup. Then answered that it was indeed a harrowing experience, but when she described it she kept the gory details out of their meal, instead insisting that there was nothing more that she could do, and they had to pronounce the patient deceased at the end of a long, and frustrating ten hour surgery.

“I would love to see the Onsen here since you saw mine, actually-cha.” She nodded to Haruka, “And I hear that there is a festival that will be happening in a couple of days, do you know what that is called-cha?” She asked the two on either side of her. She was trying to figure out who to talk to, directly, but was hoping that she wasn’t leaving anyone out of the conversation.

“And as for anything else, I was hoping to relax, perhaps train and meet some new friends here, and if I am completely honest, perhaps learn some of the basics of transplantation jutsu-cha.” Chiaki ate her meal with possibly less vigor than Haruka did, but she enjoyed every bite. It was strange, but it felt like comfort food to her, and it was quite filling. After one bowl, and the two warmed sakes that she had ordered, she was quite full, and feeling rather decidedly less nervous around the new Hyuuga boy. She wasn’t afraid of him or anything, but crowds made her skittish, and she was always nervous around new people.

Being in a group, though, might make the festival in a couple of days all the more exciting and enjoyable for her, even if they were seven and eight years her junior.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi quirked his head with interest as Haruka mentioned Nobu. He supposed it made sense that she knew him, they had both competed in the Aroma country tournament and were of a similar age. The young man considered the ‘other Aizawa’ boy, they hadn’t spent much time together lately but had been childhood friends. He suspected however that his twin sister Kaori, had been training with Nobu in secret, and perhaps there was even a crush of sorts forming there. It seemed the bond between Natsuki and Aizawa certainly was strong. And even Aizawa and Hyuuga had recently merged as well, only adding to the complicated family dynamics.

The athletic teenager felt he might have insulted the woman inadvertently upon learning she was seemingly rather average. Most shinobi were Chunin, even well in adulthood where it was common to retire anywhere from 30 onward; shinobi tended to be easily hired and able to shift careers after service, after all. But for those from certain families it was easy to lose sight of the way of life for most people. His mother had been named a Bannin at age 18 after all and he had been surrounded by such individuals his entire life. Truthfully, even now he knew he surpassed most Chunin in combat ability, he had only been holding himself back from taking the exams until his sister was ready to take them together. Though his elder sister was only 19 and had already gotten herself married and taken a step back from her shinobi duties shortly after being promoted to Special Jounin.

The Ramen arrived and Takeshi joined Chiaki in the brief exclamation before he began to eat, savoring the flavors; the saltiness balanced with fresh greens and a hearty portion of succulent meats. His muscles ached and he knew this was only the start of what he would need to replenish his body. There would be time for proper workout meals later in the day however, for now he was simply content to enjoy this simple pleasure. He nodded, considering the question Chiaki had asked moments before the food had arrived, about his mention of a potential 18th Hokage. “That’s right. I think my dad is finally ready to step down, Awai Fanho has returned recently. He’s been considered the next contender since before the war. Though for all of the 17th’s faults and failings, I’m not sure I can respect someone who was away training for years instead of fighting Kirigakure and defending our homeland” his grip tightened around the bowl and his brow narrowed, his voice low but steady. But he was content to let his resentment simmer and focus on lighter topics, nodding when Chiaki offered to show him around Kumo sometime.

He listened to the women talk while he ate, slurping up some of the noodles as was actually considered a polite show of enjoyment for the meal. At the mention of Nobu again, he listened to Haruka’s answer and learned a little more of their interactions before chiming in. “I used to play with Nobu a lot as kids actually, we’re family friends. My dad is his brothers Sensei, and actually Nobu’s brother; Yoru also just recently married my big sister Hanako. I’m not sure what that would make him to me though” he considered.

The mood became heavy for a few moments as Chiaki described the failed surgery. Takeshi thought back to his own recent brush with death and being saved by a Kumo medic. But that wasn’t something he could openly talk about, and it certainly didn’t seem appropriate to interject on such a heavy topic. At the mention of Onsen’s however he perked up, briefly imagining the pair of women naked as he sipped back some of the broth of his soup. Chiaki was certainly more his type than the extraordinarily muscular Haruka, but he suspected the Kumo woman would only see him as a child. It would be a number of years still before he was viewed as a man, despite the body he had been developing or the courage in battle he displayed.

Takeshi placed his bowl back down, finished with the delicious meal. “Konoha’s Onsen’s are almost as famous as the Ramen. I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the experience. The Akimichi family hold a feast twice a year. It’s a festival of food, drinking and theater performances. If you like meat and sake then you can’t afford to miss it!” he said with an encouraging smile. He wasn’t old enough to drink yet aside from the odd small cup his father gave him at such festivals, but he was looking forward to eating his own weight in grilled beef. “I can even introduce you to the Hokage if you’d like and maybe I can convince doctor Saigo-sama to attend. He’s the top medical expert in Konoha, saved my moms life when he delivered my twin sister and I” he explained. He didn’t mean to flaunt his connections too much, but he thought he might be able to help make the woman’s stay in Konoha more fulfilling. His father always insisted on welcoming allies with open arms and treating them like family. And there were some lessons that had taken hold, despite some conflicted feelings within the family dynamics.

[Kaitos10]

After finished her food she heard Chiaki describing the various stages of doctors and she nodded on interested. She would then say “makes sense I never knew there was so much stages to being a doctor, that’s pretty interesting.” She would then think about what Chiaki just said and how far she has to go, Haruka also started thinking about herself as well as how close she was to some of her goals. She was starting to get close to special jounin. So just one more step until she finally reached the same level her mom was at. After that she just had to figure out how to surpass her, which would be the tricky part.

She then Heard Takeshi and how he was talking about the Hokage, she then remembered the horrible war, as well as the attack on Konoha and said “while I do agree with you kind of, As far as I remember the attack on Konoha was a sneak attack by Kirigakure while everyone was away. Even if Fanho was here during the war helping there’s a good chance he would’ve been away with everyone else when Kirigakure launched there sneak attack. But that’s just how I look at it, hopefully we won’t get caught with our pants down again.”

Later on when the topic shifted to Nobu again she would look on surprised at what she learned about him. Saying “wow I never knew all that, it’s very interesting I never really got to talk to him to much sadly, we usually spent our interactions on missions and training or in the tournament, I met Yoru only once on a mission so never really got to know that side of them sadly.”

Then when the topic shifted to the onsen and the festival Haruka would look on shyly and say nervously “sadly I never knew that the first onsen I ever been to was in Kumogakure, I guess I was to busy or distracted with other things at the time.” Though when the festival was mentioned she quickly got excited and said “im definitely looking forward to that it’s the one of the only times of the year I get to perform for lots of people in public besides maybe tournaments but that’s not as fun. Plus with the festival I can usually eat a lot since the akamichi holds these great buffets during the festival!” She then starts to pout a little saying “sadly haven’t had a good big meal since Kumogakure and that costed to much money…….”

[Kanade]

"Wait, you're.... The Hokage's-" Chiaki asked after almost choking on a noodle. Haruka seemed to not notice that they were dining with what might as well be Konoha Royalty and just stared for a moment at the boy. Well, that was a bit fortuitous, she supposed, that she was sitting with darned near royalty of Konoha on her first trip. She patted her sternum, forcing the half-eaten, half inhaled noodle down the right way, coughed a couple of times and took a drink of water through teary eyes, due to the lack of oxygen and aspirating the soup's broth.

So the attack on Konoha was a sneak attack by Kiri, she had no idea, but didn’t want to interrupt the story that Haruka was telling. She had no idea who this Fanho character was, but Haruka was certainly animated by even the mention of them. Perhaps a konohagakure ninja hero?

“Pants down situations are only good if they’re planned-cha.” Chiaki agreed with Haruka’s sentiments. She was dizzied by the talk of ‘nobu’ and pedigrees, and whos cousin’s sister’s wife was whom. In the temple, everyone was a brother or a sister, and it didn’t matter who was your mother, as long as your brought new blood into the temple, you were considered safe. Also, owing to the fact that everyone thre was called brother, or sister, even spouses added to perhaps the outside confusion, but it also minimized the need for ‘second cousin twice removed on my mother’s roommate's side.’ sort of shenanigans.

“It’s fine, distracted was good in Kumogakure, or do you mean distracted here? Either way, distracted with the present should not be apologized for in the future, because it means that you’re focused in the ‘now.’-cha.” She smiled reassuringly at Haruka. “Perform? Perform what Haruka?” she asked the animated genin once again as she mentioned that she got the chance to ‘perform’. She remembered that the girl was a dancer, but perhaps there was a different performance? One that the spectators and those who organized it alike could participate in?

Chiaki wasn’t much of a dancer, she was slow, sensuous, and usually moved at a very half-tempo sort of way about a dance floor. It was one of the reasons she had never been invited (back) to any clubs or parties.

At the mention of food, and the Akimichi feast she grinned and continued to slurp at her noodles and food as best as she could while chewing thoughtfully at all of the different flavors. She was going to have to document this and- and what, create a food based Iijutsu? Preposterous.

“Mmm, I do love meat, but it is usually forbidden in temple, seeing as the Kami frown on sacrifices of the flesh-cha.” She nodded sagely, or attempted to, her hair bobbing to a rhythm that she could only hear. “As for the fee, I am here on vacation, and I wouldn’t mind footing the bill since I want to see and experience everything-cha.” She looked pensievely down at her noodles and swished them around a bit in the red broth, “I wouldn’t mind being introduced to some medical ninja of your village if that wouldn’t be too much trouble, but the Hokage seems a bit-” She grasped at the term and then came up with- “Celebrity for me-cha.”

Saigo was a name that she had heard though, and the words of the Raikage echoed in her ears that Saigo was the foremost medical ninja in the whole world. A chance to meet him? She might as well have asked for the moon. “Saigo-sama would be a wonderful person to study under, or even meet-cha.” She nodded, “Tales of his accolades have even reached the village hidden in the clouds, and if I were to get a chance to study with or from him, I would have a better chance of-.” She simmered down and put the bowl to her lips, taking a deep draught of the liquid instead of continuing with the line of thought. She wanted to be the top medical expert in not only Konoha, not only Kumo, not only this part of the country and the alliance, but in the whole world. She would be able to save her mother, would be able to help train the next generation, regardless of where her students came from.

A wandering cure-all for the hurts, ailments, and suffering of the world. A true Medical Kunoichi.

[Izanagi]

Takeshi waved off Chiaki’s surprise, he was used to initial reactions like that when people found out who his father was, but he didn’t like to be treated any differently because of it. “It’s nothing that special really. I have at least three sisters and one older brother…that I know of. You’re bound to run into one of us eventually” he said sardonically. Though he frowned deeply when Haruka spoke of the attack by Kirigakure. His seething hatred began to seep to the surface, and he found it difficult to keep up appearances. His hand balled into a fist, and he grit his teeth before slamming his fist against the counter in an uncontrolled burst of emotion. “That’s not good enough! We were at war, there’s no excuse to leave our home vulnerable. We should have been ready! Not halfway across the world-conquering foreign lands” he scowled, his nostrils flaring, and his brow hunched. Though fortunately Chiaki quickly defused the tension with her comment about pants-down situations. Takeshi quickly found his face flushing red, completely caught off guard by the sexual innuendo. He found himself choking on something briefly and cleared his throat.

He grew silent and sullen again after chiming in on a few things here and there as the conversation moved on. Only Chiaki’s mention of her priestess upbringing seemed to bring him out of his stupor. “Hunting has always been a part of my family’s way of life, I can’t imagine what it’s like growing up without eating meat” he considered. He wondered what other rules she had to adhere to. Religion and temples were not particularly prominent in Konoha. The Hyuuga held to a great many traditions and formal practices, but he was not raised to believe in any kind of Gods, only to respect his ancestors and elders. Takeshi only nodded in acceptance as Chiaki offered to pay for the meal, he wouldn’t fight her on it though he would have volunteered himself if she hadn’t beat him to it. Takeshi huffed at the thought of his father being treated like a celebrity. In Konoha the Hokage was just like anybody else, they were expected to mingle with anyone and show up to all sorts of events, though given the war and his father's schedule he had been distinctly absent compared to his early years as leader of the village. “He’s just a man, like any other” he said in regard to Takeo. Though as Chiaki spoke of Saigo, Takeshi nodded, understanding that naturally she held more interest in studying under the man praised as the pinnacle of the medical arts.

Truthfully, Takeshi didn’t know Saigo very well at all, the man was every bit as busy as the Hokage and it was rare to see him outside of the hospital. The Hyuuga teenager smiled slightly as he watched the way Chiaki lit up. It seemed she had some ambition after all, despite only being a Chunin. Perhaps she was like him, and her rank was a poor reflection of her actual talents. “I don’t know him that well honestly, he’s always working so I only really see him for yearly check-ups but I’m sure he wouldn’t turn down extra help from a qualified medical shinobi” he surmised. Realistically Chiaki could probably simply show up to the hospital to fill out some paperwork to be signed off by Saigo and their respective Kage’s. Once each of them finished their ramen, Takeshi would glance over to the ever-impatient Haruka, “Well shall we go then? You said something about the Onsen?” he recalled, though he would have been happy to train or do something else. Ultimately it was Chiaki’s vacation, but she seemed content to follow around the energetic little muscle ball that was the Konoha Kunoichi.

[Kaitos10]

Would be trying to console Takeshi about the situation when he continues to passionately talk about the war she would then say “isn’t that something you should bring up with your father? It was his call after all I’m sure he would know what had happened and what lead to the problem with kiri.” Though she soon dropped it after Chiaki pants down comment deciding it was best no to mention such a sensitive subject.

When Chiaki mentions her curiosity over the distractions as well as the very insightful quote this would cause Haruka to say casually back to Chiaki “I meant too distracted with stuff in Konoha to try the Onsen here though that’s a very interesting and thought provoking Philosophy” it was certainly a way of thinking Haruka could definitely get behind.

She then nods at the mention of the performance and says “perform dances, sometimes singing. Why do you ask?” She would then talk to Chiaki about that topic for a bit until the topic changed to meat and the festival food. “I guess everyone has there own thing I personally like all types of food and meat tastes so good it’s hard to imagine going without it.” When Haruka hears about Saigo she would say “makes sense you would want to see the current best medical ninja in the world. Though besides medicine is there anything else your really passionate about?” Haruka was really curious and this seemed like a good opportunity to learn more about Chiaki

[Kanade]

Seeing that her innuendo had the desired effect she nodded at the mention that meat was a way of life for the people of Konohagakure. Of course, it was in the land of Lightning and also in Kumogakure no sato as well, but she had grown up with little in the way of meats, instead having cooking consistent of gruel, rice, beans, and other readily made, rarely perishable items. She was rather discontented with it, and had snuck off to indulge a little here and there to make up for it.

“I rather doubt that the Hokage is a man like any other-cha.” She replied to his flippant remark about Takeo, “I hear that he is one of the finest teachers there is, and that pupils are lucky to study under him-cha.” She gauged how the youth would react to hear of his father again, hiding, only barely, the same smile that a big sister would give her little brother.

“I would love to go visit the Onsen here. The ride here was rather uncomfortable, and I think that I will probably be walking from now on everywhere I go, even if it does take another two to three weeks to get to where I am going-cha.” She nodded and looked to Haruka.

“Well, sometimes there are other performances, and I didn’t know whether you did a kata, or a dance, or sang.” She tilted her head, “I remember vaguely you saying something about dancing back in Kumogakure, but that was a bit ago-cha.” She nodded and gave a fond little smirk, “I would say that I am passionate about my friends, about food, about-” She thought for a little bit, there wasn’t much that she was ‘truly’ passionate about, “About protecting those that I love. I’ve been interested in taking up the hammer and making a set of armor just to try my hand at it for a while, but I can’t say that I am all that passionate about training for battle, or sparring. Just training my medical skills, whether that be jutsu or just plain medicine-cha.”

She shrugged, leading the way to where she hoped the Onsen was by the faint smell of sulphur in the air. “This way to the Onsen-cha?”

[Izanagi]

The teenager had rarely spoken out against his father, tending to keep things to himself. But lately, his frustrations and resentments were becoming too much to contain. But perhaps Haruka was right, though Takeshi wouldn’t accept that. He had heard his father's justifications, he knew it would be just another speech and a lecture if he did bring it up. There was never any winning with his father, the man always had an excuse for everything. And there was always another battle or war to run off to go fight. It would never stop, not until he finally pushed himself too far and his family was left to suffer for it. He was about to let the topic go when Chiaki chimed in. Takeshi furrowed his brow, he knew both Haruka and Chiaki meant well, but they were naïve to believe all the good they heard without accepting any of the man’s flaws. “Some teacher. One of his students went on a rampage in the village and got himself killed, another went rogue and tried to kill him. My dad means well, but he’s too trusting and if you ever meet him, you’ll see how much a man he is. Someone like you, he’d do anything to get you in bed” he muttered under his breath, going red at the thought. He wouldn’t make the same mistakes as his father; trust was not something he would rely on and he wouldn’t ever let a woman get between him and his responsibilities.

But all of this was getting a bit too personal for his liking. He considered Haruka a friend, even if they weren’t particularly close it was the best he had outside of his siblings and teammates. The last thing he wanted was to be considered someone who just complained, it was for that reason that he typically kept his thoughts to himself. Sighing, he shook his head to himself, trying to understand what had come over him. Evidently his frustrations had been building up too much and he needed to train even harder to keep them at bay. “I’m sorry for my outbursts” he said after a few moments. “Thank you for your advice and consideration. Both of you” he added politely.

And with that he would gather his things and head outside with them. He would nod in confirmation as Chiaki led the way toward the Onsen. As they walked together, he realized he had been somewhat dismissive of Haruka and thought he should make more of an effort to talk with her. “Haruka, you seem to be one of the only other people our age who trains as hard as I do. May I ask, what motivates you? You don’t seem to hold the same hate toward Kiri that I do.” He considered, he couldn’t imagine many other motivations beyond wanting revenge or to protect the village against the cruelty and evil of Iwagakure and Kirigakure. It made sense that a shinobi of Kumogakure would feel more removed from the situation, being so isolated and not as involved in conflicts. But Konoha had suffered two devastating attacks against their home within the last 15 years. Both Haruka and Takeshi had been born and raised in a time of increased security and rebuilding after the invasion by Yaku and Enma. Surely that had to shape the current generation and fill them with hatred for any enemies of Konoha.

[Kaitos10]

Haruka would look on surprised at Takeshi maybe it was different looking at the Hokage from a different point of view she certainly never thought of those things after all. She would then think about what Takeshi was saying for a bit before moving on to a different topic. But when he started apologizing she would say “it’s fine we’re friends aren’t we? No reason to have to get so tense or feel like you have to apologize. But you’re welcome happy to help.”

When she heard Chiaki’s comments she would reply “I’m sorry to hear that it honestly wasn’t that bad for me personally. I actually enjoyed the trip. But if you can get fast enough you can basically travel the same speed the real problem is that the train won’t get tired but you will. “

“But the Onsen awaits! “ She then happily went with the others heading there but on the way Takeshi asked a surprising question so she would think for a second before saying “that’s a good question I guess you could say Love motivates me.” She would then pause for a bit before explaining further saying “such as love for the village and love for my friends. I want to make sure I can get strong enough so that I can protect the things I care about. “

After she was finished explaining her motivations and everything she would hear Chiaki start to speak and would reply “good food and friends is definitely nice but also like good entertainment and good art sometimes though my art is obviously the best.”

[Kanade]

Chiaki gulped as Takeshi furrowed his brow and expounded on Takeo, wondering whether or not he was talking about the same man that she had heard of all of those years while she was in the outskirts of Lightning country and studied under the teaching guidance of the medical shinobi of Kumogakure no Sato. She looked at her body as he said that the Hokage would ‘do anything to her in bed’. It was quite the compliment, or at least she took it that way. Youth was for the young, and she had always fancied herself a good mother. Perhaps she could make that a reality with the Hokage. She shook her head, of course not. Silly her.

“I am sure that he is a gentleman" she rebutted, "but everyone has their shortcomings. I have many, many flaws.” She grinned, “The most interesting stones are not the ones without flaws, but with occlusions and inclusions that give them personality-cha.” She reached over and gave him a small hug, one that a big sister would give a little brother hoping to bring some ease to his discomfort for his outburst, “and you are more than welcome to always speak your mind in my company.” She looked to Haruka and nodded, all of those things were perfectly good reasons to be motivated. She had heard some people in her village that had that same motivation and wondered whether or not she would reach any sort of height in the shinobi world, or whether she would be left in the dust of these two youngsters, like she had been by her peers.

Perhaps it was time for a change, to reach for power and then cultivate it towards medicine. She tilted her head, a hate for Kirigakure no Sato? Did it have to do with the war? Who had Takeshi lost? She wanted to ask all of these questions, but the woman kept her silence, her thoughts to herself. Was it prying to want to know what his motivation for this hate came from?

“Do you believe that all Kirigakure no Sato people are evil?” She tilted her head, looking at the street in front of her rather than the boy to her side, “I mean to say-cha-” She put a finger to her mouth in thought, “Do you think that they’re all worthy of death? That’s what hate means right-cha? That someone is worthy of death?”

She looked to Haruka, to see whether or not the girl also believed that Kirigakure no Sato ninja were evil. Perhaps she was also too trusting, as Takeshi had put it.

[Izanagi]

The young man sighed. Sometimes he forgot how much anger and resentment he was harboring, but he did feel lighter being able to speak on it and have a friend to listen. He nodded, placing a hand on Haruka’s shoulder. The girl was much smaller them him though he suspected that this wasn’t her true form from the way her chakra formed around her. Nonetheless, he had never brought it up and figured she would reveal whatever her secret was when the time was right. She was his elder brother’s student so in a way she was like family and the only true friend he really had outside of Anbu. “Yeah, of course we’re friends” he assured with a warm and genuine smile. “I’m here for you too, you know?” he insisted. He realized he probably wasn’t a very good friend to her, the two of them pretty much only ever trained together and shared the occasional meal. In all his focus on getting stronger he realized he hadn’t taken the time to properly get to know Haruka.

Takeshi sighed as Chiaki spoke about his father. He supposed he was being too harsh, he did have many good memories with his dad, hunting and fishing together and practicing martial arts. “He’s a good dad when he’s around and he makes my mom happy…we just miss him a lot I guess” he admitted. When one led by example and always put the village above themselves it left little time for others. But Takeshi had grown up in a shinobi family, he knew what it was to put duty above family time. That was just part of the military lifestyle. But it was hard not to want more when their days all together as a family were the best times of his life. It was easier to blame his father for all of his affairs and his reckless pursuit of combat than it was to admit that he truly loved his father and only wanted more time and attention from him. The teenage Hyuuga glanced over at Chiaki as she hugged him, in that moment she felt as comforting as one of his Aunt’s; Ayame, Masami or Kiyori. The latter two of which were dead now. It was a bittersweet feeling and left a painful, lingering memory of the loved ones he had lost but also felt like part of them still lived on. “Thanks” he said simply as his eyes threatened to water and he felt emotion welling within him.

The muscular young man nodded at Haruka’s response when he asked her about her motivations. “I feel the same way. When you think about it though, love and hate are really two sides of the same coin. My love for Konoha, for my friends means I hate anyone that would threaten to take that away from me. That’s only natural, isn’t it?” he mused, before Chiaki questioned his opinion of Kirigakure. He hummed in contemplation. “Maybe not all, but their culture is. Kirigakure shinobi are all ruthless killers. They believe strength is all that matters, and murder is the only way of achieving strength. Their very nature is evil. I don’t think I could ever forgive them for what they did. I watched Kirigakure shinobi murder my Grandfather. I was hiking with him and my sister when they attacked” he recalled the painful memory. It had occurred a few years ago now but the wound still felt fresh. “I think the world would be a safer place if they were all dead” he muttered. His heart was bitter and it was difficult not to hate them and wish to strike back. With his mood soured he had half a mind to let the women go to the onsen without him. But he would at least do the curtesy of listening to what Chiaki had to say before they went their separate ways.