The Jinrai Carnival Hidden In The Leaves

[Octopus Garden]

"Come one, come all! Down to the Jinraaaaaaiiiiii CAAAAAARNIIIVAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!" A faint vinyl record played audibly throughout the streets.

An autonomous vibration of Akistar's voice with his signature vinyl record radio crackle projected from the flyers whenever someone got close enough or gazed at them with enough intent to properly read them, it wasn't incredibly loud, but it was audible enough that one might hear it when not listening for it on purpose.

On the streets of Konohagakure talk was about and steady about the Jinrai Carnival that had come all the way over from the Lightning Empire. Rumor had it that the Jinrai were a famed clan of ninjutsu wielders, but also generally amazing performers, singers, dancers, animal tamers, writers, professional entertainers.

The most important aspect of this one however was the fun little sideshow for those that were of the shinobi life.

To those that were accustomed to chakra usage, it would become eventually apparent that a lot of the area and most especially its noise was immediately shrouded from view away from the others, that is to say that non-shinobi would see about one eighth the full size of the Jinrai Carnival before they actually got into the forest itself for there was an illusion in the way that prevented them from even hearing, seeing, smelling, or witnessing the rest of the Carnival, the real Jinrai Carnival, where the chakra magic sprang to life and the food and animals sang and danced on their plates and cages.

No, the Jinrai had a special vibration jutsu in place that muffled the sounds of their Carnival to outsiders, making it a very private and hidden event in the trees.

This is where our story takes place, for as soon as one steps foot past the first few trees, the illusion broke away and the real festivities and its loudness could be experienced in full wonder.

The noise was immediately distinct, how they had managed to stifle the noise of a crowd of hundreds was beyond the non shinobi's comprehensions, but really it was Jinrai vibration manipulation.

Bubbling and smoking drinks of various colors filled the seats and peoples hands, goblets made of silver and gold, music notes could be seen quite literally flying through the air, performers danced and food made itself, fish could be seen jumping out of water straight onto grills.

In the back, far to the west, there was a concert stage set up against incredibly large trees, and though the sun could still be seen hanging in the sky, it was lowering in the horizon behind the far distant trees. A smooth fog of pink vibration chakra washed over the crowds as the Jinrai lady sang a slower song next, slowing things down for everyone to a slower pace, whereas the previous song had been far more upbeat.

This one? This one was nothing but Jazz.

Akistar sipped his drink and scanned the crowd. He had had to work incredulously hard to be allowed to come here. Cros had pulled strings for him, gaven him good commendations, but he still had had to pass a few tests.

On arrival a few days ago he had even been assigned a new body guard, Hyuuga, Keriku in addition to the ones he normally had, so, Akistar was never alone, he was constantly surrounded by bodyguards, but they blended in and made him feel very isolated and alone. In the whole crowd, the whole Carnival, he appeared to be the only one there that wasn't having a good time. He didn't quite look sad, he looked almost bored, but that wasn't really it. It wasn't like he was really lonely, but he was.

He had the Hell Genma to keep him company, but even that meant that he was alone.

It was not yet his turn to perform however, he would not perform for a little while, in the mean time he was supposed to try and make friends.

"Make friends?" He had mused to Cros. "Why, thinking about moving here?" He asked her.

"Well, we could stay more often if you got some friends."

Now there was a thought, the Hell Genma pushed towards Akistar from within his mind.

"Oh, you agree with her? Fine, let's make some friends."

[Lunanana]

Tsuki was sitting by one of the tables, watching the cooked fish eating competition with full focus. The usual Hyuuga twins that accompanied her were not here this time, since Tsuki came on political grounds to introduce herself to the traditions of the Lightning Empire, as a form of research in preparations for some future political ties. At least, that’s what the other Hyuuga thought. She really came just to watch the eating and cooking competitions taking place in between the acts.

She knew that Yoshinori was coming too, and that, well, that was the real reason she was here. They decided to meet there, and until he came, she was sitting by the table with her back straight, and pale eyes trailing the chopstick movements. Instead of her usual mission gear, she was dressed a little more official, with a pale pink kimono, but aside from that she didn’t do anything different. Suddenly, as if poked on the forehead, she turned her head and accidentally locked eyes with another Hyuuga, guarding a very vibrant looking boy. They didn’t interact beyond that, just a glance, but when her eyes turned back to the eating competition, her eyebrows knitted together involuntarily.

There were a lot of Hyuuga out there, and some of them she didn’t even know yet. It made her… It didn’t sit right with her… But she also was not really comfortable just walking up to her and saying something. There were some serious mental gymnastics happening in her mind now. She looked at them again, and noticed a sad expression on the boy’s face, and that stirred something within her, an instinct she didn’t know she had yet. Lifting herself from her seat, Tsuki slowly approached them. ”Good evening… How are you liking the f-festivities?” Her face was straight, but she mentally frowned because of the stutter. It wasn’t as bad as before but it was still troublesome.

[Niro]

Black. Black. Black. Black.

Yoshinori let out a groan as he rummaged through his closet, tossing shirts onto the bed one after another. Was it possible to own too many black clothes? Judging by the growing pile, the answer was a firm yes. He ran a hand down his face, muttering under his breath, before finally pulling out something clean and comfortable. Not much variety, but at least it looked decent. He didn’t usually give much thought to his outfit, function always came first, but for some reason, tonight felt different. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the carnival, or maybe it was just the fact he hadn’t been out in a while. Either way, he wasn’t about to show up looking like he’d just rolled out of bed.

The Jinrai Carnival had come to Konoha, something he’d learned from a few older Jounin who spoke about it with nostalgic fondness. After some creative maneuvering, Yoshinori managed to get a note to Tsuki asking her to meet him there. It seemed like a good way to spend an evening: lively, different, and a break from the usual routine.

The crowd was thick with people, the air buzzing with the smell of fried food and the distant crackle of fireworks. Kids darted between booths, vendors shouted out deals, and laughter spilled from every direction. Normally, the noise would get under his skin, but tonight, he found himself tolerating it just fine. Yoshinori scanned the bustling crowd until his eyes locked on a familiar face. Tsuki. She stood near one of the tables, already chatting with another Hyuuga and someone who looked like a civilian or maybe a fellow shinobi. He blinked, eyebrows briefly knitting together, not out of suspicion, just trying to place the faces.

He made his way through the carnival-goers and casually approached from the side, waiting for the right moment before sliding into view.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, his voice calm and neutral with a hint of dry humor. “Everyone enjoying the carnival?”

[Octopus Garden]

Unlike the bodyguards of Kumogakure, the Hyuuga bodyguards of konohagakure were actually good at their job. This was because the Byakugan allowed them to cheat and keep an eye on things that they weren't supposed to be able to keep an eye on, and other such silly nonsense such as that. For Hyuuga, Keriku this meant she very easily just watched most of the festival at any given particular moment, so it was obvious to her when someone was paying a little too much attention to Akistar, or herself, usually, though she was rather out of practice these days. She rather enjoyed being able to do so while also watching some of the shows. The Byakugan really was cheating.

Keriku had to admit she absolutely did not like what she saw when she looked at Akistar's insides.

The Hell Genma scared her.

Akistar sat up a little in his seat as he was approached, he noted that Keriku visually smiled at both the girl and himself and made like she was going to give them space when another individual presented themselves and Keriku instead cut herself short, deciding to stay where she was at the nearby drink stand. She shrugged and turned her back to the lot of them after a quick smile and wave, ordering a few drinks and snacks and waiting a diatance away.

"Ah. What do we have here, I see you have the same eyes as my bodyguard," Akistar's vinyl record voice crackled audibly from his body, it was clearly his own voice, the way he sounded. An astute observer might recognize it from the flyer recordings around the village.


"Me, having a good time? Hmmmmmm...." he paused for a moment and a bit of radio static crackled in the air,

"Heavens, no!" He said with a laugh, red hell aura chakra washing over his eyes and dying them entirely red, then just the pupils and iris so that his own eyes now looked like red Byakugans, completely red where where pupils and iris should be.

"Ah you know, you see one Jinrai Carnival you've seen them all, especially when you perform at half of them," His voice hung in the air, very literally before the two of them, the Hyuuga and the newcomer, the red words forming in the air before him out of chakra as he spoke, he laughed as it happened.

[Lunanana]

Tsuki felt him before she saw him and a smile appeared on her face, which could be mistaken for a one directed at the pair in front of her, but that was not a bad thing. Yoshinori appeared right beside them and she instinctively took a step closer to his side, her eyes slowly moving from the Hyuuga to the other person and she waited for them to answer.

”...It is our signature eyes, yes.” Tsuki chimed, now more confident than before. Her face took on a worried expression just as he said he was not having fun and his eyes turned red, and she took a small step back, her voice now stuck in her throat. That’s what happens when you try to be bold, she figured, and was about to say goodbye, when something struck her. He was performing in them? Being guarded? He’s barely a teenager…

Her gaze softened a little, and as the Hyuuga was now ignoring them, she slowly lowered herself, sitting by his table. ”...Are you traveling around the countries?” Something about a child being here and not enjoying their time, while clearly troubled, did not sit right with her. Or maybe she lacked the needed knowledge to know trouble when it was staring you in the face. Tsuki’s eyes trailed to catch Yoshinori’s just for a moment, a questioning look on her face.

[Niro]

Yoshinori blinked, momentarily stunned as the boy’s chakra flared, vivid red, shifting and writhing like something alive. It wasn’t just energy; it moved with intention, almost sentient. He had never seen chakra behave like that before. It twisted through the air in uncanny patterns… and then, impossibly, began to form actual words between them.

He’d heard stories about the Jinrai clan and their famed vibration techniques, but this, this was something else entirely. His gaze shifted to Tsuki, searching her expression for recognition, only to meet a mirrored look of confusion and concern. He gave a small shake of his head. No idea. This was new, beyond what he’d read, trained for, or expected.

A thoughtful hum rumbled in his chest as he brought a hand to his chin, studying the boy with a pensive stare. He didn’t sense immediate danger, but the unpredictability hung heavy in the air. “Well, if you’ve been here so many times,” Yoshinori said after a pause, his tone laced with casual challenge, “why not play the guide and show us around? We don’t get to see this place often.” His lips tugged into a half-smile, trying to disarm the strangeness of the moment.

All around them, the carnival pulsed with sound and light, colors blurring together, laughter and music echoing from every direction. It was chaotic, but alive. And right now, the boy felt like the center of it all. “Maybe if you stick with us for a bit,” he added gently, “we’ll really get to enjoy it. Plus…” His eyes softened just a little, “we’d like to see how you’re really doing. With our own eyes.” He glanced back over the sea of attractions, then returned his attention to Akistar.

“So,” Yoshinori asked, voice lighter now, “what’s your favorite thing in all this madness?”

[Octopus Garden]

For a brief moment a red aura of chakra jutted and putted out of Akistar's mouth as he formed his lips into the shape of an o and a shiny red ring of smoke fluttered through the air, it began shifting itself into a series of horses that galloped through the air made of red aura smoke, falling out of sight eventually as they went about into the trees.

"Ah, yeah something like that, travelling back and forth to a couple places from Kumo. Ah, of course m, I could show you a cool neat little things" He had said to them rather casually with his crackly radio voice.

"Ahhhh. Ah-hah! But, whererrrrrr are my mannerrrss?" His voice trailed out into the air as he spoke, the words forming in front of them in red hell aura.

"Jinrai, Akistar, at your service," he bowed then rose with a grin as the red words continued to form in the air before him whenever he spoke.

[Lunanana]

Tsuki shifted, now partially behind Yoshinori. Suddenly, she didn’t feel that safe, watching the words form. Something felt either off or terribly inconvenient, confusing, unknown. Like a puzzle she wasn’t sure she wanted to get herself into. Her eyes shifted to look around, trailing their immediate surroundings just in case. Senses subconsciously suddenly very sharp.

She hesitated and it was evident in her voice. ”Hyuuga Tsuki…” She exchanged the formalities and looked back at the boy in front of them.

She waited, patient and ready, just in case. The boy did say he will show them a thing or two, probably not before he got their names.