...Rhianna... Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 (edited) Kaoru turned to Baromosa as he heard him speak beside him. "Not yet," he replied to his hanging question. They stood just outside the door to the dinning room. Some people were already inside sitting on chairs around small tables around the place, but food was still being laid out on the big one in the middle of it all. Kaoru walked inside the frame and leaned against the wall, unsure about where they were supposed to sit. A minute later he heard Namiko call dinnertime and soon enough she entered the room and sat at the head of the large table, seemingly inviting Kaoru's group to join her. "Evening," Kaoru said as he picked up a plate and slapped two large rare steaks on with a mixed arrangement of vegetables. He usually ate more, but he didn't particularly feel like it tonight. Choosing a chair close to Namiko he sat down and started eating; he wasn't one for talk at the dinner table. While Kaoru filled his stomach with the tasty food he couldn't help but compare what in his mouth to the other things he had eaten in his lifetime. When he was a child he was given a very meagre plate full, and sometimes nothing at all. His family had poor wealth, so that was expected. In the slave pens food was chucked in, and you had to fight for your meal or else you starved. He hardly ate through that time, because what ever he managed to grab he gave to his younger siblings. Then there was when he worked as a servant boy. He had bread, water and soup but it was cheap and often leftovers from the families dinner whom he was serving. And his most fulling feed was when the master took him under his wing, he was given a lot to eat and it was all of the highest quality. In these last couple of years Kaoru had looked after himself well enough, and hadn't gone hungry. So now, eating Namiko's arrangement of food Kaoru smiled, because this was all rich and satisfying. ((Word Count:351 Total Word Count: 2,177)) Edited October 6, 2007 by ...Rhianna...
Baromosa Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 Seeing his host, Baromosa felt a little more shy then before and like Kaoru he felt an aversion to speech at first. But that didn't stop Baro from trying to be polite, so he smiled sincerely and grabbed a small plate of food, mostly from the vegetables and a bit of the fully cooked roast. "Everything looks delicious, thank you very much for inviting us." Baro said with a bow of his head and sat down next to Kaoru with a soft smile. The steam from his nice, hot vegetables washed over Baro's face making his appetite peak just a bit and his lips parted slightly in anticipation. 'It all looks so very good, just like how my mom used to cook.' he thought to himself and started to try the new types of vegetables, delightfully surprised by the berry sauce. "It's very good." Baro stated with a grin and began to eat quietly, looking around the table and at all the other food and dinnerware. 'Where's Jinsoku? I didn't hear him go down the stairs.' Baromosa thought and sighed softly to himself, thinking about how he must be off sulking in his room or something. 'Should I go and see if he's hungry?' he thought again and wondered what could be taking so long. Giving it a never mind he turned to Kaoru. "So, how have you been Kaoru?" he asked softly, starting to cut into his meat. The combination of roast and the berry sauce, though while he was sure it was finely prepared, Baro didn't know what to expect from it. Word Count: 264 Total: 6489
acillies45 Posted October 6, 2007 Posted October 6, 2007 Jinsoku heard thier hostess say that dinner was ready. He stood up and walked out of the sitting room. He was quite hungry, seeing as he didnt eat anything but oatmeal that morning, and was relieved that he didnt have to wait any longer. He walked into the room and sat down, away from the rest of his 'team' and thier hostess, but not on the oposite end. That was usually reserved for some other important person. It would look rude for him just to sit at that end of the table like he was some sort of VIP. He didnt think that there would be any person here who exactly filled that description, but he never knew. When he saw the food, his mouth watered, but he didnt go at it like he normally would have. He looked at Namiko and smiled a bit. "Thank you for the meal. It looks beyond delicious." He said truthfully and polietly. He was a good cook, but his skill didnt compare to what was on the table. His stomach growled a little and he knew that, to avoid hungre pains, he would have to eat. He reached for a piece of chicken and rice. He put the rice on his plate first, then took the chicken. He drew out a kuni that he quickly wiped off on a napkin. He took the chicken and cut it expertly with the kuni, getting it into peices that he could pick up with chopsticks. He wiped the kuni on the napkin, cleaning the chicken off and took out a pair of chopsticks. He didnt like to use utensils unless it was nessisary. He started to eat slowly. Once he ate the chicken though, he wanted to shovel it down, but he didnt want to look like a pig. He wanted to enjoy this meal, it might be the last one that he would eat in awhile and if he didnt enjoy it, it would be like having it to go to waste. (Word Count=337) (total Count=6466)
...Rhianna... Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 Kaoru ate fast but sensibly, enjoying the strong butch taste of the rare meat along with the sweet tang that came from the berry sauce. His gorgeous light sapphire blue eyes glanced sideways ate Baromosa, his head bent low over his meal. He sat up straighter, his long ebony hair framing his handsome face and tinting red by the soft glow of the candlelight. "Just peachy.." Kaoru said softly and half sarcastically. "Same as usual.. I guess." "And you? Anything special happen that has changed your life in that short time when we left each others side to right now, as we're eating?" He smiled, teasing Baromosa, then turned back to his dinner and glared at it because he seemed to have eaten all the meat and left only the vegetables. Reaching forward he grabbed another thick juicy steak and plopped it on his plate, this time eating both animal and greens. Kaoru only dimly registered that Jinsoku had entered the room a short while after them and sat at the opposite end to them, he didn't really care about what that boy was thinking at the moment or why he chose to be away from Namiko, Baromosa and himself. ((Word Count: 200 Total Word Count: 2,377))
Baromosa Posted October 7, 2007 Posted October 7, 2007 (edited) Baro chuckled deeply and smirked back to Kaoru, "Oh Yes, drastically." he said sarcastically and took another few quick bites to finish off his vegetables which were nice but he only ate them because he figured to get it out of the way. "I have a whole new outlook on life, obtained in all of 5 minutes." Baro continued looking over at Jinsoku. Calling over he waved him over and said, "Come Jin, join the group. We were just discussing the pivotal moments in our lives." Jin seemed to like to be distant for some disturbed reason, in fact Baro thought of everything he did as a little odd, but none the less he was part of the group and they should become friends. "Why just today, I've traveled farther then I've ever been from home and found four new friends." Baro said more seriously then before, but just as happy and in good spirit. "I think we can safely call you a friend, Namiko." He whispered and Baromosa raised his glass to eye level as a sort of salute and touched it to his lips to take a long sip to wash down his meal. "Thanks again for the meal. After were done, perhaps you all would like to stay and chat a bit in one of our rooms, or perhaps somewhere out here?" Baro asked and ate the last few things off his plate and watched the other eat. The whole setting to Baromosa was very homey, and made him feel very comfortable to share a nice meal with good company. Word Count: 263 Total: 6752 Edited October 7, 2007 by Baromosa
Azure Posted October 9, 2007 Author Posted October 9, 2007 The meal had gone with splendor, everything tasted wonderfully, the food mixed in with all the flavorings of the natural world mixed in. surly, everyone would sleep well this evening. But as it had been getting, the dinner had gone on for more than an hour, before everyone stopped their chattering and finished their meals, the final desert of course, a berry cheesecake with the compliments of sweetness and tart. Namiko nodded to the part of her family that sat with them at the table, mostly from the other side and thanked them, raving about the wondrous meal. It was growing late, though and she became sleepy, as the group should, give or take another hour of talking or so. "Thank you all for joining me. I think I will retire to bed for the night. You can sleep in as long as you want tomorrow, breakfast is anytime, but be sure to be awake when the festival happens tomorrow night, I promise it will be fun!" She said, flashing her alabaster teeth in shine. Bidding her sleep tights to her family, she exchanged graces with affectionate pecks on elderly cheeks and hugs for the night. She would disappear from the group, a few of her family that ran the inn were still at the table, but chatting amongst themselves, not hurrying the three boys away.
...Rhianna... Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Kaoru smiled at Baromosa's sarcastic come back, and listened to what he said after eating more vegetables. He half wanted to tell Baromosa that he hadn't made friends since he was a child, and he certainly hadn't made any in the last day. But since he was such a nice boy he let it go. Kaoru glanced over at Jinsoku eating by himself and thought 'If he comes over here they're all going to get chatty aren't they...' He didn't really care though; those three could talk without him. Pudding came quickly, and eaten in vast amounts. Kaoru helped himself to chocolate pudding, cheesecake, berry sauce, fruit and much more. In the end he was stuffed full to the brim and couldn't help feel himself loose a tad focus to tiredness. Nodding to what Namiko said he left the table as well. It didn't bode well to be exhausted and in the resistance. "Night.." Kaoru muttered as he left the warm and cherry room. There was a soft snap sound every time Kaoru clicked his knuckles as he climbed the stairs to where he was sleeping. Stripping down to his blue boxers he climbed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly with a kunai in hand under his pillow. ((Word Count: 208 Total Word Count: 2,585)) Edited October 10, 2007 by ...Rhianna...
acillies45 Posted October 10, 2007 Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) Jinsoku ate heartily, getting seconds of the main course a few times. He was enjoying it so much, he even ignored Baromosa when he invited him over. However, When Baromosa said that he had made four new friends, Jinsoku put down his fork, took a drink of his water and looked at him. "Dont assume too much..." He said in a cold voice and stood up. He wasnt a friend of Baromosa's. He didnt like him much as of right now. He thought that he was foolish and was still mad about thier little argument still. He just...didnt know him, nor did he want to. He would put up with him though. He looked over to thier hostess and bowed polietly. "Thank you...the meal was very good." He turned, and left before another word was spoken. He walked out the front door and looked back at his balconey. There was a pole near and he climbed up it and into his balcony. He didnt go into his room though. He lay down on the balconey and looked up into the night sky. He wished that they hadnt left Konoha. He missed laying in the forest and looking up at the sky there, it was familiar and he was used to it. Somthing was differnt about this sky, he didnt enjoy looking at it. It wasnt the same, but he stayed there regardless. (Word Count=232 Total Count=6698) Edited October 10, 2007 by Jinsoku Kazekobushi
Baromosa Posted October 11, 2007 Posted October 11, 2007 (edited) Baromosa smiled and nodded for a few minutes before muttering, "Asshole." in Jinsoku's general direction after everyone had left. Sighing softly he finished a second drink by himself before moving toward the stairs and ascending, this time expecting the creaks and accepting them much more easily. Once he made it to the doors, he fumbled for his key and brushed his finger over it, thinking about using his private room. 'Lily is nice and everything, but I don't know. She makes me act so different...' Baro thought but put his key back in his shirt, knowing it would be impolite to make he wait any longer. 'It was really nice, but maybe I'll try to make her feel more like friends.' he suggested to himself, Baro's stomach starting to churn with nervousness. The rest of his body was almost weightless, but that churning in his stomach weighed down like a stone in him, unbalancing his walk. Opening the door to Lily's room he smiled and found her softly sleeping on her side, curled up in a small ball on the pillow. "Cute." Baro muttered sweetly and laid on the bed but not directly next to Lily, just enough to be on the bed without falling off. As the minute progressed more quickly, Baromosa started to pay more attention to how Lily slept and noticed how she shivered softly. Finding his vest Lily had thrown onto a chair in the corner, Baro quickly checked to see his headband was secured more firmly in it's pockets before placing it over the sleeping girl. She clutched it ever so gently to her body and moved more to the center of the bed, where her met her and watched her sleep before he yawned him. "Good night Lily." Baro whispered softly and closed his eyes to listen to the world sleeping around him. Word Count: 309 Total: 7061 Edited October 13, 2007 by Baromosa
...Rhianna... Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 A soft cloud of mist descended on the sleeping town, covering it all in a dewy blanket of moister. With the crisp chill in the air the water froze gently to create a world covered in frosting like that on a cake. Of coarse, the day had not yet awoken, so no one could see the icy splendour. With the sun's face hidden behind the mask that was the hills the small village was shadowed from it's fiery light. But as the first creatures stirred, the tops of trees burst into gold brilliance. The light sunk to reveal a sparkling wonderland, in turn melting the frost that hugged every surface. Kaoru watched this brilliance unfold from the balcony outside his bedroom. His masculine frame lent on the railing while crystal-blue eyes travelled the scenery, taking in everything from the twinkling grass to the water trickling down the tiled or thatched roofs. Taking a deep breath he stood and entered his room once more, stretching with whole torso as he did so. He pulled on a clean blue t-shirt before covering his shoulders with the usual black coat. He opened the windows wide before leaving the room. Even after the big dinner the night before Kaoru was hungry, and wanted to have his breakfast soon. Sitting on one of the one-seater couches Kaoru put his feet up on the coffee table and rested, his mind drifting away from the present. ((Word Count: 238 Total Word Count: 2,824))
Azure Posted October 14, 2007 Author Posted October 14, 2007 (edited) Morning would rise in the small little town. The sun would creep its little way in to the rooms of the inn, waking the little Gennin from their light sleep. But on the chance that they were sleeping heavily or had their curtains drawn, when breakfast was ready, they would be called. But that wouldn't be for another few hours. Dawn had appeared quickly this morning, Namiko and her family already busy before the sun's appearance, getting the inn ready for the festival this eve. -- As the group of five followed behind the two leaders, they would see the opening before them, within, a small nestled and homely town. It's welcoming sign painted 'Kinomi no Toshi'. "I'll warn you, it's quite a small town. And don't worry, as long as you don't openly use any ninja practices, you won't draw attention. The NCIA don't bother here usually, it's two small. They'd have to have a reason to come here." He assured them. They should very well trust his insights, this group seemed a bit more functional than the group they would meet in the future. As they entered the town, a few of the civilians greeted Soujiro kindly, as did he. The violet eyed man wore his old cloak again, shrouding his face, for an unknown reason. Walking slowly through the quiet town, they could see something being moved around, changed and people being busy in regards to the festival this evening. They wouldn't stop until they were before possibly the only notable inn in town, there was only one or two other, but they were built to be shared singly. Soujiro opened the door, striding in and holding it open for the rest of the group to come in. Once everyone was inside, a voice yelped from the other room, it's pitch high but the voice, soft, not scratchy and annoying. The cloaked man pulled down his hood, exposing his face at this screech. "Soujiro! Tsukasa! You made it in time!" Appearing before them was a young girl, around Soujiro's age; which was his late teens with bright orange hair and mildly attractive. "Yes, Namiko, we have. Team, this is Namiko, my sister. Oh, I'd like you to meet with the rest of the team. Mizumono, Arkia, Ryuu, Kitara and Naraku." Pointing to each one of them as he recited their names. "We have a favor to ask of you immediately. Mizumono here was an unexpected guest and in self defense to herself she sealed all save Arika's chakra. The irony is the group was acting in self defense too. But it's all down the river now." "Oh, of course I'll help them!" She said excitedly before disappearing and reappearing with two keys and handing them to the Hyuuga. "Ok, you two may go and rest in bed if you want, or you could stay down here and meet the other members of this group. All of you with sealed chakra, please sit down over there." Leading them over to chairs in the dining area, he pulled out three chairs for the three to sit while Namiko released her chakra to free the sealed chakra network in the Gennin. This process would take a few minutes, Soujiro and Tsukasa sat down at the table too, trying to talk with Namiko while she was busy. She was an excellent multitasker. -- An alarm would go off in every single room of occupance at the same time to wake up all the Gennin and alert them of Breakfast would be soon and they should get themselves ready. If ny of them were to wonder down to the dining room, they would see an all too familiar face; known to all three of them, the one they aught for; Soujiro. -- [Note: Ash, CD and Chiiri; your chakras are now unsealed.] [Everyone, keep your word totals too] Edited October 15, 2007 by Azure
Ash_x Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) Kitara followed her mentor through the close-nit forest, twisting around spiny branches and stepping avoidingly past thick, muddy trenches. Between her slender fingers was a cord, bent and tangled from hours of toying, eventually the little wire disappeared into her buckskin pack, where it was attached to a music device. The other end forked at her collar bone where sound waves could easily travel into her hearing, each little note strewn into one another to form a rhythm. The girl's dark hair, tamed by the navy ribbon constricting it's tips swayed helplessly with her movements, like a long tassel of charcoal silk. "I wonder what the residents are celebrating..." Kitara thought wearily, her mind slipping back to the mentioning of a festival. Tiny paw prints bordered the kunoichi's, belonging to Orion who had been deprived of his carrier. Large, stormy hued eyes glared up at the girl, stumpy tail twitching with agitation. Kitara glanced down as her feline companion gave a protestional yowl, a soft smile glistening on her pale lips. "You want to stay with me... you have to work" She answered apathetically, quickening her step to push past the outraged kitten. The girls team mates would be wise to ignore the constant plea of the trailing hitch-hiker, there were no free rides for them, and Orion was no exception. The soft, honey-hued dawn slowly crept upon the travellers, bathing them in a thick amber sheen, tinting Kitara's sapphire eyes a shimmery apricot. ""I'll warn you, it's quite a small town. And don't worry, as long as you don't openly use any ninja practices, you won't draw attention. The NCIA don't bother here usually, it's two small. They'd have to have a reason to come here." Soujiro's words wriggled into her senses, past the constant lull of her mp3. Reaching into her bag the girl carefully flicked the device off and removed her earphones, an almost displeased expression lurking behind her dollyish mask. Her Sensei's words had injection a pang of longing into her conscience, a deep missing of her chakra and the ability to preform even the most basic jutsu. Within a few moments the petite town of Kinomi no Toshi came into view, it's villagers bustling with apparent excitement as they darted from building to building, carrying bowls of food and festive ornaments. "I've never even heard of this place..." Kitara thought curiously, wondering why the village preferred to remain so hidden from the outside world, including their neighbours of the fire country. Soujiro lead the group towards one of the inns that decorated the street they stood in, it's neatly carved beams catching the girls eye and briefly she stopped to admire the proud structure. Once inside, herself and the others were greeted by a sapphirine capped woman, her cheery smile lightening Kitara's mood considerably as she requested them to take a seat about a large, circular table. The raven-haired kunoichi gave a sigh of relief as the woman unlocked her sealed chakra, feeling it seep back through her veins in desirable bursts. "Arigato Gozaimashita" Kitara said grateful, dipping her softly featured face towards her sensei's sibling. At the mentioning of "other" gennin the girl's senses pricked, surely they wouldn't belong to Kinomi no Toshi, it was far too small to hold any trained ninja, perhaps they had come to join in the celebrating as well. The temptation of a little competition brought a delicate curve to her mouth, it would be interesting to meet these unknown shinobi. [Word count: 582] Edited October 15, 2007 by Ash_x
...Rhianna... Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Long, ebony hair hung loosely to frame Kaoru's handsome face as his icy-blue eyes watched the small movement of his toes under black and white shoes. A soft jangle of the doorbell alerted Kaoru to new comers as he smelt the delicious scent of breakfast cooking and being laid on the table. Tuning his fine senses in the direction of the doorway Kaoru listened from his comfortable seat to hear who the strangers were. Only one voice was familiar, Soujiro. At the recognition of this one man Kaoru seemed to relax slightly; surely he wouldn't bring anyone untrustworthy here? "Oh, I'd like you to meet with the rest of the team. Mizumono, Arkia, Ryuu, Kitara and Naraku." The dark teenager rose in his seat a little as Soujiro introduced the others to his sister. Kaoru's eyebrows rose at the mention of a girl's name. Matsuki Kitara? She's here? He thought as he stood out of his chair. Walking over to the dinning room he entered to be greeted by the delectable smell of freshly baked bread and waffles. His eyes caught hold of the people who had just had their sealed chakra unlocked. Kaoru ignored the food and spotted the familiar pretty face of his old friend. "Kitara!" He exclaimed, opening his arms wide and engulfing her in a friendly hug. They had both grown and matured since they had last seen each other, there was a change in the duo. But non-the less, Kitara was as beautiful as ever. ((Word Count: 250 Total Word Count: 3,074))
Ash_x Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 (edited) Kitara's plush lips curled into a delicate smile as the appetizing aroma of honey dribbled porridge and butter-smeared toast wafted into her senses, arousing her hunger pangs as the inn maids carried trays out and set them onto the large dining room tables. Turning her sapphire gaze back towards the azure haired sensei and his cheerful sister, Kitara watched as Namiko handed her hyuuga comrades the keys to their rooms and waited to receive her own, eager to rest her weary eyes after the journey to Kinomi no Toshi. Suddenly, her gaze widened, fearful as the girls instincts flared inside her "Somethings wrong..." She thought and within a few moments Kitara felt her waist being enveloped in a firm embrace, despite her impressive speed the kunoichi was consumed by a set of arms, feeling them gently press the air from her lungs. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she was wrapped in the abrupt hug, dark eyes locking those of the boy in front of her as remembered his unique features. Kit's shocked expression soon melted into one of delight, lips curving in happiness as she recognised the obsidian-eyed male, returning the friendly affection as she pulled herself into him. "Kaoru! what are you doing here?" Kitara asked softly, gently pulling away to rest her palms on his now broad shoulders. The girl recalled when her childhood friend was just a scrawny wafe of a boy with high hopes of becoming a ninja, though his eyes still had that certain dreamy quality that was impossible to read. For a moment, Kitara was now aware of the unnerved stares herself and companion were receiving, feeling a delicate rose tint each of her cheeks but soon glanced away, turning back to Kaoru. "It's great to see you again" She said finally, having never expected to see him here above all places. [word count: 310] [Total count: 892] Edited October 15, 2007 by Ash_x
acillies45 Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Jinsoku's eyes had been long opened before the alarm when off. He still hadnt moved yet though, seeing as he saw no need to as of yet. When it was about twenty minutes of him just sitting and thinking, he sat up and looked around, at first wondering where he was. He then remembered they had stayed at an inn. He swung to the side of the bed and sat there, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. This woke him up a little and he grabbed an extra outift of his, quickly showered and came back out. He felt pretty refreshed, and the layer of dirt that had collected on him was finnally gone. He was even in a little better mood then the night before, but he still wasnt totaly cured. He put his belts on, made sure all his equipment was there and he checked to make sure his new headband was in his pouch. When he was satisfied that everything was where it should be, he stood up and went out to the balconey. He looked around the small town and already he could see that many had woken and had started thier day. He stood there a moment, taking it all in. It reminded him slightly of Konoha in the mornings. He had always been one of the last to get up, which made him late for everything. He didnt think badly of it though, sleep was too important to him to have much else have priority over anything. He then looked around the balconey quickly, made sure no one else was watching, then swung down from it, slid down a pole and hit the ground. He looked around and no one had seen him. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief and walked back into the inn. He went to the dining room and looked around. He saw Kaoru, the boy who he had just met last night, but then, there were some other faces that were new to him, except the last one that his eyes fell upon. "Yo!" He said to Soujiro. "Took your sweet time getting here sensei..." He said calmly. "...Oh well, Im sure you have an excuse." He said, smiling a little to show that he was just kidding. He sat at the table, not even acknologing the others. He was going to let them introduce themselves first. (Word Count=401 Total Count=7099)
Baromosa Posted October 16, 2007 Posted October 16, 2007 Baro woke with a startle to a cold bed without the girl he had gone to bed with. "Lily." he whispered sleepily before opening his eyes, rolling into the depression in the bed where she had been hours before. It was still warm to Baro's skin. Smelling the pillow faintly against the cool cotton fabric, Baromosa rested his head and ignored the fact he should report downstairs. To him the bed felt so good compared to the tiredness lingering in every muscle, moving around in him like tumbling sand. Once Baro struggled with his laziness, he bumbled down the stairs, putting on the vest he had taken off the night before. "Ow!" he scowled with harsh look on his face, jerking his arm through his jacket. A pin had jabbed him on the inside of his jacket, and upon further examination Baromosa found a note on a small pink piece of paper. Stuffing it in a pocket, Baro ignored it for now and headed downstairs, intaking the pleasant aroma of aged wood that reinvigorated his mind. Upon entering the room everyone seemed to be gathered in, Baro nodded heads and smiled brilliantly to the room, taking a quiet corner seat at the far end of the table. Seeing what was taking place first before making any statements, Baro liked watching and listening to what was being said, taking that he had missed pieces of vital information. "So our sensei is back?" Baromosa whispered to Jin softly, taking some food out on the table and nibbling on it. The soft bread crumbled on his chin and he neatly took a napkin to clean it. Word Count: 274 Word Total: 7335
Arika Posted October 16, 2007 Posted October 16, 2007 (edited) Arika watched as the girl called Namiko unsealed the chakra of her teammates. She clentched her fists, she felt a bit restless and her lack of sleep wasn't helping. Sleep seemed to elude her during the recent days with everything that had happened. She watched closely as Kitaras chakra was released, the look on her face as well as her stance changed. It was like she was a new person, the young Hyuuga girl approached her with a purpose in her step as she placed a hand on the girls shoulder. "Kitara, I'm sorry I wasn't any help when the team was fighiting. I wanted to make it up to you all, but I need your help." Arika paused, her milky white eyes searched Kitaras doll like expression. "I wanted to know if you'd like to spar with me, I need to sharpen my skills." Her admission felt like a weight had been added to her burden as a shinobi. "I know I'm weak, and I'd like to change that." She pointed out honestly with a pleading tone in her voice. Kitara, soon after being embraced by her childhood friend, and having familiarised herself with his now matured features, felt another hand rest upon her slender frame. Sapphire eyes glittered softly as her hyuuga companion spoke, a delicate curve gracing the plush line of her lips. Glancing briefly towards Kaoru the girl lightly dipped her face towards him, excusing herself for the moment in a polite bow as well as assuring the boy they would catch up later that evening. "Hai, Arika-chan… I accept.” Kitara answered contently, her angelic vocals holding a ribbon of interest for now that her chakra was finally unsealed, she could feel it pulsate within the content of her veins, eager to be unleashed in either battle or training. The obsidian-haired girl followed her companion out onto the large courtyard off to one side of the inn, disguised behind a fence of towering oaks and so would be perfect coverage from any passing concerns. "I'll warn you, it's quite a small town. And don't worry, as long as you don't openly use any ninja practices, you won't draw attention” Soujiro's words still littered the back of her mind, but surely he wouldn't object to some innocent training, precautions would be taken to ensure the girls did not give away their shinobi attire. The two kunoichi walked beside the tall oak fence, looking for a safer place to train their undeveloped potentials. The sun had yet to peek over the small homes and surrounding trees around the town, "I think we should practice as far away from town as possible and away from any nearby roads." She repeated his words in her mind faithfully, more fatalities were the last thing she wanted to see. She loved to spar against Kitara, and although it was only once it was fun, and they weren't serious. A small smiled crept up on her pink lips as she gave Kitaras' sleeve a light tug leading her away from the inn. "Come on, there should be a place near the village limits." Breaking into a light jog, her kimono and beat against the light gust of wind going the opposite way, making a light flapping sound. Her hair swayed from side to side with every step she took. Soon after being away from the Inn the two slowed to a walk. The faint sound of locals in the midst of festivites could be heard, and as they walked farther away they became more like whispers in the wind. Kitara smiled softly as she felt the gentle breeze surrounding herself and Arika, brush against her pale yet delicately featured face and ensnare her long, midnight hair into a graceful dance behind her. The bustling villagers paid them little notice, mistaking them for towns maids or perhaps too preoccupied with the upcoming festival to allow concern to drift in the Kunoichi's direction.The rhythmic lull of conversations and rushing footsteps soon dimmed as the duo slipped into the shadows of the nearby forest, cloaking the girls in a cold blanket of sunless splendour. Kitara allowed her azure gaze to flutter gently about the treetops, observing her surroundings as she carefully flexed her limbs until she could no longer feel the constant strain of overused muscles. "Does here suit you Arika-chan?” The girl asked kindly, looking forward to training with the white-eyed Kunoichi for she always gave a memorable performance. "Here's perfect.." Arika agreed, spinning slowly as her eyes serveyed the perimeter. It didn't take her Byakugan to tell that they were alone in these woodlands. She reached out with outstretched arms, loosening her arms up for the coming excersize. With a swift movement of her hand she pulled at her obi, letting the wind carry her kimono onto an elongated branch to behind them. She had revealed her shinobi attire, one could tell she was planning on this for some time. Taking a few breaths, Arika dropped down into a very familiar stance that was commonly used by gennin in Konoha. Word Counts Arika: 481, total 481 Kitara: 366, total 1258 Edited October 16, 2007 by Arika
Azure Posted October 17, 2007 Author Posted October 17, 2007 After talking with Namiko and seeing some Gennin leave, he figured something was going on. But he knew exactly what it was, they desired training. They were to antsy, too eager, they wouldn't know how much this vacation would be enjoyed. Yet they had many hours until the festivities began, Soujiro had had something he wanted to do. Rising from his chair, he walked over to Jinsoku. He also sat at the table, but Soujiro motioned for him to get up. "Hey, I want to talk to you about something." As he left Jinsoku, he hoped that was enough motion to get the poor boy to move. He had been trapped all this time, all he wanted was some training, it would only be fair. "I've noticed you've been waiting quite a long time just to get to training. And I wasn't planning on training any of you yet, but you seem to have the a strong determination, but a weak body to support it. Come on, follow me, we'll be back before the festival starts."
acillies45 Posted October 17, 2007 Posted October 17, 2007 Soujiro stood up. Jinsoku watched him and when he motioned him to stand, he did. Then, Soujiro said that he would train him, or somthing around those lines. Jinsoku was surprised, to say the least. He had wanted to train. Thats why he came on this trip, he wanted to be strong, so that he could fight back for the freedom of Konoha, then the rest of the countries that needed liberatiig. "Thank you sensei" He said to Soujiro as he walked with him. He didnt know what to say beyond that, he just wanted to train trian right now. He hated to admit it, but he was the weakest one on his team, he was also the youngest, which gave him an excuse for being so poor at being a ninja, but not enough of one. He didnt want an excuse anyway, he wanted to be good. He wanted to be the best. If Soujiro could teach him anything, he would follow him for as long as it to to become strong. (Word Count=173 Total Count=7272)
Ash_x Posted October 18, 2007 Posted October 18, 2007 Kitara slowly wandered back from her tussle with Arika, having learned much from their friendly battle. Her ribs still held a dull ache, but that was to be expected. A soft, sweetly scented breeze gently tugged at her long, midnight tresses, unravelling the ribbon that constricted their tips and sending it gracefully through the air. Kitara stopped, her delicate fist suddenly becoming tense around her kunai's hilt. The girls dark eyes closed, charcoal-hued lashes providing a rather bewitching allure to her usually feminine features. "Arika-chan... Thank you for our session, but i will see you later this evening" Kitara whispered, barely audible. Without waiting for an answer, the kunoichi lent down and retrieved her ribbon before walking back in the direction the duo had come from, her sapphire gaze starved of anything but determination. "I hadn't realised how much my skills need sharpening" She thought with disappointment, running a claw-like nail along the blade of her weapon, marking a line in the smear of hyuuga blood that was long encrusted into the metallic dagger. [Word count: 174] [Total Count: 2579]
Arika Posted October 18, 2007 Posted October 18, 2007 Arika had arrived just behind Kitara, her chakra reserves had been recovering since the last fit of healing jutsu she had used on herself as well as her sparring partner. Her mind drifted to the fleeting moments during the spar in which she thought she had achieved victory. She clutched her shoulder remembering the pain of the kunai, the way it dug into her shoulder. Her pearly eyes drifted over to Kitara whom in her mind was quite skilled. She let a smile grace her pink lips at her friends words, "I'll see you tonight as well, the festival is going to be a lot of fun." Arikas' words came out half heartidly but her smile hid the lack of enthusiasm her voice had. Her mind, like most of the you shinobi that were gathered in this town was set on training. Freeing Konoha was going to be a job for a team of strong shinobi, not just one or two. Arika batted a few jet black locks away from her line of sight as she walked towards the inn, her steps much more limber than they had been in a while. It seemed her body yearned for the excertion, for a bit of a workout. Arika however had something else in mind, a method of training she hadn't performed since the day she first learned how to awaken her blood limit. Upon entering the Inn she looked about to see if she'd spot anyone, then headed toward the room that was assigned to her. She'd need to concentrate for what she was going to do. [Word count:266] [Total count: 1505]
Cellar Door Posted October 19, 2007 Posted October 19, 2007 Slipping in the back door of the inn hadn't been much trouble at all. In fact, it appeared as though most of the village didn't care whether or not he was a ninja. Step one, complete. Phase two involved a little more tact. Ryuu had to sneak into Arika's room and pass out without alerting the rest of his team to his current condition. Wrapping his hand in his shirt, Ryuu crept in the direction of Arika's room. He hoped she'd be there. "Arika?" He said quietly, rapping his knuckles against her door. "Um, there's something I need to show you." He didn't feel too bad, his hand was a little numb, and his shirt was now gunked with blood, but the likely-hood of him dying from was nil. He was starting to get a little shakey. Hopefully she'd be able to patch him up. "Arika, really... open up." The blood was starting to run through his shirt, and standing in the middle of the hallway, clutching your mutilated hand wasn't the way he wanted any of his teammates to find him. He didn't mind showing Arika, she was a medic, and not to mention his best friend out of the group. "Help, help, help, help, help, help!" He whined as he danced around a bit, it seemed as though she wasn't in her room. Then again, he hadn't really waited all that long... ----------------------------------- Arika was in an indian-style sitting position, ready to try to expand the vision that her bloodline granted her. Things like this normally required a lot of concentration, but just as she was about to focus some chakra, there was a knocking at her door. She could also hear the pitter patter of feet. She immediately stood up from the bed, alerted by the sound. I couldn't have been anyone with malintent, the knock assured that much. Upon opening the door, she viewed the site of Ryuu, clutching his hand within the thin wrap of his shirt. Her eyes widened a bit, "What happened, who did this to you, come here, let me see." Her expression took on a concerned look, and her voice matched it as she took him by his good arm, tugging him into the room, closing the door behind him with a light kick. She wanted to discern the possibility that he might've fought an enemy shinobi, though if it had been the case this would've been the least of his troubles. "Alright, let me see how bad it is.." She sat him on the bed next to her, taking a white towel that sat on one of the dressers. She layed it on her lap, then took wounded hand, placing it on it gingerly. She was quite skilled in the medical arts, and though she had treated more than a few people in the past, it never got old and she always displayed the same kindess during her medical treatments. ------------------------------------- Ryuu hadn't had a moment to reply to the Hyuuga girl's queries before he was dragged into her room violently. Wincing in pain, he sat down on the bed next to her as she grabbed his hand and set it her lap. "Well... the truth is, I got hurt practicing. A rock beat me up." He looked at her sheepishly as she began looking over the burned, lacerated appendage. It looked much worse now that it had been exposed to the air for awhile. His fingers resembeled sausages that had been cooked for too long. She examined the damaged area gently, which was nice. The hand hadn't received much special treatment on the walk back to the inn. "I don't think it's in too bad of shape, but I'll let you be the judge." He said, as he twiddled the fingers in his other hand. Truthfully, Ryuu felt more than a little akward about the position of his hand. Sure, it was burned and mangled, but it was still close to her. He toyed with the idea of pulling his hand away, but it did recquire treatment. So he left it where it was, as his face blushed into a color. --------------------------------- Arika was quite preoccupied with his wound to even notice the coloration on his cheeks. Taking a deep breath she began to diagnose his wounds allowed, her voise held the wisdom of a certified doctor. "From the looks of it, the cuts came from the initial explosion of flame from your jutsu." She turned his hand over, examining for further injury, "The reason you got burned was because..hmm...you concetrated.. At that moment she looked over at him, noticing the light pink of a blush blemishing his cheeks. "Too...much....chakra into the jutsu itself.. She gave him a blank stare trying to figure out what was wrong, "Ryuu-kun..? Is everything alright?" She asked as if she was the one that had done something wrong. --------------------------------- "Oh, well... I'm glad you were able to make such an accurate decision." Ryuu's face now burned with as much color as the jutsu that had injured his hand. He couldn't help but pull his hand away. The young ninja was indeed bashful, and just wanted to get his hand fixed. " Yeah, I'm fine. So, how about you heal it really fast. I kinda need to get cleaned up." --------------------------------- Arika frowned as he pulled his hand away, quickly taking it back, placing it on the towel which rested on her lap. "Fine..." Her voice carried hint of hurt, perhaps anger. She placed her hand on his, lightly letting her hand touch the surface of his skin as she focused chakra into her hand and into his exposed flesh. "Amai...Kanro" A sweet smelling liquid flowed from her hand into his, halting the bleeding almost instantly. "Almost done, now to make sure there's no burns, then you can do whatever you want. She took another deep breath focusing a set amount of chakra into her small, pale hands. A light green glow enveloped her hand, returning the burned flesh to its former glory. Frankly he had upset her, the only time he had come to see her was for healing. She remembered how he declared they would talk on the boat ride to this village, and it never happend. She shook herself from her thoughts. "It's fine now...just becareful with that hand for a few hours, it'll be sore for a little while." She then put his hand back on his lap, letting her grip linger for a few fleeting moments before she too felt a heat rising from her cheeks. Standing so she could break contact with him she took the towel, folding it up, and putting it in the nearby soiled clothes bin. CD's wordcount: 505 Arika's wordcount: 616 Arika's cumulative: 2121
...Rhianna... Posted October 20, 2007 Posted October 20, 2007 (edited) Kaoru nodded to his female friend, then turned to the breakfast table to grab a meal. He ate his breakfast quickly, even though it was a large one. When he was finished he left the building; he had no desire to stay and chat to the others. He needed a walk. The soft souls of Kaoru's converse shoes made no noise as the teenager walked along the cobbled streets, his blue eyes turned icy from the morning sun as he watched the towns people rush around getting ready for the festival that evening. Boredom seemed to seep into Kaoru's mind as he travelled, uncaring about the world around him yet always aware of it all. He needed training, and got the feeling no one else really new that. He had no experience and was stuck on the lowest level of skill. Kaoru felt that he was getting lazy. He didn't work out as much as he used to, nor go for runs in the early hours of the mornings any more. I should do that. Kaoru thought as he turned around and took a short cut back to the inn. Having no desire to be seen walking up the stairs and running back down again Kaoru went to the back and stared up at the balcony. He took a running jump and managed to get his hand on the railing. Bringing the other up he pulled himself up and flung his body over the railing to land with a thump on the balcony. Walking over to his door he unlocked it and stepped inside. Dumping his thick coat on the bed he changed into his only pair of shorts and took his shoes off, letting his feet breathe freely for the run. Kaoru locked his door once more before jumping of the balcony and running off. Hours past before the young man returned and got washed in the bathed in the private bathes designed for everyone to go whether you wanted it private or more sociable. Kaoru grabbed a change of clothes and washed quickly in one of the private rooms before returning to the inn. It was late evening by the time he sat on the same armchair in which he had been seated in that morning, and his legs felt like pudding but strangely he liked the feeling that came from hard work. ((Word Count: 395 Total Word Count: 3,380)) Edited October 20, 2007 by ...Rhianna...
Cellar Door Posted October 20, 2007 Posted October 20, 2007 (edited) Ryuu still smelled bad, but he'd noticed the faint pink tinge covering Arika's cheeks. It puzzled him. He didn't know of any reason why she should still be sad. He thought he'd helped straighten her out back on the boat. She hadn't even known Acedira that long. She couldn't still be sad about that. "Arika, are you alright?" He couldn't tell if the color of her face came from anger, or sadness, or possibly fright. Perhaps his odor was causing her discomfort, no Ryuu was just being self-conscious. For some reason his mind kept wandering back to his need to bathe. Taking this as an oppurtunity to finish tending to his wound, Ryuu pulled a small spool of bandage from the first aid kit on his belt. Carefully and methodically, as he'd practiced since before the war, Ryuu wrapped the white cloth around and around his hand, until the light pink burns and scratch marks were no longer visible, covered by the wrappings. "Are you still thinking about back in Mizu No Kuni?" He asked touching on the subject lightly. He didn't want to strike a nerve and end up making her even more sad. Wordcount: 195 Cumulative: 700 Edited October 21, 2007 by Cellar Door
Ash_x Posted October 20, 2007 Posted October 20, 2007 Kitara slowly followed the path back towards Kinomi no Toshi, her movements soft and graceful, taking her time to admire the fields of wild flowers and the coral-tinted clouds that had begun to roll in from the southern heavens. A delicate sigh escaped the girls lips as she thought, content with the amount of training she had done prior, and feeling the effects that made her figure feel both stiff and weak. Orion lay happily across the girls shoulder, a soothing purr escaping his vocals with every breath. "Thank you Orion, I'm glad you are here with me" Kitara whispered, pressing her hand against the little kitten in a loving gesture, holding him close to her neck. The sooty aroma of smoke soon entered the kunoichi's senses, assuring her the city wasn't too far in the distance. Sure enough, a few more footsteps brought her into the villages view, it's almost too cutesy appearance bringing a distaste to the girls delicate features. "The sooner we leave Hobbiton, the better..." Kitara thought with a half hearted smile, deciding there was no real adventure in this doll house of a town. Walking briskly through the busy streets, the girl soon came to the inn in which her companions were staying at, a sense of longing came over her to simply curl into her freshly made bed and allow herself to fall into slumber. Pushing open the sturdy wooden door with her free hand, Kitara slipped inside and carefully closed it behind her with a click. Expecting to see no one still dwelling around the main entrance, the dark-eyed kunoichi was pleased to notice Kaoru resting lightly in one of the handsome armchairs, looking rather tired despite his freshly washed appearance. "Hey" was all she needed to say as she plopped down beside him, the feeling of just sitting was wonderful though it turned her tense legs into jelly. "Long day huh?" Kitara said, smiling kindly towards her companion and enjoying his company which she had not had the pleasure of in years. [Word count: 340] [Total count: 2919]
